South Africa: Zikalala demands action in staff member's murder case

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has called on police leadership to trace and apprehend the suspects involved in the murder of a staff member working in the communication section of the Office of the Premier.

According to reports, Hlengiwe Madlalas lifeless body was discovered outside her home in the early hours of Sunday morning with multiple stab wounds, with her clothes placed next to her.

Madlala, from Songozima village in Vulindlela, outside Pietermaritzburg, was an Administrator in the Communication Unit at the Office of the Premier.

By all accounts, this is one of the most gruesome acts of gender-based violence (GBV) committed on a woman in the province recently. Whoever did this was on a mission of murderous violence and set about to carry out this act in a cold and calculating manner, Zikalala said in a statement.

Zikalala said GBV remains one of the worst scars on society, touching every community, regardless of race, faith or economic status.

GBV has now become the second pandemic after COVID-19 and remains a real threat to the building of a united, prosperous, non-sexist, non-racial and equal society.

There is clearly more work to be done on protecting women in KwaZulu-Natal from violence through prevention, awareness, care and support to the victims, the Premier said.

We must also strengthen the judiciary and support programmes which target women empowerment and provide closure for the survivors.

Hlengiwe died a brutal and gruesome death at the hands of a callous perpetrator. She would have celebrated her 40th birthday in August this year. Unfortunately, her life has been cut short by this brutality, Zikalala said.

The Premier has, on behalf of the staff and the entire provincial government, conveyed his sincerest condolences to Madlalas family, especially her children whom she loved so dearly.

May the whole family be comforted in this hour of great pain, and may they find strength in the great memories shared with Hlengiwe and use these to remember the good times spent with her. May her soul rest in peace, the Premier said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Senseless killing of Human Settlements official condemned

The Gauteng Human Settlements Department has condemned the senseless killing of a senior official, Teboho Makhona, who was brutally murdered in Spruitview, when 28 bullets were fired at his vehicle on Friday night.

Makhona was based in the departments regional office in Ekurhuleni.

The department said Makhona and his colleagues were working tirelessly to allocate the rightful beneficiaries into their RDP houses, remove illegal occupants from occupying the houses, and prevent future occurrences of land house invasions in the region.

Gauteng Human Settlements MEC Lebogang Maile has called on law enforcement agencies to do their work and apprehend the killers.

We also call on members of the communities to refrain from speculation and spreading misinformation. On behalf of the Gauteng Executive, we would like to send our condolences to the family colleagues and friends of Teboho Makhona.

This cowardly act will not deter us from our mandate to provide quality housing opportunities to those who deserve it the most, Maile said.

Maile, together with Mayor of Ekurhuleni Mzwandile Masina and senior officials from the South African Police Service, visited the family home of Makhona on Monday to convey their condolences on behalf of the Gauteng Government.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Oliver Darcy comments on James Murdoch donating tens of millions of dollars, in many causes to progressive causes. "He's using the Fox money to undo, or at least try to undo, some of what Fox has put into place, which is astounding," Darcy says.
Mladic was first indicted in July 1995. After the war in Bosnia ended, he went into hiding and was finally arrested in 2011 and handed over to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia by the then-ruling pro-Western government of Serbia.

The judgment was welcomed as an important affirmation of the rule of law by Kathryne Bomberger, director-general of the International Commission on Missing Persons that helped locate and identify victims of atrocities in Bosnia.

"Ramifications of the judgment in case of Mladic and in previous cases, such as that of Radovan Karadzic, go beyond the Western Balkans. This gives hope to survivors of atrocity, including families of the missing and disappeared persons around the world, that justice can be delivered, Bomberger said.

Amnesty Internationals Europe Director Nils Muizniek said the ruling sends a powerful message around the world that impunity cannot, and will not, be tolerated.

Nedzad Avdic, who survived a mass execution in Srebrenica, said he was satisfied even though nothing can erase what weve been through nor bring back our dead.

The judgment will make denying the crimes more difficult. This and other verdicts will be the starting point for anyone who cares about truth, he added.
"No Vietnamese leader has any intention of making concessions to China on sovereignty," former Deputy Minister of National Defense Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh has said unequivocally.

In an interview with VnExpress, he said, "If the East Sea is lost, all military soldiers and leaders would have wronged the people."

For the veteran who has been at the helm of Vietnam's defense and foreign affairs policies for over a decade, it was necessary to be humble in international relations but, more importantly, also confident.

Matters that could be conceded should be conceded, but in key matters such as independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, there could never be concessions.

"When interacting with my friends around the world, I've never felt the need for self-deprecation about Vietnam being a small country, or thought we must look up to anyone else. And in reality I could also feel the international community's respect for our country."

Vietnam's heroic history, paid for with the blood of previous generations and upon which the country's fortune was being built, was an important reason for Vietnamese to be confident and proud of their country.

"Never think that when sitting with Americans we should not mention the Vietnam War or the victory of our people. Whenever we meet, I always recount to U.S. generals stories about the Vietnam War, about Vietnam's leaders, generals, about the sacrifices of Vietnam's people, soldiers. They quietly listen, and often say, 'You should tell us more about what you have been through, and how you managed to beat us'."

Former Deputy Minister of National Defense Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy.

In foreign affairs, today's issues always ought to be tied to historical lessons, especially in the case of countries that had a "history" with Vietnam, said Vinh, who stepped down from the deputy minister position at the end of May.

By having conversations with foreign leaders about past conflicts, he could tell that Vietnam's arguments and persuasiveness were both accepted even if deep in their hearts the other parties might not be satisfied with them.

Foreign policy

But Vietnam's heroic history of fierce wars and great victories notwithstanding, Vinh found its post-war behavior as a civilized, peace-loving victor to be even greater.

"Americans often ask me why Vietnam-Cuba relations are so good. My response is: 'We have a blood relationship with Cuba. In addition to the traditional affection between the two countries, Vietnam also wants the world to see that we never abandon our friends. You might not like it, but you definitely also want to have such loyal friends.'

"Don't think that ignoring Cuba would make the Americans treat us well, having tensions with China would win American support, or closing our doors to the U.S. would make China talk to us less harshly."

Vietnam's foreign policy was founded on using historical lessons in relationships with other countries.

He quoted Senator Patrick Leahy, president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, as saying: "In Vietnam-U.S. relations, the most difficult and sensitive issue is overcoming war consequences. But miraculously, it has now become one of the most effective and inspiring areas in promoting Vietnam-U.S. relations."

The same applied to relations with China, where Vietnam had never shied away from discussing the border war or the black spots in the history of bilateral relations.

The two countries discussed those issues so as not to repeat them, which was mutually beneficial.

"Even for today's issue of the East Sea, we must also use that historical lesson to review and handle it. Even for the most difficult issues, if we could recognize the true and legitimate interests, both sides would be able to find a way to resolve them without having to use force."

East Sea

Vietnam was always fully aware of the security challenges in the East Sea [internationally known as the South China Sea], which could violate its territorial integrity and lead to conflict, making them the biggest risks currently for the country.

It was therefore understandable that all Vietnamese are concerned about the East Sea.

China appeared to be very strong, and had been carrying out many activities in the East Sea with ever growing ambition and determination. It had been extremely persistent in gradually achieving its sovereign ambitions, and was not afraid of public opinion, making it difficult not to be concerned.

To guide its behavior in the East Sea, Vietnam must assert its sovereignty, never be vague about it, never forget it or let go of it, be confident in its ability to defend its sovereignty, Vinh said.

In this struggle, it is of utmost importance that Vietnam fully defined the scope of its sovereignty. It must legalize its claims, spell out which islands and rocks it had sovereignty over, and the extent of its continental shelf.

Using this as a basis, Vietnam must at all costs defend the 21 island points, 33 garrison points and waters over which it had sovereignty in the Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands, he said.

The country must also persistently fight for its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands. Even though the islands are being illegally occupied by China, Vietnam would never, and must never, give up on it.

Vietnam's national flag is raised at a ceremony in the Hoang Sa Islands waters in June 2014. Photo by Le Thanh Tung.

"We must at all costs defend our sovereign rights over the 200-nautical mile continental shelf and make all other countries understand and respect that determination.

"We must make China and other countries respect and comply with international law when operating in waters over which Vietnam has sovereignty.

"We must maintain and develop the legal operation of the fishery, oil and gas, marine research, transport and tourism sectors."

He asserted that while the challenges in the East Sea were real, through such measures Vietnam would protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the East Sea, and in fact was already doing so successfully.

As for China's apparent success with its strategy of gradually encroaching without having to rely on military measures, Vietnam's presence in the East Sea was also becoming more dense and regular.

"The islands in our Truong Sa are becoming greener, more populated, lit up with electricity all night like Vietnam's lighthouses at sea, and have an increasingly vibrant working life.

"Oil rigs were present in the East Sea, marine exploration, research, and environmental protection activities were taking place there and tourist and cargo ships sailed through without any threat.

"Civil, military, scientific ships from other countries frequently come to Vietnam. Our fishing grounds are expanding and increasing in number. All are legal and in accordance with international law. We don't compete with or encroach on anyone else's territory."

The Vietnamese Navy had a confident, dignified and increasingly large presence in the East Sea, and conducted live-fire drills in the Truong Sa Islands.

In all of Southeast Asia's waters, Vietnam's was the safest with no piracy or human trafficking, and was well protected by its Coast Guard.

As for the recent presence of hundreds of Chinese militia ships in the East Sea, which had been attracting much public attention, Vietnam's foreign ministry had already issued strong, clear statements, and Vietnam's navy and coast guard were always aware of the situation and were present at the site to ensure Vietnamese and international laws were observed.

Vietnam's economic activities at sea were also proceeding normally.

"Resolute, persistent but not aggressive or provocative ... That is how we have done, are doing and will do. I once met General Liu Yazhou, political commissar of the Chinese National Defense University. He said: 'The most important thing for both Vietnam and China is that both should not overdo or make excessive statements.' I replied: 'I very much agree with you. We have never said or done anything beyond the rightful limits'," Vinh said.

He said countries could have different viewpoints, as well as different and sometimes conflicting interests.

In 2011, after the incident involving the cutting of the vessel Binh Minhs cable, he went to meet a leader of China's defense ministry.

"During the discussions, he said: 'If I said Truong Sa, Hoang Sa did not belong to China then I would no longer be Chinese. But I understand that if you said Truong Sa, Hoang Sa belonged to China, then you would not be Vietnamese any more either. We are different and that's the reason we have to sit down together.'

"Clearly they also see the problem, but we must persistently fight and be frank but sincere. Vietnam must always bring up the issue at international forums and not be silenced by anyone. Vietnam was confident that in the East Sea both the law and justice were on its side, and with globalization no country could do whatever it wanted disregarding morality or legality."

Asked if some Vietnamese leaders were afraid of China and just wanted to get along with it, Vinh said no Vietnamese had any thoughts about giving up or making concessions on sovereignty, especially the country's leaders.

"If the East Sea is lost then the Vietnamese army, the leaders would have wronged the country, and would not be able to be at peace with the people either.

"In the military, everyone from top to bottom considers the East Sea to be vital. Territorial sovereignty is something we absolutely will never let go of."

He said all Vietnamese should have faith in the Party and state's strategy to defend the nation and ability to handle the issue with absolute wisdom and clarity and defend sovereignty without losing the peace or affecting the development of the country.

"I once said: 'If I get one additional dollar from the export of agricultural products then that is one dollar off the pressure to defend sovereignty in the East Sea.'

"The more developed a country, the stronger its borders. And development is not spending money on buying weapons. On the contrary, Truong Sa must prosper so the country could prosper. That is safeguarding our house. Don't let embezzlement and corruption erode trust and national strength. That is safeguarding our house. Don't let feelings of love or hate hinder you from grasping and taking advantage of China's development opportunities for Vietnam to co-develop. That is safeguarding our house. Each person should contribute to developing the economy to make the country stronger. That is safeguarding our house."
Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, have extended for one month a monitoring agreement over Irans nuclear sites that expired on May 21.

The last-minute extension came as a new round of negotiations between Iran and world powers over the Iran nuclear deal was set to take place in Vienna. The United States and Iran have said they share the goal of returning to compliance with the deal, known as the JCPOA. Under the Trump administration, the United States withdrew from the deal in 2018 and imposed new sanctions on Iran; since then, Iran has taken several steps, including enriching uranium to levels beyond those specified in the JCPOA.

Chaired by the European Union, the current discussions on how to accomplish the objective of a mutual return to compliance by the two countries include Iran, Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia, with indirect, but key, participation by the United States.

After the round of discussions that ended May 19, European External Action Service Deputy Secretary General Enrique Mora, who chairs the talks, declared that the participants made good progress. An agreement is shaping up.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a recent television interview that the talks in Vienna have clarified what each side needs to do in order to come back into compliance.

For the United States, he said, We know what sanctions would need to be lifted if theyre inconsistent with the nuclear agreement. But more importantly, he added, Iran knows what it needs to do to come back in compliance on the nuclear side. And what we havent yet seen is whether Iran is ready and willing to make a decision to do what it has to do. Thats the test, and we dont yet have an answer.

In a separate interview, Secretary of State Blinken emphasized that the United States is fully prepared to return to the JCPOA, and that if both countries are successful in achieving that goal, the JCPOA can be used as a foundation for a stronger agreement that also addresses Irans destabilizing behavior throughout the Middle East.

Butthe first step needs to be a return to mutual compliance, Secretary Blinken said. Thats what were working on and thats where we still dont know if Iran is willing to say yes.
The United States has deepening concerns over threats to the territorial integrity of Ethiopia. Key among those threats is the ongoing crisis in the nations Tigray region.

People in Tigray continue to suffer serious human rights abuses and over one million are food insecure. At the same time urgently needed humanitarian relief is being blocked by the Ethiopian and Eritrean militaries as well as other armed actors.

The United States condemns in the strongest terms the killings, forced removals, systemic sexual violence, and other human rights violations and abuses, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement. We are equally appalled by the destruction of civilian property including water sources, hospitals, and medical facilities, taking place in Tigray. The U.S. calls on the Ethiopian government to hold accountable those responsible for human rights violations, to protect civilians, and to ensure unhindered humanitarian access.

Despite significant diplomatic engagement, said Secretary Blinken, the parties to the conflict in Tigray have taken no meaningful steps to end hostilities or pursue a peaceful resolution of the political crisis.

Secretary Blinken called on the Eritrean government to immediately return its troops to internationally recognized Eritrean territory. Unless hostilities cease, permitting expanded humanitarian access, the current food shortage could lead to famine.

In light of the dire situation inside Ethiopia, Secretary Blinken announced restrictions on the issuance of visas for any current or former Ethiopian or Eritrean government officials, members of the security forces, or other individuals including Amhara regional and irregular forces and members of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front, responsible for, or complicit in, undermining resolution of the crisis in Tigray. Those who have committed abuses against people in Tigray, as well as those who have hindered the delivery of humanitarian assistance are also subject to these restrictions. Immediate family members of such persons may also be subject to these restrictions.

Secretary Blinken called on other governments to join the U.S. in taking these actions.

In addition, the U.S. has imposed wide-ranging limits on economic and security assistance to Ethiopia. We will continue humanitarian assistance and certain other critical aid to Ethiopia, explained Secretary Blinken. Existing broad restrictions on assistance to Eritrea will remain.

The United States is committed to supporting efforts to resolve the crisis in Tigray and help Ethiopians advance reconciliation and dialogue.
To what extent students at any institution will be or become vaccinated remains unknown, as no mechanisms for tracking vaccination status yet exist within NSHE. To that end, Hug-English said that spread of the virus among unvaccinated students  and among unvaccinated people in the community more generally  could present complications for attempts to limit viral spread overall, especially as the weather cools and the academic year begins in full.

While were all so ready for good news, and it is really good news that case numbers have dropped significantly and vaccination rates have gone up, we also need to keep in the back of our mind that we still have COVID-19 cases, she said. And in various parts of the world were seeing, certainly, resurgence in some cases or significant outbreaks. And so the potential is certainly there for increased case numbers on our campuses as we reopen more fully in the fall.

Masks, the honor system and getting back in the classroomTangential to efforts to plan a vaccine mandate has emerged a separate debate over the continued use of mask mandates. NSHE opted late last month to adopt the most recent CDC guidance essentially eliminating mask-wearing requirements for the fully vaccinated while leaving it in place for those who are not.
It helps those students overcome those barriers by being an extra support system, a role model, a teacher. Sometimes we almost have to be a parent with them and to help them graduate, she continued.

We want to give them the tools to be successful after high school, she said.

J4NG aims to transition students from the classroom to the workforce to support Nevadas many growing industries. Perez said the program also focuses on community service and elementary outreach.

Navarro joined during his junior year when he was concerned about his direction after high school and credited Perez for getting him started with scholarship and financial aid applications.

I was scared. I didnt know what I would do after high school, but after going to J4NG, she gave me my opportunities and told me my choices, he recalled. Now Im going to GBC, and I got the MTC Scholarship. Shes the reason I did it because I knew she would help me.

For those who may have doubts about college or career options, Navarro said high schoolers should start gathering information during their sophomore or junior years.

Navarro said he was motivated to join and stay in the program to enter the mining industry and make something out of it.
Those who are unemployed out of no fault of their own and file an initial unemployment claim must use the online Workforce West Viriginia application process. The exception being if you are receiving a Low Earnings Report from your employer, in which case you will need to contact your local office. You will also be required to file a weekly claim certification " for each week you are unemployed and meet the eligibility requirements.

When filing your initial claim, you will need to have the required information available to fill out the application. This includes your Social Security Number or alien registration number for non-US citizens, current address, complete information of your employer(s) over the past 18 months and telephone number(s) where they can be reached during business hours. For those that are a member of a union hiring hall complete information for the union hall representative. Military and federal employees will require specific forms.

Actively searching for work

When applying for unemployment compensation, whether your initial claim or weekly claim certification, you will be asked a series of questions to determine your eligibility. This will let Workforce West Virginia know that you are still unemployed and eligible to continue receiving benefit payments. You will be asked if you are actively searching for work and asked to keep a record with the Job Contact Record supplied by Workforce West Virginia.

If you withhold or give false information to receive benefits, such as not reporting work or wages, you are committing fraud. Penalties may include disqualification for unemployment insurance, losing your benefits, and criminal prosecution.

How to make a claim

You will start by going to the Workforce West Virginia online application where you can file your initial claim online. You are advised not to use a mobile device or tablet to fill out the initial claim application form. The weekly certification can be done on any device. You will need to answer a series of questions which the application will walk you through. During the process you will to create a PIN (Personal Identity Number) which you will need to remember for when you do your weekly claim certification.

If you are receiving a Low Earnings Report from your employer, you will need to visit or contact your local office. Office hours are 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday-Thursday and 9:00 am - 5:00 pm on Friday. Telephone Claims Center - toll-free: 1-800-252-JOBS (5627).

There will be a one-week waiting period to receive unemployment benefits from the time you file your initial claim during a claim year. You can check the status of your claim using the online application or by calling the toll-free number.

How to certify your weekly UI benefits

Those who need to certify their weekly claim have more flexibility in how they file their claim. It can be done online by going to https://uc.workforcewv.org/Consumer/Login.aspx?app=cc or by calling 1-800-379-1032. You will need to enter your Social Security Number and PIN number to log in. If you forget your PIN you will need to contact your local office.

You will be required to actively search for work each week and have a record of your job search on the Job Contact Record in order to certify your weekly claim, unless exempt. Before submitting your weekly certification, you will be required to certify your answers as correct and they cannot be changed once submitted. If you realize that youve made a mistake during the process, not sure or distracted, youre advised to stop the process, either hanging up or disconnecting from the web.

In order to continue in active filing status you will need to file your claim certification each week in a timely manner. You will be filing for the prior week and the certification must be submitted between Sunday at 12:01 am EST and Friday at 5:00 pm EST.
Russian drugmakers focus on export-oriented Sputnik Light shot

Some Russian drugmakers say they will only manufacture the single-dose Sputnik Light Covid-19 vaccine for the time being because it is easier to make than Sputnik V, which combines two separately-produced shots.

This highlights the complexity of producing the second shot of Russia's Sputnik V vaccination, which is made up of two different products which requires different manufacturing facilities and twice as many people to make. That makes Sputnik Light, which is identical to the first Sputnik V shot and was approved for use by Russia in May, an attractive short-term solution.

Developed by Moscow's Gamaleya Institute, the vaccine, which the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said is 79.4% effective against Covid-19 and costs less than $10 a dose, has been earmarked for export. Vikram Punia, president of Pharmasyntez, told Reuters that his firm was waiting for registration to officially launch a new manufacturing facility once its first batches of Sputnik Light had passed quality control tests overseen by the developer.

Sputnik V consists of two different vectors, which are used as a first and then a booster shot, which are taken 21 days apart. The vectors are modified human common cold viruses, used to carry the genetic information into the body that triggers immunity-building. Pharmasyntez also produced the second component of the Sputnik V vaccine, but had decided not to expand production because manufacturing requires significant resources, he said.

Punia had previously told Reuters that the two Sputnik V shots had to be produced separately due to the risk of contamination, which required more resources. "We believe that it is advisable now to work with one component, to do a lot of it. We did not go on an industrial scale (with the second)," Punia said.

Pharmasyntez plans to make 1 million doses of Sputnik Light a week by the end of the third quarter or the beginning of the fourth quarter, he said, adding that the maximum production volume was 6-8 million doses per month.

Requests for Sputnik Light have already come from the Middle East, Asia and Latin America, Punia added. The company will ask RDIF, which is responsible for marketing the Russian vaccine abroad, for permission to work mostly for export markets because 'domestic (manufacturing) processes have already been worked out', Punia said.

Russia's BioIntegrator is also only producing Sputnik Light for now, its co-owner Andrei Ivaschenko said. According to agreements with RDIF, production was organised to mostly supply foreign markets, he said, adding that work to arrange production of the second Sputnik V dose was underway. "The virus is very volatile, and, in fact, it is necessary to build two factories, each with its own personnel, which should not intersect so that there is no cross-contamination of production," Ivaschenko said.
Congress has authorized three rounds of Economic Impact Payments to Americans alleviating the financial hardships endured during the pandemic. Although the first went out without much haggling, the later direct payments encountered more resistance over how much struggling Americans needed, who would get them and the overall price tag for future generations.

The three rounds of stimulus checks were signed off on by two different administrations, the first two under former President Trump and the latest $1,400 stimulus check in March by President Biden. Neither had qualms about the measure, in fact Trump caused a furor in his party when he said that the second payment wasnt enough nearly scuppering the drawn-out negotiations to fund the government and provide covid-19 relief that finally passed at the eleventh hour.

The Biden administration would like to focus on other priorities

President Biden has been fairly schtum on his position regarding a fourth stimulus check, if Congress were to pass one, preferring that both chambers focus on passing other priorities on his agenda. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary said that Biden is happy to hear from a range of ideas on what would be most effective and what's most important to the economy moving forward.

But went on to add: "But he's also proposed what he thinks is going to be the most effective for the short term for putting people back to work, to getting through this pivotal period of time, and also to making us more competitive over the long term."

Yet it has been reported that White House staff have been given a presentation on automatic stabilizers or recurring payments should economic conditions worsen. With centrist Democrats, along with their Republican colleagues, fretting about the cost of more stimulus checks and their dissuasive effect of people seeking work, the Presidents full backing would be needed to keep the party in line. With the Senate split down the middle, just one dissenting Democratic senator would tank any bill containing more stimulus checks.

Past negotiations on stimulus checks varied in pace

Looking back at past negotiations that resulted in stimulus checks being sent out to Americans the urgency of the situation was the most determinant factor in how long it took. Congress and the White House acted swiftly to get the first round of stimulus checks passed with little resistance. The direct payments of up to $1,200 payments per adult began landing in accounts just a matter of weeks after the official start of the pandemic.

Although calls for more stimulus checks began almost immediately, Congress didnt get down to brass tacks until the summer. Those negotiations dragged out as a false sense of security gripped the nation despite a second covid-19 wave in the summer. The three-way negotiations between the White House, Congressional Democrats and Senate Republicans seemed to go in endless circles. Only when lawmakers' feet were to the fire with a government shutdown looming was there any meaningful momentum to get the job done.

The third stimulus check became part of the post-presidential campaign for control of the Senate. The $600 per adult and child was blasted by former President Trump as too little, and he called for $2,000. The Democrats and some Republicans ran with the ball, which in part helped push the two Democratic candidates in run-off races for the Senate over the finish line.

President Biden had made a promise to act quickly, but as well the clock was ticking toward a hard deadline of 14 March when enhanced unemployment benefits were due to expire. Congressional Democrats didnt wait for their GOP colleagues to come onboard using a parliamentary tool known as budget reconciliation allowing them to avoid a certain filibuster and pass the American Rescue Plan along party lines. Not a single Republican joined the Democrats.

How long would it take for a fourth stimulus check to reach Americans?

Despite the grief the Internal Revenue Service has gotten for delayed tax refunds, the overworked and understaffed agency has proven that it can get stimulus checks out with incredible speed, taking just a few weeks to get the vast majority of payments out in the latest round. The question of how long it would take is really with Congress.

Currently House committees are marking up legislation for the American Jobs Plan, President Bidens infrastructure proposal. Talks between the White House and Republicans have come to a stalemate after both sides moved their positions closer but the latest counteroffer from the GOP negotiators was underwhelming in the eyes of the Biden administration. President Biden wants to have a bill ready by July with or without Republicans, although he has said that he is committed to reaching a bipartisan deal.

He may have no choice with Joe Manchin stating his opposition to doing away with the filibuster and reticence toward using budget reconciliation to forego working across the aisle. The Senator from West Virginia was opposed to the third stimulus check until changes were made to target the payments more narrowly to those who needed it most.

If he and other centrists Democrats could be convinced to go along with including some form of stimulus check in the upcoming bill using budget reconciliation, the Democrats could pass the legislation in a matter of weeks. But that seems unlikely at best.

Congress will also be considering before the end of the year the White Houses Budget for 2022 and his American Families Plan. The latter would include an extension of the 2021 Child Tax Credit, which will begin sending direct payments to eligible parents for each of their children starting 15 July. President Biden has called for the revamped tax credit to be extended until 2025. If nothing is done, the enhanced credit and payments that could cut childhood poverty in half will cease to exist.

With so much spending proposed, a fourth stimulus check, let alone recurring payments, might be a bridge too far.
The Mexico national team suffered a painful loss against the United States mens national team in the final of the CONCACAF Nations League. Now they have to quickly flip the mood, as they have two tournaments ahead this summer: the Olympic games and the Gold Cup.

The three veteran players to join Mexico in Tokyo

Jaime Lozano will be in charge of Mexicos Olympic team this summer and he has to submit the final roster by 1 July. The Mexican coach can only add three players above the age of 23 for the tournament and according to multiple reports he has already made up his mind.

Henry Martin (Club America), Guillermo Ochoa (Club America) and Luis Romo (Cruz Azul) could be the three experienced players that will participate in the Olympic tournament for the first time in their careers. This means that these three wont take part in the Gold Cup this summer with the senior team.

The senior Mexican national team has three friendlies ahead prior to the start of the CONCACAF tournament. El Tri is in Group A alongside El Salvador, Curacao and a team to be determined and the group stage begins on 10 July.
CROWN POINT  The Lake County Council is preparing to move ahead with its takeover of the county's purchasing and data processing departments from the Lake County Commissioners, despite a pending legal challenge aimed at stopping it.

On Tuesday, Lake County's seven-member legislative body unanimously agreed to finalize at its July 15 meeting the paperwork it believes is necessary to complete the transfer of the two departments from the county's three-member executive branch.

Councilman Christian Jorgensen, R-St. John, said if everything goes according to plan, the county's purchasing and data processing departments officially will be managed by the council, instead of the commissioners, beginning July 26.

One possible roadblock, however, is a court hearing scheduled for July 22 in Hammond before Lake Superior Judge John Sedia.

WATCH NOW: Assistance available to help Hoosier renters pay landlord, utility costs

The commissioners are asking Sedia to reconsider his April 16 ruling authorizing the departments to be transferred to council control, or at least halt the transfers until the commissioners can appeal his decision to the Indiana Court of Appeals in Indianapolis.

The commissioners claim Sedia erred by failing to recognize authority over county purchasing must rest solely with the commissioners because Indiana law specifies only the commissioners have the power to enter into contracts.

Moreover, a court ruling allowing the Lake County Council to both appropriate county funds and control the purchases made with that money, in effect, establishes a new form of local government in Indiana, which is a power reserved to the General Assembly under the Indiana Constitution, the commissioners said.

The commissioners also argued it's contrary to an 1899 Indiana law, and the principles of good government, to have a single entity in charge of raising money through tax dollars, deciding how the money should be spent, and actually contracting to spend the funds.

The council is due to file its response to those arguments by June 28.

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Records show Sedia issued his initial ruling in the case just three days after oral arguments were held April 13.

But it's not clear what would happen should he take longer this time around, and the council attempts to begin running the departments four days after the hearing while the commissioners' legal motions still are pending.

Jorgensen said he's not worried: "Typically, judges don't necessarily reverse their own rulings because it was a well-reasoned ruling to begin with."

WATCH NOW: Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops  Patrolling Lowell with Cpl. Aaron Crawford

In any case, all current county purchasing employees and processes are expected to be retained following the transfer, according to Council President Ted Bilski, D-Hobart.

The purchasing dispute originated in part with the council objecting to the commissioners repeatedly declining to award contracts to buy costly law enforcement equipment requested by Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr., even though the council appropriated money for the purchases.

The sheriff is likely to find smoother sailing for his requests going forward if the council ends up in charge of both allocating county funds and spending them.

Lake County Commissioners memo is support of motion to correct errors

Court ruling in Lake County Council v. Lake County Commissioners

Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail
On May 27, Hungary inaugurated the countrys largest solar power plant, the 100-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power plant project built by China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) near the southwestern city of Kaposvar.

The plant, whose construction kicked off in June 2019, is expected to produce 130 million kWh of electricity annually after it is connected to the grid, and help Hungary save 45,000 tons of standard coal and reduce the countrys carbon dioxide emissions by about 120,000 tons each year. Its believed that the project bears great significance for improving Hungarys energy structure and clean energy development.

As a key project in the cooperation between China and Hungary under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and a representative of a great number of BRI projects, the Kaposvar solar power plant has fully demonstrated the philosophy of peaceful cooperation and win-win results upheld by the BRI.

As a result of the active participation and support of various parties, the BRI has become the worlds largest platform for international cooperation and a well-received global public good.

As of January 2021, China had signed 205 cooperation documents on jointly building the Belt and Road with 140 countries and 31 international organizations.

From 2013 to 2020, the volume of trade in goods between China and countries along the routes of the BRI totaled $9.2 trillion. In the meantime, China has invested $136 billion in countries along the BRI routes and attracted nearly $60 billion of investment from these countries.

In spite of the severe challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, economic and trade cooperation between China and countries along the Belt and Road has shown strong resilience and vitality.

In the face of the current complex international situation and mounting global challenges, countries around the world can only achieve peaceful development and common prosperity by strengthening cooperation and overcoming challenges hand in hand.

By promoting cooperation under the framework of the BRI, China hopes to pursue development, uphold the idea of win-win results, and spread hope together with other countries.

The Chinese-built Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway connecting the two East African countries of Ethiopia and Djibouti is the first cross-border electrified railroad in Africa, and hailed as the lifeline of transportation in Ethiopia.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway has played a vital role in guaranteeing peoples livelihood. Thanks to the railway, more than 1.5 million tons of cargos including daily necessities, anti-epidemic supplies, and industrial raw materials have been transported from the Port of Djibouti to the hinterland of Ethiopia. Last year, while improving the efficiency in the transfer of important goods and materials in the East African region, the railway saw its annual volume of freight climb 35 percent year on year.

Ethiopia has planned to build 13 industrial parks along the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway, among which ten have been completed, creating more than 100,000 jobs and effectively driving economic development for areas near the railway.

If a country participates in the BRI, it can see hope and harvest tangible benefits, said Melaku Mulualem from Ethiopian International Institute for Peace and Development.

With the help of China, the East African region has become a role model of connectivity and rapid development on the African continent. The connectivity will also benefit the construction of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

In pursuing Belt and Road cooperation, China focuses on the fundamental issue of development, and aims to release the growth potential of participating countries and achieve economic integration and coordinated development to the benefit of all participants.

Such ideas and corresponding efforts have yielded fruitful results. Gwadar, once a small fishing village in Pakistan, is now a modern port. Greeces Piraeus Port, where even the bridge cranes of the container terminal were too rusty to function normally, has seen its world ranking in terms of container throughput rise constantly. While continuously attracting investment, the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Egypt serves as a good example of resuming work and production and boosting employment amid the COVID-19.

Belt and Road cooperation binds countries together for the long haul, and forms ties that are extremely difficult to cut, which is perhaps what Chinese President Xi Jinping means when he speaks of the Community of the Same Destiny, said an article published on the website of U.S. magazine Forbes.

As countries around the world are eagerly longing for green recovery and a path to sustainable development, China launched a number of green action initiatives covering wide-ranging efforts in green infrastructure, green energy, green transport and green finance, which have received active responses from people of various countries.

As a participant, contributor and trailblazer in global ecological conservation, China is committed to taking concrete actions and making unremitting efforts to foster a community of life for man and nature.




-- The two sides have become an important pillar for regional peace and stability and a powerful engine for development and prosperity, setting the most successful paradigm of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, according to Wang.

-- During the meeting, the foreign ministers agreed to beef up pragmatic cooperation in such areas as fighting the pandemic, economic recovery, connectivity, disaster relief and prevention, as well as sustainable development.

-- China and ASEAN should forge a higher level of strategic partnership and build a closer community with a shared future in the following 30 years, said Wang.

CHONGQING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- China and ASEAN countries on Monday agreed to promote the upgrading of bilateral ties, build an even closer community with a shared future and open up another 30 years of even greater cooperation.

The agreement came as Chinese and ASEAN foreign ministers gathered in Chongqing for a special ASEAN-China foreign ministers' meeting in celebration of the 30th anniversary of dialogue relations.

SUCCESSFUL PARADIGM

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of dialogue relations between China and ASEAN.

China and ASEAN began talks in 1991, when former Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen was invited to the opening ceremony of the 24th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, marking the start of the formal contact between China and ASEAN.

"Over the past three decades, China-ASEAN relations have achieved leapfrog development," Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said when attending the foreign ministers' meeting Monday.

China and ASEAN have established dialogue mechanism at all levels, including state leaders, ministers, and senior officials, laying a solid foundation for the development of bilateral ties.

Trade volume between China and ASEAN has jumped from less than 8 billion U.S. dollars to 684.6 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of more than 80 times.

The personnel exchanges have exceeded 65 million in 2019, and there are nearly 4,500 flights between China and Southeast Asia every week. The two sides exchanged more than 200,000 foreign students and formed more than 200 pairs of sister cities.

"In the past 30 years, through joint efforts, we have become the largest trading partner, the most connotative partner, and the most dynamic strategic partner," Wang said.

The two sides have become an important pillar for regional peace and stability and a powerful engine for development and prosperity, setting the most successful paradigm of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, according to Wang.

"China is one of the most active partners of ASEAN by coming up with many initiatives to advance the cooperation. China has also responded positively and signed up to various ASEAN policies and initiatives. China has always emphasized and respected ASEAN centrality in regional cooperation," said Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan, former Malaysian ambassador to China.

PRAGMATIC COOPERATION

During the meeting, the foreign ministers agreed to beef up pragmatic cooperation in such areas as fighting the pandemic, economic recovery, connectivity, disaster relief and prevention, as well as sustainable development.

"The two sides always regarded the interests of the people as the priority to advance pragmatic cooperation across the board," Wang said.

Thanks to the synergizing of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025 between China and ASEAN, a large number of projects are being implemented, bringing tangible benefits to the people.

In face of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and ASEAN countries stood in solidarity and helped each other in times of difficulties. ASEAN member states donated medical supplies to support China when it was at the height of its fight against the disease, and China returned the favor by offering medical supplies, dispatching medical teams, sharing prevention and treatment experiences and enhancing vaccine cooperation.

China will continue to provide more vaccines as needed, and carry out vaccine-related cooperation in terms of research and production, procurement, supervision, and inoculation, Wang said when meeting with ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi on the sideline of the foreign ministers' meeting.

He also pledged to support the ASEAN anti-pandemic fund and the reserves of emergency medical supplies, advance the building of 10+3 medical supplies reserve center, and implement the China-ASEAN public health cooperation initiative.

"China has made good of its pledge to offer its COVID-19 vaccines as a global public good by prioritizing the supply to ASEAN countries, not only providing finished vaccines but was also willing to embark on the transfer of technology through joint manufacturing cooperation with countries like Malaysia and Indonesia," said Majid.

CLOSER COMMUNITY WITH A SHARED FUTURE

China and ASEAN should forge a higher level of strategic partnership and build a closer community with a shared future in the following 30 years, said Wang.

He called for considering the lifting of China-ASEAN ties to comprehensive strategic partnership and strive for an early agreement on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).

In terms of the post-pandemic economic recovery, Wang pledged to support the implementation of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework and speed up making the action plan of digital economy cooperation.

This year is also the China-ASEAN Year of Sustainable Development Cooperation.

Wang stressed that China is willing to work with ASEAN to make a success of the Year and committed to building the blue economy partnership, exploring and innovating new highlights of technological cooperation, and enriching the two sides' relations.

China, ASEAN member countries, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand have signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement last November, and China has took the lead in ratifying the agreement.

Wang expressed the hope that ASEAN countries would speed up the approval process and push for it to take effect and be implemented at an early date, so as to deliver benefits to the people of all countries and help accelerate economic recovery at an early date.

"The relations will become stronger as China is playing a bigger role in regional issues and the RCEP would further foster regional cooperation," said Majid.




A man and a child look at the sea at an artificial beach resort at Dongjiang Port in the Binhai New Area of north China's Tianjin, June 5, 2021. Tianjin in north China boasts rich biodiversity along a 153-km coastline made up of muddy tidal flats. Over the years, the city has worked on pollution control and shoreline management of the Bohai Sea to restore its coastal wetlands, while stricter measures on land reclamation have been implemented. In 2020, 70.4 percent of Tianjin's offshore waters achieved sound quality under a three-year action plan to battle water pollution. Now the coastline of Tianjin is dotted with parks, wetlands, and artificial beaches which enable people to reach out to the sea with ease. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

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[ Editor: JYZ ]
According to the United Nations, The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods is the theme for World Oceans Day 2021, as well as a declaration of intentions that launches a decade of challenges to get the Sustainable Development Goal 14, Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources, by 2030.

Screenshot of the model simulations on the long-ternm of Cs-137 released into the Pacific Ocean off Fukushima

With our livelihoods so dependent, interco nnected with the ocean, we must build a connection to the ocean that is healthy, consistent and informed. Concerns have been constantly raised these days toward Japans recent decision to discharge contaminated radioactive wastewater in Fukushima Prefecture into the sea amid domestic and international opposition, especially from Russia, China, South Korea, and other neighboring countries along the Pacific Ocean.

Cover of the UNSCEAR 2020 Report

In fact, radioactive waste has already been discharged into the Pacific Ocean ever since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster on Mar. 11, 2011 in Japan. Most of the radioactive materials came from leaks into the atmosphere immediate after the disaster, which 80% eventually deposit over the Pacific (and some over rivers), noted in the 2020 report namely Levels and effects of radiation exposure due to the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station: implications of information published since the UNSCEAR 2013 Report by United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR).

Japan only started the water treatment from 2013 when Advanced Liquid Processing System become operable. However, in 2018, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), who holds responsibility, admitted that they had not filtered all dangerous materials out of the water, despite saying for years they had been removed.

During the Fukushima Daiichi accident, we learned the importance of getting out timely information. When that didnt happen, we saw how quickly we lost trust and how hard it was to regain it, Jessica Wieder, Director, Communications, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Unreasonable arguments rose in recent with comparison of Japans discharge of radioactive water from one of the worst and most recent nuclear accident the world has ever witnessed and other countries regular annual discharge, provoking more debates over the issue.

Screenshot of a report entitled A quick read on the radioactive water in Fukushima What makes it different by Greenpeace International, published on Apr. 28, 2021

International environmental groups like Greenpeace have strongly condemned those arguments, stressing that the contaminated water of Fukushima is distinguished from other nuclear power plants not only by its greater variety of radioactive materials but also the overall much higher radioactivity.

It has further pointed out that the contaminated water generated by the Fukushima disaster has come into direct contact with contamination from the melted down cores of three reactors and as such is severely contaminated with many radionuclides, the article goes, In other words, it is not appropriate to compare nuclear wastewater of normally operating nuclear plants in general and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear wastewater.

The Republic of Korea (ROK) called on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on May 14 to explore ways to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure the safe disposal of Japans contaminated wastewater. China has supported the ROKs request, urging the Japanese government to be more transparent nor responsible.

The Japanese government should take up its due responsibilities, and must not take the liberty of starting the discharge of nuclear contaminated water into the sea before reaching consensus with stakeholders and relevant international institutions through consultation, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said during the regular press conference on May 17, 2021.

[ Editor: WXY ]
Former Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Vladyslav Krykliy considers the creation of a state airline to be inconsistent on the part of the government during the launch of concession projects for other state assets.

"We talk almost every day that state-owned companies are worse managed than private ones. That business is always a better owner and asset manager than the state. We sell state assets through privatization, conduct port concessions ... but at the same time we want to create another state-owned company. It seems inconsistent to me," he said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

Krykliy also stressed that the creation of a state airline is a very costly idea and it will be very difficult for Ukraine to implement it on its own.

"When the idea of nationalizing UIA was in the air a year ago, I said bluntly - I will put a letter of resignation before that. Since it would be a repetition of PrivatBank's case: the state has roots, but someone's tops. The creation of a new state airline today is also a difficult story," he said.

As reported, the Ukrainian state airline, the creation of which is scheduled for the coming year, will perform both domestic and international flights, including long-distance flights, Deputy Head of the President's Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

Earlier, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal instructed the Ministry of Infrastructure to speed up the process of creating a national aviation company.

The head of government noted that the domestic air carrier should purchase Ukrainian planes, but at the same time said that negotiations are underway on the purchase of planes with three of the world's largest aircraft manufacturers.
Planting one billion trees under the Green Country project in the next three years will require UAH 2 billion, which will be attracted through forestry activities, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Roman Abramovsky told the Green Deal portal.

"In terms of cost, we calculated that about UAH 2 billion is needed for three years. Most of it will be provided through activities of state forestry without raising funds from the state budget," the Minister commented on the initiative of President Volodymyr Zelensky at the all-Ukrainian forum "Ukraine 30. Ecology."

"Along with this, we plan to increase budget expenditures through forestry activities. Already this year, as the president said, following the results of the first quarter, the income of the forestry industry increased by UAH 1 billion," Abramovsky said.

The Minister said that, by the end of the year, it will be possible to increase revenues to the state budget and significantly increase the profitability of the industry by destroying timber sales schemes and holding transparent auctions, as well as by competing for a scarce resource.

Abramovsky also said that Ukraine must submit the draft of the Second National Determined Contributions of Ukraine (NOV2) to the Paris Agreement to the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change by July 31, but consultations with business are still ongoing.

"The consultations with business and associations are not over yet. There are some disagreements, but business already starts to understand the importance of everyone's contribution to climate change. We have more conversations on this issue with representatives of large and medium-sized businesses. I think there will be no resistance [to the NOV2 project] by the authorities," the minister said in a comment to the Green Deal portal.

The goal of the President's project Green Country is to increase the forest area in Ukraine by one million hectares in ten years, of which one billion trees are planned to be planted in the next three years.

On April 1, 2021, the Ministry of Ecology presented a draft order of the Cabinet of Ministers On Approval of the Second National Determined Contributions of Ukraine to the Paris Agreement and launched a public consultation procedure. This document proposes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the national level by 65% by 2030 from the level of 1990.
Ukraine plans to create national exchange for trade in capital, goods in three years with support of EBRD, USAID - PM

Ukraine plans to create a national exchange for trade in capital and commodities in three years with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine and USAID, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said, following the results of signing a memorandum of understanding with the indicated parties in the field of national exchange trade in capital and organized commodity markets.

"According to the agreements, in the next three years it is planned to create an integrated center of capital and commodity markets in Ukraine - the National Exchange for Trade in Capital and Commodities (NEXT)," the prime minister said on Telegram.

He noted that the memorandum is "a new page in the economic history" of Ukraine.

"Ukrainians will receive new opportunities in the form of financial instruments for saving and investing. Businesses will receive a long-term and cheaper resource for the development of their own enterprises. The state will receive increased investment, new jobs, economic development," Shmyhal added.

"Now we are talking about an agreement on the creation of a basis for further cooperation of all parties interested in the process and further development of the forms and essence of a universal hub adapted to Ukrainian market realities," the co-chairman of the Opposition Platform-For Life party faction, Yuriy Boiko, said on Telegram, citing head of the National Securities and Stock Market Commission Ruslan Magomedov.

According to Boiko, in the future, such a project may provide market participants with the opportunity to hedge their risks by trading in derivatives and will greatly benefit Ukrainian and international producers and traders.
The European Union will take a special approach when applying the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) to Ukraine, Deputy Economy Minister, Trade Representative of Ukraine Taras Kachka has said.

"The main result of the negotiations [of the Ukrainian delegation] with the European Commission is that a special approach will be applied to Ukraine. It is not yet clear how it will look if based on the CBAM documents, which appeared at the disposal of the media," Kachka said in a comment to the Green Deal portal at the Ukraine 30. Ecology forum.

He said that the EU's position on CBAM in relation to Ukraine depends on the readiness of the emission trading scheme (ETS) within the country.

"This scheme is being prepared, it will be launched in 2025-2026. The sooner we come to it, the better," he said.

At the same time, Kachka said that Ukraine has undertaken obligations to introduce ETS and the country is already levying a carbon tax (UAH 10 per tonne of CO2). This, he said, puts Ukraine in the hierarchy of countries with greater equivalence in the context of carbon regulation, in contrast to its closest neighbors, where there is neither a carbon tax nor a desire to create an ETS.

Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine Iryna Stavchuk said in a comment to Green Deal on the sidelines of the forum that before the launch of the ETS, it takes several years to test the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV), which was launched early 2021.

"To plan the ETS, one first need to receive reports from enterprises for several years to understand how much CO2 emissions each of them generates. It is necessary to proceed from something when forming emission permits for enterprises under the ETS," the Deputy Minister said.

According to her, in the first quarter of 2022, enterprises will start filing emission reports.

In addition, Stavchuk said that the primary factor in Ukraine's adaptation to CBAM is carbon pricing. After setting the price for emissions, it is necessary to make a decision on the mechanism for paying this price.

"For example, if we talk about the carbon tax, then first it needs to be raised when at the political level everyone is ready to pay for emissions, and only then switch to regulating more complex elements. In any case, the ETS will not help us in any way in the fight against CBAM if there is a zero price for emissions," Stavchuk said.
Yuriy Vitrenko, Executive Board Chairman of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy, will hold a series of business meetings in Washington on Tuesday, during which he will try to convince U.S. senators to promote the introduction of sanctions against Nord Stream 2 AG, the operator of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

"The main goal of the Naftogaz delegation is to convince the U.S. senators, co-sponsors of PEESA/PEESCA, to submit new legislative changes that will require the application of U.S. sanctions directly against Nord Stream 2 AG and the company's managers," Director of Integrated Communications at Naftogaz Maksym Biliavsky, told reporters.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky thanked U.S. President Joe Biden for the invitation to visit the White House in July 2021, noting that he looks forward to meeting to discuss cooperation between the countries.

"Thank you Joe Biden for inviting me to visit the White House in July during our phone conversation. I look forward to this meeting to discuss ways to expand strategic cooperation between Ukraine and the U.S.," Zelensky wrote on his Twitter page after a telephone conversation with Biden on Monday.

Earlier, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that Biden had invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to visit Washington this summer.
Press Release

June 8, 2021 De Lima urges IATF: 'Move up PDLs in vaccination priority list' Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has recently penned a letter to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) asking the government to hasten the vaccination drive to Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs), who are struggling in cramped jails and correctional facilities around the country. In a letter addressed to IATF Chief Implementer Sec. Carlito Galvez, De Lima reiterated the harrowing conditions of PDLs in overcrowded national jails and detention facilities especially during the COVID-19 pandemic where minimum health standards, including physical distancing, are difficult to observe and implement. "This representation respectfully suggests that our PDLs likewise be considered to move up the [vaccination priority] list, particularly in areas with high COVID-19 incidence," De Lima said. "I implore the IATF to take into consideration the particular vulnerabilities in the case of the PDLs as justification for their immediate vaccination," she added. De Lima, a human rights champion and staunch advocate of restorative justice, laid out the pressing issues hounding detention facilities that are operating beyond their capacities, such as the Manila City Jail (376%), Quezon City Jail (482%) and the New Bilibid Prison (343%), among others. "The crowded jails result in less physical distancing. Poor nourishment and sanitation increase the vulnerability of the PDLs to COVID-19 infection. And the limited access to health services means that there is a greater chance that PDLs develop severe or possibly fatal cases of COVID-19 with very little support or treatment available," De Lima noted. "Many of our PDLs in our jails are still being tried and have yet to be convicted of the charges against them. Thus, they still enjoy the constitutional presumption of innocence. It would be yet another injustice for them if they were to be infected by COVID-19 in spite of the availability of inoculation," she added. De Lima also reminded the IATF that the government are responsible for the PDLs and it is their sworn duty to keep them well. "The tragedy is that the PDLs do not have control of their situation. During their incarceration, they are wards of the State and almost exclusively depend on our government for their safety and welfare," De Lima said. It can be recalled that this is not the first time that De Lima pleaded with the government to give more consideration to PDLs. In April last year, she was among the first public officials who advocated for a systematic mass release based "on humanitarian grounds", of elderly PDLs, as well as those who have serious illnesses or disabilities. As former justice secretary, De Lima has constantly pushed for legislative measures to implement comprehensive reforms in the country's prison and correctional system and uphold humane treatment of PDLs. In 2019, De Lima refiled Senate Bill (SB) No. 1146, otherwise known as "Medical Parole Act of 2020" to grant gravely-ill PDLs the chance to serve out their sentence under their families' care or seek better medical care outside the correctional facilities. She also filed SB Nos. 180 and 181, known as "Prison Reform Act," and the "Unified Corrections and Jail Management System Act," respectively, in order to improve organizational structures within the jail/correctional system, legislate the standards of humane treatment of PDLs and institutionalize rehabilitative policies and programs. Enclosed: Copy of Sen. Leila M. de Lima's letter to the IATF.
Ukraine expects NATO to clarify the NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) this December, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna has said.

"Of course, we know [and this was confirmed by Mircea Geoana] that there will be a statement on the open door policy for Ukraine and Georgia. But it is more important for us that the countries demonstrate their strategic patience, the strategic commitment of allies. And we certainly hope to see NATO leaders instruct their foreign ministers to take a step forward in clarity about the MAP for Ukraine already in December at a NATO ministerial meeting," Stefanishyna said at the Democracy in Action: Zero Corruption Conference on Monday.

The Deputy Prime Minister pointed out that so far Ukraine does not see prospects for this positive formulation, but added that many allies are fighting for clarity for Ukraine regarding NATO membership.

"This is only the beginning of the path we are on. And even more importantly, Ukrainians and the Ukrainian leadership will not back down in their rhetoric. We really need answers, and we really need to see the summit where Ukraine will finally get the MAP," Stefanishyna said.
Mayor of Kyiv and Head of Kyiv City State Administration Vitali Klitschko said that he regards the searches at Kyiv's municipal enterprises as political pressure and political corruption.

"We are always ready to cooperate with law enforcement agencies, we always cooperate absolutely transparently and provide all the documentation. But can this be called cooperation? It looks like manipulation. This is not cooperation. I regard this as political pressure," Klitschko said at Democracy in Action: Zero Corruption Conference on Tuesday.

He stressed that "solving one's own political tasks under the slogan of fighting corruption is political corruption."

"What is political corruption? When long meetings are held in the highest offices of power, where they discuss how to attack a particular mayor, this is political corruption. When the head of the State Fiscal Service, which is to be disbanded, is promised the post of head of the Bureau of Economic Security in exchange for massive searches at local government, it is political corruption. When, against the law, against the will of the people of Kyiv, against the Constitution, they try to appoint another head of Kyiv City State Administration, this is also corruption, a violation of the law," Klitschko said.

He explained that since 2015, the Department of Internal Financial Control and Audit has made 385 audits.

"All the materials that we collected were transferred to law enforcement agencies. Officials who were suspected of corruption were dismissed. For years, these documents were in law enforcement officers, and nothing happened, and suddenly they recalled about them now, and came to municipal enterprises [which is outrageous], on the same cases that we exposed and handed over to law enforcement officers. We are accused of the same cases that we presented," the mayor said.

He also said that thanks to the ProZorro system, Kyiv saved more than UAH 9 billion.

"One of the key protectors of corruption is transparency. Kyiv was the first in Ukraine to introduce the ProZorro system. Some 1,800 structural subdivisions of Kyiv's government carry out purchases exclusively through the ProZorro system, and in several years we have saved more than UAH 9 billion for the budget of our community, and UAH 4.5 billion  only last year," Klitschko said.
President of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) Gianni Buquicchio called for accelerating the reform of the judiciary in Ukraine, and also noted that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) should be "safeguarded at any cost."

"The judiciary reform must be comprehensive. The Venice Commission of the Council of Europe has been working on this reform in Ukraine for decades already, without real success," Buquicchio said at the Democracy in Action: Zero Corruption Conference on Tuesday.

He stressed that the NABU must be safeguarded at any cost. "Because they have done a good job and they must continue to do their job," the President of the Venice Commission said.

"Vetting the High Council of Justice and selecting new good members is a priority. The High Qualifications Commission is also a priority. But they two are interlinked, and I think it is much more important that the Council is vetted and reformed, in order to select good members of the High Qualifications Commission," Buquicchio said.

According to him, the reform is also urgent, because Ukraine lacks 2,000 judges, and next year there will be another 1,700 judges who will retire by that time.

"This means that the judiciary will operate with half of its personnel. All these issues are urgent, and what I hope that the government and the parliament will do is to accelerate these reforms," he said.
Venice Commission does not support adopted amendments to bill on inaccurate declaration, law on judiciary, status of judges

The Venice Commission does not support the amendments to the draft law on inaccurate declaration adopted by the Verkhovna Rada, President of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) Gianni Buquicchio has said.

Buquicchio said at the Democracy in Action: Zero Corruption Conference on Tuesday that bill No. 4651 was adopted a few days ago. However, the amended version changed the imprisonment to the restriction of freedom and the property of the relatives of civil servants was excluded from the obligatory declaration and from the responsibility of civil servants. These are negative amendments that the Venice Commission does not support, he said.

He stressed that in this regard, he appreciates the intention of the President of Ukraine to veto this law.

Buquicchio indicated that the Venice Commission recalled that the restoration of the High Qualifications Commission of Judges is urgent.

The opinion (of the Venice Commission) supported the proposal to create a mixed national-international body, a competition commission for the selection of new members of the High Qualifications Commission. The method of creating this competition commission should be close to a successful anti-corruption court model, the President of the Venice Commission said.

According to him, the High Qualifications Commission should not be merged with the High Council of Justice until the latter is reformed and selected.

Unfortunately, law No. 3711 (on the judiciary and the status of judges), adopted at the second reading on April 28, does not meet the recommendations of the Venice Commission, and we do not support it, Buquicchio said.

He said that the High Council of Justice must be vetted before being entrusted with the appointment of the High Qualifications Commission.

This is necessary or judicial reform will be doomed, Buquicchio said.

As reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he intends to veto the law adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on June 3 on the restoration of punishment in the form of imprisonment for inaccurate declaration (bill No. 4651).
A report concerning the details of a phone call between the presidents of Ukraine and the United States, which was published on the Ukrainian presidential website, has been amended due to a clarification of wordings by the United States, which is an element of standard diplomatic practice, adviser to the President's Office head Mykhailo Podoliak has said.

"The original report on the details of the conversation between the two leaders conveyed the common stance and atmosphere of the negotiations. It was precisely a matter of the atmosphere. The sides held consultations afterward. The wordings of statements on one of the most sensitive issues were clarified. This is an element of standard diplomatic practice, in which case wordings in the final report might differ from those in the original," Podoliak said in comment to Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.

"There's no need to see drama where there isn't any," he said.

"This is merely a matter of the wordings that convey the oral statements made by the leaders in the course of their negotiations. There are always certain differences in the interpretation of oral statements and the way the atmosphere of a conversation is relayed and the official wordings are prepared. Especially when this is such a delicate matter as entry into NATO," Podoliak said.

There is a big difference between "the personal attitude of European and American politicians to the ability of Ukraine to take a seat in the alliance and the public rhetoric of particular institutions. We are perfectly aware of why this happens. We also feel rather calm about this phenomenon," he said.

At the same time, Ukraine is still waiting for "concrete steps, such as clear and logical actions and equally clear dates when it might receive a NATO Membership Action Plan," Podoliak said.

The report concerning the phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden, published on the website of the Ukrainian Presidential Office on June 7, has been amended. In particular, a phrase in which Biden supports the Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine and the provision of a NATO Membership Action Plan to Ukraine has been removed from the text of the report.
The Ministry of Health communicating with the Israeli developer of the vaccine against COVID-19 - The Embassy

The Embassy of Ukraine in Israel has established communication between the leadership of the Ministry of Health and the Israeli institute developing the vaccine against COVID-19. The Embassy reported this at Facebook.

The Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Israel continues to take measures aimed at providing our country with vaccines against COVID-19. Communication has been established between the leadership of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Israeli Institute for Biological Research in Ness Ziona, which is developing the BriLife vaccine. In particular, a relevant video conference was held, - the statement says.

The parties are in a dialogue concerning the conduct of the third phase of clinical trials of this vaccine and its further production in Ukraine.

To this end, Ambassador of Ukraine Yevhen Korniychuk met with the Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Lyashko and the management of one of the leading pharmaceutical companies, which expressed its intention to cooperate with Israeli partners, - the Embassy noted.
During the work of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), six ministers and their deputies, 11 heads of central executive bodies and more than 65 judges were brought to criminal responsibility, said NABU director Artem Sytnyk.

"If talking briefly about the results that were made jointly by prosecutors, detectives and already judges, then in the short period of time that we exist, six ministers and their deputies, 11 heads of central executive bodies, more than 65 judges were held liable. This, I think, is a huge problem for the political elite and, accordingly, this causes a certain reaction in the form of attempts to somehow stop this work. These attempts concern not only the Anti-Corruption Bureau, but the anti-corruption system in general," Sytnyk said at the conference "Democracy in action: Zero corruption conference" on Tuesday.

He explained the attempts to deprive him of his post by the fact that, despite the fact that a long time has passed since the Revolution of Dignity, the creation of anti-corruption bodies, the political elite is not ready for the fact that a system is functioning in the country that holds accountable for corruption," regardless of where you work, what political force you belong to and what position you hold."

"For six years of work, we have sent our requests for international assistance to 75 countries of the world. One can only imagine the scale of Ukrainian corruption and the number of countries that were somehow involved in corruption flows. Traditionally, most of all we send requests to Germany, Great Britain, U.S., Latvia and other countries," Sytnyk explained.

The NABU director noted that more than $120 million, EUR 8 million, more than 3 million Swiss francs were arrested abroad.

"These are serious amounts that could be returned to Ukraine," he said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky proposed to the participants in the meeting of the Chamber of regions of the Congress of local and regional authorities to create a new park in each of the 1,551 existing communities in the country.

"I want to offer the participants of the Congress a joint goal  1,551 new parks, that is, one new park in each community. In other words, let's plant together," Zelensky said speaking at the opening of the meeting of the Chamber of regions of the Congress of local and regional authorities under the President of Ukraine in Dnipro on Tuesday.

The President recalled that the day before, within the framework of the all-Ukrainian forum "Ukraine 30. Ecology", he signed a decree on the creation of the Green Country project, the purpose of which is to increase the area of Ukrainian forests, namely, to plant one billion of trees.

"On our platform [of the chamber of the regions of the Congress], there should be a discussion of the implementation of the important things. Environmental protection can become the first uniting matter for everyone," he added.
(Participant Carl Sturen has been added)

On Wednesday, June 9, at 11.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference entitled "Memorandum that wasn't supposed to be carried out."

Investors in renewable energy state that the government did not fulfill the Memorandum signed on June 10, 2020: the schedule of repayment of last year's debts is violated, regular 100% payments are not made, the working conditions for renewable energy continue to deteriorate: the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine proposes to introduce an excise tax on "green" electricity. The number of dispatching outages of RES producers has significantly increased, and the calculation of financial liability for imbalances is carried out incorrectly.

Participants include Chairman of the board of the Ukrainian Association of Renewable Energy Oleksandr Kozakevych; Director of the European-Ukrainian Energy Agency Oleksandra Humeniuk; Board Chairman of the Ukrainian Wind Energy Association (UWEA) Andriy Konechenkov; Managing Director of Vindkraft Ukraine Carl Sturen; Director of the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine Artem Semenyshyn (8/5a Reitarska Street).

The press conference will be available on the YouTube channel of Interfax-Ukraine. Due to quarantine restrictions, the number of seats in the press center is limited. Admission of journalists requires registration on the spot. Details by phone: (067) 364 4667.
KARANDASH Animation Studio enters new markets with the support of the USAID Competitive Economy Program in Ukraine. As part of the grant activity, the studio aims to discover new markets and strengthen relationships with international partners, enhance Ukraine's image among the global creative community, promote the company, its products and services, including increasing the number of provided services, and, most importantly, create new jobs.

In such a difficult time for cultural institutions, it is very important to find new opportunities and markets for the development of the company. Thanks to cooperation and support of the USAID CEP, we have the opportunity to improve, achieve the required professional level and become an equal member of the international animation community. And this has already brought the first results  we have signed new contracts for the production of animated films with producers from Germany and Thailand, - notes the founder of the studio Dmitry Belinsky.

The mission of the studio is to help directors, producers and creative agencies to create animation according to their ideas with strict adherence to all necessary rules and deadlines. With the help of the USAID Competitive Economy Program in Ukraine, the company has already created 50 licensed jobs for animators of various qualifications  from beginners to professionals, improved the process of receiving and transferring materials between the studio and clients, ensuring absolute transparency of processes for partners, and purchased new software, licenses and computer equipment.

USAID CEP is glad to support KARANDASH Animation Studio in acquiring advanced software for improving Studios operational processes, creating new jobs for animators, and strengthening online collaboration capacity with international partners. We are confident that new equipment and software, purchased with USAID CEP support, will help our Partners to attract more international projects, increase their sales, and deliver internationally competitive product, promoting the image of Ukraine as creative destination, said Karen Isahakyan, Emerging Industries/Competitiveness Team Lead at the USAID Competitive Economy Program in Ukraine (USAID CEP).

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June 8, 2021 Drilon asks DBM to use MPBF to cover salary differential of nurses in gov't hospitals Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon called on the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to use the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF) to pay the salary differentials of nurses in public hospitals in the country affected by the DBM circular that effectively demoted Nurse II to Nurse VII positions. The said DBM circular was corrected by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea but the salary differential of affected nurses have yet to be paid. "I urge President Duterte to direct the DBM to fund the nurses' backpay out of MPBF which is designed for such needs," Drilon said. "The nation is forever grateful for the bravery and selfless act of our medical frontliners, most especially our nurses in crowded government hospitals, who lead the fight against COVID-19 every single day," Drilon said. "Now that they need us, are we going to let them down?" he added. "Malaking bagay po ito para sa ating mga frontline nurses. Ibigay na po natin. Huwag na po natin ipitin yung sahod nila. Huwag na nating pahirapan pa," Drilon appealed to DBM. MPBF has an appropriation of P56.6 billion in 2020 and P29.3 billion in 2021. But Drilon said that based on average utilization rate from the past five years, it is projected that MPBF has unutilized balances in the amount of P18.4 B for 2020 and around P9.5B for 2021. Drilon said that historically, the MPBF is not fully utilized and is declared savings by the end of the year. On average, the utilization rate for the MPBF between 2017 to 2019 is only 67.48 percent, he added. "Let's use the MPBF to pay the salary differential of our nurses. They risk their lives each day attending to the growing number of COVID-19 cases. What the DBM did is injustice to our frontline health workers," Drilon stressed. The nurses at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) alone, 823 nurses holding Nurse II positions are awaiting their salary differential, he noted, citing the data of the PGH Nurses Association. According to the group, P43 million is needed to cover the backpay of 823 Nurse II positions at the PGH. The amount does not include Nurse III to Nurse VII positions who are also entitled to back wages. "This is a small amount compared to their contributions to the fight against COVID-19. This is peanuts compared to billions of pesos that is lost to corruption each year. This is nothing compared to the P16.4 billion released to NTF-ELCAC," Drilon said. Nurse III has a monthly salary of about P38,000 (SG 17); Nurse IV, P46,000 (SG 19); Nurse V, P52,000 (SG 20); Nurse VI, P66,000 (SG 22); and Nurse VII, P85,000 (SG 24).
Launch of direct flights between Ukraine and Saudi Arabia: Flynas celebrated the appointment of its agent in Ukraine

The national air company of Saudi Arabia and the leading low-cost airline in the Middle East, Flynas, has celebrated the appointment of the Ukrainian-Arab Company as its agent in Ukraine.

The event took place on Wednesday, 2 June, in the presence of Flynas CEO Bandar bin Abdul Rahman Al-Muhanna, airline employees and representatives of the Ukrainian-Arab Company.

This stage is a continuation of the airline's strategy to open direct flights to Ukraine after the Ukrainian side canceled entry visas for Saudi Arabians.

The airline considers this event to be a new stage of expansion, since it is included in the plans to open new direct flights with various states, as well as with Ukraine. This step will help strengthen economic and tourism relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Ukraine.

Importantly that following the strict quarantine Flynas has launched a number of new flight routes to improve its strategy by opening new routes ahead of the 2021 summer season.

Flynas continues to expand its fleet with a plan to purchase 120 A320neo aircraft for a total value of 32 billion Saudi riyals, of which 15 new aircraft have been received to date.

Source: IA "Ukraine in Arabic"
The bilateral meeting took place in Chinas Chongqing city, on the sidelines of the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers Meeting and the 6th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers Meeting.

Son expressed his delight at the first official meeting between the foreign ministers of Vietnam and Laos since their respective countries national Party congresses and the establishment of their new-term governments.

He spoke highly of the two sides coordination to effectively carry out many major bilateral diplomatic activities, thus maintaining frequent meetings and contact at all levels despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hailing bilateral cooperation and mutual assistance in the COVID-19 fight, he thanked the Lao Party and State leaders for extending sympathies to Vietnam on the pandemic situation in Vietnam.

The minister also voiced his hope that Vietnams financial aid, medical supplies, and health experts sent to Laos will help with the latters efforts against the pandemic.

Kommasith congratulated Vietnam on the successful organisation of the elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and all-level Peoples Councils for the 2021-2026 tenure amid complex COVID-19 developments in many localities.

He thanked the Vietnamese Party, State, and people for their precious material and spiritual support for Laos in the pandemic combat, affirming that his country is always ready to stand side by side with Vietnam in line with the spirit of the countries great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation.

To continue intensifying bilateral relations, the two foreign ministers agreed to jointly promote mutual visits and contact at all levels in various forms; make the best use of bilateral cooperation mechanisms, especially meetings of the Inter-Governmental Committee; and unceasingly improve the effectiveness of cooperation in defence, security, trade, and investment.

They also discussed coordination to step up important joint programmes, especially transport connectivity projects so as to optimise the Vietnam - Laos International Seaport (Vung Ang Seaport).

Both agreed to enhance ties in border management to prevent illegal exit from and entry into their countries, sustain cross-border trading, and soon review the one-stop-shop model applied at the Lao Bao - Densavan border gate pair.

Vietnam and Laos also concurred in increasing coordination and mutual support at international, regional, and sub-regional forums and joining hands with other member countries to firmly maintain ASEANs solidarity and strengthen the blocs centrality in order to effective respond to common challenges.

Regarding their ministries cooperation, the two foreign ministers pledged to continue implementing the cooperation agreement for 2021 - 2025, including organising political consultations at the ministerial and deputy ministerial levels, boosting information sharing and strategic research, and holding more exchanges between the ministries key units.

They emphasised the importance of economic diplomacy, agreeing to increase experience sharing and effectively carry out the action plan for cooperation in this field for 2020 - 2025.

The two countries will early start preparations for celebrations of the 60th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and 45 years since the signing of the Vietnam  Laos Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation next year, according to the officials.
Jurin made the statement at a reception on June 7 for newly-appointed Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Phan Chi Thanh, during which the Thai Deputy PM affirmed his desire to further expand the bilateral relations.

He highly valued the traditional friendship and strategic partnership between the two countries. Vietnam and Thailand are celebrating the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties in this year.

He suggested the two sides closely coordinate to resolve technical issues relating to import and export between the two countries, towards lifting the two-way trade to US$25 billion by 2025.

Jurin agreed to promote the early organisation of the Vietnam - Thailand Joint Trade Committee co-chaired by the two countries trade ministers.

For his part, Ambassador Thanh affirmed that he will coordinate with Thai agencies to further promote the Vietnam - Thailand Strategic Partnership.

He highlighted fruitful development of the relations between the two sides in all fields, especially in trade and investment, saying that Thai investors have trusted to choose Vietnam as a long-term investment destination.

Thanh affirmed that the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand will work closely with ministries and sectors of both sides to create favourable conditions for Thai investors to do business in Vietnam.
Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos addresses the media about the New Shepard rocket booster and Crew Capsule mockup at the 33rd Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States (Photo : REUTERS/Isaiah J. Downing/File Photo/File Photo)

Amazon's billionaire founder Jeff Bezos said on Monday he and his brother Mark will fly on the first crewed space flight from his rocket company Blue Origin next month.



"Ever since I was five years old, I've dreamed of traveling to space. On July 20th, I will take that journey with my brother," Bezos, who is one of the richest people in the world, said in an Instagram post.



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Bezos, who is due to step down as Amazon's chief on July 5, will join the winner of an auction for a seat on the first space flight from Blue Origin.



Bezos, fellow billionaires Elon Musk and Richard Branson have been investing billions of dollars on their rocket startups, but Bezos will be the first of the three to actually travel into space on a rocket developed by his own company.



The Blue Origin spacecraft, which is set to carry Bezos and others, has undergone 15 test flights, none of which had any passengers onboard.



Blue Origin closed the first round of the auction last month and said it had received more than 5,200 bidders from 136 countries, without disclosing the highest bid from the round.



The current highest bid stood at $2.8 million in the ongoing second round of auction, according to Blue Origin's website. (www.blueorigin.com)



Its New Shepard rocket-and-capsule combo is designed to autonomously fly six passengers more than 62 miles (100 km) above Earth into suborbital space, high enough to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see the curvature of the planet before the pressurized capsule returns to earth under parachutes.



The capsule features six observation windows and are nearly three times as tall as those on a Boeing 747 jetliner and the largest ever used in space, Blue Origin said.



Bezos's rocket startup is targeting July 20 for its first suborbital sightseeing trip, a landmark moment in a competition to usher in a new era of private commercial space travel.



The startup was planning to charge passengers at least $200,000 for the ride, based on an appraisal of rival plans from Branson's Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc and other considerations, Reuters reported in 2018, but its thinking may have changed.



Global insurers as still in the early stages when it comes to covering liabilities surrounding space travel. Life insurers do not ask about space tourism or exclude it from their coverage.



"You will sign this waiver of liability and provided there's no gross negligence or willful misconduct, if you don't survive, unfortunately, there's probably no financial recovery," said Richard Parker of Assure Space, a unit of insurer AmTrust Financial.


From vaccines to climate, G7 hopes to show the West is not over yet

A G7 logo is seen on an information sign near the Carbis Bay hotel resort, where an in-person G7 summit of global leaders is due to take place in June, St Ives, Cornwall, (Photo : REUTERS/Toby Melville)

The Group of Seven rich democracies will try to show the world at a summit this week that the West can still act in concert to tackle major crises by donating hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccines to poor countries and pledging to slow climate change.



U.S. President Joe Biden, on his first foreign trip since winning power, will try to use the summit in the English seaside village of Carbis Bay to burnish his multilateral credentials after the tumult of Donald Trump's presidency.



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Whether on COVID-19 or climate change, the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States want to illustrate that the West can compete with the power of China and the assertiveness of Russia.



"This is a defining question of our time: Can democracies come together to deliver real results for our people in a rapidly changing world?" Biden, 78, asked in a June 5 opinion piece in The Washington Post.



"Will the democratic alliances and institutions that shaped so much of the last century prove their capacity against modern-day threats and adversaries? I believe the answer is yes."



At the weekend, the G7's finance ministers agreed a deal on a minimum corporate tax rate, which U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said reflected a desire to work together.



"It shows that multilateral collaboration can be successful," she said.



Biden meets British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, chair of the summit, on Thursday, the day before the start of the leaders' three-day meeting. On Sunday, Biden will become the 13th serving U.S. President to meet Queen Elizabeth II, 95, who will receive him at Windsor Castle.



He then travels to Brussels for a NATO summit and a European Union summit before he meets Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin in Geneva on June 16.



The G7 was founded in 1975 as a forum for the richest nations to discuss crises such as the OPEC oil embargo. Its countries have a combined annual GDP of $40 trillion, or just under half of the global economy.



The West, though, feels insecure. The coronavirus ravaged the United States and Europe and climate change has challenged the assumptions of many of its economic models. It faces a truculent Kremlin in Moscow and the spectacular re-emergence of China as a great power.



The G7 summit in Carbis Bay, 300 miles west of London, will be the first for Biden, Italy's Mario Draghi and Japan's Yoshihide Suga, and the first post-Brexit G7 for Johnson.



It will be Angela Merkel's last G7 before she steps down as German Chancellor after an election in September, and Emmanuel Macron's last before a 2022 election in France. The leaders of Australia, India, South Korea and South Africa were invited, though Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have to miss the meeting due to the COVID-19 situation at home.



Behind the public pronouncements, diplomats say, G7 leaders will talk about how to deal with China and Russia, how to win back the trillions of dollars in wealth wiped out by COVID-19 and how to ensure free trade in a world tilting towards China.



China, the world's second largest economy, has never been a member of the G7. Russia, admitted as a G8 member six years after the fall of the Soviet Union, was suspended in 2014 after it annexed the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine.



Moscow and Beijing have both told the G7 to stop meddling in their affairs.



After many rich powers hoarded COVID-19 vaccines, Johnson wants the G7 to donate hundreds of millions of doses to poorer countries, many of which are far behind the West in vaccinating their populations.



"Vaccinating the world by the end of next year would be the single greatest feat in medical history," Johnson said.



Beyond the security that will cocoon world leaders, thousands of protesters will try to disrupt the summit over concerns ranging from climate change to a draft bill that would give British police more powers to curb demonstrations.



"Our rights weren't won through quiet polite protest. Our rights were won through being noisy, disruptive and annoying," said the Kill The Bill group - one of about 20 activist organisations to have joined a 'Resist G7 Coalition'.


U.S. President Joe Biden departs after delivering an update on his administration's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building's South Court Auditorium (Photo : REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo)

President Joe Biden on Monday said his administration will defend at the U.S. Supreme Court a law that excludes Puerto Rico from a federal program that provides benefits to low-income elderly, blind and disabled people, adhering to the same policy as his Republican predecessor Donald Trump.



Biden, a Democrat, said in a statement that he opposes the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provision in question but that the Justice Department has a duty to defend it. The justices in March took up a U.S. government appeal originally filed by Trump's administration of a lower court ruling that found the exclusion unlawful.



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"This provision is inconsistent with my administration's policies and values. However, the Department of Justice has a longstanding practice of defending the constitutionality of federal statutes, regardless of policy preferences," Biden said.



Biden called on Congress to amend the law so Puerto Ricans would not longer be excluded.



The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last year in favor of a Puerto Rican resident named Jose Luis Vaello-Madero who had previously received SSI benefits when he lived in New York but lost eligibility when he moved to Puerto Rico in 2013.



The 1st Circuit decided that Puerto Rico's exclusion from the program violated a provision of the U.S. Constitution that requires that laws apply equally to everyone.



The SSI benefits are available to any U.S. citizen living in any of the 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the Northern Mariana Islands, but not the territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam.



The decision not to include Puerto Rico was made by Congress when it enacted the program in 1972. Puerto Ricans are eligible for a different program, called Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled, that allows for more local control but not as much federal funding, the Justice Department said in court papers.



After Biden took office in January, some advocates urged his administration to drop the appeal as did Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, a Republican who is Puerto Rico's non-voting representative in the U.S. Congress.



Many Puerto Ricans have complained that the Caribbean island's residents are treated worse than other Americans despite being U.S. citizens. Puerto Rico, which is not a state, is the most-populous of the U.S. territories, with about 3 million people.



The Supreme Court will hear and decide the case in its next term, which starts in October and ends in June 2022.


U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at an event marking Amtrak's 50th Anniversary, at the 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. (Photo : REUTERS/Erin Scott/File Photo)

U.S. passenger railroad Amtrak said it had restored daily service on Monday for long-distance routes that serve the East Coast and the Gulf Coast after receiving new emergency funding from Congress.



Amtrak, which received about $2 billion from Congress in the year before the coronavirus pandemic, has been awarded $3.7 billion in emergency funding since March 2020. The routes include New York to New Orleans, Savannah and Miami.



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The $1.7 billion awarded in March required Amtrak to restore daily service to 12 long distance routes that were reduced in October to three times per week due to the pandemic, and for the railroad to recall more than 1,200 furloughed employees. Other West Coast routes have already been restored.



On Friday, Amtrak said it was restored traditional dining service starting in late June on some long-distance routes.



Amtrak says ridership is rising and said around the Memorial Day holiday, ridership exceeded 50% of pre-pandemic levels.



In its last budget year that ended Sept. 30, Amtrak said operating revenue fell 32% to $2.3 billion over 2019 levels.



In April, Amtrak asked Congress for $5.4 billion in the budget year starting Oct. 1.



U.S. President Joe Biden has called for $80 billion in new spending on high-speed rail projects.



Amtrak asked for $3.88 billion for "base needs" and to address the impact of COVID-19 and $1.55 billion in additional U.S. funding needed to address Northeast Corridor infrastructure projects and begin advancing new corridor routes across the country.



The Biden administration's April 9 budget called for $2.7 billion for Amtrak, a 35% jump over pre-COVID levels.



Amtrak wants to expand across the United States and by 2035 add up to 39 new corridor routes and up to 166 cities. It hopes to serve 20 million additional people annually.



Mass transit systems also suffered as Americans took billions of fewer trips last year, but ridership is increasing. Congress in March awarded mass transit systems another $30.5 billion in emergency assistance after giving them $39 billion previously.


U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a bilateral meeting with Guatemala's President Alejandro Giammattei (not pictured) (Photo : REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

The United States is expected on Monday to announce steps to tackle human trafficking and smuggling in Guatemala, a senior U.S. official said, as Vice President Kamala Harris visits the region to try to lower migration from Central America's Northern Triangle countries.



Harris' trip to Guatemala and Mexico this week is likely to emphasize cooperation with non-government organizations, amid some criticism from local officials over the timing and thrust of her mission to curb migration to the United States from the region, advisers and experts said.



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The focus on civil society could be a sore point in Mexico, which sent a diplomatic note to Washington in May complaining about U.S. support for a group that President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador considers to be part of the political opposition.



Speaking as Harris flew to Guatemala, a senior U.S. official said that in addition to announcing the steps to combat human trafficking, the Biden administration hoped on Monday to unveil anti-corruption measures in the Central American nation.



The vice president's first overseas trip since taking office, which began on Sunday, will focus on economic development, climate and food insecurity and women's issues, White House officials say.



Harris's advisers said she will meet community leaders, workers and entrepreneurs, and have sought to lower short-term expectations from the three-day trip, highlighting her focus on root causes for migration such as corruption that have plagued the countries for years.



Harris landed in Guatemala on Sunday and was to fly to Mexico on Tuesday where she will spend the day. "This trip is not about having a fully fleshed out plan for the region...but hopefully understanding what the direction is," Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute, who participated in a meeting Harris convened about problems in the region.



A key measure of success for Harris's trip will be whether she can show that the United States cares about creating legal pathways for migration from the region, Selee said.



After President Joe Biden took office in January, the number of migrants taken into custody by U.S. agents per month on the Mexican border rose to the highest levels in 20 years. In March, Biden tasked Harris with lowering migration from the 'Northern Triangle' countries- Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.



Since then, Harris has met with civil society leaders, announced additional aid of $310 million for the region, and secured investment commitments from companies included Microsoft. The Biden administration has also committed to sharing vaccines with both countries.



Mazin Alfaqih, a special adviser to Harris for the Northern Triangle region, told reporters on June 1 the administration understands that foreign assistance alone can not tackle the problems in the region. "We hope that the vice president's first visit shows that she, and the United States, are standing with the people and communities organizing for change, and not with corrupt and abusive government officials," said Lisa Haugaard, co-director of the Latin America Working Group, another participant in the Harris meeting.



In May, some Central American leaders pushed back on the Biden administration's anti-corruption strategy, which included releasing a list labeling 17 regional politicians as corrupt. Mexico's diplomatic note in May asked the United States to suspend financial backing for Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity (MCCI), a group Lopez Obrador says seeks to undermine his government.



Harris Mexico visit comes as Mexicans elect a new lower house of Congress, state governors and local lawmakers, in a race seen as a referendum on Lopez Obrador's efforts to shake up the country's institutions.



Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Mexican government official said the timing of Harris's visit was not ideal and, expected the Mexican government to keep the talks low-key as the results of its biggest ever elections were processed.


Emily Funk, an associate specialist at the University of California Davis, collects a mucus sample from a Chinook salmon to determine its exact species while on a research vessel (Photo : REUTERS/Nathan Frandino)

A gene-editing tool that has led to new cancer therapies and a rapid test for COVID-19 is now helping scientists find endangered species of salmon in the San Francisco Bay.



The CRISPR-based Sherlock tool can identify four types of Chinook salmon, including Sacramento winter-run and Central Valley spring-run, which are both protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.



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"The Chinook are a great fit actually because all of the runs, more or less, look the same," said Andrea Schreier, an adjunct associate professor at the University of California Davis and coauthor of a study https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1755-0998.13186 published last year in Molecular Ecology Resources that examined using this genetic identification on the endangered Delta smelt.



"They're visually very similar and the current method we have to identify the different types is based on what length they are at a particular age and it's not very accurate."



Sherlock, which stands for Specific High-sensitivity Enzymatic Reporter Unlocking, identifies the fish using their genomic sequence. Researchers begin by taking swabs of mucus from the fish and combining with reagents that will glow if certain snippets of DNA are present. The battery-powered fluorescent reader gives results in 30 minutes, ideal for field research.



By identifying the species, researchers believe they can better monitor population sizes and habitats.



With extreme drought https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA gripping California, some rivers are too warm for the salmon to survive, forcing the state to truck 17 million young fish to the San Francisco Bay from hatcheries.



Emily Funk, an associate specialist who joined the team in July 2020, said the conservation angle drew her to the project.



"I think it's important to preserve our ecosystems," she said. "I hope we can save the fish in our oceans."



Melinda Baerwald, an environmental program manager with the California Department of Water Resources and coauthor of the study, plans to deploy the technology at water pumping stations, which can impact endangered species.



"You don't have to wait for weeks or in some cases months to find out the answer to if you're impacting an endangered or threatened species," she said, adding that they currently have to drive an hour and a half to a lab to confirm the identity of a species. "Instead, you can find out at the moment that you're actually interacting with that species if you are affecting it."


Representations of the virtual currency stand on a motherboard in this picture illustration taken (Photo : REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)

The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision will consult on how lenders should shield themselves from crypto assets, the global banking watchdog said on Monday, as regulators turn up the heat on a growing but risky investment sector.



"The committee agreed to publish a consultation paper to seek the views of external stakeholders on the design of prudential treatment of banks' exposures to cryptoassets," the Swiss-based watchdog said in a statement.



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Prudential rules force banks to assign "risk weightings" to each type of asset such as loans or derivatives, which are then added up to determine how much capital should be held.



The crypto-assets sector has grown rapidly but bitcoin has cooled from a high of $64,895.22 in mid-April to $36,005 on Monday after China began signalling a crackdown.



The committee, made up of regulators from the world's main financial centres, said it discussed crypto-assets last Friday.



"While banks' exposures to crypto assets are currently limited, the continued growth and innovation in cryptoassets and related services, coupled with the heightened interest of some banks, could increase global financial stability concerns and risks to the banking system in the absence of a specified prudential treatment," it said.



The committee will publish its consultation paper this week.



HSBC, Europe's biggest bank, told Reuters last month that is had no plans to join rival lenders such as Goldman Sachs in launching a cryptocurrency trading desk or offering the digital coins, saying they are too volatile and lack transparency.



The Bank of England has said investors should be prepared to lose all of their money if they invest in crypto assets.


Press Release

June 8, 2021 Lacson Demands Transparency on Added P25B for Vaccines

More at: https://pinglacson.net/2021/06/08/lacson-demands-transparency-on-added-p25b-for-vaccines/ Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson is demanding transparency from the government's health authorities over the supposed need for an additional P25 billion supposedly to procure COVID-19 vaccines. Lacson said Tuesday the P25 billion, when added to the existing P82.5-billion appropriations for vaccines this year, could result in an oversupply of vaccines - or worse, be lost to corruption. "Based on the arithmetic I did, the P107.5 billion is way too much for buying the vaccines needed to achieve herd immunity - unless they know something we don't. But the bottom line is, it is not their money, it's the public's. I can only hope the excess amount will not go to corruption," he said. "More importantly, has the government made a commitment to procure the vaccines at such prices? It is important that the officials concerned explain how they will spend the amount. If they have not committed to buy yet, they should exercise restraint in spending our resources which are severely limited already due to the pandemic," he added. Lacson said that if the P107.5 billion were to be used to buy Moderna vaccines at $26.83 (P1,383) per dose, it would buy 83.78 million doses. If the amount were to buy Sinovac brand vaccines at P683 per dose, it would be enough for 157 million doses, or more than 75 million Filipinos - more than the targeted 70 million to attain herd immunity. "Hindi sa nagbibintang tayo pero nag-iingat tayo. Pera nating lahat yan, hindi nila pera yan (We are not accusing anyone but we should be careful with public funds. It's the people's money, not money of some individuals)," Lacson stressed. Lacson said that if needed, he will strongly suggest to Senate President Vicente Sotto III to have the officials concerned explain this to the Senate exercising its oversight functions, as a Committee of the Whole. On the other hand, he said the officials concerned may explain the spending through other platforms. He also said they can also take the matter up with vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., who he said has asked for a meeting with senators. "I hope they can be more transparent," he said.
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MPs affiliated with the Egyptian parliament's Media and Culture Committee told reporters Wednesday that there are indications that the ongoing crisis between the press syndicate and the interior ministry will soon reach a "friendly solution."

The crisis erupted after police officers raided the syndicate's headquarters in downtown Cairo on 1 May to arrest two journalists accused of "publishing false news" and "inciting the overthrow of the regime."

Osama Sharshar, an independent MP and a member of the Media and Culture Committee, said to reporters that the board of the syndicate told a parliamentary delegation Tuesday that it stands in respect of all state institutions and is now ready to reach a solution with the interior ministry.

"Members of the board told the 10-member delegation that visited the syndicate's headquarters Tuesday that they accept that parliament's Media and Culture Committee is acting on their behalf to find an ideal solution to the crisis with the interior ministry," said Sharshar.

Other members of parliament's media committee told reporters that "the board of the press syndicate is expected to be invited for a meeting with the committee to discuss the crisis."

Former information minister Osama Heikal, who heads parliament's media committee, told reporters that "the committee's MPs and board of the press syndicate will be the only ones who will attend the meeting."

"Prime Minister Sherif Ismail told me that no interior ministry official can attend the meeting because the whole issue is now under investigation by judicial authorities," said Heikal.

However, Khaled Youssef, a film director and member of the media committee, told reporters that "it is necessary that an interior ministry official attend the meeting so that each can tell their side of the story and reach common ground."

Acting upon the request of parliament at the end of a plenary session on Sunday, the Media and Culture Committee decided to send a 10-member delegation to meet with the board of the press syndicate on Tuesday.

"The delegation was warmly welcomed by the board and our meeting with them lasted three hours," said MP Youssef.

In a meeting on Wednesday morning, the Media and Culture Committee led by Heikal reviewed the results of the delegation's visit to the press syndicate headquarters.

Sharshar told Ahram Online that "we told the board of the syndicate it was very good and encouraging that they postponed a general assembly meeting that was planned for Tuesday to discuss possible escalatory action against the interior ministry."

Heikal told reporters that parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Al had received two letters from the board of the press syndicate and the interior ministry, with each telling its part of the story.

The interior ministry letter had accused the chairman of the press committee, Yehia Qallash, of allowing two wanted journalists to hide in the syndicate building.

"When we contacted him and asked about this he did not seem to care, saying he was too busy to do anything about it," said the interior ministry's letter.

For his part, Qallash defended himself in another letter to Abdel-Al, stressing that he highly appreciates parliament's attempts to find a solution for the crisis with the interior ministry.

"I just want to stress that we respect the rule of the law, and for this reason we decided to stand against the interior ministry when a security force stormed the headquarters in violation of Article 70 of the press syndicate law (no. 76/1970) which stipulates that its building can be searched only by a prosecution official and in the presence of the head of the syndicate or someone delegated to act on his behalf."

MPs now believe that the syndicate's decision to suspend its general assembly, Qallash's letter to parliament and the syndicate board's acceptance to attend a meeting with parliament's Media and Culture Committee could really do a lot to contain the crisis.

Heikal said he urged the press syndicate's board to do everything possible to contain the anger of MPs, who criticised in a plenary session on Sunday the syndicate's demand that President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi apologise and that interior minister Magdi Abdel-Ghaffar be sacked.

"They must also know that there is a little sympathy on the part of the public opinion with them," said Heikal, adding that "I told Qallash on the phone that the committee is neutral and that the syndicate must show greater flexibility and refrain from taking any escalatory steps in order to create an environment favourable to a settlement of the crisis."

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The worlds highest seat of Sunni Islam, Egypts Al-Azhar, strongly condemned on Wednesday the recurrent storming by Israeli settlers of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem this week, state news agency MENA reported.

Al-Azhar also reportedly warned that storming the mosque could impede efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and anger Muslims worldwide.

In an official statement, the top Islamic body called on regional organisations such as the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation  in addition to international bodies -- to take serious measures to stop such " barbaric attacks and flagrant violations" at the site, Islam's third holiest.

On Sunday, about 400 Israelis stormed the compound to commemorate the destruction of two ancient temples. Jews are allowed to visit but not to pray on the esplanade.

Al-Azhar also rejected any plans that aim to "Judai ise Jerusalem and erase its Islamic identity, and any attempts to divide the holy site."

Israelis refer to the area that encompasses Al-Aqsa Mosque as the "Temple Mount," saying it was the site of two prominent Jewish temples in ancient times.

On Monday, Jordan, which is the custodian of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, denounced Israel for allowing "Zionist extremists" to enter and pray there.

The anger of Palestinian residents in Jerusalem has increased over the last 10 months, as Israeli authorities allowed increasing numbers of Jewish settlers to storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 war. It later annexed the holy city in 1980, claiming it as the capital of the self-proclaimed Jewish state  a move never recognised by the international community.

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Egyptian naval forces have held joint military drills with their Spanish counterparts in the Mediterranean, according to a statement by the Egyptian Armed Forces on Wednesday.

A number of Egyptian naval units, as well as the Spanish RELAMPAGO warship, took part in the joint naval training.

The exercises are aimed to coordinate efforts between the forces of the two countries to "face challenges and threats in a way that supports efforts to achieve stability and maritime security in the region," the army added in the statement.

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Egypt's President Abdel- Fattah El-Sisi on Wednesday ordered adopting the latest techniques and international standards in implementing projects and plans of relocating all government bodies to the New Administrative Capital (NAC), highlighting the contribution of such a move to the State's digitization project.

President El-Sisi also urged making the New Administrative Capital a developed information hub that links various state institutions and bodies together in accordance with the global state-of-the-art systems.

The president issued his directives during a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said.

The meeting touched on the status of the communications and information technology projects, atop of which is moving the government offices to the new capital as well as the mechanization of the ministries and the government bodies in cooperation with the major international firms specialized in this field.

During the meeting, the communications minister reviewed the work progress of a number of the projects being implemented by his ministry, including the artificial intelligence strategy, high-speed computing systems and the establishment of the Knowledge City.

Among the ongoing projects at the new capital are the National Academy of Information Technology for Persons with Disabilities and a project for establishing a digital cultural content, Talaat noted.

Construction on the new city, located around 45km east of Cairo, began in 2015 as part of the government's plan to reduce pressure on the existing overpopulated capital, expand urban areas and develop the nations infrastructure.

It is being built over 714 square kilometres by tens of thousands of workers, and will be home to a government housing district, 29 ministries and other state institutions  including the cabinet and parliament buildings  and 20 residential neighbourhoods that can accommodate 6.5 million people.



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Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed during a phone call with his Spanish counterpart Arancha Gonzalez Laya the importance of confronting the transfer of terrorists and militias into Libya and rejecting foreign interference in the conflict-torn country, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement on wednesday.

The adoption of the Cairo Declaration will grant Libya the peace charted in the Berlin Conference earlier this year and will lead to a comprehensive and sustainable settlement in Egypts western neighbour, Shoukry said.

The Cairo Declaration was drafted in June to end the civil war in Libya. It proposed a ceasefire and the election of a leadership council.

The oil-rich country has been split since 2014 between two rival administrations: the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Khalifa Haftar in the east, and the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) in the west.

Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia support Haftar, while the GNA is backed by Qatar and Turkey.

Turkey began earlier this year sending thousands of Syrian jihadists and mercenaries into Libya to back the GNA, and Turkey-backed forces moved last month close to the central city of Sirte as they vowed to capture it from Haftars forces.

The Egyptian and Spanish foreign ministers also tackled the latest developments of the Palestinian issue during their call late on Tuesday.

Shoukry stressed the importance of reviving the two-state solution under international decisions, calling against unilateral measures that could undermine chances for peace. He referred to Israel's scheme to annex parts of the occupied West Bank under the umbrella of a US-plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

The Spanish minister called for containing escalation and prioritising stability in the Eastern Mediterranean region while respecting international laws and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Earlier this week, Egypt said part of a seismic survey planned by Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean encroached on its exclusive economic zone and is an attack on Egypts sovereign rights.

The announcement of the survey, which prepares for potential hydrocarbon exploration in the area, has also escalated tensions between Turkey on one side and Greece and Cyprus on the other.
Egyptian and Spanish naval forces conducted on Thursday a joint naval exercise in the Red Sea at Berenice Military Base in the Southern Fleet's zone, the Egyptian armed forces said.



The drill saw the participation of two Egyptian frigates "Al Nasser" and Abou Qir alongside the Spanish frigate Santa Maria.



The naval training comes as part of the General Command of the Armed Forces' plan to raise the combat readiness of the naval forces and exchange military expertise with the armed forces of brotherly and friendly countries.



The war game included several professional training activities, such as air defense exercises against various surface threats.



It also involved training on various sailing formations, and carrying out signal transportation exercises

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President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi directed the government to ensure that all architectural designs of the New Administrative Capital's main buildings reflect the richness and greatness of Egypt's history throughout the ages.

During a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Presidential Adviser for Urban Planning Amir Sayed Ahmed and Chairman of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority Ihab El-Far, El-Sisi also asserted the need to give adequate attention to landscaping requirements.

The president followed up on the construction and engineering progress of some projects undertaken by the authority nationwide, especially those under construction in the new capital, including an Islamic culture center, an international city for Olympic games and an international equestrian city (Marabet), according to a statement by Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady.

He was also briefed on the details of the architectural drawings related to the new capital's main entry points, as well as those of the premises dedicated to the House of Representatives and the Senate.

In addition, the meeting also took up the implementation status of some national construction projects, including an integrated international bus station project north of the Suez Road intersection with the Ring Road opposite of the Cairo International Airport, and Galala City project, the spokesman noted.

El-Sisi also reviewed a raft of proposals to maximize the benefits of investment opportunities nationwide, making use of relevant foreign experts.

A host of senior officials from the authorities concerned were also in attendance.

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Ibrahim El-Heneidi, the chair of the Egyptian parliaments Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee, told reporters on Monday that the new draft law permitting automatic dismissal of civil servants primarily targets the terrorist-designated Muslim Brotherhood and other terrorist elements in government circles.

The draft law, which was drafted by MPs Ali Badr and Abla El-Hawary, was overwhelmingly approved by the Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committees members and reflects the states keenness to rid the government and the administrative system of the Muslim Brotherhood and terrorist elements, said Heneidi.

According to Heneidi, the draft law which is officially called the Law on Non-Disciplinary Dismissal of Civil Servants helps to protect the countrys national security in terms of purging the government and the administrative system of state employees and civil servants who could do a lot of harm to the states supreme interests.

Heneidi said the draft law goes in line with two previous laws, the first on combating terrorism and the second on entities blacklisted as terrorist organisations.

The new draft law defines the conditions in which civil servants and state employees with proven links to the Muslim Brotherhood and other terrorist-designated organisations will be automatically dismissed, said Heneidi, adding that these civil servants and state employees will be first suspended from exercising their jobs for six months and at the end they will be completely and legally dismissed.

MP Ali Badr told the Houses Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee on Monday that there is a pressing need for combating terrorist elements in the states administrative system.

Some cabinet ministers have lately complained in parliament that they do not have the legal tools necessary to rid their ministries of civil servants and state employees espousing terrorist thoughts and ideologies and with links to the Muslim Brotherhood in particular, said Badr, adding that the new draft law comes to give cabinet ministers the necessary legal tools to automatically dismiss civil servants and state employees with proven links to the Muslim Brotherhood and other terrorist-designated groups.

Badr indicated that the draft law gives civil servants the right to appeal against the dismissal decision and the right to go back to their jobs if their names were removed from the lists of terrorist entities.

Ibrahim Shaarawi, deputy justice minister, said the draft law clearly helps the state fight extremist thoughts in government and administrative circles. But at the same time, it allows state employees and civil servants to appeal the dismissal decision before administrative courts, and in this respect, the new draft law goes in line with the constitution, said Shaarawi.

The draft law will be discussed and voted on by the House in a plenary session on Tuesday.

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Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdouk said on Monday his country will "use all the legal means" if Ethiopia goes ahead with the second filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) without reaching a binding deal with downstream countries, a step Khartoum views as a direct threat to its interests.

During a meeting earlier in the day with members of the country's Higher Committee tasked with GERD negotiations, Hamdouk agreed that the government should push ahead with "plans and programmes aimed at using all legal means before regional and international bodies to defend Sudans legitimate interests."

Hamdouk asserted his country's rejection of the unilateral filling of the GERD without reaching a binding and legal agreement with downstream countries Sudan and Egypt, his office said in a statement.

He described the "direct" threat that the GERD poses to the operation of the Sudanese Rossires Dam, which is located near to the controversial Ethiopian dam, in addition to the water projects and the citizens on the banks of the Blue Nile.

Sudan, alongside Egypt, the other downstream country, have been in negotiations with Ethiopia for a decade now to reach an agreement regulating the rules of filling and operating the controversial dam, as both Khartoum and Cairo view it as a threat to their water security in the absence of such a deal.

Negotiation between the three countries stalled in April as Ethiopia rejected several proposals by Egypt and Sudan to improve the decade-old negotiation mechanism.

Tensions have escalated recently between downstream countries and Ethiopia over the lack of an agreement on the filling and operation of the dam.

Ethiopia plans to hold 13.5 billion cubic metres of water during the second filling of the GERDs reservoir in July, despite the objections of Egypt and Sudan to the move in the absence of a legally binding instrument.

The three countries have resorted to international diplomacy in the past weeks, briefing regional and international counterparts on their stances and developments in the latest deadlock in negotiations.

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Press Release

June 8, 2021 Pangilinan: Additional P25-billion budget on vaccine procurement needs Senate hearing SENATOR Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Tuesday said that additional spending on the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines needs to be subjected to a Senate hearing. Earlier, Budget Secretary Wendell Avisado said that the government needs an additional 25 billion pesos on top of the 82.5 billion pesos allocated for vaccine procurement under the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act or Bayanihan 2. "Kailangang busisiin ang mungkahi na ito at nang maliwanagan ang publiko sa dagdag na gastos. Bakit kulang ang kasalukuyang budget? Saan napupunta ang panggastos? Maraming mga katanungan kung kaya dapat ay magkaroong muli ng Senate Commitee of the Whole hearing tungkol dito," Pangilinan said. The Senate Committee of the Whole convened early this year to probe the government's Covid-19 vaccination plan following a privilege speech delivered by Pangilinan in December 2020. The senator asserts, however, that it is once again time to check on the progress of the vaccine roll out half a year later. "We wrote to the Senate President about this matter last March and he said that he is open to reconvening. We hope we can do so even while in sine die adjournment so we can take necessary steps to further improve our vaccine roll-out," Pangilinan said. Other signatories to the letter are Senators Franklin Drilon, Ralph Recto, Risa Hontiveros, Leila De Lima, and Nancy Binay. Avisado also announced that President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the release of an additional 2.5 billion pesos from the 2021 contingency fund for the procurement of 4 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine. The Department of Budget and Management further noted that it has already released 59.39 billion pesos of the 70-billion-peso budget of the Department of Health for vaccine procurement. "We need to be clarified on the current disbursements and spendings that's why it's important to convene the Senate Committee of the Whole. Nag-iisa lang ang layunin natin dito: paano pa mas mapapabilis ang vaccine roll-out para maabot ang ating mga kababayan," Pangilinan said. As of June 6, a total of 9,329,050 have so far been delivered to the Philippines from various manufacturers. Of the 6.5 million Sinovac vaccines, 5.5 million were purchased by the government and 1 million were donated. Some 2.5 million AstraZeneca and 193,050 Pfizer vaccine doses also arrived from the Covax facility. The Philippines has so far administered 5,180,721 doses of vaccine, with 3,974,350 for the first dose and 1,206,371 for the second dose as of May 30, 2021.
Egypt announced on Monday the completion of the evaluation of the implementation of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing, which was carried out by experts from the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF), of which Egypt is a member.

The assessment process was carried out per the compliance assessment methodology issued by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international body responsible for setting international standards that countries must adhere to.

The Egyptian Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Combating Unit (EMLCU), which is part of the Central Bank of Egypt and is the national coordinating body for the evaluation process, made great efforts during the assessment process.

The EMLCU, headed by Counselor Ahmed Khalil, was keen on effective communication between all parties concerned with combating money laundering, terrorist financing and the proliferation of arms in the country.

It also conducted a self-assessment by national experts, well before the formal start of the assessment process, a matter that helped identify the issues in the control systems.

The self-assessment resulted in a number of outputs that were worked out in coordination between the Unit and all concerned authorities in the country.

The Unit also held meetings and workshops with representatives of the concerned authorities to introduce international standards and help them understand such standards and how to complete the questionnaires and requests received from the evaluation team, and follow up on the completion of information, statistics, and practical cases, which had a significant impact on Egypt's obtaining high evaluation scores, and its appearance in an honourable image before international bodies.

The evaluation process resulted in the issuance of a detailed report that includes all aspects of the implementation of international standards by Egypt to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and the proliferation of arms.

The report was discussed and approved during the 32nd meeting of the MENAFATA held on Monday, in the presence of member states and observers from countries and international organisations.

The report highlighted that Egypt has proven that it has a good understanding of the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing that it is exposed to by conducting a national assessment of the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing through the EMLCU and with the participation of all concerned parties, and it has relied on a national methodology to identify threats, weaknesses, and consequences.

"The outputs were also shared with all national authorities and the private sector in the country, showing effective local coordination, provision and sharing of data between the public and private sectors," the report pointed out.

"Egypt has adopted policies and measures that are compatible with the identified risks. These policies aim to address the legislative and supervisory frameworks, increase the effectiveness of all parties and institutions concerned with the requirements of combating money laundering and terrorist financing, and supporting the institutional framework and local and regional cooperation in this field," the report added.

The report touched on the state's efforts in combating terrorist financing operations, as it indicated that Egypt has adopted a national strategy to combat terrorism and its financing, which is characterised by flexibility, considering international and local developments that occur on this phenomenon, as Egypt deems combating terrorism and its financing as one of the policy objectives of the state.

The report also hailed the great progress made by Egypt in combating terrorism and its financing, which was reflected in the decrease in terrorist acts, due to the states efforts to eliminate many terrorist groups and the application of effective, proportionate, and deterrent penalties when committing the crime of terrorist financing, including autonomous terrorism financing.

The report clarified the efforts made by the state to identify and investigate terrorist financing activities, and the specialised and trained cadres that are entrusted with combating terrorism and its financing which received specialised training courses in financing issues and its patterns, the most prominent sources of financing and the new methods used by terrorist financiers and facilitation networks to finance terrorist activities.

The report also praised the efforts made by the state to enhance the authorities' ability to identify potential terrorist financing activities and conduct investigations into terrorism-related activities, as there are specialised departments to investigate related issues and train their staff to raise the quality of investigations and thus achieve the objectives of the national strategy.

The report lauded Egypt's cooperation with more than 38 countries around the world in the field of combating terrorism and its financing, which resulted in the arrest of several terrorists, the dismantling of terrorist financing networks, informing other countries of foreign terrorist fighters and the seizure of funds at the borders, controlling many criminal networks, uncovering, dismantling and prosecuting terrorist cells in other countries, eliminating terrorist groups in Egypt, including Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, Ajnad Misr and Ansar al-Sharia Brigades in the land of Kinana, in addition to eliminating cluster cells belonging to major terrorist organisations.

The report indicated that Egypt has effective mechanisms to implement Security Council resolutions related to preventing terrorists, terrorist organisations and terrorist financiers from collecting, transferring and using funds, as well as from misusing the non-profit organisations' sector, as well as preventing persons and entities involved in financing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction from collecting and transferring funds and their use, per United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The report commended the understanding of the regulatory and supervisory authorities on the financial and non-financial sectors, especially the Central Bank of Egypt, of the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing, and their continuous sectoral assessment of the financial institutions subject to their oversight, which would allow them to continue to form a clear understanding of the risks facing these institutions and authorities.

"Financial institutions also have a good understanding of the money laundering and terrorist financing risks they face and implement risk mitigation measures based on a good risk-based approach," the report added.

The report clarified the efforts and measures taken by the Egyptian authorities to mitigate the risks of misuse of legal persons and legal arrangements, and the state's keenness to provide information related to the establishment of legal persons and to provide several channels to access basic information and information related to the real beneficiary of legal entities established in the State, which led to the country obtaining a degree of commitment equivalent to that obtained by the major countries, a matter which will have positive effects in attracting foreign investments from all countries, being one of the most important economic pillars for any country.

The report referred to the country's efforts to enhance international cooperation to combat money laundering, financing terrorism and related predicate crimes.

It also indicated that Egypt employs a wide range of forms of international cooperation with its foreign counterparts to exchange different types of financial and intelligence information to combat money laundering, relevant predicate crimes and terrorist financing.

The EMLCU was applauded in the report for its ability to both, directly and indirectly, access a wide range of financial, intelligence and other relevant information while looking into cases of money laundering and related predicate crimes and terrorist financing.

The report also hailed the quality of the Unit's reports and referrals that support the operational needs of the authorities concerned, particularly in the field of terrorist financing, as the Unit produces financial intelligence using a variety of sources, which law enforcement and other competent authorities use to develop evidence and track criminal proceeds, as well as the availability of distinguished human, logistical and information resources that help the Unit to process and analyze the financial information it receives or collect.

The Unit also was praised due to its contributions to research and strategic analysis of the reports and information received, to identify trends and patterns of money laundering and terrorist financing, as well as its effective role in local and international cooperation and information exchange.

In light of the results of that report, the Egyptian Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Combating Unit (EMLCU) ranked highly among its counterpart financial intelligence units at the international, regional, and continental levels.

"The effectiveness of the competent authorities' use of financial information and other relevant information to develop evidence to investigate money laundering operations, related predicate crimes and terrorist financing, and to track criminal proceeds, and the extent to which the authorities were able to use financial information through direct and indirect access to a wide range of national databases, which contribute to the follow-up of potential financial movements, as well as the availability of the necessary resources and expertise with these authorities to conduct investigations in cases of money laundering, predicate crimes, terrorist financing and relying on financial information," the report assured.

The report showed the level of commitment of Egypt in terms of the consistency of its laws, procedures, and regulations with international standards in this regard.

The result of this important aspect of the evaluation process is very positive, as the report indicated that Egypt has a legal system consistent with the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force, where the state at an early stage strengthened legislative frameworks in line with international standards on money laundering and terrorist financing, the most important of which are the amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Law and its Executive Regulations, the Anti-Terrorism Law and the Entities Regulation Law.

In addition, the law regulating the practice of civil work, the law of the Central Bank and the banking system, the due diligence procedures and customer identification applied in financial and non-financial institutions, and the amendment of the executive regulations of the Trade Register Act was issued to enhance ways to identify the real beneficiaries of legal persons in a manner that ensures the enhancement of transparency in the state, and other legislative and oversight frameworks.

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President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on Monday instructed the government that Egypt bears the cost of annual contributions of all 22 least developed countries to the Women Development Organisation, whether they are members or are about to join the organisation.

Sisi made the remarks during his meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli and President of the National Council for Women (NCW) Maya Morsy.

During the meeting, Morsy reviewed preparations for the 8th Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)s ministerial conference on women, to be hosted by Egypts New Administrative Council on July 5-8, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said.

The conference is set to see Egypt assume the presidency of the conference for the next two years, the spokesman added.

President Sisi gave orders for good preparation for the OIC ministerial conference, which he said will further consolidate Egypts role in the field of womens empowerment, and represent the culmination of the State's efforts to enact national legislation that supports gender equality and ensures women empowerment in various State sectors, topped by the Cabinet and the House of Representatives.

In this regard, the president highlighted the recent decisions on allowing women to be appointed to the State Council and the Public Prosecution for the first time in Egypt's modern history.

The NCW chief reviewed the developments related to Egypts hosting of the Women Development Organizations permanent headquarters, noting that it would be the first OIC-affiliated organization to be hosted by Egypt.

She also highlighted Egypts efforts to encourage other OIC member states to endorse statute of the Women Development Organization, which came into effect in July 2020.

On that score, President Sisi gave directives for allocating a separate integrated building to be used as a headquarters for the Women Development Organization, ordering that the building be well furnished and provided with all necessary services.

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President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has directed the government to support the role of the private sector as a valued economic development partner in the near future.

Sisi also emphasized the need to iron out any difficulties in this respect, according to a statement by Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady.

The president made the directives during a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait, Deputy Finance Minister for Fiscal Policies Ahmed Kouchouk and Deputy Finance Minister for Public Treasury Affairs Ehab Abou Aish, to follow up the progress of some in the underway projects to improve the ministry's performance.

Maait briefed the president on the Customs Authority' system improvement efforts to reduce clearance time by adopting a new Advance Cargo Information (ACI) system under a new single window platform that aims to modernize and automate customs administration and streamline clearance procedures.

Maait also posted the president on the latest developments in modernising the national taxation system by introducing an e-invoicing system and digitilising the filing of tax returns.

The minister predicted a 10 per cent increase in income tax returns this year, compared to the last fiscal year.

In addition, the number of entities registered in VAT e-filing system also grew by a whopping 91 per cent, compared to 2018, the finance minister said, noting that VAT returns have also seen a remarkable increase at 45 per cent.



Maait also outlined the progress made in a project to adopt the electronic receipt management (B2C) system and the application of an e-payment system to collect government fees, which surpassed EGP 92 billion since the system was launched, the presidential spokesman added.

The meeting also took up the financial position of the Universal Health Insurance Authority whose revenues are anticipated to grow by about 25 per cent by June 20, compared to the same month last years.

Finally, the minister also shed light on the results of the latest expert-level review between the IMF and the Egyptian government, which reflected the government's success in meeting its economic targets.

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Diaa Rashwan, the chairman of the State Information Service (SIS) and the Egyptian Syndicate of Journalists, said Tuesday that Egypt is committed to its international obligations, as well as international law.

His remarks came in response to a detailed report by the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF), of which Egypt is a member.

The report evaluates all aspects of the implementation of international standards by Egypt to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and the proliferation of arms.

Egypt is firm on countering money laundering and terrorism financing, Rashwan said in statements to ON TV channel earlier today.

He added that the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Combating Unit (MLTFCU) was established in 2002 and has since been working in accordance with UN Security Council (UNSC) standards and in cooperation with a wide range of financial intelligence agencies.

This unit also works with bodies concerned inside Egypt to counter money laundering operations that intertwined with criminal cases, Rashwan noted.

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Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayyeb on Monday condoled with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Pakistani people over the death of dozens of people in a train collision in southern the country.

A statement issued by Al-Azhar said that the Grand Imam offers his condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to the wounded.

One passenger train derailed on Monday in Pakistans Sindh province, fell across the track, and was then hit within minutes by another passenger train.

The death toll due to the tragic incident has reached 63 and more than 100 people were injured, reports cited officials as saying.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Monday expressed solidarity and support to Pakistan after the incident.

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Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Spains Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez discussed in a phone call on Tuesday bilateral relations and regional and international developments of common interest.

According to a statement by Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady, El-Sisi and Sanchez discussed illegal migration, developments related to the Palestinian cause, and Libya.

El-Sisi briefed the Spanish premier on Egyptian efforts to achieve political settlements for various crises in the region.

He also praised bilateral relations between Egypt and Spain, expressing aspiration for continued cooperation and close engagement in all fields, including the healthcare, maritime freight, and renewable energy sectors  which Spain tops.

El-Sisi also discussed bolstering cooperation in tourism and encouraging Spanish companies to benefit from available investment opportunities in Egypt, especially in major national projects.

The statement added that the Spanish PM expressed keenness to upgrade bilateral ties and consult and coordinate with Egypt, hailing its role in bolstering stability in the Middle East and the east Mediterranean as well as efforts in combating terrorism, extremism, and illegal migration.

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Egypts Public Prosecution appealed on Tuesday against the ruling of a Hurghada criminal court that acquitted a business tycoon's son, who was charged of killing a woman after hitting her while driving his car.

Haitham Kamel Abou Ali is the son of Egyptian businessman Kamel Abou Ali, who hails from an affluent family.

The defendant was charged of wrongfully causing  due to his grave negligence and lack of compliance to the law  the death of Mai Eskander while driving his car under the influence of drugs, according to a statement by the top prosecutor's office.

He also was in possession of a narcotic substance and deliberately drove against traffic, it added.

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A Cairo economic court sentenced on Tuesday Renad Emad, a Tiktok influencer, for three years in prison for "violating society values and principles" via creating and posting "indecent" content on the video-sharing platform.

The influencer, who had been arrested in June last year and released later pending investigations, was also fined EGP 100,000 (nearly $6,000).

The prosecution had accused Emad of "violating" familial and societal values and committing human trafficking crime via "exploiting" her younger sister in her published clips to increase their viewership rates.

The tiktoker told investigators that her videos and photos advertise commercial products in return for free items, including clothes and accessories.

Tuesday's ruling still can be appealed.

Egyptian authorities arrested last year several female TikTok users who are known for controversial content that local authorities describe as "violating family values and principles."

A number of the arrested influencers has handed jail sentences and others are still detained or released pending investigations.

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Egypt's Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs Hamdy Loza discussed at a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday with Chairperson of the National Defense and Armed Forces Committee at the French National Assembly Francoise Dumas and MP Gwendal Rouillard the significant progress in Egyptian-French ties and a number of regional and international issues of mutual concern.

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on the developments in Libya, Syria and the Palestinian territories, as well as the Sahel region.

For their part, the two French MPs lauded great efforts exerted by Egypt to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as well as the initiative launched by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on the reconstruction of the enclave and offering humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.

They also probed the latest updates related to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) crisis. Loza reviewed Egypt's stance on the necessity of reaching a legally binding agreement on filling and operating the dam, without harming the rights and interests of the three Nile Basin countries concerned; namely Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.

Le Maire's visit

Earlier Tuesday also Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat discussed with a delegation from the French finance ministry the final details of a new financing package meant to fund priority development projects in several sectors from 2021 through 2025.

The new package comes in culmination of President Abdel Fattah El Sisis visit to France last December, which has given a strong push to relations between the two countries.

The meeting also touched on preparations for the visit of French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire to Egypt, scheduled for June 12-13. The French minister is set to meet with Mashat and a number of Egyptian officials for talks on fields of joint cooperation.

In a statement released Tuesday, Mashat said the new financing package is due to be directed to projects in the transport field, the housing sector, the electricity field and wholesale markets in accordance with the Egyptian government priorities and sustainable development goals.

Mashat emphasised the strength of strategic cooperation relations between Egypt and France, noting in this regard that development financing documents worth 715.6 million were signed during President Sisis visit to France last December.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly held as well a meeting earlier Tuesday with Supply and Internal Trade Minister Ali Moselhi, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait and Mashat, in which he discussed and reviewed the joint projects and the various avenues of cooperation, especially in economic domains between Egypt and France.

The premier said that the meeting aimed to outline a package of projects to be implemented jointly by both countries, stressing the government's keenness to continue providing support and creating a favorable business climate for foreign investments in addition to increasing investment opportunities in Egypt in line with directives by President El-Sisi.

Cabinet spokesman Nader Saad said the meeting took up a number of proposed joint projects covering the sectors of electricity, energy, transport, wholesale markets, housing, sanitation and aviation.

According to official numbers, the current cooperation portfolio between Egypt and France amounts to 1 billion.

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Egypt's Health Minister Hala Zayed said on Tuesday the pandemic's third wave has begun receding and the occupancy rates at isolation hospitals nationwide are on the downward curve.

"The rising wave of [coronavirus] infections has started to recede, and the occupancy rates in isolation hospitals have declined," Zayed told President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in a meeting earlier today.

Over the past week, fewer than 1,000 people have been infected with coronavirus every day.

This comes after the country's single-day toll of COVID-19 infections kept hovering above the 1000-mark for over a month starting 27 April.

Zayed Also briefed El-Sisi on the pandemic situation across the country and reviewed the country's efforts to provide the vaccines shots.

Egypt has so far lodged a total of 224,517 coronavirus infections, including 13,168 deaths and 168,665 recoveries.

Over the past six months, Cairo received a total of 3 million Chinese Sinopharm jabs, along with over 3 million doses of the British-Swedish AstraZeneca vaccine and 500,000 doses of the Chinese Sinovac vaccine.

Further shots of the three vaccines, alongside others, are due to be delivered to the country shortly.

With the shots set to be ready for public use within the following six weeks, Egypt also is due by 15 June to manufacture 2 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine via the production lines of the country's state-owned drugmaker VACSERA.

In May, a shipment of 1,400 litres of Sinovac raw materials touched down in Cairo international Airport to secure the production of next week's target, which is part of a broader deal to produce a total of 40 million doses.

An additional shipment of 3,000 litres of Sinovac raw materials is set to be delivered as well later this month to produce 4.2 million doses.

Egypt seeks to fulfill the countrys vaccination needs and to export doses to Africa.

El-Sisi, during Tuesday's meeting, ordered setting a "comprehensive" plan to upgrade VACSERA to be on par with other international firms and companies.

The president also demanded an increase of the number of vaccination centres countrywide, with established mega centres at each governorate.

The Egyptian government targets to vaccinate 40 percent of the eligible population towards the end of the current year.

At least two million have been vaccinated against the deadly virus in Egypt, according to the latest statistics of the Ministry of Health.

On the other side, president El-Sisi urged expansion in kidney transplantation surgeries as being the best treatment for patients with renal failure, the statement added.

Today's meeting was also attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait, among others.

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Unidentified gunmen killed Monday in his car a senior officer of the Iraqi intelligence services, second such incident this year.

Col. Nebras Farman was killed in an attack by unidentified gunmen on his car in the Shia-dominated eastern district of Belediyat, Anadolu news agency reports citing local online news portal Nasnews aligned with Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi.

Farman, a Shiite-Kurd, was head of the Financial Audit and Budget Department of the intelligence service, the reports note. Al-Kadhimis cabinet has formed an investigation committee for the assassination. No one has claimed responsibility for the incident. It is the second such incident so far this year. Unidentified gunman in March killed another Colonel working for the Iraqi intelligence service.

Lt Col Mahmoud Laith Hussein was assassinated with a silencer in Baghdads western neighborhood of Mansour. The gunman shot Hussein in the head after running up to him from behind and kicking him in the leg; he was wearing a white cap, according to CCTV footage, The National News notes.
France has suspended budgetary aid and military cooperation with the Central African Republic, accusing its government of being "complicit" in an anti-French disinformation campaign backed by Russia, a source in the French defence ministry told AFP on Monday.

"On several occasions, the Central African authorities have made commitments they haven't respected, as much in the political area towards the opposition as with regards to their behaviour towards France, which is the target of a massive disinformation campaign," the source said, asking not to be named.

While the Russians were seen as responsible, "the Central Africans are at best complicit in this campaign", the source added.

Five French soldiers advising the CAR defence ministry returned to France in April and military training has been suspended, the source added, confirming details first reported by the Paris-based investigative website Mediapart.

The French foreign ministry said that 10 million euros ($12.2 million) in budgetary aid to the CAR government would be "suspended until further notice".

However, humanitarian aid and other projects directly benefiting the Central African population, worth some six million euros, would continue, the ministry added.

The suspension underlines the extent of the rivalry between France and Russia in CAR, a conflict-wracked and deeply poor former French colony. It also reflects concern in Paris about online influence campaigns targeting its presence in Africa.

Last December, Facebook removed two networks of fake accounts based in Russia and one linked to the French military which it said were being used for interference campaigns in Africa, including in CAR.

France's decision to suspend military cooperation also comes on the heels of a similar move in Mali, where French military operations with the national army were suspended last week after a second coup in nine months.

French forces intervened in CAR from 2013-2016 in an attempt to pacify the country following the overthrow of former president Francois Bozize in 2013.

A 12,500-strong UN peacekeeping force remains in the country, to which France will continue to contribute around a dozen soldiers.

France will also maintain around 100 soldiers in a European Union-led military training operation in CAR, the defence ministry source added.

Russia has wielded increasing influence in CAR since 2018 when it sent weapons and a large contingent of "instructors" to train the Central African army.

Numerous witnesses and NGOs say the instructors are in fact paramilitaries from the Wagner Group, a shadowy private military company actively participating in the fight against CAR rebels, alongside Rwandan special forces and UN peacekeepers.

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Israeli settlers on Tuesday stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque from Al Maghareba gate under strict protection of occupation forces.

According to local sources, the settlers made provocative tours inside the mosque, reported the Palestinian news agency.

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Tunisian media mogul and former presidential candidate Nabil Karoui has been hospitalised three days after launching a hunger strike protesting his continued pre-trial detention, a justice official said Tuesday.

"The doctor asked that Mr. Karoui be transferred to hospital because of his state of health," judicial official Mohsen Dali told AFP.

Karoui, 57, leader of the liberal Qalb Tounes party, was taken to hospital on Monday night, after beginning his hunger strike on Saturday, and remains in hospital for tests.

Karoui's party says he has been held "illegally" since May 5, the end of the maximum six-month period of pre-trial detention allowed in the North African nation.

A judge can intervene to extend that period, but the suspect has a right to appeal.

Karoui is a business and media mogul whose party came second in October 2019 parliamentary elections and allied itself with the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party.

President Kais Saied has accused the two parties of corruption.

During Karoui's presidential election campaign that same year, he spent more than a month in prison over money laundering and tax evasion charges stemming from a 2017 investigation.

He was arrested again in December 2020 over the same affair.

Karoui is the founder of private channel Nessma TV, partly owned by former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.

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Syria's air defence system has been activated against an "Israeli aggression" within Syria, state news agency Sana said late Tuesday.

Israeli planes arrived from Lebanese air space, said Sana, which gave no indication of any deaths or damage.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, reported "violent explosions felt in Damascus and around the city, followed by Israeli strikes on military positions" of the Syrian army.

"Air strikes also took place in the south of Homs province and in the border zone between Homs and Tartus," Observatory chief Rami Abdul Rahman told AFP.

The Israeli army, which rarely acknowledges its strikes in Syria, told AFP it would not comment on "information coming from abroad".

Since the start of the war in neighbouring Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes on Syrian territory, targeting regime positions as well as Iranian forces and members of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement.

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Related Egypt affirms solidarity with Pakistan after deadly train collision

Pakistan Railways officials said Tuesday that at least 63 people had died in a double train accident in a remote part of southern Sindh province a day earlier.

They issued two lists of the dead that included 12 unidentified people from the accident, which saw a north-bound passenger train derail early Monday before being struck minutes later by an express coming from the opposite direction.

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Far-left trade unionist Pedro Castillo took a narrow lead on Monday in Peru's presidential run-off election against right-wing populist Keiko Fujimori, who alleged fraud in the vote count.

With 94.8 percent of ballots counted after Sunday's vote, Castillo was ahead of Fujimori with 50.2 percent compared with her 49.7 percent, though there could be a prolonged wait for the final outcome.

Fujimori raised allegations of "irregularities" and "signs of fraud" at a press conference on Monday evening, claiming she had evidence of "a clear intention to boycott the popular will" in the election.

Fujimori, 46, had led in early counting, but school teacher Castillo, 51, gained ground as votes from Peru's rural areas -- his stronghold -- came in from across a country battered by years of political turmoil.

Castillo's Free Peru party called on election authorities to "protect the vote" as ballots are counted and published, which may take days with more than a million expat votes being processed.

"Only the people are going to save the people," Castillo said, as he asked his followers to show restraint.

Election observers from the Organization of American States (OAS) said the candidates' "conduct in these crucial hours is decisive to maintain calm."

Amid the uncertainty, the Lima stock market plunged 7.22 percent and the sol dropped to a record low 3.94 against the US dollar.

Whoever wins the ideological battle between left and right will take leadership of a nation battered by recession and the world's worst coronavirus fatality rate with more than 186,000 deaths among its 33 million population.

Peruvians will also be looking for stability after going through four presidents in three years. Seven of their last 10 leaders have either been convicted or are under investigation for corruption.

Polar opposites



Castillo caused an upset by topping the first round of voting in April, with Fujimori in second place.

The relatively unknown teacher was consistently ahead of his rival, though narrowly so, in the latest opinion polls before Sunday's vote that comes at a crucial time for the country.

Two million Peruvians have lost their jobs during the pandemic and nearly a third now live in poverty, according to official figures.

The candidates have polar-opposite recovery plans.

Fujimori, the daughter of corruption-convicted and jailed ex-president Alberto Fujimori, backs a neoliberal economic model of tax cuts and boosting private activity to generate jobs.

Castillo has pledged to nationalize vital industries, raise taxes and increase state regulation.

Favored by the business sector and middle classes, Fujimori -- her bastion is the capital Lima -- sought to portray Castillo as a communist threat, warning Peru risked becoming a new Venezuela or North Korea.

Rural-based Castillo, in turn, pointed to the Fujimori family's history of corruption scandals.

Keiko Fujimori is under investigation over campaign funding in her 2011 and 2016 presidential bids.

Apart from corruption charges, her jailed father, 82, has been found guilty of ordering two massacres by death squads in 1991 and 1992 while president.

He is being probed over the forced sterilization of hundreds of thousands of poor, mostly indigenous women during his final four years in power.

"If Keiko is eventually elected, you can't forget that this 50 percent is not her real support but rather a reaction from an electorate that is afraid of what her opponent represents," political scientist Jessica Smith told AFP.

Peru's 'first poor president'?



Castillo "would be the first poor president of Peru," added analyst Hugo Otero. The leftist candidate has vowed to forego a presidential salary and live on his teacher's wages.

Whoever wins will have a hard time governing as Peru's Congress is fragmented.

Free Peru is the largest single party, just ahead of Fujimori's Popular Force, but without a majority.

"It won't be easy (for Fujimori) given the mistrust her name and that of her family generates in many sectors. She'll have to quickly calm the markets and generate ways to reactivate them," said Smith.

But if Castillo triumphs, he will have to "consolidate a parliamentary majority that will allow him to deliver his ambitious program," she said.

In either case, "it will take time to calm the waters because there is fierce polarization and an atmosphere of social conflict," added analyst Luis Pasaraindico.

At the height of a political storm in November last year, unleashed by more corruption claims, Peru had three different presidents in just five days.

The new president will take office on July 28, replacing centrist interim leader Francisco Sagasti.Leftist Castillo edges ahead in Peru vote count as rival alleges fraud

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A bystander slapped French President Emmanuel Macron across the face during a trip to southeast France on Tuesday on the second stop of a nation-wide tour.

Images on social media and broadcast on the BFM news channel showed Macron approach a barrier to greet a man who, instead of shaking hands, slapped the 43-year-old across the face.

Macron's bodyguards quickly intervened and two people were arrested afterwards, local officials said.

"The man who tried to slap the president and another individual are currently being questioned by the gendarmerie," the regional prefecture said in a statement.

The incident in the village of Tain-l'Hermitage in the Drome region represents a serious security breach and overshadows the start of Macron's tour which he said was designed to "take the country's pulse."

"Around 1:15 pm (1115 GMT), the president got back into his car after visiting a high school and came back out because onlookers were calling out to him," the prefecture said.

"He went to meet them and that's where the incident happened," it added.

The centrist is widely expected to seek re-election in next year's presidential elections and polls show him with a narrow lead over far-right leader Marine Le Pen.

Around a dozen stops had been planned over the next two months, with Macron keen to meet voters in person after more than a year of crisis management linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.

'Never violence'

Shortly before being slapped, Macron had been asked to comment on recent remarks from far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon who suggested at the weekend that next year's election would be manipulated.

"Democratic life needs calm and respect, from everyone, politicians as well as citizens," Macron said.

In July last year, Macron and his wife Brigitte were verbally abused by a group of protesters while taking an impromptu walk through the Tuileries gardens in central Paris.

"Politics can never be violence, verbal aggression, much less physical aggression," Prime Minister Jean Castex told parliament after the latest incident.

Macron has undertaken several other tours since his 2017 electoral triumph over the traditional parties of government on the left and right.

A 2018 trip to mark the centenary of the end of World War I is best remembered for the scenes of furious citizens booing and heckling France's youngest post-war leader.

It took place just as "yellow vest" protests were gathering momentum to denounce the government's policies and the head of state personally for his leadership style, which was criticised as aloof and arrogant.

Macron conducted another tour billed as a listening exercise in 2019 in the aftermath of those protests, which shook the country and saw him promise to change his way of governing.

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The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) announced that it will roll out an electronic set-off for hard currency cheques as of 14 June.

The CBE said that the action came in the implementation of Egypts national council of payments strategy under the chairmanship of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi

The new system will benefit Egypts banking system, chiefly by decreasing the cost of this kind of transactions among banks and reducing the time these transactions take, said deputy governor of the CBE Ramy Abu El-Naga.

It also supports the technical integration with up-to-date systems that is being applied in Egypts banking system, according to Abu El-Naga.

Sub-governor Amany Shams El-Din expounded that the new system would enhance the CBEs supervision on such kind of transactions and spur banks to consider decreasing the banking fees imposed on the collection of hard currency cheques.

She also noted that the new system will be applied to both US dollar and euro cheques in its first phase.

Sub-governor assistant Ehab Nasr said that through the electronic set-off for cheques, which are in EGP, transactions of EGP 2 trillion were executed in 2020.

He added that the new system would ease hard currency transactions between banks operating in the Egyptian market in a more effective way.

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Telecom Egypt (TE) and Vodafone Group have inked a modified shareholders agreement which includes changes to Vodafone Egypts dividend policy.

According to the agreement, Vodafone Egypt will pay a one-time dividend of EGP 10 billion to its shareholders during the 2021 calendar year, EGP 2 billion of which was paid in March.

The two sides have also agreed on a minimum dividend pay-out ratio of 60 percent of free cash flow going forward.

The agreement gives Vodafone Group the right to transfer its shareholding in Vodafone Egypt within the broader Vodafone Group.

Also, TE keeps its existing rights in the agreement and has obtained certain enhanced minority rights, including access to information.

We are pleased to have reached an agreement that is mutually beneficial to both parties. Telecom Egypt has been and continues to be a strategic partner to Vodafone Group in the Egyptian market, said Adel Hamed, TEs managing director and CEO.

He added that the agreement guarantees the preservation of our strategic partnership in light of an enhanced shareholders agreement that provides TE with visibility on its investment and its expected returns based on Vodafone Egypts performance.

It also gives TEs shareholders comfort that participation in the company continues to be fruitful and rewarding, according to Hamed.

He noted that TE plans to utilise the cash inflow from the dividend to be received in 2021 to deleverage its balance sheet, reduce financing expenses, and enhance profitability.

In March, Vodafone Egypt approved a dividend of EGP 2 billion, of which TEs share amounts to EGP 0.9 billion.

Accordingly, TEs board of directors proposed raising its dividend for FY 2020 to EGP 0.75 per share instead of EGP 0.50 per share, a 50 percent increase on the previously proposed dividend, representing 50 percent of Vodafone Egypts distribution to TE and a total pay-out ratio of 86 percent for TE.

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Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in Egypts public debt instruments reached up to $29 billion by the end of May, according to Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait.

In a press conference held on Tuesday, Maait noted that all financing solutions are on the table during the coming FY2021/2022, which starts in July.

Yet, the minister stressed that the government will not issue a second green bonds offer during FY2021/22, as such kind of instruments are utilised to finance only green projects.

He clarified that Egypt seeks to diversify its financing resources without increasing its debt level.

Accordingly, the finance ministry will take the required procedures regarding offering the first issuance of the sovereign Islamic bonds (sukuk) as soon as President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ratifies the sovereign Islamic bonds bill so that it may be published in the official gazette.

The parliament  House of Representatives  approved on Sunday the sovereign bonds (sukuk) bill, which is waiting on the final vote of a two thirds majority of MPs.

The anticipated sovereign Islamic bonds issuance aims to expand the investor base and increase productive projects in the country, Maait explained.

He also noted that Egypt eyes issuing sustainable development bonds, the first of their kind in Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

Maait also emphasised that the political leadership is keen on easing all obstacles the investors are likely to face, through which the private sector can play a greater role in the countrys development projects.

During the press conference, Maait said that Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has managed to transform the challenges the country is countering into promising developmental opportunities that have been contributing to building the new Egypt.

He added that President El-Sisi has scored unprecedented achievements across all life aspects with an aim of improving citizens life standards and uplifting the quality of the services they receive.

Egypts economic reform programme, that the president has adopted, earned the national economy a great deal of flexibility to counter both internal and external shocks. It also helped in providing a financial space that is required to enhance spending objects, particularly on the education and health sectors, as well as expanding the social protection umbrella. It also contributed to launching the mega project of Egypts rural development, which is the biggest in the world, Maait explained.

On Egypts relation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the minister noted that the joint cooperation programmes are continuous in the field of technical assistance.

ON 25 May, the IMF announced the completion of Egypts $5.2 billion stand-by agreement (SBA) programme, which paves the way for Egypt to receive the third tranche of the programmes loan with an amount of $1.6 billion.

The IMFs third and final review on the SBA loan is expected to be approved by its executive board during June.

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Ivanishvili on Gakharias new party: Political cooperation with Giorgi Gakharia is unacceptable

By Veronika Malinboym

Former Prime Minister of Georgia and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party has reacted to ex-PM Gakharias launching of his new political party For Georgia. In his first public statement since his official resignation five months ago, Bidzina Ivanishvili described Gakharias resignation in February and the consequent creation of a new political party as traitorous towards his own party and the state:One of the leaders of the ruling party and a government official with the most power resigned at a completely incomprehensible time, for a completely unknown reason - he resigned because he did not want the rule of law and law enforcement to be fulfilled by the political team. A similar case of such an incident can hardly be found in the history of world politics, Ivanishvili said.He also said that the reason why he broke his silence and issued a public statement is because of the rumors of his involvement in Gakharias new party:I see it as an attempt to continue to link my name to Georgian politics by spreading false information, and, despite my resignation, I feel obliged to give a small explanation to the public on this matter. It is no secret that the creation of pseudo-parties has been a vicious practice widely introduced in Georgia over the years. On top of such practice in itself being wrong, any political cooperation with Giorgi Gakharia would be completely unacceptable to me.One of the main results that the Georgian Dream has achieved with me and my departure from politics is the end of the vicious tradition of personality cult and messianism in Georgia. I am deeply convinced that the party I founded will continue to successfully ensure the strength of the state, the protection of democratic institutions, and the rule of law which is a necessary condition for the countrys further development", the statement concluded.Ex-Pm Gakharia who resigned from his post in February amidst the disagreements with other team members on the subject of the arrest of the leader of the opposition United National Movement party Nika Melia, has already responded to Ivanishvilis statement. On his Twitter Gakharia posted:The events are developing in an interesting and faster way than expected... No one and nothing can stop the truth. Eventually, everyone will understand this. Again without gossiping, we unite for Georgia, against no one!
Minister of Trade and Industry Nevine Gamea said on Tuesday a Polish industrial zone project in Egypt will be an important step to support and bolster economic relations between Egypt and Poland in a way that reflects the strength of ties between the two countries at all levels.



It is set to be the first industrial zone for a European Union country in Egypt, Gamea said during the signing ceremony of a relevant framework agreement between the Suez Canal Economic Zone and its Polish peer in Katowice region.



Under the agreement, a Polish industrial zone shall be established in the Ain Sokhna industrial zone with products including food industries, auto parts and electronic industries.



The Polish delegation was accompanied by representatives of 18 companies in order to tour the Ain Sokhna industrial zone and identify which industries should be targeted in the new Polish zone there.

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Cairo will host the annual International Festival for Drums and Traditional Arts that will be held from 12 to 18 June.

Founded by artist and director Intisar Abdel Fattah under the slogan Drum Dialogue for Peace, the festival brings together representatives of 30 different countries along with their cultures and drum beats, a press release by its management said.

South Sudan and Colombia are the two guests of honour this year. Palestine and its traditional Dabka will also be presented, it added.

The schedule of the event will be announced shortly.

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Egyptian short film Dry Hot Summers won Best Film, the top prize at the Dhofar Arab Film Forum in Oman.

Directed by Sherif El-Bendary, the film is written by Nura El-Sheikh and co-produced by Claudia Jubeh (Germany) and Hossam El-Ouan (Egypt).

The film was one of two Egyptian entries in the forum  along with Tahra's Life by Mohanad Diab  where 17 films from nine Arab countries competed.

Dry Hot Summers won the Robert Bosch Stiftung Film Prize for International Cooperation at a gala held during Berlinale Talents, a six-day creative summit for up-and-coming filmmakers at the Berlin Film Festival. It also scooped up the main award in the Short Films category at Algerias ninth Oran Arab Film Festival.

The 30-minute film captures the chance meeting of two lonely Egyptians on a bustling and hot summer day in Cairo; a cancer patient and a bride anxious to get her photo taken in the white dress. The day's journey disturbs the stifling routines of the two characters, taking them on an expedition of self-discovery.

The film had its world premiere at the Dubai International Film Festival's 13th edition, 2016.

Other winning films included the Syrian film Darag (Stairs) for best documentary, and Noqta Sawdaa (Black Spot) for best Omani film. The Jury Prize went to Tunisian film Shoof (Look), with the special appreciation prize going to Bahraini film Makan Khas Geddan (A Very Special Place), and Saudi film Taradodat (Frequencies).

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The American University in Cairo (AUC) has recently appointed Shahira Zeid 83 and Wael Bayazid as the newest members of the Universitys Board of Trustees. Both coming from business and financial backgrounds, their expertise serves as a valuable asset to AUCs goals in the near future.

Zeid graduated from AUC with a degree in business administration and is now the vice-chairman of Maridive and Oil Services, which was one of the first companies to respond to the Suez Canal Ever Given blockage. Zeid is also chairman of MZ Investments, which is the holding company for several entities in the fields of petroleum and marine services. She is also active in the tourism and real estate sector and holds investments in companies all around the world, including the United Kingdom, Spain and China.

Apart from her business activities, Zeid is also involved in a number of NGOs around Egypt, such as the Egyptian Food Bank, Children are the Future Foundation and the Magdy Yacoub Heart Foundation.

We are excited to welcome Shahira to the Board, said Mark Turnage (ALU 82), chairman of the board of Trustees. She brings enormous business acumen and a strong sense of civic responsibility and is very enthusiastic and committed to assisting with AUC's fundraising efforts.

She has been listed by Forbes Middle East as one of the top businesswomen in the region, and in 2015 she was selected as one of the Top 50 Businesswomen in Egypt.

Bayazid has been managing director and partner of The Carlyle Group since 1996. His business with the group revolves around developing businesses in the Middle East and Europe, and he works between Washington DC, London and New York.

Before joining The Carlyle Group, Bayazid was Global Country Head for Saudi Arabia in the Global Asset Management Group of the Chase Manhattan Bank, based in Geneva, Switzerland. He has an extensive history of working in the banking and financial sector.

He also serves as a board member of ABANA, a US-based organization for finance professionals and institutions with interest in the Middle East and North Africa.

Wael has a deep commitment to education in the Middle East. He also plans to support AUC's advancement and recruiting efforts, particularly in the Gulf region, Turnage said.

Members of AUC's board of trustees are volunteers who dedicate their time and resources to supporting the University. Coming from a range of backgrounds, AUCs trustees include many alumni in the areas of business, law, education, philanthropy and scholarship. Primarily Egyptians and Americans, the trustees do not receive any compensation. They provide generous financial support to the University, in addition to their fiduciary responsibilities.

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With eyes on several titles from the Arab world, only Moroccan film Casablanca Beats received a nod in the upcoming Cannes Film Festivals Official Competition.

The 74th Cannes Film Festival revealed the films it will feature last Thursday after having postponed the announcement from the previously planned 27 May.

The selected films were announced during a press conference by the festival's artistic director and general delegate, Thierry Fremaux. Held with the attendance of journalists, the conference took place at the UGC Normandie cinema in Paris.

According to the brief released by AFP, Casablanca Beats takes the viewers to the suburbs of Casablanca, shedding light on young people seeking an outlet through hip hop in a neighbourhood that in 2003 became a target of Al-Qaeda suicide attacks on hotels, restaurants, and community centres.

Casablanca Beats is directed by Moroccan-French Cannes regular Nabil Ayouch.

The film stars Anas Basbousi, Ismail Adouab, Maha Menan, and Marwa Kniniche.

Director, producer, and writer Ayouch had two previous films screened at Cannes: Horses Of God in Un Certain Regard in 2012, and Much Love screened in Directors Fortnight in 2015.

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Cairos Taliaa (Vanguard) theatre will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2022, with year-round events.

From 1 January until the end of the year, we will have 365 days of celebrations, remembering all the successful plays produced by Taliaa, said Adel Hassaan, director of the Taliaa theatre.

He added that we will produce 4 repertoire plays, in addition to some new plays, for veteran directors such as Nasser Abdel-Moneim, Essam El-Sayed, and Ahmed Mokhtar.

A few days ago, Taliaa opened the door for participation in the Taliaa Theatre Club, and as Hassaan explains, we will organise some events and the club members will be able to attend them, like a weekly meeting with Taliaas pioneers, such as Samir El-Asfory, Ahmed Kamal, Safaa El-Tokhy, and many others every Tuesday.

The Taliaa Theatre Club project aims to spread theatrical culture, discover and develop theatrical talents, and attract interested audiences to practice theatrical activities within the troupe, including periodic meetings with theatre pioneers and stars, and training programs implemented by Taliaa Studio.

The theatre continues to receive applications for participation throughout the year, and it is open for everyone, whether the applicant is a professional, an amateur, or a theatre connoisseur.

Taliaa Theatre was founded by late director Saad Ardash in 1962 under the name Gaib Theatre to present experimental and avant-garde plays.

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As Egypt markes the seventh anniversary of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisis rise to power on 8 June 2014, and the eighth anniversary of the 30 June 2013 Revolution against Muslim Brotherhood rule, Egyptians must feel proud of their many achievements and triumphs during those tough years.

There is no question that Egypt was in a state of widespread chaos during the uneasy transition from the 30-year era under the late president Hosni Mubarak, which ended on 11 February 2011. Weaseling its way into power, the Muslim Brotherhood nonetheless failed to understand the needs of the Egyptian people, or the slogans raised during the 25 January 2011 Revolution against Mubarak.

Egyptians in Tahrir Square repeatedly chanted, Bread, freedom and social justice. The Brotherhood provided none of these demands, its only concern being to enable its leaders to control the country, regardless of the interests of the Egyptian people.

However, on 30 June 2013, and later with the election of President Al-Sisi less than a year later, Egyptians asserted that they would not accept the establishment of a dictatorship that used religion as a cover.

When Al-Sisi took office, he faced the toughest challenges any Egyptian leader had met since the 1952 Revolution against the monarchy. The Muslim Brotherhood propaganda machine portrayed the popular revolt on 30 June 2013 as a military coup, and championed an evil effort to isolate Egypt.

However, Al-Sisi and his new administration ignored such false claims, and slowly but surely restored the countrys leading regional and international role. By holding open and free presidential elections in early 2014, the African Union reversed its decision to suspend Egypts membership in the organisation that Cairo helped create back in the 1960s.

Several European governments as well as consecutive US administrations that had shown reserve in dealing with the new regime also recognised that facts spoke for themselves, and that the majority of Egyptians strongly supported the efforts exerted by President Al-Sisi to rebuild Egypt into a modern, prosperous country in the interest of serving and improving the lives of its people.

The president recognised that, in order to restore Egypts regional and international status, he needed to concentrate first on improving the countrys economy and infrastructure. Huge, unprecedented megaprojects were therefore launched, generating hundreds of thousands of job opportunities. Egypt needed to modernise nearly all sectors of the economy, building new cities, roads, harbours and airports. All these projects were carried out in an exceptionally short time, paving the way for local and international investments that would help improve the economy in the long run.

Meanwhile, the government was aware that major economic reforms would affect millions of the countrys poor and unprivileged classes. Several programmes were therefore launched to provide much needed support to poor families, reaching nearly 15 million people. Those families were not only provided with basic needs such as food supplies, they were also given small loans to start their own projects. Developing the lives of Egyptians went hand in hand with other national projects because of awareness that human beings should always come first.

Considering the very complicated and volatile circumstances the entire Middle East has been going through since 2011, President Al-Sisi, benefiting from his own military background, made Egypts security a top priority. The Egyptian army was provided with all the latest technology and training to protect the country and its close allies in the region. Several major arms deals were signed with France, Germany, Russia and China, besides maintaining close military cooperation with Egypt and its strategic ally, the United States.

Such strength in Egypts army and its capabilities were certainly behind the new opening in Libya that might restore stability in this war-torn strategic neighbour. The same applied to several other threats Egypt faced, whether in terms of fighting terrorism or protecting its vital resources, the most important of which is water.

Egypts internal achievements and increasing stability allowed the country to restore its historic regional and international role. This was clearly seen in the latest confrontation that took place between Hamas and Israel in Gaza. Egypt was the only trusted partner that managed to end the fighting and the killing of Palestinian people in only 10 days. Because he understands that Palestinians in Gaza need more than just peace, what is more, President Al-Sisi surprised the world by announcing that Cairo would provide $500 million to Gaza, not only to rebuild what Israel destroyed in the overpopulated Strip, but also to provide jobs and improve living conditions.

Indeed, Egyptians have a lot to celebrate these days, while still knowing that a lot of work remains to be done by both the countrys leadership and its people.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 10 June, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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The prospect of peace is being tested in Libya against a backdrop of a developing regional rapprochement between Egypt and Turkey. Syria is witnessing a stalemate, with most of the country now back in the hands of the regime led by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad thanks to Russian and Iranian support.



A Saudi initiative to end the war in Yemen following US pressure on Riyadh and Abu Dhabi has been rejected by the Yemeni Houthi rebels. The administration of US President Joe Biden has been following in the footsteps of former president Donald Trumps policies, which approved a US military withdrawal from Afghanistan after a peace deal with the Taliban in February of last year.



Such developments and others may indicate that the foreign powers that have been involved in proxy wars since the 2011 revolutions in the Arab world, further inflaming conflicts in the Middle East, are now trying to exit from them. These proxy wars have been adding fuel to the fire in the Middle East, tearing countries apart and transforming much of the region into an inflamed zone that has affected neighbouring territories in Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe.



It is hard to predict if the region is heading towards comprehensive peace in the near future, especially in light of the current state of uncertainty that makes expert expectations like those who claim to be standing firm on moving ground. However, at the very least the rash of proxy wars that has been affecting the Middle East is being revisited, giving rise to an alternative choice that would still maintain the interests of external powers in the region in the shape of proxy peace.



A war by proxy means that superpowers wage wars in conflict areas without being directly engaged in those wars; that is, external forces delegate or assign armed agencies to defend their interests in exchange for clandestine, indirect support, in the form of supplying them with weapons, training, and needed political support.



Proxy wars have been a popular policy in international relations, as states resort to them usually in order to attain three main goals.



The first is to reduce the costs of foreign involvements by avoiding direct confrontation with other external competitors in conflict areas. The second is the denial of liability, since fighting proxy wars makes it easier for states to deny violating the principle of a states sovereignty over its territories or having been part of any violation of human rights in case the proxy also commits such acts. Any states relationship with its proxy remains indirect and confidential. The third benefit is efficiency, since proxy agents may be more experienced than their sponsors, and thus can be more efficient in carrying out military operations in conflict areas that have been dominated by guerilla wars.



However, the feasibility of proxy wars in the Middle East has become increasingly questionable.



Some proxy agents have been unable to change the balance of power in favour of their sponsoring states, forcing those states to intervene directly and putting the low costs of proxy wars into question. Cases in point can be found in the Turkish military intervention in western Libya to support the previous government of national reconciliation in January 2020 and the Russian intervention in Syria in support of the Al-Assad regime after September 2015.



A proxy war in Libya inflamed a regional confrontation between Egypt and Turkey, when Cairo asserted that the Sirte-Al-Jufra boundary was a red line in June 2020 and that it would intervene directly if it was crossed to defend its national security interests.



On the other hand, proxy wars may cause a backlash against the superpowers waging them. The Arab Coalitions war against the Iranian-backed Houthi group in Yemen since 2015 has already caused problems for Saudi Arabias internal security. The latter has been targeted by the Houthis with ballistic missiles and drones, and the war has also allowed Iran to expand its influence in Yemen, in turn reinforcing sectarian rifts between Tehran and Shiite proxies in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq.



Meanwhile, the benefits of proxy wars have also varied, as in the case of Syria. Whereas Russia, Iran, and Turkey have made substantial gains in the country, the Western powers have failed to topple the Al-Assad regime. They have thus been left with no choice but to shift their policies, from demanding root-and-branch changes to the regime to just pressuring for more political openness, now that Al-Assad has regained control over most Syrian territory thanks to Russian-Iranian support.



The country that has been the most involved in proxy wars worldwide, including in the Middle East, has been the United States, and it concedes that it has made diminishing gains from these wars over recent years. The US military intervention in Afghanistan, for instance, cost an estimated $760 billion between October 2001 and March 2019, and yet it has not achieved its goals. After all these years, Washington signed a peace treaty with the Taliban in February this year to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan in May.



Moreover, the superpowers are now no longer able to deny being involved in proxy wars, which was not so much the case during the Cold War, thanks to the expansion of close monitoring and the surveillance of armed conflict areas on the part of the UN and other international and non-governmental organisations.



Whereas Russia, for instance, has denied the existence of its proxies in Libya, many UN reports have revealed the presence of hundreds of Russian mercenaries belonging to the Russian Wagner Group fighting in the country.







ALTERNATIVE POLICIES: When the benefits of proxy wars decline, countries search for alternative options to secure their interests in areas of conflict, especially in times of peace.



This is particularly true when powers are competing to expand their geo-strategic influence in the framing of political settlements and their geo-economic influence in the reconstruction of war-torn areas.



Here, the strategy of peace by proxy emerges, with such states appointing proxies to defend their interests, this time using peaceful strategies for the purposes of promoting calm and peace. These agents may be armed in case the goal of the peace by proxy is to settle armed conflicts. But they may also be purely peaceful, as in the case of the UN and other regional and non-governmental organisations. Such peaceful organisations can be instrumental in cases where the goal is to move from a negative peace (such as stopping the war) to a positive one, such as building consensus between the disputing parties through negotiation to settle the conflict and maintain peace in conflict areas.



Many countries resort to peace by proxy for more or less the same reasons as their use of proxy wars, namely, to reduce the costs of getting directly involved in settling complicated conflicts that may not bring about the desired results and may even negatively affect their international commitments and prestige.



In the meantime, such countries may also not be able to get into direct negotiations with armed groups labelled as terrorists in national laws. Getting into direct negotiation with a terrorist group could give it legitimacy and anger the state where a conflict is taking place. The fact that both the US and the EU have resorted to proxies in the form of non-governmental organisations to negotiate with the Palestinian group Hamas to reach a settlement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is a case in point.



It is noteworthy here that proxies are subordinate to the states that hire them in cases of peace as much as in cases of war. After all, it is their sponsoring countries that provide the finance and agenda needed to accomplish their work in conflict areas. This is most evident when the EU provides technical and humanitarian support to governments and civil society organisations in conflict areas on condition that they adhere to the principles of democracy and human rights.



However, the strategy of the peace proxy has nevertheless not gained popularity in the literature on Middle Eastern conflicts. Instead, the interference of external powers to settle conflicts in the Middle East is usually described in terms of partnership and coordination, giving the impression of parity and apparently ruling out the idea of foreign interference in a countrys internal affairs.



One case in point can be seen in the Friends for Peace (FFP) groups that have emerged in the aftermaths of the conflicts in Syria, Yemen, and Libya and which have involved external powers and major donors that have interests in these conflict areas. However, this idealistic view, which assumes that states and societies in conflict, already fragile and exhausted by wars, can in fact achieve parity and have an equal partnership with external powers, some of which are also sponsoring wars by proxy, fundamentally contradicts reality.



Instead, countries in conflict remain the hostage of the external powers engaged in their respective peace processes.



It was not surprising, then, that the EUs former foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, hinted that the Syrian conflict might need a proxy peace. The statement was perhaps a realistic recognition of the difficulty of imposing peace in a country already mired in proxy wars without resorting to external powers, such as Russia, Iran, Turkey, and the US, that had already intervened either to support the Al-Assad regime or the armed opposition.



It has been evident in recent years that the same powers that have been long involved in proxy wars are now employing proxies to settle conflicts and impose peace in the same conflict areas.







IMPOSING PEACE BY PROXY: Reducing conflicts and stopping war by pushing armed proxies to negotiate a ceasefire is one of the strategies used in peace by proxy. It is usually used by sponsors aiming to reduce the military and political losses of having their proxies engaged in armed conflicts.



A case in point can be found in the battle for Tripoli in Libya. The fact that armed proxies failed to settle the balance of military forces in favour of their sponsors sparked fears that a regional war would erupt as a result. Russia, Turkey, Egypt, and the UAE thus called for a ceasefire in Libya in October 2020 while the Libyan factions met in November of the same year at the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in Tunisia and agreed on uniting all the Libyan factions in the east and west of the country and to hold elections in December 2021.



An interim government of national unity was formed and put to a vote of confidence in March, putting an end to several years of division in the executive authority in Libya since the failure of the Skhirat Agreement signed in Morocco in 2015.



But the sponsoring countries may also have a different agenda that aims to impose peace at a certain point just to change the results of armed conflicts in their favour and to attain specific gains on the ground before military conflicts are resumed. This may explain why the fighting did not stop following the 2017 De-escalation Agreement in Syria.



The Al-Assad regime launched a strike on Idlib, the last stronghold of the armed opposition factions in the north of the country, in December 2019, leading to clashes with Turkey. In response, Turkey launched Operation Spring Shield, a cross-border military operation conducted by the Syrian armed forces and allied militants in the Idlib governorate in February 2020. This resulted in a ceasefire between Turkey and Russia that was signed in Moscow within days on 5 March.



Countries may resort to a peace-by-proxy strategy to settle conflicts when they need to avoid playing a direct role that may be politically costly in case meditation fails to reach a settlement. So, instead of getting directly involved, these countries provide financial and technical support to peace agents such as international or regional governmental and non-governmental organisations to intervene.



After all, such organisations are usually more familiar with the environment of conflict areas and the needs of the conflicting parties. Their initiatives are thus better received by the disputing parties, who may otherwise show sensitivity to any direct intervention from Western countries with a history of colonial interests in the region.



Governments support their proxies technically in many ways. They empower them through transferring expertise and upgrading skills; they coordinate with other agents, competing powers and allies; and they provide financial support for proxies mediation activities. Meanwhile, they impose penalties on violators and those blocking peace settlements. This has been evident in the way the EU has supported peace-by-proxy activities undertaken by the United Nations and regional organisations to settle conflicts in Libya and South Sudan.



The same thing goes for NGOs assigned to mediate for peace in conflict areas. For example, the UN assigned the Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue during the mandate of UN secretary-general special envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salame, to organise the Libyan National Forum in the period between April and July 2018 with the aim of building a consensus among Libyans on basic issues.



The centre then submitted proposals to the UN at the end of the forum. It also contributed as a platform for dialogue between the Libyan parties in Montreux in Switzerland in September 2020, paving the way for the Dialogue Forum in Tunis.







FROM AID TO PEACEBUILDING: Humanitarian aid is yet another peace-by-proxy strategy, and major donors may use humanitarian aid politically to server their proxy-war agenda, as has been the case in the Syrian conflict.



In the meantime, donor countries may also motivate peace agents to use aid as a means to supporting peace through controlling the flow of that aid in a way that does not cause harm. They may develop codes of negotiations with militants in a way that does not divert aid from its humanitarian goal, as well as use that aid for building confidence among the disputing parties. The International Committee of the Red Cross is a case in point of this strategy, and it is facilitating the exchange of prisoners in the Yemeni conflict alongside its relief activities.



The severity of the humanitarian repercussions of proxy wars in the Middle East also pushes external powers to rely on humanitarian agents. The Community of SantEgidio, for instance, has launched the humanitarian corridors project in the Mediterranean to provide relief aid to the most vulnerable groups of refugees. It signed an agreement with France in March 2017 and another one with Italy in 2016, providing the framework for an initiative that provides alternative solutions to deadly Mediterranean boat-crossing to Europe by illegal immigrants.



Peacekeeping is yet another strategy for proxy peace in conflict areas. In this case, countries delegate members to a UN regional organisation with the aim of sending military forces to maintain peace in conflict areas. This strategy gained popularity after the end of Cold War and the disappearance of the polarisation between the worlds two former superpowers that had greatly hindered the work of the UN in settling disputes in conflict areas and limited its role to just monitoring ceasefires between disputing parties.



Peacekeeping has been a US-favoured strategy on the grounds that it is a less-expensive tool to achieve US foreign-policy goals and allows it to reduce its direct involvement in complex conflicts after its bad experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq.



The tasks of peacekeepers have therefore expanded in the aftermath of the Cold War from simply monitoring a ceasefire to a larger role of rehabilitating conflict-torn societies in a way that makes them able to achieve lasting peace. Peacekeepers also take part in facilitating the political process, monitoring elections, playing a larger role in reconciliation and reintegration of combatants, and monitoring human rights and the application of civil protection and the rule of law.



But peacekeeping operations have been facing many challenges. Peacekeepers may have a tense relationship with the host country, and they are sometimes targeted by militant groups. The failure of peacekeepers to maintain peace in conflict areas may also be due to the fact that they are not militarily qualified or due to poor coordination between UN member states. Meanwhile, some peacekeeping missions have been accused of sexual exploitation and the mistreatment of civilians. The fact that some developed countries do not live up to their promised financial contributions to the UN, particularly the US, has greatly affected the performance of UN missions.



It is important to note that there is also a sensitivity towards the presence of peacekeepers in the Middle East. In Libya, for instance, the military parties preferred observers to peacekeepers when opting for a ceasefire after the battle for Tripoli. The UN Security Council issued a Resolution in April 2021 that provides for 60 civil observers monitoring the ceasefire.



Since any post-war peacebuilding process includes the rebuilding of a war-torn countrys economic and social infrastructure economically as well as reinstating security, the role of a proxy peace emerges when the UN steps into the fray on behalf of donor countries and finances the peacebuilding process through its peacebuilding fund. This provides funds for security reforms, social and economic developments, transitional justice, and other policies.



In the meantime, non-governmental organisations often focus on reforming community relations at the grassroots level. The Interpeace Organisation, for instance, has been facilitating dialogue aimed at bringing about reconciliation between conflicting parties and building trust between local communities and the security services in Mali. Meanwhile, the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of the Armed Forces has focused on the areas of security reform and good governance and how these sectors can be held more accountable.



But peace by proxy has faced many problems. Perhaps the most prominent is that external powers impose their agendas in the context of the hegemony of a liberal peace, the dominance of peace agents, and the rise of ethical hazards. Last but not least has been the problem of a lack of confidence, since governments in conflict areas still often suspect the true goals of agents for a proxy peace.





*A version of this article appears in print in the 10 June, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Government health officials on Monday approved the first new drug for Alzheimer's disease in nearly 20 years, disregarding warnings from independent advisers that the much-debated treatment hasn't been shown to help slow the brain-destroying disease.

The Food and Drug Administration said it approved the drug from Biogen based on results that seemed ``reasonably likely'' to benefit Alzheimer's patients.

It's the only therapy that US regulators have said can likely treat the underlying disease, rather than manage symptoms like anxiety and insomnia.

The decision, which could impact millions of Americans and their families, is certain to spark disagreements among physicians, medical researchers and patient groups. It also has far-reaching implications for the standards used to evaluate experimental therapies, including those that show only incremental benefits.

The new drug, which Biogen developed with Japan's Eisai Co., did not reverse mental decline, only slowing it in one study. The medication, aducanumab, will be marketed as Aduhelm and is to be given as an infusion every four weeks.

Dr. Caleb Alexander, an FDA adviser who recommended against the drug's approval, said he was ``surprised and disappointed'' by the decision.

``The FDA gets the respect that it does because it has regulatory standards that are based on firm evidence. In this case, I think they gave the product a pass,'' said Alexander, a medical researcher at Johns Hopkins University.

The FDA's top drug regulator acknowledged that ``residual uncertainties'' surround the drug, but said Aduhelm's ability to reduce harmful clumps of plaque in the brain is expected to help slow dementia.

``The data supports patients and caregivers having the choice to use this drug,'' Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni told reporters. She said FDA carefully weighed the needs of people living with the ``devastating, debilitating and deadly disease.''

Under terms of the so-called accelerated approval, the FDA is requiring the drugmaker to conduct a follow-up study to confirm benefits for patients. If the study fails to show effectiveness, the FDA could pull the drug from the market, though the agency rarely does so.

Biogen said the drug would cost approximately $56,000 for a typical year's worth of treatment, and said the price would not be raised for four years. Most patients won't pay anywhere near that amount thanks to insurance coverage and other discounts.

The company said it aims to complete its follow-up trial of the drug by 2030.

The non-profit Institute for Clinical and Economic Review said that ``any price is too high'' if the drug's benefit isn't confirmed in follow-up studies.

Some 6 million people in the US and many more worldwide have Alzheimer's, which gradually attacks areas of the brain needed for memory, reasoning, communication and basic daily tasks.

In the final stages of the disease, those afflicted lose the ability to swallow. The global burden of the disease, the most common cause of dementia, is only expected to grow as millions more baby boomers progress further into their 60s and 70s.

Aducanumab (pronounced ``add-yoo-CAN-yoo-mab'') helps clear a protein called beta-amyloid from the brain. Other experimental drugs have done that before but they made no difference in patients' ability to think, care for themselves or live independently.

The pharmaceutical industry's drug pipeline has been littered for years with failed Alzheimer's treatments. The FDA's greenlight Monday is likely to revive investments in therapies previously shelved by drugmakers.

The new medicine is manufactured from living cells and will be given via infusion at a doctor's office or hospital.

Researchers don't fully understand what causes Alzheimer's but there's broad agreement the brain plaque targeted by aducanumab is just one contributor. Evidence suggests family history, education and chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease may all play a role.

``This is a sign of hope but not the final answer,'' said Dr. Richard Hodes, director of the National Institute on Aging, which wasn't involved in the Biogen studies but funds research into how Alzheimer's forms. ``Amyloid is important but not the only contributing factor.''

Patients taking aducanumab saw their thinking skills decline 22% more slowly than patients taking a placebo.

But that meant a difference of just 0.39 on an 18-point score of cognitive and functional ability. And it's unclear how such metrics translate into practical benefits, like greater independence or ability to recall important details.

The FDA's review of the drug has become a flashpoint in longstanding debates over standards used to evaluate therapies for hard-to-treat conditions. On one side, groups representing Alzheimer's patients and their families say any new therapy _ even one of small benefit _ warrants approval. But many experts warn that greenlighting the drug could set a dangerous precedent, opening the door to treatments of questionable benefit.

The approval came despite a scathing assessment in November by the FDA's outside panel of neurological experts. The group voted ``no'' to a series of questions on whether reanalyzed data from a single study submitted by Biogen showed the drug was effective.

Biogen halted two studies in 2019 after disappointing results suggested aducanumab would not meet its goal of slowing mental and functional decline in Alzheimer's patients.

Several months later, the company reversed course, announcing that a new analysis of one of the studies showed the drug was effective at higher doses and the FDA had advised that it warranted review. Company scientists said the drug's initial failure was due to some patients not receiving high enough doses to slow the disease.

But the changes to dosing and the company's after-the-fact analysis made the results hard to interpret, raising skepticism among many experts, including those on the FDA panel.

The FDA isn't required to follow the advice of its outside panelists and has previously disregarded their input when making similarly high-profile drug decisions.

About 600 US medical specialists already prescribe the drug through Biogen's studies and many more are expected to begin offering it. Many practical questions remain unanswered: How long do patients benefit? How do physicians determine when to discontinue the drug? Does the drug have any benefit in patients with more advanced dementia?

With FDA approval, aducanumab is certain to be covered by virtually all insurers, including Medicare, the government plan for seniors that covers more than 60 million people.

Even qualifying for the drug could be expensive. It's only been tested in people with mild dementia from Alzheimer's or a less severe condition called mild cognitive impairment.

To verify a diagnosis could require brain scans that cost $5,000 or more. Insurers, including Medicare, don't cover the scans because their benefits are unclear, but that could change if the scans become a gateway to treatment.

Additional scans will be needed to monitor potential side effects. The drug carries a warning about temporary brain swelling that can sometimes cause headaches, confusion and dizziness. Other side effects included allergic reactions, diarrhea and disorientation.

For patients in Biogen's studies, the decision means they can continue taking a drug many believe has helped.

Kevin Bonham was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's in 2016 after having difficulties with memory, reading and driving. The 63-year-old from Bear Creek Village, Pennsylvania, credits the drug with helping him keep his job as a mapmaker for another three years.

``Very quickly over a period of months it was like the fog was lifted from the top of my head,'' said Bonham, who is now on disability and relies on his wife, Kim, to help care for him and his teenage daughter.

Like other trial participants, Bonham had to stop taking aducanumab in March 2019 after Biogen halted its trials. He resumed infusions nearly a year ago as part of the company's ongoing research.

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TikTok sensation turned radio presenter Azziad Nasenya narrated her meteoric rise to stardom saying she always wanted to be on TV.

Speaking on The Journey Series with Churchill, the 20-year-old dancer said it has taken passion, hard work and Gods timing to reach her current status.

I have always been bubbly since I was a kid. I have always entertained my family members and I always liked dancing.

When I was a kid I always wanted to be on TV. You confess you possess. So maybe God aliona haka kadem kame try sana akaona ani bless, the actress said.

Azziad shot to instant fame after participating in the Utawezana dance challenge in 2020. She said she was not expecting her video to go viral.

I never wanted to go viral. In fact, I was verified on Tik Tok even before I did that video. It was all Gods timing, she said.

Also Check Out  Kenyans Shocked by the Amount Azziad Charges for TikTok Videos

Azziad, an alumnus of St Cecilia Girls High School in Misikhu, Bungoma County, mentioned that her teachers motivated her to pursue her passion in the arts.

I was an active member of music club in high school. As much as I knew I was talented, it was my teachers who pushed me on. Kulikuwa na wale walimu walisema msiende drama, mtaanguka. It was good to have teachers who would inspire and encourage, Azziad said.
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A young Londoner leaves a Hulk Action Figure for the nine year old boy who remains in hospital with serious injuries, at the scene where a man driving a pickup truck struck and killed four members of a Muslim family in London, Ontario, Canada on June 7, 2021. - A man driving a pick-up truck slammed into and killed four members of a Muslim family in the south of Canada's Ontario province, in what police said Monday was a "premeditated" attack. A 20-year-old suspect wearing a vest "like body armor" fled the scene after the attack on Sunday evening, and was arrested at a mall seven kilometers (four miles) from the intersection in London, Ontario where it happened, said Detective Superintendent Paul Waight. (AFP)



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London Mayor Ed Holder (L) accompanied by London's Deputy Mayor Josh Morgan (R) pay their respects at the scene where a man driving a pickup truck struck and killed four members of a Muslim family in London, Ontario, Canada on June 7, 2021. - A man driving a pick-up truck slammed into and killed four members of a Muslim family in the south of Canada's Ontario province, in what police said Monday was a "premeditated" attack. A 20-year-old suspect wearing a vest "like body armor" fled the scene after the attack on Sunday evening, and was arrested at a mall seven kilometers (four miles) from the intersection in London, Ontario where it happened, said Detective Superintendent Paul Waight. AFP)



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A family whose children went to school with a young victim, came to pay their respects and teach their kids about racism at the scene where a man driving a pickup truck struck and killed four members of a Muslim family in London, Ontario, Canada on June 7, 2021. - A man driving a pick-up truck slammed into and killed four members of a Muslim family in the south of Canada's Ontario province, in what police said Monday was a "premeditated" attack. A 20-year-old suspect wearing a vest "like body armor" fled the scene after the attack on Sunday evening, and was arrested at a mall seven kilometers (four miles) from the intersection in London, Ontario where it happened, said Detective Superintendent Paul Waight. AFP)



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A man brings flowers and pays his respects at the scene where a man driving a pickup truck struck and killed four members of a Muslim family in London, Ontario, Canada on June 7, 2021. - A man driving a pick-up truck slammed into and killed four members of a Muslim family in the south of Canada's Ontario province, in what police said Monday was a "premeditated" attack. A 20-year-old suspect wearing a vest "like body armor" fled the scene after the attack on Sunday evening, and was arrested at a mall seven kilometers (four miles) from the intersection in London, Ontario where it happened, said Detective Superintendent Paul Waight. AFP)



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A healthcare worker brings flowers as people pay their respects at the scene where a man driving a pickup truck struck and killed four members of a Muslim family in London, Ontario, Canada on June 7, 2021. - A man driving a pick-up truck slammed into and killed four members of a Muslim family in the south of Canada's Ontario province, in what police said Monday was a "premeditated" attack. A 20-year-old suspect wearing a vest "like body armor" fled the scene after the attack on Sunday evening, and was arrested at a mall seven kilometers (four miles) from the intersection in London, Ontario where it happened, said Detective Superintendent Paul Waight. ( AFP)



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People pay their respects at the scene where a man driving a pickup truck struck and killed four members of a Muslim family in London, Ontario, Canada on June 7, 2021. - A man driving a pick-up truck slammed into and killed four members of a Muslim family in the south of Canada's Ontario province, in what police said Monday was a "premeditated" attack. A 20-year-old suspect wearing a vest "like body armor" fled the scene after the attack on Sunday evening, and was arrested at a mall seven kilometers (four miles) from the intersection in London, Ontario where it happened, said Detective Superintendent Paul Waight. ( AFP)



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TOPSHOT - A woman pays her respects at the scene where a man driving a pickup truck struck and killed four members of a Muslim family in London, Ontario, Canada on June 7, 2021. - A man driving a pick-up truck slammed into and killed four members of a Muslim family in the south of Canada's Ontario province, in what police said Monday was a "premeditated" attack. A 20-year-old suspect wearing a vest "like body armor" fled the scene after the attack on Sunday evening, and was arrested at a mall seven kilometers (four miles) from the intersection in London, Ontario where it happened, said Detective Superintendent Paul Waight. (AFP)


Assailants gunned down a prominent anti-Taliban tribal leader as he was praying in a mosque Tuesday in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, authorities said, the latest in a steady campaign of assassinations of pro-government officials.

Armed insurgents entered the mosque Tuesday morning and shot Mohammad Nahim Agha Mama as he worshipped, the Kandahar provincial governor's office said in a statement. A Pashtun tribal leader and local council member of the province's Dand district, Nahim was well known in the province for urging his followers not to join the Taliban.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the Taliban have killed hundreds of Afghan government officials and pro-government tribal leaders in recent years as part of wave of assassinations seeking to weaken confidence in President Hamid Karzai's administration.

The campaign has also targeted senior figures, including former President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was killed in September by a suicide attacker with a bomb hidden in his turban.

The governor's office called Nahim's killing "an anti-Islamic and antihuman act," saying in a statement that he "was doing his best to bring peace and stability, and that's why the enemies are killing those people."

Also Tuesday, a suicide car bomber slammed into the entrance of a military base jointly run by NATO and Afghan troops in eastern Afghanistan, wounding three Afghan private security guards, officials in Nangarhar province said.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack at the base in Ghani Kail district. A statement from insurgent spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed the bomb killed 17 American troops.

Provincial spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai said no one was killed but the attacker.

In the country's northeast, at least 14 people died Monday in avalanches after heavy snowfall in the mountainous Badakhshan province, officials said.

Rescue crews were trying to reach the remote areas of the province, where a number of houses were reported to have been destroyed, said Shams ul-Rahman deputy provincial governor. About six to nine feet (two to three meters) of snow has made roads to the provincial capital of Faizabad impassable.

Avalanches present a constant danger in many parts of Afghanistan during the winter. In 2010, an avalanche killed at least 171 people near the Salang Pass, a major route through the Hindu Kush mountains that connects the Afghan capital of Kabul to the north of the country.

Also on Tuesday, Afghan President Hamid Karzai urged the Taliban to allow teams conducting a polio vaccination campaign to reach areas under the insurgents' control.

"Whoever prevents the polio vaccination is the enemy of our children's future," Karzai said in a statement.

Afghanistan is one of just three nations where polio  which usually infects children and can cause paralysis, deformities or death  remains endemic. The two others are neighboring Pakistan and Nigeria.

Last year, the government registered 80 new cases of polio, most of them in the restive southern provinces. That figure was three times higher than the total for 2010.

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KYODO NEWS - Jun 8, 2021 - 12:23 | All, Japan

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will depart Japan on Thursday to attend a summit of the Group of Seven industrialized nations in Britain, the government's top spokesman said Tuesday.

With Suga's participation, Japan will contribute to discussions on "a range of key issues including measures against the novel coronavirus, international health, the global economy, free trade, climate change and regional situations," Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a press conference.

Suga, who is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden, will return to Japan on Monday, Kato said.

Britain will host the G-7 summit in the seaside resort of Carbis Bay, Cornwall, from Friday to Sunday.

Related coverage:

G-7 summit to kick off June 11, likely to showcase unity against China

Japan, South Korea unlikely to hold summit on fringes of G-7 meeting

Suga to meet with Biden on sidelines of G-7 summit
KYODO NEWS - Jun 8, 2021 - 18:22 | All, World, Japan

Japan's lower house adopted a resolution Tuesday condemning the Feb. 1 coup staged by the Myanmar military and urging the Southeast Asian country to return to democracy.

The move reflects Japan's intention to show its opposition to the Myanmar junta ahead of a three-day summit meeting of the Group of Seven industrialized nations slated to begin Friday in Britain.

The resolution, adopted in a House of Representatives plenary session, described the military coup as an "act to trample on efforts and expectations for democratization" and called on the Japanese government to "make full use of all diplomatic resources and every effort to realize" the restoration of democracy in Myanmar.

It said the military junta "cannot be justified at all" and expressed "solidarity with the people of Myanmar," in reference to peaceful protesters.

The lower house also demanded an immediate halt of the junta's violence against civilians and the early release of political detainees including civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

A similar resolution is expected to be adopted Friday during a plenary session of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of Japan's parliament.

The Japanese government's top spokesman on Tuesday also condemned the coup and subsequent crackdown on protests, saying Tokyo would have no choice but to review its existing development aid toward Myanmar and that investment by Japanese firms could suffer if the situation does not improve.

"We will decide our economic cooperation going forward based on how Myanmar addresses these issues," Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said at a press conference. Japan has put on hold new official development assistance for the Southeastern Asian country in response to the coup.

More than four months after the military takeover, the junta's violence against civilians continues with the number of people killed surpassing 850 as of Monday, according to a human rights group monitoring the situation in Myanmar.
KYODO NEWS - Jun 8, 2021 - 21:08 | All, Japan

Japan's financial watchdog said Tuesday it has ordered the financing brokerage unit of Japanese online financial firm SBI Holdings Inc. to suspend operations for a month over illegal soliciting of funds from investors.

The Financial Services Agency issued the business suspension order through July 7 against SBI Social Lending Co. after confirming that the unit had solicited funds from investors with false or misleading information in connection with several lending cases, as a third-party panel of the parent company found in late April.

The social lending unit solicits funds from investors and lends to companies. Investors can get back their principal with interest.

The Tokyo-based subsidiary collected 20.7 billion yen ($190 million) from investors in two years from November 2018, saying the borrower would use the money to develop solar power plants and apartments for rent. But the panel later found that 12.9 billion yen of the funds had been used for other purposes, according to the FSA.

The panel had pointed out that the subsidiary has demonstrated sloppy lending assessments, saying its top management lacks a sense of professionalism.

SBI Holdings said last month it has decided to withdraw from the social lending business and pledged to return the collected money to investors impacted by the illicit practices. It stopped soliciting new funds in March.
KYODO NEWS - Jun 8, 2021 - 17:25 | World, All, Japan

South Korea's new consul general in Osaka said he will work hard to help deepen Japan's understanding of North Korea by tapping his expertise on the country because the issue is one area where the two countries can cooperate.

In an interview last week before leaving for Japan, Cho Seong Ryoul said that even though Japan-South Korea ties have deteriorated over wartime compensation and other issues, it is important for the two countries to create an atmosphere for improving relations by continuing to cooperate on areas other than those concerning history.

Cho, who is known as an expert in North Korea and national security issues, said the North Korea issue is "one such area Japan also takes interest in" and on which the two countries can cooperate.

The 62-year-old intends to deepen exchanges with Japanese experts and local governments during his stint, which begins on Wednesday.

Cho spent about 20 years at the government-funded Institute for National Security Strategy. After Moon Jae In became president in 2017, Cho served as a policy consultant for the Office of National Security under the presidential office and the Unification Ministry.

Cho also studied in Tokyo between 1997 and 2000 at such universities as the University of Tokyo and Keio University.

Ties between Japan and South Korea have hit a rock bottom after the South Korean Supreme Court in 2018 ordered two Japanese companies to compensate South Korean plaintiffs for forced labor during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

Also fraying the ties is the issue of Koreans forced to work as "comfort women" in Japan's military brothels during World War II.

Cho said he looks forward to his Osaka stint because being exposed to a different culture than Tokyo's would help him "understand Japan more deeply."

"I will first and foremost serve my primary duty, such as protecting Korean nationals abroad and strengthening private-sector exchanges," Cho said, adding that he wants to use his strong point to improve bilateral ties after that.
KYODO NEWS - Jun 8, 2021 - 22:45 | All, World, Japan

The captain of a Japanese fishing boat was referred to prosecutors Tuesday over the deaths of three crew members following a collision with a Russian ship off the northernmost main island of Hokkaido last month, the Japan Coast Guard said.

Teruyoshi Yoshioka, the 63-year-old captain of the Hokko Maru No. 8 crewed by five, is suspected of professional negligence resulting in death, as well as endangering traffic due to negligence, over the failure to avoid a collision with the 662-ton Russian ship Amur on May 26, according to the Mombetsu Coast Guard Office.

The crew members aboard the 9.7-ton Japanese boat, belonging to a fishery cooperative based in Mombetsu, Hokkaido, were catching hairy crabs when the collision occurred around 6:30 a.m.

Yoshioka allegedly failed to sufficiently check the boat's radar despite navigating in low visibility due to dense fog, causing three crew members to fall into the sea and drown when it collided with the Russian vessel and capsized.

Pavel Dobrianskii, 38, a third officer who was in charge of the Amur at the time of the collision, was sent to prosecutors by the coast guard Tuesday on the same charges following his arrest the previous day.

The Russian vessel with 23 crew members aboard was transporting seafood to Mombetsu from Sakhalin in the Russian Far East.

The Mombetsu coast guard said it believes Dobrianskii was liable after it found during voluntarily questioning that the 46-year-old captain of the Amur had not been involved in the operation of the ship at the time.

Deckhands on the Amur saw the Hokko Maru just before the collision, but there was no time to take evasive maneuvers. The Hokko Maru also did not notice the Amur until it was too late, according to the coast guard.

Related coverage:

Russian crew member nabbed over boat collision that killed 3 Japanese

3 Japan fishing boat crew dead after collision with Russian ship
Bengaluru:

At a government event held at Sira in Tumakuru district of Karnataka on Thursday, IAS officer (probationary) Preethi Gehlot was seen chewing gum while the state anthem was being played.



Also present at the event was Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who laid the foundation for various development works.



When state anthem started playing, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other dignitaries stood up in respect of the state anthem. Preethi, while standing, was seen chewing gum.



The footage also showed her continuing chewing the gum after she took the seat following the playing of the anthem.



This has been termed as an insult to the state anthem and was widely criticised by people.



Chief Secretary of Karnataka Ratna Prabha later issued orders for her suspension.
New Delhi:

In his first remarks on the issue of instant triple talaq after a bill banning it was cleared by Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said after "years of suffering", Muslim women have finally found a way out to "free" themselves from the practice.

He also said in 2018, people should work towards all-round development of the nation even as his government pushes for reforms measures to tackle black money, corruption, benami properties and terrorism.

Calling for sabka saath, sabka vikas, Modi said the mantra for the New Year should be "reform, perform, transform."

"Without referring to the Muslim women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill passed by Lok Sabha last week, Modi said Muslim women were facing hardships due to the prevailing practice of instant triple talaq for years. "But now they have found way to free themselves (from the practice)," he said.

The PM was delivering the inaugural address for the 85th Sivagiri Pilgrimage Celebrations, at Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, Kerala via video conference.

Sivagiri is the holy abode of one of the great saints and social reformers Sree Narayan Guru.

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New Delhi:

Essar Shipping on Saturday said its shareholders approved the proposal to increase authorised share capital to Rs 650 crore from Rs 500 crore at the annual general meeting held yesterday.

The proposal to increase the authorised share capital of the company Rs 500 crore to Rs 650 crore dividend into 50 crores) equity shares of Rs 10 each and 15 crore preference shares of Rs 10 each of the company was approved by shareholders at the AGM held on December 29, 2017, the company said in BSE filing.

The proposal was to increase in authorised share capital of the company and reclassification of share capital and change in Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association of the Company accordingly so that it can convert its debt into equity.

On 24 August 2010, Essar Shipping Ltd (ESL) had issued Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds (FCCBs) for USD 240 million carrying interest at the rate of 5 per cent per annum payable semi annually.

The FCCBs are convertible into fully-paid equity shares of Rs 10 each of the Company or Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS), at the option of the FCCB holders at conversion price of Rs 91.70 per share at a predetermined exchange rate of Rs 46.94 per USD.

The ESL had proposed to issue Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS) to the FCCB holders. Issuance of CCPS will reduce current borrowings by Rs 1,537 crores with a resultant increase in the Company?s net worth.

This will also improve the health of the companys balance sheet by reducing the Companys leverage. Considering the option of issuing the CCPS, the share capital of the company was required to be increased and re-classified.

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The prime suspect in the abduction and murder of Shantel Nzembi was arraigned at the Kajiado Law courts on Monday.

Ms Nativity Mutindi Nthuku, 27, appeared before Resident Magistrate Edwin Mulochi alongside one of her co-accused Patrick Muriithi Wambaire, 28, who registered the sim card used to demand ransom from Shantels mother, Ms Christine Ngina.

Detectives sought more time to hold the suspects as they consolidate a case against four suspects arrested in connection with the murder of the eight-year-old who went missing on May 29, 2021, in Kitengela.

Shantel Nzembi Murder Suspects Arraigned in Court

The suspects did not oppose the application by investigators to detain them.

The court detained the suspects for seven days, with all the four suspects set to appear in court June 15 for the mention of the case.

Meanwhile, detectives have established that Ms Nativity Mutindi has past criminal cases that were reported at police stations both in Nairobi and Kajiado counties.

An officer privy to the investigations told the media that Ms Mutindi was once arrested in Kayole for stealing from her M-Pesa shop employer but the matter was settled out of court.

We have taken fingerprints for further analysis. We believe the suspect has past criminal records. We seek to establish how many cases and what kind of crime she might have committed, said the detective as quoted by the Nation.

He said they are digging up her criminal past as investigations continue.
New Delhi:

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) created a new world record by launching as many as 104 satellites under the much-awaited single mission this year on February 15. This was ISRO's path-breaking move was very crucial for India. Also, India's heaviest rocket GSLV MKIII-D1 carrying communication satellite GSAT-19 launched from Sriharikota. After all these record, ISRO has revealed that from 2018 one rocket will be launched every month from its spaceport, Sriharikota.

Achievements of ISRO in 2017:

# GSLV MKIII launch

India's heaviest rocket GSLV MKIII-D1 carrying communication satellite GSAT-19 launched from Sriharikota on Monday. Soon, after its lift-off, it was claimed that the launch of ISRO GSLV Mark III carrying GSAT-19 communication satellite was successful.

# GSAT-17

Indias latest communication satellite GSAT-17 was successfully launched by a heavy-duty rocket of Arianespace from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana.

Configured around I-3K extended bus, GSAT-17 with a lift-off mass of about 3,477 kg carries payloads in Normal C-band, Extended C-band and S-band to provide various communication services.

It also carries equipment for meteorological data relay and satellite-based search and rescue services being provided by earlier INSAT satellites.

# PSLV-C38 carrying 31 Satellites in a Single Flight

The PSLV-C38 (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) was a 995-kilogram rocket that comprised 31 satellites from countries like the US, UK and Germany.

Apart from cartographic applications, the satellite is also being used for monitoring roads and keeping track of water distribution.

Post this launch, the total number of Indian satellites launched by PSLV stands at 48.

# GSLV-F09:

On 5th February 2017, the GSLV-F09 (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) took flight from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh.

The GSLV-F09s main objective is to establish a smooth communication network amongst the South Asian nations by providing them with applications in Ku-band, which gives them a higher frequency range to communicate in. This will enable telecommunication, tele-education and tele-medicine, as well as mapping of natural resources.

Predicting weather forecasts, land monitoring, and quick response to natural disasters are some of the other benefits of the satellite.

# Record-breaking launch of 104 satellites

The world watched when Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO launched record number of 104 satellites using single rocket last month. And now, the space agency is preparing to add another feather in its cap by launching two GSLVs this year.

ISRO on February 15 successfully launched a record number of 104 satellites under a single mission from the spaceport in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

With the launch of over 100 satellites, India has now broken the record of Russia, which previously accomplished the feat of launching record number of satellites at 37, followed by the US space agency NASA, which has launched 29.

ISROs achievement in 2016:

# Resourcesat-2A

The 36-hour countdown for the launch of PSLV-C36 carrying Resourcesat-2A began in December. After the launch ISRO said that Mono Methyl Hydrazine (MMH) fuel and Mixed Oxides of Nitrogen (MON-3) oxidiser filling operations of the fourth stage (PS4) of PSLV-C36 are completed.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched PSLV-C36 carrying Resourcesat-2A successfully at 10:25 hours from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

# GSAT-18

The launch of India's latest communication satellite with 48 transponders that receive and transmit communication signals has been launched on October 6 from Kourou in French Guiana.

The Indian satellite GSAT-18 was launched at 2am on October 6, 24 hours after its initial launch time. The 3,404 kg Indian satellite GSAT-18 will be providing services in normal C-band, upper extended C-band and Ku-bands of the frequency spectrum.

# INSAT-3DR on-board GSLV-F05

ISRO on September 8 successfully launched its advanced weather satellite INSAT-3DR on-board GSLV-F05 from the second launch pad at the spaceport of Sriharikota, about 110 km from Chennai.

In April 2001, the first test flight of the GSLV with a cryogenic upper took place, however, it failed. After that, the rocket made eight flights over the past 14 years. Out of 14, five had a Russian cryogenic engine, while three others were powered by the indigenously developed ones. Three turned out to be successful, while four failed and one achieved partial success. The first successful test flight with a Russian engine took place in May 2003. First successful test flight using an indigenous engine happened in January 2014.

In 1986, ISRO made plans to develop a cryogenic engine to be used in rockets. ISRO received offers to develop engines from three different entities  US, Soviet Union and France. The space agency accepted an offer from a company named Glavkosmos in the erstwhile Soviet Union as the other two were not affordable.

# PSLV C34/Cartosat-2 Series Satellite Mission

Indian Space Research Organisation launched record 20 satellites, including India's Cartosat-2 series, from Sriharikota's Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh in July 2016. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C-34 (PSLV) carried 17 foreign satellites from Canada, Indonesia,

Germany and the US.

The main passenger satellite comes from the home land with the name Cartosat, which can take images at sub-meter resolution. The other two Indian satellites are Sathyabhamasat and Swayam.

# Scramjet engine

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the Scramjet engine at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh around 80 km from Chennai.

The scramjet engine works on supersonic wave technology and will be helpful in bringing down the overall launch cost of weather satellite INSAT-3DR

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New Delhi:

An assistant sub-inspector working with the Delhi Police has been arrested for allegedly raping a married woman when she had approached him to solve a marital dispute.



ASI Dileep Singh (50), who was on the run, was arrested on Thursday, police said.



According to the 30-year-old victim, she had visited Mianwali Nagar police station for seeking help to solve a matrimonial dispute.



She met Singh, who demanded sexual favours for helping her out, police said.



Singh called her to a flat on Tuesday on the pretext of solving her issue where he raped her, they added.
New Delhi:

India will strongly take up with Palestine the issue of its ambassador's presence in Pakistan attending a rally organised by Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed.

"We have seen reports in this regard. We are taking up the matter strongly with the Palestinian ambassador in New Delhi and with the Palestinian authorities," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

He was reacting to a query on reports and photographs of the Palestinian ambassador participating in the rally.

According to reports, Palestinian ambassador in Islamabad Walid Abu Ali attended a large rally organised by the Difa-e-Pakistan Council in Rawalpindi, Pakistan this morning. Difa-e-Pakistan (Defence of Pakistan) Council (DPC) is an alliance of Islamist groups in Pakistan, including Saeed's outfit.

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New Delhi:

A day after the Palestinian ambassador to Pakistan Walid Abu Ali had reportedly attended a rally organized by the Difah-e-Pakistan Council headed by Hafiz Saeed, the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has defended the participation of the Mumbai terror attack mastermind.



Pakistan MoFA has said: The Ambassador of Palestine has participated in many of these meetings. The public meeting held on Friday was yet another demonstration of the Pakistani strong sentiments in support of the Palestinian cause.



This public rally was attended by thousands of people from all walks of life. More than 50 speakers addressed the rally, including Hafiz Saeed. Contrary to the impression being created, UN proscription does not place any restrictions on the freedom of expression.



The people and Government of Pakistan respect the Palestinian Ambassadors active participation in events organized to express solidarity with the people of Palestine.



India had strongly taken up with Palestine the issue of its ambassador's presence in Pakistan attending a rally organised by Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed following which Palestine government recalled Waleed Abu Ali.

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Thiruvananthapuram:

The CPI(M)-led LDF government in Kerala on Sunday said the number of cases connected with political violence has come down in 2017, a claim disputed by opposition Congress and BJP in the state.

Quoting statistics, a statement from the office of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said cases connected with political clashes in 2017 was 1,463 which was 211 lesser than the previous year.

This was following effective administrative and political steps taken by the government along with peace initiatives of Chief Minister, the statement said.

Slamming the government on the issue, opposition leader in the Kerala assembly Ramesh Chennithala said the statistics put out by the government was to mislead the people. "Political clashes and murders were much more than the figures given by the government", he said.

There was a total breakdown of law and order in the state, he alleged and said "police in the state has become a mere spectator."

"The police were also not given freedom to function due to political interference," he said.

Chennithala said that a total of 20 political killings have occurred during the year.

Countering the government position, BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan said it was not based on statistics one should evaluate the law and order situation.

"The number of political killings was more during the year than last year. A total of 13 BJP-RSS workers were killed in the attack by CPI(M) during the year," Rajasekharan told PTI.

As per National Crime Bureau statistics, the overall crime rate in the state was higher compared to other states during the year, he said, adding, "The law and order was at its worst in the year."

"The intensity of the crime has also gone up during the year," he claimed.

Rajasekharan alleged that even after peace conference by the Chief Minister, BJP-RSS workers were targeted by ruling CPI(M) workers.

A total number of 1,463 cases of political violence were reported till December 30 this year and it was 1,674 cases in 2016, the statement from CMO said.

Also Read: Kerala cabinet decides to implement reservation for economically backward from forward communities

It said that political violence in Kannur, which has a history of repeated clashes between workers of CPI(M) and BJP-RSS has also come down.

In 2016 a total of 363 cases were registered in Kannur, while the number of cases have gone down to 271 this year, the statement said.

It claimed the political clashes decreased due to the administrative and political steps taken by the government.

Also Read| Solar scam: Kerala govt orders vigilance probe against former CM Oommen Chandy

It was also the result of peace effort initiated by the Chief Minister, the statement said.

The BJP's state unit took out a Jana Raksha Yatra against the increase in the alleged attacks by CPI(M) workers on its cadres after the LDF government came to power in 2016.

BJP National President Amit Shah had attended the Yatra and had alleged that whenever CPI(M) came to power in the state, political attacks against BJP-RSS activists went up.

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New Delhi :

After Indias strong protest, Palestine government has recalled its ambassador to Pakistan Waleed Abu Ali for attending an event of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, also a UN-designated terrorist.

Asserting that Ali's action was not "acceptable" given the close and friendly ties with India, Palestinian Ambassador to India Adnan said, "The Palestine government has told Ali that he was not anymore its envoy to Pakistan" and given couple of days to pack and return from Islamabad.

He said, "We are supporting India in its fight against terrorism and because of that my Government decided to directly call our Ambassador to go back home."

We are supporting India in its fight against terrorism and because of that my Government decided to directly call our Ambassador to go back home, not to be Palestine ambassador to Pak anymore (for sharing stage with Hafiz Saeed): Palestinian Ambassador to India Adnan Abu Al Haija pic.twitter.com/JMN9b2CXug  ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2017

The Palestinian ambassador to Pakistan had reportedly attended a rally organized by the Difah-e-Pakistan Council in Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi on Friday.

Difah-e-Pakistan Council is an association of religious and extremist groups in Pakistan, headed by Hafiz Saeed, also Mumbai terror attack mastermind.

India had strongly conveyed to Palestine that the presence of its ambassador to Pakistan at an event of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed.

Also Read | Pakistan govt asks court to deny clearance to Saeed's political party

The concerns were conveyed both in New Delhi to the Palestinian Ambassador and in Ramallah to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, State of Palestine, the External Affairs Ministry said.

It said the Palestinian side has conveyed deep regrets over the incident and assured India that they are taking serious cognisance of their ambassadors presence at this event.

They have said they will deal with this matter appropriately. It was also conveyed that Palestine highly values its relationship with India and stands with us in the war against terrorism, and will not engage with those who commit acts of terror against India, it said.

(With PTI inputs)

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Cox's Bazar:

Bangladesh police on Sunday arrested a suspected Islamist militant from the border district of Ukhia, near camps where thousands of Rohingya Muslims fleeing a military crackdown in Myanmar have taken shelter.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite police tasked with tackling Islamist extremism in the Muslim-majority country, said it detained 30-year-old Sharful Awal for allegedly communicating with international Jihadist groups.

Awal was freed on bail in January after he was charged with anti-terrorism and explosives-related offences in the Chittagong region, RAB local chief Ruhul Amin said in a statement.

But after his release, Awal "communicated with various international militant groups through social media in an effort to establish Khilafat (a caliphate) through so-called Jihad," Amin said.

Police allege Awal is a member of a new faction of the Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a homegrown Islamist group, and was involved in organising local extremists.

The new JMB faction has been blamed for a wave of attacks on foreigners and religious minorities, including the deadly attack on a posh Dhaka cafe last year in which 18 foreigners were shot and hacked to death.

But the RAB's Amin said authorities have not found any connections so far between Awal and Rohingya refugees.

An estimated 655,000 Rohingya have left Myanmar since late August to escape what UN officials have termed ethnic cleansing with possible "elements of genocide".

Most of the refugees have settled in Bangladesh's southeastern border areas like Ukhia.

Bangladeshi authorities have stepped up security and surveillance efforts in the Rohingya camps over fears the squalid settlements could be perfect recruitment grounds for homegrown and international extremist groups.

The country's border forces have also tightened patrols to prevent Rohingya militants -- who have carried out a series of attacks on Myanmar security posts since October last year -- from entering Bangladesh territory.

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New Delhi:

Out of Rs 9,860 crore released to 60 cities under the Smart City Mission only seven per cent, or about Rs 645 crore, have been utilised so far, an issue which has raised concerns in the Urban Affairs Ministry.

Of the Rs 196 crore released to each of around 40 cities, Ahmedabad has spent the maximum amount of Rs 80.15 crore, followed by Indore (Rs 70.69 crore), Surat (Rs 43.41 crore) and Bhopal Rs 42.86 crore, according to a data of the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.

On the other hand, the data revealed that of the sanctioned funds Andaman and Nicobar could utilise only Rs 54 lakh, Ranchi 35 lakh, and Aurangabad Rs 85 lakh.

A HUA official recently said the ministry was concerned about the unsatisfactory progress of the project in some of the cities.

He had said that the ministry would approach the cities that are lagging behind to find out the bottlenecks with an aim for speedy implementation of the projects.

Among cities which got around Rs 111 crore each from the Centre, Vodadara has spent Rs 20.62 crore, Namchi in Sikkim spent Rs 6.80 crore, while Salem, Vellore and Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu could utilise only Rs five lakh, Rs six lakh and Rs 19 lakh, respectively.

Ninety cities have so far been selected by the government under the smart city mission and each of them will get Rs 500 crore as central assistance for implementing various projects.

The cities are required to set up Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to get funds from the Centre for the implementation of the project.

In a review meeting recently, the official said cities in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were found to be performing well, while those in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra needed to speed up the implementation process.

Hardeep Singh Puri, the Minister of State (independent charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs, had earlier this month said the impact of projects undertaken under the scheme would be visible by mid next year.

To instill competition among cities and push them for faster implementation of projects, the Centre will also present Smart City awards in June next year to well performing cities.

Reviewing the progress of the Smart City Mission on August 30, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the challenge before everyone was to ensure implementation and expeditious completion of the work in the 90 identified cities.

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Ahmedabad:

With Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel reportedly expressing displeasure over the departments allotted to him, firebrand Patidar leader-Hardik Patel urged him on Saturday to quit the BJP along with 10 party MLAs and join the Congress for a "deserving" position.

Hardik Patel said a "veteran politician" like Nitin Patel, was being "sidelined" and "not being given respect" by the BJP "despite working hard for 27 years".

The Patidar leader said if the deputy chief minister was ready to quit the BJP, then he would speak to the Congress to give the latter the post he deserved.

Days after being sworn into office, Nitin Patel is yet to take charge of the portfolios allotted to him, with a source in the BJP saying he had conveyed his displeasure to the party leadership over the departments given to him.

Talking to reporters, Hardik Patel said, "As a veteran politician, Nitinbhai (Patel) worked hard for 27 years to ensure that the (BJP) party stays in power. The community members need to understand that such politicians are being sidelined. I am not giving any suggestion, but asking him to ponder as to why he is not being given respect despite working so hard."

Also read: Rift in Gujarat BJP? Deputy CM Nitin Patel upset over allocation of portfolios



"I would request Nitinbhai to join us and together we will fight against the arrogant people (of BJP). We are trying to ensure that Gujarat witnesses good governance.

"If Nitinbhai makes up him mind and says he is ready to resign from the party and that 10 more MLAs are ready to tender their resignation, then we are ready to fully support him," he said. "To ensure good governance in Gujarat, we will talk to the Congress to include Nitinbhai and give him the post he deserves," he said.

Hardik Patel also said he had messaged the deputy chief minister yesterday that he (Hardik) was with him.

"I messaged him yesterday saying I am with him and let me know if he needs me. If he says he wants to leave the BJP, then we are with you, and will stay with you in all situations," he said.

"I would request Nitinbhai to only say for the benefit of the community that it should get reservation. We will work together for the betterment of the state," he added.

Also read: Truck carrying EVMs overturns in Gujarat, Hardik Patel questions timing of incident



In the previous government, Nitin Patel used to handle key portfolios like finance and urban development. This time, he has been given the charge of departments like road and building, and health. He has also been alotted medical education, Narmada, Kalpsar and capital project.

A source in the BJP said Nitin Patel had conveyed his displeasure to the party leadership over the departments allotted to him.

With 99 MLAs, the BJP has a simple majority in the 182-member Assembly, 16 less than its 2012 tally of 115.

The opposition Congress, which had won 61 seats in 2012, managed to increase its tally to 77. The strength of the Congress and its allies in the new House is 80.

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New Delhi:

In an act of revenge, mother of 26-year-old youth was gang-raped by relatives of his friend with whom he eloped a month back, Uttar Pradesh police said on Saturday.

The police also added that the boys family was also assaulted by the relatives of the girl on Friday evening at Nojal village in Uttar Pradeshs Shamli district.

The incident came to light after the youths family lodged a complaint with the police on Saturday morning.

Superintendent of Police Ajay Pal Sharma told reporters that the youth fell in love with a 24-year-old girl, who hailed from a village in Muzaffarnagar and was studying in Ghaziabad.

Also read: Woman gangraped in Thane, cab driver and aide arrested



The duo had eloped on November 20, said Sharma.

Another senior police officer not willing to be quoted said, The girls family member abducted the youths father, mother and brother and confined them in a house in Shamli district.

Also read: Teenager raped in Delhi on pretext of job



The Uttar Pradesh police acting on a tip-off rescued the youths family on Friday late hours and later registered a case of gang-rape.

Police said, The girls father, two brothers, a former gram pradhan and his son have been booked in charges of abduction and gang-rape.

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Hong Kong: Global firm backs jab service

Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip visited the office of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Central today to view the administration of a COVID-19 vaccine to its staff.

Arranged by the Government's outreach vaccination service, more than 370 of the firm's staff were given the BioNTech vaccine today, marking the highest number of doses administered at an enterprise in a single day since the launch of the outreach service.

The staff will be granted vaccination leave after receiving the jab.

Mr Nip expressed gratitude for the community's enthusiastic support for the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme.

He said the Civil Service Bureau is proactively promoting the outreach vaccination service in a bid to help staff of more enterprises and groups to get vaccinated in a convenient manner.

Noting that the COVID-19 virus is raging across the globe, Mr Nip added that it is particularly important for staff of global professional services enterprises who have frequent overseas trips for work and meetings to get vaccinated.

He called on various sectors and industries to encourage their employees to receive vaccination during the critical three-month period from now until the end of August, thereby restoring normality to society sooner rather than later.

Enterprises and groups can call the hotline at 3904 1490 from Monday to Friday, from 9am to 6pm to arrange for the outreach vaccination service.

The bureau is proactively in discussion with enterprises and groups from various sectors, including financial institutions, post-secondary institutions, public utilities and theme parks and the like on the feasibility of providing the service to them.

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
United Nations: In the electoral combat of two South Asian countries, Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid has defeated Afghanistan's nominee to become the next President of the UN General Assembly.

Shahid, who was backed by India, received 143 votes to former Afghanistan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rasoul's 48 in the elections held on Monday. He pledged a "presidency of hope" for a world struggling to recover from the devastation wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic. He will preside over the Assembly session that starts in September, succeeding Turkey's Volkan Bozkir.

The Security Council is scheduled to start the next big election exercise on Tuesday by endorsing Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a second term and sending the recommendation to the General Assembly.

After his election, Shahid told before media: "This has been a year of disease, despair and devastation. at a time like this when we move towards a new normal, as we look to rebuild communities, recover economies, rescue the planet we need to restore hope." He earlier told the Assembly that helping the world recover from the pandemic would be the important task ahead.

"My immediate priority will be recovering from Covid-19. Building on existing initiatives and approaches, I will be looking to address the health of our people and our economies." Shahid was a career diplomat before entering politics. He was first elected to the Maldives Parliament in 2000 and became Speaker in 2009.

China hosts foreign ministers from the 10 ASEAN countries with message for Quad

Sri Lanka: Flood, Landslide kill at least 17, thousands taken into relief centers

Bangladesh drug regulator approves fifth Covid-19 vaccine to get emergency use
Switzerland could become the second country in the world and the first in Europe after Bhutan to ban artificial pesticides. It can be decided in a referendum on June 13. The initiative could help create a conducive environment for banning artificial pesticides in other countries as well. Switzerland's largest agro chemical company Singenta and Germany's Bear and BASF are engaged in large-scale manufacture of artificial pesticides.

According to supporters who advocate a ban on the use of artificial pesticides, while it is a serious health crisis, it also shows biodiversity being summited. On the other hand, companies claim that they check pesticides at many levels, so there should be no cause for fear. On the contrary, if their use is stopped, agricultural production will fall.

Voting on drinking water and food quality: It has been revealed that switzerland is also going to vote in the referendum to improve the quality of drinking water and food items. It also provides for prevention of exemption for those using artificial pesticides in food items. The debate on both these issues has been issued across the country. In a recent Tamedia survey, 48 per cent of the people appeared to be in favour of improving the quality of drinking water while 49 per cent were in favour of a ban on artificial pesticides.

Pujya Morari Bapu plants trees on World Environment Day

World's beutiful grandmother shares secrets of her young look, know here

Thailand kicks up long-awaited COVID vaccination drive amid worst outbreak
In the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, Nepal Police has recorded 5,673 people have committed suicide.

The number of suicides is said to have increased this fiscal year. Based on the police records alone, it is said to have increased by about 1.5 per cent as compared to the last fiscal year.

To curb the coronavirus pandemic, the government announced a lockdown on March 24, 2020, that paralysed almost all sectors. The fate repeated this year with all districts across the country, except two, locked down currently. But, the long lockdown is likely to induce loss of livelihood, financial problems, unemployment and other mental health problems, which can lead to suicide, point out psychologists and psychiatrists.

Dreadful data

Nepal Police says the risk has been realised and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has certainly started to influence the statistics of suicides. Whereas 6,085 suicides in the fiscal year 2019/20, 5,673 were confirmed in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year.

This number is more than the number of Covid-19 deaths across the country. As of the end of the 10th month of the fiscal year 2020/21, only 4,669 had died of the coronavirus infection.

Police spokesperson SSP Basanta Bahadur Kunwar says Covid-19 has been the main reason for the increase in the suicide rate. According to spokesperson Kunwar, the number of suicides has increased due to loss of employment due to the lockdown, financial crisis, and mental health problems due to domestic violence.

Police estimate that the second wave of the pandemic has left impacts on many more and the number of suicides is likely to increase.

Whose responsibility?

Even before the impacts of the first wave subsided, the second wave spread aggressively. It further affected peoples lives. In many places, the whole family is infected. Or even if the breadwinner is infected, it affects the livelihood of the entire family.

Mental health experts point out that the causes of suicide vary ranging from financial, social, mental, family to other stresses. The second wave has badly dented all these sectors and will possibly increase the suicide rate. says Dr Saroj Prasad Ojha, the head of the Psychiatry and Mental Health Department at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital.

It is mainly the governments responsibility to prevent the suicide rate from increasing. Experts say if the government is to provide mental health services as widely as possible for physical health care, the suicide rate will be greatly reduced.

Therefore, to start reducing suicide, Ojha suggests setting up community-level treatment facilities and relaying information services about medicines and treatment. He adds it is also important to increase public information and awareness about mental health, and for that, the nation needs to increase skilled human resources.

Photo: Needpix

Dr Ojha says many still do not know about the available treatment of mental health problems. Some hospitals and organisations, including the TUTH, offer psychotherapy and mental health treatment. Given many do not know where to reach out, they end up choosing suicide.

Feeling for family

Dr Ojha also says resources and information should not be limited to the population of Kathmandu. If we do not extend our services today, we will be in a situation where we will be counting the suicide numbers next, shortly.

Along with the government, the family plays a key role in preventing suicides. Psychologist Dr Karuna Kunwar says that the family members need to be alert and aware of each others mental health problems.

She says the family should get in the habit of talking openly and share the pain. Dr Kunwar says, Depression can occur when mental stress increases. People have to talk openly about depression and seek treatment. This way, we can prevent suicides.

Mental health experts are concerned that if the state and the family are not sensitive to this issue, suicide will become more complicated than the coronavirus epidemic.
In 2018, the West African nation decided to restore 5 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. New research shows what works - and what doesn't - when restoration coincides with degraded landscapes, pressure on natural resources and climate change

Forest landscape restoration is attaining new global momentum this year under the Decade of Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), an initiative launched by the United Nations. Burkina Faso, in West Africa, is one country that already has a head start in forest landscape restoration, and offers valuable lessons. An assessment of achievements there and in other countries with a history of landscape restoration is critical to informing a new wave of projects aiming for more ambitious targets that are being developed thanks to renewed global interest and political will to improve the environment.

Burkina Faso has been fighting with desertification and climate change, and has seen a progressive degradation of its forested landscapes due to the expansion of agriculture. In 2018, the country planned to restore 5 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, as part of the pan-African initiative AFR100. However, the country is facing many challenges amid growing pressures on natural resources, extreme degradation processes, and changing climatic conditions. So far, restoration initiatives have only partly succeeded due to various constraints and have mainly targeted small areas when compared to the scale of landscape degradation that has happened.

In 2019, researchers at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT interviewed managers of 39 active restoration initiatives in Burkina Faso to understand bottlenecks and opportunities for scaling up ongoing efforts. The initiatives examined were concentrated in the Sahelian and northern part of the Sudanian region, where most degraded lands are located. The majority of these initiatives were less than 3 years old and all aimed at bringing back tree cover in the landscape, among other objectives. They reported their findings in "Sustainability" in December.

Initiatives combined objectives that spanned from recovering ecological functions of the ecosystems, increasing resilience of local communities to climate change and enhancing productivity in agro-sylvo-pastoral systems, in alignment with national policies that promote both livelihood improvement and ecosystems conservation. Most restoration initiatives had a strong involvement of local NGOs and associations, directly engaged in managing activities on the ground, while the funding was primarily provided through multilateral or bilateral international co-operation projects.

Assisted natural regeneration, an approach well-adapted to landscapes in which old tree stumps are sufficiently present and the soil seed bank is not totally depleted, was found to be commonly used to foster tree development. It favors regrowth from existing tree stumps, through their management and protection from disturbance. It is the most cost-efficient approach and have proved to be successful for restoring vast areas in other West African countries.

Other practices, although very labor-intensive, are commonly adopted, as they are indispensable to cultivate in extreme environments where water is scarce and soil fertility limited. These consist in the creation of stone bunds, half-moons, Vallerani trenches and zai, which are pits filled with seed and manure. Shrubs and grass were often commonly planted along with trees, as they play a role in conserving soils, creating favorable microclimates, stabilizing moisture levels, and providing forage for animals, thereby creating a benefit from the early stage of restoration activities.

Tree planting was implemented by the majority of the restoration initiatives, as natural regeneration alone is not sufficient to sustain the recovery of a tree cover in most contexts. Half of the restoration initiatives sourced at least part of their planting materials from the National Tree Seed Center, a government-run seed conservation and production research center. The center offers seeds of a large range of native species and ensures that collection practices follow best standards, guided by genetic considerations about the origin of the planting material. However, a significant number of initiatives relied exclusively on self-collected, locally procured seed, harvested from sources potentially depauperated and from a limited number of individuals available, raising concerns about quality of the planting material, its growth performance, and capacity to survive in the face of changing climatic conditions.

Participatory approaches to involve local communities were generally adopted across the initiatives examined and capacity building activities were a common denominator, however, the role of local communities in decision-making seemed still limited. Women especially tend to be excluded and have very limited land-access rights.

Despite all the critical aspects identified, the increasing number of restoration initiatives, the diversity of approaches used by local actors to overcome constraints and the support from the government are all encouraging aspects. The renewed interest of international donors in supporting the Great Green Wall for the Sahel and Sahara Initiative (GGW), an African-led initiative, involving 11 countries, to fight land degradation, desertification and drought will provide an ideal framework to achieve multiple objectives, scaling up efforts to restore degraded land, creating job opportunities, and strengthening resilience of rural communities.

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Cybersecurity

DOJ seizes $2.26 million in ransom paid out by Colonial Pipeline

The Justice Department on Monday announced it has managed to recover millions of dollars in Bitcoin paid to hackers following a ransomware attack that shutdown a key East Coast pipeline.

The FBI was able to identify and recover the funds from a Bitcoin wallet being used by the Darkside ransomware group, Deputy Director Paul Abbate said during a press conference. He added that the Bureau has identified at least 90 victims across U.S. critical industry sectors who have been attacked by Darkside including companies in the legal, health, energy and manufacturing industries.

Court documents show law enforcement was able to seize $2.26 million (63.7 BTC) of the $4.3 million (75 BTC) ransom. An affidavit by an FBI special agent in support of the seizure warrant explains how law enforcement was able to work with "Victim X" to identify the addresses of the virtual wallet through the blockchain public ledger using public blockchain explorers.

"The threat of severe ransomware attack pose clear and present danger" to both industry and local communities, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said during a press conference on Monday.

Monaco said the operation was not the first time the U.S. government has recovered cryptocurrency but said it was the first such operation for the department's new ransomware and digital extortion taskforce.

Asked whether industry should take the FBI's operation as a sign that law enforcement can recover payments, and therefore make them a more plausible solution, Monaco said, "We cannot guarantee  and we may not be able to do this in every instance."

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said during an interview on the Meet The Press he wants to pass legislation to require companies to notify the government when they are attacked by ransomware as well as increased transparency if a company does make a payment.

Lawmakers aired frustrations following the attack on Colonial Pipeline because the company initially refused to disclose any information about whether it had made a payment. The company's CEO Joseph Blount eventually said Colonial paid the $4.3 million ransom in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

Blount is scheduled to testify before the House Homeland Security Committee on June 9 about the attack.
Cybersecurity

Colonial CEO defends $4.3M ransomware payment

A gas station in Florida out of fuel in the wake of the Colonial Pipeline shutdown. (Image credit: Hayden Dunsel/Shutterstock.com)

Joseph Blount, the chief executive officer of Colonial Pipeline, on Tuesday defended the company's ransom payment to the criminal group Darkside and said Colonial is continuing to work with law enforcement and cybersecurity consultants to restore their business systems.

"I believe with all my heart it was the right choice to make," Blount told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The Colonial chief said the choice to make the payment was entirely his as was the choice to keep it confidential for several days after the initial attack.

Blount said his company also hired legal assistance to ensure Darkside was not sanctioned by the Treasury Department's office of foreign asset control as well as negotiators who made direct contact with Darkside on Colonial's behalf.

The Justice Department on Monday announced it identified and recovered approximately $2.3 million of the $4.3 million ransom Colonial Pipeline paid in Bitcoin.

Senators, who seemed largely skeptical of the company's capitulation to the hackers, noted the FBI's longstanding advice not to pay. They asked about the effectiveness of the decryption tool Darkside provided in exchange for the ransom payment. Blount said the tools were helpful but conceded they are not perfect.

Blount also said he was "disappointed" in remarks by Brandon Wales, the acting chief of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, that Wales believed Colonial would not have contacted CISA had the FBI not acted as an intermediary.

Blount said Colonial was working to contact a long list of law enforcement and government agencies following the attack. Early on during the incident, the FBI indicated to Colonial that they would bring CISA into a phone call and that is why Colonial did not reach out to CISA directly.

"If the FBI had not called them, we would have. We called every other governmental agency we were required to and then some that day," Blount said. "I don't know why he [Wales] made that statement, but I can tell you we would have called him."

The hearing comes as multiple companies across the U.S. also suffered ransomware attacks in the weeks following the one on Colonial Pipeline, ranging from a meat-packing company and the New York City subway to a communications application widely used by members Congress.

In addition to working the FBI, Blount confirmed Colonial has brought in consultants from the cybersecurity firms Mandiant, Dragos and Black Hills.

Blount also faced questions about how Darkside breached Colonial's IT systems. Early reports indicated the company's legacy virtual private network was compromised. Asked whether that VPN was using multi-factor authentication, Blount said it was not.

He added that the VPN used a "complicated password," as opposed to "Colonial123." (The chief executive of SolarWinds publicly blamed a company intern for setting a password to "SolarWinds123.")

Blount added that Mandiant is continuing to investigate how hackers cracked the password.

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) asked Blount about reports stating Colonial Pipeline declined to participate in a voluntary cybersecurity assessment offered by the Transportation Security Administration. He said he was "shocked" to learn his company did not participate, but also did not deny the reports. Blount said the coronavirus pandemic had got in the way of scheduling the review, but the company has now scheduled it for July.

Blount is scheduled to testify again before a House committee on Wednesday.
FCW Insider: June 8, 2021

The federal government must evolve security clearance standards to reflect certain cultural realities while also looking to improve clearance reciprocity between agencies, writes Rep. Gerry Connolly.

The Defense Department has an official strategy for implementing Joint All Domain Command and Control, but it still needs an enterprise cloud capability to make it real.

Focusing on customer experience as part of the Technology Modernization Fund investment strategy will enable agencies to improve service and build trust in government.

The FBI on Monday said it has identified at least 90 victims across multiple industrial sectors that Darkside has victimized.

Quick Hits

*** The Department of Veterans Affairs issued a $725 million task order to AT&T for network modernization including wide area networking, virtual private networking and managed network services. The task order made under the $50 billion governmentwide Enterprise Infrastructure Services contract vehicle was awarded in September 2020, according to data in the Govwin contracting database, and was just announced this week.

*** The U.S. is increasingly reopening and more employees are returning to their offices. Washington Technology's Nick Wakeman assembled a group of government contractors to learn how they are applying lessons learned to create a "new normal" in business operations. Read more in WT.

*** FCW's Network Modernization Workshop is tomorrow, June 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. ET. Registration is free for government employees and military personnel, so sign up and tune in to hear from the General Services Administration's leads for the Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions transition, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's 5G experts, and transformation leaders from the Departments of Education and Labor, the Defense Information Systems Agency, Customs and Border Protection and more.
Highlights:

PBM-129-W1 intersected 4.87m of 14.94% copper including 2.76m of 21% copper and 3m of 2.26% copper;

PBM-129 intersected 5.50m of 8.45% copper including 2.50m of 15.88% copper and 3.35m of 3.02% copper, 0.44 g/t gold, 8.79 g/t silver and 1.01% zinc; and

PBM-128 intersected 5.20m of 3.88% CuEq consisting of 2.71% copper, 0.63 g/t gold, 12.41 g/t silver and 1.63% zinc.

VANCOUVER, BC, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - Callinex Mines Inc. (the "Company" or "Callinex") (TSXV: CNX) (OTC: CLLXF) is pleased to announce additional drill results from the ongoing 30,000m drilling campaign to expand the high-grade copper, gold, silver and zinc Rainbow Deposit (the "Rainbow"). The Rainbow is located at the 100% owned Pine Bay Project within a mineral lease, less than 250m from a high-voltage hydroelectric power-line and 550m from a historic shaft with direct road access to processing facilities in Flin Flon, MB ( District Overview Map ).

PBM-129-W1 intersected the Orange Zone and returned 4.87m of 15.20% copper equivalent ("CuEq") consisting of 14.94% copper ("Cu"), 0.23 g/t gold ("Au"), 5.61 g/t silver ("Ag"), 0.15% zinc ("Zn") including a higher grade interval of 2.76m that returned 21.36% CuEq comprised of 21.00% Cu, 0.32 g/t Au, 7.83 g/t Ag and 0.20% Zn. The Orange Zone was preceded by an intersection in the Yellow Zone which returned 3.00m of 2.26% Cu. PBM-129-W1 is located 90m along strike to the south of PBM-113 and 40m vertically above PBM-129 ( Rainbow Deposit Long Section ).

Max Porterfield, President and CEO, stated, "We are thrilled with these exceptionally high-grade copper intersections. As we continue to expand the footprint of the Rainbow, we have gained a stronger understanding of the potential size and continuity of the deposit. Two drill rigs will continue to operate through the summer months as we focus on the vertical and lateral expansion of the Rainbow." Mr. Porterfield continued, "To put our exploration results in context, the global average copper grades for copper mines is just over 0.50% and to be in the top ten highest grade copper mines in the world a deposit needs to average 4% copper or more. The mineralization intersected in the Rainbow to date are indicative of the high-grade deposits that the Flin Flon District is famous for hosting."

Story continues

Pine Bay Project Rainbow Deposit Long Section, June 5, 2021 (CNW Group/Callinex Mines Inc.)

PBM-129 intersected the Orange Zone with 8.62% CuEq over 5.50m (8.45% Cu, 0.13 g/t Au, 2.67 g/t Ag and 0.16% Zn) including 2.50m of 15.88% Cu, 0.21 g/t Au, 4.51 g/t Ag and 0.15% Zn ( Rainbow Deposit Cross Section ). The Yellow Zone returned 3.35m of 3.78% CuEq (3.02% Cu, 0.44 g/t Au, 8.79 g/t Ag and 1.01% Zn). Drill hole PBM-129 is a 105m step-out to the south PBM-113 and 55m vertically above and to the north of PBM-111. PBM-113 intersected the Orange Zone with 5.00m of 8.35% CuEq (8.08% Cu, 0.20 g/t Au, 10.55 g/t Ag and 0.13% Zn) including 3.00m of 12.13% Cu, 0.27 g/t Au, 15.62 g/t Ag and 0.18% Zn; and 4.00m of 2.31% CuEq (2.21% Cu, 0.09 g/t Au, 2.28 g/t Ag and 0.04% Zn) preceded by the Yellow Zone with 9.06m of 3.72% CuEq (2.37% Cu, 0.70 g/t Au, 7.00 g/t Ag and 2.10% Zn).

Pine Bay Project Rainbow Deposit Cross Section (CNW Group/Callinex Mines Inc.)

Drill hole PBM-128 intersected the Orange Zone with 5.20m of 3.88% CuEq consisting of 2.71% Cu, 0.63 g/t Au, 12.41 g/t Ag and 1.63% Zn. The hole is located 400m below surface and a 62m step-out to the south of PBM-121, the most recent high-grade intersection announced at the Rainbow.

PBM-122 intersected 7.50m of 1.80% CuEq consisting of 0.27% Cu, 0.36 g/t Au, 8.76 g/t Ag and 3.15% Zn including 2.50m of 3.79% CuEq. PBM-122 is a 100m step-out above PBM-121, the most recent high-grade intersection announced at the Rainbow Deposit and defines the Rainbow deposit 300m below surface ( See News Release Dated April 26, 2021 ).

There are currently two rigs operating to expand the Rainbow closer to surface and at depth. Since the Company resumed drilling in mid-February, 16 holes (including 1 wedge) have been announced for a total of 10,005 meters out of a fully funded 30,000 meter budgeted drill program. Callinex will continue to provide results on an ongoing basis for the duration of the 2021 drilling campaign.

Table 1: Pine Bay Drill Results

Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Interval (m) True Width (m) Cu % Au g/t Ag g/t Zn % Sg CuEq

% PBM-122 496.25 498.25 2.00 1.88 1.12 0.33 2.63 0.02 4.29 1.38 PBM-122 530.00 537.50 7.50 7.13 0.27 0.36 8.76 3.15 3.27 1.80 incl. 535.00 537.50 2.50 2.38 0.67 0.64 10.37 6.76 3.76 3.79 PBM-123 560.50 561.00 0.50 0.46 0.78 0.06 5.30 0.04 2.88 0.88 PBM-124 574.27 575.12 0.85 0.78 2.54 0.28 10.34 0.11 3.00 2.86 PBM-128 559.80 565.00 5.20 4.99 2.71 0.63 12.41 1.63 3.85 3.88 PBM-129 858.00 861.35 3.35 2.37 3.02 0.44 8.79 1.01 3.06 3.78 PBM-129 888.50 894.00 5.50 3.96 8.45 0.13 2.67 0.16 3.31 8.62 incl. 888.50 891.00 2.50 1.80 15.88 0.21 4.51 0.15 3.80 16.12 PBM-129-W1 848.00 851.00 3.00 2.28 2.26 0.06 2.57 0.03 3.09 2.34 PBM-129-W1 862.13 867.00 4.87 3.73 14.94 0.23 5.61 0.15 3.68 15.20 incl. 862.13 864.89 2.76 2.11 21.00 0.32 7.83 0.20 4.21 21.36

Notes:





1. PBM-120 collar is located at the following Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates using the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) within UTM Zone 14N:3300052m East and 6070726mNorth and 292.0m above sea level, and started at 91Az, -57 degree dip. PBM-122 collar is located at the following Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates using the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) within UTM Zone 14N: 331402m East and 6071286m North and 298.0m above sea level, and started at 298Az, -47 degree dip. PBM-123 collar is located at the following Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates using the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) within UTM Zone 14N: 331450m East and 6071362mNorth and 298.0m above sea level, and started at 298Az, -53 degree dip. PBM-124 collar is located at the following Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates using the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) within UTM Zone 14N: 331450m East and 6071362mNorth and 298.0m above sea level, and started at 283Az, -65 degree dip. PBM-125 collar is located at the following Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates using the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) within UTM Zone 14N: 331574m East and 607593mNorth and 292.0m above sea level, and started at 282Az, -83 degree dip. PBM-126 collar is located at the following Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates using the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) within UTM Zone 14N: 331378m East and 6071255mNorth and 295.0m above sea level, and started at 292Az, -83 degree dip. PBM-127 collar is located at the following Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates using the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) within UTM Zone 14N: 331378m East and 6071255mNorth and 295.0m above sea level, and started at 300Az, -83 degree dip.PBM-128 collar is located at the following Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates using the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) within UTM Zone 14N: 331378m East and 6071255mNorth and 295.0m above sea level, and started at 290Az, -87 degree dip.PBM-129 and PBM-129-W1 collar is located at the following Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates using the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) within UTM Zone 14N: 331378m East and 6071255mNorth and 295.0m above sea level, and started at 290Az, -87degree dip.

2. The size of the drill core is NQ.

3. True Width calculations assumed the Rainbow Horizon to strike 032 degrees azimuth, with a 80 degree easterly dip.

4. All CuEq (copper equivalent) assay results in this news release use the following pricing: US$3.00 copper per pound ($6,720/tonne), US$1.15 zinc per pound, US$1,450/troy ounce gold ($46.62/gram), US$16.50/toy ounce silver ($0.53/gram), calculation CuEQ= Cu%+(Zn% x zinc price per pound / copper price per pound)+(Au g/t x Au price per gram / copper price per tonne) x100 + (Ag g/t x Ag price per gram / copper price per tonne) x 100. 100% metal recoveries used, ie no process recoveries or smelter payables were included in the calculation.

5. PBM-120, an exploration hole collared 900m to the south of the Rainbow Deposit, returned no significant assays, PBM-125 was an exploration drill hole collared 350m to the north of the Rainbow Deposit that returned no significant assays. Drill holes PBM-126 and PBM-127 were each abandoned within 60m due to deviation and stuck rods.

J.J. O'Donnell, P.Geo, a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.

Figure 1: Flin Flon Mining District Region Overview

Figure 2: Pine Bay Long Section Looking West with 2021 Drilling

Figure 3: Pine Bay Cross Section Looking North with 2021 Drilling

QA / QC Protocols

Individual samples were labeled, placed in plastic sample bags, and sealed. Groups of samples were then placed in security sealed bags and shipped directly to SGS lab in Vancouver, BC for analysis. Samples were weighed then crushed to 75% passing 2mm and pulverized to 85% passing 75 microns in order to produce a 250g pulverized split. 35 elements including copper, zinc, lead and silver assays were determined by Aqua Regia digestion with a combination of ICP-MS and ICP-AES finish, with over limits rerun using an ore grade analysis (two acid digest ICP-AES). Gold was analyzed by fire assay. Specific gravity (sg) measured for each sample using the pycnometer and water and air method. QA/QC included the insertion and continual monitoring of numerous standards, blanks, and duplicates

About Callinex Mines Inc.

Callinex Mines Inc. (TSXV: CNX) (OTC: CLLXF) is advancing its portfolio of base and precious metals rich deposits located in established Canadian mining jurisdictions. The portfolio is highlighted by the rapidly expanding Rainbow Discovery at its Pine Bay Project located near existing infrastructure in the Flin Flon Mining District. Additionally, Callinex has emerging near-surface silver discoveries at its Nash Creek Project located in the Bathurst Mining District of New Brunswick. A 2018 PEA on the Company's Bathurst projects outlined a mine plan that generates a strong economic return with a pre-tax IRR of 34.1% (25.2% post-tax) and NPV8% of $230 million ($128 million post-tax).

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

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to future expenditures. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, among others, the ability to complete the proposed drill program and the timing and amount of expenditures. Except as required under applicable securities laws, Callinex does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

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MOSS LANDING, Calif., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chemetry announced today that its Board of Directors has selected Robert Snyder to succeed Ryan Gilliam as Chief Executive Officer, reporting to Chemetry's Board of Directors. Dr. Gilliam will become the Chairman of the Board for Chemetry.

Plastics sustainability

Reduced green house gases

Reduced power consumption

Safer process

Mr. Snyder, who previously served as Chief Strategy Officer for Chemetry, joined the company in 2016 after serving as Vice President of Strategy and Vice President of Chlorovinyls at Axiall. Prior to Axiall, Mr. Snyder was an executive in the Styrenics businesses at Nova Chemicals and led the EPDM business for DuPont Dow Elastomers. Mr. Snyder has an MBA from Wharton and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia.

Dr. Gilliam, who has been Chief Executive Officer of Chemetry since 2015, joined the parent company, Calera, in 2008 to lead the Chemicals R&D organization. Dr. Gilliam has a PhD in Materials Science from the University of Toronto and serves as the CEO of Fortera, a materials company focusing on reducing CO 2 emissions in the production of building materials.

"Chemetry is now focused on constructing the eShuttle EDC demonstration plant in Brazil with our partners Braskem and Technip Energies," according to Mr. Snyder. "I am very excited to have the opportunity to lead this organization as we commercialize a new process that can lower the power consumption by up to 50%, while not producing chlorine gas. This inherently safer process offers the vinyls chain an economical path to greatly reduce its carbon footprint and improve the safety of its production plants with no changes to the PVC resins produced or the raw materials used in the process."

"Since its inception, Chemetry has been focused on redefining how chemicals are made. As the company enters its next stage, transitioning from piloting efforts to commercialization, Bob's experience and leadership in the chemical sector will be invaluable for Chemetry. I am excited to remain involved with Chemetry and its exciting future ahead."

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About Chemetry

Chemetry is focused on developing lower energy technologies in the chemical space. Supported by a diverse team of engineers, scientists and plant operators, the company maintains an active research and development program and holds over 100 patents in the chemical and building material space. Chemetry is part of Calera Corporation, a clean technology company based in Moss Landing, California. For more information, visit www.chemetrycorp.com.

Contact: Robert Snyder, (404) 823-3902, rsnyder@chemetrycorp.com

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RADNOR, Pa., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP reminds investors that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has been filed against Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE: CS) ("Credit Suisse") 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").

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Investor 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. Archegos' investment holdings are primarily in the form of total return swaps, a financial instrument where the underlying securities are held by the banks that broker the investments.

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. According to the Financial Times, more than 1,000 investors in the Greensill funds marketed were unable to exit their positions. 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%.

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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 Wall Street Journal reported on March 31, 2021 that Credit Suisse "had a core capital buffer of 12.9% at year-end" and "[i]f the Archegos hit is $4 billion, that ratio could fall by roughly 1 percentage point to well below the 12.5% minimum targeted by the lender." 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

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SOURCE Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP
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THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Digi-Key Electronics, which offers the world's largest selection of electronic components in stock for immediate shipment, is proud to share their ever-growing relationship with Rochester Electronics, the world's largest continuous source of semiconductors.

Rochester Electronics wide variety of critical components are available through the Digi-Key Marketplace, supporting needs across industries from medical, industrial, aerospace, defense, transportation and more.

The COVID-19 pandemic and many other supply chain factors have placed significant strains on the electronic components supply chain, with shortages rampant throughout the industry. Between Digi-Key's high-inventory buying model and Rochester's massive in-stock inventory, as well as their licensed manufacturing capabilities for end-of-life (EOL) and legacy products, the partnership offers ease in procurement for many needs that cannot be fulfilled elsewhere during this tumultuous time.

"We launched the Digi-Key Marketplace last summer to give engineers and innovators access to more product lines than ever before, through a one-stop shopping experience that serves the entire ecosystem of technology innovation," said Jim Ricciardelli, EVP of digital business for Digi-Key. "With Rochester Electronics joining the Marketplace, we are able to offer more in-stock devices and semiconductors than ever before, supplying our global engineering community with the parts that they need most. The Digi-Key and Rochester partnership is great for our customers as we are both privately owned companies that are customer value driven first and foremost. We have seen an immediate positive impact for our customers."

The partnership also guarantees authentic components, at a time when component counterfeit is on the rise due to shortages and high demand. Rochester boasts partnerships with more than 70 authorized manufacturers, and Digi-Key is an authorized distributor for more than 1,800 industry-leading suppliers. Customers can rest assured that the products they order are authentic and come to Digi-Key and Rochester directly from the manufacturer.

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"It has been a very rewarding experience working with the Digi-Key Marketplace team," said Christa Brooks, channel sales manager for Rochester Electronics. "We see a high level of customer service from every department we work with, and the digital Marketplace portal is user-friendly as well. I'm very proud of the Digi-Key and Rochester partnership in the Marketplace."

While Digi-Key anticipates the overall component shortages in the industry will likely last into 2022, the Rochester Electronics partnership is helping continuity of supply for Digi-Key customers.

For more information about Rochester Electronics and to place an order, please visit the Digi-Key website.

About Rochester Electronics

Rochester Electronics is the world's largest continuous source of semiconductors100% Authorized by over 70 leading semiconductor manufacturers. As an original manufacturer stocking distributor, Rochester has over 15 billion devices in stock encompassing more than 200,000-part numbers, providing the world's most extensive range of end-of-life (EOL) semiconductors and broadest range of active semiconductors. As a licensed semiconductor manufacturer, Rochester has manufactured over 20,000 device types. With over 12 billion die in stock, Rochester has the capability to manufacture over 70,000 device types. Rochester oers a full range of manufacturing services including Design, Wafer Processing, Assembly, Test, Reliability, and IP Archiving providing single solutions through to full turnkey manufacturing, enabling faster time-to-market. Learn more at www.rocelec.com.

About Digi-Key Electronics

Digi-Key Electronics, headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., USA, is an authorized global, full-service distributor of electronic components, and provides access to unlimited adjacent products and technologies through their online Marketplace. They offer more than 11.5 million components, with over 2.6 million in stock and available for immediate shipment, from over 1,500 quality name-brand manufacturers. In addition, Marketplace Product provides a singular shopping experience for all things related to technology innovation  IoT, industrial automation, test and measurement and more. Additional information and access to the world's broadest resources for technology innovation can be found by visiting www.digikey.com and on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Editorial Contact



Shelli Lissick

Bellmont Partners

+1 651 276 6922

digikey@bellmontpartners.com

Digi-Key was one of the select few companies named to the inaugural Inc. Best in Business list out of around 2,700 entries (PRNewsfoto/Digi-Key Electronics)

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SOURCE Digi-Key Electronics
Some of the major cloud computing market participants in Europe are Alibaba Group Holding Limited, Amazon Web Services, Inc., CenturyLink, CloudSigma Holding AG, DigitalOcean, LLC., Fujitsu, Google LLC., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP, IBM Corporation, Microsoft Corporation.

SELBYVILLE, Del., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Market Insights Inc. has recently added a new report on the Europe cloud computing market which estimates the market valuation will cross $140 Bn by 2028 due to the government support for promoting cloud adoption throughout Europe.

Growing usage of cloud computing among multiple organizations to ensure business continuity and adaptability to market changes for maintaining a competitive advantage over rival firms is likely to fuel the industry growth. The increasing digitization trend observed in organizations with their shift toward cloud-based services is also boosting the European cloud computing market demand. The leading companies are focusing on emerging technologies, such as mobile cloud computing and edge computing, to develop innovative solutions & services for their customers.

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The IaaS segment is anticipated to grow at a CAGR above 15% from 2021 to 2028. IaaS plays an important role for enterprise-level businesses due to high flexibility & scalability and is suited for fluctuating computing workloads. Enterprises are increasingly shifting toward IaaS models due to the ease of use, quick computing times, and cost-efficiency. The Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) feature eliminates the expenses of deploying in-house infrastructure, aiding in the growth of IaaS model.

The SMEs are expected to hold a market share of over 30% by 2028. The growth is attributed to the growing adoption of cloud technology by SMEs for improving business capabilities. The SMEs are emphasizing on securing their networks for safe data accessibility and migrating their core businesses to digital platforms to safeguard businesses. Cloud computing benefits, such as remote computing, reduced costs, and availability of on-demand computing resources, are major factors behind the adoption of cloud computing by SMEs throughout Europe.

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The private cloud is projected to witness an exponential growth over the forecast period. Multiple organizations are embracing the private cloud to gain high level of security and data privacy. Government agencies, BFSI enterprises, and organizations with critical data, such as military facilities and nuclear power stations, are adopting private cloud solutions for ensuring control over the data and safeguarding critical data. This is anticipated to create numerous opportunities for private cloud.

The retail segment is set to hold over 10% of the cloud computing market in Europe in 2020. The growth is attributed to the increasing demand for online shopping and dynamic shift in the purchasing patterns of consumers. The digital transformation amongst retailers is gaining traction and retailers are focusing on increasing their IT spending to detect fraudulent activities and safeguard their payment channels.

Italy is projected to grow significantly in the European Cloud Computing market with over 15% CAGR over the forecast period. The growth is attributed to the increasing adoption of cloud computing solutions & services by SMEs and other business verticals. The presence of multinational companies and their hefty investments are anticipated to support the market growth. For instance, in May 2020, Microsoft invested USD 1.5 billion in Italian cloud computing services. This investment aimed to provide cloud services to SMEs and other business sectors. Also, under a five-year strategic plan, the company will provide access to local cloud services and launch digital skilling, smart-working, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs for small and medium enterprises.

The companies operating in the market are focused on collaborating with government and public organizations to accelerate cloud adoption. For instance, in January 2021, CloudSigma was selected by Open Clouds for the Research Environments (OCRE) project. This project aims to accelerate cloud adoption in the European research community. This will also help the company to expand its presence across Europe and generate a new revenue stream.

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Some major findings of the Europe cloud computing market report include:

The increasing shift of enterprises from traditional on-premise infrastructure to cloud computing platforms for leveraging the scalability and flexibility of on-demand computing.



Italy is anticipated to hold a significant market share for the European cloud computing market due to the increasing cloud spending within the last few years to harness the economic potential of cloud computing.



The companies operating in the market are focusing on the integration of new technologies and portfolio expansion to cater to diverse customer requirements.

Partial chapters of report table of contents (TOC):

Chapter 3 Europe Cloud Computing Industry Insights

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Industry segmentation

3.3 Impact of COVID-19 outbreak

3.3.1 Impact by region

3.3.1.1 UK

3.3.1.2 Germany

3.3.1.3 France

3.3.1.4 Italy

3.3.1.5 Spain

3.3.1.6 Netherlands

3.3.1.7 Switzerland

3.3.1.8 Nordics

3.3.2 Impact by competitive landscape

3.3.3 Impact by value chain

3.4 Evolution of cloud computing

3.5 Cloud computing architecture

3.6 Industry ecosystem analysis

3.6.1 Cloud service providers

3.6.2 Cloud carriers

3.6.3 Cloud brokers

3.6.4 Cloud auditors

3.6.5 End-users

3.6.6 Vendor matrix

3.7 Technology & innovation landscape

3.7.1 Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC) and mobile cloudlet

3.7.2 Technological advancements in multi cloud computing (Polynimbus)

3.7.3 Proliferation of blockchain security in cloud computing

3.8 Regulatory landscape

3.8.1 General Data Protection Regulation (EU)

3.8.2 Data Protection Authority (DPA) Orientation guide on Cloud Computing 2011 (Germany)

3.8.3 Digital Agency of Italy (AgID) Circular No 2/2018 and Circular No 3/2018 (Italy)

3.8.4 The Data Act 1973 (Sweden)

3.8.5 Payment Card Industry Data S ecurity Standard (PCI DSS) version 3 1 (Global)

3.9 Industry impact forces

3.9.1 Growth drivers

3.9.1.1 Increasing demand for c ost efficiency and return on investment

3.9.1.2 Strong government support for promoting cloud adoption

3.9.1.3 Presence of numerous cloud data centers in the European region

3.9.1.4 Growing popularit y of hybrid cloud computing

3.9.2 Industry pitfalls & challenges

3.9.2.1 Threat of data breaches and cyber attacks

3.9.2.2 Performance issues and system downtimes

3.9.2.3 Sh ortage of skilled IT workforce

3.10 Growth potential analysis

3.11 Porter's analysis

3.11.1 Threat of new entrants

3.11.2 Supplier power

3.11.3 Buyer power

3.11.4 Threat of substitution

3.12 PESTEL analysis

3.12.1 Political

3.12.2 Economical

3.12.3 Social

3.12.4 Technological

3.12.5 Legal

3.12.6 Environmental

About Global Market Insights

Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.

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Cloud Computing Market size in Europe to hit $140 Bn by 2028

Europe Cloud Computing Market size is estimated to surpass USD 140 billion by 2028, according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc.

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CHICAGO, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Head-mounted Display Market with COVID-19 Impact Analysis by Type, Technology (AR, VR), Application (Consumer, Commercial, Enterprise & Industry, Aerospace & Defense), Product Type, Component, Connectivity, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is expected to grow from USD 5.5 billion in 2021 to USD 36.5 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 46.0%. The market growth can be attributed to several factors, such as surge in investments by major players in development of HMDs, increased adoption of AR and VR technologies due to COVID-19, availability of low-cost HMDs, and technological advancements and growing digitalization.

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Integrated HMDs to account for the largest share of head-mounted display market in 2020

Integrated HMD, also called optical HMD (OHMD), is the most expensive and sophisticated type of HMD. It is an independent computing device, as it can deliver VR and AR experiences to users without any external hardware such as a PC or smartphone. Microsoft Corporation (US), Magic Leap, Inc. (US), and Osterhout Design Group (US) are among the companies that provide integrated HMDs. With the growing advent of HMDs and advancements in them, it is expected that integrated HMDs will play a key role in the development of the overall HMD market.

Augmented reality technology to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period

The use of mobile phones for 3D navigation with a real-time overlay of computer graphics has numerous applications in the gaming sector and other industries; this is expected to drive the growth of the AR segment. Increasing importance of AR HMDs or smart glasses in the enterprise and industry application is also expected to drive this segment. AR headsets can provide employees with a host of tools, such as training videos, visualized data, and access to multiple desktop screens for performing various activities.

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Browse in-depth TOC on "Head-mounted Display Market"

143  Tables

75  Figures

234  Pages

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Americas is leading the market head-mounted display market in 2020

Americas held the largest share in the head-mounted display market in 2020. The increased acceptance of AR and VR devices by enterprise users to improve productivity and accuracy has been the key factor driving the growth of the HMD market in Americas. The use of AR and VR technologies in consumer electronics also propels the growth of the market.

Some of the key companies operating in the market are Sony (Japan), Google (US), Microsoft (US), Oculus (US), HTC (Taiwan), Seiko Epson (Japan), Samsung (South Korea), Lenovo (China), Magic Leap (US), and Vuzix (US) and so on.

Related Reports:

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Market with COVID-19 Impact Analysis by Offering (Hardware & Software), Device Type (HMD, HUD, Gesture Tracking), Application (Enterprise, Consumer, Commercial, Healthcare), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2025

Head-up Display Market with COVID-19 Impact Analysis by Component (Video Generator, Projector/Projection Unit, Display Unit, Software), Type (Conventional HUD, AR-Based HUD), Application (Aviation, Automotive), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2025

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(Bloomberg) -- The hackers who used ransomware to shut down JBS SA, the worlds largest meat producer, explored the potential attack in February and stole data for several months from the food giants locations in Australia and Brazil, according to security researcher SecurityScorecard Inc.

The reconnaissance phase of the cyberattack, in which hackers learn about a target and where they might exploit it, began in February, according to a report from SecurityScorecard shared with Bloomberg. The research is based on multiple public and private sources of intelligence, observations on the dark web and investigative tools such as NetFlow -- which tracks digital traffic flows -- according to Ryan Sherstobitoff, vice president of cyberthreat research and intelligence at SecurityScorecard. The company plans to release the report Tuesday.

A spokesperson for JBS USA disputed the findings, saying it was inconsistent with a preliminary investigation conducted by third-party experts.

We have discovered no evidence that any company data was exfiltrated, and no evidence that Brazil was impacted in any way, said Nikki Richardson, the spokesperson. The investigation is ongoing, and it would be irresponsible for us to comment on speculative reports or unfounded rumors.

The fact is that the companys cybersecurity protocols allowed for a quick resolution to this targeted criminal attack, resulting in the loss of less than one days worth of production, she said.

The ransomware attack late last month forced JBS to stop production at its beef plants in the U.S. -- accounting for almost 25% of American supplies -- and slow pork and poultry operations. The FBI has attributed the incident to REvil, a hacking group that researchers say has links to Russia.

It is unknown how or where the hackers broke into the San Paolo-based food company, but in March, they began taking data from JBSs Australia location, according to the researchers. SecurityScorecard found credentials belonging to employees of the companys Australia branch on the dark web right before the exfiltration began, Sherstobitoff said in an interview.

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SecurityScorecard also found evidence suggesting that hackers took data in April and May from a JBS location in Brazil. The company was then hit at the end of May with ransomware, which encrypts data until the victim pays to unlock their systems.

As with all ransomware operations, the attackers are likely interested in exfiltrating data and potentially leaking it on the dark web if victims do not pay, according to the report. Typically, the threat actor exfiltrates data before encrypting files, then uses the data to extort the victim for financial gain.

SecurityScorecards research, however, lines up with private-sector investigations of the attack, said a person familiar with those probes. The attackers began taking large amounts of data from the companys network in Australia in March and continued until the hack was discovered late last month, the person said. Citing analysis of the hackers internet traffic patterns around the stolen data, the person said the attackers appear to have spent an unusually long time stealing information before detonating the ransomware.

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FILE PHOTO: Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta at the annual tech conference "Inno Generation"organized by Bpifrance in Paris

By Giulia Paravicini

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday urged Ethiopia to open up its telecoms sector to private mobile money business investors, a move that would complement a process already underway to reform the sector and bring in foreign investment.

Ethiopia is opening up its telecoms sector, hitherto a monopoly of the state-owned Ethio Telecom, and last month authorities awarded the first private operator licence.

The licence was handed out to a consortium led by Kenya's Safaricom, Vodafone, and Japan's Sumitomo 8053.T.

Currently though only Ethio Telecom is allowed to offer mobile financial services while foreign operators are barred by law from participating. Mobile money is a term for banking transactions made using a phone or other mobile device.

"I am hopeful that your government will consider in the near future, opening up the opportunity for mobile money in Ethiopia," Kenyatta, who is on a visit to Ethiopia, said at a ceremony in the capital Addis Ababa where the consortium was officially awarded its operating licence.

"This move will be particularly timely, as it will offer the millions of Ethiopian people avenues for financial inclusion."

Mobile money services, which were pioneered in Kenya more than a decade ago, have become a lucrative segment of telecoms services in many sub-Saharan African countries.

Ethiopia is hoping that the opening of one of the world's last major closed telecoms markets will create millions of online job opportunities.

The Safaricom consortium plans to invest up to $8.5 billion in the country's infrastructure among other areas.

As part of opening up the sector, Ethiopia is also planning to sell a 40% stake in Ethio Telecom to private investors and 5% to Ethiopian people. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said at the same function his government was in the final stage of starting the tendering process.

(Writing by Elias Biryabarema, Editing by Angus MacSwan)
EDMONTON, AB, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - The Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, together with the Honourable Seamus O'Regan Jr., Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Jason Kenney, Premier of Alberta, and Don Iveson, Mayor of Edmonton, will participate in an announcement about efforts to advance a project to create net-zero emission hydrogen energy in Canada.

Date: Wednesday, June 9, 2021



Time: 11:30 a.m. (ET)



Location: The virtual announcement will take place over Zoom.

The announcement will be live-streamed on Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's (ISED) Canadian Innovation Facebook page.

Notes for media:

Members of the media are invited to contact ISED Media Relations (ic.mediarelations-mediasrelations.ic@canada.ca) to register and receive the Zoom link. Media are asked to join the event at 11:15 a.m. (ET).

Stay connected

Find more services and information at Canada.ca/ISED.

Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on social media.

Twitter: @ISED_CA, Facebook: Canadian Innovation, Instagram: @cdninnovation and LinkedIn

SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

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Acquisition includes 11 New Attorneys, 22 Staff in Total

ORANGE COUNTY, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Messner Reeves LLP, a full-service law firm with offices across the nation, has expanded its presence in California with the acquisition of highly sought-after partners and members of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Andrew S. Hollins and Kathleen Carter, formerly of Ropers Majeski in Orange County.

The practice group acquisition includes 11 attorneys and a total of 22 staff members and represents yet another victory for the growing Messner Reeves firm. Both attorneys, who have represented a multitude of illustrious, world-renowned clients throughout their careers, will be seated in the Newport Beach office.

This is a move weve been working on for a while as we intentionally and methodically increase the power, profile and intensity of our expertise in the California market, said Jim Smith, president of Messner Reeves. With their exceptional litigation experience, monumental wins and hunger for success, we know these two powerhouses and their team will only further catapult the firm as we continue to build our bench of high-profile successful attorneys.

The new partners have retained and will continue to serve their existing clients and will be charged with growing the firms litigation practice areas in employment, real estate, medical and insurance defense, among others.

Hollins has more than 40 years of experience as a civil trial lawyer representing insurance companies, financial institutions and hundreds of businesses against a wide array of claims. With years of successful wins under his belt, Hollins services are in high demand. He has effectively tried cases throughout California and seven other states, as well as cases before the United States Court of Federal Claims.

Hollins was named Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Orange County Chapter of ABOTA, an invitation-only membership comprised of 7,600 members who must have a minimum of five years of experience as trial lawyers, have tried 10 civil jury trials to conclusion and hold additional litigation experience. Hollins also served as a defense team coordinator for their Masters in Trial series, teaching lawyers the complexities of how to properly present a case at trial.

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Andy is an accomplished trial lawyer who zealously advocates for his clients and obtains impressive results in the courtroom, said Bruce Montoya, partner and past president of ABOTA, Colorado Chapter. "His work with ABOTA will provide a valuable resource to our lawyers and assist them in excelling as advocates, optimizing results in trial while gaining the admiration and gratitude of clients as well as the trial bar and courts."

Hollins graduated from Woodland University, Mid-Valley College of Law in 1978 after obtaining his undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee in 1973.

Carter has more than 28 years of experience as a trial lawyer in complex litigation and case management. With a wide range of expertise in employment law to complex commercial disputes, Carter has successfully helped clients implement strategic best practices and create processes and compliance policies to reduce risk. She is also an active member of ABOTA, a membership that is hand-selected by existing members of the organization based on her successful trial record, character and reputation among the trial bar.

With her triumphant track record including winning an eight-figure damage award for clients involved in personal injury cases and successfully defending an international firm in a high-stakes class action matter, Kathleen has been highly sought after by clients in Nevada, Washington, Delaware, Indiana and Georgia.

Carter graduated from Vermont Law School in 1991 after earning her undergraduate degree from Saint Anselm College, and then went on to receive her MBA from Pepperdine University.

Apart from their legal accomplishments, Carter is a member of the Orange County Bar Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association and BUZZ, An Executive Womens Think Tank and previously was a member of the National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms. For the past 11 years, Hollins has been recognized as a Super Lawyer in Business Litigation and has been awarded by the State Board of Governors for pro bono legal services and the Orange County Bar Association for pro bono legal services, respectively. Additionally, both Hollins and Carter are supporters of Best Friends Animal Society, a Los Angeles-based animal welfare organization devoted to promoting a no-kill movement and encouraging the adoption of cats and dogs.

Joining Messner Reeves just made sense, said Carter. First and foremost, the entrepreneurial and collaborative spirit of the firms team was remarkable. Beyond that, the business model and support provided by the firms leadership provided an incredibly compelling reason to make the move.

As a firm dedicated to utilizing best practices across its financial structure, marketing and operational systems, Messner Reeves is recognized for its business model and internal efficiencies which enable the attorneys to do what they do bestpractice law.

This is yet another win for Messner Reeves, said Smith. California is a high priority state for our future expansions and we are working very intentionally at growing across the state.

Messner Reeves has offices in Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Silicon Valley, Las Vegas, Reno, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and New York City, in addition to their three Colorado locations: Denver, Greenwood Village, and Colorado Springs.

About Messner Reeves LLP

With offices in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New York and Utah, Messner Reeves provides the full range of legal services to a diverse group of clientsfrom individual entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companiesdelivering exceptional legal counsel with quick response and professional integrity. The attorneys at Messner Reeves represent the highest standards in the legal profession. For more information, visit messner.com.

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Attachments

CONTACT: Jennifer Bulotti dovetail solutions 916.955.1313 jabulotti@dovetailsolutions.com




What's the top-rated hotel in New York City? According to TripAdvisor users, it's Mint House at 70 Pine, and it's easy to see why as you click through the photos. Throughout NYC, hotel rooms are essentially bento boxes, carefully constructed to contain all the necessary bits. But not Mint House rooms. Mint House rooms are virtually complete apartments, and travelers have taken notice.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way Mint House operates, and as the world starts to reopen, the company is well positioned to serve business and pleasure travelers alike.

Mint House launched in 2017 and raised $15 million in 2019 as it expanded its offering. At the time Tige Savage, Revolution Venture managing partner and Mint House investor, described the company like this: "Mint House is the best of a hotel without the worst of a hotel and the best of an Airbnb without the worst of an Airbnb."

The company is different from traditional hotels by offering products more similar to those rented by Airbnb, but while still offering similar features as a hotel. Another company called Lyric tried to walk this line, too, and raised $150 million before ultimately shutting down.

Initially, Mint House targeted business travelers in secondary markets (read: not New York City). Pre-COVID Mint House rooms were primarily available in Indianapolis, Denver, Nashville, Miami and Detroit. Mint House CEO Will Lucas explained at the time that there were opportunities in these markets, as often accommodations are worse than in major markets.

COVID changed Mint House's trajectory, Lucas explained in an interview with TechCrunch. At the beginning of the pandemic, the hospitality industry fell off. Mint House saw occupancy rates fall from 60% to single digits, and Mint House had to refund customers and furlough employees. Eventually, through new sales team members, Mint House discovered their product offering was well suited for the pandemic. Displaced workers needed a place to live and work. Traveling healthcare professionals needed a home away from home. Some university students were shut out of student housing but still required to attend school. Mint House's apartment-like rooms presented a compelling alternative to a traditional hotel room where kitchens are often, at most, just an instant coffee pot and a mini-fridge. But with Mint House rooms, guests have in-room kitchens, living space and recently rising in importance, an actual workspace.

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As the pandemic settled in, Mint House saw a drastic change in length of stay. Before COVID-19, the average stay length was four nights. During COVID-19, the average stay length was 21 nights, as the needs for travelers shifted. Instead of flying in for a quick meeting, workers and travelers needed a place to hunker down and work remotely. During the height of the pandemic, 81% of Mint House guests were working remotely.

Mint House's key features seem purpose-built for social distancing, but they were in place before the pandemic. Guests do not have to check in with a front desk and there are no key cards. Guests can order groceries, and the room will be stocked before arrival -- a service rarely found outside of business-centric hotels but now in demand even with leisure travelers too. Customer service for all of the properties is centralized, too.

While most of the hospitality industry languished throughout 2020, Mint House saw terrific growth. Several months into the pandemic, Mint House saw occupancy rates hit new highs. By June, 84% of Mint House's rooms were booked, and the company averaged 80% over the rest of 2020. The company doubled down and grew its portfolio by over 50% in the last half of 2020, too.

Today, nearly a year after the bottom fell out, Mint House is in 24 buildings in 13 markets.

In New York City, Mint House is competing with giants. CEO Lucas explains.

"This year, in New York City, we have been earning on average 2.2x the RevPAR (revenue per available room)," he said. "Our CompSet (Competitive set, or rather, competing hotels) is incredibly formidable competition that includes two Thompson hotels, three Marriott Hotels, and Hilton Hotels. We are number one in occupancy, number one in ADR (Average Daily Rate), and putting them together, we're more than double the CompSet."

Lucas believes these rankings show Mint House's strengths and how the company is different from traditional hospitality brands. And yet, Mint House turned to executives from classic hospitality brands to fuel growth.

Mint House recently announced the addition of several new executives. Jim Mrha, who previously worked at Domio, Hilton, MGM Hospitality and Marriott, will serve as Mint House's CFO. Paul Sacco, a former investment officer and executive at TPG Hotels & Resorts and Starwood, joined Mint House as chief development officer. Jess Berkin, another former hospitality executive of the travel e-commerce startup Porter & Sail, is Mint House's new marketing and communication executive.

"It feels like we're about to really blast off," Lucas said with a bit of pride.

Mint House is engaged in an aggressive growth strategy just as the world is set to reopen. The company is looking to double the number of available units and go international, starting with London in a month and eventually in South America.

Now, halfway through 2021, the pandemic is receding, and travel is starting to change again. Mint House is seeing the average stay drop back down from 21 nights in 2020 to something around six nights. According to Lucas, leisure travelers are increasing, and Mint House is seeing the return of short business stays. And then there's the new type of business traveler who leaves behind their home office to work remotely from somewhere new, like Miami.

Mint House straddles an interesting line between hotels and short-term rentals like those offered by Airbnb. On one side, they offer the convenience and trust found in a hotel with the style and comfort of a short-term rental. If the company can execute its plan, and its recent executive hires should help, the company is well suited to compete with the Hiltons and Marriotts in NYC and throughout the States and world.
TORONTO, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - Nubian Resources Ltd. (TSXV: NBR) ("Nubian" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the commencement of diamond drilling at its Yandoit Gold Project (the "Project") within the Central Victorian Goldfields, Australia. This maiden drilling program will target seven locations within the Project area along a north south trending gold mineralized corridor defined by historical mine shafts and workings. Targets have been defined by a combination of recent geophysical surveys, soil geochemistry and geological mapping alongside past mine production records.

Nubian Resources Ltd. Logo (CNW Group/Nubian Resources Ltd.)

Drilling shall begin at the North Sardinia Prospect which consists of at least four major gold bearing reefs that were exploited and last mined around the 1860's. Drilling is planned to test these reefs at depth and to expand on known gold mineralization in the area. Mapping and sampling by Nubian has highlighted the prospectivity of North Sardinia, and revealed significant quantities of gold within sulphide that was not recoverable when mining previously occurred (see press release dated 29th April 2021).

"This is very good news for Nubian and its shareholders and congratulations go to our very experienced geological team working at Yandoit. The Yandoit Gold Project lies within the heart of the Central Victorian Goldfields, surrounded by multi-million-ounce gold producers like Bendigo, Ballarat and Fosterville. We are testing numerous gold targets at our Sardinia and Golconda prospects, and look forward to advising shareholders of the drilling results over coming months," stated Martin Walter, Nubian's President and CEO.

In other news, the Company announces the appointment of Venture North Capital Inc. of Toronto for investor relations services. The contract provides for an initial term of three months at $7,500 per month and the grant of 188,000 stock options to purchase common shares of Nubian at $0.435 per share for a period one year, such options vesting one-quarter per quarter over a one year period. The Company confirms that Venture North Capital is an arm's length party and that the contract and grant of stock options are subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

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ABOUT NUBIAN

Nubian Resources Ltd. is a publicly traded precious and base metals exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company is managed by a team of experienced mining and geological professionals. Nubian's projects are focused in key mining jurisdictions in central Victoria and Tasmania, Australia and Peru.

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

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on Nubian's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. Although such statements are based on reasonable assumptions of Nubian's management, there can be no assurance that any conclusions or forecasts will prove to be accurate.

Forward looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include risks inherent in the exploration and development of mineral deposits, including risks relating to changes in parameters of the Projects as plans continue to be redefined, risks relating to variations in grade or recovery rates, risks relating to changes in mineral prices and the worldwide demand for and supply of minerals, risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic and current global financial conditions, increased competition, access and supply risks, reliance on key personnel, operational risks, regulatory risks, including risks relating to licenses and permits, financing, capitalization and liquidity risks and title and environmental risks.

The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and Nubian is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

SOURCE Nubian Resources Ltd.

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Pierce Manufacturing and Oshkosh Airport Products have introduced the Volterra platform of electric vehicles for the fire and emergency market, with the first municipal truck already in service with the City of Madison, Wisconsin Fire Departments Station 8.

Pierce Manufacturing and Oshkosh Airport Products have introduced the Volterra platform of electric vehicles for the fire and emergency market.

Pierce Manufacturing and Oshkosh Airport Products have introduced the Volterra platform of electric vehicles for the fire and emergency market.

The first Pierce Volterra zero-emissions pumper has been placed in service with the City of Madison Fire Department, making this the first electric fire truck in service in North America.

The first Pierce Volterra zero-emissions pumper has been placed in service with the City of Madison Fire Department, making this the first electric fire truck in service in North America.

Appleton, WIS, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) Fire & Emergency segment, including Pierce Manufacturing, Oshkosh Airport Products and Frontline Communications, announced today it has introduced the revolutionary Volterra platform of electric vehicles for the fire and emergency market.



In recent years, municipalities and airports worldwide have made green initiatives an integral priority, compelling fire departments to seek environmentally-conscious fire apparatus that reduce emissions, minimize fuel consumption, and produce less noise.



Category leading innovations, grounded with direct input from our customers, is a hallmark of each of the brands in the Oshkosh Fire & Emergency Segment. Its all about serving the needs of first responders, said Jim Johnson, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president of Fire & Emergency. Our electric vehicles designed around Oshkosh proprietary and patented technology will provide the environmental benefits fire departments request, without having to compromise on the leading-edge operational performance, functionality, safety attributes, customization, and the traditional configurations and styling customers expect from our fire apparatus.



Pierce Manufacturing  Volterra Platform of Electric Vehicles



The first Pierce Volterra zero-emissions pumper has been placed in service with the City of Madison Fire Department, making this the first electric fire truck in service in North America. The Volterra pumper is serving front line duty at Station 8, the City of Madisons busiest fire station. The department is led by Fire Chief Steven Davis and is made up of 14 fire stations serving an area of nearly 100 square miles and a population of over 250,000.



The City of Madison is committed to many sustainability initiatives allowing us to meet our needs without compromising those of future generations, said Chief Davis. Pierces Volterra electric pumper allows us to keep an environmentally-conscious focus on reducing emissions while maintaining our traditional pumper configuration without impacting our operational procedures. We are eager to lead change by responsibly supporting our environment together with achieving our critical daily missions.



City of Madisons Volterra Electric Vehicle Configuration:

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Enforcer custom chassis

Expanded occupant space and visibility

Seating capacity: 6

GVWR: 42,000 lb

TAK-4  Independent Front Suspension

1500 GPM single stage pump

500 Gallon water tank

Compartmentation: 150 cu ft plus ladder storage

Hose capacity: 1000 of 5 / 850 of 2.5

155 kW hour battery pack to meet the City of Madisons daily duty cycle

Volterra Electric Vehicle Operation:



An Oshkosh patented parallel-electric drivetrain featuring an electro-mechanical infinitely variable transmission allows zero-emissions operation when powered by the integrated onboard batteries, and can be coupled to the internal combustion engine to provide continuous and uninterrupted power to the pumping system or drive system

Exceptional operational range tailored to the fire departments needs and duty cycle for full-shift operation

Fire station-based, all-encompassing vehicle charging infrastructure provided by an established nationwide energy supplier offers a thorough, simple, and fast charging solution

In partnership with the City of Madison Fire Department, Pierce will continue the final development, evaluation, and on-highway certification process for the Pierce Volterra electric vehicle.



Oshkosh Airport Products  Volterra Platform of Electric Vehicles



The Striker Volterra performance hybrid Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicle is also making its debut at airports across the country. Based on Oshkosh proprietary technology, the new Striker Volterra is a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) that has been developed to meet the growing emergency response and environmentally-conscious needs among airports of all sizes.



Available on the 4x4 and 6x6 chassis platforms, the Striker Volterra performance hybrid delivers unmatched chassis performance, advanced safety systems, innovative fire suppression technology, and unsurpassed reliability and durability.



Striker Volterra 6x6 Vehicle Configuration:

Modular cab design

-Center steer driving position

-Industry-leading forward visibility

-Ergonomic control placement

-Seating capacity: 5

TAK-4  all-wheel independent suspension

50 (15.2 m) Snozzle  HRET with Oshkosh K-Factor piercing tip alignment system

3,170 Gallon (12,000 Liter) water tank

444 Gallon (1,680 Liter) foam tank

2000 GPM (7,570 LPM) water pump

550 lb (225 kg) dry chemical powder system

Scania DC13 engine

Oshkosh power divider

Striker Volterra Hybrid Electric Vehicle Operation:



An Oshkosh patented hybrid-electric drivetrain featuring an electro-mechanical infinitely variable transmission allows zero-emissions operation when powered by the integrated onboard batteries, and can be coupled to the internal combustion engine to provide continuous and uninterrupted power to the pumping system or drive system

Faster acceleration: setting a new standard for performance, the Striker Volterra is capable of achieving 28% improved acceleration when fully loaded, resulting in a quickened response time

Idle reduction for up to one hour of zero-emissions standby using onboard energy storage

Zero-emission driving during entry and exit of the fire station using onboard energy storage

Available Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) options for further electric vehicle driving capabilities

Custom-engineered and extensively tested to deliver rapid response while simultaneously reducing its carbon footprint, the new Striker Volterra performance hybrid is fully compliant to NFPA 414 and ICAO standards while being certified to off-highway EPA and EU regulations.



During the next several months, the Striker Volterra performance hybrid will be showcased at airports across the United States, giving firefighters the opportunity to experience first-hand the revolutionary Volterra technology.



Oshkosh has been developing electric drives and vehicles for over 25 years, which will continue to be a critical part of our Fire & Emergency Segments vision for a more sustainable future, said Johnson. Our Volterra platform of electric vehicles reduces emissions, supports lowering total cost of ownership, and increases performance for first responders. We look forward to introducing the vehicles to fire departments around the world and will closely monitor operator feedback and opportunities for further vehicle enhancements.



To learn more about Pierce Manufacturing or Oshkosh Airport Products, and the revolutionary Pierce Volterra platform of electric vehicles, visit www.piercemfg.com or www.oshkoshairport.com. To access Pierce Volterra resources for download, view the press kit here.



About Pierce Manufacturing

Pierce Manufacturing Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation [NYSE: OSK] company, is the leading North American manufacturer of custom fire apparatus. Products include custom and commercial pumpers, aerials, rescue trucks, wildland trucks, mini pumpers, elliptical tankers, and homeland security apparatus. In addition, Pierce designs its own foam systems and was the first company to introduce frontal airbags and the Side Roll Protection system to fire apparatus. To learn more about Pierce, visit www.piercemfg.com.

About Oshkosh Corporation

At Oshkosh (NYSE: OSK), we make innovative, mission-critical equipment to help everyday heroes advance communities around the world. Headquartered in Wisconsin, Oshkosh Corporation employs more than 14,000 team members worldwide, all united behind a common cause: to make a difference in peoples lives. Oshkosh products can be found in more than 150 countries under the brands of JLG, Pierce, Oshkosh Defense, McNeilus, IMT, Jerr-Dan, Frontline, Oshkosh Airport Products, London and Pratt Miller. For more information, visit oshkoshcorp.com.

,  All brand names referred to in this news release are trademarks of Oshkosh Corporation or its subsidiary companies.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that the Company believes to be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Companys future financial position, business strategy, targets, projected sales, costs, earnings, capital expenditures, debt levels and cash flows, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, words such as may, will, expect, intend, estimate, anticipate, believe, should, project or plan or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond the Companys control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Companys business, results of operations and financial condition; the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic; actions that may be taken by governmental authorities and others to address or otherwise mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on global economies and the Companys customers, suppliers and employees; and the cyclical nature of the Companys Access Equipment, Commercial and Fire & Emergency markets, which are particularly impacted by the strength of U.S. and European economies and construction seasons.

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Attachments

CONTACT: Andrea Meyers Pierce Manufacturing 414-530-0704 andrea@streamcreative.com




Majesco Announces Cloud-Native Core Containerization Support for P&C Core Suite and L&A and Group Core Suite

Majesco, a global leader of cloud insurance software solutions for insurance business transformation, today announced cloud-native core containerization for Majesco P&C Core Suite and Majesco L&A and Group Core Suite to provide portability, agility, speed-to-market, and ease of environment consistency management for companies accelerating their business transformation on the cloud.

Majesco P&C Core Suite and Majesco L&A and Group Core Suite are built as Docker images, orchestrated using Kubernetes and deployed as Helm charts enabling customers to run on any Cloud infrastructure. With the first decomposition completed, Majesco will continue to assess the right balance of further decomposition into granular microservices based on customer and market driven demands. With parallel run validations, this transition is seamless - with no business interruptions - and requires no additional testing or change efforts for carriers.

"As an early proponent and provider of cloud, Majesco is dedicated to delivering cloud-native technologies to the insurance industry. Containerization of our core suite solutions is a testament to our commitment to deliver choice, flexibility, and relentless innovation to the insurance industry that meet the dynamically changing business and IT demands of today and tomorrow," said Manish Shah, Chief Product Officer at Majesco. "As the industry accelerates their effort to modernize, optimize, and innovate their business, Majesco is leading the way by simplifying the challenges faced by companies by breaking down silos and empowering the industry to pursue a cloud-native agenda in our highly scalable and secure applications."

With cloud-native core Containerization support, Majesco's cloud operations will be more reliable, responsive, and secure. Additional benefits include:

Consistency --Enable consistency of deployments across all environments through same app deployment structure and infrastructure configurations.

--Enable consistency of deployments across all environments through same app deployment structure and infrastructure configurations. Dynamic Scalability - Dynamic adjustments to computing resources by automatically scaling to new nodes based on load for better ROI and operational readiness.

- Dynamic adjustments to computing resources by automatically scaling to new nodes based on load for better ROI and operational readiness. Superior Availability - Separation of functionality across containers and monitor for problem detection and self-healing to deliver higher availability.

- Separation of functionality across containers and monitor for problem detection and self-healing to deliver higher availability. Enhanced Security - Applications isolation from host and each other, Kubernetes secrets for provisioning passwords/keys and automatic app management and deployment provides enhanced security.

- Applications isolation from host and each other, Kubernetes secrets for provisioning passwords/keys and automatic app management and deployment provides enhanced security. Faster Deployment - Standardized docker images enable faster deployment of Majesco Apps as well as faster patching for host OS.

- Standardized docker images enable faster deployment of Majesco Apps as well as faster patching for host OS. Cloud Platform Agnostic - Abstraction from host OS, inherent feature of containerization makes app run on any cloud platform.

- Abstraction from host OS, inherent feature of containerization makes app run on any cloud platform. Cost Effectiveness - Scaling of lightweight containers, auto-scaling and high degree of automation significantly reduce operating costs with horizontal scaling.

"The insuranc industry has embraced the cloud for their core systems, but there is still a wide gap between a lift-and-shift approach and true cloud native infrastructure," said Jeff Goldberg, EVP of Research and Consulting at Novarica. "To realize the full value of cloud adoption, insurers need systems that are made for scalable, rapid deployment, supported by ongoing updates, and that tie into a broader network of data providers and emerging solutions. The future of core systems looks less like insurers licensing a technology and more like them placing their insurance products into an ecosystem that allows them to focus on their differentiated business."

Majesco was named a Leader in the October 2020 Magic Quadrant for P&C Core Insurance Platforms, North America and a Visionary in the August 2020 Magic Quadrant for Life Insurance Policy Administration Systems, North America. The company also received an XCelent award for Depth of Service in Celent's Policy Administration Systems: North America Property Casualty Report, and named the Top "Best-in-Class" Vendor in the P&C Policy Administration Aite Matrix Report.

About Majesco

Majesco is the leading software partner to both the P&C and L&A insurance markets to modernize, optimize and innovate their businesses at speed and scale. Over 330 insurers, from greenfields, start-ups and MGAs to the largest insurers, reinsurers and brokers use Majesco's next generation SaaS (News - Alert) platform solutions of core, data and analytics, digital, distribution, absence management and a rich ecosystem marketplace of established and InsurTech partners to build the future of insurance.

Our technology, expertise and leadership help insurers innovate and connect to build the future of their business. With over 825 successful implementations and over 65% of our customers on Cloud with Majesco platform solutions, together we have an amazing track record of innovation and real-world results. For more details on Majesco, please visit www.majesco.com.

Gartner (News - Alert) Disclaimer

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005118/en/
FILE PHOTO: The logos of car manufacturers Nissan and Renault are pictured at a dealership Kyiv

By Sudarshan Varadhan and Aditi Shah

CHENNAI (Reuters) - An Indian court tasked industrial safety officials on Tuesday with visiting carmakers in the southern state of Tamil Nadu to draw up uniform safety guidelines for workers during a second devastating wave of COVID-19 infections amid the pandemic.

Workers at the Indian unit of Renault-Nissan had asked the Madras High Court for operations to be halted, saying social distancing norms were being flouted and the risk to their lives outweighed the health benefits provided by the company.

"Senior representatives from the department of industrial safety may be requested to make further visits to the Nissan-Renault manufacturing facility and...other auto manufacturing units...so that a unified set of guidelines may be imposed," the court said.

In a court filing on Monday reviewed by Reuters, the company said it wanted the state government to recommend adequate social distancing measures, based on practices at other automakers, amid the dispute with its workers union over safety.

The company added that while it was following practices at automakers such as Maruti, Hyundai, Kia, Ford and BMW, it was "impossible" to increase the space between workers beyond two feet to three feet (0.6 to 0.9 m) at some work stations.

The workers' union would file a counter petition, said M Moorthy, its general secretary.

"Other manufacturers need to adopt the best practices we are pushing for, not the other way around," he told Reuters.

"We feel unsafe, and that is why we are against what the company is doing."

The plant resumed operations last week after a strike by workers who said they felt unsafe because of a rising number of virus infections at the factory.

Tamil Nadu, home to a flourishing automobile industry, is one of the Indian states worst hit by the pandemic.

Labour unions for Renault-Nissan, Ford Motor Co and Hyundai Motor Co have written letters of protest saying arguing that hundreds of workers in the automaking hub of Chennai have fallen ill with COVID-19 and dozens have died.

Ford and Hyundai also halted work at their plants last month after workers protested and some went on strike.

(Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Clarence Fernandez)
Saturn's forecast 24-month free cash flow enough to repay senior term loan and subordinated notes in full

Mission is to continue to be an acquirer of accretive assets in Western Canada

Acquisition builds on Saturn's existing environmental, social and governance ("ESG") performance, while supplying responsibly-produced Canadian crude oil to service global market demand

Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - June 7, 2021) - Saturn Oil & Gas Inc. (TSXV: SOIL) (FSE: SMK) ("Saturn" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has successfully closed the previously announced transformational acquisition (the "Acquisition") of assets in the Oxbow area of Southeast Saskatchewan (the "Oxbow Assets") from Crescent Point Energy Corp. Saturn acquired approximately 6,700 boe/d (~95% light oil and liquids)1 with over 450 net sections of land, largely positioned across one of the most economic oil plays in North America.

Total consideration for the Acquisition was $93 million, prior to closing adjustments, and was funded through a combination of proceeds from the previously announced senior secured term loan, a best-efforts agency private placement and a concurrent non-brokered private placement. Details of the senior secured term loan and the private placement equity offerings can be found within the Company's press releases dated May 13 and June 4, 2021.

"The closing of this transformational acquisition has truly elevated Saturn to new heights and put our mark on the map for a very attractive purchase price," said John Jeffrey, CEO of Saturn. "We have added high-quality, light oil assets to our portfolio, which now features a robust long-term inventory of future development drilling targets that are highly economic at current commodity prices. The Saturn team is excited about the opportunity to generate compelling returns for our shareholders, while helping to meet the world's growing energy needs in an environmentally responsible manner under Canada's stringent regulatory regime."

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Strategic Acquisition Highlights

The Acquisition enhances Saturn's financial and operational strength through the addition of a high-quality and very low decline (12%) light oil asset base that is projected to generate robust free cash flow at current prices. Further, the Acquisition is aligned with the Company's strategy to acquire and develop undervalued, low-risk opportunities that support the building of a strong portfolio with strategic development upside. The Oxbow Assets produce primarily from the Frobisher and Midale formations, feature a sizeable inventory of targets for workover, development and optimization, and are expected to generate $65-70 million in net operating income2 over the next 12 months3.

In addition to acquiring the assets for an attractive purchase price, the Acquisition positions Saturn as one of the leading producers and land holders in Southeast Saskatchewan, offering investors exposure to numerous benefits, including:

Production increase of more than 2,000% over current volumes, with over 1,300% PDP reserves growth compared to the Company's year end 2020 reserves.

Land base increase of 775% with more than 180% growth in booked drilling locations.

Exposure to a conventional multi-zone asset base concentrated in the Midale / Frobisher formations with a large, identified low-risk drilling inventory of highly economic light oil plays 4 , significant workover opportunities, and competitive forecast returns.

The potential to generate significant annual free cash flow through the optimization and recompletion of more than 500 existing well bores over the next three years with low capital expenditures. Saturn anticipates directing approximately $5 million of annual workover capex to maintain current production levels.

Locked-in area economics with approximately 70% of forecast production hedged over the next year, 60% for the second year and approximately 50% for years three and four with incremental volumes from growth capital fully exposed to commodity prices.

Expanded scale provides increased strategic optionality to adapt to changing market conditions while financial capacity is improved due to increased cash flow generation and low leverage as Saturn anticipates being debt free in 24 months based on current strip pricing.

A strong infrastructure position with multiple sales points and capacity for future growth with 60 owned, operated and well-maintained key production facilities with excess capacity.

Strengthened ESG performance, supported by minimal freshwater usage due to no fracture stimulations and future potential to initiate an enhanced oil recovery initiative using only produced water. The Company's surface footprint will be minimized due to pipeline-connected, multi-well pad development of the Oxbow Assets, and liability clean up will be accelerated with the support of over $10 million of federal Accelerated Site Closure Program funding.

Financings

As previously announced in the Company's press releases dated May 13, 2021, May 17, 2021, May 28, 2021 and June 4, 2021, the Acquisition was funded through proceeds from an $87.0 million senior secured term loan, as well as a brokered and non brokered private placement which collectively raised total gross proceeds of $32.8 million.

As partial consideration for Prudential Capital Energy Partners, L.P. agreeing to subordinate its current loans, waive certain prior loan defaults, extend out the maturity of their existing revolving note facility and cancel 30,505,122 existing share purchase warrants with an exercise price of $0.235 and an expiry of Sept 14, 2022, Prudential will be granted 43,800,000 common share purchase warrants at a $0.16 exercise price with expiry at the earlier of the maturity date of the loan (December 7, 2024) or 12 months after early repayment of the loan facility.

Advisors

Alvarez & Marsal Canada Securities ULC ("A&M") acted as exclusive financial advisor to Saturn with respect to the Senior Secured Term Loan and the Acquisition, while Dentons Canada LLP acted as Saturn's legal counsel in connection with the Acquisition, the Private Placements and the Senior Secured Term Loan.

In connection with their engagement, on successful closing of the Acquisition A&M is entitled to receive 3,000,000 compensation special warrants exercisable into one (1) compensation option (a "Compensation Option"), for no additional consideration, at any time after the Closing, and each Compensation Special Warrant not previously exercised shall be deemed exercised on the later of (i) the day after a receipt is issued for a final prospectus qualifying the Units for distribution in qualifying jurisdictions and (ii) the date that is four months and one day following the Closing. Each Compensation Option shall entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Unit consisting of one common shares and one common share purchase warrant ("Unit Warrant") at an exercise price of $0.12 at any time up to 24 months following the Closing. Each Unit Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one common share at an exercise price of $0.16 per share for 24 months from the date of issue.

About Saturn Oil & Gas Inc.

Saturn Oil & Gas Inc. is a growing Canadian energy company focused on generating positive shareholder returns through the continued responsible development of high-quality, light oil weighted assets, supported by an acquisition strategy that targets highly accretive, complementary opportunities. Saturn has assembled an attractive portfolio of free-cash flowing, low-decline operated assets in Southeast Saskatchewan that provide an inventory of long-term economic drilling opportunities across multiple zones. With an unwavering commitment to building an ESG-focused culture, Saturn's goal is to increase reserves, production and cash flows at an attractive return on invested capital. Saturn's shares are listed for trading on the TSXV under ticker 'SOIL' and on the Frankfurt Exchange under symbol 'SMK.' Further information and a corporate presentation is available on Saturn's website at http://www.saturnoil.com/.

Investor & Media Contact:

Saturn Oil & Gas

John Jeffrey, MBA - Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +1 (587) 392-7902

www.saturnoil.com

Reader Advisory

Boe Disclosure

The term barrels of oil equivalent ("boe") may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A boe conversion ratio of six thousand cubic feet per barrel (6 Mcf/bbl) of natural gas to barrels of oil equivalence is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. All boe conversions in the report are derived from converting gas to oil in the ratio mix of six thousand cubic feet of gas to one barrel of oil.

Drilling Locations

This press release discloses drilling locations with respect to the Assets in two categories: (i) proved locations; and (ii) unbooked locations. Proved locations are derived from the Company's internal reserves evaluation as prepared by a member of management who is a qualified reserves evaluator in accordance with NI 51-101 and the COGEH effective December 31, 2020 and account for drilling locations that have associated proved and/or probable reserves, as applicable. Unbooked locations are internal estimates based on the Company's assumptions as to the number of wells that can be drilled per section based on industry practice and internal review. Unbooked locations do not have attributed reserves or resources. Of the total 444 drilling locations identified herein, 244 are proved plus probable locations and 200 are unbooked locations. Unbooked locations have been identified by management as an estimation of Company's multi-year drilling activities based on evaluation of applicable geologic, seismic, engineering, production and reserves information assuming completion of the Acquisition. Assuming completion of the Acquisition, there is no certainty that the Company will drill all unbooked drilling locations and if drilled there is no certainty that such locations will result in additional oil and gas reserves, resources or production. The drilling locations considered for future development will ultimately depend upon the availability of capital, regulatory approvals, seasonal restrictions, oil and natural gas prices, costs, actual drilling results, additional reservoir information that is obtained and other factors. While certain of the unbooked drilling locations have been derisked by the drilling of existing wells by the vendor in relatively close proximity to such unbooked drilling locations, other unbooked drilling locations are farther away from existing wells where management has less information about the characteristics of the reservoir. Therefore, there is more uncertainty whether wells will be drilled in such locations and if drilled there is more uncertainty that such wells will result in additional oil and gas reserves, resources or production.

Non-IFRS Measures

This news release contains metrics commonly used in the oil and natural gas industry, such as "operating netbacks" and "Net Operating Income". These terms are not defined in IFRS and do not have standardized meanings or standardized methods of calculation and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies, and therefore should not be used to make such comparisons.

Operating Netback: equals petroleum sales (before realized hedging gains or losses on derivative instruments) less royalties and operating costs calculated on a boe basis.

Net Operating Income: equals petroleum sales (before realized hedging gains or losses on derivative instruments) less royalties and operating costs

Future Oriented Financial Information

Any financial outlook or future oriented financial information in this press release, as defined by applicable securities legislation, including future (but not limited to) operating and fixed costs (and reductions thereto), debt levels, net operating income, has been approved by management of Saturn. Readers are cautioned that any such future oriented financial information contained herein should not be used for purposes other than those for which it is disclosed herein. The Company and its management believe that the prospective financial information has been prepared on a reasonable basis, reflecting management's best estimates and judgments, and represent, to the best of management's knowledge and opinion, the Company's expected course of action. However, because this information is highly subjective, it should not be relied on as necessarily indicative of future activities or results.

Forward-Looking Information and Statements

Certain information included in this press release constitutes forward-looking information under applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "propose", "project", "will" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Forward-looking information in this press release may include, but is not limited to, statements concerning: estimated assumed liabilities associated with the Oxbow Assets; expected production related to the Oxbow Assets; reserve estimates; future production levels; decline rates; future operational and technical synergies resulting from the Acquisition; management's ability to replicate past performance in the Oxbow Asset fairway; future negotiation of contracts; the ability of the Company to optimize production from the Oxbow Assets on the timeline provided herein; future consolidation opportunities and acquisition targets; the business plan, cost model and strategy of the Company; future cash flows; and future commodities prices.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Saturn, including expectations and assumptions concerning the receipt of all approvals and satisfaction of all conditions to the completion of the Acquisition, Private Placement, and senior secured term loan, the timing of and success of future drilling, development and completion activities, the performance of existing wells, the performance of new wells, the availability and performance of facilities and pipelines, the geological characteristics of Saturn's properties, the characteristics of the Oxbow Assets, the successful integration of the Oxbow's Assets into Saturn operations, the successful application of drilling, completion and seismic technology, prevailing weather conditions, prevailing legislation affecting the oil and gas industry, commodity prices, royalty regimes and exchange rates, the application of regulatory and licensing requirements, the availability of capital, labour and services, the creditworthiness of industry partners and the ability to source and complete asset acquisitions.

Although Saturn believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because Saturn can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general (e.g., operational risks in development, exploration and production; the uncertainty of reserve estimates; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to production, costs and expenses, and health, safety and environmental risks), constraint in the availability of services, commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations, the current COVID-19 pandemic, actions of OPEC and OPEC+ members, changes in legislation impacting the oil and gas industry, adverse weather or break-up conditions and uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures. These and other risks are set out in more detail in Saturn's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Forward-looking information is based on a number of factors and assumptions which have been used to develop such information but which may prove to be incorrect. Although Saturn believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information because Saturn can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. In addition to other factors and assumptions which may be identified in this press release, assumptions have been made regarding and are implicit in, among other things, the anticipated benefits associated with the Oxbow Assets and future operational metrics of the Oxbow Assets. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which have been used.

The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof and Saturn undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

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

All dollar figures included herein are presented in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted.

[1] As at April 1, 2021 Production report. Comprised of 6,197 bbls/d of light and medium crude oil, 149 bbls/d of NGLs, and 2,165 mcf/d of conventional natural gas.

[2] See "Non-IFRS Measures" under "Reader Advisory" below.

[3] Estimated Net Operating Income derived using assumed operating netback in respect of the Assets of $28.13/boe. Estimated operating netback was derived using estimated go-forward royalties and operating costs utilizing May 5, 2021 strip pricing which averages US$64.29/bbl; an MSW/WTI differential of US$5.00/bbl; an AECO price of $2.80/GJ; and a USD/CAD exchange rate of $1.23 all for the forecasted 12-month period from the Effective Date of April 1, 2021. The operating cost and royalty utilized for the operating netback calculation is $26.49/boe and $7.53/boe (or 11.75% of oil and gas revenue), respectively.

[4] Midale/Frobisher/Alida/Spearfish/Tilston/Red Jacket locations in SE Saskatchewan.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86773
NEW YORK, June 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. (Protalix or the Company) (NYSE: PLX). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.



The investigation concerns whether Protalix and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On June 2, 2021, pre-market, Protalix provided an update regarding the Companys clinical development of pegunigalsidase alfa (PRX102) for the proposed treatment of Fabry disease. Specifically, the Company stated in a press release that the initial top-line results show that the lower boundary of the confidence interval for the mean difference between the two treatments was below the non-inferiority margin pre-specified for this interim analysis in the ITT analysis set and above such limit in the PP analysis set. At the time of this analysis, two patients discontinued participation due to treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs). Of these two patients, one discontinued participation due to a related adverse event.

On this news, Protalixs stock price fell $0.51 per share, or 17.44%, to close at $2.46 per share on June 2, 2021.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com .

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CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

rswilloughby@pomlaw.com

888-476-6529 ext. 7980




FILE PHOTO: Tesla logo is seen on a wheel rim during the media day for the Shanghai auto show in Shanghai

By Yilei Sun and Tony Munroe

BEIJING (Reuters) -Tesla Inc sold 33,463 China-made electric cars in May, including exports, a 29% jump from April, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on Tuesday. China's new electric vehicle sales surged 177% to 185,000 cars in May from a year earlier, CPCA said. Overall passenger vehicle sales, however, rose just 1.1% to 1.66 million cars.

Tesla's China sales - accounting for nearly a third of its total sales - is closely watched as a sign of the U.S. company's health in its second biggest market, where the company has invested heavily and often changed its own marketing playbook to attract customers.

Tesla, which makes its Model 3 sedans and Model Y sport-utility vehicles in Shanghai, exported 11,527 China-made vehicles in May.

In April, it sold 25,845 China-made cars, down from 35,478 in March.

Tesla's Model 3 sedans were the best-selling electric vehicles in the country before they were overtaken by a much cheaper micro EV made by the joint venture between General Motors and SAIC Motor. The U.S. company is also facing rising competition in China from conventional EV companies such as BYD and startups including Nio Inc, Xpeng Inc.

CPCA said it expects China to sell 2.4 million electric, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell passenger vehicles this year.

Tesla is also facing scrutiny in China over its handling of customer complaints regarding quality issues.

Last month, Reuters reported that staff at some Chinese government offices were told not to park their Tesla cars inside government compounds due to security concerns about cameras installed on the vehicles.

In response, Tesla is trying to boost its engagement with regulators and is beefing up its government relations team, sources said. It has set up a data centre in China to store data locally and plans to open a data platform for customers.

(Reporting by Yilei Sun and Tony Munroe; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
Yahoo Finances Andy Serwer, Brian Sozzi, Myles Udland, and Julie Hyman discuss Googles antitrust settlement with France, and what it means for the future of big tech.

Video Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING]

JULIE HYMAN: Google has agreed to pay $270 million to French regulators as part of a settlement related to its advertising technology business. And of course, big tech's been under scrutiny in a lot of different places, particularly in the EU, on a number of different fronts. Our Editor-in-Chief Andy Serwer has been watching all of these developments. And Andy, we keep wondering if something's going to happen here on the regulatory front when it comes to big tech. I don't know if this is sort of too specific to be applied elsewhere, or if you think this is sort of a roadmap.

ANDY SEWER: You know it's another drip, Julia, is the way I would look at it. And these things all bear watching. I mean, to your point, it's not really moving the stock and that's not surprising for two reasons. One, the amount of money here at stake is small for Google. A $270 million fine. To put that in perspective, revenue last quarter is $55 billion, so that's less than 1/2 of 1% of a quarter's revenue. Now, the French said that the fine actually speaks to the amount of money here that the company made in this specific business that it thinks was due to the monopolistic practices, and I'll get back to that in a second. So that's the first reason, it's not a lot of money. And second of all, it's just in one country. It's not even pertaining to the entire EU. But it is part of a growing list, if you will, of actions taken by, not only foreign countries, but also states that are problematic for Google in some total.

MYLES UDLAND: You know, Andy, I think it might be the kind of cynical journalism way to play this, that Google wants to just pay this money because it is a better outcome, an easier outcome, as you outlined for the company than dealing with any kind of regulation. And I do wonder, from the regulator's point of view, many of them part of elected administrations and certainly have an agenda and want to have accomplishments to say, we fine company X for this. I do wonder if all these companies-- they all say, I invite regulation, they're saying I invite fines because fines are short-term, fines will come and go, fines won't harm our business. But the kind of regulation that investors are worried about, but obviously are not really pricing in, is the stuff that takes 5, 10, 15 years to go through and overhauls the business. It seems like we're very far away from that sort of event for these companies.

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ANDY SEWER: Yeah, I don't disagree, Myles. It's not really a fair fight, I think, is the point that you're making, and I agree with that. These companies are always steps ahead of regulators. In fact, that's a classic way, a lens, to look at this type of interplay between regulators and particularly big tech companies. And by the time the regulators get there, it's already a rear-view mirror sort of problem. I mean, the French here, for instance just in this case, have been working on this for three years, and the companies agreed to abide by this regulation for three years going forward. And they're going to be working every single second of every single day-- they being Google, of course-- at ways of mitigating the negative effects of this remedy. And the remedy is not so onerous anyway. It's just opening up their internal tools a little bit to competitors in terms of their ad platform.

It's kind of complicated stuff. It's the old DoubleClick business that they bought years ago, and, basically, they're competing with their customers internally. So it's always a head-scratcher for governments and politicians. And to your point, Myles, also yeah, it's a nice little pelt to put in on your trophy case if you're a lawmaker, you can say, yeah, I got this out of Google's hide. But in the greater scheme of things does it really change the business for Google or for its competitors. I mean, we'll see if the people who are competing with Google in the ad space on the platform are going to start to complain again just in a matter of say months or years.

JULIE HYMAN: And Andy, on a somewhat related note, here in the US, Axios reporting this morning that a conservative advocacy group is sending letters to Republican lawmakers, telling them not to accept money from big tech, not to accept donations from big tech. And it seems like both parties, for very different reasons, are trying to distance themselves from the industry as they try to take a look at regulating it.

ANDY SEWER: Yeah, I mean, there's not a whole lot of places, Julie, where Democrats and Republicans agree. I mean, you're seeing the stuff just to sort of take a tangent here, and China is one area. Big tech a little bit. Although, the money thing's interesting, because I'll be interested to see whether that really sticks. Because there is a lot of money sloshing around there and for these politicians to say they're never going to take any money from big tech. Well, we'll wait and see. They all say big tech is bad, et cetera, et cetera, and we should do something about it. But because they disagree for different reasons, or because they don't like tech for different reasons, it's going to be very hard for them to regulate. We've talked about this before, conservatives say, let's say, Facebook and Google oppress conservative voices, whereas liberals say they interfere with elections and those sorts of issues. So they're not on the same page there. They both think they're bad but not for the same reasons, and that's going to make regulating these companies very difficult.

JULIE HYMAN: Indeed it is. The siren call of the big money donations. Thanks so much, Andy. Appreciate it. Good to see you this morning.
He urged the justices to side with Marchant and hold that, "regardless of whether [the] plaintiffs ever had any sort of enforceable property right, that right was extinguished by the 2020 law and that law is perfectly Constitutional."

It is not known when the Supreme Court will rule in the cases. If the plaintiffs lose they could potentially appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, possibly further delaying any removal of the statue.

To that end, Heytens told the justices, "as of today, June 8, 2021, the governor has been enjoined from acting for an entire year, as of today, despite having prevailed on the merits in every single challenge seeking to block his actions.

"For that reason I think it is critically important that the court not only affirm the circuit court's decision on the merits, but also to make clear that the injunction pending appeal is immediately dissolved and that the new status quo is that the governor may act unless plaintiffs succeed in obtaining a new injunction from this court or a higher court," Heytens said.

Joseph E. Blackburn Jr., an attorney representing Gregory, also asked the justices to reverse Marchant. His client, said Blackburn, "is here to stop the sovereign, from doing what the sovereign can't do and to stop the sovereign from breaking its word."
Virginia Tech had initially determined that it could not require a vaccine because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has only allowed the emergency use of the vaccines and hasnt given them its full approval, but its now considering what a vaccine mandate would look like on its large campus with various people who come and go. Its not issued a directive at this time.

Then Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring issued an opinion in April that said public institutions may condition attendance in various activities or settings on receiving a vaccine. He said its up to individual institutions whether or not to require it to protect public health.

In my opinion, a COVID-19 mandate by a state college or university would be reasonable to control COVID-19 and prevent a campus outbreak, Herring wrote. He added that institutions should provide reasonable accommodations for those who dont get vaccinated because of medical conditions or religious objections.

There is some urgency for universities to make a decision soon about a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. With residence halls opening in August, it can take about six weeks between a first dose in a two-dose vaccine and reaching full vaccination. Virginia Tech students must report they have received their necessary vaccine doses by Aug. 6.
Tuesday

Walk-in COVID-19 vaccination clinic, 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Three Rivers Public Health Department, 2400 N. Lincoln Ave., Fremont. Those interested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine can register at vaccinate.ne.gov. Recipients must be 19 or older or 18 with a parent, wear a mask and not currently be ill or receive convalescent plasma or monoclonal antibodies for COVID-19 in the past 90 days.

Imprint Designz ribbon cutting, 9-10 a.m., 653 N. Main St., Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, noon, Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Narcotics Anonymous meeting, 1 p.m., LifeHouse, 723 N. Broad St., Fremont. The hotline number is 402-459-9511.

Fremont Eagles Club open, 3 p.m. to 12 a.m., 649 N. Main St. The club may close early depending on business.

Bike Rodeo, 4-6 p.m., Smith Park, Fifth and Beech streets, Wahoo. All ages are invited to bring their bike to participate in the bike safety obstacle course. Helmets will be available for children who need them with a parent or guardian present. Food and water also will be provided.
Officer James Deemer knew something was wrong.

It was night when he and a K9, named Katie, made a traffic stop in Iowa, where the dog detected the odor of drugs. The driver was outside the vehicle as Deemer and Katie made a search in and around it.

Nothing was found.

As I was talking to the driver, she kept putting herself in front of me to protect me from that driver, because she could smell the odor coming from that person, he said.

Since nothing was found in the vehicle, Deemer said he didnt have the right to search the noticeably nervous driver and so he released him.

Then Deemer learned the suspect had a warrant for his arrest. Deemer arrested the suspect and searched him for weapons. Thats when he found drugs in one of the suspects pockets.

Although Deemer wouldnt say the dog saved his life, Katie definitely detected what shed been trained to find.

Many years later, Deemer is an officer with Valley Police Department and he has a new K9, named Sonic. The 16-month-old Belgian Malinois is undergoing training.
President Biden has recognized and honored the leadership role that farmers, ranchers, forest owners, and fishers already play in the conservation of the nations lands, waters and wildlife, and has made clear that his administration will support voluntary stewardship efforts that are already underway across the countrys lands and waters, the report stated. This commitment includes a clear recognition that maintaining ranching in the West  on both public lands and private lands  is essential to maintaining the health of wildlife, the prosperity of local economies, and an important and proud way of life.

Alan Meyer, a Saunders County resident who lives near Cedar Bluffs, spoke in favor of the initiative during the Monday town hall. He pointed specifically to the May preliminary report, noting that the plan is a goal rather than a mandate and that private property rights would be honored and sustained.

I am really tired of opposition to proposals or programs primarily because they come from the other party, he told Ricketts. With that in mind, my suggestion is that you view this as an opportunity instead of a threat.

Rather than focusing on what he described as a fear mongering campaign, Meyer implored Ricketts to use his time and energy to utilize the Legislature to ensure that the initiative benefits Nebraskans.
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Auburn strengthened its status as the nation's leading academic institution for additive manufacturing research last week during the Army Additive Manufacturing, or AM, Summit hosted by the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering.

More than 100 researchers and officials, including those representing the U.S. Army, NASA, the FAA, General Electric and ASTM International attended the all-day June 2 summit, which was designed to support the Army's exploration into integrating AM technology into its ground and air vehicles.

Click here to read more about the AM Summit.
But for all the talk about new ways to cooperate, reining in corruption and improving living conditions in the region have been long-running challenges that previous administrations have been unable to achieve in their efforts to stem the tide of migration to the United States.

Part of the challenge remains that, despite the best efforts of U.S. officials, corruption underpins many of the regions governments. Indeed, Giammattei himself has faced criticism over his handling of the issue.

Last month, two lawyers who are outspoken critics of Giammatteis administration were arrested on what they say were trumped-up charges aimed at silencing them.

And the selection of judges for Guatemalas Constitutional Court, its highest, was mired in influence peddling and allegations of corruption. Giammattei picked his chief of staff to fill one of the five vacancies. When Gloria Porras, a respected force against corruption, was elected to a second term, the congress controlled by Giammatteis party refused to seat her.

On Monday, Giammattei seemed less than eager to address those issues.
This agreement builds on the last decade of responsible Republican-led budgets resulting in a boom decade that put North Carolina on a strong trajectory to recover from the recession, Berger and Moore said in the release.

Reaching this milestone means Senate Republicans can roll out a budget and pass it in roughly two weeks. Moore told colleagues later Tuesday it will be well into July before the House can offer and pass a competing plan. The two chambers will then negotiate a final package to send to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. Coopers budget proposal would spend $26.6 billion. Both figures are below the $27.35 billion in revenues that state economists estimated four months ago would come in next year.

Coopers successful involvement in those negotiations will say a lot about whether he will sign the budget into law or veto it, as hes done three times since 2017. A budget stalemate between Cooper and legislative leaders in 2019 never got fully resolved, leading to the passage of category-specific spending bills similar to those Berger suggested would have emerged without an agreement. There's no threat of a government shutdown without a budget in place come July 1 because state law keeps agencies operating.
An arrest warrant has been issued in Lancaster County for a 42-year-old Sioux City, Iowa, man who faces felony sex assault charges in both Nebraska and Iowa.

Five days after Ernesto Canales was arrested June 2 in Woodbury County, Iowa, on suspicion of second-degree sexual abuse, a Nebraska warrant was issued for his arrest relating to a charge of first-degree sexual assault of a child.

The warrant and charge in Nebraska come after a 14-year-old girl told her father April 21 that Canales had "been raping her for years," according to court records detailing an investigation conducted by the Lincoln Police Department's Special Victims Unit.

A week after the father's initial report, investigators interviewed the girl, who told them Canales first began inappropriately touching her when she was about 7 years old, according to court records.

The girl told investigators that Canales began having intercourse with her when she was about 11. She said Canales had intercourse with her "almost every day" while she was in middle school, according to court records.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is urging countries with troops departing Afghanistan to accelerate programs to resettle the Afghan staff who served with them during two decades of war.

The United States, Australia, Britain, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and other countries should urgently accelerate visa processing and relocation efforts ahead of the planned withdrawal of their troops by September 11, amid fears that the Taliban will target Afghan interpreters, translators, embassy staff, and other assistants to foreign forces, the New York-based human rights group said in a statement on June 8.

Afghans who worked with foreign troops or embassies face huge risks of retaliation from the Taliban, said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director. Departing countries should commit to assisting Afghans who reasonably face danger because of their work with foreign forces.

The Taliban said in a June 7 statement that Afghans who worked with foreign forces in the past have nothing to fear once international troops leave if they "show remorse for their past actions."

They also must not engage in such activities in the future that amount to treason against Islam and the country," the militant group added.

But HRW warned that the insurgents have long targeted civilians, particularly those they accuse of working for the Afghan government or foreigners.

On May 26, General Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Washington was very, very rapidly developing plans to evacuate interpreters and others who worked for U.S. forces in Afghanistan and could be at risk for retribution by the Taliban.

But the U.S. administration has not yet authorized any expedited plans to relocate about 18,000 Afghan applicants awaiting a decision on their Special Immigrant Visa applications, according to HRW.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged that there are about 18,000 applicants currently in the pipeline. Half of them have expressed interest but havent filled out the necessary forms or made the applications, while the other 9,000 are actively in the process, he said.

The State Department is requesting additional special immigrant visas to make sure we can accommodate all 18,000 in the pipeline.

Speaking before a Senate committee on June 8, Blinken said additional employees had been brought on board at the State Department in Washington to help process the applications.

Some senators sought assurances from Blinken that he would place a high priority on protecting people who had assisted the United States, as well as their families.

Britain has announced it would also expedite relocating Afghan staff who worked for the British government in Afghanistan and their families, but HRW cited advocacy groups as raising concerns that the program is proceeding too slowly.

The countries now withdrawing from Afghanistan have been far too slow in developing evacuation, relocation, and resettlement plans for their former Afghan employees, Gossman said.

They should recognize that normal pathways will be too slow and that expedited timetables are needed for Afghans and their families who could be hunted down because of their work for coalition forces.
Dozens of relatives of missing persons held a protest in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar to demand the safe return of their loved ones. People traveled from across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province to the June 8 demonstration, which took place in front of the Provincial Assembly and the Peshawar High Court. The protesters believe their relatives are the victims of enforced disappearance at the hands of Pakistani security forces.
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low 59F. SE winds shifting to NNE at 10 to 20 mph.
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 85F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low around 60F. SE winds shifting to NNE at 10 to 15 mph.
A global internet outage resulted in many top news and streaming websites like New York Times, Guardian, Reddit, among others, going down. However, many of the affected websites were restored and seemed to be coming back up.

A glitch at US-based cloud service company Fastly was behind the outage, as per some reports.

Earlier, British newspaper Guardian said its website and app were affected by the wider internet outage.

The Guardian's website and app are currently being affected by a wider internet outage and will be back as soon as possible - The Guardian (@guardian) June 8, 2021

Amazon.com Inc's (AMZN.O) retail website also seemed to be down. The United Kingdom's attorney general tweeted that the country's main gov.uk website was down, providing an email for queries.

The affected websites showed "service unavailable" error message.

Fastly said "the issue has been identified and a fix has been applied. Customers may experience increased origin load as global services return." Earlier, most of Fastly's coverage areas were facing "Degraded Performance", the company's website showed.

Meanwhile, Twitter users took the outage as an opportunity to share jokes and memes on the micro-blogging website.

So much of the Internet is down, but everything that I need for work is still up and working pic.twitter.com/94zak2HFpV - CalmDownKidder (@calmdownkidder) June 8, 2021

#NHSDataGrab ...UK Government: "your personal data is safe and secure on our cloud based computer systems" Internet: pic.twitter.com/dryL1624li - Upon Pillars Of Dust (@PillarsOfDust) June 8, 2021

The Internet is down  pic.twitter.com/80pe0Ow8el - Knittah (@GooRee) June 8, 2021
Paid parking is planned to begin this month in the town of Green Mountain Falls following a June 1 vote of approval by the town board of trustees. Pictured is parking along Ute Pass Avenue near Gazebo Park during Green Mountain Falls Bronc Day in June 2020.
Sleep under the gaze of Bela Lugosi as 'Dracula' in Victor's Black Monarch hotel
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Concerned residents have provided a $5,000 reward to the anonymous Pikes Peak Crime Stoppers tip line for information that leads to a convicti
Highlights Realme has confirmed to India Today Tech that it will launch a robotic vacuum cleaner in India.

The launch of the Vacuum Robot will take place before Diwali.

The Realme Vacuum Robot price may be in the ballpark of Xiaomi's robotic cleaner.

Realme will launch its first robotic vacuum cleaner in India later this year, sources familiar with the development told India Today Tech. Realme will likely call it a "Vacuum Robot" and it will be a direct competitor to the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop P that Xiaomi launched last year. The Shenzhen-based company is planning its launch before Diwali, an opportune time for the highest sales of electronics in India, which also favours big discounts.

The Realme Vacuum Robot will look similar to most robotic vacuum cleaners you see on the market, and it is likely to come with sweeping and mopping functions. Features such as remote control, real-time mapping of the area, and scheduled cleaning are likely to be there on the Realme Vacuum Robot. There may also be support for Google Assistant on the robotic vacuum cleaner. The exact set of features is not clear right now, but Realme's first robotic vacuum cleaner will be supported on the Realme Link app.

Realme has confirmed to India Today Tech that it indeed is planning to launch the vacuum cleaning robot in India and that it will be a part of a bigger IoT push that it has earmarked.

There is no information on the price of the Realme Vacuum Robot, but considering the aggressive pricing the company follows, the ballpark figure may be Rs 25,000. The Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop P costs Rs 24,999 in India, while robotic cleaners from other brands such as iRobot start at around Rs 26,000.

Xiaomi's Mi Robot Vacuum Mop P

The current portfolio of Realme's AIoT products includes a smart bulb, a smart plug, a motion-activated night light, a smart scale, and a smart security camera. And Realme has been launching these products in short intervals in India, in a measure that will propel the company as a tech lifestyle brand in the market. The company is following an aggressive strategy, much like Xiaomi's that sells a good number of internet-connected products in India besides smartphones.

Realme's prime focus right now, however, is on the GT flagship series. At the recently-held global 5G summit, Realme India and Europe boss Madhav Sheth announced that the launch of the GT 5G flagship phone will take place in global markets in June, while a camera-focused GT flagship will arrive sometime in July. The Realme GT 5G debuted in China back in March as the company's answer to the Snapdragon 888-powered phones from the likes of Xiaomi and Vivo. As for the camera-centric flagship, it is likely to be different from the GT Neo but would still belong to the series. The Realme GT Neo originally debuted in China right after the launch of GT 5G, and it recently arrived in India as the Realme X7 Max. So, naturally, this camera-focused flagship will be a different phone.
"Weve had those discussions, were just pushing them hard on that, and, again, very supportive," Matson said of staff for Grassley and Ernst. "Im hoping to get help very soon."

A representatives for Grassley said staff was working to scheduled a meeting with Davenport city officials for Tuesday to discuss additional assistance from the ATF.

"Senator Grassley has said that gun crimes cannot be tolerated in our communities, and its critical that gun laws on the books be enforced at all levels of government," a spokesman said in a statement.

A representative for Ernst said the senator and her staff "look forward to continued discussion with the mayors office about ways to address these issues and to curb crime and violence in our communities."

Matson added city officials have discussed "making some changes pretty quickly and adjust some (policing) strategies" to address the increase in gun violence, but was not willing to say what those strategies might be as they've yet to be finalized.

The city as well, Matson said, is looking to add officers to its ranks and is "in a continuous recruiting process."

"Were talking about how we can recruit more," he said.
I want to meet with folks, talk with folks before I decide if theres anything I want to do differently, he said. Its important to me the physicians and staff be involved in that process.

He said he appreciates that Sovah Health-Martinsville has its own identity as a hospital, and he doesnt want to change that.

Its important to me that Sovah Health work together to make both communities healthier, but I also recognize that the hospital in Martinsville is important to the community and will always have its identity, but will continue to work together as a market for the betterment of both hospitals, he said.

Thomas and his wife never were able to sell their house in Danville, he said, so theyll live there at least at the start when they move back to the area.

He is involved with the Boys and Girls Club and the economic development organizations and chambers of commerce, he said, and would be looking at those civic involvements when he comes to the local area.

Im excited to be able to rejoin the Sovah Health team and looking forward to meeting everybody in Martinsville, Thomas said.
The task force will also try to determine if children were separated during the first six months of Trumps presidency, starting in January 2017, which was outside the scope of the ACLU lawsuit. That could raise the final number.

Of the 3,913 children, 1,786 have been reunified with a parent, mostly during Trump's tenure, parents of another 1,695 have been contacted and the whereabouts of 391 have not been established. Many who have been contacted were released to other family members.

The Biden administration has vowed to reunite parents who are still apart from their children, but the pace has been slow and it is unclear how high that number will go. The first four parents were returned to the United States last month, part of what the task force identified as an initial group of 62 people  28 from Guatemala, 20 from Honduras, 13 from El Salvador and one from Mexico. Administration officials say 29 of the 62 have received final clearances to return to the United States, which should occur after travel arrangements are made.

Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLUs immigrant rights project, said he wished the reunifications had happened more quickly but welcomed the Biden administration's efforts.
REIDSVILLE  N.C. Rep. Jerry Carter (R) returned to Raleigh to his regular work with the General Assembly on Tuesday after a hospitalization for gastrointestinal ailments, his spokesman said Monday.

Carter, 66, who represents House District 65, which includes Rockingham County, was treated for four days at Annie Penn Hospital in Reidsville for acute colitis and diverticulitis, said Teresa Lopez, his legislative assistant.

Carter was released on Memorial Day to finish recuperating at home, Lopez said.

He would like to thank all of his constituents for the prayers, the phone calls, the cards, the texts and the emails. It just moved him, Lopez said.

While hospitalized, Carter was able to tend to legislative business via computer and telephone with Lopez, she said.

Hes just looking so forward to getting back to work for his constituents, and I am so happy to have him back.

First elected to his seat in 2018, Carter is founder and pastor or Reidsville Baptist Church. He made a successful bid for reelection in November and his current term ends on Dec. 31, 2022.
REIDSVILLE  Nickellion Womack, who police say is connected to the May 29 shooting here that injured a 5-year-old girl, turned himself in to authorities on Saturday. And investigators with Reidsville Police Department are now searching for Bro Hayes, also a convicted felon, in connection with the crime.

Womack, 19, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious bodily injury and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in the incident, a spokesman for the RPD said in a Monday release.

Investigators had earlier characterized the shooting as "careless" gunplay between adults that unintentionally struck the child.

The little girl, who remains in a regional hospital where she is in good condition, was struck by a bullet in the 300 block of N.W. Market Street at around 2:40 p.m., said police, who declined to identify the minor.

Womack is being held in the Reidsville City Jail on a $500,000 secured bond, the release said.

Hayes faces identical charges, the release said. And investigators are seeking information about Hayes's whereabouts.

The RPD asks that anyone with knowledge of the crime or Hayes's location, contact Lt. Haley at 336-347- 2341 or call 911. To leave an anonymous tip, call Rockingham County Crime Stoppers at 336-349-9683. Tips leading to the arrest of Hayes may be eligible for a cash reward through Crime Stoppers, the release said.
Im not a political appointee, DeJoy told the House hearing. I was selected by a bipartisan board of governors, and Id really appreciate if youd get that straight.

When pressed on how long hed remain in his post, DeJoy responded, A long time. Get used to me.

Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan, who organized a letter signed by 90 House Democrats in August calling for DeJoys removal, said the postmaster general is a guy who obviously has a lot of confidence in himself.

He doesnt seem to understand that one of the few services that the federal government does thats in the Constitution is the Postal Service, Pocan said and we have a higher obligation to do the job correctly.

DeJoy can only be removed by a vote of the Postal Services governing board, which has nine members in addition to DeJoy and the deputy postmaster general. The Senate recently approved three new, Biden-appointed members. By law, though, no more than five of the nine voting board members can be from the same party and two existing, Democratic members have publicly supported DeJoy and his 10-year plan.

Biden could dismiss existing board members and replace them with his own appointees who might support replacing DeJoy  but hed have to show cause for doing so.
ASHEBORO  An African bull elephant named Louie is joining the Zoos herd, the North Carolina Zoo announced recently.

Louie arrived May 25 and is settling into his new habitat well, according to a news release from the zoo.

The 18-year-old male African elephant was born April 30, 2003, at the Toledo (Ohio) Zoo.

In June 2017, he went to Omahas Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Nebraska as part of their breeding program. Louies move to the North Carolina Zoo was recommended by the African Elephant Species Survival Plan through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, according to the release.

Louie is gradually being introduced to the zoos herd. The keepers hope that Louie and one of the zoos females will produce offspring.

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Male elephants are fully grown by age 25, so Louie is still expected to grow. He weighs 8,220 pounds and stands more than 9 feet tall at the shoulder. African elephants are known as the worlds largest land mammal.

He has been great and is making the transition well, Nancy Kauffman, animal management supervisor, said in the release. We are thankful to have an Omaha Zoo keeper with us to teach us all of his quirks and she has taught us so much already about this handsome guy.
RALEIGH  The government may no longer require North Carolinians to wear masks in public, but putting them on could help prevent thousands of coronavirus cases and deaths by the end of the year, according to researchers at three of the states universities.

The researchers have created a computer model that predicts coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths under various scenarios. The variables include vaccination rates and effectiveness of the vaccines, as well as adherence to measures meant to prevent spread of the virus, such as closing schools and workplaces.

According to the model, abandoning mask wearing among other preventive measures will result in a rise in coronavirus cases.

For example, Wake County, where 50% of the population has been fully vaccinated, would see 19.5% fewer infections and 18% fewer deaths by late December if people continued to wear masks and work from home than if they did not.

Statewide, under the same scenario, there would be more than 430,000 fewer infections during that time, according to the model.

That would translate into roughly 1,150 fewer deaths in North Carolina by the end of the year.
Beautiful Surry County to our north is a great destination for a daytrip or a weekend getaway. Mount Airy is pleasant and home-townish with some interesting artifacts for fans of the classic and beloved Andy Griffith Show.

Along with Yadkin County, Surry plays host to Pilot Mountain State Park, one of the most picturesque spots in the state. Its a land full of natural splendor and good people.

But be warned that before long, travelers to that area may have a little trouble getting their hands on Coca-Cola products. The Surry County Board of Commissioners recently voted to remove 12 Coca-Cola vending machines from the countys office buildings.

The truth is that visitors to Snappy Lunch wont likely have much trouble getting a Coke with their pork chop sandwiches. And we doubt that the commissioners themselves are carrying lists of Coca-Cola products to the Food Lion to be sure they dont slip up and grab Minute Maid by mistake. The commissioners surely realize that removing a few vending machines is no real threat to the multi-national, multi-billion-dollar beverage companys bottom line. Its more a symbolic gesture than anything, expressing their displeasure for Coca-Colas recent political stance opposing Georgias new voting restrictions.
Highlights The new IT rules require social media companies with over 50 lakh users to appoint a grievance officer, nodal officer, and chief compliance officer.

Facebook has updated its help page and noted that users can address their concern by visiting the Help Center or using the report links.

Meanwhile, Twitter India has reached out to the government seeking more time to comply with the new IT Rules that went into effect last month.

Social media giant Facebook has named Spoorthi Priya as its grievance officer for India on its website. Users can reach out to her through an e-mail ID and can also contact Facebook in India via post at a New Delhi address. According to the new government guidelines, social media companies with over 50 lakh users are required to appoint a grievance officer, nodal officer and a chief compliance officer and as per the rules, these personnel are required to be a resident of India.

Social media platforms are also required to publish the name and other relevant information of the grievance officer so users can reach out to them. The grievance officer has to ensure that the complaint is acknowledged within 24 hours and properly disposed of within 15 days from the date it is lodged, and receive and acknowledge any order, notice or direction issued by the authorities. Under the new rules, social media companies will have to take down flagged content within 36 hours, and remove within 24 hours content that is flagged for nudity, pornography etc.



Facebook has updated its help page and noted that users can address their concern by visiting the Help Center or by using the report links found throughout the site.

Last week, WhatsApp named Paresh B Lal as the grievance for India. WhatsApp has updated on its website that Lal can be contacted through a post box in Banjara Hills in Hyderabad, Telangana. Google too, updated its 'Contact Us' page which now shows details of Joe Grier as a contact person with an address from Mountain View, US. The page also contains details on the grievance redressal mechanism for YouTube.

Reports have also noted that social media platforms like Koo, Sharechat, Telegram and LinkedIn too have shared details with the ministry as per the requirement of the IT norms.Meanwhile, Twitter India has reached out to the government seeking more time to comply with the new IT Rules that went into effect last month.

The government has also brought stricter guidelines for social media intermediaries that will make it mandatory for platforms such as WhatsApp to identify the originator of unlawful messages. If social media companies do not comply with the new rules, it would result in these platforms losing the intermediary status which gives them immunity from liabilities over third-party data hosted by them. This means they could be held liable for criminal action in case of complaints.




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Proposals to pay for the Third Reconstruction include restoring the 2017 tax cuts of President Donald Trump to have the wealthy pay a larger share or cut the military budget by 10%, noting that 53 cents of every tax dollar goes to the military.

Organizers said they want Rosendale, a Republican, to sign onto the resolution.

A spokesman for Rosendale said Monday he does not support the resolution at this time, saying it was similar to the Green New Deal in that several parts of the proposal would be disastrous for Montana.

Beth Burk, formerly of Butte, spoke at the rally and said she grew up in a family of 13 that struggled to make ends meet. She said she was often teased by classmates for being poor. She said that a solid home, food and activities are part of the formula of a successful childhood.

Also speaking was Kat Northrup, who said her family also struggles to get by.

My story is a small one, she said. I did not grow up in poverty. I landed there as an adult.

She said she now works a full-time and a part-time job, but still has to decide each week what bills will be paid in full and what groceries will we get?
Asked whether he believed anything had been accomplished by the 13-year-case  which required untold hours of research, writing and argument and produced reams of documents  Kovacich answered in the affirmative.

There was substantially more investigation of the properties that resulted, he said, with scrutiny of the contaminants both by experts hired by the plaintiffs and by ARCO.

That additional work ultimately yielded better cleanup, Kovacich said.

And then there was the settlement, he said, reiterating that its terms are confidential.

Opportunity resident Serge Myers, 76, was similarly tight-lipped about the settlement. Myers, who worked at the smelter for about 17 years, was among those who initiated the lawsuit. He has lived in Opportunity since he was 6 years old.

Myers said wryly that he was a little more spunky when the case began.

Its been 13 years, he said. Its been a long haul. We did the best we could. Our lawyers did the best they could.

Neither John Davis, a lawyer who helped argue the case for ARCO, nor two ARCO employees familiar with the Anaconda Co. Smelter Site returned phone calls Monday seeking comment on the case.
I want to thank the staff at the Helena Orthopaedic Clinic for the outstanding work they did during my recent hip replacement surgery. Dr. Peter Hanson and his physicians assistant, Salvatore Giovenco, were the preoperative and post-operative physicians, and they also performed the surgery, as well as my first hip replacement surgery two years ago (which, incidentally had to be done twice due to my incredibly stupid attempt to do some work too soon after the surgery  TWO DAYS!). It was a pleasure working with these men during this difficult time for me. They were reassuring, encouraging, positive, informative, had a great sense of humor, understanding, and really helped me to have confidence that things would work out well for me. Dr. Hanson always let me know what the procedure would be and what recovery steps would be necessary. I had total confidence in him as a physician, which is certainly the expectation that everyone should have going into major surgery. Incidentally, it was Dr. Hansons father, Dr. Harris Hanson, who originally founded the Helena Orthopaedic Clinic in 1965.
Sunday mornings just got a bit less dry.

The Decatur City Council voted Monday to amend the citys liquor code to allow alcohol sales on Sundays between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., ending a restriction that city staff said put city businesses at a competitive disadvantage with surrounding communities.

The ordinance makes the citys liquor sales limits uniform, with the practice now restricted between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. every day of the week.

During the summer months, a benefit would be allowing residents planning to spend a day boating on Lake Decatur to purchase their alcohol in the morning, said Assistant City Manager Jon Kindseth.

So this allows them to basically, as they're gassing up their boat and getting ready to go out on the lake on Sunday morning, to get their liquor at the same time, Kindseth said. So it's really recognizing that fewer and fewer cities are trying to regulate the morals of the community, if I can say it that way, and just say if you want to buy beer at six o'clock on a Sunday morning, that's up to you.

The ordinance also makes a couple other changes:

A Class K liquor license, which allows wine and beer sales in movie theatres, is now open to any type of the theatre in downtown Decatur. Essentially, this would allow for the Lincoln Square Theater to sell beer and wine during performances.

Class L liquor license holders would be able to sell liquor for on-premises consumption. This would allow downtown retail businesses such as Murphy & Co. to offer beer and wine during their cooking classes.

The Class O liquor license, which is the designation for craft breweries, is extended to include distilleries.

Kindseth said city staff is working on a larger overhaul of the liquor code, which has many more categories than a typical city.

Council reverses course on door

The council voted 6-0 to approve a $68,400 contract with Bloomington-based Felmley-Dickerson Company for the replacement of two overhead doors at Fire Station No. 2, 2707 E. William St.

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City staff choose the company, the second-lowest bidder, over low-bidder Decatur-based Christy-Foltz due to the latter's inability to meet the city's Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) requirements.

However, there was ambiguity expressed by city staff at the last meeting that left lingering questions as to whether a good-faith effort was made by Christy-Foltz.

City Manager Scot Wrighton clarified in a memo sent to council members late last week.

"I do not believe Christy-Foltz met the requirements of the MBE ordinance, but felt it was important to apprise the City Council of their bid," Wrighton wrote.

Council members urged Wrighton and city staff to work more closely with local contractors to ensure they were aware of the MBE bidding requirements.

Mask mandate update

The council voted to updated the city's mask mandate to comply with relaxed CDC and state of Illinois guidelines.

The state, in conjunction with CDC guidelines, said in mid-May that fully vaccinated people no longer needed to where masks in public.

But Monday was the first council meeting since it happened.

Though it was still on the books, Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe said the city has not actively enforced the mandate since the update.

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DECATUR  Police said a robber and burglar who victimized the same Decatur man twice within the same week was caught when he returned to the scene of the crimes for a third time and was reported to patrol officers.

A sworn affidavit said the 42-year-old suspect was arrested May 29 at an apartment building in the 1700 block of North Water Street.

The 40-year-old victim had described him as the robber armed with a snub nose revolver who had been among three other robbers who burst into his apartment after he answered a knock at the door around 12:20 a.m. May 27.

The victim said he already knew the gunman as Tony from seeing him around the neighborhood. He advised Tony demanded the shoes he was wearing, said the affidavit, signed by Police Officer Charles Lane.

The victim advised the other three individuals started searching through the items in his apartment before taking the television in his living room, as well as a silver MacBook laptop with them.

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Lane said the victim also identified Tony as the same man who had kicked in his apartment door four days earlier and walked in demanding money. The victim is quoted as telling the intruder he had no money before the intruder left, stealing a stereo sound system as he went.

Serial robber in pajamas faces new charges, Decatur police report Police say Decatur man carried out string of armed robberies shortly after getting paroled from prison.

Lane said police got a call from the victim on May 29 to tell them that Tony was back in the apartment building for a third time and he recognized him as the man who had both robbed and burglarized him. Lane said he arrived and found the man busy chatting to other residents and explaining how he had nothing to do with anybodys door being kicked in.

But the policeman quoted the victim as being in no doubt of the robbers identity. He advised he was certain that this man was the suspect in the robbery and burglary, Lane added.

The man was booked on preliminary charges of armed robbery and residential burglary and a check of Macon County Jail records Tuesday showed he was being held in custody with bail set at $150,000, meaning he must post a bond of $15,000.

If he makes bail, he is ordered to stay away from the victim. All preliminary charges are subject to review by the state attorney's office.

Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid

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Joining hundreds of colleges across the country, Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond will require its on-campus students to be vaccinated this fall, the university announced Monday.

Students who take classes, work or live on campus are required to report their vaccination by July 15.

This requirement will allow our students to safely learn, live, gather and experience college at its best, the universitys administration wrote in a message to students.

Nearly 500 colleges nationwide will require immunizations, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, including 17 schools in Virginia. George Mason University, James Madison University and the University of Mary Washington are among the colleges that recently added themselves to the list.

Employees are not required to be vaccinated, but they are encouraged to do so. VCU is requiring staff to report their vaccination status to the university.

VCU will honor religious and health exemptions, the university said. Those exempt will be required to wear masks, perform surveillance testing and daily health checks and quarantine as necessary. Vaccinated students are exempt from those requirements.
Poots won a two-person contest last month to lead the DUP, the senior partner in the Catholic-Protestant power-sharing government in Belfast. He thanked Foster for her excellent work."

Poots broke with tradition by deciding to not take up the post of first minister himself. Poots, who will retain his position as agriculture minister, said he wants to concentrate his energy on rebuilding and reforming the DUP following a period of rising discontent and division.

Early indications are that the tensions remain. Outgoing economy minister Diane Dodds said it was regrettable that the new team does not match the rhetoric about healing and bringing the party together.

The party, which is rooted in the fundamentalist Free Presbyterian Church, opposed Northern Irelands 1998 peace accord. It later became reconciled to it and has shared power with the Irish Republican Army-linked party Sinn Fein.

The power-sharing relationship has often been strained, but it is Britains economic split from the European Union at the end of 2020 that has really shaken the political balance in Northern Ireland, a part of the U.K. where some people identify as British and some as Irish.
With the new iPadOS 15 showcased at the WWDC 2021, Apple is focusing on bringing in an improved and intuitive multitasking experience. Split View and Slide Over will be easier to discover and use. There will be new widget layouts for the Home Screen and App Library, a translate feature for translating text and conversations, and new privacy controls.

"We're excited to make the iPad experience even better with iPadOS 15," said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering. "With more intuitive multitasking, a new Home Screen design with integrated widgets and the App Library, systemwide note taking with Quick Note, Translate designed for iPad, SharePlay, a redesigned Safari experience, new tools to stay focused, and more, users can now be even more productive."

Working with multiple apps is likely to be easier with iPadOS 15. A new multitasking menu will appear at the top of apps, letting users go into Split View or Slide Over with a tap. Users will have quick access to the Home Screen when using Split View. The new shelf will help users multitask with apps that have multiple windows like Safari and Pages, as well as quickly preview emails. The external keyboard will have new keyboard shortcuts and a redesign menu bar as users will be able to quickly set up and switch between Split View and Slide Over with new shortcuts for multitasking from the keyboard.

With the iPadOS 15, Widgets can be placed among apps on home screen pages, for access to more information at a glance. Designed specifically for the larger display of the iPad, a new, larger widget size would be able to show videos, music, games, photos, and more. The new OS will also bring new widgets for App Store, Find My, Game Center, Mail, and Contacts. The App Library will automatically organise apps into helpful categories like Productivity, Games, and Recently Added, and allowing access to all their apps right from the Dock.

Quick Note and Organising with Tags

Apple is also making note-taking easier to capture and organise thoughts. Notes go systemwide with Quick Note. Users will be able to bring up Quick Note while using Safari or apps, to jot down a thought and add links. Even Notes also has new ways to organise, collaborate, and capture information. Tags too will make it easy to categorise notes and find them quickly with an all-new Tag Browser and tag-based Smart Folders.

Redefined Safari experience

Apple says Safari gets a new tab design to help see more of the page while browsing. A new tab bar takes on the colour of the webpage and combines tabs, the toolbar, and the search field into a single, compact design. Tab Groups will offer a new way to easily save and manage tabs -- that can come in handy for planning trips, shopping, or storing frequently visited tabs. Tab Groups also sync across Mac and iPhone.

Additional feature on iPadOS 15 includes universal control to let the user work with a single mouse and keyboard to move between iPad and Mac, drag and drop content back and forth between devices and more. Designed to protect user privacy, Siri supports on-device speech recognition, and audio of Siri requests is processed entirely on iPad by default.

The VoiceOver screen reader will use on-device intelligence to explore objects within images, enabling users to discover more details about people, text, table data, and other objects within images. Support for third-party eye-tracking hardware enables users to control iPad using only their eyes. Background sounds play continuously and mix into or duck under other audio and system sounds to mask unwanted environmental or external noise, and help users focus, stay calm, or rest.

The developer preview of iPadOS 15 is available to Apple Developer Program members starting today, and a public beta will be available to iPadOS users next month. The final release is scheduled towards the end of this year, most likely in October. Also, these new software features will be available as an update for iPad mini 4 and later, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, and all iPad Pro models.

Also read: Apple unveils iOS 15 at WWDC 2021

Also read: Apple brings FaceTime to Android, Windows via web browser

Also read: Apple to shift to 3-day work weeks from September
A veteran with a fever and hacking cough that suggest a possible coronavirus infection tries to make a doctors appointment, only to be turned away by a receptionist who personally decides the would-be patient cant see a physician.

A former service member and sexual assault survivor at risk of suicide is denied access to mental health services by a bureaucratic gatekeeper stationed at the therapists front desk.

These are two of thousands of examples of veterans seeking the Veterans Affairs health care theyre legally entitled to  and being wrongly refused it. This is due to a pervasive misunderstanding, and misapplication, of the rules regarding other-than-honorable discharges.

Among veterans this refusal is based on what is known as having bad paper. The bad paper designation can be based on minor misconduct, such as being late to morning formation, showing disrespect to a superior or one-time drug use.

Being turned away is an institutional shortcoming that can be easily remedied  not by an act of Congress, or time-consuming changes to federal rules, but instead through administrative corrective steps that can be taken at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
As one of the most memorable school years in history winds down, state and local school leaders are considering how to make the most of the $190 billion federal dollars in COVID-19 relief flowing to our nations public schools.

The wise course of action would be to fund initiatives that address both the short-term impacts of the pandemic, while laying the groundwork for long-term student success. Fortunately, some states have already taken this approach with money from the first round of federal relief aid, distributed through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act.

In California, state leaders used $45 million in CARES funding to start a competitive grant program for expanding and sustaining school programs that provide student health, mental health and other support services, as well as training to local personnel. In Ohio, Cincinnatis school district used CARES money to offer students summer learning programs that address both short-term learning loss due to the pandemic and provide learning opportunities that could be sustained when schools resume in the fall.

In each of these cases, state leaders were guided by whats known as the community school strategy.
President Biden has pledged to help narrow the racial wealth gap and reinvest in communities that have been left behind by failed policies. He used the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa race massacre in Greenwood, a thriving African American community ravaged by a racist mob in 1921, as the occasion to promise more federal contracts for minority-owned companies and address discrimination in home appraisals for black families.

The Tulsa mob murdered more than 300 Black men, women and children over a two-day period, May 31 to June 1, forcing thousands to flee for their lives while watching their homes and businesses burn to the ground. No one was ever held responsible for the devastation.

But Bidens Tulsa appearance and speech continues a narrative favored by Democrats that reinforces the wrong belief that African Americans can do nothing without government. Of course, if government were their savior, would it not have solved all the problems Democrats continually talk about, but do little to fix?
Whether we are talking about offshore wind or other renewables such as hydrogen, expanding the energy portfolio of the Gulf of Mexico will depend upon a robust offshore oil and gas industry, he said in an emailed statement.

Offshore oil and gas companies are building wind farms in the Atlantic, Milito said. He said he expects the government proposal to generate interest, but companies will need time to study and understand the market.

Although the main focus is on wind energy, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is also seeking information on other renewable energy technologies, the Interior Department said.

As part of the Biden administration's push for renewable energy, the Department of Energy has $3 billion in loan guarantees available to support offshore wind. It also has pledged $500 million to improve ports from which the huge turbines would be hauled out to sea.

California and the U.S. government announced an agreement last month to open up areas off that state's coast to the Pacific coast's first commercial wind energy farms, using floating turbines.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The authoritarian president of Belarus signed a law Tuesday that allows prison sentences of up to three years for participating in an unsanctioned demonstration, the latest move in a relentless crackdown on protests against his rule after nearly 27 years in power.

Previously, taking part in unauthorized demonstrations was punishable by fines or brief jail terms ranging from several days to two weeks. The bill President Alexander Lukashenko signed permits judges to sentence people convicted of joining at least two unauthorized protests over a year to up to three years in prison.

The revised law also toughens the maximum punishment for the rude violation of public order from three years to five years in prison. Belarusian authorities have leveled those charges widely against participants in months of protests fueled by Lukashenko's reelection to a sixth term in an August election that was widely seen as rigged.

More than 35,000 people were arrested and thousands beaten by police during the government's response to the unrest. Belarusian authorities also have relentlessly cracked down on journalists, including blocking several major news websites and outlawing opposition-leaning messaging app channels as extremist.
Australian exporters have lost billions due to would-be buyers negative perceptions of the Australian governments anti-encryption legislation, according to the first formal evaluation of the legislations impact since it was controversially passed in late 2018.

Formally known as the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018 (TOLA)  often referred to as the Encryption Act  the legislation gives law enforcement authorities several ways of forcing companies to provide access to data encrypted by their software.

The new analysis, commissioned by the Internet Society and conducted by Law & Economics Consulting Associates (LECA), concluded that TOLA has the potential to result in significant economic harm for the Australian economy and produce negative spillovers that will amplify that harm globally.

Despite widespread concern  that the bill was a bridge too far, would damage Australias international reputation, and that it had been formulated and passed too hastily  the Australian Federal Police used the powers 12 times in the first half of 2019 and 19 times during 2019-20, the agency revealed in a submission tabled last August.

Other law-enforcement bodies have pressed the case for TOLA, with ASIO expressing frustration at the industrys recalcitrance about TOLA  but eight out of the nine multi-billion-dollar tech companies granting empirical interviews to LECA said they had negative impressions of the law and were not fully convinced by the governments promise to limit the scope of TOLAs application.

TOLA had presented new economic risks for three reasons, the LECA analysis found, including through an increase in business uncertainty; harm to the brand image of designated communications providers in Australia; and the indirect threat that TOLA poses for trust in digital services.

These direct and indirect effects are likely to be broad-based and accumulate over time as effects ripple through the economy, the analysis warns, also noting that the non-disclosure rules and secrecy shrouding TOLA activity provide a significant barrier to collecting evidence of TOLAs economic impacts.

Measuring the economic impact

LECAs research included a survey of 79 companies identified as being potentially impacted by TOLA, of which 54 were headquartered in Australia.

Only 10 per cent of respondents said they had positive feelings about TOLA, with 62 per cent saying they had quite or very negative perception of the law.

Four out of 10 respondents said that TOLA had impacted their business in one or more ways  with damage to product development and marketing decisions (impacting 31 per cent), OPEX/CAPEX (21 per cent), customer relations (16 per cent), vendor relations (16 per cent), sales (16 per cent), and the reputation of the business (14 per cent).

Of the respondents that had experienced an impact from TOLA to date, fully 36 per cent said the legislation had affected the risk environment for their business globally and 28 per cent said it had impacted the confidentiality, security, or privacy of their encrypted services.

One of the surveyed companies said TOLAs damage to its brand image had caused it to lose current and future sales in the order of $1 billion  consistent, the report noted, with the expectation that the potential direct economic harms can be quite large.

That kind of economic damage, Internet Australia chair Dr Paul Brooks said, reflects the significant impact that critics of the law warned about years ago.

The government did not commission any economic impact assessment of these laws when initially proposed, he said in launching the research, despite the dangers of significant economic impact being highlighted throughout several parliamentary and independent enquiries over the past years.

Overall, 10 per cent of respondents said their global revenues had been impacted negatively by the law, while 21 per cent said their investment in encrypted services had been hit.

R&D investment also had taken a battering, with 22 per cent investing less in new product development due to TOLA; 19 per cent saying their global R&D expenditure had declined; and 19 per cent reporting that the legislation had hit the global value of their brand or reputation.

Fully 12 per cent said theyd had trouble attracting good staff to work for their business because of TOLA.

Rather than forcing critics of TOLA to justify their opposition, the analysis argues, the potential economic impact suggests that the burden of proof should be shifted to evaluating the case for why TOLA is expected to yield significant benefits since the risk of significant harms posed by TOLA is clear.
Heritage Landscape Supply Group Inc., McKinney, Texas, has acquired two distributors. The first, Southern Stone Supply, is an independent distributor of pavers, natural and manufactured stone, aggregates, and other landscape products headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. The company was founded in 2016 by partners Eric Mullen and Tucker Thorpe, who will both continue to lead the company under the Southern Stone Supply banner, ensuring continuity and consistency for employees, customers and supplier partners.

We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to grow our footprint in North Carolina with our first location in the Triangle region, says Matt McDermott, president of Heritage. We are fortunate to have Eric, Tucker and their team of customer-focused employees join the Heritage family. Southern Stone Supply will make an ideal addition to our growing footprint across the Southeast.

Heritage also has acquired Scott Stone, a family-owned distributor of pavers, natural and manufactured stone, aggregates and other landscape products headquartered in Mebane, North Carolina. The company was founded in 1985 by the Scott family and employs a team of more than 30 employees. The company currently operates across three locations in Mebane, Raleigh and Greensboro with over 16 acres of inventory on the ground across the combined platform. Scotts employee base will continue to run the company going forward, ensuring continuity and consistency for customer and supplier partners.

I am pleased to announce the acquisition of another great family-owned and operated business, says McDermott. We are honored that Steven and Linda Scott chose to join Heritage over many other options, and we look forward to building on the companys legacy in the coming years. The combined strength of Scott Stone, Southern Stone Supply and future growth opportunities across the Carolinas will help us create one of the leading landscape supply platforms in the region.
(PA)

Activist investor Cevian Capital today declared it had taken a near-5% stake in insurance giant Aviva and demanded the company returns 5 billion to shareholders.

That would represent a third of the current stock market value of the entire company.

Aviva is currently in the middle of a dramatic shake-up under chief executive Amanda Blanc, who has overseen a flurry of major disposals to focus down on its core insurance work in the UK, Ireland and Canada.

Cevian, famed for demanding a major overhaul at Pearson and others, backed her and chairman George Culmer in their attempts to revitalise the group, but ratcheted up the pressure on them to perform, also pushing for an eventual doubling of the dividend.

It said: Aviva has been poorly managed for many years, and its high quality core businesses have been held back by high costs and a series of bad strategic decisions.

However, it now has the potential to become a focused and well-capitalised market leader that produces profitable growth, generates significant cash, and is highly appreciated in the equity markets.

It added that it expects the good divestments Blanc has announced to be completed, saying following this, Aviva should be able to return 5 billion of excess capital in 2022.

Costs are moving in the right direction and we expect the ambition level to be raised over time - we see potential for cost reductions of at least 500 million by 2023.

A focused and high performing Aviva should be worth at least 800p a share in three years, with dividends more than doubled to 45p, it said.

Shares today jumped 13.4p to 424.1p.

Cevian first started building up its stake in Aviva after the companys August strategy update last year. It issued the statement today because it was about to go through the 5% mark at which international investors must disclose their positions.

At 4.9% today, it is the second largest shareholder behind BlackRock.

Sources said Blanc had met multiple times with Cevian.

Story continues

While the overall tone of the statement was supportive, some pointed out that the return to shareholders of 5 billion was higher than many were currently expecting.

Analysts have pencilled in upwards of 3.5 billion.

Others pointed out that, on both that and the dividend demands, Aviva would need to get permission from City regulators, persuading them it was financially strong enough to afford them.

Blanc has stressed that some of the returns she gets from her disposals has to pay down its relatively high debt levels before going back to shareholders.

Since arriving in July 2020 she has sold ventures in France, Singapore, Vietnam and Italy.

The e3 billion February plan to sell France being the most significant as it was the largest and most complicated division to sell.

It had diverse business lines and numerous joint ventures, plus liabilities from a catastrophic legacy product from the 1990s that practically guaranteed profits for investors and losses for Aviva.

While classed as an activist, Cevian does not always agitate for change. At Avivas rival RSA, where it built up a 15% holding, it famously supported chief executive Stephen Hester in his radical shakeup of the company.

Since it demanded new management at Pearson, the shares have increased around 40%.

It previously took an 8% stake in Old Mutual, which also underwent a major restructuring afterwards.

Founded in 2002, it is the biggest dedicated activist investor in Europe, currently holding stakes in 11 companies in six countries including ABB, Ericsson and Nordea bank.

It manages e16 billion for pension funds and other institutional investors, holding onto the shares it buys for an average of five years and taking one to three investments a year in companies it feels could be improved, or are underappreciated.

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Azerbaijan flag (Credits: Reuters Pictures)

Baku [Azerbaijan], June 8 (ANI/Sputnik): The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday that a member of the Armenian armed forces' sabotage group was detained after crossing into the Lachin sector of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border for laying mines on the Azerbaijani territory.

"On June 8, a reconnaissance and sabotage group of the Armenian armed forces took advantage of unfavorable weather conditions and crossed into our territory at the Lachin sector of the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border. Thanks to the vigilance of the Azerbaijani army units deployed there, a member of the group, serviceman Artur Kartaryan, was detained. The rest of the group retreated and left this territory," the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"According to the preliminary investigation, the enemy reconnaissance and sabotage group aimed at laying mines on our territory," the statement read. (ANI/Sputnik)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar (file photo)

New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will pay an official visit to Kenya from June 12-14, confirmed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday.

According to an MEA statement, Jaishankar will chair the third meeting of the India-Kenya Joint Commission meeting along with his Kenyan counterpart. The meeting will review all aspects of the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

The last meeting of the Joint Commission was held in New Delhi in March 2019.

According to the MEA, Jaishankar will also meet with other ministers of the Kenyan government to take forward the India-Kenya relationship. The development partnership is an important aspect of the relationship between the two countries which the visit will seek to deepen.

The external affairs minister will also interact with the Indian-origin community, which is an important bridge between India and Kenya.

Meanwhile, India and Kenya are currently serving in the United Nations Security Council and are also members of the Commonwealth. Kenya is an active member of the African Union, with which India has long-standing ties. (ANI)
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New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI): S. lnbasekar, presently the Director in the Ministry, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, the Ministry of External Affairs (EAM) informed on Monday.

lnbasekar is a 2004 batch Indian Foreign Service officer.

"S. lnbasekar (IFS:2004), presently Director in the Ministry, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Independent State of Papua New Guinea," the MEA said in a statement.

He is expected to take up the assignment shortly. (ANI)
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Seven-year-old Russell Bright squeezed his dads hand tightly as tests of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine started Monday in Louisiana for children ages 5 through 11.

Children held stuffed animals, played under chairs and a few cried at Ochsner Medical Center, just outside New Orleans. Their temperature and blood pressure were checked, their noses swabbed and their blood drawn for tests. Finally, they got a shot of either the vaccine or a placebo.

Ochsner is among 98 facilities in 26 states, the District of Columbia, Finland, Poland and Spain where the tests are taking place or planned.

Families wont know for six months whether their children actually were vaccinated. At that point, children who didn't get the vaccine will have the chance to do so.

The Pfizer vaccine was approved May 10 for children aged 12-15.

Adam Bright, whose younger son Tucker, 5, also is participating, said it was worth the chance to be a part of the trial.
CHARLESTON  The Embarras River Basin Agency, Inc. (ERBA), in cooperation with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity through the Community Services Block Grant, will have scholarships available for income eligible individuals who want to attend college this fall.

ERBA serves the following nine counties: Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Jasper, Lawrence and Richland. A limited number of $500 scholarships will be awarded to eligible applicants in each of these counties.

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To be eligible for consideration, applicants must be attending an Illinois college, university or community college as a full-time student during the fall 2021 semester, have at least a C average, and must meet Community Services Block Grant income guidelines. All interested individuals are encouraged to apply.

You may pick up an application at the local ERBA office in the county which you reside or at www.erbainc.org, and schedule an appointment to return your completed application before Friday, June 18.

The Coles County ERBA office is located at 696 Castle Dr. Charleston. Call 217-500-3120.

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Dixon got in touch with Foxx and visited her several times last year during the pandemic to make the 16-minute Believe in Ghosts.

I felt connected to this story and felt the urgency to give it a visual platform, Dixon wrote on the films website. I too grew up in the country, the deep south of Georgia. Only my version of history comes through the lens of a white woman  with farmers in my past no doubt perpetuating the systemic injustices. At that moment, I knew I wanted to work with Samantha on a visual portrait, an educational story.

Shot during last summers many racial protests over the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Blacks, the film takes on the issue of race and how it relates to a female Black farmer in North Carolina. We watched months of demonstrations and heard voices that have echoed the same hurt and anger that seems to haunt this country year over year the racism that is firmly planted in the soil of America, Dixon said.

The resulting 16-minute film combines footage of Foxx with that of Floyd, Martin Luther King Jr. and civil-rights activist Fanny Lou Hamer.

You see a lot of what I do day to day, Foxx said. But it intertwines that with the history of Blacks and Black farmers.
But of what sort? Modifieds such as those run by locals at Bowman Gray? ARCA? The Camping World Truck Series? Or perhaps the Big Daddy NASCAR Cup Series itself?

I dont know. You hear rumors, Settle said.

A series of races, perhaps as many as five in a season from one of the smaller divisions, could mean as much as $40 million to the local economy. Thats the whole area, not just North Wilkesboro, he said.

Settle is smart enough (and old enough) to remember what racing meant to the bottom line and the sense of civic pride. Thats why he was among the first to say hed support the requirement of a local match of $1 for every $4 in American Rescue Plan funds.

Wed have to put in a percentage match, he said. Thats no problem for our county. Weve been smart with our money.

(Some of which comes in the form of relief to cities and counties from the federal government.)

Settle is also smart enough to know that as things stand, Coopers plan requires legislative action.

No doubt he heard Rep. Elmore when he said last month its just a proposal, a lot of moving pieces. But I hope it will hold.
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Q: In a recent article you stressed the importance of not leaving dogs in locked cars in high temperatures. The same issue shows up in many places during this time of the year. That is well and good and I agree, in theory.

But, the scenario: Im driving across the state; my very friendly 75 pound dog is traveling with me. Its just the two of us. We need to stop for a pee break. He has the pet exercise area, usually equipped with poop bags and sometimes an available water source.

What do I do? You tell me I cant leave him in the car. The state tells me I cant take him into the restroom. Do I walk behind a tree while walking him? Do I just walk him into the facilities and risk the ire of attendants and guests. There are no facilities for travelers with pets, unless you have a service dog. Not even a temporary Porta Potty. Im left with no choice but to leave him in the car.

M.M.

Answer: Capt. Van Loveland, the director of Forsyth County Animal Services, had a suggestion for traveling with pets during hot weather.

As we noted, it is never a good idea to leave an animal in a locked vehicle that is not running. Temperatures can rise quickly, resulting in the tragic death of your pet.
Roberta Kaplan, Carroll's attorney, said in a statement that it was horrific that Trump raped her client but it was truly shocking that the current Department of Justice would allow Donald Trump to get away with lying about it, thereby depriving our client of her day in court.

The DOJs position is not only legally wrong, it is morally wrong since it would give federal officials free license to cover up private sexual misconduct by publicly brutalizing any woman who has the courage to come forward, she said. Calling a woman you sexually assaulted a liar, a slut, or not my type, as Donald Trump did here, is not the official act of an American president.

In a statement, Carroll said: As women across the country are standing up and holding men accountable for assault  the DOJ is trying to stop me from having that same right. I am angry! I am offended!

Washington Justice Department lawyers wrote that Trump was acting within the scope of his office" in denying wrongdoing after White House reporters asked him about Carroll's claims.

They said: Elected public officials can  and often must  address allegations regarding personal wrongdoing that inspire doubt about their suitability for office.
I made the decision to pay, and I made the decision to keep the information about the payment as confidential as possible, Blount said. It was the hardest decision Ive made in my 39 years in the energy industry."

The company, he said, was deeply sorry for the effect of the shutdown but had to act fast as it worked feverishly to determine whether the criminal gang had compromised the operational systems or physical security of the 5,500-mile pipeline  and to try to avoid a more sustained shutdown.

Asked how much worse it would have been if the company hadnt paid to get its data back, Blount said, Thats an unknown we probably dont want to know. And it may be an unknown we probably dont want to play out in a public forum.

His appearance before the Senate comes as lawmakers consider possible measures to address the ransomware attacks that have been launched against thousands of businesses as well as state and local government agencies.

Weve got to recognize these ransomware attacks for what they are. Its a serious national security threat, said Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio. Attacks against critical infrastructure are not just attacks on companies. They are attacks on our country itself.
Voters across Peru, where voting is mandatory, headed to the polls throughout Sunday under a set schedule meant to minimize long lines. Pre-election polls indicated the candidates were virtually tied heading into the runoff. In the first round of voting, featuring 18 candidates, neither received more than 20% support and both were strongly opposed by sectors of Peruvian society.

The candidate who becomes (president), either Keiko or Pedro, the people, the only thing we have to do is accept it, but they better govern well, said Lucia Carrion, a street vendor in Lima. There is so much corruption. One of them has to stop so much corruption that there is here in Peru.

The pandemic not only has strained Perus medical and cemetery infrastructure, left millions unemployed and highlighted longstanding inequalities in the country. It has also deepened peoples mistrust of government as it mismanaged the COVID-19 response and a secret vaccination drive for the well-connected erupted into a national scandal.

Amid protests and corruption allegations, the South American country cycled through three presidents in November. Some analysts warn this election could be another tipping point for peoples simmering frustrations and bring more political instability.
In the entire time she has been in the U.S. House of Representatives, all weve had were deficits; the last budget surpluses were under the Clinton and early years of the George W. Bush administrations.

Vietnamese philosopher Thich Nhat Hanh, speaking on taking personal responsibility, wisely said, When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you dont blame the lettuce.

Steven Feldman

Winston-Salem

Doing business

The Surry County Board of Commissioners by majority vote have stated that they do not want to do business with people who hold different views of public issues from theirs (Surry votes to remove Coca-Cola machines, June 5). I can work with that.

For the past number of years, a couple or so times a year, my wife and I have entertained guests from other parts of the world/country by taking them on a tour of the Yadkin Valley wineries and buying a few bottles of wine. In the future we can still do such outings while avoiding Surry County.

If these actions are meant to be an economic hit it is all but a certainty it will first be felt by the local vendors who service those machines. What a way to treat your neighbors?
After more than a year of meeting on Zoom every month, the members of Amy Ettinger's book club recently tried something radical: They got together in real life.

The move was a fundamental departure from the routine. Ettinger had established the book club at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and she and five or six other women from around Santa Cruz, California, had met 13 times in virtual space.

From the beginning, the plan was to eventually transition into a face-to-face club. Finally, in late May, they achieved their goal, gathering outside in one member's yard.

Though the women were unfamiliar with how to act in person at first, the get-together quickly became effortless and fun, Ettinger said. The women shared stories about parenting during the pandemic. They smiled. They laughed. Sure, at some point, the women managed to discuss the book of the month, Bernardine Evaristo's "Girl, Woman, Other."

But really, it was all about bolstering connections.

"When we met on Zoom, we spent most of the time talking about the books," said Ettinger, a writer in Santa Cruz. "When we got together in person, it was like this circuit breaker experience  we talked less about the book and more about our lives. It was such a welcome change for all of us. Truly a relief."
The court convened Tuesday for an evidentiary hearing.

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Ferdico, after pointing to a previous case involving a local dairy as the crux of the defense's argument, which questions the legal authority of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, drew the comparison to Nazi-era experiments.

In her response, Kerkhofs rejected the legal semantics of the defense attorney's primary argument, which involves a 1960 case involving the Lincoln Dairy Co. And in responding to Ferdico's Nazi-era comparison, the prosecutor requested more time.

"I'd ask (for) some time to respond to that argument that a mask, as ordered by this community ... violates federal law and is somehow comparable to Nazi experimentation done on people in World War II," Kerkhofs said. "And why those two things are even remotely in the same universe."

Kerkhofs will have a week to draft her response.

In the meantime, Zimmerman will review Kerkhofs' objections to two pieces of evidence submitted by the defense  a directed health measure from the state and an order from a previous civil court case heard in Lancaster County. The prosecutor objected to the relevance of the documents.
A Lincoln man was arrested for threatening his roommate with a knife amid a series of ongoing disputes, according to police.

LPD Officer Erin Spilker said officers responded to a home near 25th and Potter streets after a man called police while barricaded in his basement with a third roommate.

That man told police that his roommate, Christopher Snyder, 29, had approached him with a knife and threatened to kill him at about 12:30 a.m. Monday, Spilker said.

The 27-year-old  who told police he and Snyder were involved in daily disputes  said he and a third roommate had barricaded themselves in the basement after Snyder threatened him with a knife, Spilker said.

Responding officers found a knife concealed in a neck gaiter Snyder was wearing, and they found two other knives nearby, Spilker said.

Snyder was arrested on suspicion of terroristic threats and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony. He was taken to the Lancaster County jail.

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Vos said all tax cuts are good but that his priorities were cutting income and property taxes for businesses and individuals. Republican budget committee member Sen. Dale Kooyenga called for eliminating entire income tax brackets and categories to cut taxes for the middle class. Vos did not rule out that idea.

I am open to negotiating with the Senate," Vos said. "If the governor would actually want to sit down and talk about what kind of tax cut, Im open to negotiating with him too.

Evers also announced that he was rescinding $300 million in budget cuts across state government ordered earlier in the pandemic, including $50 million to the University of Wisconsin System and the states technical colleges.

The rosier budget projection delivered Tuesday is based on the strength of current tax collections and vastly improved economic forecasts for the remainder of this year and the next two years, Legislative Fiscal Bureau Director Bob Lang wrote to the co-chairs of the Legislature's budget committee.

The primary factors in the improved forecast since January were the $1.9 trillion federal coronavirus relief package enacted in March, which included $1,400 stimulus checks, and the decline in COVID-19 cases and rise in vaccinations, Lang told lawmakers.
According to the motion, HHS is to give monthly reports to Appleseed and the court about its work on meeting the Oct. 1 goal for launching the additional services. If the services are implemented on time, the suit may be dismissed, the motion said.

Under Gov. Pete Ricketts' original Medicaid expansion plan, most low-income, working-age adults were to get a limited set of benefits, which included physical and mental health care and prescription drugs.

To get dental, vision and over-the-counter medications, which are covered under traditional Medicaid, applicants would have had to comply with several wellness, personal responsibility and community engagement requirements. The latter included working, volunteering or doing other specified activities for 80 hours a month.

The Trump administration gave initial approval to Ricketts two-tier plan in October last year. But President Joe Bidens administration made clear early this year that it would not approve the community engagement requirements.

In February, state Medicaid officials announced they would not implement the requirements. However, they also provided no means for the majority of Medicaid expansion participants to get the three benefits.
We must not let isolated acts, ultra-violent individuals, like there had been some also in (street) protests, dominate the public debate: they don't deserve it," he said.

Macron said he didn't have specific concerns after the assault.

I greeted the people who were by the man's side and made pictures with them. I continued and will continue. Nothing will stop me, he said.

A bodyguard, who was standing right behind Macron, raised a hand in defense of the president, but was a fraction of a second too late to stop the slap. The bodyguard then put his arm around the president to protect him.

Macron just managed to turn his face away as the aggressor's right hand connected, making it appear that the president took more of a glancing blow than a direct slap.

The man, who was wearing a mask, appears to have cried out Montjoie! Saint Denis! a centuries-old royalist war cry, before finishing with A bas la Macronie, or Down with Macron.

Another video showed Macron immediately coming back after the incident, seemingly to face his assailant, and then to say hello to other members of the crowd.
With strong projected revenue in this latest budget biennium, it is clear -- it is not about the money, and it never has been. Opposition is firmly rooted in the governors political agenda and targeting Nebraskas most vulnerable, hardworking communities and the legislators fighting for them.

From killing protections for meatpacking workers and preventing paid sick and safe leave, to vetoing federally funded expansions of food (LB108) and energy (LB306) assistance, the governors actions suggest ones wealth dictates ones worth. He has done everything in his power to ensure not a single bill crosses his desk to suggest otherwise.

What has passed with the governors blessing? Another $100 million in corporate tax cuts on top of $400 million in corporate tax incentives passed in August 2020 with LB1107. Nearly $1.5 billion in budget appropriations to property tax relief and a few million more in special interest tax exemptions.

These have been forced through the legislative process by the governor and supporters, with no regard for the strong separation of powers existing in our state constitution to maintain nonpartisanship in the Legislature, unique in its effectiveness to uphold the will of Nebraska voters.

This session has proved, once again, big corporations and wealthy landowners are revered and rewarded by Governor Ricketts. Meanwhile, hardworking Nebraskans and their children and families are left in the wake. One might rightfully wonder just who exactly is "the good life" for and how anyone else is supposed to get it.

Hadley Richters is CEO of the Holland Childrens Movement, which is based in Omaha.

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Debater No. 2s words were from McConnells May 19 Senate speech, where he opposed creating a new commission  and vowed to use the Senates archaic filibuster rule to block it. And in an extraordinary plea that put personal political gain above patriotism, McConnell privately pleaded with GOP senators to vote for a filibuster as a personal favor. Why? Because he mainly wants to be majority leader again. And he doesnt want to anger Trumps voters.

Trump, of course, is always just about Trump. As a panicky political novice, he first revealed his fear of being a certified loser by repeatedly declaring the only way he could lose is if the election was rigged. And ever since he lost in 2020, thats all weve heard from him.

Its just gotten worse. A tweet from The New York Times Maggie Haberman said Trump has told his pals he expects he will be reinstated as president by August  which cannot happen in our constitutional democracy.

Meanwhile, one politician has just shown McConnell what a truly patriotic leader can do to heal a politically fractured nation that is consumed by the politics of hate. To find the answer, McConnell must look halfway around the globe  in, of all places, famously fractious Israel.
If there's anything the last year has taught us, we cant guarantee anything. But we can say with pretty sure confidence that the likelihood of COVID affecting the National High School Finals is the same as a tornado affecting the National High School Finals. -- Hoyt Kraeger, business development manager at the Lancaster Event Center and a former National High School Finals Rodeo participant and University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate, on the July event expected to draw 30,000 people to Lincoln.

"Our librarians provide windows to the world for all of our students. Without a school librarian in every building, not only will instruction be lost to our students, but our libraries' collection in general will fall apart." -- Chris Haeffner, LPS director of library and media services, on a proposal that could allow school districts in the state to cut most librarian positions.

"People are here; people look happy and healthy. It's been kind of a wild ride, but I'm excited it's happening." -- Madeline Reddel, Jazz in June coordinator, as it returned to an in-person event. Jazz in June was online-only last year due to COVID.
In July 2017, fake blood was thrown at the entrance of the Lincoln office of Sen. Deb Fischer. The police were called, and an investigation was started.

Police linked the act to a group called Betsy Riot, which described itself as a small, feminist, pro-gun control, neo-suffragette resistance movement. The group encourages petty vandalism to further their agenda. The blood was fake, and no one was injured.

On Jan. 6, the United States Capitol was stormed by a mob of thousands of people, many carrying Trump banners, trying to disrupt the the joint session of Congress assembled to count the electoral votes and formalize the election of Joe Biden as president of the United States.

Actual blood was spilled in the halls of the Capitol, hundreds of people were injured, many of them security personnel trying to protect the senators and congressmen and lead them to a safe area.

There was $30 million worth of damage. One person was shot and killed, and a large number of Capitol security staff were injured. Many in the mob chanted Hang Pence as the vice president was being accompanied out of the Capitol building.
RTHK: Hardline unionist named N. Ireland's first minister

Regional lawmaker Paul Givan will serve as Northern Ireland's next first minister when incumbent Arlene Foster steps down, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) said on Tuesday.

New DUP leader Edwin Poots announced on Twitter that the 39-year-old hardline unionist will take on the post after Foster was ousted in a party coup over her handling of Brexit.

At Northern Ireland's regional government at Stormont, Poots said Givan and other new ministers will take up their posts on Monday, cutting short Foster's plan to step down "at the end of June".

"There is a huge responsibility that comes with this position, particularly in serving the people of Northern Ireland," he said.

Givan is a lawmaker in Stormont, and is considered a hardcore pro-UK unionist with stringent conservative views on social issues.

He is also a fiercely loyal follower of Poots, the newly-elected DUP leader who has pledged to wage a war against new post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland.

Foster, 50, was ousted from her position at the top of the DUP, Northern Ireland's largest unionist party, after a new post-Brexit "protocol" came into effect in January.

Many unionists feel the new trading arrangements have warped the place of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom, and while the DUP has strongly opposed it they have been powerless to intervene.

Foster was considered by many in the DUP as a more compromising leader and it is expected Givan will escalate the battle against the "protocol" under the guidance of Poots.

At 18 years old, Givan's first job was as a part-time assistant in Poots' constituency and Stormont offices, according to The Belfast Telegraph.

He later worked as a special adviser to Poots before becoming a regional legislator for the Lagan Valley constituency in 2010 and was minister for communities from 2016 to 2017.

Like Poots, Givan is reported to be a creationist Christian with beliefs that the Earth was made by God, in a party with fundamentalist roots and deeply conservative views on issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion.

In 2007 he spearheaded a deeply controversial local government motion that asked school science departments in the city of Lisburn to explain plans to teach alternatives to the theory of evolution.

In 2015 Givan also put forward proposals for a controversial "conscience clause" he said was needed "to stop the civil persecution of people of faith".

Opponents claimed it was a fig leaf designed to allow discrimination against gay people in Northern Ireland.

"When I walk into Stormont I don't leave my values at the door," Givan told The Belfast Telegraph in 2014.

"My religious beliefs seek to influence every aspect of my life from trying to be a good dad, husband, citizen and politician."

Givan also had a prominent role in the collapse of Northern Ireland's power-sharing executive from 2017 to 2020.

His decision to slash funding to an Irish language scheme has been described by opponents as "the straw that broke the camel's back", prompting the three-year hiatus of regional government. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Plank backs equity position

The board also voted unanimously to postpone action on creating the director of student equity position, which was part of the corrective action plan that the district submitted to DPI.

Plank said the position would cost between $75,000 and $110,000 a year. That staff person would handle multiple issues related to race relations, including outreach to families, staff development and student discipline.

Some school board members said they want to see a detailed job description before they decide whether to move forward with creating the position.

Wishau said he would oppose the move regardless of the job description because he questions whether it would improve student performance in reading, math and other basic areas. Again, Plank responded that student performance, in fact, would improve among those students who have been isolated and made to feel that they do not belong in school because of inequities.

Other school districts are creating similar positions, Plank added. Burlington should do the same, he said, if it wants to be regarded as a top-tier school system in Wisconsin and if officials want to improve their service of underserved populations.
MILWAUKEE  Prosecutors have accused a Franklin woman of killing her friend by poisoning her with eyedrops.

Online court records show that 37-year-old Jessy Kurczewski was charged Friday with homicide and two counts of felony theft.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Monday that a criminal complaint shows the case began in 2018 when Kurczewski called police to her friends Pewaukee home, saying her friend wasnt breathing. The complaint doesnt name the friend.

A deputy found the woman in a recliner with crushed medication on her chest. Investigators initially thought she had overdosed. Kurczewski said there was a possibility her friend was suicidal.

Toxicology tests showed the woman had a fatal dose of tetrahydrozoline, the main ingredient in eyedrops, in her system. When investigators told Kurczewski tetrahydrozoline killed her friend and the scene was staged to look like a suicide, Kurczewski said it was what her friend wanted and she must have staged her own suicide.

Later, Kurczewski told investigators she brought her friend a water bottle loaded with six bottles worth of Visine. She didnt think it would kill her friend because she had been drinking it for so long.
RAYMOND  A woman is being held at the Racine County Jail for allegedly operating while intoxicated, third offense, with a passenger under 16 years old.

According to a Tuesday morning news release from the Racine County Sheriffs Office:

A deputy assigned to the Strategic Patrol Unit conducted a traffic stop for a speed violation at about 6:30 p.m. Monday on the northbound side of Interstate 94. A later criminal complaint identified the area to be near the northbound Highway G on-ramp, near Raymond.

The deputy observed the speeding vehicle weave through traffic, the criminal complaint said. The deputy was able to catch up to the operator of the vehicle.

The operator of the vehicle was identified as Davina L. Amaro, a 44-year-old, Tennessee resident. Amaro was allegedly traveling 93 mph in a 70 mph zone. A 6-year-old child also was in the vehicle.

According to the criminal complaint, Amaro said she was coming from her new residence in Tennessee to Milwaukee to see family. While speaking to Amaro, the deputy noticed a regular drinking glass in the vehicles cupholder.
RACINE  Baby Rosa fell and hit her head. She was less than a year old and her family was rushing to the hospital. Her father was driving. Sarah Weintraub, her mother, was in the backseat holding Rosa, keeping the injured infant awake.

When they got to the first hospital, they learned their insurance wouldnt cover the expenses there. They arent a wealthy family; Rosas dad is undocumented, so he doesnt even have insurance for himself.

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The nearest in-system hospital was 45 minutes away. Rosa's dad sped away. Hes usually more careful when driving, since any encounter with law enforcement could ignite a chain of events that ends with deportation, and his family left without a father. When they were pulled over, Ana Carrillo, the 13-year-old daughter sitting in the passenger seat, stared straight ahead, holding in tears of fear.

The officer let them go. Baby Rosa got to a hospital the family could afford. It all ended up OK.

But the family, which resides in Milwaukee County, says it shouldnt have been such a challenge. Weintraub is now one of the three co-chairs of the Wisconsin Poor Peoples Campaign.

Ana shared that story about her baby sisters health emergency on the steps of the Racine County Courthouse during the Wisconsin launch of the nationwide Poor Peoples Campaign.

I thought it was really dumb, really messed up  we were right there at a hospital, being told we couldnt get help  it made no sense, Ana said Monday of her familys hospital ordeal. To be at a hospital not being able to take care of her (Rosa) and our insurance to not care for her and us not able to afford it, its really not fair.

Weintraub said that at least 50 Poor Peoples Campaign demonstrations were held across more than 40 states Monday, coinciding with the one on the steps of the Racine County Courthouse. The goal is building a movement to end poverty and reforming the existing economic system that does not ensure people can meet their basic needs, Weintraub said.

"We won't be silent" A woman wearing a "We won't be silent" banner as a cape was among about 30 people gathered on the steps of the Racine County Courthouse Monday

Calls for systemic change

Organizers call it the Third Reconstruction, the first being in the aftermath of the Civil War and the second being the systemic changes brought about during the civil rights era.

They delivered a copy of the Third Reconstruction resolution to the office of U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., inside the courthouse after Mondays press conference. After delivering the packet, chants of Forward together! Not one step back! from about a dozen members echoed through the courthouse as they exited.

The demands within the resolution  proposed in Congress last month by more than 30 progressive members, including U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis, a Racine native who represents Milwaukee  would bring about structural changes, with some having bigger price tags than others. Its tagline reads Fully addressing poverty and low wages from the bottom up.

When the resolution was presented last month, Moore was quoted in the Wisconsin Examiner as saying: I mean, poverty is a deliberate thing yall  we do it on purpose.

Some demands call for more substantial changes than others. They include:

No water shutoffs for households that cant pay

Banning evictions

Ensuring higher education is free to everyone who wants to attend

Guaranteeing that the minimum wage is a living wage

Health care for all/a universal single-payer health care program that puts people ahead of profits

Forgiving all medical debt

Forgiving all student loan debt

Disinvestment in oil and other nonrenewable resources

Demilitarizing policing and borders

Tamara Patton, a Kenosha native who is now a housing case manager in Racine, said its impossible to address one of these issues effectively without addressing all of them simultaneously.

In order to eliminate poverty  we have to do all those things simultaneously, Patton said. You cant give affordable housing without giving affordable health care.

When asked for comment on the Third Reconstruction resolution, Steils emailed statement, in full, reads: I am working to ensure workers have access to family-supporting jobs. We must make it a priority to fill jobs throughout Racine and Kenosha counties, in particular along the I-94 corridor, especially as we continue to attract jobs with wages starting at $23 per hour. My priority is getting workers back to work. Additionally, our nation has a broken immigration system that must be addressed. I remain concerned that the Biden Administration is failing to deal with the security and humanitarian crises at our border.

On wages

The Rev. Yeprem Kelegian, the retired pastor from Caledonias St. Mesrob Armenian Church, said: What we need to be calling it (the minimum wage) a living wage  God wants his creatures to live  He does not want them to be minimal  I know a lot of people who work 40-60 hours a week and cannot live on it. That is theologically illogical  It is not right.

Kelegian then quoted from Jesus Christs words in the Gospel of Matthew

When you feed the poor, youre feeding me.

Added Wanda Lavender, a Milwaukee representative from The Fight for $15 and a Union: Give us what we need to provide for our families.

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The budget-writing committee will work in the days and weeks ahead to deliver meaningful tax relief where it counts most, said budget committee co-chair Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam.

When finalized by the committee, the budget will be sent to the Legislature for approval. After that, it goes to Evers, who has partial veto authority.

In light of the new projections, Evers also announced that an estimated $300 million in cost savings across 18 state agencies  which the governor called for during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic  would be returned to those departments. That includes more than $45 million to the University of Wisconsin System, $5 million to the Wisconsin Technical College System and nearly $25 million to the Department of Children and Families.

This restored funding will be significant help to our campuses as we fully open this fall, UW-System President Tommy Thompson said in a statement.

Out of the pandemic
RACINE COUNTY  Some farmers across Racine County have their watering systems in overdrive, such as Charlie Tennessen of Anarchy Acres in Mount Pleasant.

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For the farmers who dont have such systems, youre at the mercy of Mother Nature, said one National Weather Service meteorologist.

A severe drought continues to cover most of southeast Wisconsin, including Racine, Kenosha, Milwaukee and Walworth counties, due to the low rainfall amounts in the past week and drier soil conditions. Much of southern Wisconsin remains in moderate drought conditions and much of central Wisconsin has been dubbed by the NWS as abnormally dry.

Meteorologist Mark Gehring from the NWS in Sullivan said that even though rain may fall, it wont be enough to fully quench the soils thirst. Storms will most likely not be widespread.

This shortage is causing soil to dry out. Southeastern Wisconsin has had a rain shortage in the spring months of 4 to 7 inches.

Eventually this will have an effect on crops, Gehring said. The corn and soybeans are emerging and they dont look bad yet, but its not going to take much longer here if we dont start getting widespread rain.
1. Yes. Its important to address the problem before it gets worse. A bond is needed.

2. Yes. Its fine, as long as the bond isnt too large. The city doesnt need more debt.

3. No. A bond issue would just put the problem back on the taxpayers. Not acceptable.

4. No. Certificates of obligation, targeting the worst roads, would be a better choice.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say without knowing the details of what a bond would entail.

Vote

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LONDON (AP)  The U.K.s chief negotiator called on the European Union to show pragmatism and common sense, instead of threatening to retaliate, as the two sides meet to resolve differences over the deal that was supposed to keep trade flowing after Brexit.

David Frost made the comments after his EU counterpart said the bloc was ready to act firmly and resolutely if the U.K. fails to honor its commitments under the divorce agreement. The two men are scheduled to meet Wednesday in London amid rising tensions over implementation of the deal in Northern Ireland, the only part of the U.K. that shares a land border with the bloc.

Central to the talks are provisions of the deal that effectively created a customs border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K., angering many pro-British residents of the island. While Britain has called for compromise, the EU says the new rules are needed to protect the blocs single market.

Both sides fear the tensions could fuel a return to violence in Northern Ireland.
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Given the fact that there is some partisan dissent on this issue I want to be erring on the side of caution, she said. The county Executive Committee will take up the issue of the committee on Wednesday morning.

Were already unable to meet the statutory guidelines that are in the state, OMalley told the board. Its impossible. So legislative action has to happen.

First federal relief money received

OMalley told the board Monday that the county and other local governments in the area had received the first half of the American Rescue Plan funding earlier that day.

The county, which can receive up to $22.9 million through the federal COVID relief fund, received $11,461,612, he said. The second half of the funding will arrive next June.

County officials will get to decide what to spend the money on, but leadership is still working to clearly understand the guidelines, and no action has yet been taken.

So far, the county said it knows it can be used for COVID mitigation refunds, economic hardship, pay for essential workers and some infrastructure.
But now its time for a new mission, to serve our nation overseas on a mission to Europe that will strengthen our military partnerships as well as ensuring that we maintain all the liberties and freedoms we enjoy as Americans, Evers continued. The military and civilian skills that you bring are unmatched, and the Army is getting an exceptional group of citizen soldiers because you embody the values and traits that are inherent through Wisconsin upbringing  that is, things like selflessness, hard work and dedication. Thats why the Army looks to us when it needs to call on the National Guard when it needs to complete a difficult mission, because they know they are getting the best of the best when they call on the Wisconsin National Guard.
Herd immunity occurs when a high percentage of the community is immune to a disease (through vaccination and/or prior illness), making the spread of this disease from person to person unlikely.

Nearly half of eligible La Crosse County residents are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and local health care providers urge those who have not yet done so to get their shots.

As of Tuesday, 5,273,004 doses of the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson and Johnson vaccine had been administered statewide, including 120,156 in La Crosse County. A total of 58,535 La Crosse County residents, or 49.6%, have completed the vaccine series.

Gundersen Health System has given over 83,000 vaccine doses across its facilities, while Mayo Clinic Health System throughout its Southwest Wisconsin sites has provided over 50,000 doses.

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Youth 12 and older are approved to have the Pfizer vaccine, of which Gundersen has given 900 doses to those age 12 to 15, and parents are encouraged to schedule an appointment for their child at Gundersen, Mayo, Weber Health Logistics, the Community Vaccine Clinic at UW-L, Walgreens, Walmart or other vaccine sites.

The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, free and significantly lowers the risk of infection. This is especially important as many people travel, see family and friends, and enjoy summer activities that have largely returned to normal, Gundersen says.
The statement says: Research has indicated that the first pill provided, identified as mifepristone, is not always effective in ending a pregnancy. If after taking the first pill you regret your decision, please consult a physician or healthcare provider immediately to determine if there are options available to assist you in continuing your pregnancy.

The Senate backed the bill in a 31-7 vote Monday. While nearly all opposition to the measure came from Democrats, they didn't vote as a bloc. Several Democrats also voted with Republicans for the proposal. The legislation heads to Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat who opposes abortion and regularly signs anti-abortion measures into law.

Several Republican-led states have passed similar laws, though some of those laws are tied up in litigation.

Supporters of the bill said they were trying to give women who change their mind the possibility of reversing course on an abortion.

Chemical abortion takes the life of a human being. We should provide information that could save the life of a child, Amedee said during a committee debate on the proposal.
After a first-step study in a small number of young children to test different doses, Pfizer is ready to enroll about 4,500 young volunteers at more than 90 sites in the U.S., Finland, Poland and Spain.

The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech already is authorized for emergency use in anyone 12 and older in the U.S. and European Union.

Enrollment of 5- to 11-year-olds began this week. Those youngsters will receive two vaccine doses of 10 micrograms each -- a third of the teen and adult dose -- or dummy shots. Enrollment of children as young as 6 months will start in a few weeks using an even lower dose, 3 micrograms per shot.



COLUMBUS, Ohio  Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is trying to persuade citizens to get vaccinated as the state rushes to administer around 200,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine set to expire in two weeks.

The Republican governor, like his counterparts across the country, is facing slowing vaccination rates as health officials say the majority of individuals who wanted the vaccine have already received it and the rest are either vaccine-hesitant or unwilling to receive it.
Because the record as it relates to this defense is so limited, we do not here decide whether Kizer is entitled to utilize this defense at her trial, the appellate court decision states.

The defense will only be available if defense attorneys are able to show some evidence that she was a trafficking victim and that the shooting was a direct result of that, the court states.

Guidance provided

The decision then gives guidance on the meaning of direct in the trafficking law, stating that the circuit court should consider whether there is some evidence to support such a finding based on whether the victims offense arises relatively immediately from the trafficking violation of which the victim is a victim, is motivated primarily by the trafficking violation, is a local and reasonably foreseeable consequence of that violation, and is not in significant part caused by events, circumstances or considerations other than the violation.

The state could appeal the appellate court decision. Kizers attorneys could not be reached for comment on Thursday.

While the decision gives Kizers attorneys a chance at defense that could lead to her acquittal, Kizer also wrote to Wilk directly, saying she was willing to take a plea deal.
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The budget-writing committee will work in the days and weeks ahead to deliver meaningful tax relief where it counts most, said budget committee co-chair Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam.

When finalized by the committee, the budget will be sent to the Legislature for approval. After that, it goes to Evers, who has partial veto authority.

In light of the new projections, Evers also announced that an estimated $300 million in cost savings across 18 state agencies  which the governor called for during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic  would be returned to those departments. That includes more than $45 million to the University of Wisconsin System, $5 million to the Wisconsin Technical College System and nearly $25 million to the Department of Children and Families.

This restored funding will be significant help to our campuses as we fully open this fall, UW-System President Tommy Thompson said in a statement.

Out of the pandemic
State Duma MPs push idea to ban public identification of USSR with Third Reich

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

14:45 08/06/2021

MOSCOW, June 8 (RAPSI)  The lower house of Russian parliament passed a draft law banning the public identification of the role of the USSR and Nazi Germany in World War II in the second reading on Tuesday, according to a statement published on the State Dumas official website.

The Amendments to a federal law of 1995 on perpetuating the victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War are aimed at establishing a ban on public identification of the goals, decisions and actions of the leadership of the USSR and the national military command and personnel with the goals, decisions and actions of the leadership of Nazi Germany and Axis countries military command and personnel.

The authors of the initiative are State Duma lawmakers Elena Yampolskaya and Alexander Zhukov, as well as Senator Alexey Pushkov.

The bill is aimed at preserving the memory of the defenders of the Fatherland, ensuring legal protection of historical truth, the significance of the heroic deed of the people in defending the Fatherland, the parliamentarians point out.

Lawmakers deem it unacceptable to distort historical facts and belittle the role of the Soviet people in the victory over fascism. The changes proposed by the bill will become an effective and timely form of defending the decisions of the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, Chair of the State Dumas Defense Committee, Colonel General Vladimir Shamanov said earlier.
Manheim Township has agreed to pay $43,000 to settle a lawsuit in which several Skyline pool patrons claimed the pools cheeky swimsuit policy was unevenly applied to them last summer.

The settlement stems from the July 3 incident in which the pools manager asked two teens  one Puerto Rican and the other Black and Venezuelan  to either change their bikini bottoms  described in the suit as resembling thongs  or leave. The money will be paid through the township's insurer, meaning it is responsible only for a $5,000 deductible.

The girls changed, but later that day the mother of one of the girls accused Kristal Narkiewicz, the manager at the time, of committing racial profiling. Narkiewicz was fired later in July.

Narkiewicz has said the mother reacted angrily to her explanation of the policy. Ultimately, after the mother refused to leave the pool, Narkiewicz called police, following the townships policy for how employees should address abusive or threatening behavior.

Police arrived, spoke with the woman, and she left. The lawsuit was filed a week later.

The proposed settlement does not include an admission of wrongdoing by the defendants, Manheim Township and Narkiewicz, according to a copy of the proposal filed in U.S. District Court on May 24.

A June 28 settlement hearing is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Schmehl in Allentown.

Messages left for attorneys on both sides werent immediately returned Monday.

Managers suit ongoing

In a separate lawsuit related to the same incident, a different federal judge on June 2 allowed Narkiewiczs lawsuit against Manheim Township to continue.

Narkiewicz sued the township in November claiming the townships false narrative of the event  that she was fired for racist behavior  damaged her reputation and is hurting her ability to get a job.

The township earlier this year asked U.S. District Judge Joseph P. Leeson to dismiss the suit, arguing that none of its public statements were stigmatizing or false. All the township did was confirm that it was investigating the incident and, subsequently, that Narkiewicz had been fired, it argued.

A recurring theme in the publicity from the outset  through the local news reporting and social media venues  was that Narkiewiczs actions were motivated, or at least tainted, by racial bias, but none of that was put out by the township, the township wrote in court documents arguing for dismissal.

Narkiewiczs attorneys responded, The township cannot pretend that it made these statements in a vacuum  it was fully aware of the medias accusations against (Narkiewicz) and fully aware of the context of its statements to the public.

Narkiewicz contended that she was made a scapegoat.

Rather than remain silent on the issue and allow (Narkiewicz) to continue in her position, (Manhiem Township) immediately stated to the public that, as a result of the incident, it planned to re-train employees on discrimination and, ultimately, to terminate (Narkiewicz) for her purported violation of non-discrimination policies after investigation. Such behavior unquestionably created a defamatory impression  Narkiewiczs attorneys wrote.

The township has until June 16 to respond to Narkiewiczs complaint.
Lancaster County Sen. Scott Martin announced Tuesday that he may enter the 2022 Republican gubernatorial primary where, he said, he believes his strong conservative record may appeal to many types of conservatives and help him stand out in an already crowded field.

That field already includes candidates closely aligned with former President Donald Trump -- such as state Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin County, and former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta. And it includes wealthy Pittsburgh attorney Jason Richey, whos pegging his campaign to a proposal to eliminate Pennsylvanias income tax.

Enter Martin, the state senator coming off reelection to a second term representing the southern half of Lancaster County. He won that race by 11 percentage points last fall despite being outspent two-to-one by his Democratic challenger.

Martin will need to appeal to the two loudest groups of Republican voters: those who support Trump and his populist values, and those who want the party to stress traditional small government, low tax policies and are conservative on key social issues like abortion. If hes able to do this, hed be a formidable candidate, said Stephen Medvic, a government professor at Franklin & Marshall College.

Martin appears to be trying that very strategy. He said his goal is to set himself apart as a candidate with a good, solid conservative record, both as a senator and previously as county commissioner. In his announcement, he listed his top priorities as limiting government, supporting small businesses and the free market, protecting the 2nd Amendment and opposing abortion.

I want to see Pennsylvania really turn the corner, Martin said. It feels like were always the lowest rung of things, like the highest gas tax When your fastest growing age demographic is 85 and above and you have difficulty in retaining young people, all these trends tell me that were not on the right track.

Martin said he believes his record of making government work better and making tough decisions will appeal to voters.

Everyone is going to bring a different vision to the table, and well see what draws people, Martin said.

Political calculations and relationships

Martin said hes already traveled all over the state talking to Republicans about his potential candidacy, and he plans to continue these travels to reach more voters this summer before making a decision. Martins close colleague, Sen. Ryan Aument, R-Mount Joy, who represents the northern part of Lancaster County, tweeted his support for Martin Tuesday, saying he believes his fellow Lancastrian would make an outstanding governor."

Usually, candidates who announce exploratory committees have already decided to run. But that may not be the case with Martin, Medvic said, theorizing that Martin is actually using the committee for its intended purpose.

If youre a conventional politician, youre gonna be a little cautious about when you run for which office, Medvic said. Sen. Martin has a lot to do, asking the questions, Is this the right time [to run]? Is this the right office?

With the launch of an exploratory committee, Martin can now fundraise and spend campaign dollars to test the waters, Medvic noted. After his race for reelection, Martin is sitting on less than $28,000 in his campaign account as of May 3.

This exploratory committee is an informal operation at this time, Martin said in a phone interview Tuesday. It will be made up of members of the Republican Committee of Lancaster County and others within his political network. Martin plans to make a final decision about whether hell enter the race later this summer, he said.

Martin said he loves his job in the Senate, but as the states chief executive, he believes he could address broader issues with the Commonwealth where there could be a more streamlined approach.

He said he began seriously considering a gubernatorial run this winter, after a hip surgery left him with a lot of time to think about how the state is being run. After receiving his familys blessing, he decided to make his potential candidacy official on Tuesday.

Martin is a more conventional kind of candidate who could appeal to establishment Republicans, Medvic said, even though Martin holds very conservative views.

Does style trump substance? Are the theatrics that indicate youre a true Trumpian more important to Republican primary voters next year, or will it be a solid record of legislating and being a serious candidate for governor? Medvic said. Martins goal would probably be to straddle that line as perfectly as possible.

The Republican party should consider statewide electability over ideological purity, based on the outcome of the 2018 gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races, in which Trump-aligned candidates lost by big margins, Medvic said. But party leaders will also need to consider 2016, when the party threw electability out the window and supported Trump.

If Martin officially joins the race, his list of opponents is expected to include not just Barletta, Mastriano and Richey. Already running is Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale, and U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser and former U.S. Attorney Bill McSwain are eyeing the race.

Democrats, meanwhile, appear to be united around state Attorney General Josh Shapiro.

Martin mentioned he has another qualification for being Pennsylvanias next governor: "I love public speaking and engaging people and getting feedback," he said. "Ive been to many places, given speeches and am comfortable in that role."
When: Columbia Borough Council meeting, June 1.

What happened: Borough Council members agreed to pursue working with ParkMobile, an Atlanta-based company that allows customers to bypass cash and pay for municipal parking through a smartphone app or a toll-free phone number. An agreement would bring cashless spaces to Columbia but probably would increase parking costs.

Background: Cities including Lancaster, York, Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh already use the service to handle parking needs. The company has between 30 and 40 clients in Pennsylvania, including airports and universities, said Jim Cardiello, the companys senior regional sales manager.

Quotable: Its one way to offer more options, Heather Zink, council president, said after the meeting.

How it would work: Users would download the app or access the website using the internet. Customers would then follow prompts to pay for parking. Those who feel uncomfortable linking the parking program to a credit card would be able to use PayPal or a prepaid VISA card. Also, clients would be able to extend parking time from a restaurant or a meeting without physically going back to a vehicle. Finally, people still would be able to insert coins into meters and bypass the system or call a toll-free number to pay for parking. All spaces would cost the same, whether using cash or a payment card.

Cost: ParkMobile charges a negotiable percentage for every $1 in transactions. Some clients pay up to 35 cents per dollar. Zink said the borough and the parking company have not reached an agreement on charges. The fee would include the parking app, signs and an advertising campaign. In addition, the borough would pay the 3% credit card transaction fee. Columbia may want to purchase additional hand-held scanners for enforcement officers, but the borough can use grant money to pay for them, said Mark Stivers, borough manager.

Discounts and free parking: The borough would have the ability to reduce or eliminate parking costs for residents or other groups and to offer free parking during events or holiday shopping, Cardiello told council members.

Stop the fireworks: Loud and illegal fireworks explosions already have peppered Columbia more than a month before July 4th celebrations, and Mayor Leo Lutz and Police Chief Jack Brommer are asking residents for help. Its too late to call police after a loud boom, Brommer said, explaining that perpetrators usually have disappeared by the time officers arrive. Instead, Lutz wants residents to call police with any information about people planning to set off fireworks. If we get some cooperation, we can do our job,he said.

Whats next: The borough will hold a council meeting at 7 p.m. June 8, and the meeting will be streamed on the boroughs Facebook page.
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The politicians in Washington, D.C., are proposing programs costing trillions of dollars!

Most of us cannot comprehend how big a trillion is. Lets try!

First: A trillion is 1 followed by 12 zeros (1,000,000,000,000).

Second: Lets imagine giving a baby $1 for each minute he or she lives, from birth to death. How many years would the baby have to live to get a trillion dollars? Lets do the math.

 Sixty minutes per hour times 24 hours equals $1,440 per day.

 $1,440 per day times 365 days equals $525,600 each year.

 Divide $1 trillion by $525,600 to get the number of years.

Answer: The baby would have to live over 1.9 million (1,900,000) years!

Conclusion: Some politicians tell us that these trillions will be paid for by taxing the rich and corporations. Really? We know that these trillions will be passed on to our children and grandchildren. Is this fair to them?

Something for all of us to think about!

Dennis Fulmer

Manheim Township
Biden Goes to Summits in Europe with the Wrong Goal

June 7, 2021 (EIRNS)President Joe Biden, who is going to Europe later this week for summits with G7 leaders, NATO heads of state and then Russian President Vladimir Putin, wrote an op-ed published in the June 5 Washington Post, My Trip to Europe Is About America Rallying the Worlds Democracies. Biden said the purpose of his major foreign trip was, in essence, to confront and back off Putin and, in absentia, Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Claiming that his Presidency has re-established American leadership in economics and the global Green New Deal (his purpose in rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement), Biden wrote: So, when I meet with Vladimir Putin in Geneva, it will be after high-level discussions with friends, partners and allies who see the world through the same lens as the United States, and with whom we have renewed our connections and shared purpose. We are standing united to address Russias challenges to European security, starting with its aggression in Ukraine, and there will be no doubt about the resolve of the United States to defend our democratic values, which we cannot separate from our interests.

In my phone calls with President Putin, I have been clear and direct, the President went on. The United States does not seek conflict. We want a stable and predictable relationship where we can work with Russia on issues like strategic stability and arms control.... At the same time, I have also imposed meaningful consequences for behaviors that violate U.S. sovereignty, including interference in our democratic elections. And President Putin knows that I will not hesitate to respond to future harmful activities. When we meet, I will again underscore the commitment of the United States, Europe and like-minded democracies to stand up for human rights and dignity.

This goal is dangerous to try and impossible to achieve. The trans-Atlantic financial system is wracked with unemployment on a large scale, inflating rapidly and threatening to collapse. The United States and European governments have not adopted any major Marshall Plan of infrastructural rebuilding to recover from the pandemic, have lost leadership in energy sciences and the dynamics of space exploration, and in fact have not created any productive employment at all, simply handing out relief funds generated by great volumes of new government debt. The financial system centered in the City of London and Wall Street banking giants will blow upif these giants are not broken up in timerather than supporting such aggressive stances to Russia and China.

There is, in fact, only one mission Biden could take to these summits with other major powers, which would serve to advance human rights and dignity, including the human right to life and health and the dignity of a productive contribution to the future of the human race. That mission is the building of a modern system of healthcarehospitals, clinics, trained medical staffand public health monitoring in every nation in the world. The last year has shown that almost no nation has a modern healthcare system equal to a serious pandemic, and that definitely includes the nation Joe Biden now represents.

Since such a mission also requires the building of other kinds of new, high-technology infrastructure in developing nations worldwidesuch as power and clean water facilities and new housingit can only be carried out through cooperation not only with European allies, but with Russia and with China as well as other Asian technological powers. Though very unlikely to come from this President at these June summits, it is the only mission any president could achieve.
Tuesday, June 8, 2021

This is disappointing to see.



First, seeking asylum at any US border is a 100% legal method of arrival.



Second, the US spent decades contributing to regime change and destabilization in Latin America. We cant help set someones house on fire and then blame them for fleeing. https://t.co/vADyh5H0bw  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 7, 2021

On her first visit as Vice President to Guatemala, Vice President Kamala Harris had a blunt message for the Guatemalan people, including asylum seekers.

As reported by the Associated Press, Vice President Harris expressed optimism about cooperation with Guatemala on addressing the migration to the U.S. after her meeting yesterday with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei. She also delivered an unequivocal message to migrants considering making the trek: Do not come. Do not come. Not much empathy there.

VP Harris's next stop is Mexico.

KJ

UPDATE (June 9): Throughout her visit (and here), Vice President Harris was hammered on her failure as Vice President to visit the U.S./Mexico border and see in person the human impacts of migration and border enforcement.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/2021/06/vp-harris-to-guatemalan-asylum-seekers-do-not-come.html
Tuesday, June 8, 2021

By Shelby Logan (June 8, 2021)

It has been four months since the February 1st military takeover of the civilian government of Myanmar. Not only did the coup stifle democracy: It endangers women in Myanmar as the military has a history of gender-based violence. Activists fear that continued control would result in a rollback of hard-won womens rights, but even more immediate are the ramifications of military rule for the Rohingya.

The military coup puts the livelihood of 600,000 Rohingya, currently living in Myanmar, in jeopardy. Since August of 2016, the Burmese Military, Border Guard, and police forces have conducted a systematic campaign of brutal violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmars Northern Rakhine State, with Rohingya women bearing the brunt. The Rohingya have been denied free movement, citizenship rights, access to healthcare, the right to marry and the right to choose how many children to bear.

Before the coup, the militarys persecution of the Rohingya had already escalated to the point where, the Pre-Trial Chamber of the ICC authorized an investigation into crimes against the Rohingya that are within the Court's jurisdiction. Because Myanamar is not a party to the ICC, the investigation is limited to crimes where one of the elements or part of the crime took place in Bangladesh, a state party to the Rome Statute.

More recently, The Gambia filed a case on behalf of the Rohingya against Myanmar with the International Court of Justice alleging violation of the Genocide Convention. The complaint identifies elements indicating genocidal intent: among them, the restrictions on the Rohingyas ability to marry and bear children, the prevention of free movement including internment in detention camps, and hate campaigns aimed at demonizing the group. The complaint lists genocidal acts including mass executions of Rohingya men, the targeting of children, and the massive scale commission of rape and sexual violence against women.

Although the United States announced sanctions targeting the leaders of the coup, many were already subject to sanctions for the militarys treatment of the Rohingya in recent years, proving that sanctions have been inefficient in stemming the violence. History has shown the consequence of allowing genocide to go unpunished. The international community must work together to force Myanmar to cease its heinous treatment of the Rohingya.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/reproductive_rights/2021/06/women-and-rohingya-fear-continued-military-rule-in-myanmar-.html
Law enforcement agencies in several countries say they have prevented crimes and made many arrests thanks to a computer app.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) secretly operated a secure messaging service so that it would send copies of messages to its own computers. The effort was part of an operation called Trojan Shield which has led to police raids in 16 countries.

Law enforcement agencies around the world announced the operation Tuesday.

Trojan Shield led to the arrests of more than 800 criminal suspects. More than 32 tons of illegal drugs were seized. In addition, 250 guns, 55 cars and more than $148 million in cash and online currencies also were seized.

The operation started when law enforcement agencies seized a company that provided encrypted devices to suspected criminals. Then the FBI established a messaging service called ANOM which secretly sent messages to law enforcement computers.

Later, police broke up the operations of two encrypted messaging services. They were called EncroChat and Sky ECC. Suspected criminal groups used these apps to organize drug trafficking and murders.

The suspected criminals were then looking for another way to communicate. The ANOM app was then put on cell phones that the agencies changed and that were provided to suspects.

Over the past 18 months, the FBI provided the phones to more than 300 criminal groups in more than 100 countries. They were given to suspects by people who did not know about the law enforcement operation.

Calvin Shivers is the assistant director of the FBIs Criminal Investigative Division. He told reporters in The Hague that the operation helped prevent a number of crimes.

He also said the intelligence gathered and examined permitted police to prevent murders. And it led to the seizure of drugs and weapons.

The operation was led by the FBI. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the European Union police agency Europol and law enforcement agencies in other countries were also involved.

Top police officers around the world commented. They said an operation like this has never been seen. They also said it marks an important point in law enforcement history.

The ANOM app became popular in criminal groups as users told one another it was safe. However, police were secretly watching and listening as criminals discussed murders, drug shipments and other crimes.

Shivers commented on the move to take down messaging apps used by criminals. He said there was a hole that was created by the lack of encrypted apps.

He said it created a chance for law enforcement to work with international partners. Agencies not only developed a tool but also developed a process of gathering and sharing intelligence.

Law enforcement agencies from Sweden to New Zealand described the operation as having an important effect.

Linda Staaf is the head of Swedens criminal intelligence division. She said Swedish police prevented several planned murders. And they believe they have arrested several leading actors in criminal networks.

Finish police said Tuesday that nearly 100 people are being questioned. More than 500 kilograms of drugs, many guns and hundreds of thousands of dollars were seized.

German police said more than 70 people were arrested Monday and drugs, money and weapons were also seized.

In Australia, police said they arrested 224 people and seized more than 4000 kilograms of drugs and $35 million. New Zealand police said they had arrested 35 people and seized drugs and objects worth millions of dollars.

Last year, European police were able to get into the encrypted communications network EncroChat. It was used by criminal groups across Europe.

In March, Belgian police arrested several people after accessing another encrypted messaging system. Police seized more than 17 tons of the drug cocaine.

Shivers said Operation Trojan Shield took never-before-seen international cooperation, work, and new ideas. He said, the results are staggering.

Im Mario Ritter.

Mike Corder and Nick Perry reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

______________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

app  n. computer program that performs a special function

cash n. money in the form of paper bills or metal coins

currency  n. : the money that a country uses : a specific kind of money

encrypt  v. to change (information) from one form to another especially to hide its meaning

staggering  adj. very large, shocking, or surprising
WASHINGTON

(June 7, 2021)The U.S. Department of Defense announced the following contract awards that pertain to local Navy activities.No applicable data.No applicable data., is awarded amodification (P00006) to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-fee contract (N0001920C0001). This modification exercises an option to procure six AN/APG-79(V)4 radar systems. Additionally, this modification provides software, obsolescence management, engineering support and associated technical, financial, and administrative data necessary for AN/APG-79(V)4 replacement radar retrofit integration into the F/A-18C/D aircraft for the Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Forest, Mississippi (41.1%); El Segundo, California (32.6%); Andover, Massachusetts (18.3%); and Dallas, Texas (8%), and is expected to be completed in November 2022. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $20,040,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded anmodification (P00001) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract (N0001921D0008). This contract exercises an option for the production and delivery of 300 Mode 5 capable AN/APX-117A/118A/123A(V) Common Identification Friend or Foe Digital Transponder Systems and associated shop replaceable assemblies in support of fixed and rotary winged aircraft for the Navy, Army and non-U.S. Department of Defense participants. Work will be performed in Greenlawn, New York (85%); and Austin, Texas (15%), and is expected to be completed in May 2023. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The, is the contracting activity., was awarded acost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00178-20-C-2310 to exercise options for Littoral Combat Ship Independence for combat management system software support and in-service engineering support. Work will be performed in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, with the period of performance ending April 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $25,720 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year (10 U.S. Code  2410aContracts for periods crossing fiscal years: severable service contracts; leases of real or personal property). The Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded April 30, 2021), is awarded afirm-fixed-price order (N0042121F0394) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001921G0006). This order procures Lots Three and Four T-45 aircraft inlet modification retrofit kits. Additionally, this order includes associated support equipment, special tooling, logistics support, and original equipment manufacturer engineering for the Navy. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed in January 2025. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $28,339,555; and fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $23,640,729 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded afirm-fixed-price modification (P00104) to a previously awarded contract (N0001914C0050). This modification adds scope for the procurement of four VH-92A aircraft MT-1 cabin interiors and MT-1 spares in support for depot level stand up for the Presidential Helicopters Replacement Program. Work will be performed in Woodland, Washington (70%); Coatesville, Pennsylvania (10%); Wood Dale, Illinois (7%); Stratford, Connecticut (2%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (11%), and is expected to be completed in July 2022. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,218,228; fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,198,699; and fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $15,056,158 will be obligated at time of award, $15,056,158 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity.No applicable data.No applicable data., is awarded amodification (P00003) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N0001920C0047). This modification adds scope to provide production system engineering and program management support in support of CH-53K aircraft low-rate initial production. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed in June 2022. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $17,273,575 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is awarded acost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides engineering and technical support; maintenance and material management; software engineering, development, and integration; and development of logistics packages in support of command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence operational maintenance and engineering training for the Navy, Air Force, Army and other government agencies. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (60%); and St. Inigoes, Maryland (40%), and is expected to be completed in August 2026. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; two offers were received. The, is the contracting activity (N0042121D0021)., is awarded acost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides technical support and problem resolution in support of integration and sustainment of the Digital Data Set system into the T-45 aircraft. Work will be performed in Torrance, California, and is expected to be completed in May 2024. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(5). The, is the contracting activity (N0042121D0024).No applicable data., is awarded acost-plus-fixed-fee order (N0001921F0889) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001920G0005). This order provides technical and sustainment support for E-2C/D aircraft common and unique requirements for the Governments of France and Japan. Work will be performed in Melbourne, Florida (59.9%); Misawa, Japan (22.6%); Dayton, Ohio (4.4%); St. Augustine, Florida (4.3%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (8.8%), and is expected to be completed in April 2022. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $16,584,235 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity.
A discrimination case involving Asian Americans at a top public high school in the state of Virginia is moving ahead.

A federal judge in late May ruled that a parents group can dispute the admissions policy of the high school in court. The group says the new admissions policy is meant to limit the number of ethnically Asian students at the school.

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, commonly called TJ, is in Alexandria, Virginia. It is part of the Fairfax County School system. TJ was rated the best public high school in America last month by the magazine U.S. News and World Report.

However, the school accepts very few Black and Hispanic students. This year, a small percentage of students at TJ are Black or Hispanic. However, about 70 percent of students are identified as Asian. Government information shows that Asians make up about 20 percent of the population of Fairfax County.

Last year, the Fairfax County School Board changed the admissions process at the school. Before the change, acceptance to the highly competitive school was based mainly on grades and test scores.

The board said it decided to change the process to judge students holistically. That means to consider many different qualities of a person rather than a few. A difficult admissions test is no longer required. Critics of the earlier system argued that it gave an advantage to families that could pay for test preparation classes.

Now, any eighth grade student with a 3.5 grade point average or above can apply to TJ. Instead of an exam, students write an essay. Students are judged based on a portrait, which considers things like a students economic situation and whether they come from a home where English is not the main language. Seats are also guaranteed to the top 1.5 percent of students at any of the countys middle schools.

Fairfax Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand led the push for the changes at the high school. Officials say the new admissions policies are not affected by race.

We have heard from many members of the TJ communitycurrent and formerwho have raised concerns about diversity at the school, Brabrand said to the board last year. TJ must reflect the diversityof Fairfax County Public Schools.

A group, including several Asian families, brought legal action soon after the school board announced the changes. The case argues that the new admissions rules are meant to lower the number of Asian students. The group calls itself the Coalition for TJ. It is receiving legal help from the Pacific Legal Foundation, PLF, a nonprofit legal organization.

PLF lawyer Erin Wilcox is representing the families. She said in a statement, TJs attempts at racial balancing are not only illegal, but they also harm the children theyre supposedly trying to help. She said the school board is barred from choosing who can attend public school based on a persons race or ethnic group.

The TJ admissions legal case is similar to debates at other schools around the country. Often, there are few Black and Hispanic students at top public high schools. Students that attend these competitive schools are more likely to do well on SATs and other exams and attend good universities.

Stuyvesant High School is a top public high school in New York City. Similar to TJ, almost three of four students at Stuyvesant are Asian. The New York Times reported that only eight Black students out of 759 were admitted into the first-year class for 2021.

And in the San Francisco Unified School District, 34 percent of students are Black or Hispanic. But at Lowell High School, one of San Franciscos top public schools, 13 percent of students are Black or Hispanic.

A study published last year said that diversity can be good for students, both educationally and socially. Research from the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., suggests that Black students perform better on standardized tests if they go to schools with more white students.

But in the Virginia case, parents argue that the school districts policies to support racial minorities hurt a racial minorityAsian Americans.

The debate may partly be answered in the U.S. Supreme Court before the end of next year. In a case brought in 2014, a group called Students for Fair Admissions wants Harvard University to remove race as a factor in college admissions. Colleges and universities have used race and ethnicity as one of many factors in deciding who to accept.

The group says that Harvards admissions policies discriminate against Asian students. Asians make up 24 percent of the Harvard student population.

Harvard won the case in federal court in 2019 and again in an appeals court in 2020. But legal experts say the Supreme Court is likely to have its own ruling. While the case concerns a private university, Wilcox, the Coalition for TJ lawyer, told The Associated Press that a decision by the Supreme Court could affect the TJ case. The Pacific Legal Foundation supports Students for Fair Admissions side in that legal case.

Asra Nomani is a TJ parent who has led opposition to the admissions changes. She said at a press conference that the new policies are part of growing racism against Asian Americans. She said many of the TJ families are recent immigrants who came to America for a better life.

These families never could have imagined they would face such injustice in America, she said.

Im Caty Weaver.

And I'm Dan Friedell.

Dan Novak wrote this story with additional reporting from The Associated Press. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

Quiz - Legal Case Says High Schools Acceptance Policy Discriminates Against Asians Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

diversity  n the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization

advantage  n. something (such as a good position or condition) that helps to make someone or something better or more likely to succeed than others

portrait n. a detailed description of something or someone

reflect  n. to show (something) : to make (something) known

apply v. to ask for something formally, such as a job or admission to a school, usually in writing

standardized adj. describing something that has been made the same for everyone who uses it

factor n. something that helps produce or influence a result; a fact that influences a decision


The United States has been taking a closer look at unidentified flying objects, or UFOs. A report detailing what the government knows about UFOs is expected to be made public this month.

While it is not known what new information the report will include, two officials with knowledge of it said no aliens will be uncovered. The officials, speaking to The Associated Press, said the report found no link to aliens from unexplained sightings also captured on video.

The two officials did not want to be named because they did not have permission to publicly discuss the report. They said the report will not rule out the possibility that unexplained sightings could be linked to military activities involving other nations.

The main conclusions about what the U.S. government knows about UFOs have already been reported. But the full report is expected to present a more complete picture of available data.

U.S. lawmakers ordered an investigation into UFOs because of concerns about national security threats from enemies. The government resisted talking about UFOs for generations.

Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida was one lawmaker who wanted the investigation. He said, there is stuff flying in our airspace. He continued, We dont know what it is. We need to find out.

Congress late last year told the director of national intelligence to report on UFO data from multiple government agencies within 180 days. That time period is about up. The intelligence office has not said when the full document will be released.

The bill passed by Congress asked the intelligence director to provide any evidence that a possible enemy may have flight technology that could put the United States at risk.

Flight technology has become much more developed in recent years. There is concern among some U.S. officials that enemies may have technology that could be a risk to U.S. military sites, including nuclear missile bases.

But sometimes when lawmakers talk about the issue, they leave room for explanations that might not be from this planet.

Right now there are a lot of unanswered questions, Democratic Representative Adam Schiff of California recently told NBC. If other nations have capabilities that we dont know of, we want to find out. If theres some explanation other than that, we want to learn that, too.

Luis Elizondo is the former head of the Pentagons Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. He said he does not believe that unexplained sightings were another countrys technology because it would be impossible to keep that secret.

Elizondo accused the Defense Department of trying to discredit him. He said there is much more information the U.S. has on UFOs that is kept secret.

Pilots and sky-watchers have long reported UFO sightings in U.S. airspace. They seem to travel at unusual speeds or directions. In most cases, however, such mysteries are explained after an investigation.

In 1960, the CIA said 6,500 objects had been reported to the U.S. Air Force over a 13-year period. The CIA said the Air Force concluded there was no evidence that those sightings were hostile or related to alien spaceships.

Reports of UFOs have continued since then. Some people who study the subject say investigations have been limited by the stigma of the subject. They also note the government has a history of staying silent or lying about investigations of UFOs.

In 2017, The New York Times reported on a five-year U.S. Defense Department program to investigate UFOs. The Pentagon then released videos, leaked earlier, of military pilots seeing objects they could not identify.

The Navy announced in 2019 it would create an official process for its pilots to report UFOs. And in August, the Defense Department created a special group to study, search for, and record UFO sightings.

Im Dan Friedell

Nomaan Merchant and Calvin Woodward reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. Bryan Lynn was the editor.

____________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

alien  n. a creature that comes from somewhere other than the planet Earth

conclusion  n. an opinion reached after considering all the facts and information related to a subject

stuff  n. materials, supplies, or equipment

capability  n. the ability to do something

stigma  n. a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something
LEXINGTON  Vaccination efforts continue across the Two Rivers Public Health Department District, both Dawson and Gosper counties have vaccination numbers above 40 percent. There were also six new COVID-19 cases reported in the district last week.

According to Two Rivers, the new cases reported between May 28 and June 3 included three in Buffalo County, and one each in Dawson, Gosper and Franklin counties.

To date, Two Rivers has reported 10,624 total cases, 10,408 of which are no longer symptomatic and 120 deaths.

So far, 44.1 percent of Dawson County and 42.9 percent of Gosper Countys eligible population have been fully vaccinated. Looking at all seven counties in the district, 45.6 percent of the eligible population has been vaccinated, including 81 percent of those aged 65 and older.

Two Rivers continues to offer vaccination clinics, those in the area include,

Friday, June 11: Peterson Grocery Store, Gothenburg, 11:30 a.m.  1 p.m.

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Wednesday, June 23: Elwood Public Schools, Elwood, 11:30 a.m.  1 p.m. Dawson County Annex Building, Lexington, 5-7:30 p.m.


remaining of

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While many printing operations experienced a dramatic decline in business during the pandemic, R&S Marching Arts increased its production capabilities to meet the upcoming demand for marching band uniforms and flags.

In this webinar, you'll hear Alan Spaeth, co-founder of R&S Marching Arts, describe how his business unexpectedly changed because of COVID-19, and how his company upgraded their production fleet to the DGI POSEIDON dye sublimation printer from Canon Solutions America, to expand their fluorescent print production capacity. As a result, the operation finds itself well positioned to bring in new business as school districts and in-person events reopen.

You will learn:

Why the operation decided that the DGI POSEIDON was the best fit for its needs.

What types of projects the company is being asked to produce.

How the use of fluorescent dye sublimation printing propels their business.

Questions? Email us at [email protected] or give us a call at (215) 238-5300.
Registered nurse Jared Clodfelter was recently named Lompoc Valley Medical Center's newest recipient of The DAISY Award, a prestigious international award that recognizes the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care provided to patients and families every day.

An acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System, the DAISY Foundation was formed by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died from an autoimmune disease in 1999 at the age of 33. The award was inspired by the care Barnes received in the final weeks of his life.

Clodfelter, nicknamed Sparkles or Dr. Sparkles by his co-workers, is a traveling nurse from Parkersburg, Illinois, and has been based at the Lompoc Hospital's Medical-Surgical department since September 2020.

According to a nomination testimonial from the hospital's Case Management department, Clodfelter "consistently goes above and beyond and works with the interdisciplinary team to ensure that all of this patients needs are met."

Case manager and registered nurse Miranda Pierce recalled a time when Clodfelter cared for a patient with severe anxiety and helped to calm her by holding her hand and giving her a soothing manicure.

This was an example of holistic nursing, Pierce said of Clodfelter's care. You were able to see the patient as a whole and you were able to nurse her heart and soul.

Pierce also described a time when Clodfelter spent more than four hours with a gunshot victim to ensure he was ambulatory and could safely be discharged from physical therapy.

Your nursing care is the epitome of what nursing should be, Pierce said.

Other peers described Clodfelter as a team player.

"[Clodfelter] does everything that is asked of him, one nomination read. Another shared that the nurse is consistently positive and encouraging for the staff and the patients.

Other comments noted that Clodfelter radiates positivity, always leads with his heart, is always a patient advocate and is responsive to all the patients on Med-Surg even when theyre not assigned to him.

According to a hospital spokeswoman, Clodfelter expressed appreciation on receiving the award and said he was grateful for the support of his colleagues who feel more like a family.

Its not just me, its everybody here, he said. I wouldnt be the person that I am if I didnt have the people who gave me the kindness and empathy that made me into the nurse that I am.

Clodfelter received a certificate, a DAISY Award pin and a hand-carved sculpture called "A Healers Touch" by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.

Clodfelter has a bachelor's in nursing from Maryville University in St. Louis and hopes to someday become a nurse practitioner, following in the footsteps of his sister, an intensive care unit nurse.

More information about the award is available at daisyfoundation.org. To nominate a nurse at LVMC, Lompoc Health or the Comprehensive Care Center, see the nomination form at lompocvmc.com, under the Resources tab and Patient Feedback link.
The figure shows how atoms with opposing spins are separated into two streams using magnets and then brought back together, creating an interference pattern. If any external quantum processes affect the streams, this will show up in the interference pattern.| Illustration Margalit et al. Science Advances

Physicists in Israel have created a quantum interferometer on an atom chip.

This device can be used to explore the fundamentals of quantum theory by studying the interference pattern between two beams of atoms. University of Groningen physicist, Anupam Mazumdar, describes how the device could be adapted to use mesoscopic particles instead of atoms. This modification would allow for expanded applications. A description of the device, and theoretical considerations concerning its application by Mazumdar, were published on 28 May in the journal Science Advances.

The device which scientists from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev created is a so-called Stern Gerlach Interferometer, which was first proposed one hundred years ago by German physicists Otto Stern and Walter Gerlach. Their original aim of creating an interferometer with freely propagating atoms exposed to gradients from macroscopic magnets has not been practically realized until now. 'Such experiments have been done using photons, but never with atoms', explains Anupam Mazumdar, Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Groningen and one of the co-authors of the article in Science Advances.

Diamonds The Israeli scientists, led by Professor Ron Folman, created an interferometer on an atom chip, which can confine and/or manipulate atoms. A beam of rubidium atoms is levitated over the chip using magnets. Magnetic gradients are used to split the beam according to the spin values of the individual atoms. Spin is a magnetic moment that can have two values, either up or down. The spin-up and spin-down atoms are separated by a magnetic gradient. Subsequently, the two divergent beams are brought together again and recombined. The spin values are then measured, and an interference pattern is formed. Spin is a quantum phenomenon, and throughout this interferometer, the opposing spins are entangled. This makes the interferometer sensitive to other quantum phenomena.

Mazumdar was not involved in the construction of the chip, but he contributed theoretical insights to the paper. Together with a number of his colleagues, he previously proposed an experiment to determine whether gravity is in fact a quantum phenomenon using entangled mesoscopic objects, namely tiny diamonds that can be brought in a state of quantum superposition. 'It would be possible to use these diamonds instead of the rubidium atoms on this interferometer', he explains. However, this process would be highly complex as the device, which is currently operated at room temperature, would need to be cooled down to around 1 Kelvin for the mesoscopic experiment.

Free fall If this is realized, two of these atom chips could free fall together (to neutralize external gravity), so that any interaction occurring between them would depend on the gravitational pull between the two chips. Mazumdar and his colleagues aim to determine whether quantum entanglement of the pair occurs during free fall, which would mean that the force of gravity between the diamonds is indeed a quantum phenomenon. Another application of this experiment is the detection of gravity waves; their deformation of space-time should be visible in the interference pattern.

The actual implementation of this experiment is still a long way off, but Mazumdar is very excited now that the interferometer has been created. 'It is already [a] quantum sensor, although we still have to work out exactly what it can detect. The experiment is like the first steps of a baby - now, we have to guide it to reach maturity.'

###

Reference: Yair Margalit, Or Dobkowski, Zhifan Zhou, Omer Amit, Yonathan Japha, Samuel Moukouri, Daniel Rohrlich, Anupam Mazumdar, Sougato Bose, Carsten Henkel and Ron Folman: Realization of a complete Stern-Gerlach interferometer: Toward a test of quantum gravity Science Advances, online 28 May 2021.



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NatureTrack Film Festival returning The fourth annual NatureTrack Film Festival will return this year as the NatureTrack Film Festival on Tour, featuring a boutique festival Oct. 16 in Los Olivos, an organization spokeswoman said. New films will be screened along with a selection of the best films from the past three years. In 2022, the three-day format will return and include a virtual component, the spokeswoman said. Submissions for the 2022 festival will be accepted starting Jan. 1 at https://filmfreeway.com/.

Docents, volunteers and supporters joined NatureTrack founder Sue Eisaguirre on May 27 at Zaca Creek Ranch to mark the organizations 10th anniversary and celebrate those who have contributed to the success of NatureTrack, a spokeswoman said.

NatureTrack, headquartered in Los Olivos, provides free outdoor field trips to kindergarten through 12th grade students as a supplement to classroom studies.

Event guests were treated to music from O.n.E. as they mingled beneath the canopy of oaks, nibbling appetizers and sipping wine and beer, visiting the resident alpacas and llamas, reading thank-you letters from schoolchildren and teachers, and watching a film of photos from the organizations first 10 years.

Among those honored were Catalina Kett, the first recipient of the $5,000 NatureTrack Nancy Stearns Scholarship, and Sam Babcock, who was chosen to receive the Dan Conaway Docent of the Year Award for outstanding service.

Catalina graduated from Santa Ynez Valley Union High School Friday and will attend High Point University in North Carolina this fall.

Conaway's widow, Margee Lennard, presented Babcock with a hand-painted gourd containing messages of appreciation, known only to recipients, from former winners of the award.

Ten-year pins were presented to 20 volunteers and docents, and five-year pins were given to another 17.

Eisaguirre also used the occasion to announce a new program called NewTracks that will enable people who use wheelchairs or have other mobility challenges to participate in NatureTrack field trips using a Freedom Trax unit.

She said the unit quickly transforms a manual wheelchair into a battery-powered all-terrain vehicle that can traverse beach sand and trails.

Eisaguirre launched NatureTrack after working at the UCSB Sedgewick Reserve as the outreach and K-12 coordinator to provide a cost-free outdoor field trip program for all kindergarten through 12th grade students that would supplement classroom studies.

Six years later, she started the NatureTrack Film Festival to present the best international nature films and serve as a sustainable funding source for the program.

NatureTrack provided 600 students with an outdoor experience its first year and now reaches nearly 5,000 students annually, the spokeswoman said.

Since its launch, more than 25,000 students have experienced a NatureTrack docent-led hike on local trails and beaches throughout northern and southern Santa Barbara County, she said.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
This is a great opportunity for CARPC to work with MadREP on a regional approach to pandemic recovery, said CAPRC Executive Chair Larry Palm. Its important to take an integrated approach to pandemic recovery, looking at economic development along with housing, land use and transportation.

The funds will also allow MadREP to update its comprehensive economic development strategy, called Advance Now 2.0, as well as the extensive accompanying reports on industry sectors. The 900 pages of reports, released in 2019 after years of research by MadREP and University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension, examined several key sectors for the region. Now, with new data released since, the agency would like to refresh those reports before acting on their findings. The agencies have not yet determined what contractors they will hire to conduct the studies.
Senate Majority Leader Devin Lemahieu, R-Oostburg, said the projections offer a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to overhaul the state's tax code and provide "transformational tax relief for Wisconsinites."

"Just because the supply of available money went up does not mean demand has magically gone up," said Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, arguing against "knee-jerk" inclinations to spend more on government programs and services.

While Joint Finance Committee co-chair Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, credited "Republican reforms and responsible budgeting" for the state's fiscal health, Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh, praised Evers and President Joe Biden for their "strong leadership" and criticized Republicans for their modifications to the 2021-23 state budget.

For months, legislative Republicans have taken action that would undermine Wisconsins economic recovery, from gutting education funding and putting $1.5 billion in federal education funds at risk, to trying to eliminate the federal (unemployment insurance) supplement," Hintz said in a statement. "But now is not the time to halt the investments driving our success. There is no excuse for Wisconsin to skimp on core investments that benefit our state, drive our economy and create opportunity for Wisconsin."

The Joint Finance Committee is set to finish its work on the state budget by the end of the month, and will then send it for consideration by the Assembly and Senate. Once passed by the Legislature, Evers can approve it, reject it or change it with his line-item veto powers.

Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.
While some might suggest that Olikara tried too hard, no one will say that of Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry. A wealthy newcomer to Wisconsin, Lasrys sales pitch was an all-too-predictable argument that decent business practices translate into a governing vision. Lasry was more appealing when he spoke of his fathers experience as an immigrant from Morocco, and when he explained  correctly  that popular Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin needs a partner rather than a conspiracy theory peddling colleague like Johnson.

State Sen. Chris Larson, a Milwaukee Democrat who recently entered the race, addressed the party faithful in the most robust language. Speaking in a calm, conversational tone that worked well in the video format, Larson recalled his record as an activist legislator who walked out of the Capitol as one of the 14 Democratic senators who sought to block former Republican Gov. Scott Walkers 2011 assault on labor rights. The senator positioned himself as a progressive who calls out not just Republicans but compromise-prone Democrats. That gave heft to his appeal for a politics that seeks to unrig the system and recognizes the political challenges created by the creeping, festering fascism thats overtaking America

The potential candidate who did not speak Sunday morning was Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who chose instead to deliver his remarks on Saturday with Gov. Tony Evers and other statewide officeholders. Barnes hasnt decided whether to run for another term as lieutenant governor or to enter the Senate race. But his speech was the most potent of the convention. Appearing outside a barn on a family farm near Monticello, he spoke as a deeply-rooted Wisconsinite about the need to reconnect with the states progressive tradition of leading for economic, social and racial justice. The history of this place gives us so much to be proud of, he said. But Barnes warned that fights are not finished: for voting rights, worker rights, criminal justice reform and preservation of the planet. Appealing for Democratic unity to reelect Evers and to assure that Democratic voters turn out to finally retire Ron Johnson, Barnes concluded, Wisconsin is a state thats made history before, and Im here to tell you that well do it again.

John Nichols is associate editor of The Capital Times. jnichols@madison.com and @NicholsUprising. Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.
Police said they were responding to a report of gunfire just before 11:30 a.m. when they found a man in the 1700 block of Porter Avenue with a gunshot wound to his upper body.
A Wisconsin state lawmaker compared a nonprofit children's museum's mask policy to the Nazi Party in a social media post that generated outrage and calls for an apology.

Republican state Rep. Shae Sortwell shared a Facebook post on Friday by the Central Wisconsin Children's Museum in Stevens Point detailing its mask policy. The museum said masks would be optional for those who show their vaccination cards and masks would be mandatory for everyone else over age 5.

The Gestapo wants to see your papers, please," Sortwell posted on Facebook, a reference to the feared secret police of Nazi Germany.

The story was first reported Tuesday by Wisconsin Public Radio.

Sortwell did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Sortwell was first elected to the Legislature in 2019 and has been an outspoken opponent of mask or coronavirus vaccine mandates. His legislative district does not include Stevens Point, where the children's museum is located.
Tech Mahindra is partnering with many of its global customers to collectively drive the COVID-19 support movement in India. This collaboration aims to extend support to Tech Mahindra Foundation, a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR arm) of Tech Mahindra, to service communities, employees and families across India through various revolutionary work.

With the increasing severity of COVID-19 in the second wave, Tech Mahindra Foundation alongside Tech Mahindra have rolled out several on-ground initiatives within and outside the organisation. These include enabling supply of critical medical equipment, training frontline workers, facilitating vaccination drives for employees and their dependents across the world, distribution of ration kits and other supplies to those in need, converting cafeteria to COVID care facilities, partnering with NGOs to support vulnerable communities, and more. Anticipating the possibility of the third wave, these partnerships are helping further these initiatives that will help in combatting the challenges in future as well.

Rakesh Soni, Chief Executive Officer, Tech Mahindra Foundation, said, In these difficult times, we must take care and stand by each other to sail through the crisis and emerge stronger. While the Foundation continues with its COVID Relief and Rehabilitation initiatives, we are also collaborating with some of Tech Mahindras global customers to facilitate a broader eco-system with diverse expertise to solve some of the recurring COVID challenges. As part of Tech Mahindras initiative #ResolveToRISE, this collaboration reiterates our commitment towards supporting the countrys response to the pandemic and help minimize its impact.

Several of Tech Mahindras customers have since extended their support to this cause to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and make a difference on ground. These partnerships have been vital in drawing global support and trust to collectively fight on ground. Alongside Tech Mahindras extensive ground work, the Tech Mahindra Foundation has provided relief support to over 23 lakh people across 16 states and counting.

Mallik Rao, Chief Technology & Information Officer, Telefonica Deutschland, says, The current Corona situation and care in our partner country India is dramatic. Therefore, an initiative by various employees of Telefonica Deutschland launched a fundraising campaign together with the Tech Mahindra Foundation in which everyone can participate to support people in India. In a short time, we have managed to offer different ways of support, e.g. by donating money, buying and shipping needed medical equipment to hospitals and Covid Care Centers all over India or by sponsoring medical trainings for the upskilling of nurses and paramedics.

The Project Management Institute (PMI), the worlds leading association for project professionals and changemakers, has also stepped up its efforts by collaborating with Tech Mahindra Foundation to provide finance aid and resolve the oxygen crisis in India. These donations will join wider efforts to financially help people in need during their pandemic recovery process.

Sunil Prashara, President & CEO, Project Management Institute, said, We are concerned about the situation India is facing, and are focused on doing our best to extend all possible help. Our collaboration with Tech Mahindra is an effort to make a difference on the ground, helping the people in need. Our donations are being used to augment ongoing oxygen availability efforts and to feed the underprivileged during these difficult times. PMI will also continue to rally our community of volunteers and stakeholders to lend their project skills and knowledge to tackle this challenge and ongoing recovery.

Earlier this year, Tech Mahindra extended its support to Mission Oxygen and #OxygenForIndia to set up 50 oxygen plants for charitable and government hospitals across India and deploy 3,000 concentrators and 40,000 cylinders to resolve oxygen crisis in India.

Alexander Rinke, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Celonis, said, Our hearts and minds are with India and every single patient and their loved ones as this terrible health crisis continues to unfold. We are proud of the efforts by our close partner Tech Mahindra and the amazing work their team is doing to provide help on the ground and get oxygen to those in need. We stand united and are happy that we can do our part to offer support.

In an effort to ensure employee wellness during this crisis, the company also recently announced the appointment of a Wellness Officer to institutionalize holistic wellness for all employees, partners, and vendors. Tech Mahindra with its philanthropic arm will continue to drive these initiatives to reduce the adversities caused since the pandemic broke out.
In April of this year, Magoon announced the troupe would be returning to the parks with an adapted version of William Shakespeares The Winters Tale (which includes the famous stage direction exit, pursued by a bear.)

The troupe will be performing 25 shows at 24 parks, its largest tour yet.

Throughout five seasons, Magoon said the program has reached over 8,000 people. The actors performed for an estimated 2,000 people in 2019 alone, and in 2021 they hope to hit 2,500. But uncertainty surrounding future COVID-19 restrictions made planning this summer difficult.

I could liken it to building the plane as you fly it, Magoon said. Its meant putting together a couple of scenarios, having a plan A through D at least.

The troupe will continue to employ some COVID-19 safety precautions such as socially distanced seating. The entire cast is also vaccinated, and audience members who bring their vaccination cards will receive free Summit Players merchandise.
A man remains in the hospital with a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he allegedly attacked three people with an axe and killed one of them during a weekend homicide in the town of Sparta, the Monroe County Sheriffs Office said Tuesday.

The man was arrested Sunday for the homicide. The Monroe County Sheriffs Office has not released his name, but said he is the main suspect in the attack.

Bernard Waite, 87, who was related to the suspect, died at the scene, the Sheriffs Office said.

A woman who was also attacked was treated for her injuries and released. A third victim remains in the hospital. The Sheriffs Office did not release their identities.

Law enforcement responded to a report of a disturbance with three victims injured around 11:40 a.m. Sunday at a home in the town of Sparta, about two hours northwest of Madison.

Officers arrived to find the suspect outside with a rifle and the gunshot wound, the Sheriffs Office said. He was arrested and taken to the hospital.

Waite was found dead inside the home. The other two victims were taken to the hospital.

The Sheriffs Office did not release any further information about the homicide.
How close other UW campuses are to reaching some level of herd immunity is unknown. Its not a data point currently tracked by every school.

If and how campuses should measure vaccination rates is under discussion, System spokesperson Mark Pitsch said.

Interim System President Tommy Thompson at a UW Board of Regents meeting last week said he has temporarily hired former student Regent Olivia Woodmansee to visit UW campuses as part of an effort to push each campus vaccination rate toward 70%.

Vaccine mandates have become a politically fraught issue for colleges, especially public institutions in red states.

Just last week, Republicans held a hearing on a bill that would ban UW campuses and state technical colleges from requiring vaccines or mandating testing as a condition of being on campus.

Nearly 500 U.S. institutions to date have announced requirements for some form of vaccination on campus, including at least five of the 14 Big Ten schools.
Enbridge said that 44 workers were evacuated from the site in an effort to de-escalate the situation. In a written statement, the company said it hoped all parties would come to accept the outcome of the thorough, science-based review and multiple approvals of the project.

Spokeswoman Juli Kellner said the company will assess potential damage once it can safely reenter the site.

Enbridge says the 1960s-era Line 3 pipeline is deteriorating and can run at only about half its original capacity. It says the new line, made from stronger steel, will better protect the environment while restoring its capacity and ensuring reliable deliveries to U.S. refineries.

Calling on Biden

More than 300 groups delivered a letter to Biden last month calling on him to direct the Army Corps of Engineers to suspend or revoke Enbridges federal clean water permit for the project. They urged Biden to follow the example he set on the first day of his administration, when he canceled the disputed Keystone XL pipeline, citing worries about climate change.

Biden has not taken a stand on Line 3, and Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is letting the legal process play out.
A 350-horsepower diesel engine provides backup power for the pumps and can propel the vehicle if the battery loses charge.

Its kind of the best of both worlds, Davis said.

Davis said the truck has been on more than 200 calls since the city took delivery May 21, saving a couple hundred gallons of diesel fuel.

A traditional diesel-powered firetruck burns through about 20 gallons of fuel per day, Davis said.

Coupled with cleaner sources of energy, electric vehicles are seen as the best way to clean up the transportation sector, the nations single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Since 2018, Madison has added 60 electric and 102 hybrid vehicles to its fleet of about 1,800 vehicles, but fleet superintendent Mahanth Joishy said heavy-duty trucks have been the hardest to electrify.

Joishy said if the Voltera test is successful it could help turbocharge efforts to cut emissions.

Johnson said it could be a couple of years out before battery costs fall enough to make the vehicle widely available, but with cities of all sizes targeting greenhouse gas emissions he foresees a strong demand.
The courts ruling, however, didnt close the door on future lawsuits, with conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn noting that the courts ruling doesnt specifically address how the laws are applied, opening the door to the new litigation.

Kauls lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Dane County Circuit Court, asks for it to suspend the lame-duck law requirement that DOJ seek approval to settle cases in two categories: enforcement of consumer protection and environmental protection laws; and claims on behalf of executive agencies relating to the administration of programs they must run. DOJ argues that those provisions, as applied, violate the constitutional separation of powers.

Both the new lawsuit from Kaul and the one from the Republican Legislature are a second shot at litigating the laws after the Wisconsin Supreme Court declined to take up their requests directly.

An earlier lawsuit filed by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, asked the high court to address the same issues in the suit filed by the Legislature and Jarchow, and the same goes for a new lawsuit filed by Kaul. If adjudicated by lower courts, the cases could make their way back to the state Supreme Court.
After a friend of mine graduated college and moved to California, he was surprised to read help wanted ads that were looking for Midwestern work ethic. As someone from the Badger State, he just assumed our work ethic was like those nationwide.

People across the United States know Wisconsin is filled with innovators and is home to iconic companies in every corner of our state. We work hard and we expect our neighbors to do the same. When times are tough, we watch out for each other and help our friends and neighbors recover and get back to work.

Its why Wisconsin must join the now 25 states that have ended the federal extension of bonus unemployment payments. Earlier this year, the Biden administration approved an extension until September for the $300 per week unemployment bonus on top of the $370 Wisconsin benefit. My colleagues and I wrote legislation to end the supplement so we can encourage workers to come back to the workforce. Unfortunately, Gov. Tony Evers is expected to veto it, and he is wrong to do so. He says he has seen no evidence that the extra unemployment money is discouraging people from getting back to the work, but the evidence is there, and he appears to be ignoring it in the name of paying people to stay home rather than return to work.
Carl W. Blass Jr., 66, passed away Friday, June 4, 2021, at Ashley Manor in Twin Falls. Arrangements are under the direction of Rosenau Funeral Home.

Karlene Burks, 73, of Jerome, passed away June 4, 2021. Arrangements are under the care of Farnsworth Mortuary & Crematory, Jerome.

Wilma Driscoll, 99, of Twin Falls, passed away June 4, 2021, at her home. Funeral arrangements are under the care of White-Reynolds Funeral Chapel.

John Harral, 64, of Eden, passed away June 6, 2021. Service arrangements are pending and will be announced by Parkes Magic Valley Funeral Home.

Darrell Hopkins Jr., 49, of Twin Falls, passed away June 4, 2021. Service arrangements are pending and will be announced by Parkes Magic Valley Funeral Home.

Thomas McCarthy, 85, of Twin Falls, passed away June 3, 2021. Service arrangements are pending and will be announced by Parkes Magic Valley Funeral Home.
The crowd showed no signs of leaving hours after an earlier protest at the headwaters of the Mississippi River, roughly 20 minutes away, where they chanted Stop Line 3! and Water is life!

This is important. This is what we need, actress Jane Fonda told the AP at the rally, motioning toward the crowd as she held signs with President Joe Bidens image that said, Which side are you on?

She urged protesters to keep pressuring Biden to halt construction so his administration can study any harm to the environment and indigenous people. The Mississippi River is one of the water crossings for the pipeline.

Fonda said Line 3 protesters are going to Standing Rock this place, referring to the Dakota Access pipeline, which is owned by a different company and was the subject of major protests near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in the Dakotas in 2016 and 2017.

Activists said they were pitching tents at the pump station site Monday night, and an AP reporter saw people rolling a large wooden spool that holds wire into a pile of trees and twigs. Police were directing traffic.
Twin Falls citizens will fight hatred

One of the most basic tenets of Mr. Thompsons professed religion is do unto others as you would have them do unto you. A decade ago, when charged with multiple counts of kidnapping and human trafficking in Haiti in 2010*, Mr. Thompson bemoaned receiving hateful and ugly private emails. Despite being treated that way, Mr. Thompson was more than willing to put his ugly hatred on display and publicly tell LBGTQ kids that they have no place here. Mr. Thompson decries a library book display as a moral issue against which we must take a stand. Ironically, it was the very Jesus he alleges to worship, who protected the harlot from a judgmental crowd, and who taught of seeking out and loving those different than you. Mr. Thompson abandons those Christlike attributes to impose his own view of morality.
Kuwait Finance House (KFH)  Bahrain, one of the leading Islamic banks, has signed a strategic partnership with Codebase Technologies (CBT) to implement Digibanc RegReporting, Bahrains first automated reporting platform.

The partnership aims to enhance regulatory transparency and streamline compliance operations.

The new technology aims to support financial institutions in carrying out internal processes, in light of the changes witnessed due to the integration of technology in the banking and finance fields, directed by the Central Bank regulations.

KFH-Bahrain sought the banking solutions providers expertise in establishing an automated, flexible platform for regulatory reporting, while leveraging the technology innovation through its partnership with CBT.

KFH-Bahrains new regulatory reporting capabilities are enabled by Digibanc RegReporting, a fully-automated, end-to-end regulatory reporting platform that seamlessly integrates with multiple data sources and streamlines backend processing. The implementation will enable the Bank to respond to a rapidly-evolving regulatory environment, while ensuring compliant and consistent, precise reporting.

Yousif Alhammadi, Executive Manager, Head of Financial Control & Administration at Kuwait Finance House House-Bahrain commented: With the growing role of technology in the banking and finance sector, institutions are forced to widen their technological footprint through collaborating with the right partners, in order to drive a competitive advantage within their institutions. With Codebase Technologies pioneering solution, we will be able to become leaders in the market, through accessing solutions and innovations that optimise our operations and allow us to maintain quality that match the expectations of our stakeholders and regulators. The partnership with Codebase Technologies comes in line with the Banks strategic efforts to migrate into a fully-digitised and automated model of operations. CBTs solution will help us achieve our digitisation targets, ensuring premium operations that are driven by a global pioneer in Open API banking solutions.

Raheel Iqbal, Managing Partner & Global Product Head at Codebase Technologies said: The efficacy of what Codebase Technologies is capable of is clearly exemplified in how KFH-Bahrain has defined itself as a leader in the GCC digital banking landscape. We are proud to be Kuwait Finance House-Bahrains technology partner of choice to help achieve its digital ambitions, while enabling us to deliver premium digital financial services and reshaping the possibilities for the industry. -- TradeArabia News Service
Martinsville City Public Schools and Henry County Public Schools will be serving meals and snacks at no charge to children 18 and under this summer through Aug. 7 in the U.S. Department of Agricultures approved program. The school districts releases said the waivers provide nutritious meals while minimizing exposure to COVID-19. These meals are available to all children 18 and younger, including those learning in-person or virtually, on a first-come, first-served basis. HCPS said that groups that are hosting students/children during the summer months for any type of activities, (day camps, Vacation Bible Schools, tutoring, etc.), can receive free meals or snacks to give to the children who come to their site. All sites will be closed June 28-July 5.</&h5>
Another veteran of the Battle of Normandy, British Capt. David Mylchreest, was also present. He landed with his team in Normandy on June 12, 1944, to replace officers who had died in the first days of the fight.

Shay then took part in a commemoration at the American Cemetery later in the day in Colleville-sur-Mer, on a bluff overseeing Omaha Beach, in the presence of officials from the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany and other allied countries.

The cemetery contains 9,380 graves, most of them for servicemen who lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. Another 1,557 names are inscribed on the Walls of the Missing.

Most public events have been canceled, and the official ceremonies were limited to a small number of selected guests and dignitaries.

Denis van den Brink, a WWII expert working for the town of Carentan, site of a strategic battle near Utah Beach, acknowledged the big loss, the big absence is all the veterans who couldnt travel.

That really hurts us very much because they are all around 95, 100 years old, and we hope theyre going to last forever. But, you know... he said.
The faculty at each school in the district selects a school winner each year as part of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction Teacher of the Year process. This years process included submission of a professional portfolio and an interview with the district selection committee. Each year the district honors an Elementary and a Secondary Teacher of the Year. One of those two is then selected as the MCS Teacher of the Year.

Alarcon joined the staff at East Middle in 2017 as the English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher. Since 2019 she has also taught Spanish. From 2014 to 2017 Alarcon served as the ESL teacher at Maestra Elsa Santibanez Middle School in her home city of Santiago, Chile.

She completed a one year stint as a Language Assistant in Manchester, England in 2013-2014.

Prior to that she served as a Monitor for the summer and winter camps sponsored by the Ministry of Education in Curico, Chile. She earned her bachelors degree in English Language Arts from the University of Santiago (Chile) in 2013.
The state of emergency declared for McDowell County, Marion and Old Fort due to COVID-19 has come to an end, according to a release from Emergency Services Director William Kehler.

On Tuesday at noon, the state of emergency that was declared for COVID-19 on March 17, 2020 was terminated for McDowell County, Marion, and Old Fort. Both Marion Mayor Steve Little and Commission Chairman Tony Brown issued orders terminating the state of emergency. Browns order covers the town of Old Fort along with the rest of the county outside of Marion.

Local COVID-19 metrics continue to decline week after week. The Emergency Operations Center was also deactivated Tuesday after being active for 450 days for COVID-19 operations, according to a news release.

The latest report from the Health Department, issued Friday, June 4, stated McDowell County had 5,159 total positive cases and 77 people in McDowell have died of COVID-19.

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McDowell Emergency Services staff will continue to assist the Health Department with COVID vaccine clinics. Community paramedics and other team members will continue to administer vaccines to homebound residents.
ISLANDTON, S.C. (AP)  A mother and son from a prominent South Carolina legal family were found shot and killed on their family's land, and authorities said they have made no arrests in the double homicide case.

Deputies in Colleton County found the two dead from gunshots on property near Islandton around 10 p.m. Monday, the sheriff's office said in a statement.

Maggie Murdaugh , 52, and her son Paul Murdaugh, 22, were shot several times and their bodies were found near a dog kennel, Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey said. How many times they were shot won't be known until autopsies are conducted later this week, Harvey said.

Paul Murdaugh was awaiting trial on a charge of boating under the influence causing death in a February 2019 crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach. The woman's body was found seven days after the crash.

The wreck led to stories questioning whether his familys ties to the legal system in the area affected the investigation
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Three of the most common chronic eye conditions require regular medical checkups and injections into the eye by ophthalmology specialists to keep looming blindness at bay. A study by the University of Bern and the Inselspital in collaboration with an AI in eyecare startup now demonstrates that patients' individual ideal frequency for these visits can quite accurately be predicted by machine learningyielding a threefold benefit.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of vision loss in people over 50. Up to 12 percent of those over 80 have the chronic disease. An estimated 16.4 million adults are affected by retinal vein occlusion (RVO) worldwide, a condition caused by a thrombosis of a retinal vein. It is the second most common cause of blindness from retinal vascular disease after diabetic retinopathy (DR). DR,in turn, is the leading cause of blindness in developed countries and affects up to 80 percent of people with more than 20 years of diabetes. It can lead to a swelling of the macula (diabetic macular edema, or DME), which may cause partial or complete vision loss.

All three conditions are treated by injections of a so-called anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) into the eye at intervals to slow down disease progress and prevent blindness. Because with eyesight, a central human sense is in jeopardy, patients are eager to know that they are being treated often enough to avoid rapid worsening. And doctors want to make sure they see each patient frequently enough not to miss important developments.

The challenge

With the aging population, cases of AMD, RVO or DME are globally on the rise, making it hard for specialized eye clinics to keep up with the growing demand for regular treatments. "As doctors, we want to give each patient the necessary attention and treatment frequency that they need," says Sebastian Wolf, Head of the Ophthalmology Department of the Inselspital that currently sees 6,000 patients with AMD, RVO and DR. "But it is also an organizational challenge to meet all patients' needs and be able to study all relevant eye imaging data to assess individual disease progression and take treatment decisions in the short time given."

To monitor progression of the chronic eye conditions, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), an imaging tool that generates 3D images of the eye at extremely high resolution, is usually applied. In collaboration with the ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, the Inselspital has developed automated OCT analysis tools based on artificial intelligence, which can assist eye doctors in the assessment of a whole patient OCT-set in just a few seconds. Together with RetinAI, a startup specialized in AI-based eye care technologies, they now have conducted a retrospective study of patients to assess how well AI can predict anti-VEGF treatment demand from the start.

The setup

The study looked at OCT-data from 340 patients with AMD and 285 patients with RVO or DME, treated with anti-VEGF at the Inselspital between 2014 and 2018. Based on morphological features automatically extracted from the OCT volumes at baseline and after two consecutive visits, as well as patient demographic information, two machine learning models were trained to predict the probability of the long-term treatment frequency demand of a new patient (one for AMD and one for RVO and DME).

Based on the first three visits, it was possible to predict if a patient had a low or a high treatment demand for both the AMD and the RVO & DME groups with similar high accuracy. More importantly, the study revealed that it is possible to predict reasonably well at the initial visit and even before the first injection if a patient will less often require injections.

Three advantages

"We have shown that machine learning classifiers can predict treatment demand when a patient is first diagnosed with a chronic eye disease," says Mathias Gallardo, postdoctoral researcher the ARTORG AI in Medical Imaging (AIMI) lab and member of the new Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (CAIM). "Hence, artificial intelligence may assist in establishing patient-specific treatment plans for the most common chronic eye conditions in the near future."

Planning the ideal treatment frequency for each patient has multiple benefits. Firstly, patients can be sure their disease is being treated in the best way possible without subjecting them to overly frequent visits and unpleasant injections into the eye. Secondly, individualized planning can help clinics cope with ever growing patient numbers allowing for the highest possible capacity utilization of specialized medical skills and infrastructure. Thirdly, objectivized on-demand planning helps avoid overprovision and can lead to improved cost-efficiency and fewer healthcare expenditures.

High-yield confluence of clinical, data science, and industrial research

This study illustrates once more the proven eye-level collaboration between clinicians and data scientists of the Inselspital and the ARTORG Center, which produces technology solutions suitable for everyday use because they were designed directly as a response to clinical needs. A further important aspect to provide a roadmap for the clinical implementation of such technology was the startup RetinAI.

"We are extremely happy to apply the EU funding we received to build patient-focused solutions in ophthalmology, making sure that technology can be transformed into products that can really benefit patients and improve treatment at scale," says RetinAI CEO Carlos Ciller. With its headquarters at sitem-insel the startup also is spatially located exactly at the interface between clinic and science. This unique Bernese environment for clinically driven AI technologies will be further capitalized by the new Center for Artifical Intelligence in Medicine (CAIM), combining the best of the three worlds of healthcare, science, and industry for the benefit of patients.

Explore further Artificial intelligence predicts treatment outcome for diabetes-related vision loss

Provided by Inselspital, Bern University Hospital
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A new study comparing different ways of encouraging people to reduce their alcohol intake has found telling people alcohol causes cancer makes them want to drink less, and encouraging them to count their drinks helps them do it.

Lead author Professor Simone Pettigrew from The George Institute for Global Health said that harmful alcohol use in Australia is a major health issueit is associated with increased risk of injury, chronic diseases including alcohol-related cancers, and premature death. And it's not just heavy drinkerseven moderate drinkers are at increased risk of several types of cancer.

"There are limited resources available for alcohol harm-reduction campaigns, so it's important to find out which messages resonate best to ensure they have the best chance of working," she said.

"Many people don't know that alcohol is a carcinogenit's important information that drinkers should have access to. But telling people alcohol causes cancer is just part of the solutionwe also need to give them ways to take action to reduce their risk."

In this randomized trial, 8,000 adults who broadly represented the Australian drinking public completed a series of three online surveys over a period of six weeks.

As part of these surveys, some participants saw the Western Australian Government's Spread advert which informs drinkers that alcohol use increases their risk of cancer, some saw simple messages about how to change their drinking habits, and others saw combinations of the Spread ad and the simple messages.

The effect of these combinations on drinkers' attempts to reduce their intake and the actual amount of alcohol consumed were then measured.

"We found that pairing information about alcohol and cancer with a particular practical actioncounting their drinksresulted in drinkers reducing the amount of alcohol they consumed," said Prof Pettigrew.

With alcohol consumption accounting for around seven percent of early deaths, the World Health Organization recommended in 2018 that Member States should aim for a reduction of harmful alcohol use by at least ten percent by 2025.

An estimated one in six Australians consumes alcohol at levels that put them at risk of a related disease or injury during their lifetime, and one in four at levels placing them at risk of harm on a single occasion at least monthly.

"Although per capita alcohol consumption appears to be decreasing over time in Australia, at 9.5 litres of pure alcohol per person per year it remains too high. Drinkers need help to understand their risk and take action," said Prof Pettigrew.

"These findings provide new evidence to support investment in the most effective forms of public education to address alcohol harm across the population," she added.

Explore further Different behaviors could reduce death and health risks in regular alcohol drinkers

More information: Simone Pettigrew et al, A randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of combinations of 'why to reduce' and 'how to reduce' alcohol harm-reduction communications, Addictive Behaviors (2021). Simone Pettigrew et al, A randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of combinations of 'why to reduce' and 'how to reduce' alcohol harm-reduction communications,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.107004
Credit: University of Rochester Medical Center

The first thing to know is: The COVID vaccines are safe, effective, and necessary. Doctors recommend them and the vaccines are available to everyone ages 12 and older in New York state.

But individuals and health care providers should talk about the timing of imaging tests around vaccination. These include CT and PET scans, mammograms, and other scans used to screen, diagnose, or follow the course of illness. In peer-reviewed medical journals, researchers are studying and sharing information on the significance of timingincluding this recent commentary in The Lancet Oncology by Peter Prieto, M.D., M.P.H., of the Wilmot Cancer Institute.

Why is it important to tell your doctors when you received the vaccine?

Because a common side effect of the COVID-19 vaccines are temporary swollen lymph nodes, which can show up on imaging scans in the days and weeks after vaccination. This is a natural and expected reaction to the shot, a positive sign that the vaccination is working as the body mounts an immune response. Often, a person will not even realize they have enlarged nodes.

But if you're getting an imaging test, the nodes can raise red flags, said Jennifer Harvey, M.D., Chair of Imaging Sciences at the University of Rochester Medical Center. As more people are vaccinated, it's becoming more common to see enlarged nodes on scans, she said.

If a patient is suspected to have cancer or has the disease and is undergoing follow-up imaging tests, the swollen lymph nodes may require investigation, said Susan Hobbs, M.D., Ph.D., head of cardiothoracic imaging at URMC.

Recently, for example, Hobbs was caring for two patients with lung cancer. Their scans showed "hot" lymph nodesnodes with high metabolic activityon the same side as the tumor and also near the arm to which the vaccine was injected. It was important to biopsy the lymph nodes to sort out whether the abnormality was due to the vaccine or cancer.

It's important for cancer patients to discuss vaccine timing with their oncology care teams, she said.

A case study shows the value of doctor-patient communication, education

Lara Press-Ellingham, 48, of Fairport, was diagnosed on Dec. 1, 2020, with melanoma on the left shoulder. Her surgeon, Prieto, an assistant professor of Surgical Oncology at URMC, removed the skin cancer on Dec. 11, and pathology reports indicated it was early-stage, with micro metastasis to one lymph node. (The Lancet Oncology article is about Press-Ellingham's case, with her permission.)

Later that month, on Dec. 31,2020, she received her first dose of the COVID vaccine (Moderna). It was early in the vaccine rollout and not much was known about side effects, but she was eager to protect herself.

On Jan. 5, 2021, she had a PET scan to determine if the melanoma had spread beyond that one lymph node. The scan results were worrisome, showing three nearby regions of hot lymph nodesbut when a biopsy was performed, the results came back negative for melanoma.

"We were somewhat relieved," Press-Ellingham recalled. "But then Dr. Prieto said: 'If it's not melanoma, I really need to know what it is, so we'll have to do more surgery.'"

That's when it became clear that the COVID vaccine may be the culprit. They were discussing a possible surgery date of Jan. 29, when Press-Ellingham told Prieto that she would be getting her second dose of the COVID vaccine the day before, on Jan. 28.

"I asked, "Is that a problem?" and the conversation just stopped. Then, he asked me about the date of my first vaccine and when we pieced it together he felt strongly that my abnormal PET results were related to that shot," she said. "Peter did a great job of explaining that the vaccine did exactly what it was supposed to do."

They decided to pause more surgery. She received her second vaccine dose on Jan. 28, as plannedbut Prieto arranged for it to be injected into her thigh instead of the arm. Five days later, on Feb. 5, she had a follow-up PET scan and the results were "exactly what we were hoping for," Press-Ellingham said.

"This time the arm region was completely quiet but the lymph nodes in the groin area were lit up," she said, proving that the temporary flare-up in her upper left side was due to the first vaccine.

Her advice? "Slather yourself with sunscreen and see a dermatologist regularly. Also, everyone should get the vaccine as soon as possible. We should expect side effects. They're normal and nothing to be scared of."

Prieto added his own thoughts: "This is by no means meant to discourage vaccination," he said, "but it's important that vaccination history is disclosed and considered, as oncologists confront confounding images."

"More oncologists and physicians are aware of this now," he added, "but it is a unique problem connected to perhaps the largest public health event and vaccination effort of our lifetime."

What about mammograms and COVID vaccine?

Breast imaging specialists have also been seeing temporary, enlarged lymph nodes on the side of the vaccine injection. The nodes can inadvertently cause a mammogram to look abnormal even if no cancer is present, said Avice O'Connell, M.D., director of Women's Imaging at URMC.

But she urges people to not delay their routine mammograms; delaying raises the risk of finding cancer later, when it's less treatable. Ideally, women should schedule a screening mammogram a week before the COVID vaccine. If that's not possible, she said, get the vaccine and the mammogram as soon as you canand be sure to tell the radiologist and mammography staff about your vaccine dates and which arm received the shot.

This recent report from the Journal of the American College of Radiology presents a management plan for radiologists in the context of COVID-19 vaccination.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

People whose sleep pattern goes against their natural body clock are more likely to have depression and lower levels of wellbeing, according to a largescale new study.

Research led by the University of Exeter, published in Molecular Psychiatry, also found the most robust evidence to date that being genetically programmed to be an early riser is protective against major depression, and improves wellbeing. Researchers suggest this may be because society is set up to be more aligned to early risers, through the standard 9-5 working pattern.

COVID-19 has led to more flexible working patterns and this research may help make the case for more adaptable working habits to suit individuals' needs.

The team built on previous research which mapped 351 genes linked to being an early riser, or a night owl. They used a statistical process called Mendelian Randomisation to examine whether these genes were causally associated with seven mental health and wellbeing outcomes, including major depression, using data on more than 450,000 UK adults from UK Biobank's biomedical database and research resource. As well as the genetic information, participants also completed a questionnaire on whether they were a morning person or an evening person.

The team also developed a new measure of "social jetlag" that measures the variation in sleep pattern between work and free days. They measured this in more than 85,000 UK Biobank participants for whom sleep data was available, via wrist-worn activity monitors. They found that people who were more misaligned from their natural body clock were more likely to report depression and anxiety and have lower wellbeing.

Lead author Jessica O'Loughlin, of the University of Exeter, said: "We found that people who were misaligned from their natural body clock were more likely to report depression, anxiety and have lower wellbeing. We also found the most robust evidence yet that being a morning person is protective of depression and improves wellbeing.

We think this could be explained by the fact that the demands of society mean night owls are more likely to defy their natural body clocks, by having to wake up early for work."

Overall, the research team found that morning people were more likely to be aligned to their natural body clock. They then tested the effect by looking at shift workers, and found that morningness may not be protective for depression in shift workers, meaning morning people who work shifts may not have improved mental health and wellbeing, however, this was inconclusive.

Senior author Dr. Jessica Tyrrell, of the University of Exeter, said: "The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a new flexibility in working patterns for many people. Our research indicates that aligning working schedules to an individual's natural body clock may improve mental health and wellbeing in night owls."

The study is entitled "Using Mendelian Randomization methods to understand whether diurnal preference is causally related to mental health," and published in Molecular Psychiatry.

Explore further Want to reduce your depression risk? Wake up an hour earlier
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The EU's drug watchdog said Tuesday it hoped to rule as soon as July on whether Moderna's coronavirus vaccine can be used for 12- to 17-year-olds.

Following the US biotech company's application on Monday for conditional approval, the European Medicines Agency said it would carry out an "accelerated assessment".

"EMA will communicate the outcome of its evaluation, which is expected in July unless supplementary information is needed," it said.

The agency said the Moderna vaccine, which has been approved for adults in the EU since January, would be considered again using test results including a large clinical trial of adolescents.

The regulator approved the first vaccine for European adolescents, by Pfizer/BioNTech, in May.

 2021 AFP
Egypt is the third largest construction market in the Mena region, and that activity remains a bright spot for the country's economy with a pipeline of known and un-awarded projects worth $354.8 billion in the country, said top industry experts ahead of Big 5 Construct Egypt expo in capital Cairo.

A major event for the building sector, The Big 5 Construct Egypt will be back on June 26 and run until June 29, at the Cairo International Convention Centre (CICC), to facilitate business opportunities in Egypts growing construction project market.

To complement industry-defining features at the event, The Big 5 Construct Egypt will gather hundreds of leading brands from more than 15 countries such as Canada, Germany, Greece, Russia, Italy, UAE and Saudi Arabia, said the event organiser, dmg events.

Heavyweights signed up to exhibit include the likes of Hassan Allam Holding, Orascom Construction, El Soadaa, ASGC, Hanimex, Al Zamil, Al Ahram, Wellbond and Al Amal.

Now in its third edition, the event will launch The Big 5 Egypt Impact Awards, designed to recognise the businesses and people driving innovation in Egypt's industry, in addition to The Big 5 Egypt Leadership Conference, a highly anticipated three-day event scheduled to gather regional Ministers and international leadersto explore the construction sectors future contribution toward economic growth and diversification in Egypt.

Unveiling the details of the upcoming expo at a press conference, Matt Denton, the president at dmg events, stated that powerful face-to-face connections between industry stakeholders would be significant for the sectors sustained development, reinforcing that It is more important than ever for us to offer a safe environment for the community to come together where they can boost business activities, rebuild partnerships, and apply lessons learnt to future projects all in one place."

"To that end, in addition to offering vital trading opportunities this year, The Big 5 Construct Egypt will launch new high-level features focused on strategic industry development and innovation, making it an unmissable business event for the construction sector in the wake of Covid-19 disruption," he added.

Present at the press conference were Engineer Khaled Abbas, Deputy Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities for National Projects; Mohamed El Dahshoury, CEO of Hassan Allam Construction; Heike Harmgart, the Managing Director, Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Region for European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Mohamed Tarek, Area Managing Director of North Africa for Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC).

Harmgart, a key speaker at upcoming The Big 5 Egypt Leadership Conference, said: "The leadership conference is a great opportunity for policy makers, financial institutions and investors to discuss the priorities for Egypt and to promote sustainable green infrastructure and construction sectors."

The new strategic features, The Big 5 Egypt Leadership Conference and The Big 5 Egypt Impact Awards, will support development and innovation in the sector, he added.

El Dahshoury said: "For over 85 years, Hassan Allam Holding has been playing a vital role in building strategic and national projects for the Egyptian state, including water, energy and infrastructure projects; thus, making it one of the biggest construction companies globally."

"The Big 5 Construct Egypt represents a great place for business leaders to discuss, sign agreements and present investment opportunities, at a time when infrastructure projects play a decisive role in the economic recovery, not only in Egypt but around the world," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Genetic information stored in biobanks brings new opportunities for individualized health care. According to a new study by VTT, tailoring based on genetic information can improve treatment outcomes of blood thinner treatment. There are nearly 400,000 users of blood thinners in Finland, and so the increased understanding of the effects of genetics on the drug therapy potentially benefits a large number of patients.

Antithrombotic medicines that affect blood clotting reduce the formation of blockages in blood vessels. The PreMed study led by VTT examined the association of genetic variants with bleeding and thrombosis among patients taking antithrombotics. The researchers found significant differences in the drug response and in the incidence of thrombosis events between genotypes. Further studies shall determine how the information received might be utilized in selecting medications or determining correct dosages to achieve an optimum treatment result. Genotype-guided drug therapy may reduce adverse drug events and treatment costs.

"The results are a step forward in understanding the potential of personalized medication according to the patient's genetic background. Statins, which are lipid-lowering drugs, are another class of medications in which patients could benefit from personalized treatment," says Markus Forsberg, Research Professor at VTT.

Protecting data security in research

Biobanks collect biological samples and related data from people who have given the biobank consent. The samples and data are disclosed to research projects aimed at investigating the causes of diseases and to promote public health. The VTT study utilized genome data from three Finnish biobanks. In addition, information about patients' illnesses, treatments and medications was used from the registers of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela).

The study indicated that information from biobanks as well as national and regional registers can be utilized without compromising security and privacy. Individual people are not examined in the research, and the material is processed without identifiers. Personal identifiers will remain within the biobanks.

"Finland has high-quality reserves of health data and the infrastructure to utilize it, but collecting research materials for use requires a significant effort from register controllers and data users. In the future, services will be needed for collecting and managing the materials more efficiently to enable their use for the development of health care and health innovations," says Jaakko Lahteenmaki, Principal Scientist at VTT.

Comprehensive information brings best treatment outcomes

In health care the best treatment outcomes are achieved by utilizing all relevant information about the patient. Genetic information is not directly available in the clinical practice, but the physician can order a gene test and use its results in care planning. There are also plans for a genome center in Finland that would make it easier to use genetic information in health care.

To serve as a backdrop for treatment tailored according to a patient's genetic background, we need better understanding on pharmacogenetics, i.e. linkages between medications and genetics, and the cost-effectiveness of utilizing genetic information to guide drug therapy. The availability of health data for use in research also serves companies in developing products for personalized health. Genetic information can be used in the development of new medicines, and in assessing effects of new treatments in different patient groups.

More information: Jaakko Lahteenmaki et al, Integrating data from multiple Finnish biobanks and national health-care registers for retrospective studies: Practical experiences, Scandinavian Journal of Public Health (2021). Jaakko Lahteenmaki et al, Integrating data from multiple Finnish biobanks and national health-care registers for retrospective studies: Practical experiences,(2021). DOI: 10.1177/14034948211004421 Anna-Leena Vuorinen et al, Pharmacogenetics of Anticoagulation and Clinical Events in Warfarin-Treated Patients: A Register-Based Cohort Study with Biobank Data and National Health Registries in Finland, Clinical Epidemiology (2021). DOI: 10.2147/CLEP.S289031 Jaakko Lahteenmaki et al, Pharmacogenetics of bleeding and thromboembolic events in direct oral anticoagulant users, Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2021). DOI: 10.1002/cpt.2316
Jay-Fay Fraser was in the back seat of her father's sedan, heading home from feeding the homeless on Thanksgiving 2016, when another car rear-ended them on the highway.

The driver's seat collapsed backward from the sudden force of the rear impact, slamming into Jay-Fay's head, her mother, Michelle Fraser, recounted.

"She lurched forward, the seat collapsed backward, and it basically cracked her skull all the way around," said Michelle Fraser, who lives in Dallas. "She had a 360-degree fracture."

Jay-Fay, who was 12 at the time, had been a state champion gymnast and nationally performing dancer. These days she is wheelchair-bound, unable to speak, and fed through a tube in her stomach.

And her parents are on a mission to make sure this doesn't happen to other families.

Fraser and her husband, Jason, are promoting federal legislation that would beef up safety standards for seat backs, which haven't been updated for half a century.

The Modernizing Seat Back Safety Act, S. 1413, would require the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to perform research and craft new safety standards to better protect back seat passengers in a rear-end collision.

The NHTSA set the standard for seat back strength in 1967, and has not revisited the matter since, according to the Center for Auto Safety, a consumer advocacy group.

"In a sedan, the seat back is not any stronger than the average banquet chair. You can imagine pushing on a banquet chair; you could break it pretty easily, if you leaned it back hard enough with enough force," Fraser said.

"If they can make a self-driving car, if they can come up with that technology, there's a bunch of smart people who can figure out how to make these seat backs safer," she continued.

Exact numbers are hidden

The Center for Auto Safety estimates that collapsing seat backs killed at least 898 children 12 and younger between 1990 and 2014, but executive director Jason Levine suspects there have been even more than that.

"It's very difficult to come up with good data, in part because the way crash data is collected does not specify seat back collapse or failure as a category," Levine said. "The exact size of this problem is hidden."

Police at the scene of a crash can check a box for whether a person was wearing their seatbelt, and in which direction the collision occurred, but not for whether a front seat collapsed onto a person riding in the back.

The Frasers were returning home on the freeway when they slowed to merge onto another highway, Michelle Fraser said. The other car slammed into their rear without slowing.

"When the impact occurred, it basically collapsed our trunk. When you looked at the car, there was no trunk left," Fraser said.

The fuselage of the car remained intact, but the driver's seat broke backward and drove into Jay-Fay's head.

"Her skull sort of lifted up and scooted back, kind of like a little halo," Fraser said. "Her neurosurgeon was like, 'Man, I've never seen anything like that before and I've never seen anything like it since.'"

Jay-Fay was put in a medically induced coma on mechanical ventilation to help reduce brain swelling from the injury. She spent a month and a half in intensive care, and then months more in the hospital and rehab before being released in May 2017.

"Where we are now is very hopeful. There's no real clear prognosis because brain healing is so different for each individual," Fraser said. "When people ask me what the prognosis is, I say, 'keep going. Just keep going.'"

Car safety advocates are hopeful that the Modernizing Seat Back Safety Act, which was introduced last Congress and reintroduced this spring, will wind up in one of the transportation bills being negotiated between legislators and President Joe Biden.

Not a difficult test

Currently, seat backs are tested by putting a certain amount of weight on the seat and then pulling on it with a set amount of force that mimics a rear-end collision, Levine said.

"The problem is, it's not a very difficult test to meet," Levine said.

"Think about everything that's changed with our cars over the last five-plus decades, from safety to design to technology to even just cosmetics, and imagine that the standards that determine how a seat performs in a crash have not been updated," Levine continued. "It's really hard to wrap your head around."

The NHTSA raised hopes for action in July 2019 when it released a technical report modeling front seat performance during rear impact crashes, Levine noted, but nothing has been done since.

"They put out a paper in 2019 that indicated one way to try to address this. They actually put a dollar amount on it. It would cost less than $4.63 per new seat," Levine said.

Cathy Chase is president of the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

"We have solutions at hand. We just need Congress to direct the Department of Transportation to do this," Chase said.

"The department does not have to be directed to do so. It has its own authority. It could do this today, if it so chooses," Chase continued. "It has not, and that's why we turned to Congress to direct the agency to do so."

The Frasers hope that by speaking out, and by encouraging others to do the same, they will be able to force action by either Congress, the NHTSA or the auto industry.

"The auto industry probably realizes this is an issue that needs to be fixed, but unfortunately has not made moves to get that done," Fraser said. "NHTSA could just come in and say, 'Hey, this makes sense, we should improve this,' but they haven't done that so far, so now we're going the legislative route.

"We're not the only ones out there," Fraser added. "There are many, many people who have experienced this. Sadly, many of them didn't get to bring their children home from the hospital."

The auto industry group Alliance for Automotive Innovation did not respond to a request for comment.

Explore further Rear seats of cars need better safety equipment, study says

More information: The Center for Auto Safety has The Center for Auto Safety has data on child seat back deaths , and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's technical report on front seat integrity can be read here

Copyright  2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Running late after a hectic day, Jimmy Fremgen sprinted up a flight of stairs to his apartment. His hands shook so wildly he had trouble fitting the key into the lock.

Once inside, his heart pounded so rapidly he couldn't count the beats. And as someone born with a heart problemand with a device in his chest that was supposed to regulate those heartbeatshe certainly tried counting.

Afraid he would pass out, Jimmy jumped off the sofa and opened the front door. That's when the device went off.

"It felt like I got hit by a bus," he said.

Jimmy remembers crying for help as he lay on the ground, pleading with his neighbors to keep him awake until the ambulance arrived. Data from his device showed his heart had been beating 233 times per minute. A resting heart rate is normally 60 to 100 beats per minute.

Although this was the first time Jimmy's device went off, he'd spent much of his life bracing for it.

Jimmy was in his early 20s and already on his second implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD. He needed it because he was born with a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It's a form of heart failure, marked by the heart having trouble pumping blood to the rest of the body. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM, is most often an inherited conditionsomething Jimmy knows all too well.

His mom's dad survived several cardiac arrests before dying from heart failure at 58. Jimmy was almost 2 at the time yet remembers sitting in his grandfather's lap and blowing out the match to his pipe. It's Jimmy's first memory.

His mom had it, too. The family lived in such fear of her going into cardiac arrest that as the eldest of three kids, Jimmy learned CPR in fifth grade. She would die of heart failure at 45; Jimmy was 19.

"We had a bond that was forged not just through being mother and son but because we spoke the same language about the same kind of experience that we were having with our bodies," he said.

It forced Jimmy to grow up fast. He went to college fully aware that "I'm probably not going to live the full extended lifetime that most Americans expect to live. It would be impossible for something like that to not weigh on you," he said.

Determined to lead a consequential life, Jimmy taught high school history and political science in his hometown of Santa Rosa, California.

In 2011, he moved to Washington, D.C. Arriving midyear and unable to find a teaching job, he became a legislative intern for U.S. Rep. Doris O. Matsui (D-Sacramento). He then served as senior policy advisor to Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Baltimore).

In 2016, Jimmy returned to California. He worked for two years as a senior aide to the state legislature, then launched a boutique political consulting firm in Sacramento.

Like any proud dad, Jim Fremgen marvels at what his son has accomplished. But he also understands the added challenges. "His condition doesn't hold him back from doing things that give him joy."

Yet Jimmy, who recently turned 33, doesn't gloss over how tough it can be. He attributes his and his mom's chronic anxiety to their heart condition. When he was young, every time the phone rang, he feared it was bad news about her. And when he feels his heart flutter in an unusual way, he worries his device is about to shock him.

"These aren't things on the forefront of your mind, but when they pop up, they become very real and tangible," he said. "I think too often the temptation is to be quiet about things we struggle with, and that leads to a lot of circumstances where people don't get the help they need."

Jimmy has seen a therapist to talk through these feelings. He also practices mindfulness and does breathing exercises.

At 20, he decided to honor his mom's memory by volunteering with the American Heart Association and spoke at Go Red for Women events. His family also sponsors the Kathleen L. Fremgen Memorial Nursing Scholarshipnamed in his mother's honorto support students returning to college after becoming a mother, as she did.

He also raises awareness through his social media accounts, with an eye toward political solutions. He's especially interested in the plight of the millions of children who live with a chronically ill parent, like he did.

"I don't think we do enough to support the families that are struggling with the reality of heart disease," he said. "We can save lives by changing health policy to make health care more accessible, especially to low-income and minority communities who might not realize they have significant risk factors. We ought to do better, and the only way to do better is by engaging."

Explore further What is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?

Copyright  2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
President Joe Biden walks to board Marine One on the Ellipse near the White House for a trip to Delaware, Wednesday, June 2, 2021, in Washington. Credit: AP Photo/Evan Vucci

For months, President Joe Biden has laid out goal after goal for taming the coronavirus pandemic and then exceeded his own benchmarks. Now, though, the U.S. is unlikely to meet his target to have 70% of Americans at least partially vaccinated by July 4.

The White House has launched a month-long blitz to combat vaccine hesitancy and a lack of urgency to get shots, particularly in the South and Midwest, but it is increasingly resigned to missing the president's vaccination target. The administration insists that even if the goal isn't reached, it will have little effect on the overall U.S. recovery, which is already ahead of where Biden said it would be months ago.

About 15.5 million unvaccinated adults need to receive at least one dose in the next four weeks for Biden to meet his goal. But the pace of new vaccinations in the U.S. has dropped below 400,000 people per daydown from a high of nearly 2 million per day two months ago.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday that he still hopes the goal will be met "and if we don't, we're going to continue to keep pushing."

So far 14 states have reached 70% coverage among adults, with about a dozen more on pace to reach the milestone by July 4. But the state-to-state variation is stark.

Fauci said the administration is "pleading" with states, particularly those with low vaccination rates, to step up their efforts in the coming months, though some of the states trailing behind are hardly sharing the urgency.

On a conference call Tuesday, White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients delivered an impassioned call for governors to join the administration in "pulling out all the stops" on vaccinations this month. "We need your leadership on the ground  which is where it matters the most  more than ever," he said.

In Mississippi, which trails the nation with only about 34% of its population vaccinated, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has called Biden's goal "arbitrary, to say the least."

The vaccination rate in the state has dropped off so sharply that it would take the better part of a year for the state to reach the 70% target.

Speaking to CNN on Sunday, Reeves said he encouraged residents to get vaccinated, but that the more important marker was the decline in cases in the state.

President Joe Biden is reflected in a teleprompter as he speaks about the COVID-19 vaccination program, in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Wednesday, June 2, 2021, in Washington. Credit: AP Photo/Evan Vucci

That sentiment makes winning over people like University of Mississippi student Mary Crane all the more important to Biden meeting his goal. She hasn't felt much urgency to get the COVID-19 vaccine because she's already had the virus, and the family she's living with during the summer break has been vaccinated.

"Initially, it was to wait on everyone else to get it and not take a vaccine," she said, explaining why she hasn't been vaccinated. "But now that it's available, there's really not a reason I haven't gotten it, other than I just haven't gotten it."

Crane, 20, said she's seen classmates who were eager to get the vaccine right awaythere was a trend when the vaccine first came out of posting vaccination cards on social media sites like Instagram. But now that the vaccine has been available for a few months, Crane said she sees fewer young people talking about it.

"Everything's pretty much back to normal now," she said.

Fauci on Tuesday emphasized that increased vaccination was essential to stamping out potentially dangerous variants, including the so-called "Delta variant" first identified in India that is now the dominant strain in the United Kingdom and is growing in the U.S. Vaccines have proven less effective against that variant when people are not fully immunized, and evidence points to it being more transmissible and more deadly.

In an attempt to drive up the vaccination rate, the White House has worked to encourage an array of incentives for people to get shotsfrom paid time off to the chance to win a million dollars. It's partnered with community groups, businesses and health providers to make it easier than ever to get a shot. Those efforts have helped sustain some of the interest, but the trends point to Biden missing the target by several percentage points.

In Ohio, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine created a lottery offering $1 million prizes for vaccinated adults and full-ride college scholarships for children. Ohio's lottery kicked off a wave of similar incentive lotteries nationally.

DeWine's May 12 announcement of the state's Vax-a-Million program had the desired effect, leading to a 43% boost in state vaccination numbers over the previous week. But the impact was short-lived, with vaccinations falling again the following week.

For some, the chance of winning $1 million isn't enough to overcome skepticism about the need for the vaccine.

Joanna Lawrence of Bethel in southwestern Ohio says the COVID-19 survivability rate is so high, and the experiences of people she knows who took the vaccine are so bad, that she sees no need to risk a shot for herself. She made it through her own bout of the coronavirus in August.

President Joe Biden speaks about the COVID-19 vaccination program, in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Wednesday, June 2, 2021, in Washington. Credit: AP Photo/Evan Vucci

"My life is not worth money," said Lawrence, 51, who farms and works in commercial real estate. "I can always get more money if I need to. I cannot get another life."

White House press secretary Jen Psaki declined to make a prediction on whether the goal would be met but said the administration was using " every tool at our disposal to get there,."

"Regardless of where we are on July 4th, we're not shutting down shop," she said. "On July 5th, we're going to continue to press to vaccinate more people across the country."

Husband and wife Keila Moore 41, and Willie Moore, 42, of Pearl, Mississippi, have disagreed on whether to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Willie said he knew he wanted to get it because he has high blood pressure and other preexisting conditions and is a frontline worker.

"As soon as I had the chance to get it, I took it," said Willie, who was vaccinated in February.

But Keila, who doesn't have preexisting conditions and works from home, has so far chosen not to be vaccinated.

After her husband was vaccinated, she tested positive for the virus. She said it was a mild case, but that it was still a scary experience. She said she's feeling more open to getting the vaccine, and is considering getting it this fall, if reports of side effects continue to be minimal.

"I'm just still weighing the options and the time frame," she said. "I'm a little bit more confident in it now as the time is going by because the time is going by and I'm not really seeing any side effects that are too worrisome."

Explore further Hitting latest vaccine milestone, Biden pushes shots for all

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Dromedary camels from a study site in Ethiopia. Credit: Eve Miguel.

An international team of researchers has found that the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) is just a few mutations away from becoming a serious pandemic threat. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes their study of different variants of the virus.

MERS-CoV was first observed in 2012 in Saudi Arabia. Testing of the virus showed it to be highly lethalapproximately 40% of initial patients died from their infections. Researchers also found that the majority of infections came from infected dromedaries. They also found some evidence that the dromedaries had been infected by infected bats.

While alarming, the MERS-CoV outbreak received little attention because it did not appear to be transferable between humans. Since the initial outbreak, researchers have found that up to 80% of dromedaries that have been tested70% of which live in Africahave antibodies for MERS-CoV.

One mystery regarding the virus is why more African people have not been infected, considering the number of dromedaries and their interactions on the African continent. To find out, the researchers collected samples of the virus in a variety of places in the Middle East and Africa, looking to find its variants. They grouped those from Africa and the Middle East into different clades.

Next, they compared the samples genetically and under lab conditions using human lung cells. They found that variants originating in Arabian clades were easily transmissible to humans, while variants collected in Africa were not.

A closer look showed the differences between the variants came down to amino acids in the S protein. Genetically engineering an African variant to have the same amino acids allowed the variant originating in Africa to more easily infect human cells.

The researchers suggest the reason that the variant from the samples collected in the Middle East has not yet mutated to infect humans is due to the dromedary tradeit is virtually one way, with the animals being traded from Africa to the Middle East. They note that if the trade reverses at some point, or another animal becomes a carrier and is traded to Africa, mutations could arise, setting off a deadly pandemic.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

More information: Ziqi Zhou et al, Phenotypic and genetic characterization of MERS coronaviruses from Africa to understand their zoonotic potential, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2021). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Ziqi Zhou et al, Phenotypic and genetic characterization of MERS coronaviruses from Africa to understand their zoonotic potential,(2021). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2103984118

 2021 Science X Network
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Researchers at the Universities of Surrey, Essex and Birmingham, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, have studied the dynamics of parents' mental health during the pandemic.

The study uses data from Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study's COVID-19 survey, which collected data from around 1,500 parents during the pandemic from April until November 2020.

The study is the first of its kind to look specifically at the impact of having children at home as a result of school closures. The research separates this from other factors affecting parents' mental health during the pandemic. Researchers found that, on six occasions between April 2020 and November 2020, parents with children aged 4-12 (in year groups Reception to Year 7) reported worse mental health than a comparable sample of parents interviewed in the same months before the pandemic. Differences were larger for mothers than fathers.

To isolate the causal effect of school closures, the researchers make use of the fact that in England, certain primary school year groups (Reception, Year 1 and Year 6) were prioritized to return to school earlier than others after the first lockdown, which took place from 1 June 2020 until summer holidays. This means that school attendance in these year groups was much higher than other year groups who were not prioritized to return.

Compared to April/May 2020, when schools were closed for most children, mental health improved in June 2020 for mothers whose children were prioritized to return to school compared to those who were not. This suggests that school closures have a significant detrimental effect on mothers' mental health. In contrast, for fathers, it made no difference to their mental health whether or not their children were prioritized to return to school.

The size of the effect is equivalent to a mother moving from feeling a problem such as being unhappy or depressed 'no more than usual' to somewhere between 'rather more than usual' and 'much more than usual." The results suggest that school closures could be responsible for around half of the decline in mental health experienced by mothers in June 2020 compared to previous Junes. These effects are driven primarily by mothers with more than one child aged 4-12.

Dr. Jo Blanden, Reader in Economics at the University of Surrey, said: "There has been a huge focus on children's mental wellbeing during the pandemic, however the impact of having children out of school on mothers' mental health has been investigated for the first time. Our study suggests that, for the most part, mothers' mental health seems to have bounced back once schools re-opened, suggesting that the negative effects of school closures were temporary for many mothers. This is an important piece of research highlighting the widespread impact of school closures and adds to a wider body of evidence showing that parents, especially mothers, have paid a heavy price during lockdown."

More information: School closures and parents' mental health. School closures and parents' mental health. www.iser.essex.ac.uk/files/new  es-mental-health.pdf
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

A modeling study found that with controlled community transmission and moderate mitigation strategies in place, schools can reopen safely. Asymptomatic screening is one mitigation strategy identified that could facilitate reopening at higher local incidence while minimizing transmission risk. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Harvard University, Stanford University, and Massachusetts General Hospital used a simulation model to assess the risk for SARS-CoV-2 transmission in schools. The model considered average U.S. classroom sizes for both elementary and high schools. Interactions within schools and homes, as well as those between households outside school, were incorporated. Mitigation strategies included were isolation of symptomatic individuals, quarantine of an infected individual's contacts, reduced class sizes, alternative schedules, staff vaccination, and weekly asymptomatic screening. Transmission was projected among students, staff, and families after a single infection in school and over an 8-week quarter, contingent on local incidence.

The data showed that school transmission varied according to student age and local incidence and was substantially reduced with mitigation measures, such as teacher vaccination, masking, social distancing, and asymptomatic screening. Testing was impactful because when transmission occurs, it may be difficult to detect as most school-aged children experience asymptomatic or mild infections. While the data suggest that reopening with careful mitigation strategies in place is safe, the authors noted that the risk for transmission was substantially higher in high schools than elementary schools.

An accompanying editorial from New York City Health + Hospitals suggests that during the pandemic, emergency department visits for children aged 5 to 11 and 12 to 17 years that were mental health-related increased approximately 24% and 31%, respectively. Isolation associated with remote learning may be partially to blame. As such, in-person learning is one of the most powerful tools available to support children's and adolescents' mental health. Based on the science, local, state, and federal agencies should prioritize effective interventions that permit the benefits of in-person education while protecting the safety of both students and educators.
Epica Foundation - la Fura dels Baus has designed an experimental platform in which actors and scientists interact to create new knowledge. Credit: Epica Foundation.

Stereotypes are knowledge structures integrated in our world representation, which have an influence on our decisions and which are hard to change. A team from the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), in collaboration with the Epica FoundationLa Fura dels Baus analyzed how a performing experience could have a positive impact in reducing the population's bias against physical illnesses. This performing experience is a pioneer one for it combines scientific training and theater performance in the same working platform.

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, shows that the participation in a 14-day performing arts program reduces these implicit cognitive biases. According to the researchers, these results shed light on the development of strategies with performing arts to help treat this social problem in the general population. Participants in the study are Josue Garcia-Arch (IDIBELL-UB), as first signatory, and Lluis Fuentemilla, both researchers at the IDIBELL Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit and the Institute of Neurosciences of the UB (UBNeuro). Other signatories of the article are Celia Ventura-Gabarro, from the Pompeu Fabra University, and Pedro Lorente and Pep Gatell, from the Epica FoundationLa Fura dels Baus.

The challenge of modifying stereotypes

Previous studies show that representation structures from which stereotypes derive are malleable, but achieving a change through an intervention is very difficult. "Studies in cognitive neuroscience indicate that a memory (or representation structure) can be altered if it reactivates efficiently in the brain. Also, if the memory goes with emotional context, this can increase the reactivation-derived change," notes Lluis Fuentemilla, coordinator of the study.

"On the other hand," continues the researcher, "we also know that people tend to understand and integrate how others are if we are able to simulate them as if we were them."

Epica Foundation has designed a performing experience that has these elements: The ability to simulate artistically a concept through performing arts developed from a context of intense emotion. The participants were sixteen amateurs, selected for the activity, who had to prepare a theater play on several illnesses. With this objective, for two weeks, they received advice from experts on cancer and degenerative disorders from the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), who helped them to take in the disease and understand it from a multi-dimensional perspective (physiological, psychological, social impact, etc.).

For instance, after these exchanges with the researchers, they simulated the daily life of patients with degenerative diseases or the life of the caregivers. The activity ended with a public performance in front of more than 300 people. "This work protocol gathers many features that enable us to think that the activation of knowledge structures that are the basis for stereotypes could make them malleable: emotion, continuity and first-person experience. These features are hard to work with under laboratory conditions or different practices in other programs, since they limit the motivation and commitment of the participants in the task, therefore hardening the chance to make reliable changes in the implicit bias at an individual level," notes Lluis Fuentemilla.

The effects of the intervention were measured with the implicit association test (IAT), an experimental task that allows the calculation of how long it takes for an individual to associate an item, for instance, with a word or an image, and a conceptual category: The longer the reaction, the harder it is to establish a link between concepts. "For instance, we know it takes longer to link an image of someone playing sport to the idea of 'bad' than the 'good' category, and the contrary happens with the image of someone who wears a hospital patient robe. This difference in the reaction time shows we have an integrated 'good' and 'bad' category associated with a category linked to 'healthy' and 'ill' people, a phenomenon that, as expected, we found in the actors before the workshop," notes Josue Garcia Arch, researcher of the project.

Once the program ended, the differences in reaction time had decreased in the participants, showing that the allocation of these ideas had decreased as well. Also, this reduction did not happen in two control experiments carried out on people of the same age, sex and education levels. One of these groups received the same scientific and medical information but without the arts, and did not show a change in the reaction time regarding the initial test. "This response shows that the experience provided by the performing activity was essential to reduce the negative stereotype towards ill people," note the researchers.

A potential strategy to treat other prejudices

These results shed light on the development of strategies based on this performing experience to treat problems related to stereotypes in the general population. "The way in which society faces stereotypes is based on education-derived processes and awareness in order to prevent these knowledge structures from being created. However, the problem of stereotypes is that this knowledge is attached to many situations of our society and coping with this in education is not enough. The presented protocol of the study enables us to open the way to reverse this problem using performing arts," states the researcher.

Moreover, according to the authors of the study, this protocol could be used to treat other problems. "In this case, we have worked on the stereotype associated with the disease, but the program enables us to treat any stereotype, race or gender for instance, using the theme of performing arts," notes Lluis Fuentemilla.

A unique platform to create new knowledge

This study emerges in the frame of the platform created by Epica Foundation, in which performing arts, science and technology are grouped to create new knowledge. The objective of this initiative is to create a performance based on research questions by the researchers to create results from the interactions between creatives, scientists and the audience. "Knowledge can be learned through language and experiences, and performing arts have both. In addition, in the language of FURA, which prioritizes the interaction with the audience, the experience is lived by actors, creators and the audience at the same time. Therefore, in our space, we can create realities that the audience can feel as real, and therefore, their reaction will be more spontaneous than in a laboratory or in a test carried out by research groups in the workshop," note the members of Epica Foundation.

The UB-IDIBELL team has taken part in two workshops: Information vs Memory, where they analyzed the impact of this show on memory, and Complex Systems, the origin of this project. Moreover, it is also part of the European Performing Science Night project, co-funded by the Marie Sklodowska Curie actions, and led by the Epica Foundation, which will apply the same work methodology. The result will be the different dissemination activities that will take place in Badalona in September 2021 as part of the European Researchers' Night.

Explore further Neural mechanism involved in the creation and consolidation of memories

More information: Josue Garcia-Arch et al, Reducing Implicit Cognitive Biases Through the Performing Arts, Frontiers in Psychology (2021). Journal information: Frontiers in Psychology Josue Garcia-Arch et al, Reducing Implicit Cognitive Biases Through the Performing Arts,(2021). DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.614816
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Researchers investigating a group of microscopic cells have discovered they can put the brakes on the rapid development of melanoma lesions.

A team at the University of Queensland and collaborators from WEHI and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre have taken a close look at the Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2) which are crucial for initiating and orchestrating immune responses.

UQ Diamantina Institute's Professor Gabrielle Belz said their aim was to understand more about the function of these relatively recently identified cells, and their roles in melanoma.

"We wanted to investigate how ILC2 contribute to melanoma formation, because we already knew these cells harbored functions that could either suppress or stimulate production of cancerous tumors," Professor Belz said.

"The exact outcome depends on the setting, and it wasn't known if ILC2 could positively influence the behavior of tumor cells.

"Previously, we understood very little about the underlying mechanisms of these intriguing cells, and whether they could be clinically relevant or targeted to apply the brakes on melanoma development.

"We discovered these cells can halt the rapid development of full-blown melanoma lesions and can potentially be harnessed to drive protective functions with potential immunotherapy applications."

Approximately two thirds of Australians will be diagnosed with a form of skin cancer before they are 70 years of age, and Australia and New Zealand have the highest rates of melanoma in the world.

Dr. Nicolas Jacquelot, who helped lead the study at WEHI and is now at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Canada, said the findings were promising.

"This shows our capacity to further increase immune responses against melanoma and the possibility to develop new immunotherapy strategies to boost the ILC2-eosinophil axis to fight tumor cells," Dr. Jacquelot said.

"This gives us real hope for improving outcomes for patients.

"Our results identified that ILC2s have a critical function in melanoma immunity, and that there was a potentially coordinated approach to harness ILC2 function for anti-tumor immunotherapies.

"This opens a new pathway to explore targets not previously used as part of the immunotherapy regime, to both prevent development of metastasis and prevent resistance to therapy."

Associate Professor Paul Neeson said the team at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the collaborative Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy was able to clinically validate the findings in human skin and, in particular, cases of melanoma.

"Our team showed these rare immune cells (ILC2) were present in human melanoma samplesboth when patients were first diagnosed, and in patients with advanced disease," Dr. Neeson said.

The research was published in the journal Nature Immunology.

Explore further New immunotherapy drug effective for melanoma, other cancers

More information: Nicolas Jacquelot et al, Blockade of the co-inhibitory molecule PD-1 unleashes ILC2-dependent antitumor immunity in melanoma, Nature Immunology (2021). Journal information: Nature Immunology Nicolas Jacquelot et al, Blockade of the co-inhibitory molecule PD-1 unleashes ILC2-dependent antitumor immunity in melanoma,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41590-021-00943-z
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

A study by RCSI indicates that exercise is probably the most effective short-term treatment for depression in people with coronary heart disease, when compared to antidepressants and psychotherapy or more complex care.

The study, led by researchers at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, is published in the June edition of Psychosomatic Medicine.

This is the first systematic review to compare treatments for depression in those with coronary disease and the findings provides valuable clinical information to help doctors determine the best treatment plan for patients.

The researchers reviewed treatment trials which investigated antidepressants, psychotherapy, exercise, combined psychotherapy and antidepressants, and collaborative care (i.e. treatments devised by a multidisciplinary team of clinicians with input from the patient).

To measure effectiveness, the researchers looked at factors including patient adherence to the treatment (dropout rate) and change in depressive symptoms eight weeks after commencing treatment.

The strongest treatment effects were found to be exercise and combination treatments (antidepressants and psychotherapy). However, as the combination study results have a high risk of bias, the findings of the review suggest that exercise is probably the most effective treatment. Antidepressants had the most research support, while psychotherapy and collaborative care did not perform very well.

"Depression is common in patients with coronary artery disease. Having both conditions can have a significant impact on the quality of life for patients so it is vital that they access to the most effective treatments," commented Dr. Frank Doyle, Senior Lecturer Division of Population Health Sciences, RCSI and the study's first author.

"Our study indicates that exercise is likely to be the best treatment for depression following coronary artery disease. Our findings further highlight the clinical importance of exercise as a treatment as we see that it improves not only depression, but also other important aspects of heart disease, such as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, in these patients."

"We continue to see emerging evidence of the importance of lifestyle to treat diseasein comparison to other treatmentsbut further high-quality research is needed. People with coronary heart disease who have symptoms of depression should talk to their doctor about treatments that are most suitable for their personal needs, and clinicians can be confident of recommending exercise to their patients."

Dr. Frank Doyle and the study's senior authors, Prof. Jan Sorensen (Health Outcomes Research Centre, RCSI) and Prof. Martin Dempster (School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast), conducted the study in collaboration with researchers in the U.S., The Netherlands, the UK and Denmark.

This study was also the first of its kind to establish a new method to conduct systematic reviews known as a hybrid review, which is a combination of umbrella reviews and systematic reviews.

Explore further Non-drug therapies as good as or better than drugs for treating depression in people with dementia

More information: Frank Doyle et al, Hybrid Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of Interventions for Depressive Symptoms in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease, Psychosomatic Medicine (2021). Journal information: Psychosomatic Medicine Frank Doyle et al, Hybrid Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of Interventions for Depressive Symptoms in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease,(2021). DOI: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000944

Provided by RCSI University of Medicine
The UAE government has announced the completion of road networks running 112 km long and strategic development projects worth AED1.95 billion ($531 million).

The strategic road projects comprise a network of tracks, roads, intersections and bridges in three main axes, including the following: 1. The first axis is Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road, a new route that represents an extension of the Sheikh Khalifa Road (E84) leading to the Emirate of Fujairah.

These road networks and strategic development projects, aimed at shortening the distance and time between the country's various regions and emirates, were implemented by the Follow-Up Committee of the Initiatives of the UAE President.

This axis extends from the intersection of Sheikh Khalifa Road with Sharjah-Kalba Road (E102) and continues through the Mleiha area and then Al Madam area in Sharjah and ends in Al Shuwaib area in Abu Dhabi. The length of this route is 52 km, with three lanes in each direction, with a design speed of 140 km/h.

This axis also includes the construction of three main intersections with Sharjah Road, in addition to seven flyover-bridge intersections to provide free traffic in all directions.

The second axis is Al-Watan Road, which represents a direct connection route, with three lanes in each direction, with a length of 42 km and a design speed of 120 km/h.

This axis extends from the Hatta area, passing through the Masfout area in the Emirate of Ajman, the Almunaee area and the mountains of Wadi Al Qor in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah and intersects with the first axis, which represents the extension of the Sheikh Khalifa Road in the Mleiha area in the Emirate of Sharjah.

This road consists of two parts. The first includes improving the lane and raising the efficiency of the current Sharjah-Kalba Road/E102 to Hatta to become three lanes in each direction instead of two, with a length of 18 km.

As for the second part, it includes the construction of a new lane as an extension of the first road, with a length of 24 km. The lane will pass through mountainous areas (Wadi Al Qour mountain) in Ras Al Khaimah, to meet the first axis, which is Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road in the Maliha area.

The third axis is the Dubai-Hatta Road, which includes the development and upgrading of the current Dubai-Hatta road between Nizwa and Al Madam areas within Sharjah, with three lanes in each direction instead of two lanes, at a 120 km/h speed. The length of this lane is 18 km.

The road includes the construction of an upper crossing for vehicles in the Madam area and two bridges over the Madam roundabout.

The project also involves the development of the current lower crossing leading to Al Nizwa area and the construction of four pedestrian bridges in the Madam area.-TradeArabia News Service
This historic image depicts a gathering of people in Columbus, Georgia, who were awaiting their polio vaccination, during the earlier days of the National Polio Immunization Program. Credit: CDC/Charles N. Farmer

In 2019, before COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten greatest threats to global health.

Every year, vaccination saves around 4-5 million lives, although a further 1.5 million lives could be saved annually with improved global vaccine coverage.

Now, we are seeing a new round of vaccine hesitancy in some corners as the COVID vaccine is rolled out. But that's nothing new. Anti-vaccination movements have existed for as long as vaccination.

From cowpox came the smallpox vaccine

The first modern vaccine was the smallpox vaccine which English country general practitioner Edward Jenner developed from cowpox at the end of the 18th century.

Smallpox was known as the "most terrible of all the ministers of death", so Jenner's smallpox vaccine was rapidly adopted around the world. However, some were scared or skeptical.

English satirist James Gillray famously depicted cows emerging from the bodies of terrified people being given cowpox vaccine, as seen below.

In 1853, concerned by pockets of poor uptake of smallpox vaccine, the British parliament introduced the Vaccination Act, making infant smallpox vaccination compulsory. Mandatory vaccination fomented opposition, something we should remember if considering making a modern vaccine mandatory.

In 1885, over 80,000 vaccine dissenters marched through Leicester carrying banners, a child's coffin and an effigy of Jenner. Dissent spread to the US and Canada. Eventually, the success of Jenner's smallpox vaccine silenced the anti-smallpox vaccination movement.

Nevertheless, in 1950, over 50 million people worldwide caught smallpox, most in Africa and India. About 10 million died, and it took an extraordinary WHO campaign, in which Australian virologist Frank Fenner played a key role, to eliminate smallpox from the world forever. That was achieved in 1978.

Polio, the silent killer

In the first half of the 20th century, as smallpox began to disappear, polio (infantile paralysis) was the disease most feared in resource-rich countries.

Philip Roth's novel Nemesis describes the terror of polio, the silent killer, sweeping through Newark, New Jersey, in 1944 killing or paralyzing its victims. It is easy to draw parallels with COVID-19.

America was desperate for a polio vaccine. Two Jewish virologists whose families fled the pogroms in Europe, Albert Sabin and Jonas Salk, competed to develop the first polio vaccine.

Salk's vaccine, made from killed polio viruses, was ready for a large clinical trial in 1954. Families were desperate for their children to be enrolled; children who did so called themselves Polio Pioneers.

Even before the results of the trial were made public, vaccine companies were asked to tender to mass produce the Salk vaccine. Five companies applied, four major pharmaceutical firms and one Californian family firm called Cutter Laboratories. The whole country held its breath and tuned their radios as the trial results were announced.

The press release showed protection against the virus. Reporters cried, "It works, it works", church bells pealed, sirens blared. Vaccine production began and the vaccine was launched triumphantly in 1955.

The Cutter Incident

But within two weeks disaster struck. Children who received the Cutter vaccine (but not the vaccines made by the four other companies) started to develop paralysis.

Cutter Laboratories had failed to kill the poliovirus incorporated in its vaccine. Of 200,000 children given the Cutter vaccine, 40,000 developed polio, 200 were paralyzed and 10 died.

Although the polio vaccination program stalled due to the "Cutter Incident", the fear of catching polio was so great the public was soon reassured the other vaccines had not caused polio.

Universal polio vaccination resumed with excellent uptake.

What are the lessons from history for COVID-19 vaccination?

Firstly, the public will tolerate risk of harm from a vaccine if their fear of the disease exceeds their fear of the vaccine.

The immediate response of many countries to news of rare but serious cases of blood clotting occurring in people given the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine was to suspend use of the vaccine, at least for younger adults.

In public health, the precautionary principle means acting to prevent harm. Arguably, this is an example of inappropriate use of the precautionary principle (which, in public health, means acting to prevent harm). Perhaps there was not sufficient consideration of the possibility that suspending vaccine delivery was a disproportionate response which would alarm the public and increase vaccine hesitancy.

Although the risk of blood clotting with the AstraZeneca vaccine is extremely low, at times when there is almost no COVID-19 circulating (as sometimes happens in Australia and New Zealand) the risk of dying from blood clotting due to the vaccine is slightly higher than dying from COVID-19.

In Australia, a concentration on individual risk at a single point in time ignores the benefits to the community of widespread vaccine uptake.

And as soon as COVID-19 incidence rises, the risk of dying from COVID-19 massively outweighs any slight vaccine risk.

Indeed, COVID-19 itself is far more likely to cause blood clots than the vaccine. However, contravening autonomy by making vaccination mandatory threatens civil liberties and should only be considered in extreme circumstances.

Complacency, inconvenient access to vaccines, and lack of confidence are key factors in vaccine hesitancy.

However, trusted health workers in communities can build public confidence in vaccines and combat hesitancy.

Open and honest communication about vaccine safety is important, but messaging also needs to put vaccine risk in perspective.

History tells us the public can tolerate risk of harm from vaccines when the severity of the disease warrants the risk.

Explore further Denmark drops J&J vaccine from COVID vaccination programme

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Variations in children's speech has traditionally been attributed to developmental delays. Recent work suggests the reasons for variability are not so clear, and an immediate call for treatment may need to be reconsidered.

During the 180th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, held virtually June 8-10, Margaret Cychosz, from the University of Maryland, discussed the need to better understand these variations. Her presentation, "Reconsidering variability in child speech production," took place Tuesday, June 8, at 11:35 a.m. Eastern U.S.

Cychosz said speech patterns measured by artificial intelligence applications are particularly unreliable, since these often depend on databases of adult speech, which is very different from child speech.

"Children have a smaller anatomysmaller heads, smaller tongues, smaller vocal tractsbut they're not just miniatures of adults, so we can't apply a simple function to transform all of the algorithms trained on adult speech," Cychosz said.

Even within populations of children, different developmental rates, dialects, and exposure to languages can cause vast distinctions in speech.

"When we don't factor in the languages and dialects that children are learning at home, and we don't include representative samples for the design of standardized speech-language tests, we sometimes end up pathologizing bilingual children or children who speak additional dialects, which definitely doesn't help them reach their fullest potential," said Cychosz.

Developing a larger database of speech from children can help artificial intelligence overcome this bias, but Cychosz said adult listeners also need to be aware of these factors and note the subtle differences in sounds made by children that may be imperceptible to adults.

"Just because a child says 'tatch' instead of 'catch' doesn't always mean that they don't know or aren't trying to say the word correctly. Instead, children are gradually learning to make this distinction. It's a step along the way to speaking like an adult."

Cychosz emphasized the role of caregivers in this process. Hearing different words used in different ways is important for children's development and can even aid with reading in the longer term.

"One way to do that is to talk about things outside of the here and now. What did you do yesterday? How much time will we spend at the park?" she said. "These types of interactions help children construct larger vocabularies and practice pronouncing tough sounds in new contexts."
Although the number of teens who use e-cigarettes has dropped significantly, new research suggests that vaping rates are still too high.

"This study underscores that flavored e-cigarettes, especially JUUL, have caused the epidemic of youth e-cigarette use and nicotine addiction in the U.S. and shows why the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] and other policymakers must act now to eliminate all flavored e-cigarettes," said Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

To get around bans on e-cigarettes sold to kids, there was a dramatic shift to fruity-flavored disposable e-cigarettes, such as Puff Bar, and pre-filled menthol cartridge products, which were left on the market by loopholes in U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations, he said.

"It's alarming that over 7% of high school e-cigarette users wrote in Puff Bar as their usual brand, although it was not named in the survey," Myers said.

For the study, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveyed more than 14,500 middle and high school students about their use of e-cigarettes.

In 2019, 27.5% of high school students and 10.5% of middle school students said they used e-cigarettes. In 2020, those numbers dropped to 20% of high school students and 5% of middle school students. The preferred brand of e-cigarettes was JUUL, which was used by 25% of high school vapers and 35% of middle school students.

Most users got their e-cigarettes from a friend (57% of high school students and 59% of middle school students), reported the researchers, who were led by Teresa Wang, from the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health.

Flavored e-cigarettes were preferred by far among by both high school and middle school students (85% of high schoolers and 74% of middle schoolers). Fruit-flavored e-cigarettes were the most popular, followed by mint-flavored e-cigarettes. Also, many students switched to disposable and refillable e-cigarettes, the researchers noted.

"The evidence is clear that as long as any flavored e-cigarettes remain on the market, we will not end this youth epidemic," Myers said. "The FDA must act to clear the market of all flavored e-cigarettes. And it should reject JUUL's application to keep selling its products, given the unquestionable evidence that JUUL drove the youth e-cigarette epidemic and remains highly popular with kids."

Ivo Abraham, from the Center for Health Outcomes and PharmacoEconomic Research at the University of Arizona, is concerned that this drop in e-cigarette use isn't a trend, but merely a pause in an increasing trend.

"Unfortunately we're going to have to wait two years for the next cycle to come out and really see if this is a trend, or do we see an uptick," he said. "I don't want to be pessimistic, but I want to be cautious and with my eyes open, and that is we need to continue monitoring behavior."

Abraham is also worried that continued e-cigarette use by kids leads to worse health habits as adults.

"We are talking about a pathway to cigarettes and other methods. Studies show us that now we have the 12-year-olds, who by 14 are smoking cigarettes," he said. "I think of vaping as a cascade, and it cascades down to cigarettes, and then it cascades down to long-term behavior, and that is where our eyes also should be."

Putting a dent in teen use of e-cigarettes will take a combination of regulation and education that starts in elementary school, said Abraham, who co-authored an accompanying journal editorial.

He also said that preventing kids from vaping starts at home with parents.

"You have to work with parentsthis is something that needs to be the stuff of parent-teacher conferences, communications from middle schools and high schools and even primary schools to parents to involve parents, grandparents and teachers," Abraham said.

"Remember the country and Western song from the 1970s, well, here's another version: "Mothers, don't let your kids grow up to be vapers,'" he said.

The report was published online June 7 in the journal JAMA Network Open.

Copyright  2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
'Captured alive on May 8, killed on May 17 in alleged clash with Sabah police' FIVE ABU Sayyaf terrorists were killed following an a...
CLEVELAND (AP)  The electric utility AEP Ohio said Tuesday that the Enforcement Division of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has subpoenaed documents related to subsidies it has received from a now-tainted energy bill for two aging coal plants partly owned by the company.

A document on the company's website says the SEC is seeking various documents, including those regarding the energy bill passed in July 2019 and those relating to our financial processes and controls.

As we have previously stated, we continue to have no reason to believe that AEP was involved in any wrongful conduct, the company said, adding that it is cooperating with the SEC.

Federal authorities last July accused Akron-based First Energy Corp. of secretly funding a $60 million bribery scheme to win legislative passage of a $1 billion subsidy for two Ohio nuclear power plants operated at the time by a wholly-owned FirstEnergy subsidiary.

A subsidy for the coal plants, which AEP has a 43% ownership stake in, was later added to the energy bill.

Two other Ohio investor-owned electric utilities, AES Ohio, formerly Dayton Power & Light, and Duke Energy have smaller ownership shares of the plants, one of which is in Indiana.
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP)  An agreement announced Tuesday between an Alaska Native village corporation and conservationists would restrict development on lands in the Bristol Bay region where a mine developer has proposed a road, a move that could create another obstacle for the proposed Pebble Mine.

The Conservation Fund said it has launched a fundraising campaign to buy the land easements on more than 44,000 acres (17,800 hectares) from the Pedro Bay Corp. for $18.3 million. Terms call for the money to be raised by the end of 2022, said Ann Simonelli, a spokesperson for the Virginia-based conservation group.

The corporation would retain ownership of the land, and the easements would be managed by the Bristol Bay Heritage Land Trust, a group focused on preserving salmon and wildlife habitat in southwest Alaska's Bristol Bay region. According to a statement announcing the agreement, terms of the deal would bar the execution of any right-of-way agreements with the mine project due to the easements restrictions on development. The planned easements cover part of a transportation route proposed by the Pebble Mine, the statement says.
Corporal Malonelord appears to be white. Her story has absolutely no connection to race theory, critical or otherwise. She is a college graduate who wanted to serve her country and make a difference in the world. Her unforgivable sins, in Rosendales worldview, are that she has marched in left-wing social protests and was raised by two moms who proclaimed their commitment to one another in a lesbian wedding.

The ad featuring her story was posted a month ago. The comment section has now been disabled. After a million views, it had 36,000 dislikes and only 775 likes. Our congressman knows a good dog whistle when he sees one. Oh, and thank you for your service, Emma.

Ten years and one day after D-Day, the individual who, more than anyone else, made that day possible took his own life because there was no place for him in a society that  whatever debt of gratitude it owed him, whatever another Matthew admonished us in 7:1-3  called it righteous to cast him out as not one of us. Sixty-seven years later, too many of us are responding to the call to do the same thing. Now, thats perversion.

I stand with Alan and Emma. With pride  and gratitude for what he did and she does to stand for me and you.

Mary Sheehy Moe is a former state legislator and writes from Great Falls.

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Almost two-thirds (63%) of workers in the UAE are prepared to pursue different career paths post-crisis, expressing a high willingness to retrain and develop new skillsets before embarking on new roles, a report said.



The Covid-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted the professional landscape, driving a paradigm shift in attitudes concerning long-term employment, added the new study by management consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Bayt.com, a top job site in the Middle East.



A report based on the study, Decoding Global Reskilling and Career Paths, is the third in a series of publications that BCG and Bayt.com have issued about the pandemics impact on peoples work preferences and careers, with this particular edition providing insights ascertained from various countries. From a UAE standpoint, the findings are based on responses from 707 workforce participants in diverse positions and highlight potential employment trends that could emerge in due course.



As a result of the economic unpredictability stemming from the pandemic, professionals from a majority of industries are apprehensive, at least to some degree, regarding the future role of technology. Overall, 37 percent of UAE workers feel that the threat of their positions becoming automated has increased in the past year.



Workers over the age of 60 and younger people aged 20-30are particularly aware of this risk, potentially due to greater awareness among younger generations and the nature of jobs held by their elders. Moreover, automation concerns are particularly pressing among those in white-collar creative, consulting, and administrative positions, while people least concerned are those with human-centric roles, including sales and social care.



Over the past year, technological disruption has accelerated tremendously. The increasing presence of automation in work processes has seen concerns regarding job security rise substantially, with many now questioning their futures as a result, said Dr Christopher Daniel, Managing Director and Partner, BCG Middle East.



As such, workers have experienced a change in professional outlook. This is emphasized through the surveys findings, with around two-thirds of respondents reaffirming their perceptions that retraining is a viable route towards new opportunities.



Of the UAE respondents, 66 percent are willing to retrain for a different job role, and this emerging trend is also consistent across degree types and age groups. Media and information professionals, social care workers, and those involved in purchasing and logistics expressed the most willingness to retrain, with the media and financial institutions industries demonstrating the highest willingness overall.



In terms of learning, 63% said that they now dedicate a few weeks minimum to skillset development over the course of a year, with this applying to workers from all age groups and various higher education backgrounds.



Since the outset of the ongoing pandemic, law, media, digital, consulting, and creative jobs have recorded the highest levels of training. Meanwhile, the UAE has demonstrated strong improvement in training resources since 2018. Self-study rose from 53% in 2018 to 66% in 2020  above the global average of 62% - with generous government programs reaching 19% last year. Mobile application usage for training purposes has also increased from 18% to 35% in the same timeframe.



Irrespective of their professions, UAE workforce members are preparing to enter new career paths. They have analyzed their long-term futures in their current positions, with many concluding that other roles and industries will provide greater job security, stated Dr Daniel.



Increased self-study among the national workforce illustrates their fears, with many proactively engaging in extracurricular activities as they prepare for new ventures. Recent events have presented professionals with unprecedented discomfort, and study findings showcase how job security has dwindled since the outbreak.



The pandemic has directly impacted a considerable percentage of the UAE workforce. In total, 43 percent of respondents reported that recent events have had a detrimental effect on their employment status, slightly above 36 percent global average. Some have had their working hours reduced, while others have experienced redundancy due to economic turbulence.



Workers with a lower level of education have been particularly impacted, while masters degree holders have been less affected with 34 percent negatively impacted. Specific job roles, such as marketing, consulting, and media, were heavily hindered, and the travel and tourism sector also suffered significantly. Therefore, many people are enthused by the idea of retraining and embarking on new opportunities that provide greater professional security.  TradeArabia News Service
"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

Each U.S. senator takes this oath when they are sworn in. Apparently, most of the current Republican senators had their fingers crossed. On Jan. 6, our Capitol was attacked by a mob. Five people died, many were injured, the vice president of the United States had to be hustled to safety and our Capitol, a lodestar of our democracy, was desecrated by hoodlums waving Confederate flags, Trump flags and American flags, which they then sacrilegiously used to beat and attack the Capitol Police.

Our Capitol, a symbol of democratic government around the world, has been breached only twice in over 200 years. Once by English soldiers during the War of 1812, and on Jan. 6 by a lowly mob of pseudo-patriots. Both invaders were attacking democracy. The British on behalf King George III, who at that time had lost his sanity but not his crown, and a scurrilous mob on behalf of a would-be king Donald Trump, who fortunately for our country had lost his crown  but retained his madness.
John Noreikas recent (June 6) letter thanked Gov. Greg Gianforte for vetoing the bill that adds a surcharge to registration fees for electric vehicles (EVs). Right on!

Proponents claimed that EV drivers werent paying their "fair share" for road maintenance. The truth is, no one is paying their fair share. Politicians havent increased the gas tax to keep up with rising road costs since 1993, for fear of being voted out for "raising taxes." The tax is now so far behind road maintenance costs that the entire system is broken. Better to add a surcharge to vehicle registrations based on yearly miles driven. Gas and EVs would be taxed the same, based on usage.

Noreika also points out that we must not cede the EV market to Chinese manufacturers. The best way to encourage U.S. manufacture and local sales is to give U.S. companies a reason to produce and U.S. consumers a reason to buy. A fossil fuel tax (price on carbon) does this. If the collected tax is returned to the people as a monthly dividend, then low- and middle-income Americans will actually come out ahead.
RALEIGH  The N.C. Department of Public Safety will host hiring events from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. today, June 8, for correctional officer positions at four locations in western North Carolina.

Burke CRV Center, Avery-Mitchell Correctional Institution, Alexander Correctional Institution and Craggy Correctional Center will provide same-day offers to those who qualify.

The addresses of the four locations are:

Burke CRV  5161 Western Ave., Morganton.

Avery-Mitchell Correctional  600 Amity Park Road, Spruce Pine.

Alexander Correctional Institution  633 Old Landfill Road, Taylorsville.

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Craggy Correctional Center  22 Canoe Lane, Asheville.

Candidates interested in working at Mountain View Correctional can interview at Avery-Mitchell Correctional.

Computers will be available on site for candidates to complete applications, but candidates are strongly encouraged to complete applications online before attending.

Positions at the facilities receive a state benefits plan, including medical insurance, paid vacation and sick leave, state retirement pension, 12 paid holidays and paid training.
The event is free; registration is required.

Join Earl Ijames and Chrystal Regan in an insightful conversation to examine the history behind this holiday and reveal why its celebration is more important now than ever. They also will explore North Carolinas special connections to the historic event and share details about Raleighs inaugural Juneteenth Celebration.

1-4 p.m. June 18, with a special reading and book signing at 3 p.m.

Meet members of the Battery B, Second Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops Light Artillery Civil War reenactors, as they reveal the legacy of these courageous soldiers. Visit museum exhibits, and enjoy an author reading and book signing by the 2021 Piedmont laureate, Kelly Starling Lyons. The renowned childrens author will read her poignant story Hopes Gift, which commemorates the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation as seen by one little girl who dreams of freedom for herself and her people. A free activity guide based on the book is available for families.

N.C. State Capitol

9 a.m.-noon June 19

Commemorate Juneteenth at the state Capitol

The event is free.

Visitors are invited to visit the Capitol grounds, where chalk artist Kiara Sanders creates line drawings on the sidewalks of the Juneteenth flag and portraits of freedmen and freedwomen whose lives intersected with the historic site. The public is encouraged to help color in the portraits and to write the names of other ancestors who lived in bondage to create a colorful visual celebration of the legacy of emancipation and Juneteenth. Historic interpreters from the Capitol will be present to share context and history about the holiday and the early history of Raleigh. This morning of art and reflection will precede the inaugural Capital City Juneteenth Celebration at Dix Park.
Butte police reports

Angry neighbor

Friday morning, officers were called to Rocky Mountain Car Wash, 3410 Harrison Ave., to investigate an assault.

According to the complainant and witnesses, Samuel Amos Rubick, 46, of Butte lives adjacent to the car wash parking lot. He came out of his home and approached the victim, who operates a coffee kiosk on the property.

Rubick then threatened the kiosk owner and reportedly shoved him. Police tried to talk with Rubick, who then began to yell at them and resisted attempts to be placed under arrest.

Rubick was eventually taken into custody and transported to the Butte Detention Center. He was jailed for misdemeanor assault and misdemeanor resisting arrest.

Misdemeanor DUI

Just before 2:30 a.m. Saturday, officers responded to single vehicle crash on Kaw Avenue near the KOA campground.

Officers spoke with the driver of the vehicle, Jessica Storm Hood, 22, of Butte who said she lost control of her vehicle and struck two telephone poles. During the investigation it was determined that she was driving while under the influence of alcohol.
CASPER, Wyo.  The states of Wyoming and Montana are pushing back on the federal government's claims that a lawsuit over a proposed Washington state coal port is moot because the project collapsed.

In their response to the solicitor general's filing from last month, the states maintain the issue is bigger than one development. Washington's actions, they claim, are discriminatory to the coal industry and causing Wyoming and Montana harm.

"Washington will continue to block port development and dissuade bidders from taking up this otherwise lucrative project," lawyers for the states wrote in their new filling. "Evidenced by its successful eight-year crusade to kill the terminal project, Washingtons policy-driven interpretation of its laws and regulations is not going to change on its own. Without relief from this Court  the only forum with the power to grant it  Wyoming and Montana likely will never see their abundant coal reserves to foreign markets."

Wyoming and Montana took legal action against Washington last year over that state's decision to deny a permit to Millennium Bulk Terminals, which was intended to serve as a hub for Powder River Basin coal before it was shipped to overseas markets. The coal-producing states argue Washington's actions amount to the unlawful regulation of interstate commerce.
We have a post-secondary strategy network and weve all been working for a number of years now trying to increase post-secondary enrollment for high school students be it traditional college, trades, certification programs or even the military," said Aim director Kim Warren.

Students need to keep doing those transition activities to make it onto campus or onto a post-secondary institution in the fall, they really dont have a lot of support there, Warren said. For example, if they get pulled for FASFA verification, that can be a very confusing process. Or maybe they have changed their mind on where they want to go or maybe they intended to apply somewhere but havent done it yet. There really isnt that support during the summer, especially for first-generation college students.
Vilcek Foundation awards $100,000 prize to Dr. Katalin Kariko for pioneering mRN

NEW YORK, June 8, 2021--Dr. Katalin Kariko is the recipient of the 2022 Vilcek Prize for Excellence in Biotechnology recognizing her research work that directly led to the development of the mRNA vaccines to combat COVID-19.

The Vilcek Prize for Excellence is awarded to immigrants to the United States who have had a significant impact on both American society and world culture, and to individuals who are dedicated champions of immigrant causes. The award was introduced in 2019 as part of the Vilcek Foundation Prizes program to honor outstanding individuals whose work exemplifies the Vilcek Foundation's mission.

Born in Szolnok, Hungary, Kariko moved to the United States in 1985 to pursue postdoctoral studies at Temple University in Philadelphia. She is the senior vice president at BioNTech RNA Pharmaceuticals and an adjunct associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania.

"Dr. Kariko's pioneering work is responsible for the development of novel vaccines against COVID-19," says Vilcek Foundation Cofounder, Chairman and CEO Jan Vilcek. "This formidable accomplishment, based on four decades of her research on the therapeutic use of messenger RNA, promises to stop the worldwide spread of COVID-19 and save millions of lives."

In the mid-2000s, working with immunologist Drew Weissman, Kariko demonstrated that modifying nucleosides--the building blocks of messenger RNA (mRNA)--renders mRNA safe for use in vaccination against infectious agents. At the time, researchers were pessimistic about the prospect of mRNA vaccines; synthetic mRNA that has not been modified is inherently fragile, and can trigger a serious inflammatory response when introduced to the human immune system. In groundbreaking studies, Kariko showed that using the pseudouridine instead of uridine to create synthetic mRNA not only averts adverse immune reactions but also boosts the molecule's stability and protein yield.

Kariko's breakthrough on the stabilizing effect of modifying nucleosides in mRNA enabled scientists to develop mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, most notably those developed by Pfizer and Moderna. The vaccines have shown more than 94% efficacy in preventing symptomatic disease in clinical trials and are now being deployed across the United States to turn the tide on the pandemic.

"The Vilcek Prize for Excellence was conceived to honor individuals whose contributions benefit society on a broad level," says Marica Vilcek, Vilcek Foundation Cofounder, Vice Chairman and Secretary. "Dr. Kariko's work has obviously had a tremendous impact on science and medicine--but the development of mRNA vaccines based on her research also has a profound humanitarian significance. In enabling people and communities to return to normal activities and to connect with one another in person, her work has had a direct positive impact on global society."

###

The Vilcek Prize for Excellence is awarded as part of the Vilcek Foundation Prizes program. Recipients of the prize receive a cash award of $100,000 and a commemorative diploma. In recognition of the profound impact of Kariko's work at the current moment, the Vilcek Foundation made the decision to announce the 2022 Vilcek Prize for Excellence in advance of the rest of the 2022 Vilcek Foundation Prizes. The recipients of the 2022 Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Biomedical Science and Dance will be announced on September 7, 2021.

Read more at the Vilcek Foundation website: Dr. Katalin Kariko receives 2022 Vilcek Prize for Excellence for pioneering vaccine research

The Vilcek Foundation

The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and fosters appreciation for the arts and sciences. The foundation was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia. The mission of the foundation was inspired by the couple's respective careers in biomedical science and art history. Since 2000, the foundation has awarded over $5.9 million in prizes to foreign-born individuals and has supported organizations with over $5.3 million in grants.

The Vilcek Foundation is a private operating foundation, a federally tax-exempt nonprofit organization under IRS Section 501(c)(3).

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Effective 1 June 2021, Matthias Reinarz has been appointed new Managing Director for Svitzer in the Dominican Republic & Caribbean. He replaces Dickson Rivas, who after a long career with Svitzer is stepping down and retiring by the end of the year. Until his retirement, Dickson Rivas will remain available as special advisor, Svitzer said in a statement.

Svitzer has been present in the Dominican Republic and Caribbean islands since 2010 through a joint venture with Remolcadores Dominicanos, and is the leading towage provider in the Caribbean with 23 vessels servicing 10 operations.

Commenting on the appointment of Matthias Reinarz, Arjen van Dijk, Managing Director Svitzer Americas, said: I am very pleased that Matthias Reinarz has accepted the position as Managing Director in the Dominican Republic & Caribbean. Matthias Reinarz comes with broad management experience and a long and proven track record within both shipping and towage. With his strong combination of commercial mindset and operational experience, he is the right person to further develop and grow our operations and customer relations in the Caribbean. I also want to thank Dickson Rivas for his strong dedication and efforts throughout his years with Svitzer, he has been instrumental in growing Svitzers presence and position in the Dominican Republic.

Commenting on his appointment, Matthias Reinarz, said: I am very excited about the opportunity to head Svitzers operations in the Dominican Republic & Caribbean and I look forward to further developing our services together with the team to ensure that Svitzer continues to deliver safe, reliable and efficient towage services to our customers, and thus remains the preferred towage provider in the region.

In the Americas region, Svitzer employees 835 people and operates more than 80 vessels, delivering marine services to global and regional customers across 12 countries.TradeArabia News Service
Health workers encode information and prepare vaccines against the coronavirus disease at a mobile vaccination site in Taguig, Metro Manila, the Philippines on May 21, 2021.
Telkom has launched Africas first Mastercard virtual card for use on WhatsApp, enabling Telkom Pay customers to make e-commerce payments.

Launched in 2020, Telkom Pay is a digital payments wallet that enables its users to make and receive payments using WhatsApp on their mobile phone.

With the addition of the Mastercard virtual (non-plastic) card to the wallet, users can now make payments to local and global online merchants that accept Mastercard.

Telkoms Mastercard virtual card for WhatsApp gives customers the flexibility to use only their smartphone to make card payments.

To use the service, customers create a virtual card on their profile, link it to their digital wallet and transfer funds from their wallet to the card.

The virtual prepaid card has a 16-digit card number, security code, and expiry date, allowing it to be used to complete online purchases just like a physical card.

The virtual card solution is stored on the Telkom Pay app and customers can temporarily block, cancel, or replace their card via the app.

Mastercard South Africa country manager, Suzanne Morel said the expansion of Telkom Pays services is an important step forward in improving access to the digital economy.

South Africans are increasingly shopping online, yet many people are left out as they lack the financial tools needed for e-commerce, Morel said.

This digital-first solution bridges the divide by giving consumers instant access to a virtual payment solution through WhatsApp, without compromising the safety and security of transactions.

Now read: Three types of WhatsApp messages can now land you in jail in South Africa
Rains valuation per subscriber is 11 times higher than Vodacom, 15 times higher than Telkom, and 33 times higher than MTN. This was revealed in a recent analysis of the valuation per subscriber of South Africas main mobile operators.

African Rainbow Capitals (ARCs) interim financial results for the six months ended 31 December 2020 show that it values Rain at R17.1 billion.

ARC is a 20.4% shareholder in Rain. This shareholding, valued at R3.493 billion, contributes 27.3% to the ARC funds total invested assets.

Rain is therefore a core part of ARCs success, and an accurate valuation is important to give the correct view of ARCs portfolio.

The market, however, does not believe ARCs valuations are accurate. ARC shares are trading at a discount of around 60% to net asset value.

Rains valuation, in particular, has come under scrutiny from industry players who feel it is far too high.

A concern is that ARC and Rain do not disclose any financial results, like revenue, EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization), or profit.

ARC merely tells the market its valuation is conservative and audited, and that it is comfortable with the valuation of its shareholding in Rain.

As a minority shareholder in a privately held company, ARC Investments is not at liberty to disclose detailed financial information on behalf of Rain, ARC co-CEO Johan van Zyl told MyBroadband.

This is not a convincing excuse. Other holding companies like Remgro, for example, disclose the finances of companies in which they have a minority share.

ARC and Rain can easily remove uncertainty around the valuation by releasing the mobile operators financial information.

If the R17.1 billion valuation is conservative, like ARC claims, releasing this financial information can go a long way to close the large trading discount.

They prefer to keep this info secret, however. This can point to concerns from Rain and ARC that the valuation will be challenged by analysts if they get a look at the finances.

Another reason can be that Rain and Vodacom want to keep the finances behind their roaming agreement hidden.

One industry executive, who asked to remain anonymous because of his relationship with Rain, told MyBroadband it is easy to see whether Rain is overvalued.

He said you can look at a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E ratio) or how much they value a subscriber at, and compare it to Vodacom, MTN, and Telkom.

With Rain not disclosing its earnings, it is not possible to calculate its price-to-earnings ratio.

However, it is possible to calculate an estimate of Rains valuation-per-subscriber. This figure clearly shows why industry players think the operator is overvalued.

During ARCs interim results for the six-month period ended 31 December 2020, it is estimated that Rain had around 750,000 subscribers.

This means Rains valuation per subscriber is R22,800. This is significantly higher than Vodacoms R1,994, Telkoms R1,492, and MTNs R698.

The table below shows the valuation per subscriber, based on ARCs valuation of Rain and the market cap of the other operators on Wednesday 2 June 2021.

Valuation per subscriber Telecoms Company Valuation/Market cap Subscribers Valuation per subscriber MTN R194 billion 278 million R698 Telkom R24.8 billion 16.6 million R1,492 Vodacom R247 billion 124 million R1,994 Rain R17.1 billion 0.75 million R22,800

It should be noted that valuation per subscriber is not a preferred measure for telecoms operators because it depends on numerous factors.

If an operator has a blend between mobile subscribers and high-paying business clients, for example, it will result in a much higher valuation per subscriber.

This is the case with Rain. The operator has a lucrative roaming agreement with Vodacom which generates a large portion of its revenue.

A large part of Rains valuation is based on its Vodacom partnership which skews its valuation per subscriber.

Van Zyl confirmed that a big part of Rains existing value which you can put a price-to-earnings ratio (PE) on comes from Vodacom.

He did, however, add that Rains valuation is mostly based on the scope and future growth of Rains own products and are calculated using a discounted cash flow (DCF) model.

If you look at the income statement a year or two ago, roaming revenue from Vodacom contributed around 80% of Rains valuation, said Van Zyl.

But as Rain developed its own retail footprint, and particularly moving into 5G, a bigger chunk of the business is coming from its own retail efforts.

The big demand for Rains 4G and 5G products, its higher ARPU, and its growing footprint means the valuation is now more balanced between Vodacom roaming and Rains own retail business.

In due course, with a fully functioning 5G network, it may even become the other way around [where 4G and 5G retail products contribute the most to Rains valuation], said Van Zyl.

To see how this scenario will change Rains valuation per subscriber, one can look at the operators future plans.

Former Rain CEO Willem Roos said they want to reach 2 million mobile SIMs with an average revenue per user (ARPU) of R250, and 350,000 5G customers with an ARPU of R450.

If the valuation remains at R17.1 billion, the future subscriber numbers will drop Rains valuation per subscriber to R7,277. Although it is still higher than other mobile operators, there are reasons for the higher valuation.

Rains projected blended ARPU of R280 per month will much higher than other mobile operators.

Vodacoms blended ARPU in South Africa, for example, is R86. In other countries where it operates it is even lower R36 in Tanzania, R59 in Mozambique, R46 in the DRC, and R69 in Lesotho.

Telkoms ARPU across its 15 million mobile subscribers is R104. The companys fixed broadband ARPU is higher at R248 per month.

Apart from a higher ARPU, Rains agreement with Vodacom also helps it to build a 4G network faster and with less debt than other operators. This asset will be worth billions when completed.

It is therefore understandable that Rains valuation per subscriber should be higher than Vodacom, MTN, and Telkom.

Whether it is enough to justify its eye-watering R17.1 billion valuation will only be revealed when ARC and Rain release financial numbers in the future.
Apple will not launch its new iCloud Private Relay service in South Africa for regulatory reasons, the company has told MyBroadband.

The exclusion was first noted by Reuters, which reported that Private Relay would not be available in a handful of countries  Belarus, China, Colombia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkmenistan, Uganda, and the Philippines.

Private Relay is a new privacy feature from Apple that is included with premium iCloud subscriptions. It was announced during Apples Worldwide Developer Conference last night.

While using Apples own Safari web browser, Private Relay will encrypt all of your outgoing traffic so no-one besides you and the website you are visiting can read it.

Apple explained that all of your web requests will be sent through two separate Internet relays while using Private Relay.

The first assigns you with an anonymous IP address that maps to your region, but not your actual location.

The second relay decrypts the web address you want to visit and forwards you to their destination.

This separation of information protects the users privacy because no single entity can identify both who a user is and which sites they visit, Apple said.

Neither your Internet service provider, nor Apple itself will be able to link you to your browsing history.

Private Relay is expected to launch later this year and was one of a series of new features Apple announced on 7 June.

Others include Mail Privacy Protection and Hide My Email, which lets users protect the online identity linked to their email address.

Apple could not immediately indicate which regulations in South Africa prevented it from launching Private Relay here.

We respect national laws wherever we operate, Apple told MyBroadband.
Photo Caption: Thai social movements came out in force on the eve of the Cancun WTO ministerial to protest the trade liberalisation policies of the EU and the US.

By Nicola Bullard

BANGKOK, 9 September  More than 3,000 people took to the streets of central Bangkok this morning kicking off the wave of global protests against the WTO by marching on the embassies of the EU and the US.

One of the organisers, Kingkorn Narintarakul of the Thai Action on Globalisation Network, said the rally was "above expectations" even though many farmers were not able to join because they did not have the money to get to Bangkok. Khun Kingkorn, like many others, was delighted at the diversity of today's demonstration

which included farmers, private and public sector unions, small business, Assembly of the Poor, HIV-AIDS activists, Greenpeace, consumer organisations, students, the alternative agriculture movement, the Slum Community Network and many NGOs.

Photo Caption: Leader of the Federation of State Owned Enterprises Unions, Somsak Korsaisuk, meets with EU representative Carlos Acosta, flanked by police and press.

Junya 'Lek' Yimprasert of the Thai Labour Campaign said that the turnout was a fantastic result for Thailand, "especially when we have the useless director of the WTO." "It is very important," she said, "that we come out into the streets to show that the impact of the WTO is huge and to delegitimise the function of the organisation."

The demonstration in Bangkok was one of the first for the 9 September "Global Day of Action Against the WTO" which will see demonstrations in tens of cities across the world protesting the policies of the WTO on the eve of the 5th Ministerial being held in the Mexican resort of Cancun 10-14 September.

Thousands of flag-bearing and banner-holding protestors gathered in the "green heart" of Bangkok, Lumpini Park, before heading to the office of the Delegation of the European Union and the US embassy, where leaders of the different movements presented the "Declaration of the Thai Popular Sector on the WTO Ministerial Conference."

EU OFFICIAL SURPRISED AT EFFECTS OF 'FREE TRADE'

At the high rise office of the EU, representatives were invited to send five delegates to meet an official of the Commission but they refused saying that either he came down or they would ALL go up. Shortly after, First Secretary Carlos Acosta appeared and spent an amiable 15 minutes in a hot and crowded sidewalk listening to the people. After hearing one farmer describe how subsidies and dumping are pushing down prices making it impossible for poor farmers to earn a living and another representative of the HIV-AIDS group explain that compulsory licensing does not work and that patents push up the price of drugs, Mr Acosta expressed surprise that "free trade" is having such a devastating effect on poor people and that he believes that trade liberalisation will improve the lives of poor people.

The US embassy's encounter with the poors and the workers was more perfunctory: a representative of the ambassador was sent out to receive the letter  from across the barrier and well-protected by security guards  and hurried off after several minutes. (As farmer leader Bamrung Kayotha observed, "you can tell which countries are most hated by the number of police they have outside their building.") However, the people used every opportunity to explain why they were there. A woman leader of the Slum Community Network explained that the collapse of agriculture after liberalisation has forced thousands of families to migrate to Bangkok in search of work, while a representative of the organisation People Living with AIDS criticised the recent decision on TRIPS and health, demanding that the poor need access to drugs and that governments should "discuss these things with the people" before making decisions.

The demonstration today was twice the size of the demonstration pre-Doha and much more diverse  a sign, according to the organisers, of the greater awareness of the WTO and that the links between the different social movements and sectors of society are getting stronger. But, as Jiragorn Gajaseni from Greenpeace Southeast Asia said the diversity also shows that the WTO is effecting every part of society.

Representing the movement in Cancun are six farmers and workers, as well as several NGOs working on TRIPS and agriculture. For the Thai Action on Globalisation Network, the basic demand for Cancun is "no new round, no new issues." Khun Kingkorn said they are hoping for "no agreement" and that the latest draft declaration proposed by the EU and the US is a "total disaster" especially on agriculture.

It seems that few of the people at today's rally are expecting Dr Supachai to speak out for them or for developing countries. However, the banner "Supachai is not Thai" lay folded and unused at the end of the rally  a sign perhaps that the Thais know Dr Supachai is powerless when it comes to the US and the EU and that slogans such as "Dump food in your own backyard" are closer to the point.
You may have heard that Google is eliminating third-party cookies by 2022. What does this mean for you  or your marketing?

Its important to understand that there are first- and third-party cookies. Its only third-party cookies that are being eliminated.

So what are cookies?

Cookies identify online users and have become a mainstay of digital advertising. As web servers have no memory of their own, cookies make websites remember our actions.

In this way, theyre not asked to perform a task over and over again. In their simplest application, they help provide a better user experience.

Ever wonder how our favorite sites remember our login information?

Or how they remember the languages we speak, the items in our carts, and other key things that make our online experiences seamless?

Theyre using cookies to remember these details. Im in Istanbul right now, and when I go to sites I use all the time, sometimes theyre in Turkish. My laptop auto-adjusts to Turkey time  not PDT. All the ads are in Turkish. A little bit creepy, but also amazing. Its cookies, hard at work.
1144  Car keys, a wallet and clothing were stolen from a locker on Main Street. Police took a report.

1208  Report of a car parked on Main Street between Crinella and Pratt for several weeks.

1240  Police took a report on a child molestation case.

1938  A woman said she was approached by an approximately 20-year-old man at Wappo Park who said, Can I kiss you? I want to get to know you. It happened after noon. She just wanted the police to know in case it happens to someone else. Police told the caller to call them right away if it happens again and she feels unsafe.

2032  Medical aid for a man with a fever on Fulton Lane.

2051  Report of a possible drunk driver near Main/Hunt. Police determined the driver was not DUI.

2137  Report of a reckless driver swerving and almost rear-ending other cars on northbound Highway 29. Police stopped the car and determined the driver was distracted, but not DUI.

Tuesday, June 8
Ortiz has yet to officially announce his candidacy for sheriff in the June 2022 election, saying on May 18 he wanted to keep the spotlight on Robertson. But Supervisor Ryan Gregory during the meeting said voters will apparently have two great choices, referring to Crawford and Ortiz.

Ortiz has been with the Sheriffs Office since 1996 and serves as American Canyon police chief. American Canyon contracts with the Sheriffs Office for law enforcement.

Crawford was raised in Napa Valley, graduated from Justin-Siena High School, graduated from the California State University at Chico. He began his law enforcement career for the Shasta County Sheriff, according to his biography on the Napa County website.

In 1998, he became a deputy sheriff for the Napa County Sheriffs Office. He became a sergeant in 2007 and lieutenant in 2016, a captain in 2018 and then undersheriff.

As undersheriff, Crawford was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Sheriffs Office, the website said.

Crawford a few days before that May 18 Board of Supervisors meeting announced his intention to run for sheriff in 2022. His announcement included endorsements from Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley and former Napa Mayor Jill Techel.
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Rockwell Automation, the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, announced three significant additions to its PartnerNetwork programme in the Middle East region.

Naming Dome Trading and Contracting, Zubair Electric, and Automatic Systems Company as authorised distributors of Rockwell Automation products and services, Rockwell Automation significantly strengthens its products and solutions offerings in Yemen, Kuwait, and Oman, respectively.

Operating in Yemen since 1999, Dome Trading and Contracting is a leading supplier across Yemen's industrial sectors and the first authorised distributor to deliver Rockwell Automation products and services in Yemen. Striving to meet the needs of Yemens rapidly growing industrial sectors such as Oil and Gas, Power, Rockwell Automation and Dome Trading and Contracting are collaborating closely to enhance product offerings for customers in Yemen.

Offering his congratulations, Sebastien Grau, Regional VP, Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Rockwell Automation, said: We are delighted to be adding three leading industrial players to our growing PartnerNetwork programme in the Middle East. The Middle East is one of our priority regions to help us grow across EMEA and expanding our ecosystem is a key part of our overall business strategy. This is an important milestone, and we believe it will bring great value to our customers. With these partnerships, we will strengthen our overall position and continue driving digital strength in the Middle East.

Zubair Electric, a leader in the marketing of electrical power distribution and transmission products, lighting solutions and products, lighting control systems and services, joins the PartnerNetwork programme in a major step forward for the Oman industrial sector. Now authorised to distribute Rockwell Automation products in Oman, the Rockwell Automation and Zubair Electric teams will work closely together to bring higher value to business operations and engage customers in the region.

These partnerships are a major achievement for the Middle East, with great impact on the region. Congratulations to all involved for this accomplishment and I am looking forward to our cooperation with our new partners. I am positive that our teams will build strong relations in the Middle East that will impact and lift our customers engagement to the next level, said Assem Salaam, Country Sales Director, Gulf Region, Rockwell Automation.

The final new addition to the PartnerNetwork programme in the Middle East region is Automatic Systems Company, a leading technology partner enabling technological transformation across industries in Kuwait. A company striving to create sustainable development and growth in the region as an IT service provider, this strategic partnership will build on both companies reputations in the region and help deliver innovative solutions through technology to customers in Kuwait.

Commenting on the new partnerships, Wael Radwan, Regional Channel Manager, Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Rockwell Automation, said: At Rockwell Automation, we believe in our partners, we believe in our PartnerNetwork programme, and we believe in creating long lasting partnerships. Working with our partners on creating innovative solutions to meet customers requirements is a key priority for our business operation and market approach. Our teams are up to speed and fully engaged to support Middle East customers and make a stronger impact on this market. I am positive it will be a great journey for all companies involved, joining digital forces into mutual success.-- TradeArabia News Service
Newsom has also fallen short of his 2018 campaign pledge to build 3.5 million units by 2025. Housing advocates argue he's largely failed to flex his executive influence over a Legislature lukewarm on ambitious housing bills.

While California for the first time since 2008 built more than 100,000 units in 2020, according to the finance department, it's still falling woefully short of what's needed to end the crisis.

California would need 500,000 new units annually to meet Newsom's goals. Even using the more conservative California Housing and Community Development projection of a 1.8 million-unit shortage would require the state to construct tens of thousands of units more than its current average.

"We have kept our broken status quo and have not changed our approach to housing," said San Francisco Democrat and Senate Housing Chair Scott Wiener. "Which means both the Legislature and governor need to move forward transformational pro-housing policies. And if we do that, over time we can end this debilitating shortage."

Housing density bills fail

Change is anything but easy in the California Capitol, where bold housing proposals frequently go to die.
The court filings were submitted in the case against four other alleged Grizzly Scouts members, including the groups leader, who are accused of destroying evidence relevant to the Underwood and Gutzwiller murder investigations.

They were written as part of a failed attempt to keep all four defendants in jail pending trial. A federal magistrate ultimately decided three of them were not a danger to the community and did not pose flight risks.

In April, a federal grand jury indicted Jessie Alexander Rush, 29, of Turlock; Robert Jesus Blancas, 33, of Castro Valley; Simon Sage Ybarra, 23, of Los Gatos; and Kenny Matthew Miksch, 21, of San Lorenzo, on charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice. Blancas, the only defendant who remains in jail, also faces a child enticement charge related to alleged sexual conversations with a teen girl that were discovered during the investigation.

The Associated Press was unable Monday to locate lawyers who could speak on their behalf.

The filings not only confirm Carrillo as one of the militias roughly 25 members, but detail the groups alleged activities in mid-2020: trainings near Rushs home in Turlock, the creation of a Quick Reaction Force or QRF, and plans to send a member to scout out a protest in Sacramento.
We human beings hate to admit failure. Even though our brains may know when some endeavor has failed, our emotions and our egos may drive us to continue trying to make it work.

Indeed, the syndrome has developed its own linguistic phrases, such as throwing good money after bad, or sunk costs, or cutting our losses.

Private businesses are usually  but not always  willing to shut down or sell off ventures that dont pan out. Ford Motor Co. famously jettisoned the Edsel, a car named after the beloved son of founder Henry Ford, when the car failed to attract enough buyers. But the Boeing Co. stuck with an elongated version of its 737 jetliner even after two crashed and killed 346 people, and is still trying to make it acceptable.

Government officials are generally less willing to admit failure, perhaps because, unlike business executives, they have no personal financial stakes in outcomes. Their guiding, albeit informal, rule is that launching new programs enhances ones standing while shutting down those that fail just angers their stakeholders.

Californias recent history is replete with examples of programs and projects that deserved merciful deaths but have continued to soak up billions of dollars in taxpayer money.
Since then, California insurance rates have risen slower than those in any other state, saving customers more than $100 billion over 32 years.

Its now high time to regulate utility companies as firmly as insurance firms and to make utility commissioners responsible to the public and the voters they were supposed to serve all along.

No industry has been cozier with those regulating it than utilities, which regularly get large rate increases, deserved or not. Debacles like the massive wildfires, the Southern California Edison blunder that caused the closure of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, and the deadly 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline explosion never dent these companies ever-rising rates and guaranteed income.

Newsom promised during his 2018 campaign that he would not be timid about this or anything else. (Ex-Gov.) Jerry Brown said reform is overrated. I say its underrated.

Then Newsom proceeded in the opposite direction, appointing one PUC member after another to behave like utility lapdogs.

All this leads to the reality that Californians are ready to see the PUC taken down a peg or three from its current exalted, almost untouchable position.
I did not see, but I heard that the Azerbaijanis have brought equipment and are carrying out trenching work. Sima Chitchyan, the mayor of Kut village of Armenias Gegharkunik Province, on Monday told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am, referring to the reports that Azerbaijani servicemen were already digging trenches in the territory of Armenia.

She noted that the situation in the village has not changed, the Azerbaijanis are standing in the same place, and there is already a serious problem with taking the animals to pastures. "It is a disgraceful situation. They [the Azerbaijanis] had gone up a little today. The herdsman had called, was saying that it was not even impossible to keep, as the animals are disturbing even the Armenian guards. And there is no grass, the animals are running away; we don't what else to do," Chitchyan added

To note, since May 12, the adversary, violating the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, has advanced several kilometers in Syunik and Gegharkunik Provinces of Armenia, arguing that it is its territory, and therefore it will not leave. In Gegharkunik Province, the adversary has advanced in the direction of Kut, Azat, Norabak, and Verin Shorzha villages.
Armenia Central Electoral Commission makes decisions on registration of acting PM and ruling party

Armenia acting PM holds march in Yerevan district, warns those involved in electoral fraud about consequences

"I Have the Honor" bloc leader on Armenia acting PM posting photo of returned POWs

Biden says US-Russia relations at low point but were not looking for conflict

Armenia 2nd President: I'm certain about opportunities for retrieval of Karabakh's Hadrut

Serzh Sargsyan: It's impossible to live normally and be protected in this region without a combat-ready army

OSCE/ODIHR presents report on pre-election period in Armenia

Armenia ruling Civil Contract Party being campaigned on official page of Vedi Medical Center

Armenia 2nd President: We need to punish the authorities, but not with a hammer

Who is ripping posters of "Armenia" bloc?

Armenia 2nd President states time limits for increasing combat-readiness and recovery of losses

"I Have the Honor" bloc: Armenian Public Television's actions show that bloc's rating is growing

Erdogan to raise White House's recognition of Armenian Genocide during meeting with Biden

Armenia 3rd President visits St. Mary's Church in Gavar after campaign meetings (PHOTOS)

Fire breaks out in village of Armenia's Ararat Province

Court rules to allow "Armenia" bloc's rally to end at 9 p.m.

Armenia 3rd President holds meetings in Gegharkunik Province

Armenia Elections Oversight Committee member addresses letter to OSCE/ODIHR regarding Pashinyan's statements

Armenia acting PM receives steel hammer as a gift, refers to it as a 'steel mandate'

Armenia 2nd President recommends setting up Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora

Armenia 2nd President: It is necessary to either ban offices of Soros or set tight restrictions

Armenian Public Television and "I Have the Honor" bloc apply to Ombudsman regarding video broadcasting

Armenia acting PM: Today there are army generals who have served for over 20 years, but have no apartments

Australia, UK and US agree on cooperation

Armenia Ombudsman's representatives hold personal talks with 15 Armenian POWs

"I Have the Honor" bloc says Armenian authorities might allocate nearly $1.5 mln for electoral bribes

"I Have the Honor" bloc: Mass media report that conspiratorial junta is delaying return of Armenian POWs

Putin on upcoming meeting with Biden, says it is necessary to establish direct dialogue

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office welcomes return of 15 Armenian POWs

Georgia MFA: Tbilisi worked for return of Armenian soldiers for 2-3 months

Armenia ex-official: Sectors of country's roads will be transferred to Azerbaijan, according to current authorities

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff ex-chief: War won't break out, Azerbaijani army is currently weakened

Iran's interior minister: Country's presidential election will be held in full security atmosphere

Armenia acting PM to citizens: Opposition was mourning and weeping after return of 15 Armenian POWs

Armenia confirms 39 new COVID-19 cases, 3 deaths

Armenia 3rd President: I declare that there was no talk about enclaves during my administration

Armenia MOD: 2 residents of Syunik Province disoriented, find themselves in Azerbaijani territory

Russian MFA Spokesperson on return of 15 Armenian POWs

Armenia Central Electoral Commission grants motion to deprive MP candidate of liberty

Members of "Armenia" bloc light candles at Haghpat Monastery after campaigning

EU President: I applaud Azerbaijans & Armenias parallel humanitarian gestures

Georgia is ready to participate in settlement of humanitarian issues between Baku and Yerevan

Aliyev: If Armenia wants peace, they should start negotiations with us on delimitation

Kocharyan intends to turn government dachas into rehab center

Baku says it handed over 15 POWs to Armenia in exchange for map of minefields

Nikol Pashinyan shares photo of Armenian POWs returning home

Eight more remains found in Artsakh search operations Saturday

Armenia MOD refutes reports on deployment of Turkey army units in Sev Lake region

Armenia MP candidate charged with bribery is remanded in custody

Armenia acting PM on border situation: Our Russian partners have come, looked at areas where they can be deployed

Armenia acting premier: This election battle has already turned into class struggle

20 Afghanistan security force members killed in clashes with Taliban

Armenia acting PM supporters give kids instructions in Gegharkunik Province village

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: We reject vendettas

Armenia ex-President Serzh Sargsyan pays tribute to late PM Andranik Margaryan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Maybe 2018 evens would not have happened if they had kept level of education

Bright Armenia Party MP: Our prime ministerial candidate is Edmon Marukyan

Armenia former President Kocharyan: I want to be proud of my homeland

One person on Armenia ruling party electoral list also has Iran citizenship, his registration is declared invalid

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Boris Johnson on Queens Birthday

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan in Spitak town, pays tribute to victims of 1988 earthquake

Acting premier: Corrupt clergymen discredit Armenian Apostolic Church, traditional values

Armenia, Georgia customs officials meet at Bagratashen border checkpoint

One new case of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Armenia acting deputy PM signs new decision

Sarkissian to Putin: Armenian-Russian cooperation is developing confidently in all directions

8 dead in China factory chemical leak

Putin notes differences between "outsider" Trump, "career man" Biden

88 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

President: Karabakh has always underscored Russia's invaluable place, role in our region

Security Council chief: We have had Russias support in Artsakh for centuries

Pashinyan to Putin: I am convinced that Armenian-Russian interstate relations will continue to develop

Armenias Pashinyan congratulates Mishustin on Russia Day

Newspaper: Armenia criminal authorities take neutral position in current electoral process

Newspaper: Real "war" behind scenes of Armenia authorities after every provincial visit of acting PM

Armenia acting PM Pashinyan tells details from his talk with army General Staff former chief Gasparyan

Man found dead in Armenia canal

NATO Secretary-General affirms willingness for cooperation with Russia

Armenia Special Investigation Service charges political party member for giving electoral bribe

Armenia Central Electoral Commission grants motion to launch criminal prosecution against MP candidate

"I Have the Honor" bloc member: Coronavirus and 'nikolavirus' (Nikol Pashinyan) are both lethal

Greek PM: Greece willing to back positive EU agenda for Turkey

Russia Deputy FM, France Ambassador discuss settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

CoE: We are engaged in a dialogue to develop a set of confidence-building measures between Armenia, Azerbaijan

Armenia 3rd President states when country's security system began to collapse

Armenia Armed Forces' General Staff ex-deputy chief on acting PM's statement on his "National Hero" title

Armenia Arevik National Park director dismissed for being a friend of Meghri mayor

Reuters: Erdogan's summit with Biden clouded by bitter disputes

Armenia acting MOD receives Head of ICRC Delegation

Gagik Tsarukyan: Armenia needs to develop the economy by using resources of country and people

Gagik Tsarukyan: Russia is Armenia's main ally, and this can't be altered

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijanis try to carry out engineering works in Kut border section, Armenian side counters

Armenia 1st President's nephew and his son involved in brawl in Yerevan

Snap elections online voting starts, Azerbaijan continues 'trial' of Armenian POWs, Jun 11 digest

Armenian former high-tech industry minister, member of ruling party on June 9 brawl in Yerevan

Robert Kocharyan: If Armenia wants a peaceful settlement of Karabakh conflict, it needs to give Azerbaijan hope

Armenia acting PM: During campaign meetings hundreds of mothers thanked me for signing Nov. 9 document

Citizens are demanded to applaud Armenia acting PM

Armenia ruling party lawmaker, MP candidate: Civil Contracts election promises are continuation of 2018 promises

Armenia villager to Nikol Pashinyan: Yard of Turk's house is in front of our military post
Zain KSA, a leading telecom service provider in Saudi Arabia, has launched the BE WELL mental wellness initiative for its employees.



Through the initiative, and by giving heightened attention to mental health, Zain KSA seeks to establish a positive work environment, instil a safe and comfortable space for employees, and achieve enhanced career productivity. It comes following an unprecedented phase of mental health challenges and a new norm imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, with numerous companies and organizations focusing on mental health awareness in preparation for the coming phase.



BE WELL will encompass a series of activities including granting special access to employees to the globally popular Headspace application, a pioneering application for meditation and mental consciousness, in addition to offering free mental health consultations to staff in cooperation with one of the regions leading entities to help them overcome exhaustion and issues such as anxiety, sleep and eating disorders, and more.



Vice President Acting Human Resources at Zain KSA Loluwah Saad AlNowaiser remarked: We consider our employees to be our most valuable asset, and their mental wellbeing is among our top priorities, given its crucial role in attaining positive career experiences and developing creative skills. As such, we are keen on continually developing our work environment to be the first choice among young professionals.



She added: It is no secret that the impending changes witnessed by the world are resulting in more work and psychological pressure, with Covid-19 shifting industries and impacting work standards. We have pinpointed the most important mental health challenges that we should focus on through the BE WELL initiative, an accomplishment we consider as a key contribution aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 in regards to developing human capital and enhancing the quality of life.



The initiative is set to pave the way for a new phase for both Zain KSA and its employees, especially in regards to employee retention and loyalty, as well as elevate motivation, interaction, and the contribution of ideas and projects, all which support the reduction of stress and insomnia, and ultimately boost the mental health of Zain KSAs teams.  TradeArabia News Service
Quorum Software (Quorum), a Thoma Bravo portfolio company and the global software leader dedicated to the energy industry, announced the closing of the previously reported acquisition of TietoEVRYs Oil and Gas software business.

This transaction includes Energy Components solutions for hydrocarbon accounting and management and DaWinci solutions for personnel and materials logistics.

The newly combined company will operate as Quorum Software. The transactions, both complete now, will empower Quorum to connect operations to the boardroom and deliver on customer priorities to automate critical workflows, integrate data across the organization, and drive intelligent business insights.

As a result of the transaction, Quorum Software will strengthen its presence in the Middle East through existing offices in UAE and Kuwait and business in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, to play a leading role in accelerating the digital transformation of the oil and gas energy sector in the region.

Earlier this year, Quorum merged with Aucerna, a globally trusted provider of integrated planning, execution, and reserves software for the energy industry. Combining Quorum, Aucerna, and TietoEVRYs Oil and Gas software business creates the global leader in software for connecting people, information, and energy.

Energy Components and DaWinci solutions are international standards in the energy industry, and the talented employees who support them are valuable additions to our team, said Gene Austin, CEO of Quorum Software. Together, we offer a complete set of solutions in lockstep with our customers. Our vision for the future, coming off of both of these transactions, is to provide the most robust set of cloud-first applications for the global energy ecosystem.

Today, Quorum serves more than 1,800 energy customers of all sizes, from startups to supermajors, across 55 countries. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Quorum Software will have offices throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific. Quorum will continue to have a significant presence in Calgary, Alberta, the headquarters of Aucerna, and in Norway, the business headquarters of Energy Components and DaWinci.-- TradeArabia News Service
Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (Taqa), one of the largest listed integrated utilities in the region, has launched Etlaq, a new platform for its professional training programme.

Etlaq  Arabic for launch  is inspired by the bold ambitions and forward momentum that characterize the UAE. Originally launched as the Graduate Training Programme in November 2019, the rigorous 12-month programme seeks to attract high-performing, young Emirati talent to launch their careers within the utilities sector in the UAE.

The new Etlaq programme centres on five strategic areas: Supporting the growth of a knowledge-based economy for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi; building competencies to prepare emerging Emirati talent for the future of work; succession planning through identifying and nurturing the next generation of Emirati leaders; fostering a culture of learning; and positioning the utilities sector as an attractive opportunity for prospective career-seekers.

As part of Etlaq, fresh Emirati graduates will develop some of the most critical, in-demand skills through a blend of in-class learning and on-the-job training. The programme will also help build trainees professional networks with industry leaders and experts, with ongoing mentorship and career development guidance, which continues after the programme to help jumpstart their careers.

Upon completion of the programme, Etlaq trainees will be placed into full-time roles within Taqas headquarters and its UAE subsidiaries.

The announcement follows the unveiling of Taqas new strategy for sustainable and profitable growth, which in addition to positioning the company as a low carbon power and water champion, prioritizes investing in its workforce through career growth opportunities and professional development.

Commenting on Etlaqs launch, Jasim Husain Thabet, Group CEO and Managing Director of Taqa said: Young Emirati talent is vital to the growth and success of one of the UAEs most critical sectors and to the countrys journey towards sustainable development more broadly. Investing in the development of Emirati youth is a strategic priority for Taqa  creating a strong pipeline of local talent will enable us to fill some of our most business-critical technical roles and, in turn, will empower and equip the leaders of tomorrow.

Hamda Al Hameli, Director of Human Capital at Taqa said: Nurturing a strong culture of learning and development is at the core of what we do at Taqa. We designed the Etlaq programme to act as a launch platform for emerging Emirati talent to test ideas, build much sought-after professional skills and prepare for the future of work in a rapidly changing environment. At Taqa, we are committed to creating a future rooted in sustainability and innovation, and investing in Emirati youth contributes to our goals.

More than 90 Emirati graduates completed the Taqa graduate programme since its original establishment in 2019, with more than 40 placements planned for 2021. -- TradeArabia News Service
We were fighting brilliantly in the 1990s as well, but we wouldnt have achieved any outcome, if the State wasnt seriously organized. This is what member of the Armenian National Congress political party Levon Zurabyan said during a meeting with veterans of the Artsakh war today.

I consider Levon Ter-Petrosyan [leader of the Armenian National Congress political party) the greatest nationalist. If Armenians arent able to properly judge politicians, we wont have a future. Experience has shown that those Armenians who dont make pompous statements and talk about peace and diplomacy, those people achieve the greatest victories. This was the key to the victory that was achieved in the 1990s, he said.

According to Levon Zurabyan, these elections are a special operation to save the state.

These elections are actually the outcome of the war. There wouldnt be elections, if it wasnt for the war which, unfortunately, ended with the defeat of Armenia and Artsakh, Levon Zurabyan said, adding that strong are the societies and nations that are able to provide the necessary care for their soldiers.
Siemens Energy and Mitsubishi Electric have signed an agreement to conduct a feasibility study on the joint development of high-voltage switching solutions with zero global-warming potential (GWP) that substitute greenhouse gases with clean air for insulation.

As per the deal inked on June 5 (World Environment Day), both companies will research methods for scaling up the application of clean air insulation technology to higher voltages.

The duo will start with a 245-kV dead-tank circuit breaker that will speed up the availability of climate-neutral high-voltage switching solutions for customers around the globe.

Siemens Energy and Mitsubishi Electric are both pioneers in the development of high-voltage switching solutions.

They have been working on the development of SF6-free gas-insulated switching solutions that replace the greenhouse gas with clean air, a pure mixture of nitrogen and oxygen, in order to contribute to global carbon neutrality goals.

The duo will continue to manufacture, sell, and service switchgear solutions independently.

In most of the world's substations, sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)  the most potent greenhouse gas in the world, with a potential for global-warming roughly 23,500 times greater than CO2,  is still the insulating gas of choice.

Even with a very low number of leakages, the impact on global warming is significant. In light of the drive toward global decarbonization, the demand for alternatives is growing as operators seek future-proof technologies that significantly reduce the carbon footprint of their systems.

At the same time, regulations to reduce or prohibit the use of fluorinated gases in the electrical industry are being reviewed and implemented in various parts of the world.

To date, clean air insulation is the only alternative to greenhouse gases and therefore poses zero health and safety risks. In conjunction with vacuum interrupters, a higher performance for switching applications is ensured, even compared with all known SF6 circuit breakers.

Siemens Energy's Blue Portfolio offers future-proof and environmentally friendly solutions for high-voltage power transmission, said a company spokesman.

It comprises F-gas-free gas-insulated switchgear, circuit breakers, and instrument transformers, he stated.

According to him, the combination of vacuum switching technology and clean air insulation enables a significant reduction of emissions without any impact on the lifetime of the products.

"While circuit breakers that use clean air and vacuum switching technology have been available for at least 15 years for voltage levels up to 72.5 kV, the outstanding technical performance and low lifecycle costs also make it a perfect choice for other substation products, including gas-insulated switchgear up to 145 kV, with absolutely zero CO2 equivalent emissions over the lifetime of the equipment," stated the spokesman.

Siemens Energys Blue products lie outside the scope of any conceivable F-gas regulation, he added.

Mitsubishi Electric provides a variety of high- and medium-voltage products to ensure the safe and reliable operation of modern power networks.

With its state-of-the-art, best in the industry vacuum-interruption and dry-air insulation technology, Mitsubishi Electric is contributing to society by providing (SF6-free) and zero CO2 equivalent emission, energy-efficient, and low lifecycle-cost solutions.-TradeArabia News Service
Kennesaw State students work hands-on to augment State Department peacekeeping operations

Charity Butcher

KENNESAW, Ga. (Jun 8, 2021)  Gauging the effectiveness of peacekeeping operations is no simple task, but with the help of Kennesaw State faculty and students, the U.S. State Department can make more informed decisions for future peacekeeping action.

This spring, Ph.D. students joined political science professor Charity Butcher in conducting research to help the U.S. Department of State evaluate its peacekeeping operations. Students worked with the Bureau of Peace Operations, and were tasked with providing a review of existing studies on effective peacekeeping and developing an evaluation tool the State Department could use to assess the ability of peacekeeping missions to achieve results on the ground.

Butcher, who teaches a course on peacekeeping, peacebuilding and reconciliation in Kennesaw States School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding and Development, said the project provided her students with an applicable experience that would be useful for their future professional endeavors.

The overall project the students proposed was perfectly aligned with what we do in the class, Butcher said. It seemed like a great opportunity to have our Ph.D. students work on something that directly translates to activities our government agencies conduct.

The project divided students into two groups focused on researching literature regarding peacekeeping effectiveness and developing the evaluation tool, which would be used to analyze global peacekeeping efforts. Using a more systematic and quantitative approach than previous evaluation methods, the tool reimagines the way peacekeeping efforts are evaluated by the State Department. Students ultimately created the KSU Mission Effectiveness Evaluation Tool (MEET), which created two surveys, one that was geared toward mission personnel on the ground and another that was geared toward the general public. Both surveys could be accessed via a mobile device by those involved in peacekeeping operations.

Officials were very impressed with our students and were excited about the possibility of using it in the future, Butcher said. I think they recognize how the tool would make their jobs easier and allow them to measure and compare different operations over time.

The project was awarded to KSU by the U.S. Department of States Diplomacy Lab, a program that harnesses the scholarly efforts of college students and faculty to solve complex global challenges. KSU is one of 35 universities involved in the Diplomacy Lab public-private partnership that enables the State Department to course-source research and innovation related to foreign policy challenges. Partner universities, including Ivy League institutions such as Yale University and Columbia University, conduct research on the State Departments most critical matters, including climate change, democracy and human rights, counterterrorism, global health, energy security, gender equality, economic policy trafficking of individuals, food security, and conflict and stabilization. KSUs Diplomacy Lab projects are housed in the newly formed School of Data Science and Analytics.

Participating in the Diplomacy Lab really gave us a practical, real-world view of how research and innovation could impact peacekeeping and peacebuilding beyond academia, said Anne Chance, a Ph.D. student studying international conflict management. It was gratifying that the State Department really appreciated our work, and being able to participate in the project gave so much clarity to the practical applications of this research.

 Josh Milton

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the second-largest university in the state. The universitys vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 126 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
Beijing cautions US against trade deal with Taiwan

Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian has called on Washington to "stop any form of official exchanges with Taiwan, handle the Taiwan issue cautiously, and refrain from sending any wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces". File photo: AFP

China on Tuesday warned the United States against pursuing a trade deal with Taiwan after Washington said it would start negotiations with the island.



Chinese social media erupted with fury at the weekend over a visit by US senators to Taipei where they announced that Washington would donate 750,000 coronavirus vaccine doses to the island.



US Secretary of State Antony Blinken added fuel to the fire on Monday when he told a congressional hearing in Washington that discussions would begin on a trade deal.



"I know we are engaged in conversations with Taiwan, or soon will be, on some kind of framework agreement," Blinken said.



On Tuesday, China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian urged Washington to "stop any form of official exchanges with Taiwan, handle the Taiwan issue cautiously, and refrain from sending any wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces".



Taiwan has accused China of hampering its efforts to secure coronavirus vaccines, saying it is part of Beijing's ongoing campaign to isolate the island.



Although Washington severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979 to recognise Beijing as China's sole official representative, the United States remains Taiwan's most powerful ally and its top arms supplier.



"We are committed to the proposition that Taiwan must have the means to defend itself, and that is consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act," Blinken said Monday.



"We've continued to provide significant equipment and sales to Taiwan for that purpose. We have real concerns about the increased aggression that the government in Beijing has shown toward Taiwan." (AFP)
(20210608 09:30:52)Taiwan Mobile Foundation held its i-Infinity Digital Welfare" exhibition on April 29.Under the collaboration with Program the World Association (PTWA), Taiwan Mobile Foundation has developed a machine learning online gaming platform --Playful AI Arena (PAIA) -- which was born purely as a charity project suitable for all ages. Apart from the successful development of mobile applications, two micro films of children welfare were also acclaimed by all, and both had over 100,000 views. The two micro films each raised NT$100,000 for Harmony Home Foundation Taiwan and Taiwan Foundation for Rare Disorder," respectively. Starting from the 10th "i-Infinity Digital Welfare exhibition next year, the project will transform itself into Tech the Dreamers.

For the past nine years, i-Infinity Digital Welfare" used technology to shed light on the dark corners of society. PAIA this year is expected to break the barriers and limitations of space and time, bringing technology education to every corner of Taiwan's remote regions. In the future, Taiwan Mobile will continue to build upon the concept of creation through technology" to actively discover and resolve social problems, said Taiwan Mobile President Jaime Lin.

PAIA will break the limitations of space and time for technology education

PTWA Chairman Su Wen-yu points out that PAIA uses games as the median to teaching machine learning and the core concepts of artificial intelligence (AI), while supporting multiple different programming languages, which makes it easy to learn by people of all ages. What's more, by incorporating elements of online gaming, the complexity of the maze can easily be tuned up, while alleviating the need for actual course materials. And if students have access to the internet, they can start a remote one-on-one contest via the web.

The exhibition on April 29 displayed the all new developed PAIA, and three students were asked to test out the platform. Another blood pumping 3D racing game was also scintillating, as the race track spanned from sceneries of Coding Fun's collaborating schools for the past couple of years and ended with the final destination at Taipei New Horizon building, where Taiwan Mobile is headquartered. And the buildings along the track were modeled through 3D software by students with special educational needs led by Lee Bing-xuan, a teacher at National Changhua Special School, perfectly embodying educational purposes of the platform.

PAIA is an open source platform for all registered users to download and use, and teachers who went through the course can also implement the knowledges learned in classes, pitching group competitions and grading students based on their learning results. PAIA will also continue to publish gaming development and gaming AI design materials. Future modules will also be open source, open to talents to design 3D games and publish them on the platform as new and challenging games. The platform will hold two nationwide competitions in a year after being brought online.

Both micro films about children welfare obtain 100,000 views

During the April 29 exhibition of the i-Infinity Digital Welfare," Taiwan Mobile Foundation also unveiled the amount of funds raised by the two children welfare micro films -- "The Invisible Child" and You, the One in A Million. Both have gained over 100,000 views since being uploaded to YouTube on March 18. Upon learning the news, Taiwan Mobile Foundation donated NT$100,000 each to Harmony Home Foundation Taiwan and Taiwan Foundation for Rare Disorder" and called on the public to like and share them with their friends.

"Tech the Dreamers" to propagate "i-Infinity Digital Welfare

With the goal of Embrace Love Through Technology, Taiwan Mobile has over the past nine years collaborated with 36 different non-profit organizations and enterprises, all of which have come to fruition, including 4 applications, a near field communication (NFC) anti-lost smart watch, pinball with love" creative donation machine, Euploea Hibernation" early intervention interactive games, and PAIA this year, with 8 diverse innovation applications that have benefited over 6 million people, said Taiwan Mobile Foundation CEO Iris Liu. Taiwan Mobile Foundation has also published 26 social welfare oriented micro films over the past nine years, which garnered more than 10.8 million views, and raised over NT$26 million of funds.

CEO Iris Liu also announced the transitioning from Tech the Dreamers" into a platform to bring NPOs and start-ups in a strategical partnership with AppWorks that will be funded by Taiwan Mobile Foundation. By infusing technology and talents, Taiwan Mobile Foundation hopes to help them realize their dreams and create a loving society backed by technology. Details of the project will be unveiled in the second half of 2021.

(PAIA):https://www.paia-arena.com/


Combination creates the global leader in software for the energy industry.

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Quorum Software (Quorum), a Thoma Bravo portfolio company and the global software leader dedicated to the energy industry, today announced the closing of the previously reported acquisition of TietoEVRYs Oil and Gas software business. This transaction includes Energy Components solutions for hydrocarbon accounting and management and DaWinci solutions for personnel and materials logistics.

Earlier this year, Quorum merged with Aucerna, a globally trusted provider of integrated planning, execution, and reserves software for the energy industry. Combining Quorum, Aucerna, and TietoEVRYs Oil and Gas software business creates the global leader in software for connecting people, information, and energy.

Energy Components and DaWinci solutions are international standards in the energy industry, and the talented employees who support them are valuable additions to our team, said Gene Austin, CEO of Quorum Software. Together, we offer a complete set of solutions in lockstep with our customers. Our vision for the future, coming off of both of these transactions, is to provide the most robust set of cloud-first applications for the global energy ecosystem.

The newly combined company will operate as Quorum Software. The transactions, both complete as of today, will empower Quorum to connect operations to the boardroom and deliver on customer priorities to automate critical workflows, integrate data across the organization, and drive intelligent business insights.

Today, Quorum serves more than 1,800 energy customers of all sizes, from startups to supermajors, across 55 countries. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Quorum Software will have offices throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific. Quorum will continue to have a significant presence in Calgary, Alberta, the headquarters of Aucerna, and in Norway, the business headquarters of Energy Components and DaWinci.

About Quorum Software

Quorum Software connects people and information across the energy value chain. Twenty years ago, we built the first software for gas plant accountants. Pipeline operators came next, followed by land administrators, pumpers, and planners. Since 1999, Quorum has helped thousands of energy workers with business workflows that optimize profitability and growth. Our vision for the future connects the global energy ecosystem through cloud-first software, data standards, and integration. The trusted source of decision-ready data for 1,800+ companies, Quorum Software makes the essential connections that let us work better together in the connected energy workplace. For more information, visit quorumsoftware.com.
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP)  A Southern California couple have been arrested for a road rage shooting that killed a 6-year-old boy last month on a freeway, authorities said Monday just hours after the child's burial.

Marcus Anthony Eriz, 24, and Wynne Lee, 23, were detained Sunday outside a home in Costa Mesa south of Los Angeles, California Highway Patrol Assistant Chief Don Goodbrand said at an afternoon news conference.

A gun and a car believed to have been used in the killing were found elsewhere, he said, but declined to provide details of the investigation or arrest.

The CHP initially announced the arrests on Sunday.

Aiden Leos was fatally shot in the abdomen on May 21 while seated in the back seat of a car driven by his mother, Joanna Cloonan, as she was taking him to kindergarten.

Highway patrol officials had said the road rage incident stemmed from a perceived unsafe lane change.

According to accounts from the mother and witnesses who stopped to help her, another car cut her off and she responded with a hand gesture and the car slipped in behind her and someone inside fired a shot through the rear of her car.

The bullet went through the trunk and the boy's booster seat into his back. He died at a hospital.

The boy was buried on Monday in a private family ceremony.

At an open-casket memorial service on Saturday, he was remembered as a child with a vocabulary beyond his years who exuded warmth and tenderness. Cloonan said her son had given the family joy and purpose in life.

I want nothing more than to find justice, though it wont bring you back into my arms. My precious son had his life ripped away for absolutely no reason, Cloonan said.

At least $500,000 in rewards had been offered from all around the country for information leading to an arrest in the case, authorities said.

We had hundreds of tips from the public, it was extremely helpful," Goodbrand said, declining to discuss the reward money.

The car, which the CHP described as a white Volkswagen Golf SportWagen, was relatively rare and that helped investigators examining surveillance footage, Goodbrand said.

Story continues

The suspects are a boyfriend and girlfriend who live together, with Lee believed to be the driver and Eriz the front-seat passenger and shooter, said county District Attorney Todd Spitzer, who held up a photograph of Aiden as he spoke at the news conference.

They were scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday, although Orange County prosecutors were still evaluating what charges could be filed, which may be different for the driver and passenger, Spitzer said.

They were being jailed on $1 million bail. It wasn't immediately known whether they had attorneys to speak for them.

Spitzer said charges being considered included murder for doing a reckless act" that results in death and shooting into an occupied vehicle, which carries a possible sentence of seven years in state prison but with sentencing enhancements could bring 25 years to life.

Spitzer said the little boy killed doing what so many of us do every day  ride on the freeways  gripped the county of 3 million people.

Its because it could have happened to any one of us, he said.

We've all gotten upset at other motorists, other motorists have been upset at us," the DA said. I've thrown some gestures about myself. But it's never come to a situation of violence and certainly not in my realm or your realm to the loss of a life."

He noted that boy was buried by the family within hours of the news conference.

I do want to promise today, when Aiden was put below ground, that we will get justice for him," Spitzer said. We have to promise him that.
By Karen Freifeld

(Reuters) - President Joe Biden's order last week banning U.S. investment in certain Chinese companies is broader than a similar one signed by his predecessor Donald Trump and has a lower bar, making it easier to add more companies later.

Legal experts say it also may help the administration avoid embarrassing defeats in court after a ban imposed near the end of the Trump administration failed to hold up against legal challenges.

Biden's order will prohibit U.S. investments in about 60 companies in China's defense or surveillance technology sectors.[L2N2NL1XR]

"It's broader in scope and it's a much lower standard for listing," said Washington lawyer Kevin Wolf, a former Commerce Department official, adding it should better withstand legal scrutiny.

The new order prohibits investments in companies that "operate in or have operated in" China's defense or related materials sector, or in surveillance technology, or are owned or controlled by someone who does. Its aim is to limit the flow of money to companies that undermine U.S. security or "democratic values," which allows listings for human rights abuses.

The Trump ban was placed on Chinese military companies as defined years ago in the National Defense Authorization Act: companies owned or controlled by or "affiliated with" the Peoples Liberation Army, a government ministry or the People's Republic of China's defense industrial base.

The revised order eliminates the requirement for a direct link to the Chinese state, using the more vague language that a company must "operate in" the defense or surveillance sectors.

The Trump order needed to be shored up after three companies went to court to challenge it. Two got their designations halted, and there's been no ruling in the third case.

"Courts are usually reluctant to overrule the president when he makes a national security determination," said Bill Reinsch, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). "The fact that they did so suggests really poor drafting on the part of the Trump people and a poor defense of the decisions made."

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"ARBITRARY"

Beijing-based smartphone maker Xiaomi, which lost some $10 billion in market capitalization in the month after it was included on the list of banned firms, was the first to bring a case to try to expose flaws in Trump's order.

The judge halted Xiaomi's designation in March citing a lack of evidence it was affiliated with the PLA or PRC, and calling its listing "arbitrary and capricious."

The government's evidence included an award given to Xiaomi's chairman, which more than 500 entrepreneurs had received since 2004, including the leaders of an infant formula company. It also cited Xiaomi's investments in 5G and artificial intelligence technology, but the judge noted they are fast becoming standard for consumer devices, not just military modernization.

The judge also noted errors in the government's decision memo, including incorrectly quoting the statute at issue, and said the government did not meet the definition of "affiliated with," namely, "effectively controlled by another or associated with others under common ownership or control."

Last month, the Biden administration agreed to remove the company from the list.

Luokung Technology Corp, a mapping technology company, won a similar initial ruling.

Neither Xiaomi, nor Luokung nor Gowin Semiconductor, the third company that challenged its designation, are on the revised list.

Major Chinese firms included under both orders include China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC), Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co Ltd, Huawei Technologies Ltd and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp.

Hong Kong-based lawyer Wendy Wysong, who had been considering bringing cases over Trump's order, said Biden's listings appear to be on more solid ground.

"It may be harder to challenge the designation because the underlying rationale presumably won't be so weak, and the designation criteria is not as narrowly worded," said Wysong.

Many more companies could be affected by Biden's order depending on "how aggressive the U.S. administration wants to be," said CSIS's Reinsch.

"In theory it could expand the universe rather significantly," he said.

(Reporting by Karen Freifeld; Editing by Chris Sanders and Sonya Hepinstall)
Jun. 8An Anchorage activist and her incarcerated husband have filed a class-action lawsuit against the state challenging what they say are unaffordable, unconstitutional paid prison phone calls.

The lawsuit, filed in Anchorage Superior Court on June 1, asserts that Alaska prisoners have a right to phone access through the state's constitution, which has been interpreted by courts to afford prisoners rehabilitation services.

"However, if you make it very expensive for prisoners to call their loved ones, this right is undermined," the lawsuit, filed by attorneys with the Northern Justice Project in Anchorage says.

Plaintiffs Terria and Karl Vandenhuerk's lawsuit is filed on behalf of both people incarcerated in Alaska jails and prisons and their loved ones on the outside  the people who pay for calls through Securus, the Texas-based, for-profit corporation that controls all phone communication between prisoners and the outside world.

"If they can't get a hold of their family or their family can't pay for it  how do they prepare to be able to re-enter society?" said Terria Vandenhuerk, an Anchorage restorative justice activist whose husband is incarcerated at Wildwood Correctional Center in Kenai.

The Alaska Department of Corrections referred questions to the Alaska Department of Law. The Department of Law has not yet responded to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also alleges the state is also violating a decades-old final settlement in Cleary vs. State of Alaska, a landmark prisoners' rights case.

The Cleary settlement promised that the state would never charge more than 50 cents for local calls, said Nick Feronti, an attorney with the Northern Justice Project. These days, local calls are $1 and long-distance calls can be up to $5 for 15 minutes, with taxes and fees attached.

Unlike in other states, in-person visits to prisons are less of an option for many people in Alaska, Feronti said. Phone calls are even more important.

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"Visitation is really hard in Alaska," said Feronti. "Even in the best of circumstances. Think of anyone off the road system, they have to take a plane flight and a long journey to see a loved one. It's different than almost every state."

Expensive phone calls are a problem because inmates without the ability to connect to people outside prison are more likely to fall back into crime when they are released, said Vandenhuerk.

Vandenhuerk, whose husband Karl is serving time for burglary and other convictions at Wildwood Correctional Center in Kenai, has spent thousands of dollars on their conversations. Their connection, and those conversations, helped him move away from prison gang life and into a substance-abuse rehab program. He hopes to become a barber when he gets out.

Vandenhuerk's son Christopher Seaman was murdered in 2015. Her desire for affordable phone calls for incarcerated people extends to her son's killer, she said.

"I want nothing more than the man who killed my son to get the services and rehabilitation he needs,' she said. "I want him to be able to talk to his mom, sister and children. I want him to be released as a whole transformed individual."
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, left, and Vice President Kamala Harris. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images; Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

Vice President Kamala Harris told Guatemalans on Monday they shouldn't try to cross the US border.

"You will be turned back," Harris told a conference in Guatemala City, in her first overseas trip.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said this was "disappointing to see."

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has criticized Vice President Kamala Harris' rejection of Guatemalan migrants, saying the US was in part responsible for destabilizing the country in the first place.

At a press conference in Guatemala City on Monday, Harris told Guatemalans thinking of trying to enter the US to stay home, saying, "Do not come."

Later on Monday, Ocasio-Cortez said of Harris' speech, "This is disappointing to see."

"First, seeking asylum at any US border is a 100% legal method of arrival," Ocasio-Cortez said.

"Second, the US spent decades contributing to regime change and destabilization in Latin America. We can't help set someone's house on fire and then blame them for fleeing," she continued.

The US recorded more than 178,000 migrants - a number of whom were Guatemalan - trying to enter the US-Mexico border in April, the US Customs and Border Patrol said. It was the highest one-month total in 20 years, CNN reported.

On March 24, Biden said he was putting Harris in charge of all affairs concerning the southern US border.

At her Monday speech, Harris said: "I want to emphasize that the goal of our work is to help Guatemalans find hope at home. At the same time, I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come. Do not come."

"We, as one of our priorities, will discourage illegal migration. And I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back," she added.

Guatemala was Harris' first foreign trip as vice president.

Read the original article on Business Insider
King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) has demonstrated decoupling, decentralisation of energy, has digitalisation at the very heart of the design, it is innovative, and there is clearly a desire to achieve this beautiful case study, said an industry expert.



Benoit Lebot, a senior policy adviser in the French governments Ministry for the Energy Transition, was speaking during a panel discussion on day one of Middle East Energys (MEE) Energy Consumption & Management sector focus week, which is now live and online until June 9.



Lebot was joined by Amr Salah, Senior Director - Head of Utilities, Emaar - The Economic City; and Ahmed Samer Elbermbali, Managing Director, Mena Clean Energy Business Council in the panel discussion, which underscored the importance of green buildings and smart cities in reducing energy consumption



They were participating in the opening session Reducing consumption through green buildings and smart cities, by addressing hot topics within the industry, including managing energy demand and carbon emissions, developing renewables in buildings and infrastructure, and integrating sustainable planning and technology to deliver smart cities.



According to Lebot, challenges within the energy sector can be overcome by adopting a series of initiatives related to decoupling, decarbonising, decentralising, digitalisation, disruption through innovation and desirability to achieve the end goal.



Lebot also highlighted the four steps of a decarbonised economy, including energy efficiency, net-zero energy solution, lifestyle and behavioural changes, motivation and education, while underscoring governments' role in the process.



Elsewhere on the agenda on the opening day were presentations by Andrea Di Gregorio, Executive Director, Energy Efficiency and Renewables Office (Reem), Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, who discussed the Emirate's energy management program.



Other key highlights during the final virtual focus week come courtesy of a series of discussions and interviews taking place today, including topics covering Using Artificial Intelligence to streamline, optimise and innovate the functioning of buildings; Waste to Energy - The New Way Forward to Energy Efficiency and Conservation; and Introducing demand-side management programs to save energy.



KONCAR Group will also showcase their latest smart consumption management system designed for more energy-efficient industrial companies.



An industry masterclass will be presented on June 9 by Mohammad Asfour, Head, Mena & Africa Regional Networks, World Green Building Council outlining the role of green building councils in promoting smart cities. In association with Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy Forum (WISER), the final session of the day will address the role of young women in the energy sector accelerating the sustainability agenda.



Claudia Konieczna, Exhibition Director, Middle East Energy, said: The Consumption & Management sector week is geared towards connecting users with the expertise and solutions to manage energy demand, which is increasingly becoming more innovative and more efficient.



A range of experts will discuss a myriad of topics, including everything from smart buildings and automation, data and energy efficiency, and transformative lighting systems. There has been a distinct shift in recent years towards building smarter ecosystems and energy management systems, and we want to be able to provide a platform that showcases insights and promotes discussion."



Concluding the week will be The Energy Startup Hub, run in partnership with Green Climate Ventures and sponsored by Schneider Electric. Throughout Middle East Energy's four virtual weeks, energy startups have utilised the hub as a platform to showcase their innovations to a panel of investors and industry experts. The winner will be announced on June 9.  TradeArabia News Service
A 2019 phone call between Giuliani and the Ukraine government has emerged and been heard by CNN (AFP via Getty Images)

A telephone conversation between a Ukraine government official and former President Donald Trump s former personal attorney Rudy Giuliani has emerged and has been heard by CNN .

The news outlet got ahold of a call between Kurt Volker, US special ambassador for Ukraine negotiations between 2017 and 2019; Andriy Yermak, a senior Ukraine government official; and Mr Giuliani.

The conservation took place in July 2019, before the conversation between President Zelensky and Mr Trump that led to the first impeachment of his presidency.

Mr Giulani is heard on the call asking over and over again for Mr Zelenskys government to launch a probe into the conspiracy theories surrounding Joe Biden.

These include general corruption from the Biden team and the idea Ukraine had interfered in the 2016 election to hinder Donald Trumps campaign. These theories have been adopted by supporters of Mr Trump who believe the 2020 election was fraudulent, despite all evidence to the contrary.

All we need from the President [Zelensky] is to say, Im gonna put an honest prosecutor in charge, hes gonna investigate and dig up the evidence, that presently exists and is there any other evidence about involvement of the 2016 election, and then the Biden thing has to be run out, Mr Giuliani said, as reported by CNN. ... Somebody in Ukraines gotta take that seriously.

These comments go against Mr Trump denying the existence of a quid pro quo between him and his Ukrainian counterpart during the initial impeachment. CNN reports the recording shows how the Trump administration attempted to repeatedly push the president to launching an investigation into his predecessor President Petro Poroshenko, who was considered an ally of the Obama administration as they defended Ukrainian sovereignty following Russias invasion of Crimea in 2014.

It is believed that Mr Giuliani pressured Mr Zelensky to make a public announcement of an investigation into Mr Biden, promising them access to Mr Trump and the potential for a visit to the United States in return.

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That would clear the air really well, Giuliani said, as reported by CNN. And I think it would make it possible for me to come and make it possible, I think, for me to talk to the President (Trump) to see what I can do about making sure that whatever misunderstandings are put aside ... I kinda think that this could be a good thing for having a much better relationship.

At the moment, Giuliani is under federal investigation for his involvement with Ukraine. The FBI raided his Manhattan home and office in April, and investigators are looking into whether Mr Giuliani broke any foreign lobbying laws. It is unclear if this call is part of the investigation.

CNN reached out to Giuliani, but he did not comment. He has previously denied any wrong doing in Ukraine.

The Independent reached out to Giulianis legal counsel for comment.

Read More

Watch live as Joe Biden delivers remarks on May jobs report

Trump and Giuliani personally pushed for conspiracy-driven Arizona vote audit, emails show

NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week
Mother Priya accompanied her youngest child Tharnicaa to hospital in Perth

Australia is under pressure to release a refugee family from a Christmas Island detention centre after their three-year-old child had to be medically evacuated to the mainland.

Tharnicaa Murugappan was taken to a Perth hospital after being unwell with a fever, vomiting and dizziness.

Advocates say she has since been diagnosed with sepsis and pneumonia, and is in a stable condition.

But they criticised the delay in obtaining adequate medical care.

Tharnicaa had been sick for about 10 days before authorities took her to the hospital on Christmas Island, and later transferred her to Perth.

Her mother, Priya Nadesalingdram, said she had repeatedly asked for antibiotics or hospital treatment, but doctors gave her only paracetamol and ibuprofen pills.

Map

Australian authorities have defended the level of care given to the family on the island, telling the BBC that Tharnicaa had received treatment on Christmas Island "consistent with medical advice".

"The Australian Border Force strongly denies any allegations of inaction or mistreatment of individuals in its care," a spokesperson said in a statement.

Asylum claim

The three-year-old's medical evacuation has reignited public concern for the family's welfare. They have been detained for more than three years.

Tharnicaa's parents, Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka, arrived by boat in Australia nearly a decade ago seeking asylum.

They settled in the Queensland country town of Biloela, where their two girls, Tharnicaa, and Kopika, six, were born.

But the government removed them for deportation in 2018, after finding the family had no right to stay in Australia.

Their supporters in Biloela fought for them to stay, kicking off a legal battle that has dragged through the nation's top courts.

The government moved the family to Christmas Island in 2019 after a court injunction ruled they could not be removed from the country.

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The family told the BBC earlier this year that the conditions of their prolonged detention - and separation from their support base - had caused significant harm.

Tharnicaa, who was taken into detention when she was eight months old, has a history of medical problems exacerbated by her "prison-like" conditions, advocates say.

In her early years, limited access to daylight led to a vitamin D deficiency which caused infections and other problems. Aged two, she had surgery to remove her baby teeth because they were rotting from a lack of nutrition.

She had been attending nursery on the island before she fell sick on 27 May.

Tharnicaa's mother Priya has been allowed to accompany her to the Perth hospital, but her father Nades and older sister Kopika remain on the island.

The girl's illness has prompted supporters of the family, including several opposition lawmakers, to renew calls for the government to release them.

The Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews has the power to grant the family a visa to stay in Australia.

"This family should not be in detention - they should be in their community in Biloela," said Labor's home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally.

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On Tuesday, the government announced it was considering deals where the family could be resettled in the US or in New Zealand.

But the family's lawyer, Carina Ford, said neither she nor her clients had been approached about this. Supporters still want the family to be returned to their Queensland home.

"We have a perfectly good resettlement option here in Biloela. We continue to urge Minister Karen Andrews to use ministerial discretion and let our friends come #HomeToBilo, where they will be safe and loved," the HometoBilo campaign wrote.

Tharnicaa (right) and her sister Kopika have been held on Christmas Island since 2019

'Offshore processing'

Australia has a hardline refugee policy where it refuses to take in asylum seekers who arrive by boat. The government says this is to stop people smuggling, but human rights groups have criticised the measure as arbitrary and a breach of refugee rights,

Australia's tough immigration laws also allow it to lock up what it terms "unlawful non-citizens" like the Murugappans in detention for an indefinite length of time - a policy that has also been strongly criticised by the UN and human rights groups.

Thousands of asylum seekers have been held in facilities off the mainland since 2013, when the government introduced "offshore processing" of boat arrivals.

They wait there while their refugee claims are assessed, a process that can take years.
Columnist E Jean Carroll filed the defamation case in 2019

US President Joe Biden's administration has moved to defend his predecessor Donald Trump in a defamation case put by a woman who accuses him of rape.

It is filing an appeal - the Department of Justice (DoJ) lost a bid to defend Mr Trump while he was still president.

The new administration argued that it should represent Mr Trump as nearly everything he said and did as president was a matter of government action.

Columnist E Jean Carroll accuses Mr Trump of assaulting her in the 1990s.

In the lawsuit filed in 2019, she argues the now ex-president defamed her when he denied her claim and said she was "totally lying".

In October 2020, a federal judge dismissed an effort by the DoJ to put itself in the dock as defendant instead of Mr Trump.

Then on Monday the DoJ filed documents with a federal appeals court in New York City in an effort to overturn that decision.

Reacting to the latest development, Ms Carroll said: "As women across the country are standing up and holding men accountable for assault the DOJ is trying to stop me from having that same right. I am angry! I am offended!"

Mr Trump has so far made no public comments on the issue.

What arguments has the DoJ used?

"Speaking to the public and the press on matters of public concern is undoubtedly part of an elected official's job," the DoJ brief argued.

"Courts have thus consistently and repeatedly held that allegedly defamatory statements made in that context are within the scope of elected officials' employment - including when the statements were prompted by press inquiries about the official's private life."

Donald Trump has publicly denied the allegation several times

DoJ lawyers are quoted by NBC News as stating that Mr Trump was "crude and disrespectful" in questioning Ms Carroll's credibility and that comments attacking her appearance, impugning her motives and implying that she had made false accusations "were without question unnecessary and inappropriate".

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But, they said, they "all pertained to the denial of wrongdoing".

What does E Jean Carroll allege?

She says the attack happened at a Bergdorf Goodman store in Midtown Manhattan in late 1995 or early 1996, when the pair bumped into each other while shopping.

The former Apprentice star and real estate magnate allegedly asked her for advice when buying lingerie for another woman and jokingly asked her to model it for him.

In the changing rooms, she said Mr Trump lunged at her, pinned her against a wall and forced himself on her.

Ms Carroll claims she managed to push him off after a "colossal struggle".

Both Mr Trump and Ms Carroll were aged around 50 at the time, and he was married to Marla Maples.

Mr Trump has publicly denied the allegation several times, including saying that Ms Carroll was "totally lying" and "not my type".
The Independent

Over her long life the Queen has entertained almost every president during her lifetime, the only notable exception being Lyndon Johnson, who in fact never visited Europe during his time in office, his energies in foreign policy being almost entirely focused on Vietnam. Including President Truman, whom she met when she was heir to the throne, President Hoover, whom she encountered after hed retired, and now Joe Biden, shes done her bit for the special relationship with a total of 14 of these statesmen. The only other person alive today who might rival that claim is Henry Kissinger.
Outgoing Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said in a farewell briefing to reporters on Tuesday that the Biden administration is likely to appoint a Middle East envoy who will focus on strengthening the normalization agreements between Israel and the Arab world and will push for more.

Why it matters: The Biden administration has said it plans to build on the Trump-brokered agreements, but hasn't taken any action so far. Ashkenazi said senior Biden administration officials told him they were waiting for a new government to be formed in Israel before starting to push the normalization issue.

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Between the lines: State Department and White House spokespeople refrain from using Trump's Abraham Accords label for the agreements, using the term normalization agreements instead.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Tony Blinken said at a hearing in Congress that he wants to push for more normalization agreements and had no problem using the term Abraham Accords."

The Washington Post reported Friday that former ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro was being considered for the envoy role or another Middle East job. The State Department has declined to comment on that.

What he's saying: There are many other Arab and Muslim countries we can normalize relations with but for that we need the U.S. engaged," Ashkenazi said.

The outgoing foreign minister said he was pleased that the Biden administration had not rolled back any of Trump's decisions on Israel or reneged on promises Trump made to secure the normalization deals  like selling F-35 fighter jets to the UAE and recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara  despite how sensitive the administration is on those issues.

"We managed to maintain a no-surprises policy, and we are in a good place," Ashkenazi said of relations with the administration so far.

Driving the news: A U.S.-Israel working group on Palestinian affairs met on Monday for the first time to discuss the Biden administrations intention of reopening the consulate in Jerusalem, which handled relations with the Palestinians before Trump shut it down.

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Ashkenazi stressed that several legal issues need to be solved, but the basic assumption is that the consulate will be reopened, after Israeli approval, in the same location as before on Agron Street in Jerusalem.

Ashkenazi said the meeting on Monday also dealt with the reconstruction efforts in Gaza and how to strengthen the Palestinian Authority, integrate it in the reconstruction process and weaken Hamas.

Whats next: According to Ashkenazi, the biggest challenge facing the next Israeli government will be making Israel a bipartisan issue in Congress again. We are not there yet, and the progressive part of the Democratic party is a challenge we have to invest in," he said.

Worth noting: Ashkenazi said that in recent months, including during the Gaza fighting, he kept in close contact with seven Arab foreign ministers, some of them from countries that dont have diplomatic relations with Israel. With some of them I text daily on Whatsapp," he said.

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Exclusive: Following Sen. Joe Manchins virtual meeting with legacy civil rights groups, Black clergymen in West Virginia say they now want the hometown senators ear.

Senator Joe Manchins meetings on voter rights are just beginning. theGrio has learned the next round of the listening tour aimed at getting the senators support for voting rights is in the works. Black faith leaders in West Virginia want the hometown senators ear next.

Theres a large delegation of people who support him but who are very concerned that he wont stand up and represent that community in regards to voter rights, Reverend W. Franklyn Richardson of the Conference of Black Churches told theGrio.

W. Franklyn Richardson, chairman of the board of National Action Network, speaks during the March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 2020 in Washington. (Photo by Jacquelyn Martin-Pool/Getty Images)

On the Hill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi does not expect passage on the John Lewis Voting Rights Act until the fall. As the nation awaits the next leg of voter rights protections, the For the People Act hangs in the balance, and one could consider lawmakers seeking a deal are being held hostage by Sen. Manchin, whom President Joe Biden considers a friend, in the process.

White House officials confirmed on Tuesday they are taking their lead from Congress on voting rights. This comes at yet another moment in United States history when states are actively working to dismantle and chip away at access to the ballot box.

Although White House spokesperson Jen Psaki admitted that the administration has not made the progress it sought on voting rights, she would not say we are waiting when it comes to movement on the issue.

The reality on the Hill, however, is that any action is moot as long as Manchin, a moderate Democrat, essentially holds up any chance of progress on voting rights through his opposition to the For the People Act.

Sen. Joe Manchin, (D-WV) (Photo by Leigh Vogel-Pool/Getty Images)

With a stall on voting rights, Psaki said from the White House podium during a press briefing on Monday that Vice President Kamala Harris asked to make voting rights part of her portfolio to get the administration past the hurdle. Psaki contends that when Vice President Harris returns from her first foreign trip, she will hold meetings along with other actions to elevate the issue and secure the passage of H.R.1.

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Earlier Tuesday, civil rights leaders met virtually with Senator Manchin and committed to continuing the dialogue. Psaki commented on the meeting Tuesday acknowledging it was encouraging to see Senator Manchin meeting with civil rights groups.

The meeting shows that both are serious and recognize the importance of the issue, Psaki added.

However, Manchin has yet to change his stance on voting rights.

National Urban League Head Marc Morial told theGrio that the meeting was constructive. The leaders of the legacy civil rights groups did not attend the meeting to confront Manchin but to hold a conversation that was candid and frank. Morial said it also was meant to educate him on the threat to democracy his opposition to For the People Act and support of the filibuster pose.

National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Melanie Campbell of the Black Womens Roundtable never met with Senator Manchin before the Tuesday session. Campbell told theGrio she was focused on the filibuster and why it has always adversely impacted Black people in racial justice in this country by stopping civil rights, voting rights and anti-lynching.

Campbell recognized throughout history with the fight against the filibuster, we have had to rely on federal intervention when our rights were under attack.

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The post Black faith leaders want Manchins ear after voting rights meeting with civil rights groups appeared first on TheGrio.
John Velazquez rides Medina Spirit to what is now a controversial victory in the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. (Jeff Roberson / Associated Press)

Attorneys for Medina Spirit trainer Bob Baffert and owner Amr Zedan filed suit Monday to compel the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to allow further testing on the biological samples taken from the Kentucky Derby winner.

It is the first of what is expected to be a series of lawsuits over the upcoming months  and possibly years  over who will be deemed the winner of this years Kentucky Derby.

According to the complaint filed in Franklin (Ky.) Circuit Court, Baffert and Zedan want the KHRC to release what samples it has remaining on the 3-year-old colt for further testing.

After Baffert was informed of the positive test for betamethasone, a legal anti-inflammatory but not on race day, it was requested that a split sample also be tested, as is standard. There is zero tolerance for race-day presence of the drug in Kentucky and many other states, including California. The drug is not considered a performance enhancer.

Baffert and Zedan wanted testing for other substances than betamethasone but the KHSC refused. The second test was also positive. An agreement was reached May 24 whereby the remains of the split sample could be tested by a lab. But they were informed around June 1 that the sample was damaged or compromised before reaching the lab.

According to the suit, the KHSC has in a freezer an unopened, untested and hopefully pristine sample of Medina Spirits urine. That is what Baffert and Zedan want tested.

The strategy is to scientifically prove that the betamethasone was introduced topically by an ointment to clear up a case of dermatitis and not through interarticular injection, which is the most common form of administration.

Then the argument will be made that the rule was intended only for interarticular injections.

The manner in which the betamethasone found its way into Medina Spirit is critical, according to the suit. There is a huge difference in a betamethasone finding from an interarticular joint injection versus one from a topical ointment.

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All of this has played out publicly without an official finding or notice from the KHSC. It likely will disqualify Medina Spirit and then a hearing will be held. Depending upon the outcome, litigation will continue.

Churchill Downs has suspended Baffert from running at any of its tracks for two years. The New York Racing Assn. also has a temporary ban of the trainer from its tracks. The Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita, and Del Mar are waiting for more information or a finding from a state regulatory board before deciding what to do.

Kathy Guillermo, senior vice president for PETA, an animal rights group, said the additional testing wouldnt exonerate the trainer.

A test result revealing that he used ointment on Medina Spirit wouldnt prove that he didnt also inject the horses joints. Guillermo said.

Craig Robertson, attorney for Baffert, said last week that there would be no further comment until all testing is complete. He reiterated that point to The Times on Tuesday.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Border Patrol agents in Arizona and Texas rescued dozens of migrants over the weekend, helping those who had become lost in the sweltering desert without water or trapped inside stifling hot rail cars, officials said.

Agents in Arizonas Yuma Sector received a total of 10 calls for help and rescued a total of 25 subjects, many of whom were simply lost in the Sonoran Desert, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a news release.

BORDER PATROL RELEASES VIDEO OF 5-YEAR-OLD MIGRANT GIRL ABANDONED NEAR WALL

The agents first got a call Friday evening from C5, Mexicos version of 911, about a call they had received about three people who needed help in the desert.

Agents eventually located a 23-year-old male from Mexico, a 31-year-old male from Honduras and a 22-year-old male also from Honduras. The Mexican national was in need of immediate life-saving attention and airlifted to a hospital. The 31-year-old was in good health while the 22-year-old was treated for dehydration at a medical center in Yuma.

On Saturday and Sunday, other migrants from Mexico and Guatemala similarly called 911 for help after getting lost in the desert.

The rescued individuals included two Mexican men, ages 24 and 35, who were found in good health, and a 37-year-old Guatemalan woman and a 29-year-old man from Mexico, who were both airlifted out of the desert and transported to a hospital.

Officials said five migrants have still not been located.

Meanwhile in Texas, border agents in the Laredo Sector continued to rescue undocumented migrants who tried to enter deeper into the U.S. by traveling inside grain hopper rail cars, officials said.

Agents noticed a tampered lock on one such rail car during an inspection in Hebbronville on Saturday and found 25 individuals trapped at the bottom of the grain hopper with no way to escape.

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Officials described the temperature at the time as sweltering, and a picture showed that many of the individuals appeared sweating and shirtless inside the car.

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All 25 people were determined to be in the U.S. illegally from El Salvador, officials said.

CBP emphasized that this method of traveling deeper into the U.S. is "dangerous" and "cruel," often resulting in serious injury or death.

In this case, officials said the individuals were rescued before any suffered heat-related injuries.
Burned-out homes and debris are what little is left of the village of Solhan, in north Burkina Faso.

At least 132 people, including several children, were killed in a violent village raid over the weekend.

Another 40 were wounded, in one of the country's worst militant attacks in recent years.

Prime Minister Christophe Joseph Marie Dabire spoke with survivors at a nearby hospital on Monday, and visited Solhan himself.

There he condemned the rise of 'terrorist' extremist groups.

"Security is the government's responsibility, it's the responsibility of security and defence forces, but it's also the responsibility of the entire population. People need to commit to work with us, so recruitment of our young people (by extremist groups) stops."

No group has claimed responsibility for the raid yet.

The country declared a 72-hour national mourning period in the wake of the attack.

Jihadist attacks linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State have been on the rise in West Africa this year.

That's despite the presence of thousands of UN peacekeepers.

The Sahel region, including Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, has been hit hardest by the violence.

In just over two years, more than a million people have been displaced in Burkina Faso, where some 20,000 refugees from neighboring Mali also reside.

Video Transcript

- Burned-out homes and debris are what little is left of the village of Solhan, in north Burkina Faso. At least 132 people, including several children, were killed in a violent village raid over the weekend. Another 40 were wounded, in one of the country's worst militant attacks in recent years.

Prime Minister Christophe Joseph Marie Dabire spoke with survivors at a nearby hospital on Monday and visited Solan himself. There, he condemned the rise of, quote, "terrorist extremist groups."

CHRISTOPHE JOSEPH MARIE DABIRE: [SPEAKING FRENCH]

INTERPRETER: Security is the government's responsibility. It's the responsibility of security and defense forces. But it's also the responsibility of the entire population. People need to commit to working with us. So recruitment of our young people by extremist groups stops.

- No group has claimed responsibility for the raid yet. The country declared a 72-hour national mourning period in the wake of the attack. Jihadist attacks linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State have been on the rise in West Africa this year. That's despite the presence of thousands of UN peacekeepers.

The Sahel region, including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, has been hit hardest by the violence. In just over two years, more than a million people have been displaced in Burkina Faso, where some 20,000 refugees from neighboring Mali also reside.
The Southern California couple suspected in connection with the road rage killing of a 6-year-old boy last month will appear in court Tuesday, as officials promised to "get justice" for the child in what they described as a disturbing case.

Marcus Anthony Eriz, 24 and Wynne Lee, 23 were arrested Sunday at their home in Costa Mesa, located 40 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, in the death of Aiden Leos.

A vehicle, a white Volkswagen, and a gun used in the incident were recovered at different locations, California Highway Patrol Assistant Chief Don Goodbrand said during a Tuesday news conference.

Officials declined to disclose details of what led to their capture or how the pair was linked to the shooting. Prosecutors are still deciding what charge to bring, said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer.

"We are reviewing the evidence and we're looking at every single legal theory in conjunction with that evidence," he said.

"The one thing you dont want to do in the criminal justice system is to make promiseswe dont want to make promises but theres something about that that leaves me a little bit empty," he added. "I do want to promise today that when Aiden was put below ground that we will get justice for him. We have to promise him that."

Eriz and Lee are being held in the Orange County jail on a $1 million bond each, according to jail records.

The arrests came after a two-week manhunt and a day after a weekend memorial service for Leos, who was remembered as a child with a vocabulary beyond his years who exuded warmth and tenderness.

Leos was shot on May 21 while seated in a booster seat on the rear passenger side of a car being driven by his mother, Joanna Cloonan, as she drove on State Route 55 in the city of Orange on her way to drop him off at school.

Cloonan said another vehicle cut her off and that she responded with a hand gesture. The other driver got behind her and someone fired a shot through the rear of the car, she told authorities. Leos was struck in the abdomen.

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Cloonan said she pulled over as well as a witness to try and save the boy's life. Leos died at a hospital and was buried Monday in a private ceremony that was livestreamed online.

"You loved to play with toys for hours. You would create a whole world with characters within your vivid imagination," Cloonan said at the service, FOX Los Angeles reported.

Eriz's Instagram account shows him handling various types of firearms at a shooting range.

He also had images of firearms on his social media accounts.

Within a week of the shooting, Spitzer voiced his frustration that no suspects had turned themselves in to police despite the highly publicized nature of the crime and the outpouring of grief and support.

"I was unequivocally clear with them. Turn yourself in. Turn yourself in. And they didn't," he said. "So now it's time for the [criminal justice] system to do what it's designed to do."

He also praised the national media for playing a pivotal role in helping to capture the suspects. A reward for identifying them had reached $500,000 by the weekend.

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The killing came amid concerns over a spate of freeway shootings in Southern California.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Early adopters of 5G in Saudi Arabia are satisfied with the speed, and 60 percent want more innovative apps and services, said a new report, highlighting the impact of 5G on smartphone users worldwide including in the Kingdom.



Indoor coverage is one of the focus areas to emerge from the consumer research Ericsson ConsumerLab, with one-in-five 5G users already reducing Wi-Fi use on their phones indoors because of the benefits of 5G mobile connectivity.



The report - Five Ways to a Better 5G - is the result of the largest global 5G consumer study to date. Covering consumer sentiment and perception in 26 markets  including Saudi Arabia- the Ericsson ConsumerLab study methodology is representative of 1.3 billion smartphone users globally, including 220 million 5G subscribers.



The report explores key trends behind the adoption, use and perception of consumers with and towards 5G. The report also finds that there was a 7 percent increase from March 2019 to December 2020 regarding consumer intention to upgrade to 5G. Additionally, 25 percent of consumers in Saudi Arabia have a 5G device but are still on a 4G subscription highlighting a readiness to embrace the technology.



A key report finding reveals 70% of current 5G FWA users in KSA are satisfied with the service. The report also highlights how 5G is already beginning to trigger new use behaviours. 5G early adopters spend 3 hours more per week on live video streaming and 1.5 hours more on Augmented Reality (AR) apps than 4G users. 19 percent of users in KSA reduced use of Wi-Fi at home and other locations after upgrading.



Covid-19 lockdowns and movement restrictions mean that the vast majority of 5G early adopters regular experiences with the technology have been indoors. As a result, early adopters indicate that indoor coverage is two times more important than speed or battery life in delivering satisfactory 5G experiences.



The report also outlines five ways for communications service providers (CSPs) to meet consumer expectations both in the immediate and longer terms, including:



 addressing the knowledge gap by educating and better marketing the value of 5G to consumers. 25 percent more smartphone users in Saudi Arabia could have taken up 5G by the end of 2020 if the knowledge gap was addressed

 ensuring consistent quality of indoor and outdoor 5G coverage

 adapting to network requirements for new 5G services

 focusing on consumer intent to envision new 5G use cases

 accelerating availability of existing and new use cases through ecosystem partnerships



Jasmeet Singh Sethi, Head of ConsumerLab, Ericsson Research, said: So far, analyses of 5G network experiences have mostly focused on 5G speeds and availability based on independent network measurements. But it is equally important to understand how 5G early adopters perceive that experience. With Ericsson ConsumerLabs five recommendations and insights, CSPs can encourage 5G adoption and meet consumer expectations.  TradeArabia News Service
A California councilwoman who recently announced the hiring of a local podcast host who once said elected officials should be "terrified for the rest of your life" said she doesn't agree with the remark but cited his right to voice his opinion.

Sacramento Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela, who represents the city's District 4, announced the hiring of Skyler Henry in a Facebook post last week. Henery, who co-hosts the progressive podcast "VOICES" River City," a "Leftist news & truth-to-power commentary," will be leading Valenzuela's efforts on responding to constituents and digital media, she told Fox News.

"You should be terrified for the rest of your life. You should never be able to leave your house, if that is how you are going to use your position to govern," Henry recently said of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Arizona. "The same thing sort of applies with the mayor and city manager of this city."

Henry did not immediately respond to a Fox News request for comment.

The hire has concerned some who felt Henry was sympathetic to "Sactivists" following demonstrations outside the homes of local officials, as first reported by the California Globe. At one point, the group circulated "Wanted" posters lettered in bloody calligraphy on social media with pictures of Police Chief Daniel Hahn and City Manager Howard Chan, according to a March 28 letter signed by Valenzuela and other city leaders denouncing the targeting of Chan's home.

The demonstration outside his home triggered a large police response and rebuke from civic leaders and business and civil rights groups, the Times reported.

Valenzuela said Henry made the remark before working for her while citing his First Amendment right.

"He's expressed a willingness to work with the same colleagues that he was talking about in that quote," she told Fox News. "I'm looking forward to see what he can do inside city government."

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Following the demonstrations, Hahn countered that some of the incidents were a form of "domestic terrorism," according to the Times.

"If you look up the definition of terrorism, it says its using violence or intimidation for political gain," he said. "In my opinion some of these incidents, the way they are trying to provoke fear, are domestic terrorism."

In a joint statement to Fox News, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Chan, the city manager, said council members are responsible for hiring their own staff.

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"Neither the Mayors office nor the City Managers office has a part in that process," the statement said. "The Council member is the appointing authority."

Valenzuela said Hahn's language directed at the protesters was equally inappropriate as Henry's.

"I think we need to own all on sides and hopefully move forward to solutions together," she said.
Carey Mulligan (left) and Zoe Kazan will star in She Said

Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan are to star in a new film about the journalists who first exposed the Harvey Weinstein sex abuse scandal.

They will play New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, who broke the story about the film mogul in 2017.

The movie She Said will be adapted from their Pulitzer Prize-winning book She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement.

Weinstein is now serving 23 years for a criminal sex act and third-degree rape.

He was sentenced in 2020 in a New York Court and is now appealing against his conviction. The former movie producer, once one of the most powerful people in Hollywood, is facing more allegations in California.

The adaptation has been compared to Watergate drama All The President's Men and Oscar-winning Spotlight, about journalists investigating allegations of sexual abuse in the Catholic church.

Mulligan was recently nominated for the Academy Award for best actress for her performance in Promising Young Woman. She is currently filming fact-based sci-fi drama Spaceman alongside Adam Sandler.

Kazan, best known for her performance in The Big Sick, was most recently seen in HBO's miniseries The Plot Against America.

Mulligan and Kazan have previously starred together on stage in a Broadway production of The Seagull.

Who are Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey?

Jodi Kantor (left) and Megan Twohey

On 5 October 2017, Twohey and Kantor published a story headlined Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades.

It disclosed multiple alleged sexual harassment and assaults against women by Weinstein, many dating back decades.

The article included details of money paid to cover up the abuse, and first-person accounts by actresses accusing Weinstein of non-consensual sexual encounters.

In the months leading up publication, Kantor and Twohey held confidential discussions with actresses and former Weinstein employees, learning of the long-buried events.

Their scoop sent shock waves through the film industry and led dozens of other women to come forward to speak publicly.

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It also led Weinstein to be fired by the The Weinstein Company and to eventually be found guilty and sentenced to 23 years in prison for rape.

And it spurred the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements that are still making an impact, not only in Hollywood but in all areas of work and in society.

But Twohey and Kantor had to endure continuous threats of litigation and intimidation in order to pursue their investigation.

In 2019, their book revealed the story behind one of the most important newspaper investigations in recent years. The Guardian's Helen Lewis praised it as "a hymn to old-fashioned investigative reporting".

Follow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
Fresno Unified superintendent Bob Nelson says after the loss of time inside the classroom the past year, the district will double down on summer school as an option for kids to get caught up.

Video Transcript

DEBORAH MARQUEZ: Well, it has been probably one of the most challenging years in my 30 years with Fresno Unified.

ALYSSA FLORES: It's a sentiment that students and staff across the country share. A school year like no other is coming to a close for Fresno Unified just months after returning to in-person learning in the early spring.

DEBORAH MARQUEZ: Then we had the opportunity to come back, get a taste of somewhat of a norm, and be successful at that.

ALYSSA FLORES: Deborah Marquez, principal of the Hamilton K-through-8 school in Central Fresno, says despite the challenges that came along with virtual and, later, hybrid learning, parents and staff stepped up for students.

DEBORAH MARQUEZ: Collaboration that we've never seen before between schools and families.

ALYSSA FLORES: FUSD Superintendent Bob Nelson says after the loss of time inside the classroom the past year, the district will double down on summer school as an option for kids to get caught up.

BOB NELSON: As compared to previous years, we're actually going to have a full load of summer school that's going to go the bulk of the summer.

ALYSSA FLORES: Students will also have the chance to make up learning next year with more daily instruction time. School days will be extended by 30 minutes for the first semester.

BOB NELSON: Particularly in language, arts, and math for any remediation that they may require in that, and then it's optional for the second semester, if families want to do that. Even for our middle and high-school kids, the periods are a little bit extended.

ALYSSA FLORES: As the year comes to an end, so does the option for online learning. Next year, all instruction will happen five days per week in person. Online distance learning will only be available through the district's eLearn Academy.

BOB NELSON: The goal is to go back to as normal a plan pre-COVID as we possibly can.

ALYSSA FLORES: The last day of school will be this Friday, and school is back in session on August 12. In Downtown Fresno, Alyssa Flores, ABC 30, "Action News."
President Joe Biden supported strengthening NATO during talks with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. In preparation for the June 14 summit in Brussels, Stoltenberg said "biggest challenge is that we live in a much more unpredictable world." (June 7)

Video Transcript

JENS STOLTENBERG: We agree that in the more competitive world, we need to strengthen NATO. And we face security challenges which no ally can face alone. So therefore, we need to stand together in NATO.

A strong NATO is good for Europe, but it's also good for the United States. No other major power has so many friends and allies as the United States has in NATO. So I look forward to welcoming President Biden to Brussels. We had a very good discussion, and I look forward to have him and all the other NATO leaders at the NATO summit in three days time.

A dialogue with Russia is not a sign of weakness. We are strong. We are united. And then we can talk to Russia. And we need to talk to Russia partly to strive for a better relationship. But even if we don't believe in a better relationship with Russia, we need to manage a difficult relationship with Russia. Arms control, transparency, restrictions-- all of these issues are important.

- What is your biggest challenge going into the summit?

JENS STOLTENBERG: I think the biggest challenge is that we live in a much more unpredictable world, and we see much more global competition, so we need to be prepared for a wide range of different challenges and threats at the same time-- a more assertive Russia responsible for aggressive actions against neighbors, China coercing neighbors and investing help in military capabilities. Cyber threats-- we see more sophisticated and frequent cyber attacks against the NATO allies, including, as we have seen here in the United States recently.

So it is this fact that we have a much more complex and unpredictable security environment that makes it even more important to have the strong international institutions. In an age of global competition, we need to strengthen NATO. And that was the message from the President. And that's the message from me. And I--
A Colorado high school principal has resigned weeks after a photo surface of several students reenacting the murder of George Floyd in the schools parking lot.

According to the Boulder Daily Camera, Mead High principal Rachael Ayers resignation was announced in a letter to families sent on Monday from St. Vrain Valley Schools superintendent Don Haddad. Ayers had worked at Mead High School for 12 years as a teacher, assistant principal and principal.

The announcement comes nearly three weeks an image, reportedly posted on Snapchat, showed a student kneeling on the neck of another student who appears to be wearing blackface. A third student appears to be restraining the student in blackface.

After the photo circulated, the NAACP Boulder County Chapter asked the St. Vrain Valley school district to take a number of steps to address systemic racism in the areas schools.

The school district declined to say whether the resignation was related to the viral photo.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, seen here at a White House briefing on Jan. 21, as the Biden administration took office. (Associated Press)

All politicians appreciate the power of a symbol, a slogan or a mantra.

That must account for the right wing's transformation of the name of Anthony S. Fauci, America's best-known and most respected immunologist, into an all-purpose swear word.

The right wing has tried to make Fauci, 80, the face of a supposed campaign to absolve China from responsibility for ushering the virus that causes COVID-19 into the world, which is known as the "lab leak hypothesis."

No.

White House Press Secretary Jen Pasaki, answering whether she could imagine President Biden ever firing Anthony Fauci

Tucker Carlson of Fox News alleges Fauci lied to the public to protect a virus lab in Wuhan, China, and has mocked him via graphics on his show as "Lord Fauci, Patron Saint of Wuhan."

Republican officeholders have called for Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to be fired or subjected to criminal prosecution.

They accuse him of being complicit in the alleged release or escape from a Chinese laboratory of the virus causing COVID-19, a "manufactured plague," according to a letter sent out June 4 by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) (Greene demanded action against Fauci by the Biden administration by June 31, a date that doesn't exist on the calendar.)

As I wrote recently, there is no evidence whatsoever that the virus originated or was warehoused in a Chinese lab and was released, either inadvertently or deliberately.

Former President Trump used an attack on Fauci for an applause line during a rally Saturday in Greenville, N.C., calling him "not a great doctor but a great promoter" and asserting "he's been wrong on almost every issue and he was wrong on Wuhan and the lab also."

Most recently, Fauci's critics have picked over a trove of his emails, released to BuzzFeed and the Washington Post via Freedom of Information Act requests, to search for evidence of Fauci's duplicity in commenting on the pandemic. The emails covered the period from January through June last year.

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They assert that the emails prove their point. In fact, they prove nothing of the kind. Instead, they portray a public servant taking pains to be judicious about theories for the origin of the virus and about purported remedies.

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Fauci tends to favor the hypothesis that the virus reached humans from animal hosts through natural means rather than from a laboratory accident, much less a deliberate release. But he doesn't rule out either theory or advocate abandoning one or the other course for further investigation.

That hasn't stopped those determined to point fingers at the Chinese from bandying Fauci's name as if it's a magical incantation. For some audiences, his name has become shorthand for an inchoate doubt about all things COVID-related.

None of this is novel as a political technique. Facts are complicated and often can't be explicated without nuance. That process bores audiences and glazes people's eyes. It's much easier, and effective, to cast nuance aside and bundle every detail of a position into a simple one- or two-word mantra.

Neither side of the political aisle is immune from this temptation, but it certainly seems as if the right has become more adept at employing it.

Republicans rechristened the estate tax as the "death tax," which concealed from voters the facts that it was levied not on the dead but their heirs and that its effects fell chiefly on the very richest families in America, not the average mom and dad.

Similarly, the Affordable Care Act was repositioned by its enemies as a "government takeover" of healthcare and America's health insurance companies, which were roundly detested by their customers before the ACA, were newly depicted as sources of healthcare policies that Americans loved and would hate to lose.

Further back in history, the American Medical Assn. defeated President Truman's effort to remake the healthcare system by labeling it "socialized medicine."

Indeed, "socialism" has become the all-purpose Republican label for any Democratic-supported government policy, evidently on the assumption that average Americans don't actually know what socialism is or that the Democratic platform doesn't resemble it at all; voters only need to think that "socialism" is a bad thing for the label to do its job.

Part of the calculation behind repackaging complex matters as simple slogans is the hope that the media will be fooled into following along. This sometimes happens "climate change," a phrase championed by GOP pollster Frank Luntz as a less menacing alternative to "global warming," has become the quasi-official label for, well, global warming. Luntz also contrived the "death tax" dodge, which hasn't caught on to the same extent.

Possibly, Fauci's detractors hope that his name will gain the status of an eponym, a noun formed from the name of an individual, much as the name of Vidkun Quisling, the front man for the Nazi regime during its occupation of Norway, has become synonymous with "traitor."

It's proper to take a close look at what Fauci is specifically accused of. In the most general terms, he's being painted as the villain in the U.S. response to the coronavirus. Americans' doubts about the pandemic include questions about the deadliness of the virus, the efficacy of countermeasures such as masks or anti-malarial pills, and where the virus came from.

Professional scientists' views on many of these issues evolved over the last 18 months, and as a professional scientist, so did Fauci's. The attack line that he was "wrong" in the past for advising against widespread mask wearing or doubting the scale of the pandemic's threat merely shows that he was open to new information about a virus about which we knew almost nothing at the outset but learned quickly.

As knowledge grew, Fauci's views changed; what didn't change was his willingness to admit that he was learning something new every day and to adjust his conclusions to the facts at hand. Since he was placed front and center as the spokesman for sober science as the pandemic unfolded, perhaps it was inevitable that he would be used to symbolize doubts about the pandemic too.

More recently, however, this process has taken a distinctly sinister turn. The right wing now accuses him of having participated in the funding of so-called gain-of-function research at the Chinese government lab in Wuhan. The big promoter of this febrile theme is Sen. Rand Paul (R-Tenn.) who engaged in a notable diatribe against Fauci during a May 11 Senate subcommittee hearing at which Fauci flatly denied that the government had funded that research.

For Paul's purposes, the term gain-of-function is useful because the vast majority of laypersons have no idea what it means, so Paul can invest it with all the ominous significance he wishes. (In fact, it's a common technique in virological and vaccine research.)

As I wrote recently, the goal of promoters of the lab-leak theory such as Paul, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Trump is political, not scientific. By placing the blame on China, they hope to distract the public from Trump's abject failure in managing the pandemic to the extent of more than 350,000 U.S. deaths from the virus in 2020. Fauci is an obstacle to this effort because like other experts he believes the probability of a lab leak to be well below that of a natural source.

They also hope to distract from the Biden administration's success in combating the pandemic by accusing the White House of being in cahoots with Fauci. For that to matter, Fauci's reputation must be smeared.

Whatever the goal, the fundamental truth is that neither Fauci nor any other virological authority is opposed to investigating the source of the virus, and no one places the probability of a lab leak at 0%. The issue is important because policy choices to avoid new pandemics in the future depend closely on the answer  if it's a lab, then the security of virological research labs needs to be stepped up; if it's animals in the natural environment, then animal-human contacts need to be better monitored and managed.

But the attacks on Fauci have nothing to do with anything resembling responsible scientific inquiry. They're a partisan sideshow. Luckily, the Biden White House seems at this date to be fully alive to that aspect of the campaign. Biden was asked at a June 4 news conference in Delaware literally as he was walking out the door, "Mr. President, are you confident in Dr. Fauci?" Biden thought the question so important that he stuck his head back through the door to say, "Yes, I'm very confident in Dr. Fauci."

That same day, in Washington, Biden's press secretary, Jen Psaki, fielded a similar question about Fauci from a Fox News reporter.

"Can you imagine any circumstance where President Biden would ever fire him?" he asked.

Without a moment's hesitation, she replied, "No."





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
(Getty Images)

Every June, countless American corporations start sporting rainbow banners in their advertising and social media in support of Pride Month. But many of those same companies have supported politicians opposing LGBT+ causes.

Walmart, Amazon, and McDonalds have all donated to members of Congress who voted against the Equality Act, according to Insider . Comcast, UPS, and AT&T have each donated over $2 million to anti-gay politicians, according to Forbes . The list goes on  and all of these companies have declared their support for Pride.

This month, well be celebrating and highlighting the people within our McDonalds family that embody the spirit of LGBTQ+ Pride, McDonalds tweeted on 1 June.

Happy #Pride Month! Heres how were celebrating the LGBTQ community across our organization, Comcast tweeted on the same day.

Forbes also listed six other corporations that it says have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to anti-LGBT politicians: Home Depot, General Electric, FedEx, UBS, Verizon, and Pfizer. All six of these have voiced their support for gay rights as well.

Part of the disconnect is due to the fact that many companies donate to politicians of both parties, hoping to influence government policy no matter who wins power.

FedEx has a long history of participating in the political process, and we support candidates on both sides of the aisle, a FedEx spokesperson told Forbes. We strive to provide an inclusive workplace in which all team members feel safe and respected.

But some experts say this kind of lip service to political causes  without corresponding donations to back it up  is no longer enough.

What they probably didnt anticipate was we are at a moment where people ask for more, Marcia Chatelain, a professor of American studies at Georgetown University, told Insider . They ask for more than skillful marketing. They actually ask for racial and economic justice.

One of the clearest examples of this is the Equality Act , a bill that would ban discrimination in the United States based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Congressional Democrats have heavily supported the bill, and Republicans have overwhelmingly opposed it.

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But from 2019 to 2020, Walmart, Amazon, and McDonalds roughly split their donations between Democrats and Republicans. According to Insiders calculations, that means Walmart has donated about $400,000 to lawmakers blocking the Equality Act. Amazon, which vocally supports the bill, has donated over $460,000 to politicians opposing it. McDonalds donated $213,000 to the same cohort.

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A spokesperson for Amazon defended the donations, saying the retailer engages with policymakers and regulators on a wide range of issues.

That does not mean we agree with any individual or political organization 100 percent of the time on every issue, the company explained, and this includes legislation that discriminates or encourages discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.

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Separately, Pfizer defended its donations to Republicans as well.

The decision to contribute to these elected officials was made based on their support of the biopharmaceutical industry and policies that protect innovation incentives and patients access to medicines and vaccines, the company told Forbes. In no way does our support translate into an endorsement of their position on any social issue.

UPS made a similar case for its own donations.

Few policymakers agree with each other or businesses 100 per cent of the time, nor do we agree with 100 per cent of the [congressional] members opinions, it told Forbes.

Meanwhile, the rainbow logos continue to shine.

Read More

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Chasten Buttigieg hits out at RNC chair over comments about Pride: Fix your party before you open your mouth

Pride Month: How was the annual LGBT+ celebration founded and when and where are events taking place?

13 brands giving back to LGBT+ charities with Pride products
flydubai, the Dubai-based airline, said that it will operate three weekly flights to Sharm El Sheikh International Airport (SSH) from June 15.



The route will become flydubais second destination in Egypt alongside Alexandria Borg El Arab International Airport (HBE).



The launch of flights to the popular resort city follows the launch of several holiday destinations brings the number of seasonal routes served by flydubai to seven destinations including Bodrum and Trabzon in Turkey, Batumi in Georgia, Mykonos and Santorini in Greece and Tivat in Montenegro.



Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: As more countries gradually lift restrictions on international travel, we are excited to grow our network and give passengers more options to travel this summer. Sharm El Sheikh has been a popular holiday destination for many years and we expect to see strong demand for travel from the UAE and GCC.



flydubai will restart its operations to Batumi in Georgia and Tivat in Montenegro from 25 June and both destinations offer UAE residents visa on arrival. Flights to Bodrum and Trabzon in Turkey will start from 04 and 24 June respectively with flights Mykonos and Santorini starting on 18 June. The carrier plans to start flights to Naples in Italy and Salzburg in Austria from July onwards.



Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations (UAE, GCC, Africa and the Indian Subcontinent) at flydubai said: With demand for travel returning we can see from the enquiries that we are receiving that our customers are keen to travel again and are starting to make their travel plans. Sharm El Sheikh is another exciting destination for our passengers to visit for their summer holidays.



Flights from Terminal 2, Dubai International (DXB) to Sharm El Sheikh International Airport (SSH) will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 15 June.



Return Business Class fares from DXB to SSH start from AED2,500 ($680) and return Economy Class fares start from AED1,300.  TradeArabia News Service


Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Handout

Nearly three years after Lynn Hernan was found dead in her Pewaukee, Wisconsin, condo, a family friend who had been caring for her has been arrested on murder charges.

The twist? Authorities allege Jessy Rose Kurczewski, 37, poisoned Hernan with eyedrops after stealing nearly $300,000 from the 64-year-old, then tried to convince investigators that Hernan had in fact died by suicide by overdosing on drugs. In reality, cops say, Kurczewski was a down-on-her-luck gambling addict with a history of fraud who duped Hernan out of thousands before getting herself named the sole heir to Hernans estate.

It all began on the afternoon of Oct. 3, 2018, when Kurczewski summoned police to Hernans home saying that Hernan had passed out and wasnt breathing, according to a criminal complaint filed last week in Waukesha County Court. A sheriffs deputy arrived to find a pale Hernan lying unconscious in a recliner, with a large amount of crushed medication on her chest and a plate directly to the left of her with a large amount of what appeared to be crushed up medication still on the plate. The deputy spotted a large number of prescription medication bottles on the table on either side of her. Fire Department medics arrived on the scene and pronounced Hernan deceased.

Based on the initial observations investigators believed this could have been a drug overdose, states the complaint, which was first reported by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Kurczewski told cops that Hernanwho is identified only as Victim A in the complaint, but is named in a now-reopened probate case regarding the willhad been acting odd throughout the week. She said she believed there was a possibility that [Hernan] was suicidal but also stated she believed [Hernan] really loved her cats, often worried about them and wouldnt want to leave them behind.

Wife Attempted Suicide After Poisoning Husband With Eye Drops: Police

However, neighbors and others who knew Hernan told police that they didnt believe she was suicidal or would have overdosed on drugs, intentionally or not. One longtime friend told detectives that he had suspicions about Kurczewski and her mother, who were using Hernans Jeep after she died even though the vehicle was meant to go to Hernans nephew.

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In January 2019, a cousin of Hernans identified in the complaint as Witness B contacted the county medical examiners office with concerns about the circumstances of her death. In a follow-up interview with police, the cousin said he found it unusual that Hernan would have willed her entire estate to Kurczewski. He checked state records to see if Kurczewski had a criminal history, and saw several convictions for forgery and fraud.

Witness B wanted to make sure that the will filed in probate was authentic and wanted to make sure there was nothing suspicious about the death of Victim A in the medical examiners autopsy report, says the complaint.

That same month, an autopsy by Waukesha County Medical Examiner Linda Biedrzycki showed that Hernan had a fatal dose of tetrahydrozolinethe main ingredient in over-the-counter eye dropsin her system. The cause of death was listed as tetrahydrozoline poisoning and classified as a homicide, not suicide or an accident.

Kurczewski had reportedly called the medical examiners office numerous times, wanting to know about Hernans toxicology results.

Kurczewski described many medical ailments that [Hernan] had prior to her death and told the detectives how frustrating it was that doctors could never diagnose or assist [Hernan] with her ailments, says the complaint. Kurczewski questioned whether [Hernan] died of medical reasons or whether the death was a suicide. The toxicology results were not shared with Kurczewski at that time.

A Woman Has Been Charged with Murdering Her Husband By Putting Eye Drops in His Water

According to the complaint, Kurczewski speculated that Hernan was just overwhelmed with her myriad medical conditions, saying she could have been sick of being sick and having no answers. In a subsequent interview with detectives, Kurczewskis live-in boyfriend said Kurczewski told him she had spent a lot of time with Hernan in the hospital toward the end of her life, while she was in a coma. However, detectives told him that Hernan hadnt been hospitalized before she died, and was never in a coma.

The boyfriend also told police that Kurczewski earned $20 an hour working at a dental office but regularly spent $500 a night at a local casino and gave out expensive gifts such as laptop computers and Gameboys that others found excessive and a little weird.

In July 2019, cops executed a search warrant at the home Kurczewski shared with her boyfriend. She was taken to jail on a probation hold linked to a past violation, and detectives interviewed her six times over the next 10 days. Prosecutors allege that Kurczewski told an array of stories, talking about the various illegal and legal controlled substances that she claimed Hernan would use and abuse throughout her life. Thats when detectives told Kurczewski about the tetrahydrozoline the medical examiner found in Hernans system, prompting a disquisition from Kurczewski about how Hernan was known for eye drops, and that she purchased them in huge quantities. When detectives told Kurczewski they believed someone poisoned Hernan and staged the scene in Hernans home to make it appear as an overdose, Kurczewski adamantly denied killing Hernan, the complaint explains.

Kurczewski offered that [Hernan] must have staged her own suicide with the crushed pills because Kurczewski maintained that she did not, it continues. Kurczewski also says she had never heard of Visine poisoning before, and claimed she wasnt buying the medical examiners findings.

Kurczewski then insisted she had actually seen Hernan drinking vodka with Visine in it the day before she died.

Kurczewski had no rational explanation for not disclosing this information to detectives during either of the prior two interviews, says the complaint. Kurczewski then says that once [Hernan] started having so much Visine at the house she researched it. Kurczewski said [Hernan] tried pills twice but it didnt work. Kurczewski then says that [Hernan] had Visine dumped into a bottle of vodka for days prior to her death. Kurczewski claimed [Hernan] had become very ill twice before her death from drinking Visine and she was shitting all over.

She continued, allegedly telling detectives that Hernan had used her phone to research suicide methods, bought a gun with which she intended to kill herself, and had in fact saved Hernan from herself on at least two occasions after walking in on Hernan with a gun in her hand. Eventually, Kurczewski told investigators that Hernan had a bottle of water at home with six bottles of Visine dissolved into it and fought Hernan when she asked Kurczewski to hand it to her. Kurczewski then said shes probably going to prison for the rest of her life for helping [Hernan] do what she wanted.

In all, police believe Kurczewski stole $290,210.06 from Hernan, spending more than $50,000 in less than a year at two Wisconsin casinos. She is now being held in lieu of $1 million cash bond. If Kurczewski manages to make bail, the conditions set by the court include: no employment as a caregiver, no contact with any casinos, and no use or possession of over-the-counter eye drops.

Kurczewski does not have a lawyer listed in court records, and was unable to be reached for comment. She is due back in court on June 25.

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The scientist who said she was fired by Gov. Ron DeSantis for refusing to censor Florida's Covid-19 numbers said Tuesday shes hoping to unseat another high-profile Republican politician in the state  Rep. Matt Gaetz.

Rebekah Jones said the congressman, currently under investigation by the Justice Department for allegedly paying an underage girl for sex, is vulnerable.

I hope I do better than a sex trafficker, Jones told NBC News. Its absurd that hes still in office. Someone like that should not go unchallenged.

Jones, who currently lives in Maryland, made the announcement on a new Instagram account she set up after her Twitter account was suspended. She said she ran afoul of Twitter for repeatedly reposting a Miami Herald article highly critical of DeSantis.

I had hoped that someone in the Republican Party would step up and primary him, and Ive yet to see that happen, Jones said in the video. And so, if it takes me going home to Florida to run against Matt Gaetz, then I will do it. If it means getting one child sex trafficker out of office, youre damn right Ill do it.

Gaetz, whose district is in the Florida Panhandle, has denied paying a teenager for sex.

"Congressman Gaetz faces no criminal charges," his spokesman, Harlan Hill, said in an email to NBC News. "Ms. Jones cannot say the same."

Video: Bodycam video shows search of Rebekah Jones' home

Jones was charged in December with hacking into the state's computer system, a charge she denies.

Responsible for helping to create and updating Floridas Covid-19 dashboard, Jones was fired from the Department of Health in May 2020 for, in her words, refusing to manually change data to drum up support for the plan to reopen.

That was a reference to DeSantis plan to reopen Florida even though the pandemic was raging through the state. Most of the nearly 38,000 Covid-19 deaths and 2.3 million confirmed cases in the state were reported after May 2020, according to NBC News figures and other Covid-19 databases.

Shortly after she was ousted, Jones filed a confidential whistle-blower complaint with the Florida Commission on Human Relations saying she was being punished for speaking out.

DeSantis and other officials denied Jones allegations. But in December, Florida Department of Law Enforcement officers, acting on a warrant, raided Jones home in Tallahassee, arrested her and confiscated her personal phone and a laptop computer.
By Gabriel Crossley

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese authorities are trying to lure back fugitive fraudsters operating across the border in Myanmar by threatening to cut off pensions and other benefits for family members, according to social media postings by public security bodies.

Since a Feb. 1 coup in Myanmar, economic collapse and lawlessness have created conditions for an upsurge in criminal activity, particularly in northern border areas and by Chinese gangs, according to a report from the United States Institute of Peace.

Large-scale criminal groups have long operated in the region, much of it outside the control of the military junta, using it as a base for well-organised telecoms and internet fraud scams, as well as hosting illegal casinos.

The actions by local authorities come after China's President Xi Jinping said in April that China will resolutely crack down on telecoms and internet fraud.

According to notices from Chinese public security departments in at least five counties early this month, suspects in Myanmar face losing their household registration permit - a key document linked to residence and access to public services - if they don't turn themselves in, and would be unable to return to China.

One county in Jiangxi province said it would seek to suspend pensions and medical coverage for the immediate relatives of 33 suspects, giving the names and addresses of the suspects. The notice was later deleted from WeChat.

A county in Hunan province said social welfare guarantees for family members of suspects would be cancelled, while houses built using illicit funds would be destroyed and the people residing there would be expelled.

The official People's Daily WeChat account reposted one of the notices.

The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Public Security did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Much of northern Myanmar, where most of the notices said suspects were located, is under the control of militias, some of which are opposed to the military that seized power in a coup in February, while others support it or have remained neutral.

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"In the two months since the military reestablished its tumultuous rule, criminal activities in Myanmar have widened dramatically, posing new challenges to the region's efforts and ability to control cross-border crime," the United States Institute of Peace, a U.S.-government funded nonpartisan institute, said in its April report.

Large tracts of northern Myanmar are also part of the Golden Triangle illicit drug producing region, while areas in the north and north-east that border China and Thailand have a proliferation of illegal casinos that law enforcement authorities say are used for money laundering.

A television show released in China this year dramatised efforts by the country's police to fight transnational crimes- including telecoms fraud, committed by or against Chinese nationals abroad. One Southeast Asian region called "Country M" featured in the drama.

In one 2019 telecoms fraud case involving 10 million yuan ($1.56 million), Chinese police cooperated with their counterparts in northern Myanmar to bring back 69 Chinese nationals, according to the state-backed China Daily.

Security experts fear that the collapsing economy and increased fighting between ethnic militias and the Myanmar military in the wake of the coup will see a surge in illicit activity to finance armed groups. The lure of vice will also be strong for those who have lost their jobs or businesses, they add.

($1 = 6.3906 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Gabriel Crossley and Tom Allard; editing by Richard Pullin)
Jun. 7HENDERSON  The gymnasium at Crossroads Christian was much quieter than usual during the summer of 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing restrictions to limit crowds and emphasize safety.

But with COVID-19 cases now on a downward trend, Crossroads athletic director Scottie Richardson has been eager to see the return of summer activities at the school like the Colts Kids Camp, which is now entering its second week.

"We've opened this up to the public so we've got a lot of kids," Richardson said. "Last week we had 34 and we're now at 47 with some of the public schools finishing up."

The Colts Kids Camp is available to students ranging from rising kindergarteners to rising sixth graders. It's designed to teach them the fundamentals of basketball while providing a healthy and fun atmosphere to learn in during the summer.

Students are separated into two groups based on their age.

The younger students from kindergarten through the second grade are placed into the college group, while those heading into third grade and higher make up the advanced NBA group.

Every day at the camp starts with station work in the morning that includes dribbling, ball handling, passing and other drills. Following a brief intermission, camp activities conclude in the late morning with five-on-five basketball games.

Although every student at the Colts Kids Camp gets a general overview on what is expected of them during the week, different goals are set between the younger students that are still developing and the older ones who are learning beyond the basic fundamentals.

"K-2 is all about dribbling because we have so many kids that want to pick the ball up and run with it for about 15 yards," Richardson said. "Our goal with the younger kids is to get them to dribble the ball while helping the kids at the [next] level understand how to share the ball on offense and use teamwork on defense."

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One of Richardson's favorite aspects of the Colts Kids Camp is that many of his own players work on the staff, which he said gives them good experience on what it is like to be a coach and lead a group of people.

Among the players working at the Colts Kids Camp this year are outgoing senior Noah Brantley, who registered 4.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game during his final year at Crossroads, along with rising senior Ryan Adcock and rising sophomore Will Alston.

Another positive for Richardson is that he gets to see students who have grown and developed through the Colts Kids Camp end up becoming counselors themselves like middle schoolers Wesley and Jackson Anderson, who was a standout on the Crossroads baseball team this year.

Richardson hopes to see more students like Wesley and Jackson become counselors at the Colts Kids Camp over time and is confident that the strong turnout for this year is a sign that the camp will remain a strong tradition at both Crossroads and in Vance County.

"This is a large gym with six baskets, but we're about maxed here," Richardson said. "When I came here my first year, we had 48 students and we're at 47 now. The kids want to be here and they want to continue growing, so we want to see more of them go all the way through starting at kindergarten."

The Colts Kids Camp is set to run for eight weeks in total and will conclude at the end of July.
Fire responders found the body of a person they believe was swept off a bridge into rushing waters in Garland Sunday morning, according to news reports.

At 2:18 a.m. on Sunday, Garland police and fire crews responded to a report of a person trapped inside a Nissan Altima, surrounded by rushing water in the 1700 block of Holford Road.

Officials have not confirmed whether the body that was found Sunday is the person they were searching for.

The fire department saw the car trapped in the rushing water, which was 12 to 24 inches deeps, at the north end of the bridge. Fire crews could not reach the car due to the rapidly flowing water. As more fire crews were on the way to help, the car was swept in a creek about 300 yards away.

The fire department started search and rescue operations and found the car  but no one was inside. The search for the person that officials believe was inside the car is ongoing.

The Wylie, Richardson, and Plano fire departments are helping with the search, as well as K-9 teams from Lone Star Search and Rescue and the DPS helicopter.
A Georgia woman faces charges after authorities said they discovered her mothers remains buried in a fresh grave in their backyard.

Melissa Lockhart, 43, was arrested after calls about a suspicious situation brought police to her Augusta home on Thursday, according to the Richmond County Sheriffs Office. Deputies arrived to find Lockhart inside with multiple injuries to her body.

While on scene, police said they also noticed a grave had been recently dug behind the home, WFXG reported.

Lockhart was taken to a hospital and treated for a broken knee, according to WRDW. She was later questioned by police, according to authorities, and identified the buried body as that of her 67-year-old mother, Miriam Lockhart.

Melissa Lockhart told police that her mother had died in bed a few days earlier, according to an incident report obtained by WJBF. She allegedly said she didnt call the police because she did not want an autopsy to be performed.

Melissa Lockhart and her mother shared the home, WJBF reported, and records show police had been called there before.

Richmond County deputies said they responded to the home in February after receiving reports of a woman having breathing issues, WJBF reported. While there, Miriam Lockhart told police she was afraid her daughter might hurt or kill her, according to a police incident report.

Melissa Lockhart was jailed Thursday on charges of concealing the death of another, the sheriffs office said. Her mothers body has since been sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for an autopsy.

Authorities have released few other details about the investigation.

Teen gunned down just hours after her high school graduation, Mississippi cops say

Neighbor shoots up couples home after not being invited to game night, Georgia cops say

Dad saws through door to strangle daughter for being disrespectful, Louisiana cops say

K-9s hot car death while deputy slept inside home was avoidable, Georgia police say
WASHINGTON  A funny thing keeps happening in federal court. An arm of the government has not been showing up to defend itself against lawsuits. Some judges appear confused, and less than amused, by the unusual absences.

It is necessary for the agency to pay attention to this case, one exasperated district court judge wrote in March. Yet when the judge set another court date, in May, the agency in question, the Federal Election Commission, did not show up again.

It was not an accident.

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For more than a decade, Democrats seeking more robust enforcement of election laws and transparency measures have been routinely routed at the FEC, the nations top campaign watchdog agency. They have complained bitterly that Republicans have weaponized the commissions bipartisan structure  there are three commissioners allied with both parties  to turn it into a toothless, do-nothing bureau.

Now, the Democratic commissioners have stealthily begun to strike back by leveraging some of the same arcane rules that have stymied enforcement efforts for years  namely, that a bipartisan vote is necessary to do almost anything  to make the agency do even less. The goal appears to be to take a commission widely seen as dysfunctional and create further deadlock, compelling federal courts to fill the breach when it comes to policing federal election law.

I think of it as a desperate cry for help, said Adav Noti, a former lawyer at the FEC who is now a senior director at the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan watchdog group that is among those that have sued the FEC.

If successful, the gambit could have far-reaching implications for future campaigns and for pending FEC complaints from the 2020 election, like one that accused former President Donald Trumps campaign of laundering hundreds of millions of dollars through limited liability companies to conceal whom his campaign was ultimately paying.

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The chief architect behind the strategy is Ellen Weintraub, a Democratic FEC commissioner since 2002, who described it as something of a last-ditch effort after years of watching enforcement actions become sidelined in 3-3 split decisions.

Im using the small amount of leverage that I have, she said. Its not a lot.

Here is what has been happening behind closed doors, according to people familiar with the commissions private executive sessions: First, the Democrats are declining to formally close some cases after the Republicans vote against enforcement. That leaves investigations officially sealed in secrecy and legal limbo. Then the Democrats are blocking the FEC from defending itself in court when advocates sue the commission for failing to do its job.

Lee Goodman, a Republican former FEC chairman who stepped down in 2018, said the tactic amounted to sandbagging federal judges by making them believe deadlocked cases are unresolved.

While we can admire it in its creativity, it fundamentally rests on a dishonesty, he said.

The combination of moves takes advantage of existing provisions in campaign law to essentially open the door for outside advocacy groups to directly sue campaigns in federal court. In fact, it is already happening, including in one case involving a group that spent money supporting Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and that is accused of improperly existing as a nonprofit to shield its donors from public disclosure.

If I dont believe the case ought to be dismissed, why would I vote to dismiss? Weintraub said of leaving cases pending. Im just trying to get the law enforced.

The Republican commissioners are livid. Commissioner Sean Cooksey has warned his Democratic colleagues that they are going down a very, very dark road and revealed in a recent memo that there are now 13 such unclosed cases, calling them zombie matters  dead but unable to be laid to rest. Commissioner Trey Trainor said in an interview that the Democrats were poisoning the well at the agency with a tactic that he said was an abuse of the process.

They are on the losing end of the 3-3 votes, and they think that by concealing the information from the courts, theyll get a different ruling, Trainor said.

Weintraub said: I didnt bust the norms of the agency. The other side did.

The escalating episode of procedural warfare comes as Congress is actively reconsidering the structure of the FEC itself, which last year went for a long stretch without having enough members for a quorum. Democrats pushed sweeping election legislation through the House this year, but the bill has stalled in the Senate. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, has made loosening campaign finance rules a priority in his career and the legislation lacks unanimous support from Democratic senators.

Broadly, Republicans see the spending of money in politics as protected free speech and their hands-off approach to regulations has largely benefited from the FECs deadlocked status quo. Some advocates of stricter enforcement hoped a new dynamic could spur a reconsideration of the commissions current structure.

If they break it so much that federal courts are intervening, that would seemingly be an intolerable situation to Mitch McConnell, Noti said.

Campaign operatives have for years operated under the assumptions that the FEC would be unlikely to crack down on anything but the most egregious violations and that, in the rare cases it does, the fines imposed would amount to only a nuisance.

It was open season for politicians, said Ann Ravel, a Democrat who served on the commission from 2013 to 2017, because they knew the FEC was never going to enforce anything.

But the new maneuver drastically accelerates and smooths the way for outside groups to pursue campaign finance challenges in the federal courts  a far less predictable and partisan place.

Instead of waiting for years for the commission to deadlock, and then filing long-shot lawsuits to appeal the FECs split decision, the law allows advocates to sue the commission far sooner for defaulting in its basic duties. Then, because the agency is not defending itself in those lawsuits, groups have a mostly clear path to sue candidates and campaigns directly.

Were abrogating our authority to the courts, lamented Trainor, a Republican commissioner who was appointed last year.

Which, for the Democrats, is precisely the point.

It is not like I think the courts are automatically going to come to the same decision I would come to, Weintraub said. But I think its got a better shot.

The tactic will work only as long as all three commissioners in the Democratic bloc agree not to close an investigation and not to defend the FEC in court on a particular case. Of the three, only Weintraub would agree to an interview. The other Democratic-aligned commissioners are Shana Broussard, who is the current chair and was appointed last year, and Steven Walther, who was appointed in 2006 and who FEC insiders say has been largely checked out of the day-to-day functioning of the agency.

Some of the sharpest critics of the FECs dysfunction described the Democratic tactic as something akin to a least bad option.

Campaign finance laws are routinely ignored and corruption is rampant, said Stuart McPhail, senior litigation counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which regularly files FEC complaints. This path is the best in a broken system.

It is not just a theoretical debate about tactics; some campaign finance cases are already playing out in court. In one current case, lawyers for a nonprofit, Iowa Values, that was accused of failing to register as a political committee are seeking to have the lawsuit against the group dismissed, accusing some FEC commissioners in a memo of taking their marbles home when they lose and not closing cases.

There is another important, if obscure, legal factor in play. Currently, federal courts give almost total deference to the FEC when it decides not to pursue cases  even in the event of a 3-3 split  if commissioners cite prosecutorial discretion in their reasoning. Such cases are, more or less, not eligible for legal appeals.

All the Republican commissioners need to do is include the magic words prosecutorial discretion and a court will then decline to review the action, said Paul Ryan, vice president for litigation at Common Cause, who has regularly filed FEC complaints.

Indeed, Republican commissioners recently deployed that exact phrase  twice  in dismissing an investigation into whether Trump violated election laws with the payment of $130,000 to pornographic actress Stormy Daniels in 2016 to keep her from publicly discussing her relationship with him.

The twist in the raft of unclosed cases is that they remain formally under active investigation and are thus confidential, meaning that Republican commissioners are unable to tell the courts what has happened and why. In other words, they cannot cite their own prosecutorial discretion.

We cant even tell the court under seal that weve handled a particular case, Trainor said, calling the Democratic maneuver completely unethical.

In all of the cases where were not showing up, the judges are getting a one-sided story.

Weintraub said she hoped that leaving cases open would spur compromise, however unlikely that seems.

Im hoping that my colleagues arent going to be quite so obstinate, she said. Maybe this provides some incentive for us to go back to the drawing table.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

 2021 The New York Times Company
Congressional Democrats reintroduced legislation on Tuesday that would protect abortion access around the country, even if Roe v. Wade were weakened or overturned.

The Womens Health Protection Act, if passed, would guarantee the right for health care professionals to provide abortion care and their patients to receive care, without restrictions and bans that impede access.

Specifically, it would prohibit state and federal lawmakers from imposing several limits on abortion care, including mandatory ultrasounds, waiting periods, admitting privileges requirements, and limits on medication abortion.

The bill was first introduced in 2013 and has been reintroduced in every congressional session since. However, it has never received a vote in either chamber.

The bill is led by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, along with Reps. Judy Chu, D-Calif., Lois Frankel, D-Fla., Ayanna Pressley D-Mass., and Veronica Escobar D-Texas.

The renewed effort comes in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Courts decision last month to take up Mississippis controversial ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy along with a rise in anti-abortion legislation being enacted in various states.

With the Supreme Court set to consider a direct attack on Roe and as emboldened and extremist lawmakers viciously attack womens reproductive rights in statehouses across the nation, the Womens Health Protection Act has never been more urgent or more necessary, Blumenthal said. These demagogic and draconian laws hurt women and families as they make personal and difficult medical decisions."

Since Roe v. Wade was decided by the Supreme Court in 1973, states have enacted over 1,300 abortion restrictions, according to the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion-rights research organization. So far this year, the organization recorded over 550 abortion restrictions have been introduced in 47 states, and over 80 restrictions have been enacted in 16 states.

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We cannot wait any longer. If Roe falls, many states will immediately take action to make abortion a crime," said Nancy Northup, President and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights. "Even now, with constitutional protections in place, state legislators have made it impossible to access abortion in the South and Midwest."

At least 10 states, including Arkansas, Kentucky, and Louisiana, have so-called trigger laws in place, which would ban abortion if the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Anti-abortion rights groups, meanwhile, lambasted the bill, calling it radical.

This egregious, deceptively named bill is the latest example of Washington Democrats extreme abortion agenda, said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion rights group.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's refusal to allow cruise ship operators to require proof of passenger vaccinations reflects a mounting willingness by top Republicans to demonize and defy corporations that have been among the party's closest allies.

DeSantis has barred businesses in the state from insisting that customers be vaccinated, calling it a matter of individual liberty. In recent days, the cruise ship industry has splintered into different camps after beginning the year largely unified behind the idea of compulsory vaccines. Now, some companies are backing down while others such as Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings remain adamant.

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The clash between the governor, a likely 2024 presidential candidate, and one of Florida's major employers highlights the anti-corporate mood of a Republican Party reshaped by former president Donald Trump's populism. This Republican souring on big business - and enthusiasm to use government power against it - already has rattled companies such as Facebook, Coke, Apple and Delta and may just be getting started.

"It's a different day and age. In the last 30 years, you've seen the big multinational corporations prioritize their own short-term bottom line over American workers," said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. "When you see the behavior of these corporations that have sent jobs overseas, that have weakened the American worker, that frankly have weakened American industry and, at the same time, many of them pursuing a monopoly size status and control . . . It's a set of dangers there that we need to confront."

During the Trump administration, many Republican lawmakers abandoned party orthodoxy on trade and deficits and embraced protectionist tariffs and budget-busting spending that they would previously have shunned.

Now, even with Trump defeated, leading Republicans are slamming CEOs for acting "woke" and exercising excessive influence over the U.S. economy. Some lash corporate leaders with rhetoric that resembles that of socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, accusing them of placing greed above principle and even of aiding the country's enemies.

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Several of the party's most prominent voices are taking a fresh look at policies on technology, labor, antitrust and finance and, in some cases, are proposing regulations or laws that would explicitly target giant companies.

"There is a well-represented faction on the political right that is openly hostile to Big Business," said economist Michael Strain of the American Enterprise Institute. "It has real policy significance. It's not just rhetoric."

In Florida, DeSantis has signed an executive order and legislation forbidding businesses from requiring customers to provide evidence of vaccination. Each violation is subject to a $5,000 fine, meaning one ship could incur millions of dollars in potential penalties. DeSantis said any vaccine requirement would create "huge" privacy issues and lead to individuals handing over personal information to "big corporations."

DeSantis sued the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in April seeking an unconditional return to cruising. A court-ordered mediation effort ran aground Thursday with the governor's office blasting the CDC's "ridiculous and unlawful" regulations.

The CDC requires 95% of passengers and 98% of crew members to be vaccinated, fearing the tight quarters at sea are ideal for the spread of infectious-disease. In the pandemic's early days, one of the first known outbreaks occurred aboard a cruise ship called the Diamond Princess, sparking an international scramble to offload hundreds of infected passengers.

It has become clear in recent days that the cruise ship industry does not have a uniform policy regarding how to proceed on vaccines.

On June 4, Royal Caribbean said passengers are "strongly recommended," though not required, to get vaccinated before traveling aboard its first post-pandemic cruise from Miami on July 2.

Carnival Cruise Line said Monday it will require vaccines when it resumes U.S. cruises from Galveston, Texas on July 3. The company plans Friday to announce its rules for July sailings from Miami.

DeSantis's resistance to companies' use of so-called vaccine passports, which would certify an individual's immunization, is just the latest rejection of corporate preferences in favor of cultural appeals that resonate with Trump voters.

The Florida governor remains at odds with certain cruise ship operators such as Frank Del Rio, chief executive of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. Del Rio, with more than 25 years industry experience, says vaccinating 100% of the crew and passengers is the key to winning back customers spooked by the pandemic.

"We're going to have one rule, and one rule only, and that is, at least in the beginning, 100% of our guests and our crew will be vaccinated," Del Rio said on an earnings call in May.

Del Rio told investors that federal law will likely override DeSantis's refusal to permit businesses to require proof of vaccination. But if it does not, Norwegian may move its ships from Miami to the Caribbean.

That would cost Florida. The cruise industry employs roughly 159,000 state residents and contributes $9 billion to the state's economy, according to Andria Muniz-Amador, director of public affairs for PortMiami. In its last pre-pandemic year, the port, which bills itself as "the cruise capital of the world," welcomed more than 1,200 cruise ships and nearly 6 million passengers.

Republicans' populist turn, breaking with the party's laissez-faire past, has its roots in the last administration. Though he boasted of loosening regulations, Trump wielded federal powers to pick winners and losers throughout the economy.

He ordered power plants to purchase energy from uncompetitive coal and nuclear plants and let the Commerce Department choose which companies could avoid costly tariffs on industrial metals.

He also attacked companies, such as Amazon, General Motors and Harley Davidson for their business practices, including factory locations. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

"The real fault line was trade. The party of free trade based in the suburbs became the party of quotas, tariffs and industrial policy based in rural America," said Chris Krueger, a strategist with Cowen Washington Research Group. "It just flipped on its head."

The result is a Republican Party whose members are increasingly comfortable with government involvement in business decisions.

Hawley, who says multinationals have pursued a "mega-globalization" agenda at workers' expense, earlier this year proposed legislation requiring corporations with annual revenue of at least $1 billion to pay an hourly minimum wage of $15, a mandate that would likely apply to more than 1,000 companies.

The Missouri Republican, another possible 2024 contender, has criticized "elites" on Wall Street and proposed an antitrust push to combat growing economywide industrial concentration, starting with technology and pharmaceuticals.

"There's hardly a major industry in this country that has not grown more concentrated in the last 30 years, and that's a big problem," he said, blaming it for disappointing long-term wage growth.

DeSantis, too, favors action against executives he disparages as "the leftist oligarchs of Silicon Valley." Last month, he signed a bill banning social media companies from "deplatforming" political candidates. Industry groups representing Facebook, Amazon, Google and Twitter have sued the governor, alleging the law is unconstitutional.

The GOP's populist transformation is especially striking since so many CEOs are party supporters. Researchers led by Alma Cohen, an economist at Harvard Law School, reviewed the political contributions of 3,800 CEOs over an 18-year period and found 57% gave at least two-thirds of their political donations to Republican candidates while just 19% similarly backed Democrats.

To be sure, there are limits to the GOP makeover. While Big Tech and Wall Street are under fire, many other large or concentrated industries retain Republican support, such as oil and gas producers.

The party remains uniformly opposed to President Joe Biden's call to raise the corporate tax rate, which was cut in 2017 from 35% to 21%, back to 28%.

Likewise, even as Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and others talk of rebranding the GOP as a "workers' party" and giving workers a greater say in corporate decision-making, they remain hostile to organized labor and the Davis Bacon Act, a federal law that requires contractors to pay the locally prevailing wage rates determined by the government.

Geoff Kabaservice, the author of "Rule and Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party," said the anti-corporatist activity is largely performative.

"The road to popularity is to be seen standing up to the big institutions of American life for the little people, and that's what DeSantis is trying to do," said Kabaservice, vice president of political studies at the Niskanen Center. "I don't think the DeSantis position ultimately is tenable. But it may be politically worth it to him."

The governor's spokesperson did not respond to an emailed request to address criticism of his stance.

The Republican rethinking accelerated over the past year amid protests following the murder of George Floyd. The response of many CEOs to demands from customers and employees to speak out on issues such as societal racism, climate change and voting rights has left Republican politicians itching for a fight.

After several top executives, including those of Apple, Coke, Merck and Major League Baseball, criticized legislation in Georgia that they said restricted voting, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the Senate Minority Leader, vowed they would face "serious consequences."

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called for revoking MLB's antitrust exemption while Republicans in the Georgia legislature sought to ax a jet fuel subsidy worth $35 million to Delta Air Lines.

Corporations in consumer-facing industries face a combustible environment. They must try to sell products such as beer, athletic shoes or airline tickets to Americans who marched for Black Lives Matter as well as to the insurrectionists who stormed Capitol Hill on Jan. 6th.

"It's not the business community that's moving," said one CEO who asked not to be named to speak candidly. "It's the populist wing of the Republican Party that's moving, and that's actually a big part of the party."

Other Republicans said the corporate chieftains were guilty of selective indignation, attacking alleged Democratic shortcomings at home while turning a blind eye to those in overseas markets.

"#Apple lectures Americans, but does the bidding of Beijing because they want access to Chinese customers and enslaved person labor," Rubio tweeted last month, following a report that seven Apple suppliers in China had employed Muslim detainees in Xinjiang, where U.S. officials say genocide is occurring.

A spokesman for Apple declined to respond.

With populists ascendant in the GOP, and the jockeying for 2024 underway, some CEOs fear the anti-corporate mood will grow. On Thursday, Rubio accused Wall Street of "helping to finance the Chinese Communist Party's effort to weaken and ultimately replace American leadership."

In Florida, meanwhile, Taryn Fenske, the governor's communications director, denied reports of a potential compromise over vaccine passports. DeSantis appeared on Fox News to discuss another front in his war with big business, telling Tucker Carlson he had withstood corporate pressure when he signed legislation this week barring transgender athletes from girls' sports.

"You can't be cowed by these organizations, particularly by woke corporations, from doing the right thing," DeSantis said.

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The French government has announced opening the borders on June 9 to fully vaccinated travellers with vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA)  Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson  while other travellers will have to justify one of the compelling reasons established by the French authorities.

Both types of travellers will have to undergo PCR tests. Most countries of the Middle East are classified as orange, except Lebanon (as green) and Bahrain (as red).

Foreign citizens who plan to travel to France from the region will need to follow these instructions:

For fully vaccinated travellers:

- Submit vaccination proof - only Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson are currently approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and a negative PCR test of less than 72 hours or a negative antigen test of less than 48 hours on boarding.

For travellers who have not been vaccinated, they will need a compelling reason:

- Present a negative PCR test of less than 72 hours or negative antigen test of less than 48 hours on boarding,

- Random antigenic test upon arrival in France,

- Complete a seven-day self-isolation upon arrival in France.

The compelling reasons and quarantine measures applied to vaccinated adults are extended under the same conditions to children (below 18 years old) accompanying them, whether they are vaccinated or not. A negative PCR test will be needed while leaving the country. France is one of the only countries in the world that provides free PCR tests.

French destinations, hotels and tourist attractions are ready to welcome travellers from the Middle East in the best conditions while respecting sanitary measures, said Karim Mekachera, Regional Director of Atout France Middle East, the France tourism development agency. We are aware of the urge of Middle Eastern tourists to travel back to Europe and historically, France is one of the most privileged destinations for Middle-Eastern travellers. Therefore, we are very much looking forward to welcoming them to rediscover the beauties of the different regions and destinations in France. - TradeArabia News Service
(Reuters) -A 1933 Double Eagle gold coin sold for a record-setting $18.9 million at auction in New York on Tuesday, and the world's rarest stamp went for $8.3 million.

The coin, the only 1933 Double Eagle ever allowed to be privately owned, was expected to sell for between $10 million and $15 million at the Sotheby's auction.

It was sold by shoe designer and collector Stuart Weitzman, who acquired it in 2002 for what was then a world record price of $7.6 million.

The coin, with a face value of $20 and distinctive design of an American eagle in flight one side and Liberty striding forward on the other, was the last gold coin struck for circulation in the United States.

But it was never issued after President Franklin Roosevelt took the United States off the gold standard and all copies were ordered destroyed.

Weitzman on Tuesday also sold a British Guiana One-Cent Magenta stamp, issued in 1856, for $8.3 million, confirming its place as the most valuable stamp in history.

The stamp is the only surviving one from a series that was printed by the South American nation because of a shortage of stamps sent over by its then British colonial rulers.

The designer had bought it in 2014 for $9.5 million and continued a tradition started by previous owners by adding his own flourish - a line drawing of a stiletto shoe and his initials - to the back of the stamp.

The buyers of the two items wished to remain anonymous, Sotheby's said.

In addition, a plate block of the 24 cent Inverted Jenny stamp, which was issued in 1918 for the first U.S. air mail letters, sold for $4.9 million. It is the most valuable U.S. stamp.

The Inverted Jenny, which was last sold at auction some 26 years ago for $2.9 million, is a collector's item because of a printing error in which its biplane design appears upside down.

Sotheby's said the stamp block, which sold below its pre-auction estimate, was bought by David Rubenstein, a co-founder of private equity company The Carlyle Group.

Weitzman, who has been collecting stamps and coins since boyhood, has said he will use the money from Tuesday's sale to fund his charitable ventures including medical research, his design school, and a Jewish museum in Madrid.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
SAN DIEGO (AP)  When the FBI dismantled an encrypted messaging service based in Canada in 2018, agents noticed users moving to other networks. Instead of following their tracks to rivals, investigators decided on a new tactic: creating their own service.

ANOM, a secure-messaging service built by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, launched in October 2019 and solidified its following after authorities took down another rival. Popularity spread by word of mouth.

When ANOM was taken down Monday, authorities had collected more than 27 million messages from about 12,000 devices in 45 languages  a vast body of evidence that fueled a global sting operation. Authorities on Tuesday revealed the operation known as Trojan Shield and announced that it had dealt an unprecedented blow to organized crime around the world.

Each and every device in this case was used to further criminal activity, said Suzanne Turner, the agent in charge of the FBI in San Diego, where the investigation began in 2016. Users were upper-echelon, command-and-control figures in more than 300 criminal organizations.

Unbeknown to criminals, authorities were copied on every message sent on the FBI devices, much like blind recipients of an email.

"The very devices that criminals use to hide their crimes were actually a beacon for law enforcement, Randy Grossman, the acting U.S. attorney in San Diego, said at a news conference.

More than 800 suspects were arrested and more than 32 tons of drugs seized, including cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines and methamphetamines. Police also seized 250 guns, 55 luxury cars and more than $148 million in cash and cryptocurrencies. An indictment unsealed Tuesday in San Diego named 17 foreign distributors charged with racketeering conspiracy.

The seeds of the sting were sown when law enforcement agencies took down a company called Phantom Secure that provided customized end-to-end encrypted devices to criminals, according to court papers.

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Unlike typical cellphones, the devices do not make phone calls or browse the internet  but allow for secure messaging. As an outgrowth of the operation, the FBI recruited a collaborator who was developing a next-generation secure-messaging platform for the criminal underworld called ANOM. The collaborator engineered the system to give the agency access to any messages being sent.

ANOM didn't take off immediately. But then other secure platforms used by criminals to organize drug-trafficking hits and money laundering were taken down by police, chiefly EncroChat and Sky ECC. That put gangs in the market for a new app, and the FBI's platform was ready. Over the past 18 months, the agency provided phones via unsuspecting middlemen to gangs in more than 100 countries.

The flow of intelligence enabled us to prevent murders. It led to the seizure of drugs that led to the seizure of weapons. And it helped prevent a number of crimes, Calvin Shivers, assistant director of the FBIs criminal investigative division, told a news conference in The Hague, Netherlands.

The operation was led by the FBI with the involvement of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the European Union police agency Europol and law enforcement agencies in several countries, said Dutch National Police Chief Constable Jannine van den Berg.

Australian Federal Police Commander Jennifer Hearst called it a watershed moment in global law enforcement history.

The ANOM app became popular in criminal circles as users told one another it was a safe platform. All the time, police were looking over their shoulders as they discussed hits, drug shipments and other crimes.

Since October 2019, the FBI cataloged more than 20 million messages from a total of 11,800 devices  with about 9,000 currently active, according to documents, which cited Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Australia and Serbia as the most active countries.

They say the number of active ANOM users was only 3,000 until Sky, one of the platforms previously used by criminal gangs, was dismantled in March.

While primarily focused on drug trafficking and money-laundering, the investigation also resulted in high-level public corruption cases, an FBI agent quoted in the documents said. A goal of Trojan Shield was to shake the confidence in this entire industry because the FBI is willing and able to enter this space and monitor messages, the agent said.

Swedish police prevented a dozen planned killings and believe that they arrested several leading actors in criminal networks, according to a statement from Linda Staaf, the head of Swedens national criminal intelligence unit.

Finnish police said Tuesday that nearly 100 people have been detained and more than 500 kilograms (half a ton) of drugs confiscated, along with dozens of guns and cash worth hundreds of thousands of euros (dollars). In Germany, the general prosecutors office in Frankfurt said that more than 70 people were arrested Monday and drugs, cash and weapons were also seized.

In Australia, authorities said they arrested 224 people and seized more than four tons of drugs and $35 million. New Zealand police said they had arrested 35 people and seized drugs and assets worth millions of dollars.

As part of a global operation, the Australian government "struck a heavy blow against organized crime, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters. Not just in this country, but one that will echo around organized crime around the world.

European police last year delivered a major blow to organized crime after cracking an encrypted communications network known as EncroChat, which was used by criminal gangs across the continent.

In March, Belgian police arrested dozens of people after cracking another encrypted chat system and seizing more than 17 tons of cocaine.

The latest effort went even further before authorities decided to take down the service.

The operation will likely lead criminals to wonder whether services they use are run by a government, Turner said, and it has shown that authorities have abundant technical knowledge and international cooperation.

Nick Merrill, a cybersecurity researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, said the investigation offers a pretty good recipe" for law enforcement agencies to compromise an existing service or build one and wait for the right time to strike.

"Either way, these centralized services provide a central point of weakness, Merrill said.

____

Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands, and Perry reported from Wellington, New Zealand. Associated Press writers Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, Jari Tanner in Helsinki, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, Frank Bajak in Boston and Terry Chea in San Francisco contributed to this report.
Protesters at the Line 3 pipeline pump station in Minnesota. Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images

At least 30 protesters were arrested on Monday while trying to block Enbridge Energy from rebuilding an aging pipeline in northern Minnesota.

Hundreds of activists gathered at a pump station in Solway, with several chaining themselves to construction equipment and using boats to block the entrance to the worksite. The pipeline in question, Line 3, carries crude from Alberta, Canada, to Wisconsin. The pipeline has been in operation since 1968, and because it is older and corroded, carries about half of its original capacity. Enbridge says it plans to rebuild the pipeline so it can carry double the amount of crude, using stronger steel to better prevent leaks.

Indigenous communities and environmentalists are against Line 3, saying there is a risk of oil spills that could contaminate the local rivers and lakes and other areas where tribes hunt, fish, and harvest crops. Dawn Goodwin, co-founder of the RISE Coalition, told Reuters that "for years, we have tried to assert our sovereignty and speak out against Line 3. We still have time to save our sacred waters and land  our life sources."

President Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline on his first day in office, and activists are calling on him to stop construction of Line 3. The Minnesota Court of Appeals is expected to rule by June 21 on whether to overturn state regulators' approval of the project. In a statement, Enbridge said it evacuated 44 workers from the pump station, adding that the company had "hoped all parties could come to accept the outcome of the thorough, science-based review and multiple approvals of the project."
Vice President Kamala Harris and Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei at the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura in Guatemala City on Monday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Vice President Kamala Harris quick two-day visit to Guatemala and Mexico wont, obviously, fix the problems that have spurred tens of thousands of people to migrate northward. But the trip underscores the Biden administration's recognition that addressing unsanctioned migration is more complicated than building a wall and denying migrants the right to seek asylum, which was the core of the Trump administrations approach. Where the administration goes from here will be critical to making headway on the problem.

Harris and President Biden have told Central Americans contemplating migrating northward "dont come over" because "you will be turned back." Telling desperate migrants dont come is reminiscent of Nancy Reagans admonition to would-be drug users: Just say no. A lot of good that did. People in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador generally dont just wake up one morning and think, You know, I want to move to the U.S.

Years of reporting by journalists and research by nongovernmental experts reveal the factors pushing people north: powerful gangs conscripting teenage boys, sexually abusing young women, extorting local businesses and committing astonishing levels of murder; corrupt governments unable or unwilling to take control; broken economies; and climate-change-driven droughts in agricultural regions that have made subsistence farming impossible. No slogans or admonitions are going to fix those problems, and until regional governments address the basic instability of their countries, their residents will continue to pack up and leave.

International aid is one obvious tool, but only if it is applied in workable ways. The U.S. has sent billions in aid over the years ($2.4 billion from 2013 through 2018), but relatively little of that has reached the people who need it most. A 2019 Government Accountability Office report declared that limited information is available about how U.S. assistance improved prosperity, governance, and security in the Northern Triangle, and found that the government lacked a comprehensive plan for determining how to allocate and account for the aid money it was spending.

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Much of the aid, according to a recent New York Times report, goes to contracts with American organizations that take as much as 50% for administrative costs, including salaries, and often develop programs of questionable use, such as an app to give rural farmers instant access to market information for their crops. But an app isnt very useful for people with sporadic access to cell towers or the internet. Another program built outhouses that went unused in a region with a pressing need for jobs and income.

A key hurdle is the endemic corruption in the Northern Triangle countries. The United Nations Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala began in 2007 to help prosecutors in Guatemala investigate and build cases against corrupt officials, leading to more than 300 convictions and the dismissal of 1,700 police officers. But when the organization, known by its Spanish acronym CICIG, turned its attention to the family of then-President Jimmy Morales, it was shut down. As Harris was heading to Central American, the White House announced a new anti-corruption task force, under which U.S. investigators are to help their Guatemalan counterparts. Thats a good start.

So the issue here seems to be less the notion of using foreign aid to stabilize governance and help relieve poverty than the practical realities of how that aid is directed and spent. The Biden administration earlier announced that it would not send aid to Northern Triangle governments because of the corruption, instead channeling it to nongovernment organizations. But that has created its own problems. In Mexico, some USAID money goes to the Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity group investigating political malfeasance. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Monday asked the U.S. to suspend aid to the group, which he has accused of targeting his government. It's interference, it's interventionism, it's promoting coup plotters, Lopez Obrador said of the aid.

We broadly support using U.S. funds and pressure to stabilize the Northern Triangle as a counterweight to the factors promoting migration but also recognize that the money alone wont solve the problem. In fact, some analysts suggest that increasing income for folks in impoverished areas could actually underwrite efforts to migrate. Experts have found that local levels of violence have a direct relationship with the population outflow. Pairing community-level anti-violence programs with a program for more generous and targeted work visas  allowing more people to enter the U.S. legally to work  could make a difference in reducing the numbers of people arriving at the border.

The daily crises that lead so many people to decide that the dangerous trek to the border is a safer alternative to staying put will not be easy to solve. This will take patience, bold policy visions, and the support of an American public that sees the human tragedies at hand.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP)  At least five Egyptians were abducted by Islamic State militants on Tuesday in the restive northern part of the Sinai Peninsula, security officials said.

The five were driving to their workplace in the small town of Bir al-Abed when the militants from the Islamic State group stopped their vehicle and took them to an unknown place.

The five include three engineers, a laborer and their driver, said the officials. They all work at the el-Salam canal project that moves the Nile Delta drainage water to be reused in agriculture in the peninsula.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. The two security officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Egypt has been battling militants, now led by the Islamic State group, in the northern part of Sinai for years. Violence and instability there intensified after the 2013 militarys ouster of Egypt's elected but divisive Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi, amid nationwide protests against his year in power.

IS has carried out numerous attacks, mainly targeting Egyptian security forces, the country's minority Christians and those whom the militants accuse of collaborating with the military and police. They have also kidnapped people, mostly Christians and Bedouins, sometimes for ransom.

Though the pace of IS attacks in Sinai has slowed to a trickle since February 2018, when the military launched a massive operation in Sinai that also encompassed parts of the Nile Delta and the desert along the countrys western border with Libya, abductions and kidnappings still occasionally happen.
The fire broke out at a chemical plant

At least 18 people have died in a fire that broke out at a chemical plant on the outskirts of the western Indian city of Pune.

Some 37 workers were trapped inside the building when the blaze started around 15:45 local time (10:15 GMT) on Monday.

Fire engines rushed to the spot as smoke billowed from the compound - firemen had to break walls on either side to rescue people.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, officials told BBC Marathi.

The factory belonged to SV Aqua Technologies, a company that makes chlorine dioxide products, which is typically used in water treatment.

It was located in what is known as the the Pirangut industrial estate, home to several other factories and plants, some 16km (10 miles) from Pune. Most of the workers live close by.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over the death of the workers, and announced 200,000 rupees ($2,800; 1,900) as compensation for their families. He also promised $690 as compensation for the injured.

The government of Maharashtra, where the factory is located, also announced $6,800 as compensation to the victims 'families.
Sara Rogel (in white) was freed after the attorney general's office did not appeal against her release

A woman in El Salvador who was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being accused of terminating her pregnancy and violating the country's strict abortion laws has been freed.

Sara Rogel was arrested nine years ago at the age of 20 after being taken to hospital with bleeding which she blamed on a fall at home.

She was prosecuted and convicted of aggravated homicide.

In January her sentence was commuted to 10 years. She was released on parole.

El Salvador, a socially conservative and mainly Catholic country, has one of the world's strictest bans on abortion, with no exception for rape or when the mother's life is at risk.

Dozens of women have been imprisoned for the deaths of their foetuses in cases where they said they had suffered miscarriages or stillbirths.

Dressed in white, Ms Rogel left the women's prison near Zacatecoluca, 56km (35 miles) south-east of capital San Salvador, on Monday. She was joined by members of her family and lawyer Karla Vaquerano.

"She was deprived of freedom for almost nine years, in a sentence we believed was unfairly given," Ms Vaquerano said, according to AFP news agency.

Ms Rogel, a student who was eight months pregnant, was found lying unconscious after she slipped and fell while washing clothes, according to her family.

She was taken to hospital, where she was detained on suspicion of having had an abortion. Human rights groups say she suffered a miscarriage and should never have been jailed.

"While in mourning for the heartbreaking loss of her pregnancy, Sara should have been with her family. Instead she was unjustly imprisoned for nine years," feminist activist Morena Herrera was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.

Abortion in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abortion remains a deeply divisive issue in the region, where it faces strong opposition from the powerful Catholic Church and the growing evangelical community

It is banned in all circumstances in countries including the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras and Nicaragua

It is allowed in some cases in most countries including Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Panama and Venezuela. The exemptions vary and could include to save the woman's life, in cases of rape, and/or in cases of foetal abnormalities

It is legal in Argentina, Cuba, Guyana, Uruguay and parts of Mexico

Source: Centre for Reproductive Rights

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Ms Rogel's release had been ordered last week, but she had to remain in detention until a deadline passed for the attorney general's office to appeal against the decision.

According to pro-choice campaign group Agrupacion Ciudadana, 16 other women are currently in jail in the country in similar cases. But, in recent years, some rulings have been reversed amid renewed scrutiny of the law.

In 2020, Cindy Erazo was released after six years in jail. She was accused of abortion, and initially sentenced to 30 years in prison for aggravated homicide, after an obstetric emergency during her eighth month of pregnancy resulted in a stillbirth.

And in 2019, Evelyn Beatriz Hernandez Cruz, who had also been sentenced to 30 years in jail after her baby was found dead in the toilet where she gave birth to it before fainting, was released after nearly three years in prison.
It was only when he boarded the plane that would fly him to Europe that Mratt Kyaw Thu finally felt safe for the first time since Myanmar's military coup on February 1.

It had been an arduous few months for the journalist who quickly found himself on the military junta's wanted list for his reporting of its deadly crackdown on anti-coup protesters.

"I felt safe when I was on the plane, after passing immigration in Thailand, that was the moment when I felt a little bit freer," he told AFP in Madrid, where he arrived on June 1 and is now applying for asylum.

In the more than four months since the coup plunged Myanmar into chaos, there have been near-daily protests across the country that have been brutally crushed by the military.

More than 800 people have died in the crackdown, according to a local monitoring group.

And journalists have found themselves on the frontline, with troops rounding up reporters and shutting down six publishing houses and four digital media outlets.

Aged 30, Mratt Kyaw Thu rose to prominence after the coup for his criticism of the junta online.

He has written widely on Rohingya issues and won AFP's 2017 Kate Webb award for his outstanding coverage of the ethnic and religious conflicts in Myanmar.

Before the coup, journalists had faced some restrictions while working, but after the takeover things became much worse.

"In the first week, the military began arresting all the prominent journalists and activists, because they thought if they did that, there would be no more big protests," he told AFP.

Fearing arrest, Mratt Kyaw Thu left his apartment on February 12 to stay with friends. And he never went back.

"Most journalists did that," he said.

- Whereabouts unknown -

From early on, reporters were under huge pressure from the junta but also faced mistrust from the people who were desperate to know what was going on but suspicious of the widespread fake news that was circulating.

Story continues

With pro-military informers pretending to be journalists, real reporters were viewed with suspicion by protest leaders and had to change mobile numbers often to avoid detection by the junta.

Caught up in the crackdown, many reporters fled to the countryside or abroad, he said.

According to monitoring group Reporting ASEAN, 87 journalists have been arrested so far, with 51 still in custody in figures correct to June 3.

Among them is American journalist Danny Fenster of Frontier Myanmar -- a news outlet where Mratt Kyaw Thu also published his work -- who was arrested on May 24.

His whereabouts remains unknown.

So far, three have been charged with "causing fear" and spreading "false news" which carries a penalty of up to three years in jail.

Myanmar ranked 140 out of 180 countries in the 2021 Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index.

- 'They're coming for you' -

On the streets, things were getting progressively worse, with protesters facing a relentless campaign of military violence in which troops would often barge into people's homes.

"We're all just waiting for the knock on the door. Sometimes you hear footsteps on the stairs, and it's like they're coming for you: you have this feeling all the time," Mratt Kyaw Thu said.

"Even heavy rain can make people fearful because it sometimes sounds like gunfire."

One particularly horrific image still haunts him -- that of a murdered activist from Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy.

"He was arrested and killed in custody by pouring boiling water down his throat," he said, describing an image of the victim's face as grotesquely swollen and mutilated.

Until that point, nobody had been overly worried about being arrested but now there was the very real threat of torture.

"So I realised I shouldn't be arrested."

Days later, a friend called to warn him that soldiers from a unit known for a brutal crackdown on the Rohingya -- a persecuted Muslim minority group -- were conducting searches in the street outside his apartment.

"My friends took a picture and sent it to me saying: 'You should leave Yangon right now'."

- Not safe in Thailand -

Despite the military's lockdown on movement, he managed to reach a township near the Thai border with help from friends, NGOs, ethnic armed groups "and even some ordinary soldiers".

"They helped me a lot, I was not on my own."

Even after crossing the border, Mratt Kyaw Thu quickly realised it wasn't safe there either, fearing the Thai government would deport him back to Myanmar.

After two weeks, he got a visa for Europe and booked a ticket to Madrid through his connections to the Spanish news agency EFE, arriving after a nearly six-week delay in Frankfurt.

Although the odds are massively stacked against them, he's confident the pro-democracy protesters will succeed, suggesting the revolution "will continue for the next year or two".

"My friends and some doctors and teachers joined the people's defence forces to fight against the military while I'm here, and that kind of makes me feel guilty," he said.

"But on the other hand, if all the journalists are fighting against the military, who will write the news?"

hmw/mg/kjm
TGen COVID-19 tracking program receives grant from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- June 7, 2021 -- The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope, today announced a substantial grant from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC), one of the world's largest manufacturers of computer chips, to help TGen sustain Arizona's fight against COVID-19.

The TSMC grant will boost TGen efforts to track variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the COVID-19 infection. TGen's program is designed to gain intelligence about the current pandemic, as well as prepare for a next potential regional or global disease outbreak.

The funds will greatly advance TGen's genomic sequencing of this virus, which enables the identification of specific variants. TGen is under contract with the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) and the CDC to sequence positive Arizona samples of the virus, monitoring for the emergence of mutations and variants that could make the virus either more transmissible or evade current vaccine formulations. Currently, approved vaccines are effective against all COVID-19 variants.

So far, TGen's Arizona COVID-19 Sequencing Dashboard includes more than 21,000 sequenced genomes of Arizona COVID-19 positive samples, one of the nation's most robust such efforts. The dashboard lists all the mutations and variants of concern that have circulated in Arizona.

"Arizona is the home state for one of our most advanced semiconductor fabs -- as well as the home for many TSMC employees. Our company highly values both service and philanthropy. We want to be a meaningful contributor to the Arizona community," said Rick Cassidy, CEO of TSMC Arizona. "This grant honors not only the important science happening at TGen, but it's also a way to support their efforts to fight the virus and share meaningful research to a global community."

TSMC, which is building what will be the United States' most advanced chip manufacturing plant in north Phoenix, did not disclose the amount of the grant. The company has already hired hundreds of new employees for the Phoenix site who have begun their early training. The plant is expected to begin chip production in 2024.

Tim McDaniel, Ph.D., TGen Senior Vice President of Emerging Opportunities, said the TSMC grant represents a substantial investment in the local community, and is an example of the kind of community involvement that helps local entities like TGen to thrive.

"We are honored and grateful to receive support from TSMC, and we will put this gift to good use immediately, benefiting all Arizonans," Dr. McDaniel said.

David Engelthaler, Ph.D., director of TGen's infectious-disease division, said the TSMC grant represents much-needed support that will enable TGen to improve biomedical technology, and specifically TGen's surveillance of the COVID-19 virus at a critical time in its evolution.

"While the numbers of new infections, hospitalizations and deaths plumet as more Arizonans are vaccinated, we cannot let down our guard as we continue to monitor the changing nature of this coronavirus, but also prepare for whatever the microbial world throws our way in the future," said Dr. Engelthaler.

The TSMC grant will rapidly push TGen toward its goal of providing a genomic sequence for every new COVID-19 infection in Arizona. By providing a detailed molecular fingerprint of the virus, TGen can track the specific virus variants involved in each specific case, identify those infections responsible for multi-person outbreaks, and identify mutations that may be associated with vaccine breakthrough events. New mutations and strains identified in Arizona can also be compared with new strains appearing around the globe.

"Though our focus is largely regional, the virus is clearly not contained by borders or oceans, so we need to share intel on this pathogen as widely as possible," Dr. Engelthaler said. "TGen releases its SARS-CoV-2 variant data on the web in real time so that our information is part of a global network that helps public health officials track when and where new variants arise, and how they move across the world."

TGen will publicly release laboratory procedures developed with the TSCM funds so they can be replicated anywhere in the world, further increasing the global impact of this grant.

"Our long term goal is to 'democratize' sequencing, to decrease the costs and time and make the data accessible and actionable -- in essence to make our society more pandemic-ready by providing rapid 'pathogen intelligence' to clinicians and public health officials," Dr. Engelthaler said. "TSMC's support will help us build a 21st Century genomic infectious disease surveillance system in Arizona and beyond."

###

About TGen, an affiliate of City of Hope

Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based nonprofit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life-changing results. TGen is affiliated with City of Hope, a world-renowned independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases: CityofHope.org. This precision medicine affiliation enables both institutes to complement each other in research and patient care, with City of Hope providing a significant clinical setting to advance scientific discoveries made by TGen. TGen is focused on helping patients with neurological disorders, cancer, diabetes and infectious diseases through cutting-edge translational research (the process of rapidly moving research toward patient benefit). TGen physicians and scientists work to unravel the genetic components of both common and complex rare diseases in adults and children. Working with collaborators in the scientific and medical communities worldwide, TGen makes a substantial contribution to help our patients through efficiency and effectiveness of the translational process. For more information, visit: tgen.org. Follow TGen on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter @TGen.

Media Contact:

Steve Yozwiak

TGen Senior Science Writer

602-343-8704

syozwiak@tgen.org

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Air Arabia Abu Dhabi has announced the introduction of a new service to Yerevan, capital city of Armenia with direct flights from Abu Dhabi starting on July 13.

The new route, which will be operated twice a week - on Tuesdays and Fridays, will become airlines 12th destination from Abu Dhabi.

Around three hours flight time from the UAE, Armenias diverse landscape comprises mountains, forests, lakes and waterfalls. The ancient city of Yerevan is the countrys capital and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, offering a wide array of museums, parks, restaurants and sightseeing opportunities.

Customers can now book their direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Yerevan by visiting Air Arabias website, by calling the call centre or through travel agencies.

Ensuring the highest standards of safety at every step of the journey by following all health and safety protocols, Air Arabia has also added to the convenience and confidence of passengers by introducing free Covid-19 insurance coverage. The insurance is automatically included as part of the booking and no additional documents are required from passengers. - TradeArabia News Service
By Chen Aizhu

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Chinese authorities have ordered a unit of state-run PetroChina to stop trading off crude oil import quotas with local refineries as part of a crackdown on excessive fuel production, a move that could cut the country's crude imports by 3%, sources said.

Beijing has stepped up scrutiny of crude oil quota use and imports by state and private firms this year to ease a fuel surplus that has weighed on the sector's profits and led to excess emissions that have undermined China's climate goals, said five industry sources with knowledge of the matter.

PetroChina Fuel Oil Co Ltd is a major crude oil supplier to China's independent refineries.

Without additional quotas from the company, crude purchases by the independent refineries, also known as teapots, will fall by 12 million to 16 million tonnes annually (240,000 to 320,000 barrels per day), or roughly 3% of China's total crude imports, the sources said, forcing the firms to import fuel oil instead to keep plants running.

The drop in crude imports by the world's largest oil importer could also cap a recovery in global oil prices, which are now hovering above $70 a barrel.

China has in recent months unleashed an array of measures aimed at curtailing its bloated oil refining sector, from examining illicit trading of import quotas to levying new taxes to curb unwanted fuel supplies.

PetroChina Fuel Oil, which produces and trades fuel oil and bitumen, was ordered in April to stop re-selling imported crude oil and trading off quotas to about half a dozen teapots, a legacy practice the firm has engaged in for years.

"The government is taking a lot more seriously carbon emissions this year, and sees large crude oil imports and large refined fuel exports as something unsustainable," said one official.

Teapots that are processing more crude beyond their quota allowances are expected to be reined in, said the official.

China, the world's second-largest refiner, has since late 2015 allowed over 40 smaller plants to process imported oil to support private investment, but controls overall oil purchases using a quota system to curb wasteful refinery expansions.

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Under a legacy scheme endorsed by parent company PetroChina, the fuel oil unit partnered with teapot refineries under a so-called "processing" arrangement, under which the firm pays a processing fee to the teapots and buys back refined products such as diesel at an agreed price, said a second official.

But sources said it was "very tough" to agree on the buy-back terms on prices or fuel quality, so PetroChina Fuel Oil often simply let these plants use its import allowances or sometimes directly resold imported crude oil to them.

"(The investigation) officially ends the years-long partnership between the company and teapots," said a third official.

A PetroChina representative said he was not aware of the situation and was unable to comment.

Top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), which is leading the investigation, did not respond to a request for comment.

After being cut off from the crude supply business, PetroChina Fuel Oil will be forced to resume importing fuel oil to supply its four bitumen plants and also expand into other businesses to boost revenue.

"(The company) has to adapt to the changes and expand into new business such as bonded marine fuel and new energies," said the second official, without elaborating.

(Reporting by Chen Aizhu; Editing by Kim Coghill)
Last December, the Capitol Police intelligence division began gathering data from social media about plots to breach the Capitol, as well as specific calls for violence on Jan. 6 and maps of the building's tunnel systems, a new Senate report finds.

Why it matters: The scope of these threats was not relayed to USCP leadership, rank-and-file officers or federal law enforcement agencies. As a result, all were unprepared for the worst attack since the War of 1812, the 127-page document reveals.

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The joint report  released Tuesday morning by the Democratic chairmen and ranking Republican members of the Senate Homeland Security and Rules committees  did not attempt to examine the origins and motivations of the people who participated in the attack.

It also did not analyze former President Trump's potential role. Many members of the mob were dedicated supporters of his who came to D.C. for the "Save America" rally immediately preceding the assault.

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) told Axios this decision was made, in part, because the Justice Department was still identifying who was involved through its own investigation. Blunt said senators involved also felt they "could quickly assemble the information about the failure to defend the Capitol."

Key findings:

The report, led by Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Blunt, found:

Capitol Police had no operational or staffing plan for the Jan. 6 joint session to count and certify the 2020 Electoral College votes. USCP officers also were ill-prepared to deal with the attack, and did not have effective equipment or training.

Despite the intelligence gathered as early as December, it was not relayed to the FBI and Departments of Homeland Security, Justice and Defense.

The DHS and FBI also did not issue formal intelligence bulletins about potential violence on Jan. 6, which further hindered law enforcement.

The FBI's field office in Norfolk, Virginia, circulated a situational report late on Jan. 5 warning of people traveling to D.C. for "war" on Jan. 6. Former officials responsible for Capitol security on Jan. 6 testified they did not see the memo.

The Defense Department wanted to avoid looking over-militarized following its response to Black Lives Matter protests following George Floyd's murder.

Top agency officials spent hours "mission planning" as the riot unfolded, and multiple approvals for action were filtered between Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller and William Walker, former commanding general of the D.C. National Guard.

The Justice Department, according to the DOD, was the lead federal agency in charge of security and response on Jan. 6. The agency never created a security plan and did not coordinate a response during the attack, McCarthy told the committees.

Worth noting: The report said that the DHS, FBI and DOJ did not fully comply with the committees' requests for information.

"We have a number of requests for both the FBI and to the DHS to get out that our sense of what they knew and when they knew it. ...We want to find exactly where the problem arose, and we still don't have a satisfactory answer," Peters told reporters Monday night.

Among the 20 committee recommendations:

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A department-wide plan for Capitol Police to create threat assessments for special events.

Congress to provide USCP with additional funding for training and protective equipment.

Give the USCP police chief unilateral authority to request National Guard support amid an attack.

Intelligence agencies should report domestic terrorism data to Congress.

DOD clarification of chain-of-command authorization to prevent delays in D.C. National Guard deployment.

The backdrop: The joint report comes shortly after Senate Republicans blocked a bipartisan, bicameral commission to investigate the insurrection.

A key argument from GOP leaders was that a 9/11-style commission would be duplicative of other investigations, including Tuesday's report from the Senate committees.

However, the report clearly states its scope was limited, and "further scrutiny of these failures and the preparations and response of federal agencies" is needed.

What's next: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) must soon decide how to move forward on a congressional investigation into Jan. 6 now that the commission has failed.

She has several options she can take. We're told she's leaning toward the formation of a select committee, but that could change as leaders continue to negotiate the best path forward.

Yes, but: Pelosi needs to move quickly, as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are eager to find answers  and are wary of the investigation spilling into an election year.

Methodology: The committees reviewed thousands of documents, written statements from more than 50 USCP officers, and interviewed current and former officials from USCP, Senate sergeant-at-arms, House sergeant-at-arms, Architect of the Capitol, FBI, DHS, District of Columbia Metropolitan Police, DOD and the DCNG.

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Jun. 8COLUMBUS  As the Ohio Senate prepares to vote on its take of the next two-year state budget, vast differences between how the House and Senate would fund K-12 schools promise a battle ahead.

The so-called Fair School Funding Plan adopted by the House in April represents a massive overhaul in a system that was declared unconstitutional two decades ago, examining a broad list of factors that determine how much it costs to educate a student in each district and then attempting to compensate when local resources fall short of paying for it.

The Senate plan, however, looks chiefly at the cost of teacher compensation when deciding the cost of educating a student and keeps the focus primarily on local property wealth when it comes to determining whether a district can afford to pay the tab.

The Senate plan also bases its numbers on 2018 figures, automatically resulting in a smaller price tag on paper compared to the House, which used 2020 statistics.

The House plan would cost $1.8 billion more a year once fully implemented after six years. The Senate plan would take effect immediately, resulting in an initial higher price tag in the short term  about $76 million more than the House next year and $147 million next year  but a much smaller one longer term.

"In the out years [the House plan] is not based on anything but what they think [the costs are] going to be in 2026," said Sen. Matt Dolan (R., Chagrin Falls), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. "When we asked them in finance committee how are you going to justify the dramatic increase in dollars that are going to be required just to fulfill your plan..., the answer was, well, we're not worried because it's a state and local shared cost. That's not good enough for us."

Supporters of the House plan, however, argue that it provides a predictable path for schools, one based on actual costs.

While Toledo Public Schools would have seen increases of 1.3 percent and 1.8 percent in the next two years under the House plan, its state aid would be frozen at $192.2 million under the Senate plan.

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In contrast, Perrysburg Schools  an example of a growing district  would receive more aid in the short term under the Senate plan  $11.6 million next year compared to $11.3 million under the House plan and $12.4 million in the second year compared to $11.4 million .

"That's part of the problem. We really don't know the reason why," said Perrysburg Superintendent Tom Hosler, who helped to develop the House's plan.

"At the same time there are districts that are doing worse, and we're not sure of the reason why there either," he said. "When [Speaker Bob Cupp and former Rep. John Patterson] sat down and looked at the spreadsheets in a budget cycle just like now, it made no sense. Everybody lobbies for a little here and a little there, and years later it's all distorted."

Both chambers' plans would directly fund voucher and charter school students from the state rather than expect schools to cut a check for those students after state subsidies have already been distributed.

The end results are an average per-pupil cost of $7,200 next year under the House plan compared to $6,110 under the Senate. The current per-pupil amount is $6,020.

By comparison, the Senate plan includes bigger increases for voucher students to attend a private or religious high school than to a public school, bumps of 18 percent for K-8 students and 25 percent for high-schoolers.

The Senate Finance Committee could vote on its vision of what is now a $74 billion, two-year general fund budget as soon as Tuesday. A full chamber vote could come Wednesday. Then the focus will shift to a six-member, Republican-majority conference committee to hammer out a compromise capable of passing both chambers.

The vote will come after the state reported Monday that the state's tax coffers are overflowing to the tune of $1.17 billion, or 5.2 percent, above projections with one month left in the fiscal year.

Expect the House to fight for a school-funding plan that has twice passed the chamber overwhelmingly. Senate Republicans, however, contend it is not financially unsustainable over the long haul.

"Probably most important, [the Senate plan] is a sustainable plan, which means we can pay for this plan and the school districts can rely on it," Mr. Dolan said. "It is a stable and predictable plan."

Under the House plan, the state for the first time would look at the income of district residents, in addition to how much can be generated through property taxes, when determining what a district can afford.

The House plan then looks at costs  such things as teacher and administrator pay, building operations, transportation, the number of students for whom English is a second language, and special education  to determine individualized district price tags for educating a student there.

The state  assuming future legislatures fully fund the formula  would then make up the difference between that price tag and what the formula says the district can afford.

The Senate plan would add up teacher pay, benefits, professional development days, building operations, student support, and administration costs to calculate what it considers to be the price tag of educating a student.

"Our funding plan starts with the most important part of any child's education," Mr. Dolan said. "It starts with the teacher."

Mr. Hosler said the Senate plan does not address things like transportation and technology.

"Coming out of COVID, we've seen the importance of technology as part of a 21st century education," he said. "There's nothing in this plan that I can tell where they use that. It costs less, but in the long run we have to go to local voters if we want transportation or we want technology."

The Senate plan would also reinsert $650 million in student "wrap around" dollars that Gov. Mike DeWine has championed for non-academic things like mental health, counseling, mentoring, and other support. Mr. DeWine had originally proposed $1.1 billion in his plan while the House absorbed these into its broader funding formula.

First Published June 7, 2021, 6:04pm
The next time you visit a sushi restaurant, the delicious spicy tuna rolls that come with your sushi platter may not come from a fish at all. Finless Foods, a company specializing in cell-cultured seafood, plans to release a plant-based tuna in 2022. Using nine whole ingredients, Finless says it designed its tuna to imitate its sushi-grade counterpart. And while it's possible to marinate the plant substitute, the company envisioned it making its way into dishes that would typically call for raw fish, including poke bowls.

"Our plant-based tuna offers an option for consumers who can't eat seafood because of allergies, who think about other health concerns or who just want to enjoy a seafood dish without the catch." And sustainability is a critical facet here. Unlike salmon, it's challenging to farm tuna at scale, and as the company points out, global populations of the fish have declined by more than 60 percent in the last 50 years. And with climate change wreaking havoc on the Earth's oceans, scientists expect there will be even fewer fish for people to catch sustainably by the end of the century.

When it comes to plant-based alternatives, it's easy to find beef and pork substitutes. You don't have to look further than Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat. Fish alternatives are a different story, however. Not only have they had less press, but they're also harder to find. A company called Ocean Hugger Foods has released plant-based tuna and freshwater eel alternatives. You can find those at restaurants like Blue Sushi Sake Girl and select Whole Foods locations across the US.
One of the world's largest foundations will spend $1.3 billion over the next three years to acquire and deliver COVID-19 vaccines for more than 50 million people in Africa. Its a first-of-its-kind effort for a Western nonprofit to bolster Africas lagging vaccination campaign amid widespread fears of a third wave of infections on the continent.

The Tuesday announcement from the Toronto-based Mastercard Foundation, which has more than $39 billion in assets, comes days after the World Health Organization said Africa was encountering an alarming mix of a spike in virus cases and a near halt of vaccine shipments. The delays have been tied to Indias halt on vaccine exports, among other things.

The foundation will purchase single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines at the discounted rate negotiated by the African Union during its 220 million dose deal with the vaccine manufacturer. Those vaccines will begin to be delivered to the AU's 55 member states from July to September, with an option to purchase an additional 180 million doses through next year.

But some countries have been experiencing issues with the J&J vaccine. In South Africa, the first batch of 1.1 million doses, which should have already been put to use, remain on hold at a plant because of contamination concerns at a factory in Baltimore. Another batch of 900,000 doses was meant to be released in June.

Dr. John Nkengasong, the director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a Tuesday press conference that he remains positive and optimistic that the findings from the manufacturing site in the U.S. will be resolved soon, and there will be more clarity by the end of this week.

The doses bought by the foundation, which has operated independently from Mastercard since its launch in 2006, will begin to be available in August, in progressively larger quantities, said Julie Waiganjo, a spokesperson for the foundation.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is partnering with the foundation on the initiative, and will be consulting African government agencies and other institutions on how to best deploy the shots.

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It is actually a huge moment, and a moment that I characterize as transformational in our ability to fight the war against this pandemic," Nkengasong told The Associated Press.

We will engage the countries to understand their vaccination plans, and see exactly where to fit in," he said, adding the partnership with the foundation will also help deploy the 220 million J&J doses that are slated to arrive.

The foundation says the money will be used, in part, to help transport the vaccines, hold community engagement activities that address vaccine hesitancy, identify potential virus variants, train workers to improve the speed of vaccine deployments and help develop a skilled workforce that could expand vaccine manufacturing in Africa.

We should expect good things out of this, but its going to take time, said Lawrence O. Gostin, a professor of global health law at Georgetown University. Its not going to solve all the problems.

Africa will soon become the epicenter for the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. Its going to reverse many of the gains that Africa made in a whole range of areas... It will devastate the African economy."

Africa has administered vaccine doses to 31 million people out of its population of 1.3 billion. But only 7 million have received both doses, the WHOs Regional Office for Africa said last week.

Health officials have been raising alarms about the dire situation, and urging richer countries to share their remaining vaccines. The White House said last week the U.S. would allocate 5 million doses to Africa through the United Nations-backed COVAX program as part of a plan to share 25 million doses worldwide.

I do hope other foundations, and more governments, step up to help the continent, said Gostin.

___

The Associated Press receives support from the Lilly Endowment for coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.
By John Irish

PARIS (Reuters) - France will convene a virtual meeting of countries on June 17 to drum up support for the Lebanese army as it seeks to weather an economic crisis that has put the military on the verge of collapse, France's armed forces ministry said on Tuesday.

Paris, which has led aid efforts to its former colony, has sought to ramp up pressure on Lebanon's squabbling politicians, after failed attempts to rally them to agree a new government and launch reforms to unlock foreign cash.

Discontent is brewing among Lebanon's security forces over a currency crash wiping out most of the value of their salaries.

Army chief Joseph Aoun was in France last month to warn of an increasingly untenable situation and in response Paris provided food and medical supplies for military personnel, whose salaries had fallen five or six fold in value, forcing many to take extra jobs.

Two diplomatic sources said the meeting would seek aid from countries offering food, medical supplies and spare parts for military equipment. However, it was not designed to provide weapons or other military hardware.

"The objective is to bring attention to the situation of the LAF (Lebanese Armed Forces), whose members are faced with deteriorating living conditions and who may no longer be able to fully implement their missions, which are essential to the stability of the country," the ministry said, adding that it would host the meeting with the United Nations and Italy.

It aims to encourage donations to benefit the LAF, it said.

Countries from the Lebanon International Support Group, which includes Gulf Arab states, the United States, Russia, China and European powers, have been invited.

Lebanon's pound has crashed 90% since late 2019 in a financial meltdown that poses the biggest threat to stability since the 1975-1990 civil war.

The army has long been viewed as a rare institution of national pride and unity. Its collapse at the start of the civil war, when it split along sectarian lines, resulted in Lebanon's descent into militia rule.

(Reporting by John Irish; editing by Grant McCool)
Construction will begin this week on a new concrete safety barrier on a dangerous stretch of Highway 41 in Fresno County.

Video Transcript

- The Fresno Council of Government Policy board voted to use Measure C funds to complete the highway 41 in Fresno County. The item will now go before the Fresno County Transportation Authority board for final approval tonight. The approval by both the Council of Governments and SCTA boards will now Measure C funds to be combined with state and federal funds to finish highway 41.

Several funding sources are needed to pay for the approximately $63 million widening project. It's adding extra lanes on the 41 from Elkhorn to Excelsior Avenues.
BERLIN (Reuters) -German police detained more than 70 suspects and searched over 150 locations in Germany as a part of a global crackdown on organised crime in 15 countries, authorities said on Tuesday.

The raids on Monday, focused in the western state of Hesse and in cooperation with Europol, were part of an investigation initiated by U.S. law enforcement authorities that started in 2018, Frankfurt public prosecutors office said.

Authorities seized hundreds of kilograms of drugs, more than 20 weapons, over 30 luxury cars and cash worth 250,000 euros, as well as IT equipment.

The suspects are accused of using prepaid phones containing an encrypted messaging app to deal in weapons and drugs, prosecutors said.

The raids, which involved nearly 1,500 law enforcement officers, were part of a European leg of a global sting in which criminals were given phones that allowed law enforcement officials to listen in on their conversations.

(Reporting by Riham Alkousaa and Caroline CopleyEditing by Madeline Chambers)
British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell is seen in a photo in a court filing with the United States Courthouse showing an unexplained black eye (VIA REUTERS)

The family of disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has said that the New York jail in which she is being held violated the United Nations Nelson Mandela rules of dignity for prisons, subjecting her to inhuman treatment.

The Twitter account run by the siblings of Ms Maxwell  with the name Real Ghislaine  said the conditions she faced in jail are so inhuman that they violate the 2015 rules adopted by the US.

Under the United Nations Standard Minimal Rules adopted in 2015 for the treatment of prisoners  The Nelson Mandela Rules  to which the US is a party, Ghislaine has been subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, the family said.

Ms Maxwell is being held at the Brooklyns Metropolitan Detention Centre on charges of grooming and trafficking underage girls for her ex-boyfriend, the convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide while in prison in 2019.

Ms Maxwells brother, Ian Maxwell, previously demanded video footage from his sisters jail, which he described as house of horrors, after a photo surfaced of her sporting an unexplained black eye.

The photo released by Ms Maxwells lawyers in court filings appeared to show a bruise under her left eye.

The 122 United Nation rules, to which the US is party, deal with prison maintenance, outlining minimum standards for the treatment of the prisoners, either pre-trial or convicted.

In another tweet, the family said it is not their claim that rules were breached, but IT IS A FACT. Read Rules 1,13,22,23,43,45 & 61 of the Nelson Mandela Rules! it added.

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The rules were named in the honour of South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, who was subjected to hard labour and cells without beds during his time in jail for 27 years.

The lawyers of Ms Maxwell have repeatedly accused the New York jail, where she is being held in enhanced security schedule, of mistreating her since her arrest in July 2020.

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On Ms Maxwells complaint, they said the jail subjected her to isolation, dirty drinking water, inadequate food and waking her up every 15 minutes by directing a flashlight on her face.

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In April, the attorney said there was a pervasive stench of sewage in Ms Maxwells unit as the sewage system was broken. The prosecutors responded by saying she doesnt flush her toilet after using it.

On Wednesday, Ms Maxwells bail request was rejected for the fifth time.

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Jun. 8Isle residents who are past due on rent and mortgages will have another two months before Gov. David Ige plans to lift the state's ban on evictions in early August.

Ige extended the eviction moratorium for another 60 days through his latest COVID-19, issued Monday.

"We will extend the eviction moratorium one more time in the next emergency proclamation for another 60 days, but our intent is to end the eviction moratorium at the end of that proclamation, " Ige told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser's Spotlight Hawaii livestream Monday.

The postponement of expirations for driver's licenses, state IDs and instructional permits will also expire in August.

"If current trends hold, I expect both the eviction moratorium and the driver's licensing provisions to expire in August, " Ige said in a statement. "We've learned a lot about acting with care, and I am hopeful these lessons will carry us forward."

Ige's office also announced :When the state achieves a 60 % vaccination rate, social gatherings of 25 people will be allowed indoors and 75 people outdoors.

Restaurants would be allowed to seat up to 75 % capacity following the same indoor and outdoor crowd sizes.

Lt. Gov. Josh Green's office said Monday that Hawaii could reach a 60 % vaccination rate by July 1.

Brooks Baehr, spokesman for the state Department of Health's COVID-19 response, said Hawaii could reach a vaccination rate of 70 % by early August, based on the state continuing to vaccinate 50, 000 people a week. If the number of vaccinations grows to 60, 000 shots per week, Hawaii could see a 70 % vaccination rate by late July, Baehr said.All social distancing restrictions will end once the state achieves a 70 % vaccination rate, although the state Department of Health could establish new COVID-19 rules.

Incentives to get vaccinated can be found at higot vaccinated.com.

"As Hawai 'i's public health outcomes improve and our economic situation appears to be stabilizing, I am ending several of the emergency provisions that have been in place for over a year, " Ige said in his statement. "By August, I hope the public health situation will allow me to do the same for others. We can get there if people become informed about their safe and effective vaccination options and choose to get their injections. Rememberthe state pushed back the Aug. 15 roll out of the Safe Travels program to Oct. 15. While challenging at the time, it was necessary."

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Ige's latest emergency proclamation coincides with a resurgence in isle tourism.

The governor said that with the growing economy, residents should be moving off unemployment and into jobs.

Ige is encouraging employers to report any job offers to the state that were rejected by people receiving unemployment benefits.

Ige is "asking them to let us know if they make a job offer that's declined to report that back to us ... and we can go to those who are continuing to claim unemployment and tell them these people are offering jobs, and you really ought to be looking at those areas, " Ige told Spotlight Hawaii. "We want willing and able workers to be able to find employment with the many business that are looking to hire people."

Ige also said "significant " rent and mortgage relief programs remain available, and encouraged struggling renters and homeowners to seek mediation on their overdue housing payments.

At the same time, the state is looking to fill "front line " jobs such as those dealing with unemployment insurance, food stamps and Medicaid.

"There are a lot of needs that the state is providing benefits for that we need workers to be able to deliver the services, " Ige said.

While evictions have been banned by Ige for over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic strangled Hawaii tourism, renters and people who pay mortgages would be required to cover their missing payments unless they reach agreement with their landlords or lenders.

Ige faces a deadline later this month to announce any potential bills he plans to veto, and said he's looking at ways to avoid budget cuts to the University of Hawaii, especially a planned 13 % cut at UH Manoa that he said would lead to layoffs and program cuts, along with opposition to changing the way the Hawaii Tourism Authority is funded and would allow counties to increase hotel taxeswhich Ige said already make isle room rates among the highest in the nation.

"It's really not the greatest time to be increasing taxes in that sector, " Ige said. "We really want to get them back on their feet."

Allowing counties to increase their transient accommodations taxes also "really drives people away from permitted and authorized hotels and into illegal vacation rentals, " Ige said. "It makes it a lot more difficult to manage the visitors that we're trying to attract."

But Ige reiterated that he is in favor of looking at ways to reduce tourist impacts at some of Hawaii's most popular destinations, including potentially restricting the number of visitors.

"We can deliver a better experience for residents and visitors alike if we are willing to manage the numbers attending these locations, " Ige said.

Potential changes could include traffic management, creating no-parking areas, imposing parking fees or "really limiting the time that someone can park at a location, " Ige said. "That is all something that we are looking to expand into all of those areas that have too many visitors."------Staff writer Sophie Cocke contributed to this report.
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Basque Culinary Center (BCC), VISITFLANDERS and the city of Bruges have announced new dates for the 6th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism.

Held under the theme Gastronomy Tourism: Promoting Rural Tourism and Regional Development, the forum will take place October 31 - November 2 in Bruges, Belgium.

The event will focus on the contribution of gastronomy tourism to social and economic integration. It will also highlight its untapped potential for job creation, regional cohesion and sustainable growth. Building on UNWTOs work on advancing innovation across the tourism sector, the forum also represents a unique opportunity for experts from across the growing field of gastronomy tourism to share new ideas and best practices and place the two sectors at the center of plans for recovery.

In order to welcome and connect participants from around the world, the forum will be held in a hybrid format. This way, delegates meeting in the Concertgebouw of Bruges will be joined virtually by participants from every global region via a special online platform.

UNWTO Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili said: There is no better time than now to re-shape the future for food and tourism. Gastronomy continues to prove its ability to help destinations diversify and to stimulate economic development in destinations all around the world. This is especially true for rural communities where it can help preserve the identity and authenticity of local traditions.

Joxe Mari Aizega, Director of the Basque Culinary Center, said: We are currently in a particularly challenging and unique time, and rural communities, innovation and creativity will be key to transition successfully towards a new scenario. That is the reason why it is necessary to increase the contribution of the entire value chain of gastronomy for the future, generating a suitable institutional framework through specific policies. These kind of forums are essential to encourage projects that generate and develop sustainable gastronomic initiatives that transform and have a positive impact on the sector."

Flemish Minister of Tourism, Zuhal Demir said: We are very much looking forward to welcome participants, both live and online, to explore culinary Bruges during the forum in November. This is a great opportunity for destinations to exchange experiences facing challenging times and putting gastronomy and tourism at the centre of recovery plans. Flanders, as one of Europes gastronomic hubs, is ready to lead the way for a sustainable future of gastronomy tourism.

The forum has been co-organised by UNWTO and the BCC since 2015 with the aim of promoting the exchange of experiences between experts in tourism and gastronomy, identify good practices and promote gastronomy tourism as a driver of sustainable development. - TradeArabia News Service
Jun. 8Gov. David Ige announced today that the state will ease restrictions on social gatherings and restaurants once 60 % of Hawaii residents are fully vaccinated, adding to the growing list of incentives for people to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Up to 25 people will be allowed to gather indoors and up 75 people outdoors once the benchmark is achieved, while restaurants will be allowed to increase their capacity to 75 %.

The new rules won't impact the counties' COVID-19 policies relating to structured events, such as weddings.

When the state achieves a 70 % vaccination rate, all COVID-19 restrictions will end, including indoor mask requirements, travel and other public health restrictions. Currently, .

The prospective easing of restrictions comes amid a by the Ige administration aimed at boosting the state's vaccination rates through a lottery with multiple prizes, such as 1 million HawaiianMiles from Hawaiian Airlines, distributed as 10 prizes of 100, 000 each, a trip to Las Vegas for two and free Zippy's meals for a year.

Additional prizes and business discounts for Hawaii residents who are vaccinates are expected to be announced this month. Residents who were vaccinated before the campaign launched, as well as those getting the shots subsequently are eligible to enter the lottery and.

As of this morning, about 90, 000 people had resgistered to win prizes, according to a health department spokesman. Additional prizes and discounts at businesses are expected to be announced soon.

Ige also signed his 21st emergency proclamation relating to COVID today, which officially brings the inter-island Safe Travels program to an end on June 15. At that time, inter-island passengers will no longer be subject to testing and quarantine requirements.

The emergency proclamation also restores Hawaii's procurement laws, including laws and policies governing the purchase of health and human services. It also restores licensing requirements for occupational and physical therapy and restores administrative support for child support enforcement.
Gunmen stormed a market place and a football field in a rural town in central Nigeria over the weekend, killing at least 27 people and leaving others wounded, state police said on Tuesday.

Police in Benue state were still investigating the attack, but Benue is part of the Middle Belt region where communal clashes are common between nomadic herders and local farmers over land, grazing and water.

The attack hit the Agatu area on Sunday around 6pm (1700 GMT) when locals were just closing up the market after trading, a Benue state police spokeswoman said.

She said investigations were ongoing into motives for the attack.

Heavily-armed criminal gangs in northwest and central Nigeria also often loot villages, steal cattle and kidnapping for ransom.

Last week, at least 88 people were killed when gunmen on motorcycles attacked seven villages in Danko-Wasagu district in northwest Kebbi state.

Gangs in the northwest this year have stepped up attacks on schools and colleges, kidnapping hundreds of students to demand ransoms from authorities and parents.

Attacks in northwest and central Nigeria are just part of the challenge facing President Muhammadu Buhari's security forces who have been locked in a war with jihadists in the country's northeast for more than a decade.

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Gurmit Singh at State Courts to face a charge of speeding on 8 June 2021. (PHOTO: Wan Ting Koh/Yahoo News Singapore)

SINGAPORE  Local actor Gurmit Singh, who was recently featured in a viral COVID-19 vaccination jingle, pleaded guilty on Tuesday (8 June) to speeding at 131kmh and was fined $800.

Singh, 56, attended his hearing at the State Courts to receive the charge, which is a breach of the Road Traffic Act. He was also disqualified from driving for three months.

Most famous for playing the role of loud contractor Phua Chu Kang on TV, Singh left broadcaster Mediacorp in late 2014 after he decided not to renew his contract so that he could spend more time with his family.

Actor Gurmit Singh recently appeared in a government advertisement urging residents to get their vaccine shots. (SCREENSHOT: Gov.sg/YouTube)

In the jingle, which was reported in local and global media outlets, Singh reprised his persona of Phua Chu Kang and urged residents in Singapore to take the threat of COVID-19 seriously by taking vaccination shots.

According to the charge sheet, Singh was driving along Woodlands Avenue 12 towards Seletar Expressway at a speed of 131kmh on 12 April at about 9.30pm, in excess of the legal speed limit of 70kmh on the road. Yahoo News Singapore understands that Singh was driving an Audi car at the time of the incident.

Singh told the court in mitigation that he was driving to fetch his son from his internship workplace when he heard a "flapping sound".

"After I got him, I wanted him to hear the same sound and I realised it comes out at 100kmh. I am not saying that I should drive at that speed....but it was a short spurt... I don't know how it (reached) 131kmh," said Singh, who said he wanted to tell the court he was not a "reckless driver".

In reply, District Judge Salina Ishak told Singh that he was putting his son in danger.

Singh replied, "I understand and I regret doing what I did."

Singh told the judge that his wife had driven him to court, and that he hoped he could keep his driving license and pay a fine.

For speeding, Singh could have been jailed up to three months or fined a maximum $1,000 on a first offence.

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Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday was meeting with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador as part of a two-day tour to the region to tackle what the Biden administration describes as the "root causes" of the crisis at the southern border -- as she faces criticism for failing to visit the border and remarks a day earlier on illegal migration.

Harris, who was appointed more than 70 days ago by President Biden to lead the diplomatic effort to stop the migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, met with Lopez Obrador on Tuesday afternoon ahead of a press conference later in the day. After a bilateral meeting at the National Palace in Mexico City, the pair announced they had agreed to expand collaboration on a range of economic and security issues.

HARRIS, IN GUATEMALA, TELLS POTENTIAL MIGRANTS THEY WILL BE TURNED BACK

While critics have blamed the recent crisis at the border on the Biden rollback of key Trump-era policies like the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) and border wall construction, the administration has instead pointed to root causes in Central America like poverty, an economic downturn and climate change.

Included in the agreements were a number of elements apparently designed to combat those root causes and other contributing factors, including a $130 million U.S. investment in Mexican workers protections and labor reform.

"The Vice President announced new U.S. commitments to foster investment in southern Mexico, including loans for affordable housing, support to strengthen rural value chains in cacao, coffee, and eco-tourism, trade and business development missions to support infrastructure projects, and aviation regulatory support to improve efficiencies," the White House said in a statement.

The agreement also includes partnering to address human trafficking and smuggling organizations, increased support for Mexican law enforcement and -- to address root causes of migration in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador -- a "new strategic partnership to share information and strategies and co-manage new programs to foster economic opportunity through agricultural development and youth empowerment."

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HARRIS STAFF SAYS CLIMATE, ECONOMY AMONG MAIN DRIVERS OF MIGRATION AFTER GUATEMALA PRESIDENT BLAMES US

Earlier in the day, Harris had appeared to avoid the migration issue in a tweet ahead of the day's visit.

Harris trip comes at an awkward time for the Mexicans, coming just days after the country held midterm elections. A Mexican government official told Reuters that the timing was "not ideal," and Sergio de la Pena, who served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere Affairs during the Trump administration, said the visit put the Mexican officials in a difficult position.

"She went to Mexico immediately following the Sunday midterm elections which kind of puts people in an awkward spot because they're up to their eyeballs trying to get through all of that and yet having to attend to a visit from one of the most significant partners in the region," he told Fox News on Tuesday.

HARRIS TELLS GUATEMALAN PRESIDENT THAT MIGRATION IS A TOP PRIORITY, AFTER HE BLAMES US FOR SURGE

"Whenever you do visits like this, you take a look at what issues are taking place in the partner nation she want to go visit, or whatever country you want to go visit  so why would you show up immediately after an election on Sunday for a visit on Tuesday?" he said.

De La Pena said it was part of a visit that he saw as confusing, due to the fact that the crisis is at the border -- not in the governments of Mexico and other countries.

"I'm not exactly sure what she's doing, which is the confusing part of it," he said. "If you want to stop immigration into the United States you comply with U.S. law. U.S. law says you don't come in here arbitrarily and yet that's exactly what were doing -- were allowing people to come in, especially if youre a family unit, you report in then youre put on a bus or a plane and off you go."

Harris has faced intense criticism for her handling of the issue, both for comments she made on migration and also her failure to visit the border amid a continuing crisis that saw more than 178,000 migrant encounters at the border in April alone.

On Tuesday, after meeting with the Guatemalan president, she gave a firm message on illegal migration.

"I want to emphasize that the goal of our work is to help Guatemalans find hope at home, at the same time I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making the dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border -- do not come, do not come," she said.

KAMALA HARRIS' MEXICO, GUATEMALA VISIT: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

"The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our border," she said. "There are legal methods by which migration can and should occur but we, as one of our priorities, will discourage illegal migration and I believe if you come to our border you will be turned back."

That remark drew criticism from Republicans, who said it was in sharp contrast to her past statements -- particularly as a senator and in the Democratic presidential candidate -- as well as picking up criticism from the Democratic Partys left-flank.

"This is disappointing to see," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, tweeted. "First, seeking asylum at any US border is a 100% legal method of arrival. Second, the US spent decades contributing to regime change and destabilization in Latin America. We cant help set someones house on fire and then blame them for fleeing."

Harris also came under fire for being dismissive of a visit to the border. In an interview with NBC News that aired Tuesday, she laughed off a question about why she hadnt yet been to the border.

BOEBERT TAKES CARDBOARD CUTOUT OF KAMALA HARRIS TO THE BORDER, AS VP TAKES HEAT FOR FAILING TO VISIT

"And I havent been to Europe," she laughed. "I dont understand the point that youre making."

The White House has pushed back against the constant criticism for her lack of visit to the border by arguing that she is in charge of diplomatic talks, not the border per se -- which is in the remit of the Department of Homeland Security.

But former Trump officials, including at DHS, have argued that understanding the border is vital if Harris wants to effectively lead diplomatic talks in the region.

De La Pena, who had recently visited the border, shared that assessment.

"The problems are at the U.S.-Mexico border," he said. "The problem is increased illegal immigration to the United States. You deal with it by seeing what is happening at our own border and then you can go back and see other things."

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He was also pessimistic about Harris chances of success in meetings with the Mexican leader.

"I don't know that she's going to make a lot of headway with Lopez Obrador, because if Lopez Obrador sees her as someone who doesnt have a strong negotiating position, he will do whatever he can to make sure he is getting out of the negotiation what he desires, and were going to find out how much she is willing to give up."
By Nandita Bose and Frank Jack Daniel

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris told Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador that she saw him as a partner in tackling migration as they agreed on Tuesday to deepen economic ties and invest to improve conditions in Central America.

The administration of President Joe Biden has been struggling with the number of migrant children and families arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, mainly from Central America, and Biden has tasked Harris with trying to solve the issue.

On her first trip abroad since taking office, Harris said talks with Lopez Obrador were "candid," covering topics, including security, vaccines, the pandemic and the spread of the drug fentanyl. She also said she would visit the U.S.-Mexico border.

"We made clear that the United States considers Mexico to be a partner on many of these issues," Harris told reporters after the meetings, hailing a "new era" of bilateral relations. Lopez Obrador called the encounter "pleasant and beneficial."

Harris and Lopez Obrador spent more than an hour in private meetings, as well as in broader talks, a White House aide said.

Much of the focus was on improving livelihoods, and the United States pledged an additional $130 million over three years to support Mexican worker rights along with a goal of creating $250 million in investment and sales in southern Mexico, it said in a vaguely worded statement.

The two sides will hold a meeting known as a high-level economic dialogue in September to look at ways to promote investment and make the most of a new trade deal, statements from both governments said.

A similar meeting will also be held on security, and a task force will work on breaking up people smuggling rings.

Since Biden took office in January, the number of migrants taken into custody per month at the border has risen to the highest levels in 20 years.

Lopez Obrador, who built a working relationship with Donald Trump despite the former U.S. president's economic threats and insults against Mexico over migration, said his government was very interested in maintaining good relations with Washington.

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Harris did not say if she used the meeting to push Mexico to further intensify efforts to detain migrants, many of whom travel through Mexico to the U.S. border in order to escape poverty, crime and corruption in Central America.

"In terms of border security, the work that we are doing together includes the work of processing migration within the country of Mexico and its southern border," Harris said after the meeting.

Mexico detained 91,000 illegal migrants in the five months of the year, immigration authorities said on Monday, with minors making up a fifth of all detentions. Some members of the Biden administration want Mexico to do more.

The vice president, who has faced repeated questions from Republican critics about why she has not visited the border, said she "would go."

MEXICO PARTNERSHIP

The administration sees Mexico as an important partner both on slowing the flow of migrants and on working on development in Central America, where relations between national governments and Washington are increasingly fraught.

Washington and Mexico largely agree they need to attack underlying causes of poverty and violence to stem migration from Central America's "Northern Triangle" - El Salvador Guatemala and Honduras. Before the meeting, Harris and Lopez Obrador witnessed the official signing of a memorandum of understanding to "co-create and co-manage" a program to deliver and measure aid to the region. The aim was to address the lack of economic opportunities in northern Central America, with a focus on farm development and youth programs, a U.S. statement said.

Harris has previously promised an additional $310 million in aid to soothe the impact of the pandemic and hurricanes last year in Central America.

Mexico has implemented cash-for-tree-planting and youth unemployment benefit programs to El Salvador and Honduras on a limited scale and plans to add Guatemala, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Tuesday before the Harris meeting. It was not clear if the U.S. would participate in these cash transfer projects.

In Mexico's poor southern region bordering Guatemala, U.S. agencies will support coffee, cocoa and eco-tourism and infrastructure initiatives, as well as supporting affordable housing and mortgages, the U.S. statement said.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Mexico City, additional reporting by Dave Graham, writing by Cassandra Garrison and Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Nick Zieminski, Aurora Ellis and Alistair Bell)
Tourists ride classic convertible cars on the Malecon beside the United States Embassy in Havana, Cuba (AP)

A bill offering financial support to US government employees who have suffered brain injuries as a result of likely directed energy attacks has unanimously passed the Senate.

The HAVANA Act, which passed on Monday, would give agency heads additional authority to provide financial and medical support to those suffering from the so-called Havana Syndrome.

Speculation surrounding the mysterious illness has provoked intrigue since 2016 when employees of the US embassy in Havana, Cuba, reported experiencing unusual and unexplained symptoms.

Public servants both on US soil and abroad have reported symptoms including severe headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, visual and hearing problems, vertigo, and cognitive difficulties.

The New York Times reported last month that the mysterious condition has affected more than 130 US personnel, more than was previously thought.

The newspaper also reported that some people have even endured chronic, potentially irreversible symptoms which may be permanent, such as long-term brain injuries.

Far too many Havana Syndrome victims have had to battle the bureaucracy to receive care for their debilitating injuries, Senator Susanne Collins, one of the lawmakers who led the new legislation, said in a statement.

She added: American personnel who have undergone these attacks while serving our country should be treated the same way we would treat a soldier who suffered a traumatic injury on the battlefield.

The new bill passed without any objections, reports said. It outlines that the CIA and State Department will be required to create regulations detailing fair and equitable criteria for payment.

The administration was reported to have intensified its investigation into the instances to determine what or who is responsible for the illness and whether they can be constituted as attacks.

The move comes after CNN reported in April that two incidents had occurred on US soil, one being on the south side of the White House lawn in November.

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Reports have said that federal agencies investigating the incidents have reached no concrete conclusions regarding the causes.

Politico reported in the same month that defense officials have said it was possible Russia was behind the attacks. Russia has denied any responsibility.

While the root of the attacks is still unknown, one State Department-sponsored study found they likely were the result of microwave energy attacks.

In December last year, the report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine said the most likely source of the illness was directed, pulsed radiofrequency energy.

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TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) -A Mexican health official on Tuesday said the government has not agreed to donate COVID-19 vaccines to Honduras and had only received a request for aid, after the Honduran president thanked Mexico for offering the Central American country 100,000 doses.

"I want to thank the people and government of Mexico because last night they confirmed the donation of 100,000 vaccine doses that will be reaching the country soon," Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez said on Twitter.

He also thanked El Salvador and Israel for helping the country secure vaccines.

Mexico's deputy health minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said the request from Honduras, and other countries, were directed to the Foreign Ministry.

"Some governments of other countries that have had a well-known difficulty in accessing vaccines have made requests to Mexico through diplomatic channels," he told a nightly news conference.

Referring to Hernandez's comments, he said, "That has not happened. This is just the request that is being received."

(Reporting by Gustavo Palencia and Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Michael Perry)
State lawmakers will return to Springfield next week to take up two controversial issues that stalled in the final hours of the spring session: a statewide energy package and an elected Chicago school board.

The Illinois Senate will convene Tuesday to vote on an energy bill that would include hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies for nuclear plants owned by the parent company of scandal-plagued Commonwealth Edison.

The state House is set to meet Wednesday to take up the energy issue and also consider an elected Chicago school board bill that was passed by the Senate in overtime on June 1.

Lawmakers adjourned their spring session that day without reaching an agreement on an energy plan that also would meet Pritzkers goal of setting the state on a path to 100% carbon-free power by 2050. ComEd parent Exelon has said it will shut down its Byron and Dresden nuclear plants this year if the state doesnt provide more financial support.

Senate President Don Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat said Tuesday that hes calling members back for one day to vote on the measure Gov. J.B. Pritzker negotiated.

This is a landmark clean energy plan that both protects thousands of jobs and moves Illinois responsibly toward the future, Harmon said in a statement that provided no specifics. Among the unknowns is the packages cost to taxpayers and ComEd customers.

House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch, a Hillside Democrat, said in a separate statement that in addition to the energy package, the House also would take up other measures that didnt make it across the finish line before lawmakers left town, putting an elected Chicago school board as one of the items at the top of our list.

The measure approved by the Senate would create a fully elected, 21-member Chicago school board beginning in 2027. It must be approved in the House before going to the desk of Pritzker, who has supported the idea.

Supporters say the plan will give Chicago residents greater influence over public schools, but the proposal faces fierce opposition from Mayor Lori Lightfoot. She campaigned in favor of an elected board but has denounced the measure under consideration in Springfield as unwieldy and having nothing to do with democracy.

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The plan the House will take up would create a hybrid board beginning in 2025, with 10 members and a board president appointed by mayor and the other 10 members elected from geographic districts in the November 2024 election.

The appointees would be replaced with 10 elected members and a president elected citywide in the 2026 election and seated in January 2027.

The measure also includes a moratorium on school closures that would remain in place until the hybrid board is seated in January 2025.

Exelons initial threat to close plants came about a month after subsidiary ComEd reached an agreement with federal prosecutors last July to pay a $200 million fine and admitted to engaging in a yearslong bribery scheme to win support for favorable legislation in Springfield, including a previous nuclear bailout in 2016.

The scandal brought down former House Speaker Michael Madigan, who has not been charged and has denied wrongdoing, and left Pritzker and lawmakers wary of appearing to do the companys bidding. Negotiations over the size of subsidies appeared to have stalled until the governors office and Exelon reached a last-minute agreement that would see more than $600 million in state support for three nuclear plants over five years.

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An eleventh-hour disagreement over whether the Prairie State Generating Station in southern Illinois and a city-owned power plant in Springfield should be exempted from deadlines for shutting down coal-fired power plants by 2035 temporarily scuttled the compromise.

There were concerns, particularly among some Senate Democrats, about outstanding bond debt on the Prairie State facility held by municipal utilities, including in Batavia, Geneva, Naperville, St. Charles and Winnetka.

Pritzkers office said he would not sign a bill that includes such an exemption, and lawmakers involved in the negotiations said the issue remains unsettled.

The overall cost to taxpayers and ComEd customers has not been made public, and Pritzkers office declined to comment Tuesday on the specifics of the agreement.

Pritzker said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune on Thursday that many of the parties that were at the table are very satisfied, and I think well be able to get a bill through.

While an independent audit Pritzker commissioned recommended roughly $350 million in subsidies over five years for just two Exelon nuclear plants, the governor defended agreeing to a higher subsidy, arguing the support would be less than half what the company got from the plan signed into law in 2016 by his predecessor, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.

The negotiations here have been about making sure that we can keep our plants open, keep people working and address  this is really the most important part of this is addressing climate change, and keeping the plants open is part of that effort, Pritzker said.

dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
Help India!



The Kerala High Court recently quashed a government order allotting 80 percent merit-cum-means scholarships to Muslims of the state, directing the government to provide merit-cum-means scholarship to members of the notified minority communities within the state equally. The Muslim community of the state has expressed unease at the order saying that the scholarships were provided to community based on the recommendations of the historic Sachar Committee report. As per the 2006 Sachar Committee report, Muslims are far behind Christians in college enrollment (and even behind Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes). The report had said the Muslims in Kerala were in toto a backward community. In response 13 Muslim organizations of the state have written to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urging restoration of 100% scholarships to Muslims and requested the government to release a transparent data on the provisions and benefits provided to different communities.

Shalini S | TwoCircles.net

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KERALA  After the Kerala High Court on May 28 quashed state Government Orders, sub-classifying the minorities by providing merit-cum-means scholarship at 80 per cent to Muslim community and 20 per cent to Latin Catholic Christians and Converted Christians, and saying it cannot be legally sustained, Muslims from the southern Indian state have expressed unease at the order.

In its order quashing the previous government order, the Division bench, comprising Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly directed the government to pass requisite and appropriate orders, providing merit-cum-means scholarship to members of the notified minority communities within the state equally. This should be done in accordance with the latest population census available with the State Minority Commission, the Court said.

The Kerala High Court passed these directions on a Public Interest Litigation filed by Justine Pallivathukkal, challenging a government order of May 8, 2015 that reservation among the Muslims and other minority communities will be in the ratio of 80:20 ie 80 per cent to Muslim Community and 20 per cent to Latin Christians and Converted Christians.

The petition had said that the fixation of such a ratio was arbitrary, unjust and illegal and accordingly violative of Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution.

In its order on the petition, the Court noted that the Christian Minority community had made representations to the government and State Minority Commission on the discrimination meted out to Latin Catholic Christians and Converted Christians on award of merit-cum-means scholarship, but no action was initiated.

The decision by the High Court comes after the unexpected taking over of the states Minority Affairs portfolio by Kerala Chief Minister (CM) Pinarayi Vijayan, which reportedly has displeased the Muslim minority community of the state. Pertinently, the Directorate of Minority Welfare was formed under General Administration Department in 2008, and ever since the Minority Affairs was handled by Muslim ministers from the cabinet until now.

The decision by the Kerala High Court has left the Muslim community worried even more.

Unease at the order

In a statement, AP Aboobacker Musliyar, Grand Mufti of India and General Secretary of All India Sunni Jamiyyathul Ulama said, Kerala government should address the social reality. It should explain under what conditions the scholarships were provided to Muslims and give proper data. It should appeal against the HC verdict.

Likewise, 13 Muslim organisations from Kerala including Samastha Kerala Jamiat-ul-Ulema, Kerala Muslim Jamaath, Ameer- Jamaat-e-Islami Kerala, Wisdom Islamic Organisation, Muslim Education Society (MES) and Muslim Service Society (MSS) wrote a joint letter to the CM to restore 100% scholarships to Muslims and requested the government to release a transparent data on the provisions and benefits provided to different communities.

Caught between a cleft, Pinarayi Vijayan after an all-party meeting on June 5 said that legal scrutiny will be conducted before arriving at any conclusion.

CM strengthening rapport with Minority communities

The retaining of the Minority Affairs portfolio is viewed as the CMs move to strengthen his rapport with the minority communities and is considered to be taken after concerns raised by Christian forums.

The Christian forums in Kerala have claimed that the states Minority Welfare Department has concerned itself with the welfare of the Muslim community alone and that there has been polarity in the distribution of minority welfare funds. However, the CM stated that the decision was not taken in favour of any minority community and was taken after consensus.

Sangh parivar (umbrella term for Hindu nationalist organisation) has been trying to make inroads into the Christian community and cause communal friction in the state. Orthodox Syrian churches are on the same ground with the BJP that love jihad is real for a very long time. It is nothing but Hindutva hate propaganda. The church delegates also met with the Prime Minister to apprise them about the so-called love jihad and minority scholarship before the assembly elections. CMs move can be seen as a political message to the BJP, said Hiba, Assistant Professor in English from Calicut, Kerala, and an advocate of anti-caste politics.

Indian Union Muslim Leagues National General Secretary P K Kunhalikutty castigated the move during a press conference. Taking back the portfolio from Abdurahman is a huge insult. There is news that the community handling this department is not right. It has been endorsed.

Sachar Committee and Paloli Commission

After the decision by the Kerala High Court quashing of 80:20 ratio in the distribution of minority scholarship, the move has created unrest among the Muslim community of the state.

Aysha Renna, student activist and prominent figure of anti-CAA protest from Kerala told TwoCircles.net, Scholarship to Muslims is provided under the suggestions of Sachar Committee report after studying the socio-economic status of Muslims. The Sachar Committee report identified that Muslims were below SC and STs in backwardness. Paloli Commission was formed in Kerala to implement the suggestions provided in the Sachar Committee report. The scholarships were provided for the welfare of the Muslims in the beginning but it was later split into 80:20 ratio.

Sachar Committee was established by the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2005 to study the social, economic and educational status of the Muslim Community in India. The report was the first of its kind to make a systematic analysis of Indias largest minority (Muslim) community since independence.

The report stated that, the innocuous purpose was to know if Muslims were under-represented in some departments or any other sphere and reasons thereof so that the Government could take corrective steps. Such an approach is not divisive but is positive, an essential requirement for impartial and caring administration in its commitment for instilling confidence in the fairness of the governments functioning.

In 2008, an eleven-member committee was formed by the Kerala Government under the leadership of Paloli Mohammed Kutty, the then Minister for Local Administration, to submit proposals necessary for the implementation of suggestions made in the Sachar Committee report. The commission has emphasized constituting Minority Welfare Cell in the State Secretariat before the formation of the Department as part of immediate steps to be taken to redress the Muslim backwardness, to institute Welfare Fund and pension to Madrasa teachers and scholarship to Muslim girls, etc.

As mentioned in the courts judgement allowing the petition of advocate Justine Pallivathukal dated May 28, 5000 scholarships have been set apart for degree and postgraduate professional courses for Muslim women per year and 14 posts of clerks have been created in 14 districts. An amount of Rs. 10 Crores was set apart for the implementation of the above scholarships (as recommended by Paloli Commission).

This provision was extended to the Latin Catholics and other converted Christians by the then VS Achuthanandan led LDF government in Kerala.

A government order (GO) was passed in 2011 stating that 20% of benefits given to the Muslim students in scholarships and hostel stipends shall be distributed to the Latin Catholics and other converted Christians also.

In 2015, the Pinarayi Vijayan led LDF government passed another GO stating that the reservation in scholarship will be in 80:20 ratio for the Muslims and other minority communities (Latin Catholics and other converted Christians) pursuing courses such as Chartered Accountancy (CA), Cost & Works Accountancy (ICWA) and Company Secretaryship based on merit and income basis.

The scholarships were provided for the welfare of the Muslim community under Sachar Committee report. It was later diluted and labelled as minorities welfare. Any move in favour of Muslims is made to look corrupt, a Muslim youth from Kerala told TwoCircles.net.

Christians are religious minorities too and the state must create a separate committee to address their grievances and study their socio-economic conditions. They cannot split the scholarship, Aysha Renna added.

Petetion alleging minority scholarship scheme as discriminatory to states Christians

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by advocate Justine Pallivathukal, who is a member of the Roman Catholic community, against the 80:20 ratio of minority scholarships in favour of the Muslim community in Kerala. The fixation of ratio in Exhibit P4 (GO passed in 2015) is arbitrary, unjust and illegal and accordingly violative of Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution of India, Pallivathukal had argued in his petition.

The petitioner had said that the ratio was formulated without any study and that the state is supporting a particular section under the cover of minority rights.

In defence, the state government had filed a counter-affidavit citing Justice Sachar Committee report and Kerala Padana report for its affirmative action in granting separate scholarship to the Muslim community. Yet, the Kerala High court declared the 80:20 ratio as discriminatory in the spirit of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, and Kerala State Commission for Minorities Act, 2014. It called the ratio unconstitutional.

(We) hereby direct the Kerala State Government to pass requisite and appropriate Government orders providing merit-cum-means scholarship to the members of the notified minority communities within the State equally and in accordance with the latest population census available with the State Minority Commission, the judgement said.
DAKAR (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved $650 million in aid to Senegal to support the West African country's COVID-19 recovery, it said in a statement late on Monday.

The announcement follows an earlier payment of $442 million to Senegal in April 2020, also to mitigate the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the IMF said.

The pandemic has hit the Senegalese economy hard and caused growth to contract to an estimated 1.5% in 2020 from 5.3% in 2019, the IMF said. The Fund expects a modest recovery in 2021 with growth reaching 3.7% and forecast to reach 5.5% in 2022.

The $650 million will be paid over 18 months, with an immediate disbursement of $187 million, the IMF said.

"The 18-month arrangements ... will provide a policy anchor for the next phase of the authorities' COVID-19 response and support a strong and job-rich recovery," it said.

The West African country said last week that it plans to raise $500 million from the debt market to create jobs for young people as part of a response to riots in March. It also issued 775 million euros in Eurobonds.

Senegal, one of Africa's most stable democracies, was rocked by its worst unrest in a decade in March after the arrest of a popular opposition politician triggered an explosion of pent-up anger over economic hardship.

Senegal has brought COVID-19 cases under control in the last few months, ramping up its vaccination drive, but there is a risk of a third wave, the IMF said. The health ministry has recorded 41,725 cases and 1,150 deaths from coronavirus to date.

(Reporting by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Bate Felix and Jane Merriman)
Australian Rules Football great Adam Goodes has refused induction into the sport's Hall of Fame, the AFL said Tuesday, apologising again to the Indigenous player whose career was marred by racial abuse from fans.

Goodes, who retired in 2015 after 372 matches for the Sydney Swans and twice won the AFL's top Brownlow medal, was voted into the Hall of Fame on the first year of his eligibility.

AFL Commission Chairman Richard Goyder said Goodes had declined the offer, but had not wanted to publicise the decision before the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which was planned for later this month but has been delayed due to a Covid-19 outbreak in Melbourne.

"Adam was clear he did not want his decision to detract from the moment for the 2021 inductees," Goyder said.

Goodes did also not publicise the reason for his decision, which Goyder said "we understand and respect".

Goodes was subjected to repeated booing in the months leading up to his retirement -- abuse seen as racially motivated and linked to an incident where he responded angrily to being called an "ape" by a young spectator.

The unhappy end to his football career and subsequent high-profile work promoting Indigenous literacy and rights was the subject of a 2019 documentary, "The Final Quarter".

The AFL issued a formal apology to Goodes in 2019, but Goyder acknowledged Tuesday the gesture "was too late".

"On behalf of our Commission and the AFL, I apologise unreservedly again for our failures during this period," Goyder said.

"The treatment of Adam in his final years at AFL level drove him from football. The AFL and our game did not do enough to stand with him at the time, and call it out."

"We hope that there will be a time in the future when Adam will want to be connected to the game again. This is a decision for Adam and Adam only and we understand and respect his choice," Goyder said.

The AFL is Australia's most popular sport and has a long history of racist incidents targeting Aboriginal and other Indigenous players.

Earlier this year, a damning internal report identified a "toxic" culture of systemic racism at the Collingwood AFL team, one of the country's largest sporting organisations.

dm/hr/leg
Jun. 8North Murray High School's D'Ante Tidwell initially signed to play college football at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York, but his new collegiate destination is a little closer to home.

Tidwell, who signed with Army in February, is now committed to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, he announced on Twitter.

"Things happen for a reason ... . With that being said I'll be staying at home," Tidwell posted.

Attempts to reach Tidwell Tuesday were unsuccessful.

The versatile Tidwell initially committed and signed with Army  over offers from Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, Richmond, Navy and Shorter  after a standout career on both sides of the ball for the Mountaineers.

Tidwell played all over the field for North Murray in 2020, at wide receiver, running back, kick returner and defensive back.

He had 119 carries for 877 yards and 16 touchdowns; 32 catches for 546 yards for six touchdowns; two special teams touchdowns; and five interceptions. He was the Region 6-3A offensive player of the year, made the 6-3A second team defense and made the Daily Citizen-News 2020 All-Area Football Team as an athlete. Tidwell was most heavily recruited at defensive back, but also expected to play offense at Army when he signed.

Tidwell played basketball and ran track at North Murray in addition to football.

Tidwell will join a couple of other former area standouts that made the short trek up I-75 to join the Mocs program.

Former Dalton High School quarterback Landon Allen is on the roster for UTC, as is former Southeast Whitfield lineman Noah Ramsey. Former Northwest Whitfield standout Isaiah Mack starred at UTC from 2014-2018 before going on to a career in the NFL. Mack is currently with the Denver Broncos.
The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to substantial reductions in student learning in metro-Atlanta public elementary and middle schools. Whats more, these impacts have grown over time, according to our new research.

By winter of 2020-21, we found that average math achievement within a grade was up to seven months behind where students likely would have been had the pandemic not occurred. In reading, students were up to 7  months behind on average in some grades.

Students often fell further behind between the fall and winter tests, sometimes dramatically so. The effects of the pandemic varied by subject, grade and school district, complicating how districts can determine their responses to this unprecedented disruption to formal education.

We also found that the pandemic often made preexisting disparities worse.

For example, students eligible for free or reduced-price meals  a crude measure of poverty  generally experienced slower achievement growth during the pandemic than did ineligible students. Similarly, traditionally marginalized student groups, including Black students, Hispanic students and English learners, generally experienced larger reductions in achievement growth.

We wanted to understand whether the return to in-person learning would reduce the harmful effects of the pandemic. Elementary school students who returned to in-person instruction in the fall of 2020-21 experienced greater achievement growth per instructional day than students who continued to learn remotely, but their growth was still less than for comparable students before the pandemic. This could be due to student difficulty in transitioning back to in-person learning, emotional trauma or other effects of the pandemic. Alternatively, increased disparities in student achievement could make teaching more difficult. For middle school students, differences in the rate of learning between in-person and remote instruction were modest.

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Why it matters

Many people are concerned that school closures and virtual learning during the pandemic slowed student learning. Understanding the extent of the slowdown will help districts determine what sort of intervention strategies may counteract the losses, and what resource levels will be required to meet the challenge.

Similarly, knowing how achievement growth varies by instructional mode  remote, hybrid and face-to-face  will inform decisions about the use of remote instruction, both for the remainder of the pandemic and beyond.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provides school districts with funds to help students catch up to where their learning would have been had the pandemic not occurred. The most important implication of our findings is that assistance should be targeted toward students with the greatest reductions in achievement growth during the pandemic.

We recommend that districts use three strategies that prior research suggests have the greatest impact on student achievement.

First, provide high-intensity, small-group tutoring based on classroom content. This strategy comes with the highest price tag, emphasizing the need to focus on students with the greatest need.

Second, extend the school day during the regular academic year.

And third, provide learning opportunities during summer or other breaks, and use incentives like free meals and transportation to increase participation in them.

Whats next

Our research group, the Metro Atlanta Policy Lab for Education, continues to dig into the effects of the pandemic on students. We are studying student engagement under remote learning and analyzing how parents chose their students learning mode. Were also unpacking unexpected findings, such as the relatively milder impacts on girls and students with disabilities.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Thomas Goldring, Georgia State University and Tim R. Sass, Georgia State University.

Read more:



Thomas Goldring receives funding from the Foundation for Child Development.

Tim R. Sass receives funding from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and the Smith Richardson Foundation.
WASHINGTON  The For the People Act isn't the only voting rights bill with problems.

The other proposal on the Democrats' agenda  named after John Lewis, the civil rights leader and House member who died last July  faces a steep uphill climb to winning the 10 Republicans needed to break a filibuster in the Senate, according to conversations with key senators.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, the only Republican who has endorsed the proposal, expressed uncertainty Monday when asked to describe a path to 60 votes in the evenly split chamber.

"I don't know. I don't know. It's a challenging one. I think we just have to be honest with it," Murkowski said. "You've got to find an awful lot of Republicans to join us on this."

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., on Sunday dashed hopes of passing the For the People Act, a sweeping election overhaul bill that would guarantee universal access to mail-in voting and 15 days of early voting in every state.

Cementing his opposition in an opinion piece for the Charleston Gazette-Mail of West Virginia, Manchin wrote that Congress shouldn't overhaul election rules on a party-line basis and that it ought to focus instead on the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act because "there is bipartisan support to pass" it.

But getting 10 GOP votes would be a slog, even if every Democrat backs it.

Murkowski's friend and fellow moderate, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, didn't say whether she supports the John Lewis proposal when she was asked Monday. Her office declined to comment.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the former chief vote counter for the Republican caucus, said he opposes the measure and intends to talk to his colleagues "so they understand what the implications are."

"It is basically doing through the back door what Democrats are trying to do through the front door on S.1 and H.R.1," he said, using the congressional names for the bills. "What I don't want to happen is if S.1 doesn't make it because people like Sen. Manchin are opposed to it that people say, 'Well, this is kind of a lesser included provision.' It's just as big of a problem as S.1."

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Asked whether he believes 10 Republicans could support it, Cornyn said, "I hope not."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Tuesday said the bill is "unnecessary.

So theres no threat to the voting rights law, its against the law to discriminate against the basis of race already, and so I think its unnecessary," he said.

'American democracy is at stake'

Democrats say the John Lewis bill isn't a viable substitute for S.1 because it wouldn't undo the restrictive voting laws that have passed in Republican-led states like Georgia and Florida  it would merely require certain states to get federal preapproval for future changes in voting laws.

"In my view, the future of American democracy is at stake," said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who caucuses with the Democrats. "It is unacceptable that we have Republican legislatures and governors working actively to suppress the vote for people of color, for young people, so that they can retain power. And we have got to do everything that we possibly can to override the Republican legislatures."

A Democratic staffer who has worked on the For the People Act said the John Lewis bill doesn't have completed legislative language and isn't as far along in its development.

"It's hard to overstate what's at stake here," said Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. "We need the John Lewis voting rights act because it has a powerful tool called pre-clearance, which will protect future elections. But we've got to find a way to protect the assault on democracy that's happening right now, and John Lewis alone will not change that."

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said election rules should be up to states to decide, a common view among his Republican colleagues.

He also voiced skepticism about the proposal on the table.

"There are so many problems with that particular piece of legislation that I find it very difficult to support it," Rounds said.

Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said Democrats are going about it wrong when he was asked about the prospects of the John Lewis act.

"They're reaching for too much too soon," he said.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said he doesn't have "a feel for" the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

"I don't know enough about it. I need to hear more arguments pro and con," he said. "I don't like the fact that it involves bureaucrats and the Department of Justice telling states what they can and can't do."

Cornyn argued that the existing provisions of the Voting Rights Act are enough to protect access to the ballot box, citing the "robust level of minority voting" across the country.

"We need to identify what it is the problem we're trying to fix," he said. "And whether any additional federal laws are needed, or is Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act sufficient to protect minority voting rights? I have to believe it is."
A federal judge whose ruling last week to strike down California's three-decade-old assault weapons ban garnered swift backlash is drawing more criticism over his claims about Covid-19 vaccines, firearm injuries and other subjects.

The state appealed U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez's decision Thursday, which California Attorney General Rob Bonta dismissed as "fundamentally flawed." Legal experts say scrutiny of the case goes beyond why he concluded that the state's prohibition is unconstitutional to another level of concern: how he shaped his argument.

"I think it's incredibly problematic when a federal judge quotes things that are factually incorrect, because it hurts the integrity of the branch," said Jessica Levinson, a law professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles who is an MSNBC columnist.

Benitez's ruling has grabbed attention for how he likened the AR-15 rifle, which has been wielded in some of the deadliest mass shootings in the U.S. in recent years, to a Swiss Army knife that could be used "for both home and battle." But tucked within his 94-page decision were other comparisons that critics said were inexplicable.

He wrote that studies prove "that the 'harm' of an assault rifle being used in a mass shooting is an infinitesimally rare event," adding, "More people have died from the Covid-19 vaccine than mass shootings in California."

Benitez offered no citation for the claim, and his office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

An analysis by Newsweek of the last 80 mass shootings in the U.S. found that 26 percent involved the use of AR-15 rifles.

California has had more than a dozen mass shootings this year, the deadliest of them in May, when a gunman killed nine people at a San Jose rail yard before dying by suicide. NBC News defines a mass shooting as a single incident involving three or more people who have been shot in a public place.

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Since 2017, more than 50 people in California have been killed in mass shootings, some of them during a rampage in March at an Orange County business complex, which left a 9-year-old dead, and at a crowded dance hall in 2018 in Thousand Oaks.

Related:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that while it has investigated nearly 4,900 reports nationwide of deaths among people who received Covid-19 vaccines from Dec. 14 to May 24, physicians were unable to establish a "causal link" to the vaccines. There have been extremely rare cases of potentially life-threatening blood clots involving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which led to a temporary pause in its use in April.

Benitez's ruling last week stems from a 2019 lawsuit filed by James Miller, a California resident, and San Diego County Gun Owners, a political action committee, which alleged that the state's landmark assault weapons ban  the first of its kind in the country, established in 1989  violates their Second Amendment rights.

In his decision, Benitez also makes a point about firearm injuries by citing an emergency room physician's testimony. He wrote that "injuries from firearms like the AR-15 which are banned as 'assault weapons' are no different from other firearms that are common and lawful to own."

The experiences of trauma surgeons who have treated victims of mass shootings involving military-style rifles have been documented in recent years, particularly after the shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in 2018 that left 17 people dead.

Dr. Heather Sher, a radiologist in Broward County who treated victims of the Parkland shooting and other incidents, wrote in The Atlantic about the differences in wounds from AR-15s and handguns.

"Handgun injuries to the liver are generally survivable unless the bullet hits the main blood supply to the liver," Sher wrote. "An AR-15 bullet wound to the middle of the liver would cause so much bleeding that the patient would likely never make it to the trauma center to receive our care."

Constitutional law scholar Laurence Tribe, a professor emeritus at Harvard Law School, said Benitez's assertions are "utterly without factual foundation."

"They are irresponsible in the extreme, whether described as purported 'facts' or repackaged as opinions," Tribe said in an email. "His entire theory about which firearms are protected by the Second Amendment has no basis in the text, history, or judicial interpretation of the Amendment and swallows its own tail by making the circular assertion that the weapons in common use at any given time are those protected by the Amendment."

Benitez was nominated to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California in 2004 by President George W. Bush. His nomination was overwhelmingly opposed by a committee of the American Bar Association, which said other judges and lawyers interviewed about him described him as being arrogant, short-tempered and "altogether lacking in people skills."

A committee member told senators that Benitez's response was "to consistently deny the accuracy of what I had been told," adding, "He was unable to explain why so many people would make incorrect, negative comments about him."

The Senate confirmed his nomination 98-1.

In recent years, Benitez, who is based in San Diego but whose rulings could reverberate through several Western states under the jurisdiction of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, has overseen a number of high-profile gun-related cases. He has opposed California's ban on high-capacity magazines and its mandatory background checks to buy ammunition in colorful, strongly worded rulings. He has written that the Second Amendment "gets even less respect" than Rodney Dangerfield, a nod to the late comedian's shtick.

Related:

Josh Blackman, a law professor at South Texas College of Law Houston and an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, said that while Benitez writes with "flair" in his rulings, he is ultimately not violating any ethics rules.

He added that the underlying basis for Benitez's ruling  that assault weapons are "fairly ordinary, popular, modern rifles" that are not routinely used in mass shootings and that, therefore, their use should be protected by the Second Amendment  is made clear.

It's not unheard of, Blackman added, for judges deciding hot-button issues, such as cases involving voting rights and abortion, to use flourishes in their opinions that depart from more straightforward legalese.

Benitez stayed his order for 30 days to give the state a chance to appeal to the 9th Circuit.

Observers say the case could land before the Supreme Court, which agreed in April to take up a challenge to New York's concealed handgun law  the first time in more than a decade that the high court will hear a central issue of the gun rights debate.

Levinson said the potential unraveling of California's assault weapons ban shows how federal judicial appointments, which are lifelong, can having lasting effects on many issues.

"This should be a lesson to us all. It really matters who's on the federal bench," she said.
Migrants and travelers cross the Suchiate River, that marks the border between Guatemala and Mexico, on Sunday, June 6, 2021. - Moises Castillo/AP

Kamala Harris embarked on a trip to Mexico and Guatemala yesterday hoping to get support in tackling the surge of migrants flooding to the US southern border.

It will be the vice-president's first foreign trip since taking office and comes weeks after Joe Biden asked her to handle the thorny issue of immigration from Central America, a role seen as something of a poisoned chalice.

Detentions of undocumented travellers along the US-Mexico border hit a 15-year record high in April, with nearly 180,000 people intercepted - more than 80 per cent of them coming from Mexico or the so-called Northern Triangle of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Ms Harris left for Guatemala on Sunday, and will go on to Mexico to seek the co-operation of the country's populist Left-wing president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, during the country's mid-term elections.

Relations between the US and Mexico have been strained recently after Mr Lopez Obrador accused the Biden administration of funding "coup plotters" trying to undermine his government during a recent call with Ms Harris.

Ms Harris has been dubbed the administration's "border tsar" by Republicans as they seek to make her the face of what they have repeatedly described as an immigration crisis.

The trip is in part a fact-finding mission as the administration tries to discover the root causes of the surge in migrants on the southern border.

Joe Biden has asked Kamala Harris to take charge of the 'poisoned chalice' of Central American immigration to the United States - EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/ REUTERS

Ahead of the trip, her office said that the vice president will take a "multi-pronged approach" also focusing on climate change, violence, poverty and food insecurity which, the administration argues, has underpinned the flood of migrants heading north to the US.

While the Biden administration has scored high approval ratings over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the economy, voters have been unimpressed by its performance over immigration.

According to an AP-NORC survey last month, 54 per cent of respondents disapproved of the administration's record on immigration.

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On taking office, Mr Biden vowed to implement a more humane immigration policy than Donald Trump. He issued a blizzard of executive orders including imposing a 100-day moratorium on deportations, establishing a task force to reunite children who had been separated from their parents and stopping funding for Mr Trump's border wall.

Mr Biden also pledged to end the "remain in Mexico" policy of the previous administration which left asylum seekers in makeshift camps near the border while their cases were considered.

Humanitarian in intent, the policy appeared to have backfired on Mr Biden with the US on course for as many as two million migrants on its southern border.

There was an influx of unaccompanied minors which overwhelmed the immigration service and the optics of children crammed into overcrowded centres were politically disastrous and exploited with gusto by Republican politicians. Republican governors stepped up their attack on the vice president over the weekend.

"Since taking office over four months ago, Vice President Kamala Harris has not visited our southern border. Democrats created an overwhelming crisis at the border, and now they are blatantly ignoring the crisis they caused," the Republican Governors Association said in a fund-raising email to supporters over the weekend.

"President Trumps border security was a major step towards alleviating the crisis. This White House completely dismantled President Trumps security and refuses to even address the issue."
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks while Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei listens at the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura on on Monday, June 7, 2021. This week, the Vice President is visiting Guatemala and Mexico to discuss the root causes of migration from the Central American countries in what is known as the Northern Triangle Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

VP Kamala Harris pushed back on criticisms of her not taking a trip to the US-Mexico border.

Harris said her role involves addressing the "root causes" of migration.

"I'm not discounting the importance of the border," she said.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

Vice President Kamala Harris in a new interview said that she has not yet taken a trip to the southern border because her role involves dealing with the "root causes" of migrants from Central America coming to the US.

"There may be some who think that that is not important. But it is my firm belief that if we care about what's happening at the border, we better care about the root causes and address them. And so that's what I'm doing," Harris told NBC's Lester Holt in an interview that aired Tuesday.

When asked about any plans for her to visit the border, Harris said she will "at some point" but repeatedly emphasized that other Biden administration officials have already done so.

"We are going to the border. We've been to the border," she said. "So this whole thing about the border. We've been to the border. We've been to the border."

"You haven't been to the border," Holt responded.

"And I haven't been to Europe," Harris said. "I don't understand the point that you're making. I'm not discounting the importance of the border. ... I care about what's happening at the border. I'm in Guatemala because my focus is dealing with the root causes of migration."

Harris' comments come amid her first foreign trip as vice president to Guatemala and Mexico, where she met with top officials to discuss the underlying issues of migration.

The US-Mexico border has seen a rapid influx of Central American migrants since the start of 2021, which accelerated during the first few months of the Biden administration.

President Joe Biden previously said the surge happens "every year" and that issues in home countries such as violence, poverty and extreme weather conditions drive people to come to the US. Biden has warned prospective migrants not to travel to the border as his administration works to reform the legal immigration system.

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During a news conference in Guatemala on Monday, Harris reiterated the Biden administration's messaging, telling migrants not to make the "dangerous trek" to the US-Mexico border because they would be turned away.

"I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come. Do not come," Harris said.

Biden in March tasked Harris with taking the lead on issues related to immigration, particularly focusing on US negotiations with Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Top Republicans have heavily criticized the Biden administration for what they describe as a mishandling of a "crisis" at the border and have specifically attacked Harris for not heading down there personally.

Read the original article on Business Insider
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By Giulia Paravicini

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday urged Ethiopia to open up its telecoms sector to private mobile money business investors, a move that would complement a process already underway to reform the sector and bring in foreign investment.

Ethiopia is opening up its telecoms sector, hitherto a monopoly of the state-owned Ethio Telecom, and last month authorities awarded the first private operator licence.

The licence was handed out to a consortium led by Kenya's Safaricom, Vodafone, and Japan's Sumitomo 8053.T.

Currently though only Ethio Telecom is allowed to offer mobile financial services while foreign operators are barred by law from participating. Mobile money is a term for banking transactions made using a phone or other mobile device.

"I am hopeful that your government will consider in the near future, opening up the opportunity for mobile money in Ethiopia," Kenyatta, who is on a visit to Ethiopia, said at a ceremony in the capital Addis Ababa where the consortium was officially awarded its operating licence.

"This move will be particularly timely, as it will offer the millions of Ethiopian people avenues for financial inclusion."

Mobile money services, which were pioneered in Kenya more than a decade ago, have become a lucrative segment of telecoms services in many sub-Saharan African countries.

Ethiopia is hoping that the opening of one of the world's last major closed telecoms markets will create millions of online job opportunities.

The Safaricom consortium plans to invest up to $8.5 billion in the country's infrastructure among other areas.

As part of opening up the sector, Ethiopia is also planning to sell a 40% stake in Ethio Telecom to private investors and 5% to Ethiopian people. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said at the same function his government was in the final stage of starting the tendering process.

(Writing by Elias Biryabarema, Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Tigers, today were going to keep unpacking the alphabetic code, said first grade San Antonio teacher Victor De La Cerda, teaching a reading lesson to a lively group of six year oldssome in person, others in Zoom boxes.

Watch my mouth, De La Cerda says as he makes a long u sound.

Intermittent with group drum rolls created by childrens fingers rapidly tapping tables, the class identifies words with a long u, which can be spelled four different ways. Today they will focus on the spelling u_e as in cute.

If they dont master it this time for one of the million reasons a kid learning during the pandemic might miss a conceptits okay. The class will revisit the skill soon, as part of a future lesson.

This structured approach is one of many reasons De La Cerda was already sold on the science of reading, which he learned in graduate school.

As a first-grade teacher in Texas, hes smack dab in the middle of what some have called the latest chapter in the Reading Wars, the multi-decade battle  freshly complicated by the pandemic  over whether structure or curiosity best teaches kids to read.

The science of reading uses a strict regimen of skills and steps to connect the parts of the brain involved in reading. Compare this to a chef who strictly follows recipes to ensure a final dish reaching the desired consistency and flavor.

On the other side are balanced literacy proponents who prefer the more customized approach of reading levels and groups. These are like chefs who, knowing the principles of cooking, rely on seasoning to taste and adding ingredients as necessary until the dish is ready to be served. They say rigid adherence to the science of reading method robs young readers of their joy, making the classroom a dreary, disengaging place.

As San Antonio school officials turn their attention toward the 2021-22 academic year and recovery efforts to catch kids up, they hope to convince still-hesitant teachers to believe in the practicality and facility of the science of reading method.

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Related: A Teachers View: How the Science of Reading Helped Me Make the Most of Limited Time With My Students & Adapt Lessons to Meet Their Needs

To make their case, science of reading proponents point to its effectiveness and success during the pandemic: At a time when children could not learn to read by being exposed to a word-rich environment in classrooms with overflowing libraries and word walls, the science of reading still worked, converting more easily to Zoom.

While neither the state nor local school districts seem ready to mandate exclusive use of the science of reading, researchers, politicians and school officials have been moving Texas in that direction for years, arguing that balanced literacy is inadequate to make the gains the state needs to see.

I really powerfully believe in that foundation, De La Cerda said of the carefully choreographed structure and routine offered by the science of reading.

(Screenshot courtesy of Victor De La Cerda)

During the pandemic, teachers like De La Cerda were able to give kindergarteners, first- and second-graders bite-sized pieces of reading they could use in the world around them, wherever they were, on whatever newspaper, cereal box, road sign, app, or book was available.

During the pandemic, curriculum developers in San Antonio ISD created a years worth of carefully paced material in English and Spanish based on the science of reading. The Zoom-friendly lessons were provided to teachers adapting to the new world of remote learning where word walls, books, classroom libraries, and leveled reading groups  all tools of the balanced literacy approach  were no longer available.

The science of reading will also be helpful after the pandemic when schools face the challenging landscape of learning loss, said San Antonio ISD Assistant Superintendent for Learning, Language & Literacy Olivia Hernandez. With some students learning in person since September, and others learning remotely for over a year with varying amounts of support at home, students are expected to start the 2021-22 school year all over the map academically.

Rather than placing kids in remediation while some of their peers move on, Hernandez is encouraging teachers to use the science of reading methods to review and reinforce skills while keeping everyone on grade level.

The last thing we want is for (students) to hear that they are behind, she said.

But others warn that over-correcting and eschewing the personalized, relational aspects of balanced literacy could backfire as children need to be re-engaged after a year of highly abnormal learning situations.

There can be major issues when youre not personalizing instruction, said Lisa Riggs the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment at Gresham-Barlow School District in Oregon who previously worked as Chief Academic Officer in SAISD, Youre going to lose engagement, youre going to get complacency, youre not going to drive them into their interests.

Science of reading lessons are good tools, she said, but to create lifelong readers, teachers need to be able to foster social and emotional connections to reading as well. They need to be flexible and creative  even if that means deviating from the script with certain students.

I really feel as though there has to be a human connection to our students, Riggs said. I just dont think that it can be done without that.

(Screenshot courtesy of Victor De La Cerda)

Teachers can add the magic, creating joyful and skillful readers, Hernandez said, while adhering tightly to the science of reading plan. The joy comes from the teacher, and the skill comes from a careful methodology that leaves very little to chance. Like master chefs, teachers bring something special to the recipe.

Some teachers can keep students progressing and accelerate learning with balanced literacy, she said, but data was showing that it wasnt the norm, even before the pandemic.

Not every child had access to an experienced teacher, lots of books, someone to read with them at home, and word-rich environments. The odds were against struggling students, mobile students, and low-income students.

Test scores showed that in 2019 only 45 percent of Texas third-graders were reading on grade level.

To address its dismal literacy numbers, Texas put its money on the science of reading with the passage of House Bill 3 in 2019.

It requires all Kindergarten-third grade teachers and principals to attend a Reading Academy, where they learn how to teach according to the science of reading. Teachers in Kindergarten-eighth grade must take a Science of Teaching Reading Exam. Districts must also use a certified phonics curriculum.

Districts like San Antonio ISD played an active role creating a unique Reading Academy for teachers who teach reading in Spanish, as dual language programs expand to meet the needs of the 980,000 Texas students who speak Spanish as their first language.

Though its preference is clear, the Texas Education Agency is not going to unilaterally end the Reading Wars. Nothing in HB 3 requires teachers to use the science of reading or curriculum aligned to it in their classrooms.

The bill provided a lot of new tools, but its up to educators to decide how to use them, said Texas Education Agency Deputy Commissioner for School Programs Lily Laux. We dont have the intent to go beyond that.

Whether or not they adopt it wholesale, school districts appear enthusiastic about the training. Even during the pandemic, 30,000 teachers signed up for the reading academies, Laux said. Thats quite amazing that people still decided to prioritize this content.

In San Antonio ISD, if teachers are showing that all their students are achieving at high levels, teachers are encouraged to maintain what is working well, Hernandez said. The district will provide guidance and support for teachers who need and want to make the shift to practices aligned to the science of reading and shes confident most will.

People, I believe, said Hernandez, will move into whats best for our students.

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Jun. 8A top leader in the Pagans Motorcycle Club Pittsburgh chapter pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to one count of violating firearms laws, according to the Department of Justice.

Patrick Rizzo, 46, of McKees Rocks, vice president of the club, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville. The plea followed an investigation, dating from August 2020, in which the FBI intercepted thousands of wire and electronic communications over 10 phones, one of which was Rizzo's.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised the Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force conducted a long-term investigation into drug trafficking and illegal firearms activity occurring in Western Pennsylvania that involved members of the Pagans Pittsburgh chapter, including Rizzo.

According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice, while in court Rizzo admitted that, on Oct. 17-18, 2020, he and other members of the club discussed Rizzo possessing a revolver. On Oct. 21, 2020, Rizzo acknowledged he was stopped by Pittsburgh police after almost causing a crash in Downtown Pittsburgh.

After smelling marijuana coming from inside the vehicle, police patted Rizzo down and found a "marijuana roach." The revolver with five rounds was found inside the vehicle as well as a black holster for the gun. Rizzo admitted he has a prior felony conviction and cannot legally possess firearms.

Rizzo also admitted that, on Dec. 8, a federal search warrant was executed at his apartment, where officials found two handguns, one of which was stolen, related magazines and 165 rounds of ammunition. Officers also found marijuana packaged for resale in addition to heroin, cocaine and paraphernalia related to using those drugs.

Colville scheduled Rizzo's sentencing for Oct. 26 at 9 a.m. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000.

Rizzo remains in custody pending sentencing.

Megan Tomasic is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 724-850-1203, mtomasic@triblive.com or via Twitter .
Watch a trailer for Loki

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In the early years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, critics often noted how many of the films seemed to have a villain problem. But where other baddies in the franchise have been forgettable one and dones, Tom Hiddlestons Loki quickly became a fan-favourite outlier.

Across six MCU movies hes gone from villain to frenemy to ally, quite literally at times refusing to die, and we have been all the more entertained for it.

With the God of Mischief all set to take centre stage in his own Disney+ series starting this week, nows a good time to take a look back at his crazy journey so far.

Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth in Thor (Marvel Studios)

Hiddleston famously auditioned to play the God of Thunder in Kenneth Branaghs 2011 franchise-starter, but Loki was clearly the role he was born for. Thors jealous brother is up to no good from the start here, orchestrating the Frost Giants break-in to Asgards vault to stop Thor being crowned King. Thereafter, a misguided trip to the Frost Giants home of Jotunheim sees Thor banished to Earth, and leads to Loki discovering that he is actually a Frost Giant whom Odin rescued as a baby and adopted in the hopes that he would one day bring peace between the two realms.

Loki doesnt quite see it that way, and when he briefly becomes ruler of Asgard while Odin is in his deep sleep he schemes to have Thor murdered on Earth and win Odins favour by killing the Frost Giants leader at the All-Fathers bedside. Neither plan gets the desired results, and it all leads to an emotional scene on the Bifrost Bridge in the closing minutes, with Loki opting to fall into a wormhole rather than face the consequences of his actions.

Tom Hiddleston as Loki in 2012's The Avengers (Marvel Studios)

We wouldnt have to wait long to find out what happened to Loki. As it turns out, Thanos was at the other end of that wormhole, and Loki struck a bargain with the Mad Titan: in exchange for the powerful Scepter (which contains the Mind Stone) and command over the Chitauri army with which he could invade Earth, Loki would obtain the Tesseract (which houses the Space Stone) for the purple-skinned baddie.

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Unfortunately for the mischievous Asgardian, the Avengers assembled just in time to take Loki down  an instantly iconic tussle with the Hulk leaves Loki a little worse for wear  and he is sent back to Asgard to face judgement for his crimes.

L-R: Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Jaimie Alexander (Lady Sif), Natalie Portman (Jane Foster), Chris Hemsworth (Thor) in Thor: The Dark World (Marvel Studios)

While Thor: The Dark World is widely thought of as the weakest of the three Thor movies (and even the MCU as a whole), its a pretty good Loki movie. Now back on Asgard, Loki is sentenced to life in the dungeons. But when Malekith and the Dark Elves invade, Lokis actions inadvertently lead to the death of his mother Frigga, leaving him bereft. Its the only time we see him being even slightly remorseful.

Seeking revenge, Thor enlists Loki to help him escape Asgard (against Odins wishes) and bring the fight to Malekith and co. In the ensuing battle, Loki sacrifices himself to save Thor or so we think. In the final scene its revealed that he faked his death, ousted Odin, and has now disguised himself as the All-Father, who just gave his blessing for Thor to return to Earth and stay there for as long as he wishes. That leaves Loki free to rule Asgard with nobody the wiser.

Tom Hiddleston's Loki tussles with Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok (Marvel Studios)

Understandably, Thor is not impressed with Loki when he returns to Asgard in Thor: Ragnarok and quickly sees through his disguise. The brothers team up to find Odin, but before things can get back to normal the All-Father dies and leaves his two sons to face a new threat: Hela, their older sister and Goddess of Death. A botched escape via Bifrost leaves Thor and Loki stranded in Sakaar while Hela makes quick work of bringing Asgard under her heel.

After being outsmarted by Thor for once, Loki reluctantly teams up with his brother, Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and Hulk to make one last stand against Hela. Its a losing battle though, and at Thors behest Loki summons fire demon Surtur (while also snatching the Tesseract from Asgards vault) to bring about Ragnarok, destroying not only Hela but Asgard along with her while the surviving Asgardians flee. For a moment, it looks like Thor and Loki are finally on good terms and that good times are on the horizon

Loki offers up the Tesseract in Avengers: Infinity War (Marvel Studios)

...until Thanos shows up. Hes still after the Tesseract that Loki promised him hed deliver in Marvels Avengers. After some Hulk-assisted trickery ends up with the Gamma-powered hero laid out, Loki eventually hands it over. Then, in a moment that showcases his growth, he proposes a partnership with the Mad Titan that is really a ploy so that he can get close enough to deliver a killing blow.

Unfortunately, Thanos is wise to Lokis last act of deception, and promptly snaps his neck as a helpless Thor watches on.

No resurrections this time, is the line that follows. Except

Tom Hiddleston's Loki has earned the title of God of Mischief many times over (Marvel Studios)

When the Avengers go back in time to undo the damage wrought by Thanos at the end of Infinity War, they return to 2012 and the aftermath of the Battle of New York. Their plan to nab the Tesseract while its in transit with a captured Loki goes awry when 2012 Hulk smacks 2019 Tony Stark with a door, causing the Tesseract to land right at Lokis feet.

Sensing an opportunity, he immediately grabs it and jumps through a wormhole, setting the stage for his Disney+ series. Exactly where and/or when hes gone will presumably be one of the first questions answered when the first episode debuts.

Loki will launch on Disney+ on 9 June (Marvel Studios)

Stepping out from his brother's shadow, Loki returns to front his own series streaming exclusively on Disney+. Picking up his story after the events of Avengers: Endgame, trailers for the series show Loki being enlisted by a mysterious organisation that protects 'the proper flow of time'.

He's broken reality by picking up the Tesseract in Endgame, and they need his help to fix it. Hiddleston is joined in the cast by Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku and Richard E. Grant, with new episodes launching every Wednesday.

Loki premieres on Disney+ on 9 June.

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Kimberly Davis reports.

Video Transcript

JESSICA KARTALIJA: Summer camps will soon be in session all across our region. Today, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced new less strict mask rules for campers and staff. Kimberly Davis has the story from Mount Laurel.

KIMBERLY DAVIS: Normalcy will finally return just in time for the start of the 2021 summer camp season. Last year, we spoke with one summer camp about the changes. This year, we caught up with that same camp to talk to them about the loosened restrictions.

LYNN PRAIRIE: We're so excited to be able to bring some normalcy back to the kids. So we did hear about the guidelines. They're being updated.

KIMBERLY DAVIS: Those updated guidelines now allow vaccinated children and staff at New Jersey summer camps to ditch the masks outdoors and indoors. According to Governor Phil Murphy, those who aren't vaccinated are strongly encouraged to wear a facial covering. The camp administrator for XL Sports World in Mount Laurel says she's waiting for the official guidelines to be released before making any decisions on unvaccinated children.

LYNN PRAIRIE: I think it's going to be up to the parents. I would like to take a look at the guidelines first-- because that was just a snippet of what the guidelines are going to be like-- before we make a final determination on that.

KIMBERLY DAVIS: Lynn says it's unclear if kids will have to show proof of vaccination or if it will be based on an honor system. Those new guidelines will be announced to summer camps on Wednesday.

LYNN PRAIRIE: Last summer was obviously really restrictive. We weren't allowed to have field trips. We weren't allowed to do swimming. We couldn't have special guests. We couldn't allow anyone in the building. Parents had to drop off and pick up outside.

KIMBERLY DAVIS: This summer will be almost normal, as Lynn describes it. And that's news parents, she, and her staff are glad to hear.

LYNN PRAIRIE: I think that it's going to be great for the kids this summer. And to be able to run without their masks, I think it's going to be great.

KIMBERLY DAVIS: Normally, about 950 kids are in that Mount Laurel location. And about 750 children are at the Cherry Hill location. This year, Lynn tells me they expect to have about 3/4 of that normal capacity. And she tells me spots are filling up quickly. Reporting in Cherry Hill, I'm Kimberly Davis, CBS3 Eyewitness News.
A federal judge rejected a Times request to unseal a search warrant used to obtain the cellphone of U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) as part of an FBI investigation into his stock trades. (Gerry Broome / Associated Press)

The Los Angeles Times has appealed a federal judge's ruling denying the news outlet's request to unseal an FBI search warrant in a 2020 investigation into a senator's stock trades.

The search warrant permitted FBI agents last year to obtain the cellphone of Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.). The Times in February filed a lawsuit seeking to unseal the warrant and accompanying affidavit that prosecutors used to justify obtaining the phone as part of an investigation into whether the Republican senator illegally used information from congressional briefings about the coronavirus to sell as much as $1.7 million in stock before the pandemic hit. Burr's lawyers announced in January that the Justice Department had notified them it would not bring charges.

"It's a matter of strong public interest  a search warrant directed at a sitting U.S. senator," said Katie Townsend, a lawyer for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which brought the lawsuit on behalf of The Times to unseal the warrant and was handling the appeal filed Monday. "We think the district courts analysis, in denying public access to the search warrant application and related judicial records, was flawed."

The FBI seized the phone on May 13 of last year, according to officials familiar with the investigation and multiple media reports. A day after The Times first reported the seizure, Burr stepped down as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The 65-year-old is not seeking reelection next year. Burr was one of several senators  including Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California  whose sales and purchases of stock were scrutinized by the Justice Department to see if they violated a congressional insider-trading law. But his was the only case in which warrants were obtained. All such investigations were closed without charges being filed.

The Justice Department contested The Times' suit but filed its motions under seal. In a 10-page opinion issued May 26, Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell of the federal court in Washington refused the news outlet's request to read the Justice Department's pleadings and rejected its arguments that the search warrant should be made public.

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"Assuming the requested materials exist," Howell wrote, "and that the qualified right of access attaches, no disclosure of search warrant materials would be appropriate in a closed, non-public investigation that has not resulted in criminal charges, and where individual privacy and government interests may be implicated."

In court papers, The Times argued that search warrants were "routinely made public after the search warrant is executed, as a matter of standard practice in this and other federal courts." The news outlet's attorneys added that the federal courts in Washington had held that the "public has a qualified right to inspect search warrant materials in closed investigations as matter of both constitutional and common law."

Open records advocates chafed at Howell's ruling, noting that search warrants have frequently been unsealed before charges are brought, or even when no charges are filed. They were concerned that Howell's ruling could cripple the public's ability to assess how the Justice Department handles investigations, even high-profile ones, that do not result in criminal charges.

Seamus Hughes, a George Washington University researcher who has aggressively pressed for the unsealing of court documents, told Politico that the judge's opinion was "offensive."

Its going to radically restrict public access to the court records," Hughes told the website. "Search warrants provide a level of sunlight that is important in a democracy.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
ICA Building. (PHOTO: Screenshot/Google Maps)

SINGAPORE  A man who returned from Batam and was placed on Stay-Home Notice (SHN) was desperate to travel to China to marry his girlfriend.

Ignoring his SHN, Ong Chong Kiat, 51, went to a meet-the-people (MPS) session in an attempt to meet his Member of Parliament (MP), and later travelled to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in order to appeal to be allowed to travel.

Ong, a Singaporean, was jailed for 25 days on Tuesday (8 June) after he pleaded guilty to two counts of exposing others to the risk of COVID-19 infection. Another two charges of a similar nature were considered for his sentencing.

His lawyer Alina Sim told the court that Ong was due to be married to a Chinese national, and was planning to leave for China upon his return from Batam on 24 March last year.

The wedding, scheduled for 5 April last year, did not happen. His girlfriend left him after he failed to go to China.

Ong, an IT consultant, was served an SHN on 24 March when he returned to Singapore from Batam. His SHN was to last until 7 April.

On 26 March, Ong left his residence despite having a sore throat and a cough. He went to Block 632 Hougang Avenue 8 in an attempt to see his MP in the MPS session, and seek the MPs help to appeal to ICA so that he could travel to China. He did not manage to see his MP.

Ong then sought medical treatment at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital for his sore throat and cough, travelling there via taxi. He was referred to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) instead and he took a taxi to the second hospital.

While at TTSH, he underwent an X-ray and a COVID-19 nasal swab test.

On 27 March, Ong again left his residence and took a Grab car to the ICA building, where he wanted to make the same appeal. He spoke to two ICA officers, telling them that he would be holding his wedding in China in five days' time. However, he had no documents to support his claim.

The two officers told Ong to continue serving his SHN and reminded him not to leave his residence. Ong returned home.

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Three days later however, Ong left his residence to collect his swab test result at TTSH, even though TTSH had informed him of his result via SMS on 28 March. The result was negative.

After collecting his result, Ong again visited the ICA building to appeal to leave Singapore for China. He took a Grab car there and proceeded to the ICA's customer relations branch. He coughed to get the attention of an ICA officer there.

The officer, who was attending to another person, asked Ong to fill up a form while waiting. She later realised that Ong was the same person who had visited on 27 March despite serving an SHN. She immediately informed her supervisors, who asked her to usher Ong to an interview room.

Ong, while wearing a face mask, later showed the three officers who attended to him his COVID-19 test result and asked to be allowed to travel to China to get married. However, the officers said they could not allow his request and asked him to return home to finish his SHN. Ong complied, taking a Grab car home.

Ong could have been jailed up to six months and/or fined up to $10,000 for breaching his SHN.

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BALTIMORE  Detectives were stumped by the 2010 shooting of Michael Anthony Temple in Odenton. The gunman left DNA on a cigarette and coffee cup, but a search of the police database found no match. Five years passed, the case went cold, and Temple died of his injuries.

The breakthrough came when investigators submitted the DNA to consumer genealogy websites. Nine years after the shooting, they charged Fred Lee Frampton Jr. It was an early instance of police in Maryland turning to genealogy websites such as Ancestry and GEDmatch to solve cold cases.

Now, Maryland becomes one of the first states in the country to set rules limiting how police can use the popular websites and their databases. The General Assembly passed the legislation this year. And though Gov. Larry Hogan didnt sign the bill, he allowed it to become law anyway.

Beginning Oct. 1, police may use consumer genealogy websites only for serious violent crimes such as murder and rape, only after they exhaust other investigatory methods, and only under the supervision of a judge.

This is a new frontier in forensics, so you want to make certain that there are protections, said Sen. Charles Sydnor III, a Democrat from Baltimore County who sponsored the bill.

Police departments came to realize the investigatory power of genealogy websites after the arrest of the notorious Golden State Killer in 2018. California authorities said they were led to Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. by family tree searches of genealogy websites. He pleaded guilty to more than a dozen murders and was sentenced to life in prison.

Soon detectives across the country were uploading DNA evidence from cold cases onto genealogy websites to locate family members of their suspects. A study in the journal Science found that a database of 1.2 million genetic profiles could identify a third cousin or closer match for 60% of Americans of European descent. One profile can lead to as many as 300 other people, said Natalie Ram, a law professor who researches genetic privacy at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.

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Most of the people who engage in consumer genetic services, theyre not thinking at all about law enforcement, Ram said.

Privacy advocates began to object to the methods. Maryland law had long forbidden police from using the states DNA database to try to identify family members of a suspect.

In 1994, the state authorized police to gather DNA for criminal investigations with the Maryland DNA Collection Act. In 2008, lawmakers expanded the act to allow police to collect and store DNA from people arrested for burglary or violent crimes. The expansion also prohibited detectives from using the state database to locate relatives of a suspect.

Maryland and Washington, D.C., are the only two jurisdictions in the country to prohibit familial searches on the state database, said Ram, the law professor.

Marylands prohibition, however, was specific to the states DNA database. Nothing prohibited detectives from trying consumer sites.

Ram and others urged lawmakers beginning in 2019 to extend the prohibition to the websites. Law enforcement officials testified against such a ban, arguing that members of the public had no reasonable expectation to privacy when uploading their DNA profiles into a public, searchable database. The debate went on for two years.

The final bill represents a compromise, lawmakers said. With it, Maryland joins Montana and Utah as the first states to limit how police may use genealogy websites.

Efforts like the law in Maryland and in Montana and also Utah demonstrate that people across the political spectrum find unfettered law enforcement use of consumer genetic data chilling, concerning and privacy invasive, Ram said.

Marylands new law also ensures defendants charged with a crime may turn to the genealogy websites to prove their innocence. The law was praised by the nonprofit Innocence Project in New York.

Similarly, the Maryland bill requires police to obtain the consent of non-suspects if officers want to use their DNA. State officials also will be required to compile annual reports on how often police are using the websites.

The final product strikes a balance between the legitimate law enforcement use of this technology in certain instances where the crime is just so heinous, said Del. Emily Shetty, a Democrat from Montgomery County who sponsored the legislation. This first-in-the-nation effort can easily be replicated across the country, and it should be.
The Mastercard Foundation announced a $1.3 billion donation aimed at improving Africa's coronavirus response Tuesday, the Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: The funding will be distributed over three years and is intended to help acquire vaccines for more than 50 million people and improve manufacturing and delivery systems.

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Less than 2% of people in Africa have received at least a single dose of the coronavirus vaccine, a stark contrast to the 11.6% global average, per the Post.

The African Union and Africa CDC had set a goal last year of vaccinating at least 60% of their population by the end of 2022, with the cost of the effort estimated to be roughly $16 billion.

Details: According to the Washington Post, as per the agreement, the Africa CDC will assist in overseeing the distribution of funds for an array of services, including workforce training, community engagement and support for individual nations vaccination programs.

What they're saying: Ensuring inclusivity in vaccine access, and building Africas capacity to manufacture its own vaccines, is not just good for the continent, its the only sustainable path out of the pandemic and into a health-secure future," said John Nkengasong, director of the Africa CDC, in a press release.

Krishna Udayakumar, who leads Duke Universitys Global Health Innovation Center, said, "I think this is exactly the type of partnership that we had hoped to see  and that we need much more of," per the Post.

We need to be putting billions to tens of billions of dollars in play to acquire vaccines, but to also enhance the delivery capacity and capabilities and to generate demand, she added.

Go deeper ... 2 billion global vaccinations: Where the doses have gone

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Jun. 8Income-eligible homeowners who have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic may be able to receive mortgage assistance under a $1 million pilot program unveiled Monday by the state Department of Finance and Administration.

Grants of up to $10,000 will be available to eligible homeowners "to maintain housing and reduce housing cost delinquency," according to a news release.

"The pilot program will run for six months," the news release states. "Upon completion of the pilot program and submission acceptance from the federal government, the state of New Mexico and MFA [Mortgage Finance Authority] will formally launch a $52 million program."

New Mexico is the first state in the nation to launch a pilot program specifically for homeowners, said Henry Valdez, a department spokesman.

"Once we launch the main program, it will encompass emergency repairs like roofing to help reduce housing displacement and avoid New Mexican homeowners becoming homeless," he said Monday.

Assistance covers past-due and current mortgage payments for income-eligible New Mexicans who have experienced a financial hardship associated with the pandemic, the news release states. The Mortgage Finance Authority will make payments directly to mortgage or loan service providers, escrow companies or other housing providers.

"Many New Mexico families have faced the possibility of foreclosure during the past year due to financial hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic," Isidoro Hernandez, executive director and CEO of the Mortgage Finance Authority, said in a statement. "The New Mexico Homeowner Assistance Fund will ease those worries for many homeowners and ensure that they and their families can remain in their home. In combination with the state's Emergency Rental Assistance Program, these programs will help keep New Mexicans securely housed."

To be eligible for the program, the household income cannot exceed 100 percent of the area median income. Go to housingnm.org to apply online or call (505) 308-4206 or toll-free at (866) 488-0498 to request a paper application.

Follow Daniel J. Chacon on Twitter @danieljchacon.

Follow Daniel J. Chacon on Twitter @danieljchacon.
County commissioners in North Carolina wanted to send a message to Coke by removing its vending machines from county property after the CEO spoke out against changes to Georgias voting laws.

But the machines didnt belong to the Atlanta-based beverage giant.

The 12 Coke vending machines on Surry County property were owned and operated by Coca-Cola Consolidated, an independent bottling company headquartered in Charlotte. Commissioners voted Monday to rescind the previous vote after company representatives pointed out the error during a public forum in which several residents also voiced their objections.

Alison Patient, vice president of government affairs at Coca-Cola Consolidated, told board members one of its 15 facilities in North Carolina is located in Surry County.

Im here tonight because the commission has made a decision that directly impacts our business and the livelihood of the 37 employees and their families that work here in Surry County, she said. Were respectfully asking that you reconsider your actions.

Surry is on the Virginia border, about 93 miles north of Charlotte.

Patient also clarified Coca-Cola Consolidated is completely separate from The Coca-Cola Co. in Atlanta and has absolutely no control over their opinions or statements about any issue.

What started the Coke ban

The decision to ban Coke machines in Surry County stems from comments made by James Quincey, chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Co., after Georgia lawmakers passed legislation in March overhauling voting laws in the state.

The legislation contained sweeping changes to voter ID requirements and absentee ballots that The New York Times reported will limit ballot access, potentially confuse voters and give more power to Republican lawmakers.

Dozens of corporations issued statements denouncing the law, including Quincey.

We want to be crystal clear and state unambiguously that we are disappointed in the outcome of the Georgia voting legislation, Quincey said on April 1.

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In response, Surry County Commissioner Eddie Harris made a motion during a May 17 board meeting to remove Coke machines from county property, calling Quinceys statement an attempt by the major corporations and globalists to circumvent our election process. Harris said the Georgia voting law was an issue of election integrity and suggested Quincey, who is British, go back to England and mind his own business.

I dont believe this will displace any workers in Surry County  12 drink machines  but you know what, itll send a little bitty message that were not going to tolerate it in Surry County and you take your Coke machines, load it up, take them back to the house, Harris said.

The board passed the motion with three commissioners in favor and two against. One commissioner abstained, which was counted as a vote in favor.

Harris was later interviewed on Fox & Friends, where he said the vote stemmed from wanting to push back against this woke cancel culture.

Our citizens support this, he said. Theyre absolutely sick and tired of this outrageous left-wing mob that is attacking freedom of speech, that is attacking peoples jobs.

Public reaction

Three representatives from Coca-Cola Consolidated kicked off an hourlong public forum Monday at the start of the boards regularly scheduled meeting in which they urged commissioners to reconsider.

Patient said leadership has never made public statements about election laws in Georgia or any other state.

We feel in this instance, were really not being treated equally, she said. There is a long list of companies that spoke up about the Georgia legislation. I think there were more than 100. The one company that was not on that list was my company, Coca-Cola Consolidated. Yet were the only ones that appear to have been impacted in Surry County on that issue.

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Several residents also spoke out against the ban  including Julian Charles Robinson, who described the previous board meeting as full of conspiracy, hate talk and far right-wing activism.

How much will it take for the far-right Republicans sitting here who spoke last week, how much evidence will it take for them to accept and go home having lost the election? he said. Whats it going to take?

West Caudle from Elkin said commissioners passed the vending machine ban against Coca-Cola Consolidated and didnt have a clue about what they did.

He said he also heard commissioners talk about not wanting companies like Amazon to come to the county.

Quite frankly, if you sit on the Board of Commissioners for Surry County and you would refuse any company to bring economic development to our county, you are a moron, Caudle said.

Commissioners respond

At the end of Mondays meeting, Commissioner Larry Johnson  who abstained the first time  moved to rescind the boards vote.

Harris, who introduced the first vote, and Commissioner Van Tucker, who seconded it, stood by their initial vote in favor of the ban.

I am holding my ground because I feel like thats the right thing for me to do, Tucker said Monday. I was trying to send a message to the flagship Coca-Cola and if there were some casualties beneath, sorry about that.

They were outnumbered by Johnson, Commissioner Bill Goins and board Chairman Mark Marion, who voted in favor of rescinding.

I think its important to remember that the working man sometimes gets the shaft in all this  I think he really does, Goins said. We go after somebody, we go after the CEO, he doesnt really care. But the guy who fills those machines takes pride in what he does. Ive seen that.
Just days away from full reopening, Navy Pier hosted Chicago's largest trade some since the pandemic began.

Video Transcript

ALEXIS MCADAMS: Hi, Judy. Very busy out here at Navy Pier, and everybody is excited as we get closer and closer to Friday. Chicago fully reopening this coming Friday. This was the first trade show here at Navy Pier in more than a year. People so excited to be back and networking in person. The hospitality industry, which was impacted so heavily during the pandemic, making a comeback in Chicago.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Just days away from a complete reopening, Navy Pier hosting Chicago's largest trade show since the pandemic began. More than 800 industry leaders finally reconnecting in person, the Hospitality and Tourism Summit a sign Chicago's economy is making a recovery.

MARILYNN GARDNER: This is just the beginning.

ALEXIS MCADAMS: Chicago's the largest city of its size to roll back COVID-19 restrictions fully. Navy Pier President and CEO Marilynn Gardner tells me, the summer is looking up.

MARILYNN GARDNER: Chicago's on the rebound. We're all in it together, and the entire community is rallying to reopen our spaces and welcome not only locals back to places like Navy Pier, but those in the drive market and then, eventually, those from the broader domestic and international markets.

ALEXIS MCADAMS: Spectra one of the nation's leading hospitality providers, says their Chicago venues, including Navy Pier, are booked and busy.

MARK LEAHY: We're slammed. We're just slammed.

ALEXIS MCADAMS: People ready to spend big money, looking to book events as soon as possible.

MARK LEAHY: They will spend money because they've been pocketing it for 12 months or 14 months. So why not have a good time? Come on out to Navy Pier, where it's just wonderful.

ALEXIS MCADAMS: Levy Food and Beverage working around the clock to prepare their specialties for events, handling all catered dining events at Navy Pier, catering weddings, grad parties, you name it.

Story continues

FRANK ABBINANTI: What you're seeing now is what we've been working on for the last year because we knew that at some point, this was going to end.

ALEXIS MCADAMS: Foot traffic along the Mag Mile also picking up, wait lists at restaurants growing each day, and hotels back open.

- I think it's going to be a phenomenal summer.

ALEXIS MCADAMS: And we are getting closer and closer to that summer. Beautiful weather out here and so much fun at Navy Pier as things continue to reopen. And as things do reopen and pick up here in the city of Chicago, the hospitality industry looking to hire more employees. They say that hasn't been the easiest task. We'll have much more on that coming up tonight at 6 o'clock.
A St. Louis-area chimpanzee owner is being warned a second time by a federal judge. A new court order says all her chimps must go, but Tonia Haddix says shes not backing down.

Video Transcript

CHRIS HAYES: We met with Tonia Haddix outside her chimpanzee facility here in Festus about why she's not backing down.

TONIA HADDIX: They're gonna have to bring sheriffs, and they're going to bring everything that they can.

CHRIS HAYES: That's Haddix's warning today to the animal rights group, PETA, and a federal judge who just ordered she must turn over seven chimpanzees.

TONIA HADDIX: They're not getting the chimps. They're not getting-- now I've decided I'm keeping all of them just for the principle of the matter, because they don't deserve the chimps.

CHRIS HAYES: FOX 2 was the first media outlet to go inside the Festus chimpanzee complex this past April. Haddix is not their original owner, but she stepped in to help Connie Casey five years ago when PETA sued Casey for alleged unsafe and unsanitary conditions.

TONIA HADDIX: Connie's had chimps in this area for 50 years. She's never had any problems with the neighbors. If people check with the neighbors, they love the chimps. And I think that these chimps should be able to stay in the only home that they know.

CHRIS HAYES: An earlier court order said Haddix could keep three chimpanzees, and PETA would move four others to another facility. However, a federal judge ruled last week that Haddix has not proven she's held up her end of the bargain for requirements like hiring a full time caregiver and building appropriate housing.

TONIA HADDIX: How am I in contempt? Because I'm still taking care of the chimps. I still buy their produce. I still pay for their electric. I still provide cleaning cages every day. In fact, that's just what we got done doing.

CHRIS HAYES: PETA wrote in a statement today, "There is a sad history here for the chimpanzees, and PETA's focus is on facilitating their court-ordered transfer to a safe, caring, spacious, and professional sanctuary environment. As the court advised Ms. Haddix during a recent hearing, continuing contempt of its orders could result in her arrest." Haddix now faces a $50 a day fine and orders to allow PETA access. She says she's failed to find any attorney who will take her case, forcing her to fight alone.

TONIA HADDIX: We'll go to the Supreme Court. I mean, we'll go as far as we need to go to try to keep the chimps. That's all there is to it.

CHRIS HAYES: Stay tuned to FOX 2 for developments we will likely see very soon. For the Fox Files, I'm Chris Hayes.
Barack Obama Screenshot via CNN

Obama criticized Republicans for embracing Trump's lies about the 2020 election.

"We have to worry" when a major political party spreads conspiracy theories, Obama said.

The comments came during an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper on Monday night.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

Former President Barack Obama in a CNN interview on Monday expressed concerns about the current state of American democracy and criticized the Republican Party for embracing Donald Trump's lies about the 2020 election.

"We have to worry when one of our major political parties is willing to embrace a way of thinking about our democracy that would be unrecognizable and unacceptable even five years ago or a decade ago," Obama told CNN's Anderson Cooper.

Republicans have been "cowed into accepting" Trump-led conspiracy theories that the race was rigged, which culminated in the January 6 Capitol insurrection, he said.

During the 2020 campaign, several Republican lawmakers spread falsehoods about the election and eventually challenged the results in Congress, mere hours after a violent pro-Trump mob laid siege to the Capitol.

"I didn't expect that there would be so few people who would say: 'Well, I don't mind losing my office because this is too important. America is too important. Our democracy is too important,'" Obama said. "We didn't see that."

Obama added that he never thought the "dark spirits" he witnessed forming within the GOP over his two terms as president - such as "xenophobia, anti-intellectualism, paranoid conspiracy theories, [and] an antipathy toward Black and brown folks" - would take over the party.

"I thought that there were enough guardrails institutionally that even after Trump was elected that you would have the so-called Republican establishment" push back on him, Obama said. He went on to cite examples of Republicans toeing the line with Trump, including when many refused to speak out against his 2017 comments that there were "fine people on both sides" of a neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville.

Story continues

"That's a little bit beyond the pale," Obama said.

Obama's comments came during a wide-ranging CNN interview, in which he also discussed divisions in the country related to race and the media.

"I'm still the hope and change guy. My hope is that the tides will turn," Obama said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- Oil resumed its rally to top $70 a barrel in New York as investors grew more confident that accelerating vaccinations and easing travel restrictions will continue to boost demand.

West Texas Intermediate futures surpassed the $70 mark to close at its highest since Oct. 2018 after briefly touching the key psychological level earlier this week. U.S. oil supplies fell 2.11 million barrels last week, the American Petroleum Institute was said to report. That would be the third straight weekly decline if confirmed by U.S. government data on Wednesday.

At the same time, confidence in the outlook for oil demand continues to grow as accelerating vaccinations allow people to travel more. The Middle Eastern Dubai benchmark is trading in its steepest backwardation -- a market structure that indicates supply tightness -- in almost a year after the regions physical market had a strong start to the month.

Theres all sorts of technical models that work off closing prices, said Bill OGrady, executive vice president at Confluence Investment Management in St. Louis. Any time you have a close above a number divisible by 5, it tends to be pretty significant in attracting flows such as those from commodity trading advisors.

Prices retreated from session highs after settlement, with the API report also showing sizable weekly increases in both gasoline and distillate inventories.

Still, the path toward normal travel behaviors in the worlds largest oil-consuming country has provided support to the market as it takes on new multi-year highs. The U.S. State Department eased its travel warnings for nations around the world, including France, Canada and Germany, which could pave the way for loosening airline restrictions for trips overseas.

The fundamental outlook for crude is bullish right now, said Edward Moya, senior market analyst at Oanda Corp. The easing of travel restrictions will be a game-changer for the international air travel outlook, which is the last part of the equation for a robust demand recovery.

Story continues

WTI posted its narrowest discount against Brent since November following a similar run up last month. With the narrowness in the spread persisting, U.S. exports may see a dip as WTI loses competitiveness.

Meanwhile, American shale oil production is poised to rise only moderately through 2022, even though gains in crude prices have triggered a pickup in drilling, according to BloombergNEF. That comes as the Energy Information Administration trimmed its shale output forecasts for next year, according to a monthly report.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.

2021 Bloomberg L.P.
A soldier was killed in an attack in northeastern Ivory Coast near the border with jihadist-hit Burkina Faso, the military said Tuesday.

"Armed individuals" late Monday attacked the village of Tougbo in the district of Bouna, armed forces headquarters said in a statement.

An Ivorian soldier died of wounds, it said, citing a provisional toll.

"A pre-deployed detachment of the armed forces responded immediately and repelled the enemy," the statement said. "There were no civilian casualties."

Troops were carrying out a sweep of the area with the help of reinforcements, it said.

The attack, the fourth this year, follows warnings from security experts that the Sahel's bloody jihadist insurgency could spread southwards to countries on the Gulf of Guinea.

On March 29, dozens of suspected Islamists killed three members of the Ivorian security forces in a twin attack on border with Burkina.

Three "terrorists" were killed and four were arrested, the army said.

On April 12, a gendarmerie vehicle travelling in the same area was hit by an improvised explosive device, but without suffering any casualties, in the first known IED attack on Ivorian soil.

And on April 21, armed men attacked a military base near Ivory Coast's economic hub Abidjan, wounding a soldier.

Three assailants were killed and a fourth injured and a dozen people were arrested, according to state media.

Ivory Coast was first hit in a jihadist attack in March 2016, when 19 people died in a raid on Grand-Bassam, a seaside resort near Abidjan.

In June 2020, 14 soldiers were killed in an attack at Kafolo that was blamed on jihadists.

- Sahel expansion fears -

Several attacks have been thwarted thanks to tip-offs shared among the French, Malian, Burkinabe and Ivorian intelligence services, according to Ivorian and French security sources.

The insurgency in the Sahel sprang up in northern Mali in 2012 before advancing into Niger and Burkina Faso in 2015.

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Burkina Faso is reeling from its bloodiest attack to date.

At least 132 people died -- 160, according to local sources -- when armed men on motorbikes overnight Friday attacked the village of Solhan, near the border with Mali and Niger.

More than 3,300 people, most of them children, have since fled the area, the UN refugee agency said on Tuesday.

Experts have long worried about a southwards expansion of the insurgency to the coastal countries on the Gulf of Guinea.

In a rare public comment, the head of French foreign intelligence, Bernard Emie, said in February that al-Qaeda's Sahel branch was targeting Ivory Coast and Benin.

The latest attack came ahead of the inauguration on Thursday of the International Academy for Fighting Terrorism, or AILCT in its French initials.

The school, based at Jacqueville near Abidjan, will give specialised training in anti-terrorism for security officials in vulnerable West African countries.

France is among the countries funding the institution.

stb/sba/ri/yad
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson warned Monday that Medicaid budget cuts would be coming in July if lawmakers dont strike a deal to renew a critical medical provider tax that underwrites a major portion of the states health coverage program for low-income residents.

Lawmakers did not renew the tax, which expires Sept. 30, before they ended their session May 14. At issue was a fight led by Republican Sens. Paul Wieland, of Imperial, and Bob Onder, of Lake St. Louis, to insert language banning Medicaid coverage of certain birth control methods.

The tax collected from hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies generates roughly $1.6 billion a year. That allows the state to bring in $3 billion in federal funds that is returned to the facilities for treating low-income elderly and disabled residents enrolled in the states $12 billion Medicaid program.

The clocks ticking on us, Parson told reporters Monday afternoon. If theres not some sort of agreement where we have a solution, and it doesnt happen before July 1, theres not going to be choices. Were going to have to start withholding [from the budget] July 1. 

The $35 billion state budget sitting on Parsons desk for the fiscal year that starts July 1 includes increased funding for homes for the developmentally disabled, higher Medicaid payments to nursing homes and expanded mental health services.

Those facilities have found it hard to hire workers recently, Parson said, and a Medicaid budget crisis is going to make that situation much harder.

It has a dramatic effect on state government, he said. Without the tax renewal, youve probably got enough to be able to pay the bills for five or six months ... but I mean youre breaking the bank to do it.

The tax is one of two crises imperiling Medicaid this year. If a Cole County court forces the state to implement a voter-approved Medicaid expansion plan, the program would be required to take on 275,000 newly eligible low-income residents without adequate funding.

Story continues

Lawmakers and health care industry representatives universally agree Parson will have to call a special legislative session for the tax renewal. But the governor has said he wants to wait until lawmakers reach a deal ensuring its passage first.

Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo, an Independence Democrat, last week called that wise.

It would probably be best to wait until some of that fence-mending actually happens, he said. I give credit to the governor for doing that.

Division over the tax renewal ground state Senate business to a halt on the final day of the legislative session. Democrats opposed any tax renewal that contained a contraceptives coverage ban. The chambers most hard-right Republicans insisted on its inclusion.

In an overnight vote less than a day before the session ended, Senate President Dave Schatz cast a vote in favor of adding the ban back in, effectively killing the renewal bill and apparently going back on an agreement with Democrats and some Republicans to pass the renewal. Rizzo, furious, moved the adjourn the session four hours early with no opposition.

Wieland told The Star last month he was determined to try to insert the contraceptives ban again. He did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Parson did not specify whether he wanted the tax renewed free of any amendments, but said his office was working on this daily.

The governor withheld $448 million from the current state budget as the COVID-19 pandemic raged last June, with cuts concentrated in K-12 and higher education. He restored all of the funds this March as the state ended up seeing record amounts of revenue.
Regional lawmaker Paul Givan will serve as Northern Ireland's next first minister when incumbent Arlene Foster steps down, the Democratic Unionist Party said on Tuesday.

New DUP leader Edwin Poots announced on Twitter that the 39-year-old hardline unionist will take on the post after Foster was ousted in a party coup over her handling of Brexit.

At Northern Ireland's regional government at Stormont, Poots said Givan and other new ministers will take up their posts on Monday, cutting short Foster's plan to step down "at the end of June".

"There is a huge responsibility that comes with this position, particularly in serving the people of Northern Ireland," he said.

Givan is a lawmaker in Stormont, and is considered a hardcore pro-UK unionist with stringent conservative views on social issues.

He is also a fiercely loyal follower of Poots, the newly-elected DUP leader who has pledged to wage a war against new post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland.

Foster, 50, was ousted from her position at the top of the DUP -- Northern Ireland's largest unionist party -- after a new post-Brexit "protocol" came into effect in January.

Many unionists feel the new trading arrangements have warped the place of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom, and while the DUP has strongly opposed it they have been powerless to intervene.

Foster was considered by many in the DUP as a more compromising leader and it is expected Givan will escalate the battle against the "protocol" under the guidance of Poots.

- Part of the party faithful -

At 18 years old, Givan's first job was as a part-time assistant in Poots' constituency and Stormont offices, according to The Belfast Telegraph.

He later worked as a special adviser to Poots before becoming a regional legislator for the Lagan Valley constituency in 2010 and was minister for communities from 2016 to 2017.

Like Poots, Givan is reported to be a creationist Christian with beliefs that the Earth was made by God, in a party with fundamentalist roots and deeply conservative views on issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion.

Story continues

In 2007 he spearheaded a deeply controversial local government motion that asked school science departments in the city of Lisburn to explain plans to teach alternatives to the theory of evolution.

In 2015 Givan also put forward proposals for a controversial "conscience clause" he said was needed "to stop the civil persecution of people of faith".

Opponents claimed it was a fig leaf designed to allow discrimination against gay people in Northern Ireland.

"When I walk into Stormont I don't leave my values at the door," Givan told The Belfast Telegraph in 2014.

"My religious beliefs seek to influence every aspect of my life from trying to be a good dad, husband, citizen and politician."

Givan also had a prominent role in the collapse of Northern Ireland's power-sharing executive from 2017 to 2020.

His decision to slash funding to an Irish language scheme has been described by opponents as "the straw that broke the camel's back", prompting the three-year hiatus of regional government.

jts/phz/dl
Pfizer released details Tuesday about the progress of its COVID-19 vaccination trials in children, showing that they have completed early testing and are moving forward with lower-dose trials in younger kids.

Children are less likely than adults to have a serious case of COVID-19, so drug companies are trying to minimize vaccine side effects while maximizing benefits.

For now, Pfizer, which collaborates with German biotech BioNTech, is testing its vaccine at lower doses in grade schoolers than adolescents and still lower doses in younger children.

Pfizer and BioNTech already have studied their vaccine in 2,260 adolescents age 12 to and 15 and received authorization to provide them shots in the United States. Their vaccine trials showed that adolescents developed a strong antibody response to the virus. The vaccine prevented infections and did not lead to intolerable side effects.

The companies also have completed early trials in a small number of younger children to show safety and establish relevant vaccine doses. As is typical with trials in children, volunteers have been divided into three age groups: ages 5 to 11, 2 to 5, and 6 months to 2 years.

Vaccines 2.0: Next-generation COVID-19 shots will be cheaper, easier to deliver and protect against more viruses, industry leaders say

The 112 children in those trials received doses of either 10, 20 or 30 micrograms, with an option for 3 micrograms in the youngest children.

Larger trials to evaluate safety and immune response have already begun in 5- to 11-year-olds at 10 micrograms and are expected to begin in the younger age groups in the next few weeks, according to a statement from Pfizer. Children under 5 will receive the 3 microgram dose.

Those trials will include 4,500 volunteers across all three age groups in the U.S., Finland, Poland and Spain. Trial organizers are working to ensure a diversity of trial participants, the company said.

One child will receive a placebo for every two that get the active vaccine. Children who receive the placebo will be given the option to get the active shots if the vaccine is authorized within six months of their participation.

Story continues

More: How does COVID-19 end in the US? Likely with a death rate Americans are willing to 'accept'

If those trials prove safety and immune response, the companies expect to request federal authorization in September or October to provide the vaccine to children ages 5 to 11, and a little later in the fall for younger children.

At a later date, the companies may consider vaccinating infants once they confirm safety in older children.

As with adults and older teens, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be given to children with two shots, spaced about three weeks apart.

Unlike adults, the companies will not be required to prove that the vaccines prevent most infections  which is no longer practical because of low rates of infection in the U.S. and even lower rates among children. Instead, vaccine makers will have to show that their shots produce an equivalent or better immune response than in young people 16 to 25.

Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, which also make authorized COVID-19 vaccines, are testing their shots in children as well.

To volunteer your child for a Pfizer-BioNTech trial, click here.

Contact Karen Weintraub at kweintraub@usatoday.com.

Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pfizer COVID vaccine: Next phase of trials in young children to begin
Jun. 8A man crashed his car into a utility pole Monday in Cincinnati after a cicada flew inside and smacked him in the face.

Cincinnati police urged motorists to roll up their windows following the evening crash in the 2600 block of Riverside Drive after they said a young man drove through a large swarm of cicadas when one flew inside his car. He was temporarily stunned after the cicada hit him in his face, and his reaction led him to crash into the pole.

"Historically each time they emerge, there have been several car crashes attributed to their presence. This year is no different," Cincinnati police posted on Facebook.

Police posted photos of the crash on the department's Facebook and Twitter pages.

The black Chevrolet sustained front-end damage in the crash, but the driver was wearing a seat belt and will be OK.
George Eustice said the EU should 'respect' the protocol - AFP

The UK could be hit with tariffs and quotas "if the UK keeps breaching its commitments" in the post-Brexit treaty, a senior French MEP has said.

Nathalie Loiseau told Radio 4's Today programme that threats made by the vice-president of the European Commission, should Britain unilaterally extend the grace period in the Northern Ireland Protocol, were a warning that should be taken seriously.

Asked what Maros Sefcovic meant in his Telegraph column, the former French European minister said: "There are a number of possibilities within the trade and cooperation agreement if the UK keeps breaching its commitments. There can be tariffs, there can be quotas.

"We are warning - you have signed an agreement, you have to implement it otherwise there are measures we can take, legally, which protect our Single Market.

But George Eustice, the Environment Secretary, hit back at the "bonkers" restrictions, saying it was impossible to comply with this part of the protocol because it was "an outright ban, a prohibition, on those goods flowing".

He added: "We have to ask in the cold light of day does it really make sense to ban the sale of sausage and chicken nuggets manufactured in Great Britain from being sold anywhere in Northern Ireland - clearly that is bonkers."

Follow the latest updates below.

09:52 AM

Former top official washes hands over civil servant's second job at Greensill

Bill Crothers' move from Government to Greensill Capital took place three days after Sir John Manzoni became the top official at the Cabinet Office, the former mandarin has said.

The discussions about him leaving "were transparent to both the head of propriety and ethics at the time, and the cabinet secretary at the time, both of whom approved the final agreement that he would leave on September 1, go part-time in the civil service and be a senior adviser to Lex Greensill", Sir John tells MPs.

Story continues

"I had honestly assumed I was the permanent secretary for the Cabinet Office but I actually wasn't in July, and wasn't until the end of August that year, so even if checks were supposed to have been done, somebody else in the Cabinet Office would have done them."

09:41 AM

Tory MP fined after his puppy caused stampede of 200 deer

A Tory MP has been ordered to pay more than 700 by a court after his Jack Russell caused a stampede of 200 deer in Richmond Park.

Danny Kruger, the MP for Devizes, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday and pleaded guilty to letting his 11-month old Jack Russell puppy, Pebble, chase deer off the lead in the park in March.

Mr Kruger, who lives in Hammersmith, west London, was said to have been "contrite and apologetic" following the incident, which lasted around 45 seconds, telling police: "I'm sorry, I had no idea, I didn't see the deer. Anyway, obviously he needs to be on a lead."

In a statement, the MP said that the episode was a "lesson learned" but that it was "just his luck" that a police car happened to be stationed right next to where the stampede took place.

09:27 AM

UK cuts risk 'resurgence' of Aids pandemic, MPs and campaigners warn

UK aid cuts alongside Covid-19 risk setting the stage for a resurgence of the Aids pandemic around the world, according to an open letter shared with The Telegraph.

Ahead of a United Nations high-level meeting on Aids and the G7 in Cornwall later this week, a group of cross-party MPs, business leaders, global health experts, medical professionals and people living with HIV have signed a letter to the Prime Minister calling for an urgent re-think.

The UK has slashed funding to organisations working in this field, including UNAids, UnitAid and UNFPA, by around 80 per cent as part of its 4.5bn cut to the international aid budget.

These cuts are alarming, say the letters 140 signatories, such as former Conservative health minister Lord Fowler, international development committee chair Sarah Champion and former Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

Read the rest of our exclusive story here.

09:14 AM

Boundary changes to cause headaches for ministers

Northern England and the West Midlands will lose MPs under a planned shake-up of Westminster constituencies, with Cabinet ministers set to be hit by the changes.

The proposals, aimed at ensuring seats with broadly similar numbers of voters, will see England gain 10 additional seats overall, but the bulk of those will be in the South.

The upheaval could cause problems for Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, whose Wyre and Preston North seat is carved up, and Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, who faces major changes to his South Staffordshire constituency. Matt Hancock's Suffolk seat could also be significantly redrawn, as will Dominic Raabs Esher and Walton constituency

Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak's seats will remain largely unchanged under the proposed new electoral map of England, however Sir Keir Starmer may end up with part of Jeremy Corbyns Islington seat.

09:03 AM

Jeremy Heywood 'perhaps saw something I didn't' in Lex Greensill, says Lord Maude

It was "perfectly clear" that Jeremy Heywood had brought Lex Greensill into Government because the UK's former top civil servant was "the principle advocate" of supply chain finance, Lord Maude has told MPs.

"If a scheme is sold effectively - and all prime minsters are susceptible to wanting to have things to announce - I can see why this would have been attractive," he adds.

The former Cabinet Office minister says he "could not see how this would have made a difference" however.

"I took proper time over this, because Jeremy asked you to look at something, he is a bloody serious guy, but I couldn't see how it was useful so I put it on one side. But Jeremy knew Lex Greensill from before.. and perhaps saw something I didn't."

08:52 AM

Lord Maude 'surprised that Lex Greensill had No 10 paraphernalia'

Lord Maude has said it was "surprising" that Lex Greensill "had all that Number 10 paraphernalia".

The financier was found to be touting a Downing Street business card, describing him as a "senior adviser" to the Prime Minister.

Lord Maude tells MPs that colleagues within the Cabinet Office were also surprised, noting that officials were not enthusiastic about the supply chain finance business model because SMEs would end up paying for the process.

08:44 AM

Lord Maude has 'no idea' what Lex Greensill's role was

Lord Maude said he would "occasionally hear references to the fact that Lex Greensill had some kind of role in the Cabinet Office", but was not within his purview.

"I have absolutely no recollection," he repeats. "I haven't seen a document.. there may not have even been a bit of paper."

The former minister confirms he did not approve the extension of Mr Greensill's appointment after three months, adding: "From my point of view, this was not something I wanted to be spending time on."

Asked to clarify Mr Greensill's role, he tells MPs he has "no idea". Normally the system is "pernickety" for a minster to bring people in "with real expertise", he adds, although it was not "that uncommon" for unpaid advisers to be brought in "to fill a need".

08:40 AM

Lord Maude has 'absolutely no recollection' of hiring Lex Greensill

Lord Maude has said he has "absolutely no recollection" of having appointed Lex Greensill to the Cabinet Office as a supply chain adviser.

"I've been told I authorised it, but I have absolutely no recollection of it," the former minister has told the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC).

He says he is only aware of it because of documents sent to the Boardman inquiry.

The ex-Cabinet Office minister and Paymaster General said his work reforming Whitehall "saved the taxpayer over 52bn" but he has seen nothing to suggest that involvement in supply chain finance "saved the Government in any way - this was a distraction".

08:25 AM

Dominic Cummings has not backed up claims with evidence, says Jeremy Hunt

Dominic Cummings has not provided MPs with written evidence to back up his claims about the Government, Jeremy Hunt has said.

The former aide levelled a series of charges, including that Matt Hancock lied publicly and privately, and that concerns were raised with Boris Johnson about his trustworthiness. The Health Secretary is due to give evidence before the same two committees on Thursday.

Mr Hunt told Times Radio: "Well, obviously, Dominic Cummings made some very serious allegations against [Mr Hancock] in particular, saying that he lied repeatedly.

"So we will put those allegations to him, but we haven't received the written evidence to back those claims up that we were expecting.

"But we'll be putting all those allegations to him to give him his rightful chance to respond."

08:22 AM

Freedom Day beckons - but perhaps with temporary delay, says Jeremy Hunt

Jeremy Hunt has said he is "feeling quite optimistic that we are going to see the restrictions lifted", although suggested there could be a "temporary" delay to boost vaccine numbers.

The former health secretary told Times Radio: "Being double-jabbed works against this new variant, so, if Freedom Day ends up being put back a couple of weeks so we can get more people double-jabbed, I think it will only be a temporary setback.

"I think we are on the way to getting back to normal."

08:18 AM

Tory MP blasts 'nonsense' boundary changes

Senior Tory Michael Fabricant has said he will oppose the proposed changes to parliamentary boundaries in England, saying the recommendations made by the Boundary Commission "displays no knowledge of the area and is a rehash of their proposals made a few years back which were never enacted by Parliament".

The Lichfield MP told constituents: "Frankly, its a nonsense. It bears all the hallmarks of boundaries drawn in the 19th and 20th centuries by Whitehall mapmakers in days of Empire without any knowledge or care of the regions and people concerned.

"In fact, the Lichfield constituency could remain unchanged as it has the correct population. If it is necessary to top up Tamworth, other wards could be moved."

08:14 AM

'Optimist' Jeremy Hunt plans Italian holiday

George Eustice might be holidaying in the UK this year, but Jeremy Hunt is planning an overseas trip.

The former health secretary told Sky News: "As far as the summer is concerned, I'm still an optimist. I have got a family holiday booked in Italy, but I also got it with those easyJet tickets that you can change the date at no extra cost.

"So, I'm fully prepared to do that if that's what we have to do."

The Environment Secretary however has opted to stay in Cornwall - and advised that British holidaymakers do likewise.

See 7:46am for more.

08:07 AM

Roadmap delay must only be to 'double-jab a few more people', says Jeremy Hunt

Any delay to the roadmap will only be to ensure that more people can receive two doses, former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has said.

The Tory backbencher highlighted some "exciting"news shared by Matt Hancock yesterday namely that out of 12,500 cases of the Delta/Indian variant there were only three people hospitalised who had received both doses of the vaccine.

"So what that says is that a double dose of the vaccine works against the Delta Indian variant, so I think that is actually basically very encouraging," he told Sky News.

"I think what will happen is really a decision about whether we just need to double-jab a few more people before we relax the regulations or not."

08:04 AM

Environment Secretary hasnt got a sausage why EU is banning British meat

The Environment Secretary has said he has "no idea" why the EU wants to ban chilled meats being exported from Britain to Northern Ireland.

George Eustice has insisted "there's no problem with our sausages or indeed our chicken nuggets", telling LBC radio he had "no idea" why the bloc imposed "idiosyncratic" rules.

"I suspect it links to some kind of perception that they can't really trust any country other than an EU country to make sausages," he said.

"I think that's a nonsense. I think we've got a very good sausage industry in this country, we've got the highest standards of food hygiene in the world."

08:02 AM

EU urged to drop 'nonsensical' sausage ban as trade war looms

The EU must "respect" the Northern Ireland Protocol and drop its "nonsensical ban on selling sausages", the Environment Secretary has said, amid growing fears of a trade war.

George Eustice this morning blamed the EU for not having made "best endeavours to make the Northern Ireland Protocol work", including supporting "the free flow of goods to Northern Ireland".

He told Sky News: "What we really need the EU to do is to respect that part of the protocol and put in place sensible measures to remove things like the nonsensical ban on selling sausages or chicken nuggets to Northern Ireland - not just requiring paperwork, but actually having an outright ban on some of those goods - that clearly doesn't make sense."

He added: "We're committed to making it work but we just need the European Union to engage in that process to iron out those issues."

07:29 AM

Minister defends lack of vote on foreign aid cut

George Eustice has defended the decision not to put the cut to foreign aid to a vote, saying "parliament has plenty of mechanisms" to allow for a debate.

"I think we can expect there to be a debate," he added.

Rebel Tory MPs sought to amend the Aria Bill yesterday to include a vote but Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle ruled it out of order, however he has granted an emergency debate today.

07:27 AM

EU being 'slow to engage' on solutions to protocol, says minister

The Environment Secretary has sad there are "lots of ways to give EU the assurance they say they want for their Single Market", as he urged the two sides to work together on solutions.

"What we should be doing is working together to identify ways forward, and that is where the EU is being quite slow to date, to engage," George Eustice told Radio 4';s Today programme.

"We really need to step up now to get a long-term resolution and a full reading of the Northern Ireland protocol, not a partial reading that we sometimes get from the European Union."

Ahead of the G7 summit this week, Mr Eustice said the US President Joe Biden will "have an understanding, an appreciation, that if we truly believe in the Good Friday Agreement and peace in Northern Ireland... that means making the Northern Ireland protocol working properly."

Mr Biden would be "amazed if you said a sausage made in Texas couldn't be sold to California".

07:23 AM

Environment Secretary hits out at 'bonkers' ban on GB sausages

George Eustice has said the EU "also need to abide by the Northern Ireland protocol", in retaliation to Nathalie Loiseau's threats (see post below).

He notes that the agreement recognises Northern Ireland's "critical" and "integral" place within the UK, saying there is "an outright ban, a prohibition, on those goods flowing".

"It is impossible to comply with... it is not possible to comply.

"We have to ask in the cold light of day does it really make sense to ban the sale of sausage and chicken nuggets manufactured in Great Britain from being sold anywhere in Northern Ireland - clearly that is bonkers."

07:19 AM

UK could face quotas or tariffs if it extends grace period for sausages, warns MEP

A senior French MEP has warned that the UK could be slapped with tariffs and quotas "if the UK keeps breaching its commitments" in the post-Brexit treaty.

Nathalie Loiseau told Radio 4's Today programme: "There has to be more commitment from the British side to do everything possible, to implement the rules that were accepted. If there is a need for more staff, let's have it. We are facing the Brexit chosen by the British."

Asked what Maros Sefcovic meant in his Telegraph column, she added: "There are a number of possibilities within the trade and cooperation agreement if the UK keeps breaching its commitments

"There can be tariffs, there can be quotas.

"We are warning - you have signed an agreement, you have to implement it otherwise there are measures we can take, legally, which protect our Single Market.

"The Northern Ireland protocol is about two things - protecting the Good Friday Agreement and protecting the European Single Market."

07:13 AM

Latest data 'not grim', says Environment Secretary

The Environment Secretary has played down reports that the data being shown ministers is "grim" and likely to lead to a delay in the roadmap.

George Eustice told Sky News: "Im not sure I would say its grim. We have seen an increase in the infection rates, its ticked up

"But what we are not seeing is that growth in hospitalisations associated with it, and that's because we know that if people have the vaccine, particularly once they've had the second jab of the vaccine, it actually does give them immunity to this new strain that's around."

He would not go any further on June 21 than saying the was a "critical test" would be whether those who are vaccinated are being infected and that it was "too early to say" what would happen.

07:10 AM

Maros Sefcovic: The EU will not be shy in reacting swiftly, firmly and resolutely

Brussels will start a trade war with Britain if Boris Johnson overrides the Brexit treaty so that Northern Irish shops can keep selling British sausages, a vice-president of the European Commission has warned.

Here is an excerpt from Maros Sefcovic's column:

The entire EU team and I have been working hard to find ways to ensure that the protocol is implemented in a way that both facilitates the everyday life of Northern Irelands communities and preserves the integrity of the EU's Single Market. But we cannot do this alone. It has to be a joint endeavour between the EU and the UK.... Unfortunately, we see numerous and fundamental gaps in the UKs implementation  even though the protocol entered into force over 17 months ago. Mutually agreed compliance paths, with concrete deadlines and milestones for the UK to fulfil its existing obligations, would therefore be an important stepping stone  and, I believe, a credible outcome of this joint committee. If this does not happen, and if the UK takes further unilateral action over the coming weeks, the EU will not be shy in reacting swiftly, firmly and resolutely to ensure that the UK abides by its international law obligations.

Read the column in full here.

07:06 AM

People urged to get vaccine to keep roadmap on track

The director of primary care at NHS England has urged people to get their Covid vaccine in a bid to keep the final stage of the roadmap on schedule.

Asked about whether she thought the June 21 reopening would still go ahead, Dr Nikki Kanani told BBC Breakfast: "We're doing everything we can.

"This vaccination programme has always promised that if we have the supply we will keep rolling out the programme, and as you can see on this really momentous day we've continued to do so.

"My message to anyone listening today is: Please, please come forward. If you get the message, either for your first dose, or your second dose, because that is the best thing that we can all do to start to get back to the lives that we love and that we've been missing.

"But the actual (decision on) June 21, that's one for Government."

06:50 AM

India red list delay because 'they were doing more testing', says minister

The UK did not put India on the red list earlier - despite rising infections - because the country had better testing in place than neighbouring countries, George Eustice has said.

The Environment Secretary told Sky News: "Initially, the incidence of the virus in people arriving from India was lower and, overall, while they were reporting high numbers of cases, that's because they were doing more testing.

"We were also looking at factors such as their ability to do genome sequencing and we're looking at all of this where we assess other countries."

He denied the decision not to close the borders to India sooner had been a political decision.

He said: "India was added as soon as we saw a spike in rates and as soon as we saw there was a reason to."

06:46 AM

Green list unlikely to be expanded for summer holidays, Environment Secretary hints

The Environment Secretary has suggested the summer holidays are likely to remain heavily restricted this year, as he confirmed he would be holidaying in Cornwall this year.

George Eustice told Sky News: "Our advice has been don't travel unless it's absolutely necessary.

"Obviously we had hoped, with these three categories that we had, we had hoped that situation would be improving in other parts of the world, that we'd be able to progressively add other countries to the green list.

"Sadly, that's not the situation, we do have this new variant of concern first identified in India that is now cropping up in other countries, and we've just got to take a very cautious approach."

He added: "I will be staying at home, I have no intention of travelling or going on a holiday abroad this summer."

06:42 AM

Exclusive: EU threatens sausage trade war

Brussels will start a trade war with Britain if Boris Johnson overrides the Brexit treaty so that Northern Irish shops can keep selling British sausages, a vice-president of the European Commission has warned.

In an article for The Telegraph, Maros Sefcovic said the EU would react "swiftly, firmly and resolutely" if Britain unilaterally extended the grace period in the Northern Ireland Protocol, which expires at the end of June.

Britain has already unilaterally extended grace periods  on supermarket goods and parcels  earlier this year. The Telegraph understands that ministers are now considering, as a last resort, another unilateral extension for chilled meats, including sausages and mince.

Any such action would enrage the EU, which hit the UK with legal action after the move on supermarket goods.
Former Puerto Rico Secretary of Education Julia Keleher pleaded guilty to two federal fraud conspiracy charges Tuesday for crimes committed during her time as the islands top education official, striking a felony plea bargain with prosecutors and potentially avoiding maximum jail time.

Keleher agreed to admit guilt on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and another count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud at a hearing, in which she participated via video conference from Pennsylvania.

Should the court agree to the sentencing recommendations, Keleher will spend six months in federal prison followed by a year of house confinement. Prosecutors also recommended a fine of $21,000. The news comes just over two weeks since the former top education official filed a motion to change her plea, which alluded to the deal with the federal government.

Keleher headed the islands struggling education system from January 2017 until April 2019, during former Gov. Ricardo Rossellos administration. Rossello, who resigned during massive protests two years ago after the leak of a profanity-laced group chat, celebrated Kelehers arrival. He described her as excellent, extraordinary and a professional of global caliber. Keleher received a salary of about $250,0000 in the post.

Puerto Ricos education system faces massive challenges, including rebuilding infrastructure from hurricane and earthquake devastation, a student population in poverty with a high dropout risk, and a high proportion of children and adolescents who require special education.

Supporters viewed Keleher as new blood in the island governments largest agency, which had a history of red tape, mismanagement and corruption. But detractors, a group which included teachers and educator unions, blasted the former governor for not appointing a secretary who had experience as a direct employee of the education department or in the local public school system. Many previous secretaries have been administrators or teachers of the agency.

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Under Kelehers leadership, the department planned to invest $44 million in federal funds for professional training and certification for educators. She also led a massive education reform, signed into law in 2018, that aimed to guarantee that every student would receive the same amount of resources to support their education.

But the former official encountered widespread criticism in response to some of her policies. She paved the way for Puerto Rico to open its first charter schools, which landed her in a court battle with a prominent teachers union. Keleher also shut down hundreds of schools during her tenure, which coincided with devastating Hurricane Maria. The government cited declining student enrollment as Puerto Ricans left the island en masse as a factor that contributed to the closures, but many felt it reduced access to education for affected communities.

The former secretary of education defended her decision.

Somebody had to be the responsible adult in the room, she said at an education conference at Yale University.

Keleher stepped down in April 2019, telling island newspaper El Nuevo Dia that it was the moment to do so, adding that the agency needed another kind of leader. At the time, local media reported that the islands education agency was under the lens of federal authorities over contract irregularities.

Three months later, Keleher was indicted on charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, and wire fraud conspiracy in a scheme to use fraudulently obtained public contracts to steal federal money along with multiple officials and associates, alleged the Department of Justice. Then, in January 2020, another federal grand jury indicted Keleher on charges of bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud. Keleher allegedly accepted a financial bonus to obtain a San Juan luxury apartment in exchange for over 1,000 square feet of a public schools grounds to expand a street, according to the indictment documents.

The original charges in the first case were revised in August 2020. The superseding indictment, replacing the original, accused Keleher of 24 counts, including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud conspiracy and bribery.

In the plea agreement, which Keleher signed June 2, she admitted to offering the strip of land to widen a street in exchange for renting the upscale apartment in the Santurce neighborhood for $1. Keleher was also to receive a $12,000 incentive to later purchase a unit in the building.

Should the court accept the deal with prosecutors, remaining charges that havent been resolved will be dropped, according to the plea agreement. If the court rejects the negotiated deal, then Keleher would be allowed to withdraw her guilty plea. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for September.

Kelehers case has reminded many Puerto Ricans of the corruption scandal surrounding another former secretary of education. Victor Fajardo, once the islands top education official, was convicted of corruption in the early 2000s. Fajardo, who spent years in prison, stole millions in federal money for personal and political gain.

It is disappointing that officials such as the former secretary take advantage of the privilege of public service and trust placed in them to serve themselves at the expense of our children and youth, said Victor Bonilla, president of the Teachers Association of Puerto Rico, following Kelehers admission of guilt. We also trust that this story will not repeat itself and that Julia Keleher is the last DE official we see under these circumstances.
Two of R. Kelly's attorneys have requested to withdraw from the star's counsel.

Mike Leonardo and Steven Greenberg confirmed to Fox News on Monday that they have asked a New York judge to allow them to step aside in the case.

In a letter obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times written by Greenberg to Judge Ann Donnelly, the Chicago-based attorney said that should the court deem it fit, he and Leonardo would stand "as effective stand-by counsel."

"While we recognize that this request comes close to trial  and we are ready to proceed to trial as scheduled in August  our reasons for withdrawal are significant and it is impossible, in our belief, for us to be able to continue to properly represent Mr. Kelly under the current circumstances," he said.

R. KELLY TO BE MOVED TO NYC FOR SEX-TRAFFICKING TRIAL, JUDGE SAYS

"The government was advised of our position and reasons in a phone call," Greenberg continued. "We are requesting that the court set our request for hearing."

"Ultimately, as trial lawyers and in the interests of the client, we werent comfortable professionally with allowing lawyers who have never tried federal criminal cases to have significant trial responsibilities," the attorney told the Sun-Times. "That approach was not to everyones liking."

Echoed Leonard: "Ultimately, as trial lawyers and in the interests of the client, we were only comfortable professionally with giving significant trial responsibilities to those who have substantial federal criminal jury trial experience. We wish Mr. Kelly nothing but the greatest success."

The exact reasons for the lawyers' request are currently unclear, but Greenberg has been vocal about his displeasure with the trial on Twitter in the past.

R. KELLY SHARES SONG SHUT UP ON HIS BIRTHDAY AS HE AWAITS TRIAL

"They are trying so hard to get #Rkelly that they are using a 60 year old law that has never been used before, against anyone," he tweeted last week.

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Kelly's remaining attorneys  Thomas Farinella, Douglas Anton and Nicole Becker  all shared the same statement in response with Fox News: "The only comment we have at this time is that Mr. Kelly terminated both lawyers prior to filing their motion."

Greenberg and Leonard, however, both told Fox News that they "were not" terminated by the R&B singer.

Prosecutors in Brooklyn allege Kelly led an enterprise made up of his managers, bodyguards and other employees who helped him recruit women and girls for sex. A jury is expected to hear testimony from alleged victims, each identified in court papers only as "Jane Doe."

Born Robert Sylvester Kelly, the three-time Grammy Award-winner has pleaded not guilty to multiple federal and state charges, including child sexual exploitation, child pornography production, kidnapping, forced labor, racketeering and obstruction of justice.

Three alleged accomplices have been charged by prosecutors and are accused of threatening and intimidating people that have accused Kelly of committing crimes.

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In April, U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly gave the green light to move the star from Chicago to New York ahead of his August trial.

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The exact timing of the move was not immediately clear, but it was suggested that the singer be relocated to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
CHICAGO  Two months before singer R. Kelly is scheduled to go to trial on racketeering charges in New York, his Chicago-based attorneys are moving to withdraw from the case after they said two other attorneys with limited experience demanded a larger role.

The move to withdraw by attorneys Steven Greenberg and Michael Leonard came in a terse, one-page letter filed to U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly on Monday evening that gave no specific reason for the sudden change.

While we realize that this request comes close to trial  and although we are ready to proceed to trial as scheduled in August  our reasons for withdrawal are significant and it is impossible, in our belief, for us to be able to continue to properly represent Mr. Kelly under the current circumstances, the filing stated. If the court deems it necessary, we are willing to (serve) as effective stand-by counsel.

The letter stated that prosecutors had been notified of their position. Donnelly could decide, however, to deny the move given the proximity to the trial, which will attract worldwide attention and is set to begin Aug. 9 after numerous pandemic-related delays. Jury questionnaires had been set to go out to a pool of hundreds of potential jurors next month.

The issue is likely to be addressed during a previously scheduled status hearing Wednesday.

Greenberg, who has represented Kelly since before his most recent criminal troubles began, told the Chicago Tribune in a telephone interview Monday that their withdrawal came after months of behind-the-scenes wrangling among the defense team.

He said two New York-based attorneys on the case, Thomas Farinella and Nicole Blank Becker, had won Kellys trust and were demanding a prominent role in what surely will be a complex trial, even though neither has prior trial experience in federal court.

As experienced and competent trial lawyers, we dont feel that its in Roberts best interest to allow lawyers who have never tried a federal criminal case to have significant trial responsibilities, Greenberg said.

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Greenberg said they tried to meet recently with Kelly, who is being held without bond at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, to discuss the situation, but he refused to see them.

I wish Robert the best. We had every intention of winning this case, Greenberg said. It became an impossible situation.

Neither Farinella nor Becker responded to emailed requests for comment Monday.

Kelly, 54, was indicted in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn in 2019 on racketeering charges alleging he ran a criminal enterprise that recruited women and underage girls for illegal sexual contact, then isolated and threatened them to keep them under control.

In addition to the much-delayed proceedings in Brooklyn, Kelly also is set for trial in September in Chicagos federal court. He is charged in Chicago with numerous sex abuse-related counts, including allegations he conspired with two former employees to rig his 2008 child pornography trial in Cook County by paying off witnesses and victims to change their stories.

Other indictments alleging sexual abuse by Kelly brought in Cook County in February 2019 have yet to be scheduled for trial.

Greenberg has been a vociferous advocate for Kelly since the singer came under increased scrutiny in early 2019 with the release of the docuseries Surviving R. Kelly. He previously represented former Bolingbrook cop Drew Peterson, who was convicted of killing his ex-wife, a well as numerous other high-profile state and federal cases in Illinois.

Leonard, who was brought in after Kelly was indicted in federal court, is a member of the Federal Defender Program in Chicago and is an experienced trial lawyer at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse.
An artists conception shows Relativity Spaces Terran R rocket in flight. (Relativity Space Illustration)

Relativity Space, the space venture that got its start in Seattle and is now working on 3D-printed rockets in California, says itll build a bigger launch vehicle with the aid of a similarly huge $650 million Series E funding round.

The startup says its fully reusable, two-stage Terran R rocket will be capable of launching more than 20,000 kilograms (44,000 pounds) to low Earth orbit. Thats 16 times the listed payload capacity of its first-generation Terran 1 rocket, which is due to make its debut this year, and roughly equal to the capability of SpaceXs workhorse Falcon 9 rocket.

From our founding days in Y Combinator just five years ago, we planned on 3D printing Terran 1 and then Terran R  a 20X larger fully reusable rocket  on our Factory of the Future platform, Tim Ellis, CEO and co-founder of Relativity, said today in a news release. Today we are one step closer to this goal.

Relativity says the newly announced funding round will help the company scale up production of the Terran R rocket at its 3D-printing facility in Long Beach, Calif. The round was led by Fidelity Management & Research Co. with participation from investors including Baillie Gifford, funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Centricus, Coatue, K5 Global, Soroban Capital, Tiger Global, Tribe Capital, XN, Brad Buss, Mark Cuban, Jared Leto and Zillow co-founder Spencer Rascoffs 75 & Sunny.

The $650 million Series E round follows up on a $500 million Series D round that closed last November. Total investment to date is in excess of $1.3 billion, and the companys valuation is said to be higher than $4 billion. Since November, Relativitys workforce has risen from around 230 employees to more than 400, with plans to hire another 200 team members this year.

Ellis co-founded Relativity after spending years working at Jeff Bezos Blue Origin space venture in Kent, Wash. Relativitys other co-founder, Jordan Noone, did an internship at Blue Origin in 2013 and worked at SpaceX in 2014-2015. Last year, Noone left his position as Relativitys chief technology officer to co-found a tech venture capital firm called Embedded Ventures.

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In a 2018 interview with GeekWire, Ellis recalled that he and Noone started up Relativity in a WeWork co-working space in Seattle. That was the first month we were there, he said. The company soon moved to sunny California, however, and has now settled into a 120,000-square-foot headquarters and 3D-printing factory in Long Beach.

From the beginning, the idea behind Relativity was to build rockets with zero human labor, using low-cost metal 3D-printing technology. The process doesnt exactly involve zero human labor, but the goal for the Terran 1 project is to produce launch-ready rockets from raw materials in less than 60 days, and then launch payloads into low Earth orbit for a price as low as $12 million.

Terran R will up the ante. Over the last year, we found ourselves being asked by the market to accelerate development of our larger launch vehicle, so we knew it was time to double down on our existing plans and scale the Terran R program even faster and build production capabilities at scale sooner, Ellis said.

This graphic compares the size of the Terran 1 rocket (at left) with the Terran R (at right). A human figure has been added to the illustration for comparisons sake. (Relativity Space Illustration)

Relativitys 216-foot-tall Terran R rocket is designed with a 16-foot (5-meter) diameter and a payload fairing to match  again, roughly equivalent to the Falcon 9. The rocket also has Falcon-style grid fins for maneuvering during descent.

The main innovation is that both stages and the fairing are designed for reusability (which explains the R in the Terran Rs name). That includes the seven 3D-printed, 302,000-pound-thrust Aeon R rocket engines on the first stage, as well as the Aeon Vac engine for the upper stage. Relativity says 3D-printing technology makes it possible to design an upper stage that can endure the heat of re-entry.

Like the Aeon 1 engine thats being developed for the Terran 1 rocket, the Terran Rs engines will use cryogenic liquid methane and liquid oxygen as propellants.

The Terran R is due to blast off starting in 2024, from the same Cape Canaveral launch complex thatll serve as the Terran 1s home base. Relativity says that its finished 3D-printing more than 85% of the first Terran 1 flight article, and that its signed its first launch contract with an anchor customer for the Terran R.

Relativity intends the Terran R to serve as a means for deploying large satellite constellations in Earth orbit, and as a point-to-point space transport for missions to the moon and Mars.

Relativity was founded with the mission to 3D-print entire rockets and build humanitys industrial base on Mars, Ellis said. We were inspired to make this vision a reality, and believe there needs to be dozens to hundreds of companies working to build humanitys multiplanetary future on Mars. Scalable, autonomous 3D printing is inevitably required to thrive on Mars, and Terran R is the second product step in a long-term journey Relativity is planning ahead.

The road ahead could be challenging for Relativity, with competition from larger launch vehicles such as SpaceXs Falcon Heavy and Starship, Blue Origins New Glenn and United Launch Alliances Vulcan as well as from smaller launch vehicles such as Rocket Labs Electron and Virgin Galactics LauncherOne. But at least Ellis is thinking big  like Blue Origins Jeff Bezos and SpaceXs Elon Musk, the space billionaires who now loom as Ellis rivals.

More from GeekWire:
A resolution is making its way through Congress to celebrate June as Portuguese National Heritage Month.

Video Transcript

- Most Portuguese Americans immigrated from the Azores, a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. But a large part of their history, contributions, and culture isn't widely known.

DINIZ BORGES: Here in the Valley, as far as contributions are concerned by Americans of Portuguese background, it has been in agriculture and in the dairy industry, where at one time we controlled-- it's a little bit less now, but at one time we controlled over half of the dairy production throughout the Valley.

- Borges says although agriculture is a big part of their history, particularly here in the Central Valley, Portuguese Americans have also made their mark in technology, arts, and many other industries.

DINIZ BORGES: We have a rich history. We've been here since in numbers-- in large numbers-- since the 1860s and 1870s. But we've kind of continued our celebrations amongst ourselves.

- That's why Congressman Jim Costa and David Valadao want to make June Portuguese National Heritage Month.

JIM COSTA: We celebrate that rich diversity and those values of hard work, those values of family, those values of wanting to succeed in America and give back. And that's what the Portuguese American community has done for generations. I think if we understand our stories in terms of how we came here, we understand each other better, because what we learn is that we have so much in common. You know, my grandparents were illiterate, non-English speaking, and had little more than the clothes on their back. That holds true for so many other ethnic communities that have come to this country.

- Costa says in spite of the struggles and barriers, Portuguese Americans have been successful and contributed so much to the cultural fabric of America. In Fresno, Linda Ha, ABC 30 Action News.
Feminist collective demonstrates ahead of hearing of case of Salvadoran woman sentenced to 30 years in jail (AFP via Getty Images)

A woman in El Salvador has been freed from jail after being given a 30-year sentence for having an accident which resulted in her losing her pregnancy.

El Salvador has one of the most extreme abortion bans in the world  pregnancy terminations are even illegal in cases of rape and incest, when the womans life is in danger, or if the foetus is severely deformed.

The Central American country routinely imprisons women who have had accidents during their pregnancy, or miscarriages, and also stillbirths by unjustly claiming they have had abortions.

Sara, whose name has not been revealed to the media to protect her identity, had a serious accident and lost her pregnancy after falling over while doing household chores back in 2012.

Campaigners say she had to go to hospital after she started bleeding from the accident but was detained by police while lying in her hospital bed due to being falsely accused of having an abortion.

Sara was subsequently sentenced to 30 years in jail for aggravated homicide and served nine years. Her case has been widely condemned by human rights organisations around the world.

Paula Avila-Guillen, executive director of the Womens Equality Centre, said: While we are relieved to see that Sara will finally be reunited with her family, the injustice she was submitted to is unacceptable.

And we will not stop fighting until she is recognised innocent and the rest of the women still unjustly imprisoned are liberated. More than 17 women are still unjustly detained in El Salvador after suffering obstetric emergencies.

Each of these cases shows the insidious consequences of the absolute criminalisation of abortion, resulting in a state that persecutes and jails women at the moment when they most need access to health and protection.

She called for El Salvador to stop the systematic persecution and undue incarceration of vulnerable women who lose their pregnancies as a result of miscarriages and other obstetric emergencies.

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Miscarriages and stillbirths in El Salvador are often treated as suspected abortions, which have been legally regarded as murder since 1997.

Morena Herrera, a prominent Salvadoran feminist and human rights activist, said: Sara never deserved to be in prison. As she was mourning the heartbreaking loss of her pregnancy, Sara should have been with her family, and instead she was unjustly imprisoned for nine years.

We will continue to demand the removal of the extreme and inhumane abortion bans that lead to these injustices in the first place. El Salvador has an obligation to protect the health and lives of its women and girls, and that must include an end to this draconian ban on abortion that fails women and leads to injustice.

Read More

Dominican Republic could follow Argentinas lead and overhaul cruel total abortion ban
During a crucial IAEA board meeting in Vienna, the U.S. accused Iran of violating the very nuclear deal that U.S. negotiators are trying to reinstate.

"Since this Board last met, Iran has also exceeded JCPOA constraints by enriching uranium to 60 percent U-235," the U.S. delegation said in a statement.

IRAN LOSES VOTING RIGHTS AT UN AFTER FAILING TO PAY DUES

The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, issued a similar warning. "My expectations about this process, of course, were not met," the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director said. "We have a country that has a very developed and ambitious nuclear program, which is enriching at very high levels, enriching uranium at very high levels, very close to weapons-grade."

The head of the IAEA said it is no longer possible to say for certain that Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons, chastising Tehran for failing to answer questions about the discovery of uranium particles at former undeclared nuclear sites.

"The Iranian government has reiterated its will to engage and to cooperate and to provide answers," Grossi said. "But they haven't done that so far. So I hope this may change, but as we speak, we haven't had any concrete progress on any of the issues."

The IAEA agreed to extend a monitoring arrangement for a month until after Iran's presidential election, as U.S. and Iranian negotiators prepare to sit down and try to hammer out a new nuclear deal.

IRANIAN SHIPS ROUND CAPE OF GOOD HOPE FOR FIRST TIME, POSSIBLY TOWARD VENEZUELA: REPORTS

New activity at known Iranian nuclear sites worries those seeking a new nuclear deal. A sixth round of indirect talks about a return to the JCPOA is slated for Thursday.

"We don't know, at this stage, whether Iran is willing and able to do what it would need to do to come back into compliance," Secretary of State Antony Blinken told U.S. lawmakers. "I would anticipate that even in the event of a return to compliance with the JCPOA, hundreds of sanctions will remain in place, including sanctions imposed by the Trump administration. If they are not inconsistent with the JCPOA, they will remain unless and until Iran's behavior changes."

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Fox News has obtained new satellite images that show unusual activity at Irans Sanjarian site, which has been exposed in the past as a suspected manufacturing site for "shock wave generators"  devices which would allow Iran to miniaturize a nuclear weapon.

The new images obtained from Maxar show 18 vehicles at the site on October 15, 2020, more vehicles and excavation in January along with a new access road that was later covered up in March of this year. All that is visible by satellite now are excavation swirls and new trenches, according to analysis from Itay Bar Lev of The Intel Lab who worked in conjunction with the Institute for Science and International Security.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The site, which is 25 miles outside Tehran and has a population of 361, was first revealed when Israel's Mossad obtained Iran's secret nuclear archive in 2018: 50,000 computer files and 50,000 documents outlining Iran's Amad project, the scientific program to build a nuclear weapon which the IAEA says was halted in 2003.

Israel says Iran's pursuit of a nuclear weapons continues. Now the IAEA  frustrated by Iran's lack of transparency  says it can't rule that out.
WASHINGTON  After meeting with civil rights leaders on Capitol Hill Tuesday, West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin said he remains opposed to a sweeping voting rights bill that advocates say is necessary to prevent voter suppression efforts in GOP-led states around the country.

Manchin described the one-hour meeting as "very productive and very informative" but said his mind had not changed after announcing in a Sunday newspaper column he would oppose the bill, known as the For the People Act.

"No, I don't think anybody changed positions on that," he told reporters Tuesday after the closed-door meeting. "We're just learning where everybody's coming from. We're learning where everybody's position is."

In a 50-50 Senate that Democrats control only because Vice President Kamala Harris is the tie-breaking vote, Manchin is a key lawmaker on almost every partisan issue, including voting rights. And his opposition to doing away with the Senate filibuster means the bill would need to get 60 votes to force a floor vote even if he ended up supporting the bill.

Sen. Joe Manchin talks to reporters as he arrives for a hearing in Washington, D.C., on June 8, 2021.

The measure would allow the federal government to implement a national standard election framework for states to follow and would allow the federal government to enforce civil rights protections and laws. The House passed a similar bill March 3.

Rev. Al Sharpton, NAACP President Derrick Johnson, National Urban League President Marc H. Morial and Melanie L. Campbell, the president of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, were among those who met with Manchin.

They shared their concerns and priorities related to voting and policing reform with Manchin, promoting not just the For the People Act, but also the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and George Floyd Justice in Policing Act which seeks to punish law enforcement officers who abuse their authority.

More: Joe Manchin will oppose For the People Act, putting Senate's voting rights bill in peril

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In a statement, the group expressed that the two voting rights bills are a top priority and essential to protect the freedom to vote. There continues to be an unprecedented partisan wave of state legislative proposals that are aimed at denying the right to vote  particularly for Black and Brown people."

The push to pass the For The People Act comes as several Republican-controlled states continue to pass a series of election and voting security laws, which opponents of the laws argue will make it harder for people to vote  especially people of color.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters Tuesday he was determined to bring the voting rights bill to the floor the week of June 21.

More: Joe Manchin says the right to vote is fundamental. So why isn't he trying to protect it?

"We're going to put S1 on the floor," the New York Democrat said, referring to its legislative title. "As I said, we're open to changes and modifications as long as it does the job."

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told reporters that Manchin is in the process of putting together a list of items in the voting rights bill that were acceptable and objectionable to him.

"That's what we're waiting on," he said.

Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., said he talked to Manchin over the weekend and continues to seek compromise to approve the voting-rights bill. Warnock, a minister, said the late Rep. John Lewis was a member of his church, but that using legislation named for him wouldnt be enough to cover the protections for voting included in the For the People Act.

More: Democrats and Republicans are battling over voting rights in Congress and at statehouses. Which side will win?

Weve got to pass John Lewis in order to protect voting rights. We've got to pass the For the People Act to provide some basic standards for our elections, Warnock told USA TODAY Tuesday.

He said voting rights have been curtailed for the last decade through long lines, polling places being moved at the last minute and voter names purged from the rolls.

This is not theoretical stuff, this is people's actual ability to exercise their basic constitutional rights, Warnock said. Voting is not a privilege, its a right.

Manchin said the discussion included his concerns about protecting voting rights and the fragility of the democracy. But he said they didn't take positions for or against the John Lewis legislation, for example.

More: Joe Manchin suddenly seems to influence everything Washington does. The West Virginia senator says he wants to make Congress work again

There was nothing basically for or against, Manchin said. It basically everyones position was discussed. It was an excellent meeting.

Manchin said conversations will continue with participants in the meeting.

New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, who is African American, said he doesn't think Manchin's mind is made up.

"I definitely don't, especially after the conversations he's been having with a lot of my colleagues in terms of what the possibilities are for pushing back on some of the most oppressive of voter suppression and restriction laws since Jim Crow."

Manchin cited the lack of Republican support and bipartisanship as the reason for opposing the legislation, stating that voting and election reform done in a partisan manner will all but ensure partisan divisions continue to deepen, Manchin said in an op-ed for the Charleston (West Virginia) Gazette-Mail.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Manchin opposes voting rights bill after civil rights leaders' appeal
WASHINGTON  The Senate began to approve President Joe Biden's first judicial nominees this week, marking the start of an ambitious push to make an impact on the federal courts.

The Senate voted 66-33 on Tuesday to confirm Julien Xavier Neals to be a district court judge in New Jersey.

Next up on Tuesday is Regina M. Rodriguez to be a district court judge in Colorado.

The two were advanced in committee last month, along with three other nominees, including Ketanji Brown Jackson for the powerful U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said they were "the first of many jurists that the Democratic-led Senate will consider to restore the balance to the federal judiciary."

He said the Senate will "swiftly and consistently" process Biden's judicial picks, "bringing balance, experience and diversity back to the judiciary."

Republicans aggressively reshaped the judiciary with young conservatives during the Trump administration. Former President Donald Trump appointed 234 judges to the federal bench, flipping the ideological balance in numerous circuit courts and installing three justices to create the most conservative Supreme Court in nearly a century.

Schumer said many of them were "woefully inexperienced and far outside the judicial mainstream."

A vote on Jackson in the full Senate is expected in the coming weeks. She is seen as a likely short-lister for a Supreme Court vacancy should one open up during Biden's presidency.

The courts-focused progressive group Demand Justice launched a six-figure ad campaign Monday to build support for Jackson, targeting Black audiences on radio and digital platforms.

Schumer also recommended two voting rights lawyers for judgeships: Myrna Perez of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University for the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals and Dale Ho of the American Civil Liberties Union for the Southern District of New York.

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Neals and Rodriguez were nominated for judgeships during the Obama administration but did not come up for votes in the Senate, which was then run by Republican Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the current minority leader.

Under precedents established by both parties, the 60-vote threshold has been abolished for all judicial confirmations. Nominees can advance with simple majorities.

A separate rule, established in 2019, cut debate time from 30 hours to two hours for certain types of nominees, including those for district court judgeships, so Republicans could quickly confirm Trump's picks. The precedent will enable Democrats to speedily confirm a number of Biden's nominees.

There are 71 vacancies in district courts and nine openings in appeals courts, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. The numbers are set to rise with additional retirements.

The judicial battle could further heat up if a Supreme Court justice retires. Some progressive activists, including Demand Justice, are pushing Justice Stephen Breyer, 82, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, to retire while Democrats control the Senate so they can confirm a liberal successor.

Breyer has not given any indication that he plans to step aside.
A Senate report on the Jan. 6 Capitol riot recommends Congress empower the Capitol police chief to request help from the D.C. National Guard in emergencies and that officers receive regular training on handling civil disturbances and are provided basic protective gear including helmets, gloves and gas masks.

The joint report from the Senate Rules and Homeland Security committees details the failure of law enforcement to fully understand the threat in the days leading up to the insurrection, when online posts warning of violence were deemed not credible by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. It portrays a chaotic response to the Capitol breach hampered by communications problems and inadequate preparation.

But the bipartisan document sheds little new light on the role of former President Donald Trump, who delivered an incendiary speech near the White House and exhorted his followers to head to the Capitol. There they battled police officers and stormed the building, hunting for lawmakers while erecting a gallows outside.

Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, ranking Republican on the Rules Committee, was one of the principal senators involved in producing the report, along with Rules Chair Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, Homeland Security Chair Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat, and ranking member Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican.

The reports release on Tuesday comes after Senate Democrats were unable to break a Republican filibuster last month to pass legislation establishing an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 uprising.

Portman was one one of just six Republican senators to support creation of a commission. Blunt vocally opposed the idea, but missed the vote to attend a ribbon-cutting event at the visitor center of Wilson Creeks National Battlefield in Missouri.

Both have announced plans to retire rather than run for re-election in 2022.

Peters and Klobuchar emphasized that the report should not be seen as a substitute for a comprehensive investigation by an independent commission. Peters called a commission essential.

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Our report is limited in scope. It is specifically focused on the security planning and response failures that allowed the attack to occur This report is not a comprehensive account of everything that happened in the lead-up to the attack, Peters told reporters during a phone call. We did not investigate what motivated people.

But in the absence of a commission, congressional investigations, such as the Senate inquiry, will likely be the most thorough public examination of the Capitol riot.

Current system slowed response

The insurrection, the most serious attack on the U.S. Capitol in more than 200 years, interrupted a Joint Session of Congress called to formalize President Joe Bidens electoral college victory over Trump. The rioters sent lawmakers scattering in fear as they desecrated hallways and offices, including Speaker Nancy Pelosis.

Seven people, including three law enforcement officers, ultimately died, according to the report, a figure that includes two officer suicides that occurred shortly after the attack.

As of Saturday, 465 people have been arrested in connection with the attack, according to the Department of Justice.

In response to a question about the limited scope of the Senate report, Blunt noted that while these criminal cases are pending the Department of Justice will be constrained from sharing all of its information with Congress.

The Senate report may serve as a foundation for congressional action to improve security planning at the Capitol. It recommends Congress pass legislation to allow the Capitol police chief to directly request assistance from the D.C. National Guard in emergencies. Current law requires the Capitol Police Board, whose voting members include the House and Senate sergeants-at-arms and the Capitol architect, to sign off first.

The report found the present system can constrain the ability of police to act quickly. The National Guard didnt arrive until more than three hours after the Capitol was breached.

You have three people on that board, all of whom have a different commitment if theres an emergency like this, Blunt said.

Blunt and Klobuchar will soon introduce bipartisan legislation to enable the chief of the Capitol Police to directly request the guards assistance in emergency situations rather than going through the board. Blunt said Congress could pass this change quickly to improve emergency response.

Still, the report found that former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund never formally asked the Capitol Police Board to support National Guard aid on Jan. 6. Instead, the report says, Sund had informal conversations with the House and Senate sergeants-at-arms but no one discussed National Guard help with the Architect of the Capitol, the office which oversees the building.

Klobuchar said the security failures were summed up by a comment made by an officer on the radio during the chaos, Does anyone have a plan? Sadly, no one did.

Sund announced his resignation the day after the riot. Chad Thomas, the number two Capitol Police official, resigned on Monday ahead of the reports release, according to multiple outlets.

The four senators repeatedly said the agencys leadership had failed front line officers.

Capitol Hill police were put in an impossible situation without adequate intelligence, training. They didnt have the tools to protect the Capitol, Portman said.

Planned in plain sight

The report suggests Congress should increase Capitol Police funding to support additional training and equipment for officers and adequate staffing levels. The inquiry found that all officers only receive basic civil disturbance training once as recruits with no required further instruction.

As a result, some who responded to the Capitol attack had not received training in civil disturbance tactics in years, the report says. Officers were also not uniformly provided helmets, shields, gas masks, or other crowd control equipment prior to January 6, which would have aided their response.

The report recommends all officers receive ballistic helmets, gloves and gas masks  the same equipment issued to D.C. metro police. Capitol Police should also be required to have a department-wide operational plan for special events and that a formal civil disturbance unit should be formed within the agency. Officers in the unit would be properly trained and equipped at all times, the report says.

Much of the report focuses on intelligence coordination failures in the days and weeks before the attack. The Capitol Polices intelligence arm failed to fully convey the scope of the threat to its own officers and other law enforcement agencies, it says.

The Capitol Police Intelligence and Interagency Coordination Division had information from a variety of sources about the potential for violence and large crowds, the report says. That included the online sharing of maps of the Capitol Complexs tunnel system.

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security also didnt issue a threat assessment warning of potential violence. Instead, officials from those agencies stressed the difficulty of discerning constitutionally-protected free speech from credible threats.

The attack was quite frankly planned in plain sight, Peters said. There was widespread information on social media and tips that were not heeded.

The report recommends consolidating the Capitol Polices intelligence units into a single bureau and that policies should be developed to effectively provide intelligence to leadership and rank-and-file officers.

The Senate report doesnt assess Trumps actions on Jan. 6. During the attack that followed his speech, he released a video telling rioters to go home but also saying we love you and calling them very special.

While the presidents speech is included in full in the report, Senate committee aides said the report didnt look at his role in the uprising.

President Trump began his address just before noon. During the next 75 minutes, the President continued his claims of election fraud and encouraged his supporters to go to the Capitol, the report says.

Some Capitol riot defendants are asserting Trump spurred them to action. St. Louis attorney Al Watkins, who is representing the so-called QAnon Shaman, has said his client took seriously the countless messages of President Trump.

Trump and his allies spent weeks after the election promoting the false claim that he won and his supporters pursued longshot bids to keep him in power. Congressional supporters  including Missouri GOP Sen. Josh Hawley and Kansas GOP Sen. Roger Marshall  agreed to vote to block certification of Bidens in key states when Congress convened on Jan. 6.

While Trump has been stripped of his social media platforms, he continues to advance the lie that he won the election. In an interview on Fox Business Network on Monday, he again repeated the falsehood.
WASHINGTON  Two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are asking the Justice Department to provide information about where Supreme Court justices have traveled, asserting that the disclosure would improve transparency on the high court.

"The justices of our highest court are subject to the lowest standards of transparency of any senior officials across the federal government," wrote Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and John Kennedy, R-La., in a June 4 letter made public Tuesday.

The request is directed at the U.S. Marshals Service, which provides judicial security  including assisting with security for Supreme Court justices when they travel domestically outside of Washington, D.C., the senators wrote in the letter.

Outside groups have pressed the court for additional travel disclosures. That push received renewed attention after the late Associate Justice Antonin Scalia died in 2016 at a Texas ranch owned by an attorney who previously had business at the court. The owner told the Washington Post then that Scalia was a guest and, like all the other guests at his ranch, did not pay for his stay.

Like others in the government, the justices do disclose trips that are reimbursed by outside entities. Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, for instance, frequently notes his travel to New York to judge the Pritzker Architecture Prize, paid for by a foundation that sponsors that award. Other justice routinely note their travel to speak at law schools.

But outside groups seeking additional transparency say the disclosure requirements do not include the cost of the trip or other attendees. The requirement also exempts justices from disclosing lodging and entertainment received as "personal hospitality."

The senators want the Marshals Service, which is part of the Justice Department, to disclose information about trips taken outside of the nation's capital, the dates of the trip and the cost to the agency for providing security.

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Chief Justice John Roberts.

Progressive groups have been pressing the Supreme Court for additional ethics measures, such as a code of conduct or requiring justices to be more forthcoming about the reasons they recuse themselves from cases. Some of those ideas have generated bipartisan interest  though few of them have gained real momentum in Congress.

Whitehouse is the chairman of the subcommittee with oversight of federal courts. Kennedy is the top-ranking Republican on that subcommittee.

Chief Justice John Roberts asserted in 2011 that Congress has no constitutional authority to impose a code of ethics on the high court. Associate Justice Elena Kagan told lawmakers in 2019 that Roberts was weighing a code of conduct but it's not clear what, if any, progress has been made in the two years since.

Nodding to the fact that federal security agencies are generally unwilling to disclose any information about that work, Whitehouse and Kennedy said they would honor requests to redact personally identifiable information about the justices and their families.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Senators seek insight into when, where Supreme Court justices travel
An image of Sarah Everard, 33, shared by London's Metropolitan Police. Met Police

Police officer Wayne Couzens has pleaded guilty to kidnapping and raping Sarah Everard.

Everard's body was found in March, a week after she went missing walking home in London.

Her death sparked a new conversation about male violence against women.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The UK police officer Wayne Couzens has pleaded guilty to kidnapping and raping Sarah Everard, the BBC reported.

Everard disappeared in March, and her body was found in a wooded area a week later.

She was last seen on surveillance footage walking home from a friend's house in Clapham, in south London. Her body was found in Kent, about an hour away.

Couzens pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey court in London on Tuesday. He appeared by video link.

A postmortem said that she died from compression on her neck.

Everard's death sparked a new conversation about male violence against women in the UK, including a vigil where police were criticized for heavy-handed tactics.

The Metropolitan Police declined to comment to Insider, citing ongoing legal matters.

Read the original article on Insider
A person was shot in a parking lot outside Eastern Hills High School on Monday afternoon, according to a Fort Worth police report.

The victim was a teenager and was critically wounded, according to MedStar. The victim was taken to a hospital trauma center.

The call came in about 5:20 p.m. in the 5700 block of Shelton Street near Weiler Boulevard.

A caller told police the shooting happened in a parking lot and the suspect fled the scene, according to a police call log.

It wasnt immediately clear what led to the shooting.

Fort Worth Independent School District officials told WFAA-TV that the district is cooperating with police in their investigation.

This is a developing story and will be updated when more details are available.
Jun. 8Pennsylvania State Police released a statement Tuesday  with few details  about a search warrant that was executed at the Cambria County Election and Voter Registration Office last Thursday.

"I can confirm the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation served a sealed search warrant at the Cambria County Election Office on Thursday, June 3, 2021," Cpl. Brent Miller, director of the PSP's communications office, said in an email on Tuesday.

"The investigation is currently ongoing and active," Miller said. "Additional information will be available at a later date."

Cambria County Solicitor William Barbin confirmed last Thursday that the search occurred.

He said the "Cambria County election office cooperated 100% and provided the records they requested."

Barbin said the search "was for nominating petitions" in regards to a candidate in the recent primary election.

All other county officials who were contacted either did not respond, declined to comment or deferred to Barbin.
CBS

On Monday, Stephen Colbert asked Chris Matthews about the circumstances surrounding his departure last winter as host of MSNBCs Hardball after two decades at the network.

The veteran anchor abruptly retired in March 2020 amid allegations of inappropriate behavior toward a female guest on his show four years earlier.

In an article for GQ, freelance journalist Laura Bassett wrote that Matthews looked over at me in the makeup chair next to him and said, Why havent I fallen in love with you yet? before making other creepy comments about her makeup and looks.

Matthews was forthright about the incident when Colbert mentioned it.

It was a four-year-old story but it was accurate as hell. I accepted the truth, Matthews said.

In fact, I credited it in a couple of commentaries. I said, its all true. Dont blame the messenger. I did it, I own this, nobody else is responsible for my trouble. I did it. It wasnt he said, she said. I said she was right, the reporter, and I want everybody to know who thinks theyre on my side on this: my side is the truth.

Bassetts account also drew attention to a report that Matthews had been reprimanded in 1999 after a similar interaction with an MSNBC employee, one which led to a settlement. Hed also compared Bernie Sanders victory in the Nevada Democratic primary to France falling to the Nazis (Sanders is Jewish, and members of his family were murdered during the Holocaust).

Matthews said it was his decision to leave the network after the GQ article was published.

Drake Bells Ex Says She Witnessed the Drake & Josh Star Preying on Underage Girls

The next day, I told the president of my network Im leaving, he recalled, and on that Monday night, they let me give a speech to the people telling them how Ill miss them.

In his remarks during his final broadcast, Matthews acknowledged that at times he had addressed women in an inappropriate manner. For making such comments in the past, Im sorry, he said.

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Matthews has been making the rounds on television in the past week largely to promote his memoir, which hit shelves June 1. Along with several other shows, Matthews has been a guest on The Reidout, which took over his old MSNBC time slot, and The View, where he was pressed about inflammatory comments he had made about Hillary Clinton.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Would you vote by mail if you had to drive hours to a post office to mail your ballot? That question confronts the United States Supreme Court this session in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, which analysts see as one of the most important voting rights cases in a decade.

The case considers two Arizona laws that place limits on how and when Arizonans can vote.

A state law passed in 2016, H.B. 2023, makes it a felony for anyone other than a family member, caregiver or postal worker to collect and deliver ballots. The second Arizona law in question requires ballots to be cast in the assigned precinct where a voter lives. If a voter casts a provisional ballot at the wrong polling place, election officials will reject it.

Narrowly, Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee asks the court to decide whether the two Arizona rules disproportionately hurt minority voters.

But the courts ruling will have national consequences. Since the 2020 presidential election, legislators in 47 states have introduced 361 so-called election integrity bills placing new restrictions on voting.

Our research on elections show that these types of restrictive laws significantly impact voting, particularly among racial minorities and the poor.

The Supreme Courts decision could determine the fate of many of these laws.

From Arizona to the Supreme Court

In Arizona, nearly 80% of voters in 2018 cast their ballots by mail. But mail service is not always available in rural areas of the state where many Hispanic and Native Americans live. Only 18% of Native Americans in the state, for example, have access to home mail delivery.

The Tohono O'odham reservation, which covers an area larger than Rhode Island and Delaware, has no home delivery and only one post office. These rural voters often rely on friends or get-out-the-vote workers to deliver their ballots to polling stations.

The burdens on rural and tribal voters were cited in a 2016 lawsuit filed by the Democratic National Committee to block the Arizona ballot collection ban and out-of-precinct vote restriction. The Democratic National Committee claimed both policies violated Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act, which prohibits practices that result in a denial or abridgement of the right (to vote) on account of race or color.

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A small white post office that seems to be boarded up; a cactus is in front of it

The lawsuit, which was supported by Arizonas Democratic secretary of state, also argued that the ballot collection ban purposely targeted minority voters. That would violate the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits states from intentionally denying the right to vote on account of race.

Arizonas Republican attorney general and the states Republican Party argued the laws were race-neutral restrictions that do not impede Arizonans equal opportunity to vote and were enacted to safeguard election integrity.

The district court in Arizona and two separate three-judge panels of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit originally ruled in Arizonas favor. But, after the full Ninth Circuit Court met together in whats called an en banc session, those decisions were reversed.

The full Ninth Circuit said Arizonas ballot collection ban violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and the 15th Amendment because minority voters were more likely than nonminorities to rely on others to return their ballots. And the law could not be credibly defended as an election integrity measure because judges saw no evidence that third-party ballot collection led to vote fraud in the past.

The appeals court also found that the out-of-precinct policy violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Arizona officials frequently changed polling places in urban counties with large minority populations, so voters easily made mistakes. In 2016, 3,709 out-of-precinct Arizona ballots were rejected, and minority voters were twice as likely as whites to have their ballots discarded in that process.

The court put its decision on hold pending Arizonas appeal to the Supreme Court, leaving both policies in place for now.

Electoral consequences

Arizona is one of 14 states restricting third-party ballot collection. Twenty-six states require in-precinct voting. Nationwide, some 140,000 provisional ballots during the 2018 midterm elections were invalidated as out-of-precinct. This happens even when precinct location is not relevant, such as elections for governor or president.

If the Supreme Court decides in favor of the Democratic National Committee, Arizonas controversial laws and many others like it will be invalidated. If Arizona prevails, states will have greater latitude when adopting restrictive voting practices.

Before 2013, states with a history of discrimination needed federal approval before enacting new voting laws, under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. But in 2013, the Supreme Court in Shelby County v. Holder  a voting rights case from Tennessee  dismantled these preclearance procedures.

As a preclearance state, Arizona was previously blocked by the federal government from enacting voter restrictions like H.B. 2023. Other former preclearance states that have passed restrictive laws since 2013, include North Carolina, Texas and Florida.

Since Shelby County v. Holder, voting rights advocates have had to rely on a different section of the Voting Rights Act  Section 2  to legally challenge these restrictive voting laws.

Brnovich v. DNC is the first Supreme Court test of this strategy.

How the court leans

During oral arguments in March, several conservative Supreme Court justices, including Chief Justice John Roberts, asked questions that seemed sympathetic to Arizonas concerns about election integrity.

But the justices appeared split over the legal standard for evaluating Section 2 claims.

Supreme Court, with a man waking his dogs in front of it

In deciding against Arizona in 2020, the Ninth Circuit used a results test. This means that a law does not require proof of an intent to discriminate to be struck down. Judges ask only whether the law disproportionately affects historically disadvantaged groups.

Justice Samuel Alito worried the results test was overly broad. Poor, less educated voters, Alito said during oral arguments, would find it more difficult to comply with just about every voting rule. Alito proposed asking only whether policies deny voters an equal opportunity to participate in elections.

Justice Stephen Breyer, a liberal, suggested the court should consider disparate impact on minority voting but also allow states to defend their policies as enacted for reasons other than race.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh proposed a middle ground. His test would look at whether minorities have the same opportunities to vote but also other considerations, such as whether other states use the same rule and whether race-neutral justifications existed for it.

Which approach the court adopts will set the stage for future litigation and the larger showdown between federal voting rights protections and states control of elections.

[Understand key political developments, each week. Subscribe to The Conversations politics newsletter.]

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Cornell William Clayton, Washington State University and Michael Ritter, Washington State University.

Read more:



The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A 54-year-old man was arrested Monday night in connection to a robbery that left one person dead, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office.

Orbo Bailey, of Westchase, faces felony charges of robbery and first-degree murder while engaged in a robbery.

That robbery happened on April 23 at 9910 Sheldon Road, deputies said  an undeveloped parcel of land near railroad tracks in Westchase. Deputies responded to a 911 call about an injured man in the area at about 3 p.m., the agency said. When they arrived, they discovered a dead man with injuries to his upper body.

The Sheriffs Office declined to identify the man due to the agencys interpretation of Marsys Law, a voter-approved amendment to the state Constitution that was meant to protect crime victims but that deprives the public of information long available under Floridas public records law.

Investigators appealed to the public for help in the days following the mans death, asking anyone who was in the area of Sheldon Road near West Linebaugh Avenue that Friday between 2 and 3:30 p.m. to report any suspicious activity to the Sheriffs Office.

Through the course of the investigation, deputies eventually zeroed in on security camera footage that led to Bailey being named a person of interest in the case, the Sheriffs Office said.

The agency did not release any other details about the case, or Baileys arrest.
Jun. 8In recent weeks, Tennessee officials have voiced a flurry of accusations that the Biden administration is taking part in, or assisting, human trafficking with its immigration policies, specifically when it comes to unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in the United States.

Gov. Bill Lee said he declined a Biden administration request to house unaccompanied minors in Tennessee in March because, as he said last week, the state was "very concerned about the human trafficking of children."

Lee's communications director, Laine Arnold, suggested to the Times Free Press the Biden administration's movement of unaccompanied children to federally funded shelters like the one in Chattanooga is like human trafficking.

"Accounts that children are being flown into our state on chartered planes, in the dead of night, with no explanation or accounting from federal agencies sounds shockingly akin to human trafficking," Arnold said in a May 26 email to the Times Free Press.

Tennessee Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, with U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, issued a news release last month to speak out "against [the] Biden administration trafficking migrant children to Tennessee."

It is not clear to what extent GOP leaders believe the administration of President Joe Biden is trafficking children, which typically entails taking minors by violence or coercion and forcing them into sex work or other kinds of labor for profit.

However, a survey released last month by the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute found that 23% of Republicans believe "the government, media and financial worlds in the U.S. are controlled by a group of Satan-worshipping pedophiles who run a global child sex trafficking operation." That tenet of the QAnon conspiracy theory was believed by 14% of independents and 8% of Democrats.

The event precipitating the recent concerns by Tennessee officials was a WRCB-TV Channel 3 video showing the children traveling, some to a shelter in Chattanooga. The Highland Park shelter was set up under a federal contract and began operating under the administration of former President Donald Trump and was licensed and renewed in February by Lee's administration.

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The Tennessee officials have also said Biden immigration policies  such as allowing unaccompanied children to stay in the country while awaiting court proceedings  are encouraging children to come to the country, therefore putting them at risk of being exploited along the way. Speaking on Fox News last month, Lee told host Sean Hannity, "Human traffickers are being paid to move children into this country across the border, and our government is facilitating the last leg of that journey."

Immigration experts and organizations focused on helping trafficking victims say the rhetoric tends to misuse the term "human trafficking" and confuse the issue.

The federal government is not known to be recruiting or holding children for forced exploitation. The stated reason for the transportation of the children is to unite them with vetted sponsors across the country. Most of the children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border come on their own or they are smuggled  which is different from being trafficked.

According to the Office of the Administration for Children & Families, trafficking victims are forced or coerced into labor or sex and do not need to be physically moved across borders to be a trafficking victim. Smuggling, by contrast, means moving individuals across borders illegally and involves the individual's consent to being moved since it is a business transaction between the individual and the smuggler.

Eskinder Negash, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, said despite the distinct differences, the terms are often mixed up much like how refugees are sometimes confused with migrants.

The federal government is following its own immigration policies to help people seeking asylum in this country, Negash said.

"This is not a trafficking program," he said. "The migration is people coming in asking for asylum. This has been going on for years in this country. People always come to ask for asylum because they have a well-founded fear of persecution from their government, because of their religion or political affiliation."

Both smuggling and trafficking are crimes, but smuggling is a crime against a nation for breaking immigration laws, whereas trafficking is a crime against a person's human rights.

According to Office of Refugee Resettlement policy, "a child who was smuggled into the United States could have been trafficked while they were smuggled or smuggled as part of a trafficking scheme, but being smuggled does not automatically make the child a victim of trafficking."

Kids in Need of Defense, an advocacy group for unaccompanied children, said trafficking and smuggling are terms often confused by government officials and members of the media, despite having different legal definitions, according to a 2019 report on the issue.

"Failure to recognize the difference between smuggling and trafficking can lead to exaggerated and misleading claims about the prevalence of trafficking at the border and unhelpful policy responses," the KIND report reads.

State officials have criticized the federal government for weeks for its handling of unaccompanied minors. Much of the current federal policy overseeing unaccompanied minors was passed into law with bipartisan support in 2008 under President George W. Bush. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 stopped the adult detention model for children and placed them in less restrictive federally funded shelters across the country.

Children who arrive at the border are screened to determine whether they are victims of labor or sex trafficking, according to Office of Refugee Resettlement policy. In cases of potential trafficking, a report is sent to the Department of Homeland Security and additional care services are implemented for the child.

Biden allowed immigration proceedings for children to resume, though the president has not lifted several Trump immigration policies related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including expelling people who cross the border illegally to Mexico or their home countries over fears of spreading the virus in the United States.

Previously, unaccompanied children were told to wait in Mexico until their immigration cases could be heard in the United States. Advocacy groups, such as KIND or Human Rights Watch, have argued these policies make children vulnerable to violence or sexual exploitation in the Mexican border towns where those seeking asylum may not have friends or family.

"The children that are coming from Central America are coming because they have a well-founded fear because of gang violence and neglect," Negash said. "They're coming asking for asylum."

Contact Wyatt Massey at wmassey@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249. Follow him on Twitter @news4mass.
A Tennessee woman has been arrested and charged in Missouri for firing a gun at an SUV with four children inside, police say.

Shanyka K. Fouche, 22, of Memphis, Tennessee, was charged Saturday near St. Louis with first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon  shooting from a motor vehicle resulting in injury, two counts of armed criminal action, attempted assault, and five counts of endangering the welfare of a child, reported the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The shooting, which happened Friday on Interstate 55, occurred as Fouche's car passed a Nissan Pathfinder driven by a 31-year-old woman and occupied by another man and four children. Fouche was accompanied by her 2-year-old child, according to police.

Fouche fired three shots from a handgun at the Pathfinder, one of the bullets going through a door and striking the man in the hip. His injuries are not considered life-threatening, said police.

According to KTVI, one of the couples four children, an 11-year-old boy, proved to be a key witness.

"As he was getting shot at, he thinks enough to look at the license plate and memorizes the license plate of the car, which enabled us to use On Star," said Pevely Police Chief Alan Eickhoff, KTVI reported. "He is actually the hero of this incident."

Hours later, police were able to apprehend Fouche, reported the Post-Dispatch, and arrest her and the driver. She is currently being held in Jefferson County Jail without bond.

The shooting comes on the heels of the suspected road-rage killing of a 6-year-old boy in Southern California that gained national attention.

Aiden Leos was sitting in the backseat of his mother's car as she drove him to kindergarten when another driver shot him on May 21, authorities said. Aiden was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

According to accounts from the mother and witnesses who stopped to help her, another car cut her off, she responded with a hand gesture and the car slipped in behind her and someone inside fired a shot through the rear of her car.

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Two arrested in connectionto 6-year-old boy's death in road rage shooting

More USA TODAY Politics: Biden calls gun violence in the US an epidemic, but what has he done to pass new laws?

Both shootings follow several recent road rage incidents around the country.

Last month, a man was shot and injured in Indiana in what appeared to follow a road rage incident in front of a hotel, South Bend police said. Both the suspect and the victim reportedly got into an argument, then pulled into a parking lot where the suspect shot the victim, according to the South Bend Tribune.

In April, a road rage incident in eastern Missouri ended in two drivers shooting at one another on an interstate ramp, with one being injured by flying glass from a shattered window and the other driver being arrested, police said.

And in December, a 26-year-old Nashville nurse was fatally shot in an apparent road rage incident, Metro Nashville police said. The only possible motive offered by witnesses and investigators was that the victim might have cut off the men while all of them traveled on the interstate.

Road rage has been on the rise for nearly a decade. Nearly 80 percent of drivers expressed significant anger or aggression behind the wheel in 2019, according to a survey conducted by the American Automobile Association.

Though road rage incidents are unpredictable, there are ways you can prevent them. Defensive Driving School recommends that "even if youve been subjected to rude or aggressive driving behaviors, its important that you dont respond in kind."

And AAA suggests that you shouldn't respond to "aggression with aggression" and to call 911 if you feel threatened.

Contributing: The Associated Press.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Road rage shooting: Woman charged for firing at SUV carrying family
Jun. 8A 29-year-old man pleaded not guilty at Honolulu District Court to assault and terroristic threatening charges in connection with a stabbing of another man near the Kapahulu Groin in Waikiki.

Otis Alexander appeared at his arraignment before Judge Sherri-Ann Iha this morning on charges of first-degree assault, first-degree terroristic threatening and possession of a switchblade knife in commission of a crime. Alexander's attorney, Michael Green, stood alongside him during the arraignment.

Alexander's preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 6. He remains free after posting a $100, 000 bond.

The stabbing occurred near Kapahulu Groin before 1 :15 a.m. Tuesday.

Alexander allegedly argued with a couple. Police said Alexander assaulted the man sitting with his partner at which time the couple's friend intervened.

Alexander then allegedly stabbed the friend in the neck. The victim was taken in critical condition to a hospital. Police said his condition has improved.
A 4-foot by 8-foot sign welcoming visitors to North Carolinas Outer Banks has been stolen, prompting accusations the barrier islands are being loved to death by visitors.

The marker was on NC 12 and greeted motorists entering Cape Hatteras National Seashore from Nags Head.

Cape Hatteras park officials confirmed to McClatchy News the marker was taken and said it was affiliated with the Outer Banks National Scenic Byway program.

Photographer Wesley Snyder brought attention to the signs disappearance June 5, sharing a photo of the barren poles on the OBX, NC Facebook page, which has 40,000 members. He offered no theories as to whether the culprit might be local or a tourist.

I try to be very careful and not ever assume it could be a visitor, but we do suffer from being loved to death, Snyder told McClatchy News. Cant believe someone swiped it, but then again Im not that surprised either.

The sign is valued at nearly $900 and was erected in 2016 to mark the northern end of the Outer Banks byway. The federally-celebrated roadway extends 138 driving miles south across three counties and includes two lengthy ferry rides.

Mary Helen Goodloe-Murphy, chair of the byway committee, told McClatchy News the marker was well known as a spot where motorists stopped to pose for photos. It was stolen last week, and its the second sign to go missing from the byway, she said.

It will take months to replace, if not longer, Goodloe-Murphy said.

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Snyders Facebook post appears to have touched a nerve on the barrier islands, prompting messages of frustration. Comments ranged from talk of a senior prank to accusations that enthusiastic tourists made off with the sign as a memento.

Its probably in some college kids room now, one commenter wrote on Facebook.

Wow I cant imagine what they went through to get it. Crazy! another person said.

A similar Facebook group dedicated to Ocracoke Island  with 33,000 members  reports they, too, are seeing odd thefts.

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Welcome visitor! ... Friendly reminder to not take stuff from peoples yards/business yards/the school, one woman posted this on the page. This includes the pretty flowers you may see blooming that you want on your table for dinner, or a piece of wood you may think is a scrap. Please ask.

One of the oddest thefts reported on the islands in recent years came in 2019, when someone took the cooper bust of Orville Wright from the Wright Brothers Monument near Kill Devil Hills. The bust was found days later on an Outer Banks beach, the National Park Service reported.
Jun. 8Investigators believe a central Toledo man killed two others while out on a $10,000 bond for weapons charges.

Trey Lake, 21, of the 1000 block of Hamilton Street, already accused of multiple felony charges including attempted murder, was indicted last week for separate fatal shootings in 2020.

He is now facing multiple charges for the fatal shooting deaths of Omauryai Crenshaw on Aug. 13 and Cameron Lewis on Nov. 1.

Mr. Lake was indicted by a Lucas County grand jury last week for two counts each of aggravated murder and murder, all with gun specifications; two counts of having weapons under disability; one count of felonious assault with a gun specification; and one count of participating in a criminal gang.

He is expected to be arraigned on the new charges next week.

Around 9 p.m. Aug. 13, Toledo police responded to a call of a person shot at Brown and Pinewood avenues. When they arrived, they found Mr. Crenshaw, 22, suffering from at least one gunshot wound.

A woman, Shanikqua Jones, 27, of the 1700 block of Milburn Avenue, is also charged in complicity to the August shooting.

Toledo police then responded to a shooting a few blocks away near Belmont and Junction avenues on Nov. 1. Cameron Lewis, 21, was shot at least once and he died at ProMedica Toledo Hospital.

It was immediately unknown how investigators linked Mr. Lake with the most recent cases.

But weeks prior to the fatal shootings, Mr. Lake was out on bond for weapons violations.

On July 22, Toledo police detectives saw Mr. Lake make furtive movements at his waistband, and investigators determined he placed a loaded firearm on the tire of a parked vehicle in the 1100 block of Belmont, according to documents initially filed in Toledo Municipal Court. He was released on his own recognizance until police found a loaded firearm under the vehicle that he was a passenger in on Aug. 5.

Mr. Lake posted $10,000 bond Aug. 5, which was set in Toledo Municipal Court, about a week prior to Mr. Crenshaw's death.

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He was later indicted for the two weapons-related offenses, and his bond from municipal court continued at the county level. Mr. Lake remained out of jail on a $10,000 bond on Nov. 19, just weeks prior to another shooting, records show.

He was initially charged in Toledo Municipal Court for allegedly shooting Eric Allen at least three times in the face, neck, and body, on Dec. 1 at International Park. Charges were filed on Dec. 8, but later dismissed on Dec. 18 because the victim did not cooperate.

Around the same time, his bond for the weapons charges in Lucas County Common Pleas Court increased to $50,000  which he posted, according to court records.

Again, weeks later, he allegedly shot and injured Talian Smith on Jan. 5 in the 1100 block of Belmont Avenue. He is also charged with robbing another man at gunpoint on Jan. 12, according to his indictments filed in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.

A grand jury also subsequently indicted him for the Dec. 1 shooting.

The cases are all pending in Lucas County Common Pleas Court. As of March 30, Mr. Lake was being held in the Lucas County jail in lieu of a $2.2 million bond.

First Published June 7, 2021, 5:41pm
Photograph: Octavio Jones/Reuters

Hes Teflon Don no more, at least when it comes to court.

Donald Trump, no longer insulated by claims of presidential protections, faces a host of increasingly serious legal problems in some of the USs most high-profile courts, including both criminal investigation and civil litigation.

Related: Defamation to Georgia voting: the top Trump legal cases

So even as Trump maintains his grip on the Republican party and teases ambitions to run again for president in 2024  his legal woes could render all that debate meaningless: Trumps future could lie in the courtroom, not the Oval Office.

Trump can face criminal charges for activities that took place before he was president, after he was president, and while he was president  as long as they were not part of his duties while he was president of the United States, said attorney David S Weinstein, partner at Jones Walker LLPs Miami office.

Trump has not been charged with any crimes, and he has repeatedly denied wrongdoing personally and in his business dealings. His attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. A request for comment through his website received an automatic response of: Thank you for your inquiry. Our staff is currently reviewing your request.

But the exact impact of this on Trumps political future is unclear. Political science experts say that legal actions against Trump might not pose problems, as even if he were found to have committed wrongdoing, his loyalists might stick with him.

The most threatening legal investigation, which involves potential for jail either for Trump or his associates if it proceeded and resulted in conviction, does not relate to his presidential duties.

The Washington Post reported on 25 May that Manhattan prosecutors had convened the grand jury that is expected to decide whether to indict Donald Trump, other executives at his company or the business itself, should prosecutors present the panel with criminal charges.

This development suggests that Manhattan prosecutors inquiry into Trump and his business concerns has hit an advanced stage after proceeding for more than two years. More, it indicates that Manhattan prosecutors believe they have discovered evidence of a crime. This potential evidence could be against Trump, an executive at his company, or his business.

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This inquiry is broad-ranging, involving Trumps business dealings before his presidency. The investigation is exploring whether the value of some real estate in his companys portfolio was manipulated in a manner that defrauded insurance companies and banks. The investigation is also seeking to determine whether questionable assessment of property values might have resulted in unlawful tax breaks, per the Washington Post.

The Manhattan district attorneys office declined to comment.

Meanwhile, the New York state attorney general has ramped up its investigation. We have informed the Trump Organization that our investigation into the organization is no longer purely civil in nature. We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA. We have no additional comment at this time, a spokesman for the office said in an email to the Guardian.

Fani Willis, district attorney of Fulton county, Georgia, said in February that there were plans to investigate Trumps call to the Georgia secretary of state, in which he urged him to find sufficient votes to allow him to win. Willis also announced plans to investigate other attempts to influence the administration of the 2020 Georgia general election, the Post said.

In New York, Trump faces several major civil suits. Two women who accused Trump of sexual assault, ex-Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos and advice columnist E Jean Carroll, have filed defamation actions against him for statements he made about their allegations. He also faces a lawsuit filed by Efrain Galicia, an activist, over allegedly being attacked by Trumps security during a 2015 protest outside Trump Tower.

Something like criminal proceedings involving taxes could firm up support, as Trump could ramp up his claims of victimhood, playing to aggrieved voters who think the system is rigged against them. Plus, experts said, some of Trumps base is attracted to his boorish, bullying behavior.

The majority of the evidence that we have on hand says that people who like Trump dont care what he does  it just doesnt matter if he breaks the law, said Francisco I Pedraza, a political scientist at University of California Riverside. For those voters, he can do no wrong.

We know from a lot of social science research that people who back Trump also register very high on validated and reliable indexes of racial resentment, for example, he serves that and offers a kind of politics that responds to that flavor of politics, Pedraza said. Anything else doesnt matter as long as he continues to be a champion for racist [sentiments].

Several experts said, however, that Trump could lose some support if allegations offended economically disadvantaged persons in his base  if he cheated the proverbial little guy, for example, those who feel cheated by the system might turn on him.

Samuel Popkin, a research professor at the University of California San Diego and author of Crackup: The Republican Implosion and the Future of Presidential Politics, said: If he gets nailed on stuff that is very complicated and hard to decipher and just looks like taxes are too high and everybody gets screwed, Im just another businessman trying to [give] the government no more than they deserve. It will not hurt him.

If theres a conviction that has to deal with real theft, and stealing and scamming people, like the business with Trump University but on a massive scale, then it could hurt him.

It really depends on which charges.

Susan MacManus, professor emerita of political science at the University of South Florida, similarly said: If its taxes, people are less likely to see that as big an issue compared to something more serious, such as security.

However, any kind of conviction of some kind of criminal offense could definitely sway a number of Republicans, MacManus said.

The question is when you start looking at the fringes of the base, and you start looking at independent voters, not Republicans, said Thomas Patterson, a professor at Harvard Kennedy School. With that group, legal action could carry the possibility of erosion in supporting Trump.

Regardless of whether Trump, his employees, or company are prosecuted, its all but guaranteed to result in unprecedented attention and controversy, exacerbated by the ex-presidents notorious recalcitrance.

One New York courts insider told the Guardian that the frenzy would make the Harvey Weinstein case look like somebody with training wheels.

I can only imagine what a circus it would be, the insider said.
Four more Southeastern Conference teams earned spots in the NCAA baseball tournament super regionals Monday night, while Stanford, Dallas Baptist and the upstart South Florida Bulls also continued their seasons.

No. 1 overall seed Arkansas broke open its game against Nebraska late, got another superb pitching performance from Kevin Kopps and won 6-2 in Fayetteville for its third straight regional title.

The SEC champion Razorbacks, who haven't lost a three-game series since May 2019, won two of three against the Big Ten champion Cornhuskers in the regional.

Its unbelievable, honestly, Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said of his team's run, and I told the team they were amazing. They just keep finding a way and they keep fighting and we get to hang out at least another week.

No. 7 Mississippi State finished a 3-0 run through its regional in Starkville with a 6-5 win over Campbell, and No. 12 Ole Miss bounced back from a Sunday loss to Southern Mississippi to beat the Golden Eagles 12-9 in Oxford.

LSU, a No. 3 regional seed, pushed back coach Paul Mainieri's retirement by at least another week, staving off elimination a fourth time with a 9-8 victory over No. 14 Oregon in Eugene.

Arkansas, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and LSU joined Vanderbilt and Tennessee in the super regionals.

Stanford also advanced with an 11-8 win over UC Irvine. Virginia's game against No. 11 Old Dominion was postponed until Tuesday because of rain.

Dallas Baptist and South Florida were the feel-good stories of the day.

The Patriots, the No. 3 regional seed in Fort Worth, Texas, lost two starters to injuries over the weekend and were beaten by Oregon State on a walk-off homer Sunday.

They were down five runs midway through Monday's rematch before Andrew Benefield hit a go-ahead grand slam and the Patriots went on to win 8-5 and advance to its second super regional, and first since 2011. The Patriots (40-16) play Virginia or Old Dominion in the next round.

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South Florida beat South Alabama 6-4 in Gainesville, Florida, to become the first No. 4 regional seed to make the super regionals since Davidson in 2017.

The Bulls have won nine of their last 11 games and now have a regional title for the first time in 14 NCAA appearances.

After first baseman Riley Hogan fielded a groundball and stepped on the bag for the last out, he pumped his fist and darted to the mound to jump on the dogpile. A gaggle of fans behind the dugout chanted U-S-F, U-S-F and coach Billy Mohl doffed his cap to them.

Orion Kerkering, who allowed two hits and one run in 4 1/3 innings of relief, picked up the water cooler, sneaked up behind Mohl as he was doing an on-field TV interview and gave his coach a ceremonial soaking.

This is a special group of guys that will forever be known as the first team to get to a super regional, Mohl said. But as theyll tell you, theyre not done yet. They want to be the first program to get to Omaha. And we got the leadership in the clubhouse who truly believes that.

The Bulls (31-28) will play at No. 2 national seed Texas (45-15) in the best-of-three super regionals.

Stanford (36-15) jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first inning against UC Irvine. Tim Tawa hit a two-run homer to start the scoring, and the Cardinal went on to secure a trip to No. 8 Texas Tech.

Arkansas, which lost 5-3 to Nebraska on Sunday, loaded the bases on three walks with two outs in the eighth and scored the go-ahead run on Jake Bunz's wild pitch. Then pinch-hitter Charlie Welch hit a three-run homer to make it a four-run game.

The Razorbacks (49-11) will host North Carolina State (33-17) this weekend.

Mississippi State (43-15) is in its fifth straight super regional, the longest active streak, and will host No. 10 Notre Dame (33-11).

The message all week to our guys was: This is where you belong. This is where Mississippi State is supposed to be,'" coach Chris Lemonis said.

Ole Miss (44-20) got another big game from Tim Elko, who hit a grand slam and hit another of the Rebels' five homers. The Rebels meet No. 5 national seed Arizona (43-15) in super regionals.

LSU (38-23) scored the go-ahead run against Oregon when Ducks closer Kolby Somers balked with a runner on third. Gavin Dugas homered twice and Landon Marceaux worked out of trouble in the ninth to send the Tigers to an all-SEC super regional at No. 3 Tennessee.

We don't want coach to retire yet, Dugas said. He made a joke yesterday in the huddle. He said, 'You guys won't let me quit.'

___

More AP NCAA baseball tournament coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/college-world-series
The small group bounded up the steep incline of Federal Hill Park on Monday afternoon with the names of their fallen comrades attached to flags flapping in the breeze.

Quickly catching their breath, the group participating in the second annual Ruck 2 Remember took in the sweeping views of Baltimore Citys skyline and Inner Harbor and exhaled a sigh of relief. There were only about 60 miles left in their weeklong journey of 380 collective miles by a core group of five marchers.

This allows us to come together and memorialize our fallen and to honor the families, said Chief Warrant Officer Will Reese, an operations officer with the U.S. Army Special Operations Command.

Reese sits on the board of APK Charities, which works to honor Capt. Andrew Pedersen-Keel, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2013 while serving as the commander of his special forces detachment. He was 28.

In 2019, Reese was brainstorming events beyond a 5K walk and came up with the idea of R2R: Everyone would wear a ruck  a 36-pound military backpack  and the route would retrace Keels life, beginning in Avon, Connecticut, where Keel was raised, and ending at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

In addition to Keel, 36 other veterans killed in action are specifically being honored during this years walk. Among them is University of Maryland alumnus, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Forrest N. Leamon, who died in an Afghanistan helicopter crash in 2009 at the age of 37.

Its a way to give back, reminisce about the old days and share stories, Reese said. Its also all about the families. They may have lost one son but then gained 12 more with the other living team members and veterans.

Not even the hot conditions  Mondays high temperature in Baltimore was 94 degrees with a heat index of 99  or the aggressive cicadas could slow the group of five on this years trek.

Over the past week, during which they averaged a collective 60 miles a day among them, they have toured the 9/11 memorial in New York City and visited the Statue of Liberty with a boat escort by the New York City Police Department. In Philadelphia they scaled the famous Rocky art museum steps and saw the Liberty Bell.

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The group reached the Baltimore area Sunday night, stopping in Bel Air for a few hours of sleep before another pit stop in the city before then heading later in the day to Washington, D.C., and to Arlington on Tuesday. Local Drug Enforcement Administration agents and law enforcement officers have joined the group in nearly every city, with Baltimore being no different.

While only five people  including Reeses 13-year-old son, Adrian  are in the core march, Reese said more than 100 people are participating in the ruck virtually across 11 states and five countries. Collectively, more than $12,000 has been raised for APK Charities.

Ryan Oldenburg, a retired Army special forces medic, said participating in the ruck with two of his closest friends and being able to share stories has given him a sense of closure after struggling to find himself following his military career.

We can either die young and be a hero or live forever and tell their stories; there is no in between, he said. So, being able to get out and walk and tell those stories and educate people is helping me find my purpose.

The Raeford, North Carolina, resident also said hes been surprised by the amount of honking, thumbs-up and other support the group has received. It helped restore his faith in humanity, he added, saying the group has received nearly $200 for the charity from people stopping them to donate.

We are getting to live the life that the friends on our flags cant, Oldenburg said. And we have to make the most of that life.
Vice President Kamala Harris sent a stark warning to migrants in her first foreign trip. Senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe reports.

Video Transcript

- A troubling new report from the Department of Homeland Security highlights the lingering human costs of the Trump administration's family separation policy at the border. The report says more than 2,100 kids may still be without their parents, despite recent efforts to reunite them. Vice President Kamala Harris is in Mexico today to address the root causes of the immigration crisis, after visiting Guatemala yesterday. Ed O'Keefe is in Guatemala City. Ed, how does the Vice President plan to do that?

ED O'KEEFE: Well good morning, Anthony. Another big day ahead for the Vice President, as she announced plans for the federal government to target human traffickers, or those people to help guide migrants across the US-Mexico border, and plans to promote legal immigration from Central America and Mexico. The ultimate goal here is to help make it possible for people in this region to feel they no longer need to head north illegally.

Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Mexico last night. Before arriving, she said the focus is on bolstering a partnership with our next door neighbors. Harris is continuing her first foreign trip since taking office-- a tour that included a stern warning to would be illegal migrants.

KAMALA HARRIS: Do not come. Do not come.

ED O'KEEFE: Hoping to alleviate poverty and crime that drives many to make the trek north, the Biden administration has committed more than $300 million to the region.

KAMALA HARRIS: I have asked you what would bring the people of Guatemala hope.

ED O'KEEFE: As Harris met with civic and business leaders, she announced that the departments of Homeland Security and Justice are launching a new task force targeting transnational crimes, like human trafficking. And across Central America, the State Department will begin promoting legal ways to immigrate to the US. But she's also using the trip to raise concerns with corruption across Central America.

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Do you consider the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, or any other in this region, to be corrupt?

KAMALA HARRIS: So, on the issue of corruption, the conversation that I had with President Giammattei today was very frank, and very candid. And I think this is a quality that he and I appreciate in each other.

ED O'KEEFE: I pressed Guatemalan president Alejandro Giammattei about critics who say, that when it comes to corruption, he's part of the problem.

ALEJANDRO GIAMMATTEI: [SPEAKING SPANISH]

INTERPRETER: How many cases of corruption have I've been accused of? I can give you the answer to that-- zero.

ED O'KEEFE: Back in Washington, Republicans, like Senator Lindsey Graham, questioned if the renewed American investment in Mexico and Central America is worth it.

LINDSEY GRAHAM: I think the money alone won't fix that problem. People are going to keep coming by the hundreds of thousands, until we change our laws.

ED O'KEEFE: Now that new government report we mentioned-- about 2,100 kids that may not yet have been reunited with their families-- acknowledges that in some cases, there may have been reunifications, but the government has no record of them. The Department of Homeland Security also says it will help reunite another 29 families in the coming weeks. All of this a reminder of the long, simmering, deep-rooted problems of immigration across this region. Tony.

- A reminder indeed. Ed O'Keefe for us in Guatemala. Ed, thank you very much.
WASHINGTON  Vice President Kamala Harris pushed back against criticisms she's received for not visiting the U.S.-Mexico border as she leads the White House's efforts to address a surge of migration to the U.S.

During an interview with NBC News that aired Tuesday, host Lester Holt cited criticism of her decision not to go to the border and asked whether she has plans to visit.

"At some point, you know, we are going to the border," she said. "We've been to the border. So this whole thing about the border. We've been to the border. We've been to the border."

"You haven't been to the border," Holt noted.

"And I haven't been to Europe," the vice president responded. "And I mean, I don't, understand the point that you're making. I'm not discounting the importance of the border."

The border: Kamala Harris and Joe Biden havent visited the US-Mexico border. Texas officials are mixed on whether they need to

Harris went on to say "I care about what's happening at the border."

Harris took her first trip abroad to Guatemala and Mexico, where she met with Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei on Monday, and on Tuesday is meeting with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The trip was part of her focus on addressing the root causes of why migrants from Central America are heading to the U.S.-Mexico border.

There has been a dramatic increase of migrants coming to the U.S.-Mexico border over the past several months. In April, border patrol officials encountered a record number 178,622 migrants at the border, which includes unaccompanied children, families and single adults.

More: Kamala Harris to test 'long-standing partnership' in meeting on migration with Mexico's AMLO

Some lawmakers have criticized President Joe Biden and Harris for not visiting the U.S.-Mexico border. Many Republican lawmakers have called out Harris in particular given her role of addressing the root causes. Harris, however, has said that she is strictly focused on root causes of migration and not the situation at the border. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat who represents parts of the border in Texas, has also been critical of Harris and Biden for not visiting the border.

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"I'm in Guatemala because my focus is dealing with the root causes of migration," she told Holt. "There may be some who think that that is not important, but it is my firm belief that if we care about what's happening at the border, we better care about the root causes and address them. And so that's what I'm doing."

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has made several visits to the U.S.-Mexico border. The White House has also previously said that Biden gets regular updates as to what is happening at the border.

More: Harris in Guatemala announces initiatives to address corruption and human trafficking in Central America

Harris on Monday during a press conference with Giammattei also rejected the criticisms she is facing for not heading to the United States' southern border, saying that she went to Guatemala to "speak with the leader of this nation around what we can do in a way that is significant, is tangible and has real results."

"I will continue to be focused on that kind of work as opposed to grand gestures," she said.

During her interview with NBC News, Harris noted that it will take time to see results from her efforts to help mitigate migration to the U.S.-Mexico border.

"There is not going to be a quick fix," she said. "We are not going to see an immediate return. But we're going to see progress. The real work is going to take time to manifest itself. Will it be worth it? Yes. Will it take some time? Yes."

Reach Rebecca Morin at Twitter @RebeccaMorin_

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kamala Harris in Lester Holt interview pushes back on border criticism
Vietnam, once a model for its successful handling of the pandemic, has started asking for public donations to buy vaccines as it struggles to contain a new coronavirus wave.

The Southeast Asian country has vaccinated only about one percent of its population of nearly 100 million, and authorities have become increasingly alarmed by a recent spike in cases.

Since last week, mobile phone users have received up to three text messages urging them to contribute to a Covid-19 vaccine fund, while civil servants have been encouraged to part with a day's pay.

Some residents, fearful of the virus' impact on Vietnam's economy -- one of the few in the world to expand last year -- told AFP they support the fundraising drive.

Nguyen Tuan Anh, a civil servant, told AFP he had sent around $50 via bank transfer and SMS payment, as vaccines would mean "Vietnam's economy will be stable and develop again".

Vietnam's industrial northern provinces -- home to key factories such as Samsung and Foxconn -- have been particularly badly hit by the latest outbreak.

Across the country, tens of thousands of people have lost their jobs, according to state media, with bars and restaurants forced to close in major hubs such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and public gatherings cancelled.

Cases have more than tripled since April to reach almost 9,000. Although the number is low in comparison to most of its Southeast Asian neighbours, Vietnam's vaccination rate per capita is the lowest in the region, and among the lowest in Asia, according to an AFP tally.

The communist government has said it aims to secure 150 million vaccine doses this year to cover 70 percent of its population -- at a cost of $1.1 billion.

But only $630 million has been allocated to vaccine procurement in the budget.

A financial "contribution from the community and society" is needed to make a mass roll-out possible, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told the nation on Saturday during a live broadcast to launch the campaign.

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By Tuesday, more than 231,000 individuals and organisations had donated $181 million to the campaign.

Another $140 million has been promised by businesses, the Ministry of Finance said.

However, the campaign has been shunned by some who are concerned with how the money will be spent.

"I am not sure if the donated money will be used for the sole purpose of buying vaccines to inoculate every citizen...I don't think I have enough trust to give them my money," said office worker Pham Mai Chi.

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Byron "Tanner" Cross, a physical education teacher, has won an initial battle with the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS), which placed him on leave after a controversial speech denouncing a proposed policy regarding gender.

In a letter Tuesday, Twelfth Circuit Judge James E. Plowman ordered LCPS to restore Cross' position as a physical education teacher at Leesburg Elementary School. The temporary injunction will allow Cross to maintain his job until Dec. 31, at which point the injunction will dissolve unless other orders are put in place.

Plowman argued that Cross was likely to succeed if his case was brought to trial, that the school district had adversely impacted his First Amendment rights, and that reinstating his job was within the "public interest."

Cross sparked an uproar last month when he told LCPS' school board that he wouldn't "affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because it's against my religion. It's lying to a child, it's abuse to a child, and it's sinning against our God."

VIRGINIA TEACHER PLACED ON LEAVE AFTER SPEECH DISPUTING BIOLOGICAL BOY CAN BE A GIRL AND VICE VERSA

Just days after that speech, Cross was told in a letter not to come on the school's premises. The letter vaguely stated the school district was investigating "allegations that you engaged in conduct that has had a disruptive impact on the operations" of his school.

Plowman's letter rejected the school district's argument that it was suspending Cross not due to his speech, but because of the disruption it created.

"[T]he Court has found  that the disruption relied upon was insufficient," he wrote, adding that Cross' speech and religious content were "central" to LCPS' decision.

Plowman also argued that Cross' "interest in expressing his First Amendment speech outweigh the Defendant's interest in restricting the same and the level of disruption that Defendant asserts did not serve to meaningfully disrupt the operations or services of Leesburg Elementary School."

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VIRGINIA COUNTY THREATENED WITH LEGAL ACTION OVER SUSPENSION OF TEACHER WHO SPOKE ABOUT GENDER POLICIES

LCPS declined to comment. Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a religious liberty firm representing Cross, praised the ruling.

"Nobody should be punished for expressing concern about a proposed government policy, especially when the government invites comment on that policy," said ADF President and CEO Michael Farris.

"For that reason, we are pleased at the courts decision to halt Loudoun County Public Schools retaliation against Tanner Cross while his lawsuit continues. Educators are just like everybody else  they have ideas and opinions that they should be free to express. Advocating for solutions they believe in should not cost them their jobs."

Plowman similarly held that Cross' comments constituted private and constitutionally protected speech.

Cross had referred to draft policy 8040 , which required Loudoun staff to use preferred pronouns.

"LCPS staff shall allow gender-expansive or transgender students to use their chosen name and gender pronouns that reflect their gender identity without any substantiating evidence, regardless of the name and gender recorded in the students permanent educational record," it read.

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"School staff shall, at the request of a student or parent/legal guardian, when using a name or pronoun to address the student, use the name and pronoun that correspond to their gender identity. The use of gender-neutral pronouns are appropriate. Inadvertent slips in the use of names or pronouns may occur; however, staff or students who intentionally and persistently refuse to respect a students gender identity by using the wrong name and gender pronoun are in violation of this policy."

Another proposed policy, 8350, stated that LCPS staff "shall allow gender-expansive and transgender students to participate in such activities in a manner consistent with the students gender identity."




A Virginia middle school once named after a Confederate soldier officially has been renamed to honor Black NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson.

The Fairfax school had been called Sidney Lanier Middle School for the past 60 years, named after the American poet who was also a private in the Confederate army. In September 2020, the city school board decided to get rid of Lanier's name after a majority of residents wanted the name changed.

Community members submitted over 300 new names for the school, and on Nov. 2, 2020, the district approved renaming the school after Johnson. Other names considered included Maya Angelou, Fairfax Woods, Legacy Independence and City.

"Her contributions continued to serve the nation and helped ensure that the 'Eagle had landedand landed safely,'" said city school board member Jon Buttram in November. "So, I think it appropriate that the name Katherine Johnson for our middle school will inspire new generations of 'Eagles' for our community, and I look forward to watching them fly."

'It's the right thing to do': Florida school board votes to rename 6 Confederate-named schools

The name, Katherine Johnson Middle School, was approved for the 2021-22 school year and became official during a ceremony on Friday, with Johnson's family in attendance.

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"We're elated that they've chosen her names out of so many other names," Valerie Johnson, Katherine's niece and a Fairfax County Public Schools math resource specialist, told ABC Washington. "She had very humble beginnings, she wasn't a prideful person, and she never really let people know about all her accomplishments. Even as a child, I did not really understand the magnitude of her work, but as I became an adult I learned about her great and important work at NASA and the fact that she really had superpowers, they were passion, perseverance, and courage."

Hired by NASA in 1953, Johnson is famous for her role in the orbital mission of John Glenn in 1962. Before his flight, Glenn personally asked NASA to have Johnson run the numbers and equations in the computer by hand on her desktop mechanical calculating machine. She also did the calculations for the Apollo moon missions.

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Johnson's story was portrayed in the 2016 film "Hidden Figures," where she was played by Taraji P. Henson. The film also told the stories of other Black pioneers at NASA in Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson.

Johnson retired in 1986, and in 2015, at age 97, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama. She died at the age of 101 in Feb. 2020.

The renaming of the school is one of the numerous steps that have occurred in the past year across the country as social activists call to remove statues or school names with racist ties. Earlier this month, a Florida school board voted to rename six schools named after Confederate army members.

Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jord_mendoza.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Virginia school drops Confederate name for NASA icon Katherine Johnson
An envoy from West Africa's regional bloc arrived in Mali on Tuesday, a day after Colonel Assimi Goita pledged to swiftly return the country to civilian rule after leading its second coup in nine months.

Former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, representing the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), will meet Goita in the evening, a diplomat said.

The Sahel state is battling to restore credibility with its partners after the second military takeover since August sparked diplomatic uproar.

Goita led a putsch that toppled Mali's elected president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, and last month ousted the two civilian heads of the post-coup interim government.

Deposed president Bah Ndaw and prime minister Moctar Ouane had been tasked with steering Mali back to civilian rule by February 2020.

In his inauguration speech on Monday, Goita promised Mali "will uphold all its commitments" and stood by the deadline for the elections set by the transitional government.

He also named a veteran political figure, Choguel Kolkalla Maiga, a 63-year-old leader of the country's biggest campaign movement, as prime minister.

Those two moves aim at key demands set by Mali's partners.

ECOWAS suspended Mali following the second coup but stopped short of reimposing sanctions -- a lever that pushed the junta into accepting a civilian-led caretaker government after the first takeover.

Mali's chronic instability has deepened fears of chaos in a country key to efforts to stem the jihadist insurgency sweeping the Sahel.

One of the poorest countries in the world, Mali is deeply reliant on outside help to combat Islamist violence that first emerged in 2012, and now threatens the region.

- French anger -

Mali's formal colonial power France last week suspended joint military oppositions with Malian forces pending "guarantees" about the February 2022 elections.

France has 5,100 troops stationed in the Sahel as part of its anti-jihadist Barkhane force.

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A spokesperson for France's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that the government had "taken note" of Goita's pledge to restore civilian rule and his appointment of a civilian prime minister.

"We remain attentive to the next steps to be taken by the Malian authorities to clarify the framework of the political transition," the spokesperson added.

Goita also stressed his support for continuing work on the 2015 Algiers accord, a shaky agreement between the central government and several armed groups.

The deal, which has never been fully implemented, is seen as crucial to ending Mali's grinding conflict.

On Monday evening, Maiga began holding consultations on forming a new government, with ECOWAS pushing for it to be "inclusive" -- a potential tall order in the politically polarised nation.

Maiga told AFP that forming a government should not take long, however, adding that there is "total break with what there was in the past".

Mali's main political players have offered little resistance to the coup.

Mahmoud Dicko, an influential imam who rallied dissent against Keita in 2020, has said he "acknowledges" the new political reality in Bamako.

ECOWAS leaders are due to convene again in Ghana on June 19.

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LONDON (Reuters) - Bitcoin fell to a three-week low on Tuesday amid signs of institutional investor caution, while the head of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service called for lawmakers to provide authority for tighter reporting rules on crypto transfers.

IRS chief Charles Rettig said on Tuesday that Congress needs to provide clear statutory authority for the tax agency to collect information on cryptocurrency transfers valued at over $10,000 that largely go unreported.

Rettig said before the Senate Finance Committee that cryptocurrency market capitalization is over $2 trillion, with more than 8,600 exchanges worldwide. "By design, most crypto virtual currencies are designed to stay off the radar screen, so we will be challenged right now."

Earlier a spokesperson for British fund manager Ruffer Investment Management confirmed that it exited its bitcoin bet in April with a $1.1 billion profit amid worries over risk after quick gains in the cryptocurrency's price.

Ruffer made its bitcoin bet in November, in what was then one of the largest signals of rising institutional interest in the digital currency. By mid-December it was worth around 550 million pounds ($745 million).

"Long term, we remain interested in digital assets and the role they can play in real wealth preservation," the spokesperson said. "In the short term, following the sharp increase in the bitcoin price, we felt bitcoin was exhibiting more risk."

Ruffer's bitcoin profit was first reported by The Sunday Times.

Meanwhile, MicroStrategy Inc, a major bitcoin corporate backer, has increased the size of a junk-bond sale to help buy more bitcoin, now targeting $500 million, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday.

Bitcoin was last trading at $32,055.20, down 4.5% on the day. It bottomed at $31,025, the lowest price since a shakeout on May 19 dropped it to near $30,000 for the first time since January.

The cryptocurrency has slumped by half since hitting a record of almost $65,000 in April.

(Reporting by Tom Wilson, David Lawder and Alden Bentley; Editing by Tom Arnold and Cynthia Osterman)
The New York Times

As the delta variant of the coronavirus spreads in southeastern China, doctors say they are finding that the symptoms are different and more dangerous than those they saw when the initial version of the virus started spreading in late 2019 in the central city of Wuhan. Patients are becoming sicker, and their conditions are worsening much more quickly, doctors told state-run television Thursday and Friday. Four-fifths of symptomatic cases developed fevers, they said, although it was not clear how
Jun. 8The death of man who was found fatally shot Saturday night at a duplex in Lebanon has been ruled a homicide.

Lebanon Police Chief Jeff Mitchell said an autopsy was performed by the Warren County Coroner's Office on Monday morning that confirmed Joseph E. Kancy, 22, of Wilmington, died of a single gunshot to the chest.

A 911 call came in at 7 p.m. Saturday that a person was bleeding outside the duplex in the 900 block of North Broadway Street, according to a incident report. As first responders arrived, they found Kancy not breathing, not able to speak, and not conscious.

Mitchell said detectives interviewed people at the residence.

Police did not release any information about a potential suspect or type of gun used.

On Monday, residents declined to speak with this news outlet about what happened Saturday outside their home.

Anyone with information about Kancy's death is urged to contact Sgt. Nate Trout at ntrout@lebanonohio.gov or 513-228-3328.
A Wisconsin father of three accomplished one of his greatest goals  completing 1,500,231 push-ups to set a new world record for most push-ups done in a year. The best part though? It was all to raise money for the families of fallen first responders.

Nate Carroll on the 50-yard line of MetLife Stadium in New Jersey broke the record in front of first responders during half-time of the 48th Annual Fun City Bowl, an annual showdown between the New Yorks fire and police football teams.

"It was awesome to be on the field, to be cheered on by so many first responders," said Carroll.

SOME WASH. POLICE DOGS RE-TRAINED TO AVOID SMELLING MARIJUANA

The dad said he was motivated by his family and he wanted to "demonstrate to my kids what goals that seem impossible look like when they are broken down into daily manageable chunks." Carroll said that the record for most pushups in 365 days had interested him for a few years. But, he added, "I understood if this challenge was going to be taken on, there had to be more depth to it besides just breaking a record."

He spent the last year raising money for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation's Fallen First Responder Program, which pays off the mortgages for the families of law enforcement officers and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty and leave behind young children.

The endurance to take on the task changed him.

"Averaging over 4,000 pushups a day certainly develop muscle in the arms and core. However, what was most noticed was my awareness of how my body felt and responded to the stress of thousands of pushups each day," Carroll said but noted that the "most dramatic change was  mental strength and the understanding that the body is a phenomenal creation, and if properly cared for and conditioned, can endure significant physical stress and accomplish tremendous feats."

His advice is that competition has to become not an activity but an identity. "Set a goal, and get after it. Make it who you are, not something you do. That way, when it gets hard and life throws obstacles in your way and offers you convenient excuses to stop or says its too difficult, you find a way to endure and persevere and keep after it. Winning those mini-battles each day builds strength and shapes one's perspective of what is possible."

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Although he has done more than 1.5 million pushups, his 12-month quest isnt over until June 13.

He said he wants the final total of pushups to feature the numbers 911, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

"It was an honor to set a new world record here in New York in front of members of the NYPD, FDNY, PAPD and other first responders. I want this record to pay tribute to the sacrifice made by so many heroes that tragic day," said Carroll.

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Carroll said he is just getting started. He may be middle-aged but his journey is just beginning.

"In the past 15 months, I've ran 50 miles around my house, finished 3,000 pushups during a marathon, 5,000 pushups during a 31 mile trail race, and completed over 1.5 million pushups in 365 days, I'm 45 years old and not getting any younger"
The stench of rotten eggs first seeped into Terri Kennedys home in January.

The overpowering smell has since invaded in waves, three to five times a week, keeping her and her family up in the middle of the night, she said.

Kennedy got headaches, bloody noses, sinus issues and persistent nausea from the odor, she said in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday against New-Indy Containerboard LLC of Catawba, S.C. The plant is about seven miles from her home in Indian Land, S.C.

The odor is awful and unpredictable and caused her to seek medical treatment, she said in her complaint filed by lawyers from the Rock-Hill-based Elrod Pope law firm.

The lawsuit seeks at least $5 million in damages over its dangerous hydrogen sulfide and other emissions.

The Lancaster County womans lawsuit is the third class action filing against the company. A homeowner in the Ballantyne area of south Charlotte filed one, and so did two York County women.

New-Indy is a joint venture between New England Patriots owner Robert Krafts holding company, the Kraft Group LLC, and Schwarz Partners LP, according to two of the lawsuits.

The plant makes pulp, which is used to produce paper, tissue, cardboard and specialty paper. And it manufactures lightweight coated papers and such products as ultra-lightweight liner board, according to the company website.

The emissions have generated at least 17,000 complaints from Carolinians, according to the lawsuit.

Not your Daddys Bowater

Tommy Pope, a lawyer representing Kennedy, said he grew up in the area and remembers when Bowater owned the mill.

Many of my friends and their families made a good living at Bowater, which was a good corporate citizen to all of us, Pope said in a statement. Unfortunately, what we are dealing with now at New-Indy is not what we grew up with.

This is not your Daddys Bowater, according to Popes statement. This is out-of-state owners denying responsibility. The ongoing damage to our air, our water and our health must be addressed.

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Maryland lawyer Philip Federico and Delaware lawyer Chase Brockstedt joined Elrod Pope in the lawsuit.

Federico and Brockstedt recently reached a $205 million settlement for Delaware residents whose drinking water had been poisoned for decades by chicken processor Mountaire Farms.

Kennedys lawyers, as well as health, engineering and environmental experts, have scheduled a town hall regarding New-Indy for 6:30 p.m. June 16 at Southern Charm Events, 534 Waterford Glen Way in Rock Hill.

EPA action

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently ordered New-Indy, which is located just southeast of Rock Hill, to immediately lower hydrogen sulfide emissions and monitor the air in communities surrounding the plant.

The EPA also is monitoring the air in the greater Rock Hill area and into North Carolina, as requested by various state and local agencies and the Rock Hill-based Catawba Indian Nation, EPA officials said.

New-Indy response

After the EPA order, mill manager Tony Hobson said his plant strives to be a good member of the community and saved more than 450 manufacturing jobs and created 1,000 construction jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

New-Indy, he said, continues to try to determine the source of the odor and resolve the issues relating to the odor emanating from our plant.

We are committed to the safety of our ... local employees and the surrounding area; protecting the environment; promoting economic vitality, and charitable giving to support great local causes, Hobson said.
By Manas Mishra and Rupam Jain

BENGALURU, India (Reuters) - Many more men in India have received COVID-19 vaccines than women, government data showed on Tuesday, highlighting gender disparity in the country's immunisation drive that has also disadvantaged the rural population.

India has partly or fully vaccinated about 101 million men, nearly 17% more than women. Men account for 54% of the total number of people inoculated, according to the data.

Many federally administered regions, the capital Delhi, and big states such as Uttar Pradesh have seen some of the worst inequities. Only Kerala in the south and Chhattisgarh in central India have vaccinated more women than men.

Graphic: Gender disparity in India's COVID-19 vaccinations Gender disparity in India's COVID-19 vaccinations https://graphics.reuters.com/HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/INDIA-VACCINES/yzdpxmaoovx/chart.png

"We are noticing that men, especially in towns and villages, prefer to take the vaccine before women as they have to travel for work, while women are relegated to domestic chores," said Prashant Pandya, medical superintendent at a big government hospital in the western state of Gujarat.

Health officials say rumours about vaccines disrupting women's menstruation cycle and reducing fertility have also contributed to the skewed data. The government has rejected the concerns.

"The government will have to ramp up awareness programmes in rural India to ensure women understand the importance of vaccines and prioritise themselves in this race to secure the two shots," said Sudha Narayanan, a former bureaucrat who worked in the health ministry in New Delhi.

Women will have to step forward to get vaccinated or the divide will rapidly widen, Narayanan added.

India, with a population of 1.3 billion, has about 6% more men than women.

A spokesperson for the federal Ministry of Health and Family Welfare did not respond to Reuters' questions about the gender disparity.

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Some women in the rural parts of Gujarat and neighbouring Rajasthan state have urged the authorities to deliver vaccines at their doorstep, saying they are unable to travel to hospitals leaving their children behind.

"I don't know how to read and write...how will I register for the vaccine," said Laxmiben Suthar, a mother of four in the town of Vadnagar in Gujarat. "The government must send the medicine to us."

India's vaccination policy has evolved fast but the federal government has so far resisted calls for door-to-door immunisations given that the vaccines have only been authorised for emergency use and recipients need to be monitored for a short period for any adverse reactions.

Urban Indians are also getting COVID-19 shots much faster than the hundreds of millions of people living in the countryside, government data has shown. That is partly due to a policy that helped richer cities buy more vaccine doses than rural districts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reversed the policy and said vaccines will be offered at no charge to all adults starting June 21. The government will also facilitate more walk-in inoculations after complaints about the online registration process.

India has so far administered 233.7 million doses, the most in the world after China and the United States, but given the necessary two doses to only about 5% of its estimated 950 million adults.

India has the world's second-largest number of coronavirus infections after the United States, with total cases at nearly 29 million, according to health ministry data. The country has suffered 351,309 deaths.

(Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
A female factory worker at a sewing machine

The government plans to launch a new workers' watchdog to take over protecting the rights of UK workers.

The new body will be responsible for tackling modern slavery, enforcing the minimum wage and protecting agency workers.

Currently these tasks are spread across three different bodies.

It said it was looking at extra curbs targeting the garment sector including banning sales if brands' behaviour does not improve.

The government is looking at these specific measures after reports of serious problems in the industry, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said.

Boohoo concerns

One of the leading online fashion retailers, Boohoo, came in for heavy criticism after concerns were raised that workers at its Leicester suppliers were being underpaid and not being protected against Covid-19 during the pandemic.

It was alleged last year that some factories in the UK working for the firm were paying staff as little as 3.50 an hour and had working conditions that did not meet Covid guidelines.

Boohoo has said it is committed to raising standards and monitoring its suppliers more closely

After an internal review, it cut its supplier network from an estimated 500 firms to under 100 following the allegations.

Boohoo said earlier this year that if it were to discover any suggestion of modern day slavery it would "immediately disclose this to the relevant authorities."

The government said it was looking into either creating a Garment Trade Adjudicator to investigate companies' supply chains, or it could extend an agricultural licensing scheme.

Under that scheme, businesses who provide agricultural workers must have a license, and can be inspected to make sure they are meeting employment standards.

If brands' behaviour doesn't improve, the government warned it could introduce harsher measures, including bans on goods made in factories where workers have been underpaid.

Business minister Paul Scully said: "This government has been absolutely clear that we will do whatever we can to protect and enhance workers' rights.

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"The vast majority of businesses want to do right by their staff, but there are a minority who seem to think the law doesn't apply to them. Exploitative practices like modern slavery have no place in society."

He added that the new watchdog would enable the government to "take action against companies that turn a blind eye to abuses in their supply chains".

The government also says the new watchdog will make it possible for vulnerable workers to get the holiday pay and statutory sick pay they are entitled to, without having to go through a lengthy employment tribunal process.

Previously, the rights of UK workers were split into three bodies - the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate and HMRC's National Minimum Wage Enforcement.

The new workers' watchdog will provide guidance to businesses on best practice, complementing existing work already being carried out by independent bodies like the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas).

It will also have enforcement powers and will continue the government's existing Naming and Shaming scheme run by the Low Pay Commission, which in December 2020 named 139 businesses for failing to pay the national minimum wage.
AMHERST  A North Carolina man arrested on shooting charges last week in connection with the death of a 17-year-old in Amherst County was denied bond Tuesday.

Steve Anderson Burrell, 25, of Whiteville, North Carolina, was arrested last week and charged with shooting a firearm from a vehicle and maliciously shooting into an occupied dwelling, along with co-defendant Kevin Jalany Graham, 31, also of Whiteville, North Carolina.

Deputies with the Amherst County Sheriffs Office responded to what they found out to be two related calls the night of May 31, one involving shots fired into a residence on Sprouse Drive and the other involving a man in a car near the intersection of U.S. 29 and Virginia 130 whod been shot, the sheriffs office said last week.

A 17-year-old discovered in the car with a gunshot wound to the chest died at the scene, the sheriffs office said. Law enforcement has not named the victim, but The News Reporter, a Whiteville-based newspaper, has identified him as Malachi Zechariah Mullins. Mullins mother told the newspaper he was traveling to Amherst County to pick up a car, which Commonwealths Attorney Lyle Carver echoed in court Tuesday.
After an unusual school year with remote and hybrid learning, school divisions in the Lynchburg area are gearing up for robust summer school opportunities  with record-level enrollment.

More than 1,700 students have enrolled in summer learning opportunities in Lynchburg City Schools, officials said last week, which is more than double the number of students they served during summer 2019.

This summer, our priority is face-to-face learning, students in buildings four days a week because we are so excited, and teachers are so excited, to have students back five days a week in the fall, said Allison Jordan, director of curriculum and instruction for the division.

Jordan said teachers identified students who struggled with learning this year and encouraged them to enroll in one of the several summer school programs the division is offering.

The division is partnering with the YMCA of Central Virginia to offer the Power Scholars program at the citys elementary schools. Rebecca White, director of achievement gap programs at the YMCA of Central Virginia, said the programs goal is to help mitigate summer learning loss in the more than 700 students who have enrolled.
FALLS CHURCH  A judge on Tuesday ordered a northern Virginia school system to reinstate a suspended gym teacher who spoke out at a school board meeting against a proposal requiring that transgender students be addressed by their preferred pronouns.

Loudoun County Circuit Court Judge James Plowman ruled that teacher Tanner Cross was exercising his right to free speech when he told the board he could not abide by the proposal based on his religious beliefs. His order requires Cross' immediate reinstatement until a full trial can be held.

Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal group, sued the county school board last week and filed for an emergency injunction on behalf of Cross, a teacher at Leesburg Elementary.

Cross was suspended after he said at a May 25 school board meeting that he could not abide by proposed rules that would require teachers to address transgender students by their chosen gender.

During the hearing, Cross said I'm a teacher, but I serve God first. And I will not affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because it is against my religion. It's lying to a child. It's abuse to a child.
Mandating vaccination could reduce voluntary compliance

Citizen opposition to COVID-19 vaccination has emerged across the globe, prompting pushes for mandatory vaccination policies. But a new study based on evidence from Germany and on a model of the dynamic nature of people's resistance to COVID-19 vaccination sounds an alarm: mandating vaccination could have a substantial negative impact on voluntary compliance.

Majorities in many countries now favor mandatory vaccination. In March, the government of Galicia in Spain made vaccinations mandatory for adults, subjecting violators to substantial fines. Italy has made vaccinations mandatory for care workers. The University of California and California State University systems announced in late April that vaccination would be required for anyone attending in the Fall.

The research, published in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), extends an earlier PNAS study by first author Katrin Schmelz, a psychologist and behavioral economist at the University of Konstanz, documenting that a major source of vaccine hesitancy is distrust of government. She found that enforced vaccinations reduce people's desire to be vaccinated, particularly among those with low levels of trust in public institutions.

In the new study, Schmelz and economist Samuel Bowles of the Santa Fe Institute exploit a large panel survey implemented in Germany during the first and second waves of the pandemic. Despite infections in Germany being 15 times more common in the second wave of both the pandemic and the survey, the researchers observed increased opposition when they asked participants a hypothetical question about how they'd respond if vaccinations were to be legally required (the German government is publicly committed not to require vaccinations). In contrast, there was a higher and undiminished level of support for the voluntary vaccinations now in force.

The authors also draw on evidence from the dynamics of diffusion of novel products and technologies such as TVs and washing machines in the last century. They reason that as those who are hesitant or opposed to vaccination see that others are getting vaccinated, they might change their mind. Learning from others' vaccination decisions - "conformism" in psychology - means that even if initial vaccination hesitancy is substantial, as more become vaccinated it may be possible to get to a herd immunity target without mandating vaccines.

They also use experimental evidence from behavioral economics showing that explicit incentives, whether in the form of carrots or sticks, may crowd out intrinsic or ethical motives. Policies that aim to incentivize a desired behavior, such as getting vaccinated, can actually undercut individuals' sense of a moral or ethical obligation to do the right thing.

This is evident in their data. Mandating vaccinations by law directly reduces the desire to be vaccinated. Their model also suggests an adverse indirect effect: enforcement will reduce the extent to which others being vaccinated will induce vaccine hesitators to become willing, as this carries a weaker signal. Schmelz says "How people feel about getting vaccinated will be affected by enforcement in two ways -- it could crowd out pro-vaccine feelings, and reduce the positive effect of conformism if vaccination is voluntary."

Bowles says this should be a caution to governments considering mandated policies: "Costly errors may be avoided if policymakers reflect carefully on the costs of enforcement. These could not only increase opposition to vaccination, but also heighten social conflict by further alienating citizens from the government or scientific and medical elites," he says. Nonetheless, he says government enforcement "may still be necessary if the number wishing to be vaccinated is insufficient to control the pandemic."

Schmelz concludes that "Our findings have broad policy applicability beyond COVID-19. There are many cases in which voluntary citizen compliance to a policy is essential because state enforcement capacities are limited, and because results may depend on the ways that the policies themselves alter citizens' beliefs and preferences," adding that "... examples include policies to promote lifestyle changes to reduce carbon footprints or to sustain tolerance and mutual respect in a heterogeneous society."

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This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
He urged the justices to side with Marchant and hold, regardless of whether [the] plaintiffs ever had any sort of enforceable property right, that right was extinguished by the 2020 law and that law is perfectly Constitutional.

It is not known when the Supreme Court will rule in the cases. If the plaintiffs lose, they potentially could appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, possibly further delaying any removal of the statue.

To that end, Heytens told the justices, as of today, June 8, 2021, the governor has been enjoined from acting for an entire year, as of today, despite having prevailed on the merits in every single challenge seeking to block his actions.

For that reason I think it is critically important that the court not only affirm the circuit courts decision on the merits, but also to make clear that the injunction pending appeal is immediately dissolved and that the new status quo is that the governor may act unless plaintiffs succeed in obtaining a new injunction from this court or a higher court, Heytens said.

Joseph E. Blackburn Jr., an attorney representing Gregory, also asked the justices to reverse Marchant. His client, said Blackburn, is here to stop the sovereign, from doing what the sovereign cant do and to stop the sovereign from breaking its word.
SCOTTSVILLE  One of the last poled ferries in the country soon will be under renewed management, as Buckingham County, Historic Buckingham Inc., the town of Scottsville and the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society work to reconstitute an organization to take control.

The Hatton Ferry on the James River near Scottsville began operation in 1870, and the ferry assets recently were gifted from Hatton Ferry Inc. to Buckingham.

My hope is that we can put together a grassroots community effort to support this, and thats what its going to need, said Tom Chapman, executive director of the ACHS. Its one thing for the historical society to say, this is the only poled ferry in the United States, this is cool  But in terms of whats cool versus [if] we can find funding and support to actually continue operations, thats a whole other thing that requires the community to get involved.

On Saturday, a crane on the Buckingham side of the river lifted the ferry back into the water from the bank it has rested on since it was beached late last year during high water. Uprooted trees became entangled under the barge, breaking the chain holding it to the Albemarle County side of the river, and the ferry floated to the Buckingham side, where it later became stuck.
"We had not known that Auschwitz existed," he said.

Dushman was just one of just 69 men in his 12,000-person unit to survive the war, but he did not leave unscathed. One of his lungs was removed after he was seriously wounded, according to Reuters.

Following his military career, Dushman went on to become an international fencer and fencing coach. He was the USSR's best fencer in 1951 and coached the Soviet women's team from 1952 to 1988, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). His fencers won two gold medals, two silver medals and three bronze medals at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich.

Thomas Bach, the German president of the IOC and a former fencer, knew Dushman personally. Bach said in a statement that he was "deeply saddened" by the news of Dushman's death.

"When we met in 1970, he immediately offered me friendship and counsel, despite Mr. Dushman's personal experience with World War II and Auschwitz, and he being a man of Jewish origin. This was such a deep human gesture that I will never ever forget it," Bach said.

___
Fastly says its services mean that a European user going to an American website can get the content 200 to 500 milliseconds faster.

Internet traffic measurement by Kentik showed that Fastly began to recover from the outage roughly an hour after it struck at mid-morning European time, before most Americans were awake.

Looks like it is slowly coming back, said Doug Madory, an internet infrastructure expert at Kentik. He said it is serious because Fastly is one of the worlds biggest CDNs and this was a global outage.

Brief internet service outages are not uncommon and are only rarely the result of hacking or other mischief.

Fastly stock jumped about 6% by midday as investors shrugged off the problem.

Still, the incident highlighted the relative fragility of the internets architecture given its heavy reliance on Big Tech companies  such as Amazons AWS cloud services  as opposed to a more decentralized array of companies.

Even the biggest and most sophisticated companies experience outages. But they can also recover fairly quickly, Madory said.
But the Red Summer of 1919, a label coined by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson, brought the Chicago riot, ignited by the death of 17-year-old Eugene Williams. On a raft, he inadvertently drifted over the invisible line that separated the Black and white sections of the 29th Street Beach. A white beachgoer threw rocks at him. He slipped off the raft and drowned.

Fueled by tensions over jobs, housing and a flu pandemic as troops of all races returned home from World War I, the incident ignited a riot that left 38 people  23 Black, 15 white  dead, more than 350 injured and about 1,000 homes burned.

I bring all of these disasters up in the hope that we can learn something positive from them.

Chicagos Timuel Black understands. The 103-year-old historian, educator, author and activist has offered generations of journalists, including me, valuable perspectives on how far we have come since the days of the Black Belt, as the Chicago Defender and other Black media called the Black South Side where he was born in August 1919, a month after the riot.
The International Olympic Committee has announced that 29 refugee athletes will take part in the Tokyo Games.

IOC President Thomas Bach unveiled the refugee team at an online news conference on Tuesday.

The team is made up of 19 men and 10 women. Nine of them are originally from Syria. Five are from Iran, four from South Sudan and three from Afghanistan.

By sport, track and field has the most refugees with seven, followed by judo with six and taekwondo with three.

Six people, including judo athlete Popole Misenga from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, will take part in two Summer Olympics in a row.

Bach said when the refugee athletes and others come from all over the globe, "it will send a powerful message of solidarity, resilience and hope to the world."

The refugee team is due to gather in Qatar on July 12 and leave for Japan two days later.

Waseda University in Tokyo will provide accommodation and training facilities for the team.

The IOC formed the first-ever refugee team at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games with 10 athletes.

It has since founded a scholarship program to support refugee athletes' training and everyday lives. Now 56 people are receiving grants under the program.
Taiwan's government on Tuesday slammed as "distorted" and full of "rumors" an article recently posted on social media that inaccurately reported on Japan's donation of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan

Japan's government shipped 1.24 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Taiwan on June 4, one day after the country's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi revealed during a legislative session that Japan was working to supply COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan.

According to Japanese media reports, Motegi told legislators that Taiwan had an urgent need for vaccines right now because its local production capability will only become available in July.

The article first appeared in an online forum a few days ago, but has since gone viral. It claimed that the reason Japan did not provide more vaccine doses was because Taiwanese officials said the country only needed a few doses to meet present need as its indigenous vaccines will be available in July.

A video showing Motegi answering legislators' question which came with the article also went viral. The video caption falsely indicated the Japanese official told legislators Taiwan did not ask for many vaccines, because it only needed enough for June, with Taiwan's locally produced vaccines scheduled to be rolled out in July.

Such claims angered some netizens in Taiwan, at a time when COVID-19 community transmission continues to surge in the country. Several experts have blamed the recent spread of the virus on the government's failure to secure enough vaccines when the COVID-19 situation in Taiwan was relatively good.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issued a statement late Monday, accusing the online article of deliberately misinterpreting Motegi's statement to manipulate public opinion for political purpose.
The rainforest project never was funded. When the GOP gained control of the House in 2011, tea party Republicans chose to eliminate the practice. In his State of the Union address that year, Democratic President Barack Obama promised to veto any bill containing earmarks, saying the American people deserve to know that special interests arent larding up legislation with pet projects.

Hinson and Axne dont see it that way. Their requests are not adding spending to the federal budget. Instead, according to Hinson, who sits on the House Appropriations and Budget committees, they are asking that money already being designated to certain federal programs be allocated to these projects within those programs.

For example, Hinson said, she and Illinois Democratic Rep. Cheri Bustos are asking that the Army Corps of Engineers prioritize the already-authorized Mississippi River locks and dams improvement project within its plans for the next fiscal year, instead of allowing that critical project to sit on the back burner any longer.

Its an example of reaching across the aisle  and the river  to work together in a constructive way that respects taxpayers, Hinson said. This project is of critical economic importance to both of our districts economies.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Vice President Kamala Harris sought to assure poor and threatened populations of Latin America on Tuesday that the United States has "the capacity to give people a sense of hope in the region so they can make better lives without fleeing to the U.S. border.

Harris closed her first foreign trip as vice president unapologetic for her decision not to visit the U.S.-Mexico border as part of her mission to address migration to the United States.

If you want to address the needs of a people, you must meet those people, you must spend time with those people, because the only way you can actually fix the problem is to understand the problem, she told a news conference before the flight to Washington.

Earlier she brushed off questions about her decision not to go to the border as part of her work to address the spike in migration, saying that while it was legitimate to be concerned about the situation there, it wouldnt be addressed with a simple visit.

It must be priority for us to understand why people leave, she told the news conference. I cannot say it enough. Most people don't want to leave home.
Yesterday the meeting of foreign ministers of the regional organisation did not produce results. China referred to General Min Aung Hlaing as Myanmars leader. Aung San Suu Kyi remains in custody and is asking for food and medicines.

Yangon (AsiaNews)  A meeting between the 10 foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN) and their Chinese counterpart Wang Yi was held yesterday in the Chinese city of Chongqing. The crisis in Myanmar was among the topics discussed.

Myanmar Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin attended the meeting, representing the military junta that took power on 1 February after arresting pro-democracy leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi who is set to go on trial next Monday (14 June), her lawyer said yesterday.

During the meeting, ASEAN foreign ministers stressed the need to implement the five-point plan drafter at the end of April to reduce violence in Myanmar.

Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said ASEAN was disappointed with the very slow progress in implementing the plan.

Unfortunately, we know that there are still civilians who have been hurt or killed. There has been no release of political detainees, there has been no real sign of meaningful political dialogue and negotiation, Channel News Asia quoted Balakrishnan as saying.

The minister went on to say that ASEAN had no intention of interfering in Myanmar's internal affairs because in the end, only the people themselves withing Myanmar can determine its future.

After the meeting, Indonesias Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said she raised the crisis during talks with Wang Yi, saying Chinas support to ASEAN will be highly appreciated.

China had no immediate comment, but in a Facebook post the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar said that Myanmars new government is willing to work together with ASEAN to safeguard the domestic stability of Myanmar and implement the five-point plan.

Opponents to the military junta have criticised the Chinese government for calling General Min Aung Hlaing Myanmars leader. Its government is not officially recognised by ASEAN or any single country.

Meanwhile, Aung San Suu Kyi was back in court yesterday. During the hearing, the former state counsellor was able to speak for a second time with her legal team, after a first meeting on 24 May.

According to local newspaper The Irrawaddy, Suu Kyi also asked her lawyers to provide food and medicines for herself and eight other detainees.

The court agreed to hear five out of six charges against Suu Kyi within 180 days of her arrest.

According to one of the lawyers of the leader of the National League for Democracy, the court will hear the prosecution's evidence until 28 June, followed by the defence. The court is likely to issue a ruling by mid-August.
The Iowa Department of Public Health has launched a multi-media marketing campaign to promote COVID-19 vaccination.

The department said it will aim to inform more Iowans about the benefits of the vaccine and encourage them to get vaccinated.

As eligibility further expands to the pediatric population, its also important that we reach an even more diverse groups of Iowans, including teens and their parents or guardians, with information about the vaccine, Iowa Department of Public Health Director Kelly Garcia said in a release. That means getting creative with how we deliver messages through traditional and digital channels.

The department said television ads and online video that are currently running feature images of iconic Iowa events and summertime traditions that reflect a return to normalcy.

A new ad features Major General Ben Corell, adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard, who was hospitalized with COVID-19 late last year. 

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His personal experience reinforces the message that COVID-19 can affect anyone, and that getting vaccinated is the best way to protect your health, the department said in the release.
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LINCOLN, Neb. (AP)  Ann Tillery could see by her own image on the Zoom screen that something was wrong when the left side of her face began to droop.
He was credited with 190 days served. The two sentences will run one after another.

Judge Michael Piccolo told Johnson that his criminal history and failure to comply with probation made him a candidate for a prison term. But he also considered Johnsons work over the past seven months to address his addiction issues and his interest in continuing to do so.

In other cases Monday (defendants are from North Platte unless otherwise noted):

 Carl L. Wid, 41, of Lincoln, pleaded no contest to driving with a revoked license  second offense. The charge stems from a April 4 arrest.

Wid is scheduled to be sentenced July 26.

 David M. Dorwart Jr., 28, pleaded no contest to a charge of shoplifting with a value of $500 or less  third offense.

The charge stems from an incident at the North Platte Walmart on March 6. Charges of resisting arrest and second-degree trespassing were dismissed in the plea agreement.

Dorwart was sentenced to 60 days in jail and credited with 38 days served.

 Lebraya K. Green, 21, pleaded no contest to possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
Fears of a substantial decline in next years state school aid turned into a net $408,102 gain for North Platte Public Schools in recently certified 2021-22 totals.

The district will receive $9.89 million in budget aid next year, 4.3% more than the current years $9.48 million, according to the Nebraska Department of Education.

West central Nebraskas 40 districts will share 2.1% more in aid, though total aid statewide will dip by 0.6% from 2020-21.

Exactly half of the regions districts, including North Platte, will get more state help in 2021-22 in aid figures compiled by The Telegraph.

To view your districts latest and past state school aid totals, visit sfos.education.ne.gov/forms/formshome.

Department officials agreed in February that the North Platte district had proven  after assembling evidence over a long period  that the aid formula wasnt accounting for all its costs to educate poorer students.

That yielded a $1.4 million boost in North Plattes 2021-22 poverty allowance, wiping out 70% of a feared $2 million decline in overall district revenues that had prompted officials to take ideas for possible budget cuts and even school mergers.
This past session, a number of good bills failed to pass. LB 364 is a bill from Sen. Lou Ann Linehan called the Opportunity Scholarship Act. Sen. Linehan and I both came into the Legislature in 2017. She introduces this bill every session.

In her bill, individual and corporate taxpayers would qualify for a nonrefundable tax credit equal to the amount the taxpayer contributed to a scholarship-granting organization. No taxpayer would receive a tax credit exceeding 50% of their state income tax. The idea is pretty simple. Nebraskans could donate money to a scholarship-granting organization and lower their income tax liability a little. Low-income families with children in a public school would have the option to apply for a grant to send their kids to a private school.

The bill was controversial because of its fiscal note. In the forecast prepared by the Department of Revenue, the bill would mean $10 million to $15 million in lost income tax revenue in the next four years. The bill was filibustered, and to end the debate a vote of 33 ayes was needed. The vote fell short again, with 29 voting yes, 18 voting no, and two present and not voting.
Over the weekend, the auxiliary from Baghdad celebrated the first communions of 210 boys and girls. A moment of deeply felt celebration, after months of closures and restrictions for the new coronavirus. The catechism, trips and community meetings explore the legacy of the pontiffs visit. A large gathering of young Chaldeans from all over the country is being studied.

Baghdad (AsiaNews) - After the dark years of sectarian violence and the, still ongoing but "improving" situation in the Covid-19 pandemic, the Iraqi Church "wants to start again with young people and Pope Francis visit, a moment of celebration that continues to bear fruit ".

Msgr. Basilio Yaldo, auxiliary of Baghdad and close collaborator of the Chaldean patriarch Louis Raphael Sako speaks to AsiaNews of the atmosphere of celebration last weekend "for first communions celebrated with over 200 young people from the diocese of the capital".

"We are optimistic, especially in Baghdad - says the prelate - the heart of the country from which to build the future".

On 6 June, Msgr. Yaldo presided over the Mass with the first communions for 210 boys and girls of the capital. A moment of celebration, with the church full of family members and faithful while respecting - the patriarchate is keen to specify - all the safety rules to prevent coronavirus outbreaks. Because "the situation has improved a lot, especially in Baghdad" confirms the prelate, but "attention must remain high, while the vaccination campaign that we strongly support continues throughout the country".

The Baghdad auxiliary continues "For some time we have begun to reopen the churches after the closures imposed by the health authorities. Many activities have restarted such as catechism, youth meetings, masses, to give hope after past sufferings. We want to reopen, celebrate, meet. In fact, as a diocese we are working on a general gathering of young people scheduled for next month: a moment of prayer, celebration and reflection on the Pope's visit, this will be the theme on which we focus most attention. An extraordinary event that we must keep alive and whose teachings we must put into practice, renewing the message of hope for Christians in Iraq and throughout the Middle East.

Msgr. Yaldo says "the children were very happy, especially for the presence of their families who shared in the ceremony and the moment of community celebration that followed."

The words of one child from the parish of St. Thomas in Baghdad struck me very much - confides the prelate. When I asked him what communion means to him, he replied that it means 'keeping Jesus alive in my heart, in my Church and in my homeland'. Words that really filled me with joy.

The reopening of the churches - he continues - is also a sign of hope that we want to give to our people, because we are a living and strong community as emerges from the many activities we are preparing. In addition to the catechism, last week the trips with a group of young people who went to a tourist spot in the capital, the island of Baghdad, started again. We want to resume the pilgrimages, from Ur to the plain of Nineveh, in the north, to visit the ancient churches and monasteries.

The apostolic journey, the decline in Covid infections, the political elections in October are steps towards a positive change in society and in the country, at a time when Christians "are increasingly recognized and can find more space".

"From this point of view - continues the bishop - the Popes visit proved to be fundamental. Christians, slowly, are emerging from the darkness, from the caves, to acquire ever greater visibility. And as a Church we insist on the role of young people, which is why in addition to the Synod in August and the meeting in the capital next month, by the end of the year we want to organize a great event that brings together all the young Chaldeans of the country "from north to south, from Mosul to Basra, passing through the capital.
Amy Chua and her dogs outside her familys home in New Haven. Photo: Photograph by Gillian Laub for New York Magazine

Its supposedly haunted, Amy Chua says brightly as she ushers me into the cavernous antechamber of the New Haven home she shares with fellow Yale Law School professor Jed Rubenfeld. Chua helped me find the sprawling Tudor-Gothic stone edifice by noting its weird chimneys and griffins. This is the house from which Chua and Rubenfeld  Chubenfeld, as theyre semi-derisively known on campus  once held court. Yale Law, the top ranked in the country, is both intellectual hothouse and finishing school for the American elite, and for the past two decades, the couple was the self-appointed social center of the entire institution, as one former friend on the faculty puts it. They had the ability to create spectacle, to make themselves the center of a conversation. Yale Law is not only the place where Bill and Hillary Clinton met and that has graduated four sitting Supreme Court justices. It promises intimacy, and is half-jokingly referred to as Montessori law school. Only 200 students enroll each year, less than half of Harvards 1L class. In turn, these students are set afloat on even smaller boats of 16 to 18 students  the small group  captained by a single faculty member who introduces them to the world of the law and of Yale Law School.

There, Rubenfeld was, his wife tells it, the big constitutional-law golden-boy star, and she was the live wire, the embodiment of her 2011 best seller Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother: willing to outrage but also to make herself the butt of the joke. In a place where everyone was brilliantly credentialed and yearned for a way to set themselves apart, students believed Chubenfelds favor, especially Chuas, could grease their path to the top, or at least to the clerkships that obsess the legal upper crust. Both students and faculty flocked here, for dinners and their big annual Harvard-Yale party, and sometimes for more glamorous gatherings like one she threw for Wendi Murdoch, who befriended her after The Wall Street Journal excerpted Tiger Mother. (She was raising two daughters, says Chua, and always wanted advice. Murdoch was later photographed in New York with a dashing Yale Law student on her arm.)

I am done, Chua says. I mean, those are some great memories, but this whole thing has been so painful. Now this house is the locus of so much of what has lately made Chua, 58, and Rubenfeld, 62, into pariahs. Rubenfeld is halfway through a two-year suspension without pay after a university committee found he sexually harassed at least three former students. The complainants I spoke to believe there are at least seven of them who went through the process. Rubenfeld has been barred from contact with students during that time and blocked from teaching a required course. Yet lately, Chua is the one on the public defensive.

It turns out Chua, too, was investigated by a fact finder, hired by the law school, who looked into claims that she had abused her power over the clerkship process, made inappropriate comments, and engaged in excessive drinking with students. In 2019, Chua incurred a substantial financial penalty, according to a letter complainants received; accepted limits on socializing with students; and apologized to complainants for remarks I made in jest or frustration that were capable of being misinterpreted in a way that made them seem hurtful or intimidating.

This was all secret until this April, when the Yale Daily News reported that Chua would no longer be teaching a small group. Students had gone to the administration with, among other items, screen-grabbed text messages between students with secondhand accounts of socializing at Chuas house, which were then circulated over email and subsequently republished on the Above the Law blog. Such gatherings also violated COVID-19 safety protocols.

Chua has said she was blindsided by the story and denied violating any agreement, or hosting parties, though she does admit to inviting students into her home for mentorship. I was publicly humiliated with a total falsehood, she tells me, and I was treated degradingly.

At first, she planned to stay quiet, she says, until her daughter Lulu (the rebellious cub in Tiger Mother, now a law student herself) encouraged her to defend herself publicly. Chua published a 67-page PDF of glowing letters from students, some of whom she concedes were about to be graded by her, and her own incensed letters to the faculty. She tweeted her way from New Haven into national cancel-culture martyrdom, defended by the likes of Bari Weiss and Megyn Kelly, who claimed Chua was really being punished for championing Brett Kavanaugh.

The text messages depict students who believed going to Chuas house would score them a clerkship. Faculty members I spoke to have mixed feelings about it all. Theres a weird schism among the students where they want the place to be utterly transparent and utterly equitable, mused one who is sympathetic to that critique, but they also want to keep the prestige and privilege that the place affords. Three other professors told me that Chua is the victim of overzealous zoomers who have confused the natural hierarchy of achievement  and Chuas right to favor whomever she wants  with a social-justice outrage. There are a lot of mediocre students at Yale who were superstars in their little county fairs, and now theyre in the Kentucky Derby and theyre not winning their races and they feel like its unfair because other students are doing better, says one faculty member who thinks the dean, Heather Gerken, was too deferential to students in how she handled the small-group affair. As Dean, I have a responsibility to create a community in which all of our students can thrive, Gerken said through a spokesperson. When a faculty member violates our rules and norms, it undermines all the good that comes from an environment where faculty respect and support our students.

Every so often, as Chua and I speak, I can hear footsteps, but its possible they belong to an aging Samoyed that Chua periodically gets up to tend to and scold. I finally ask if Rubenfeld, who has already declined an interview for this story, is at home. Chua hesitates. He was out earlier. But he might be back. But I dont think I can get him to talk, she says. Does she think he should? We just live our own lives, she replies. I think its just his choice.

Rubenfeld was chattier this past August, when I wrote about his suspension. On the phone, he absolutely, unequivocally denied sexually harassing anyone, verbally or otherwise, and attributed his punishment to a backlash against his scholarship. I think subsequent to me having written some controversial articles about sexual assault, he said, that I became a target of people making false allegations against me. (One of the students who lodged a complaint calls Rubenfeld the Louis C. K. of legal academia.)

The actual allegations and the proceedings have been strictly confidential. This frustrates many faculty members. I dont know if he got away with something or he got capital punishment for jaywalking, says one. Maybe you do. I dont.

Over the past few months, Ive read hundreds of pages of confidential documents from multiple sexual-harassment complaints against Rubenfeld and spoken to some of the accusers who went through the Title IX process. The oldest formal allegation against him involves events as far back as 20 years ago, and as recently as 2017. They reported verbal harassment, unwanted touching, and attempted kissing; the complainants include women who never joined the public opposition to his work on sexual assault. The documents show that multiple Yale faculty members refused to participate in the investigation because they feared retaliation by Rubenfeld and/or Professor Amy Chua.

Chua, who has chosen to meet me in her daughters old shirt and leggings with a hole in the knee, says she doesnt recognize herself in this portrayal. Its been really an adjustment to suddenly see myself described as this incredibly connected, ruthless, powerful person that wields so much power in the clerkship process, Chua says. Many of the things that I was encouraged to do and I was complimented for 20 years ago, like making the house intimate for small groups of people who felt they had nowhere else to turn, turned into something that  and I take responsibility for this  I didnt really understand that, Oh my gosh, some people dont feel comfortable in this space, or theres more competition than you realized for these spots. I didnt think of it that way. She adds, My own self-perception is kind of as the underdog.

When Chua calls herself an underdog, it is in reference to her husband. In Tiger Mother, she writes that she always worried that law wasnt really my calling, adding, I didnt care about the rights of criminals the way others did, and I froze whenever a professor called on me. As for Rubenfeld, whom she met at Harvard Law School and married in 1988, she writes, for fun, he wrote a 100-page article on the right of privacy  it just poured out of him. It was published in the Harvard Law Review, a coup for a recent graduate working in corporate law, and Yale came calling for him in 1990.

He got hired in this way that was seen as the old boys network operating for a young man, says one female colleague. Chua joined a decade later after, by her own account, bombing the interview and landing at Duke in the interim. Students at Yale Law School had begun to organize around the fact that there was only one woman of color on the tenure track, and they embraced Chua, who gamely threw herself into the mentoring and clerkship process.

Chuas insecurity about her place at the law school has not been unfounded, though many of her colleagues seem awed by her public profile. Jed is very much a figure in the intellectual life of the school, says a male professor. Amy, not at all. Has there ever been a more famous Yale Law professor than Amy Chua? No. On the other hand, she has no capital at the law school because shes not an important scholar. (She was an excellent party host, he conceded.)

Rubenfeld embraced the role of boy genius turned provocateur. In class, he liked prolonged eye contact, Socratic cold calls, and edgy hypotheticals. Hed studied at Juilliard and would often dramatically exit the room at the end of a lecture. Says a colleague, He thrives on the understanding of the classroom as an eroticized place, where theres this kind of thrill of engaging in risky exploration about ideas thats continuous with risky exploration of all kinds of boundary transgressions. Around the time the Obama administration began pushing universities to crack down on sexual misconduct, in 2011, Rubenfeld began to explore new terrain: critiquing rape law. The Riddle of Rape-by-Deception and the Myth of Sexual Autonomy appeared in the Yale Law Journal in 2013, and the topic preoccupied him in class, too.

He would give these examples that started out being sort of okay and take it further and further. He asked if it was okay to penetrate a baby, a student who was in his small group in fall 2014 tells me. Then he said, You use a spoon to feed a baby.  One of her classmates stared at him blankly when he did this, but she decided she would push back. I think he liked it when people engaged in the lunacy of his arguments, she says.

Before setting foot on Yales campus, at the age of 25, Rubenfelds student felt she had a sense of what fancy institutions were like; she had gone to small private schools her whole life. The collegiate Gothic hall was lined with the portraits of Yales eminences, which at that time numbered 74 men and six women, all of the women white except Eleanor Holmes Norton. Tracey Meares, Yale Laws first tenured Black woman, had emailed to encourage the student to join the law school as part of an outreach to accepted students of color. At the time, the young womans ambitions were vague, but she liked the challenge of the law. I think the law-school culture really pushes people into clerkships, she says. She and her classmates werent going to be graded that first semester, which meant the judges who had begun to recruit for prized clerkships as early as that summer would rely substantially on professors endorsements.

Small-group professors get a budget for socializing, and most of this students small-group gatherings were held at bars or a house where there was drinking. Not all small groups drank together  some went apple picking or played stickball  but that in itself wasnt unusual. Rubenfeld would often send out emails with the subject line emergency drinks, and there were lots of emergencies. He would buy the first round. One night, at Cask Republic, the student ordered Scotch. She liked Scotch, but she says now that, if shes honest with herself, her choice was also a performance, a show of toughness. Rubenfeld, impressed, ordered a second round of whiskey just for the two of them. When he drank, she remembers, Rubenfeld would start leaning toward her, touching her arm or the small of her back as he joined a conversation, or staring into her eyes.

She had heard rumors that Rubenfeld slept with students. Last summer, when the Guardian asked Rubenfeld if he had sexual relationships with Yale students, he responded, I have never had a sexual relationship with one of my students. (Until the late 90s, such relationships werent forbidden by the university.)

And she had heard about Chuas make-or-break reputation for getting clerkships  that she would shepherd them through the process, including how to sell themselves and to whom, and that judges looked to her for her frank takes on the students. Fully half of Yales law-school classes clerk, but not all clerkships are created equal. So-called feeder judges on federal circuit courts are most prized because they provide the clearest pipeline to clerking on the Supreme Court, which is not only prestigious but lucrative: The typical signing bonus for such a clerk at a law firm is $400,000, not counting the six-figure starting salary. Six of the nine current justices clerked on the Court themselves. The student did not shrink from Rubenfelds touch.

Another night, the student says, she sat at one end of the table as Rubenfeld asked the students about rape. He said he was working on an op-ed for the New York Times challenging how rape was adjudicated, especially on campus, and he wanted to know their take. If they were drunk, would they have sex with someone who was also drunk? What would they do if their partner wanted them to do something they werent comfortable with during a sexual encounter? The statistic that one in five women had been raped  was that true in their experience?

I felt very agitated at the time, the student tells me. The fact that he was questioning things like, Does sexual assault happen in the ways in which it is reported? But the point of Yale Law School, she was told, was to get close to professors, and later she would tell the Title IX committee that, in this moment, she understood, Okay, I guess that to get close to professors, you have to go drinking with them and engage in intrusive and strange conversations about your sex life. (At that Title IX hearing, Rubenfeld denied ever being drunk around students or asking specific questions about their sex lives. Had he asked her those questions? He would not have done it unless she brought it up first.)

One of the students who lodged a complaint calls Rubenfeld the Louis C. K. of legal academia.

On October 23, 2014, Rubenfeld held a party at his home for his small-group students past and present. The party was upstairs in the more casual third-floor attic, where she noticed that many of the books on the shelves seemed to be written by Rubenfeld. He and Chua had just co-authored The Triple Package, which argues that certain ethnic groups have succeeded through a combination of a superiority complex, insecurity, and self-control.

The student showed up late, still wearing the low-backed blue peplum dress she had chosen for a banquet earlier that night. She had had a glass of wine at that event, but by the time she arrived, everyone had been drinking a lot, and she thought Rubenfeld looked drunk. A few hours later, it was time to leave. As she descended from the attic, her stiletto heel caught on the narrow, winding staircase, and she fell with a clattering thud. First came the embarrassment: Would people think she had drunk more than she had? Next came the sensation of Rubenfeld swooping in, helping her to her feet, and, she says, cradling me.

As much as the conversations about sexual assault had upset her, she says, I also felt like I thought there was good faith on his part. That ended when his face was inches away from hers. The basis of my Title IX complaint is that he tried to kiss me, she says. At that point, I figured out that it wasnt theoretical.

Rubenfelds New York Times op-ed appeared three weeks later under the headline Mishandling Rape. He began by decrying rape, then, expanding on his critique of sexual autonomy as a guiding principle, accused universities of inflating its definition. Universities had adopted a standard of consent that required conditions free of coercive pressures, intoxication and power imbalances, he wrote, but in fact, sex with someone under the influence is not automatically rape. All of this redefinition of consent, he wrote, would lead people to think of themselves as sexual assault victims when there was no assault.

His choice of topic raised some eyebrows among his colleagues. The conspiratorial-minded among us see that as strategically defensive, says fellow law professor Doug Kysar.

Rubenfeld was plainly fond of this kind of line-blurring in his work. Students whispered about how his first novel, the thriller The Interpretation of Murder, placed a sexualized killing in a Manhattan building based on the Ansonia, where he and Chua own an apartment. One alum told me the students jokingly referred to this as the rape apartment because of the fictional assault that took place in the fictional Balmoral. (No rape is alleged to have taken place in the Ansonia apartment.) That book had sold well in the U.K., but it was nothing compared to the PR supernova that was Chuas Tiger Mother. The Triple Package, on the other hand, was a commercial and critical disappointment.

From left: Chua and her daughters in a Wall Street Journal story on The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother in 2011Chua and Rubenfeld promoting The Triple Package in 2014. Photo: Mike McGregor/Getty Images From top: Chua and her daughters in a Wall Street Journal story on The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother in 2011Chua and Rubenfeld promoting The Triple ... more From top: Chua and her daughters in a Wall Street Journal story on The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother in 2011Chua and Rubenfeld promoting The Triple Package in 2014. Photo: Mike McGregor/Getty Images

The couples daughter Sophia, then an undergraduate at Harvard, told The New Yorker that her sister keeps reading aloud all these tweets saying, The Tiger Mom is back, and shes still racist! It sends my mom into paralyses of depression, actually. But my dad totally thrives on confrontation. Hes, like, Overshadowed by my wife again! Why am I not being called a racist, too?  In an exhaustive review of The Triple Package in Time, Suketu Mehta lamented, The pity is that this book, and this entire line of argument, is taken seriously  among my relatives, for instance  when all the scholars Ive consulted laugh at it. That June, the Times threw an Opinion-page party. There, Mehta tells me, Rubenfeld put his hand on his shoulder in a way Mehta considered menacing and threatened to slug him. (Rubenfeld wrote in an email at the time that he told Mehta he wouldnt slug him. At the same party, Mehta says, Chua very pleasantly put out a hand and said, I know you didnt like my book, but I love your novels. And I said, I havent written any. )

Students furiously debated Rubenfelds Times op-ed on the campus listserv. Two students, including feminist organizer Alexandra Brodsky  who three years earlier, as an undergraduate, had joined a Title IX complaint against Yale College  circulated an open letter saying that Rubenfelds formulation of the problem is both disconnected from the reality victims face on the ground and wrong on the law. Nearly 100 students signed, and a town hall was held to debate the issues raised by the op-ed. Rubenfeld went.

He also emailed his small group apologetically: I want you all to know that I know that Ive made it hard for you guys this week. You didnt ask to have a professor who wrote what I wrote in the Times last Sunday. He said he wanted the students to feel comfortable disagreeing with him publicly and added, Obviously it goes without saying  but Ill say it anyway  but things like references or recommendations will in no way be affected by anything anyone says, or doesnt say, on this topic.

Not everyone thought it went without saying, though they were more worried about Chua retaliating. Two people told Slate in 2018 that around that time, they had heard her say at a drinks event that she would call every justice on the Supreme Court to block one of the letter organizers from a clerkship there. (Chua, producing a confidential document from the dean confirming she was cleared of the charge of actually retaliating against students, now says, I helped more students who had signed something against my husband than all of the rest of the faculty put together.)

The small-group student saw Rubenfelds email to the group that fall as a manipulation. He loved the small group because we were there as his No. 1 fans, she says. It was so obvious to me that he needed that validation. So thats what I gave him. Her email in response to his threaded the needle: I wanted you to know that Ive been thinking about this situation and I stand with you. That said, I come from the same perspective as many of your most spirited opponents. After laying out her views  she was frustrated that the concerns of survivors were being minimized but wary of institutional responses, both court and university sanctioned  she wrote, Ultimately, I wanted to say that I never felt that you had to apologize to me as a student in your small group. Her goal, she said later, was to get him to stop talking about it.

Amy Chua had her own ideas about how to build bonds between classmates. In the fall of 2017, she had all of her small-group students sit in a circle in her living room and invited each one to tell their most embarrassing story. Her favorites were known as Chua Pets; among her mentees were J. D. Vance and Ronan Farrow. She could be magnetic. You were loud. Direct. Feminine, a former Chua Pet wrote to her professor in a letter later circulated on the Wall, a law-school listserv. You didnt hesitate to point out and criticize the power structures at YLS.

No one disputes that Chua has gone out of her way to help students she sees as outsiders. Other professors had office hours; she had entire afternoons blocked off for students. But she wasnt alone. The idea that Amy Chua is the only member of the YLS faculty supporting and mentoring students of color here is insulting to many people who do this work, says Meares, including untenured and clinical faculty.

The student who wrote the letter to Chua said she was drawn to the thrill of her confidence, the willingness to tell institutional secrets  not just about barriers for underrepresented students but also the professors who had married their own students. Soon, though, I started to see and hear things from you that I couldnt justify, despite what I dont hesitate to call my love for you. Chua, the student wrote, would speculate about her students sexualities, sometimes disclosed private details of professors lives, and mimicked a student with a disability in class one day.

Chua adamantly denies all this. But as a general matter, it is not so different from the way she describes herself in Tiger Mother: hot-tempered, viper-tongued, fast-forgiving, and compulsively cruel. (Rubenfeld appears in the book at a remove, occasionally popping in to mildly tell his wife that she may want to lay off the girls.)

At the end of November 2017, the letter writer joined her professor and a few other students at Morys, a private club. The world was in tumult over abusive men being held accountable, and Chua asked her students if they thought the Me Too reckoning would come for the judiciary. You went on to mention that a judge named Kavanaugh had a predilection for good-looking clerks, the student wrote. You said, however, that you werent concerned for your daughter, his future clerk, because she would never put up with that sort of behavior.

Later that fall, she accepted an invitation to a party Chua and Rubenfeld were having at the Beekman in New York City, where they had just purchased an apartment. There, she wrote, her teacher told her that her big brown beautiful eyes were distracting during class because of my sustained eye contact, and inviting Jed to comment on my appearance as well (of course I didnt think you were hitting on me: I would characterize my reaction as, jeez, how does she not know better?). Chua says, All Ill say is my memory of every single event that she describes is different than hers.

Less than a year later, in July, Donald Trump nominated Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Many of us had known him, and he had taught for us, and we had read his opinions, says Kysar, who was deputy dean at the time. He was a respected voice from that ideological wing of judges. And we had no inkling of the misbehavior and the accusations that would surface against him.

Chua says, Its kind of hard to imagine now, but then-Judge Kavanaugh was kind of like a Yale Law School darling.

The deans office put out a press release quoting professors in praise of Kavanaugh, similar to ones it had issued for fellow alums Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor. The idea, says Kysar, was lets put out a tepid statement that says one of our own has been nominated to the Supreme Court and not much more. That distinction was lost on a portion of the student body. The students saw it as a deep betrayal of the values that the institution stands up for, he says. Maybe they saw the tea leaves better than we did. In hindsight, Trumps usurpation of the federal judiciary and the larger justice apparatus, and the events of January 6, make that belief we had in the ideals of reasonable disagreement and respect for norms just seem so utterly fucking naive.

Chua saw no reason not to celebrate. She returned to the pages of The Wall Street Journal to endorse him. In the past decade, I have helped place 10 Yale Law School students with Judge Kavanaugh, eight of them women, she wrote. These days the press is full of stories about powerful men exploiting or abusing female employees. That makes it even more striking to hear Judge Kavanaughs female clerks speak of his decency and his role as a fierce champion of their careers. She disclosed that her daughter Sophia, a recent graduate of Yale Law, had already been hired to clerk for him on the appeals court. And just to be clear, because theres so much misinformation out there, Chua tells me, I recused myself from the whole process. That was probably a bad decision too, but just for her to even come to Yale Law School. She probably should have gone to a different law school.

When Christine Blasey Ford accused Kavanaugh of assaulting her as a teenager, I did not withdraw my support for him, Chua tells me. I think everybody else did. I ask if she believed Ford. I didnt think of it that way, she replies. I definitely felt something terrible had happened to her, but I just knew that I had worked very closely with this person for ten years, and all Ill say is I stood by what I wrote in The Wall Street Journal. Thats all.

Days after Ford came forward, HuffPost and the Guardian reported on Chuas remarks at Morys on the attractiveness of Kavanaughs clerks, noting that one student said Rubenfeld had told her the judge liked clerks with a certain look, while Chua advised her to be and dress outgoing  and offered to look at photos of outfits. (I have confirmed this with the student.) At the time, Chua said, Everything that is being said about the advice I give to students applying to Brett Kavanaugh  or any judge  is outrageous, 100 percent false, and the exact opposite of everything I have stood for and said for the last 15 years.

Over the years, Chuas denial has softened. She says that when she wrote that statement she had just been hospitalized for complications from diverticulitis, undergoing multiple surgeries, and it was probably, again, ill-advised. She says, I stupidly made a comment to students on how, one year, his clerks were nice-looking. But I immediately said afterward, But there was absolutely nothing untoward about that. And I said that every single student that I had sent to him all raved about what a decent and dedicated and inspiring mentor he was. Otherwise, I wouldnt have written this op-ed about him a year later. So thats the best I can do to clarify. She looks over her shoulder. Hold on, let me just get water for this dog.

Kavanaugh, of course, was confirmed, still styling himself as a champion of women. Her daughter Sophia tweeted, Wont be applying to SCOTUS anytime soon bc will be in the Army. Proud of my brave mom as always. A year later, she was clerking for Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court.

Rubenfeld told me last August, I, ironically, have written about the unreliability of the campus Title IX procedures. I never expected to go through one of them myself. In early summer 2018, the law school hired its own investigator, who could hear anonymous complaints outside of Yales formal process, though without the universitys authority to discipline him. I was subjected to a fishing investigation of a kind that I dont think any professor at Yale University ever has been before, he said. An email went out to 20 or 30 years of alumni of the school asking if anyone had any stories they wanted to share about Professor Rubenfeld.

The emails letting people know Rubenfeld was being investigated came not from the law-school administration but rather the Yale Law Women, a student organization, and from one of the former students who had reported him. She believed that after decades of the schools inaction, it felt like now or never in terms of getting people to come forward. It is true that hiring the investigator is more than the law school had previously done. According to material I have viewed, at least two law-school deans had warned Rubenfeld of his behavior  Harold Koh in 2006 and Robert Post in 2015. These conversations were secret, the alum who sent the email alerting people that Rubenfeld was being investigated pointed out to me, and left each possible complainant siloed.

That was until February 2019, when the universitywide committee, or UWC, which has the power to discipline professors, agreed to try Rubenfelds conduct as a pattern, in which each womans claim of an unequal educational environment might lend credence to anothers. Rubenfeld would finally know his accusers names and allegations and have the right to present rebutting evidence and cross-examine them.

Though she had already spoken to the law schools investigator about the attempted kiss, Rubenfelds 2014 small-group student learned by accident that the investigation had gone to the UWC. Her former small-group teaching fellow called and said Rubenfeld was arguing to the UWC that he had never been drunk around students. Did she remember anything about this? She did, and she agreed to provide a statement.

The teaching fellow had once also been Rubenfelds small-group student. What she had experienced was subtle  at first, unnerving stares or Rubenfeld sitting too close to her for too long at a party at J. D. Vances house or seeming to find ways for them to meet alone. Its stress inducing to me, she texted a friend. all things jr are stress inducing. At a late-night meeting to discuss a paper, Rubenfeld changed the subject, asking her why she wasnt married and saying she must have been the prettiest girl in her high school and that it must have been tough with the boys, being a smart girl. (Rubenfeld said in the hearing he took a fatherly interest in her.) For the first time, she told another friend and her partner, she wished she were a man. She got the recommendation and the prestigious clerkship, and then Rubenfeld offered her a spot as a teaching fellow. Despite her misgivings, she accepted. She wanted to clerk on the Supreme Court. She told herself she could protect the 1Ls.

The fall she served as his teaching assistant, she says, Rubenfeld seemed to be spinning out of control. At a small-group event, he rattled her by snaking his arm around her waist and squeezing it as he passed. It filled her with shame that she didnt say anything, and she worried about what the students would think. She also fretted about the student she had asked for a statement, emailing her fellow teaching assistant in December 2014 to keep her away from rubenfeld.

The teaching fellow was filled with guilt at not having done enough. She had twice gone to Title IX coordinators at the law school but each time stopped short of taking the steps that would identify her to Rubenfeld. Three years later, in December 2017, she got word that there was a current student who was considering filing a report about Rubenfeld, and she agreed to talk to yet another Title IX coordinator. Now, the aftershocks of Me Too  and the fact that Yale Law had its first female dean  made her think this time might be different.

The small-group student agreed to provide a statement for her former teaching fellow that included the attempted kiss. She had landed in a professional world that made Yale feel far away, and, she says, I felt confident enough in my position at work that if they come for me, they come for me. They, she clarifies, meant Chua and Rubenfeld. And when the UWC members read her statement and asked if she wanted to make her own report, she thought again. I defend people who are accused of sex crimes, she says. At the end of the day, it comes down to the fact that his liberty is not at stake. Were not talking about anyone going to jail. We are talking about his ability to wield power over people.

At the hearing, Rubenfeld denied flirting with the former student or staring at her; if anything, he claimed, it was the other way around. He produced the email she had sent him after the op-ed, saying she stood with him, as well as emails from her classmates saying they couldnt imagine him doing anything inappropriate. In her own cross-examination, she asked Rubenfeld if he had helped these students obtain clerkships. (Two of them, she remembers him saying, and he didnt recall about the third.) He also seized on the words she had used when she called her sister the day after the party  that she was pretty sure her professor had tried to kiss her. As a defense attorney, of course I would say the same thing, she said. Rubenfeld made other defensive maneuvers. In response to a third students complaint, he said, She is not someone I would call attractive.

Rubenfeld lost his temper. He said he thought the former student had only reported because of someone with an agenda who had goaded her to come forward with a false memory: the teaching fellow, who had been his mentee and had not signed or publicly opposed his op-ed. His fury reminded the student of Kavanaugh in his nomination hearings. In that rant, he let it slip that this is not the first woman who claimed that he tried to kiss her, she recalls. He just admitted it happened before. In the end, the panel found that Rubenfeld had sexually harassed all three of the women when they were his students. They can only guess from the documents how many complainants there were in total among them, since the process was designed to keep them secret from each other.

Each complainant received an appendix quoting anonymized accounts similar to hers. At least six complainants had reported Rubenfelds excessive drinking, and six said they believed he had flirted with them. Collectively, they described speaking less in class; rearranging their course schedules to avoid Rubenfelds classes, even if they were interested in the topics; experiencing paranoia about getting close to other professors; and wondering whether they could cut it at Yale Law School. One said, He repeatedly steered our conversations away from my paper toward my looks, my personal life, and things of a sexual nature.

When the teaching fellow read that, she thought for a moment that it was her own story. The process had cost her hundreds of hours of her life and tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees. Now, at least, she knew it wasnt just her.

In tenured-faculty terms, a two-year suspension is significant, but some current students were unsatisfied. The Yale Law Women put out a report calling for the university to permanently remove Jed Rubenfeld from campus and release information regarding the nature of the allegations and findings of the investigation. (In this, they were united with their ideological opposites.) They asked for a system for tracking anonymous reports that will allow survivors to file an anonymous record of misconduct and be notified when other reports are filed for the same offender and for free legal representation for students going through the process. The university has been unmoved. At Yale, firing a tenured professor can be initiated only by the university president, and Peter Salovey has so far declined to do so. A spokesperson for the university said that confidentiality helps encourage our community members to participate and is consistent with state and federal privacy laws.

Rubenfelds new cause is suing Facebook on behalf of anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedys nonprofit, saying the company violated the First Amendment, which applies to governments, because it used government standards for misinformation. Previously, Rubenfeld argued that universities also become state actors when they, for example, enforce Title IX rules around sexual misconduct on professors.

At their home, Chua tells me she made her agreement with the dean under duress. I didnt want to agree to a lot of things. I felt kind of misunderstood and I felt a little bit assaulted myself, she says. I felt that some things were completely unfair. But in the interest of moving on, we negotiated both the statement of regret and then some penalties. I didnt even read these letters very carefully; I know Im supposed to be a lawyer. Assaulted how? I shouldnt say assaulted. I felt I was being unfairly accused of many things.

When she returned to campus after medical leave, she says she told herself, I know a lot of people will always be very upset at me for my support of Kavanaugh. And some people will be always very upset at me because Im married to my husband. But I can just keep my head down and just do what I do well.

She says she still doesnt know why she was stripped of small group, and that any discussion of violating COVID protocols is retroactive justification. The house itself was not part of any prohibition? I ask. After all, Rubenfeld was also under restrictions, and he lives here. No, she says. Nothing like that.

Later, shell send me some documents to substantiate her points, including a letter to the dean so thinly redacted it resembles eyeshadow. Part of the redacted text reads, While I agreed at our meeting not to invite students to my home or out to drinks for the foreseeable future  When I ask her about it, she responds she believed the foreseeable future to have passed when she was asked to teach a small group in the first place.

The current students I spoke to who had organized against Chua teaching first-years thought it was she who had fanned the flames of clerkship mania. She oversells or perpetuates the anxieties that make people think they need her, a current student told me. I dont think you need to be drinking buddies with your professor to be professionally successful. The students who came without connections, this person suggested, were the ones being fleeced.

Near the end of our three hours together, Chua seems tired. Many of the things that are happening that are terrible experiences for me as a member of this family, I think, are good for society, she says. Chua and her girlfriends have been talking, and were all like, I cant believe what we accepted as normal in the workplace.  Now, she says, she would never say,  Oh, thats a nice haircut. I would never say that anymore. I would never say, Nice earrings.  I suggest this is not the type of thing people are up in arms about. Sometimes, she says, it is.

Some of Chuas allies once saw her as another victim of Rubenfeld, but the couples mutual exile from Yales good graces might have brought them closer together. Chua says Yale Law has never felt like home, but she doesnt say shell leave, either. Well, I dont want to be chased out, she says. Her first semester back after the Kavanaugh blowup, she says, her classes were oversubscribed. Still, it wont ever be the same. Given all the baggage around me now, I think that its going to be my own policy never to have any parties here, Chua says. After a pause, she adds, Ill see. I mean, maybe. I would love to be able to get past this. And maybe she will. In the fall, a new crop of students arrives.
U.S. Treasury secretary Janet Yellen and IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva at the Group of Seven finance ministers summit in London. Photo: Hollie Adams/Bloomberg via Getty Images

For many years, corporate juggernauts have made a sport of tax-avoidance strategies. After years of mounting outrage at these legal evasions, world governments are taking action. On the latest Pivot podcast, Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss the G7s landmark agreement to impose a minimum tax on companies like Apple and Google.

Kara Swisher: The G7 summit of nations has come to a historic agreement on global tax reform. Over the weekend, the finance ministers from those advanced economies have backed the U.S. proposal, which calls for corporations around the world to pay at least 15 percent tax on earnings rather than the 0 percent tax, or the very low taxes, most of them pay. The nations included are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the U.K., and the U.S. Treasury secretary Janet Yellen said the tax would end the race to the bottom in corporate taxation, and ensure fairness for the middle class and working people in the U.S. and around the world.

Not included here are all the low-tax jurisdictions like Ireland, Malta, Cyprus  and I dont know if this works if they continue to exist, these low-tax jurisdictions. But what do you think, Scott?

Scott Galloway: I think this is really important. And fantastic leadership on the part of the G7, and specifically Berkeley professor Janet Yellen, who just quietly does the work and does a great job. This is important because the effective tax rate for Amazon over the last 10 years, on $20 billion in profits, was 4.5 percent. Apple does all kinds of Double Dutch Sandwich tax avoidance. And when the G7 come together they can  First off, a lot of those tax havens are  I dont want to say U.K. controlled, but U.K. influenced  the Isle of Man and Ireland. And so I think that when the G7 say, okay, this is the global tax rate, they will have the ability to speak with a pretty big stick and go into these jurisdictions and say, overnight, well put you out of business. Well figure out a way to stop this.

I think this is a fantastic thing in terms of global cooperation  its almost like a modern-day NATO, where the enemy isnt Russia, the enemy is organizations that have overrun government and arent paying their fair share. The thing it will lead to is an interstate tax treaty in the U.S. But I think its wonderful. I think it demonstrates incredible leadership and coordination. I love it when democracies join hands. It used to be the G8, and then we kicked out that gas station posing as an economy called Russia.

Swisher: You mean mafia-run gas station, posting as an economy.

Galloway: There you go. But look, I think weve been so divided internally because of bullshit, just divisiveness being propagated by algorithms of amplification and bad actors. I think that any news where a confederacy of democracies does something like this, I think its wonderful. Im excited about it.

Swisher: All right. So Biden proposed the tax at 20 percent; it was negotiated down to 15. Is that a big deal? Hes going to have to just take lower numbers, right?

Galloway: Yeah. But its more than theyre paying. I think its a great start. And then when they see its effective, they might decide to raise it. Its going to create, I think, $350 billion to half a trillion dollars a year in incremental revenue. This is money these nations need.

Swisher: Yeah, after the pandemic. We talked about that one-time tax on wealthy people or wealthy corporations. One of the things thats interesting here is that the U.S. returning made it happen. This would not have happened under Trump, obviously. He wanted to fine social-media companies in a retaliatory way, and this is actually a fair way so that everybody pays their fair share.

Galloway: This is governance. This is actual governance.

Swisher: Yeah. So what do you think of how tech companies are reacting to this?

Galloway: You know what? They have no choice. What are they going to say?

Swisher: They did get their money repatriated under Trump.

Galloway: Right. What are they going to say? We should pay lower taxes than a nurse? I mean, what are they going to do here? Theyll come up with reasons. Theyre strangely quiet here, because even Nick Clegg cant wallpaper over this. And Facebook, of course, came out and said, We welcome it.

But, look, the largest, most profitable, successful organizations in the world should be the biggest taxpayers, not the smallest taxpayers, and this is a great first step. And as exciting as it is about equity in the tax system and the tax code, its just exciting to see us joining hands with our brothers and sisters over in Europe. I love this, Kara!

Swisher: Itll be interesting to see what happens now. Beyond the G7 leaders, theres going to be a meeting of the G20 finance ministers in Venice in July. And then, of course, theres negotiations with all the countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation Development, 140 countries.

But theres opposition from, as I said, Ireland  which brings in U.S. tech firms with a corporate rate of 12.5 percent. They had problems with it. Theres other jurisdictions. And, of course, Wall Streets always worried about a global standard of taxation across the world. They like it best when its all messed up. You know what I mean? They like it best when its confusing and difficult.

Galloway: Complexity is the tax on the poor and on small- and medium-sized businesses. And like I said, if you can navigate by star light, you want to race boats at night with a lot of islands and obstacles. And the reason banks dont like this is that they like to be able to do these ridiculous things in the Cayman Islands and figure out a way that they pay lower taxes than someone who owns seven dry cleaners. So this is a great move.

Swisher: Well see if they push it through correctly. It does have momentum, though. And it does have momentum because Bidens talking about it, and they need the money from the pandemic. They need it. And these corporations have never done better, and they need to pay their fair share.

Pivot is produced by Rebecca Sananes.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
A 20-year-old Opelika resident has been arrested after an officer-involved shooting late Sunday night at Town Creek Park in Auburn, according to a press release from the Auburn Police Department.

The release states that the suspect, Justin Tearrius Lewis, fired a shot at officers and fled, and later that night fired another shot at officers, who returned fire and struck Lewis.

Auburn police responded to a suspicious person call at Town Creek Park off East University Drive at approximately 8:15 p.m. on Sunday, according to the press release.

While speaking with the individual, officers identified him as Lewis, who had been reported missing, endangered and possibly armed by the Opelika Police Department on June 5.

Lewis started to flee on foot, police said, and while fleeing produced a handgun and fired a shot at officers.

After searching the area extensively, the Auburn and Opelika Police departments, with help from Lee County officers and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, located Lewis at the entrance of Town Creek Park at approximately 11:30 p.m.

Thats when Lewis shot at officers a second time, according to the press release from Auburn Police, prompting police to return fire, striking Lewis.
The woman wearing glasses in photo No. 24 was Eva Collins, who died about four months ago, according to Mary Anne Wright Patrick, whose family ran the pictured Wrights Grocery Store. She said she wished her parents and grandparents could have seen the photographs, and many others in attendance Sunday echoed the sentiment.

These are forever photographs, said Alicia Martin, who left the center with copies of photographs containing family members. I had chills when I first saw them, she said. I just wish they could see them.

When Shelia Dallas walked into the center on Sunday afternoon, she did not expect to see her mother, Ruth, in one of the photographs. And when she saw herself, holding her mothers hand, she had no words.

Thats my front porch, thats our house, said Dallas said, guessing she was about 6 years old. Ive never seen a photo of me this young.

Dallas and other former residents of Draketown said they dont have many photographs of themselves as young children. She says she hopes to grab a copy to show other family members.
Washington, PA (15301)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms early, then becoming mostly clear after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 58F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then becoming mostly clear after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 58F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
by Nirmala Carvalho

At the Fort of Imphal a joint initiative of Christians, Hindus and Muslims promoted by the local government. For the first day after in months, less than 100,000 new infections are registered. The mobilization of Catholic structures continues: at the Jesuit University of Calcutta offers 40 beds for sick people.

Imphal (AsiaNews) - Exponents of different religions in prayer together for the end of the pandemic: the interreligious initiative - promoted by the head of the Indian state government of Manipur, Biren Singh - was led yesterday by the archbishop of Imphal, Msgr. Dominic Lumon.

Manipur is a small state in eastern India with a population of 2.85 million, mostly belonging to tribal groups. The majority are Hindus, but the second religious community are Christians who make up 41% of the population. There are 98 thousand Catholics.

The interreligious gathering was held at the West Gate of the Kangla Fort in Imphal. It gives me immense pleasure to have the religious leaders of all the communities at a joint prayer session today. Coming together unitedly, each religious leader prayed for the almighty's divine intervention and blessings to relieve us from the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Singh.

To date, there have been 881 deaths in the state of Manipur and the number of positive cases has exceeded 9 thousand, with a contagion rate that remains above 8%, higher than the current national average.

The archbishop thanked the head of government for promoting the initiative: " Let us extend all our support to help administration in our collective fight against the deadly virus", said Archbishop Lumon.

The Catholic leader was joined by spiritual leaders of the Shree Govindaji Temple, the All Manipur Christian Organization, the Jamiat-Ul-Ulema, the Lainingthou Sanamahi Temple, the Tingko Ragwang Chaprik, the Giani Gurudwara Prabandahak Committee, the Shree Digambar Jain Samaj and of Kabui Poupei Chapriak.

Meanwhile, for the first time in two months today new cases dropped beneath 100 thousand in India: in the last 24 hours there were 86,498 positive cases, while the victims were 2,123 with a total number of 351.309 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.

In a scenario that still remains serious, the mobilization of Catholic structures for the emergency continues: St. Xavier's University in Calcutta, the Jesuit university, has set up assistance centres with doctors, nurses, beds and oxygen. for patients to whom hospitals cannot respond.

Father J. Felix Raj, vice chancellor of the university, told AsiaNews: "We could not remain indifferent to what was happening around us: so we tried to give an answer".

Within the university structures and with the help of a local hospital and the government, 40 beds equipped with oxygen and the help of medical and paramedical personnel have been set up. Part of the Arrupe library and the university campus have been turned into an isolation centre for the neighbourhoods coronavirus patients. This initiative by a Catholic university has also inspired other institutions to open their communities as centres for patient isolation. For example, at the request of the West Bengal government and in collaboration with St Xavier's University, the diocese of Asansol has started three other centres.

"The Chetana Ashram in Burdwan has 30 beds in seven rooms, in Asansol the St Joseph's School has 60 beds in eight classrooms and the Loreto School has another 50 beds for sick women," says Father Felix Raj. The facilities have already been active for more than a month: patients stay an average of ten days and all services are offered free of charge.
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Auburn University students have returned to Ariccia, Italy, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly canceled study abroad plans for college students around the world.

The Joseph S. Bruno Auburn Abroad in Italy program is the only Auburn Abroad program approved to run this summer, but officials optimistically anticipate a return of full programming by summer 2022.

The mayor of Ariccia, a hillside town about 16 miles from Rome, could not be happier to have Auburn students back.

The presence of Auburn University in Ariccia is more welcome than ever this year, said Mayor Gianluca Staccoli. In fact, after spending very long months in fear inside our homes, we feared that it would no longer be possible to cross the borders between states.

Lacey Armstrong, an Auburn alumna who participated in the study abroad program before graduating in 2010 and now serves at its executive director in Ariccia, said, Everyone around town sees the students arriving as a positive sign for the future of the city.

The people of Ariccia have become accustomed to the influx of Auburn students three times a year since officials for the town and College of Human Sciences agreed in 2002 to offer a unique educational opportunity for American college students.

Unfortunately, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the programs abrupt closure in February 2020. With the U.S. Department of State elevating the threat assessment for travel to Italy, more than 20 Auburn students evacuated and continued their abroad experience virtually from the states.

The optimism that this cultural exchange gives to the community is indescribable in words, added Staccoli. The union of two different cultures, which look closely at each other and learn to appreciate each other, is a real cure in this moment of recovery. We hope that nothing separates Auburn and Ariccia anymore.

The Joseph S. Bruno Auburn Abroad in Italy program allows students from any major to spend a semester living in a palace and learning all aspects of Italian culture, including its language, music, art, history, architecture and cuisine. Students also develop leadership and problem-solving skills to help them be competitive in their future careers. The program is so popular, students have been known to sign up during Camp War Eagle in the hopes they will get to have the immersion experience before graduation.

Nearly 15 months after Ariccia bid arrivederciItalian for goodbyeto 22 Auburn students, Staccoli and his top administrators joyously greeted 10 new students and an intern at the Palazzo Chigi. Students live in the grand palace, the former home of the noble Chigi family designed by prominent Italian artist and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini, for the duration of the semester-long program.

Skylar Biedenharn, who graduated in May with a degree in global studies, was part of the last class to complete the Ariccia program before the pandemic. She returned this semester as an administrative intern and teaching assistant.

My journey to Italy marked my first international experience, and I emerged from the semester feeling equipped to take on the world, she said. By the end of 12 weeks, I had expanded my leadership skills, increased my cultural intelligence by being immersed in Italian culture and gained confidence in my ability to live in other countries in the future. I fell in love with Castelli Romani, the area near Rome where Ariccia is located, and vowed that Id be back one day.

Returning abroad

Auburn students had to be fully vaccinated before traveling to Italy. While abroad, they will be prohibited from using public transportation and traveling beyond an approved itinerary, a vast difference from years past.

Armstrong and the team at the Interlinea Group, the company that helps coordinate educational programs for Auburn, spent the hiatus redeveloping the curriculum to focus on sustainability and cultural intelligence. Students will now experience more of the hidden gems in Italy, Armstrong said.

The curriculum in Ariccia remains a modern equivalent to the Grand Tour of the 17th and 18th centuries, when educated European men and women would end their formal education with a trip around Europe, visiting the places they had studied.

Auburn students will continue to participate in weekday field trips to Italian sites discussed in class, but now to lesser-known corners of central and southern Italy via private bus.

Biedenharn said exploring off-the-beaten-path Italian towns and cities will offer an even more authentic Italian experience than previous curriculums.

In the past, students often traveled throughout Europe on weekends, a major perk of living in Italy. Auburn policy currently restricts such personal travel, and Italian/European Union policies are limiting international movement. However, the Interlinea team has been able to coordinate optional excursions within Italy for every weekend of the summer.

This takes a lot of the hassle and pressure of planning weekend travel out of the equation for the students, and they are excited to explore corners of Italy they wouldnt have imagined before, said Armstrong.

Future of study abroad

Auburn Abroad Director Deborah Weiss said university officials are paying close attention to COVID-19 conditions and regulations in other countries and are optimistic Auburn Abroad programming can return to full strength by summer 2022.

Auburn Abroad will be working with program directors to resume programs gradually through the fall and spring semesters, pending upper administration approval and adjustments to COVID-19 requirements, as needed. There will be programs offered over spring break, but they may be below usual numbers, Weiss said.

Armstrong remains optimistic about the future of the Ariccia program, including welcoming up to 22 students, the ability to use public or private transportation and reintroducing the Italian Families Adoption program, in which students are paired with families for traditional meals in their private homes and build relationships over the semester.

Our team has taken this opportunity to grow the program into something better, from both a learning and experiential perspective, she said. I hope students will continue to dive deeper into this beautifully diverse country and experience more cultural immersion.

I hope that the current class recognizes the value of this special opportunity to be truly immersed in Italian culture, added Biedenharn. Because of the more unique qualities of this summers program, I feel certain that these students will walk away as more competent and capable global citizens who have the confidence to approach new situations with an open mind.

I hope their lives are forever changed for the better by the mark that this program, its staff and Italy will leave on them.

Read more about Auburns return to Italy here.
I have so many records already! I just want to play them!

So, what are a few good turntable options?

I hear you! But let's do some turntable anatomy first.So remember how the music lives in the grooves? When you play a record, the stylus "reads" the music in the grooves. If there is too much force from the stylus, over time, it can kind of "flatten" out the grooves, and ruin that beautiful, limited edition splatter release you picked up on release day. This won't happen with one or five spins, but if you listen to a lot of records, they'll thank you for a balanced tone arm (the thing that you move over to play your record). Sometimes, this tone arm is so poorly balanced that it can hop around on the record. Famously, the first mastering ofwas so loud that suitcase-style players couldn't play it, and it was remastered to be able to play on these. But now that pressing is highly sought after because reportedly, it sounds amazing.The worst offenders are the suitcase-style players made by brands like Crosley or Victrola. If it has speakers built in, I gently beg you to reconsider. OP would never shame you for owning one of these - in fact, OP owned one for years in the mid aughts! But if you want to get into collecting, a good rule of thumb is to never play a record that's worth more than your record player. So if you have a treasured red vinyl copy of Taylor Swift's Red , please,don't play it on one of those suitcase players.This is a bit more on the high end for a record player, but it'll do just the same for a diagram:The base can be made out of a few different materials. The heavier this is, the less likely it is to feel vibrations from around the house, and more stable the turntable. The record goes on the platter - these can be metal, acrylic, or glass, but in general heavier = more stable for them as well. People get finicky about the material, because they say that metal causes more static, or acrylic isn't as durable, but that's more audiophile stuff that we're not going to worry about here. You WILL want a slipmat - it keeps the platter from scratching your record, as well as preventing slippage, providing stability, and some of them can have benefits like static reduction. There are loads of fun ones , but a boring one will do the same thing. Put your record on the spindle. If you're playing a 7" with a large hole, use an adapter. Again, there are fun ones, and boring ones.Let's get to the important part. The tone arm. At the end, the part that touches your record is called the stylus. Most often these are built into a cartridge. Some people call it the needle. It's very delicate and is what will be in contact with your precious record this whole time. You'll move the tone arm over, and if you have a turntable with a cue lever, you'll pull this so that the stylus sets down with an appropriate amount of force. This also prevents that record scratch that can damage your records. The counterweight at the back makes it so that the stylus never applies too much force to your record. Again, we don't want your beautiful records to be ruined!When purchasing a turntable, it's important to know a couple of things - mainly, does it have a preamp, how do you change speeds, and how do speakers get power? When your turntable sends an audio signal to the speakers, it is VERY quiet, so you will need a preamp to boost this signal. Many turntables have a preamp built in, but some don't, so you should be aware when shopping.If you're on a budget, your best bet will be vintage. Every time. Your local record store may carry restored vintage parts, the parents / uncle / grandparents previously mentioned may have a vintage hi-fi you could borrow - for the money, these systems were made to play records, because that's what they had. These weren't a novelty item, so they won't be aesthetically as cute, but they will be much, much more reliable. Craigslist / secondhand sellers are a good place to find vintage audio as well. Also check vintage audio stores around your city and they may be able to help you set up a system.If you want something new, Audio Technica LP-60 $119+I had the previous version of this for a decade. It has since been phased out for a sleeker look, and is still a great buy for $119. If you want USB or Bluetooth, it can be purchased with those included as well (though for a price upgrade too). This one has a preamp built in, automatic tone arm play and return (so you won't have to get up to stop your record spinning), and can be hooked directly to computer speakers. There is a switch for easily changing between 33 and 45 RPM. This is my favorite for vinyl newbies! Fluance RT-80 $199The Fluance RT-80 is a step up from the LP60, but still a great buy. This one has an internal preamp, but has a bypass if you want to upgrade in the future. It also has a higher quality tone arm, so tracking force will be a bit more balanced. Fluance has several budget models, so if you are feeling a bit more spendy, I would also check out the RT-82 - it is $100 more, but you get a name brand stylus with a great reputation. This one will require a preamp.The stylus upgrade can be important because the previous two use a conical stylus, while the name brand ones are elliptical. Here's a bit more from Fluance on that, but basically, an upgraded stylus will allow you to hear more of the music, and can cause less damage over time as well. U-Turn Orbit $179+The U-Turn Orbit is a bare-bones record player. It is completely manual, does not include a preamp (though the option is available for upgrade), and to switch between 33 and 45 RPM, you have to physically move the belt, and it is fiddly. A general rule is that with less "features," like a 33/45 button, or tonearm return, you'll have fewer parts to break and the record player (and the parts within) is more reliable. The quality of tonearm and stylus on this one are much, much better than the other two options, so it can be a good place to start if you're serious about the hobby. And it also comes in a lot of fun colors! Upgrades you can make here are wide-ranging, but it will also increase cost. The platter can be upgraded to acrylic, there are considerable options for stylus upgrades, a cue lever can be installed, and more. Pro-Ject Primary E $250Again, this is a bare-bones record player. But what you lose in bells and whistles, the quality of the remaining parts make up for it. This basic model comes with a name brand stylus, meaning it can be switched out with upgrades from that brand in the future, and they are made in Europe. It will require a separate preamp. If you want to get a bit more future-proof, their Debut line is widely loved for having excellent sound, build quality, and a carbon fiber tonearm.The last thing to discuss is speakers. Another rule to remember is to put your speakers on a different surface than your turntable. Vibrations from the speakers can cause the stylus to vibrate and thus, cause sound distortion. For basic models, basic computer speakers will do. Anything powered with RCA inputs will work. As you move up, a receiver + speakers it has to power will be better. But vinyl is all about the sound, so you'd be wasting money to spend a lot on a turntable, but then use cheap speakers with it. Fluance has some speaker + turntable packages that could be worth considering.Yes, it is a huge investment up-front. But if you're planning to spend a lot of money on a collection over time, it would be like trying to cut filet mignon with a plastic knife to use a junky turntable.
Two Workers are Dead after a Lack of Hazardous Energy Control Safeguards

An unexpected steam release was the cause of death for two employees at the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Two workers at the Bridgeport veterans health care facility in Bridgeport, CT suffered from fatal injuries caused by hot steam after a metal fixture on a mainstream line blew off. The workers just completed repairs to the steam pipe within the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System West Haven campus in November 2020.

According to a press release, an OSHA inspection determined that VACT failed to protect employees from struck-by and burn hazards. The agency found numerous issues in the facilitys lockout/tagout program. One of the workers was an employee of VACT; the other was an employee of Mulvaney Mechanical Inc.

These fatalities could have been prevented if the employer had complied with safety standards that are designed to prevent the uncontrolled release of steam, said OSHA Area Director Steven Biasi in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Tragically, these well-known protective measures were not in place and two workers needlessly lost their lives.

The press release states-- OSHA found the VACT program failed to:
Maduros latest actions, hinting at his desire for a detente with Washington, have left many geopolitical analysts and Venezuela watchers confused as to what is occurring in the pariah Latin American state. Caracas recently undertook unilateral measures that deviated considerably from past hardline policies aimed at protecting the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela, maintaining state control of the oil industry, and censuring political opposition. In late March 2021, Venezuelas armed forces commenced operations against dissident Colombian guerillas of the 10th FARC Front in the western state of Apure. This, many observers including Colombias defense minister claim, is the result of a dispute over control of lucrative trafficking routes and profits but Caracas motivations could be far more complex. While Maduro has successfully secured his grip on power and undermined the legitimacy of his opponents, including internationally recognized interim president Juan Guaido, Venezuela is a near-failed state on the brink of collapse. A prolonged oil price slump coupled with strict U.S. sanctions, which were steadily ratcheted up since 2015, have sharply impacted Venezuelas economy causing it to rapidly contract over the last six years. During 2013, when Maduro took power, Venezuelas gross domestic product according to IMF data, expanded by 1.3% annually, and then the economy entered a terminal decline. For 2014, GDP fell almost 4% year over year and continued to tumble lower at ever greater rates, plunging by a devastating 35% in 2019 as harsher U.S. sanctions progressively bit deeper. Those developments have precipitated the worst modern economic and humanitarian crisis to occur outside of war. These events have accelerated the disintegration of Venezuelas economically crucial petroleum industry causing fiscal revenues to collapse, essentially bankrupting Caracas. Chronic corruption, malfeasance, mismanagement of limited resources, and open participation by various elements of the government apparatus in illicit activities have further undermined the Maduro regimes legitimacy. The unraveling of the Venezuelan state has hastened a sharp increase in lawlessness in many parts of the petrostate as an ever-weaker national government and overly stretched security forces fail to deliver basic public goods including policing, utilities, and transport infrastructure.

Consequently, Caracas is unable to control large swathes of Venezuelas geographic territory or maintain a monopoly of violence within its borders, allowing armed non-state actors to flourish. This has aided the rise of criminal groups in many parts of Venezuela, which have emerged to battle over ever scarcer resources and intimidate local communities they seek to profit from the countrys rapidly accelerating disintegration. Armed non-state groups from Colombia, a South American country with a long history of internal conflict, sensed an opportunity to carve out domains of their own. It is battle-hardened Colombian guerilla group the National Liberation Army (ELN  Spanish initials) and FARC dissidents who are proving most adept at exploiting the unraveling Venezuelan state. They now control large tracts of Venezuelan territory, acting as de-facto governments in their respective zones, with some analysts claiming Colombian guerillas are operating in half of Venezuelas territory. The FARC and ELN are U.S. designated terrorist groups that for decades were involved in kidnappings, ambushes of security forces, and bombings in Colombia as they waged a vicious low-intensity asymmetric war against the strife-torn countrys government. The strength of Colombian guerillas in Venezuela is underscored by the considerable resistance displayed by the dissident FARC 10th Front when attacked by Venezuelan security forces in the western state of Apure in March 2021. The dissident Colombian guerillas killed at least eight Venezuelan soldiers and kidnapped eight other soldiers who were eventually released late last month. Meanwhile, the ELN has taken control of territory in western Venezuela near the Colombian border, even providing basic services, policing, and other social goods to the communities, abandoned by Venezuelan authorities, in their territory.

Related: U.S. Claws Back Millions From Pipeline Ransomware Attackers

The severity of the crisis facing the Maduro regime is growing. A lack of a state presence, lawlessness, and the existence of illegal armed groups are not only confined to remote parts of Venezuela. Criminal gangs and other armed non-state actors are encroaching on Caracas, threatening Maduros control of Venezuelas capital. According to the New York Times, large well-armed gangs now control various shantytowns and working-class neighborhoods in the capital, even providing basic services including food and water shipments as well as security and justice. Local police are unable to enter the zones controlled by the better-armed and financed gangsters, instead, being forced to negotiate an uneasy truce. This indicates Venezuelas unraveling is accelerating with the national government even lacking the resources to maintain control of the capital.

The latest developments in Venezuela demonstrate that despite Maduro defeating his opponents, gaining control of the National Assembly, and cementing his grip on power, he is struggling to control an increasingly fragmented Venezuela. This is another reason for the autocratic socialist regimes attempts to open a discourse with the Biden administration and seek a detente with Washington. Caracas urgently needs to significantly bolster spending on basic infrastructure, utilities, healthcare, education, policing, and security if it is to blunt the threat posed by illegal armed groups and prevent the collapse of the Venezuelan state. That can only occur if the OPEC members shattered petroleum industry and state oil company PDVSA are rebuilt, allowing Caracas to substantially boost fiscal income. While Maduro has proclaimed that Venezuela is open for business and that private control of energy projects is possible, that has proven insufficient to attract the considerable capital required. The only means of enticing major energy companies, like Chevron, which are capable of funding the massive capital required, to invest in Venezuela is if Washington eases sanctions allowing them to operate profitably in the embattled OPEC member.

Thus far, regardless of Maduros olive branches, the Biden administration has stated it will continue to back internationally recognized interim president Juan Guaido and will not consider dialing down sanctions until democratic elections occur. That means there is now the very real chance of Venezuela completely collapsing and becoming a failed state. Such a cataclysmic event will trigger an enormous catastrophe with significant environmental and humanitarian implications along with the potential to further destabilize a region already fraught with conflict, poverty, and lawlessness. For those reasons, President Biden needs to act now and implement a sustainable strategy that will prevent the final implosion of Venezuela.

By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries lost a collective $1 trillion in foregone revenues during the last crisis in 2015 and 2016, the cartels secretary-general said at the Fourth International Petroleum Summit in Nigeria. With the Covid-19 crisis hitting the oil industry a lot harder than the 2014-2016 crisis, chances are the losses that OPEC producers suffered last year would be even greater than $1 trillion, but these are still being calculated.

In OPEC, we were stunned by things happening that we never imagined possible. On April 20, 2020, WTI went negative for the first time in history, with prices plummeting to $37 per barrel. Sellers were paying buyers to lift their crude, Mohammed Barkindo said, as quoted by Nigerian Leadership.

In response to this unprecedented situation, OPEC knew it had to act. Thankfully, we did not need to reinvent the wheel. We turned to the mechanism that had helped us emerge out of the 2015-2016 oil market downturn: the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC). It was an effort to move from crisis to opportunity, he said.

Related: Who Will Control Canadas Most Important Pipeline?

OPECs historic oil production control deal was indeed one of the factors, coupled with the quick recovery of demand for oil in China, that arrested the freefall of oil prices last year, helped draw down excessive global oil inventories, and now, is leading prices to two-year highs.

OPEC is now easing the cuts it agreed to last year, which will add some 2 million barrels daily to global supply. Traders, however, are not worried: demand is improving faster than most expected. Whats more, despite earlier forecasts, it might never rebound to pre-pandemic levels, the IEA now sees oil demand returning to these levels within a year.

How much money OPEC lost in foregone revenues from the pandemic crisis is yet to be seen, but the amount will certainly be substantial.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Given the U.S.s broad scaling-down of its on-the-ground operations in the Middle East over the past five years, a specific function of which is ExxonMobils intention to sell its stake in Iraqs supergiant West Qurna 1 oil field, China and Russia have been busy in occupying the spaces left by the U.S., as OilPrice.com has been highlighting since the process began.

Just a few days ago, Washington appeared finally to have caught up to what has been going on, with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Dana Stroul, saying: Its clear that certain countries and partners would want to hedge and test what more they might be able to get from the United States by testing the waters of deeper cooperation with the Chinese or the Russians, particularly in the security and military space. This could have been aimed equally at any and all of Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Oman, Qatar, or any of the other countries that OilPrice.com has highlighted as drifting into the Sino-Russian-Iranian sphere of influence. That said, such words from Washington will have absolutely no effect on either Chinas or Russias continued drive to entirely push the U.S. out of the Middle East, with Russia last week announcing further oil field plans in Iraq as part of that process.

Russia has long regarded Iraq  both north and south  just as Iran does: that is, as being an integral part of Iran, to all intents and purposes controlled where it counts by Tehran via its vast network of financial, political, and military proxies. Even before China took former U.S. President Donald Trumps statements about scaling down the U.S.s military operations across the Middle East in order not to become involved in anymore endless wars in the region as a green light to dramatically expand its influence there, Russia had been doing this for years. The turning point in terms of direct on-the-ground action was the civil war in Syria that began in 2011 and which afforded Russia the ideal opportunity to grab a key Mediterranean-coasted country. With Syria under its control, Russia could build out massive strategic military bases, vouchsafe Irans decades-long attempts to secure a land bridge to Damascus, and use this to pivot its influence back across the existing Shia Crescent of countries most susceptible to Irans radical Islamic message.

Once Iran was in Russias debt, the Kremlin was quick to ensure that Tehran applied pressure on Iraq to allow Moscow to effectively gain complete control over the huge oil and gas assets in Iraqs northern semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan. Russia achieved this in 2017 via the Kremlins corporate oil proxy, Rosneft, through three principal maneuvers. First, Russia provided the KRG with US$1.5 billion in financing through a three to five-year prepayment oil supply deal.

Second, it took an 80 percent working interest in five potentially major oil blocks in the Kurdistan region together with corollary investment and technical, technology, and equipment assistance. And third, it established 60 percent ownership of the vital KRG oil pipeline into southern Europes port of Ceyhan in Turkey by dint of a commitment to invest US$1.8 billion to increase its capacity to one million barrels per day. This influence was then expanded with later deals in the gas sector involving the Kremlins corporate gas proxy, Gazprom, and various of its subsidiaries. It is apposite to note that China used exactly this same Russian strategy to dramatically expand its own influence in Iraq in parallel with Moscow. Related: Is The Golden Age Of Natural Gas Really Over?

With its control over northern Iraqs oil and gas sectors achieved, Russia has been focusing more on expanding its footprint in the south of the country. With the U.S.s ExxonMobil looking to exit West Qurna-1, the Kremlin is looking to Lukoil to ramp up production from sister field West Qurna-2, so putting Russia (and its Middle East strategic partner, China) in an even stronger position to consolidate their power over all of Iraqs oil and gas fields and also over the future of the Common Seawater Supply Project, which is vital to Iraqs long-term future.

As it stands, West Qurna 2, with roughly 14 billion barrels of reserves in place, has been steadily producing for some time around 400,000 barrels per day (bpd), or about 9 percent of Iraqs total oil production. Lukoil holds a 75 percent stake in the field, located 65 kilometers northwest of the southern port of Basra, with the remainder held by Iraqs state-run North Oil Company. The original development plan for the field remains largely in place, which involved a Phase 2 increase in production to 480,000 bpd, followed by the implementation of Phase 3, which would focus on the deeper Yamama formation, to add another 650,000 bpd to the total. This would have brought the total crude production figure from West Qurna 2 up to 1.13 million bpd, which would not have been far off the original target of 1.2 million bpd. The current plan is for Lukoil to increase production from the Yamama formation to at least 350,000 bpd, while improving production from elsewhere in the field, to a total of at least 800,000 bpd. The figures may look high but they are perfectly reasonable, justified both by U.S. geologists when they were on the ground during the U.S. occupation and by various IOCs [international oil companies] as well, a senior oil and gas industry source who works closely with Iraqs Oil Ministry told OilPrice.com.

Not only are these output targets reasonable but as long ago as November 2017, Iraqs Oil Ministry found out that Lukoil had already achieved 650,000 bpd production over various extended periods in the previous two months and also that it could sustain production of at least 635,000 barrels per day for the foreseeable future. Lukoil, it turned out, was simply choosing not to do so for financial reasons. At that point, the [Iraq] Oil Ministry agreed to extend the timeframe of the Lukoil contract to 25-30 years, effectively reducing the daily cost of capital per barrel of oil recovered and to allow Lukoil the option of increasing its stake from the present 75 percent to 80 percent, the Iraq source said. In return, Lukoil agreed to invest an extra US$1.4 billion in the short-term and a further US$3.6 billion down the line, depending on variables including OPEC quotas, Iran export levels, and the continued development of export capacity in the south, he added.

In reality, then, the plan is for Lukoil not only to achieve the second phase production target of a further 350,000 bpd from the Yamama formation but also to outstrip it quickly, the Iraq source underlined. At the same time, Lukoil has also been granted favorable terms to allow it to finally push output increases aggressively at the nascent Eridu field, in which the Russian company has a 60 percent stake. Discovered in 2019, and part of Iraqs Block 10, preliminary estimates suggest that Eridu could hold between 7 and 10 billion barrels of reserves, although Russian oil industry sources spoken to by OilPrice.com last week suggest the actual figure may well be 50 percent higher than the higher figure of the band.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

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The debate about emissions reduction and the path forward for oil companies moved to a whole new level since the International Energy Agency (IEA) dropped last month the bombshell report suggesting no new investment in oil and gas would be needed if the world is to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

Environmentalists and activist shareholders intensified pressure on large public oil firms to align their businesses with a net-zero scenario, while some of the international majors acknowledged they have a part to play in the energy transition.

But the leaders of the OPEC+ group, Saudi Arabia and Russia, will continue to invest in oil and gas because, they say, the world will still need those resources for decades, despite the growing push against fossil fuels and investment in new supply.

Chronic underinvestment in oil and gas supply while operational oilfields mature would lead to a supply crunch and a spike in oil prices down the road, analysts and Big Oil top executives such as TotalEnergies Patrick Pouyanne say.

While international oil majors were somewhat more contained in their views on the IEA reportthose that commented on it anywaySaudi Arabia and Russia didnt beat around the bush and said outright that the suggestion of no new oil and gas investments ever is unrealistic, simplistic, and taken out of a La La Land script.

BPs chief executive Bernard Looney wrote that forecasts of much lower investments in oil and gas were in many ways consistent with our approach - to reduce our oil and gas production by 40% in the next decade. Enis CEO Claudio Descalzi commented on Looneys post that We are now at a historic turning point, where each of us needs to play an active role.

But the Saudi Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, slammed the report in no uncertain terms, saying it was a sequel of the La La Land movie. Why should I take it seriously?

In Russia, the chief executive of the largest Russian oil producer, state-controlled Rosneft, warned that underinvestment in oil is setting the stage for a severe deficit in supply.

[T]he long-term stability of oil supplies is at risk due to underinvestment. This is due to both requirements of various stakeholders to completely cease investments in the petroleum sector and the aspirations of majors to increase shareholder value and shareholder returns through stronger dividend payout and share buyback, Rosnefts CEO Igor Sechin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Saturday.

The world runs the risk of facing an acute deficit of oil and gas, Sechin added, noting that The world consumes oil, but is not ready to invest in it.

Sechin warned against a rushed transition without considering the economic efficiency of green energy and said that the world should be avoiding placing focus only on the alternative generation.

On the sidelines of the same forum, Russias top oil policy negotiator, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, told CNBC that the IEA report used a simplistic approach and was unrealistic. Related: Will Electric Vehicles Really Cut CO2 Emissions?

There is no doubt we need to move in the green energy and toward the green agenda as there is demand for it in society, but we need to be clear what resources this can be done with, who is going to pay for it, what technologies and opportunities we have available to us, including in order to resolve outstanding problems that still await their solutions, Novak said.

Russia will continue to invest in oil, gas, and coal, alongside investments in renewables, he noted, adding, so we see the coming decade as using a mix of renewables and fossil fuels.

Russia, as well as Saudi Arabia, have indeed very little interest in moving away from investments in fossil fuels as they and their state oil firms could be the big winners of the current climate activism against international oil companies, which face growing activist shareholder revolt about keeping it in the ground.

Saudi Arabia is producing oil and gas at low cost and producing renewables. I urge the world to accept this as a reality: that were going to be winners of all of these activities, Saudi Arabias Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said last week.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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An oil tanker loaded with about a million barrels of crude has been sitting by the Yemeni coast since 2015. The UN has repeatedly called on the Houthi rebels to allow access to the tanker to reduce the risk of explosion or a leak, but the Iran-affiliated group that controls much of Yemen has refused. Now, the UN is urging the Houthis to allow a checkup of the tanker again. The UN Security Council this month again called on the Houthis to allow experts to examine the vessel after internal documents cited by Al Jazeera showed that seawater had entered the engine compartment of the Safer. This could damage pipelines and increase the risk of the vessel sinking with its load, the report noted.

To make matters worse, maintenance of the tanker is no longer possible, according to experts, because the damage that the tanker has suffered is not reversible any longer.

The executive director of the UN's Environmental Program, Inger Andersen, warned ambassadors earlier this month that if anything happens to the tanker, this could cause a disaster for Yemeni communities in the vicinity. According to her, if the Safer leaks, it could prompt the closure of the Hodeidah port, a vital link between Yemen and the world, providing access to much-needed food and fuel supplies.

In addition to the closure of the port, which could last for two to three weeks, an oil leak from the stranded tanker could also lead to the closure of half of the Yemeni fishing grounds in the Red Sea, Andersen said, noting that such a disaster would cost some $350 million over five years.

Related: U.S. Claws Back Millions From Pipeline Ransomware Attackers

The Safer is a converted storage and offloading vessel, which was installed in its place back in 1988 by Hunt Oil Co., a Texas-based oil company. The vessel stored crude produced at Yemen's fields for years until the civil war broke out. Since 2015, when it was abandoned, it has not seen any form of maintenance. According to the general manager of the company that operated the tanker, its fire extinguishing system is no longer operational, and neither are the valves feeding its cooling system.

Back in 2019, the UN again called on the Houthis to allow access to the vessel for inspection. The Houthis demanded that the Safer's load be sold first, and access to its share of the revenue be made available. The vessel could also be used for tactical purposes.

The Atlantic Council said in a 2019 report that the "massive floating bomb in the Red Sea needs urgent attention" and that despite the several requests for UN assistance by Yemeni authorities, "the bomb remains afloat, untended and under the control of the Houthis."

"Given that the Houthis have already attempted to blow up several oil tankers in transit through the Bab al-Mandeb and Red Sea, it may well be the case that they view this precarious situation as a tactical and strategic advantage worth maintaining," the authors Ian Ralby, David Soud, and Rohini Ralby wrote three years ago.

"They do say that openly to the U.N., 'We like to have this as something to hold against the international community if attacked,"" a European diplomat told the AP in 2020.

Last year, in May, a pipe ruptured in the Safer, and seawater flooded the engine compartment. Repairmen were allowed to reach the vessel, but according to Time magazine, a job that would have normally taken a few hours stretched into several days because of the condition the Safer is in. And they were lucky because, according to former manager Ahmed Kulaib, who spoke to Time earlier this year, "Any spark, believe me, will end with a big explosion on that ship."

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Irans OPEC envoy, Kazem Gharibabadi, met in Vienna with the secretary-general of OPEC, Mohammed Barkindo, to discuss the global oil market.

In a tweet, Gharibabadi said, I had a fruitful consultation today with #OPEC SG #HEBarkindo. We reviewed the latest developments on international oil market and OPEC.



The meeting comes as the oil trading world awaits the return of Iran to global oil markets once U.S. sanctions are lifted. Many expect this to happen soon, but some observers are taking a more guarded approach as details still remain to be hammered out.

Meanwhile, Irans oil minister, Bijan Zanganeh, told Iranian state media that the country had decided not to further boost oil production despite the improving economic outlook for Iran.

Zanganehs latest comments come soon after the minister said Iran could boost oil production to 6.5 million barrels daily.

The next Iranian government should make it a top priority to raise oil production to 6.5 million barrels a day, Zanganeh said in Tehran at the end of May. Higher oil production will also give Iran more political clout, according to the minister.

Iran currently pumps around 2.5 million bpd and last produced close to the 6-million-bpd mark in the early 1970s.

Related: Asian Refinery Margins Crash To Nearly $0

The U.S.-Iran nuclear deal talks continue. The prospect of a deal weighed on oil this week after last week, benchmarks logged their best performance in two years, with Brent crude topping $72 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate hitting $70 per barrel.

If the deal is struck and Iran can once again export its oil freely, it will take a while for Iranian exports to return, Amrita Sen, head of research at Energy Aspects, told Bloomberg earlier this month.

Once a deal is agreed, the White House would have to send it to Congress for review, and this review could take up to 60 days, Sen said.



By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Libya may need to shut in around 60,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil production after a pipeline connecting an oilfield and an oil terminal leaked, sources told Arab energy outlet Attaqa on Tuesday.

The 32-inch pipeline carrying crude from the Al-Samah oilfield to the Es Sider port has leaked, and some of the oilfields production may need to be shut in. Currently, production at Al-Samah is estimated at around 285,000 bpd, according to Attaqa.

The pumping operations at the field may need to be stopped, an oil engineer at the site and a source at the company operating Al-Samah, Waha Oil Company, told Reuters.

A previous leak in the pipeline was controlled on Monday, but it leaked again today, the engineer told Reuters.

Due to insufficient investment in the repair and maintenance of oil infrastructure, Libya has had to contend with pipeline leaks in recent years.

A leak forced the shutdown of an oil pipeline carrying crude to the Es Sider oil port in January, reducing the countrys oil production by as much as 200,000 bpd for a week.

Compared to last years eight-month-long blockade that crippled Libyas oil production and exports, output has been relatively stable so far this year, but minor disruptions continued.



Related: U.S. Claws Back Millions From Pipeline Ransomware Attackers

Oil loadings at export terminals were disrupted in February after members of the Petroleum Facilities Guard stopped vessels from loading crude amid the strike over delayed salary payments.

In April, Libyas crude oil production dipped below the 1 million bpd mark for several days after the Arabian Gulf Oil Company, a subsidiary of NOC, said in mid-April that it had decided to halt production because of the delays in the budget that is planned to allocate money to the oil firm to repair and maintain infrastructure and keep oil production online.

Days later, NOC declared force majeure on the port of Hariga due to lack of funds for infrastructure repairs, pushing the countrys crude oil production below 1 million bpd for the first time in months as NOC was forced to suspend production at several fields.

In May, Libya is estimated to have raised its crude oil production compared to April, according to the monthly Reuters survey of OPECs production.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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by Shafique Khokhar

Two trains collided at 3.30 am yesterday near Daharki. It is the fourth collision to occur in the Ghotki district in the past year

Sindh (AsiaNews) - Yesterday morning two trains collided, causing the death of 51 people and the injury of a hundred. It happened near Daharki, in Sindh province, in the south of the country.

The collision took place at 3.30 in the morning, when the Millat Express, which departed from Karachi, derailed before its arrival in Sargodha. The Sir Syed Express, arriving in the opposite direction from Rawalpindi, collided with the train that had gone off the tracks.

A Pakistan Railways spokesman explained that six Millat Express carriages derailed and five overturned, while two Sir Syed Express carriages derailed and three others overturned.

According to the spokesman's statement, a rescue train was dispatched from Rohri; the local administration and the police immediately engaged in the rescue efforts. Passenger assistance centers were set up in Karachi, Sukkur, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi and some passengers from the Sir Syed Express were taken to the Sadiqabad railway station.

In their official statement, the Pakistan Railways Directorate said, Pakistan Army troops, police, the district administration and rescue workers took part in the rescue operation, and the process of shifting the injured and the deceased to hospitals has been completed.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, said he was "shocked by the horrible train accident", and asked the Minister of Railways to reach the site to provide medical assistance to the injured and support for the families of the victims.

Yesterday is the fourth collision that has occurred in the Ghotki district (Sindh) in the last year, Kashif Anthony, an activist from Karachi, told AsiaNews.

On 7 March 2021, one person was killed and 30 others were injured when several carriages of the Karachi Express bound for Lahore derailed between Mando Dero and Sanghi stations, near Rohri.

According to Anthony, Pakistani authorities did not make the necessary improvements to the signal system and track, which has long been in poor repair.
U.S. crude oil exports jumped to 3.236 million barrels per day (bpd) in April, up from 2.615 million bpd in March, and the highest crude export figure so far this year, according to trade data from the U.S. Census Bureau published on Tuesday.

In January 2021, U.S. crude oil exports also exceeded 3 million bpd, at 3.075 million bpd. Yet, the value of the exports in April was considerably higher than the value of those in January, as the average price per barrel jumped from $49.11 in the first month of the year to $58.87 in April, the data showed.

Exports were around 2.6 million bpd in each of February and March, also because of the winter storms in mid-February, which resulted in a 40-percent slump in U.S. crude oil production, most notably in the top oil-producing state, Texas.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports first the trade data, on which the Energy Information Administration (EIA) bases its monthly export figures and reports them around the end of the month.

EIA data for Q1 shows slightly higher U.S. crude oil exports than Census Bureau data, estimating January shipments at 3.165 million bpd, and February and March exports at around 2.7 million bpd.



Related: U.S. Claws Back Millions From Pipeline Ransomware Attackers

In January this year, crude oil exports from the only deep-water port in the United States, Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, doubled from December to a record high, driven by robust demand from Asian refiners.

Last year, U.S. exports of crude oil stood at 3.18 million bpd, according to EIA data. The re-opening of major economies and the expected increase in global crude oil demand could boost American exports this year.

U.S. oil producers are selling crude to a lot of countries, mainly in Asia. Asia is a natural market for the light, sweet grades that dominate U.S. output. Led by China, Asia was the first region to start recovering from the pandemic, which helped exports. Europe was the other large oil client of the United States last year, with the UK, France, Germany, and the Netherlands taking in a combined 719,000 bpd of U.S. crude as production of local light grades declined.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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As the CEO of Colonial Pipeline testifies before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday about last months ransomware attack on the major fuel pipeline to the U.S. East Coast, legislators, and government officials have started to air the idea of making ransom payments illegal in some cases.

Colonial Pipelines chief executive Joseph Blount is appearing before Congress this week to testify, a month after the pipeline operator had to shut down operations for five days, which led to gasoline shortages and a spike in prices.

Roughly two weeks after the cyberattack on Colonial Pipelines computer systems by DarkSide, a suspected Russian group of hackers, Blount told The Wall Street Journal that the pipeline operator paid $4.4 million in ransom to the attackers.

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Justice said that it had recovered and seized $2.3 million in bitcoin of that ransom.

Todays announcements also demonstrate the value of early notification to law enforcement; we thank Colonial Pipeline for quickly notifying the FBI when they learned that they were targeted by DarkSide, the DoJ said in a statement.

Although the FBI discourages ransom payments because they are the fuel that propels the digital extortion engine, as the DoJ said on Monday, in some cases, companies pay the money because they dont know how seriously their systems have been breached.

A ban on ransomware payments could leave some energy companies in an impossible position and without recourse if their systems are breached.

Colonial Pipelines Blount said he didnt make the decision to pay the ransom to DarkSide lightly.



Related: How An Oil Pipeline Hack Sent Bitcoin Prices Tumbling

I will admit that I wasnt comfortable seeing money go out the door to people like this, he told the Journal last month. But it was the right thing to do for the country, Blount added.

In the wake of the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, cybersecurity has been a hot topic in Washington.

This weekend, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said there are malign cyber actors capable of shutting down the U.S. power grid or parts of it, and added that companies paying ransomware only exacerbates the cyberattack problem, and no one should be paying ransomware.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Iraq is in the process of developing a US$40-billion plan to build nuclear reactors as OPECs second-largest producer looks to end continual power outages amid a shortage of electricity supply, Kamal Hussain Latif, chairman of the Iraqi Radioactive Sources Regulatory Authority, told Bloomberg in an interview.

Iraq has been suffering shortages of electricity supply since 2003, and those have led in recent years to protests where people have tried to enter oilfields to demand an end to the power outages. Electricity demand is exceeding supply now, and the gap is expected to widen further as demand grows if Iraq fails to resolve its power problem.

Iraq even imports electricity and natural gas for electricity from neighboring Iran, for which it has received U.S. waivers to deal with Irans energy sector even under the American sanctions on Tehran.

Expecting demand to continue to grow, Iraq is now considering the construction of eight nuclear reactors with a combined capacity of 11 gigawatts (GW) this decade, Latif told Bloomberg.

Iraq has held talks with Russias Rosatom and Koreas Kepco about possible cooperation.



Related: How An Oil Pipeline Hack Sent Bitcoin Prices Tumbling

Earlier this year, Latif told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that the country was in discussions with Russia, France, and the United States about the potential construction of three nuclear reactors.

We have several forecasts that show that without nuclear power by 2030, we will be in big trouble, Latif told Bloomberg this week.

Iraq also plans to build solar farms that would provide around 11 GW of electricity by the end of the 2020s.

The first contract for a nuclear power plant could be signed over the next year, Latif told Bloomberg.

Currently, only the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has an operating nuclear power plant in the Arab world, after starting up Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Abu Dhabi last summer.

By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com

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Sprint has been fined $50,000 after overcharging Omaha customers over a six-year period.

Tuesday, the Nebraska Public Service Commission dismissed a formal complaint and levied a fine against the wireless carrier.

Over six years, Sprint admitted to overcharging every customer, on every line, within Omaha city limits, said Commissioner Crystal Rhoades. The overcharge affected more than 77,000 Sprint customers and totaled more than $296,000.

By levying the $50,000 fine, Rhoades said in a prepared statement, the commission is sending a message that carriers need to be more responsible to the consumer and that such blatant errors will not be tolerated.

The commission opened a formal complaint against Sprint in March 2019. The carrier was charging users in Omaha an enhanced wireless 911 surcharge of 50 cents per active wireless telephone number. The surcharge set annually by the commission has been at 45 cents since 2012.

The complaint also alleged that Sprint mislabeled the surcharge on billing statements, referring to it as Omaha City Tax rather than the enhanced wireless 911 surcharge.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., the co-chairs of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, spoke late Monday with Brian Deese, director of the White House National Economic Council, about bipartisan efforts to reach an infrastructure deal, according to an aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversations.

The Problem Solvers group has agreed to $761.8 billion in new spending over eight years as part of $1.2 trillion plan, according to a draft obtained late Tuesday by The Associated Press. The one-page draft does not include any proposed ways to pay for the package.

Gottheimer is also working with Cassidy and Sinema from the senators group, the aide said.

With the narrowly split House and the 50-50 Senate, the White House faces political challenges pushing its priorities through Congress with Democratic votes alone. Biden's party holds a slight majority in the Senate because Vice President Kamala Harris can break a tie.

The special budget rules could provide Biden with an alternative path, particularly in the Senate, because they allow legislation to be approved with a 51-vote threshold, rather than the 60 votes typically needed to advance a bill past a filibuster  in this case, led by Republicans against the Biden package.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  Summer weather has arrived, and New England tourists are hungry for a lobster roll or a whole cooked lobster  but they're going to have to pay up.

Lobster is more expensive than usual this season due to a limited supply, high demand and the reopening of the economy as the nation moves past the coronavirus pandemic. Consumers are headed back to seafood restaurants and markets for the first time in months, and the lobsters there to greet them are at a premium.

Some Maine stores charged $17 or $18 per pound for live lobster in May, and that was about twice the price a year ago. Prices are lingering in the $13 or $14 range this month. Lobster is usually expensive in late spring, but this season has seen prices that are higher than typical.

The wholesale price for live, 1.25-pound lobsters in the New England market was $9.01 per pound on May 1, business publisher Urner Barry reported. That was about $2.70 per pound more than the previous May 1, and the highest price for that date in at least five years, the company reported.

The high lobster prices are an indicator that customers are looking to get back out to restaurants, and that high-end seafood is in high demand, said John Sackton, an industry analyst and founder of SeafoodNews.com.
DETROIT (AP)  Startup commercial electric vehicle maker Lordstown Motors says it may not be in business a year from now as it tries to secure funding to start full production of an electric pickup truck.

In a quarterly regulatory filing Tuesday, Lordstown said the $587 million it had on hand as of March 31 isn't enough to start commercial production and begin selling the full-size pickup, called the Endurance.

These conditions raise substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least one year, the company said in the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Shares of the company, which is set up in a now-closed General Motors plant east of Cleveland, fell 16.2% to close Tuesday at $11.22. The lost another 3% in after-hours trading.

On May 24, CEO Steve Burns warned that production could be cut by over half to only 1,000 vehicles this year unless Lordstown raised an undisclosed amount of new capital.

Tuesday's SEC filing appears to be much more dire. Going concern is a term companies typically use when noting that their outside auditors are questioning their ability to remain in business.
The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating after officers fatally shot a 47-year-old man during a standoff Monday in Scottsbluff.

The man held law enforcement at bay for about 5 hours before officers shot him shortly before 5:30 p.m. Scottsbluff Police Chief Kevin Spencer confirmed that the man died as a result of the shooting.

The shooting occurred after officers responded to a report of a man allegedly threatening to harm himself or others with a handgun. The standoff began around noon.

The man was said to be armed with two handguns and at one point made contact with officers while holding a weapon behind his back.

Officers tried to contact the man via cellphone, but calls were not answered. They tried a bullhorn to talk to the man and deployed robots to transfer a phone to the man and to use the robot to talk to him. At different times, the man cut off contact with police.

Family members were also on the scene and apparently attempted to make contact with the man.

We tried to negotiate with him to get him to come out and were unsuccessful, Spencer said. At some point, the team made entry, and they shot the person inside.
This is murder, but local law enforcement can do little to prevent these tragedies. Increasing the number of police would not affect these tragedies. Most of these killings are domestic and/or spur of the moment. The penalties are in place  life in prison or execution. Hard to believe high school-age kids can face death on the streets of our city. Would be interesting to know just where the guns get into the hands of the killers. More gun control may help, but our present society is at least partly to blame.

Jerry Freeman, Omaha

Spike in shootings

With the recent spike in summer shootings in North Omaha, I have to ask, where is Ben Gray? And what is he doing about it? Or Juanita Johnson, who inherits this problem? This is a ongoing problem every summer, and yet I never hear anybody concerned about it. These are young lives being taken by other young people going down a wrong path in life. Something needs to be done. It seems they take a blind eye to it every summer.

Kerry Hanson, Omaha

Valuations flawed
by Melani Manel Perera

Today is World Oceans Day and this years theme is The Ocean: Life & Livelihoods'. The latest incident off Sri Lankas coast highlights the problem. Hemantha Withanage calls the container ship a toxic vessel whose impact will last a thousand years. Herman Kumara notes that the lives of more than 100 million fishermen depend on the oceans.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  Protecting oceans and coastlines and safeguarding sea life and the livelihoods of people are increasingly at risk.

The sinking of the X-Press Pearl near the port of Colombo has brought the issue home to Sri Lanka since it is likely to have disastrous consequences for the local environment and for fishermen, whose long-term activities are seriously imperilled.

This grim reality is the background in Sri Lanka for the celebration today of World Oceans Day. The theme this year is 'The Ocean: Life & Livelihoods' to highlight the role of the seas in the production of oxygen and food as well as in the absorption of carbon dioxide.

First celebrated on 8 June 2008, the day takes on a particular significance for an island nation like Sri Lanka because of the partially sunken container ship lying just a few kilometres off its coast, its cargo of oil and chemicals contaminating the water, killing fish, dolphins, sea turtles and irreparably degrading the environment.

Speaking to AsiaNews Hemantha Withanage, executive director of the Centre for Environmental Justice in Sri Lanka, describes the X-Press Pearl as a toxic vessel.

Since the ship began sinking, billions of plastic pellets have washed ashore between Colombo and Gampaha and could remain around for 500 or even a thousand years. Only half might be retrieved with the rest remaining in the sand.

The pellets could absorb other pollutants and transfer them through the food chain. If they are burnt, they could pollute the air through dioxin emissions.

Herman Kumara, national convenor of the National Fisheries Solidarity Movement (NAFSO) and former general secretary of the World Forum for Fisher People (WFFP), notes that life was born in the oceans and for this reason they must be respected and safeguarded.

The lives of more than 100 million fishermen worldwide depend on these vast bodies of water; every activity  from the transport of goods to tourism  is linked to the seas, which cover more than 70 per cent of our planets surface.

By destroying the environment and the sea, we destroy our very existence, Kumara warns. For this reason, World Oceans Day provides a good opportunity to rethink our ways of living and protect the environment, both in the sea and on land.
Kingwood July 4 parade cancelled

The Kingwood Civic Club recently announced that the 2021 Kingwood Civic Club Fourth of July Parade will not be held this year.

The City of Houstons Mayors Office of Special Events has informed the Kingwood Civic Club that they are not issuing permits for parades until fall of 2021 at the earliest.

Kingwood Civic Club officer Cindy Higgins commented, We want the community to understand that we plan on returning in 2022 with the Kingwood Civic Club Fourth of July Parade, if the City of Houston Mayors Office of Special Events resumes issuing parade permits.

Higgins added, We hope you will join us in 2022 to celebrate our very special Fourth of July parade. This event will really be a special time for the city, local families and all in attendance after the momentary hiatus sparked by COVID-19.

Due to the amount of time and money involved in putting this event on, even if the Mayors Office of Special Events began approving parade permits prior to the fall and before the Fourth of July Parade date, there is no way the club can put this event on this year.

We are a group of volunteers, and it takes a lot for us to pull this momentous occasion together. Even after a full year of planning, this favorite past-time takes countless hours of dedication on behalf of a large group of individuals, Higgins continued. We will be back in full force for 2022. Our conditional permit has been rolled over to 2022.

Once the Mayors Office of Special Events approves permits for next year, the club will move forward with the 2022 parade, the hosting of the fishing rodeo and the bike rodeo in 2022 as well.

If all goes as planned, the Kingwood Civic Club will begin planning the 2022 parade in the next couple of months. They are also shifting their focus to the Kingwood Civic Club Holiday Yard Decorating Contest to be held in December. Past neighborhood or village contest winners from previous years are listed on the club site.

The Kingwood Civic Club is an organization of concerned residents, dedicated to serving the community and making Kingwood a desirable place to live and raise a family. Kingwood Civic Club is a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization in need of assistance, especially for notable events.

For more information, details on how to volunteer for the club, or information concerning overall involvement with the Kingwood Civic Club, see kingwoodcivicclub.org or attend the next club meeting held at 6 p.m. on the first Monday of each month.

The Kingwood Civic Club cordially invites the community to the next parade, with flags held high and raised spirits.
Planned action on groundwater may impact Lake Houston

A little-known and poorly understood planning group could have a profound effect on future flooding in the Lake Houston area. Groundwater Management Area 14, consisting of 21 Southeast Texas counties including Montgomery County, has drafted its latest goals, a task it is required to do every five years, and the public has 90 days to comment.

GMA 14s goals outline how much groundwater each conservation district can pump from aquifers and how much subsidence they will allow.

Subsidence, in words a lay person can understand, is the gradual caving or sinking of an area of land.

Groundwater Management Areas (GMA) were created by the Texas Legislature in 2005 to, among other things,   control subsidence caused by withdrawal of water from groundwater reservoirs or their subdivision 

As complicated as it sounds, Lake Houston residents should be concerned about GMA 14s goals regarding water in Montgomery County, especially water being pump from Montgomerys underground, which eventually affects the Lake Houston area, according to Kingwood resident Bob Rehak.

Rehak has deservedly earned a reputation as Lake Houstons champion for flood control and mitigation since Hurricane Harveys devastation. He minces no words when explaining how GMA 14s goals could impact Lake Houston residents.

It is simple, Rehak said. They want to withdraw water at a rate that would lower the north end of Lake Houston two feet relative to the south end.

Rehak explained that the water withdrawal would alter the gradient, or slope, of the river, slow the water down, ultimately backing up all that water and exacerbate flooding.

Imagine the thousands of people in Lake Houston who had two feet of water in their homes during Harvey, Rehak wrote. After all the flood mitigation work that has been accomplished since Harvey, they would still have water.

Without a subsidence metric, Rehak said Quadvest, the family-owned water and sewer utility company supplying water to subdivisions throughout Southeast Texas including Montgomery County,   could pump as much water as it wanted for 40 years and say that the aquifer would recharge in the last 10 years.

Laurie Norton, a Montgomery County resident, is an even more ardent critic of Quadvest and of the danger that subsidence would cause to The Woodlands and, eventually, the Lake Houston area.

I do what I do because what is happening with groundwater withdrawal in our region is not good for homeowners, Norton told The Tribune. Most residents are not aware of what is happening.

Norton created stopoursinking.com, a website she maintains that outlines the problems her community is facing because of the large amounts of water being extracted from beneath the ground.

Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, created by the Texas Legislature in 2001 to   preserve, conserve and protect Montgomery Countys groundwater supplies  wants to allow Quadvest to increase their groundwater withdrawals to rates that have proved to cause irreversible subsidence/sinking, according to Norton.

In addition to causing more flooding in the Lake Houston area, Norton said computer modeling shows that pulling more water out of the ground will lead to a three-foot drop by 2080 at the intersection of Highway 59 and the Grand Parkway in New Caney.

This is not even debatable. The facts are clear, Norton said. Right now, we are on a trajectory to go back to 100 percent groundwater and that is not sustainable with our explosive population growth.

How Montgomery County manages subsidence issues contrasts with Harris County where subsidence has been top-of-mind since 1975 when the Texas Legislature created the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District to regulate all groundwater used within Harris and Galveston counties.

Pulling water out of the Gulf Coast aquifer has caused land around the Houston Ship channel to subside more than 10 feet, according to Mike Turco, general manager and chief executive officer for the subsidence district, and a hydrogeologist by training.

In the last 45 years, however, Turco said his districts regulatory plan reducing groundwater use   resulted in dramatic reductions in subsidence rates.

Obviously, we only have jurisdiction in Harris County, he said. Our plan ultimately will prevent subsidence in the Lake Houston area, but deregulation and increased groundwater use in Montgomery County will result in aquifer compaction and additional subsidence will occur if left unchecked.

Partnership Lake Houston is aware of the impact that Montgomery County action or inaction can create in Lake Houston and especially in Kingwood. The Partnership repurposed its Recovery Task Force which was created in response to the ravages of Hurricane Harvey. That task force now has broader responsibilities, the Resiliency Task Force.

Our goal, first and foremost, is to protect lives and personal property, closely followed by keeping our business community educated, safe and viable, said Mark Mitchell, Partnership Lake Houstons chief economic development officer. Our efforts needed to be broader in scope. In addition to subsidence, we will focus on potential future negative weather impacted events, and on repairing and improving our infrastructure.

Humble City Manager Jason Stuebe is the task force chair. Other members are Mark Micheletti, Lake Houstons representative on the San Jacinto Authority; Jessica Beemer, representing Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin; Casey Christman, representing State Rep. Dan Huberty; Kaaren Cambio, representing Congressman Dan Crenshaw; and Jenna Armstrong and Mark Mitchell of Partnership Lake Houston.

Although subsidence can be viewed as a long-term issue, empirical data show the negative impact subsidence is having on our community, Mitchell said, which is why his task force is working closely with elected officials, small and large businesses, nonprofit organizations, and the public to educate them on the potential levels of subsidence that can occur in the Lake Houston area because of groundwater policies in neighboring counties.

Land subsidence is subtle, happening at a relatively slow rate, said groundwater specialist Turco.

It can be difficult to see and often dismissed because it typically occurs only about half to a foot every 10 years, he said. Over a 50-year period, though, dropping two feet or more can be problematic.

There are subsidence deniers, too.

We have nearly a century of research and data, examples throughout our region and the world, and the Texas Water Development Board and the U.S. Geological Survey have both identified subsidence in our region, said Turco, yet there will always be subsidence deniers.

For Turco, subsidence is just one piece of the issue. Drainage should continue to be a primary focus in Lake Houston.

Rehak, who has written volumes on drainage and flooding in Kingwood, agreed.

Subsidence is irreversible. It is also very damaging, he said.

Montgomery County Activist Laura Norton wants Lake Houston residents to join her in advocating for the safety of their homes and businesses   our right not to sink  by contacting Groundwater Management Area 14 and the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District Board during their 90-day period for public feedback. The public comment period ends July 19.

This is an ongoing effort with no true sunset, said Mitchell. As long as we have heavy rains, tropical storms, hurricanes and subsidence issues, there will be work to do.

Follow Laura Norton on her webpage, stopoursinking.com.

Friend Bob Rehak on his Facebook page, and visit his website, reduceflooding.com.

Follow the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District by going to their website, hgsubsidence.org.
The Vodafone Ghana Foundation, the charity arm of Vodafone Ghana, has settled the fees of five needy students at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) as part of its strategy to improve lives and communities through education.



The foundation has presented a cheque for GHc 9,510 to the management of the school to cover the fees of the five final-year students who "genuinely" could not pay their fees for the 2020/2021 academic year.



Presenting the cheque at a brief ceremony, Head of Vodafone Ghana Foundation, Rev. Amaris Adjei Perbi, said the organisation was concerned about empowering and transforming society through education, hence the gesture.



He said the move was also in keeping with the foundation's Kindred Partnership Project, which was launched recently to support its sustainable initiatives to drive social change, improve lives and solve pressing social needs.



For us, this is not just any gathering but a relationship that we would want to establish with the GIJ and going forward, we would be able to focus on most of the priorities that we have in relation to education, he said.



We are excited to assist some students of GIJ with funds so they can continue their studies. We are also poised to maintain a long-term relationship with the school by providing the needed support in various projects and initiatives as a way to facilitate quality tertiary education in Ghana.



He added Under our educational portfolio we have the Instant School platform (Virtual school) with various modules where students can subscribe to it for free and the Foundation intends to extend this service to students of GIJ.



Rev. Amaris further hinted that in line with the Foundations strategy in improving lives and communities through education, his outfit is partnering with the Ghana Library Authority to equip some Information and Communications Technology (ICT) centers in the country.



Receiving the cheque on behalf of the students, Rector of Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), Professor Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo, commended Vodafone Ghana Foundation for the gesture and expressed the hope that the move would set the tone for more fruitful engagements between the two institutions.



Going forward, GIJ will effectively cooperate with the Foundation to harness available technological initiatives in equipping students with the requisite digital media skills needed to promote the work of industries, Prof. Kwansah-Aidoo underscored.



He said the GIJ had a scholarship foundation through which it sought to collaborate and cooperate with organisations to support the financial needs of students.



For his part, Mr Okine, who is also an alumnus of the school, entreated the beneficiaries to take their studies seriously and produce good grades in appreciation of the gesture and pave the way for more support in the future.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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

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One of the convenors of the #FixTheCountry movement, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has asked the Ghana Police Service and the Ministry of National Security to provide further information to the public on the arrest, interrogation, movements and investigative committee report on the arrest of Citi FM's journalist Caleb Kudah.



The group wants the police and the National Security Ministry to make the CCTV recordings available to the public under the Right to Information law.



Below is a summary of information sought



For the Ministry of National Security, the following are the specific pieces of information he is asking for access to:



The CCTV recordings of the interrogation of Caleb Kudah of Citi FM pursuant to his arrest on 11 May 2021.

The CCTV recordings of Mr. Caleb Kudah of Citi FMs movements in the complex of the National Security prior to his arrest on 11 May 2021.

The Report of the investigation committee set up by the Ministry of National Security to investigate a report of arrest of Mr. Caleb Kudah of Citi FM on May 11, 2021, which was referred to in the Statement by the Ministry of National Security of 20th May 2021.

The Standard Operating Procedures of the National Security which was referred to in the Statement by the Ministry of National Security on 20th May 2021.

The specific aspects of the Standard Operating Procedures of the National Security which was found to have been contravened by Lt. Colonel Frank Agyeman as indicated in the Statement by the Ministry of National Security on 20th May 2021.



The letter to the Ministry of National Security



Dear Sir/Madam,



Application to access information under Article 21(1) (f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and Section 18 of the Right to Information Act, 2019, (Act 989)



I write to request an access to information through the Information officer of the Ministry of National Security, established under the Civil Service (Ministries) Instrument, 2021 (E.I. 12).



In the absence of such designated officer, we direct this request to any other competent official of the Ministry.



My request is in the exercise of my rights under Article 21(1)(f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and section 18 of the Right to Information Act, 2019, (Act 989).



The following are the specific pieces of information we are asking for access to:



1. The CCTV recordings of the interrogation of Caleb Kudah of Citi FM pursuant to his arrest on 11 May 2021.



2. The CCTV recordings of Mr. Caleb Kudah of Citi FMs movements in the complex of the National Security prior to his arrest on 11 May 2021.



3. The Report of the investigation committee set up by the Ministry of National Security to investigate a report of arrest of Mr. Caleb Kudah of Citi FM on May 11, 2021, which was referred to in the Statement by the Ministry of National Security of 20th May 2021.



4. The Standard Operating Procedures of the National Security which was referred to in the Statement by the Ministry of National Security on 20th May 2021.



5. The specific aspects of the Standard Operating Procedures of the National Security which was found to have been contravened by Lt. Colonel Frank Agyeman as indicated in the Statement by the Ministry of National Security on 20th May 2021.



6. The names and ranks of the three Police officers mentioned in the Statement by the Ministry of National Security on 20th May 2021.



7. The names, designations and roles of the individuals who effected the arrest of Mrs. Zoe Abu-Baidoo at the premises of the Citi FM.



8. The specific aspects of the Standard Operating Procedures or any other protocols of the Ministry of National Security which requires that persons effecting arrests of Ghanaian citizens in Ghana should be masked.



9. Information indicating which ethics and professional standards guiding the operational duties of the Ministry of National Security require that persons effecting arrests of Ghana citizens should be masked.



I would like the requested information in bullet points 1 and 2 to be in video format. I would like the requested information in bullet points 1 and 2 in electronic format.



The requested information can be sent to my email address at [email protected] However, in the event that you are unable to provide the information in electronic format, I am amenable to picking up the physical copy of the requested information; in or any other format that the Ministry prefers.



Pursuant to the Provisions of Act 989, I would be grateful to receive the requested information within 14 days of the receipt of this letter.



For any clarification to our request, kindly contact us via our email at [email protected] or failing that on this phone number at +233208330588.



I look forward to a positive response. Yours in the Service of the Republic



Oliver Barker-Vormawor.



The letter to the Inspector General of Police



Dear Sir,



Application to access information under Article 21(1) (f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and Section 18 of the Right to Information Act, 2019, (Act 989)



I write to request an access to information through the Information Officer of the Ghana Police Service in accordance with Article 21(1) (f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and Section 18 of the Right to Information Act, 2019, (Act 989). In the absence of such designated officer, I direct this request to any other competent official of the Ministry.



While the Right to Information Act, 2019, (Act 989) requires that the application be served on the Information Officer of the relevant institution, this application has been readdressed to the Inspector General of Police, copying the Director of the Public Affairs Directorate, following an unsuccessful attempt to serve this application on the Information officer of the Ghana Police Service, on Wednesday June 2, 2021; and on the advice of an officer of the Public Affairs Directorate, who refused to accept the application and insisted that the application be addressed to either the Inspector General of Police or the Director of the Public Affairs Directorate.



My request is in the exercise of my rights under Article 21(1)(f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and section 18 of the Right to Information Act, 2019, (Act 989).



The following are the specific pieces of information we are asking for access to:



1. A copy or other records of all notifications given to the Ghana Police Service regarding an intention to Demonstrate in Accra since the coming into force of the Public Order Act, (Act 491) in 1994. Where not all copies or records of the notifications are available, indicate the total number of all notifications to Demonstrate in Accra since the coming into force of the Public Order Act, (Act 491) in 1994; setting out clearly the number of copies or records of notifications which are unavailable.



2. A record, including meetings, letters, phone calls, showing all the instances where the Ghana Police Service, acting under the Public Order Act, requested the organisers to postpone the special event to any other date or to the relocate the special event; or rejected the notification to protest.



3. The total number of demonstrations in Accra since the coming into force of the Public Order Act, (Act 491) in 1994, indicating how many of the demonstrations were not preceded by a prior notification to the Police.



4. A record, including such meetings, letters phone calls, showing all the instances where an organizer, requested under the Public Order Act, (Act 491) to postpone or relocate the holding of a special, notified the police of his or her willingness to comply or not comply with that request.



5. The total number of injunctions procured by the Police to stop a demonstration planned to be held in Accra since the coming into force of the (Act 491) in 1994.



I would like the requested information in electronic format. The requested information can be sent to my email address at [email protected]



However, in the event that you are unable to provide the information in electronic format, I am amenable to picking up the physical copy of the requested information; in or any other format that the Ghana Police Service prefers. Pursuant to the provisions of Act 989, I would be grateful to receive the requested information within 14 days of the receipt of this letter.



For any clarification to our request, kindly contact me via my email at [email protected] or failing that on this phone number at +233208330588.



I look forward to a positive response. Yours in the Service of the Republic



Oliver Barker-Vormawor









Source: graphiconline.com









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

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The vociferous Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Mr Kennedy Agyapong has questioned the declaration by the Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), that he was committed to building a formidable national identification system that is politically neutral.

I have a very big problem with what Professor Ken Attafuah has said in relation to this and finding jobs for the youth.



In a radio interview with Angel FM, the NIA boss, Prof Ken Attafuah said he was focused on his mandate and would not be swayed by his detractors including party supporters.



He insisted that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has charged him to ensure that no party executives are hired in the process at the National Identification Authority (NIA).



Speaking in the Twi language in the Angel FM interview, Prof Attafuah said President Akufo-Addo's vision is for him to build a neutral public service and so he [Attafuah] was doing what the law permits and in line with the President's legacy.



Ken Agyapong's reply



But in a radio interview Tuesday afternoon [June 8, 2021] monitored by Graphic Online on Accra based Asempa FM, Mr Agyapong said: First of all, even if what he is saying is exactly what President Akufo-Addo charged him to do in a private conversation, do you think the Professor should come publicly to say this is what the President has charged him to do?



I want to ask him, is his position as head of the NIA politically neutral?



I have common sense to ask simple, simple questions for him [Attafuah] to look so ridiculous.



Prof Attafuahs grounds were that the public service in Ghana was neutral and therefore President Akufo-Addo has charged him to build a system devoid of political bias.



But the law maker, Mr Agyapong will not take that and insists Prof Attafuah's stance has the potential to demoralise the youth in the NPP, many of whom are looking for job opportunities and are of the conviction that after helping the party to attain political power, they ought to be sorted out with job opportunities.



Prof Attafuah's comment has elicited varied responses with some NPP members expressing anger about the comment.



Read also: What NIA boss Ken Attafuah said about NPP foot soldiers and building neutral public service



Buttressing his argument that Prof Attafuah's argument of political neutrality was baseless, Mr Agyapong said Prof Attafuah started the work at NIA during President John Kufuors era from 2001 to January 2009 but when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration came into office in 2009, he [Attafuah] was removed.



He said he was reinstated by the NPP in 2017 when the party regained power so where is the political neutrality that he is talking about.



He said he was aware that many of the youths in the NPP have charged against Prof Attafuahs statement which is seeking to portray that President Akufo-Addo do not want them to be offered job opportunities.



Mr Agyapong said he was going to work to ensure that Prof Attafuah was removed and that they will be staging a series of demonstrations against Prof Attafuah.



"I know that man [President Akufo-Addo] will never say that" because he wants to place Ghana on a sound footing as well as ensure the well being of NPP members.



Mr Agyapong said he was aware someone else was to have gotten the job at NIA but it surprisingly went to Prof Attafuah only for him to turn against NPP members.



He said he has no problem if Prof Attafuah employ NDC members at NIA because they are all Ghanaians but he was of the conviction that party members who have contributed to the attainment of political power should be offered opportunities and that is how politics is done.



He demanded the resignation of Prof Attafuah over his "political neutrality" comment, which he said has the potential to "destroy" the party.



Already, we have problems and Prof Attafuah has added this comment to it to create more problems for the NPP, Mr Agyapong added.

Source: graphiconline.com









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

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Many Nigerians have been continuing to tweet in defiance of government threats to arrest and prosecute anyone violating the ban it imposed on Twitter.



They are using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the ban after telecommunications companies heeded the government's directive and blocked the micro-blogging site.



Gbenga Sesan of the Paradigm Initiative, which offers digital opportunities to young people across Africa, said the government's ban had backfired.



"Guess what? The only people who have been muted right now appear to be the government themselves. Yes, some businesses are not tweeting because clearly, they do not want to be punished, but the citizens they were trying to proscribe are still tweeting," he told the BBC.



The ban was announced on Friday after the government alleged that the micro-blogging site was being used to undermine "Nigeria's corporate existence" through the spreading of fake news that has "violent consequences".



It drew an angry reaction from many Nigerians and Western powers who saw it as a threat to civil liberties, but the government was unrepentant, leaving Twitter officially blocked in Africa's most populous state.

Source: BBC









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

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Some drivers in the Ho Municipality have said that the increment in fuel prices would affect the cost of spare parts just as it has affected the cost of transport.



The new fare of 13 percent upward adjustment in the public transportation took effect on Saturday, June 5, covering all forms of transport including inter-City (trotro), intercity (long-distance and shared taxis).



Some drivers in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) noted that although there were agitations from some passengers prior to the notice, they hoped for a better increment in the fares.



Mr Prosper Kumah, a driver, said that the recent increase in fares did not correspond with the cost of transport as the prices of fuel were demanding more than what the passengers have been asked to pay.



I would have wished the increment was more to help tally with the fuel price and spare parts.



Mr Vincent Agblodegbe, a passenger said that the increase in the cost of transport was reasonable as it could have been worse considering the number of times fuel prices had gone up these past few months without corresponding increases.



According to Mr Newton Quaye, a driver, the booking fee for commercial vehicles was outrageous, adding that, vehicles moving from Accra to Ho had to pay 85 cedis and Ho to Accra vehicles paying 70 cedis, demanding fairness in the pricing of fares.



Mr Joshua Denu, a passenger, noted that initially, the fare from Ho to Sogakope was GH14.00 but now at GH16.00 adding that, the GH2.00 increment was too much.



Mr Isaac Amenyo, the Ho branch Chairman of the Progressive Transport Owners Association of Ghana (PROTOA) expressed gratitude to the government for the increment in the fares.



He appealed to the government to attend to the bad roads in the region to avoid causing more damages to vehicles leaving the drivers with many losses.

Source: GNA









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

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Education Minister, Yaw Osei Adutwum has taken a swipe at the 2020 Vice Presidential candidate of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) and former Education Minister, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman over her allegations that last year's WASSCE was leaked which is why they passed the examinations.



Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman, speaking in an interview on Woezor TV, strongly doubted the good performance of the students wasn't inspired by leaked questions that, according to her, were made available to the students before writing their exams.



This same group whose performance is supposed to be so outstanding that we shouldnt be talking, it is the group I am referring to, ok? And they went and wrote the exam. We heard of the leakage of exams. We heard of invigilators being compromised. We have heard of many many things and we also saw the students come out and speak about no, this is not what we were told would happen. Now these students have As and we are happy? Its up to us, she accused.



Speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', Hon. Yaw Osei Adutwum expressed disappointment in Prof. Naana Opoku Agyemang for not attributing the school children's excellent performance to their own hard work and the government's free SHS policy.



He advised Prof. Naana Opoku Agyeman and political opponents to stop finding fault with everything the government does, particularly when it is a good initiative.



"Naana Opoku is somebody I respect a lot but the things she's saying are not appropriate. It's not appropriate to say the school children passed their exams because there was a leak," he snapped.







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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A member of the communications team of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akomea thinks that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is not to be blamed for the reported flouting of COVID-19 protocols at the funeral of Sir John.



Consequently, he says the calls for President Akufo-Addo to apologise were misplaced, since some people were portraying it as if President Akufo-Addo was personally responsible for the reported flouting of the protocols.



He insists that the security agencies had the responsibility to ensure that the protocols were not flouted.



The security should have controlled the numbers at the funeral and prevented the crowd from massing up.



Regret



"I think it is enough for anybody to express regret... an apology will mean that directly he [Akufo-Addo] was responsible."



Last week, the former Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie who passed on in July 2020 was buried at his hometown, Sakora-Wonoo in the Ashanti Region.



Sakora-Wonoo, a farming community near Bonwire in the Kwabre East District in the Ashanti Region, was rendered too small to receive the great number of mourners who thronged the town to mourn the passing of Sir John who was a former General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).



People from all walks of life, particularly NPP members and the political class filed past the remains.



In attendance at the funeral was President Akufo-Addo, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the Chief Justice, Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah and many other leaders in the country including Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the General Secretary of the main opposition political party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC).



A large number of members of the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) faith, lawyers, forestry sector value chain actors, ordinary people went there to either mourn or catch a glimpse of the body, as well as media practitioners who set up for a comprehensive coverage of the funeral.



Schools were closed in anticipation of the large crowds that could disrupt classes.



Public concerns



There has been public concerns about a reported incident of how COVID-19 protocols on social distancing and the wearing of face coverings (face mask) were flouted at the funeral last Thursday [June 3, 2021).



OccupyGhana and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) for instance have called on the police to sanction those who flouted the protocols while the NDC has called on President Akufo-Addo to apologise.



Related:

Hundreds troop to Sakora-Wonoo for Sir John's burial

Sir John's funeral: OccupyGhana unhappy with COVID-19 protocol abuse

Contributing to radio discussions on Peace FM's Kookrokoo programme Tuesday morning, Nana Akomea admitted it was not good that the protocols were flouted by some people.



It was his view that apart from the organisers, the security was to have ensured that there was control.



Nana Akomea who is also the Managing Director of Intercity STC however insisted that President Akufo-Addo should not be blamed for that.



The issue should be placed on the security, "it comes back to the security."



Why did they allow the crowd to mass up? he questioned.



He said situation should serve as a guide to security as to how to prepare and prevent a similar situation in future.

Source: graphiconline.com









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

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An aide to former President John Dramani Mahama, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe has debunked the assertion made by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that he is the most vilified political figure of this generation.



President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said there is no culture of silence prevailing in the country under his administration, and there exists a vibrant media.



According to President Akufo-Addo, "I find it ironic that the Presidency of a man who has been and continues to be the most vilified political figure of his generation can be accused of presiding over a culture of silence'. There is no midnight knock on the door in Ghana for authors of dissenting views, nor will there be during my presidency."



Commenting on the declaration of the President, the private legal practitioner on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show professed that President Akufo-Addo rather has been so over pampered than being vilified as President of the Republic.



He asserted that President Nana Akufo-Addo is basically Nana [King] in the true sense of the word; thus, Ghanaians have treated the President like a King as he does whatever he likes without subject to any democratic control.



Akufo-Addo has been so over pampered. If you are looking for a President who has been pampered; in fact, he is basically Nana [King] in the true sense of the word. The way Ghanaians have treated Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, they treat him like a King in the true sense of the word. Nana is not subject to any democratic control, he posited.



He does whatever he likes in the country and if that is not the case, he would not have said that if you like, go to the court for the burning of the excavators. This is because he is above the law and everyone is afraid of him. He has been over pampered, he chided.



Justifying his claim of the President doing whatever he likes, Edudzi Tamakloe said that President Akufo-Addos bold statement to urge people to go to the court for the burning of the excavators, disregarding the Minerals and Mining Act which was amended in 2019, indicates a leader who has no regard for the rule of law.



Watch video below





Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com









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by Vladimir Rozanskij

26 political parties participate, divided into four coalitions and 22 independent parties. Political crisis triggered by the 2020 defeat in Nagorno Karabakh against the Azeris. A government of national unity proposed. The risk of civil war.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - After long disputes and diatribes, the campaign for early parliamentary elections, which will be held on June 20, began in Armenia on 7 June.

26 political parties will participate, divided into four coalitions and 22 independent parties. All previous political leaders, including current interim prime minister Nikol Pasinyan, will take part in the competition.

The first president of independent post-Soviet Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, leads the party list of the Armenian National Congress; the second president Roberto Kocaryan heads the "Ayastan" coalition (ancient name of Armenia).

Pasinyan himself presents himself with the "Civil Agreement" party. Serz Sargsyan is not included in the electoral lists, but the Republican Party he leads is in the coalition I have dignity: the third president of the country is very active in the election campaign.

All parties and former presidents have clashed in the past on the issue of the post-Soviet legacy: Petrosyan was the secretary of the Communist Party in Armenia at the time of the collapse of the USSR, and his opponents demanded greater independence from Russia, claiming an autonomous role in the political and military conflicts of the Caucasus, especially with the annexation of Nagorno Karabakh.

Pasinyan sought the middle ground, defending national independence and seeking a new international role for the country. He is e-entering the fray after the velvet revolution of 2019 and the defeat in Nagorno Karabakh in 2020, very contradictory events. However, he does not lose hope of being re-elected.

On the opening day of the campaign he addressed the Armenian citizens with an official speech: Over the years we have suffered a lot for our homeland. Pasinyan observes that "they want to convince you to go back, that you have to be submissive in your homeland, or we will lose it, but I want to convince you otherwise".

According to the outgoing premier, when he led the protest that led to the change of regime, "our homeland was like a car teetering on the edge of an abyss, which we tried to drive without steering wheel or wheels, without brakes or engine". By relaunching hope in the future of Armenia, Pasinyan is trying to present a vision of a new rebirth after the disasters of war and Covid-19: "A future exists, and we are creating it today".

Among the many opposing parties, referring to the tragedies of past years, there is also a party that invokes social harmony and the formation of a government of national unity: it is "Illuminated Armenia", led by Edmon Marukyan. In his opinion, if the elections re-propose the all-out clashes of recent years and months, the situation in the country could degenerate into a kind of civil war.

In his campaign launch press conference, Marukyan noted that "according to all the polls, neither the ruling party nor the group led by Kocaryan have a real chance of obtaining a majority". 45% of the voters still seem uncertain about the vote, therefore "we need a force that does not present itself as an enemy of the other, to make a government all together for at least 3-5 years".

If a stable formula of government is not found, according to all observers, the greatest risk is that the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, which already occupy various areas of the national territory, will advance much deeper, endangering the independence of Armenia itself.
Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has expressed worry over the overcrowding that characterized the funeral of NPP former General Secretary and Forestry Commission CEO, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, days ago.



Last week, the former Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie who passed away in July 2020 was buried at his hometown, Sakora-Wonoo in the Ashanti Region.



During his funeral and burial service, a throng of government officials, lovers and residents together with the President and Vice President of the Republic, Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, went to pay their last respect to the late affable politician and lawyer.



But there are concerns over the number of people who went to the funeral ground.



There was a mammoth crowd with a large number not wearing nose mask nor adhering to the COVID-19 safety protocols.



As a result, the opposition National Democratic Congress, Civil Society groups and other people have slammed the government for the poor organization of Mr. Kwadow Owusu Afriyie, popularly called Sir John's funeral.



Some critics have demanded an apology from the President.



Discussing the issue on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, Kwesi Pratt wondered why the organizers of the funeral disregarded the COVID-19 safety protocols.



He raised an alarm about the danger that the action of the organizers poses and also feared Ghana's COVID-19 case count might hike up should such things be allowed to go on.



Mr. Pratt told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that research has proven that the new COVID-19 variants, even to the extent that the virus can now be found in domestic animals.



He, therefore, called on the government and Ghanaians to take the disease seriously and protect themselves.

Before the Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper would conclude, he questioned the logic in allowing a mass gathering at a funeral but stop the ''Fix the Country'' demonstrators from embarking on their protest march.



''What I don't understand is when it comes to demonstrations, we go to court in the name of COVID? When it comes to demonstrations, we say there is COVID and so don't do it but when it comes to politics or the funeral of a prominent person, then we open the way. Let's be very careful!," he said.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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

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A five-member Supreme Court panel presided over by Justice Yaw Appaw has quashed a High Court ruling dated 6 May 2021 that essentially restrained organisers of the #FixTheCountry from protesting.



The #FixTheCountry protest was scheduled to take place on Sunday 9 May 2021 but could not take place because of the court order. The police in an ex-parte application at the High Court secured the restraining order against organisers of the #FixTheCountry demonstration just days to the scheduled demonstration date.



Displeased with the court order, conveners of the #FixTheCountry protest filed an application at the Supreme Court seeking to quash the High Court ruling. Their application was praying for two orders.



First, an order of certiorari directed to the High Court (Criminal Division 1) Accra, to bring up to this honourable Court for the purposes of being quashed and the quashing of the order of the said High Court dated May 6, 2021 given by and under the hand of Her Ladyship, the Judge, Justice Ruby Aryeetey (MS), restraining the conveners of the Fix-the-Country public demonstration and Applicants herein, indefinitely, to embark on a public demonstration.



Secondly, an order restraining the Ghana Police Service, the 2nd Interested Party or their agents, assigns, workmen or workwomen, howsoever described or styled, from unlawfully interfering with the constitutional right of the conveners of the Fix-the-Country public demonstration and Applicants herein to embark on a public demonstration.



The Supreme Court in its ruling on 8 June 2021, granted the first order indicating that since the police obtained the restraining order in an ex-parte application, it should have been for a period of 10 days, following which, the State or Police must go back to the High Court on notice with a new application.



To the extend that the High Court did not observe this rule, it exceeded its jurisdiction. The order of the High Court is thus quashed, the Supreme Court held.



The Supreme Court, however, did not grant the second order. The court explained that there is no evidence that the police have or intend to unlawfully interfere with the constitutional right of the conveners to go on demonstration.

Source: asaaseradio.com









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State Transport Corporation CEO, Nana Akomea says the overcrowding at the late Sir John's funeral should be a learning curve for the nation.



According to him, it is regrettable that the crowd couldn't be controlled and made to follow the COVID-19 safety protocols.



Sir John, known in real life as Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, passed away in July 2020 after contracting the deadly Coronavirus.



The former Forestry Commission Chief Executive Officer and a former General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) was laid to rest last week.



The funeral attracted a mammoth gathering with a large number of them not adhering to the COVID-19 safety protocols.



Many people have raised serious concerns over the crowd's blatant disregard for the protocols and demand the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to render an apology to Ghanaians.



But Nana Akomea has blamed the security personnel at the funeral place for the laxity in enforcing the protocols and hoped the mistake will not be repeated.



''It should be a learning curve for all of us . . . There should have been a strict security, so that we could have controlled the crowd," he said.



On the calls for the President to apologize, Nana Akomea held, "To say the President should apologize means he did it . . . I think it's enough for anybody to express regret, whether the NPP party or the President, whoever but to talk about apology, then it means directly, he is the problem."



He spoke to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo'.







Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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

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The Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority, Prof Ken Attafuah has said his vision is to build a formidable national identification system.



And in line with that, he will not countenance on employing unqualified personnel including.



In a radio interview with Kumasi based Angel FM, Prof Attafuah said he was focused on his mandate and would not be swayed by his detractors including party supporters.



He insisted that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has charged him to ensure that no party executives or party members were hired in the process at the National Identification Authority.



Speaking in Twi, Prof Attafuah said President Akufo-Addo's vision is for him to build a neutral public service and so he [Attafuah] was doing what the law permits.



He said the public needs to ensure political neutrality in public service.



Prof Attafuah's comment has elicited varied responses with many NPP members expressing anger about the comment.



The Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Mr Kennedy Agyapong for instance thinks Prof Attafuah did not choose his words well.









Source: graphiconline.com









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Ghanaian actor, John Dumelo has resurrected the campaign to make the buying and smoking of marijuana legal in the country.

The entrepreneur in a Twitter post, Sunday stated that he finds it hard to accept that citizens can buy and smoke cigarettes but cannot do same for marijuana.



In Ghana, its legal to buy and smoke cigarettes. How come its illegal to buy and smoke marijuana? he tweeted.



The smoking of Marijuana continues to remain illegal in Ghana. However, in march, 2020, parliament passed into law the Narcotics Control Commission Bill 2019, legalising the growing of some cannabis for health purposes.

See his tweet below;



In Ghana, its legal to buy and smoke cigarettes. How come its illegal to buy and smoke marijuana?

 MrDumelo (@johndumelo1) June 6, 2021







Source: twitter









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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Herichthys cyanoguttatus Rio Grande Cichlid. Credit: http://www.fishesoftexas.org/taxa/herichthys-cyanoguttatus

A Case Western Reserve University scientist has played the lead role in identifying an invasive species related to one already threatening other fish in the waters of the southern United States.

That discovery tells natural-resource managers and conservationists they may have a bigger problem on their hands than they thought.

"The introduction of non-native aquatic species is one of the greatest threats to natural ecosystems around the world," said Case Western Reserve biologist Ronald Oldfield, who led a team of researchers that identified a second invasive cichlid fish species living in the New Orleans area. "Humans are permanently harming natural environments around the world through the introduction of non-native species."

An invasive relative

The newly identified species is related to the Rio Grande Cichlid, sometimes called the Texas Cichlid, a fish native to the river it's named after that forms the southern border of Texas. About the size of a human hand, its scales show off bright bluish-green spots over a gray-green background.

But that attractive coloring also makes the Rio Grande Cichlid (Herichthys cyanoguttatus) a popular pet. So the fish most likely escaped or was dumped into the water by their owners. It's now found throughout Texas, Louisiana and Florida.

Scientists have documented that the Rio Grande Cichlid can dominate the waters by being aggressively territorial with other fish, especially bluegill.

They're taking the threat seriously in Louisiana, in particular. The state has made it illegal to own the fish and requires anyone who catches one to kill it immediately. And private groups have set up fishing contests to encourage removing them from the water.

But scientists and natural-resource managers thought there was only one cichlid to worry aboutuntil Oldfield, a senior instructor in Case Western Reserve's Department of Biology, and his collaborators did some sleuthing.

"I believed there were two distinct fish species the moment I saw the Louisiana specimens," Oldfield said. "It just took many years of gathering data to convince everyone else."

The discovery

Over the course of three years, Oldfield raised offspring of fish caught in the wild in Louisiana and began marking differences between those and the Rio Grande Cichlid.

Oldfield and his collaborating researchers were aided by hundreds of fish images fishing enthusiasts and naturalists posted on iNaturalist and the Cichlid Room Companion, websites that allow the public to upload photographs of animals observed in the wild. The researchers were able to confirm two distinct speciesmainly by color differences.

Oldfield and his collaborators published their discovery of the lowland cichlid (Herichthys carpintis) in the journal Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan.

Oldfield worked with Tom Lorenz, an associate professor at Georgia Southwestern State University, William I. Lutterschmidt of Sam Houston State, and Dean Hendrickson and Adam Cohen at the University of Texas at Austin.

Environmental implications

This newly discovered cichlid joins an increasing list of invasive species threatening natural populations of plants or animals.

It's a list that also adds up financially: Containing the spread of invasive plants and animals nationallyfrom the Asian Carp threatening the Great Lakes to the giant rodent, nutriacosts an estimated hundreds of millions of dollars, according to various government agencies.

Invasive fish are especially troublesome. Agencies from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife service to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Division consider aquatic invasive species to be a threat to biodiversity worldwide, second only to habitat loss.

"It is important to understand the identity of introduced species, and understanding the biology of not one, but two, species of Herichthys will be necessary to mitigate their spread," Oldfield said. "They may very well differ in the way they affect native species. So far, there has been little research done on the effects that they might have, and that's what's extra scary."

Explore further Researcher finds fish uses sneaking behavior as stealth mating strategy

More information: Live Color Patterns Diagnose Species: A Tale of Two Herichthys Live Color Patterns Diagnose Species: A Tale of Two Herichthys dx.doi.org/10.7302/916
Credit: Duke University School of Nursing

Using drones and artificial intelligence to monitor large colonies of seabirds can be as effective as traditional on-the-ground methods, while reducing costs, labor and the risk of human error, a new study finds.

Scientists at Duke University and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) used a deep-learning algorithma form of artificial intelligenceto analyze more than 10,000 drone images of mixed colonies of seabirds in the Falkland Islands off Argentina's coast.

The Falklands, also known as the Malvinas, are home to the world's largest colonies of black-browed albatrosses (Thalassarche melanophris) and second-largest colonies of southern rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes c. chrysocome). Hundreds of thousands of birds breed on the islands in densely interspersed groups.

The deep-learning algorithm correctly identified and counted the albatrosses with 97% accuracy and the penguins with 87%. All told, the automated counts were within 5% of human counts about 90% of the time.

"Using drone surveys and deep learning gives us an alternative that is remarkably accurate, less disruptive and significantly easier. One person, or a small team, can do it, and the equipment you need to do it isn't all that costly or complicated," said Madeline C. Hayes, a remote sensing analyst at the Duke University Marine Lab, who led the study.

Monitoring the colonies, which are located on two rocky, uninhabited outer islands, has until now been done by teams of scientists who count the number of each species they observe on a portion of the islands and extrapolate those numbers to get population estimates for the full colonies. Because the colonies are large and densely interspersed and the penguins are much smaller than the albatrosses (and, thus, easy to miss), counts often need to be repeated. It's a laborious process, and the presence of the scientists can disrupt the birds' breeding and parenting behaviors.

To conduct the new surveys, WCS scientists used an off-the-shelf consumer drone to collect more than 10,000 individual photos, which Hayes converted into a large-scale composite visual using image-processing software.

She then analyzed the image using a convolutional neural network (CNN), a type of AI that employs a deep-learning algorithm to analyze an image and differentiate and count the objects it "sees" in itin this case, two different species of sea birds. These counts were added together to create comprehensive estimates of the total number of birds found in colonies.

"A CNN is loosely modeled on the human neural network, in that it learns from experience," said David W. Johnston, director of the Duke Marine Robotics and Remote Sensing Lab. "You train the computer to pick up on different visual patterns, like those made by black-browed albatrosses or southern rockhopper penguins in sample images, and over time it learns how to identify the objects forming those patterns in other images such as our composite photo."

Johnston, who is also associate professor of the practice of marine conservation ecology at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment, said the emerging drone- and CNN-enabled approach is widely applicable "and greatly increases our ability to monitor the size and health of seabird colonies worldwide, and the health of the marine ecosystems they inhabit."

Guillermo Harris, senior conservationist at WCS, co-authored the study. He said, "Counting large seabird colonies of mixed species at remote locations has been an ongoing challenge for conservationists. This technology will contribute to regular population assessments of some species, helping us better understand whether conservation efforts are working."

Crafting and training the CNN can seem intimidating, Hayes noted, but "there are tons of online resources to help you, or, if you don't want to deal with that, you can use a free, pre-built CNN and customize it to do what you need. With a little patience and guidance, anyone could do it. In fact, the code to recreate our models is available online to help other researchers kickstart their work."

Explore further An eye in the sky: Monitoring animal colonies using drones in the subantarctic

More information: Madeline C Hayes et al, Drones and deep learning produce accurate and efficient monitoring of large-scale seabird colonies, Ornithological Applications (2021). Madeline C Hayes et al, Drones and deep learning produce accurate and efficient monitoring of large-scale seabird colonies,(2021). DOI: 10.1093/ornithapp/duab022
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Rising unemployment, inadequate benefits and low paid work are the main causes of poverty and destitution in Stoke-on-Trent according to the findings of a new study.

The research carried out by Staffordshire University and Citizens Advice Staffordshire North & Stoke-on-Trent, and funded through Research England's Strategic Priorities Fund, aims to understand the impact COVID-19 is having on residents in the city.

The report includes case studies of people who have turned to Citizens Advice and Alice Charity's Foodbank after finding themselves unable to work through the pandemic and facing increasing debt or struggling to claim benefits.

Post COVID-19 crisis and its impact on poverty and destitution in Stoke-on-Trent follows a report produced by Professor David Etherington for the Hardship Commission last year which examined the threat of the pandemic to Stoke-on-Trent's economy.

Ten months on, the new study includes updates the evidence and makes a number of recommendations on the "comprehensive action" needed to tackle the issues.

Professor David Etherington saya that "even before the COVID-19 crisis, Stoke-on-Trent was the 14th most deprived district in England with one of the highest rates of people on low pay and with low level skills. This has been exacerbated during the pandemic with the lowest paid, women, part-time workers and young people hit the hardest."

"A disturbing fact, given that Britain is one of the richest countries in the world, is that thousands of people in Stoke-on-Trent have insufficient incomes to meet basic needs and a consequence of this is that more and more people are turning to foodbanks for welfare support. The Alice Charity's foodbank reported that some parents are going without food for up to three days before coming to the foodbank. Another often-overlooked area is that people often do not take up the benefits they are entitled to."

The report highlights that:

across Stoke-on-Trent there are 50,228 persons of working age in-receipt of one or more benefits12,495 more than November 2019. This equates to an increase from 23.6% to 31.4% of the Working Age population.

even with the 20 'uplift', Universal Credit only amounts to the equivalent of 40% of average wages - 409.89 month for single person and 1112 per month for a couple with two children

young people claiming benefits in Stoke on Trent rose from 5.9% 2020 in March to 10.2 in December 2020.

over 90,000 people in Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme are in debt, struggling to pay their bills, keep up with their loan payments. Stoke-on-Trent has the 2nd highest rate of Debt Relief Orders (DROs) in England and Wales

the estimated total value of unclaimed benefits across the City is between 71.85m to 84.55m

hunger is now a key issue. Stoke-on-Trent Foodbank has provided food aid to 14,000 people in the last year (2020) and 1,500 received food aid who had never used a foodbank before. The Alice Charity's Foodbank provided more aid in the first two months of 2021 than in the whole of 2018.

The report also predicts a surge in demand for advice services as reported by Citizens Advice North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

Simon Harris, Chief Executive Officer for Citizens Advice Staffordshire North and Stoke-on-Trent, points out that "before lockdown about 40 per cent of our Universal Credit clients were seen face to face and helped to make a claim. Many of these will not have successfully transferred to online channels due to poor digital skills and other factors and will have fallen through the net."

"Given that many more people have fallen behind with rent and bills and other payments over the pandemic, there is undoubtedly significant pent-up demand for debt advice and we anticipate a significant surge at some point in the next 12 months."

The report authors Professor David Etherington and Professor Martin Jones are now calling for action to address high levels of poverty and destitution experienced across the City.

Their recommendations include benefit take-up campaignssimilar to those adopted by the Scottish Governmentwhich involve community groups, advice organizations and foodbanks working together to tackle the issue.

It also advocates using a Scandinavian style employment and training model (Jobrotation) to address unemployment and low skills.

Professor Jones explains that "with fears of high unemployment in the UK following the COVID-19 pandemic and the phasing out of the Job Retention scheme, this is a critical time to be thinking about Jobrotation. Jobrotation is highly effective at providing opportunities for unemployed people to gain permanent jobs at the same time as upskilling existing employees. It could involve packaging funds from a range of programs such as the Kickstart scheme, Universal Credit, Apprenticeships Levy and the UK Community Renewal Fund and we urge civic and business leaders to urgently explore these possibilities."

More information: A disappearing safety net: post Covid-19 crisis and its impact on poverty and disadvantage in Stoke on Trent - Report to Stoke Hardship Commission: A disappearing safety net: post Covid-19 crisis and its impact on poverty and disadvantage in Stoke on Trent - Report to Stoke Hardship Commission: eprints.staffs.ac.uk/6403/3/David %20Etherington%20Hardship%20Commission%20Report%20_June%202020.pdf

Provided by Staffordshire University
Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), scientists completed a census of nearly 100 galaxies in the nearby Universe, showcasing their behaviors and appearances. The scientists compared ALMA data to that of the Hubble Space Telescope, shown in composite here. The survey concluded that contrary to popular scientific opinion, stellar nurseries do not all look and act the same. In fact, as shown here, they are as different as the neighborhoods, cities, regions, and countries that make up our own world. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/PHANGS, S. Dagnello (NRAO)

A team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has completed the first census of molecular clouds in the nearby universe, revealing that contrary to previous scientific opinion, these stellar nurseries do not all look and act the same. In fact, they're as diverse as the people, homes, neighborhoods and regions that make up our own world.

Stars are formed out of clouds of dust and gas called molecular clouds, or stellar nurseries. Each stellar nursery in the universe can form thousands or even tens of thousands of new stars during its lifetime. Between 2013 and 2019, astronomers on the PHANGS project (Physics at High Angular Resolution in Nearby GalaxieS) conducted the first systematic survey of 100,000 stellar nurseries across 90 galaxies in the nearby universe to get a better understanding of how they connect back to their parent galaxies.

"We used to think that all stellar nurseries across every galaxy must look more or less the same, but this survey has revealed that this is not the case, and stellar nurseries change from place to place," said Adam Leroy, associate professor of astronomy at Ohio State University (OSU), and lead author of the paper presenting the PHANGS ALMA survey. "This is the first time that we have ever taken millimeter-wave images of many nearby galaxies that have the same sharpness and quality as optical pictures. And while optical pictures show us light from stars, these ground-breaking new images show us the molecular clouds that form those stars."

The scientists compared these changes to the way that people, houses, neighborhoods and cities exhibit like-characteristics but change from region to region and country to country.

"To understand how stars form, we need to link the birth of a single star back to its place in the universe. It's like linking a person to their home, neighborhood, city and region. If a galaxy represents a city, then the neighborhood is the spiral arm, the house the star-forming unit, and nearby galaxies are neighboring cities in the region," said Eva Schinnerer, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) and principal investigator for the PHANGS collaboration "These observations have taught us that the 'neighborhood' has small but pronounced effects on where and how many stars are born."

NGC4535 is a galaxy in the nearby Universe featuring grand-design spiral plus stellar bar morphology. It was catalogued along with nearly 100 other galaxies during a recent census by the PHANGS project. The census revealed that contrary to commonly accepted scientific theory, not all stellar nurseries look or act the same way. In fact, theyre quite diverse. NGC4535 is shown here as an ALMA (orange) composite with Hubble Space Telescope (HST/red) data. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/PHANGS, S. Dagnello (NRAO)

To better understand star formation in different types of galaxies, the team observed similarities and differences in the molecular gas properties and star formation processes of galaxy disks, stellar bars, spiral arms, and galaxy centers. They confirmed that the location, or neighborhood, plays a critical role in star formation.

"By mapping different types of galaxies and the diverse range of environments that exist within galaxies, we are tracing the whole range of conditions under which star-forming clouds of gas live in the present-day universe. This allows us to measure the impact that many variables have on the way star formation happens," said Guillermo Blanc, an astronomer at the Carnegie Institution for Science, and a co-author on the paper.

"How stars form, and how their galaxy affects that process, are fundamental aspects of astrophysics," said Joseph Pesce, National Science Foundation's program officer for NRAO/ALMA. "The PHANGS project utilizes the exquisite observational power of the ALMA observatory and has provided remarkable insight into the story of star formation in a new and different way."

Annie Hughes, an astronomer at L'Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planetologie (IRAP), added that this is the first time scientists have a snapshot of what star-forming clouds are really like across such a broad range of different galaxies. "We found that the properties of star-forming clouds depend on where they are located: clouds in the dense central regions of galaxies tend to be more massive, denser, and more turbulent than clouds that reside in the quiet outskirts of a galaxy. The lifecycle of clouds also depends on their environment. How fast a cloud forms stars and the process that ultimately destroys the cloud both seem to depend on where the cloud lives."

This is not the first time that stellar nurseries have been observed in other galaxies using ALMA, but nearly all previous studies focused on individual galaxies or part of one. Over a five-year period, PHANGS assembled a full view of the nearby population of galaxies. "The PHANGS project is a new form of cosmic cartography that allows us to see the diversity of galaxies in a new light, literally. We are finally seeing the diversity of star-forming gas across many galaxies and are able to understand how they are changing over time. It was impossible to make these detailed maps before ALMA," said Erik Rosolowsky, Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Alberta, and a co-author on the research. "This new atlas contains 90 of the best maps ever made that reveal where the next generation of stars is going to form."

Shown here as an ALMA (orange) composite with Hubble Space Telescope (HST/red) data, NGC4254 was among the nearly 100 galaxies included in the recent PHANGS project census of galaxies in the nearby Universe. The survey found that stellar nurseries within these galaxies vary widely in appearance and behavior, and that these characteristics heavily depend on where the stellar nurseries are located. NGC4254 is an example of a galaxy featuring M type morphology. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)/PHANGS, S. Dagnello (NRAO)

For the team, the new atlas doesn't mean the end of the road. While the survey has answered questions about what and where, it has raised others. "This is the first time we have gotten a clear view of the population of stellar nurseries across the whole nearby universe. In that sense, it's a big step towards understanding where we come from," said Leroy. "While we now know that stellar nurseries vary from place to place, we still do not know why or how these variations affect the stars and planets formed. These are questions that we hope to answer in the near future."

Ten papers detailing the outcomes of the PHANGS survey are presented this week at the 238th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

Explore further Hubble sees swirls of forming stars

More information: PHANGS-ALMA: Arcsecond CO(2-1) Imaging of Nearby Star-Forming Galaxies, Leroy et al. ApJS accepted, preview. PHANGS-ALMA: Arcsecond CO(2-1) Imaging of Nearby Star-Forming Galaxies, Leroy et al. ApJS accepted, preview. arxiv.org/abs/2104.07739
Signs and symptoms of a Diaporthe sp. 1-MI on hop cones. Credit: Douglas S. Higgins, Ross J. Hatlen, Jan M. Byrne, Monique L. Sakalidis, Timothy D. Miles, and Mary K. Hausbeck

If you're a beer drinker, you've noticed that hoppy beers have become increasingly popular. Most of the nation's hops come from the Pacific Northwest. However, commercial hop production regions have expanded significantly. In Michigan hop production nearly tripled between 2014 and 2017 and in 2019, Michigan growers harvested around 720 acres of hops.

Michigan hop growers contend with unique challenges as a result of frequent rainfall and high humidity during the growing season. In 2018, growers approached Michigan State University researchers and the Michigan State University's Plant & Pest Diagnostics lab with concerns about a leaf blight they had never seen before. This was followed by reports of hop cones shattering during harvest and yield losses in fields with the affected leaves.

Michigan State University scientists, including Doug Higgins, investigated, observing a fungus growing in the symptomatic leaves. They set out to determine if the fungus was causing the symptoms and if the leaf and cone symptoms were linked to the same pathogen. They also wanted to determine how far the disease had spread in Michigan.

They determined that the fungus was the same on both the leaves and the cones. "The fungus was shown to infect and cause disease in healthy hop plants," said Doug Higgins. "Interestingly, genetic testing showed that DNA from the fungal pathogen did not match DNA from other known fungal species. We concluded that it is novel species and for now called it Diaporthe sp. 1-MI."

As this novel fungal pathogen causes yellow margins to form around leaf lesions and the browning of cones, Higgins and colleagues named the disease "halo blight." Their surveys indicated that halo blight is widespread in Michigan, and that other production regions with similar climatic conditions might also be at risk.

"In Michigan, hop is a niche crop used by many local breweries. A disease outbreak could impact the supply of local hops to many small and independent businesses," explained Higgins. "Additionally, cone discoloration can alter hop quality and may have downstream implications on beer quality." Higgins recommends that additional research be conducted to understand how the disease moves and develop management strategies.

Explore further Northern corn leaf blight genes identified in new study

More information: Douglas S. Higgins et al, Etiology of Halo Blight in Michigan Hopyards, Plant Disease (2020). Douglas S. Higgins et al, Etiology of Halo Blight in Michigan Hopyards,(2020). DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-05-20-0924-RE

Provided by American Phytopathological Society
Ryan Oldenburg, Raeford, NC, (Ret.) 3rd Special Forces (Airborne), walks up Federal Hill Park carrying a flag bearing the names of service members killed in action. He is part of a group of active and retired military and active duty DEA Washington Field Division members raising money and awareness for APK Charities through the Ruck 2 Remember walk. (Kim Hairston/The Baltimore Sun)
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals this week rejected a decision by the Trump administration that Pacific walrus no longer qualified to be listed as a threatened species.

The decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2017 reversed its earlier position, made in 2011 under the Obama administration, that the walrus warranted such protection under the Endangered Species Act because their sea ice habitat was diminishing.

The appeals court, in a 20-page decision on Thursday, ruled that the agency did not adequately explain its shift in position.

"Although the assessment (in 2017) contained some new information, the actual decision document did not explain why this new information resulted in an about-face from the Service's 2011 conclusion that the Pacific walrus met the statutory criteria for listing," the appeals court decision says.

The federal agency has not listed the walrus under the Endangered Species Act, but the species remains under federal consideration for that listing.

The Center for Biological Diversity, the conservation group that petitioned for a walrus listing under the Endangered Species Act, sued the Trump administration in 2018. U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason rejected the challenge, leading to the appeal.

"This ruling is big news that gives the Pacific walrus a fighting chance," said Emily Jeffers, an attorney at the conservation group. "Arctic ice is disappearing at a record rate, and walruses are suffering catastrophic habitat loss."

The appeals court decision said Fish and Wildlife must provide a sufficient explanation for its new position.

The agency "will have to go back and examine the science on sea-ice loss and walrus survival," Jeffers said in a statement from the group on Thursday.

Explore further Federal government: No threatened species listing for walrus

2021 Anchorage Daily News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Employment in the analysis groups. The upper panel shows the share of persons with days in employment. The lower panel presents the difference between the treatment and control groups (vertical bars denote the 95% CI). Credit: Removing Welfare Traps: Employment Responses in the Finnish Basic Income Experiment VATT Working Papers 142, http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-274-275-9

Finland carried out the first nationwide randomized experiment on basic income. A study by the VATT Institute for Economic Research and the Labour Institute for Economic Research shows that replacing minimum unemployment benefits with a basic income of equal size has minor employment effects at best. Additionally, participation in reemployment services remained high.

Finnish Experiment Basic Income

Universal basic income models have generated a large interest in many countries. Finland carried out the first nationwide randomized experiment on basic income Finland in 20172018. The participation in the experiment was mandatory and randomized.

The experiment included 2,000 persons whose minimum unemployment benefit was replaced by a monthly basic income of 560 ($631) that improved employment incentives considerably. The effective marginal tax rates of the treatment group decreased from 66% to 43% at a monthly wage level of 2,000 ($2,255).

A novel feature of the experiment for a Nordic welfare state was that the treatment group received basic income payments regardless of their labor market status or job search efforts. Basically, it removed all obligations for job search set by the public employment services.

The experiment had minor employment effects at best.

The Finnish experiment failed to produce any sizable short-term employment effects despite offering larger improvements in employment incentives than any realistic nationwide policy could provide. This was shown in the study "Removing Welfare Traps: Employment Responses in the Finnish Basic Income Experiment" by Jouko Verho and Kari Hamalainen (VATT Institute for Economic Research), and Ohto Kanninen (Labour Institute for Economic Research).

Despite the considerable increase in work incentives, days in employment remained statistically unchanged in the first year of the experiment. Moreover, even though all job search requirements were waived, participation in reemployment services remained high.

The study concludes that that improving monetary incentives for employment can be an ineffective policy tool for some groups of unemployed, especially if the increase in incentives peaks at relatively high wage levels.

Fact box

The experiment explored how the bundle of a new social benefits, reduced administrative barriers, and lower marginal tax rates affected employment. The study compares the randomized treatment group to the control group using detailed administrative data. The point estimate for the first-year treatment effect is 1.5 days (95% CI -2.3-5.4), which can be contrasted with the average of 49 days in employment per year in the control group. The upper bound for the employment effect in the first year of the Finnish experiment suggests that we can rule out any participation elasticities exceeding 0.16, assuming that the removal of active labor market programs (ALMP) in the treatment group had no negative employment effect. The treatment group spent almost 100 days, on average, in different active labor market programs in 2017.

More information: The study "Removing Welfare Traps: Employment Responses in the Finnish Basic Income Experiment" by Jouko Verho and Kari Hamalainen (VATT Institute for Economic Research); and Ohto Kanninen (Labour Institute for Economic Research) is forthcoming in American Economic Journal: Economic Policy The study "Removing Welfare Traps: Employment Responses in the Finnish Basic Income Experiment" by Jouko Verho and Kari Hamalainen (VATT Institute for Economic Research); and Ohto Kanninen (Labour Institute for Economic Research) is forthcoming in American Economic Journal: Economic Policy Open access version: Removing Welfare Traps: Employment Responses in the Finnish Basic Income Experiment, VATT Working Papers 142, urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-274-275-9

Provided by VATT Institute for Economic Research
Vendors in Dalat, Vietnam. Credit: Kevin Krajick/Earth Institute

A new global analysis of greenhouse-gas emissions from food systems says that such emissions have been systematically underestimatedand points to major opportunities to cut them. The authors estimate that activities connected to food production and consumption produced the equivalent of 16 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2018one third of the human-produced total, and an 8 percent increase since 1990. A companion policy paper highlights the need to integrate research with efforts to reduce emissions. The papers, developed jointly by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, NASA, New York University and experts at Columbia University, are part of a special issue of Environmental Research Letters on sustainable food systems.

The lead author of the analysis, Francesco Tubiello, heads the environment statistics unit at FAO. He said the study shows that food production represents a "larger greenhouse-gas mitigation opportunity than previously estimated, and one that cannot be ignored in efforts to achieve the Paris Agreement goals." He said emissions inventories that countries currently report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change poorly characterize food systems, and underestimate their contribution to climate change.

The study provides country-level datasets that are being refined ahead of the UN's Food Systems Summit, to be held in July. It considers emissions linked not just to production of livestock and crops, but from land-use changes at the boundary between farms and natural ecosystems, and from related manufacturing, processing, storage, transport and waste disposal.

The companion policy piece calls for better scientific understanding of the processes through which greenhouse gases are emitted from all phases of food production and consumption. It says that the food system has a major role to play in mitigating climate change. The lead author of that paper, Cynthia Rosenzweig of Columbia University's Earth Institute and the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said, "Science and policy domains have often been siloed in academia. We propose a 'double helix' of interactive research by scientists and policy experts that can deliver significant benefits for both climate change and the food system."

"The food system and the climate system are deeply intertwined," said coauthor David Sandalow, a fellow at Columbia's Center on Global Energy Policy. "Better data can help lead to better policies for cutting emissions and protecting the food system from a changing climate."

Programs and policies to mitigate climate change must consider the impact on the more than 500 million smallholder households around the world, say the authors. This issue is particularly acute in the least-developed countries, where relatively larger shares of the population rely on agriculture for their livelihoods, they say.

"To achieve a net-zero future, we need to understand better the interplay between the food system and emissions in developing countries where populations are growing, poverty is diminishing, and incomes are rising," said Philippe Benoit, an adjunct senior research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy.

One emergent theme: optimal mitigation strategies will require a focus on activities both before and after farm production, ranging from the industrial production of fertilizers to refrigeration at the retail level. Emissions from these activities are growing fast.

Greenhouse-gas contributions from various parts of the global food system. Credit: Tubiello et al., Environmental Research Letters 202

"Agriculture in developed countries emits large quantities of greenhouse gases, but their share can be obscured by large emissions from other sectors like electricity, transportation and buildings," said Matthew Hayek, an assistant professor in environmental studies at New York University and coauthor of both pieces. "Looking at the entire food system can not only illuminate opportunities to reduce emissions from agriculture, but also improve efficiency across the whole supply chain with technologies such as refrigeration and storage."

The study found that while total food-systems emissions rose from 1990 to 2018, growing populations and changing technologies meant that per capita emissions actually decreased, from the equivalent of 2.9 metric tons to 2.2 metric tons per person. But per capita emissions in developed countries, at 3.6 metric tons per person in 2018, were nearly twice those in developing countries.

The conversion of natural ecosystems to agricultural croplands or pastures remained the largest single emissions source over the study period, at nearly 3 billion metric tons per year. But it declined significantly over time, by over 30 percent, possibly in part because we are running out of land to convert.

On the other hand, global emissions from domestic food transportation have increased by nearly 80 percent since 1990, to 500 million tons in 2018. Those emissions have nearly tripled in developing countries. And emissions generated by food system energy use, largely carbon dioxide from fossil fuels along the supply chain, amounted to over 4 billion tons in 2018, an increase of 50 percent since 1990.

Explore further Food drives a third of global emissions: report

More information: Francesco N Tubiello et al, Greenhouse gas emissions from food systems: building the evidence base, Environmental Research Letters (2021). Journal information: Environmental Research Letters Francesco N Tubiello et al, Greenhouse gas emissions from food systems: building the evidence base,(2021). DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ac018e

Provided by State of the Planet

This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu.
A satellite image (left) shows a bloom of the harmful algal species Pseudo-nitzchia off the coast of Washington State and British Columbia. Harmful algal blooms like these can shut down economically important shellfisheries for months. Credit: NASA (left) and NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center (right))

The first-ever global statistical analysis of trends in harmful algal blooms (HABs) has shown that, worldwide, there is no significant increase in HABs events, but that in some regions, events that include toxic species of algae affecting humans and wildlife are on the rise. In addition, the study finds that human activity, primarily aquaculture in coastal waters, and the economic impacts that HABs event cause to the fast-growing growing industry, is likely behind the perceived increase.

The study, which appears in Communications Earth & Environment was led by Gustaaf Hallegraeff at the University of Tasmania and included Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) biologist and director of the U.S. National Office for Harmful Algal Blooms Don Anderson, along with scientists from 14 countries.

"The 2019 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggested that the occurrence and toxicity of blooms will increase in the future," said Hallegraeff. "But these trends remain an open debate."

"There has been a lot of speculation in recent years about whether HABs are increasing due to climate change or changes in land use or aquaculture," said Anderson. "This should put the general debate to rest, but it also highlights places where we could be doing more to address the problem, which is clearly a growing threat in many regions, and to better predict future trends."

Harmful algae encompass a wide range of plankton species, many of which produce toxins that can cause paralysis, neurological disorders, amnesia, gastro-intestinal illness, skin and respiratory irritation, and even death. Symptoms can affect humans, as well as marine and freshwater wildlife, such as marine mammals, shellfish, fish, and seabirds, including many economically important animals. Other species of harmful algae grow rapidly in the presence of warm water, high nutrients, and other environmental conditions, resulting in a number of "nuisance" effects, such as clogged water and sewer systems, fouled beaches, and low dissolved oxygen levels leading to fish die-offs. Both toxic and nuisance HAB events appear to be on the rise worldwide, but there have long been questions about whether this perception is well-founded or is due to increased monitoring efforts or more varied and costly impacts of blooms.

To better understand HAB trends globally and regionally, the research team analyzed data from a worldwide database of HAB events known as HAEDAT (Harmful Algal Event Database), which contains 9,500 records of blooms between 1985 and 2018. Because HAEDAT only lists documented events of varying severity, the researchers also analyzed data from OBISI (Ocean Biodiversity Information System), a database of micro-algae observations worldwide, to help them determine whether the increase in HAB events was the result of steadily increasing monitoring efforts over the years and in many parts of the world.

Using nearly six million OBIS data records over the study period as a proxy for monitoring effort, they found no statistical significance to the slight upward trend in HAB events worldwide that remained after correcting for the increased number of measurements that occurred over the same period. They did, however, find statistically significant increases in six regions: Greenland, the Caribbean, the west coast of North America, Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean, and western and northern Europe. They also found statistically significant, region-specific increases of certain toxic and nuisance events, including amnesic and paralytic shellfish toxin outbreaks among marine mammals in the Arctic Pacific, Ciguatera poisoning in the Canary Islands, and red and green algae blooms in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Australia, among others.

During the study period, aquaculture production worldwide rose nearly 16-fold, and the authors found that all regions with suitable HAEDAT data reported more events as aquaculture expanded. The authors point out that increased use of coastal waters for aquaculture has been a key driver for occasionally disastrous, long-lasting economic impacts of blooms and has, in turn, driven awareness of new harmful algal species and new toxin types. This rise in aquaculture has also resulted in better management of marine resources in many instances that serve to reduce the economic and health impacts of a bloom.

"Improving efforts to monitor specific locations and for specific harmful algal species offers the prospect of better HAB prediction in the long run," said Hallegraeff. "This could bring with it greater insight into future changes, which will bring with it better seafood security."

"HABs sit at the crossroads of many societal, environmental, and scientific trends," said Anderson. "So when it comes to understanding the driving forces behind the diverse array of HABs we see, only better monitoring and more consistent data will help us manage HABs and minimize their complex impacts on society and the environment."

Explore further Algorithm for algal rhythms

More information: Perceived global increase in algal blooms is attributable to intensified monitoring and emerging bloom impacts. Commun Earth Environ 2, 117 (2021). Journal information: Communications Earth & Environment Perceived global increase in algal blooms is attributable to intensified monitoring and emerging bloom impacts.2, 117 (2021). doi.org/10.1038/s43247-021-00178-8
Long-term trends of thermal discomfort, a measure of stress and discomfort induced by high temperatures and humidity, indicate that discomfort levels are actually decreasing in Saudi Arabia, despite rising global temperatures. Credit:  2021 Morgan Bennett Smith

Rising temperatures are increasingly affecting the quality of life in many regions, setting new challenges for architects, urban planners and healthcare systems. Researchers at KAUST have analyzed discomfort due to outdoor heat across Saudi Arabia and neighboring regions to help understand and combat the problem.

"Living conditions in the Kingdom have been particularly affected by the changing climate," says Hari Dasari, first author of the paper. He also emphasizes the unique challenges facing the Hajj pilgrimage visits by several million people each year. Between 2014 and 2018, the Hajj occurred in summer months when the average temperature often exceeded 40 degrees Celsius with 80 percent humidity.

The team examined the variability and trends in a measure called the thermal discomfort index (DI), computed from temperature and humidity records collected from 1980 to 2018. The DI evaluates how these two factors combine to cause heat stress and discomfort.

Surprisingly, most cities in Saudi Arabia recorded an improvement in DI levels during the past 20 years, but significant exceptions were Yanbu, Makkah, Medina and Taif. The danger of increasing DI values in the Makkah region was confirmed by examining clinical records, which suggest a correlation with heat-related deaths during the Hajj pilgrimage.

"Many of us expected that the rising temperatures due to global warming and rapid growth in urbanization during recent decades should have reduced human comfort levels over KSA," says Dasari. A valuable insight from the research is the discovery that the situation is more complicated, with many regional variations worthy of further exploration.

The team's research will help regional authorities, engineers and architects design effective infrastructure, buildings and health systems to adapt to citizens' needs. Credit:  Morgan Bennett-Smith.

Increased heat discomfort levels were concentrated mainly in neighboring regions of the Arabian Gulf, including the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar.

Ibrahim Hoteit, leader of the research group, says the findings will help regional authorities, engineers and architects to plan the most effective developments in infrastructure, building design and healthcare interventions to improve safety and comfort across the region.

"We now plan to develop an atlas of DI values with risk maps indicating the trends through an online interactive visualization and analysis interface that provides real-time access for nonexpert users, and also a forecasting system to support the management of various outdoor activities and minimize health-related chronic symptoms," says Hoteit.

The team expect the further development of this research will also be critically important for supporting several large-scale projects currently being developed in Saudi Arabia, including the city of NEOM and the Red Sea Project and AMAALA tourism initiatives.

Explore further Saudi Arabia passes 200,000 virus cases

More information: Hari Prasad Dasari et al, Analysis of Outdoor Thermal Discomfort Over the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, GeoHealth (2021). Hari Prasad Dasari et al, Analysis of Outdoor Thermal Discomfort Over the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,(2021). DOI: 10.1029/2020GH000370
A 99-million-year-old live birth in amber. The female snail and her five young. Credit: Tingting Yu

Land snails are usually preserved as fossilized snail shells or imprints, while preservation of their soft bodies is a rarity. "Our new amber find is truly remarkable for this reason as well," explains Dr. Adrienne Jochum of the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt and the Natural History Museum of the Burgergemeinde Bern, and she continues, "In a piece of Cretaceous amber from Myanmar, we discovered the body and shell of an exceptionally well-preserved female land snail shortly after the birth of her offspring, which is also preserved in the amber."

Together with colleagues from China and Germany, Jochum examined the amber using high-resolution photography and micro-computer tomography images and was able to reveal the snail shell, which is about 11 millimeters high, and the "marshmallow-like" body of the mother as well as the five newly-born young. "The snails were apparently encased in the tree resin immediately after birth and preserved in that position over millions of years. The mother snail must have noticed her impending fate and is stretching her tentacles up in a 'red alert' posture," adds Jochum.

Although live births are known in land snails, they are considered the exception. The researchers assume that the species, newly described as Cretatortulosa gignens, gave birth to its young alive in order to protect its offspring from predators as long as possible in the tropical forests of the Cretaceous. Jochum explains, "Just like their modern relatives from the genus Cyclophoroidea, our new discovery probably spent its life inconspicuously on dead and rotting leaves. We assume that the young of this speciescompared to egg-laying snailswere smaller and lower in number to increase their chance of survival."

Close-up of the land snail offspring. Credit: Tingting Yu

According to the study, the fossil from an amber mine in northern Myanmar offers unprecedented insights into the ecology and behavior of snails that lived 99 million years ago. "Based on the discovery, we can not only make statements about the morphology and paleoecology of the animals, but we now also know that viviparous snails existed in the Cretaceous period," adds a delighted Jochum.

CT image of the amber content. Credit: Tingting Yu

Explore further Tiny cave snail with muffin-top waistline rolls out of the dark in Laos

More information: Adrienne Jochum et al, Mother snail labors for posterity in bed of mid-Cretaceous amber, Gondwana Research (2021). Adrienne Jochum et al, Mother snail labors for posterity in bed of mid-Cretaceous amber,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.gr.2021.05.006
An assassin bug approaching a male broad-horned flour beetle. Credit: University of Exeter

Natural selection can reverse evolution that occurs through sexual selection and this can lead to better females, new research shows.

The studyled by the University of Exeter and Okayama Universityexamined broad-horned flour beetles, whose males have exaggerated mandibles, while females do not.

Male beetles with the largest mandibles win more fights and mate with more femalesan example of "sexual selection", where certain characteristics (like a male peacock's tail) improve mating success.

However, having bigger mandibles requires a masculinized body (large head and neck), and a smaller abdomenwhich, for females, limits the number of eggs they can carry. A masculinized body is not good for females.

Experimentally enhanced natural selection through predation, however, targets the same males favored by sexual selection and this results in the evolution of less masculinized bodies and better-quality females.

In the study, broad-horned flour beetles were exposed to a predator called the assassin bug, which ate males with the largest mandibles.

By removing these males, predation effectively reduced the benefits of sexual selection and this means natural selection has an increased impact.

Broad-horned flour beetles. Credit: University of Exeter

After eight generations of this, females produced about 20% more offspring across their lifespan, compared to a control group of beetles where large-horned males were not removed by predation.

"Males and females of every species share genes, but in some casesincluding broad-horned flour beetlesthe genes good for one sex aren't always ideal for the other," said Professor David Hosken, of the University of Exeter.

"We see this process, known as intralocus sexual conflict, across the natural world.

"For example, humans share the genes for hipswhich males need for walking, and females need for both walking and childbirth.

"Optimal hips for women would be broad enough to allow childbirth, while optimal hip width for men is narrower.

"Humans reach a sort of evolutionary compromise, in which neither males nor females get the body shape that would be optimal for them."

Professor Hosken added: "Our findings show that sexual selection favoring large-horned males drags female body shape away from the female optima.

"This study helps us understand two evolutionary tug of wars, one between natural and sexual selection and the other that takes place over body shape and characteristics shared between the sexes."

The paper, published in the journal Nature Communications, is entitled: "Natural selection increases female fitness by reversing the exaggeration of a male sexually selected trait."

Explore further Exploring why males are larger than females among mammals

More information: "Natural selection increases female fitness by reversing the exaggeration of a male sexually selected trait" Nature Communications (2021). Journal information: Nature Communications "Natural selection increases female fitness by reversing the exaggeration of a male sexually selected trait"(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23804-7
The demonstration. Credit: Toshiba Corporation

The Cambridge Research Laboratory of Toshiba Europe today announced the first demonstration of quantum communication over optical fibers exceeding 600 km in length. The breakthrough will enable long-distance, quantum-secured information transfer between metropolitan areas, and is a major advance towards building the future quantum internet.

The term quantum internet describes a global network of quantum computers connected by long-distance quantum communication links. It is expected to allow the ultrafast solution of complex optimization problems in the cloud, a more accurate global timing system and highly secure communications around the globe. Several large government initiatives to build a quantum internet have been announced, for example, in the U.S., E.U. and China.

One of the most difficult technological challenges in building the quantum internet, is the problem of how to transmit quantum bits over long optical fibers. Small changes in the ambient conditions, such as temperature fluctuations, cause the fibers to expand and contract, thereby scrambling the fragile qubits, which are encoded as a phase delay of a weak optical pulse in the fiber.

Now, Toshiba has demonstrated record distances for quantum communications by introducing a novel 'dual band' stabilization technique. This sends two optical reference signals at different wavelengths to minimize the phase fluctuations on long fibers. The first wavelength is used to cancel the rapidly varying fluctuations, while the second wavelength, at the same wavelength as the optical qubits, is used for fine adjustment of the phase. After deploying these new techniques, Toshiba found it is possible to hold the optical phase of a quantum signal constant to within a fraction of a wavelength, with a precision of 10s of nanometers, even after propagation through 100s of km of fiber. Without canceling these fluctuations in real time, the fiber would expand and contract with temperature changes, scrambling the quantum information.

The first application for dual band stabilization will be for long distance Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). Commercial QKD systems are limited to around 100-200 km of fiber. In 2018, Toshiba proposed the Twin Field QKD protocol as a way to extend the distance, and tested its resilience to optical loss using short fibers and attenuators. By introducing the dual band stabilization technique, Toshiba has now implemented Twin Field QKD on long fibers and demonstrated QKD over 600km, for the first time.

"This is a very exciting result," comments Mirko Pittaluga, first author of the article describing the results. "With the new techniques we have developed, further extensions of the communication distance for QKD are still possible and our solutions can also be applied to other quantum communications protocols and applications."

Picture of Researcher at The Cambridge Research Laboratory of Toshiba Europe. Credit: Toshiba Corporation

Andrew Shields, head of the Quantum Technology Division at Toshiba Europe, says, "QKD has been used to secure metropolitan area networks in recent years. This latest advance extends the maximum span of a quantum link, so that it is possible to connect cities across countries and continents, without using trusted intermediate nodes. Implemented along with Satellite QKD, it will allow us to build a global network for quantum secured communications."

Taro Shimada, corporate senior vice president and chief digital officer of Toshiba Corporation reflects, "With this success in Quantum Technology, Toshiba is willing to further expand its quantum business with rapid speed. Our vision is a platform for quantum information technology services, which will not only enable secure communication on a global scale, but also transformational technologies such as cloud-based quantum computing and distributed quantum sensing."

The details of the advancement are published today in the scientific journal, Nature Photonics. The work was partially funded by the EU through the H2020 project, OpenQKD. The team is now engineering the proposed solutions to simplify their future adoption and deployment.

This latest development follows the announcement last year that BT and Toshiba had installed the UK's first industrial quantum-secure network. Transmitting data between the National Composites Centre (NCC) and the Centre for Modelling & Simulation (CFMS), Toshiba's multiplexing compatibility allows the data and the quantum keys to be transmitted on the same fiber, eliminating the need for costly dedicated infrastructure for key distribution. The combined arrival of multiplexed QKD using existing infrastructure for shorter distances, alongside Twin Field QKD for longer distances, paves the way for a commercially viable global quantum-secure network.

QKD allows users to securely exchange confidential information (such as bank statements, health records, private calls) over an untrusted communication channel (such as the internet). It does that by distributing to the intended users a common secret key that can be used to encrypt, and thus protect, the information exchanged over the communication channel. The security of the secret key rests upon the fundamental properties of individual quantum systems (photons, the particles of light) which are encoded and transmitted for the key generation. In the event that these photons are intercepted by an undesignated user, quantum physics guarantees that the intended users can perceive the eavesdropping, and consequently protect the communication.

Unlike other existing security solutions, the security of quantum cryptography derives directly from the laws of physics we use to describe the world around us, and for this reason, it is secure against any future advances in mathematics and computing (including the advent of quantum computers). In light of this, QKD is expected to become an essential tool for protecting operation-critical communications for businesses and governments.

Explore further Quantum holds the key to secure conference calls

More information: Mirko Pittaluga et al, 600-km repeater-like quantum communications with dual-band stabilization, Nature Photonics (2021). Journal information: Nature Photonics Mirko Pittaluga et al, 600-km repeater-like quantum communications with dual-band stabilization,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41566-021-00811-0

Provided by Toshiba Corporation
Researchers have determined that international travel risks spreading antimicrobial resistance.

Newly vaccinated travelers enjoying a return to trips abroad may find a drug-resistant "superbug" hitching a ride in their gut, a study in Genome Medicine says.

US and Dutch researchers studying the effects of travel on the bacteria in our stomachs were unnerved to find that a third of their subjects who traveled to Southeast Asia carried a bacterial gene resistant to "last resort" antibiotics for infections such as pneumonia and meningitis.

"These findings provide strong support that international travel risks spreading antimicrobial resistance globally," said Alaric D'Souza, a researcher studying microbial genomics and ecology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis who co-authored the study published this week.

The team, which studied the feces of 190 Dutch travelers before and after travel to parts of Africa and Asia, found international travelers to be "reservoirs and spreaders" of drug-resistant superbugs.

When the travelers returned home, their fecal test kits revealed a "significant amount" of antimicrobial resistant, or AMR, genes that do not respond to commonly used antibiotics.

The genes of these drug-resistant "superbugs" usually develop naturally over millennia when exposed to antibiotics produced by other bacteria in their environment.

But the overuse of antibiotics by humans for medical and agricultural purposes is accelerating this process.

The study warns this trend threatens 70 years of progress in treating infectious diseases caused by bacteria.

Researchers found the resistant genes were "destination-specific," with certain types localized to specific regions.

They expressed the most concern about travelers in their study who returned from Southeast Asia with the mcr-1 gene, which resists colistin, an antibiotic used when other drug therapies fail.

"It is vital that we address AMR in lower income countries with high resistance rates and low public health funds," D'Souza said.

"This global approach may not only help the respective countries, but it could also benefit others by reducing the international spread of resistance genes."

The authors concluded that understanding how these genes spread can help international public health interventions, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Explore further Superbugs are hitchhiking in the guts of international travelers

 2021 AFP
An illustration of a fast-spinning, magnetic white dwarf rejecting the donor gas in the cataclysmic variable known as J0240. Credit: Dr. Mark Garlick

Researchers at the University of Notre Dame have identified the first eclipsing magnetic propeller in a cataclysmic variable star system, according to research forthcoming in the Astrophysical Journal.

The star system, referred to as J0240, is only the second of its kind on record. It was identified in 2020 as an unusual cataclysmic variablea binary system consisting of a white dwarf star and a mass-donating red star. Normally, the compact white dwarf star collects the donated gas and grows in mass. In J0240, however, the fast-spinning, magnetic white dwarf rejects the donor's gas and propels it out of the binary system.

"It takes a rapidly spinning dwarf with a strong magnetic field in order to create a propeller," said Peter Garnavich, professor of astrophysics and cosmology physics and chair of the Department of Physics at Notre Dame, and lead author of the study that presented evidence of the propeller system. "Normally, gas coming off of the donor star will land on the white dwarf. That's as common as sand on a beach. But in a magnetic propeller, the gas is ejected from the binary in a wide spiral patternlike a lawn sprinkler watering your yard."

White dwarfs are the dense remnants of low-mass stars like our sun, which scientists say will evolve into a white dwarf in another five billion years or so. Without a companion star, however, the sun will never be part of a cataclysmic variable system.

The only other cataclysmic variable similar to J0240 is AE Aquarii, a binary star system known since the 1950s and believed to also be a magnetic propeller system. Conversely, J0240 is observed close to the binary orbital plane, meaning that the gas ejected from the system is seen silhouetted against the light of the stars. This is the first direct evidence that a magnetic propeller ejects the red star's donated gas.

"What's unique about the system is that we actually can see blobs of gas as they're ejected by the propeller," Garnavich said. "That gas is blocking some of the light from both stars and we can directly see that absorption in our data."

Garnavich's team began observations at the Large Binocular Telescope in Safford, Arizona, where the researchers were able to record the occurrence of flares and eclipses that illustrated the rapid spinning of the white dwarf star, and the pull of the magnetic fieldwhich expels incoming gases that would otherwise be added to the star but instead creates a spiral of gas expanding away from the two stars.

"The more we observed the star, the more exciting it appeared," said Garnavich. The team gathered observations in September, October and November of 2020. Data gathered in September captured the first half of J0240's orbit. In October, the team captured the second half.

"The flares we see are mini-explosions that blow off gas at 6 million miles per hour, or 1 percent of the speed of light," he said.

The flaring disappears when the red companion gets in the way during an eclipse. From the timing of the eclipses, the team was able to pinpoint the location of the flares. "The flaring is coming from very close to the compact companion, likely from the whack the gas receives as it approaches the rapidly spinning magnetic field," Garnavich said.

Garnavich hopes to learn a lot more from the J0240 binary from further observations. One of the big unknowns is the white dwarf spin period, which the team was unable to detect. "The energy of the propeller is coming from the spinning white dwarf, so we expect the spin rate to be slowing over time. When it runs down, the propeller will stop and the system will look like a ordinary cataclysmic variable," said Garnavich.

"The biggest question is exactly how do you get into this state," he said. "It's a very short-lived phase where you have a magnetic white dwarf spinning about as fast as it can spin without actually flying apart. Spinning so fast with a strong magnetic fieldseems like it can't be just coincidence."

Explore further A one-of-a-kind star found to change over decades

More information: Confirmation of a Second Propeller: A High-Inclination Twin of AE~Aquarii. arXiv:2102.08377v1 [astro-ph.SR] Journal information: Astrophysical Journal Confirmation of a Second Propeller: A High-Inclination Twin of AE~Aquarii. arXiv:2102.08377v1 [astro-ph.SR] arxiv.org/abs/2102.08377
The group reached the Baltimore area Sunday night, stopping in Bel Air for a few hours of sleep before another pit stop in the city before then heading later in the day to Washington, D.C., and to Arlington on Tuesday. Local Drug Enforcement Administration agents and law enforcement officers have joined the group in nearly every city, with Baltimore being no different.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Eggs littered the sand, but there was no sign of life around or in them.

The seabirds that should have been keeping watch had taken off, terrified by a drone that crash-landed into their nesting grounds on an island at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.

"We've never seen such devastation here," said Melissa Loebl, an environmental scientist who manages the Huntington Beach, California, reserve. "This has been really hard for me as a manager."

Some 3,000 elegant terns fled the reserve after the drone crashed May 12, leaving behind 1,500 to 2,000 eggs, none of them viable. It was the largest egg abandonment that scientists who work there can recall.

As for the birds, which are highly sensitive to perceived threatsnobody is sure what happened to them.

"We actually still don't know where they are," Loebl said.

The mass abandonment was the culmination of a year of issues caused by increased traffic to the reserve, which has seen the number of visitors double as the COVID-19 pandemic sent droves of people outdoors. There has been an uptick in bicyclists, who sometimes carve trails off established paths and disturb sensitive areas, and more people have been bringing dogs, which can scare wildlife and leave behind waste. Both are prohibited in the reserve, as they threaten to flush birds off their nests.

"They're seen as predators," Loebl said. "Think of a bird. When I migrate 100 miles, I want a safe place to nest, forage and breed, and they come here to do just that."

But nothing has been as catastrophic as drones, which are being flown over the reserve with increasing frequency.

Drones are not permitted to fly over state wildlife reserves, precisely because they run the risk of disturbing habitats, said Officer Nick Molsberry of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. If that happens, the operator can face additional charges for nest destruction and harassment of wildlife, he said.

The Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve is one of the last remaining and largest coastal wetlands in Southern California, where 95% of the habitat has been destroyed, Loebl said. More than 800 species rely on the 1,000-plus-acre area for critical habitat. Of those species, 23 have special status, including the California least tern and Ridgway's rail, which are endangered, and the Western snowy plover, which is classified as threatened.

"These are all birds we put a lot of time and energy into managing their habitat so they can have a successful year breeding," Loebl said.

Volunteers spend the fall preparing two manmade islandsNorth Tern Island and South Tern Islandtaking on vegetation management projects so the birds can nest, Loebl said.

In April, thousands of terns arrive for the breeding season, including elegant terns that migrate from Central and South America. They stay until August, when they fly away with their chicks.

Although elegant terns are not considered threatened or endangered, Bolsa Chica is one of just four known nesting sites, said Michael H. Horn, professor emeritus of biology at Cal State Fullerton. The others are at the Los Angeles Harbor, in San Diego and in Mexico's Gulf of California.

"We worry about them because there's so few nesting sites, not so much because of their numbers," he said. "So that's a reason why if a nest site doesn't produce or fails, that's concerning."

Horn is waiting to hear whether the birds have established themselves in Mexico, which is usually the largest colony. There are now several thousand in San Diego. But they chose not to nest this year at the Los Angeles Harbor, making the abandonment at Bolsa Chica even more of a loss.

"We have a person who monitors them and other seabirds at the port, and he said the birds have flown by, maybe stayed a little while, a few hours or overnight, and then they've left," Horn said, noting that they may decide not to populate a site because of predators, disruptions to the food supply or other disturbances.

The elegant terns, together with some 300 other avian species that frequent the reserve, draw birders and photographers from across the region and farther.

In the case of the crashed drone, given the scope of the devastation, officials are seeking to aggressively enforce the law. Molsberry is working with the Orange County district attorney's office to figure out how to get a warrant and lawfully retrieve video footage and location history from the drone.

"We will hopefully have some great footage of the user and what the drone did, its flight path, and be able to articulate all the elements we need to fulfill the violation for this person," he said.

Molsberry, who has been with the department eight years, said he'd never seen a drone crash-land in a reserve before this spring. But the May 12 crash was actually the second in a 24-hour stretch. The day before, a drone went down in Bolsa Chica near nesting sites of the California least tern and the snowy plover. The birds fled but eventually returned, "which was great," Loebl said. "Still sad, but great."

That drone operator came forward to claim the device and received a citation.

On Thursday, while KABC-TV Channel 7 was interviewing Loebl and Molsberry for a segment about the drone problem, a man pulled into the parking lot and started to fly a drone right above them, sending it directly toward another tern colony, Molsberry said.

"I actually ended the interview, contacted the individual, identified myself and issued that person a citation right there on the spot," he said. Television cameras captured yet another drone flying over the reserve whose operator couldn't be located.

The man Molsberry cited claimed he didn't realize it was illegal to fly drones there because a Federal Aviation Administration app showed the airspace as a so-called "green zone," Loebl said.

"When it comes to the flying of drones in the airspace, the airspace does not belong to us," Molsberry conceded, adding that the FAA might not list the reserve as a no-fly area, but there are signs all around Bolsa Chica stating that drones can't be flown there, as he pointed out to the man who was cited.

The reserve's management is working with the volunteer groups Bolsa Chica Conservancy, Bolsa Chica Land Trust and Amigos de Bolsa Chica to develop a program that will have trained docents walk the property and educate the public about the rules. Loebl said the state is also hoping to work with federal authorities to ensure that airspace over the reserve and other sensitive areas is listed as restricted.

In the meantime, the long-term effects of the nest abandonment remain unclear. Horn noted that there will be some 4,500 fewer birds feeding on anchovies and sardines in the waters near Bolsa Chica this summer. That could conceivably draw more predators that also like to feed on the fish, such as seals, sea lions and other seabirds.

"The removal of one species might affect another species," Loebl said. "We have such rich biodiversity here."

Horn said it's possible the elegant terns fled to other nesting sites, and they could even nest again and produce more eggs before the summer ends.

But there will be no elegant tern chicks at Bolsa Chica this year.

"That's a full generation of birds not established," Molsberry said. "It's just so abnormal not to see them there right now."

Explore further Why are seabirds abandoning their ancestral nesting grounds in the Gulf of California?

2021 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Credit: Brice, Maximilien: CERN

Physicists have proved that a subatomic particle can switch into its antiparticle alter-ego and back again, in a new discovery revealed today.

The extraordinarily precise measurement was made by UK researchers using the Large Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb) experiment at CERN.

It has provided the first evidence that charm mesons can change into their antiparticle and back again.

Mixing phenomenon

For more than 10 years, scientists have known that charm mesons, subatomic particles that contain a quark and an antiquark, can travel as a mixture of their particle and antiparticle states.

It is a phenomenon called mixing.

However, this new result shows for the first time that they can oscillate between the two states.

Tackling big physics questions

Armed with this new evidence, scientists can try to tackle some of the biggest questions in physics around how particles behave outside of the Standard Model.

One being, whether these transitions are caused by unknown particles not predicted by the guiding theory.

The research, submitted to Physical Review Letters and available on arXiv, received funding from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).

Being one and the other

In the strange world of quantum physics, the charm meson can be itself and its antiparticle at once.

This state, known as quantum superposition, results in two particles each with their own massa heavier and lighter version of the particle.

This superposition allows the charm meson to oscillate into its antiparticle and back again.

Mass differences

Using data collected during the second run of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), researchers from the University of Oxford measured a difference in mass between the two particles.

There was a difference of 0.00000000000000000000000000000000000001 gramsor in scientific notation 110-38g.

A measurement of this precision and certainty is only possible when the phenomenon is observed many times.

This is only possible due to many charm mesons being produced in LHC collisions.

As the measurement is extremely precise, the research team ensured the analysis method was even more so.

A novel technique

To do this, the team used a novel technique originally developed by colleagues at the University of Warwick.

There are only four types of particle in the Standard Model, the theory that explains particle physics, that can turn into their antiparticle.

The mixing phenomenon was first observed in Strange mesons in the 1960s and in beauty mesons in the 1980s.

Until now, the only other one of the four particles that has been seen to oscillate this way is the strange-beauty meson, a measurement made in 2006.

A rare phenomenon

Professor Guy Wilkinson at University of Oxford, whose group contributed to the analysis, said:

"What makes this discovery of oscillation in the charm meson particle so impressive is that, unlike the beauty mesons, the oscillation is very slow and therefore extremely difficult to measure within the time that it takes the meson to decay. This result shows the oscillations are so slow that the vast majority of particles will decay before they have a chance to oscillate. However, we are able to confirm this as a discovery because LHCb has collected so much data."

Professor Tim Gershon at University of Warwick, developer of the analytical technique used to make the measurement, said: "Charm meson particles are produced in protonproton collisions and they travel on average only a few millimeters before transforming, or decaying, into other particles. By comparing the charm meson particles that decay after traveling a short distance with those that travel a little further, we have been able to measure the key quantity that controls the speed of the charm meson oscillation into anti-charm mesonthe difference in mass between the heavier and lighter versions of charm meson."

A new door opens for physics exploration

This discovery of charm meson oscillation opens up a new and exciting phase of physics exploration.

Researchers now want to understand the oscillation process itself, potentially a major step forward in solving the mystery of matter-antimatter asymmetry.

A key area to explore is whether the rate of particle-antiparticle transitions is the same as that of antiparticle-particle transitions.

And specifically, whether the transitions are influenced or caused by unknown particles not predicted by the Standard Model.

Tiny measurements tell big things

Dr. Mark Williams at University of Edinburgh, who convened the LHCb Charm Physics Group within which the research was performed, said: "Tiny measurements like this can tell you big things about the Universe that you didn't expect."

The result, 110-38g, crosses the 'five sigma' level of statistical significance that is required to claim a discovery in particle physics.

Further information

LHCb is one of the four large experiments at the LHC at CERN in Geneva, and is designed to study decays of particles containing a beauty quark.

The primary goal of LHCb is to investigate matter-antimatter asymmetry or "CP violation."

After the Big Bang, matter and antimatter were created in equal amounts, but when they meet they annihilate each other.

As we live in a universe dominated by matter, there must be a subtle difference between matter and antimatter that has allowed matter to survive.

Mesons are part of the large class of particles made up of fundamental particles called quarks, and contain one quark and one antimatter quark.

The D0 meson consists of a charm quark and an up antiquark, and its antiparticle, the anti-D0, consists of a charm antiquark and an up quark.

This measurement was made using LHCb's Vertex Locator (VELO) subdetector.

Explore further Researchers discover first 'open-charm' tetraquark

More information: Observation of the mass difference between neutral charm-meson eigenstates. arXiv:2106.03744v1 [hep-ex] Journal information: Physical Review Letters Observation of the mass difference between neutral charm-meson eigenstates. arXiv:2106.03744v1 [hep-ex] arxiv.org/abs/2106.03744

Provided by UK Research and Innovation
One-cell zebrafish embryo: The MDC research lab found numerous localized genes at this early stage of development. Much of their genetic information flows into the precursor cells of the later germ cells. Credit: AG Junker, MDC

The "miracle of life" is most obvious at the very beginning: When the fertilized egg cell divides by means of furrows into blastomeres, envelops itself in an amniotic sac, and unfolds to form germ layers. When the blastomeres begin to differentiate into different cellsand when they eventually develop into a complete organism.

"We wanted to find out whether the later differences between the various cells are already partly hard-wired into the fertilized egg cell," says Dr. Jan Philipp Junker, who heads the Quantitative Developmental Biology Lab at the Berlin Institute for Systems Biology (BIMSB) of the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC).

Junker and his team are investigating how cells make decisions and what dictates whether they become nerve, muscle, or skin cells. This involves creating cell lineage trees that allow them to determine the lineage and cell type of thousands of individual cells from an organism. Using these lineage trees, they can understand how and by what mechanisms cells come together to form a functioning organism or how they respond to perturbations.

Blueprints for different cell types already exist in the one-cell embryo

Yet this search for clues by means of cell lineage trees begins at a later stagenamely, when cell division and differentiation is already under way. What's more, the observations cover long time periods. In their current study, which has just been published in the journal Nature Communications, Junker and his team focus on a very short time period: the first hours after fertilization, from the one-cell stage to the process of gastrulationthe formation of the germ layersof the embryo.

The scientists wanted to know whether the one-cell embryo already contains parts of the blueprint for the multitude of different cell types that later develop from it. To do this, they studied zebrafish and clawed frog embryos. Researchers had previously succeeded in finding individual genes whose RNA is localized at specific sites within one-cell zebrafish embryos. The Berlin scientists have now shown that there are many more such genes. "We have discovered ten times more genes whose RNA is spatially localized in the fertilized egg cell than previously known," explains Karoline Holler, lead author of the study. "Many of these RNA molecules are later transported into the primordial germ cells. This means that the program for subsequent cell differentiation is hard-wired into the fertilized egg cell."

The zebrafish is used as model organism in the laboratory of Jan-Philipp Junker. Credit: Pablo Castagnola/MDC

New approaches in transcriptomics

State-of-the-art methods of single-cell transcriptomics provide a good understanding of cell differentiation. Scientists order individual cells according to the similarity of their transcriptomethe complete collection of RNA molecules present in a celland can use the patterns that emerge to decipher how the cells became what they are.

However, they cannot use this method to reconstruct the earliest stages of embryonic development, because here the spatial arrangement of RNA molecules is crucial. His team instead used a specialized technique called tomo-seq, which Junker developed at the Hubrecht Institute in the Netherlands in 2014. It enables scientists to spatially track RNA molecules within the cell. This is achieved by cutting embryos of the model organisms into thin slices. It is then possible read the RNA profiles on the cut surfaces and convert them into spatial expression patterns. Holler refined the tomo-seq technique to now measure the spatial distribution of the transcriptome within the fertilized egg cell.

The scientists used another new technique to study which localized genes later contribute to which cells. "We labeled the RNA molecules so as to be able to track them over different developmental stages. This allows us to observe the RNA not only in space but also over time," explains Junker. In this way, the scientists can distinguish the RNA transferred to the embryo by the mother from the RNA produced by the embryo itself.

This RNA labeling method, called scSLAM-seq, was fine-tuned at BIMSB in the labs of Professor Markus Landthaler and Professor Nikolaus Rajewsky, enabling it to be applied in living zebrafish. "Labeling RNA molecules allows us to measure with high precision how gene expression changes in individual cells, for example, after an experimental intervention," explains Junker.

How do drugs affect cell differentiation?

RNA labeling opens up completely new avenues for studying such things as the mechanism of action of drug therapies. "We can use it in organoids to investigate how different cell types respond to substances," explains the physicist. The method, Junker says, is not suitable for long-term processes of change. "But we can see which genes change within five to six hours after treatment, providing a pathway to understanding how we might influence cell differentiation."

Spatial analysis also has medical relevance: Looking further into the future, it could be useful for studying those diseases that result from mislocalized RNA, such as cancer or neurodegenerative diseases. In such diseases a large number of molecules are transported through the cell. "If we understand these transport processes, then we may be able to identify risk factors for these diseases," explains Holler. But, for now, that is a long way off. "There is still much work to be done before the one-cell zebrafish embryo can be used as a model system for studying human neurodegenerative diseases," stresses Junker.

The scientists next want to uncover the mechanisms involved in RNA localization: How does the detected RNA differ from other transcripts in the cell? Junker's team plans to work with Professor Irmtraud Meyer's lab at BIMSB to characterize the sequence features of the localized RNA. With the help of algorithms, they hope to predict whether the localized genes share a two- or three-dimensional fold. They are also working on further developing their method so that it can be used in other systems than the one-cell zebrafish embryo.

Explore further Stem cells create early human embryo structure in advance for fertility research

More information: Karoline Holler et al, Spatio-temporal mRNA tracking in the early zebrafish embryo, Nature Communications (2021). Journal information: Nature Communications Karoline Holler et al, Spatio-temporal mRNA tracking in the early zebrafish embryo,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23834-1
Late Triassic volcanic-sedimentary strata of Tianqiaoling flora revealed by the geological profiles. (a) Locations of plant fossil-bearing beds and volcanic rock radiometric dating samples. (b) The synthetic column showing the lithological and paleobiostratigraphic characteristics of Daxinggou Group. Credit: Science China Press

The Late Triassic Tianqiaoling flora is well-known in China, and its discovery has changed our understanding of Chinese Late Triassic phytogeographical divisions. More broadly, this flora has great significance for the study of phytogeography in East Asia during this time. However, the previous dating of this flora was only evidenced by plant fossils and stratigraphic correlation, and the accurate dating has still not been achieved.

Recently, the team of Dr. Yuhui Feng of Shenyang Normal University collected isotope dating samples from the bottom of the Tianqiaoling Formation, which is conformally contacted the Tianqiaoling flora-bearing beds. The results of new U-Pb dating gave ages for the rhyolites of 212.82.5 Ma, indicating the end of Malugou Formation and initial Tianqiaoling Formation in deposition occurred in the late Norian (~227-208.5 Ma), which is contemporaneous with the peak of the Tianqiaoling flora in development.

The Tianqiaoling of Wangqing, eastern Jilin, NE China, has extensive non-marine Upper Triassic strata yielding the well-known Late Triassic Tianqiaoling flora. The discovery of this flora is interested and very significant for the Late Triassic phytogeography in East Asia. Since the Tianqiaoling flora has the floristic characteristics of "Southern type flora" (Dictyophyllum-Clathropteris flora) in China and is found in the Northeast China, it has changed our understanding of the Late Triassic phytogeographical divisions in China, and provided new data for floral comparison and stratigraphic correlation of flora-bearing beds in the eastern Jilin of China, South Primorye of Russia and Southwest Japan.

However, the previous dating of the Tianqiaoling flora was based only on the evidences of the fossil plants and stratigraphic correlation of the Tianqiaoling with those of the South Primorye (Russia) and southwestern Japan dated by marine beds, while the accurate dating of this flora has still not been achieved. The Tianqiaoling flora and its strata are lack of isotopic dating, which has been puzzled and regretted for the paleobotanists concerned.

Rhyolite samples for U-Pb dating. (a) Rhyolite outcrop image; (b) rhyolite hand specimen image; (c), (d) rhyolite textures in crossed polarizes light. Credit: Science China Press

Recently, on the basis of detailed field geological profile analysis in the flora-bearing stratotype, members of the Evolution of Past Life in Northeast Asia research team from the college of Paleontology, Shenyang Normal University obtained the dating sample of the rhyolite from the bottom of the Tianqiaoling Formation, conformable with Tianqiaoling flora-bearing beds, which has been the best attempt to date the Tianqiaoling flora, so far.

This present dating sample was analyzed by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) of zircon U-Pb, and produced an age of 212.82.5 Ma. The present new U-Pb age (212.82.5 Ma) for the bottom of the Tianqiaoling Formation suggests that the end deposition of the Malugou Formation and initial deposition of the Tianqiaoling Formation occurred in the later Norian, contemporaneous with the peak interval for the Tianqiaoling flora in development.

The new radiometric dating is not only basically consistent with those of paleobotanical data, but also provides a key anchor point for regional stratigraphic correlation between the Tianqiaoling flora and other Late Triassic floras, such as Nariwa and Yamaguchi floras and Amba flora. Thereby, this study contributes to a better understanding of the geology and phytogeography in the East Asian region covering the "triangle region" including the eastern Jilin of China, South Primorye of Russia and SW Japan during the Late Triassic.

More information: Yuhui Feng et al, New U-Pb zircon ages document Late Triassic Tianqiaoling flora of eastern Jinlin, NE China, Science China Earth Sciences (2021). Journal information: Science China Earth Sciences Yuhui Feng et al, New U-Pb zircon ages document Late Triassic Tianqiaoling flora of eastern Jinlin, NE China,(2021). DOI: 10.1007/s11430-020-9707-4
Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 Transmission electron micrograph of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, isolated from a patient. Image captured and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH

Variants of viruses, such as that causing COVID-19, can now be quickly studied in the laboratory, even before they emerge in nature and become a major public health challenge.

The University of Queensland, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Monash University, and Queensland Health have developed a technology to manipulate viruses synthetically allowing rapid analysis and mapping of new potential virus variants.

UQ's lead researcher Professor Alexander Khromykh said the technology was ideal for use during a global pandemic such as COVID-19.

"This technique should give us the ability to answer questions about whether potential virus variants are susceptible to a particular drug or vaccine, even before they emerge in nature," Professor Khromykh said.

"Up until now, we've mostly just waited and reacted to viral variants as they emerge, and in the case of SARS-CoV-2 the world has been hit by Indian, UK and South African variants, just to name a few. Now we can mimic the massive 'experiment' going on in naturewhere these mutations pop up due to natural selectionbut we can do it safely in a strictly controlled and highly regulated biosecurity laboratory environment."

The UQ-developed process uses copies of fragments from the viral genetic material to assemble the functional viral genome in a test tube.

This allows scientists to rapidly generate virus variants and assess their potential to evade antiviral treatments and vaccine-induced immunity.

QIMR Berghofer helped to evaluate infection and disease caused by the 'test tube'-made virus in pre-clinical models to ensure the technology was able to generate authentic viruses.

Professor Andreas Suhrbier from QIMR Berghofer said the research was essential, as viruses were changing all the time.

"We can now monitor changes in viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and can see which variants may not respond to certain vaccines and anti-viral treatments. We can also investigate whether potential variants are more or less virulent in mice, and find out which drugs and vaccines will be effective. It's great to finally have this vital tool and start tackling these challenging questions."

More information: Alberto A. Amarilla et al, A versatile reverse genetics platform for SARS-CoV-2 and other positive-strand RNA viruses, Nature Communications (2021). Journal information: Nature Communications Alberto A. Amarilla et al, A versatile reverse genetics platform for SARS-CoV-2 and other positive-strand RNA viruses,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23779-5
The bladderwrack is an important species in coastal ecosystems that forms seaweed forests where fish, crabs, snails, and many other organisms live. Credit: Susanne Liljenstrom

The future climate could have serious consequences for valuable coastal ecosystems. Warmer, more acidic, and less saline water make the bladderwrack more fragile and appetizing for snails and other grazers. This is shown in a new Ph.D. thesis from the University of Gothenburg.

Alexandra Kinnby at the Department of Marine Sciences has studied climate effects on the bladderwrack in her thesis. The bladderwrack is an important species in coastal ecosystems that forms seaweed forests where fish, crabs, snails, and many other organisms live.

"I have evaluated how factors such as reduced salinity, ocean acidification, and increased temperature affect, for example, growth and biochemical content in the seaweed. I've also looked at how the seaweed's interaction with other organisms may change in the future," says Alexandra Kinnby.

Climate-stressed seaweeds become defenseless

In the seaweed forest, there are snails of various kinds. The flat periwinkle, Littorina obtusata, is one of the few species that graze and eat the seaweed's hard-to-digest fronds. In defense, grazed seaweeds can produce bad tasting chemicals, called phlorotannins. But when the bladderwrack is exposed to climate stress, this production decreases.

"My most important findings are that the algae's chemical defenses against grazers deteriorate, and that they become more fragile when they are allowed to grow under future climatic conditions. All in all, this can lead to the seaweed forests being weakened and more easily torn apart during storms. This has consequences for many organisms that depend on the seaweed."

Some populations are more resilient

Alexandra Kinnby's research differs from similar research in that it's based on studies of the same species, but on different populations from several areas along the Swedish coast. By comparing effects on the algae's physiological response with genetic data, Alexandra Kinnby was able to establish that some populations are less sensitive than others.

"The fact that there are large differences between different populations of the same species can be important to keep in mind, for example when choosing which populations to conserve or restore, but also if you choose to move seaweed that can better cope with climate change to areas where the local population is not equally resilient."

Seaweed from the Baltic Sea is particularly sensitive

The dissertation also contains a study on the impact of climate effects on reproduction and early life stages of the bladderwrack. At elevated water temperatures, the reproductive capacity of the bladderwrack deteriorated sharply, and seaweed grown in the lower salinity of the southern Baltic Sea was particularly sensitive. This effect could be particularly serious because the seaweed in the Baltic Sea is already living at the limit of its capacity.

"Climate change will of course also affect other species and organisms, but if habitat-forming species, such as the bladderwrack, are greatly affected, it can have large-scale consequences for entire ecosystems," says Alexandra Kinnby.

Explore further Bladderwrack: Tougher than suspected

More information: Habitat forming seaweeds in a changing climate: Habitat forming seaweeds in a changing climate: gupea.ub.gu.se/handle/2077/68048?locale=sv
Synapturanus mesomorphus. Credit: Senckenberg/Holting

Together with an international team, Senckenberg scientists have described three new frog species from the northern Amazon region. The animals from the genus Synapturanus spend their lives buried underground and are therefore still virtually unexplored. The researchers assume that the species diversity of this genus from the family of narrow-mouthed frogs is at least six times higher than previously known. The study will be published in the journal Zoologischer Anzeiger.

The normally small and rather plump-looking members of the narrow-mouthed frog family have an almost worldwide distribution and usually live hidden underground. "The calls of the male frogs can only be heard after or during heavy rainfall. This means that we herpetologists have to dig the animals out of the ground with our bare handsusually completely soaked ourselvesin order to identify them," explains Dr. habil. Raffael Ernst of the Senckenberg Natural Historical Collections in Dresden, and he continues, "This somewhat eerie and muddy scenario also inspired us to use the name Synapturanus zombie for one of the newly discovered species from the narrow-mouthed frog genus Synapturanus in the Amazon region."

The orange-spotted "zombie frog," which measures just under 40 millimeters, is one of three newly described species discovered by Ernst and an international team in the tropical rainforests of Guyana, French Guiana, and northern Brazil, an area known as the Guiana Shield. All of the frogs belong to the genus Synapturanus and were classified as new species based on 12 different morphological characteristics, having previously been genetically identified as undescribed species. "Until now, little scientific attention has been paid to this genus," Ernst explains, citing the animals' habits: "The frogs' habitats are difficult to access, and their ranges are very small; moreover, the animals hide underground, and their calls are rather difficult to differentiate."

Synapturanus zombie. Credit: Antoine Fouquet

The newly described frog measures barely 40 millimeters in length. Credit: Antoine Fouquet

The herpetologist from Dresden and his colleagues therefore intend to pay closer attention to this genus. "We assume that there are six times as many Synapturanus species as we have described so far. Thus, much work remains to be donenot least since we are not yet able to conclusively assess the risk status of the species due to the complex data situation," adds Ernst as an outlook.

Explore further Researchers study the invasive frog's role in Galapagos food web

More information: Antoine Fouquet et al, Comparative osteology of the fossorial frogs of the genus Synapturanus (Anura, Microhylidae) with the description of three new species from the Eastern Guiana Shield, Zoologischer Anzeiger (2021). Antoine Fouquet et al, Comparative osteology of the fossorial frogs of the genus Synapturanus (Anura, Microhylidae) with the description of three new species from the Eastern Guiana Shield,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2021.05.003
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday announced he is proposing to waive taxes on funds that small businesses receive through a relief program.

Cuomo said applications for the COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program will be accepted as of June 10 for small businesses and small for-profit independent arts and cultural organizations, according to a news release.

The minimum grant award is $5,000 and maximum $50,000. The amount will be calculated based on a business annual gross receipts for 2019. The COVID-19 related expenses must have occurred between March 1, 2020, and April 1, 2021.

Eligible expenses can include payroll, commercial rent or mortgage payments, local property or school taxes, insurance and utility costs. Other covered expenses include personal protective equipment for workers and consumers health and safety; heating, ventilation and air-conditioning costs; machinery or equipment costs; and supplies needed to comply with COVID-19 protocols. For more information, visit esd.ny.gov.

Tuesdays cases
If voting is truly our most sacred right as Americans, than whats wrong with taking your state ID and showing it? he said.

When asked about whether he thought the 2020 presidential election was stolen, Giuliani would not go as far as saying that. However, he said he does think there was fraud. He said he has read a couple hundred of a thousand affidavits filed by voters alleging irregularities in the system.

He believes the media has overlooked that story.

The media decided not to cover it, and that shows me there is truly bias, he said.

Another one of Giulianis priorities is ending what he calls the war on cops. He would repeal the bail reform laws and block any effort to end the qualified immunity protection officers have.

He said crime will be a major issue in this race as big cities such as New York City, Albany and Buffalo are seeing a rise in crime. He believes that this issue could convince traditional Democratic voters to cross over and support him.

I want to make sure that your streets are safer, he said.
What happened in Harlem Park was a dramatic and crystal clear example of the many ways in which policing in Baltimore is not the same in black and white communities, senior ACLU staff attorney David Rocah said in 2019 when the lawsuit was filed. It is not enough for the city to say long after the fact ... oops we messed up, our bad.
In a country where children are shot as they play, Congress must pass legislation that requires background checks for all gun purchases. Thats the very least lawmakers should do. Instead, Americans get continued inaction.

In a country where innocents are gunned down in schools and on sidewalks, we should expect the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to deal seriously with gun sellers who violate existing laws. But as a recent USA Today investigation found, the nations supposed gun watchdog is largely toothless and conciliatory, bending over backward to go easy on wayward dealers.

Thats outrageous. And infuriating. It needs to change, immediately, starting with putting leadership in the agency committed to public protection, not coddling lawbreakers.

Yes, it is true gun control is not a panacea. There are other factors behind this wave of violence. Stemming it requires a multi-pronged effort.

We need, for example, better policing and police officers who walk their beats and know their neighborhoods. We need more investment in programs that defuse violence and address the inequities, both economic and social, that so often underlie it.
Registration for the event can be found at adkinvasives.com.

Reaching out

The invasives program is launching an outreach campaign to prevent the spread of aquatic and land-based invasive species. New, colorful and informative posters and brochures are available for free to Adirondack nonprofits and businesses that can help get the word out.

Ensuring travelers and residents have the information they need to safely and responsibly recreate in the Adirondacks is a top priority for us, Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism Communications Coordinator Janelle Hoh said in a news release.

Adirondack-specific posters and rack cards with the Dont Move Firewood message are also available. Last summer, the first infestation of the emerald ash borer was found in the Adirondacks. Moving firewood is one of the ways the emerald ash borer can spread to new locations.

Buying firewood near to where you burn it, or buying heat-treated firewood, are the best ways to prevent the spread of this devastating forest pest.

The state departments of Environmental Conservation and Agriculture and Markets are working on the states eighth annual Invasive Species Awareness Week.
But in announcing the charges against Porat in April, acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams laid out the governments view of who was actually victimized by the deceptions that propelled Foxs online and part-time MBA programs to the top of U.S. News rankings from 2015 to 2018.

Students who, drawn by the prestigious distinction, paid roughly $60,000 a year in tuition to enroll in part-time and online MBA programs. Donors induced by the schools success to support it. And Temple itself, which has had to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in civil settlements with state and federal monitors and ex-Fox students who sued for breach of contract and unjust enrichment, among other claims.

Moshe Porat allegedly misrepresented information about Foxs application and acceptance process, and therefore the student body itself, in order to defraud the rankings system, potential students and donors, Williams said at the time. His conduct, as alleged, undermines the integrity of the entire academic system and forever hurts the students who worked so hard for admission.

While not conceding that Porat had anything to do with the false data Fox sent to U.S. News, Porats attorneys say that even if he had, that still isnt enough to convict him.
Ocean City approached Stockton a few months ago with the idea for the dual path agreement, Superintendent Kathleen Taylor said.

Together, we combined the colors of hope, achievement and aspiration on a palette that will enable us to create a canvas that is the Accelerated Pathways to College Program, Taylor said.

Incoming freshmen in the 2021-22 school year will be eligible to participate.

The dual path agreement, a first for both Ocean City and Stockton, builds on the existing dual credit agreement between the two institutions that allows Ocean City students to take some Stockton college courses while still enrolled in high school.

Under the new partnership, Stockton agrees to give automatic acceptance to students who earn their high school diploma in three or four years at Ocean City High School with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or better.

South Jersey schools announcing eased mask restrictions for end of school year Several New Jersey schools have announced masks will not be required for the remainder of th

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Stockton will also increase its dual credit offerings at Ocean City High School to allow students to complete during high school as many as 32 college credits. Those credits transfer to Stockton, meaning students who graduate from Ocean City High School in three years will be eligible to enter Stockton as sophomores.
Givens said she believes the area is in need of redevelopment, and the proposed project is consistent with the townships master plan.

Since the meeting was only to determine whether the proposal fits the master plan, neighbors who live within 200 feet of the project were not notified of the June 3 meeting.

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Planning Board member Don Purdy said residents should know what is being planned in their backyard. Member Anthony Coppola, who also is on the Township Committee, said residents will be notified during the projects site plan process.

The Pomona Commons plans include 100 parking spaces for the possibility of a train station nearby, Andrew Kennedy, managing partner of ARK Innovations, said after the meeting.

Planning Board Chair Ken Sooy asked whether NJ Transit is committed to the station. There have been some recent discussions, Givens said.

Stockton University, NJ Transit and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey all have an interest in seeing a rail station in the Pomona section of the township, Coppola said.

Even though the idea of a train station stop in the township has been talked about as long ago as 1969 and again in 1987, nothing has come as far along as the current talks, Coppola said.

Dollar General proposed in Galloway Township GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP  The township Planning Board will hold a virtual public hearing at 7 p.m.
Cryptozoo features such voice talent as Michael Cera, Zoe Kazan and Lake Bell. The story concerns cryptozokeepers, who have to decide whether to keep a dream-eating hybrid creature in a zoo.

Shaw said his film took at least five years to make with a handful of animators, but most of the work was done by him and his wife.

Shaw flew in from Virginia to be there when his film was screened.

It was a very easy decision to go hang out at the beach for a few days, Shaw said.

Alec Cohen, 42, of Brooklyn, New York, was sitting around minding his own business when he was contacted by programmers of the festival asking him to submit his comedic episodic series, titled Early To Rise. Three astronauts are accidentally awakened from hibernation 90 years too early. Three of the six episodes were shown during the festival. All six were on the festivals website.

Early to Rise was the winner of the digital short series audience award at Series Fest 2020 and was an official selection at Slamdance 2021.

One of the actors in Early to Rise, Mike Cabellon, is chief strategist Tommy Tomas in the NBC-TV freshman sitcom Mr. Mayor, starring Ted Danson, which was renewed for a second season in March.
Low new-case numbers corresponded with the low seven-day positivity rate.

The health department also reports seven new cases of COVID-19 since the last report on Friday. The total is now 14,973. Currently, three patients are hospitalized in the county with the virus.

Rock Island County health officials reported just seven new COVID-19 cases from last Friday to Monday, and the Iowa Department of Public Health said there were just 13 new cases in Scott County in the same time frame.

A total of 14,973 cases have been confirmed in Rock Island County since the start of the pandemic, while 21,701 cases have been confirmed in Scott County.

Walk-in vaccinations

The Rock Island County Health Department will offer walk-in vaccine clinics twice a week at its offices at 2112 25th Ave., Rock Island. Both first and second doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines will be given, as well as the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The schedule:

 Moderna and Johnson & Johnson: Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., starting June 1

 Pfizer: Fridays, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., starting June 4
Video surveillance footage from the Redstone parking ramp show a large group of people gathered on the top deck of the ramp just before several dozen shots were fired Sunday.

No one is known to be injured, but the Figge Art Museum and the Skybridge were damaged by gunfire. Davenport Police found more than 80 spent casings at the scene.

Davenport Mayor Mike Matson, Police Chief Paul Sikorski and representatives from NAACP and Davenport Peace decried the situation during a news conference Monday afternoon.

"We're in a very fortunate situation, because I'm not telling you that a 20-year-old is dead, or a 12-year-old is dead, or a 14-year-old is dead," said Police Chief Paul Sikorski. "We're in a fortunate situation here. That's a mess down there, but it's an opportunity for us to take that exclamation point from that video and do something with it."

Rev. Dr. Melvin Grimes from the NAACP and Stephen Eckles from Davenport Peace spoke about the important role community members play in preventing gun violence, especially among youth.

"We have to stand together, be together, and be the voice and the grit of this community," Eckles said.
Park said everything about the facility was designed with rehabilitation in mind, from the layout of the rooms to accessibility of the halls.

"Patients are going to be in a setting that optimizes their recovery and function," Park said. "I wish there was a pill or procedure that could magically restore function, but the Quad Cities Rehab Institute will be the next best thing. It's the rehab facility where I wish my father could have gone to as he recovered from his stroke."

U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Moline, said the event was a "little bit of a homecoming" considering she spent 10 years working for Trinity and then UnityPoint Health as a healthcare executive prior to being elected to Congress.

"You are partnering with a very, very well-respected organization, not just in the Quad Cities, but in the region at large and throughout the state of Illinois as well," she said.

Speaking from personal experience, Bustos said she had a grandmother and an uncle who had strokes. She stressed the important role rehabilitation and therapy play in helping people recover from debilitating illnesses.

"What you're doing today will assure people will have a shot at full recovery and getting back to their old selves," she said.

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Hong Kong: Fintech 2025 strategy unveiled

The Monetary Authority today unveiled its Fintech 2025 strategy which aims to encourage the financial sector to adopt technology comprehensively by 2025, and provide fair and efficient financial services.

The authority's Chief Executive Eddie Yue said at a press conference that the strategy comprises five focus areas - all banks go fintech, future-proofing Hong Kong for central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), creating the next-generation data infrastructure, expanding the fintech-savvy workforce, and nurturing the ecosystem with funding and policies.

Fintech is, without doubt, a key growth engine for the financial industry in the post-pandemic era, and now is the right time to double down on our efforts to grasp the opportunities. Fintech 2025 sets out our vision in this regard, Mr Yue said.

To promote all-round adoption of fintech by Hong Kong banks, the authority will roll out a Tech Baseline Assessment to take stock of the banks current and planned adoption of fintech. This would help identify fintech business areas or specific technology types which may be underdeveloped and would benefit from the authoritys support.

In addition to the continued effort on wholesale CBDCs, the authority has been working with the Bank for International Settlements Innovation Hub Centre in Hong Kong to research retail CBDCs and will begin a study on e-HKD to understand its use cases, benefits and related risks.

We will embark on this study to see whether there is a case for Hong Kong to issue a retail e-Hong Kong dollar, noted Mr Yue.

The authority will also work with the Peoples Bank of China in supporting the technical testing of e-CNY in Hong Kong with a view to providing a convenient means of cross-boundary payments for both domestic and mainland residents.

Hong Kong's existing data infrastructure will also be enhanced, which would include building the Commercial Data Interchange, digital corporate identity and distributed ledger technology-based credit data sharing platform to facilitate consent-based data sharing.

To groom more fintech talent, the authority will collaborate with various strategic partners through developing fintech-specific training programmes and qualifications, as well as promoting joint projects between the industry and the academia. The Industry Project Masters Network scheme will be piloted in September to provide internship opportunities to postgraduate students to work on banks fintech projects on federated learning and other artificial intelligence technologies.

The authority and industry key players will establish a new Fintech Cross-Agency Co-ordination Group to formulate supportive policies for the citys fintech ecosystem. Preparatory work for the Hong Kong Growth Portfolio, which seeks to reinforce the city's status as a financial, commercial and innovation centre, is underway. The authority will also enhance its Fintech Supervisory Sandbox and is exploring with the Innovation & Technology Commission the possibility of providing funding support to qualified fintech projects.

I urge all stakeholders to join forces with the authority. Together, we can take our city's fintech ecosystem to new heights, Mr Yue added.

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Thousands of people have died from the gunfire that accompanied the drug trade, and hundreds have gone to prison for murder. It happened in the 1980s, the 1990s, and all through the first two decades of the 21st century. Its still happening. Baltimore has been through an epoch of violence as constant as a river, and Robert Smith was one of hundreds of young men swept into the current and gone from sight.
He also was diagnosed with a neck muscle strain and trauma of neck tissue from being choked. The trauma to his airway required surgery, his mother said. She also was not notified of the incident until Rayford told her.

Rayford said he could not swallow or speak after being choked, the report said.

Security tape of the incident was not available to review for the report due to technical difficulties with the hard drive crashing, the report said. The Chester security chief watched the surveillance video prior to the hard drive crashing and wrote there was no abuse, the report said.

The Human Rights Authority investigates allegations of abuse and wrongdoing involving people with disabilities.

The Rayford investigation found the inadequate medication treatment allegation to be substantiated. The report recommended Chester medical staff to be retrained on proper medication documentation, and to provide reasons why medication changes are made.

The second allegation of negative staff interactions was found unsubstantiated in the report despite a psychiatrist documenting abuse following Rayfords discharge from Chester.
Here's what you need to know about the first FDA-approved drug for Alzheimers disease in nearly 20 years. What will it cost? What will insura
DES MOINES, Iowa  A Des Moines, Iowa, man pictured prominently with a QAnon shirt ahead of a crowd of insurgents inside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack asked a judge on Monday to release him from jail, saying "he feels deceived, recognizing that he bought into a pack of lies."

Douglas Jensen, in a document filed by his attorney, said he believed he was a "true patriot" for going to Washington at the urging of President Donald Trump. He said his intention was to only observe.

Jensen claims he is "a victim of numerous conspiracy theories that were being fed to him over the internet by a number of very clever people, who were uniquely equipped with slight, if any, moral or social consciousness."

Jensen's attorney Christopher Davis said in the document that Jensen was not part of any mob and simply went to Washington to watch. Davis acknowledged Jensen was in front of a crowd but argued he did that "for the now disclosed silly reason" to show his QAnon shirt to get it recognized.

Davis said Jensen neither threatened physical harm to anyone nor destroyed property. Jensen had his work pocketknife on him for protection when he went to the Trump rally preceding the march to the Capitol, Davis said in the court filing.
But without "qualified immunity" his exercise of discretion as to each of the listed four elements, is subject to second-guessing, or de novo review by jurors  every time the officer exercises his discretion. To put it bluntly, without "qualified immunity" police officers will be sued every time they exercise their discretion.

But if you are a policeman, why would you intervene in a situation where you might be required to exercise your discretion and use deadly force, if you know that if you act, you may lose home, savings and reputation?

Without "qualified immunity" it is open season for suits against police officers  even those who did everything perfectly. Whether the officer's use of force was "reasonable" or "necessary" is always a jury question, as is the question, "did the officer take account of all relevant circumstances?"

Years ago, when I was in basic training, a drill sergeant told us that a leader does not ask his men to do things he is unwilling to do himself.

In 1951, the "11 Principles of Leadership" were first published in an Army Field Manual. Here are a few germane excerpts:

Leaders ... are willing to do what they require of their people.

Leaders share hardships with their people.
Applications are being sought to fill the opening that will occur upon the retirement of District Court Judge Mark D. Cleve.

This district judge will serve Cedar, Clinton, Jackson, Muscatine and Scott counties.

Iowa uses a merit selection system for appointing district judges. This constitutional commission selects whom they believe are the two most qualified applicants, and the governor appoints one of them district judge.

Any person interested in this position may obtain an application from the Iowa Judicial Nominating Commissions Website at https://www.iowajnc.gov/district-commissions or from the District Court Administrator's Office, Scott County Courthouse, Davenport, Iowa, or the Clerk of Court offices in Cedar, Clinton, Jackson, Muscatine, and Scott Counties.

Applications must be received at the Scott County District Court Administrator's Office by no later than 4:30 p.m. on Monday, June 21.

Applicants must be members of the Bar of Iowa, residents of the Seventh Judicial District, and of such age that they will be able to serve an initial and one regular term of office before the age of 72 years.
WHAT WE KNOW: Orion's TIF 1 was formed in 2002 and is due to expire Dec. 31, 2025. The village has been talking about a 12-year extension of the TIF for years. In a TIF, the various taxing districts forego the added increment of property taxes beyond the base year as assessments increase, which is saved for economic development or used to reimburse the developer.

WHAT'S NEW: Trustees on Monday voted 5-0 to adopt an ordinance approving a professional services agreement with Jacob & Klein and The Economic Development Group for $7,500 to seek a legislative extension of the TIF. Finance chairman Steve Newman said one of the firm's primary duties would be to draw up all the documents and get everything in place to go to the taxing districts and work out agreements for the extension. He said the TIF included from the business district west, including undeveloped lots being sold by Mel Foster.

WHAT'S NEXT: After last month's reports of incidents at Orion parks, trustees discussed police staffing and putting additional cameras in the parks. Newman said one possibility would be to hire a third police officer to patrol the village, and he is wondering if Orion and Cambridge could share an officer.
A good Tuesday to all. More rain is possible later today. Will it bring a double rainbow like last night in Davenport? We shall see. Here are the weather details from the National Weather Service.

A Hazardous Weather Outlook is in effect for the region. It states: "Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected this afternoon into the evening today. The main threat from these storms will be lightning, and heavy downpours. A strong thunderstorm with gusty winds and small hail cannot be ruled out.

"Afternoon and early evening thunderstorms are possible through Friday."

1. High of 85 degrees

There's a possibility of patchy fog before 8 a.m. with a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Otherwise the day will be partly sunny with a high near 85 degrees. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch are possible with higher amounts in thunderstorms.

Tonight there's a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9 p.m. Skies will be partly cloudy with a low around 69 degrees.

Wednesday will bring a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Skies will be mostly sunny with a high near 88 degrees and a low around 70 degrees.
JEFFERSON COUNTY  A 22-year-old Tennessee woman was charged over the weekend after authorities said she fired a gun at another car while traveling along Interstate 55, striking a man in the hip, Jefferson County prosecutors said Monday.

Shanyka K. Fouche, 22, of Memphis, was charged Saturday by the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorneys Office with first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon  shooting from a motor vehicle resulting in injury, two counts of armed criminal action, attempted assault, and five counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

Fouche was a passenger in a Ford Fusion driven by another woman on I-55 on Friday afternoon when they were involved in a road rage incident with a Nissan Pathfinder driven by a 31-year-old woman and occupied by a 32-year-old man, according to a probable cause statement filed by the Missouri Highway Patrol.

Fouches 2-year-old child was in the Fusion and there were four children in the Pathfinder, ages 2, 3, 8 and 11.
Also Tuesday, Scott demonstrated his sway over the panel in avoiding an override vote on his veto of a bill on security deposit alternatives for renters. Tuesday was the deadline for such a vote. While the council initially passed the bill 12-2, with one abstention, the votes have since shifted in Scotts favor. Mosby said Tuesday that the council decided not to go back and forth on the bill and so did not hold an override vote; he has proposed new legislation instead.
All three in their lawsuits accused Beckner of treating younger, white male employees more favorably than employees protected by the Iowa Civil Rights Act, including special treatment in assignments, duties, promotions, and disciplinary action, such as refusing to order internal affairs investigations on younger, male employees who were reported to have violated department or university policies, as well as state law.

In a statement to The Gazette in 2018, UI spokeswoman Jeneane Beck said Beckner reorganized the department after careful review of the departments governance structure, budget, and priorities moving forward.

Beckner, after four years on the job, retired at the end of 2020. He had intended to leave in June but extended his stay through the end of the fall 2020 semester due to COVID-19.

As part of the states new settlements with Searls, Scott and Noska, theyve agreed to drop from their claims defendants Visin and Lehnertz  maintaining the allegations against the UI and Beckner.

The state on May 24 had agreed to settle with each of the former officers for different amounts: Noska and his attorneys will receive $75,000; Searls and his lawyers will get $50,000; and Scott and his counsel will receive $25,000.

Moped crash
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is donating more than 120,000 pounds of food this week to Feeding South Dakota. Statewide, one out of nine individuals and one out of six children, is food insecure. They lack access to enough food for a healthy, active life and they lack access to nutritious food.

On Wednesday, three trailers loaded with more than 70 pallets of food will arrive at the Feeding South Dakota warehouse. Each pallet contains items such as canned soups, stew, chili, beans, vegetables, turkey, tomato sauce, fruit, pasta, peanut butter, sugar, flour, powdered milk, and other staples. The value of the donated food is roughly $150,000.

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On Thursday, groups of volunteers from the church will arrive to begin breaking down the large pallets of food and sorting it. The food will be distributed to 13 food banks or pantries in South Dakota and northwest Nebraska, including Rapid City, Spearfish, Hot Springs, Belle Fourche, Newell, Custer, Pierre, and Chadron, Neb. Most food banks or pantries will pick up the donations on Saturday.
Stoldt said Pond and Little Hawk began to argue and everyone got out of the car except Pond. The pair continued to argue and Pond, still sitting inside the car, eventually shot Little Hawk.

Little Hawk died at the Colorado hospital on Dec. 11.

Myers then interviewed Fred Bagola, one of Little Hawks friends, on Jan. 7. Bagola said he spoke on the phone with Little Hawk soon after he was transferred to the Colorado hospital. He said Little Hawk told him Pond shot him.

Pettigrew interviewed Lashawn Poor Bear on Jan. 12 who said her mother told her that Pond and a friend came to her house with a gun looking for Little Hawk on Nov. 21, the night before the shooting.

Lashawn said her mother told her that Pond and the friend saw a vehicle arrive that they thought belonged to Little Hawk. The pair took a position like they were going to shoot the person but didn't fire once they realized it wasn't Little Hawk.

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Lashawn also explained that Little Hawk had been dating her sister, Adaynia. She said Pond sent Adaynia a Facebook message that said he accidently shot Little Hawk.
Some states, such as Colorado, are waiting until later to decide how to use the latest COVID-19 relief funds because they have until the end of 2024 to spend it.

Even without the latest federal aid, Colorado's budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 is up more than 12% from the previous one, which had been pared back because of pandemic concerns.

Sen. Bob Rankin, a Republican member of the Legislature's Joint Budget Committee, said he is concerned about how that additional $3.8 billion of federal aid will be spent.

Im afraid that we are spending money and making commitments that we will not be able to sustain once that one-time federal money goes away, Rankin said.

In many states, lawmakers are devoting federal COVID-19 relief money to one-time purposes, such as additional aid to workers, expanded access to high-speed internet or replenishing depleted unemployment trust funds.
It has its own home security company, Ring, and its own grocery chain, Whole Foods. And that's before you get to the airline, Prime Air, with its own fleet of over Prime Air-branded 70 aircraft, shipping exclusively packages from Amazon around the world.

Amazon's explosive popularity helped grow Bezos' fortune to more than a billion dollars by 1999, when he was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year. He founded Blue Origin in 2000, and said at one point that he was selling upward of $1 billion worth of Amazon stock each year to help fund the company's rocket development.

Bezos will remain involved in Amazon, though he will transition to the executive chairman role.

He will be succeeded as CEO by Andy Jassy, the head of Amazon Web Services.

Bezos' brother, Mark, formerly the owner of an advertising agency and is now a senior vice president at Robin Hood, a New York City charity.
Light replied that the accords, which Biden has rejoined after Trump backed away, do require member countries like China and India to be transparent about their emissions and commitments to control them.

"That transparency would not exist without the Paris agreement," Light said. "We can ratchet more pressure on them to do more."

But Stone-Manning drew the bulk of the attention from both Democrats and Republicans.

"It's refreshing to have a BLM nominee who actually has experience with land management," said Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico.

The BLM director post went unfilled for four years under Trump, who instead relied on a string of acting directors to execute a loosening of restrictions on industry. Chief among them was conservative lawyer William Perry Pendley, who before he took the position advocated for selling off federal lands.

Pendley was ordered removed by a federal judge after leading the bureau for more than a year without required Senate confirmation and getting sued by Bullock.

Stone-Manning backed the effort to oust Pendley and said he was an illegal appointee.
DUBLIN  Blaring horns from vehicles filing out of the Volvo Trucks North American plant at noon on Monday announced the start of the promised United Auto Workers strike.

The union locals about 2,900 members and the company are still at odds over a new contract, after unionized workers on Sunday overwhelmingly rejected the latest version.

Inside the union local building across from the plant, volunteers set up a lunch buffet for striking workers.

We set it up so they can get fed and go to the picket line, said UAW Local President Matt Blandino.

Blandino said he was not authorized to comment on the negotiations or why members voted down the most recent tentative agreement. He said negotiators from the wider union were working on those issues.

About a dozen members gathered outside the local building declined to comment. Some said they felt the action spoke for itself.

Melissa McDaniel, a new member who came to work at the plants paint building in February, was volunteering on the buffet. She said shes been carrying the union message everywhere she goes, using her car as her sign. The back window read: Beep Beep, Volvo is Cheap.
McRae said two officers arrived and they checked the guns in the possession of Merhout and Noise, and both were found to be legally carrying their firearms.

While the officers were still there, Merhout got in his truck ... and it was like he just wanted to run everybody over out here, McRae said.

McRae said he begged a police supervisor to not let the two men stay here with those guns. But police told McRae there was nothing they could do.

McRae said he also urged police to charge Merhout for reckless driving, but they declined because the incident occurred before they arrived. An officer suggested that witnesses travel to police headquarters and swear out a warrant, McRae said.

After police left, Merhout put a long gun on the hood of his truck, McRae said.

To that, Noise said, You can do anything you want as long as you dont pull that gun on me, McRae said. At that point, Merhout turned around with the gun pointing at Noise, McRae added.

Noise, who had laid two weapons on the table where he was sitting, fired a .410 shotgun at Merhout; Merhout also fired.
We have argued that with the support and help of the city, we could definitely have the same timeline, Rizzi said in an interview prior to Mondays meeting.

She later added: I really feel like the advisory board is a good way to proceed. You know we have these hires, and then the timeline that the superintendent has provided. If we get some help and support from the city ... instead of like this line that theyre drawing, Im really, really hopeful and excited about where this can go.

During Mondays public comment period, various community members pleaded that the board consider and accept the mayors compromise.

Robin Mines is a 5th District resident who has led a community effort to get the School Board to change course. In written remarks submitted to the board, she said: It is unfortunate that 5 members of this Board has chosen to dig in their heels and refuse to even discuss the compromise proposed by the City of Richmond to move forward with the construction of a new Wythe facility.

She added later: Please vote in support of the compromise that was proposed by the Mayor and members of the City Council on May 13th. This compromise meets the Boards concerns for having significant oversight, input, and control over the construction process  while also leveraging the Citys resources to manage this and other large construction projects.
During the Monday hearing, Fire Chief Niles Ford said the department is looking to free up EMS units to concentrate on severe injuries and medical emergencies by diverting lesser calls to other resources. The goal is to reduce the number of EMS trips to local hospitals, which are lengthy, labor-intensive and can be better handled by other programs, fire officials said.
Joining hundreds of colleges across the country, Virginia Commonwealth University will require its on-campus students to be vaccinated this fall, the university announced Monday.

Students who take classes, work or live on campus are required to report their vaccination by July 15.

This requirement will allow our students to safely learn, live, gather and experience college at its best, the universitys administration wrote in a message to students.

Nearly 500 colleges nationwide will require immunizations, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, including 17 schools in Virginia. George Mason University, James Madison University and the University of Mary Washington are among the colleges that recently added themselves to the list.

Employees are not required to be vaccinated, but they are encouraged to do so. VCU is requiring staff to report their vaccination status to the university.

VCU will honor religious and health exemptions, the university said. Those exempt will be required to wear masks, perform surveillance testing and daily health checks and quarantine as necessary. Vaccinated students are exempt from those requirements.
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP)  A man was charged Tuesday with murder in a Southern California road rage shooting that killed a 6-year-old boy on a freeway last month, stunning the region and attracting national attention.

Prosecutors in Orange County charged Marcus Anthony Eriz, 24, with murder in the death of Aiden Leos, shooting at an occupied vehicle and with sentencing enhancements. Eriz's girlfriend, Wynne Lee, was charged with being an accessory after the fact and illegally carrying a concealed firearm.

Authorities said they believe Lee was driving the car and that Eriz fired the shot that killed Leos while his mother was driving the boy to kindergarten on May 21 in Orange County, southeast of Los Angeles.

With respect to the charges against both, I absolutely am convinced they're rock solid, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer told reporters.

The couple's Tuesday arraignment was postponed to June 18 and a judge set their bail at $2 million for Eriz and $500,000 for Lee pending that hearing.

Eriz could face 40 years to life in prison if convicted on all counts. Lee faces up to three years in prison and one year in county jail.
On Tuesday, Davidson pleaded guilty to three offenses: intentional destruction of property valued at less than $1,000, reckless driving, and hit-and-run involving unattended property.

Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Nicole Cumberland outlined a plea agreement in which Davidson received a 12-month jail term for property destruction and 90 days for reckless driving. All of the jail time was suspended for 12 months, with a requirement that Davidson stay out of trouble during that time. He will be supervised by the probation office, Cumberland said. A $1,000 fine was recommended on the property destruction charge, with half of it suspended.

On the hit-and-run charge, Cumberland asked that DeHart take it under advisement for a year and dismiss it if Davidson stays on good behavior for a year.

DeHart imposed the punishment recommended in the plea agreement, setting a review hearing for the hit-and-run charge for June 7, 2022.

After Tuesday's hearing, Commonwealth's Attorney Justin Griffith emailed a statement to reporters, saying he appreciated Davidson accepting responsibility.
One nuance in Dunbars theory is that primate groups come in different categories. Humans, for instance, tend to be intimately close with only about five other people.

They also form bands of about 40  such as hunting parties, platoons or teams, say  and much larger tribes, numbering in the thousands. But the average size of a human community is, and always has been, about 150.

Its astonishing how stable this so-called Dunbar number is. It describes the average upper limit of hunter-gatherer groups, medieval villages, online gaming communities, Christmas card lists, church congregations and more.

When human groups exceed the number  as when companies grow to more than 150 employees  our innate cognition usually becomes inadequate and we need bureaucracy to organize ourselves.

In 2009, when online social networks still were new to many of us, I wondered whether technology could increase the Dunbar number, so I asked Facebook to crunch some data.

No, it turned out. Facebook and its ilk might let us manage what is in effect an enlarged Rolodex of acquaintances. But they cant raise the limit on quality relationships we maintain, because that appears to be biological.
Fewer students mean fewer degree and certificate holders, and workforce needs subsequently could be left unfilled. But thanks to some sound investments, Virginias community colleges have a set of tools to deliver an enrollment turnaround.

Three key developments took place during the pandemic that we hope will help close gaps in the years to come. First, COVID-19 propelled VCCS to create a centralized portal to explore online class offerings and connect with navigators who can help shape educational experiences.

Launched in May 2020, CollegeAnywhereVA connects prospective students to more than 10,000 choices provided by all 23 campuses. Students previously might have been limited to synchronous, in-person learning options with set times at their nearby school. Now, the foundation is in place so that going forward, they can work in credits around their schedules, even if the college teaching the class is not nearby.
A consulting firm that specializes in renewable energy projects has been hired to assist the county.

Although the pandemic has slowed the process, Apex has spent about $4.2 million to date on engineering and surveying costs and other professional services in an effort to have the site plan approved, Cosby wrote.

The wind farm  which in its latest version includes 14 turbines, each at a height of 612 feet  has been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, the DEQ and the board of supervisors.

Local site plans are the final stage of the process and must be approved before building permits are issued.

Although the project received community support and a unanimous vote from the board of supervisors when it was first approved in 2016, delays and changes to the plan over the years have eroded some of that backing.

More opponents spoke out against Apexs request for an amended permit that allowed higher turbines last year, which eked by on a 3-2 vote.

The board has been concerned for quite some time about the project and whether Apex would be able to meet its deadline, Assistant County Administrator David Moorman said.
On Tuesday, Davidson pleaded guilty to three offenses: intentional destruction of property valued at less than $1,000, reckless driving, and hit-and-run involving unattended property.

Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Nicole Cumberland outlined a plea agreement in which Davidson received a 12-month jail term for property destruction and 90 days for reckless driving. All of the jail time was suspended for 12 months, with a requirement that Davidson stay out of trouble during that time. He will be supervised by the probation office, Cumberland said. A $1,000 fine was recommended on the property destruction charge, with half of it suspended.

On the hit-and-run charge, Cumberland asked that DeHart take it under advisement for a year and dismiss it if Davidson stays on good behavior for a year.

DeHart imposed the punishment recommended in the plea agreement, setting a review hearing for the hit-and-run charge for June 7, 2022.

After Tuesdays hearing, Commonwealths Attorney Justin Griffith emailed a statement to reporters, saying he appreciated Davidson accepting responsibility.

The temporary memorial on Rt. 11 in memory of Sgt. Perry Hodge certainly means a lot to many people in this community, including my office. As someone who had no criminal convictions before today, we are hopeful and confident that Mr. Davidson abides by the Courts orders and that his actions that day were an anomaly, Griffith wrote. This case is a good example of how we dont always know just how our actions can affect others.

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The Santee Cooper supporters won. McMaster said he wants to read it before deciding whether to sign it, but his action is mostly symbolic, as the 111-0 House vote and 43-0 Senate vote are veto-proof.

This product is one of negotiation, said Sen. Luke Rankin, a Republican from Myrtle Beach. "Its one of everybody trying, I think in good faith, to make Santee Cooper what it should be and to move past the decision that it made  that we as a state made  to go nuclear."

The bill does shake up Santee Cooper's leadership. Over the next four years, it ousts nine of the 10 members on the utility's board, all of whom were serving before the nuclear reactors were abandoned by majority partner South Carolina Electric & Gas in 2017. It also restricts severance packages for any executives who lose their jobs.

House Speaker Jay Lucas, one of those who pushed hard to sell the company, said the provision was essential in order to get rid of arrogant, entrenched insulated leadership.

The proposal gives state regulators more power over the utility. It allows them to review the utilitys future plans to generate power and their forecasts for power, and to require public hearings and a watchdog to question utility executives about rate increases.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Tuesday that aims to boost U.S. semiconductor production and the development of artificial intelligence and other technology in the face of growing international competition, most notably from China.

The 68-32 vote for the bill demonstrates how confronting China economically is an issue that unites both parties in Congress. Thats a rarity in an era of division as pressure grows on Democrats to change Senate rules to push past Republican opposition and gridlock.

The centerpiece of the bill is a $50 billion emergency allotment to the Commerce Department to stand up semiconductor development and manufacturing through research and incentive programs previously authorized by Congress. The bills overall cost would increase spending by about $250 billion with most of the spending occurring in the first five years.

Supporters described it as the biggest investment in scientific research that the country has seen in decades. It comes as the nations share of semiconductor manufacturing globally has steadily eroded from 37% in 1990 to about 12% now, and as a chip shortage has exposed vulnerabilities in the U.S. supply chain.
But some who said they applied for unemployment less than a year ago and have continued to file weekly were affected, too. Some people who followed the states instructions to reapply said they saw glitches with their accounts. Others felt too scared to try.
Virginia lawmakers moved last spring to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. While simple possession will be legal starting July 1, sales will remain illegal until January 2024.

Lawmakers and civil rights groups who supported the bill argued that the paradox was a necessary stopgap to curb the harm of marijuana laws while the state worked to stand up a new regulated market.

Under the structure lawmakers agreed to, it will be legal to possess up to an ounce of marijuana. People caught with more than an ounce but less than a pound will be subject to a $25 civil fine; people caught with more than a pound will face a felony.

On Monday, JLARC proposed that lawmakers create a misdemeanor charge.

Gribbin said the state's approach is not gradual enough, and that all other states with legalization have a misdemeanor charge for possession starting at 1 to 2.5 ounces. Gribbin said Virginia could follow the less punitive approach and charge people with a misdemeanor for possession starting at 2.5 ounces up to a pound.

Virginia lawmakers have no plans to meet on this topic before July 1, meaning that the rules now in place will likely stay as they are at least in the beginning.
So where, then, is all this supposed Republican vaccine hesitancy coming from? We must be blunt: Its coming from Southwest and Southside Virginia. The Virginia Department of Health posts a daily map showing vaccination rates for each locality and, while there are some laggards in other parts of the state, the two biggest slow-pokes (no pun intended) are in Southwest and Southside. If you discount Norfolk and Portsmouth with the statistical anomaly of their military population, all but one of the 13 least-vaccinated localities in the state are in Southwest and Southside: Lee County (32.1% with at least one dose), Carroll County (32.8%), Patrick County (33%), Prince George County (33.2%), Scott County (35.2%), Wythe County (35.5%), Tazewell County (35.6%), Page County (36.1%), Greensville County (36.4%), Emporia and Lynchburg (37.1%), Lynchburg Craig County (37.2%) and Grayson County (37.3%).

With the exception of Lynchburg, these are all rural counties. So what makes those rural counties more vaccine hesitant than rural localities elsewhere? We dont have a good answer, but its clearly not politics. Two of them  Emporia and Greensville  vote strongly Democratic. Lynchburg narrowly went Democratic in the last election. If partisanship was the only driver, then Roanoke County and Halifax County would have about the same vaccination rate because they both vote Republican at about the same rate, but they dont  Roanoke County is 56.7%, Halifax County only 37.7%. The answer may have something to do with ideology but probably has more to do with access to the shots (although that doesnt fully explain Lynchburg making the list, and certainly doesnt explain the relatively high vaccination rates in many of those conservative rural localities along the Chesapeake Bay). Is it some other cultural hesitancy?
When Sen. Jennifer McClellan announced her candidacy for governor, Black, Asian, Latina and Indigenous women across the commonwealth knew that she was going to run a campaign that centered us and prioritized our issues.

We knew this because of her body of work in the General Assembly and community.

For the past 15 years, McClellan represented women of color at the statehouse, successfully carrying more than 300 pieces of legislation that has improved the lives of Virginias families and forged a path for more women to stand beside her.

McClellan brings her whole self and lived experiences to her work, giving us a voice that historically has been ignored and left out of the conversation. Thanks to her, Virginia is now the first state in the South with a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. We have a Voting Rights Act, Reproductive Health Protection Act and Virginia Clean Economy Act that centers racial justice, women and the environment. This is what happens when we elect leaders with a different perspective who also have the courage to create policy changes that move Virginia forward.

At Care in Action, her leadership is what inspires us to fight for justice  for domestic workers, women, the LGBTQ community, immigrants and everyone who is marginalized because of inequitable power structures.
Nearly 8,000 cannabis plants and hundreds of pounds of processed material were destroyed last month after California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials served a search warrant at an illegal operation near sensitive habitat on Tepusquet Road, according to a spokeswoman on Wednesday.
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Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, "The Burzynski Breakthrough, The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It" is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net
" " This figure shows the volcanic peak Idunn Mons in the Imdr Regio area of Venus, derived from data obtained by the NASA Magellan spacecraft and the ESA Venus Express Spacecraft. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA

For decades, the exploration of our solar system left one of our neighbouring planets, Venus, largely unexplored. Now, things are about to change.

In the latest announcement from NASA's solar system exploration program, two missions have been given the go-ahead  and they're both bound for Venus. The two ambitious missions will launch between 2028 and 2030.

This marks a considerable change in direction for NASA's planetary science division, which hasn't sent a mission to the planet since 1990. It's exciting news for space scientists like me.

Venus is a hostile world. Its atmosphere contains sulphuric acid and the surface temperatures is hot enough to melt lead. But it has not always been this way. It is thought Venus started out very similar to the Earth. So what happened?

While on Earth, carbon is mainly trapped in rocks, on Venus it has escaped into the atmosphere  making it roughly 96 percent carbon dioxide. This has led to a runaway greenhouse effect, pushing surface temperatures up to 750 kelvin (470 degrees Celsius or 90 degrees Fahrenheit).

The planet's history makes it an excellent place to study the greenhouse effect and to learn how to manage it on Earth. We can use models which plot the atmospheric extremes of Venus, and compare the results to what we see back home.

But, the extreme surface conditions are one of the reasons planetary exploration missions have avoided Venus. The high temperature means a very high pressure of 90 bars (equivalent to roughly one kilometre underwater) which is enough to instantly crush most planetary landers. It might not come as a surprise, then, that missions to Venus haven't always gone to plan.

" " The northern and southern hemispheres of Venus as revealed by more than a decade of radar investigations culminating in the 1990-1994 NASA Magellan mission. NASA/JPL/USGS

Most of the exploration done so far was carried out by the then Soviet Union between the 1960s and the 1980s. There are some notable exceptions, such as NASA's Pioneer Venus mission in 1972 and the European Space Agency's Venus Express mission in 2006.

The first landing happened in 1970, when the Soviet Union's Venera 7 crashed due to the parachute melting. But it managed to transmit 20 minutes of data back to Earth. The first surface images were taken by Venera 9, followed by Veneras 10, 13 and 14.

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The Descent Mission

The first of the two selected NASA missions will be known as Davinci+ (a shortening of Deep Atmosphere of Venus Investigations of Noble Gases, Chemistry and Imaging). It includes a descent probe, meaning it will be dropped through the atmosphere, taking measurements as it goes. The descent has three stages with the first investigating the entire atmosphere.

The probe will be looking at the composition of the atmosphere in detail, providing information on each layer as it falls. We know sulphuric acid is confined to cloud layers at around 50 kilometers (30 miles) up, and we know that the atmosphere is 97 percent carbon dioxide. But studying trace elements can provide information on how the atmosphere ended up in this state. The second stage will be looking at lower altitudes to measure weather properties such as wind speed, temperature and pressure in detail.

The last stage take surface images in high resolution. While this is very common for Mars, it has always been a challenge on Venus. The thick cloud layer means visible light is reflected, so observing from Earth or from orbit isn't practical. The intense surface conditions also mean rovers are impractical. One suggestion has been a balloon mission.

We have a low resolution image of the surface of Venus, thanks to NASA's Magellan mission in 1990, which mapped the surface using radar. The Davinci probe will take surface images using infrared light during its descent. These pictures will not only allow better planning for future missions but also help scientists investigate how the surface formed.

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Mapping the Surface

The second mission is called Veritas, short for Venus Emissivity, Radio science, InSAR, Topography and Spectroscopy. This will be a more standard planetary mission. The orbiter will carry two instruments on board to map the surface, complementing the detailed infrared observations from Davinci.

The first of these is a camera that observes in a range of wavelengths. It can see through the Venusian clouds, to investigate atmospheric and ground composition. This task is very difficult, as the surface temperature causes the reflected light to have a very broad range of wavelengths. Veritas will compensate for this using techniques often used to study the atmospheres of exoplanets.

The wavelength camera will also look for signs of water vapour. The Venus Express mission showed that the main elements escaping the Venusian atmosphere are hydrogen and oxygen, so if there's any water it will be in tiny amounts, or deep under the surface.

The second instrument is a radar and utilises a technique used extensively on Earth observation satellites. A very large active radio receiver  important for high resolution images  is simulated using radio pulses pointed at different angles in front of the spacecraft. The high resolution radar images will create a more detailed map to investigate the surface evolution of Venus, as well as determine if there is any tectonic or volcanic activity.

" " NASA image of the transit of Venus across the face of the sun, captured June 5, 2012. This event happens in pairs eight years apart that are separated from each other by 105 or 121 years. The next transit will not happen until 2117. NASA/Goddard

These missions could also add evidence to a theory that the Venusian surface completely melted and reformed 500 million years ago. This came about to explain the lack of meteorite impacts on the surface, but so far no evidence has been found a volcanic lava layer which would result from such resurfacing.

It is exciting that NASA has turned its planetary mission view towards Venus. For any budding astronauts I'm afraid the chance of sending a human there any time soon is non-existent. But, the information that can be gained from Earth's largely forgotten sister will be of very high value for understanding our world.

Ian Whittaker is Senior Lecturer in Physics at Nottingham Trent University in Nottingham, England.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. You can find the original article here.
" " Expedition 65 flight engineers Thomas Pesquet and Megan McArthur are pictured inside BEAM, the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module. Some companies allow you to experience space travel like this right from Earth. NASA

While the space race of the 1950s and 1960s was an exciting time to be alive, humanity has never lived through a more fast-paced period of space exploration and human spaceflight. It seems almost impossible to catch up on the news without seeing a headline about a new Mars Rover, space telescope or astronomical event  and the public clamors for all of it.

We're finally on the cusp of a huge leap in space exploration: commercial spaceflight, also known as space tourism. But advances in space tourism are mostly due to billionaires and private development, and tickets have been primarily bought by the ultra-wealthy  for instance, it costs $250,000 to book a seat on Virgin Galactic for a trip to space. And when NASA said in 2019 that it would allow private citizens to fly to the International Space Station (ISS), it put the cost to stay there at $35,000 a night, and the price to get there at around $50 million.

However, while we wait for prices to come down, there are still ways to experience space tourism on Earth. These earthly adventures cover the range of experiences you could have in space, while still fitting the budget many people have for other "bucket list" travel, like visiting Antarctica.

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1. Take a Zero-G Flight

If there's one constant force on Earth, it's gravity. Our measure of gravity on Earth forms the basis for our understanding of gravity elsewhere in the solar system. But gravity doesn't feel the same everywhere. The experience changes whether you're traveling through space (zero Gs) or visiting another celestial body like Mars (one-third of the gravity on Earth) or the moon (one-sixth the gravity). To simulate the differences in gravity, there are two companies that offer "zero-G" flights.

These companies, including American Zero-G and AirZeroG in Europe, use modified planes to simulate different gravitational forces through a series of parabolic flights. Over the course of a flight, the pilots take the plane through maneuvers that simulate Martian gravity, lunar gravity and zero gravity. Of course, this isn't really zero gravity  it's actually weightlessness as you fall back toward Earth. But try not to think about that too much as it's a bit disconcerting to imagine!

Zero-G flights range in cost from $6,700 to $9,500. Flights are offered in different states and cities throughout the year.

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2. Visit Mars in Spain

Ever wondered what life on Mars is really like? Astroland can answer that question. As one might expect, this is a more challenging mission  physically and psychologically. Astroland is similar to the NASA HI-SEAS program, but is aimed at a wider tourist base. The company operating Astroland is based in Spain, expanding the access in space tourism on Earth to more of Europe.

The main experience at Astroland is Ares Station, a realistic habitat built into a cave to simulate one possible settlement plan for Mars. While details on how to join an Astroland mission are currently limited, the idea is that each person will pay for a place on a team; you'll then go through advanced training to determine your role on the team. Following that, you'll spend a designated time in Ares Station living and working full time  including conducting research projects and providing data about the psychological impact of living in isolation.

Initial pricing for Astroland was reported in the range of 6,000 euros ($7,000) for a month of training plus a three-day, three-night stay in Ares Station.

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3. Go to Space Camp

If you'd rather keep your feet firmly on planet Earth but still experience a bit of outer space, there's nowhere quite like space camp. Made famous by the "Space Camp" family film of the 1980s, children have been attending space camp in Huntsville, Alabama, for generations. There's also a program for adults  both for those who went as kids and those who missed out.

" " The entrance to the space camp at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Ke4roh via Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0

The weekend-long Adult Astronaut Training program gives grown-ups the chance to get hands-on learning about planetary science, orbital mechanics and NASA missions past, present and future. Space camp is housed at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, part of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and all programming is designed in coordination with actual NASA missions. This means you can spend time in simulations piloting the Orion Capsule, working in mission control, and doing a "spacewalk" to work on International Space Station modules. And before or after your adult space camp, you can add on training as an underwater astronaut!

Cost is $199-$299 per person for space camp and $150 per person for the underwater program.

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4. Train Like an Astronaut in Star City

You can follow in the footsteps of real astronauts and cosmonauts by participating in astronaut training through a company called Space Adventures, which offers space tourism experiences ranging from watching rocket launches in Kazakhstan to actually launching tourists to the International Space Station.

But let's get back to learning how to be an astronaut for real. Spaceflight training through Space Adventures takes place in Star City, Russia, outside of Moscow. During the experience, participants learn how to fly Russian Soyuz spacecraft through a simulator, get to try spacewalk training, and ride the centrifuge to get a better understanding of the gravitational forces experienced during launch and landing. This experience offers a different perspective than others on this list as it focuses on the Russian space program, Roscosmos, rather than NASA.

Space Adventures' Spaceflight Training is a bespoke experience, and pricing is available on request.

Now That's Interesting China also has a Mars base simulator, called Mars Base 1 Camp (not to be confused with the student-oriented experience by the same name offered through NASA). The huge complex is located in China's Gobi Desert in the Gansu province and is aimed at inspiring students to prepare for future Mars missions and may eventually be used for Mars mission training. Unfortunately, at this point Mars Base 1 Camp is only open to Chinese citizens.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

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FLORENCE, S.C.  A Florence man has been extradited from Guilford County, North Carolina, to face a murder charge.

The Florence County Sheriff's Office announced that Demarcus Lee Bluett, 26, of Florence, had waived extradition and would be returned to Florence County to face charges related to the murder of Mary Brown.

The booking website of the sheriff's office indicates that Bluett has also been charged with murder, first-degree arson, armed robbery, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, malicious injury to property valued at less than $2,000 and two counts of failure to appear.

Brown's body was found by Florence County deputies off East Old Marion Highway on May 1.

Investigators allege that Bluett approached Brown near a convenience store on TV Road, robbed her and shot her before fleeing the scene. Bluett is also alleged to have shot into a coin-operated washing machine at motel on TV Road in order to obtain the coins.

A conviction of murder carries the possibility of two penalties: death or 30 years to life in prison.

First degree arson carries a penalty of up to 30 years in prison.
FLORENCE, S.C.  Dr. Will Bolt, associate professor of history at Francis Marion University, will present a special lecture titled The Forked Road to Juneteenth at 4 p.m. Thursday, June 17 in the auditorium at The Leatherman Medical Complex in downtown Florence.

The presentation is open to the public.

Juneteenth celebrates the official end of slavery in the United States. Specifically, it remembers June 19, 1865, the day when Union troops landed in Galveston, Texas, and read proclamations declaring the end of slavery.

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Because of Texas relatively remote location at the time, the end of slavery was unknown or little known, even though President Abraham Lincoln had signed the emancipation proclamation two-and-a-half years earlier. The name is a blending of June and nineteenth.

Juneteenth has been celebrated for years, but increasingly has gained national recognition. A number of cities around the nation have adopted it as an official holiday, including the City of Florence.

FMUs observance is designed to be informative, as befits an institution dedicated to higher education.
In the 1964 presidential campaign, Republican candidate Barry Goldwater had a slogan: In your heart you know hes right.

That was aimed at deflecting the stereotype about Goldwater and Republicans in general that they were an uncaring lot. It is a smear that still works to some extent for modern Democrats.

In his return to political campaigning on Saturday, former President Donald Trump channeled Goldwater when he claimed vindication for many of the positions he took during last years presidential campaign and in the four years of his administration.

Speaking to a gathering of North Carolina Republicans in Greenville, Trump touted his accomplishments, including tax cuts and regulation reductions. He also criticized what he said were President Bidens insane executive orders.

He might have added Middle East peace deals, including the Abraham Accords. He said President Biden is working to reverse all of his achievements and mentioned rising gas prices as a consequence that can be felt by nearly every American.
 Three more great new essays in Brennan Center's "Punitive Excess" series | Main | "Exploring Alternative Approaches to Hate Crimes" 

June 8, 2021

Bureau of Justice Statistics releases "Capital Punishment, 2019  Statistical Tables"

This morning the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics released this new report with data on the administration of capital punishment in the United States through the end of 2019. As I have noted before, though BJS sometimes provides the best available data on criminal justice administration, in the capital punishment arena the Death Penalty Information Center tends to have more up-to-date and more detailed data on capital punishment. In any event, this new BJS report still provides notable and clear statistical snapshots about the death penalty, and the document sets out these initial "highlights":

Eleven states and the BOP received a total of 31 prisoners under sentence of death in 2019.

Twenty-one states and the BOP removed a total of 65 prisoners from under sentence of death by means other than execution.

The New Hampshire legislature repealed the death penalty provision of the capital murder statute, but the repeal was prospective, leaving one male prisoner under a previously imposed sentence of death.

The New Mexico Supreme Court declared the state capital statute unconstitutional, and the two prisoners under sentence of death were resentenced to life.

The largest decline in the number of prisoners under sentence of death in 2019 occurred in California (down 11 prisoners), followed by Pennsylvania (down 8), Texas (down 7), and Tennessee (down 6).

During 2019, the number of prisoners held under sentence of death increased in three states: North Carolina (up 3), Ohio (up 2), and South Carolina (up 1).

Ninety-eight percent of prisoners under sentence of death were male.

Among prisoners under sentence of death at year-end 2019, about 56% were white and 41% were black.

Among prisoners under sentence of death at year-end 2019 with a known ethnicity, 15% were Hispanic.

As of December 31, 2019, prisoners under sentence of death had been on death row for an average of 18.7 years.

Prisoners executed during 2019 had been on death row for an average of 22 years.

June 8, 2021 at 02:04 PM | Permalink

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The "COVID-19 Impact on Anheuser-Busch InBev, Update 2021" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

"COVID-19 Impact on Anheuser-Busch InBev, Update 2021" reports key findings as of 23rd March, 2021 based on market analysis and brand diversification by industry and geography.

Being the largest alcoholic beverage company, with a wide range of products in the beer and cider sector across the globe, gives AB InBev an advantage over its peers in combating the pandemic. Overall, the company has several core strengths that leave it well placed to deal with the current crisis.

Scope

AB InBev has strong presence in Latin American countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Argentina

AB InBev to experience favorable market conditions in all sectors across most of the regions over the forecast period

Brand and geographic diversity in the beer & cider sector will help AB InBev to perform well over the forecast period

AB InBev's sentiment score increases after a surge in the revenue during the quarter

AB InBev is particularly investing in direct-to-consumer and ecommerce, amid the pandemic outbreak

Reasons to Buy

Understand the challenges and opportunities for a specific company in order to tap into what is really impacting the industry.

Gain a broader appreciation of the fast-moving consumer goods industry by gaining insights from both within and outside of your sector.

Access valuable strategic take-outs to help direct future decision-making and inform new product development.

Key Topics Covered:

COVID-19 impact analysis on Anheuser Busch InBev key findings as of 23rd March 2021

Geographic spread analysis - Anheuser Busch InBev brand sales

The impact of COVID-19 and economic recovery prospects

The forecasts on Anheuser-Busch InBev's regional sectors

Company overview - Anheuser-Busch InBev

Consumer goods industry impact

Anheuser-Busch InBev's brand sales by sector and region

The impact of COVID-19 on Anheuser Busch InBev in thematic scorecards

Deep dive into Anheuser-Busch InBev' scorecard

Companies Mentioned

Story continues

Suntory

Carlsberg

Asahi Group

Heineken

AB InBev

Diageo

Kirin Holdings

Tsingtao Brewery

Molson Coors

Constellation Brands

Royal Unibrew

Sapporo

CRB

ThaiBev

San Miguel

Boston Beer

UBL

HiteJinro

CCU

Anadolu Efes

Far West Spirits

TerraCycle

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/z82lry

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005942/en/

Contacts

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

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Hong Kong should appoint judges to its top court from common law jurisdictions such as Singapore and Malaysia to reduce the reliance on Western jurists who face pressure in their home countries to leave or avoid the city, lawmakers have said.

Legislators suggested the recruitment reforms on Monday as they endorsed the promotion of veteran judge Johnson Lam Man-hon to become a permanent member of the Court of Final Appeal, the final stage of the process before his formal appointment.

Members of the Legislative Council subcommittee during the debate urged the government to consider shifting the focus away from appointing jurists based in countries such as Britain and Australia who might quit over issues such as the national security law.

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.

Johnson Lam is to become a permanent member of the Court of Final Appeal. Photo: Handout

Pro-establishment lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu, a former Law Society president, said Hong Kong authorities should look at appointing more judges to the Court of Final Appeal.

He also took issue with all overseas non-permanent judges coming from Britain, Australia and Canada.

Even with Lam [and the chief justice], we will only have four permanent judges at the top court, Ho said. So my question is why we cannot have five or six permanent judges?

Ho noted that under the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal Ordinance, cases at the top court must be heard by a five-member panel comprising the chief justice, three permanent judges and one non-permanent judge. He suggested that provision could be amended.

Currently, there are 17 non-permanent judges serving the citys highest court. Four of them are local and 13 are from overseas.

The lawmaker said jurists from other common law jurisdictions should be considered for the role given that Britain, Australia and Canada had been critical of Beijing through their membership of Five Eyes, an intelligence alliance also including the United States and New Zealand.

Story continues

We have been picking [judges from] Five Eyes. But to manage risk, we need to think of the potential dangers, Ho said.

The potential pitfalls of Hong Kongs existing policy of appointing foreign judges were visible when Baroness Brenda Hale, president of the British Supreme Court from 2017 to 2020, indicated she would stand down as a non-permanent judge of the citys top court, Ho added.

Hale said last week she would turn down an expected offer of a second stint when her first term expired next month, saying the jury is still out on the Beijing-decreed national security law, which was imposed on Hong Kong in June last year to ban acts of subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.

The lawmaker noted that even before Hales revelation, Australian judge James Spigelman resigned from the citys top court last September citing unspecified reasons related to the security law, while British Supreme Court president Robert Reed said in March he would consider quitting should he conclude the citys judicial independence had been compromised.

However, another British judge, Lord Jonathan Sumption, defended the citys judicial independence and made clear he intended to continue serving the Court of Final Appeal.

Lawmaker Priscilla Leung Mei-fun agreed that more non-permanent judges could be appointed and backed looking to other parts of Asia for recruits.

We need to include more candidates, such as those from Singapore and Malaysia, she said.

Now the international situation has changed, British and Australian politicians have been blatantly pressing their lawyers and judges on whether to accept certain appointments.

Some 17 non-permanent judges currently serve the Court of Final Appeal, four local and 13 from overseas. Photo: Bloomberg

Lawmaker Holden Chow Ho-ding called for more background checks in the future to avoid appointing foreign judges who had been critical of Hong Kong and its governance.

If a judge has commented on how bad the national security law is, he or she may not be suitable to serve on the top court, Chow said.

Judiciary Administrator Esther Leung Yuet-yin said during the meeting there was no need to appoint more permanent judges given the Court of Final Appeals current workload.

But she did not respond specifically on whether more non-permanent judges should be appointed.

Professor Tan Cheng Han, head of City Universitys faculty of law, said it would be a positive development for Hong Kong to appoint more judges from other jurisdictions.

I do not think that the geopolitical tensions will affect the impartiality of eminent jurists from the countries mentioned. Nevertheless, I believe it is in Hong Kongs interests to widen the jurisdictions from which overseas non-permanent judges can be appointed as legal talent is not confined to the existing jurisdictions, he said.

It is also true that more pressure may be applied to discourage lawyers and judges from those jurisdictions to accept appointments and it will be prudent to take steps to prepare for such a possibility.

Tan, the head of the National University of Singapores faculty of law from 2001 to 2011, also said it was feasible and lawful for Singapores sitting and retired judges to serve as overseas non-permanent jurists at Hong Kongs top court.

An advisory commission put forward Johnson Lam, currently vice-president of the Court of Appeal, for the permanent judge role, a recommendation accepted by Hong Kongs leader earlier this month on account of his well reasoned and balanced judgments.

Lawmakers approval of the recommendation leaves Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor with the task of making the formal appointment.

More from South China Morning Post:

This article National security law: Hong Kong should appoint judges from Singapore, Malaysia to limit citys reliance on Western jurists, lawmakers say first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday dodged questions about what measures Washington would take if Beijing does not cooperate on efforts to determine whether the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 escaped from a Chinese laboratory, suggesting instead that international pressure would help convince the Chinese government.

I dont want to get into  hypotheticals going forward in the future about what we would or would not do, but I think I can say with confidence that there is going to be an increasing international demand that countries, including China, meet the responsibilities when it comes to providing information access and transparency on global health, including [Covid-19], Blinken said in a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Several nations  including the United States, Britain and Japan  said the findings of a World Health Organization (WHO)-led inquiry into how the new pathogen first began spreading in the Chinese city of Wuhan  where it was detected in late 2019  were flawed by a lack of transparency and independence from Beijing. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also cited gaps in data access for the international scientists on the ground, though China has defended its transparency.

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.

Following pressure from lawmakers in both parties and a report by The Wall Street Journal that three researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were hospitalised just before the Covid-19 outbreak was confirmed in China, President Joe Biden ordered the US intelligence community to look further into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mike Pompeo, Blinkens immediate predecessor under former president Donald Trump, piled on, criticising Biden for noting in his announcement of the investigation that the true source of the new virus may never be known.

Story continues

In the United States, we punish destruction of evidence and consider cover-ups as indicating culpability, Pompeo said in an opinion piece published by The Washington Post on Monday. We hold inherently dangerous activities to strict liability. China is already clearly guilty on these counts.

The leading democracies may choose to swallow their losses to avoid confrontation, Pompeo said in the piece, co-written with I Lewis Libby, an assistant to former president George W Bush. Biden may resolve to be tougher next time. But history shows that next time is often too late.

Libby, also known as Scooter Libby, resigned from his posts in the Bush administration; he was found guilty on charges in the case of a CIA officer identity leak.

Blinkens response to lawmakers was consistent with those he gave in an Axios interview that aired on HBO on Sunday, when he was asked about the implications of a refusal by the Chinese government to grant Wuhan lab access to outside investigators and whether the US would announce new sanctions in such a scenario.

Its profoundly in Chinas interest to do this as well, because  it suffered too in the outbreak of this pandemic, Blinken said in the interview. It presumably has an interest as well, especially if it purports to be a responsible international actor, to do everything it can to provide all the information it has to make sure we can hopefully prevent this from happening again.

The top diplomat also declined to answer directly when asked during the House hearing whether he was considering a boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Mike Pompeo has criticised Biden for noting in his announcement of the coronavirus origin investigation that the true source of the new virus may never be known. Photo: AFP via Getty Images/TNS

While some lawmakers including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks are pushing for a diplomatic boycott, which would not ban US athletes from competing in the games, Representative Chris Smith, a Republican from New Jersey, pushed Blinken to commit to a full boycott.

A diplomatic boycott would not be enough when you put that side by side with a genocide to be going on simultaneously with the Olympics, he said reiterating the accusation that the Biden administration has repeated. Will the administration try to move the venue to another city or will we lead a boycott of nations of conscience? Smith asked.

Were consulting closely with other countries, with allies, with partners to make sure that we understand what the common concerns are and, ideally, to establish a shared approach, Blinken replied. So more on that in the weeks to come.

More from South China Morning Post:

This article US secretary of state says global pressure may force China to be transparent on Covid-19 first appeared on South China Morning Post

For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The chief executive of Colonial Pipeline is set to testify before Congress next month about a cyberattack that caused the company to halt operations for several days, leading to panic buying of gasoline in many communities.
ONAWA, Iowa -- Lawyers for an Onawa teen found guilty of murder plan to present evidence that he should not be sentenced to 50 years in prison.
YORBA LINDA, Calif. (AP)  The mother of a Southern California boy killed in a road rage shooting remembered him Saturday as 6-year-old with a vocabulary beyond his years who exuded warmth and tenderness.
TRENTON, N.J. (AP)  New Jersey's embattled corrections commissioner announced his resignation Tuesday, a day after Gov. Phil Murphy said the state would shutter its long-troubled and only womens prison.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  In what a district attorney called a dangerous combination, prosecutors say a gun bust has led investigators to uncover $600,000 in pandemic-related fraud from California's beleaguered unemployment agency.

Adrian Sykes, 24, was arrested Monday for the second time in the case, this time in Las Vegas.

He was initially arrested in February after a traffic stop in Sacramento, where prosecutors said he was found with an illegal fully automatic handgun.

A search of his home turned up drugs, body armor and five guns including an assault rifle and two loaded unregistered guns, one a Mac-9 and the other an assault pistol, prosecutors said.

Investigators said they also found six unemployment agency debit cards.

Sykes was initially charged with six counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one of possessing drugs with a firearm, and one of being a felon in possession of ammunition.

He posted bail and was released, but investigators followed up on the debit cards. Prosecutors allege that Sykes and his girlfriend, Brittney Murchison, 26, filed 35 fraudulent unemployment claims and obtained more than $600,000 using personal identifying information from victims nationwide.
GUATEMALA CITY (AP)  Vice President Kamala Harris offered an optimistic outlook for improved cooperation with Guatemala on addressing the spike in migration to the U.S. after her meeting with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei on Monday. She also delivered a direct warning to migrants considering making the trek: Do not come. Do not come.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  Republicans in the Pennsylvania House pushed through a bill Tuesday that would ban abortions that are prompted by a prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis, although the Democratic governor has vowed to veto it.

State representatives voted 120-83 for legislation that the prime sponsor, Republican Rep. Kate Klunk of York County, called the right thing to do.

I believe we truly have a responsibility to stand up for those who do not have a voice, Klunk said.

If it becomes law, the proposal will require a doctor who performs an abortion to provide a written statement that it was not motivated in any way by a prenatal diagnosis or test indicating Down syndrome.

This legislation could prevent patients from seeking the information they need to become the best parents possible, when they need it the most," said Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, who voted against it. He said the bill makes it a crime to think and consider options.

Rep. Kathy Rapp, R-Warren, compared abortion over a Down syndrome diagnosis to genocide.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  Louisiana is poised to join more than a dozen other states allowing college athletes to earn cash from endorsements and sponsorship deals under an effort gaining steam across the country because of the NCAA's inaction on a national policy.

The Senate voted 35-0 Tuesday for House changes to Sen. Pat Connick's bill to let the student athletes profit off the use of their name, image and likeness, the final vote needed to send the measure to Gov. John Bel Edwards' desk. The Democratic governor hasn't taken a public position on the bill but made no attempt to stop passage.

Connick, a Marrero Republican, said at least 15 states have passed similar legislation.

If Louisiana is left behind, we'll be at a competitive disadvantage, said Rep. John Stefanski, the Crowley Republican who handled the bill in the House.

The NCAAs attempts to reform its bylaws and permit college athletes to capitalize on their names, images and likenesses have stalled. Federal legislation on the issue is pending in Congress.
Caiazzo argues that in its current form the question raises separate and distinct issues that should be presented to the voters in separate questions 

Caiazzo suggests three separate questions to be considered by voters:

1. Do you want to require, retroactive to 2014, that the Legislature approve by a two-thirds vote any lease or conveyance of public reserved lands to be used for transmission lines and facilities, landing strips, pipelines, or railroad tracks?

2. Do you want to require, retroactive to 2020, the Legislature to approve the construction of any high-impact electric transmission lines in Maine, with a two-thirds vote required if a project crosses public lands?

3. Do you want to ban, retroactive to 2020, the construction of high-impact electric transmission lines in the Upper Kennebec Region?

Construction on the $1 billion New England Clean Energy Connect project to bring hydroelectric power from Quebec through Maine to Massachusetts has already begun.

A citizen group opposing the project, No CMP Corridor, said that such an effort was expected.

Theres never been a doubt that CMP would someday challenge our petition language, said Sandi Howard, the groups spokesperson, because from the start, CMP has been terrified of facing the will of Maine voters, its own customers.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, Portland Press Herald.

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The case traveled through state and federal courts since it was first filed, including through the U.S. Supreme Court in 2019, before concluding in a state district court.

Its been 13 years, said Serge Myers, a 76-year-old resident of Opportunity, who worked at the smelter for 16 years. Its been a long haul. We did the best we could. Our lawyers did the best they could.

Neither John Davis, a lawyer who represented ARCO, nor two company employees familiar with the Anaconda Co. Smelter site were immediately available to comment on the case or settlement.

Charlie Coleman, the Environmental Protection Agency's remedial project manager for the site, said testing and cleanup continues in the rural area. The EPA has said it hopes to complete remedial construction activities on the smelter site by December 2025.

Copper King Marcus Daly and the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. began smelting copper ore from Butte in the 1880s, The Montana Standard reported. Around 1902, ore processing and smelting operations began at the Washoe Smelter, which was designed to disperse smoke from the smelter to try to reduce pollution.

In 1977, ARCO purchased the Anaconda Co. and inherited vast lands polluted with arsenic, lead, copper, cadmium and zinc from ore-processing operations and stack emissions. Later, under the federal Superfund law, ARCO became retroactively liable for that contamination.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, The Montana Standard.

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WASHINGTON (AP)  The Senates top Democrat is recommending President Joe Biden nominate two prominent voting rights attorneys to serve as judges on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and on the federal bench in Manhattan.
McKenzie will give Austin estimates on how many troops will be needed to secure the embassy and the airport. Turkish troops have provided security at part of the airport, and negotiations are underway to determine if that will continue. At least some American troops are likely to be needed  at least in the near term  to ensure that diplomats can come and go safely from the airport.

So far, the U.S. military has none of the Taliban interference that American officials had feared at the start. But there are widespread concerns about whether financial and diplomatic support alone will prevent the Kabul governments collapse after the international military support is gone.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Taliban said it would not attack Afghans who had worked with the U.S. military, calling on them to return to their homes and not flee the country.

The pullout officially began May 1, when the number of U.S. troops was between 2,500 and 3,500. When Biden announced the decision in April, he gave the military until Sept. 11 and promised there would be no hasty rush to the exit by the remaining U.S. and coalition troops.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is more than half done, and U.S. officials say that while it could be completed by July 4, the final exit of equipment and troops more likely will be later in the summer.
They saw Abrahamson ingest medication from the same package, sometimes by crushing it up and snorting it, court records allege.

Caregivers noticed the medication made the woman drowsy and further distorted her mental clarity, according to court documents.

Caregivers also reported they suspected Abrahamson was sharing a bed with the woman because he often would be locked in the bedroom when they arrived, court records state.

Medical personnel advised Abrahamson to take the woman for a professional examination after noticing unusual discharge, but he refused to have her examined and said it wasn't necessary, court records state.

Caregivers also noticed Abrahamson giving the woman "long-winded kisses on the mouth," according to documents. They thought the woman was attempting to tell them she was scared of Abrahamson by squeezing their hands when he approached as they tended to her, court records state.

Police began investigating in March after a social worker at a Munster hospital reported she suspected the woman was being abused and neglected by Abrahamson, court records state. The woman had been treated at the hospital after arriving with urine-soiled clothing and bruising on her arms and legs.
SALEM, Ore. (AP)  A Republican state lawmaker faces being expelled from office after a video emerged apparently showing him choreographing how he would let far-right protesters into the closed Oregon Capitol days before he did so in December.
The bulk of corporate relocations and new operations have been landing in Charlotte and the Triangle, which have become liberal strongholds in recent years.

Sen. Paul Newton, R-Cabarrus, sought during Tuesday's Senate Rules meeting to emphasize the personal income tax part of HB334. He reiterated his confidence that eliminating the corporate tax rate will lead to more corporations choosing to open in or move locations to the state.

Newton estimated that as many as 250,000 low- to moderate-income North Carolinians "would pay no (state) taxes at all" following the passage of HB334.

Newton said projected annual tax revenue growth will offset the combined loss of $2.07 billion in tax revenue by 2025-26.

Newton said corporations tend to make decisions "more on signals." He said a powerful signal to them would be the certainty of no corporate income tax in 2028.

"They can feel comfortable, profitable and healthy, and their employees would be glad to be here," Newton said.

Newton said that "the Republican philosophy when government collects more money than it needs is to give it back through tax relief, and that's what we're doing here."
Heres a look at how APs general news coverage is shaping up in Iowa. Questions about coverage plans are welcome and should be directed to the Des Moines Bureau at 515-243-3281 or apdesmoines@ap.org.

A reminder this information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change. Expected stories may not develop, or late-breaking and more newsworthy events may take precedence. Advisories and digests will keep you up to date. All times are Central.

Some TV and radio stations will receive broadcast versions of the stories below, along with all updates.

For up-to-the-minute information on APs coverage, visit Coverage Plan at newsroom.ap.org.



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IOWA CITY, Iowa  A judge has condemned an Iowa police chief for using his city-issued stun gun to shock guests at two parties in 2016, calling it an immoral activity that could have caused serious injuries or death. By Ryan J. Foley. SENT: 630 words, photo.

AROUND THE STATE:

IOWA UNIVERSITIES-LAWSUIT SETTLEMENTS
PARIS (AP)  France has suspended military operations with Central African Republic, accusing its government of failing to respect political opposition and failing to stop a massive anti-French disinformation campaign.

The French government is also suspending about 10 million euros ($12.1 million) in budgetary support for CAR, two French officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The move comes amid high tensions and diplomatic wrangling over influence in the mineral-rich former French colony. Russia has business interests in the country and also sent military instructors there last year.

Central African Republic has faced deadly inter-religious and inter-communal fighting since 2013. After a 2019 peace deal, violence erupted anew after the constitutional court rejected former President Francois Bozizes effort to run for president again last year. President Faustin Archange Touadera won reelection in December, but continues to face opposition from forces linked to Bozize.

Rebels aligned with Bozize tried to attack the capital in January, underscoring how CAR's military faces serious security threats that they had looked to the French for help with.
NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP)  Myanmar's military junta will begin presenting its case against deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi in court next Monday, her lawyers said.

The military arrested Suu Kyi in February when it overthrew her elected government. Public resistance to the coup remains strong and in recent months has taken the form of a low-level armed insurrection.

Government prosecutors will have until June 28 to finish their presentation in the court in Naypyitaw, the capital, where she is being tried on five charges, after which Suu Kyis defense team will have until July 26 to present its case, said Khin Maung Zaw, the teams senior member.

Court sessions are to be held on Monday and Tuesday each week.

Khin Maung Zaw spoke to journalists after a procedural hearing on Monday for Suu Kyi and two fellow defendants, ousted President Win Myint and former Naypyitaw Mayor Myo Aung.

Suu Kyis supporters say the charges against her are politically motivated and are meant to discredit her and legitimize the militarys takeover. If convicted of any of the offenses, she could be banned from running in an election promised by the junta within one or two years of its takeover.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presented economic plans to senior ruling party officials before an upcoming meeting to review efforts to overcome hardships brought about by the pandemic, state media said Tuesday.

The Korean Central News Agency said Kim held his consultations Monday in preparation for a meeting of the Workers Partys powerful Central Committee at which they will discuss state affairs for the first half of 2021. The meeting was set for early June and could take place as early as this week.

Kim's plans were not specified but were described as intending to bring tangible change" to stabilizing the economy and people's living conditions.

The North Korean economy has been crippled by decades of mismanagement, U.S.-led sanctions over Kims nuclear weapons program and the coronavirus pandemic. South Korean officials say there are no signs North Korea is easing the border controls it imposed at the start of the pandemic or importing more industrial and agricultural materials to boost production.

The Workers Party last held a plenary meeting of Central Committee members in February, when Kim ripped into state economic agencies for their passive and self-protecting tendencies in setting their annual goals.
As for Manchin, he is sitting in the catbird seat in the Democratic Party. He holds the whip hand over both Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Biden. For if the West Virginian refuses to bend or break on the filibuster, then not only will the voting rights bill fail in the Senate, so, too, could gun control, D.C. statehood, climate change, and immigration legislation.

All could suffer the same fate as the Jan. 6 Commission.

The Washington Post reports Senate staffers are saying that there is "panic" in the Democratic caucus that Manchin will stand his ground and refuse to kill the filibuster, no matter the pressure the party puts on him.

Recognition by the White House of the leverage Manchin and Sinema wield was evident in press secretary Jen Psaki's effort to soften Biden's crack about "the two members of the Senate who vote more with my Republican friends."

Psaki brushed aside any suggestion that Biden was being caustic about the two senators saying, "I don't think he was intending to convey anything other than a little bit of commentary on TV punditry."

But the issues and stakes involved are becoming evident to everyone.
Owen Wilson has confirmed that he and Vince Vaughn have been "talking" about a 'Wedding Crashers' sequel.

It has been reported that a follow-up to the 2005 comedy flick is in the pipeline and Owen has confirmed that he has discussed the project with his co-star and that director David Dobkin is working with a script.

The 'Shanghai Noon' star said: "Yeah, there is a script and David Dobkin  who directed the first one  has been working on it, and we've been talking about it.

"It's been nice talking to Vince and it's one of these movies that really seemed to connect with people. If we can come up with something we think could be great, then I'm sure we'll do it."

The report published in industry paper Production Weekly claimed that production on the flick was due to begin in Puerto Rico this August but Owen, 52, cast doubt over the proposed start date.

He told the website Collider: "Someone said August, and I don't see that happening. I think before anything, it's making sure that everybody felt we had a great story."

The original movie featured Wilson and Vaughn as divorce lawyers John Beckwith and Jeremy Gray as the pair crash weddings in a bid to meet and seduce other women.
Queen Elizabeth has reportedly invited Prince Harry for lunch at Windsor Castle when hes back in the UK next month.

The Duke of Sussex will be returning to Britain for the unveiling of a statue in honour of his late mother Princes Diana on July 1 and his grandmother the queen wants to reconnect with Harry following his move to California and his stepping down from senior royal duties.

Since his move Stateside with his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex the couple criticised their treatment within the British royal family after Meghan married Harry in May 2018 during a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey.

The 36-year-old former army captain - whose father is the queen's son and heir to the throne Prince Charles - also opened up on his mental health struggles growing up as a royal in the wake of his mother Diana's death in 1997 when he was just 12 and the effect that momentous moment had on the rest of his life in Apple TV+ docuseries 'The Me you Can't See'.

According to the Richard Eden column in the Daily Mail newspaper, a source said: "Its a typically magnanimous gesture by Her Majesty. The lunch will be a chance for them to talk things through.

The queen's invitation was made before the birth of Harry and Meghan's daughter Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor on June 4.
On this weeks episode of Working, Rumaan Alam spoke with Brigid Hughes, the founder of the literary magazine A Public Space and a former editor at the Paris Review. They discussed how she went from studying poetry to running a magazine, why its important to have niche publications, and the unique role small literary journals play in helping aspiring authors get published. This partial transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Rumaan Alam: In 2005, you had left your first job. How long had you been at the Paris Review at that point?

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Brigid Hughes: Id been there a while. It had been not quite a decade, and the magazine had been planning for its 50th anniversary.

Then, you suddenly found yourself away from the place you had begun your career, and with the resolve or the inspiration to create a magazine of your own. What were the first steps that you took to conjure a whole new publication?

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It was a time, in publishing in general, where a lot of the commercial magazines were shutting in their fiction departments. There was this conversation, it felt to me, that was going on about the value and necessity of fiction. In part, it felt like a moment to start a magazine that might challenge that, and be a way to explore some of the questions that came out of that debate. It was also a moment when there were a number of writers I had worked with at Paris Review who were just starting out in their careers. Starting a new magazine was a way to continue that conversation with them. There were some people who were interested in small magazines and interested in helping, in terms of funding, to make a new magazine possible. Really, what it took at the very beginning was just announcing that we were going to do this. That was it. You throw your hat over the fence and then you have to go and get it.

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Its very gutsy even now to think about. You were still a pretty young editor, and I think the Atlantic had announced that it was going to cease publishing fiction around that period. Theyve since waffled on that, and I actually dont know where they are right now, whether theyre publishing fiction or not.

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They are, and they have published some great stories in the last year.

There was a period of time where, for a long time, it was like, the New Yorker, Harpers, and all these magazines that no longer exist, where great American short fiction continued to be published. Even now, thinking about the temerity of you being in your early 30s and saying, Oh, you know what, if something like the Atlantic is no longer publishing fiction or if Playboy is no longer publishing cutting-edge fiction, maybe I should be the one to do that.

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I think thereve been a few moments when, if I had stopped to think about it, I would have been like: Does this make sense? Is this possible? I dont know. For me, the lucky thing was that I didnt stop and have that conversation with myself. It just felt like something that there was a moment to do it. I was curious about what kind of magazine we could make and didnt really think beyond thatjust thought what would happen if we tried to do this.

And here we are 15 years later.

Yes. It worked out OK.

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Did you have an initial plan that accounted for a lifespanWere going to publish annually, or biannually, or quarterly, and this is what were going to do, and this is what were going to pay our contributors, and this is whats going to happen on the website or were you just feeling your way forward at each step?

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Very much just feeling our way forward at each step. I do have, somewhere in the archives, an early scrap of paper with a budget and some plansthey couldnt have been more wrong. We had a really good group of contributing editors who joined early on, a board who was engaged, and we all figured it out together and pieced it together as we went.

You publish tri-quarterly. Im so curious to understand the business of producing three issues per year. How much of that goes into the reading of submissions, or the creation of a theme for an issue, or the commissioning of artwork, or talking to poets about what they have going on, and how much of it is spent doing fundraising, or thinking about the position of the magazine, or attending events, or being out in the other public space, which is book fairs and lectures and all of that stuff. How is your time apportioned?

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All these years later, I still feel Im supposed to be editing all the time and reading submissions all the time, and thats what I thought the role was at the very beginning. You never quite manage for that to be how a day goes or a week goes. On a good day, maybe the early morning is for the editing and the reading, and the rest of the day is for the phone calls and the plans and the working with the staff, and the details like that.

I think that theres an enduring fantasy about creative work, that it is this immersion and the pure labor of wrestling with the words, whether youre the editor or the writer, but that the reality is slightly more complicated. Sometimes you have to take your computer to the Genius Bar, sometimes you have to chase down the check that someone owes you, sometimes you have to have a drink with your agent, sometimes you have to do these other parts of the business, but theyre all interconnected.

Yeah, and I think that they nourish each other. If you only read, you only wrote, you only edited each day every day, I think your talents would dissipate in some way.

To listen to the full interview with Brigid Hughes, subscribe to Working on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or listen below.
As the world has become more aware of Indias still-grim COVID crisis, concerned and well-meaning citizens of the world have shared links through which to donate money and supplies to Indias beleaguered populace and overcrowded health and funeral services. One of the most popular of these has been a group called Sewa International.

According to the organizations press releases, Sewas Help India Defeat COVID-19 media campaign has raised millions of dollars from more than 100,000 donors since late April, with this money going toward purchasing and sending oxygen concentrators, oximeters, and other essential equipment to India, which is grappling with a dire shortage of these technologies. The organization has also raised money and sent equipment for COVID relief in Nepal and Trinidad and Tobago.

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Sewas initiative has become well-known within and beyond the Indian diaspora: Stories of distraught Indian Americans encouraging Sewa donations have proliferated in the news, and outlets like ABC News have highlighted Sewas work. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey earmarked $2.5 million for Sewa as part of a $15 million donation for Indian COVID relief. Internal communications provided to me by a source showed that Microsoft and Google encouraged their employees to donate to Sewa and offered matching funds, in Microsofts case through the donation-management platform Benevity. New Jerseys Monroe Township partnered with Sewa to provide India aid, while the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, the largest organization representing Indian American doctors, also held a fundraiser for India with Sewa. The group also has partnered with the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency to ramp up domestic vaccination efforts in both Philadelphia and Texas, where Sewas U.S. branch is based.

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Sewa touts itself as a service organization thats played significant roles in past disaster relief efforts both within India and outside of it. On its Facebook pages, Sewa has posted photos of its work throughout the subcontinent during the pandemic, including delivering groceries and medical gear to low-income residents. Sewa has also showed off its oxygen concentrator donations to Aligarh Muslim University, as well as mass equipment supplies throughout India, in both its public communications and in an email sent to me. Twitters statement following Dorseys donation referred to it as a Hindu faith-based, humanitarian, non-profit service organization. If you look at the website for Sewa Internationals U.S. branch, youll find it describing itself using the exact same words, adding that it is part of a larger movement that started in India in 1989 and is active in twenty countries.

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Whats left out here is what this larger movement actually consists of, and who is actually benefiting from its mission. Sewa International is a direct subsidiary of the India-based nongovernmental organization Seva Bharati. While ostensibly charities, for decades, both Seva Bharati and Sewa International have reportedly worked to spread Hindu nationalist ideology throughout the country and beyond.

According to a detailed 2002 report from the Indian activist organizations Sabrang Communications and South Asia Citizens Web, Seva Bhartis and Sewa Internationals relief efforts in the aftermath of the 2001 earthquake in the state of Gujarat became a kind of domestic missionary initiative. In the devastated areas they were sent to, Sewa volunteers made a concerted effort to convert Christians, Muslims, and other minorities to Hinduism; prioritized aid for higher-caste Hindus instead of equally attending to Indians of all religions and castes; blocked assistance from other humanitarian organizations; constructed new Hindu temples; and imposed lavish Hindu ceremonies upon the populace. This wasnt the worst of it. In 2016, journalist Neha Dixit published a lengthy investigation in Indias Outlook magazine revealing that Seva Bharati and its subsidiaries trafficked dozens of young tribal girls from various states in order to Hinduize them throughout 2015.

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A 2002 investigation by the U.K.s Channel 4 tracked money raised from British donors by Sewa International for earthquake relief and found that they went toward Hindu nationalist organizations and projects in India, without proper disclosure of how the funds were being used. These findings were bolstered in a 2004 report by the U.K.-based, South Asiafocused human rights group Awaaz, which detailed how internationally raised relief funds went to groups that directly incited communal violence in 2002 during the Gujarat riots, which saw months of attacks on Muslims by Hindu extremists. (Incidentally, current Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat at that time.) Much of the funding from Sewa Internationals British chapter sponsored such activities led by Indias Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, known most commonly as the RSS.

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You cant understand Indias current leadership without understanding the RSS. The nearly hundred-year-old paramilitary organization has a mission of establishing a state based on Hindu supremacist values, following an ideal that has taken inspiration from fascist movements throughout history. For decades, RSS ideologues and paramilitary groups have stoked violence against religious minorities and rewritten Indian history to paint the subcontinent as the rightful home of Hindus, and Hindus only. The RSS is the center of an umbrella group of Hindu nationalist institutions known as the Sangh Parivar, which also includes the countrys ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Many of the current leaders of the BJP, including Modi, came up through the ranks of the RSS and still hold close ties with the organization.

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According to the Awaaz report, Sewas volunteer projects in several areas of India led to the establishment of new RSS cells in those areas, intended to continue spreading the groups ideology. A former secretary general of the RSS all but admitted that the ultimate object of all these endeavorsreferring to Sewa International and Seva Bharatiis Hindu sangathan: consolidation and strengthening of the Hindu society. A 2011 Ohio State University report traced how several regions of India where Sewa offered service subsequently increased their overall support for the BJP. Last summer, reporters for Indian newsmagazine the Caravan spoke with RSS volunteers who were involved within Sewa International and Seva Bharatiled pandemic aid projects, many of whom admitted that this very sentiment remains the ultimate goal of the Sangh Parivars relief strategy.

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Its also worth noting that the RSSs influence is not limited to its home country. From the 1940s onward, RSS members whove migrated to other countries have established branches of an international group known as the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, meant to mobilize the Hindu diaspora toward the RSSs goals. The U.S. branch of the HSS was registered in Houstonwhere Sewa is also basedas a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 1989. Theres significant overlap between the leadership of Sewas U.S. branch and that of the HSS: The chairman of Sewa Internationals U.S. board is Ramesh Bhutada, a longtime Hindu nationalist activist who also established the U.S.s first outpost of the HSS. Bhutada has organized campaigns for Modi from abroad and pushed RSS-linked candidates for the U.S. Congress, hoping to spread the ideals of Hindutva philosophy on both sides of the Atlantic.

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Sewas COVID fundraisers have not been accused of pulling the same stunts its Gujarat fundraisers did in the U.K. However, most of Sewas social media posts show that medical technology has often gone to initiatives from other Sangh Parivar organizations, sometimes with direct RSS ties. A Sewa leader donating oxygen concentrators in Kashmir appeared with RSS leader Indresh Kumar to publicize the giveaway. Kumar has notoriously and publicly supported Islamophobic legislation and called for population control, among other things.

I asked several of the institutions involved with Sewa donations why they were promoting a charity with these connections. Microsoft declined to comment; Twitter and Google never responded. Benevity, the platform through which these donations are made, sent an email statement noting that:

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Our charity vetting and validation process ensures that organizations in the Benevity Causes Portal are registered as a charity or nonprofit with the appropriate governing body in the country of operation, are in good standing under applicable laws, and are not from an embargoed country or on a watch list, both at the time of import and prior to the disbursement of funds.

I also reached out to Sewa Internationals U.S. branch to ask which organizations were benefiting from Sewa aid and whether there was any merit to suspicions, based on past reports, that the money was being used to bolster ideological projects. A spokesperson directed me toward the nonprofits Facebook page for their examples, admitted to us[ing] local partners to ensure that we maximize the benefits of our efforts, and further wrote to me in part that:

Every dollar raised is being properly accounted for. In fact, Sewa has earned 100% perfect scores from Charity Navigatorthe top nonprofit rating agencyin the areas of Financial Health and Accountability and Transparency.

Sewas history and connections add up to one core fact: The RSSs ultimate goal is to permanently establish a Hindu state, and it is employing institutions like Sewa toward that end. Those who have donated to Sewa or encouraged donations should at least be aware of what that money may really be used for.
If you look at the assignments Kamala Harris has been given during her tenure as vice president, its pretty easy to think that shes getting the short end of the political stick. First, she was tasked with taking on immigration: After mostly staying in D.C. during the pandemic, Harris is on her first international trip, a visit aimed at helping Guatemala and Mexico stem migration. Shes also been assigned to help protect voting rights that are under attack across the country. Its hard to know what to call her job, why shes being saddled with the tasks shes been saddled with, and what this may portend for her future political prospects. On Tuesdays episode of What Next, I spoke with Atlantic staff writer Edward-Isaac Dovere about why Harris vice presidency may feel simultaneously familiar and unlike anything youve seen before. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Mary Harris: Ive heard Harris resume described as a high-risk, high-reward resume, where she could take things that dont work outbut if she does work something out, it could be great for her. Is that how you see it as well?

Edward-Isaac Dovere: I think being vice president is high-risk, high-reward. Running for president is also very much high-risk, high-reward. I would say the chances that Kamala Harris runs for president again are quite high, right? Shes going to need to show people that she has done some things, and those things are going to need to resonate if she wants to have a successful future campaign, almost certainly.

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The issue she has as a vice president is that she asked to not have one portfolio, and to be involved in everything, even as shes gotten these smaller, additional priorities. That makes it hard to shine a light on any one thing. I was one of the people who asked her questions when she was running for president. I said, there are a lot of people running saying that theyre identified with one big issueElizabeth Warren was very much about the economy, Pete Buttigieg was on the generational argument, Jay Inslee was running on climate change. Whats the thing that Harris going to be identified with? She says, I dont want to be identified with just one thing, Im for all of these things. Thats correct, but its hard because voters need things to attach themselves to. Her campaign started to come apart because people felt like they didnt have anything to grab onto. Now she wants to give them a variety of hooks in addition to the fact that shes vice president and shell be associated with Joe Biden and she can get a lot of benefit from being connected to his brand if the presidency is successful.

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One of the advantages of taking on this immigration challenge is that it gives the vice president foreign policy experience. Shes meeting with heads of state. The question is whether taking on a problem shes unlikely to solve will help or hurt her.

Right. John Cornyn, Republican senator from Texas, said to me that he feels like Biden handed her a grenade, pulled the pin, and walked away. Politically, no one wants to touch immigration. Its bad news to try to say that youre going to fix the problem because it is such a complicated and seemingly intractable problem. Thats unfortunate.

What would success in this role look like for Harris? Is one level of success just getting foreign leaders on speed dial, and then is another level getting something done?

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The problem is, lets say theres some improvement, not that everythings all solved, but that things are starting to look better by 2024. For most people, it will look like Joe Biden made things better, and itll be hard for her to say no, that was me.

She doesnt even get the credit.

If there is success, its Bidens success, and if there is not success, its mostly Bidens lack of success. And when it comes to the immigration situation, how much will Harris tasks make a difference in peoples perception of what was going on? If she can say, well, we had productive conversations with the leaders of Guatemala and other countries, and that led to some incremental policy changes that hopefully over time will mitigate the migration crisisthats a lot harder to say.

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Thats what being a vice president is like. You are there to support the president, and so any success you have, the shine goes to him. The failures are on him too. But whats interesting to me about watching whats happening with Harris and immigration is that Republicans are trying to make a lack of action her problem. That may be because they have more trouble making things stick against Bidenhe doesnt rile up their base in the same way. Theres a little bit of it thats a vice president problem and theres a little bit of it that is just all about her and how shes perceived.

I think theres a lot of it thats about her and how shes perceived. And theres an incentive for Republicans who think they will be facing her as a presidential candidate in 2024 or 2028. They can start taking shots at her now and building up negative impressions of her now. Biden has proved largely impervious to Republican attacks.

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Immigration isnt the only intractable issue Harris has on her plate. Shes also been tasked with protecting voting rights at the state and national level. The New York Times actually reported that she asked to be the lead on this topic. It feels like something that is big and hard to do, but does she see it that way?

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Well, she sees it as something that you could fail in, but she also sees it as something that she could have success with. It may not be success in getting state legislatures to change voting restrictions, or even in getting something like the John Lewis Voting Rights Act through Congressbut rather in rallying people to this cause. This connects to a woman who has long seen herself as fighting for civil rights, fighting for more political power for people of color. Theres a lot of reason to want to be associated with someone who has been fighting for this cause or will be fighting for this cause. How things will it get done if through a lot of political pressure that is created over this.

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What does that look like? Does that look like her going to states with senators who are maybe feeling a little bit fragile on the issue, and rallying people directly?

That would probably be part of it. I think there you see the outside game is going to be a big piece of it. That means not just bucking up Democrats, but putting pressure on Republicans, like, How are you voting against the John Lewis Act? If they can create a level of pressure and shame, that is probably the only way this gets passed in the Senate. Its not going to be because she haggles over paragraphs in the bill. This public role, that seems to me where she could probably be more powerful, than in leaning on Senate relationships.

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I wonder a little bit if your perspective is that its kind of funny were asking these questions. We wouldnt be asking these questions necessarily about previous vice presidents: What are they doing? Should they be doing more or less, or handling more or less sensitive issues? But because of who Kamala Harris is, she bears this burden of inquiry about what shes doing and why shes doing it.

I think that thats exactly right. These are not questions that were asked of Mike Pence or Joe Biden or Dick Cheney. There were other questions asked about Cheney as vice president. But are a lot of people who look to Harris and want things out of her, want her to be the vessel for progressive politics, want her to be the representative of people of color, want her to be the leader for women, want her to do all these things that they might not be getting out of the Biden administration. She is historic in her role. That pressure is reflected, I think, in the attention to it.

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On Monday, the Justice Department took its most controversial position yet under Attorney General Merrick Garland, when lawyers for the department confirmed that they will continue to defend Donald Trump in the defamation suit brought by E. Jean Carroll.

Carroll sued Trump in New York state court in November 2019 after Trump publicly denied Carrolls allegation that he had sexually assaulted her in the 1990s. Carroll was about to get some crucial discovery from Trump when, in September of last year, the department intervened on Trumps behalf, transferred the case to federal court, and moved to substitute the government for Trump as the defendanton the theory that Trumps comments about Carroll were made in the scope of his employment as the president. The result of this maneuver (if successful) would likely be the dismissal of Carrolls case, since the federal government cannot be sued for defamation. Last October, the presiding federal judge rejected the departments arguments in a 59-page opinion, but the department appealed that ruling to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. It was not previously clear that Garlands Justice Department would maintain the position that the department had first taken under Bill Barr.

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In a brief filed with the 2nd Circuit on Monday, though, lawyers for the Justice Department argued that the case does not concern whether Trumps response to Carroll was appropriate and does not turn on the truthfulness of Ms. Carrolls allegations.

Speaking to the public and the press on matters of public concern is undoubtedly part of an elected officials job, they continued. Courts have thus consistently and repeatedly held that allegedly defamatory statements made in that context are within the scope of elected officials employmentincluding when the statements were prompted by press inquiries about the officials private life. Typically, you would expect Garland to have been briefed on a filing like thisabout a litigation position of significant public concern that was inevitably going to generate public scrutinyand to have either affirmatively signed off on it in advance, or to have decided to leave it to other officials (perhaps career officials) to resolve, which is, in any event, the functional equivalent of being comfortable with the outcome.

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The filing came as a shock to many legal observers. After all, many of them had criticized the departments position under Barr in scathing and unambiguous termscalling it ludicrous, sheer lunacy, malevolence tempered by incompetence, and questioning how the argument could even be made in good faith.

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As a strictly legal matter (and as I have noted elsewhere), the argument was not as frivolous as it may have seemed. As the governments lawyers wrote on Monday, Elected public officials canand often mustaddress allegations regarding personal wrongdoing that inspire doubt about their suitability for office, and for better or worse, some federal courts have effectively immunized federal officials for statements in such contexts. The question is not so much whether the federal government can make this argument in defense of Trumpindeed it can, and the government may very well prevail on appealbut whether it should. In other words, it is the sort of discretionary legal judgment that attorneys general often have to make.

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Garland did not have to endorse Barrs decisionand I wish he had notbut unfortunately, Mondays filing was not entirely surprising. Garland breezed through the confirmation process with little skepticism among liberals, who mostly seemed happy to see Garland ascend to the position as the nations top law enforcement officer after he had been prevented from taking a seat on the Supreme Court by Sen. Mitch McConnell back in 2016. But as Garlands confirmation hearing suggested, he appears to be inclined toward maintaining the status quo and focused on the department as an institution, even though, as I noted at the time, a well-developed vision of how the law should operateand a sincere commitment to the rule of lawis not the same thing as a vision of justice.

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This has become clearer still since Garland took office, perhaps most notably when the department continued Barrs effort to withhold an Office of Legal Counsel memo that outlined the DOJs reasons for not alleging that Trump committed obstruction of justice following the Mueller probe. The decision to maintain that legal posture came even after the presiding judge complained that lawyers from the department had tried to mislead her. Like the decision to continue the defense in the Carroll case, it would have been eminently defensibleand eminently reasonableif the Garland DOJ had come out the other way and simply released the OLC memo, perhaps on the theory that the situation is so unique that it does not have serious long-term implications for different cases, particularly those involving decent public servants.

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At the moment, observers seem to be scrambling to make sense of Garlands decision-making, and it remains to be seen whether the decision in Carrolls case might finally force a more serious reckoning. Shortly before Mondays filing, one commentator questioned to what lengths the Justice Department will go to defend the Trump administrations abuse of powerwith its primary concern being preserving that power for the Biden administration and beyond. Another concluded on Tuesday that Garland seemingly has no plans to become the anti-Barr. Others have argued that at this point, Garland himself is beyond saving.

I wouldnt go that far, except to say that Garlands decisions seem to reflect a far too cramped view of what people have taken to calling institutionalism. The department, for instance, generally defends federal employees in lawsuits where there is a defensible claim that the employees actions occurred in the course of their work; it generally takes expansive positions on questions of executive authority and power; and if you resort to a high enough level of abstractionlike, say, speaking to the public and the press on matters of public concernit is often possible to argue that a decision in some particular instance should be placed in the lineage of broadly defined principles. A former judge who likes to invoke the rule of law may be particularly susceptible to these tendencies, since the concept is often associated with stability and impartiality.

The question that Garland has now placed front and center for even his most ardent supporters is whether and to what extent he will at some point identify a serious limit to this way of thinking when it comes to Trumpa truly dangerous man and former president who should not be afforded the continued luxury of being treated like any other federal official.
Rudy Giuliani is currently under federal investigation for his interactions with Ukrainian officials as former President Donald Trumps personal emissary. The probe is part of a broader inquiry into Trump affiliates murky motivations in Ukraine. Trumps July 2019 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky seeking a public investigation into his then political rival, Joe Biden, and his son Hunter came off as a thinly veiled quid pro quo for continued U.S. support. That call ultimately led to Trumps impeachment; the Ukraine call that could lead to Giulianis demise took place three days earlier, on July 22, with senior presidential adviser Andriy Yermak. CNN published the audio Monday evening of the phone conversation that shows Giuliani pushing Yermak to announce an investigation into Biden.

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Exclusive audio obtained by CNN shows how former Pres. Trump's longtime adviser Rudy Giuliani relentlessly pressured and coaxed the Ukrainian government in 2019 to investigate baseless conspiracies about then-candidate Joe Biden. @mchancecnn reports. https://t.co/BGXIngcuE5 pic.twitter.com/XF1jg3Mms7  The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) June 7, 2021

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The recording fills in gaps from partial accounts of the call that have been previously reported. During the 40-minute conversation, with U.S. diplomat Kurt Volker also on the line, Giuliani floated an unfounded theory that it was Ukraine, not Russia that did the meddling in the 2016 presidential election, before pushing Ukraine to publicly announce an investigation into the matter, giving it further credence. I got information from a reliable investigator, international investigator, that there was a certain amount of activity in Ukraine during the 2016 election  to produce dirt on then-candidate Trump and Paul Manafort, Giuliani explained to Yermak on the call. Another one was involved with (George) Soros  Soros apparently is behind a lot of this. Any time the Soros name is dropped, you know what comes next is going to be a doozy.

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Giuliani then pivoted to what Trump wanted from the Ukrainians. All we need from the president [Zelensky] is to say, Im gonna put an honest prosecutor in charge, hes gonna investigate and dig up the evidence that presently exists and is there any other evidence about involvement of the 2016 election, and then the Biden thing has to be run out.  Somebody in Ukraines gotta take that seriously, Giuliani said. By that time, Trump was already concocting a narrative rewriting the history of Joe Biden, as vice president, pushing Ukraine to fire its prosecutor general for failing to prosecute corruption among elites in the country. Trump was using the move to imply that Biden was protecting his son Hunters business interests.* Bidens position at the time, however, was that of the Obama administration and had bipartisan support in Congress, as well as among U.S. allies, including Europe, and global financial institutions.

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At the time of the call, Ukraine was battling Russia-backed separatist troops in the east of the country and the Trump White House was attempting to bolster its leverage over the newly elected Ukrainian president by withholding U.S. military aid. On the call, Giuliani explained that announcing Biden-themed investigations would thaw any frost that the stated conspiracy theories had put on Kievs relationship with Trump. That would clear the air really well, Giuliani explained. And I think it would make it possible for me to come and make it possible, I think, for me to talk to the president (Trump) to see what I can do about making sure that whatever misunderstandings are put aside.  I kinda think that this could be a good thing for having a much better relationship. Giuliani also floated a potential meeting between Zelensky and Trump as a reward, something the newly elected Ukrainian president was actively seeking to bolster support as the country fended off Moscow.

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The call, like many of Trumps own calls, used the jargon of a quid pro quo while continuously sidestepping explicit transactional language. Trump World has claimed that all of this is just a president and his advisers engaging in statecraft, the simple prodding of an ally into action. The language is reminiscent of state negotiations; the crucial difference is that Trump and Giuliani were using the American government and resources as leverage to obtain a personal, political favor from Ukraine. This wasnt a trade deal or a military agreement; this was a shakedown.
President Joe Biden last week said that June must be a month of action on Capitol Hill to act on voting rights legislation. He deputized Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the charge, an effort for which, as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has repeatedly said, failure is not an option. In a letter to colleagues on Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined in, describing two voting rights bills that must become law in order to respect the sanctity of the vote, which is the basis of our democracy, and saying that they must be passed now.

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Its been an extraordinary level of maintained hype for pieces of legislation that have no apparent path to becoming law. Both the For the People Act, a broad election and voting rights package, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, a restoration of a key tool in the Voting Rights Act that the Supreme Court gutted in 2013, are bills that Democrats chose to promote as signature goals of their governing agenda. And theyre stuck.

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West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin didnt really say much new in the op-ed he published this past weekend that sent Democrats into an absolute tizzy. There was a slight, though meaningful, tightening of his position on the For the People Act: from not supporting it to saying he would vote against it. He also reiterated his position, for the umpteenth time, that he will not vote to weaken or eliminate the Senate filibuster.

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The reason this umpteenth iteration caused such anguish among progressives, activist groups, and Manchins own Senate Democratic colleagues is that theyre now on a timeline. Schumer had organized the June work period as an opportunity to show moderates in his caucus, after a relatively productive bipartisan spring, the limits of bipartisanship. He readied votes on the Paycheck Fairness Act, LGBT equality legislation, gun safety, and the most difficult priority of allthe For the People Actto establish a record of Republican filibustering and force the question within his caucus about the need to eliminate or reform the filibuster. Manchin saw this coming, though, and preempted the festivities by refusing to cooperate with his own party and give Republicans something to obstruct. Democrats laid down the track, but Manchin skipped the train.

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Democrats are beginning to acknowledge that if S. 1 has any chance of getting 50 voteswhich still wouldnt solve their filibuster problem, but one thing at a timeit may need to be narrowed or broken up. Key to that, though, will be getting Manchin to identify what provisions he would need to see changed, since his main objection to the legislation has been that a major elections overhaul shouldnt be done on a partisan basis. (Even though thats what Republican-led states across the country are doing right now.)

I frankly dont know, for example, where Joe is in terms of the actual provisions, because if were going to get something done, we have to talk about the actual provisions, Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono told reporters. What are the provisions that people have concerns with? Id like to have those identified if were going to start talking about a bill that is not going to have everything in it.

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The West Virginians preferred voting rights path would be to ditch S. 1 altogether and focus instead on forging a bipartisan agreement to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Perhaps if Democrats had a choice to snap their fingers and secure that outcome, they would, as its better than their current trajectory of securing nothing. But its a fantasy.

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First, as just about every Democrat who isnt Joe Manchin will say, the two are not interchangeable. S. 1 also addresses corruption, dark money, campaign finance, gerrymandering, and other elements of the electoral system.

Lets be really clear, its a false choice, Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock told reporters. John Lewis was my church member. I was his pastor. Im glad that we have the John Lewis bill, appropriately named in his honor. But lets be clear, John Lewis spent his last 10 years fighting for the provisions in the For the People Act.

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And so its not an either-or proposition, he added. Weve got to pass John Lewis in order to protect voting rights. Weve got to pass the For the People Act to provide some basic standards for our elections.

There are also not 10 Republicans out there who would support a VRA restoration. There is one, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, and even Murkowski concedes that there might be no way to get more than one. The next usual suspect youd expect could come around, Maine Sen. Susan Collins, allowed a reporters question about whether she could support a VRA restoration to go unanswered Monday as the elevator doors shut on her.

I havent seen 10 Republicans whove stepped up and said theyre interested in the Lewis bill. I havent seen five Republicans step up, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren told reporters. So I dont know where those 10 Republicans are magically going to come from.

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The VRAs preclearance requirements for states and localities that want to change their voting laws would directly impede the state and local Republican Party effort to restrict their voting laws. Its just about axiomatic that Republicans would oppose this. So the Republicans are sticking with the plan theyve followed ever since the Supreme Courts right-wing majority struck down preclearance: pass discriminatory laws and deny that theyre discriminatory. Theres no threat to the voting rights law, its against the law to discriminate in voting on the basis of race already, and so I think its unnecessary, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday.

Manchin has said he would provide caucus leaders with a list of provisions in the For the People Act that he has concerns with, and he met with a group of civil rights leaders Tuesday so they could sound each other out. Democrats also, according to Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, had a frank and candid discussion of the issue during their caucus lunch on Tuesday. (This is often Senate code for people smashing one another over the head with fine china.)

People expressed themselves. Theres a lot of strong feelings about that bill, Durbin said. Sen. Klobuchar and the Rules Committee put a lot of work into it, and really believe, as most of us do, that its necessary and very popular.

A reporter asked if Manchin addressed the caucus during the lunch.

He wasnt there, Durbin said. I didnt see him.
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Excerpted From The Extended Mind. Copyright  2021 By Anne Paul. Available from HMH Books & Media. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

The scene from the 2002 movie Minority Report is famous because, well, its just so cool: Chief of Precrime John Anderton, played by Tom Cruise, stands in front of a bank of gigantic computer screens. He is reviewing evidence of a crime yet to be committed, but this is no staid intellectual exercise; the way he interacts with the information splayed before him is active, almost tactile. He reaches out with his hands to grab and move images as if they were physical objects; he turns his head to catch a scene unfolding in his peripheral vision; he takes a step forward to inspect a picture more closely. Cruise, as Anderton, physically navigates through the investigative file as he would through a three-dimensional landscape.

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The movie, based on a short story by Philip K. Dick and set in the year 2054, featured technology that was not yet available in the real worldyet John Andertons use of the interface comes off as completely plausible, even (to him) unexceptional. David Kirby, a professor of science, technology, and society at California Polytechnic State University, maintains that this is the key to moviegoers suspension of disbelief. The most successful cinematic technologies are taken for granted by the characters in a film, he writes, and thus, communicate to the audience that these are not extraordinary but rather everyday technologies.

The director of Minority Report, Steven Spielberg, had an important factor working in his favor when he staged this scene. The technology employed by his lead character relied on a human capacity that could hardly be more everyday or taken for granted: the ability to move ourselves through space. For added verisimilitude, Spielberg invited computer scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to collaborate on the films production, encouraging them to take on that design work as if it were an R&D effort, says John Underkoffler, one of the researchers from MIT. And in a sense, it was: Following the release of the movie, Underkoffler says, he was approached by countless investors and CEOs who wanted to know Is that real? Can we pay you to build it if its not real?

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Since then, scientists have succeeded at building something quite similar to the technology that Tom Cruise engaged to such dazzling effect. (John Underkoffler is now himself the CEO of Oblong Industries, developer of a Minority Reportlike user interface he calls a Spatial Operating Environment.) Whats more, researchers have begun to study the cognitive effects of this technology, and they find that it makes real a promise of science fiction: It helps people to think more intelligently.

The particular tool that has become the subject of empirical investigation is the large high-resolution displayan oversized computer screen to which users can bring some of the same navigational capacities they would apply to a real-world landscape. Picture a bank of computer screens three and a half feet wide and nine feet long, presenting to the eye some 31.5 million pixels. (The average computer monitor has fewer than 800,000 pixels.) Robert Ball, an assistant professor of computer science at Weber State University in Utah, has run numerous studies comparing peoples performance when interacting with a display like this to their performance when consulting a conventionally proportioned screen.

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The improvements generated by the use of the super-sized display are striking. Ball and his collaborators have reported that large high-resolution displays increase by more than tenfold the average speed at which basic visualization tasks are completed. On more challenging tasks, such as pattern finding, study participants improved their performance by 200 to 300 percent when using large displays. Working with the smaller screen, users resorted to less efficient and more simplistic strategies, producing fewer and more limited solutions to the problems posed by experimenters. When using a large display, they engaged in higher-order thinking, arrived at a greater number of discoveries and achieved broader, more integrative insights. Such gains are not a matter of individual differences or preferences, Ball emphasizes; everyone who engages with the larger display finds that their thinking is enhanced.

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Why would this be? Large high-resolution displays allow users to deploy their physical embodied resources, says Ball, adding, With small displays, much of the bodys built-in functionality is wasted. These corporeal resources are many and rich. They include peripheral vision, or the ability to see objects and movements outside the area of the eyes direct focus. Research by Ball and others shows that the capacity to access information through our peripheral vision enables us to gather more knowledge and insight at one time, providing us with a richer sense of context. The power to see out of the corners of our eyes also allows us to be more efficient at finding the information we need, and helps us to keep more of that information in mind as we think about the challenge before us. Smaller displays, meanwhile, encourage a narrower visual focus, and consequently more limited thinking. As Ball puts it, the availability of more screen pixels permits us to use more of our own brain pixels to understand and solve problems.

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Our built-in embodied resources also include our spatial memory: our robust capacity to remember where things are located in space. This ability is often wasted, as Ball would have it, by conventional computer technology: On small displays, information is contained within windows that are, of necessity, stacked on top of one another or moved around on the screen, interfering with our ability to relate to that information in terms of where it is located. By contrast, large displays, or multiple displays, offer enough space to lay out all the data in an arrangement that persists over time, allowing us to leverage our spatial memory as we navigate through that information.

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Researchers from the University of Virginia and from Carnegie Mellon University reported that study participants were able to recall 56 percent more information when it was presented to them on multiple monitors rather than on a single screen. The multiple monitor setup induced the participants to orient their own bodies toward the information they soughtrotating their torsos, turning their headsthereby generating memory-enhancing mental tags as to the informations spatial location. Significantly, the researchers noted, these cues were generated without active effort. Automatically noting place information is simply something we humans do, enriching our memories without depleting precious mental resources.

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Other embodied resources engaged by large displays include proprioception, or our sense of how and where the body is moving at a given moment, and our experience of optical flow, or the continuous stream of information our eyes receive as we move about in real-life environments. Both these busy sources of input fall silent when we sit motionless before our small screens, depriving us of rich dimensions of data that could otherwise be bolstering our recall and deepening our insight.

Indeed, the use of a compact display actively drains our mental capacity. The screens small size means that the map we construct of our conceptual terrain has to be held inside our head rather than fully laid out on the screen itself. We must devote some portion of our limited cognitive bandwidth to maintaining that map in mind; whats more, the mental version of our map may not stay true to the data, becoming inaccurate or distorted over time. Finally, a small screen requires us to engage in virtual navigation through informationscrolling, zooming, clickingrather than the more intuitive physical navigation our bodies carry out so effortlessly. Robert Ball reports that as display size increases, virtual navigation activity decreasesand so does the time required to carry out a task. Large displays, he has found, require as much as 90 percent less window management than small monitors.

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Of course, few of us are about to install a 30-square-foot screen in our home or office (although large interactive displays are becoming an ever more common sight in industry, academia, and the corporate world). But Ball notes that much less dramatic changes to the places where we work and learn can allow us to garner the benefits of physically navigating the space of ideas. The key, he says, is to turn away from choosing technology that is itself ever faster and more powerful, toward tools that make better use of our own human capacitiescapacities that conventional technology often fails to leverage. Rather than investing in a lightning-quick processor, he suggests, we should spend our money on a larger monitoror on multiple monitors, to be set up next to one another and used at the same time. The computer user who makes this choice, he writes, will most likely be more productive because she invested in the human component of her computer system. She has more information displayed at one time on her monitor, which, in turn, enables her to take advantage of the human side of the equation.

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Large-format displays and multimonitor setups are just one way humans can hack the brains built-in navigational system. Research has found that all of us seem to use this system to construct mental maps, not just of physical places but of the more abstract landscape of concepts and datathe space of ideas. This repurposing of our sense of physical place to navigate through purely mental structures is reflected in the language we use every day: We say the future lies up ahead, while the past is behind us; we endeavor to stay on top of things and not to get out of our depth; we reach for a lofty goal or stoop low to commit a disreputable act. These are not merely figures of speech but revealing evidence of how we habitually understand and interact with the world around us. Notes Barbara Tversky, a professor of psychology and education at Teachers College in New York: We are far better and more experienced at spatial thinking than at abstract thinking. Abstract thought can be difficult in and of itself, but fortunately it can often be mapped onto spatial thought in one way or another. That way, spatial thinking can substitute for and scaffold abstract thought.

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Scientists have long known that the hippocampus is centrally involved in our ability to navigate through physical space. More recently, researchers have shown that this region is engaged in organizing our thoughts and memories more generally: It maps abstract spaces as well as concrete ones. In a study published in 2016, neuroscientist Branka Milivojevic, of the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour in the Netherlands, scanned the brains of a group of volunteers as they watched the 1998 movie Sliding Doors. In this romantic comedy-drama, the main character, Helenplayed by actress Gwyneth Paltrowmeets two different fates. In one storyline, she makes it onto a train and returns home in time to find her boyfriend in bed with another woman. In a second, parallel storyline, she misses the train and remains oblivious to her boyfriends infidelity. As the study participants watched the film, Milivojevic and her collaborators observed activity in their hippocampi identical to that of people who are mentally tracing a path through a physical space. Milivojevic proposes that the viewers of Sliding Doors were effectively navigating through the events of the movie, finding their way along its branching plotline and constructing a map of the cinematic territory as they went. We process our firsthand experiences in the same manner, she submits.

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Such research points toward another effective spatial hack: drawing a concept map that captures the mental map we carry around in our heads. A concept map is a visual representation of facts and ideas, and of the relationships among them. One immediate benefit of drawing a concept map is that we offload the information it depicts, moving it out of our heads and onto a whiteboard or a sheet of paper. Keeping a thought in mindwhile also doing things to and with that thoughtis a cognitively taxing activity. We put part of this mental burden down when we delegate the representation of the information to physical space; in so doing, we gain more mental resources to think about that same material.

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In addition to this expanded bandwidth, the act of creating a concept map generates a number of other advantages. It forces us to reflect on what we know, and to organize it into a coherent structure. As we construct the concept map, the process may reveal gaps in our understanding of which we were previously unaware. And, having gone through the process of concept mapping, we remember the material betterbecause we have thought deeply about its meaning.

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And there is yet another benefit produced by turning a mental map into a stable external artifact. Once a concept map is completed, the knowledge that usually resides inside the head is made visible. By inspecting the map, were better able to see the big picture, and to resist becoming distracted by individual details. We can also more readily perceive how the different parts of a complex whole are related to one another. While representations in the mind and representations on the page may seem roughly equivalent, in fact they differ significantly in terms of what psychologists call their affordancesthat is, what were able to do with them. When thought overwhelms the mind, notes Barbara Tversky, the mind uses the body and the world.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
On Monday, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced that he will travel to space on July 20 with his brother Mark. Bezos will be aboard the New Shepard rocket created by Blue Origin, the aerospace company he and Mark founded, and will be accompanied by the winner of an online auction. The current bid is $3.8 million and the winner will be announced Saturday. Imagine not just going to space, but going with Jeff Bezos.

During the 11-minute flight, the passenger capsule will detach from the rocket more than 60 miles above the Earth. Bezos and the others will experience a few minutes of weightlessness and then the capsule will parachute back to Earth.

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The New Shepard has gone to space 15 times already, but this will be the first time that it will carry humans. The flight will take place on the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and a few weeks after Bezos steps down as the CEO of Amazon. (He will remain executive chairman.)

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Bezos announcement has reopened the discussions about the future of space tourism, which Blue Origin, SpaceX (founded by Elon Musk), and Virgin Galactic (founded by Richard Branson) have all invested heavily in. Virgin Galactic has previously sold tickets for $250,000 on its suborbital spaceplane, but it plans to raise prices once it reopens sales. (That puts to shame one estimate from 2010 that by 2014, the cost of a suborbital ticket would be $50,000 - $100,000.) As of July 2020, Virgin Galactic said it had sold more than 650 tickets for suborbital trips like Bezos: brief experiences of weightlessness with views of space.

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But for a period of time, some very wealthy people were able to experience space in a different way: spending a few days at the International Space Station after hitching a ride on Russian Soyuz spacecraft.

Dennis Tito, a multimillionaire businessman from Los Angeles, is widely considered to be the first space tourist, since he was the first to pay for a space trip. (Other private citizens went up before him, but did not have to shell out for the opportunity.) In April 2001, the now-80-year-old spent $20 million, worth about $30 million today, to be aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket. Titos journey to the International Space Station started in Southern Kazakhstan, at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, where he lifted off with two cosmonauts for an eight-day trip. The pencils started floating in the air, and I could see the blackness of space and the curvature of the earth, he told CNN in April 2021.

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In the same interview, he said he spent his time looking at the window, videoing the earth, the portholes, the station. That may sound a little dull, but it was just wonderful. And he would like to return to space one day. Id love to be one of the first people to go with Starship to land on Mars if I was physically capable. (Starship is developed by SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk.)

After Titos flight in 2001, six other wealthy people from around the world paid for journeys to the ISS, all of them through the Space Adventures tourism agency and aboard a Soyuz Russian rocket.

In 2002, Mark Shuttleworth became the second space tourist and the first-ever South African in space. In order to be able to fly, he had to do a one-year training, including seven months of preparation in Star City, Russia. He spent eight days at the ISS, where he participated in experiments related to AIDS and genome research. He also had a radio conversation with Nelson Mandela and a 14-year-old South African girl, Michelle Foster, who was terminally ill. During the chat, she asked Shuttleworth to marry her. He politely declined.

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In 2005, the American Gregory Olsen became the third tourist to go to space, but he has said that he dislikes the term space touristhe would rather prefer to be called space flight participant. Before he went to space, he told the BBC, The term tourist doesnt do justice to all the work Ive put in, or the work that the people at the Gagarin centre [outside Moscow] put in preparing us. In order to be able to do the trip, he trained for a year and a half. However, he added: I will not participate pretending that Im an astronaut or cosmonaut. There is so much knowledge needed to operate this vehicle.

In 2006, Anousheh Ansari, an Iranian American businesswoman and engineer, became the first female space tourist and the first Iranian woman in space. I want to reach women and girls in remote parts of the world where women are not encouraged to go into science and technology jobs. They should believe in what they want and pursue it, she told the New York Times. Like Olsen, she did not appreciate the term space tourist: A tourist is someone who just buys a ticket and then goes somewhere. They dont train for six months, including survival training in water and on land, and try to learn every system on a spacecraft, she said to the Times. She spent nine days at the International Space Station, where she participated in various experiments on anemia, back pain, and the consequences of space radiation on ISS crew members and different species of microbes that have made a home in space. A year later, Charles Simonyi, an American businessman of Hungarian descent, went upand then in 2009, he became the first tourist (sorry, Ansari and Olsen) to pay twice to go to.

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In 2008 the British-American Richard Garriott became the sixth tourist to go to space. The following year, Canadian Guy Laliberte, co-founder of Cirque du Soleil, became the last paying visitor to the ISS so far. Laliberte dedicated his spaceflight to raising awareness on water issues facing humankind. He also called his trip the first poetic social mission in space, which involved a two-hour-long webcast with several artistic performances.

Laliberte had to pay taxes to the Canadian government on his $35 million ticket, but he later tried to get the money back, contending the expenditures for the trip were business expenses and not a personal luxury trip to outer space, according to the National Post. Laliberte argued that the trip was a stunt-type promotional activity for the Cirque du Soleil group and for a charity he founded and thus did not give rise to a shareholder benefit. In 2020, Canadas Federal Court of Appeals disagreed, ruling that it was not, in fact, a business trip.

Since 2009 there havent been any other tourists. But more may be heading up soon. SpaceXs Crew Dragon plans to do a trip this year only with civilians, who will pay $50 million each for a seat. Billionaire Jared Isaacman is taking with him Hayley Arceneaux, a 29-year-old cancer survivor and physician assistant at St. Jude childrens hospital in Tennessee. More fancifully, Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa hopes to go on board of Starship together with a group of artists to the moon in 2023, for a project called Dear Moon.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Jaroslav Leitmann of Civitta takes a close look at Slovakia's potential in the promising mobility sector thanks to its already strong automotive industry.

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Automotive manufacturing has gradually matured into a dominant segment of Slovakias industrial production and export. Over the past decade, the number of cars manufactured in Slovakia increased fivefold and the industry is employing over 277,000 people, making it the most important employer of the Slovak economy.

Unlike any other industry, the automotive offers Slovakia an unprecedented opportunity to become a technology champion in such a massive and global market. Slovakia is the world leader in terms of cars produced per capita, but R&D and innovation activities within the automotive industry remain underdeveloped and disconnected from the manufacturing base. In combination with autonomous driving technology, the sharing economy will likely reduce the global demand for cars in the upcoming years. Any significant decrease in demand for cars would not go unnoticed.

Globally advanced manufacturing

Standing in front of the challenges related to automation across the manufacturing industry, Slovakia needs to find a way to evolve from an economy dependent on volumes of cars produced to a regional technology hub that offers competitive R&D expertise and talent.

The automotive factories located in Slovakia are among the most advanced production facilities globally. This constitutes a window of opportunity for Slovak tech companies to offer solutions, further improving the manufacturing processes, especially regarding the adoption of fully automated and digitalized production solutions.

Efforts to achieve carbon neutrality push car producers to adopt new ecological types of vehicle propulsion. The radical nature of such changes mitigates the dominant position of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in the development of combustion engines. Nowadays, people in cities prefer alternative mobility forms over car ownership, creating entirely new segments of urban micro-mobility and data-driven smart mobility.

To capitalize on these opportunities, a complex sectoral collaboration is needed among foreign multinationals, Slovak startups, and the R&D ecosystem. Achieving such collaboration could be formed around innovation & mobility labs that connect traditional stakeholders currently grouped in the Automotive Industry Association of the Slovak Republic, smaller specialized clusters with startups and entrepreneurs, and the university R&D environment.

New mobility trends create an opening for diversification

New mobility trends will likely reduce the volume of private vehicle sales. Particularly in urban areas, demand for private ownership of vehicles will drop significantly. With 44% of Slovakias industrial base being in automotive manufacturing, any drop in demand for cars will have a negative impact. Moreover, with 277,000 jobs being directly or indirectly connected to automotive manufacturing, automation represents a significant asset and possible threat to the Slovak economy.

Rising demand for mobility services, data connectivity, and software will cause disruption. Traditional OEMs and suppliers will need to adapt to capitalize on changing market trends. For example, the increasing data-connectivity of vehicles will require new technological solutions, and the shift towards autonomous vehicles will create new opportunities in software development. With the shift towards mobility as service, incumbent OEMs and suppliers will be challenged by traditionally non-automotive companies like Apple, Google, Uber, Lyft, and others.

The shifting global trends will put increasing pressure on OEMs and their suppliers to invest more in R&D intensive activities to remain relevant. With a decreasing demand for cars, the industry will prioritize markets with strong R&D capacities. The future disruption in automotive manufacturing will require that Slovakias automotive industry graduates from a manufacturing-heavy industry into a more knowledge and R&D intensive one.

Reversing Slovakias vulnerability by connecting stakeholders

For Slovakia to maintain its competitiveness in the changing automotive and mobility industry the local market needs to demonstrate competitive potential in terms of R&D capacities and expertise, a supply of high-quality university graduates, and a flourishing startup ecosystem.

The affordable and highly skilled labor force in Slovakia allowed for the introduction of advanced manufacturing processes. The manufacturing sites localized in Slovakia are already among the most advanced in production processes, positioning them to become flagship locations in piloting state-of-the-art manufacturing solutions. Slovak tech companies and universities need to leverage the opportunity and interact more with the automotive manufacturing process and logistics.

More connections between the automotive and mobility sector with the local universities and R&D base need to be brokered. The overall public and private investment in R&D activities in Slovakia needs to increase as well and the local technology startups, researchers, and R&D professionals need to be supported and encouraged to work on collaborative, innovative projects.

Innovation & mobility labs can be the answer

To connect the automotive sector with the local R&D base, Slovakia needs to stimulate the formation of collaborative research projects. The concept of innovation & mobility labs is already being pursued by companies like Skoda, PSA, or launched as multi-stakeholder initiatives of the government, OMEs, SMEs, universities, and municipalities. Examples of well-functioning mobility labs include Future Mobility Lab in Usti nad Labem, Urban Mobility Labs in Austria or RECAR in Hungary. Innovation and mobility labs provide advanced incubation and advisory services that combine business incubation and R&D advisory elements to foster interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration.

Gradually, the clustering of automotive, mobility, and innovation communities can also increase the utilization of existing research infrastructure and drive public and private investment in strategic research infrastructure. In turn, this can increase the attractiveness of Slovakia to talented professionals, researchers, and startups from abroad.

Shift to radical innovation over process automation

The efforts to achieve carbon neutrality are pushing the adoption of electromobility, and eventually hydrogen vehicles. Adopting alternative propulsion engines creates a demand for radical innovation and causes a dramatic change in the production value chain. Electricity will play a major role in this transformation as there is 30-60% of direct electrification rate in transport estimated for the total EU transportation sector by 2050. OEMs already invest billions of euros into electric vehicles.

Electromobility adoption dramatically mitigates entry barriers and makes smaller R&D companies competitive with established players. In this context, more collaboration between OEMs, innovative companies, and the R&D ecosystem can lead to valuable results. Compared to process automation, the critical difference is that OEMs do not identify this area of innovation as essential in Slovakia yet. However, initiatives like Slovak Battery Alliance and Slovak Electric Vehicle Association or R&D and battery production companies like InoBat demonstrate that Slovakia has a strong position to participate in the growing battery business.

Slovakia can also focus on urban and smart mobility trends. Urban mobility is a fast-growing segment ranging from micro-mobility solutions like e-scooters to technologies improving public transportation. Advanced data analytics shapes the smart mobility future, creating opportunities for innovations that improve mobility-related data collection, processing, and interpretation. It is vital to connect the R&D ecosystem with municipalities, public transport providers, and other relevant local stakeholders.

Building an active ecosystem

To overcome this barrier, innovative Slovak companies should actively demonstrate their capability to solve global challenges and offer state-of-the-art solutions for ecological transportation and other areas undergoing radical change, such as autonomous vehicle technologies. On top of that, the clustering of the worlds of academia, startups, and industry can yield synergistic effects, helping aggregate greater talent and research base. In turn, these elements will help attract investors who will prioritize Slovakia over other countries due to its research potential and human capital.

The industry has already developed platforms and organizations which could offer opportunities for Slovak innovators. The Automotive Industry Association of the Slovak Republic (AIA SR) groups more than 200 stakeholders, ranging from OEMs to universities. Industry Innovation Cluster (IIC) was founded in 2017 by nine industrial players who directly employ more than 25,000 employees in Slovakia. IIC aims to connect corporates exploring innovative technologies and services to improve transportation options. Smart Mobility Slovakia is a public project which facilitates collaboration among industry, R&D ecosystem, and other relevant stakeholders by providing a web platform for broader matchmaking opportunities. With a collaborative mindset, the existing organizations can already play an important role in connecting the worlds of startups, industry, and academia.

Conclusion

To advance Slovakias automotive sector, active and vibrant innovation communities are needed to connect traditional automotive stakeholders, new innovative mobility stakeholders, and the R&D environment.

Connect R&D and industrial base

Like assembly lines, manufacturers establish their R&D centers where they find the best and most affordable talent. Slovakia needs to demonstrate competitive potential in terms of R&D capacities and expertise, a supply of high-quality university graduates, and a flourishing startup ecosystem. As a result, key industry players will be more likely to relocate and establish more of their R&D capacities in Slovakia. Therefore, more resources and effort need to be dedicated to maximizing research and innovation collaboration. This is a stepping-stone in transitioning from an economy that only assembles and ships to an economy that develops new innovative products and services with high-added value.

Inclusive and practical initiatives

It is essential to provide all kinds of platforms and opportunities to facilitate collaboration among the different stakeholders. Mobility labs could accelerate the best research ideas to commercially and industrially applicable solutions by connecting research teams and idea holders with the industry. Complicated technology transfer rules for research outputs can still discourage private companies from cooperation with research institutions. The government needs to de-risk and motivate private entities to cooperate with the Slovak R&D ecosystem and entrepreneurs. To remain competitive, Slovakia can also adopt schemes that will incentivize companies to innovate and introduce highly efficient technologies. Tax Manifesto 2020, signed by the majority of international Chambers of Commerce in Slovakia, introduced the idea of tax support to help companies with the adoption of new technologies.

Build on existing initiatives and organizations

The automotive industry is mostly concentrated in the Western part of Slovakia. There are also many active organizations and initiatives like Slovak Battery Alliance and Slovak Electric Vehicle Association or R&D and battery production companies like InoBat. These initiatives should be supported and collaborate with more traditional organizations in the automotive ecosystem like The Automotive Industry Association of the Slovak Republic (AIA SR). More clustering under the roof of innovation & mobility lab types of initiatives could help demonstrate that Slovakia has a strong position to participate in the growing battery and new mobility automotive trends.

Jaroslav Leitmann is Innovation Project Manager at CIVITTA Slovakia

Originally published in Connection, the magazine published by AmCham Slovakia

8. Jun 2021 at 12:00 | Jaroslav Leitmann
Slovakia expects the Nord Stream 2 to not affect the usage of existing infrastructure

Alexei Miller of Gazprom assured that cooperation with Slovakia will continue at the set level.

Steel pipes for the North Stream 2 pipeline are uploaded in Mukran harbour in Sassnitz, Germany. (Source: AP/TASR)

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Economy Minister Richard Sulik and Foreign Affairs Minister Ivan Korcok met with the board chairman of Russias state-run natural gas monopoly Gazprom, Alexei Miller, on Friday, June 4, at the 24th International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in St. Petersburg, Russia. Their discussion touched upon the mutual cooperation and building of the 1,230-kilometre Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany.

Related article Russia's Nord Stream 2 is almost finished. Slovakia could lose millions Read more

After conversing with the head of Gazprom, it is clear that the Nod Stream 2 gas pipeline is no longer a question of 'whether' but that its construction will soon be completed and the project will be put into operation, Korcok wrote in his status on social networks. Of course, we are also following the diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Germany.

In this context, Korcok and Sulik emphasized the expectation that the Nord Stream 2 will not affect the contractual obligations in the supply of gas to Slovakia, and that transit using the existing infrastructure will also be secured.

The project will allow Russian gas to flow directly to Germany, bypassing Ukraine, Poland and also Slovakia. Proponents argue the pipeline is a commercial investment that is key to Europes supply security, while opponents criticise Nord Stream 2 on environmental, geopolitical, and security grounds, the Euractiv.sk wrote.

Miller explained in detail that the reasons for building the Nord Stream 2 is as an alternative to Jamal Europa 1 and Jamal Europa 2, which run through Poland, said Sulik as cited by TASR. This is confirmed by the fact that Russia has concluded a new gas transit agreement with Ukraine by 2024.

The positive news for Slovakia is the assurance of Gazprom that it plans to continue transiting Russian gas through Ukraine, noted the Economy Ministry.

Miller assured that cooperation with Slovakia will continue at the set level and added that Slovakia has a firm place in Gazproms strategic plans.

Gazprom is still interested in continuing cooperation with Slovakia, Korcok wrote in his status on social networks.

7. Jun 2021 at 17:25 | Compiled by Spectator staff
Pandemic has made Slovakia more attractive for investors, a survey shows

Investors perceive the governments reform policy as a positive signal for the country.

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European investors in Slovakia expect economic recovery this year. At the same time, their satisfaction with local conditions has increased and a vast majority of them would invest in Slovakia again, results of a regular survey shows.

The economic recovery is starting, said Christian Kugerl, commercial counsellor at the Austrian Embassy, as cited in the press release. However, investors are watching closely the political development.

Related article Companies fear drop in demand for their products and services the most Read more

The German-Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK Slowakei), the Slovak-Austrian Chamber of Commerce, Advantage Austria Bratislava, the Dutch Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia, the French-Slovak Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia and the Italian-Slovak Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia conducted the regular business survey at the end of March and beginning of April. The survey polled 116 companies operating in Slovakia.

The fact that the survey was conducted at a time when Slovakia was still under a partial lockdown is reflected in the results. Only 8 percent of the respondents assessed the situation of the Slovak economy as good. Contrary to this, their expectations are more optimistic.

Three out of 10 companies already see the light at the end of the tunnel, said Peter Lazar, president of AHK Slowakei, as cited in the press release, adding that as much as 38 percent of the respondents count on better results in their own businesses later this year.

This positive trend is confirmed by other indicators: 40 percent of investors expect an increase in their total turnover; more than a quarter of companies clearly expect an increase in export (29 percent), investment expenditure (29 percent), as well as hiring new staffers (27 percent).

These numbers bring us back to pre-crisis levels, said Lazar. The economic bottom of the crisis year 2020 is clearly behind us.

Bouncing back

The survey shows that the pandemic has reduced pressure on the increase of wages while investors expect it will resume within some months. They continue to lack qualified labour. Thus, for almost 47 percent of respondents, the staff shortage is one of the biggest threats to their business within the next 12 months.

The survey paid special attention to the economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on the results, almost a quarter of companies (24 percent) have already achieved the turnover they had during the pre-covid period. This share should increase to over 40 percent by the end of the year. However, more than half of the companies will reach the pre-crisis level only in 2022 or later.

The long-term consequence of the crisis may be the transformation of global supply chains. In the survey, approximately one in two companies indicated that they were considering a partial replacement of existing suppliers or looking for new suppliers. They said the region of central and eastern Europe is the target region. Many investors even want to bet again on suppliers from western Europe.

This result is in line with our conversations with German companies, said Lazar. Slovakia has obviously gained attractiveness as a procurement market for German companies.

Kugerl confirmed the growing interest on the Austrian side.

Companies want to expand or are looking for new business opportunities, he said. Interest in investing in Slovakia is growing again.

Still an attractive locality

When assessing Slovakia as an investment locality, the respondents praised its EU membership, labour productivity and preparedness of employees for performance, payment discipline, availability and quality of local supplies as well as qualification of employees. The survey showed improvement in parametres for combating corruption, tax policy, construction of infrastructure and transparency of public procurement.

The companies assess the governments reform policy as a positive signal for the country, said Lazar.

On the contrary, the respondents currently consider the political stability and predictability of the economic policy to be the biggest weaknesses of Slovakia as an investment destination.

The vast majority of the surveyed companies from Europe (83 percent) would choose Slovakia as the place for their investment today, which is the largest share since 2016. Slovakia, together with a pioneer in the field digitalisation  Estonia  ranked as the most attractive locality among the 20 potential investment destinations in central and eastern Europe.

8. Jun 2021 at 11:21 | Compiled by Spectator staff
The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating after officers killed a 47-year-old man during a standoff Monday.

The man held the officers at bay for about 5 1/2 hours before officers shot him at about 5:30 p.m. Scottsbluff Police Chief Kevin Spencer confirmed that the man died as a result of the shooting.

Rumors on social media had circulated that three people had been shot, including two police officers. However, Spencer quickly released that was not true and later held a press conference confirming some of the details of the shooting.

"All the officers are OK. We did have an officer-involved shooting," he said during the press conference Monday night. "...I have asked the Nebraska State Patrol to bring in a team and investigate this matter."

The shooting occurred after officers had been on scene of a standoff since noon, called to a report of a man allegedly threatening to harm himself or others with a handgun. As officers responded to the home, it was reported that shots may have been fired.

The man was said to be armed with two handguns and at one point even made contact with officers while holding a weapon behind his back.
Its certainly true that the Trump era has revealed a lot about how serious -- or, rather, unserious -- some prominent Republicans and conservatives really were about their reverence for the Constitution. But instead of going down various intellectual and historical rabbit holes, Ill just say that trying to lay this at the feet of conservative ideas is a distraction.

The core problem afflicting the right -- and to a great degree, the country -- is that the elite surrender to populism.

Definitions of populism vary, but for our purposes its best understood as the politics of the mob. The defining emotion of populism and mobs alike is passion, fueled by the invincible twin convictions that we are right and that we have been wronged by them. Its a bit like Charles de Gaulles line about the difference between patriotism and nationalism. Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.

Populism is often immune to reason and contemptuous of debate. The people of Nebraska are for free silver, and I am for free silver, William Jennings Bryan proclaimed. I will look up the arguments later.
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Russia admits that about a third of its population is living in poverty. Many Russians, and foreign economists, believe the real rate is nearly 70 percent. Russian living standards have suffered continuous disasters since 2013 when the price of the major export (oil and has) fell by more than half and has not recovered. In 2014 Russia declared it was at war with NATO and Ukraine. That resulted in economic sanctions that have gotten worse since then. When the current Russian government took power in 2000 it became very popular by keeping a key campaign promise; to reduce the poverty rate. The poverty rate fell from 29 percent of the population in 2000 to just under 12 percent in 2012. Then came economic disasters, some of them self-inflicted. By 2018 the poverty rate was 14 percent and 33 percent in 2019. In 2020 there was a local and international economic recession caused by covid19. Thats why the government's claim that the poverty rate is still a third of the population in 2021 was met with disbelief and derision. Many Russians compared that claim to something not heard since the days of the Soviet Union where official lies were the norm and denying them was a criminal offense.

Foreign Forever Wars

Russia is now a more active neighbor of Afghanistan than it was before 1991, when the Soviet Union dissolved and Russia no longer shared a border with Afghanistan. Russia continues to maintain political, diplomatic and military ties with the four new nations that once were Russian Central Asia and had a border with Afghanistan. Despite nearly a decade of fighting in Afghanistan, in an effort to prop up an unpopular communist government, Russia began rebuilding relations with northern Afghanistan, a more accommodating region during the 1980s than the fanatic Pushtuns down south. Now the Pushtuns are trying to take over again. That did not work in the 1990s and a key reason for that was the support the Northern Alliance (NA) received from Russia and eventually America as well in 2001. Meanwhile the Pushtun Taliban succeeded in the 1990s because it had a major foreign backer in Pakistan. That changed in late 2001 when the U.S. agreed to back the NA in its effort to liberate Afghanistan from Taliban control. In 2021 Russia is more willing to provide the NA with support than in the 1990s. Back then the Soviet Union had just dissolved (in 1991) and the much-reduced Russia was broke. Now Russia is less broke and interested in buying more influence in Afghanistan through the NA. Iran and India are also willing and able to back the NA if the Taliban take Kabul or just most of the south. With or without foreign support, the NA is still openly hostile to accepting Taliban rule. One possible outcome of a civil war is a temporary partition of Afghanistan, with the Taliban getting the Pushtun south and possibly even Kabul while the NA controls the north and most of the Iran border region if the NA makes a deal with Iran.

Since 2014 Russia has gotten itself involved in a growing number of foreign wars. The first was in 2014 and directed against the West, when NATO was accused of seeking to take over Russia, or at least take Russian territory. This came as a surprise to most Westerners, but not to East European nations that had lived under Russian occupation and control for decades. These East European nations were eager to join NATO for the same reason the original NATO members did; for mutual defense against Russian aggression. The new semi-democratic Russia interpreted this as an act of aggression. Russians have long thought that way.

Meanwhile more Russians were noting that China, for the first time, had a larger and more modern military than Russia. The mighty Soviet era Red Army had lost 80 percent of its manpower in the 1990s and nearly as much of its budget. That meant the 1990s Russian army was also smaller than the peacetime American army for the first time. This came at a time when China is quietly taking over the Russian Far east. The official lie is that the Russian Far East is prospering because of massive investments in infrastructure and local businesses. What the government plays down is that all of that is for turning the Russian Far East economy into something that serves and benefits only China. The new roads, pipelines, electric power production and railways are mainly to supply China. The Far East is still unable to attract Russians and more and more of the workforce consists of Chinese and North Koreans, including many there illegally or, in the case of North Koreans, as slave-labor. Chinese merchants and suppliers dominate the local economy and Russians fear that eventually the Chinese will act on the centurys old claims to the Far East and simply tell the Russian government; it is ours and Russian will not be able to do anything about it.

Russia continues to face more violence and aggression in the south from radical Moslems and nations, like Iran and Turkey, eager to reclaim territory or influence seized by Russia in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Its not just the Russian Far east that is dependent on the Chinese economy for survival. All of Russia does now and that is not a popular situation. Its not a new problem either. Back in the 1960s Russia seriously considered nuking China before it became a major threat. The American warned Russia to not ever try that. Russia fears China, just as World War II Japan feared Russia. In both cases Russia agreed to be a bystander, at least until it was clear who was losing.

The Syrian War With Iran

In Syria Russian forces have been in action for nearly seven years and the objective is to keep an old Cold War era ally, the Assad Clan, in power. The Assads and Russia share a common threat from ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant), Iran and the Turks. A major problem is that everyone (Iran, Turkey, ISIL, the Assads and Russia) are broke. Russia kept rebuilding Syrian security forces, which now get budget priority from the Assads for protection from any who would support organized opposition. The army has been downsized and the Assads depend on Russian airstrikes and local anti-terrorist tribal militias to keep remaining ISIL terrorists under control in eastern Syria. Iranian mercenaries still provide some security, but only in areas of interest to Iran, like the Israeli border and the network of roads and storage areas for weapons moving by truck from Iran to Syria and Lebanon. Sometimes Iranian mercs share bases with Assad troops. This is dangerous for the Syrians because any area with Iranian forces or equipment is subject to frequent Israeli airstrikes. Russia helps the Assads with the massive air support and also by hiring Syrians who have joined Iran-backed militias. Russia offers about $200 a month compared to $100 a month the Iranians pay. Both sums are attractive to unemployed Syrians.

Turkey is a more troublesome opponent. For example Turkey is providing Ukraine with needed weapons, like missile armed UAVs, while Ukraine has become a major supplier to Turkey for other military equipment. Turkey could support Ukraines bid to join NATO. Ukraine has become an expensive problem for Russia and there has not been a lot of activity down there lately. Russian cannot afford the financial cost.

June 5, 2021: In 2021 Ukraine began building American UH-1 (Huey) helicopters, under license, in the state-owned Odessa Aviation Plant. This plant is one of the largest MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) operations for Russian Cold War era jet fighters, transports and trainers. This includes engine overhaul. Since its founding in 2011 the Odessa Aviation Plant has specialized in MRO rather than building aircraft but it is currently the facility with room, equipment and skilled personnel to build the UH-1. The first Ukrainian UH-1 will be completed in late August, in time for the 30th Anniversary of independence from Russia (Soviet Union). Russia is not amused but cannot do anything about it.

June 4, 2021: India has sent its leased Russian SSN (nuclear attack submarine) back ten months before the ten-year lease is up and declined to extend that lease until a new Russian sub could arrive in 2025. In early 2019 India signed a $3 billion 10-year lease with Russia to obtain the use of another Akula class nuclear sub. The new sub will not arrive until 2025 and will replace the unpopular INS Chakra, an earlier Akula class sub that earned the reputation of being something of a cursed boat. India received this Akula II SSN, originally the K-152 Nerpa, in 2010 on a ten-year lease. The Nerpa was renamed Chakra and was built specifically for the Indian lease deal. Neroa finally completed its sea trials and was accepted into Russian service in late 2009. India was supposed to take it in 2008 but there have been many delays. The Indian crew for the Nerpa had been ready since 2008. Most of the delays stemmed from an accident in late 2008 when, while undergoing sea trials, there was an accidental activation of the fire extinguisher system on the Nerpa. This killed 20 sailors and civilians and injured more than 20. There were 208 people aboard the sub at the time, most of them navy and shipyard personnel there to closely monitor all aspects of the sub as it made its first dives and other maneuvers. The source of the fatal accident was poor design and construction of the safety systems on the sub. This accident led to sailors and shipyard technicians being fearful of going to sea on the boat. The sea trials were delayed, even after repairs were made. The post-accident modifications on the Nerpa cost $65 million. Traditionally, when a new ship loses lots of people during sea trials it is regarded as "cursed" and unlucky. Sailors can be a bit superstitious, especially when there are dead bodies involved. So far India has not had any problems with this, until the sonar dome incident. When Nerpa finally entered Indian service, the name was changed to Chakra II, because it was the same name used by the Charlie class Russian SSN India leased from 1988-91. The Chakra lease arrangement had India paying $178,000 a day, for ten years, for use of the sub. The 7,000-ton Akula II requires a crew of 73 highly trained sailors.

It was Indian money that enabled Russia to complete construction on at least two Akulas. These boats were less than half finished at the end of the Cold War. This was another aftereffect of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Several major shipbuilding projects were basically put on hold (which still cost a lot of money), in the hopes that something would turn up. In this case it was Indians with lots of cash and seeking to lease a sub.

June 1, 2021: Myanmar (Burma), a neighbor of China and India and formerly part of the British colonial holdings in South Asia, has a new military government that is continuing to buy Russian weapons. The Burmese generals are seeking to maintain its close ties with China and Russia while it struggles to establish control of the country four months after a February 1st coup. The Chinese ambassador there has warned the Burmese generals that their country is drifting towards civil war. China will continue to use their veto powers in the UN to block UN actions against the Burmese military and continue to do business with Burma. The ambassador warned that may not be enough because the Burmese army has not been able to suppress the popular uprising that appeared right after the takeover. China advises that if there is a civil war, Chinese support will be limited. Even before the coup Burmese generals maintained their connections with China and that was the main reason China has sold $1.4 billion worth of military equipment to Burma since 2010. Russia sold $800 million worth. Together China and Russia accounted for over 90 percent Burmese spending on imports of military gear. In 2011 the Burmese generals were forced to end nearly half a century of military government and allow elections. Russia has indicated that its support, at least as an arms supplier, would continue if a civil war developed and the generals could still pay for Russian arms, in advance if necessary.

The 2021 coup encountered an economic crisis and popular opposition that is moving towards civil war. Anti-government demonstrations continue despite troops and police being ordered to open fire. Some of the demonstrators are shooting back. So far over a thousand demonstrators have been killed by the security forces and ten times that number wounded or arrested. The Burmese military is comfortable with a cozy relationship with China and Russia but most Burmese are not. This has led to Chinese businesses being attacked and some have been set on fire. The alliance of separatist northern tribes, which reached a peace agreement with the elected government in 2016 but refused to recognize or cooperate with the military government. Many of those tribal militias have taken advantage of the situation, which has many army units in the north sent south to deal with the protests. Burmese military leaders were surprised at the extent and duration of mass protests since February. By popular agreement the economy has been shut down by the protestors and the generals have to worry about the morale and loyalty of their troops because of the months of popular protests and being ordered to open fire on fellow Burmese. The many foreign companies that manufacture in Burma have been evacuating their employees and that means getting those closed facilities operational again will take time.

The military still has income because during their decades of rule (from 1962 to 2010) they came to control many businesses and some of those were joint ventures with China. A lot of Chinese firms pay the Burmese military directly for joint ventures. This provides the military with at least a billion dollars a year, assuming they can protect Chinese operations from protestor anger. The Chinese operations in Burma now face international sanctions. Burmese army officers made a lot of money allowing China to do business in the tribal north, often at the expense of local civilians, most of them tribal people. After the return of democracy in 2011, China no longer had as much freedom in the north. Russia is of little help economically but is one of the few nations supporting the military government. China and Russia are offering advice but the major problem is the weakening morale and resolve of the troops and police. China has a border with Myanmar but so far there is no talk of Chinese military intervention, even some heavily armed peacekeepers.

May 31, 2021: In the north (St Petersburg) Russian police were alerted by airport security that Andrei Pivovarov, one of the people on the FSB watchlist, was about to board a flight to Poland. The plane was prevented from taking off until Pivovarov could be detained. This came as a surprise to Pivovarov, who was never told he was on a watchlist. Pivovarov has long been an open critic of government corruption and misrule. Pivovarov used to run Open Russia, an organization that gathered evidence of corruption and publicized it. Pivovarov recently shut down Open Russia because of the growing government attacks and threats. Apparently, the FSB thought Pivovarov was going to leave the country and become a foreign-based critic. That was not part of Pivovarovs travel plans and several of his associates and followers announced that they would continue Pivovarovs work from inside Russia and overseas.

May 30, 2021: Turkey rejected Russian efforts to cancel the recent Turkish sales of armed UAVs to Ukraine. The Turks pointed out that Russia supplies weapons to many countries, including some, like Libya and Armenia, that use those weapons against Turkish forces. In the last few years Ukraine has provided Turkey with key tech for tanks and helicopters. Turkey has already exported UAVs to Ukraine and is now also providing armed UAVs. Most of these previous exchanges between Turkey and Ukraine were done quietly, but now the Turkish military aid to Ukraine has been receiving more publicity and Russia is not happy. After all Russian and Turkish forces are facing each other in the Caucasus (Armenia) and Africa (Libya) as well as Syria. Turkey and Russia are technically allies in Syria but that alliance is falling apart.

May 27, 2021: In Central Africa (Central African Republic or CAR) three Russian military contractors and two local policemen were killed by a roadside bomb. Five people were wounded. Since 2018 Russia has allowed several Russian military contractor firms to operate in CAR, mainly to protect economic interests considered vital to the local government and foreign investors. The contractors are highly paid veterans of elite Russian army units.

May 26, 2021: In North Africa (Libya) The Russian National Oil Company (Gazprom) and a German firm (Wintershall) revealed that they had quietly resumed (in late 2020) oil exploration and extraction efforts in Libya. Several other foreign firms have done the same because they believe the late 2020 ceasefire will continue and that the Turks have shown no enthusiasm for resuming combat. Turkeys main motivation is to not misbehave as that might persuade NATO or Arab nations to intervene, and do it with UN approval. Turkey also seeks to invest in Libya. But while the Russians are welcomed, the Turks, as former Imperial rulers of Libya, are not.

In southeast Africa (Mozambique) Russian military contractors are also active, helping to protect the largest natural gas operation in Africa from local Islamic terrorists. The local government also asked Portugal, the EU (European Union) and the American Africom to send help. The Russian Wagner Group arrived first, followed by some South African mercenaries.

May 23, 2021: To the west, neighboring Belarus caused more problems for Russia when several Belarus jet fighters intercepted an Irish airliner on its way from Athens to Lithuania. The Belarus fighters ordered the airliner to land in Belarus immediately for unspecified security reasons. That was a lie because after landing police boarded the airliner and arrested one of the passengers, Belarusian web-site operator and journalist Roman Protasevich, who had become a major problem for Belarussian ruler Alexander Lukashenko. Protasevich was operating the news website Nexta from Poland. Nexta specialized in news from and about Belarus, especially the growing unrest against Lukashenko for rigging the August 2020 presidential election so that he could continue being president. While Belarus could block access to Nexta from Belarus, Protasevich has set up a Nexta account on the encrypted messaging app Telegram, which both Russian and Belarus had tried (unsuccessfully) to ban locally. Telegram was founded by a Russian entrepreneur after he fled Russia in 2014 because of disagreements with the government over censorship and corruption. By 2018 Telegram users in Russia comprised some seven percent of Telegram users worldwide, which is now half a billion users. After the August protests began Belarus found it was unable to block Telegram use, which is now used by most Belarus cell phone owners. The Nexta Telegram channels enabled protestors to plan and organize demonstrations while Protasevich collected reports from protestors about what was going on in Belarus and getting that information back to all users of the Nexta website and its Telegram channels.

Protasevich is accused of terrorism and numerous other charges. The death penalty is likely. Belarus had some help from Russia in putting together disinformation about Protasevich and seeking to connect him and Nexta with Ukrainian neo-Nazi groups. Few people in or outside Belarus believed those accusations but now Protasevich is in Belarussian custody. Most of the world caused the seizure of Protasevich as an aerial kidnapping and the U.S. and EU promptly banned any commercial aircraft from using Belarussian airspace until further notice. Russia tried to support Belarus but quickly backed down when told that the ban would be applied to Russia as well if Russian aircraft used Belarus airspace or tried anything else to interfere with the growing list of sanctions against Belarus to get Protasevich released and out of Belarus.

Arresting Protasevich has not stopped the anti-government demonstrations because Protasevich was not the only one running Nexta and the Telegram channels. There have been ten months of protests and the government is getting more desperate. The unrest is directed against decades of corrupt rule by a pro-Russia ruler. This time about 200 demonstrators were arrested. The government also responded by closing western borders, because the West is blamed for stirring up all this unrest. The Interior Minister was fired for not being able to suppress the demonstrations. So far over 32,000 protesters have been arrested while security forces violence against protests has left about 1,500 people injured, 93 percent of them protestors. At least four protestors have died, but no government or security forces personnel have been killed and most of those injured were hurt while using force against protesters.

The current unrest was triggered by the blatant rigging of the August 2020 elections. Tampering with the vote has been common since the 1990s but it gets worse and worse as more voters turn against the government with larger and larger pro-democracy demonstrations. For 26 years Belarus president-for-life Alexander Lukashenko has ruled as a loyal ally of Russia. That has not revived the Belarussian economy or improved the lives of Belarus voters. A new post-Soviet Union generation of voters has seen how life is better in democracies, especially other former victims of Russian rule like neighboring Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine. They blame Lukashenko for the poverty and mismanaged economy in Belarus, as well as an incompetent response to covid19.

The current crisis came right after August 9th 2020 when Lukashenko was elected to another term. Unlike past rigged elections, this time there were major and sustained public protests against his decades of rigged elections, corrupt rule and inability to rule effectively. Since the late 1990s Lukashenko has won reelection with 80-90 percent of the vote in visibly fraudulent voting. Lukashenko has been in charge since 1994, when he consolidated power in the wake of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the creation of Belarus. Lukashenko is a Soviet era official, who runs Belarus like the Soviet Union still existed. Belarus is a police state, where elections, and everything else, is manipulated to keep the politicians in power. It's a tricky business, but so far Lukashenko has kept the security forces up to snuff, and on his side. He bribes or bullies key officials to keep the country running. Lukashenko has maintained good relations with Russia, getting him cheap fuel supplies and other aid. Belarus is small (9.5 million people) compared to neighbors Russia (146 million) and Ukraine (42 million) and Russia wants to absorb Belarus and Ukraine to rebuild the centuries old Russian empire that the czars built and the communists lost. Lukashenko, like the majority of Belarussians, oppose being annexed by Russia. At this point Russia is not seeking to annex Belarus or send in security forces to help suppress what has turned into a rebellion against Lukashenko.

Lukashenko is becoming a liability for Russia but is currently still a favored ally. Russia would like to be rid of Lukashenko but there is no one in Belarus with his skills and experience. Russia has created a major problem for itself in Belarus. Not as bad as the mess in Ukraine, but still another setback in the Russian effort to rebuild Soviet-era Russian empire.

May 21, 2021: In the East Pacific the Russian Navy ship Kareliya, one of seven AGI (auxiliary general intelligence) vessels in Russian service, arrived off the U.S. Hawaiian Island of Kauai. The Kareliya is based in the Russian Far East (Vladivostok) and quickly moved to Hawaii when the U.S. released notices to ships and aircraft to stay out of areas off Hawaii because of hazardous military testing. The Russians deduced that this meant another ABM (Anti-ballistic Missile) test and that was conducted on the 2oth and the Kareliya sensors recorded a lot of the details as two Aegis ABMs were launched from two American destroyers to intercept a ballistic missile warhead. Unlike most Aegis ABM tests, Aegis failed this one.

May 16, 2021: In eastern Syria (Homs and Raqqa provinces) Russia increased its air operations against ISIL groups in the Badia Desert south of the Euphrates River Valley. Over the last two days Russian has carried out about 180 airstrikes in this desert area that extends into nearby Jordan. Baida covers 500,000 square kilometers (200,000 square miles) and represents about half of Syria and 85 percent of Jordan and smaller portions of Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Russia devotes even more air effort to surveillance and reconnaissance to find and track ISIL groups out there. The Baida desert has long been the scene of ISIL activity and fighting against and between Islamic terrorists. All these desert areas are thinly populated by Sunni Arabs who are inclined to tolerate or support ISIL as long as ISIL attacks were directed at military targets and not local civilians. In response ISIL has been waging an assassination campaign against Islamic clergy and staffs of religious schools who teach that Islamic terrorism is wrong.

Further west (Latakia and Idlib provinces) Russian warplanes struck ten suspected Islamic terrorists camps of groups suspected of threatening Russian bases in Latakia province.

May 14, 2021: In the Baltic Sea, Russian military pilots got their first look at an F-35 fighter because the Italian fighters assigned to the NATO BAP (Baltic Air Policing) force included Italian F-35s. When the three Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) joined NATO in 2004 it meant the NATO air defense system now extended to the eastern Baltic and air space the Russians long considered their own. Since the Baltic States had tiny air forces and were new to the joint NATO air defense network, NATO states began sending small (four aircraft) detachments of their fighters to spend a month or so providing air patrols and interception of Russian military aircraft that got too close to NATO (Baltic State) air space. After 2014, when Russia declared itself at war with NATO, the number of NATO fighters was often increased to eight or ten because the Russians increased their aerial activity, including deliberately flying into NATO air space and harassing NATO and non-NATO (like Swedish and Finnish) aircraft. Russian air force pilots were amazed at the wide variety of fighters used by NATO countries, including upgraded MiG-29s.

May 13, 2021: In northeast Syria (Hasaka province) Russian military police halted an American convoy (eight MRAP wheeled armored vehicles) and forced them to turn around. Russia said the American vehicles were travelling on a route that the U.S. and Russia agreed would only be used with the agreement of both countries.

May 12, 2021: Israel received (via Russia) the first unofficial Hamas offer to negotiate a ceasefire. Israel turned it down, citing past Hamas unreliability and deceit in such matters.

May 11, 2021: In eastern Syria (the border between Raqqa and Deir Ezzor provinces) Russia carried out nearly fifty airstrikes on suspected ISIL hideouts, including caves as well as buildings. Targets were selected during the last few weeks by UAVs, ground patrols and tips from local civilians.

Elsewhere in eastern Syria (eastern Deir Ezzor province) SDF (Syrian Kurdish militia) began a three-day search of the town of al Shuhay, where many ISIL members or sympathizers were believed to reside among the other 14,000 residents. Since 2018 Deir Ezzor has been the scene of a multi-sided battle between ISIL, SDF, Syrian army, Iranian and Russian mercenaries as well as smaller numbers of Russian special operations troops and lots of Russian warplanes overhead. Since 2020 the Russians have been using a combination of special operations troops, military contractors and Syrian mercenaries. The Syrian mercs on the Russian payroll include at least one unit comprised of Palestinian refugees, who have lived in Syria for decades. When the civil War began in 2011 most of the Palestinians sided with the rebels, a betrayal the Assads, their long-time host and protector, were understandably bitter about. Signing up as Russian mercs was a way for Syria based refugees to win back the trust of the Assads.

The Islamic terrorists suffer most from American and Russian airstrikes. The Russians supply the most airstrikes, as many as seventy or more a day for days at a time. The Syrian air force is still active but delivers about a tenth as many airstrikes compared to the Russians. The American airstrikes are more selective, concentrating on key ISIL leaders and technical specialists. There is some cooperation between the Americans and Russians in eastern Syria, but no one will admit to how much.

May 9, 2021: In northern Syria (Idlib province) Assad forces fired over a hundred mortar and artillery shells at Islamic terrorists who have been violating the de-escalation zone that is supposed to keep the Assad/Russian and Islamic terrorists forces separated. The attacks sometimes employ Russian ATGMs (Anti-tank missiles) at visible targets.
During the pandemic, Bloodworks saw a lot of first-time donors, as other activities were suspended, Reagan said. No matter what level of pandemic-related restrictions are in place, giving blood is always an essential activity, she said.

Bloodworks issued a code red call for donors in April when it had less than a 24-hour supply of blood on its shelves. Confusion about donating after getting the COVID-19 vaccine and warm weather led to an increase in cancelations and no shows, according to the organization.

After the alert, the organization had an influx of donors but it needs more people to give blood regularly, Reagan said.

Blood donors needed as regional supply hits "critical "shortage With less than a 24-hour supply of blood on its shelves, Bloodworks Northwest put out an urgent call for donors.

We see people answer the call when theres an emergency but we need to keep the blood supply stable, she said.

Donated blood is ready to use 72 hours after its given, so donations in response to something like a mass-casualty incident wont be ready immediately, Reagan said. Many people, including cancer patients, need regular transfusions.

Only 10% of people eligible to donate blood do so, and some people have misconceptions about giving blood or wrongly think they are ineligible, Reagan said.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Terry McAuliffe, the energetic former Virginia governor and longtime fixture of Democratic politics, won the partys nomination Tuesday in his quest for a second term in office.

McAuliffe will go on to face GOP nominee and political newcomer Glenn Youngkin in the November general election, when Republicans will be looking to break their more than decade-long losing streak in statewide races.

Folks, we launched this campaign about six months ago on the simple idea that Virginia has some very big challenges ahead," McAuliffe said in a speech Tuesday night. And I've said, we've got to go big, we've got to be bold, and we need seasoned leadership to move us forward and to lift up all Virginians."

Virginia is the only state in the nation with an open race for governor this year, and the contest is expected to be closely watched as a barometer of voter sentiment in each party heading into the midterm elections.

The race has also taken on heightened importance as Democrats aim to hold onto power after assuming full control of state government in 2020. Since then they have pushed through sweeping changes, from gun control and police reform to marijuana legalization and a higher minimum wage, transforming what was once a reliably red state into an outlier in the South.
Over 800 people have been arrested across the globe as a part of a trans-national investigation. Europol said that as a part of Operation Trojan Shield, law-enforcement agencies seized over 8 tons of cocaine, 22 tons of cannabis and cannabis resin, 2 tons of synthetic drugs (amphetamine and methamphetamine), 6 tons of synthetic drugs precursors, 250 firearms, 55 luxury vehicles and over $48 million in various worldwide currencies and cryptocurrencies from more than 700 locations around the globe. The security agencies also nabbed over 800 suspects as a part of the operation.

The investigation involved the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Dutch National Police (Politie), and the Swedish Police Authority (Polisen), the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Europol and law-enforcement agencies from a total of 16 countries, which includes Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Europol in a press release said that as a part of Operation Trojan Shield, law-enforcement agencies seized over 8 tons of cocaine, 22 tons of cannabis and cannabis resin, 2 tons of synthetic drugs (amphetamine and methamphetamine), 6 tons of synthetic drugs precursors, 250 firearms, 55 luxury vehicles and over $48 million in various worldwide currencies and cryptocurrencies from more than 700 locations around the globe. The security agencies also nabbed over 800 suspects as a part of the operation.

Europol said that the FBI has been working with Australian Federal Police since 2019 to develop an encrypted device company called ANOM. Over time, this FBI-run app grew to service more than 12,000 encrypted devices to over 300 criminal syndicates operating in more than 100 countries, including Italian organised crime, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and international drug trafficking organisations.

With ANOM, security agencies accessed 27 million messages over a span of over 18 months wherein the apps criminal users discussed their criminal activities. This app not only gave the security agencies access to the plans of the criminals but it also gave them access to their whereabouts. Eventually, it led to the arrest of over 800 suspected criminals globally.

Operation Trojan Shield and Europol Operation Greenlight not only reveal how transnational criminal organizations continue to exploit encrypted communication services for their own illicit gain, but also show the commitment of the law enforcement community to develop innovative strategies to counter this activity...As clearly shown in this operation, transnational organized crime is a global problem that requires a global solution, strong international partnerships and timely information sharing which are critical tools in this fight, DEA Deputy Chief of Operations Matthew Donahue said on the occasion.

Encrypted criminal communications platforms have traditionally been a tool to evade law enforcement and facilitate transnational organized crime. The FBI and our international partners continue to push the envelope and develop innovative ways to overcome these challenges and bring criminals to justice," said FBI's Assistant Director of Criminal Investigative Division Calvin A. Shivers.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The global police sting against organised crime revealed on Tuesday will prove a landmark in the technological arms race with the underworld, an industry expert said.

The use of ANOM, a supposedly encrypted communication device planted with criminals in more than 100 countries, highlights the technological battle between police and criminal gangs worldwide, said David Weinberger, who heads the research arm into global crime at the Paris-based Institute of International and Strategic Relations.

What does Operation Trojan Shield tell us?

New encrypted technologies are being used extensively by traffickers and criminals of all kinds. They had a significant head start with the advent of methods for encrypting telephone communications. But now, police forces are managing to overtake them and deal them hard blows with what (in this case) can be viewed as a Trojan Horse.

Isn't that a misnomer?

In every period of history, we see that criminals can have a technological advantage over law enforcement, which, after a while, manages to adapt and regain control.

We saw this with the use of cars in the 1970s and 1980s, mobile telephones through utilising different handsets and chips, and then encrypted messaging platforms such as WhatsApp.

There, we realised that they were using secure global systems. The criminal groups thought they were out of reach, but since EncroChat (an encrypted communications network infiltrated and then dismantled in 2020 by France and the Netherlands), we are entering a new phase.

Law enforcement agencies have succeeded in infiltrating these encrypted messaging systems on the one hand and in setting up dedicated systems on the other.

This is a case that, along with EncroChat, is a milestone in the recent history of the fight against crime.

So criminal groups have huge investment capacities?

Some criminal groups can invest significant amounts in research and development. In drug trafficking, we have seen this in camouflage methods, transport methods, custom-made submarines, techniques for making false documents.

It is not uncommon for a criminal organisation to lose a means of transport worth several million euros, without this posing any real financial problem. These groups can invest tens of millions of euros in this kind of thing.

What is the next step in this technological race?

You can imagine anything. They must already be trying to find ways of getting around it, knowing that communicating securely is a major issue. We can imagine new networks, satellite or otherwise.

In Mexico, there are homemade networks that make it possible not to use traditional networks. We know that there is an internationalisation of criminal activities. It has become easier and easier to coordinate trafficking, to transport illegal goods around the world and this has increased the importance of communications.

What about the old-fashioned carrier method?

One of the strategies for getting around this technological war may be to go back to extremely simple systems, such as messengers or pigeons... We know that the more technology there is, the more opportunities there are to be hacked and monitored.

We have seen this with telephones: many traffickers have gone back to mobiles from the 2000s because they are much less susceptible to hacking. But we are in a period of globalisation of economic activities. And criminal activities are intertwined with the real economy, so they follow the same trends.

With a little delay?

More like one step ahead. The motivation of criminal organisations can be summed up with two points: the activity is extremely lucrative, and the risks run up to incarceration or death. So there is a very strong motivation to be at the cutting edge of methods and technologies.

Furthermore, compared to public bodies or private companies, they are not limited by regulatory or normative constraints. This gives them more flexibility.

 2021 AFP
In this undated photo supplied by the New Zealand police, a box containing a large amounts of cash is seen after being discovered during a police raid as part of Operation Trojan. Authorities in Australia and New Zealand Tuesday, June 8, 2021, say they've dealt a huge blow against organized crime after hundreds of criminals were tricked into using a messaging app that was being secretly run by the FBI. Credit: New Zealand Police via AP

Criminal gangs divulged plans for moving drug shipments and carrying out killings on a secure messaging system secretly run by the FBI, law enforcement agencies said Tuesday, as they unveiled a global sting operation they said dealt an "unprecedented blow" to organized crime in countries around the world.

The operation known as Trojan Shield led to police raids in 16 nations. More than 800 suspects were arrested and more than 32 tons of drugsincluding cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines and methamphetamineswere seized along with 250 firearms, 55 luxury cars and more than $148 million in cash and cryptocurrencies.

The seeds of the sting were sown in 2018 when law enforcement agencies took down a company called Phantom Secure that provided customized end-to-end encrypted devices to criminals, according to court papers. Unlike typical cell phones, the devices don't make phone calls or browse the internetbut allow for secure messaging. As an outgrowth of the operation, the FBI also recruited a collaborator who was developing a next-generation secure-messaging platform for the criminal underworld called ANOM. The collaborator engineered the system to give the agency access to any messages being sent.

ANOM didn't take off immediately. But once other secure platforms used by criminal gangs to organize drug trafficking underworld hits and money laundering were taken down by police, chiefly EncroChat and Sky ECC, gangs were in the market for a new one and the FBI's platform was ready. Over the past 18 months, the agency provided phones via unsuspecting middlemen to more than 300 gangs operating in more than 100 countries.

Law enforcement officials walk past an Operation Trojan Shield logo at a news conference, Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in San Diego. The global sting operation involved an encrypted communications platform developed by the FBI and has sparked a series of raids and arrests around the world in which more than 800 suspects were arrested and more than 32 tons of drugscocaine, cannabis, amphetamines and methamphetamines were seized. Credit: AP Photo/Denis Poroy

Intelligence gathered and analyzed "enabled us to prevent murders. It led to the seizure of drugs that led to the seizure of weapons. And it helped prevent a number of crimes," Calvin Shivers, assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, told a news conference in The Hague, Netherlands.

The operationled by the FBI with the involvement of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the European Union police agency Europol and law enforcement agencies in several countriesdealt "an unprecedented blow to criminal networks, and this is worldwide," said Dutch National Police Chief Constable Jannine van den Berg.

Australian Federal Police Commander Jennifer Hearst called it "a watershed moment in global law enforcement history."

The ANOM app became popular in criminal circles as users told one another it was a safe platform. All the time, police were looking over the shoulders of criminals as they discussed hits, drug shipments and other crimes.

Acting U.S Attorney Randy Grossman, right, speaks as law enforcement officials look on during a news conference announcing Operation Trojan shield, Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in San Diego. The global sting operation involved an encrypted communications platform developed by the FBI and has sparked a series of raids and arrests around the world in which more than 800 suspects were arrested and more than 32 tons of drugscocaine, cannabis, amphetamines and methamphetamines were seized. Credit: AP Photo/Denis Poroy

"There was a void that was created by a lack of these encrypted platforms," Shivers said, of the initial move to take down apps previously used by gangs. "So that created an opportunity for collaboration with our international partners, to not only develop the specific tool but also to develop the process of gathering the intelligence and disseminating the intelligence."

The FBI collaborator effectively created a "blind copy" channel so that every single message sent by ANOM users ended up on a server run by the agency, court documents say.

Since October 2019, the FBI has has cataloged more than 20 million messages from a total of 11,800 deviceswith about 9,000 currently active, according to the documents, which cited Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Australia and Serbia as the most active countries.

Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman speaks at a news conference announcing Operation Trojan shield, Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in San Diego. The global sting operation involved an encrypted communications platform developed by the FBI and has sparked a series of raids and arrests around the world in which more than 800 suspects were arrested and more than 32 tons of drugscocaine, cannabis, amphetamines and methamphetamines were seized. Credit: AP Photo/Denis Poroy

They say the number of active ANOM users was only 3,000 until Sky, one of the platforms previously used by criminal gangs, was dismantled in March.

While primarily used in drug trafficking and money-laundering, an FBI agent quoted in the documents says "high-level public corruption cases (also were ) initiated as a result." The agent said a goal of Trojan Shield was to "shake the confidence in this entire industry because the FBI is willing and able to enter this space and monitor messages."

Law enforcement agencies from Sweden to New Zealand described the operation as having a significant impact.

Swedish police prevented a dozen planned killings and believe that they have arrested several "leading actors in criminal networks," according to a statement from Linda Staaf, the head of Sweden's national criminal intelligence unit.

New Zealand police National Organized Crime Group Director, Detective Superintendent Greg Williams addresses the media on Operation Trojan at the Auckland Central Police headquarters, in New Zealand, Tuesday, June 8, 2021. Authorities in Australia and New Zealand said Tuesday that they've dealt a huge blow against organized crime after hundreds of criminals were tricked into using a messaging app that was being secretly run by the FBI. Credit: Jed Bradley/NZ Herald via AP

Finnish police said Tuesday that nearly 100 people have been detained and more than 500 kilograms (half a ton) of drugs confiscated, along with dozens of guns and cash worth hundreds of thousands of euros (dollars). In Germany, the general prosecutor's office in Frankfurt said that more than 70 people were arrested Monday and drugs, cash and weapons were also seized.

In Australia, authorities said they arrested 224 people and seized more than four tons of drugs and $35 million. New Zealand police said they had arrested 35 people and seized drugs and assets worth millions of dollars.

"Today, the Australian government, as part of a global operation, has struck a heavy blow against organized crime," Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters. "Not just in this country, but one that will echo around organized crime around the world."

In this undated photo supplied by the New Zealand police, a bag of marijuana is displayed during a police raid as part of Operation Trojan. Authorities in Australia and New Zealand said Tuesday, June 8, 2021, they've dealt a huge blow to organized crime after hundreds of criminals were tricked into using a messaging app that was being secretly run by the FBI. Credit: New Zealand Police via AP

In this undated photo supplied by the New Zealand police, a large amount of cash is displayed during a police raid as part of Operation Trojan. Authorities in Australia and New Zealand said Tuesday, June 8, 2021, they've dealt a huge blow to organized crime after hundreds of criminals were tricked into using a messaging app that was being secretly run by the FBI. Credit: New Zealand Police via AP

European police last year delivered a major blow to organized crime after cracking an encrypted communications network, known as EncroChat, used by criminal gangs across the continent.

In March, Belgian police arrested dozens of people after cracking another encrypted chat system and seizing more than 17 tons of cocaine.

The latest operation went even further.

"The success of Operation Trojan Shield is a result of tremendous innovation, dedication and unprecedented international collaboration," Shivers said. "And the results are staggering."

Explore further European police crack encrypted phones, arrest hundreds

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A major cryptocurrency exchange is joining the move-to-Miami moment.

Blockchain.com, whose digital platform lets users buy, sell, and trade Bitcoin and other forms of digital payment, said it would be moving its U.S. headquarters from New York to the Magic City. In doing so, it said it hoped to create as many as 300 jobs over the next 18 months, paying an average salary of $110,000.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced the move from City Hall Thursday morning alongside Blockchain.com CEO Peter Smith. Blockchain.com is among the 15 largest crypto currency exchanges by number of weekly visitors, according to CoinMarketCap.com, which tracks exchange performance.

"There have been some that have doubted the impact that crypto can have in transforming our economy into a tech-forward economy," Suarez said. "To them I would say this: How many companies like Blockchain.com are coming into this market hiring hundreds of people at this salary range? ... That's happening because of this crypto movement."

The announcement comes as Bitcoin2021, billed as the largest-ever crypto conference, is set to kick off in Miami. This week has already seen other Miami-related announcements from the crypto world, including the creation of a $25 million startup investment fund and the launch of new, city-specific crypto-coins.

Beyond crypto, the city continues to see a stream of companies, in the technology space and beyond, announce a Miami presence or investment. A desire to escape winter weather, less restrictive pandemic regulations, and aggressive courting by Suarez have combined to raise Miami's profile as a tech center in a manner that had previously seemed just out of reach.

A city of Miami spokesperson said Blockchain is not receiving any financial incentives.

In a statement, Smith said, "Thanks to a strong relationship with the local government, we are honored to join the Miami business community. The internet will be the biggest economy in the world by 2030, and crypto is the financial system built to support it. The City of Miami recognizes the industry's potential, and we look forward to contributing to Miami's rich innovation ecosystem."

2021 Miami Herald.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
South Africa: Leaders urged to unite in addressing climate change

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on leaders on the continent to speak with one clear voice to emphasise the primacy of multilateralism, and to express unwavering support for the full implementation of the United Nations Climate Change Convention and its Paris Agreement.

It is absolutely imperative that everyone must contribute their fair share if we are to limit global warming to the agreed target of well-below two degrees, build the resilience of our economies and ensure the safety and well-being of our citizens, President Ramaphosa said.

Addressing the virtual meeting of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) on Tuesday, the President said the continent needs a strong and well-coordinated common African position.

We need to adopt key messages that encapsulate Africas aspirations, and work together in the spirit of unity and solidarity as a continent.

We need to send a clear message that all African countries require support from international partners and that our development space, should be respected to achieve our climate goals and ambitions, while contributing our fair share to the global effort, the President said.

He said the continent needs recognition of its different national circumstances and capacities, as it is not realistic to expect it to meet the same timelines as developed countries to transition its economies and to disinvest from fossil fuels.

This is important, especially given the high levels of inequality, unemployment and developmental needs across our continent, particularly among women and the youth.

Furthermore, we need to send a clear signal that implementation and ambition apply equally to mitigation, adaptation and support. Increased ambition for action must be matched with enhanced ambition for support, the President said.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound impact on sustainable development and efforts to combat environmental degradation, it also presents opportunities for Africa to set its recovery on a path of transformative sustainable development.

In this regard, many governments and regions are prioritising a green recovery as part of their stimulus packages to address the crisis.

The African Green Stimulus Programme adopted by the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment in December 2020, is an innovative African-led initiative to support the continents recovery, the President said.

The African Green Stimulus Programme seeks to harness the opportunities of a green recovery through a more coordinated approach and the scaling up of resource mobilisation, capacity building and technology development.

 It is clear that Africa will need climate change, environment and sustainable development initiatives to be implemented at a much larger scale. This is not only to contribute significantly to Africas green recovery, but also to fully realise the Africa we want as espoused in Agenda 2063.

We must therefore do everything within our means to ensure a successful outcome of COP26 in November this year, particularly for Africa, said President Ramaphosa.

The President chaired the virtual meeting of the CAHOSCC in his capacity as coordinator of this continental structure. SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Graphical abstract. Credit: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2021.05.004

A solar cell developed by physicists from the University of Luxembourg and Uppsala University has recently been certified with an efficiency of 14%, which comes close to the world record of 15.5%. These new findings have been recently accepted for publication in the international journal of energy research Joule.

Solar cells technology has seen significant progress over the last decades, putting solar cells among the lowest cost sources of electricity in central Europe. Solar cells have fundamental physical limitations, and they can never be 100% efficient.

Promising new technologies

Materials for solar cells are always a compromise between losing less light and losing less of the energy. This balance can be improved considerably by using two different materials and making a tandem solar cellsolar cells which combine two individual cells and make better use of the solar spectrum. Their efficiency can be larger than 30%. Current solar cells technologies that are based on a single solar cell are limited to efficiencies below this value. Cu(In,Ga)S 2 is a semiconductor material composed of the elements copper, indium, gallium and sulfur, that is used in tandem solar cells.

Sudhanshu Shukla and Mohit Sood from the Department of Physics and Materials Science (DPhyMS) at the University of Luxembourg have investigated the loss mechanisms in Cu(In,Ga)S 2 solar cells and improved the material quality. In an effort to also improve the contact materials, they teamed up with Tobias Torndahl of the Uppsala University who has many years of experience with contact materials. The result of this collaboration was a solar cell with a 14% efficiency, which can be considered to be only the beginning of further developments.

The 14% solar cell has been certified by the calibration laboratory at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems.

"When we develop solar cells in our laboratory, we measure their efficiency under well-defined conditions. However, there can always be small fluctuations between different labs. Therefore, a few labs around the world have specialized in the certification of solar cell efficiencies. Their results are truly comparable and are therefore the only ones that are accepted for any claims of record efficiencies," explains Prof. Susanne Siebentritt, head of the laboratory for photovoltaics at the University of Luxembourg.

Explore further Scientists develop transparent electrode that boosts solar cell efficiency

More information: Sudhanshu Shukla et al, Over 15% efficient wide-band-gap Cu(In,Ga)S 2 solar cell: Suppressing bulk and interface recombination through composition engineering, Joule (2021). Journal information: Joule Sudhanshu Shukla et al, Over 15% efficient wide-band-gap Cu(In,Ga)Ssolar cell: Suppressing bulk and interface recombination through composition engineering,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.joule.2021.05.004
Death in Paradise has revealed new casting for series 11 as filming begins.

The hit BBC drama will be back for more with production underway on the French Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe

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Joining the cast for series 11 will be rising star Shantol Jackson (Yardie, Sprinter) who will play ambitious young sergeant, Naomi Thomas, a gifted officer who has arrived from a neighbouring island to join the Saint Marie Police. But having come from a smaller police force, will her lack of experience get the better of her?

Taking on the role, Shantol said: "I'm so grateful for this amazing opportunity to join the cast of this fun-filled, entertaining series. I used to watch Death in Paradise with my dad in Jamaica years ago when it just started and to now be in the show, knowing that he'll be watching me, it's truly a surreal moment. Looking forward to adding to the magic!"

Reprising their roles are series regulars Ralf Little as D.I. Neville Parker, Josephine Jobert as D.S Florence Cassell, Don Warrington as Commissioner Selwyn Patterson, Tahj Miles as Officer Marlon Pryce and Elizabeth Bourgine as Mayor Catherine Bordey.

As for what to expect from series 11, a teaser shares: "At the end of the tenth anniversary series, which averaged nearly nine million viewers, fans saw JP leave Saint Marie, trainee officer Marlon Pryce become a permanent member of the team, and Neville on the cusp of revealing his true feelings for Florence, leaving audiences on the edge of their seats.

"Series eleven will see even more mysterious murders, guest stars galore, huge surprises and plenty of twists. How will Marlon cope without JP? Will Neville disclose how he really feels about Florence and how will she respond to this bombshell? If thats not enough, could the return of familiar faces to the island cause trouble in paradise?"

Executive producer, Tim Key said: Were so excited to be back in Guadeloupe and calling action on our eleventh series - and also to welcome Shantol to the cast. Shes an amazing addition to the team and we cant wait for the audience to meet Naomi.

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"We also cant wait to share some huge surprises weve got in store - after the success of our tenth anniversary weve set the bar pretty high, so were pulling out all the stops to make this our best series yet.

All series of Death in Paradise are available to watch online now on BBC iPlayer here.
The two biggest Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce fundraisers of the year, Chamber Experience and Business & Bites, have been combined into one event for the first time. And it wont be the last.
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The no one is going to tell me what I can or cant do with my building attitude is real and present in not just Kendallville but any community.

The city is hoping to approach the issue with a lot of carrots and fewer sticks. The thought is, if the city gives recommendations of historically appropriate improvements, options that can fit a variety of budgets, one-on-one assistance from an on-call architect and up to 50% or more of the money needed to complete the project, building owners would have no good excuse not to try to follow the guidelines.

Historic preservation commissions are a tricky business. There is a delicate line to walk between being cooperative or coming off as controlling.

No community ideally wants to have a situation like Angolas recent window snafu, but at the same time communities need to be brave enough to declare that certain things are simply unacceptable, especially when the city is pouring literally millions of dollars into projects aimed at making Main Street more attractive and vibrant to businesses and visitors.

There are several places in downtown Kendallville where you can find examples where people made unattractive renovation decisions.
In fact, the old anti-voting-rights filibuster engine is revving up for another round of obstructionism against two popular elections bills that already have passed in the House: the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

The For the People Act would nullify many new and extreme voting restrictions, rein in campaign donations and expand ballot access. The Lewis Act would restore laws that prevent some states from changing their election rules willy-nilly. Both almost certainly would pass, albeit with some horse-trading, if they could get a real vote in the Senate.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, has made it clear the GOP will use a filibuster to make sure that wont happen. And Sinema  joining the other pro-filibuster Democrat, Joe Manchin III of West Virginia  is poised to help him.

Manchins home state went for Trump. He can play ball with Republicans as much as he wants, and hell probably win points at home for it. But once again, you gotta wonder about Sinema.

Sinema is a co-sponsor, for heavens sake, on both the voting rights bills. But her enthusiasm for the filibuster seems to come first. If Sinema occasionally puts a foot on the gas, you still can be sure shes not letting up on the brake.
Richwood, TX (77531)

Today

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 76F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 76F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
That input will be documented and included in the plan as part of the reasoning behind how the city will spend the federal dollars.

While public input is important, someone with technical expertise is needed to make sure the input is something that can be implemented, Gomez explained.

Not all of the feedback can be implemented because its not technically feasible, he said.

An expansion of transit services has long been planned, Falmlen said.

Following a transit needs analysis, a Grand Island/Kearney/Hastings intercity bus study was launched in cooperation with Nebraska Public Transit.

A final report was completed in 2020 but implementation was halted due to the pandemic.

Falmlen hopes those efforts will resume this year.

This new plan will take a lot of information from that old plan, update it, and do things like look at where we are in the intercity process and make suggestions for bringing that fully to fruition, she said. Itll make other assessments of community needs and make suggestions for how to expand from that.

Being prepared to meet the needs of a growing population is critical, Gomez said.
This is the sixth time Habitat for Humanity and local builders have worked together for the Home Builders Blitz.

She said the challenge in the past during blitz week has been rain. This week the only weather problem will be heat.

We dont want it to be super hot this week, but we dont want to be fighting mud for sure, Jelinek said.

The current blitz build will be the 108th home Habitat for Humanity has built in Grand Island since the chapter was created in 1992.

The idea for the Home Builders Blitz was something started nationally by the Habitat for Humanity organization.

Jelinek said the local chapter jumped on the Home Builders Blitz concept a number of years back after it had built its 40th home in Grand Island.

What makes this build especially gratifying is the fact that the builders are donating their time even though there is a huge demand for their services in the community.

Jelinek said they began recruiting builders for the project last fall.

She said Habitat for Humanity has a great working relationship with the Home Builders Association. Through these various cooperative projects over the years, that relationship has grown.
June is turning out, so far, to be a hot and dry month.

So far this month Grand Islands average daily temperature has been running 3.5 degrees above the 30-year average, and there has been no precipitation.

According to the National Weather Service in Hastings, it is likely that above-normal temperatures will continue at least until the end of June  and possibly even into July.

They also reported that, overall, this month probably will be drier than normal, though typical chances of summer showers and thunderstorms will continue to be in the forecast, as this weeks forecast shows.

The central part of Nebraska had been suffering from drought conditions, but a wet start for 2021, with more than 15 inches of precipitation (more than 5 inches above the 30-year average) since January helping to alleviate drought conditions. But recent weather patterns have been dry.

Drought continues to grip a large part of the country, with more than 87% of the western states in moderate to exceptional drought conditions.

This weeks forecast

In Grand Island, temperatures will be in the 90s again today and Wednesday, though there is a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. Wednesday.
PARK RAPIDS, Minn. (AP)  Protesters fighting a Canadian-based companys push to replace an aging oil pipeline across northern Minnesota maintained a blockade at a pump station Tuesday as part of a summer drive to stop the project before it can go into service.

Two protesters spent the night locked down in a boat blocking the entrance to one construction site, while two others locked themselves down underneath, tucked in behind duffel bags, beach chairs, water bottles and clothing. A Hubbard County sheriff's deputy and a handful of private security guards stood by in the morning, but other law enforcement officers arrived as authorities went to work cutting the protesters free.

Deputies freed the two women in the boat early Tuesday afternoon and led them away. They worked into the afternoon to cut through the device that two men used to make it difficult to extract them from the trailer under the boat, which bore the name Good Trouble" on its stern, a quote from the late civil rights leader and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who was known for encouraging people to get in good trouble in a worthy cause.
YORK  A 62-year-old New Mexico man is facing two felony charges after being intoxicated, threatening sheriffs deputies and resisting arrest at the Henderson interchange.

Charles H. Schultz of Anthony, N.M., has been formally charged in the matter and the case has been bound over to District Court where arraignment proceedings are pending.

It was in the middle of the afternoon when the York County Sheriffs Department was dispatched to send a deputy to help another with a possible intoxicated man at the Henderson Fuel Mart.

It had been reported that Schultz drove recklessly into the fuel station and then was stumbling as he exited his vehicle. The first deputy saw that the vehicle had run over a curb and multiple alcoholic beverages were on the ground outside the vehicle.

The second deputy began to conduct a field sobriety test and he asked Schultz to place his feet together and put his arms by his side. Schultz stated he could not do that because he was drunk. Schultz became agitated and denied any wrongdoing. He said he should be arrested if he had done anything wrong.
KEARNEY  The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will unveil its vision for the future of Fort Kearny State Recreation Area and State Historical Park during an open house and feedback meeting June 22 at The Archway.

We want to just bring the public in to help us make sure we didnt miss anything, said Bob Hanover, one of Game and Parks assistant division administrators. Hanover specializes in historic sites, such as Fort Kearny.

Hanover didnt reveal details about Game and Parks master plans for the historic Fort Kearny State Historical Area or the nearby Fort Kearny State Recreation Area, but Game and Parks has acquired 57 acres that run mostly east and west on the southwest side of Fort Kearny SRA.

How the newly acquired land and other assets at the recreation area are used will be among the topics at the June 22 open house.

Hanover said some substantial improvements at the state recreation area have taken place during the past several years. They include improvements to the hike-bike trail, a new foot bridge and a better sewage lagoon and dump station to accommodate the explosion of campers and RVs.
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker talks about reopening of Illinois next week as COVID cases decline.

Illinoisans with boats, off-road vehicles and equipment they haul for work and play hope to get a break next year on licensing the utility trailers they tow thanks to a bill waiting for the governors signature.

Trailers that carry items under 3,000 lbs. qualify for the classification.

Rep. Katie Stuart, a Democrat from Edwardsville, introduced the house bill and testified to the House Revenue and Finance Committee about how the $118 rate even impacted the demand for trailers statewide.

The Illinois Secretary of States office processed 150,000 fewer trailer license applications last year compared to 2019, she said in a prepared statement.

Republican State Sen. Dale Fowler, of Harrisburg, was chief co-sponsor of the bipartisan measure in the Illinois Senate.

The bill reverses an increase from $18 signed into law by the governor in June 2019.

When it went up at first, our customers were angry, explained Mandi Endicott, owner of Harrisons Sport Shop in Hurst. This is definitely something people will be happy about.
A Carbondale man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the aggravated battery of a child, a class X felony.

Clayton Ellet, 26, has pleaded guilty to the charge, according to the Jackson County State's Attorney. As part of the agreement, he must also serve three years of supervised release after his prison term, according to a news release.

Ellet's case stems from a Nov. 29, 2019, incident in which the Jackson County Sheriffs Department was notified that a 3-year-old child had been admitted to Carbondale Memorial Hospital with bruising to his body and a brain bleed.

The child had to undergo emergency surgery for the brain bleed prior to being transported to Childrens Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, authorities said.

According to police, physicians determined the injuries were from non-accidental trauma. The child has since recovered.

Through the investigation, investigators learned Ellet was acting as the sole caregiver for the child when he delivered three blows directly to the top of the childs head, causing the child to immediately begin "seizure-like activity."

Ellet was arrested on Dec. 1, 2020, and has remained incarcerated at the Jackson County Jail.
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There are tons of lessons that have to be learned, the Meridian High School graduate said.

Among them, he explained, was the importance of having a decentralized health care system. Even though there were some issues in the system during the pandemic, he said the structure was beneficial.

It is local, its personalized, its very redundant, but it is able to marshal local resources very quickly. Im glad if we made mistakes in decisions at HHS  and there were some  they didnt rarify into the entire country because people could do what they needed to do, he said.

He said pandemic policies, programs and procedures were best left to states and local units of government because they could be more responsive and innovative in approaches to serving their areas.

Hargan used the example of the delivery of vaccines to clinics in Alaska by whaling vessels and the way Native American tribal leaders communicated the importance of taking precaution and the COVID-19 vaccine, and serving as examples, to their communities.

One painful lesson, he said, is the nation has learned the importance of having a domestic supply of medical products.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  A 131-year-old statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee took center stage Tuesday as the Supreme Court of Virginia heard arguments on whether the state has the right to take down the once-celebrated monument that is now widely seen as a symbol of white supremacy and Black oppression.

The court heard arguments in two lawsuits that challenge Gov. Ralph Northams plan to remove the enormous bronze equestrian statue of Lee from a traffic circle on Richmond's Monument Avenue.

It's unclear when the judges will issue their ruling. The court generally averages about six to nine weeks to render decisions after oral arguments, but there are wide variations among cases. During Tuesdays virtual hearing, the justices did not ask a single question of the states lawyer or the attorneys representing the plaintiffs in the lawsuits. Although the court had allotted a total of 70 minutes for arguments in the two cases, the actual arguments took just over 30 minutes.

The hearing came a day after the city council in Charlottesville, Virginia, voted to remove two statues of Confederate generals from downtown parks, including one of Lee that was the focus of a violent white nationalist rally in 2017.
Local

editor's pick alert

Bamberg County schools

Bamberg County School District consolidation advancing; lawmakers: Bill merging districts will pass soon

LARRY HARDY, T&D State lawmakers are considering a bill that would dissolve the existing two Bamberg County school districts and boards on July 1, 2022, and create the Bamberg County Consolidated School District.

Local lawmakers expect a bill consolidating the two Bamberg County school districts into one will pass by the end of the month.

It is going to pass this year. Everybody is on the same page, said Rep. Justin Bamberg, D-Bamberg.

Even though the legislative session is over, S.C. House and Senate members are conducting business through the month of June.

Then consolidation bill passed the Senate on May 6 and was introduced and read for the first time in the S.C. House on May 11.

It was referred to the Bamberg County legislative delegation, where it currently resides.

Driver dies after chase in Bamberg, Orangeburg counties; BCSO: Person was driving stolen pickup The Bamberg County Sheriffs Office says the driver of a stolen truck died in a crash after fleeing law enforcement in a two-county chase on Monday morning.

Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, is also confident the bill will pass. Hes the chief sponsor of the bill.

Hutto says he doesnt expect any major hurdles to passing the bill.

If the bill becomes law, Bamberg Countys two school districts and boards would merge on July 1, 2022 to become the Bamberg County Consolidated School District.

Bamberg says hes excited about the impact consolidation will have on education and the county.

He said Bamberg County is like a long chain and, Every single link on that chain needs to be as strong and as solidified as possible.

Two more coronavirus cases in Orangeburg County Two more Orangeburg County residents have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to figures released Monday by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

That is the only way we flourish. We have been existing in Bamberg County for a long time but existing is not good enough. We have to flourish. Consolidation is one thing that will assist in that. It will effectively equalize and standardize education across the country, he said.

Bamberg also noted consolidation will help cut down on administrative expenses and will make for a more efficient use of staffing and resources.

"The idea of having two school districts in a county our size inherently creates division among the people of the county. This is a big step in finally unifying people of different backgrounds in different parts of town. It is very symbolic, he said.

The districts consolidation plan has been approved by the South Carolina Department of Education.

The bill stipulates a new, consolidated district would be governed by a seven-member board, which initially would be appointed by the Bamberg County Legislative Delegation.

A new, nonpartisan board would be elected during the November 2022 general election.

Members elected from Districts 2, 4, and 6 will initially serve for two years. The seats will move to four-year terms with the 2024 election.

Newly elected members from Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 will serve four-year terms. This designed to make sure board terms are staggered.

Each board member would represent an election district drawn from the combined areas of Bamberg-Ehrhardt School District 1 and Denmark-Olar School District 2.

Bamberg said he plans to make a technical change to the Senate bill that would not change its substance.

He said his change would have only three of the appointed board members up for election after the first year of consolidation and not the entire board, as proposed in the Senate bill.

Bamberg said the change would ensure institutional knowledge remains on the board by keeping some board members who went through the consolidation process on the board to help new board members.

As part of the consolidation transition, the 2022 tax millage would be determined and calculated by the S.C. Department of Revenue based on the 2021 levy of the two present school districts and the value of a mill in each district.

The new school district would have total fiscal autonomy beginning in 2024.

Bamberg said legislators are still working on addressing the bond debt situation of the school districts.

Bamberg District 1 has about $24 million in debt and Bamberg District 2 has about $36 million in debt. He said each school district has had to fend for itself in addressing the debt and that has had a negative impact on the tax base.

Under consolidation, the bond debt would be consolidated with the aim of paying down the debt in the same amount of time with lower annual payments.

The state is providing incentives for school districts to consolidate.

Bamberg County has already been approved to receive $3.25 million from the State Department of Education to help pay for consolidation costs such as technology, salaries and transportation. The money could also go toward reduction in bond debt if the district so chooses, Bamberg said.

In addition to the $3.25 million already allocated, other money may also be available help pay down the districts debt.

Bamberg said there are efforts to tap into state and other funding sources that would help to generate between $10 to $15 million over the next few years that could also go toward helping to reduce the debt and lessening the tax burden.

Bamberg expects that everyone's taxes will go down, which will in turn put more money back into pockets which will help stimulate the local economy.

The school districts have already taken steps toward consolidation.

Last month, the Bamberg-Ehrhardt School District 1 and Denmark-Olar School District 2 boards named Dottie Brown superintendent and Dr. Deonia Simmons deputy superintendent of both school districts.

Brown and Simmons will assume their new positions July 1.

Brown currently serves as the interim superintendent for District 1 and Simmons currently serves as the interim superintendent for District 2.

The boards also unanimously named Devon Furr as director of finance for the two school districts and Ricky Padgett as director of technology for the districts.

They will also assume the positions July 1.
Each board member would represent an election district drawn from the combined areas of Bamberg-Ehrhardt School District 1 and Denmark-Olar School District 2.

Bamberg said he plans to make a technical change to the Senate bill that would not change its substance.

He said his change would have only three of the appointed board members up for election after the first year of consolidation and not the entire board, as proposed in the Senate bill.

Bamberg said the change would ensure institutional knowledge remains on the board by keeping some board members who went through the consolidation process on the board to help new board members.

As part of the consolidation transition, the 2022 tax millage would be determined and calculated by the S.C. Department of Revenue based on the 2021 levy of the two present school districts and the value of a mill in each district.

The new school district would have total fiscal autonomy beginning in 2024.

Bamberg said legislators are still working on addressing the bond debt situation of the school districts.
COLUMBIA  Gov. Henry McMaster was joined Tuesday by state officials to announce a new workforce training initiative between the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce and the S.C. Technical College System.

Under the new partnership, unemployed South Carolina claimants will have the option of exploring short-term retraining programs offered at their local technical college in lieu of conducting a weekly job search. Upon enrolling in and attending a short-term training program, the claimant continues to forgo the weekly job search requirement and receive benefits.

Through the power of our technical colleges we have an opportunity to jump ahead ten years through education, McMaster said. We have the culture and people who are ready to take the next step forward and we just need to get them trained and ready for work.

The cost of the workforce training program is free to the student because of McMasters January allocation of $8 million in Governors Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funds to the states technical colleges, which will provide scholarships to cover the cost of retraining 3,100 South Carolinians.
"This product is one of negotiation," said Sen. Luke Rankin, a Republican from Myrtle Beach. "It's one of everybody trying, I think in good faith, to make Santee Cooper what it should be and to move past the decision that it made  that we as a state made  to go nuclear."

The bill does shake up Santee Cooper's leadership. Over the next four years, it ousts nine of the 10 members on the utility's board, all of whom were serving before the nuclear reactors were abandoned by majority partner South Carolina Electric & Gas in 2017. It also restricts severance packages for any executives who lose their jobs.

House Speaker Jay Lucas, one of those who pushed hard to sell the company, said the provision was essential in order to get rid of "arrogant, entrenched insulated leadership."

The proposal gives state regulators more power over the utility. It allows them to review the utility's future plans to generate power and their forecasts for power, and to require public hearings and a watchdog to question utility executives about rate increases.

The bill extends the legislature's current special oversight of Santee Cooper through the end of this year, when regulators with the Public Service Commission and public watchdog group the Office of Regulatory Staff should be ready to take over the task.
It finds that the Pentagon spent hours "mission planning" and seeking multiple layers of approvals as Capitol Police were being overwhelmed and brutally beaten by the rioters. It also states that the Defense Department's response was "informed by criticism" of its heavy-handed response to protests in the summer of 2020 after the death of George Floyd in police custody.

The senators are heavily critical of the Capitol Police Board, a three-member panel that includes the heads of security for the House and Senate and the Architect of the Capitol. The board is now required to approve requests by the police chief, even in urgent situations. The report recommends that its members "regularly review the policies and procedures" after senators found that none of the board members on Jan. 6 understood their own authority or could detail the statutory requirements for requesting National Guard assistance.

Two of the three members of the board, the House and Senate sergeants at arms, were pushed out in the days after the attack. Sund also resigned under pressure.

Congress needs to change the law and give the police chief more authority "immediately," Klobuchar said.
Catholic Pastoral Centre Mamfe Mamfe Diocese

Gunmen are said to have killed one civilian and wounded many others as they attacked the Catholic Pastoral Centre in Mamfe Sunday, June 6, 2021.

Unknown gunmen believed to be of the non-state armed groups fighting to create a state called Ambazonia attacked the Francis Xavier Pastoral Centre Banquet Hall in Mamfe on Sunday around 8 pm during a Priest's birthday party, The Advocate newspaper reported yesterday.

They fired indiscriminately, killing one civilian (a driver) and injuring many, including kids, the reporter said.

The attack on Francis Xavier Pastoral Centre comes days after gunmen kept Rev. Fr. Christopher Eboka in captivity for nine days.

The Mamfe diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Manyu Division, restive South West region of Cameroon announced the safe and unconditional release of Rev. Father Christopher Eboka abducted on May 22, 2021.

According to a statement from the church, the prelate was performing his duties as the Cathedral Administrator of the diocese when unidentified gunmen abducted him from Akwa and took him to a camp at Mbilishi in Manyu Division.

The priest remained in captivity for more than a week and reports went around that his abductors were requesting a huge sum of money for his release.

The priest was finally set free in the early hours of Tuesday, June 1 healthy and unharmed.

Sources say no money was given to his kidnappers.

A video of him and Christians of the Mamfe Diocese has been circulating on social media with the priest thanking the church for the prayers and support and God almighty for his safe return.

He is one among the many who have so far been kidnapped by suspected Ambazonia fighters and later on released in the course of the escalating crisis in the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon.

Cameroons state forces have been battling to dislodge armed separatists who pitched their tents in the North West and South West Regions since Anglophone protests transformed into an armed conflict in 2017.

Corporate demands by Common Law Lawyers and Anglophone Teachers led to protests in November 2016. The street demonstrations later morphed into ongoing running gun battles between state forces and armed separatist fighters in the predominantly English-speaking regions, leading to untold destruction of human lives, their habitats, and livelihoods.

Tit-for-tat killings, kidnappings, arsons, maiming, and outright terror have become part of daily lives in some parts of the English-speaking regions.
Dr. Walter B. Curry Jr.s new book, The Awakening: The Seawright-Ellison Family Saga, Vol. 1, A Narrative History, is the first volume of narratives about the descendants of two families who share a common ancestor, Martha Kitchings Seawright Ellison.

The book begins with Martha and her family, who were sharecroppers who lived and worked on the Hugh E. Phillips plantation near Williston during the Reconstruction Era and the circumstances that involved her marriages to Dave Seawright Sr. and Joseph Ellison Sr.

The book includes stories of Curry relatives and the Corbett family, who lived together from the 1910s until the early 1920s in the Sawyerdale community of western Orangeburg County.

Currys great-grandfather, Robert L. Seawright, who was born in 1903 near Salley, briefly lived in Sawyerdale with his uncle, Furman Seawright, and his family.

The family lived and worked on the property of John. H. Corbett Sr., who was one of Sawyerdales leading citizens and respectable farmers; and whose son Benjamin F. Corbett, in 1925, proposed that the Rocky Grove township that included Sawyerdale join Aiken County to get good roads. In addition, he proposed that the county connect the old 96 from Neeses to the Aiken County line, which is S.C. Hwy 389.
All they have to do is apply, McMaster said Tuesday, of the training for in-demand technical jobs. If this works as well as we are confident it will, we are hopeful this will be a permanent part of our career process in South Carolina.

McMaster was one of the last governors in the country to issue a statewide stay-at-home order last year, and among the first to begin reopening the economy. He's frequently highlighted his view of the parallel needs to get South Carolina's businesses back on track, while still reining in the pandemic.

We cannot keep businesses closed forever, McMaster said during a June 2020 briefing, as cases in the state hit a new record high. Even in this situation, when we are still faced with a deadly virus, we must accelerate our economy.

At that same briefing, the state public health official overseeing pandemic response said she was more concerned about COVID-19 in South Carolina than I have ever been before.
How and where did the COVID coronavirus originate? Not even Alfred Hitchcock could devise such an international medical mystery, replete with political implications, foreign intrigue, and diplomatic wrangling. But this is real life, not a whodunnit. Today, a year and a half since the pandemic began, nothing is certain and we dont know who to trust.

The story begins in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, a city of 11 million people. The Communist Chinese Party reported to the world the appearance in Wuhan of the first cases of what turned out to be COVID. Since then, the CCP has engaged in misdirection, obfuscation, outright lying, and evidence destruction (early virus samples were destroyed for biosafety reasons). Even the original timeline is in doubt after The Wall Street Journal reported the hospitalization, prior to December, of three staff members of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the laboratory where Chinese scientists were studying the virus.

By mid-January 2020, COVID had spread internationally, although few outside of China appreciated the enormity of the situation. (The CCP locked down Wuhan in late January. Whether they allowed travelers to leave the city and disseminate the virus remains uncertain).
Not to take anything away from Cook, whose opinions are consistently thorough and evenhanded, but this one was bolstered by such an overwhelming collection of statutory, regulatory and judicial citations that it left us baffled at how anyone who holds himself out to be an expert on HIPAA could have failed to reach the same conclusion.

As such, it underscores our belief that state agencies should take this sort of question first to the attorney general, whose job is to provide the answers that a court likely would reach, rather than outside experts, who might provide the opinion that either the agency or that expert wants.

But the importance of the opinion extends beyond this one situation where a state agency fearful that it was violating federal law instituted a policy that violated the states Freedom of Information Act. It also provides a much-needed reminder to public officials who routinely violate our open records and open meetings law by pretending that it allows much more secrecy than it does. As the opinion makes clear, the requirements of the whole law are actually much greater than the sum of its discrete parts.
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Fort Payne, AL (35967)

Today

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 90F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.
Today

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.

Tomorrow

Mostly sunny. High 91F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
The Casper Mountain Music Festival chamber orchestra concert on June 20 at 3 p.m., will host a performance of Johann Fischers Concerto for Eight Obbligato Timpani, a delightful Baroque work featuring the full chamber orchestra and soloist Genie Burkett. The composition is unique for its use of eight timpani.

A modern standard set of timpani, or kettledrums as they are frequently called, uses only four drums. Fischers work, composed in the late 17th century, uses eight drums tuned to the eight pitches of a major scale. Genie Burkett has performed as timpanist and percussionist with the Kansas City Philharmonic, the Augusta (Georgia) Symphony, and the Orquesta Sinfonica de Maracaibo (Venezuela) and Wyoming Symphony and she was the first timpanist from the United States to perform as principal timpani with the Orchestra Sinfonica RAI in Turin, Italy.

The performance will take place at the First United Methodist Church. The Casper Mountain Music Festival will feature two types of ensembles: the large chamber orchestra on June 20 and 27 at First United Methodist Church, and smaller ensembles at the Backward Distilling Company Tasting Room on June 22 at 7 p.m., St. Marks Episcopal Church on June 23 at 12:15 p.m., and Gruner Brothers Brewing on June 25 at 6 p.m.
Govt-and-politics

breaking top story

Lawmakers look to change how Wyoming holds statewide elections

Cayla Nimmo, Star-Tribune Poll workers Sue Townsend, left, and Allyson Bright help guide voters in the Industrial Building at the fairgrounds in Casper on Nov. 3. Wyoming lawmakers are considering making changes to the state's elections, including a possible ranked-choice system or an open primary.

A state legislative committee voted Monday to pursue two bills that would significantly change the way Wyomings statewide elections are run as soon as next year.

One bill would create a ranked-choice system. The other would institute an open primary.

The Legislatures Joint Committee on Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivision voted to draft the bills after initially discussing legislation that would require a runoff if one candidate did not receive a certain portion of the vote. But doubts about the feasibility of implementing that approach by next years election led lawmakers to look elsewhere.

The effort to change Wyomings primary elections, which has been talked about for years, is gaining traction due to the increased desire to unseat Rep. Liz Cheney and the size of the field in the last gubernatorial election. During the 2018 election, for example, Gov. Mark Gordon received less than 50% of the vote but won after several far-right candidates split the electorate. Cheneys critics worry about a similar result in next years GOP House primary, which already features nine candidates.

Liz Cheneys vote to hold the president accountable for his actions has really been the catalyst for Wyoming to say, We need to address this issue as immediately as possible, said chairman of the committee, Rep. Dan Zwonitzer, R-Cheyenne. The governors race also added to it.

One of the bills would implement a ranked-choice voting system if passed in next years budget session. Right now, Maine is the only state that uses this system statewide.

Typically, a ranked-choice system requires voters to rank their candidates in order of preference, though no one is required to rank more than one. Under this system, the electorate would only have to make one trip to the polls.

Multiple people who spoke on ranked choice acknowledged that it would take a public education campaign.

The other approach would implement whats called a jungle primary, or an open primary where the top two vote-getters move to the general election regardless of party. Neither candidate would need a majority.

If the legislation passed, Wyoming would join three other states that use such a method: Washington, California and Alaska.

I am pleased that two separate bill drafts are moving forward, Zwonitzer said.

While more committee members voted to move forward with the ranked-choice bill, Zwonitzer believes that the jungle primary bill would find more success in the full Legislature next year.

One of the main reasons the corporations committee voted to pursue the ranked-choice and jungle primary systems is because neither would require a runoff election.

Runoffs are triggered if no one candidate gets a certain share of the vote. Enacting such a system would be expensive and wouldnt be ready until the 2024 elections.

Voting to draft the bills did not go by without some highly contentious moments, however.

Before the meeting, Rep. Chip Neiman, R-Hulett, was pushing lawmakers to sign a pledge to support some sort of election reform because Wyoming has struggled with primary election integrity, he wrote in an email to lawmakers. Neimans pledge prompted backlash from other lawmakers.

Lawmakers on the committee  none of whom are freshmen  said that his request was unfair and lacked an understanding for how complex the situation was. Rep. Shelly Duncan, R-Lingle, even described being under duress when being asked to sign it.

I think you made like a freshman error to call everybody out on this and cause dissension when theres not enough information on the table, said Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander.

Yeah, Ive made some freshman errors, I guess, Neiman later said.

Crook County Clerk Linda Fritz, who serves in Neimans district, told lawmakers that Wyomings elections system is already secure.

We have worked our tails off to make sure that you have good elections, and we have not heard one single, solitary substantiated complaint that we have done something wrong, Fritz said. So until we hear that, I think the legislative body really needs to consider what laws you pass to correct something that isnt wrong.

Related
Antony J. Blinken, US Secretary of State Twitter

The United States has introduced visa restrictions on Cameroonians undermining the peaceful resolution of the crisis in Anglophone regions of Cameroon.

In a statement made public Monday, June 7, 2021, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the visa restrictions on those against a peaceful resolution of the Anglophone crisis reflect the commitment of the United States to advance dialogue as a peaceful tool towards a resolution of the crisis.

He adds that it is also a testament to US support for human rights.

The United States is deeply concerned by the continued violence in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. We continue to call for both the Cameroonian government and separatist armed groups to end the violence and engage in a dialogue without preconditions to peacefully resolve the crisis. It is important that children can attend school and that humanitarian aid can be delivered. We urge all relevant stakeholders in Cameroon and in the diaspora to engage constructively and seek a peaceful resolution to the crisis, Secretary Blinken said in Mondays press statement.

We condemn those who undermine peace through engaging in or inciting violence, human rights violations and abuses, and threats against advocates for peace or humanitarian workers, he furthered.

Secretary Antony Blinken furthered: I am establishing a policy imposing visa restrictions on individuals who are believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining the peaceful resolution of the crisis in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. This decision reflects our commitment to advance dialogue to peacefully resolve the Anglophone crisis and support respect for human rights. The United States strongly supports the Cameroonian people, and we remain committed to working together to advance democracy and mutual prosperity for both our countries.

Although the US is yet to publish the list of individuals concerned by the visa restrictions, Blinken said the decision went into effect on June 7, 2021.

The United States is committed to ending the continuing violence in Cameroon and to supporting the Cameroonian people. Starting today, we are imposing visa restrictions on those involved in undermining peace in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon, he tweeted.

Cameroons state forces have been battling to dislodge armed separatists who pitched their tents in the North West and South West Regions since Anglophone protests transformed into an armed conflict in 2017.

Corporate demands by Common Law Lawyers and Anglophone Teachers led to protests in November 2016. The street demonstrations later morphed into ongoing running gun battles between state forces and armed separatist fighters in the predominantly English-speaking regions, leading to untold destruction of human lives, their habitats, and livelihoods.

Tit-for-tat killings, kidnappings, arsons, maiming, and outright terror have become part of daily lives in some parts of the English-speaking regions. Members of the Cameroonian diaspora are directing the separatist movement, with most of the ringleaders living in the United States.
In a past life, Ralph Kopelman sold mens suits.

But these days, most men dont wear suits unless they are attending a wedding, a funeral or a court hearing, says Ralph Kopelman, owner of Cranford Vanilla Bean Creamery in Cranford, New Jersey. Kopelman sold suits for about 30 years, but an earlier life experience was calling him to an entirely new vocation.

When he was growing up in Queens, New York, in the 1970s, Kopelman worked at his fathers candy store. In addition to selling candies and newspapers, Kopelman would scoop ice cream for customers. Although he admits it wasnt a glamorous job, Kopelman has fond memories working behind the counter and making people smile with a cone of ice cream.

That memory pushed him out of the clothing business and propelled him into his passion for ice cream. Kopelman experimented with ice cream recipes at home before enrolling in courses at Ice Cream University in West Orange, New Jersey, a local company that offers seminars, workshops and consulting to would-be ice cream business owners. After taking classes, Kopelmans goal was to make and serve premium, artisanal ice cream.

He and his wife Marianne opened up Cranford Vanilla Bean Creamery in April 2010 and have been busy ever since. Located in the quaint, upscale town just outside of Newark, the shop, situated in a former Carvel ice cream parlor, has become a local favorite, offering more than 32 homemade ice cream flavors.

Making and serving dessert is a far cry from his earlier profession, but Kopelman wouldnt have it any other way.

Look, nobody is happy buying a suit, Kopelman says. But everybody is happy when they buy ice cream.

Kopelman offers a few classic  yet elevated  ice cream recipes you can try at home.

Bittersweet Chocolate Ice Cream Homemade chocolate ice cream cant be beat; serve it straight-up or top with your favorite nuts, syrups or fresh berries.

French Vanilla Ice Cream A vanilla ice cream recipe is a vehicle for infinite mix-in iterations, from cookie dough to caramel swirl. Start with this base recipe and go from there.

Coffee Ice Cream Good java makes a difference in this coffee ice cream recipe. Pick a variety you like for a cold, creamy dessert with just a little jolt.

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Finally, a statement we can all agree on: Ice cream is a chilled delight thats celebrated across the globe.

Food historians dont have a definitive answer on when or where the first batch of ice cream was created, but some have surmised that something very similar to what we now know as ice cream was first served up in China during the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618 to 906).

No matter where or when it was born, ice cream is a hugely popular dessert all over the world. It comes in many different forms and flavors, depending on local palates and available ingredients.

Here, we list several types of ice cream varieties that are enjoyed by different cultures, each with its own unique spin on the creamy confection:

1. Gelato

Italy churns out a lot of its beloved gelato  157 million gallons a year  for locals and the overseas market. Its a hugely popular tasty treat thats much like typical ice cream with ingredients like sugar, milk and cream. But properly made gelato uses a greater proportion of milk and has no egg yolks. As a result, you get a dense, thick and flavorful mouthful of bliss. Popular flavors include vanilla, chocolate, pistachio, hazelnut and stracciatella, vanilla ice cream studded with shaved chocolate. Gelato is such a national treasure in Italy that the government wants to crack down on producers who serve up gelato made with artificial ingredients and puffed up with air. Offenders may be fined more than 12,000 euros  the equivalent of nearly $15,000  if the bill passes.

2. Sorbetes

To survive hot muggy days in Manila, it helps to order a cone of sorbetes from a street hawker pulling a colorful hard cart. This frozen treat resembles American ice cream, though traditional sorbetes is made at times with milk from the carabao (a native water buffalo), coconut milk and cassava flour. It comes in several popular flavors such as ube (a purple yam with a mild, nutty flavor), mango, coconut, jackfruit and chocolate. Keso sorbetes is studded with cheese nuggets. You eat sorbetes in a wafer cone or enjoy it a la ice cream sandwich: inside a pandesal, a salty, sweet bread roll.

3. Kulfi

Kulfi, Indias homegrown ice cream, is a fragrant frozen treat that was probably first served during the Mongol Empire in the 16th century. To make authentic kulfi, cooks must simmer fresh milk until its thick and has lost half of its volume. This evaporated milk, which will have developed a rich, caramelized flavor, is then mixed with sugar and exotic flavorings such as cardamom, saffron and pistachio before being frozen. Typical kulfi flavors in India and Pakistan include rose, mango and lychee. New wave flavors of strawberry and avocado have also become popular. In the streets of India, you can easily snag kulfi from a street vendor at popular tourist spots and have it dressed with a coating of nuts and other toppings.

4. Dondurma

Stretchy, dense and resistant to melting, Turkeys dondurma is the countrys delicious answer to ice cream. Its a frozen treat made with milk, cream and sugar but Turks give it their own spin with the inclusion of mastic tree sap that imparts a piney flavor, and salep, powder ground from the tuber of a local purple orchid. Salep  as well as extensive kneading with a long metal stick  is what gives dondurma its distinctive texture and elastic qualities. Dondurma comes in vanilla, chocolate, cherry, mint and mulberry and is typically served in a cone. Its a common sight at dondurma stalls for workers to pull pranks with customers; they perform sleight-of-hand tricks, teasing customers by giving them a cone, only to take it away and then give it back again.

5. Helado

Italians started to immigrate to Argentina in the 18th century, but the flow of people reached its peak from the late 19th century to the second half of the 20th century, adding an Italian accent to the countrys chorus of immigrants and indigenous people. Italys gelato morphed into Argentinas beloved helado, a tasty frozen dessert  still dense but lighter than its ancestor. Helado is huge in Argentina, where it can be delivered to your home past midnight. Popular traditional flavors are dulce de leche, chocolate, Nutella, crema (vanilla) and sambayon, a custardy Italian cream with egg yolks, sugar and Marsala wine. Newer, trendy flavors include mojito and mascarpone.

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The day is set to kick off at 8 a.m. with a 5K race, which runners can register for at the start at the corner of Wyoming and Pendell boulevards.

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Then, a parade down Wyoming Boulevard will begin at 10 a.m., and the rest of the day will be filled with live music, kids activities, a car show, crafts and more. At 10 p.m., the days festivities are set to close out with a fireworks show.

Country star Sara Evans will headline the series of concerts, the city announced in April. Shes known for hits including No Place That Far, Suds In The Bucket and A Real Fine Place To Start.

Wyoming artist and The Voice contestant Aquile is also scheduled to perform, along with Caspers own Day Drinkers and Lionel Adams.

As far as Saturdays expected turnout, Kemper said shes heard estimates from 5,000 to 20,000 people. Theyre equipped to handle the upper part of that range, she said, hiring a squad of security guards and four additional police officers for the day.

Kids will be occupied by face painting, a bouncy house, make-your-own tie-dye, a dunk tank and more.
A man charged with criminal entry will serve six months of unsupervised probation after pleading guilty Tuesday in Natrona County District Court.

Terry Lee Burch was arrested in October after officers reportedly found him and a woman inside a home on Midwest Avenue in Mills without the owners permission.

Judge Kerri Johnson sentenced Burch to six months in prison, which she suspended for the probationary period as part of a plea deal.

Burch was initially charged with one felony count of burglary, but according to court documents the only thing police found he had taken from the home was a small china dish.

Tuesdays hearing was a continuation of a March 30 hearing, when there was some confusion over the terms of the proposed probation.

According to an affidavit, Burch said he and the woman had been hired to clean out the home and take things to be recycled. The owner told police he had not hired anyone to clean, and that the home was mostly used for storage.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Schafer said Tuesday that the owner is reportedly still afraid to go inside the home for fear of someone being inside, and asked that Burch not be allowed within 500 feet of the home.
Runoffs are triggered if no one candidate gets a certain share of the vote. Enacting such a system would be expensive and wouldnt be ready until the 2024 elections.

Voting to draft the bills did not go by without some highly contentious moments, however.

Before the meeting, Rep. Chip Neiman, R-Hulett, was pushing lawmakers to sign a pledge to support some sort of election reform because Wyoming has struggled with primary election integrity, he wrote in an email to lawmakers. Neimans pledge prompted backlash from other lawmakers.

Lawmakers on the committee  none of whom are freshmen  said that his request was unfair and lacked an understanding for how complex the situation was. Rep. Shelly Duncan, R-Lingle, even described being under duress when being asked to sign it.

I think you made like a freshman error to call everybody out on this and cause dissension when theres not enough information on the table, said Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander.

Yeah, Ive made some freshman errors, I guess, Neiman later said.

Crook County Clerk Linda Fritz, who serves in Neimans district, told lawmakers that Wyomings elections system is already secure.

We have worked our tails off to make sure that you have good elections, and we have not heard one single, solitary substantiated complaint that we have done something wrong, Fritz said. So until we hear that, I think the legislative body really needs to consider what laws you pass to correct something that isnt wrong.

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The University of Wyoming is undergoing a transformation. The states sole four-year public school is being reshaped to meet broader goals and fit a smaller budget, but a key position in that transformation is about to be vacated.

Vice President for Research and Economic Development Edmund Synakowski will leave the university Aug. 30 to join the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

President Ed Seidel wished Synakowski well in a release earlier this month, but now leaders must fill a role integral to meeting the institutions new goals.

This is an incredibly important role at UW, going to the heart of a research-intensive university; helping to raise new revenue streams from federal agencies and corporate partnerships; and supporting our efforts to be an even stronger engine for innovation for the state, Seidel said in a press release.

Gov. Mark Gordon instructed the university to trim 10% of its budget this summer  or roughly $42 million. The university plans to find at least $15 million by cutting academic programs, all of which are currently under review.

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We all remember that fateful day, September 11, 2001, and the moment when President George W. Bush got the news. While Bush was reading to a group of second-graders at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida, White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card walked in and whispered into the presidents ear: America is under attack.

Today, Chief of Staff Ron Klain might well whisper those same words to President Joe Biden. Because in a very real sense, America is under attack again, just like it was on September 11, but with one big difference. This time, Americas under attack, not by a small band of foreign terrorists, but by legions of domestic terrorists: Republican officeholders at the state and federal level who are out to gut and destroy our democracy.

Heres the problem: The very phrase, America is under attack, sounds unreal. When most people hear it, they dont believe it. How can American democracy be under attack? Weve been around for 245 years. America under attack? Thats just hyper political rhetoric. It cant be serious.
Baldwins bill easily passed a Senate committee last month with bipartisan support. Now, however, an assortment of large online retailers represented by the National Retail Federation and Amazon are actively trying to block Baldwins COOL Act from being included in wider Senate legislation.

Why would these importers oppose efforts to stamp a clear Made in China or Made in USA label on product listings? Because they continue to rake in record profits by selling a multitude of cheap goods from Chinese factories. Its estimated that 75 percent of all new goods being sold on Amazon come from China. And so, China provides a massive source of annual profit for importers of consumer goods.

Americans are rightly concerned about unsafe imports from China, though  including everything from tainted pet food to toxic toys. And consumers have certainly taken note of recent headlines, including Amazons liability for exploding NutriBullet blenders and defective Hoverboards  both made in China.

Even though Chinese manufacturers continue to crank out a steady stream of shoddy products, Amazon and other online retailers have shown no interest in redirecting sales toward safer, American-made alternatives. Instead, they simply want to continue the profitable status quo.
FINANCE Minister Colm Imbert said yesterday that the proposal to increase the retirement age to 65 from the current age of 60 is under active consideration, but he said the Government has not made a firm decision on the matter as yet.
Maitre Amungwa Nicodemus, Anonyme

International human rights NGO, Human Rights Watch has described as unjust the jailing of Cameroonian human rights lawyer Amungwa Tanyi Nicodemus.

In a dispatch, Monday, June 7, 2021, Human Rights Watch notes that its already one week since prominent Cameroonian human rights lawyer, Amungwa Tanyi Nicodemus, was thrown behind bars on bogus charges of inciting terrorism.

He should be released immediately, said Human Rights Watch.

According to the human rights organization, Gendarmes arrested Amungwa on May 31 at the Groupement Territorial de la Gendarmerie in Cameroons capital, Yaounde, while he was assisting a client.

According to Amungwas lawyers, after Amungwa complained that Cameroons criminal procedure had been breached in his clients case, the gendarme in charge of the investigation seized Amungwas phone without a warrant, claiming Amungwa had taken photographs at the facility, said Human Rights Watch. While searching for the alleged photographs, the gendarme found other photographs that recorded alleged military abuses in Cameroons Anglophone regions and arrested Amungwa, his lawyers said.

It said Amungwa was transferred to the Service Central des Recherches Judiciaires (SCRJ), at the State Defense Secretariat (Secretariat dEtat a la defense, SED)  a detention facility where Human Rights Watch has previously documented repeated resort to incommunicado detention and torture  where he remains detained.

Mondays Human Rights Watch dispatch read: On June 1, Amungwas lawyers and the head of the Cameroon bar association visited him in detention and urged his release. Two days later, the Yaounde military court prosecutor rejected Amungwas lawyers request for bail and returned the case to the SCRJ for relevant checks.

Amungwa, a member of the Cameroon bar association, is one of the lawyers representing Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe, the jailed leader of the Cameroonian separatist group, the Ambazonia Interim Government, and several other people arrested in connection with the Anglophone crisis.

Amungwas arrest is a direct attack on the legal profession, Ayukotang Ndep Nkongho, one of Amungwas lawyers, told Human Rights Watch. His arbitrary detention reveals a system geared towards stifling and undermining the role and activities of lawyers involved in key human rights cases.

Amungwas detention takes place amidst a broader crackdown in Cameroon on opposition and dissent. He is one of dozens of government critics, human rights defenders, and journalists arrested in recent years, said Human Rights Watch. Possessing photographs that provide evidence of abuses in the English-speaking regions is not a crime, far less an act to incite terrorism. Cameroonian authorities should immediately release Amungwa and ensure both his due process rights and his role and privileges as a lawyer are respected.
Moved by the sight of senior citizens waiting in long lines outside vaccination centres across the country, businessman Shane Mahabirsingh yesterday took it upon himself to provide comfort for them.

Mahabirsingh, owner of Bilda Boyz Construction in Gasparillo, visited three health centres in the South-West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) distributing chairs, water and sanitising the elderly men and women standing in line.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has apologised for the vaccine fiasco last week, but said it was just one bad day.

After more than a year of managing and attempting to control the spread of the Covid-19 virus in Trinidad and Tobago, Rowley admitted that the Government made a blunder by allowing walk-in vaccinations at health centres across the country.
After 15 months of living with Covid-19, it is clear that uncertainty is the only certainty.

A week ago, T&T was flush with the expectation of mass vaccinations and the re-opening of the countrys borders. A week later, elation has been quelled by the sober realisation that the vaccination route out of this pandemic is not assured for the foreseeable future given the realities of global supply.
The other would impose an absolute cap of 4.5% on the total income taxes of any individual. As that includes the voter-approved 3.5% surcharge on incomes above $500,000 for couples, it would effectively mean a 1% tax on all other earnings for earners in that category.

Without those two changes, the top tax rate on the most wealthy is 8%  the current 4.5% top bracket plus the 3.5% surcharge.

Toma said it makes sense to focus tax relief on those at the top of the income scale. Theyre the ones that tend to make the jobs and create the economic conditions that lead to economic improvement for the entire state, he said.

That drew a sharp retort from House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding, D-Laveen. The reality is, without these working-class people there wouldnt be jobs, there wouldnt be an economy, he said.

The failure of the House to get the requisite 31 votes leaves not just the tax cut but the states entire $12.8 billion budget in limbo. House GOP leaders chose to shut down until Thursday, June 10, to reassess the package and see how it might be possible to gain the majority in the 60-member chamber.

Time is running out: The state needs a new budget adopted when the new fiscal year begins July 1.
WASHINGTON  Reports that Arizona is preparing to execute death row inmates with gas similar to what was used in the Holocaust have brought responses ranging from concerned to horrified, but the most common reaction was disbelief.

What were they thinking? asked Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, in response to news reports that the state purchased potassium cyanide for possible use in a refurbished gas chamber this year.

Didnt anybody in the Arizona Department of Corrections study the Holocaust, and if so, why didnt they object? he asked.

The reports come as Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich is urging the Arizona Supreme Court to schedule the executions of Frank Atwood and Clarence Dixon, each of whom has been in prison for more than 30 years.

Atwood was convicted in the 1984 kidnapping and murder of an 8-year-old Tucson girl and Dixon was convicted in the 1978 rape and murder of an Arizona State University student in Tempe.

Brnovich told the court that both men have exhausted their appeals and their death sentences should be carried out.
SUPERIOR  Residents near a town in south-central Arizona are the latest to evacuate as one of two wildfires, fueled by gusty winds and dry weather, grew overnight, authorities said Monday.

The Gila County Sheriffs Office issued an immediate evacuation order early for part of Miami. The order specifically applies to those who live west of the town limits, south of U.S. Highway 60 from Dairy Canyon to Mackey Camp.

Two local schools are open as shelters.

The so-called Telegraph Fire has now expanded to more than 64 square miles and is at zero containment. Officials say a forecast of low humidity and high winds throughout the week will likely facilitate more spread.

Evacuations were ordered Sunday for the Top-of-The-World area and northeast of Superior, roughly 60 miles east of Phoenix. The Pinal County sheriffs office also evacuated the Oak Flats campground.

No deaths or injuries have been reported.

The human-caused blaze has also forced closures of stretches of State Route 177, State Route 77, U.S. 70 and U.S. 60.
According to the wolf recovery team, at least 12 of the wolves fostered over the years are still alive and surviving in the wild. Seven of these wolves have reached breeding age and four have subsequently produced pups in the wild.

Since pups are too young to mark when fostered, officials said only those that are recaptured can be confirmed as being alive, so its likely more have survived.

Some environmentalists questioned those numbers and said cross-fostering doesnt go far enough to put the species on track for recovery. The Center for Biological Diversity is among those pushing for wildlife managers to release breeding pairs along with their pups as bonded family packs.

Michael Robinson with the Center for Biological Diversity suggested that captive-born, well-bonded packs released into the wild have a lower mortality and disappearance rate than cross-fostered pups. He also raised concerns about illegal killings, noting that the fate of many of the 50 pups placed into wild dens between 2016 and 2020 is unknown.

Aside from whatever is ailing cross-fostered pups in the short term, (the Fish and Wildlife Services) failure to address illegal killing casts a pall on genetic conservation of released wolves no matter what manner of release is employed, Robinson said in an email.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  Republican Katie Boyd Britt entered the race for Alabamas open U.S. Senate seat Tuesday promising to put Alabama first while stressing her experience as the former leader of a state business group and former chief of staff to retiring U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby.

Britt is expected to be a formidable entry into the GOP primary. Two Republicans are already in the race: Congressman Mo Brooks, who is armed with an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, and Lynda Blanchard, a businesswoman who was Trumps ambassador to Slovenia.

Shelby, one of the Senates most senior members, announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection in 2022, igniting what is expected to be a messy GOP primary at a time when the national Republican Party is trying to chart a direction following Trumps departure.

In what appeared to be a play on Trumps America First motto, Britt vowed to put Alabama First.

I will put Alabama First and never apologize for it, championing pro-jobs policies that increase opportunity for hardworking families in every corner of our state. Because we dont just need a senator from Alabama, we need a Senator for Alabama, Britt said in a statement.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  A longtime aide to retiring U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby is entering the race to replace him in what's shaping up to be a GOP primary slugfest at a time when the national Republican Party is trying to chart a direction after President Donald Trumps departure.

Katie Boyd Britt, the former president of the Business Council of Alabama and Shelby's former chief of staff, filed federal paperwork Thursday to run for the seat in the 2022 election. While she has not announced a run, it has been long speculated that she would.

Shelby announced in February at the age of 86 that he would not seek a seventh term.

The GOP primary could serve as a microcosm of the larger national tug of war over the direction of the Republican Party. While Shelby has amassed a conservative voting record, the measured Republican senator has not embraced the bombastic populist style of some GOP candidates.

Two Republicans are already in the race: Congressman Mo Brooks, who is armed with an endorsement from Trump, and Lynda Blanchard, a businesswoman who was Trumps ambassador to Slovenia.
While the county is slated to end its local emergency order, Gov. Larry Hogans state of emergency has not been lifted in Maryland. The end of the county order comes more than a year after it was implemented in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, 636 county residents have died from the illness. Anne Arundel County appears to be the first to end its emergency order since the pandemic swept into Maryland back in March.
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, the first official to sue the Sacklers, told the committee she would like to see the bill adopted before an Aug. 9 hearing on Purdues restructuring proposal.

Theyre an incredibly wealthy family thats been able to buy off lobbyists and lawyers and PR campaigns, and now is trying to buy relief by offering something in a bankruptcy proceeding, said Healey, a Democrat.

Maloney, who chairs the Oversight Committee, acknowledged during a news conference Tuesday that passing the bill is not a certainty and hoped that the hearing would rally Republican support.

You always have hope, she said.

Republicans on the committee seemed less interested in her bankruptcy bill than in targeting another factor contributing to the opioid crisis, which has been linked to the deaths of nearly 500,000 Americans over the last two decades and has deepened since the coronavirus pandemic began. They used the hearing to say the U.S. needs to focus on stopping fentanyl and other deadly synthetic opioids at the border with Mexico.
Hall created a social media account bearing the name and photograph of Trump's brother, Robert, and then made it appear that the brother was supporting his bogus organization until the brother's August death, the complaint said.

Three days after the death, Hall created an account that made it appear that Trump's then 14-year-old son, Barron, was supporting him, the complaint said.

The complaint said that in one social media post, Hall impersonated Barron Trump to make it seem that Trump's son called Hall a friend and partner and said: Josh is an amazing patriot who is doing tremendous things for our great country. He has my COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!

In August, Hall said in a private message on social media about the funds he had raised that he hadnt seen a dime of that money personally, court papers said.

The crowdfunding site closed the account after Hall failed last December to document how he used the funds he had raised, the complaint said.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP)  A judge on Tuesday ordered a northern Virginia school system to reinstate a suspended gym teacher who spoke out at a school board meeting against a proposal requiring that transgender students be addressed by their preferred pronouns.

Loudoun County Circuit Court Judge James Plowman ruled that teacher Tanner Cross was exercising his right to free speech when he told the board he could not abide by the proposal based on his religious beliefs. His order requires Cross' immediate reinstatement until a full trial can be held.

Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal group, sued the county school board last week and filed for an emergency injunction on behalf of Cross, a teacher at Leesburg Elementary.

Cross was suspended after he said at a May 25 school board meeting that he could not abide by proposed rules that would require teachers to address transgender students by their chosen gender.

During the hearing, Cross said I'm a teacher, but I serve God first. And I will not affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because it is against my religion. It's lying to a child. It's abuse to a child.
That boycott later helped provide the framework for the famous effort sparked by Rosa Parks that led to a bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955.

Ted Jemison, the son of the Rev. T.J. Jemison, remembered White as being outspoken and unafraid to share her opinion. He told The Advocate of a conversation he had with her years ago about that day. He recalled her telling him she just wanted to sit in that bus seat because she was tired from being on her feet constantly that day.

Can you imagine working on your feet all day and just wanting to sit down? Jemison recalled White as saying. She was the same way from when she was young to when she was 90 years old. She knew that what she did was for the good of everyone in Baton Rouge.

We really lost a true pioneer for civil rights, said Jason Roberts, co-owner of the Baton Rouge African American Museum, speaking of Whites death, the newspaper reported.



This story has been edited to correct White's age at the time of the boycott. She was 31, not 23.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Soon Fife and Corbett, who died in 2001, were smuggling Central American migrants into the U.S. and sheltering them in their homes, despite their wives protests. The church hosted some 13,000 asylum seekers in the '80s, with up to 100 people sleeping on the floor on a given night.

I felt that if I didnt help, I would have to resign as pastor, Fife said recently in Southsides worship hall, which was modeled after an indigenous ceremonial structure known as a kiva.

Fife was convicted in 1986 of violating U.S. immigration laws and served five years' probation, but that didn't deter him.

In 2000 he helped create Humane Borders, which maintains water stations with 55-gallon (208-liter) plastic blue barrels accompanied by a blue flag visible from a distance. Two years later he co-founded Tucson Samaritans, a ministry of Southside, which along with partner organizations in Ajo and Green Valley-Sahuarita sends volunteers into the wilderness to leave water and food. Fife also had a hand in the 2004 creation of No More Deaths, which staffs remote aid camps for weeks at a time.

We couldnt stop what we were doing, because peoples lives were on the line, Fife said.

Many of those volunteering with the groups are of retirement age, like Gail Kocourek.
Prosecutors say Hu defrauded the National Aeronautics and Space Administration by failing to disclose the fact that he was also a professor at the Beijing University of Technology in China. Under federal law, NASA cannot fund or give grant money to Chinese-owned companies or universities.

According to the indictment, as the University of Tennessee was preparing a proposal on Hus behalf for a NASA-funded project, Hu provided false assurances to the school that he was not part of any business collaboration involving China.

In addition, prosecutors say, a curriculum vitae that Hu submitted when he applied for a tenured faculty position with the university omitted any affiliation with the Beijing university.

The indictment said Hu sent emails stating he was a professor at the Beijing school and taught special seminars for graduate students in laser engineering. Hu knowingly caused the Tennessee university to falsely certify to NASA and the agencys contractors that the university was complying with the funding restriction, the indictment said.

NASA would not have awarded NASA-funded projects to Hu, the indictment said.
Britain and EU politicians generally support Biden's call for a stable and predictable relationship with Russia, but have low expectations of a breakthrough from his meeting with Putin.

But the U.S. still wants NATOs European members and Canada to spend more on defense  a constant Trump refrain, now taken up by Biden, if in a more muted way.

And while Washington informed its allies about its decision to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, the news came late in the day, said Dwan, the analyst from Chatham House.

There is also continuing U.S-European friction over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline being built to bring gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. A persistent irritant between the U.S. and Germany during the Trump years, the pipeline still faces bipartisan U.S. opposition over concerns it makes Europe more dependent on Russia, though Biden has sought to take some of the heat out of the issue.

And European nations are more cautious than the U.S. about confronting and curbing an increasingly assertive, economically surging China.

Dwan said European nations are eager not to be caught in the middle of a of a bipolar tension. Europe knows how that looks and feels.
PARIS (AP)  Overturning a lower court decision, a Paris appeals court ruled on Tuesday that discrimination was behind humiliating police identity checks on three high school students of color as they left a train on their return from a school trip.

The court convicted the French state of a grave fault and ordered it to pay 1,500 euros (more than $1,800) to the young men as a form of reparation for the police actions in 2017.

The three, all at the time in their final year of high school in Paris suburb Epinay-sur-Seine, were stopped at the Gare du Nord after their trip to Brussels and searched, one just after getting off the train, the two others in the entry hall, but each time in front of classmates and their teacher.

The lower court ruled that discrimination wasn't at cause because all 18 students on the class trip were of color and only three were checked.

Lawyer Slim Ben Achour noted that of the 18 students, 15 were girls, not usually asked to undergo identity checks and searches, and deplored that video and audio recordings of the incidents hadn't been taken into account, like testimony of the teacher and an accompanying adult.
The class of 2020 and 2021 were supposed to be among the first to graduate at the Live! Event Center at Arundel Mills, an indoor venue. The county council approved a deal in 2017 allowing The Cordish Cos. to pay $1 per year in lieu of up to $1.2 million in property taxes a year for 30 years, in exchange for agreeing to build a bigger convention center to attract business to the county and for allowing free use by county entities.
The tribe hosted a similar event Friday with Broken Arrow Public Schools. Almost 200 doses were administered at the drive-through event at Broken Arrow High School.

Sam Hubler is the chief pharmacist at the Muscogee Nation Health Departments Okmulgee clinic and one of the people involved in setting up vaccine clinic partnerships. With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanding vaccine authorization to include adolescents, he said it was a no-brainer to work with local school systems to facilitate access.

What weve found through our epidemiologists is that children, although theyre not getting terribly sick with the virus, every time theres a spike in cases in the community, that same populations incidence rates increase too, he said.

They are very much carriers of the virus, so now that the vaccine is available for 12-15 year olds, it is a great opportunity to increase the amount of vaccines out in the community through the school systems.

That sentiment was echoed by the assistant superintendent at Bristow Public Schools, Krista Burden. She said her district often partners with the tribe on other endeavors and that with classes out for summer vacation, the space at the Freeland Center was readily available.
We may get to a point where the dialogue reaches a dead end, Marc Morial, one of the civil rights leaders who met with Manchin, told CNN. And Joe Manchin was fairly well dug in.

Now Democrats and voting rights groups are grasping for an alternative.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Democrats were open to making changes to the bill that could make it more palatable to Manchin. As long as it does the job, he told reporters at the Capitol, while renewing his commitment to bringing the measure to a floor vote later this month.

The future of the measure was also the subject of a frank and candid discussion during the Democratic caucus lunch on Tuesday, said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. Manchin was not present for that discussion, which his office said was due to a conflicting meeting. But Durbin said Manchin is supposed to provide a list of criteria that he will and won't accept.

Pelosi, meanwhile, has told House Democrats there is no substitute for the bill.

It is my hope that the passage of (the bill) will create a legacy for all of us who want to strengthen our democracy, the California Democrat wrote in a letter to colleagues.
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP)  Megachurch pastor Rick Warren has announced his retirement after 42 years of leading Saddleback Church in Southern California. A search for his successor will be launched this week.

The well-known evangelical pastor and best-selling author told his congregation on Sunday that the search is not the end but the beginning of the beginning, The Orange County Register reported Monday.

Warren, 67, said he will continue to serve as lead pastor until a successor is in place. He said he will then step back into a less visible position as founding pastor.

There is no timeline for the search, which will look at candidates both within and outside the church. Warren declined to speak about his retirement plans on Monday.

Kay and I made this crazy promise when we were 25 years old that we would give 40 years to one location, that we wouldnt move and that we wouldnt be tempted to go to another church, Warren said before preaching his 40th Easter service in 2019.
Due to the lockdown, all visitation statewide was temporarily canceled before being restored on Sunday, though no visitation will be allowed at the North Fork Correctional Center until further notice, officials said.
Here are todays leading news stories:

Politics

-- Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son on Monday led a delegation to attend the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Chongqing City on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

COVID-19 Updates

-- The Ministry of Health on Tuesday morning documented 44 local COVID-19 infections in Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, and Ho Chi Minh City, raising the national tally to 9,027, with 3,509 recoveries and 53 deaths.

-- Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have decided to suspend an additional 18 public bus routes from Tuesday due to the complicated development of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Society

-- A 51-year-old man from the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong who is a direct contact of a COVID-19 patient has been discovered having another person replace him at a local quarantine center.

-- Two children, aged nine and ten, drowned in a river while playing with three other kids in the southern province of Dong Nai on Monday afternoon.

-- Police in the south-central province of Phu Yen have launched an investigation after a video clip of seventh-grader assaulted by four other teenage girls was shared on social media.

-- A 37-year-old man from the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong has been indicted for fatally shooting a local resident after mistaking the victim for a monkey.

-- A woman was badly injured in a road accident as she tried to chase after a phone snatcher on her motorbike in Hoc Mon District, Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday, officers confirmed on Monday.

Sports

-- Vietnam scored a 4-0 victory over Indonesia during the second round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the UAE on Monday night.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Three Chinese citizens, who had illegally entered Vietnam, were deported and handed over to the Chinese authorities, police in the south-central Vietnamese province of Phu Yen said on Monday afternoon.

The handover of Kong De Meng, 20, Li Chao and Li Jia Sheng, both 19, took place at Huu Nghi Border Gate in the northern Vietnamese province of Lang Son.

Functional forces in south-central Phu Yen Province previously caught the three Chinese nationals when Pham Duy Anh, a 36-year-old Vietnamese driver from northern Phu Tho Province, was carrying them in a car through Phu Yens Song Cau Town at noon on May 7.

After failing to present their personal documents, the three Chinese admitted that they had found a service via the Internet to help them illegally migrate to Vietnam to find jobs and were instructed to go to a pick-up point in Nanning City, located in Chinas Guangxi.

The trio followed the instruction and managed to cross the border to Vietnam on May 5.

Some unknown Vietnamese then transported them on motorbikes to Dong Anh District in Hanoi before Anh helped them continue the journey to Ho Chi Minh City.

After the three Chinese completed the required quarantine period for COVID-19 prevention and tested negative for the coronavirus three times, officials in Phu Yen applied sanctions on their administrative violations and coordinated with the Chinese authorities to return them to their home country.

Meanwhile, Anh was arrested and prosecuted by the Phu Yen police for organizing illegal immigration."

The Vietnamese Ministry of Health confirmed 76 new COVID-19 cases and one virus-related fatality nationwide at noon on Tuesday, which have taken the countrys tally of patients to 9,103, including 3,509 recoveries and 54 deaths, since early 2020.

The country has recorded 5,951 local infections in 39 provinces and cities since April 27.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
A 37-year-old man from Dak Nong Province in Vietnam's Central Highlands region has been indicted for fatally shooting a local resident after mistaking the victim for a monkey.

The Peoples Procuracy of Dak Song District in Dak Nong said on Monday that it had issued an indictment against Hoang Van Chau, 37, hailing from the same district on indictment for involuntary manslaughter.

Chau was riding a motorbike into the forest area managed by Dak NTao Company Limited to check animal traps at around 3:30 pm on January 8 when he saw a group of about 20 monkeys eating cassava, according to the indictment.

He stopped the motorbike and then walked to the cassava field, where he had hidden an already-loaded homemade gun in advance.

Seeing an object protruding behind a rock about 15 meters from his position and thinking it was a monkeys head, he pointed the gun toward the sticking-out object and pulled the trigger.

As he ran to check whether his shot hit the target, he was shocked to see a man lying motionless behind the rock.

Chau then hid the gun away and informed some hunters nearby about the incident.

The victim, who was later identified as Lau Van Vang, 35, from Cu Jut District, died on the way to hospital due to the severe injury.

According to Vietnamese law, people who commit illegal hunting, including catching and killing animals on the list of endangered, precious, and rare species prioritized for protection, face the heaviest punishment of 10-15 years in prison and an additional penalty of VND50-200 million (US$2,180-8,700).

Meanwhile, the heaviest penalty for manslaughter is ten years in jail.

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A man from Vietnams Central Highlands has been found having another person replace him at a local COVID-19 quarantine center.

The incident was discovered at a coronavirus quarantine facility established on the premises of a training center of the Department of Public Security in Lam Dong Province, officers confirmed on Monday.

At 9:00 pm on June 2, the quarantine facility received two people who had recently returned to Lam Dong from a virus-hit locality.

According to a decision signed by local authorities, one of the two individuals was 51-year-old D.N.Dung, a resident in Lac Duong District.

However, operators of the quarantine center reviewed personal information and health declarations of all people at the venue on June 4 and noticed that Dung was missing.

They instead discovered 39-year-old T.D.Duy, who was not in the list of quarantined individuals.

During a working session, Duy admitted he had agreed to replace Dung at the quarantine center.

After being notified of the incident, the medical center in Lac Duong District handed over Dung to the quarantine facility later the same day.

Duy was also required to continue his 21-day quarantine period.

In a report, the Lac Duong medical center said that all residents have to wear face masks and protective clothing while they are transported from their homes to local quarantine venues, which explains why the swapping was not detected at the beginning.

The two men also agreed to declare the same address to avoid being caught by authorities, the report added.

They are expected to face commensurate penalties after completing their quarantine period.

Vietnam has documented 9,027 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday morning, with 3,509 recoveries and 53 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

The country has recorded 5,876 local infections in 39 provinces and cities since April 27.

Lam Dong Province has not detected any cases in this bout, while local authorities have required all people returning from virus-hit areas to undergo a 21-day quarantine period.

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A woman was badly injured in a road accident as she tried to chase after a phone snatcher on her motorbike in Ho Chi Minh City on the weekend.

The incident took place in Hoc Mon District on Sunday morning, officers confirmed on Monday.

N.T.D.M. was carrying T.T.T. on a motorbike along a street when the two women were approached by a man on his motorcycle.

The man snatched M.s phone before speeding away.

M. screamed for help as she chased after the robber, but her motorbike later collided with an automobile traveling in the opposite direction.

Both M. and T. fell off the vehicle and were admitted to Cho Ray Hospital for emergency treatment.

T. suffered a minor injury and was discharged later the same day, according to hospital doctors.

Meanwhile, M. suffered a broken right thigh bone, a fracture on her radial bone, a broken left foot, and a wound on her left thigh.

Although the patient is now in stable conditions, she is expected to undergo a surgery in the coming days.

Police in Hoc Mon District have launched an investigation to hunt for the phone snatcher.

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When I look at the program broadly, its no different in Baltimore than it is anywhere else, Solomon said in an interview Monday. If we can get people to come through the program, well see an increase in jobs. ... So this is a way to drive economic growth in any community, and Baltimore participates.
This week on Q+A Stan Grant hosts a COVID Endgame Live from Canberra.

As frustrated Victorians endure their fourth lockdown, businesses across the country are hurting and many are now asking if weve lost the bigger picture.

Were told the vaccine is our best form of protection but is Australia being left behind? As a nation, weve managed the health and economic challenges well, but is it time we learnt to live with COVID long term rather than put all our efforts into eliminating it? The prevention of coronavirus outbreaks in remote Indigenous communities is considered one of the success stories of Australias pandemic response, so how can we protect other vulnerable communities?

As we assess what risk were prepared to live with, are there lessons we can learn from other countries? Prime Minister Scott Morrison will meet with global leaders, including US President Joe Biden, at the G7 summit in the UK this week.

Plus, we take a look at the latest trade war tensions with China and Australias place in the region, and the big changes to Medicare rebates that may see us paying thousands more for standard procedures. How will you be affected?

Remember this is your show and your chance to set the agenda  so send us any questions we should be asking!

Joining Stan Grant on the panel:

Omar Khorshid, President, Australian Medical Association

Kamalini Lokuge, Epidemiologist, Australian National University

Peter Hartcher, Political Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age

Sally Scales, APY Art Centre Collective Regional Programs Coordinator and Uluru Statement Leadership

Cameron Murray, Economist and Research Fellow

8:30pm Thursday on ABC.

Related
Seven has breached broadcast accuracy rules for a report aired on Sunrise that claimed a motorbike rider deliberately rode off a footpath and into a 13-year-old girl.

In September 2020 Sunrise reported on a collision about a NSW motorcycle accident in which it claimed a young motorbike rider deliberately rode off a footpath and into a 13-year-old girl, knocking her to the ground. The incident footage comprised dashcam footage.

A complaint to the Australian Communications and Media Authority questioned whether the word deliberately was fair given the rider had not been apprehended, and how it arrived at their intent.

Seven defended the ordinary reasonable viewer would interpret the statement during the report to mean that the motorcyclist deliberately rode onto the footpath, and then deliberately rode off the footpath and onto the road, hitting the victim in the process of riding off the footpath and onto the road.

But ACMA found the flow of the statement and the use of the conjunction and conveyed to the audience that the action of riding off the footpath (and onto the road) and hitting the girl were associated with each other, not only by the sequence in which they occurred, but also by the deliberate intent behind them.

It ruled this a breach of accuracy and fairness. Under the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice broadcasters are required to present factual material accurately in news and current affairs programs, ensuring that viewpoints are not misrepresented.

ACMA chair Nerida OLoughlin said, Audiences should be able to trust that information presented in news reports is factually accurate and has been properly verified. It is disappointing that Seven reported the collision as deliberate without sufficient supporting evidence.

Seven agreed the investigation report would be provided to Sunrise staff and they would be reminded of their obligations under the Code regarding accuracy. Seven will also include the decision in future Code training sessions with staff.

The same news item also appeared in primetime bulletins.

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Education

centerpiece

Lindale ISD alumnus produces film to premiere in theaters across Texas this week

aconejo / Ana Conejo / Tyler Morning Telegraph Lindale High School alumnus Houston Hill poses in downtown Tyler as he works on his computer. Hill is the lead producer of a movie called 12 Mighty Orphans that will be premiering in theaters across Texas this Friday. The movie will be available nationwide June 18. Courtesy Lindale High School alumnus Houston Hill poses with actor Martin Sheen on set of 12 Mighty Orphans. Zak Wellerman / Tyler Morning Telegraph Lindale High School alumnus Houston Hill (center) watches as a film crew works on the short film his wife, Anne Fleitas, wrote and directed called Spinner on May 27 in downtown Tyler. Hill is the lead producer of a movie called 12 Mighty Orphans. Zak Wellerman / Tyler Morning Telegraph Lindale High School alumnus Houston Hill watches as a film crews works on the short film his wife, Anne Fleitas, wrote and directed called Spinner on May 27 in downtown Tyler. Hill is the lead producer of a movie called 12 Mighty Orphans that will be premiering in theaters across Texas this Friday. The movie will be available nationwide June 18. aconejo / Ana Conejo / Tyler Morning Telegraph Lindale High School alumnus Houston Hill poses in downtown Tyler as he works on his computer. Hill is the lead producer of a movie called 12 Mighty Orphans that will be premiering in theaters across Texas this Friday. The movie will be available nationwide June 18. Courtesy 12 Mighty Orphans, produced by Lindale High School alumnus Houston Hill, will be premiering in theaters across Texas this Friday and will be available nationwide June 18.

A Lindale football quarterback alumnus is making moves in the cinematic industry by accomplishing big goals. Houston Hill, a 1998 Lindale High School graduate, produced the film hitting theaters this weekend, 12 Mighty Orphans, which tells the story of an orphanage football teams inspirational rise to success.

The film stars well-known actors like Luke Wilson, Robert Duvall and Martin Sheen, Vinessa Shaw and Wayne Knight.

12 Mighty Orphans tells the true events of the Mighty Mites, the football team at a Fort Worth orphanage who during the Great Depression went from playing without shoes  or even a football  to playing for the Texas State Championships.

Over the course of their winning season, the underdogs and their resilient spirit became an inspiration to their city, state and an entire nation in need of a rebound, even catching the attention of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The architect of their success was Rusty Russell (played by Wilson in the film), a legendary high school coach who shocked his colleagues by giving up a privileged position so he could teach and coach at an orphanage.

Few knew the secret that Rusty himself was an orphan. Recognizing that his scrawny players couldnt beat the other teams with brawn, Rusty developed innovative strategies that would come to define modern football.

Jake Austin Walker, Treat Williams, Ron White and Scott Haze also star in the film.

Hill, who is from Dallas, was raised and lived in Wills Point. The opportunity came up to continue playing football under quarterback coach Mike Meador at Lindale High School. Meador had coached Hill at Wills Point, but when he accepted a position at Lindale High, Hills immediate family packed up and also moved so that Hill could continue pursuing his football career under Meador. Hills father played college football, so his parents were extremely supportive of his goals.

Growing up at the high school in Lindale, they had theater, but they didnt really have the arts at that time. I was more focused on sports and stuff like that, but growing up, I always had an affinity for sports movies and would rather be watching movies than out playing sports, Hill said.

At the time Hill was in high school, Remember the Titans came out and quickly became his favorite movie. Also based on a true story, the movie inspired Hill to continue in his football career. Not only was it his favorite film, but his friends nicknamed him Sunshine, after the main character who was also a quarterback.

After playing football at Lindale, Hill graduated and attended Texas State University, where he played football until he got hurt. He moved back to East Texas and attended Tyler Junior College for a semester, where he made the difficult decision to leave football and focus on his next big thing.

He had kept tearing his hamstring multiple times, which led to him often being injured. According to Hill, he was tired of being hurt and just realized he couldnt do it anymore.

I think I realized I didnt want it that much. Even though I had spent my whole life preparing to play sports, after doing it my whole life, I realized after a year in college, playing that elite level, this is not for me, he said.

So, he began that next step by taking a theater class at TJC.

It was all new to me. It was totally different people that I had been used to being around growing up, just in sports. They were more creative people, more diverse people. To me, it was interesting and being from a small town, getting to be around other people was inspiring, he said.

He said he would go home and watch different movies. He then came back to class and tried to do monologues from those movies.

It was instrumental to me, to realize, OK, this is what I should start doing, he said.

Hill had other aspirations of becoming an actor, so when he graduated college, he knew he had to move out of Texas for a while if he wanted to make it big.

Hill moved to Los Angeles and began working on creating his own opportunities.

I started making short films, directing, producing, Hill said. All while working at a hotel as a bellhop, he was able to sustain himself financially while working on his projects.

He began to get his producing experience when he traveled to Mexico City in Mexico to license movies and buy them in the United States. Hill didnt know it then, but he was gaining skills that would be useful in his career. He was learning about producing, licensing and everything that goes into making a film.

Hill got the feel for the industry and knew this was what he wanted to do.

12 Mighty Orphans is by far the biggest movie Hill has produced.

When filming was finished in 2019, COVID-19 happened soon after.

They spent the year getting the film done. They had to finish their work remotely. From visual effects done in New York, to editing in Austin and music being written in Portland.

When we were finally picked up by Sony Pictures Classics, we were just happy we found a home for it, and Sony is not only a great studio, but theyve made some of my favorite prestige films, so when they told us they were going to release it in almost 600 theaters, we were kind of in shock, Hill said.

Amid threats of theaters going away, Hill said its more special to him to have a movie premiering this year.

Hill sought out the book, 12 Mighty Orphans, and raised the money to auction the rights of the book. He hired the writer, director and casting director. He shot the movie, found a sales agent to sell the film and he dealt with investors, actors and unions while overseeing the project day-to-day as well.

Today, Hill co-owns a filming company, Santa Rita Film Co., and was lead producer of the film. His partner and co-owner Ty Roberts and Hill are currently working on filming a true story in Kilgore.

The film premiered in Fort Worth on Monday night and will be in theaters across Texas this Friday.

While the movie will be available nationwide June 18, it is premiering this week in Texas. Locally, Times Square Grand Slam has showings on Thursday at 7 p.m., 8:20 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. and AMC Classic at 7415 S. Broadway Ave. has a showing Friday at 3:30 p.m.

At a glance:

Movie: 12 Mighty Orphans

Producer: Houston Hill, a 1998 Lindale High School graduate and owner of Santa Rita Film Co.

Starring: Luke Wilson, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, Vinessa Shaw, Wayne Knight, Jake Austin Walker, Treat Williams, Ron White and Scott HazePlot: A story about a Fort Worth orphanages football teams inspirational rise to success during the Great Depression Era. Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

On the web: sonyclassics.com/film/12mightyorphans/

Local premiere: Times Square Grand Slam, 5201 S. Broadway Suite 170,Thursday at 7 p.m., 8:20 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.AMC Classic at 7415 S. Broadway Ave. has a showing Friday at 3:30 p.m.

Related
Oil Closes Above $70 a Barrel for First Time in Over Two Years

(Bloomberg) -- Oil resumed its rally to top $70 a barrel in New York as investors grew more confident that accelerating vaccinations and easing travel restrictions will continue to boost demand.

West Texas Intermediate futures surpassed the $70 mark to close at its highest since Oct. 2018 after briefly touching the key psychological level earlier this week. U.S. oil supplies fell 2.11 million barrels last week, the American Petroleum Institute was said to report. That would be the third straight weekly decline if confirmed by U.S. government data on Wednesday.

At the same time, confidence in the outlook for oil demand continues to grow as accelerating vaccinations allow people to travel more. The Middle Eastern Dubai benchmark is trading in its steepest backwardation -- a market structure that indicates supply tightness -- in almost a year after the regions physical market had a strong start to the month.

Theres all sorts of technical models that work off closing prices, said Bill OGrady, executive vice president at Confluence Investment Management in St. Louis. Any time you have a close above a number divisible by 5, it tends to be pretty significant in attracting flows such as those from commodity trading advisors.

Prices retreated from session highs after settlement, with the API report also showing sizable weekly increases in both gasoline and distillate inventories.

Still, the path toward normal travel behaviors in the worlds largest oil-consuming country has provided support to the market as it takes on new multi-year highs. The U.S. State Department eased its travel warnings for nations around the world, including France, Canada and Germany, which could pave the way for loosening airline restrictions for trips overseas.

The fundamental outlook for crude is bullish right now, said Edward Moya, senior market analyst at Oanda Corp. The easing of travel restrictions will be a game-changer for the international air travel outlook, which is the last part of the equation for a robust demand recovery.

Story continues

WTI posted its narrowest discount against Brent since November following a similar run up last month. With the narrowness in the spread persisting, U.S. exports may see a dip as WTI loses competitiveness.

Meanwhile, American shale oil production is poised to rise only moderately through 2022, even though gains in crude prices have triggered a pickup in drilling, according to BloombergNEF. That comes as the Energy Information Administration trimmed its shale output forecasts for next year, according to a monthly report.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

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Reuters

MILAN (Reuters) -The head of the EU drug regulator's COVID-19 task force said on Sunday that AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine had a favourable risk-benefit profile for all age groups and particularly for those aged over 60. Italian newspaper La Stampa earlier quoted European Medicines Agency (EMA) task force chief Marco Cavaleri as saying countries should avoid giving the vaccine to people aged over 60 in addition to younger age groups, amid fears over very rare blood clotting and as alternative vaccines become available. "Unfortunately my words have not been interpreted correctly in a recent interview with La Stampa," Cavaleri said in a statement to Reuters.
Oil pulled back after hitting fresh multi-year highs on Monday, as investors awaited the outcome of this week's talks between Iran and world powers over a nuclear deal that is expected to boost crude supplies. Reuters reports that Brent crude futures for August fell 66 cents, or 0.9%, to $71.23 a barrel by 0645 GMT, after earlier hitting $72.27, their highest since May 2019. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for July touched $70 for the first time since October 2018 but reversed course to be at $69.10 a barrel, down 52 cents, or 0.8%.

Investors may have sold off some contracts to take profit when WTI hit $70, said Avtar Sandu, a senior commodities manager at Phillips Futures in Singapore. "The primary concern is about Iranian barrels coming back into the market but I don't think there will be a deal before the Iranian presidential election," he added.

Data showing a 14.6% year-on-year drop in China's crude oil imports in May on Monday also weighed on prices. However, Brent and WTI have risen for the past two weeks as fuel demand is rebounding in the United States and Europe after governments loosened COVID-19 restrictions ahead of summer travel.

Global oil demand is expected to exceed supplies in the second half despite a gradual easing of supply cuts by OPEC+ producers, analysts say.

A slowdown in talks between Iran and global powers in reviving a 2015 nuclear deal and a drop in U.S. rig count also supported oil prices. Iran and global powers will enter a fifth round of talks on June 10 in Vienna that could include Washington lifting economic sanctions on Iranian oil exports. read more

While the European Union envoy coordinating the negotiations had said he believed a deal would be struck at this week's talks, other senior diplomats have said the most difficult decisions still lie ahead. read more

Analysts expect Iran, which is having its presidential election on June 18, to increase its production by 500,000 to 1 million barrels per day once sanctions are lifted.

In the United States, the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating fell for the first time in six weeks as growth in drilling slowed. read more

This "suggests that U.S. oil drillers are less enthusiastic in adding more U.S. oil production and hence reduces the risk of a supply glut in the global oil market in H2 2021," CMC Markets analyst Kelvin Wong said in emailed comments.
Last week on 29 May, Azerbaijan reached the 200-day mark since the formal signing of the trilateral agreement between Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia to end a nearly 30-year Armenian occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, writes Tori Macdonald for EU Reporter. Since the peace treaty was signed, Azerbaijan has been actively preparing to restore the damage that was caused during the conflict last year. This includes plans to rebuild and redevelop the newly liberated territories and assisting those who were forced to leave during the last few decades, back to their homes.

The ten main advancements that Azerbaijan have made during this 200-day window include:

An allocation of $1.3+ billion by the Azerbaijan government to reconstruct the region. The funds are already being implemented and works are well underway in the larger towns including the restoration of historical monuments, museums, mosques and more.

The Ministry of Culture have conducted initial measures for territorial monitoring through the registration and inspection of 314 historical and cultural state monuments; most of which had been devastated during the Armenian occupation.

Almost 35,000 unexploded munitions have been cleared from more than 9,000 hectares of land. The planting of these ordnances in the past have either killed or injured over 120 Azerbaijanis.

15,000+ people have signed one of the most popular petitions on change.org, appealing Armenia to reveal the locations of the remaining unexploded munitions yet to be found.

Green focussed reconstruction works are underway following major discussions between the government and large corporations such as TEPSCO and BP to set up renewable energy plants in the liberated territories such as a solar energy production facility.

Starting in 2022, developments for the first Smart Villages will begin in the district of Zangilan. 'Smart Villages' are communities in rural areas that use innovative solutions to improve their resilience, building on local strengths and opportunities.

The reconstruction of infrastructure to facilitate the return of IDPs to the region have begun. The works have so far included 600km of roads, regional interlinking motorways, more than 150km of railway tracks as well as planning for the creation of 3 airports: one of which international.

A blueprint for the reformation of the major city of Agdam has been confirmed and approved. It involves the creation of an industrial park, victory and memorial parks, and links for the motorway and railway connecting Agdam with the Barda district.

An inventory of 13,000+ buildings and 1,500km+ of roads in 169 settlements in 10 liberated regions has been completed ahead of restoration works. 409 settlements had been obliterated during the Armenian occupation.

For the first time in almost 30 years, Shusha, the cultural capital of Azerbaijan hosted the Khari Bulbul Music Festival.

A remarkable series of efforts considering how much work is required in these devastated areas. It will be interesting to see how the plans continue to evolve and unfold over the coming 200 days and beyond. This resilience may well be a source of international recognition for Azerbaijan, considering of course the ongoing demands of the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to play a major role in everyday affairs.
The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry reported that the reconnaissance and sabotage group of the Armenian Armed Forces, taking advantage of adverse weather conditions in Lachin district near the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border, entered the Azerbaijani territory on June 8.

"Member of the group, serviceman Artur Kartanyan was detained thanks to the vigilance of the units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces stationed in this direction. The rest members of the group retreated, leaving the area," the statement reads.

The infiltrator was detained in the area with the following coordinates: Y4387428, X8610021.

In accordance with the preliminary investigation, the group was ordered to mine the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. The information about the detained member of the group is being clarified, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry added.
U.S. President Joe Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday that he will stand up for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity ahead of a summit between Biden and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

National security advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters the two leaders spoke about the bilateral relationship in a phone call prior to Biden's trip to Europe.

"They had the opportunity to talk at some length about all of the issues in U.S.-Ukraine relationship and President Biden was able to tell President Zelensky that he will stand up firmly for Ukraine sovereignty, territorial integrity, and its aspirations as we go forward," Reuters cited Sullivan as saying.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Biden will meet in Geneva on June 16 amid sharp disagreements over election interference, human rights and Ukraine.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany a "fait accompli" and said the U.S. is now working with Germany to limit how dependent Europes energy system will be on Russia after it is finished.

"The physical completion of the pipeline was, I think, a fait accompli," Blinken told the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Monday, saying that about 90% of the pipeline was completed during the Trump administration. "I think we have an opportunity to make something positive out of a bad hand that we inherited when we came into office."

Blinken said that sanctioning the chief executive officer of the projects parent company, as opponents of the pipeline urged, would have led to a deterioration in U.S.-German relations. Now, he said, Germany has come to the table to try to prevent Russian President Vladimir Putin from using the pipeline to threaten Europes energy security, Bloomberg reported.
The U.S. embassy in Armenia denied speculation of Ambassador Lynne Tracys meeting with Armenia's acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan or President Armen Sarkissian during her April visit to the Syunik region.



Tracys trip to the region was not connected to the visits of any other officials and the Ambassador did not meet with or speak to Prime Minister Pashinyan or President Sarkissian while in Syunik, the embassy noted.



According to the embassy, the purpose of the Ambassadors trip to Syunik was to learn first-hand from local officials and U.S. Embassy program partners how the region has been affected by the twin crises of the pandemic and armed hostilities connected with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict this past year. She also met with the recipients of several U.S. government grant projects to discuss how the Embassy can continue to maintain these partnerships to support the regions recovery and development, News.am reported.
Georgia, Ukraine, and Kosovo will be the first three European countries to receive vaccines from the United States, the U.S. Embassy in Georgia reported.

"Today, Acting Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Phil Reeker met with organizations participating in the Think Tank Consultative Group, supported by USAID/Georgia. They discussed how the United States can continue to support a robust economic recovery that benefits workers, their families, and their communities," the statement reads.

The United States is also committed to supporting economic recovery from the pandemic, the embassy added.
Having unique tourism capabilities, Iran is a safe and desirable travel destination for visitors from around the world, Iranian minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Ali Asghar Mounesan said during a meeting with Russian and Iranian tourism activists in Moscow.

In recent years, Irans tourism sector has flourished because new branches of traveling, such as eco-tourism, health tourism, mining tourism, and agritourism, have all been gaining popularity, the minister said.

Iran offers an impressive range of tourist attractions, including historical, cultural, and natural monuments, handicrafts, dense forests, towering mountains, roaring rivers, and beautiful deserts, while there are also over 700 museums that can be visited in different cities, he explained.

Tourists can find the country to be one of the pocket-friendly destinations in the world, he mentioned, noting that some 400 hotels and over 2,000 eco-lodge units have been established across the country, Tehran Times reported.

Mounesan on Monday signed an action plan with Russia to implement a bilateral visa-free agreement for tourist groups.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov may take part in the Russia-U.S. summit due in Geneva on June 16, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters on Tuesday.

"I believe that yes," the diplomat said in reply to a question. "But so far the format and the list of members has not been fully agreed on," Ryabkov noted.

The senior diplomat noted that the coordination of the agenda and venue of the meeting was also in the works. "I believe in any case information will be provided not through the Foreign Ministry," TASS cited him as saying.

Earlier reports said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken would join the U.S. delegation at the Biden-Putin meeting in Geneva.
Pakistans foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi confirmed that his country refused to give any military base to the U.S. for monitoring Afghanistan after foreign forces withdrawal from Kabul, local media said on Tuesday.

Speaking to Geo News, a local broadcaster, Qureshi said his government, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, has no intention to give its military bases to Washington.

"Search for bases could be their wish. There's no question of giving them [U.S.] bases, we have to see our interest," Qureshi told the local broadcaster.

Qureshi was responding to a recent report by The New York Times, citing American officials as saying that "Pakistan wants to allow U.S. access to a base as long as it can control how it is used", adding that public opinion in the country has been strongly against any renewed presence by the United States."

Some American officials said that negotiations with Pakistan had reached an impasse for now. Others have said the option remains on the table and a deal is possible, the U.S. daily said in its report published on Sunday.

The report also claimed that CIA Director William J. Burns made an unannounced visit in recent weeks to Pakistan, where he had met with the countrys military and intelligence chiefs. However, there is no official word from Islamabad so far.

U.S. President Joe Biden has set a Sept. 11 deadline for all American forces to leave Afghanistan with the exception of a handful that will be tasked with securing Washington's embassy in Kabul.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and European Council President Charles Michel discussed relations between Russia and the European Union during the phone call yesterday.

"Relations between Russia and the European Union, as well as a number of current international issues, were discussed in detail," the Kremlin press service reported.

"Vladimir Putin stressed that, although Russia and the European Union remained significant trade and investment partners, the current state of Russia-EU relations could not be considered satisfactory. It was noted that a return to pragmatic and respectful cooperation would be in the interests of both. Mutual opinion was expressed that it is important to step up cooperation in specific areas like healthcare, the climate agenda, and settling regional conflicts," the statement reads.
Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that the international community needs to think about the lessons to be learned from the coronavirus pandemic.

"Although it is too early to talk about the victory over the coronavirus, we need to reflect on the lessons to be learned from that disaster, and how to act in the future if such situations arise," the head of state noted in his welcoming address to the participants in the Primakov Readings forum read out by Kremlin Aide Yuri Ushakov on Tuesday.

Putin stressed that the coronavirus pandemic had added to the existing challenges to the world order, with "more than 3.5 million people having fallen victim to it so far." "Its far-reaching social and economic impact is felt everywhere too," he stressed.

According to the Russian leader, "the fight against such a dangerous infection requires joint efforts by the whole global community, honest and equal cooperation". "However, unfortunately, far from everyone was ready for that," he added.
South Africa: Caution urged amidst surge in COVID-19 cases

Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize says while the rise in COVID-19 cases experienced in some provinces hasnt yet gripped the whole country, efforts must be stepped up to fight the surge of infections.

The Minister today visited the Northern Cape to assess the provinces management of the resurgence of cases and vaccine rollout. He confirmed that the province has for weeks been in the third wave.

The Northern Capes COVID-19 hospitalisation has increased by 8% week-on-week, while the province is recording about 600 daily infections, with deaths on the rise.

According to Mkhize, four provinces in the third wave, namely the Free State, Northern Cape, North West and Gauteng.

However, the country as a whole is not yet in the third wave, and the third wave will probably [be confirmed] once you get the numbers in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape.

Gauteng



The Minister warned that cases in Gauteng, which currently has over 20 000 active cases, are still going to peak, with the province most likely to record the highest number of cases.

So, were monitoring that situation, he said.

Gauteng is among the hardest-hit provinces, with 21 700 patients who are currently infected.

It is followed by the Free State with 9 276 active cases, while the Northern Cape has 9 172 and the North West 6 985.

Northern Cape interventions



Mkhize admitted that the Northern Cape is facing challenges of scarcity of resources, including human resources, infrastructure and underfunding.

The province has to contend with the long distance between various vaccination centres.

It means its very difficult to invest in the same proportion as we do in other parts of the country.

Ive been discussing what can be [made] available from the COVID-19 allocation that the province has been given, the Minister said.

Meanwhile, Mkhize said they will look into assisting the province to make more nurses available.

Johnson & Johnson vaccine

With regards to the halting of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Mkhize said he called a meeting with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) and Johnson & Johnson.

Thats where we decided that a meeting should be held with the FDA [US Food & Drug Administration] and SAHPRA to clear the issues and release the vaccine.

The J&J vaccine suffered some setbacks in the United States after contamination problems at a COVID-19 vaccine plant in Baltimore, which has had a knock-on effect locally.

The South African government is still awaiting an announcement by the FDA on the manufacturing conditions at the United State factory, which halted the global release of doses of the J&J vaccine.

We need our regulator to say we can use it The regulator must [discuss] with the FDA and European Medical Agency, [it must analyse] the reports and [be] comfortable with the fact that [the vaccine] can be used Mkhize said.

The Minister said it is not the job of the manufacturer to authorise the use of the vaccine but the regulator's.

Were very desperate to get those vaccines. We need them as in yesterday.

According to Mkhize, two-thirds of the people that need to be vaccinated in South Africa are awaiting the J&J vaccine.

In the Northern Cape, weve designed [the vaccine rollout] based on the J&J vaccine. Were desperately in need of it. However, its the regulator that must say we can continue, and not the manufacturing company.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The ATF said Creek walks with a limp and may even be confined to a wheelchair, and that investigators believe he is currently being assisted by unknown persons to evade arrest. The ATF said Creek should be considered armed and dangerous. They asked anyone with information to call 911 or 888-ATF-TIPS.
Former Special Assistant to ex-President Ronald Reagan Douglas Bandow urged the United States to make a deal with Russia, according to his article for The American Spectator.

Bandow said that U.S. President Joe Biden can play a modern Richard Nixon. Biden can "go to Russia" metaphorically - the summit is being held in Switzerland - and stabilize a relationship that is too important to lose.



"Most important, the U.S. should pledge that neither Georgia nor Ukraine will be added. Indeed, this decision should have been reached long ago. Including them is not in Americas interest," the former official stressed.



According to him, Biden and Putin might engage in some horse-trading. "Washington and Moscow could cooperate on counter-terrorism after Washington leaves Afghanistan. The Russians could drop their involvement in Cuba and Venezuela and tighten sanctions on North Korea, while the U.S. could exit Syria and leave Libya for Moscow to work out with the medley of European and Mideast states involved," Bandow writes.
Russia confirmed 9,977 COVID-19 cases over the past day, a new high since March 14, bringing the total case tally to 5,145,843, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Tuesday.

The number of COVID-19 cases rose by 0.19% in relative terms.

The lowest growth rates were registered over the past day in the Tuva Republic (0.04%), the Magadan Region, North Ossetia, the Republic of Adygea and the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (0.05%).

Some 846 COVID-19 cases were registered over the past day in St. Petersburg, 776 in the Moscow Region, 163 in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, 155 in the Rostov Region and 140 in the Voronezh Region.

Currently, 269,262 people are undergoing treatment in Russia.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Moscow grew by 3,817 in the past 24 hours, this is the highest number since May 14.

The relative growth rate stands at 0.32%. The Russian capital reported 3,266 new cases a day earlier.

Sixty-two COVID-19 patients died in the past 24 hours, as follows from the data provided by the crisis center, with 20,590 fatalities recorded so far.

Meanwhile, another 2,018 patients recovered, with 1,079,932 people having recovered from the disease.

Currently, 104,568 people in the Russian capital are still undergoing treatment.

Russia recorded 379 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, up from 330 the day before. The total death toll has climbed to 124,496.

According to data from the crisis center, 2.42% of coronavirus patients have died in Russia, TASS reported.

In particular, 49 fatalities were reported in St. Petersburg in the past day, 17 in the Nizhny Novgorod region, 16 in the Rostov region and 14 in the Leningrad region. The Krasnodar and Sverdlovsk regions recorded 11 coronavirus deaths each.

Russias coronavirus recoveries grew by 8,883 in the past 24 hours, with 4,752,085 people having recovered so far.

According to the crisis center, recoveries stand at 92.4% of the total number of infected people.

Another 1,245 patients recovered in St. Petersburg, the Moscow Region reported 932 recoveries, the Rostov Region - 292, the Bashkortostan region - 176 and the Saratov Region - 145.
NATO is currently holding contacts with Russia in order to convene the Russia-NATO Council at the ambassadorial level, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, speaking at the Atlantic Council Monday.

"We have a standing invitation for Russia to participate in a meeting, to convene the Russia-NATO Council again. So far, they have not answered," Stoltenberg noted. "We are now in contact with Russia to convene the Russia-NATO Council," he said.

Stoltenberg reiterated the list of NATO allegations against Russia. He claimed the existence of a "pattern of [Russias] aggressive actions," which allegedly includes "interfering or meddling in the domestic political processes, in elections, [as well as] cyberattacks and different types of hybrid aggressive actions."

Meanwhile, the Secretary General underscored that the alliance considers it necessary to maintain dialogue with Russia, in order to ensure the predictability of relations, TASS reported.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will form part of the US delegation to the meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva, a statement by US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price published on Monday informs.

The statement says that Blinken "will participate in President Biden's bilateral meeting with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin in Geneva" on June 16.

"On June 10-12, the Secretary will take part in the Presidents bilateral engagements around the G7 meeting in Cornwall. He will then accompany the President to the NATO Summit on June 14 and the U.S.-EU Summit on June 15, both in Brussels," the spokesperson stated.

Earlier, the Kremlin and the White House announced that the much-awaited summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden would take place in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 16. This will be the first face-to-face meeting between Putin and Biden since the 46th US.. president took office. It will also be the first Russian-U.S. summit since July 2018, when Putin met with then U.S. President Donald Trump in Helsinki, Finland, TASS reported.

According to the Kremlin, the heads of state will discuss the conditions and prospects for further fostering Russian-U.S. relations, strategic stability matters as well as pressing issues on the international agenda, which include cooperation in fighting the pandemic and regulating regional conflicts. On May 30, Biden stated that he plans to discuss the topic of human rights during the summit.
The prime minister has ordered a series of sturdy actions to fight against COVID-19 and spur on local production, as people look to the government for protection with the spectre of the pandemic looming yet again.

Authorities, healthcare workers, and more besides are rallying to ensure the latest outbreak does not overly affect health and the economy. -- VIR Photo: Le Toan

With the number of positive coronavirus cases escalating after the conclusion of the 15th National Assembly and all-level peoples councils for the 2021-2026 tenure, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh convened a special meeting discussing the pandemic situation and solutions to help enterprises and individuals out of difficulties.

The PM required that greater efforts must be made to push back the pandemic and boost socioeconomic development, and underscored a number of imperative tasks needing to be implemented effectively, and immediately.

The ministries of health; finance; planning and investment; labour, invalids and social affairs; industry and trade; public security; defence; and foreign affairs have all been required to review their tasks and devise new mechanisms and policies to protect the health of the public and businesses. The PM also demanded the close control of immigration activities, especially illegal immigration and residence in Vietnam.

The prime minister ordered subordinate levels to expeditiously work out a strategy for COVID-19 prevention at industrial zones (IZs).

It is necessary to continue reviewing all regulations and processes on medical declaration and pandemic prevention and fighting, as well as isolation and production and business at IZs, PM Chinh said. Relevant ministries and localities have to both formulate and perfect regulations in order to develop a perfect strategy on fighting the pandemic at IZs and ensure supply chain and business operation will not be disrupted.

Notably, in the middle of last week, the government officially established the Vietnam Fund for Vacination Prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (VFVC), the first of its kind in the country. This move is part of the national vaccine strategy, with the boosting of vaccine research and development, and vaccine purchase from foreign nations.

Under the VFVC, financial and technical resources are to be mobilised from all sources  from the public, businesses, organisations, and funds at home and abroad. Recurrent spending from state coffers must be saved in order to ensure a budget for purchasing vaccines.

Previously, so as to secure funding for COVID-19 vaccines, the Ministry of Finance submitted a proposal to the government for approval of a VND25.2 trillion ($1.1 billion) COVID-19 vaccine fund.

The total funding includes VND16 trillion ($695.6 million) from the state budget while the rest will be mobilised from the local budget, business community, and organisations. The fund will be used to purchase 150 COVID-19 million vaccine doses for around 75 million Vietnamese people this year.

According to Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long, in addition to diversifying access to external vaccine sources, Vietnam is also seeking to acquire patients for vaccine makers, and set up partnerships in vaccine production.

Enterprises in woes

PM Chinhs fresh order came amid the latest spell of COVID-19 surging and sabotaging the economy, with the aftermath yet to be calculated. However, damages have already been felt by some business associations and international organisations.

Hong Sun, vice chairman of the Korea Chamber of Business in Vietnam, told VIR that the organisation, which represents about 9,300 South Korean businesses using over one million labourers in Vietnam, highly appreciated the PMs order.

We hope the solutions set out by PM Chinh will be strictly implemented. All South Korean businesses here have been badly affected by COVID-19. Many have suffered from disruption in supply chains, shortages in input material imports, and financial issues, Sun said.

Many of them have also been exhausted and many labourers have temporarily halted their work, especially those operating in aviation, catering, and tourism, he added. Consequences are incalculable now, but they are quite huge.

According to Sun, the governments idea of developing a national vaccine strategy and a specific plan on fighting against COVID-19 at IZs is a necessary one.

IZs have too many workers working together at a close distance, so they must be vaccinated as a priority, Sun said, adding that many foreign companies, including many South Korean ones, stand ready to side with the government in the fight.

They are willing to cooperate with the government to develop and purchase vaccines. However, the problem is that safe and effective vaccines must be selected, and that prices must be negotiated, he said. For big enterprises, cooperation is not a big problem, but smaller ones with limited capital need to be supported by the government.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi (AmCham Hanoi) last week released a survey it conducted nearly two weeks ago about the business impact of the ongoing pandemic in Vietnam.

The survey focused on business operations, travel and activity restrictions, burdensome procedures for in-bound arrivals, and the availability of vaccines in Vietnam.

The coronavirus outbreak is causing anxiety and uncertainty across all business sectors in Vietnam, said Adam Sitkoff, executive director of AmCham Hanoi. Over 90 per cent of our members responding to the survey said the current outbreak has affected their business operations here.

The biggest challenges are a lack of available vaccine to protect their team members, and not being able to bring necessary people here due to burdensome travel requirements and paperwork. Over 70 per cent of respondents said their company is currently restricting work travel in Vietnam.

Sitkoff added that around 90 per cent of AmCham members have cancelled work or personal travel due to the current outbreak that has found infections in 30 cities and provinces here. The health and safety of people in Vietnam should remain the governments number one priority, he said. At the same time, Sitkoff added, it is important to recognise that in-bound travel brings in the foreign experts and business people necessary to facilitate new investment, efficient operations, key infrastructure, education of Vietnamese children, and more.

Ensuring availability

Survey results found that 81 per cent of members say their companies would bring more people to Vietnam if the mandatory quarantine period was reduced from 21 to seven days.

The pandemic is likely to continue causing disruption and locking people inside a room for many weeks might seem like a good idea today, but Vietnamese policymakers need to think seriously about a safe and simple system of documentation that will facilitate international arrivals.

Vaccines have proven safe and effective. AmCham encourages authorities to implement less burdensome entry procedures for fully vaccinated business people, foreign experts, and maybe even tourists, Sitkoff said.

In the survey responses, AmCham members repeatedly stressed the need to get more people vaccinated. In fact, 88 per cent of respondents said they or their company would pay money to receive a high-quality vaccine here.

The AmCham executive director again offered to gather financial resources from companies if the government would guarantee quick vaccine availability for their team members. Sitkoff added that vaccine availability is the top issue on the minds of AmCham members right now, and that until many more people are covered, they will likely see additional outbreaks and disruption from the virus here.

A study from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) suggested that there has been a huge impact from the pandemic on the income and poverty of Vietnamese households. For example, it will reduce household per-capita income on average by 9.8 per cent, and the poorest income group will suffer a 10.2 per cent income drop, while the poverty rate of households in the poorest income quintile will rise by 40 per cent. There will be an additional 1.7 million poor people due to COVID-19, and those living in rural and remote areas will be more severely affected.

In the short-term, the major downside risks are the pandemic re-emerging from new coronavirus variants and delays in the governments vaccination plan. A faltering global vaccine rollout could have an immediate impact on Vietnam being able to return to its strong pre-pandemic growth path given the countrys reliance on external demand, Andrew Jeffries, ADBs country director for Vietnam, told VIR.

Meanwhile, the World Bank also commented that the current outbreak in Vietnam has led to a sharp increase in community transmitted infections, forcing the government to close schools in many provinces and to reinstitute precautionary health and mobility restrictions measures.

Depending on the magnitude of the outbreak and how quickly the government will be able to bring it under control, domestic economic activities will be affected, especially those in sectors such as tourism, transport, and retail, said the World Bank in its May bulletin. If this happens, the government may wish to consider boosting domestic demand by adopting a more accommodative fiscal policy, including increasing its support to affected businesses and people.

Truong Tu Phuong - Chairwoman, Dai An JSC Dai An Industrial Zone, Hai Duong

In the complex happenings of the pandemic, especially the situation at industrial zones (IZs) where large volumes of people are gathered, if more and more workers get infected, the authorities will face more difficulties in controlling the outbreaks. As a result, the consequences could be more economic damages and serious impacts on business results for factories in IZs. In any difficult situation, the benefits of employees must come before those of the enterprises. Therefore, Dai An IZ is calling on enterprises to strictly guide their employees to wear face masks when they go out to public places and in public vehicles. Besides that, they must regularly wash their hands with soap and antiseptic liquid, limit gatherings, and keep distance with other people. In addition, they have to comply with the governments pandemic prevention messages and the requirements of the steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control of the province. The IZ itself has also installed barriers at the gate in order to control traffic volumes. Koen Soenens - General sales and marketing director, DEEP C Industrial Zones, Haiphong

The production and business activities of DEEP C IZs and factories in the area are significantly suffering because of the pandemic and COVID-19 prevention measures. In order to avoid the spread of the pandemic in crowded IZs as well as to protect the contribution of IZs to the Vietnamese economy, enterprises are eager to have their employees soon offered vaccination. Due to interruptions of IZs in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are concerned about a similar situation taking place at DEEP C, which is home to over 100 manufacturers. With the determination to prevent the pandemic penetrating in the IZs from outside, the managing board has asked enterprises to strictly control movement of foreign experts and labourers with relations to areas suffering from COVID-19. We also encourage employees to be honest in medical declarations in order to apply solutions to localise the disease, and isolate and control the pandemic on time. Hoang Trung Kien - Deputy Director, Quang Ninh Economic Zones Management Authority

Quang Ninhs IZs are home to 56 enterprises with 28,000 employees, nearly 2,000 of whom returned from cities and provinces outside Quang Ninh after the early May holiday weekend. To ensure safety for enterprises in these areas, the management authority established a steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control at IZs. Every single enterprise also has to establish their own steering committee. We are closely cooperating with local authorities to clarify the information of foreign experts and employees that completed isolation requirements before returning to Quang Ninh in the second half of April. These people also complied with isolation requirements at home. Entire enterprises have built their own plans to prevent the pandemic, approved by provincial leaders. Being aware of the expansion risk of the pandemic and simultaneously preparing solutions to be ready to cope, tenants at IZs are still maintaining stable manufacturing and business operation, helping to both prevent the pandemic and promote the provinces socioeconomic growth. Le Truong Ky - General Director, Dinco Engineering & Construction Corporation, Da Nang

COVID-19 has seriously affected businesses in all industries, especially those in tourism and services. Through past outbreaks of the pandemic, enterprises have adapted to the task. However, implementing solutions to prevent the pandemic affect work progress because employees have to apply isolation policy and online working. In addition, we cannot repeat the lockdown policy every time. We need more effective solutions and I think that carrying out a wide vaccine progamme is the most optimal solution. The government prioritises frontline anti-pandemic forces for vaccines, and enterprises will be in charge of the cost for carrying out vaccine efforts for their labour force. Dinco is willing to spend on this action. Alongside that, the government needs to issue tax payment support policies for enterprises to help them overcome this difficult period. I do believe that enterprises across the country want to work with the government to accelerate the COVID-19 vaccine progress to prevent the pandemic and build the country up. Le Bich Loan - Deputy Director, Saigon Hi-tech Park Management Authority Ho Chi Minh City

Saigon Hi-tech Park (SHTP) is home to 85 businesses employing 4,500 employees, including 500 experts. To combat the pandemic, all companies are tightening COVID-19 prevention protocols by adopting the Ministry of Healths 5K measures. We now follow a set of indicators to assess COVID-19 risks for businesses issued by Ho Chi Minh City Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control (HCSC). Besides wearing face masks and checking body temperature, companies strictly maintain social distancing in the park. Some office employees are allowed to work from home. The factories have also limited the number of workers running a production line to less than 20 people 2m apart, in compliance with the municipal citys rules. SHTP also randomly collects samples form factory workers, with only negative results so far. However, new COVID-19 cases are surging in the city so we have prepared different scenarios to deal with possible infections at the park. SHTP, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, and HCSC are rehearsing pandemic action plans.

VIR

Economist proposes measures to support enterprises in tough times Pham The Anh, chief economist at the Vietnam Institute for Economic Policy Research (VEPR), believes that social security support must be given to people who have had to shut down their business or have lost jobs because of lockdowns.
In the most recent heat wave in northern Vietnam, electricity consumption has set "historic peaks".

On May 12, peak capacity was 41,208 MW and electricity consumption was 837.5 million kWh. According to the National Power Monitoring Center, electricity consumption on May 31 broke a record with peak capacity of 41,549 MW and consumed power output of 850.3 million kWh. In Hanoi, electricity consumption on May 31 was at a record high with a peak capacity of 4,530 MW and an electricity output of 90.3 million kWh.

However, those records were easily surpassed the next day. The numbers recorded on June 1 were 880.3 million kWh  an increase of nearly 25% compared to the same period in 2020, and more than 15% compared to the average in the week before the heat wave.

On June 2, a new "milestone" in electricity consumption was established. National electricity consumption capacity on June 2 set a new peak of 41,558 MW.

Compared to the peak in 2020, the national peak capacity on June 2 was 3,200 MW higher - equivalent to the total capacity of both Son La hydropower plant (2,400 MW) and Lai Chau hydropower plant (1,200 MW).

Fast growth

According to the Vietnam Institute of Energy, Vietnam is one of the world's fastest growing power systems. By the end of 2020, Vietnam's electricity system had a total installed capacity of about 69,000MW (including rooftop solar power).

There is a significant gap between installed capacity and actual generating capacity. Although the installed capacity is approximately 70,000MW, the maximum available generating capacity is only 41,558MW. That means a large amount of installed capacity cannot generate electricity. Although the actual generating capacity is never equal to the installed capacity, such a gap is worth noting.

Solar power is a reason for this situation. Solar power sources saw sudden growth in 2019-2020. From a negligible level in early 2018, solar power capacity reached 4,700MW by the end of 2019 and 16,700 MW by the end of 2020, accounting for nearly 26% of the total installed capacity of the power source.

However, solar power contributes very little to electricity output (about 4% of the total output of the entire power system in 2020) because it can only be generated during the day. It depends on the weather and is cut when the power grid is overloaded. Meanwhile, the peak load is usually at night (about 10 pm).

The power system needs stable and predictable power sources. It cannot rely on less stable power sources such as solar power. This does not negate the role of solar power, but rather only to defeat the "illusion" that renewable electricity can "carry" the whole power system. In fact, thermal power and hydroelectricity are still the pillar to ensure electricity consumption demand, which is an important factor contributing to keeping electricity prices at an affordable level for the majority of people.

Of Vietnams electricity production in 2020, coal-fired power contributed the largest proportion of 50% with 123 billion kWh, followed by hydroelectricity with 73 billion kWh, accounting for 29.5%, and gas-fueled thermal power with 14% or 35 billion kWh, solar power with 4.4%, and imported power with 1.2%. The rest 1% was from oil and other renewable energy.

In addition to domestic electricity, in 2020 Vietnam imported about 1.93 billion kWh from China and 1.14 billion kWh from Laos.

The worrisome future

To achieve the "peak" capacity of 41,558MW on June 2, power sources had to stretch themselves to the maximum to meet the demand. Many power companies reported overloading of power grids due to prolonged hot weather, leading to potential hazards for the grid.

Worryingly, this "peak" capacity was set in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic, when industrial production stalled, and restaurants, hotels, and tourist sites were closed, resultng in reduced power consumption. That is, if everything returns to normal as before the epidemic, the risk of power cuts is possible. In Hanoi, many apartment buildings and urban areas had to use generators during hot days.

According to the Electricity of Vietnam Group (EVN), in the period of 2021 - 2025, electricity demand will grow by approximately 8.9%/year, equivalent to an increase in electricity supply demand of 23.6-30.5 billion kWh/year.

However, the output of newly added sources is only about 6.1 to 16.7 billion kWh/year, much lower than demand. The reason is that many thermal power projects are behind schedule and wind power projects have been delayed after the preferential price mechanism ended in October 2021.

Currently, there is no information on incentive mechanisms for the development of renewable energy for the period after October 2021, so the progress of these power sources is still risky.

To ensure electricity supply in the 2021-2025 period, it is necessary to speed up the construction of power projects, including coal-fired and gas-fired power plants, and expand large hydropower projects. The Ministry of Industry and Trade also needs to consider a new pricing mechanism for renewable energy sources at a reasonable level. It is necessary to pay attention to wind power because this is a more stable power source than solar power when generating electricity both day and night.

Luong Bang

VN may have to reduce renewable power in the next five years: energy institute It is likely that Vietnam will have to reduce renewable energy sources in the next five years, as booming development in recent years was weighing on the power system, according to a recent report by the Institute of Energy.
Vietnams import and export activities in May were affected by the fourth Covid-19 wave, but they still increased generally.

According to a report from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, export turnover in May was estimated at US$26 billion, down 2.1% compared to the previous month.

For the period of January-May 2021, Vietnams export turnover of goods was estimated at $130.94 billion, up 30.7% over the same period last year, including $33.06 billion from the domestic sector, up 16.6%, accounting for 25.2% of total export turnover, and $97.88 billion from the foreign-invested sector (including crude oil), up 36.3%, making up 74.8%.

In May 2021, the export turnover of agricultural, aquatic products and fuels and minerals increased, while that of processed and manufactured industrial goods decreased slightly compared to the previous month.

However, in the first five months of 2021, the export turnover of processed industrial products and agricultural and aquatic products increased sharply compared to the same period of last year, while the group of minerals and fuels remained in the downward trend.

Exports of textiles, apparel and footwear of all kinds also witnessed a recovery with a growth rate of 15% and 26.4% compared to the first five months of 2020.

The United States was Vietnam's largest export market during this time, with a turnover of $37.6 billion, up 49.8% year on year; followed by China with $20.1 billion, up 26%; the European Union with $16.1 billion, up 20.8%; ASEAN with $11.5 billion, up 23.6%; South Korea with $8.9 billion, up 17.1%; and Japan with $8.4 billion, up 7.7%.

Imports had a strong increase in the past five months of 2021 thanks to the expansion of the manufacturing sector, which boosted demand for imported input materials and recovery of domestic consumption.

Specifically, in May 2021, import turnover of goods reached $28 billion, up 0.8% compared to the previous month.

In the first five months of 2021, the import turnover of goods was estimated at $131.31 billion, up 36.4% over the same period last year, including $45.8 billion from the domestic economic sector, up 30.2%, and $85.51 billion from the foreign-invested sector, up 39.9%.

During this period, China was still Vietnam's largest import market with a turnover of $43.5 billion, up 53.3% year on year, followed by South Korea with $20.9 billion, up 20.5%.

Total import and export turnover of goods in the first five months of 2021 is estimated at $262.25 billion, up 33.5% over the same period last year. The economy returned to a trade deficit of $370 million during this time.

H. Duy
Global demand for goods is recovering and this is an opportunity for Vietnam to boost its exports of consumer and industrial products, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

The group of phones and components had the largest export value of $21.9 billion, up 19.6 per cent over the same period last year. Photo chinhphu.vn

The ministry forecasts that Vietnam's import and export activities will continue to increase in the coming months as free trade agreements (FTAs) are gradually being implemented in a more comprehensive and effective manner.

Those agreements will continue to create conditions for Vietnamese goods to enter to partner markets with preferential tariffs, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKFTA).

Besides that, export prices for many kinds of goods are also tending to increase, especially Vietnam's key export commodities, according to the ministry.

However, deputy minister of industry and trade Do Thang Hai said import and export activities may be negatively affected by the COVID-19 outbreak in many localities, especially localities in the northern region with the largest trade value such as Bac Giang, Bac Ninh and Hanoi.

Meanwhile, Asia continues to be a hot spot with a rapidly increasing number of new COVID-19 cases, causing a series of countries and territories such as India, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia and Thailand to promote measures to control the pandemic.

"In this situation, domestic enterprises must improve competitiveness and adaptability to overcome difficulties and seize opportunities," Hai told chinhphu.vn.

The ministry has requested its agencies and departments, and Vietnams Trade Offices abroad, to provide updates on the COVID-19 pandemic which may affect trade and economic cooperation between Vietnam and other countries.

It has also proposed measures on maintaining and developing export markets and supporting local businesses to find and import raw materials and components for stable production of export products in the future.

For the exports of farming, forestry and seafood products, the industry and trade departments of Hanoi, Hai Duong, Lang Son, Quang Ninh and Lao Cai should consider arranging more working hours, including working on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, based on the issuing of the certification of origin (C/O) for those export products, especially agricultural products in localities affected by the pandemic such as lychees in Bac Giang and Hai Duong provinces.

Meanwhile, the import-export departments in the northern border areas are asked to closely monitor the customs clearance of goods at the border gates and report signs of goods stuck at the border gates to the ministry.

According to the ministry, the total trade value of goods in the first five months of 2021 increased by 33.5 per cent year on year to US$262.25 billion, although trade activities and production of export goods in May were affected by the fourth outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, in the first five months of 2021, the export value of goods was at $130.94 billion, up 30.7 per cent over the same period last year.

Especially, the group of 22 items with export value of over $1 billion continued to hold stable exports, accounting for 87.3 per cent of total export value. Of which, six items achieved export turnover of over $5 billion.

The group of phones and components had the largest export value of $21.9 billion, up 19.6 per cent over the same period last year, accounting for 16.7 per cent of total export value.

Following were electronics, computers and components ($19.5 billion, up 26 per cent); machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts ($4.9 billion, up 74.8 per cent); textiles and garments ($12.2 billion, up 15 per cent); footwear ($8.5 billion, up 26.4 per cent); and timber and wood products ($6.6 billion, up 61.3 per cent).

The United States continued to be Vietnam's largest export market with a turnover of $37.6 billion, up 49.8 per cent over the same period last year; followed by China with $20.1 billion, up 26 per cent.

Other large export markets of Vietnam included the EU ($16.1 billion, up 20.8 per cent); ASEAN ($11.5 billion, up 23.6 per cent); South Korea ($8.9 billion, up 17.1 per cent); and Japan ($8.4 billion, up 7.7 per cent).

The ministry also reported that import activities increased strongly in the first five months thanks to the production expansion of the manufacturing sector. That was a good sign showing the recovery of domestic consumer demand.

In the first five months of 2021, Vietnams import turnover of products was estimated at $131.31 billion, up 36.4 per cent over the same period last year.

VNS
Minh Hoang, a businessman in Hanoi, is tired of spam calls and messages that come both day and night.

The spam calls and texts include ads for real estate projects, life insurance products, offers for credit cards, bank loans, bonds, fake degrees and certificates, online gambling, and recently cryptocurrencies.

Hoang called the mobile service operator's switchboard to report the spam calls and messages, but after that he received even more spam messages and calls.

The network operator lets their customers deal with spam messages and calls themselves. They said that they use AI technology to control and block spam, but in fact subscribers receive dozens of spam calls and messages each day," said Hoang.

Hoang's case is common. He and many others have to download apps from Google Play or Apple app store to block spam and messages.

According to statistics from the Department of Information Security of the Ministry of Information and Communications, the total number of subscribers who made spam calls and who were blocked from July 2020 to March 2021 was 128,970. In March 2021, 17,276 subscribers were blocked for this reason.



The act of buying and selling personal data in Vietnam is in two forms. Businesses that provide services that collect personal data of customers allow third parties to access the data, and the third parties transfer and trade the data. Or, businesses actively collect personal information of customers to have personal data to sell.

Personal data is offered for sale online on many sites such as databox, databoxviet, laydata, laydata, khodata, databox, fff, cokhach, and vltoolkit. The data packages for sale relate to many areas, with details about account balance, financial capacity or position and income.

The price is also surprisingly cheap, ranging from VND600,000-VND800,000/information of 1,000 people, or VND500,000-VND1 million for 1,000 phone numbers. In addition, there is a form of automatic fee collection from VND5,000-VND15,000 per download of personal data files.

After a preliminary check, the Ministry of Public Security discovered more than 60 organizations and individuals involved in illegal trading and use of personal information and data in cyberspace, including companies providing technology solutions, real estate brokers, banking officers, government agencies, and people who have access to e-government systems in education, healthcare, securities, hospitals.

In addition, some service companies sell software to collect personal information, which is hidden in sales websites. When users visit these websites, businesses will collect in-depth personal information.

It is dangerous that criminals conduct unauthorized collection of personal information by using malicious code, and software with spying features to steal personal data.

Some cases have been reported: files containing the data of 163,666,400 Zing ID accounts of VNG Company; more than 5 million emails and tens of thousands of payment card information such as visas, credit cards... allegedly belonging to The Gioi Di Dong and Dien May Xanh... were posted online.

Most recently, on May 13, 2021, a hacker offered to sell the personal information authentication (KYC) data of nearly 10,000 Vietnamese people.

On May 18, 2021, the police broke up a large-scale data collection, appropriation, and trading ring with data illegally collected, appropriated, traded and used of nearly 1,300 GB, containing billions of data about individuals and organizations nationwide.

This shows the lack of responsibility and loose management of some organizations with personal information and data about customers.

New policies needed to protect online personal data

In Vietnam, sellers and buyers of personal data are often not afraid of the law as they think that in the online environment such transactions are difficult to detect, especially when they are done in closed groups and on websites with servers based abroad, or via social networks.

The Constitution and the 2015 Civil Code both have provisions on protection, secrecy and inviolability for "private life, personal secrets, family secrets" and "letters, telephones, telegrams and other forms of personal electronic information".

According to the Penal Code, violators can be imprisoned for up to 7 years for "illegally releasing or using information on computer and telecommunications networks". In addition, depending on the severity of the violation, the violator will be fined VND40 million to VND70 million.

The draft Decree on Personal Data Protection compiled by the Ministry of Public Security has yet to be issued. Notably, Article 22 of the draft decree stipulates administrative penalties for violations of regulations on the handling of personal data, ranging from fines of VND50 million to VND80 million.

However, there should be additional penalties for individuals, businesses and organizations that commit violations in the management, security, and use of personal data.

Violators should be banned from working in specialized areas for a certain period of time, or their professional license should be revoked, because the profit from selling data is often higher than the fine.

The National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) recommends that each individual, in order not to be taken advantage of by criminals or become a victim of phishing attacks, should be equipped with knowledge to avoid fraudulent situations.

NCSC also recommends that users should ensure the safety of online accounts such as bank accounts, e-wallets, email, and Facebook, especially accounts with online payments.

According to cybersecurity experts, the protection of user data is a matter that requires coordination from many sides, and preventing data leakage requires efforts from the affected users themselves. Citizens must know how to react when personal information is stolen which will help users prevent cybercriminals from exploiting information in the future.

As soon as suspicious access to the account is detected, users should immediately contact the service provider to waive responsibility when something goes wrong. In this case, when personal data unexpectedly becomes publicly available, users can avoid long-term consequences after personal information is stolen by monitoring their financial activities because this is still an area of interest for cybercriminals.

Protecting personal data as well as strictly dealing with violations of organizations and individuals infringing on privacy rights or illegally buying and selling personal information pose urgent legal issues. It is a must to improve the legal system immediately as Vietnam's regulations on personal data trading are not keeping up with developments in the world. The social and technological landscape is changing rapidly.

Organizations and businesses that manage personal data must constantly upgrade their technology and security systems as well as comply with the State's regulations related to personal data protection.

Lawyer Le Minh Toan (Le Minh Law Company)

Personal data of 10,000 Vietnamese offered for sale online Personal information such as identity cards, selfie images and others of 9,667 people are being posted and offered for sale on the Internet for $9,000.
In February, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) released several circulars on teacher appointments and rankings, and necessary certificates.

Three months later, however, the Ministry of Home Affairs proposed getting rid of half of these required certificates.

One month after releasing a series of circulars, MOET released Document No 971/BGDT-NGCBQLGD, requesting local departments to report their plans to appoint and assign pay grades to teaching officers prior to June 30, 2021 and report the results of the professional title ranking and pay grade assignments prior to December 31, 2021.

The circulars then ignited a certificate rush. Teachers rushed to attend refresher courses to obtain certificates, mostly in foreign language and informatics. Even those who dont have to show certificates immediately as stipulated in the circulars registered for training courses for certificates.

I dont know if I have to submit the certificates. But I still registered to attend training courses for peace of mind. No one knows if the certificates will be required one day, a teacher in Quang Tri said.

Hundreds of nursery school teachers even took risks going to the Dien Bien Pedagogical College to attend a refresher course last May, when Dien Bien was one of the Covid-19 hotspots.

How much do certificates cost?

The circulars help training establishments earn big money. Soon after they were released, many universities and junior colleges launched training courses for certificates. Ads about training courses appeared in chat groups, teachers Facebook pages, and education forums.

In February, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) released several circulars on teacher appointments and rankings, and necessary certificates. Three months later, however, the Ministry of Home Affairs proposed getting rid of half of these required certificates.

A package for a training course plus certificate was advertised to cost VND2-3.5 million. However, some people said the real cost was up to VND5 million.

Many classes were organized online amid Covid-19 escalation.

Tran Ban in HCM City said a training course cost VND3.5 million. The class ran online. You just have to pay the money and wait for the certificate, he said.

Meanwhile, Thu Huong, also in HCM City, said she had to pay VND3 million. This was the tuition for most of the classes in Binh Thanh District.

The tuition was lower in other provinces, VND2.5 million in An Giang, and VND2 million in Quang Nam.

You need to register for training courses, and certificates will be shipped to your home, a teacher in HCM City wrote on her Facebook page.

Teachers attend training courses to obtain certificates, but they dont expect to receive knowledge from the courses. So, what are the certificates for? Vu Viet Ha, a reader, wrote in an email to VietNamNet.

Nguyen Trong Xuan, also a reader, commented that it is nonsensical to attend such refresher courses. Trainees only have five lessons for a course and they learn again what they were taught at pedagogical schools, he wrote.

With millions of teachers required to have certificates, the total amount of money they have to pay is up to trillions of dong, which is enough to build many schools and buy teaching aids for difficult areas.

Chaos

Most teachers have to use their own money for training courses.

In addition to 49 training establishments licensed by MOET, many centers and companies also organized training courses for certificates.

Even intermediate schools (2-year training) in nursing, business administration and communications advertised that they had joined forces with pedagogical universities to provide training courses for certificates.

Providing training courses to teachers is a profitable business, the headmaster of a pedagogical school said, adding that the prices of certificates vary and it is easy to study for certificates.

Asked if the local education and training department knows about the number of teachers going to training courses for certificates, the leader of the department said: How can I know this? They attend the courses on a voluntary basis."

New change

Amid the certificate rush, some education and training departments released documents reassuring teachers that not all of them have to submit the certificates immediately.

However, the explanations failed to catch the attention of teachers.

A teacher in Ha Tinh complained that as there were no detailed guidelines, teachers fell into chaos.

Everyone fears they may not meet the requirements to get professional title and promotions, which will affect their rice pot, he said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs proposal to get rid of half of the certificates required for teachers has stopped the certificate rush. However, it has not made teachers happy, because the proposal was made only days ago, after they had spent money and time to attend training courses.

Phuong Chi

Prime Minister asks to amend regulations on teacher promotion certificates Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has directed relevant agencies to amend the regulations on certification of professional titles of teachers.
Motorists can enter the lot, either by making a right turn while heading north on Route 924, just before Woodsdale Road, or they can get to it from Woodsdale Road using a new entrance near the shopping center with businesses such as a Wawa convenience store and gas station, and Friendship Wine & Liquor. Riders also can walk to the lot via an extended sidewalk along the northbound side of Route 924.
The growing tendency of consumers shopping online globally has led to a sharp demand for cold storage warehouses, but investment in cold storage facilities remains modest.

Cold storage warehouses adjust temperature and humidity to prolong the life of some kinds of products, including perishables such as food, cosmetics and vaccines.

There are three cold storage segments, including deep frozen storage (from  30oC to  28oC), cold storage (from  20oC to  16oC) and cooling storage (from + 2oC to + 4oC)

The demand for cold storage facilities in Vietnam is high, especially in the seafood sector (Vietnam is the third largest seafood exporter in the world).

Trang Bui from JLL Vietnam said during the Covid-19 peak time, 30-50 percent of seafood export orders were canceled, which led to increased inventories. Cold storage warehouses had to run at maximum capacity.

While demand is high, only a few enterprises have invested in the segment and no one can provide full cold storage services. The cold storage supply is more plentiful in the south as demand there is higher, while 60 percent of the market share is in the hands of foreign investors.

The first cold storage in Vietnam was built in 1996 by Konoike Vinatrans, a Vietnam-Japan joint venture. In 1998, Swire Cold Storage from Australia built one of the most modern cold storage facilities at that time.

In 2017, Hung Vuong JSC built two storage warehouses with total capacity of 40,000 tons of goods. The other investors include Lotte Sea (2009) and Preferred Freezer Services (2010).

The limited cold storage supply is partially blamed on the longer time that is needed to build them, rather than logistics. It is more costly to build cold storage facilities than standard warehouses.

The investment capital for cold storage warehouses is 2-3 times higher than normal warehouses and the construction time lasts six months, Trang explained.

The leasing time is always long, 15-20 years. This is why there is a shortage, she said.

The Global Cold Chain Alliance estimates that there should be 0.15 cubic meter of cold storage for every urban resident. In Australia, the current supply only satisfies half the figure.

Analysts said they can see a cold storage construction boom. According to Emergen, cold storage construction volume will have value of $18.6 billion by 2027, with an average growth rate of 13.8 percent per annum.

JLL Vietnam believes that seafood cold storage warehouses operate most effectively if they are 50 kilometers from ports, while vegetable and fruit warehouses should be located near urban areas.

Demand on the rise

Michael Ignatiadis from JLL Asia Pacific said that the high population and rapid development of the middle class in Asia have led to an increased demand for fresh and high-quality food, which is behind the increase in demand for cold storage.

Analysts said they can see a cold storage construction boom. According to Emergen, cold storage construction volume will have value of $18.6 billion by 2027, with an average growth rate of 13.8 percent per annum.

However, even with this construction speed, a shortage may still occur because of the demand for fresh food, according to Ignatiadis.

Meanwhile, Forrester predicted that shopping services in Asia Pacific would increase by 30 percent per annum until 2024.

In the US, the proportion of food online shopping would double by 2025 to 21.5 percent, according to Mercatus, an e-commerce firm, and Incisiv.

In the UK, 80 percent of raw food is imported and the shortage of fresh fruit and vegetables is more alarming.

Alan Selby from JLLs Integral said demand will increase over time as a result of the growing tendency of people growing vegetables and fruits and preserving them at home.

To obtain the growth targets in the future, the expert from JLL believes that Vietnams logistics industry needs to overcome many problems.

In the immediate time, to enter the next stage of industrial logistics development, and to be more competitive, a reasonable investment level is needed. It is also necessary to develop a network of highways and utility networks, including renewable energy.

The cross-border trade exchange process also needs further improvement in time and cost.

Cross-border transaction costs, including costs for documents and procedure compliance as well as import/export expenses in Vietnam, are less competitive than regional countries.

Trang Bui from JLL Vietnam stressed that with the current cold supply chain managed by mostly small and medium suppliers, cold storage centers offer a big investment opportunity.

Duy Anh

Vietnam sees strong demand for cold storage facilities A strong demand for fruits and vegetables is driving food hygiene and safety requirements in Vietnam, which in turn are spurring investments in new cold storage facilities, said Cushman & Wakefield, in a recent report.
Some people have criticized the Government for being slow in vaccinating its people. To date, only nearly 1 percent of population has been vaccinated, a figure which is even lower than Laos and Cambodia.

As expected by millions of Vietnamese. on May 18, the Prime Minister released Resolution No 09 on buying Covid-19 vaccines. The worrying information about Vietnams Pfizer vaccine purchase was cleared. The manufacturer earlier had refused negotiations on prices and contract conditions. But the supply of vaccines for Vietnam has been put through.

Vietnam has vaccinated 0.9 percent of people, while the figure needs to be 60-70 percent at least to reach herd immunity. And the path to the end point has now been shortened.

Do Cao Bao, a member of the board of directors of FPT Corporation, posted his analysis on the burning issue on his Facebook page. VietNamNet would like to introduce his viewpoint.

The countries running vaccination programs can be classified into four groups.

Group 1. These are countries that can research and develop vaccines of their own. Their homegrown vaccines are prioritized for domestic use. These include the US, UK, Russia and China.

Group 2. These are countries which participate in vaccine testing and production, including India, Brazil, Indonesia, UAE and South Korea.

Group 3. These are countries that 'bet' on vaccine research and development. They signed contracts to buy vaccines and paid a deposit when vaccines were still in the experimental period.

If the vaccines can be developed successfully, these countries will have priority to buy vaccines in accordance with the signed contracts. If the vaccine development fails, they will lose money.

Israel, Singapore and other countries are included in this group. And most of them are rich countries.

Group 4. The group of remaining countries. These countries are not given priority to buy vaccines after vaccines get approval, because these governments did not order vaccines when vaccines were still in the experimentation stage.

This means that the countries belonging to Group 4 can only acquire vaccines from two sources, diplomatic channels (mostly from Chinas Sinopharm) or the Covax Program.

Vietnam is between Group 3 and Group 4.

Vietnam deposited $30 million to buy AstraZeneca vaccine when AstraZeneca was still under clinical experimentation, and it belongs to Group 3.

However, the number of vaccine doses Vietnam ordered was too small compared with the population, and with the vaccine doses Vietnam has received so far, it belongs to Group 4.

To date, Covax is the only source of vaccines for Vietnam. Covax distributes vaccines under the principle that the countries suffering more heavily from the pandemic will receive more vaccines.

Of the Group 4 countries, Vietnam is among the countries that have best controlled COVID-19. It has had fewer vaccines and has been slow in getting them.

Other Southeast Asian countries where the pandemic is more serious (Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Brunei and Timor Leste) are prioritized by Covax, or have accepted Chinese Sinopharm vaccines. They have, therefore, vaccinated more people than Vietnam.

As of late May, Vietnam has used up the vaccines provided by Covax (more than 900,000 doses). It has received 1.7 million more doses.

Most recently, Vietnam signed a contract on purchasing 31 million Pfizer vaccine doses (31 million in the first phase and 20 million in the second phase; the first 31 million doses are expected in Q3 or Q4, but this depends on Pfizers supply -- reporter). Perhaps from now on, Vietnam will switch to an active position, not a passive position about vaccines.

Some people have shown concern that Vietnam will obtain herd immunity only by 2023-2024 (when at least 60 million people will have received two shots of vaccines). This means that Vietnam will be slower than other countries in recovering its economy after the pandemic.

The concern was raised because of the slow vaccination in the last two months.

But I do not think so. In fact, the vaccination has been slow in the last two months because the health sector has been vaccinating while exploring vaccine side effects, and especially since the supply of vaccines from Covax has been small.

Now, as the vaccine supply has been put through, I believe that Vietnam will speed up vaccinations.

I have tried to figure out the vaccination of 60 million people within 10 months, from June 2021 to March 2022, and found that the plan is feasible.

To vaccinate 60 million, Vietnam will need 120 million doses; 12 million doses a month, 400,000 doses a day. On average, each province can have 6,349 doses a day, each district 571 doses, and each ward (commune) 38 doses.

With Vietnams current network of healthcare points, the vaccinations at such a level will be within reach.

The healthcare sector needs to:

First, ensure enough vaccines by regulating the import of 39 million Covax and 31 million Pfizer doses, buying 30 million more AstraZeneca or Sputnik, and organizing the domestic production of 30 million Vietnam-made vaccines if the experiments succeed (slated for August 2021).

Second, organize preservation and transport; ensure vaccination procedures and the screening examination process; and prepare for emergency procedures.

Third, ensure that enough syringes and needles are available.

All Vietnamese need to stand side by side with the Government and the health sector to implement the vaccination program, so as to reach herd immunity after giving 120 million doses of vaccine to 60 million people by March 31, 2022.

Do Cao Bao

PM orders accelerating work towards domestic vaccine production Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has urged scientists and representatives of vaccine research and production units to step up research and technological transfer for the domestic production of vaccine against COVID-19 as early as possible.
In addition to ensuring maritime safety in the surrounding territorial waters, lighthouses on islands of Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago in Truong Sa District of Khanh Hoa province, have also affirmed Vietnam's sovereignty over seas and islands.

The lighthouse on Da Tay B Reef. (Photo: VNA)

There are currently nine lighthouses on Truong Sa archipelago's islands, namely Son Ca, Nam Yet, Sinh Ton, Da Lat, Da Tay, An Bang, Song Tu Tay, Tien Nu and Truong Sa Lon.



Managed and operated by the East Sea and Islands Maritime Safety Company, the lighthouses are considered as "sovereignty markers" and diligently shine every night to assist and guide ships passing through the area.



The lighthouse on Song Tu Tay was the first to be built in Truong Sa archipelago in 1993.

An aerial view of Truong Sa Lon Island. (Photo: VNA)

According to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Xuan Truong, Vice Commander and Chief of Staff of Song Tu Tay Island, the lighthouse has helped to ensure safe movements of vessels, asserted Vietnam's sovereignty over seas and islands and made it easier for rescue and search activities at sea.



Meanwhile, the lighthouse on Son Ca Island was put into operation in August 2010. Head of the Son Ca lighthouse Tran Van Chien said that the lighthouse operates from 5:30pm to 5:30am on the next day.



In any circumstance, the lighthouse is not permitted to stop working as it is not only a guiding point for vessels in the surrounding waters but also the light of national sovereignty at sea, he said.

A lighthouse on an island in Truong Sa archipelago. (Photo: VNA)

The lighthouses use electricity sourced from solar power and automatically turn on when it is dark, but there are standby power generators to ensure the lighthouses' operations in any circumstance, especially in prolonged storms or rains. The checking and maintenance of equipment of the lighthouses are conducted regularly.



The lighthouses are not allowed to stop working  this is an order from the hearts of officials and staff at the lighthouses and naval soldiers on duty at sea and on islands.



Head of the lighthouse on Sinh Ton Island Bui Van Son, who has 20 years of experience and 10 years working in lighthouses in Truong Sa island district, said that despite poor working and living conditions on the islands, he has managed to complete his missions with love and responsibility for Vietnam's sovereignty over its sky, seas and islands.



Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Nhu Tuyen, Political Commissar of Son Ca Island, said that officials and staff of the Son Ca lighthouse have actively engaged in drills on island protection, contributing to strengthening the combat readiness of the island.



The lighthouse operators in Truong Sa archipelago have worked hard day and night, devoting their youth to ensure that the lighthouses never stop working.

VNA

Peaceful life on Truong Sa Forty-five years after the reunification in 1975, generations of soldiers and people in Truong Sa island district, Khanh Hoa province, have steadfastly stayed on the islands and continue to work on the sea.
Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son met with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn in Chinas Chongqing city on June 7.

Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (L) meets with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn (Photo: VNA)

The bilateral meeting took place on the sidelines of the Special ASEAN - China Foreign Ministers Meeting and the 6th Lancang - Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers Meeting.



Son expressed his wish to work closely with the Cambodian official and utilise the two foreign ministers direct contact channel so as to discuss and handle issues in bilateral ties as well as regional and international matters of common concern in a timely manner, thereby helping to enhance the fine neighbourliness, traditional friendship, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia.

Prak Sokhonn congratulated Vietnam on its recent achievements and expresed his deep thanks for the Vietnamese Government and people's financial aid and medical supplies for his country to effectively cope with the new COVID-19 outbreak.

The two ministers noted with satisfaction that their countries relations have sustained the development trend amid the pandemic, maintained frequent high-level contacts and exchanges, and brought into play bilateral cooperation mechanisms. Two-way trade continues to increase, hitting 3.89 billion USD in the first four months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 122 percent.

They agreed to increase coordination in border management and prevention of illegal border crossings, while facilitating cross-border trading.

During the meeting, Minister Son thanked and asked Cambodia to continue resolving the legal status for the people of Vietnamese origin. He asked the Cambodia's competent agencies to ensure the interests and welfare for them during implementing socio-economic development policies.

In response, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn affirmed that the Cambodian Government will continue paying attention to and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese students and businesses, along with the people of Vietnamese origin, in the country.

He said he hopes that people of the two countries will soon resume exchange and tourism activities once the pandemic is brought under control.

Vietnam and Cambodian will work together to organise practical and meaningful activities to celebrate the 55th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties (June 24) next year, thus helping to enhance communications to raise the awareness of their people, especially the youths, of the countries relations.

Talking about regional and international issues of mutual concern, the ministers agreed to reinforce ties at multilateral forums and join other member countries in maintaining ASEANs solidarity and strengthening the blocs centrality so as to effectively respond to common challenges.

Minister Son affirmed that Vietnam is ready to coordinate with and assist Cambodia to successfully organise the 13th Asian-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit this November and serve as Chair of ASEAN in 2022./. VNA
NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue held phone talks with the Speaker of Australias House of Representatives Tony Smith on June 7 to boost the strategic partnership between the two countries and the relationship between the two parliaments in particular.

Phone talks between NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and Speaker of Australias House of Representatives Tony Smith

Both sides affirmed that the strategic partnership is developing in a more reliable, practical, and deeper manner. Amid the complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two have maintained regular exchanges and meetings, reflected through a phone call between Prime Ministers Pham Minh Chinh and Scott Morrison and the signing of an Action Programme to implement the Strategic Partnership for the 2020-2023 period.

Bilateral trade turnover reached 8.3 billion USD in 2020, up 5 percent year-on-year. Australia is still supporting Vietnam in the 2021-2022 fiscal year, and has increased its investment in the country in the fields of agriculture, infrastructure, and education.

Assessing Australia as a power that plays an increasingly important role in the Asia-Pacific region and the world, Hue suggested the two sides continue to maintain exchanges and meetings at all levels; intensify economic and trade cooperation; strive to quickly double current two-way trade; promote cooperation in defence, military medicine, cyber-security, and science and technology; extend the duration of stay and reduce visa costs for Vietnamese citizens; support equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines; and transfer vaccine production technology to difficult countries, including Vietnam.

He invited Smith to pay an official visit to Vietnam shortly, and asked him to create the conditions needed for the two countries parliamentarian groups to exchange experience in supervising important issues and improve the legislative role in developing bilateral relations.

Smith agreed with Hues proposals, revealing that Australia has committed to providing Vietnam with 40 million AUD (30.9 million USD) to access COVID-19 vaccines.

He expressed his wish to visit Vietnam as soon as the two countries open their borders.

The two leaders also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern. Regarding the East Sea issue, they affirmed their consistent stance of maintaining peace, stability, navigation and aviation security, safety and freedom in the East Sea, as well as peacefully settling disputes on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982)./. VNA
CEO Nguyen Tu Quang of BKAV Group said that the company has developed a Covid-19 test that only requires a person to gargle with salt water (sodium chloride 0.9% solution).

Quang, popularly known as an IT expert and a mobile phone manufacturer, made the statement at an event on How AI, Blockchain contributed to the fight against the epidemic".

The BKAV leader said that his company was developing technology to help find people infected with Covid-19 through testing with a sodium chloride 0.9% solution.

Explaining the method, Quang said that participants gargle with salt water. The solution is then put into a test tube and placed in a testing device.

For other testing methods, the time to return results takes half an hour to several hours. But with this method, it only takes 10 seconds to produce results, Quang said.

Bkav CEO Nguyen Tu Quang. Photo: Trong Dat

Bkav uses a frequency band of light to expose the test tube containing the patient's saline solution, which is collected by a sensor.

Bkav's artificial intelligence technology measures how much frequency is absorbed. Different frequencies of absorption produce different types of disease, in this case Covid-19.

Quang said: "The naked eye can't recognize the difference of the absorption frequencies. We have to train the AI to know which is the specimen of the Covid patient and which is the sample of those who are not infected with Covid-19."

According to Quang, Bkav's method of testing for Covid-19 with saline mouthwash solution will give faster results than conventional methods.

The founder of BKAV said that compared to the method of testing for Covid-19 by breathing, the salt water test technology is simpler, and testing units are much cheaper.

The method was first tested by BKAV in late 2020 at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases. "Initial results were recorded as positive with a recognition rate of over 90%," Quang said.

He said his company is the second firm in the world to develop saline solution testing technology. A company in Israel has also developed this technology.

Trong Dat

Local engineer creates air-conditioned COVID-19 testing booth A mobile air-conditioned COVID-19 testing booth has been set up and put into use in the current COVID-19 hotspot of Bac Giang Province
A financial relief package worth nearly VND27,600 billion (US$1.2 billion) to support workers and employers affected by Covid-19 was recently proposed by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

The HCMC Confederation of Labor presenting gift aids to unprivileged workers.

According to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, the Covid-19 pandemic in the first quarter of 2021 caused 540,000 people to lose their jobs, 3.1 million to have their working hours cut, and 6.5 million to have reduced salary.

The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs therefore has proposed specific support policies to the Government as follows:

The first is to reduce the amount employers have to contribute to the labor accident and occupational disease insurance fund, part of their employees compulsory social insurance, expectedly by US$161 million over 12 months.

Second, if an employer is affected by Covid-19 leading to a reduction of 15 percent of employees participating in social insurance or more compared to April 2021, the employees and employer are entitled to temporarily stop paying social insurance to the retirement and survivorship fund within 6 months from the time they apply for this policy. It is expected that 44,000 businesses and 1.55 million employees will be eligible for application for a total of some US$495 million.

The third is offering workers tuition fees to get vocational training over a maximum of 6 months with a total budget of US$130,677.

The fourth is a policy to support 200,000 workers whose labor contracts are suspended or those taking unpaid leave or laid off but not eligible for unemployment benefits. Each worker is to receive about US$80, and female workers pregnant or raising a child under 6 years old are to get an additional US$43.6.

The fifth policy aims to support 30,000 sole proprietorships with US$87 per month each, amounting to a total budget of about US$26 million.

The sixth is a policy to support about 42,000 child Covid-19 patients going through treatment or in concentrated quarantine. The rural Bac Ninh, Bac Giang and Dien Bien provinces are expected to get an emergency support fund of US$43,617 to cover the cost of meals and essentials for child patients of Covid-19.

Seventh, it was proposed to use the central budget to provide Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces each with US$21.8 million of emergency support funds for workers with reduced income and the prevention and control of Covid-19.

At the same time, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs also proposed that the National Assembly Standing Committee support about 220,000 workers whose labor contract had to be terminated with a fund worth some US$107 million.

Along with that is a policy to let companies who had to suspend business activities due to the pandemic take out loans at preferential rates to pay workers salaries. It is expected to support 450,000 workers with about US$218,412.

All the relief policies above would amount to nearly US$1.2 billion.

SGGP

Who should benefit from government COVID relief packages? Nearly eight months since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, more than 950,000 people have died from the disease.
My trip to Hon Nghe started at Ba Hon Port in Kien Luong District, Kien Giang Province. Although the boat was small, it still had enough seats for everyone of us. We could sit comfortably to enjoy the seascape during the boat ride.

A small tranquil beach on Hon Nghe Island.  Photos: Le Dan Nam

On the way, I engaged in conversation with some passengers sitting close to me. Before my eyes, one island appeared after another amid the calm sea. Occasionally, I saw some birds flying in the sky and sea waves slapping.

After an hour of boat ride, we finally caught glimpse of Hon Nghe Island. The 3.8-square-kilometer island came closer and closer. Formed mostly by sandstone and karst, the peaceful and majestic island is surrounded by blue sea, mountains and forests. The beaches on the island are not big. At the time, the crystal clear blue seawater was covered by sparkling sun rays. We felt free as we could indulge ourselves in the blue sea, white clouds, the golden sun and the tranquil scenery.

Located in the Gulf of Thailand, Hon Nghe is almost spared from storms. The local weather is cool all year round. Therefore, travelers can visit the island at any time. However, spring is the most perfect time as the island fully exposes its beauty, especially at sunset.

A mountain trekking tour allowed us travelers to better explore the island. We next trekked the forest where we listened to birds singing and felt the cool fresh air in a restful space. We were able to find some singing stones which can produce a pure sound. The forests are also the habitat of yellow snails endemic to Hon Nghe. Continuing our way, we got past more rocks and crevices and finally reach the Buddhist Cave and the Bodhidharma Temple. Some caves lead to the top of mountains or beaches where explorers may be dazzled by the sunlight or as well immerse themselves in the sounds of sea waves breaking on the shore.

The oceans surface is dotted with floating fish cages.

Some of us chose to remain on the top of mountain to watch the oceans surface dotted with fish cages. The floating houses on the fish cages provide tourism with fresh seafood.

Hon Nghe, in my mind, is one of the best destinations I have visited.

SGT

Potential for sea and island tourism in Kien Giang Province Kien Giang, a coastal province at the southwestern pole of Vietnam, was endowed with many beautiful landscapes and tourist destinations such as Phu Quoc, Ha Tien and Kien Luong.
Ambassador Pham Hai Anh, deputy head of the Vietnamese mission to the UN, highlighted strengthening cooperation and dialogue in solving challenges from armed groups and terrorists, creating development opportunities for countries in Central Africa.

An overview of the UN Security Council's six-month periodical meeting on the situation in Central Africa.

Addressing the UN Security Council's six-month periodical meeting on the situation in Central Africa and operations of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), Ambassador Anh said he shared the difficulties that countries and people in the region are facing due to the impact of violence and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ambassador said that the root causes of instability must be addressed in a pragmatic and comprehensive manner. That means supporting ongoing diplomatic and political efforts, enhancing reconciliation efforts, addressing threats posed by armed groups and terrorists, strengthening the governance of natural resources and providing equitable development opportunities.

He emphasised that regional and subregional cooperation contribute significantly to achieving peace, stability and development. He also welcomed regional efforts to respond to the pandemic and urged international partners and relevant United Nations entities to provide sustained technical and financial assistance to countries in the region.

Francois Lounceny Fall, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Central Africa and head of UNOCA, presented a report on the situation there and activities of UNOCA.

The overall security, economic and social situation in the region remains challenging.

The insecurity in some countries in the region is mainly related to tensions in the election process, activities of armed groups and terrorists. Notably, the violence continued in the northwest and southwest of Cameroon, some areas in the Central African Republic and the Lake Chad Basin.

UN Security Council member countries shared concern about security challenges, socio-economic difficulties and humanitarian issues in the region. They affirmed the necessity of strengthening cooperation among regional countries, promoting the role of regional and sub-regional organisations in supporting the maintenance of peace and security.

Recent developments in the Central African Republic and challenges to the operation of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission (MINUSCA) were also discussed at the meeting.

Ambassador Anh emphasised that all parties involved must comply with international humanitarian law, protect civilians, and consider ensuring security and safety for MINUSCA employees as a priority. He also underlined the need to facilitate MINUSCA fulfil its mission.

Vietnam currently has seven officers participating in UN peacekeeping operations in the Central African Republic./. VNA
"By working together, the House and Senate will send Gov. Abbott the strongest Second Amendment legislation in Texas history, and protect the right of law-abiding Texans to carry a handgun as they exercise their God-given right to self-defense and the defense of their families," the bills author, state Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, said in a May 21 statement.

Abbott has yet to sign the bill into law, though he has said he plans to.

Current law requires Texans to be licensed to carry handguns openly or concealed. Applicants must submit fingerprints, complete four to six hours of training, and pass a written exam and a shooting proficiency test. Texas does not require a license to openly carry a rifle in public.

The measure saw a breakthrough in April when the House passed the permitless carry bill. Patrick initially said the Senate did not have the votes for permitless carry, but he later created a new committee, referred HB 1927 to it and got the bill to the floor, where it passed last month.
The new structure will accommodate wider shoulders for traffic on the bridge, as well as a new left-turn lane from northbound Route 1 to Clarke Boulevard. The bridge project also includes new retaining walls along Route 1 and reconstruction of the Clarke Boulevard intersection to accommodate the new left-turn traffic movement, according to the projects website. The entire project is expected to be complete by fall 2022.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  A Des Moines, Iowa, man pictured prominently with a QAnon shirt ahead of a crowd of insurgents inside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack asked a judge on Monday to release him from jail, saying "he feels deceived, recognizing that he bought into a pack of lies.

Douglas Jensen, in a document filed by his attorney, said he believed he was a true patriot for going to Washington at the urging of President Donald Trump. He said his intention was to only observe.

Jensen claims he is a victim of numerous conspiracy theories that were being fed to him over the internet by a number of very clever people, who were uniquely equipped with slight, if any, moral or social consciousness.

Jensen's attorney Christopher Davis said in the document that Jensen was not part of any mob and simply went to Washington to watch. Davis acknowledged Jensen was in front of a crowd but argued he did that for the now disclosed silly reason to show his QAnon shirt to get it recognized.

Davis said Jensen neither threatened physical harm to anyone nor destroyed property. Jensen had his work pocketknife on him for protection when he went to the Trump rally preceding the march to the Capitol, Davis said in the court filing.
Cook briefly debated Majority Leader Ben Toma of Peoria, a key architect of the tax cuts.

Its a little north of 550,000 jobs that are supposed to be new in Arizona to pay for these tax cuts, Cook said. There were no numbers given. These are the concerns that I have for the state and the people of this state.

"Does that bother you?" he asked.

Lots of things bother me. Cutting taxes does not bother me in the least," Toma responded.

The massive tax cut package, which proponents called the largest in state history, would have cut more than 25% of state income tax revenue after being fully phased in over the next two years. Democrats said the tax cut favored the rich  especially its provision capping taxes on the wealthy at 4.5% as a workaround to a new 3.5% tax surcharge on high earning Arizonans that was approved by voters in November.

The defeat of the main tax measures in the 11-bill package leaves GOP House leaders with no clear path forward on a budget that must pass by the end of the month to keep state government operating in the budget year that starts July 1.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  Republican Louisiana lawmakers have taken aim at the coronavirus vaccine, sending Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards two bills that would keep state and local government agencies from mandating the immunization in order to receive certain services.

Separate votes Monday gave final passage to the the anti-vaccine proposals from Republican Reps. Danny McCormick and Kathy Edmonston. Edwards  who has championed the vaccine and is regularly urging his state's residents to get the shot  hasn't taken a position on the legislation, and no agency in his administration has publicly proposed requiring the immunization for services.

He will review the bills when they reach his desk and see how they conform with recommendations from doctors and public health experts as well with current Louisiana law relating to vaccines, which does allow for certain exemptions, Edwards spokesperson Christina Stephens said in a statement.

But Stephens' statement also defended the coronavirus vaccines as safe and effective and said they have already saved lives and are our way out of this pandemic.
Sen. Randy Smith (R-Tucker) said he is fed up with the governor's decisions and wasteful spending." Justice announced a vaccine lottery that will include prizes ranging from hunting rifles to $1 million. The first prizes are set to be announced June 20, which also marks West Virginias birthday and the day the mask mandate ends.

I don't believe we should be using money to bribe people to get something that should be their own personal choice, Smith said, adding that I'm not for the vaccine or against the vaccine.

The governor and his health experts have pushed residents to receive the shot in regularly scheduled weekly news conferences, where he has trotted out his bulldog named Babydog in front of cameras to entice viewers. West Virginia's vaccine lottery is now called  Do It For Babydog.

The efforts haven't yet boosted a sluggish vaccination drive. Justice set a target for vaccinating two-thirds of eligible residents aged 12 and over by June 20. Nearly 60% of those eligible residents are currently at least partially vaccinated. The state has nearly met its goal of 85% coverage for ages 65 and over.
Don Huffines: "Texans have some of the highest property taxes in the nation

PolitiFact's ruling: Mostly True

Here's why: Former GOP state Sen. Don Huffines recently launched gubernatorial bid is wagering that Republican Gov. Greg Abbott isnt Republican enough for Texas.

According to his nascent campaign website, the border is too open, the voter rolls are too rife with illegal aliens, and the taxes are too high. To cure the state of its taxation problem, Huffines campaign proposes an unusual solution for a state that already doesnt collect income taxes  the elimination of property taxes altogether.

Texans have some of the highest property taxes in the nation, and the tax only goes up, his campaign website says.

We will put the broken property tax system on a path to zero, it continues.

Theres little question that property taxes in Texas have generally been rising year over year. The Texas Comptrollers Biennial Property Tax Report shows that single family home values have been on the rise since 2010, resulting in a corresponding rise in the property taxes levied by local governments in each of those years.
They also said the state should require backup power at critical facilities; clear up the legal definitions of when demand-driven price increases turn into price gouging; raise building and energy efficiency standards and retrofit existing systems; increase funding and staffing at the Public Utility Commission; and improve planning and forecasting at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the electric grid that covers most of the state.

The authors  former Texas Public Utility Commissioners Robert Gee, Becky Klein, Brett Perlman, Judy Walsh and Pat Wood, and former PUC adviser Alison Silverstein  said all of the findings from state and federal investigations of the February outage should be made public, and recommend more data about electric and gas production and markets should be collected and also made public. (Their work was funded by grants from the Energy Foundation and by the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation.)

The report notes the states failure to make many of these changes, as recommended at the time by others, after widespread winter electric outages in 2011.
Adapting what many regard as his most personal novel, Stephen King writes all eight episodes of this limited serieswhich I cant help think is at least a few too many (but Im in the minority for having found the source material insufferably indulgent). Julianne Moore is, unsurprisingly, excellent in the title role of Lisey, still mourning the violent death of her best-selling novelist husband Scott Landon (Clive Owen) two years later. Liseys Story intertwines with Scotts own traumatic backstory, and when the grieving widow is threatened by a deranged superfan (Dane DeHaan) who seeks access to Scotts unpublished material, the thriller aspect shifts the narrative to a fantasy realm known as Booya Moon. Which is where I checked out as both reader and viewer.
Mondays decision slashes the money the Reeves family will see to just $7,500, as a majority of the panel of judges determined state law at the time of the shooting limited economic damages to $7,500 and does not provide for compensation beyond the cost of the pet and veterinary bills. The law has since been revised to lift the cap to $10,000.
Cedar Falls Utilities -- High Tech Partner Award

Cedar Falls Utilities upgraded their all-fiber network to make 10-gigabit speed readily available anywhere in the community, becoming the first 10-gigabit city in Iowa and one of the first in the country. This commitment to continually improving the Cedar Falls broadband network and providing customers a fast, reliable connection was especially helpful in a year when demand for streaming, learning, and working from home was amplified. In 2020, PCMag recognized CFU as the fastest internet service provider in the U.S.A.

Ashley HomeStore -- Redevelopment Investor Award

The new Ashley HomeStore at College Square Mall is part of the Furniture Mart USA family, which includes its regional distribution center that opened in 2017 in the Cedar Falls Industrial Park. This is the Sioux Falls-based retailer's 31st Ashley HomeStore and ninth in Iowa. They have partnered with the Northeast Iowa Food Bank and House of Hope since opening earlier this year.

Brad and Jen Leeper -- Continued Investor Award
WATERLOO  A Denver couple battling cancer cashed in on the memorial experience of a lifetime after a Courier article shed light on their struggles and their wonder for aquatic animal life.

Bob and Dawn Gwin spoke to the Courier in January about their stage 4 cancer diagnoses. The bubbly couple also discussed their goals for the year, which included visiting the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. The news story caught the eye of Johnny Ford, assistant director of guest experience at the Shedd Aquarium, who offered the couple complimentary tickets, a private guided tour and a chance to feed a penguin named Chile and a blind sea lion named Cruz.

We had the best time, and we made a lot of great memories, Bob said. We even had a private Pacific white dolphin show with four dolphins. While we were interacting with Chile the penguin, two white beluga whales were watching us. We also hand-fed cownose sting rays.

Colby (Sellers) gave us a private guided tour and made it the most memorable experience of a lifetime, the couple said in an email. Sellers guided the couple through the 5-million-gallon aquarium that was at one time the largest indoor aquarium in the world.
But they had a longer list of disappointments.

Rep. Ras Smith said he was surprised to see Republicans try to increase diversity with teacher education grants for Black teachers, but said majority legislators seemed to be speaking out of both sides of their mouths.

The way you increase diversity is, you dont threaten to ban the 1619 curriculum. You dont threaten to get rid of tenure, and you dont ban things like voluntary diversity plans that only a handful of districts use, Smith said.

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Brown-Powers said ending the property tax backfill and giving the state control of mental health funding was robbing Peter to pay Paul in terms of residents tax burden.

The whole point of taking away the backfill and funding mental health through the state was to reduce peoples taxes; however, by doing that, each city is going to be losing their backfill as well, she said. Waterloo has noted the city will have to raise property taxes to make up for the loss. Im very concerned about the outcome of that.

Smith and Dotzler both lamented a bill Smith said would shorten the early voting window by a third. Dotzler said the law will make him a felon if he takes his own mothers absentee ballot to the mailbox.
Klein, a retired Catholic schools employee, said she made the decision to run for the top office following her walking tour of the citys neighborhoods. She said a number of residents said they didnt feel their concerns were being heard.

It saddens me that citizens dont feel like their opinions matter but I understand why, said Klein. In my four years on council its become clear that most city decisions are made behind closed doors and with little input from relevant stakeholders. Thats not how city government should operate.

Klein criticized the creation of a chief of staff position for the mayors office, and she said she is against a recent decision to remove the Waterloo Police Departments griffin emblem, a decision that came after some in the community said the emblem resembled a KKK dragon.

The attack on the Waterloo police and their beloved griffin insignia was heartbreaking to watch and created unnecessary divide in the community, Klein said.

If elected mayor, Klein said she would donate half her mayoral salary back to the city. She currently does something similar with her raises for the City Council position.
WAVERLY  A staffing shortage has left some swimming pools in deep water.

Waverly Leisure Services Director Garret Riordan said he is seeing a labor shortage in several areas, including parks and recreation, but right now his top concern is the swimming pool.

We have 15 lifeguards. Typically wed like to have at least 25 to be able to fill all the shifts, he said.

Waverlys other pool at the Wartburg-Waverly Sports & Wellness Center, also called the W, also is experiencing a staff shortage. The indoor pool hosts swim lessons and is open to guests.

Its a struggle being able to cover all shifts at both places, Riordan said.

Waverly leisure services typically hires several high school students as lifeguards each summer. After the pandemic shut down the pool last year, Riordan has seen interest slide.

We really dont have the sophomores and juniors, he said. We missed out on them their first year or two of high school. Were still trying to get them excited about working and excited about the pool.

Riordan ensured all pools are still operating safely.
Every so often, like cicadas, a buzzword emerges from the popular dialect and becomes omnipresent in the media lexicon. In the early aughts, the word nuanced exploded across the cultural landscape to excuse a politician who couldnt speak straight or a writer who couldnt write. In 2004, Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry called his ever-shifting position on the war in Iraq nuanced as a way of explaining why he was for it before he was against it. Since then, virtually every politician adopted a nuanced position on major issues until, finally, George W. Bush proclaimed I dont do nuance.

The current cliche working its way to iconic status is the phrase we take this seriously. Or, to show they really mean it, we take this very seriously. The phrase is now almost mandatory in any corporate statement of apology, regret or acknowledgment of allegations of sexual harassment. In a recent case, the Ford Motor Company responded to a lawsuit claiming sexual harassment in the workplace by stating Ford does not tolerate sexual harassment or discrimination. We take those claims very seriously and investigate them thoroughly. Countering claims of sexual misconduct, an Ohio bishop in with United Methodist Church said, we take this seriously  because people matter.
How many options are enough? And at what point do so many options become a free-for-all that undermines the concept of community-based public education, the bedrock of a literate, informed electorate?

Iowans are already awash in educational options for children.

This state has more than 300 school districts. Iowas open enrollment law allows you to send your child outside your home district  if the district you want to attend has space and accepts the child.

You can opt for a private school and even use your College Savings Iowa 529 Plan  originally conceived to help fund higher education  to pay tuition.

You can enroll your child in an online school operated by a for-profit company that partnered with a rural school district. You can live anywhere in the state and send your child to school on a home computer all day. Public education dollars will ultimately be funneled to the out-of-state company.

You have three options for home schooling under Iowa law.
Hoye said law enforcement agencies, safety groups and others worked unsuccessfully to get the Legislature to adopt a measure that would ban the use of hand-held devices while driving in Iowa. But he is very optimistic about a renewed effort in the next session.

Sen. Waylon Brown, R-Osage, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said Tuesday he shared that optimism and is working with DOT officials to get something done in 2022. I dont have a good reason as to why it stalled, he said, but acknowledged House Republicans had concerns.

Speaking with reporters Tuesday, House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said House Republicans expressed concerns over the enforcement and personal freedom aspects of banning Iowa drivers from using hand-held devices.

It gets down to the personal choice of the individual. I understand there are a lot of people that can disagree whether that really is the right position to take on that. I think it is a very touchy issue, Grassley said. I dont know what will really change between now and next session, because I think some of the people who are opposed to the bill are fundamentally opposed to it from the personal freedom and choice aspect of it.

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New Jersey and Virginia are the only states with gubernatorial and legislative elections this year. Both states are holding their primaries Tuesday, June 8. Additionally, there is a special election to fill a vacancy in New Hampshire's state house.

Virginia Primary Overview and Results

Polls close at 7:00 PM. Live results below for contested primaries. Legislative races are grouped by party. Use the drop down to select the district you want to view.

Governor

Virginia is the only state that doesn't allow governors to serve consecutive terms. As a result, Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam is not on the ballot.

Republicans nominated businessman Glenn Youngkin at a party convention last month.

Five Democrats, including former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, are vying for the nomination. McAuliffe, who preceded Northam, is seeking to become just the second person since the Civil War to win a second term. Also on the ballot are Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and three current or former state legislators.

McAuliffe is favored to win the nomination. He has raised more money than the other candidates combined. A recent poll gave him 49% of the vote. Jennifer Carroll Foy was the only other candidate that cracked double digits - just barely at 11%.

The current consensus rating for the general election is Likely Democratic. However, that may shift over time as both parties see a very competitive race.

Lieutenant Governor

In Virginia, the office of lieutenant governor is separately elected. Unlike the governorship, there are no term limits. However, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax is seeking a promotion to governor, and is thus not running for reelection.

Republicans nominated former Delegate Winsome Sears at their convention.

There are seven Democrats on the ballot. One of them, Elizabeth Guzman has withdrawn. No clear favorite has emerged.

Attorney General

Democratic AG Mark Herring is seeking a third term. He is being challenged by Delegate Jay Jones - who has been endorsed by Gov. Northam - but is favored to win renomination. At the party convention, Republicans chose Delegate Jason Miyares as their nominee.

House of Delegates

The Virginia State House is called the House of Delegates; the more generic term is used in the results tables below. Note that the next elections for the State Senate are in 2023.

Democrats gained six seats to take control of the 100-member House of Delegates in the 2019 elections. The party holds a 55-45 edge. The legislative election forecasting site CNalysis sees the race for control this year as a toss-up.

Here's an overview of the contested primaries from CNalysis.

Democratic

There are contested primaries in 18 districts.

Republican

There are contested primaries in 7 districts.

Upcoming

June 12

Louisiana State Senate District 7 All-Party Special Primary

June 15


At the Floating Wind conference 2021 in Haugesund, Norway's Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Tina Bru, unveiled plans for the future of offshore wind development in Norway.



Last year, Norway opened two areas for offshore wind, Utsira Nord (1.5 GW) and Srlige Nordsj II (3 GW). Six consortia have already declared their interest.



Srlige Nordsj II lies far from land and borders on the Danish economic zone south-east in the North Sea. According to Minister Bru, it can be developed on a commercial basis  with no state aid. She unveiled that the auction for Srlige Nordsj II is slated for Q1 2022.





It is anticipated that the Norwegian government will award 2 or 3 project areas in Srlige Nordsj II for development. The award will be based on a two-stage process. The first step is a qualification-process. The second step will be an auction where the qualified companies/consortias can participate.



Minister Bru highlighted that many developers are looking into hybrid projects, combining offshore wind farms and interconnectors and that there are some elements will have to put in place before the process can be initiated. This includes assess legal and other effects of hybrid projects ahead of any awards for the Srlige Nordsj II area.



Utsira Nord lies west of Utsira and Haugalandet, and holds potential for floating wind power. The area is large, close to land, and has the ability to facilitate both demonstration projects and larger projects.



Minster Bru revealed that the process of floating wind development Utsira Nord will differ from that for traditional fixed foundations, noting that the challenges are different. The Norwegian government will move forward with a licensing process. When projects have matured sufficiently, it will assess the timing and level of support for floating wind projects.



Norway is proposing to award at least three areas for up to 500 MW each, at Utsira North. The award of acreage will be based on qualitative criteria, and will take place as soon as the framework is in place. This is expected to start by the end of this year.





In her speech, Minister Bru also revealed that the Norwegian government has initiated a process of identifying new areas for offshore wind production and conduct an impact assessment of these areas. She noted that Norwegian water resources and energy directorate (NVE) will lead this process and work closely with relevant agencies. The process is expected to take approximately two years.





To ensure a neutral and efficient coordination of the offshore grid users and provide clarity for the developers the government will start working on regulation for the offshore system operation and has designated Statnett as the system operator under the Offshore Energy Act for cables and installations not regulated under the Petroleum Act. It will also assess and possibly propose necessary legislative changes and more detailed rules for efficient access to, and use, of the offshore grid.



Furthermore, the government will establish an offshore wind collaboration forum to enhance collaboration and reduce potential conflicts. The forum will bring together industry leaders, public authorities, the research community, industrial clusters, users of the ocean space and additional relevant stakeholders.





The aim of this forum is to build competence, find sustainable solutions and thus strengthen the industry's competitiveness  where collaboration is key. It will be tasked to address issues like co-existence, supply chain development and export opportunities,. It will be lead by Minister Bru and the first meeting is scheduled for early September.





For more information on offshore wind farms worldwide,

click here

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Maryland State Police said in a statement that their computer crimes unit coordinates with the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce that combines police departments across the state to identify suspects involved in online child pornography and other crimes that victimize children. The effort is grant funded by the U.S. Department of Justice and Marylands Governors Office of Crime Prevention, Youth and Victim Services.
Like California's majestic Highway 1, the Airstream is an icon of the great American road tripa gleaming throwback to the golden age of travel.

The aluminum-clad trailer made its debut in 1936 and has inspired roadside envy ever since. You could splurge on one of your own (#vanlife!), or you could do the sensible thing: Pack your weekender and check into one of the many stylishly renovated and beautifully situated Airstreams now parked along the coast. Happy camping!

Courtesy of Caravan Outpost

Caravan Outpost, Ojai



Nestled among palm trees and outfitted with sarape blankets, Caravan Outpost's Airstreams offer up quintessentially Ojai hippy-chic vibes. The 11 Airstreams, situated around a central courtyard with outdoor seating and a fire pit, feature sleek interiors with AC and heating, full bathrooms, stoves, and sleeping spaces to accommodate up to four or five guests. Plus, Caravan Outpost's location in the heart of Downtown Ojai ensures you'll never get bored. Hop on one of Caravan Outpost's bicycles and explore the area's endless restaurants, shops, and hikes. If you're not down to leave the property, sip on complimentary coffee and soak up the morning sun from one of many loungers and hammocks, pick up some dyed vintage Levi's and boho home goods at the on property General Store, and keep your eye on the calendar for events including farm to table dinners and live speakers. // From $194/night, caravanoutpostojai.com





The Land Yacht, Joshua Tree



When you head to Joshua Tree, it's usually to get away from it all and connect with nature. There's no better place to do that than from this classic 31-foot Airstream located in the middle of the Mojave Desert. Situated just on the edge of the national park, it's a perfect home base for exploring all the area has to offer. Inside, you'll feel vintage vibes as well as a blast from the AC; and though you have your bathroom and queen bed (plus a bunk bed), you'll probably want to spend most of your time out on the private deck, grilling up some barbecue, hanging out at the picnic table, or taking a refreshing dip in the stock tank pool (available April through December). // From $137/night, airbnb.com





Temecula Wine Country Airstream 74, Temecula



Tucked into Southern California's Temecula wine region, this completely renovated 1974 Airstream is like staying in your own private jet, according to its listing on Airbnb. While that may be a stretch, this cutie gets points for the fully stocked kitchen (there's a Nespresso machine, hello!), king bed or choice of two twins, and WiFi. The location, on a 2.5 acre hilltop, is sweet; take it in from the fire pit on the 800-square-foot deck, then take a dip in the shared above-ground pool. Best of all? Several wineries are within walking distance. // From $162/night, airbnb.com





Courtesy of Highway West Vacations

Highway West Vacations, Buellton and Borrego Springs



Highway West Vacations has two dog-friendly glamping sister properties, located in the Santa Barbara wine country and Palm Canyon, both boasting a variety of vintage Airstream accommodations. Shined to a mirror-like luster, these babies have modern interiors, as well as perks including wine refrigerators, desks with mounted iPads, flat screen TVs, Keurig coffee makers, and free WiFiand some even include a Canned Ham trailer too, perfect for a group stay. Go sideways in Santa Barbara wine country in the fully renovated vintage Airstreams at Flying Flags (open year-round), plus sip wine at the next door Sideways Lounge, play some bocce, or gather around the campfire. Feeling more porter than pinot? Hit the two fantastic breweries in the area: Firestone Walker and Figueroa Mountain Brewing. If you'd rather escape to the desert, book an Airstream at Highway West Vacations' Palm Canyon Hotel & RV Resort (open September through May). Explore the nearby Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, then cool off with a dip in the pool or enjoy live music and a drink at the on-site saloon. (Both resorts also offers cottages and safari tents.) // Superior Airstream from $248/night, highwaywestvacations.com





Courtesy of Autocamp

Autocamp: Russian River, Yosemite, and Joshua Tree

These stylish camps, located in Yosemite and on the Russian River, consist of sparkly new, custom Airstreams tricked out by a modern architect. You know what that means? Hotel-worthy amenitiesthink flat screen TVs, pillow-top mattresses with down comforters, bathrobes, soaking tubs, and upscale bath products. Crack open a beer on your redwood deck and throw some burgers on the electric grill, or hop on a beach cruiser and head into town. // Prices vary, starting from around $129/night, autocamp.com





Courtesy of Kate's Lazy Desert

Kate's Lazy Desert, Landers



Located in the Mojave Desert, Kate's Lazy Desert is an Airstream aficionado's heaven. Each of the six Airstream trailers, ranging from 19- to 32-feet in length, features a unique theme, kitschy decorthink magazine and band poster collage wallpaper in the "Hairstream;" a green, blue, and brown color blocked ceiling in the "Tiki;" and bold, orange floral bedding in the "Planet Air" and views of the surrounding mountains. Plus, take a dip in the pool, cook in your kitchenette and then dine al fresco, explore the area's endless hiking trails, and even bring your dog! // From $200/night, lazymeadow.com
Arballo Drive

via Open Library

Arballo Drive, located in Parkmerced, was named after Maria Feliciana Arballo, "the very bold widow" of the second De Anza Expedition of 1776. In fact, all of Parkmerced was named after the Spanish who were part of that trip from Mexico to present-day San Francisco. Arballo decided to go with the group (along with her two daughters) after her husband died, despite the objections of Father Pedro Font. She was feisty, independent, and did what she wanted. This included marrying Juan Jose Gutierrez, who was considered below her caste level.
Backyard Productions / Getty Images

The U.S. Treasury will start sending payments for the expanded child tax credit July 15, and eligible taxpayers could receive as much as $300 a month per eligible child through December. The rest will come with your 2021 tax refund when you file in 2022. About 39 million households will be eligible for the payments.

What is the child tax credit?

Unlike a tax deduction, which reduces your taxable income, a tax credit reduces your tax payments dollar for dollar. The revamped child tax credit for 2021 is more generous than in previous years, expands eligibility and establishes partial distribution through advance payments starting July 15. The child tax credit is also fully refundable, which means taxpayers can receive the entire credit even if they don't have earned income or don't owe any income taxes. Previously, only $1,400 was refundable.

The overhaul also drops the requirement for earned income, making the credit a possibility for older adults with income solely from social security, pensions or IRAs who have a dependent child or grandchild age 17 or younger. Most eligible families will receive advance payments automatically, unless they opt out, but people who were not required to file a tax return will need to take action to receive the cash this year.

The revisions, made through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, are applicable only for tax year 2021.

The IRS began sending letters the week of June 7 to families eligible for the credit. A second letter will be sent at a later date specifying the amount of money, says IRS spokesman Eric Smith.

Who is eligible

The program has been expanded to cover 17-year-olds in 2021. Eligible families claiming the credit will receive $3,000 per qualifying child ages 6 through 17 and $3,600 per qualifying child under age 6. Previously, the amount of the credit was up to $2,000 per child age 16 and under. Age is determined as of Jan. 1, so children turning 18 on Jan. 2 or later are still eligible for the $3,000 credit, and children turning 6 on Jan. 2 or later qualify for the $3,600 credit.

The tax credit is reduced, or phased out, for people with modified adjusted gross incomes at or above $150,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint return and qualifying widows or widowers, $112,500 for heads of household and $75,000 for singles.

Another new feature is that advance payments, totaling up to 50 percent of the credit, will be made monthly from July through December to eligible taxpayers who have a main home in the U.S. for more than half the year. The payments will be made by direct deposit, paper check or debit card. If you received a tax refund  or stimulus payment  through direct deposit, it is very likely you would receive the child tax credit advance payments electronically, says Smith, noting that the IRS prefers to pay via direct deposit. Others would likely receive a check or debit card.

"The goal, in general terms, is to migrate as many people to electronic delivery of money, as much as possible, Smith says.

Make sure you get your checks

The IRS will send advance payments based on an estimate from 2020 tax returns, or 2019 returns if the 2020 return has not been filed and processed. Payments will come automatically; most people do not need to do anything.

But certain individuals must take action to receive the advance payments. Historically, people needed to have at least a base amount of earned income, such as wages or self-employment, to qualify for the child tax credit. But in 2021, there is no earned income requirement, so people with other income, such as social security, supplemental security income, pensions or IRAs, who have a dependent child or grandchild could qualify. If somebody is in that category and they don't normally file a return, they may want to file  and I'd say file pretty soon  so that we have something to base the payment on, says Smith.

One exception would be people who, though not required to file a return because their income was too low or it was non-taxable social security or supplemental security income, used the IRS non-filer tool to claim stimulus payments. When people did that, that was actually considered to be a basic return, says Smith. If they did that, then we've got that record.  If their situation is still comparable or similar in 2021, they'd be able to get [child tax credit] payments on that basis."
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Leo loves to travel. The Baltimore, Maryland, resident has road-tripped through 47 states; swum in two oceans, three Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico; and explored numerous state and national parks, from Acadia to Zion. As Leo cruises America's back roads and interstates, he's joined by his faithful companion, a 46-year-old human named Kristin Kluge.

Leo is an 8-year-old Labrador Retriever mix  and he loves his ruff-rider life.

"He gets a lot of attention everywhere we go, says Kluge, an X-ray technician who travels frequently for work and pleasure (as we spoke, she and Leo were driving through New Mexico on a 14-state trip). When I'm traveling, I talk to people who miss their dog, and they're jealous that I have mine.

For car-trip fans like Kluge, dogs are more than passengers. They're happy tourists, willing photo subjects and instant conversation starters. But a good, safe journey requires some planning. Before you embark on a road trip with your pooch, take these smart, simple steps.

Find dog-friendly lodging

Camping is an obvious overnight option, but most hotel chains offer plentiful pet-friendly properties. PetsWelcome.com summarizes the policies of major chains, including Best Western (1,000 pet-friendly properties in the U.S. and Canada), Comfort Inn (550 in the U.S.), La Quinta Inns & Suites (800 in the U.S.) and Red Roof Inns (550 in the U.S.). Motel 6 welcomes pets at all of its 1,400 U.S. properties unless they pose a health or safety risk, or are prohibited by law. Guests can have two pets per room with a combined weight of 150 pounds.

Before you book a room, research pet fees. A lot of the more price-conscious hotels take dogs, but they also have a really high pet deposit, says Tom Manus, who blogs about travel with his wife, Kristi, on their site, Small Town Plus Size. He notes that he's seen deposits ranging from $50-$200. Some pet fees are nonrefundable.


ATP 2021 Update

Melbourne, June 8, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Vintage Energy Ltd ( ASX:VEN ) is pleased to provide an update on interpreted gas pay in the successful Vali-2 well and the soon to be spudded Vali-3 well in the Cooper Basin.- Vali-2 delivers greater net gas pay than Vali-1 ST1- 150 metres of net gas pay interpreted primarily in the Toolachee and Patchawarra formations (80 metres of net gas pay interpreted in Vali-1 ST1)- SLR184 rig mobilising to site at Vali-3, spud expected over coming daysCooper Basin - ATP 2021 (Vintage 50% and operator, Metgasco Ltd 25% ( ASX:MEL ), Bridgeport (Cooper Basin) Pty Ltd 25%)The Vali-2 well was drilled to total depth of 3,240 metres and cased for production. Wireline logging confirmed the presence of gas in the Toolachee and Patchawarra formations and Tirrawarra Sandstone, with a gas sample recovered via MDT from the Toolachee. It is expected that the discovery of gas in the Toolachee Formation will add to reserves estimates in the Vali Field, with an independent reserve assessment by ERCE planned once the Vali-3 appraisal well has been drilled.Vali-2 has 24 metres of stacked net gas pay in the Toolachee Formation, with an 8% porosity cut off, which is distributed between three thick sandstone packages and five thinner ones. A gas gradient was established through MDT pressure measurements and a gas sample was recovered. Analysis of the sample indicates the Toolachee gas has a higher percentage of hydrocarbons at 82% (75% methane, 4% ethane, 3% other hydrocarbons) and 18% inert gases, compared with the Patchawarra gas in Vali-1 ST1, which has around 76% hydrocarbons and 24% inert gases. The wireline logging and MDT results indicate that the Toolachee reservoir could flow without the need for fracture stimulation.The Patchawarra Formation is estimated to have 117 metres of conventional and low permeability net gas pay, with a 6% porosity cut off (80 metres in Vali-1ST1 with a 6% porosity cut off), that is distributed over 18 sandstone packages, with the Tirrawarra Sandstone having nine metres of conventional and low permeability net gas pay (two metres in Vali-1 ST1), both of which had a 6% porosity cut off. Production from these formations will likely be optimised by fracture stimulation.The SLR184 rig is being mobilised to the Vali-3 well site after having been delayed by three days due to concentrated rain in the local area. It is anticipated that Vali-3 will be spudded over the coming days and take approximately three weeks to drill.To view tables and figures, please visit:About Vintage Energy Ltd

Vintage Energy Ltd (ASX:VEN) has been established to acquire, explore and develop energy assets principally within, but not limited to, Australia, to take advantage of a generally favourable energy pricing outlook.
They lured him into the apartment to a dead-end laundry room and they brandish a firearm and took all the weed, Insley said. Once they found out he didnt have a lot on him and one said, he saw my face we have to smoke him and that is when Hurtado began wrestling over the gun.
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Aside from talking about his contribution in swaying voters, the one-third of Migos talks about how COVID lockdown made him think about how he could be of help to many people.

Jun 8, 2021

AceShowbiz - Migos star Offset is convinced he helped President Joe Biden win Georgia at last year's general election.

The rapper, who is married to Cardi B, admits he never really took politics and voting seriously until it was time to oust Donald Trump from the White House, and he's happy he was able to do something to sway voters in the state towards Democrat Biden.

"With voting, I just never felt like I was a part of that," he tells Billboard. "I was young, too. I'm just a grown man now, and I understand the importance and we can only change things by voting. Me being able to vote, I know a lot of kids that were in my situation that never voted before."

"When I went to Gwinnett [County], I know I helped Biden win on that. I don't want to name him in the thing, but it's the facts [sic]. Gwinnett County was in the red [leaning Republican] at first, and then when I did that, it went to blue [Democratic]. It's the first time Georgia did that in, like, 10 or 20 years. Contributing to that, I felt the power, and it was just the right thing to do."

Offset admits the COVID lockdown also made him think long and hard about how he could help more people, especially after his mother fell ill.

"It was time to sit down," he explains. "With me being who I am, I'm so busy and running around so much that I ain't had that time in seven or eight years. It really opened up my eyes to see what's going on in the world, and not just my world. I'm so focused on being creative in my headspace and I'm jumping around traveling everywhere, you don't really see what's going on."

"With quarantine, I seen everybody struggle [sic]. Even if you made money, as an artist, it was still a setback because you couldn't spread a project to the fans by doing shows..."

"Also, I'm seeing a lot of our black people struggling with this quarantine. I had to help friends and family members with people losing their jobs back and forth. My mom got sick with COVID and I wasn't able to leave. I was just able to sit back and see a lot of real s**t going on."
Minutes later, she said, she came upon a gruesome, chaotic scene at an intersection near her home, with first responders running to help, a police officer performing chest compressions on one person and three other people lying on the ground. A few dozen people stood on the sidewalk and several drivers got out of their cars to help.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex ask those 'inquiring' about sending presents to consider sending some money to or learning about the work of one of the charities close to their hearts.

Jun 8, 2021

AceShowbiz - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex have asked for donations to women's charities instead of gifts for their baby girl.

The British royals welcomed Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor into the world on Friday, June 4, and in response to those "inquiring" about sending presents for the newborn, they've asked them to consider sending some money to or learning about the work of one of the charities close to their hearts.

At the bottom of their message of thanks, posted on their Archewell Foundation website, the couple wrote, "For those inquiring on sending gifts, we would ask that you support or learn more about these organisations working for women and girls: Girls Inc, Harvest Home, CAMFED and the Myna Mahila Foundation."

Harry and Meghan have previously personally donated $130,000 (119,453) to African girl's education charity CAMFED.

They chose to gift the money to celebrate their birthdays last year (20), with Harry turning 36 in September and Meghan celebrating her 39th birthday the previous month.

What's more, the charity raised an additional $129,000 (118,541) on behalf of the couple.

Confirming their new arrival, the couple said in a statement, "It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world. Lili was born on Friday, June 4 at 11:40 a.m. in the trusted care of the doctors and staff at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home."

Harry and Meghan - who also have Archie, two, together - named their little one after the former's late mother Princess Diana and his grandmother Queen Elizabeth.

A spokesperson for the couple added in a statement, "Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet. Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honour her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales."

The Duke and Duchess admitted their daughter is "more than they could have ever imagined".

A statement from the couple, posted on their website, read, "On June 4th, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili. She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers weve felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family."
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The former star of 'That '70s Show', who was arrested in June 2020, has been charged with three counts of forcible rape that allegedly took place at his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003.

Jun 8, 2021

AceShowbiz - "That '70s Show" star Danny Masterson's trial on rape charges will likely begin in November.

The disgraced actor appeared before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Eleanor Hunter at an arraignment hearing on Monday, June 7, and surrendered his passport to ensure he will not be able to escape justice ahead of the legal proceedings.

Judge Hunter also set a motion hearing date of August 9, at which the respective parties will handle some "outstanding matters," according to Deadline. The trial is expected to begin within 90 days of that date.

Masterson was arrested in June 2020 and charged with three counts of forcible rape, which reportedly took place at his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003. At a pre-trial hearing last month (May 2021), each of the women testified, with the first female, identified only as Jen B., claiming she had visited Danny's house in April, 2003 to pick up a set of keys.

While there, she agreed to join some mutual friends for a drink, but started feeling ill and found herself being carried upstairs by Masterson, who put her in the shower to clean off after vomiting. She alleged the actor raped her and threatened her with a gun.

Another accuser, named as Christina B., revealed she and Masterson had been in a six-year relationship when the star reportedly forced himself upon her in November 2001.

His third alleged victim, known as N. Trout, told the court she was raped by Masterson in late 2003.

After four days of testimony, Judge Charlaine Olmedo ruled she had heard sufficient evidence for the actor to stand trial on the charges.

But the 45 year old's legal troubles don't end there - Masterson, who is free on $3.3 million (2.3 million) bail, is also fighting a civil suit suggesting his accusers were harassed by people from the Church of Scientology, of which he is a member, for taking their complaints to police.

Also on Monday, a separate Los Angeles Superior Court hearing took place regarding that action, which Judge Steven Kleifield pronounced "moot," because other courts had already ruled on the matter. That case will now be heard by the appeals court.

Masterson faces a possible maximum sentence of 45 years to life in state prison if found guilty on the criminal counts.
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In related news, it's reported that a police officer was also shot during a chaotic scene that killed Durk's rapper brother outside a Harvey club in Chicago over the weekend.

Jun 8, 2021

AceShowbiz - A girlfriend of Lil Durk's slain brother DThang has broken her silence on his sudden and tragic passing. The grieving mother of two, who shares her children with the late rapper, has gotten candid about her heartbreak over his death.

Mourning his death, DThang's girlfriend took to her Instagram page to share a throwback picture of her standing next to her boyfriend along with their young son and daughter. "This was never in the plans wtf! I love you sooooooo much," she captioned it.

As reported before, Durk's older brother DThang was found dead on the 7900 block of S. Loomis Blvd. in Chicago over the weekend. He was shot in the head outside of a strip club in south suburban Harvey, a city official has confirmed it.

According to Chicago Sun-Times, a police officer was also shot during a chaotic scene at Club O that killed DThang. Harvey spokeswoman Giavonni Nickson said there were "multiple shots" fired and "lots of weapons recovered" on early Sunday, June 6.

Shortly before DThang, whose real name is Dontay Banks, was shot, a Harvey police officer heard gunfire and noticed a person with a gun at the club at 17038 S Halsted St. More gunfire erupted during an "altercation," and the officer was hit in the thigh.

It's unclear if the officer returned fire, but Giavonni said, "Among the other shots flying, Banks was caught in it." He was pronounced dead at the scene, while the police officer, who was also wounded in the shooting, was in good condition.

Around 2 A.M. that morning, another person was killed in a possible retaliation shooting.
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Three months after welcoming a baby girl with Amanda Pacheco, the 'NCIS' star opens up about the challenge of fatherhood and shares why he picked Nakano for his first child's name.

Jun 8, 2021

AceShowbiz - Wilmer Valderrama admits fatherhood is the "biggest win" of his life.

The actor has three-month-old daughter Nakano with Amanda Pacheco, and he's relishing the challenge of parenthood, confessing it's made him "swing harder" in his professional life. He shared, "I've always known why I do what I do."

"I've always said that if you woke up this morning, you're already winning. And when I wake up, I feel like I won because I just woke up and then I go into her room and wake her up in the morning before she feeds and see her eyes open... it's the biggest win I've ever had in my life."

"That is something that is different. And it makes me swing harder - everything you see me do professionally and spiritually ... specifically with my mind, my soul and my body is to not just provide but to create a great example."

And Wilmer - who previously dated the likes of Demi Lovato, Mandy Moore and Ashlee Simpson - is determined to set a great example for his daughter, insisting she must have some strong female role models in her life.

The actor told "The Jess Cagle Podcast", "I was thinking about her generation and you know, what toys is she gonna play with? Are they gonna look like her? Are there heroes that look like her? Are there women that she can aspire to be?"

Wilmer also revealed why he gave his daughter the name Nakano. He explained, "I think she needs to defend herself in life. That's why I gave her a strong name."

"It's the name of a legendary female warrior in Japan and I wanted her to have the conversation of, 'What does your name mean?' "
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Taking to her Twitter account, the 35-year-old 'Girls' alum talks about how her new beau, whose identity has yet to be revealed, somehow changes her perspective about men.

Jun 8, 2021

AceShowbiz - Lena Dunham is talking highly about her new boyfriend. The "Girls" alum gushed over her new mystery man in a tweet on Monday, June 7, sharing with her followers how he has helped when she's not feeling well.

The 35-year-old actress tweeted, "When I feel sick, my boyfriend makes delicious pasta & rewatches as much 'Bojack Horseman' as I want." Lena also bragged about how he "walks the dog & makes up songs about her face."

Lena also talked about how her new beau somehow changed her perspective about men. "In January, all I Tweeted about was how men are basically refried beans in human form. What I'm saying is, don't quit before the miracle, kids," she continued.

Lena Dunham gushed over her new mystery beau.

Lena, however, seemingly has yet to be ready to share more details about her boyfriend. A rep for the actress also didn't respond when asked for a comment on the matter.

Prior to this, the "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" star was in a relationship with music producer/songwriter Jack Antonoff, though they called it quits in January 2018 after more than five years together.

Later in August 2019, Lena wrote in an essay for Domino magazine that she and Antonoff were searching for "a place where we could build a future" where they would "consider children" down the road. "The last time I saw that apartment was when we agreed, with love, that someone had to go," Dunham recalled. " 'You can finally eat in the bed without anyone getting mad at you,' he said through tears."

The actress shared in January 2020 that she just broke up with her boyfriend. "I'd just had a hysterectomy, I'd broken up with my boyfriend, I was in the process of breaking up with my business partner - I had no business buying a pair of shoes, [let alone] getting engaged," she said during an interview with Cosmopolitan U.K. at the time.

"I just went, 'You know what? I've been dating since I was 15 years old. I'm allowed to take a break,' " she added. "Sobriety for me means so much more than just not doing drugs. It also means that I abstain from negative relationships. It means I've taken a hiatus from dating, which has been amazing for me."
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The 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star sparks backlash after he unveils a photo of his 19-year-old girlfriend wearing a bra and thong lingerie, showing off her butts.

Jun 8, 2021

AceShowbiz - Scott Disick has landed in hot water over his recent social media post. After he shared a steamy picture of his much-younger girlfriend Amelia Hamlin, the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star found himself being labeled "pedophile" by an online critic.

On Sunday, June 6, the 38-year-old reality star shared on Instagram Story a picture that saw the model reaching high up on a shelf while wearing nothing but a bra and thong lingerie. In the accompaniment of the post, he simply wrote, "A little higher, almost there."

After the photo was reshared by a fan, many expressed their condemnation. One person replied in the comment section, "Can anyone say pedophile ?" Another argued, "F**kin creeeeeeeep. Date someone closer to your age bro." A third chimed in, "Sounds like a child molester."

Some others, meanwhile, accused Scott of trying to get ex Kourtney Kardashian's attention. One critic in particular raged, "He is trying to make Kort jealous!!! You can say Scott is a pedofile. He is so immature that his mind is right where hers is teenage minds." Someone else echoed, "Hw so much wanna be like kourtney and [Travis Barker].. cs I knw he still got feelings for kourtney.. trying to make her feel jealous I guess."

Scott and Amelia have long caused a stir with their romantic relationship. Even her parents Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin allegedly believed that their fling was "just a phase." A source told E! News in November 2020, "They were sad to see Amelia and Mercer Wiederhorn split because they loved Mercer. He was like family, but they understand."

Lisa, however, has apparently given her blessing to Scott and Amelia for their romance. Just around two months after the two went Instagram official, "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star shared a picture of the lovebirds while having a vacation in Miami and jokingly said that she and Scott "share a love of bucket hats."
Universal Pictures/Giles Keyte Movie

The newest and second-to-last installment of the 'Fast and Furious' film saga is the mystery blockbuster that Cannes Film Festival chief Thierry Fremaux has been teasing about.

Jun 8, 2021

AceShowbiz - "F9" is making its way to the Cannes Film Festival this year. The ninth and second-to-last installment of the "Fast and Furious" film saga has been unveiled as the mystery blockbuster that has been teased as part of the festival's lineup for some time.

On Monday, June 7, various news outlets confirmed that the Vin Diesel-starring pic is the "planetary blockbuster" that Cannes Film Festival chief Thierry Fremaux promised to premiere on the Croisette. He, however, has been keeping his lips sealed on the title of the said blockbuster.

Fremaux teased the "planetary blockbuster" as being part of the annual film festival last month. While refraining from spilling too much, he said in May that the movie was not "No Time to Die" which is due out on October 8, nor "Dune" which is already set to be screened at the Venice Film Festival and open on October 1, or Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story" which is slated for December 10 release.

"F9" joins several big U.S. movies which will have their world premieres in Official Selection at Cannes, including Wes Anderson's star-studded "The French Dispatch" from Searchlight Pictures, and Tom McCarthy's thriller "Stillwater" with Matt Damon from Focus Features, as well as several buzzed-about indie films, notably Sean Penn's "Flag Day" and Sean Baker's "Red Rocket".

The annual film festival, which will run July 6-17 this year, will honor Jodie Foster with Palme d'Or during the opening night ceremony. The competition jury will be presided over by Spike Lee.

Meanwhile, "F9" is set to be released in U.S. theaters on June 25. Michelle Rodriguez, John Cena, Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron and Kurt Russell also star in the Justin Lin-directed film.
WENN/FayesVision/Brian To Movie

To be filmed on the Caribbean island Nevis, this romantic comedy film is based on a story by director Philippe Martinez, and has Jack Donnelly and Philip Winchester in the cast ensemble.

Jun 8, 2021

AceShowbiz - Fellow Hollywood Scandinavians Malin Akerman and Connie Nielsen are teaming up to play cousins in a new romantic comedy.

"A Week in Paradise", which will start shooting this week (beginning June 7) on the Caribbean island Nevis - according to Deadline, is based on a story by Philippe Martinez, who will also direct.

The film follow the fortunes of Akerman's movie star character, who jets off to her cousin's hotel on Nevis after discovering her film director husband's new leading lady is pregnant with his child. Akerman's real-life husband, Jack Donnelly, will play her cheating partner.

Philip Winchester will play the new love interest Malin's character meets in paradise.

Director Martinez says, "This is the moment to honor the experiences of the strong female characters that surround us in real life by telling their stories in an authentic way. Now is the time for women and their powerful relationships to be at the forefront of filmmaking."

"St Kitts and Nevis has a magic about it that inspires transformation, so I am delighted that Malin and Connie are joining me on this journey. It's emotional, romantic, empowering and set on a beautiful tropical island."

The movie will be Akerman's third movie together with husband Jack Donnelly since they become a couple. The twosome previously teamed up in Netflix's "Friendsgiving," and will be seen together again in "Slayers".

Speaking of her actor husband, the former star of "Billions" previously gushed, "When you meet someone who just, without sounding cheesy, but kind of completes you, you just feel like you can be the best version of yourself. You don't have to change." She added, "They bring out the best in you, and vice versa. It just feels right. He's a good, good man. Very good man."
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The 'Empire State of Mind' hitmaker and the 'All Eyes on You' rapper also team up with Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin to purchase the luxurious car.

Jun 8, 2021

AceShowbiz - Meek Mill and Jay-Z know exactly how to make Robert Kraft's birthday extra special. To mark the latter's milestone on Saturday, June 5, the "Empire State of Mind" hitmaker and the "All Eyes on You" rapper teamed up with Michael Rubin to surprise the New England Patriots owner with a new Bentley.



On Monday, June 7, Meek took to Instagram to share a video that saw Michael walking Robert out of his house. After the billionaire businessman saw the luxurious car waiting for him, he gasped, "Oh my God," while slapping his forehead with both hands.

Robert further gushed, "That's exactly what," before going speechless and embracing Michael while giving him a peck on the cheek instead. While the pair were heading to the blue vehicle, the Philadelphia 76ers co-owner explained, "This came from Meek, and Jay, and Will."

Still feeling shocked with the present, Robert asked, "How the fudge did you get it? Because we couldn't get it." In response, Michael replied, "We have resources... It's been driving on a flatbed for a long time."

As the two approached the car, Michael showed him a handmade birthday card that read, "Happy 80th birthday," on the front and "Except you look 40. And act 25!" on the inside. Upon reading it, Robert couldn't help but chuckle before embracing the younger man once again.

Although Meek did not hand the gift to Robert in person, he sent birthday wishes to the latter in the caption of the post. "Drop top bent for Kraft," the 34-year-old MC raved. "lol hbd robert."

Meek, Jay-Z and Michael have a close friendship with Robert. Back in 2019, they joined forces with Brooklyn Nets co-owner Clara Wu Tsai, Robert F. Smith, Michael Novogratz and Laura Arnold to launch the REFORM Alliance, an organization dedicated to criminal justice reform.
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP)  Police in Southern California say two men have been arrested in the road rage shooting death of a 6-year-old boy last month.

The California Highway Patrol says the suspects in their 20s were taken into custody Sunday in the city of Costa Mesa.

Authorities say they are expected to be charged with murder.

Aiden Leos was shot May 21st while seated in the back seat of a car driven by his mother in the city of Orange.

The arrests came a day after a memorial service for Aiden.

He was remembered as a child with a vocabulary beyond his years who exuded warmth and tenderness.
The seeds of the sting were sown in 2018 when law enforcement agencies took down a company called Phantom Secure that provided customized end-to-end encrypted devices to criminals, according to court papers. Unlike typical cell phones, the devices dont make phone calls or browse the internet  but allow for secure messaging. As an outgrowth of the operation, the FBI also recruited a collaborator who was developing a next-generation secure-messaging platform for the criminal underworld called ANOM. The collaborator engineered the system to give the agency access to any messages being sent.
LASSEN COUNTY, Calif. - Deputies went to a location of a report about an unresponsive person in a remote area near Spalding, Calif.

When deputies and CAL FIRE arrived, they found a deceased person inside a camper that was attached to a pick-up truck.

Due to the condition of the body, they could not identify the person.

On May 23, deputies in Lassen County received information from a family about a missing person who provided a description of the vehicle and said the person was camping at Eagle Lake.

Deputies found the vehicle on Sunday that matched the report they received in May and the evidence found at the scene suggests it is more than likely the person reported missing.

The name is being withheld pending positive identification.
OROVILLE, Calif. - A vaccine clinic will be at the Oroville City Elementary School on Tuesday, June 15 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., according to Butte County Public Health.

The vaccine clinic will be for people older than the age 12.

Public health will be working with COSTCO Pharmacy to offer a first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

The school is located at 2565 Mesa Ave. in Oroville. The clinic will be at the Central Middle School Gym.

To make an appointment, click here.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)  Court filings reveal that an Air Force sergeant accused of killing two law enforcement officers in California last year was part of a rightwing militia known as the Grizzly Scouts.

The documents show that suspected gunman Steven Carrillo was not a lone actor but a member of an anti-government group preparing for more deadly attacks.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel reports that the militia held firearms training, scouted out protests and laid out terms of "war" against police.

The filings were submitted in the case against four other alleged Scouts members, including the leader. They are accused of destroying evidence relevant to last year's killings.

Carillo has pleaded not guilty.
In a move to further tighten its privacy policy, Google is now restricting apps from tracking users for personalised ads. Android apps will now find it tough to track users as Google will remove advertising IDs for users who have opted out of receiving personalised ads. Once users have opted out of personalised ads, the developers will lose access to advertising IDs and will see a string of zeros instead.

The development will start rolling out to Android users in late 2021. In an email to Play Store developers, Google notified about this development. According to Googles support page regarding the Advertising IDs, the change will begin in late 2021 on devices running Android 12 and in early 2022 for all devices that support Google Play Services.

Google had issued a notice on May 6, 2021 about the future of Android and user data transparency. While it was not a direct response to Apples update with iOS 14.5, Googles pre-announcement of an upcoming safety section in Google Play should keep the two operating systems in step on several separate privacy-centric fronts. The new section in Google Play will help people understand the data an app collects or shares.

Also read:

Google to allow Android users to opt out of interest based ads



Commenting on the new policy, Prasad Shejale, Founder and CEO, Logicserve Digital, said, Currently, Android phones have the option to Opt out of Ads Personalisation, but an app could request an Advertising ID, bypassing the users choice since it is used for other analytics purposes. Android 12 will plug this gap, and this looks like a very welcome decision. Audience targeting, Personalisation, measurement and frequency management will get affected. Google has thus, shown its commitment to provide users with more control over their data and help bolster security and privacy. Over a longer time, changes like these will instil trust in the consumers, which will be good for the overall internet ecosystem.

Google has confirmed that it, too, will make the change for Android users to opt out of ad tracking, but not in the same explicit manner that Apple has done. Starting with Android 12, developers will no longer have access to the users Advertising ID and if requested, it will return a string of zeros.

With the expected changes with Android 12, Google is planning to offer an alternative route for analytics and fraud prevention that will not use the Advertising ID and apps will not be able to collect the identifier if the user has opted out. As per Googles latest update, Apps targeting Android 12 will also need to declare a Google Play services normal permission in the manifest file.

Speaking about the impact of this new change, Sam Dosanjh, Director - Media Buying, Programmatic & Strategy, FoxyMoron, remarked, Googles core business is selling ads, so making this more transparent like Apple would more significantly affect its bottomline. Rolling out an Opt-out option would allow those who are not aware of the option to continue to be tracked. It is only when a user is informed and aware that the option exists, that they can opt out.

One of the key elements of how the digital advertising industry has been set up is that the ad platforms have access to the user information, so that advertisers can accordingly focus to target the ads of those users primarily. This can have an impact in the long run if it gets adopted by users and the platform en masse, especially to small and medium sized businesses as they cannot reach out to the universe of audience without focussed targeting, which is not possible without personalised ads.

Shahir Muneer, Founder and Director, Divo, added here, I think in most part the big tech platforms are not selling private info to marketers or advertisers, but rather using the data within their platform to target for personalised ads. Privacy of data being sold or stolen may be there from some apps, but not all. I think some educated users may opt in for this to avoid usage being tracked, but will have to be ready to watch ads for products that may not interest them and hence, make it worse user experience. So, it is not necessarily a better option for users, and only helps those who feel his/her privacy of usage/ user info is more important than a worse experience using an app and seeing ads not relevant.
JLL, Indias largest real estate consultancy firm, today announced that, Rahul Arora, currently Managing Director, Bangalore will now head its Office Leasing Advisory business for India. This strategic move underlines the Firms confidence in the strong prospects of Indias office market despite the headwinds from the COVID-19 pandemic. Rahul will continue to serve as a member of the India Leadership Council and will be joining the Asia Pacific Executive Committee for Office Leasing Advisory.

Office Leasing Advisory has been one of JLLs largest transaction drivers and has grown exponentially over the past few years. The Firm has announced multiple transaction closures even during the pandemic leveraging technology to aid its clients. With investors, occupiers and developers reshaping their office real estate strategies, the Firm strongly believes the market is poised to move the needle.

Radha Dhir, CEO & Country Head, India, JLL said, Office leasing demand will improve in the coming quarters as occupiers continue to execute real estate decisions. Workplace upgrades and a flight to quality will continue to be a key theme of this demand. To have a strong and experienced leader help our clients navigate the complexities seems more important now than ever.

Rahul has been an integral part of JLLs India Leadership Team and has played a significant role in increasing our market share in Bangalore. He is highly regarded for his client management skills, innovative solutions and always has a keen eye to nurture talent. I am confident that Rahul will lead the business with focus and integrity to drive long-term profitability, she added.

Commenting on the move, Rahul Arora, Head  Office Leasing Advisory, India, JLL said, I deeply value the opportunities Ive had at JLL over the years. Its been an incredible journey and Im looking forward to my participation in driving the vision of the Firm in the coming years. This is a very challenging time for the real estate market in India and weve been observing some unique trends emerge from the pandemic. Were hearing clients talk about moving to new locations, redesigning office spaces, switching to a hybrid model, developing return to work strategies and so much more. We are certain that the paradigm shift will also bring about new opportunities.

JLL expects offices to return to the re-energized Central Business Districts (CBD) as cities recover from the pandemic. Once strict physical distancing protocols come to an end, CBD offices will serve as hubs for face-to-face interaction, collaboration, innovation, creativity and socialisation.

Cities that had tight occupational densities pre-pandemic are likely to face pressure to de-densify. In business process outsourcing destinations like Bengaluru, business imperatives and intense usage of space drew densities to as low as 7 square meters per person. Mega-hubs such Mumbai which provide business services for large and growing national markets recorded densities from 9 to 11 square meters per person.

This is the right time for businesses to track space utilization and occupational density metrics to help determine their future office space requirements. In the post-pandemic recovery phase, the next few years will be pivotal as corporates and cities set and work toward ambitious sustainability targets. Future sustainability decisions will likely balance out the trade-off between density and efficiency.
As India is coming out of the devastating second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and as businesses look to safely re-open in most parts of the country, OkCredit has launched the #UdharAbhiBaakiHai digital campaign to help small and medium businesses recover from a severe cash crunch. This digital campaign urges/encourages customers, both big and small, to clear their pending dues to help small businesses and shopkeepers tide over the financial crunch.

The unorganised retail in India runs on credit. For buyers, its about convenience to buy whenever they want and for merchants its an effective customer retention tool.

#UdharAbhiBaakiHai campaign is built upon the premise that small and medium business owners/neighbourhood kirana stores served as a pillar of support to masses during the Covid pandemic. They, despite fear of getting infected, went above and beyond to not only ensure a regular supply of daily essentials to communities but also provided credit to distressed families who suffered financial crunch due to loss of livelihood.

The campaign further conveys the message that neighbourhood kirana stores/small businesses have done their bit and it is now time to do our bit to support them through this liquidity crunch. It ends with a call to clear individual dues to small and medium business owners/neighbourhood kirana stores through OkCredit as it can be a good way to begin changing this state of affairs and enable small retailers to serve us with the same vigour, energy, and dedication.

Sharing his thoughts on the campaign, Ayush Jain, Associate Director- Growth, OkCredit said,  At a time when demand is down, small businesses had to bear the additional weight of outstanding credit on their books, affecting their cashflows and thus income. This was evident in the alarming decline in the number of transactions by small businesses on the OkCredit platform. #UdharAbhiBaakiHai campaign is an attempt by OkCredit to urge people to clear their pending due towards small business owners, local shop keepers, and the kirana stores to ease their financial stress.

Last year, the abrupt lockdown meant that businesses had huge outstanding credit, squeezing their cash flows and pushing them to bankruptcy. This year, however, because of pre- announcement of lockdown, businesses had time to prepare and the situation is slightly better.

According to leading market research firm Nielsen, there are around 12 million kirana stores and over 1 million wholesalers in India. These retailers, who have remained relevant in their neighborhood given familiarity and proximity factors, are facing the double whammy of stock unavailability post-lockdown and difficulty to source supplies from company distributors due to liquidity crunch.

Launched in Hindi, the #UdharAbhiBaakiHai campaign is available on OkCredits social network.
Indias leading national pizza chain, Ovenstory Pizza unveiled their new television brand campaign, conceptualised by Wondrlab  Indias platform-first martech start-up. Positioned as the The Standout Pizza, the campaign uniquely demonstrates Ovenstorys superior pizzas as compared to other pizza brands by highlighting the brands innovative pizza flavours and offerings that appeal to customers.

Ovenstory pizza is Indias largest home-grown pizza brand with different types of Cheese as its USP  Chipotle, Tandoori, Peri-Peri, and El-Classico Cheese. Apart from promoting the four delicious cheese flavours, the four-film campaign also highlights the brands personal Semizza offering, where customers can order half cut 11 pizzas of their favourite toppings and preferences. Ovenstory pizzas are thinner and have a crispier crust and consumers can try them out along with limited period offers. Current pizzas do not give consumers the choice of cheeses, and the personal pizza category is still limited to regular 6 pizzas which often compromise on toppings. Ovenstory addresses these problems with a customer-first focus on innovations in the pizza space. This campaign brings this philosophy and innovation alive and serves as the launch of the brand's positioning as a standout pizza.

Speaking about the successful campaign, Indrajit Ghosh, Global Head  Marketing Communication and Design, Rebel Foods, said, The key to any successful campaign is clear messaging. Ovenstory pizza is a disruptor in its category, and it was important for the messaging to come out clearly. The ad-film campaigns by Wondrlab bring the essence of the brand, while effectively conveying how we stand out from the crowd. The films have been appreciated on various platforms and we look forward to this continued partnership and creating memorable campaigns together.

Amit Akali, Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Wondrlab, said, The briefing process was fun! The team experienced the brand, before dipping their hands into the task of bringing out real, everyday conversations around pizzas. To make every film interesting and add a surprise element to it, we had an interesting reveal of the kids. e.g. In one of the ads, the kids are camouflaged within the furniture, while in another they are hidden in the plants. The challenge of course was doing all of this in 15/20 seconds! The initial reactions have been encouraging and we look forward to some great results. Hopefully, next time anybody orders a pizza theyd go for the standout one.

The campaign moves away from mainstream representation of brands and introduces children as the protagonists in all their videos. While adults are possibly less open to change, children are often known to question and challenge the status quo, much like Ovenstory Pizza. The films portray real issues of mainstream pizzas such as too much crust, basic cheese flavours, and importantly the lack of options to choose half-pizzas  Semizzas. Each of the four ad films addresses these issues while pointing out why Ovenstory Pizzas are the standout option.
Led by Satish Kumar Agarwal, Kamdhenu Group is the market leader in branded TMT bars; Kamdhenu TMT Bar is the largest selling TMT bar in the retail segment in India, with brand sales turnover of Rs 10,800 crore. Kamdhenu follows the franchisee business model to bring more transparency and dynamism to the operations of the company. The company has a committed chain of over 11,500 dealers and distributors in India out of which 7,500 are exclusive for steel business. Kamdhenu, being TMT experts, has also launched earthquake resistant Kamdhenu PAS 10000 Steel and Kamdhenu Nxt TMT Bar. It has been conferred with India Power Brand 2016, Asias Most Promising Brand  2016, Worlds Best Brand 2015 and 2017-18 among Asia & GCC for Steel as well as Paints.

Kamdhenu Paints, one of the leading paint companies in India, is a division of Kamdhenu Ltd. The company is credited for offering best-in-class paint products conforming to global standards. Its product portfolio under the brand Kamdhenu Paints  Colour Dreamz includes Exterior Emulsions, Interior Emulsions, Acrylic Distempers, Enamel Paints, Cement Paints, Wall Primers & Putty, Texture & Designer Finishes, Stainers, P.U. Wood Finishes and Metallic Finishes. Kamdhenu Paints has 4,000 dealers and distributors spread across the country.

In a freewheeling conversation with Adgully in our new column  MARKETING MINDS  Saurabh Agarwal, Director, Kamdhenu Paints, speaks about their media and marketing strategies, the traction gained on social media, bringing on board Preity G Zinta as the new brand ambassador, and more.

You recently roped in Preity G Zinta as your Brand Ambassador. How do you think this collaboration will help enhance the brands pan-India reach?

We are a full scale one-stop building materials solutions company with an unique asset light franchisee model, more than 80 franchises units and 11,500 dealer/ distributors evenly spread across the country. To fully leverage the strengths of our Paints business, we have roped in Preity G Zinta, a successful actress and entrepreneur with a number of memorable movies under her belt. She is a perfect brand ambassador for us as she exemplifies our dream of creating a world with limitless possibilities for everyone.

With Preity G Zinta as a brand ambassador, our existing partners and customers across the partners can leverage her popularity to drive sale and will help us foster stronger relationships with potential partners and customers across the country.

What is the media strategy that you are looking at to maintain top of mind share?

Advertising is a powerful tool through which corporate messages and products can be showcased to various stakeholders. We will continue to leverage all advertising platforms to drive our message and keep our stakeholders informed and aware of our products. As such, having a well-known personality as a brand ambassador will help us drive more meaningful engagements and gain significant top of mind share across the country.

Could you tell us about Kamdhenu Paints overall social media strategy? How do you use different platforms? On which platforms do you get the best engagement?

Kamdhenu Paints overall social media strategy involves reaching its target audience with quirky content. We believe that different social media platforms can garner engagement and reach for our brand. Each platform poses different features, which helps our brand promotion. For example, Instagram comes with Insta Stories, which work really well for our brand when we run contest on the platforms. Similarly, Twitter comes with Fleet; also, we use unique hashtags on Twitter and post mostly on the tropical to garner response from our audience.

We get the best Engagement on Facebook and Instagram.

What are the new ideas for creating effective branding in a volatile world?

Being transparent in communication and product offerings helps one develop and maintain positive recall and a positive branding in the highly competitive market. Personalised communication and trustworthy product delivery are the basic keys to creating effective branding in this volatile world.

Given the constant flux in consumer behaviour, especially in pandemic times, what is your go-to strategy to understand your customers unique wants and needs?

At Kamdhenu, it has been our guiding principle to develop high quality products at price points that are affordable to the average consumer. The two must go hand in hand and one without the other is incomplete at best. In the highly versatile consumer segments and the changing consumer behaviour because of the on-going pandemic, our strategy remains the same as all customers want the best possible quality that their money can buy across different price range and buying capacities.
Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products

Bern, 08.06.2021 - Authorities worldwide have been checking for criminal online sales of medicines in a coordinated operation: The week from 18 to 25 May saw a coordinated worldwide campaign against the illegal online trade in medicines. For years, this market has been dominated by erectile stimulants. Some 90% of the shipments confiscated by the Federal Customs Administration (FCA) and Swissmedic contained such products. Also seized were a number of other illegally imported prescription-only medicines that pose serious health risks.

Switzerland has for many years been participating in the PANGEA international week of action, which is coordinated by Interpol. This year, 55 countries took part actively. The aim of this operation, now conducted for the 14th time, was once again to combat illegal internet-based sales of medicinal products. In total, the international authorities scrutinised almost 120,000 websites and closed down 113,000 of them. Worldwide, some 9 million units of illegal and counterfeit medicinal products were seized.

In Switzerland, Swissmedic, the FCA and Antidoping Switzerland inspected 695 shipments at the Zurich-Mulligen postal sorting office. Half of them (346) were confiscated, as they contained illegal medicinal or doping products. Consignments from Ukraine, which often contained forgeries of the erectile stimulants Viagra and Cialis loomed large among them. Confiscated narcotics were reported to the cantonal authorities so that they could institute criminal proceedings.

Illegal websites identified

During the PANGEA XIV exercise, Swissmedic and Antidoping Switzerland identified 120 illegal foreign websites that purported to be Swiss online pharmacies. The campaign revealed that 75 websites had been hacked, with the result that counterfeit prescription-only medicines were being sold without the knowledge of the website owners. Measures were instituted to have these websites deleted or to correct the falsified pages.

Criminal networks are constantly changing

The illegal distribution of medicinal products is the work of professionally organised and internationally networked criminals. Falsified medicines are generally produced in Asia, with fake erectile stimulants originating in India. Such products find their way to Swiss patients by illegal and circuitous routes. Last year, most of the confiscated shipments had been dispatched from Singapore. Thanks to close cooperation with the Singapore-based HSA (Health Sciences Authority), the operators in this transit country are no longer active. In the PANGEA XIV campaign, most of the consignments seized had arrived from Poland or Germany  which have recently been acting as transit countries for medicines manufactured in India. To minimise the risk of their shipments being confiscated, criminal networks had evidently changed their distribution channels  though to no avail.

These illegally traded products constitute a premeditated threat to patients health. They contain either none of the declared active substance or else less than the amount stated. In an attempt to foil simple tests, some of them contain active substances in smaller amounts than those stated.

Address for enquiries

Swissmedic

Media Unit



+41 58 462 02 76

media@swissmedic.ch

Publisher

Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products

http://www.swissmedic.ch/?lang=2




Federal Laboratory for Materials Testing and Research

Dubendorf, St. Gallen und Thun, 08.06.2021 - Produced in a sustainable way, synthetic fuels contribute to switching mobility to renewable energy and to achieving the climate goals in road traffic. In Empa's mobility demonstrator, move, researchers are investigating the production of synthetic methane from an energy, technical and economic perspective  a project with global potential.

Mobility analyses show: Only a small proportion of all vehicles are responsible for the majority of the kilometers driven. We are talking above all about long-distance trucks that transport goods all over Europe. If these continue to be fueled with fossil energy, it will hardly be possible to sufficiently reduce CO2 emissions in road traffic. Synthetic fuels can make a significant contribution to such applications. With electric mobility, hydrogen mobility and synthetic fuels, Empa's future mobility demonstrator, "move", is investigating three paths for CO2 reduction in road traffic against the background of a rapidly changing energy system. "All these concepts have advantages and drawbacks in terms of energy, operation and economics. In order to use them in a smart way, we need a deeper understanding of the overall system," says Christian Bach, Head of Empa's Automotive Powertrain Technologies lab. "Together with our 'move' partners, we are working to develop knowledge that can be put into practice." The latest project focuses on the production of synthetic methane from hydrogen and CO2  the so-called methanization. Such fuels, produced synthetically with renewable energy  thus called synfuel or syngas , can be transported via conventional routes and made available through the existing infrastructure. This is of interest for Switzerland as well as globally, because it opens up an enormous potential for renewable energy. A methanization process developed at Empa The basic chemical process of methanization has been known for over 100 years as the Sabatier reaction. In "move", another process developed further at Empa will be used: the so-called sorption-enhanced methanization. Empa researchers hope that this novel process engineering concept will lead to simpler process control, higher efficiency and better suitability for dynamic operation. Methanization works as follows: Methane (CH4) and water (H2O) are produced by catalytic conversion from carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H2). The water is causing problems with conventional processes, however: To remove it, serial methanization stages are typically required  with condensation areas in between. Due to the high reaction temperatures, a proportion of the water is converted back into hydrogen by the so-called water-gas shift reaction. The gaseous product of the methanization reaction thus contains a few percent hydrogen, which prevents direct feeding into the gas grid; the hydrogen must first be removed. Carbon dioxide and water from the air CO2 for the methanization as well as water for hydrogen production is taken directly from the atmosphere with a CO2 collector from the ETH spin-off Climeworks. The system sucks in ambient air and CO2 molecules remain attached to the filter. Using heat  around 100C  the CO2 molecules can be released from the filter. Empa researchers see further potential for optimization in the heat required for this CO2 desorption. "Both hydrogen production and methanization continuously generate waste heat," says Bach. "By means of a clever heat management, we want to cover the heat requirements of the CO2 collector as much as possible with this waste heat". In addition to CO2, the Climeworks plant also extracts water from ambient air, which is used for hydrogen production in the electrolysis device. This means that such plants are also conceivable in regions without water supply, for example in deserts (see box). In addition to new knowledge about technical and energetic aspects, insights about the economic efficiency of synthetic methane are one of the project's prime goals. "In order to ensure this holistic perspective, the project consortium consists of partners who cover the entire value chain  from Empa researchers to energy suppliers, filling station and fleet operators and industrial partners in the technology and plant sectors," says Brigitte Buchmann, member of Empa's Board of Directors and strategic head of "move". The project is supported by the Canton of Zurich, the ETH Board, Avenergy Suisse, Migros, Lidl Switzerland, Glattwerk, Armasuisse and Swisspower. Currently, Christian Bach's team is concentrating on the investigation of water adsorption on porous materials and the process control of the catalytic reaction. Construction of the plant is planned for mid-2021. "About a year later, we want to refuel the first vehicle," says Buchmann. "With methane from solar energy." Synthetic fuels from the desert? When converting our energy system to renewable sources, there is a major challenge: Renewable sources such as sun or wind are not always available everywhere. In winter we have too little renewable energy, in summer there is too much  in the northern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere it is the other way round. But there are also areas with almost continuous sunshine  the so-called sun belt, in which the large deserts of the Earth are located. "From a global perspective, we do not have too little renewable energy worldwide, but "merely" an energy transport problem," says Christian Bach. Synthetic energy carriers could help solve this problem. Smaller plants in Switzerland can make a valuable contribution to the national energy system by harnessing surplus summer electricity and connecting different energy sectors. However, large plants could exploit their full potential above all in the Earth's sunbelt. This is illustrated by a simple calculation: In order to cover Switzerland's energy needs during winter not covered by hydropower as well as all long-distance domestic traffic exclusively with (imported) synthetic energy sources, a solar power plant would be required in a desert with an area of approximately 700 km2; that is 27 x 27 km or, in other words, 0.008% of the area of the Sahara. The water and CO2 needed for production could be extracted locally from the atmosphere. "Existing trade mechanisms, transport infrastructures, standards and expertise could simply be used further," says Bach. So could the plant in "move" soon be a model for a gigawatt plant in the desert?

Address for enquiries

Christian Bach

Automotive Powertrain Technologies

Phone +41 58 765 45 08

Christian.Bach@empa.ch





Editor / Media contact

Stephan Kalin

Communication

Phone +41 58 765 4993

redaktion@empa.ch

Publisher

Federal Laboratory for Materials Testing and Research

http://www.empa.ch




McConnell and McCarthy have reached a political calculation that a bipartisan commission would conclude that the insurrection was instigated by Trumps false claims that the election was rigged and carried out by organized groups loyal to him. They are further aware that midterm elections are generally more favorable to the party out of power, but to retain that advantage they desperately need Trumps fervent acolytes who constitute a formidable proportion of registered Republicans.
I never had this while growing up, said Jed Olbertson, a Beresford FFA alumni.

Olbertson is helping the Beresford FFA team plant and manage 25 acres of alfalfa on a field that was donated to them by Larry Spike, a Beresford community member.

The alfalfa project, which will help teach the students how to manage a common crop in South Dakota, will be funded by a national FFA alumni grant awarded to the chapter in early April.

Beresford FFA advisor Bridget Twedt and the majority of the Beresford FFA chapter came down to the alfalfa field midday on April 26 to see the first few acres planted on their new project. FFA student Sylar Carlson came on the previous Saturday to clear and get the field ready for planting.

The field was donated to the chapter several years back and was used to plant pumpkins, sweet corn and a corn for a maze over recent years. Last year, the students planted oats and made square bales to be sold to the community.

The owner wanted it into alfalfa and the FFA members wanted to try some oats first, Twedt said.

The students worked with Simplot, a local agronomy business in Beresford, to figure out the seed and operational cost on the land for the grant. In addition to the FFA chapters benefit, Twedt uses the ground for her various ag classes at the high school. Her plant science class also helps out.

We (mapped) it out and tried to figure out the plots, she said.

On planting day, Tate Johnson and his fellow students gathered around the planter to discuss the planting rates. Johnson and Jackson Hofer even brought out some equipment from their operation to help grease the planter and get it ready for another pass, something Twedt said many of her FFA members hadnt been able to see in the past.

Olbertson, who was on hand on planting day to drive a few of the students around in the tractor and show them how to plant, said teaching the students is a pleasure after he grew up in FFA.

I went to school with all these kids folks, Olbertson joked.

However, its not just Olbertson helping out. Many of the students familiar with using equipment on their family farms took their fellow FFA members on a ride.

One of my kids  has a lawn mowing business, so hes been able to have those opportunities, but some of those kids have never been in a tractor, Twedt said.

Olbertson donated time on his tractor and planter for the FFA students at no cost, something that he often tries to do to help out those who need just a small amount of time with the equipment.

When he was asked about the cost for his services, Olberston was quick with an estimate.

I said, I dont know? How about nothing? he said.

With alfalfa planting well under way and other crops ready to go, Twedt said FFA students are spending their time working in the local greenhouse, preparing advertisements for their products to learn about ag business, or working on their FFA projects for competitions.

When the alfalfa is baled and ready to be sold, Twedt said she knows there will be a need for it. Community members have already been asking how they can buy it. The sales will be a way to support students.

This isnt going in my pocket, this is a fundraiser for the FFA, the ag instructor said.

Reach Reporter Jager Robinson at 605-335-7300, email jager.robinson@lee.net or follow on Twitter @Jager_Robinson.

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Lynette Alm was a hairstylist in a Chicago suburb when she was prescribed an antibiotic to h
https://www.aish.com/ci/s/Become-an-Ambassador-of-Light.html

We call need to become ambassadors of light.

The day of my eldest sons very first haircut we went to visit my grandparents for a blessing. My three-year-old wore his new kippah on his head, tzizit flying; his adorable smile lighting up the room.

Neih! my grandmother said which I knew was her Hungarian way of saying "Wow!"

What Mama? I asked.

Can you imagine? she asked in amazement. You can take your son out and he walks around like this? With a kippah on his head and tzizit sticking out under his shirt? When we were in Hungary if we walked around like this wed get beaten up! Neih!

I gave my Mama a hug and laughed.

Mama, this is America. Of course we can walk around with our kippahs and tzizit.

I drove home wondering how life must have been for Mama and all the parents and grandparents whose children were beaten on the streets because they wore their kippahs and tzizit. These were the acts that paved the way for the Holocaust. My uncle told me that as a little boy he knew that he'd be spit at, called names, punched and hit as he walked to school each day. Yiddisher shvine  Jewish pig," they would taunt.

Who could have so much hate? Thats just not normal, I thought to myself.

And now the "not normal" is becoming our normal. I do not have to wonder anymore.

Social media spreads poison about my people and my land as if they are absolute truths. Those who speak up are bullied and pummeled online.

I am surrounded by news clippings filled with vile anti-Semitic acts. Each day my pile grows higher. New York. London. Boca Raton. Los Angeles. Brooklyn. Ohio. Maryland. Alaska. The list gets longer. The Florida Holocaust Museum is vandalized with graffiti, swastikas and the message: The Jews are guilty. Two Jewish boys in Los Angeles are assaulted by a paintball gun shot at them from a passing car on Shabbos. Words that cannot be printed here threatening our women and children are screamed out from moving cars waving Palestinian flags in London. A young man is beaten and attacked lying on the streets of Manhattan while they shout Dirty Jew. Filthy Jew. *** Israel. Hamas is going to kill you.

Enough!

What does one do when it feels as if the world around you is filled with darkness?

Hold onto this beautiful piece of Jewish wisdom: A little bit of light can push away much of the darkness.

Light brings hope. Small moments create big change. Hope pushes away despair.

Even a little bit of light can make a difference. The deepest darkest cave will reveal rays of light through the tiniest of holes. Illumination suddenly appears and a path is found. There is a way to combat the heavy fog of hatred we are experiencing.

Become an ambassador of light in this world. Light brings hope. Small moments create big change. Hope pushes away despair.

Last week there was a rally in my community, protesting antisemitism and standing up for our people. As I walked to the local park I saw people streaming from all directions. Young and old. Different types of people, different types of Jews coming together. Some waved American flags. Others wrapped themselves in the blue and white Israeli flag. All headed to the same destination. I wanted to cry. When I looked around I felt a ray of light coming through the cracks. I felt unity. I felt strength. I felt hope.

Its not so much about what is said or not said at a rally. Its about knowing that you are not alone. You are part of a nation that has gone from exile to exile, kicked out of one land after another, gassed, murdered, burned and vilified. Missiles shoot out at us from the sky and the world wants us to lay down and die. They scream that we should be thrown into the sea. Hitlers final written words in his last will and testimony calls to Fight mercilessly against the poisoners of all peoples of the world, international Jewry. Thats me. Thats us.

And I will not surrender.

I decided to use the moment to push away the darkness in the world with a little bit of light.

I approached a group of policemen who were there to protect the crowd. Officers, I said, Id like to say thank you. They looked at me as I continued to speak.

My parents and grandparents were Holocaust survivors. They came to this country after losing much of their family and life. My father was a rabbi here, and became the chaplain of the Nassau County police department. My mother would speak all over the world about her life as a little girl in the Holocaust. She would ask that we remember and never allow this evil to ever happen again in the world. One day my mother spoke in Fort Hood, Texas for the American army. At the end of her talk a little boy, the son of a soldier, raised his hand with a question.

'Rebbetzin, Maam,' he said, 'why didnt you just call the policeor the army?' And my mother began to cry. What do I say to this child? my mother asked. How do I tell him that it was the police and the army who took us away? So here I am, officers, a daughter of Holocaust survivors saying thank you for being here today.

Their eyes glistening, I saw the policemen wipe away tears as they nodded.

We can use our words to become ambassadors of light. Where there is division we can ignite unity. Where there is weakness we can ignite strength. Where there is ignorance we can ignite knowledge.

Perhaps it is just a small act of kindness, an expression of gratitude, a blessing on Shabbos candles or a class on Jewish identity and the history of our land. Through each action we illuminate our world and push away the darkness. We create hope. We connect to our roots. We stand strong as a nation.

Let us remember that even a little bit of light makes a difference in this world.
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If this is how the next few weeks play out, the chances of some civil protest at City Hall  a crowd of the unmasked trying to storm council chambers in a reenactment of Jan. 6  go way down. Thats not intended to be funny. There are those out there who view this policy as a serious breach of personal liberty.
Tuesday, June 1, 2021

During this day there were two traffic stops.

9:15 a.m.  Caller advised he had a Polaris Ranger stolen from his property.

1:36 p.m.  Caller wanted to talk to an officer about a possible violation of a protective order.

2:36 p.m.  Report of a smoke alarm activated on CR (CR) 640. Everything was okay.

3:50 p.m.  Report of a single vehicle accident at CR 640 and Greer. Advised of no injuries.

6:03 p.m.  Report of a goat with its head stuck in a fence at 3rd Street and Nebraska.

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

During this day there was one traffic stop, two controlled burn and one report of cattle out.

7:54 a.m.  Report of a suspicious vehicle at CR 590. Deputy advised the driver was broken down but had assistance en route.

10:32 a.m.  Report that someone had broken into two of his vehicles in the 300 block of 4th Street.

12:40 p.m.  Report of a suspicious silver Dodge extended cab at the apartments.

1:30 p.m.  Report of a suspicious vehicle near hear property.

4:19 p.m.  Report of a van vs. semi accident on junction of highways 45 and 8. Medic took a patient to Bass Hospital in Enid.

5:19 p.m.  Report of a semi with a tank in the ditch on Blaine and CR 680. No injuries.

6:26 p.m.  Reporting party advised he was stuck two miles north and 1 miles east of Carmen. The vehicle was still out there. There was a wheat truck out there and he took it. Party was with the truck. Dispatch was unable to make contact with owner via phone. Owner wanted the truck put back and the gate locked.

9:37 p.m.  Caller advised their dog was swimming off Sandy Beach at Great Salt Plains Lake. They advised it got a hook in his paw. It started licking the area and now the hook is in his tongue.

10:46 p.m.  Report of grass fire at the south end of Main.

11:35 p.m.  Barber County reported of a missing person and they believe they are in Kansas or Oklahoma. The missing person was found and arrested.

Thursday, June 3, 2021

During this day there were two traffic stops and four controlled burns.

11:53 a.m.  Report of reckless driver in the 11th Street and Oklahoma.

3:47 p.m.  Report of a dog bite in the 200 block of 9th Street.

8:42 p.m.  Medic needed for a female with a possible infection where they had a tooth pulled. No transport needed.

Friday, June 4, 2021

During this day were three traffic stops and two controlled burns.

8:14 a.m.  Medic needed for a male with a possible stroke. Medic took the patient to Bass Hospital in Enid.

10:32 a.m.  Report of a male who she had blocked but who had made a new account to keep talking to her.

11:10 a.m.  Medic needed for a male with high blood pressure. Medic with patient en route to Bass Hospital in Enid.

1:19 p.m.  Report of a four-wheeler that was stolen a week ago and they believed they found it. Deputy went to the location. Owner has the four-wheeler back in his possession.

2:54 p.m.  Report of male that was passing a kidney stone and didnt take his blood pressure medicine. Medic with patient en route to Bass Hospital in Enid.

Saturday, June 5, 2021

During this day were two traffic stops and two controlled burns.

8:21 a.m.  Caller advised of a five-gallon gas can stolen from his trailer parked at his residence. Gas can was located at 8th Street and Duncan.

10:52 a.m.  Report of a reckless driver on SH-45 and CR 630.

12:56 p.m.  Caller advised there was something in her trap but she didnt know if it was a rat or a gerbil.

2:08 p.m.  Report of a theft at CR 610 and Craig Road.

7:23 p.m.  Medic needed for a female who was having seizures. Medic took the patient to Fairview.

8:18 p.m.  The Carmen pool manager asked that a vehicle be checked out that was parked at the pool. Advised no one was in it and found it suspicious.

Sunday, June 6, 2021

1:59 a.m.  Medic needed for a male in a sleepy state and hardly responsive.

3:04 p.m.  Report of a dog out on Kay Avenue. Advised it was being aggressive.

8:30 p.m.  Medic needed for a male having chest pains and shortness of breath. Medic en route to Bass Hospital in Enid.

Monday, June 7, 2021

6:35 a.m.  Medic needed for a male possibly having a stroke.

11;56 a.m.  Report of a stray dog in the 200 block of Iowa.
Lake Charles, Louisiana (70615)

Today

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 76F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 76F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Lake Charles, Louisiana (70615)

Today

Partly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms possible. High near 95F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening, then skies turning partly cloudy after midnight. Low 76F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
Looking back over the past year and a half, the number of conflicting stories about every aspect of the 2019 SARS Coronavirus is staggering. Many claims were repeated ad nauseam in the mainstream press while the counterclaims were mostly given the move on, nothing to discuss here treatment. What follows is by no means a comprehensive list of this conflicting information but it gives you a sense of what Americans encountered. So here we go:

Regarding the virus in general Ive read that:

Theres a virus that would cause mass death throughout the world.

Viruses dont cause disease.

No one knows where in China the virus came from.

Theres a lab in China that created the virus using American funds.

The virus was identified.

The virus was never isolated.

The virus can be seen with an electron microscope.

Platos "The Allegory of the Cave" described shadows on the wall.

Someone once said, Follow the science.

Someone once said, Trust but verify.

Regarding the governments view on addressing the situation Ive read that:

Hospitals are being overwhelmed or may become overwhelmed.

So many hospitals were empty that staff had to be laid off.

Theres a great need for hospital tents, ventilators, and medical ships.

None were needed and the ventilators shipped abroad.

Businesses needed to be closed until it was determined that they could reopen.

Big box stores were exempted since all the smaller stores were to close.

Any mask works and two are better than one.

Even masks used in a sterile operating room have limitations.

Three feet or six feet of social distancing limits the chances of becoming infected.

No distance is safe or unsafe and theres nothing about being social in being distant.

Children will spread the virus and we must save the children.

Child spread is rare as is their severe illness or death.

Regarding testing and illness, Ive read that:

The PCR test is the gold standard test for diagnosing SARS CoV-19 illness.

The test has been misused.

A positive test plus the more than 50 signs and symptoms make you a positive case.

The test is often a false positive and the signs and symptoms are common to other respiratory illnesses.

A negative test means you may not have the virus.

Though still sick, you arent checked for any other viral illness.

Whether you have symptoms or not you could be highly contagious.

If you have no symptoms theres nothing to spread.

Regarding the vaccine, Ive read that:

The only hope of long-term control is for a vaccine to be developed.

There are medications that, when taken together, keep people from dying or being hospitalized 85% of the time.

There are multiple vaccines being used in the world against the virus.

Authorities are not using the medical dictionary definition of a vaccine.

The vaccine commands the body to make a protein and its the same one made by the virus that makes you sick.

In some people, the vaccine may make other proteins that may make you sicker.

The vaccines are effective.

Effectiveness is all in how its defined.

The vaccines are safe and side effects are mild and to be expected.

People are dying shortly after getting the vaccine.

Theres a reporting system if negative effects are encountered shortly after getting vaccinated.

After 30 years of reporting, these vaccines have in mere months exceeded the combined in deaths from all other vaccines.

The deaths in the US from the virus are nearly 600,000.

Deaths normally attributed to influenza have essentially disappeared.

Autopsies aid in determining ones cause of death.

Autopsies are optional if death ensues after a vaccine was recently received.

But then Ive read that:

People will become immune if they tested positive or had the disease.

The best immunity comes from vaccination.

Variants of the virus are of grave concern.

The original vaccine protects against the variants.

After 1 or 2 shots youre good to go.

A booster may be needed throughout the year or every year.

The vaccine should be mandatory.

The use of the vaccine should be a crime against humanity.

And when it comes to where this all leads, Ive read that:

There are discussions of instituting vaccine passports.

The Constitution outlawed creating more than one class of people.

Discrimination by government is illegal.

Government will discriminate via business.

The Supreme Court is the final arbiter of legality.

The Supreme Court has been known to take a pass on cases that lie within their sole constitutional jurisdiction.

Despite this massive information flow, what I have not read about is the possibility that combinations of medication, such as a cocktail of HCQ/Ivermectin, Zinc, prohormone D, Vitamin C, and Aspirin, could become the go-to initial treatment for other respiratory viral infections. And I dont expect that Ill ever read that considering organized medicines disdain for alternative approaches to address health or treat disease since these approaches dont generate wealth.

Its no wonder that CoViD mania, in the form of mask mandates, shutdowns, lockdowns, social distancing, pro-vaccination, vaccine hesitancy, etc. exacerbated mental illnesses. Across America, there was a marked increase in depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, paranoia, phobias, and delusional thinking not normally seen in peacetime but, instead, associated with war zones or post-traumatic illness.

Its also no wonder that CoViD mania fed a huge increase in anger. Hostility began with the nostril Nazis screaming (cover your nostrils!) and may in the future be directed at those failing to provide proof of vaccination. Do we want to live in a society where public shaming from one political party and its adherents is the norm?

We are in an age of talking past each other. There is no vigorous debate to help us understand what is true, what is false, and what are shadows on the wall. There is something, however, that many of us clearly see, and thats our society being purposely destroyed before our eyes. If enough people dare to turn around and really look at the past year-and-a-half in America, they too may see it. Even then, though, we still must convince them to believe their own eyes.

IMAGE: Mountain of Books by Alicia Martin (with added text by Andrea Widburg). CC BY-SA 2.0.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
If the last month has taught us anything, todays conspiracy theory could easily be tomorrows commonsense truth. The speed at which the Wuhan Lab theory as the source of the Covid virus went from thoroughly debunked to Viable and Probable in the media was extraordinary. Indeed, the media scorned the possible source of the most economically destructive virus in history  one that is credited with killing 3 million people  because they didnt like the then-President of the United States!

Despite the fact that the lab in Wuhan was one of the only places on earth where scientists were studying such viruses, that 3 Wuhan employees went to the hospital in November 2019 with what turned out to be Covid symptoms, that the NIH had actually been funding gain of function research in Wuhan focusing specifically on the transmission of such viruses to humans we were told the Wuhan China virus theory was a racist conspiracy theory!

As much damage as Covid did  and far worse, the lockdowns used to inflict COVID's damage  thats nothing compared to the damage another conspiracy has done and will do. That, of course, is the thoroughly debunked notion that the election of 2020 was stolen, and that Joe Biden is in the Oval Office today because of election fraud. But of course thats just some tin hat conspiracy theory. Weve been told that Theres no evidence of election fraud and Trump Lost Nearly 60 Election Fights In Court. The latter of course is fiction.

Given that we heard similar things for the last year about the origins of Covid, the question is, what happens when proof unequivocally demonstrates that the election was indeed stolen?

The smoke for that conclusion has been around since the wee hours of November 4th. The stopped counting in key states on election night. Mark Zuckerbergs wholesale purchase of the voting apparatus in key states and counties. The unconstitutional changes to voting laws that crisscrossed the country many empowered by the politicization of Covid... And then of course there is the TIME magazine piece that laid out in black and white the inside story of the conspiracy to save the 2020 election, chronicling widespread coordination of everyone from the Democrat party, Silicon Valley, BLM, unions, the Chamber of Commerce and various other players to get rid of Donald Trump.

All that has been missing has been the CSI level proof of the fire itself. Of course, given the depth and breadth of the Swamp, it may never come to light. But then it might. Currently in Arizona and Wisconsin audits are being done of the 2020 election.

So lets imagine that somehow, integrity rules the day, and both states under audit produce rock-solid proof that the election in their states was stolen; what then? Technically, nothing. Arizona had 11 electoral votes and Wisconsin had 10. Together they represent 21 electoral votes and Joe Biden was declared the winner by 74 votes. In order for anything to change there must be a difference of at least 38 votes flipped from Biden to Trump.

But lets say even one of those states produces demonstrable proof of election fraud. At that point the Republican legislatures of other battleground states that exhibited strange activity on election night Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan would be under a great deal of pressure to look into the integrity of their own elections. Suddenly, with an additional 52 electoral votes in play, things look a bit different.

Lets further assume that the legislatures of Georgia and Pennsylvania determine that there was sufficient fraud in their states to flip the states vote to Donald Trump. With Arizona and Wisconsin, those states would bring the total to 57 electoral votes flipped from Biden to Trump, changing the totals to 249 to 289 and leaving Trump with a majority.

What then? Can a state reverse its electoral vote after certification and counting? Can states recall their electors post-inauguration? Can Congress meet and redo the vote count six months after an inauguration? None has ever been done and there is nothing in the Constitution about doing so. Can the House impeach the President for the fraud? Even if the GOP controlled the Senate a conviction would be unlikely because theres probably little to connect Joe Biden with the actual fraud done on his behalf.

Can the Supreme Court order a new election? While the Constitution gives the Court no such power, in the Bizarro world of modern America that certainly seems to be no barrier. It is unlikely, however, as the Justices had two clear opportunities to resolve this problem and did nothing. When Pennsylvania Republicans sued seeking to throw out the clearly unconstitutional changes to voting law, the Court demurred. Unconstitutional changes such as these are of course the very basis for the Texas lawsuit that the Supreme Court refused to hear after the election. One state allowing their election to be stolen does indeed negatively impact the rights of citizens of another state if that activity results in a fraudulent president who runs the government of the United States under which all American citizens are governed.

Once the fraud has been demonstrated, America is going to find itself in a situation where it doesnt appear that there is any Constitutional remedy in place. Are Americans simply supposed to acquiesce to the theft and allow the fraudulent president to be the actual president for the next three years?

No. That would be like a thief stealing your identity and looting your bank account and then once discovered, being allowed to keep it because, as we all remember from elementary school, possession is 9/10ths of the law. That was wrong in elementary school and its wrong in the Oval Office.

What can be done when the Constitution doesnt address a bastardization of the constitutional process? Does a military junta take control and put Donald Trump back in the Oval Office? Umm No! Does the 25th Amendment somehow come into play? No, because that would not remedy the situation. Does Biden resign? Unlikely, and again, it wouldnt remedy the situation.



A Convention of the States as outlined by Article V of the Constitution? Maybe, but thats a long process and would likely not occur within the timeframe of the next election.

How about a shadow government? Does Donald Trump build a replica of the Oval Office at Mar-a-Lago and show the world what a real president would do in whatever circumstances the imposter president finds himself in?

Do true patriots take to the streets and use violence and intimidation to wreak havoc from sea to shining sea the way BLM and Antifa did last year, and maintain it until the Democrats capitulate?

None of those ideas is an ideal solution. An ideal solution would essentially reverse the inauguration of Joe Biden and inaugurate Donald Trump as the rightful president.

Many pundits are suggesting that Republicans should dig deep and focus on 2022, both at the local and the state level so that the GOP can take back the House and the Senate. While thats true, its not sufficient because it doesnt address the fraud in the first place.

If its possible to steal the presidency with impunity, what office in the nation is beyond reach? The simple answer is none, and that matters because the government has police power and once the Constitution becomes superfluous, the coercive powers of government suddenly have no limits. And for those who say that the Constitution still stands, the Constitution is nothing more than a piece of paper. It is the citizens loyalty to that Constitution and the system built upon it that make it work.

Graphic credit: Picpedia CC BY-SA 3.0 license

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For the most part, the Dutch are just as leftist and politically correct as any other Europeans. However, perhaps the Dutch have a teeny bit of DNA left that traces back to the 17th century, when Holland, only recently released from Hapsburg rule, was the freest country in Europe. In a time of tremendous religious schisms and fighting, the Dutch managed to be a tolerant society. Politician Thierry Baudet, in a viral video, seems to have harked back to that time when he warned his fellow Nederlanders that their response to COVID not only was a gross overreaction, but also put in place a template for future assaults on liberty.

I don't think it's a coincidence that the liberty-oriented Baudet had a classical education at Haarlem gymnasium (high school), which required him to learn both Latin and ancient Greek. In contrast, at Princeton, even classics majors will no longer be required to take Latin or Greek because it's apparently systematically racist to require non-White people to master those languages.

At the University of Amsterdam, Baudet studied history, which may have left him conversant with his country's own tolerant, freedom-based past. He also has a Doctor of Philosophy, which was supervised in part by the late, brilliant Roger Scruton, a rigorous thinker who rejected the modern politically correct pieties in modern academia.

Politically, Baudet is a conservative. He would like the Netherlands to withdraw from the E.U. and objects to unskilled immigration into Holland (just as Donald Trump objected to the unlimited flow of unskilled legal and illegal aliens into America). While Baudet is critical of Islam, he would not go as far as Geert Wilders would, since the latter advocates for banning the Koran, something that's inconsistent with Holland's historically liberal philosophy. Baudet also believes that cultural Marxism is eating away at the fabric of Dutch society.

In other words, Baudet is close to American conservatism in his views, which is probably why we conservatives find his video so darn good:

Netherlands  Dutch Politician Thierry Baudet drops some massive Covid19 Truth bombs. This is what risking it all looks like, listen as he hammers home cold, hard undeniable facts. One of the best rants I've seen. Simply Epic. Long Live Freedom  pic.twitter.com/wudess28L0  RISE OR DIE (@altern8ending) June 5, 2021

I hope there will be a moment that we wake up. That we will realize this is a collective psychosis. That the locking down of the entire country, half the world for 1.5 years because of a flu variety is insane. That walking around with those silly useless masks is insanity. That we conform ourselves to those completely senseless distancing rules. That we see that our businesses, our social lives have been destroyed. That we have held back effective primary medicines such as Ivermectin, only to give those experimental injections the status of "approved vaccine" as soon as we could. That we now ramble on about how 'the infections are decreasing,' when the exact same happened last year  as it does every year. And that it will happen against as autumn arrives and new infections occur. And now we pretend it happens because of COVID-19, all the while that the thing that we used to call the 'flu' has completely disappeared. But most importantly, I hope that we realize that with the hysteria about this Chinese flu as the pretext, an entire infrastructure has been built, an infrastructure that can be used again at any moment, due to any occurrence. Lockdowns, masks, social distancing, no more traveling, no handshakes, ridiculous experimental jabs. This COVID phase has been a practice to train obedience. Our parliament and the Rutte regime have passed this training with grace. Congratulations. Klaus Schwab [promoter of the "Great Reset"] will be proud of you. The globalist plans can be carried out  and the next step towards mass surveillance and total control can be taken.

Take what Baudet said as a warning. Every word applies with equal or greater weight to America, where Democrats used COVID (bolstered by Fauci's lies and manipulation) to destroy the Trump presidency and gain complete, if tenuous, control over the entire federal government.

Image: Thierry Baudet. Twitter screen grab.

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Hong Kong: CS tours Tai Po youth hostel

Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung, accompanied by Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui, today visited the Federation of Youth Groups' youth hostel PH2 in Tai Po to learn about its operation and latest developments.

They were briefed on the hostel by the federation's Executive Director Andy Ho and toured the hostel's units and various facilities.

The officials also exchanged views with frontline youth workers and a tenant to learn about their experiences and stories of operating and living in the hostel in the past year.

Mr Cheung expressed his gratitude to the federation for its care in running the youth hostel, which not only provides a comfortable living space for youth tenants, but also assists them in learning diverse life skills and financial planning through a wide variety of activities to help enable their upward mobility and realisation of aspirations.

He also noted that the current-term Government vigorously pushes forward youth hostel projects.

Apart from the Tai Po youth hostel, which was the first to be completed, Mr Cheung said the one in Ma Tin Pok, Yuen Long by Po Leung Kuk is the largest project in scale so far. Scheduled to open next year, it will provide 1,680 hostel places.

Five other projects being implemented will also offer more than 1,600 hostel places altogether.

Among them, the Sheung Wan project by the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals and the Jordan project by the Girl Guides Association were granted funding approval by the Legislative Council Finance Committee in April for starting main construction works.

The Government will continue to play an active role in assisting non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to provide more youth hostel units as soon as possible, the Chief Secretary added.

The Youth Hostel Scheme aims to encourage NGOs to unleash the potential of development sites to achieve optimal land use and to meet the aspirations of working youths in having their own living spaces.

The Government will fund the full capital costs of youth hostel projects carried out by participating NGOs. Upon completion, NGOs will run the youth hostels on a self-financing basis.

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Everyone with an account that featured that button  even those that were still active and had a balance  would have to reapply for unemployment in BEACON to file their weekly claim. The function does not work on the BEACON mobile app, so claimants must either open a browser window on their phones or use a computer.
While Kamala Harris is down in Guatemala looking for all those root causes for the border surge, and touring children's education centers and chatting with NGOs, the border rush is continuing as before with this new development, according to Kevin Downey, Jr. at PJMedia:

SHOCKER: Illegal Border Crossings by Venezuelans Up More Than 8000% You read that right. Customs and Border Patrol, (CBP) reports that 10,864 Venezuelans have crossed the border this fiscal year, which began on October 1, 2020in just the Del Rio sector. The Del Rio sector covers 47 counties and 245 miles of border along the Rio Grande in Southwest Texas. Last fiscal year the number of illegal immigrants from Venezuela was 135. If my calculator is accurate, thats a 7947.71% increase. All thanks to Gropey Joe Biden.

Which presents some uncomfortable problems for Harris and the Biden administration. Not only is the border unguarded, surges are coming in from all over, not just Central America.

As things stand now, only 44% of the illegal border crossers hail from Central America. The huge upsweep in Venezuelans at the border signals that smuggling networks have gotten the hooks in much wider geography.

Which rather renders Kamala's trip to to Central America looking for root causes kind of a joke. The Venezuelans are coming for the same reason the Central Americans are coming -- which is Joe Biden's invitation to all comers. So as Kamala seeks out the root causes and visits daycare centers in Mexico and Guatemala, the big "pull" factor which is being heard worldwide gets ignored. Harris can nationbuild all she likes in a place like Guatemala, bringing in banks offering free stuff and money for the government, but if she's serious about ending the border surge, she's going to have to do that in every country, otherwise the Guatemala caper is a joke.

What's more, many of these Venezuelans have credible asylum cases. They are fleeing stolen elections and actual socialism, Chavista thugs shooting into crowds to instill terror, Chavista thugs invading apartments, Chavista thugs taking away their ration cards and cutting off their water for not voting the way they like. And their ballots are not secret, another sick reality of the politics of a one-party socialist state. These refugees didn't vote for this garbage, this happened by force, through the good offices of one Fidel Castro, a famous communist who, along his successors, acolytes and Western enablers has already chased 20% of his nation's population out, and probably more.

The fact, noted in the piece, that these Venezuelans are bringing in more luggage and suitcases than Central America's average border crossers suggests these are the remnants of a ruined middle class, people with education, people with social capital, such as believing in two-parent families, people who might be able to contribute to society.

Obviously, these people need to be sorted out -- Chavista thugs have likely fallen on hard times, too, and might like a berth in as well, but if anyone should be able to stay in the land of the free, it's the Venezuelans who were never part of that. They've already fled in huge numbers to other South American countries, often wearing out their welcome for better or for worse. If the U.S. is to take any asylum seekers, these (and the Cubans and Nicaraguans) who have had elections stolen out from them and are now fleeing one-party socialism, are likely to be thankful for asylum and grateful for America. After all, if it was us, wouldn't we do the same?

But don't count on Kamala to look for any root causes in their cases. This border surge is frankly, just too big for her. And Venezuelans pose some uncomfortable questions for Bidenites.

Image: Daily Caller, via YouTube video, screen shot

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
Several years ago, a left-wing wokester greenie lawyer tried to shake down Chevron for $600 million for rainforest oil pollution, in an instance of it that the oil company had nothing to do with.

According to the Daily Wire:

Congressional Democrats are asking Attorney General Merrick Garland to intervene in a criminal case against a lawyer found to have falsified scientific evidence and bribed a foreign judge to shake down an oil company, with one member of "The Squad" heralding him as an inspiration for "others to fight back against corporate power." Evidence indicates that Steven Donziger and his team ran an elaborate legal fraud that included secretly paying a Latin American court's independent expert to twist science about pollution, and ultimately bribing a judge to issue a multi-billion dollar judgment in their favor.

The lefties came out, with Daryl Hannah and Mia Farrow schlepping over to the Ecuadorean rainforest and dipping their hands in the oil as if that were proof that Chevron somehow did it.

Democrats now are recrudescing their efforts to force the Justice Department to intervene on Donziger's behalf. He is, after all, a greenie, and he hates Big Oil.

Chevron didn't pollute anything at all. All the oil biggie did was buy Texaco, which in turn had partnered with the Ecuadorean state oil company from 1964 to 1990, before pulling up stakes, cleaning up, getting a clean bill of health from the Ecuadorean government, and leaving. There was oil pollution that came later. The Ecuadorean state oil monopoly remained, polluting the way all state-owned enterprises do. But Chevron remained an easy-to-shake-down target for the left, and Donziger liked to think big.

He got caught faking science and bribing an Ecuadorean judge in his bid to shake down Chevron for $600 million (actually, it was higher than $8 billion at some points of the drama) before a big judicial report found him out and got him disbarred by 2020 for "egregious professional misconduct, namely, corruption of a court expert and ghostwriting his report, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and judicial coercion." According to the Daily Wire:

In 2014, a U.S. federal judge in New York found  and detailed in nearly 500 pages of specifics  that it was secured through lies and corruption so astonishing that they were like something "out of Hollywood."

The details of the whole thing are a doozy, and this link has only a few of them.

Yet Democrats think this completely exposed fraud is some kind of hero, all because he claims he's "green." Based on his history, his only interest in "green" is in greenbacks.

But here's how bad it is, with the left defending this shakedown artist:

In April, six members of Congress, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), sent a letter to Garland asking for what seems like political interference in the judicial branch, saying the already extensively-litigated case "involved urgent environmental justice concerns of Indigenous people." Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) said Donziger's "bravery and brilliance will inspire others to fight back against corporate power." On May 26, actress Susan Sarandon said "the shared enemy is Climate Change and Pollution, not human rights lawyers, the afflicted peoples around the world, or their advocates."

This is kind of shocking. Do facts matter at all to this bunch, or is Getting Big Oil the only thing that matters?

It's strikingly different from their quietude on Michael Avenatti, who tried to shake down wokester corporate Nike, and then found himself in the hoosegow for that kind of behavior, despite his record of trying to Get Trump. Apparently, to the Squad defending Donziger, stealing is fine so long as the victim is someone you don't like.

This is pretty much the opposite of rule of law or one set of laws for everyone. It's how communist regimes work, with their politicized, rather than civil, societies that premised on rule of law.

And Chevron had to spend millions to defend itself from this shakedown, so Donziger definitely belongs in the can.

But to this bunch, if your target is disliked enough by the left, then anything goes, no matter what the precedent.

If this defense bid gets through, and Merrick Garland intervenes to help this con artist to please the Squad, heaven help us.

Image: Logo / public domain.

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The wokeness infecting major American corporations needs to be exposed wherever possible. It's important that Americans know how leftist college grads occupying management positions in these organizations are steering them away from their purposes and turning them into idealized college campuses, complete with a focus on diversity, systemic racism, sexism, yada, yada, yada. The latest example comes from Dow Chemical Company.

Dow is one of America's classic corporations. Herbert Henry Dow, a chemist, founded it in 1897, and it quickly became known for its diverse products and its competitive instincts against the big British and German chemical companies. It's had some misses over the years (Napalm, Agent Orange, leaky silicone breast implants, tax evasion charges, price-fixing, etc.), but it's still responsible for incredibly important products in what remains of American industry. Dow also introduced consumers to Styrofoam, Saran wrap, Ziploc, and Scrubbing Bubbles, although it sold all of those products to S.C. Johnson & Son in 1997.

That serious company is nowhere evident in the most recent newsletter Dow sent to those who are on its recruitment mailing list. The first paragraph of the email makes sense for serious science types contemplating a lateral move from their current place of employment to Dow:

We're interested in how science can enhance people's lives. That can mean discovering a new material, or working with our customers to apply fresh thinking to the world around us. It can also mean using science to build an exciting careerwith the opportunity to explore, exchange ideas, and make a meaningful difference on global challenges. We thank you for your continued interest, and we want to learn more about your passion, expertise, and experience. Can you see yourself on the team?

From there, things quickly go downhill. After boasting that "Dow is a 'Great Place to Work,'" the email gets down to the nitty-gritty: not top brains, not the best labs and facilities, not attractive salaries and benefits. It's all about diversity. There's the emotional message from "A.N. Sreeram, / Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Executive Sponsor of AND":

Can we change the world if we listen? It's a good place to start. We can do this one person at a time. When we're at the design table with our customers, it starts with listening. Listening sparks an understanding of needs and challenges. We break free of old ways of thinking. Listening elevates our understanding, so we can take action. As the executive sponsor of Dow's Asian Diversity Network (ADN), I see the power of listening. It opens eyes, changes minds and builds allyship. Keenly listening to the voices of those who have AAPI heritage is especially important today. In 2020, hate crimes against people of Asian descent increased 150% in the United States and also was observed in other parts of the world. May is Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Every year, this is an opportunity to listen and learn about the diversity within the AAPI communities and to celebrate, embrace and stand with the AAPI community here at Dow and beyond. This year, AAPI Heritage Month takes on new resonance. No one should fear violence because of what they look like or what part of the world they or their families come from. That's why Dow people are working with ADN to take action through the Dow ACTs. The framework seeks to holistically address racism and inequality through Advocacy, Community engagement and our own Talent pipeline. We started by listening. Across Dow, we've launched tough but needed conversations. These listening sessions have addressed model minority stereotypes and highlighted the wide-ranging diversity among people of Asian heritage. They also have linked the latest violence against the AAPI community to a long history of discrimination in the United States, dating back to the first immigrants. Change begins by being heard and understood.

Then the regional news from North America boasts about sustainability and equitable opportunities (emphasis mine):

"I welcomed the opportunity to share my strong belief that we can only create future-proof buildings by placing sustainability, energy efficiency and people at the heart of design, with the support of creative minds," said Alberto Mercati, Marketing Fellow, Dow Polyurethanes, of the Manni Group Design Award. The international architecture contest looked to Detroit, Michigan as the host for this year's challenge. As sponsors of the award, we were thrilled to discover how young architects from around the globe imagined the dynamic center of attraction for the great city of Michigan. *Supporting STEM learners with online learning during the pandemic* Recognizing that educators need extra resources during this challenging time, Dow has engaged on many fronts to support virtual learning. An example of these efforts is providing financial support toward the expansion of free chemistry learning resources  including virtual labs, tutorials and simulations  to high schoool teachers and students through Carnegie Mellon Univeristy's (CMU) Open Learning Initiative (OLI). "Dow is committed to the promotion of STEM education and creating equitable opportunities for students," said *Dave Parrillo*, vice president of R&D at Dow and an executive sponsor to CMU. Learn how Dow was able to help teachers effectively make the leap and transfer real-world learning to a virtual world by clicking here.

We've long known that the liberal arts were lost to the leftists. Dow's newsletter indicates that the Marxists are marching through STEM as well. As my friend said:

Historically, Dow has been one of the major science innovators that has indeed materially contributed to human progress. Let me restate that  science has materially contributed to human progress. CRT/wokeism/anti-racism training and the CEO telling me (in an earlier emailed newsletter) that they're gay and married to a man, doesn't solve a single damned technical problem, nor will it. Ever. Bottom line: FAIL. It won't happen overnight, but when the current technical staff retires, what kind of innovated, competent, technically minded person would be motivated to join this stuff? Surely not me.

Image: Dow logo. Public domain.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
In another piece of sour news out of South America, Peru's populist-conservative candidate, Keiko Fujimori, has seen her election lead suddenly vanish from the vote count that came of Sunday's election.

According to Reuters:

Peruvian socialist Pedro Castillo widened his lead against right-wing rival Keiko Fujimori in the countrys presidential vote on Monday, but she said she will not concede yet and alleged irregularities, although without showing much proof. The official count from Sunday's election showed outsider candidate Castillo with 50.3% and Fujimori on 49.7%, with around 95% of the vote counted. The leftist candidate had trailed overnight, but started to take the lion's share of ballots as the count progressed, on the back of a late surge of rural votes. "There's a clear intention to boycott the will of the people," Fujimori said at a press conference, in which she showed social media videos to back her claims, and accused supporters of Castillo of stealing votes. She also asked her base to bring forth new allegations, if they exist, on social media. Castillo's party, Free Peru, responded on Twitter that it "rejected" the allegations.

Castillo, who's a hard-left Marxist who wants to nationalize Peru's copper and other industries, and all his Marxist-Leninist minions, wouldn't dream of such a thing, you see.

Yet when he was ahead, he said Keiko was cheating, and leftists would have to "defend the vote" according to the Reuters report.

This sounds a bit like projection, now that there's been a late-hour directional switch. Reuters has a chart of that here.

Now, it's possible there was no cheating at all. Not likely, but possible, given that the city-dwellers voted for the leftist candidate and the outland Peruvians cast their votes for Keiko. The directional switch comes from rural voters, according to Reuters, which could include Amazon Indian tribes. Their votes may echo those of many Indian tribes in Arizona and the Rockies, inexplicably voting blue despite the damage that leftists do to them. However, the appearance of the Shining Path Marxist narco-terrorists with a signature massacre in the closing days of the campaign could point against it, though. Nobody suffered more from these vile Marxist narco-terrorist killers than the indigenous peoples of the Andes and the Amazon rainforest in Peru. So much for championing "the people." These communist monsters made Indians special targets of their sadistic murders. Keiko is the daughter of Peru's President Alberto Fujimori, who beat the hell out of these terrorists a couple of decades back and made Peru a safe place for peace-loving Peruvians, and she vows to do the same.

Did the rural voters really vote for these Marxists? Did the Marxists really convince them they'd be tough on terrorists, too, and give them a lot of free stuff?

We don't know for sure at this point, but here in the states, we know what we also experienced. We also know that Keiko is a pretty close approximation to President Trump in her conservative populism, meaning that her ascent has made leftists crazed with rage. And we know that Peru was hit very hard by COVID, same as the states, which might have brought in a desire for a change of power without regard to the danger.

It's tempting to look at past leftists elected to Peru's presidency and conclude and hope that these leftists won't be so bad. Past presidents, such as Ollanta Humala, who ran as a leftist, weren't too bad. Nor was Alan Garcia, who kept to his word and made Peru a free marketplace of prosperity after a disastrous first term. Plus, Peru has always been polarized, and Peruvians have always hated their president, even when their president (to us outsiders) seemed quite good. Peruvian thing.

But the fact that Mario Vargas Llosa, Peru's Nobel literature laureate, and his son, distinguished libertarian essayist Alvaro Vargas Llosa, have reconciled with Keiko (like the conservative/libertarian intellectuals who became NeverTrumps, they had been NeverKeikos in the past), and asked that voters elect Keiko over the communist signals that they know that these communists are bad.

If so, it's extremely worrisome, assuming that this leftist, Castillo, manages to fraud his way into office. I can't speak for the Vargas Llosas, but my understanding is that they had disliked the Fujimoris because they played rough and dirty politics, which was likely true. But if the leftist takes power over Keiko; it stands as a reminder that communists play even fouler and dirtier in their ends-justifies-the-means morality. And it's quite likely that Keiko in this round refused to play dirty if the Vargas Llosas could come around to champion them.

This is sad. And a scary reminder that such fraud is becoming less and less an anomaly. It will be interesting what the Bidens say about this if the fraud becomes pretty obvious.

Image: Twitter screen shot.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
DeSantis has an unmistakable political glow about him. Whether being treated like a star performer at a massive country music jam in Florida or being one of the top people on Donald Trumps radar should Trump win again, people like what they see.

On Sunday, Florida held the largest music festival in America since February 2020. The Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam, in Panama City Beach, saw more than 20,000 people gather together for the three-day country music festival. Big stars were appearing: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Luke Bryan, Brooks & Dunn, Chris Stapletonand Ron DeSantis. Yup, DeSantis dropped by for a quick visit and got the same star treatment as the named performers:

We chose freedom over Fauci-ism is a great line and an even greater idea.

President Trump has reflected the same positive vibe for Ron DeSantis. At the end of April, when Maria Bartiromo asked Trump whether hed consider DeSantis for a potential running mate, Trump had good things to say about DeSantis and said that hed consider him as a running mate:

Back then, though, that seemed like a completely hypothetical scenario because Trump wasnt talking about running again.

However, on Monday, when the possibility of Trump running against seemed less hypothetical and more like something he might actually do, Stuart Varney again posed the DeSantis question. And again, with more specificity, Trump expressed interest in considering DeSantis as a 2024 running mate:

Sure I would  I would certainly consider Ron, Trump, 74, told Fox Business Stuart Varney in a phone interview Monday. I was at the beginning of Ron, he said of the 42-year-old former Navy officer who graduated both Yale and Harvard Law School. I was the first one to endorse him when he came out as a congressman that a lot of people didnt know, and my endorsement helped him tremendously, Trump said. And I know him very well. Hes a great guy, Trump added.

The fact that Trump didnt instantly say something like, No, if I run again, Im having Mike Pence at my side, reflects a few things. First, Mike Pence isnt a rock star and, after the way he shepherded Florida through COVID, as well as his successful battles against tech companies and cruise lines, DeSantis is.

Second, Trump may be bitter over Pences implying that he thought Trump was at fault for events on January 6.

Third, in addition to sour feelings between the two men, Trump supporters are not going to support someone who accepts the Democrat line about that day.

My own take is that Trump was a brilliant president, that he won the last election and, regrettably, that Ill feel uncomfortable voting in 2024 for a man who will be 78 when he takes office. Trump has remarkable vigor, both physical and intellectual, but my experience with my mother and the people in her elder care facility is that, just as babies turn into toddlers and then young children with incredible rapidity, some older people, sadly, decline with equal rapidity.

Having a demented president is dangerous enough now without asking for it a second time. And no, its not fair that he got cheated out of a second term, but life isnt fair. All of America also got the short end of the stick when Trump was cheated out of office.

My preference two years before presidential campaigning begins (and two years is a lifetime in politics) is for Ron DeSantis to head the ticket, with any number of highly qualified young Republicans to stand as his Vice. Trump would act as kingmaker. As for Ted Cruz, whom Ive always liked, I would love to see him on the Supreme Court. Indeed, if John Roberts felt that retirement was a good idea, I think Cruz would make an awesome Chief Justice.

IMAGE: Trump and Ron DeSantis. YouTube screengrab.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
In more evidence of Joe Biden's unfitness to be president, note that he failed to acknowledge the 77th anniversary of D-Day on June 6.

According to Fox News:

A Homeland Security source told Fox News that service members and veterans are upset after President Biden failed to acknowledge the 77th anniversary of D-Day on Sunday. The source tells Fox News the fact that Vice President Harris tweeted about D-Day while Biden tweeted about the 1921 Tulsa Massacre on Sunday clearly underscores the administrations priorities. Roughly 2,500 Americans died on D-Day. "As a veteran I find it reprehensible that the president ends his speeches with God bless the troops, which now seems to be in words only. He blatantly forgot to acknowledge the tremendous sacrifice of our greatest generation," an Afghanistan and Iraq wars veteran told Fox News on Monday. A second Homeland Security source told Fox News that White House press secretary Jen Psaki had "the perfect opportunity" to mention D-Day during her CNN interview on Sunday but failed to do so.

Sure, he's senile. He forgets a lot of things. He's also a leftist, and leftists want to erase history. But it's also likely he fobbed the task off onto Kamala Harris, who did acknowledge it, because we sure as heck know she didn't do this on her own. The soldiers and sailors and Marines who stormed the beaches to liberate France on that fateful day in 1944, after all, were largely white and all men. Not Kamala's wheelhouse.

He did acknowledge the Tulsa massacre, as one Fox source noted, but not one of the U.S. military's most heroic moments.

America, see, is bad, not heroic.

How, exactly, can a man who has the position of commander in chief of the armed forces expect troops to follow him into battle when he has so little regard for the sacrifices of troops who went before him? He must think wars are a thing of the past, with the only war out there to be had being on conservative dissidents in the ranks, as well as the quest to show wokesterism as all about "national security."

In any case, it's inexplicable. It would have taken next to zero effort to get some staff flunky to craft a small acknowledgment of D-Day for placement on the White House site or on Twitter, but it didn't happen. Nor did his spokesweasel, Jen Psaki, do it for him. It almost has the look of something intentional. And if so, it portends some problem times ahead for Joe Biden and veterans, as well as the Department of Defense. The military recently stated that it wouldn't be flying gay pride flags on U.S. military bases. Now Biden has chosen to ignore the troops on D-Day.

Is Joe really in charge? This seems like a no-brainer. His failure to acknowledge D-Day might in fact be a sign of trouble.

Image: Screen shot from a camera aimed at a television set during a live broadcast, filtered with FotoSketcher.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
Leftists like to project their sins on others, and former President Obama has a doozy:

According to the Washington Examiner:

Former President Barack Obama appeared to fault former President Donald Trump for a recent rise in antisemitic incidents throughout the United States. In an email interview with Jewish Insider, published on Monday, Obama spoke about "negative and divisive trends" in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, which led to multiple deaths and created a political shockwave in the country. The 44th president, who referenced a speech he gave at the Embassy of Israel in his last year in office, appeared to suggest Trump's time in the White House led to a rise in anti-Jewish hate. "When I gave that speech, it was clear that anti-Semitism was on the rise around the world," Obama wrote. "Peoples anger over everything from immigration to inequality was boiling over  and many of them were looking for someone else to blame. And for four years, we had a President in the White House who fanned those flames." "So while I never anticipated what happened at the Capitol on January 6th, some of the negative and divisive trends that weve seen at home and around the world have contributed to a rise in anti-Semitism and other forms of hate," he added. "In many cases, Ive been pleased to see these acts of hate countered by far larger expressions of solidarity. People are recognizing that we all have a responsibility to stand together against bigotry and violence, to not be silent but there will always be a need for vigilance against anti-Semitism."

I didn't see any Jewish-supporting marches of solidarity from Obama's leftists after the wave of sick anti-Semitic attacks on Jews in New York, Boca Raton, or Los Angeles. Did you? Where was the marching? Where was the looting?

Fact is, there wasn't any, because the Democrats have been in bed with anti-Semites for a long, long time.

Democrats, for instance, are the ones who coddled Louis Farrakhan, a open and flaming Jew-hater, such as at Aretha Franklin's funeral, when news agencies tried to cut Farrakhan standing right next to Bill Clinton from the picture.

Democrats are the ones who couldn't come up with a simple resolution to condemn dyed-in-the-wool Jew-hater Rep. Ilhan Omar, the one who said "all about the Benjamins" in reference to the trope about Jews and their money, a lie she swallows whole. Or her anti-Semitic buddies in the terrorist-supporting NGOs. They did a watered down resolution condemning all hate wherever it might be as if Omar's Jew-hate was nothing special.

Just recently, Democrat Randi Weingarten, chief of one of the most odious teachers' unions, the American Federation of Teachers, said Jews were part of an "ownership class" that wanted to take away from others.

By contrast, Trump has had nothing but kind things to say to Jews, while his son-in-law, and favorite daughter, Ivanka, are Jewish themselves, Ivanka by conversion.

He's been a staunch defender of Israel, helping wherever requested, and moving the U.S. embassy to Israel, something the left screamed about instead of embraced. Other nations followed, because they know a leader.

Trump was also the president behind the Arab-Israeli "Abraham" accords, which brought peace to the Middle East, with unthinkable friendships happening, with Saudis, Emiratis, Moroccans, Bahrainis, and others jumping onboard and wanting to be part of the peace, too. The Bidenites are trying to erase that accomplishment by erasing the uplifting name for all in the accord. They'd prefer to go back to the same old war, something they liked better, and they got it.

Democrats by contrast have just seething anti-Semitism going for them, and Obama staying silent.

Now he's trying to gaslight us into thinking Trump is the anti-Semite, a lie that won't wash, even as lefties eat it up as a narrative. It remains a lie, and it shows us just to what extent Obama will lie to cover up all the anti-Semitism of the Democrats.

Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License.

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Before last week, I'd never heard of Ellie Kemper. I still have only the vaguest idea of who she is, although I'm pretty clear that she's a TV actress. Also, when she was 19, she won a debutante beauty contest in St. Louis, Missouri, at a society that, 122 years before, had been founded by former Confederates. On Monday, Kemper bowed to the mob and apologized for her appalling ignorance in being a teen debutante. On the one hand, her apology was a victory for the despicable social justice warriors; on the other hand, this kind of pettiness has to be a turnoff for even marginally rational people.

The story broke on June 1. Ellie Kemper, who's now 41, made her name on TV in The Office and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She's apparently a talented comedian. Before Hollywood, though, she had the temerity, the unmitigated gall, to grow up in comfortable circumstances among the old money in Missouri.

For those unversed in American history, although the Civil War ended in 1865, it continued to play out in Missouri, one of the border states to the war. The whole drama of Jesse James and his bloody bandits, all of whom fought for the Confederacy, had a lot to do with ongoing retribution for wartime allegiances.

In 1877, Charles Slayback, a former Confederate cavalryman and one of St. Louis's rich and famous, decided to create a secret society, which ended up being the Veiled Prophet Organization. To no one's surprise, considering the time and place, it had a color bar: Whites only, including young women who attended the debutante ball and vied for the title of Queen of Love and Beauty.

According to an Atlantic article, the whole point of the society was to confirm White dominance. That could be true  or it could be that, to modern historians, everything has to do with racism, so the ordinary racism of the time was elevated to something more meaningful in a historian's retelling.

Here's the important thing, though: a long, long time ago, probably sometime around the Civil Rights era in the 1960s, the society ceased to have a color bar, since those bars were illegal. And in 1999, the pretty, well connected Kemper became the Queen of Love and Beauty. In a sane world, no one cares, except that it's a cute, rather silly story.

In today's America, Tatiana Tenreyro, an exceptionally nasty bit of work, wrote a story for AV Club attacking Kemper for daring to have been born wealthy and, worse, for having been a 19-year-old debutante in an organization that once was racist. Aside from Tenreyro's crude language, note the dishonesty by which she conflates the debutante ball's racist past and innocent present:

You may have noticed Ellie Kemper was trending on Twitter. She's not dead. So she must've done something really amazing, right? Wrong! Turns out Kimmy Schmidt isn't as inoffensive as she seems. A picture began circulating on Twitter showing Kemper as the Queen Of Love And Beauty at the Fair Saint Louis in 1999. You might be wondering what's so wrong about being crowned queen of some ball. Well, the Fair Saint Louis was previously known as the Veiled Prophet Ball and it is racist as f---.

Remember how people used to talk about the "gutter press"? What Tenreyro did is lower than that. Maybe the cesspool press?

Anyway, the internet went crazy, with "KKK Princess" trending against Kemper. On Monday, Kemper responded predictably, with a grovel on Instagram, in which she apologized for something that wasn't wrong when she did it and as to which she was not guilty of any wrongdoing:

Everything was there: the buzzwords ("racist," "sexist," "elitist"); the denigration of her own talent and hard work ("I acknowledge that because of my race and my privilege, I am the beneficiary of a system that has dispensed unequal justice and unequal rewards"); the confession of wrongdoing ("I realized that a lot of the forces behind the criticism are forces that I've spent my life supporting and agreeing with"); the promise that she's learned from the experience; and her further promise to "use my privilege" for societal welfare. (I think that means sending a check to BLM, but I'm not sure.)

All in all, a successful shakedown  except that Ellie Kemper is a nothing in the Hollywood hierarchy. I know this because, even though I don't watch these shows, I read the Daily Mail. That means I know who matters and who doesn't. (Yeah, sad but true.)

Bringing Kemper down is like boasting that you managed to get fired the assistant secretary to the under-secretary of the deputy to the park commissioner fired. It's like a pro boxer savagely attacking a kindergartner. In other words, it's not a prestige act, nor is it a good look.

Ordinary people are feeling sickened by the vicious rancor the left is showing and by the fact that it keeps organizing screaming little mobs to attack increasingly ordinary people (and Kemper is, well, pretty ordinary). It was one thing when the rich and famous, who made themselves targets and were often kind of jerky, got caught in the woke mob's crosshairs. It's another thing to realize that Kemper is close enough to you that you may be next.

Image: Ellie Kemper as a debutante.




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I think its important that we recognize where we are in the campaign as a whole, said Mileah Kromer, a professor of political science at Goucher College and the director of the Goucher Poll, who noted that some successful candidates in previous statewide races were still relatively unknown this far out from the election. I wouldnt expect anybody to have high levels of name recognition right now, save for Peter Franchot, and even then its not as if hes a U.S. senator or an incumbent.
After being available for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G, the June 2021 security update is now available for the companys foldable device, the Galaxy Z Fold 2.

The companys flagship Galaxy Z Fold 2 foldable is getting served with the latest patches available with this new update.

Without a doubt, Samsung has aced the position in making proper commercial foldable phones. Although foldable phones are still in their early stages and they are fragile, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is potentially the best choice if someone is looking for a foldable device.

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The latest June 2021 security update is arriving for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 models in Ukraine. Today, Samsung has published detailed documentation on what fixes this latest June 2021 security patch brings for its devices.

If you are interested in knowing all the details about this latest patch, you can head over here. To give you a brief, Samsung has fixed 19 Samsung vulnerabilities and exposures (SVE).

However, SVE is a security issue that only affects the Korean models of Galaxy devices. So, nothing to worry about for the global variants holders.

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The Galaxy Z Fold 2 June 2021 security update arrives with version F916BXXS1DUE5

Moreover, the update is expected to reach out to other markets including Asia, Europe, North America, and South America, in the next couple of weeks.

Talking about the firmware version, according to Sammobile, the latest June 2021 security update for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 arrives with version F916BXXS1DUE5.

Sadly, there is no information available on whether this new update brings some other changes or new features for the device or not. We assume it is an incremental security update that touches upon improving system stability and performance at max.

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Whatever it may be, it is always beneficial and recommended installing the latest update available for your device. As usual, Samsung is pushing this update via OTA in batches.

This means that it wont be available for all the units straightaway. The good thing is that you can manually check for the update on your Galaxy Z Fold 2 unit.

To trigger a manual check, head over to Settings > System Updates. Then, tap on the Download and Install option. You can proceed with downloading and installation of the update if your device detects a new update.

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Galaxy Z Fold 2 came with Android 10 One UI 2.5 out of the box. It received the Android 11 One UI 3 update earlier this year, followed by the One UI 3.1 update.
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(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 8 - A 19-year-old German woman has broken free after being held captive by two men near Rome and subjected to violence and sexual abuse, sources said on Tuesday.

The woman came to Italy two years ago with one of the men, a 29-year-old Pakistani national who was her partner at the time.

She managed to escape on May 27, taking advantage of a moment of distraction by her captors to get out of the house and ask for help from a passer-by .

The passer-by took her to a Carabinieri police station in the town of Cesano and the officers arrested the two men, who were taken to Rieti prison. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - HERAT, JUN 8 - Defence Minister Lorenzo Guerini arrived in Herat Tuesday to oversee the hauling down of the Italian flag marking the upcoming end to Italy's almost 20-year mission in Afghanistan.

In step with the United States, which is pulling out of the Asian nation by mid-July, ahead of the initial symbolic date of September 11 announced by President Joe Biden, Italy is set to leave its Herat mission at Camp Arena to local troops.

The repatriation of the 800 or so soldiers and military materiel will be concluded shortly, Italian defence sources said. (ANSA).


If you are old enough to remember the hit comedy movie of 1980, Caddy Shack, then you will recall that a gopher infestation was threatening a golf course in Nebraska. The somewhat deranged groundskeeper was tasked with getting rid of the pest. His efforts at eradication include shooting, f
At the stores center are open kitchens with stations for soups and sandwiches, sushi and poke bowls, and Roman-style pizza from Bonci. At a station dubbed Plant Butcher, customers can order salads and juices or have employees chop produce to limit meal prep at home, for a fee. A cafe with a walk-up window will serve Intelligentsia and Metropolis coffee in the morning and cocktails, wine and beer from Hopewell Brewing Co. and Dovetail Brewery in the evening.


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Cases such as Fensters remind me of how since-retired Tribune photographer Ernie Cox was detained by South Africas old apartheid government when we were there in 1976, the summer of the Soweto uprising. At least we had some leverage as journalists from a country that the white-minority government was trying to impress.
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As reported on the British Ministry of Defence's website, the Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) Battlegroup (BG) has been preparing for a deployment to Estonia at the British Armys Sennelager Training Centre in northern Germany. 750 soldiers are involved in the Operation Cabrit rehearsals ahead of the next British-led NATO Battlegroup to go to Estonia in September.

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Warrior armoured infantry fighting vehicle of C Company, Royal Welsh (Picture source: British MoD)

The BG comprises of RTRs Dreadnought Squadron, equipped with Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank, C Company of the Royal Welsh, equipped with Warrior armoured infantry fighting vehicles in addition to elements of the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Royal Army Medical Corps and the Royal Logistic Corps.



The demanding exercises were an arduous mix of simulation, live-firing (day and night) and field training exercises involving armour, infantry, artillery, engineers and a whole range of supporting capabilities fixed together to develop the level of competencies, capabilities and integration.



Brigadier Paddy Ginn, Commander 20 Armoured Infantry Brigade - The Iron Fist - said: My Brigade is also the Force Generation HQ for Op CABRIT deployments. The British contribution to Op Cabrit has just got better and better as time has gone on. We are now on the seventh rotation and preparing the eighth protection package. The beauty of this exercise is that we have the ability to stop, reset, go again. Thats what training in combined arms manoeuvre warfare gives you. Thats when the real mastery will come.

Lieutenant Colonel Simon Worth, Commanding Officer RTR said: The real value of Sennelager is that it closely reflects the operating environment that we would expect to operate on in Estonia and therefore, for us, it provides an excellent kind of dry run rehearsal that will take us to where we need to be.",



The 2016 NATO Summit in Warsaw set the conditions for the establishment of an enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security.



Operation Cabrit is the name of the UK operational deployment to Estonia where British troops are leading a multinational battlegroup as part of the enhanced Forward Presence (eFP). The eFP in the Baltic States is a deployment of robust, multinational, combat-ready forces to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, on a persistent, rotational basis. British personnel rotate on a continuous basis alongside Danish, French, and host nation Estonian forces.



The demanding exercises were an arduous mix of simulation, live-firing (day and night) and field training exercises involving armour, infantry, artillery, engineers and a whole range of supporting capabilities fixed together to develop the level of competencies, capabilities and integration (Picture source: British MoD)
The state has urged the Centre to release pending grant under the 14th Finance Commission recommendation

New Delhi: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and discussed issues related to the Maratha reservation, pending GST compensation and the proposed Metro car shed in Kanjur.

Deputy Chief Minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar and senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan accompanied Thackeray.

"Issues related to the Maratha reservation, Metro car shed, GST compensation were discussed with the prime minister. There were 12 issues that were discussed," Thackeray told reporters.

He said the prime minister assured them to look into the issues.

"We, all three, are satisfied (with the meeting) because during our meeting there was no political agenda. Whatever issues we raised, he listened to us. I believe there could be some way out," Thackeray said.

The meeting lasted for an hour and a half, Pawar said. Modi had a one-on-one meeting with Thackeray and later with the delegation.

This is Thackeray's second visit to the national capital after taking over as the chief minister of the state in November 2019.

The Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government wants to move the Metro car shed to Kanjur. The state and the Centre both claim the land as theirs. The matter is currently pending with court.

The previous Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government had decided to construct the Metro car shed in Aarey, but the move came under opposition from environmentalists.

After assuming office, the Maha Vikas Aghadi dispensation announced the decision to shift the car shed to Kanjur. Since then the site for the car shed has become contentious.

Pawar, who is also the Finance Minister of Maharashtra, said issues pertaining to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation was also discussed in the meeting.

Pawar said Maharashtra was expected to get approximately Rs 46,000 crore as GST compensation but it has only received Rs 22,000 crore. He said Maharashtra still has to receive Rs 24,306 crore.

"The state is battling coronavirus pandemic and this will have an impact on its revenue and the compensation amount should be given at the earliest," Pawar said.

Besides this, the state has urged the Centre to release pending grant under the 14th Finance Commission recommendation.

The Maratha reservation issue was on top of the agenda. The composition of the delegation assumes significance as it included two senior Maratha leaders --- Pawar and Chavan.

The Maratha is a dominant community in the state and it has been demanding reservation in jobs and educational institutions. The state government came up with a law to provide reservation to the Maratha community, but it was struck down by court. The state government's review petition was scrapped by the Supreme Court last month.

Since the verdict, pressure has been mounting on the government to act.

Briefing reporters, Chavan said after the Supreme Court scrapped the quota for Marathas in jobs and educational institutes, all power has now been vested with the Centre to decide on this.

He said the Centre should take steps to uncap the sealing of 50 per cent on reservation in educational institutions.

"The Centre has moved the apex court in this issue. But merely giving rights to state to grant reservation will not be enough as the reservation ceiling limit is fixed at 50 per cent. That needs to be changed and we appealed to him that the Centre should argue this point in the Supreme Court," said Chavan.

The delegation also raised the issue of reservation in promotions that was being delayed due to various court orders. Chavan said there should be a nationwide uniform policy on this as many other states too were facing this problem.

On the damage caused by Cyclone Tauktae, Thackeray said that National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) parameters that decide on the compensation should be changed. The state, he said, should get compensation according to the new parameters.

He said the western coast frequently faces the problem of cyclones. For this, overhead electric lines and poles should be removed and the whole system should be underground and there is a necessity to build cyclone shelters. The state has also demanded Rs 5,000 crore for this.

Thackeray said the Beed model of crop insurance should be implemented in other districts of the state. The Beed model mandated that insurance companies could not profit more than 20 per cent and the risk would be a maximum of 10 per cent over the premium.

"The Agriculture Ministry can be given directions to implement the same," the delegation said.

Thackeray said the issue of giving Marathi the status of classical language is also pending with the Centre and it should be expedited.

Pawar said the delegation also asked Modi to direct Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari to approve nomination of 12 members to the state legislative council, as decided by the state Cabinet. He said this has been pending since last eight months.

The delegation also demanded a bulk drug park for Maharashtra and central allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for it. It said the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has selected a 250-acre land for the purpose.

Earlier in the day, the PMO had tweeted, "Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minister Shri @AjitPawarSpeaks and Cabinet Minister Shri @AshokChavanINC called on PM @narendramodi. @OfficeofUT @CMOMaharashtra."
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Harlow Hillis passed peacefully in his parents arms on Saturday, June 5. Born in Gridley, Kansas, he soon relocated to Chicago to pursue a career in acting and stopping by Target. You may remember him from a Volvo commercial (shown online only one time back in 2013) or perhaps from dramatically lying outside of the Target on Division street, refusing to move until his mom took him inside. Har loved his walks and never forgot a water bowl or treat jar, even when they were no longer there. Some of his hobbies included begging for hot dogs at Vinny Ds (he once tried to jump through their window) growling at plastic bags blowing in the wind, and casually pretending to stop and tie his shoe (he didnt wear shoes) when passing the dirty dish bucket outside of Smoke Daddy. Har retired in the mountains of Colorado where he spent his last year hiking, going on road trips and welcoming a baby sister, whom he tolerated. He will be greatly missed by his family, mostly his parents, Chris and Taylor, who loved him so very much. He was everything they could have asked for and more in a best friend. They will miss his snoring, his singing, and his ability to press, accessible ability shortcuts on the remote control at any given time. But most of all they will miss him. He was the best boy ever. In lieu of flowers Harlow made one last request: That you donate your Instant Pots ... straight to the trash. Those things are evil.
Athens, TX (75751)

Today

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 75F. Winds light and variable..

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A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 75F. Winds light and variable.
FWD

In factory trim, the turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder heart of themachine delivers 215 or 230 hp, depending on the model year, allowing the vehicle to deliver mid-14s quarter-mile runs.And while we're not aware of this particular example's spec, the fact that it can now deliver high-9s 1/4-mile sprints means this is as far from the underdog status of the original as possible.The pumped-up Neon SRT-4 recently visited the Bristol Dragway in Tennessee, and, thanks to the clip below, we can see it battling three machines (lens tip to Drag Racing and Car Stuff for the footage).The adventure started with the Dodge racing an ex-generation Ford Mustang Boss 302 . The Blue Oval built this incarnation of the S197 pony with the circuit in mind, albeit while maintaining the live rear axle of the said iteration.In stock form, the 'Stang can deliver respectable quarter-mile performance (it's a mid-12s car), but this was no match for the compact sedan.Next up, the Neon battled a Fox Body Mustang . And, given the FWD vs. RWD take, the contrast couldn't have been greater, especially since both machines seem to sport Drag Pack wheels and tires featuring fat rubber on the driven axle and skinny units providing low rolling resistance on the other end.Unlike the Boss 302, the Fox Body made full use of its RWD advantage for the starting phase of the race, while no tire in the world could've helped the Neon SRT-4 match the explosive takeoff of its opponent. As for what happened after that, well, there's no point in bringing too many spoilers in here, is there?The final run shown in the clip brings an also-massaged Honda Civic whose wheels and tires could hint at the JDM toy being prepared to give the Neon SRT-4 a taste of its own medicine.
Schwalbe joyfully embraced the tubeless technology and its G-One tires, also for gravel bikes, were really well received in 2016 when they were launched in four variations: Bite, Ultrabite, Speed, and Allround. They came with a Tubeless Easy construction, a good grip on any type of surface, and delivered really high speeds for those interested in fast rides.The fact that the Schwalbe tires are based on a tubeless technology means you can drop the pressure in them, which makes them even more comfortable and offers more grip.Now Schwalbe launched the G-One R tire, which is even lighter and offers an even better grip.The G-One Rs are different from their predecessors through their super race carcass, also described by the company as a souplesse construction. The carcass is more pliable, offering a superior rolling behavior, better speed, and uphill traction.The G-One R tubeless tires are designed for light terrains, gravel roads, and asphalt. They come with semi-transparent sidewalls and are available in two 700c sizes: 700 x 40mm (1.5in) and 700 x 45mm (1.7in). The 40mm tire weighs 480 g (16.9 oz) while the 45 mm one weighs 520 g (18.3 oz).As far as the maximum pressure of the G-One R goes, it is 65psi/4.5 bar for the 40 mm version and 55psi/4bar for the 45 mm option.Ex-racing German Cyclist Paul Voss says the G-One R tires offer the perfect balance between control, speed, and souplesse.You can now purchase the Schwalbe G-One R tire for approximately $85.Schwalbe is based near Cologne, Germany, and specializes in bicycle and wheelchair tires. However, the German brand manufactures all its tires in its Indonesia plant.
While the greatest armed forces today are focusing on increasing weapon lethality and advancing their capabilities, others are more concerned about the impact of military activities on the environment and what could be done to change that.The Danish Armed Forces became the first Air Force in the world to select fully electric planes, instead of conventional ones, for training its future pilots. Danish officials announced that they have leased 2 electric aircraft, which will be delivered to the Flying School in Karup, this September.Since this is something that has not been done before, it will be treated as a test, in some ways. The electric planes will first be evaluated by experienced pilots within the Danish Armed Forces, then they will enter a two-year trial period, while being used to train new pilots. The objective is to test whether electric planes could take over some of the Air Force tasks in the future, as Denmarks Minister of Defense, Ms. Trine Bramsen, considers that the defense sector should take its share of responsibility for the environment and opt for alternative equipment, whenever possible.In view of this larger goal, the fact that these electric aircraft will be used for training is not just a practical matter. This project is a test, but also a way to familiarize the nations future pilots with what is likely to become the future military aircraft.The 2 planes that will be used at the Karup Flying School are Pipistrels Velis Electro models, the first certified, fully-electric planes in the world. This innovative model will not only contribute to reducing CO2 emissions, but its also less costly for military operations, and much more quiet for the population.
Munro Live has got us falling into the rabbit hole so many times with its YouTube videos offering valuable insights on anything automotive-related. This time, Sandy tears down an ID.4 electric motor, showing us the modular design strategy used by Volkswagen for its cars.Munro explains in his Munro Live clip how the Volkswagen motor is different from other designs, including Teslas, which is taken as a reference multiple times throughout the video. Unlike VW, Tesla puts the motor mounts right inside the casting, but there are so many other particularities that make the German brand different from other carmakers.From the gearbox to the inverter, magnets, and so on, Munro analyzes every aspect of the electric motor, from the Hairpin technology used in the ID.4 to the bleed resistor, its capacitor, and everything else. Its an unforgiving half an hour for VW, as Mr. Munro promises right from the start to be unbiased and relentless.The conclusion of the expert? With a couple of exceptions, such as the large number of threaded fasteners, Munro likes what he sees. The ID.4 is a good example of how motors should be designed.The Munro Live team recently performed another carectomy on the ID.4 disassembling the battery pack on a 2021 model. It is the battery component in electric vehicles nowadays what fuels competition among car makers, as they are all trying to come up with better charging times, higher range, and so on. Munro did come with some downsides of the ID.4 battery, such as its weight and the overall manufacturing costs associated with it, but what we took away from that clip was that VW managed to build a high-quality battery pack, cleverly engineered and using quality materials.
Known for movies such as "The Manchurian Candidate" and "Ronin," Frankenheimer purchased the Rolls-Royce brand-new for his wife, and it has remained in the family long after his death in 2002. His wife eventually donated the luxury car to the Petersen Museum.Frankenheimer used to drive this car to work, so it's believed that almost every famous actor featured in his movies eventually took a ride in it. It's also the car that on June 6, 1968, was parked at the Ambassador hotel waiting for presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy. He was assassinated before he got there.Despite being used for almost four decades, the two-tone Silver Cloud shows only 27,000 miles on the odometera testament to the fact that you don't get a lot of free time as a film director.As always, Leno spends a lot of time talking about the history and features of this car. Apparently, he's very familiar with the Silver Cloud III as he used to work for a shop that got a lot of them back in the day. He obviously enjoys telling stories about it, and he seems to love the classy interior.He describes sitting in the front seat as being in a library and says that he feels like eating Grey Poupon mustard out of the jar when sitting in the back seat. If you're too young to know what this is all about, Grey Poupon is a brand of whole-grain mustard that became popular in the United States in the late 1970s. The brand released a few commercials featuring rich people riding in Rolls-Royce limousines while eating mustard in the early 1990s.Rolls-Royce introduced the Silver Cloud III in 1963 and kept it into production until 1966. It was offered with a 6.2-liter V8 engine rated at 220 horsepower and a hydramatic transmission that Rolls-Royce licensed from General Motors. The Silver Cloud III was later replaced by the Silver Shadow . Check out Leno's review of the car below; I've also included a few Grey Poupon commercials featuring Rolls-Royce vehicles in there too.
Althought the Plaid+ is dead, the Plaid is still on track  until now. Their only difference relates to their batteries. It is advisable to keep a close eye on this story. The Tesla Cybertruck also depends on these new cells, as well as the Semi, the second-generation Roadster, and the German Model Y. In other words, the Model S Plaid+ could be only the first of a series of Tesla products that may at the very least be postponed.At the Q1 2021 earnings call on April 26, 2021 , Musk said this:We're not quite yet at the point where we think the cells are reliable enough to be shipped in cars, but we're getting close to that point.A little after that, he gave his estimate for when that would happen.And basically, this is just a guess because we don't know for sure, but it appears as though we're about 12 probably not more than 18 months away from volume production of the 4680. Now, at the same time, we are actually trying to have our cell supply of partners ramp up their supply as much as possible. So this is not something that is to the exclusion of suppliers. It is in conjunction with suppliers. So we want to be super clear about that. This is not about replacing suppliers. It is about supplementing the suppliers.That would mean the 4680 cells would be ready by April 2022 in the best-case scenario. However, if they just took the longer road, they would get there by October 2022.Tesla first promised the Model S Plaid+ for late-2021, the same deadline given for the Cybertruck. Then, the company changed the delivery date on its page to mid-2022 until the Plaid became just so good.Curiously, Panasonic disclosed at its Financial 2021 Fiscal Results presentation that it would maximize its Japan battery plant with 4680 cells. To be more specific, it said it had an advance in R&D (research and development) with them and that it would install equipment for prototype production in FY2022.If Panasonic believes it will produce prototype  not commercially viable  cells in 2022, the idea of having their manufacturing-ready version by mid-2022 could sound too optimistic. October 2022 may seem more feasible.Considering how much Musk personally praised the Plaid+ and said it would beat the Lucid Air, the excuses that the Plaid is just so good or that people do not need more than 400 miles of range do not add up.It could be the case that initial production will be enough only for the Cybertruck and nothing else. However, Musk also said at that earnings call that Tesla bought battery manufacturing equipment for Giga Austin and Giga Grunheide. Apart from that, the Model S Plaid+ would have low sales volumes with a $149,990 price tag. Why cancel it?Whatever the reason is, it is not that the Plaid is just so good. Theres clearly more to this story than Musk or Tesla are willing to admit. More than that, it can have more implications than just for Plaid+ reservation holders informed they should buy another car through a tweet. Stay tuned.
Tesla tried to announce that under the radar. In a SEC 8-K filing submitted on June 7, 2021, the company informed this: As of June 3, 2021, Jerome Guillen, President, Tesla Heavy Trucking, of Tesla, Inc. (Tesla), departed Tesla. We thank him for his many contributions and wish him well in his future career.Guillen joined Tesla in November 2010 to become the program director for the Model S . Before that, he worked at Daimler. When the German company decided to buy battery packs and motors from Tesla, the executive was there. It is not clear if he had any involvement with this decision, but that could be the first time he helped Tesla keep afloat.After becoming program director, Guillen soon gained more responsibility and the status of Elon Musk's problem solver. He also helped to develop the Model X . In April 2013, he became Teslas vice president for worldwide sales and service until August 2015, when he left the company. Some articles said he took a leave of absence for the following months, but Guillens LinkedIn page considers August 2015 as the end of his first Tesla experience, which lasted four years and ten months.In January 2016, Guillen joined Tesla again as the vice president of truck and programs. He was crucial when Tesla decided to develop the BlueStar project, which you now know as Model 3 . He would have been the man behind G4A, the production line tent in the Fremont factory that allowed Tesla to scale up production in the early days.That led Guillen to become the president of automotive at the company in September 2018. On March 11, 2021, Tesla would have given him the responsibility to take care of the Heavy Trucking unit as its president. Still, people familiar with the company said he had been demoted. It is worth remembering that the Tesla Semi is also dependent on the 4680 cells that were in the canceled Model S Plaid+. Less than three months after the change, Guillen left Tesla for good, confirming the rumors.Guillen was not the only recent loss for Tesla. RJ Johnson, the companys head of energy operations, also left the company. Jon McNeill, Teslas sales chief, left to join Lyft as COO. Eric Branderiz would have quit for personal reasons after serving as Chief Accounting Officer. Susan Repo, corporate treasurer and vice president of finance, left to become CFO in another company.
Consistent with state guidance, nearly all students will be learning in person next year, officials said, adding that they are working on a virtual option for the relatively small number of students who cannot return due to medical reasons, and more information on this plan will be shared with families in the near future.
Theres no doubt that one of the greatest things about this year was the re-opening of several auto and moto events across the U.S., after last years unfortunate cancellations. Now, motorcycle fans can gather up and attend some amazing races, like the ones planned for this years Republic of Texas Motorcycle Rally, which will take place in Austin, between June 10 and June 13.As a celebration of its 25 years of existence, ROTMR is welcoming, for the first time ever, The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA). The Association is known for establishing a set of rules that distinguish between various periods of dirt track racing - Class C, brakeless, vintage, and Seventies  and organizing races on different types of tracks, from short ones to half-miles, miles and Tourist Trophy circuits. For this special occasion, AHRMA races will be burning up the tracks at the Circuit Of The Americas, all throughout the Rally, bringing a unique vintage touch to the event This years ROTMR will also hold the Derwood Flat Track Racing, where riders from all over the country will be flexing their skills in various classes, as well as demonstrations by the legendary Race of Gentlemen (T.R.O.G.), which began on the beach in Asbury Park, New Jersey, years ago, and instantly turned into one of the most popular races.Participants can also look forward to enjoying a Custom Motorcycle Builders Show, checking out dozens of vendors selling high-performance motorcycle parts, and, last but not least, listening to some great performances. After all, Austin is Live Music Capital of The World.More information about the schedule can be found at The Republic of Texas Motorcycle Rally s website.
Curiously, Geely does not spend much time describing the car. Its only purpose seems to be to demonstrate how clashing nebulas can inspire vehicle design. Theres no word on what powers the concept or which platform it uses, but we are pretty sure that Vision Starburst has Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) underpinnings.More than the pictures Geely released, the video below shows how this could only be an electric car. The deal is not the number of lights it presents  which would demand a huge power source  but also the closed front grille and the lack of exhaust pipes. The video also shows what appears to be a LiDAR emerging from the body, which promises the car would pursue autonomous driving at some point if it were to be produced.The SEA can suit cars from the A-segment up to the E-segment and offer a range of up to 700 km (435 miles) with its largest battery pack. Geely promises its battery pack can last for 2 million km (1.2 million miles), and the vehicles can have from a single motor to up to three  for high-performance derivatives.This modularity made Geely offer it as a way to produce electric cars for any company interested in selling them. Thats the same strategy Magna has been following for decades. Foxconn also wants to have a piece of this market with its MIH Open platform.If we ever see the Vision Starburst in production lines, it will be a car with a lot fewer lights and conventional doors. Yet, it may rightfully land Geely the recognition it aims to have.
An FBI-led sting using an encrypted messaging app has resulted in the arrests of hundreds of suspected organized crime figures around the world, authorities in Australia announced Tuesday.

Driving the news: Authorities decided to use the AN0M messaging app to track suspects globally in an investigation after Aussie police officers and FBI agents came up with the idea to run the platform while having some after-work beers in 2018, according to Australian police.

Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw said at a briefing Tuesday that suspected "Australian mafia, Asian crime syndicates," drug traffickers and members of outlawed motorcycle gangs, were among 224 people arrested in the country.

Hundreds other suspects were arrested in raids in places including the U.S., Europe, Asia, South America, the Middle East and New Zealand  18 countries in all, and more arrests were expected.

What they did: In the sting, called Operation Ironside in Australia and Trojan Shield in the U.S., authorities decrypted and tracked some 25 million messages in real-time  monitoring discussions on planned executions, massive drug importations and money laundering.

Authorities said Australian fugitive Hakan Ayik, a suspected major drug trafficker, unknowingly helped the sting by recommending the app to associates after being given a device pre-loaded with AN0M, which was sold on the black market.

The encryption resulted in criminals being "very brazen," with "no attempt to hide behind any kind of codified kind of conversation," according to Kershaw.

"Essentially, they have handcuffed each other by endorsing and trusting AN0M and openly communicating on it  not knowing we were watching the entire time," he added.

By the numbers: Authorities said they prevented one planned mass shooting by an organized crime syndicate in an Australian suburb and 21 murder plots, as they seized over 3 tons of drugs and A$45 million ($35 million) in cash and assets.

The sting was the largest operation of its kind in Australia, involving some 4,000 Australian officers, with about 9,000 law enforcement involved globally.

What they're saying: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at the briefing the operation "has struck a heavy blow against organized crime ... one that will echo around organized crime around the world."

Kershaw said the FBI "had the lead on this," while Aussie police "provided the technical capability to decrypt those messages."

"Some of the best ideas come over a couple of beers," he added.

What to watch: The FBI and its European counterpart Europol will announce their own findings later Tuesday, said Anthony Russo, FBI legal attache at the U.S. Embassy in Australia.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
Former President Obama in an interview with CNN broadcast Monday criticized "large portions of Congress" for "going along with the falsehood that there were problems" with the 2020 election.

Driving the news: Obama noted to CNN's Anderson Cooper that Republicans spoke out against former President Trump following the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, but then "poof, suddenly everybody was back in line."

A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted.

"Now, the reason for that is because the base believed it and the base believed it because this had been told to them not just by the President, but by the media that they watch," Obama said.

He added that it's his hope that "the tides will turn," but that would "require each of us to understand that this experiment in democracy is not self-executing. It doesn't happen just automatically."

The other side: Republican National Committee spokesperson Emma Vaughn said in an emailed statement, "Democrats will continue to spin partisan theatrics and peddle lies about Republicans in order to avoid talking about the compounding failures of the Biden-Harris administration.

"The Republican Party is united in our efforts to protect the sanctity of our electoral process and stop Biden and the Democrats' radical policies by taking back the House and Senate in 2022."

Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Vaughn.
All four diplomats decided to resign after Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazian stepped down on May 27 following an emergency session of the Armenian governments Security Council which discussed mounting tensions on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

At a May 31 farewell meeting the Armenian Foreign Ministry staff, Ayvazian hinted that he disagrees with government decisions which he believes could put the countrys sovereignty and national security at risk.

One of Ayvazians deputies, Gagik Ghalachian, also handed in his resignation on May 27. The Foreign Ministry confirmed on Monday that the three other vice-ministers -- Artak Apitonian, Avet Adonts and Armen Ghevondian -- followed suit.

Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian, who is currently filling in for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian campaigning for the June 20 parliamentary elections, accepted the resignations of Adonts, Apitonian and Ghalachian on Tuesday.

It was not clear whether Avinian refused to approve Ghevondians letter of resignation and whether the latter intends to continue performing his duties. The Foreign Ministry did not comment on that.

Neither Pashinian nor key members of his administration have made any public statements on the unprecedented resignations. A government spokesperson said last week that the post of foreign minister will likely remain vacant at least until the elections.

When such experienced diplomats leave the system  it can only testify to the existence of a crisis, said Armine Margarian, a political analyst who worked at the Foreign Ministry and the Security Council from 2005-2018.

This is an extremely dangerous situation, Margarian told RFE/RLs Armenian Service. She pointed to grave security challenges facing Armenia after last years war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Speaking at the May 27 meeting of the Security Council, Pashinian called for the deployment of international observers along contested portions of the frontier where Armenian and Azerbaijani troops remain locked in a standoff.

Critics denounced the proposal, accusing Pashinian of failing to defend Armenia against foreign aggression and plotting to cede Armenian territory to Baku. Ayvazians May 31 remarks gave Pashinians detractors more ammunition.

Pashinians press secretary challenged the outgoing minister last week to publicly clarify who, where and how was going to take some steps or to make decisions contradicting our countrys national and state interests.

Ayvazian has declined to do that so far. His deputies have likewise avoided publicly explaining their resignations.
There is only one way to ensure the security of our people: Russia, our centuries-old ally and friend. It has always demonstrated that it stands with us on any issue, Tsarukian said at a campaign rally held in the provincial capital Gavar.

We must now reinforce this friendly relationship not only with words but also real actions. Armenian and Russian soldiers must now stand on our borders side by side so that people feel safe, he told supporters.

Tsarukian also spoke of a very severe situation in Armenia, saying that many of its citizens lack decent jobs and access to free healthcare. The BHK leader, who is one of the countrys richest men, reiterated his pledges to use his business connections to attract large-scale investments in the Armenian economy if his party manages to return to government.

Tsarukian is an established, affluent and renowned man who has seen a lot, he said. Tsarukians main aim is to help every person realize his potential to the benefit of his country and people.

The BHK, which maintains regular contacts with Russias ruling party, finished a distant second in the last parliamentary elections held in December 2018, winning 8.3 percent of the vote.

Tsarukian insisted late last month that he will not strike any power-sharing agreements with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian as a result of the upcoming vote slated for June 20. He again ruled out such a possibility on Monday during the official launch of the BHKs election campaign.

The tycoon noted on Tuesday that he was the first to demand Pashinians resignation and accuse the premier of incompetence and misrule in June 2020.

Shortly after that criticism Tsarukian was controversially prosecuted on what he sees as politically motivated charges. He was arrested in September but freed on bail almost one month later.

Like other opposition groups, the BHK blamed Pashinian for Armenias defeat in the autumn war in Nagorno-Karabakh and demanded that he step down. It joined a coalition of opposition parties that staged street protests in a bid topple the prime minister.
The Armenian Defense Ministry said that the 25-year-old soldier, identified as A. Katanian, lost his way and strayed into Azerbaijani-controlled territory in thick fog.

It flatly denied Azerbaijani authorities claims that he was part of an Armenian sabotage group that tried to lay landmines in the Lachin district bordering Armenias southeastern Syunik province.

Narek Ordian, a local councilor from the Syunik village of Verishen, said the incident took place at a nearby section of the frontier where Armenian and Azerbaijani troops have been facing off against each other for the past month. He described the official Armenian version of events as credible.

When its foggy up there locals also often lose their way, Ordian told RFE/RLs Armenian Service.

The Defense Ministry in Yerevan said nothing about efforts to secure the soldiers release. Meanwhile, lawyers representing the Armenian government asked the European Court of Human Rights to order Baku to provide information about his whereabouts and health and detention conditions.

The border standoff began after Azerbaijani troops reportedly crossed several sections of the border and advanced a few kilometers into Syunik and another Armenian province, Gegharkunik, on May 12-14.

The Armenian Defense Ministry repeatedly threatened to take military action to force them to pull back. However, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian effectively ruled out the use of force even after one Armenian soldier was killed and six others captured by Azerbaijani forces late last month.

Ordian echoed critics claims that the caution exercised by the Armenian government only encourages Azerbaijani forces to remain in Armenian territory and keep holding the Armenian prisoners and even capture new ones.

The authorities are to blame for all this, he said. Our army, our boys are on standby, waiting for an order. But that order isnt coming. As soon as the order is issued we will capture not one but eleven [Azerbaijani soldiers] without a gunshot.
A rare signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation will be displayed in June and July at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield in honor of Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the end of slavery in America. It is one of the Leland-Boker printings, copies President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State Seward signed so they could be sold to raise money for sick and wounded soldiers, according to the museum. (Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum)
Haiti is the only country in Western Hemisphere without COVID vaccines
For years, the Washington, DC, area has had some of the worst highway gridlock in the country. But a proposal to widen much of the capital beltway has been criticized for its impact on both human communities and the environment.
Bluefield, WV (24701)

Today

Isolated thunderstorms this evening. Skies will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Isolated thunderstorms this evening. Skies will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
Bluefield, WV (24701)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Sepulveda also performed alongside Gillespie and Wynton Marsalis during Gillespie's 75th birthday celebration at the Blue Note in New York in 1992. I was there, and to behold Sepulveda and Marsalis deferring to Gillespie was to realize anew the master's stature in this music. Sepulveda's playing on that night, and others, showed superhuman lung power.
Lisa Miller has been named chief operating officer (COO) of Mobiloil Credit Union.

Miller, a 20-year industry veteran in the financial industry, has spent the last 11 years at Mobiloil and previously served as senior vice president of branches.

Miller will now assume operational responsibilities for the credit union and work to enhance its members experience through its various services.

Lisas dedication, professionalism, and industry expertise have played a vital role in our continued growth, John Doucet, president and CEO of Mobiloil Credit Union, said in a statement. I am thrilled that she will be assuming this important new role, as her unwavering focus on our members will help us to continue to provide them with reliable, innovative banking solutions.

Mobiloil Credit Union was founded in 1935 as Magnolia Employees Beaumont Texas Federal Credit Union, named for its sponsoring company, Magnolia Beaumont Refinery.

The credit union is a member owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative, serving over 65,000 members throughout Chambers, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange and Tyler counties.

Humana Inc. has been ranked for the second consecutive year as #1 in Florida and Texas in the J.D. Power ranking of commercial member health plans.

The J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Commercial Member Health Plan Study focused on the member experience with the health plan, and includes feedback from both small and large employers.

Humana ranked #1 in overall member satisfaction and also across all six measured categories in Florida and Texas in 2020, and again in 2021.

The Texas Ports Association (TPA) honored Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan as its 2021 Port Person of the Year.

Each year, TPA honors individuals for their work and support of Texas ports. The TPA is comprised of the public port authorities and navigation districts of Texas.

Phyllis Saathoff, TPA President and Port Freeport Executive Director/CEO, presented Speaker Phelan with the award along with directors representing the ports of Beaumont, Galveston, Orange, Palacios, Port Arthur and the Sabine Neches Navigation District.

Speaker Phelan, throughout his tenure in the Texas House and more recently as Speaker of the House, understands the importance of Texas ports to our states economy and has consistently striven to ensure the concerns of ports are heard at the legislative level, Saathoff said in a statement. Speaker Phelan is extremely deserving of this honor, and we thank him for his partnership.

Phelans jurisdiction, House District 21, covers the ports of Beaumont, Orange, Port Arthur, the Sabine Neches Navigation District and the Sabine Pass Port Authority.

In past sessions, he has served on the Select Committee on Ports, Innovation, and Infrastructure where he has been an advocate for ports and maritime policy issues. Additionally, Speaker Phelan has served on the House Appropriations Committee and helped secure funding for Lamar Universitys marine and terminal management program as well as Lamar State College Oranges maritime program.

Speaker Phelan has always been a strong advocate for Southeast Texas and were proud to see him in a position where the whole state will benefit from his ability work with everyone, Port of Beaumont Director Chris Fisher said in a statement. Above all else, he is authentic and cares about doing whats right and whats best for all Texans. We could not think of a more deserving person for this award.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/jd_journalism
The owners and operators of 57 wine grape farms in Texas on Friday sued two large companies that they allege sold a faulty seed system and a volatile weedkiller thats crippled vineyards, threatening the fate of many in the Panhandle, believed to be home to one of the nations largest wine industries.

The suit, filed in Jefferson County, alleges a drifting herbicide has damaged productive grapevines on dozens of farms since Monsanto and Germany-based BASF began marketing a dicamba-based seed systems for cotton and soybean. The High Plains vineyards account for 85 percent of grapes produced, sold or used by the states industry, lawyers representing the plaintiffs said.

Dicamba is used on crops to kill weeds but can move off-target and damage nearby crops and vegetation not genetically modified to withstand it, according to the suit. The plaintiffs seek at least $560 million at trial, per the suit, in damages and lost economic opportunity.

In a statement, BASF officials said they disagreed with the allegations in the suit.

We formulated our dicamba product to significantly reduce off-target movement and conducted extensive testing before receiving EPA approval to market Engenia herbicide in 2017, the statement said. In addition, because of BASFs commitment to stewardship, we continue to provide training to applicators and emphasize the importance of following the label requirements for Engenia herbicide to achieve on-target applications.

A spokesperson for Monsanto did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Many of these vineyards have taken 20 to 30 years to cultivate in an area where only cotton was grown, Ted Liggett, a lawyer with a Lubbock firm representing the plaintiffs, said in a statement. They gave new purpose to the land, delivered a far more lucrative crop and created an industry thats recognized for its excellence around the world. Now all that grit, hard work and community pride is at risk of being lost, sacrificed to Monsantos reckless pursuit of corporate profit.

Dicamba can damage neighboring, unintended targets when it is applied to a crop, evaporates and moves into the air, traveling before settling on another plant; by physically drifting; and when it is sprayed during a temperature inversion and hangs in a mass of cool air above soil before falling once the air mass warms, potentially moving miles away, according to the suit.

Plaintiffs alleged Monsantos release of the Xtend system, a crop system of genetically modified seeds that are resistant to dicamba, spurred an exponential increase in use of the herbicide over the last six years.

Monsanto developed the system to address the problem of herbicide resistant weeds (e.g., pigweed) that have afflicted cotton and soybean crops, the lawsuit reads. This is despite the fact that the use of over-the-top dicamba application (a necessary component of any herbicide-resistant seed system for cotton or soybeans) has never been encouraged in the past due to the herbicides volatility and susceptibility to secondary movement (post-application).

Monsanto and BASF released a version of dicamba that was supposed to be less volatile by 2017, but reports of damaged crops continued throughout the Midwest and South, according to the lawsuit.

Meanwhile, some growers felt forced to buy the Xtend system as a defense mechanism against their neighbors spraying. There was no recourse for growers of crops without a dicamba-resistant seed available, such as grapes, according to the suit.

The cause of the destruction of plaintiffs crops and businesses is defendants willful and negligent release of their dicamba-based seed system on the market, the suit reads. Defendants methodically engaged in a coordinated, systematic plan to release their defective products onto the market, thereby ensuring that crops that were not dicamba tolerant would be destroyed.

To individuals who grow grapes, the impact has appeared in shorter canes and tinier leaves unable to generate enough carbohydrates for the plants to perform their basic functions: keeping itself alive, preparing for the winter, producing the bud that will be fruit the following year and maturing fruit.

Reduced leaf area means less photosynthesis, which creates the carbohydrates. Even seemingly normal, tight crop sets struggle to mature grapes into their expected level of sugar, growers say.

We just dont have enough carbohydrate production, said Andy Timmons, 53, who owns and operates vineyards in Brownfield and another in Lubbock. Youre supposed to be running at 100 percent, you know. These vineyards are not running at that and so some fruit never, ever gets mature.

Neal Newsom, who operates vineyards under the company name Cornelious Corp., said among the most difficult aspects at the moment is the death loss. Over the years, so many vines have been beat up and reserves knocked down that hes replacing vines like crazy.

When he plants new vines, they become twisted as soon as they get out of the top of the grow tube, which is about 2.5 feet, and then they dont have a chance.

This is my livelihood and its being squeezed out of me by no fault of my own, he said. This cant go on. Im going to be squished like a bug. Financially, this cannot continue for me. I dont know how else to say it.

alejandro.serrano@chron.com

twitter.com/serrano_alej
Paul L. Jones showed an elegance in his cowboy hat  befitting a man with a ramrod-straight posture, appropriate to his soft-spoken, calm demeanor that provided some charming cover for his passions about education, justice and people's voting rights.

Dont ever mistake what you saw for the power that resided within.

Jones, 79, former Beaumont NAACP President and fierce defender of voting rights, moved to Austin two years ago to be with family, his first passion.

But it was in Beaumont, during his career with the former Gulf States Utilities Co. and later Entergy, that he found sure footing in his community and dedicated his time to public service with the Beaumont Independent School District and the NAACP, serving as its president after the death of longtime leader Sam Bean.

An earlier former NAACP president, Paul Brown, who also is a former educator, school board member and justice of the peace, recalls drawing Jones into the NAACP.

More Information In Memoriam The funeral for Paul Jones will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Mt. Olive Baptist Church, 1800 E. 11th St., Austin TX. It will be live-streamed at https://livestream.com/accounts/7325565 or by inquiring at ALCBF.com or calling (512) 365-6000. The burial will be at Texas State Veterans Cemetery. Survivors include Alberta Jones, his wife; Kelley Jones Geter, his daughter; Hysen White, his daughter; and son Corey Jones, Sr. Memorial contributions in Paul Jones's name for a scholarship fund may be made with Lamar Institute of Technology addressed to Paul Jones Memorial Scholarship, P.O. Box 10085, Beaumont, Texas, 77710. See More Collapse

"He was involved with kids at Lamar University, Lamar Institute of Technology. He was involved in voter registration and after elections, he would say, 'We've got to keep working.'"

At his church, Ebenezer Baptist Church on College Street, Brown said Jones would lead scores of voters to the polls after Sunday services.

Related: Forum focuses on divide between Beaumont police, minorities

"I was heartbroken when he left for Austin two years ago. I tried to keep him abreast of what was going on in Beaumont."

Brown said Jones "never left us" but went to Austin for his family.

"Mrs. Jones always called him her cowboy. I guess God was ready for your cowboy," he said of her. Mostly, Brown remembers Jones' ability to multi-task and do all of it well.

"The man never stopped. He was always working. He worked sunup to sundown," he said. "He always said, 'Tell the truth and deal with people fairly. He just wanted to bring solid information to the table."

During his tenure at the Beaumont chapter of the NAACP, he increased membership to strengthen the organization.

But his focus remained on education.

At an NAACP meeting shortly before he stepped down as president, he asked members in attendance to commit to leading reading programs for children in the public schools.

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"He was involved in children's education from Pre-k to 12th grade and on into college," said the Rev. O'Veal Walker, pastor of Mt. Calvary Baptist Church. "He was a strong supporter of LIT because of the major opportunities for young people who didn't want to go to a four-year college."

Walker said Jones led the "Pews to the Polls" movement to bring voters to election polling places after services when voters could do that in Texas.

Now that legislation has reduced access to the polls, Walker said Jones would have been out helping to lead the fight against it.

"If there was a way to fight it, he'd be leading it," Walker said.

Jones was a native of the North Texas town of Detroit and moved to Beaumont in 1964 where he and his wife Alberta raised their family.

Nearly 30 years ago, Jones was completing his degree at Lamar University in applied arts and sciences while his then-24-year-old son Corey also was attending Lamar.

Father and son competed for grade-point average; the dad, grinning in the knowledge that, at double his son's age, he was ahead

Jones's daughter Kelly Jones Geter, said she loved growing up in Beaumont in a home where her parents instilled in her and her sister and brother a sense of family first.

Related: School mentor efforts grow with help of Beaumont NAACP

"Then, you help people who need help," she said her dad told her.

And then he showed her.

"We do bags for the homeless, just everyday things. That comes from my parents," she said. "They had their work ethic: Take care of the job; Take care of the family. They had love unconditional."

His daughter also recalls her father's passion for education, his love of country artist Garth Brooks and his sense of adventure.

"We took him zip-lining across Lake Travis two years ago," she said."He had energy and life for days. The only thing he might have loved more than my mother was his tractor. He could get into it and be by himself pulling a bush-hog," she said.

Dan Wallach is a freelance writer for The Beaumont Enterprise.
Lamar University named a lone finalist for its next president after an extensive national search, the university and Texas State University System announced in a statement Tuesday.

Jaime R. Taylor, who serves as the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, will be considered for the position after a state-mandated 21-day waiting period.

I could not be more excited about joining Lamar University and for the opportunity to work with Chancellor McCall, Taylor said in a statement. I was extremely pleased to see that Lamar Universitys Strategic Plan reflects my passion for student success, retention, and creating career-ready and life-long learners who can find success after they graduate.

Other candidates under consideration by the committee, aided by the search firm Executive Anthem, were not made publicly available.

TSUS Chancellor Brian McCall made the announcement.

I want to thank LU alumni Regent Bill Scott and Regent David Montagne for co-chairing a successful search, as well as Regents Duke Austin and Alan Tinsley for their active participation, and all the other members of the search committee for their time and thoughtful consideration during the search process, McCall said.

Before starting at Marshall University in 2018, Taylor served as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee, where he spent most of his career as a faculty member in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

As the chief academic officer for Marshalls nearly 13,000 students, he led successful initiatives to increase first-year retention and graduation rates and align academic programs with critical community and workforce needs.

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Dr. Taylor is an innovative, student-centered leader who understands the power of collaborating with community leaders and industry to leverage the full resources of a doctoral-granting university for the benefit of the region and state, and Im confident hell be able to lead Lamar to new levels of achievement and success, McCall said.

Taylor earned an associate degree of applied science in Industrial Engineering Technology from Nashville State Technical Institute, a bachelors degree in Physics and Mathematics from Austin Peay State University and a masters degree and Ph.D. in Engineering Science from the University of Tennessee Space Institute.

I am eager to learn from the faculty, staff, students, alumni and members of the Beaumont community of their vision for what is next for Lamar University and to determine how we can work together to ensure that vision becomes a reality, Taylor said in a statement.

Texas law requires a 21-day waiting period before the Texas State University System Board of Regents can consider Taylors nomination. If confirmed, he will become Lamar Universitys 16th president, succeeding Ken Evans.

Evans in March was named to lead Oklahoma City University  just months after announcing his plans to retire in June.

Evans came to Lamar eight years ago after holding leadership positions at the University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of Oklahoma.

Evans was selected from among four finalists, the announcement from Lamar at the time said.

Evans also held academic positions at California State University, Sacramento; University of Colorado, Boulder; and Arizona State University.

He will begin his new job on July 1.

Lamar University is a member of the Texas State University System, which consists of seven institutions.

isaac.windes@hearstnp.com

twitter.com/isaacdwindes
JOHN DAVENPORT/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

If you're hoping to go swimming at a river soon, pick another date.

In a Facebook post shared Friday, Guadalupe River State Park strongly advised against swimming or tubing in its waters due to heavy rainfall. The river flow is extremely fast and high, currently almost 1,000 CFS (cubic feet per second) and has risen 700 CFS in the past 24 hours, the state park said. For reference, a nice flow rate for tubing is about 200 CFS.
Texas has a reputation as being too tight with Medicaid benefits to needy people, but some progress was made in this legislative session. Thats welcome, but House and Senate members shouldnt pat themselves on the back too strenuously. Theres more to be done on this challenge, and the upcoming special session this fall would be a good opportunity.

The encouraging change in this session was extending Medicaid access for new mothers to six months instead of the current 60 days. The House had approved a full year of coverage, but the Senate wouldnt go that far. It should have, but the change it did make was overdue.

Many other states allow a longer period of Medicaid access for new mothers, for the simple reason that its often needed. Even if a womans childbirth goes well, she may still need special forms of medical care afterward. If the birth brings problems for the mother or the child  as it often does  that need is even greater.

Maternal deaths have increased nationally in recent decades, and in Texas, a third of them occur more than 43 days after the childs birth. That shows that the current 60-day limit was insufficient, with coverage running out before women could receive treatment through Medicaid.

Another long-sought change the Legislature should have made was extending Medicaid eligibility for children for a full year instead of the current six months. Once again, the House approved this basic change but the Senate would not go along. This means that some Republicans in the House supported these improvements, so its not unreasonable to expect that some in the Senate could too as well.

Requiring parents to re-apply every six months for Medicaid coverage for their children is just an unnecessary burden for them. In reality, many parents miss this deadline every six months of verifying that their income status hasnt changed. That makes their children ineligible for Medicaid until the parents can re-apply. Most other states require this process only once a year, and Texas should join them.

Since this bill passed the House but failed in the Senate, Gov. Greg Abbott should add it to the agenda for the special session later this year, probably in the fall. If state senators have another chance to reconsider this change, they might come around. A special session doesnt always follow the regular session every two years. Lawmakers should take advantage of this opportunity instead of letting these needs go unmet until 2023.

Texas has the nations highest rate of residents without private health insurance or supplemental coverage like Medicaid, and thats not a record to be proud of. When needy Texans have better medical care, they miss fewer days at school or work  not to mention the effects on their quality of life.

Better health care helps them and the entire state. The Legislature should promote this goal as much as feasible, and theres a lot more that can be done. The special session would be a good opportunity to catch up.
The good news about the mayoral runoffs in Vidor and Beaumont is that voters will not be disappointed whoever wins. We have endorsed Misty Songe in Vidor and Roy West in Beaumont because we think they offer the best vision for moving their cities forward. Both finished on top in the first round of voting but didnt get more than 50%.

Fortunately, their challengers are solid candidates too. Cities and school boards need people like this to step forward and offer their time and talent.

The other candidate in Vidor, Ronnie Herrera, is a businessman who knows Vidor well. He understands the challenges of making payroll and keeping customers satisfied. He realizes the city government must always be supporting these goals too for employers.

But we were impressed with Songes enthusiasm and energy. She served a term on the City Council and is eager to step up to a bigger challenge, and voters should give her that authority. Songe would not be one of these politicians who shows up at meetings and goes through the motions of serving. She truly wants to make a difference and is not satisfied with the status quo.

In Beaumont, mayoral challenger Robin Mouton offers the same kind of concern for her city. She has served on the City Council for several terms and has considerable experience in the duties of governance  what can or cannot be done, what obstacles must be overcome.

But Roy West has impressive experience in business and deep roots in Beaumont. He can provide the type of leadership this office needs. He knows most of the community leaders the next mayor must interact with and he has good experience as a communicator from his radio show.

Beaumont will see a big change with the departure of Becky Ames as mayor. We think she has served well, but her successor must maintain the momentum in Beaumont. Public institutions have a lot of ground to make up after a year of uncertainty and isolation, and West has the tools to get city government back on track and doing more for citizens.

Early voting ends today in Vidor, and the runoff election day is Saturday. In Beaumont, early voting began Monday and continues until June 14, with election day on Saturday, June 19.

All Texans would be betters served if these runoff elections from the May voting were held on the same date. Average residents dont always follow the details on these kinds of governmental activity, and different runoff election dates in two neighboring cities dont help.

Nevertheless, your vote is important in Vidor and Beaumont. In fact, its more important than in a regular election.

Its no secret that turnout drops dramatically in runoff elections, though the early voting numbers in Vidor were higher than expected. We hope that trend bodes well for Saturdays voting, and turnout in Beaumont as well. But turnout in May wasnt that great in either city, and the final numbers will be smaller for the runoffs. That means that a small number of residents will be deciding the top spots in both Vidor and Beaumont.

Again, all four candidates are solid, so the results are going to be good one way or another. But we think that Songe and West can do more for their cities, and leadership matters. Voters should give them a chance to show what they can do for them.
The battle between traditionalists and true believers in the Republican Party is not over, but it has reached a truce of sorts in Texas. The fiery state party chairman, Allen West, has stepped down after 11 months, though its not clear whether he was asked to leave or bailed out voluntarily.

He might have been forced out because he spent part of his tenure insulting the partys highest elected officials, a bizarre practice that used to be unthinkable. On the other hand, he might have freely left because he wants to run against Gov. Greg Abbott. After all, Abbott has been accused of occasional reasonableness.

Either way, the departure of West ends a strange chapter in Texas politics. Were talking about a state party chairman who picketed the Republican governors mansion last fall to protest his coronavirus restrictions, which were mild compared to changes in other states. West also called Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan a traitor for continuing the long practice of naming committee chairs from the other party, in this case Democrats.

Folks, this is not normal, but of course ever since Donald Trump came on the scene normal went out the window. Trump loved to insult mainstream Republicans as much as he enjoyed skewering liberal Democrats. He may even dislike Mitt Romney more than Hillary Clinton, even though he invited Bill and Hillary Clinton to his wedding to Melania in 2005.

West is not going to just fade away, however. Hes too ambitious and too plugged in to the partys new take-no-prisoners mindset.

But last week Trump endorsed Abbott for re-election, and its hard for West to run as Trumps guy in Texas after something like that. Sen. John Cornyn wont run again because of his age and that other drawback  relative moderation  but he just got elected last year and will serve until 2026. Sen. Ted Cruz beat Beto ORourke in a close contest in 2018, so hes in the Senate until 2024, and even West couldnt run to the right of Cruz.

One state office that is open for West or anyone is land commissioner, with incumbent George P. Bush announcing he will challenge Ken Paxton for attorney general next year. But a tame office like land commissioner is hardly the best fit for a hard-liner like West; he is more likely to run for a U.S. House seat next year. He did serve one term in the U.S. House from Florida from 2010 to 2012, so that would seem more logical. In the House, however, youre one of 435 members, and its harder to stand out, even though West has never had difficulty attracting attention.

One thing to watch for is Wests replacement. Will the party choose another pit bull like West, or a traditional type who focuses on important but mundane tasks such as recruiting candidates and raising money? My guess is an old-fashioned chairman or chairwoman. Other elected officials dont want that person making headlines, and certainly not the kind of headlines West made.

Democrats thought Texas was turning blue but they were bitterly disappointed by last years election results  no statewide victories (again) and not even any pickups in the Texas House. But they will be energized for 2022, especially after Republicans ram through the voting restrictions that Democrats temporarily stopped with the walkout at the end of the regular session.

The campaigns between the two parties next year will be intense. Allen West wont be out there slinging arrows  or mud  as party chairman, but he will have something to say  and hell make sure you hear it.

Thomas Taschinger, TTaschinger@BeaumontEnterprise.com, is the editorial page editor of The Beaumont Enterprise.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PoliticalTom
Patty Wilson is an author, historian and paranormal researcher who has lived her entire life in Pennsylvania researching, investigating, lecturing and writing about the states extensive paranormal history.
A medical worker holds vials containing doses of the Russian-made Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, during an inoculation program at the Makati Coliseum in Metro Manila, May 5, 2021.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is amplifying his message urging Filipinos to complete their COVID-19 vaccinations, warning that anyone who ignores health protocols could be charged for endangering others amid a new wave of coronavirus cases.

Duterte, who received his first dose of a Chinese-made vaccine against the coronavirus disease in early May, late Monday night sought to assure the public that more vaccines were due to arrive in the country, with 10 million doses expected to be delivered later this month.

But while the national vaccination program was slowly getting off the ground, he noted, there were many Filipinos who had chosen not to complete their shots while others were flouting health protocols.

Please find time to go back and line there  line up and show your [health] card so that they would know that you are receiving the second dose, get the booster shot, the president said during a televised cabinet meeting on Monday evening.

This was the second time since last week that Duterte urged members of the Philippine public to get inoculated against the potentially deadly virus, which was first detected in the archipelago nation in early 2020.

I really am having a hard time convincing the Filipinos, especially the hard headed, he said. Kindly follow (the) instruction. That is not hard to do.

Duterte also ordered local government authorities to help us ferret out the persons who have not received the second booster until now.

The president said he had personally seen people ignore health protocols, even as COVID-19 cases kept rising.

His legal adviser, Salvador Panelo, had warned that people could be charged for flouting regulations and potentially exposing others to the virus.

If he knows that he is sick with COVID-19 and he goes about nonchalant, and intentionally ignores [protocols], it could be murder, Duterte said. If not, you could also be charged with reckless imprudence.

The Philippines is among Southeast Asian countries where infections have spiked lately.

On Tuesday, the health department reported that the number of infections here had reached 1,280,773 cases, with close to 5,000 new cases detected overnight. More than 22,000 people in the Philippines have died of COVID-19.

Carlito Galvez Jr., the government official in charge of procuring vaccines, said some 113,000 Filipinos had missed their second dose.

We are really trying through the LGUs to get them back so they can have their second dose, he said, referring to local government units.

The second dose is important because this serves as our booster to lengthen the efficacy and at the same time strengthen the effectiveness of the vaccine, he said.

To date, the government said, 9.3 million vaccines had arrived in the Philippines after initial delays. A majority of these vaccines were from Chinese drug maker Sinovac, while the rest were produced by AstraZeneca and Pfizer, and distributed through the Covax facility. The Philippines has also received doses of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine.

Despite supply constraints, vaccinations have been ramped up and 6 million people nationwide have received jabs, Galvez said.

But that is a tiny fraction of the countrys 108 million population. Experts have said that 70 million people must be vaccinated for herd immunity to take place. That is now unlikely to happen.

Filipinos who go out of their homes to work are vital for driving the economy, but they are among the most vulnerable to the disease and must be protected, Galvez said.

On Monday, government officials announced that more than 35 million Filipinos who work outside of their homes  including medical personnel and other front-line workers  would be targeted for COVID-19 vaccinations, starting this week.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the priority group now included both state and private workers  including self-employed people.

The move, he said, provides a much needed shot in the arm of the backbone of the economy.
South Africa: Olievenhoutbosch SAPS to get new station commander

In an effort to improve community safety in Olievenhoutbosch in Centurion, Police Minister Bheki Cele has announced that the areas police station management will be changed in July.

The Minister made the announcement during a meeting with community leaders and executive management of the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Cele was in the meeting, accompanied by Police Deputy Minister Cassel Mathale, Gauteng Community Safety and Liaison MEC Faith Mazibuko and National Police Commissioner General Khehla Sitole and his management team.

It was a follow-up meeting from last weeks ministerial imbizo at which a series of policing shortcomings, especially claims of poor service residents receive from the local police station, were raised.

In a statement, the Ministry said the delegation announced that a clean-up campaign will take place, starting with the overhauling of the management of the police station. A new station commander will be deployed to the area in July.

Extending the building of the police station to accommodate more officers to serve the growing population will be urgently looked into.

In the meantime, a medium term solution to the stations resourcing shortcomings will be addressed over the coming weeks, with the injection of new patrol vehicles to complement the existing fleet.

The Ministry said a team of detectives has been assembled to investigate hundreds of cold cases. Currently, Olievenhoutbosch has over 1800 undetected cases.

The team of investigators will track and trace suspects, wanted for various crimes including murder, rape and robbery, reads the statement.

During the meeting, the Gauteng Department of Community Safety committed to reviving the local Community Police Forum (CPF) to facilitate community-police relations in the area as well as build street committees that are fully functional.

Cele in the statement said all the interventions were necessary if the SAPS was to win back the trust of the community.

The station's performance will be monitored at national level through the inspectorate and regular reports will be issued to the police management to monitor its progress.

I am appealing to the community to work with us in cleaning up this policing area, I urge residents to report corrupt police, at the same time I call on community members to give support to the many good, honest and hardworking officers of the law, he said.

The Ministry urged all communities to report police wrongdoing to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID). - SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
RTHK: US supply chain 'strike force' to keep eye on China

The United States will target China with a new "strike force" to combat unfair trade practices, the Biden administration said on Tuesday, as it rolled out findings of a review of access to critical products, from semiconductors to electric-vehicle batteries.

The "supply chain trade strike force," led by the US trade representative, is looking for specific violations that contributed to a hollowing out of supply chains that could be addressed with tariffs or other remedies, including toward China, White House senior director for international economics and competitiveness Peter Harrell told reporters.

Officials also said the Department of Commerce is considering initiating a Section 232 investigation into the national security impact of neodymium magnet imports used in motors and other industrial applications, which the United States largely obtains from China.

President Joe Biden ordered the review of critical supply chains in February, requiring executive agencies to report back within 100 days on risks to US access to critical goods like those used in pharmaceuticals as well as rare earth minerals, for which the United States is dependent on overseas sources.

Though not explicitly directed at China, the review is part of a broader Biden administration strategy to shore up US competitiveness in the face of challenges posed by the world's second-largest economy.

"Were trying to understand all of the logistics behind the supply chain to loosen bottlenecks, said Jared Bernstein, an economic adviser to Biden. One of the best ways to do that is to talk to people in the industry and were doing a lot of that."

The United States faced serious challenges in obtaining medical equipment during the Covid-19 epidemic and now faces severe bottlenecks in a number of areas, including computer chips, stalling production of goods, such as cars.

While the White House said it is working closely with private industry to find solutions for the shortages, officials also said companies were part of the problem.

"Decades of focusing on labour as a cost to be managed and not an asset to be invested in have weakened our domestic supply chains, undermining wages and union density for our workers," and made it harder for companies to find skilled talent, Sameera Fazili, deputy director of the National Economic Council, told reporters.

US agencies are required to issue more complete reports a year after Biden's order, identifying gaps in domestic manufacturing capabilities and policies to address them. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Bennington, VT (05201)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to showers and a possible thunderstorm overnight. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to showers and a possible thunderstorm overnight. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
Bennington, VT (05201)

Today

Showers and a few thundershowers. Low around 60F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Showers and a few thundershowers. Low around 60F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
BURLINGTON  Former employees of Vermont Bread Company in Brattleboro got some good news and some not so good news Monday.

During a court hearing in Chittenden County, it was announced Flower Foods had purchased Koffee Kup and its assets, Vermont Bread and Superior Baking in North Grosvenor Dale, Conn.

Justin Heller, attorney for the court-appointed receiver tasked with preserving Koffee Kups assets until sold, said during the hearing the deal means all of the former employees will be finally receiving their paid-time-off balances.

While we are contractually bound to keep the purchase price confidential, said Heller, we are authorized to disclose that the price is sufficient to pay KeyBank and others secured, in full, and to pay the PTO claims ... in full, said Heller.

But while that is good news, Flowers Foods is in no rush to put the employees back to work.

We have no immediate plans to reopen the bakeries but will be assessing how they may fit our strategic network optimization efforts in the future, stated Ryals McMullian, Flowers Foods president and CEO in a news release.

Flowers Foods is headquartered in Thomasville, Georgia.

This acquisition brings brands and production capacity in the Northeast, a key growth market for our company, stated McMullian. The Koffee Kup and Vermont Bread Company brands have a strong consumer following in the region and well be evaluating their role within our brand portfolio.

Flower Foods is a publicly traded company and has annual sales in excess of $4 billion.

Flowers products include Wonder, Natures Own, Daves Killer Bread, Tastykake and more.

Flowers Foods purchased the Country Kitchen Bakery in Brattleboro in November 2018. Two months later, 60 employees were laid off when the facility was closed. Flowers still uses the facility in Brattleboro, but only as a warehouse.

This was an unexpected development, said Adam Grinold, executive director of the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation, which has been helping to identify buyers, including East Baking Company in Holyoke, Mass., and Mrs. Dunsters, in Canada.

At this time, we know none of the details or intent of the sale, he said. We are reaching out to understand if there will be a return to normal operation. Our continued focus will be on the employees and their ability to return to work.

Massachusetts company shows interest in Vermont Bread BRATTLEBORO  Vermont Bread Company may be back in business soon.

KeyBank declined to comment on the sale.

By comparison, said Heller during the hearing in Chittenden Superior Court, Civil Division, the other offers of Mrs. Dunsters and East Baking were not sufficient to pay even KeyBank in full.

He called it an excellent result for the receivership estate.

Mondays hearings were scheduled to address a motion from Koffee Kup asking the court to order the receiver to pay employees their accrued PTO out of the assets being held pending sale. The court was also considering a sealed motion from East Baking related to its grievance that the company had not been selected as a purchaser.

Dan Serra, owner of East Baking, declined to comment about its grievance or the sale.

Heller noted the receivership order does not include any direction on how the receiver should deal with surplus funds and whether former employees are entitled to any priority status for their PTO.

Flowers Foods did not respond to a question about how soon ex-employees will get their balances.

During the hearing, Judge Samuel Hoar Jr. urged the parties to find a solution that means getting the PTO into employee hands, though he did say it would be particularly unfair ... to impose upon the receiver the obligation to figure out who gets paid first.

Its a process that Im not sure the current receivership order contemplates or gives this court the authority to supervise, he said. And Im not sure what the vehicle would be for giving this court jurisdiction to make that determination. But I think what Im coming around to on all of this is that we may need further submissions.

Hoar also said East Baking may make a motion to void the sale. He encouraged lawyers for the involved parties to interact before the next hearing scheduled for 3 p.m. June 22.

Lets be clear, he said. This is coming at all of us lightning fast and I dont think its fair of the court to ask anybody today to state a firm position on any of this. Instead, what I think would make sense is for you folks to communicate, collaborate and see what you can come up with, and maybe theres a stipulated resolution.

Figures related to PTO need to be determined, Heller told the court. He said at first, the number he heard for claims owed for PTO totaled $790,000 but the receiver believes it is about half that amount.

Employees of Koffee Kup, a bakery founded in Troy in 1940, only learned they were out of a job when they showed up to work on April 26.

On April 1, American Industrial Acquisition Corp. purchased a majority share in Koffee Kup. Twenty-five days later, AIAC closed the bakeries with no notice to employees.

The day after the closure, Jeff Sands, of Dorset Partners and the senior adviser in North America for AIAC, told the Reformer: Four years of losses are the culprit. Everyone wants a villain storyline, but theres just not one there. This one just wasnt salvageable.

Then many ex-employees received their final paychecks with paid-off-time balances only to have the balances yanked out of their accounts, causing overdrafts.

Vacation pay given, taken away from Koffee Kup employees BRATTLEBORO  One day, former Koffee Kup Bakery employees had pay for unused vacation time. The next day, it disappeared from their bank accounts.

In mid-May, Heller wrote in a news release the balances were supposed to have been paid out of a $2.5 million support package from AIAC, not out of the assets under the control of the receiver. Heller wrote that AIAC reneged on the agreement to provide the funds, and acknowledged the result was the first payroll disbursement was rescinded and replaced with an adjusted disbursement.
A bodyguard, who was standing right behind Macron, raised a hand in defense of the president, but was a fraction of a second too late to stop the slap. The bodyguard then put his arm around the president to protect him.
Community News Editor / Librarian

Jeannie Maschino is community news editor and librarian for The Berkshire Eagle. She has worked for the newspaper in various capacities since 1982 and joined the newsroom in 1989. She can be reached at jmaschino@berkshireeagle.com.
PITTSFIELD  In the wake of a rash of shootings in the city, Mayor Linda Tyer on Tuesday said police presence has been increased in areas affected by gunfire, and support has been requested from the state police Community Action Team, which patrols high-crime areas.

And she called on the community to cooperate with law enforcement investigating the incidents.

There may be people within these parts of the city that have information that is helpful to the police investigation, she told The Eagle. Im encouraging people to come forward, because we have seen how that kind of community participation has worked [in the past.]

Her comments came on the heels of two shootings Monday night.

In the first, a man was arrested after police say he fired shots toward a Linden Street home while riding on the hood of a car.

Jesus Lugo, 37, of Pittsfield, was taken into custody on firearms charges in the shooting. He suffered a gunshot wound to one of his hands and was taken to Berkshire Medical Center for treatment of injuries that are not life-threatening, according to a news release from Pittsfield Police.

About 8:35 p.m., Officer Brennon Stockton saw a black sedan heading west on Linden Street with a man riding on the hood and shooting toward the home, the release stated. The officer saw him fire five times.

When Stockton tried to stop the car, the man on the hood fled on foot through backyards in the area. While searching the area, police saw the man run inside a home on Robbins Avenue.

The man, identified as Lugo, came out of the home a short time later, bleeding from one of his hands. Its unclear from the news release how Lugo suffered the wound.

Lugo and the driver, a woman, are acquaintances, said police, who noted that they do not believe the shooting was a random act. The woman was not cooperative with officers.

The sedan was towed to the Police Department for processing.

Officers searching the area recovered the firearm they believe was used in the shooting and also found ballistic evidence. Additional charges may be forthcoming, the release stated.

A second shooting was reported, on Daniels Avenue, shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday. No one was injured, and that incident remains under investigation.

Anyone with information on either shooting is asked to contact the Detective Bureau at 413-448-9705, the tip line at 413-448-9706, or send a tip via text message by texting PITTIP and your message to 847411 (TIP411).

The shootings are the latest in a string violent incidents in the past two weeks, including a victim shot multiple times early June 1.

There were eight confirmed shootings during May, and a shooting homicide in April on North Street, the citys main thoroughfare.
GREAT BARRINGTON  A prep school at which former students say they were abused by the late founder is closing temporarily while its owner reimagines an entirely new school.

David Baum, a teacher at The John Dewey Academy since 2015 who acquired the school last year, said he will put the residential and therapeutic school for troubled teens on hiatus for the rest of the year to consider other models, including a possible partnership with Bard College at Simons Rock.

Reboot, revise, re-staff  everythings on the table, Baum said. And a name change, if we have to. Were rethinking this thing from the ground up.

The school sold its Searles Castle, where it will remain until June 30, and had purchased land in New Marlborough to relocate. But, Baum says the school will sell that property and hopes to find a new one for smaller numbers of students near the Simons Rock campus, should that partnership take root.

Baum said the conversations with Simons Rock are preliminary, but the hope is that his students would get their academics at the early college while living nearby and receiving therapy at the new location.

The decision is a mix of enrollment problems set off by COVID-19, as well as negative publicity this year.

In an expose in The News Station, a web publication, former students told a reporter that the academy founded and run by Thomas Bratter, until he died in 2012, was a torture chamber in which teens grappling with emotional and other struggles were traumatized by peer-led attack therapy and other methods that included body shaming and humiliation.

Former students of Great Barrington prep school describe it as 'torture chamber' GREAT BARRINGTON  Former students of The John Dewey Academy say that a culture of abuse permeated the therapeutic boarding school for trou

Others made sexual allegations. One resulted in criminal prosecution of Bratter in Berkshire Superior Court in 1998 for claims that he repeatedly raped a young student. Bratter received a suspended sentence and probation after striking a plea deal.

Baum says he is continuing to try to distance himself and the school from Bratters legacy. Bratter, who founded the school in 1985, died before Baum taught there.

Its going to be my program and not Tom Bratters, he said of the new school he hopes to open, one that is intended for kids who are smart but have impediments to reaching their full potential.

A number of former students are skeptical. They believe that the school is tainted by the past, and several have told The Eagle that they long have wanted the school to close, despite Baums insistence that the old Dewey is vanquished.

In an email to Baum, Rachael Chamberlin-Bee recounted how scathing critiques of her body at the school resulted in an eating disorder that later caused a medical emergency and lasting trauma. She told Baum the shutdown brings her great joy.

Chamberlin-Bee, who says she attended the school in 2008-09, now is an advocate trying to make the public aware of the hazards of peer-led treatment programs like those at Dewey, and is the founder of Safe & Sound Consulting, a nonprofit that helps families remove young people from abusive facilities.

The castle has haunted my dreams and shaped far too many aspects of my adult life, she wrote in her email.
Reporter

Heather Bellow, a member of the investigations team, joined The Eagle in 2017. She is based in the South Berkshire County bureau in Great Barrington. Her work has appeared in newspapers across the U.S.
PITTSFIELD  A long quest to provide a north-south recreational trail through all of Berkshire County is inching its way forward. A new $1.4 million segment will connect the popular trail to one of Pittsfields busiest roads.

Meantime, work continues to bring the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail more than a mile-and-a-half south from the Berkshire Mall to Crane Avenue in Pittsfield. The next step, outlined in a hearing Monday, will use a defunct rail bed to cross under Dalton Avenue, run behind a commercial plaza on Merrill Road, then cross that busy route on a newly designed crosswalk.

Efforts have been progressing at both the north and south ends, James McGrath, manager of Pittsfields Park, Open Space and Natural Resource Program, said at the online hearing hosted by the state Department of Transportation. The vision is simply a Berkshire bike path traveling through the county.

Ashuwillticook Rail Trail expansion project A new section of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail is under construction, extending the trail from Lanesborough to Crane Avenue in Pittsfield.

Construction of this newest phase is scheduled to start in 2024 but could accelerate if money is available sooner, according to Nick Lapointe, a civil engineer with Fuss & ONeill, the citys design consultant.

This is a really unique chance to bring the trail into downtown, Lapointe said. Thats a big deal. The public might not even be aware that this project is going on.

Its big, he says, because the trail system finally will reach the countys main population center, bringing a recreational lure closer to peoples doorsteps.

The federal government covers four-fifths of the cost. The state pays the rest, officials say.

When this link is done, people traveling along Dalton Avenue will see a small trail spur that will connect a sidewalk on that street to the trail, just north of where it will pass beneath an elevated section of the road near Tractor Supply Co.

Rail Trail segment in Pittsfield This illustration shows the route of a proposed 0.4-mile section of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail. The extension would run from Crane Avenue t

From there, the trail will follow a straight line for just under a half-mile atop an abandoned Housatonic Railroad bed that runs north-south between the plaza that contains Dicks Sporting Goods and an open area to the west that reaches over to Unkamet Brook. The paved path will be 10 feet wide, matching other segments, with 2-foot stone shoulders on both sides.

Today, the old rail bed is a tangle of overgrown weeds and remnants of its former use, including derelict railroad cabinets. The zone is littered with environmentally hazardous debris, including old rail ties, that will be removed.

As it passes behind the commercial plaza, another spur will make it easy for travelers to detour to local businesses, Lapointe said.

While the project has access to the old rail bed, it will need to obtain easements and rights of way for some of its features. Along with the route itself, the extension will create new parking lots, including one at Crane Avenue and another, with 11 spaces, at Merrill Road.

Lapointe said existing parking lots along the Ashuwillticook often fill up.

Ashuwillticook Rail Trail expansion project A new section of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail is under construction, extending the trail from Lanesborough to Crane Avenue in Pittsfield.

The trails intersection at Merrill also will bring a new kind of overhead traffic signal, designed to improve safe travel by cyclists and pedestrians. The HAWK system, as its known, uses flashing yellow and flashing red lights to safeguard people crossing a busy urban route while holding traffic back only when people are in a crosswalk zone.

That part of Merrill has 18,000 vehicles pass daily.

From Merrill Road, future work not yet outlined will create a trail that runs southwest along that artery to East Street, then further on into downtown.

Designs for the newest trail segment will be complete by next spring, Lapointe said. Construction would start two years after that, as the project waits for its share of funding.

Work to bring the trail south as far as Crane Avenue is expected to wrap up in about a year, McGrath said.

In North County, work continues to extend biking and walking trails to the Vermont border.

This year, people associated with the Tourists hotel project and the Hoosic River Watershed Association outlined plans for a new segment connecting Williamstown to downtown North Adams. Another project would extend existing trails into Bennington, Vt. That work, north from Williamstown, is expected to render a path ready for public use by the middle of 2023.
Gary Owen and Kenya Duke split in March after 18 years of marriage. Duke has made no public statements, until now.

On June 6, Duke reposted a photo Owen posted on his Instagram with him wearing a shirt that read breadwinner. Duke called the post passive aggressive.

Duke wrote in the caption of the post, I have never gone to the media. The media goes looking for the paperwork. I have allowed you to tell your family, friends, and fans any false narrative that you want or need it to be about us, the relationship and our kids. Because I DON'T care or feel a need to defend or explain myselfYou and I know what it really is!



She continued, But when you go and make these dumb passive aggressive posts in these insensitive ass t-shirts, I am triggered and you now have my attention. You haven't supported us since April 1st. Nothing, nada, zero not electric, water, gas, not insurance (medical, dental, life, car, house, etc.), not groceries, not maintenance for the house, not the gas or maintenance of the cars, not the platinum card I got for us (because you wanted one) and you couldn't get one (on your own), not the cell phone you had for 23 years; instead you just got another phone number and didn't pay the bill.

Duke accused him of not seeing his daughter in six and a half months and his son in over 4 months, she added, You are not a good guy, so cut it out and get a shirt that says DEADbEAT. I will let you get back to living your best life...lying, clout chasing, side chicks, and looking for a Black celebrity friend group.
The family of the sole defendant facing trial for the murder of Brookyn rapper Pop Smoke has issued a request.

According to the New York Daily News, the relatives of Corey Walker, one of the four defendants facing charges after Pop Smoke was shot and killed during a home-invasion robbery in the Hollywood Hills on Feb. 19, 2020, are hoping to speak to the late rappers parents.

The Walker family has asked me to contact the victims family so they might speak privately. I hope to reach out to the family soon, Walkers defense lawyer, Christopher Darden, confirmed with the outlet.

RELATED: Pop Smokes Murder Investigation Reveals Tragic New Detail About His Death

In a conversation with the Daily News, Pop Smokes mother, Audrey Jackson, a teacher with the New York City Department of Education, who is aware of the request shared that is not sure if she will agree to the meeting.

Ill have to learn more, Jackson said. Im working on a lesson plan right now. That is my focus. I really cant say.

RELATED: Pop Smoke Died One Year Ago, Heres Whats Happened Since Then

Darden, however, made it clear that he understands that a conversation of this magnitude could be too much too soon.

They might need time, he said. I will also understand if (his mom) is not inclined to have that conversation. Everything we have done and said has been done and said while keeping in mind the great respect we have for the victim and the victims family, Darden said.

On Thursday (June 3) Walker was scheduled to be rearriganed in the murder case after a judge decided that after a preliminary hearing in May that the prosecuting team did not have enough evidence for trial.

The Daily News reports that the rearraignment is postponed until July 6.

BET previously reported that on Thursday (May 6) an LAPD detective revealed new details about the rappers death. According to Det. Christian Carrasco, Pop Smoke was taking a shower at an Airbnb he was staying at in Los Angeles last year when masked intruders came through the curtains of a second-story balcony.

Corey Walker is charged with robbery and murder.
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Many of us know about the physical manna the Israelites ate in the desert. As the story found in Exodus 16 goes, the Israelites find themselves in the wilderness. They begin to complain to Moses that their life was better in Egypt because at least back then they weren't starving. They seemed to have conveniently forgotten about the 400 years of intense slavery they'd just escaped.

So the Lord provides meat and a substance called manna. A bread-like substance whose name literally means "what is it?" since it fell from the skies. God provided for their physical needs at that moment.

But what about the hidden manna in Revelation 2? What exactly is this? Let's take a look at the verse to see how the Bible makes ample use of bread analogies:

Revelation 2:17: "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it."

The white stone also appears to have some intrigue, but for our intents and purposes, we'll cover the hidden manna for today's article. We'll cover what it means, the context of this passage, and why we should seek after it with all of our hearts.

What Is the Hidden Manna in Revelation 2?

To put it simply, the hidden manna represents Jesus.

Back in the Old Testament, the physical manna fulfilled the physical needs of the Israelites. But spiritually speaking, they were starving. They needed the Bread of Life to step down, take on their sin, and to fulfill their spiritual needs. Hence why Jesus breaks bread at the Last Supper and calls it his body, broken for us.

And this is why we take communion on a regular basis. Whether our churches do it on a weekly basis, or every so often, we take and eat the bread to remember Christ's sacrifice and Christ's promise that he will come again. He fulfills us, sustains us. He is our bread, our manna.

Revelation does often make use of bizarre imagery, so it would make sense that manna would be included in that roundup. The idea of communion was repugnant to the Roman Empir because they'd misinterpreted it to mean cannibalism. So let's take a look at the context of Revelation 2, and why it speaks about the hidden manna.

What Is the Context of Revelation 2 and the Hidden Manna?

We find the hidden manna passage within the letter to the Church of Pergamum. In the first few chapters of Revelation, the Apostle John addresses seven different letters to seven churches.

Pergamum, according to GotQuestions, was a city full of art, culture, and beauty. But unfortunately a pagan deity rests in the heart of the city, and according to John's letter, at least one follower of Jesus was put to death in Pergamum for standing strong in his faith.

The church as a whole in this city seems to do the same. They won't buckle under the societal pressures to give up their faith.

However, John does seem to indicate they've bowed down to some moral compromises. Especially of those of Balaam and Balak, and those of the Nicolaitans. It seems the morally wrong actions had something to do with pagan sacrifices. Most likely, they were eating meat dedicated to idols, and committing sexual immorality while doing so.

With this in mind, John calls them to repent and remember the important sacrifice. The one of Jesus. That the food from the idols won't sustain them spiritually. But the hidden manna will.

In turning to the hidden manna, we will receive a white stone of acquittal (a common practice in Greek courts) and will enter the gates of heaven.

In other words, God wanted the church to turn back to him. Sure, they stood strong in their faith, but they seemed to have forgotten their foundation, and so they buckled under some cultural practices. John reminded them of who sustains them. Let's take a look at what the Bible has to say about the bread that sustains us.

What Does the Bible Say about Bread and Jesus?

Matthew 6:11: "Give us today our daily bread."

We not only need God, but we need him on a daily basis. We find him through prayer, through the reading of Scripture, and through the regular fellowship with believers.

John 6:35: "Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

Jesus doesn't mean this in a literal sense. We aren't supposed to take a chunk out of Jesus' shoulder for lunch. But Jesus understands that our spiritual needs far transcend our physical ones. Sure, we can have a full stomach and still fly wayward toward hell at the same time.

Matthew 26:26: "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, Take and eat; this is my body.

As mentioned before, Jesus calls himself the bread during the Last Supper. We commemorate this through the practice of communion. Knowing that God alone sustains us and fulfills our spiritual needs.

Acts 20:7: "On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight."

The breaking of bread is an important practice in the Early Church. It reminds them about what Jesus did, and why they needed to turn to Jesus on a constant basis.

For more Bible verses on bread, check out this article here.

Why We Should Seek after the Hidden Manna?

It seems very intuitive that we need to turn to Jesus to sustain us, revive us, and heal us. But it's far easier to say it than do it.

It's also easy to laugh at churches like Pergamum and say, "Well, yeah. Eating meat sacrificed to idols and committing sexual immorality seems like a rather bad idea. Why didn't they put two and two together." But in reality, we turn after "meat" to idols. We turn to things that will not sustain us or only will fill our empty stomachs for a short while.

There's a reason the woman at the well gets so excited about the idea of water that will never make you thirsty again.

John 4:15: "The woman said to him, Sir, give me this water so that I wont get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.

It's exhausting to go back to sources that will not sustain us. That only satisfy us for a short period of time. They fill our stomachs for a while, but once our stomachs empty, we feel a longing for something that will last us.

Like the Church of Pergamum, we need to turn to Christ. We need to push away the temporary things that only fill us for a short period of time. And we need to seek after the hidden manna. We need to seek after Jesus, the only one who can truly satisfy.

Photo credit: Unsplash/Kate Remme

Hope Bolinger is an editor at Salem, a multi-published novelist, and a graduate of Taylor University's professional writing program. More than 1,100 of her works have been featured in various publications ranging from Writer's Digest to Keys for Kids. She has worked for various publishing companies, magazines, newspapers, and literary agencies and has edited the work of authors such as Jerry B. Jenkins and Michelle Medlock Adams. Her modern-day Daniel trilogy released its first two installments with IlluminateYA, and the final one, Vision, releases in August of 2021. She is also the co-author of the Dear Hero duology, which was published by INtense Publications. And her inspirational adult romance Picture Imperfect releases in November of 2021. Find out more about her at her website.
BOISE - On Tuesday, June 8, 2021, Idaho Governor Brad Little issued a statement in response to an announcement made by the Biden Administration on Friday that it will undo years of progress in modernizing the Endangered Species Act under the Trump Administration.

Little's statement can be read below:

The Biden Administrations announcement that it intends to undo much of the hard work that has gone into modernizing the application of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is a major disappointment.

Revisions to the ESA and its implementing regulations have been long overdue. Dismantling the progress weve made so far will not improve the Acts effectiveness. It only serves to reinstate unnecessary regulatory burdens on the states and local communities that are most critical to the ESAs success.

Idaho has and will continue to advocate for a common-sense application of the ESA that recognizes the fundamental role regulatory flexibility plays in achieving the goals of the Act  by empowering states and local communities to lead the conservation charge to recover listed species.
The following is a statement from Idaho Republican Party Chairman Tom Luna:

Last month, I reaffirmed the Idaho Republican Partys stance in the upcoming 2022 primary elections. We will be fair and uniformed for all registered Republicans running for office, and we will keep that commitment. Recently, it has come to our attention that Ammon Bundy intends to declare his candidacy in the Republican primary for the Governor of Idaho, and this warrants a response.

First, Mr. Bundy is currently not registered to vote in Idaho, and he is not even registered as a Republican. Furthermore, we do not support his antics or his chaotic political theater. That is not the Idaho Republican Party, and we will not turn a blind eye to his behaviors.

To be clear, I was elected Chairman of the Idaho Republican Party to unite all Republicans to share and celebrate conservative values and preserve our traditional way of life. Conversely, Ammon Bundy wishes to divide our party, openly supports defunding the police, and has known alliances with the radical factions of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

Republicans are the party of law and order, and Ammon Bundy is not suited to call himself an Idaho Republican let alone run for Governor of our great state.
BIG RAPIDS  A Paris man will spend nearly four years in prison stemming from a series of incidents, including a multi-state manhunt, earlier this year.

Michael Lewis Buter, 49, sat quietly from the Mecosta County Jail on Monday as he awaited to be sentenced on single counts of third-degree home invasion and felonious assault, as well as being a fourth-time habitual offender.

Mr. Butler is extremely remorseful for his actions that got him involved in the situation in the first place, defense attorney Erin Barnhart said of her client.

Butler was arrested in March for an assault and home invasion he was involved in. On March 16, Big Rapids police officers were dispatched to a home on South Michigan Avenue. Butler had forced his way into the victims apartment, threatening the victim with a knife.

Butler fled the scene after the victim started screaming at him. A search then began, and Butler was located 11 days later by authorities in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

At sentencing, Barnhart told Mecosta County Circuit Judge Kimberly L. Booher that her client suffered from an alcohol problem, which was the reasoning behind his behavior in this case, she said.

I dont have anything to say your honor, Butler told the court when given the opportunity to speak.

Butler was sentenced to three years and 10 months  maximum 15 years  in the states prison system for the felonious assault charge. He received a sentence of three years and 10 months to life in prison for the home invasion.

He was given credit for 74 days, served and his sentences will run concurrently with any sentence he receives in Osceola County, Booher said.

Butler is scheduled to appear in Osceola County Circuit Court on Tuesday, June 8 to be sentenced on one count of attempted second-degree child abuse, according to court records.
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In conjunction with Harris trip, the Biden administration announced that the Justice Department would create an anti-corruption task force and an additional task force to combat human trafficking and drug smuggling in the region. Harris also promised a new program focused on creating education and economic opportunities for girls there, among other new initiatives. And she told Giammattei that her goal in the region was to restore hope to residents so they no longer felt the need to flee their homeland for better opportunities in the U.S.
The ability of the biotech industry to develop and deliver vaccines in the space of months to address the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the progress of its evolution and how vital a strong biopharma industry is to global health and the economy.

Perhaps even more significant is how important the industry has proven to be to national security, with the comparative strengths and weaknesses of countries seemingly amplified by the effects of the pandemic.

Cytiva recently released the results of its Global Biopharma Resilience Index, developed in partnership with Financial Times company Longitude, which tracks the resilience of the biopharma ecosystem in 20 countries by examining five areas of relevance: supply chain resilience, access to talent, strength of the R&D ecosystem, quality and agility of manufacturing capacity, and effectiveness of government policy in supporting the industry.

As one of the 20 countries covered in the research, Singapores standing in the Index, as expected, high in comparison with other ASEAN and Asian countries. But when compared against other developed nations with similar GNIs, such as the US and Australia, Singapores performance is notably poorer. While the results are not a huge cause for alarm, they do present a good opportunity to take a look at how the nation can develop further. In the process, they also left me asking myself the role I believe Singapore should be playing in the regional, or even global biotechnology roadmap.

Singapores advantages when it comes to economic development are so well-known that theyre virtually synonymous with the country itself: the ability to attract world-class talent, a bridge between east and west, and the openness to embrace new technologies. These are the reasons that Cytiva has been able to grow such a strong presence in Singapore, covering everything from our commercial operations and training facilities to our regional distribution centre for Asia-Pacific and our manufacturing site.

When we look deeper into the results of our research, we can spot areas where Singapore regulators can be more involved, for example developing a biopharma ecosystem. This includes developing a talent pool for the industry, especially given the large demand for GMP certified manufacturing talent not only in Singapore but in other ASEAN countries. I believe Singapore can also enhance its role in fostering greater collaboration between universities and biotech players. This is particularly important given that one in four respondents in the survey reported it as a substantial challenge to form such partnerships in Singapore, compared with just one in eight in the UK or the US.

Working with organizations and institutions throughout the biopharma value chain is among Cytivas core strengths, and we know that building a strong, collaborative ecosystem not only requires commitment from the local government, but also from industry and academia. Some of our recent success stories in driving scientific innovation through collaboration here in Singapore include our work with the National Cancer Centre Singapore on cell and gene therapy and with the Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI) on bioprocessing.

We also recently opened the Cytiva Experience and Learning Lab in Singapore, which provides hands-on training and leading industry know-how to researchers and biomanufacturers, supporting them in bringing their innovations through development and to market more efficiently and effectively. With 70 training sessions planned between now and the end of the year, the Lab will act as a platform for idea exchange and provide access to the latest technologies in biopharma manufacturing for those who could really benefit from them.

Elsewhere in the Index, no other country performs quite as well as Singapore when it comes to tax policies, and its efficient business environment and policies aimed at the development of biotech have attracted leading global biologics manufacturers and many start-ups. However much more is still needed if we are to really position Singapore as a global hub for biopharma. There is a need to create and strengthen the ecosystem to better support biotech start-ups in their journey, facilitate their access to networks and funding, and establish a vibrant environment with both local and global companies. This is not the sole responsibility of any single organization, but for all of us in this industry.

Singapores potential is there for the taking  its just up to us to make it happen.

By Rajan Sankaran, General Manager, ASEAN, Cytiva
Even though precision medicine has many advantages when compared with the traditional healthcare system, the Asia region is currently witnessing limited adoption of the same due to various underlying reasons

Driven by an array of technological advancements and coupled with genomic breakthroughs, precision medicine has become an established modality in the regular healthcare routine, particularly in the US and the European Union (EU). However, it does not hold true for Asia. BioSpectrum delves into the state of precision medicine in Asia and the promise it holds for the continent.

Even though precision medicine has many advantages when compared with the traditional healthcare system, the Asia region is currently witnessing limited adoption of the same due to various underlying reasons. These include high cost, lack of awareness among the public, regulatory challenges, etc.

"There are many factors to consider. Precision medicine involves testing for specific genetic or protein alterations and this can be expensive if a large number of alterations need to be tested such as in lung cancer. The extent to which precision medicine can be practised in the clinic, therefore, depends on the model of reimbursement of healthcare costs including the availability of government subsidies, not just for drugs but also for genomic tests", said Dr Timothy Tay, Consultant, Dept of Anatomical Pathology, Singapore General Hospital.

He added that high throughput sequencing technologies, such as next-generation sequencing required to test for multiple genetic alterations in a more cost-effective manner. It also requires a specialised laboratory set up and local infrastructure to store the sequencing data.

Tay maintains that rained personnel are then needed to perform and interpret the sequencing data and they include people with a diverse range of expertise such as laboratory scientists, clinicians, bioinformaticians and genetic counsellors. Such expertise is in short supply in many countries in Asia. The growth of precision medicine therefore also depends on whether such high-end precision medicine assays are readily accessible to fuel the use of targeted therapy.

Evolving opportunities

According to Precedence Research, the global precision medicine market value surpassed $59.16 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach $141.33 billion by 2027. Asia Pacific seems to be the most opportunistic region in this space owing to the increasing cases of cancer and other diseases along with the health awareness among people.

This presents a lot of opportunities for the players in the precision medicine space.

"Asian countries with a growing middle class that is more affluent and better educated is likely to have increased demand for better healthcare including precision medicine. This will drive the need for diagnostic assays and drugs which in turn will push for the expansion of local infrastructure and training of relevant personnel to meet the need," opined Tay.

At the national level, some Asian countries have also initiated national genomics programmes, building their own population genomic databases by sequencing the DNA from healthy individuals. Thailand, for example, recently approved a $150 million five-year Genomics Thailand Initiative to characterise the genomes of 50,000 citizens. Singapore, also has its own National Precision Medicine Strategy which includes the collection of genetic material from 10,000 healthy Singaporeans of different ethnicities. Such projects to build local genetic data banks help serve as a reference for genetic normality that is more relevant to local/Asian populations compared to databases derived from Western populations. As Singapore moves into the second phase of its National Precision Medicine Strategy in 2021, there are plans to further enlarge the data bank to 100,000 healthy individuals and expand the use of precision medicine in clinical practice.

Chinas Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) has made it possible to acquire and access data for millions of people in order to enable better healthcare provisions, particularly for oncology. With the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) coming into action, China has confirmed its prioritisation of precision medicine as a strategy to enable better healthcare outcomes. PMI is expected to be funded with $9.2 billion by 2030. Nearly every country has a precision medicine initiative of its own, and China has the largest and the most well-funded initiative in place. The introduction of Chinas PMI is expected to offer lucrative opportunities to the domestic as well as international players to consolidate their respective footprint in China and Asia.

Tay believes that such government initiatives provide ample opportunities for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as industry partnerships are essential to make precision medicine a reality.

"Further, due to the shift from traditional healthcare to precision medicine-based healthcare on account of the uptake of funding and initiatives, the stakeholders in this ecosystem are actively adopting strategies to offer advanced diagnostics and targeted therapeutics to patients suffering from cancer," said Nitish Singh, Principal Analyst at BIS Research.

Trends

Precision medicine is likely to grow in Asia for the coming years and personalised oncologic treatments will continue to be a key component of precision medicine.

According to Tay,"The prevalence of cancer is unlikely to decrease and with scientific research constantly yielding new insights into cancer genomics and bringing about the development of novel targeted therapies with survival benefit, it is inevitable that there will be a push towards increased testing of cancers in order to match patients to the right drug".

Shift to non-oncology areas

As genomic research has increased, there are signals that the focus of precision medicine may shift beyond just oncology and towards non-oncology areas.

"According to the Diaceutics Group, two-thirds of phase three pipelines are focused on non-oncology areas. This provides strong motivation for precision medicine researchers to find applications outside of oncology areas. Examples of areas where such applications may be found are infectious diseases, central nervous system diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Alzheimers and Parkinsons, which have strong genetic correlations, have been posited as possible candidates for further research in the precision medicine industry,"said Singh.

Emphasis on Blockchain



The Asia region is anticipated to lead the adoption of blockchain in healthcare. This is majorly attributed to various countries such as China, South Korea, and Singapore, taking a significant lead in the implementation of this advanced technology in regular healthcare practices. Singh added, "China, with the endorsement of blockchain technology, is expected to contribute heavily to the region taking the lead in the adoption of this technology. With genomic data being massively extracted from various research initiatives, the incorporation of blockchain has become evident". As per Singh, initiatives such as Chinas PMI clubbed with massive government support, are expected to contribute to the emerging trend to adopt blockchain in precision medicine, particularly for genomics.

Growing Demand for Health Security

Owing to the consequent genome sequencing boom in Asia, the region's enormous population poses a genetic goldmine. "However, an increasing concern among the population and the governments has fostered an environment wherein there is a massive demand for health security. Data that is being generated through the increasing genome sequencing activities in Asia has necessitated stringent policies for data sharing and data security," said Singh.

Collaboration among all the stakeholders across academia, pharmaceutical and biotech, clinical settings, governments and policy making is important in advancing precision medicine. Increasing access to tests available, improving awareness among healthcare providers, enhancing the quality will all help in boosting the personalised medicine market in the region.

Ayesha Siddiqui

ayesha.siddiqui@mmactiv.com
The centre has a team of doctors which includes ophthalmologists, ENT specialists and microbiologists

MaxiVision Eye Hospitals has launched an early detection centre to treat mucormycosis at its Somajiguda branch in Hyderabad. The centre has a team of doctors who examine the patient first to ascertain if it is Mucormycosis (Black Fungus).

The team of doctors includes an ophthalmologist, ENT specialist, and microbiologist. The infected patients will be referred to government hospitals where the treatment for mucormycosis is available.

Dr Kasu Prasad Reddy, Chief Surgeon, Founder & Mentor, Co-Chairman, MaxiVision Eye Hospitals said, "The early detection centre will provide comprehensive eye check-ups, ocular and orbit diagnosis, ENT consultations, microbiologist consultations, biopsy tests, pathology tests, and radiology support."

Dr Anil Kumar Bathula  Medical Director, MaxiVision Eye Hospitals said, "Some of the ways to prevent Black Fungus would be to avoid repeated use of cloth masks without sterilization or wash, avoid consuming rotten vegetables and fruits, clean your air conditioners and cooler filters, doing steam inhalation regularly, keeping your environment clean to avoid fungal growth in clothes, vegetables, furniture etc., good control of blood sugar levels, using antibiotics and antifungals judiciously, using steroids and other medicines judiciously observing regular time and dose."
The funding round will accelerate the validation of CyGenicas proprietary technology

Indo-Irish Biotech Startup CyGenica has raised $1.4 million in a seed fund investment round, led by global venture capital investor SOSV. The funding round will accelerate the validation of CyGenicas proprietary technology which enables safe, targeted and affordable intercellular drug delivery.

The current investment seed round of $1.4 million was led by venture capital investor SOSV. Other investors participating in the round included the VOYAGER Health-Tech fund, David Rowan, founder of Voyagers.io and angel investors Sharaf Yamani and Sami Mikati.

CyGenica intends to utilise the investment to accelerate the development of its disruptive drug delivery technology for genome editing, seeking to be a key partner of biopharmaceutical companies in the advancement of cutting-edge therapeutics for cancer and rare diseases to improve patients health and quality of life.

Dr Nusrat Sanghamitra, Co-founder and CEO, CyGenica said, "The investment will help de-risk our technology, expand our leadership team and take us significantly closer to our goal of enabling safe and targeted intracellular delivery of genetic therapies for cancer and rare diseases.
In a positive step forward for transformation in the South African advertising industry, FoxP2 has increased its recognised Black ownership from 45% to 51% through an investment in the agency by the Vumela Fund, established by FNB Business and Edge Growth.

Part 1: Transformation in action; a Dentsu story Over the last 10 years at Dentsu, we have grown from 40 to 1,500 people regionally as well as expanding our regional footprint into 10 market startups resulting in over 33 affiliate local partners on the African continent...

Charl Thom

About FoxP2:

FoxP2 was founded in Cape Town late in 2005 and opened a Johannesburg office in 2013. Its initial 45% BBBEE-ownership was achieved through its 2018 deal with Japanese international marketing, advertising and public relations company Dentsu , which is listed on the Tokyo stock exchange.This left the agency with three sets of shareholders: Dentsu, a Dentsu-backed employee staff ownership programme (ESOP) and the FoxP2 partners: Charl Thom, Grant Jacobsen, Justin Gomes and Andrew Whitehouse. The ESOP took the form of a BBBEE employee share trust structure across the Dentsu South African group of companies, beneficiaries for which are selected from the entire Dentsu SA group.The current deal, in which the Vumela Fund has acquired a 10% private shareholding, effectively places 51% of FoxP2 in the hands of Black owners.While this is significant for the agency as a South African corporate citizen, Thom is as pleased with the fact that the deal comes via a fund that is backed by one of its longest-standing clients, FNB.We have a long history together that we are very proud of, he said. FNB has been part of FoxP2s client portfolio since 2014, and its therefore been very satisfying to conclude this deal with the Vumela Fund.Product manager for SME transactional solution at FNB Commercial, Tshepo Ntlamelle, said FNB has, in the past few years, been actively engaging with like-minded organisations to identify solutions aimed towards helping to accelerate transformation in various business sectors.One of the themes identified focused on support for emerging enterprises and Black businesses through procurement and enterprise development, with the aim to effect meaningful procurement spend across a number of commodities.Our investment into FoxP2 through the Vumela Fund is strongly aligned to this objective, as we continue on our journey to empower businesses to achieve and sustain their transformation goals, Ntlamelle said.The objective of the Vumela Fund, established by FNB Business and Edge Growth in 2009, is to invest in high-growth SMEs with good economic and social impact returns.Edge Growth, which manages the Vumela Fund and its investments, was attracted by FoxP2s culture, corporate structure and global partner  Dentsu.According to Edge Growth investment principal Sam Tennant, the private shareholding deal took two years in the making and has been characterised by his teams respect for the agency growing steadily.The Vumela Funds investments are typically medium-term in duration, thats five to 10 years of being locked into a relationship that needs to deliver on many different levels. Both parties wanted to ensure that we were the right partners best placed to meet each others needs.FoxP2s culture resonated strongly with ours at Edge Growth. We were impressed with the agencys culture of collaboration when it comes to seeking solutions to their clients business and marketing problems. There is an unusually flat and flexible hierarchy, with the emphasis on delivering in the smartest and most effective way, and not on empire-building. This was attractive to us and resonated with our culture at Edge Growth.We believe there are some strong synergies that would allow us to work together to unlock growth in FoxP2. Cementing the deal was FoxP2 being acquired by dentsu South Africa  it gave us a lot of comfort to know that there was a stakeholder of their stature involved.Even more, we appreciated that FoxP2 had retained their own identity and that dentsu was onboard with that. Were exceptionally excited to get to work with such a talented team and look forward to walking this journey with them over the next few years, said Tennant.For over 14 years, FoxP2 has consistently set the benchmark for both results-driven and much-loved creativity for notable brands like FNB, Wimpy and Hippo.co.za . Its work is lauded by its peers and loved by consumers alike. It is currently ranked number one mid-sized agency in South Africa by the Loerie Awards (2019 and 2020) and number one for Most Effective Creativity (Scopen 2019/2020). Most recently, there was a first place in the 2020/2021 Marketing Achievement Awards and a first place at the 2020 Creative Circle Ad of the Year. FoxP2s ability to deliver business-insightful creative stems from its fusion of data-driven insights with human-powered talent, and an aptitude for long-term brand-thinking that also drives results in the short-term. Making its breakthrough creative even sharper is its exclusive partnership with Dentsu, a global leader in media and communications.
The National Arts Festival (NAF) has announced the first collection of shows that will be showcased in its 2021 Experience programme.

Gavin Krastin - "Swell"

The festival has, this year, emerged as a time capsule of the artmaking coming from the past year and our current predicament. Opportunities to create and present have notably reduced, however, artists have still made work, in new formats and using new methods. In 2021, the festival has taken on the challenge of considering how to curate live experiences for audiences in Makhanda and various cities. There is a sense of works in transformation, works crossing disciplinary boundaries, works insisting on new relationships with space, distance and audience. As much as, thematically, artists are reflecting on this current disorientating moment, curatorially the festival has sought to present works which offer solace to audiences  from stillness to humour to healing.

Rebuilding value in the arts during Covid-19 In the weeks since lockdown, there has been a marked proliferation of artistic content online. Much of the content, for better or worse, is free and uncurated. The rush reflects the persistence of vitality, an urgency to be productive and to maintain relevance in the flood of content available. We need to reassess where we place value in the arts, and how we acknowledge this value...

Standard Bank Presents

National Arts Festival to present in-person, virtual and nationwide programme in 2021 The 2021 edition of the National Arts Festival (NAF) will include an in-person, virtual and countrywide programme in July...

Live Returns to Makhanda

Jeremy Nedd and Impilo Mapantsula - "The Ecstatic"

2020 Standard Bank Young Artists for Visual Art, Blessing Ngobeni - "Chaotic Pleasure"

Maureen de Jager - "n Parenthesis"

#BizTrends2021: 7 prospects and necessary shifts for the arts All disciplines in the arts are undergoing big transformations. We can anticipate continued shifts into new directions this year. They may not feel resolved or final, but they will be necessary shifts at this point, to rebuild a new landscape for the arts and audiences alike. Here are some of the trends that are likely to lead in 2021...

National Arts Festival online

The hybrid festival sees the National Arts Festival return to live stages in Makhanda from 8 to 18 July 2021, and for the first time in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Gqeberha and Durban ahead of the Eastern Cape event with a series of shows called Standard Bank Presents, in theatres from 17 June to 4 July. The National Arts Festival Online programme will also unfold through July on the festival's website. The Festival Experience features new elements such as Standard Bank Presents, as well as audience favourites such as the Standard Bank Jazz Festival and the Fringe.Working within the Covid-19 regulations and responding to what audiences and artists need, the festival has spread its programme across three platforms to create enabling spaces that best accommodate and interpret the work being made in South Africa right now. As such, it is a study of work migrating, shifting and returning across mediums, platforms, time and space as the arts strives to re-establish and express itself after a long period of forced hibernation.Says National Arts Festivals artistic director, Rucera Seethal:Standard Bank Presents brings Johannesburg art lovers the debut of multi-award-winning performer Tony Miyambo in the epic Commission Continua at Market Theatre on 30 June, 1 and 3 July. The show was conceptualised by Tony Miyambo and Phala O Phala, tracing the history of South Africas commissions of enquiry, laying bare the heart of the South African societys struggle for real change and reconciliation.At Gallery44 in Cape Town, Standard Bank Presents will stage Ndinxaniwe; the latest show by Qondiswa James, whose play A Howl in Makhanda received critical acclaim in 2020. A contemporary adaptation of Credo Mutwas The Coming of the Strange Ones, it follows three teenagers who attend a Catholic school in the forest of a rural town in the Eastern Cape. The teenagers are troubled by a shadow of their past selves  which calls them deeper into history. Through drug-induced hallucinations, the boys slip into a deep sleep and arrive in the past, at the first point of contact between the white colonialists and the Black indigenous population. A critical analysis of the effects of patriarchal conflict, the conquest of the African continent and its insidious effects on present-day rural boyhood. Catch the show on 25 and 26 June.On 3 July in Gqeberha, Xabiso Zweni and the Masifunde Creative Academy will perform the musical satire Social Disturbing outside their Academy in Walmer Township for their Standard Bank Presents show. The play imagines a fictional prophet of doom who spreads panic and conspiracies into the pandemic-hit township. The piece evaluates how South Africans have often been naive and foolish in looking for quick solutions in dealing with health and spiritual issues. The piece brings comic relief and satirical parallelism to break the silence dividing people around fake news, real lies, delusions or honesty amongst God, the government and worshipers.In Durban, Standard Bank Presents will stage Acapella by Afrika Mamas at the Seabrooke Theatre on 20 June 2021. The seven-piece isicathamiya acapella group hails from the area but have performed internationally in Germany, Poland, Belgium, Holland, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Namibia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. They also won the Imbokodo Award at the Isicathamiya Awards in 2019.The long-time home of the National Arts Festival remains at the heart of the 2021 programme. Makhanda Live sees a smaller programme of works in keeping with the prevailing Covid-19 regulations, but there is no dampening of energy, excitement or urgency from artists who will be delivering on stage.The Ecstatic, a collaboration between choreographer and dancer Jeremy Nedd and Impilo Mapantsula, is a powerful pantsula dance piece that gives expression to the Praise Break; a break in the context of the Christian Pentecostal Church service, where the dancing body, voice and music energetically coalesce and, as a result, blurring the difference between ecstatic and cathartic. Within the piece, six pantsula dancers turn to the motions that lead up to the praise break to break open a new space that is all their own. This work is included with the support of Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Arts Council.2020 Distell National Playwright winner Amy Louise Wilsons Another Kind is a funeral for a piece of theatre which never existed and a celebration of the birth of a new hybrid artwork between the digital and the live. Wilsons award-winning script Another Kind of Dying tells the story of Silumko, a young man from rural Eastern Cape who moves to Johannesburg after the death of his father. Due to the pandemic, Another Kind of Dying was not able to be staged as a play and, in keeping with the times, this incredible young playwright has created a new piece, uniquely suited to its first staging in Makhanda and our current context. In the new work, the script is broken down into a series of short video and sound pieces. Performed by Aphiwe Livi, filmed by Francois Knoetze and co-created with a variety of artists  this archive for a lost play is activated through a series of live video performances by creator Amy Louise Wilson.2020 Standard Bank Young Artist for Visual Art, Blessing Ngobeni, will bring his much-anticipated Chaotic Pleasure exhibition home to the Festival. Both an observation and a form of confronting complex issues of power and abuse, this exhibition conveys Ngobenis diverse artistry, skilfully realised in various mediums such as collages on canvas, stainless-steel sculptures and animated videos, which played a significant role in both his nomination and winning of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for the visual arts.James Webbs Nothing here does not hear you is a site-specific sound installation created from research into the space formerly known as the 1820 Settlers Monument. The process began when guests including historians, cultural workers, political activists and sangomas, as well as members of the buildings maintenance and technical staff, were invited to talk about the building. All the interviewees spoke in different ways of blockages, barriers, clots, stuck places and obstacles. The recorded interviews were developed into a series of texts that could, when spoken, work as blessings and invocations. These ideas form a manifesto of spiritual intent: a welcoming of the ancestors, a request for forgiveness, a putting to rest of uneasiness, a calling for creativity and wisdom and a token of gratitude for lessons learnt and lessons to come.South African visual artist Lisolomzi Pikoli works across multiple mediums, including murals, installation, drawing and painting. In Makhanda from 15 to 22 June 2021, as an artist in residence, Pikoli is one of four artists invited to paint a mural for our street art project Nature is Louder. Lisolomzi Pikolis work predominantly explores relationships: between people, urban and rural spaces and, in this project, the relationship between humans and the natural environment. His mural will be positioned next to the Link Street Taxi rank, on the main road in the town, a busy commuters hub. In our fast-changing, modern world where nature is often abused, Pikolis work brings nature to the forefront, making it and our relationship to nature as humans, impossible to ignore.Artist and researcher Maureen de Jagers History: Refocusing the South African War is an installation of original hand-bound book-works and videos, activated through three performance lectures. Informed by archival research conducted in the UK and SA, the exhibition focuses a contemporary lens on the South African War (or Anglo-Boer War) of 1899-1902, situating it within present-day decolonising South Africa and a legacy of history-writing marred by erasure and exclusion. It interrogates how official' histories mythologised the Boer concentration camps, while the Black concentration camps were effectively written out of historical record (for successive decades). Produced as part of De Jagers fine art PhD through Kingston University (London), the exhibition was originally hosted by the prestigious National Archives UK in 2019. It is exhibited here, in the artists hometown, with the inclusion of new work (a set of four book-works, Marginalia, which symbolically holds space for marginal histories). The lecture performances related to the work are Proposal for The Book Of Holes, Proof and In Parenthesis, which visitors to the festival can experience to further explore the exhibition.Born and raised in Kolkata, India, Johannesburg-based artist Puurna Deb also takes residence in Makhanda during the festival. Her printmaking work often reflects themes excavated from her dreams. Visitors to Makhanda will not only see her prints displayed on the walls of the Monument, but they can also visit her in-studio or learn from her technique during a scheduled print-making demonstration.Hedy! The Life and Inventions of Hedy Lamarr is a fascinating single-hander performed by Heather Massie, revealing the other life of screen siren Hedy Lamarr as the inventor of frequency hopping and spread spectrum technology that makes the world of wireless communication tick. It is apt that this production will be streamed live to a Makhanda audience from her performance at the Reykjavik Fringe Festival, thanks in part to the technology Hedy invented!Continuing to hold space for the rise of online performance and virtual audience interaction, the festivals month-long National Arts Festival Online programme will be announced soon. Alfred Hinkels Garage Dance Ensemble will be part of the online showcase with Gat innie Grond, Wond in My Siel (Hole in the Ground, Wound in my Soul); an innovative, socio-culturally relevant dance theatre production, choreographed by Byron Klassen under the mentorship/direction of Alfred Hinkel and John Linden. The project combines local knowledge, academic inquiry and artistic practice to uncover stories of post-mining towns. The piece documents and highlights the embodied aftermaths of extractive mining practices on communities of the Nama Khoi region with a focus on exploring and translating the memories, trauma and current lived experiences of the Khoekhoegowab (South Africa's first people).A first for South African audiences, Galician producer Baiuca presents Embruxo. Accompanied by the cantareiras, Lilaina and the percussionist Xose Lois Romero, this filmed work was created to accompany the release of the album  which will premiere at the National Arts Festival. With the support of the Spanish Embassy, this is Baiucas first time presenting work to a South African audienceThe expanding National Arts Festival Experience programme can be found at nationalartsfestival.co.za . Tickets will go on sale on 21 June 2021.
As part of global programming during The One Club for Creativity's Creative Week 2021, Bizcommunity and The Creative Circle will jointly be the exclusive South Africa hosts of the "Creative Week 2021 Global Media Talks" online panel featuring some of the country's top creatives.

Congrats on being selected to take part in the SA edition of The One Clubs Global Media Talks series of panel discussions! What does this opportunity mean to you?

Bizcommunity and The Creative Circle partner with The One Club to host "Global Media Talks: South Africa" at Creative Week 2021 As part of global programming during The One Club for Creativity's Creative Week 2021, Bizcommunity and The Creative Circle will jointly be the exclusive South Africa hosts of the "Creative Week 2021 Global Media Talks" online panel...

The session will be a lively discussion of current creative trends in South Africa, the countrys best work of the past year and other topics of interest to the agency and creative world. What are some key points youre thinking of talking to and why?

This will surely help give South Africas creative excellence a spotlight on the global stage. Where do you think SA is at creatively speaking in relation to its global counterparts?

This years Creative Week theme is connect. provoke. inspire. What does this elicit in your mind?

In terms of attending/taking part in Creative Week, what are you most looking forward to?

I chat to Neo Mashigo, chief creative officer at M&C Saatchi Group, ahead of the panel discussion, which takes place online on Thursday, 10 June 2021 from 5pm to 6pm SAST, and will also include South Africans Camilla Clerke, ECD at Ogilvy Cape Town and Xolisa Dyeshana, chief creative officer at Joe Public United Johannesburg.Its great to see South Africa featured on the world stage representing our industry. We get to share experiences about our market and how we manoeuvre the ever uncertain Marketing environment. This ensures that we stay in the forefront of world trends and technology.Im fascinated by our search for authenticity and what research based creativity yields. It always feels like were going two steps forward and one step backward. I suppose our market is tricky, but I feel that we often take the consumer for granted, our work could be smarter. We still struggle a lot with trying to satisfy everyone in our communication.Currently, the world of ideas is driven by technology and big budgets, and were not doing well on both. So sadly on the big integrated campaign space were being left behind but on the idea space were on par.This speaks to deep listening and deep thinking which leads to meaningful relationships.Im looking forward to the work that is moving the industry.
Ontlametse Molefe is a young, talented interior designer who has been inducted into the 2021 class of Design Indaba Emerging Creatives, an annual programe that receives in excess of 200 submissions every year. Supported by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, the programme aims to nurture new talent across a wide range of design disciplines, with many having gone on to achieve global recognition for their projects and brands.

Ontlametse Molefe has been inducted into the 2021 class of Design Indaba Emerging Creatives.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your background.

How does it feel to be included in the 2021 class of Design Indaba Emerging Creatives?

What do you think has made you and your work stand out among the many entries received?

Tell us about your journey as a creative thus far.

#YouthMatters: Nombuso Nomzamo Khanyile on the sustainable roots of accessory brand Afrikan Passion Designs Faced with the need to be self-reliant, 25-year-old Biochemistry and Microbiology graduate Nombuso Nomzamo Khanyile founded Afrikan Passion Designs, a sustainable handmade leather accessory brand...

Where does your passion for design, and interior design in particular, come from?

What are your sources of inspiration and creativity?

You completed the final year of your degree at LUCA School of Arts in Belgium. What was that like?

What are some of the challenges young people face in your industry? How would you suggest they be overcome?

What is your message to the youth of SA this Youth Month?

2021 class of Design Indaba Emerging Creatives announced The Design Indaba is pleased to announce its 2021 Emerging Creatives inductees...

Molefe, whose vision is to design well thought-out spaces that enrich the human perspective and experience, is among 40 creatives chosen for the programme. He shared with us a bit about his creative journey thus far.I am a creative individual specifically in the field of interior design. I was born in Mafikeng and spent most of my varsity years in Johannesburg, Greenside working my way towards acquiring the skills and knowledge in pursuing my passion for interior design.I feel honoured to be amongst an inspiring and diverse group of creatives who are excelling in their craft, including myself. I believe that this opportunity will motivate and encourage me to grow and forever believe in my purpose as a designer.I enjoy exploring and expressively designing towards realistically improving the human experience with every opportunity and project given/assigned to me. I believe that inspiration can only take you far if you dont consider boundaries.It has been a journey of learning and discovering a whole lot of layers that need to be successfully achieved and becoming knowledgeable about. At the end of the day it is all worth it.My passion for design and interior design comes from growing up as a kid and particularly being amazed by structural forms of architecture. As time went on, I became curious about the interior aspect of design and how space made an individual feel physically and psychologically when they engage with a space.My source of inspiration comes from various sorts of movements that I may connect with in that time and place, and human beings who I feel deserve to be in an improved and enhanced environment.I had to adjust to living conditions, thought processes and patterns of a culturally diverse country and learning in a new and dynamic way compared to how South Africa, particularly Greenside, was structured. It was overall an amazing and eye-opening experience.Just to name a few, young people face challenges such as a lack of industries' expectation in experience, lack of platforms and opportunities, lack of freedom in exploration and lack of capital to start their own creative businesses. How Id suggest they be overcome is dependent on industry leaders and applying yourself as an individual to work hard and never give up with where youd like to see yourself someday.We are the generations brighter future, let's positively live to impact our surroundings, advocate and inspire the people around us and lead successfully for the next generation of youth.
Leading fashion and lifestyle retailer TFG shared its strategy to revolutionise the omnichannel experience and transform into Africa's leading high-tech omnichannel retailer. "We are laying the foundations to become the largest, most reliable and most profitable e-commerce destination on the continent; via a simplified, customer-centric approach, aimed at maximising group scale, minimising duplication and cost, and leveraging our incredible assets," shared newly appointed co-chief omni officer Claude Hanan. The announcement came as part of the retailer's 2021 financial year-end presentation.
In May, he also accused the U.S. of violating Mexicos sovereignty for giving money to non-governmental organizations that were critical of his government. Harris was looking to strengthen diplomatic relations with Mexico while addressing the core reasons why so many people from the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras as well as Mexico are compelled to try to flee to the U.S.
Pierce is accused of shooting a 23-year-old man in the head about 7:30 p.m. in the backyard of a residence in the 5200 block of West Le Moyne Street in the North Austin neighborhood and fleeing, police said.
The Chicago police marine unit recovered the body, believed to be a man in his 50s, from Lake Michigan after someone saw something floating in the water east of 95th Street, according to police.
I think the single most important thing I learned as an organizer when I was here in Chicago was that the line between success or failure in this society so often is dictated not by anybodys inherent merits. It has to do with the circumstances in which theyre in, Obama said. That doesnt mean they dont have individual responsibility. I think all these young men, you heard them, they recognize, no, Ive got to work hard, Ive got to do my part. But it also means that we, as a society, continue to fail them.
In a White House Background Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on the Fight Against Corruption, a Biden administration official admitted that the CIA and other parts of the U.S. intelligence apparatus were involved in assisting the War on Corruption which jailed former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and elected Jair Bolsonaro.

Read the full transcript here.

The admission will come as an embarrassment to a media who has for the most part omitted, minimised or denied U.S. involvement in anti-corruption actions across Latin America, despite it being a matter of public record for years.

In July 2017, Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco gave a speech at NATO think tank the Atlantic Council in which he bragged of FBI personnel informally involved in Brazilian anti-corruption operation Lava Jato and its prosecution of former president Lula. FBI personnel involved later boasted that it had toppled presidents. Lava Jato prosecutor Deltan Dellagnol described Lulas 2018 arrest which kept him out of the election he was on course to win, as a gift from the CIA. The judge who prosecuted Lula, Sergio Moro, became Bolsonaros Justice Minister, and both made an unprecedented visit to CIA headquarters in Langley within months of taking office. Lava Jatos origins can be traced back to 2008/09, where Moro and a blueprint for an operation of its type appear in State Department cables.

The role of anti-corruption as U.S. foreign policy tool in Latin America has expanded gradually since the 1990s, and has continued through successive Democrat and Republican administrations. Lava Jato was central to the ouster of president Dilma Rousseff, and pivotal to the election of Jair Bolsonaro, which were both undeniably advantageous to the United States government and business/banking sector, which is represented in Latin America by lobby and think tank Council of the Americas.

The June 3 press call was to mark a new national security study memorandum or NSSM on Establishing the fight against corruption as a core U.S. national security interest, which is being renewed under the Biden administration, and held by unnamed senior administration officials.

The following exchange left little to the imagination.

Journalist: As you know, anti-corruption activists periodically urge the U.S. government to use its various assets and capabilities, including the intelligence community, to expose specific cases of corruption overseas, to name and shame corrupt officials  and the arguments they make are familiar  but also include not only, you know, a deterrent to corruption, but also a possible contribution to the promotion of democracy. Does the memorandum  does the program include any component that connects with that?

Senior Administration Official: What I can say on that front is that the memorandum includes components of the intelligence community. So, the work on that front, in part, remains to be seen, but they are included  the Director of National Intelligence and Central Intelligence Agency.



And so were just going to be looking at all of the tools in our disposal to make sure that we identify corruption where its happening and take appropriate policy responses.



And Ill take the opportunity to mention that were also going to be using this effort to think about what more we can do to bolster other actors that are out in the world exposing corruption and bringing it to light.



So, of course, the U.S. government has its own internal methods, but, largely, the way that corruption is exposed is through the work of investigative journalists and investigative NGOs.



The U.S. government  to my point earlier, in terms of the support were already providing  in some instances provides support to these actors. And well be looking at what more we can do on that front as well.

The journalist asked for clarification: What does the word support mean in that context?

Senior Administration Official: Well, sometimes it boils down to foreign assistance. There are lines of assistance that have jumpstarted investigatory journalism organizations. What comes to my mind most immediately is OCCRP, as well as foreign assistance that goes to NGOs, ultimately, that do investigative work on anti-corruption, as well.

Evidence of the very nature that the official describes above has been dismissed by supporters of partisan anti-corruption campaigns for years.

The official was asked by a journalist specifically about Vice President Kamala Harriss upcoming trip to Latin America, and: if there were any corruption measures associated with that, or any, sort of, additional push related to that?

The unnamed official responded: Im not going to characterize the views of the prior administration, but I would say, to your point: The essence of the memorandum were going to release today is that the U.S. government is placing the anti-corruption plight at the center of its foreign policy, so we very much want to prioritize this work across the board.

The latest admission of CIA involvement in the U.S. led fight against corruption, of which Operation Lava Jato (Carwash) was the high-profile centrepiece, has grave implications for Brazilian democracy, and that of wider Latin America.

Brasil Wire has been covering this subject in depth since 2015: All articles on Lawfare in Brazil and U.S. involvement in it, 2015-2021.
Zana Weismantel, 22, who said she went to Lake Forest High School with him, was one of many people to identify and condemn Kulas on their social media accounts soon after the siege took place. She said he became the talk of the town once his name and photo hit the internet.


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You could see it happen in real time. Bidens $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package was very popular, including with many Republican voters, and the congressional GOP offered little to no meaningful resistance to it. This gave the White House  and the progressive pundits pushing Biden to go big  the false impression that the rest of the Biden agenda would be equally popular. (It turned out that being sent large sums of cash with no strings attached is more popular than the more conventional Democratic fare.)
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HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan said Tuesday that she will not run for Pennsylvania's open U.S. Senate seat in 2022, after several months of the Democrat having considered it.

Houlahan's entry would have brought a considerable presence to the race for the Democratic nomination from the heavily populated southeastern corner of Pennsylvania.

However, Houlahan said in a statement that she will instead run again for her Chester County-based seat in the U.S. House.

Still, Houlahan faces the prospect that her district boundaries could change considerably as Pennsylvania must shrink its House delegation from 18 to 17 ahead of 2022's elections because of the state's slower-than-average population growth over the past decade.

Otherwise, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, while U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb from suburban Pittsburgh is considering running.

A state lawmaker, Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta of Philadelphia, and a Montgomery County commissioner, Val Arkoosh, have declared their candidacy, as have several first-time candidates.

They include John McGuigan, a software executive, and Dr. Kevin Baumlin, the chair of emergency medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital. Philadelphia state Sen. Sharif Street has said he is considering running.

The Republican side is also wide open.

The seat is open after two-term Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey announced in October that he would not run again.
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A possible plan for fixing the many issues that plague the Park Community Centre was presented to Brandon City Council at its regular meeting on Monday.

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A possible plan for fixing the many issues that plague the Park Community Centre was presented to Brandon City Council at its regular meeting on Monday.

Centre board chair Jennifer Moes and Gillian Sullivan of Sneath Projects outlined a possible path to restoring the facility to use after it sat nearly dormant due to numerous issues in need of repair.

The city would have to open a tendering process for businesses to bid on the work, but Moes and Sullivan gave a presentation in an attempt to show council that repairing the facility would be more economical than demolishing or replacing it.

Explaining further, Sullivan said she knew the city would have to go to a tender process for the work, but she was happy to help the centres board develop a work proposal to prove it can be done. She said that her family lives about a block away from the centre and has used it for everything from birthday parties to Beyblade tournaments over the years.

"The Park Community Centre is a big part of our lives," Sullivan said.

According to Moes, the Manitoba Metis Federation recently asked about setting up a summer program at the centre. While repairing the building this year would prevent that from happening, she said it was nice to see that there is still a desire to use the facility.

Fixing it up wouldnt just enable events to be held at the centre. Moes said that there are people who live behind the building who could make use of it as a drop-in centre and public washroom.

A large part of the work would involve replacing the floor, which has been compromised by structural issues. Sullivan said her proposal would involve ripping the current floor out and pouring a concrete base that would be tied into the walls.

Coun. Shawn Berry (Linden Lanes) said hed made a recent visit to the centre and was worried about the condition of the foundation, which looked in poor shape while he was investigating the crawlspace.

The proposed work for fixing the floor would in effect create a new foundation for the building, Sullivan said. To replace the floor, almost the entire west wall of the building would have to be cut out. After being replaced, the whole exterior would be re-stuccoed.

Given the current age of the structure, Coun. Shaun Cameron (University) wondered what lifespan the work would add. According to Sullivan, it would add 50 to 100 years of life to the centre, roughly the same as a new house.

With improvements to heating, lighting, plumbing and more included in the proposal, Coun. Jan Chaboyer (Green Acres) wanted to know if the operating costs for the centre would go down. She was told the more efficient equipment would likely reduce costs and the project would also be able to apply for grants from Efficiency Manitoba.

Mayor Rick Chrest wanted to know if Sneath Projects review of the centre looked into bringing the building up to code. Sullivan said her companys proposal includes accessible doors, wheelchair-accessible ramps and a reworking of a back area to create an accessible washroom.

While a price for the work was not specified either during the council meeting or in documents provided with the agenda for it, the written proposal included with the agenda states that Sneath Projects would be willing to complete part of the work at no cost in exchange for a charitable donation receipt.

The mayor said council would likely ask city administration to review the presentation and come back with their own analysis soon.

"This is one of our more challenging decisions we face in the coming months," Coun. Kris Desjarlais (Rosser) said after the presentation. "Its great to have all the evidence and all the options on the table in front of us when we deliberate this decision in front of the public in the not-too-distant future."

Also giving a presentation was Coun. Bruce Luebke (South Centre), who spoke on behalf of the citys poverty committee.

He said the province recently gave a presentation to the Manitoba Non-Profit Housing Association, indicating the Canada-Manitoba Housing Benefit would be providing rent supplements to people through three streams: youth, homelessness and mental health.

However, the homelessness stream is currently only available in Winnipeg with a plan to extend to other communities in the next two to three years.

Seeing a need in Brandon, the poverty committee passed a motion at its May 12 meeting asking Brandon City Council to write a letter to the province asking for the expansion to be accelerated.

A pilot project starting in 2017 helped 48 families and individuals with rent, which the committee believes shows a local need for regular funding.

"I just want to say that I feel that sometimes our community is falling through the cracks when it comes to some of the initiatives being put forward with the Province of Manitoba to deal with some of the social issues, whether its homelessness, addiction or mental health issues," Luebke said.

"I think we as council need to encourage the Province of Manitoba to get more involved on initiatives occurring in our city and in rural Manitoba."

 cslark@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ColinSlark
Even though the Manitoba legislature wont reconvene until the fall, debate surrounding Bill 64  the Education Modernization Act  is still taking place behind the scenes.

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Even though the Manitoba legislature wont reconvene until the fall, debate surrounding Bill 64  the Education Modernization Act  is still taking place behind the scenes.

On Monday, Education Minister Cliff Cullen sent a letter to Manitoba Teachers Society president James Bedford, accusing his organization of spreading misinformation about Bill 64 and asking him to publicly correct the record.

"Bringing parents and students into the mix and sharing false information creates fear, politicizes the classroom and does nothing to support our leaders, students and families who need this support now, more than ever," Cullen wrote.

Cullen took particular issue with a FAQ document that is currently available through MTS official website, which is designed to give parents and educators some insight into what Bill 64 is and how it could impact the education system as a whole.

As such, Cullens team provided MTS and the Sun with a 12-page summary of the "false information" contained within this FAQ document, including MTS characterization of Bill 64 itself.

Under the section titled "What is proposed in Bill 64?," MTS representatives said that this legislation aims to replace democratically elected school boards with a single provincial education authority, which would be accomplished by amalgamating Manitobas existing 37 school divisions in 15 regional catchment areas.

However, the province insists that MTS use of the word "amalgamation" in this context does not correlate to how "amalgamation" is defined within the current Public Schools Act, which involves combining two or more school divisions together.

"We are not using that process in Bill 64," a Manitoba Education representative wrote.

"Rather, the  school divisions are being continued under a single board that will administer education within 15 regions."

However, the Manitoba Education representative would go on to confirm that all school trustee positions will be eliminated under Bill 64, with each new region being governed by a director of education and a school community council at every institution.

Because of this, Cullen said the centralized provincial education authority will not make any decisions in isolation, and will rely on local leaders to deliver kindergarten through Grade 12 education across the province.

"This will ensure that local decision-making will be stronger and will build upon successful programs that currently exist in your schools or new programs developed as identified through input from the School Community Council," he wrote.

Later on in their FAQ document, under the heading "what are our key concerns?," MTS reps voice their skepticism about this new management style, believing that this centralized structure "may not be equipped to respond to local needs."

In response, Manitoba Education insists that "have" and "have not" school divisions wont exist if Bill 64 comes to pass, since funding will not depend on how much taxes are collected or how much revenue is raised in a division.

"The new regions will have the capacity to maximize program delivery and build greater coherence in K to 12 education delivery though the province," the rep said.

Manitoba Education also shot down MTS claim about how there is "no information" about potential job cuts, saying that "the province has already indicated that there will be no changes to staffing at the school level as a result of Bill 64."

Plus, the province debunked MTS claim that principals are excluded from the definition of a "teacher" under Bill 64, when, in fact, Section 95(2) of the legislation specifies that "a person is not legally qualified to be employed as a principal unless that person holds a valid and subsisting teachers certificate."

Overall, in his original letter, Cullen also wrote that MTS criticisms of Bill 64 are too narrow in scope, since the organization doesnt take into account the broader reform that will take place under the provinces Better Education Starts Today strategy.

"It includes strong community involvement at the school level, supports the dedication and expertise of teachers and principals, and facilitates more student and parental engagement in the design and oversight of a system that is inclusive and respectful of the community," Cullen wrote.

Bedford told the Sun on Monday afternoon that his staff is currently looking through this 12-page document in more detail and will provide any updates to their official website if some discrepancies emerge.

But Bedford said any kind of future miscommunication between the two groups could be avoided if Cullen simply agrees to host a face-to-face meeting with MTS representatives, rather than relegate communications about Bill 64 to press releases and technical briefings.

"I think it would be very constructive," Bedford said. "I think it would be good for students in our classrooms today, good for students in our classrooms tomorrow and into the future for us to have a conversation about public education."

Anyone interested in reading MTS FAQ on Bill 64 in its entirety can visit mbteach.org/mtscms/2021/03/24/bill-64-toolkit/.

More information about the provinces broader plans for education reform can be gleaned by consulting with bettereducationmb.ca.

 kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @KyleDarbyson
It has been almost two weeks since the Canadian Armed Forces responded to Premier Brian Pallisters call for federal military aid as it struggles to deal with the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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It has been almost two weeks since the Canadian Armed Forces responded to Premier Brian Pallisters call for federal military aid as it struggles to deal with the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fifty military members from across Canada moved into 17 Wing in Winnipeg with an eye on June 30 as a tentative completion date, said Maj. Ian Van Dyke, commander of C Battery of the 1st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1RCHA) at CFB Shilo  and the man responsible for the smooth operation as commander for Task Force Bison, under Operation LASER.

A CAF medical technician assists with COVID tests at an alternative isolation accommodations location. ( 2nd Lieut. Miguel Moldez/Canadian Armed Forces)

Operation LASER is the name associated with the federal governments response to the provinces call for military aid during the COVID-19 crisis.

Van Dyke is one of two officers from CFB Shilo co-ordinating federal military efforts from transportation and housing to managing military medical staff. Maj. Joel Bernier, commanding officer of 11 Canadian Forces Health Services Centre Shilo, is overseeing military medical staff operations on the ground during Operation LASER.

A separate team of aeromedical experts from CFB Trenton with assistance from the Royal Canadian Air Forces 436 Squadron are also assisting the province in medical evacuations, bringing the total number of CAF members involved in Operation LASER to just over 60.

While military members assisting the province hail from across Canada, CFB Shilo has 12 members from 1RCHA involved in the effort.

The majority of the team are medical technicians and a few general duty nursing officers. Those are the people actually on the ground going in to assist in the provinces alternative isolation sites, Van Dyke said.

They help relieve the pressure and the staff who are working at those sites. As well, there are three lab technicians who are in two hospitals helping process COVID-19 tests.

The aeromedical team fly from CFB Trenton and stage in Winnipeg.

Lab technicians train to help with COVID-19 testing in hospitals at a Canadian Armed Forces laboratory. (2nd Lieut. Miguel Moldez/Canadian Armed Forces)

"They call it the packaging team. They prepare the patient. And then the patient is transported to base to a special module in the back of the Hercules (military cargo plane) thats set up for these medical evacuations. They fly to whatever city or province is required of them."

Van Dyke said 1RCHAs support comes in the form of transporting members to shifts.

"Its a hefty driver requirement," he told The Sun in a telephone interview. Primarily, 1RCHA provides transportation and anything else non-medical or general duties.

Two drivers from 1RCHA also assist the aeromedical evacuation team on the tarmac at the airfield, he explained. The drivers are gunners and bombardiers from the regiment.

Helping their neighbours in their home province brings a certain amount of pride in the military members from CFB Shilo, Van Dyke said.

CAF aeromedical team prepare for patient transport in a Hercules transport plane. (Cpl. Eric Greico/Canadian Armed Forces)

"The goal, in general, is to relieve the pressure on the Shared Health Manitoba system," he said.

"Helping Manitoba through this third wave. The bottom line is relieving that pressure."

Van Dyke said all members of the team are excited to help.

"Its a bit of a unique situation, something the medical staff arent necessarily able to see on a day-to-day basis," he said, referring to the military medical staffs exposure to working with civilians during a pandemic.

"Its definitely a good feeling to be able to help Manitobans when you live in the same province. Its a little bit different than going to another province and helping out because these are potentially your neighbours. Some of the gunners and bombers on the team are from Winnipeg. They know the city. Theyre excited to be here and help their hometown as well. No grumbling that Ive heard about, having to be here, everyones happy to participate and happy to provide support to what is essentially our neighbours."

From a quick and efficient response to the call from the province to the level of expertise trained military members have to assist, Van Dyke said the experience has been positive for the group.

 kkielley@brandonsun.com
OTTAWA - Canada is scheduled to receive 2.4 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine this week as more Canadians get their first and second jabs.

A man is shown outside a COVID-19 vaccination site in Montreal, Saturday, June 5, 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

OTTAWA - Canada is scheduled to receive 2.4 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine this week as more Canadians get their first and second jabs.

Those shots are the only expected shipments in what should be a comparatively quiet week of vaccine deliveries.

Moderna shipped 500,000 doses last week, with another 1.5 million shots due to arrive next week.

Ottawa is also expecting another one million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine by the end of June, though a detailed delivery schedule has not been confirmed.

The fate of more than 300,000 shots from Johnson and Johnson that were first delivered in April remains unclear as Health Canada continues reviewing their safety following concerns about possible tainting at a Baltimore production facility.

The federal government says more than 60 per cent of Canadians have received at least one dose, and the number fully immunized with two shots is rising.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2021.
The Branson Board of Aldermen on Thursday (now postponed to July 28) will consider an ordinance that would require face coverings in public spaces. The aldermen might approve it, disapprove it, or approve an amended version. Would you be in favor of some form of mandatory face covering ordinance in the city of Branson?

You voted:
RTHK: US eases travel warning to countries including Japan

The United States on Tuesday eased its warning against travel to a number of major nations including Olympics host Japan, Canada and Mexico after reassessing Covid concerns.

The State Department issued an advisory asking Americans to reconsider travel due to the risk of Covid-19, upgrading a blanket warning earlier not to go.

Other countries for which US travel advice was eased include close allies such as France and Germany as well as Greece, which has been welcoming vaccinated US tourists, and South Africa, which has battled a Covid variant.

Such travel advice has been closely watched for clues on when the United States will ease restrictions in place for more than a year on travel from European nations.

The State Department said it revised its travel guidance after new recommendations a day earlier by the Centres for Disease Control, which called on Americans to be fully vaccinated before traveling but non-vaccinated people to avoid trips.

"As conditions evolve, we regularly update our advice to US travellers," a State Department official said.

Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, said on Monday that any easing of travel restrictions for Europeans to the United States would be transparent and "guided by science and evidence."

"We have heard very clearly the desire of our friends in Europe and in the UK, to be able to reopen travel across the Atlantic Ocean, and we want to see that happen," Sullivan told reporters.

"But we have to follow the science and we have to follow the guidance of our public health professionals. So we are actively engaging with them to determine the timeframe."

The State Department made headlines last month by warning against all travel to Japan, which in July will hold the Olympics that were already put off by a year due to Covid.

The Summer Games have stirred public opposition within Japan, which is barring foreign fans from coming. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Meanwhile, due in part to lack of state support, The Chicago Lighthouse, a nonprofit serving the developmentally disabled, cut its day program for blind adults. The program provided transportation to get clients out of the house and learn a skill and socialize  and gave parents a break from the demands of caring for a loved one with a disability. Mondays print Tribune featured the story of Gladys Thomas, 72, of Chicagos Morgan Park neighborhood and her 46-year-old son, Michael, who is blind and developmentally disabled. Instead of having a place to go from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Michael is stuck at home.
Former world champion boxer and the baddest man on the planet Mike Tyson has sued local streetwear retailer Culture Kings and its rich-lister owners for allegedly using his likeness to sell T-shirts without permission.

Filings lodged in the NSW Federal Court last Friday show Mr Tyson, described as a person of widespread international fame, reputation and recognition, initiating proceedings against Culture Kings for misleading and deceptive conduct.

Champion heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson has sued Australian streetwear retailer Culture Kings. Credit:Getty Images

The controversial boxer has alleged the retailer sold a range of clothing branded with sobriquets such as Mike Tyson, Iron Mike, and Kid Dynamite without his approval. Mr Tyson has owned the international trademark for Mike Tyson since 2010.

The clothing in question was not advertised as being unaffiliated with Mr Tyson and was sold alongside other official merchandise on the companys website, with the boxer claiming their sale conveyed that Culture Kings had the approval or sponsorship of Mr Tyson, which was not the case.
I dont have a problem with either of these benchmarks, only with the conspicuous virtue signalling. Start boasting about how caring and inclusive you are and theres no end to it. Doesnt a 50/50 split between male and female artists discriminate against non-binaries?

Indeed, it was such a clear-cut victory that Art Gallery of NSW Director Michael Brand and head of trustees David Gonski felt they had to thrill us with statistics establishing that this years Archibald exhibition contained equal numbers of male and female artists, and that indigenous entries were at an all-time high.

Its now history that Peter Wegner has won the centenary Archibald Prize with a portrait of centenarian artist, Guy Warren. Wegner wasnt the only one to have that idea  by Guys reckoning, he sat for four or five portraits in the lead-up to this years prizes, but theres little doubt the Archibald winner was the best of the lot.

Awarding an art prize is not a science, as its impossible for any judge to lay aside all of his or her cultural baggage. Yet to start anatomising the entries in terms of gender and race is to undermine the perception of an objectivity that should be enshrined as a sacred principle, albeit unachievable in practice. My advice would be to leave it to the thought police to tot up the number of males and females or the range of ethnicities, and simply say: We chose what we believed were the very best works.

Pat Hoffie was highly commended for her portrait of her daughter Visaya in a c-collar. Credit:Mim Stirling

In line with their habits of recent years, the trustees nominated two highly commendeds. The first was Jude Raes Inside Out, a tricky self-portrait in which the artist stands in her apartment holding a phone with which she appears to be taking a selfie. Its hard to know whether we are looking at the artist from the other side of her window, or at a painting of the selfie.

Raes style might be described as realism with a twist. Although she works with great precision, she invariably adds some element that disturbs the near-photographic image, reminding us were not looking through a window on to the world but at a hand-made artefact. In this case, its the play of reflections on the window that provides that extra dimension. The work is rather less successful as a portrait. Looking at Wegners winning entry, we get a strong sense of Guy Warrens personality  in his eyes, face and body language, but Raes self-portrait gives nothing away. She stands upright with folded arms, a calm expression and in a basic black T-shirt. The device of the reflective window may appear to offer some insight but in this instance, it serves as a barrier against the world.
Cancer June 22-July 22 Venus and Mars are teaming up in your sign, making you heart-meltingly attractive! If theres a paramour youre yet to woo, do so now while your powers of persuasion are irresistible. Youll also have very strong likes and dislikes. Dont make any permanent decisions on temporary feelings. Wait until your emotions are on a more even keel. Leo July 23-August 22

You usually rely on hard, cold facts to back up your claims. Today though your powers of perception are on high alert, which will allow you to read peoples thoughts and feelings. Take a break from using your X-ray vision and focus on your own feelings. Some solitude will do you good and help to reconnect with your higher self. Virgo August 23-September 22 You may be thrown into the role of agony aunt or uncle. Eager as you are to assist a friend in need, you wont tolerate petty issues. Nor will you be in the mood for sugar-coating or helping others unwilling to help themselves. If it all becomes a bit much, turn off your phone or start charging by the hour! Libra

September 23-October 22 Put your best foot forward. The moon thrusts you into the spotlight, so make the most of the attention by impressing the powers that be. Careers matters will come to the forefront in a positive way, with some of you receiving the recognition you deserve or having a pivotal conversation. Meanwhile, if a sudden opportunity presents itself, get ready to pounce! Scorpio October 23  November 22 Youll feel compelled to expand your horizons, both physically and mentally. If a trip abroad is out of the question, vive la difference by visiting art galleries, attending foreign film festivals or trying an exotic new cuisine. With Venus energising your area associated with all things esoteric, youre also likely to take a particular interest in unconventional books and practices.

Sagittarius November 23-December 20 Today is all about give and take. A situation calls for compromise, but dont sell yourself short, especially with business negotiations, or let your caring nature overshadow your own desires. This is a lesson in considering your own needs, as much as others. It is also a good day to go over ways to improve your finances and clear debt. Capricorn December 21-January 19

You may need to get your hands dirty in a situation involving your friends or social acquaintances. Diplomatic and impartial as you may be, this is not the time to sit on the fence. You have opinions, and they count, so make them heard. Even if your thoughts go against popular opinion, others will admire the strength of your convictions. Aquarius January 20-February 18 You may wake up thinking Thats it, Im done! If youve been trying to give up smoking or late night grazing, the lunar energy is giving you the will and strength to adopt positive lifestyle changes, so something about it TODAY! Take steps towards ditching nasty habits, dust off the juicer and stop using your gym membership as a bookmark. Pisces
Social media finfluencers who dispense advice to followers often have vested interests in the investments they promote, a leading academic says, and the information provided can result in overvalued assets, large price swings and big loses for vulnerable investors.

Given that social media finfluencers are growing in power, Angel Zhong, senior finance lecturer at RMIT, says consideration should be given by the platforms to have explicit disclaimers in place to warn potential investors about the reliability of the information provided.

RMIT academic Angel Zhong says social media platforms should look into requiring finfluencers, such as cryptocurrency promoters, to carry wealth warnings. Credit:Bloomberg

Giving personal financial advice without a licence in Australia is illegal. However, the finfluencers with the biggest followings are from outside our borders and not subject to our laws.

For example, TikToks #moneytok has had more than 7.6 billion page views and #stocktok 1.3 billion.
China appeared open and co-operative with the international investigation into COVID-19s origins, an Australian investigator says.

Professor Dominic Dwyer, director of public health pathology in NSW, was among 17 international experts who travelled to Wuhan in January as part of a World Health Organisation study team investigating the source of the pandemic.

Professor Dominic Dwyer, seen here in hotel quarantine on his return to Sydney from Wuhan. Credit:Rhett Wyman

The teams report concluded the most likely cause of the pandemic was a virus jumping from one animal species to another  possibly bat to pangolin  and then into humans.

This view is also supported by the Australasian Virology Society, Australias peak body of virus experts.
Along with the rest of her family, mother Priya, father Nadesalingam and big sister Kopika, 5, Australian-born Tharnicaa has been detained on Christmas Island since August 2019 as the federal government attempts to deport them from Australia. That deportation is being fought in the courts. Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews hinted at a possible resolution when asked about the case earlier on Tuesday. We are going through the process now of investigating a range of resettlement options in relation to a number of different circumstances here in Australia, she said. I cant make public commentary on that at the moment because I dont want to disrupt those negotiations.

For Labor home affairs spokeswoman Kristina Keneally, Ms Andrews comments did not go far enough. I would say to [Ms Andrews] now, today, with this devastating medical emergency for this young three-year-old girl Tharnicaa, its time to just make a decision, she said. Its time to stop giving promising indications, its time to just make the right decision. The humane decision. People across Australia from all political stripes would welcome this. This is not a political debate. In a statement released through the Home to Bilo group, mother Priya Murugappan said she had been requesting medical attention for her daughter in the detention centre since May 25, but was only given Nurofen and Panadol, along with advice on common flu symptoms. I am feeling very scared and worried for my little girl, she said.

She is already asking for her papa, it is going to be very hard being away from her dad and sister. Family friend Angela Fredericks said she was furious at how long it took Tharnicaa to receive appropriate treatment. I feel like the staffs refusal to listen to these girls parents has essentially caused this medical crisis, she said. This ordeal, its cruel. International Health and Medical Services, which provides medical services at the Christmas Island centre, insisted it had provided appropriate and timely medical care.

Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video A series of court orders have prevented their deportation, with the familys future resting on whether Tharnicaa, who turns four next week, has a right to apply for a protection visa. Banana Shire Council Mayor Neville Ferrier said the family should be returned to Biloela, about 420 kilometres north of Brisbane. I suspect [the federal government] will have to make a decision sooner or later, hopefully sooner, he said. I think they should send them home here while the court case is going on. Theyll be looked after here.

They werent any trouble here before and things would be a lot better if the little girls could be back in Biloela with friends and family looking after them. Cr Ferrier said the community would keep battling till they can get them home. The familys immigration lawyer Carina Ford said the whole experience had been traumatic for both mother and daughter. [Tharnicaa] is by no means recovered yet, and were still in a period of uncertainty, but shes in good hands, she told Nine News in Perth. Ms Ford said she was grateful for the outpouring of support for the family, especially from Queensland, where the family had strong connections in the community.

Loading Australian Medical Association WA president Andrew Miller said the government needed to be quicker to act when people become ill if it insists on keeping people incarcerated in remote areas. The responsibility of the people keeping her there is higher than it is for even the general community, because theyre preventing people from making their own healthcare arrangements, Dr Miller said. WA Premier Mark McGowan said Tharnicaa may be in the Perth Childrens Hospital for a considerable period. Shell receive all the medical attention that she needs to get better and I dont know how long that will take, it may take days it may take weeks, he said.
A doctor, who practised in Bondi Junction in Sydneys east, has faced court accused of inappropriately touching three of his female patients.

Andrew Su Lin, 36, was arrested last month and charged with three counts of sexual touching without consent and two counts of common assault.

Police started an investigation after they received a complaint from a female patient who said she had been inappropriately touched during a consultation in March at a Bondi Junction medical centre.

Following further inquiries, police found another two women who alleged they had also been sexually touched by the doctor.

Dr Lin was arrested at his home in Chatswood on May 17 and taken to Waverley police station where he was charged.
Queenslanders are being warned to brace themselves for a cold snap with a chance of snow that is making its way to south-east Queensland.

The Bureau of Meteorologys Pieter Claassen said a cold front had moved through the Darling Downs but the cooler temperatures were yet to come.

Scarves, beanies, jackets and hoodies are reliable tools to combat an icy wind chill factor. Credit:Bradley Kanaris

The cold front also brought some rain to the region with Upper Brackett Creek receiving the highest total of 25 millimetres, he said.

Behind that cold front well see much cooler temperatures today than what we have seen so far.
We see that a lot in our field, he said, where many women are delaying coming to see us, thinking they can solve it all by themselves. Weve got medical reasons why theyre struggling, and well help them overcome those medical reasons. But at the same time, we dont want you to feel helpless or feel like your own emotions are getting in the way.
One of Australias largest disability service providers has opened its own COVID-19 vaccination hub in Melbourne amid concerns about delays in rolling out the vaccine in disability homes.

Scope Australia, which supports 1400 people with a disability living in 170 group homes in Victoria, opened a hub in Glenroy in Melbournes north on Monday to help people with a disability get vaccinated more quickly.

The hub is run in partnership with Aspen Medical - one of the private contractors the federal government hired to distribute the vaccines - as part of the Commonwealth COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

Scope has set up its own vaccination hub in Glenroy. Credit:Jason South

Australias 6000 disability homes were initially to be among the first to receive vaccinations under phase 1a of the vaccine rollout but aged care was later prioritised due to the high number of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes.
Police have arrested a man and seized drugs, cash and a weapon after a raid in Melbournes north-west in connection with Operation Ironside.

Firearms unit officers and Australian Federal Police allegedly found 6.5 kilograms of cannabis, more than 100 grams of drugs in tablet and powder form, a stun gun and more than $250,000 in cash following a raid on a home on Contursi Drive in Sydenham at 10am on Tuesday.

A 24-year-old Sydenham man was taken into police custody and is currently assisting police with their inquiries.

The arrest flows from a joint three-year operation, dubbed Operation Ironside, which police called the sting of the century, and which culminated in the arrest of dozens of alleged bikie and mafia figures in raids this week.
Victorian universities continue to climb global rankings but are forecast to face a grim few years as Australias borders remain closed to international students.

The University of Melbourne is one of the top 40 universities in the world, according to one of the most prominent global university ranking tables, while RMIT, Swinburne and La Trobe also improved their positions.

But Victorias biggest university, Monash, has moved down in the latest QS World University Rankings, as have Deakin and Victoria universities.

London higher education analysts QS compared more than 1700 universities around the world and ranked them according to academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, faculty-to- student ratio, and proportion of students and staff who are from other countries.
Perth nurse Mary Tinos final wish before she died after developing sepsis at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital was for her husband to fight to stop the scenario repeating.

Please do something and change the system, I dont want this to happen to anyone else, she pleaded.

Mary Lilian Grace Tino died at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital from sepsis on January 13, 2020.

Ms Tino had been at the hospital for a week suffering from fluid build-up in her abdomen and an infection in her kidneys when she died in 2020. Doctors had flagged surgery for days but she wasnt operated on until the day of her death.

Now, her husband Bradley White wants to sue the hospital for negligence and is pleading for a coronial inquest into Ms Tinos death, hoping to find closure.
Medical experts say UK data suggesting vaccines are highly effective at preventing severe disease from COVID-19 variants are promising, but Australias tough restrictions must remain in place until most of the population has been immunised.

On Monday UK time, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed figures showing fully vaccinated people made up a small percentage of those hospitalised with the Delta variant of concern.

Pharmacists prepare the Pfizer vaccine at the Sydney Olympic Park mass vaccination clinic. Credit:AP

Just 1 per cent of people (126) infected with that variant in the UK were admitted to hospital, he told British MPs. Of those, some 83 had not been vaccinated at all, 28 had received only one shot and three had been fully vaccinated with two doses.

Professor Kristine Macartney, director of Australias National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, said the data showed vaccines were providing good protection against new strains.
The Queensland government will spend two years and $20 million preparing a business case for a pumped hydroelectricity plant on the Sunshine Coast.

The pumped hydro plant would be Queenslands largest and could provide electricity to 1.5 million homes by the middle of this decade.

Borumba Dam near Gympie, with its 43-metre high dam wall, is being considered as a potential pumped hydro site, like Wivenhoe and Somerset dams.

It would be built on the Mary River at Lake Borumba, near Gympie, close to where the failed Traveston Dam project was proposed between 2006 and 2009.

Pumped hydro plants generate energy by allowing water to fall from one dam to a lower dam through a turbine. The water is pumped back to the higher reservoir for the process to be repeated.
Installing a new minister in the middle of a pandemic and hospital crisis to try and make sense of a complex portfolio  which is the second largest department in the state government, with 50,000 staff members  would be a near impossible task and open itself to severe public scrutiny. Mr Cook has 13 years of experience in the portfolio and established relationships with his federal and state counterparts. The deputy premier had pushed for the treasury portfolio following Ben Wyatts retirement but the optics of shifting him out of health in a pandemic or giving him both roles proved unpalatable for Mr McGowan, who instead gave Mr Cook the added roles of state development, science, and jobs and trade. Mr McGowan said at his cabinet announcement three months ago that stability was needed in health. With all the troubles in the portfolio that sentiment would only have gotten stronger.

Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Roger, I shall fear no evil, for Colin [Barnett] art with me, my friends doth comfort me. Surely their love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the assembly forever. Kim Hames 2016 valedictory speech Global circumstances aside, Mr McGowan would want to avoid a cabinet demotion of his deputy which would sow the seeds of dissent within the caucus and anger the partys most powerful union  United Workers. The factionless Mr McGowans historic victory at the March election gave him a great say over the formation of his second cabinet but the astute politician still needed to keep the unions happy when it came to picking ministers. United Workers has the most MPs in government, boasting six of 17 cabinet ministers, and is the dominant partner in an alliance with the AMWU that forms Labors Left. Sue Ellery, Labors leader in the upper house, is another key figure from the union while the organisations former secretary Dave Kelly has avoided the chop from cabinet despite internal grumbling over his performance the last four years.

Loading Mr Cook is the poster child for United Workers, having being involved with the union for more than 30 years, and was thrust into a leadership role the moment he entered parliament in 2008 when he beat his Labor rival Mr McGowan 30-9 in a ballot for deputy opposition leader under Eric Ripper. To push Mr Cook, who has remained deputy in his political career, out of health and into any other portfolio but treasury would be an affront to the United Workers given he still has potential to one day become premier. Labor will keep calm and carry on and is still riding high on its emphatic election win. The party faces an inevitable slide in the popularity stakes as the country gets on top of vaccinations for COVID-19 if state issues such as the Pindan collapse, rental crisis, and cost-of-living continue to fester and influence public opinion.

The hospitals crisis, intertwined as it is with the pandemic response, looms as the biggest challenge for the state government which has made the issue a federal one with a national election in the winds and similar problems in other jurisdictions. Mr Cook told Parliament last Tuesday the health system issues were a national challenge which needed a national response. It does not matter if someone is a patient in Queensland, New South Wales or Victoria, they will see our hospital system right across the country coming under pressure, he said. That is borne out by the data that is being shared across each of the state jurisdictions, and it is the reason that the Premier will be sitting on the national cabinet on Friday this week to consider these very issues. We need to continue to make sure we invest in our hospital system because, like never before, it is under pressure.

Mr McGowan has already hinted this week at a bigger spend on health featuring in the September budget. In the lead up to the budget we will have to spend more on a range of areas, particularly health, so the exact effect of all of that well be able to reveal when the budget comes down on September 9, he said. Health Minister Roger Cook at a rally of education and hospital workers in 2012 when Labor was in opposition. Credit:Facebook Throwing money and WAs sizeable operational surplus from iron ore royalties at the problem might not make it go away, however, as the state competes with the rest of the country for medical staff. The government wants to open up 500 more beds over the next four years but to do that you need more nurses.
London: A British police officer has pleaded guilty to the rape and kidnapping of 33-year-old Sarah Everard who went missing while walking home in London earlier this year.

Her body was found in a bag in woodland in the county of Kent one week after she vanished in a case that outraged Britain. Her death prompted Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge and wife of Prince William, to pay tribute at a vigil for Evarard.

Sarah Everard. Credit:Metropolitan Police

Police officer Wayne Couzens, who joined the Metropolitan police force in 2018, was charged in March with Everards kidnap and murder.

On Tuesday, he admitted to kidnapping Everard unlawfully and by force or fraud and raping the marketing executive. He did not enter a plea for her murder, but those gathered in court heard that he had accepted responsibility for her death.
The Hague, Netherlands: Ratko Mladic, the military chief known as the Butcher of Bosnia for orchestrating genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Balkan nations 1992-95 war, has lost his final legal battle after UN judges affirmed his life sentence.

The rejection of Mladics appeals of his 2017 convictions and sentence closed a grim chapter in European history that included the Continents first genocide since World War II  the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of more than 8000 Muslim men and boys.

Former military chief Ratko Mladic mimics photographers taking pictures as he waits to hear the result of his appeal on Tuesday. Credit:AP

The now-frail Mladic, often belligerent at his court appearances in The Hague, showed no reaction other than a scowl as presiding Judge Prisca Matimba Nyambe of Zambia said the panel on Tuesday had dismissed, by a vote of 4-1, his appeals of convictions for crimes including genocide, murder, extermination and terror for atrocities throughout the war that killed more than 100,000 and left millions homeless.

The 79-year-old former general is the last major figure to face justice from the conflict that ended more than a quarter of a century ago.
Washington: The rich really are different from you and me: theyre better at dodging the tax collector.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos paid no income tax in 2007 and 2011. Tesla founder Elon Musks income tax bill was zero in 2018. And financier George Soros went three straight years without paying federal income tax, according to a report released on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) from the nonprofit investigative journalism organization ProPublica.

Overall, the richest 25 Americans pay less in tax  an average of 15.8 per cent of adjusted gross income  than many ordinary workers do, once you include taxes for Social Security and Medicare, ProPublica found. Its findings are likely to heighten a national debate over the vast and widening inequality between the very wealthiest Americans and everyone else.

ProPublica found that Jeff Bezos paid no income tax in 2018. Credit:AP

An anonymous source delivered to ProPublica reams of Internal Revenue Service data on the countrys wealthiest people, including Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch and Mark Zuckerberg. ProPublica compared the tax data it received with information available from other sources. It reported that in every instance we were able to check  involving tax filings by more than 50 separate people  the details provided to ProPublica matched the information from other sources.
The scandal brought down former House Speaker Michael Madigan, who has not been charged and has denied wrongdoing, and left Pritzker and lawmakers wary of appearing to do the companys bidding. Negotiations over the size of subsidies appeared to have stalled until the governors office and Exelon reached a last-minute agreement that would see more than $600 million in state support for three nuclear plants over five years.
New York: An Australian man has pleaded guilty to involvement in what US prosecutors called a scheme to bilk hundreds of thousands of mobile phone users out of more than $US50 million ($65 million) for unwanted text messaging services.

Michael Pearse, 52, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud at a hearing before US District Judge Analisa Torres in Manhattan on Tuesday, local time.

Michael Pearse, from Sydney, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Credit:LinkedIn

According to a plea agreement, federal guidelines recommend that the Sydney man serve 97 to 121 months in prison, athough Torres can impose a different sentence. Pearse also agreed to forfeit about $US10.16 million.

The defendant was extradited from Australia in January, and will remain in custody until his scheduled October 7 sentencing.
Lansdale, PA (19446)

Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Inc is in early-stage talks with China's CATL and BYD about the supply of batteries for its planned electric vehicle, four people with knowledge of the matter said.

The discussions are subject to change and it is not clear if agreements with either CATL or BYD will be reached, said the people who declined to be named as the discussions are private.

has made building manufacturing facilities in the United States a condition for potential battery suppliers, said two of the sources.

CATL, which supplies major car makers including Tesla Inc, is reluctant to build a U.S. factory due to political tensions between Washington and Beijing as well as cost concerns, the two people said.

It was not immediately clear if is also talking to other battery makers.

Apple, which has yet to make a public announcement about its car plans, declined to comment. CATL, the world's biggest automotive battery maker, and BYD, the world's No. 4, also declined to comment.

The U.S. firm is in favor of using lithium iron phosphate batteries that are cheaper to produce because they use iron instead of nickel and cobalt which are more expensive, the four people said.

Apple has been working on self-driving technology and has targeted 2024 for the production of a passenger vehicle, Reuters reported in December.

People familiar with the matter have previously said Apple's planned EV could include its own breakthrough battery technology. It was not immediately clear if the discussions with CATL and BYD involved Apple's own technology or designs.

The discussions come at a time when the U.S. government is looking to attract more EV manufacturing. U.S. President Joe Biden's proposed $1.7 trillion infrastructure plan includes a $174 billion budget to boost the domestic EV market with tax credits and grants for battery manufacturers, among other incentives.

Many battery makers are ramping up production to meet soaring worldwide demand as car makers accelerate their shift to electric vehicles to comply with tougher emission rules aimed at tackling global warming.

Chinese battery makers are expected to grow at a faster pace than their foreign peers thanks to further expansion of the world's biggest EV market, SNE Research said in a June report.

Reuters reported last week that CATL is planning a major new automotive battery plant in Shanghai, continuing a blistering pace of expansion that will cement its lead as the world's No.1 supplier. The factory would near Tesla's China manufacturing operations.

(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.)
Indias play in the steel market is set to get bigger. The company is busy making plans that would increase its capacity by five million tonnes in the next three years while laying building blocks for the phase after.

Dilip Oommen chief executive officer India (AM/NS India), said the groundbreaking for the expansion to 14 million tonnes was expected this year.

In the next phase, we will take it up to 18 million tonnes, he added. The two phases of expansion at Hazira, Gujarat, along with downstream, are expected to cost about Rs 50,000 crore. Hazira has a capacity of about 9 million tonnes.

For the expansion at Hazira from 9 to 14 million tonnes, AM/NS India has land. Acquisition of land for the second phase is underway.

We have made very good progress with the Gujarat government, said Oommen.

However, he pointed out that logistics would have to be in place for the second phase. That would entail enhancing port facilities, getting the railway line into the plant and improving road logistics. Lot of work has already started, he said.

The first phase would be completed in three years. For the second phase, AM/NS India has an option of taking up Hazira or starting construction of a new plant in Odisha.

We will have to decide appropriately. There are many options and we will have to select the right option, explained Oommen.

In March, AM/NS India had signed an MoU for a 12-million tonne integrated steel plant at an investment of Rs 50,000 crore, in the presence of executive chairman Lakshmi Mittal and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Oommen said, In Odisha, we are in active discussions with the government for setting up a 12 million tonne plant. We have specialists from all streams working on this right now and land acquisition process is on.

Even as the major growth plans are being charted, an investment of Rs 14,500 crore is underway at Hazira and Odisha.

Growth plans would also entail inorganic opportunities. AM/NS India has submitted an expression of interest for Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd (NINL), which is being privatized by the government.

We are open to all opportunities that may come up in the future. We are very closely studying opportunities and we will participate, said Oommen.

Clearly, the joint venture of worlds leading steel  ArcelorMittal and  is betting big on India. The jointly acquired Essar Steel under the insolvency code for Rs 42,000 crore in 2019.

Last week, AM Mining Indias resolution plan for Uttam Galva Steels  a downstream unit  was approved by the committee of creditors and the resolution plan has been filed with the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

Oommen said that there could be mothballed assets in the plant that need to be put back on line. The plant has done well, but there is scope for improvement and potential for capacity to go up, he explained.

The last one year has worked out well for steel as demand improved and prices surged. All major domestic steel producers are restarting expansion plans and by FY24, 29 million tonnes of additional capacity is expected to go onstream, excluding AM/NS Indias expansion.

Oommen, however, reminded that steel was a cyclical industry. Right now, its a good market. But it has also seen bad times, he said.

He also said that Indian steel prices were the lowest in the world. Steel companies increased prices this month, but there is still a gap of about Rs 8,000 a tonne for hot rolled coil  a benchmark for flat steel  with landed cost of imports.


State-owned will conduct an e-auction of as many as 46 NPA accounts later this month to recover dues of Rs 597.41 crore.

The lender, in a notification, said it intends to sell these NPA accounts to asset reconstruction (ARCs) / banks / NBFCs or other financial institutions (FIs) on 100 per cent cash basis, for which the e-auction will take place on June 21, 2021.

The major NPA accounts put up for sale include Meena Jewels Export & Meena Jewellers Export (Rs 60.76 crore); Crystal Cable Industries (Rs 57.49 crore); J R Foods Ltd (Rs 41.60 crore); Shree Raghuvanshi Fibres (Rs 27.38 crore); Kaneri Agro Industries (Rs 24.69 crore); Man Tubinox (Rs 24.28 crore) and Aryans Educational and Charitable Trust (Rs 20.79 crore).

The last date for submission of expression of interest is June 19, the bank said, adding the completion of due diligence will take place on the same day.

"E-bidding timings will be from 11.30 AM to 12.30 PM with unlimited extension of 5 minutes in case the amount is increased by the bidders. The incremental amount shall be in multiple of Rs 10 lakh," said.

With respect to Chennai-based Rahima Leather Exports against which there is an outstanding of Rs 9.13 crore, said it has received an ECGC claim of Rs 1.18 crore.

This account will be retained by the bank and not be passed on to ARC/NBFC/bank/FIs, it said.

Bidder will also have to give an affidavit that they are "in no way connected to or acting on behalf of or in concert or on behalf of any of the accounts or its promoters, including promoter's family", as per the provisions of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), 2016, it said.

The bank said any ECGC/CGTMSE claim received or to be received in any of the accounts under the sale will be retained by it and will not be passed on to ARCs/ banks/ NBFCs/ FIs.

The Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC) is a government owned body which provides export credit insurance support to Indian exporters.

Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) is a government owned trust which offers credit guarantee to financial institutions which give loans to the MSME sector.

(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 Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Tuesday said that the proposed additional stake buy in (UB) by Dutch major Heineken does not raise any competition concerns, effectively clearing the deal.

In its order, the said, It is submitted that the proposed transaction does not give rise to competition concerns regardless of delineation of the relevant market for the purpose of this filing.



UB is the country's largest beer company, while Heineken is the worlds second-largest brewer after Anheuser-Busch (AB) InBev.

The proposed transaction sought to increase Heinekens stake in UB to 50 per cent from nearly 47 per cent now, liquor industry sources said. This paves the way for the Dutch major to acquire controlling stake in the firm subsequently.

The move came after the special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court in Mumbai recently restored to lenders the properties and securities seized by the Enforcement Directorate from former liquor baron Vijay Mallya, who earlier ran UB, in lieu of loans granted to him. The special PMLA court had allowed the restoration of properties and shares worth Rs 5,646.54 crore to banks.

Heineken had expressed its willingness to buy Mallya's shares as and when banks would begin selling them to recover their dues.

The total shareholding of Vijay Mallya and his holding in UB is 11 per cent, of which 95.21 per cent is pledged with various banks.

The recovery process by banks is typically guided by the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act, 2002, where the auction or sale of seized properties is done under strict guidelines, experts tracking the sector, said.

A State Bank of India-led consortium of banks has claimed that Mallya owes it over Rs 9,000 crore relating to his defunct Kingfisher Airlines, a charge that the latter has refuted.

Mallya fled to the United Kingdom in 2016, even as Indian investigative agencies were probing him over allegations of money laundering.
on Tuesday said it aims to enable e-commerce for about one lakh direct to consumer (D2C) brands and small businesses by the end of the year.

The company, which provides digital solutions for MSMEs, has entered the e-commerce segment and is providing tools and solutions to small businesses and D2C brands to help them launch their own independent online stores, CEO and co-founder Sampad Swain told PTI.

"Merchants can now build an online profile along with running and managing their online businesses. We are offering merchants digital solutions which include online payments, logistics, credit services, free learning platform called 'mojoversity' and more, to help these businesses gain visibility," he said.

Last year, had acquired GetMeAShop (GMAS), an e-commerce enablement firm backed by Times Internet.

Swain said Instamojo launched its e-commerce offering in February this year and has seen tremendous response.

"About 50,000 brands have come and created store fronts...From February to now, we have grown 15-20 per cent month over month, and if we can continue, it will be 8-10X growth."



At a conservative level, Instamojo is hopeful of powering one lakh such brands in India by the end of the year, he added.

"I think this business can go to USD 100 million in the next five years, whether it will happen in three years or five, we will see," Swain said.

He explained that to be able to tread onto the digital storefront path, merchants will require more than just setting up the online store.

"A digital storefront's consistency is directly proportional to continued customer side engagement which is why it is the need of the hour to make available sustainable solutions for small businesses...Instamojo has created an entire ecosystem of not just starting business online but also start transacting immediately," he said.

Founded in 2012 by Sampad Swain, Akash Gehani and Aditya Sengupta, Instamojo raised its series B funding from Gunosy Capital, AnyPay-a Japanese payments firm and the existing VCs earlier this year.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
For weeks now, President Joe Biden has been in talks with Republican senators trying to strike a compromise on his top legislative a priority, the infrastructure investment package. The price tag, along with how to fund the proposal, are at issue, and while the two sides appear to have narrowed the gap between his initial $2.3 trillion proposal and the GOPs $568 billion opening bid, they remain far apart on the scope of the deal and how to pay for it, The Associated Press reports.
Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) has reported 31 per cent year-on-year jump in its to 13.71 lakh tonnes during April and May.

The production totalled 6.81 lakh tonnes in April and 6.9 lakh tonnes in May as compared to 10.44 lakh tonnes in the same period last year.

Steel sales also increased by 7 per cent to 10.58 lakh tonnes (April 5.59 lakh tonnes and May 4.99 lakh tonnes).

However, slowdown in domestic construction activities due to Covid-19 and logistical challenges faced owing to congestion at ports due to adverse weather conditions resulted in sales growth lagging production growth.

said it continues to take measures to offset the impact of slowdown in domestic demand by exporting in lucrative global markets.

The exports accounted for 21 per cent of sales volumes in April with the share rising further to 36 per cent in May.

To support government efforts in combating the pandemic, the company has supplied 3,500 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen.

is also running a 300 beds modern hospital in Raigarh and a newly-built intensive Covid care centre at Angul in Odisha.

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Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



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Shyam Metalics and Energy (SMEL) will end the over two-month drought in the initial public offering (IPO) market. The steelmaker will launch its Rs 909-crore offering next week. SMEL has pruned its size from Rs 1,107 crore, with the promoters deciding to offload shares worth Rs 252 crore as against Rs 452 crore planned earlier.

The company has priced its between Rs 303 to 306 per share. The will remain open between June 14 and June 16. Anchor investors will be allotted shares on Friday.

The last IPO to hit the domestic market was the Rs 2,500-crore offering by real estate major Macrotech Developers.

Market players said the turbulence caused due to the second-wave of covid-19 forced many to hold back their listing plans. However, a sharp rebound in the market since May has helped revive the IPO market, they said.

The benchmark has rallied more than 7 per cent since May 1.

SMEL IPO is coming on the back of a sharp rally in shares of metal The Nifty Metal index has rallied 62 per cent so far this year.

SMEL is looking to raise Rs. 657 crore fresh capital from the IPO. The company proposes to utilise the issue proceeds to retire debt of up to Rs 470 crores.

SMEL is a producer of intermediate and long steel products, such as iron pellets, sponge iron, steel billets, TMT, structural products, wire rods, and ferroalloys products. The company currently has three manufacturing plants located at Sambalpur in Odisha and Jamuria and Mangalpur in West Bengal. SMEL is now further diversifying our product portfolio by entering into the segments such as pig iron, ductile iron pipes and aluminium foil.

SMEL has 42 distributors across 13 states and one union territory in India as of December 31, 2020. The company's customers include Jindal Stainless, Norecom DMCC, Posco International and World Metals & Alloys (FZC).

ICICI Securities, JM Financial, Axis Capital, IIFL Securities and SBI Capital Markets are the issue managers.
The on Tuesday asked the to resume at the earliest e-PoS devices in the public distribution system (PDS), as this will help about 10 lakh migrant ration card holders in the national capacity to draw their quota of grains from the home state.

The in April 2018 temporarily suspended distribution of ration through the e-PoS (electronic point of sale) system.

In a letter written to the Delhi government, Union Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said e-PoS machines are necessary not only for transparent distribution of subsidised foodgrains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) but also for the implementation of One Nation-One Ration Card (ONORC).

Since ONORC is a technology-driven process to enable intra-state and inter-state portability of ration card holders, it is highly dependent on availability of e-PoS devices at all fair price shops (FPSs), also called ration shops, he said.

Pandey said the implementation of ONORC initiative for migrants has been impeded due to non-functioning of e-PoS devices at FPSs.

He added, "Considering the prevailing situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and looking at the difficulty faced by migrants, facility of inter-state portability will ensure delivery of ration to a large number of migrant workers in Delhi."



All NFSA migrant workers (estimated to be over 10 lakh) in Delhi will be able to draw their ration card by debit to their home state. This means there will be no additional burden to the Delhi government, he said.

"In view of immense advantages to people, I shall be grateful for your personal intervention for expeditious resumption of e-PoS devices in all FPSs of Delhi for transparency in distribution of foodgrains and ensure the implementation of ONORC plan at the earliest.

"This Department stands committed to extend all technical support to the state, if required," Pandey said in the letter.

Highlighting the benefits of ONORC initiative, the secretary said all ration card holders of Delhi who change their residences frequently will be able to draw ration from any ration shop which is close by without changing residential address or the ration card.

The secretary said experiences in other states have shown that the ONORC implementation has led to empowerment of beneficiaries as they have the choice to change their ration dealer without the interference of bureaucracy or red tape at ground level.

Due to the right of choice shifting to beneficiaries, implementation of ONORC has led to improved behavior and conduct by ration shop dealers and improvement in their services, he said.

The government's Mera Ration mobile app available in over 10 regional languages would help Delhi residents to draw their ration with ease, he said.

Lastly, any Delhi residents moving out of Delhi to any neighbouring or any other state of lndia would be able to draw the ration without having to apply for local ration card, he added.

Already, 32 states and Union Territories are brought under the ONORC despite the multitude of COVID-19-related challenges.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After a meeting with Prime Minister in Delhi, Maharashtra Chief Minister on Tuesday said the Centre is expected to take positive decisions on issues like Maratha, OBC reservation.

Briefing media persons at the Maharashtra Sadan after the meeting, Thackeray said, "There was a lot of discussion during this. The Prime Minister listened to all the issues seriously. The Center is expected to take positive decisions on pending issues. I thank the Prime Minister. There was no political obsession anywhere. We are satisfied with the meeting. The Prime Minister will definitely take further action on these questions,"

Earlier on Tuesday, a delegation of the Maharashtra Government led by Thackeray met the Prime Minister at his residence in New Delhi.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Public Works Minister Ashok Chavan were also present on the occasion. The meeting was held to sort out the pending issues of Maharashtra at the Centre.

According to the Maharashtra Government, the issues discussed at the meeting with Prime Minister included Maratha reservation, political reservation of other backward classes in Panchayat Raj elections, reservation of backward classes in the promotion and the availability of space at Kanjurmarg for Metro Car Shed.

Last month, had written to PM Modi requesting him to take steps to declare the Maratha community in the state as Socially and Educationally Backward (SEBC) to enable them to claim at least to 12 per cent and 13 per cent reservation in education and public employment respectively.

"The Judgement delivered by the Constitution Bench (comprising of five Judges) of the Supreme Court on May 5, 2021, has given me this occasion to write to you with the earnest request that appropriate steps be taken at the earliest to grant reservation to the Maratha community from my State, albeit in accordance with the law, to the minimum extent of 12 per cent in Education and 13 per cent in Public Employment," the Maharashtra Chief Minister had written.

A five-judge Constitution Bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, L Nageswara Rao, S Abdul Nazeer, Hemant Gupta and Ravindra Bhat in its judgment said that that people from the Maratha community cannot be declared as educationally and socially backward community to bring them within the reserved category.

(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.)
on Tuesday pledged further assistance to Southeast Asian nations in battling the COVID-19 pandemic as it seeks to boost influence with the region where chief geopolitical rival the US is also looking to strengthen ties.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his counterparts from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations that had already delivered 100 million doses of vaccine to ASEAN nations along with other pandemic-fighting materials and technical help.

Wang likened the challenge to earlier economic crises, the 2003 SARS outbreak and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, saying all were faced with practical action arising from feelings of brotherly concern and the care of watchful neighbors.

In the process of jointly overcoming challenges, we have deepened friendship, mutual trust and common interests," Wang told the ministers, assembled in the southwestern Chinese megacity of Chongqing for meetings marking the 30th anniversary of formal relations between and ASEAN.

Wang said the sides should explore establishing an expert panel to strengthen cooperation throughout the vaccine process, from research to use, and work to build production and distribution centers to help make vaccines affordable and accessible in the region.

He said China would urgently implement" the China-ASEAN Public Health Cooperation Initiative, continue to support the ASEAN Emergency Medical Materials Reserve and strengthen regional public health capacity-building. China will work with ASEAN to overcome the outbreak as soon as possible," Wang said.

Though COVID-19 was first detected in China in late 2019, the nation has largely stamped out domestic transmission, although it has been accused of insufficient transparency or even seeking to conceal the origins of the pandemic.

Beijing has been building influence with ASEAN, despite frictions with some members of the bloc over competing territorial claims in the South China Sea. China's construction of islands and its military operations in the sea have brought complaints Beijing is militarising the waterway.

China's economic and diplomatic heft has helped override such concerns, however, while the bloc has been unable to form a unified stand in the face of opposition from Chinese allies within it, primarily Cambodia.

Wang made no direct reference to Myanmar, an ASEAN member where the military seized power Feb. 1 and has cracked down on widespread opposition. On Monday, he said China supported ASEAN's non-interventionist approach.

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The Centre has placed advance orders for 250 million Covishield and 190 million Covaxin doses to be supplied between August and December, V K Paul, member-health, Niti Aayog, said on Tuesday. He pointed out that 30 per cent advance payment for these doses had already been given to the makers-- and

The government has not disclosed the amount paid as advance for these orders. However, industry sources indicated that makers are likely to re-negotiate the price with the government. Till now, the Centre has been procuring at Rs 150 per dose. Renegotiations on pricing are likely for two reasons. One, exports are not happening at the moment and second, the 25 per cent supply to states at a higher price has now been stopped, said a senior executive at a vaccine firm.

Prime Minister announced on Monday that the vaccine procurement would be centralised again. After states expressed their inability to procure vaccines from global companies, the Centre reviewed the policy.

The schedule of month-wise supply of the doses, that have been ordered, is yet to be firmed up by the companies. We have requested the companies to provide us with the availability schedule. The government is working hard on multiple fronts to ensure vaccines for the people, Paul said.

According to a May 13 statement by the Health Ministry, around 276 million doses of Covishield were ordered, the supply of which was expected by July. The government had said on May 3, that around 110 million doses were to be received from (SII), which makes Covishield-- developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University.





ALSO READ: New vaccine norms call for fairness to small hospitals, e-vouchers for poor

Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla had indicated last month that more than 200 million doses had been delivered cumulatively to the Indian government.

Sources indicated that in May, more than 30 million doses were supplied to the Centre. In June, another 60 million doses are expected to come into the system. This is in sync with the vaccine makers stepping up production. Last month, SII produced roughly 70 million doses, and around half of that was supplied to the Centre. In June, the company aims to produce about 90 million doses, and the Centre will procure 75 per cent of this production under the revised policy. By July, the production will touch 100 million doses a month, according to the ramp up plan.



Meanwhile, the Centre has pressed the pedal on placing advance orders for Covid-19 vaccines.

The government had recently placed advance orders for 300 million doses of Biological E with a payment of Rs 1,500 crore. The price at which the advance order of the Biological E vaccine was placed has not been revealed.

Paul said that the price negotiations would be done under the new system. The help has been provided as it will meet part of the price...It is a partial support given on an urgent basis. The provisionary data was very promising, he added.

The government is expecting sufficient supply of vaccines from August-September onwards. We will have to increase the speed of to absorb the supply and cover the adult population, Paul said.





ALSO READ: Rs 10,000 cr more needed for vaccines; fiscal impact 40 bps more: Report

Data shows that August onwards, the government has secured 740 million doses of vaccines by placing order with several manufacturers. Till July, the government had secured 516 million doses.

The Centre expects vaccine production or availability to touch 2.1 6 billion doses between August and December, enough to vaccinate the entire adult population of the country. The government recently said it would be able to give up to 10 million jabs a day by mid-July or early August. So far, the pace of has peaked at a little above 3 million jabs a day in the country.

Of the 2.16 billion doses availability that the health ministry has indicated, around 750 million would be Covishield. Poonawalla indicated earlier that by the year-end, he expected to start supplies to Covax and other countries. That would mean some of the 750 million doses could be exported between August and December.

The government is focusing on strengthening research and development, enabling manufacturing and ensuring adequate availability of vaccines as priority, Paul said.

The health ministry is supporting the development of more than five Covid-19 vaccine candidates. Some of these are now closer to introduction in the public health system.
In a significant direction, the on Tuesday ordered a crackdown on NGOs or individuals involved in illegal adoption of children orphaned amid the Covid pandemic.

A bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao and Aniruddha Bose said: "The state governments/Union Territories are directed to take action against those NGOs/ individuals who are indulging in illegal adoptions."

Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj, appearing for the National Commission for Protection of Children Rights (NCPCR), had expressed his anguish about certain NGOs collecting funds in the names of the affected children.

"It has come to the notice of the NCPCR that the identity of the affected children is being disclosed in public announcements by certain unscrupulous agencies and individuals who are inviting interested persons to adopt the affected children," he submitted.

The NCPCR and some women and child welfare NGOs had informed the bench that there are several advertisements in the public domain, including on social media, inviting people to adopt orphans.They submitted that many of them are fake and no adoption is permissible without the involvement of the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA).

The top court specified that no adoption can be allowed in violation of the Juvenile Justice Act and also without the involvement of the CARA.

"We share the concern of the Additional Solicitor General and Shobha Gupta about the illegal adoption of affected children. The state governments/Union Territories are directed to prevent any NGO from collecting funds in the names of the affected children by disclosing their identity and inviting interested persons to adopt them. No adoption of affected children should be permitted contrary to the provisions of the JJ Act, 2015," it said in its order.

The bench, in a detailed order in a suo moto matter, added that invitation to persons for adoption of orphans is contrary to law as no adoption of a child can be permitted without the involvement of the CARA, and emphasised on stringent action against those involved in illegal adoption.

The top court passed a slew of direction to ensure children, who have been orphaned amid the pandemic, should get access to basic needs, including continuance of education in government or private schools. It also stressed that states should continue identifying children orphaned during Covid-19 pandemic.

The bench said there should be continuous monitoring regarding the welfare of the child by the District Child Protection Units (DCPUs) even after the financial order is passed by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), which should be done periodically every three to six months.

"After the identification of the children who have become orphans or lost one parent, prompt action has to be taken to provide the basic needs of the children. The District Child Protection Officer should act swiftly to contact the child. The DCPUs shall ensure that adequate provision is made for the ration, food, medicines, clothing etc to the child," it said.

The bench also accepted a suggestion by amicus curiae Gaurav Agrawal, and directed states/UTs to make provisions for continuance of education of the children both in government as well as in private schools.

It said the identification of the affected children can be done through Childline (1098), health officials, Panchayati Raj Institutions, police authorities, NGOs etc.

The NCPCR has informed the top court that as many as 3621 children were orphaned, 274 were found abandoned and 26,176 lost either parent since April 1, last year and June 5, 2021, amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The commission said there are 30,071 children, who need care and protection, after collecting data from the states and UTs, on its Bal Swaraj portal.

--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.)
India on Tuesday reported a net reduction of 97,907 in active cases to take its count to 1,303,702. Indias share of global active cases now stands at 10.26 per cent (one in 8). The country is second among the most affected countries by active cases. On Tuesday, it added 86,498 cases to take its total caseload to 28,996,473. And, with 2,123 new fatalities, its Covid-19 reached 351,309, or 1.21 per cent of total confirmed infections.

Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.



Digital Editor
The has asked the Centre to seriously consider involving RWAs in the Covid-19 drive in association with private hospitals, making it convenient and safe for residents to get jabs at nearby centres.

In case the government finds merit in this suggestion, the position may be clarified without any delay and if the authorities are not inclined to permit Residents Welfare Associations (RWAs) to organise such camps, the reasons shall be disclosed in a status report, the high court said.

In our view, the said aspect deserves serious consideration, and unless there are any specific reasons why the Central Government would not want the RWAs to play a role in the drive, there should be no impediment in designating the camps organised by the RWAs in association with private hospitals as centres run by private hospitals.

Permitting vaccinations to be undertaken at such camps would go a long way in making it convenient and safe for the residents of the colonies to get themselves vaccinated at such centres. The Central Government should, therefore, seriously consider this proposal at the earliest, said a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh, which was hearing pleas relating to management of COVID-19 crisis in Delhi.

The court, in its June 4 order, asked the Centre to file a status report in this regard by July 7, when it will hear the matter on reopening after vacations.

The issue relating to permit the RWAs to carry out vaccinations for the residents of the locality was raised by amicus curiae and senior advocate Raj Shekhar Rao.

He said on May 29, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a clarification regarding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination by private hospitals in accordance with the National COVID Vaccination Programme.

As per the ministry's order, private hospitals are permitted to carry out COVID-19 vaccinations through private COVID-19 vaccination centres run by them and no other avenue and the States and Union Territories have been asked to monitor the vaccination in their respective States to ensure adherence to the prescribed guidelines.

The amicus pointed out that prior to issuance of this order by the ministry, several RWAs across Delhi had organised vaccination drives/ camps within their respective colonies for their residents in collaboration with different private hospitals and this was done keeping in view the convenience of the residents and to avoid overcrowding at other vaccination centres.

He said looking to the significant role played by RWAs in organising vaccination drives/ camps in the context of the overall management of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centre should consider issuing specific clarification in this regard so that the associations, in collaboration with private hospitals, may be able to qualify as private COVID Vaccination Centres of the hospitals.



Door-to-door vaccination not possible



The Centre told the Bombay High Court that a door-to-door vaccination programme for senior citizens, specially-abled, bed-ridden and wheelchair-bound people is currently not possible, but it has decided to start near-to-door inoculation centres.The court noted that almost 25 crore people have been vaccinated in India.
Police said the vehicle was recovered May 23 in the 4600 block of South Ellis Avenue in Chicago, and that Garrett-McNutt was taken into custody without incident on June 4 at a residence in the 6400 block of South Wolcott Avenue in Chicago.
The variant that drove Indias devastating Covid-19 epidemic is the most infectious to emerge so far. Doctors now want to know if its also more severe.

Hearing impairment, severe gastric upsets and blood clots leading to gangrene, symptoms not typically seen in Covid patients, have been linked by doctors in India to the so-called Delta variant. In England and Scotland, early evidence suggests the now-dominant strain carries a higher risk of hospitalization.

Delta, also known as B.1.617.2, has spread to more than 60 countries over the past six months and triggered travel curbs from Australia to the U.S. A spike in infections, fueled by the Delta variant, has put pressure on the U.K. government to reconsider its plans of reopening later this month. Higher rates of transmission compared with other variants, and a reduction in the effectiveness of vaccines, have made understanding the strains effects especially critical.





ALSO READ: Free Covid-19 vaccine for all above 18 years from June 21: PM Modi

We need more scientific research to analyze if these newer clinical presentations are linked to B.1.617 or not, said Abdul Ghafur, an infectious disease physician at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai, southern Indias largest city. Ghafur said he is seeing more Covid-19 patients with diarrhea now than in the initial wave of the epidemic.

New enemy

Last year, we thought we had learned about our new enemy, but it changed, Ghafur said. This virus has become so, so unpredictable.

Stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, hearing loss and joint pain are among the ailments Covid-19 patients are experiencing, according to six doctors treating patients across India. Beta and Gamma variants--first detected in South Africa and Brazil respectively--have shown little or no evidence of producing different clinical signs, according to a study by researchers from University of New South Wales last month.

Some patients develop micro thrombi, or small blood clots, so severe that they led affected tissue to die and develop gangrene, said Ganesh Manudhane, a Mumbai cardiologist, who has treated eight patients for thrombotic complications at the Seven Hills Hospital during the past two months. Two required amputations of fingers or a foot.

I saw three-to-four cases the whole of last year, and now its one patient a week, Manudhane said.

Baffling clots

India has reported 18.6 million Covid-19 cases thus far in 2021, compared with 10.3 million last year. The Delta variant was the primary cause behind the countrys deadlier second wave and is 50% more contagious than the Alpha strain that was first spotted in the U.K., according to a recent study by an Indian government panel.

The surge in cases may have driven an increase in the frequency with which rare Covid-19 complications are being observed. Even still, Manudhane said he is baffled by the blood clots hes seeing in patients across age groups with no past history of coagulation-related problems.



ALSO READ: Covid: Covishield produces more antibodies than Covaxin, finds study

We suspect it could be because of the new virus variant, he said. Manudhane is collecting data to study why some people develop the clots and others dont.

Doctors are also finding instances of clots forming in blood vessels that supply the intestines, causing patients to experience stomach pain -- their only symptom, local media have reported.

Some Covid patients are also seeking medical care for hearing loss, swelling around the neck and severe tonsillitis, said Hetal Marfatia, an ear nose and throat surgeon at Mumbais King Edward Memorial Hospital.

Every person is showing different symptoms in the second wave, she said.

Atypical presentations

The unusual presentations for Delta and a closely related variant known as Kappa, whose spread led to a fourth lockdown in Melbourne, are still being confirmed, said Raina MacIntyre, a professor of global biosecurity at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. In the meanwhile, it is important to take note of this and be aware of possible atypical presentations, she said.

The most alarming aspect of the current epidemic in India is the rapidity with which the virus is spreading, including to children, said Chetan Mundada, a pediatrician with the Yashoda group of hospitals in Hyderabad.

Apollos Ghafur said he was also seeing entire families with Covid symptoms, instead of the individuals that dominated last year, reflecting an increase in household transmission caused by the Delta variant.

Cases of Mucormycosis -- a rare opportunistic fungal infection -- have also been surging in India. It had infected more than 8,800 Covid patients and survivors as of May 22, forcing local health care authorities to call it an epidemic.





ALSO READ: Herpes, hair fall, nail issues: Doctors caution about post-Covid problems

Even as Indias outbreak begins to ease -- daily infections have slipped to about a quarter of the May 7 peak -- Delta has sparked outbreaks elsewhere, including virus havens such as Taiwan, Singapore and Vietnam, bolstering calls for mass immunization.

But with emerging evidence Delta and at least one other variant may be adept at evading vaccine-induced antibodies, pharmaceutical companies are under pressure to tweak existing shots or develop new ones.

New vaccines have to prepared with new variants in mind, said Ghafur. We cant get ahead of the virus, but at least we can least keep up with it.

(With assistance from P R Sanjai.)
There is no data, either global or from Indian case studies, pointed to children being more vulnerable to Covid-19, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director said on Tuesday.

It is a piece of misinformation that subsequent waves of the pandemic are going to cause severe illness in children. There is no data - either from India or globally - to show that children will be seriously infected in subsequent waves, said Dr Randeep Guleria.

Dr Guleria cited that 60 per cent to 70 per cent of the children who got infected and got admitted in hospitals during the second wave in India, had either comorbidities or low immunity; healthy children recovered with mild illness without need for hospitalisation.

Explaining why why waves occur in any pandemic. Dr Guleria said: "Waves normally occur in pandemics caused due to respiratory viruses; the 1918 Spanish Flu, H1N1 (swine) flu are examples. The second wave of 1918 Spanish Flu was the biggest, after which there was a smaller third wave.

Earlier in the day, VK Paul, a member for health in the Indian governments think-tank NITI Aayog, also said there was no evidence to suggest that children will be more affected than adults in the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is uncertain that a wave would affect children specifically. Till now, children have displayed similar seroprevalence as adults, which means, they are as much affected as adults, said Paul, a member of the prime ministers Covid management team.

The assurances come after several experts have claimed that the third wave of the pandemic in India could seriously affect children, as already being seen in Singapore. India is yet to begin Covid-19 vaccinations for those below 18 years of age. An increasing number of cases amongst children are being seen in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, among other states and union territories.

India is conducting trials for Bharat Biotechs Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin amongst children aged 2-18 years. Ahmedabad-based Zydus Cadila is also conducting trials for its Covid-19 vaccine named ZyCoV-D on children aged 12-18 years.
Over 86,000 fresh cases reported

India reported 86,498 fresh infections on Tuesday, taking the cumulative caseload to 28.9 million, according to central health ministry data. The country saw 2,123 deaths due to the pandemic, taking the death toll to 351,309. The active caseload is at 1.3 million, while the total recoveries have surged to 27.3 million. As many as 236.2 million vaccine shots have been administered since the nationwide inoculation programme kicked off on January 16. Of these, 3.3 million were given on Monday. Read more

Doctors want to know if the variant is more severe

Doctors want to know if the more infectious Covid variant that drove the devastating second wave in India, called Delta, is also more severe than other variants, a report in Bloomberg said. Indian doctors have linked the variant to hearing impairment, severe gastric upsets and blood clots, symptoms typically not seen in Covid patients. In England and Scotland, early evidence suggests the now-dominant strain carries a higher risk of hospitalization. Delta, also known as B.1.617.2, has spread to more than 60 countries over the past six months and triggered travel curbs from Australia to the US. Read moreInequality legacy haunts South Africas vaccine rollout plan. Read more

Covid strain first found in Brazil, more severe than original variant: ICMR study

The B.1.1.28.2 variant of the coronavirus, which was first identified in Brazil, could cause a more severe form of Covid than the original variant that spread from Wuhan, a report in ThePrint said that cited a study by researchers from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in New Delhi and the National Institute of Virology in Pune. The B.1.1.28.2, however, has so far had very little prevalence worldwide, with less than 0.5 per cent of the viral samples detected worldwide showing this strain, the report said. Read more





Bengaluru: variant found in majority of Covid samples

The Delta variant of the is dominant among Covid patients in Bengaluru, a report in The Indian Express said that cited a recent genomic study held in the city. As many as 93 per cent of the samples collected from symptomatic patients confirmed the presence of the Delta variant. Urban has accounted for over 44 per cent and 53 per cent of the total cases and deaths recorded across Karnataka since April 1, the report said. Read more



Passports of students, professionals going abroad to be linked to vaccine certificate

The Central government has announced that students and professionals going abroad for education and work, including those part of the Tokyo Olympics contingent, will have to get their vaccination certificates linked to their passports, a report in the Scroll said. These beneficiaries will be eligible to take their second dose of the Covishield vaccine after a gap of just 28 days and do not need to wait for the mandated 84-day interval. The facility will be available to those belonging to these categories and going abroad till August 31, the report said. Read more
Delhi Chief Minister on Tuesday urged Prime Minister to allow the implementation of doorstep ration delivery scheme in the national capital.

"Till date, I have supported you in all the work of national interest, you should also support us for the same. The scheme should be implemented in the whole country during the COVID times. We are ready to do whatever amendments the Central government wants to make to this scheme. I request you in folded hands on behalf of 70 lakh poor people of Delhi, Sir, please do not stop this scheme," wrote Kejriwal in his letter to Prime Minister Modi.

On Sunday, Chief Minister Kejriwal had slammed the Central government for putting a stop to the Delhi government's doorstep ration delivery scheme that was scheduled to start on Monday, asking why, despite writing to the Centre five times, the scheme had been brought to a halt.

In a press conference, Kejriwal had said that all preparations had been made for the scheme.

"Just two days before the 'doorstep delivery of ration' scheme's implementation, the Central government stopped it. If this ghar-ghar ration scheme was implemented, the ration mafia would be stopped. The strings of this ration mafia reach right to the top. This is the first time a government has had courage to stand up to the ration mafia," he had said.

The scheme was originally named the MMGGRY (Mukhya Mantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojana) but a notification on March 9 was issued by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs that the subsidised foodgrains being allocated by the department for distribution under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) cannot be used for running any state-specific or other scheme under a different name other than NFSA.

Following this, the dropped the name.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With the US sending millions of its COVID-19 vaccines to several countries, including India, Secretary of State Tony Blinken said that there is a need to increase production capacity on a regional basis across the globe.

US President Joe Biden had announced that the US will allocate 75 per cent - nearly 1.9 crore of the first tranche of 2.5 crore doses - of unused COVID-19 vaccines from its stockpile through the UN-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing programme to countries in South and Southeast Asia as well as Africa.

Testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the State Department's 2022 budgetary proposals, Blinken asserted that it is important to have three-fourths of the world vaccinated soon.

"If we stayed on the current course, before we were distributing the 80 million vaccines, before we're looking at increasing production around the world, not just in the United States, we're on track to have the world vaccinated, or at least to have 75 or so per cent of the world vaccinated, not until 2024," he said in response to a question.

The US, he said, has 80 million vaccines that will be distributed, either working through COVAX, with COVAX or directly by the US between now and early July.

"We want to make sure that anything we send out is safe and effective. But it's starting now and it's going to be rolled out over the coming days and weeks between now and the end of July, Blinken said, adding that the US has started with 25 million distribution, which has been allocated by region and within regions by country.

He said that about 75 per cent of that first 25 million will be done in coordination with COVAX.

"The other 25 per cent we'll be able to do directly, making sure that we're taking account of the science and the needs, where there are surges, where there are variants, where some countries need second shots and have a deficit. All of this is based on science, based on equity, and without political favor being demanded in return unlike some other countries, Blinken said.

"By the time we complete the distribution of these 80 million there will be more to follow, as we have excess vaccines in the months beyond July, he said.

Beyond that work is on to significantly increase the international production of vaccines so that the overall supply of vaccines increases significantly, Blinken said.

"Latin America, our neighbours, our partners in the region, in the Caribbean, will be among the first beneficiaries of the vaccines that are going out," he said.

The Biden administration, he said, is working closely to make sure that they have in place the support system necessary so that the vaccines can get there, be distributed and used effectively.

Congressman Gregory Meeks, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said that he is pleased to see the administration's plans for initial distribution of vaccines bilaterally through COVAX, including to, of course, neighbours in Latin America and the Caribbean.

"To me, that was an important first step towards supporting the region in its recovery from this pandemic and once I encourage the administration to take," he said.

Blinken said the administration wants to make sure that it has every tool at its disposal to accelerate the production of and the access to vaccines.

"So, we want to make sure everything's on the table. We'll have to make a determination of what is most effective, what is most efficient, and also doesn't have unintended consequences or second or third order effects that would be problematic, he said.

"Beyond the distribution of vaccines that we have access to, we need to increase production and that means both in the United States, but also around the world. I think we also need to increase production capacity in different parts of the world whether it's for this pandemic or for anything coming down the road in the future, said the top American diplomat.

It makes sense, certainly on a regional basis, to have countries that can be production hubs which in the future will facilitate getting vaccines out effectively and efficiently or other health products out effectively and efficiently, he said.

"So, we're looking, in short, at that and looking to see what can be done to either increase or develop as necessary production capacity in different parts of the world, including Africa, Blinken 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.)
An association of Indian has approached the seeking schemes for adequate compensation for who died of COVID-19 or got infected by it, priority in vaccination against the disease and insurance coverage for those working during the pandemic.

The petition, filed by the 'Federation of Indian Pilots' on June 7, said are providing essential services, and sought a direction to the Union government to provide an ex-gratia amount of Rs 10 crore to the families of pilots who died due to COVID-19.

As per the public interest litigation (PIL), since February 2021, 13 pilots have succumbed to COVID-19.

The petition said since March 2020, all airlines and pilots are diligently working to operate the 'Vande Bharat' and other flights for evacuating Indian citizens stranded in other countries and also for the air transportation of medical supplies during the second wave of the pandemic this year.

"In such times, several pilots have been infected by the and many have lost their lives. Several pilots also face the risk of permanent or temporary disability due to the after-effects of COVID-19, like mucormycosis," it said.

The PIL further said pilots have operated flights during the pandemic with substantial risk to their personal and family safety.

"Despite this, several pilots have been subjected to massive pay cuts since the beginning of 2020," it said.

As per the PIL, the petitioner and the Indian Pilots Guild had made a representation to the Centre, seeking that they be declared as frontline workers and given priority in vaccination against COVID-19.

But, till date there is no scheme for adequate compensation for the families of pilots who died due to COVID-19, it claimed.

The PIL has also sought a direction to the Centre to frame a comprehensive insurance policy for all pilots, and to create of a separate class of COVID-19 first responders as 'Air Transportation Workers' for the purpose of priority of vaccination.

The petitioner and other airline pilot unions have their own individual welfare schemes for eventualities, but the same does not envisage or factor in the severity or probable death in the present pandemic situation, it said.

The petition will be taken up for hearing in due course of time.

(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.)
Authorities resumed search operation



to look for any more victims at a chemical plant here on Tuesday, a day after a massive broke out in the premises, and also summoned the firm's owner to ascertain what kind of materials were being used there, officials said.

Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil is expected to visit the site later in the day and take stock of the situation.

While sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Sandesh Shirke on Monday said 18 bodies were recovered from the firm's premises, Superintendent of Police Abhinav Deshmukh on Tuesday said 17 completely charred bodies and one body part were recovered so far during the search operation.

"We suspect the recovered body part could be of one of the 17 victims. That is why we are as of now considering 17 casualties," Deshmukh said.

He also said as per the company officials, there were 17 employees at the site when the incident took place.

The broke out on Monday afternoon at SVS Aqua Technologies, which manufactures chlorine dioxide among other chemicals and is located in the Pirangut MIDC area of Mulshi tehsil on the outskirts of city.

The search operation was stopped late Monday night due to darkness and heat caused due to the blaze.

On Tuesday morning, brigade officials resumed the search operation to find out any more victims at the fire- ravaged plant.

"We have resumed the search operation inside the firm on Tuesday morning to find if anyone is still under the gutted wreckages," a fire brigadeofficial said.

Besides, the police have summoned the firm's owner for questioning to gather information on what kind of chemicals and materials were being used at the plant, Deshmukh said.

Meanwhile, SDM Shirke said they have started a probe into the incident.

A committee, led by the SDM, was formed to conduct a probe into the incident.

Shirke earlier said all the bodies, which were completely charred, were sent to the government-run Sassoon General Hospital for autopsy.

The bodies were burned beyond recognition and their identify will have to be ascertained by conducting DNA testing, he said.

A fire official earlier said as per the company authorities, the blaze started during packing of plastic materials in the premises.

"Due to some spark at the (packaging) section, the fire broke out and as there was plastic around, it spread rapidly," he had said.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had said an inquiry was ordered to find out the exact cause of the fire and a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each will be given to the next of the kin of the deceased.

The firm, located near Uravade village, around 40 km from the city, is into manufacturing of chemicals, including chlorine dioxide, which are used in water purification.

(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.)
Defence Minister on Tuesday invited leading Swedish defence majors to set up manufacturing bases in India as he showcased the country as an attractive destination for investment to produce military equipment and platforms.

In an address at a conference on India- defence industry cooperation, he said the government has rolled out a series of reforms to help the defence industries serve not only Indian requirements but also meet global demands.

The defence minister also mentioned allowing up to 74 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) through automatic route and up to 100 per cent through government route in the defence manufacturing sector.

He said the technology-centric FDI policy will enable Indian industries to collaborate with Swedish industries in the field of niche and proven military technologies.

"Over the past few years, the Indian defence industry has been galvanised through progressive policy and procedural reforms which have catapulted the industry to serve not only Indian requirements but also meet global demand," Singh said at the virtual conference.

He said that the foreign OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) can set up manufacturing facilities individually or in partnership with Indian companies through joint ventures or technology agreement to capitalise on the 'Make in India' initiative.

"Swedish firms such as SAAB already have a major presence in India and I am confident that other Swedish firms will find India as a major investment destination for defence manufacturing," he said.

"There is a lot of scope for and Indian defence Industries for co-production and co-development. Indian industry can also supply components to Swedish industries," he added.

Singh said India has a vast defence industrial base with 41 ordnance factories and nine defence public sector undertakings and expanding private industries supported by an eco-system of over 12,000 micro, small and medium enterprises.

"The Mission - 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' or 'Self-Reliant India' of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi is about producing cost-effective quality products and in its core has the motto - 'Make in India' and 'Make for the World'," he said.

In his address, the defence minister also mentioned that India has a robust shipbuilding industry with an ecosystem of world-class public and private ship building companies.

He said the ships constructed by Indian shipyards are of global standards and extremely cost-effective.

"I take this opportunity to invite Swedish firms to invest in the dedicated defence corridors of Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu where they can benefit greatly from the unique incentives being offered by the state governments and the availability of a highly skilled workforce in India," he said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Centre has taken back control of vaccine procurement and will supply Covid-19 jabs to states free of cost to inoculate all above 18 years of age from June 21, Prime Minister announced. It also extended the ongoing free additional foodgrains distribution scheme for five more months starting from July till November. Our top headlines on Tuesday track the latest developments



Free Covid-19 vaccine for all above 18 years from June 21: PM Modi



The Centre has taken back control of vaccine procurement and will supply Covid-19 jabs to states free of cost to inoculate all above 18 years of age from June 21, Prime Minister announced on Monday.



Of the total vaccine availability, 75 per cent will be procured by the Centre and the remaining 25 per cent will continue to be available for private hospitals. Of the total vaccine availability, 75 per cent will be procured by the Centre and the remaining 25 per cent will continue to be available for private hospitals.



State governments will monitor that private hospitals are not charging more than Rs 150 a dose as service charge over the fixed price of a vaccine, he said. Detailed guidelines in this regard will be prepared by the central and state governments, he added. State governments will monitor that private hospitals are not charging more than Rs 150 a dose as service charge over the fixed price of a vaccine, he said. Detailed guidelines in this regard will be prepared by the central and state governments, he added. Read More

Centre extends free foodgrain scheme for 800 million till this Diwali



The Central government on Monday extended the ongoing free additional foodgrains distribution scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for five more months starting from July till November as millions of poor families remain badly impacted due to the second wave of Covid-19.



The PMGKAY-3 was initially announced for the months of May and June in view of the second wave of Covid-19.



Under the Garib Kalyan scheme, Centre distributes 5 kg of wheat or rice per person per month free of cost to almost 800 million beneficiaries of the Food Security Act (NFSA), over and above their usual monthly entitlement. Under the Garib Kalyan scheme, Centre distributes 5 kg of wheat or rice per person per month free of cost to almost 800 million beneficiaries of the Food Security Act (NFSA), over and above their usual monthly entitlement. Read More



Gangrene, hearing loss point to Covid-19 Delta strain being more severe



The variant that drove Indias devastating Covid-19 epidemic is the most infectious to emerge so far. Doctors now want to know if its also more severe.



Hearing impairment, severe gastric upsets and blood clots leading to gangrene, symptoms not typically seen in Covid patients, have been linked by doctors in India to the so-called Delta variant.



In England and Scotland, early evidence suggests the now-dominant strain carries a higher risk of hospitalization. In England and Scotland, early evidence suggests the now-dominant strain carries a higher risk of hospitalization. Read More



to raise stake in via creeping acquisition



A day after it announced an investment of Rs 400 crore in Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra), the family of is likely to make a tender offer in RInfra via the creeping acquisition route and invest another Rs 500 crore.



Creeping acquisitions refer to the purchase of company shares by its investors (usually, promoters or shareholders with significant holdings) over a number of small transactions, so as to increase the investors' stake in the company by an economically significant amount without requiring any disclosure or other action by the investors. Creeping acquisitions refer to the purchase of company shares by its investors (usually, promoters or shareholders with significant holdings) over a number of small transactions, so as to increase the investors' stake in the company by an economically significant amount without requiring any disclosure or other action by the investors. Read More

Suraksha group sweetens offer for by Rs 1,298 crore



Mumbai-based Suraksha group has sweetened its offer to the lenders of Jaypee Infratech by Rs 1,298 crore to Rs 7,736 crore.

It promised to bring in an additional interim funding of Rs 300 crore to build houses faster for Jaypee customers. This offer was made on Monday to the companys committee of creditors (CoCs).

Jaypee Infratech was referred to the Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in August 2017 after the company failed to repay its Rs 22,000-crore debt. Read More Jaypee Infratech was referred to the Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in August 2017 after the company failed to repay its Rs 22,000-crore debt.

Piramal Group's resolution plan for beleaguered gets NCLT nod

The plan put forward by Piramal Group, which has offered to pay Rs 37,250 crore, has been approved by the committee of creditors (CoC), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and the Competition Commission of India (CCI). Read More The Mumbai Bench of the Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Monday approved Piramal Groups resolution plan for the beleaguered Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL), which has been reeling from the insolvency process since 2019. Dear Reader,

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Digital Editor Read our full coverage on Coronavirus Vaccine
projects India to grow at 8.3 per cent in 2021



The on Tuesday projected India's economy to grow at 8.3 per cent in 2021 and 7.5 per cent in 2022, even as its recovery is being hampered by an unprecedented second wave of the Covid-19, the largest outbreak in the world since the beginning of the deadly pandemic. The Washington-based global lender, in its latest issue of Global Economic Prospects released here, noted that in India, an enormous second Covid-19 wave is undermining the sharper-than-expected rebound in activity seen during the second half of Fiscal Year 2020/21, especially in services. READ MORE...



RBI asks banks not to destroy CCTV recordings of demonetisation period



The RBI on Tuesday asked banks to preserve the CCTV recordings of their branches and currency chests from November 8, 2016, to December 30, 2016, till further orders with a view to assisting the enforcement agencies to take actions against persons involved in illegal activities during the demonetisation period. The government had demonetised the then in circulation high value currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 on November 8, 2016, with an aim to check blackmoney and curb terror funding. READ MORE...

FM asks to fix tech glitches on new income tax e-filing portal



Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday asked and its Chairman Nandan Nilekani to fix technical glitches being encountered on the income tax department's new e-filing website, after users flooded her Twitter timeline with complaints.

was in 2019 awarded a contract to develop the next-generation income tax filing system to reduce processing time for returns from 63 days to one day and expedite refunds. READ MORE...



DHFL: 63 moons to challenge NCLT's approval



63 moons technologies, which holds around Rs 200 crore worth of non-convertible debentures (NCDs) of Dewan Housing Finance Limited (DHFL), is planning to challenge the Company Law Tribunals (NCLT) order approving the Piramal Groups resolution plan for the beleaguered home financier. 63 moons believes that the current resolution plan is contrary to law and against the interest of all DHFL's creditors including NCD holders," the company said in a statement. READ MORE...
The slaying of Banks was one of two homicides Sunday in Harvey. Later in the day, Sinica Price, 39, of Hammond, Indiana, was found shot and unresponsive in the 100 block of West 155th Street, police said. He was taken to South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest, where he was pronounced dead, according to police.
The Confederation of All India Traders, on Tuesday, in a letter sent to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, asked for a financial relief package for the citys retail shop owners.



claimed that till March this year, had recovered 60-70% of their business, before the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic hit and forced several states and union territories including Delhi to implement strict measures. The traders association added that because of the lockdown, which started on April 20 and is only now being eased, have borne heavy losses and need financial help to tide over the crisis.



Despite the shops and markets remaining closed during the in 2020, the traders not only paid salaries to their employees but also helped them in every manner to overcome the miseries of the Covid pandemic. read the letter.



Besides, the traders bore various other establishment and overhead expenses on their own without having support from any quarter. It is a pity that neither the Central Government nor the State Government had awarded any relief package to the traders, whereas several types of packages were given to all other sectors of trade and economy of the country, added in its letter.



Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal has claimed that due to the lockdown's impact on business, lack the wherewithal to pay their staff salaries or make rental/EMI payments for their houses, shops and vehicles. Khandelwal also asked the Delhi CM to waive the minimum electricity bills for retail shops.



Such a package is certainly not an income for the traders but will be spent on meeting the expenses pertaining to about 40 lakh employees of the traders and should be construed as a helping hand for providing salaries to the employees and meeting other various establishment and overhead expenses, the letter read.



The Delhi government, from Monday, has allowed a partial reopening of shops, malls and market complexes on an odd-even basis i.e. shops can open on alternate days depending on their shop number. The timings for opening will be 10 am to 8 pm. Private offices have also been allowed to reopen with 50% capacity, while Delhi Metro will also resume operations with reduced capacity in each train.
Maharashtra Chief Minister on Tuesday welcomed the Centre's decision to supply free COVID vaccines for people in the age group of 18-44 years, saying it is not only their right but also a necessity.

He, however, added that those who want to pay for the vaccine can choose the option as in the case of LPG cylinder subsidy.

Thackeray said after the Centre had given the responsibility of vaccinating people within the age group of 18-44 to the states, his government had made preparations and allocated money for the same.

He said Maharashtra has six crore people in this age group and would require 12 crore doses for inoculating them.

"We had also started it but the supply was inadequate. Yesterday, the PM again gave the responsibility to the Centre. We are thankful to him and hope that all obstacles will be cleared and all citizens will be vaccinated at the earliest," Thackeray, who was here to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said.

"Getting a free vaccine is both a right and a necessity," the chief minister asserted.

Modi had on Monday announced that the central government will provide free vaccines to states and union territories for inoculation of all above 18 from June 21 and that the Centre will take over the 25 percent state procurement quota.

Asserting that vaccine supply would be increased significantly in the coming days, the prime minister said the Centre has now decided to buy 75 percent of jabs from vaccine makers for free supply to states.

Private sector hospitals will continue to procure 25 percent of vaccines, but they cannot charge more than Rs 150 per dose over the pre-fixed price.

When asked about this, Thackeray said, "It is good to give the vaccines for free but if some people want it they can take it (by paying). Some time back, there was also a talk of (giving up) subsidy (on LPG cylinder)."



The Congress, an ally of Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, has slammed the Centre for allowing private hospitals to charge for the 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.)
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday of the danger of buying overpriced vaccines from intermediaries, reminding those countries should buy vaccines certified by the WHO and make sure to identify the origin of the product.

"We have received concerns regarding other vaccines... with intermediates selling it (one vaccine) at a much higher price than what has been actually sold by the manufacturers," said Mariangela Batista Galvao Simao, WHO Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products, during a press conference.

The issue of the role of intermediates for buying vaccines was raised recently as a middleman, located in the United Arab Emirates, was caught selling Sputnik vaccines to Ghana and Pakistan at double the original price.

Simao said that countries should either buy directly from the manufacturer or "contact the manufacturer to make sure that the intermediate is legal."

"There is a lot of substandard and falsified COVID products being commercialized out there, so you need to know the provenance," she added.

Simao also said that it was important to vaccinate people with products "certified" by the WHO.

"The advice of the WHO is that the countries use vaccines that have received emergency listing," she said, referring to the Emergency Use Listing used by the organization to approve new vaccines.

So far, eight COVID-19 vaccines were approved by the WHO for emergency use, including two Chinese vaccines -- Sinopharm and Sinovac, both of which have been distributed in several countries across the world.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
leader Vadra on Tuesday slammed the Centre for allegedly not maintaining transparency on Covid-related data, and asked why the government used it as a "propaganda tool" rather than for stopping spread.

As part of her "Zimmedaar Kaun" (who is responsible) campaign, in which she has been questioning the government over its handling of the pandemic, the general secretary put out a video in which she attacked the central government over the data related to Covid put out by it.

In her posers to the Centre, she asked why there is such a massive deficit between official death data of Covid and unofficial data gathered from crematoriums, graveyards and other sources.

Why has the government used data primarily as a "propaganda tool" rather than using it to stop the spread of COVID-19, Gandhi asked in the video posted on Twitter and Facebook.

She stressed that experts around the world have said that making data public and transparent is the only way "we can win the battle against Covid".

Why has our government not done so, she asked.

On Monday, Gandhi had accused the Centre of suppressing data related to the Covid pandemic, and said the Modi government's emphasis on propaganda over saving lives had caused "immense damage".

The has been critical of the Centre's handling of the Covid situation in the country, but the government has dismissed the criticism of the Opposition party, accusing it of politicising the pandemic.

(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.)
Japan's GDP shrinks less than feared, easing double-dip worries

Japans economy shrank less than the preliminary estimate in the first quarter, easing concern over the risk of a double-dip recession as the country struggles through yet another round of restrictions to contain the Gross domestic product contracted at an annualised 3.9 per cent as against the estimate of 5.1 per cent, beating analyst forecasts and showing the worlds third-largest economy had weathered a winter wave of the virus better than the government earlier estimated. Read here

Let's look at the global statistics Global infections: 173,639,206 Global deaths: 3,737,447 Vaccine doses administered: 2,144,128,327 Nations with most cases: US (33,378,148), India (28,996,473), Brazil (16,984,218), France (5,775,535), Turkey (5,293,627). Source: John Hopkins Research Center

Inequality legacy haunts South Africas vaccine rollout plan

South Africas vaccination rollout has run for just over three weeks, yet one of the countrys long-standing challenges is already hampering efforts to inoculate two-thirds of the population this year: inequality. People over 60 years of age are eligible for Covid-19 shots during the current phase of the plan, which began on May 17, following the delayed arrival of doses from BioNTech SE and Pfizer Inc. Yet, registration for a shot can only be done online or by mobile phone, potentially excluding those without the right tech or someone to help them. Read here

How the Alpha variant became so powerful

Highly contagious variant first found in Britain, now known as the 'Alpha', is almost the dominant coronavirus strain currently responsible of severe outbreaks in many parts of the world. But it's formula behind becoming so powerful in such short time left scientists searching for answers. A new study, that is yet to published in a scientific journal, points to one secret for its success: Alpha disables the first line of immune defense in our bodies, giving the variant more time to multiply. Researchers have found that the Alpha variant used its stealth to trick the immune system. Read here

Can we vaccinate the world against Covid by the end of 2022?

At the weekend, the UK prime minister said he would urge the G7 leaders to vaccinate the world against Covid by the end of next year. But is this feasible? So far, 75 per cent of the worlds Covid-19 vaccines have been distributed in just 10 countries. That rather depends on your definition. No country will vaccinate every adult. Vaccinating enough to achieve herd immunity, which could be 60 per cent or 70 per cent, is the real aim. It is possible to achieve that by December 2022, say experts, but only if the G7 leading economies move immediately to make it happen. Read here
extended losses on Tuesday on profit taking and a stronger U.S. dollar, but overall optimism about recovering demand kept a floor under prices.

Brent crude was down 37 cents, or 0.5%, at $71.12 a barrel by 1335 GMT, after declining 0.6% on Monday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate oil was off by 27 cents, or 0.4%, at $68.96 a barrel, having dropped by 0.6% in the previous session.

"A previous price surge that was probably premature, coupled with a stronger U.S. dollar and a correction on the stock markets, are weighing on oil prices," Commerzbank said.

As oil is priced in dollars, a stronger greenback makes crude more expensive for buyers with other currencies.

Data showing China's crude imports were down 14.6% in May on a yearly basis also weighed on prices.

"China was taking advantage of low a year ago, so the base is uncharacteristically high," oil brokerage PVM noted.

Heavy Chinese refinery maintenance in May also contributed to the decline.

Crude prices have risen in recent weeks, with Brent up by nearly 40% this year and WTI gaining even more, amid expectations of demand returning as some countries succeed in vaccinating populations against COVID-19.

Restraint on supply by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies has also helped buttress prices.

"The fundamental environment on the oil market remains favourable: fuel demand is recovering strongly not only in the United States, but also in Europe following the (partial) lifting of restrictions," Commerzbank said.

In Britain, one of the most vaccinated countries in the world, there are now doubts that the country will lift all coronavirus-related restrictions as previously planned on June 21.

Barriers to the revival of Iran's nuclear deal remain ahead of talks due to resume this week between Tehran and world powers, four diplomats, two Iranian officials and two analysts said.

Iranian demands about sanctions relief and Western concern over Iran's expanding nuclear know-how are among questions that may require weeks or possibly months of further negotiation, the diplomats and analysts said.

(Reporting by Aaron Sheldrick; editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Jason Neely)

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The on Tuesday has slashed India's GDP forecast to 8.3 per cent for FY22, the fiscal year starting April 2021, as against its earlier estimate of 10.1 per cent.

It has further projected India's growth to be 7.5 per cent in 2022, even as its recovery is being hampered by an unprecedented second wave of the Covid-19, the largest outbreak in the world since the beginning of the deadly pandemic.

The Washington-based global lender, in its latest issue of Global Economic Prospects released here, noted that in India, an enormous second Covid-19 wave is undermining the sharper-than-expected rebound in activity seen during the second half of Fiscal Year 2020/21, especially in services.

"India's recovery is being hampered by the largest outbreak of any country since the beginning of the pandemic," the said.

In 2020, India's economy is estimated to have contracted by 7.3 per cent while in 2019, it registered a growth rate of four per cent, the said, adding that in 2023, India is expected to grow at 6.5 per cent.

In its report, the Bank said that the global economy is set to expand by 5.6 per cent in 2021 - its strongest post-recession pace in 80 years.

"For India, GDP in fiscal year 2021/22 starting from April 2021 is expected to expand 8.3 per cent," it said.

Activity will benefit from policy support, including higher spending on infrastructure, rural development, and health, and a stronger-than expected recovery in services and manufacturing, it said.





Although the forecast has been revised up by 2.9 percentage points, it marks significant expected economic damage from an enormous second Covid-19 wave and localised mobility restrictions since March 2021, the report said.

Activity is expected to follow the same, yet less pronounced, collapse and recovery seen during the first wave, it said.

"The pandemic will undermine consumption and investment as confidence remains depressed and balance sheets damaged. Growth in FY 2022/23 is expected to slow to 7.5 per cent, reflecting lingering impacts of COVID-19 on household, corporate and bank balance sheets; possibly low levels of consumer confidence; and heightened uncertainty on job and income prospects, it said.

According to the World Bank, in India, the FY 2021/22 budget marked a significant policy shift.

The government announced that the health-related spending would more than double and set out a revised medium-term fiscal path intended to address the economic legacy of the pandemic.

Following deteriorating pandemic-related developments, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced further measures to support liquidity provision to micro, small and medium firms, and loosened regulatory requirements on the provisioning for non-performing loans.

"In India, fiscal policy shifted in the FY 2021/22 budget toward higher expenditure targeted at healthcare and infrastructure to boost the post-pandemic recovery. The renewed outbreak, however, may require further targeted policy support to address the health and economic costs," it added.

On March 31, the World Bank said India's economy has bounced back amazingly from the Covid-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown over the last one year, but it is not out of the woods yet.

It had predicted that the country's real GDP growth for fiscal year 21/22 could range from 7.5 to 12.5 per cent in its latest South Asia Economic Focus report released ahead of the annual Spring meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In April and May, India struggled with the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new cases. Hospitals were reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds.

In mid-May, new coronavirus cases in India hit a record daily high with 4,12,262 new infections.

On Tuesday, India reported less than one lakh new coronavirus infections after a gap of 63 days, while the daily positivity rate dropped to 4.62 per cent.

A single day rise of 86,498 cases were registered, the lowest in 66 days, taking the total tally of Covid-19 cases to 2,89,96,473.

The Covid-19 death toll climbed to 3,51,309 with 2,123 daily deaths, the lowest in 47 days.
Two state-owned being picked up for privatisation by the government are likely to come out with an attractive voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) to get rid of the extra flab, sources said.

Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while unveiling Budget 2021-22 on February 1 had announced that the government proposed to take up the privatisation of two public sector (PSBs) and one general insurance company.

An attractive VRS will make them lean and fit for takeover by the private sector entities that are keen to enter the banking space, the sources said.

VRS is not forced exit but option for those who would like to take early retirement with good financial package, the sources said adding that it has been done in the past before the consolidation of some of the PSBs.

The NITI Aayog, which has been entrusted with the job of identifyng suitable candidates for the privatisation, has recommended names to a high-level panel headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba.

Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Bank of Maharashtra and Bank of India are some of the names that may be considered for privatisation by the Core Group of Secretaries on Disinvestment.

The other members of the high-level panel are Economic Affairs Secretary, Revenue Secretary, Expenditure Secretary, Corporate Affairs Secretary, Secretary Legal Affairs, Secretary Department of Public Enterprises, Secretary Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) and the Secretary of administrative department.

Following clearance from the Core Group of Secretaries, the finalised names will go to the Alternative Mechanism (AM) for its approval and eventually to the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the final nod.

Changes on the regulatory side to facilitate privatisation would start after the Cabinet approval.

Meanwhile, regulator RBI also said it is in discussion with the government over the privatisation of PSBs.

The government has budgeted Rs 1.75 lakh crore from stake sale in public sector companies and financial institutions during the current financial year. The amount is lower than the record budgeted Rs 2.10 lakh crore to be raised from CPSE disinvestment in the last fiscal.

In addition to PSBs, the government also plans to exit LIC-controlled IDBI Bank.

Last month, the Union Cabinet gave in-principle approval for strategic disinvestment along with transfer of management control in IDBI Bank.

The central government and LIC together own more than 94 per cent equity of IDBI Bank. LIC, currently the promoter of IDBI Bank with management control, has a 49.21 per cent stake.

Meanwhile, bank unions have opposed the move of privatisation of and went on two-day strike in March under the banner of United Forum of Bank Unions. Besides, they are taking to social media to register their protest against privatisation calling it a retrograde move by the government.

Recently, the Federation of Bank of India Officers Associations ran a social media campaign againt the proposed privatisation move which saw huge participation from all stakeholders, said the union's General Secretary Sunil Kumar.

He also said public sector banks have always played a pivotal role for success of all government schemes like demonetisation, Jan-Dhan Yojana, Mudra Yojana and PM SVANidhi.

PSBs have sanctioned 95 per cent of the total loans under the PM SVANidhi scheme, which aims at providing street vendors loans of up to Rs 10,000 to restart their business post the COVID-induced lockdown last year.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 50 loyal to the outfit were killed and dozens more injured in a series of air raids by government forces in Afghanistan's Paktia province, a top official has confirmed.

Addressing reporters on Monday, provincial governor Mohammad Halim Fedai said that many of the dead were foreign fighters, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Governor confirmed that the Afghan air force launched a spate of airstrikes against pro- in Zarmat, Mirzaka and Ahmadabad districts late on Sunday night.

In addition, he said five pro-government militiamen had gone missing after some fighters stormed a checkpoint in the Kalkin area of Mirzaka district on Sunday.

In the meantime, another official said that in the fighting in the Kalkin area, more than a dozen security personnel were killed, and the militants also captured a few pro-government militiamen.

Fedai howeverm rejected the official's account.

The Taliban outfit is yet to make a comment on the reports.

Since the official withdrawal of the US and other NATO troops in on May 1, the Taliban have intensified attacks on provincial capitals, districts, bases and checkpoints.

Tens of thousands of Afghans have been displaced in the past few weeks.

The withdrawal of troops is due to be completed by September 11 at the latest.

--IANS

ksk/

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The basic notion of democratic reforms and voting rights in the US is a national security issue, Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has said.

His remarks came on Monday ahead of the maiden foreign trip of President Joe Biden to the United Kingdom, Brussels and Geneva. The president's leave for the UK on Wednesday to attend the G-7 summit.

"We are in a competition of models with autocracies, and we are trying to show the world that American and writ large can work can effectively deliver the will of the people," Sullivan told reporters at the

"To the extent that we are not updating, refurbishing, revamping our own democratic processes and procedures to meet the needs of the modern moment, then we are not going to be as successful in making that case to the rest of the world, to China, to Russia, or to anyone else," he said.

So, there is a national security dimension to this today, just as there was through the decades of the Cold War, he said responding to a question from reporters. The basic notion of democratic reform and voting rights in the United States is a national security issue, Sullivan said.

The US, he said, is showing that it is capable of turning the corner on the Covid pandemic.

This shows that the United States is capable of making the dramatic investments that will pull us up and help power global growth, showing the world that it is ultimately capable of making the investments in research and development and infrastructure, innovation and workforce, Sullivan said



"That's what he's (Biden) going to try to demonstrate. And he at the outset, feels he goes into this, from a position of strength, because of the record he's built up over the course of the first four months," he said.

"All I can say is the bottom line principle, not a specific question about the vehicle or the time-frame, but rather the fundamental principle, which is that a strong, vibrant American that protects voting rights is the best way for us to make the case to the world that our model, and not some other model, is the right model to actually vindicate the will of the people here in the United States, and for other democracies to be able to do the same," Sullivan said in response to another question.

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The white car rolled up and over the top of the patrol car injuring the officer who was driving. The officer, 37, a five-year veteran, suffered a broken wrist and injuries to her hand and shoulder, the release said. The Lake County Traffic Reconstruction Unit is investigating the crash, according to the sheriffs department.
Envoys from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) member nations are taking up a proposal to ease patents and other intellectual property protections for Covid-19 vaccines to help developing countries fight the pandemic, an idea backed by the Biden administration but opposed in other wealthy countries with strong pharmaceutical industries.

On the table for a two-day meeting of a WTO panel opening Tuesday is a revised proposal presented by India and South Africa for a temporary IP waiver on vaccines. The idea has drawn support from more than 60 countries, which now include the United States and China.

Some European Union member states oppose the idea, and the EU on Friday offered an alternative proposal that relies on existing World Trade Organization rules. The 27-nation bloc said those rules currently allow governments to grant production licenses  such as for Covid-19 vaccines or therapies  to manufacturers in their countries without the consent of the patent holders in times of emergency.

At stake in the meeting is whether the various sides can move toward drawing up a unified text, a key procedural step that could unlock accelerated negotiations. Inside observers cautioned, however, that a major breakthrough was not expected.

Even optimistic supporters acknowledge an IP waiver could take months to finalise because of solid resistance from some countries and WTO rules that require consensus on such decisions -- meaning a single country among the 164 members could scuttle any proposal. Even if adopted, ratification would also take time.

Advocacy groups, emboldened by the support the United States announced last month, have increasingly pushed the plan and insisted it would not be as difficult to carry out as detractors would say.

World Bank chief objects to IP rights waiver

World Bank President David Malpass said on Tuesday that the bank does not support waiving intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines, out of concern that it would hamper innovation in the pharma sector. Malpass, during a media call about new World Bank economic forecasts, said: We don't support that, for the reason that it would run the risk of reducing the innovation and the R&D in that sector.
US President is scheduled to leave on his maiden official overseas trip during which he will hold discussions with top global leaders, including at the G-7 summit in the UK and the meetings, on issues such as the impact of COVID-19, security challenges and drawdown of forces from Afghanistan, a top official said.

Biden will leave for the UK on Wednesday and then visit Brussels and Geneva as part of the trip that ends next week.

The visits, at its core, will advance the fundamental thrust of Joe Biden's foreign policy to rally the world's democracies, to tackle the great challenges of the time, US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House on Monday.

We believe that President Biden goes on this trip from a position of strength. Dramatic progress against the pandemic at home, strong projected growth that will help power the global economic recovery as well, renewed American power and purpose and a rock-solid foundation of alliances that will serve as force multipliers for our global agenda, the NSA said.

At the G-7, Sullivan said Biden will join with his fellow leaders to lay out a plan to end the COVID-19 pandemic with further specific commitments towards that end. He will also join his fellow leaders to announce a new initiative to provide financing for physical, digital and health infrastructure in the developing a high standard, climate friendly, transparent and rules-based alternative to what China is offering, Sullivan said.

He and the other leaders will endorse a global minimum tax of at least 15 per cent as you saw coming out of the G-7 finance minister's meeting a few days ago. The G-7 leaders will make a number of significant commitments on climate, on labour standards, on anti-corruption and on ransomware, he said. In Brussels, Biden would be attending meetings and US-EU summits.

On NATO, President Biden will address enduring security challenges that have been at the core of the alliance for a long-time including Russia and coordinating the remaining period of the drawdown of the forces from But they will also focus on emerging security challenges to the alliance critically including cyber and the challenge posed by China, Sullivan said.

He said that Biden will also reinforce the importance of burden sharing.

Not just the two percent commitment that allies made back in 2014 at the Wales Summit, but the need for allies to give not just cash but contributions to exercises and to operations that is undertaking and to have the kinds of capabilities to make sure that NATO is a full spectrum alliance with allies across the board providing the kind of high-end capabilities NATO requires, Sullivan asserted.

At the US-EU Summit the president and European Union leaders will focus on aligning their approaches to trade and technology so that democracies and not anyone else, not China or other autocracies, are writing the rules for trade and technology for the 21st Century, said the top White House official on national security.

Biden will also have a series of bilateral engagements including a US-UK Summit with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson where the two leaders will reaffirm the special relationship and update and upgrade it for the modern era.

And we will have further announcements about additional bilateral engagements that they will have both in Cornwall and at Brussels in the days ahead. After his time at the G-7, at NATO and at the US-EU Summit, Biden will go to Geneva to meet with his Russian counterpart President Vladimir Putin, Sullivan said.

He will do so, of course, after having had nearly a week of intensive consultations with allies and democratic partners from both Europe and the Indo-Pacific. So, he will go into this meeting with the wind at his back, he said.

The US has made clear repeatedly that it does not regard a meeting with the Russian president as a reward.

We regard it as a vital part of defending America's interests and America's values. is not meeting with Vladimir Putin despite our countries' differences. He's meeting with him because of our countries' differences. There is simply a lot we have to work through, Sullivan said.

We believe that President Biden is the most effective, direct communicator of American values and priorities and we believe that hearing directly from President Putin is the most effective way to understand what Russia intends and plans. There is never any substitute for leader-to-leader engagement particularly for complex relationships but with Putin this is exponentially the case, he said.

He has a highly personalized style of decision making and so it is important for President Biden to be able to sit down with him face to face, to be clear about where we are, to understand where he is, to try to manage our differences and to identify those areas where we can work in America's interest to make progress, he said.

Sullivan said when Biden returns to Washington next week, the United States will be in a materially stronger position to manage the major threats and challenges this country faces--COVID, climate, China, cyber, Russia and shaping the rules of trade and technology for the future.

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A 56-year-old great-granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, who was an accused in a six-million rand fraud and forgery case, has been sentenced to seven years in jail by a Durban court.

Ashish Lata Ramgobin was found guilty by the court on Monday.

She was accused of defrauding businessman SR Maharaj after he advanced R6.2 million to her for allegedly clearing import and Customs duties for a non-existent consignment from India. He was promised a share of profits.

Lata Ramgobin, who is the daughter of noted rights activists Ela Gandhi and late Mewa Ramgobind, was also refused leave to appeal both the conviction and the sentence by the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court.

When trial in the case against Lata Ramgobin started in 2015, Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had said that she allegedly provided forged invoices and documents to convince potential investors that three containers of linen were being shipped in from India.

At that time, Lata Ramgobin was released on a bail of 50,000 rand.

On Monday, the court during the hearing was informed that Lata Ramgobin had met Maharaj, director of the New Africa Alliance Footwear Distributors, in August 2015.

The company imports and manufactures and sells clothing, linen and footwear. Maharaj's company also provides finance to other companies on a profit-share basis. Lata Ramgobin had told Maharaj that she had imported three containers of linen for the South African Hospital Group NetCare.

"She said she was experiencing financial difficulties to pay for import costs and customs and she needed the money to clear the goods at the harbour, NPA spokesperson Natasha Kara said on Monday.

"She advised him (Maharaj) that she needed R6.2 million. To convince him, she showed him what she claimed was a signed purchase order for the goods. Later that month, she sent him what seemed to be a NetCare invoice and delivery note as proof that the goods were delivered and payment was imminent," she said.

Lata Ramgobin further sent him confirmation from NetCare's bank account that payment had been made, Kara said.

Because of Ramgobin's family credentials and NetCare documents, Maharaj had entered into a written agreement with her for the loan.

However, after Maharaj found out that the documents were forged and NetCare had no arrangements with Lata Ramgobin, he laid criminal charges.

Ramgobin was founder and executive director of the Participative Development Initiative at the NGO Centre for Non-Violence, where she described herself as an activist with focus on environmental, societal and political interests.

A number of other descendants of are human rights activists and among them are Lata Ramgobin's cousins Kirti Menon, the late Satish Dhupelia, and Uma Dhupelia-Mesthrie.

Ramgobin's mother Ela Gandhi in particular has been internationally recognised for her efforts, including national honours from both India and

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The trials of Myanmar's ousted de facto leader and former President U Win Myint will begin next week following their detention by the military on February 1, according to a lawyer.

"The cases of were classified as simple cases at the court today, so the trials for those cases need to finish within 180 days," Xinhua news agency quoted Khin Maung Zaw, the lawyer for the two former leaders, told reporters on Monday.

"We will hear testimonies from plaintiffs for the cases of the two leaders starting next week scheduled to be held on June 14," the lawyer said, adding that Suu Kyi's is expected to end on July 26.

U Win Myint is facing two court charges, while six cases have been filed against Suu Kyi.

On May 24, Suu Kyi appeared in court which marked her first in-person appearance since the February 1 coup, to face a charge of "incitement to sedition".

The sedition charge is the most serious she faces, but she is also accused of violating a state secrets law and breaking coronavirus containment measures.

While Suu Kyi has answered questions in court via video link in recent weeks, her lawyers have been unable to meet her in person.

The military seized power after alleging massive voting fraud in the country's November 2020 general elections, which saw Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy win a majority of seats in both houses of parliament.

After the coup, the State Administration Council reformed the Union Election Commission, taking steps to review the general elections process.

Since the takeover, power has been transferred to Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing.

Meanwhile, nationwide protests against the coup have been met with fierce army reprisals that left hundreds of people dead.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners monitoring group, at least 845 people have been killed so far, while 5,708 have been arrested.

On June 4, junta forces killed at least 20 civilians in the Kyonpaw Township, 150 km northwest of Yangon, in what was the largest mass killing in nearly two months.

Local residents only had catapults and crossbows to defend themselves against guns and grenades.

--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.)
President has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a White House visit this summer.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden extended the invitation during a phone call on Monday with Zelenskyy, who has publicly raised concerns about the U.S. president's plan to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and about a nearly completed Russia-to-Germany natural gas pipeline that would allow Russia to bypass

Biden made the invitation during a call that had been planned in advance of Biden's trip to Europe that culminates with a stop in Geneva next week for a face-to-face meeting with Putin as tensions in the U.S.-Russia relationship remain high.

Zelenskyy tweeted his response: Thank you @POTUS @JoeBiden for inviting me to visit the @WhiteHouse in July during our phone conversation. I look forward to this meeting to discuss ways to expand strategic cooperation between and #

Sullivan said Biden and Zelenskyy had the opportunity to talk at some length about all of the issues in the U.S.- relationship and President Biden was able to tell President Zelenskyy that he will stand up firmly for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and its aspirations as we go forward."



The Ukrainians also indicated that the Biden administration had committed to sharing 900,000 COVID-19 vaccines with Kyiv. Last week, the White House announced plans to share 80 million vaccine doses



most through the United Nations-backed COVAX program by the end of June. About 6 million in the initial distribution of 25 million were to be directed by the White House to U.S. allies and partners, including Mexico, Canada, South Korea, the West Bank and Gaza, India, Ukraine, Kosovo, Haiti, Georgia, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Yemen, as well as to United Nations frontline workers.

It will save the lives of many Ukrainians, Zelenskky said in a statement.

The Biden administration disappointed Ukraine as well as many Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Washington when it announced last month that it would not punish the German company overseeing the Russia-to-Germany pipeline known as Nord Stream 2, because it did not want to levy sanctions against an important European ally. Russian gas currently flows through Ukraine en route to Europe, and Zelenskyy was hopeful that Biden would move to block the project that faced bipartisan opposition in Congress.

Zelenskyy reiterated his concerns about the pipeline during the call, according to the statement from his office.

Zelenskyy, in an interview with Axios published on Sunday, said he had urged Biden to join him at any moment and at any spot on the planet before the planned Geneva meeting with Putin next week.

Ukraine has harbored hopes for increased military aid during the Biden administration and is looking for backing in its bid for NATO membership. Ukraine has long battled against Russia-backed separatists in the east and in the halls of government in Kyiv.

Crimea and large swaths of eastern Ukraine's Donbas region are under Russian occupation. Fighting in the region has claimed thousands of Ukrainian lives. Russia launched a buildup of troops near the border earlier this year before announcing in April that it would pull back those forces.

The provocative move alarmed the U.S. and other European allies. Zelenskyy, in the call, emphasized to Biden that there was still a high concentration of Russian troops and heavy weaponry there.

Zelenskyy found himself ensnared in former President Donald Trump's first impeachment, which centered around a 16-minute phone call in which Trump pressured the Ukrainian leader to investigate Biden and his son's dealings in the Eastern European nation in 2019.

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When the leaders of and the met last month, was only the second foreign leader to visit the White House during the Biden administration. It was a signal of how important Asia is to the new president, as he tries to extricate the from various messes in the Middle East.

The summit featured the obligatory affirmation of the bilateral military alliance and the joint determination to denuclearize North Korea.

But the real motivation behind the summit was economic. As they rebound from last years COVID-19 downturn, the and are increasingly relying on each other to stabilize supply chains and grow their respective economies.

After the disastrously inept policies of the Trump administration  the initial row over trade, the blackmailing of Korea over host nation support, the mixed signals on North Korea policy  the smoother relationship between and is certainly welcome. But there are several downsides to this closer coordination, particularly on the economic front.

At the summit, the two leaders made much of the decision of the top chaebols  Hyundai, Samsung, LG, and SK  to invest $25 billion into U.S. facilities for manufacturing computer chips, electric vehicle batteries, and similar cutting-edge technologies. In return, the United States has pledged to help ramp up its vaccination campaign against COVID-19. The two countries have also promised to strengthen their partnership on R&D in such fields as IT and AI.

Read More: Biden appoints special envoy for N Korea after meeting S Korean president



For his part, Biden is banking on a swift economic recovery to drive a nail through Trumps political reputation. Total economic output has nearly returned to its pre-pandemic level, and the U.S. is on track to grow by as much as 7.5 percent in 2021. The United States hasnt seen this kind of growth since the 1950s. With COVID-19 infection levels dropping precipitously, businesses are reopening, and consumers are beginning to spend.

South Korea, too, is enjoying a substantial economic rebound. The country has already regained its pre-pandemic economic output, and economists are predicting growth this year at around 3.4 percent, the best showing in a decade. Much of that growth depends on other countries, especially the United States, buying South Korean products. Indeed, South Korean exports have increased so much, a 45.6 percent increase over last year, that theyve reached a 32-year high.

All of that sounds good if youre an economist. But its not such good news if youre an environmentalist.

In 2020, because of the global economic downturn, carbon emissions dropped by 6.4 percent, with a 10 percent drop in the United States alone.

In 2021, despite all the new commitments from countries to go carbon-neutral by 2050 or even earlier, carbon emissions have rebounded sharply. In fact, other than the spike following the global financial crisis of 2008-9, this year will see the largest annual rise in emissions in history.

For all the talk of clean energy in the United States, post-pandemic economic growth will still depend far too much on dirty sources like coal. Production of coal is estimated to rise by nearly 8 percent this year, and will make up 22.6 percent of the power share (after falling below 20 percent for the first time in 2020). Coal exports, meanwhile, are expected to rise by 13. 6 percent.

South Korea, too, remains heavily dependent on coal, though the Moon government has pledged to reduce that dependency. Seoul has made some impressive pledges in terms of reducing carbon emissions. But it has continued to export coal-powered plants, for instance to Indonesia and Vietnam, and still has a few domestic facilities set to go on line in the next couple years.

Although these plants will probably represent the end of South Koreas coal industry, the countrys exports still rely on fossil fuels. The big boost in exports in 2021, for instance, has been fueled, quite literally, by a rise in auto exports of nearly 53 percent from last year. Electric vehicles and hybrids represent less than 20 percent of the total.

Another problematic aspect of the U.S.-South Korean cooperation is its implied rationale. Both countries are eager to wean themselves of too heavy a dependency on the Chinese China is South Koreas largest trade partner as well as the largest U.S. economic partner (in terms of total trade; the United States exports more to Canada and Mexico than it does to China).

The United States, under Trump, actively worked to decouple the from China. The Biden administration is continuing this process, if only indirectly by diversifying the sourcing of strategic components (like semiconductors) and boosting their domestic production.

South Korea has no intention of decoupling from China. But many South Korean exports to China become components in goods then sent to the United States. Tensions in U.S.-China relations inevitably have a negative effect on the South Korean economy.

Seoul, meanwhile, is also embarking on targeted investments in critical components of the global supply chain as the government joins with corporations in a plan to invest over $450 billion over 10 years in making South Korea a world leader in the semiconductor industry. By comparison, the Biden administration has proposed only $50 billion in targeted investments into the U.S. semiconductor industry.

In sum, economic cooperation between the United States and South Korea amounts to business as usual. The two countries are not truly committed to greening the because their manufacturing and exports still depend on dirty energy. And because they are both bracing for some disruption in relations with China, they are not working together in ways that can bring China on board for the kind of economic transformation that the planet so desperately needs.

Yes, Seoul and Washington are failing to come up with bold new initiatives toward North Korea. They arent thinking creatively about Japan or military bases. But the real failure of imagination is in the economic realm.

John Feffer is the director of Foreign Policy In Focus.
is in talks with banks for a loan of about $7.5 billion tied to the Japanese conglomerates planned sale of Arm to Nvidia, according to people familiar with the matter.

Mizuho Bank is coordinating the deal, said the people. The proceeds would provide investment funds for SoftBanks Vision Fund operation, and the collateral would be receivables from the cash portion of the proposed Arm sale, the people said.

A loan of that size would be among SoftBanks biggest in dollars, following a record facility recently.

The company increased a margin loan backed by shares in Alibaba Group Holding to $10 billion, people familiar said earlier this month. It also priced the biggest Japanese corporate bond deal of the year last week, when it sold 405 billion yen ($3.7 billion) of debt securities.

Nvidia agreed in September to buy SoftBanks chip division Arm for $40 billion. The deal is awaiting regulatory approval. Last week, Nvidias CEO Jensen Huang said he is still confident that regulators will green-light the acquisition.

But the semiconductor industrys biggest-ever acquisition faces headwinds: Chinese tech companies, including Huawei, are lobbying their government against the transaction. The UK, where Arm is based, said it plans to investigate the implications of the deal on national security grounds.
UN Secretary General is all set to be re-elected as chief of the world body after the powerful Security Council adopted by acclamation a resolution recommending his name to the General Assembly for a second five-year term beginning January 1, 2022.

The 15-nation Council held a closed meeting on Tuesday where it adopted the resolution recommending Guterres' name to the 193-member General Assembly for a second term as Secretary General.

Estonia's Ambassador to the UN Sven Jrgenson, President of the Council for month of June, told reporters after the meeting that the Council has recommended to the General Assembly that Guterres be appointed as the Secretary General for a second term of office from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2026.

"Even though we had only one official candidate, the process of the selection has not changed since last time. Now we pass on the torch to the UN General Assembly," he said.

Jurgenson said the vote in the General Assembly to re-elect Guterres could take place on June 18.

"We have all seen actually the Secretary General in action. I think he has been an excellent Secretary General. He's a bridge builder, his views on the conflict zones in the world and he's able to speak to everybody. And I think this is something that is expected from the Secretary General and he has proven worthy of the post already with the five years that he has been in office."



India had expressed its support for re-election of Guterres as UN Chief and welcomed the adoption of the resolution recommending his name.

"India welcomes the adoption of @UN #SecurityCouncil resolution recommending a second term to #UnitedNations Secretary-General @antonioguterres," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti tweeted.

Last month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had met Guterres at the headquarters and expressed New Delhi's support to him for his second term as the world's top diplomat.

"India values UNSG's leadership of the UN, especially in these challenging times. Conveyed our support for his candidature for a second term, Jaishankar had said in a tweet after the meeting.

Later a press release issued by the Permanent Mission of the India to the UN also stated that Jaishankar conveyed that India values Secretary General's leadership of the United Nations, especially in these challenging times. He conveyed India's support for his candidature for re-election for a second term.

Under the UN Charter, the Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. Each Secretary-General has the option of a second term if they can garner enough support from Member States.

Guterres, the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations, took oath of office on January 1, 2017 and his first term ends on December 31 this year. Former Prime Minister of Portugal, Guterres served as the High Commissioner for Refugees from a decade from June 2005 to December 2015.

Guterres, nominated by the Government of Portugal, has been the only official candidate for the position of Secretary General and his re-election was a given. There has been no woman Secretary General in the UN's 75-year history and Guterres' re-election will mean that any possibility of having a female lead the world organisation can come only after 2026.

In response to a question on there being only one candidate for Secretary General and no woman being considered for the post, Jurgenson said while there were other "self-proclaimed" candidates who were not official candidates, according to the rules and procedures, only Member States can nominate candidates for the Secretary General.

Fortunately or unfortunately, "beauty is in the eyes of the looker, like they say," Jurgenson said, adding that he is "particularly glad" that the same transparent and democratic process is still applied for the election this time like last time. "And even though there was only one candidate, but the candidate presented his vision statement. We had hearings also at the General Assembly and the Security Council. So, this procedure is democratic."



A 34-year old Indian-origin employee at the Arora Akanksha had announced her candidacy for Secretary General, throwing her hat in the ring against Guterres, saying she refuses to be a by-stander and it is now time for a new UN.

In March, Guterres had circulated his vision statement and earlier in May, laid out his case for a second term to UN Member States during an informal interactive dialogue convened in the General Assembly Hall.

Guterres was elected after a reformed selection process that included a public informal dialogue session in the General Assembly, involving civil society representatives, aimed at ensuring transparency and inclusivity.

In his vision statement 'Restoring trust and inspiring hope', Guterres said that the imperatives for the next five years include mounting a massive and enduring response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences in the short-term, leaving no stone unturned in the search for peace and security, making peace with nature and climate action, turbocharging the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and advocating for a more equitable world among other issues.

"As we emerge from the pandemic, the UN is more relevant than everWe must act as a catalyst and a platform for more inclusive, networked and effective forms of multilateralism. Our direction of travel is clear on peace and security, climate action, sustainable development, human rights and the humanitarian imperative.

"Our power to transform the current situation into a better world and future for all depends on everyone everywhere and can only be done successfully if we are resolute and resolved to combine our efforts towards our common agenda for the benefit of humanity and the planet, Guterres said in his vision statement.

(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 UN Security Council on Monday strongly condemned violations of and humanitarian law in the and warned that attacks on United Nations peacekeepers there may constitute war crimes.

The press statement was issued after closed-door Security Council discussions and a briefing from Mankeur Ndiaye, the UN special envoy to the Earlier, the council held an open meeting on the broader central Africa region where the United States and Russia traded accusations over actions in the

US political coordinator Rodney Hunter expressed outrage at reports that Russian military instructors led military offensives in the country characterized by confrontations with UN peacekeepers, threats against UN personnel, violations of humanitarian law, extensive sexual violence, and widespread looting, including of humanitarian organizations.

Russia's deputy UN ambassador, Anna Evstigneeva, accused the US of making baseless allegations and said the US action, coupled with a campaign in some media, constitutes a coordinated action aimed at besmirching our effective ... assistance to stabilization in the CAR.

She said cases of suspected violations of humanitarian law should be investigated by competent bodies in the country once they receive meaningful evidence and facts, and she called US threats to revoke bilateral assistance to nations in difficult positions blackmail.

The sessions followed a May 30 border incident that has heightened tensions between the Central African Republic and Chad.

Chad's defense ministry said troops from the neighboring country attacked a Chadian border post, killing one soldier and kidnapping and then executing five Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reported three Russian military instructors, part of a mission to support the Central African Republic's military, were also killed during the operation by a mine explosion.

The agency quoted Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov as saying Wednesday that the deaths would not lead Russia to decrease the number of military instructors, who are there at the invitation of the Central African Republic government.

The Security Council statement issued after its closed meeting gave no details of the reported and humanitarian violations.

It urged the Central African Republic to ensure that it complies with the status of forces agreement with the United Nations, which has a 15,000-strong peacekeeping force in the country.

Council members called on the country's authorities, UN peacekeepers and all forces present on the ground to coordinate and take all appropriate measures to enhance the safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers and personnel.

The mineral-rich Central African Republic has faced deadly inter-religious and inter-communal fighting since 2013. A peace deal between the government and 14 rebel groups was signed in February 2019, but violence blamed on the country's former president, Francois Bozize, and his allies threatens to nullify the agreement. It erupted after the constitutional court rejected Bozize's candidacy to run for president in December.

President Faustin Archange Touadera won re-election in late December to a second term with 53% of the vote, but he continues to face opposition from forces linked to Bozize.

The Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect reported on May 31 that armed groups continue to control the majority of territory in CAR and profit from illegal taxation and arms trafficking, and the cross-border flow of foreign fighters, arms and natural resources are fueling the crisis."



A climate of impunity has enabled ongoing violence and allegations of serious violations and abuses by armed groups as well as state security forces and their allies," said the report by the center, which was established in 2008 by governments, non-governmental groups and leading human rights figures including the late former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

(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.)
Bitcoin enthusiasts are in the middle of an existential crisis. Since its mid-April high, the price of Bitcoin has tumbled by as much as 47%. Meanwhile, China  where up to three-quarters of the worlds supply comes from  is curtailing mining and trading. And how solid a rock is the worlds largest cryptocurrency when a few cryptic tweets from Tesla Inc. founder can send it wobbling? Institutional investors have been heading for the exit  for gold.



But true believers take heart! Other investments require even greater leaps of faith. You can do a lot worse than Bitcoin.

Bitcoin has a simple concept: It is a digital token with a finite supply thats been around for 14 years. By comparison, in the traditional world of stocks and bonds, youll be hard pressed to find assets that have such investor enthusiasm and such a clear story to sell.

Consider the electric vehicle craze. QuantumScape Corp, a $12.3 billion market cap EV battery maker that counts Volkswagen AG and Qatar Investment Authority among its major shareholders, went public via a reverse merger with a SPAC last November. This stock has done worse than Bitcoin, losing almost two-thirds of its value this year. The reason? Its too mysterious.

QuantumScape made some bold claims: That it could extend the range of electric cars by as much as 50% while substantially reducing charge time for a long drive to just 15 minutes. So far, the breakthrough promised is backed only by limited preliminary data. Secrecy is standard practice in battery development: The company would not even name its scientists in an interview with Bloomberg for fear of poaching by rivals. Chief Executive Officer Jagdeep Singh said he never understood why [getting a third-party lab to test our cells] is considered more objective. Mass production is nowhere in sight for this zero-revenue start-up, whose operating losses have been on the rise.





The opaqueness and hype have not only stirred doubt but attracted short sellers. The activist firm Scorpion Capital has called the company a scam. In response, Singh said, the reason for secrecy is it takes a lot of time and energy to work on these new materials. Perhaps to avoid all the controversy, QuantumScape should have remained a unicorn a bit longer and not taken advantage of the SPAC craze to come to the public eye.

Bitcoins biggest selling point is finite supply. The same cant be said of stocks: Companies can issue new shares for various reasons  and its an art to guide retail investors toward interpreting share sales in a positive way. Most people dont do it well at all. Consider the experience of China Evergrande Groups $43 billion market cap electric-vehicle unit, whose shares have seen more volatility than Bitcoin this year. Just like QuantumScape, the EV maker has not started mass production yet. Only this month did it hold the initiation ceremony of the summer calibration testing of five models of its Hengchi vehicles, according to the company.



In January, shares of China Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group soared after the unit raised HK$26 billion from its billionaire founder Hui Ka Yans usual group of investors: his tycoon friends. Back then, retail investors saw this placement as a vote of confidence from the bigwigs. But in May, they changed their mind when the parent raised about HK$10.6 billion selling its shares, at a steep 20% discount. Evergrande explained that the transaction would reduce the ratio of the top 20 shareholders to below 90%, paving the way for an inclusion in the Hong Kong Stock Connect, a trading link that allows mainland Chinese investors to buy Hong Kong-listed shares.

The stock market disagreed, with many interpreting the move as a way for the Evergrande New Energy Vehicles parent  Huis indebted real estate development company  to cash out. In an early April investor call, according to Debtwire, the developer said it planned to raise 50 billion yuan equity capital each year, including spinning off non-property businesses. The Evergrande parent and its associates have 67.6% stake in the EV unit. On Monday, the New Energy Vehicle Group stock closed 16.3% lower than its mid-May placement price.

Bitcoin lovers should take consolation in the fact that their cherished token has the astonishing asset of a seductively simple story of supply and demand. And that it is the rare example of the Tinker Bell effect. If you remember, Peter Pan brings his dying pixie-dusted friend back to life by begging the audience to clap their hands if they believe in fairies. They did and so she continued to exist. So it is for Bitcoin and its faithful. We live in a world of many unicorns but a real Tinker Bell is hard to come by.
Two more bullet fragments were found on and under a cabinet on the garages east wall, Alonzo said, and a third was found in a box of soda that also contained a burst soda can on top of two empty cans. Another bullet hole above a banister to a stairway leading into the house, meanwhile, had been patched and painted over, Alonzo said; when he cut around the patch, he found that bullet, he said.
Nifty futures on the Singapore Exchange traded 20 points down at 15,759 around 8.45 am, indicating a weak start for the benchmark indices on Tuesday.

Here are the top stocks to track in today's session:

Earnings Today: A total of 46 companies are slated to post their quarterly numbers today, including Engineers India, Petronet LNG, Max Financial Services and Wonderla Holidays.

Union Bank of India: The state-owned lender reported a standalone profit after tax of Rs 1,330 crore in the quarter ended March 31, 2021, helped by improvement in asset quality. The bank amalgamated Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank with it with effect from April 1, 2020. The amalgamated entity had posted net loss of Rs 7,157 crore in the year-ago period, the lender said in its investor presentation.

Infosys: The IT major announced a collaboration with Archrock, the leading provider of natural gas compression services in the US, to integrate digital technologies and mobile tools for its field service technicians.

IB Housing, Central Bank of India: Indiabulls Housing Finance and Indiabulls Commercial Credit have entered into a strategic co-lending partnership with Central Bank of India to offer secured retail and MSME loans at competitive rates.

Surya Roshni: The company received order of Rs 170.52 crore for coated line pipes for gas grid pipeline project from Indradhanush Gas Grid (IGGL).

New India Assurance: The company reported a 90.6 per cent YoY jump in net profit at Rs 241 crore for the last quarter of the fiscal ended March 2021. It had reported a net profit of Rs 127 crore in the same quarter of 2019-20.

IndiGo: We expect domestic travels to reach February levels by year end, said CEO Ronojoy Dutta. The company's daily net cash burn rose to Rs 19 crore per day in Q4 compared to Rs 15 crore per day in Q3.

BPCL: Privatisation-bound Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) is setting up a 50,000 metric tonne per annum super absorbent polymer plant at the Kochi Refinery, the technology for which was developed in-house. In the first phase of the proposed plant, the company will have a 200 metric tonne capacity plant by October and the feedstock will be supplied by the adjoining refinery.

DHFL: Debt-ridden mortgage firm DHFL's shares would be delisted from stock exchanges post acquisition by Piramal Capital and Housing Finance, which has emerged as the successful bidder for the company. According to PTI report, shares of DHFL would be delisted post acquisition as per the IBC guidelines and Sebi delisting norms.

IOC: State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) on Monday said it has signed up an investment pact for adding petrochemical and lube plants to its previously announced plan to expand crude oil processing capacity at its Koyali refinery at Vadodara in Gujarat.

Jindal Steel & Power: Steel production up 31 per cent YoY to 13.71 lakh tonnes in April-May 2021 as compared to 10.44 lakh tonnes in the same period last year. Steel sales up by 7 per cent YoY at 10.58 lakh tonnes. The company said it is confident of achieving FY22 production target of 8-8.5 MT.

Hindustan Construction Company: The firm Defaulted on payment of loan of Rs 2,030.64 crore from banks, financial institutions, and unlisted debt securities. The total amount of loan outstanding as on date stands at Rs 4,147.84 crore.

Punjab National Bank: The Reserve Bank of India imposed penalty of Rs 2 crore on for non-compliance with the directions on identification and reporting of frauds, and inaccurate data reporting on CRILIC platform, for the years 2017-18 and 2018-19.

Shriram Transport Finance Company: The company approved raising of funds by issuance of equity shares and warrants to promoter Shriram Capital, on a preferential basis.
The growth versus profitability debate in the context of seems to be already heating up ahead of the companys initial public offering (IPO) planned later this year. According to analysts at Jefferies, while one set of investors are looking at Zomatos growth metrics even at the cost of medium-term profitability, the other camp is looking for a clear path to profitability going ahead. Potential competition from Amazon, Thrive etc. is also on investors' minds and so is the dynamics between and Swiggy, they said.



ALSO READ: Zomato IPO will test Indian investors' unicorn appetite: Analyst's note

A few investors are concerned that Swiggy, given its unlisted status, may have less investor pressure on profitability versus Zomato, which will have public market shareholders, wrote Vivek Maheshwari, Jithin John and Kunal Shah of Jefferies in a June 7 note.



Questions are also being raised on the utilisation of Zomatos IPO proceeds, Jefferies said, given the lack of clarity on this issue as things stand. The proposal to raise Rs 8,250 crore, or over $1.1 billion, through its initial public offering (IPO) makes this IPO one of the largest by a consumer internet company in India. There has also been a fair amount of discussion on Zomato's presence in segments like hyper-pure, dine-out subscription and the recent foray into nutraceuticals. Investors, however, have been surprised with the reluctance on trying grocery or hyperlocal opportunities.



ALSO READ: India could see a record equity supply of Rs 2-3 trn in FY22

In the context of nearly $2 billion of cash on books post IPO, there are questions on its usage, where there is lack of clarity now. We, however, highlight that until usage is identified, this cash would earn other income, which means profit before tax (PBT) breakeven could be ahead of Ebitda, other things being the same, Maheshwari, John and Shah wrote.

On its part, has said that it plans to use part proceeds to fund organic and inorganic growth, including customer and user acquisition, delivery and technology infrastructure, and acquisitions.

Only large players that have deep pockets and a steady backing of funds / investors will be able to sustain and turnaround their businesses going ahead. Over the next few years, a healthy demand for their products, consistent funding along with a check on overheads will be key to success for players like Zomato etc., says G Chokkalingam, founder and chief investment officer at Equinomics Research.

According to a recent report by Anand Rathi Securities, food consumption in India in 2019 stood at around $670 billion, mostly driven by home-cooked food. Food Services, defined as non-home-cooked food or restaurant food, now contribute only around 10 per cent to the food consumption market.



ALSO READ: Paytm sends 'offer for sale' to staff as it moves ahead with $3 bn IPO

Zomato, Jefferies said, has seen a ten-fold growth in user base (MTU) between FY18-20 to 10.7 million. While the pandemic negatively impacted MTUs, average order values (AOVs) have spiked. Earlier in the first quarter of fiscal 2020-21 (Q1-FY21), its gross order value (GOV) dipped sharply as Covid-19 outbreak led to imposition of a country-wide lockdowns and restaurants temporarily suspended operations. There was also a hesitance amongst consumers to order food.

Delivery GOV on Zomato declined around 60 per cent QoQ from over Rs 25 billion in Q4-FY20 to nearly Rs 10 billion in Q1-FY21. Recovery was also swift as restrictions were eased and consumer hesitance to order food abated. GOV pickedup sequentially and reached pre-Covid levels in Q3-FY21. GOV in 9M-FY21 stood at Rs 62 billion versus Rs 112 billion for the full year FY20, Jefferies said.

Contribution per order for Zomato stood at over Rs 20 in nine months of the current fiscal (9M-FY21) compared to (-) Rs 50 in FY20. Post normalisation, in case of a mean reversion on AOVs, even if slightly higher than FY20 levels, contribution could stay positive and the medium-term sustainable level. Also, despite better trends, 9M-FY21 Ebitda has been at (-) Rs 3.1 billion and hence, the timeline on break-even is on some investors' minds, the Jefferies note said.
Asian Hotels (West) slumped 13.01% to Rs 209.70 after the company said it temporarily suspended all operations for Hyatt Regency Mumbai with immediate effect.

Asian Hotels (West) is unable to support the operations of Hyatt Regency Mumbai hotel due to liquidity crunch.

In April this year, Asian Hotels (West) defaulted on payment of interest/repayment of principal amount of loan to Yes Bank as COVID-19 pandemic affected hospitality business.

Since then, Yes bank has held all funds including daily hotel collections in the escrow account and the company/hotel are not allowed to make any payment including government taxes, vendors payments, on roll employees' salaries and other critical hotel services from the said account.

Yes Bank has only released some payments from the company's escrow account towards hotel's electricity, water and gas charges.

On a consolidated basis, the company reported a net loss of Rs 37.37 crore in Q3 FY21 compared with net profit of Rs 13.17 crore in Q3 FY20. Net sales tumbled 73.4% to Rs 33.89 crore in Q3 FY21 over Q3 FY20.

Asian Hotels (West) is a holding company, which is engaged in the hotel business. The company's properties include Hotel Hyatt Regency, Mumbai and JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity.

Meanwhile, shares of Yes Bank fell 1.99% at Rs 14.77 on BSE.

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Bank of India fell 1.36% to Rs 84 after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 4 crore on the bank for non-compliance with KYC/anti-money laundering circulars of the central bank.

The statutory Inspection for Supervisory Evaluation (lSE) of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on 31 March 2019. The bank had also conducted a review and submitted a Fraud Monitoring Report (FMR) dated 1 January 2019 pertaining to detection of fraud in an account.

Examination of the risk assessment report pertaining to the ISE and the FMR revealed non-compliance with/contravention of the aforesaid directions, viz., breach of stipulated transaction limits; delay in transfer of unclaimed balances to Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund; delay in reporting a fraud to RBI and sale of a fraudulent asset.

"This action is based on the deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers," the RBI said in a statement.

Bank of India is a public sector bank. The Government of India held 89.10% stake in Bank of India as on 31 March 2021.

The public sector bank reported a net profit of Rs 250.19 crore in Q4 FY21 as against a net loss of Rs 3,571.41 crore in Q4 FY20. Total income fell 6.84% to Rs 11,379.84 crore in Q4 FY21 over Q4 FY20.

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Minda Corporation surged 2.66% to Rs 138.90 after the company announced a joint venture with Republic of Korea's INFAC Elecs Co. to bring its range of automotive antenna solution in India.

Minda Corporation, the flagship company of Spark Minda Group, on Tuesday a joint venture tie up with Korea's INFAC Elecs Co. bring its range of automotive antenna solution for the Indian automotive market.

The partnership aims to capitalize on the opportunities for growth in automotive safety, connected & autonomous technologies. Connectivity-based safety features such as remote keyless entry, V2V & V2X communication will spur demand for devices like antennas products and solutions. The joint venture will offer multiple antenna products like rod antenna, micro pole antenna, shark fin antenna, LF antenna, etc.

The joint venture will manufacture the antennas locally from the newly set up state-of-the-art manufacturing unit in Pune. Minda will hold 51% stake in the joint venture while Infac Elecs Co. will hold the remaining 49%.

Ashok Minda, chairman and Group CEO of Spark Minda Group said, "We are extremely delighted to form the Joint Venture with INFAC Elecs from Republic of Korea. The Indian automotive industry is moving towards the theme of Safe, Smart, & Connected and Spark Minda aims to be a leading player in this domain. With INFAC's strong capability in advanced solution in Antenna systems, the Joint Venture will offer latest technology products to all segments of the Automotive Industry. At Spark Minda, we are committed to offer advanced products, technologies and solutions in Connected, Electronics, Light Weighting, Safety, Electric Mobility space organically and inorganically."

Woong Seon Choi, president of INFAC Group said, "I am so delighted that the joint venture agreement between Infac and Spark Minda has concluded successfully. This agreement is the second achievement, following the Technical Assistance Agreement dated on 12th August, 2019 and means both companies have similar goal and conviction of successful business to be in India automotive market filled with high potential and possibilities. I am sure that this JV firm would grow its business significantly and finally achieve its goal in India, and bring both companies huge profits. Infac will do its best to provide full support for the success of the JV."

Minda Corporation is one of the leading automotive component manufacturing companies in India with a pan-India presence and significant international footprint. Its consolidated net profit stood at Rs 12.92 crore in Q4 FY21 compared with net loss of Rs 299.78 crore in Q4 FY20. Net sales surged 48% to Rs 794.09 crore in Q4 FY21 as against Rs 536.37 crore in Q4 FY20.

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Incorporates step down subsidiary - PT Route Mobile Indonesia

Route Mobile announced that it is expanding its operations in Southeast Asia by opening a step-down subsidiary - PT Route Mobile Indonesia, incorporated by the company's wholly-owned subsidiary - Route Mobile (UK) & the appointment of Elsiyah Susanto as Country Manager - Indonesia.

The new office in Indonesia marks Route Mobile's commitment to bolster its presence in the region and assures better reachability to enterprises & brands. With Elsiyah's induction, Route Mobile will ensure a strong growth momentum in Southeast Asia (SEA) with a focus on the Indonesian market.

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In his address to the nation Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that from June 21, 75 per cent of vaccines would be procured by the government.

Given states manifest inability to source vaccines themselves, this is a good move -- but a transparent supply formula must accompany central procurement too, says the top edit. Read it here

In other views today:

Akash Prakash assesses the risk for in the tapering of asset purchases by the US Federal Reserve, which will be eventually followed by other G-7 central banks. Read it here

Mahesh Vyas says the unlocking process can be expected to repair about two-thirds of the job losses associated with the lockdown of May 2021. Read it here

The second edit argues that the Supreme Courts verdict quashing a case against TV anchor Vinod Dua should have extended to scrapping all cases. Read it here

Vandana Gombar assesses the scheme to offer cash incentives for local of as well as batteries and suggests that it may require a few iterations to really click. Read it here
Former US president Donald Trump has urged the world to demand $10 trillion as reparation from China for the Covid-19 pandemic. This demand is built on the hypothesis that the SARS-COV-2 virus leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) after being enhanced by researchers.

That hypothesis is not only being aired extensively across media; it is seen as a serious possibility by many qualified persons, as well as the political establishments of major nations. It is unlikely this could ever be proved or disproved definitively. But the hypothesis itself has had a negative impact on the ...
The drama over Dewan Housing Finance Corp Ltd (DHFL) is another example of how company promoters put in last-minute roadblocks to delay the resolution process. The Mumbai Bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) did well to approve the resolution plan submitted by Piramal Group.

But the process will take some more time, as Kapil Wadhawan has approached the Supreme Court, which is yet to take a view on the matter. Mr Wadhawan, who is in prison on charges of diverting funds and money laundering, had offered to pay the total outstanding principal of about Rs 91,000 crore. In a ...
Barring any last minute hiccups, decks have been cleared for Kannur veteran K. Sudhakaran to be appointed as the new party president of

Mullapally Ramachandran has put in his papers after the April 6 assembly polls debacle.

The 73-year-old Sudhakaran is a four time legislator and is presently in his second term as Lok Sabha member from Kannur -- the citadel of the CPI-M.

Known for his tirades against the CPI-M, if there is any leader that the CPI-M dreads, it is Sudhakaran.

The battle between the two has now become a legend in Kannur and there is never a dull moment, when the tall, well built Sudhakaran with his chest out arrives at any place where there is a commotion between the CPI-M and the cadres and videos, in the manner in which he takes on the police force, are there in plenty.

Known for his upkeep of his body, Sudhakaran daily spends more than an hour at his personal gym for workout.

A media critic on condition of anonymity said under normal circumstances, Sudhakaran might be a wrong choice to lead the otherwise sober grand old party.

Today the situation is different, as the party is at its lowest ebb and when Congressmen across the state were expecting to ride to victory in the April 6 assembly polls, it ended at the receiving end and was humbled by Pinarayi Vijayan, who wrote himself into record books and retained power.

"The party is passing through its worst times and the grassroots of the party appears to have vanished. If the party has to at least put up a fight, then there is none better than Sudhakaran, who can really pump in the much needed adrenalin to motivate the cadres. He is the one person who has taken the battle into the CPI-M camp for long and that in itself is his advantage and disadvantage because, if he does not maintain calm at crucial situations, he might be a liability more than an asset," said the critic.

One reason why the party high command, despite knowing what stuff Sudhakaran is made of, decided to go for him is, they have realised that the formidable factions in the party led by Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala have to be reigned in and even after the latter was the first choice for a second term as Leader of Opposition, the leadership brought in V.D. Satheesan and hence, it was more or less clear that Sudhakaran might get the nod.

If Sudhakaran's battle field was hitherto Kannur, the scene is all set for a change as he moves to the state capital to take on his arch Kannur rival, the all powerful Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who very well knows that Sudhakaran is no push over and people can now get ready for a tit for tat between the two old Kannur foes.

--IANS

sg/skp/

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"A nation stays alive when its culture stays alive," reads a sign at the entrance of the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul.

As an important node on the Silk Road, Afghanistan boasts a syncretic culture. Tragically, the protracted war and civil conflicts in the past decades have wreaked havoc on its cultural heritage.

The Bamiyan Buddhas

In March 2001, two of the world's largest standing Buddha sculptures in the country, known as the Buddhas of Bamiyan, were blown up by Taliban.

At an elevation of 2,500 meters, these two giant statues, 38 meters and 55 meters in height, respectively, were carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan Valley.

People visit the ruined Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan, August 16, 2019. [Xinhua]

The annihilation of the 1,500-year-old sandstone carvings has been condemned globally and has drawn worldwide attention to preservation of cultural heritage in the country.

Since its inscription on the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 2003, it has received over $27 million from international communities to protect and revitalize the region's cultural sector, according to the organization.

In 2015, Zhang Xinyu and Liang Hong from China filled the empty niche of the 55-meter Buddha with the help of 3D laser light technology. The couple then donated the $100,000-worth projection equipment to the local government for future use.

National Museum of Afghanistan

The National Museum of Afghanistan, founded in 1931 in Kabul, houses a rich collection of artifacts from prehistoric relics to Islamic art that reflect the country's cultural diversity and antiquity.

During the post-Soviet civil war (1989-1996), some 140,000 items in the museum were looted or ruined, accounting for 70 percent of its total holdings. And subsequently, a large number of collections were looted and vandalized by Taliban.

The ongoing turbulent situation in the country has posed a great challenge to the protection of cultural relics. From 2016, the museum's treasures started being relocated and were exhibited in countries such as France, Italy, the Netherlands, the U.S., Australia and Japan.

Between 2017 and 2019, China joined the relay in helping safeguard the treasures. Museums in different cities across China displayed the ancient cultural artifacts from the war-ravaged country.

Meanwhile, heritage professionals have been working together with the Afghan government to protect the existing cultural heritage sites, according to UNESCO. Yet, the Afghan heritage remains highly fragile.
Conference (NC) president on Tuesday said his party would continue with its fight for the restoration of the rights of the people of

He also exhorted the NC cadre to further strengthen its rank and file to meet the challenges before the Union Territory unitedly and by upholding the cherished philosophy of communal and regional amity.

"We will uphold the interests of the people at all costs in every forum," Abdullah said while addressing the NC functionaries of Jammu virtually, adding that the political issues post August 5, 2019 (the day the Centre abrogated the provisions of Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into Union territories) have been challenged by the party in the Supreme Court.

The meeting in which wide-ranging issues were discussed lasted for eight hours. NC vice president Omar Abdullah also participated in the deliberations, a party spokesperson said.

Asserting that the NC is not against the delimitation process in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said, "The method adopted, however, is not in tandem with the procedure."



The Member of Parliament from Srinagar dwelt upon various issues flagged by the party functionaries and shared the concerns over road connectivity, especially the smooth functioning of the Mughal Road that connects the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu with Shopian district in south Kashmir.

"This link is very vital between the two regions as the highway between Jammu and Srinagar is over-stressed and cannot hold the pressure of such a massive vehicular movement," he said.

The former chief minister said the railway connectivity between Jammu-Poonch and Jammu-Kishtwar is of paramount importance, which has already been taken up by the NC in Parliament.

"We will flag this issue with the prime minister as well," he said, adding that trains are the most credible and dependable mode of surface transport, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, which encounters road blockades for the better part of the year due to weather vagaries.

The NC president expressed concern over the unfortunate situation caused by the Covid pandemic and sought active support of the people in making the ongoing vaccination drive against the viral disease a success.

"This is the only solution to defeating the virus and the party cadre must motivate the people to go for vaccination," he said.

Addressing the daylong virtual meet, Omar Abdullah asked the party functionaries to review the NC's membership distribution process in Jammu.

Expressing concern over the uncertainty looming large in Jammu and Kashmir, he urged the cadre to remain steadfast in their resolve to fight for the right cause.

The former chief minister stressed the crucial need of further strengthening the party at the grassroots level by launching a door-to-door campaign.

"Mobilisation by the cadre during the elections to the district development councils reiterated the fact that the NC is a force to reckon with," he said.

Omar Abdullah also joined the cadre in paying tributes to the party colleagues who died of Covid.

He said the NC was, is and will remain at the forefront to seek justice for the people of all the regions and sub-regions.

"Public interest is sacrosanct for us," he said and urged the cadre to articulate the problems of the people for seeking redressal to those.

Earlier, a two-minute silence was observed in the memory of the senior NC leaders and all those who fell prey to the pandemic.

NC provincial president Devender Singh Rana, who conducted the proceedings of the virtual conference, read out the obituaries of party leaders Thakur Rachpal Singh, Thakur Kashmira Singh, Abdul Wahid Shan, Gurdeep Singh Sasan, Rohit Kerni and Mohammed Alam, saying they had contributed immensely in strengthening the party and serving the people in different capacities.

(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.)
BJP MLA and Leader of opposition in assembly on Tuesday met Union Home Minister

In his first meeting after becoming the leader of opposition in the state assembly, Adhikari also met Union minister Mansukh Mandviya. He is also scheduled to meet BJP national president J P Nadda, party sources said.

Adhikari may also have a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a source said.

Adhikari had defeated TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a closely fought battle in Nandigram during the state assembly polls held in March-April this year.

Adhikari's meeting with top brass of the BJP comes days after his presence in Modi-Mamata meet over cyclone Yaas review which had irked the TMC leader.

According to sources, Mamata Banerjee had arrived late at the aforementioned meeting and left after submitting a report on the impact of the cyclone.

(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.)
Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], June 8 (ANI/NewsVoir): Dr. Charu Khosla, Assistant Dean, Office of International Affairs, (https://www.chitkara.edu.in/) Chitkara University, Punjab, won the prestigious Greenpreneur Award 2021 organised by FICCI in association with Punjab government for exemplary work in 'Energy Management'.

The Greenpreneur Awards 2021 were organised by Startup Punjab in collaboration with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI FLO) Amritsar to honour Punjab's finest entrepreneurs in Energy Management, Water Management, Waste and Material Productivity, and Innovative Practices in Sustainability. FLO is the women wing of the FICCI, which has its headquarters in New Delhi, with 17 chapters covering different geographical regions of India.

Dr Charu Khosla is the Founder of BB OORJA Pvt. Ltd., which has been incubated by Chitkara University. The startup uses clean and green fuel through agro-waste management for its smokeless cooking stove, a unique product for households and hotels.

On receiving the award, Dr Charu said, "I am thankful for receiving this honour. I am also thankful to Chitkara University for giving me the right wings and the right platform."

The winner was chosen after witnessing a spate of nominations, from topmost and established industries from all over Punjab competing for this coveted recognition for building a sustainable future.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Madhu Chitkara, Pro Chancellor, Chitkara University, said, "Chitkara University has a vision to support entrepreneurship and innovation while acknowledging efforts and creativity. We like to encourage our faculty to explore their potential and expand their horizons. It is a proud moment for all of us at Chitkara University and we congratulate Dr. Charu Khosla for this brilliant accomplishment."

The winner was declared by Alok Shekh, Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce, and Rajat Agarwal, IAS, CEO Invest Punjab, in a virtual ceremony on World Environment Day.

Speaking at the Greenpreneur Awards 2021, Rajat Agarwal, said that state government is providing seed funding support to outstanding entrepreneurs of Punjab.

Chitkara University, situated near Chandigarh, has emerged as the most vibrant and high-ranking University in North India. With another campus in Himachal Pradesh, the university offers courses in Engineering and Technology, Business, Planning and Architecture, Art and Design, Mass Communication, Sales and Marketing, Hospitality Management, Pharmacy, Health Sciences and Education.

With state-of-the-art infrastructure, scientifically driven pedagogy, and strong industry collaborations, Chitkara University not only attracts the most exemplary students from across the nation but, with its seamless placement support, is also able to help them carve high growth careers.

For details, please visit: (https://www.chitkara.edu.in/) www.chitkara.edu.in.

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New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI/ Prince Air): Prince Air, a New Delhi-based start-up created by Sanket Raj Singh is offering a one-of-a-kind subscription-based airline service for unlimited travel on its private jets.

Founded on the concept that exclusive experiences can be inclusive, Prince Air is designed to offer its services to patrons for a fraction of the usual cost - making its member travel affordable and accessible to everyone. Its service is also faster and more efficient, by cutting down the time spent at airports. That means a round trip flight from Delhi to Mumbai and back, would save at least 3 hours via Prince Air.

Prince Air cuts the cost by up to 50% of the usual commercial airline cost for flying business class in India- and up to 95% of what charter operators charge to fly on a private jet.

As stated by Singh: "Earlier, our plans were to Introduce Bombardier/Embraer Jets. Our monthly subscription cost was in between 1.5 Lakh INR to 2 Lakh INR where a member could fly Unlimited to-from New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru on our private jets, but I think in a place like India, we had to think out of the box. Something which has never been done or tried in India before."

Owing by the pandemic of the past year, the aviation industry was hit hard both in India and globally. Though it caused much disruption, it gave us time to re-think what could we do, so that we could make Prince Air affordable for every person in India.

Keeping in mind the ticket price for economy class, business class and private jets - we came up with something which would be a game changer for the Indian aviation industry. That means cutting the cost of travelling business class in India by almost by 50%, in a business model where the same service can be enjoyed by economy class passengers as well as people who fly on a private jet in India.

As it currently stands, Private Aviation is a very immature market in India and has not yet been as democratized as it could be. That means until now, only HNIs and VIPs could afford the price tag attached to a private jet as well as business class in India. That was then, this is now. We thought of changing the aircraft and getting a bigger aircraft like an Airbus A-320 or A-321, comprising a complete business class airline that offers a private jet experience. Instead of having 180 to 220 economy seats per aircraft, we would only have 90-100 Business/First Class seats - giving our members more space and comfort, all while travelling at a budgeted price.

A realistic model of our system work as follows: The monthly subscription cost to fly unlimited to-from New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru per member would be USD 747, which is 54500 INR based on the 5 tickets/seats we would offer each member monthly. This means a member can fly across New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru as frequently as they want for just USD 747 - a monthly cost of 54500 INR.

On average, a return Delhi-Mumbai-Delhi Business Class Seat with Domestic Carriers cost around USD 493, which equates to 36000 INR. For a Delhi-Bengaluru-Delhi return flight, the cost is usually USD 575 which is 42000 INR, and even more on certain days. A Delhi-Mumbai-Delhi costs anywhere between 8 to 10 lakhs on a private jet in India.

That all changes with Prince Air. Now, you can fly Delhi-Mumbai-Bengaluru unlimited at just $747 monthly (54500 INR) on our private jets.

We hope to expand and connect the entire nation with Prince Air in future. Our second and third phase sectors would be Amritsar, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Pune, Chennai and Hyderabad. A member can fly to all sectors at the same price on our private jets, which is only USD 747 or 54500 INR monthly.

AND WHAT'S MORE?

A member can come and enjoy our lounge before the flight, with complimentary beverages and snacks and a serene environment to relax in before take-off.. This is a close community of members where you can meet and greet each other and relax at our lounge. We will be doing private events only for our members.

Singh believes that "there is definitely a market out there for a service like Prince Air, where people are looking for something which has a different experience when it comes to flying private, and is in between a commercial airline and a charter company in India. This is where Prince Air fits in where we allow our members to travel in style and comfort but at a fraction of cost. It's a new way to jet off in style with luxury and privacy but without the price tag. It would have the coolest looking jet's in India."

With full optimism and the bright-eyed world-view of someone with a revolutionary new service, Singh comments: "I'm definitely sure people would love Prince Air as there are very few options in India for air travel. It's always better to offer a choice when it comes to flying by air and people would spend little extra to fly on our private jets. To minimise the risk of catching COVID, people would want to feel safe when flying and with a service on a private jet like an All Business Class Airline, it definitely would be safer to travel."

Air Travel use to be fun at one point in time, and we want to bring it back by offering a private jet experience that people get dressed up for, with flights they can enjoy. Our aim is to bring an overwhelming experience to the travel part with Prince Air. We'll make people addicted when travelling with Prince Air and want to offer what no one has ever offered in India before.

We are here to offer you an exclusive travel experience never before seen in India, creating a much better experience when it comes to flying by Air. Following the new travel protocol with guaranteeing an A Class service, we want to leave our travellers speechless once they start travelling with us. Our ultimate aim is to re-define air travel by offering luxury cabin interiors, hand stitched leather seats, customised art lighting and a sophisticated sound experience in flight.

The shared economy is the future. International travel will still take time to come back but travel for leisure purposes will come back soon as people have gotten weary of staying indoors for almost a year and counting. Once the vaccination has been fully conducted across India, people will be looking to fly out and enjoy a holiday with their loved ones.

Singh goes on to state, "we are looking for corporations and individuals who can enjoy our services. Sectors like the high end real estate market across India especially in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru could increase their sales by offering Prince Air memberships to people buying high end apartments/properties with them. If you're selling a high end property, you need to offer something exclusive to the ones buying a property with you. Along with this, the luxury car market could also benefit by offering Prince Air memberships to the ones buying a luxury car with companies like Audi, BMW and Mercedes - helping to increase their sales here as well across India."

Prince Air is currently in talks with some of India's Largest Travel portal companies, which would help them sell subscriptions across their platform to acquire members and become their travel partners.

Services such as chauffeured driven luxury car services for airport pick up and drop off will also be available to Prince Air members. Prince Air is making prospective arrangements with hospitality brands for exclusive benefits as well for its members. With this, we would be collaborating with some high end brands and passing on the benefits to our members.

The booking process for Prince Air will be completely digitised and app-based. Travellers will be able to use the arrive and fly process which will include customisable services across several strategic pillars, from bookings to arrivals. They will be allowed to skip airport security and will only need to arrive 30 mins prior to departure. The private jet flights would be accessed from a different entry point. A dedicated member services team to assist members will also be available at all times.

With the new Digital Health Passport, we will get contactless mobile payments along with facial recognition technology and boarding passes on the Prince Air app in future.

Prince Air plans to launch in the next couple of months and are pre-selling memberships as of now. To know more and become one of the founding members of Prince Air. Log onto (https://www.princeair.in/) www.princeair.in and reserve your seat. You can also drop an email at info@princeair.in to for group subscriptions and collaborations.

This story is provided by Prince Air. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/ Prince Air)

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New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI/PRNewswire): Park Group of Hospitals, situated in North India, is a landmark healthcare entity of global standards.

The group is undergoing rapid expansion making it North India's individually owned fastest-growing chain of super-specialty hospitals including cancer and tertiary level care where patients continue to flock seeking medical intervention and care in the state-of-the-art facility for various ailments.

Park Group of Hospitals added 5 new hospitals to its chain of hospitals from FY 2019 to FY 2021 alone, which is truly unheard of in the business of individually owned hospitals. Park Group of Hospitals' 12 Super-Speciality hospitals are NABH accredited. The newly acquired hospitals are in Behror, Ambala, Gurgaon, and Sonipat. In next one year they are planning to add 4 more hospitals to its chain of hospitals. The Signature hospital is their latest state-of-the-art facilities with a touch of luxury.

The journey of this famous group of hospitals began in the early 80s with the first hospital in Malviya Nagar, South Delhi which was a 50 bedded hospital and became functional in 1982. This was envisioned by the group's Founder Chairman, Dr Ajit Gupta. He always saw healthcare through the eyes of social responsibility and this attitude led to the expansion of the hospital in the early days itself.

Dr Ajit says, "One has to decide how they want to move in life at the right time and with the right motive. I knew what I wanted to do and grabbed onto the opportunity as I saw it. Even though we've come far from where we began, I still feel like it's just the beginning. We want the entire nation to experience the kind of healthcare that we provide." Dr. Ajit Gupta has versatile experience in all facets of the healthcare industry, ranging from quality, affordability and technology. Being one of the pioneers in healthcare in India, Dr Ajit Gupta's vision has made Park Hospitals carve a respected place among the largest healthcare service providers in North India.

In 2006, Dr Ankit Gupta joined the group as the Managing Director and has catalysed the growth of the group with his ideas and vision. His intent to explore new horizons and set new milestones was supported by enhanced facilities for delivering high-end services of international quality and standards. This world-class medical hospital provides services that ensure precision and care under the supervision of globally renowned and experienced doctors in the midst of state-of-the-art facilities. Focus is also on medical academia, training and digitalization for timely clinical outcomes.

Dr Ankit Gupta was awarded as 'Future Leader of Healthcare in India' by Vice President of India, Sri S.M. Venkaiah Naidu. Under his leadership, Park Hospital was honored with the award for the Best Cancer Hospital in Delhi NCR at the 3rd Annual Elets Healthcare summit in Rajasthan on 10th November 2017. He was also awarded 'Path Breaking Personality Of The Year' at India Excellence Awards in 2020.

"When you operate in a sector that demands in-depth understanding of complex scientific, medical, social and economic interplays, ground level knowledge of all facets of hospital functioning and management skills play a very important role. It's the professional acumen, good leadership, management skills and dedicated team work of the healthcare professional that save the lives of the patients. Being a qualified physician, understanding Healthcare Management at macro and micro level has helped me to strive for consistent improvement in the Indian healthcare realm," says Dr Ankit.

Both Dr Ajit and Dr Ankit are philanthropists. They actively engage themselves in working for society and have opened organisations for the same. The father-son duo has set up a trust called Usha Memorial Education Welfare Social Trust which is dedicated to the education of children. It has funded the complete education of many students.

They also work actively for HOPE (Human Organisation for Public Equity). HOPE has a charitable society for the marriage of girls over the legal age and has aided in the marriages of many poor girls.

The hospital chain is made to serve people belonging to all economic backgrounds. The affordability of Park Hospitals is likely to be in place because of the vision of excellent healthcare for all.

This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire)

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New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI/Mediawire): Not even in the wildest dreams could one have ever imagined what the human race has been through since novel Coronavirus surfaced in 2019. That a pandemic of this scale could not only disrupt lives, but also leave millions gasping for life-giving oxygen was unthinkable!

The last couple of decades have seen outbreaks of quite a few zoonotic diseases such as Covid-19, SARS, swine flu, to name a few, crossing over from animals into humans. While nobody could have predicted the devastation the Covid-19 pandemic has left in its wake, epidemiologists have been warning us for years that with mankind's very casual approach towards environment, this might just be the beginning!

Experts believe that outbreaks are becoming more and more common just for the simple reason that humanity's destruction of biodiversity is creating opportunities for the spill-over of new viruses and diseases. This coupled with the population explosion is a global catastrophe waiting to happen.

More people on the planet means need for more activities like agriculture, forestry, mining and oil exploration. World over, biodiversity is being degraded at an alarming rate, leading to depletion of our forests by phenomenal numbers; pushing the world onto the brink of a grave environmental crisis. Every day, on a massive scale, we are hacking our natural oxygen generators and less trees mean less oxygen to breathe!

Our ill treatment of the planet has also led to a wide range of environmental problems such as global warming, depletion of stratospheric ozone, acid rain, soil erosion, destruction of tropical forests, depletion and extinction of many species, and swift decline of biodiversity, all of which are linked to the influx of natural disasters and different weather patterns the earth is witnessing frequently these days.

Funnily the solution is in our hands! While all of these problems may seem physical or environmental in nature, their causes and their potential solutions are invariably connected to our attitudes, beliefs, values, needs, desires, and behaviours.

It is time we wake up and realise that every choice we make, has global repercussions and act and choose wisely. Adopting the Reduce - Recycle - Reuse policy; consuming fuel, electricity and water judiciously and using only environment-friendly products, are simple things we can easily do to make a huge difference.

Apart from these simple things, another thing you can do is switch to Green Cement. Here's some food for thought... Did you know that an everyday product like cement that we use without giving much thought to, has major ecological impacts?

One of the foremost problems of the Cement industry is emission of CO2, which we all know is harmful for the health of all living beings. Studies show that the cement industry's worldwide production of 1.6 billion + tons contributes about 7% of carbon dioxide's yearly emissions.

The key lies in switching to Green Cement or Green Concrete that is produced with the help of a "carbon-negative manufacturing process" wherein the manufacturing process of cement is suitably altered to bring down the CO2 emission levels significantly. Nearly 60% less thermal energy is consumed when Green Cement is produced as compared to OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement). Green Cement also reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 60% for each ton of OPC. It also reduces the urban heat island effect by increasing the reflectivity of concrete.

At JSW Cement, Slag, produced during steel making process, is used to produce green cement. Slag is extremely effective in reducing permeability and helps increase the durability of concrete. Slag Cement can replace 70-80% of OPC in most common concrete mixtures, and up to 100% in massive concrete elements and other specialised structures.

JSW Cement is India's first-ever cement manufacturer to receive the coveted GreenPro Certification for Portland Slag Cement (PSC) from the CII-IGBC (Confederation of Indian Industry - Indian Green Building Council) and are GreenPro Certified for three products, Portland Slag Cement (PSC), Composite Cement (CC) and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS).

JSW Cement has received GreenPro certification for the following initiatives:

* Reduction in CO2 emissions

* Use of alternate raw material

* Enhancement of mines life; conservation of Limestone

* Efficient Water management

* Restoration of mines

* Green belt development

* Biodiversity

Based upon the Life Cycle Assessment & EPD certification of JSW's PSC product, it can be concluded that JSW PSC has less ecological foot print, covering the following key parameters with respect to OPC:

* Least global warming potential

* Maximum usage of secondary materials

* Less acidification & eutrophication potential

* Minimal non-renewable primary energy usage

Embed Video: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDBY5A7cc-o)

The relationship between us and mother earth is dangerously unbalanced at the moment. The recent pandemic is just an indicator that our planet is in red and the rapid environmental changes taking place every day are wreaking havoc on the social and economic wellbeing of the entire human race. The bottom line here is we should stop taking nature for granted and start making intelligent choices like switching to green cement to help protect our future!

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Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], June 8 (ANI/PRNewswire): UST, a leading digital transformation solutions company, is extending a much-needed helping hand to COVID-19 pandemic relief in India by working closely with governments, hospitals, relief workers, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across the country.

UST has already committed a minimum amount of Rs 10 crore to support COVID-19 relief work in India. The company also encourages employee contributions to meet the increased demand for medical supplies and support the communities. In addition, UST will also equally match the contribution of its associates.

This year of 2021, UST's COVID-19 relief work is focused on medical supplies and equipment for FLTCs (First-level Treatment Centers), dedicated COVID-19 treatment centers, and hospitals.

UST also makes available oxygen supply equipment (oxygen concentrators, cylinders, ventilators), oxygen, beds, ICU beds, N95 masks, PPE kits, face shields, and sanitizers glucometers, thermometers, defibrillators, blood pressure apparatus, thermal scanners, surgical masks, gloves, and medicines for hospitals. The company is also providing food and ration support for the vulnerable communities.

UST has taken effective steps towards supplying essential medical supplies and equipment through hospitals, government departments, NGOs and medical suppliers involved in COVID-19 care and relief initiatives, reaching more than 25 government and charitable hospitals, 30 primary health centers, 4 first and second level COVID-19 care centers, 48 old age homes, 94 child care facilities, 42 special homes for differently-abled, 36 palliative units, 3 crematoriums and 5 government quarantine centers across India.

UST has been lending support in India's fight against the COVID 19 pandemic across the UST locations, including urban, rural, and remote areas in the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. UST has partnered with several organizations, including Viswasanthi Foundation, Sampark Seva Trust, Nirmaan, EFI, PAN India, CII, and contributed to top hospitals like St John's hospital, Bengaluru; Govt Medical College, Trivandrum, and Kochi; Rajiv Gandhi Hospital, Chennai; and Gandhi Govt Hospital Hyderabad.

Sunil Balakrishnan, Chief Values Officer and Global Head for Development Centers, UST said, "India is fighting the pandemic in all ways it can, and we are sure to win. Amid the rise of COVID-19 cases in India, our thoughts are with the medical workers, frontline workers, UST family, and everyone fighting through this global pandemic. UST is lending support and contributing to relief efforts across India. At UST, we are committed to transforming lives, and the safety of everyone is our utmost priority. We hope that these efforts undertaken by UST would add muscle to the unprecedented war against the pandemic."

UST had been fully involved in COVID 19 relief measures right from the days the pandemic made its advent and threatened lives and livelihoods. "In the year 2020, we worked intensively towards COVID 19 relief work across UST India locations and some APAC and USA regions as well. With the employee contribution and the amount committed by the company, we had supported 80,000+ lives directly through food and medical supplies. We reached hospitals, medical institutes, front-line health workers with medical supplies and aided the vulnerable sections of our community with food and medical supplies," Sunil Balakrishnan added.

UST is conducting free vaccination drives for all USsociates and their immediate family and dependents above 18 years of age across India. Associates absent due to COVID-19 illness can avail the 'COVID Special Leave' option for paid leave up to 10 working days, apart from the regular leaves. UST had set up a dedicated COVID-19 Helpdesk last year to resolve employee queries and guide them through the necessary safety protocols.

COVID First-Line Treatment facilities and quarantine facilities for USsociates & immediate family members are available in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi & Trivandrum, in association with topmost healthcare providers in these regions.

To provide verified and trusted information on various matters required by USsociates and families suffering from COVID-19 infections and for their emotional support, UST has set up self-help groups for each of its centers, where USsociates who are willing to help others or those who need any support can join the group.

UST has also created a portal to monitor the COVID cases among its USsociates. Apart from the well-being of the employees, the purpose is also to contain the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the potential risk of exposure among our remote and office-coming associates.

UST has announced that the company will continue to pay the salary of the associates who have lost their lives to Covid-19. This will be paid to the families of the late USsociates for a period of two years from the day of the associates' demise. This is in addition to other financial benefits, including the UST Group Life Insurance and other statutory benefits that the late associates would be eligible for.

This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire)

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The Centre has placed fresh orders for COVID-19 vaccines after a change in vaccination policy, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday. A total of 25 crore doses of Covishield and 19 crore of Covaxin will be procured under the fresh orders.

"After the Prime Minister's announcement on Monday, the ministry has placed an order with Serum Institute of India for 25 crore doses of Covishield and with Bharat Biotech for 19 crore doses of Covaxin," the statement said.

Govt has placed an order to purchase 25 crores doses of Covishield and 19 crore doses of Covaxin. Govt has also placed an order to purchase 30 crore doses of Biological E's vaccine, which will be available by September: Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, Niti Aayog pic.twitter.com/7fIV871lBO a ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2021

Also read: Centre to provide free COVID-19 vaccines to states for 18+ age group from June 21: PM Modi

These 44 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be available till December 2021, starting today. Additionally, 30 per cent of the advance for procurement of both vaccines has been released to Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech, the ministry said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that from June 21, the Centre will provide free COVID-19 vaccines to all states for inoculation of citizens above the age of 18. He said 25 per cent of work being done by states relating to COVID-19 vaccination will now be handled by the Centre. The Centre will procure COVID-19 vaccines from manufacturers and give them to the states for free, he said.

"Till now, crores of citizens of India have received vaccines for free, now people above the age of 18 will also be added to this number," he said. The Prime Minister added that those who do not want to get vaccines for free can opt out of doing so. He added that 25 per cent of vaccines produced by vaccine manufacturers will be available for private players. "Private hospitals can only charge Rs 150 as service charge on vaccines," he said.

India opened vaccination for all adults above 18 years of age from May 1, 2021, but the programme faced several hurdles and states failed to receive appropriate supply of jabs. This also forced many states to stop vaccination of 18-44 age groups.

Also Read: Centre to procure 75% COVID-19 vaccines from manufacturers, 25% available for pvt players: PM Modi

Also Read: COVID-19 vaccine supply to improve, trials ongoing for 2 vaccines for children: PM Modi
The Centre released the revised guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination programme on Tuesday, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that considering the demand from various states and union territories (UTs), the union government will procure 75 per cent of COVID-19 vaccine doses from manufacturers.

"Government of India will procure 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the manufacturers in the county. The vaccines procured will continue to be provided free of cost states/UTs as has been the case from the commencement of the National Vaccination Programme," the guidelines said.

The revised guidelines will come into effect from June 21, and will be reviewed from time to time.

The Centre will allocate vaccine doses to state/UTs based on criteria such as population, disease burden and the progress of vaccination. Wastage of vaccine will affect the allocation to states/UTs negatively, it said.

Vaccine wastage has been a big issue in the vaccination programme, with some states reporting much higher wastage than the national average. The Health Ministry and Prime Minister have repeatedly called for reducing vaccine wastage.

The guidelines said that states/UTs can decide their own prioritisation in the age group of those above 18 years, factoring in the vaccine supply schedule. The Centre will provide advance information of vaccine doses to be supplied to states.

Also read: Centre to procure 75% COVID-19 vaccines from manufacturers, 25% available for pvt players

"States/UTs should similarly, further allocate doses well in advance to districts and vaccination centres. They should also put in the public domain the information about the above availability at district and vaccination centre level, and widely disseminate it among the local population, maximising the visibility and convenience of citizens," the guidelines said.

While 25 per cent of monthly production of vaccine makers would be reserved for private hospitals, states/UTs would need to aggregate the demand of private hospitals keeping in view equitable distribution between large and small private hospitals and regional balance.

"Based on this aggregated demand, Government of India will facilitate supply of these vaccines to the private hospitals and their payment through the National Health Authority's electronic platform. This would enable the smaller and remoter private hospitals to obtain timely supply of vaccines, and further equitable access and regional balance," it said.

The price of vaccine doses for private hospitals would have to be declared by each manufacturer, and any subsequent changes would have to be notified in advance. State governments will monitor the price charged by private hospitals, as service charge has been capped at Rs 150 per dose.

While all citizens, irrespective of income status, are entitled to free vaccination, those who have the ability to pay are encouraged to use private hospital vaccination centres, the guidelines said.

The government said it will also encourage use of non-transferable electronic vouchers which can be redeemed at private vaccination centres. These vouchers would allow providing financial support for vaccination of economically weaker sections at private vaccination centres.

Also read: CoWIN vaccine certificate to be linked to passport for international travel
Tencent Video announced on Monday the award-winning sci-fi novel "The Stars" will be adapted into an online series, while the much-anticipated "Three-Body" has entered post-production.

At a press conference during the ongoing 27th Shanghai TV Festival (STVF), Jeff Han, vice president of streaming giant Tencent Video, announced a rich list of TV and online series it plans to develop, with "The Stars" one of the highlights.

The work published by People's Literature Publishing House and sci-fi flagship company Eight Light Minutes Culture Communication Co., Ltd in 2019, won the gold award for best sci-fi novel at the 11th Chinese Nebula Awards, China's top sci-fi award, in Lingshui, Hainan province in April.

The novel is the latest work by Zhao Lei, who writes under the pen name Qi Yue (July). The novel manages to tell a hardcore science fiction story in the style of a detective thriller. Xia Tong, film development director of Eight Light Minutes, told China.org.cn that the script has been under development for nearly a year.

Another eye-popping development was "Three-Body." The online series, based on the Hugo Award-winning sci-fi book trilogy by Liu Cixin, is one of Tencent Video's major projects and the most high-profile productions drawing public attention for years. Han promised they would continue to develop the series in the future.

Three Body Universe (Shanghai) Cultural Development Co., Ltd., subsidiary of Yoozoo Group, confirmed to China.org.cn that the filming of the first part of Chinese sci-fi series, based on the first book of the trilogy, has been completed and is now in post-production. The series will star popular Chinese actors Zhang Luyi, Yu Hewei, Wang Ziwen, Chen Jin, Lin Yongjian and Li Xiaoran.

There will also be an English online original series with Netflix, and a live-action film in cooperation with a new creative team headed by director Tian Xiaopeng, as well as an animated adaptation project by the Chinese online video streaming platform Bilibili.

Though announcing the project, the Tencent Video executive did not reveal any release dates. Other highlights in the original series list announced include long-awaited drama series "Blossoms Shanghai" by famous Hong Kong-based director Wong Kar-wai, e-sports series "League of Legends," tomb raider series "Mojin," China's medical aid to Africa series "Ebola Fighters" and more. Tencent Video will also work with Star Overseas, a company of the comedy giant Stephen Chow, to explore more online series projects.

Han added that they will also expand investment into online films this year.
The government on Tuesday released the revised guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination, under which citizens can financially support vaccination of economically weaker sections at private vaccination centres through electronic vouchers.

"To promote the spirit of "Lok Kalyan", use of non-transferable electronic vouchers which can be redeemed at private vaccination centres, will be encouraged. This would enable people to financially support vaccination of economically weaker sections at private vaccination centres," the guidelines said.

The revised guidelines will come into effect from June 21 and will be revised from time to time.

The move to introduce electronic vouchers is aimed at allowing the economically well-off section to pay for vaccination of poor beneficiaries. While the Centre did not give any details about the voucher, it is expected that the voucher can be downloaded to mobile phone and scanned at the vaccination centre to pay for vaccination. It will be non-transferable, and can only be used by the beneficiary for which it is issued.

While all citizens, irrespective of their income status, are entitled to free vaccination, the government said those who have the ability to pay are encouraged to use vaccination centres of private hospitals.

Also read: COVID-19 vaccination: Govt releases revised guidelines, calls for reduction of wastage

In his address to the nation on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that considering the demand from states, the Centre will procure 75 per cent of production from COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers and provide it free of cost to states/UTs for everyone above the age of 18 years.

While 25 per cent of monthly production of vaccine makers would be reserved for private hospitals, states/UTs would need to aggregate the demand of private hospitals keeping in view equitable distribution between large and small private hospitals and regional balance, the guidelines issued on Tuesday said.

Service charges for vaccination by private hospitals have been capped at Rs 150 per dose.

India has so far administered 23.61 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine as of Tuesday morning. The country reported 86,498 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the lowest in 66 days, while the death toll from infection climbed to 3,51,309 with 2,123 daily deaths, the lowest in 47 days.

Also read: Mehul Choksi's 'friend' Barbara Jabarica says he 'flirted' with her, gave fake diamond ring
Rolling out a detailed action plan for a possible third wave of COVID-19, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said a group of specialists in paediatrics will frame treatment protocols for the state. The group will comprise specialists from government medical colleges (GMCs), the Department of Health, and the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, the Chief Minister said.

Mr Singh directed the Health and the Medical Education departments to put into action a comprehensive plan to deal with the next wave of the coronavirus, if and when it comes.

Taking stock of preparations underway for a possible next wave of the virus during a virtual meeting, the chief minister ordered creation of storage capacities for oxygen for a minimum of three days in all GMCs and said piped O2 should be made available in all government hospitals.

At least 375 metric tonnes of oxygen should be available with the state at any given time, Mr Singh said, stressing on the need to prepare for peak supply logistics. Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan informed the meeting that the state received 500 oxygen concentrators on Monday against a World Bank loan for water surface supply projects, and another 2,500 were on the way.

Amarinder Singh directed deputy commissioners to identify paediatric COVID-19 level-2 and level-3 beds in the private sector, with experts to advise the district administration on paediatric treatment protocol and medicines. He asked the officials to increase the number of RT-PCR machines for COVID-19 testing of children, besides augmenting ICU and oxygen capacities, and infrastructure and manpower across the state.

Amid indications that the damage caused by a third wave in some countries is almost 25 per cent higher than the second, the chief minister ordered creation of surge capacity and plugging of gaps, if any, in equipment and recruitment of doctors, specialists, nurses, technicians etc.

The standard operating procedure received from the Paediatric Association of India should be strictly adhered to, Mr Singh said, directing health experts to put into action a comprehensive plan to deal with a third surge of the pandemic. Stocks of consumables and medicines should be maintained, and capacity building of existing staff should be undertaken to ensure paediatric patient care in the next wave, he said.

Mr Singh also issued directions for continuous surveillance in both urban and rural areas, along with whole genome sequencing testing. Sero-survey should also be taken up from time to time, he added. The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction over the progress of the ''Corona Mukt Pendu Abhiyan'' in villages, where almost 1.5 crore individuals (37 lakh households) have already been screened.

These efforts had resulted in identification of 5,889 infected patients who have been assisted as per protocols.

Also read: Centre likely to raise COVID-19 vaccine spending to $6 billion this fiscal
US social media platform Twitter has approached the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEiTY) seeking more time to comply with the new social media rules, citing the COVID-19 pandemic.

The San Francisco-based social media platform has said that it continues to remain deeply committed to India and serving public conversation taking place on its platform.

"We have assured the Government of India that Twitter is making every effort to comply with the new guidelines, and an overview of our progress has been duly shared. We will continue our constructive dialogue with the Indian Government," a Twitter spokesperson said.

Twitter's response is followed by the Centre's stinging final notice to the firm regarding its non-compliance. The notice did not specify a deadline to comply with these rules aimed at preventing abuse and misuse of platforms.

"Despite being operational in India for more than a decade, it is beyond belief that Twitter Inc has doggedly refused to create mechanism that will enable the people of India to resolve their issues on the platform in a timely and transparent manner and through fair processes, by India based, clearly identified resources," the Ministry said in its statement.

The ministry informed that though with effect from May 26, 2021, "consequences follow" given Twitter's non-compliance with the rules. The notice added, "However, as a gesture of goodwill, Twitter Inc is hereby given one last notice to immediately comply with the rules, failing which the exemption from liability available... shall stand withdrawn and Twitter shall be liable for consequences as per the IT Act and other penal laws of India."

As per the new IT rules, non-compliance can lead to the social media platform concerned about losing their intermediary status and the platforms could also be liable for criminal action in case of a complaint. Intermediary status provides these platforms the immunity from liabilities over any third-party data hosted by them.

Intermediary status is granted to platforms having more than 50 lakh users and these platforms are also required to appoint a grievance officer, a nodal officer, and a chief compliance officer. These officers have to be Indian citizens.

Edited by Mehak Agarwal; with PTI inputs

Also read: Govt issues one last notice to Twitter to comply with IT rules

Also read: 'Comply or face consequences': Govt serves final notice to Twitter over new IT rules
The Xi Jinping-led Chinese Communist Party used a "limited and inflexible" method to calculate poor people, which led to its claim of eradicating poverty, a study conducted by a former UN economist shows. China in 2020 claimed that it has eradicated extreme poverty in the country, thanks to its welfare programmes for the poor in rural areas. Despite China's claims, the country was hit by a massive coronavirus wave in the first half of 2020. However, the Communist government said it has achieved the target on schedule, giving a major boost to President Xi Jinping's party ahead of its founding day in July 2021.

China also released a white paper on how it achieved the unimaginable feat considering China's vast population and said it's a model for countries wanting to achieve economic freedom. Economist Bill Bikales in his research paper 'Reflection on poverty reduction in China' said the huge achievements of the targeted program notwithstanding, "China has not eradicated poverty - even extreme poverty".

Also read: BT Buzz: China struggles with economic recovery; Xi Jinping turns to home market

As per Bikales' study, China will not be able to do so either until it has viable systems in place to identify poor people everywhere. "...Until poverty is seen as both a rural and an urban phenomenon, until special attention is paid to the still large number of "floating population" -- the rural-urban migrants - and until the country provides a safety net for all its people. This includes those who are hit by a death, serious illness, loss of work or other shock," the study said in the report funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

Also read: China wants to be 'lovable'; Xi Jinping calls for nation's image revamp

Bikales, however, agreed that in terms of the historical context, the magnitude of China's achievement is "enormous". "Beyond question, there has been a major improvement in living conditions in poorer parts of China as a result of this campaign. The lives of many tens of millions of poor people have been greatly improved. The multidimensional approach the government took is particularly impressive: upgrading schools, infrastructure, healthcare and the natural environment are all steps whose impact should be sustainable and broad-reaching," he said.

In April, China had released a white paper on the country achieving economic freedom, saying it is its "strongest weapon" towards "eliminating overall and extreme poverty" in China. As per the official Chinese figures, China's 89.8 million people reside in rural areas, even though the number is supposed to be quite high. China's poverty line is just above the World Bank's global extreme poverty threshold of 1.90 USD per day. The number, however, is way less than $5.50 per day in upper-middle-income nations.

Also read: China has become very aggressive, bullish under Xi Jinping
'Baba ka Dhaba' became an overnight sensation on social media last year. But as the pandemic continues its destruction, life seems to have come full circle for the dhaba owners Kanta Prasad and wife Badaami Devi. Footfall dried up at the new restaurant the duo had opened after an outpouring of donation forcing the husband-wife to return to their old dhaba where it all started.

After the video made by YouTuber Gaurav Wasan showing their hardships went viral, people donated generously to Prasad. The dhaba continued to see a queue of well-meaning customers who wanted to encourage the octogenarian.

Soon, Prasad opened a new restaurant from all the money he collected, built a new floor in his house and pared debts. He also bought smartphones for himself and his children. But the duo closed the new restaurant in February and returned to their old dhaba, stated a report in Hindustan Times.

Prasad said he invested Rs 5 lakh in the restaurant and hired three workers. Monthly expenditure was Rs 1 lakh, including Rs 35,000 for rent, Rs 36,000 for salaries and Rs 15,000 electricity, water bills as well as for ingredients. The average monthly sales never crossed Rs 40,000, said the dhaba owner. Prasad said that of the Rs 5 lakh investment, they managed to recover only Rs 36,000 from the sale of chairs, utensils and cooking machines.

He said, moreover, the fourth COVID-19 wave forced them to close their old dhaba for 17 days, pushing them to penury again. "Our daily sales have come down from Rs 3,500 before the lockdown to Rs 1,000 now. The income is not sufficient for our family of eight," said Prasad to the daily.

Now, the old dhaba is back to its original Indian fare including rice, pulses, and two vegetables, a step down from the expanded menu of Indian and Chinese food.

"All our money is gone. Our children are unemployed and we are old and cannot run the dhaba anymore. We hope the government will help us in some way," said Prasad's wife Badaami Devi.

Also read: 'Will comply with new IT rules, need more time': Twitter tells Centre

Also read: 21-year-old makes innovative pitch for internship on LinkedIn; gets hired
Ocugen Inc, the US partner for Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine, has announced the payment of $15 million upfront to the Indian drug maker for extending the vaccine rights to Canada. Ocugen in a regulatory filing said it has agreed to pay another $10 million to Bharat Biotech within a month from the commercial launch of Covaxin in the North American country.

Bharat Biotech on June 3 said it has agreed to expand the agreement with Ocugen Inc to commercialise the jab in Canada also. The Indian biotech company and Ocugen Inc have entered into a definitive agreement to co-develop, supply, and commercialise Covaxin for the US market.

"The Amendment is effective as of May 29, 2021. In consideration of the expansion, pursuant to the Amendment, the Company paid to Bharat (Bharat Biotech) a non-refundable, upfront payment of $15 million immediately upon execution of the Amendment. The company further agreed to pay to Bharat a milestone payment of $10 million within 30 days of the first commercial sale of Covaxin in Canada," Ocugen said on Monday.

According to Shankar Musunuri, Co-founder of Ocugen, the company which is working towards the submission of the emergency use application in the US, will simultaneously seek authorisation under interim order for emergency use in Canada. On profit sharing agreement, Bharat Biotech had said similar to the US arrangement, Ocugen will retain 45 per cent of the profit from sales of Covaxin in Canada.

Meanwhile, Suchitra Ella, Joint MD of Bharat Biotech said regulatory approvals for Covaxin is in over 60 countries including the US, Brazil and Hungary while Emergency Use Authorisation has been obtained in 13 nations. "Application for EUL has been submitted to WHO-Geneva & regulatory approvals are expected by July-Sept 2021," she said in a statement on Twitter.

Also read: Manipal Hospitals partners with Dr Reddy's to include Sputnik V in its vaccine portfolio
Highlights The new e-filing website of the Income Tax Department which was launched a day ago has already gone awry.

The website went live at 8:45 pm on Monday but within hours, the website was marred with glitches.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharam is tweeting about the glitches in the newly-launched website.

The new e-filing website of the Income Tax Department which was launched a day ago has already gone awry. The website went live at 8:45 pm on Monday but within hours, the website was marred with glitches. So much so that now Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharam is tweeting about the glitches in the newly-launched website.

The income tax department had replaced the existing website with the new one, with a host of new features to make tax filing a smooth process for users. Or so was the idea. But for now, it seems that the teething issues have impacted the whole process.

The website was inaccessible hours after going live. Sitharaman retweeted the tweet of a person who had raised an alarm about the site not working. She wrote, "The much-awaited e-filing portal 2.0 was launched last night at 20:45hrs.I see in my TL grievances and glitches.Hope @Infosys & @NandanNilekani will not let down our taxpayers in the quality of service being provided. Ease in compliance for the taxpayer should be our priority."

The URL http://incometax.gov.in has now replaced the previous http://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in.

Announcing the new website, the tax department had said in a statement, "We proudly present to our valued taxpayers, the new e-filing portal. Designed with your convenience in mind, the portal offers features to make your e-filing experience smoother, simpler & smarter. You Come First, Always. The objective of this portal is to provide a single-window to the income tax related services for taxpayers and other stakeholders," it said.

While announcing the new website, the tax department also mentioned that the features including an online tax payment system and a mobile app will only be functional from June 18. But for now the whole website is intermittently crashing.

The revamped website was launched with the intention to help users file income tax reruns. The department said the website is equipped with immediate processing of Income Tax Returns to issue refunds to taxpayers. There is a single dashboard for all the actions related to tax filing.

The government had given the contract to Infosys to manage the new portal. While some users questioned the govt for collaborating with Infosys, some felt it is not nice to pull up the vendor on Twitter. "Highly unprecedented to put the vendor on the spot on Twitter. CDAC or govt agency should have done due diligence by user acceptance testing, scaling the infrastructure to handle peak load and performance sign off. Such blame games won't help," the user wrote.

Another Twitter user had asked Sithraman whether Infosys will be fined for the glitch like the users are fined for late ITR filing. "Are you going to penalize them? When a taxpayer files a return late by 1 day GST collects Rs 50 per day as a late fee even when the tax liability is zero We have never complained but simply complied," the user wrote.
Tim Christophersen

, Head, United Nations Environment Programme, Climate Branch

inaugurated the event, along with Dr Bishwajit Saha,

It is no longer enough just to protect what we have, we have to go beyond that and restore, not only to halt the loss of biodiversity, but also to meet the Paris Agreement s climate targets, Tim said.

Act Now launched a magazine on this occasion to highlight

climate actions by individuals and organizations.

JK Singh, host, expressed the hope that increased participation of youth in climate action will have a decisive impact.
ANANDA Scientific Inc., a biotech pharmaceutical company, and NYU Grossman School of Medicine today announced that the first patient has been enrolled in a clinical trial evaluating Nantheia A1002N5S, an investigational drug using cannabidiol in ANANDAs proprietary Liquid Structure delivery technology as a treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms and Neurocognitive Impairment in patients with PTSD and with PTSD comorbid with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

This is an important milestone for ANANDAs clinical development program, and we look forward to continuing to work with the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. We are impressed by the scientific rigor and professionalism of the NYU team in getting a cutting-edge program in place to test the efficacy of our very promising drug, said Sohail R. Zaidi, ANANDAs President. The initiation of patient enrollment in this study reinforces our commitment to our goal of improving Health and Wellness empowered by cannabinoid science. This is also an important step in our efforts to provide patients with PTSD with potentially improved therapeutic options.

This trial is being conducted at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, led by Esther Blessing, MD PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, and Charles R. Marmar, MD, the Lucius N. Littauer Professor and Chair of Psychiatry. Dr. Marmar, leader of the NYU Langone PTSD Research Program, is the primary investigator of several personalized medicine-based clinical trials of innovative treatments for PTSD and its common comorbidities, using cutting-edge biomarker technologies to understand mechanisms underlying treatment effects.

We are excited to get this important trial underway. Our collaboration with ANANDA Scientific allows us to progress in the development of evidence-based CBD products for this debilitating condition, said Dr. Marmar.

The Phase II study is an eight week, double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled study with adaptive dose design evaluating the effect of Nantheia A1002N5S on PTSD symptoms and neurocognitive function in 120 patients with PTSD, 50% with comorbid mild TBI. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04550377)

ABOUT NANTHEIA A1002N5S

Nantheia A1002N5S is an investigational drug being evaluated for the treatment of PTSD. The drug uses CBD in ANANDAs propriety delivery technology. Pre-clinical and initial clinical studies show that ANANDAs Liquid Structure delivery technology (licensed from Lyotropic Delivery Systems (LDS) Ltd. in Jerusalem, Israel) enhances the effectiveness and stability of CBD. Nantheia A1002N5S is an oral product with 50 mg CBD per softgel capsule.

ABOUT PTSD

PTSD, a relatively common disorder that may develop following a traumatic event, has a US lifetime prevalence of 1.312.2%, with higher rates (1220%) in individuals exposed to military combat [1, 2] [3]. Disabling symptoms include intrusive memories of the event, avoidance of reminders, negative cognitions and hyperarousal. In addition, PTSD is associated with neurocognitive impairment, which interacts to worsen PTSD symptoms and impair treatment outcomes [4] [5-7] [8, 9]. Traumatic brain injury (TBI), experienced by up to 35% of veterans returning from the OEF/OIF conflicts [10], is often comorbid with PTSD and increases the risk of PTSD by up to 3-fold [11-14]. TBI history is an important factor in PTSD treatment development: even mild TBI can lead to long-term neurocognitive impairment, as well as persistent post concussive symptoms  many of which are common to PTSD symptoms [12, 14-16]. Current pharmacotherapies, largely repurposed from other indications, do not reliably improve PTSD symptoms or associated neurocognitive impairment in PTSD or TBI [17-19]. Novel, targeted medications that treat these overlapping symptoms in a coordinated simultaneous fashion are urgently needed.

ABOUT ANANDA SCIENTIFIC (www.anandascientific.com)

ANANDA is a leading research-focused biotech company pioneering high-caliber clinical studies evaluating therapeutic targets for cannabinoids. The company employs patented delivery technologies to make cannabinoids and other plant derived compounds highly bioavailable, water soluble, and shelf-life stable and focuses on producing effective, premium quality nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products. Consistent with its strong research-based data, the company also has a growing pipeline of nutraceutical over-the-counter products. The company has successfully launched these products in the US and the UK, with expansion into additional markets such as the EU, China, Australia and Africa planned for the near future. The company is expanding its research base through multiple sponsored research agreements with universities to diversify its technology portfolio.

REFERENCES

Kessler, R.C., et al., Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2005. 62(6): p. 593-602. Hoge, C.W., et al., Combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, mental health problems, and barriers to care. N Engl J Med, 2004. 351(1): p. 13-22. Shalev, A., I. Liberzon, and C. Marmar, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. N Engl J Med, 2017. 376(25): p. 2459-2469. Hayes, J.P., M.B. Vanelzakker, and L.M. Shin, Emotion and cognition interactions in PTSD: a review of neurocognitive and neuroimaging studies. Front Integr Neurosci, 2012. 6: p. 89. Haaland, K.Y., et al., Neurocognitive Correlates of Successful Treatment of PTSD in Female Veterans. J Int Neuropsychol Soc, 2016. 22(6): p. 643-51. Aupperle, R.L., et al., Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation during emotional anticipation and neuropsychological performance in posttraumatic stress disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2012. 69(4): p. 360-71. Aupperle, R.L., et al., Executive function and PTSD: disengaging from trauma. Neuropharmacology, 2012. 62(2): p. 686-94. Nijdam, M.J., et al., Neurocognitive functioning over the course of trauma-focused psychotherapy for PTSD: Changes in verbal memory and executive functioning. Br J Clin Psychol, 2018. Morey, R.A., et al., Neural systems for executive and emotional processing are modulated by symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in Iraq War veterans. Psychiatry Res, 2008. 162(1): p. 59-72. Rigg, J.L. and S.R. Mooney, Concussions and the military: issues specific to service members. PM R, 2011. 3(10 Suppl 2): p. S380-6. Langlois, J.A., W. Rutland-Brown, and M.M. Wald, The epidemiology and impact of traumatic brain injury: a brief overview. J Head Trauma Rehabil, 2006. 21(5): p. 375-8. Stein, M.B. and T.W. McAllister, Exploring the convergence of posttraumatic stress disorder and mild traumatic brain injury. Am J Psychiatry, 2009. 166(7): p. 768-76. Tanev, K.S., et al., PTSD and TBI co-morbidity: scope, clinical presentation and treatment options. Brain Inj, 2014. 28(3): p. 261-70. Kaplan, G.B., et al., Pathophysiological Bases of Comorbidity: Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. J Neurotrauma, 2018. 35(2): p. 210-225.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005132/en/
Sixty six percent of Irish homeowners said that they are currently either studying or working from home in new research released today by Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC. The research was carried out by iReach Insights Limited and was part of a nationwide study conducted as part of the iReach Consumer Decisions Omnibus Survey with 1,200 respondents, 777 of whom were homeowners.



Of that 66%, whilst 18% of homeowners surveyed said that they have always had an office at home, a further 27% have adapted a separate room or space into a home office since the outbreak of Covid-19. However, 27% of respondents admitted to working from a table or desk in a room usually used for other purposes e.g. dining room or kitchen, while 18% said they worked from a table or desk in their bedrooms, with 10% admitting to working from the sofa or armchair.



While almost half of all homeowners surveyed (46%) feel the same about their home, some 46% admitted to liking and appreciating their homes more since the outbreak of Covid-19. However, 8% of those surveyed unfortunately like their homes less having spent much more time at home over the course of the last year.



Speaking this week, Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC, Brian Mahon said, "The outbreak of the pandemic and the various restrictions that were implemented over the past year has resulted in most of us spending extended periods of time at home as we adapted to what has become the new norm. Aviva Insurance Ireland extended its home insurance cover for its customers who are undertaking administrative/office type work from their homes, including personal laptops and printers. However, this cover does not extend to office equipment or where there are callers to the property in connection with the business."

He added, "We recommend that people check with their home insurance provider to fully understand what they are covered for. As a significant number of burglaries take place during the day, we also recommend that people remain vigilant whilst at home and ensure that access, including all external doors are always locked. Where possible, they should ensure that valuables such as laptops, mobile phones are kept out of sight."

Source: www.businessworld.ie


MCRI's BCG vaccine trial joins global race to better understand COVID-19 variants

An Australian-led study will investigate whether it's possible to predict who remains susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 variants after having COVID-19 or receiving a COVID-19-specific vaccine.

The study will explore the immune response to COVID-19-specific vaccines in Brazilian healthcare workers to find biomarkers that indicate whether someone will be protected from - or remains at risk of - contracting COVID-19 if exposed to a variant.

The research has received philanthropic funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and is a sub-study of the Murdoch Children's Research Institute's (MCRI) study assessing if the Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine can help protect against COVID-19.

The BRACE trial is now the world's largest study on the off-target effects of the BCG vaccine. Since the trial launched in March 2020, more than 6800 healthcare workers have enrolled across 36 sites in Australia, Brazil, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK.

BCG was originally developed 100 years ago to prevent tuberculosis. Now, the BRACE randomised controlled clinical trial is working to determine if the BCG vaccine reduces the incidence of symptomatic and severe COVID-19 in healthcare workers. It is also investigating whether BCG vaccine reduces the impact of other respiratory illnesses and allergic diseases.

Professor Nigel Curtis, Head of the Infectious Diseases Research Group at MCRI, Professor of Paediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Melbourne and BRACE Chief Principal Investigator, said the big story of 2021 was the potential impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants.

"With the emergence of new variants - for which vaccine-induced and natural immune responses may not be as effective - there is concern that herd immunity may be undermined. If this happens, SARS-CoV-2 will continue to spread and cause disease," he said.

"We have been lucky enough to receive this additional funding for the BRACE COVID-19-Specific vaccine sub-study (BCOS) to investigate biomarkers of protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and reinfection induced by natural infection and COVID-specific vaccination."

Associate Professor Julio Croda, the BRACE trial's Brazil Principal Investigator, said 2400 healthcare workers across three trial sites in Brazil were being actively followed up and tested for COVID-19 as part of the trial.

"This subset of participants provides a unique opportunity to understand the risks and determinants of susceptibility to reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 variants, particularly the P.1 variant. This research is critical to designing effective approaches to help protect people," he said.

With COVID-19-specific vaccines now available to healthcare workers, BCOS will also look at whether BCG vaccine improves the immune response to Pfizer, AstraZeneca and CoronaVac vaccines.

Dr Nicole Messina, the Biosample and Laboratory Lead on the BRACE trial said: "We are recruiting existing BRACE trial participants in Victoria, South Australia and Brazil to assess whether those who had the BCG vaccine have a better or more prolonged immune response to their COVID-19-specific vaccine."

Professor Kathryn North AM, MCRI Director, said: "It's incredibly exciting work and demonstrates how MCRI responded to the pandemic. A deeper understanding of immune responses to COVID-19-specific vaccines will be important to the global effort to contain this pandemic."

Participant follow-up continues every three months with questionnaires and blood collection, as well as ongoing data collection via phone calls and the trial's custom-built smartphone app, powered by WeGuide.

The BRACE trial has received philanthropic funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Sarah and Lachlan Murdoch, Minderoo Foundation, The Royal Children's Hospital Foundation, South Australian government, NAB Foundation, The Calvert Jones Foundation, UHG Foundation, Modara Pines Charitable Foundation, Health Services Union NSW, Peter Sowerby Foundation, South Australia Ministry of Health, Epworth Health, Swiss National Science Foundation and individual donors.

###

BRACE audio grabs, video and images available for download

Available for interview

Professor Nigel Curtis

BRACE trial Chief Principal Investigator

Head of the Infectious Diseases Research Group at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute

Professor of Paediatric Infectious Diseases at The University of Melbourne

Head of Infectious Diseases at The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne

Dr Nicole Messina

Biosample and Laboratory Lead on the BRACE trial at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute

Honorary Fellow, Department of Paediatrics, Melbourne Medical School at The University of Melbourne

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Telling lies will not help relieve Taiwan people's concerns about the COVID-19 outbreak, nor will lies exempt the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority from the blame for ignoring people's health and safety, a mainland spokesperson said on Monday.

Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks when responding to groundless accusations saying the mainland attempted to obstruct Japan's vaccine assistance to Taiwan.

The DPP authority told lies about the mainland preventing Taiwan from receiving vaccines, Ma said, adding that the authority also prevented Taiwan people from obtaining vaccines from the mainland.

However, such lies will not cover up the fact that the island has an extreme vaccine shortage, nor will they whitewash loopholes in the island's epidemic prevention measures or ease the epidemic situation, Ma said.

Increasing infections have occurred on the island since mid-May.

"From the very beginning of the recent COVID-19 outbreak on the island, we expressed our willingness to offer safe and effective vaccines," said Ma. "We are deeply concerned about the health of Taiwan people."
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In todays Caixin energy news wrap: Another deadly coal mine incident kills eight miners in Henan, sparking safety concerns; port city Tianjin closes three steel mills to reduce emissions as steel prices remain high amid strong demand; disruptions caused by the pandemic make shipping containers highly sought.

No short-term relief expected for steel prices

Steel prices are expected to remain at high levels as supply remains tight amid rising demand, industry information provider mysteel.com reported. Demand for steel has remained strong this month, partly reflecting pent-up demand. But the coming rainy season in Southern China may slow purchases. Steel prices are likely to hover at high levels over the coming week, the report said.

Tianjin to shut down three steel mills to cut pollution

Northern Chinas port city Tianjin announced the closure of three steel companies as part of efforts to reduce emissions, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The companies to be closed include Tianjin Tianzhong Giant Heavy Industry Co. Ltd., Tianjin Tianfeng Steel Co. Ltd. and Tianjin Metallurgy Group Zhasan Steel Co. Ltd. Meanwhile, the four remaining steel mills in the city were ordered to carry out comprehensive transformations to achieve ultra-low emissions.

Eight people killed in coal mine in central China

Eight people were confirmed dead in a coal mine disaster in central China's Henan Province, local authorities said Monday. The incident occurred Friday afternoon in a colliery operated by Hebi Coal and Electric Co. Ltd. The miners died from suffocation as they were buried under coal, officials said. A series of deadly incidents this year has raised concerns over the countrys mining safety and is expected to drive up investment in mining safety equipment.

Auto industry under pressure of short material supplies

Potential auto buyers are likely to see fewer promotions and price cuts in June compared with previous years even though auto dealers are under similar pressures to expand sales in the last month of the second quarter. This years broad supply shortages of semiconductor chips, copper, steel and other car-making materials have boosted costs for the auto industry, making manufacturers more reluctant to reduce prices, according to the China Automobile Dealers Association. A good portion of new and used cars, particularly SUVs, have recorded price hikes in May.

XCMG to invest $62.5 million in heavy machinery subsidiary

Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG) (000425.SZ) plans to invest 400 million yuan ($62.5 million) in its wholly owned subsidiary XCMG Heavy Machinery, the company said Sunday. The investment will mainly support the subsidiary to improve high-end intelligent manufacturing capacity.

Traders struggle to find shipping containers

The global shipping industry is experiencing two extremes at once  labor shortages and container shortages. Pandemic outbreaks are causing containers to pile up in ports in many countries. In Asia, shipping is booming, but containers are hard to come by, resulting in a sharp rise in container prices. On some international routes, container prices have increased nearly tenfold, CCTV reported.

Rising commodity prices press manufacturing changes

Continued surges of commodity prices this year are pushing manufacturers to speed up digital transformations to counter narrowing profits. An official at Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said the country will strengthen support for changes by manufacturers, especially micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

China-Laos railway to open by year-end

The China-Laos Railways Jingzhai Tunnel was completed, China State Railway Group Co. Ltd. said. All 167 tunnels along the China-Laos Railway have been drilled through, laying a solid foundation for operation by the end of the year. Exceeding 1,000 kilometers in length, the railway begins in Kunming in Yunnan province and runs south to Vientiane, the capital of Laos.

Contact editors Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com) and Bob Simison (bobsimison@caixin.com)

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The days of an ENT specialist in New Taipei City are divided into three parts these days.

In the morning, Dr. Lee (pseudonym) carries out Covid-19 tests, usually testing about a 100 people in four hours. In the afternoon, he splits his time between checking on 10 hospitalized symptomatic patients, and examining asymptomatic patients in quarantine.

While doctors around the world have been working hard to treat Covid-19 patients since last year, Lee said he hadnt imagined he would end up battling the pandemic.

Prior to April, Taiwan hadnt recorded a single local transmission of the coronavirus in eight months, and only had a handful of cases since early 2020. The outbreak ended that record of success, however, with daily caseloads reaching into the hundreds since mid-May.

Taiwan isnt the only place in Asia to have recently suffered a surge in cases after long keeping a lid on infections.

Vietnam spent most of 2020 close to normality, however the country started to set daily case records in May, recording thousands of cases over the past few weeks. The outbreak was characterized by multiple sources of infections, a variety of variants, and rapid spread in industrial zones.

In Thailand, rapid transmission in prisons and among construction workers has seen daily case counts in the thousands since April. May 17 saw close to 10,000 cases added to the countrys tally, more than in the whole of last year, though daily case numbers have generally been lower.

Mutant variants

Why has the virus finally been able to break through previously tough-seeming defenses? Experts think that emergent variants of the virus  including those first detected in India and the U.K.  have rendered the safeguards insufficient.

Teo Yik Ying, dean of the National University of Singapores Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, told Caixin that these variants are much more transmissible than the coronavirus variants the world first saw in early 2020.

The much higher transmissibility (of the variant found in India) led to a rapid expansion of the transmission chains in the community, before our protocols for ring-fencing, contact tracing, and quarantine were able to shut down these transmission chains, Teo said.

He also described the speed of infections as frightening four links in the chain of transmission can appear in 10 days. Compared to what we were faced with last year, it is quite a different situation.

On May 30, Vietnam announced it had detected a new coronavirus variant that combines features of those first identified in India and the U.K. and is easily transmissible by air.

Lagging on vaccinations

Though some have argued that vaccines are still only playing a limited role in controlling the pandemic, others say the low uptake of vaccines in some Asian regions means the more transmissible variants impact is being exacerbated.

In general  besides a handful of places such as China, Mongolia and Singapore  Asia has fallen far behind the hard-hit U.S. and EU countries in vaccinations.

According to the statistics available on June 8 via data tracker Our World in Data, 2.9% of Taiwan has received at least one dose of a vaccine, 17.4% in Australia, 13.3% in India, 14.8% in South Korea, 10.2% in Japan, 6.5% in Indonesia, 7.3% in Malaysia, 4.1% in Thailand, and 1.3% in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, the comparable figure for the U.K. is 59.4%, while its 51.1% in the U.S., 45.1% in Germany, 43.1% in Italy, 40.7% in Spain, 41.2% in France, and 40.8% for the EU as a whole.

For several Asian countries, perhaps lulled by their confidence and security from being able to control the outbreak well, they were not particularly quick in accessing and distributing these vaccines to their people, and even when they do, the population was not as eager as European and North American counterparts in taking the vaccine, said Teo. This resulted in a population that is highly susceptible to the new variants that are more transmissible.

Hong Kong  which has administered first doses to just over 20% of its population  will donate excess doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to other countries as fewer residents than expected chose to get the shot, the government said.

However residents reluctance to get a jab isnt the issue for most Asian countries and regions  lacking the jabs to give them is. Few have developed their own vaccines, and most governments are waiting at the back of the queue for deliveries from the U.S. and Europe.

This reflects the fact that many have relatively well developed public health systems  sometimes a legacy of the SARS crisis early this millennium  but lack vaccine development and production capacity, especially for the new generation of mRNA vaccines.

The vaccine market itself is very small, and before Covid-19, the mRNA vaccine market did not exist at all  and most countries do not have a very well-developed vaccine development or vaccine manufacturing set-up, said Gustav Ando, vice president of life sciences at IHS Markit. In the past it has not been seen as a political priority in many countries. Inevitably it takes time to develop something like this.

However, while India has the capability to develop and mass produce vaccines it still struggled to meet domestic demand when the second wave began to hit its 1.36 billion citizens in March.

Theoretically, the country has a monthly production capacity of up to 90 million vaccine doses, including both the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and Covaxin produced by Bharat Biotech. However, manufacturers didnt properly prepare to ramp up production  in part due to the official perception the pandemic was waning  and the supply of raw materials was curbed due to U.S. export restrictions.

So far, China is an exception in Asia, which has locally developed, mass-produced and deployed several vaccines, two of which have been granted WHO approval for emergency use.

Vaccine inequality

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom described inequality in global vaccine distribution as the unfolding of a moral catastrophe, as rich countries use their clout to push toward herd immunity while developing countries struggle to inoculate frontline workers.

According to WHO data, high and upper-middle-income countries that represent 53% of the worlds population have received 83% of the vaccines, while low and lower-middle-income countries that account for 47% of the worlds population have accessed just 17%. Only 0.3% of vaccine supply is going to low-income countries.

This inequality is in part related to the simple fact that there is a shortage of Covid-19 vaccines. The Covax vaccine-sharing scheme was 190 million doses behind its schedule for the end of June, as its major supplier  Indias SII  said it would limit exports until year end to ensure domestic supply.

To fill the gap, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore suggested that G-7 countries could donate about 153 million doses if they shared only 20% of their available supply over June, July, and August.

According to Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the country had sent 350 million doses of vaccines overseas, including donations to over 80 countries and exports to over 40 countries by June 2. Also, the first batch of 10 million doses of vaccines to be provided to Covax rolled off the production line on May 31.

The U.S. has promised to release 60 million AstraZeneca doses that do not have FDA approval and could not be administered domestically, and another 20 million approved doses of Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson shots.

Despite these calls to action and promises, most countries are simply playing the waiting game.

Taiwans 23.5 million residents have received just 1 million doses so far. According to government officials, 2 million doses will have arrived on the island by the end of June, and the total will hit 10 million by the end of August. But it will take 30 million doses to cover 60% of its population.

Even if this timeline becomes a reality, Teo estimated that Taiwan will still need to rely on strict personal and public health measures, including border controls, for at least another three months, as vaccines take time to distribute and administer, especially given the necessary gap between first and second doses.

Contact reporter Lu Wen (wenlu@caixin.com) and editor Joshua Dummer (joshuadummer@caixin.com)

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The first-day gain was the eighth biggest of the year on a U.S. exchange, out of more than 450 listings of $100 million or more

Jun 12, 2021 01:02 PM
St. Johnsbury, VT (05819)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies and rain overnight. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies and rain overnight. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
A draft law on countering foreign sanctions was submitted Monday to the ongoing 29th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, for second reading.

The first plenary meeting of the session was held on Monday afternoon, when lawmakers heard a report by Shen Chunyao, vice chairman of the Constitution and Law Committee of the NPC, on the results of deliberation on the draft law.

For some time, out of political manipulation needs and ideological bias, some Western countries have used Xinjiang and Hong Kong-related issues as part of their pretexts to spread rumors on and smear, contain and suppress China, according to spokesperson office of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee.

In particular, the countries, in violation of international law and the basic norms governing international relations, have imposed so-called sanctions on relevant Chinese state organs, organizations and functionaries in accordance with their domestic laws, grossly interfering in China's internal affairs. The Chinese government has strongly condemned such hegemonistic acts, and people from all walks of life have expressed strong indignation, said the office.

In order to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, dignity and core interests and oppose Western hegemonism and power politics, the Chinese government has launched multiple corresponding countermeasures against entities and individuals of relevant countries since the beginning of 2021, according to the office.

It's paying them back in their own coin, said the office.

Around this year's "two sessions," some NPC deputies, members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, and people from all walks of life suggested that it is necessary for China to formulate a specific law on countering foreign sanctions, to provide legal support and guarantee for the country to counter discriminatory measures by a foreign country in accordance with the law.

A work report of the NPC Standing Committee, approved by the fourth session of the 13th NPC, put forward that its main tasks in the coming year include enriching the legal toolkit with focus on moves against sanctions and interference and countering long-arm jurisdiction to cope with challenges and risks.

According to related work plan, the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee has formulated the draft law after studying the legislation advice from various sectors, summarizing China's anti-sanction practices as well as related work, taking into account related overseas legislation, and soliciting opinions from the Communist Party of China Central Committee and national government departments.

In April, a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee put forward a legislative proposal in accordance with the legal procedure, and the 28th session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee conducted a preliminary review of the draft.

Members of the NPC Standing Committee broadly agreed to formulate the law to counter foreign sanctions, and gave some advice and suggestion on improving the draft.

The Constitution and Law Committee of the NPC has revised and improved the draft law on countering foreign sanctions based on the NPC Standing Committee's deliberation opinions as well as opinions from various sectors, and submitted a report on the results of the deliberation and the second reading draft to the 29th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th NPC in accordance with the law.
You are here: China

China will make efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of public hospital service, Li Bin, deputy head of the National Health Commission, told a press conference in Beijing on Monday.

Noting the rapid rise in the public's need for medical and health services, Li said the move is necessary to support China's high-quality, sustainable and safe development.

Last week, the General Office of the State Council issued a circular urging the improvement of public hospital service, mapping out six key tasks in this regard.

Innovation in areas including system building, technology and management, as well as the balanced allocation of medical resources, was highlighted in the circular.

Public hospitals should focus more on improving their quality and efficiency rather than expanding their scale, while they should also favor a delicate management approach, Li said.
The City of Riverside is holding its final odd year election today. Candidates are vying for a spot on the dais to represent Wards 2, 4 and 6 for a 5-year term as the City moves to even-year elections.

In Ward 6, Councilman Jim Perry faces no challenger in his re-election bid. In 2017, he faced a lone challenger with Rafael Elizalde. Elizalde is now consulting for two Riverside candidates this cycle: Pastor Monrow Mabon who is challenging Chuck Conder for Ward 4, and educator Tony Huerta in Ward 2.

Huerta is in a race with five other candidates for the open seat currently held by Andy Melendrez, who failed to secure the Mayoral seat in 2020 against then-school board member Patricia Lock Dawson. The other candidates in Ward 2 are commercial real estate executive Joe Paredes, real estate agent Anthony Tyson, chef Austin Skipper, nonprofit director Aram Ayra, and businesswoman Clarissa Cervantes. Cervantes is also the sister of Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes.

This is an all-mail ballot election. If no candidate secures a majority of votes in their respective race, then a run-off election will be held in November. Election results viewable here beginning at 8pm.

Nearly all cities except about a dozen in the State are now holding even-year elections, and several others are expected to make that shift within the next few years. By 2024, only four cities will continue to hold an election in odd years, including the City of Vernon which holds an election every year to elect one new council member.

The City of Riverside will next hold an election in 2024 for Mayor and Council Wards 1, 3, 5 and 7.
Reforme Participative et Consensuelle Systeme electoral Camerounais:Le communique de la plate-forme :: CAMEROON

La Plate-forme des Partis Politiques engagee avec les Organisations de la Societe civile, les Personnalites Independantes et les Citoyens, a travailler pour la Reforme Participative et Consensuelle du Systeme electoral Camerounais, sest retrouvee ce Dimanche 06 juin 2021 a Yaounde dans le cadre d'une reunion comme prevu en respect de leur Agenda.

Il etait question a cette etape, essentiellement de la mise a disposition formellement par le Secretariat Technique, aux Leaders, du Rapport General presentant lensemble des contributions recues.

Saluant le grand interet que les Partis Politiques, les Organisations de la Societe Civile, des Personnalites et Citoyens ont accorde a cette initiative, a travers de tres nombreuses et pertinentes contributions, une note de reconnaissance de la qualite du rendu par un Secretariat Technique devoue lui a ete concedee par lensemble des Leaders, qui se sont engages dans le meilleur delai, chacun en ce qui le concerne, de sassurer de la transcription fidele des propositions avant validation du Rapport.

Lultime Rendez-vous est donne pour : Consolidation du document des Amendements Consensuels a apporter au Code Electoral actuel, document qui fera lobjet dune presentation a lOpinion Nationale et Internationale, avec en annexe toutes les contributions et analyses ;Les Leaders ont pris la resolution de porter ce Document au Gouvernement de la Republique, dans la perspective d'une demarche garantissant le consensus le plus large possible.

Fait a Yaounde, le 6 Juin 2021

Pour les Leaders des Parties Prenantes engagees,

Hon. TOMAINO NDAM NJOYA

_______________

STATEMENT

The Platform of Political Parties engaged with Civil Society Organizations, Independent Personalities and Citizens, to work togetherfor towards the Participatory and Consensual Reform of the Cameroonian Electoral System, met this Sunday, 6th of

June, 2021, in Yaounde for a meeting as planned in accordance with their agenda.

At this stage, it was mainly a question for the Technical Secretariat, to formally provide to the Leaders the General Report of all the contributions received.

Welcoming the great interest that Political Parties, Civil Society Organizations, Personalities and Citizens have demonstrated towards this initiative through very many and relevant contributions, a note of recognition for the quality of work

rendered by a dedicated Technical Secretariat was appreciated by all the Leaders who made a commitment each in his own area, to ensure the faithful transcription of the proposals before validation of the Report as soon as possible.

The final meeting will be for the following:

- The Consolidation of the document of a Consensual Amendments to be made in the current Electoral Code.

- Document which will be the subject of a presentation to National and International Opinion, with appendix of all contributions and analyses.

The Leaders have taken the resolution to bring this Document to the Government of the Republic, with a view to an approach which will guarantee the broadest possible

consensus.

Yaounde, June 6, 2021

For Leaders of committed Stakeholders,

Hon. TOMAINO NDAM NJOYA
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Taiwan will extend its level-3 COVID-19 alert to June 28, as the recent outbreak has shown no signs of easing, the island's disease monitoring agency said Monday.

The level-3 alert, the second-highest in Taiwan's four-tier COVID-19 alert scale, was first issued in Taipei and New Taipei City on May 15.

It was implemented across the island on May 19 and was originally scheduled to end on May 28. However, given the high number of local transmissions, the agency announced on May 25 that the alert would be extended to June 14.

Under the level-3 alert, restaurants are only allowed to serve customers through takeout or delivery services, while all schools are closed. People must wear masks at all times when they are outside and practice social distancing.

Also on Monday, Taiwan reported 211 new local COVID-19 cases and 26 new deaths, the agency said.

The 26 fatalities included 20 men and six women who died between May 31 and June 6.

Taiwan recorded three new imported COVID-19 cases from the Philippines and India on Monday.

Taiwan is struggling to contain its worst outbreak of COVID-19, with its mortality rate exceeding 2.4 percent from May 15 to June 6.

The total number of confirmed cases on the island since the pandemic began has risen to 11,491, including 10,290 local cases. A total of 286 deaths have been recorded, the agency said.
A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Monday urged the United States to cut off any form of official exchanges and military contact with China's Taiwan.

"We urge the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques and appropriately handle Taiwan-related issues," said Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. Ma was commenting on the recent visit of three U.S. senators to Taiwan.

In the face of a worsening COVID-19 epidemic, Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority has ignored the health and safety of people in Taiwan and stirred up trouble across the Taiwan Strait, Ma said.

The DPP authority's indifference to Taiwan people's lives and wellbeing and its shameless political manipulation have again exposed its nature of seeking "Taiwan independence," he added.
Do you have an athlete in mind that contributes to the team or sport, holds sportsmanship and team spirit, has epic playmaker moments and/or in general makes the the sports fun? If yes, please make your nominations for our edition of Athlete Spotlight.

CLICK TO NOMINATE
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., right, and U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., second from right, receive an informational brief about Fleet Readiness Center East operations at the Global TransPark in Kinston as part of a June 2 visit to the facility. During the visit, FRC East Commanding Officer Col. Thomas Atkinson, second from left, and FRC East Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Logistics Department head Stephen Barrow, left, discussed potential partnerships with the state and Global TransPark. (John Olmstead, Fleet Readiness Center East Public Affairs photo)
Glen, NH (03838)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 58F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 58F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
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Photo: The Canadian Press Local Member of Parliament William Amos wear a Canadian flag mask as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference in Chelsea, Que., on June 19, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Speaker Anthony Rota has ruled that the conduct of a Liberal MP who urinated during virtual parliamentary proceedings constitutes a prima facie case of contempt of the House of Commons.

In a ruling Monday, Rota said at first glance Quebec MP William Amos breached the privileges of his fellow MPs last month when he urinated while his computer camera was on  an incident that was broadcast on the internal parliamentary feed of proceedings and not seen publicly.

As such, Rota said the matter is deserving of further examination by the procedure and House affairs committee.

He noted that Amos has apologized, saying he didn't realize his camera was on, and that he has stepped aside from his role as a parliamentary secretary and promised to seek unspecified "assistance."

Nevertheless, Rota ruled: "There is no dispute about the facts in question, and they constitute a serious breach of the rules of decorum and an affront against the dignity of the House."

The ruling was in response to a question of privilege raised by Conservative MP Karen Vecchio.

Immediately after Rota's ruling, Vecchio moved that the matter be referred to the procedure and House affairs committee. Her motion passed without a vote and none of Amos's fellow Liberals raised any objections.

That was in stark contrast to the way Liberals rallied around Amos in April, when he was caught naked on the internal parliamentary video feed. In that incident, Amos said he was changing his clothes after a jog and didn't realize his camera was on.

A screenshot of a naked Amos was quickly leaked to the media and broadcast around the globe. Bloc Quebecois MP Sebastien Lemire admitted taking the screenshot but said he didn't know how it wound up in the media.

The Liberals had been pressuring Lemire to reveal with whom he shared the photo and were even threatening a possible police investigation into the publication of an intimate photo without consent. But they abruptly dropped that approach once word of Amos urinating on camera came to light.

On Monday, Rota reminded MPs that virtual proceedings are "an extension of the proceedings of the House and that their conduct must respect our rules and practices, even if they are participating remotely."

"I want to reiterate, yet again, the importance of everyone adjusting to the temporary measures put in place in response to the pandemic and exercising continued vigilance to prevent such incidents from recurring. As soon as a member connects to a virtual sitting and opens their camera, they are considered to be, for all intents and purposes, in the House."

Conservative whip Blake Richards commended Rota's ruling.

"Obviously, when we have a case of someone literally exposing themselves to the House on two different occasions, that is a pretty serious matter," Richards said.

He suggested it's part of a pattern of "degradation of decorum and behaviour" that has occurred since the advent of hybrid sittings  where most MPs participate virtually in Commons proceedings while only a handful are physically present in the chamber  in a bid to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

"I think people get more relaxed and more comfortable because they are at home or in their own offices and sometimes forget that they are still in proceedings of the House of Commons," Richards said.
People walk into Luis Isazas Colombian barber shop in need of a trim and walk out with a portrait shaved into the side of their head. This self-taught tattoo barber started learning his craft at 13, and has created 300+ photorealistic masterpieces featuring Joe Biden, Chadwick Boseman, Eminem, Morgan Freeman, Keanu Reeves, and even Mahatma Gandhi, all with the help of hair clippers.
 Flash

U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday reaffirmed U.S. support to Kiev in a call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, an effort to reassure Ukraine ahead of the U.S.-Russia summit later this month.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a White House briefing that Biden told Zelensky that "he will stand up firmly for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and its aspirations" and "looks forward to welcoming him to the White House here in Washington this summer."

The phone call came as Kiev raised concern about Biden's upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the U.S. recent move on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project between Russia and Germany.

In a recent interview with Axios, Zelensky said he was "surprised" and "disappointed" by U.S. decision to waive sanctions against a company and its CEO behind the Nord Stream 2 project.

The Ukrainian leader also expressed the hope to meet with Biden before the U.S.-Russia summit scheduled in mid-June.

Sullivan on Monday stressed that Biden's meeting with Putin was not a reward for Russia, but an attempt to "manage our differences and to identify those areas where we can work in America's interests to make progress."

Meanwhile, he noted the Biden administration does not expect significant deliverables from the summit.

The relationship between the United States and Russia is about verification instead of trust, Sullivan added. "It's about a relationship of clarifying what our expectations are and laying out that if certain kinds of harmful activities continue to occur, there will be responses from the United States."

Biden will begin the first foreign trip of his presidency later this week. He will visit Britain from June 9 to 13 to attend the Group of Seven (G7) Summit and hold bilateral meetings with leaders of G7 members.

The president will then travel to Brussels, Belgium to participate in the NATO Summit, and his meeting with Putin is scheduled on June 16 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Relations between Washington and Moscow have been adversarial in recent years. The two sides have obvious differences on issues related to Ukraine, cybersecurity, human rights, and U.S. election interference.
Photo: Native Northwest Tsimshian artist Morgan Asoyuf in her Every Child Matters t-shirt from Native Northwest, in advance of Orange Shirt Day 2021

This year Orange Shirt Day will carry extra significance.

In the wake of the discovery of the remains of 215 children at the site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School, the federal government has established September 30 as national truth and reconciliation day.

September 30 has for several years now been marked as Orange Shirt Day, a day when people are encouraged to wear orange to recognize the impacts of the residential school system.

Castanet sister publication Vancouver is Awesome has teamed up with Native Northwest to sell and distribute orange shirts in support of charity.

The shirts feature artwork by Tsimshian artist Morgan Asoyuf with the words Every Child Matters inscribed in the heart.

Net proceeds from sales of the shirts are to be split between two organizations; partial proceeds will go to the Orange Shirt Society (an organization that Native Northwest's president is on the board of), and partial proceeds will go to the BC Aboriginal Child Care Association, which is a Centre of Excellence for Indigenous early learning and child care in our province.

Both Native Northwest and Vancouver is Awesome will be donating net proceeds from sales of the shirts, calculated after manufacturing and administration, to the two charities. No private business is profiting from the shirt.

The shirts can be purchased online here.
Photo: The Canadian Press Spawning sockeye salmon, a species of Pacific salmon, are seen making their way up the Adams River in Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park near Chase, B.C., Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan says record federal spending to try to save the Pacific salmon population marks the beginning of a new chapter that will give the species a fighting chance at survival.

Jordan and Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson outlined the principles that will guide how $647.1 million in funding that was announced in the last budget will be spent.

The government says in a news release that the Pacific salmon population is drastically declining due to a combination of climate, habitat and harvesting pressures.

The Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative covers four key areas: conservation and stewardship, hatchery production, harvesting, and integrated management and collaboration.

The government says new policies and programs in each area will proceed in collaboration with a range of interests, including Indigenous Peoples and commercial and recreational fishers.

As part of the initiative, the federal government will contribute an additional $100 million to the $143 million Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, which was established with the B.C. government in 2019 to help rebuild habitat.

"Many Pacific wild salmon are on the verge of collapse, and we need to take bold, ambitious action now if we are to reverse the trend and give them a fighting chance at survival," Jordan says in the statement.

The federal government says it will also further integrate data on salmon, ecosystems and climate to support program decisions and in its approach to a new commercial salmon management plan in consultation with First Nations.

The government says addressing declines in the population will require flexibility because of the complex and lengthy reproductive cycle of Pacific salmon, which spans four to five years on average.

Consultation with Indigenous groups, provincial and territorial governments, harvesters, academia, environmentalists and others will begin in the coming weeks.
Gone will be those many bad things that they think constitute a robust Christianity: narrow-mindedness, sexual puritanism, intolerance, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-Islamism. anti-Darwinism, mistrust of science generally, political conservatism, anti-progressivism, and a tendency toward fascism.

The new and improved Americans who will replace these old-fashioned Christians will be individuals who think for themselves, are tolerant, open-minded, pro-science, sexually free and happy; and who have a genuine concern with "social justice"  that is, the well-being of their fellow human beings. In other words, Christianity will be replaced by a morally benign atheism. The arc of history is long, but it bends toward a benign atheism.

Well, I think this is a mistaken expectation  indeed, the very opposite of what's likely to happen. Just look at history.

When a national religion fades away, it is not replaced by a genial association of rational altruists. No, it is replaced by a new religion or pseudo-religion that turns out to be worse than Christianity was at its worst. I cite two instances.

First, in the course of the 19th century in Germany, atheism flourished among many philosophers, and this in turn had a great influence on many Protestant thinkers. Protestantism, still widely popular outside the Catholic regions of Germany, got more and more watered down. Its dogmatic content grew thinner and thinner as theologians tried to blend the best of Christianity with the best of anti-Christianity. It was transformed into a "modern" or "liberal" kind of Protestantism, a synthesis of contradictory elements that had little appeal to the heart and minds of Germans who yearned for a full-blooded religion.

They discovered that immeasurable amounts of lying, imprisonment, torture, and murder are morally allowable  provided of course that these things are done for the sake of making the world a better place. They discovered that the arc of history bends toward mass murder.

A religious vacuum appeared in the hearts and minds of many Germans. The higher classes tried to fill the vacuum with "Kultur"  fine music, fine literature, fine paintings, etc. The middle classes tried to fill the vacuum with nationalism, the lower classes with socialism. The trauma of World War I aggravated all this. Post-war, the more cultured classes turned to cultural expressionism: very thin gruel for a heart pining for religion. The working classes turned to Communism. And the middle classes turned to Nazism.

Second, in 19th century Russia, Orthodox Christianity, no doubt because of its too-close connection with the Tsarist Autocracy, failed to satisfy the intelligentsia. Quite the opposite. By and large, it disgusted the intellectuals, who with some notable exceptions (e.g., Dostoyevsky) turned in the direction of agnosticism and atheism. They embraced the idea that Russia must have a great social revolution. In late 1917, that great revolution arrived in the form of Communism, a pseudo-religion. The founder of this new religion (analogous to Jesus as founder of Christianity) was Lenin. The first and greatest "pope" of this religion was Stalin, the infallible Vicar of Lenin.

These two new religions both promised "social justice," though they had somewhat different ideas as to what counted as social justice. And they both "discovered"  perhaps independently of one another or, more probably, influenced by one another  a great new moral "truth." They discovered that immeasurable amounts of lying, imprisonment, torture, and murder are morally allowable  provided of course that these things are done for the sake of making the world a better place. They discovered that the arc of history bends toward mass murder.

But this, our post-Christian propagandists assure us, won't happen in America. We Americans are too well supplied with commonsense for this to happen. Perhaps a small number of "lunatic fringe" Americans will fall for crazy movements resembling Communism or Nazism. But average Americans care for the concrete processes of making and spending money; they care nothing for abstract worldviews or philosophies of history.

Well, I'm not so sure. I cringe every time I hear somebody say that X or Y or Z is "on the right side of history." President Obama said this when applauding the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that the U.S. Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. Anybody who speaks this way, whether the U.S. president or a progress-minded college sophomore, carries an abstract philosophy of history in his head.

I concede that post-Christian Americans have not settled on a single pseudo-religion  yet. They are still in an exploratory stage, trying this and trying that and trying something else. It may take years or even decades for them to settle on a single pseudo-religion that can unify all the post-Christians  just as it took post-Christian Germans a long time to settle on Nazism and post-Christian Russians a long time to settle on Communism. In all probability, this single pseudo-religion of the future will be a grand synthesis of the many particular pseudo-religions that people are experimenting with at the moment.

Who precisely? Who is "experimenting" with particular pseudo-religions at the moment? The following: (a) persons with a devotion to environmentalism; (b) persons devoted to the idea of gay/lesbian rights; (c) those devoted to the (really bizarre) idea that persons of one sex can, by virtue of having certain feelings, become persons of the opposite sex; (d) those who believe that the mass murder of unborn babies is a virtuous activity, deserving of taxpayer support; (e) persons who hold that we should make euthanasia available to all who want it, and that we should impose it on those who happen not to want it but who, if they were rational, would want it; (f) persons convinced that whites are, almost by nature, racist; (g) people who believe that society, acting through public and private agencies, should stifle the wicked opinions of those who are frankly unwilling to get on the right side of history.

Since the above people, all of them hard-core fanatics, are surrounded and encouraged by an immense cloud of soft-core believers, I fear that we are not far from the day when a comprehensive post-Christian worldview will triumph in the land of the free and the brave.
President Joe Biden makes a statement to the press as Sen. Shelley Capito listens during a meeting with a group of republican senators to discuss the administration's infrastructure plan in the Oval Office at the White House on May 13.
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Semen Padang sees 31% jump in exports to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

ICR Newsroom By 08 June 2021

Semen Indonesia Group subsidiary PT Semen Padang increased its cement and clinker exports to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka by 30.5 per cent YoY to 208,806t in April 2021, up from 160,000t in April 2020.



The company exported 38,471t of OPC to Sri Lanka and 170,389t of clinker to Bangladesh, according to Rahman Kurniawan, group head of sales for Semen Indonesia Group in Padang, Indonesia.



In the January-April 2021 period, PT Semen Padang has exported 825,400t of cement and clinker to Bangladesh, the Maldives and Australia, said Mr Kurniawan. Exports to Australia started in 2016 and PT Semen Padang is the first cement company in Semen Indonesia Group to export cement to Australia.



The company expects to reach exports of 198,600t of cement and 2.1Mt of clinker this year.

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Marsha seems obsessed with Dr. Fauci. Does it always have to be about her? I wish it was more about us. If it was more about us, instead of Marsha, she would be hard at work finding compromise on the federal infrastructure bill. No other city in the nation would benefit more from the infrastructure bill than Chattanooga. But Marsha has never read the bill and does not ... (click for more)
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At least eight people were killed and five others injured on Monday evening in a gas cylinder blast in Washuk district of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, local media and an official said.

Assistant Commissioner of Mashkel area in the district Hameed Hamza Bangulzai told media that a gas cylinder exploded with a big bang in a welding workshop in Mashkel of Washuk district.

Police and rescue teams rushed to the site and shifted the bodies and the injured to a hospital.

Hospital officials told media that the injured got serious wounds as they were buried under debris.

The blast also destroyed four other shops and spread fear among citizens.

An eyewitness said the explosion occurred when workers were using a welding machine to repair a gas cylinder brought by some customer.

The deceased included five Afghan nationals and three locals, the reports added.
In Isaiah 51, God continued His lesson of encouragement to His people concerning His absolute mastery over all Creation, every creature, including every human being. He begins the chapter by reminding the believing remnant of their place as recipients of grace under His covenant. Though they feel like justice has deserted them, God reminds them that His law, justice, and judgment will one day spread to all peoples of the world.

God promises them that in spite of the seemingly long wait, they can be encouraged that His salvation and righteousness will not disappear or fade. Then it seems that the Remnant begins to pray to the Almighty that He would remember what He had done in rescuing their forefathers from Egypt and would similarly rescue and redeem them. The exiles in Babylon would be released and would return home with gladness and joy as surely as their ancestors had been released from Egypt.

In Isaiah 51:12-13, God responds to the cry of His people, "I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies And of the son of man who is made like grass, 13 That you have forgotten the Lord your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth, That you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, As he makes ready to destroy? But where is the fury of the oppressor? (NASU) The Creator of the universe reminded His chosen people who it was that was comforting them. He pointed out their foolishness in being afraid of feeble men who are only like grass and will die and fade into oblivion. God then asks rhetorically why the creature has forgotten his Maker, who made not only the creature but everything in the universe. There is no comparison between what the human oppressor can do and what the Creator can do. Jesus made the contrast plain and underscored its significance, "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matt. 10:28, NASU)

In verses 14-16 the Creator and Covenant God of Israel brings a comforting word, "The exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, nor will his bread be lacking. "For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea and its waves roar (the Lord of hosts is His name). I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, 'You are My people.'" (NASU) Gods people can be encouraged; they belong to Him and will always belong to Him. He will provide for them; His hand of protection covers them. The discipline of God is clear evidence of belonging to God.

Roughly 2,500 years later, Gods people remain in the same sad state. We continue to fear humans instead of God. We continue to desire the approval of men who despise us instead of seeking the approval of Him who created us and loves us. We continue to seek help from feeble men who could not provide meaningful help if they even wanted to provide it. We are afraid of being found on the wrong side of history instead of fearing being found on the wrong side of the God of history. The Lord of hosts who stirs up the sea and makes its waves roar will hold us all accountable for our lack of trust in Him. Trust Him. You will not be sorry.
Erlanger Medical Group announces the hiring of Drs. Matthew Oliver, Laura Thomas and Jenifer Herra.Matthew Oliver, MD, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained gynecologic oncologist at Erlanger Womens Oncology, 102 Central Ave. in Chattanooga. Dr. Oliver attended medical school at East Tennessee State University and completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah, Ga. Following a gynecologic oncology fellowship at Brown University, Women and Infants Hospital in Providence, R.I., Dr.Oliver joined the faculty there. It was during this time that he was selected as the Womens Reproductive Health Research Scholar through the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. In addition to clinical work, Dr. Oliver plans to use his research experience to expand clinical trials available through Erlanger to women with gynecologic malignancies. To make an appointment with Dr. Oliver, call 423-266-3636.Laura Thomas, DO, is a pediatric neurologist with Childrens Hospital at Erlanger. Before pursuing a career in medicine, Dr. Thomas worked as a high school science teacher. She attended the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Spartanburg, SC, and completed two residencies  one in pediatrics at Memorial Health in Savannah, Ga., and the other in pediatric neurology at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, NC, where she served as chief resident. To make an appointment with Dr. Thomas, call 423-778-5437.Jenifer Herra, MD, is a board-certified internal medicine and obesity medicine physician who is accepting new patients at Erlanger Primary Care in Cleveland, 4312 Holiday Inn Expressway, Suite 202. After attending Southern Adventist University for her undergraduate education, she decided to return to the Chattanooga area following medical school at St. Georges University School of Medicine in the West Indies. She completed residency training in internal medicine at Erlanger, affiliated with the University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga. Dr. Herras special areas of interest include lifestyle medicine and obesity medicine, in which she has earned board-certification. To make an appointment with Dr. Herra, call 423-778-9671.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is now accepting entries for its 2022 photo contest for publication in Tennessee Wildlifes annual calendar. All interested photographers are invited to submit up to 10 of their best photos on fishing, hunting, boating and wildlife species native to Tennessee.



In the past, the calendar had been the summer issue of Tennessee Wildlife magazine and began in August. The new format will begin in January 2022 and run through December 2022.



Photographers must submit their photo entries by the Sept. 30 deadline. Photos must be horizontal (landscape), in JPEG format, and submitted online at https://stateoftennessee.formstack.com/forms/photo_submissions or by CD. They must be sized to print no smaller that 8-1/2x11 and resolution should be at least 300 pixels/inch.



If a photo is selected for the calendar edition, the photographer will receive a cash stipend of $60.

Photographers must be sure to provide their name, address, phone number, and e-mail address with their disk. Disks cannot be returned.



Entries may be mailed to:

Tennessee Wildlife

Calendar Issue

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency

5107 Edmondson Pike

Nashville, TN 37211



Tennessee Wildlife is the official magazine for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Subscription rates are $10 for one year, $17 for two years and $25 for three years.






A new consumer protection law through the Tennessee Department of Commerce & insurances Division of Regulatory Boards is aimed at putting the brakes on the rising theft and resale of catalytic converters across Tennessee.



Officials said, "Catalytic converters are exhaust emission devices used to reduce the toxic gases and pollutants created by vehicles internal combustion engines. These innocuous-looking devices contain precious metals that have drawn increased interest from thieves who aim to make a quick buck by stealing them from Tennesseans vehicles and then reselling them for ill-gotten profits."

A growing problem for consumers and law enforcement officials alike, thefts of converters climbed to 1,203 a month in 2020 compared to 282 a month in 2019, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.



To combat the rising numbers of catalytic converter thefts, TDCIs Scrap Metal Registration Program announces the following new consumer law that takes effect July 1:



Any person engaged in the business of buying and/or selling scrap metal including unattached catalytic converters as a single item and not as part of a scrapped motor vehicle shall give written notification to the chief of police and sheriff of each city and county in which the activity occurs.



Any person purchasing a used, detached catalytic converter must be registered as a scrap metal dealer pursuant to  62-9-102. Registering with TDCIs Scrap Metal Registration Program means providing either a state or federally issued photo identification card with an address and a thumbprint, submitting an application, paying the appropriate fee and meeting all requirements under the law.



A scrap metal dealer shall not purchase or otherwise acquire a used, detached catalytic converter, or any nonferrous metal part of such converter unless:



The used, detached catalytic converter is purchased at the fixed site of the scrap metal dealer in an in-person transaction; or

The scrap metal dealer must maintain a fixed site; obtains, verifies and maintains all identification and documentation required by  62-9-103 and  62- 9-104; and obtains and maintains a copy of the seller's license or a copy of the documentation and vehicle registration.



The entirety of the new catalytic converter anti-theft bill can be found here.



This new law was created with the input of scrap metal professionals in order to create greater protections for hardworking consumers and business owners, said TDCI Assistant Commissioner Alex Martin. This law will ensure that unattached catalytic converters being sold to dealers originated from salvaged or wrecked vehicles and not stolen from vehicles. This new oversight will reduce the inconvenience and expense for consumers who have to spend hundreds of dollars to repair their vehicle. I thank Governor Bill Lee, Commissioner Carter Lawrence and the General Assembly for their leadership in helping protect consumers and prevent illegal activity."



Violations of this new law can result in a Class A misdemeanor. Additionally, the seller of a detached, stolen catalytic converter is liable to the victim for the repair and replacement of the converter.



Tennessee Scrap Recyclers Association President Ross Litz said, Due to the critical issue of converter theft rising at such an unprecedented rate over the past year, we knew that stricter laws were needed to protect the citizens of Tennessee. Working with the State of Tennessee and law enforcement, we were able to pass the best catalytic converter law in the country.



Want more information about TDCIs Scrap Metal Registration Program? Email scrap.metals@tn.gov or visit online.
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) joined Senators Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.) to introduce a resolution condemning the use of Critical Race Theory in K-12 schools and teacher training programs.

She said Critical Race Theory "is an academic concept that promotes division by seeking to dismantle American society. Its teachings are based on the belief that racism is embedded in American history, laws and institutions."

On April 29, Senator Blackburn joined Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and more than 30 of his colleagues in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona requesting the withdrawal of the Departments Proposed Priorities on American history and civics education, "which included federal funding for the teaching of radical and divisive curriculum like Critical Race Theory."

Senator Marsha Blackburn said, Critical race theory has no place in American schools. The tenets of critical race theory are based in the destructive ideal of inherent racism and will teach our children to judge and self-segregate based solely on skin color. In Tennessee, we believe in equality and opportunity for all. Students should not be discriminated on the basis of race under any circumstances. This resolution is an important step to prevent the far left from pushing their radical political agenda in our classrooms.
CHI Memorial announces it has received multiple awards recognizing its "commitment to safe and high quality patient care."



Officials said, "CHI Memorial is the only health system in the Chattanooga region to receive a five star rating (five out of five stars) from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The most common overall hospital quality star rating is three stars. Only 13 percent of the 4,586 hospitals included in the survey received a five star rating. This is the fifth time CHI Memorial has received a rating of four stars or higher.



"The overall star rating shows how well an individual hospital is performing compared to other hospitals in the U.S., on average. The rating summarizes a variety of measures across five areas of quality: mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experience, and time and effective care. This rating is designed to help individuals, family members, and caregivers compare hospitals and easily understand complex quality information."

Our employees never cease to amaze me, says Matthew Kodsi, MD, PhD, vice president, medical affairs, CHI Memorial. They are making a difference every day with the high quality, compassionate care they provide our patients.

CHI Memorial Hospital Chattanooga and Hospital Hixson received A ratings in the spring 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, a national distinction recognizing CHI Memorials achievements protecting patients from errors, injuries, accidents and infections.



The energy and passion our employees demonstrate to ensure our patients have the highest quality and safest care available is so inspiring, shares Karen Frank, market director of quality, CHI Memorial. The physicians and staff work together and challenge each other to improve patient care and provide our patients with the best possible outcomes.

In fall of 2020, CHI Memorial was named Best Regional Hospital by U.S. News and World Report.

Officials said, "On the list of Best Hospitals in Tennessee, CHI Memorial is ranked second behind Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Only 12 of Tennessees 133 hospitals meet U.S. News standards and are ranked.

"CHI Memorial also received a high performing rating in eight surgical procedures and chronic conditions evaluated by U.S. News: abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, COPD, colon cancer surgery, heart bypass surgery, heart failure, hip replacement, knee replacement and lung cancer surgery."



This is a huge testament to the quality of care that our physicians, clinicians and employees provide here, said Janelle Reilly, market CEO, CHI Memorial. I am incredibly proud of all our employees and the great work they do. They should be proud, because these recognitions prove they are doing amazing work, and our patients are the ones who benefit from their dedication.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Tuesday announced a plan to complete major infrastructure investments at the Memphis Regional Megasite, as well as efforts to address workforce and quality of life in the region.

The Memphis Regional Megasite offers tremendous opportunity for West Tennessee, and I am committed to building out infrastructure and supporting area workforce as we find the right company for this space, said Governor Lee. I have directed the Department of Economic and Community Development to aggressively market the Megasite and offer enhanced incentives to companies demonstrating a long-term desire to call Haywood County home.

In July, the Administration will present plans to the State Building Commission to move forward with building the wastewater discharge pipeline, one of the most complex, lengthy aspects of infrastructure buildout. The proposed investment totals more than $52 million to address both wastewater and water infrastructure.

This announcement comes after the Lee Administration commissioned an independent study of the Memphis Regional Megasite to determine viability and assess the sites infrastructure needs, area workforce and quality of life. The full study can be accessed here.

In addition to infrastructure needs, plans to address workforce and quality of life issues include a record $80 million investment in Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology to clear the waiting list of more than 11,000 students who are waiting to join the workforce as skilled workers. Additionally, the Administration has committed $100 million over the next year to address urgent broadband connectivity needs impacting rural areas.

I commend members of the General Assembly for their longtime commitment to this project, said Governor Lee. I also commend our partners on the ground, including the Greater Memphis Chamber, the Jackson Chamber and HTL Advantage for working with us to ensure a high quality of life and a pipeline of skilled workers in the region.

More information about the Memphis Regional Megasite can be viewed here.
Plenty of television shows center their appeal around strong character development. Sometimes, fans become so enamored by a character that they can hardly separate the actor from the role. Whether its a villain everyone loves to hate or a complex protagonist whose flaws help make them relatable, writing interesting and deep characters is often part of the recipe for a successful series.

Few have mastered complex characters within an ensemble cast as well as Shonda Rhimes. All of Rhimes critically acclaimed series feature deep characters with backstories that get revealed more and more as time goes by, and these characters interactions with one another are often central to the plot.

In Greys Anatomy, Rhimes signature style is on full display, and the web of characters has grown almost unbelievably complex over the series 18-season run. With nearly 400 episodes, the writers could be forgiven a minor plot hole or inconsistency, but fans are still invested in sorting through the details to get the timeline right. In the Greys Anatomy universe, whos older: Bailey or Arizona?

Greys Anatomy Chandra Wilson plays Dr. Miranda Bailey

CHANDRA WILSON | Richard Cartwright via Getty Images

The sprawling cast of Greys Anatomy has seen a lot of shakeups  and surprising deaths  since its 2005 premiere, and only three characters have made an appearance in all 381 episodes to date. One of those is, of course, protagonist Meredith Grey. The other two are Dr. James Webber and Dr. Miranda Bailey.

Over the shows run, Baileys character has seen many details of her persona fleshed out, and fans have paid close attention to the changes over time. Early on, Bailey was a no-nonsense boss who got nicknamed The Nazi by interns who saw her as too strict. Over time, viewers got to see that the hard exterior was a facade for a much kinder, gentler person inside, and Bailey won fans over with her caring treatment of the interns who needed support.

Jessica Capshaw plays Dr. Arizona Robbins

Introduced in Season 5, the character of Dr. Arizona Robbins (portrayed by Jessica Capshaw) introduced plenty of dramatic moments to Greys Anatomy. Taking over the role of head pediatric surgeon after the death of Dr. Jordan Kenley, Arizona had an important role within the professional realm of the hospital.

Its her love life, however, that got the most attention in the shows plot. Arizona married  and later divorced  Dr. Callie Torres. The pair have a daughter together, and a custody dispute was a source of major drama in the shows recent seasons. Eventually, Arizona headed to New York  and off the show  to be closer to Callie and their daughter.

Another major point of Arizonas personality development revolved around an injury she sustained in the shows infamous plane crash episode. As a result, Arizona had a leg amputation, and the series showed her struggling with the recovery and what it meant for her life before regaining some of her previous bubbly personality.

Fans try to determine whether Bailey or Arizona is older

Grey's Anatomy's Chandra Wilson Chooses Miranda Bailey's 10 Best Moments https://t.co/6SujYagc4w pic.twitter.com/DUDd8tRfKX  Cosmopolitan (@Cosmopolitan) November 5, 2015

With so many complex character developments to keep track of, being a fan of Greys Anatomy can require some deductive work. A Reddit thread shows several fans debating the ages of Dr. Bailey and Dr. Robbins.

The original poster posits that Arizona must be older than Bailey because Arizona was already an attending at the time that Bailey (and Callie) had just finished residency. However, others pointed out that the calculation wasnt that simple: Seniority doesnt necessarily imply age, either. Many pointed to the characters appearance, noting that Arizona looks younger than Bailey, but that is also not necessarily helpful  especially since Capshaw is actually seven years older than Wilson!

To put further complications on the discussion, some fans pointed out that Arizonas promotion within the hospital didnt make a lot of sense: She became a fellow and department head at Seattle Greys at the same time. Thats Greys Anatomy logic.

Most fans seem to accept that Arizona is slightly older than Bailey, but it doesnt seem the show makes that explicit.

RELATED: Why Did Jessica Capshaw Leave Greys Anatomy as Arizona Robbins?
Sketch comedy has been a consistent fixture on TV for years and has taken a lot of forms over time. While Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele have both moved on from the hit show, Key and Peele still ranks up there with the fan favorites of the genre.

The show reached critical acclaim and has become a cult classic, regularly being discovered by new fans in syndication and on social media, partly due to its still very relevant themes of race relations and parody of ethnic stereotypes. The show was inspired by many works that were influential on the stars and crew, but the director of the series actually drew special, personal inspiration from a pretty unlikely place South Park.

Key and Peele

Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele | Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

Key and Peele was started as a project on Comedy Central when both titular stars were a few years after their roles in the sketch comedy classic, Mad TV. The twos relationship as a comedy duo, however, goes back much further. The two met as performers at Second City, a legendary improv comedy troupe in Chicago, in 2002 well before their mutual appearance on Mad TV.

About three years after leaving their roles on Mad TV, the two by chance had the same manager. According to The Things, the manager approached Key about the possibility of doing a show with Peele. Peele responded, Why would I not want to do a show with the greatest sketch writer Ive ever known in my entire life?

The show ran for only three years and 53 episodes but created a lasting impact. Even six years after the conclusion of the last episode, the two have regularly reprised their roles for events over the years, such as Keys iconic performance as Luther (President Barrack Obamas anger translator) at The White House Correspondents Dinner in 2015.

The inspiration behind the show

Key and Peele werent the only geniuses behind the iconic show. The shows director Peter Atencio was massively influential in the theme, look, and feel of the show from the early days of the concept. While he may not get as much credit as the titular comics, the show was just as much his creation as theirs.

According to Mental Floss, Atencio drew a lot of inspiration from old sketch and improv HBO shows, like The Ben Stiller Show, Mr. Show, and Kids in the Hall. Atencios inspiration to become a filmmaker however came from animation rather than sketch comedy.

It came out when I was in high school at the Denver School of the Arts, Atencio says of the iconic animated comedy, At the time they didnt have Comedy Central in Colorado, and there was such a huge furor of controversy and buzz around this show. So I had a friend who had a cousin in another city record them on VHS and mail them to us.

Hitting close to home

Peter Atencio is a native-born Coloradan from Ft. Collins, according to IMDb. South Park may be pretty unrealistic when it comes to its plots, but a lot of the locations and running gags from the show were inspired by co-creator Trey Parkers youth in Conifer, CO.

The show was immediately endearing to many Colorado youths who identified with a lot of the absurdities the townsfolk of South Park exhibit, even if they are exaggerated. As fans readily point out on Reddit, the fictitious town of South Park was actually based on Fairplay Colorado, not far from where Parker grew up. The town was originally chartered under the same name as the fictitious town before changing its name to Fairplay and shares a lot of geography with the town from the show.

The little town of Fairplay sits in a high valley in the Rockies, not coincidentally called South Park and is at the south edge of Park County. Many of the buildings in the town are near matches to the buildings in the show, and many of the characters are homages to people Parker grew up with in Conifer or nearby Fairplay.

While South Park may not necessarily come across loudly as a foundational influence in Key and Peele, fans should be happy that the show was so inspirational to Atencio. Without his work on Key and Peele, who knows what amazingly hilarious moments fans of the show would have been denied.

RELATED: Why South Park Has Lasted 23 Years
Mayday Parade is an emo-pop-punk band known for singles like Jamie All Over, Miserable at Best, and Three Cheers for Five Years. Find out where Mayday Parade has stops scheduled for their tour in 2021 as well as the scheduled tour dates the music act has lined up for next year.

Mayday Parade | David Wolff Patrick/Getty Images

The pop-punk bands songs include I Can Only Hope from their 2020 EP

Before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Mayday Parades most recent album Sunnyland dropped in 2018. In March 2020, Mayday Parade released the single It Is What It Is from their EP Out of Here. The lead single from the EP, Lighten Up Kid, was released in September of the same year.

According to Mayday Parades drummer Jake Bundrick, the single is about self-discovery and standing up for what you believe in. Lighten Up Kid is about feeling cut down and hung out to dry but standing up for yourself in the end, he told Note to Scene.

Like many other musical acts, Mayday Parade has been on hiatus during the pandemic. Fortunately, with the world slowly starting to open back up again, the pop-punk band has been able to schedule some tour dates for fans.

So far, the band has a few performances scheduled for the rest of this year. Heres when and where to see Mayday Parade perform live in 2021.

Sept. 4, 2021  Slam Dunk Festival in Leeds, United Kingdom

Sept. 5, 2021  Slam Dunk Festival in Hatfield, United Kingdom

Sept. 17, 2021  Four Chord Music Festival in Pittsburgh, PA

Sept. 18, 2021  Riot Fest in Chicago, IL

Sept. 25, 2021  Furnace Fest in Birmingham, AL

Mayday Parade also has some European tour dates lined up for next year. Heres where to see the band in 2022.

June 9 through June 11, 2022  Greenfield Festival in Interlaken, Switzlerland

June 17, 2022  Hurricane Festival in Scheeel, Germany

June 18, 2022  Southside Festival in Neuhausen ob Eck, Germany

Mayday Parade band members and albums

Mayday Parade hails from Tallahassee, Florida. The band consists of Derek Sanders, Alex Garcia, Brooks Betts, Jeremy Lenzo, and Bundrick. Jason Lancaster was formerly part of the band. According to Alternative Press, he left after being denied a writing credit on some of the bands previous work.

Today were shining the #maydaymonday spotlight on https://t.co/BFL2A71wz0. Sheila, we love your hopeful rendition of these Miserable at Best lyrics. What other lyrics would you like to see this artist illustrate? pic.twitter.com/I1AGkYro42  Mayday Parade (@maydayparade) June 7, 2021

RELATED: Green Day Didnt Think Fans Would Like This Chart-Topping Album

Mayday Parade currently has six studio albums and three EPs. Their first EP, Tales Told by Dead Friends, included Lancaster. So did a few songs on Mayday Parades first album, A Lesson in Romantics. Mayday Parades other albums and EPs include:

Anywhere But Here (2009)

Valdosta (2011)

Mayday Parade (2012)

Monsters in the Closet (2013)

Black Lines (2015)

Sunnyland (2018)

Out of Here (2020)

What does the band name Mayday Parade mean?

As with many rock bands, some fans are curious about what inspired the name Mayday Parade. Bassist Lenzo explained the name choice to the Music Is Immortal blog in 2011.

We had recorded our EP Tales Told By Dead Friends, and wanted to started passing them out at shows, but we didnt have a band name, Lenzo told the outlet. So we started throwing around different words until we came up with a combination that we liked. I wish the story had more to it, but thats it.
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Britain reported another 5,683 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,522,476, according to official figures released Monday.

The country also recorded another one coronavirus-related death, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain to 127,841. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

More than 40.4 million people, or more than three-quarters of adults in Britain, have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine while more than 27.9 million people have been fully vaccinated with a second dose, according to the latest official figures.

The latest data came as British Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced people aged 25 to 29 in England will be able to book their coronavirus vaccination from Tuesday morning.

Earlier Monday, a former chief scientific adviser to the British government warned that the current COVID-19 figures are "evidence of another wave appearing".

David King, who was the government's chief scientific adviser from 2000 to 2007, told Sky News: "Now we've been discussing whether or not we're going into a serious third wave and I don't think we can possibly wait any longer. This is the evidence of another wave appearing."

King also called on the government to delay the proposed easing of lockdown in England on June 21.

When asked for how long, he replied: "I would give a few weeks' delay and see how the figures are emerging."

The British government is facing increasing pressure to delay the final step of unlocking restrictions in England on June 21 due to concerns over the spread of the Delta variant first identified in India

Public Health England (PHE) has said that the Delta variant is now the "dominant" strain in Britain.

The British government's roadmap is expected to see all legal limits on social contact to be removed on June 21. It is understood that a final decision on the planned easing of lockdown will not be made until June 14.

Experts have warned that coronavirus may continue to evolve for years to come, and eventually it is likely current vaccines will fail to protect against transmission, infection, or even against disease caused by newer variants.

To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Russia, the United States as well as the European Union have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines.
Starzs P-Valley has become one of the most critically acclaimed drama series on TV. Set in the fictional town of Chucalissa, Mississippi which stands at the center of the Bible Belt, much of the narrative and events of the show center around The Pynk, a popular strip club in town.

Mercedes (Brandee Evans) is the clubs headliner who is on the verge of retirement when Autumn (Elarica Johnson), a mysterious newcomer running from her past, shifts the entire dynamic at The Pynk. P-Valley also follows Uncle Clifford (Nicco Annan), the clubs gender-non-conforming owner, and a couple of other dancers, including Keyshawn (Shannon Thorton), a woman in the midst of a highly abusive relationship, and Gidget (Skyler Joy) who takes care of her mother, who is dealing with addiction.

Season 2 of P-Valley is getting underway and Evans has revealed an interesting tidbit about an upcoming episode.

Brandee Evans as Mercedes in P-Valley | Starz

When will P-Valley Season 2 premiere?

The first season of P-Valley ended with that explosive fight between Montavius (Cranston Johnson), Autumn, and Mercedes. Though we knew Autumn and Mercedes came out of the fight, there are still so many unanswered questions about Montavius, including whether hes actually dead or not. Moreover, now that Autumn co-owns The Pynk with Uncle Clifford, things will undoubtedly change.

Starz has renewed P-Valley for a second season, but a release date has not yet been announced. However, we do know that Season 2 is set to begin filming in Atlanta this month.

I think time will reveal what truly happened in the Paradise Room, but there are so many levels to what happened and what the cover-up is, and who has been a part of the cover-up, P-Valley creator Katori Hall told Thrillist. Im just really excited to see how people react. Because thats going to be the big question: Who shot Montavius? Is Montavius dead?

RELATED: P-Valley Was Rejected by Tons of Networks Before It Landed on Starz

What will happen in P-Valley Season 2?

In addition to what happened to Montavious and learning if Uncle Clifford and Lil Murda (Alphonse Nicholson) can rekindle their romance, Hall has a lot more up her sleeve for the sophomore season of the beloved series. [Autumn] came in getting her a** smacked on the dance floor and now, she has some ownership in the club, Hall explained to ELLE. The power dynamics at the club have completely changed and to see Uncle Clifford and Hailey fight over the throne will be stuff of legends.

We expect to see a lot more of the drama in the womens lives outside of The Pynk as well.

Brandee Evans says one scene from P-Valley Season 2 made her cry

In the first season of P-Valley fans watched as Mercedes worked tirelessly to pull together the final funds that she needed to retire from The Pynk and open her dance studio. It was her chance to finally bond with her birth daughter Terricka (Azaria Carter) and to step into the next phase of her life as a businesswoman. Having turned down the help of respective suitors to build her dream on her own, it was all snatched away from Mercedes at the last moment by her own mother, Patrice (Harriett D. Foy).

Patrice stole Mercedess hard-earned money to open her own church in the storefront Mercedes had been eyeing for her studio. Unfortunately, it doesnt look like Mercedes will be catching a break anytime soon. Episode three, I read something, and just like last season, I was in my living room crying, Evans told Gold Derby. I was like, Oh my gosh, Mercedes is going through it, so I think shes going through, it even more this season. Katori has put her on some type of journey, chile, so this is going to be very interesting. If Im already feeling this in episodes one, two, three, I can only imagine whats going to happen when we get to 10.
Jen Shah is in for a rough season on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. Bravo will premiere the second season of the fan-favorite later this year, and Shahs indictment and fraud charges will be featured on the show. Co-Star Heather Gay is finally breaking her silence on the ordeal plaguing the reality series and teasing whats to come on the show.

Jen Shah and Heather Gay | Chad Kirkland/Bravo

Why did Jen Shah get arrested?

Shah was one of the breakout stars of RHOSLC after a first season that left fans wanting more. However, viewers didnt realize Shahs alleged involvement in a fraud scheme resulting in an indictment. Federal authorities accused the Bravo star and her assistant Stuart Smith of defrauding senior citizens.

Shah and Smith flaunted their lavish lifestyle to the public as a symbol of their success. In reality, they allegedly built their opulent lifestyle at the expense of vulnerable, often elderly, working-class people, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent-in-Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said in a statement. As alleged, disturbingly, Shah and Smith objectified their very real human victims as leads to be bought and sold, offering their personal information for sale to other members of their fraud ring.

Shah remains out on bail. If found guilty, she could face up to 50 years in prison. Her case is expected to start trial in Oct. 2021.

Jen Shah | Heidi Gutman/Bravo

RELATED: RHOSLC Star Meredith Marks Slams Fans Saying Son Brooks Was Shading Jen Shah After Arrest

What does Heather Gay say about Jen Shahs arrest?

Gay and Shah had a solid friendship at the beginning of RHOSLC Season 1. However, by the time the show wrapped, their relationship was rocky. Despite their differences, the two seemed to have worked things out, and Gay is a supportive friend.

It does feel like were 10 years into [the show], but were only [in the] second season, and everything plays out in real-time, Gay said on the So Bad Its Good with Ryan Bailey podcast. We are in it with her. We are going through it as friends, [and] as people who for the first time in [our] lives are public figures. And for the first time in [our] lives, we have to answer to not only [our] family and friends, but to a worldwide audience, and to also see [our] trials and struggles played out and subject to public opinion.

The entrepreneur explained that this is the biggest, hugest thing that has happened in the Salt Lake City community. I mean, this is big, and its real, she added.

Gay also teased what fans can expect from the sophomore season saying, It is all the five horsemen of drama. Youve got intrigue, and crime, and passion, and loyalty, and friendships all on the backdrop of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Lisa Barlow, Mary Cosby, Heather Gay, Jen Shah, Whitney Rose, and Meredith Marks | Chad Kirkland/Bravo

RELATED: RHOBH Stars Kyle Richards, Teddi Mellencamp Invested in Jen Shahs Arrest Drama Like All RHOSLC Fans

Jen Shah reflects on her friends

During this difficult time, Shah appears to be reflecting on who she can consider her real friends. After getting indicted, Shah has posted cryptic messages on Instagram as well as thanking all her fans that are supporting her.

Thank you for being loyal, believing in me, and not believing the hype, Shah wrote in reply to her fan. This journey has showed [sic] me who my true friends are. All my love.

In an Instagram Stories update she added, Thank you to those of you who that have shown my family and I real friendship, unconditional love & true loyalty during this difficult time. Thank you for not judging me and not believing everything you read online. I asked Allah to show me who my real friends are and he has. Allah Akbar.

Bravo has not revealed when RHOSLC would return to the network but it will be sometime this fall.
With RuPauls Drag Race: All-Stars 6 just around the corner, some fans of this reality series are looking to stream episodes of this reality competition series. However, RuPauls Drag Race is only available on select streaming platforms.

Heres what we know about this show and its relationship with Netflix.

RuPauls Drag Race: All-Stars 2 contestants Ginger Mini, Alyssa Edwards, Phi Phi O Hara, Alaska 5000, and Tatiana | John Lamparski/WireImage

RuPauls Drag Race featured drag performers like Trixie Mattel, Bianca Del Rio, and Alaska 5000

RuPaul is always searching for Americas Next Drag Superstar. This drag performer released the original reality series RuPauls Drag Race in 2009. Since then, it earned several Emmy Awards and branched out into several spinoff series, some of which take place internationally.

RuPaul even made his own drag convention, creating an experience where fans of the art form can meet their favorite contestants.

In the past, new episodes of this reality series debuted on Logo, eventually making the switch to the television network, VH1. Most recently, season 13 of RuPauls Drag Race premiered introducing the world to a new set of queens with charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent.

RELATED: Former RuPauls Drag Race Contestants Like Shea Coulee, Shangela, Aquaria, and Trixie Mattel Are Stepping up for Their Communities

Is RuPauls Drag Race on Netflix?

In the United States, RuPauls Drag Race and its spinoffs are not available on Netflix. There are some special featuring the Drag Race performs on this platform. That includes Trixie Mattels documentary, Moving Parts, Hurricane Bianca: From Russia With Hate, and RuPauls original series, AJ and the Queen.

Select seasons of RuPauls Drag Race, RuPauls Drag Race: All-Stars, and RuPauls Drag Race: Untucked are available on the rival streaming platform, Hulu. That includes seasons 1-6 of the original Emmy Award-winning reality competition series.

For international spinoffs like Drag Race Down Under, United States fans can head to the streaming platform, WOWPresents Plus. This service also has spinoffs featuring the RuPauls Drag Race performers. That includes UNHhhh, starring Trixie Mattel and Katya of season 7. Additionally, fans can purchase and rent episodes of this series, thanks to Amazon.

RELATED: Here Are the RuPauls Drag Race: All-Stars Seasons Available for Streaming on Hulu

The reality competition series, RuPauls Drag Race: All-Stars 6, will be available on Paramount+

To watch most seasons of RuPauls Drag Race, a subscription to Paramount+ is your best bet. This platform has seasons 1-10 of the original series, as well as seasons 1-4 of All-Stars in the United States.

Its this subscription service that will house new episodes of RuPauls Drag Race: All-Stars 6, which premieres in 2021. This season contains returning fan favorites, like Jan, Ginger Minj, and Jiggly Caliente, each competing for the crown and the title of Americas Next Drag Superstar.

Thirteen All-Stars deliver one of the best Drag Race seasons ever! said executive producer and five-time Emmy-winning host RuPaul according to Deadline. Dont take my word for it. Youve got to stream it to believe it.

To learn more about Paramount+ and to subscribe, visit their website.
The Pioneer Woman star Ree Drummond has made a name for herself through her easy recipes that feed cowboys and hungry kids. The Oklahoma native has been filming the show from her ranch since 2011. Along the way, shes taught fans plenty of hacks  including a freezer storage tip that will keep the hearty meals coming for months without having to repeat recipes.

The Pioneer Woman star Ree Drummond in 2017 | Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Pioneer Woman Magazine

The Pioneer Woman star Ree Drummond loves freezer-friendly meals

When Drummond began blogging back in 2006, she loved talking about raising four kids on her Oklahoma ranch with her husband, Ladd Drummond. As the kids grew older, their schedules became more hectic, and Drummond needed to find easier ways to put dinner on the table. She took a liking to freezer-friendly dishes and has since done a number of special episodes dedicated to make-ahead meals.

Drummond tends to lean toward pasta, such as lasagna and baked ziti, when it comes to prepping something for the freezer. But she actually has a simple trick that takes freezer meals up a notch  and it starts with removing some of the ingredients.

Ree Drummond in 2019 | Tyler Essary/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

RELATED: The Pioneer Woman: Ree Drummonds Easy Recipe for the Best Steak Ever

Ree Drummonds freezer hack keeps meals from getting boring

Though it might sound counterproductive, Drummond once revealed on her blog that she prepares the base of a meal for the freezer, rather than the whole recipe. This way, she can switch things up when its time to reheat the dish. For example, Drummond might have a tasty meatball casserole that freezes well. But rather than make the whole thing, shell make just the meatballs. Keeping that base intact means that when she defrosts those meatballs, she can either pair them with some tomato sauce and mozzarella, or go in a different direction and prep Swedish meatballs instead. It prevents meals from getting boring or bogged down with constant leftovers.

Drummonds easy hack means that dinner still takes half the time, but she isnt left feeding her family the same meals over and over. One more trick the Food Network star loves? Store food in both large and small quantities. So you can easily feed a crowd  Or just yourself, Drummonds website says. This way, a meal for one doesnt require defrosting an entire family-size dish.

Ree Drummond in 2017 | Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Hearst

How to make Ree Drummonds freezer-friendly meatballs

Ingredients:

5 pounds ground beef

1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons mustard (preferably grainy mustard)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 large eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil



Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the olive oil. Mix together with your hands, then scoop out small portions (about 1 tablespoon) and shape into balls. Place meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze 5-10 minutes or until meatballs begin to firm.

In a large pot or skillet, heat olive oil. Add meatballs to skillet (in batches, so they arent overcrowded) and cook 5-7 minutes. Make sure to turn the meatballs so they brown on all sides.

Place meatballs on a baking sheet and put in the freezer until theyre fully frozen. Once frozen, transfer them to freezer bags.
Ever since construction on the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World started in Orlando, Disney has wielded significant political power. Before renewable energy became a trend, a law was passed that could allow Disney to build its very own nuclear plant.

With all the resources and the law in its favor, Disney might pass up on the chance of building that nuclear plant after all. Find out more about the franchises legal ability to create a nuclear power plant and why they may not.

Disney World | Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images

Disney successfully lobbies for nuclear power

When Disneyland opened in California, it experienced immense success, and so the company decided to expand its reach to the East Coast. However, the man himself didnt like the idea of having businesses springing up around Disneyland and wanted to control a more significant part of the new project.

Disney believed that political power was essential and used his influence to ensure that he had great sway. He, therefore, scouted the areas and used various shell companies to purchase land at meager prices from unsuspecting landowners.

Disney envisioned a futuristic city with residential and commercial areas. He then petitioned the Florida state legislature, thus bringing life to Reedy Creek Improvement District. The state gave Disney the right to create its private government, build roads, issue bonds, levy taxes and have emergency services.

It also allowed the company to make items from the future that it could need, such as an airport and a power plant. The law permitted Disney to construct a nuclear power plant understandably since, at the time, green technologies didnt have a lot of focus.

According to Orlando Sentinel, the 1967 law was passed to provide Disney with protection from government regulation to build EPCOT. Disney World has the power to create its police force or government but hasnt so far done anything of the sort yet.

Will a nuclear reactor near Disney ever really happen

The chances of Disney ever building a nuclear reactor are trim to none. If the company were to create a reactor, it would tarnish its perfect image. Experts on the matter declare that although Disney had the option to erect a nuclear power plant with all the influence he had and the law behind him, he still didnt because he was just kind of giving himself options.

Additionally, the cost that would go into building a fully functional nuclear plant is enormous. Legislators estimated that the plant would cost billions to make, and the project might take up to 30 or 40 years, give or take, for it to break even. The cost of going through the regulatory processes would also be too much for the company.

Legislators want to strip Disney of the right to build a reactor. Some lawmakers think it is not sensible to have a nuclear power plant nearby a theme park packed with families. Although Senator Victor Torres said that he doesnt see Disney doing anything like that, he still wants to see to it that they dont get the chance to.

Walt Disney would have wanted renewable energy instead

Disney believed in clean energy, and nuclear power doesnt have the best reputation. The Walt Disney Company prefers to be associated with cleaner energy options which the public view more positively, like renewable energy.

In 2018 Magic Kingdom added a significantly larger solar facility shaped like the companys mascot Mickeys head. The company plans to reduce its carbon footprint significantly, and erecting a nuclear reactor isnt the best way to do that. In recent years, Disney has pushed more for the construction of more solar farms to promote green technologies.

RELATED: Dark Secrets of the Perfect Florida Town Created by Walt Disney, Revealed
A kiosk to get an appointment for services at the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety headquarters in Oklahoma City is shown inside the lobby. Customers enter their cell phone numbers for a chance at a walk-in appointment later that day.
Jerry Bigfeather, a Cherokee Nation environmental health specialist, swabs a pallet jack handle for the COVID-19 coronavirus on June 12, 2020, at the Food Distribution site in Tahlequah.
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Israel's parliament will vote on approving a new government that could oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by June 14, parliament's speaker announced on Monday.

Parliament Speaker Yariv Levin, a lawmaker with Netanyahu's Likud party and his close associate, declined to set a specific date for the vote.

Levin made a formal announcement to the parliament, noting that opposition leader Yair Lapid informed the president last week that a coalition deal had been agreed. Levin said a vote to approve the new government will be held within a week, in accordance with the Israeli law.

"An announcement regarding a date for the session to establish the 36th government will be conveyed down the line to members of parliament," Levin said during the session, which was broadcast on main Israeli TV channels.

Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, announced last week that he reached a deal to form a coalition government with nationalist Naftali Bennett, leader of the pro-settler party of Yamina, and six additional small parties.

If approved by the parliament, or Knesset, the new government would end the 12-year rule of Netanyahu, the country's longest-serving prime minister.
One of the most frustratingbut ultimately liberatingexperiences during my three decades of pastoral ministry was resigning from a predominately white urban church in a largely African American city. Many of the hundreds of attendees appreciated my ministry as a preacher, teacher, leader, musician, husband, and father. Yet there was an influential minority of suburbanitesswayed by issues related to race and socioeconomicswhose opposition undermined my leadership.

My oldest child, remembering the challenges of being a young African American man in that church, has often said, Dad, you need to write a book and name names! My son knows I tried to live out a genuine multiethnic ministry despite its recently critiqued hardships.

I resisted writing a cathartic, tell-all book, but in my mentoring of young pastors, I did try, like Paul, to share the gospel as well as my life (1 Thess. 2:8). Resigning as a pastor from that church was a painful leap of faith. I did not have another position lined up. But being unemployed was better than being minimized and demoralized.

A significant recent exodus from the Southern Baptist Convention has included high-profile figures like Beth Moore and Charlie Datess Progressive Baptist Church. Jemar Tisbys story, which he recently shared in an interview detailing his exit from white evangelical spaces, resonated with Christians of color and women who risked bringing their whole selves to Christian organizations that claimed to value diversity, then got pummeled by the realities of life within white supremacist patriarchies.

All departures are hard, yet all have life-giving potential. Those who leave often find eventual invigoration through renewed vision, fresh insights, and recovery of their voice and personhood. The organizations left behind have the potential to learn important lessons too.

Some Christian institutions will defend their reputations by appealing to Scriptures that condemn false teaching (such as Jude v. 4). Their intent is to discredit those who leave. Such condemnation is unhelpful and often inaccurate. People like me who left didnt do so because we embraced historically heretical ideas. We left because the institution was toxic.

After preaching in a predominately white church, I found out that the leaders who prayed for me shared racist jokes before I arrived. I voiced my concerns to denominational leaders, but they denied any existence of racism and got upset with me for even suggesting the idea. I shook their dust off my feet and moved on (Mark 6:11).

Leaving can be a prophetic act that outs institutional toxicity. Jeremiah famously stood outside Jerusalems temple, at its gates, crying out for repentance and reformation (Jer. 7:13). He risked telling the truth to get Gods people back on the right track. He indicted a toxic temple system as a cover for injustice: Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? (v. 11).

Pay attention to the wounded faithful who exit. Their words may be the word of the Lord.

Jesus reran Jeremiah as he upended the moneychangers tables (Matt. 21:13). Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann observes, The temple and its royal liturgy are exposed as tools of social control, which in a time of crisis will not keep their grand promises. The temple is shown to be not an embodiment of transcendence, but simply an arena for social manipulation.

Departures dont happen cavalierly; they come after intense soul-searching and prayer. Institutions must likewise engage in self-examination and confront core values that only devalue. Eloquent statements in white institutions about equity and diversity too often end up tokenizing ethnic minorities. Christian history contains epic moments of reforming dissent. Pay attention to the wounded faithful who exit. Their words may be the word of the Lord.

Perhaps one day I will write that memoir, highlighting my struggle to find an ecclesial home. Ive learned to trust my own dissenting voice, mustering the courage to rage against institutional injustice. I pray those who confess allegiance to Jesus will muster the courage to listen to the leavers and face up to their own sins. Just as it takes agitation to clean clothes, it takes the agitation of prophets to clean up institutions.

Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.
Charles Stanley has been spending more time with family since he stepped down as pastor of First Baptist Church Atlanta in 2020. He has continued his schedule of preaching on TV and radio with In Touch Ministries. And he is working on a book about prayer that will be released this fall.

He has not started a new business selling gummies and other products infused with cannabidiol (CBD), a compound extracted from the marijuana plant.

Enough people thought the longtime Southern Baptist pastor, considered one of the best evangelical preachers of his generation alongside Billy Graham and Chuck Swindoll, might have gotten into the CBD business, however, that In Touch Ministries released a warning on Saturday: IT IS A SCAM.

Dr. Stanley has not begun any new venture, the official statement said. Scammers are attempting to trick you into giving your personal information or infect your electronic devices by using Dr. Stanleys image.

In Touch Ministries staff have reported the false advertising to Facebook and other social media sites selling Charles Stanley CBD gummies and Charles Stanley CBD oil, but new adswith the preachers name superimposed over a large marijuana leaf, or the preachers name next to a spilled pile of glistening gummy bearshave appeared to replace them.

Our social media team has been working with Facebook to quickly remove these false ads as soon as we are alerted to them, Seth Grey, an In Touch Ministries spokesman, told CT. Unfortunately, as soon as one ad is removed, another pops up in its place.

And just to be clear: This is false and Dr. Stanley does not endorse anything like this, Grey said.

The false advertisements seem to have started back in April, beginning simultaneously on multiple websites registered in Iceland. Some of the sites were started right before the scam began, while others have previously advertised the same CBD products with other celebrities names, including Oprah Winfrey and Martha Stewart.

A second wave of websites, designed to look like news outlets with names like 24x7 News and Big News Network, pretended to review the product in May and June. Each piece ended with a large red button to buy the product.

The promotional material was all written in garbled English, infused with health and fitness buzzwords.

Charles Stanley CBD Gummies are one of the most selling and effective health improvement products that are constituted from various herbal and natural ingredients that are pure and natural to help consumers to get over various mental and physical health issues such as anxiety, depression, stress, mental headache, sleeping disorders, acne issues, heart diseases, etc., said one website.

Another explained that with this miracle product, ones wellness, namely in terms of inflammation and related health consequences is believed to gradually reverse with time. The phrase health consequences linked to an advertisement on another site designed to look like a news report on a safe herbal ingredients.

One of the fake reviews said that Charles Stanley CBD Gummies Gummies have 600mg of unadulterated, top-notch CBD to assist you to really feel extraordinary without the substantial! and concluded, CBD is as of this moment astonishing the us.

The artificial English, snake-oil promises, and nonsense reviews serve as a backstop for the social media ads, providing an appearance of legitimacy to convince computer algorithms and anyone doing a quick Google search that Charles Stanley CBD gummies do, in fact, exist.

They dont, but these scams do work, according to consumer protection advocates. The Better Business Bureau has documented more than 400 people taken in by CBD scams in the US in the last five years.

Some lose only a little money: $6, $12, $13.95.

Others, signing up for a free sample, agree to pay shipping and handling and then later find their bank account charged hundreds of dollars month after month. There is no established estimate of how much money is stolen this way every year.

In some cases, however, the product does exist. Its just the endorsement that is not real.

The Charles Stanley CBD ads link to gummies and oils that are actually sold by a company called Smilz, which is owned by a self-described serial entrepreneur and mind/body transformation guru, named Jas Mathur. According to an advertisement designed to look like an article in USA Today and other media outlets, Jas is a testament to a hidden truth of progress: one can only behave according to what they believe they can do and when he sets his mind, Jas can do anything.

Whether Mathur is behind the ads claiming Stanleys endorsement for CBD products or there are other parties involved is unclear. The companys public relations firm did not respond to a request for comment.

It has become common for scammers to bait their hooks with fake celebrity endorsements, according to the BBB. The consumer advocacy group warns people to Be skeptical of celebrity endorsements and Resist being swayed by the use of a well-known name.

Scammers seem to choose famous people with a very broad fan base and a well-established reputation for reliability. Actors Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Anniston, and Sandra Bullock have all had their names and images misused in this way. The fact checking site Snopes investigated whether Tom Selleck is a spokesman for CBD oil. He is not.

Tom Hanks name has been used to sell CBD twice, sending the actor to Instagram to make a statement.

Ive never said this and would never make such an endorsement, wrote the star of Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, Sleepless in Seattle, and Toy Story. Come on, man. Hanx!

Before Stanleys fake endorsement, at least three Christian leaders have been used to sell CBD products: Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, and T. D. Jakes, all Christians with popular television programs.

Stanley did not address the scam during his televised sermon on Saturday, but he did preach about the dangers of deception.

When the Holy Spirit is within you, youll have foresight, he said. Youll be able to see things that look like one thing when theyre another. Youll be able to discern deception and know that what youre seeing is a lie.

Stanley said we can ask God to help us recognize counterfeit promises of joy and peace and happiness and prosperity as one big Satanic lie.

Then he went back to not selling CBD products.
Hillsong Church, known for its popular worship music, sounds different in Atlanta. At the new locations first day of Sunday services, rapper Da T.R.U.T.H. kicked off worship in the dimly lit Atlanta Event Center, formerly Club Opera in the heart of downtown.

Donning a sweatshirt, jeans, and a man bun, Da T.R.U.T.H., who was also featured in Hillsong Atlantas Welcome Home launch video, rapped the lyrics to his song The Faith in front of the congregation at three opening-day gatherings.

Attendeesfew were masked, despite the church advertising mask wearing and social distancing requirementsstood from black folding chairs and gold-seated booths to cheer for Sam Collier, whos the first African American to serve as lead pastor of a Hillsong church.

The crowd was diverse, and the service felt like a pep rally. I guess I need to know if anyone who loves Jesus is in the building? Collier asked. Lift him up! Welcome to our grand opening!

Collier, who came to Hillsong from Andy Stanleys North Point Ministries, has deep connections in the city. He previously ministered at Ebenezer Baptist Church, the home church of Martin Luther King Jr., and New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, another well-known Black church in the metro Atlanta area.

Hillsong, which formed its own denomination in 2018, has locations in about a dozen US cities and 28 countries, averaging a total global attendance of 150,000 a week, according to its website. The services drew prominent Atlanta figures and celebrities and featured Hillsong Church global senior pastors Brian and Bobbie Houston.

Its been a difficult year, but youre the greatest leaders Ive ever met, said Collier, as he introduced the Houstons. He likely was referencing numerous revelations that have rocked the global church starting with the admission of adultery by Carl Lentz, former pastor of Hillsong Churchs New York City location, last November. We pray against demonic forces, and that [the Houstons] will have victory in Jesus name.

Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center, was also in the congregation on Sunday to support Collier, whom she called a friend. Atlanta City Council member Michael Julian Bond presented the church with a proclamation.

Most of Hillsongs existing US locations are in the West or Northeast; the Atlanta church is its first in the South. Last year, Hillsong announced that Collier would copastor the church with his wife, Toni, but she stepped out of the role to write (she has a two-book deal with Thomas Nelson).

On Sunday, the Colliers thanked their relatives as well as their global family for support before focusing on their vision for Atlanta. In his message, Sam Collier drew from Exodus 3:7 as he called for revival and racial reconciliation in the birthplace of civil rights.

God is talking to Moses about his own people in captivity. He invites Moses into a solution. He told Moses, I need you to go and free the people. Because of Moses sacrifice, he sets the captives free, Collier said. God is inviting us into revival where Black and white and political divisions will go away. Weve been separate for too long, every race, every political affinity. We love the same Jesus and therefore we should be together. We should be unified about being unified especially in the city of MLK. What started in Australia will continue here.

The church has used worship music including Christian hip hop to build momentum and set the tone for its launch, according to Rapzilla, which is partnering with Hillsong Atlanta. Leading up to its June 6 launch, the church involved artists like Lecrae, Andy Mineo, and Natalie Grant in worship nights that drew 2,200 people in person and 30,000 online, the site reported.

I like the fact that theyre not straying away from the culture of Atlanta and the culture of hip hop, said Terran Gilbert. Gilbert, a Christian rapper who performs as T-Ran, came from Nashville with his wife Alexis to support Da T.R.U.T.H.

Grammy Awardwinning gospel artist Jonathan McReynolds, who is also a judge on the BET gospel music talent show Sunday Best also took the stage, beginning his performance with a riff, singing about turning an old Atlanta night club into awesome place of worship. He sang his hit song Not Lucky, Im Loved, which Brian Houston enjoyed as he sang a few notes of the song more than once as he spoke to the room following McReynolds.

Houston joked about his accent (like Bruce the shark in Finding Nemo) and described the early days of Hillsongs founding in the Sydney suburbs back in 1983. He also reflected on his marriage of 44 years to Bobbie. Vision will hold you together when things try to pull you apart, he said.

Referencing 2 Corinthians 11:2329, Houston said the apostle Paul had vision and vision creates resilience, faith, discipline, and reward. God always used people to accomplish his vision, he said. Jesus doesnt play the keyboard.

Finally, he encouraged the Atlanta attendees, You guys are pioneers, and this is the beginning of an amazing journey ahead. Thank you for what youre about to do here. Pray that the Holy Spirit will move in a fresh way in this city and reach people who have never been reached before.

More critical voices worry that Hillsong, known for its celebrity adherents and global brand of hypepriests, will be another force for gentrification in Atlanta.

Following Lentzs resignation in New York last November, a string of shakeups have taken place this year. The leaders of Hillsong Dallas stepped down, then a New Jersey pastor resigned over Instagram selfies. The church is reevaluating its policies around abuse.

But Hillsong remains a huge force and a familiar name to evangelicals worldwide. Amanda and Jonathan Carmenate, a Black and Hispanic couple who live in Columbia, South Carolina, were in Atlanta for vacation and decided to attend the first service after seeing a social media post. We were looking for a church to attend while we are here, said Amanda. I liked that it was multiethnic and multigenerational.

Cheryl Rowland, who lives in Gwinnett County, stood in line to get into the second service. She is familiar with the Colliers ministry from when they were based at North Point. Im starting a new season in my life and want to expand my base of friends and worship opportunities and experience more of Atlanta, she said.

The church will continue to meet with two services on Sunday. Its eight-week series Launch begins next week.
Another Catholic church shelled in Myanmar; seminary volunteer murdered in military raid Multiple churches attacked in recent weeks as post-coup violence continues

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The Burma military shelled another Catholic church as violence continues in the Kayah State of Myanmar. The shelling occurred less than a week after a young man volunteering at a Catholic seminary was reportedly killed during a military raid.

The Church of Mary Queen of Peace in Daw Ngan Kha in Kayah State, which was acting as a place of refuge for many displaced individuals, was bombarded on Sunday. No casualties were reported, according to Vatican News.

Sources say that parishioners sheltering inside the church fled as they sensed an attack was near. Although no one was hurt in the incident, the church's walls sustained damage, and windows were broken. Some damage was also done to nearby homes.

Amid ongoing fighting in the region, the Catholic news outlet reports that the shelling of the church appears to have been deliberate because the church compound is large and visible on a busy street.

The Church of May Queen of Peace is the latest in a string of church shellings said to have been carried out by Burmese military forces.

Last month, it was reported that four people were killed, and around eight were injured during an attack on another Catholic church in the Kayah state after a month of fatal attacks.

Two days before that, military forces raided a Baptist church in Yangon, where they beat and detained three people, including the pastor, and destroyed property.

The shelling of Church of May Queen of Peace follows the reported killing on May 29 of a young man volunteering at a Catholic seminary in the Kayah state.

Locals claim the young man was killed during a military raid on the building, where the soldiers did a room-by-room search, Asia News reported. The report did not publish the deceased man's name. Locals say the murder had no motive, and priests tried to prevent it from happening.

Clashes between the Burmese military and pro-democracy groups have heightened since the military coup on Feb. 1, which has left many to seek shelter in churches, seminaries or convents. Those institutions have been targeted for military attacks, religious persecution watchdog International Chrisitan Concern reports.

The military is known for targeting young people to stifle pro-democracy resistance.

In the three months between Feb. 15 and May 15, Asia News reported that 73 people under the age of 18-years-old had been killed.

Some attacks target pro-democracy demonstrators, while others appear to be random.

Myanmar, also known as Burma, is ranked No. 18 on Open Doors 2021 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most severe persecution.

The persecution level in Myanmar is very high due to the religious nationalism that places increasing emphasis on Buddhism.

Myanmar is predominately Buddhist, while Christians make up around 6.2% of its 54 million population.

Catholics only make up around 1.5% of the country, according to Vatican News.

Myanmar/Burma is also home to the worlds longest civil war that began in 1948.

Despite an election last November, the military refuses to accept the result and has raised allegations of voter fraud. The military, also known as the Tatmadaw, declared a yearlong state of emergency and put civilian leaders under house arrest.

The coup has led to another round of violence and protests.

The U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom raised concern about violence toward religious minorities after the Burmese military coup in February.

Given the history of brutal atrocities by the Burmese military, our fear is that violence could quickly escalate, especially towards religious and ethnic communities, such as the Rohingya and other Muslims, USCIRF Chair Anurima Bhargava said in a statement at the time. We urge the Burmese military to honor the faith and will of the Burmese people and restore democratic civilian rule as soon as possible."

USCIRF recommends the U.S. State Department designate Burma as a country of particular concern for engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.

USCIRF called on the Biden administration to hold the Burmese military accountable for its genocidal atrocities committed against the Rohingya Muslim refugees.

The European Union has imposed sanctions on at least 21 leaders of the government-ousting military. The United States has also sanctioned Burma.

American journalist Danny Fenster was recently detained in Myanmar, a country hostile to foreign journalists, before boarding his plane home to Michigan on May 24 for allegedly performing acts of journalism, Chicago Tribune reported.

The country was known as Burma for generations until military leaders changed the name to Myanmar. In the Burmese language, Myanmar is the more formal name for Burma, and the name was changed only in English, according to PBS.

The United States typically refers to the country as Burma, while most other countries call it Myanmar.
Archeologists uncover arrowhead from biblical battle in Gath, Goliath's hometown

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An arrowhead made from bone has been unearthed near the ancient Israeli city of Gath, the biblical home of Goliath  a discovery archeologists say could confirm biblical accounts surrounding the fall of the Philistine city.

Researchers discovered an arrow point made of animal bone inside the rubble of a home in the lower city, which they believe might have been used as part of Gaths last stand against the army of the Aramean King Hazael 3,000 years ago, according to the study.

The findings, published in Near Eastern Archaeology, note the arrowhead was initially discovered in 2019 and was likely created in a workshop about 1,000 feet from where the arrowhead was discovered.

These bones were specifically selected for the job given their large size from which multiple points could be made, and their thick layer of hard compact bone that was cut following the length of the bone, that is, its longitudinal axis," researchers wrote in the study. This would make the artifacts extremely robust and capable of withstanding impact.

Researchers believe the arrowhead was likely used in battle, as the point is broken and there is a clear impact fracture" on the tip of the arrowhead.

All parts of the Tell es-Safi/Gath point are present, they said. However, micro-wear analysis of the object duplicates the damage pattern found by Knecht with a clear impact fracture (i.e., a scar) on the tip of the Tell es-Safi/Gath arrowhead.

There are also micro-striations within the scar that were created as a result of the force when it made contact with its target. Moreover, the point had been broken close to the mid-shaft, perhaps as a result of this impact. These results demonstrate that the arrowhead had been used and had hit a target.

Gath, commonly associated with the giant Goliath, who David defeated before he became King David, is the most-mentioned Philistine city in the Bible. In 1 Chronicles 18, David captures the city. In 2 Chronicles 11, his grandson Rehoboam fortifies it. The city was later captured by King Hazael of Damascus around 830 B.C. before he went on to attack Jerusalem.

The Old Testament account found in 2 Kings 12:17-18 reads: "About this time King Hazael of Aram went up and attacked Gath and captured. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem.

"But Joash, King of Judah, took all the sacres objects dedicated by his predecessors  Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah  and the gifts he himself has dedicated and all the gold found in the treasuries of the temple of the LORD and of the royal palace, and he sent them to Hazael king of Aram, who then withdrew from Jerusalem."

Archaeological excavations at Gath in modern-day Israel have revealed the city was destroyed in the ninth century BC, around the same time Hazael likely invaded.

Aren Maeir, a professor of archaeology at Bar-Ilan University who leads the expedition at Tell es-Safi, told Haaretz that such weaponry was uncommon in the Iron Age, as bone is far less effective than metal.

In many cultures, you have bone projectile points, but as you move into a metal-oriented society, they disappear, he said.

The common arrowhead in the Iron Age was made of bronze and iron. Here and there, you still find bone points, but they are not very common  It shows the dramatic moments of the end of the city and the desperate measures they were taking to make weapons that could help in its defense, he added.

In 2015, archaeologists uncovered the remains of a large gate and wall that shed new light on the city of Gath, its practices and its defenses.
Kamala Harris tells migrants do not come'; Guatemala pres. criticizes Biden admin.'s approach

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Vice President Kamala Harris received pushback from within her own party after she encouraged migrants not to come to the United States illegally during her travel to Guatemala and Mexico this week to address the southern border crisis after being appointed border czar in March.

At a joint press conference in Guatemala City, Harris emphasized that the "goal of our work is to help Guatemalans find hope at home."

"At the same time, I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making the dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border  do not come, do not come," Harris said.

The vice president assured that the U.S. will enforce laws and secure the border.

"There are legal methods by which migration can and should occur, but we, as one of our priorities, will discourage illegal migration. And I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back, Harris continued.

"So let's discourage our friends, our neighbors, our family members from embarking on what is otherwise an extremely dangerous journey where, in large part, the only people who benefit are coyotes."

Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei told "Face The Nation" Sunday that the increased border crossings have been caused partly by the changing of administrations. He admitted that he and Harris are not on the same side of the coin.

"The message changed to, 'We are going to reunite families, and we are going to reunite children," Giammattei said. "The very next day, the coyotes were here organizing groups of children to take them to the United States. We asked the United States government to send more of a clear message to prevent people from leaving."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., one of the most liberal members of Congress, tweeted that Harris speech was disappointing."

"First, seeking asylum at any US border is a 100% legal method of arrival," Ocasio-Cortez wrote. "Second, the US spent decades contributing to regime change and destabilization in Latin America. We cant help set someones house on fire and then blame them for fleeing."

The trip marked Harris first diplomatic trip to address the border, and she is yet to visit the U.S. southern border as vice president. On Tuesday, Harris met with Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the populist president of Mexico who has been critical of the Biden administrations immigration policies, USA Today reported.

Harris said the root causes of the border situation are poverty, economic instability, and Central Americas extreme weather.

The vice president's office said the U.S. will have a multi-pronged approach to immigration at the southern border, addressing climate change, food insecurity, violence and corruption, Fox News reported.

Harris was welcomed to Guatemala on Sunday with signs that read, Kamala Go Home, Kamala Mind Your own Business, and Trump Won, according to Fox News.

"We're not against Kamala Harris's diplomatic visit, but rather her interference and blackmail in return for aid," a group of 20 activists calling themselves Society In Action said in a protest with the Veterans' Association outside the Air Force of Guatemala, El Faro English reported.

Republican National Committee Hispanic Communications Director Jaime Florez criticized Harris' failure to visit the U.S.-Mexico border.

"Instead of addressing firsthand the human costs of the disastrous Biden administration border policies, Kamala is yet again ignoring the millions of Americans affected," Florez said in a statement.

"Kamala's meetings in Mexico and Guatemala are about shifting blame away from the Biden administration, not solving the crisis she and Biden created. Republicans will continue to visit and meet with the residents, law enforcement officers, and elected officials along the southern border, putting the American people and our communities first."

NBCs Lester Holt asked Harris about whether she plans to visit the border in an interview.

Do you have any plans to visit the border? Holt asked her.

At some point, Harris said as she threw her hands into the air.

We are going to the border. Weve been to the border, so this whole thing about the border, weve been to the border. Weve been [to] the border, she said, referring to other Biden administration officials.

You havent been to the border, Holt responded.

And I havent been to Europe, Harris said as she laughed and appeared frustrated. I dont understand the point that youre making. Im not discounting the importance of the border  I care about whats happening at the border.

Cringe video. Over awkward laughs, Kamala Harris:



Weve been to the border.



Holt challenges that lie.



Kamala and I havent been to Europe.



Do we have an illegal migrant crisis on our border with Europe? pic.twitter.com/qsBxNbMs8a  Steve Cortes (@CortesSteve) June 8, 2021

The surge of illegal immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico southern border in the fiscal year 2021 has surpassed the totals of every year since 2006 with four months left, according to preliminary Customs and Border Protection data seen by Axios.

The U.S. formally ended the Trump-era remain in Mexico policy last week, which required Central American asylum-seekers to remain in Mexico and wait for their asylum cases to be adjudicated in the U.S., Reuters reported.

The Biden administration reversed many of former President Donald Trumps immigration policies, including halting border wall construction, on day one.

U.S. Border Control apprehensions at the southwestern border reached the highest monthly level in the last two decades between March and April of this year.
Facebook shuts down Evangelical Zionist prayer page amid alleged anti-Semitic cyberattack

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A pro-Israel, evangelical Zionist Facebook page for prayer and worship with around 76 million "likes" was banned after it claims to have been inundated by a cyberattack of over 2 million comments, many of which were anti-Semitic in nature.

Mike Evans, an American pastor and founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center and the Jerusalem Prayer Team, claimed in an interview with The Christian Post that the Jerusalem Prayer Team Facebook page was the largest online church in the world at the time it was shut down last month.

What did we do wrong? Evans said. All we were trying to do was pray. So basically, [Facebook co-founder Mark] Zuckerberg tried to cancel prayers of 77 million people. The crime was praying. Because surely they didnt write anything anti-Semitic. Because these were Christians, we combat anti-Semitism, we dont promote [it].

Jerusalem Prayer Teams Facebook page had a weekly engagement of around 3 million users per week and the page's posts received an average of 20,000 comments per day, according to the ministry.

JPT was founded in 2002 and was inspired by Corrie ten Boom (who helped save Jews during the Holocaust) and the biblical command to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, as found in Psalm 122:6.

The Facebook page hosted online church services since many of the followers, millions of whom lived in Arab countries, could not worship at home.

As Evans son was leading a Wednesday night prayer service on May 12, around 850,000 virus-like comments were posted to the page, filled with anti-Semitic, anti-Israel hate speech.

Evans shared that some of the anti-Israel posts had derogatory photos of Jesus Christ and Hitler, saying, I should have killed them all [the Jews], but I kept a couple of them alive so you could see how wicked they are.

The inundation of hate-filled comments from an outside source continued for three days, the ministry alleges.

The Facebook page was shut down on Saturday, May 15, with no notice.

Without warning or notice, Facebook deleted the largest pro-Israel group in the world from its service, the Jerusalem Prayer Team website explains. A carefully coordinated attack launched from several Muslim nations brought bogus and baseless complaints against the Jerusalem Prayer Team. Facebook believed the lies and unpublished a page with 77,000,000 followers. We are not going to be silenced. We are going to continue to take a stand for Israel and speak out.

This cyberattack was a coordinated campaign with the direct intention of bringing the page down, a spokesperson for Evans said.

Evans claims the cyberattack was traced back to a Jordanian man who coordinated the inundation of anti-Israel comments. Evans contends nothing was done about the attack by the social media platform. He said the JPTs requests for assistance were ignored.

WE DID NOTHING WRONG  and there has been no denial of that fact by Facebook and NO factual explanation by them as to why they took their amazing and devastating action, a statement from JPT reads.

The Christian Post reached out to Facebook for a comment regarding the JPT page but did not receive a response by press time.

Facebook told The Washington Times that it removed the JPT page for "violating our rules against spam and inauthentic behavior." A company spokesperson added that we are not seeing any evidence that this page was a victim of a cyberattack." However, Evans disputes that claim.

The group filed an appeal to Facebook on May 16, which was rejected. They were told the decision was final.

They have shut us down, Evans said. They robbed us of the ability of our freedom of worship, freedom of prayer, and theyre on vacation. I feel like you are saying to me, I burned your house down, I killed all your children, but dont worry about it, its no big deal because youre nobody, were Facebook.

Evans organization is headquartered in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis just signed a bill to be enacted on July 1 to provide residents recourse against social media censorship.

The legislation allows Floridians who have been affected by inconsistent and unfair actions by social media platforms to sue the companies.

Evans intends to be one of the first to utilize this new legislation to sue Facebook through multiple lawsuits. He argues that the platform has done enormous damage to the evangelicals.

By the grace of God, were going to do something about it, Evans proclaimed.

He said the corporation is hiding behind ungodly tech provisions" and "circumventing the law."

"All of thats going to end with us, Evans said.

Evans wants U.S. senators to investigate his page's removal and hopes to appear in a hearing under oath to discuss this with Zuckerberg.

This will be the last evangelical that Mark Zuckerberg will do this to, Evans boldly proclaimed. ... I have a lot of support from a lot of very, very powerful people. So everything will be just fine. The only thing thats breaking my heart is  to think that in America, the home of Christianity and a refuge for the Jews, that a Christian ministry that has a worship service  for him to attack a church and a religious ministry, it hits to the core of the very reason America was created.
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Is the central message of American evangelicalism today that God opposes racism, or is it the good news that God offers salvation to those who are guilty of racism? Over the last year, the moralistic message of the Black Lives Matter movement has too often eclipsed the Christian message of Gods salvation.

After the killing of George Floyd, a remarkable thing happened in American churches. Across the country, evangelical leaders took to virtual pulpits, blogs, and social media platforms to make passionate declarations of moral outrage. They condemned the entire American system of lawand indeed all Western institutions of law, commerce, and cultureas an unjust system of structural racism, designed by whites to privilege whites and to keep blacks in a perpetual state of oppression. They explained that this institutional white supremacy is a collective sin of non-blacks who have sinfully abetted systemic racism with complicit silence. And they declared that non-black Christians must repent of their collective injustice and show the fruit of repentancenamely, emotional solidarity with the political frustrations of black Democrats and political solidarity with Progressive social programs.

Others were more subdued in their response. For example, Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear called on his fellow Southern Baptists to put the slogan Black Lives Matter to Christian use. He explained,

Southern Baptists, we need to say it clearly: As a Gospel issue, black lives matter. Of course, black lives matter. Our black brothers and sisters are made in the image of God. Black lives matter because Jesus died for them.

Mr. Greear clarified, however, that when he said, black lives matter, he was not simply speaking about the fact that God saves men and women with black skin, but also that Southern Baptists must reevaluate their political positions on issues such as police reform:

[W]e need to take a deep look at our police systems and structures and ask what were missing. Where are we missing the mark? And Ill say that we do that because black lives matter. We know that honoring Christ in this moment  means listening to those who hurt, lamenting with them, and bearing their burdens.

It is unclear exactly what Mr. Greear is advocating for here. But one thing is clear. For him, BLM is a Gospel issue. Supporting BLMwhatever political or cultural ramifications that entailsis part of the Gospel, the central message of Christianity.

This raises an important question: What is the Gospel?

According to the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15, the Gospelwhich literally means good newsis the following message: [T]hat Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to [many].

Why is this good news? Because, as Paul explains elsewhere in Romans 3, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and deserve eternal punishment. But Christs life, death, and resurrection provide salvation from Gods wrath against sin and eternal life with Christ. Jesus summarized this message succinctly in John 3 when he explained, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

So how, then, is Black Lives Matter a Gospel issue? What does BLM have to do with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus? In a recent podcast, evangelical pastor and author Jonathan Leeman explained that they are, in fact, inextricably linked:

[P]reaching the Gospel means (a) naming sin and (b) calling people to repentance. So, if there is sin out there that our people are confused about, we need to name it. You can think of the whole LGBT agenda, for instance. I think wed understand that, lets suppose we as a church decide not to call that sinwell, we are missing something about the Gospel, arent we?...In the same way, I think when there is grave, say, racial injustices, to not call something sin [that is] sin, you cant separate so quickly and easily, Oh, were just here to preach the Gospel! Really? Are you going to name sin, sin?

There is some truth in this. The Christian message is not limited to the Gospel; it also contains moral teachings about sin. In fact, a person cannot even understand the good newsChrists salvation from sinunless they first understand sin.

But calling people to repentance is not the good news. The good news is that God sent Jesus to die for the sins of unrepentant sinners, not for those who first reevaluate their political stance on structural racism and police reform. As Jesus said in Luke 5, I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Repentance, then, is the immediate and life-long fruit of salvationsalvation is not the fruit of repentance. Put in simpler terms, a person who desires salvation does not need to muster up within themselves the requisite amount of repentance to receive eternal life with God; they need only come to God acknowledging their wickedness, including their lack of repentance, and ask for Gods mercy in Christ. As Paul explains in Romans 4, God saves the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly[.] This is much better news than the Gospel of BLM, namely, Thou shalt first repent of your racial guilt before you may receive salvation.

I ask evangelicals who embrace BLM: What is, and is not, the Gospel? This question is always, in every age and every generation, the most urgent question the church can ask. Because even if Christians get the most important moral question of the day wrong, as long as they get this question right, they can find salvation. For example, Southern Christians who fought for the Confederacy and agreed with racial domination will one day, by Gods grace, be resurrected to eternal life. Conversely, non-Christians from the North who fought for freedom will one day, because of their sin, experience eternal torment in hell. Why? Because all peoplehave sinned, both racist and non-racist people, and salvation is not obtained by fighting for freedom. It is only obtained by Gods grace, through faith in Christ. BLM is not Christ. It cannot save souls. It is not the Gospel.

Please dont misunderstand me. The Gospel has moral implications, and therefore it implicates racism. The book of James teaches that showing partiality is a sin. Those who are guilty of racial partiality need Christs sacrifice to cover their guilt before God. Moreover, the Christian Gospel offers freedom from sin. People can be liberated from partiality through the power of the Holy Spirit, because God gives the Spirit to everyone who believes in Christ. Through the work of the Spirit, many Christians throughout history have repented of their racism and devoted their lives to fighting against it through various political efforts, such as the abolition of slavery, segregation, and other forms of racial mistreatment. For example, John Newton was once a slave trader, but when God saved him, Newton spent the rest of his life opposing slavery. Reflecting on Gods free gift of salvation for a wretch like me, he later wrote the hymn Amazing Grace, one of the most beautiful modern expressions of the Gospel.

In other words, when the church gets the Gospel rightand does not confuse it with a political slogan or a party platformthe Holy Spirit saves souls and produces racial harmony.

Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) perfectly described this Gospel transformation in his June 17, 2020 speech on the Senate floor:

Mr. President  In South Carolina, this Wednesday, June 17, is the fifth anniversary of when a racist walked into Mother Emmanuel Churchand sat through a Bible study for an hour, and listened to believers talk about their love of God. At the end of that Bible study, [he] pulled out a weapon and killed nine people. So for me, and so many South Carolinians, this is a hard day. Ill tell you, Mr. President, that standing on this floor, remembering the words of one of the victims sons, Daniel Simmons Jr., five years ago, a Wednesday had passed, one week later, and I asked Daniel Simmons Jr., whose father Daniel Simmons Sr. had been killed in an attempt to start another race war at the home of the Civil WarI asked him, What should I say to the people who will be watching around the country? He said what I could not believe, which was, please remind them of Romans 8:28, that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. I was standing at those doors on my cell phone; I could not believe the words he was speaking. And in an act of true unconditional love, he inspired me, he encouraged me, he taught me lessons of strength and courage and mercy our nation needs to remember.

This is the power of Gospel. The good news that God saves sinners brings radical moral transformation and social peace. It so transformed Daniel Simmons, Jr., that a U.S. Senator was moved to tears on the Senate floor.

In the U.S. Capitol, there is a marble relief of Moses that looks down on our lawmakers as they seek to create just laws for our society. I pray that their laws will be just. But even more than that, I hope that the Gospel grips our pulpits and our nation, because only the Gospel can heal us. Through the Gospel witness of saints like Daniel Simmons, Jr., Americans heard a better word than Moses. They heard the good news that someone greater than Moses is here.

[1] https://bit.ly/3eD4EiF.
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Recently, I was having a discussion with one of my female acquaintances and we approached the subject of masculinity. She told me about how she had gone on a few dates last month with no second dates being on the horizon. She looked at me with a look of hopelessness and sadness and said, You know Solomon, I always wanted someone similar to my dad. I dont know if its just me, but I think men today just arent what they used to be.

Shes not alone and many other girls just like her ask relatively the same question: What is up with men today? And questions like this are certainly reasonable. Are modern men weaker than men belonging to previous generations? If so, who or what is to blame?

There are a plethora of reasons why men are of a lesser caliber these days, but I cant point all of them out. In this piece, Im going to focus on the three main causes of men being less masculine today.

Attacks on masculinity

The first part I would like to address is the multifaceted cultural attack on masculinity. Many boys now grow up in fatherless homes. Brookings Institute points out that in 1965, 3% of white infants were born to single mothers, while 24% of black infants were born to single mothers. In 25 years, the number grew to 64% for blacks and 18% for whites. In 2019, more than a third (34%) of children in the United States come from a single-parent home and about 25% of children grow up in a home without a father, whether that is biological, step, or adoptive.

Many men are told that being masculine is evil, that it is wrong, that it perpetuates the pandemic of rape. Little boys can even be made to apologize for the behaviors of their gender. Many little boys grow up in school and are placed at the back of the classroom and misdiagnosed with learning disorders. In several of his books, Dr. Leonard Sax explains how many boys are disproportionately misdiagnosed with learning disorders when they simply are either disengaged with school and/or they simply cant hear their teachers. A vast majority, 76%, of public school teachers are female and 89% of elementary school teachers are female; because boys usually dont hear as well as girls and women typically have higher pitched voices, young boys sometimes cant hear their teachers and pay attention to other things as well as girls. Misbehavior is medicalized and boys begin to have a negative relationship with school.

Then these boys step on college campuses where they are villainized as dangerous, predatory, power-hungry, and sex-hungry. When it comes to allegations of sexual assault, rape, domestic violence, and the like, men are discriminated against due to the paradigm of Believe All Women. This is why Dr. Jordan Peterson has become such a cultural icon; he tells men that being masculine is not just OK, but that it is necessary.

Pornography

The second part I would like to address is the issue of porn. Having battled my own addiction to pornography for several years, I can attest to how this affects development in masculinity. Porn is free, easily accessible, unlimited, and extraordinarily powerful. Yes, women are addicted to porn as well, but porn affects men on a much greater scale. In real life and real relationships with women, men have to work on themselves in many areas. How to properly groom, how to talk to women, how to act on a date, how to muster up the courage to ask a woman out, how to dress well, and many other things. These steps for self-improvement arent a cakewalk; they take a lot of work. With porn, there is no need to go up to a girl and ask her what her name is because all a guy has to do is go to his favorite sites, type in the name of his favorite porn stars, and voila! Hundreds of thousands of pieces of content at the fingertips. With porn, there is no need to shave, shampoo, or shower. A man can sit in his favorite spot in whatever condition he likes with his device. With porn, responsibility and maturity are irrelevant.

Jordan Peterson explains it best in his analysis of Peter Pan. Wendy is a young English girl who wants to mature and have children and a family of her own. She desires that responsibility and accepts her mortality. Tinker Bell is a fairy; she doesnt exist. Yet Peter doesnt desire a romantic relationship with Wendy, a real woman, but rather entertains a relationship with Tinkerbell, the fairy of porn. Peter wants Wendy to be the mother of the Lost Boys. He refuses to grow up.

Too many men have fallen down this hole of becoming Peter Pans. Too many men have fallen for the Tinker Bells of society and ignored the Wendys around them. Many men would rather focus on living the life of a teenage boy, focusing on their own needs and desires instead of finally maturing. Men have taken the easy road to pleasure and fantasy, and ignored or delayed their way to the road of reality and responsibility.

The internet and social media

The third issue is the virtual world of video games and social media. Now to be clear, Im not saying video games and social media are bad in and of themselves. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Playstations, and Xboxes are tools, like hammers, cars, dumbbells or forks. But like porn, they are often used as an escape from the real world and responsibility. The average gamer spends almost 8.5 hours a week playing video games and 23% of men play more than 12 hours a week! The average person spent 145 minutes on social media daily last year. Thats 10% of the day wasted on just scrolling! The amount of time spent on social media and video games has only gone up, and trends show time spent in these areas will only increase.



I went to get my haircut last month. My barber, who is older than me, said this: There is a sharp distinction between the real world that humans live in, and the virtual world that humans escape to. The more time spent in the real world working on your craft, the more likely you are to succeed. The more time spent in the virtual world, the more likely you are to lose yourself.

In this country, there is a wide chasm between the average amount of time spent reading (15 minutes a day) versus the average amount of time spent watching television (166 minutes a day). What we see here is a decrease in time spent by men developing themselves and becoming more masculine. Time spent escaping maturation and manhood is increasing and has been increasing for years, which means time spent retreating from real-life responsibilities is increasing as well.

Men today are weaker physically, emotionally, and mentally than men of past generations. No one person or problem is to be blame. However, one thing is certain: When we men arent fulfilling our roles, taking on our responsibilities, and doing what we are created to do, we hurt ourselves, the women around us, the future generation of children, and society at large.
 Flash

The European Commission is engaged in negotiations with third countries, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, on the mutual recognition of vaccine certificates, European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders said here on Monday.

At a press conference following a meeting for the justice ministers of the European Union (EU) member states, Reynders said that since the U.S. does not intend to issue a federal vaccination "passport," "we have to think about other kinds of proof for vaccination or recovery or tests, but it must be possible to solve the issue."

Reynders said the Commission was finalizing its new recommendations on free movement.

"I hope that this week we will make progress on new rules at EU level to lift the restrictions and to facilitate free movement," he said.

The EU's Digital COVID Certificate was proposed by the Commission to facilitate safe travel this summer. The system would allow the verification of national certificates in a secure and privacy-friendly way.

Available in digital format or on paper, it will provide proof that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, tested negative or recovered from an infection.

The regulation is scheduled to enter into force on July 1 with a phasing-in period of six weeks for any member state that needs additional time.
California churches celebrate win for religious liberty as state agrees to pay $2.1M over lockdown battles

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Churches in California are celebrating their victory for religious freedom after a religious freedom legal group secured settlements requiring the state to pay $2.1 million in attorneys' fees to a Pentecostal church and a Catholic priest and to never again impose discriminatory restrictions on houses of worship.

In an injunction on Monday in a lawsuit filed by South Bay United Pentecostal Church last year, U.S. District Judge Cynthia Bashant prohibited Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state officers from issuing or enforcing regulations against houses of worship in response to the pandemic.

The state has also agreed to pay $1.6 million in attorneys' fees to settle the lawsuit, as well as to pay another $550,000 toward a lawsuit filed by a Catholic priest, Fr. Trevor Burfitt, who oversees mission churches in the counties of Kern, San Bernardino, San Diego and Los Angeles.

The two cases against Newsoms controversial measures in response to the novel coronavirus were filed by the Thomas More Society, a nonprofit law firm that takes on religious freedom cases.

The South Bay case represents an unprecedented three trips to the United States Supreme Court in a one-year period, which resulted in a landmark decision that opened up the churches in California for 40 million people, Thomas More Society Special Counsel Charles LiMandri said.

The permanent injunctions in these cases, he said, uphold and protect one of the most cherished principles of our republic: The Free Exercise of Religion.

Paul Jonna, also a special counsel with the legal group, added, Restrictions on churches cannot be more severe than restrictions on retail. We are pleased with the final results in these two important cases.

Christopher Ferrara of the Thomas More Society, who was the lead counsel on Burfitts lawsuit, said, the injunction in thatcase was the first of its kind in the country, anticipating what the Supreme Court would later hold definitively, that houses of worship must receive the same treatment as the most favored secular comparators. If favored businesses are allowed 100% occupancy during a pandemic, so must churches be allowed.

Burfitts lawsuit argued that Newsoms lockdown measures had radically and severely restricted his ministry.

The complaint went on to argue that the restrictive measures placed on the ministries that Burfitt oversees are hypocritical in nature and unfairly target his and other houses of worship.

One can march shoulder-to-shoulder with thousands of shouting, singing, and chanting political protesters  many without masks  but one is forbidden to be closer than six feet to a fellow worshipper or to sing a religious hymn or intone Gregorian chant during Holy Mass, the suit continued.

In April, the Supreme Court vacated a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that denied South Bay Pentecostal injunctive relief from the pandemic restrictions on in-person worship.

The order cited the Supreme Court case of Tandon v. Newsom, in which the justices issued a per curiam ruling in favor of multiple plaintiffs suing California over its ban on in-home worship attended by more than three households.

Last November, the Supreme Court issued a major decision preventing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo from limiting houses of worship to up to 25 people. The court also vacated decisions by lower courts against houses of worship in several other states.
Georgia church raises over $10K, 8,100 pounds of food for ministry launched in response to lockdowns

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A congregation in Georgia has donated more than 8,100 pounds of food and over $10,000 to a food distribution ministry that was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wesley United Methodist Church of Evans delivered the donations on Sunday, having collected the funds and food supplies during the liturgical season of Lent.

The donations included the 8,100 pounds of food and $10,456.83, said Milledge Austin, communications director at Wesley UMC, in an interview with The Christian Post.

Macedonia Church of Grovetown was the recipient of the donations, as that congregations food ministry has served over 50,000 people in need since it was launched last year. The church holds a weekly food drive that, at the peak of the pandemic, was serving over 1,000 people weekly, but now regularly serves around 200 people each week.

At the beginning of the new year, a group of our staff brainstormed ways that our church could have an impact on the local community, Austin told CP.

We realized that during the summer months, there are a lot of families that lose school breakfasts and lunches for their kids, a staple they rely on very heavily during the school year. We wanted to help alleviate that loss by collecting food to distribute to those in need in Columbia County throughout the summer.

Wesley UMC Senior Pastor Greg Porterfield stressed in a statement to CP that the donation was aimed at working with the ministry at Macedonia Church and not trying to compete with it.

When we were looking at how best to distribute the food, we learned of what Macedonia has been doing since last year. We knew that we wanted to contribute to their ministry, not copy it, Porterfield added.

Austin told CP that the donations for the food ministry all came from our generous congregation, noting that even during the peak of the pandemic, our congregation has proven to be very giving and they want to help their neighbors.

This marks the first time that Wesley UMC and Macedonia Church have worked together, according to Austin, though he hopes it won't be the last time.

The biggest thing we hope people take away from this sizable donation is our desire to help those in our community and those in need, and to spread the Kingdom of God here in Columbia County and beyond, he continued.

We simply want to spread Gods love and good word. Not just by worshiping on Sunday mornings, but by going out and doing good for those around us.
SBC reports increased giving after Russell Moores exit but says resignation played no role

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Two days after Russell Moores official exit as president of the Southern Baptist Conventions Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, which he announced in May, the denomination is reporting strong year-over-year increases in designated giving as well as giving to its Cooperative Program for May.

A report published Thursday by Baptist Press, the official news service of the SBC, shows that $16.9 million was given through the national Cooperative Program Allocation Budget in May 2021, showing an increase of over $2.1 million from the $14.8 million received in May 2020.

While the over $128.8 million in gifts received by the SBC Executive Committee for distribution through the Cooperative Program Allocation Budget as of May 31 is more than $1.2 million less than last years budget contribution, officials noted that the amount given is ahead of the $124.5 million year-to-date budgeted projection to support Southern Baptist ministries globally and across North America by over $4 million.

The financial rebound in giving through the Cooperative Program is very encouraging, SBC Executive Committee president and CEO Ronnie Floyd stated in the BP report. As we go into the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting in Nashville, this financial report after eight months into our fiscal year is outstanding. As we face the many daily challenges before and around us, churches are demonstrating they are committed to advancing the Gospel across America and around the world.

The report of increased giving for the $15 billion Protestant Christian organization comes after an SBC Executive Committee task force released a report in February stating that Moores controversial leadership of the ERLC posed a major threat to the funding of the Cooperative Program.

The Cooperative Program is the SBCs unified plan of giving through which cooperating SBC churches give a percentage of their undesignated receipts to support their respective state convention and SBC missions and ministries.

In a statement to The Christian Post Friday, Jonathan Howe, SBC executive committee vice president for communications, said the increase in giving had nothing to do with Moores resignation.

There is absolutely no evidence linking the current increase in CP giving to leadership changes at the ERLC," Howe said. "The funds in the May CP report were given and processed well before Russell Moores resignation announcement."

Howe also stressed that there was a decline in CP giving last year related to the economic downturn during the COVID-19 pandemic and that the "increase in CP giving this year is a clear representation of the economic rebound and a demonstration of the generosity and faithfulness of Southern Baptists to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ in every town, every city, every state, and every nation."

"The report released this week reflected CP allocation funds given through churches in March 2021," Howe explained. "Gifts given in March are sent and calculated by State Conventions in April. States then send a percentage of those gifts to the national level for disbursement, which are published in the May report."

The ERLC, which recently reported an operating budget of $4.3 million, is funded through the SBCs Cooperative Program. The Cooperative Program also provides funding for the North American Mission Board, International Mission Board, and the six Southern Baptist seminaries in America.

Members of the task force who painted a grim picture of the threat Moores controversial leadership posed to the Cooperative Fund included Mike Stone, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Blackshear, Georgia. He is vying to become the next SBC president.

While much of the work of the ERLC is praised and appreciated by Southern Baptists, the ERLC is also a source of significant distraction from the Great Commission work of Southern Baptists," wrote members of the task force. "The leader of a large state convention reported, The ERLC has been a stumbling block not worth the mission dollar investment. The task force finds merit in this statement."

State executive directors of the SBC reported hearing numerous concerns about Moore from pastors related to various issues. Those include Moores opposition of President Donald Trump, his stance on immigration, an allegation that he received funding from an organization with ties to George Soros, an amicus brief the ERLC filed in support of a New Jersey mosque in a religious freedom case and the perception that he criticizes conservative political figures more frequently and more harshly than moderate to liberal ones.

Opposition was also raised to "his stated support of attending homosexual wedding showers and receptions." Some accused Moore of giving "disrespectful and condescending responses to the questions of messengers." Repeatedly noted was the response given to Pastor John Wofford of Armorel Baptist Church at the 2016 annual meeting about Muslims' rights to build houses of worship in the U.S.

The task force report argued that while giving to the SBCs Cooperative Program has been trending downward for years, Moores leadership and perceived liberal politics have led to hundreds of churches withholding funds to the program, threatening to withhold funding or even cutting ties with the denomination.

Moore announced on May 18 that he had accepted an invitation by Christianity Today to serve as the director of its Public Theology Project. His term at the ERLC ended on June 1.

In a recently leaked February 2020 letter to ERLC trustees, Moore expressed deep dissatisfaction about the treatment of several issues in the culture of leadership at the nations largest Protestant denomination, including race and sexual abuse.

Stone has since dismissed Moores leaked letter as a "back-door press release" that is "clearly an attempt to influence the upcoming presidential election in the SBC."

"I think Southern Baptists can see this letter for exactly what it is," Stone said of Moores letter. "His letter contains numerous misrepresentations of me and of the leadership of our beloved Convention. More broadly, it illustrates that he holds a markedly different view of the Southern Baptist Convention than the one held by the overwhelming majority of our 14 million members who have generously paid his salary.

" His view is of an SBC that contains 'neoconfederate activities' and 'raw racist sentiment.' That is not the SBC that I know."
$95M raised to rebuild NYC church destroyed on 9/11; will serve as 'Shrine of Remembrance'

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A yearslong effort to rebuild the only church destroyed during the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in New York City has raised over $95 million.

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, originally founded in 1916, suffered heavy damage during the 9/11 attacks that killed 2,606 people at the World Trade Center and wounded over 6,000 others.

The Friends of Saint Nicholas, a group founded in 2019 to help the church, announced last week that the project has raised $95 million, with over $55 million being raised since January 2020. Over $8.5 million has been raised in the last two months.

Dennis Mehiel and Michael Psaros, chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of The Friends of Saint Nicholas, told The Christian Post via email that the shrine's exterior is slated for completion by Sept. 11, marking the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

There have been a series of significant donations that have occurred since Archbishop Elpidophoros assumed the leadership of the Greek Orthodox Church of America, they explained. The concerted efforts of The Friends of St. Nicholas, the nonprofit charged with raising the funding, managing the construction to completion, and to endow the Shrine, have led to these remarkable donations.

Additionally, explained Mehiel and Psaros, the church's interior, including iconography, will require work well into next year. The plan is for the interior to be completed by Easter 2022.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople is expected to visit St. Nicholas in November. He will participate in the traditional opening-of-the-doors service for an Orthodox church building.

The official visit from the prominent Orthodox Church leader will correspond with the 30th anniversary of his enthronement as patriarch and the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.

We want every fellow citizen to know that the commitment of the Greek Orthodox Community of the United States is fully engaged, the group leaders told CP.

 we will ensure the rebuilding of the only house of worship destroyed on 9/11, the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, which will now serve as a National Shrine of Remembrance and Consolation.

The effort to rebuild the Orthodox church has been an endeavor laden with complications over the past several years, including disputes over where the new church building would be located.

Financial issues were a significant hurdle for the endeavor, with the projected cost being millions of dollars more than initially estimated.

A series of managerial and financial crises within the archdiocese led to the church construction project being temporarily halted from 2017 until August 2019.

At a ceremony held to mark the return to construction, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo remarked that the church's rebuilding was a powerful message to all New Yorkers and all Americans.

We are going to build back the way we built back from 9/11, and it will be better and stronger with more solidarity and more faith and more spirit of community than ever before, Cuomo said at the time.

We have gone through difficult times together, but we rise from the ashes and we rise stronger than ever before. That's what this St. Nicholas will stand for.

In 2011, the Greek Orthodox Church sued the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, with the church claiming, among other things, that the Port Authority broke a 2008 promise to rebuild the building down the road from its old site.

Later that year, the two parties reached an agreement to rebuild the structure at 130 Liberty Street, including a nondenominational bereavement center.
Judge orders Christian teacher who opposes trans pronouns be reinstated by school district

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A judge has ordered a Virginia school district to reinstate an elementary school teacher who was placed on leave after criticizing a proposed policy that would require him and other teachers to use the preferred names and pronouns of trans-identified students.

Byron Tanner Cross, a physical education teacher at Leesburg Elementary School, was put on administrative leave not long after he expressed his opposition to the proposed pronoun policy at a Loudon County School Board meeting in May.

In an order released Tuesday, Judge James E. Plowman of the 20th Judicial Circuit of Virginia granted Cross' request for a temporary injunction against the school board's decision to place him on leave, which will expire in December.

Plowman wrote that putting Cross on leave was extreme and an unconstitutional action since the teachers words, even if controversial, were nevertheless permissible.

The Court agrees with Plaintiffs analysis and concludes that Defendants actions to suspend the Plaintiff, as well as the additional restrictions placed upon him, adversely affected his constitutionally protected speech, wrote the judge.

Here, it was clear that the Plaintiff was speaking as a citizen, not in his official capacity. His speech was not conducted at his usual place of employment, occurred during non-working hours and at a forum where public comment was invited.

Alliance Defending Freedom President and CEO Michael Farris, whose legal nonprofit is representing Cross, said in a statement that he is pleased at the courts decision to halt Loudoun County Public Schools retaliation against Tanner Cross while his lawsuit continues.

Educators are just like everybody else  they have ideas and opinions that they should be free to express. Advocating for solutions they believe in should not cost them their jobs, stated Farris.

Dozens of other teachers have shared their beliefs on various policies without retaliation; Tanner deserves to be treated with the same respect.

On May 25, the Loudon County School Board held a meeting to debate a proposed policy, known as Policy 8040, that would require staff and students to use the chosen pronouns of students who identify as transgender or gender-expansive.

LCPS staff shall allow gender-expansive or transgender students to use their chosen name and gender pronouns that reflect their gender identity without any substantiating evidence, regardless of the name and gender recorded in the students permanent educational record, a draft of the policy explains.

Inadvertent slips in the use of names or pronouns may occur; however, staff or students who intentionally and persistently refuse to respect a students gender identity by using the wrong name and gender pronoun are in violation of this policy.

At the meeting, Cross argued that as a Christian, he is unable to affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa.

My name is Tanner Cross, and I am speaking out of love for those who suffer with gender dysphoria, stated Cross. I love all of my students, but I will never lie to them regardless of the consequences.

Im a teacher, but I serve God first and I will not affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because its against my religion," he added.

Two days after the meeting, Cross was placed on administrative leave with pay "pending an investigation of allegations that [he] engaged in conduct that had a disruptive impact on the operations of Leesburg Elementary School.

Cross was prohibited from entering the property of Loudon County Public Schools for any event unless permitted to do so.

In response, Cross filed a lawsuit against the school board and other school district officials, accusing them of engaging in viewpoint-based retaliation.

 this case is not about how schools should treat students who struggle with gender dysphoria, stated the legal filing.

It is about whether public schools can punish a teacher for objecting, as a private citizen, to a proposed policy, in a forum designated for the purpose of considering whether to implement such policies, where the policy would force him to express ideas about human nature, unrelated to the schools curriculum, that he believes are false.
Judge rejects Canadian pastors challenge that worship restrictions violate religious freedom rights

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A judge in Canada has ruled against a pastor who was challenging the legality of ongoing restrictions on in-person worship gatherings as part of Alberta's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pastor James Coates and his congregation at GraceLife Church have been challenging COVID-19 lockdown rules since last June, after they returned to holding in-person worship after months of adhering to lockdown rules.

Judge Robert Shaigec of the Provincial Court of Alberta delivered an oral ruling on Monday rejecting Coates claim that the provincial restrictions violated his religious freedom.

The question today is whether the purpose, manner, or effect of enforcement of that law on December 2020 violated James Coates' religious freedoms. The answer is no, stated the judge, as reported by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

The ongoing trial will reconvene at the end of June to further consider whether Albertas public health orders limiting the number of worship attendees are constitutional.

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, a Calgary, Alberta-based law firm representing Coates, denounced the judge's oral opinion.

Its obvious that government restrictions on peoples freedom to worship, assemble and associate are violated by health orders that prevent normal, regular church services from taking place, stated JCCF President John Carpay.

Whether restrictions are reasonable should only be considered later, after the government has finally produced medical and scientific evidence to try to justify its restrictions on Charter freedoms.

Carpay went on to state that they were considering an appeal to the oral ruling, which would be based on what they describe as serious errors in law.

Officials have accused GraceLife of violating public health guidelines multiple times by holding in-person services where attendees did not socially distance themselves or wear face masks.

In March, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police charged the church as an entity for holding worship services in February that exceeded the limit of 15% capacity.

The Church was non-compliant with the Public Health Order in that it was over the allowed capacity. The RCMP members were present for public safety and to support [Alberta Health Services], and did not go inside the church, said RCMP in a March 10 statement.

Investigation continues into the church by AHS and supported by the Parkland RCMP. These charges are now before the court and further comments will not be available.

For his regular violations of public health orders, Coates turned himself in to authorities in February and was jailed for around a month, being released in March.

According to Albertas stage 1 guidance for in-person worship, released this month, in-person services are limited to 15% capacity unless it is a drive-in worship service in which all attendees remain in their vehicles and socially distance.

Religious gatherings or meetings outside of regular worship services are not permitted indoors and are limited to 10 individuals in outdoor settings, with 2 meters distance between people from different households, continued the guidance. Religious rituals that involve physical contact between individuals or objects, increase the likelihood of disease transmission and should be performed in an alternate fashion that minimizes physical contact.

According to the Alberta government's website, of as June 6, 2,248 people have died from COVID-19 among its population of more than 4.3 million. Some 14.3% of the population is fully vaccinated.
Cara Whitney, Wife of Larry the Cable Guy, talks passion for evangelism and exclusivity of Christ

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When Cara Whitney, wife of comedian Dan Whitney (also known as Larry the Cable Guy), wants to spend time with God, she carries out an unlikely activity: She shovels manure on her 180-acre horse farm in Nebraska.

I shovel manure because I find such satisfaction in getting a job done. But also, no one's bugging me when Im shoveling manure because they dont want to participate. For me, its time alone, correlating things with the Lord, and just really discovering the character of God through picking up manure, Whitney told The Christian Post.

I think things are busy and chaotic and crazy for so many people, so its so important to be purposeful in thinking about God and moving closer to Him daily. If youre in the Word, even just four times a week, your life is significantly different from somebodys whos not. You will see a significant change in your life.

The bestselling author understands firsthand the transformative power of the Gospel. Growing up on a cattle farm in Northern Wisconsin, the wife and mother said she was surrounded by secular ideology that gave her a false impression of God.

I didn't really have a baseline for anything, she recalled. You kind of get this weird impression of who you think God is based on what you pick up along the way, and so I thought, maybe He's like this old grandfatherly looking figure in the sky.

In her 20s, Whitney launched a career in radio that took her to various markets, including Las Vegas, and soon became curious about Christianity. But after a negative experience at a church  they told me I wasnt welcome because I wasnt a member, she said  Whitney decided, Maybe I just missed that window. Maybe I was created for bad.

Still, Whitney felt pulled toward Christianity, and one day rented the 2004 film The Passion of the Christ.

I rented the movie like a porno, like it was so shameful," she said. But Jesus spoke to me in it when He said, Forgive them, Father, they know not what they're doing. I thought, I think I have a chance. And so I went on this quest to figure out who Jesus was. I studied the resurrection  that's the whole crux of our faith. I went all-in on it. It took my heart a few years to get in step with it, but it became so clear to me that Jesus is Christ; He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Now, Whitney, who has two children with her husband, Dan, who she married in 2005, wants everyone to experience the same life-changing transformation she did. She recently released her latest book, Fields of Grace(Thomas Nelson, June 1), in which she shares stories about how ordinary people can share their faith in extraordinary ways.

I really believe so strongly in evangelism, she explained. I think evangelism intimidates people. Its become a dirty word these days. But I want to tell people not to be intimidated by it, that it's actually relational, and they just need to find little windows to talk about Christ when they talk to people in their daily lives. That could be grabbing a cup of coffee with someone and just working it into a conversation or showing up for somebody when theyre going through grief.

In a society where truth has become relative and Bible engagement is at an all-time low, Whitney stressed the importance of presenting the full Gospel to others, focusing on the exclusivity of Christ.

Jesus says He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, she emphasized. Why would I tell anybody any different? I love them. I don't want them to go to Hell. So I tell them the truth. Not my truth, His truth. I think the most hateful thing you can do is not tell someone how they can get to Heaven.

An avid horseback rider, Whitney believes animals can teach humans about love, loyalty and forgiveness  but more importantly, she believes they provide a medium for evangelism.

You go to a horse barn and these people are so wrapped up in these animals they start giving them human emotions and human thoughts, she said. What they are really missing is a relationship with Jesus. So I realized that horses, dogs, all things farm life were a good way to reach those people on a very private, personal way, so they can start seeing that they're loved by something other than their horse.

I think animals are purposeful; God put them here for us. But if you had to sell your horse, they would go live with someone else and they wouldn't think twice about you a couple months later, she added. God is there for you, Jesus is there for you, He will never leave you, He will never abandon you. He loves you, and no matter where you go, no matter what is going on.

Whitneys 2018 devotional, Unbridled Faith, became an instant bestseller. Her latest book, Fields of Grace, includes longer, more in-depth stories highlighting the beauty of a simple, God-honoring life, she said.

I tell stories where I missed my window of opportunity to tell someone about Jesus, she shared. I think about all the times before I was a Christian that I missed. When I was living in Las Vegas and working next to a girl that I knew was stripping or even giving her body away  if I just knew then what I know now, I could say, You don't have to do that. I want to tell people, Dont miss your window to tell people you love them by telling them about Jesus.

Whitney is the first to admit shes not perfect  I dont want people to put me on this huge pedestal, she said  but she can point readers to a God who is.

I hope this book grows people spiritually and just motivates them to want to go out and tell people about Jesus, she said. That begins with a personal relationship with Jesus and putting Him first.

Fields of Grace is now available.
CBS, Hallmark among TV networks refusing to show pro-life ad

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Three television networks have refused to air an ad from a leading pro-life group, describing it as controversial and unacceptable, according to a new report.

The Daily Wire reported Tuesday that CBS, CMT and the Hallmark Channel refused to air a 30-second advertisement from the Susan B. Anthony List that was first released last week. The ad is part of the pro-life groups $2 million campaign highlighting the humanity of unborn children as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear a landmark abortion case.

We're launching an initial M campaign highlighting the humanity of unborn children as the Supreme Court prepares to review a landmark abortion case



Watch the ad: pic.twitter.com/3xNV0Mm4sm  Susan B. Anthony List #HydeSavesLives (@SBAList) May 26, 2021

The ad campaign follows the announcement that the Supreme Court will hear an appeal from the state of Mississippi, which is seeking to reverse a lower court decision invalidating the states 15-week abortion ban. A ruling in favor of that state would weaken the central finding of the 1973 Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, which found that a woman has the right to obtain an abortion.

The narrator in the ad notes that after five decades of medical breakthroughs, every age group has more opportunity to live except one: the unborn. Explaining that unborn babies still fall victim to outdated laws, the ad notes that science tells us that at 15 weeks, these babies have formed faces, they smile, they yawn [and] they feel pain.

Its why European countries ban late-term abortions, the ad continues. In five decades, we have learned they are just like us. Isnt it time the law reflects the science? The ad concludes with a picture of the Supreme Court building and a link to the Susan B. Anthony Lists website.

In an email to SBA List, a CBS official explained that Issue-oriented advertisements that are designed for the purpose of presenting views or influencing legislation on issues that are controversial by general public consensus are unacceptable.

An official with CMT offered a nearly identical response in a separate email to the pro-life group: While we do accept political and issue-based ads on a case-by-case basis, issue-based ads that are designed for the purpose of presenting views or influencing legislation on issues that are controversial by general public consensus are unacceptable. Both CBS and CMT are owned by Viacom.

In a statement announcing the $2 million ad campaign, Susan B. Anthony List indicated that the 30-second spot will air on national cable, including on Lifetime, Hallmark, and Bravo networks, as well as select streaming services, and in the Washington, D.C. media market on top news stations. However, Hallmark ultimately rejected the ad because, as The Daily Wire reported, it does not meet the Hallmark Channels criteria for the positive experience Hallmark aims to offer viewers.

Susan B. Anthony List reacted to the channels refusal to show the ad in a tweet Wednesday: BIG MEDIA corporations like @CBS & @hallmarkchannel BANNED our pro-life TV ad, claiming its too controversial. The right to LIFE is NOT controversial!

BIG MEDIA corporations like @CBS & the @hallmarkchannel BANNED our pro-life TV ad, claiming it's too "controversial"



The right to LIFE is NOT controversial!



Click the button below to BYPASS them and share this important ad everywhere!#DontBanThis  Susan B. Anthony List #HydeSavesLives (@SBAList) June 2, 2021

The tweet was accompanied by a button that Twitter users were encouraged to click on, which would enable them to share the hashtag #DontBanThis. The ad's message reflects pro-life activists' view that advancements in science and technology over the last half century will persuade the Supreme Court justices to rule in their favor.

In a previous interview with The Christian Post, Diane Ferraro, CEO of the pro-life ministry Save the Storks, remarked that When Roe v. Wade was passed in 1973, the court did not have all of the facts. She praised the state of Mississippi for doing a phenomenal job putting the science together, and predicted that it will present the justices with the scientific facts on how a baby does feel pain in the womb at 15 weeks and an updated viewpoint to the Supreme Court justices for them to consider.

We do feel and trust and were praying that this will help convince them that Roe v. Wade does need to be overturned, she added. We are praying that the justices, that they will truly consider all of the facts and that the case will be something that they consider not with the past in mind but with the future and how they can really help empower moms.

The composition of the Supreme Court, which currently consists of six justices appointed by Republican presidents and three justices appointed by Democratic presidents, is also giving pro-life activists confidence that the court will rule in their favor. The Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, the case challenging the Mississippi abortion law, in its upcoming October term, paving the way for a decision some time next spring.

We're launching an initial M campaign highlighting the humanity of unborn children as the Supreme Court prepares to review a landmark abortion case



Watch the ad: pic.twitter.com/3xNV0Mm4sm  Susan B. Anthony List #HydeSavesLives (@SBAList) May 26, 2021
Vermont can't bar Christian school students from tuition program, appeals court says

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A circuit court said Wednesday that the state of Vermont couldn't prohibit tuition funding from going to students who attend religious schools and detailed its reasons for halting what advocates say was "21 years of discrimination in Vermonts program."

The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of four Catholic high school students, their parents and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, Vermont, by issuing an injunction to require the state to include students who attend religious schools in its Town Tuition Program.

The program provides educational vouchers for students living in towns that do not have public schools to attend a private school, but students who chose religious private high schools, such as the diocese's Rice Memorial High School, were denied the benefit.

The students represented in this case applied for TTP payments to attend Rice Memorial but were denied.

Although the court initially issued the injunction in January, it released the opinion this week outlining the reasons for halting the prohibition on religious schools in the program.

Judge Steven Menashi, a Trump appointee, concluded that students going to religious high schools are entitled to TTP funding to the same extent as parents who choose secular schools for their children, regardless of Rices religious affiliation or activities.

Four years ago, the Supreme Court reminded states that it has repeatedly confirmed that denying a generally available benefit solely on account of religious identity imposes a penalty on the free exercise of religion that can be justified only by a state interest of the highest order, Menashi wrote in a concurring opinion.

Last June, the Court clarified that this rule does not allow a state to apply a state constitutional prohibition on aid to religion that would bar[] religious schools from public benefits solely because of the religious character of the schools,'" Menashi continued.

"The Court emphasized that [s]tatus-based discrimination remains status based even if one of its goals or effects is preventing religious organizations from putting aid to religious uses and that a state cannot justify discrimination against religious schools and students by invoking an interest in separating church and State more fiercely than the Federal Constitution."

The judge stated that officials who administer the TTP program "continued to discriminate against religious schools and students in violation of the First Amendment."

The Supreme Court has made clear that the prevailing practice in Vermont  maintaining a policy of excluding religious schools from the TTP  is unconstitutional," he added.

Attorneys with the Alliance Defending Freedom, which represented the plaintiffs, claimed the mandate violated the students First Amendment rights and the free exercise of religion by forcing families to choose between religion or a public benefit.

Today the court powerfully affirmed the principle that people of faith deserve equal access to public benefits everyone else gets, ADF Legal Counsel Paul Schmitt said in a statement.

Once Vermont chose to subsidize private education, it could not disqualify some private schools solely because they are too religious, he continued. When the state offers parents school choice, it cannot take away choices for a religious school.  For too long, Vermont unconstitutionally forced families to choose between exercising their religion or enjoying a publicly available benefit.

The defendants said the religious students' benefits were denied because the students wanted a right to religious education at the public's expense and claim this right does not exist.

The Second Circuit's opinion indicates a circuit split as the First Circuit ruled last year against parents in Maine seeking state tuition assistance to put their children in a religious private school.

The First Circuit shot down the argument that the Supreme Court's 2017 ruling in Trinity Lutheran v. Comer should be seen as a precedent for cases dealing with tuition for religious schools. The Supreme Court ruled that Missouri couldn't deny secular aid funding for a church to improve its daycare playground. The First Circuit upheld the notion that the Supreme Court didn't speak to government funds being used for religious purposes.

Last June, the Supreme Court ruled by a narrow margin that religious schools can qualify for a state tax credit program despite a state constitution ban on public aid for religious entities.
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In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis points out that God reveals political ends in the Bible, but he is not as specific about the means to achieve those ends. We are supposed to feed the hungry, but we are not told how we should provide the meal. We are supposed to pursue justice, provide for widows and orphans, and fight oppression, but we are not told about the best form of government to do all of that.

This is why Lewis warned against trying to establish a Christian political party or to say any party represented the Christian position. His fear was, if that happened, you would have a political party with basic disagreements on key policy issues, or there would be a group of Christians maintaining that they represent all Christians on matters on which the Bible is not clear.

Our challenge is to think biblically about our politics rather than thinking politically about our faith. That is growing more and more difficult in todays politics that are driven by passionate outrage.

In 2011, about two weeks before I was sworn in as governor of Tennessee, I went to visit my predecessor, Phil Bredesen. We sat in his office, which was soon to become my office, amid the packing boxes and last working papers of his eight-year term. I was there to get any advice he wanted to give me as we prepared to take his place. His advice was ageless: The governor should do those things that only the governor can do.

As governor, you face an endless list of people and issues competing for your time. Every week we had a scheduling meeting where our scheduling team brought me a notebook full of requests for meetings. In addition to the myriad requests to speak or attend an event, there were legislators to meet with, communities to visit, businesses to recruit, forty thousand state employees to lead, and in-office meeting requests to consider. Deciding how to use the limited amount of time is one of the most difficult challenges for anyone in elected office. That is why Governor Bredesens advice to me was so good. It is incredibly easy to fill up your calendar and your agenda with things other people feel you should do but dont really help advance your purposes.

Similarly, the church should seize this time to be about the things that only the church can do. Nathan Hatch, the president of Wake Forest University, says, This is the opportunityfor the church to be the church, to return to the task of religious and moral formation, to build communities that bind people together, to instill a deep conviction that life can actually have transcendent purpose and is not all about individual wants and desires, and if you will, a life in which that transcendent purpose radiates into the world at large.

So how can the church be the church? We can realize that our battle is not with people who disagree with us politically or with the culture that seems to be against us. Our battle is to bring meaning and love to a world struggling with meaninglessness and despair in a way that has rarely been seen. Todays climate of meaninglessness is so severe that a new term, deaths of despair, has been coined to describe the mounting numbers of deaths due to suicide, alcoholism, or drug overdose. Drug overdose deaths are increasing. College campuses are dealing with what is almost an epidemic of depression. Fewer and fewer people report having more than one or two close friends. Our world increasingly longs for the words of grace and truth that only the church can give.

I believe every Christian is called to be in the public square in some way. Maybe it is in elected office, or it could be to serve as an informed and caring citizen and voter. We would be weakened as communities and as a nation without the faithful presence of believers. But the danger comes when those believers see their faith as a means to bring about the political ends they want.

The church, the body of believers, has a key role in the political process. But that role has to be marked by humility and reflection. It also has to be marked by a commitment to be more faithful to the Word of God than we are to either political party. In the words of Gary Haugen, founder of International Justice Mission, the church should be using our influence to bless the world out of love rather than cursing the world out of fear.

When it comes to the public square, the church has to move from a fear of what we are losing, to a deep desire to share the hope that is in [us] (1 Peter 3:15).

Adapted from Faithful Presence: The Promise and the Peril of Faith in the Public Square. Copyright  2021 by Bill Haslam. Published by Thomas Nelson. Available wherever books are sold.
Cosmic cartographers map nearby Universe revealing the diversity of star-forming galaxies

A team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has completed the first census of molecular clouds in the nearby Universe, revealing that contrary to previous scientific opinion, these stellar nurseries do not all look and act the same. In fact, they're as diverse as the people, homes, neighborhoods, and regions that make up our own world.

Stars are formed out of clouds of dust and gas called molecular clouds, or stellar nurseries. Each stellar nursery in the Universe can form thousands or even tens of thousands of new stars during its lifetime. Between 2013 and 2019, astronomers on the PHANGS-- Physics at High Angular Resolution in Nearby GalaxieS-- project conducted the first systematic survey of 100,000 stellar nurseries across 90 galaxies in the nearby Universe to get a better understanding of how they connect back to their parent galaxies.

"We used to think that all stellar nurseries across every galaxy must look more or less the same, but this survey has revealed that this is not the case, and stellar nurseries change from place to place," said Adam Leroy, Associate Professor of Astronomy at Ohio State University (OSU), and lead author of the paper presenting the PHANGS ALMA survey. "This is the first time that we have ever taken millimeter-wave images of many nearby galaxies that have the same sharpness and quality as optical pictures. And while optical pictures show us light from stars, these ground-breaking new images show us the molecular clouds that form those stars."

The scientists compared these changes to the way that people, houses, neighborhoods, and cities exhibit like-characteristics but change from region to region and country to country.

"To understand how stars form, we need to link the birth of a single star back to its place in the Universe. It's like linking a person to their home, neighborhood, city, and region. If a galaxy represents a city, then the neighborhood is the spiral arm, the house the star-forming unit, and nearby galaxies are neighboring cities in the region," said Eva Schinnerer, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) and principal investigator for the PHANGS collaboration "These observations have taught us that the "neighborhood" has small but pronounced effects on where and how many stars are born."

To better understand star formation in different types of galaxies, the team observed similarities and differences in the molecular gas properties and star formation processes of galaxy disks, stellar bars, spiral arms, and galaxy centers. They confirmed that the location, or neighborhood, plays a critical role in star formation.

"By mapping different types of galaxies and the diverse range of environments that exist within galaxies, we are tracing the whole range of conditions under which star-forming clouds of gas live in the present-day Universe. This allows us to measure the impact that many different variables have on the way star formation happens," said Guillermo Blanc, an astronomer at the Carnegie Institution for Science, and a co-author on the paper.

"How stars form, and how their galaxy affects that process, are fundamental aspects of astrophysics," said Joseph Pesce, National Science Foundation's program officer for NRAO/ALMA. "The PHANGS project utilizes the exquisite observational power of the ALMA observatory and has provided remarkable insight into the story of star formation in a new and different way."

Annie Hughes, an astronomer at L'Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planetologie (IRAP), added that this is the first time scientists have a snapshot of what star-forming clouds are really like across such a broad range of different galaxies. "We found that the properties of star-forming clouds depend on where they are located: clouds in the dense central regions of galaxies tend to be more massive, denser, and more turbulent than clouds that reside in the quiet outskirts of a galaxy. The lifecycle of clouds also depends on their environment. How fast a cloud forms stars and the process that ultimately destroys the cloud both seem to depend on where the cloud lives."

This is not the first time that stellar nurseries have been observed in other galaxies using ALMA, but nearly all previous studies focused on individual galaxies or part of one. Over a five-year period, PHANGS assembled a full view of the nearby population of galaxies. "The PHANGS project is a new form of cosmic cartography that allows us to see the diversity of galaxies in a new light, literally. We are finally seeing the diversity of star-forming gas across many galaxies and are able to understand how they are changing over time. It was impossible to make these detailed maps before ALMA," said Erik Rosolowsky, Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Alberta, and a co-author on the research. "This new atlas contains 90 of the best maps ever made that reveal where the next generation of stars is going to form."

For the team, the new atlas doesn't mean the end of the road. While the survey has answered questions about what and where, it has raised others. "This is the first time we have gotten a clear view of the population of stellar nurseries across the whole nearby Universe. In that sense, it's a big step towards understanding where we come from," said Leroy. "While we now know that stellar nurseries vary from place to place, we still do not know why or how these variations affect the stars and planets formed. These are questions that we hope to answer in the near future."

###

Ten papers detailing the outcomes of the PHANGS survey are presented this week at the 238th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

Resource

PHANGS-ALMA: Arcsecond CO(2-1) Imaging of Nearby Star-Forming Galaxies, Leroy et al. ApJS accepted, preview [https:/ / arxiv. org/ abs/ 2104. 07739 ]

About ALMA

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded by ESO on behalf of its Member States, by NSF in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and by NINS in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI).

ALMA construction and operations are led by ESO on behalf of its Member States; by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), on behalf of North America; and by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) on behalf of East Asia. The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA.

Media Contact:

Amy C. Oliver

Public Information Officer, ALMA

Public Information & News Manager, NRAO

+1 434 242 9584

aoliver@nrao.edu

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
 Flash

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to Isaac Herzog over his election as Israeli president.

In the message, Xi pointed out that over recent years, China and Israel have maintained close exchanges at all levels, and their practical cooperation has continued to advance.

Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Israel relations, and is willing to work with Herzog to strengthen the two countries' political mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, and promote the China-Israel innovative comprehensive partnership to a new level, so as to benefit the two countries and their people.




Canadian church faces $183K in fines for holding worship in defiance of lockdown orders

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A congregation in Ontario has been slapped with a $66,000 fine for holding outdoor worship services after its church building was ordered closed by a judge, bringing the total that the church and its leaders have been fined to $183,000, according to the pastor.

Henry Hildebrandt, the pastor of The Church of God in Aylmer, Ontario, announced that his church was facing fines for refusing to abide by the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown orders in a YouTube video posted Wednesday.

We were back in court on Monday. We were back in court earlier in May, and the judge had fined us $117,000, and he also ordered that our meetinghouse would be locked, which happened later on that day.

After the doors to the meetinghouse were locked, the Church of God held outdoor worship services.

Hildebrandt defended the decision to continue holding services.

We must obey God rather than man," the pastor added. "We must continue to have meetings, which we did on the 16th of May, and he now fined us another $66,000, total now coming up to $183,000.

"The scripture that came to my mind when I saw those fines as the judge was speaking ... was that the Lord owns the cattle on 1,000 hills. So for the Lord, $183,000 ... He can work that out," the Hildebrandt added. "Maybe there is a way how He works it out where it doesn't get paid. If it needs to be paid, then there will be a way to do it. Whatever He wants, we are seeking His will in the matter to know what we need to do with that."

Hildebrandt said that the fact that the Church of God held outdoor worship services on the two subsequent Sundays did not come up in Mondays court hearing, maintaining that he was not sure if thats still coming. He estimated that attendance at the most recent outdoor worship services ranged from 850 to 1,000 people.

I wish that all of us would look with open eyes to see what is happening, he added. A revival has begun, an awakening is taking place, and God is using these things to kick out lukewarm Christianity, and like the Book of Revelation says, Its either we are hot or we are cold.

Hildebrandt indicated that the threat of additional fines would not deter the Church of God from continuing to hold church services.

Were looking forward to a wonderful, wonderful service this coming Sunday," he said.

As Hildebrandt noted in the video, The Church of God has already faced fines for failing to abide by a stay-at-home order in Canadas most populous province. Ontario Superior Court Justice Bruce Thomas ordered the church to cease holding in-person worship services.

According to the Canadian website Global News, Thomas ruled on April 30 that the church had violated his orders by holding Sunday services streamed online. Two weeks later, Thomas imposed fines of more than $100,000 on the Church of God and two of its pastors. He ordered authorities to lock the church doors.

The ongoing lockdown orders limit worship gatherings in Ontario to 10 people for in-person religious services. More than 100 unmasked worshipers gathered at the April 25 service that led Thomas to hold the church in contempt five days later.

On the two Sundays immediately following the April 30 contempt order, The Church of God continued to hold in-person worship services, where attendance ranged from 166 people to more than 200.

On the three Sundays since May 14, when the fines were handed down and the church was ordered closed, the church held outdoor worship services.

Thomas held the church in contempt of court again last Friday. He subsequently ordered the place of worship to pay $66,000 in fines. The church itself will have to pay a fine of $35,000. Hildebrant was ordered to pay $20,000. Assistant Pastor Peter Wall will have to pay $6,000. The remaining $5,000 will go toward legal costs.

The Church of God is not the only Canadian church that has attempted to push back against the ongoing COVID-19 worship restrictions. Calgary, Alberta-based Pastor Artur Pawlowski has gone viral multiple times after sharing his encounters with local law enforcement officials who came to his church to enforce the restrictions.

An immigrant from Poland, Pawlowski likened the officials to Nazis and communist fascists and forcefully told them to leave his property.

Pawlowski was arrested for not abiding by the worship restrictions. Last month, his garage caught fire in an act that he said was an arson attack.

Another Canadian pastor, James Coates, spent about a month in prison for failing to abide by the ongoing worship restrictions.
You can almost hear the pen scratching over the surface: Sir Isaac Newtons revisions to his greatest work, the Principia

To be standing in front of something he wrote gives me goosebumps, says space scientist Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock, discussing with specialist Thomas Venning an unknown manuscript that has slept in obscurity for 300 years

In May 1694, the Scottish mathematician and astronomer David Gregory visited Isaac Newton in Cambridge. Over the next six days, following discussions with the young scientist, Newton made extensive revisions to a work that had shaken the very foundations of science when it had first been published seven years earlier. The work in question was the Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, in which Newton attempted to explain the movement of everything in the universe, from a pea rolling on a plate to the planet Pluto. It was a remarkably ambitious and fiendishly complex task, and the results were startling. Taking inspiration from Principles of Philosophy by Rene Descartes, in which the French thinker set forth the laws of nature, Newton challenged himself to formulate three simple laws of motion that took in the concepts of inertia, acceleration, force, momentum and mass.

Enoch Seeman (1694-1744) and studio. Portrait of Sir Isaac Newton seated at a table with a copy of the Principia and an astrological globe

When the Principia was published in 1687, it was groundbreaking, says Christies head of Books and Manuscripts Thomas Venning. It changed the way we do science. On 8 July, Christies is selling a manuscript containing the revisions Newton made to the Principia during those six days with Gregory. Newton was planning to publish a second edition of the book, says the specialist. He knew there were unanswered questions in the first edition that needed to be explored.

The notes cover all three books of the Principia: essentially, you are getting the whole of Newtons arguments in miniature  specialist Thomas Venning

This proposed revision was never completed, and it was not until 1713, under the editorship of Roger Cotes, that a second edition was eventually published. Newton had great difficulty completing tasks, says Venning. He needed a stimulus, which is what Gregory provided for a brief period in 1694. According to the specialist, Newton had suffered an intense nervous breakdown the previous year as a result of his work on the Principia. We know from contemporary descriptions that he spent much of the time writing his laws of motion in almost total isolation. He hardly ate and rarely dressed. I think by the end he was exhausted, mentally and physically. As Venning explains, it is incredibly rare to find scientific papers by Newton on the market, because much of his archive is owned by Cambridge University: It is still possible to acquire his writings on alchemy and theology, but not on science.

Isaac Newton manuscript. Two pages of revisions to the Principia Mathematica. Estimate: 600,000-900,000. The Exceptional Sale, London, 8 July

The autograph manuscript is a fascinating insight into the workings of Newtons mind. The notes cover all three books of the Principia: essentially, you are getting the whole of Newtons arguments in miniature. Like the Principia, the notes are written in Latin, because Newton wanted to reach an international audience of scholars and intellectuals. Moreover, it is widely agreed that he set out to be deliberately obscure. Not wanting to be misinterpreted, he ensured that only a person capable of understanding astronomy, Latin and mathematics would be able to comprehend the Principia. Nevertheless, Newton had plenty of detractors on first publication, principally from the followers of Descartes, who objected to his concepts of space and time. Others found the idea that the workings of nature could be enshrined in a handful of laws incomprehensible. Newton was once greeted in Cambridge with the words: There goes a man who has written a book neither he nor anyone else can understand.

Isaac Newton manuscript. Two pages of revisions to the Principia Mathematica. Estimate: 600,000-900,000. The Exceptional Sale, London, 8 July

The astronomer Edmond Halley, who had paid for the publication, wrote in the introduction that it was a divine book, declaring that it was not safe to go nearer to God than Newton had done. Indeed, Newton himself developed a godlike status in the years following publication. What is interesting about this manuscript is that Newton hasnt yet reached that stage of untouchability, says Venning. Hes still open to Gregorys critique and happy to be challenged. The manuscript remained with Gregory, who, thanks to Newtons recommendation, had been appointed Savilian Professor of Astronomy at Oxford in 1691. Most of Gregorys papers were donated to the Royal Society in the 1860s, but some found their way onto the market, says the specialist. The mid-19th century was a golden age of autograph collecting, and there would have been a huge appetite for something of this nature.

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While campaigning last year, then-candidate Joe Biden didnt seem very enthusiastic about his prospective Justice Department prosecuting prospective civilian Donald Trump. Its a very, very unusual thing and probably not very  good for democracy, to be talking about prosecuting former presidents, the future president said in August.

But it would have been hard to imagine that Bidens Justice Department would wind up defending Trump in court, which has become a strange theme of the first few months of Attorney General Merrick Garlands tenure. The latest example came Monday night, when the DOJ filed a brief with a federal appeals court in New York claiming that Trump could not be sued for defamation by E. Jean Carroll, who has accused Trump of raping her, because the defamatory comments in question were made while Trump was president.

Elected public officials can  and often must  address allegations regarding personal wrongdoing that inspire doubt about their suitability for office, the brief read. Officials do not step outside the bounds of their office simply because they are addressing questions regarding allegations about their personal lives, the lawyers for the Justice Department added.

Carrolls lawyer said the brief was truly shocking, according to The New York Times. Carroll herself criticized the move, as well. As women across the country are standing up and holding men accountable for assault, the D.O.J. is trying to stop me from having that same right, she said in a statement.

In 2019, Carroll wrote that Trump raped her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s. Trump not only denied he raped Carroll, saying she was not his type, he denied ever having met her. Months later, Carroll sued Trump for defamation in state court, which is where the case sat until last September, when then-Attorney General Bill Barr transferred the case to federal court after a state judge rejected Trumps attempt to halt the case. Trump, who was then in the heat of his re-election campaign, now had the Justice Department at his back, as well as the fact that federal law also happens to prohibit government employees from being sued for defamation.

The Justice Department is apparently still at his back, and not just on the Carroll case. Paul Butler pointed out a few examples recently in The Washington Post.

Bidens DOJ is also fighting to conceal information Barr used to mischaracterize the Mueller report before it was released to the public. Barr argued the memo he used fell under attorney-client privilege, but a federal judge disagreed, as did a group of Democratic senators who wrote a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland urging him to release an unredacted version of the memo. This did not happen.

Then, late last month, the DOJ asked a judge to throw out a lawsuit against Trump, Barr, and other officials for the violent manner in which protesters were cleared away from Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., last June, so that Trump could have a photo op at an adjacent church. At the time, Biden criticized Barr for ordering the protesters cleared, bashing how the Justice Department deployed the U.S. military, tear gassing peaceful protesters in service of Trumps reelection.

Biden also criticized Barr for transferring Carrolls case from state to federal court, accusing Trump of using the Justice Department as his own law firm.
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The war between Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the Biden administration is escalating. On Monday, a lawyer for the Department of Health and Human Services threatened legal action against the state of Texas if Abbott does not back down from his plan to de-license Texas shelters housing migrant children on behalf of HHS. Approximately 4,000 children are currently housed in 52 state-licensed shelters run by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. If Abbott makes good on his promise to revoke their accreditation, those children would be forced back into already overcrowded emergency shelters that lack the resources and training to care for them.

Although we prefer to resolve this matter amicably, in light of the legal issues outlined above, HHS is consulting the U.S. Department of Justice and intends to pursue whatever appropriate legal action is necessary to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the vulnerable youth that Congress entrusted to ORR, Paul Rodriguez, deputy general counsel for HHS wrote in the letter, addressed to Abbott, and two other officials.

The Texas governor announced his intention to revoke the state licenses for 52 ORR shelters on May 31, just a few weeks after he held a press conference outside a San Antonio emergency shelter  a facility, Abbott said, hed received serious complaints about, including accusations of sexual abuse and dangerous conditions. (A Bexar County judge later dismissed Abbotts allegations against the facility as completely false.)

In his proclamation, Abbott cited concerns about Texas foster care system, writing, The unabated influx of individuals resulting from federal government policies threatens to negatively impact state-licensed residential facilities, including those that serve Texas children in foster care.

Abbotts sentiment rings somewhat hollow, though, as the governor is presently the plaintiff in an ongoing lawsuit alleging his administration ignored explicit warnings that Texas foster care system was placing children in dangerous situations. A court-appointed monitor found that 23 children have died in foster care in the state since 2019  deaths attributed to causes including abuse, suicide, and medical neglect. One child was hit by a car, another drowned, another was beaten to death, and a 15-year-old girl was found murdered on the side of a road. According to the report, one San Antonio foster care facility was cited for failing to meet the states standards at least 239 times between 2016 to 2020  court monitors reported instances of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect at the center.

According to recent filings in the suit, MD v. Abbott  MD refers to a class of Texas children in long-term foster care  officials in the Department of Family and Protective Services, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, and in Abbotts own office were aware children were being illegally housed in an unlicensed foster care facility, yet they failed to pass the information on to court-appointed monitors.

The federal government is asking Texas to confirm in writing by Friday, June 11 that Abbott seriously intends to go through with his threat to revoke the facilities licenses. In the letter, Rodriguez makes clear the fact that it is bound by both federal law and a court order to care for the unaccompanied children who have crossed the border seeking asylum in the U.S. Absent an understanding with Texas by June 11 that ensures ORRs grantees will be able to retain their licenses subject to the same licensing standards as other child-care facilities operating in Texas, HHS will be prepared to pursue all available relief, Rodriguez wrote.

Abbotts office did not respond to a request for comment from Rolling Stone.
Free beer? We're in.

Anheuser-Busch announced that it's partnering with the White House to get everyone 21 and older in America a free beeras long as we hit President Joe Biden's goal of 70 percent of Americans becoming partially vaccinated against COVID-19 by July 4.

BOOZE TO-GO: For some local businesses, alcohol to-go was a boon. Others are leaving it behind

If we hit that goal, adults 21 and older will be able to get a $5 virtual debit card to buy one Anheuser-Busch product, which includes beers (obviously), seltzers and nonalcoholic products.

Biden himself endorsed the campaign in a speech last week.

Thats right. Get a shot and have a beer, Biden said. Free beer for everyone 21 years or over to celebrate the independence from the virus.

As of June 8, 63.7 percent of Americans have received at least one vaccine dose, according to the CDC.

Anheuser-Busch isn't the only one using free beer to encourage Americans to get the vaccine. New Jersey had its "Shot and a Beer" program last month, which allowed New Jerseyans vaccinated in May to take their vaccine card to a participating brewery and get a free beer.

Only 6.3 percent to go. Cheers to free, non-socially-distanced beer.
In season 13 of The Food Networks acclaimed mobile culinary competition "The Great Food Truck Race," seven teams set up their moveable feasts in Alaska, where they take on various challenges in the face of diverse meteorological and logistical obstacles.

This years field of competitors included Houston-based team Misti Buard, Nadia Ahmed and DAmbria Jacobs, whose food truck Tasty Balls churned out delectable sweet and savory spheres in flavors such as chicken pot pie, churro and crabless crab cake (vegan).

JUNETEENTH 'JUBILEE': Unique Juneteenth dinner to bring top Black chefs to Houston

They came in first, making them the first Black all-female team ever to win The Great Food Truck Race.

The women found each other through word of mouth. Buard, a public relations professional known on Instagram as The Food Truck Lady was first introduced to Jacobs. Immediately, Buard was bowled over by her tantalizing fare.

It was phenomenal, she gushes.

Jacobs then connected her to fellow chef and vegan food educator Ahmed, whose creative culinary chops immediately stole both of their hearts. After Buard secured a BeyGood small business grant, the three joined forces to enter the competition. Initially, the team was slated to film a winter challenge in March 2020 in Utah, but those plans (like virtually all of that year) were scrapped due to the pandemic. The network then informed the team they would be competing in Alaska instead, and so in late October 2020 the ladies were on their way to Anchorage with only seven days' notice.

Contestants on the show are prepared to deal with budgetary constraints, supply stumbles and staffing issues, but the Alaskan environment presented its own unique complications.

Our biggest challenge was definitely Mother Earth, Buard says as Ahmed follows up laughing, The weather was definitely not on our side.

Buard recounts how at one point Nadias fingers were so cold she couldnt even hold the knife and I took off my gloves to warm up her hands. And Im trying to take down orders and the iPad is frozen  literally.

So, why balls when it comes to the food served on the truck?

Chef Dee (Jones) thought we needed something that would grab consumers attention, Ahmed explains. The Network responded well to the batch of balls we sent and kept requesting more. Misti and I were against [naming the truck Tasty Balls] at first, but it worked!

In addition to national fame and eternal bragging rights, the women also garnered a $50,000 jackpot. But the real prize, according to Buard, Ahmed and Jacobs, has been the opportunity to inspire others, especially culinarily inclined women of color.

When we were filming in this small town Palmer, we met these young Black girls who waited in the cold just to meet us, Buard recalls. And in our hotel in Seward, our Black housekeeping attendant came to visit our truck to tell us we were an inspiration.

Such encounters have made the already passionate threesome even more committed to serving as educators and advocates.

Representation matters, Ahmed says. There is this stereotype when it comes to food that women are the cooks at home but men are the professionals. And in a field that is already super-dominated by white men, getting this far shows other women of color, you can do this, too.

It should come as no surprise that these baller women have even bigger plans.

Buard recently signed on to host her own morning show, while Ahmed and Jacobs, in addition to continuing to run their own ventures, will join her in hosting pop-ups at local high schools. Such endeavors are all in service to the same goal: galvanizing other aspiring culinary professionals.

We want people to dream out loud, Buard says.
Houston's Juneteenth events are shaping up to be exceptionally celebratory this year.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE: The Sugar Land 95 will be honored with a special celebration on Juneteenth

Four "Top Chef: Portland" contestants are joining forces in Houston to put on a special five-course dinner. The event, appropriately named "Jubilee," pays homage to the historic "Jubilee Year" in 1913, which honored the 50th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.

According to a statement from the organizers, Juneteenth has special importance this year.

"Following the recent commemoration of the Tulsa Race Massacres 100th anniversary, Juneteenth  an annual holiday celebrating the day enslaved Africans in Texas learned they were free, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation  is more relevant than ever before."

The meal will be hosted by Houston's own Dawn Burrell, executive chef of the forthcoming restaurant Late August, and will feature chefs Nelson German, Kiki Louya and Chris Vlaud.

The participating chefs are bringing some of their own styles of Black cuisine to the table, channeling their upbringings and influences, per Timothy Malcolm at Houstonia. The meals will highlight the meanings of freedom throughout the African diaspora. Diners can anticipate tastes from across the world, including American, Jamaican, Haitian and Nigerian.

FOODIE FINDS: Houston's new Black-owned food truck park promises diverse cuisine

To keep it in the family, all drinks will come from Black-owned breweries and distilleries  Highway Distillery and For the Culture Brewing along with wine from Black winemakers at Branwar Wines.

But that's not all. Patrons who attend the event will also be able to experience local artists Wayne Bell and others as they create unique pieces, live, that speak to their interpretation of the Juneteenth Jubilee, according to a statement. The artwork will be available for auction.

The proceeds from the five-course meal and auction will go to Lucille's 1913, the nonprofit created to lessen food insecurity and provide meals in Houston's underserved communities like Sunnyside, Acres Homes and Fifth Ward.

Tickets cost $250 per person, and tables are available for $1,200.

"Jubilee" will be held at 7 p.m. on Juneteenth (June 19) at the Bisong Art Gallery. Visit the site for more details.
A 49-year-old man is expected to spend the next four decades in prison after being convicted of stalking a former girlfriend, at one point telling her he would end up facing the death penalty because of her.

Kenneth Wayne Mahaffey, of Humble, on Monday pleaded guilty to the third-degree felony offense of stalking in the 221st District Court. Presiding Judge Lisa Michalk sentenced Mahaffey to 40 years, according to the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office.

Maheffeys prior criminal history, including assaulting another ex, made him eligible to a 25 years-to-life punishment range, the District Attorneys Office noted.

Mahaffey sent multiple threatening emails to a woman who had recently broken up with him after months of physical and emotional abuse. The woman and her family were the target of those threats, according to the DAs Office.

On May 25, 2020, a Montgomery County Sheriffs deputy responded to a 911 call made by the woman about the threats. The officer warned Mahaffey to cease communication with the woman, but the accused instead escalated his behavior, according to the District Attorneys office.

Mahaffey on multiple occasions drove slowly by his ex-girlfriends house and appeared unannounced in hopes he would find her alone. He would email her at all hours of the day and night, the District Attorneys office detailed.

Mahaffey told the victim, youre gonna be (the) reason I end up on death row, the DAs Office stated.

On June 1, 2020, Mahaffey walked up the porch to the womans front door when her father confronted him at gunpoint. The dad had not gone to work out of fear his daughters ex would harm her and the family. Mahaffey fled, leading to the sheriffs office filing an expedited arrest warrant, according to the District Attorneys Office.

Years prior, Mahaffey struck another ex-girlfriend with a brick and tried to force her into his car trunk. Harris County Sheriffs deputies managed to rescued the woman from Mahaffeys motel room, finding a gram of crack cocaine, the DAs office mentioned.

Mahaffey received a prison sentence for those offenses. He received prison sentences for forgery and engaging in organized crime. Mahaffey also received a 15-year sentence for evading arrest with a motor vehicle, the DAs Office added.

We are very grateful for the proactive approach by the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office in getting this violent felon off the streets before he could carry out his threats, read a statement from prosecuting Assistant DA Kevin Bratcher. We hope the victim and her family can finally find some peace.

In a statement, District Attorney Brett Ligon said stalking is among the ways perpetrators control domestic violence victims.

The abuser tries to present two options to a victim: Be abused with me or live in fear without me, Ligons statement read, adding the case against Mahaffey shows law enforcement remains an option for victims. There is help, there is hope, and there is a place to put away the Mahaffeys of this world.

jose.gonzalez@chron.com

twitter.com/jrgzztx
For a country brimming with pro-family politicians, the United States sure is a tough place to raise a family.

We Americans like to think Were No. 1, but one recent study found that the United States was the second worst out of 35 industrialized countries as a place for families. We ranked behind Bulgaria. Behind Chile.

Now we have a historic chance to support children and families, for President Joe Bidens American Families Plan proposes programs such as high-quality day care and pre-K that are routine elsewhere in the world. You might think that the pro-family Republican Party would be eager to translate platitudes into practical help. But youd be wrong.

You know who else liked universal day care? tweeted Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. She cited the old Soviet Union, apparently suggesting that there is something communist about day care, and falsely claimed that participation would be mandatory under the Biden plan.

J.D. Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy, warned, Universal day care is class war against normal people. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., denounced efforts to put Washington even more in the middle of your life, from the cradle to college.

This is sad because the GOP is right to hail the importance of family. Having loving, supportive parents who read to children, hug them and help them with homework  thats crucial for kids. One University of Minnesota study found that maternal attachment at age 3 was a better predictor of high school graduation than IQ.

So Republicans are correct that healthy families make a healthy nation. Democrats sometimes are too reluctant to acknowledge the toll of dysfunctional families, for fear of blaming the poor for their poverty, but its difficult to have a serious conversation about improving opportunity and equity in the United States without acknowledging the complicated problems in many homes.

Some 8 million American children  roughly 1 in 8  live with a parent with a substance abuse problem. Millions more live in a household with domestic violence. Others are latchkey kids who look after younger siblings because parents are working and no day care is affordable.

Families desperately need help. In other countries, they get it. In the United States, they get empty homilies about the importance of family.

As a poorer nation in World War II, the United States could afford to operate an excellent day care program to enable moms and dads to hold jobs in the war economy. A follow-up study found that children in that wartime day care went on to enjoy higher high school and college graduation rates and earned more money as adults.

As of 2019, only 34 percent of American 4-year-olds attended state-funded preschool, and an important new study underscores why America needs national high-quality pre-K. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Boston offered public programs for 4-year-olds but couldnt meet demand, so a lottery was used to determine which children to accept.

Scholars have now found that the long-term effects of this random assignment were enormous. Children who had been accepted into pre-K were 18 percent more likely to enter college on time. They were more likely to graduate from high school and get better SAT scores, and were less likely to be incarcerated while in high school. Effects were particularly strong for boys.

This new study is part of an enormous body of research showing that the greatest leverage we have to help people may be early in life, as brains are developing.

Skeptics say early childhood programs are expensive. Sure  but poorer countries can afford them. And educational failure and juvenile delinquency are even more costly, and also undermine American competitiveness around the world.

Senators say they care about crime. Well, heres a way to reduce juvenile crime: Offer high-quality pre-K. They say they want to help young people attend college. So back the Biden plan for pre-K. In other words, this isnt spending, but high-return investment.

Its odd that Republicans perceive early childhood programs as a Democratic plot. One of the best states for early childhood programs is Republican Oklahoma, and Oklahomans dont see pre-K as communist but as common sense: If you dont invest in children at the front end, you pay at the back end.

Bidens effort to slash child poverty and create systems for day care and pre-K could be historic. Its the most important policy issue of 2021. These initiatives would do for children and families what Social Security and Medicare did for the elderly.

So, please, Republicans, come to your senses: Helping children isnt the first step to communism. Its a step to strengthening Americas families, and thus to strengthening America.

Kristof is a columnist for the New York Times.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Authorities are investigating two assaults on Los Angeles commuter trains that were recorded on video and posted online.

One of the video clips on Instagram showed a boy inside the Metro train, raising his arm and striking the back of a passengers head, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.
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Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe Tuesday spoke with Singapore's Minister for Defense Ng Eng Hen over a video call.

Wei said China and Singapore maintained sound ties since their establishment of diplomatic relations more than 30 years ago.

The two sides have worked together to help each other in times of difficulties and challenges since the start of the COVID-19 epidemic, said Wei.

The two sides should maintain high-level communication, advance pragmatic cooperation, and strengthen multilateral coordination to make greater contributions to the development of bilateral relations, Wei said.

Ng said that Singapore is ready to improve cooperation with China in defense and security and other areas to promote the development of relations between the two countries and their militaries.

The two sides also exchanged views on the international and regional situation and issues of common interests.




LANSING, Mich. (AP)  Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said Tuesday her office is adding 350,000 appointments over nearly four months to address a pandemic-related backlog as Michigan residents try to renew driver's licenses, transfer vehicle titles and conduct other business in person.

Branch offices will be able to serve 25% more customers than planned, she said, citing efficiencies  namely shortening 20-minute appointment slots to 10-minute slots. She also eased a requirement that all visitors book an appointment in advance, saying those who need a disability placard can show up without one and be served.

Dedicated greeters will be stationed at the doors of some of the department's busiest offices. At other branches, counter staff will check outside between serving customers with appointments. They will tell people if any immediate appointments are available or help schedule them for later.

Benson, a Democrat, is confronting a logjam caused by the end of a 13-month grace period for drivers license and ID renewals, which has been exacerbated by branch closures due to COVID-19 exposures. Republican lawmakers continued to press her to restore motorists' ability to walk in without an appointment, pointing to monthslong waits and frustrated customers. But she wants to stay the course and notes more transactions can be done online.

We're able to do this after discussions with our frontline workers who are concerned about the chatter here in Lansing to revert back to a broken take-a-number system, Benson said. Employees suggested that they could work harder and faster to be able to handle more transactions each day efficiently and quickly. ... Having residents schedule their visits ahead of time is a vastly superior way of doing business.

Benson's announcement came just a week after she sought $25 million from legislators to add 500,000 appointments through September.

She's starting to listen to what people need in Michigan, and that's a start. The fact that she can add on 350,000 more appointments, you have to wonder why she didn't already do that," said Sen. Ruth Johnson, a Holly Republican who was secretary of state from 2011 through 2018. She criticized Benson for having closed offices on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings.

Benson noted that the Senate has proposed cutting the departments budget by nearly $10 million, or 4.5%, in the next fiscal year. She said she needs more funding, not less, to hire workers and pay overtime to expand hours at branches.

Johnson has proposed bills that would extend the expiration date of registrations, licenses and ID cards until Sept. 30, retroactive to April 1. Late fees would be waived until branches offer at least 25 hours a week of walk-in services without an appointment.

Benson said expirations should be lengthened on a rolling basis instead of to a single day, which placed 13 months of pent-up demand on the system all at once when the grace period lapsed on March 31.

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Follow David Eggert at https://twitter.com/DavidEggert00
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)  Connecticut lawmakers on Monday have voted to formally expand the state Attorney General's powers to include investigating allegations of certain hate crimes and civil rights violations and to initiate legal proceedings.

The bill, which passed 96 to 51 in the House of Representatives, now moves to Gov. Ned Lamont's desk. It previously passed in the Senate on Friday.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  A Canadian-based lumber products company is making its first investment in Louisiana, bringing a $160 million mill to Beauregard Parish, state officials said Tuesday.

Canfor Corp. expects to hire 130 people with average annual salaries of $59,921 plus benefits, Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a news release.

The sawmill project will be built on a site at the Beauregard Regional Airport, which is near DeRidder, and is expected to support 175 construction jobs.

Agribusiness remains one of our key industries for growing Louisianas economy, and our state offers unique advantages that attracted Canfor here, Edwards said. This major new manufacturing project can resonate across the regions economy in a variety of ways. We welcome plans for this foreign direct investment in Louisiana by this industry leader, and we look forward to the good jobs this project is expected to create in Beauregard Parish for the regions skilled workforce.

Plans for the lumber mill include processing yellow pine trees from Louisiana forests to create various wood products from lumber to paper and pulp. Operations are expected to begin by the end of third-quarter 2022.

The facility will have an annual production capacity of 250 million board feet.

The project is the companys first greenfield or ground-up construction lumber mill. The company was attracted to the area for its supply of pine forests and labor force with a long tenure in wood products manufacturing sector.

The significant incentives and support we are receiving from the state of Louisiana are helping to make this project possible, Tony Sheffield, president of Canfor Southern Pine, said in a news release.

To secure the project, the state offered an incentive package that includes a performance-based grant of $1.5 million, subject to the company reaching specified investment and payroll benchmarks.

The project would be the largest initial investment in Beauregard Parishs history, said Mike Harper, president of the parish police jury. This commitment promises a bright future for hundreds of families of this parish and region.
ST. LOUIS (AP)  A former St. Louis police officer has been acquitted of assault for a 2017 incident that broke a man's jaw.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Circuit Judge Elizabeth Hogan on Monday found 43-year-old Adam Feaman not guilty of second-degree assault and armed criminal action. Feaman was accused of using excessive force during an arrest after responding to a call for someone doing doughnuts with a car in a downtown parking lot.
ANDOVER, Mass. (AP)  A fire at a Pfizer facility in Massachusetts that makes the coronavirus vaccine did not disrupt production, the company said.

The fire in a generator at Pfizer's Andover plant was reported at about 11:30 a.m. Monday, according to an emailed statement from fire Chief Michael Mansfield.
JOHANNESBURG (AP)  The foundation of FW de Klerk, South Africa's last apartheid president and a Nobel laureate, denied media reports Tuesday that his health was "rapidly deteriorating" after he was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.

De Klerk announced on his 85th birthday in March that he was suffering from mesothelioma, a cancer that affects the tissue that lines the lungs.

Reports in South Africa said de Klerk had been hospitalized after his condition worsened but the FW de Klerk Foundation responded by saying there had been no discernible deterioration in his health since he was diagnosed in March."

There have been extensive media reports that Mr. de Klerks health is rapidly deteriorating.' This is not so, the foundation said.

He is now considering the continuation of the course of immunotherapy that he has been following for the past two months."

It added de Klerk had attended a meeting of his foundation board on Monday and still works at his offices three or four times a week.

He and his wife, Elita, hope to travel to Greece for a holiday as soon as COVID regulations permit, the foundation said.

De Klerk was the last president of the countrys white-minority government, which imposed the apartheid policy of racial segregation in South Africa. He was president from 1989-1994 and a central figure in the country's eventual move to democracy.

In 1990, he announced that Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid leaders would be released from prison and anti-apartheid movements like Mandela's African National Congress would be unbanned.

Mandela was later elected South Africa's first Black president in all-race elections in 1994. De Klerk served as one of his deputy presidents from 1994-96.

In 1993, de Klerk and Mandela were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their role in ending apartheid.

But de Klerk has remained a divisive figure in South Africa, with many believing he never properly took responsibility for the atrocities of apartheid.

Last year, a meeting of the South African parliament for President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation address was disrupted when opposition politicians protested de Klerk's presence in the room.

It followed comments de Klerk had made in a newspaper that apartheid was not a crime against humanity, despite a declaration that it was by the United Nations. He later backtracked on this statement.
BERLIN (AP)  Around 600 investigators searched 31 buildings in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and police arrested a family of four Tuesday in connection with alleged money laundering, organized crime and welfare fraud.

Police and special units from the state office that investigates organized crime arrested a 46-year-old man, his 42-year-old wife and the couple's two sons, 24 and 28, at the family's mansion in the city of Leverkusen. None of their identities were released in line with German privacy rules.
Update: In a follow up email, Southwest Independent School District said that Ashley Saucedo received her diploma Monday morning after she and her parents met with administration over the "disruption."

"The student was never told they would not receive the diploma," district spokeswoman Janice Carpio-Hernandez said.

Original story:

Southwest Independent School District has attracted national attention after a student displayed a Mexican flag while walking the stage to receive her diploma on Saturday, and was later escorted out of the ceremony, without a diploma.

Though Ashley Saucedo's graduation moment was removed from the live feed of the ceremony on Facebook and YouTube, a clip lives on Twitter, where it has garnered thousands of reactions after the Southwest Legacy High School graduate alleged she was not given her diploma.

"As many of you know I didnt get my diploma , and my part of the ceremony got taken out because I took out a Mexico flag when walking the stage," she tweeted. "After walking the stage they handed me my diploma and then took it away from me and kicked me out of the Alamodome then I was told if I went back in I was going to be arrested and of course I didnt resist. I feel like this is so unnecessary due to the fact that showing my pride and love for the country I love, and the school / district not allowing this is considered racist to me and my people."

RELATED: Somerset graduate goes viral with Toy Story-inspired graduation photo

Saucedo recognized the rules set out by the district for the ceremony, but questioned why the actions or outfits of her classmates, which also appeared in violation of the policy, were not met with equal disciplinary action. In the graduation video, students are seen doing the occasional jig, and breaking dress code, wearing jeans instead of the required dress pants.

Saucedo was not immediately available for comment. A Change petition was launched, asking the district to apologize to Saucedo and return her diploma. It's racked up more than 450 signatures as of this writing.

District Spokeswoman Janice Carpio-Hernandez said the student was never told she would not get her diploma. She also explained the onstage policy for graduation ceremonies.

"We support all students who want to display pride in their heritage and culture. Last year, we started allowing student individuality such as decoration of graduation caps, which many students did," she said in a comment. "Despite the disruption of graduation, the student was never informed they would not receive their diploma."

RELATED: Texas valedictorian uses graduation speech to blast Abbott and controversial heartbeat bill

The spokeswoman said the rules are in place to keep the ceremony "dignified without large disruptions."

"All seniors who attend their commencement ceremony are made aware that breaking these protocols could lead to consequences affecting their participation for the remainder of the ceremony," she said.

Carpio-Hernandez also denied the arrest claim.

"The student was never told they would be arrested," she said. "Yes, the clip of the disruptive behavior was removed but the family will receive the original clip."

The local controversy comes on the heels of a similar situation which occurred days earlier in Asheboro, N.C., where Ever Lopez said he was denied his diploma for draping the Mexican flag over his graduation garb. National media outlets like Good Morning America are now including Saucedo's story in the coverage of the North Carolina situation.
TEXARKANA, Texas (AP)  Prosecutors say they won't seek the death penalty for a man accused of intentionally crashing his truck into a van in northeast Texas, killing two young boys.

Zachary Blaise Salazar, 21, is charged with two counts of capital murder for the Jan. 13 crash that killed 3-year-old James Crowley and 7-year-old Riley Burgess.
LITCHFIELD, Conn. (AP)  A 39-year-old man was fatally shot in the parking lot of a Connecticut law office and a partner in the law firm has been named as the subject of the homicide investigation.

The shooting happened just before 5 p.m. Monday outside the Litchfield office of Cramer & Anderson LLP, which is located across the town green from several restaurants that were busy at the time.

State police said they responded to numerous 911 calls, including one from the shooter, and found Matthew Bromley dead in the parking lot. He had been shot once in the head, police said.

Trooper Josue Dorelus, a state police spokesperson, told The Hartford Courant that an argument preceded the shooting and police are trying to determine whether the shot was fired in self-defense.

The subject of the investigation, identified as attorney Robert Fisher, remained on scene and spoke with State Police, the department said in a brief news release Tuesday afternoon.

Cramer & Anderson, in a statement described the shooting as a tragic incident" involving Fisher, a partner at the firm, who handles mostly probate, estate planning and land use matters, according to the firm's website.

Attorney Fisher will be on a leave of absence while the police investigation is carried out, the law firm said.

State police said even though the shooting occurred in the center of Litchfield, there was no threat to the public.

No charges were immediately filed. It wasn't clear whether Fisher had an attorney who could comment. A message was left at a phone number listed for him seeking comment.

Fisher, who lives in Goshen, is also a justice of the peace. He has been active in the Litchfield County Bar Association and has assisted bar association members with firearms training, the Republican-American of Waterbury reported.
LAS VEGAS (AP)  A mother from San Jose, California, was arrested Tuesday in Colorado less than 12 hours after she was identified by Las Vegas police as the suspect in the death of her 7-year-old son, whose body was found by hikers in Nevada more than 10 days ago.

An FBI task force arrested Samantha Moreno Rodriguez, 35, at a hotel in eastern Denver not far from Interstate 70, Las Vegas police Lt. Ray Spencer said. Rodriguez was with a man when she was found, but Spencer said police do not believe he had any involvement whatsoever in this case.

We are all relieved that we were able to get her into custody so quickly, said Spencer, the homicide lieutenant who had made nearly daily pleas for public help to identify the boy, Liam Husted, since his body was found May 28 outside Las Vegas.

Spencer would not say during a news conference how Liam died, whether a weapon was involved or describe a motive for the slaying. He referred to a coroners investigation and toxicology tests, which can take weeks to complete.

The homicide lieutenant said it was clear the boy was killed in the remote Mountain Springs area where he was found.

In San Jose, the boys grandfather told The Mercury News that Liam lived with his mother and father, Nick Husted. He said the boy had special educational needs, attended a learning center for autistic children and had a home counselor for behavioral issues. Outside help ended during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Liam got older it was strainful for them but they managed, grandfather Chris Husted said in an email, the newspaper reported. There was no sign of abuse at all. Liam was an innocent child, dependent for their care and good intentions, like all people with special needs.

Spencer said the parents were not married but were together for several years. He declined to speak about Liams needs.

Chris Husted and Nick Husted did not immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press. The grandfather characterized his son as devastated by Liams death.

Something went horribly wrong with Sam, and Liam is unfortunately taken away, Chris Husted told The Mercury News. He said Rodriguez needs to be held accountable no matter why it happened.

Rodriguez will be jailed in Denver pending a court appearance and her extradition to Nevada to face a murder charge, Las Vegas police said.

Spencer said Las Vegas police detectives were in Denver to interview Rodriguez. It was not immediately known if she had a lawyer to speak in her defense.

Liam was identified publicly for the first time Monday, and Spencer said a murder warrant was issued in Las Vegas for Rodriguez.

Rodriguez left San Jose on May 24 in a dark blue 2007 Dodge Caliber packed full of their belongings, Spencer said.

She left behind a message, telling Nick Husted she was sorry, was going to try to get a house for herself and Liam and that the couple could talk in the future.

There was nothing suspicious in that message that would lead the father to believe that Liam, or Samantha, was, were involved in any kind of foul play or that there was any harm, potentially to come, Spencer said.

The police official said Liams father waited until June 1 to report to San Jose police that the boy was missing. Spencer said Nick Husted was not a suspect in Liams death.

The mother and son were seen May 26 in two Southern California cities, Laguna Beach and Victorville, before they arrived in Las Vegas.

Police believe Liams body was left after dark May 27 or early May 28 hidden behind a bush at a trailhead off State Route 160, the main highway between Las Vegas and rural Pahrump.

Spencer said police now know where the mother and son stayed in the Las Vegas area, but he declined to describe the place or what investigators found there.

Liams body remained unidentified until a family friend told San Jose police on Friday that she had not seen Rodriguez or Liam and she recognized the boy from a widely distributed rendering prepared by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The boys identity was the focus of an intense public campaign that included an offer from the FBI of up to $10,000 for information. Spencer and FBI Special Agent Jeremy Schwartz declined Tuesday to say if anyone became eligible for the reward.

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Associated Press writer Colleen Slevin in Denver contributed to this report.
GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP)  Montana Democrats say they're taking a first-of-its kind approach to include more Native Americans in party decisions.

The state party voted last week to establish tribal committees, like county central committees, whose delegates vote on the partys platform, rules and officers and nominate candidates for special elections.

The move increases the number of Native Americans involved in decision-making to match their proportional share of Montana's population, party officials announced.

Executive Director Sandi Luckey said Montanas Democratic Party is the first state party in the country to create a formal role for Native Americans based on population.

Party treasurer Donavon Hawk, a state representative from Butte, said creating the tribal committees is another step toward making sure tribal communities have the representation they deserve.

This isnt just about having a seat at the table, its about delivering results that improve health care, infrastructure and the economy for American Indian Montanans across the state," Hawk said in a statement.

The eight tribal communities will have two delegates each to the Montana Democratic Party's platform, rules, officers and special nominating conventions. There will be tribal committees to represent the Crow, Northern Cheyenne, Fort Peck, Fort Belknap, Rocky Boy's, Blackfeet and Flathead reservations and the Little Shell-Chippewa tribe.

The Flathead, Fort Peck and Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes have selected their delegates.

The biggest thing were fighting is voter apathy," said Patrick Yawakie-Peltier, a delegate from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. "When we create a platform that resembles tribal issues, we hope tribal members see theres a place in the Democratic Party for them, and there are Native leaders who will ensure their voices will be heard, he told the Great Falls Tribune.

Democratic Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy of Box Elder said he was pleased to see the party formalize a role for Native Americans because Democrats have taken for granted the Native vote.

Historically, if you take a look at the races, the Native vote swings elections. But we really havent had much communication or assistance from the Democratic Party. So this rule change is a good deal. Its about time, Windy Boy said.

The Democratic Party previously had no delegate votes designated specifically for Native Americans, Luckey told The Associated Press.

Prior to last week's rule change the Montana Democratic Party had three voting delegates at state conventions who were Native American, she said. Voting delegates generally include the partys executive board members, leaders of the county Democratic Central Committees, legislative leadership and Democrats who hold statewide elected office.

At the next convention there will be 16 more Native Americans, giving them a 7% representation in party decisions, matching the percentage of Montana's population that is Native American, Luckey said.

Democratic Sen. Susan Webber of Browning said this is the first time she can remember the party including tribes in their decision-making.

Theyre acknowledging that we have a strong voice in elections. Its a really cool thing, she said.

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This story has been changed to correct the spelling of Donavon in the 5th paragraph.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP)  Nicaraguas National Police arrested two more potential challengers to President Daniel Ortega on Tuesday, the third and fourth opposition pre-candidates for the Nov. 7 elections detained in the past week.

Felix Maradiaga was arrested after being called to the Attorney Generals Office to provide a statement. He is being investigated for alleged crimes against the government. His campaign said in a statement that police stopped him, his driver and his lawyer after they had left the Attorney Generals Office.

Later Tuesday, police announced the arrest of Juan Sebastian Chamorro, another pre-candidate and former director of the opposition coalition Civic Alliance. He had received a notice to appear for an interview Wednesday at the Attorney Generals Office to give a statement about a case against the nongovernmental gropu Nicaraguan Foundation for Social Development that he led until 2018.

A police statement said he was being investigated for similar alleged crimes as Maradiaga.

Just before his arrest, Maradiaga had told journalists he was interrogated for four hours about his activities as the former director of a nongovernmental group focused on economic research, whether he had ties to drug traffickers and if on his trips to the United States he had requested sanctions against Nicaragua. He said he told them he had requested sanctions but not to punish the people, but rather government officials who have committed crimes against humanity.

Last week, authorities detained Cristiana Chamorro, a cousin of Juan Sebastian Chamorro, and Arturo Cruz Sequeira, a former ambassador to the United States who was arrested Saturday under a controversial treason law passed in December. On Monday, a judge ordered Cruz held for three months while an investigation is carried out. Cristiana Chamorro remains under house arrest.

Julie Chung, the U.S. State Departments acting assistant secretary for Western Hemisphere affairs, said via Twitter that Maradiagas arbitrary arrest  and last week's detentions  confirm without a doubt that Ortega is a dictator. The international community has no choice but to treat him as such.

Vice President and first lady Rosario Murrillo mentioned the investigations Tuesday and characterized the subjects of the probes as terrorists and criminals.

They believe theyll be forever unpunished, (but) justice arrives, late but it arrives in this Nicaragua that had been prospering and in reconciliation, she said. How much we would have done with what this mountain of thieves stole, not just thieves but also terrorists, criminals.

Ortega is seeking a fourth consecutive term as president. His government has been moving aggressively to clear the field of challengers. Maradiaga was a pre-candidate for the opposition coalition Blue and White National Unity.

Coalition spokesman Josue Garay said Maradiaga was beaten by police during his arrest, causing his face to swell. He also said police were carrying out a search of Maradiagas home.

A National Police statement said Maradiaga was being investigated for acts that diminish the independence, the sovereignty and the self determination, inciting foreign interference in internal affairs, requesting military interventions, organizing with financing from foreign powers to carry out acts of terrorism and destabilization, proposing and managing economic, commercial and financial operation blockades against the country and its institutions, demanding exalting and applauding the imposition of sanctions against the Nicaraguan state and its citizens, damaging the supreme interests of the nation.

In its own statement, the Attorney Generals Office it was investigating two organizations Maradiaga had led  the Fundacion Libertad (Freedom Foundation) and the Institute for Strategic Studies and Public Policies.

Tiziano Breda, Central America analyst for Crisis Group, a nongovernmental group aimed at avoiding and resolving deadly conflict, said the arrests serve multiple purposes for Ortega.

First, he said, it sends a message to rally the Sandinista base, reinforcing Ortega's narrative that 2018 street protests were an attempted coup with foreign backing. Second, its a show of force aimed at stirring divisions within the opposition and eventually forcing them into a decision of backing a lesser candidate or not participating in the elections, Breda said

Finally, he added, it tests the limits to see what the international community will tolerate, but comes far enough ahead of the November elections to allow for negotiations.

Ortega is trying to eliminate those (candidates) who clearly represent a greater challenge, a greater risk of being able to accumulate sufficient support to challenge him in the elections, Breda said.

Sanctions from United States and Europe imposed on those close to Ortega and key figures in his government have clearly bothered him, but have only led him to dig in more and not produced concessions, Breda said.

He said diplomatic outreach from the United States, which Crisis Group recommended in a report last month, would represent an alternative strategy for the administration of President Joe Biden.

Breda said Ortega could be pursued for alleged crimes against humanity once out of office and so far has not been given an incentive to give up power.

___

Associated Press writer Christopher Sherman in Mexico City contributed to this report.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  The Oregon Legislature has approved changes to the lyrics of Oregons state song to remove racist language and make the lyrics more inclusive.

House Concurrent Resolution 11, approved Monday by a vote of 47-6, modifies the lyrics, while keeping the same music of Oregon, My Oregon. If reflects the significant cultural, historical, economic and societal evolution in Oregon since the state song was adopted in 1927, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.
Pennsylvanias long-awaited overhaul of its rickety unemployment claims filing system went live on Tuesday, with some users immediately complaining about glitches and the state agency that runs the program reporting a phone outage that temporarily prevented it from making or receiving calls.

More than a year after the coronavirus pandemic swamped the state's 40-year-old claims system, officials promised the replacement would be easy to use, both simplify and speed up the process of filing a claim, and incorporate features meant to reduce fraud.

By midday Tuesday, more than 62,000 people had successfully filed using the new system  a quarter of all people receiving traditional jobless benefits and extended benefits provided by the federal coronavirus relief package, according to the Department of Labor & Industry.

When our new unemployment system came online, Pennsylvania took a gigantic leap forward, said Jennifer Berrier, the department's acting secretary.

But many other people trying to migrate to the new website quickly ran into trouble  and weren't shy about expressing their displeasure online.

Debra Faulhefer spent about three hours trying to register on the new system.

What a frustrating morning, Faulhefer, 61, of Macungie, told The Associated Press in a phone interview. But I was expecting it. I wouldve fallen over if it were smooth sailing.

Faulhefer said the system would not allow her to choose direct deposit as her method of payment, only debit card, which she did not want. She logged out and then tried logging back in to see if that would help  only to be frozen out of her account entirely because the system didnt recognize her new password.

They did not thoroughly check the whole system, she said. How did they test this? I want to know how they tested this. Come on! Its got all these hang-ups.

Many other claimants also expressed alarm when the system told them theyd receive benefits by debit card and not direct deposit. The Department of Labor & Industry said it was just a display issue and not a problem with payment type, and that the system would update automatically once the next payment was made.

Labor & Industry also acknowledged some users got invalid password messages, while others had trouble connecting to the server. It said fixes were in progress.

Berrier said the new system had undergone extensive testing, but that glitches were inevitable with the rollout of any new information technology project.

We are working quickly and as fast and hard as possible ... to ensure that these issues are addressed," said Berrier, adding, We hear your frustration and we take it to heart.

The department also reported a phone outage that prevented it from making or receiving calls  an issue that impacted all state government call centers that use Skype  but service was restored by midday Tuesday.

Pennsylvania had been relying on an ancient mainframe computer system to process unemployment benefits. That system was overwhelmed by a record-shattering number of claims last year. The replacement computer system that went live on Tuesday had been under development since 2006 and was plagued by delays and cost overruns.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP)  A 12-year-old girl has been hospitalized after being accidentally shot in a Wichita apartment by an adult carelessly handling a gun, police said.

The shooting happened around 8 p.m. Monday, when officers responded to reports of a shooting at the Magnolia Woods Apartments, Wichita police said in a news release. Arriving officers found a 12-year-old girl with a gunshot wound to her arm and shoulder.
PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (AP)  A West Virginia police officer who fatally shot a man who charged at him with a meat cleaver has been cleared in an internal investigation and returned to regular duty, his chief said.

Parkersburg Police Chief Joe Martin identified the officer Monday as Patrolman M.E. Stewart, The Parkersburg News and Sentinel reported.
WASHINGTON (AP)  A retired Army major general has been reduced in rank to second lieutenant after his guilty plea in Virginia in 2020 to charges of rape and incest.

Pentagon spokeswoman Lisa Lawrence said in an email that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin demoted Maj. Gen. James J. Grazioplene to second lieutenant after determining that second lieutenant was the highest grade in which he served on active duty satisfactorily, The Army Times reported Monday.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  The North Carolina General Assembly on Tuesday finalized another bill seeking to expand gun rights  this time in churches  and will send it to Gov. Roy Cooper, who vetoed a bill containing the same idea a year ago.

The Senate agreed 30-19 to House changes to Republican legislation that would allow members or visitors at churches that meet on private school campuses to carry a handgun if they have a concealed weapons permit.

Current law treats these places of worship differently than standalone religious venues, and bill supporters say these worshippers should have access to the same level of security when churches have been targets for violence. Ministers of several evangelical churches with affiliated schools spoke in committee earlier this year to request the option.

While a few Democrats joined all Republicans in voting for a broader gun bill in 2020 that contain the church language, Cooper managed to return enough Democrats to the fold last year to uphold his veto.

This year, five House Democrats and three Senate Democrats also joined with Republicans in approving the scaled-back measure.

The governor focused on the church provision in the 2020 measure, saying it threatened the safety of students and teachers.

There was no Senate debate before Tuesday's vote. House Democrats said last week that the gun access sought in the measure wouldn't help prevent violence. They suggested these congregations should hire off-duty police officers instead for security. But that the cost can be prohibitive for small churches, according to the Rev. Mark Creech with the Christian Action League of North Carolina.

They're not able to develop their own (armed) security team, Creech said in an interview, adding that the churches are vulnerable to some crazed soul that might walk in and want to start shooting.

Cooper's office didn't immediately respond Tuesday to an email seeking comment on the bill heading to his desk.

As with last year's bill, sponsors of the current measure say it contains protections for the schools that meet on the property. Permit holders can only carry a gun outside the schools operating and activity hours, and these churches could still prohibit concealed weapons by posting a sign.

The bill also contains a separate provision also inserted into the 2020 bill that allows additional law enforcement employers  such as a civilian front desk worker at a police station  to carry a concealed weapon on the job if the police chief or sheriff allows it and the person has a concealed handgun permit.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  Security forces opened fire Tuesday on dozens of demonstrators in northeastern Afghanistan demanding clean tap water and electricity, killing three and injuring 42 others, protesters and provincial authorities said.

Some 200 people rallied in the city of Faizabad outside the offices of the governor of Badakhshan province demanding clean drinking water, the immediate inauguration of a new power plant and an end to insecurity in the province.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  Ohioans would receive an across-the-board personal income tax cut of 5%, charter schools would be paid directly by the state  not individual districts  for the first time, and eligibility for low-income Ohioans seeking publicly funded day care would be expanded, under the Senate version of the state budget nearing completion this week.

The plan by the GOP-dominated Senate would also increase funding for schools, though the move has drawn criticism because it ignored the bipartisan plan approved by the House after more than three years of work.

The Senate Finance Committee approved the bill along partisan lines Tuesday, with the full Senate expected to vote on the measure Wednesday. House and Senate lawmakers must then reconcile differences between the two versions of the approximately $75 billion plan by month's end.

The Senate budget plan really helps individuals throughout the state, Senate Finance Chairman Matt Dolan, a Republican from Chagrin Falls, said after the vote. He cited the tax cut, education funding, money for child care, and funding for rape crisis and domestic violence centers and Boys & Girls clubs and YMCAs, among other budget items.

The tax cut, worth $874 million, is an economic stimulus by letting people who are working keep more money, Senate President Matt Huffman, a Lima Republican, said last week.

Public advocacy groups criticized the tax cut this week, saying it would only benefit the wealthiest Ohioans, but even at that, people earning above $500,000 annually would receive just a $1,712 cut.

Pay for some of the jobs hardest hit by the pandemic, such as waiters and waitresses, is so low that they will get little or nothing from the proposed cut, said Zach Schiller, a research director for Policy Matters Ohio.

To help increase access to day care, the Senate plan raises the eligibility level for poor families from those making 130% of the federal poverty level to 142%. The Senate measure also increases spending on publicly funded day care by $20 million over two years.

But the plan also eliminates the requirement that day cares achieve a quality of care rating to be listed in the state system. Huffman says the mandate is decreasing the number of day cares eligible for public funding. Child care advocates dispute that and say the change will hurt the quality of care available for Ohioans who need the publicly funded option.

The version of the budget approved Tuesday provides $50 million to discount co-payments made by low-income people using publicly funded day care. We are trying to get more kids into daycare so parents can go back to work, Dolan said.

The Senate plan also restores $22 million in funding to Ohio's public libraries, and boosts funding for schools over the House plan by $223 million over two years.

In addition, for the first time the state would fund state charter schools and schools enrolling student through the Ohio voucher program directly rather than districts having to transfer money to those schools, under the proposal.

The Senate plan assumes a $6,110 annual base cost per student. The House plan provides slightly more over the two-year funding cycle, but increases to $7,203 when fully phased in over six years. The House school-funding proposal includes elements of the bipartisan Fair School Funding Plan, created over the past few years.

Unlike the House proposal, the Senate plan does not cover the real costs of public education, Scott DiMauro, Ohio Education Association president, said after the Senate proposal's introduction.

The Senate measure also eliminates about $200 million meant to pay for grants expanding broadband service. Huffman said there werent enough details on how the broadband money would be spent for the Senate to support it.

Among other updates to the Senate budget bill Tuesday, the legislation:

Allows public school districts to operate an online school for students, including providing free access to the internet and a computer. The measure was an outcome of districts developing online systems during the coronavirus pandemic and wanting to continue that option, Dolan said.

Shields names collected through the state's Vax-a-Million lottery incentive program from the state's open records law.

Mandates that physicians who provide back-up coverage at local hospitals as part of required patient-transfer agreements with abortion clinics to practice within 25 miles (40 kilometers) of the clinics.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP)  A teenager died Tuesday after a shooting near an elementary school in Kansas City, Kansas.

Kansas City, Kansas, police spokeswoman Nancy Chartrand said in a statement that the happened Tuesday near Hazel Grove Elementary School. Police responding to calls about shots fired found a male teenager on the sidewalk near the school.

He died later at a hospital. The teen's name has not been released.

No arrests have been made.

The school, which is holding summer school, went into lockdown after the shooting but children were later released to go home.

In a letter to families, the school said no children were in danger but some students witnessed the incident.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)  The body of a toddler that washed ashore on Norways southwest coast on Jan. 1 has been identified. It's a missing 15-month-old Iranian boy who died months earlier in the English Channel hundreds of miles away when the smuggling boat carrying him, his parents and siblings capsized, Norwegian police said.

After finding the body, police in Norway carried out DNA tests to establish the toddler's identity. Their conclusion was that it was Artin Irannezhad, who disappeared on Oct. 27, some 500 kilometers (310 miles) south of the Norwegian island of Karmoey where he was found.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  Ratko Mladic, the military chief known as the Butcher of Bosnia for orchestrating genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Balkan nations 1992-95 war, lost his final legal battle Tuesday when U.N. judges rejected his appeals and affirmed his life sentence.

The ruling involving his 2017 convictions and sentence closed a grim chapter in European history that included the continents first genocide since World War II  the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys.

The now-frail Mladic, often belligerent at his court appearances in The Hague, showed no reaction other than a scowl as Presiding Judge Prisca Matimba Nyambe of Zambia said the panel had dismissed, by a vote of 4-1, his appeals of convictions for crimes including genocide, murder, extermination and terror for atrocities throughout the war that killed more than 100,000 and left millions homeless.

The 79-year-old former general is the last major figure to face justice from the conflict that ended more than a quarter century ago.

His former political chief, ex-Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, already is serving a life sentence after being convicted for the same crimes. Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who was accused of fomenting the ethnic conflicts that tore apart the Balkans in the 1990s, died in a U.N. cell in 2006 before judges at his trial could reach verdicts.

Serge Brammertz, the prosecutor who finally brought both Karadzic and Mladic to justice, said Mladic ranks among the most notorious war criminals in modern history who abused his position of power to commit crimes including genocide.

Mladic should be condemned by all responsible officials in the former Yugoslavia and around the world, Brammertz said. "His name should be consigned to the list of historys most depraved and barbarous figures.

U.S. President Joe Biden said the historic judgment shows that those who commit horrific crimes will be held accountable. It also reinforces our shared resolve to prevent future atrocities from occurring anywhere in the world.

My thoughts today are with all the surviving families of the many victims of Mladics atrocities. We can never erase the tragedy of their deaths, but I hope todays judgment provides some solace to all those who are grieving, a statement from Biden said.

The court also rejected an appeal by prosecutors of Mladics acquittal on one other count of genocide linked to ethnic purges early in the war.

As commander of the Bosnian Serb Army, the once-swaggering Mladic led troops responsible for atrocities ranging from ethnic cleansing campaigns to the siege of Sarajevo and the wars bloody climax in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.

In Sarajevo, applause broke out among those watching the proceedings. Mayor Benjamina Karic called it a day of justice for Sarajevo, Bosnia and innocent victims of the war.

Mladics toxic legacy continues to divide Bosnia and his dark shadow has spread far beyond the Balkans.

To Serbs in Bosnia, he is a war hero who fought to protect his people. To Bosniaks, mostly Muslims, he will always be a villain responsible for their wartime suffering and losses.

Nedziba Salihovic, who lost her son and husband in the bloodshed, watched the court hearing on a large screen in Srebrenica.

This means a lot to me, my heart is racing," she said. He was punished. It is not important where hell end up (to serve his sentence). Like mothers of Srebrenica, hell spend the rest of his life without his family.

Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik blasted the final verdict as selective justice and satanization of Serbs which will only deepen the existing ethnic divide in Bosnia so many years after the war.

The court did not prove Mladics direct guilt, Dodik said. It is clear that genocide in Srebrenica never happened.

Mladics son, Darko, who was part of his defense team, said in The Hague: This traveling circus (the tribunal) has finished its job like it started. The general had no chance of a fair trial.

Mladic was first indicted in July 1995. After the war in Bosnia ended, he went into hiding and was finally arrested in 2011 and handed over to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia by the then-ruling pro-Western government of Serbia.

The judgment was welcomed as an important affirmation of the rule of law by Kathryne Bomberger, director-general of the International Commission on Missing Persons that helped locate and identify victims of atrocities in Bosnia.

"Ramifications of the judgment in case of Mladic and in previous cases, such as that of Radovan Karadzic, go beyond the Western Balkans. This gives hope to survivors of atrocity, including families of the missing and disappeared persons around the world, that justice can be delivered, Bomberger said.

Amnesty Internationals Europe Director Nils Muizniek said the ruling sends a powerful message around the world that impunity cannot, and will not, be tolerated.

Nedzad Avdic, who survived a mass execution in Srebrenica, said he was satisfied even though nothing can erase what weve been through nor bring back our dead.

The judgment will make denying the crimes more difficult. This and other verdicts will be the starting point for anyone who cares about truth, he added.

The shadow of Mladic and Karadzic has spread far beyond the Balkans. They have been revered by foreign far-right supporters for their bloody wartime campaigns.

The Australian who shot dead dozens of Muslim worshippers in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019 was believed to be inspired by the wartime Bosnian Serb leaders, as was Anders Breivik, the Norwegian white supremacist who killed 77 people in Norway in 2011.

The U.N. tribunal that initially indicted Mladic has since shut its doors. His appeal and other legal issues left over from the tribunal were being dealt with by the U.N.s International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which is housed in the same building as the now-defunct court for the former Yugoslavia.

Outside the court, another mother from Srebrenica, Munira Subasic had a message for young people in Serbia and the Serb part of Bosnia.

She urged them to study the court's judgments and indictments, and "stop hating and create a better future for themselves and our children.

___

Associated Press writers Dusan Stojanovic in Belgrade, Serbia, Sabina Niksic in Srebrenica, Bosnia, and videographer Aleksandar Furtula in The Hague contributed.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. Security Council on Monday strongly condemned violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the Central African Republic and warned that attacks on United Nations peacekeepers there may constitute war crimes.

The press statement was issued after closed-door Security Council discussions and a briefing from Mankeur Ndiaye, the U.N. special envoy to the Central African Republic. Earlier, the council held an open meeting on the broader central Africa region where the United States and Russia traded accusations over actions in the Central African Republic.

U.S. political coordinator Rodney Hunter expressed outrage at reports that Russian military instructors led military offensives in the country characterized by confrontations with U.N. peacekeepers, threats against U.N. personnel, violations of international humanitarian law, extensive sexual violence, and widespread looting, including of humanitarian organizations.

Russias deputy U.N. ambassador, Anna Evstigneeva, accused the U.S. of making baseless allegations and said the U.S. action, coupled with a campaign in some media, constitutes a coordinated action aimed at besmirching our effective ... assistance to stabilization in the CAR.

She said cases of suspected violations of international humanitarian law should be investigated by competent bodies in the country once they receive meaningful evidence and facts, and she called U.S. threats to revoke bilateral assistance to nations in difficult positions blackmail.

The sessions followed a May 30 border incident that has heightened tensions between the Central African Republic and Chad.

Chads defense ministry said troops from the neighboring country attacked a Chadian border post, killing one soldier and kidnapping and then executing five others. Russias RIA Novosti news agency reported three Russian military instructors, part of a mission to support the Central African Republics military, were also killed during the operation by a mine explosion.

The agency quoted Russian deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov as saying Wednesday that the deaths would not lead Russia to decrease the number of military instructors, who are there at the invitation of the Central African Republic government.

The Security Council statement issued after its closed meeting gave no details of the reported human rights and humanitarian violations.

It urged the Central African Republic to ensure that it complies with the status of forces agreement with the United Nations, which has a 15,000-strong peacekeeping force in the country.

Council members called on the country's authorities, U.N. peacekeepers and all forces present on the ground to coordinate and take all appropriate measures to enhance the safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers and personnel.

The mineral-rich Central African Republic has faced deadly inter-religious and inter-communal fighting since 2013. A peace deal between the government and 14 rebel groups was signed in February 2019, but violence blamed on the countrys former president, Francois Bozize, and his allies threatens to nullify the agreement. It erupted after the constitutional court rejected Bozizes candidacy to run for president in December.

President Faustin Archange Touadera won re-election in late December to a second term with 53% of the vote, but he continues to face opposition from forces linked to Bozize.

The Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect reported on May 31 that armed groups continue to control the majority of territory in CAR and profit from illegal taxation and arms trafficking, and the cross-border flow of foreign fighters, arms and natural resources are fueling the crisis."

A climate of impunity has enabled ongoing violence and allegations of serious human rights violations and abuses by armed groups as well as state security forces and their allies," said the report by the center, which was established in 2008 by governments, non-governmental groups and leading human rights figures including the late former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP)  The union at a Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in South Dakota engaged in contract negotiations Tuesday armed with the authorization to call a strike.

A strike authorization at the Sioux Falls chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union was overwhelmingly approved late Monday with 98% of the vote total, the union said. However, union leaders said they hope to avoid a work stoppage as they met with company representatives Tuesday.

Meatpacking workers have become emboldened after a virus outbreak at the plant last year killed four workers and infected nearly 1,300. The union is demanding that Smithfield boost its wage offerings in a four-year contract to match those at a JBS pork plant in the region, as well as make several other concessions on break times and employee health insurance costs.

Were not going to change our stand, said B.J. Motley, the president of the local union.

Smithfield Foods, which is based in Virginia, has said its initial offer, which was rejected by the union last week, is in full alignment with agreements that UFCW has already accepted at other plants.

A strike at the plant, which produces roughly 5% of the nation's pork supply every day, could create ripple effects from hog farmers to supermarket shelves. When the plant shuttered in April 2020 alongside others experiencing virus outbreaks, it highlighted the vulnerability of the meat supply chain. Major meatpacking companies convinced former President Donald Trump to declare them essential to national security.

Smithfield, like other large meatpacking companies, spent millions of dollars to incentivize workers and outfit plants with plexiglass safety barriers. It has pointed out that after the plant reopened, large outbreaks were avoided.

Mark Lauritsen, the UFCWs national vice president of meatpacking, said pay has increased significantly throughout the industry since the pandemic began. Last spring, the meat companies generally offered some temporary form of additional pay for workers while the coronavirus spread quickly through meatpacking plants.

Most companies made those pay increases permanent last year, giving most workers a couple more dollars per hour, Lauritsen said. Then additional pay raises have been negotiated as contracts expired over the past year.

Lauritsen said the base rate of pay at most pork plants is now up to $19 an hour  an increase of about $3.60 from before the pandemic.

Were finally in a place where these workers are getting the raises they deserved for years, he said.

The union wants Smithfield to match the starting rate of $19 an hour offered at a JBS pork plant 70 miles (110 kilometers) away in Worthington, Minnesota. Workers have said those wages, as well as a sudden boost in pay at fast-food chains or retail stores, have drawn employees away from the Smithfield plant and forced those left behind to work harder and longer.

Smithfield Foods did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Motley did not offer a deadline for when a strike could happen, but said the union would wait until Smithfield makes a final contract offer.

Besides Sioux Falls, Smithfield is also in contract talks with the union at large plants in Crete, Nebraska and Tar Heel, North Carolina.

___

Associated Press writer Josh Funk contributed from Omaha, Nebraska.
PULASKI, Va. (AP)  A Virginia man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to running over a roadside memorial to a sheriffs deputy who died in a crash, officials said.

John Logan Davidson, 21, of Dublin pleaded guilty to intentional destruction of property valued at less than $1,000, reckless driving and hit-and-run involving unattended property, The Roanoke Times reported. Davidson was placed on probation for a year and ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation and follow its recommendations. Davidson also must pay a $500 fine, and Judge Erin DeHart ordered his drivers license suspended for six months.
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  For all the love Wawa has gotten thanks to the HBO hit TV show Mare of Easttown, the popular Pennsylvania convenience store chain is giving a little back.

To celebrate its newest store opening in Delaware County  where the Kate Winslet-led crime drama is set  Wawa is dedicating Thursday as Mare of Easttown Day, an homage to the show that introduced the world to the coffee and hoagies Pennsylvanians have loved for years.

Customers of the relocated Upper Darby store will get to enjoy that coffee Thursday free of charge, and the first 100 customers will get a Wawa Delco t-shirt.

British actress Winslet plays Mare Sheehan, a detective sergeant in Easttown  a fictional town just outside of Philadelphia  who is investigating the murder of a teen mother while looking into the disappearance of another young girl. As Mare, the Oscar winner eats hoagies and drinks Wawa coffee, all in the perfect patois of Philadelphia and its suburbs. Winslet said she worked on the accent every day to get it just right.

To turn into Mare, Winslet worked alongside Chester County Detective Christine Bleiler, who also served as a police technical adviser on the drama. Bleiler will be at the Wawa store Thursday ordering the very first Mare of Easttown Spicy Cheesesteak, a limited edition sandwich that will be sold throughout dozens of Wawas in Delaware County.

It's a nod to how spicy the show is, Wawa said in a statement.

Local police and fire officials will also be honored at the event and Wawa will donate money each to the charities of their choice, as well as $10,000 to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Wawa said they wanted to celebrate the authenticity of the show as it depicts the culture and resilience of a community that stands by one another during good times and bad, and shines a light on everyday heroes who go to great lengths to serve their community.

While Wawa is inextricably tied to Pennsylvania, the chain also has locations in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C.
SOUTH KINGSTOWN. R.I. (AP)  A Rhode Island woman who told a Black family to go back where you came from during a racially-motivated tirade at a beachfront restaurant last summer was convicted of disorderly conduct Tuesday, but the judge ruled that her actions were not a hate crime that would have meant an enhanced sentence.

Christine Longo, 34, was sentenced to six months of probation and 50 hours of community service on the misdemeanor charge. She was also issued a no trespass order to the restaurant, and ordered to undergo anger management counseling and diversity training.

She declined an opportunity to address the court.

The state attorney general's office had alleged that her actions were a hate crime and therefore she should have been subject to a harsher sentence of up to a year in jail.

Rhode Island does not have a free-standing hate crime statute. But if a defendant is convicted of a crime, prosecutors can seek an enhanced sentence in a separate hearing by proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the offense was motivated by hatred or animus toward the actual or perceived disability, religion, color, race, national origin or ancestry, sexual orientation, or gender of that person.

Longo, who is white, was at the Coast Guard House restaurant in Narragansett last June when Adote Akpabie walked in to ask for a table while his wife and two teenage daughters perused the menu outside, according to the police report.

Unprovoked, Longo, using profanity, yelled and drew attention to this Black guy, according to police.

She then went outside and told the rest of the family that Blacks don't belong here, according to police.

Akpabie, a pilot from East Providence, testified that he was a bit surprised.

His 18-year-old daughter, Laudela, testified at the bench trial that she felt humiliated" and unwelcome."

Longo's attorney, Chad Bank, said at trial that his client's remarks were constitutionally protected free speech.

The rule of law is clear, Bank said. Offensive and hateful speech is protected.
Steve Gonzales, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

You didn't think they would stop at just two locations, right?

H-E-B announced that it was adding another store to its expansion into Dallas-Fort Worth.
Two young girls sit next to shoes left in front of a Egerton Ryerson statue as they honour the lives of the 215 children found buried at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School during a Bring Our Children Home March in Toronto on Sunday.
A. Transportation. There's a strong need for a long-term mobility plan, especially on U.S. 19 and State Road 44.

B. Resiliency. Crystal River needs blueprints for the future, especially focusing on sea level rise and health of bay waters.

C. Downtown. Areas within the city's CRA need more projects like the Town Square.

D. Revitalization. Abandoned shopping centers and older structures like the mall need a makeover.

E. Residential neighborhoods. Interconnecting communities and maximizing the potential in Crystal River neighborhoods is the key to happy living.

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Statistics Canada's snapshot of the labour market in May shows tighter restrictions led to more job losses, especially in part-time work.

Canada lost more jobs amid third-wave restrictions Statistics Canada's snapshot of the labour market in May shows tighter restrictions led to more job losses, especially in part-time work.

Canada lost more jobs amid third-wave restrictions Statistics Canada's snapshot of the labour market in May shows tighter restrictions led to more job losses, especially in part-time work.

Canada lost more jobs amid third-wave restrictions Statistics Canada's snapshot of the labour market in May shows tighter restrictions led to more job losses, especially in part-time work. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Employment in Canada fell for a second month in a row as provinces ramped up public health measures to flatten the curve on the third wave of coronavirus cases.

Statistics Canada held its most recent Labour Force Survey during the week of May 9 to May 15. This monthly survey monitors labour market conditions, and how they vary by geography and demographics.

Canada lost 68,000 jobs in May, about 79 per cent of these jobs were in part-time work. Ontario and Nova Scotia accounted for most of the overall decline, as public health measures in the two provinces affected many non-essential businesses.

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Early on in the month, both Alberta and Manitoba closed personal care services, recreational facilities and in-person dining. They also limited retail store capacity, and closed schools to in-classroom learning.

New Brunswick and Quebec were the outliers who eased restrictions in some regions.

For the second consecutive month, Saskatchewan was the only province to have some employment growth, with 4,100 new jobs added to the economy.

Employment loss for recent immigrants slightly more than Canadians

Recent immigrants, who had been in Canada for more than five years, saw employment rates decrease 2.1 percentage points, while Canadian-born workers were down 2 percentage points even compared with pre-pandemic levels.

For very recent immigrants who landed within the previous five years, employment was down 11.2 per cent in May compared with February 2020. This population fell 15 per cent thanks to travel restrictions and other COVID-19 measures. The result was immigration fell to its lowest level since 1998.

Because the population of very recent immigrants fell more sharply than their job losses, the employment rate among this population continued on an upward trend, surpassing February 2020 levels by 2.8 percentage points.

Unemployment higher among visible minorities

Canadas overall unemployment rate was little changed at 8.2 per cent, but the rates were disproportionate along racial lines.

The unemployment rate for visible minority Canadians rose to 11.4 per cent, while white Canadians saw unemployment rates dip down to 7 per cent. Asian ethnic groups saw the highest increases in unemployment. The survey reported Chinese Canadians had the highest unemployment rate at 12.3 per cent. Among South Asian Canadians the unemployment rate was 10.8 per cent, and unemployment for Filipino Canadians was at 10 per cent even.

The rise in unemployment among these groups comes amid a wave of anti-Asian racism in Canada, following the onset of the pandemic. Vancouver alone was reporting a 717% increase in hate crimes targeting Asians. Toronto saw hate-driven assaults double from 25 to 50 in 2020. The most common victims were among Chinese and Indian communities.

The employment rate for Indigenous women was the furthest below pre-pandemic levels. Although Indigenous men and women were hit equally hard by the initial lockdown, Indigenous men rebounded in the summer, and again starting in March  remaining lower than the rate among non-Indigenous men.

Indigenous women did not see a rebound in 2020, and their employment rate remained about 3.3 percentage points below pre-pandemic levels in May.

Overall, the number of people who were seeking employment, or who were on temporary layoff held steady. The unemployment rate of the entire population remained lower than the recent peak of 9.4 per cent from January 2021. It was also considerably lower than its peak of 13.7 per cent in May 2020.

Student employment making recovery

Student employment was ahead of 2020, but still behind 2019. Last month, the unemployment rate among returning students was 23.1 per cent, compared with 40 per cent in May 2020 and 13.7 per cent in May 2019. Statistics Canada considers returning students to be youth aged 15 to 24 who attended school full time in March and who intend to return in September.

The labour market conditions faced by students drove employment down 1.2 per cent among youth aged 15 to 24, representing 27,000 jobs.

The student participation rate  that is, who were either employed or unemployed but looking for work  was 10 per cent higher than May 2020, but still 5.2 per cent lower than May 2019.

Students employment rate was lower for women and visible minorities. The employment rate of female students was twice as far from May 2019 levels compared to their male counterparts. Employment for students who identified as visible minorities was 13 percentage points lower than for white students.

Looking ahead to June

The economy is expected to improve this month. As the third wave comes to an end and as more Canadians get vaccinated, public health measures should continue to roll back. Already, Ontario lifted its stay-at-home order, B.C. resumed many indoor and outdoor activities, and Quebec ended its nightly curfew.

Canada experienced a sharp economic rebound in the summer of 2020. There was a difference of almost 1,000 jobs between May and June last year. With 75 per cent of Canadians expected to be partially vaccinated by June 21, we can look forward to a more normal summer.

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IRCC has frozen some applications of CEC and PNP applicants who are in Canada but have spouses and children overseas.

Canada put their immigration applications on hold for having dependents overseas IRCC has frozen some applications of CEC and PNP applicants who are in Canada but have spouses and children overseas.

Canada put their immigration applications on hold for having dependents overseas IRCC has frozen some applications of CEC and PNP applicants who are in Canada but have spouses and children overseas.

Canada put their immigration applications on hold for having dependents overseas IRCC has frozen some applications of CEC and PNP applicants who are in Canada but have spouses and children overseas. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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When Arsheveer Kaur returned to Canada in May 2020, she never imagined she would be giving birth to her son without her husband by her side.

Now, more than one year, Kaur and her husband, Jugraj Singh, are still separated by administrative red tape. Amid the pandemic, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), has been putting some inland immigration applications on hold if the applicant has dependents overseas.

Kaur applied for permanent residence in July 2019 through a paper-based Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). She and Singh were married while her application was in processing, so she added him to her application.

Learn about Canadas immigration system

She had been in India for their wedding in January 2020, and the hope was that he would be able to get an open work permit to be in Canada for the birth of their child. Unfortunately for them, Singh was blocked by a Canadian immigration officer who was not satisfied that he would leave Canada before the end of his authorized stay, a common reason for denying entry to spouses of foreign nationals.

Since November, Kaur has been a single mother in Canada and Singh has not yet held his child.

It is a burden on my heart, I am bothering someone every time I need something, Kaur said. Moreover during that kind of period, you need family support. You need your husband.

She became one of many PNP and Express Entry applicants in Canada whose permanent residency applications were frozen by IRCC. Many reported receiving a response from IRCC along the lines of:

Regarding your application, as your dependents are overseas, the application will be placed on hold as we are only processing applications for Permanent Residency if all family members are in Canada. Unfortunately, we cannot be sure when travel restrictions will be lifted.

An IRCC spokesperson told CIC News that when applying for permanent residence, the whole family listed on the application needs to be finalized at the same time. This is because IRCC has to determine that each family member is admissible to Canada in order to approve the application. Landings, however, can occur at different times for applicants in Canada and family members overseas.

Because we are now landing principal applicants in Canada using the new virtual landing process, this could cause a situation where overseas dependants are unable to land before the expiry of their documents, IRCC wrote in an email. As a result, in some cases, the principal applicant in Canada had their landing delayed until we could be assured of the likelihood of family members arriving within the validity of the file.

The IRCC spokesperson also said that these files should see significant movement in the spring and summer months of this year.

Joy Okolo and her husband, Gerald Orji, have been separated since September 2019. During the pandemic, Okolo was working in healthcare and living alone in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. She said she did not have any supports other than colleagues, and since everything was shut down, that meant spending her off time in her apartment praying or crying.

The couples application has only recently been finalized. After five rejections, Okolo sent one final email to the case processing centre in Ottawa. To her surprise, someone replied and said everything was passed. Her husband is now scheduled to arrive in Canada in July.

Ive been depressed but since I know hes coming very soon I feel I have extra energy, Okolo told CIC News. I feel Im walking on angels right now. I feel much better than before.

Her application was approved in April, but before that she was in the same boat as Irina Manezhnaya, who has been trying to reunite her family since 2016.

Our family life goes through the screen of the phones on everyday WhatsApp calls, Manezhnaya wrote to CIC News. When I want to hug my husband I just put my phone on my chest and we both cry. Tens of thousand kilometres apart, eight hours time difference in between, we cry in desperation that we can do nothing to end these years of pain. We can not even afford simple gestures that loved ones need. There is an IRCC wall in between us.

Manezhnaya has been refused 10 times, blocked by a statute in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations called 179 (b). It allows immigration officers to refuse temporary residence visas to foreign nationals whom they are not satisfied will leave before their visa expires. Although the concept of dual intent is supposed to prevent officers from denying temporary residence visas to permanent residency applicants, many spouses have run into this hurdle since even before the pandemic.

After Manezhnaya got the notice that her husbands immigration application was being put on hold because she and her children were not in Canada, she took action. She connected about 270 people on social media who were in similar situations. They sent letters to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino, signed by more than 50 affected individuals. She also prepared a brief, and submitted it as evidence to the Canadas federal immigration committee, who were studying the impacts of COVID 19 on the immigration system.

The most glaring issue for PNP and CEC applicants is the governments current policy to put the finalization of entire applications that have met all requirements on hold because a family member is not physically in Canada, Jenny Kwan, the immigration critic from the New Democratic Party, told CIC News. This simply does not make sense These are peoples lives that the Liberal government is deliberately putting on hold. The lack of communication from the government on these files simply adds insult to injury.

Kwan is a member of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. There is at least one representative from every major political party sitting on the committee. Their role is to monitor federal policy relating to immigration, conduct studies and make recommendations on how to improve Canadian immigration. The government, which is currently led by a Liberal Party minority, has no obligation to make change, but they must at least respond to these reports.

The most recent report calls for the government to issue temporary resident visas to those affected by 179(b), among other measures to help reunite families.

Jasraj Singh Hallan is the co-chair of that committeeand also the immigration critic from the Conservative Party, the Liberals main opposition. He too has received complaints to his office from families who are unable to come to Canada, including those who are affected by the policy to hold applications with dependents overseas.

[This government] needs to be more transparent on how are they helping families to reunite, and how they are going to help families reunite in a safe way, Hallan told CIC News. The government needs to answer that question to these people who are suffering due to the mishandling of this file.

Mendicinos office did not respond to requests for comment on the specific issue of inland applicants with overseas dependents, but the ministers press secretary, Alexander Cohen, did say the modernization of the immigration system is intended to improve processing times and client services in general.

Applicants will see faster processing times, get reliable, user-friendly service and have access to timely information about their application status, Cohen wrote.

The modernization of the immigration system could take three to eight years, according to notes from the semi-annual meeting between IRCC and the CBA. For now, these families will have to wait until the border reopens or for IRCC to finalize their applications, whichever comes first.

We are looking with so much hope into every news that we see from the side of the Canadian government that concerns borders reopening, Manezhnaya told CIC News. It will all start with the U.S. and Canada borders. Then they are going to proceed to international borders. It is just a question of time. During this eternal waiting that we are in, we just got used to waiting waiting for all this to end.

Learn about Canadas immigration system

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
Mendicino announces 2 new immigration programs for Hongkongers Recent grads and workers in Canada who have a Hong Kong passport have more pathways to permanent residence.

Mendicino announces 2 new immigration programs for Hongkongers Recent grads and workers in Canada who have a Hong Kong passport have more pathways to permanent residence.

Mendicino announces 2 new immigration programs for Hongkongers Recent grads and workers in Canada who have a Hong Kong passport have more pathways to permanent residence. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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On June 8, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino unveiled two new immigration streams, which offer a path to permanent residence for eligible Hongkongers in Canada who are workers or recent graduates.

The programs are now open to applications. Mendicino had originally announced the measures in November 2020, and launched work permit options this past February. The initiative to facilitate immigration for Hongkongers is a response to Chinas imposition of the National Security Law, which led to a clampdown on freedom of expression. The Canadian government has denounced the arrests of pro-democracy activists and the deterioration of the electoral system in Hong Kong.

Eligible candidates must have valid temporary resident status in Canada at the time they submit their application and when their permanent residency status is granted. They must also meet the specified language, education, work and eligibility requirements, and they are subject to Canadas regular immigration application and screening processes and admissibility requirements. To confirm their Hong Kong residency, they need to hold a valid passport issued by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China or by the United Kingdom to a British National (Overseas) from Hong Kong.

Learn More About Canadian Immigration for Hongkongers

To be eligible for Stream A of the new programs, applicants need a post-secondary credential from a Canadian Designated Learning Institution, completed in the last three years. They must have done at least half of their program in Canada, either in person or online. Eligible diploma programs must be at least two years in length. Graduate or post-graduate credentials must be at least one year in length, with the previous credential earned no more than five years before the start of the program.

Stream B is for applicants who have at least one year of full-time work experience, or 1,560 hours of part time work experience in Canada within the past three years. They also need an eligible post-secondary credential completed within the last five years. Eligible post-secondary programs are the same as Stream A, except that they do not necessarily need to have been completed in Canada.

To be granted permanent residence, applicants must intend to live in any Canadian province or territory other than Quebec. This is because Canada does not have jurisdiction to impose permanent residency pathways in Quebec. Hong Kong residents who are living in Quebec can consult the Ministere de lImmigration, de la Francisation et de lIntegration (MIFI) to learn more about immigration pathways available to them.

With young Hong Kongers casting their eyes abroad, we want them to choose Canada, Mendicino said in a media release. Our Hong Kong immigration pathway is a historic initiative, intended to attract talented applicants who will drive our economy forward. Skilled Hong Kongers will have a unique opportunity to both develop their careers and help accelerate our recovery. This landmark initiative will strengthen our economy and deepen the strong ties between Canada and the people of Hong Kong.

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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP)  Rough seas and poor underwater visibility are hampering navy divers who are trying to detect any fuel leakage from a fire-ravaged container ship carrying chemicals that is slowly sinking off Sri Lankas capital, officials said Monday.

Navy spokesman Indika de Silva said divers also searched for any leakage from the ship on Sunday, but could not complete the mission due to poor ocean conditions.

But we have not given up the operation and a team has been sent there today too, he said.

Officials said there are no signs of oil or chemical spills, but environmentalists have warned of a possible environmental disaster if hazardous materials are released into the water.

The Singapore-flagged MV X-Press Pearl began sinking last Wednesday, a day after authorities extinguished a fire that had raged on the vessel for 12 days. Efforts to tow the ship into deeper waters away from Colombos port failed after the ships stern sank and rested on the seabed.

Its stern is still resting on the bottom at a depth of about 21 meters (70 feet) and the forward section is continuing to settle down slowly, officials said.

The fire has destroyed most of the ships cargo, which included 25 tons of nitric acid and other chemicals. But there are fears that remaining chemicals and hundreds of tons of fuel oil could leak into the sea, devastating marine life and further polluting the island nations famed beaches.

The disaster has already caused debris to wash ashore, and the government has banned fishing along about 80 kilometers (50 miles) of coastline.

A ship manifest seen by The Associated Press described the X-Press Pearl as carrying just under 1,500 containers, with 81 described as containing dangerous goods.

The fire erupted on May 20 when the ship was anchored about 9.5 nautical miles (18 kilometers) northwest of Colombo and waiting to enter the port. The navy believes the blaze was caused by its chemical cargo.

A Colombo court has banned the captain, chief engineer and assistant engineer from leaving the country. The government has said it will take legal action against the owners of the ship to obtain compensation.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
CHICAGO (AP)  An activist Roman Catholic priest cleared by an Archdiocese of Chicago investigation into claims that he sexually abused several boys decades ago returned to the pulpit of his longtime church on Sunday for the first time in five months.

Its good to be home, the Rev. Michael Pfleger repeatedly told congregants of the Faith Community of St. Sabina, describing his time away during the investigation as a painful nightmare.

Pfleger, 72, was placed on leave in January amid allegations from two brothers who said Pfleger sexually abused them as children starting in the 1970s. A third man later also alleged that Pfleger molested him once in 1979 when he was 18. Last month, the archdiocese concluded there was insufficient reason to suspect that Pfleger had abused children. A police investigation remains open.

His first service back at the largely Black church on Chicagos South Side was as spirited as ever, with live music, dancing and reenergized congregants who have fiercely backed their priest. Pfleger, who is white, thanked congregants for supporting him and vowed to resume his activism, especially against gun violence, with even more gusto.

Im going to fight harder, because Im stronger, Im better and Im wiser.  The last five months have been a roller coaster of hurt and anger and depression and pain and not knowing what people are thinking about you, he said, his voice breaking at times.

To support Pfleger, church members have held rallies, flooded archdiocese phone lines, threatened to withhold church dues and launched a letter-writing campaign. On Sunday, some wore T-shirts featuring the priests photo and the message Pfleger is back. Among those in attendance was filmmaker Spike Lee, who is friends with Pfleger and whose 2015 movie Chi-raq featured a character inspired by Pfleger and played by John Cusack.

Pfleger is known for his anti-violence activism and for bolstering neighborhood development in the largely low-income neighborhood surrounding the church. Hes also been in the spotlight for clashing with church leaders, having been suspended twice before this year, including in 2008 during Barack Obamas presidential campaign when he mocked Obamas primary opponent Hillary Clinton.

Ordained in 1975 and assigned to St. Sabina, Pfleger became pastor six years later and lived at the nearby rectory until earlier this year, when he temporarily moved to an apartment during the investigation.

Police have said their investigation remains open and active, but they havent provided any details about it. Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx has said police havent presented any information for her office to review or determine if criminal charges are appropriate. Illinois has no statute of limitations for filing charges in major sex crimes.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services completed its review in February, concluding there was no credible evidence of child abuse or neglect. The agency, which doesnt investigate allegations of abuse by an adult victim, focused on whether children were currently at risk.

During Sundays service, Pfleger talked about street violence in Chicago. He also acknowledged the damage that the abuse allegations did to his reputation.

He didnt talk about the allegations in detail, aside from saying the false accusations to destroy his character began with an extortion letter. One of the brothers, who are in their 60s, has acknowledged that he asked Pfleger for a $20,000 payment in December.

I know my name will be damaged for the rest of my life, Pfleger said as congregants booed. But most of that is by people that hated me anyway. There are people watching today that are not happy that Im back. But take off your party hat and blow out the candles. Im back.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
An insurer cannot intervene in a construction defects case where the insured had assigned its rights to collect under its policy to the plaintiff, a divided Colorado Supreme Court ruled.

The 4-3 decision gives policyholders a method of protecting themselves in situations where their insurer refuses to settle a claim and exposes them to damages that potentially could exceed policy limits. The Supreme Court majority said it decided that policyholders have a right to make side agreements with plaintiffs in a 2010 case, Nunn v. Mid Century Ins. Co.

Auto-Owners Insurance Co. had refused to pay a $1.9 million settlement offer by Bolt Factory Loft Owners Association in a construction-defects lawsuit against Sierra Glass. The insurer sought to intervene when it learned that Sierra Glass had agreed to transfer to Bolt Factory its right to pursue a bad-faith action against its insurer.

A Denver district court judge refused to allow the intervention and entered a $2,489,021.90 judgment against Sierra Glass. The Nunn agreement signed by Sierra Glass required Bolt Factory to seek collection of the award from Auto-Owners.

The Supreme Court, in a majority opinion written by Justice Monica M. Marquez, said it found nothing wrong with the arrangement. The ruling is dated May 24.

Faced with Auto-Owners refusal to settle within policy limits, Sierra Glass took steps to protect itself by entering into an agreement with Bolt Factoryan agreement that included both an assignment of claims and a covenant not to execute, the opinion says. Such an agreement falls squarely within the ambit of Nunn.

Sierra Glass was one of numerous contractors and subcontractors that were ensnared in construction-defect litigation filed by the Bolt Factory owners association in 2016.

Auto Owners defended Sierra Glass under a reservation of rights. After the carrier refused a settlement offer, Sierra Glass retained independent counsel and signed a Nunn agreement with the homeowners group.

In such agreements the insured assigns its bad faith claims to the third party, and in exchange the third party agrees to pursue the insurer directly for payment of the excess judgment rather than the insured, the opinion says.

During oral arguments, defense attorney Terence Ridley of Spencer Fane in Denver argued that Auto-Owners had been treated unfairly during the trial that determined Sierra Glass liability. He said in the side agreement with Bolt Factory, Sierra Glass had agreed to a lay-down defense where there was no jury, no objections and no right to appeal.

The lay-down defense implicates a district court judge to preside basically as a potted plant over one-sided evidence, Ridley said.

The final outcome is a big judgment which is imbued with legitimacy that can be used in a follow-on case and I submit to you that it is not right and this is not consistent with the law of this state.

Plaintiffs attorney Nelson Boyd countered that the agreement did not prejudice Auto-Owners any more than a stipulated judgment would. He said the Supreme Court in Nunn established that stipulated judgments are appropriate, and in any case subsequent litigation is necessary before Auto-Owners would be required to pay the claim.

Three of the Supreme Court justices agreed with Ridleys arguments. Justice Carlos A. Samour Jr. wrote in a dissenting opinion that the agreement between Sierra Glass and Bolt Factory resulted in a bogus proceeding where the defendant called no witnesses, did not cross-examine the witnesses called by the plaintiff, made no objections or even a closing argument.

Nowhere in Nunn did we sanction an agreement to conduct a sham trial, he said.

About the photo: This photo from Zillow.com shows one of the condominiums at Bolt Factory Lofts in Denver, a one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit listed for sale at $540,000.
Grace Louise Archer, age 90, a resident of Aurora, Colorado, a former resident of Chillicothe, Missouri, passed away on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, at Shalom Park, Aurora, Colorado. Grace was born the daughter of Maurice P. Martin, Sr., and Margaret (O'Connor) Martin on October 10, 1930, in Chi
Beachwood, OH (44122)

Today

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 60F. N winds shifting to SW at 10 to 15 mph..

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Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 60F. N winds shifting to SW at 10 to 15 mph.
Beachwood, OH (44122)

Today

Clear to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 62F. NNW winds shifting to SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 62F. NNW winds shifting to SW at 10 to 15 mph.
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8)  More Filipinos were out of work in April after a surge in COVID-19 cases forced government to tighten quarantine restrictions, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Tuesday.

National Statistician Dennis Mapa reported a national 8.7% unemployment rate among residents aged 15 and up, worse than March's 7.1%. This means 4.14 million Filipinos are without jobs, higher than 3.44 million the month prior.

The PSA chief noted that the joblessness rate went up as the National Capital Region Plus reverted to tighter quarantine restrictions on that month. More women were unemployed in April than men, with both sexes logging unemployment rates of 9.1% and 8.5% respectively.

NCR Plus  composed of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal  was placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) from March 29 until April 11 due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. The area shifted to the more relaxed modified ECQ (MECQ) from April 12 to 30.

However, the recent figure is still lower than the record high of 17.6% or 7.23 million jobless in April 2020, a month into the first round of strictest lockdowns in Luzon.

The national employment rate this April also plummeted to 91.3%, given tighter quarantine rules, from 92.9% in March. This is equivalent to 43.27 million individuals with work, lower than 45.33 million in March.

These figures bring the latest labor force participation rate to 63.2%, translating to 47.41 million Filipinos who were employed or actively seeking jobs. The turnout is weaker than the 65% rate or 48.77 million people in the labor force tallied in the previous month.

Meanwhile, underemployed persons  or those seeking additional hours or job opportunities  reached 7.45 million in April. This corresponds to a 17.2% underemployment rate, up by a percentage point from Marchs figure.

Results of the April labor force survey, which is part of the PSAs quarterly series, may be compared with monthly turnouts such as the one in March on the national level. However, regional data could only be contrasted quarter-on-quarter  in this case, Januarys figures, officials said.

Given the return to stricter lockdown measures, NCR logged the highest unemployment rate among the regions at 14.4% in April, way up from the 8.8% figure recorded three months ago. Zamboanga Peninsula, on the other hand, had the lowest joblessness rate at 3.3% compared to the past quarters 3.6%.

All regions saw unemployment rates go down except for Metro Manila, Cagayan, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Central Visayas.

Services, the sector with the biggest chunk in total employment as of April, contributed 57.4% to the overall workforce. Agriculture and industry, meanwhile, comprised 24.4% and 18.2% of employed Filipinos, respectively.

Education saw the biggest month-on-month increase in employment this April, adding 187,000 jobs to its total workforce. Accommodation and food services, real estate, mining along with electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning also logged higher employment figures during the month.

Meanwhile, construction lost 805,000 workers in April compared to March, Mapa said. Agriculture; wholesale and retail trade and repair of motorcycles and motor vehicles; manufacturing; and financial and insurance activities also saw month-on-month declines in employment.

Employed Filipinos worked shorter hours on a weekly basis this April with an average of 38 hours, lower than 39.7 hours in March.

In line with the national turnout, lockdowns were the top reason individuals with jobs were unable to report for work in April. This was followed by health limitations and lesser clients or work.

Economic managers noted a temporary reversal in employment gains given Aprils figures, but said the latest outcomes are substantially better than last years considering the more risk-based approach in quarantine restrictions in 2021.

This year, the government allowed more sectors to operate and public transport to run despite the reimposition of lockdown measures.

Our experience this year shows that we can reduce cases while helping people recover their jobs and income at the same time, the team said in a joint statement.

Economic officials called anew for a shift towards modified general community quarantine, along with allowing people of more ages to go out and gradually resume face-to-face classes in low-risk areas at the appropriate time with necessary safeguards.

They also echoed the need for a timely implementation of the states recovery package, along with a speedier COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

With 27.7 million vaccine doses arriving from May to July 2021, we are confident that we can bring more Filipinos safely to work, inoculate 70 million Filipinos or the entire adult population by the end of the year, and recover strongly in the next two years, the statement read.

In a separate briefing, World Bank economist Kevin Chua emphasized the importance of mass vaccination, noting it has become a precondition in other Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia in further opening the economy.

Given the urgent need to reopen the economy as people are already losing jobs and income opportunities, he added that effective pandemic management is also key to this.

The Washington-based lender once again slashed its 2021 growth forecast for the Philippine economy to 4.7% from the previous 5.5%. The latest projection falls further from the economic teams downscaled 6-7% growth target range for this year.

CNN Philippines correspondent Melissa Lopez contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8)  President Rodrigo Duterte and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. are calling on everyone who has received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to make the effort to receive their second shot.

Speaking to CNN Philippines' The Source on Tuesday, Galvez echoed Duterte's appeal to Filipinos to complete their doses so they can be protected from COVID-19.

Citing Health undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje, Galvez stressed that some 113,000 Filipinos who have not yet gotten their second dose can still be considered a "sizeable amount." He said some of them reportedly caught the coronavirus even after getting their first shot.

"We are really trying through the LGUs to get them back so they can have their second dose. Napaka-importante nitong second dose dahil ito ang booster natin para ma-lengthen ang efficacy and at the same time ma-strengthen ang effectiveness (ng bakuna)," Galvez said.

[Translation: The second dose is important because this serves as our booster to lengthen the efficacy and at the same time strengthen the effectiveness of the vacccine.]

On Monday evening, Duterte urged Filipinos to "find time" and "go back" for their second vaccine dose.

"Please find time to go back and line up and show your card so that they would know you are receiving the second dose... Ang protection niyo [Your protection] is not complete without the booster," Duterte said in his weekly address on Monday.

Experts earlier said that a missed dose appointment should not stop people from completing their shots.

Duterte called on local authorities to help government seek out those who have missed their deadlines and convince them to get their second dose of the vaccine.

"I want the authorities and LGUs to find out why this is happening...Kindly help us ferret out the persons who have not received the second booster until now," he said.

The President, however, reminded the public that the vaccine would be most effective if they also follow minimum public health standards, including the washing of hands, wearing of masks, and observing physical distancing.

Meanwhile, Galvez stressed that LGUs have the flexibility to implement protocols in their respective vaccination sites, but they must still adhere to the national government's guidelines and only reserve slots for those who have pre-registered to avoid crowding.

Conglomerates from the private sector have also stepped in to prepare mega vaccination sites in malls, hotels, and function rooms to mobilize vaccinees, Galvez added.

The government on Monday officially started the vaccination of the A4 priority group or essential workers in areas experiencing case surges. Local governments were earlier ordered to set-up express lanes to accommodate members of the A1 to A3 who have yet to receive their shots.

READ: PH starts phased COVID-19 vaccination of workers

RELATED: Missing 2nd dose deadline doesn't mean back to square one
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8)  The Philippine Air Force received five additional S-70i Black Hawk combat utility helicopters on Monday, bringing the total of such assets to 11.

The first batch of Polish-made helicopters was delivered in the country in late 2020. The third and final batch of five choppers is scheduled to arrive in the country before year-end.

The government entered into a deal with a Polish company in March 2019 to produce the helicopters. It spent 12.1 billion for the 16 Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk helicopters.

The Philippine Air Force said the Black Hawk is the "best in its class" of multi-mission utility helicopters and can be used for different missions. This multi-role helicopter is capable of lifting 15 people, including four crew members, to up to 13,000 feet with a cruising speed of 276 kilometers per hour.

In the past months, the Black Hawks transported COVID-19 vaccines and personal protective equipment to remote areas of Batanes, Bicol, and other parts of the country.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8)  The country's COVID-19 fatality count rose to 22,064 or 1.72% of total cases on Tuesday after 95 more people lost their lives to the disease, the Department of Health reported.

The nationwide tally of cases also climbed to 1,280,773, with 4,777 more people infected.

Of this total, 4.4% or 56,452 are active or sick patients with 93.2% experiencing mild symptoms, 2.5% without symptoms, 1.7% with severe symptoms, 1.3% in critical condition and 1.19% in moderate condition.

The number of recoveries increased to 1,202,257, or 93.9% of the case count, after 7,122 more people were cleared of the coronavirus.

The total excludes data from 10 laboratories that failed to submit their reports on time, the DOH said. These laboratories contributed 2.7% of samples tested and 2.9% of positive individuals in the last 14 days.

The DOH added that 40 survivors were reclassified as fatalities and eight duplicates were removed, including six recoveries.

The daily positivity rate or the percentage of patients that tested positive rose to 14.3%, the first time it surpassed 14% since May 5. But it was based on only 29,125 tests done as of June 6.

Previous rates were based on test numbers above at least 30,000, with some even above 50,000. Experts said high rates mean more undetected cases and possibly high transmission. The World Health Organization's recommended rate is below 5%.

The OCTA research team said the current numbers reflect the spread of the COVID-19 variants to areas outside Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite, or NCR Plus. OCTA fellow Fr. Nicanor Austriaco said the spread could be attributed to stranded individuals returning to their home provinces from Metro Manila while carrying the coronavirus with them, as well as some super spreader events.

Meanwhile, the situation in NCR Plus continues to improve.

"NCR Plus numbers are at a low and we are actually attaining levels of daily cases that resemble the period right before the surge," Austriaco told CNN Philippines' News.PH. "In NCR Plus, we are recovering from the surge."

NCR Plus first experienced a new surge this year in March when cases reached a new record high of over 7,000 infections in a day, which eventually ballooned to more than 15,000 in April. The spike prompted the national government to temporarily revert to the strictest form of quarantine.

Experts and government officials are hopeful the country could see a "normal" Christmas this year as they hope to reach herd immunity before the holidays.

"Our plan and our hope and our prayer is that we will have a normal Christmas," Austriaco said. "It's possible. It depends if all Filipinos decide that it is something we want bad enough that we will all get vaccinated."

The government chose to prioritze NCR Plus in the vaccination. OCTA said the effects of the vaccine on NCR Plus may be seen by October.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8) The Interior Department will investigate the recent mass gatherings in Cebu City once the agency receives complete reports on the incident, Secretary Eduardo Ano said on Tuesday.

Speaking to CNN Philippines, Ano assured that organizers of such events will be held accountable.

Kung merong magbibigay sa akin ng kumpletong information, then we will conduct an investigation at sino man yung responsible sa mga nag-organize ng ganung event, yun ang pananagutan natin, Ano told Balitaan.

[Translation: If someone can give me complete information, then we will conduct an investigation and whoever is responsible for organizing such event will be held responsible.]

Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella earlier told CNN Philippines that the local government is looking into two separate mass gatherings in the area for alleged breach of COVID-19 health protocols. These are a hotel event pushing for the 2022 election bid of Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, and crowding at a bar in Barangay Kasambagan  both of which took place over the weekend.

Meanwhile, the DILG chief noted that the agency will also look into the food distribution activity in Quezon City sponsored by Councilor Franz Pumaren  an event that also allegedly led to protocol violations.

Yung report din dito kay Councilor Franz Pumaren, Im also waiting for the report at re-reviewhin natin yan at kung ano ang kaukulang aksyon na dapat gawin natin, Ano added.

[Translation: Also this report on Councilor Franz Pumaren, Im also waiting for the report, and we will review this and the actions needed to be done.]

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte earlier issued a show-cause order to Pumaren to explain the supposed protocol violations in the food drive event in Barangay Old Balara. But the police had cleared Pumaren, saying he made "proper coordination" with concerned agencies for the community pantry.

Belmonte, for her part, believes the event turned out to be a superspreader.

I do believe that was a superspreader event dahil noong nagbalik ang tao sa kanilang linya ay medyo dikit-dikit na, wala nang social distancing, crowded na (because when the residents went back to the line, there was no social distancing, it was already crowded, Belmonte said in a briefing Tuesday.

She added the LGU has so far identified 86 positive cases among those who attended the event.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8)  Malacanang has extended the diversion of international flights headed to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced on Tuesday.

At his regular briefing, Roque said the extension shall be until 11:59 p.m. of June 12, according to a new memorandum issued by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on June 5.

[Translation: This is to fix the implementation of the IATFs arrival protocols in Cebu.]

Prior to the recent order, all international flights bound for the Cebu international airport were diverted to NAIA.

"Inaasahan po natin [We expect] that on the 13th of June, the IATF protocols on arriving (overseas Filipino workers) and OFWs will be implemented in Cebu," Roque further explained.

Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia said she is studying their options following the extension of flight diversion.

"We will study our position, as duly elected and accountable officials of the Province of Cebu. We all must adhere to the rule of law," she told reporters.

Garcia and President Rodrigo Duterte earlier met to discuss the province's protocols for Filipinos from abroad, which involve testing them upon arrival at the airport.

Cebu's protocols are considered more relaxed compared to the IATF's rules, which call for tests to be conducted only on the seventh day of quarantine in a facility.

Under the province's protocols, Cebu residents can go to their hometown after the release of a negative PCR test. They will undergo home quarantine and will be swabbed again on the seventh day in their residence.

Non-Cebu residents who test negative have to show proof of itinerary in going home to their province and will observe health protocols of their local government or the IATF.

Garcia is of the position that the IATF needs concurrence from the local government units if it imposes health policies in a locality, since over six months had already passed since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Section 105 of the Local Government Code says "in cases of epidemics, pestilence, and other widespread public health dangers, the Secretary of Health may, upon the direction of the President and in consultation with the local government unit concerned, temporarily assume direct supervision and control over health operations in any local government unit for the duration of the emergency, but in no case exceeding a cumulative period of six (6) months."

CNN Philippines Cebu-based correspondent Dale Israel contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8) -- Those who develop a severe allergic reaction after receiving their first COVID-19 vaccine dose can still get their second shot, but it would no longer be of the same brand, the executive director of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination said Tuesday.

In a media briefing, Dr. Lulu Bravo said although the brands may differ for the two shots, they would most likely still be of the same vaccine platform. She also noted that those who experienced serious side effects only make up a "very small" percentage of vaccine recipients.

The expert reiterated that COVID-19 vaccines being administered in the country are safe, adding that the PFV has seen no "red flag" in the three months it has monitored the national immunization program.

"Dito sa aming almost three months na monitoring, wala kaming nakitang masamang epekto sa bakuna [In our almost three months of monitoring, we saw no negative effect of the vaccines]," she said.

"Maski na marami tayong sinasabi na report na may adverse event, 'yan naman po 'yung mga minor [Even if there were several reported adverse events, those were only minor]," she added, as she listed fever, headache, and stomach ache as among the most common examples.

Bravo also strongly urged the public to undergo a medical check-up first before getting their shot. She said this is because the reported hospitalizations or serious adverse events, including deaths, after inoculation were not due to the vaccine itself but because of untreated underlying illnesses.

She added that some were caused by contracting COVID-19 before being fully immunized.

Official data show that 6 million doses have been administered to some 4.49 million people nationwide, including 1.6 million who have been fully vaccinated.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 9) Almost all mayors in Mindanao were "into drugs," according to President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte made the claim during an interview with Pastor Apollo Quiboloy on Tuesday.

"Actually, whether maniwala ang human rights o hindi, lahat ng mayors halos dito sa Mindanao were into drugs," Duterte said. "Lahat na were  they were cooking drugs everywhere."

[Translation: Actually, whether human rights (groups) believe it or not, almost all mayors here in Mindanao were into drugs. Everyone  they were cooking drugs everywhere.]

Duterte cited a member of Ozamiz City's Parojinog clan  some of whom were earlier tagged by officials as the alleged source of illegal drugs in the city.

"At saka doon 'yong sa namatay na si ano, Parojinog, iyong wallpaper ng bahay nila, Pastor, pera, 500-500 pinagdikit talaga 'yan, wallpaper," Duterte said. "Ginagawang wallpaper. Totoo."

[Translation: And also the one who died, Parojinog, the wallpaper of their house, Pastor, is money. 500-peso bills, they pasted them together, wallpaper. They make them wallpaper. That's true.]

In 2017, Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. and 14 others were killed in a shootout during a raid at their properties, where bags of shabu, firearms, explosives, and cash were found.

'Fighting criminals'

Asked about his administration's campaign against illegal drugs, Duterte warned personalities involved that he is willing to counter their "evil actions" with evil.

"You drug people... You are doing evil and if possible, if forced to, sometimes, I also do evil, so evil to evil tayo," the president said in the same interview. "And do not ever, ever think that you are the only one who can do evil things kasi ako marunong din akong bumaba sa impyerno (because I can also go to hell) to really meet you where you want it to be."

Duterte emphasized that whatever criminals can do, he can also do just to make sure they will be held liable.

"If I have to mortgage my soul to the devil to fight them, I will do it, but I hope Pastor that you will redeem the mortgage... sana naman tubusin mo na lang ako doon sa impyerno (I hope you just redeem me from hell)," Duterte told Quiboloy.

Prior to the start of the administration, one of Duterte's campaign promises was to eradicate illegal drugs in the Philippines. Since then, his controversial drug war has led to the deaths of around 6,000, including minors. Human rights advocates contest this figure, claiming the real tally has reached up to 27,000.

However, Duterte said he "never, never allowed the killing of young people," and just instructed for them to be arrested.

To date, only the three police officers in the killing of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos during an anti-drug operation in 2017 have been found guilty.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 9)  With less than a year before President Rodrigo Duterte ends his term of office, he said he sees no one worthy to be his successor.

"Wala, wala akong nakita na ano, [I can't see anyone who is] deserving," he said in an interview with his pastor friend Apollo Quiboloy on Tuesday.

Duterte said there are aspirants who can continue his legacy when his term ends in 2022, but he believes they have to do more to become president. He said he prefers to stay neutral for now. He added he may publicly name his choice "when the time comes."

RELATED: Duterte resists VP run in 2022

Amid talks of who can replace him, Duterte once again cautioned his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara "Inday" Duterte-Carpio, from gunning for the top post in the national elections in May next year.

Si Inday kinausap ko talaga kagabi [I spoke to Inday last night]. Do not run. Do not ever, ever commit the mistake of running for the presidency, he said.

He also said that he warned the younger Duterte that being the countrys chief executive will be all about work and an "empty" job will only offer a sense of fulfillment.

He noted that the only way for the president of the Philippines to gain something from their post is by engaging in corrupt activities.

But is that the life that you want?, he asked.

Duterte also emphasized that criticisms will always be thrown to Sara if she takes the seat, which he does not want his daughter to experience.

You do not deserve it. Anak kita, maawa ako sayo at alam ko naman hindi ka magpunta ng kalokohan. Sabihin ko sayo ngayon, huwag kang tumakbo. Sinabi ko talaga sa kanya iyon, he said.

[Translation: You are my daughter; I will feel bad for you because I know you will not do anything bad. I'm telling you now, don't run. I really told her that.]

Duterte previously warned Sara from following his footsteps a few times, stressing that the presidency is not a womans job.

The younger Duterte has yet to announce her plans for the 2022 polls, but at least two allied lawmakers are saying she will surely run as her father's successor. She has consistently been a presidential frontrunner in several pre-election surveys.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8)  Senator Panfilo Lacson has formally declined 1Sambayan's offer for him to join the opposition coalition's presidential nominees.

In a letter to the group's lead convenor, retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, the senator said his decision to refuse being part of 1Sambayan's ticket is a form of self-respect.

"As any self-respecting public servant would do, it is in my humble position to take it upon myself to graciously decline your invitation in honor of my personal and political convictions that I have consistently and unwaveringly adhered to," Lacson said.

Lacson pushed for the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 -- a law challenged by several 1Sambayan convenors before the Supreme Court.

"I have been under the impression that the 1Sambayan Coalition has effectively precluded any possible association with this representation, since you made it clear, as its lead convenor, that it would be 'inconsistent' and 'incongruous' for the group to endorse, let alone be identified with somebody who is one of the authors and the principal sponsor of the very piece of legislation that most of its members, if not all, have been questioning before the Supreme Court," he said.

The senator also refused to join 1Sambayan's town hall meeting on national security and foreign policy issues on June 19.

On his plans for 2022, Lacson said it's either running for president, or retiring from politics.

"It's between gunning for the presidency or retirement... Yung pagbalik sa Senado, kasi naka tatlong terms na rin ako at sa tingin ko, sa [On returning to the Senate, I already served three terms and I think in terms of] legislative work, I would say I've done my part," he said in a briefing.

CNN Philippines' correspondent Eimor Santos contributed to this report.
The Coastal Point is a local newspaper published each Friday and distributed in the Bethany Beach, South Bethany, Fenwick Island, Ocean View, Millville, Dagsboro, Frankford, Selbyville, Millsboro, Long Neck and Georgetown, Delaware areas.
Columbia, SC (29201)

Today

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.
Even before she began exploring her personal and cultural history through poetry, Penn States 2021-22 Laureate, liberal arts professor of English and poet Shara McCallum learned to live in juxtaposition.

After her family emigrated from Kingston, Jamaica, to Miami when she was nine years old, McCallum found herself in entirely new terrain.

Moving to different parts [of the world] requires adaptation, McCallum said. But because [Miami] is such a metropolitan space and particularly marked by lots of people from the part of the world where my family is from, [it was more manageable].

McCallum attended public school in Miami, where she was introduced to dance and music through art curriculum  poetry remained elusive.

I understood living arts as things you practice, but for whatever reason, poetry felt really odd and esoteric to me, McCallum said. I imagined it to be written by people who were dead for hundreds of years, so I loved their work, but I didnt see myself in them.

Her first real taste of what would later become her lifelong passion occurred in an undergraduate literature class at the University of Miami.

I went to school to be a medical doctor, so [it was one of] the courses I took to have fun, McCallum said. Unlike chemistry, where I had to make myself do it, this was like a pleasure.

While McCallum took the course, Saint Lucian poet Derek Walcott won the 1992 Nobel Prize in literature  the second Caribbean writer to ever receive the award.

That... really marked me. I thought, Oh, this is an amazing honor given on the world stage to someone from [the] part of the world Im from  this must be possible, McCallum said.

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Invigorated by her desire to express her childhood experience of living in Jamaica and inspired by Walcott's own exploration of Caribbean identity, McCallum refocused her studies to match her newfound poetic pursuits.

McCallum then switched her major and graduated from the University of Miami with a bachelor's degree in English literature. She went on to earn her master's degree in poetry from the University of Maryland and her doctorate in English literature from Binghamton University in New York before eventually accepting a position as the Stadler Center for Poetrys director at Bucknell University for 14 years.

Throughout this period, McCallum developed her poetic voice and subsequently published five books, with additional work featured in different anthologies and literary journals.

McCallum said her writing process typically involves writing, arranging and rewriting many different concepts until one catches, where she begins the real pleasure of writing  revision.

I think of it as reseeing and rewriting and then I shape it and turn it to the light and look at it to see what else I could say  what else it could be, McCallum said. It takes in some life from me  It feels like the poem has its own engine. I'm there of course trying to drive it, but Im not the sole force in the creation of the poem.

Regardless of how they begin, she said many of her poems end in a similar place, Jamaica  a place she physically left but has inspired her ever since.

Like many writers, I write about the spaces where Im from, not the spaces I necessarily am, McCallum said. I wonder sometimes if its the imagination of a place that really roots itself in us early  that even if you leave a place that is a touchstone for you, you keep coming back to that.

MORE CAMPUS COVERAGE

And although she has lived in State College for several years, McCallum said she cannot claim Pennsylvania as her own.

I dont think I'll ever really feel like Im from here Its the thing Im longing for  Jamaica  its a time and place that doesnt even exist anymore, McCallum said. [I've since gone] back to Jamaica, but the place and time Im writing about is the Jamaica of my childhood.

Since then, the themes of personal identity tied to a larger cultural landscape and how the generational history of a space can affect its inhabitants have remained persistent in McCallums work.

Was it Pennsylvania versus Jamaica? Id say all along the way Ive moved and lived in different places, McCallum said. You try to make a home wherever you are.

Since her arrival at Penn State in 2017, McCallum has served as a liberal arts professor of English, splitting her time between teaching undergraduate poetry workshops and continuing to write and publish her own work.

Julia Spicher Kasdorf, fellow poet and liberal arts professor of English, first met McCallum at an Association of Writers & Writing Programs conference in 2001. Since then, they have maintained a friendship and productive working relationship by offering advice and reviews of new manuscripts  even while working at separate institutions  until they became official colleagues in 2017.

I really love working with her. She is an incredibly thoughtful person, [and] she is very hardworking as a colleague, as a teacher and as an artist, Kasdorf said. Shes a person with a lot of integrity, and I respect her a great deal.

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In recognition of her distinguished career as a poet and educator, McCallum was named the 2021-22 Penn State Laureate, succeeding David Witwer, professor of American studies in Penn State Harrisburgs School of Humanities.

In her new role this fall, McCallum will forgo her typical classroom duties in favor of a representative position promoting arts and humanities across Penn State and Pennsylvania as a whole through a variety of speaking engagements, writing workshops and interdisciplinary projects.

Poetry is often an art that people feel somewhat either fearful of or disinterested in, or think it's not for them so I hope my efforts as laureate [will] serve as an intervention for that, McCallum said.

With the platform granted by her new role, McCallum said she will focus on sharing her own work and the work of other contemporary Pennsylvanian poets.

Especially for me as a woman of color  as an immigrant  poetry has been a way to explore larger views of personal history and history at large cultural narratives, narratives that shape all of us, she said.

In addition to her laureate tour, McCallum will appear on WPSU Penn State to deliver poetry readings and discuss her ongoing work.

Outside of preparing for her work as laureate, McCallum has been busy completing her latest full-length collection of poems titled No Ruined Stone, which will be released this August.

No Ruined Stone, will be published by Alice James Books, a publishing company she worked with in the past to release her 2011 book This Strange Land and her 2017 poetry collection Madwoman.

Writers like Shara McCallum are a rarity, Carey Salerno, Alice James executive editor and director, said via email. It's a privilege to partner with her on her extraordinary work, to participate in the trajectory of her poetics and to witness how her voice and craft deepen and grow with each new book.

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McCallum said No Ruined Stone explores the life of the 18th century Scottish poet Robert Burns and his desire to work on a slave plantation in Jamaica.

It's always been a struggle for readers of Burns poetry and for scholars of Burns and the enlightenment of which he is a part  to really understand why Scotlands greatest bard would have agreed to go and basically take part in slavery, McCallum said.

For McCallum, navigating fundamental incongruencies of identity is a daily practice, particularly as an immigrant to the United States whose own ancestry can be traced back to both Europe and Central America.

I'm a writer, and I feel like part of the obligation as a writer when you deal with the materials of history is to trouble the waters, McCallum said. To do so so we can accommodate more people in our narratives of history.

McCallum said embracing the full dimensions of ones inherited history, even if it is hard to swallow, is better for everyone.

I don't think it does you good to have amnesia as a culture that writes its own people out of their history.

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State College borough announced Monday the vaccination clinic at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center will reopen Tuesday, June 8 through Monday, June 14.

The clinic, which has been open periodically since April 19, according to Penn State spokesperson Wyatt DuBois, offers two variations of the vaccine  the single-dose Johnson & Johnson and the two-dose Moderna.

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency's director of communications Ruth Miller said via email the commonwealth has the ability to establish new clinics as the need arises.

Because the BJCs clinic will close June 14, she said those opting for the Moderna vaccine will need to receive their second dose from another provider.

Miller encouraged those who have not yet been vaccinated to look into scheduling an appointment, either at the BJC or with another provider.

Getting vaccinated gives our families and communities the best chance at getting back to the activities we may have missed over the last year, Miller said.

MORE CAMPUS COVERAGE

Penn State assistant professor of computer science and engineering dies Arzoo Katiyar, a Penn State assistant professor of computer science and engineering since Au
To begin here, lets go back in time a bit. Not too far, only about a year ago.

May 2020. The opening act of the pandemic.

While spending some time with a group of friends, I found out one of them believed I was gay.

I am a straight man, but I had no issue with this. The issue was the fact that this individual did not want to be friends if I was gay.

No matter what I said, it didnt get through to him. We have not spoken in some time now.

Now lets go back to the present.

A day before I turned 21, I was shopping at a local Target with my mom when I decided to check The Daily Collegians Facebook page to see if my newest column was up.

For context, the piece dealt with Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and the likening of the coronavirus vaccine to the horrors Jews experienced during the Holocaust.

While I did not expect the most pleasant comments on the article, there was one that left me awfully perplexed for the rest of the day. A comment that suggested that I might possibly be antisemitic.

A Jew. Being antisemitic. All I need is a rabbi and a priest and there is a great joke in the making here.

Beyond the humor, I found myself wondering why our society is built on hate. As my mom puts it, It takes a lot of energy to hate. You poison yourself in the process.

My upbringing was one of the cliche, Treat others the way you want to be treated. I had the privilege of my parents letting me discover the world in my own eyes without their influence. It just so happens we share the same outlook on life  acceptance.

With June being Pride month, I would like to ask those who share negative thoughts and beliefs about the LGBTQ community, why? Why is it that you feel so strongly on something that most likely has no immediate impact on your daily life?

We do after all live in the country deemed to be the land of the free.

And yes, drastic change has been made in the past few years. It was nearly six years ago when the Supreme Courts decision in Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

But despite America slowly becoming more accepting of the LGBTQ community , there seems to always be many ideas that are more consistently attacked.

One of these ideas is drum roll please grammar?

Yes, the idea of preferred pronouns have become an issue for many, something I have always been confused about.

I applaud certain people, such as mom for example, who asked me many questions regarding the significance of pronouns because she was genuinely curious. As she began to understand them more, she implemented them at her place of work.

And as I mentioned in my previous column about how you do not have to get the vaccine if you choose not to, you also do not have to list your preferred pronouns. But why complain? If it makes someone else happy and comfortable with themselves, shouldnt it be encouraged?

Also to be a smartass here, but everyone has pronouns. Simple grammar. Do you want everyone referring to you as your first name every time? I wouldnt. He/him works perfectly fine for me. My mom uses she/her for her pronouns of choice.

And for those confused by they/them pronouns, referring to someone in the singular form using they is not incorrect grammar. Moral of this soapbox speech: Dont overthink it.

The idea of hate seems intertwined with change. And its understandable. For some, change can be daunting. But were built on change. Every day our very own slow metamorphosis is occurring.

Look back 10 years. 20 years. Go back as far as you want. Things are different. Some good, some not so much. But it changed regardless. And its going to continue to do so whether we like it or not.

Rather than fear it, embrace it. Be part of the good change and prevent yourself from getting left behind.

Weve made progress already in many facets of acceptance. And I would like to say to members of the LGBTQ community, I am proud of you all for the strength and courage you show. Happy Pride month, all.

Now if youll excuse me, I need to get back to my rabbi joke.
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This year our dine and drink business locations throughout the Gorge have suffered with closures. You can help support your favorites by purchasing take out and gift cards. Many of these business will offer curb-side delivery and some will deliver to your home. Lets keep the Gorge going strong!
A monastery in Egypt was forced to surrender land and property they've leased from the Egyptian government after they failed to pay taxes since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Egyptian authorities arrived with bulldozers at the Saint Macarius Monastery in Wadi Al-Rayyan in Al-Fayyoum Governorate, where they demolished a fence and other structures that were erected by the monks who lived there.

According to the Christian Post, the Coptic Orthodox monastery was founded in 360 AD. In 2017, the monks were given permission by the Ministry of Environment in Egypt to use the land where the monastery stood, as well as 3,000 more acres in land, in exchange for a $32,000 annual tax fee and an additional $255,000 annually for 1,000 more areas in the land outside the fenced area. However, the monastery was not able to pay the annual fee since the COVID-19 pandemic began last year, forcing authorities to seize the centuries-old Coptic Orthodox monastery and its grounds.

Mervyn Thomas, the founder of the U.K.-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide urged Egyptian authorities to recognize that the centuries-old Coptic Orthodox monastery had been there for so many years and that the fees imposed by the government are "a relatively recent expense in its historic existence." Thomas called for compassion amidst these trying times, especially in the face of a global pandemic.

"We encourage all parties to engage in a process of negotiation to ensure a just settlement in this matter, including a reappraisal of the rent that the monastery is required to pay, which is a considerable financial burden even outside the unusual circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has negatively impacted livelihoods in Egypt and across the world," Thomas argued.

Meanwhile, Governor Oussama Al-Qadi of the Minya Governorate in the south of Cairo on the western bank of the Nile River announced a special committee to ensure the implementation of the Church Building Law. The committee has been tasked to provide updates to the governor and hold weekly meetings with the general committee of the governorate.

Governor Al-Qadi called upon Minya's civil servants to resolve the issues surrounding the speedy renovation of churches and encouraged them to communicate and liaise with local church leaders and the Christian community. About 306 churches and church buildings were legalized in the Minya Governate since the national committee established its mandate back in 2016.

Thomas applauded Governor Al-Qadi and the Minya government's initiatives, saying it "comes from a state where most sectarian tension in Egypt takes place." He highlighted the importance of continuing legislative reform and pushed to "address societal attitudes and practices that restrict the right to freedom of religion or belief."

"We commend the efforts of the government of Egypt to address historical injustices affecting the Christian community, and we encourage it to extend these reforms further to encompass other unrecognised religious and belief groups," Thomas said.

Egypt scored 75 in Open Doors USA's ranking of Christian persecution around the world and was placed in the "very high" category of persecution level. The report showed that there is a dictatorial paranoia type of persecution against Christians and a "lack of serious law enforcement and the unwillingness of local authorities to protect Christians," which leaves them vulnerable to attacks.
US lawmakers urge US President Biden to increase COVID relief efforts to India

Several United States lawmakers have urged the Biden administration to ensure that India receives enough COVID-19 vaccines and medical aid, saying the health crisis in the country is "devastating" and America has a responsibility to help its close allies defeat the pandemic.

Biden said the US will share the vaccine to many countries to fight the pandemic through the UN-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing programme. Photo courtesy: White House

The American lawmakers called on the US government to send more vaccines and medical assistance to India after President Joe Biden last week announced that the US will allocate 75 per cent - nearly 19 million of the first tranche of 25 million doses - of unused COVID-19 vaccines from its stockpile to countries in South and Southeast Asia as well as Africa by the end of June.

Biden said the US will share the vaccine to many countries to fight the pandemic through the UN-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing programme as part of his administration's framework for sharing 80 million vaccines globally.

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna, also a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said to help India deal with shortage, the US needs to send those vaccines that it will never use, just like India helped America in its time of need.

"The crisis in India is devastating and demands more action from (President Joe) Biden. More COVID-19 vaccines and medical supplies are needed to help one of our most important global allies fight this virus," Texas Governor Greg Abbott said.

In a tweet, the Republican governor urged US citizens to join him in praying for India.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz said that almost 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the US.

"India is a critical friend of the US. Biden's vaccine sharing programme is flawed: We should prioritise our allies such as India, and make sure it receives the COVID-19 vaccines they desperately need," he said.

Senator Roger Wicker from the Senate Armed Services Committee said that it is important for the US to continue helping other nations beat the coronavirus. "Sending excess vaccines to close allies like India doesn't just make sense, it is the right thing to do," he said.

Congressman Michael McCaul, a ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs, tweeted, "Glad to see critically needed vaccines and other therapeutics will be sent to India to continue to support a longstanding partner and ally."

He said as Texans, this reinforces close ties between "our community and the Indian-American diaspora".

Congressman Adam Smith lauded President Biden for the steps taken to assist countries that need help.

"The COVID-19 crisis in India and other countries has been devastating, and more vaccines and medical supplies are still needed," said the chairman of the powerful House Armed Services Committee.

"To defeat COVID-19, we must fight it both at home and around the world," Smith, a Democrat, added.

Congressman Dan Crenshaw said Houston is home to a large Indian community with friends and families in need back in India. "It should be a priority within this international programme," he tweeted.

The US has also sent critical medical equipment and medicines to India to fight the second wave of COVID-19.

Congressman Darren Soto said as a member of the India Caucus, he thanked President Biden for announcing 25 million in vaccines to hard hit places like India.

"Let's continue to take the necessary steps to address the deadly second wave of COVID-19 there with surplus medical supplies and vaccines," said the member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Congressman Troy Nehls urged Biden to immediately send surplus vaccines to India to help it in its fight against COVID-19. He is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

In this global health crisis, it is important that America targets excess COVID-19 vaccines to those around the world that need it most, said Congressman French Hill. "The situation in India, one of our closest allies, is dire. I encourage the Biden administration to support India with vaccines in their time of need," said Hill, who is a member of the House Financial Services Committee.
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A Christian chaplain is fighting back being accused of "being a terrorist," which led to his termination for presenting a message on religious freedom on the Trent College campus.

Rev. Dr. Bernard Randall, 48, has filed a lawsuit against Trent College for "discrimination, harassment, victimization and unfair dismissal," reports the Christian Post.

As mentioned in an earlier report, Randall only explained about gender identification and same-sex partnerships based on the Bible. Students approached him, perplexed and disturbed by some of the stuff they're told in the curriculum presented by Elly Barnes, the creator of Educate & Celebrate, an LGBT education nonprofit who visited the school.

The course says that it's intended to "equip you and your communities with the knowledge, skills and confidence to embed gender, gender identity and sexual orientation into the fabric of your organization."

The next week, he was informed that his sermon had offended several people and that he would be suspended pending an inquiry. He was also reported to Prevent, which deals with terrorist concerns, as well as the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), who is the point of contact for claims of child abuse and neglect.

The priest noted that being labeled a terrorist has hurt him. Despite the fact that the police determined in his case two years ago that he was neither a "counter-terrorism risk" or at "risk of radicalization," he said that it "is still a wound."

During the first nationwide lockdown in March 2020, Randall was put on furlough. Last December, he was let off from his job.

"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," he said. "You must accept it without question and no debate is allowed without serious consequences. Someone else will decide what is and what isn't acceptable, and suddenly you can become an outcast, possibly for the rest of your life."

His dismissal was reversed on appeal, but he claims he was prohibited from commenting on subjects "likely to cause offense or distress to members of the school body" as well as publicly stating his "beliefs in ways which exploit our pupils' vulnerability." The school also asked him to submit a draft sermon for approval ahead of time and to have an observer present during services.

Andrea Williams, Chief Executive Officer of the Christian Legal Centre, stated: "All those that said it couldn't happen - punishing and criminalizing a Christian minister for preaching from the Bible - need to take a long, hard look at the story of Bernard Randall."

"Who are the extremists in this story? The moderate school chaplain with an intelligent, mild-mannered and thoughtful sermon or Educate and Celebrate encouraging staff to smash heteronormativity?" she asked.

On June 14, the East Midlands Employment Tribunal is due to hear his case.

Despite all his troubles, the chaplain said he has grown more outspoken as a Christian.

"I think, as a Christian in particular, speaking about truth is really important, as Jesus said, 'I am the way the truth and the life,'" he asserted.
The authorities dropped a lawsuit and fines against a Christian volunteer who served a homeless community in an English town during a lockdown last year.

Jan Niedojadlo volunteered at the Lord's Soup Kitchen, a group that provided hot meals for the homeless in Taunton from January to April 2020. But in early April last year, when Niedojadlo was preaching to a woman, the Avon and Somerset Police questioned him for staying out of the house without a valid reason. He explained that he was part of a charity group but police charged and fined him with 60 (about $85.10), Christian Today reported.

In accordance with the local government's COVID-19 guidance, people doing voluntary activities are allowed to leave their houses during lockdown.

The organizer of the soup kitchen, Karen King, told the court about the town's pandemic guidelines, as well as Niedojadlo's involvement with their group.

Expert witness Dr. Martin Parsons said that his case has a "significant conflict between this aspect of freedom of religion both in terms of how it has been developed in British constitutional history and the interpretation of current Coronavirus regulations by Avon and Somerset Police."

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) accepted the volunteer's argument and dropped his case, saying that "it is not in the public interest."

Andrea Williams, founder and director of Christian Legal Centre (CLC), the legal organization which represented Niedojadlo in the court, agreed with CPS' statement.

She said that ministering to vulnerable people in the street has always been a part of England's history, meeting various needs of the community, particularly the poor.

"Christian preaching and outreach to the most vulnerable on our streets has a long and revered history in this country. For centuries it has played a vital role in meeting communities' material, emotional and spiritual needs, especially for the homeless," she said.

"This pandemic, and cases such as Jan's, has exposed how as a society we are forgetting how important the role of the church and Christian outreach is in our communities. All Jan was doing was making the homeless aware of where they could get a warm meal and of the love that Jesus has for them at an especially vulnerable time," Williams added.

Further, the CLC director questioned the authorities' actions towards Christians who minister to the homeless.

"Christians, whether preaching or supporting the homeless have been continually met with hostility by the police and have been fined and even arrested. How is this in the public interest?" she pointed out.

Glad that the court saw the "sense" in Niedojadlo's case, she was hoping that other Christians inflicted with fines for the same reason would also be freed.

"We are pleased that the courts have seen sense in this case, and hope that fines against other preachers and voluntary workers will also be thrown out," Williams stated.

Though delighted with CPS' decision, Niedojadlo stressed that the lawsuit should have never "got [that] far".

He argued that while people are told to "stay at home to save lives" during the lockdown last year, the homeless were "in danger and were forgotten".

The volunteer went on to say that the town encounters "significant issues with homelessness" and the support provided by the soup kitchen "was a lifeline" during "an extremely difficult time".

"The whole purpose of me being out on the streets was to bring hope to the homeless," he pointed out.

"The attitude of the community support officer and the police towards me was unbelievably hostile and dismissive. I was treated like a nuisance. There was a lack of respect, humanity and understanding of what Christian outreach and preaching is and why it is important," he further stated.

Niedojadlo was hoping that his case would help other believers who are facing the same situation. He also encouraged them to challenge the fines imposed by authorities and not be "intimidated into silence and inaction".
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EY US Announces Ken Dalley of GUARDIAN RFID as an Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021 Heartland Award Finalist
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Former President Donald Trump said on Monday that the COVID-19 is China's "single greatest attack on the world" as evidence of the Wuhan laboratory leakage grows strong.

WND reported that Trump was on Fox Business with Stuart Varney who asked him over a phone interview about his thoughts on the matter. Trump said China carried out this historical attack on the world and should be subjected to pay for it.

"Whether it's on purpose or not, it's the single greatest attack on the world--and not just us-- on the world in history," he stressed.

"But they should pay something, because what they've done is unthinkable," he added. "Regardless, it was their fault. It came from China, it came from the lab. It's the China virus."

Trump raised that $10 trillion may be an amount to begin with that China should pay although the pandemic's actual cost of damage to the world is priceless and something the communist country could not afford. He also pointed out that there are some who believe China engineered the virus and its leakage was a result of their "gross incompetence."

In addition, Trump highlighted that he said earlier that the virus came from the laboratory and stressed he was right about it all along. He even recalled that he was censored online for stating the virus came from China.

"The fake news media and Big Tech shut me down for saying that. But I said it then and I say it now, and I turned out to be right," he said.

Trump's interview comes after his former Coronavirus task force official Admiral Brett Giroir said that the coronavirus "could have been engineered as part of" China's "biological weapons program." Giroir said it is "not crazy" to think that the virus did come from China's Wuhan laboratory since it may be a possibility especially after the Communist government did make a "huge cover-up" about it.

Surmounting evidence has shown the virus's origins did come from a leakage of the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Even British intelligence now believe this theory as per recent reports.

Trump sent out experts to China to investigate the source of the virus but was blocked by the latter's government from doing so. Trump's former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo even pointed the virus coming from China based on evidence they gathered but the World Health Organization absolved China from the issue, such that President Joe Biden even signed an order that bans reference to COVID-19 as the "Wuhan virus" to appease China before ordering in May to shutdown the probe initiated by Trump on the virus' origins.

Republicans have been urging an investigation on the matter especially after new set of evidence have surfaced. Texas Representative Mike McCaul and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul are among those who have been putting pressure in finding the truth about the matter, which has put National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci on the spotlight again, particularly due to his emails revealing how he mishandled the issue.

But despite the outrage on the Wuhan virus cover up, China has been reported to continue its plan of building more bio labs in the next five years. The said bio labs are where dangerous virus such as COVID-19 are experimented on.
The Justice Department announced yesterday that it had seized 63.7 bitcoins currently valued at approximately $2.3 million that allegedly represents some portion of a May 8 payment by the Colonial Pipeline company to DarkSide ransomware attackers. Colonial Pipeline admitted paying the cybercriminals a total ransom of around $4.4 million in bitcoin to restore full functionality to its systems following the crippling ransomware attack announced by the company on May 7.

The Special Prosecutions Section and Asset Forfeiture Unit of the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California seized the bitcoin wallet after a magistrate judge for the Northern District of California authorized a seizure warrant. News of the wallet seizure came as little surprise given that the DarkSide attackers themselves foreshadowed it when they announced in mid-May that the group lost control over some of its servers, including a payment server, and was shutting down due to "pressure" from the United States. At that time, DarkSide also stated that some of its funds had been withdrawn to an unknown account.

The adage of follow the money still applies

Lisa Monaco, a deputy attorney general of the Justice Department, said during a press briefing that "the old adage 'follow the money still applies.' And that's exactly what we do. After Colonial Pipeline's quick notification to law enforcement and pursuant to a seizure warrant issued by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California earlier today, the Department of Justice has found and recaptured the majority of the ransom Colonial paid to the DarkSide network in the wake of last month's ransomware attack."

The targeted seizure of the wallet aims to undercut the current wave of increasingly destructive ransomware attacks, particularly those targeted at highly critical infrastructure such as oil and gas pipelines. "We turned the tables on DarkSide by going after the entire ecosystem that fuels ransomware and digital extortion attacks, including criminal proceeds in the form of digital currency," Monaco said. "We will continue to use all of our tools and all of our resources to increase the cost and the consequences of ransomware attacks and other cyber-enabled attacks."

FBI is vague on how it identified the attacker's wallet

Precisely how law enforcement identified the attacker's wallet is unclear. During the briefing, FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate said that the Bureau has been investigating Russia-based cybercrime gang DarkSide since last year. DarkSide is only one of 100 ransomware variants affecting 90 identified victims that the FBI is investigating, Abbate said.

"We identified a virtual currency wallet that the DarkSide actors use to collect a payment from a victim using law enforcement authorities. Victim funds were seized from that wallet, preventing DarkSide actors from using it," Abbate said while offering few details on how the operation worked. In an affidavit accompanying an application for the seizure warrant, an FBI field agent, whose name was redacted, said that Colonial Pipeline informed the FBI on May 8 of the cryptocurrency address it used to make its ransom payment.

From there, the FBI reviewed the bitcoin public ledger to trace the bitcoins to the ultimately seized wallet. "The private key for the [wallet] is in the possession of the FBI in the Northern District of California," the agent said in the affidavit." Private keys, which are 256-bit secret numbers that allow bitcoin to be unlocked and sent, are critical components of how the cryptocurrency is kept anonymous and secure.

Knowing how the FBI obtained the DarkSide actor's private key is critical to determining whether law enforcement might be able to follow the money again and remove the economic incentive for other ransomware attackers in the future. According to reports of an FBI press call on the wallet seizure, the Bureau said it is deliberately vague regarding how it obtained the private key to avoid tipping off hackers. According to one agent, the method the FBI used is "replicable," which means authorities could use it against the next ransomware attacker. The FBI also revealed it received substantial help from the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) in seizing the wallet.

Three theories on how law enforcement found the wallet

"The FBI court documents leave much to speculation, but one thing that is certain is that they did take possession of the hacker group's private key and the 63.7 bitcoin associated with it," Adrian Bednarek CISO of virtual economy company Overflow Labs, tells CSO. Bednarek speculates that one of three scenarios explain how the FBI obtained the hackers' private key.

First, "sloppy operational security by DarkSide led to the FBI discovering the physical location of any computing devices that were used to collect ransomware payments," he says, with the seizure of those devices leading to the forensic recovery of DarkSide's private keys. This notion fits with DarkSide's mid-May statement that it lost control over its servers.

Under another, less likely, scenario, a DarkSide insider cooperated and cut a deal with the FBI to turn over any private key, Bednarek says.

Bednarek's third scenario holds that the FBI used non-public zero-day exploits in either operating systems or software (or both) used by DarkSide to either "reveal the real internet protocol (IP) address of DarkSide computing devices and work with ISPs to get their physical location or execute malicious code to recover any bitcoin private keys forensically," Bednarek says. "From previous experience, I can say that they even seek out and hire firms to specifically discover exploits in software used by adversaries."

Monaco said this latest action is not the first time the US government has seized cryptocurrency connected with ransomware attacks. In January, authorities seized approximately $454,530.19 in cryptocurrency ransom payments in a multi-part offensive against the NetWalker ransomware gang.

Colonial Pipeline's collaboration could encourage other victims to work with the feds

Colonial Pipeline acknowledged its collaboration in working with the FBI to seize the wallet and share knowledge with field officers and prosecutors. "When Colonial was attacked on May 7, we quietly and quickly contacted the local FBI field offices in Atlanta and San Francisco, and prosecutors in Northern California and Washington DC to share with them what we knew at that time," Colonial said in a statement.

The FBI hopes that this successful seizure would encourage other ransomware victims to work with law enforcement to deprive ransomware attackers of financial gain. "The message we are sending today is that if you come forward and work with law enforcement, we may be able to take the type of action that we took today to deprive the criminal actors of what they're going after here, which is the proceeds of their criminal scheme," Monaco said.

"This was an attack against some of our most critical national infrastructure in the form of the Colonial Pipeline. This represents the swift whole of government response represented in the work of this [FBI ransomware] task force and our determination to go after the entire ransomware criminal ecosystem used by these types of criminal networks and their affiliates."

Ransomware actors could struggle to remain anonymous

Whether authorities successfully weaken the ransomware ecosystem, it is clear that this latest law enforcement action signals that ransomware actors can be traced, which is bound to force some regrouping among the cybercriminals. "Remaining anonymous on the internet is very difficult and requires meticulous attention to detail," Bednarek says. "There are countless things to keep track of, so it's very hard to remain anonymous online, especially when directing a ransomware attack that deals with the collection of cryptocurrency as a ransom."

Speaking at the Justice Department's press briefing, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds for the Northern District of California underscored the seeming futility of ransomware actors hiding behind supposedly anonymous cryptocurrency payment systems. "New financial technologies that attempt to anonymize payments will not provide a curtain from behind which criminals will be permitted to pick the pockets of hardworking Americans," she said. "This case demonstrates our resolve to develop methods, to prevent evildoers from converting new methods of payment into tools of extortion for undeserved profits."
Many Connecticut schools cited a need for mask wearing and a lack of air conditioning for dismissing students early this week as temperatures spiked into the 90s, bringing unseasonably warm weather to the state.

Dozens of schools statewide let students go home early on Monday and Tuesday because of the hot and humid weather. On Tuesday, the temperature reached nearly 90 degrees, with heat index values as high as 96 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Shelton Public Schools will continue dismissing students early for the remainder of the school year  which runs through June 16  because of the heat, officials said.

Its unclear if any other schools in the state will dismiss students early during the remainder of the week.

Among those to announce early dismissals for Tuesday were public schools in Greenwich, Litchfield, Lebanon, Madison, Milford, Montville, New Fairfield, Orange, Seymour, Stamford, Stratford, Torrington, Wallingford and Waterbury.

In Norwalk, there were two-hour early dismissals for six of the citys schools.

Bridgeport Public Schools had a one-session day.

New Milford Public Schools said after monitoring the heat index in each building on Monday, officials decided to have an early dismissal on Tuesday.

Officials in some school districts said mask-wearing and a lack of air conditioning were factors in dismissing students early during the hot weather.

Bridgeport Superintendent Michael Testani said while he did consider mask wearing, ultimately it was the extreme heat in buildings with no air conditioning that was the deciding factor.

In New Fairfield, Superintendent Patricia Cosentino said she considered the same factors.

Sal Pascarella, Danburys superintendent, said mask-wearing was one of many factors in his decision.

There were other considerations in the decision-making process such as the temperature expectation above 90, the lack of air conditioning in most of our buildings and the inability to use fans during the pandemic, Pascarella said.

He also stressed that the district has called early weather dismissals before the pandemic because of excessive heat and lack of air conditioning.

The high temperatures start to lessen as the week goes on, according to the latest National Weather Service forecast.

Wednesday brings a high temperature near 88 degrees. At night, the temperature will drop to around 66 degrees.

The temperature could reach around 83 degrees Thursday and drop to about 56 degrees at night.

Things cool down Friday with a high around 70 degrees. By night, the low could again reach about 56 degrees.
NEW YORK (AP)  As a student at Wesleyan, Lin-Manuel Miranda began writing what would become In the Heights, the musical that would launch him as a playwright and performer and that would lead, two decades later, to Jon M. Chus upcoming lavish big-screen adaptation. He was motivated, like any confident young artist, by ambition. But also by something else.

It was a lot of fear, honestly, Miranda said in a recent interview. I had a real wake-up call when I was 18, 19 and starting to study theater. The fear was: Im going into a field that has no space for me, that has no roles for me. It was sort of that thing of: No ones going to write your dream show. The cavalry isnt coming.

When In the Heights opens Friday, it may feel very much like reinforcements are arriving. The movie, a street-level song-and-dance spectacle to rival the MGM musicals of old, is an exuberant celebration of the Latino immigrant experience, of a diverse neighborhood, of a teeming summertime New York, of life.

In the Heights, originally slated to be released last June, arrives already engulfed with the aura of cultural event for one of the movies most blatantly underseen communities. And as a big-screen party, In the Heights is poised to rekindle the euphoric, dancing-the-aisles theatrical experience thats been all but snuffed out over the past year. Just how much can In the Heights lift up? Its a lot, Miranda sighs, to put on a musical.

Yet the timing, despite Mirandas early inclination to get the movie out by streaming last year, seems preordained. In the Heights is one massive reminder of what weve been missing, on screen and off, the past pandemic year. Chu calls it a vaccine of joy.

On the first day of shooting, we all got in a circle and I was like: Let go of all the pressure. Lets just entertain the hell out of these people, recalls Chu, the director of two Step Up movies and Crazy Rich Asians.

We filmed it in the best summer of our lives in 2019, says Miranda. It shows just how wonderful it is when we all get together and sing a song, or to see us embracing our elders without fear. It all hits different now.

In the Heights has already been almost universally praised by critics. With city-wide screenings, it will open the Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday. But as much as In the Heights feels like a sure-thing blockbuster and a Latino milestone, the movie will be debuting in theaters that have been battered by the pandemic. The films long road to the screen  plans only picked up once Mirandas Hamilton became a Broadway sensation  is leading to a crucial test for moviegoing. Another wrinkle: Warner Bros. is also releasing it simultaneously on HBO Max.

The filmmakers hope In the Heights can be for Latinos what Black Panther was for Black Americans or what Chus own Crazy Rich Asians was for Asian Americans. Hispanics, the largest minority in the United States, make up an even larger slice of moviegoers despite their regular absence from Hollywoods biggest productions. For Chu, the kind of industry-changing, pop culture sensation he experienced with Crazy Rich Asians ultimately hinges on the audience.

Even Crazy Rich Asians you couldnt really tell. It was only the second weekend when people started coming back and the third weekend when people who didnt go to the movies started to come, says the director. Buying tickets to this thing putting your money where your mouth is  was the democratic statement that no studio could make up.

Vacillating between wide-screen seas of dancers and intimate portraits of immigrant life, In the Heights tells a story both specific and of a community. Playing the role originated by Miranda, Anthony Ramos stars as Usnavi, a Dominican-American bodega owner with dreams of returning to the Caribbean. Ramos played Usnavi in a regional production of In the Heights but his breakthrough came in Hamilton, in dual roles as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton.

The lyrics and backdrop of In the Heights are especially meaningful to the Bushwick native Ramos, whose star-making performance brings a streetwise New York swagger and big-smiling charisma to the film.

The story of all these characters feels so familiar to my life and to the people that are in my life who Ive seen in my own community growing up in Bushwick in New York and Brooklyn, says Ramos. There are shots of the food that I grew up eating, the music that I grew up listening to. The piragua guy, I know that guy.

A sense of responsibility weighed on Ramos during the filming in Washington Heights. Before shooting certain scenes that felt particularly powerful, Ramos would shout to the crew: For the culture!  a ritual he learned from Spike Lee while acting in his Shes Gotta Have It.

It meant that we are all here, in this moment, doing this film and telling this story for something that is way bigger than any us," says Ramos. This aint about us, this movie. Its about the people that came before us and the people that came after us. This is for everybody who had to sacrifice, who had to break doors open.

Both Ramos mother and sister make cameos in the movie. In the opening number, his sister is dancing five people down from him. There are many such casting quirks. Miranda, happily a bit player in a world he created, plays the piragua guy. Much of the original Broadway cast appear in the final dance number among bursting hydrants. Some of the extras are kids from a nearby high school that put on their own In the Heights that the filmmakers attended and were inspired by.

It just showed us: This is what were here for, says Chu.

So strong is Chus connection to the movie that he named his second child Jonathan Heights Chu. He wanted, he says, to hear that name every day of his life, and for his son to hear it, too.

Alongside Ramos stars Leslie Grace as Nina Rosario, a college student home for the summer; Corey Hawkins as Benny, a taxi driver; and Melissa Barrera as Vanessa, a salon worker trying to get her own apartment downtown. For Barrera, a 30-year-old Mexico-born actor, the character  a striver seeking opportunity away from home  is basically herself.

To me It Wont Be Long Now is literally the anthem of my life. Ive been waiting for an opportunity like this forever. I feel like Ive worked really hard in my career but theres always something, like, what is it that Im missing? says Barrera. I was that girl. I left Mexico. I knew I wasnt going to be able to become a performer in my hometown.

When the film was early in development with The Weinstein Co., there was interest in casting pop stars in some roles. But Miranda believed strongly that In the Heights should help grow the Latino stars the industry has been lacking. A decision was also made to bring the show, which debuted on Broadway in 2008, up to contemporary times. That meant retailoring the book to encompass developments like the immigration policy of DACA and the challenges faced by a new generation of immigrants.

Once we decided on now, there was a lot of room to grow, says Quiara Alegria Hudes, who wrote the shows book and the films screenplay. I live in Washington Heights. Part of how I write is by just walking around and listening. When Nina says, Shhh. I want to listen to my block, thats my writing process.

For Miranda, the passing of time has been cause for reflection on what Latinos have accomplished since then, and what still needs to change.

In a lot of ways, time has caught up to In the Heights, says Miranda. 'In the Heights' was kind of this unicorn when it came out in 2008, especially when it came to Latino representation in commercial theater. If you look at the theater surveys they take every year of attendance, you will see Latino audience spike in 2008 to really cool level, and then we close and then it goes back down. There was a very direct if-you-build-it-they-will-come scenario.

___

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
A proposal to expand health care access to undocumented children under age 9 and immigrant mothers  a crucial piece of legislative Democrats health care reform plan  is expected to be the first order of business in the House Tuesday.

About 1,900 children would be eligibile for HUSKY Medicaid coverage under the bill before the House, according to the Office of Fiscal Analysis. To qualify, children would have to be living in households earning up to 323 percent of the federal poverty level  a far higher threshold than typical HUSKY coverage.

If passed by the House, the bill would still need approval from the Senate. Its one of few remaining health reform measures still in play with less than two days to go in the legislative session  a session that started with ambitious reform plans by Democrats.

The other surviving part of the health reform plan would provide more subsidies for Connecticut residents to sign up for health care coverage on the states insurance exchange. That is part of the budget that the House and Senate will adopt by Wednesday night, but Gov. Ned Lamonts push to tax health insurers by $50 million a year to help pay for the subsidies is no longer on the table.

House members were debating the start date of the added Medicaid coverage midday Tuesday.

Any child born in the country is a citizen and therefore could be eligible for HUSKY coverage depending on his or her familys income. the bill would expand eligibility for those children and cover non-citizen children whose families move into the state.

The estimated cost to the state is $700,000 in the first year of the biennium budget, growing to $4.1 million in the second year, with the anticipation that more will join the program, according to the bills fiscal note.

Mothers, regardless of their immigration status, would be able to qualify for prenatal care through HUSKY if living in households earning up to 263 percent of the federal poverty level. Up to 1,400 women would qualify for the coverage.

The cost to the state is estimated at $11 million a year after the program ramps up.

Another 1,400 or so women would have access to up to a year of postnatal care as long as they are living in households where incomes do not exceed 263 percent of the federal poverty level. The estimated cost is $750,000 in the first year and $5 million during the second year.

In February, Lamont presented a health care reform package that he saw as key to expanding medical coverage and lowering costs, as he crafted Connecticuts response to a pandemic that killed more than 8,000 state residents and laid bare, in glaring terms, disparities in access to care.

And Democrats in the General Assembly reevived their plan from 2019 to create a so-called public option health plan that they said would help lower insurance costs.

But Lamonts plan  including the $50 million tax on health insurance companies to subsidize expanded coverage and his proposal to cap drug price hikes  failed to gain traction. And the public option plan, which Lamont opposed, also died.

Under the state budget plan that will roll out Tuesday, federal stimulus money would be complemented by state-sponsored subsidies that would cover the costs of copays, deductibles and premiums for about 40,000 residents.

With the states improved fiscal outlook, the Lamont administration believes it can absorb that cost within the general fund, instead of through levying the health insurance tax, the governors budget director Melissa McCaw said last week.

But the state subsidies would take several years to fully implement as Connecticut would need to secure a waiver from the federal government before they could be put in place. Massachusetts, Vermont, and California currently provide state-funded subsidies for exchange coverage and New Jersey plans to implement a program this year.

Connecticut already has one of the lowest uninsured rates in the nation. Still, thousands of residents with incomes just above the poverty level, who are ineligible for HUSKY Medicaid coverage, struggle to find affordable care, according to the Connecticut Health Foundation. That was an issue even before the pandemic and by all accounts it got worse as many people lost their jobs and their employer-sponsored health insurance plans.

James Michel, chief executive officer of Access Health CT, the states Obamacare health exchange, has estimated that through the new federal subsidies as many as 210,000 uninsured and under-insured state residents will be eligible to join the program, which had 105,000 registrants as of the end of April.

These residents could save hundreds or thousands of dollars a month compared to what they are currently paying, Michel said. But there is concern about what happens when the federal money runs out.

The public option health insurance plan, aimed at small businesses and nonprofits, failed for the third year in a row, under intense opposition from the health insurance industry. State Sen. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, the major backer of the proposal, has pushed reforms in other ways.

The increased state and federal subsidies included in the two-year budget plan would provide for a big expansion of health care affordability Lesser said Monday. In the out years, he wants plans to build on this .... to turn it into more of a middle-class benefit.

But, he said, this is a huge first step and its a proof of concept.

Part of the Democrats proposal to expand health care access to more people includes lowering costs for undocumented immigrant residents  an idea thats still alive.

The House on Tuesday is expected to take up a bill to provide Medicaid coverage to undocumented children under age 9, and to women, regardless of their immigration status, for pre-natal and post-natal care, for certain income levels. This added coverage would cost the state $11.9 million in fiscal year 2023, according to the Office of Fiscal Analysis.

In the Senate, Lesser led bipartisan passage of a bill that would limit the circumstances under which health insurance companies can make drugs more expensive or discontinue them during a plan year  an effort to curb rising prescription drug costs. The bill, previously passed by the House, now goes to Gov. Lamont.

A Republican plan unveiled earlier this year, which would use medical cost benchmarking to save consumers money, also did not gain support this legislative session. That proposal, similar to what Massachusetts implemented in 2012, is based on the idea that transparency lowers prices.

julia.bergman@hearstmediact.com
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israel's parliament speaker has scheduled a vote for Sunday on a new government that would end Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year rule, the longest in the country's history.

Parliament speaker Yariv Levin, a Netanyahu ally, announced the timing of the vote on Tuesday, a day after acknowledging that a coalition had been formed.

The fragile coalition consists of eight parties spanning Israel's political spectrum, with only a narrow majority in the 120-member Knesset, or parliament. But it appears to have held together despite a furious campaign by Netanyahu's supporters that has included death threats and protests outside lawmakers' homes.

Netanyahu has accused his erstwhile right-wing allies of betrayal for allying with leftists and a small Arab party that he had also courted.

Naftali Bennett, an ultranationalist former Netanyahu ally, would serve as prime minister for two years, followed by the centrist Yair Lapid, the driving force behind the coalition, who thanked the speaker for scheduling the vote.

The unity government is on the way and ready to work on behalf of all the people of Israel, Lapid said.

Israel held four elections in less than two years, the most recent in March.

Each time, voters were deeply polarized over whether Netanyahu should remain in office while facing allegations of corruption, for which he is now on trial. An emergency government formed last year to address the coronavirus pandemic was mired in political infighting and collapsed in December. Netanyahu tried and failed to form a government after the March elections before the mandate was given to Lapid.

The political transition, which could yet be derailed, comes amid heightened tensions following weeks of clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police in Jerusalem that ignited a wave of ethnic violence in Israeli cities and triggered an 11-day Gaza war.
LITCHFIELD  The sedate community was caught by surprise Monday evening when state police were called to investigate a deadly shooting involving a respected attorney outside his law firm along the towns historic green.

On Tuesday, state police identified the victim as 39-year-old Matthew Bromley, of Torrington. They said he died from a single gunshot wound to the head.

The law firm, Cramer & Anderson, said one of its partners, attorney Robert Fisher, was involved in the shooting and has been placed on leave. State police identified Fisher as the subject of the investigation and said he remained at the scene Monday evening.

Fisher declined to comment when reached by phone on Tuesday.

State police have released few details about the shooting, other than to say Bromley was killed and the weapon belonging to a registered owner was seized at the scene. They have not yet said what motivated the killing.

On Tuesday, Cramer & Anderson released a statement, saying the firm had no connection to Bromley.

We have conducted a review of client records and found no record of Mr. Bromley ever being a client of the firm, or being a listed adversarial party, the statement read. The firm continues to cooperate with investigative authorities.

Barbara Morehouse, who is renting the Parsons Home adjacent to the law firm, said she was taking a nap in an upstairs bedroom that faces the lawyers office when the shooting occurred. Along with her husband and daughter, she said they heard at the same time a woman scream and a gunshot.

Her daughter came to her and said someone was shot.

My husband called 911 and there was someone lying on the parking lot with blood coming out all over, and there was a gentleman standing on the phone, and there was a woman pacing.

State police said they could not confirm whether a woman or if any other witnesses were at the scene, citing the ongoing investigation.

State police troopers were sent to the law office at 46 West St. about 5 p.m. Monday after receiving emergency calls regarding a disturbance in which a firearm was discharged. State police said one call came from the person who fired the gun.

According to the firms website, Fisher, the resident partner in the Washington Depot office, specializes in real estate law, and also works on estate planning and administration.

Judicial records show Fisher was not representing anyone in any active civil or criminal cases as of Tuesday.

Fisher, who lives in Goshen, joined the firm after graduating from UConn Law in 1976 and became a partner five years later, the firms website said.

Fisher, a Vietnam veteran, is a well-liked and respected member of the bar, said Litchfield County Bar Association President Ryan Henry, a partner at Allingham, Readyoff & Henry.

Ive known Bob my entire career. Hes a very respected senior member of the bar association, Henry said. Hes had a very long, successful career. Hes a pleasure to work with.

Henry said Fisher was not the person anyone would expect to be involved in a confrontation. Hes a very cool, calm guy, he said.

Though Cramer & Anderson said the firm had no connection to Bromley, state police said Fisher and the Torrington man may have known each other.

We do believe that they know of one another, but in terms of the exact relationship between both parties, that is unknown at this point, said Trooper Jose Dorelus, a state police spokesperson.

The fatal shooting was jarring for residents accustomed to the safe area where some say they leave their doors unlocked. The homicide was the first in town in nearly 16 years, state crime statistics show.

Ive been living in Litchfield my whole life and stuff like this doesnt really happen here, said Ben Judd, 22, of Litchfield who said he drove by the law firm Monday night as police were investigating the scene.

I have really never felt any danger here. I just lock stuff by habit, he said. I never really thought of it like someones going to break in or anything like that. Its a quiet town. Not a lot of stuff goes on.

Louis Lemieux, a Litchfield resident who owns Blueprint CT Kitchen, said Cramer & Anderson have been his attorneys for about a decade.

Lemieux said he was stunned when he heard about the shooting.

Bob is well known in the community and its very surprising for us to have something like that happen in our town, he said.

Bernice Olivetti, of Goshen, said the incident was shocking and she had not heard of another homicide in town in forever.

Olivettis husband, Phillip, said he was very surprised when he heard about the incident.

Shootings here? It doesnt happen, he said.

The first thing I thought of is if its a serial guy or not. It doesnt happen around here, generally speaking. I thought, OK, do I lock the doors tonight?

Staff writer Peter Yankowski contributed to this story.
BRIDGEPORT  The citys school system is calling on school staff to support families displaced by a recent fire.

Due to a recent fire that occurred in the City of Bridgeport, we have a number of families that have been displaced and have lost everything they own, Rita Valle-Shastri wrote in a weekend email to school staff. In keeping with the caring and benevolent nature of our school district staff, we are asking you to consider supporting our affected students by making donations.

The fire took place Sunday, May 30, over the Memorial Day weekend. The first calls to the Fire Department came in about 6:30 p.m. At the time of the fire, Scott Appleby, the citys director of emergency management and emergency communications, told Hearst Connecticut Media that the Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority and Red Cross would support with any immediate sheltering needs.

The school district is accepting donations through Friday, June 18. District staff have asked for clothing items and gift cards for groceries and clothing, not monetary donations.

Superintendent Michael Testani said on Monday that local families can also contribute to the donation drive. Staff and anyone else interested in supporting the families can bring donations to the Office of the Superintendent at City Hall Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m..

The list of requested clothing items include boys size 6 and size 8/10 clothing, boys pants in size 26-26 and 30-30 and shirts in size medium. Also girls clothing size 3, size 5 and size 7/8.
Sirachai Arunrugstichai / Getty Images

DERBY  Residents who still have not gotten vaccinated can do so Tuesday at the St Vincent de Paul of the Valley thrift shop and food bank.

Griffin Health will administer Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson vaccines from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the shop at 237 Roosevelt Drive.
STRATFORD  School board members voted Monday to reinstate positions they had cut when they voted on their original budget proposal with the understanding that federal COVID-19 grants could cover the cost.

But some expressed reservations because school district administrators couldnt provide more details about what would be happening with the positions in question.

In February, the school board asked for a 3.88 percent, $4.6 million increase to its current budget of $117.5 million that would result in the elimination of eight teaching and four administrative positions.

Last week, the Town Council voted to give the school district a 2.25 percent, $2.6 million increase.

But instead of having to cut even more positions, Superintendent Janet Robinson suggested reinstating two of the teaching and one of the administrative positions because school officials believe the costs could be covered by federal COVID-19 funds.

Administrators told the school board that a retirement could offset the potential job loss for one of the remaining positions to be cut, and two currently vacant teaching positions could cover another two.

But they also warned the school board that the federal funds wont last forever, and that a fiscal cliff could be looming for the district in future years.

School administrators are still figuring out how to recommend using all of the pandemic-related federal aid coming to the town, which could impact the budget into the next three fiscal years.

After officials debated the issue for more than an hour, Chief Operating Officer Pamela Mangini said the school district could plan to use the COVID-19 grant funds to cover three of the positions the board had voted to cut in February.

Obviously, were going to have to take a real hard look at that going forward, but yes, we can find the funding, she said. I dont think you necessarily have to look for any reductions to the budget proposal as it stands, its just going to make that fiscal cliff a little bit harder in a couple of years.

Robert DeLorenzo noted administrators couldnt explain details.

Adding the three teachers back, what does that actually mean? he asked. What schools? Where? How? What? Im not following.

I cant answer that right now because we have to sit down and digest it, Robinson said.

Mangini said she would try to get the school board more details for its next meeting, scheduled for June 28.

DeLorenzo voted no.

Absolutely not, he said. I have nothing to look at.

Karen Rodia voted yes, but with reservations shared by some other members who voted in the affirmative.

I prefer to have the paper in front of me, Rodia said. And quite honestly, at our next board meeting, Id like to reaffirm this vote because I want to make sure it matches what we think were voting for.

The final vote was 6-1, with DeLorenzo voting no, and Rodia, Chairperson Allison DelBene, Vice Chair Amy Wiltsie, Vincent Faggella, Andrea Corcoran and Janice Cupee voting yes.

Only DelBene and DeLorenzo responded to a request for comment from Hearst Connecticut Media.

If you watch the meeting, you can see how passionate we all are about ensuring our system is of the highest quality, with small class sizes and effective instruction, intervention and support from high quality teachers, DelBene said in an email. We are proud of the reinstatements and for the work weve done to pass the 2021-2022 budget.

DeLorenzo answered, I am unsure how we approved a budget with amendments without seeing all the details in the amendments, he said. Its definitely frustrating when teachers are involved. Our board still does not understand that the superintendent reports to the board.
3 1 of 3 Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 3





TRUMBULL  A 16-month occasionally contentious process ended with a public hearing at which no one spoke and a unanimous vote after no discussion.

With a unanimous consent vote, the town council repealed Chapter 6, section 6-4 of the towns Municipal Code. That was the section that detailed the polling places for the four districts. With the code rescinded, it is now up to the towns registrars, Republican Tracy Vonick and Democrat Jean Rabinow, to set the polling locations. The council voted to adopt seven equal districts.
A Christian group has threatened to pursue a legal fight against the Irish government should the state cave to LGBT activists and ban a certain kind of "prayer," effectively criminalizing Christianity and Biblical sexuality in the country.

WND reported that the Christian Institute (CI) has announced its threat against the Northern Ireland government if it pushes its ban on "prayer," which is being used in counseling for people with gender dysphoria and often referred to as "conversion therapy."

Conversion therapy has been banned in several American states while the issue on it is currently being raised by pro-transgender activists in the United Kingdom, WND noted. The said activists pointed out that prayer is being used to get rid of same-sex attractions and purport prayer as counseling that needs to be banned.

"LGBT activists are pushing for a broad ban to criminalize prayer, preaching, pastoral support and even parenting which does not affirm same-sex relationships or a person's chosen gender identity," CI said in a statement.

CI elaborated that banning prayer would be a violation on Christians' practice of religious beliefs, which pro-transgender activists are pushing to criminalize. The organization has expressed its conviction to resort to legal action should the Northern Ireland Executive persist with its ban on "conversion therapy," which includes "the wrong kind of prayer."

"(A) badly drafted ban 'could inadvertently criminalize those in churches and other faith communities who adhere to traditional beliefs about marriage and gender identity.'," CI said in a letter addressed to Northern Ireland Executive Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey MLA.

"Should any proposals from the department infringe upon the everyday church activities outlined within the enclosed opinion our client will not hesitate, where appropriate, to seek a judicial review," CI added.

In its website, CI cited leading human rights QC Jason Coppel in stating that Christian beliefs on sexuality are protected in the European Convention of Human Rights Article 9. Thus, these beliefs "must be treated by the State with neutrality and impartiality" and that criminalizing such beliefs are "particularly difficult to justify."

"One of the fundamental facets of freedom of religion or belief is the right of a religion to determine its own beliefs and practices, the legitimacy of which should not be questioned by the state," Coppel said.

The CI through its official Ciaran Kelly said that its is not up to government officials and personnel to decide what kind of prayers are acceptable as what the transgender activists purports to be used to push the ban on conversion therapy. Kelly said it is "shocking" that activists "weaponise a 'harm narrative'" on prayer to oppress Christians and to "outlaw" it in society today when it comes to sexuality.

"Protecting people from dangerous medical practices is one thing but banning preaching, prayer and pastoral care is quite different. It would be as tyrannical as it would be unworkable. It is not up to the police, prosecutors or the courts to decide which kinds of prayer are acceptable," Kelly said.

This would also imply, the CI pointed out, that parents would be criminalized if they encourage their children to embrace the Christian faith, especially its teachings on sexuality and gender. This is something that is totally wrong and against the rights of parents in rearing their child in a matter they know best.

While CI is not against banning "pseudo-medical" practices that are proven harmful, Christians' religious freedoms and rights must be protected from any form of attack, particularly from those who want Biblical practices outlawed.
Writing an article about Juneteenth creates some internal conflict. On one hand, I am extremely excited to illustrate the importance of such an impactful moment in American history and to inform and enlighten people about what it means. On the other hand, there is a heaviness. To discuss Juneteenth means also discussing (at least, in part) Americas greatest sin: Slavery.

Although the popularity of Juneteenth celebrations and information about the holiday are spreading exponentially, it makes sense to start with some background. What is Juneteenth all about, anyway, and what does that have to do with Independence Day?

On July 4, 1776, the United States of America was born. This date marks the formal adoption of the Declaration of Independence and our countrys sovereignty from Great Britain. It goes without saying that this day was a pretty big deal! Being our own country meant setting our own course for the future. It meant that every American was now free to operate under the protections of this country, rather than the rule of another. The only problem? Not every American was recognized as  well  American. For black people in this country, the next 100 years wouldnt provide much relief, as slavery was still alive and well. Over that 100 years, America engaged in an ugly Civil War, which was fought for many reasons, but we cant act like slavery (or the Souths determination to keep that institution going) wasnt the main area of contention. Many people mistakenly believe that President Lincolns signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 ended slavey. It helped  no doubt  but without a cable news network to spread word of such a momentous piece of legislature, the good news did not travel fast. The result was a slow matriculation of information across the country. Over two years later, Juneteenth (short for June 19th) marked the date in 1865 when (observing the Emancipation Proclamation) Major General Gordon Granger announced that in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.

At its core, Juneteenth is a holiday of hope and celebration. It is not some made-up Hallmark holiday. It is not dedicated to raise awareness of the marginalization or appreciation for the contributions of one demographic group. It is recognizing a real date of historic importance: A date that should be of significance to every American.

Juneteenth hasnt reached the level of the national mainstream, and that may be for some of the same reasons I was torn in writing about it. Celebrating it means acknowledging some ugly truths about this country we call home. This has kept many Juneteenth celebrations mostly as a niche cultural phenomenon, rather than prominently recognized celebrations. Over the past few years, the popularity of the date has exploded. Today, 48 states and the District of Columbia recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday (some even as a paid holiday, similar to that of July 4th or Thanksgiving).

Last year, after the murder of George Floyd and just a few weeks before Juneteenth, many organizations made an effort to observe the holiday. This year, a debate occurred: Was that observation a one-off event? Would a cultural floating holiday be a long-term alternative? Should Juneteenth be permanently observed, perhaps replacing Columbus Day on an organizations paid holiday calendar? At Humanidei, we believe it is a day that merits dedicated observation. As a firm committed to building a more inclusive credit union system, there are certain words we question: Standard, normal, typical, traditional, mainstream. Often, these words encode values or beliefs relevant to the group that has historically held a majority position in society and cause us to overlook unique traits that would enrich the credit union system. Holidays or traditions relevant to this group become mainstream, and everything else becomes culturally significant.

As an Independence Day, Juneteenth is much more than a niche cultural phenomenon. It is relevant to all of America. Observing it should not eliminate the celebration of the Fourth of July: That date matters. I celebrate the Fourth of July every year with my family (with the last time being in 2019 down in beautiful Savannah, Georgia). I dont want the nation to stop hosting backyard barbecues or picnics. Few people love burning meat on a grill more than I do! And despite the title of the article, my goal is not to have Juneteenth recognized as the New and Improved Official Independence Day for America, but to see the lesson hereone of inclusion. July 4th marks the date of our countrys independence, but the ugly truth is that it fails to mark the date of independence for all the inhabitants of this country. Juneteenth is also a celebration of independence, one that is inclusive of more than just white American citizens, and one that every American should be proud to celebrate.

In the communities where the Humanidei team lives, we have opportunities to attend music festivals, fun runs, and wine tastings (Portland, OR); unity celebrations and art shows (Hartford, CT); entrepreneur festivals, community cookouts, and poetry festivals (Charlotte, NC); film festivals, beach bonfires, and author readings (San Francisco, CA). A quick Google search for Juneteenth celebrations near me may offer up some neat events in your local area. I encourage each of you to check out one (or more) of those events. You will probably meet some awesome people, and you will be a part of a meaningful celebration of a very important date  not just in black history, but in American history.

Were all working to make this country be the best it can be, and to see to it the realization of the vision of our forefathers. If we all just take a step or two in the direction of inclusion, think about how much better we can make things for ourselves, for our children, for our communities, and for our country.

Celebrate Juneteenth!
Funeral service for Helen Francis Turner, 76, of Cullman will be Saturday, June 12, 2021 at 11 a.m. at Peck Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. James Watts and Rev. Keith Whitley officiating and Peck Funeral Home directing with burial in Bell Springs Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday, June 11, 2
STORY LINK Pound Euro Exchange Rate Dips as UK Government Remains Open About Easing Lockdown in June

GBP/EUR Exchange Rate Slips Despite Strong UK Retail Data

Euro (EUR) Exchange Rate Edges Higher as Eurostat Upgrades Eurozone Growth Forecast

GBP/EUR Exchange Rate Forecast: Could the UK Government Delay the Easing of Lockdown Measures?

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The Pound Euro exchange rate slipped by -0.2% today as a result of this weeks comments from UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who said that the Government was open about delaying the easing lockdown restrictions on 21 June. The pairing is currently fluctuating around 1.15.Sterling fell against some of its peers today as rising Covid-19 infections threaten to see the Government push back its goal to finally ease lockdown measures this month.UK Covid-19 surge testing has also been extended across Greater Manchester and Lancashire to track and curb the spread of the Delta variant, which has been deemed 40% more transmissible.In UK retail data, last night saw the release of the latest British Retail Consortiums (BRC) data for Mays retail sales, which jumped by 23.7%.Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, commented on the report:The rain in May failed to dampen consumer demand. Clothing retailers were the biggest beneficiaries of pent-up demand, clocking up increases of over 100% as an easing of restrictions saw stores reopen and social events social come back on the agenda. Consumers also splurged on new jewellery, footwear and home accessories.In the absence of notable UK economic data today, the GBP/EUR exchange rate has struggled on growing concerns that the Government could delay the easing of lockdowns later this month.The Euro (EUR) rose today following news from the statistics body Eurostat, which revised up its estimate GDP for the first quarter of this month.Paul Hannon, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, explains:Eurostat has halved its estimate of the decline in GDP during the first quarter, although the figures confirm the eurozone was in recession. But of the big four, only France experienced a recession, with Italy growing in 1Q, and Germany and Spain avoiding a 4Q contraction.'However, today also saw the release of the German factory production data for April, which fell below forecasts to -1%.As a result, EUR investors have become more worried about the outlook for the Eurozones largest economy.Junes ZEW survey of German economic sentiment, however, remained strong at 79.8.ZEW President Achim Wambach explained the fall below consensus:The economic recovery is progressing. The decline in expectations is probably largely due to the considerably better assessment of the economic situation, which is now back at pre-crisis levels.Euro (EUR) investors will await tomorrows release of the latest German trade balance report for April.Any indications of a strong economic recovery for the Eurozones largest economy would be EUR-positive.Pound (GBP) traders will be looking ahead to Thursdays speech from the Bank of Englands (BoE) Chief Economist, Andy Haldane.If the BoE is more optimistic about the outlook for the UK economy, then the Pound Euro exchange rate would head higher.However, if the UK Government appears more sympathetic to delaying the easing of lockdown measures on 21 June, then Sterling would suffer.

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Criminal Messaging App Leads To Widespread Arrests

A massive international sting, involving at least 17 countries, including the US, has arrested suspects, the seizure of 8 tons of cocaine and more than $48 million and over 800 suspected criminals have been arrested after being hoodwinked into using an FBI-run encrypted messaging app says the FBI and this is a continuation of Operation Trojan Shield.

This operation by Australia and the FBI and other organisations, saw devices with the ANOM app secretly distributed among criminals, allowing police to monitor their discussions about drug smuggling, money laundering and even murder plots and the scale of the cooperation between so many different countries made this operation very important.

US law enforcement first became involved in the development of an encrypted device network called ANOM, a technology perceived to be a secure encrypted messaging app that customised cell phones to remove all their capabilities, including voice and camera functions, apart from the technology. The app was then sold to organised crime officials, without them being aware that they were being monitored. Those crime officials then distributed phones containing the app to associates, believing the phones to be secure,

The Australian Federal Police began developing the technology that allowed law enforcement to access and read messages sent on a platform covertly run by the FBI, Australian Federal Police Commander Jennifer Hurst said. "The captured data has given the AFP evidence and unique insights into how organised crime works in Australia and internationally, how they move drugs, money, guns and organise murders," she said.

Three years later, the investigation involving 9,000 law enforcement officers from 17 countries saw authorities monitor 27 million messages from 12,000 devices in 100 countries and track the activities of more than 300 organised crime groups.

The targets included drug gangs and people with links to the mafia and drugs, weapons, luxury vehicles and cash were also seized in the operation. This included eight tons of cocaine, 250 guns and more than $48m (34m) in various worldwide currencies and crypto currencies. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the operation had "struck a heavy blow against organised crime" around the world.

The FBI began operating the ANOM network, most likely using criminal insiders who covertly distributed devices with the chat app among the criminal underworld via informants.

The idea for the operation came after two other encrypted platforms were taken down by law enforcement agencies, leaving criminal gangs in the market for new secure phones. These devices were initially used by well known criminals, giving other criminals the confidence to use the platform. "You had to know a criminal to get hold of one of these customised phones. The phones couldn't ring or email. You could only communicate with someone on the same platform," the Australian police explained.

Australian fugitive and alleged drug trafficker Hakan Ayik was key to the sting, having unwittingly recommended the app to criminal associates after being given a handset by undercover officers, police said. Dubbed the "Facebook gangster" by Australian media outlets, Ayik is seen in social media photographs with large tattoos and a muscular physique., although he has been in hiding in Turkey since evading arrest, as he may be in danger after unwittingly helped the FBI with their sting.

In total, some 12,000 encrypted devices were used by around 300 criminal syndicates in more than 100 countries. Officers were able to read millions of messages in "real time" describing murder plots, mass drug import plans and other schemes.

In Australia, 224 people were arrested including members of outlaw motorcycle gangs, mafia groups, Asian crime syndicates, and serious and organised crime groups. Police said they also seized three tonnes of drugs and A$45m in cash and acted on 20 "threats to kill", potentially saving the lives of a "significant number of innocent bystanders".

For a decade, organised crime groups have used phones like Phantom Secure to organize drug deals, the murder of rivals and laundering illicit earnings without detection. Among many of the phones features, content can be remotely wiped if they are seized. But as one model was put out of business, new ones would enter the lucrative market. The FBI decided it would launch its own, inserting a master key into the devices that attached to each message and enabled law enforcement officers to decrypt and store them as they were transmitted.

Europol: Reuters: BBC: NBC: AoL: The Blaze: Phoenix Star: Stuff:

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Police First Hack Then Demolish Organised Crime Gangs:
Dalton, GA (30720)

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Paul Kirby is a reporter for the Freeman, covering Kingston politics. He has been at the Freeman since August 1996.
TOWN OF ULSTER, N.Y.  Ulster County Comptroller March Gallagher has sent a letter to lawmakers saying that county Resource Recovery Agency of
State Sen. Michelle Hinchey, right, speaks during a press conference on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, outside the Inquiring Minds Bookstore & Cafe in Saugerties, N.Y. Looking on, from left, are Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce President Ward Todd, Inquiring Minds owner Brian Donoghue, and Greene County Chamber of Commerce President Jeff Friedman.
NEWBURGH, N.Y.  Divers on Thursday recovered the body of a man who fell into the Hudson River and drowned.
A teachers' union in Scotland is facing major backlash from Christians after it promoted a theatrical play depicting the Biblical Jesus Christ as a transgender woman. The play is written by Jo Clifford, a biological man who identifies as a woman but also a Christian. The play is titled "The Gospel According to Jesus Queen of Heaven."

According to Christian Headlines, the Scottish teachers' union called the Education Institute of Scotland (EIS) is set to host an LGBT event titled "School's Almost Out! Celebrate Pride" on June 17. Excerpts of the blasphemous play starring a transgender Jesus is set to be showcased during next week's event.

The EIS describes itself as the "largest teaching union" in Scotland and is the oldest teachers' trade union in the world as it was founded in 1847. Its website claims that its "principal source of income" comes from national contributions, local contributions, and political fund contributions, but also claims that they are "not affiliated to any political party."

The Scottish teachers' union set up a page in their website promoting the LGBT event next week, in which they claimed that the COVID pandemic caused the cancellation of Pride events in the last two years. In it, they also described Clifford as a "playwright, performer, proud father and grandmother based in Edinburgh," who has authored more than 100 plays. It also describes the blasphemous play as one that "invites us to imagine Jesus coming back to earth in the present day as a trans woman."

In 2018, BBC described the blasphemous play starring a transgender Jesus as a "one-woman play" that toured Brazil and "[sparked] both strong protests and devotion." Clifford claimed at the time that the play was "an act of homage" to Jesus and "never intended to mock or insult Christianity."

But not everyone is happy about the reimagining of the Lord and Savior in the blasphemous play starring a transgender Jesus. CBN News reported that in 2016, the play was performed in a Church of England congregation in Manchester, despite a number of bishops opposing the event.

"It is quite clear from the Gospels that the identity of Jesus is male, his 'mum' is Mary and he always refers to God as 'Father', so to suggest otherwise is contrary to Christian teaching," former Church of England Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali argued at the time.

The Christian Institute, a non-denominational Christian charity with over 60,000 supporters across 4,500 churches in the U.K., has also condemned the blasphemous play that portrays Jesus in a shocking light.

"This play deliberately re-imagines Jesus as a trans woman and puts words into his mouth that he never said, misrepresenting him," The Christian Institute's Education Officer John Denning said. "That's deeply distressing and offensive for many Christians who value him and his teaching above all."

Denning argued that it was rather improper for an organization such as the EIS to use the proceeds from subscriptions paid by its members to hold such an event where a blasphemous play about Jesus is showcased especially when a large portion of the paying members are Christians themselves.

"We are committed to upholding the truths of the Bible which we believe is inerrant and the supreme authority for all of life," the CI's website read. One of these truths is that Jesus was born male and identified as male throughout his life, death, and resurrection.
The following items are based on information provided by officials in law enforcement and the criminal justice system.
Sunbury, PA (17801)

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A Christian man by the name of Gao Heng who volunteers at the Guangzhou Bible Reformed Church was detained by Chinese police in the Guangdong province on June 4 after he held up a sign to commemorate the Tiananmen massacre in a public space. The historic protests that occurred on June 4, 1989 saw the deaths of thousands of students and protesters at the hands of China's People's Liberation Army who sought to silence dissenters of the government who had been rallying for weeks, beginning on April 15, 1989.

Gao was captured by Guangzhou municipal state security police at about 1 p.m. on Saturday in an underpass of the Guangzhou Metro Line 2, where he held up the commemorative card, Radio Free Asia reported. Guangzhou Bible Reformed Church pastor Huang Xiaoing went to the state security police and called the Guangzhou municipal police department to inquire after Gao's capture but both refused to provide any information on Gao's arrest.

"I'm guessing it's because he took a picture of himself at the Nanpu metro station near here, holding up a sign that said 'Pray for China on June 4'," Pastor Huang said. "He also made a comment. The authorities are pretty nervous [at this time]."

The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) desperately tries to silence people from speaking up about the Tiananmen massacre that occurred years ago. It has already banned public memorials that honor those who were lost to the violent killings in the hands of the People's Liberation Army that sought to silence dissenters. In fact, the CCP is trying so hard to rebrand the historic event that they do not call it the Tiananmen massacre of protesting students and instead calls it a "counterrevolutionary rebellion."

Chinese authorities have once again banned annual memorials in Hong Kong to commemorate the Tiananmen massacre. According to Human Rights Watch, CCP used COVID-19 restrictions as an excuse to prohibit the public from gathering and remembering the event. On May 31, CCP authorities even arrested a 65-year-old activist known as Grandma Wong for "unauthorized assembly." The CCP has also threatened several Catholic churches in Hong Kong, warning them that any remembrance of the Tiananmen massacre violates China's National Security Law.

"The ban on Hong Kong's candlelight vigil speaks volumes about the Chinese government's human rights record: that 32 years after the Tiananmen Massacre, they have only deepened repression," Chinese researcher Yaqui Wang at HRW explained. "But suppressing the truth has only fueled demands for justice and accountability."

Now, another Chinese activist is worried that Gao would suffer the same fate as Guangzhou activist Zhang Wuzhou, who was taken by CCP authorities and imprisoned for almost three years for going on a solo memorial in Guangzhou's Baiyun Mountain Park to mark the Tiananmen massacre anniversary in June last year. He described Gao as an "honest person, loyal and full of enthusiasm" and a "long-term volunteer" at the church.

Pastor Huang continues to worry about Gao amidst China's political climate especially considering the aftermath of the Tiananmen massacre. He told RFA, "We can't change this government, but as a church, we have a responsibility to tell the government what it has done wrong. [We want] the party to face up to their past mistakes, and what took place on June 4, 1989."
Madison, SD (57042)

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@ChescoCourtNews on Twitter

Michael P. Rellahan has been a staff reporter and editor at the Daily Local News since 1982. He has covered all kinds of news over the years but is now assigned to report on court and legal news, as well as Chester County government news and politics.
There was a good deal of fluttering in the diplomatic dovecotes earlier this week when it was revealed by the American magazine, The Atlantic, that our Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, does not like the phrase Special Relationship to describe Britains ties with the United States.

Apparently this revelation was made in a telephone conversation with President Biden himself.

Downing Street have since confirmed that the PM was not casting aspersions on the substance of the relationship, but expressing his dislike of a phrase that makes the UK look needy.

Amen to that. When I was British ambassador to the U.S., I was invited by the American Secretary of State, Colin Powell, for a discussion on Jack Straws first visit to Washington as Foreign Secretary.

He showed me the typed text of his speech of welcome. Somebody had scrawled in black ink across the top of the page: Dont forget the Special Relationship!!!

I pointed this out. Powell replied with a laugh: We know you Brits will go apes**t if I dont mention the Special Relationship.

We are told that Boris asked the President to go easy on his use of the phrase when he comes to our country later this week for the G7 summit. He may be disappointed

I curled up inside, just as I did a decade later when I saw Prime Minister Gordon Browns look of relief when President Obama uttered the phrase on a visit to Britain.

We are told that Boris asked the President to go easy on his use of the phrase when he comes to our country later this week for the G7 summit. He may be disappointed.

The White House released a statement a few days ago, telling us that President Biden would seek to advance the Special Relationship in his meetings with The Queen and the Prime Minister.

Only a month or so ago U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken told a press conference in London that the Special Relationship was enduring and that the U.S. had no closer ally than the United Kingdom.

Previous prime ministers, when talking about UK/US relations, have tried something not dissimilar.

Harold Wilson wanted to call the relationship close rather than special.

By the time he had refused President Lyndon Johnsons request for British troops in Vietnam it was not even close.

Edward Heath went for natural. David Cameron preferred essential. None of these epithets survived.

As early as 1986 a concerted effort was made by a group of British and American scholars to be shot of the Special Relationship in their study of ties between our two countries.

In the preface to their subsequent book, the editor noted that: The idea... of a Special Relationship would not go away. Indeed it haunted the discussions.

'Eventually it was referred to as the ghost, ever present yet elusive, derided by some but acknowledged by all.

The title of the book? The Special Relationship.

The White House released a statement a few days ago, telling us that President Biden would seek to advance the Special Relationship in his meetings with The Queen and the Prime Minister

If the Americans are happy to lavish extravagant praise on the Special Relationship, why should we object?

There are, in fact, several reasons why we should be sparing in its use.

It was, of course, first used by Winston Churchill in 1946 in the immediate afterglow of victory in World War II, when Britain and America had fought and sacrificed together.

But that was then and this is now.

On this side of the Atlantic the idea of the Special Relationship has turned into an idealised vision of UK/US relations, a rhetorical device, which generates unrealistic expectations of what it can deliver (like a quick and easy trade deal between our two countries).

It has become an end in itself instead of a means for securing British interests, a charge often levelled at Tony Blair.

It has encouraged prime ministers to behave like poodles. I banned the phrase in the Washington embassy over 20 years ago.

One reason why some Americans are so attached to the Special Relationship is that they like to use it as a stick with which to beat us in negotiation.

Many is the time I have been told that my failure to accept (unreasonable) American demands means I have no loyalty to the Special Relationship. I am hastening its demise.

Once I had to confront the then Republican Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott over his threat to impose tariffs on Scottish cashmere wool.

I invoked the Special Relationship. Special? Then try harder! he bellowed. It all worked out in the end.

We should not forget that, until World War II, there was little in British and American history to suggest a special intimacy.

To the contrary, after our defeat in the American Revolution at the end of the 18th century, we fought the War of 1812 and on several occasions almost came to blows along the U.S./Canada border and in South America.

In the 20th century the moment of comity during World War I soon dissolved into such acrimony during negotiations to limit naval armaments that the Americans drew up plans for war with Britain.

It has become an end in itself instead of a means for securing British interests, a charge often levelled at Tony Blair. It has encouraged prime ministers to behave like poodles. I banned the phrase in the Washington embassy over 20 years ago

Strong anti-British forces worked hard in Washington to keep the U.S. out of World War II on Britains side.

Even during the war, the great historian, Sir Michael Howard, noted that too often Anglo-American military leadership was marked by suspicious dislike on the American side and patronising contempt on the British.

Since 1945 UK/U.S. relations at the level of high politics have been marked more by their volatility than stability  seen on a graph, a series of peaks and troughs.

The closeness, for example, of Macmillan and JFK, Thatcher and Reagan, Blair and Clinton, Blair and George W. Bush must be set against the coolness between Heath and Ford, Wilson and Johnson, Thatcher and George Bush senior (she exhorted him not to go wobbly before the first Iraq war), Major and Clinton (who gave Gerry Adams a visa before the IRA had called a ceasefire in Northern Ireland, much to Majors fury).

This is not to say our relations with America are not close. The U.S. is our closest partner and ally.

It is just that the notion of a Special Relationship is a distraction the Americans  who will always put their country first  use to their own advantage.

Away from our obsession with it, beneath the water line, lie the common and convergent interests between the UK and the U.S.

These cover trade and investment on a massive scale, even without a formal trade agreement; defence  nuclear deterrence, fast jets and a multitude of joint projects; the sharing of intelligence of the most sensitive kind.

The physical embodiment of these common interests is the carrier strike group, led by the Royal Navys flagship, the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, with U.S. marines, pilots and aircraft on board, plus an escort of warships from several nations, including the U.S.

As you read this, the group is sailing eastwards to the Indo-Pacific region, to rendezvous with allied navies and uphold freedom of navigation in international waters.

Our national hero, Admiral Lord Nelson, would applaud. After all, once a year officers from the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps dine together in the British Embassy in Washington to celebrate Trafalgar Day on October 21. Now that, I accept, is rather special.
While treasures going up for auction at Christie's today tell the story of a life lived in the glittering aristocratic circles of 1920s society - behind Audrey Pleydell-Bouverie's collection of riches lie rumours a sordid family history.

The young hostess was a renowned beauty and prominent member of transatlantic society - flitting between England, America and the continent entertaining a host of famous friends.

Her high-profile pals included Fred Astaire, Winston Churchill and the Queen mother - but Audrey herself was said to be the illegitimate granddaughter of Edward VII, the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Her mother, Evelyn Elizabeth Forbes, was rumoured to be both the secret daughter and mistress of King Edward Vll after Audrey's grandmother, Helen Moncreiffe, had an illicit relationship with the monarch in the years before he met Evelyn.

King Edward VII married Alexandra of Denmark in 1863 but was rumoured to have had multiple affairs throughout his marriage.

The treasures of transatlantic society hostess Audrey Pleydell-Bouverie, pictured in 1929, are set to go for sale at auction later this month. English socialite Audrey was said to be the illegitimate granddaughter of King Edward VII

Audrey's mother Evelyn Elizabeth Forbes (right) was rumoured to be both the secret daughter and mistress of King Edward Vll (left), after her own mother - Audrey's grandmother - had an illicit relationship with the monarch in the years before they met

Audrey's grandmother, Helen Moncreiffe (pictured) was said to have had an illicit relationship with King Edward Vll in the years before the monarch met her daughter Evelyn

Evelyn was known as one of the great hostesses of the Edwardian period, holding raucous, high-profile house parties - with King Edward becoming a regular in the early 1900s.

It's widely presumed Evelyn embarked on an indiscreet affair with the monarch, supposedly resulting in the birth of her son and Audrey's brother, Edward James - a renowned British poet and Surrealist.

A well-known ballad by British-French poet Hilaire Belloc mentions the amorous relationship between the socialite and the king, suggesting Evelyn would keep the monarch 'entertained' alongside his royal mistress.

However Evelyn's son, Edward James, hinted that the monarch could in fact be both his father and grandfather, suggesting in his memoirs that the king had already had an affair with his grandmother.

Audrey moved to manor house Julians Park in Hertfordshire from London two years after marrying her third husband. The Jacobean home was remodelled by Stephane Boudin of Maison Jansen and her collection of artworks moved there. Pictured, the music room of Julians Park

In Swans Reflecting Elephants  My Early Years, James wrote: 'I was not, I was, in fact, his grandson' - suggesting that his grandmother also had an affair with the Prince of Wales, making Evelyn both his daughter and his mistress.

Items belonging to Audrey are set to be sold on June 8 at Christies in London with the collection including several Impressionist paintings from the society hostess' personal collection.

Treasures acquired at the socialite's Hertfordshire home, Julians Park, will lead an auction of seven collections from English country houses, to be offered in a two-part sale with estimates ranging from 150 to 250,000.

Among the items is Pierre-Auguste Renoirs La Prairie, which could fetch as much as 250,000, and an Italian micromosaic and marble table by Giacomo Raffaelli expected to fetch as much as 100,000.

A pair of Queen Anne pier glasses, thought to have been made for the Duke of Queensberry, are estimated to fetch up to 120,000.

Up for auction is an Italian micromosaic and marble table top on an ormolu and white-painted base, the top attributed to Giacomo Rafaelli e Studio, Rome, circa 1830. It is estimated to fetch 70,000  100,000

Among the treasures of transatlantic society hostess are a pair of Edward VIII gold ashtrays, by Cartier from 1936, estimated to fetch 2,000  3,000

A pair of Queen Anne pier glasses, thought to have been made for the Duke of Queensberry, are estimated to fetch up to 120,000

Winston Spencer-Churchill, The Second World War, 6 volumes which could earn up to 2,000. Winston and Clementine Churchill were good friends of the hostess

Other items include a pair of Edward VIII gold ashtrays, by Cartier estimated to be worth 2,000  3,000, a signed Horst print that could fetch as much as 4,000 and Winston Spencer-Churchill, The Second World War, 6 volumes which could earn up to 2,000.

Audrey grew up at West Dean in Sussex, officially the daughter of millionaire William Dodge James and Evelyn Elizabeth Forbes - although her real father was said to be Liberal politician Sir Edward Grey.

James was the son of a wealthy merchant while her mother was the eldest daughter of Moncreiffe and Sir Charles Forbes, 4th Baronet of Newe.

Audrey spent her childhood living in West Dean House on a 6,350 acre country estate and it wasn't unusual for her and her four siblings to rub shoulders with members of high society, including royalty.

Up for sale is signed gelatin silver print by Horst of Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent estimated to make 2,000-4,000

Pierre-Auguste Renoirs La Prairie is up for sale and is expected to earn as much as 250,000. The hostess favoured Impressionist paintings of which she had an extensive collection

While her mother had a reputation as one of the great hostesses of the period, it was Bohemian Audrey's own hedonistic antics which earned her a place among the Bright Young Things of 1920s London.

She attracted the attention of eligible bachelors such as Lord Mountbatten and Edward VIII, the Prince of Wales - but at the age of 20, Audrey married war hero Muir Dudley Coats.

He was the son of a British politician, and Audrey gave birth to son Peter in 1923 - who tragically died four days after birth.

Five years after marrying Coats, Audrey was widowed, and soon wed wealthy American department-store heir Marshall Field III - with whom she began to entertain upper echelons of society including politicians, artists and actors.

It was during her marriage to Coats that the new-found hostess met Cecil Beaton - who would later mention her Bohemian antics in The Book of Beauty, which inspired a number of writers, including Nancy Mitford.

Audrey bought and refurbished several homes throughout her life, often offering them to friends such as Mitford and Winston Churchill to borrow.

Included in the auction is Henry Moore's Seated Woman on Curved Block, 1957-64, estimated to fetch 60,000-80,000

Leonora Carrington's Surrealist painting Flying Figures expected to sell for up to 12,000. The socialite's brother was a passionate supporter of the surrealist art movement and sponsored Salvador Dali for the whole of 1938

In 1934, she and Field were divorced after an unhappy marriage and Audrey became the star of the London art scene. She entertained the likes of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the wife of George VI and later the Queen Mother, at her Regents Park home.

The hostess favoured Impressionist paintings of which she had an extensive collection, while her brother was a passionate supporter of the surrealist art movement and sponsored Salvador Dali for the whole of 1938.

Her brother had introduced her to the French avant-garde and she would often be found holidaying at the home of Coco Chanel on the French Riviera.

In 1938, she married Peter Pleydell-Bouverie, youngest son of the Earl of Radnor and when war broke out in 1939 remained in London working for the Red Cross and turned her home into a hostel for volunteers.

A George III Ormolu-mounted, mahogany, amaranth , harewood, marquetry and and parquetry breakfront cabinet circa 1775 expected to earn as much as 100,000

A Leeds Pearlware model of a horse circa 1810-20 which is expected to fetch as much as 15,000 at the auction

While in London she resided at The Holme, Regents Park, where Stephane Boudin of Maison Jansen created Vogue Regency interiors in a delicate palette of white, cream, gold, grey and pink, were specially designed to harmonise with her Impressionist art collection.

Two-years after marrying, Audrey moved to manor house Julians Park in Hertfordshire. The Jacobean home was remodelled by Boudin and her collection moved to Julians Park.

She loaned a number of her works to the Tate Gallery in her lifetime and before her death in 1968 left one of her best-loved paintings Azaleas and Pansies by Henri Fantin-Latour to the Queen Mother. It now sits in the Royal Collection.
Locked-down Melburnians are anxiously waiting to learn if the city's draconian Stage Three restrictions will be lifted on Thursday, after two new infections recorded on Tuesday brought the state's latest Covid outbreak to 94 cases.

But while five million residents are only permitted to leave home to exercise, shop for food, get vaccinated, provide care and work or study, hundreds are braving the winter chill to stand in line for a typically Melbourne - and non-essential - pursuit.

Masked foodies are queueing for up to an hour to get their hands on 'crullers', a fancy cousin of the deep-fried doughnut popular in the US and Canada.

The braided pastries are the only item on the menu at Moon, the newly opened sibling of pastry chef Kate Reid's iconic Lune Croissanterie in Fitzroy, 10 minutes' drive from the CBD.

Scroll down for video

A queue snakes its way down Rose Street in Fitzroy, home of the newly opened Moon bakery that serves nothing but crullers - a fancy, fluted cousin of the deep-fried doughnut

Locked-down foodies are standing in line for up to an hour to get their hands on one of six signature flavours: vanilla glaze, cappuccino, chocolate, raspberry/passionfruit and cinnamon

The semi-permanent pop-up serves six flavours - vanilla glaze, cappuccino, dark chocolate, raspberry and passionfruit and cinnamon sugar with a touch of ground cardamom - for $5.50 a piece.

Since opening just 250 metres from Lune on May 28, Moon has played host to queues of customers that snake their way down the full length of Rose Street from 7.30am on Thursdays and Fridays, and 8.30am on Saturdays and Sundays.

The interior is inspired by a New York loft apartment, with marble benchtops and white subway tiles lining the back wall.

A narrow standing bar opposite the ordering counter would be perfect for a quick coffee, but the space is more geared towards take-away - good news for staff as the city's fourth lockdown in 14 months trundles on.

Moon crullers (pictured) are being fried just 250 metres from the original Lune Croissanterie

Instagram is filled with photos of crullers which are often accompanied by cups of coffee, hot chocolate and chai latte from Moon's in-house brand, Coffee Supreme.

Fans have been gushing about the pastries in excited posts since the bakery served its first customer just 12 days ago.

'Went to the Moon today, lucky it was within my 10km radius. All I have to say is, it was worth the one hour wait,' one woman wrote.

Another added: 'Never thought I'd end up queuing up for more than an hour but f**k, worth it.'

Instagram is filled with photos of crullers which are often accompanied by cups of coffee, hot chocolate and chai latte from Moon's in-house brand, Coffee Supreme

The quirky choux pastries (pictured) are a fancy, fluted version of the deep-fried doughnut

Others called the crullers their 'lockdown 4.0 obsession'.

'You were worth the wait. My new obsession,' one fan said.

Founder Kate Reid brought the idea from New York where she was first introduced to the cruller in 2016 by New York Times food critic, Oliver Strand, Broadsheet reported.

The quirky pastry is not new to Melbourne, with well-known bakeries such as Shortstop and Rustica frying them up for years, but Reid hopes Moon will put crullers on the 'must-try' food map.

At the very least, it has put a smile on the faces of residents fatigued from flipflopping in and out of lockdown.

Fans have been gushing about the pastries (pictured) in excited posts since the bakery served its first customer just 12 days ago

Customers are calling Moon crullers (pictured) their 'lockdown 4.0 obsession)

Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton hinted on Monday that 'nothing was off the table', and said there would be no 'snap back' to previous conditions.

On Tuesday it was announced that the source of the mystery outbreak which has left millions locked down for two weeks has finally been found - a returned traveller from Sri Lanka who arrived in the state capital a month ago.

The traveller arrived on May 8 from Sri Lanka and tested positive that day in hotel quarantine in Melbourne, carrying the Indian Delta strain.

Questions remain about how the Indian Delta variant leaked into the community, with Acting Premier James Merlino explaining it may have spread on the plane, during transit or in the hotel itself.
A 20-year-old woman has claimed that she had a heart attack after swallowing a scoop of undiluted pre-workout powder, prompting experts to warn against the dangers of the viral 'dry scooping' trend seen on TikTok.

Briatney Portillo, an Only fans star and stripper from Florida, opened up about her scary experience in a series of TikTok videos, saying she rushed to the emergency room after her left arm went limp  a sign of a heart attack.

'Taking a dry pre-workout scoop bc I saw it trending on TikTok,' she captioned a clip of herself in the hospital in April. 'Ending up in the hospital because I had a heart attack.'

Scary: Briatney Portillo, 20, claimed she had a heart attack after swallowing an undiluted scoop pre-workout powder in viral video filmed in the hospital

Story time: Portillo said she suffered from chest tightness and pain after dry scooping, but she thought it was anxiety at first

Portillo's video has been viewed more than 2.3 million times and received thousands of comments, with some TikTokers saying the same thing happened to them.

Fans of pre-workout supplements, or 'pre-workouts' for short, claim they enhance workout performance, but some experts say they can be dangerous, especially if they are used incorrectly.

Pre-workout supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, and while ingredients vary between brands, amino acids, B vitamins, caffeine, creatine, and artificial sweeteners are typically included, according to Healthline.

They often come in powder form and are to be mixed with water before consumption. However, the new dry scooping trend on TikTok has people pouring the performance-enhancing powder down their throats so it hits the bloodstream faster, which can have harmful side effects.

Horrifying: The Only Fans star said called an ambulance later that night after her left arm and side went limp, which she knew were signs of a heart attack

'After I took the pre-workout, I started to feel tingly and itchy all over my body, which wasnt a good feeling, but I googled it and it said that was a normal side effect,' Portillo told BuzzFeed.

The exotic dancer ignored the symptoms and continued with her workout, mistaking the tightness in her chest for anxiety.

'I started to feel a heavy feeling in my chest and slight pain, but it wasnt too bad,' she explained. 'I thought it was maybe anxiety or a bad panic attack, so I decided to just ignore it and push through my workout.'

When the chest pain subsided, Portillo started feeling nauseous and light-headed. She went home, showered, and headed to the club where she dances. She said she was getting ready in the cold locker room when she got hot all of a sudden.

Say what? After running a number of tests, it was determined that she had an NSTEMI heart attack, which is typically less damaging

Warming: Portillo explained that she shared her story on TikTok to save others from making the same mistake she did

'I started sweating a lot and was drenched even though I was wearing a bikini. Then my chest pain came back and this time it was more intense,' she told BuzzFeed. 'The pain went to my back and to my left arm and my left arm went slightly limp, so I knew those were symptoms of a heart attack. I called 911 and the ambulance came.'

Medical professionals initially didn't think she was having a heart attack because of her young age. After running a number of tests, they determined she had an NSTEMI heart attack, which is typically less damaging.

She was given an intravenous heparin drip to thin her blood and stayed overnight at the hospital for observation, but, thankfully, there wasn't any permanent damage done to her heart.

In one follow-up video, Portillo explained that she dry scooped Redcon1s Total War pre-workout powder.

Redcon1 suggests mixing the powder with four to six ounces of water and drinking it 30 minutes prior to working out.

WHAT IS DRY SCOOPING? Dry scooping involves swallowing a dry scoop of pre-workout powder instead of diluting it in water before a workout. Pre-workout supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and can have high amounts of caffeine While ingredients vary between brands, amino acids, B vitamins, caffeine, creatine, and artificial sweeteners are typically included, according to Healthline. The new dry scooping trend on TikTok has people pouring the performance-enhancing powder down their throats so it hits the bloodstream faster. The fad can have harmful side effects, including increased heart rate and blood pressure. Advertisement

One scoop contains about 350 milligrams of caffeine, roughly three times the amount found in a cup of coffee.

Portillo believes she would have had a reaction even if she diluted the pre-workout powder because she has a low caffeine tolerance. She said she knew she was suffering from a heart attack and not anxiety when her 'left side went limp.'

While she has warned against dry scooping by sharing her story, other TikTokers have posted videos of their own health scares after trying the trend.

One woman couldn't breathe after and needed an inhaler, while another spit it out on her boyfriend and threw up.

Dr. Nicole Harkin, a cardiologist based in San Francisco, told BuzzFeed that taking a large amount of a pre-workout can acutely increase heart rate and blood pressure while warning against the dry scooping trend.

Wild: Other TikTokers have posted videos of their own health scares after trying the trend. One woman couldn't breathe after and needed an inhaler after dry scooping

Yikes: Someone else spit out the powder on her boyfriend and threw up when she tried it for herself

'Using a product differently than intended by the manufacturer, such as dry scooping, is rarely a good idea. It's meant to be diluted, and when you don't do this, it can have potential serious consequences in the body,' she said.

Dr. Harkin added that anyone with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or arrhythmias should check with their doctor before trying a pre-workout supplement.

Meanwhile, Dr. Satjit Bhusri, cardiologist and founder of Upper East Side Cardiology, compared the trend to 'the ephedrine craze for weight loss that is now banned.'

'As pure dry powder, there is no dilution and the fast entry into your bloodstream results in an immediate release of supplements. Of those, it is the incredibly high dose of caffeine that enters the blood very rapidly. This, like ephedrine, causes an abrupt increase in adrenaline and puts the heart in overdrive,' he told Fox News.

'In people who have undiagnosed coronary artery disease, there becomes a supply-demand mismatch for oxygen as the heart is demanding more and more, but due to an undiagnosed blockage, the supply is not there, this leads to a heart attack.'

Dr. Bhusri added: 'The increase in heart rate can also be a trigger for underlying arrhythmias. This can lead to, amongst other things, a stroke.'
Supermarkets are now selling avocados for just $1 each as shoppers stock up on what's considered to be one of the most expensive seasonal fruits.

Coles and Woolworths have slashed the prices off the popular Australian-grown Hass avocados, which often cost upwards of $5 each.

'We are entering the peak of the Queensland Hass Avocado season so there's an abundance of great quality avos in our stores at great prices,' Mark Watson, Coles senior category manager ripened fruit, told Daily Mail Australia.

'Currently avocados are just $1 in all Coles supermarkets nationally. This runs up until close of business Thursday.'

Supermarkets are now selling avocados for just $1 each as shoppers stock up on what's considered to be one of the country's most expensive seasonal fruits

Woolworths avocado category manager Jessica Loader credits the 'great growing season' for the supermarket's heavily discounted price.

'Australian Hass avocados are in abundance and fantastic quality,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'Right now customers across Australia can enjoy some of the lowest avocado prices we've seen in the last decade.

'Avocados are one of our most popular items and we expect lots of households are making the most of this bumper harvest with family favourites like guacamole and smashed avo on toast.'

Avocado lovers have been sharing the news all over social media, with many saying they were heading to their supermarket to bulk buy the $1 avocados

Avocado lovers have been sharing the news all over social media, with many saying they were heading to their supermarket to bulk buy the fruit.

'This is a momentous day. Mark this day down in history people... And there's nothing wrong with them. I can die happy now,' one shopper wrote.

Known for their creamy and smooth texture with a nutty and sweet finish, Hass avocados are typically in season from May through to January.

To speed up the avocado ripening process, place the unripe fruit in a brown paper bag along with an apple or banana for two to three days until they are ripe.

Refrigerating a whole, ripe avocado helps maintain the optimum ripeness for two to three days until you are ready to eat it.

Sprinkle cut avocado with lemon juice or vinegar to prevent it from browning, seat with a cling wrap removing any air, and store in the fridge.
An Australian mum has unintentionally sparked a debate with checkout workers on TikTok after sharing her clever hack for folding Woolworths shopping bags.

Nita, from the Gold Coast, posted a video demonstrating how to efficiently fold the reusable plastic bags into 'little triangles' to be neatly stored away in cupboards, kitchen drawers or car glove boxes.

While the clip swiftly went viral and received more than 188,000 views, the tactic received backlash from several checkout workers who claim this makes the bags difficult and frustrating to open.

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Nita, from the Gold Coast, posted a video demonstrating how to efficiently fold the reusable plastic bags into 'little triangles' to be neatly stored away in cupboards, kitchen drawers or car glove boxes

In the clip, Nita folded the bag in thirds, then joined the corners together to create the triangle formation. But supermarket employees claim this tactic makes the bags difficult and frustrating to open

In the comments, one supermarket employee encouraged Nita to ensure she unravels the folded bags before reaching the checkout.

'As a cashier, please make sure to unfold them before you get to the checkout because it takes so much time trying to open these,' the employee wrote.

Others agreed and said they 'hate' when customers fold the bags this compact way because it 'takes more time' to open.

In the comments of the video, one supermarket employee encouraged Nita to ensure she unravels the folded bags before getting to the checkout.

'I'm a cashier too and they're just so fidgety to unravel and time consuming,' another commented.

A third added: 'A cashier's nightmare. Unfold before I pack for you, so annoying.'

After reading the comments, Nita hit back and shared another video showing how simple the bags are to unfold with a quick shake.

After reading the comments, Nita hit back and shared another video showing how simple the bags are to unfold with a quick shake

'All the cashiers that hate these, I think you're doing it wrong,' she captioned the second video.

Despite the backlash from workers, other TikTok users praised Nita for sharing her useful insight.

'Don't listen to them. I'm a cashier at Woolworths and it's easier unfolding these than pulling 50 bags out of each other like matryoshka dolls,' one wrote.

'I do this every time I finish my shopping,' another said, a third added: 'I've been folding them wrong my whole life.'
A 12-year-old boy who graduated from high school and college in the same week has opened up about taking extra classes during the coronavirus pandemic and running not one, but two tech businesses  insisting he is having the time of his life.

Mike Wimmer, from Salisbury, North Carolina, graduated from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College with a 4.0 GPA on May 21 seven days before he graduated as valedictorian of Concord Academy High School with a 5.4 GPA on May 28.

'I'm super excited. I graduated college before high school, which is quite ironic,' he told Today's Morgan Radford during a segment that aired on Monday's show.

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Whiz kid: Mike Wimmer, 12, from Salisbury, North Carolina, opened up about graduating from high school and college in the same week on the Today show on Monday

Top of his class: Wimmer, pictured with his parents, graduated from as valedictorian of Concord Academy High School on May 28

Wimmer explained that he managed to graduate from both high school and college before his 13th birthday because he was able to take on an even more rigorous course load during the pandemic.

'I didn't have to commute to school, so that actually gave me a lot more time to be able to pick up extra classes," he said.

'It was like, well, we're sitting here doing nothing, right? So might as well take a few extra classes and get some stuff knocked out,' he added.

Wimmer had already sped ahead other kids his age when he entered high school right as most of his contemporaries were just starting middle school.

He then signed up for several dual enrollment classes, which worked toward credits at his high school as well as the local community college.

Say what? Seven days prior, Wimmer graduated from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College with a 4.0 GPA on May 21

Options: The whiz kid is deciding what to do next, choosing from two colleges, several job offers, and a fellowship to work on his startup

Soon, he realized that if he just took a few more of those dual enrollment classes, he could earn his two-year associate's degree at the same time as his high school diploma.

And even though he is considerably younger than his high school classmates, Wimmer was nominated to Homecoming Court last year, proving he had a social live as well.

The preteen finished his high school requirements in December and then spent the spring semester working on his community college requirements.

While it would be an unbelievable feat for most, he said he has always been academically advanced for his age. Wimmer got his first iPad at 18 months and was getting into computer programming by age five.

Little one: Wimmer started teaching himself computer programming at age five

Keeping busy: After going through school at a 'faster pace,' he attended high school as a pre-teen and took dual-enrollment classes toward an associate's degree

Already an entrepreneur: When Wimmer was just seven years old, he started his first tech company, Next Era Innovations, which provides robotic applications for the NAO robot

'I actually went into a little summer camp when I was really young, and my mom came to pick me up the first day, and they're like, "Do you know he can write his full name and do multiplication facts?"' he recalled. 'And she's like, "Uh, yeah, is that not normal?"'

When Wimmer was just seven years old, he started his first tech company, Next Era Innovations, which provides robotic applications for the NAO robot.

His second startup, Reflect Social, 'combines popular social media platforms with Internet of Things (IoT) devices, providing a new dynamic social experience,' according to its website.

'So "legally" my parents "manage them," but Next Era Innovations and Reflect Social are my two businesses,' he said.

While learning has always come easy to Wimmer, he admitted that he sometimes had trouble find teachers who took him seriously.

Keeping busy: His second startup, Reflect Social, 'combines popular social media platforms with Internet of Things (IoT) devices'

Downside: While learning has always come easy to Wimmer, he admitted that he sometimes had trouble find teachers who took him seriously because of his age

Happy: 'I'm having the time of my life doing everything, whether that is school and my businesses and still being a kid as well,' Wimmer said

'There's a lot of people, the minute they see my age, they're like, "Oh, well, you can't do this curriculum," or, "It's just too rigorous for you," those kinds of things,' he explained. 'So really, just gaining credibility and finding educators that wanted to foster my ability was the hardest part.'

Some critics think Wimmer has given up his childhood in pursuit of education, but he insisted that's not the case.

'You know, if you look around my room, there's Hot Wheels cars along the wall, tracks on the floor, and Legos are all over the place,' he said.

'I'm having the time of my life doing everything, whether that is school and my businesses and still being a kid as well.'

In addition to several job offers, he's considering continuing his education at two North Carolina colleges or taking a fellowship to work on his startup.

'I have many avenues I could take, and though it is a hard decision, it is exciting to be completing this milestone in my journey,' he recently told Southern Living.
A church in Texas succeeded against the petition of a local government to take its land as part of the city's development plan.

Through the help of First Liberty Institute (FLI), the Canaan Baptist Church (CBC) was able to keep its property which it purchased in 2002, WND reported.

In August 2020, the officials of Duncanville filed a Petition for Condemnation to acquire CBC's property. The city planned to develop the area by building a fire station, public safety facility and "other related improvements."

Relative to this, a resolution was also issued, stating that acquiring the property "is in the public interest" of the city.

But in October last year, the FLI and Winston & Strawn LLP filed a motion for the petition's dismissal, citing violation of the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

"...[T]he City's seizure of the Property would meaningfully curtail Canaan Baptist's free exercise of religion. If the Property were seized, Canaan Baptist's ongoing ministry and other religious activities on its consecrated Property would immediately halt," part of the motion explains.

"Canaan Baptist Church believes that God gave the Church this property to fulfill its religious mission to minister to and serve the local community. The City cannot interfere with the Church's religious exercise by taking the Church's property when the City has many other options. The Church is determined to fight the City and win," FLI's Counsel Keisha Russell said at that time.

On May 5, FLI released a statement, announcing Duncanville's withdrawal of its condemnation petition.

The news has delighted both the FLI and the church, expressing their gratitude to the city government for its decision.

"We praise God that the battle to keep our property is over. We are eager to continue using it to minister to the community. We want to thank the City for ending this conflict," CBC's Pastor Dr. Jarvis Baker said.

"Canaan Baptist Church believes that God gave the Church this property to fulfill its religious mission. The church is relieved, and we are grateful that the City made this decision," Russell stated.

Founded in 1969, CBC ministers to the Duncanville and South Dallas communities.

According to The Heritage Foundation, the First Amendment's religious liberty protects the rights of the people to speak and act in accordance with their beliefs. But the Supreme Court allows the federal government to restrict this freedom only upon a "compelling interest" of protecting the common good and limiting an individual's ability to harm others.

About First Liberty Institute

In 1997, Kelly Shackelford established the FLI as a non-profit law firm that focuses on Texas litigation. It was initially called Liberty Legal Institute, winning a number "landmark victories." The organization changed its name to Liberty Institute in 2009.

In 2014, it founded Military Division to protect the religious freedom of military servicemen and veterans. In February 2016, the firm was renamed as First Liberty Institute and is currently the country's biggest legal organization, dedicating itself as a defender of religious freedom in America.
A student doctor has revealed the four signs you have high functioning anxiety and 'don't even know it'.

Mental health activist, Zachery Dereniowski, recently revealed people may be living with the mental health condition if they constantly have very high expectations of themselves.

'Mediocre is never enough,' the 27-year-old University of Sydney student explained in a recent video.

A student doctor has revealed the four signs you have high functioning anxiety and 'don't even know it'

Zachery Dereniowski dedicates his time to explaining signs and symptoms of different mental health conditions

He said appearing successful and calm on the outside in another red flag - especially if you feel like other people 'don't get it'.

'You have difficulty saying no and asking for help because you fear looking weak,' he said.

'Overthinking is your best friend because you need to make the right decision.'

The Canadian focuses on mental health and shares informative videos online, helping others identify and cope with symptoms of depression and anxiety.

He has a combined audience of 1.9million people who love watching his videos, this recent video has been viewed 3M times in four days.

What are the four signs Zachery shared? 1 - You appear successful and calm to others on the outside, but they don't get it 2 - You have very high expectations of yourself. Mediocre is never enough. 3 - You have difficulty saying no and asking for help because you fear looking weak 4 - Overthinking is your best friend because you need to make the right decision These are not the only signs and people don't have to have all of them, he clarified Advertisement

One person commented on the post to clarify that the signs Zachery pointed out 'are not the only ones' and that you don't have to have all of them.

'Correct,' he responded with a heart.

'To whoever reads this, your life matters. No one can replace you. I'm thankful you were born. I love you so much. Read it again,' he added on the post.

Others saw themselves reflected in the warning signs.

'I always overthink. Especially at night, it never fails,' one woman said.

He said overthinking because you have to make the right decision and having difficulty saying no are also signs

The Canadian focuses on mental health and shares informative videos online, helping others identify and cope with symptoms of depression and anxiety

'Are you stalking me,' added another. 'Don't forget to use joking as a coping mechanism for the lack of success in your life,' they added.

'This made me cry a little because it is true, all of it is. I am always terrified to say no or ask for help, I overthink and much more, I am scared,' said another.

Others said the video was 'crazy accurate' while some just thanked Zachery for posting.

'I really appreciate all of your videos, thankyou,' one woman said.

'Your videos helped me and my boyfriend get through hard times,' another person said.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with anxiety or depression call Beyond Blue's support line on 1300 22 4636 for confidential support any time of the day or night.

You can also access the company's confidential online chat service here from 1pm to 12am every day.
Whats in a name? Well, if you are eighth in line to the British throne, a great deal indeed. I always felt the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would choose Diana for their first daughter  after all, so much of Prince Harrys life has been defined by the memory of his mother.

But what I  and I suspect many others  had not anticipated was the choice of the Queens childhood nickname, Lilibet.

On the surface of it, I can see the attraction. It is such a very pretty name, despite the fact its not a real one.

It conjures up images of a young Princess Elizabeth, of grainy black and white pictures of granny as a bonneted toddler, and of intimate family memories. It has fond connotations for all the royals, even more so perhaps since the Duke of Edinburgh passed away earlier this year  this was a nickname he used for the Queen.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are joined by her mother, Doria Ragland, when they introduced Archie to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh

But it is perhaps because Lilibet is such a very rare and special name that no other royal children have thought to use it.

Even if they had wanted to, they might well have felt  out of respect for Her Majesty  that it was overstepping an invisible line, presuming rather too much.

Not the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, though. As ever, they are not preoccupied with protocol and propriety, and the gesture has naturally won them plenty of praise from fans.

It is seen as a rapprochement, a reaching out, an olive branch extended across the Atlantic to the folks back home  an emotional act of typical generosity by two people who, as ever, have been harshly judged by a cynical media.

So it is with some trepidation that I venture any criticism  after all, in certain quarters anything other than fawning praise for this pair is tantamount to blasphemy.

But while Harry and Meghan may have had the absolute best intentions in naming their new arrival Lilibet, in the light of their recent uncaring attacks on the Queen part of me worries that it feels like a rather shameless, attention-grabbing attempt to boost their royal brand  a brand on which their future earnings and bankability very much depend.

Dont get me wrong: Im delighted at the new arrival. But one can be simultaneously happy for them and Archie, who now has a little sister, and utterly flabbergasted by the absolute cheek of it. Lilibet Diana? Seriously?

Sarah Vine says that while Harry and Meghan's gesture may seem to be an olive branch, it strikes a fale note after recent 'uncaring attacks on the Queen'

Quite apart from the strange juxtaposition of the two names  which in itself is an entire psychodrama  isnt this Lilibet the same person who according to Prince Harry was a lousy mother to Prince Charles, and who passed on her lousy parenting skills to him so he in turn was a lousy father to Harry?

Isnt this the same Lilibet who, so Harry and Meghan suggested in that Oprah Winfrey interview, presided over a bigoted, dysfunctional family of emotional pygmies?

The same Lilibet who allowed Diana to be frozen out, who failed to ensure Meghan was given the support she needed when she was struggling to cope with her royal role?

Harry and Meghans supporters have rushed to point out that the couple reportedly asked the Queen for permission to use Lilibet, and she approved. But she couldnt exactly have said no, could she? Not without the fear of another TV interview in which she would no doubt be accused of snubbing them.

Given everything that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have said and implied about the Queen over the past few months, you might have thought she was the last person they would want to name their precious baby daughter after.

Indeed if she was to be named after a relative, then surely Meghans own mother Doria, who as far as I can tell has been a constant and selfless source of strength to her daughter, might have been more appropriate.

Oprah, too, would have been a possibility given how the queen of interviews has been playing such a dramatic role in the couples lives.

But the actual Queen, this supposed villainess, this heart- less matriarch? Doesnt it seem rather odd, not to mention more than a little opportunistic? Because, lets be honest, all Harry and Meghans criticism of the royals hasnt actually gone as well as they thought it would.

In fact, its fair to say theres been a bit of a backlash.

Of course, they could have just openly and honestly apologised; but why do that when you can turn your misjudgements to strategic advantage?

Because Lilibet Diana, as a name, certainly has its benefits.

By calling their daughter after the Queen herself, and using the most intimate and private name by which she is known, they have ensured that however frosty and distant relations with the royals back home become, in the eyes of the public the association with the British Royal Family will never be forgotten.

Whatever the future now holds, the Queen will be forever a part of their lives. And, crucially, of Brand Sussex.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter Lilibet could prove herself to be a Band-Aid baby that helps to 'return the family to some form of normality,' a royal expert has claimed.

The 7lbs 11oz baby  whose middle name is Diana  was born on Friday evening, British time in Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California, a private facility where births cost up to 20,000.

The Queen's 11th grandchild arrived just days before both Prince William and Harry are expected to reunite together in public at the unveiling of their late mother Princess Diana's statue at Kensington Palace to mark what would have been her 60th birthday.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Angela Levin claimed: 'Before she is even a month old, Lilibet could yet prove herself to be a "Band-Aid baby"  a sticking plaster in Royal form to return the family to some form of normality after the turbulent year and a half since Megxit sparked several rounds of very public  and occasionally painful  soul-baring.'

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter Lilibet could prove herself to be a Band-Aid baby that helps to 'return the family to some form of normality,' royal expert Angela Levin has claimed. Pictured, during the bombshell Oprah Winfrey chat

The Queen's 11th grandchild arrived just days before both Prince William and Harry are expected to reunite together in public at the unveiling of their late mother Princess Diana's statue at Kensington Palace to mark what would have been her 60th birthday. Pictured, Prince Harry, Meghan and son Archie on March 8

It comes after the Duke of Sussex dropped a series of nuclear 'truth bombs' on the Royal Family during recent interviews.

Opening up in his new five-part AppleTV+ docuseries with Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry accused them of 'total silence' and 'neglect' when Meghan was suicidal, claiming his father Prince Charles made him 'suffer' as a child and insisting he would not be 'bullied into silence' when he alleged 'The Firm' 'trapped', smeared and dumped them.

In candid interviews, the Duke of Sussex said he and his wife felt abandoned by his relatives and this was one of their 'biggest reasons' for leaving for California last year.

He told Oprah: 'Certainly now I will never be bullied into silence', adding: 'I thought my family would help, but every single ask, request, warning, whatever it is, just got met with total silence, total neglect. We spent four years trying to make it work.'

During his new docuseries, Prince Harry (pictured) dropped another nuclear 'truth bomb' on the Royal Family accusing them of 'total silence' and 'neglect' when Meghan was suicidal

'We did everything that we possibly could to stay there and carry on doing the role and doing the job. But Meghan was struggling.'

He added: 'That feeling of being trapped within the family, there was no option to leave.

'Eventually when I made that decision for my family, I was still told, 'You can't do this', And it's like, 'Well how bad does it have to get until I am allowed to do this?'. She [Meghan] was going to end her life. It shouldn't have to get to that.'

However, Angela went on to question whether despite his new life since stepping back as a senior royal in March last year, Prince Harry may be 'unhappier' than we think.

'It makes one wonder if the outpouring of the pain and frustration he has felt about his family and his brutal verbal attacks have been a way to cope with just how much he still misses his mother, and how much underneath it all he aches to get his family back.' she claims.

'If he doesnt, surely he wouldnt bother talking about them.'

She went on to say whether calling his daughter Lilibet in honour of his grandmother - a nickname coined by the 95-year-old monarch when she was too young to pronounce her own name - which has been interpreted by many as Harry and Meghan 'reaching out,' may just help him find 'inner peace.'
The Ford Escort car that Prince Charles gave to Princess Diana as an engagement present has been uncovered after 20 years of being secretly driven by a royal fan.

Tina Kirkpatrick was a fan of the late Diana, Princess of Wales but never told anyone her 'little runaround' once belonged to her.

She happily drove it around the Hertfordshire village she lived in, telling people who asked that the beloved silver motor had been her first car.

In fact the Ford Escort Mk III Ghia had been Diana's daily runaround from May 1981 - two months before the Royal wedding - until August 1982.

The Ford Escort car that Prince Charles gave to Princess Diana as an engagement present has been uncovered after 20 years of being secretly driven by a fan. Pictured, on a visit to St Mary's school in Tetbury with police bodyguard Graham Smith on 8 December 1981

Lady Diana Spencer in her Ford Escort car watching Prince Charles playing polo at Windsor on 1 May, 1981

Tina Kirkpatrick was a fan of the late Diana, Princess of Wales but never told anyone her 'little runaround' once belonged to her. Pictured, inside the 'lost' Ford Escort car that Prince Charles gave to Princess Diana

Diana regularly dove the 1980 car to visit Charles during their engagement, often being photographed in it at events such as polo matches.

Soon after taking ownership of the Escort, her elder sister, Lady Sarah Spencer, gave her a silver frog car mascot that Diana attached to the bonnet.

The Princess of Wales got rid of the car two months after giving birth to Prince William.

In 1995 the car was bought for 6,000 by an antiques dealer as a birthday present for his daughter.

The Princess of Wales got rid of the car two months after giving birth to Prince William. Pictured, the 'lost' Ford Escort car that Prince Charles gave to Princess Diana as an engagement present

The Escort still carries its original registration WEV 297W. Pictured, the 'lost' Ford Escort car that Prince Charles gave to Princess Diana as an engagement present

The Ford Escort Mark III Ghia was Diana's daily runaround from May 1981 - two months before the Royal wedding - until August 1982. Pictured, Princess Diana watching Prince Charles playing polo at Windsor

Diana regularly dove the 1980 car to visit Charles during their engagement, often being photographed in it at events such as polo matches (pictured, 1 May, 1981)

Princess Diana driving her Ford Escort car at The Guards Polo Club. Bodyguard Colin trimming accompanies her on 16 June 19

It was then sold to Mrs Kirkpatrick who has taken great care of it, regularly getting it serviced an MoTd.

She has now decided to sell it at auction for an estimate 40,000.

The Escort has a 1.6litre engine, 83,000 miles on the clock and is in full working order.

It is being sold by Essex auctioneers Reeman Dansie.

Mrs Kirkpatrick, who is aged in her 50s, said: 'Of course I knew when I bought it that it once belonged to Princess Diana, that is why I wanted it. I was a big fan of hers.

Mrs Kirkpatrick has now decided to sell the Ford Escort at auction for an estimate 40,000 (pictured)

Soon after taking ownership of the Escort, her elder sister, Lady Sarah Spencer, gave her a silver frog car mascot that Diana attached to the bonnet (pictured, left) and right, the interior now

'I have driven it around as a second car ever since. A lot of people ask me why I had it and I used to tell them that it was my first car I passed my test in and that I was attached to it.

'I felt that its history and provenance were so unique and I didn't want many people knowing.

'I have maintained it and had it regularly serviced and kept it in my garage. It is an excellent little runner and has always been reliable. I have had it for 20 years and now feel the time is right to sell it on.'

Lewis Rabett, of Reeman Dansie, said: 'Obviously it is a humble Ford Escort but who its first owner was takes this car to a whole other level.

'The vendor has been very coy about the true history of the car. She didn't let on that it used to be Princess Diana's car. I think she quite liked the fact that she was the only one who knew about it.

In 1995 the car was bought for 6,000 by an antiques dealer as a birthday present for his daughter, before being bought by Tina. Pictured, the Ford Escort now

Tina said she has maintained the car, had it regularly serviced and kept it in her garage. Pictured, the exterior

Tina, who is aged in her 50s, knew when she bought it that it once belonged to Princess Diana, and said that is why she wanted it. Pictured, the exterior

Tina felt the car's history and provenance were so unique that she didn't want many people knowing. Pictured, the interior of the Ford Escort

The interior of the car boasts wooden trims on the doors and velour seats (pictured)

The Escort, that still carries its original registration WEV 297W, is being sold on June 29.

'The car has spent most of its life in a garage and is in very good condition for a car of that age and is in full working order.

'Diana didn't have it for very long and when she got rid of it she kept the frog mascot. The one on the bonnet of the car now is a copy.

'As Ford Escorts go this is a Ghia and was top spec for its time with wooden trims on the doors and velour seats.

'There are a lot of people who collect Diana memorabilia, a name that has endured. There are also people who collect classic cars and this is the ultimate conversation piece for any garage.'

James Grinter, the managing director of Reeman Dansie, said he was amazed by the originality of the car which is important to collectors who put a high value on owning something that was a personal possession of the late Princess.

The Escort, that still carries its original registration WEV 297W, is being sold on June 29.
A businessman who triumphed on Dragons' Den has told how bipolar disorder has driven him to make a soaring success of his luxury candles venture  and Kate Middleton is a fan.

Drew Cockton, 34, from Wirral, Merseyside, founded vegan fragrance brand Owen Drew in 2017 after quitting his high-pressured corporate job to turn his candle-making hobby into an enterprise.

He created the world's most expensive candle, designed to celebrate Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018, after details of the bride's floral arrangements and bouquet were released. Set in 24 carat gold vessels, they retail at 750 and contains some of the most expensive oils and perfumes on earth, costing more than 25,000 per KG.

Drew pitched to the Dragons in the new series of the hit BBC1 show and impressed them with his honesty about his mental health battles - so much so that retail mogul Touker Suleyman agreed to invest 50,000 in the venture in exchange for a 30 per cent stake.

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Drew Cockton, 34, from Wirral, Merseyside, founded vegan fragrance brand Owen Drew in 2017 after quitting his high-pressured corporate job to turn his candle-making hobby into an enterprise (pictured on Dragons' Den)

Drew created the world's most expensive candle, designed to celebrate Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018, after details of the bride's floral arrangements and bouquet were released. Set in 24 carat gold vessels, they retail at 750 and contains some of the most expensive oils and perfumes on earth, costing more than 25,000 per KG

With a turnover in excess of 1million, ambitious Drew plans to expand globally, and already has a host of celebrity fans including Paris Hilton, Colleen Rooney and Gemma Collins - as well as the Duchess of Cambridge, who was gifted a 35 candle by a Buckingham Palace butler.

But Drew admits he might still be stuck in an unfulfilling office job had he not fought his own challenging health battles which led to a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.

'I'm naturally very creative and there's no doubt certain traits of living with bipolar have helped me, rather than hindered me,' Drew tells FEMAIL.

'My sense of risk is really low, it's not something I worry about, so it works for me and drives me forward.

'Every case of bipolar is different and it's more of a spectrum, so I tend to have cycles of six months where I'll feel quite flat, but because I'm medicated it's not actually depression, it's just a very low time.

Drew, pictured right with Michael Skeggs, left, told how bipolar disorder has driven him to make a soaring success of his luxury candles venture

Owen Drew now sells bath oils, perfumes, soaps and various other high-end wellness fragrance-based products

'Then I'll have six months where I've got loads of energy and I'm really productive, want to take on challenges and do new things and feel really creative.

'Once I'm in that mindset I'm focused and if I decide to do something, I do it. That's where bipolar helps me, and the lack of concern with taking risks is what made me go on Dragons' Den  I don't think I'd have done it otherwise.'

Drew claims a Buckingham Palace butler bought six of his 35 Anglesey candles as a gift for Kate Middleton

Having graduated from Manchester University with degrees in German and politics he became a postgraduate at the uni's business school.

But as the country struggled to recover from the grip of the 2008 financial crisis, jobs were scarce.

Drew drafted a business plan, earned funding from a bank and opened a 13-room bed and breakfast called EazySleep on Canal Street, but less than a year later Drew's dreams were shattered when he had to shut it down.

He admits: 'I got the branding and name spot on, but I was woefully inexperienced. I was doing the jobs of about 10 people and eventually I just burned out and had a breakdown.

'I was severely depressed, lost all my hair, had really bad anxiety and had shaky hands all the time. My mum could see I was really unwell so got me to see a GP who referred me to a psychiatrist, who diagnosed me with bipolar disorder. I was 23.

'I was a bit of a zombie at the time so didn't really feel anything about the diagnosis; I was just existing and it's all a bit of a blur.'

Drew admits he might still be stuck in an unfulfilling office job had he not fought his own challenging health battles which led to a diagnosis of bipolar disorder (pictured with Paula Brown and Michael Skeggs)

With the right medication Drew slowly began to get better and rebuild his life. He spent the next seven years working for various companies using his fluency in German to manage accounts in Germany, Switzerland and Austria for various blue chip organisations.

He says: 'It was fine as a job, but I hated those environments. I hated the drudgery, the passive-aggressive emails from middle managers, I hated the whole corporate world and it wasn't making me happy or giving me any fulfilment.

'As a creative outlet I started making candles, just as a hobby, but people began calling at the house, contacting me on social media wanting to buy them and it just snowballed from there.'

In January 2017 Drew decided to take a gamble, quit his job and throw himself into creating a business.

After a few months his then partner Mike Skeggs, 29, quit his job in investments to become his business partner and they opened their first shop on a trading estate in Birkenhead, embracing the 'industrial chic' look.

Drew is now planning to expand the business even further by selling to customers across the world (pictured on Dragons' Den)

Impressed by Drew, retail mogul Touker Suleyman agreed to invest 50,000 in the venture in exchange for a 30 per cent stake

Drew is now planning to expand the business even further by selling to customers across the world.

'It was the right time to do Dragons' Den' he says. 'We'd got the business so far but it's time to do something different. It's not even about the money, it's about Touker's little black book and experience which is really going to change things.

'When we started it was quite unusual to be making candles out of soya wax instead of paraffin, but now many of the big brands have gone in that direction too.

'The feedback from customers is that they love the brand, they love the packaging and the stories that we tell with the scents. For example, our Christmas scent is called 1843, which is the year Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol.'

Owen Drew now sells bath oils, perfumes, soaps and various other high-end wellness fragrance-based products.

The Duchess of Cambridge is also partial to the brand; Drew claims a Buckingham Palace butler bought six of his 35 Anglesey candles as a gift for Kate.

Drew also runs a boutique venue called Heatherfield House, an intimate space for business meetings, weddings and parties which comes with a Michelin starred chef and private butler service, and is also launching the country's first LGBTQ business awards which will take place in September (pictured with Mike Skeggs)

According to the product description, the candles feature a 'delicate scent, inspired by the windswept shores of Anglesey', with notes of fresh sea salt that 'evoke waves breaking white against the rugged mineral cliffs' while the 'scent of earthy, woody sage gives the fragrance a mature and masculine finish'.

Drew also runs a boutique venue called Heatherfield House, an intimate space for business meetings, weddings and parties which comes with a Michelin starred chef and private butler service.

And while those interests keep him busy enough, he's also launching the country's first LGBTQ business awards (LGBTQbusinessawards.com), which will take place in September.

Drew said: 'We won at the Small Awards in London it was a catalyst to change things and people trusted us with that behind us. We got a lot of local press and independents approached us to stock our products, it created a real buzz around the brand.

'I want to help others get that for their own small businesses. We've got some big sponsors and it has gained a lot of interest. We want to encourage people from the community to enter but it could be for businesses who go above and beyond to make things more inclusive and accessible for members of the community.

'It's for everybody really and it's never been done before. There are lots of minority awards which is great, but this is the first for the LGBT community.

'Awards can be ten a penny and are often hundreds to enter and expensive for a table, hundreds for a table and can just be a money-making exercise.'

The North West LGBTQ+ Business Awards is free to enter, tickets are really fairly priced at 75 for a drinks reception and a three-course meal.

Drew added: 'I feel so fulfilled and happy that I have turned all of my passions into a successful business and also really proud of myself for being honest about my mental health struggles. I hope my candour will inspire others to do the same.'

For more information visit www.owendrewcandles.com
Queen Letizia was the epitome of summer elegance as she donned a cream dress to honour one of Spain's most famous writers today.

The Spanish Queen, 48, opened the 'Emilia Pardo Bazan: The challenge of modernity' exhibition at the National library in Madrid this morning.

The event celebrates the legacy of writer, critical thinker and journalist Emilia Pardo Bazan, who was one of the leading figures of Spanish literature in the 19th century.

For the occasion, Letizia opted for a recycled white sundress from Pedro del Hierro she first wore during her state trip to Argentina in 2019.

Queen Letizia of Spain, 58, stunned in a recycled dress she first wore in 2019 to open an exhibition on Spanish author and thinker Emilia Pardo Bazan in Madrid, today, pictured

The mother-of-two, who favours lighter colours during the hotter months of the year, looked perfectly stylish for the literary event.

Sporting a white face mask on her way to the event, King Felipe VI's wife shone in the number which highlighted her slender waist.

No stranger to reutilising her wardrobe to create new looks, Letizia looked fresh in the sleeveless midi with a softly pleated skirt and flattering round neck.

The mother-of-two, pictured, kept the look simple and wore little makeup and jewellery for the occasion

Letizia has worn it on several occasions since debuting it during her trip to Argentina in 2019.

For today's event, she added an edge with snakeskin stiletto heels and a matching clutch bag.

She kept her makeup discreet, with a dash of eyeshadow and mascara, bringing the focus on her perfectly sculpted eyebrows.

She wore little jewellery, opting for a ring on her left hand, and gold stud earrings.

Letizia first wore the cream dress during hers and Felipe VI's state visit to Argentina in 2019 (pictured with Argentina's First Lady Juliana Awada)

The sleeveless dress highlighted Letizia's petite silhouette. She banked on edgy accessories with snake skin stiletto and a matching clutch bag, right

Her brown hair was styled straight, a look which has been her go-to in recent months, with a few salt and pepper strands of hair visible.

After making a stylish entrance, the Spanish queen opened the exhibition, which celebrates the work and legacy of Emila Pardo Bazan,

Born in 1851, the author is seen as one of Spain's most influential literary figures of the 19th century.

Pardo enjoyed a multifaceted career and found success as an author, playwright, poet and professor.

The Spanish royal was greeted by the First Vice-President of the Government, Carmen Calvo, right, this morning

Letizia looked stylish as she made her way to the literary event, wearing a face mask in line with coronavirus regulations

She was also a highly regarded literary critic, journalist and editor, who was deeply interested in politics and gender studies.

Credited with introducing feminist ideas in her works of fictions, she dedicated her life to the defence of women's right.

The author is known for bringing the Naturalist literary movement and its themes of determinism, scientific objectivism and social commentary to Spain. It traces its origins to French author Emile Zola.

While Pardo's literary legacy is celebrated, she had controversial views, and was openly antisemitic, even trying to justify antisemitism in the case of the Dreyfus Affair, where Jewish captain Dreyfus was disgraced and martial lawed on suspicious of being a spy.
Meghan Markle's mother, Doria Ragland, wasn't present at Lilibet's birth but is now helping out her daughter and Prince Harry in their $14M Montecito mansion, according to reports.

The yoga teacher, 64, is 'overjoyed' at the arrival of her first granddaughter and is assisting the new parents, sources told Page Six.

The 7lbs 11oz baby  whose middle name is Diana  was born on Friday evening, British time in Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California, a private facility where births cost up to 20,000.

Meghan Markle's mother, Doria Ragland, wasn't present at Lilbet's birth but is now helping out her daughter and Prince Harry in their $14M Montecito mansion, according to reports. Doria is pictured with Prince Philip, The Queen, Prince Harry and Meghan meeting baby Archie in 2019

The Queen is known as 'Lilibet' by close members of the Royal Family, which originated when she was a child and struggled to pronounce Elizabeth, and was used by her father King George VI.

It's thought at 'Lili' as the baby will be known is also a tribute to Doria, who has always referred to Meghan as 'her flower'.

Doria, who lives in LA near Meghan and Harry, flew to London ahead of the birth of the couple's first child Archie in 2019 to help prepare Meghan for her first child.

It was also Doria who broke the news of her grandson's birth to her ex-husband Thomas Markle, according to Meghan's biographers.

Te yoga teacher, 64, is 'overjoyed' at the arrival of her first granddaughter and is assisting the new parents, sources told Page Six . Meghan is pictured with Harry while pregnant with Lili

In Finding Freedon, the book about how the Sussex's left the Firm, authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand write: 'Doria messaged Thomas with the news, which Meghan had asked her to.

'The new mother did not want him to find out after the rest of the world. But she didn't want to know whether her father replied to her mother's text.'

It comes as experts have claimed Lilibet could prove herself to be a Band-Aid baby that helps to 'return the family to some form of normality.

The Queen's 11th grandchild arrived just days before both Prince William and Harry are expected to reunite together in public at the unveiling of their late mother Princess Diana's statue at Kensington Palace to mark what would have been her 60th birthday.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Angela Levin claimed: 'Before she is even a month old, Lilibet could yet prove herself to be a "Band-Aid baby"  a sticking plaster in Royal form to return the family to some form of normality after the turbulent year and a half since Megxit sparked several rounds of very public  and occasionally painful  soul-baring.'

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter Lilibet could prove herself to be a Band-Aid baby that helps to 'return the family to some form of normality,' royal expert Angela Levin has claimed. Pictured, during the bombshell Oprah Winfrey chat

It comes after the Duke of Sussex dropped a series of nuclear 'truth bombs' on the Royal Family during recent interviews.

Opening up in his new five-part AppleTV+ docuseries with Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry accused them of 'total silence' and 'neglect' when Meghan was suicidal, claiming his father Prince Charles made him 'suffer' as a child and insisting he would not be 'bullied into silence' when he alleged 'The Firm' 'trapped', smeared and dumped them.

In candid interviews, the Duke of Sussex said he and his wife felt abandoned by his relatives and this was one of their 'biggest reasons' for leaving for California last year.

He told Oprah: 'Certainly now I will never be bullied into silence', adding: 'I thought my family would help, but every single ask, request, warning, whatever it is, just got met with total silence, total neglect. We spent four years trying to make it work.'
The Prince of Wales has described the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's daughter as 'happy news' as he highlighted the importance of leaving a sustainable legacy for future generations.

Prince Charles commented on becoming a grandfather for the fifth time following the birth of Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor during a visit to a production plant for the Mini at Cowley near Oxford.

It comes after royal biographer Robert Jobson claimed Charles, 72, is 'unlikely to meet his new granddaughter for some time'.

He told FEMAIL: 'As it stands it seems unlikely that either grandfather will meet their new granddaughter for some time. Thomas Markle is not the only one facing problems with Harry and Meghan.'

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who are based in Montecito, California, welcomed their second child Lilibet at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital on Friday 4 June.

The Prince of Wales (pictured) has described the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's daughter as 'happy news' as he highlighted the importance of leaving a sustainable legacy for future generations

Prince Charles (pictured) commented on becoming a grandfather for the fifth time following the birth of Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor during a visit to a production plant for the Mini at Cowley near Oxford

The Prince of Wales gets out of a Mini car during a visit to the Mini plant in Oxford to celebrate UK manufacturing and innovation in the production of electric vehicles

During his trip to the production plant for the Mini, the heir to the throne also joked about the vehicle, paraphrasing the words of Sir Michael Cane's character from the 1960s movie The Italian Job.

Charles, who drives an Aston Martin sports car converted to run on surplus wine, said at least he had not blown the bloody doors off" an electric version of the mini when he took it for a brief test drive.

After he drove a new green-coloured electric vehicle off the production line he gave a speech to assembled workers and apprentices as he marked 20 years of modern mini production.

The prince said: The development of technology like electric vehicles, or green hydrogen for that matter for heavy transport, is vital for maintaining the health of our world for future generations, something I'm only too aware of today having recently become a grandfather for the fifth time.

And such happy news really does remind one of the necessity of continued innovation in this area, especially around sustainable battery technology, in view of the legacy we bequeath to our grandchildren.

Prince Charles' comments come after royal biographer Robert Jobson claimed the royal, 72, is 'unlikely to meet his new granddaughter for some time'

During his trip to the production plant for the Mini, the heir to the throne (pictured driving) also joked about the vehicle, paraphrasing the words of Sir Michael Cane's character from the 1960s movie The Italian Job

Charles (pictured centre), who drives an Aston Martin sports car converted to run on surplus wine, said at least he had not blown the bloody doors off" an electric version of the mini when he took it for a brief test drive

During his test drive, Charles had driven the Mini slowly off the production line at just a few miles an hour and turned left after about 20 metres and stopped.

He added: "If I may say so, at least my test drive a moment ago was on the whole without incident and only went to prove that the new Mini is silent but deadly and also a very good colour indeed.

And to paraphrase the immortal words of Sir Michael Caine at least I didn't blow the bloody doors off.

Earlier today, Prince Charles visited Margaret Thatcher's old Oxford college, after it marked a 100 years of degrees for women.

During his visit to the plant Charles met staff on the production line as he marked 20 years of modern mini production (pictured)

The Prince of Wales, wearing a face covering due to Covid-19, drives a new electric mini car off of the production line

After he drove a new green-coloured electric vehicle off the production line, Charles (pictured) gave a speech to assembled workers and apprentices as he marked 20 years of modern mini production

The Prince of Wales appeared to be in good spirits as he met with representatives from the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development during a trip to Somerville College.

It comes after the royal warned the world is being left 'dangerously exposed' to further pandemics due to the rapid destruction of the diversity and interconnectedness of all species.

Prince Charles said he did not need to stress the 'planetary emergency confronting us, nor the desperately urgent need for action'.

He made the comments during a speech to the Sustainable Growth 2021 Conference, hosted by Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, on World Oceans Day and ahead of the G7 summit, which begins on Friday.

In 2019, Somerville College, which Baroness Thatcher attended in the 1940s, celebrated its 140th anniversary and marked 100 years of Oxford degrees for women last year.

The Prince of Wales speaks to an employee during a visit to the Mini plant in Oxford, today

The Prince of Wales sits inside a mini car during a visit to the mini plant in Oxford to celebrate UK manufacturing

The Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development advances research on the complex challenges and opportunities posed by sustainable development in India.

During the visit Charles chatted to research students from the centre about their projects.

He was told about the use of satellites to identify areas suitable for sustainable forestry and learnt how another researcher was studying water risks to help cities manage water supplies.

When the prince was introduced to the only man in the group he joked: 'They do allow men in!'

Founded in 1879, Somerville was one of Oxford's first two women's colleges. It boasts the late president of India, Indira Gandhi, and Testament Of Youth author Vera Brittain among its alumnae.

The Prince of Wales meets student and staff as he visits Somerville College on its 140th anniversary in Oxford

The Prince of Wales planting a tree to commemorate his visit to Somerville College in Oxford

Founded in 1879, Somerville was one of Oxford's first two women's colleges. It boasts the late president of India, Indira Gandhi, and Testament Of Youth author Vera Brittain among its alumnae

The college, which has a reputation for its 'open and inclusive ethos', started admitting men in 1994. Pictured, the royal at the college

The college, which has a reputation for its 'open and inclusive ethos', started admitting men in 1994.

Baroness Thatcher read chemistry at Somerville in the 1940s. She later battled to preserve the college's all-women status from European Community equality laws in the 1980s.

This morning, Prince Charles gave a speech to the Sustainable Growth 2021 Conference, ahead of the G7 summit, which begins on Friday.

Other speakers at the online event included Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, who said there was no 'get out of jail free' card to reaching the target of net-zero emissions by 2050.

Charles told the conference: 'It is particularly timely that this important virtual event is being held today as we approach the G7 summit on Friday.

Prince Charles (pictured) visited Margaret Thatcher's old Oxford college today, after it marked a 100 years of degrees for women

The Prince of Wales (pictured) appeared to be in good spirits as he met with representatives from the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development during a trip to Somerville College

'As the eyes of the world focus on this wonderful county, it is encouraging to see that so many Cornish businesses and organisations are already working together to find solutions to the environmental and social challenges we face.

'I hardly need to stress the planetary emergency confronting us, nor the desperately urgent need for action, yet if I may say so, I believe we now find ourselves presented with a unique opportunity to catalyse change towards a sustainable nature-based path here in Cornwall.'

Charles said he hoped the conference would provide an opportunity to see a sustainable operating model for Cornwall in the future.

'It is abundantly clear that Cornish businesses must deliver not just growth but the kind of sustainable growth, genuinely sustainable growth, which gives back to nature in return for what we take from her, and which consequently leaves the next generation the inheritance of a thriving natural environment that is more resilient, and able to deliver a shared prosperity within planetary boundaries,' he said.

'At present, we are rapidly and disastrously destroying the miraculous diversity and interconnectedness of all species of life on Earth, thereby leaving us dangerously exposed to further devastating pandemics.'

It comes after the royal (pictured) warned the world is being left 'dangerously exposed' to further pandemics due to the rapid destruction of the diversity and interconnectedness of all species

Prince Charles (pictured) said he did not need to stress the 'planetary emergency confronting us, nor the desperately urgent need for action'

Charles described 'globally significant' projects taking place in Cornwall that focused on resolving the issues of climate change, loss of species diversity and habitats, particularly in the oceans.

He said these 'innovative and exciting' initiatives included floating wind power in the Celtic sea, the use of geothermal power, biomethane for heating and the potential for Cornish lithium to be used for batteries.

Charles added that he was delighted a number of Cornish businesses had taken up his Terra Carta charter, launched earlier this year, which 'places nature at the heart of global recovery'.

He described the work of accelerating a green and carbon-free recovery as a 'hugely important task' that was 'far from simple'.

'However, I'm convinced that it can and must be done and that we must start now as time is rapidly running out on us as I speak,' Charles said.

In his speech, Sir Patrick told how Britain had come through an 'extraordinary year' with the Covid-19 pandemic and the challenges it had brought.

'But this challenge is much, much bigger than Covid, it will last much longer and it needs us to do things that will be embedded in everyday ways of working and living if we're going to achieve it,' he said.
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands posed with a large mascot of a bunny rabbit during a visit to a family holiday park in the Zwolle region of the Netherlands today.

The Dutch Queen, 50, beamed as she stood for a picture with the Beerze Bulten mascot, wearing a chic brown midi dress with long sleeves.

She added a splash of colour to her outfit by donning an orange waist tie belt which complimented the bottom of the dress that featured bright orange, green and white stripes.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands posed with a large mascot of a bunny rabbit during a visit to the Beerze Bulten family holiday park in the Zwolle region of the Netherlands today

Maxima stepped out in suede stiletto orange heels with a pointed toe as she arrived at the camping ground for the royal visit, which was held to discuss developments in the labour market.

The monarch, who is the wife of King Willem-Alexander, 54, and mother to daughters Amalia, 17, Alexia, 15, and Ariane, 14, waved to onlookers as she arrived at the venue and later sat down for a formal meeting.

The Argentinian-born royal held a tan clutch bag and carried a file of documents for the discussions later.

The mother-of-three completed the outfit with some bright accessories including a pair of large orange flower earrings, as well her favourite gold bracelet and black wristwatch.

Her long blonde tresses had a windswept look and she wore a neutral-toned face mask on her wrist for convenience so that she could easily access it if needed.

Her royal visit came weeks after the country celebrated Queen Maxima's 50th birthday on May 17.

The Dutch Queen, 50, added a splash of colour to her brown dress, by donning an orange waist tie belt as the bottom of the dress featured bright orange, green and white stripes

T he monarch, who is the wife of King Willem-Alexander, 54, waved to onlookers as she arrived at the venue and later sat down for a formal meeting

The mother-of-three completed the outfit with some bright accessories including a pair of large orange flower earrings and she wore a neutral-toned face mask on her wrist

The Argentinian-born attended the camping ground for the royal visit which was held to discuss developments in the labor market

Her subjects honoured her legacy in the weeks leading up to the celebration and a collection of stamps were released to mark the occasion.

The biggest stamp, Koningin Maxima, features an unseen retro black and white close-up snap from the monarch's private collection, showing Maxima in New York in 1999.

It shows a profile of the then 22-year-old with freckles on her cheeks, and strands of blond hair falling down to her shoulders.
Belfast's new Lord Mayor has said she's been forced to disable part of her social media because of the 'disturbing' and 'sexually explicit' messages she receives.

Kate Nicholl, 33, was installed in the position earlier this month and says she's faced a barrage of 'really inappropriate' online messages - so much so that she's had to block all strangers from communicating with her.

In an interview with Belfast Live, the Alliance Party councillor said she 'resents' how typical it has become for women in high-powered positions to receive sexist bullying online.

The mother-of-one said more needs to be done to support women in politics - admitting that had she already given birth to her 18-month-old son Cian, she would have been deterred from running.

Kate Nicholl, 33, was installed as Lord Mayor earlier this month and says she's faced a barrage of 'really inappropriate' private messages on social media

'I get a lot of really inappropriate messages and Facebook is the worst', she said. 'I've disabled my direct messages just because they were sexually explicit and quite disturbing.

'Possibly the most disturbing thing now is that it's not disturbing - it's part of it. I massively resent that it's just become normalised.'

Mrs Nicholl, who is the councillor for the Balmoral area of South Belfast, says 'a lot needs to be done' to get more women involved in politics.

The mother, who is married to businessman Fergal Sherry, admitted that the idea of juggling motherhood and the demands of her job would put her off the position if she had the chance to run again now.

The Alliance Party councillor said she 'resents' how typical it has become for women in high-powered positions to receive sexist bullying online

Mrs Nicholl is the first person in recent times to hold the mayoral position who was not born in the UK or Ireland, having immigrated to Belfast from Zimbabwe with her mother at the age of 12.

Her mother is from South Africa, while her father is from County Down, Northern Ireland and the family fled Marondera when violence broke out in the country in 2000.

Mrs Nicholl attended Methodist College Belfast before working as a researcher for Anna Lo, a former president of the Alliance Party.

The mother said more needs to be done to support women in politics. She is pictured with husband Fergal Sherry and their 18-month-old son Cian

She joined Belfast City Council in 2016 and has taken a career break from her job in marketing as she undergoes her year-long tenure as mayor.

She succeeded DUP councillor Frank McCoubrey as the city's lord mayor, and said at the time her rise to the position was a 'positive message to all other newcomers'.

'Belfast is a diverse, vibrant multi-cultural city and I think the fact that the lord mayor of Belfast, the first citizen, is going to be someone who wasn't born here, who has chosen to make it home, and who has really embraced the city, is really positive', said Mrs Nicholl.
When it comes to Eurovision I have been watching since 1990. Thirty years of...well, Eurovision. Which is still never enough. Because that is just what Eurovision keeps doing, making you want more.

Spoilers for those who still do not know the results.

Double Duck Egg for UK

Politics rules Eurovision. If you want to know what the other European countries think of each other, watch the voting. Germany and the United Kingdom finished last this year. For the UK this has become the norm. No matter who they send to perform the nul poi (zero points in French) from the judges and or the popular vote has been the result.

Brexit was controversial not just in the UK but for all of Europe. The UK had not been polling well before they left the European Union. The UK treats Eurovision with a level of disdain and weird delight. A big camp night full of fun which has no real substance.

UK entrant James Newmans song Embers deserved a lot more than nul poi. His response to the double zeros was gracious and defiant. He received great applause from the Dutch crowd. Rewards have come as Embers is at this time the highest Eurovision song on the UK charts.

Germany entered an anti-hate musical mash up with a dancing hand, they scored three points. It was going to flop. Why? To hold Eurovision is incredibly expensive. Though, in the right year it could have won. Especially now that the popular vote is included the way it is.

People Power

In Eurovision songs are voted for and given points, the most points wins. Voting consists of National Juries and Televoting from the public. It had been two years since the last Eurovision and I had forgotten how the Televoting was scored.

After the National Judges votes Switzerland led France by nineteen points 267 to 248. Italy were back in fourth 206 behind third place Malta with 208. It was close but the popular vote was yet to come. In 2021 the Televote of each country was translated into the same 1-10 and 12 point scoring system as the judges.

Both the National Judges and the Televote from each of the thirty-nine countries have sixty-seven points each to give to eleven acts. 39 times 67 equals TWO sets of 2,613 points available. The Televote gave four performances nul poi, zero points. Contrastingly the top eight acts combined garnered 1,664 Televote points.

Not Knowing the Score Equals Tension

While watching I did not know the formula for the popular vote. The tension at the end was killing me. My favourite was Switzerland and I was totally ride of die. Yes France was very good. Italy was a question mark, it all depended on the performance on the night. Which they totally smashed.

Italy were untouchable with a combined total of 524 points. France had to fail badly in the popular vote for my favourite Switzerland to win. France came third in the popular vote. Switzerland drew fourth with Lithuania on 165. Ukraine came second in the popular vote with 267 points.

Regular Eurovision watchers like myself and so called experts were at a loss. After seeing all the acts on the night Italy were in the top four. The performances of Switzerland and France both sung in French were stunning. Italy sung.no they rocked out in Italian.

I do wonder where this win from Italys Maneskin takes next years Eurovision. As I pointed out solo acts and duos tend to win. This harkens back to the origins of this song contest. One that has evolved over time.

All About The Song?

At its core Eurovision is about the song. Many times a song performed well on the night wins. Conchita Wurst killed it in the Semis and the Final of 2014. It was obvious that Austria was winning that year. No other performance came close.

The honesty and power of Portugals Salvador Sobral in 2018 was the same. You could not deny him the win. Such a simple presentation of a beautiful song, sung well, and with all the passion that the artist could muster.

I could mention Serbias first win in 2017, Germanys 2010 win with Lenas Satellite. It happens on the night and the audience as well as the judges get carried away. Everyone gets carried away. Because each of these winners were copied in some way by other acts the next year. Expect a rock band in 2022.

Sex Sells.Sometimes



If you did watch the Semis and the Final you will notice the gyrating, posing and costuming of a few acts. Cyprus El Diablo, Mata Hari from Azerbaijan, Last Dance by Stefania representing Greece. Of course you could not forget the hair and back cracking and twisting of Serbias Hurricane performing Loco Loco.



We could deride it and say that its bad music. That they all, including Anxhela Peristeris Karma had that same beat. It happens every year. You can take sexiness to Eurovision and make the finals. But to win with it requires being the right act on the right night.

I have seen sex appeal win a few times. Ukraines Ruslanas Wild Dances. Turkeys Sertab Erener with her Seraglio inspired Every Way That I Can. Helena Paparizous My Number One for Greece. Mans Zelmerlows Heroes. Some would include Lenas Satellite. Depends on what you think is edging out the PG rating.

I Did Not Pick The Winner



I was more than sure that Switzerlands Gjon's Tears had performed his song Tout l'Univers outstandingly. One person with a series of cgi and stage effects, in French communicating emotively to an audience the passion of the song.



Sigh! Do I think Maneskin had an advantage by being a band? Ummm, it certainly aded to the spectacle. There were other factors. Being one of two great performances in French split the vote for French speakers. Especially with Barbra Pravi evoking the spirit of Edith Piaf with Viola.

Also there is soft spot for Italy due to their Covid experience. Europe gathers around their own. Eurovision is one of the places that the European public can express themselves. Russia, France, and the UK have all felt the ire of the public through Eurovision.



Australia Did Not Make It



Montaignes Technicolour was performed here in Australia. This was always going to be a problem. While the song was seen as a contender by fans and commentators it failed to poll votes in the first Semi Final. Only 28 points finishing 14 out of 16.

Icelands Dai & Gagnamagni had to offer their pre-recorded performance due to members getting Covid. They did make it to the finals and finished fourth. The Icelandic act were known and well loved. Montaigne is an unknown, she may have picked up interest but performing live is core to Eurovision. Not doing so cost both acts.

Australias view of Eurovision is closer to that of the UK. Not heeding to the passion and pride of the performance. Loving the spectacle and the camp elements. Australia was a novelty to begin with. Dami Im and Kate Miller-Heidke added to that novelty. Hard to see where to go from here.

What we do know is that Eurovision will be in Italy in 2022. Will Australia be invited to enter is always a question. How many chances do we get? Will Covid still be a threat? If this is so will our entry still perform in Australia?

As always I stay tuned and wait for next year. Because next year it all starts over again.
A California teen who helped stage a walkout over her high school's 'sexist' dress code had gone viral after documenting the protest on TikTok.

Evita Frick-Hisaw, 16, who is known as @baggyjeanmom on the platform, shared footage of her classmates wearing crop tops on June 3 in objection to a dress code assembly that was allegedly supposed to be held that day.

'In protest of the dress code assembly regarding "too much mid-drift," we are all wearing crop tops. We suggest you do too! Boys, support your friends and crop your tops,' reads a flyer about the walkout that she shared on her Instagram Stories.

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Objection: California teen Evita Frick-Hisaw (pictured) helped stage a walkout at her high school in protest of it's 'sexist' dress code

Standing their ground: Evita, who is known as @baggyjeanmom on TikTok, shared footage of her and her classmates wearing crop tops in her viral video

United front: Male students supported the cause by sporting crop tops and open shirts

Evita's viral TikTok video shows her wearing a baggy T-shirt before she changed into a cropped tank to join the protest.

Protest: They walked out of class on June 3 to object to an assembly regarding 'too much mid-drift,' according to a flyer

Some of the students wrote things such as 'Distraction,' 'It's not my fault,' and 'Am I distracting?' across their stomachs.

They also hung signs calling out administrators for insinuating their bodies are a distraction.

'Teach boys to focus, not girls to cover up,' read one sign, while another said: 'If children's midriffs distract you, you should not be working with children.'

At the end of the clip, she said the protest has led to the school having 'a real talk to change the dress code,' but she admitted some people got 'kicked out' that day.

The TikTok video has been viewed more than 2.9 million times and received thousands of comments, many of which were supportive.

'They can hold an assembly to tell girls how to dress but they can't have an assembly to educate boys on how they should respect other ppls bodies,' one person wrote.

@baggyjeanmom we started this all because our principal was going to have an assembly abt dress code so day of the assembly we did this. (There was a reason)  original sound - Sickickmusic

Going viral: The TikTok video has been viewed more than 2.9 million times and received thousands of comments

Using their voices: The students proudly posed in the crop tops as they hit back at the administration

Getting ready: Evita wore a baggy T-shirt before changing into a cropped tank to join the protest that took place during assembly

No need for signs! Some of the students wrote things such as 'Skinny pass?' and 'Am I distracting?' across their stomachs

'I mean in University we don't have a dress code and everything is fine and no one is distracted so idk where they get that from,' someone else pointed out.

'You have inspired me to make a move in my school,' another gushed. 'I'm organizing a protest now. I am proud of you!!!'

Not everyone was on their side, however, with one person responding: 'These little kids are gonna have a really hard time getting a job in the future if they can't understand the basics of dress code.'

Evita addressed the comment in a follow-up video explaining their reasons for the protest, saying: 'I want to start this video off by saying thank you for all the support we've been getting on our last video, but with all the support, it also comes with a lot of hate comments like this.

'So the reason why we did all this is because we were going to have an assembly on dress code,' she continued. 'We felt the dress code was sexist towards women and also perpetuating rape culture and that made us very uncomfortable.

Hitting back: The students also hung signs calling out the school's administrators for teaching 'girls to cover up' instead of teaching 'boys to focus'

Sacrifice: Evita said the protest has led to the school having 'a real talk to change the dress code,' but she admitted some people got 'kicked out' that day.

Reason: In a follow-up video, Evita explained that they 'felt the dress code was sexist towards women and also perpetuating rape culture'

Valid point: 'We should not have to be kicked out of class just because we are wearing a crop top,' Evita said

'We all just want some freedom of expression and freedom to express our confidence  whether that's in a baggy T-shirt or in a tiny little tank top.

'We as students feel like what we wear is not distracting towards others or affecting anyone's learning environment.'

Evita said she spoke to her favorite teacher about the protest at the end of the day, and while he believes they 'could have had a better approach to it,' he stands by the students. She added that he 'understands' them, and she agrees with him.

'We know we are going to have a dress code when we get older and possibly have uniforms with whatever job that comes, but right now we are in school, and we are in a learning environment,' she stressed.

'We should not have to be kicked out of class just because we are wearing a crop top...I shouldn't be the only one speaking on this topic and that's why we are having this meeting.'
Iconic late night pizza joint Frankie's has delighted diners with $1 pizza slices after news broke the venue is set to be demolished to make way for a new train station.

The popular live music venue on Hunter Street in Sydney's CBD has expanded its happy hour to serve pizza slices for a fraction of the price between 4pm to 6pm every day of the week until mid-2022.

The deal comes just weeks after the New South Wales Government announced plans for a new Metro West train line between Hunter Street and Pyrmont.

Iconic late night pizza joint Frankie's has delighted diners with $1 pizza slices after news broke the venue is set to be demolished to make way for a new train station

The popular live music venue has expanded its happy hour to serve fan favourite pizza slices for a fraction of the price between 4pm to 6pm every day of the week until mid-2022

Following the devastating news that shocked tens of thousands of Sydneysiders, Frankie's shared a 'fate update' on social media.

'Frankie's Pizza as we know it will be demolished, we have at least a year left to party though, and that we will. Big time,' the venue wrote on Facebook.

'We are taking this opportunity to push all of our energy and resources into making more memories with our beloved Sydney, it's people and it's visitors, while we still can.

'We are adding more bands, more bills, big events, collaborations, and all the late night revelry you would expect from one of the world's great Rock & Roll institutions, right up till the fat lady dies. Who is with us!? Let's party.'

Diners can grab $1 pizza slices between 4pm to 6pm every day of the week until mid-2022

Frankie's has expanded its happy hour to serve delicious pizza slices for a fraction of the price

However, all is not lost after NSW transport minister Andrew Constance vowed to relocate the basement bar to another location.

'Frankie's is an important part of Sydney's live music scene and we will make sure it is properly supported during this challenging time,' Mr Constance told Sydney Morning Herald.

'Sydney Metro is assigning Frankie's a dedicated acquisition manager to guide them through this process and to help find another location.'

The $27billion Metro West project is due to start in late 2022.
Burger King has delighted fans after announcing their new summer menu, including halloumi fries.

The fast food giant will also be a launching a new range on their classic burger today - which includes the Cheesy Bacon Lover range which is made up of The Cheese Bacon Double, Cheesy Bacon Single and The Cheesy Bacon Chicken.

The squeaky halloumi fries - which are available to purchase in store and on drive thru across the UK - in either a six-piece for 3.69 or nine-piece for 4.69.

While it doesn't contain meat product, the product isn't strictly vegetarian as it's cooked in the same oil as chicken.

Burger King has delighted fans after announcing their new summer menu, including halloumi fries. The squeaky halloumi fries which are available to purchase in store on drive thru in either a six-piece for 3.69 or nine-piece for 4.69.

Burger King recommends their sweet chilli dip to go with the dish, while they also offer Smokey BBQ and Spicy Mayo Heinz dip-pots on the menu.

For those who prefer burgers, there's also The Cheesy Bacon Double, for 6.89), which includes two flame-grilled 100 percent beef patties topped with four slices of bacon, fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, BBQ sauce, cheese sauce and two American cheese slices.

Also available is The Cheesy Bacon Single, for 5.89, made up of a single beef patty and the The Cheesy Bacon Chicken, at a whopping 7.89, which is made up of two crispy chicken pattys, bacon, onion, an American cheese slice, lettuce and cheese sauce.

Soco Nunez, Marketing Director at Burger King UK, told FEMAIL: 'At Burger King, there's nothing we love more than adding great tasting new items like the Bacon Cheese Lovers range to our menu.

The fast food giant will also be a launching a new range on their lassic burger today - which includes the Cheesy Bacon Lover range which is made up of The Cheese Bacon Double, Cheesy Bacon Single and The Cheesy Bacon Chicken.

'With the warm weather hopefully here to stay, we know guests are going to love our summery Halloumi Fries on the side too! The new products are the perfect treat after a long, long winter.'

Earlier this years, Burger King delighted fans by finally launching a vegan version of their famous Chicken Royale.

Following months of speculation and buzz, the Burger King Vegan Royale launched nationwide in April, and is made from a pea-protein chicken imitator.

Burger King has delighted fans by finally launching a vegan version of their famous Chicken Royale

The chain says the 4.79 burger has been years in the making and is set to be the crowning glory of the restaurant's plant-based menu at stores.

Burger King say their aim was to match the same level of flavour of its chicken counterpart and could be enjoyed by vegans, flexitarians and anyone who loves a delicious burger.

Consisting of a crispy coated, plant-based chicken, ingeniously derived by The Vegetarian Butcher; the Vegan Royale is topped with iceberg lettuce, creamy vegan mayo and crowned with a toasted sesame seed bun.

Strict cooking processes, which ensure it's kept completely separate from meat, dairy and egg products, have earned the new burger Vegan Society certification.

Last year, the chain launched a Rebel Whopper for Veganuary, which is made from soy, but is not suitable for vegans or vegetarians prompting an outpouring of anger from non-meat eaters online.

Burger King said at the time the burger is aimed at 'flexitarians'  people who eat meat but are cutting down on the animal-based food they eat - but vegans said the chain 'shot itself in the foot' and called the product a 'missed opportunity'.

In February, they bought back their Halloumi King burger as a permanent fixture on their menu - but the meat-free dish also isn't strictly vegetarian as it's cooked in the same fryer as meat products.
I have high blood pressure but cant get on with any of the blood pressure tablets I have been treated with over the past 30 years. The side effects have affected me terribly. Are there any other treatments I could try?

Margaret Delaney, Ealing, London.

At 73 you are not long past middle-age and you should have years of life ahead of you  but keeping your blood pressure under control is essential to ensure this.

The medications commonly prescribed for hypertension (high blood pressure) have changed considerably over the past three decades, and there is a range of good drugs available.

These include thiazide-type diuretics (e.g. hydrochlorothiazide, chlorthalidone and indapamide), which work by helping to widen blood vessels and therefore lower blood pressure.

At 73 you are not long past middle-age and you should have years of life ahead of you  but keeping your blood pressure under control is essential to ensure this

Other options are ACE inhibitors (e.g. enalapril and lisinopril), which relax blood vessels; angiotensin receptor blockers or ARBs (e.g. losartan and valsartan), which act on hormones involved in restricting blood flow; and calcium channel blockers (e.g. amlodipine, diltiazem and verapamil), which reduce the amount of calcium entering the artery walls, making it easier for the heart to pump blood.

All of these are equally effective in between 30 and 50 per cent of patients. It is not unusual for there to be some trial and error when it comes to identifying the best drug for each individual, as side effects are common.

With any of these medications, you start by taking a low dose and only increase the level very gradually, perhaps over four to eight weeks.

Constant supervision  often from a practice nurse  is essential, though monitoring your blood pressure is something you can do yourself. This reduces the frequency of face-to-face appointments, but you must still attend clinic at regular intervals.

In terms of your particular case, it is uncommon  though not unheard of  for patients to react negatively to all four classes of the drugs Ive mentioned.

Indeed, I have come across such a patient myself, and I referred her to a cardiologist who had a research interest in treating hypertension.

Constant supervision  often from a practice nurse  is essential, though monitoring your blood pressure is something you can do yourself. This reduces the frequency of face-to-face appointments, but you must still attend clinic at regular intervals

My patients blood pressure was eventually stabilised with moxonidine, a drug that binds to receptors in the brain, which in turn relaxes the blood vessel walls. Moxonidine is used when other medications have failed to help, and it has fewer side effects.

The best natural approach involves weight loss if you are overweight, daily exercise (proven to play a role in lowering blood pressure), and eating less salt.

A regular meditative activity such as yoga or  my favourite  tai chi may also pay dividends. Unfortunately, there are no natural supplements proven to be effective in lowering blood pressure.

I had a carcinoma removed from my nose two years ago. Although the procedure was successful, its left me with a runny nose whenever I have hot meals and drinks. Do you have any suggestions for a remedy?

P. A. Williams, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

This is clearly a troubling symptom, but fortunately there is a solution. The type of skin cancer you had is basal cell carcinoma (BCC), which appears as a small, shiny pink or pale lump.

Its caused by damage to the basal cells (found at the bottom of the outermost layer of skin) and is most often triggered by sun exposure. Typically BCCs are found on areas often exposed to sunshine, including the face, scalp, back of the hands or ears.

BCCs are often like an iceberg, i.e. a greater proportion of the cancer is found below the surface.

I suspect that this iceberg effect was the case with you, and that, as a result, the surgeon had to remove more of the tissue underneath, because the cancer had been embedded deeply into the nose.

This affected the interior of your nasal cavity, triggering the streaming nose, or gustatory rhinorrhoea (gustatory refers to its link to eating, and rhinorrhoea is the term for a runny nose).

Many people experience this streaming after eating spicy foods, because these affect nerves that stimulate the release of saliva and mucus.

But your response has become worse, possibly as a result of surgery.

The good news is that there is medication which may help.

Your GP should be able to prescribe a nasal spray called ipratropium (trade name Rinatec), which prevents the nerve impulses that trigger a runny nose.

By using a tiny amount of this spray in exactly the right place, once daily, you will be able to control the symptom.

The spray can be used for as long as is needed.

Write to Dr Scurr

Write to Dr Scurr at Good Health, Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email drmartin@dailymail.co.uk  include your contact details.

Dr Scurr cannot enter into personal correspondence. Replies should be taken in a general context and always consult your own GP with any health worries.
Mixing Covid vaccines is not only safe and effective, but could give even greater immunity than having the same vaccine twice, according to a German study published a few days ago.

The research, involving 340 healthcare workers, suggests the immune response was nearly four times greater than with two doses of the same vaccine  the theory is that the different types of vaccine (here AstraZeneca and Pfizer jabs) trigger different immune reactions.

It wasn't the first such finding  previous trials including another in Germany and one in Spain involving 670 people, have found that an AstraZeneca (AZ) and Pfizer jab combination produced a strong immune response.

The idea of mixing vaccine types is not new. In devising a vaccination for Ebola, it was found that a mixed dose worked best, activating both the T cells and B cells of the immune system [File photo]

You only have to note the apparent hiccough in the supply of the AZ jab in April to see why health authorities might want to be able to mix jabs  to keep roll-out programmes running.

Indeed, Professor Jeremy Brown, a member of the vaccine authority, the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI) has already said mixing vaccines is going to be inevitable.

'It's practically going to have to be that way,' he said two weeks ago. 'Once you've completed a course of, say, the Moderna or Pfizer or the AstraZeneca with two doses, in the future it's going to be quite difficult to guarantee you get the same type of vaccine again.'

But for people such as me, it's a real and immediate concern  arguably one of life or death. That's because I'm at risk of a stroke  I'm not unhealthy (I don't smoke, drink alcohol moderately and have been vegetarian since I was 12) but in March last year I had Covid-19 badly.

Not so terribly that I rang 999 but seriously enough for my GP to describe it as 'severe'. As well as complications of viral pneumonia plus bacterial pneumonia, as the months went on, I developed extreme fatigue, chest pains, liver inflammation, breathlessness, as well as losing my hair (about 60 per cent).

Then in December, I suddenly felt very dizzy. It was only 7.30pm, but all I could think of was going to bed. As my right leg wasn't cooperating, I somehow crawled up the stairs and slept for ten hours.

The next morning, with my right side, and especially my hand, weak and feeble, I called an ambulance and was admitted to hospital. Investigations confirmed that I'd had a stroke caused by a blood clot on the right side of the brain.

Mixing Covid vaccines is not only safe and effective, but could give even greater immunity than having the same vaccine twice, according to a German study published a few days ago

Strokes are a known side effect of Covid, which makes the blood 'sticky' and more liable to clot. When I returned home three days later I had a big bag of pills including two blood thinners, and three drugs to lower blood pressure and a statin.

For someone who'd otherwise been so healthy it was all a bit of a shock.

I struggled with terrible side effects on my right side. I couldn't write or type  an abysmal hindrance for a writer. I dropped and smashed things as my grip was poor, I sometimes fell over if I bent too far.

Classed as extremely clinically vulnerable, I was bumped up the queue for the Covid-19 vaccination, and in late January, I was given the AstraZeneca vaccine.

But before I could have the second, in March came news that some people had developed rare blood clots (in the brain and occasionally the stomach) after the first AstraZeneca jab.

Then in April, news that the death rate among those who developed the clots was high  19 per cent of those affected. And in May, the AZ jab was linked to strokes.

When you've been devastated by a stroke, you will do anything to avoid another so before my second AZ jab was due in late April, I contacted my GP to ask if I could have Pfizer instead.

I was told I'd been referred to a local hospital where the Pfizer jab was being offered. But the hospital said no, blaming national guidelines issued by the JCVI.

In fact, under the guidelines, mixing is allowed in some circumstances, for example, if someone had to be hospitalised after reacting badly to the first one.

On April 23, just a day after this, a friend of mine was given Pfizer having had AstraZeneca in February.

'It was only when I looked at the card when in the 'recovery' room that I realised,' he told me. He assumes they only had Pfizer to offer that day.

The idea of mixing vaccine types is not new. In devising a vaccination for Ebola, it was found that a mixed dose worked best, activating both the T cells and B cells of the immune system.

T cells destroy infected cells and B cells sweep up leftover virus and make antibodies.

A Chinese study in March revealed combinations of four Covid-19 vaccines improved immune responses in mice.

Then in mid-May the Spanish trial, with 670 volunteers, found those who'd had AZ and then Pfizer had an antibody response 30 to 40 times greater than the double AZ group.

And there is now talk of 'mixing' jabs with the boosters for the over-55s that seem inevitable next autumn.

But what about those like me, still waiting for their second jab, who don't want the AZ? The question has become more pressing, as last month we learned the chance of getting the rare brain clot after a first dose of AZ has risen from one in 250,000 to one in 81,300.

Storing up trouble This week: Eggs 'For optimum freshness and food safety, eggs should be kept at a constant temperature below 20c and we recommended they be kept in their original boxes in the fridge,' says Andrew Joret, chairman of the British Egg Industry Council. 'In the extremely unlikely event that salmonella [a bacterium] is present in an egg, storing it below 20c would minimise the risk of this multiplying.' The box may help prevent other smells (e.g. onion) from permeating the eggs  which is why keeping them in the container is suggested. Advertisement

The new Delta variant is thought to be more transmissible. A study led by Public Health England found that to adequately protect ourselves against it, we need two vaccinations.

After the first dose, we are 33 per cent protected against it; this rises to 88 per cent two weeks after the second dose of Pfizer and 66 per cent after the second AZ.

I contacted the vaccination centre again but on May 25 received confirmation it won't budge from its policy.

Just a day later came a shattering revelation: the AZ vaccine had been linked to ischaemic strokes (caused by blood clots), the type I'd had. Three people in the UK who'd suffered clots after being given the AZ jab had been admitted to hospital and one, a 35-year-old woman, had died.

The report, from the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, put the chance of a blood clot at one in 100,000 doses.

But when you've already had a stroke, which doubles your chance of another within five years, surely it must put you at a greater than average risk of one after the AZ vaccine? I know of friends and their relatives who'd previously had blood clots refusing to have a second AZ. Should they go unvaccinated?

Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the JCVI, suggests they should have the same vaccine 'as there is no published data on mixing vaccine schedules'.

Two weeks ago my GP told me he was now able to refer me for a Pfizer or Moderna jab  although the JCVI guidance hasn't changed.

Yesterday a stroke doctor confirmed I should avoid the AZ as having one stroke greatly increases your risk of a second. I can't wait to be called up!
The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines greatly reduce the risk of being infected with the disease, a new report finds.

People who were partially or fully immunized with the two-dose jab were up to 91 percent less likely to be contract the illness, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found.

What's more, vaccinated participants were less likely to develop symptoms, test positive for more than one week or have high levels of the virus in their noses.

It comes as the U.S. sees plunging vaccination rates amid President Joe Biden's push to have 70 percent of American adults with at least their first COVID-19 shot by Independence Day.

A new CDC study found that fully vaccinated participants' risk of COVID-19 infection was reduced by 91% and partially vaccinated participants' risk by 81%

People who received both doses of the jab were also less likely to develop symptoms or test positive for more than a week. Pictured: A nurse gives Malikai McPherson, 16, a shot of the Pfizer vaccine in Melbourne, Florida, May 17

'COVID-19 vaccines are a critical tool in overcoming this pandemic,' said CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.

'Findings from the extended timeframe of this study add to accumulating evidence that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are effective and should prevent most infections - but that fully vaccinated people who still get COVID-19 are likely to have milder, shorter illness and appear to be less likely to spread the virus to others.

'These benefits are another important reason to get vaccinated.'

For the study, published on pre-print site medRxiv.org, the team looked at 3,975 participants who underwent weekly coronavirus testing between December 13, 2020 and April 10, 2021.

Over the 17-week study period, 204 volunteers, or 5.1 percent, tested positive for COVID-19.

Of that group, just five people were fully vaccinated, meaning 14 days or longer had gone by since their second dose.

Another 11 were partially vaccinated, either more than 14 days post-dose one or 13 days or less post-dose two.

By far, the largest percentage - 76.4 percent or 156 people - were unvaccinated.

The team determined that fully vaccinated participants' risk of infection was reduced by 91 percent and partially vaccinated participants' risk by 81 percent.

These estimates included the risk of both symptomatic and asymptomatic coronavirus infections.

Researchers also looked at symptoms to determine whether COVID-19 illness was milder in the vaccinated volunteers.

They found that participants who had had one or both doses of the immunization were sick for an average of six fewer days - 10 compared to 16.

Less than 500,000 adults are now being vaccinated each day, down from a peak of 3.4 million in April

Plunging vaccination rates threatens President Joe Biden's goal of 70% of adults with at least one vaccine dose by July 4

Vaccinated adults were also 60 percent less likely to develop symptoms, such as fever or cough, compared to unvaccinated people who caught the virus.

Results also showed that vaccinated people who caught COVID-19 may be less likely to spread it to others.

Adults who were partially or fully immunized were 66 percent less likely to test positive more than one after their initial test and had 40 percent less detectable virus in their noses than unvaccinated adults.

Less than 500,000 people are being vaccinated each day, down from a peak of 3.4 million in April, according to data from the CDC and Bloomberg.

This threatens Biden's goal of 70 percent of U.S. adults with their first shot by July 4.

In order to reach this threshold, about 16 million more adults will need to have their first shot in the next 28 days.

However, only 2.4 million adults who got their first shots last week, The Washington Post reported. Officials calculate that number needs to be 4.2 million per week to meet Biden's July 4 goal.
Pfizer-BioNTech has entered late-stage clinical trials of their coronavirus vaccine in children between ages five and 11.

Just a few weeks after the shot was approved for teens ages 12 to 15 in the U.S., the companies are now testing safety and efficacy on younger children.

Around 4,500 participants will be enrolled at nearly 100 clinical trial sites in 26 states, Finland, Poland and Spain, according to a press release.

Trials for kids as young as six months to four years old are still in early stages and will expand once the researchers can determine safety.

It comes as Moderna Inc's CEO says he believes his company's COVID-19 jab should be available for U.S. children as young as age five by fall of this year.

Parents and doctors have been debating about whether or not to inoculate children because they make up just 0.1 percent of all COVID deaths.

Pfizer-BioNTech announced on Tuesday they have begun late-stage clinical trials of their coronavirus vaccine in children ages five to 11. Pictured (from left to right): Russell Bright, 7; Tucker Bright, 5; and dad Adam Bright pose at Ochsner Medical Center in Louisiana as Pfizer's late-stage trials in children begin, June 7

Lower doses will be used for kids, 10 micrograms, compared to the 30 micrograms that those ages 12 and above receive. Pictured: Pfizer announces the late-stage clinical trials in children

According to clinicaltrials.gov, Pfizer's study in younger children will work similarly to the way it did in older children and adults.

About half of the ages five-to-11 group will receive two doses 21 days apart and the other half will be given placebo shots.

The team will test the safety, tolerability and immune response generated by the vaccine, likely by measuring antibody levels in the young subjects.

Among the participants are siblings Russell Bright, age seven, and Tucker Bright, age five, who are being tested at Ochsner Medical Center, just outside New Orleans in Louisiana.

The Brights had their temperatures and blood pressure checked, their noses swabbed and blood drawn for tests, and then were given a shot of either the vaccine or a placebo.

'I want to do my part and have my kids do their part,' their father, Adam Bright, told the Associated Press.

'Both me and my wife are already vaccinated, and so the sooner I can get them vaccinated and to feel comfortable being outside, not having to wear a mask, I thought the easiest way to get it is to go through the trial.'

Russell, who was wearing a Spiderman mask, said he longs for a summer vacation that can include the water park or a longer trip  and then school without masks and social distancing.

'I'm looking forward to seeing my friends more and not wearing masks,' he said.

'You can't see if I'm making a frown or a smile. I don't like to wear them.'

Provided the vaccine is proven to be safe and effective, the trial will be unblinded at the six-month follow-up, meaning those who received the placebo will be offered the vaccine.

Pfizer says researchers hope to have data from the trial in the second half of 2021.

On Monday, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said he believes his company's vaccine will be available for kids as young as five years old by early fall. Pictured Stephane Bancel on CNBC in April 2021

Parents and doctors have been debating about whether or not to inoculate children because they make up just 0.1% of all COVID deaths. Pictured: Eloise LaCour, three, gets either a vaccine or placebo as part of Phase 1 clinical trials of use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine

Meanwhile, Moderna's CEO says he believes his company's COVID-19 vaccine will likely be available to children as young as age five by early fall.

'I think it's going to be early fall, just because we have to go down in age very slowly and carefully,' Stephane Bancel said on Monday during an event hosted on the social media platform Clubhouse.

'We anticipate data available in the September/October time frame.'

Bancel said that clinical trials in small children take longer because researchers have to determine the appropriate dosages.

Children are often the last group to be tested during clinical trials because they are not merely little adults.

Their bodies and immune systems behave differently, meaning they might have different treatment needs.

What's more, children may need different doses or needle sizes depending on their height, weight and age - which is why most children are only vaccinated after safety has been well-documented in the adult population.

In fact, Pfizer announced that it selected lower doses for COVID-19 vaccine trials in children than are given to teenagers and adults.

Those aged 12 and older receive two 30 microgram (g) doses of the vaccine,

However, children between ages five and 11 will be given 10 g doses and kids from six months to four years old will receive three g doses.

Moderna's vaccine has only been approved for adults, but revealed last month that clinical trials showed safety and efficacy among 12-to-17-year-olds.

Although the clinical trial did not examine efficacy, no children who were given the immunization fell ill with the virus within 14 of their second dose while four children given the placebo later tested positive, which Moderna says is 'consistent with a vaccine efficacy of 100 percent.'

However, despite the promising results, many parents are not enthusiastic about vaccinating their children.

In a recent poll, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, parents were asked if they would get their child immunized once a COVID-19 vaccine is authorized and available for their child's age group.

Only about three in 10 parents - 29 percent - of children under 18 said they would get their child vaccinated 'right away.'

The poll also found 15 percent only plan to vaccinate their children if the school requires it and 19 percent said their child will definitely not be getting vaccinated.

What's more, although children can contract COVID-19 and pass the disease on to others, they tend to not get very will

More than 3.97 million children have tested positive for the virus as of Tuesday, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Down syndrome puts adults at a higher risk of COVID-19 infection, a new study suggests.

Patients with Down syndrome were three times more likely to contract the virus than those with other intellectual and developmental disabilities, in this study of over 500 NYC patients with disabilities.

Researchers theorize this because people with Down syndrome are more likely to have other conditions that make them vulnerable to coronavirus.

Additionally, older patients, those with chronic kidney disease, and those living in crowded environments were also at higher risk for infection.

The team, from Syracuse University, says the findings suggest that patients with intellectual disabilities - especially Down syndrome patients - should be a priority in COVID vaccination efforts.

People with intellectual disabilities are more vulnerable to COVID, a new study shows

Down syndrome patients are three times more likely to get COVID than other patients with intellectual disabilities, while chronic kidney disease patients are five times more likely

Intellectual and developmental disabilities are well-known to be risk factors for COVID.

Past studies have found that people with these disabilities tend to have more severe COVID outcomes - meaning they are more likely to go to the hospital or die if they get sick.

This trend is especially true for disability patients living in nursing homes and other, similar residential settings - where COVID outbreaks have been common and deadly.

The CDC specifically lists Down syndrome as a risk factor, noting that having this condition 'can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.'

Down syndrome is a condition caused when a person has an extra copy of genetic material - causing mental and physical changes in their development.

Patients with Down syndrome and other disabilities are likely to also have other medical conditions that make them more vulnerable to COVID, such as respiratory diseases and endocrine diseases.

But a new study shows that Down syndrome patients are more likely to become infected with COVID, too - even compared to other patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

In this study, researchers tracked COVID outcomes for 543 people with disabilities receiving support from a New York City-based nonprofit.

The nonprofit supported over 8,000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities over the course of the pandemic. This support includes assistance with daily living activities and access to nursing care.

Out of the 543 people included in the study, 91 were diagnosed with COVID between March and October 2020. Of those patients, 35 died from the disease.

These disability patients had higher COVID case rates and mortality rates than NYC overall during that time period.

The case mortality rate, reflecting the share of COVID patients who died, was four times higher - 39 percent of the COVID patients with disabilities died, compared to 10 percent of New Yorkers with COVID overall.

This study's case rate may be a low estimate, however.

The disability patients were only tested for COVID when they showed symptoms, and contact tracing was limited. More patients may have become infected with COVID with mild symptoms or no symptoms.

Disability patients had a COVID case fatality rate four times higher than NYC overall

The researchers found that COVID risk factors for the disability patients were similar to known risk factors for the general population.

Older patients were more likely to be diagnosed with COVID, for example. Patients who lived in more crowded settings - similar to nursing homes - were also more likely to get sick.

Chronic kidney disease patients had the highest risk of COVID infection - at a rate five times higher than the overall infection rate. This disease is well-known to be a COVID risk factor.

Down syndrome patients also had a high risk of COVID infection. These patients represented 10 pecent of the overall study group - but made up 22 percent of the patients who got sick.

Patients with Down syndrome were three times more likely to be diagnosed with COVID than other disability patients - and three times more likely to die from the disease.

This finding is especially notable because Down syndrome was not previously known to be a risk factor for COVID infection.

Patients with heart disease were also more likely to be diagnosed with COVID. And they were much more likely to die from the disease - at a rate 17 times higher than other disability patients.

Heart disease, like chronic kidney disease, may be more common and more severe in disability patients.

The researchers did not find an increased COVID infection risk for black, Hispanic, and other patients with minority racial/ethnic backgrounds, though these communities are known to be at a higher risk in the U.S. overall.

This study's findings are limited because the Syracuse researchers looked at a small number of patients - under 100 were infected with COVID. More research is needed in this area.

Still, the researchers say their findings suggest that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities should be a priority for vaccination efforts and other COVID prevention strategies, such as testing.

This is especially true for people with Down syndrome and other COVID comorbidities.
White patients were more likely to be screened for Covid-19 during telehealth visits during the pandemic than their peers of other races, a new study suggests.

A research team led by members of the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute analyzed health record data at Hennepin Healthcare, a safety net hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to gauge when people were tested for COVID-19 based on a variety of demographic factors.

Researchers found that white patients were significantly more likely to receive a Covid-19 test than all other racial groups when they performed a doctors visit via telehealth, accounting for 64.5 percent of all tests.

Black patients received only nine percent of Covid-19 screenings performed by telehealth, while accounting for 45 percent of tests performed in an emergency department.

White patients were more likely to catch less serious cases of Covid-19 earlier, as they were more likely to be screened at home via telehealth

Data from the study shows that white patients were more likely to be screened for Covid via telehealth, while black patients were more likely to be screened in emergency room settings

Black and white patients were around evenly likely to receive a Covid-19 screening in an in-patient setting, at 35.7 percent and 37.6 percent respectfully.

Researchers noted that patients who were receiving their tests in an emergency room or in-patient setting were more likely to need more intensive treatment, as their case of the virus was caught later than those who were screened via telehealth.

There was also a massive disparity across the board in testing depending on the primary language of the patient.

Patients who speak English received a majority of the screenings no matter the setting, including a whopping 88 percent of screenings performed via telehealth, and nearly 70 percent of tests overall.

While the results of the test are limited - they only account for one hospital system and do not adjust results for overall population - researchers fear that telehealth could widen an existing racial gap in medical coverage.

Telehealth became the primary way many received health care during the Covid-19 pandemic, as lockdowns closed many clinics for non-emergency visits.

As the pandemic ends, many experts believe telehealth is here to stay, and may remain the medium many routine doctors visits are delivered by.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), telehealth visits increased by 50 percent in the early stages of the pandemic.

The shift in medical care drove around $29 billion in revenue for health providers as well.

The CDC notes that not all Americans have equal access to health care, and the disparities in the American health care system were exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic

There are many health equity issues that arise with telehealth, though.

Not all Americans have access to the stable internet connection necessary to access telehealth.

There is also a problem with insurers not knowing how to bill the visits properly, though many states, like Illinois, have passed laws regulating telehealth visits as normal doctor visits in terms of insurance and billing, preventing patients from being denied these visits by their insurance.

Researchers may have found another potential disparity in this study, though, as more research goes into the system that may be the future of medical care.

Health equity in Covid-19 testing was a problem early on in the pandemic as well, with the CDC reporting that ethnic minorities often faced barriers such as discrimination, transportation, lack of health care and more to not receiving same access as their white counterparts.

Many underserved, primarily minority, communities also were left without the needed supply of tests early on in the pandemic.

The full study is available in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Tuesday.
Seniors were prioritized early in the U.S. vaccination campaign - and those efforts have paid off, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Between winter 2020 and spring 2021, the death rate for adults over age 65 declined by 84 percent.

Older adults are also far less likely to get infected with COVID or visit the hospital due to the disease.

'We were able to see the critical contribution of vaccination coverage in reducing COVID cases, severe illness, and death,' CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky said of the study during a press briefing on Tuesday.

COVID death rates among U.S. seniors declined 84% from pre-vaccine winter 2020 to post-vaccine spring 2021, a new CDC report found. Pictured: An elderly man wearing gets a dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine in Kingston, Pennsylvania, May 2020

COVID cases and emergency room visits declined more for seniors than for younger adults - thanks to vaccination

Seniors had far lower rates of COVID hospital admissions and deaths in the spring compared to during the fall/winter surge

Seniors were one of the first groups of Americans to be eligible for vaccination - along with healthcare workers and nursing home residents - because older adults are more vulnerable to COVID.

Adults over age 65 make up 80 percent of COVID deaths in the country despite making up only 16 percent of the U.S> population.

Seniors are more vulnerable to severe COVID and death because they are likely to have weaker immune systems and medical conditions that may increase disease severity, such as heart disease and kidney disease.

The Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are all very effective at lowering these risks - making severe COVID and death extremely unlikely for those who have been vaccinated.

America's vaccine rollout began slowly in December 2020, but picked up in January 2021. By February 6, one-fourth of seniors were vaccinated with at least one dose.

By March 3, half of seniors had received at least one dose. And by the end of the CDCs analysis period, May 1, 82 percent had received at least one dose.

As of June 7, 86 percent of seniors have received at least one dose and 76 percent are fully vaccinated.

The CDC researchers examined how well these vaccines were working by looking at four crucial metrics: COVID cases, emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and deaths.

They determined the rates for three age groups - younger adults (ages 18 to 49), middle-aged adults (ages 50 to 64), and seniors (over age 65).

Then, the researchers compared the COVID rates for seniors to the corresponding rates for younger adults - and compared rates before and after the vaccination campaign.

Half of America's senior population had received at least one vaccine shot by March 3 - as of June 7, 86 percent of seniors have received at least one shot

Under 20,000 Americans are now hospitalized with COVID, compared to 124,000 at the peak of the winter surge

All COVID rates went down significantly from the winter outbreak, pre-vaccination campaign, to the spring. But the decrease was much sharper for seniors.

From that pre-vaccination period (November 29 to December 12, 2020) to the spring period (April 18 to May 1, 2021), the COVID death rate for seniors went from 31 weekly deaths for every 100,000 people - to just five weekly deaths for every 100,000 people.

This represents a 84 percent decrease in deaths for seniors, and a 66 percent decrease in the death rate ratio - a senior's risk of death compared to a younger adults.

Rates also decreased for cases, emergency department visits, and hospital admissions.

Seniors were 79 percent less likely to get infected, 77 percent less likely to visit an emergency room, and 78 percent less likely to be admitted to a hospital with COVID in the spring compared to the pre-vaccination winter.

'We were able to see the critical contribution of vaccination coverage in reducing COVID cases, severe illness, and death, especially among those over age 65,' Walensky said.

Walensky stressed the need for continuing vaccinations, as do the researchers behind the study.

Daily vaccinations in the U.S. peaked in April at 3.4 million shots a day - now, the number is closer to 500,000 shots a day.

Thirteen states have met President Biden's July 4 goal of 70 percent of adults with at least one dose. Other states lag much further behind.

Populations that remain unvaccinated will be vulnerable to infection from the dangerous, more-contagious variants now spreading in the U.S.

The Delta variant - first identified in India - now makes up six percent of sequenced cases in the U.S., Dr Anthony Fauci said on Tuesday.

Vaccinating the remaining seniors who have yet to receive a shot - along with other eligible adults and teenagers - will protect the U.S. from another surge.
Arriving on campus for the first time as a freshman can be stressful for a multitude of reasons, so keeping yourself busy is key to settling into a healthy routine. In order to get into this new college lifestyle, Virginia Tech provides its students with plenty of opportunities outside the c
Dr Anthony Fauci warned on Tuesday that the coronavirus variant that first emerged in India could be come the dominant strain in the U.S.

Known as B.1.617.2 - and also called the Delta variant - it has been referred to as a 'double mutant' by India's Ministry of Health, because it has two mutations on parts of the virus that help it hook onto our cells.

In the UK, the mutation has overtaken B.1.1.7, the so-called Alpha variant, which originated in Britain.

Fauci, who is America's top infectious diseases expert, said the Indian variant accounts for six percent of all cases being sequenced in the U.S. and he is worried that the percentage could rise further.

'We cannot let that happen in the United States, which is such a powerful argument...to get vaccinated,' Fauci said at the White House COVID-19 task force briefing.

'Particularly if you had your first dose, make sure you get that second dose - and for those who have been nor vaccinated yet, please get vaccinated.'

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Dr Anthony Fauci warned during a press conference on Tuesday (pictured) that the Indian variant is overtaking the UK and that the same could occur in the U.S. if people don't get vaccinated

The Indian variant, known as B.1.617.2 or the Delta variant, currently makes up 6% of all coronavirus cases sequenced in the U.S.

The variant was first discovered in the Maharashtra state, which is the second most-populous state in India and where Mumbai is located.

Cases has been plummeting since September, but began spiking in April with a 50 percent increase in cases in the first week of May alone.

It was due to sequencing such a high number of cases that the county's Health Ministry was able to identify the variant.

In a statement, officials said the variant was linked to between 15 to 20 percent of samples sequenced from Maharashtra state.

Indian health authorities have labeled the variant a 'double mutant' because it carries two mutations: L452R and E484Q.

L452R is the same mutation seen with the California homegrown variant and E484Q is similar to the mutation seen in the Brazilian and South African variants.

Both of the mutations occur on key parts of the virus that allows it to enter and infect human cells.

It has the worst of two very bad mutations out there and that's a big concern,' Dr Ali Mokdad, an epidemiologist with the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, told DailyMail.com last month.

Mokdad said the variant could be both more infectious variant like the California variant and an 'escape variant' like those from Brazil and South Africa, making vaccines less effective.

Fauci, the director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), said that the Indian variant is the more prevalent in the UK, particularly among young people, who are the least likely to have been vaccinated.

'In the UK, the Delta variant is the rapidly emerging as the dominant variant, [accounting for] greater than 60 percent. It is replacing the B.1.1.7,' he warned.

'When talking to their health authorities, the transmission is peaking in the younger group of 12- to 20-year-olds - mainly that group that we're concerned about here, about making sure they get vaccinated.'

Fauci added that several studies have found there is poor protection against the Delta variant with one dose, but strong protection with two.

As of Tuesday, more than 63 percent of American adults have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, President Joe Biden has set a goal of reaching a 70 percent threshold by July 4.

At the same briefing, CDC director Dr Rochelle Walensky said vaccinations were behind the plummeting numbers of cases and deaths in the US, and urged that more people roll up their sleeves.

'There is more work to be done,' she said.
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Every day, the U.S is looking more and more like it will fall short of President Joe Biden's goal to have 70 percent of American adults at least partially vaccinated by July 4.

As of Tuesday, 63.8 percent of those aged 18 and older - about 164.5 million people - have gotten at least an initial shot, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

About 16 million unvaccinated adults need to receive at least one dose in the next four weeks for Biden to meet his goal.

But the pace of new vaccinations in the U.S. has dropped to about 500,000 people per day - down from a high of 3.5 million per day in April.

The White House has launched a month-long blitz to combat vaccine hesitancy and a lack of urgency to get shots, particularly in the South and Midwest, but it is increasingly resigned to missing the president's vaccination target.

The U.S. looks like it will fall short of President Joe Biden's goal to have 70% of American adults at least partially vaccinated by July 4. Pictured: Biden delivers remarks on his administration's COVID-19 response at the White House, June 2

The pace of vaccination has dropped to an average of about 500,000 people per day, down from a high of 3.5 million per day in April

About 16 million unvaccinated adults need to receive at least one dose by Independence Day, but around four million people need to be vaccinated each week to hit that goal, up from 2.7 million per week

Biden's administration has insisted that even if the goal isn't reached, it will have little effect on the overall U.S. recovery, which is already ahead of where the president said it would be months ago.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday that he still hopes the goal will be met 'and if we don't, we're going to continue to keep pushing.'

So far, 13 states have reached 70 percent coverage among adults, with about a dozen more on pace to reach the milestone by July 4.

But the state-to-state variation is stark.

Nine of the states - Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont- are in the Northeast with just four states - California, Hawaii, New Mexico, and Washington in the West.

Six states, all in the South, haven't even reached 50 percent coverage.

Fauci said the administration is 'pleading' with states, particularly those with low vaccination rates, to step up their efforts in the coming months, though some of the states trailing behind are hardly sharing the urgency.

On a conference call Tuesday, White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients delivered an impassioned call for governors to join the administration in 'pulling out all the stops' on vaccinations this month.

'We need your leadership on the ground - which is where it matters the most - more than ever,' he said.

In Mississippi, which trails the nation with only about 34 percent of its population and 44.7 percent of adults vaccinated, Republican Gov Tate Reeves has called Biden's goal 'arbitrary, to say the least.'

The vaccination rate in the state has dropped off so sharply that it would take the better part of a year for the state to reach the 70 percent target.

Speaking to CNN on Sunday, Reeves said he encouraged residents to get vaccinated, but that the more important marker was the decline in cases in the state.

That sentiment makes winning over people like University of Mississippi student Mary Crane all the more important to Biden meeting his goal.

She hasn't felt much urgency to get the COVID-19 vaccine because she's already had the virus, and the family she's living with during the summer break has been vaccinated.

Some states have tried incentives such as offering lotteries to people who get vaccinated. Pictured: New Yorker shows off his lottery ticket outside the NYS Covid-19 vaccination site at the Javits Center, May 24

So far, 13 states have reached 70% coverage among adults but six states - all in the South - haven't even reached 50% coverage among those 18 and older. Pictured: Registered Nurse Sheba Phillip (right) administers a COVID-19 vaccine shot to J. Hernandez (left), outside of the Bronx Writing Academy in New York, June 4

'Initially, it was to wait on everyone else to get it and not take a vaccine,' she said, explaining why she hasn't been vaccinated.

'But now that it's available, there's really not a reason I haven't gotten it, other than I just haven't gotten it.'

Crane, 20, said she's seen classmates who were eager to get the vaccine right away - there was a trend when the vaccine first came out of posting vaccination cards on social media sites like Instagram.

But now that the vaccine has been available for a few months, Crane said she sees fewer young people talking about it.

'Everything's pretty much back to normal now,' she said.

Fauci on Tuesday emphasized that increased vaccination was essential to stamping out potentially dangerous variants, including the so-called Delta variant first identified in India that is now the dominant strain in the UK.

It currently makes up about six percent of all cases sequenced in the U.S.

Vaccines have proven less effective against that variant when people are not fully immunized, and evidence points to it being more transmissible and more deadly.

In Ohio, Republican Gov Mike DeWine created a lottery offering $1 million prizes for vaccinated adults. There was 43% boost in state vaccination numbers after the May 12 announcement before the rates declined again

In an attempt to drive up the vaccination rate, the White House has worked to encourage an array of incentives for people to get shots - from paid time off to the chance to win a million dollars. It's partnered with community groups, businesses and health providers to make it easier than ever to get a shot.

Those efforts have helped sustain some of the interest, but the trends point to Biden missing the target by several percentage points.

In Ohio, Republican Gov Mike DeWine created a lottery offering $1 million prizes for vaccinated adults and full-ride college scholarships for children. Ohio's lottery kicked off a wave of similar incentive lotteries nationally.

DeWine's May 12 announcement of the state's Vax-a-Million program had the desired effect, leading to a 43 percent boost in state vaccination numbers over the previous week.

But the impact was short-lived, with vaccinations falling again the following week.

For some, the chance of winning $1 million isn't enough to overcome skepticism about the need for the vaccine.

Joanna Lawrence of Bethel in southwestern Ohio says the COVID-19 survivability rate is so high, and the experiences of people she knows who took the vaccine are so bad, that she sees no need to risk a shot for herself.

She made it through her own bout of the coronavirus in August.

'My life is not worth money,' said Lawrence, 51, who farms and works in commercial real estate. 'I can always get more money if I need to. I cannot get another life.'

White House press secretary Jen Psaki declined to make a prediction on whether the goal would be met but said the administration was using 'every tool at our disposal to get there.'

'Regardless of where we are on July 4th, we're not shutting down shop,' she said. 'On July 5th, we're going to continue to press to vaccinate more people across the country.'

Husband and wife Keila Moore, 41, and Willie Moore, 42, of Pearl, Mississippi, have disagreed on whether to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Willie, a frontline worker, said he knew he wanted to get it because he has high blood pressure and other preexisting conditions that put him at greater risk of severe illness and death.

'As soon as I had the chance to get it, I took it,' said Willie, who was vaccinated in February.

But Keila, who doesn't have preexisting conditions and works from home, has so far chosen not to be vaccinated.

After her husband was vaccinated, she tested positive for the virus. She said it was a mild case, but that it was still a scary experience.

Keila said she's feeling more open to getting the vaccine, and is considering getting it this fall, if reports of side effects continue to be minimal.

'I'm just still weighing the options and the time frame,' she said. 'I'm a little bit more confident in it now as the time is going by because the time is going by and I'm not really seeing any side effects that are too worrisome.'
Mining giant BHP was last night embroiled in a major sex scandal after a worker was charged with the rape of a colleague in Western Australia.

The alleged assault is understood to be one of the catalysts for the FTSE 100 companys recent crackdown on binge drinking as it tries to reduce the risk of booze-fuelled attacks and harassment of female employees.

The Anglo-American giant was accused of violating workers human rights last month as it unveiled plans to ban miners from drinking beer after 9.30pm, and limit them to four drinks a day.

'Poor working conditions': BHP's vast South Flank iron ore mine in Pilbara, Western Australia

It said this move reflected changes to guidance from the Australian government in December, which now recommends that adults consume no more than four standard alcoholic drinks in any one day.

The curbs will come into force next month.

But the urgent need to tackle drunken behaviour at BHPs male-dominated mining sites became clearer yesterday as Western Australian police charged a 35-year-old employee over the alleged rape of a colleague near the companys enormous South Flank iron ore operation in Pilbara.

The man, from Vasse in south-west Australia, has been refused bail and will appear in court in Perth today.

He has already been fired by the company following an independent investigation.

Fellow workers at the mine say a woman in her twenties was followed back to her accommodation at the camp  known as Mulla Mulla Village  where she was allegedly attacked.

According to the West Australian newspaper, the incident occurred after the woman rejected advances from male colleagues in the mining camps wet mess, a dining area where workers often meet for drinks after their shift.

The alleged attack took place in November last year but was only reported to police earlier this year.

Last night it also sparked a wider row over BHPs treatment of workers, with a union leader claiming that the dehumanising conditions at mine sites are fuelling widespread alcohol and drug abuse, and leading to more anti-social behaviour.

As the rape allegations surfaced, BHP revealed that it has also introduced a chaperone service, offering a uniformed security guard to escort those too scared to return to their accommodation alone.

Flyers for the Walk to room service have been posted across its sites over the past year to make workers feel safer.

The flyer states: Residents and village staff can request to be accompanied to their rooms for different reasons.

These include if you feel uncomfortable for any reason while walking to your room.

A spokesman for BHP yesterday described sexual assault or harassment as unacceptable at BHP, full stop.

He added that staff now have to go through mandatory training in respectful behaviours, while extra lighting, CCTV and security has been installed at mining sites.

But yesterday Mick Buchan, secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, said BHP was partly to blame for driving workers to alcohol and drug abuse.

Mine workers fly into remote sites, and often work consecutive 12-hour days during a two-week shift, before they return home again.

He said: Theres no question that working manual labour for 12 hours a day, 14 days straight, incentivises the use of alcohol to wind down at night  and other substances to get going in the morning.

Scene of the crime: Mining accommodation in Mulla Mulla Village where the woman in her twenties was allegedly attacked

Although BHP said it has invested heavily in its mining camps, installing gyms and even meditation rooms, Buchan claimed that life has actually become harder for workers as the firm has tried to cut costs.

One key problem, he said, is the introduction of a system of hot-bedding to save money, whereby small huts called dongas are swapped between workers so they are never left empty.

Previously workers would be allocated their own donga when they started a construction job.

This would remain their home for the entire project, which could last up to two years and would be left empty when their shift finished.

Workers would put up photos of loved ones, and some would even plant vegetable patches to make themselves feel at home.

They would also develop a sense of place and community, said Buchan, as they would get to know their neighbours.

But he said the move to hot-bedding means workers often have no idea who is also in the room and cannot build any sense of community.

Its well known that having a sense of place and community protects against anti-social behaviour, he said.

We should have learned by now that when you take people away from the support network of their family and community its not healthy.

A boom in iron ore prices has helped to deliver bumper profits for the firm, and enabled it to dish out record dividends to shareholders.

But the rape allegations threaten to tarnish its reputation, particularly if more allegations of sexual harassment and poor working conditions at its mines emerge.

Rio Tinto, BHPs Anglo-Australian competitor, is still reeling from the reputational damage caused after it blew up some sacred Aboriginal caves just over a year ago.

A spokesperson for BHP said: We are absolutely clear on this, and all employees, contractors and those that come to our sites are made aware of their obligation to support a safe and respectful workplace. We continue to strengthen our approach at all of our sites and offices.
Thomas Marrinan, 57, was killed in the fight that broke out when he and pal Robert Velasquez confronted the man, 33, in a pizzeria in Kensington around 7pm

Tributes are pouring in for a retired NYPD cop who was accidentally shot dead by a friend as the pair tried to stop a man harassing an 86-year-old in a Brooklyn street on Monday night.

Thomas Marrinan, 57, was killed in the fight that broke out when he and pal Robert Velasquez confronted the man, 33, in a pizzeria in Kensington around 7pm.

According to NBC New York, an employee of Korner Pizza called Marrinan for help because of an alleged drunk at the store.

The brawl spilled out onto Church Avenue and East 3rd Street and in front of an abandoned drug store, where Velasquez, 53, pulled out his gun and fired a single shot, police said.

The bullet hit the 33-year-old man, identified in local media as Michael Soto, in the right arm, and hit Marrinan in the chest.

Marrinan was rushed to Maimonides Medical Centre by EMS, where he was pronounced dead about two hours after the shooting.

'At one point, the 57-year-old male and another male, who is 53 years old, came to the aid of the 86-year-old,' NYPD Deputy Chief Joseph Gulotta said in describing the incident.

'The two males who are in their 50s confronted the 33-year-old and a physical fight ensued.'

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Thomas Marrinan ,57, would grow his hair long to then have it cut off and donated

Retired NYPD cop Thomas Marrinan, 57, was killed in the fight that broke out when he and pal Robert Velasquez confronted the 33-year-old in a pizzeria in Kensington around 7pm

Thomas Marrinan, 57, was rushed to hospital after being shot in the chest on Monday night

He was killed in the fight that broke out when he and pal Robert Velasquez confronted the 33-year-old in a pizzeria in Kensington around 7pm

The brawl spilled out onto Church Avenue and East 3rd Street, where Robert Velasquez, 53, pulled out his gun and fired a single shot, police said

Soto was also taken to the hospital in stable condition and taken into custody after the incident. He has not been charged. Police said an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

The NYPD told DailyMail.com on Tuesday morning that there are no current updates on the investigation.

Footage of the aftermath shows Marrinan being loaded into a waiting ambulance as his distraught wife looks on.

Cops are then seen arresting a shirtless man with a bloodied right arm, believed to be Soto.

Church Avenue and East 3rd Street in Brooklyn where retired cop Thomas Marrinan was shot

Blood from the incident was still on the scene as of Tuesday morning

An employee of Korner Pizza called Marrinan for help because of an alleged drunk

Velazquez can also be heard saying 'Stay with me' as Marrinan was being loaded into the ambulance, according to the New York Post.

Witness Denzel Smith said he saw two men, one of whom identified himself as a retired police officer, arguing on the street Monday as he was waiting for a bus nearby.

He said a young man was cursing at an older gentleman who was sitting on a bench before the retired cops got involved.

Blood can be seen on the ground along with a face mask where a struggle took place

The Marrinan family that lives around the corner from the shooting placed a message to the media at their apartment building

Smith added: 'They were arguing with the younger guy in the street,

'The guy said, "I'm going to get you. I'm going to shoot you." The other guy said, "I'm a retired cop."'

'This is a safe neighborhood. And it shocked me to know this  fighting and a shooting,' Smith said.

Witnesses said Thomas Marrinan was seen arguing with a man outside the pizzeria around 7pm on Monday night, before his friend fired the fatal shot

Police rushed to the scene and took Marrinan to Maimonides Medical Centre, where he was pronounced dead

Police cordoned off the corner where the incident took place in order to carry out an investigation

Another witness, Regina Uddin, said police were giving Marrinan treatment and shouting '"Wake up! Wake up!" But he wasn't responding.'

'The other guy was sitting there handcuffed. [Soto] was shot in the arm, and the cops dragged him to an ambulance.'

She added the retired officer was 'a sweetheart' and said he was 'the sweetest guy I've ever known.'

The owner (L) and staff of Korner Pizza decided to close Tuesday in memory of Marrinan

Flowers and candles from the owner and staff of the Korner Pizza in honor of Marriman

Police tape is still up after Monday night's shooting in Brooklyn

The owner and staff of Korner Pizza decided to close Tuesday in memory of Marrinan

Marrinan had retired from his post at Transit District 30 in 2015 after 23 years of service.

Friend Alan Dubrow said: 'He was known as Tommy Donuts, because everywhere he went, he brought donuts.

'I'm really upset. Tommy is just a swell guy. It's a real tragedy... he was always looking out for the neighborhood.'

The 33-year-old man involved in the incident was arrested at the scene but has not been charged, police said

Police said one shot was fired by Robert Velasquez. It hit Michael Soto, 33, in in the right arm and his pal Thomas Marrinan in the chest

Police said an investigation into the bizarre incident is ongoing

Police cordoned off the site of the incident on Monday night as tributes for a retired police officer who was killed flooded in

The area was closed to traffic into the evening as police started an investigation into the incident

Some neighbors said Soto was known as a 'troublemaker' in the neighborhood.

WABC reports that Soto has six prior arrests, stretching back all the way to his teenage years.

When he was a teen, Soto was arrested in November 2006 for possession of a BB gun.

In November 2015, he was arrested for allegedly selling marijuana.

In September 2018, Soto was arrested for alleged robbery, as well as an order of protection violation. He was arrested again in February 2019 for an order of protection violation, as well as for allegedly punching someone in the nose. A month later, he was arrested again for an order of protection violation.

Soto's most recent arrest came in May 2020, when he was arrested for strangulation in an alleged domestic violence incident.

Witnesses said police and emergency services attempted to revive Thomas Marrinan at the scene of the shooting but were unable to

Thomas Marrinan was a retired transit officer. He left the force in 2013 after 23 years of service

Meanwhile, attempts by DailyMail.com to contact the Marrinan family were not returned.

At their home, however, they did post a note on the door, calling it a 'very difficult time.'

'Please give our family time and space to grieve,' the note form the Marrinan family reads.

Nephew Nick White told CBSNewYork, close to tears, 'He's a great man and hell be missed by a lot of people. He's the reason I became a cop. He helps people without ever thinking about himself.'

'Anybody needed help, he was the guy to call' White added.

Condolences were pouring in on Tuesday morning over Twitter in the aftermath of Marrinan's death.

'Even after he retired, he continued to protect his fellow New Yorkers. Rest in peace, Tommy,' tweeted NYPD commissioner Dermot Shea.

'Our hearts are heavy today standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our fellow cops in the @NYCPBA as we all morn the tragic death of Thomas Marrinan, a retired officer and PBA Delegate,' tweeted the Detectives' Endowment Association.

'Loved by the community and his brothers and sisters in blue, Thomas will be sorely missed.'

NYPD Transit also tweeted about the loss, saying 'We're saddened to learn of the passing of retired Transit Police Officer Tommy Marrinan. He left a positive and indelible mark during his years of service in Transit District 30, and those who worked alongside Tommy will never forget the care he took in looking out for everyone.'

Marrinan was known to grow his hair out long so that he can have it cut and donated to charity.

Marrinan spent one of his last days on Saturday at his son's graduation, neighbors said.

White described the relationship between Marrinan and his son as a 'very close bond. Theyre like twins, you know, just father and son, a typical father-and-son bond.'

His son was recently accepted to the New York Institute of Technology.

One neighbor said of Marrinan's wife, Anna, 'I dont know what she is going to do. He was amazing.'

A GoFundMe described Marrinan as 'an amazing husband , father, uncle, son, friend, neighbor, and man who put everyone first.'

'Whether he was baking cookies for union meetings, making chicken parm for holidays, telling jokes or growing out his hair to donate to charity, Uncle Tommy had a heart of gold! He leaves behind his wife and son who he was fortunate to watch graduate high school this past weekend,' the fundraiser reads.

Over $20,000 has been raised in just 12 hours to go towards funeral expenses and other financial needs of the fallen officer's family.

A tribute can be seen outside of Korner Pizza, where Thomas Marrinan was killed

The shooting death came as New York City continues to battle a surge in gun violence this year.

NYPD data shows gun violence and shooting victims continue to surge in New York City even as the number of murders fell from 13 in 2020 to six in 2021 for the week of May 24 to May 30. That marks a 52.8 percent drop year-over-year.

There have been 173 total murders this year so far as of May 30, with just 147 by the same date in 2020  marking a 17.7 percent increase year-over-year.

The murder rate appears to have fallen some year-over-year for the week of May 24 to May 30 compared to earlier weeks in April and May.

Church Avenue and East 3rd Street in Brooklyn where blood from the incident is on the scene

The NYPD told DailyMail.com on Tuesday that there are no updates on the investigation

Someone is seen waiting for the bus right in front of where Monday night's shooting happened

NYPD data shows that for the week of May 5 to May 9, there were nine murders in New York City  compared to two in 2020, marking a 350 percent increase year-over-year.

By that time, there were a total of 146 murders in New York City in 2021 compared to 115 by the same date in 2020, a 27 percent increase.

It was not immediately clear why the murder rates appear to be declining again even as the city continues to grip with the alarming spate of gun violence.

The brawl spilled out onto Church Avenue and East 3rd Street to an abandoned drug store

Pictured: Korner Pizza on Tuesday morning, the day after Monday night's deadly incident

The NYPD recorded 35 shooting victims from May 24 to May 30, up 45.8 percent from the 24 shooting victims for the same period in 2020.

So far this year there have been a whopping number of 637 shooting victims by May 30, with just 360 by the same point last year, an increase of 76.9 percent.

The number of shooting incidents were also up 43.5 percent in 2021 from 2020 for the May 24 to May 30 recording period. There were 33 shooting incidents in 2021 compared to 23 shooting incidents in 2020 for that timeframe.

There have been 564 shooting incidents so far this year compared to just 318 last year, for an increase of 77.4 percent.
Indian doctors claim the new Covid variant is giving people gangrene and hearing loss that older strains of the virus didn't.

The country was battered by the new variant, known as B1617.2 or 'Delta', in the spring with millions of people getting infected and hospitals spilling into the streets.

Scientists say the variant appears to be the most infectious one discovered to date and medics now suggest it might be more dangerous, too.

As well as typical Covid symptoms, some in India say they have seen a rise in patients coming in with deafness, or gangrene caused by blood clots, Bloomberg reported.

Health chiefs in the UK have already warned that there seems to be a higher risk of ending up in hospital with this variant than with the previously dominant Kent strain.

But doctors in Britain have not reported gangrene or hearing loss, despite tens of thousands of cases of the variant.

This suggests that they may be extremely rare and only found in India so far because millions of people got infected in a short space of time, or that they happened by chance in people who had Covid and aren't caused by the variant at all.

Concerns about how fast the variant is spreading and the possibility that it makes vaccines less effective are piling pressure on Boris Johnson to delay ending lockdown on June 21, with scientific advisers urging him to push it back to buy time to roll out jabs.

The B1617.2 'Delta' variant is already believed to be the fastest-spreading strain of the virus since it was discovered in India earlier this year and medics now think it could be more harmful (Pictured: A man is tested for coronavirus near Siliguri in Northern India)

One doctor said the arrival of new symptoms more than a year into the pandemic showed how unpredictable the virus was.

Dr Abdul Ghafur, an infectious disease expert at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai, told Bloomberg: 'We need more scientific research to analyse if these newer clinical presentations are linked to B.1.617 or not.'

There had not been any obvious signs that the Brazil or South African variants, the first mutants to worry scientists, were causing different symptoms to other strains.

But a number of doctors are now reportedly seeing unusual problems in people diagnosed with the virus.

As well as typical symptoms like lost appetites, stomach pains, diarrhoea and joint pain, some were also developing gangrene or hearing loss.

India is emerging from a devastating second wave of coronavirus in which more than 350,000 people per day were testing positive at the peak  and experts said there were many more not getting tested

The rate of positive tests in India is now similar to the UK but the true numbers are higher because there are so many more people  the population is over a billion

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON COVID SYMPTOMS IN THE UK? Below are data from Imperial College London's REACT study looking at adults aged 18 to 54 between June and December 2020. This is likely to include the most common symptoms of thousands of people infected with the original Wuhan strain of the virus and the Kent variant, with others in between, but not the Indian variant, which appeared in the UK in spring 2021. Symptom % of patients Headache Tiredness Muscle aches Loss of smell Sore throat Blocked nose Sneezing Runny nose Loss of taste Difficulty sleeping Chills Fever Appetite loss Persistent cough 26.6% 23.4% 18.3% 15% 14.8% 14.5% 13.6% 12.9% 12.8% 11.7% 10.3% 9.4% 9.4% 8.9% Advertisement

Gangrene is a condition in which living tissue dies and starts to rot while still on the body because of a lack of oxygen, usually caused by blocked blood supply.

Coronavirus is known to cause clots in a lot of people who become seriously ill with it, and blood clots can easily become lodged in small blood vessels and cut off the blood supply, leading to gangrene if it is not treated properly.

'I saw three to four cases the whole of last year, and now its one patient a week,' said Dr Ganesh Manudhane, a cardiologist in Mumbai.

He has reportedly treated eight patients in the past two months and two of them even had to have amputations  one of fingers and the other a foot.

He added: 'We suspect it could be because of the new virus variant.'

It is also fairly common for viral infections in general to cause hearing loss.

Viruses are the one of the top causes of sudden hearing loss in people who are born with normal hearing  measles, mumps and certain types of herpes are among the possible causes and permanent damage can be caused by viruses attacking the cochlea in the inner ear.

It is not always exactly clear how this happens but swelling caused by the immune response could damage the sensitive inner ear or the tiny hairs needed for hearing.

Many doctors and scientists have called for there to be a longer list of symptoms that would allow people to get Covid tests in the UK.

Currently only people with a cough, fever or loss of their sense of taste or smell are classed as having Covid symptoms, although studies and NHS reports have found the true range of effects is much wider.

But the more symptoms are included, the more likely it is that people will think they have Covid but don't and there will be more negative tests.

The three chosen symptoms are considered to strike the best balance between picking up a large proportion of people who really do have Covid while not also scooping up huge numbers who have other common illnesses.
Theresa Balboa (in mug) will face more charges over the death of her boyfriend's five-year-old son

Theresa Balboa will face more charges over the death of her boyfriend's five-year-old son whose body was found stuffed in a bin in a motel room, prosecutors said Monday.

Balboa, 29, has so far been charged with tampering with evidence - human corpse stemming from the death of Samuel Olson. Balboa was the girlfriend of Samuel's father, Dalton Olson.

The remains of the little boy, who would have turned 6 on May 29, are thought to have been kept hidden for around two weeks after he died, including in a bathtub, before Balboa reported him missing.

She appeared in court Monday where Andrea Beall, a prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney's Office, said that authorities planned to file additional charges against Balboa.

Her bond was also hiked up to $600,000 in total over Samuel's death and a separate alleged assault six months prior to the child's disappearance.

Beall said a murder or a capital murder investigation is pending in the case.

Balboa, 29, did not speak during the brief court hearing. An attorney for Balboa did not immediately return a call seeking comment on Monday.

Investigators were still waiting for a preliminary autopsy report, which could be ready by Monday afternoon.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences in Houston has not officially identified the body found last week by authorities as being Samuel.

But police have said they believe the body found inside a plastic tote in a motel in Jasper, about 135 miles (215 kilometers) northeast of Houston, is the boy.

A cause of death has also not been determined.

A body believed to be that of Samuel Olson (above) was found stuffed in a bin in a motel room, prosecutors said Monday

Balboa pictured with Samuel's father Dalton Olson before the boy's body was found and she was arrested in connection to his death

Court records show Balboa was charged with assault in November for allegedly choking Dalton Olson.

Conditions of her bond in that case included that she have no contact with Olson or any member of his family.

During Monday's court hearing, state District Judge DaSean Jones increased Balboa's bond in the assault case from $5,000 to $100,000.

She is also being held on a $500,000 bond for the tampering with evidence charge.

Balboa was arrested last week in a motel room with what is thought to be Samuel's decomposing body stuffed in a bin at a Best Western Motel in Jasper, court documents reveal.

Court documents claim she was fleeing to Louisiana with the body when she was arrested.

The map above shows the four locations associated with the search for missing Samuel Olson

Police recovered the remains believed to be that of Samuel wrapped with duct tape and stuffed inside a black plastic bin in room 106 at this Best Western motel in Jasper, Texas

Officials believe the boy had been dead since May 10.

He was last seen alive by his paternal grandmother, Tonya Olson, who says she spent the weekend with him on May 8.

His last verified sighting by someone outside of his family was on April 30 at his school.

Balboa wouldn't report the boy missing until May 27.

Samuel's parents had been involved in a bitter custody battle over the boy after filing for divorce in January 2020.

His mother, Sarah Olson, had primary custody but she had not seen Samuel since summer 2020, her lawyer, Marco Gonzalez, told reporters this week.

Gonzalez accused Dalton Olson of keeping Samuel from his mother and avoiding being served court paperwork that would have ordered him to return the boy to her.

Balboa, 29, has so far been charged with tampering with evidence - human corpse. She appeared in court Monday where her bond was also hiked up to $600,000 in total over Samuel's death and a separate alleged assault six months prior to the child's disappearance

A cause of death has not yet been determined for Samuel (above) who is thought to have died around May 10

Sarah Olson Samuel's birth mother is pictured with him left and Samuel is pictured right. Balboa is believed to have kept his body hidden for two weeks including in a bathtub in her apartment

TIMELINE OF SAMUEL OLSON CASE: April 30: Samuel Olson, 5, seen for the last time by anyone outside his family May 8-9: Samuel's paternal grandmother, Tonya Olson, says she spent the weekend with her grandson May 10: Theresa Balboa, girlfriend of Samuel's father, Dalton Olson, allegedly calls a roommate to tell him that Samuel had died. The two allegedly place the body in their bathtub May 13: The roommate and Balboa allegedly wrap the body in duct tape and place it in a plastic bin before taking it to a storage unit in Webster May 27: Balboa reports Samuel missing in Houston June 1: Police in Jasper, Texas, receive anonymous tip that leads them to Best Western motel, where they find Balboa and later child's body in a plastic bin June 2: Police in Houston announce discovery of body, Balboa's arrest and evidence tampering charge, with ID of remains still pending. June 3: Details of Balboa's meeting with a man in Walmart emerge, as its claimed he helped transport child's body. Balboa is also revealed to have lost custody of her own young daughters in 2019. June 4: Balboa is transferred from Jasper County to Harris County jail and is ordered held on $500,000 bond Advertisement

After reporting Samuel missing, Balboa initially accused Gonzalez and a man who presented himself as a police officer of taking the boy.

Police had not been able to verify Balboa's claim.

Samuel had been living with Balboa since April 30, which was the last day he was seen at school.

Authorities have not said why Samuel was staying with Balboa. Dalton lived at a different address.

The net closed in on Balboa following a tip off from a friend.

The 29-year-old had reportedly called a friend last Monday, and asked him to pick her up at a Walmart parking lot in Cleveland.

They then drove nearly 70 miles south to a storage facility in Webster where she retrieved the bin.

They then reportedly drove another 160 miles northeast to the Best Western.

Once there, they carried the bin inside room 106, with the man so horrified by the smell coming from it that he made an anonymous call to CrimeStoppers tipline to report it.

Officers responding to the scene found her with the plastic tote with the boy's body.

Balboa's roommate then told investigators Balboa called him May 10 and said the boy was dead, according to the arrest affidavit.

The boy's body was kept in the bathtub of the suburban Houston apartment where Balboa lived until she and her roommate placed it in a plastic tote and hid it in a storage unit on May 13, police said.

It emerged on Wednesday night that Balboa previously lost custody over her two young daughters in 2019 over claims she was a bad mom.

Court records obtained by Click2Houston revealed that the girls - now aged six and eight - were removed from their mom's care after she failed to show up to court for a custody hearing.
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Four members of a Muslim family in Canada were killed on Sunday and a nine-year-old boy left with serious injuries after a 20-year-old local man plowed his pickup truck into them as they were out for an evening stroll.

Three generations of a family who had immigrated from Pakistan 14 years ago were killed - a grandmother, father, mother and teenage daughter.

The attack happened in London, Ontario - a city of 500,000 with a Muslim population of around 30,000 people just north of Lake Erie, which is the second fastest-growing in Canada, according to CBC.

The driver, Nathaniel Veltman, chose his victims at random and targeted them because of their faith, police said - ramming his black pickup into the family at an intersection.

He was arrested immediately after in the parking lot of a nearby mall after the incident on Sunday night, and is in custody, facing four counts of first-degree murder.

Police say they are not releasing the victims names at this time. But a family founded GoFundMe page, which has raised more than $200,000 in two days, identifies them as Salman Afzaal, 46, a physiotherapist and cricket lover, his wife, Madiha Salman, 44, who was in the process of working towards finishing her exams to obtain her PhD at Western University in Civil engineering, their 15-year-old daughter, Yumna Salman, in grade 9 at Oakridge Secondary School, and her grandmother, 74. The couple's nine-year-old son Fayez Salman is in hospital with serious but non life-threatening injuries.

A councilor in Brampton, Ontario, Gurpreet Singh Dhillon, tweeted: 'My prayers are with the City of London, Ontario following the heinous hate crime that took place against an innocent Muslim family. I stand in solidarity with our Muslim brothers and sisters across Canada who are mourning this loss. #Islamophobia & hate have no place here.'

Nihad Awad, National Executive Director of Council American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), tweeted: 'A boy's whole family were killed because they were Muslim.'

Ed Holder, the mayor of London, Ontario, visits the scene of Sunday's crash on Monday. Four members of the same Muslim family died in the attack, and a child was seriously injured

Flowers are left at the site where four members of a Muslim family - a grandmother, father, mother and teenage daughter - were mowed down by Nathaniel Veltman in his pickup truck. The tragedy took place in London, Ontario on Sunday

London police investigate on Monday the scene of a car crash in London, Ontario. Four people died when Nathaniel Veltman rammed his car into the family as they were out for a walk on Sunday evening

Veltman made his first court appearance on Monday over a phone line from London police headquarters.

Justice of the Peace Terry Steenson placed a publication ban on any evidence at the hearing.

The charges were read to him: one count of attempted murder of a youth 'by striking him with a motor vehicle, namely a Dodge Ram pickup truck,' and four first-degree murder charges.

Steenson said bail on murder charges can only be sought in the Superior Court of Justice and ordered Veltman into custody and to return to court on Thursday.

'To the Muslim community in London and to Muslims across the country, know that we stand with you. Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities. This hate is insidious and despicable - and it must stop,' said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

'This was an act of mass murder perpetuated against Muslims,' said Ed Holder, mayor of London.

'It was rooted in unspeakable hatred. The magnitude of such hatred can make one question who we were as a city.'

'In one act of murder some individual has wiped out three generations of family. It's horrific,' said Holder, in an interview with The Associated Press.

A line of police officers look for evidence at the scene of a car crash in London, Ontario on Monday. The victims, a family that immigrated from Pakistan 14 years ago, were out for their nightly walk at the time

Detective Supt. Paul Waight said Veltman was wearing a vest that appeared to be like body armor.

Waight said police did not know at this point if the suspect was a member of any specific hate group.

He said London police are working with federal police and prosecutors to see about potential terrorism charges.

He declined to detail evidence pointing to a possible hate crime, but said the attack was planned.

About a dozen police officers combed the area around the crash site looking for evidence on Monday. Blue markers on the ground dotted the intersection.

'We believe the victims were targeted because of their Islamic faith,' said Stephen Williams, London police chief.

'We understand that this event may cause fear and anxiety in the community, particularly in the Muslim community, in any community targeted by hate.

'There is no tolerance in this community who are motivated by hate target others with violence.'

Canada is generally welcoming toward immigrants and all religions, but in 2017 a French Canadian man known for far-right, nationalist views went on a shooting rampage at a Quebec City mosque that killed six people.

One woman who witnessed the aftermath of the deadly crash said she could not stop thinking about the victims.

Paige Martin said she was stopped at a red light around 8:30pm when the large pickup roared past her.

She said her car shook from the force.

'I was shaken up, thinking it was an erratic driver,' Martin said.

Minutes later, she said, she came upon a gruesome, chaotic scene at an intersection near her home, with first responders running to help, a police officer performing chest compressions on one person and three other people lying on the ground.

A few dozen people stood on the sidewalk and several drivers got out of their cars to help.

'I can't get the sound of the screams out of my head,' Martin said.

From her apartment, Martin said she could see the scene and watched an official drape a sheet over one body about midnight.

'My heart is just so broken for them,' she said.

A shrine has blossomed in London, Ontario, in tribute to the four members of the Pakistani family who died in Sunday's attack

A line of police officers use long sticks as they probe for evidence at the scene of the car crash

The family died while waiting to cross a road at an intersection near their home in London

Zahid Khan, the family friend, detailed the three generations among the dead.

He said they were dedicated, decent and generous members of the London mosque.

'They were just out for their walk that they would go out for every day,' Khan said through tears near the site of the crash.

'I just wanted to see.'

Qazi Khalil said he saw the family on Thursday when they were out for their nightly walk.

The families lived close to each other and would get together on holidays, he said.

'This has totally destroyed me from the inside,' Khalil said.

'I can't really come to the terms they were no longer here.'

Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, said his province had no tolerance for 'hate and Islamophobia'.

A sign posted at the site reads: 'Love for all, hatred for none'. The accused perpetrator is facing four counts of murder

The National Council of Canadian Muslims said it was beyond horrified, saying Muslims in Canada have become all too familiar with the violence of Islamophobia.

'This is a terrorist attack on Canadian soil, and should be treated as such,' council head Mustafa Farooq said.

Nawaz Tahir, a London lawyer and Muslim community leader, said: 'We must confront and stamp out Islamophobia and Islamic violence - not tomorrow, today, for the sake of our children, our family, our communities.'
Hunter Biden used the n-word multiple times in conversation with his white, $845-per-hour lawyer, his texts messages reveal.

The shocking texts may prove embarrassing for his father President Joe Biden, who just last week gave a speech decrying racism on the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa massacre, and has sought to portray racial justice as a top priority for his administration.

The president's son joked in a January 2019 text to corporate attorney George Mesires about a 'big penis', and said to the lawyer: 'I only love you because you're black' and 'true dat n***a'.

In another text a month earlier he wrote to the Chicago lawyer saying: 'how much money do I owe you. Becaause (sic) n***a you better not be charging me Hennessy rates.'

Mesires replied: 'That made me snarf my coffee.'

Hunter added: 'That's what im saying ni', cutting off the racial slur mid-word, then texted a picture to Mesires.

Text messages recovered from Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop show the president's son (pictured last month) used the n-word multiple times in casual conversation with his lawyer George Messires, who is white

A December 2018 text message exchange obtained by DailyMail.com show Hunter asked Mesires: 'How much money do I owe you. Becaause (sic) n***a you better not be charging me Hennessy rates'

In another exchange the following month, Hunter flippantly addressed Messires as 'n***a' again and cracked jokes saying 'I only love you because you're black' during a seemingly somber conversation

The picture was not downloaded on Hunter's laptop, from which the text exchange was recovered by DailyMail.com.

But Mesires replied: 'Why are you so tan?'

'I'm sorry for sexting you accidentally that was meant for another friend named Georgia,' Hunter replied.

In the January text exchange, the two men were talking about philosophy and bantering with each other.

Mesires: 'There are ideals of unconditional love that serve as proxies. I don't have many. You. God,'

Hunter: 'OMG n***a did you just a fictional character from the imagination of the collective frightened and my dead brothers unconditional love is what I should rely on and my kids aren't children George.'

Mesires: 'My parents love was conditioned.'

Hunter: 'My penis as of late has been un conditional.'

Mesires: 'That's why we are searching.'

Hunter: 'For my penis.'

Mesires: 'And we will always be searching.'

Hunter: 'Its big penis George. They always find it. And I only love you because you're black.'

Mesires: 'It's so annoying when you interject with frivolity.'

Hunter: 'True dat n***a. But I'm done my rant.'

Among the photos stored on Hunter's laptop was a meme of his father and President Obama that also included the n-word, though it is unclear why he saved it

The meme, dated June 5, 2017, was in reference to Obama and Biden's White House departure in 2016. Hunter is pictured with his father and President Obama in 2010

In October 2018 Mesires sent a bill to Hunter's business partner Mervyn Yan, involved in his infamous deal with Chinese oil giant CEFC, showing the attorney's hourly rate of $845.

The bill, which included 'teleconferences with H. Biden regarding Hudson West', Hunter's joint venture with the Chinese, totaled $88,465, for 107 hours work from August 2017 to April 2018.

Among the photos stored on Hunter's laptop was a meme which also included the n-word.

Hunter said the racial slur multiple times while speaking to Chicago corporate attorney George Mesires - who is reported to have an hourly rate of $845

The meme, dated June 5, 2017, included a photo of Joe Biden hugging Barack Obama with a caption describing a joke conversation between the former president and vice president.

'Obama: Gonna miss you, man

'Joe: Can I say it? Just this once?

'Obama: *sigh* go ahead

'Joe: You my n***a, Barack'

It is unclear why Hunter saved the meme on his computer.

Neither he nor Mesires responded to DailyMail.com's request for comment.

The president's son and the White House have repeatedly failed to respond to any requests from DailyMail.com about any of the material on his laptop.

The 51-year-old's computer had a week of his internet browsing history from March 2019 saved on it before he abandoned it at a Delaware shop, which showed pornographic photos and videos downloaded on his laptop included an orgy between a woman and several black men.

Hunter's father has attempted to make race a central issue in both his presidential campaign  which came amid nationwide protests over racism and police brutality in 2020  and in his administration.

The messages have emerged just days after Joe Biden gave a speech decrying racism on the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa massacre in Oklahoma

In a speech last week on the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa massacre in which a white mob killed an estimated 300 black people in Oklahoma, Joe Biden said he had come to 'fill the silence'.

'Some injustices are so heinous, so horrific, so grievous, they cannot be buried, no matter how hard people try,' he said. 'Only with truth can come healing.'

Biden pledged to help fight racism in policing following George Floyd's death, and has even backed studies exploring reparations for slavery and other injustices against African Americans.

The president picked the US's first black vice president, and was himself VP to the first black president.

In an interview on NBC's Today show in April, the president said he did not believe that the country was racist.

The texts may prove embarrassing to the president, who has sought to portray racial justice as a top priority for his administration

'I don't think America is racist,' he said. 'but I think the overhang from all of the Jim Crowand before that, slaveryhave had a cost.

'After 400 years African Americans have been left in a position where they're so far behind the eight ball in terms of education, healthin terms of opportunity.

'We have to deal with it.'

Biden was previously the subject of a smear attempt that claimed he had used the n-word as a racial epithet.

The smear used a video of a 1985 Senate hearing in which Biden says 'We already have a n****r mayor, we don't need any more n****r big shots!'

The then-senator did utter the words, but was in fact quoting a Louisiana lawmaker, asking then-deputy attorney general nominee William Bradford Reynolds why he had ignored the racist comments by the lawmaker and allowed gerrymandering that underrepresented black residents.

However, some attitudes towards uttering the n-word even in quotes have turned since the 1985 hearing.

In October 2020, a first-year student at Rutgers Law School in Newark used the word while quoting from a 1993 legal opinion in class, warning her fellow students beforehand that the quote contained the slur.

The student said: 'He said, um - and I'll use a racial word, but it's a quote. He says, 'I'm going to go to Trenton and come back with my n*****s''.'

A race row erupted last month when her fellow students circulated a petition demanding she and professor apologize.

The New York Times reported that University staff discussed barring the word's use in class in a meeting following the row.
Australia's biggest ever police bust has seen not only seen the arrests of the Who's Who of the global criminal underworld, but yielded an extraordinary haul of 3.77 tonnes of drugs, $45 million in cash, guns, luxury cars, motorbikes and watches.

The country's Federal Police released pictures of the wealth, firepower and even taste in gangster movies of those arrested during sweeping raids across the country, the U.S., Britain and wider Europe after the alleged criminals were covertly monitored for three years using an encrypted communication app called 'AN0M'.

They allegedly used the app, secretly developed by the FBI, to message each other around the world, unaware everything they said and did was being intercepted by FBI special agents and the Australian Federal Police.

The app gained currency in the underworld after being promoted by drug kingpins such as Australia's most wanted man, Hakan Ayik, after first being distributed by police informants.

Through the covert operation, detectives allegedly uncovered 21 murder plots, gun distribution and mass drug trafficking, with mafia bosses, bikies, and reality TV stars arrested and charged.

A luxury Ducati motorcycle, Audi sedan, Rolex watches, ammunition, bullet-proof vests, firearms and even memorabilia from the 1972 cult classic The Godfather was seized from a number of properties.

Senior investigators allege '100 per cent' of telephone conversations intercepted on the devices were all business and in relation to criminal activity.

But the Daily Mail can reveal the entire elaborate sting was placed in jeopardy in late March, when an anonymous blogger sounded the alarm, labelling the platform a 'scam' which rerouted peoples' data through to the United States.

The bust exposed new details about how one of Australia's most wanted fugitives gave police extensive access to the world's criminal underworld

Among the items seized by the AFP was memorabilia from the 1972 cult classic The Godfather

Australia's biggest ever police bust has seen 3.77 tonnes of drugs, $45 million in cash, guns, luxury cars, motorcycles and watches pictured) seized

Ninja Warrior 2017 contestant Sopiea Kong was among those arrested. The 33-year-old was charged last week following a raid at a Kangaroo Point home, where police allegedly seized 154g of meth

An anonymous tech geek posted a blog in March, titled 'AN0M ENCRYPTED SCAM EXPOSED', placing the mission into jeopardy

Blogger 'canyouguess67' posted a chilling warning to users of the AN0M app on March 29, warning people: 'STAY AWAY .... IF YOU VALUE YOUR PRIVACY & SAFETY'

An anonymous blogger known only as 'canyouguess67' posted an article warning users to keep off ANOM for their 'own safety', Daily Mail Australia can reveal.

'STAY AWAY FROM ANOM IF YOU VALUE YOUR PRIVACY AND SAFETY,' the blogger wrote in an article, which has since been pulled down.

'THEY ARE COMPROMISED, LIARS AND YOUR DATA IS RUNNING VIA USA'. The hacker added that law enforcement agencies had been tipped off.

However, it seems few alleged criminals in the sights of law enforcement did a cursory Google search into the 'encrypted' phone and app platform.

The Australian Federal Police announced on Tuesday that it had seized 3.7 tonnes of drugs, 104 weapons and almost $45million in cash as part of the operation - which was three years in the making.

The alleged offenders are linked to the Australian-based Italian mafia - known as the Ndrangheta - as well as outlaw motorcycle gangs, Asian crime syndicates and Albanian organised crime figures.

Police have charged 224 alleged offenders with 525 charges, shut down six clandestine laboratories and acted on 21 threats to kill, including saving a family of five.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the AFP operation, known as Operation Ironside, had struck a 'heavy blow' against organised crime.

'The operation puts Australia at the forefront of the fight against criminals who peddle in human misery and ultimately, it will keep our communities and Australians safe,' he said on Tuesday.

'Illicit drug use ruins lives and fuels organised crime.'

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said federal agents had been in the 'back pockets' of criminals through the encryption app.

'The FBI had the lead on this. We provided the technical capability to decrypt those messages,' he said.

'Some of the best ideas come over a couple of beers.'

Ninja Warrior 2017 contestant Sopiea Kong was among those arrested. The 33-year-old was charged last week following a raid at a Kangaroo Point home, where police allegedly seized 154g of meth.

Police have charged 224 alleged offenders with 525 charges, shut down six clandestine laboratories and acted on 21 threats to kill

Pictured: one man accused of participating in the syndicate sits on his bed after being raided by AFP officers

A luxury Audi sedan seized by the AFP as part of their joint investigation with the U.S. FBI

The bust exposed new details about how one of Australia's most wanted fugitives gave police extensive access to the world's criminal underworld. Pictured: one man being arrested by AFP officers

A tradie is seen kneeling with his hands tied behind his back after being arrested following raids

A luxury Ducati motorcycle was among the hundreds of items seized by AFP officers during raids as part of Operation Ironside

Kong, who was also allegedly in possession of $2,030 cash and a revolver, was granted bail and will appear in court on June 28.

Former Bachelorette star Samuel Minkin, who appeared on Becky and Elly Miles' season of the dating show, was charged with possessing a large commercial quantity of cannabis after police stopped a van in Byron Bay last month.

Former Bandito bikie Benjamin Joseph Thornton, 31, was arrested after police seized two mobile phones and a small quantity of cocaine. He was denied bail and will reappear in court next week.

The bust exposed new details about how one of Australia's most wanted fugitives gave police extensive access to the world's criminal underworld.

Drug kingpin and Comancheros bikie associate Hakan Ayik has spent the last decade on the run from Australian authorities after fleeing the country in 2010.

Now living in Turkey, he was tricked into distributing messages to his criminal associates around the world via encrypted communications app AN0M, unaware it was being run by FBI special agents.

Three years ago, Australia Federal Police identified Ayik as a key influencer to successfully distribute the encrypted AN0M devices due to his high status in the criminal underworld.

REVEALED: The truth about AN0M, secret FBI spy app used by the Australian Federal Police On its glitzy website, the 'ANoM' phone looks like any new tech innovation with sleek black lines, 'invite only' exclusivity and a pledge to 'enforce your right to privacy'. But its best feature - and for most of its users, the worst - wasn't promoted in its marketing material. The phone, which supposedly allowed encrypted communications safe from the eyes of the law, was actually a cunning trap laid for a who's who of organised crime. The Australian Federal Police on Tuesday revealed a breathtaking three-year tech ploy which led to 4,000 police executing 525 search warrants. 'Enforce your right to privacy': This is how the ANoM website advertised its product - with users not realising that law enforcement officials could read each and every message Senior bikies and mafia figures were tricked into buying hi-tech phones that would supposedly let them messages one another, free of police snooping. But the ANoM phones were actually designed by the FBI and allowed Australian police to read the texts of organised crime figures. Police watched in real time as alleged crooks spilled their secrets to one another on their own app. Some 21 execution plots were foiled and drug and gun smuggling networks dismantled. Some 224 people have been arrested, $44,934,457 in cash seized, as well as 104 weapons, 3.7 tonnes of drugs and multi-million dollar assets. Alleged crooks even paid six-monthly subscription fees to the police - the money only further reinforcing law enforcement methods. Advertisement

Police have charged 224 alleged offenders with 525 charges, shut down six clandestine laboratories and acted on 21 threats to kill, including saving a family of five. Pictured: weapons seized by detectives

Australia's world-first Assistance and Access Act passed in 2018 allows intelligence agencies to require tech companies to hand over encrypted messages. Pictured: ammunition seized by police

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the AFP operation, known as Operation Ironside, had struck a 'heavy blow' against criminals

Hakan Ayik (pictured) gave police extensive access to the world's criminal underworld through encrypted communications app AN0M

They sat back and secretly intercepted millions of messages sent as unsuspecting associates openly stated their plans including plots to kill, importing drugs and identifying those who could help them with their criminal enterprises.

Senior investigators describe Ayik as the 'principal distributor of the AN0M handset.' who didn't just distribute the devices among associates but also profited from the sales.

'It's like having The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) sponsoring your gym. This is a high-value criminal sponsoring a criminal communications system,' Australian Federal Police Superintendent Jared Taggart told News Corp papers.

'It's just pure revenue, it's a bit like selling Amway for him. His good name goes behind it, he gets some  fees, there's a cut from the selling of the handsets.'

'He's (Ayik) essentially leveraged his position of trust in the underworld to push this platform and that's what generated its success. His associates would readily take his word for it,' an AFP investigator added.

Then known as Joseph Hakan Ayik, the Sydney bikie associate and gym junkie fled Australia in 2010 to avoid arrest over a $230 million heroin importation.

Ayik, subbed one of the world's most prolific drug-smuggling masterminds, was later detained in Cyprus but then escaped and fled to Turkey, where he has created a new life.

He invested his proceeds of crime in hotel and resort developments while living a lavish lifestyle that extended to flashy cars and private yachts.

His Dutch wife, hair transplant business owner Fleur Messelink publicly flaunted the couple's elaborate lifestyle on Instagram until this week.

How did the AN0M scam work? Users could buy phone handsets costing between $1,500 and $2,500 from what has been described as underground distributors. The phones were stripped down - they couldn't even make calls, access the internet or send emails. What did do was send encrypted messages, photos and videos, using a foreign SIM card to apparently avoid Australian data snooping laws. Crooks could buy a six month subscription to use the app - the funds raised unknowingly redirected to the police. The app was invitation-only as of Tuesday morning - before the page was sensationally taken down and replaced with a warning by the FBI Anom's Twitter account claimed the company was based in the famously neutral nation of Switzerland The app was accessed by entering a PIN number into the phone's calculator, the stuff of spy dramas. ANoM's website, which was only deleted about 10am on Tuesday, made the technology sound bulletproof. The company was apparently based in famously neutral Switzerland and boasted of 'military grade encrypt and sanitise'. For its encryption, it claimed to use 'OMEMO Double Ratchet Algorithm ... independently audited by Dutch security research group Radically Open Security'. That may have been an in-joke - as all the supposedly self-destructing messages sent on the app was radically open to the Australian Federal Police to read. Advertisement

Former Bachelorette star Samuel Minkin, who appeared on Becky and Elly Miles' season of the dating show, was charged with possessing a large commercial quantity of cannabis after police stopped a van in Byron Bay last month

Hakan Ayik (pictured) was tricked into distributing messages to criminal associates

Hakan Ayik has spent the last decade living a lavish lifestyle in Turkey. He's pictured with wife Fleur Messelink on their wedding day

Hakan Ayik (pictured) has been on the run from Australian authorities since 2010

Ayik is wanted in several countries, including Australia, where he is listed as one of NSW's most wanted criminals.

An Interpol red notice has also been for Ayik's arrest, who remains on the run from authorities.

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said the alleged syndicate included 'some of the most dangerous criminals to Australia'.

'We allege they are members of outlaw motorcycle gangs, Australian Mafia, Asian crime syndicates and serious and organised crime groups,' he told reporters on Tuesday.

'We allege they've been trafficking illicit drugs into Australia at an industrial scale.

'Sadly, criminal gangs are targeting Australia because it is one of the most profitable countries in the world to sell drugs, and for three years, this operation has been overt.'

Mr Kershaw said detectives have arrested the alleged 'King makers' behind the alleged crimes, prevented mass shootings in suburbs and 'frustrated serious and organised crime by seizing their ill-gotten wealth'.

'And these figures are likely to increase over the coming days. Collectively, these alleged offenders are facing jail terms that could run into hundreds of years and some of the charges they are facing carry life imprisonment,' he said.

An Interpol red notice has also been for Ayik's arrest, who remains on the run from authorities. Pictured: ammunition seized by authorities

Operation Ironside foiled 21 murder plots and seized more than three tonnes of drugs, $35.8 million in cash, 72 firearms and 1650 devices with the encrypted app

The app AN0M was installed on mobile phones that were stripped of other capability. The mobile phones, which were bought on the black market, could not make calls or send emails.

It could only send messages to another device that had the organised crime app. Criminals needed to know a criminal to get a device.

The devices organically circulated and grew in popularity among criminals, who were confident of the legitimacy of the app because high-profile organised crime figures vouched for its integrity.

'These criminal influencers put the AFP in the back pocket of hundreds of alleged offenders,' Mr Kershaw said.

'Essentially, they have handcuffed each other by endorsing and trusting AN0M and openly communicating on it  not knowing we were watching the entire time.'

Mr Kershaw said detectives witnessed associates 'turning on each other' and doing business behind each other's backs.

'There's no doubt going to be some tension within the whole system about who owes what drug debt and so on. So that was pretty brazen to see that they were actually disloyal to their own groups,' he said.

More arrests are expected domestically and offshore under a coordinated global response connected to Operation Ironside.

The AFP is also likely to seek extradition requests of a number of persons of interest living overseas. It comes as there have been tonnes of drugs and hundreds of arrests overseas.

'I have a message for the criminals targeting Australia and Australia's interests - the AFP will be relentless,' Mr Kershaw said.

Samuel Minkin, 28, appeared in court last week after allegedly being busted by cops

The AFP is also likely to seek extradition requests of a number of persons of interest living overseas. It comes as there have been tonnes of drugs and hundreds of arrests overseas. Pictured: items seized by the AFP

More arrests are expected domestically and offshore under a coordinated global response connected to Operation Ironside. Pictured: one of hundreds of arrests

'We will outsmart you. We will be a step ahead. Operation Ironside is just the beginning and the AFP is living up to our maximum of keeping Australians safe.'

New Zealand authorities have also arrested 35 people for alleged drug dealing and money laundering, seizing some $NZ3.7 million ($A3.4 million) in assets.

Only five per cent of encrypted messages sent by criminals in Australia use the Anom platform - but Mr Morrison said suspects will now be living in fear ahead of further sting operations.

'It is our intention that they are looking over their shoulder,' he said.

'We're bearing down upon them. But you know, this isn't over. This is a long way from over.'

Australia's world-first Assistance and Access Act passed in 2018 allows intelligence agencies to require tech companies to hand over encrypted messages.

Mr Morrison said the AFP's covert mission was 'seeking to frustrate [the alleged criminals] in every link of the chain'.

'And it is our intention that they are looking over their shoulder, because our law enforcement agencies and the partnerships we have around the world are bearing down upon them,' he said.

'That's what we're doing. We're bearing down upon them. But you know, this isn't over. This is a long way from over.'
Millions of Australians across the east and south coast are set to shiver through the week as the largest snowfall in six years sweeps across five states.

Snow flurries may be seen as far north as Queensland from Tuesday as a 'major winter weather event' moves across the nation.

Damaging wind warnings have been issued for the coast of Victoria and South Australia, stretching from Falls Creek near the New South Wales border, to Port Lincoln, west of Adelaide.

Jonathan How from the Bureau of Meteorology said the regions will see flooding, heavy rain, and blizzards in alpine areas on Tuesday evening, with gusts of about 90km/h.

Pictured: A cold front moving over the east coast of Australia on Monday. It will being freezing temperatures to the nation from Tuesday

Pictured: A woman enjoying the snow at Perisher, in south-west New South Wales. The region is set to get more snow this week

Pictured: A woman walking through the snow at Perisher, as the region braces for a dump this week

'This is all being driven by a vigorous cold front which pushed up from the Southern Ocean on Monday, with strong winds giving way to rain, thunderstorms and small hail,' he said.

Patches of snow will be seen in Tasmania, Victoria and NSW, which could extend to parts of South Australia and southern Queensland.

The forecaster said the NSW Northern Tablelands usually sees a light dusting, but the area will be 'well and truly visibly white' this week.

The cold front will push east on Tuesday bringing heavy falls to northern NSW and south-east Queensland - at least one month's worth of annual rainfall in just two days.

On Wednesday, a coastal low pressure system will shift over the southern Tasman Sea, driving strong winds and heavy rain to the coast of Victoria and alpine snow to the southern slopes.

Pictured: Snow-covered trees at the New South Wales ski slopes. Forecasters say this week will see the heaviest snowfall in six years

Pictured: A view out the window of a home in Perisher, in the New South Wales ski region

Forecasters have warned as much as 100cm of snow could fall in alpine regions of Victoria and New South Wales over the next 10 days. Pictured: snow in Perisher

'As temperatures plummet, snow levels will fall to below 1000m to South Australia's Flinders Ranges, the Grampians, the Victorian Alps and Tasmania on Tuesday,' Mr How said.

The NSW central and northern tablelands will be hit on Wednesday, which could bring snow flurries to Darling Downs, in Queensland's western slopes.

From Wednesday, heavy rain will be seen from Gippsland to south-east NSW which could lead to flash flooding.

BoM senior meteorologists Sarah Scully told Daily Mail Australia that the heaviest rainfall appears to be centered over eastern Victoria and coastal parts of southern NSW and adjacent inland areas.

Pictured: A woman with an umbrella walking past the Sydney CBD. Sydney is set to be battered by wet weather this week

Pictured: A pedestrians holding am umbrella as they wait to walk across the road during wet weather in Sydney

'Potential rainfall totals could be in excess of 100mm, with Wednesday and Thursday the wettest days,' Ms Scully said.

Meanwhile, forecasters have warned as much as 100cm of snow could fall in alpine regions of Victoria and New South Wales over the next 10 days.

Up to 30cm of snow could fall across the Central Tablelands of NSW and the Blue Mountains, with five to 15cm forecast in the Northern Tablelands.

Emergency information provider NSW Incident Alerts called the developing weather system this week 'a major winter weather event'.

Temperatures in Sydney will fall from 20 on Tuesday to about 14 on Thursday, and the mercury in Melbourne will drop to 13C.

The maximum temperature in Hobart this week will reach just 11C on Wednesday, and Brisbane will hit 18C.

Adelaide will see highs of 14C on Wednesday, and people in Canberra will shiver through the day with highs of 9C.

Perth residents will see storms developing on Thursday with scattered rain on Friday and Saturday, while people in Darwin experience lows of just 22C and sunshine.
A Capitol riot suspect has pleaded with a judge to free him, claiming he was duped by internet conspiracy theorists into travelling to Washington on January 6.

Douglas Jensen, 41, of Des Moines, Iowa, told the court on Monday he felt 'deceived, recognizing that he bought into a pack of lies'.

He claimed he was 'a victim of numerous conspiracy theories that were being fed to him over the internet by a number of very clever people, who were uniquely equipped with slight, if any, moral or social consciousness.'

Jensen was seen sporting a QAnon shirt as he led a violent mob that was filmed chasing black Capitol officer Eugene Goodman up a flight of stairs on January 6.

In a document filed by his attorney Christopher Davis on Monday, Jensen acknowledged he was in front of a crowd but argued he did that 'for the now disclosed silly reason' to show his QAnon shirt to get it recognized.

Douglas Jensen, 41, has pleaded with a judge to free him, claiming he was duped by internet conspiracy theorists into travelling to Washington on January 6

He was detained without bond in Polk County Jail on January 9 after turning himself in. He was charged with five offences, including counts of trespassing and disorderly conduct

He was detained without bond in Polk County Jail on January 9 after turning himself in. He was charged with five offenses, including counts of trespassing and disorderly conduct.

Vidoes posted on TikTok in January under the username @dougjensen, showed a man who appears to be Jensen suggests he's being made a 'poster boy' for what happened and ends by saying, 'Don't believe the news.'

Separate footage of rioters storming the Capitol showed a Jensen pursuing a Black officer up an interior flight of stairs as a mob of people trails several steps behind.

At several points, the officer says 'get back,' to no avail.

In this still, provided by HuffPost, shows Douglas Jensen chasing Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman outside the Senate chamber on January 6

Douglas Jensen was seen leading an angry mob of protesters as they chased officer Eugene Goodman up the stairs in the Capitol on January 6

Attorney Davis told the court Jensen believed he was a 'true patriot' for going to Washington at the urging of Donald Trump. He said his intention was to only observe.

Davis said in the document that Jensen was not part of any mob and simply went to Washington to watch.

Davis claimed Jensen neither threatened physical harm to anyone nor destroyed property and was carrying his work pocketknife with him for protection.

Jensen is scheduled to appear at an arraignment on Tuesday before a federal judge in Washington.

Douglas Jensen was pictured (center) inside the Capitol building on January 6. His attorney has claimed he neither threatened physical harm to anyone nor destroyed property

In February, federal prosecutors upgraded the charges filed against him to include entering a restricted building with a dangerous weapon and disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building with a dangerous weapon.

Other counts include civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding, assaulting or impeding officers, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing a Capitol building.

Obstructing an official proceeding carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Jensen was arrested and jailed in Des Moines two days after he returned home from Washington and saw images of himself in television coverage.

Hundreds of pro-Trump supporters gathered in front of the Capitol on January 6 before storming building

Protesters swarmed the Capitol on January 6, breaching the building and making it into the Senate

Douglas Jensen said he was a 'victim' of conspiracy theories fed to him by 'very clever people' (pictured, QAnon shaman Jack Angeli outside the Senate Chamber in the Capitol on January 6)

He was ordered by a judge to be transferred from Iowa to Washington to be held on the charges.

Court records suggest Jensen may be working toward a plea agreement with federal prosecutors.

The court document describes Jensen as the product of a dysfunctional childhood and said he doesn't fully understand the reasons he was pulled into the QAnon conspiracy.

It speculates he could have been influenced by a mid-life crisis, the pandemic, 'or perhaps the message just seemed to elevate him from his ordinary life to an exalted status with an honorable goal.'

His love and concern for his family was a 'wakeup call that ended his victimization,' Davis said in the court filing.

He asked for Jensen to be released to get his affairs in order. He said Jensen's wife is willing to drive him home to Des Moines, where he would remain under house arrest.
Australian motorists can save $445 a year just by buying their petrol at a discount independent service station.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission calculated how much can be saved by switching away from big oil-branded fuel.

The price differences have mainly been increasing in the biggest capital cities during the past two years, even though crude oil prices dived during the start of the pandemic.

'Independent chains generally had the lowest prices in 2020,' the competition regulator said.

Australian motorists can save $445 a year by buying their petrol at a discount independent service station. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has calculated how much can be saved by switching away from big oil-branded fuel

How much can YOU save a year with cheap petrol? SYDNEY: $445 MELBOURNE: $317 BRISBANE: $174 PERTH: $216 ADELAIDE: $330 HOBART: $78 CANBERRA: $200 DARWIN: $55 Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Advertisement

'Low-priced retailers, including many of the independent chains, compete vigorously on price and provide an important influence on the level of price competition across the cities.

'There was significant variation between the highest and lowest average priced major retailer in most cities.'

The ACCC found independent chains had the lowest prices in every capital city, from Speedway in Sydney to Metro Petroleum in Melbourne and Canberra, United in Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart, Vibe in Perth, and FuelXpress in Darwin.

Sydney

In Sydney, there was a 17.1c a litre difference between the cheapest and most expensive unleaded, which if applied over a year would save a motorist $445.

Speedway Petroleum, an independent retailer, was 10.7c below the average pump price while BP outlets, owned by the company, were 6.4c above the average.

Even before the pandemic, Sydney was home to 866 petrol stations with 20 per cent, or 171 of them, being small independents.

These smaller outlets outnumbered every other brand, including 7-Eleven which had 140 outlets.

Apart from Hobart, Sydney was the only capital city where small independents had a higher market share than every other brand, including the smaller discount retailers.

In Sydney, there was a 17.1c a litre difference between the cheapest and most expensive unleaded, which if applied over a year would save a motorist $445. Speedway Petroleum, an independent retailer, was 10.7c below the average pump price while BP outlets, owned by the company, were 6.4c above the average

Melbourne

In Melbourne, motorists could save $317 by choosing an independent retailer with a 12.2c-a-litre gap between the cheapest and most expensive fuel.

Metro Petroleum was 8.6c below the average while BP was 3.6c above the mean.

Adelaide

Adelaide had an even more dramatic $330 gap with a 12.7c gulf between the best and worst-priced fuel.

United Petroleum was 10.7c a litre below the average.

In Melbourne, motorists could save $317 by choosing an independent retailer with a 12.2c-a-litre gap between the cheapest and most expensive fuel. Metro Petroleum was 8.6c below the average while BP was 3.6c above the mean

Brisbane

In Brisbane, a motorist switching to independent outlets could save $174 a year with a 6.7c a litre gap between the priciest and best value petrol, with United Petroleum 4.6c below the average.

Perth

Western Australia's capital had an 8.3c gap between the cheapest and dearest fuel, with Vibe 5.1c below the average.
A shooting victim with a gaping neck wound managed to drag himself to a hospital after a mystery gun attack in Western Sydney on Monday night.

Surgeons have worked through the night to try to save the life of the victim who police suspect may have been sitting in his car when it was riddled with gunshots in a targeted attack.

Detectives went to a home in Woodstock Avenue, Guildford, after the 9.40pm attack and found a shot-up car strewn with bullet holes.

A shooting victim with a gaping neck wound managed to stagger to hospital after a mystery gun attack in Western Sydney on Monday night and a burnt out car found nearby (pictured)

Surgeons have worked through the night to try to save the life of the victim who police suspect may have been sitting in his car when it was riddled with gunshots

And they suspect the attack could be connected to another car later found burnt out and abandoned 3km away in South Granville.

But the investigation has been hampered by the surgeons' fight to save the life of the 27-year-old victim, who is understood to have been known to police.

Police have been unable to interview the man while he remains in surgery more than 12 hours after he stumbled into Westmead Hospital.

Detectives have set up a crime scene at the Woodstock Avenue address and also at the scene of the burnt out car on Bennett Road, South Granville, while they wait to find out more from the victim.

A police spokesman added: 'He is in a serious condition.'

Detectives went to a home in Woodstock Avenue, Guildford, after the 9.40pm attack and found a shot up car strewn with bullet holes
Daniel Andrews has been earning $1,209 a day on sick leave for the past three months while ordinary Victorians have been stopped from working due to his government's brutal two-week lockdown.

The premier suffered five broken ribs and a fractured T7 vertebrae after falling on 'wet and slippery' stairs at a holiday home on the Mornington Peninsula, south of Melbourne, at 6.30am on March 9.

During his time off since the fall, Mr Andrews has earned $111,266.64, almost double the average annual salary of Victorians which is $63,500, sparking calls for him to sacrifice some of his pay.

Dan Andrews (pictured with daughter Grace, 18) in April as he recovers from a serious back injury

While the premier has been raking in $1,209 a day, ordinary Aussies (pictured in a cafe before lockdown) have been unable to work due to Covid restrictions. Anyone who cannot work due to lockdown can claim $500 a week from the federal government

Members of parliament are not employed but get paid for the office they hold, meaning they have no leave limits - in stark contrast to Aussies employed in the private sector who only get a minimum of 10 days personal leave per year.

Shadow Treasurer Louise Staley said Mr Andrews should sacrifice some of his $441,439 yearly salary and only take an MP's base salary of $182,413 while off sick.

'Enough is enough, Daniel Andrews can't continue to get paid for a job he's not doing. He should only be getting the basic MP's pay while he's off work,' she said.

The Victorian ministers and public servants presiding over the state's fourth lockdown which has crippled businesses and left families without income are enjoying some of the biggest payrises in the country.

Just before the state's 112-day winter lockdown in July last year, Victorian politicians were handed an 11.8 per cent pay increase by an independent tribunal.

The move pushed Acting Premier James Merlino's salary up $39,601 to $375,771 as Premier Daniel Andrews' paypacket increased by $46,522 to $441,439.

Premier Daniel Andrews' paypacket increased by $46,522 to $441,439 in July last year

In stark contrast, Scott Morrison froze salaries for federal politicians and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave herself a temporary $47,104 pay cut due to the pandemic.

Cian Hussey, Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs, said the Andrews government has created 'two Victorias' with its policy of harsh lockdowns.

'Lockdown measures have destroyed businesses and cost private sector workers their jobs and wages while public sector workers have thrived,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'As long as public sector workers, and politicians in particular, remain this detached from the real economy, they will keep imposing lockdown measures because it doesn't cost them anything,' he said.

Chrissie Maus, Chapel Street Precinct General Manager said the latest lockdown was devastating for businesses.

'We were having a renaissance of businesses opening, especially in the hospitality sector, unparalleled anywhere in Australia. This is yet another blow,' she said.

'Our community's mental health and re-living the trauma from 2020 is of my highest concern.'

Dan Andrews was pictured in his wife's Instagram story on Saturday evening receiving a DIY lockdown haircut - but it didn't show his face

Mr Andrews was injured on March 9 and spent 10 days in hospital. Conspiracy theorists claimed this image was photoshopped to show his head on some-one else's body

Meanwhile, Daniel Andrews is under pressure to answer eleven questions about his mysterious fall to 'prove there is no cover up' after effectively vanishing from public view for 91 days.

The Liberal-National state Opposition is demanding answers after Daily Mail Australia first questioned why the Victoria premier, one of the most prominent figures in Australia, has hidden himself away during his recovery, allowing numerous conspiracy theories to circulate.

Since his accident, Mr Andrews has only been seen in three social media photos, including one posted by his wife Catherine on Saturday which showed her cutting his hair with his face covered by a comb.

The 11 questions Daniel Andrews must answer about his injuries  Who was in the house at the time of the incident?  What is the address of the house where it occurred?  Who owns the property?  What time was an ambulance called?  Who called the ambulance?  What time did the ambulance arrive?  Which ambulance station was the ambulance dispatched from?  Who made the decision to take the Premier to Peninsula Private?  Were the police contacted?  Did the police attend?  Has Daniel Andrews been interviewed either formally or informally by the police in relation to anything that occurred over that long weekend? Source: Liberal-National Opposition Advertisement

In a statement six days after the incident, Mr Andrews said 'I landed flat on my back and hit the steps hard directly below the shoulder blades' - but the scant details have sparked a range of conspiracy theories including that he was beaten up by a union official or bashed by a businessman upset about Covid-19 lockdowns.

Some conspiracy theorists even claimed a social media image showing Mr Andrews in his early recovery stage was photoshopped to show his head on some-one else's body. Those close to the premier say the theories are nonsense.

The Liberal-National Opposition believes Mr Andrews owes it to taxpayers to reveal more details about the incident and prove there is no 'cover up' as he clocks up 91 days off sick on full pay.

MPs want to know who was in the house at the time, as well as the home's address and the name of the owner.

They also want to know if police were called and if Mr Andrews has been interviewed by officers 'either formally or informally' over anything that happened that weekend.

'If there is no cover up then there is no reason not to provide answers to these simple questions,' said shadow treasurer Louise Staley.

'Victorians need honesty and transparency from Daniel Andrews about the circumstances of his injury.

'Everyone is entitled to privacy about their health, but these questions are not about the nature of his injuries, only how he got those injuries.'

Liberal MP James Newbury joined calls for more details, telling Daily Mail Australia: 'No-one is questioning whether Daniel Andrews is sick - but as the elected leader of 6.7 million people, he owes Victorians a proper explanation as to what really happened to him.'

'Victoria is in the middle of its fourth lockdown and people's lives and livelihoods are on the line. We deserve more from Daniel Andrews than a couple of social media posts or a photo of his wife cutting his hair.'

Absent Premier Daniel Andrews (pictured with his wife) was criticised for saying that Victorians are having 'another week off work' in his first social media post since April 18

A closer look at the message posted by Daniel Andrews on Wednesday as he recovers from a back injury

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the premier's office for comment.

Mr Andrews, who oversaw Melbourne's 112-day lockdown last year, said on Wednesday he would return to work later this month.

It was the first time he had addressed the public since a social media post on April 18, when he said he was making 'slow and steady progress'.

In a statement posted on social media the premier called on Victorians to remain strong as they faced another seven days in lockdown.

Daniel Andrews issued this message to Victorians on social media on Wednesday night after weeks of silence

A sign on the door of a business in Melbourne after the extension of lockdown was announced

'I have more scans and a meeting with my medical team next week. I'll let you know how that goes and exactly when I'll be back on deck later this month,' he wrote.

However, one turn of phrase in his message sparked outrage from opponents.

'But I did want to send a message to Victorians facing another week off work, away from school, or with the kids at home,' he wrote.

The sentence sparked accusations that Mr Andrews was failing to grasp the damage caused by lockdowns.

David Hodgett, shadow education minister, wrote: 'This is a Premier completely out of touch with ordinary Victorians.

'No, Premier, these workers are not having ''another week off work''. They are being financially ruined by your government.'

Victorian Shadow Treasurer Louise Staley wants Mr Andrews to sacrifice some pay

It comes after Scott Morrison said Victoria should lift its crippling Covid-19 restrictions 'as soon as possible'.

The Prime Minister particularly wants to see children at school after the state government only allowed students in years 11 and 12 to go back to class this week.

Since the start of the pandemic Victorian children have been stopped from going to school for 23 weeks, compared to just seven weeks in New South Wales, raising fears they will be left behind students in other states.

'Kids have lost enough time out of school, over the course of the last 18 months, and it's very important we get those kids back to school as soon as possible,' Mr Morrison told reporters in Sydney on Monday.

'I am hopeful these restrictions in Victoria will be lifted as soon as possible I would be urging that we move to lift those restrictions as soon as possible.'

However, Victoria's chief health officer Brett Sutton has warned the state won't 'snap back' to normal when lockdown is due to end in Melbourne on Thursday after a two-week shutdown.

On Tuesday Victoria recorded just two new cases which took the state's latest outbreak - which originated in hotel quarantine in Adelaide - to 83 cases.
Never-before-released recordings of a 2019 phone call between Rudy Giuliani and Ukranian officials reveal how the Trump adviser and attorney attempted to pressure the foreign government to investigate Joe Biden, according to CNN.

On the call, Giuliani can be heard, along with US diplomat Kurt Volker, and Andriy Yermak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, CNN said.

The audio was recorded in July 2019 and came before Trump called Zelensky himself. That conversation became a central part of the former president's first impeachment trial in which he was accused of soliciting help from Ukraine for his campaign.

The recording of the phone call, which lasts for some 40 minutes, details how Giuliani continued to pressure the Ukrainian government in 2019 to investigate conspiracies about then-candidate Joe Biden. He seems to dangle improved relations with the US as a reward.

Giuliani could be heard telling Yermak that Zelensky should publicly announce investigations into possible corruption by Biden in Ukraine, and also into claims Ukraine meddled in the 2016 election to hurt Trump's chances of winning. Neither claim has been proven.

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Audio of a July 2019 call by Rudy Giuliani sees him suggest to a Ukrainian official the country could have a 'better relationship' with U.S. if it investigated Joe Biden. Giuliani and his girlfriend Maria Ryan are pictured together on Sunday in New York City

Trump tasked Giuliani with looking for 'dirt' on Hunter and Joe Biden in Ukraine

Giuliani spent many months meeting with Ukrainians in order to try and find some dirt on Biden and his family.

'All we need from the President [Zelensky] is to say, I'm gonna put an honest prosecutor in charge, he's gonna investigate and dig up the evidence, that presently exists and is there any other evidence about involvement of the 2016 election, and then the Biden thing has to be run out. Somebody in Ukraine's gotta take that seriously.' Giuliani said during the audio.

Throughout the call, Giuliani pressed for the officials to launch investigations.

The former New York City mayor suggested US-Ukraine relations would improve if Zelensky launched the probes and that a public announcement might clear the way for Zelensky to visit the US, or for in-person meetings with Giuliani.

Giuliani didn't respond to CNN's requests for comment, the news network said. He has previously said he didn't do anything wrong.

Volodymyr Zelensky took over as Ukraine's president in May 2019

'That would clear the air really well,' Giuliani said, according to the recording. 'And I think it would make it possible for me to come and make it possible, I think, for me to talk to the President (Trump) to see what I can do about making sure that whatever misunderstandings are put aside ... I kinda think that this could be a good thing for having a much better relationship.'

In the call, Giuliani can be heard aggressively pursuing the Ukrainians in an attempt to get them to undermine Joe Biden - all part of a quest to damage his candidacy.

The audio could draw into question Trump's oft-repeated statement that there was 'no quit pro quo' that would see Ukraine receive American aid should Zelensky carry out political favors for Trump.

A partial transcript of the phone call was published by BuzzFeed and Time in February.

'I got information from a reliable investigator, international investigator, that there was a certain amount of activity in Ukraine during the 2016 election,' Giuliani said to Yermak.

Giuliani is heard suggesting if there were an investigation into Biden, it would 'clear the air really well' and possibly pave the way for Zelensky to visit the U.S.

Sailing away? Former NYC Mayor and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and his girlfriend Maria Ryan attend the Sail to Freedom NYC Celebrating 299 years of Hellenic Independence at the Chelsea Piers on Sunday

'Another one was involved with (George) Soros ... Soros apparently is behind a lot of this,' Giuliani said. Soros, a liberal billionaire philanthropist has been the subject of a number of GOP conspiracies.

Giuliani said to Yermak: 'I'm not telling (Zelensky) what to say,' despite stating clearly on several occasions Zelensky should announce probes into the Biden's at Trump's request.

As Yermak listened patiently to Giuliani's demands he attempted to keep the call professional and tried to organize dates for Zelensky to visit to the US, all while hinting he could move forward with 'investigations'.

'I'm absolutely sure that as soon as the dates of the President Zelensky's upcoming visit to United States will be confirmed, I am ready to be personally assume control of the preparation,' Yermak said. 'And of course, I will be ready to come, and we can (be) personally sitting (down), and in detail discuss all the questions, all this investigation which you listed in our conversation.'

Trump and Giuliani, two New Yorkers who have known each other for decades, in August 2020

Volker told Giuliani that Trump was scheduled to speak with Zelensky to congratulate him on his parliamentary victory.

Giuliani and Volker both suggested to Yermak that Zelensky should mention the 'investigations' during any Trump call.

'I'm sure that Zelensky will say that,' Yermak said.

'Believe me, that would be good for all of us,' Giuliani replied. 'That would move it along very fast. And I can assure you that, as far as I'm concerned, I think they should talk this week.'

Volker said, 'I will press that as well,' as he pushed for the two leaders to speak on the phone.

Trump ended up speaking with Zelensky three days later.

Trump brought up some of the same conspiracy theories about Biden to Zelensky.

The call shows the extent of pressure Giuliani put on Ukraine to investigate the then-Democratic presidential nominee and his son, Hunter Biden

'I would like you to do us a favor and investigate the allegations,' Trump asked.

Trump's call ultimately led to a whistleblower complaint from an intelligence official claiming Trump was abusing his powers and soliciting foreign help in the 2020 election from Ukraine.

The plan fell apart and Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives although later acquitted during a Senate trial.

There is currently an ongoing criminal investigation into Giuliani and his Ukraine dealings which is examining whether he violated lobby laws as he coordinated with ex-officials who would give him dirt on the Bidens, including his son, Hunter, who had business dealings in Ukraine.

Giuliani's Manhattan home was targeted in a dawn raid orchestrated by New York prosecutors in April, who for the last two years have been looking into whether Giuliani acted illegally when working on Ukraine. Giuliani has denied all wrongdoing and has not responded to requests for comment on the audio recording.
A teenage girl has survived a fall from the third floor of an apartment building early on Tuesday morning, with police investigating what the non-resident was doing there and what led to the fall.

Emergency workers arrived at the scene, at the corner of Eugaree and Tweed Street in the Gold Coast suburb of Southport at 4.14am to treat the 18-year-old, with her fall from a balcony initially being attributed to 'misadventure'.

She sustained injuries to her face, head and pelvis and was rushed to hospital.

Eugaree Street, at Southport on the Gold Coast was the scene of 'misadventure' that almost turned tragic when an 18 year old girl fell from the third floor of a unit block around 4am on Tuesday morning

A Queensland Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia she was neither a resident of the apartment block nor was she visiting any of the occupants.

Queensland Police spoke to residents after arriving at the scene and decided not to lay any charges.
Matt Hancock warned yesterday that rebooting international travel will be challenging, renewing fears foreign holidays will be off limits this summer.

The Health Secretary said the importation of new variants could derail plans to fully unlock domestically on June 21 and that the ability to do this must be protected at all costs.

The hardline stance came in the Commons as MPs demanded to know why Portugal was downgraded to amber last week and why more countries werent added to the quarantine-free green list.

The Health Secretary said the importation of new variants could derail plans to fully unlock domestically on June 21

Huw Merriman MP, Tory chairman of the transport committee, asked for a concrete milestone for when international travel can be unlocked. But Mr Hancock replied: It is going to be challenging, its going to be hard, because of the risk of new variants and new variants popping up in places like Portugal which have an otherwise relatively low case rate.

But the biggest challenge, and the reason this is so difficult, is that a variant that undermines the vaccine effort obviously would undermine the return to domestic freedom and that has to be protected at all costs.

Portugal was downgraded from green on Thursday with ministers citing a near doubling of its infection rate within three weeks and the detection there of the new Nepal mutation.

Former transport secretary Chris Grayling demanded to know why Malta was not added to the green list despite the Joint Biosecurity Centre saying it would be safe to do so. JBC data is used by ministers to decide whether countries should be ranked green, amber or red under the Covid traffic light travel system.

But Mr Hancock would only say: Theres a number of balanced cases that are put forward before ministers and we always look at the pros and cons of each one.

Malta yesterday announced it had recorded no new Covid cases in the latest 24-hour period for the first time since last summer. The Mediterranean island nation has also given 75 per cent of its population at least one dose of vaccine.

It has had just 419 deaths out of a population of more than 440,000 and sequences a high proportion of positive tests for the detection of variants, a key criteria for making the green list.

It came as the cost of flights from Portugal soared yesterday as up to 10,000 UK holidaymakers scrambled back to Britain before Portugal went amber today at 4am, meaning ten-day home quarantine now applies.

At least 64 flights, around double the daily number in recent weeks, were due to land in the UK from Portugal yesterday. Planes were largely full, according to travellers, with remaining seats being sold at inflated prices.

A seat on one Ryanair flight from Faro to Bournemouth was available for 285, nearly 17 times the 17 cost of a similar flight on Wednesday. A seat on one easyJet flight was going for 227, compared with one today for 53.

Tourists also reported difficulties obtaining pre-return tests, which they are required to take 72 hours before travel back to the UK.

Hayley Johansen, 50, said: There were a lot of people struggling to get tests. I spent about four hours on the phone on Thursday and Friday trying to find somewhere.

At least 64 flights, around double the daily number in recent weeks, were due to land in the UK from Portugal yesterday

Alan and Lisa Pechey, from Cambridge, told how they paid 800 to fly home yesterday to beat quarantine. They had been due to return from their holiday in Lisbon today.

Speaking at Gatwick airport, Mrs Pechey, 66, said: It was really expensive and I think the Government was totally unfair to throw that at us on Thursday because it really spoiled our holiday, totally.

Ana Pacheco, 28, from Islington in north London, also landed at Gatwick yesterday and spent around 300 getting home earlier than planned. She said: I think there should have been extra time for us to get home, at least a week would have been better.

Ministers have come under fire for not first putting Portugal on a watchlist to give people more time to return home.

British Airways boss Sean Doyle said: I think customers and travellers deserve more consistency. It was disappointing the way Portugals situation was handled.

In a joint press conference with US airline bosses, he called on Boris Johnson to use this weeks G7 summit to strike a travel corridor with US president Joe Biden to relax measures for vaccinated travellers.
A government-approved Covid testing firm left hundreds of travellers in the lurch after becoming overwhelmed with orders.

Atruchecks has been near the top of a Government list of firms offering testing kits for travellers returning from abroad.

But customer relations have turned sour following a flood of complaints from people claiming tests arrived late by as much as a week or more.

And the firm has even called in Scotland Yard after claiming that dissatisfied clients had targeted staff with online abuse.

It has meant arrivals from amber countries face having to extend their quarantine because the rules state that travellers must stay in self-isolation for 14 days if they dont receive their results back by day ten.

Arrivals from amber countries face having to extend their quarantine after Atruchecks' Covid test allegedly arrived late

Customers said that when they phoned Atruchecks to complain or ask where their tests were, they were unable to get through to anybody and didnt receive replies to emails.

Its tests are among the cheapest at 92 for a two-swab package needed for people returning from amber countries.

The tests must be taken on days two and eight after arrival. One email sent by Atruchecks to its customers, seen by the Mail, said: There have been incidents where staff have been targeted online and offline.

It adds that Atruchecks therefore had no choice left but to contact Scotland Yard about the abuse.

Atruchecks' tests are among the cheapest at 92 for a two-swab package needed for people returning from amber countries

Mikko Lintunen, 42, ordered his tests on May 30, arrived in the UK from amber-list Finland last Monday and didnt receive his kit until yesterday.

He said: Its pretty disgraceful, how can it take more than a week to deliver them?

Atruchecks was founded by Laween Atroshi, a former Labour candidate for Surrey Heath in the 2015 general election. He lost to now Cabinet minister Michael Gove.

Mr Atroshi last night blamed the delays on Royal Mail, saying it was overwhelmed by the number of orders last week.

He did, however, concede that his customer service centre wasnt geared up for the flood of calls from dissatisfied customers.

Mr Atroshi told the Mail: We are trying round the clock to respond to all emails. Were here, were not a scam. Where a refund is due of course well accept liability and refund it where appropriate.

The Mail has been campaigning on the issue of testing for travellers, calling on ministers to help drive down prices further and help deliver better value for money.

A Government spokesman said it is the responsibility of private providers to manage the availability of tests, but it closely monitors [their] performance to ensure they deliver a high quality of service to customers.
The two security guards at the National Gallery in London were doing their evening rounds, as usual. Everything seemed in order. When they went upstairs to the entrance lobby outside Room XIII, however, they realised something was amiss. Or rather, someone.

The Duke of Wellington  for it was he, no less  was not staring down at them inscrutably, as was his custom. He had vanished.

The theft of Francisco de Goyas portrait of Wellington on 21 August, 1961, was a sensation.

The perpetrator had eluded detection, but there was a consensus that such an audacious heist had to be the work of a master criminal.

Step forward Kempton Bunton, an retired bus driver from Newcastle upon Tyne who walked into New Scotland Yard one summers day in 1965 and confessed to the crime, two months after the painting had turned up in a left luggage locker at Birmingham New Street station.

There was a further postscript to the fantastical tale nearly 50 years later in 2012, when the release of archived documents showed that Kemptons son, John, known as Jackie, had confessed in 1969 that it was he who had stolen the Goya.

In fact, the pair had operated in cahoots.

Now, the story has been made into a film, The Duke, starring Jim Broadbent as Kempton, Helen Mirren as his wife, Dorothy, and Fionn Whitehead as Jackie, set for release in September.

Kempton died in 1976 but his son, Jackie, a retired mechanic, is 79 and living in Newcastle.

So how did Kempton, or Jackie, or both of them, pull it off? Where did they hide the picture and what made them do it?

The story has been made into a film, The Duke, starring Jim Broadbent as Kempton (far right), Helen Mirren as his wife, Dorothy (far left), and Fionn Whitehead as Jackie

The answers to these questions begin with the birth of Kempton Cannon Bunton on June 14, 1904. He was named after Kempton Cannon, a famous jockey of the day.

While his mother was expecting, shed had a good win at the races after backing a horse ridden by Mr Cannon.

This auspicious start in life marked Kempton out, perhaps, for greatness  or, at least, notoriety.

He seems to have been a restless soul. He left school at 13 and later joined the Merchant Navy, but stuck at it only for a couple of months. He spent 18 months in Australia and, on his return, in his 20s, was employed in a variety of jobs  bus driver, van driver and labourer among them.

Kempton married Dorothy in 1925 and they raised their large family in a terraced council house on Yewcroft Avenue in Newcastle. An eccentric character, he developed an obsession with the BBCs licence fee. He started a campaign for pensioners in Newcastle to be exempt from the fee and acquired a reputation as a local hero.

In 1960, he spent a total of 69 days in jail for refusing to pay a television licence after adapting his set to receive only ITV.

In 1961, he was 57, unemployed and living on 8 a week National Assistance. A world away in London, in June of that year, the Duke of Leeds sold the Duke of Wellingtons portrait at auction for 140,000 to an American collector. The Government, claiming it was acting in the national interest, stopped the sale and part-funded a purchase from the Duke of Leeds at the same price  around 2 million in todays money.

On August 3, 1961, the National Gallery proudly unveiled its latest acquisition: the portrait of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, by the Spanish master, Goya, (1746-1828), and the story was widely covered in the papers.

This was when Kempton hit upon the idea of stealing the portrait to publicise his cause  and a plot was hatched with Jackie, who was then aged around 20.

On August 21, just 18 days after going on display, the painting was successfully spirited out of the National Gallery. The thief had apparently breached one of the finest security systems in the country. The disappearance of the Duke Of Wellington became a national obsession.

Some newspapers speculated that the theft was the work of a gang of high-class Riviera criminals led by a Frenchman known as Pierrot the Fool.

Others deduced that the thief showed the sort of enterprise that could only have come from training as a paratrooper with the Special Air Service (SAS) during the war.

Crowds flocked to the National Gallery to look at the bare space where the Dukes portrait had once hung. The theft was even referenced in the first James Bond film, Dr No, in 1962. When Sean Connerys 007 walks through his adversarys underwater lair, he sees the Goya propped up on an easel and remarks nonchalantly: So there it is.

The theft of the Duke Of Wellington was entertaining for everyone except the National Gallery. Sir Philip Hendy, the gallerys director, who had been taking a bath when he received the call telling him the portrait had disappeared, said later: How do you feel when youve lost a Goya? You feel a bloody fool, and thats the truth.

The infamous theft was even referenced by Sean Connery in the first James Bond film, Dr No, in 1962

The Metropolitan Police investigation turned up a clue as to how the theft might have been carried out. Building renovations had been in progress at the gallery when the painting disappeared. A window in the mens public lavatory overlooking the inner of the buildings two courtyards had apparently been left open and a builders ladder removed from its usual spot and placed beneath the window.

On August 31, 1961, the first of a series of anonymous ransom letters, known as the COM letters, as they were headed, was sent to the news agency, Reuters, postmarked London SW1.

The writer gave details of identifying features on the back of the painting that could only have been known to the thief, then went on: Query not that I have the Goya . . . The picture is not, will not be for sale . . . it is for ransom  140,000  to be given to charity.

On September 26 a reward of 5,000 was offered for the paintings return.

Another COM letter, postmarked Lancaster, Morecambe, was received by the Exchange Telegraph News Agency on July 4, 1962, and read, enigmatically: The Duke is safe. His temperature cared for  his future uncertain . . .

The notes were ignored; it all went quiet. It was feared the Duke was lost for ever.

But then came a further communication on May 25, 1965, sent to the Daily Mirror, containing a left-luggage ticket, Number F24458, from Birmingham New Street station.

Police rushed to the station and took possession of the parcel to which the ticket corresponded. Inside they found the missing painting of the Duke of Wellington  none the worse for wear, but minus its frame. The Goya was declared to be genuine by the National Gallery.

Two months later, Kempton Bunton walked into New Scotland Yard and confessed to having stolen the portrait. He thought it best to do so after letting something slip to a friend down the pub.

During an earlier reconnaissance of the gallery, Kempton said, he had struck up a conversation with a security guard, who had helpfully told him the electronic alarm was turned off early every morning while the cleaners did their rounds. He said he had climbed into the National Gallery through a lavatory window, using a builders ladder.

He stole the portrait at 5.50am, when the guards must have been asleep or playing cards.

The theft of Francisco de Goyas portrait of Wellington on 21 August, 1961, was a sensation

Kempton discarded the frame and when he returned home with the picture, hid the Duke at the back of his wardrobe.

He didnt tell his wife about the audacious crime. If I had done, he said, the whole world would have known about it.

He told the police: My sole object in all this was to set up a charity to pay for television licences for old and poor people who seem to be neglected in our affluent society.

Kempton was charged with five offences including theft, and his trial began at the Old Bailey on November 4, 1965. It was his good luck to be defended by Jeremy Hutchinson QC, a leading advocate of the age, played in the film by Matthew Goode, star of The Crown and Downton Abbey.

The image of the big, bespectacled, trilby-wearing grandfather, pipe in hand, was far removed from the traditional image of the master criminal.

Thanks to Hutchinson, who successfully argued that it is not a crime in law to remove a picture from an art gallery provided there is no intention of keeping it permanently, Bunton was acquitted of all charges except one: the theft of the frame, valued at 100, and sentenced to three months in Ford prison.

Upon his release, he faded away from public view and his death in 1976 was not recorded in the national press.

For many years, Kemptons version of events was accepted as the truth. But then came yet another twist when, in 2012, the National Archives released a file from the Director of Public Prosecutions, which told a different story.

It turned out that in 1969, Kemptons son Jackie had confessed that it was he who had stolen the Goya.

After being arrested and fingerprinted in Leeds in July 1969 for a minor offence, he had become worried that he had left his prints on the painting and decided to come clean. He told the police what had really happened. Just before dawn on Monday, August 21, 1961, he had balanced himself on a parking meter to get over the gallerys back wall.

He then used a six-metre ladder left by builders to climb through the unlocked window of a mens toilet to get into the main building.

The painting was standing on an easel in a roped-off enclosure at the top of the main stairs.

I went up to it, took hold of it and carried it back to the gents toilet, he said.

He climbed back out of the window, down the ladder, and retraced his steps to the back wall.

I climbed over the wall, still holding the picture in one hand . . . I put the picture on the back seat of the car and drove back to Grafton Street [his West End digs]. I then put the picture under my bed.

In true comedy-heist style, Jackie had to push-start the small black Wolseley that he used as a getaway car.

He said his father had ordered him not to tell the truth, presumably to protect his son. Possibly, though, there was a part of Kempton Bunton that enjoyed the limelight.

The theft of the Duke Of Wellington was, then, a joint enterprise between father and son. Sir Norman Skelhorn, the then Director of Public Prosecutions, told the police that Jackie Buntons admission alone wasnt sufficient to prosecute him.

So that was it  case closed.

But what of the Duke Of Wellington?

The painting is out of the country, on the National Gallerys international tour to Japan and Australia.

At present, it is on display in Canberra, but it will be back on the walls of the National Gallery at the end of July.

At least, thats the plan . . .
No one in attendance at the party where Black Lives Matter activist Sasha Johnson was shot have come forward as witnesses.

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Leonard has urged those party guests who have any information to 'make contact' with officers.

Sasha Johnson, a mother-of-two, dubbed the 'Black Panther of Oxford', was shot in the head at a 30th birthday party in Peckham, south London, last month and remains in hospital in a critical condition.

So far only one person Cameron Deriggs, 18, has been charged in connection with the incident with conspiracy to murder.

Sasha's mother has called on any witnesses to come forward and speak to authorities.

Black Lives Matter activist Sasha Johnson joins anti-racists, community activists and school children at a protest against police violence as they march from Park View School to Tottenham Police Station, December 11, 2020

Speaking to the Evening Standard, Inspector Leonard said: 'When they get there, we've got a hugely chaotic situation.

'People were incredibly upset and in shock. But the reality is nobody who was at that party has come forward to give us a statement or any further information.'

It comes after Ms Johnson's mother Ellet Dalling, appealed for more witnesses yesterday: 'What has happened to Sasha has left us devastated. She is currently fighting for her life in hospital with two children asking where their mummy is, what do I tell them? Someone must have information to what happened and to come forward.

'Sasha is passionate about standing up for others, please come forward and stand up for Sasha. Come forward to help us, I know it is not always easy but imagine if it was your daughter or the mother of your children. I believe there are people out there that can help.'

Cameron Deriggs, of Bromley Hill, Lewisham, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court lasrt month dressed in a grey zip-up hoody and blue jeans

An 18-year-old man has been charged with conspiracy to murder over the shooting of Black Lives Matter activist Sasha Johnson, who remains in a critical condition in hospital, the Metropolitan Police said

Five males were arrested in connection with the incident and four of the suspects were released on bail until a date in late June.

Deriggs, of Bromley Hill, Lewisham, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Saturday morning dressed in a grey zip-up hoody and blue jeans.

He did not give an indication of plea.

Sasha Johnson, at a meeting point in Hyde Park in London during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in June 2020

Prosecutor Carol Udenze said: 'This offence happened on May 23 at an address where a lady was shot in the head and another person was shot in the foot - this was at a house party.

'The crown's case is that the defendant in agreement with others conspired to murder somebody at that address.'

Remanding Deriggs in custody, District Judge Michael Snow said: 'This case is sent to the criminal court.

'You will be there on June 25, probably by live link, where the judge will want confirmation of your plea and give directions for the smooth running of your case.'
Police threatened to pepper spray a mask-less McDonald's customer at point blank range as he was pinned to the ground after he reportedly refused to show his ID.

The man unleashed a foul-mouthed rant at police officers when they confronted him in the Traralgon Central branch of the fast food giant on Monday night.

He had entered the McDonald's without a mask despite Victoria's current lockdown restrictions, prompting the police to intervene.

Shocking video footage on Facebook revealed the customer reacted furiously to police questioning, resulting in a scuffle with the two officers.

He was bundled to the ground and then pinned down by the neck, arms and body while one officer held a can of pepper spray just centimetres from his eyes.

The officers demanded he relax and show his ID as the customer struggled to break free.

'All I wanted was some ID...I just want your ID,' says one of the officers as the pair held the customer down.

A second unmasked customer attempts to enter the McDonald's in the middle of the row, and police order him: 'Get back!'

He puts up his arms and steps outside the door before appearing to start filming the scuffle on his phone.

The man had unleashed a foul-mouthed rant at police officers when they confronted him in the Traralgon Central branch of the fast food giant on Monday night (pictured)

The officers ask the man on the ground: 'Do you want to get up? Do you want to get up?' The customer responds: 'Get off my arm. Get off my arm.'

One of the officers releases his arm and replies: 'Can you relax?'

In a second video - posted on a private group on Facebook - the customer can be heard telling police to stand back, adding: 'Don't f***ing touch me'.

'Put your manners in, mate,' says one of the police officers. 'You're in a public place.'

'No,' snaps back the customer. 'Don't touch me.'

The police officers - one wearing a mask and another without - take a step back and one collects a pair of glasses that fell on the ground during the earlier scuffle.

The mask-less customer had entered the McDonalds without a mask despite Victoria's current lockdown restrictions, prompting the police to intervene (pictured)

They then tell the customer to leave the McDonald's and step outside and he initially refuses, before all three calmly head for the door.

McDonald's staff at the Traralgon Central branch in Gippsland confirmed the incident but refused to comment to Daily Mail Australia.

A Victoria police spokesman added: 'Police were called to a fast food restaurant in Traralgon following reports a man was verbally abusing staff after being asked to put on a mask about 12am on Tuesday.

'Officers requested the mans details but he refused to provide them and became aggressive towards police. He was escorted from the premises.

'The investigation into the matter is ongoing.'

State Government health department guidelines for regional Victoria say masks must be carried at all times and worn indoors when not at home.

It adds: 'There are no restrictions on the reasons to leave home, but staying Covid Safe remains important.

'Face masks must be carried at all times and must be worn indoors You do not need to wear a mask in your own home or if a lawful exception applies.'
An extraordinary war of words has broken out between a Land Rover driver branded a 'boomer Karen' and a young couple who she claimed blocked her driveway with their truck.

The couple shared the dispute to TikTok after the older woman took exception to them parking their truck near her garage - seemingly making it too difficult to back the $60,000 white SUV out into the Melbourne laneway.

In a vicious spray of insults, the young couple - who filmed the exchange - are branded 'f***ing millennials' while the woman is called a 'boomer' and mocked for 'not using moisturiser'.

'Listen - move your truck forward. Can you ask him to move the truck please?' she asked the couple at the start of the footage, who were moving home at the time.

The younger bearded man then hit back, accusing the woman of spitting saliva in his face during her fiery rant during Melbourne's Covid lockdown.

'Millenials' vs 'Boomers': A woman driving a Land Rover and a young couple have gone head to head after she claimed their truck was preventing her from backing out of her driveway easily

Poll Who is in the wrong? The 'millennials' 'Boomer Karen' Who is in the wrong? The 'millennials' 1170 votes

'Boomer Karen' 399 votes Now share your opinion





'You were f***ing yelling at me - projectile f***ing particles. I don't need your saliva,' he told her.

The couple claimed they had already backed the truck up as far as they could, leaving enough room for the woman to move the Land Rover Discovery.

The younger woman said the Land Rover driver could have backed out with the room she had, but wanted to do her normal reverse turn to exit.

There was a wall behind the truck and moving the vehicle forward would have meant the couple were blocking other residents' driveways, the younger woman claimed.

'I cannot negotiate the distance of the wall and the pavement lady,' the bearded man said.

'Listen - move your truck forward. Can you ask him to move the truck please?' she told the couple - who were moving home

'If you want I can back up your s***ty Discovery and run it out that way.'

The driver refused to allow the man to back the car out for her, telling him 'you're not touching my car'.

'You're being very antagonistic. It's unnecessary,' the woman behind the camera then said.

A separate video showed the older woman's husband getting involved in the argument after being called home from work by his wife to back the SUV out of the driveway.

'What are you going to do? Put it up on TikTok or something? You f***ing millennial,' the husband said.

'You're f***ing boomers reacting like this,' the younger woman responded.

'You heard of moisturiser?'

She revealed at the end of the video the husband eventually moved the SUV out of the driveway without the truck needing to be moved.

'Have a pleasant day!' the younger woman said.

'F**k you,' the husband replied.
The Biden administration threatened to sue Texas Gov. Greg Abbott if he doesn't rescind his order shutting down federally funded shelters that house migrant children who cross the U.S.-Mexico border without their parents

The Biden administration threatened to sue Texas Gov. Greg Abbott if he doesn't rescind his order shutting down federally funded shelters that house migrant children who cross the U.S.-Mexico border without their parents.

In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, the deputy general counsel for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told the Republican governor that even though the state issues the licenses for the shelter, Congress has tasked his agency with caring for unaccompanied children.

He warned Abbott not to interfere with those operations and said HHS intends to pursue legal action if the state proceeds to close the shelters down.

'(The Office of Refugee Resettlement) operates 52 state-licensed facilities in Texas, which comprise a significant portion of ORRs total operational footprint, and represent an indispensable component of the federal immigration system,' Paul Rodriguez, HHS deputy general counsel, wrote in the letter two Abbott and two other Texas officials. The 'proclamation would be a direct attack on this system.'

The letter urges Abbott to clarify by June 11 whether his proclamation last week applies to 52 shelters that are licensed by the state but funded with federal grants. It argues that federal law states these migrant children 'do not accrue unlawful presence' while they are in the United States, challenging Abbotts labeling of these children as 'unlawful immigrants.'

More than half of migrant children sheltered by the U.S. government in licensed facilities are in Texas. The last census taken on May 19 showed 4,223 children in the facilities of about 7,000 in the entire network of licensed shelters.

Experts and advocates say shutting down these shelters could seriously disrupt the program for unaccompanied children, which already faces capacity problems forcing the government to open up a dozen emergency sites to process thousands of children.

The Biden administration has worked to speed up the transfers from Border Patrol to HHS custody, and the releases of children to relatives in the U.S. In the past month, HHS has reduced the number of children in shelters or emergency sites by releasing more of them to their families.

However, as of Sunday, there are still about 16,000 children in HHS custody, and the federal government has struggled to increase the number of beds in licensed shelters, which are preferred by advocates.

The so-called emergency intake sites were opened beginning in March at convention centers, military bases and other large venues. They look like hurricane evacuation shelters, with little space to play and no privacy. Advocates and lawmakers who have visited have voiced concerns about the childrens mental health.

Abbott also has been critical of emergency facilities that lack state licenses, but advocates say his directive could transfer more children to the large-scale sites.

The Biden administration has worked to speed up the transfers from Border Patrol to HHS custody, and the releases of children to relatives in the U.S. In the past month, HHS has reduced the number of children in shelters or emergency sites by releasing more of them to their families. A shelter is seen in Laredo, Texas, last month

More than half of migrant children sheltered by the U.S. government in licensed facilities are in Texas. The last census taken on May 19 showed 4,223 children in the facilities of about 7,000 in the entire network of licensed shelters. Migrants sit on the ground waiting to be transported by US border agents in La Joya, Texas, on Monday

The letter says the state would be discriminating against providers who have federal government grants to run these shelters. That would violate the doctrine of intergovernmental immunity, which impedes state interfering with federal activity, and the Supremacy Clause, which says federal law takes precedence over state or local laws.

The order to strip away licenses from shelters is part of a disaster declaration Abbott issued last week, arguing the federal government cant force Texas to keep issuing state licenses in response to a federal problem. The proclamation was a highly unusual move by the governor that comes amid criticism of record numbers of border crossings in recent months.

More recently, Abbott is saying that state troopers will soon begin arresting migrants at the border, promising an announcement later this week.

The letter sent Monday was addressed to Abbott, Texas Deputy Secretary of State Jose Esparza and Executive Commissioner of Texas Health and Human Services Cecil Erwin Young.
Barack Obama has admitted that cancel culture can go 'overboard' as he slammed Republicans who were 'cowed into accepting' Donald Trump's false election fraud claims and accused conservative-leaning media of 'stoking the fear and resentment' of white Americans.

Obama spoke to CNN's Anderson Cooper for an AC360 Special named 'Barack Obama on Fatherhood, Leadership and Legacy', which aired Monday night.

In the fawning interview with little or no follow-up questions, the former president spoke about fatherhood, the Trump administration and the racial justice movement.

The Democrat said that, while the nation's history of slavery and racism still 'linger and continue', he believes cancel culture has its 'dangers'.

Barack Obama has admitted that cancel culture can go 'overboard' as he slammed Republicans who 'cowed into accepting' Donald Trump's false election fraud claims and accused the conservative media of 'stoking the fear and resentment' of white Americans

Obama pointed to his own daughters Sasha, 19, and Malia, 22, who attended Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by white cop Derek Chauvin on Memorial Day 2020.

He said they - and their generation - are not willing to accept some things his generation tolerated.

'I see in this generation that what you and I might have tolerated as that this sort of how things are, their attitude is why? Let's change it,' he said.

'That's among not just my daughters but among their white friends.

'There is a sense of well, of course it not acceptable for a criminal justice system to be tainted by racism. Of course you can't discriminate against somebody because of their sexual orientation.

'There are things they take for granted that I want them to take for granted.'

However while this generation are being 'strategic' about pushing for change, even they 'don't expect everybody to be perfect.'

'At least in conversations with my daughter, I think that a lot of the dangers of cancel culture and we're just going to be condemning people all the time, at least among my daughters they will acknowledge sometimes among their peer group or in college campuses you'll see folks going overboard,' said Obama.

'But they have a pretty good sense of look, we don't want, we don't expect everybody to be perfect.

'We don't expect everybody to be politically correct all the time but we are going to call out institutions or individuals if they are being cruel, if they are, you know, discriminating against people, we do want to raise awareness.'

Obama said he regarded this demand for change among the younger generations as part of his 'legacy.'

The former president has called out cancel culture in the past, last year saying it is 'not activism' and is not an effective way to bring about change.

Obama spoke to CNN's Anderson Cooper for an AC360 Special named 'Barack Obama on Fatherhood, Leadership and Legacy', which aired Monday night

A BLM protest in NYC last June. Obama said his own daughters attended Black Lives Matter protests last year and that their generation is not willing to accept some things his generation tolerated. However he admitted cancel culture has its 'dangers'

The Democrat also took aim at his successor Trump and the Republican party as he warned 'we have to worry' about the future of America's democracy.

Obama said he never expected some of the 'dark spirits' that rose within the party to become as powerful as they did and had believed that GOP members of Congress would 'stop' them.

'I thought there were guard rails institutionally that even after Trump was elected that you would have the so-called Republican establishment who would say "okay, you know, it's a problem if the White House doesn't seem to be concerned about Russian meddling or it's a problem if we have a president who is saying that, you know, neo-Nazis marching in Charlottesville, there are good people on both sides,' he said.

'That's a little beyond the pail.'

Instead of calling out Trump, Obama said the party 'cowed into accepting' his false claims the election was 'stolen', which culminated in the January 6 Capitol riot that left five dead and lawmakers fleeing for their lives.

'The degree to which we did not see that Republican establishment say "hold on time-out, that's not acceptable. That's not who we are" but be cowed into accepting it and finally culminating in January 6 what originally was "don't worry, this isn't going anywhere, we're just letting Trump and others vent",' he said.

'And then suddenly you now have large portions of an elected congress going along with the falsehood that there were problems with the election.'

Obama also took aim at Trump (above) and the Republican party as he said he 'thought there were guard rails' in the Republican party to stop Trump's election fraud claims

He said GOP lawmakers 'cowed into accepting' Trump's false claims because they feared 'I'll lose my job' and said this culminated in the January 6 Capitol riot (above)

Rioters storm the US Capitol in the MAGA mob riot that left five dead and sent lawmakers running for their lives

Obama praised some 'very brave people who did their jobs' in calling out Trump's false claims including Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

But he slammed other Republican lawmakers for putting their own careers ahead of the country by not standing up to the ex-president.

'All those congressmen started looking around and saying "you know what? I'll lose my job. I'll get voted out of office,"' he said.

'Another way of saying this is I didn't expect that there would be so few people who would say "well, I don't mind losing my office because this is too important. America is too important. Our democracy is too important.'

He added: 'We didn't see that.'

Obama said he hopes the 'tides will turn' but that 'we have to worry when one of our major political parties is willing to embrace a way of thinking about our democracy that would be unrecognizable and unacceptable even five years ago or a decade ago.'

He also blasted the Republican party for putting the debate about Critical Race Theory at the top of the political agenda instead of the likes of climate change or the economy.

'You would think with all the public policy debates that are taking place right now that the Republican party would be engaged in a significant debate about how are we going to deal with the economy and what are we going to do about climate change,' he said.

'Low and behold the single most important issue to them apparently right now is Critical Race Theory. Who knew that was the threat to our Republic?'

Obama and Cooper also spoke with young black fathers in the BAM program in Chicago

Lazarus Daniels told how he would get pulled over every night by police in Chicago while he was working as an Uber driver

Critical race theory examines the ways in which race and racism influence American politics, culture and the law.

Its entry into the nation's education systems has divided opinion with Democrats typically in favor, while many Republicans vehemently oppose it.

The nation's first and only black president said race and the nation's history of slavery continues to be a key cause of division in the US and accused the conservative media of 'stoking' this division.

He said his comments saying the police 'acted stupidly' when they arrested black Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates at his home in 2009 led to the biggest dip in white voters of everything he did during his presidency.

'It gives a sense of the degree to which these things are still deep in us. And, you know, sometimes unconscious,' he said.

'I also think that there are certain right wing media venues, for example, that monetize and capitalize on stoking the fear and resentment of a white population that is witnessing a change in America and seeing demographic changes and do everything they can to give people a sense that their way of life is threatened and that people are trying to take advantage of them.'

He added that he believes many white Americans find it hard to 'recognize you can be proud of this country and its traditions and its history and our forefathers and yet, it is also true that this terrible stuff happened.'

'The vestiges of that linger and continue,' Obama said.

During the show, Obama and Cooper were seen speaking with young black fathers in the BAM (Becoming a Man) group he is part of in Chicago. It provides mentoring to young men and boys.

Obama also spoke candidly about his own experiences as a young black man who did not have a father figure in his life

One member of the group told how as a young black boy and now a 26-year-old black man, he feels threatened by two gangs - criminals and police.

James Adams said he would wear a bulletproof vest to and from school as a young boy and now 'it's still the same thing.'

'As far as shootings, the vest may protect from that but in terms of police what is it going to take to protect me from that?' he asked.

'You're fighting two gangs - the street gangs and the Chicago police.'

Another man, 26-year-old Lazarus Daniels, told them how he would get pulled over every night by police in Chicago while he was working as an Uber driver.

The first question they would ask, he said, was whether he had any guns or drugs in his car.

He said his focus was on 'getting home every night' now he is a father.

Obama also spoke candidly about his own experiences as a young black man who did not have a father figure in his life.

'I have to be careful not to overstate. I was not, you know, going around, beating up kids and setting things on fire,' he said.

'But I understood what it meant to not have a father in the house. I understood what it meant to be in an environment in which you were an outsider.'

'The violence and drugs and some of the issues that the guys were dealing with day to day were different. But the mistakes I made, the struggles I was going through, were similar.'
The EU will start a trade war with Britain if Boris Johnson overrides the Brexit treaty so Northern Irish shops can keep selling British sausages, a vice-president of the European Commission has warned.

Maros Sefcovic said Brussels would react 'swiftly and resolutely' if Britain chose to extend the grace period in the Northern Ireland Protocol, which expires at the end of this month.

Under the grace period, chilled meats produced in mainland Britain can be sent there. But it has been reported that ministers are now considering another unilateral extension for the produce as a last resort.

Maros Sefcovic (pictured) said Brussels would react 'swiftly and resolutely' if Britain chose to extend the grace period in the Northern Ireland Protocol, which expires at the end of this month

Earlier this year Britain extended the grace periods on supermarket goods and parcels.

In March the EU hit back, launching legal action and accusing Britain of violating international law.

Mr Sefcovic wrote in the Daily Telegraph that if the UK took further unilateral action the EU 'will not be shy in reacting swiftly, firmly and resolutely to ensure that the UK abides by its international law obligations'.

Mr Sefcovic said the current Northern Ireland Protocol was the 'best solution' to 'the type of Brexit that the current UK Government chose'. He added: 'No one knows it better than Lord Frost himself, then the UK's chief Brexit negotiator.'

Earlier this year Britain extended the grace periods on supermarket goods and parcels

Last night sources told the Telegraph there was 'no world' in which the Government would accept a situation that meant British sausages could no longer be imported and sold in Northern Ireland.

One UK official said: 'It is a difficult situation. You look at the current situation in Northern Ireland, in particular with the political calendar, it is coming up to 'marching season'.

'It is not exactly coming at a good time to suddenly  at the start of July  happen and people can't get supplies of chilled meat from Britain.'

The warning comes amid reports that US President Joe Biden will use this week's G7 summit to impress upon Mr Johnson the importance that he attaches to maintaining the protocol.

Ahead of the gathering in Cornwall, Mr Johnson also discussed the issue in a telephone call on Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Downing Street said that the Prime Minister stressed that 'both the UK and the EU have a responsibility to find solutions to address the issues with the protocol'.
A scorned woman who stalked and harassed her ex-boyfriend after they broke up has been warned by a magistrate to 'stop acting like a seven-year-old' in court.

Kiara Mack, 23, pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court to six charges, including stalking and assault.

The junior accountant with Ernst & Young is due to be sentenced on Tuesday.

During proceedings, a frustrated Magistrate Peter Reardon told her to pull herself together as she begged to be spared a conviction.

Kiara Mack, 23, (pictured left) has pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court to six charges, including stalking and assault against her ex-boyfriend

The junior accountant with Ernst and Young (pictured) tested the patience of Magistrate Peter Reardon in court after sobbing uncontrollably

After breaking up with her boyfriend, Ms Mack (pictured centre) spray-painted 'cheater' in pink writing across her victim's black Volkswagen, before harassing the victim with a number of follow up messages on Facebook

'Try and control yourself please Ms Mack, youre supposed to be a professional accountant, youre in court, so behave yourself and act like one, youre not a child,' he said, according to the Herald Sun.

Magistrate Reardon then lost his patience after Ms Mack appeared to turn her camera off.

He went onto chastise her again, telling the young woman her antics 'seemed to be more like that of a seven-year-old child.'

The court heard the junior accountant, who also previously worked at global finance firm KPMG, went on a jealous rampage after splitting with her partner in early 2020.

Mack spray-painted 'cheater' in pink writing across her victim's black Volkswagen, before harassing the victim with a number of follow up messages on Facebook, the court was told.

She went on to send her ex-boyfriend a number of texts, including one SMS that said 'your life is over.'

Other creepy messages included 'I know the code to your house', 'checkmate', that she was 'initiating phase 2' and a promise to ruin his life.

The court also heard Ms Mack had suggested the victim's sister's car was at risk of being vandalised.

She also posted photos of her former partner on Instagram in his underwear without his permission.

When Mack was arrested and had her phone seized, police found she had previously conducted internet searches about how to find people's home addresses and real estate listings for people in the victim's street.

She labelled the threats towards her ex-boyfriend as 'just us arguing' and that a number of scratches the victim suffered were from his footy matches - not from her physically assaulting him.

Among the threatening texts Ms Mack sent to her ex-boyfriend was a message which declared 'I know where you live, I know where you work and I know the code to your house'

The scorned woman also threatened her former love interest, stating 'his life was over'

Representing herself in court, Ms Mack pointed to mental health issues which were further enhanced by the Covid lockdown in Victoria at the time.

She also stated she was 'completely embarrassed and ashamed' by her actions, before producing a number of references stating she was of good character.

The case took then took a twist, with the police prosecutor questioning the validity of some of the presented material from work colleagues, believing they could have been doctored.

Ms Mack also said one of her submitted references was from the victim, who wasn't in court to verify its supposed authenticity.

She is expected to be sentenced later on Tuesday.
Its no shaggy dog story  pets are now being jabbed after Russian scientists developed the worlds first Covid-19 vaccination for animals.

Carnivac-Cov was registered in March and is said to give 100 per cent protection against the virus.

Experts elsewhere say there is no evidence animals play a significant role in spreading Covid to humans, but cases have been confirmed in various species worldwide.

A dog receives an injection of the Carnivac-Cov vaccine against Covid-19 at the MosVet central veterinary clinic

Military dogs were among the first Russian animals to be vaccinated ahead of their appearance at a Red Square parade on May 9.

Covid-19 has been a serious problem in particular for mink.

The largest mink outbreak in Denmark led to the culling of millions of animals and shut down the fur industry until 2022.

Russian virologist Dr Nadezhda Rakhmanina said: These animals can get sick with coronavirus en masse. So the vaccine is really needed.

And Konstantin Savenkov, of Russias Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, added: It is the worlds first and currently only coronavirus vaccine for animals.

Dr Rakhmanina said: This particular vaccine is needed, first of all, in fur farming.

Military dogs were among the first Russian animals to be vaccinated ahead of their appearance at a Red Square parade on May 9

Cases of mass deaths of fur-bearing animals abroad, including in Denmark, were described last year.

In general, fur-bearing animals are susceptible to many infectious diseases of humans, they even have a susceptibility to influenza Over the past year, it has not been proven that pets can be a source of Covid-19 infection for humans.

There are isolated cases of infection in cats, which have been described and proven. But there is no mass [evidence] yet.
A secret Australian police operation using a fake app to spy on the texts of senior mafia and bikie figures was put at risk when a tech geek correctly accused it of being a scam months ago.

Authorities sensationally carried out the country's biggest ever organised crime bust on Tuesday morning, announcing 224 people had been arrested as a result of an elaborate sting using technology designed by the FBI.

Some of Australia's most sinister criminal networks began using 'AN0M' branded phones and encrypted messaging almost three years ago, not realising the Federal Police were using the platform to read their messages.

The app gained currency in the underworld after being promoted by drug kingpins such as Australia's most wanted man, Hakan Ayik, after first being distributed by police informants.

Through the covert operation, detectives allegedly uncovered 21 murder plots - saving the lives of a family of five - and shut down gun distribution and mass drug trafficking rings. Mafia bosses, bikies and reality TV stars have been arrested..

A luxury Ducati motorcycle, Audi sedan, Rolex watches, ammunition, bullet-proof vests, firearms and even memorabilia from the 1972 cult classic The Godfather was seized from a number of properties.

However, Daily Mail Australia can reveal the operation was in jeopardy of being compromised earlier this year - and authorities may have wound it up earlier as a result.

In late March, an anonymous blogger known only as 'canyouguess67' posted an article warning users to keep off ANOM for their 'own safety'.

Mafia figures and bikies purchased ANoM-branded phones with encrypted messaging technology already downloaded. When criminals used the phones, the messages were intercepted by Australian Federal Police law enforcement agencies

An anonymous tech geek posted a blog online in March, titled 'AN0M ENCRYPTED SCAM EXPOSED'

Blogger 'canyouguess67' posted a chilling warning to users of the AN0M app on March 29, warning people: 'STAY AWAY .... IF YOU VALUE YOUR PRIVACY & SAFETY'

Among the items seized by the AFP was memorabilia from the 1972 cult classic The Godfather

Australia's biggest ever police bust has seen 3.77 tonnes of drugs, $45 million in cash, guns, luxury cars, motorcycles and watches pictured) seized

Ninja Warrior 2017 contestant Sopiea Kong was among those arrested. The 33-year-old was charged last week following a raid at a Kangaroo Point home, where police allegedly seized 154g of meth

A tactical police officer guards a handcuffed arrested man during a raid. He was one of 224 people arrested as part of Operation Ironside

Another tattooed man sits on a bed guarded by police as officers execute a search warrant on his home

'STAY AWAY FROM ANOM IF YOU VALUE YOUR PRIVACY AND SAFETY,' the blogger wrote in an article, which has since been pulled down.

'THEY ARE COMPROMISED, LIARS AND YOUR DATA IS RUNNING VIA USA.'

In what now seems to be a telling clue, the blogger expressed serious concerns about the fact that the AN-M device he had tested 'was actually in constant contact with Google services' in both New South Wales, Australia and California.

'I was quite concerned to see the amount of IP addresses relating to many corporations within the Five Eyes Governments (Australia, USA, Canada, UK, NZ who share information with one another),' he wrote.

Following a technical analysis, the blogger - correctly - recommended people not use ANoM technology, warning authorities could 'completely infiltrate every users' devices (sic) as well as their operations, and worse of all authorities would have the ability to decrypt and intercept messages'.

In an incredible twist, the unnamed tech blogger warned that they had contacted law enforcement agencies with their concerns.

The blog, named 'ANOMEXPOSED', has since been taken down but it was still publicly available via Google on Tuesday.

It is unclear whether the tech expert's concerns reached the ears of the Federal Police or played a role in the project being sensationally unveiled today.

The bust exposed new details about how one of Australia's most wanted fugitives gave police extensive access to the world's criminal underworld. Pictured: one man being arrested by AFP officers

Millions of dollars in assets have been seized including this sparking collection of expensive watches

A fire engine red Ducati which is also now in the possession of the Australian Federal Police

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the AFP operation, known as Operation Ironside, had struck a 'heavy blow' against organised crime.

'The operation puts Australia at the forefront of the fight against criminals who peddle in human misery and ultimately, it will keep our communities and Australians safe,' he said on Tuesday.

'Illicit drug use ruins lives and fuels organised crime.'

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said federal agents had been in the 'back pockets' of criminals through the encryption app.

The idea, Mr Kershaw said, came over a 'couple of beers' between officers and FBI agents years back.

'The FBI had the lead on this. We provided the technical capability to decrypt those messages,' he said.

'Some of the best ideas come over a couple of beers.'

Ninja Warrior 2017 contestant Sopiea Kong was among those arrested. The 33-year-old was charged last week following a raid at a Kangaroo Point home, where police allegedly seized 154g of meth.

Kong, who was also allegedly in possession of $2,030 cash and a revolver, was granted bail and will appear in court on June 28.

Former Bachelorette star Samuel Minkin, who appeared on Becky and Elly Miles' season of the dating show, was charged with possessing a large commercial quantity of cannabis after police stopped a van in Byron Bay last month.

Former Bandito bikie Benjamin Joseph Thornton, 31, was arrested after police seized two mobile phones and a small quantity of cocaine. He was denied bail and will reappear in court next week.

What is ANoM?

On its glitzy website, the 'ANoM' phone looks like any new tech innovation with sleek black lines, 'invite only' exclusivity and a pledge to 'enforce your right to privacy'.

But its best feature - and for most of its users, the worst - wasn't promoted in its marketing material.

The phone, which supposedly allowed encrypted communications safe from the eyes of the law, was actually a cunning trap laid for a who's who of organised crime.

The Australian Federal Police on Tuesday revealed a breathtaking three-year tech ploy which led to 4,000 police executing 525 search warrants.

'Enforce your right to privacy': This is how the ANoM website advertised its product - with users not realising that law enforcement officials could read each and every message

Senior bikies and mafia figures were tricked into buying hi-tech phones that would supposedly let them messages one another, free of police snooping.

But the ANoM phones were actually designed by the FBI and allowed Australian police to read the texts of organised crime figures.

Police watched in real time as alleged crooks spilled their secrets to one another on their own app.

Some 21 execution plots were foiled and drug and gun smuggling networks dismantled.

Some 224 people have been arrested, $44,934,457 in cash seized, as well as 104 weapons, 3.7 tonnes of drugs and multi-million dollar assets.

Alleged crooks even paid six-monthly subscription fees to the police - the money only further reinforcing law enforcement methods.

How did it all work?

Users could buy phone handsets costing between $1,500 and $2,500 from what has been described as underground distributors.

The phones were stripped down - they couldn't even make calls, access the internet or send emails.

What did do was send encrypted messages, photos and videos, using a foreign SIM card to apparently avoid Australian data snooping laws.

Crooks could buy a six month subscription to use the app - the funds raised unknowingly redirected to the police.

The app was invitation-only as of Tuesday morning - before the page was sensationally taken down and replaced with a warning by the FBI

Anom's Twitter account claimed the company was based in the famously neutral nation of Switzerland

The app was accessed by entering a PIN number into the phone's calculator, the stuff of spy dramas.

ANoM's website, which was only deleted about 10am on Tuesday, made the technology sound bulletproof.

The company was apparently based in famously neutral Switzerland and boasted of 'military grade encrypt and sanitise'.

For its encryption, it claimed to use 'OMEMO Double Ratchet Algorithm ... independently audited by Dutch security research group Radically Open Security'.

That may have been an in-joke - as all the supposedly self-destructing messages sent on the app was radically open to the Australian Federal Police to read.

Australia's most wanted drug kingpin Hakan Ayik (centre) was influential in spreading the AN0M app through his criminal networks, it has been claimed

Police have been coy about just how Australian mafia and bikie figures first came across the devices.

That is likely to remain a secret, as it involves police informants.

But what is clear is that the 'business' began to grow of its own accord beginning in about October 2018.

Criminal 'influencers', including drug kingpin Ayik, eventually became so enthralled by the technology they distributed the devices around the world.

The Federal Police and even Prime Minister Scott Morrison have crowed about the success of the scheme, rolled out in Australia due to its world-first data snooping laws.

'This is as a warning to organised crime in Australia, and abroad  the AFP and Australia's law enforcement agencies have a laser-like focus in bringing them to justice,' Mr Morrison said.

But it is clear that AN0M is no secret anymore - with its details splashed across some of the nation's biggest newspapers today and hundreds of cases before the courts, many no doubt unaware that someone was sounding the alarm about the app months ago.
A rogue possum has left a woman screaming in terror after the marsupial unexpectedly leapt onto her dress.

The Petersen family spotted the brushtail possum while on a beachside holiday on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

Talleah Peterson, 20, told the Daily Mail Australia her family went to rescue the terrified possum after it was ambushed by menacing birds.

Rogue possum left woman terrified after it unexpectedly leapt onto her dress in Sunshine Coast, Queensland

'We were walking to the beach and we saw the possum being attacked by magpies so we ran over and chased the magpies off,' she said.

The family rushed over to make sure the possum was safe when it suddenly jumped up and clung onto the floral frock of Talleah's unsuspecting mother, Janelle.

In hilarious footage posted on TikTok, her mother begins to wildly dart along the concrete in her silver flip flops as the possums desperately clings onto the fabric.

'Mum didn't want it to scratch or claw her legs which is why she was freaking out,' Talleah said.

She revealed the possum eventually let go after the family made sure it was 'all good and safe after everything.'

'I saw it again later that day up in the tree safe and sound,' she said.

Family went to save possum ambushed by magpies when it jumped onto Janelle Peterson's dress in Queensland (pictured)

The hilarious footage that emerged on June 8 has amused other Australians online.

'Hands down the funniest video I've seen,' one user commented.

'He held on for his life,' another wrote.

'She picked the wrong day to wear a dress,' another said.
Daniel Andrews has given permission for Ambulance Victoria to release a statement about his fall to dispel claims that his accident was a 'cover-up'.

The premier was under pressure to answer eleven questions - including where the fall happened and what time an ambulance was called - after effectively vanishing from public view for 92 days.

In a statement released on Tuesday with Mr Andrews' permission, Ambulance Victoria said it received a triple zero call for an ambulance at 6.36am on Monday 9 March 'for a patient who had fallen on steps at a house in Sorrento.'

The ambulance arrived at 7.01am and Mr Andrews was given painkillers for fractured ribs before being taken to Peninsula Private Hospital Emergency Department for further treatment, the statement said.

Some questions such as who was in the house at the time and who owns the house remain unanswered.

The most recent sighting: Dan Andrews was pictured in his wife's Instagram story on Saturday evening receiving a DIY lockdown haircut - but it didn't show his face

The Liberal-National state Opposition demanded answers after Daily Mail Australia first questioned why the Victoria premier, one of the most prominent figures in Australia, has hidden himself away during his recovery, allowing numerous conspiracy theories to circulate.

Since his accident, Mr Andrews has only been seen in three social media photos, including one posted by his wife Catherine on Saturday which showed her cutting his hair with his face covered by a comb.

Mr Andrews suffered five broken ribs and a fractured T7 vertebrae after falling on 'wet and slippery' stairs at a holiday home on the Mornington Peninsula, south of Melbourne.

In a statement six days after the incident, Mr Andrews said 'I landed flat on my back and hit the steps hard directly below the shoulder blades' - but the scant details have sparked a range of conspiracy theories including that he was beaten up by a union official or bashed by a businessman upset about Covid-19 lockdowns.

Ambulance Victoria's statement on Daniel Andrews' injury 'Ambulance Victoria received a triple zero call for an ambulance at 6.36am on Monday 9 March 2021 for a patient who had fallen on steps at a house in Sorrento. 'Based on information provided during the call, the case did not require an immediate lights and sirens (life-threatening emergency response) and the call underwent secondary triage. 'This triage determined that the case was appropriate for ambulance response, and an ambulance was dispatched from the nearest ambulance branch in Sorrento under normal road conditions at 6.47am. 'The ambulance arrived at 7.01am. The patient was assessed by treating paramedics as having suspected fractured ribs, and pain relief was provided. 'The patient requested to attend a local hospital in order for the attending crew to remain within the area once cleared from the case. 'Peninsula Private Hospital Emergency Department was determined in consultation with the patient and treating paramedics. 'The hospital was appropriate for further investigation and treatment of the patient based on presenting symptoms and condition'. Advertisement

Mr Andrews was injured on March 9 and spent 10 days in hospital. Conspiracy theorists claimed this image was photoshopped to show his head on some-one else's body

The 11 questions Daniel Andrews must answer about his injuries  Who was in the house at the time of the incident?  What is the address of the house where it occurred?  Who owns the property?  What time was an ambulance called?  Who called the ambulance?  What time did the ambulance arrive?  Which ambulance station was the ambulance dispatched from?  Who made the decision to take the Premier to Peninsula Private?  Were the police contacted?  Did the police attend?  Has Daniel Andrews been interviewed either formally or informally by the police in relation to anything that occurred over that long weekend? Source: Liberal-National Opposition Advertisement

Some conspiracy theorists even claimed a social media image showing Mr Andrews in his early recovery stage was photoshopped to show his head on some-one else's body. Those close to the premier say the theories are nonsense.

The Liberal-National Opposition believes Mr Andrews - who is the nation's best-paid premier on $441,439 - owes it to taxpayers to reveal more details about the incident and prove there is no 'cover up' as he clocks up 92 days off sick on full pay.

MPs want to know who was in the house at the time, as well as the home's address and the name of the owner.

They also want to know if police were called and if Mr Andrews has been interviewed by officers 'either formally or informally' over anything that happened that weekend.

'If there is no cover up then there is no reason not to provide answers to these simple questions,' said shadow treasurer Louise Staley.

'Victorians need honesty and transparency from Daniel Andrews about the circumstances of his injury.

'Everyone is entitled to privacy about their health, but these questions are not about the nature of his injuries, only how he got those injuries.'

Liberal MP James Newbury joined calls for more details, telling Daily Mail Australia: 'No-one is questioning whether Daniel Andrews is sick - but as the elected leader of 6.7 million people, he owes Victorians a proper explanation as to what really happened to him.'

'Victoria is in the middle of its fourth lockdown and people's lives and livelihoods are on the line. We deserve more from Daniel Andrews than a couple of social media posts or a photo of his wife cutting his hair.'

Acting Premier James Merlino said the Opposition should be 'ashamed' for asking the questions.

'We are dealing with a global pandemic for goodness' sake,' he said in a press conference on Tuesday.

'I think it reflects on the Liberal Party, it reflects on the Leader of the Opposition  they should be ashamed of themselves, quite frankly.'

During his time off sick, Mr Andrews has earned about $110,000 - almost double the average annual salary of Victorians which is $63,500.

Members of parliament are not employed but get paid for the office they hold, meaning they have no leave limits.

Aussies employed in the private sector only get a minimum of 10 days personal leave per year.

Ms Staley said Mr Andrews should only take an MP's base salary of $182,413 while off sick.

Absent Premier Daniel Andrews (pictured with his wife) was criticised for saying that Victorians are having 'another week off work' in his first social media post since April 18

A closer look at the message posted by Daniel Andrews on Wednesday as he recovers from a back injury

'Enough is enough, Daniel Andrews can't continue to get paid for a job he's not doing. He should only be getting the basic MP's pay while he's off work,' she said.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the premier's office for comment.

Mr Andrews, who oversaw Melbourne's 112-day lockdown last year, said on Wednesday he would return to work later this month.

It was the first time he had addressed the public since a social media post on April 18, when he said he was making 'slow and steady progress'.

In a statement posted on social media the premier called on Victorians to remain strong as they faced another seven days in lockdown.

Dan Andrews (pictured with daughter Grace, 18) in April as he recovers from a serious back injury

Daniel Andrews issued this message to Victorians on social media on Wednesday night after weeks of silence

'I have more scans and a meeting with my medical team next week. I'll let you know how that goes and exactly when I'll be back on deck later this month,' he wrote.

However, one turn of phrase in his message sparked outrage from opponents.

'But I did want to send a message to Victorians facing another week off work, away from school, or with the kids at home,' he wrote.

The sentence sparked accusations that Mr Andrews was failing to grasp the damage caused by lockdowns.

David Hodgett, shadow education minister, wrote: 'This is a Premier completely out of touch with ordinary Victorians.

'No, Premier, these workers are not having ''another week off work''. They are being financially ruined by your government.'

A sign on the door of a business in Melbourne after the extension of lockdown was announced

Victorian Shadow Treasurer Louise Staley is leading the push (above)

It comes after Scott Morrison said Victoria should lift its crippling Covid-19 restrictions 'as soon as possible'.

The Prime Minister particularly wants to see children at school after the state government only allowed students in years 11 and 12 to go back to class this week.

Since the start of the pandemic Victorian children have been stopped from going to school for 23 weeks, compared to just seven weeks in New South Wales, raising fears they will be left behind students in other states.

'Kids have lost enough time out of school, over the course of the last 18 months, and it's very important we get those kids back to school as soon as possible,' Mr Morrison told reporters in Sydney on Monday.

'I am hopeful these restrictions in Victoria will be lifted as soon as possible I would be urging that we move to lift those restrictions as soon as possible.'

However, Victoria's chief health officer Brett Sutton has warned the state won't 'snap back' to normal when lockdown is due to end in Melbourne on Thursday after a two-week shutdown.

On Tuesday the state reported just two new cases of Covid-19, taking the state's latest outbreak - which originated in hotel quarantine in Adelaide - to 83 cases.
Sophie Delezio, who won the hearts of millions after somehow surviving two horrific car crashes as a child, has revealed she's found love - with her best friend.

Sophie, now 20, and chef Joseph Salerno, 21, confirmed they have been in a relationship for a year, after first meeting as children 15 years ago.

'Everyone's dream is to fall in love with their best friend. It's something you often only see in the movies,' Sophie told Woman's Day.

The pair were close friends as teenagers but a romance only developed when she returned from studying in the United Kingdom last year.

Sophie Delezio (pictured right), 20, who famously survived two horror car crashes as a child, has opened up on finding love. She is dating childhood friend Joseph Salerno, 21, and the couple said they happy to live a quiet life these days

Sophie Delezio, who was lucky to make it past 5 years of age after two horrific car accidents, has called her life at 20 a 'beautiful restart', as she revealed she is in love

The then-two-year-old was left fighting for her life at the age of two after she was trapped beneath a burning car, which crashed into her daycare centre in 2003 (pictured leaving hospital after recovering from the horrific crash in 2004)

Sophie Delezio and Joseph Salerno tell their story in the current issue of Woman's Day

'It was around two weeks after she had come home, we were hanging out a lot and I remember it was one night I was cooking her pasta and I thought to myself, ''Hang on, I think I feel something here'',' Joseph said.

Sophie added: 'I awkward laugh a lot when I don't know what to say or do. I was so shocked, I had no clue. But I knew I had felt something for him and I've always wanted him in my life. He's my best friend.'

Sophie and Joseph plan to move in together, after a trip to meet his grandparents in New Zealand, and admit they enjoy a 'quiet life' together, playing cards, cooking, watching movies and going away for long weekends.

She called this latest chapter in her tumultuous life 'a beautiful restart'.

Sophie has lived in the spotlight since she was a child, after surviving two devastating car accidents.

Sophie was the postergirl for the Day of Difference Foundation since 2004, which raised over $14million for child accident victims.

Last year her remarkable survival story, which shocked the nation back in the early 2000s, featured again on national TV, drawing over 600,000 viewers on Ahn's Brush With Fame.

Sophie feels lucky all the media attention hasn't been a barrier for Joseph.

'I know a lot of people would be scared of that. So that's why I wanted to leave it up to him to announce it, because while I've accepted that my life has been in the media, it's new to him, and I didn't want to make him uncomfortable.'

Sophie Delezio (left) says of her new boyfriend Joseph Salerno: 'Everyone's dream is to fall in love with their best friend'

Sophie Delezio (pictured right in both photos) has been close friends with her now-boyfriend Joseph Salerno (left in both) for many years

She has been the focal point for road safety media coverage and campaigns for many years - but Joseph is used to it since the couple were close friends since high school.

They did drama class together at Oxford Falls Grammar when they were both 14.

He said people are drawn to Sophie because she is 'a joyful' person.

Sophie Delezio (pictured at front, far right) with teenage friends. Her boyfriend Joseph Salerno is pictured back row, top left

At the age of two, Sophie was was left fighting for her life when she was two after she was trapped beneath a burning car, which crashed into her daycare centre in 2003.

The toddler suffered third degree burns to 85 per cent of her body.

She lost an ear, the fingers on her right hand and both feet as she was placed in a coma for three months.

But after a remarkable recovery, disaster struck again in 2006 when Sophie was thrown 18 metres from her wheelchair as she crossed a road.

Sophie Delezio (pictured at 19) appeared on the ABC program Anh's brush with fame to discuss her life

She suffered a bleeding on the brain, a heart attack and severe injuries, including a broken jaw, fractured shoulder, and a tear to her lung. She also lost a sense of smell.

She went on to get her driver's license before moving to London to study sociology and international relations at SOAS University.

In February she celebrated Valentines Day sharing a photo of herself holding a rose from an admirer in Instagram.
Australians are far more likely to get a life-threatening blood clot disorder from a range of normal activities than from the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The British-made jab is all but banned in Australia for anyone under 50 after a handful of cases, only one of which was fatal.

However, the chance of developing a blood clot from the vaccine is just 0.0005 per cent - so small it wasn't even detected in clinical trials.

A sign put up in the waiting room of a Melbourne GP's practice tried to point this out to older patients hesitant to receive the jab.

Fears over clotting from the AstraZeneca jab caused 'vaccine hesitancy' in Australia

A sign in a Melbourne doctor's office claimed AstraZeneca posed a 0.0005 percent risk of death

The Tweet by comedian Rose Callaghan of the sign put up in her GP's waiting room

Comedian Rose Callaghan posted the picture of the sign along with a tweet: 'Reception at my GP's office dropping truth bombs.'

The sign compared the risk of death from the AstraZeneca vaccine, with taking the contraceptive pill, being involved in a car accident, or actually dying from Covid-19.

The vaccine posed a risk of five in every million people, but death from taking the pill and car accidents were listed as 0.05 per cent risks and death from the virus itself posed a 3.9 per cent chance.

Some of Ms Callaghan's followers took issue with the Covid death figure measuring against Victorian cases of the virus, rather than the total population.

'Vaccine hesitancy' has marred Australia's vaccine roll-out mainly due to fears about blood clotting as a result of the AstraZeneca jab.

Acting Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd said that while the vaccine could cause blood clotting in people with low platelet counts, the chances of it happening were 'very small'.

The sign compared the risk of death from taking AstraZeneca with taking the contraceptive pill

The greater risk of death in a car accident had been another popular international comparison for those worried about taking the AstraZeneca vaccine.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration said 41 Australians developed the rare blood clotting disorder - known as thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, or TTS - as a result of the AstraZeneca jab, with one death.

But it restated its view that receiving the vaccine was preferable to remaining unvaccinated.

'With the ongoing risk of Covid outbreaks in Australia and the potential for severe long-term effects or fatal consequences of infection, the benefits for the AstraZeneca vaccine continue to outweigh the risks,' it said.

In May, Public Health England released the first study on the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

It found a single dose of AstraZeneca provided 55 per cent protection against death, compared with a figure of 44 per cent protection for a single dose of Pfizer, when compared with unvaccinated cases.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration had reported that 41 people taking AstraZeneca in Australia had experienced a clotting problem, with one death

A Scandinavian study also found people were three times more likely to die without the vaccine.

Researchers in Denmark and Norway looked at the nationwide rates of blood clots and related conditions in 280,000 people who received the AstraZeneca jab between February and March this year.

Professor Huyen Tran from Melbourne University told ABC News that detecting and treating any blood clots from AstraZeneca was now more advanced than when it was first rolled out.

'The mechanism [creating thrombosis] is different to other blood clots that we know,' he said. 'We understand this entity better now so can diagnose it readily and treat it very well.'
A government laboratory in California concluded in May 2020 that COVID-19 may have escaped from a facility in Wuhan, it has emerged, and recommended further investigation.

Scientists at the the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, near Berkeley, analyzed the genetic makeup of the virus to try to understand how it evolved.

They passed their May 27, 2020 findings on to the State Department in October. The five-month delay was not explained.

On January 15 the State Department published a fact sheet about COVID-19, which said that 'circumstantial' evidence suggested a lab leak theory was possible.

The secret document the California lab produced was not known about until Monday, when The Wall Street Journal reported on its existence.

Revelation of its existence comes as the idea of a lab leak as a source of the pandemic gains acceptance even as through most of the pandemic many mainstream scientists and media figures parroted the line from China that the virus was naturally occurring.

Now, President Joe Biden on May 26 ordered intelligence agencies to investigate the two competing ideas about the origins of the pandemic - evolved naturally and passed from animals to humans, or released from a laboratory. He gave them 90 days to report back.

Inside the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where scientists a year ago were investigating whether COVID-19 escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China

The high-tech facility was founded in the 1950s and is one of the most advanced in the world, specializing in nuclear and biochemical threats

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in northern California produced a report on May 27, 2020, in which they found the idea that COVID-19 was man-made plausible, and merited further exploration. At the time, scientists were largely united in their argument that the virus started naturally, evolving from animals to humans

The giant California facility has an annual budget of $2.5 billion and employs 7,900 people. It is largely funded by the Department of Energys National Nuclear Security Administration

The Lawrence Livermore lab has not confirmed the details of the May 2020 report, which was reported by The Wall Street Journal

'Rare' genome sequence suggests the virus WAS man-made Two U.S. experts have penned a damning essay saying that science strongly suggests the novel coronavirus was manufactured inside a Chinese laboratory. The claim was made by Drs Stephen Quay, CEO of biopharmaceutical company Atossa Therapeutics Inc, and Richard Muller, a physics professor at the University of California Berkeley, in The Wall Street Journal on Sunday. In the op-ed, the men say their proof lies in genome sequencing, or analyzing the DNA, of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. There are 36 DNA segments - made up of three-letter 'words' - that viruses use to make an amino acid known as L-arginine. L-arginine helps make proteins but is also often used in so-called 'gain of function' research, which alters viruses to make them more transmissible and more deadly. The new virus contains a segment called CGG-CGG, which is considered rare even in experiments in which researchers are trying to manipulate virus. But even more telling is that this combination has never been found naturally in any other type of coronavirus, including in SARS and MERS, both of which are cousins of the new virus. 'A virus simply cannot pick up a sequence from another virus if that sequence isn't present in any other virus,' Quay and Muller wrote. 'The CGG-CGG combination has never been found naturally. That means the common method of viruses picking up new skills, called recombination, cannot operate here.' Advertisement

People familiar with the Lawrence Livermore study said that it was prepared by their 'Z Division,' which is its intelligence arm.

The sprawling facility has an annual budget of $2.5 billion and employs 7,900 people.

It is largely funded by the Department of Energys National Nuclear Security Administration.

The California lab has not confirmed the contents of their report, which remains secret.

Anthony Blinken, the Secretary of State, has urged China to be more transparent about what they knew, when.

'What the government didn't do in the early days and still hasn't done is given us the transparency we need,' Blinken said on Sunday, in an interview with Axios.

The White House has also accused China of obstructing investigations into the source of the pandemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) sent a team to the Wuhan lab in late January, but the investigators were only allowed in for three hours, and were not granted access to all the documentation they required.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the WHO, said their visit was inconclusive and upbraided China for being uncooperative.

Dr Anthony Fauci, Biden's chief medical adviser and the nation's top public health expert, is now facing scrutiny over what he knew, when - and whether he was always straight with the public.

His critics, mainly Republicans, accuse him of downplaying the 'lab leak' theory because it was promoted heavily by Donald Trump. Fauci was first appointed by Trump.

The critics also argue that Fauci did not want to admit at the time that U.S. taxpayers' money was spent on the Wuhan lab.

He has since confirmed that $820,000 was given to the lab, over six years, to fund their research into coronaviruses.

Fauci justified the spending when quizzed on it before Congress last month, insisting that it was vital to understand coronaviruses coming from bats, and the bats were in China.

He said it would have been a dereliction of duty not to support the scientific research.

Fauci also insisted that the grants were not being used on 'gain of function' research, whereby viruses are made more transmissible or deadly, to understand their capabilities.

He said the scientific studies published thanks to U.S. funding bore no evidence of 'gain of function' research.

But he admitted that he had no way of knowing if the Wuhan lab was carrying out experiments in secret.

Scientists are seen working inside the Wuhan lab. The site is one of only three in the world - the others are in North Carolina and Texas - where 'gain of function' research is carried out on viruses, to make them more transmissible or deadly

Meanwhile, the former head of the Food and Drug Administration, Scott Gottlieb, has said Fauci told world leaders in the spring of 2020 that the coronavirus may have escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China.

U.S. researchers around that time still were considering whether the virus came from a lab break, and Fauci told the health leaders gathered that the newly identified strain of the coronavirus 'looked unusual,' according to Gottlieb.

The disclosure from the former FDA chief comes as an increasing number of mainstream scientists and media figures no longer are parroting the line from the Chinese Communist Party that the virus came from a bat.

Now, Gottlieb says Fauci last year at least considered that COVID-19 could have come from a lab - before closing ranks around the idea that it occurred naturally.

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said he was told Dr. Fauci had briefed world leaders on the possibility that the novel coronavirus leaked from a lab

Gottlieb, who served under President Donald Trump, said a former senior member of the Trump administration told him at the time of Fauci's 2020 talk. Gottlieb said he'd recently reconfirmed with that person that Fauci had given the talk.

'I think early on, when they looked at the strain, they had suspicions,' Gottlieb recalled Sunday on CBS Face the Nation, speaking of U.S. scientists. 'And it takes time to do that analysis, and that dispelled some of those suspicions,' he added.

Additionally, Gottlieb said it was a mistake to only look at the virus from a scientific perspective: It also needs to be examined from a national security lens, he said.

'A scientific mindset looks at the virus and the virus' behavior and draws a conclusion,' he said.

'A national security assessment looks at that and then looks at the behavior of the Chinese government, the behavior of the lab, other evidence around the lab - including the infections we now know took place - and that changes the overall assessment,' he said.

Although some experts still believe the virus was transmitted from a bat to some other species of animal, then to humans, its origins remain unproven.

The Wuhan lab was famed for conducting tests on bat coronaviruses, with experts who support the leak theory saying the same city being ground zero for the outbreak is too great a coincidence to ignore.

While China has tried to insist the virus originated elsewhere, academics, politicians and the media have begun to contemplate the possibility it escaped from the WIV - raising suspicions that Chinese officials simply hid evidence of the early spread

The idea the coronavirus escaped from a Wuhan lab was at best a 'fringe theory' until recently, when the Biden administration ordered a review

Chinese scientist 'filed a patent for a vaccine BEFORE virus was declared a pandemic' A Chinese military scientist with ties to the United States reportedly filed a patent for a COVID-19 vaccine well before the disease was declared a global pandemic. Yusen Zhou, who worked for the People's Liberation Army (PLA), lodged the paperwork on behalf of the Chinese political party on February 24 2020, according to The Australian newspaper. That date was just five weeks after China first confirmed human transmission of the coronavirus. Zhou is also said to have 'worked closely' with scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), including Shi Zhengli - the deputy director of the lab who is famous for her research on coronavirus in bats. Zhou mysteriously died less than three months after he filed the patent. The New York Post claims his death was only reported in one Chinese media report, despite the fact he was one of the country's most prominent scientists. Zhou had previously worked on research linked to the US institutions, including the University of Minnesota and the New York Blood Center, the newspaper reported. Advertisement

Fauci is now facing accusations that he mishandled and downplayed the theory the virus leaked from the lab in Wuhan.

Among those who wrote to Fauci to raise the question is Dr Kristian Andersen, a virologist at California's Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California in emails obtained by The Washington Post and BuzzFeed last week under the Freedom of Information Act.

On January 31, 2020, Andersen references a Science magazine article about how researchers around the world were racing to share 'full sequences of the virus from patients' to understand how it related to viruses found in animals.

'The unusual features of the virus make up a really small part of the genome (<0.1%) so one has to look really closely at all the sequences to see that some of the features (potentially) look engineered,' he wrote.

At the time, the lab leak hypothesis was largely dismissed by many experts. It has recently gained traction.

Andersen said he and his team found that 'the genome [is] inconsistent with expectations from evolutionary theory.

'But we have to look at this much more closely and there are still further analyses to be done, so those options could still change,' he added.

By the next month, it turned out, they had.

He and his colleagues published an article in Nature Medicine in which they concluded that it was 'improbable that SARS-CoV-2 emerged through laboratory manipulation of a related SARS-CoV-like coronavirus.'

In May, Andersen was referenced in a New York Times article about scientists calling into more investigations into the origins of the virus.

On Sunday, Anderson's Twitter account was deactivated.

He has not released a statement as to why.

In another email, Fauci was thanked by the head of a nonprofit that helped fund research at Chinas Wuhan Institute of Virology, 'for publicly standing up and stating that the scientific evidence supports a natural origin,' which he said 'will help dispel the myths being spun around the virus origins.'

Andersen, the scientist who wrote the 'engineered' email, has tried to offer further explanation.

'As I have said many times, we seriously considered a lab leak a possibility.

'However, significant new data, extensive analyses, and many discussions led to the conclusions in our paper. What the email shows, is a clear example of the scientific process,' he tweeted amid the backlash.
Cuomo released American Crisis: Lessons in Leadership in October 2020

The U.S. Department of Justice has subpoenaed material connected to a memoir written by the Democratic governor of New York Andrew Cuomo, as part of an investigation into a possible cover-up of COVID deaths in the state's nursing homes.

Prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York are said to have requested communications associated with Cuomo's book, American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The DOJ is said to be after a host of materials that would have been used during the pitching process to publishers - including various contracts and documents.

The subpoenas have been issued as prosecutors continue to probe the the details of the nursing home debacle which was discussed in the memoir.

The governor's office has been under multiple investigations as to a possible cover-up of the true number of deaths in nursing homes that could be attributed to COVID-19.

State officials who helped with the editing of early versions of Cuomo's book were among the individuals who received subpoenas for materials, The Wall Street Journal reported.

It's thought prosecutors might be interested in book-related materials because they will have captured a real-time snapshot of Cuomo's work surrounding nursing homes.

The Dept Of Justice has subpoenaed material related to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's recent memoir with regards to the counting of covid deaths in state nursing homes

'If reflections memorialized in records and notes are inconsistent with what he was saying publicly or with disclosures to health or government officials, that is potentially problematic,' said Michael Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor to the Journal.

Republican lawmakers have accused Cuomo's administration of intentionally manipulating and obscuring the COVID fatality data.

The data saw the intentional undercounting of thousands of deaths, in New York's assisted-living facilities in an attempt to shield the governor from political criticism.

Federal prosecutors began a criminal investigation into the governor's alleged mismanagement of the state's nursing homes during the pandemic in February.

One month earlier, a report from New York Attorney General Letitia James's office suggested that nursing home deaths were potentially undercounted by as much as half.

More than 6,000 COVID-19-positive people were sent back into the nursing homes, potentially exposing staff and other residents to the virus which attacks elderly people at a far higher rate than younger people. (File photo from January 2021 of a Harlem nursing home)

In his book, Cuomo defends a March 2020 directive that prohibited nursing homes from denying entry to residents just because they tested positive for COVID.

It meant more than 6,000 COVID-19-positive people were sent back into the nursing homes, potentially exposing staff and other residents to the virus which attacks elderly people at a far higher rate than younger people.

Some lawmakers have claimed the order contributed to the high mortality rate among New York assisted-care facilities.

The virus was nothing but deadly in nursing homes.

In March 2020, an edict from Cuomo meant nursing homes were forced to take positive COVID patients after they were released from hospital.

The order, which was later revoked, saw more than 6,000 COVID positive patients heading back into nursing homes between March and May. It meant the true impact of the virus on such facilities had being grossly underestimated.

Families who had relatives that died from COVID-19 in nursing protest in March 2021 demanding an investigation into the deaths and accountability from Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Between March and May - when Cuomo reversed the directive after widespread criticism - 6,326 COVID-positive residents were admitted to 310 nursing homes.

Of the approximately 600 public nursing homes in New York, at least 323 homes had never had any infections until after the order but there is no data on which accepted COVID-19 patients and which didn't.

In his memoir, Cuomo insists the order was necessary to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed with patients and being strapped for resources.

Cuomo said that the policy was in line with federal guidelines at the time.

He has resisted criticism for the directive and he has never apologized for it.

The governor suggested that any criticism was part of a Republican political campaign to blame Covid deaths on Democrats.

For most of 2020, New York state officials only attributed Covid deaths to nursing homes if a resident died at that facility.

Requests from lawmakers, journalists and families to release the number of nursing-home residents who died after being transferred to hospitals or other facilities was withheld.

The governor explained the withholding as a delay while the data's accuracy was being verified.

A top aide to the governor, Melissa DeRosa, said in February that the delayed release of nursing home data occurred because the state feared the information would be politicized by former President Donald Trump.

People who caught COVID in nursing homes were then sent to hospitals where they later died (file photo of a woman receiving treatment in a Brooklyn home)

Investigators are also looking at a number of federal laws that may have been broken including the False Claims Act, which makes it illegal to knowingly submit a false record to the government.

The probe is also looking at the draft of a state law that allowed civil and criminal immunity to be granted to nursing-home operators and also whether priority access coronavirus testing was given to people close to Cuomo.

The announcement of the subpoena came after it was revealed Cuomo's book was in line to earn $5.1 million.

Cuomo, who won an Emmy for his daily COVID press briefings, reportedly secured $3.21 million in 2020 and is set to receive an additional $2 million which will be paid out over the next two years.

The controversial book was released in October, just before New York's COVID-19 numbers spiked again and Cuomo sent the state back into lockdown.

His book publisher, Crown - a division of Penguin Random House - stopped promoting it after the nursing home scandal, and as a number of women publicly accused him of sexual misconduct this year.

A second inquiry was also opened in April in order to determine whether Cuomo unlawfully abused state resources, including staffers, to draft and promote the book.

Junior staffers reported that their tasks included editing early drafts, sitting in on pitch meetings, and even printing and delivering manuscript pages of the book to his mansion.

Cuomo told The New York Times that any staffers who worked on the book did so voluntarily and that there may have been some 'minor' work on it done incidentally.

It came after state comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli sent a formal referral letter to James saying that the evidence warranted a criminal investigation.

In addition to a scandal involving sexual harassment in the work place, Cuomo is facing four federal inquiries.
A 59-year-old man has been killed in a freak workplace accident at a Brisbane bowling alley.

The worker died at Zone Bowling in Richlands on Monday morning.

The man was using a grinder when an unknown object became lodged in his neck.

A 59-year-old man has been killed in a workplace related incident at Brisbane-based Zone Bowling (pictured)

He died from extensive blood loss at the scene, the Courier Mail reported.

Queensland Ambulance confirmed they attended to an incident on Archerfield Road in Richlands at 8.43am.

Paramedics responded to a person in a critical condition who was injured after using a power tool.

Queensland Police said they were called to the scene just after 9am, and the person was deceased. They are preparing a report for the coroner.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is investigating.

The business has been closed for renovations since May 9.

More to come.
Australians who take illegal party drugs 'ruin lives and fuel organised crime' as exposed by the nation's biggest ever police bust, Scott Morrison has said.

The Prime Minster addressed the nation on Tuesday after more than 100 organised criminals were arrested across Australia, the US and Europe in a series of raids over the past few weeks.

He vowed to ensure the police would get the funding they need from his government to keep the public safe - and then explained how everyone can help crush the criminal gangs.

A bag of cash seized during a series of raids on criminal gangs in a major sting operation by the AFP

'All of us have a responsibility, in our own relationships and our own families, in our own communities, to be doing what we can to encourage positive behaviours that don't indulge illicit drug use,' Mr Morrison said.

The Prime Minister, who is a Pentecostal Christian and a father of two daughters, said: 'There's nothing social about illicit drug use in this country.

'It fuels organised crime in this country. It fuels human misery in this country and in many parts of the world. There's nothing social about it. It's dangerous.'

Mr Morrison said criminals target Australia because there is a lucrative customer base who want to buy drugs.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the AFP operation, known as Operation Ironside, had struck a 'heavy blow' against criminals

This image shows a man arrested as part of the AFP raids over the past few weeks

An Australian Federal Police-led operation has charged more than one hundred organised crime members after developing a world-leading capability to see encrypted communications. Pictured: A car is seized from a suspect

'They believe that you would be a customer, and you would be inviting them to come and peddle this in our country, on our streets, in our cities, in our regional towns,' he said.

Urging parents to teach their children about the danger of illegal drugs, he added: 'We all also have a job to do when it comes to illicit drug use in this country. We all have a role to play.

'Let's keep Australia safe. Let's ensure that illicit drug use in this country doesn't steal our futures and particularly for our children.'

The multi-nation sting came after police covertly monitored suspects for three years using an encrypted communication app called 'AN0M'.

The criminals used the app, which was secretly developed by the FBI and the Australian Federal Police, to message each other around the world, unaware everything they said was being intercepted by FBI special agents and the Australian Federal Police.

Scott Morrison's urges Aussies not to take drugs as they fuel gangs 'People sitting at home might be thinking - what can we do to help the AFP? 'In this battle against organised crime in this country. I want to make a few comments about illicit drug use in this country. 'There's nothing social about illicit drug use in this country. It fuels organised crime in this country. 'It fuels human misery in this country and in many parts of the world. There's nothing social about it. It's dangerous. 'And all of us have a responsibility, all of us have a responsibility in our own relationships and our own families, in our own communities, to be doing what we can to encourage positive behaviours, positive behaviours that don't indulge illicit drug use. 'Illicit drug use ruins lives and it fuels organised crime. You heard it from the Commissioner himself - the reason Australia gets targeted by these criminal gangs is because they believe they can sell their wares. 'They believe that you would be a customer, and you would be inviting them to come and peddle this in our country, on our streets, in our cities, in our regional towns. 'This reaches right across the country. It's a very serious issue. The AFP will do their job and we'll make sure that they're resourced to do their job. 'But we all also have a job to do when it comes to illicit drug use in this country. We all have a role to play. Let's keep Australia safe. Let's ensure that illicit drug use in this country doesn't steal our futures and particularly for our children.' Advertisement

The Anom app gained currency in the underworld after being promoted by drug kingpins such as Australia's most wanted man, Hakan Ayik, after first being distributed by police informants.

Through the covert operation, detectives uncovered 21 murder plots, gun distribution and mass drug trafficking, federal police say.

Senior investigators said '100 per cent' of telephone conversations intercepted on the devices were all business and in relation to criminal activity.

Australian Federal Police announced on Tuesday they had seized 3.7 tonnes of drugs, 104 weapons and almost $45million in cash as part of the operation - which was three years in the making.

Offenders are linked to the Australian-based Italian mafia, outlaw motorcycle gangs, Asian crime syndicates and Albanian organised crime figures.

Police have charged 224 alleged offenders with 525 charges, shut down six clandestine laboratories and acted on 21 threats to kill, including saving a family of five.

Ninja Warrior 2017 contestant Sopiea Kong was among those arrested. The 33-year-old was charged last week following a raid at a Kangaroo Point home, where police allegedly seized 154g of meth

Former Bachelorette star Samuel Minkin (pictured), who appeared on Becky and Elly Miles' season of the dating show, was charged with possessing a large commercial quantity of cannabis after police stopped a van in Byron Bay last month

Mr Morrison said the AFP operation, known as Operation Ironside, had struck a 'heavy blow' against criminals.

'The operation puts Australia at the forefront of the fight against criminals who peddle in human misery and ultimately, it will keep our communities and Australians safe,' he said on Tuesday.

'Illicit drug use ruins lives and fuels organised crime.'

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said federal agents had been in the 'back pockets' of criminals through the encryption app.

'The FBI had the lead on this. We provided the technical capability to decrypt those messages,' he said.

Ninja Warrior 2017 contestant Sopiea Kong was among those arrested. The 33-year-old was charged last week following a raid at a Kangaroo Point home, where police allegedly seized 154g of meth.

Kong, who was also allegedly in possession of $2,030 cash and a revolver, was granted bail and will appear in court on June 28.

Former Bachelorette star Samuel Minkin, who appeared on Becky and Elly Miles' season of the dating show, was charged with possessing a large commercial quantity of cannabis after police stopped a van in Byron Bay last month.

Former Bandito bikie Benjamin Joseph Thornton, 31, was arrested after police seized two mobile phones and a small quantity of cocaine. He was denied bail and will reappear in court next week.

The bust exposed new details about how one of Australia's most wanted fugitives gave police extensive access to the world's criminal underworld.

Police have charged 224 alleged offenders with 525 charges, shut down six clandestine laboratories and acted on 21 threats to kill, including saving a family of five. Pictured: weapons seized by detectives
Convicted sex offender Rick Thorburn is serving a life sentence for the murder of Tiahleigh on October 29, 2015

A foster father who murdered Gold Coast schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer claims he accidentally suffocated her when she tried to leave home after an argument.

But an experienced police detective says he struggles to believe the account provided by convicted sex offender Rick Thorburn, an inquest heard on Tuesday.

Thorburn is serving a life sentence for murdering Tiahleigh on October 29, 2015.

The 12-year-old's badly decomposed body - naked except for underpants - was found by fishermen six days later on the banks of the Pimpama River.

Thorburn sobbed while reading a one-page statement - he says was written about four years ago - in the Coroner's Court sitting in Brisbane on Tuesday.

A foster father who murdered schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer (pictured) says he accidentally suffocated her when she tried to leave home after an argument

Cindy Palmer (left) arrives at Brisbane Coroners Court for an inquest into the death of her daughter who was murdered by foster father Rick Thorburn

But when questioned about the admission, further details and other allegations, Thorburn said he had no recollection.

'You can make up any story you like,' he told counsel assisting the coroner Kate McMahon while threatening to leave the proceedings.

'I don't give a f***.'

Asked when he dug up the statement, Thorburn said it was about a month ago when told he was to attend the inquest.

He had a handwritten original of the typed version handed into the inquest, but said he threw it away on the morning of Tuesday's proceedings.

Questioned why, he said: 'This is the end of it. I don't need it anymore.'

Thorburn said he had no recollection of being told by his wife Julene on the day Tiahleigh died that his son had had sex with the 12-year-old.

But Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Knight - who was involved in the investigation - believes Thorburn's account of accidentally killing Tiahleigh isn't consistent with information obtained by investigators.

'It doesn't sit well with me, what I heard earlier today, in terms of those circumstances,' he told the inquest.

'I struggle to believe that.'

Trent Thorburn (pictured) arrives at the inquest. He admitted to his mother he had sex with Tiahleigh before her death and was concerned her stomach aches meant she may be pregnant

Julene Thorburn, wife of Rick and mother of Trent, was also in attendance on Tuesday

Tiahleigh's family hope to get some answers from the two-day inquest before Deputy State Coroner Jane Bentley.

Despite internal reviews and criminal trials, no one knew what happened to Tiahleigh - who had been in the Thorburns' care for about 10 months - in her final moments, a pre-inquest hearing was told last month.

Although Thorburn pleaded guilty to her murder, he had never before given an account as to how he killed her.

In the hours before Tiahleigh died, she had been to a hip-hop dance class where she complained of stomach pains.

That day, son Trent Thorburn confessed to his mother that he'd had sex with the schoolgirl and feared the stomach pains were a sign she was pregnant.

From 8pm that night, Tiahleigh was home alone with her foster father for two hours.

She was never seen alive again.

Trent and brother Joshua Thorburn told the inquest they understood Tiahleigh was killed because of the sexual encounter.

The 12-year-old's body was found by three fishermen on the banks of the Pimpama River on the Gold Coast on November 5, 2015

The family members are all expected to be called as witnesses during the inquest

Asked whether it was fair to say Thorburn killed the girl because he feared his son would go to jail, Trent Thorburn said he didn't remember his father saying that, but 'that has just been my overall guess'.

'He's my father and I believe that he would do anything to protect his family,' Trent Thorburn added.

Julene Thorburn told the inquest her husband never discussed how he killed Tiahleigh.

'All he ever said to me was ... 'what you aren't told, you can't repeat', so he never told me anything around the circumstances of anything on the night,' she said.

Thornburn and his wife feared a pregnancy could mean Trent would go to jail, according to earlier proceedings

Tiahleigh's family hope to get some answers from the two-day inquest before Deputy State Coroner Jane Bentley that started on Tuesday

She said Rick Thorburn was concerned about their son going to jail, but when she returned home on the day Tiahleigh died her husband simply said the schoolgirl was no longer with the family.

Julene Thorburn said the process had been 'long and drawn out' for her family, but she was prepared to answer any questions she could.

'There's not a day that goes by that I don't remember everything about having Tiahleigh with us,' she said tearfully.

Members of the Thorburn family were convicted of being part of the crime - Rick Thorburn for the murder, Trent for incest, and Julene and Joshua for being part of an elaborate cover-up.

Rick Thorburn was sentenced to 20 years in jail.

Legal teams are expected to make submissions to Ms Bentley on the final day of the inquest on Wednesday.
A general practice doctor who specialises in inserting and removing contraception devices has pleaded not guilty to sexually touching three patients.

Andrew Lin appeared in Waverley Local Court in Sydney's east on Tuesday charged with three counts of sexual touching and two of common assault.

The 36-year-old pleaded not guilty to all counts.

Three women have accused Dr Lin of violating them during appointment made at the MyHealth clinic in Bondi Junction where he was employed for just seven months.

One alleged victim claims Dr Lin placed his left hand on her right breast on March 1st 2021 during a consultation.

Andrew Lin appeared in Waverley Local Court on Tuesday charged with three counts of sexual touching and two of common assault

MyHealth clinic in Bondi Junction have confirmed that Dr Lin no longer works at the practice

The woman eventually reported the matter to police, claiming she'd been touched inappropriately.

Further investigations led police to two more women, both with similar allegations.

A second woman claimed that six weeks earlier on January 18 Dr Lin unnecessarily touched her right breast.

The following day, Dr Lin is accused of pinching both of a woman's nipples between three of his fingers.

Dr Lin voluntarily presented at Waverley Police Station on May 17.

He was charged with one count of sexual touching and one count of common assault in relation to the first woman who reported him.

Dr Lin voluntarily presented at Waverley Police Station on May 17. He was charged with one count of sexual touching and one count of common assault in relation to the first woman who reported him

Three women in total have accused Dr Lin of violating them during appointment made at the MyHealth clinic in Bondi Junction (pictured) where he was employed for just seven months

Police also laid three further charges - two of sexual touching relating to the other two complaints and a third for common assault relating to an incident between 9am and 5.30pm on February 22, also at the clinic.

The 36-year-old from Chatswood was granted conditional bail which was extended to at least August 3, when he is next due to appear in court.

His bail conditions require him to continue to reside at his Chatswood address and not to stalk, harass or intimidate.

Dr Lin only started at the medical centre in October 2020 and was lauded for his specialisation in inserting and removing Implanon contraceptive devices.

He also focuses on minor skin procedures and has a particular interest in chronic disease management, skin cancer checks, children's health, mental health and work cover.

MyHealth clinic in Bondi Junction have confirmed that Dr Lin no longer works at the practice.
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The US Navy made history last week as an unmanned tanker drone refueled a manned jet in the skies for the first time.

The Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet connected to the Boeing-owned MQ-25 Stingray drone mid-air and transfered 325 pounds of fuel to the fighter jet, the Navy said Monday.

Captivating footage shows the landmark moment the aerial refueling was successfully carried out Friday during the roughly 4.5 hour test flight.

Scroll down for video

The US Navy made history last week as an unmanned tanker drone refueled a manned jet in the skies for the first time, freeing up fighters from the role. Pictured the flight

The Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet connected to the Boeing-owned MQ-25 Stingray drone mid-air and transfered 325 pounds of fuel to the fighter jet, the Navy said Monday

Captivating footage shows the landmark moment the aerial refueling was successfully carried out Friday during the roughly 4.5 hour test flight

The Super Hornet is seen taking off from the MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois, and approaching the Stingray which has a hose coming off the back of it.

The Super Hornet then connects with the drogue at the end of the hose.

The two aircrafts become as close as 20 feet to each other as the jet receives the fuel from the drone's Aerial Refueling Store (ARS).

Both aircraft were flying at speeds and altitudes that would match those out in the field.

The Navy said it will analyze data gathered from the flight to determine if any changes should be made going forwards to the software.

The MQ-25A Stingray will be the worlds first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft.

It can carry up to 15,000 pounds of fuel and will provide critical aerial refueling and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.

The unmanned Boeing MQ-25 T1 Stingray test aircraft takes off from MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois

The Super Hornet manned fighter jet then takes off and heads toward the Stingray

The use of the unmanned drone to refuel fighter jets also comes with the benefit of freeing up Navy personnel otherwise tasked with refueling aircrafts for other operations.

Boeing and the Navy said they plan to carry out further air-to-air refueling tests on an aircraft carrier later this year.

Rear Adm. Brian Corey, who oversees the Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons, said the flight's success also paves the way for future 'teaming concepts' involving manned and unmanned aircrafts.

'This flight lays the foundation for integration into the carrier environment, allowing for greater capability toward manned-unmanned teaming concepts,' he said in a statement.

'MQ-25 will greatly increase the range and endurance of the future carrier air wing  equipping our aircraft carriers with additional assets well into the future.'

The drone has a hose coming off the back of it. The Super Hornet connects with the drogue at the end of the hose to receive the fuel from its Aerial Refueling Store (ARS).

Capt. Chad Reed, program manager for the Navy's Unmanned Carrier Aviation program office, called it a 'significant and exciting moment for the Navy.'

'This is our mission, an unmanned aircraft that frees our strike fighters from the tanker role, and provides the Carrier Air Wing with greater range, flexibility and capability,' he said, adding it 'shows concrete progress toward realizing MQ-25's capabilities for the fleet.'

Boeing Defense, Space & Security President and CEO Leanne Caret called Friday's flight a 'history-making event.'

'This history-making event is a credit to our joint Boeing and Navy team that is all-in on delivering MQ-25's critical aerial refueling capability to the fleet as soon as possible,' she said.

'Their work is the driving force behind the safe and secure integration of unmanned systems in the immediate future of defense operations.'
An 11-year-old girl dragged underneath a LandCruiser for more than 170m faces yet more surgery on the same day the P-plate driver of the vehicle faces court.

Sarah Degier was run down and stuck underneath the 4WD while riding her bike to school in Dalby, two-and-a-half hours west of Brisbane, on May 13.

The 18-year-old driver, from Inverell, NSW, allegedly struck the schoolgirl while exiting a carpark.

He then drove around 170m and only became aware that something was wrong when he was waved down by horrified bystanders who heard Sarah's screams.

Sarah Degier suffered burns and abrasions to her palms, elbow, hips, chest and one leg after being dragged on her stomach along the bitumen in the incident

Sarah's father Shane said in mid-May that his daughter was 'recovering like a champion'

She suffered horrific burns to her palms, elbow, hips, chest and one leg after being dragged on her stomach along the bitumen in the incident.

The young driver was charged with driving without due care and attention causing grievous bodily harm. He was due to appear in Dalby Magistrates Court today.

Sarah was rushed to Dalby Hospital after the incident before being airlifted to Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane, and had six surgeries.

Her father Shane told The Courier-Mail today's surgery would be her seventh, which skin grafts to come in follow-up procedures.

'As time has gone on she has remembered more and more (about the incident),' Shane said.

'From the beginning she has said she is glad it happened to her and not someone else.

'She always tries to put a more comedic view on what happened  thats how she has coped with it.'

Sarah's parents Shane and Kate. Shane had remained with his daughter in a Brisbane hospital

First responders praised Sara for her bravery at the scene, while Mr Degier said she was 'recovering like a champion' in a Facebook post for the fundraiser set up to support her, which raised more than $8,000.

'She was overwhelmed yesterday after surgery when she asked "how much money have I raised?" and I let her know,' Mr Degier wrote.

He stayed with his daughter in Brisbane while his wife Kate and son Jayden returned to work and school in Dalby.

'She is also very cheeky and asked me to bump [up] the goal again,' he wrote.
A former Queensland evangelist church leader who raped and indecently assaulted choir girls has lost an appeal against his conviction.

Shartiel Nibigira was sentenced to 11 years in jail after being found guilty on 21 charges.

The father-of-eight committed the offences at a house during choir practice or while the girls were transported for practices or church events, the Brisbane District Court trial heard in 2019.

A former Queensland evangelist church leader who raped and indecently assaulted choir girls has lost an appeal against his conviction

A jury found Nibigira guilty of raping and indecently touching one girl at least eight times in 2011 and 2012, when she was aged between nine and 11.

Her testimony relating to penetration and the vehicle in which the offending occurred should have caused the jury to have reasonable doubt about her evidence, the Queensland Court of Appeal was told.

But crown prosecutor David Nardone said the young girl gave succinct detail about what occurred while speaking about the events 'in a very naive or innocent way'.

'The level of clarity and precision in which she gave her evidence would overwhelm any confusion about where the offence took place,' he said.

Mr Nardone told the court the girl's evidence was corroborated to some degree by her parents as the pain she suffered from the offending impacted her ability to walk properly.

Nibigira also raped a second girl in a bathroom during choir practice and indecently assaulted her at another time.

About a week after the rape, he gave the girl $20 in an attempt to buy her silence.

Nibigira argued to the Appeal Court two audio recordings of conversations between himself and other people should have been considered during the trial.

However, the court found Nibigira's legal team were aware of the recordings, but opted not to use them.

'There can be no miscarriage of justice as the result of a deliberate and considered decision not to use the recordings as evidence,' the court found.

It also rejected Nibigira's arguments that his victims' evidence was inconsistent, ruling that their evidence about the offending was instead 'clear and precise'.

'Her account of that pain and the consequent difficulty that she had walking afterwards was supported by evidence.'

Nibigira lived in poverty before fleeing Burundi to seek refuge in Tanzania in 1997.

His parents and siblings were killed during the escape.

Nibigira lived in a refugee camp for 10 years before coming to Australia in 2007.
Joey Hodgins, four, was lucky not to lose 'a nose and a lip' after being set upon by a dog believed to be a large pitbull or terrier dog at Sydney's Coogee Oval. His injuries and blood-stained shirt are pictured

A toddler is lucky 'to have a nose and a lip' after being attacked by a dog while playing in his local park.

Joey Hodgins, four, was bitten in the face by the large dog - believed to be a pitbull or Staffordshire bull terrier - at Coogee Oval in Sydney's eastern suburbs on Sunday.

Although the Maroubra youngster's facial wounds were superficial, the Hodgins family is now trying to track down the dog's owner to stop the animal from hurting anyone else.

His father Ben said he and his son were watching an A-grade local rugby league game and kicking a ball around when the pet launched at him.

Mr Hodgins said the match had just started when he heard the sound of screaming and barking.

Moments before, Mr Hodgins had noticed the 'muscular' pet on a leash nearby but thought little of it given the dog was about 20m away from his son at the time.

'It was in the vicinity but wasn't anywhere near us,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'Joey's ball then went about 5m from the dog and that's when it pounced on him.'

Attacked at the footy: The Maroubra youngster suffered superficial facial wounds but his family want to track down the dog's owner to stop the animal from hurting anyone else

He said the dog sank its teeth into Joey's lip and headbutted him before the owner came in to pull the animal off the boy.

'To his credit, the owner pulled it off as soon as it happened,' the father told 7News.

'He apologised (and then) bolted from the scene.'

Joey - whose face was covered in blood after the attack - only suffered a few puncture wounds but still bears the scars two days later.

'Can't help but feel like he is lucky to still have a lip and a nose,' his mother Danni said.

Joey's parents have contacted police and the council in an attempt to track the dog owner down, but Mr Hodgins said he didn't want the animal put down.

The dog sank its teeth into Joey's lip and headbutted him before the owner came in to pull the animal off the boy (stock image)

Pictured: Coogee Oval. Joey's parents have contacted police and the council in an attempt to track the dog owner down

'[I just want] anything to stop it happening again without putting it down,' he said.

In February, it emerged a puppy had to undergo life-saving surgery after being attacked by a Staffordshire bull terrier-pitbull outside his home.

Paco's owner Bruna Meirelles told Daily Mail Australia her beloved dog suffered serious injuries, including a punctured lung.

The RSPCA has said English staffies and American staffies are the two of the three most commonly surrendered dogs.
At the heart of Ben Roberts-Smith's defamation case is a bronze medal and crimson ribbon that ten years ago governor-general Dame Quentin Bryce pinned to the war hero's chest.

Just five Victoria Crosses for Australia have been awarded since it was created in 1991, in addition to 96 of the imperial version presented to Roberts-Smith's countrymen from the Boer War to Vietnam.

How Roberts-Smith came to join that elite club is the source of most of his fearsome reputation as a soldier and, according to his lawyers, the reason for much jealous resentment.

So it is worth revisiting what the Special Air Service corporal did in the Afghan village of Tizak in northern Kandahar province's Shah Wali Kot district to understand who he really is.

Roberts-Smith is suing Nine newspapers for portraying him as a war criminal, suggesting he was responsible for the murders of six Afghanis during his six deployments.

Ben Roberts-Smith's Victoria Cross made him the most famous soldier in Australia but also allegedly led to jealousy among some of his colleagues. The Queen is pictured shaking hands with him during an audience at Buckingham Palace in November 2011

Roberts-Smith is pictured in full battle kit about an hour and a half after the action for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross at Tizak in Afghanistan in June 2010

Ben Roberts-Smith's Victoria Cross and Medal for Gallantry make him the most decorated living Australian solider. His medal group is pictured

His barrister, Bruce McClintock SC, outlined on day one of the Federal Court trial in Sydney just what this meant for the reputation of a warrior like Roberts-Smith.

'My client was - and the evidence will bear this out - an exceptional soldier,' McClintock said. He was 'exceptionally brave' and a highly organised, resourceful and disciplined leader.

'He was also competent in battle and effective at engaging in killing members of the anti-coalition militia. Perhaps some members of our society blush at that characterisation as a virtue, but it is.

'My client and most of his colleagues in Afghanistan did what was required of them, and part of that was killing insurgents or anti-coalition militia.

'If people have a quarrel with that, it should be with the government that sent the soldiers to war and not the soldiers themselves.'

McClintock then took Justice Anthony Besanko to the action for which Roberts-Smith first won fame outside military circles  the Battle of Tizak in June 2010.

In that battle, Roberts-Smith stormed two enemy machine guns and, as they euphemistically say in the Army, 'silenced' them.

Roberts-Smith is pictured receiving the medal from then governor-general Dame Quentin Bryce in 2011. Dame Quentin was never withdrawn her support for the former soldier but will not be giving character evidence on his behalf for 'personal reasons'

Australian Special Operations Task Group soldiers are pictured during the Shah Wali Kot offensive in the northern Kandahar province in which Ben Roberts-Smith earnt his VC

'I emphasise that nothing I say can do justice to what my client did on that day,' McClintock said. 'It will come better from him when he gives it in the witness box.'

For his valour, Roberts-Smith became the second Australian to be awarded the Victoria Cross since the Vietnam War, following fellow SAS trooper Mark Donaldson's heroism in Afghanistan in 2008.

His citation reads: 'For the most conspicuous gallantry in action in circumstances of extreme peril as a patrol second-in-command with a Special Operations Task Group on Operation Slipper.'

McClintock offered Justice Besanko a little history lesson on the medal.

'It is a cliche or it's a truism to say it is the highest award for gallantry in Australia... in the British Commonwealth, since it was instituted by Queen Victoria during the Crimean War,' he said.

'But on that day at Tizak my client killed many insurgents, as did other Australian soldiers also kill significant numbers of the enemy.

'The total number of the enemy dead, which the Commonwealth will not permit me to say in open court, was extremely high.'

Ben Roberts-Smith holds his hand over his heart, covering his Victoria Cross and Medal for Gallantry, at a Turkish service to mark the 100th anniversary of the April 25, 1915 lAnzac landing at Gallipoli

McClintock said Chris Masters  one of three journalists Roberts-Smith is suing -estimated at least 65 enemy dead in a book he wrote on the war in Afghanistan.

'One can get a sense of what it was like from one of the photos reproduced in Mr Masters' book, which shows six Taliban corpses lying in a courtyard,' McClintock said. 'The photograph is, in fact, of the position that my client stormed.'

One of the soldiers in that photograph is known as Person 5 in the Roberts-Smith court case and was the patrol leader that day, which McClintock described as 'the largest Australian engagement since Vietnam'.

'It's generally regarded as the high-water mark of Australia's presence in Afghanistan during the war,' McClintock told the court.

'In no small reason is the fact that it is the high-water mark due to the fact that what my client and the soldiers with him did to the Taliban that day in that stronghold of Tizak.

Ben Roberts-Smith (centre) is pictured with fellow Victoria Cross recipients Mark Donaldson (left), who received his medal for action in Afghanistan, and Keith Payne, who is the only surviving Vietnam War recipient

'It was a full-on battle, a full-on firefight. In any event, there's a direct link between the casualty rate and the number of people killed and the success of the operation.'

McClintock compared his client with a soldier known in the court case as Person 1, who has claimed Roberts-Smith shot an Afghan boy near the Chora Pass in 2006.

'Being thought of a failure as a soldier can have a corrosive effect on a person,' he said. 'With great respect to Person 1, he was a failure as a soldier, and that will be the evidence, and that was my client's view.

'But there's another matter that can have a corrosive effect: it's the jealously that arises when one soldier is recognised with an award like the Victoria Cross and another is not.'

McClintock said on Roberts-Smith's last rotation to Afghanistan in 2012 he would come back from a mission to find signs on the troop noticeboard such as 'BRS is after another medal'.

The barrister described that as 'puerile stuff'.

'But what is clear is that, by 2014, a number of soldiers had developed enormous jealousy of my client, connected primarily with the three awards he received.'

'They resented those awards and, above all, the Victoria Cross.'

Ben Roberts-Smith is suing three newspapers and three journalists for portraying him as a war criminal. He is pictured with ex-wife Emma who is set to give evidence against him

McClintock directed Justice Besanko to a 'sad narrative' in which another SAS trooper, Person 7, returned to Tizak years later to analyse the battleground where Roberts-Smith had fought.

'He did this pacing it out so that he could try and find flaws in the acknowledged version of what happened to prove that my client did not deserve the Victoria Cross.'

McClintock said Person 7 would be among those to give evidence against Roberts-Smith. He said at the time Person 7 was in Afghanistan he had not made any sort of complaint about Roberts-Smith to his superiors or anyone else

'Person 7 had ample opportunity in 2006 to 2012 to say something if they had witnessed my client committing a war crime, but they did not.'

The court heard on Tuesday that Dame Quentin, who presented Roberts-Smith with his VC in 2011 and has not withdrawn her support for him, would not be giving character evidence on his behalf due to 'personal reasons'.

Corporal Daniel Keighran of 6RAR was presented with a VC in 2012 for actions in Afghanistan in 2010. Corporal Cameron Baird was posthumously awarded a VC in 2014 for heroism in the same war the previous year.

The last Victoria Cross of Australia was awarded posthumously to World War II seaman Teddy Sheehan in 2020 - 78 years after he went down firing his gun from HMAS Armidale.

The trial continues.
The Victorian government is demanding an apology from the state opposition for suggesting Premier Daniel Andrews covered up the circumstances of his serious back injury.

Mr Andrews broke several ribs and suffered an acute compression fracture of the T7 vertebra in his back after slipping on stairs at a holiday home on the Mornington Peninsula on March 9.

Andrews, 48, was released from hospital on March 15 and has been recovering at home since.

There have been various unfounded rumours circulating online since Mr Andrews' fall.

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews (pictured with wife Catherine) is said to be seething at the state opposition following suggestions of a possible cover up when it comes to his back injury after an incident at his holiday home in March

Victorian Shadow Treasurer Louise Staley (pictured) has 12 questions she wants Dan Andrews to answer before he finally returns to work in a few weeks

But Shadow Treasurer Louise Staley issued a media release on Monday listing 12 questions she wants the premier to answer before he finally returns to work later this month.

Questions include what time an ambulance was called on March 9 and whether Mr Andrews was 'interviewed either formally or informally by the police in relation to anything that occurred over that long weekend'.

'If there is no cover-up, then there is no reason not to provide answers to these simple questions,' the Liberal MP said.

It prompted an angry rebuke from the Secretary of the Victorian Ambulance Union Danny Hill, who said it was 'stupid and offensive to suggest that ambulance crews are involved in an elaborate conspiracy'.

Ambulance Victoria released a statement on Tuesday confirming paramedics were dispatched at 6.47am and arrived at the Sorrento home where Mr Andrews was staying at 7.01am on March 9.

Ms Staley doubled down on Tuesday, saying many Victorians have been asking the same questions.

'It's months since this happened and yet nobody's got footage of the stairs. Nobody's got really any idea where it happened,' she told reporters outside parliament.

Ms Staley denied she was peddling conspiracy theories.

'The easiest way to stop any of these conspiracy theories - which I'm not playing into - is for these questions to be answered,' she said.

Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien defended his colleague, describing her questions as 'legitimate'.

'I'm not suggesting for a second that anything the premier's office has said about the premier's accident or his condition is untrue. No one is suggesting that,' he said.

'It is simply a case of we don't necessarily know the whole truth.'

Deputy Premier James Merlino, who has been acting premier in Mr Andrews' absence, said the opposition should be 'ashamed of themselves'.

'For the Liberal Party to act as they have, reflects on them, reflects on how they treat people - no decency, no respect,' he said.

Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien (pictured) defended his colleague Louise Staley, describing her questions surrounding the injuries Mr Andrews claims to have suffered in March as 'legitimate'

Victotrian premier Dan Andrews (pictured right) has been earning $1,209 a day on sick leave for the past three months while ordinary Victorians have been stopped from working due to his government's brutal two-week lockdown

He joined Treasurer Tim Pallas and senior government minister Martin Pakula in demanding the opposition apologise to the premier.

'This is nonsense. We know it's nonsense. It's craziness peddled around the community to create an atmosphere of uncertainty,' he said.

'What happened to Daniel Andrews was an unfortunate, indeed a very serious spinal injury that he's recovering from and there's nothing more to it.'

'These sort of mad conspiracy theories are not worthy of a person who wants to be treasurer, a party that wants to be the government,' Mr Pakula added.

Their colleague, upper house MP Shaun Leane described the move as a 'new low' for the opposition.

'It's just been a standard that you respect people's privacy when they've been ill or injured and respect the reason why,' he said.

Mr Merlino said Mr Andrews was on track to return to work later this month, once he receives the all-clear from his doctors.
Former press secretary for President Trump Kayleigh McEnany has blasted CNN's host Brian Stelter for failing to ask pertinent questions into the conduct of the Biden administration, including that of the nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Last week a trove of emails from Fauci was released spanning the early days of the pandemic, detailing how he dealt with start of the outbreak. He's since come under heavy fire from many conservatives who say his advocating for lockdowns and mask-wearing was overblown.

They say he also didn't give enough credence to the theory that the virus came out of a Chinese lab - a possibility now being given a closer look and one that is even under federal investigation.

Yet, McEnany maintains that during a one-to-one interview Stelter conducted with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Sunday, the issue was never mentioned either during the CNN interview or by the White House press pool during a daily press briefing.

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Trump press secretary Kayleigh McEnany slammed CNN's Reliable Sources host Brian Stelter for his a interview with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki

''The fact that there is an entire press briefing that went by after Fauci's emails came out and there was not one question about Dr. Fauci's explosive emails until the next briefing when Fox News was in the room.... this is called investigative journalism. It's called your job. The press doesn't do it. Day after day after day. It is shameful.'

Stelter has been accused of asking 'softball' questions opening Sunday's interview by asking Psaki: 'What does the press get wrong when covering Biden's agenda?'

On Monday night, Fox News host McEnany did not hold back her disdain for the apparent difference in treatment the Trump administration received from the mainstream media compared to President Biden.

CNN's Reliable Sources host Brian Stelter has come under fire for what some have described as a 'fawning' interview of White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki

'Brian Stelter is a leftist lapdog and not a serious journalist, I think anyone can discern that,' she began. 'I wish he would've given me a question like that! But what are you doing wrong as a press? Let me give you a clue. Asking about Joe Biden's dog from the White House press briefing room, asking about Joe Biden's cat, asking about what Joe Biden thinks about the color scheme on Air Force One and on day one, how it felt to walk in the oval,' she said.

But McEnany, 33, who served as White House press secretary from April 2020 to January 2021 wasn't finished and went on to lament the 'tougher questions' she received when she was in the role.

'We did not get questions like that. The question I received is, "Is the president glad that the south lost the civil war?" It was that kind of inane ludicrous coverage of the Trump administration that stands in such stark contrast to what the press is doing wrong in Joe Biden's America.'

Stelter opened Sunday's interview by asking Psaki 'what does the press get wrong when covering Biden's agenda?'

McEnany wasn't the only one unhappy at Stelter's 'soft' line of questioning.

Conservative journalist Glenn Greenwald slammed the on-air exchange as 'one of the most sycophantic interviews of a state official you'll ever see.'

Greenwald, the Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist who famously helped break the story of the Edward Snowden leaks tweeted mockingly: 'Have I been a bad boy, Jen? I want to be a good boy.'

He followed up with another sarcastic barb: 'Beat me, Jen! Tell me how to be better.'

Stelter again raised the subject of press coverage later in the interview, asking Psaki: 'for journalists who watch what you do, what's your advice for them about trying to stay close to the truth in this world of lies?'

McEnany spoke to Sean Hannity on Fox News on Monday night and said Stelter was 'a leftist lapdog and not a serious journalist'

Conservative journalist Glenn Greenwald excoriated Stelter for his line of questioning, mocking him for sucking up to Jen Psaki

The Biden administration spokesperson replied that she tries to 'stay grounded to the facts' by focusing on details and communicating them to regular people in a clear way.

In the course of the 12-minute interview, Stelter asked Psaki, who previously worked as a CNN commentator, if she fears for the future of their respective young children 'given the craziness we're seeing from the GOP.'

Psaki sidestepped the political aspect of the question, instead saying she is concerned about addressing the climate crisis and broadening LGBTQ rights so that children could grow up to be what they want to be.

'Somehow Brian Stelter managed to take his humiliatingly 'tell-me-why-I'm-bad-Jen' start to his interview and get even more sycophantic from there,' Greenwald quipped. 'Even Psaki had to be thinking: 'oh my god, the intensity of his adoration is.... uncomfortable.'

Steve Cortes, host at the right-wing Newsmax, criticized Stelter's journalistic skills

Other questions addressed Psaki's previous comments about her intention to stay in the press secretary job for a year, her willingness to call on reporters from conservative news outlets like Fox News and Newsmax, which she indirectly likened to representatives of Russian and Chinese state media pushing 'propaganda' in the briefing room, and her overall relationship with the press.

Stelter's perhaps most hard-hitting question had to do with President Joe Biden's purported reluctance to hold more formal press conferences, or sit down for interviews.

Psaki noted that in the first 100 days of his presidency, Biden took questions from the press on 77 days.

Stelter pressed Psaki to explain why the White House opted to not host a press conference that would 'demand the nation's attention,' speculating whether it was 'part of an attempt to lower the temperature, be less visible, be boring?'

Stelter complained on Twitter that he was being slammed by both the left and the right

The spokesperson shot back: 'Certainly not. I don't think anything we're doing around here is boring. Getting the pandemic under control, going on our first foreign trip, putting millions of Americans back to work...I don't know what version of that is boring.'

Psaki went on to say that reporters have an opportunity several times a week to direct questions at the president, and suggested that demands for a formal solo press conference are driven more by the media than the public.

'I'd figured you'd say that,' Stelter said with a grin.

On Twitter, Greenwald was deeply unimpressed with the CNN host's interviewing skills.

'I'm not using hyperbole when I say the 'interview' that @brianstelter did with Jen Psaki yesterday should be studied in journalism school,' he wrote. 'It's one of the most sycophantic interviews of a state official you'll ever see. This is how state TV functions...'

Former Trump White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer also took aim at Stelter, tweeting sarcastically: 'Are we doing a good enough job of pushing the White House's talking pointscan we do better at it?'

Stelter, who joined CNN in 2013 after covering TV and digital media for the New York Times for six years, complained about the criticism directed at him, writing: 'My Twitter mentions right now: liberals mad because I asked @PressSec about why Biden won't hold more press conferences. Conservatives enraged because I asked her 'what do you think we get wrong?' And I feel so old fashioned thinking to myself, 'judge the interview in context...'

Oliver Willis, senior writer for the progressive news site The American Independent, mocked Stelter's lament in a tweet: 'Both sides are mad at me so I must be doing something right is a classic dodge.'
The chief executive of Colonial Pipeline apologized for the ransomware attack that interrupted the supply line and caused gas prices to spike but argued he put country first in paying off the hackers.

'The attack forced us to make difficult choices in real time, that no company ever wants to face, but I am proud of the way our people reacted quickly to isolate and contain the attack, so that we could get the pipeline back up and running safely,' Colonial Pipeline President and CEO Joseph Blount told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday.

'We are deeply sorry for the impact that this attack had,' he added.

Blount defended his actions in his congressional testimony and provided some new details on how the company responded to the hack. He also took personal responsibility for the company's decision to pay the $4.4 million ransom.

'I made the decision to pay, and I made the decision to keep the information about the payment as confidential as possible. It was the hardest decision I've made in my 39 years in the energy industry,' he said. 'I know how critical our pipeline is to the country, and I put the interests of the country first.'

Blount argued he made the right decision despite advice from the Biden administration not to pay the bounty.

'I believe with all my heart it was the right choice to make, but I want to respect those who see this issue differently,' he said.

He said that authorizing the payment brought an end to fuel shortages affecting much of the eastern United States.

Asked how much worse it would have been if Colonial Pipeline hadn't paid to get its data back, Blount said: 'That's an unknown we probably don't want to know. And its an unknown we probably dont want to play out in a public forum.'

He said that given the company's crucial role in fuel transport, and the potential for 'pandemonium' arising from a prolonged shutdown of the pipeline, he made the decision to pay a ransom to the hackers. The encryption tool the hackers provided the company in exchange for the payment helped 'to some degree' but has not been perfect, with Colonial still in the process of fully restoring its system, Blount said.

Colonial Pipeline CEO Joseph Blount apologized for the ransomware attack that interrupted the supply line and caused gas prices to spike in testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee

In his testimony, Colonial Pipeline CEO Joseph Blount took personal responsibility for paying the $4.4 million ransom to Russian DarkSide hackers

The ransomware attack caused gas shortages and price hikes in the United States

Blount faced the Senate Homeland Security Committee, one day after the Justice Department revealed it had recovered the majority of the $4.4 million ransom payment the company made in hopes of getting its system back online.

Blount's testimony marks his first appearance before Congress since the May 7 ransomware attack that led Georgia-based Colonial Pipeline, which supplies roughly half the fuel consumed on the East Coast, to temporarily halt operations.

The attack has been attributed to a Russia-based gang of cybercriminals using the DarkSide ransomware variant, one of more than 100 variants the FBI is currently investigating.

The company began negotiating with the hackers on the evening of the attack and, the following day, paid a ransom of 75 bitcoin - then valued at roughly $4.4 million.

Though the FBI has historically discouraged ransomware payments for fear of encouraging cyberattacks, Colonial officials have said they saw the transaction as necessary to resume the vital fuel transport business as rapidly as possible.

The attack, which Blount says began after hackers exploited a virtual private network that was not intended to be in use and has since been shut down, had significant collateral consequences, including gas shortages as concerned motorists rushed to fill their tanks.

Hackers were able to gain access to the company's network through an account that was not protected with multi-factor authentication but with a single password.

'It was a complicated password  I want to be clear on that  it was not a 'colonial123' type password,' Blount said. He later added that the company is now compliant with new cybersecurity regulations 'almost to a T.'

Meanwhile, the operation to seize cryptocurrency paid to the Russia-based hacker group is the first of its kind to be undertaken by a specialized ransomware task force created by the Biden administration Justice Department.

It reflects a rare victory in the fight against ransomware as U.S. officials scramble to confront a rapidly accelerating threat targeting critical industries around the world.

'By going after the entire ecosystem that fuels ransomware and digital extortion attacks - including criminal proceeds in the form of digital currency - we will continue to use all of our resources to increase the cost and consequences of ransomware and other cyber-based attacks,' Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said at a news conference announcing the operation.

In a statement Monday, Blount said he was grateful for the FBI's efforts and said holding hackers accountable and disrupting their activities 'is the best way to deter and defend against future attacks of this nature.

'The private sector also has an equally important role to play and we must continue to take cyber threats seriously and invest accordingly to harden our defenses,' he added.

Cryptocurrency is favored by cybercriminals because it enables direct online payments regardless of geographical location, but in this case, the FBI was able to identify a virtual currency wallet used by the hackers and recovered the proceeds from there, Abbate said.

The Justice Department did not provide details about how the FBI had obtained a 'key' for the specific bitcoin address, but said law enforcement had been able to track multiple transfers of the cryptocurrency.

The Bitcoin amount seized - 63.7, currently valued at $2.3 million after the price of Bitcoin tumbled- amounted to 85% of the total ransom paid, which is the exact amount that the cryptocurrency-tracking firm Elliptic says it believes was the take of the affiliate who carried out the attack. The ransomware software provider, DarkSide, would have gotten the other 15%.

'The extortionists will never see this money,' said Stephanie Hinds, the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, where a judge earlier Monday authorized the seizure warrant.

Ransomware attacks - in which hackers encrypt a victim organization's data and demand a hefty sum for returning the information - have flourished across the globe. Last year was the costliest on record for such attacks. Hackers have targeted vital industries, as well as hospitals and police departments.

Weeks after the Colonial Pipeline attack, a ransomware attack attributed to REvil, a Russian-speaking gang that has made some of the largest ransomware demands on record in recent months, disrupted production at Brazils JBS SA, the world's largest meat processing company.

The ransomware business has evolved into a highly compartmentalized racket, with labor divided among the provider of the software that locks data, ransom negotiators, hackers who break into targeted networks, hackers skilled at moving undetected through those systems and exfiltrating sensitive data - and even call centers in India employed to threaten people whose data was stolen to pressure for extortion payments.

The attack on Colonial unfolded early on the morning of May 7, when an when an employee of the Georgia-based company found a ransom note from hackers on a control-room computer at 5.30am.

'Welcome to the Darkside,' the note began, according to a template obtained by DailyMail.com. 'Your computers and servers are encrypted, backups are deleted.'

The note contained the ransom demand and instructions for paying off the extortion fee. 'Follow our instructions and you will recover all your data,' the hacker gang promised.

The control-room worker sounded the alarm to management, and Blount was notified less than a half-hour later, as he was getting ready to go to work.

The company began to shut down the pipeline's flow as it investigated how deeply the hackers had penetrated its systems.

A worker is seen in the Colonial control room in a file photo. The attack unfolded early on the morning of May 7, when an when an employee found a ransom note from hackers

The standard ransom note used by the DarkSide hacker gang is seen above. A Colonial worker discovered a note like this one at about 5.30am on May 7 on a control room computer

The attack on Colonial Pipeline, which transports 45 percent of the East Coast's fuel supply, was the largest assault on US energy infrastructure in history

It took Colonial about an hour to completely shut down the 5,500-mile pipeline network, which stretches from the Houston refinery hub to New York Harbor, and has 260 delivery points.

As the company locked down its IT systems, employee were instructed not to log on to the corporate network.

Officials at Colonial began making frantic phone calls to the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

By nightfall, Blount came to the decision to meet the hackers' demands, telling the Journal he felt he had no other option, with 45 percent of the East Coast fuel supply depending on the pipeline.

In return for the payment, the hackers sent a decryption key and tool to unlock the systems that had been taken hostage.

What followed were days of chaos that spread across the South. The pipeline was shut down for a total of six days, spurring fuel shortages, with some 16,000 gas stations from Baltimore to Mississippi running dry.

With digital monitoring offline, some 300 Colonial staffers had to physically patrol the 5,500-mile pipeline network, searching for any signs of damage.

As the days wore on, the pipeline's outage rose to the level of a national crisis.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has described Kamala Harris' remarks on immigration as 'disappointing', after the vice president used a speech in Guatemala to declare to migrants: 'Do not come'.

Ocasio-Cortez accused the United States of having 'set the house on fire' when it comes to Latin America - but being unwilling to allow people to escape. She didn't explain why she made her explosive claim.

She then argued that the U.S. needed to emphasize the root causes of migration, rather than punishing those who seek to enter the country.

She reacted to a clip of Harris' press conference by stating: 'This is disappointing to see.

'First, seeking asylum at any US border is a 100% legal method of arrival. Second, the US spent decades contributing to regime change and destabilization in Latin America. We cant help set someones house on fire and then blame them for fleeing.'

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, pictured on June 5, criticized Vice President Kamala Harris' remarks in Guatemala. On Monday Harris told would-be migrants from the country that her message was: 'Do not come'

The New York congresswoman added: 'It would be helpful if the US would finally acknowledge its contributions to destabilization and regime change in the region.

'Doing so can help us change US foreign policy, trade policy, climate policy, & carceral border policy to address causes of mass displacement & migration.'

She was responding to Harris' remarks at her press conference on Monday besides Alejandro Giammattei, Guatemala's president.

'I want to emphasize that the goal of our work is to help Guatemalans find hope at home,' Harris said after her bilateral meeting with Giammattei.

'At the same time, I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come. Do not come.

'The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our border,' the vice president insisted.

Kamala Harris on Monday made her first foreign trip as vice president, arriving in Guatemala and holding bilateral talks with the Guatemalan president

Vice President Kamala Harris and Guatemalan President Alejandro Giamattei held a bilateral meeting in Guatemala on Monday as part of talks to deal with 'root causes' of mass migration from Latin America to the U.S.

Following the meeting, the two held a press conference where they made statements and fielded questions from reporters

'There are legal methods by which migration can and should occur, but we, as one of our priorities, will discourage illegal migrations. And I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back.'

Harris finally revealed Monday that she does not plan to visit the southern border because it would just be a 'grand gesture', as opposed to a genuine trip.

'On the issues of Republicans' political attacks or criticism or even concerns, the reason I am here in Guatemala as my first trip as vice president of the United States is because this is one of our highest priorities,' she said.

'I came here to be here on the ground, to speak with the leader of this nation around what we can do in a way that is significant, is tangible and has real results,' she continued.

'And I will continue to be focused on that kind of work as opposed to grand gestures.'

Republicans also have been open about their criticism of Harris refusing to visit the border even after being named 'border czar' by President Joe Biden in March.

They claim her avoiding the region is proof she is not committed to solving the problem.

Harris' first international trip was met with protesters demanding she 'mind your own business'

'Kamala go home' one sign read outside the Guatemalan Air Force facility

Demonstrators urged Harris to 'respect Guatemala's constitution'

Harris' first foreign trip comes as migrants continue to risk their lives making the trek from Central America to the U.S. southern border. Here people ride rafts across the Suchiate River between Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico and Tecun Uman, Guatemala on June 7, 2021

Kamala spoke at a press conference in Guatemala City, 2,142 miles away from the Rio Grande, where families were seen crossing in rafts to reach the US

Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy also tore into Harris' bid to tackle the crisis as 'spend now strategize later'.

In a statement he wrote: 'Today marks 75 days since President Biden chose Vice President Harris as his administration's point person to '[stem] the migration to our southern border.' She still has yet to travel to our southern border and see the extent of the crisis she and President Biden have created over the past six months.

'Now Vice President Harris and the Biden administration want to take the typical Democrat approach of throwing more taxpayer dollars at a problem without first thinking through a coherent strategy.

'Over the next four years, President Biden is proposing we send $4 billion in aid to Central America with the pretense this will help curb the historic migration happening at our southern border.

'But there are two glaring problems to their proposal of spending our way out of the border crisis: Aid programs have failed to stem migration in the past and border order apprehensions of individuals from countries outside of Central America are rapidly increasing.'

Harris affirmed during her bilateral press conference Monday that she told Giammattei the U.S. will be donating 500,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine to Guatemala.

Harris doubled-down that she will not be visiting the border during her trip  or any time soon. 'I will continue to be focused on [addressing root causes of migration and corruption] as opposed to grand gestures'

The bilateral meeting between Harris, Giammattei and their team was held Palacio Nacional de la Cultura

Harris listens as Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei speaks at their bilateral meeting

Harris was greeted with protesters when she arrived for her first international trip as vice president in Guatemala City, which is 2,142 miles from where families are streaming across the U.S.-Mexico border.

On Tuesday, she will travel to Mexico City to meet with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and participate in roundtables with women entrepreneurs and labor leaders in Mexico.

'Kamala go home,' one white flag with black painted letters read, while another demanded she 'mind her own business'.

As the vice president rode in her motorcade from her hotel to Palacio Nacional de la Cultura, reporters spotted a group of pro-Trump demonstrators with signs reading: 'Kamala, Trump won.'

During the press conference, Giammattei vowed Guatemala would set up 'returnee centers' where they would accept their citizens who the U.S. sent back after crossing the border illegally.

Harris began her meeting with Giammattei with quick remarks where she said: 'I very much have been looking forward to this trip, we have had many conversations, but it is good to see you in person.'

The two have spoken on the phone previously.

'I am very proud that this is my first foreign trip as vice president,' Harris continued.

'It is a reflection of the priority that President Biden placed on this region.'

As Harris commenced her two-day trip south of the border, migrant families continue to stream over into the U.S. either by foot or on inflatable rafts.

The border is closed: During the press conference, Harris warned those thinking of crossing illegally: 'Do not come!' She said, 'I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back'

Ahead of the meeting, Giammattei made a statement in English.

'Thank you very much for your visit,' he said to Harris. 'For us, it's very important to have you here because it means that Guatemala and the United States can work as partners with common goals.'

He detailed some of the main goals as addressing narcotics trafficking, immigration, corruption in the region and building up prosperity walls within departments near the border with Mexico.

In a press conference following the meeting, Giammattei said  in Spanish this time  that the two nations would work toward more 'orderly migration' that would 'allow people to migrate regularly to the United States.'

'We also spoke about the need to support the United States with a returnee center that will be located in the western part of the country,' he continued, adding they are wording on a 'strong family reunification program.'

These efforts, he ensured, would 'help to ensure that the flow of persons in the southern border of the United States be controlled.'

Harris' first international trip and press conference on the crisis took place in Guatemala City, which is 2,142 miles from where families are continuing to stream across the U.S.-Mexico border in mass numbers. Critics decry the vice president for avoiding a trip to the border despite being put in charge of the migration crisis

A 33-year-old Guatemalan man transports people and goods across the Suchiate River between Tecun Uman, Guatemala and Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico

Harris' trip started off bumpy on Sunday when Air Force 2 was forced to turn around minutes after take-off due to 'technical issues', which appeared to stem from an unusual noise coming from the landing gear.

'I'm good, I'm good. We all said a little prayer, but we're good,' Harris told reporters as she deplaned Air Force 2 and waited for another plane to get ready.

Harris chief spokesperson Symone Sanders told reporters climate and economic downfall were among 'main drivers' of the surge in migrants.

Harris arrived in Guatemala City on Sunday and held a bilateral meeting with Giammattei and their teams

Customs and Border Patrol number show record numbers of encounters with illegal crossers with a record-high of 178,622 in April alone, continuing on from massive spike in February and March

Critics claim, however, that Biden is to blame for the crisis after he immediately rolled back Trump-era border restrictions upon taking office this year.

The Biden administration has denied that they are sending the message that the border is 'open', and instead is blaming it on 'root causes' in Northern Triangle nations like climate, poverty, crime and corruption.

More than 178,000 migrants crossed the border in April alone, which was a continuation of a spike in February and March. Numbers for May have not yet been released.

A man polishes shoes of police officers standing guard on the street during Harris' visit to Guatemala City on June 7, 2021

People wait in line at a checkpoint around the perimeter of the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura as Harris holds her bilateral meeting with Giammattei

People protesting the Guatemalan government hold signs during Harris and Giammattei's bilateral meeting

Supreme Court unanimously BLOCKS 400,000 immigrants who entered the US illegally and were allowed to stay on 'humanitarian grounds' from applying for a green card

The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously refused to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the United States on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally, siding with President Joe Biden's administration.

The justices, acting in an appeal by a married couple from El Salvador who were granted so-called Temporary Protected Status, upheld a lower court ruling that barred their applications for permanent residency, also known as a green card, because of their unlawful entry.

The case could affect 400,000 immigrants, many of whom have lived in the United States for years.

The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously refused to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the United States on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally. The case involves Jose Sanchez and Sonia Gonzalez from El Salvador (above), who entered the US twice illegally

Biden, who has sought to reverse many of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, had opposed the immigrants in this case, placing the president at odds with immigration advocacy groups and some of his fellow Democrats.

A federal law called the Immigration and Nationality Act generally requires that people seeking to become permanent residents have been 'inspected and admitted' into the United States. At issue in the case was whether a grant of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which gives the recipient 'lawful status,' satisfies those requirements.

Writing for the court, liberal Justice Elena Kagan said that 'because a grant of TPS does not come with a ticket of admission, it does not eliminate the disqualifying effect of an unlawful entry.'

Foreign nationals can be granted Temporary Protected Status if a humanitarian crisis in their home country, such as a natural disaster or armed conflict, would make their return unsafe.

There are about 400,000 people in the United States with protected status, which prevents deportation and lets them work legally.

The case involves Jose Sanchez and Sonia Gonzalez, who live in New Jersey and have four children.

The couple twice entered the United States illegally: in 1997 and 1998. After a series of earthquakes in 2001, the United States designated El Salvador as covered under the Temporary Protected Status program. The couple received protection under the program that same year.

Biden, who has sought to reverse many of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, had opposed the immigrants in this case, placing the president at odds with immigration advocacy groups and some of his fellow Democrats

U.S. officials rejected their 2014 applications for green cards because they had not been lawfully admitted.

They sued in federal court, saying that those with lawful status, including Temporary Protected Status recipients, are deemed to have been lawfully admitted, and may apply for permanent residency.

Last year, the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the couple.

Besides El Salvador, 11 other countries currently have such designations: Haiti, Honduras, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. Myanmar was the latest addition to the list, placed there by Biden's administration in the wake of a Feb. 1 military coup there.

The Supreme Court ruled in the case on a day when U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visits Guatemala as part of the Biden administration's efforts to lower migration to the United States from that country as well as El Salvador and Honduras.

Conservative justice Clarence Thomas initially suggested the Supreme Court would be reluctant to let immigrants with protected status apply for permanent residency when the case was first presented to the court on April 19.

'They clearly were not admitted at the borders, so is that a fiction, is it metaphysical, what is it? I don't know,' conservative Justice Clarence Thomas asked.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will be vaccinated against COVID-19 this month as the New Zealand government confirms supply of a million doses from Pfizer.

Ms Ardern has held off on receiving the vaccine until now, saying she wanted to wait until the rollout to the general population.

As the massive new drop of doses keeps NZ's rollout on schedule, Ms Ardern has decided to get the jab as a role model to the population.

Like Australia, NZ began its vaccination rollout in February, prioritising border and health workers, as well as vulnerable populations such as the elderly.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured) will be vaccinated against COVID-19 this month

Last month, Ms Ardern said she wanted to 'prioritise those who are most vulnerable or who are most exposed, but also demonstrate I consider it a priority and to be safe'.

Her stance contrasts with that of Scott Morrison, who was among the first to be vaccinated in Australia in February, doing so with an Australian flag face mask, and a green and gold polo shirt, showing support for the national netball team.

Both countries have enjoyed largely successful fights against COVID by global standards, but problems with their vaccine rollouts.

NZ's national vaccination program is running at glacial pace, sitting at 119th in the world for first doses distributed per capita.

Ms Ardernwill be getting the Pfizer vaccine as a 'role-model' to her nation

Ms Ardern's government aims to complete high-risk and marginal populations first, before transitioning to a big bang in July.

COVID-19 Minister Chris Hipkins has confessed to nerves and anxiety around the buildup, and showed his relief at the confirmation on Tuesday.

'This is great news and reassuring to see our vaccine supply ramping up,' he said.

'It shows our plan for what is the biggest and most complex logistical undertaking ever by the health system is on track.

'The drops will enable us to continue vaccinating Groups 1,2, and 3, while giving us the certainty needed to start the general population rollout as planned.'

Ms Ardern's government has pledged to vaccinate every consenting adult resident in New Zealand this year.
Dr Charlie Teo has been spotted cruising around Sydney's eastern suburbs on a motorbike after returning from an interstate trip with his model girlfriend.

The renowned brain surgeon pulled out his motorcycle leathers for a ride through Bondi on Tuesday.

The 62-year-old beamed through his helmet before parking his blue motorbike near the beach and walking towards nearby shops and restaurants.

The outing comes after Dr Teo was pictured holidaying with his new partner - and former patient - Tracey Griffith, 46, at Ningaloo Reef, off the Western Australia coast, in early May.

A gushing Ms Griffiths took to Facebook to share photos of the pair tricked out in snorkeling apparatus and swimming through the crystal clear water alongside fish and whale sharks.

Dr Charlie Teo smiled through his helmet as he rode through Sydney's eastern suburbs on Tuesday

The leather-cladded outing comes after the neurosurgeon returned from an interstate trip with his girlfriend

Dr Teo parked his blue motorbike in a car park before walking into the main strip of Bondi

'What an incredible privilege it was to swim beside one of THE most majestic and peaceful creatures on earth,' Ms Griffiths wrote.

'The first one we swam with was about four meters in length and was hard to keep up with, as he went about his way in a dead straight line.

'And a BIG hug and kiss to my favourite human, Charlie, for organising such a special trip.'

Daily Mail Australia contacted Dr Teo and Ms Griffiths for comment.

Ms Griffiths is a former model, pet apparel designer and animal conservationist who promotes health and wellbeing on her social media pages.

She is a volunteer director at Zambi Wildlife Retreat and runs Miyow and Barkley - a pet designer accessory store.

Dr Charlie Teo and his model girlfriend and former patient Traci Griffiths, 46, attended the Rebel Ball Reimagined at Doltone House in Sydney on May 2

The renowned brain surgeon went swimming with Traci Griffiths, 46 (pictured, right), at Ningaloo Reef, off the Western Australia coast, in early May

Ms Griffiths is a former model and pet apparel designer who has reportedly been operated on by Dr Teo twice since they met in 2011

Ms Griffiths was introduced to Dr Teo in 2011 and has reportedly been operated on twice by the renowned surgeon.

The pair 'grew closer' after Dr Teo ended his 30-years of marriage and split with his wife Genevieve in 2018.

They have since been spotted attending public events together, working out and wearing outrageously funny costumes for fancy-dress parties.

The pair were seen together at the Rebel Ball Reimagined at Doltone House, in Sydney, on May 2.

The black-tie charity event is organised by the Charlie Teo Foundation and raises money for crucial research into brain tumours.

Dr Teo was photographed with a loosened black bow tie and posing with his arm around a glamorously-dressed Ms Griffiths.

The pair have also shown their humorous sides after they dressed up for a fancy dress party in October.

Dr Teo traded in his surgical scrubs for a pink velvet suit and retro-styled wig to impersonate 'international man of mystery' Austin Powers.

Ms Griffiths wore a pink dress and sat on Dr Teo's shoulders to reenact an iconic scene from the smash-hit comedy.

A gushing Ms Griffiths took to Facebook to share photos of the pair tricked out in snorkeling apparatus and swimming through the crystal clear water alongside fish and whale sharks

Ms Griffiths has reportedly been operated on twice by Dr Charlie Teo after the pair met in 2011

Ms Griffiths has previously shared videos of her and a shirtless Dr Teo working out and attending a wildlife retreat together.

Dr Teo is best known for operating on patients who other doctors have deemed inoperable.

One of his most well-known cases was 14-year-old Milli Lucas who became known as his 'miracle girl'.

She was diagnosed with a brain tumour and flew from Perth to Sydney to be operated on by Dr Teo in June 2019.

Doctors deemed it inoperable though Dr Teo managed to remove 98 per cent of the tumour.

Sadly her cancer returned in March 2020 and she passed away in January 2021.

One time model Traci Griffiths (pictured above) shares her love for animals to her social media accounts
Twenty million Australians are set to shiver through the week as a polar blast brings damaging winds, icy temperatures, torrential rain, flooding and huge dumps of snow.

The country's east and south will cop the brunt of the wild weather, with parts of NSW expected to be pounded by the heaviest amount of snow in six years.

Damaging wind warnings have been issued for the coast of Victoria and South Australia, stretching from Falls Creek near the NSW border, to Port Lincoln, west of Adelaide.

Major flood warnings have also been issued for Victoria's Gippsland region and parts of the north-east.

Snow flurries will hit New South Wales and may be seen as far north as Queensland from Tuesday as a 'major winter storm' moves across the nation.

Australians are in for a miserable week with chilly temperatures forecast along with large dumps of snow

Most of Australia will wake up to the cold on Wednesday with NSW and the ACT to see temperatures up to 10C below average

The wild weather is being driven by a vigorous cold front which pushed up from the Southern Ocean on Monday, with strong winds giving way to rain, thunderstorms and small hail, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

For NSW and the ACT, temperatures are set to drop by as much as 10C below average over the coming days in areas like the Northern Tablelands.

From Wednesday and Thursday large snowfalls of around 20cm are expected in the Northern Tablelands, the Central Tablelands, and the Southern Ranges.

Forecasters have warned as much as 100cm of snow could fall in alpine regions of Victoria and New South Wales over the next 10 days.

Snow is likely to fall at 800m and could even fall as low as 500m including areas in NSW like Oberon, Orange, Armidale and the Blue Mountains.

Melburnians are in for a cold and miserable week with heavy rain forecast and temperatures to reach a high of just 16C

Pictured: A cold front moving over the east coast of Australia on Monday. It will being freezing temperatures to the nation from Tuesday

Heavy falls are also expected in northern NSW and south-east Queensland - at least one month's worth of annual rainfall in just two days.

BoM senior meteorologist Sarah Scully told Daily Mail Australia that the heaviest rainfall appears to be centered over eastern Victoria and coastal parts of southern NSW and adjacent inland areas.

'Potential rainfall totals could be in excess of 100mm, with Wednesday and Thursday the wettest days,' she said.

Snow may also be seen in South Australia's Flinders Ranges while thunderstorms with a chance of hail are also expected to sweep through the state.

In Victoria a severe weather warning for damaging winds has been issued around the south-west coast and western ranges.

Flooding is expected in areas of the state's north-east and Gippsland region over Wednesday and Thursday.

Up north in Queensland locals living in the state's south-east may experience winds of up to 110km/h while snow is also on the cards for the Queensland/NSW border.

Pictured: A woman enjoying the snow at Perisher, in south-west New South Wales. The region is set to get more snow this week

Meanwhile on the other side of the country Western Australia is in for a wet and miserable week.

From Wednesday heavy rainfall of up to 100m is possible for coastal areas along the west coast including suburbs like Denham and Mardie.

On Thursday more isolated falls of up to 65mm is expected to pour down between Exmouth and Karratha.

For the capital cities Sydney will see a rainy end to the week with temperatures to hit a maximum of just 14C on Thursday.

Melbourne will also be hit with heavy rain for the rest of the week with the mercury only rising to a top of 16C.

The maximum temperature in Hobart this week will reach just 11C on Wednesday, and Brisbane will hit 18C.

Adelaide will see highs of 14C on Wednesday, and people in Canberra will shiver through the day with highs of 9C.

Perth residents will see storms developing on Thursday with scattered rain on Friday and Saturday, while people in Darwin experience lows of just 22C and sunshine.
The three-month-old girl mauled to death by her pet terrier on Monday was discovered by her aunt who went upstairs to check on her sleeping.

Mia O'Connell, from the village of Clashmore in County Waterford, Ireland, was in her bedroom when the dog attacked her in the early hours of Monday morning.

The baby, who was born in February to Rhys O'Connell and Ella Wood, sustained serious head injuries before she was discovered by her aunt at 2am.

The three-month-old girl mauled to death by her pet terrier on Monday was discovered by her aunt who went upstairs to check on her sleeping

Police officers outside the home in Clashmore, County Waterford, on Monday

Ms Wood, who is in her 20s, and Mia's grandparents, Noirin O'Connell and Barry Dillon, were all downstairs when the savage attack took place.

Mr O'Connell was not in the house at the time, according to the Irish Independent.

Police and paramedics treated the infant at the scene before she was rushed to Cork University Hospital, around 40 miles away.

She was pronounced dead at the hospital after 3.15am.

It is understood the family had recently moved from Youghal, a seaside town across the Cork border.

Police are investigating the death of an infant after she was mauled to death at this home in Clashmore in the early hours of Monday

Mia's home in the village was cordoned off on Monday as police continued their investigations.

A post-mortem will be carried out on the body of the child at Cork University Hospital today.

A neighbour said they had seen Mia with the dog and her grandmother the day before the attack.

Fellow Clashmore resident Pat Flavin told RTE: 'You hear this kind of thing on television but you don't expect it to happen here.

A post-mortem will be carried out on the body of the child at Cork University Hospital today

'There are about 1,800 people in this area. It is a small place. Everyone will support them and do what they can for them.'

Justice Minister Heather Humphreys said: 'This is an absolutely awful situation, to think that your little babys life has been lost in such terrible, terrible circumstances.'

Father Milo Guiry, who is administrator of the parish that encompasses the village of Clashmore, said local people were in shock.

'This was a young baby, it's terribly, terribly sad,' he said.

Father Guiry said the parish would be offering support to the family involved.

'We offer our sympathy and our support to the family at this terrible time for them,' he said.

Mayor of Waterford, Damien Geoghegan, said the local community had been stunned by the 'awful and terrible' incident.

'It was very sad news to wake up to this morning that a three-month-old child had lost her life in such tragic circumstances,' he said.

The baby was rushed from her home in Clashmore to Cork University Hospital in the early hours of this morning but was pronounced dead a short time later

'It has rocked the community here in west Waterford and particularly in the village of Clashmore, which is a lovely, quiet, rural village in west Waterford.

'My sympathies certainly go to the family and everybody's thoughts and prayers will be with them in the coming days and weeks and months ahead.

'People are just stunned today at the news - everybody is just really, really saddened.'

While Ireland has laws on muzzling certain dog breeds in public, there are no banned breeds such as Pit Bull Terriers in the United Kingdom.
Convicted sex offender Rick Thorburn is serving a life sentence for the murder of Tiahleigh on October 29, 2015

A foster father who murdered Gold Coast schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer has exploded at a coroner's inquest, telling the hearing to 'go f**k yourself'.

Rick Thorburn claimed he accidentally suffocated his 12-year-old foster daughter when she tried to leave home after an argument.

But an experienced police detective says he struggles to believe the account provided by the convicted sex offender and child killer, an inquest heard on Tuesday.

There was even more bizarre scenes outside the Coroner's Court sitting in Brisbane on Tuesday, when Thorburn's wife Julene changed clothes and put on a wig to try and avoid the media scrum waiting outside.

Thorburn is serving a life sentence for murdering Tiahleigh on October 29, 2015.

Tiahleigh's badly decomposed body - naked except for underpants - was found by fishermen six days later on the banks of the Pimpama River, in a horrific crime that shocked the nation.

Thorburn sobbed while reading a one-page statement he said was written about four years ago.

A foster father who murdered schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer (pictured) says he accidentally suffocated her when she tried to leave home after an argument

Cindy Palmer (left) arrives at Brisbane Coroners Court for an inquest into the death of her daughter who was murdered by foster father Rick Thorburn

But when questioned about the admission, further details and other allegations, Thorburn said he had no recollection.

'You can make up any story you like,' he told counsel assisting the coroner Kate McMahon while threatening to 'f**king walk out,' news.com reported.

'You can go f**k yourselves,' Thorburn told the inquest when his confession was questioned.

Asked when he dug up the statement, Thorburn said it was about a month ago when told he was to attend the inquest.

He had a handwritten original of the typed version handed into the inquest, but said he threw it away on the morning of Tuesday's proceedings.

Questioned why, he said: 'This is the end of it. I don't need it anymore.'

Thorburn said he had no recollection of being told by his wife Julene on the day Tiahleigh died that his son had had sex with the 12-year-old.

But Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Knight - who was involved in the investigation - believes Thorburn's account of accidentally killing Tiahleigh isn't consistent with information obtained by investigators.

'It doesn't sit well with me, what I heard earlier today, in terms of those circumstances,' he told the inquest.

'I struggle to believe that.'

Trent Thorburn (pictured) arrives at the inquest. He admitted to his mother he had sex with Tiahleigh before her death and was concerned her stomach aches meant she may be pregnant

Julene Thorburn, wife of Rick and mother of Trent, was also in attendance on Tuesday sporting a bizarre wig outside court

Tiahleigh's family hope to get some answers from the two-day inquest before Deputy State Coroner Jane Bentley.

Despite internal reviews and criminal trials, no one knew what happened to Tiahleigh - who had been in the Thorburns' care for about 10 months - in her final moments, a pre-inquest hearing was told last month.

Although Thorburn pleaded guilty to her murder, he had never before given an account as to how he killed her.

In the hours before Tiahleigh died, she had been to a hip-hop dance class where she complained of stomach pains.

That day, son Trent Thorburn confessed to his mother that he'd had sex with the schoolgirl and feared the stomach pains were a sign she was pregnant.

From 8pm that night, Tiahleigh was home alone with her foster father for two hours.

She was never seen alive again.

Trent and brother Joshua Thorburn told the inquest they understood Tiahleigh was killed because of the sexual encounter.

The 12-year-old's body was found by three fishermen on the banks of the Pimpama River on the Gold Coast on November 5, 2015

The family members are all expected to be called as witnesses during the inquest

Trent was sentenced to four years in prison for incest, perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

A large amount of his sentence was served in solitary confinement, after he was subjected to vicious assaults by other inmates.

Trent was allowed to walk free after just 16 months behind bars.

Asked whether it was fair to say Thorburn killed the girl because he feared his son would go to jail, Trent Thorburn said he didn't remember his father saying that, but 'that has just been my overall guess'.

'He's my father and I believe that he would do anything to protect his family,' Trent Thorburn added.

Julene Thorburn told the inquest her husband never discussed how he killed Tiahleigh.

'All he ever said to me was... 'what you aren't told, you can't repeat', so he never told me anything around the circumstances of anything on the night,' she said.

Thornburn and his wife feared a pregnancy could mean Trent would go to jail, according to earlier proceedings

Tiahleigh's family hope to get some answers from the two-day inquest before Deputy State Coroner Jane Bentley that started on Tuesday

She said Rick Thorburn was concerned about their son going to jail, but when she returned home on the day Tiahleigh died her husband simply said the schoolgirl was no longer with the family.

Julene Thorburn said the process had been 'long and drawn out' for her family, but she was prepared to answer any questions she could.

'There's not a day that goes by that I don't remember everything about having Tiahleigh with us,' she said tearfully.

After the hearing she slipped into another set of clothes and put on a strange red wig to throw off awaiting photographers and journalists outside court.

Members of the Thorburn family were convicted of being part of the crime - Rick Thorburn for the murder, Trent for incest, and Julene and Joshua for being part of an elaborate cover-up.

Rick Thorburn was sentenced to 20 years in jail.

Legal teams are expected to make submissions to Ms Bentley on the final day of the inquest on Wednesday.
A British tourist has been found dead in Thailand after apparently falling from a hotel fire escape.

The man, aged 20, was found lying in a pool of blood outside the So Boutique Hotel in the notorious resort city of Pattaya on Monday afternoon.

He is thought to have plunged from a fire escape attached to the side of the eight-storey building, with a passerby reporting a loud crash as he hit the floor.

A 20-year-old British tourist was found in a pool of blood (right) outside this hotel in Pattaya, Thailand, on Monday afternoon and has since been pronounced dead

It is thought the man fell from this fire escape, but it is not clear why he was out there or how exactly he fell over guard rails - with police examining CCTV for evidence

It is not clear why the man - who arrived in the country as a tourist during the pandemic - had been out on the fire escape.

Police say the Brit suffered a broken neck in the fall, and that his right leg was also broken. He was also bleeding from his head and stomach.

Paramedics were called but were unable to revive the tourist and he was pronounced dead a short time later at hospital.

He was wearing nothing but a pair of Adidas shorts when he died, officers added.

Detectives are now examining CCTV cameras at the hotel in the hopes footage might explain how he fell.

Police Captain Nattapol Saengsee said: The British man was staying on the fifth floor of the hotel.

'We are monitoring all CCTV cameras installed at the hotel and gathering necessary evidence to find the cause of his death and to see which floor he fell from.'

He added: 'All relevant evidence was collected by investigators and the body was sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine of Police General Hospital for an autopsy.'

The British Embassy in Bangkok has been informed of the death.
Vice President Kamala Harris has landed in Mexico for a crunch meeting with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who she has been courting for months.

The Tuesday meeting will close out Harris' first foreign trip, with President Biden's administration hoping it will help in its efforts to curb the spike in migration from Central America and secure the southern border.

While Lopez Obrador committed in a previous virtual meeting with Harris that the U.S. can 'count on us' to help address the issue of irregular migration, the Mexican president has in the past blamed Biden for the increase in migration at the border.

And he was chummy with his predecessor, President Donald Trump, despite Trump's hardline polcies towards migrants.

Early last month, he also accused the U.S. of violating Mexico's sovereignty for giving money to non-governmental organizations that were critical of his government.

But Harris, in her role dealing with the root causes of increased migration from the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, as well as Mexico, has sought to strengthen diplomatic relations with the Mexican president.

Vice President Kamala Harris has landed in Mexico for a crunch meeting with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador who she has been couring for months. Pictured: Harris disembarks from Air Force Two as she arrives at Benito Juarez International airport in Mexico City, for her first international trip as Vice President to Guatemala and Mexico, in Mexico June 7

Harris - who was tasked by Biden to work with Central American countries to stem the flow of migrants to the U.S.-Mexico border - was pictured disembarking from Air Force Two in Mexico City late on Monday.

As she stepped off the plane, she was met by Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard ahead of her meeting with Mexicos president on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, in pictures from outside the U.S. consulate in the border city of Tijuana, protesters were seen demonstrating against Harris' visit to Mexico, with some holding signs calling for 'no intervention of the United States in Mexico'.

Harris has held multiple phone calls and a virtual bilateral meeting with Lopez Obrador, and Tuesday will provide the latest indication of whether her efforts will bear fruit for either nation.

'We have a partnership, a longstanding partnership. Other than Canada, we are the closest neighbors to each other,' Harris told reporters Monday night.

'That is the basis of the conversation I will have with him - is with that spirit, that we have to be partners.'

The meeting follows Harris' Monday visit to Guatemala, where she met with President Alejandro Giammattei.

To coincide with their meeting the Biden administration announced a number of new commitments to combat trafficking, smuggling, and corruption, as well as investments in economic development in the country.

Speaking there on Monday, Harris finally revealed that she does not plan to visit the southern border because it would just be a 'grand gesture' as opposed to a genuine trip - as she warned illegal migrants they are not welcome in the U.S.

Pictured: Vice President Kamala Harris is greeted by Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard as she steps off the plane upon arrival at Benito Juarez International airport in Mexico City. The Tuesday with Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador meeting will close out Harris' first foreign trip, with President Biden's administration hoping it will help in its efforts to curb the spike in migration and secure the southern border

But on Tuesday, her meeting with Lopez Obrador isn't expected to deliver as many concrete commitments.

The two will witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding that will establish greater cooperation between the two nations on development programs in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

Harris aides say they'll discuss vaccine sharing, the economic and security relationship between the two nations, and dealing with the root causes of migration from other countries in the region.

Harris speaks frequently of the need to improve economic conditions for residents of the region, so they don't feel compelled to make the trek to the U.S. border.

The memorandum of understanding, according to special envoy Ricardo Zuniga, who traveled with Harris on the trip, marks a new level of cooperation, and is important because the two nations have 'some of the same issues' when it comes to irregular migration.

'It's very important to show that the United States and Mexico are collaborating and trying to improve conditions on the ground among our neighbors, because of the importance that other countries in Central America have for both of us,' he told reporters traveling with Harris.

Pictured: Migrants and pro-migrants advocates demonstrate at the US Consulate in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico on June 7, 2021. - Demonstrators asked US government to stop its 'intervention' in Mexico and a better treatment for migrants ahead of US Vice President Kamala Harris visit to Mexico City

Harris will spend the rest of the day meeting with female entrepreneurs and labor leaders in the nation.

The meeting comes just days after the country's midterm elections, during which Lopez Obradors party appeared poised to maintain their majority in Mexicos lower chamber of the congress, but fell short of a two-thirds majority as some voters boosted the struggling opposition, according to initial election results.

Harris is not expected to address the election results during her meeting with the president, but the bloody campaign - nearly three-dozen candidates or pre-candidates were killed as drug cartels sought to protect their interests - are certain to loom over their conversations.

The governments inability to provide security in parts of the country is of interest to the U.S. in an immigration context, both for the people who are displaced by violence and the impact it has on a severely weakened economy trying to reemerge from the pandemic.

Still, while aides say corruption was a central focus of her meeting with Giammattei, it's unclear whether she'll raise the issue with Lopez Obrador.

But the increase in migration at the border has become one of the major challenges confronting Biden in the early months of his first term, with Republicans seizing on an issue they see as politically advantageous as polling suggests Americans are less favorable towards Bidens approach to immigration than they are towards his policies on the economy and the COVID-19 pandemic.

They've tried to make Harris the face of that immigration policy, charging she and Biden with ignoring the issue because both have yet to visit the southern border.

Kamala says she WON'T visit the border because it would just be a 'grand gesture' at Guatemala press conference

Harris told reporters on Monday in Guatemala that she was focused on addressing the root causes of migration in a way that delivers 'tangible' results 'as opposed to grand gestures.'

'On the issues of Republicans' political attacks or criticism or even concerns, the reason I am here in Guatemala as my first trip as vice president of the United States is because this is one of our highest priorities,' Harris said during a question and answer portion of her press conference with the Guatemalan President.

'I came here to be here on the ground, to speak with the leader of this nation around what we can do in a way that is significant, is tangible and has real results,' she continued. 'And I will continue to be focused on that kind of work as opposed to grand gestures.'

Vice President Kamala Harris and Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei, pose for an official photograph, Monday, June 7, 2021, at the National Palace in Guatemala City. Harris told reporters on Monday in Guatemala that she was focused on addressing the root causes of migration in a way that delivers 'tangible' results 'as opposed to grand gestures'

Harris said she 'believes' any migrants who attempt to enter the U.S. through non-legal channels will be turned away if they arrive at the border.

'I want to emphasize that the goal of our work is to help Guatemalans find hope at home,' Harris said after her bilateral meeting with Giammattei.

'At the same time, I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come,' she said, and repeated for emphasis: 'Do not come.'

'The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our border,' the vice president insisted. 'There are legal methods by which migration can and should occur, but we, as one of our priorities, will discourage illegal migrations. And I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back.'

Harris was criticised from both sides of the aisle for her comments, with Republicans rebuking her for saying a visit to the border would be a 'grand gesture', while Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez describing Harris' remarks as 'disappointing'.

Congressman Andy Biggs, Republican of Texas, didn't buy Harris's reasoning for not visiting the southern border.

Harris' first international trip was met with protesters demanding she 'mind your own business'

'It is not a grand gesture for Vice President Harris to inspect the damage and inhumanity fueled by the Biden Administration at the southern border,' Biggs said in a statement to DailyMail.com.

'However, Kamala would rather turn a blind eye to the mounting chaos than reinforce Trump's policies that would bring security and stability back to our border.'

Other Republicans also have been open about their criticism of Harris refusing to visit the border even after being named 'border czar' by President Joe Biden in March. They claim her avoiding the region is proof she is not committed to solving the problem.

Ocasio-Cortez accused the United States of having 'set the house on fire' when it comes to Latin America - but being unwilling to allow people to escape.

She then argued that the U.S. needed to emphasize the root causes of migration, rather than punishing those who seek to enter the country.

She reacted to a clip of Harris' press conference by stating: 'This is disappointing to see. 'First, seeking asylum at any US border is a 100% legal method of arrival.

'Second, the US spent decades contributing to regime change and destabilization in Latin America. We can't help set someone's house on fire and then blame them for fleeing.'

The New York congresswoman added: 'It would be helpful if the US would finally acknowledge its contributions to destabilization and regime change in the region.

'Doing so can help us change US foreign policy, trade policy, climate policy, & carceral border policy to address causes of mass displacement & migration.'

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, pictured on June 5, criticized Vice President Kamala Harris' remarks in Guatemala. On Monday Harris told would-be migrants from the country that her message was: 'Do not come'

Regardless of the eventual outcome of Harris' meetings on Tuesday, Mexico will remain a key partner in enforcement efforts at the border.

llegal border crossings have increased steadily since April 2020, after Trump introduced pandemic-related powers to deny migrants the opportunity to seek asylum, but further accelerated under Biden, who quickly scrapped many of Trump's hardline border policies - most notably the 'Remain in Mexico' program to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for court dates in U.S. immigration court.

Shortly after taking office, Biden also exempted unaccompanied children from Title 42, named for a section of an obscure 1944 public health law that allows authorities to deny entry to prevent the spread of disease.

Mexico agreed to take back its own citizens under Title 42 authorities, as well as people from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

U.S. border authorities encountered nearly 19,000 unaccompanied children in March, the highest on record.

Overall, it had more than 170,000 encounters on the border in April, the highest level in more than 20 years though the numbers arent directly comparable because getting stopped under pandemic-related authorities carries no legal consequences, resulting in many repeat crossings.

Mexicans accounted for 36 percent of encounters with people who crossed illegally in April, the largest nationality according to the latest monthly data available from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Hondurans were second with 22 percent and Guatemalans were third with 17 percent.

In March, Lopez Obrador also blamed Biden for the increase in migration at the U.S. border, saying in a March press conference that the Biden administration had created 'expectations' that 'there would be a better treatment of migrants.'

'And this has caused Central American migrants, and also from our country, wanting to cross the border thinking that it is easier to do so,' he said.
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Dozens of hospitals in England hit dangerous bed occupancy levels at the end of May even though Covid had fizzled out, official figures show.

MailOnline's analysis of the latest NHS data showed 21 trusts had more than 95 per cent of beds filled in the final week of May. One board in London  North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust  had almost every single bed occupied for the whole week.

More than a third  50 out of 130 trusts in England  had over 92 per cent of beds occupied by patients, a level which NHS chiefs say should not be exceeded because it can make hospitals unsafe.

And more than three quarters  106 of 130 trusts  saw occupancy levels rise above the official target level of 85 per cent. For comparison, only 82 trusts were above this level before Covid hit.

NHS bosses warned that hospitals were very busy working through the backlog of millions of patients waiting for routine operations including hip and knee replacements and cataract surgery.

Thousands of operations have been cancelled since March after the health service shifted its attention to fighting the pandemic, leaving patients in agony as they waited for non-Covid care including cancer treatment and hip replacements.

Currently, fewer than one per cent of patients in hospital are suffering from the virus and hospitalisations remain flat at around 125 admissions a day nationwide.

There are now fewer than 1,000 people in hospital with Covid across England, down from nearly 40,000 at the peak of the second wave in January as lockdown and vaccines have kept the virus under control.

But experts fear the rapid spread of the Indian variant will start to ramp up pressure across the NHS in the coming weeks, despite the massive vaccine roll-out which has got first doses to more than three in four adults.

Dr Nick Scriven, former president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: 'Any slight rise in [Covid admissions] will put [operations] in jeopardy, as hospitals will again lose flexibility in how they manage their bed bases around infection control policies.'

Bolton  which was first hit by the mutant strain  is already seeing its hospitalisations fall after they rose to a peak about half the size of the second wave, with hospital officials saying the vast majority of those admitted after catching the virus had not been vaccinated.

Blackburn with Darwen  the nation's Covid hotspot  may also be seeing early signs that its admissions could peak, after cases began to fall among over-60s in a good sign for pressure on hospitals.

And Matt Hancock yesterday revealed only three patients that have been hospitalised with the Indian variant had been fully vaccinated. Another 28 had received their first dose while 83 were un-vaccinated. No data was available for the other 12 hospitalised patients.

More than a third of NHS hospitals (orange and red) had over 92 per cent of beds occupied in the last week of May, a level which NHS chiefs say should not be exceeded because it can damage hospital performance

The 21 hospital trusts in England that had more than 95 per cent of their beds occupied in the last week of May

NHS England publishes weekly figures on bed occupancy by patients who are suffering from Covid and other ailments to allow officials to keep track of the pressure on hospitals.

MailOnline's analysis used data for general beds for the seven days to June 1, the latest data available. There is a lag of about a week because of the time taken to collect the data.

NHS figures showed that of the 21 hospitals with more than 95 per cent of beds filled, four were in London and three were in the North West.

North Middlesex Hospital Trust had the highest proportion of beds filled over the last week of May (411.7 beds occupied out of 412.3 available).

All over-50s could be fully vaccinated by July 1st - two weeks after 'freedom day' All over-50s in England could be fully protected against Covid by July 1  nearly two weeks after 'freedom day on June 21  but it will take until September for all adults to have had two jabs, MailOnline analysis can reveal All over-50s in England could be fully protected against Covid by July 1  nearly two weeks after 'freedom day on June 21  but it will take until September for all adults to have had two jabs, MailOnline analysis can reveal. The figures will boost calls for the Government to delay opening up all restrictions on June 21 for a fortnight in order to ensure the most vulnerable members of society have all had time for both doses to have had an effect. And it comes amid claims that science chiefs Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance have spooked No10 into pushing back plans for June 21's 'Freedom Day' total unlocking citing fears of a third wave. Experts say the vaccine forecast supports the case for a delay in reopening because one dose of vaccine can be as little as 30 per cent effective against the Indian coronavirus variant that is now dominant in the UK. Cases are currently rising by around 40 per cent a week and new infections will be well above 15,000 a day by June 21, although it remains to be seen if the full vaccination of older Britons will keep hospital occupancy low. But opponents of a postponement believe the vaccines have successfully broken the link between cases and hospitalisations, and argue the economic cost of a delay would be greater than that caused by a third wave this summer. MailOnline analysis of official figures shows all people aged 50 and above could all of had their second vaccine dose by June 17, with a full immune response coming two weeks later. But over-16s will not have received by their final inoculation until September 14, fueling concerns a surge in Covid infections caused by the Indian variant will result in a spike in deaths and hospitalisations among the unvaccinated. And experts today told MailOnline the figures suggest the Government would be right to delay by two weeks in order to ensure all over-50s have had their second dose and are protected. Advertisement

Whittington Health NHS Trust, also in London, had the second highest proportion of beds filled (98.1 per cent of beds filled, or 173.4 out of 176.7).

It was followed by Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust in the South East (97.8 per cent, or 414.3 out of 423.7), The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust in the Midlands (97.5 per cent, or 537.4 out of 551.4) and Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in the the South West (96.7 per cent, or 510.9 out of 528.4) and Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in the North West (also 96.7 per cent, or 635 out of 657).

NHS Improvement says trusts should avoid filling more than 92 per cent of their beds with patients, saying that higher levels lead to lower quality patient care.

Its 2020/21 hospital plan states 'bed occupancy levels should be reduced to a maximum of 92 per cent'. It says this can be achieved through providing more beds, shortening patients' length of stay and avoiding admissions where possible.

There are mounting concerns that if hospitals are filled above these levels, they could quickly be overwhelmed by any further spike in Covid patients.

Dr Megan Smith, an NHS doctor and legal and policy officer at campaign group EveryDoctor, said hospitals would not be able to cope with even a small spike in Covid patients.

'We've heard of hospitals effectively closing their waiting lists, which is unheard of,' she said.

'Without question, there should be a pause [in easing restrictions on June 21].

'And in my view, there should be a look at whether there needs to be backtracking and have more restrictions in place. Obviously, that is a deeply unpopular thing to say.'

Hospitals have seen the number of beds available reduced due to social distancing measures, which has made it harder for many to clear the backlog of patients.

It comes amid claims England's June 21 'Freedom Day' could be delayed 'by a fortnight' because ministers want to wait for all over-50s to get both doses and give time for the jabs to take effect.

The cabinet is split on the issue, with some urging Boris Johnson to exercise caution while others say the focus must now shift to economic recovery.

In a round of interviews this morning, Environment Secretary George Eustice said the government 'don't rule anything out' in terms of changing the timetable.

But he also insisted that the data on vaccines were 'encouraging' and a final decision will not be taken until next Monday.

Medical and science chiefs Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance reportedly gave a 'fairly grim' update on the situation to ministers, underlining that jabs can never provide 100 per cent protection and variants are significantly more transmissible.

Whitehall sources said contingency plans are being drawn up for a possible 'short' delay to give scientists more time to consider data and allow the NHS to carry out more vaccinations.

One cabinet source told The Times they expected to see a delay of 'between two weeks and a month'.

They said there was not much concern about political backlash as long as the full reopening happened before schools break for summer on July 23.

Matt Hancock and Michael Gove are among those pushing a more dovish approach, while Rishi Sunak and Grant Shapps want to avoid delay.

Despite the vaccine success, some ministers and officials have been spooked by a surge in Covid cases  with a 68 per cent rise today compared to last week.

However, those cases have so far not fed through into hospitalisations and deaths, suggesting immunity levels are offering substantial protection.

The good Covid news: Fewer than 1,000 infected patients are now in hospital - 40 TIMES fewer than at peak of second wave, ICU death rates have HALVED with drugs, and average age of patients falling seriously ill has dropped by a decade to below 50

Covid hospital admissions are still only a fraction of what they were at the peak of the second wave in January, according to official data that will bolster calls for No10 not to delay England's June 21 'Freedom Day'.

Fewer than 1,000 Covid patients were on wards across the country at the end of May  773 on May 31, which has since risen slightly to 860  just 2 per cent of the peak in early January when there were nearly 40,000 beds taken up by the infected.

And the average age of patients being admitted to hospital has plunged by a decade to below 50 for the first time during the pandemic, thanks to vaccines protecting millions of vulnerable older people who were prioritised in Britain's inoculation roll-out.

Scientific breakthroughs in finding drugs to help seriously ill patients, such as dexamethasone and budesonide, have also helped the death rate in intensive care halve since January, dropping from 40 per cent of all those admitted to less than 20 per cent.

The positive figures will inevitably put further pressure on Boris Johnson not to delay England's roadmap  which is still set to see nightclubs reopen and weddings allow more than 30 guests by June 21.

But No10 is reportedly considering pushing the date back by at least two weeks after England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and chief science adviser Sir Patrick Vallance spooked officials that unlocking too early could fuel a third wave.

Ministers reportedly plan to delay the unlocking to leave enough time for all over-50s to get their vaccines, plus two weeks to allow time for the jabs to take effect. MailOnline analysis suggests all over-50s in England could be fully protected against Covid by July 1  nearly two weeks after 'freedom day on June 21.

It comes as Matt Hancock today told 4million people in Greater Manchester and Lancashire to 'minimise travel', get tested and meet outdoors amid the spread of the Indian variant, in a sign Freedom Day may be pushed back.

Mr Johnson said yesterday he could still see nothing in the data that suggested a pause would be needed. Sources say ministers will not take a decision until June 14, a week before the final easing is set to go ahead.

Covid patients (red) made up three quarters of all ICU patients in January but this has tumbled to just one in five

The percentage of people admitted to hospital who die has tumbled from almost half to just one in five

The age of patients admitted to intensive care suffering from the virus has fallen (top graph) since the start of the pandemic. The average is now 50 years, compared to 60 years last March

Matt Hancock tells 4million people in Greater Manchester and Lancashire to 'minimise travel' Up to 4million people living in Greater Manchester and Lancashire face lockdown rules creeping back into their lives as the Government has urged them not to leave the area and to avoid meeting people indoors to stop Covid. The North West areas are hotspots for the Indian 'Delta' strain and are now being sent 'enhanced support' from the military and Department of Health including surge testing and contact tracing to try and contain the variant. NHS boards in the area will split from national policy and allow anyone over the age of 18 to book a vaccine in a bid to boost protection. Health Secretary Matt Hancock today asked local people to get tested for coronavirus and said: 'We know that this approach can work, we've seen it work in south London and in Bolton in stopping a rise in the number of cases.' Both places were added to the 'coronavirus restrictions' page of Government guidance under the heading 'If youre in an area where the new Covid-19 variant is spreading', alongside other parts of the North West, Leicester, Hounslow in London and North Tyneside. They cover a total of 5.7million people  around 10 per cent of England. Manchester's Mayor Andy Burnham insisted: 'It is not a lockdown.' The move comes amid claims that science chiefs Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance have spooked No10 into pushing back plans for June 21's 'Freedom Day' total unlocking citing fears of a third wave. The top advisers reportedly gave a 'fairly grim' update on the situation to ministers, underlining that jabs can never provide 100 per cent protection and the new variant is significantly more transmissible so will cause more cases. Whitehall sources said contingency plans are being drawn up for a possible delay of 'between two weeks and a month' to give scientists more time to consider data and allow the NHS to carry out more vaccinations. Matt Hancock added that it is still likely to be another couple of weeks before advisers and ministers can fully understand how well the vaccines work against the now-dominant Delta strain. Boris Johnson is expected to confirm by next Monday at the latest whether the June 21 plan will go ahead and he is running the roadmap timetable down to the wire, so far refusing to give any indication of what he will do. His spokesman said today: 'We need to take the time as built into the roadmap to consider the data.' Advertisement

Covid patient numbers are still very low and at just 2.5% of the January peak

Covid patient numbers in UK hospitals are still very low, despite warnings they could surge due to the spread of the Indian variant.

Department of Health data shows they are at just 2.5 per cent of the peak in the darkest days of January.

There were an average of 900 patients suffering from the virus in hospitals over the seven days to May 31, the latest available, a similar level to the start of the month.

For comparison, at the peak of the second wave around 38,000 Covid patients were in hospital beds.

It was feared that hospital admissions with the virus would start to rise amid the rapid spread of the Indian variant.

But figures are yet to show a sudden peak, with hospitalisations now falling in Bolton which was the first place to be hit by the variant.

Experts say vaccines have broken the link between rising cases and upticks in hospital admissions.

But ministers are waiting for clearer data to confirm that is the case before pressing ahead with any unlocking plans.

Only 5% of hospital patients end up in intensive care

While Covid hospitalisations remain very low, the number of patients who end up in intensive care or needing mechanical ventilation is even smaller.

Department of Health data shows 3,493 people suffering from Covid were admitted to hospital in May and 169 to the intensive care unit (ICU).

This means just 4.8 per cent of Covid patients admitted to hospital ended up in intensive care.

For comparison, there were 56,457 Covid patients admitted to hospitals across the country in the first two weeks of January, and 3,816 (6.7 per cent) patients were taken to intensive care.

The South West, South East, East of England and Wales all had fewer than 10 people go into intensive care across May  four, eight, six and two, respectively.

The discovery of drugs that can save people from dying of Covid have dramatically boosted survival rates in ICU, too, with the death rate halving to around 20 per cent from 45 per cent in the first wave, The Telegraph reports.

Medicines such as the steroid dexamethasone and arthritis drug tocilizumab have both helped to cut the risk of death for hospital patients since they were proven to work in June and January.

Average age of Covid patients in hospital has dropped by 50% as vaccines drive takes effect

An intensive care admissions report shows the average age of Covid patients has fallen by 10 years since the start of the pandemic amid a successful vaccine roll out.

The Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) said patients were aged 60 on average during last March, at the start of the pandemic.

But the average age has fallen to 50 years during the last three months.

The vaccine roll out prioritised older age groups first, because they are more at risk of hospitalisation and death if they caught the virus.

And the above results show the drive is working, pushing down hospitalisations among older groups.

More than 40.4million Britons  or three in four adults  have received at least one dose, and more than 27.9million  or over 50 per cent  have got both jabs.

The Indian variant is susceptible to vaccines

There has been mounting alarm over the rapid spread of the Indian variant which has now reached more than 85 per cent of areas in England.

But studies show it is just as susceptible to vaccine-triggered immunity as the old virus.

Bolton  one of the first places hit by the variant  is now seeing its hospitalisations with the virus fall after surge testing to root out every case.

Matt Hancock yesterday told the Commons that only three of the 126 patients in hospital suffering from the variant had been vaccinated.

He added that 28 had received one dose, and 83 were yet to get their jabs. No data was available for the other 12 hospitalised patients.
Councillors have been accused of 'virtual-signalling gone crazy' after insisting on adding a plaque to Hartlepool's monkey statue over fears it could be used to depict the town as 'unfriendly to foreigners' in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests.

Legend says the monkey was hanged as a French spy after being washed ashore at the seaside town in County Durham following a shipwreck during the Napoleonic Wars.

Hartlepool United's mascot is called H'Angus the Monkey in tribute, and a man wearing his costume was famously elected mayor of the town three times after standing on a platform of 'free bananas'.

But the monkey's statue - which is located in the town's marina and is thought to date back to the 1990s - will now be fitted with an explanatory plaque over fears it could be 'misused by those with differing agendas to portray Hartlepool as unfriendly towards foreigners'.

Legend says the monkey was hanged as a French spy after being washed ashore at the seaside town in County Durham following a shipwreck during the Napoleonic Wars. A statue of the animal is located in the town's marina

The conclusion was contained in a report - seen by The Telegraph - which was commissioned by Hartlepool Borough Council on links between statues and 'the slave trade, colonialism, and imperialism' began after the BLM protests.

Historian Dr Zareer Masani criticised the move: 'This is an example of tragedy ending as farce, virtue-signalling gone crazy.

'As this legend is probably a myth, will we be searching the Greek classics next for xenophobia?'

But Conservative Councillor Gordon Cranney said he had 'no objection' to the context of the monkey story being explained on a plaque to make it clear it had nothing to do with race.

He told MailOnline: 'It was a made up rumour. Hartlepool used to be split in two, West Hartlepool and then Old Hartlepool, so it was one mocking the other.

'Now we are classed as the monkey hangers. It has absolutely nothing to do with race - it's an old wives tale.

'So I've got no objections to the story being explained.'

The June 2020 report, which reviewed all monuments and street names, warned that the monkey statue - which includes a bowl to collect coins for a local hospice - 'could be perceived negatively by some'.

A new plaque is expected to make it clear that the incident is most 'not a factual event'.

The council declined to say whether it was concerned about the monument being used by BLM supporters to paint the town as racist, or by the far-right.

Hartlepool United's mascot is called H'Angus the Monkey in tribute, and a man wearing his costume was famously elected mayor of the town three times after standing on a platform of 'free bananas'

A spokesperson said: 'We are currently working on an interpretation of the Hartlepool monkey legend with the intention of installing an explanatory sign on the monkey statue at the Hartlepool Marina lock gates for the benefit of visitors

The primate hanged for being a spy: What is the Hartlepool monkey story and is there any truth to it? Hartlepool is famous as the place where a monkey was hanged by locals after being mistaken for a French spy, but whether the incident ever actually happened is up for debate. The story goes that the monkey was the only survivor from a shipwreck during the Napoleonic Wars, when fears of a French invasion were at their height. Having never seen a Frenchman before, locals mistook it for a 'hairy French spy' and put it to death on the beach. The legend led to the townsfolk being branded as 'monkey hangers', but they in turn embraced the story. But is it actually true? 'There is no evidence whatsoever that the people of Hartlepool hanged a monkey,' said Keith Gregson, a local historian, told the BBC. The story was first mentioned in a 1855 song by Edward 'Ned' Corvan, a Victorian travelling performer whose performances included mocking whichever town he was in. Some aspects of the legend appear to crib from another story about a baboon who is believed to have visited Newcastle with some Cossack soldiers in 1825. Hartlepool Borough Council itself accepts that the monkey story is 'not a factual event'. Advertisement

'The statue does not belong to the Council and is not on our land, but is believed to date back to the 1990s, a time when the Teesside Development Corporation was responsible for regenerating this area.

'We have not received any complaints about the statue, and in fact it helps raise around 2,000 a year for charity thanks to the coins deposited within it by visitors

'In putting up an explanatory sign, we intend to liaise closely with the marina's current owners, Hartlepool Marina Ltd.'

The council report made a number of other tendentious comments, including noting that a statue of Andy Capp, a comic strip character created by Reg Smythe, a local cartoonist, could be criticised for portraying a stereotypical northerner.

Street names mentioning Winston Churchill and Scouts founder Robert Baden-Powell were also mentioned over their beliefs on race. Admiral Lord Nelson and former Prime Minister William Gladstone were also referenced.

Hartlepool recently elected a Tory MP, Jill Mortimer, for the first time since the 1970s.

The fate of statues with links to colonialism or the slave trade has generated intense controversy after some were targeted by left-wing protesters.

A paint-spattered statue of slave trader Edward Colston was recently installed lying down at a Bristol museum after being torn down and thrown in the harbour during a pro-BLM protest last summer.

However, a statue of Cecil Rhodes above Oriel College in Oxford was recently spared the chop after officials noted 'considerable obstacles', including financial costs and 'complex' planning processes

An independent inquiry to examine Rhodes' legacy was set up in June in the wake of BLM protests after the governing body 'expressed their wish' to remove the statue from outside the college.

A majority of members on the Commission supported the college's original wish to remove the Rhodes' statue, but there was a substantial backlash from donors.

But Oriel College said: 'In light of the considerable obstacles to removal, Oriel's governing body has decided not to begin the legal process for relocation of the memorials.'

The Rhodes Must Fall campaign accused Oriel College of 'institutional racism'

The fate of statues with links to colonialism or the slave trade has generated intense controversy after some were targeted by left-wing protesters. A paint-spattered statue of slave trader Edward Colston was recently installed lying down at a Bristol museum after being torn down and thrown in the harbour during a pro-BLM protest last summer

It came as new Church of England guidance, published last month, urged churches and cathedrals to consider the history of their buildings and the physical artefacts and how it could impact their congregations' worship.

Churches that have already taken action include St Margaret's church in Rottingdean, Sussex, which has removed two 'deeply offensive' grave headstones which contained racial slurs.

St Peter's Church in Dorchester has also covered a plaque commemorating a plantation owner.
A New York-based psychiatrist who told a Yale University panel discussion that she had fantasies of shooting white people has defended her comments amid fevered outrage.

Dr Aruna Khilanani, who runs her own practice in Manhattan, told the New York Times that she had been aiming to use 'provocation as a tool for real engagement' when she spoke of 'unloading a revolver into the head of any white person' who got in her way.

In an email to the paper on Saturday, she said that her words had been taken out of context in an attempt to 'control the narrative' around race.

Her comments came after she faced a massive backlash over the weekend from Yale University staff and others for the views expressed in her talk.

'Too much of the discourse on race is a dry, bland regurgitation of new vocabulary words with no work in the unconscious,' Khilanani wrote in her email.

'And, if you want to hit the unconscious, you will have to feel real negative feelings.'

'My speaking metaphorically about my own anger was a method for people to reflect on negative feelings. To normalize negative feelings. Because if you don't, it will turn into a violent action.'

Khilanani, who is of Indian descent, went on to say that she did not regret her word choice.

Dr Aruna Khilanani (pictured), a New York-based psychiatrist who told a Yale panel discussion that she had fantasies of shooting white people, defended her comments over the weekend. Khilanani claimed she had been aiming to use 'provocation as a tool for real engagement' when she spoke of 'unloading a revolver into the head of any white person' who got in her way

'Something is emotionally dangerous about opening up a conversation about race.

'No one wants to look at their actions or face their own negative feelings about what they are doing. The best way to control the narrative is to focus on me, and make me the problem, which is what I stated occurs in the dynamic of racism.

'My work is important. And, I stand by it. We need to heal in this country.'

Khilanani gave her talk virtually to medical students and faculty back in April after being invited by Yale School of Medicine's Child Study Center.

But it drew more attention after audio of the 50-minute lecture was published on journalist Bari Weiss' Substack blog on Friday.

'The racism expressed by Dr. Aruna Khilanani  is deeply worrisome & counter-productive,' Yale professor Nicholas A. Christakis tweeted. 'Of course, as an invitee, she is free to speak on campus. But her views must be soundly rejected.'

'Most human beings have disturbing fantasies, and this can be a proper topic for discussion,' he added. 'People's actions are more important than their thoughts or words.'

But Christakis slammed the 'pejorative generalizations' used by Khilanani as 'unfounded' and troubling.

'It's her line of argument, leaving aside her sharing of her fantasies, that is problematic and racist,' Christakis said.

Khilanani's practice has been bombarded by one-star reviews over the weekend.

On Healthgrade.com alone she received 86 one-star ratings as of Saturday, bringing her overall rating to 1.2 out of five.

The one star ratings included one that read: 'If you are white, she might shoot you' that 54 people upvoted as helpful.

Another review quoted the Psychiatrist lecture and commented: 'Aruna Khilanani should be barred from any professional setting.'

Someone else commented: 'she is a divider' while another person commented 'Can I book an appt? Will you fantasize about killing me and doing the world a favor.'

In the talk, titled The Psychopathic Problem of the White Mind, Khilanani discussed the exhaustion people of color can feel when required to explain racism to white people, who then question or disbelieve their experiences.

'This is the cost of talking to white people at all  the cost of your own life, as they suck you dry,' she said, adding: 'There are no good apples out there. White people make my blood boil.'

Khilanani went on to say that she had cut ties with 'most of my white friends'.

'I had fantasies of unloading a revolver into the head of any white person that got in my way, burying their body and wiping my bloody hands as I walked away relatively guiltless with a bounce in my step. Like I did the world a f**king favor,' Khilanani said during the talk.

She said that white people feel they are being bullied when people of color bring up race and described it as a 'psychological predicament'.

'They feel that we should be thanking them for all that they have done for us. They are confused, and so are we. We keep forgetting that directly talking about race is a waste of our breath,' she said.

'We are asking a demented, violent predator who thinks that they are a saint or a superhero, to accept responsibility. It ain't gonna happen. They have five holes in their brain. It's like banging your head against a brick wall. It's just like sort of not a good idea.'

On Saturday, she told the Times that her lecture had initially received positive reviews from students.

Last week, she expressed anger with a decision by Yale to restrict access to the footage of the event.

Khilanani says her talk was only released internally after facing calls from some to do so.

In the virtual talk, titled The Psychopathic Problem of the White Mind, Khilanani discussed the exhaustion people of color can feel when required to explain racism to white people, who then question or disbelieve their experiences but went on to say that white people 'made her blood boil' and that she had cut ties with 'most of my white friends'. Pictured: Yale University's School of Medicine

Khilanani, who has previously taught at Cornell, Columbia and New York universities, made a series of stunning comments during her talk that was largely based on the psychology behind 'whiteness'. Pictured: The flier for the talk

She is now arguing that Yale is trying to suppress her by not releasing the footage of her talk publicly.

The doctor has posted a series of TikToks in the last week claiming the school hasn't included the name of the talk or that she delivered it.

A caption on one of her TikTok's reads: 'My talk at Yale Child Study Center was just released internally. Unnamed and untitled like the privilege it protects.'

In a statement, Yale's School of Medicine said it had limited access to the video of Khilanani's expletive-filled lecture to those who were invited to the talk and had added a disclaimer to the footage to emphasize that it did not reflect the views of the university.

'This video contains profanity and imagery of violence,' the disclaimer states. 'Yale School of Medicine expects the members of our community to speak respectfully to one another and to avoid the use of profanity as a matter of professionalism and acknowledgment of our common humanity. Yale School of Medicine does not condone imagery of violence or racism against any group.'
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A cowardly lion was forced to hide up a tree after a herd of buffalo it was hunting decided to turn around and chase it away.

The lion clung on to a branch after it bungled an attempt to stalk the herd in Masai Mara, Kenya.

When the buffalo saw the lion approaching, they turned around and chased, forcing it up a tree for hours.

Photographer Olav Thokle, 54, from Norway, captured the moment the king of the jungle was forced to scamper to safety.

He said: 'Suddenly the buffalo became aware of the lion's presence. He saw a lonely tree on the great savannah and climbed to safety from the big buffalo. He stayed in the tree for nearly an hour, before the buffalo herd left the area.'

A cowardly lion was forced to hide up a tree after a herd of buffalo it was hunting decided to turn around and chase it back

The lion clung on to a branch for hours after it bungled an attempt to stalk the herd in Masai Mara, Kenya,in the unlikely images

It joined four lions who are nicknamed the Black Rock Boys in following the herd of 500 buffalo, creeping closer in a bid to catch their prey

After the buffalo saw the lions approaching, they turned around and chased, forcing one lion up a tree for hours

Photographer Olav Thokle, 54, from Norway, captured the moment the king of the jungle was forced to scamper to safety

The hunter becomes the hunted: The herd of buffalo in the savannah decided to turn around and chase away the lion who was creeping up on them

Wounded pride: The lion clambered up the tree and perched in a branch for hours as the buffalo remained around the predator

The cowardly lion peered down at its prey from up high, unable to return to the ground for fear of an attack by the herd of buffalo

After spotting the angry buffalo herd, one of the scared lions desperately scampers up a tree to safety
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China's famous herd of wandering elephants have stopped for a well-earned rest after a record 300-mile trek across the country following their escape from a nature reserve.

The 15-strong group of wild Asian elephants has been wandering towards the city of Kunming, in Yunnan province, since April 16 when they broke out of a nature reserve in Xishuangbanna Dai prefecture.

They are now in the countryside in the Xinyang Township, around 55 miles south-west of Kunming, and were spotted looking exhausted as the group lay down in a forest with their legs and trunks sprawled out over the ground.

The herd appear to be sleeping in a pyramid shape as one baby elephant can be seen clinging onto an adult's leg whilst one rests its trunk on another.

The elephants have come as close as two miles from the southern-most suburbs of regional capital Kunming, sparking fears they could enter the city and cause chaos.

The migrating herd of wild Asian elephants look exhausted as the group lay down together in a forest, with their legs and trunks sprawled out over the ground

A baby elephant looks content as it rests its front legs on the back of another sleeping elephant in the forest on Monday

A baby elephant is seen sprawled on the back of a sleeping elephant as the animals rest after their 300 mile trek on Monday

The elephants can be seen sleeping in two separate groups as they lay sprawled on the grass after their exhausting journey

Nap time! An elephant sleeps with its herd after walking 300 miles across China in a forest near the Xinyang Township

Roads have been blocked using lorries while 18 tons of pineapples and corn have been scattered in an attempt to lead the elephants away from the city's Jinning district.

During their epic journey, the elephants have been caught at night trotting down urban streets by security cameras, filmed constantly from the air by more than a dozen drones and followed by those seeking to minimise damage and keep both pachyderms and people out of harm's way.

But the wild animals caused have caused mayhem by walking down urban roads and sticking their trunks through residential windows in Kunming, despite officials' efforts to divert them away from the populated southwestern city of seven million people.

They have raided farms for food and water, visited a car dealership and even showed up at a retirement home, where they poked their trunks into some of the rooms, prompting one elderly man to hide under his bed.

The elephants have also broken into barns and munched their way through farmland, causing an estimated 6.8 million yuan ($1.1 million) worth of damage.

A close-up image shows seven elephants forming a pyramid as they sleep next together in a forest near Kunming on Monday

Since beginning their epic journey, the elephants have wandered the streets, broke into barns and munched their way through farmland, causing an estimated 6.8 million yuan ($1.1 million) worth of damagea

Roads have been blocked using lorries while 18 tons of pineapples and corn have been scattered in an attempt to lead the elephants away from the city's Jinning district

Elephants are a protected species in China, meaning the herd will not be destroyed, while wildlife officers are also keen to avoid using tranquilizers on the infants. Pictured: The elephants are left to roam through the neighbourood near the Shuanghe Township, Jinning District of Kunming city in southwestern China's Yunnan Province on June 4

The wild animals have caused mayhem by walking down urban roads and sticking their trunks through residential windows on the outskirts of Kunming, despite officials' efforts to divert them away from the populated southwestern city of seven million people.

Last week, video footage, taken from the ground and by air by dozens of drones, showed the elephants wreaking havoc as they ploughed through residential streets, walked up people's driveways, and munched on farm crops.

The adventures of the huge mammals have captivated the nation, with hundreds of millions taking to social media to discuss their journey.

Elephants are given the top level of protection in China, allowing their numbers to steadily increase even as their natural habitat shrinks, and requiring farmers and others to exercise maximum restraint when encountering them.

It means that the herd will not be destroyed, while wildlife officers are also keen to avoid using tranquilizers on the infants.

The herd of 15 elephants left a trail of destruction as they reached the outskirts of Kunming last week

The wild animals have caused mayhem by walking down urban roads, eating farm crops (pictured) and sticking their trunks through residential windows in Kunming, despite officials' efforts to divert them away from the populated southwestern city

A herd has been spotted just two miles from the outskirts of Kunming city, home to 7million people (pictured on May 28)

The herd has passed through towns and smaller cities along their route - closing down streets (pictured), raiding barns, munching farm crops and causing damage worth an estimated $1million

Government orders have told people to stay inside and not to gawk at them or use firecrackers or otherwise attempt to scare them away.

So far, more passive means are being used to keep them out of urban areas, including the parking of trucks and construction equipment to block roads and the use of food drops to lure them away.

As of Tuesday, the herd remained on the outskirts of Kunming, a city of seven million, with one of the males having moved away on his own, creating even more excitement - and worry - for those attempting to keep tabs on them.

A news release on Monday from a provincial command centre set up to monitor the group said the elephants appeared to be resting, while more than 410 emergency response personnel and police personnel, scores of vehicles and 14 drones were deployed to monitor them.

Area residents were evacuated, temporary traffic control measures implemented, and two tons of elephant food put in place.

Another objective was to 'maintain silence to create conditions for guiding the elephant group to migrate west and south', the command centre said.

Animal experts told Xinhua news agency that it is unclear what has motivated the elephants' migration, which is the longest ever recorded in China.

But they said it is possible that the pack leader 'lacks experience and led the whole group astray.'

Authorities urged residents to avoid contact with the elephants after the herd reached the Jinning district on the edge of Kunming, a city of seven million residents, late on Wednesday night. Pictured: Elephant walks up driveway to a house

Video footage (pictured), taken from the ground and by air by dozens of drones, shows the elephants wreaking havoc as they ploughed through residential streets, walked up people's driveways, and munched on farm crops

The elephants were spotted in E'shan county on May 28 (pictured) before migrating even further to the north, sparking fears they could try to enter Kunming as police and wildlife officers race to stop them

Experts say it is unclear what caused the herd - three males, six females, three juveniles and three calves - to migrate, but say it is possible that an inexperienced male leader 'got lost'

The initial herd consisted of 16 elephants, but two of them turned around during the trek and went home. A calf was then born during the walk, bringing the total to its current 15.

Observers say the group now consists of six adult females, three adult males, three juveniles and three calves of unknown sex.

The wild herd had been living in the Xishuangbanna Dai Nature Reserve until moving out of the area more than a month ago.

Two weeks ago, the elephants wandered on to the streets of a town called Eshan, close to Yuxi, and remained there for six hours with residents warned to stay indoors.

During that time, the elephants wandered the streets, broke into barns, ate out of rubbish bins and munched their way through nearby farmland.

Damage done by the elephants to farmland along their route is currently estimated at 6.8 million yuan ($1.1 million), according to Xinhua.
A BBC presenter came to blows with the CEO of an LGBTQ+ publication this morning during a heated debate over a controversial Stonewall scheme.

Pink News CEO Benjamin Cohen was invited onto the Today Programme to discuss Stonewall's new diversity scheme.

But he attacked BBC Radio 4 Today host Justin Webb, accusing him of failing to invite a 'a single trans voice' on, before slamming Webb for daring to discuss the issue despite being 'cisgender.'

Webb hit back: 'Number one, you don't know anything about me. Number two, I asked you a question, so would you answer it?'

After several minutes, the seemingly exasperated host cut Cohen, 38, off and moved straight on to the weather forecast.

The furious exchange sparked a fierce debate on social media, with Cohen facing a backlash for being 'aggressive and unhinged' in what many labelled a 'car crash interview.'

Cohen had been invited on to the show alongside Simon Fanshawe, co-founder and former member of Stonewall.

They were discussing Stonewall's diversity scheme, which has been met with anger in recent days from critics accusing the equality charity of creating a 'culture of fear' among workers who disagree with transgender ideology.

Benjamin Cohen, CEO of PinkNews, highlighted the fact that the BBC had failed to include 'a single trans voice' in the debate on transgender rights

Benjamin Cohen: Pink News founder, activist and former dot.com millionaire Benjamin Cohen is a journalist and entrepreneur who founded LGBT website Pink News in 2005 and now serves as its CEO. Previously the 38-year-old worked for Channel 4 and the BBC after making a name for himself as a technology entrepreneur. During the dot.com boom he founded Jewish Net (later soJewish), an early social network, and later CyberBritain a search engine that charged for sponsored listings. He recently married Anthony James, 31, a GP and now corporate strategy director of Pink News. Their wedding was profiled by Hello!, which described them as a power couple. Mr Cohen has been diagnosed with MS and campaigns for LGBT and disabled rights. Advertisement

Stonewall claims its Workplace Equality Index, which allows employers to 'measure their progress on lesbian, gay, bi and trans inclusion in the workplace', makes companies more attractive to prospective employees.

The group has issued guidance to employers wanting to make the cut on its index, which has attracted more than 500 applications in the last year.

The interview began with Today host Webb asking Cohen if it was 'perfectly acceptable' for women to campaign for single-sex spaces not to include those who have changed gender.

Cohen initially refused to answer the question, telling Webb: 'The BBC has decided to have a debate with two different gay people talking about trans issues, and it's quite odd.

'I'm a cisgender man, I'm not transgender. Simon is also not transgender. You're not transgender. So, once again it's a debate about trans issues about a single trans voice being heard.'

A furious Webb then hit back: 'Number one, you don't know anything about me. Number two, I asked you a question would you answer it.'

Mr Cohen continued: 'You made the statement which is that the provisions around who gets access to single sex Spaces has changed. That hasn't changed. The Equality Act was passed in 2010, there's been no changes to that.'

Webb replied: 'What I'm suggesting is Stonewall would like to change it. And a lot of women are worried about that.'

To which Mr Cohen said: 'You just claimed that, but that's not actually true. So Stonewall supports self ID, which is simply about paperwork.

'So you've been able to self ID for practical purposes for the Equality Act since 2010, that's 11 years ago.'

When asked if safe spaces for women such as women's refuges were 'protected' in Stonewall's campaign, Mr Cohen said they 'continue to be protected' and said he didn't believe Stonewall had said 'that those spaces should be open to trans people.'

Campaign group Women's Place UK tweeted: 'Benjamin Cohen CEO P*nk News claims it is untrue that the organisation is campaigning for the removal of the single sex exemptions in the Equality Act It is.'

The car-crash interview comes as the LGBTQ+ rights group Stonewall is facing a Whitehall exodus from its diversity scheme amid concerns over its 'extreme' stance on transgender rights.

Government departments, led by the Ministry of Justice, are beginning to question the 'value for money' of belonging to a league table of employers which is compiled by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans charity.

Robert Buckland, the Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor, is understood to be preparing to withdraw his department from the scheme.

Critics of the equality group say its pronouncements on trans issues are anti-free speech.

Last week it emerged Stonewall had advised organisations to boost their rankings on its equality ratings table by replacing the term 'mother' with 'parent who has given birth'.

It also tells member organisations that those who self-identify as women must be allowed to use female lavatories and changing rooms, a stance that has angered some feminists.

Actress Kathy Burke tweeted: 'If you're told that you should include a trans person when discussing trans rights you shouldn't get the hump about it'

Mr Cohen took to Twitter to criticise the lack of a 'transgender voice' on the programme

The car-crash interview comes as the LGBTQ+ rights group Stonewall is facing a Whitehall exodus from its diversity scheme

Who is Justin Webb? Justin Webb was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, and grew up in Bath. He was educated at Sidcot School, a Quaker school in Somerset, and studied at the London School of Economics where he was editor of student newspaper The Beaver. Webb joined the BBC in 1984 on their graduate trainee programme where he worked for BBC Radio Ulster based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. In 2001 Webb moved to the United States as the BBC's chief Washington correspondent and in 2009 returned to the UK to replace Edward Stourton on BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Advertisement

'It's a shame, as this was once an organisation that did incredibly important work, but it has totally lost its way and the ministers just don't think it's justifiable to give Stonewall taxpayers' money,' an MoJ source told the Sunday Telegraph.

'The department will be just as welcoming to LGBT people as before, but we really shouldn't be paying thousands of pounds for controversial advice about pronouns and gender-neutral spaces.'

The source predicted the MoJ would be the first in an 'exodus' of Government departments.

Several organisations, including the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the employment dispute service Acas, have pulled out of Stonewall's Diversity Champions scheme blaming cost reasons. On Friday it emerged that Channel 4 had also withdrawn.

The Stonewall scheme has 250 Government departments and public bodies among its members. They pay thousands of pounds for guidance and are ranked on the charity's Workplace Equality Index for their 'progress on lesbian, gay, bi and trans inclusion in the workplace'.

'It has totally lost its way'

A BBC spokesman told MailOnline: 'The item was about the increasing number of organisations discontinuing their membership of Stonewall's Diversity Champions programme as opposed to a broader discussion about trans and women's rights issues.

'Stonewall turned down an invitation to appear on the programme. Mr Cohen was invited on as a representative with a connection to Stonewall and someone who broadly supports them. In all coverage we work to ensure a range of views and perspectives.'
The EU and the UK are on the brink of 'sausage wars' today as ministers slammed 'nonsensical' and 'bonkers' trade curbs on Northern Ireland and Brussels threatened reprisals.

Environment Secretary George Eustice demanded the bloc takes a less 'bureaucratic' stance after the Government signalled it is ready to keep ignoring post-Brexit rules preventing imports of goods from the British mainland including chilled meats.

Maros Sefcovic, the vice president of the European Commission, warned Brussels would react 'swiftly and resolutely' if Britain chooses to extend the protocol's grace period, which expires at the end of this month.

The increasingly bitter clashes came ahead of a crunch meeting between Brexit minister Lord Frost and European counterpart Mr Sefcovic tomorrow.

Fears have been mounting that the implementation of the deal agreed by Boris Johnson with the EU are fuelling sectarian tensions in Northern Ireland, with unionists saying the terms must be scrapped.

Maros Sefcovic (pictured) said Brussels would react 'swiftly and resolutely' if Britain chose to extend the grace period in the Northern Ireland Protocol, which expires at the end of this month

Fears have been mounting that the implementation of the deal agreed by Boris Johnson with the EU are fuelling sectarian tensions in Northern Ireland. Pictured, protests in Belfast in April

Earlier this year Britain extended the grace periods on supermarket goods and parcels.

In March the EU hit back, launching legal action and accusing Britain of violating international law.

Mr Sefcovic wrote in the Daily Telegraph that if the UK took further unilateral action the EU 'will not be shy in reacting swiftly, firmly and resolutely to ensure that the UK abides by its international law obligations'.

Mr Sefcovic said the current Northern Ireland Protocol was the 'best solution' to 'the type of Brexit that the current UK Government chose'. He added: 'No one knows it better than Lord Frost himself, then the UK's chief Brexit negotiator.'

However, Mr Eustice said the EU needed to show more 'respect'.

'What you have to bear in mind is that the Protocol always envisaged that both parties would show best endeavours to make the Northern Ireland Protocol work, and that included recognising that Northern Ireland was an integral part of the UK and that you should support the free flow of goods to Northern Ireland,' he told Sky News.

'What we really need the EU to do is to respect that part of the Protocol and put in place sensible measures to remove things like the nonsensical ban on selling sausages or chicken nuggets to Northern Ireland  not just requiring paperwork, but actually having an outright ban on some of those goods  that clearly doesn't make sense.'

He added: 'We're committed to making it work but we just need the European Union to engage in that process to iron out those issues.'

Mr Eustice said he had 'no idea' why the bloc imposed 'idiosyncratic' rules.

'I suspect it links to some kind of perception that they can't really trust any country other than an EU country to make sausages,' he said.

'I think that's a nonsense. I think we've got a very good sausage industry in this country, we've got the highest standards of food hygiene in the world.'

Amid claims that Joe Biden is set to push Boris Johnson to find a way through the impasse when they meet this week, Mr Eustice said he believed the US President would also think the EU is being overly 'bureaucratic'.

'I suspect that any US administration would be amazed if you were to say, for instance, that a sausage from Texas couldn't be sold to California, there would be an outright ban  they really wouldn't understand how that could even be contemplated,' told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman later blasted the EU over the prospect of an import ban on chilled meats.

The spokesman said: There is no case whatsoever for preventing chilled meats from being sold to Northern Ireland and any ban would be contrary to the aims of the protocol and the interests of the people of Northern Ireland.

Earlier this year Britain extended the grace periods on supermarket goods and parcels

Last night sources told the Telegraph there was 'no world' in which the Government would accept a situation that meant British sausages could no longer be imported and sold in Northern Ireland.

One UK official said: 'It is a difficult situation. You look at the current situation in Northern Ireland, in particular with the political calendar, it is coming up to 'marching season'.

'It is not exactly coming at a good time to suddenly  at the start of July  happen and people can't get supplies of chilled meat from Britain.'

Ahead of the gathering in Cornwall, Mr Johnson also discussed the issue in a telephone call on Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Downing Street said that the Prime Minister stressed that 'both the UK and the EU have a responsibility to find solutions to address the issues with the protocol'.
An unmarked police car has been captured on camera stalking a busy intersection before pouncing on an unsuspecting motorist for breaking a simple road rule.

The blue Chrysler 300 SRT police vehicle circled the intersection in Sydney three times until he busted a driver for ignoring a no right turn sign.

'This guy has been waiting like a hawk to get everyone', said the onlooker who filmed the cunning antics.

The highway patrol vehicle first tailed a silver Toyota Corolla hatchback waiting for the driver to do an illegal turn.

Disobeying a no right hand turn sign is punishable by a fine of $272 in New South Wales and the deduction of two demerit points

'Not today d***head', said the onlooker behind the camera a the driver indicates to turn left, forcing the officer to do another loop.

Not to be disappointed, the police car returns to the intersection a second time to pursue a white van.

'They're onto you d***head. Another one got away!', the man behind the camera says, as the driver of the van also turns left.

Finally, the officer's persistence pays off as a driver of a dark grey hatchback disobeys the sign and turns right.

The police vehicle immediately shoots forward and pulls the unlucky motorist over while a caption on the video reads 'Third time lucky, he finally got one'.

Disobeying a no right turn sign is punishable by a fine of $272 in New South Wales and the deduction of two demerit points.

A spokesperson from NSW Police said the vehicle appeared to be an unmarked police car conducting normal traffic duties.

This is not the first time an unmarked police car has caught motorists off guard.

The well-placed undercover vehicle is seen circling a particularly tiresome intersection, waiting for a driver to disobey a no right turn sign

In April 2020, a traffic cop was filmed handing out seven fines in just 45 minutes to Newcastle motorists who didn't come to a complete halt at a stop sign.

Footage from a window overlooking the quiet stretch of road captured the undercover vehicle pursuing and pulling over two cars for not stopping.

The police car could be seen perched metres away from the stop sign and flagging down motorists with its siren when they drove through the intersection.

The operation at the junction of Watt Street and Church Street took place directly in front of the Newcastle Police Station.

Not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign is punishable by a fine of $344 in New South Wales and the deduction of three demerit points.
A teenager who slipped and plummeted 20 metres over a cliff face has described the horrifying fall that left him fighting for life.

Connor Meldrum, 17, shattered his skull and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury after slipping over the edge of a headland in Byron Bay in March 2019.

Then 15, the schoolboy, who loves nature and the environment, ventured out with a friend to explore the bushland surrounding their homes in northern NSW.

But what started as a day of adventure would end in Connor being airlifted to Gold Coast Hospital for emergency surgery and comatose for two weeks.

As the boys walked along Tallow beach, they came across a narrow trail near the Cosy Corner that headed up a steep headland.

The path became more treacherous the further they climbed.

Connor Meldrum (second from the left at the front) was left with a severe brain injury after slipping off a cliff in 2019

'As we got higher and steeper the rock was like shale so it was very slippery and we only had our normal shoes on,' Connor told Facebook community, Humans of Lismore.

'I think I remember grabbing at a piece of rock but the whole rock face came away. I lost my balance and I could not regain it. I went tumbling backwards. I was sliding for a bit so my hands were messed up but as I was falling, on the right side there was a cliff edge and thats where I went over a 15 - 20 metre drop onto rock.'

Laying on the rock, Connor could feel the ocean roaring next to him.

'The sea was coming at me. I was so close to the water which was really dangerous,' he said.

'[I have been told] I was trying to get up. I would have walked into the ocean and been smashed against the rocks.

Up on the headland, Connor's friend desperately tried to climb down to reach him but the rocky cliff was 'impossible' to descend.

Fortunately, two nearby fisherman, Ady Miller and Chris Keevers, saw the teenager fall and hit the ground and rushed to his rescue.

'My Mum says they were my guardian angels,' Connor said.

'That was the luckiest Ive ever been. The fishermen saved me.

The then 15-year-old was walking up a cliff near the Cosy Corner (pictured), in Byron Bay, when he slipped on shale rocks

Paramedics had to winch Connor to safety (pictured) after he landed in on rocks in the ocean

'They held me down while I was struggling and screaming. There was lots of blood as Id hit the left side of my head severely.'

A Westpac rescue helicopter flew to the scene and winched Connor from the hard-to-reach terrain before racing him to Gold Coast Hospital for emergency surgery.

'I was very close to death. Id lost a lot of blood and my skull was just smashed so fragments of bone were sticking into my brain. I was bleeding internally,' Connor said.

At the hospital, doctors made the life-saving decision to let Connor's head swell, as compressing the swelling could have caused him to die from internal bleeding.

After spending two weeks in a coma, it took a further month for the 15-year-old to remember who he was.

He was released home four weeks later, and spent a further two months regularly visiting Brisbane Children's hospital for rehabilitation.

The teenager returned for the third term of Year 10, while relearning how to speak, walk, and write.

But his road to recovery was set back earlier this year when a screw from his skull plate became loose, causing an infection in his brain.

The teen was forced to undergo more gruelling surgeries to have the plate removed, leaving part of his head exposed where the skull is missing.

He now wears a hat with a plate to cover that area of his head, which he said 'is not nearly enough protection'.

Two years on, Connor said his mind has 'blocked' most of the memories of the terrifying experience - but there is one that still haunts him.

Connor pictured with his parents and the Westpac Helicopter crew in October 2019

'I get nightmares about falling,' he said.

'I cant get rid of the falling sensation though because I know what it felt like to fall but I dont remember what it was like to hit the ground.

'When I go to Byron now, Im not fearful about it but what does trigger anxiety is the type of rock that it was..that shale rock makes me nervous and my heart starts racing.

Connor is now happily completing Year 12, but the constant major headaches he suffers as a result of his injuries make it difficult to study fulltime.

He has cut back to studying three units, but has been told he will need to complete his HSC over two years.

The teenager is now fighting for the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) to give special consideration to ill students to allow them to complete Year 12 and graduate with their friends.

A petition launched by his friends calling on NESA to allow Connor to finish school this year has so far attracted 7000 signatures.

Connor is now fighting to finish school at the same time as his friends and has called on the NSW Education Standards Authority to give him special consideration while completing his HSC

Connor and his mother were devastated to learn ill children across the country were being disadvantaged by the government department's policy.

'I was horrified to find out that kids who have cancer or kids going through chemo, NESA doesnt give them any special consideration so they have to repeat a whole year,' Connor said.

'Thats why we are fighting, not just for me but for all those kids whove had severe injuries, cancer or chemo.'

As he strives to reach his dream of specialising in environmental science, ecology and conservation at university, he is asking NESA to help him on his journey.

'My biggest goal is to finish this year. I had goals before my accident... to top a subject but I dont think that will happen no matter what I do. I was a perfectionist and I still am for anything I do,' he said.

'I did not want to come back to school next year. I wouldnt have any of my friends there. I really want to save the environment because its better to save whats still alive than whats already dead.

Please sign the petition.'
A nightclub has sacked two bouncers after footage circulated online showed a woman being hurled to the floor in an angry late-night bust-up.

The clip taken outside Mangos bar in Falmouth, Cornwall, captures a teenager being shoved and placed into a headlock during a brawl with security guards, before her friend is also pushed over.

One of the girls in the footage recalled the incident, claiming the brawl began when they attempted to 'calm down' one of their male friends.

The video accumulated over 1,400 shares after being posted to social media on May 30, with some Facebook users criticising the bouncers' actions.

Mangos has since apologised for the incident and told its security partner that it does not want the two bouncers working for the bar again.

The two teenagers before the incident outside Mangos bar in Falmouth, Cornwall. One of the girls claimed the brawl began when they attempted to 'calm down' a male friend

Footage shows one of the girls being pushed by a security guard and losing her balance as she stumbles backwards.

She springs forward before a second bouncer holds her in a headlock and wrestles her to the ground while surrounded by concerned onlookers.

The first security guard can then be seen knocking over another girl, who attempts to come to the aid of her friend and appears to hit the second bouncer on the back.

One of the teenagers, who wishes to remain anonymous, told Cornwall Live: 'There was a fight and me and my friend went over to calm down one of our boy mates and try to get him out of the situation because we obviously didnt want him fighting.

'The security guards then come over telling us to leave I stepped back onto one of the security guards by accident because he was quite close behind me.'

She added: 'The other guy shoved my friend over so hard after my friend pushed the other guy off me, which could have been seriously dangerous if my friend didnt catch her.'

Mangos has now asked its security partner to provide a female member of door staff for 'as many nights as possible'.

In a statement, the bar said: 'Prior to the incident, the door staff at Mangos had dealt with numerous incidents of fighting and antisocial behaviour in Church Street, none of which involved customers of Mangos or incidents within Mangos.

The teenager springs forward before a second bouncer holds her in a headlock and wrestles her to the ground while surrounded by concerned onlookers.

The first security guard can then be seen knocking over another girl, above, who attempts to come to the aid of her friend and appears to hit the second bouncer on the back

'Mangos would like to sincerely apologise for this incident, we cannot and will not condone the actions of two door staff in the footage and we have informed our Security partner that we do not want them working at Mangos again.

'We have also asked our Security partner to provide a female member of door staff for as many nights as possible, due to current staff shortages this cannot be guaranteed but as soon as we can we will implement this policy.

'We have also downloaded all footage from our CCTV cameras including the body cameras from all door-staff and management. This is available for the police if requested.

'Its been a very difficult year for all of us and we want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable night out.'
Spain opened its borders to all vaccinated travellers on Monday in a bid to salvage its tourism industry that has been battered by the pandemic.

Visitors need proof they were fully vaccinated at least 14 days before the trip or that they have overcome a Covid-19 infection in the past six months.

While British holidaymakers have been able to travel to Spain since the end of May, it remains on the UK's amber list of travel destinations which means Brits must quarantine for ten days when they return.

The UK's Foreign Office responded to Spain's reopening by warning the government's guidance on travel to the country remains the same.

Spain opened its borders to all vaccinated travellers on Monday in a bid to salvage its tourism industry that has been battered by the pandemic. Pictured: Tourists enjoy the beach in Mallorca on Monday

Visitors need proof they were fully vaccinated at least 14 days before the trip or that they overcame a Covid-19 infection in the past six months. Pictured: Tourists sunbathe on Monday in Palma de Mallorca

'We continue to advise against all but essential travel to Spain, including the Balearic Islands, but excluding the Canary Islands,' the Foreign Office said.

The decision to keep Spain on Britain's amber list was 'disappointing', Health Minister Carolina Darias said.

Under Spain's new rules, visitors must carry certificates to show they have been vaccinated.

The vaccines accepted are those approved by Europe's drug regulator  Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson  as well as two Chinese vaccines authorized by the World Health Organization, Sinopharm and Sinovac.

The same documents will be valid for visitors from the European Union until the bloc fully rolls out its 'Digital Green Certificate' as expected on July 1. Spain on Monday joined seven other EU countries already implementing the scheme.

Alfredo Gonzalez, an official in charge of digital health and innovation at Spain's Health Ministry, said the certificate is not a passport but a document that eases mobility across Europe.

'Without the certificate, travel will be possible, but the entry in every country will be slower and controls such as quarantines could apply,' said Gonzalez, adding that all airports had established fast-track channels with technology able to confirm the digital certificates issued by other EU countries.

In Spain, the number of coronavirus cases have dropped to 4,189 cases after a peak in January, while deaths have dropped to around 40.

After peaking in late January at nearly 900 new cases per 100,000 residents in 14 days, Spain's coronavirus contagion indicator has dropped to 115 per 100,000

Tourists arrive at Son Sant Joan airport in Palma de Mallorca on Monday after Spain opened its borders

Beginning Monday, non-vaccinated travelers from the EU's 27 countries could also enter Spain with the negative results of recent coronavirus antigen tests, which are cheaper and faster than PCR tests.

'We're thrilled, delighted. We love Spain, the sun, the food and everything about it,' said Irish holidaymaker Gillian Ford, who flew in from rainy Dublin after being fully vaccinated.

'You only live once so you need to get out and enjoy,' she said before heading off to the beaches of Marbella with her husband Edward.

Under cloudless blue skies on Marbella beach, 20-year-old Irish student Alex Walsh, who took a PCR test before flying, said he felt safe to travel given the number of people being vaccinated.

'I couldn't wait to get here, I'm just very relieved and happy,' he told AFP, saying he was 'sick of being in Ireland' and had flown in from Dublin with a group of friends.

In throwing open its borders, Spain is hoping the influx of visitors will revitalise its all-important tourism sector that has been battered by the pandemic.

But in a setback, many British tourists who love Southern Europe's beaches aren't expected in large numbers yet because they must quarantine upon their return to the U.K.

Holidaymakers travelling to the Government's amber list countries are required to either quarantine at home for ten days or take a PCR test on days two and eight after their arrival to the UK.

Breaking self-isolation could lead to a 10,000 fine, while those who do not take the day 2 and day 8 tests could be fined 2,000 and those who provide incorrect information on their passenger locator forms could be handed a 10,000 penalty or a 10-year jail sentence - or both.

Spain had put several measures in place to lure back British tourists, allowing them to enter freely from late May without needing to show they'd been vaccinated or even present a negative Covid test

The British normally make up the largest contingent of tourists to Spain - in 2019 over one-fifth of Spain's 83.5 million arrivals were from the United Kingdom.

The decision to keep Spain on Britain's amber list was 'disappointing', Health Minister Carolina Darias said.

Spain had put several measures in place to lure back British tourists, allowing them to enter freely from late May without needing to show they'd been vaccinated or even present a negative Covid test.

Against the backdrop of uncertainty, major travel operator TUI has cancelled all its flights to Spain until June 13.

The UK travel list is only up for review towards the end of the month, dealing a further blow to Spain's hospitality sector.

Still, Manchester resident Randolph Sweeting said his holiday on the Spanish island of Mallorca was worth the mandatory self-isolation when he gets home.

'I was here twice last year and when I went home I had to quarantine on my own for two weeks. So it's not a problem for me, I've done it before,' the 68-year-old said at the Palma de Mallorca airport.

Belen Sanmartin, director of the Melia Calvia Beach Hotel in Mallorca, said that the U.K. government's decision to keep Spain in its list of higher-risk territories was hard to understand in the Balearic Islands, where the infection rate is lower than in Britain.

'It has been a big disappointment, because we were ready to receive visitors from the British market,' Sanmartin said, adding that bookings in her hotel were slowly picking up, thanks to Spanish mainlanders and German and French tourists.

In another move to boost tourism, Spanish ports opened to cruise ships on Monday, nearly 15 months after they were banned.

Heavily dependent on tourism, Spain saw its economy contract by a sharp 10.8 percent in 2020, one of the worst performers in the eurozone, its key tourism sector battered by the pandemic travel restrictions.

In another move to boost tourism, Spanish ports opened to cruise ships on Monday, nearly 15 months after they were banned

But this year, Spain - the world's second-most popular destination after France - has said it is expecting to welcome 45 million travellers.

By the end of April, the country had only counted 1.8 million visitors, official statistics show, although those in the tourism sector are confident that the numbers will surge over the summer.

Jose Luis Prieto, president of Spain's travel agents' union (Unav) is hoping for a 'spectacular recovery' after a punishing year.

In recent weeks, tour operators in Britain, France and Germany - Spain's three main markets - had been receiving many enquiries, he said.

Tourism is a major industry that in 2019 accounted for over 12 per cent of Spain's GDP.

After months of closures, hotels and restaurants from the Costa del Sol to the Canary Islands have been reopening, and airlines have resumed flights to routes that were dropped at the height of the pandemic.

Spain also opened its ports to international cruise ships on Monday, ending a ban first put in place in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic.

After peaking in late January at nearly 900 new cases per 100,000 residents in 14 days, Spain's coronavirus contagion indicator has dropped to 115 per 100,000.

Spain has recorded over 80,000 COVID-19 deaths in the pandemic.
A former head of the Civil Service was today accused of cheerleading for a financier at the heart of a Downing Street lobbying row.

Former ministers and mandarins attempted to lay blame on the late Lord Heywood today, saying he recommended Lex Greensill for jobs within Government and backed them to take jobs with his firm Greensill Capital - even while still on the public payroll.

A Commons committee heard today that Mr Heywood, who died from cancer in 2018, said Greensill was 'a man of the highest integrity' and claimed his firm could help with Government cost-cutting.

Mr Greensill is embroiled in a row over lobbying involving former prime minister David Cameron, and the Downing Street access given to private firms.

His company was involved in supply-chain finance, which ensures that suppliers get paid more rapidly by their customers than normal.

It emerged earlier this year that he was handed a job as a Crown Representative in 2014, even boasting his own No10 business cards and email address, while running the firm.

Both Francis Maude, the former Cabinet Office minister, and Bill Crothers, who worked for Greensill and the Civil Service, told MPs today how Heywood praised the financier.

Mr Crothers told MPs today that his 2015 move to work part-time as the Government's chief procurement officer while also working as an adviser to and then a board member of Greensill was approved by Mr Heywood.

'When I went to see Jeremy to take his advice, I was taking his advice about whether I should go on the board of Greensill Capital,' he told the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC)

'And he was extremely positive. Indeed he said to me that Lex Greensill was a man of the highest integrity and he was supportive of me joining Greensill Capital's board.

A Commons committee heard today that Mr Heywood, who died from cancer in 2018, said Greensill was 'a man of the highest integrity' and claimed his firm could help with Government cost-cutting.

Lex Greensill had access to the heard of Government, including a No10 business card and email address

Bill Crothers, who worked for Greensill and the Civil Service simultaneously, told MPs today how Heywood praised the financier

Francis Maude, said Jeremy Hayward, the late Civil Service chief, introduced him to Lex Greensill - but that he thought his ideas 'didn't stack up'.

'You can imagine the high regard that Jeremy was held in by all including myself ... that was clearly an influence in me deciding to join Greensill Capital and to become a director.

'Indeed that endorsement from Jeremy was so strong that I have mentioned it to many people over the years when I have talked about me joining Greensill Capital.'

Mr Crothers also said that Heywood 'made it clear' he wanted 'impressive character' Greensill made a Crown Representative in 2014, by which time he was already an adviser in No10.

Crothers made the appointment and the following year went to work for Greensill. But he insisted today that 'no conflict happened' because the firm wasn't selling its products to the government at the time.

Mr Crothers began advising Greensill in September 2015 but remained in his Civil Service role until November that year, after which he carried on working for the financial services firm.

The businessman told MPs: 'My intention was to completely follow the rules, in spirit and in form. I was transparent in all that I did and no conflict happened.'

Mr Crothers, who had a long career at Accenture before moving to Whitehall, said it was always his intention to return to the private sector and that he had expressed this to colleagues.

He said that after eight years in the Civil Service, his initial plan was to leave the position of chief commercial officer and immediately contract back as an adviser, while becoming an adviser with Greensill.

But Mr Crothers said that the Whitehall ethics chief at the time, Sue Gray, advised that it would be more appropriate instead to become a part-time civil servant while taking on the Greensill role.

'In the press, the phrase 'double-hatting' has been used, and I just feel that is not appropriate - this was a transitional arrangement,' he told MPs.

Mr Crothers said that at the time, Greensill did not have any public sector work and that his responsibilities in the Civil Service were amended after taking on the position at the private firm.

Mr Greensill is embroiled in a row over lobbying involving former prime minister David Cameron, and the Downing Street access given to private firms.

Sir Jeremy, later Lord Heywood, was Cabinet Secretary and head of the Civil Service under Mr Cameron and Theresa May, before passing away in 2018 at the age of 56.

Greensill Capital collapsed earlier this year and its relationship to David Cameron, the former prime minister who lobbied senior serving ministers for the firm, has been thrown into the limelight.

Details have emerged of the previously unknown links between the firm and government when Mr Cameron was in No10, with financier Lex Greensill even given Downing Street business cards.

The company's main business was so-called supply-chain finance, which ensures that suppliers get paid more rapidly by their customers than normal.

Greensill would pay suppliers directly, and then collect the money later from the customer. It made its money by charging a fee that offset the risk of the customer going bust before it could pay.

Francis Maude, who was tasked with public sector cost-cutting by Mr Cameron when he led the Coalition government, said Jeremy Heywood, the late Civil Service chief introduced him - but that he thought his ideas 'didn't stack up'.

Lord Maude, who was Cabinet Office Minister between 2010 and 2015, told the committee today that Heywood told him Greensill would help his remit to cut Government costs in the shadow of the 2008 financial crash

'Jeremy said ''this is a very clever guy who is going to help you save a lot of money'',' the former minister told MPs today.

Sir John Manzoni told PACAC today that there was no conflict of interest in allowing chief procurement officer Bill Crothers to job share.

'I didn't get it. I didn't see how this (supply chain finance) was something that was going to be useful for us.

'I didn't see how Jeremy's claim that this would save the Government a lot of money stacked up. No one can provide finance more cheaply than a triple-A rated government.'

A series of investigations have been launched into the role Mr Cameron played in securing Whitehall access for Lex Greensill, whose firm Greensill Capital collapsed earlier this year, putting thousands of jobs at risk, particularly in the steel sector.

Earlier this year it emerged Mr Cameron sent text messages to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak and other top ministers at the Treasury, top figures at the bank of England ans senior civil servants as he sought to gain access to Government-backed coronavirus loans for his employer Greensill.

Meanwhile a former Civil Service chief executive defended a decision to allow a senior civil servant to work part time for Greensill while in the heart of Government.

Sir John Manzoni told PACAC today that there was no conflict of interest in allowing chief procurement officer Bill Crothers to job share.

Between September to November 2015, he worked as an adviser to Greensill Capital while still on the government payroll as chief procurement officer.

Sir John told MPs that the situation has been approved by Whitehall ethics chief Sue Gray at the time and that at the time Greensill had no public sector work.

'It's easy to say ''well it's absolutely outrageous.'' It didn't appear outrageous at the time and I don't think it was supposed to be outrageous,' he told MPs.

Financial documents show that in 2019 Mr Crothers owned 3,653 shares in now-collapsed Greensill, which were worth 1,570 each.

It meant his stake in the company would have been valued at 5.7million, had the lending business not cratered into administration, rendering all shares worthless.

Mr Crothers had a long career at Accenture before joining the civil service. Since leaving he has declared other posts to ACOBA, including advising Green Park and technology firm Salesforce.com.
A business owner is calling on Australia Post customers to make a change in the way they send packages to be more inclusive to First Nation's peoples.

Amelia Rose, from Sydney, told her TikTok followers to include traditional Indigenous place names when sending a parcel in a bid to kickstart systematic change and educate non-Indigenous Australians about their traditional land owners.

The suggestion was met with a wave of support from social media users who called the simple idea 'brilliant'.

But there were some who disagreed and said the 'white and performative' measure is only going to be seen 'by you and the postie'.

A business owner is calling on Australia Post customers to make a change in the way we send packages, so it's more inclusive to First Nation's peoples

Ms Rose explained in her popular video that Aboriginal woman Rachael McPhail, started the push last year and successfully petitioned Australia Post to include traditional place names in their mailing address databases.

While Australia Post now has an official policy which asks senders to include the Indigenous country name in the second address line, the extra step is rarely utilised by customers.

'At my website, I specifically have a traditional owners subject line,' Ms Rose said.

'This makes it way easier for you guys to pop your address in there with no issues at all.'

She said a quick google search will tell you who your traditional owners are, otherwise use the second subject line.

'OMG! I Love this! I have a small business based in Perth, I definitely will start doing this too!' one TikTok user said.

Other's called the idea 'deadly' and 'super cool'.

One follower pointed out that the same concept is regularly practiced in Ireland with town signs and postal addresses including traditional Gaelic names.

'It makes people more aware of the native language,' the woman said.

Amelia Rose (pictured) told her army of TikTok followers to include traditional Indigenous place names when sending a parcel in a bid to kickstart systematic change and educate non-Indigenous Australians about their traditional land owners

Ms Rose (pictured) explained in her popular video that Aboriginal woman Rachael McPhail, started the push last year and successfully petitioned Australia Post to include traditional place names in their mailing address databases

But not everyone thought Ms Rose's postal suggestion was a good one.

'Indigenous people don't do this because it's pointless,' one person commented.

'Almost all of (the postal service) is automated. So Most of the time the only people who see this are you and the postie,'

'This is very white and performative this does nothing for land ownership. It's literally to fuel your own sense of self righteousness.

But Ms Rose, who is of Indigenous descent, promptly hit back saying even if few see it, it's worth it to help people understand who their traditional owners are.

'We have to make moves together, not everything is going to be massive, but all the little steps count,' she said.
Las Vegas police are hunting for the mother of a seven-year-old boy who was found murdered and dumped on a hiking trail.

Liam Husted from San Jose, California was found dead 10 days ago near a highway, and until now had not been identified.

Police released digitally enhanced images of the boy in a bid to identify him.

Within hours they had his name and his mother - 35-year-old Samantha Moreno Rodriguez - was being sought on a murder warrant in Las Vegas, Las Vegas police Lt. Ray Spencer said.

She was last seen on May 31 alone at a Denver-area hotel, but she was previously seen with her son on May 26 - two days before Liam was found dead.

Spencer said it was clear the boy was killed, but did not say how Liam had died.

He described what he called a 'heartbreaking conversation' with the boy's father, and said he is not a suspect in his killing.

'There's a lot of moving parts to this investigation,' the homicide lieutenant told reporters. 'It is extremely active and ongoing,' he said, but did not indicate why the thought Rodriguez may have killed Liam.

'Theres nothing that would indicate any prior abuse that were aware of,' he said.

Left: A photo provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department of Samantha Moreno Rodriguez. Rodriguez is now sought on a murder warrant in Las Vegas and is suspected of killing her seven-year old son Liam Husted (right) whose body was found near a highway outside Las Vegas 10 days ago

The mother and son left San Jose on May 24 driving a dark blue 2007 Dodge Caliber sedan with the back seat packed full of belongings, Spencer said.

A family friend told San Jose police on Friday that she had not seen Rodriguez or Liam in more than a week, and she recognized the boy from a rendering that was prepared by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and distributed by the media.

Liam and Rodriguez were seen on May 26 in Laguna Beach, California, and Victorville, California, an Interstate 15 city about 190 miles southwest of Las Vegas, Spencer said.

Pictured: Artist's renderings created by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and distributed Thursday, June 3, 2021, by the FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department depict a slain boy, who was later identified as Liam Husted from San Jose

Liam's body was found shortly after dawn May 28 behind a bush at a trailhead off the main highway between Las Vegas and rural Pahrump.

He became the focus of an intense public campaign that on Thursday included an offer from the FBI of up to $10,000 for information to identify him and his assailant.

Spencer did not say if anyone became eligible for the reward, and no FBI official spoke on Monday with reporters.

Police are still trying to determine where the mother and boy stayed on May 26, Spencer said.

Police believe the body was left near State Route 160 after dark May 27.

Pictured: A grab from a Fox 2 news report showing the site where the boy was found, and flowers people have left for him

Liam's body was found by hikers behind a bush on Mountain Springs Trailhead between Las Vegas and Pahrump, Nevada. The police official had said it was clear the boy was killed, but did not say on Monday how Liam had died

'I was just shaken,' said Shawna Burke, 63, who lives close to where the body was found, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal . 'Nothing ever happens up here.'

Before Liam was identified, authorities released digitally enhanced images of an unidentified boy, developed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children - based on images shared by the medical examiner.

They were released on Thursday, June 3, along with news of a $10,000 reward for anyone with information pointing to the boy's identity.

The renderings painted a vivid picture of an eight-to-10-year-old Hispanic boy dubbed John 'Little Zion' Doe, who was later learned to be Liam Husted.

The boy's body was spotted at around 7.30am on May 28 by a group of hikers on Mountain Springs Trailhead, near mile marker 20 off State Route 160 between the cities of Las Vegas and Pahrump.

The Las Vegas Metro Police Department and the FBI's Las Vegas division say the child was a victim of homicide.

They believe the body was found within 24 hours of his death.

'I was just shaken,' said Shawna Burke, 63, who lives close to where the body was found, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. 'Nothing ever happens up here.'

Pictured: The mother and son left San Jose on May 24 driving a dark blue 2007 Dodge Caliber sedan with the back seat packed full of belongings

The FBI and the LVMPD both say the child was a victim of homicide. They believe he was found within 24 hours of his death. Rodriguez is now sought on a murder warrant in Las Vegas, Lt. Ray Spencer said

The images were created on Adobe Photoshop, and authorities said they hoped they would identify the boy sooner thanks to the stark details drawn by the artists.

Colin McNally, the supervisor for the imaging unit at the NCMEC, told Las Vegas station KVVU that the images 'open up the eyes, sort of clean up the tissue damage, (and) change the perspective of the image so that its turned upright'.

'These images are really important to make sure were capturing what this child wouldve looked like - it's not just creating a face to put out with the case, but making this truly specific to this child based on the image that we have ... to go along with the case information in the hopes that someone will recognize him and give the child his name back,' McNally said.
A South African woman claims to have given birth to ten children in what would be the world's largest ever live birth if confirmed by doctors.

Gosiame Thamara Sithole, 37, who is already a mother of twins, gave birth to seven boys and three girls by Caesarean section at a hospital in Pretoria late Monday, her husband said.

However, the South African government has said it has yet to find any record of the birth.

Government communications department director-general Phumla Williams asked the public and tagged IOL in a tweet asking for more information.

'We need to verify this story and provide assistance where needed.'

Mzwandile Masina, Mayor of Ekurhuleni, where the couple are reported to reside, also said they tried to find out where the family was, to no success.

Tebogo Tsotetsi - who is currently unemployed - told journalists of the birth of the decuplets late on Monday night, saying he is 'happy' and 'emotional'.

It comes just a month after a Malian woman - Halima Cisse - gave birth to nine children at a hospital in Morocco, in a case thought to have been caused by fertility treatment.

Gosiame Thamara Sithole, 37, claims to have given birth to ten children in what would be the world's largest live birth, if confirmed by doctors

The decuplet birth was revealed late Monday by Sithole's husband Tebogo Tsotetsi (right), who claimed she had given birth to seven boys and three girls

MailOnline has been unable to independently verify the birth, because the name of the hospital where it took place has not been made public.

Speaking to the Pretoria News on Monday night, Tsotetsi said: 'It's seven boys and three girls. She was seven months and seven days pregnant.

'I am happy. I am emotional. I can't talk much.'

In an interview with the same newspaper before the alleged birth, Sithole - who is a store manager - said doctors initially told her that she was pregnant with six children.

But that was increased to eight following a later scan. It was only while undergoing surgery that the other two babies were discovered, they said.

Sithole said she suffered through the complicated pregnancy, experiencing morning sickness early on followed later by pain in her leg.

Meanwhile Tsotetsi revealed that he initially could not believe his wife with pregnant with six children, thinking it was medically impossible.

'But after I found out that these things do happen, and saw my wife's medical records, I got excited. I can't wait to have them in my arms,' he said at the time.

The condition of the children following the birth was not made clear by Pretoria News, which was the first to report the case.

Children of such extreme multiple pregnancies are almost always born under-weight and can often be malnourished as the mother's body struggles to provide nutrients for so many infants.

Cases of infant mortality are also not uncommon following large multiple births.

Sithole's case comes just a month after the world's first live nonuplets were born in Morocco to Malian woman Halima Cisse.

Cisse, 25, from Timbuktu, was taken to hospital in the Malian capital of Bamako in March to be kept under observation before being flown to Morocco to be cared for at a specialist hospital after the country's president intervened.

Halima Cisse (right) and husband Kader Arby (left) welcomed five girls and four boys on May 4 after a pregnancy that is thought to have been the result of fertility treatments

Cisse's children are still being cared for at a specialist hospital in Morocco more than a month after their birth (pictured) after they were born premature and malnourished

The children - five girls and four boys - were then delivered by a team of 10 doctors and 25 nurses via Caesarean on May 4, in a complicated operation that almost caused Cisse to die of blood loss.

Doctors later revealed the babies were born significantly underweight and had 'deficiencies in everything', but are now in a stable condition.

As of last week, the children were still being cared for around the clock in Morocco with doctors saying their weight has increased significantly.

But medics said they will still need to be kept under observation for at least another six weeks before they can consider sending them home.

Cisse is thought to be staying nearby after coming out of intensive care, where she was recovering from a ruptured artery during the birth.

Ms Cisse's pregnancy was just the third reported instance of nonuplets in history.

The first recorded case of nonuplets came in Sydney in the 1970s, although sadly none of the babies survived, according to The Independent.

In March 1999, a set of nonuplets was born in Malaysia to a woman named Zurina Mat Saad, though none of them survived for more than six hours.

In January 2009, Nadya Suleman - dubbed Octomum - gave birth to octuplets including six boys and two girls at a hospital in California.

All survived the birth, and recently celebrated their 12th birthdays.

Ms Suleman is still the official world record holder for the largest live birth.

The babies were a result of IVF treatment, and were nine weeks premature when they were delivered via c-section.
A tradesman asked his best mate why he had to leave a raging house party just moments before the man stabbed him to death.

Rian Farrell, 23, stabbed his childhood friend Liam Cahill, 22, in the chest while celebrating his girlfriend's birthday at a high-rise apartment in Docklands, Melbourne in May last year.

The men, both apprentice plumbers, had grown up together, and were friends through primary and high school and into their working lives.

An altercation kicked off after Mr Cahill punched another party-goer, prompting Farrell to ask him to leave.

Rian Farrell, 23, (pictured) stabbed his childhood friend Liam Cahill, 22, in the chest while celebrating his girlfriend's birthday at a high-rise apartment in Docklands, Melbourne in May last year

When Mr Cahill refused to go home, a fight began between the pair and ended in Farrell grabbing a kitchen knife and plunging it into his best friend.

'My life's f***ed. I'm going to jail. Please sir can I have a cigarette?' Farrell asked police after the stabbing.

'This isn't happening,' he said.

Before the fatal attack, Mr Cahill had asked Farrell 'You're my best friend, why do I have to leave?'.

The 20cm blade went deep into Mr Cahill's chest, piercing his heart and a lung.

During the incident, one of the girls who'd been at the party screamed 'no' and another saw a spray of blood on the wall.

Mr Cahill had been caught in a fight with Farrell before he was stabbed in his heart and lung Pictured: Liam Cahill (left) with close friend Macayla Dickson (right)

Mr Cahill turned and left the apartment before he collapsed in the hallway and died.

Farrell then called two friends telling them what he'd done before going into the hallway where he screamed 'no, wake up'.

'Please don't die. It can't be true,' he said.

Farrell had climbed down two storeys before breaking into another apartment on the 13th floor to get back onto the ground where he was caught by police.

He told police at the scene that Mr Cahill was his best mate and he wanted to know if he'd be alright.

He said he had killed Mr Cahill but he hadn't meant it, before asking the officer how long he'd spend in jail for manslaughter.

Liam Cahill (pictured left) a popular young apprentice plumber from Pascoe Vale, Melbourne. His father Timothy said he would never forgive his son's best friend for his 'despicable act of betrayal'

Supreme Court Justice Jane Dixon will answer that question when she sentences Farrell, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Farrell was initially charged with murder. He has already spent a year in custody.

In a statement, Farrell's father Barry offered condolences to the Cahill family and said they would do anything to give them back their son.

Farrell's defence said he had been suffering nightmares since the attack and 'can hear his friend screaming and see blood on the walls', news.com.au reported.

He also said Farrell had acted in 'excessive self-defence'.

Mr Cahill's father Timothy said he would never forgive his son's best friend for his 'despicable act of betrayal'.
Capitol Police and intelligence agencies including the FBI knew Trump supporters were threatening to storm the Capitol and wanted to target Democrat lawmakers weeks before January 6, but didn't act, a bipartisan Senate Report has revealed.

Law enforcement was aware of a plot to breach the Capitol, that maps of the building's tunnel system had been shared online, and that supporters were planning to bring guns to D.C., but failed to act or share information with uniformed cops.

The report noted that Trump encouraged his supporters to go to the Capitol to protest and a copy of his speech was added to the report, but it did not mention if he had a direct role in the attack. It also did not refer to the riot as an insurrection.

The investigation also stated that seven people - including three police officers - 'ultimately lost their lives'. Officer Brian Sicknick died of natural causes from a stroke and Jeffrey Smith and Howard Liebengood killed themselves. The Senators also state that Sicknick was hit with 'bear spray', an allegation prosecutors have already dismissed and said it was pepper spray.

One comment seen on a pro-Trump website by intelligence agencies before January 6 read 'this is do or die. Bring your guns'.

'If they [cops] don't show up, we enter the Capitol as the Third Continental Congress and certify the Trump Electors,' another comment on the site read.

The 127-page report, released on Tuesday morning, also said Capitol Police were heavily compromised by multiple failures - poor planning, faulty equipment and a lack of leadership - during the attack.

The force's leadership 'broke down' once protesters had breached the Capitol, it said. Senior police were fighting instead of giving orders and left officers on the front lines without direction.

One officer said police felt 'betrayed' by their leadership. 'We were ill prepared. We were NOT informed with intelligence', they said.

The report also revealed:

Capitol Police failed to share intelligence that maps of the Capitol's tunnel system had been posted online

FBI and Department of Homeland Security dismissed evidence they were given as not credible enough to be deemed intelligence

Capitol Police board members did not fully understand the procedures to request assistance from other agencies or declare an emergency

Police officers were not fully informed of the threat level on January 6 and some were left to fend off protesters without riot gear or helmets as the equipment was locked in a bus nearby

The Department of Defense's response to the riot was informed by criticism that police were too heavy handed during civil unrest following the killing of George Floyd

National Guardsmen did not arrive on site until nearly three hours after they were requested

Capitol Police and intelligence agencies including the FBI knew Trump supporters were threatening to storm the Capitol and wanted to target Democrat lawmakers weeks before January 6, but didn't act, a bipartisan Senate Report has revealed

Hundreds of Donald Trump supporters breached the Capitol building on January 6 after FBI and Department of Homeland Security dismissed evidence there would be a riot as not credible enough to be deemed intelligence

'BRING GUNS. IT'S NOW OR NEVER': THE ONLINE THREATS IGNORED BEFORE JANUARY 6 'There are tunnels connected to the Capitol Building! Legislators use them to avoid press, among other things! Take note'

'Forget the tunnels. Get into Capitol Building, stand outside congress. Be in the room next to them. They wont have time [to] run if they play dumb.'

'Deploy Capitol Police to restrict movement. Anyone going armed needs to be mentally prepared to draw down on LEOs. Let them shoot first, but make sure they know what happens if they do.'

'If they don't show up, we enter the Capitol as the Third Continental Congress and certify the Trump Electors.'

'Bring guns. It's now or never.'

'If a million patriots who up bristling with AR's, just how brave do you think they'll be when it comes to enforcing their unconstitutional laws? Don't cuck out. This is do or die. Bring your guns.'

'Surround every building with a tunnel entrance/exit. They better dig a tunnel all the way to China if they want to escape. Advertisement

More than 130 defendants have been charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding officers or employee. Forty of those have been using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.

'Three officers lost their lives following the attack,' the new Senate report added.

'USCP Officer Brian Sicknick, a 13-year veteran and member of the First Responder Unit, was stationed on the West Front of the Capitol, where rioters attacked him with bear spray. Officer Sicknick passed away at 9:30 p.m. on January 7.

'Officer Howard Liebengood, a 16-year veteran of USCP, died on January 9. Officer Jeffrey Smith, a 12-year veteran of MPD, died on January 15.'

THREATS IGNORED ON PRO-TRUMP WEBSITES IN THE WEEKS BEFORE JANUARY 6

A pro-Trump website, which is not named in the report, featured posts calling for protesters to surround the Capitol and be prepared to drag down police.

Maps of the tunnel system around the Capitol and calls to bring guns on January 6 were also shared online, but weren't acted on.

'A key contributing factor to the tragic events of January 6 was the failure of the Intelligence Community to properly analyze, assess, and disseminate information to law enforcement regarding the potential for violence and the known threats to the Capitol and the Members present that day,' the report said.

Responding to the report, the United States Capitol Police said it 'agrees improvements are needed specific to intelligence analysis and dissemination'.

But the force defended its failure to act on intelligence because 'at no point prior to the 6th did [police] receive actionable intelligence about a large-scale attack.'

'Neither the USCP, nor the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Metropolitan Police or our other law enforcement partners knew thousands of rioters were planning to attack the U.S. Capitol. The known intelligence simply didn't support that conclusion', it said.

Chad Thomas, a Capitol Police official who oversaw most of the force's uniformed officers resigned on Monday ahead of the report's release.

Both the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, heavily criticized in the report, have defended their actions.

The Senate report was a bipartisan review of the riots which interrupted the certification of President Joe Biden's victory on January 6.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN THAT LEFT COPS TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES - AND THEIR PLEAS FOR HELP

The report includes new details about the police officers on the front lines who suffered chemical burns, brain injuries and broken bones and who told senators that they were left with no direction when command systems broke down.

'USCP leadership never took control of the radio system to communicate orders to front-line officers,' the investigation found.

'I was horrified that NO deputy chief or above was on the radio or helping us,' one officer told the committee in an anonymous statement.

The 127-page report, released on Tuesday morning, also said Capitol Police were heavily compromised by multiple failures - poor planning, faulty equipment and a lack of leadership - during the attack

Pro-Trump protesters managed to get inside the Capitol, forcing Senators into a lockdown and police officers to fend off demonstrators without riot gear or helmets on January 6. The Senate report was a bipartisan review of how hundreds of former President Donald Trump's supporters were able to violently push past security lines and break into the Capitol on January 6

National Guard troops eventually responded to the unfolding crisis but it was not until 5.20pm - hours after it began, sparking condemnation from Senators in Monday's report

United States Capitol Police Response to the U.S. Senate Capitol Attack Report The Capitol Police issued the following statement in response to the Capitol Attack Report by the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Government Affairs and the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules. The USCP appreciates and welcomes the analysis conducted by the Senate committees. As a consumer of federal intelligence, the Department leadership agrees improvements are needed specific to intelligence analysis and dissemination. Law enforcement agencies across the country rely on intelligence, and the quality of that intelligence can mean the difference between life and death. The USCP also acknowledges it must improve how it collects and shares intelligence with its own officers and stakeholders and has made significant changes since the attack on January 6. The Department has also made major changes to its now Department-wide operations planning processes, even recently bringing on a National Special Security Event planning and coordination expert from the United States Secret Service. Before January 6, the Capitol Police leadership knew Congress and the Capitol grounds were to be the focus of a large demonstration attracting various groups, including some encouraging violence. Based on this information, the Department enhanced its security posture and tried to get support from the National Guard. What the intelligence didn't reveal, as Acting Chief Pittman has noted, was the large-scale demonstration would become a large-scale attack on the Capitol Building as there was no specific, credible intelligence about such an attack. The USCP consumes intelligence from every federal agency. At no point prior to the 6th did it receive actionable intelligence about a large-scale attack. Neither the USCP, nor the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Metropolitan Police or our other law enforcement partners knew thousands of rioters were planning to attack the U.S. Capitol. The known intelligence simply didn't support that conclusion. Advertisement

'For hours the screams on the radio were horrific(,) the sights were unimaginable and there was a complete loss of control. ... For hours NO Chief or above took command and control. Officers were begging and pleading for help for medical triage.'

Acting Chief of Police Yogananda Pittman, who replaced Sund after his resignation, told the committees that the lack of communication resulted from 'incident commanders being overwhelmed and engaging with rioters, rather than issuing orders over the radio.'

The committee's interviews with police officers detail what one officer told them was 'absolutely brutal' abuse from Trump's supporters as they ran over them and broke into the building.

They described hearing racial slurs and seeing Nazi salutes.

One officer trying to evacuate the Senate said he had stopped several men in full tactical gear who said 'You better get out of our way, boy, or we'll go through you to get [the Senators].'

The insurrectionists told police officers they would kill them, and then the members of Congress. One officer said he had a 'tangible fear' that he might not make it home alive.

Another officer told the Senate police had 'frozen cans and bottles, rebar from the construction, bricks, liquids, pepper spray, bear spray, sticks of various widths, pipes, bats' thrown at them during the riot.

At the same time, the senators acknowledged the officers' bravery, noting that one officer told them, 'The officers inside all behaved admirably and heroically and, even outnumbered, went on the offensive and took the Capitol back.'

It recommends immediate changes to give the Capitol Police chief more authority, to provide better planning and equipment for law enforcement and to streamline intelligence gathering among federal agencies.

The United States Capitol Police (USCP) responded to the report saying it 'welcomes the analysis' and that it 'acknowledges it must improve how it collects and shares intelligence with its own officers and stakeholders'.

'Law enforcement agencies across the country rely on intelligence, and the quality of that intelligence can mean the difference between life and death.'

The USCP said it had made 'major changes' to the department since the attack including bringing in a National Special Event planning and coordination expert from the United States Secret Service.

The report, a product of three months of investigation, includes 20 recommendations including changes to intelligence handling and allowing the Capitol Police chief to unilaterally call for emergency back up.

The Capitol cops were drastically outnumbered and quickly overpowered by the crowd which, at one time, was estimated to be as large as 10,000, after bosses failed to make proper staffing plans for the certification of election results

The report finds that the Pentagon spent hours 'mission planning' and seeking multiple layers of approvals as Capitol Police were being overwhelmed and brutally beaten by the rioters

Timeline of Capitol riot 12pm: Trump tells fans at rally 'I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard' 12.53pm Unruly crowd starts to overpower police at the Capitol. Trump is still speaking 1.45pm: Crowd overpowers Capitol police 2.13pm Pence is evacuated from the Senate chamber 2.24pm Trump tweets Pence 'didn't have the courage' not to certify the vote 3.13pm: Trump tweets telling people to 'remain peaceful'. By now, they are inside the Capitol and rioter Ashli Babbitt has been shot dead 3.19pm: Pelosi and Schumer call the Pentagon 3.44pm: Schumer begs Pentagon officials to tell Trump to tell the rioters to go home 4.06pm: Pence calls the Pentagon, telling them to 'clear the Capitol' 4.17pm: Trump releases a video telling rioters to go home peacefully and saying 'go home, you're very special, we love you' 4.30pm: Military plan is 'finalized' but still no troops on ground 5.20pm: First National Guard troops arrive 8pm: Capitol is declared secure Advertisement

As a bipartisan effort, the report does not delve into the root causes of the attack, including Trump's role as he called for his supporters to 'fight like hell' to overturn his election defeat that day. It notably does not call the attack an insurrection.

HOW THE NATIONAL GUARD WAS DELAYED FOR HOURS BY BUREAUCRACY

The Senate report recounts how the Guard was delayed for hours on January 6 as officials in multiple agencies took bureaucratic steps to release the troops.

It details hours of calls between officials in the Capitol and the Pentagon and as the then-chief of the Capitol Police, Steven Sund, desperately begged for help.

It finds that the Pentagon spent hours 'mission planning' and seeking multiple layers of approvals as Capitol Police were being overwhelmed and brutally beaten by the rioters.

It also states that the Defense Department's response was 'informed by criticism' of its heavy-handed response to protests in the summer of 2020 after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police.

The senators are heavily critical of the Capitol Police Board, a three-member panel that includes the heads of security for the House and Senate and the Architect of the Capitol.

The board is now required to approve requests by the police chief, even in urgent situations.

SENATE ON THE CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE BY CAPITOL POLICE

The report recommends that its members 'regularly review the policies and procedures' after senators found that none of the board members on January 6 understood their own authority or could detail the statutory requirements for requesting National Guard assistance.

Two of the three members of the board, the House and Senate sergeants at arms, were pushed out in the days after the attack. Sund also resigned under pressure.

The screams on the radio were horrific, the sights were unimaginable, and there was a complete loss of control

Congress needs to change the law and give the police chief more authority 'immediately,' Minnesota Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said.

The report recommends a consolidated intelligence unit within the Capitol Police after widespread failures from multiple agencies that did not predict the attack even though insurrectionists were planning it openly on the internet.

In a response to the report, the Capitol Police acknowledged the need for improvements, some of which they said they are already making.

'Law enforcement agencies across the country rely on intelligence, and the quality of that intelligence can mean the difference between life and death,' the statement said.

The force's incident command system 'broke down during the attack,' leaving officers on the front lines without orders.

The force's incident command system 'broke down during the attack,' leaving officers on the front lines without orders as hundreds of protesters descended on the Capitol. Police try to fend off pro-Trump protesters outside the Capitol building on January 6 after officials failed to act on intelligence showing there would be violent riots, a Senators report revealed on Monday

Recommendations from the Senate report Capitol Police Board - Empower the Chief of the USCP to request assistance from the D.C. National Guard in emergency situations - Document and streamline Board policies and procedures for submitting, reviewing, and approving requests from USCP to ensure coordination among all members of the Board - Ensure the Board is appropriately balancing the need to share information with officials with the need to protect sensitive and classified information - Appoint a new Chief of the Capitol Police with appropriate input from USCP officers, congressional leadership, and the committees of jurisdiction U.S. Capitol Police - Ensure USCP has sufficient civilian and sworn personnel, with appropriate training and equipment, in the roles necessary to fulfil its mission - Require a department-wide operational plan for special events - Establish the Civil Disturbance Unit (CDU) as a formal, permanent component of the USCP and ensure that its dedicated officers are properly trained and equipped at all times - Consolidate and elevate all USCP intelligence units into an Intelligence Bureau, led by a civilian Director of Intelligence reporting to the Assistant Chief of Police for Protective and Intelligence Operations; ensure the Bureau is adequately staffed and all agents and analysts are properly trained to receive and analyze intelligence information; and develop policies to disseminate intelligence information to leadership and rank-and-file officers effectively - Update its Incident Command System Directive to address how Incident Commanders are to communicate priorities, strategies, tactics, and threat assessment to front-line officers prior to and during an incident and ensure that the Directive is followed Intelligence Agencies - Review and evaluate handling of open-source information, such as social media, containing threats of violence - Review and evaluate criteria for issuing and communicating intelligence assessments, bulletins, and other products to consumer agencies, such as the Capitol Police - Fully comply with statutory reporting requirements to Congress on domestic terrorism data, including on the threat level and the resources dedicated to countering the threat Department of Defense and D.C. National Guard - Develop standing 'concept of operation' scenarios and contingency plans for responding quickly to civil disturbance and terrorism incidents - Enhance communications prior to and during an event between DOD and DCNG strategic, operational, and tactical decision-makers and commanding generals - Practice for the mobilization of additional National Guard members from neighboring jurisdictions to provide immediate assistance and report to command and control in the event of an emergency - For special events in which a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) is approved, consider proximity and response, among other factors, when deciding where to stage the QRF to ensure the ability to quickly respond to incidents at the Capitol - Clarify the approval processes and chain of command within DOD to prevent delays in authorizing the deployment of the DCNG when authorized Law enforcement and uniformed services in the national capital region - Ensure that Mutual Aid Agreements among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies include all partners in the National Capital Region and that those agreements are regularly reviewed and updated - Conduct joint training exercises to ensure coordination across federal, state, and local governments concerning security threats in the Washington, D.C. area for requesting, receiving, and utilizing emergency assistance House and Senate Sergeants-At-Arms - Develop protocols for communicating with Members of Congress, staff, and other employees during emergencies Advertisement

Republicans claim Capitol rioters face 'unequal justice' compared to recent BLM, Antifa protesters A group of Republican senators have complained in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland that Capitol rioters who are being prosecuted may be receiving 'unequal justice'. The letter calls for January 6 rioters to face similar treatment as those who clashed with police in protests over the death of George Floyd last summer. The senators did not defend the rioters who stormed the Capitol - saying they 'fully support' prosecutions. But they called into question what they cast as a disparity and demanded the DOJ reveal tactics authorities used to run down Capitol rioters, while seeking similar information on other protests. Among the letter's signatories were Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Mike Lee of Utah, Rick Scott of Florida, and Ted Cruz of Texas. Advertisement

The report comes two weeks after Republicans blocked a bipartisan, independent commission that would investigate the insurrection more broadly.

'This report is important in the fact that it allows us to make some immediate improvements to the security situation here in the Capitol,' said Michigan Senator Gary Peters.

He is the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which conducted the probe along with the Senate Rules Committee.

Peters added: 'But it does not answer some of the bigger questions that we need to face, quite frankly, as a country and as a democracy'.

The House in May passed legislation to create a commission that would be modelled after a panel that investigated the September 11 terrorist attack two decades ago.

But, the Senate failed to get the 60 votes needed to advance.

And many Republicans said the Senate report would be sufficient.

The top Republican on the Rules panel, Missouri Senator Roy Blunt, has opposed the commission, arguing that investigation would take too long.

He said the recommendations made in the Senate can be implemented faster.

He added legislation that he and Senator Klobuchar, the rules committee chair, intend to introduce soon that would give the chief of Capitol Police more authority to request assistance from the National Guard, as recommended in the Senate's report.
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Weekly coronavirus deaths in England and Wales at the end of May fell to their lowest levels since before the first lockdown last spring, official data revealed today.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show 54 virus deaths occurred in the week ending May 28  the fewest since the week ending March 13, 2020, 10 days before Boris Johnson announced the first blanket shutdown.

Only three people died with Covid on the final day of the month  the seventh time in a fortnight fatalities were in single digits. For comparison, the daily death count stood at around 1,400 during the darkest spell of the second wave in January.

Death figures lag behind cases by around two weeks, so the spike in infections triggered by the Indian variant over the past few weeks has yet to translate into a huge up-tick in fatalities.

But experts believe the UK's successful vaccine roll-out has broken the once impenetrable link between cases and serious illness, meaning fatalities and hospital admissions should remain low even in the face of rising infections  which top advisers warn is inevitable because of the easing of restrictions, coupled with the extra transmissibility of the Indian 'Delta' variant.

The ONS figures also showed Covid is now to blame for fewer than 1 per cent of deaths, with the virus mentioned on 95 out of 9,600 death certificates registered in the final week of May.

And data from Public Health Wales today also showed that no Covid deaths have been reported for the 13th day in a row in the country.

Despite promising data that shows the vaccines still work against the Indian variant, the Prime Minister is facing calls to push back 'Freedom Day' on June 21 by a fortnight, to allow all over-50s to be fully vaccinated and give time for the jabs to take effect.

The Cabinet are split on the issue with some urging Boris Johnson to exercise caution while others say the focus must now shift to the economic recovery.

Weekly Covid deaths in England and Wales at the end of May fell to their lowest levels since before the pandemic took off last spring, Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures revealed today

The provisional number of total deaths registered in England and Wales decreased from 9,860 in the week ending May 21 to 9,628 in the week ending 28 May 2021. The number of deaths was 3.1 per cent below the five-year average (312 fewer deaths)

The data also show three people lost their life to Covid on the final day of the month  the seventh time in a fortnight fatalities were in single data

Covid intensive care survival rates DOUBLE with new drugs and jabs - and just FIVE patients are being admitted each day compared to 330-plus at the peak of the pandemic An average of just six people per day were admitted to intensive care with Covid in May  a total of 169 patients across the UK. The number marks a huge turn of fortunes since the winter when there were nearly 10,000 people taken into during January, the worst month of the UK's epidemic. The massive vaccine rollout, which has now given two doses to at least half of adults, the effects of lockdown and the use of potentially life-saving treatments have managed to force the virus into submission in many parts of the country. While coronavirus patients made up three quarters of all critically ill patients in the UK in January, they now account for just one in five. Department of Health data show 3,493 people were admitted to hospital in May and the 169 in ICU means just 4.8 per cent of people admitted to hospital ended up in intensive care. The number of patients in hospital overall  including non-ICU  is now just 2.5 per cent of what it was at the peak, with 932 compared to 39,249. The South West, South East, East of England and Wales all had fewer than 10 people go into intensive care across the entire month  four, eight, six and two, respectively. The percentage of people admitted to hospital who die has tumbled from almost half to just one in five Covid patients (red) made up three quarters of all ICU patients in January but this has tumbled to just one in five The discovery of drugs that can save people from dying of Covid have dramatically boosted survival rates in ICU, too, with the death rate halving to around 20 per cent from 45 per cent in the first wave, The Telegraph reports. Medicines such as the steroid dexamethasone and arthritis drug tocilizumab have both helped to cut the risk of death for hospital patients since they were proven to work in June and January. And early figures suggest the vaccines are keeping people out of the life support units. The average age of patients is falling and is now below 50, down from 60, showing older double-jabbed age groups are benefiting from protection. Advertisement

The ONS data released today showed weekly deaths fell by 11 per cent in the week ending May 28, down from 61 the week before.

But the figures are based on occurrences, meaning the true toll could change slightly over the next fortnight as more deaths are registered.

The most recent week was the second lowest on record since the start of the pandemic, with three of the top five lowest weeks for Covid deaths occurring in May this year.

Covid death occurrences fell to 52 in England, down from 55 the week before, and to just two in Wales, down from six the week before.

None occurred in the North East or South West during the week, while only the North West and London recorded double figures (both 12).

Weekly deaths with Covid registered on the certificate  which lag behind occurrence data and are affected by bank holidays  fell to 20 on the final day of the month, 19 of which were in England.

The North West only registered one on the day, despite containing the majority of Indian variant hotspots.

The majority of deaths Covid deaths registered in England and Wales (63 per cent) occurred in hospitals, with 23 per cent happening at home and 11 per cent in care homes.

The total number of deaths registered in the UK was 10,977 during the week, which was 287 fewer than the five-year average.

Professor Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University, said: 'Numbers of registered deaths are down in the older age groups where most deaths involving Covid have always occurred.

'In people aged under 50, the numbers are very low but static  eight in the most recent week, seven in the week before  but because they are so low, theres no real indication of a trend for the under-50s.

'Deaths involving Covid were down in the latest week compared to the week before in England as a whole, in Wales, and in seven of the nine English regions.

'The exceptions were London and the North West, but the numbers are too small to conclude that things are really different in those two regions than in the rest of the country.'

Data from Public Health Wales shows that just 22 new Covid cases were reported today, averaging 47 a day in the country.

There were zero deaths again  the 13th day in a row  and its Covid case rate was 10.4 per 100,000 people.

Wales has had the lowest case rate out of the four UK nations since February.

The promising figures come as separate data revealed an average of just five people per day were admitted to intensive care with Covid in May  a total of 169 patients across the UK.

The number marks a huge turn of fortunes since the winter when there were nearly 10,000 people taken into during January, the worst month of the UK's epidemic.

The massive vaccine rollout, which has now given two doses to at least half of adults, the effects of lockdown and the use of potentially life-saving treatments have managed to force the virus into submission in many parts of the country.

While coronavirus patients made up three quarters of all critically ill patients in the UK in January, they now account for just one in five.

Department of Health data show 3,493 people were admitted to hospital in May and the 169 in ICU means just 4.8 per cent of people admitted to hospital ended up in intensive care. The number of patients in hospital overall  including non-ICU  is now just 2.5 per cent of what it was at the peak, with 932 compared to 39,249.

It comes after Matt Hancock yesterday revealed only three Britons hospitalised with the Indian Covid variant have had both vaccines.

The Health Secretary told MPs jabs currently being deployed in Britain have started to break the once 'rock solid' link between infections and admissions.

Official data shows only 126 of the more than 12,000 people to have contracted the mutant 'Delta' strain in England have been admitted to hospital.

Only three of those were fully vaccinated. Twenty-eight had received one dose, and 83 were yet to receive a jab. No data was available for the other twelve hospitalised patients.

Professor Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University, said: 'Numbers of registered deaths are down in the older age groups where most deaths involving Covid have always occurred'

No Covid deaths occurred in the North East or South West during the week, while only the North West and London recorded double figures (both 12)

The total number of deaths registered in the UK was 10,977 during the week, which was 287 fewer than the five-year average

The majority of deaths Covid deaths registered in England and Wales (63 per cent) occurred in hospitals, with 23 per cent happening at home and 11 per cent in care homes

Only THREE Britons hospitalised with the Indian Covid variant have had both vaccines Only three Britons hospitalised with the Indian Covid variant have had both vaccines, Matt Hancock said yesterday. The Health Secretary told MPs jabs currently being deployed in Britain have started to break the once 'rock solid' link between infections and admissions. Official data shows only 126 of the more than 12,000 people to have contracted the mutant 'Delta' strain in England have been admitted to hospital. Only three of those were fully vaccinated. Twenty-eight had received one dose, and 83 were yet to receive a jab. No data was available for the other twelve hospitalised patients. 'The jabs are working, we have to keep coming forward to get them and that includes, vitally, that second jab, which we know gives better protection against the Delta variant,' Mr Hancock said. Advertisement

'The jabs are working, we have to keep coming forward to get them and that includes, vitally, that second jab, which we know gives better protection against the Delta variant,' Mr Hancock said.

Mr Hancock also revealed that all over-25s in England will be able to book their first vaccine from today. He hailed Britain's coronavirus vaccination drive for moving at an 'extraordinary pace'.

Until now only over-30s had been able to book appointments, save for surge clinics in some areas where they had been temporarily opened to younger groups.

People in their 20s are the adults at lowest risk from Covid but the NHS has given a first dose to 77 per cent of over-18s already, meaning only around one in four are left to reach.

Sir Simon Stevens, the head of NHS England, said the country was now entering the 'home straight' of the programme and added 'getting the jab is the most important thing you can do'.

Britain is now in a race against the Indian variant as medics try to vaccinate as many people as possible to protect them from the strain which Mr Hancock said is likely 40 per cent more transmissible than the Kent variant was.

Public Health England warned last week a single dose of vaccine does not appear to work as well against the now-dominant 'Delta' variant as it did against the Kent strain, meaning getting the booster jab is crucial.

Scientists have said as many people as possible  including teenagers  need to get vaccinated to stop the new variant from spreading.

Meanwhile, Wales's First Minister Mark Drakeford said the NHS there will have offered vaccines to all adults over 18 by Monday, putting it six weeks ahead of the end-of-July schedule.
Giving critically ill Covid patients aspirin does not boost their odds of surviving the disease, a major study revealed today.

Oxford University scientists hoped the cheap blood-thinner would work because it cuts the risk of blood clots  a common and deadly complication of the virus.

But results from the RECOVERY trial  one of the world's leading coronavirus drug studies  have shot down the theory.

Professor Peter Horby, one of the main researchers, also said there was no evidence that an infected patient was less likely to need a ventilator after taking aspirin.

Professor Horby, an infectious diseases expert at Oxford, claimed there was a 'small increase' in the likelihood of patients being discharged alive.

But he said that 'this does not seem to be sufficient to justify its widespread use for patients hospitalised with Covid'.

The RECOVERY trial has been one of the most successful for finding treatments and proved that dexamethasone cuts the risk of death. The 5 steroid is now credited for saving hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide.

The RECOVERY trial hoped the cheap drug would increase survival rates in Covid-19 patients, who are more likely to develop blood clots, especially in the lungs (stock image)

But the trial found 'no evidence' that aspirin reduced deaths or likelihood of needing invasive medical ventilation (Pictured: Edward Wilsher, 84, in hospital with coronavirus in Newcastle earlier this year)

The researchers had been hopeful that aspirin might work by cutting the risk of patients getting dangerous blood clots.

Joint chief investigator Professor Martin Landray said: 'There has been a strong suggestion that blood clotting may be responsible for deteriorating lung function and death in patients with severe Covid.

Drugs proven to work in the fight against Covid Budesonide Budesonide is a drug most commonly taken through an inhaler to treat asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A study by the University of Oxford found in April that in two weeks, 32% of people recovered from Covid when taking the drug through an inhaler, compared to 22% without it. Budesonide is a corticosteroid, which means it reduces swelling inside the body and helps control immune reactions. In the lungs, swelling can make it difficult to breathe and cause coughing. Budesonide can open up the airways to relieve these symptoms. It costs around 15 for one inhaler. Dexamethasone Dexamethasone was the first medicine identified as reducing the death rate among patients hospitalised with Covid. A trial by the RECOVERY group found that the cheap steroid dexamethasone can prevent death in one in eight ventilated coronavirus patients and one in 25 on breathing support. The steroid prevents substances in the body from being released that cause inflammation, which makes breathing difficult in Covid patients. The drug is usually used to treat ulcerative colitis, arthritis and some types of cancer. It is given as either an injection or a daily tablet and costs 5 per patient. Tocilizumab A RECOVERY trial found that arthritis drug tocilizumab cut the risk of death by an extra four per cent, on top of the 20 to 35 per cent reduction given by dexamethasone. A study by the University of Oxford and the NHS found that arthritis drug tocilizumab cuts the risk of dying from Covid by up to half when taken with dexamethasone. This means one extra life could be saved for every 25 people given the drug. It was also found to cut the time spent in hospital by five days. The anti inflammatory drug is usually used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and similar conditions. In Covid patients, it prevents a reaction in the lungs and airways that leads to respiratory issues. It is given to patients through an injection into the veins and lasts four weeks at a time. A typical 480mg dose costs 614.40. Advertisement

'Aspirin is inexpensive and widely used in other diseases to reduce the risk of blood clots so it is disappointing that it did not have a major impact for these patients.

'This is why large randomised trials are so important  to establish which treatments work and which do not.'

The trial  which was a randomised test of potential treatments for hospitalised Covid patients  gave 7,351 patients one 150mg aspirin tablet each day between November and March.

It also monitored 7,541 participants hospitalised with Covid who were not given the drug  the control group.

The researchers found 'no evidence' that aspirin reduced mortality, as 17 per cent of people died in both groups and there was no obvious reduction in the aspirin group.

Patients were monitored across 176 hospital sites.

But patients who received aspirin stayed in hospital for 'slightly less' time than those who did not  for an average of eight days rather than nine, the trial found.

There was also a slight increase in the likelihood of patients being discharged alive within 28 days if they received the drug  75 per cent compared to 74 per cent among those who did not take it.

In a blow to the team's theory, giving aspirin did not seem to have a major benefit for the risk of blood clotting. Just six fewer patients per 1,000 developed blood clots, while six more per 1,000 experienced major bleeding than in the control group.

Professor Horby said this was not significant because aspirin is known to prevent clots by thinning blood and bleeding is a known risk factor.

The RECOVERY trial is ongoing and continually trying new treatments for patients with coronavirus.

Professor Horby told MailOnline that RECOVERY plans to publish its results on an artificial antibody cocktail within the next few weeks.

The team is also still enrolling patients to trial baricitinib, dimethyl fumarate and higher-dose steroids.

Professor Anthony Gordon, a researcher at Imperial College London who was not involved with the trial, said testing drugs like aspirin to try and prevent blood clots and improve survival in Covid patients was 'very sensible'.

The results are 'disappointing, but it is very important to know' that there is no benefit from aspirin patients hospitalised with the virus, he said.

'It emphasises why all treatments, no matter how widely used in other areas, should be tested in robust clinical trials,' Professor Gordon said.

There were no major safety concerns, so the separate REMAP-CAP study  which 15 countries are participating in  continues to evaluate aspirin and similar drugs to prevent blood clots, in combination with other treatments in the sickest patients with Covid-19 in intensive care, he added.

The UK recorded one person dying with Covid in the latest figures released yesterday, while 154 patients were admitted to hospital, in a trend is broadly flat.
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Florence Nightingale is fondly remembered as the 19th Century pioneer who transformed chaotic, unclean hospitals and revolutionised nursing.

But how she did it  by harnessing data and presenting it in a beautiful, persuasive way  is less well-known.

Now, a new documentary sheds light on how Nightingale's Rose Diagram  which showed how the deaths of British soldiers wounded in the Crimean War plummeted when hospital sanitary conditions were improved.

The diagram, which the nurse created herself in 1857, revealed the remarkable impact of improving cleanliness levels: deaths from preventable infection dropped by 99 per cent.

At the time, the medical profession were largely ignorant about the threat posed by invisible germs and so conditions in hospitals were appalling, leading to thousands of unnecessary deaths from disease and infection.

But the last episode of Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer  which airs on BBC Four tonight  contrasts Nightingale's success with the earlier plight of Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis.

Semmelweis was shunned by the medical community in Vienna, Austria, even after demonstrating in 1846 how deaths among women giving birth plummeted when doctors treating them washed their hands first.

Presenter and historian David Olusoga argues in the programme that while Semmelweis presented his findings in boring 'statistical tables', Nightingale had more success  and prompted a cleanliness revolution  by converting her data into 'vivid diagrams'.

Florence Nightingale is fondly remembered as the 19th Century pioneer who transformed chaotic, unclean hospitals and revolutionised nursing. But how she did it  by harnessing data and presenting it in a beautiful, persuasive way  is less well-known. Pictured: The 'Rose Diagram' created by Nightingale to show the causes of deaths in Crimean War hospitals both before and after levels of cleanliness were improved. It showed how deaths from preventable diseases and infections (shown in blue) plummeted once sanitation levels were boosted

The last episode of Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer  which airs on BBC Four tonight  contrasts Nightingale's success with the earlier plight of Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis (right). Semmelweis was shunned by the medical community in Vienna, Austria, even after demonstrating how deaths among women giving birth plummeted when doctors treating them washed their hands first. Left: Nightingale in her nursing uniform

Nightingale was prompted to produce her diagram after she worked as a nurse during the Crimean War.

In the incredibly unclean hospitals, she discovered that disease was killing far more soldiers than the conflict itself.

After gathering data on deaths from different causes, she presented it in the form of a 'rose' which boasted varying shades of colour.

Florence Nightingale: The Crimean War nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale (May 12, 1820 - August 13, 1910) was an English social reformer who is considered to be the founder of modern nursing. She came to prominence when she was one of 38 volunteer nurses from Britain who, during the Crimean War in the 1850s, went to medical stations in Turkey to help. She became the face of the effort after a newspaper dubbed her 'the Lady with the Lamp' - because of her efforts treating wounded soldiers during the night. Florence Nightingale (May 12, 1820 - August 13, 1910) was an English social reformer who is considered to be the founder of modern nursing When the nurses arrived, they discovered many of the soldiers were dying not from their wounds but from diseases like typhoid and cholera, which were rife in the army hospitals. She fought to improve conditions with better sanitation, nutrition and more supplies, which saw the death rate fall. Nightingale improved the reputation of nursing and became an icon of Victorian culture. She was also a prolific writer who penned works including Notes on Nursing. She died aged 90 in 1910. Advertisement

Each 'petal' represented a different month, while each block of colour showed the number of soldiers who had died from different causes.

She irrefutably showed that the main killer was disease. Deaths from preventable illnesses far outstripped those from both war wounds and other causes.

Professort Olusoga said in the programme: 'What we instantly understand from this diagram is that the big killer in the Crimea is disease.'

Whilst her first damning illustration showed data from April 1854 to March 1855, the second showed deaths after the Sanitary Commission were sent to the conflict to improve conditions.

It is clear from the second illustration how deaths from preventable illnesses the following year plummeted.

'This other diagram offers from hope,' Professor Olusoga said.

'Because what it shows is how after changes to the sanitary conditions in the hospitals, the story begins to change.

'Month by month the number of soldiers dying of diseases in the hospitals begins to fall as the conditions in those hospitals are improved.

'And by the end of the year, the number of soldiers dying from disease has fallen by 99 per cent.'

He added: 'This diagram is not really what Florence Nightingale is famous for.

'But perhaps it should be because it was absolutely critical in getting across the fundamental key message that in the Crimea, the British military hospitals had been death traps.

'And that much of this death and much of this suffering could have been avoided.'

In tonight's programme, Professor Olusoga and presenting partner Dr Steven Johnson contrast Nightingale's success with that of Semmelweis, who worked in Vienna General Hospital.

The hospital had the largest maternity unit in the world. Whilst one birthing ward was staffed by midwives, the other was led by doctors.

In between working to deliver babies, the doctors would dissect bodies in the nearby mortuary and would then not wash their hands.

They would then return to the maternity ward to treat mothers in childbirth.

At this point, the scientific community did not understand that an empire of microbes and bacteria were at the heart of disease and infection.

Instead, they believed that infection was caused by poisonous gases in the air.

In the doctor-led ward in Vienna, an alarming number of women were dying from a fever which killed them shortly after childbirth.

Then, when one of Semmelweis's colleagues, Dr Jakob Kolletschka, cut himself with a scalpel during his dissection duties and died after coming down with the same fever, the Hungarian wondered if an invisible particle was responsible for his death.

To test his theory, he proposed that all doctors delivering babies would have to wash their hands with a chlorine solution after carrying out dissections.

The Rose Diagram showed the number of soldiers who had died in the British military hospitals during the Crimean War

Professor David Olusoga argues in the programme that while Semmelweis presented his findings in boring 'statistical tables', Nightingale had more success

When the nurse discovered that disease was killing far more soldiers than the conflict itself she decided to gather data on deaths from different causes

The huge Scutari Hospital in Turkey was one of the establishments which Nightingale worked in. During the Crimean War, 19,000 British troops died of illness and only 4,000 from wounds. Nightingale arrived there to find the hospital overcrowded, appallingly underequipped medically, and lacking the basics such as food and bedding

In tonight's programme, Professor David Olusoga and presenting partner Dr Steven Johnson contrast Nightingale's success with that of Semmelweis, who worked in Vienna General Hospital

When they did so, death rates among mothers in the doctor ward plummeted by 90 per cent.

However, when Semmelweis presented his findings to the medical community in Vienna, he was ridiculed and shunned.

His thesis on the causes of childbed fever was also poorly written and rambling, philosophy professor Dana Tulodziecki - an exert on Semmelweis - previously said.

The doctor therefore moved to Budapest and started a new job where he again required staff to wash their hands before treating patients.

Semmelweis proposed that all doctors delivering babies would have to wash their hands with a chlorine solution after carrying out dissections on dead bodies. When they did so, death rates among mothers in the doctor ward plummeted by 90 per cent. Above: An illustration of Semmelweis washing his hands before a procedure

Whilst mortality rates plummeted once more, Semmelweis was still unable to convince the profession to adopt his techniques.

As a result of being continually mocked, Semmelweis's mental health suffered and he became seriously depressed and obsessed with getting validation for his remarkable discovery.

In 1865, the doctor was forced into an insane asylum after being tricked into visiting it.

During a violent struggle after he realised what was happening, Semmelweis was wounded and developed gangrene, which killed him.

Semmelweis's ideas were finally adopted on a mass scale in the 1890s. From then on, doctors were routinely washing their hands.

Professor Olusoga said: 'He is a junior doctor in an extraordinarily hierarchical society in a very hierarchical profession.

'He is the wrong person to be telling this profession full of grandees that the cause of the death was something about them.

'Even with that weight of evidence. Even with women's lives being saved by that intervention.'

The medic's story had such an impact that the 'Semmelweis reflex' has been named after him. It refers to the tendency for people to reject new evidence if it contradicts their established beliefs.

Comparing Nightingale's success against Semmelweis's lack of it, Professor Olusoga added: 'Semmelweis presented his argument in the form of statistical tables.

'But Nightingale converted that data into vivid diagrams.'

Nightingale was one of 38 volunteer nurses from Britain who during the Crimean War went to medical stations in Turkey to help.

Semmelweis's ideas were finally adopted on a mass scale in the 1890s. From then on, doctors were routinely washing their hands

She became the face of the effort after a newspaper dubbed her 'the Lady with the Lamp'.

Nightingale used her data to lobby the Government for reform in hospitals more generally.

The Royal Commission on the Health of the Army was created and Nightingale's testimony and statistical analysis was published with the commission's findings in 1858.

In her famous book Notes on Nursing, which was published in 1860, Nightingale wrote: 'Every nurse ought to be careful to wash her hands very frequently during the day. If her face, too, so much the better.

In an eerie similarity to today's advice to ensure good ventilation to combat coronavirus, Nightingale strongly urged people to open windows to displace what she called 'stagnant, musty and corrupt air'.

She also advocated improving drainage to fight back against diseases such as cholera and typhoid.

The full series of Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
They have been detained since 2018, on Christmas Island since August 2019

Australia's home affairs department has denied mistreating the youngest daughter of the Biloela family detained on Christmas Island, whose potentially deadly blood infection has been linked to untreated pneumonia.

Three-year-old Tharnicaa is being treated at Perth Children's Hospital after being evacuated from the island with her mother Priya Murugappan.

Her mother says Tharnicaa was sick for almost two weeks and that medical contractors at the immigration detention centre repeatedly refused to take her to hospital.

Tharnicaa Murugappan, (pictured in bed) the youngest daughter of the Biloela family detained on Christmas Island, has been medically evacuated to Perth with a suspected blood infection

'I want to thank everybody for their love and good wishes,' Priya said in a video message released on Tuesday.

'I hope that Tharnicaa can get the help she needs now. Please, help us to get her out of detention and home to Biloela.'

Family supporter Angela Fredericks said Tharnicaa suffered dangerous temperature spikes on the journey to Perth and has since been diagnosed with a blood infection resulting from 'untreated pneumonia'.

'They are continuing to run tests, as they are still not able to get her white cell counts where they should be,' she said.

'They are now treating the pneumonia while they look for any other infection sites.'

Her mother Priya Murugappan (pictured) said medical staff at the immigration detention centre repeatedly refused to take her daughter (pictured) to hospital

Nadesalingam Murugappan, his wife Priya and their Australian-born children Kopika, five, and Tharunicaa, three (pictured together) are Tamil asylum seekers currently detained on Christmas Island

The Department of Home Affairs and Australian Border Force said Tharnicaa had been receiving medical treatment and daily monitoring on Christmas Island consistent with medical advice.

'As soon as the ABF was advised by the treating medical practitioners that the minor required medical treatment in Western Australia, the minor was transferred to a hospital in Western Australia,' an official said.

'The Australian Border Force strongly denies any allegations of inaction or mistreatment of individuals in its care.'

Ms Fredericks said medical arrangements for detainees on Christmas Island, far off the coast of WA, were inadequate and dangerous.

'From my understanding, this would usually show up as a chest infection, which would then get treated,' she said.

'And that would stop it going to pneumonia. If it went to pneumonia, that would then be treated to stop it going into the blood supply.

'We've had two delays in treatment here, which has led to this crisis point.'

The family were removed from their home in the rural Queensland town of Biloela and placed into immigration detention in 2018, and have been on Christmas Island since August 2019

Priya (right) and Nades (left) met in Sydney before getting married and settling in Biloela, Queensland where they had their two daughters

The department said detainees had access to dedicated nurses, doctors and referrals to specialists, and healthcare was 'broadly comparable' with that on the mainland.

International Health and Medical Services (IHMS) is contracted to provide primary and mental health care services at the detention centre.

IHMS has refused to say when Priya first asked for her daughter to be transferred to hospital, or how many times she asked.

It referred all questions to the home affairs department.

Family supporter Bronwyn Dendle said IHMS had initially dismissed Tharnicaa's symptoms as the common cold, 'despite persistent high temperatures and vomiting and diarrhoea'.

An advocate for the family confirmed Tharnicaa had been unwell for 10 days and may have developed a suspected blood infection from 'untreated pneumonia'

Six-year-old Kopika (right) and three-year-old Tharunicaa (left), were born in Australia but are not considered Australian citizens by the federal government

Asked about the Tamil family on Tuesday, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said 'a range of resettlement options' were under negotiation.

'I can't make public commentary on that at the moment because I don't want to disrupt those negotiations,' she told reporters.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison quickly added that she was not specifically referring to the Tamil family but 'all cohorts, across all possible groups'.

Mr Morrison said while the family's battle to stay in Australia remained before the courts, they would continue to be provided with 'every medical care'.

WA Premier Mark McGowan said Tharnicaa would remain in hospital in Perth until she recovered.

'I just urge (the federal government) to resolve the issues regarding this family as soon as possible,' he said.

The Department of Home Affairs and Australian Border Force said Tharnicaa had been receiving medical treatment and daily monitoring on Christmas Island (pictured)

Priya and husband Nades settled in the Queensland town of Biloela after arriving separately by boat from Sri Lanka.

Tharnicaa and her sister Kopika, 6, were born in Australia.

The federal government has vowed to never permanently resettle anyone who arrives illegally by boat, and does not consider the girls to be Australian citizens.

The family has been in detention since 2018, and on Christmas Island since August 2019.

Labor Senator Kristina Keneally, who visited the family on the island earlier this year, has urged the government to let them return home.

Supporters will hold a candlelight vigil outside Perth Children's Hospital on Wednesday evening.
New footage from the most audacious law enforcement operation in Australian history shows heavily-armed police kicking in doors, cutting through barriers and scaling high-rise apartments as they bring down alleged organised crime kingpins.

Authorities sensationally carried out the country's biggest ever organised crime bust on Tuesday morning, announcing 224 people had been arrested as a result of an elaborate sting using technology designed by the FBI.

Some of Australia's most sinister criminal networks began using 'AN0M' branded phones and encrypted messaging almost three years ago, not realising the Federal Police were using the platform to read their messages.

The app gained currency in the underworld after being promoted by criminal figures including Australia's most wanted man, suspected drug lord Hakan Ayik, after first being distributed by police informants.

Australian police have warned Ayik - dubbed the 'Facebook gangster' for the flashy lifestyle he shows off on social media - he is a marked man after unwittingly peddling the 'trojan horse' app to his underworld associates.

The AFP have urged Ayik, who they allege still orchestrates huge shipments of meth and cocaine into Australia from his base in Turkey, to hand himself in to authorities.

A huge overnight bust in Australia saw 4,000 officers storm the underworld after gangsters were monitored for 18 months using the AN0M app, which has also been deployed by police in the US and Britain.

Through the covert operation, detectives allegedly foiled 21 murder plots - saving the lives of a family of five - and shut down gun distribution and mass drug trafficking rings, with Mafia bosses, bikies and reality TV stars among those arrested.

Authorities sensationally carried out Australia's biggest ever organised crime bust on Tuesday

Hakan Ayik (pictured) was tricked into distributing messages to criminal associates. Australian Federal Police have called for the suspected drug lord to hand himself in

A tactical police officer guards a handcuffed arrested man during a raid. He was one of 224 people arrested as part of Operation Ironside

In a Melbourne court on Tuesday it was revealed how the operation stopped over $1billion of ice and cocaine being smuggled into the country.

Among those swept up as part of the clandestine operation was father Mark Joannou, who applied for bail in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday after being charged with his alleged role as an 'investor' in the drug ring.

A raid of his Sydenham home in Melbourne's west allegedly uncovered a loaded firearm and $30,000 cash hidden in his walls bathroom wall.

About $400,000 was found in the rest of the property, police allege.

The court heard the 41-year-old used the AN0M app to conspire with the alleged leader of the drug ring to bring in about 1.6 tonnes of ice and cocaine worth an estimated $1billion between April and June this year, the Herald Sun reported.

Investigators who were monitoring the app allege Joannou posted on the network as the 'wolf' and openly discussed the importation of 400kg of ice from India.

Police allege he would have pocketed $16,000 profit per kilo. The court also heard how the duo allegedly bragged about going undetected.

Police raid a property in Melbourne's Sydenham over a $1billion drug importation plot

The raid allegedly uncovered a loaded firearm and $30,000 cash hidden inside a bathroom wall

'Bro, as an example, yeah, we landed twice this past six months,' Mr Zayneh allegedly wrote on the app.

'They knew nothing. And we will f**king land three more times, bro. Watch.'

Mr Joannou allegedly replied: 'Yeah, I know bro. Just stay safe.'

In another alleged deal Mr Zayneh asked Mr Joannou about investing in a drug Los Angeles venture, calling it 'good opportunity'.

'We are working with the cartel,' the message said.

Four other men - Joe Scordo, Sebastian Bezborodoff, Omar Dib, Robin Reffo - were also been charged for their role in the alleged crime syndicate.

All six caught up in the raid now face charges of conspiring to import a large commercial quantity of border controlled drugs, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Ninja Warrior 2017 contestant Sopiea Kong was among those arrested. The 33-year-old was charged last week following a raid at a Kangaroo Point home, where police allegedly seized 154g of meth

Australia's most wanted Hakan Ayik (centre) was influential in spreading the AN0M app through his criminal networks, it has been claimed

With the alleged 'Aussie cartel' now crippled thanks to the cunning international scheme, police say they want suspected drug kingpin Hakan Ayik, now hiding in Turkey, to turn himself in and protect his family.

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said the man nicknamed the 'Facebook Gangster' is now facing the threat of reprisals after he unwittingly encouraged other criminals to use the app.

'Given the threat he faces, he's best off handing himself into us as soon as he can,' he says.

'He was one of the coordinators of this particular device, so he's essentially set up his own colleagues.'

Pictured: Officers from Operation Ironside are seen scaling a high-rise apartment building

Despite the incredible success of the secret sting, Daily Mail Australia can reveal the operation was in jeopardy of being compromised earlier this year - and authorities may have wound it up earlier as a result.

In late March, an anonymous blogger known only as 'canyouguess67' posted an article warning users to keep off ANOM for their 'own safety'.

'STAY AWAY FROM ANOM IF YOU VALUE YOUR PRIVACY AND SAFETY,' the blogger wrote in an article, which has since been pulled down.

'THEY ARE COMPROMISED, LIARS AND YOUR DATA IS RUNNING VIA USA.'

In what now seems to be a telling clue, the blogger expressed serious concerns about the fact that the AN-M device he had tested 'was actually in constant contact with Google services' in both New South Wales, Australia and California.

'I was quite concerned to see the amount of IP addresses relating to many corporations within the Five Eyes Governments (Australia, USA, Canada, UK, NZ who share information with one another),' he wrote.

Following a technical analysis, the blogger - correctly - recommended people not use ANoM technology, warning authorities could 'completely infiltrate every users' devices (sic) as well as their operations, and worse of all authorities would have the ability to decrypt and intercept messages'.

In an incredible twist, the unnamed tech blogger warned that they had contacted law enforcement agencies with their concerns.

The blog, named 'ANOMEXPOSED', has since been taken down but it was still publicly available via Google on Tuesday.

It is unclear whether the tech expert's concerns reached the ears of the Federal Police or played a role in the project being sensationally unveiled today.

An anonymous tech geek posted a blog online in March, titled 'AN0M ENCRYPTED SCAM EXPOSED'

Australia's biggest ever police bust has seen 3.77 tonnes of drugs, $45 million in cash, guns, luxury cars, motorcycles and watches pictured) seized

The bust exposed new details about how one of Australia's most wanted fugitives gave police extensive access to the world's criminal underworld. Pictured: one man being arrested by AFP officers

Millions of dollars in assets have been seized including this sparking collection of expensive watches

A fire engine red Ducati which is also now in the possession of the Australian Federal Police

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the AFP operation, known as Operation Ironside, had struck a 'heavy blow' against organised crime.

'The operation puts Australia at the forefront of the fight against criminals who peddle in human misery and ultimately, it will keep our communities and Australians safe,' he said on Tuesday.

'Illicit drug use ruins lives and fuels organised crime.'

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw said federal agents had been in the 'back pockets' of criminals through the encryption app.

The idea, Mr Kershaw said, came over a 'couple of beers' between officers and FBI agents years back.

'The FBI had the lead on this. We provided the technical capability to decrypt those messages,' he said.

'Some of the best ideas come over a couple of beers.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the AFP operation, known as Operation Ironside, had struck a 'heavy blow' against organised crime

Pictured: Officers as part of operation Ironside are seen lining up on the street before moving in on a target

Pictured: Officers from operation Ironside prepare to bust down a down as part of a raid

Ninja Warrior 2017 contestant Sopiea Kong was among those arrested. The 33-year-old was charged last week following a raid at a Kangaroo Point home, where police allegedly seized 154g of meth.

Kong, who was also allegedly in possession of $2,030 cash and a revolver, was granted bail and will appear in court on June 28.

Former Bachelorette star Samuel Minkin, who appeared on Becky and Elly Miles' season of the dating show, was charged with possessing a large commercial quantity of cannabis after police stopped a van in Byron Bay last month.

Former Bandito bikie Benjamin Joseph Thornton, 31, was arrested after police seized two mobile phones and a small quantity of cocaine. He was denied bail and will reappear in court next week.

What is ANoM?

On its glitzy website, the 'AN0M' phone looks like any new tech innovation with sleek black lines, 'invite only' exclusivity and a pledge to 'enforce your right to privacy'.

But its best feature - and for most of its users, the worst - wasn't promoted in its marketing material.

The phone, which supposedly allowed encrypted communications safe from the eyes of the law, was actually a cunning trap laid for a who's who of organised crime.

The Australian Federal Police on Tuesday revealed a breathtaking three-year tech ploy which led to 4,000 police executing 525 search warrants.

'Enforce your right to privacy': This is how the ANoM website advertised its product - with users not realising that law enforcement officials could read each and every message

Senior bikies and mafia figures were tricked into buying hi-tech phones that would supposedly let them messages one another, free of police snooping.

But the AN0M phones were actually designed by the FBI and allowed Australian police to read the texts of organised crime figures.

Police watched in real time as alleged crooks spilled their secrets to one another on their own app.

Some 21 execution plots were foiled and drug and gun smuggling networks dismantled.

Some 224 people have been arrested, $44,934,457 in cash seized, as well as 104 weapons, 3.7 tonnes of drugs and multi-million dollar assets.

Alleged crooks even paid six-monthly subscription fees to the police - the money only further reinforcing law enforcement methods.

How did it all work?

Users could buy phone handsets costing between $1,500 and $2,500 from what has been described as underground distributors.

The phones were stripped down - they couldn't even make calls, access the internet or send emails.

What did do was send encrypted messages, photos and videos, using a foreign SIM card to apparently avoid Australian data snooping laws.

Crooks could buy a six month subscription to use the app - the funds raised unknowingly redirected to the police.

Mafia figures and bikies purchased ANoM-branded phones with encrypted messaging technology already downloaded. When criminals used the phones, the messages were intercepted by Australian Federal Police law enforcement agencies

The app was invitation-only as of Tuesday morning - before the page was sensationally taken down and replaced with a warning by the FBI

Anom's Twitter account claimed the company was based in the famously neutral nation of Switzerland

The app was accessed by entering a PIN number into the phone's calculator, the stuff of spy dramas.

ANoM's website, which was only deleted about 10am on Tuesday, made the technology sound bulletproof.

The company was apparently based in famously neutral Switzerland and boasted of 'military grade encrypt and sanitise'.

For its encryption, it claimed to use 'OMEMO Double Ratchet Algorithm ... independently audited by Dutch security research group Radically Open Security'.

That may have been an in-joke - as all the supposedly self-destructing messages sent on the app was radically open to the Australian Federal Police to read.

Police have been coy about just how Australian mafia and bikie figures first came across the devices.

That is likely to remain a secret, as it involves police informants.

This is how the Anom.io website looked as of late Tuesday morning

But what is clear is that the 'business' began to grow of its own accord beginning in about October 2018.

Criminal 'influencers', including drug kingpin Hakan Ayik, eventually became so enthralled by the technology they distributed the devices around the world.

The Federal Police and even Prime Minister Scott Morrison have crowed about the success of the scheme, rolled out in Australia due to its world-first data snooping laws.

'This is as a warning to organised crime in Australia, and abroad  the AFP and Australia's law enforcement agencies have a laser-like focus in bringing them to justice,' Mr Morrison said.

But it is clear that AN0M is no secret anymore - with its details splashed across some of the nation's biggest newspapers today and hundreds of cases before the courts, many no doubt unaware that someone was sounding the alarm about the app months ago.
A topless man who tried to stop his friend's hire car from being overturned by a farmer in a digger has said he is 'lucky not to have any broken bones'.

Video posted online yesterday showed Charlie Burns, 20, kicking farmer Robert Hooper's tractor as he flipped the Vauxhall hatchback onto its side before dumping the vehicle down a country road after reportedly being 'driven mad' by local thugs.

The apprentice diamond driller and his pals had been on a day trip from Tyneside to High Force waterfall in Teesdale, County Durham, when the Vauxhall Corsa suffered a blow out.

The yellow forklift, operated by an as yet unconfirmed driver, came speeding down the drive towards the car past a stunned Mr Burns who was standing next to the car.

With its forks lowered the machine picked up and flipped the Corsa before pushing it out onto the B6277 road.

Video posted online yesterday showed the man kicking the farmer's tractor as he flipped the Vauxhall hatchback onto its side. New footage that emerged today shows the same man talking to two officers who had arrived at the scene (left). At one point he moons at the camera (right)

Throughout the manoeuvre Mr Burns tried to stop the destruction by flinging himself at the cab of the vehicle and kicking its tyres.

Video posted online yesterday showed Charlie Burns (pictured), 20, kicking farmer Robert Hooper's tractor as he flipped the Vauxhall hatchback onto its side before dumping the vehicle down a country road after reportedly being 'driven mad' by local thugs

After turning away from the car the forklift then spun around and its tines appear to clip his lower legs, knocking him to the ground.

New footage that emerged today shows the same man talking to two officers who had arrived at the scene following the incident at around 5pm on Saturday.

At one point he says 'f*****g farmers' as he pulls down his trousers and exposes his backside to the camera.

The group deny claims of 'yobbish' behaviour and say they parked the Corsa on Mr Hooper's drive so that it wasn't blocking the winding country road past Brockersgill Farm, Newbiggin, County Durham.

Mr Burns has since been off work and says he is having difficulty walking after suffering severe bruising to both legs.

He said: 'I was lucky not to have any broken bones, it hit me hard and knocked me to the ground.

'A lot of people have been suggesting we must have been doing something wrong for him to have reacted like that but we weren't.

'I'm due to give a witness statement to the police in two days and have been asked not to say anything, so I'm not going to say anything more for now.'

A source close to the group said: 'They were just a bunch of young lads on a day out, the car had a blowout and they got it out of the road. What else were they suppposed to do?

'Everybody understands that people in the countryside get fed up with tourists and cars being parked all over the place, but what happened was a total over reaction.

'It wasn't even the lad's car, it was a courtesy car because his had been in an accident.'

Mr Hooper declined to comment at his farm today. But on Monday a female family member claimed there had been an assault on someone from the farm in the incident leading up to the car being trashed.

She would not confirm who was at the wheel of the forklift at the time.

These people parked their car on the drive to the farm and we're asked numerous times, very politely, to move,' she said.

She added: 'The outcome was what happened and what everyone us now seen but there was a lot before that. Locals here are sick of youths coming into the area in cars.

'There were cars being raced along the road just before the incident, which was extremely dangerous.'

She declined to say who was driving the forklift vehicle and added 'it is a criminal matter now, so I'm not saying anything more.'

A shirtless man - believed to be the owner - tried to remonstrate with the digger driver

A source told MailOnline that the tractor was driven by a farmer who was angry at local 'ruffians' parking their car in his drive.

'The lads had parked their car onto his drive,' the source said. 'He asked them to move but they didn't seem to want to obey.

'He had no choice but to take matters into his own hands and remove the ruffians from his property himself.'

Friend Mark Nicholson said the farmer had been 'driven mad by these lot' with anti-social behaviour leaving him at 'the end of his tether'.

Durham Constabulary confirmed they had been called out to the incident just after 5pm on Saturday.

The car driver seemed to kick the farm machinery as the penny dropped as to the situation

The motorist was filming what was happened on his phone as the car was suddenly tipped up

A police spokesman told MailOnline: 'We were alerted to reports of an incident at a farm in the Teesdale area shortly after 5.45pm on June 5.

'Officers attended the scene and an investigation into the circumstances is ongoing.'

It is understood that no arrests have been made over the shocking fracas.

There were further claims yesterday the farmer may have been the victim of repeated anti-social behaviour.

It was said the youths had subjected him to fires on his land as well as property damaged.

Dairy farmer Mark Nicholson said: 'A lot more to this story, he's a friend of a colleague, he's been driven mad by these lot, starting fires, pushing walls over just to name a few things, not saying it's right but they pushed him to the end of his tether.'

Charlie Finnerty, of Rochdale, Gtr Mancs also posted the video yesterday on Sunday on Facebook and it has already racked up over one million views.

BBC Radio 2 host Jeremy Vine tweeted the video and said: 'Driver has blocked farm gate with his car.

'Motorist has smartphone. Farmer has forklift. Who's gonna win this one?'

He said: 'Wow, don't park in front of farmer's gates.'

However, the farmer's actions divided opinions.

The tiny silver hatchback was scooped up by the telehandler and flipped over in the video

The car was tumbled down the street with the farm machinery as the incident unfolded

The driver seemed to be in utter disbelief as the farm machine came to a stop after the lift

The lifter driver then calmly went back to the land, leaving the car in the middle of the road

Mary Harris joked: 'I love the way the farmer looks right to check no oncoming vehicles before pulling out.'

Mike Hillen said: 'There was an easier solution to this, farmer should have chained and padlocked his gate closed.

'Stopping the car from leaving then waited for car owner to knock on his door, he could of then charged him whatever amount to open the gate.

'No court, no lawyer bills.'

Thomas Williams added: 'As satisfying as it is to see someone who is clearly pondlife get his just desserts.

'This is definitely criminal damage and perhaps even GBH when he hits him with the vehicle.'

But one cyclist - called Hannah - said: 'I fully condone this.

'Well done farmer for getting rid of this car in front of his gate.'
The sister of one of Colin Pitchfork's teenage victims today revealed how she fears the double-child killer will strike again.

Rebecca Eastwood, whose sister Lynda Mann was raped and murdered by Pitchfork in 1983, today said parole bosses cannot '100 per cent guarantee' that the killer will not offend again.

And she said she has 'no faith in the justice system if they are prepared to let someone like him out'.

Her comments come after the Parole Board ruled that Pitchfork, who after killing Lynda went on to rape and murder teenager Dawn Ashworth in 1986, was 'suitable for release' after 33 years behind bars.

It also comes as her online petition named 'Never Release This Monster' - in which she said she feared Pitchfork would 'kill again' - has now reached more than 23,000 signatures.

Ms Eastwood said: 'Whether he's being monitored by a tag or they are checking his phone or making him take polygraph tests, we say it's still far too much of a risk.

Rebecca Eastwood, whose sister Lynda Mann was raped and murdered by Pitchfork in 1983, today said parole bosses cannot '100 per cent guarantee' that the killer will not offend again

Yesterday it was announced that Pitchfork (pictured), who was given a life sentence with a 30 year minimum term, would be allowed to leave prison after 33-years behind bars. Pitchfork killed Lynda Mann (pictured right) and Dawn Ashworth in the 1980s

'They (the Parole Board) say that have looked into every single nook and cranny to make sure it's the right decision and that they've looked into the risk he would pose.

'They can't give a 100 per cent guarantee he will not offend. Even if it's only a small chance that he will commit more crimes, it's not a risk worth taking.'

She added: 'I understand why he has been a 'model citizen' while he has been going through this process - he has no other choice and he wants to be released. He's a very clever man.'

Ms Eastwood had previously launched a petition - ahead of the Parole Board's meeting earlier this year - in which she attempted to gain support to keep Pitchfork inside.

She previously described him as a 'monster' in the petition, in which she also said she feared he would 'kill again'.

'He is cold and calculated as he has proved in the past with his manipulation of others. He will kill again we have no doubt about that

'If he is freed he will get a new identity and could end up anywhere in the country'

The row over his release comes as today the mother of murdered student Libby Squire said a 'life sentence should mean life', as she too hit out at the decision to free Pitchfork.

Lisa Squire, whose 21-year-old daughter Libby was murdered by butcher Pawel Relowicz in Hull in 2019, said she believes killers in the UK should face a whole life sentence - 'because it is (a life sentence) for families'.

Speaking to LBC during a debate about whether Pitchfork should be released, Ms Squire said: 'A life sentence should mean a life sentence - because it is for the families.'

On her own experience, asked if she believed people could change sufficiently, she said: 'No, I don't think so. He (Libby's killer) was 24 when he killed Libby, and we had a lot of CCTV in the courtroom, and after he had killed Libby he went home and had a bath.

Lisa Squire (pictured left), whose 21-year-old daughter Libby was murdered in Hull in 2019, said she believes killers in the UK should face a whole life sentence - 'because it is (a life sentence) for families'

Student Libby was brutally murdered by Pawel Relowicz in 2019 in Hull - where she was studying

How Colin Pitchfork would have faced a Whole Life Order under new laws proposed by the Government New laws being proposed by Justice Secretary Robert Buckland (pictured) would see the starting points for sentences handed out to serial killers and killers of children moved up to a whole life order At the time of Colin Pitchfork's conviction in 1988, he was handed a life sentence. As part of the life sentence, he was given a 30-year minimum jail term - later reduced to 28-years on appeal. But life sentences in the UK do not necessarily mean life in prison. After serving the minimum sentence, in Pitchfork's case 28-years, a prisoner becomes eligible for parole. This is subject to the decision of the Parole Board - who decide if a prisoner presents a significant risk to the public. They do not have to release a person if they believe they are still a risk and therefore a person can in fact spend their life in prison. Even if a prisoner is released, they are still subject to conditions and can be recalled to prison if necessary. This means that, although they may not spend their life in prison, they are still subject to their sentence for the rest of their life. Life sentences are sometimes confused with Whole Life Orders - in which prisoners do spend the rest of their life in prison. In the UK, such orders are rare, and only apply to the very worst types of offences. As of June 2020 there were 63 whole-life prisoners and an additional three life prisoners being treated in secure hospitals. One prisoner serving a whole life order is Rosemary West. But under new legislation proposed by the Government, there could soon be more. As part of the controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, the Government proposes to move up the starting point for those who commit multiple murders, or those who kill children, to a whole life order. This doesn't mean a judge has to give a whole life order in these cases, but must instead start at that point in his sentencing. The sentence can then be moved up or down depending on mitigating or aggravating circumstances. But, if the new legislation, which is currently in the committee phase, is passed, someone like Pitchfork would be more likely to face a whole life order in sentencing. This means he would not be eligible for parole, as he is now. Advertisement

'He then got back in his car and was cruising the student areas for another girl.

'So had he found another girl that night, there would've been a second murder, I have no doubt about that.

'We were told he wouldn't get an indeterminate life sentence because he'd only raped and murdered one person.

'But one person is too many. I think anyone who rapes and murders should be sent to prison for life.'

Life sentences in the UK mean an offender has a sentence hanging over them for their whole life - though they don't necessarily spend the rest of their life in prison.

They are different to 'whole life orders' - where an offender will spend the rest of their lives behind bars without the option of parole.

The Government is currently looking at new legislation which will see the starting point for sentences for double murderers and child killers automatically set at whole life orders.

Such as change would mean notorious double child killer Pitchfork, who raped and murdered two 15-year-old girls in the 1980s, would likely not be given parole had he been sentenced under such powers.

Yesterday it was announced that Pitchfork, who was given a life sentence with a 30 year minimum term, would be allowed to leave prison after 33 years behind bars.

But it sparked fury from the relatives of his two schoolgirl victims, who condemned the decision to let him go.

The Parole Board yesterday revealed it had approved the release of Pitchfork, who raped and strangled the 15-year-olds in sadistic attacks in the 1980s.

The mother of victim Dawn Ashworth said the killer  the first to be convicted on DNA evidence  'will always present a danger'.

And the sister of his first victim Lynda Mann said she believed he was incapable of rehabilitation.

Pitchfork, now 61, could be free in weeks.

But Justice Secretary Robert Buckland ordered officials to look into whether he could trigger a formal review last night  as another MP vowed to get the Parole Board decision overturned.

It plunged the Parole Board into crisis just three years after its chairman Nick Hardwick was forced to resign over its decision to free black-cab rapist John Worboys.

Pitchfork was handed a life sentence in 1988 for the murders of Lynda and Dawn three years apart in neighbouring Leicestershire villages.

At the time the then Lord Chief Justice, Lord Lane, said: 'From the point of view of the safety of the public I doubt if he should ever be released.'

The killer was handed a minimum term of 30 years, cut to 28 years in 2009. He has previously been denied parole twice  in 2016 and 2018.

Barbara Ashworth, whose daughter was strangled to death after a 'particularly violent rape' in 1986 as she walked home in Enderby, told of her heartache last night at the news Pitchfork had been approved for release.

And she warned that the devious monster could be 'pulling the wool' over the Parole Board's eyes.

She said: 'This news is so upsetting. There are still 15-year-old girls wandering around and this man could still have 20 years of his life to abuse them.

'He can't hurt me any more than he has done  Pitchfork ripped my family and I apart  but he can hurt other young girls. I can't understand how he has suddenly been judged fit for release when he was turned down before.'

Mrs Ashworth, 75, from Liskeard, Cornwall, added: 'This is a man who has displayed psychopathic tendencies  a man who thought he was clever enough to outwit police at the time of the murders by dodging the mass blood testing exercise. He nearly succeeded.

'I wouldn't put it past him to have duped the authorities into believing he was reformed and rehabilitated now. He will always be a danger.'

Sue Gratrick, 55, whose sister Lynda was killed in 1983 less than a mile away from the attack on Dawn in the village of Narborough, said the decision to release Pitchfork was 'crazy'.

Double-murderer Colin Pitchfork, who was jailed for life for strangling 15-year-olds Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth to death in Leicestershire in 1983 and 1986, will be allowed to leave prison after being approved for release by the Parole Board

Victims: Furious relatives of two schoolgirls murdered by a notorious paedophile have condemned a decision to let him go free

Barbara Ashworth (pictured with husband Robin), whose daughter was strangled to death after a 'particularly violent rape' in 1986 as she walked home in Enderby, told of her heartache last night at the news Pitchfork had been approved for release

Mrs Gratrick, a taxi office worker, said: 'As a family we are so upset by this news. I don't believe somebody guilty of acts such as those he did is capable of being rehabilitated.

'Every time he comes up for parole, or there is some other development such as him being granted day release, our pain is heightened once more.'

How his sentence was reduced When Colin Pitchfork was convicted, the most senior judge in England Lord Lane said: 'I doubt if he should ever be released.' But the decision on how long such offenders should serve before eligibility for parole was political. Then Home Secretary Douglas Hurd set the 'minimum tariff' at 30 years. In Pitchfork's case there was never any public discussion about his suitability for a tougher 'whole life' tariff. Years later, Labour's Criminal Justice Act 2003 allowed serious criminals to apply for a review of their minimum terms. When Pitchfork used this to win an appeal in 2009, senior judges discussed the issue of a whole life tariff. Their ruling said Lord Lane and the original trial judge 'could not anticipate he would cease to represent a danger to public safety'. They reduced his term to 28 years because he had made 'exceptional progress' behind bars. Advertisement

Dawn's uncle Philip Musson, 67, from Newark, Nottinghamshire, added: 'We are totally opposed to the notion of killers  let alone child killers  having parole.

'A life sentence ought to mean life because a life is something that wasn't afforded to Dawn as a result of the actions of this man.'

South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa branded the Parole Board's decision 'appalling' and 'disgusting', and said his constituents have never forgotten Pitchfork's 'repugnant' crimes.

He added: 'There are some crimes so heinous that those responsible should not be released. Raping and murdering teenage girls is as bad as it gets.'

He added that he would lobby for a rethink of the parole ruling.

Pitchfork was the first man convicted of murder on the basis of DNA evidence  although he tried to escape a mass test by sending a workmate to give a sample.

He also stood by as Richard Buckland, a 17-year-old local with learning difficulties, was accused of one the crimes.

He was jailed for life at Leicester Crown Court in 1988 after pleading guilty to two offences of murder, two of rape, two of indecent assault and one of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Pitchfork, who now calls himself David Thorpe, was moved to Leyhill open prison in Gloucestershire in 2017 and has been spotted on day release walking the streets of Bristol.

A new Parole Board hearing on his case took place in March and the decision was published yesterday.

A document detailing the ruling said: 'After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in custody and the evidence presented at the hearing, the panel was satisfied that Mr Pitchfork was suitable for release.'

Ministry of Justice officials are considering if it is appropriate to order the Parole Board to use a new 'reconsideration mechanism' after the Justice Secretary intervened.

The procedure was introduced in 2019 in the wake of scandal surrounding the board's decision to approve the release of Worboys, who was convicted of attacks on 12 women in his London taxi.

Pitchfork's case was most recently refused by the Parole Board in 2018. Since then, he has been kept at Leyhill Prison, an open prison in Gloucestershire

Mr Buckland can apply for a review if an internal review by prisons and probation experts concludes the decision was 'procedurally unfair' or 'irrational'.

A source close to Mr Buckland said: 'We will take legal advice to see if it's worth using the mechanism in this case. If Pitchfork was sentenced under the reforms we're making... he'd have got life without the possibility of parole.'

Pitchfork's release would be subject to conditions including lie detector tests, wearing an electronic tag and observing a curfew at a specified address.

The 'root and branch' review of the Parole Board was ordered by Mr Buckland last year and is due to be completed this summer.

Sadist put his baby in the back of the car  then raped and strangled teenager nearby

By David Barrett Home Affairs Correspondent

Colin Pitchfork's sadistic sexual murders were among the most notorious crimes of the Eighties.

In November 1983, he attacked 15-year-old Lynda Mann as she took a shortcut home from babysitting in the Leicestershire village of Narborough.

Baker and cake decorator Pitchfork, a 23-year-old father of two, raped her and then strangled her to death with her own scarf.

Throughout the incident his car was parked nearby, with his baby son asleep in the back of it.

Lynda's half-naked body was not found until the next day.

Years later, under police interview, Pitchfork described how his first victim had been terrified and in fear of her life.

Just under three years later, less than a mile away from the scene of Lynda's murder, Pitchfork viciously claimed another young life.

Dawn Ashworth, also 15, was attacked in the village of Enderby as she was walking home.

Legal papers in one of Pitchfork's appeals said described his assault on the schoolgirl as a 'particularly violent rape'.

'The girl herself had put up a considerable struggle. There was substantial bruising consistent with at least two punches to the side of her face, and another to the front,' it went on.

'There were large grip marks, bruises to her upper arms. The pathologist described a 'brutal sexual attack'.'

The pathologist also concluded that sexual assaults may have continued after Dawn was strangled to death. Her body, too, was half-naked when it was discovered two days later.

The killer had form for other sex crimes. He indecently assaulted a 16-year-old girl in 1979, and in 1985  between the two murders  he attacked another girl, also 16, holding a screwdriver to her throat while he sexually assaulted her behind some lock-up garages.

In November 1983, he attacked 15-year-old Lynda Mann as she took a shortcut home from babysitting in the Leicestershire village of Narborough. He raped her and then strangled her to death with her own scarf. Pictured: The crime scene

After Dawn's murder, police obtained a forensic sample of her attacker from her body and, in early 1987, launched what was then a groundbreaking DNA trawl in a bid to find the killer. Local men were asked to give saliva and blood samples to rule themselves out of the police inquiry.

Pitchfork, knowing that he would be caught if he took part, persuaded a colleague at the bakery where he worked to impersonate him and give a blood sample under his name.

However, the colleague later boasted about the masquerade while drinking with fellow workers in a Leicester pub, and police were informed. Pitchfork was arrested in September 1987  nearly four years after he first killed  and was charged with the murders and rapes.

He pleaded guilty. A psychiatric report at the hearing described a 'personality disorder of psychopathic type accompanied by serious psychosexual pathology'.

It observed that Pitchfork 'will obviously continue to be an extremely dangerous individual while the psycho-pathology continues'.

The judge who oversaw his sentencings, Mr Justice Otton, observed that Pitchfork's rapes and murders 'were of a particularly sadistic kind'.
The father of twin sisters attacked by a 10ft crocodile has revealed details of the fight for their lives and how they fought the animal off, as it emerged the pair were lead to the lagoon by an 'unlicensed tour guide'.

Melissa and Georgia Laurie, both 28, from Berkshire, were swimming during the day in a lagoon in Mexico around 10 miles from Puerto Escondido.

Melissa was attacked by a crocodile which dragged her beneath the water before Georgia repeatedly punched the beast in a bid to save her.

The pair are now both recovering in hospital in Mexico. Melissa has been placed in a medically-induced coma to prevent any infection to her injuries and Georgia suffered injuries to her hands.

Their father Sean, 63, told MailOnline today: 'Melissa has lacerations all over her abdomen, her body, bite injuries. Her wrist is broken and has been pinned in several places.

'But her worst injuries are in her lungs. She was half-drowned. The crocodile took her in a death-roll, turning her over and over under water. Fortunately Georgia got to her.'

The twins' elder sister, Hana Laurie, 33, also revealed the pair had booked a tour with a guide through their hostel but had since been told he was not registered and had taken them to a swimming spot which was not recommended.

'He's an unlicensed tour guide and according to someone on a Mexican Facebook page he's been doing it for a while, doing illegal tours in unsafe, unregistered areas,' Hana said.

Melissa and Georgia Laurie, both 28, from Berkshire, were swimming during the day in a lagoon in Mexico - around 10 miles from Puerto Escondido

Melissa (left) was attacked by a crocodile which dragged her beneath the water before Georgia (right) repeatedly punched the beast in a bid to save her sister

The twins were volunteering with animals in the country and had been taking a break when the crocodile attacked.

Hana said: '[Their tour guide] had gone to where the crocodiles live and not the location where all legal certified sanctioned tours take place. He has been called out locally before, apparently, but that wasn't for my sisters to know.

'They found out the information through their hospital.'

She added that she was 'very proud' of 'super-badass' sister Georgia for scaring the crocodile off after punching it three times.

Hana told Radio 1 Newsbeat: 'Georgia found [Melissa] unresponsive and started to drag her back to the safety of a boat.

'She dragged her back as the crocodile kept coming back for more - so she just started hitting it. She'd heard that with with some animals, that's what you've got to do.'

She added: 'Georgia's OK, she's tired, she's really stressed. I think she's really frightened but she is awake and has got some wounds on her hands. Melissa's still in an induced coma.'

Hana said that the family were in disbelief when they found out what happened before adding that the event was 'so unusual, and so rare' that they 'didn't believe it could happen to them'.

She also said that she first thought it was a joke when her mother told her how her siblings battled the beast.

She said: 'My mum called me really early in the morning, I'm known to be a bit of an early riser, had it not been so early I would have thought that she she was joking.

'It's not a very funny joke... I just couldn't believe it, it's so rare so I kind of sat in silence for a little bit.

'I managed to speak to Georgia on a video call shortly after, that was very emotional.

'I told her how proud I am, how grateful I am, without her I wouldn't have my other sister, without them being so fierce we would have been in a totally different situation and we still don't know what's going to happen, she's not out of the woods.

The family (pictured all together) are now trying to work out if they are able to fly over to Mexico to support the twins but added it is more difficult due to the cost and Mexico being placed on Britain's amber list

The twins, who were volunteering with animals in the country and had been taking a break when the crocodile attacked, were lead to the lagoon by an 'unlicensed tour guide'

Georgia repeatedly punched the beast in a bid to save her sister and the pair are now both recovering in hospital in Mexico

'I listened to her tell me how frightened she was and I just wanted to be somebody that was going to be there. We can't be there be there at the moment, we're thousands of miles away but I wanted her to know she's amazing, totally amazing.'

Speaking on BBC Radio Solent, the 33-year-old added: 'What we're aware of at the moment is that Melissa and Georgia were swimming with a group and Melissa said ''my goodness, there's a crocodile''... translate that how you might.

'She was being dragged about, thrashed about, pandemonium ensued I guess.

'What Georgia had told us is that she didn't know what else to do other than just try and get to Melissa and just to hit it so we're so lucky that Georgia's got water safety training so she knew how to get Melissa and drag her away with her dive master training.

'She's been working in diving for years - so we were very lucky that she's managed to get to Melissa in the water and just repeatedly hit the crocodile until it released her.

'We know that this happened three times before they were able to get to a nearby boat that their friends were able to get for help.

'It must have been so scary, I haven't really been able to get much out of Georgia at the moment just because we're focusing on their help and getting better and the details surrounding particularly Melissa's condition but it sounds to me like there was a great big brawl.

'Georgia and Melissa are very keen in the sea, in the water, they're great with animals.

'Melissa's worked with zoos and animal charities for many years. So whilst they knew that there were risks in Mexico in the sea they booked a tour at a hostel, asked the right questions and they were told that it was safe

'Georgia said she was really tired, just running on adrenaline and managed to drag her back to that boat where they've been sped off to the local hospital.

'She's got cuts and bruises and injuries on her hands from where she was punching the crocodile three times, so each time she had to fight again. I'm so proud of her, I'm in awe.

'The last we heard [about Melissa] she is still in a medically induced coma since Sunday evening, we aren't really sure, she's had a couple of operations to stop the internal bleeding and to repair the open fracture in her wrist.

'The main concern at the moment is just making sure all the dirty sea water and crocodile dirt doesn't provide a nasty infection.

'She was struggling to breathe as she was taken to the emergency department so they've put her into a medically-induced coma so they can try and drain some of the water, they can keep the risk of infection low, but now it's a waiting game, she's in a delicate spot.'

The family are now trying to work out if they are able to fly over to Mexico to support the twins but added it is more difficult due to the cost and Mexico being placed on Britain's amber list.

The sisters' mother Sue Laurie, 63, has said how the 28-year-old twins' unbreakable bond had saved their lives.

The crocodile attacked both sisters as they waded toward the shore with Georgia forced to punch it several times to escape (stock image)

Tourists flock to Manialtepec Lagoon (pictured) to swim in the glow-in-the-dark waters - despite warnings that 10ft crocodiles lurk under the surface

She told MailOnline: 'They have always been there for each other. The girls can fight like cats and dogs, but there is no closer relationship than twins.

'They will do anything for each other. And what happened in Mexico shows just that.

'If Georgia had not have been there who knows what would have happened.'

She said both women had terrible bite injuries while Melissa came close to drowning.

'We have twin daughters who are travelling around Mexico were attacked by a crocodile' Sue added.

'Melissa is alive, but we don't know if her injuries are life-threatening or not.

'She has water on her lungs and she has been coughing up blood. So we don't know if she has a punctured lung or not. She has been put into a medically induced coma.'

Pictured: Twins Melissa and Georgia Laurie, now both 28, when they were babies dressed in identical clothing

Melissa and Georgia Laurie (pictured as schoolchildren) had been on a dream trip to Mexico when tragedy struck

Sean has previously told how Melissa, a zookeeper, was saved from certain death by her sister.

He said: 'Georgia fought off the crocodile. It was only because she is a diver and has life-saving experience that she was able to save her.

'They were swimming after dark in the bioluminescent waters when Georgia heard Melissa cry out.

'She called for her but she didn't reply. She could hear other members of the tour group but not did not hear anything from her sister.

The twins' parents, Sue and Sean Laurie, said both their daughters had bite injuries

'So she went under looking for her. She was very brave.

'After several minutes she found Melissa floating face down on the surface.

'But when she was bringing her back to the boat the crocodile attacked again.

'Georgia had to fight it off. She kept punching it in the head.

'She suffered lacerations, bite wounds too.'

The twins had taken a boat trip to the Manialtepec Lagoon, which is a coastal lagoon described as a bioluminescence natural phenomenon.

A place rich in biodiversity, the lagoon is created by saltwater from the Pacific Ocean, freshwater from the Manialtepec River and the deep water of the lagoon itself.

Tourists take tours to look at the unique glowing bioluminescent waters.

Swimmers are warned that crocodiles that can grow up to ten feet long - live in the lagoon.

Despite the warnings, the twins' father claims that the sisters were assured by their tour company that there were no crocodiles in the water.

The twins had been assured by the tour company the lagoon was free of crocodiles before the croc attack

Mr Laurie, a business consultant, explained: 'The girls asked specifically if it was safe to go swimming and the guide had said it was.'

The sisters had been back-packing around the world. They left the UK in March and planned to return in November.

However the twins parents are now considering whether they need to fly out to Mexico to bring them home.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman told MailOnline: 'We are supporting the family of two British women who are in hospital in Mexico, and are in contact with the local authorities.'
New Zealand has reached a major milestone in its fight against Covid-19 as the nation marks its 100th consecutive day without a case of community transmission.

The country has not recorded any cases outside of managed isolation from February 28 to June 8, according to data from the Ministry from Health.

The achievement has put New Zealand on track to surpass its previous record of 102 days community-transmission free, which was set in August last year.

The impressive streak was last broken when a mystery outbreak emerged in south Auckland, plunging the city into a snap three-day lockdown.

New Zealand on Tuesday marked 100 days without a case of community transmission. Pictured: Aucklanders get out under level two and support businesses in Newmarket in March as the country enjoyed no new local cases

The country is two days away from surpassing its old record of 102 days without a case of community transmission, a milestone that was set in August last year. Pictured: Fans enjoy a Six60 concert in Auckland in April

There have been ten new cases of coronavirus recorded in recent returnees in managed isolation since the Ministry of Health's last update on Sunday.

Four of the cases, which arrived from Iraq via Qatar on May 26, will be investigated after the travellers tested positive on days 11 and 12 of quarantine.

Under protocol, health authorities are required to investigate any cases detected after day 3.

The other six case all arrived within the past week, with routes including, Philippines, via Singapore, Russia, via United Arab Emirates, and India, via Qatar.

The new infections bring the total number of active cases in New Zealand to 22.

The 100-day landmark comes after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern vowed to be vaccinated against COVID-19 this month after the New Zealand government secured a million doses from Pfizer.

Ms Ardern has held off on receiving the vaccine until now, saying she wanted to wait until the rollout to the general population.

As the massive new drop of doses keeps NZ's rollout on schedule, Ms Ardern has decided to get the jab as a role model to the population.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured) will be vaccinated against COVID-19 this month

The New Zealand government on Tuesday confirmed they would receive a supply of a million doses from Pfizer. Pictured: New Zealand olympian shot putter Dame Valerie Adams reacts as she receives her COVID-19 vaccination in Auckland

Like Australia, NZ began its vaccination rollout in February, prioritising border and health workers, as well as vulnerable populations such as the elderly.

Last month, Ms Ardern said she wanted to 'prioritise those who are most vulnerable or who are most exposed, but also demonstrate I consider it a priority and to be safe'.

Her stance contrasts with that of Scott Morrison, who was among the first to be vaccinated in Australia in February, doing so with an Australian flag face mask, and a green and gold polo shirt, showing support for the national netball team.

Both countries have enjoyed largely successful fights against COVID by global standards, but problems with their vaccine rollouts.

NZ's national vaccination program is running at glacial pace, sitting at 119th in the world for first doses distributed per capita.

Ms Ardern's government aims to complete high-risk and marginal populations first, before transitioning to a big bang in July.

COVID-19 Minister Chris Hipkins has confessed to nerves and anxiety around the buildup, and showed his relief at the confirmation on Tuesday.

'This is great news and reassuring to see our vaccine supply ramping up,' he said.

As the massive new drop of doses keeps NZ's rollout on schedule, Ms Ardern (pictured) has decided to get the jab as a role model to the population

Ms Ardernwill be getting the Pfizer vaccine as a 'role-model' to her nation

'It shows our plan for what is the biggest and most complex logistical undertaking ever by the health system is on track.

'The drops will enable us to continue vaccinating Groups 1,2, and 3, while giving us the certainty needed to start the general population rollout as planned.'

Ms Ardern's government has pledged to vaccinate every consenting adult resident in New Zealand this year.

Over the Tasman, Melbourne remains on track for a lockdown reprieve despite authorities linking an outbreak of the more infectious Delta COVID-19 strain to a hotel quarantine case.

Acting Premier James Merlino said authorities had genomically linked the West Melbourne Delta cluster to a man in his 40s who arrived from Sri Lanka on May 8.

He assured Victorians that the latest development was not a setback to the planned easing of restrictions for Melbourne and regional Victoria at 11.59pm on Thursday.

'Today doesn't change our plans. We remain on track,' Mr Merlino told reporters on Tuesday.

Emma Cassar, the head of COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria, said the infected man mistakenly opened his hotel room door early in his stay, but it would not have been long enough to transmit the virus.

'The last 24 hours have been a flurry of activity ... to make sure we cover off all bases,' Ms Cassar told ABC Radio.

Victoria recorded two new locally acquired Covid cases on Tuesday - both linked to previously known cases (pictured, walkers in Melbourne)

She added health authorities are also tracking down the people who cleaned and restocked the plane that brought the infected man to Melbourne.

Two of the 12 residents who were on the same floor of the hotel as the infected man are also being followed up, as they did not have day 17 and 20 tests.

After testing positive on the same day he returned from overseas, the man was moved from the Novotel Ibis to the Holiday Inn 'health hotel' on May 9.

He completed 14 days of hotel quarantine and was released on May 23.

Genomic sequencing shows his infection is identical to one of two families linked to the North Melbourne Primary School, which has emerged as the epicentre of the West Melbourne outbreak.

However, it remains unclear how the virus was transmitted from the returned traveller - who lives in the Glen Eira area in the city's southeast - to the infected family.

Deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng said there were four main theories, with the most likely being that the man transmitted the virus to a staff member while in transit or to a fellow guest.

The Delta variant outbreak now totals 14, though authorities are no closer to finding out how a family from West Melbourne first contracted the variant. Melburnians take to the park for daily exercise in Moonee Ponds on Monday

That person has then gone on to infect someone in the community.

'I am very surprised it got out. But this is what we have, and we need to work out what has happened here,' Professor Cheng said.

Acting Police and Emergency Services Minister Danny Pearson said no one who came into contact with the man has tested positive so far, including fellow plane passengers and crew, Skybus and hotel quarantine staff and other hotel guests at the Novotel Ibis.

Meanwhile, none of the guests at the Holiday Inn at the time of the man's stay were infected with the Delta variant.

Mr Pearson said there was no indication that transmission had taken place inside either of the hotels as COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria continues to review CCTV footage and incident logs.

Victoria's deadly second wave of COVID-19 last year was sparked from leaks in hotel quarantine, leading to a major overhaul of the system.

Some 22,814 Victorians were tested on Monday and 21,192 received a vaccine dose at state-run sites

The revamped program restarted in December, only for it to be paused in February as a leak from the Holiday Inn grew to nearly 25 cases and triggered a three-day lockdown.

Last week, Victoria secured federal government support to construct a purpose-built quarantine facility in the state.

Victoria reported two new local COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, both linked to existing outbreaks and with limited community exposure.

One is a child linked to the West Melbourne outbreak, while the other is a household contact of a worker linked to the Arcare Maidstone cluster.

The state's COVID-19 commander Jeroen Weimar said a string of new exposure sites added to the list of more than 270 on Monday evening were linked to the new cases.

Some 22,814 Victorians were tested on Monday and 21,192 received a vaccine dose at state-run sites.
Ilhan Omar has compared the U.S. and Israel to the Taliban and Hamas by claiming they have all committed 'unthinkable atrocities'.

'We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity,' the Minnesota Democratic congresswoman wrote on Twitter on Monday night.

'We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban,' Omar continued, lumping in the U.S. and Israel with terrorist organizations.

Omar's office did not respond to a DailyMail.com request on what specific 'atrocities' she was referencing in her tweet that the U.S. is responsible for.

'This shouldn't be at all controversial: America is not a terrorist organization,' newly elected South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace tweeted on Tuesday. 'Full stop.'

'It is absolutely befuddling that Rep. [Ilhan Omar] continues her vicious, hateful assault on America, likening our country to terrorists,' she added.

Representative Ilhan Omar likened U.S. and Israeli actions to the 'unthinkable atrocities committed' by terrorist groups like Hamas and the Taliban

In her tweet, the Minnesota congresswoman included a clip of her line of questioning with Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a hearing Monday. The questioning did not include lumping in the U.S. with terrorist organizations

Florida Representative Brian Mast tweeted: 'This is absolutely disgusting from a Member of Congress. I lost two legs and a finger defending the USA and fighting the radical Islamic terrorists that [Ilhan] Omar is now defending. She is completely unfit to serve our country.'

The 'Squad' member included a clip in her tweet where she questioned Secretary of State Antony Blinken as part of a Monday House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the State Department's budget request and foreign policy strategy.

Her line of questioning, unlike her tweet, did not include her grouping America with terrorist organizations.

Instead, she asked Blinken how the U.S. plans to help people in areas where war crimes are being committed by Hamas and the Taliban, including places like in Israel, Palestinian territories and Afghanistan.

'I asked [Secretary Antony Blinken] where people are supposed to go for justice,' Omar tweeted of her line of questioning.

The American-Somali congresswoman's comments come shortly after a ceasefire was called between Israel and Hamas, operating in Gaza, following an 11-day deadly conflict.

More than 250 people were killed in the conflict and thousands others were injured.

Omar saw some backlash for her tweet, including questions of why she serves in Congress if she 'hates America.'

'If Ilhan Omar hates America so much to say that U.S. committed atrocities equal to #Hamas and #Taliban why is she a member of U.S. Congress?' TV reporter Trish Regan tweeted. 'She should resign!!'

Former CIA Operations Officer Bryan Dean Wright, tweeted: 'Ilhan Omar claims -- without evidence -- that America is a war criminal, sharing the honor with Hamas, the Taliban, and her favorite of all villains -- the Jewish State.'

South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace said it 'shouldn't be at all controversial' to say that America is 'not a terrorist organization'. She called on Omar to resign

Democrats criticized President Joe Biden's administration for not being tougher on Israel and sending more humanitarian aid to Palestinians.

After working behind the scenes on a ceasefire between the two entities, Biden assured he is focused on the two-state solution so Israel and Palestinians both have their own land.

Republicans, however, were critical of the president not doubling-down on America's commitment to defending Israel.

Omar and other 'squad' members, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib, have been vocal about their support for Palestinians and critical of Israel.

Tlaib is the first woman of Palestinian descent to be elected to the U.S. Congress.

Conservative television journalist Trish Regan slammed Omar for 'hating America,' and said 'she should resign'

A former CIA operations officer said Omar's 'favorite villain' is 'the Jewish State'

Omar's comments come after an 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas operating in Gaza, which saw more than 250 people be killed, thousands others injured and millions in damages

Last month, Omar accused Israel of committing 'war crimes' in the conflict between the Jewish state and Hamas, which ws operating in Palestinian territory of Gaza.

'We should all be grateful that a ceasefire will prevent more civilians and children from being killed,' Omar tweeted in May. 'But now what? We need accountability for every war crime committed.'

'And we need to stop underwriting crimes against humanity while doing nothing to end the occupation,' she added.

During the 11-day conflict last month, thousands of missiles were fired at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv  along with other areas in Israel  from Gaza.

Israel's Iron Dome defense system went into action and the country retaliated with missiles of their own aimed at areas where they believed Hamas was operating  like a media building.
A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) helicopter used downwash to clear protesters rallying against the controversial rebuilding of an oil pipeline in northern Minnesota on Monday.

Footage showed huge clouds of dust whipped up by the chopper directly above the site of an occupied pump station.

In photos, debris appears to be flying through the air past protesters and journalists who are trying to shield their faces.

Local media reported that the helicopter at one point hovered about 20 feet (6 meters) from the ground.

Demonstrators, some of whom had chained themselves to construction equipment at the site, had gathered to protest against a bid to replace the aging Line 3 pipeline, which would carry oil across the state's environmentally sensitive tribal lands.

Among the hundreds protesting the Canada-based Enbridge Energy's replacement project, was actress and activist Jane Fonda, who was accompanied by fellow actresses Rosanna Arquette, Taylor Schilling and Catherine Keener.

Social media users were shocked by the footage of the helicopter, shared by a photojournalist, with many urging the incident be reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) helicopter used downwash to clear protesters rallying against the controversial rebuilding of an oil pipeline in northern Minnesota on Monday

DHS/Border Patrol is using helicopter rotor wash to try to clear out activists out from an occupied #Line3 pump station north of Park Rapids. More than 24 activists are locked down to equipment inside. @MPRnews pic.twitter.com/ArTN6FAqwC  Evan Frost (@efrostee) June 7, 2021

In photos, debris appears to be flying through the air past protesters and journalists who are trying to shield their faces

Aviator Steve Dengler replied to the tweet featuring the video, describing the action as 'straight up illegal.'

'FAA Air Regs Title 14, Section 91.119 specifically prohibits low flying aircraft from being closer than '500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure',' he wrote, advising citizens to report the 'infraction' to the FAA.

Other users shared a Washington Post article referencing an incident last summer in which DC Guard helicopters flew 55 feet above Black Lives Matter protesters.

A CBP spokesperson confirmed to MailOnline that CBP in Grand Forks responded to a local law enforcement request for assistance 'to address a gathering of people who were reported to have trespassed on private property.'

'CBP's headquarters is investigating the facts to determine precisely what occurred and whether the actions taken were justified. All appropriate actions will be taken based on the facts that are learned, including with respect to the incident itself as well as the agency's applicable policies and procedures,' the spokesperson said in an email.

At least 30 protesters had been arrested by Monday evening and the number 'is growing rapidly,' Ashley Fairbanks, a spokeswoman for Treaty People Gathering, told The Associated Press.

Footage showed huge clouds of dust whipped up by the chopper directly above the site of an occupied pump station

Social media users were shocked by the footage of the helicopter, shared by a photojournalist, with many urging the incident be reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Among the hundreds protesting the Canada-based Enbridge Energy's replacement project, was actress and activist Jane Fonda (pictured), who was accompanied by fellow actresses Rosanna Arquette, Taylor Schilling and Catherine Keener

The CBP said it was 'investigating the facts to determine precisely what occurred and whether the actions taken were justified' Pictured: Someone inside a CBP helicopter records activists with a cell phone

Demonstrators, some of whom had chained themselves to construction equipment at the site, had gathered to protest against a bid to replace the aging Line 3 pipeline, which would carry oil across the state's environmentally sensitive tribal lands

Earlier on Monday, Fonda, 83, shared a video of protesters holding signs and dancing at the site.

'We are all treaty people. Every single one of us. I am so grateful to the Indigenous women and leaders who welcomed me and my friends @rosannaarquette, @taylorschilling and #CatherineKeener to join them in solidarity to stop the Line 3 oil pipeline in Northern Minnesota. This pipeline is wrong. Just wrong. And the Biden administration has the power to pull the permits and demand that the Army Corp of Engineers does a proper study,' Fonda wrote on Instagram.

'We can't stop making noise until they hear us and act.

'In solidarity with Indigenous water protectors, please sign the petition at StopLine3.org and check out our friends @protestlaw. It is time for @potus to do the right thing and put a stop to this pipeline. #TreatyPeopleGathering #StopLine3 #HonorTheTreaties'.

Opponents of the project accuse Enbridge of building a new pipeline corridor through untouched wetlands and three Anishinaabe communities have filed legal challenges to the pipeline's construction.

They say the pipeline, which would carry oil from Alberta to Wisconsin, risks spills in areas where Native Americans claim treaty rights and hunt, fish, gather medicinal plants and harvest wild rice,' twincities.com reported.

Organized protests from June 5 to June 8 have been planned in Northern Minnesota to raise awareness and demand action from the Biden administration.

Twincities.com reported that Enbridge had evacuated 44 workers from the site in an effort to deescalate the situation.

The company said it 'hoped all parties would come to accept the outcome of the thorough, science-based review and multiple approvals of the project,' the website reported, citing a written statement.

Opponents of the project accuse Enbridge of building a new pipeline corridor through untouched wetlands and three Anishinaabe communities have filed legal challenges to the pipeline's construction

At least 30 protesters had been arrested by Monday evening and the number 'is growing rapidly,' Ashley Fairbanks, a spokeswoman for Treaty People Gathering, told The Associated Press

More than 300 groups submitted a letter to Biden in May asking him to have the Army Corps of Engineers to suspend or revoke Enbridges federal clean water permit for the project

Enbridge says the new pipeline will be made from stronger steel and will better protect the environment than the current deteriorating 1960s-era line.

More than 300 groups submitted a letter to Biden in May asking him to have the Army Corps of Engineers to suspend or revoke Enbridges federal clean water permit for the project.

On the first day of his administration, Biden cancelled the controversial Keystone XL pipeline over climate concerns. He has not so far taken a stance on Line 3.

His administration has also refused to shut down the Dakota Access pipeline.

Both activists and the company are awaiting a Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling due by June 21 on a challenge from environmental and tribal groups looking to overturn the approval of the project.

Enbridge says the new pipeline will be made from stronger steel and will better protect the environment than the current deteriorating 1960s-era line. Pictured: A protester is detained on Monday

Organized protests from June 5 to June 8 have been planned in Northern Minnesota to raise awareness and demand action from the Biden administration. Pictured: A protester that has attached himself to heavy machinery at the site
Maya Wiley, the progressive left's new poster child, is a mass of contradictions. Republicans call it hypocrisy.

The 57-year-old lives in a $2.75million, 4,000-sq-ft house in Brooklyn. Her husband Harlan Mandel, 58, is CEO of a multimillion dollar investment fund.

She wants to defund the police but she and her neighbors pay for private security for their wealthy area.

The mother-of-two calls school programs for talented kids 'racially discriminatory,' but she sent one daughter, to an academy for the gifted, and the other to a $51,000-a-year private school.

She worked as chief legal adviser to the Big Apple's current mayor Bill de Blasio, but now attacks him at every opportunity.

And she says her administration would be fully transparent, but while working for de Blasio came up with a now-discredited way to keep secret communications between his office and outside advisers.

'She talks the talk, but doesn't walk the walk,' one political observer told DailyMail.com.

New York City mayoral candidate Maya Wiley was spotted leaving her $2.75million home in Brooklyn yesterday to attend a campaign event in the city

The 57-year-old civil rights activist and lawyer has become the new poster child for the progressive left after promising to defund the police and abolish gifted and talented school programs if elected mayor

DailyMail.com spotted Wiley outside of her 4,000-sq-ft house she shares with her husband in the Ditmas Park section of Brooklyn - one of the leafiest - and safest - neighborhoods in the city

Wiley has vowed to defund New York City's police department despite coughing up $550 a month for a private security car to monitor her neighborhood. Her mother's trust paid for the home in 2000 for $700,000 and its value has quadrupled in the intervening 21 years

Maya Wiley, with her husband and daughters, announced NYC her mayoral run on October 8, 2020

Wiley, Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez's choice to be the next mayor of New York City, is one of eight major contenders for the Democratic nomination. Primaries will be held on June 22.

In deep blue New York, the winner of the Democratic race will be clear favorite to win the November election.

The latest poll, conducted before AOC's endorsement, had Wiley in fifth place with nine per cent of likely voters backing her as their first choice.

But with one major progressive rival, Scott Stringer, under pressure to quit following sexual harassment allegations, and staffers for a second, Dianne Morales, in open revolt after four firings, she is hoping to pick up more of the leftist vote to put her close to top tier candidates Eric Adams, Andrew Yang and Kathryn Garcia in the wide-open race.

Her campaign did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.

Wiley was born in Syracuse, New York, and lived in New York City briefly as a child before her parents moved to Washington, D.C.

Her father was one of six children of a postal clerk who managed to attend the University of Rhode Island as an honor student and then took a doctorate in organic chemistry at Ivy League university Cornell, before becoming a professor at Berkeley where he advised students how to organize sit-ins.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (left) threw her support behind civil rights lawyer Maya Wiley (right) for New York mayor over the weekend

George Wiley became head of the National Welfare Rights Organization, but he left a few months before his death because he felt it wasn't attracting enough white members and he formed the Movement for Economic Justice.

Like his daughter, George married a white person, Wretha Wittle from Abilene, Texas, who supported her husband's beliefs.

Maya was only nine when she watched her father get swept out to sea after a huge wave crashed into his boat as they sailed in Chesapeake Bay.

Young Maya, and her 10-year-old brother Daniel desperately tried to throw their father a line but the seas were too rough and he was pulled further and further from the boat.

Somehow, Maya and Daniel managed to get the boat close enough to shore that they could swim to dry land.

But then, she claims, they went door-to-door in the white neighborhood asking for help but were rebuffed. That experience, she says, made her realize that racism is a 'deep illness.'

Wiley and her husband, Harlan. The two share two daughters, Naja and Kai

Wiley is married to Harlan Mandel, 58, (left) the CEO of a multimillion investment fund

Wiley and her husband have a moment as she anno unced her NYC mayoral run. She is an American civil rights activist and who served as the board chair of the NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board and he is the CEO of a multimllion dollar investment fund

DailyMail.com spotted Wiley outside of her 4,000-sq-ft house she shares with her husband in the Ditmas Park section of Brooklyn - one of the leafiest - and safest - neighborhoods in the city

The mother-of-two has discussed taking a more progressive approach when it comes to restoring safety and security on New York City streets, however, critics believe her plan is naive

She is now one of eight major contenders for the Democratic nomination and will be up against them in the primaries later this month

The body of 42-year-old welfare rights activist George Wiley wasn't found for three days, long after authorities had given up hope of finding him alive.

Wiley rarely speaks of that terrible day in August 1973 but she does say it was a formative experience.

'My brother and I - two little kids, nine, and 10 years old - alone on a boat after watching the waves wash away our father, we had to find a way to live,' she told the New York Times.

Maya went to private school in Washington, then on to two Ivy League universities, Dartmouth and Columbia.

She worked for the Manhattan US Attorney's office before going on to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and was at one stage mentioned as a possible future head of that organization.

Instead she went to the ACLU, then founded the Center for Social Inclusion before joining de Blasio's administration where she stayed for two and a half years, and then for a year she chaired the civilian board that oversees complaints against the police.

She is perhaps best-known nationally as a legal analyst on MSNBC where she frequently appeared with hosts such as Joy Reid and Rachel Maddow.

She quit when she announced in October last year that she would run for mayor but has still appeared regularly as a guest.

Wiley (pictured with her daughters) has been an outspoken opponent of selective education. But her daughter Naja, now 20, got her middle school education at the Mark Twain Intermediate School for the Gifted and Talented and her younger daughter Kai, 17, spent years at private Brooklyn Friends School

On Monday she was on the network again, touting her police reform package which would slash the budget by $1 billion, have a civilian as police commissioner and freeze cadet classes for two years, while removing the NYPD from mental health management, traffic, and immigration enforcement, and school safety, among other issues.

She claims her plans would reduce gun violence by up to 40 per cent.

'It's not that we don't want police. We want police focused on the job of policing,' she told Morning Joe host Mika Brzezinski.

Violent crime in New York has shot up over the past two years. Murders are up 48 per cent since 2019, and shooting incidents are more than double. Hate crimes are up by 38 per cent. Critics say her plan is naive.

Curtis Sliwa, the likely Republican candidate in the mayoral race told DailyMail.com: 'Hypocrisy drips from the lips of Maya Wiley. With her, it's all do as I say, not as I do.'

'She is someone who worships at the altar of AOC - All-Out Crazy,' he added.

Sliwa, 64, who is famed in New York for founding the Guardian Angels, a group that fought violence in the city's Subway system in the 1970s, said that Wiley's plans to take $1 billion from the police budget comes on top of previous cuts that already total $1 billion. 'And they only had a budget of $6 billion.

'Yet if she wins the primary she will get armed security from the NYPD 24-hours a day at the taxpayers' expense. I hope she refuses that, but with her record I don't think she will.

'Why should you have to have an armed guard to protect you from the people who voted for you,' he added.

'The day I have to have an armed guard to travel the streets and subways - and I am the only candidate who uses the subways - is the day I either get a job hanging wallpaper.

'Or maybe I retire to the Sixth Borough of New York City - Boca Raton,' he added.

Sliwa said Wiley's plans to stop screening for gifted students is another case of her hypocrisy.

'Instead of complaining about the lack of places for children of color she should be increasing the total number of places,' he said.

'Maya Wiley is like so many Democrats who call for these things, they have lived privileged lives but are really fugazies,' he added, using a slang word for a fake or a fraud.

Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Wiley on Saturday.

Wiley and her brother Daniel (pictured) were just young children when they watched their father drown during a sailing trip in 1973

Maya is the daughter of welfare rights activist and college professor George Wiley. She was just nine years old when she watched the 42-year-old get swept out to sea while they sailed in Chesapeake Bay. His body was found August 12, 1973

'If we don't come together as a movement, we will get a New York City built by and for billionaires, and we need a city by and for working people,' the firebrand congresswoman said.

Jamaal Bowman, another member of the so-called 'Squad', has also backed Wiley as has Hakeem Jeffries, the fifth-highest member of House Democratic leadership.

She has also received celebrity endorsements from Gabrielle Union, Alyssa Milano, Patton Oswalt, Cedric the Entertainer and Debra Messing, among others.

But Wiley's critics say she does not live by the standards she would force on the city's residents.

While she wants to cut the city police budget, she and her husband pay $550 a month for a private security firm to patrol her area.

The service will even take residents from the local subway station to their home if they feel unsafe.

She claims she doesn't want the private company, the Prospect Park South Charitable Trust.

'It's neither effective nor does it create the sense of community that I support. And I don't think it reflects the actual reality of our community in terms of whether it's even needed,' she said last year.

But she added the issue is complicated by the fact that Mandel nearly 20 years ago was beaten so badly, that he was hospitalized.

'To this day, if it's dark out, he walks down the middle of the street, he doesn't walk on the [poorly lit] sidewalk,' she explained.

The latest poll, conducted before AOC's endorsement, had Wiley in fifth place with nine per cent of likely voters backing her as their first choice

Maya Wiley's (pictured) vocal criticism of selective education did not stop her sending her eldest daughter to Mark Twain, a middle school in Brooklyn that cherry picks high-performing students

'And he said, one night he was coming home from work and he saw the car at the end of the block and it just made him feel better.

'And so he started paying again and then I had a very hard time saying, 'don't do it.'

'It's not necessarily rational but it is his trauma response so it's a complicated one for our family.'

She wants to create a 'just and livable' city with affordable housing, but her Ditmas Park section of Brooklyn is one of the leafiest  and safest  in the city.

Her mother's trust bought the home in 2000 for $700,000 and its value has quadrupled in the intervening 21 years.

And there is her opposition to screening of students. 'As mayor, I'll end the discriminatory status quo, where there are four times as many kids in gifted programs in District 2 in Manhattan as in District 12 in the Bronx,' she said juxtaposing one of the city's richest and whitest areas against one of the poorest and with the most minority students.

But daughter Naja, now 20, got her middle school education at the Mark Twain Intermediate School for the Gifted and Talented and then went to the Humanities Preparatory Academy that screens incoming students for good grades in core subjects.

Younger daughter Kai, 17, spent years at private Brooklyn Friends School.

The mayoral candidate's younger daughter went to the expensive Brooklyn Friends school

Her older daughter attended Mark Twain Intermediate School for the Gifted and Talented (pictured)

When de Blasio appointed her, Wiley said: 'It would have been impossible to say 'No' to a mayor who has such a big vision for both the city and the country.' Now she slams him for indecision, political ambition and transactional deal-making.

'I don't have experience accepting bad deals,' she said as she kicked off her campaign last October.

'I don't have experience campaigning across all boroughs of this city but only showing up when it's convenient. I don't have experience being so afraid to make a wrong decision that I make no decision at all.'

Her most notorious action while in the administration was to define outside contractors as 'agents of the city' so their communications with City Hall could be shielded from the public.

Now though, she says she the public deserves transparency and accountability. 'That shouldn't be up for discussion,' she tweeted in February.

And she claims despite de Blasio's unpopularity, his progressive policies are still the way to go.

'Progressivism didn't fail. De Blasio failed,' she says.

After her father's death, Maya's mother, who herself died in 2013, insisted that she and her brother should talk openly about the tragedy with her adult friends.

She even took them to the Coast Guard to get their own copy of the investigative report, which showed they were not at fault.

If their father had tried to clamber back on board the 23-ft. boat, he would almost certainly have capsized it and all three would have perished.

That decision, Wiley says, has helped her talk about hard things - even if she doesn't always practice what she preaches.
Going to the pub while off sick from work is not a sackable offence, a judge has ruled in the case of an ill driver who was fired after being caught out at a social club by his boss.

Judge Andrea Pitt ruled that unless driver Colin Kane, 66, from Tyne and Wear, had been specifically forbidden from socialising while ill by his employer, Debmat Surfacing, he was free to do what he liked.

Mr Kane was suffering from a serious lung condition at the time and told bosses he spent the day 'in bed with his chest' when in fact he was seen out smoking and drinking.

Now the driver is in line for compensation after winning a case for unfair dismissal.

The hearing in Newcastle heard that Mr Kane had worked as a driver for the company, which specialises in tarmacking and paving, since 2012.

Mr Kane had suffered with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - a condition which causes breathing difficulties and mainly affects smokers - for several years, the tribunal was told.

Judge Andrea Pitt (pictured) ruled that unless driver Colin Kane, 66, from Tyne and Wear, had been specifically forbidden from socialising while ill by his employer, he was free to do so

As a result of his illness, he was absent from work for periods of time.

On March 9 2020 he called in sick. But that afternoon his colleague Contracts Manager Shaun Johnson spotted him outside a social club close to his workplace in Ryton.

Mr Kane's boss said he then called the sick driver who told him 'he had been in bed all day with his chest.'

The tribunal heard his bosses then held a meeting with Mr Kane where they told him he had been seen several times at the social club drinking alcohol and smoking.

At the meeting Mr Johnson - who spotted Mr Kane out - said to him: 'Surely if you had been unfit for work and on antibiotics, you shouldn't be in the pub.'

Mr Kane responded saying he had only been there for a bit and saw nothing wrong with that.

Managing Director David Buggy commented that: 'I am not comfortable that you think it is ok to go to the pub when not fit for work.'

Debmat Surfacing in Tyne and Wear (pictured), which specialises in tarmacking and paving

The tribunal was told the company launched disciplinary action against Mr Kane for dishonesty and breaching company rules - and during the process Mr Kane admitted going to the social club for 15 minutes on one occasion and for 30 minutes on a second occasion.

At a disciplinary meeting, the other Managing Director at the company, John Turner, said to Mr Kane: 'I wouldn't expect a member of staff who is too ill to be at work [to be] out on the drink. Do you think it's reasonable?

'I phoned you on Tuesday to see how you were, you didn't answer. When you called me back later on. I asked how you were.

'You informed me you'd been in bed all day and had just gotten up, yet this is one of the days that you were seen in the Club, is that correct?'

Mr Kane denied being at the club on the day he was called, but was later fired three months later in July 2020.

In a letter to him Mr Turner said he had been found guilty of gross misconduct for 'attending the pub on numerous occasions, consuming alcohol and smoking whilst being signed off on the sick with chronic lung disease/chest infection and claiming to be at home in bed.'

However, Judge Pitt found the investigation into Mr Kane was flawed, in particular the company's claim Mr Kane had been rung on the Tuesday rather than the Monday - which the judge called a 'serious error' on the part of his bosses.

Upholding Mr Kane's claim of unfair dismissal, she pointed out that the company's rules do not prohibit employees from socialising while off sick.

Judge Pitt said: 'There is nothing in the disciplinary procedure prohibiting an employee from acting in this way. It is not clear the exact nature of misconduct of which the claimant was found guilty.'

The judge added that 'there is no rule [Debmat] can point to, which says that an employee cannot socialise in whatever way they deem appropriate whilst absent from work through illness.'

Judge Pitt ruled that Debmat 'made a gross assumption, without evidence' that the claimant should not be at the Social Club because of the nature of his condition and stated that the disciplinary procedure did not prohibit this.

A further hearing will take place to determine the amount of compensation Mr Kane will receive.
'Tiger Mom' Amy Chua, who until recently was one of Yale's most popular professors, insists she still doesn't know exactly what rules she broke that led to her downfall and so-called exile from the Ivy League school

'Tiger Mom' Yale Law professor Amy Chua says she has been 'publicly humiliated' but doesn't want to be 'chased out' after being banned from mentoring first-year students over claims she and her husband hosted alcohol-fueled dinner parties at their home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 58-year-old, who until recently was one of Yale's most popular professors, insisted in an interview with New York Magazine on Monday that she still doesn't know exactly what rules she broke that led to her downfall and so-called exile from the Ivy League school.

Some have claimed the mother-of-two is the victim of cancel culture because of her continued support for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh amid his sexual misconduct allegations.

Her husband, fellow Yale Law professor Jed Rubenfeld, is halfway through a two-year, unpaid suspension related to allegations he sexually harassed three female students, including unwanted touching and attempted kissing.

Chua, dubbed Tiger Mom for her 2011 parenting book 'Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom', had become renowned at Yale for mentoring law students and helping them secure coveted clerkships over the past two decades.

At Yale, professors are assigned to mentor their own group of about 15 first-year law students, which is known as 'small group'.

Chua reached a confidential agreement with Yale in 2019 that banned her from the small group roster, as well as drinking or socializing with students outside of class, following claims she had been drinking heavily with them and making inappropriate comments.

Chua, dubbed Tiger Mom for her 2011 parenting book 'Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom', had become renowned at Yale for mentoring law students and helping them secure coveted clerkships over the past two decades. Her husband, fellow Yale Law professor Jed Rubenfeld, is halfway through a two-year, unpaid suspension related to allegations he sexually harassed students

Chua is pictured above with with husband Jed Rubenfeld and their two daughters

She was reassigned to the small group roster last fall.

But in March, some students complained to the dean that Chua was allegedly violating her non-socializing agreement by hosting drunken dinner parties at her New Haven, Connecticut home with students amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

It led to Chua being banned from mentoring first-year students.

The allegations of the drunken dinner parties, her ban and details of Chua's confidential 2019 agreement only surfaced in April when the Yale Daily News reported on it.

Chua continues to deny any wrongdoing but has admitted to inviting groups of three of four students to her home in the afternoon to mentor them.

She denies that dinner parties took place and insists she doesn't know what rules she broke.

'I was publicly humiliated with a total falsehood... and I was treated degradingly,' she said.

Chua suggested that she believed the no socializing ban, which was made as part of the 2019 agreement, was no longer relevant when she was assigned to start mentoring again last fall.

She described the whole ordeal as 'painful'.

'I am done... I mean, those are some great memories, but this whole thing has been so painful,' she said.

'Given all the baggage around me now, I think that it's going to be my own policy never to have any parties here.

'I'll see. I mean, maybe. I would love to be able to get past this.'

In the days after the Yale Daily News article was published, Chua railed against purported 'breaches of confidentiality' that resulted in the details of her agreement with the school being leaked. She also accused the student paper of mischaracterizing her 2019 agreement with the school

Speaking about the initial 2019 agreement, Chua said she made it under duress.

'I didn't want to agree to a lot of things. I felt kind of misunderstood and I felt a little bit assaulted myself,' she said.

'I felt that some things were completely unfair. But in the interest of moving on, we negotiated both the statement of regret and then some penalties. I didn't even read these letters very carefully; I know I'm supposed to be a lawyer.

'I shouldn't say assaulted. I felt I was being unfairly accused of many things.'

Following her so-called exile, Chua said that Yale Law had never really felt like home but she didn't say she was leaving.

'Well, I don't want to be chased out,' she said.

In the days after the Yale Daily News article was published, Chua railed against purported 'breaches of confidentiality' that resulted in the details of her agreement with the school being leaked.

She also accused the student paper of mischaracterizing her 2019 agreement with the school.

Chua stressed that she did not want to lead a small group in the first place and that the administration had to convince her to take on the assignment.

'Let me also just say that by asking me to teach a Small Group - in fact twisting my arm to do it! - the School was obviously expecting me to socialize with students, so the notion that I was under some kind of ban is hard to understand,' she wrote in a letter to faculty members.

The 58-year-old was one of Yale's most popular professors and had been mentoring students for at least two decades

'As I wrack my brain to try to imagine what 'dinner parties' with students they could possibly be referring to, I can only think of a few possibilitiesall of which I not only stand by, but am proud of,' she wrote.

She went on to cite several instances where she said she had invited students 'in extreme distress' over to her house after they reached out to her for help, having been subjected to death threats amid rising anti-Asian hate crimes, and feeling that the Yale Law administration was not supporting them.

'Because we could not meet in the law school building, we met at my house, and I did my best to support them and console them,' Chua said, adding that her husband was not present during those meetings.

'I do not believe that I have violated anything in my agreement.'

As she defended herself, Chua collected and shared on her website 50 pages of letters from current and former students decrying her suspension.

Many have claimed she is the victim of cancel culture over her controversial opinions.

Chua wrote an op-ed before sexual assault allegations emerged against US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, describing him as a 'mentor for young lawyers, particularly women.'

Her eldest daughter, Yale Law graduate Sophia Chua-Rubenfeld, clerked for Kavanaugh.

Chua and her husband were both previously accused of telling young law students how to dress if clerking for him. Chua was also accused of telling young students that Kavanaugh preferred attractive clerks but he denied the claims.

'I know a lot of people will always be very upset at me for my support of Kavanaugh. And some people will be always very upset at me because I'm married to my husband. But I can just keep my head down and just do what I do well,' Chua told the New York Magazine.
Conservative media outlet Newsmax turned down embattled Republican U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz's request for a job earlier this year following previous rejections for tv gigs at both FOX News and OANN.

Gaetz reached out for the job at Newsmax shortly after news broke he was the subject of federal investigation into possible sex trafficking of a minor but the network told the Florida representative they were not interested, Reuters reported.



'Newsmax has had no plans to hire Rep. Gaetz,' Newsmax spokesperson Brian Peterson said.

Investigators are seeking to determine whether Gaetz had sex with a 17-year-old.

He has not been charged with any crimes and has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. He has said repeatedly he will not resign from Congress.

Conservative media outlet Newsmax turned down Republican U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz's (pictured) request for a job earlier this year

Gaetz, a controversial Republican congressman representing Florida, has made a name for himself as a strong defender of former president Donald Trump (pictured together)

But a source from the Newsmax, a favorite of former President Donald Trump's, says that the embattled Florida congressman said he had plans of leaving his house seat after three terms.

'Earlier this year, (Gaetz) reached out and said he might leave Congress early and was interested in TV work.' the source told Reuters.

The outlet source added that Gaetz 'approach to network management was 'just a conversation' and Newsmax 'never told him we were interested' in hiring him.

Gaetz has been honing in on conservative news networks including Fox News, One America News Network (OANN) and Newsmax, The Hill reported.

Gaetz, a controversial Republican congressman representing Florida, has made a name for himself as a strong defender of former president Donald Trump.

He has been a frequent contributor on FOX news network and other conservative outlets.

But so far the networks have all publicly rejected the idea of hiring him.

'No one with any level of authority has had conversations with Matt Gaetz for any of our platforms, and we have no interest in hiring him,' Fox News said in a statement in April.

Prior to that Gaetz made it clear he was looking for an opportunity at OANN following a February visit to the network's San Diego headquarters but network founder Robert Herring told the Daily Beast he passed down advice to Gaetz to remain in Congress.

'Right now, I'm not really hiring anybody for talk shows,' Herring told the Daily Beast in March. 'I think he is a great congressman, and I told (that 'somebody') to tell him to stay there. That's what I want Congressman Gaetz to do.'

Gaetz (pictured) is a constant presence on FOX news network and other conservative outlets

Gaetz,a friend of Joel Greenberg (right) is being investigated by the Justice Department over whether he paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl

Joel Greenberg, a Gaetz associate and former Florida county official, recently pleaded guilty to charges of trafficking a female minor to other adult men who

Greenberg admitted sex trafficking of a minor, and he admitted that he had paid at least one underage girl to have sex with him and other men.

A federal judge accepted his guilty pleas last week, on the proviso that Greenberg cooperate with prosecutors.

Gaetz is currently being investigated by the Justice Department over whether he paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl.

The age of consent in Florida - where the encounter is said to have taken place - is 18. He denies the allegations.

Gaetz insists he isn't worried that his former 'wingman' Greenberg could turn on him after striking the plea deal.

When asked by reporters on Friday if he was worried he would be indicted the Florida congressman replied: 'No.'

The scandal-hit congressman also refused to deny he'd been approached by investigators probing under age sex claims made against him.

Asked if he or his lawyers had been approached by investigators in his home state, Gaetz swerved and said: 'Well, I think there's a lot going on in Florida, my focus is on what's going on here in Washington.'

Reporters also asked the congressman if he has spoken to his ex-girlfriend about the investigation in Florida, but Gaetz said he wouldn't divulge personal information to reporters.

'I would love to be able to share all the people in my life that I talk to and don't talk to, but unfortunately the people in your profession have doxxed, harassed, threatened people that have been in my life, and so I don't get into who I talk to and don't talk to, because I don't want to put people in jeopardy.'

Gaetz's ex, who has not been named, is said to have been with him in 2017 - the period investigators are keen to probe. She is said to be keen to cooperate with prosecutors.

NBC News reported that federal prosecutors are also looking into whether Gaetz obstructed justice during a phone call with a witness in a potential sex crimes investigation.
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Kamala Harris lashed out at Lester Holt on Tuesday when he asked why she has refused to the border in the 76 days since President Joe Biden put her in charge of the crisis.

'Do you have any plans to visit the border?' the NBC host questioned Harris in an interview taped Monday in Guatemala during the vice president's first international trip.

'At some point, you know, we are going to the border,' she insisted in the interview 1,308 miles from where migrants are risking their lives crossing the Rio Grande River on inflatable rafts.

'We've been to the border. So this whole thing about the border. We've been to the border. We've been to the border,' she repeated.

'You haven't been to the border,' Holt pushed back.

'And I haven't been to Europe,' Harris snapped, then quickly turned it into her signature laugh.

'And I mean, I don't understand the point that you're making,' she said to Holt 'I'm not discounting the importance of the border.'

Harris is meeting with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday in Mexico City, but won't stop at the border.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz shot back against Harris' comments, claiming she was 'laughing off' the seriousness of the border crisis.

'You haven't been to Europe, you haven't been to Australia, but we don't have an Australian border crisis, we don't have a border crisis in Europe. We have a border crisis on the southern border,' Cruz told Fox News during an interview on America's Newsroom.

Kamala Harris lashed out during an interview on Monday when asked again why she hasn't visited the southern border. 'I haven't been to Europe,' the vice president snapped at interviewer Lester Holt. 'And I mean, I don't understand the point that you're making'

The interview was taped in Guatemala City during Harris' first international trip, which took place 1,308 miles away from the Rio Grande, where families risk their lives to reach the U.S.

A masked Harris met with unmasked Mexican Mexico City, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday in Mexico City, less than 600 miles from the border, but the vice president will not stop there on her way back to D.C.

Central American migrants sit on the ground after being apprehended by Border Patrol agents after crossing the Rio Grande River into La Joya, Texas on June 8, 2021

The migrants are transported on Tuesday by bus to holding facilities where they will be processed

'Come to Texas, come to the Rio Grande Valley, come to McAllen,' the Texas lawmaker insisted of Harris.

'Come see the cages that the Biden-Harris administration has built and then, even more importantly, stand up and be willing to enforce our laws to fix it, because that's not what they're doing right now,' Cruz added.

Minority Whip Steve Scalise tweeted in shock: 'This is a crisis we're talking aboutnot a vacation.'

Perhaps most flamboyant of all responses was from Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado, who released a video Tuesday where she brought a cardboard cut out of Harris with her on a trip to the border.

'She hasn't even been down here to see the border,' Boebert said in a clip of her walking along part of the southern border wall to the tune of instrumental rock music. 'You can't just hear about what's happening, you have to come down here to see for yourself, to really understand the devastating reality at our southern border.'

'So I brought Kamala down to see exactly what this regime is responsible for with their man-made crisis,' she continued.

The video then showed Boebert carrying under her arm sideways a life-sized full-body cutout of Harris.

As Harris continues to refuse to visit the border, Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert released a video where she brought a cardboard cut out of the vice president to a part of the southern border wall

She set up the life-size cut out facing the wall looking into Mexico and said: 'I brought Kamala down to see exactly what this regime is responsible for with their man-made crisis. Now Kamala, I want you to stand here and look at what you've done'

She then set down the cutout so it was facing the border wall and said in a reprimanding tone, 'Now Kamala, I want you to stand here and look at what you've done,' before leaving it there and walking away.

Holt made it clear it was important to bring it up since Republicans have consistently criticized Harris for not visiting the border where the humanitarian crisis is taking place  even though she was put in charge of tackling it.

'Listen, I care about what's happening at the border,' Harris said. 'I'm in Guatemala because my focus is dealing with the root causes of migration. There may be some who think that that is not important, but it is my firm belief that if we care about what's happening at the border, we better care about the root causes and address them. And so that's what I'm doing.'

Harris landed in Guatemala City on Sunday evening for her first out-of-country trip as vice president to address 'root causes' in the country that lead to mass migration to the U.S.

She met with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei on Monday for bilateral talks and later flew to Mexico City, Mexico for the second part of her two-day Latin America trip.

Harris said during a press conference alongside Giammattei on Monday that she does not plan to visit the southern border because it would just be a 'grand gesture' as opposed to a genuine trip.

She vowed to take on corruption and insisted climate change was one of the driving forces behind people fleeing their homes and heading North.

'On the issues of Republicans' political attacks or criticism or even concerns, the reason I am here in Guatemala as my first trip as vice president of the United States is because this is one of our highest priorities,' Harris said during a question and answer portion of her press conference.

'I came here to be here on the ground, to speak with the leader of this nation around what we can do in a way that is significant, is tangible and has real results,' she continued.

'And I will continue to be focused on that kind of work as opposed to grand gestures.'

Congressman Andy Biggs, a Texas Republican, didn't buy Harris' reasoning for not visiting the southern border.

'It is not a grand gesture for Vice President Harris to inspect the damage and inhumanity fueled by the Biden Administration at the southern border,' Biggs said in a statement to DailyMail.com. 'However, Kamala would rather turn a blind eye to the mounting chaos than reinforce Trump's policies that would bring security and stability back to our border.'

Harris' first foreign trip comes as migrants continue to make the trek from Central America to the U.S. southern border. Here people ride rafts across the Suchiate River between Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico and Tecun Uman, Guatemala on June 7, 2021

Customs and Border Patrol number show record numbers of encounters with illegal crossers with a record-high of 178,622 in April alone, continuing on from massive spike in February and March

Other Republicans also have been open about their criticism of Harris refusing to visit the border even after being named 'border czar' by President Joe Biden in March. They claim her avoiding the region is proof she is not committed to solving the problem.

Harris said she 'believes' any migrants who attempt to enter the U.S. through non-legal channels will be turned away if they arrive at the border.

'I want to emphasize that the goal of our work is to help Guatemalans find hope at home,' Harris said after her bilateral meeting with Giammattei.

'At the same time, I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come,' she said, and repeated for emphasis: 'Do not come.'

'The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our border,' the vice president insisted. 'There are legal methods by which migration can and should occur, but we, as one of our priorities, will discourage illegal migrations. And I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back.'

Harris' chief spokesperson Symone Sanders clarified to reporters that the administration still wants immigrants to come to the U.S. by seeking the legal ways to do so from their home countries.

'The President and Vice President have been clear in dissuading people from making the dangerous and treacherous journey to the U.S./Mexico border,' Sanders said.

'We encourage those who do want to come to the U.S. to do so legally and seek legal immigration options in their home countries,' she continued. 'The Vice President is committed to addressing the root causes of migration, which also addresses why migrants are coming to our border.'

Harris and Guatemalan President Alejandro Giamattei (right) held a bilateral meeting in Guatemala on Monday as part of talks to deal with 'root causes' of mass migration from Latin America to the U.S.

Harris' first international trip was met with protesters demanding she 'mind your own business'

'Kamala go home' one sign read outside the Guatemalan Air Force facility

'This is disappointing': AOC slams Kamala for telling migrants not to come and blames the US for influx after 'setting Latin America on fire' Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has described Kamala Harris' remarks on immigration as 'disappointing', after the vice president used a speech in Guatemala to declare to migrants: 'Do not come'. Ocasio-Cortez accused the United States of having 'set the house on fire' when it comes to Latin America - but being unwilling to allow people to escape. She didn't explain why she made her explosive claim. She then argued that the U.S. needed to emphasize the root causes of migration, rather than punishing those who seek to enter the country. She reacted to a clip of Harris' press conference by stating: 'This is disappointing to see. 'First, seeking asylum at any US border is a 100% legal method of arrival. Second, the US spent decades contributing to regime change and destabilization in Latin America. We can't help set someone's house on fire and then blame them for fleeing.' Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, pictured on June 5, criticized Vice President Kamala Harris' remarks in Guatemala. On Monday Harris told would-be migrants from the country that her message was: 'Do not come' The New York congresswoman added: 'It would be helpful if the US would finally acknowledge its contributions to destabilization and regime change in the region. 'Doing so can help us change US foreign policy, trade policy, climate policy, & carceral border policy to address causes of mass displacement & migration.' She was responding to Harris' remarks at her press conference on Monday besides Alejandro Giammattei, Guatemala's president. Advertisement

Republicans were not happy with Harris classifying a trip to the border as a 'grand gesture.'

'Traveling to our Southern Border is not a grand gesture; it is her responsibility as the 'Border Czar' and Vice President of the United States,' Republican Florida Representative Byron Donalds told DailyMail.com.

'Vice President Harris is refusing to travel to the border because she will be forced to acknowledge the crisis she and the President have created if she does,' he continued.

'Local, State, and Federal leaders and law enforcement officials will be the first to let the Vice President know that there is a growing crisis on the border and that ignoring it or evading her responsibility by examining the root causes will only exacerbate this crisis.'

Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy also tore into Harris' bid to tackle the crisis as 'spend now strategize later'. In a statement he wrote: 'Today marks 75 days since President Biden chose Vice President Harris as his administration's point person to '[stem] the migration to our southern border.' She still has yet to travel to our southern border and see the extent of the crisis she and President Biden have created over the past six months.

'Instead of upholding her responsibilities to the American people and our communities impacted by the border crisis, Vice President Harris decided to focus her efforts on studying the 'root causes of migration' from Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries.

'That's why she's in Guatemala today, her first foreign trip since becoming Vice President, where she just held a press conference during which she dismissed going to the border as nothing more than 'grand gestures,' and declined to say when she'd actually go.

'This unconventional approach is nothing more than a cynical political decision to ensure the blame doesn't fall on her shoulders by distancing herself from Biden's Border Crisis.

'Now Vice President Harris and the Biden administration want to take the typical Democrat approach of throwing more taxpayer dollars at a problem without first thinking through a coherent strategy. Over the next four years, President Biden is proposing we send $4 billion in aid to Central America with the pretense this will help curb the historic migration happening at our southern border. But there are two glaring problems to their proposal of spending our way out of the border crisis: Aid programs have failed to stem migration in the past and border order apprehensions of individuals from countries outside of Central America are rapidly increasing.

'As Vice President, Biden has already tried spending our way out of a migration surge. He 'led an enormous push to deter people from crossing into the United States by devoting hundreds of millions of dollars to Central America.' However, that never panned out. In fact, in Guatemala specifically, the $1.6 billion America provided in aid over the last decade proved ineffective.

'Vice President Harris won't find the root cause of the border crisis on her Central America tour because it's her and President Biden's policies that are actually responsible. And word that our southern border is open reached significantly further than just Central America. The Border Patrol reported that encounters with individuals from nations other than Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador jumped by 35 percent since March 2021, and individuals from over 160 countries have recently been apprehended.'

GOP Senator Rick Scott called Harris' refusal to visit the border 'disgraceful' and an 'insult' to border law enforcement.

He said: 'Months after being chosen to lead the Biden administration's response to the border crisis it created, Vice President Harris has shown she'll do anything to avoid taking responsibility and showing real leadership. Her continued refusal to address the border crisis  which threatens the safety of American families  is disgraceful and an insult to our brave Customs and Border Protection agents. Buy in from Guatemala and Mexico is critical to getting this crisis under control, but first, Biden and Harris must acknowledge the humanitarian and national security chaos their policies have created here in America and see it firsthand at our border. Anything less is an unacceptable failure.'

Harris affirmed during her bilateral press conference Monday that she told Giammattei the U.S. will be donating 500,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine to Guatemala.

Harris was greeted with protesters when she arrived for her first international trip as vice president in Guatemala City, which is 1,308 miles from where families are streaming across the U.S.-Mexico border.

'Kamala go home,' one white flag with black painted letters read, while another demanded she 'mind her own business'.

As the vice president rode in her motorcade from her hotel to Palacio Nacional de la Cultura, reporters spoted a group of pro-Trump demonstrators with signs reading: 'Kamala, Trump won.'

During the press conference, Giammattei vowed Guatemala would set up 'returnee centers' where they would accept their citizens who the U.S. sent back after crossing the border illegally.

Harris began her meeting with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei with quick remarks where she said: 'I very much have been looking forward to this trip, we have had many conversations, but it is good to see you in person.'

The two have spoken on the phone previously.

'I am very proud that this is my first foreign trip as vice president,' Harris continued. 'It is a reflection of the priority that President Biden placed on this region.'

As Harris commenced her two-day trip south of the border, migrant families continue to stream over into the U.S. either by foot or on inflatable rafts.

Harris doubled-down that she will not be visting the border during her trip  or any time soon. 'I will continue to be focused on [addressing root causes of migration and corruption] as opposed to grand gestures'

The border is closed: During the press conference, Harris warned those thinking of crossing illegally: 'Do not come!' She said, 'I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back'

Ahead of the meeting, Giammattei made a statement in English.

'Thank you very much for your visit,' he said to Harris. 'For us, it's very important to have you here because it means that Guatemala and the United States can work as partners with common goals.'

He details some of the main goals as addressing narcotics trafficking, immigration, corruption in the region and building up prosperity walls within departments near the border with Mexico.

In a press conference following the meeting, Giammattei said  in Spanish this time  that the two nations would work toward more 'orderly migration' that would 'allow people to migrate regularly to the United States.'

'We also spoke about the need to support the United States with a returnee center that will be located in the western part of the country,' he continued, adding they are wording on a 'strong family reunification program.'

These efforts, he ensured, would 'help to ensure that the flow of persons in the southern border of the United States be controlled.'

A 33-year-old Guatemalan man transports people and goods across the Suchiate River between Tecun Uman, Guatemala and Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico

Harris' trip started off bumpy on Sunday when Air Force 2 was forced to turn around minutes after take-off due to 'technical issues', which appeared to stem from an unusual noise coming from the landing gear.

'I'm good, I'm good. We all said a little prayer, but we're good,' Harris told reporters as she deplaned Air Force 2 and waited for another plane to get ready.

The vice president's team has made it clear that Harris' role as 'border czar' is to address the 'root causes' that lead to a mass amount of Central American citizens fleeing their home countries and migrating to the U.S.

Harris chief spokesperson Symone Sanders told reporters climate and economic downfall were among 'main drivers' of the surge in migrants.

Critics claim, however, that President Joe Biden is to blame for the crisis after he immediately rolled back Trump-era border restrictions upon taking office this year.

The Biden administration has denied that they are sending the message that the border is 'open', and instead is blaming it on 'root causes' in Northern Triangle nations like climate, poverty, crime and corruption.

More than 178,000 migrants crossed the border in April alone, which was a continuation of a spike in February and March. Numbers for May have not yet been released.

The bilateral meeting between Harris, Giammattei and their team was held Palacio Nacional de la Cultura

The Supreme Court sided with President Joe Biden by unanimously refused on Monday to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the U.S. on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally.

The justices, acting on an appeal by a married couple from El Salvador who were granted so-called Temporary Protected Status, upheld a lower court ruling that barred their applications for permanent residency, also known as a green card, because of their unlawful entry.

The case could affect 400,000 immigrants, many of whom have lived in the U.S. for years.

Biden, who has sought to reverse many of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, had opposed the immigrants in this case, placing the president at odds with immigration advocacy groups and some of his fellow Democrats.

The Biden administration is facing a massive crisis at the southern border, which includes record-high levels of illegal crossers and all-time high numbers of unaccompanied minors in U.S. custody.

In March, Biden put Harris in charge of the migration crisis  but the administration has still not referred to the situation as such.

As it appeared the problem wasn't going anywhere at the southern border, the administration quickly rebranded to indicate Harris is focused on addressing root causes that lead to mass migration to the U.S. from Northern Triangle countries  Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Reports show the vice president's office didn't want to give her something that could be seen as a failure on her part.

Since taking over, Republicans have slammed the vice president for not once visiting the southern border, where enforcement groups are overwhelmed and facilities reached near 2,000 per cent capacity at some points.

Harris said she will go to Mexico during her trip south of the border, but maintained that she will still not stop at the U.S. side of the border.

She has also already spoken on the phone with Guatemalan President Giammattei and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Harris is meeting with Giammattei on Monday and will afterwards engage in events with Guatemalan community leaders and entrepreneurs afterwards.

On Tuesday, she will travel to Mexico City to meet with President Lopez Obrador and participate in roundtables with women entrepreneurs and labor leaders in Mexico.

People protesting the Guatemalan government hold signs during Harris and Giammattei's bilateral meeting

Supreme Court unanimously BLOCKS 400,000 immigrants who entered the US illegally and were allowed to stay on 'humanitarian grounds' from applying for a green card

The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously refused to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the United States on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally, siding with President Joe Biden's administration.

The justices, acting in an appeal by a married couple from El Salvador who were granted so-called Temporary Protected Status, upheld a lower court ruling that barred their applications for permanent residency, also known as a green card, because of their unlawful entry.

The case could affect 400,000 immigrants, many of whom have lived in the United States for years.

The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously refused to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the United States on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally. The case involves Jose Sanchez and Sonia Gonzalez from El Salvador (above), who entered the US twice illegally

Biden, who has sought to reverse many of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, had opposed the immigrants in this case, placing the president at odds with immigration advocacy groups and some of his fellow Democrats.

A federal law called the Immigration and Nationality Act generally requires that people seeking to become permanent residents have been 'inspected and admitted' into the United States. At issue in the case was whether a grant of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which gives the recipient 'lawful status,' satisfies those requirements.

Writing for the court, liberal Justice Elena Kagan said that 'because a grant of TPS does not come with a ticket of admission, it does not eliminate the disqualifying effect of an unlawful entry.'

Foreign nationals can be granted Temporary Protected Status if a humanitarian crisis in their home country, such as a natural disaster or armed conflict, would make their return unsafe.

There are about 400,000 people in the United States with protected status, which prevents deportation and lets them work legally.

The case involves Jose Sanchez and Sonia Gonzalez, who live in New Jersey and have four children.

The couple twice entered the United States illegally: in 1997 and 1998. After a series of earthquakes in 2001, the United States designated El Salvador as covered under the Temporary Protected Status program. The couple received protection under the program that same year.

Biden, who has sought to reverse many of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, had opposed the immigrants in this case, placing the president at odds with immigration advocacy groups and some of his fellow Democrats

U.S. officials rejected their 2014 applications for green cards because they had not been lawfully admitted.

They sued in federal court, saying that those with lawful status, including Temporary Protected Status recipients, are deemed to have been lawfully admitted, and may apply for permanent residency.

Last year, the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the couple.

Besides El Salvador, 11 other countries currently have such designations: Haiti, Honduras, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. Myanmar was the latest addition to the list, placed there by Biden's administration in the wake of a Feb. 1 military coup there.

The Supreme Court ruled in the case on a day when U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visits Guatemala as part of the Biden administration's efforts to lower migration to the United States from that country as well as El Salvador and Honduras.

Conservative justice Clarence Thomas initially suggested the Supreme Court would be reluctant to let immigrants with protected status apply for permanent residency when the case was first presented to the court on April 19.

'They clearly were not admitted at the borders, so is that a fiction, is it metaphysical, what is it? I don't know,' conservative Justice Clarence Thomas asked.
Fisher Price executives ignored safety warnings about the company's popular Rock 'n Play incline sleeper for a decade as it raked in $200million before finally recalling the product after more than 50 infants died in it.

That's according to a two-year investigation by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, which culminated on Monday with a hearing where the company's Senior Vice President Chuck Scothon said the true number of deaths is nearly double what the congressional report concluded.

'Today, we are aware of approximately, I believe it is, the number is currently 97 [deaths], although those numbers change as we are also finding that some of the products that had been attributed to the Rock n Play were not Fisher-Price or inclined sleep,' Scothon testified.

The committee's report found Fisher Price didn't properly test the product before releasing it in 2009 and then ignored repeated warnings that was dangerous in the years that followed.

By the time it was recalled in 2019, 50 infants had died after rolling over in the sleeper, according to the congressional report which was released before Scothon testified on Monday.

While the government presses Fisher Price, the company is defending itself against an ongoing federal class action lawsuit, which include at least 23 people.

The lawsuit says Fisher Price marketed the product as a safe way to let babies sleep for prolonged periods of even though the company knew of its dangers.

The Rock n Play 'significantly increases the risk that the infants head will slip into a dangerous position, tilt to constrict the windpipe and/or cause the infants face to become pressed against the padded fabric in the sleeper and block airflow,' the lawsuit says. 'This increases the risk of death by asphyxiation.

'In addition, because (Fisher Price) advises parents to keep babies strapped in restraints overnight while sleeping on an incline, the Rock n Play Sleeper increases the infants risk of developing flat head (plagiocephaly) and twisted neck (torticollis) syndromes, conditions that often require babies to wear expensive head-molding helmets and undergo costly physical therapy.'

One of the children who died was Sarah Thompson's son Alexander, who would've been 10 years old on Saturday. She shared her story in an emotional video message during the hearing.

Scroll down for video.

The Rock 'n Play holds the infant on its back at a thirty-degree angle, such that the infants feet are at a downward slope from the infants head, which studies showed is dangerous for infants before it was released in 2009

Sarah Thompson speaks during a House Oversight Committee hearing about the Rock 'n Play on Monday - nearly a decade after her son Alexander died in the sleeper

Alexander Thompson died in Fisher Price's Rock 'n Play when he was three months old

When he was three months old in 2011, Sarah said she put Alexander in his Rock 'n Play, helped her older daughter with a toy, went to the bathroom and 10 minutes later found him unresponsive and not breathing.

'For almost a decade, I've had to question why did he die? How did he die?' said Thompson, adding that she trusted Fisher Price and its parent company Mattel.

'Had they just followed the regulations, Alex would still be with us today ... Unfortunately, our family has forever changed. We miss him everyday. We have two younger children who still ask about their older brother in heaven.'

Thompson was one of two parents who spoke via a recorded video message during the committee hearing on Monday. The other was Erika Richter, whose daughter Emma died in the Rock 'n Play.

'Life on Earth is tragically short. I choose (to) explore it all and live a life that would make her proud. That little angel change my life forever. I'm always going to be Emma's Mom. Now and forever,' Richter said in a Facebook post.

Committee Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney said during the hearing, 'What we found is absolutely shocking. It is a national scandal.'

Maloney said at the time of its release, the sleeper was the first product of on the market and branded for overnight sleep, despite evidence that sleeping at an incline could put infants at risk of serious harm or death.

Thompson shows a photo of her son, Alexander, who died in a Rock 'n Play at three months old

The Rock 'n Play holds the infant on its back at a thirty-degree angle, such that the infants feet are at a downward slope from the infants head.

There was no independent research - or even internal company research - showing that it was safe for babies to sleep at an angle, the report says.

'On the contrary, research showed that sleeping on an angle was unsafe.'

Fisher Price became aware of real-life safety concerns as early as 2012 and warned by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in February 2018 but didn't recall the Rock 'n Play until April 2019, according to the report.

'It is shameful that Fisher-Price endangered lives simply to help its bottom line,' Maloney said in a statement after the hearing.

Fisher Price executives ignored safety warnings about its popular 'Rock 'n Play' incline sleeper (pictured) for a decade as the company raked in $200million before finally recalling the product after more than 50 infants died in it

Committee Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney said during the hearing, 'What we found is absolutely shocking. It is a national scandal'

Between February 2018 and the product's eventual recall, the Consumer Product Safety Commission hired a medical expert to evaluate the risk of infants rolling over and suffocating in induced sleep products and found the Rock 'n Play was unsafe.

During the CPSC's research, it had to remain quiet 'because of laws preventing CPSC from disclosing information provided by manufacturers.

'CPSC could not publicly release any information about the deaths or injuries associated with Rock 'n Play or institute a recall without engaging in costly and drawn out litigation or administrative proceedings,' according to the report.

The CPSC told Consumer Reports in early 2019 about the deaths associated with the product and inadvertently released supporting data, yet the CPSC or Fisher Price were not planning to recall the Rock 'n Play until Consumer Reports said they were going to publish the data.

Within days, the product was taken off the market.

'When product reports came in saying the product was linked to babies' deaths, Fisher Price ignored those reports. Only when media outlets like Consumer Reports publicized the danger of their product did Fisher Price take them off the market,' said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, head of the Economic and Consumer Policy Subcommittee.

'Fisher Price and (parent company) Mattel have showed that they cannot police themselves,' Krishnamoorthi said during Monday's hearing.

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, head of the Economic and Consumer Policy Subcommittee, said during Monday's committee, 'Fisher Price and (parent company) Mattel have showed that they cannot police themselves'

Ynon Kreiz, Mattel's CEO, apologized during his testimony on Monday.

'On behalf of myself and everyone at Mattel, I want to convey my deep and sincere condolences to parents and anyone affected by the heartbreaking tragedies we will discuss today,' said Kreiz, who joined the company in 2018. 'I am a father of four children, and I can only imagine that there cannot be a more terrible loss than that of a child.'

A Fisher Price spokesperson emailed a statement to DailyMail.com Tuesday morning:

'There is nothing more important to Fisher-Price than the safety of our products and the trust consumers place in us. Our hearts go out to every family who has suffered a loss.

The Rock n Play Sleeper was designed and developed following extensive research, medical advice, safety analysis, and more than a year of testing and review. It met or exceeded all applicable regulatory standards.

Chuck Scothon, general manager of Fisher-Price, testified that 'the number is currently 97 (deaths)'

As recently as 2017, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) proposed to adopt the ASTM voluntary standard for a 30-degree angled inclined sleeper as federal law.

After the product launched, different independent medical and other expert analyses verified that it was safe when used in accordance with its instructions and warnings. T

wo studies confirmed that the Rock n Play Sleeper was as safe or safer than other sleep environments such as cribs and bassinets, and one of the studies found that the product had far fewer incidents than the SUID rates in cribs, bassinets, and playpens. In addition, we reported significant incidents to the CPSC beyond the requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Act.

Though the facts show the Rock n Play Sleeper was safe when used in accordance with its instructions and warnings, we voluntarily recalled it more than two years ago and have continued to work diligently to remove all recalled product from the market. We reaffirm our commitment to parents that we will always put their childrens safety first.'

The committee hearing comes just days after Fisher-Price recalled thousands of its baby Glide Soother products, after four infants were found dead from suffocation while using the products.

According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, the infants were placed on their backs unrestrained in the 4-in-1 Rock n Glide Soothers, and were later found on their stomachs.

The suffocation deaths occurred between April 2019 and February 2020, and include a 4-month-old from Missouri, a 3-month-old from Nevada, a 2-month-old from Colorado and an 11-week-old child from Michigan.
The parents of an eight-year-old girl who was shot dead during a Black Lives Matter protest over the death of Rayshard Brooks last summer have filed a lawsuit against the city of Atlanta and its leaders, accusing them of failing to police armed vigilantes prowling the streets.

Secoriea Turner was killed on July 4, 2020, while riding in an SUV with her mother and a friend of her mother near the Wendys location where Brooks, a 27-year-old black man, was shot and killed by a white police officer on June 12.

The wrongful death lawsuit filed on Monday by Charmaine Turner and Secoriey Williamson says city leaders showed negligence in failing to remove vigilantes who gathered at the site along with BLM protesters, which created a dangerous situation that led to Secorieas death.

'Secoriea should be here. None of what were doing will ever bring our baby back. Her life is priceless,' Turner said during a news conference Monday. 'We deserve justice. Someone needs to be held accountable.'

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Attorney Mawuli Davis, center, stands with his clients, Charmaine Turner, right, and Secoriey Williamson, parents of Secoriea Turner, as they speak during a press conference to announce a lawsuit against the city of Atlanta and others for the death of their 8-year-old daughter

Secoriea Turner was shot and killed riding in an SUV with her mother and a friend on July 4, 2020

The child was killed during BLM protests near the Wendy's where Reyshard Brooks had been shot dead by a white cop weeks earlier

A makeshift memorial is pictured at the site of Brooks' shooting on June 17, 2020

The restaurant was set on fire the day after Brooks killing, and people protesting police brutality camped out at the site during the weeks that followed. Makeshift barricades had been set up in the area, and armed men had been blocking roads and turning some drivers away.

As the driver of the SUV Secoriea was riding in approached the barricade, armed people began walking toward the vehicle and signaling the driver couldnt pass and one or more people shot into the vehicle, the lawsuit says.

The city stopped tolerating protesters occupying the Wendys site after Secorieas killing, and the charred shell of the restaurant was demolished on July 14.

The lawsuit was filed in Fulton County State Court against the city, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant, City Council member Joyce Sheperd, Wendys International and the company that owns the property where the Wendys was located.

'The murder of Secoriea Turner, as a result of senseless gun violence, is a tragedy that no family should have to endure. Due to the anticipated litigation, the City will offer no further comment, at this time,' a city spokesperson said.

A police spokesman likewise said the department doesnt comment on pending litigation. Sheperd didnt immediately respond to an email Monday.

Wendys did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

The lawsuit names (L to R) Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Police Chief Rodney Bryant and City Council member Joyce Sheperd , among others

A screenshot from surveillance video shows an armed suspect in Secoriea's murder

The suit says that violent, armed vigilantes mixed in among the peaceful protesters who gathered at the site to protest police violence and pay tribute to Brooks. At least two people had been shot and wounded in that area in late June.

Julian Conley, 20, is charged with felony murder and aggravated assault in Secorieas death and remains in jail

The street was barricaded by an armed militia that became increasingly violent and refused to let people pass, the lawsuit says.

City officials were aware of the dangerous situation and allowed it to happen, the complaints alleges. Bottoms said the city planned to clear the area weeks before Secorieas death, but Sheperd asked for more time to talk with protesters, the lawsuit says.

City and police leaders ignored community leaders calls for police help and did nothing to address the violence, the lawsuit says.

According to a June 17 police department email quoted in the lawsuit, officers had been told to respond to victims of violence but 'not be overly proactive in any shape, form or fashion.'

'The mayor, the city council and the police department are specifically making the decision not to have law enforcement at a certain location,' said Shean Williams, a lawyer for the family, calling it a unique situation.

The lawsuit accuses city leaders at the highest levels of failing to provide basic public safety and public protection.

The lawsuit also names Wendy's as a defendant, arguing that the company and the owner of the property failed to provide security at the site

'But for Defendants' lack of intervening to control or dismantle the nuisance of an armed barricade that obstructed the roads and the violence that surrounded it, Secoriea would still have her life today,' the lawsuit states.

Wendys and the property owner also behaved negligently by failing to provide safety and security on the property and at its access points, the lawsuit says.

'They allowed a nuisance to occur at the property,' Williams said. 'They were on notice of that nuisance  the danger, the hazards that persisted with vigilantes being on the property.'

The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and asks for damages in an amount to be determined by a jury. Back in October, Secoriea's family said they planned to sue the city of Atlanta for $16million.

Julian Conley, 20, is charged with felony murder and aggravated assault in Secorieas death and remains in jail. He turned himself in July 15, a day after police got warrants for his arrest.

Turner, left, said the lawsuit will not bring back her daughter's 'priceless' life, but she argued that someone needs to be held accountable

Mawuli Davis, right, the family's attorney, said during Monday's press conference announcing the lawsuit that the wait for justice has been frustrating

His attorney said at the time that Conley was armed and protesting peacefully and witnessed the shooting but did not open fire.

On the night of Secoriea's death, Conley claimed that the SUV the victim was riding in tried to come through a road block and hit a barricade and a man armed with a rifle, according to Patterson.

The man got up and opened fire at the vehicle, Jackie Patterson, his lawyer, said his client told him.

Conley said everyone thought somebody in the SUV was shooting and other armed people opened fire at the vehicle, Patterson said.

'He was in disbelief that people were shooting at the vehicle,' the attorney said.

Police have said as many as four people were involved in the shooting, but no one else has been arrested.

Mawuli Davis, a lawyer for Secorieas parents, said Monday that the family has been talking with the district attorneys office and investigators and that the wait for justice has been frustrating.

'It didn't take a lot of time for them to lose their daughter's life,' Williams, the other attorney, said, referring to Secoriea's parents. 'Why should it take the city a lot of time to make this right? That's just not the appropriate response, in my view.'
Portugal's tourist hotspots were empty today after a mass exodus of British holidaymakers as the country moved from green to amber on the UK's travel list.

Beaches, bars and the main airport in Faro were all empty of tourists, where just hours before there had been crowds of people enjoying a break.

While some travellers have been left stranded overseas - and facing bills of thousands of pounds - due to the sudden rule change, it is estimated that thousands fled on 39 flights that departed Faro yesterday, twice the normal figure.

The impact was clearly visible today, with sandy beaches all-but deserted and tables sitting idle a seafront bars.

 Slide me  One of Faro's busiest beaches, which last week had been full of sunseekers (left) was near deserted today (right) after a mass exodus of British tourists

 Slide me  Faro airport, which last week had been bustling with people (left), was all-but empty today as Britons fled because Covid border rules changed back home

A beachfront bar in the Algarve, one of Portugal's top tourist destinations, sits empty today after British visitors raced home to avoid new quarantine rules

Bars and restaurants that last week had been filled with people enjoying sunshine and cheap beer were today struggling to attract customers

The UK government took snap decision last week to remove Portugal from its 'green' travel list because of the presence of a new variant of Covid.

This 'Nepal variant' is believed to be a freshly-mutated version of the Indian variant, which is already in Britain and causing cases to spike.

'Amber' rules mean travellers arriving home from Portugal today will have to self-isolate for 10 days and pay for two PCR tests to take on day 2 and day 8.

Breaking quarantine could lead to a 10,000 fine while those who do not take tests on day 2 and day 8 of their self-isolation facing 2,000 penalties.

And those who provide incorrect information on their passenger locator forms could be fined 10,000 or be jailed for 10 years - or both.

Meanwhile George Eustice, the environment secretary, has told Britons they should avoid all foreign travel this year to prevent themselves getting caught out.

Travel bosses have angrily denounced the sudden rule-change, saying ministers risk a jobs bloodbath in a sector that has already spent a year struggling to get by.

And Portuguese politicians have described the decision as 'unfathomable', lamenting the loss of valuable tourist income from Britons - who are typically one of the biggest groups to visit the country, and currently one of the most-vaccinated populations in Europe.

'We take note of the British decision to remove Portugal from the travel 'green list', a decision whose logic is unfathomable,' the foreign ministry said last week.

'Portugal continues to carry out its prudent and gradual deconfinement plan, with clear rules for the safety of those who live here or visit us.'

Two sunbathers enjoy a stretch of open sand in the Algarve after British tourists hurried to get home, leaving them with plenty of space

Mostly-empty sunloungers are seen on a beach in the Algarve after British visitors fled, taking hopes of a lucrative summer season with them

A restaurant near Faro, Portugal, sits near-empty on Tuesday after Britons left the country to avoid new border quarantine rules back home

Eliderico Viegas, president of the Algarve Hotel and Tourism Business Association, said the region has been forced to pay the price for cases rises in capital Lisbon.

'It's unfair because the Algarve is being caught in the middle of all this because case numbers in the region are lower than the minimum considered safe,' he said.

Britain is due to review the 'green' countries in three weeks' time, with Viegas saying he hopes Portugal will be re-added to the list.

Portugal is currently seeing Covid cases rise as the country exits lockdown, but is still recording fewer cases each day than the UK.

It is lagging far behind the UK on vaccination, however, with some 40 per cent of people given at least one dose - while 60 per cent of Britons have had at least one.

Many holidaymakers and travel firms expressed anger when the announcement on Portugal was made last Thursday, as it came just 17 days after the ban on international leisure travel was lifted.

Alan and Lisa Pechey, from Cambridge, who were on holiday in Lisbon, paid a total of 800 to fly back to Gatwick on Monday, earlier than planned.

Mrs Pechey, 66, told the PA news agency: 'It was really expensive and I think the Government was totally unfair to throw that at us on Thursday because it really spoiled our holiday, totally.

'We had flown out on Monday for a relaxing break, but from Thursday onwards we were under extreme stress.'

Ana Pacheco, 28, from Islington, north London, who was on holiday near Porto, paid 300 for her flight home.

She said: 'I lost money on this trip, about 300 extra, because I was due to come back tomorrow evening, so it is quite annoying.

Covid cases are steadily rising in Portugal but are below levels in the UK, as ministers say the decision to tighten border rules is 'unfathomable'

Tourists are seen packed into a restaurant in Lisbon, Portugal, on May 30 before all British sunseekers were told to leave the country

Carcavelos beach, near Lisbon, is seen on June 4 as tourists visit - ahead of a rule-change which forced Britons to flee the country

A person leaves Dona Ana beach in Lagos, Portugal, on June 3 before British visitors were ordered home - leaving tourist destinations virtually empty

'I think there should have been extra time added on for us to get home - at least a week would have been better.'

Marcus Gardner, 26, from Battersea, south London, who flew to Gatwick from Porto, said: 'Our flight was much busier than before - going there only a few people were on the plane but coming back it was full capacity.

'A lot of people were rushing to get home and at the airport there were loads of people waiting for a flight.'

Rory Boland, editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, said: 'Passengers trying to leave Portugal before quarantine requirements come into effect will be wondering why more notice wasn't given, such as making use of the green watch list, to prevent tens of thousands of people now scrambling to get home.

'Between flights selling out, expensive fares, and difficulties obtaining tests in time, it's clear the Government's current approach to managing the changing situation around travel is flawed.

'These issues must be addressed before the next green list review, to prevent another disastrous summer for travel.'

The Department for Transport said the situation in Portugal 'required swift action to protect the gains made with the vaccine rollout'.

It stated that the positivity rate for coronavirus tests in Portugal had nearly doubled since the travel lists were first created four weeks earlier.

The DfT added that 68 cases of the Indian mutation, which is also known as the Delta variant, have been identified in Portugal.

Separate Test and Trace figures show 200 arrivals from Portugal were tested between May 6 and May 19.

Three of those people tested positive for coronavirus.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Hesai Technology (Hesai), a Shanghai-based LiDAR manufacturer, announced on June 8 the completion of its Series D funding with over $300 million raised. The latest financing round was led by GL Ventures, Xiaomi, Meituan, and CITICPE.

Hesai PandarXT LiDAR; photo credit: Hesai



According to Hesai, proceeds from the newly-closed funding round will be used to support the volume production and scale delivery of the factory-installed hybrid solid-state LiDAR, the construction of its smart manufacturing center, and the R&D of automotive-grade high-performance LiDAR chips.

Upon completion of the Series D round, Hesai has raised hundreds of millions of USD dollars from a host of globally renowned tech firms and investment institutes, such as Bosch, Baidu, Xiaomi, Meituan, ON Semiconductor, Qiming Venture Partners, and CPE.

With a team of over 500 staff members, Hesai has accumulated some expertise in in-house-developed photoelectric chips, automotive-grade design process, automated production, functional safety performance, active anti-interference technology, and deep-learning-based perception capability.

In recent years, Hesai rolled out many LiDAR products of the Pandar series, such as the Pandar40, Pandar40P, Pandar64, PandarQT, and Pandar 128 for self-driving cars, the all-in-one sensing kit Pandora, the PandarGT for advanced driver assistance system, the PandarMind for IoV (Internet of Vehicles) applications, as well as the robot-focused PandarXT.

The company has also finished the development of the V1.0 chip LiDAR architecture.

Hesai has formed partnerships with Baidu, Meituan, Aurora, Pony.ai, Nuro, WeRide.ai, and Zoox on Robotaxi service.
This is the shocking moment three men took their ponies for a dip in the Serpentine lido in central London - forcing children to wait on the sidelines.

An angry mother stepped up to intervene after the men rode their animals into Hyde Park's central lake.

Footage taken by an onlooker showed the mother squaring up to a group of men, who are believed to be travellers, while the horses cooled off in the water. She shouted at them: 'You don't get to tell me to shut up.'

Police officers were called at 4.36pm on Saturday to reports of ponies in the popular swimming spot.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said officers were called at 4.36pm when sunseekers' swimming sessions were abruptly cut short.

Police officers were called to Hyde Park on Saturday to reports of ponies in the popular swimming spot

Footage taken by an onlooker showed a mother squaring up to a group of men as the horses cooled off amid high temperatures

Children could be seen in the footage waiting on the sidelines while the horses enjoyed a quick dip.

Comments underneath a social media post sharing the video suggest the ponies may have been brought to the water before they were raced along the embankment cycle lane.

One read: 'Just watering their horses before charging down the embankment cycle lane. I saw them at tower hill breaking the 20 mph limit. Luckily as usual hardly any bikes about.'

One mother wanted the men to get out of the water immediately. She told another group of men standing at the water's edge: 'I will not go away. I don't have to shut up, you don't get to tell me to shut up. Get them out of the water.'

It is unclear what the men said to her.

Police revealed no arrests were made, adding: 'Police were called around 16:36 hrs on Saturday, 5 June to reports of horses in the Serpentine, Hyde Park.

'Officers attended and advised the horse riders that it was an offence to have animals in the Serpentine. They got out of the water and left the area.'

Twitter users had reported seeing traveller horses and pony traps elsewhere in the capital on Saturday afternoon, including around 15 to 20 at 2.30pm at Bishopsgate and one at Borough High Street.

Temperatures on Saturday soared to 77F (25C) as families headed out to the beach or London's parks to enjoy the sun.

People lie down on the grass at Wimbledon Common, in London, as hot weather hit the capital on Saturday

It is not known if the men were part of the same group that police had to evict from Ravenscourt Park in west London last week.

At 7pm on Thursday night around 12 caravans and cars parked in Ravenscourt Park - just three days after they were forced out of Kew Green, which is just 3.7miles away, on Tuesday.

Jim, a member of the travelling community at the park, claimed they had to move from the wealthy area after people broke into their homes and others were victims of racist abuse.

On Wednesday, legal representatives from Richmond Council said it had been granted a three-month order banning travellers from returning to the Kew site.

Metropolitan Police officers have been called to Ravenscourt Park, where an eviction notice has been served. It is believed the caravans could be moved on within hours.

It is not known if the men were part of the same group that police had to evict from Ravenscourt Park in west London last week

A group of travellers moved into Ravenscourt Park in West London, having been previously moved out of Kew and Windsor in recent days

Police were at the scene in Ravenscourt Park observing what was happening with a van equipped with CCTV

A neighbourhood enforcement van was deployed after officers received complaints about the travellers in the park

More than a dozen caravans pulled up in Ravenscourt Park in Hammersmith, west London on Thursday evening

A Hammersmith and Fulham Council spokesman told MailOnline: 'We've worked closely with the Met Police and a notice has been served to require the owners of the vehicles to leave the park immediately.'

Photographs showed cars towing caravans into the park after members of the group broke into a gate that closed the area off to traffic.

Around a dozen vehicles were photographed parked in rows on the grass at the popular leafy park in west London, where the average house is worth 1.05million.

Jim, one of those parked up in Ravenscourt Park, said he did not know where to take his family next after the group were moved on from three sites in 24 hours.

He said: 'We just arrived last night from Kew and they've already used a section 61 on us to move on. They're abusing us pretty badly because they keep using it on us and moving us on. We've been moved three times in 24 hours, once at one in the morning and then at 10am the next day.'

He claimed people tried to break into their caravans, before the group chased them away. 'Then when the police arrived they blamed us, as always, which I think is disgusting,' he added.

Rubbish left behind after a group of travellers spent the bank holiday weekend on Kew Green in west London

'When you have six kids and you don't even have time to feed them, because by the time you've cooked a meal you've got to leave again.

'Some of the lads here have real mental health issues because of this - some have even thought about committing suicide. I don't know where we're going to go next, so I'm just going to get in my car and get on the motorway.'

He said he 'felt like crying' after the group were moved on from Kew Green, because he didn't know where to go.

'I'm going to have to look at my wife and tell her I don't know where we're going, which doesn't make you feel like much of a man, does it?

'Yesterday I sat down and felt like crying, because I'm sat in a trailer with my wife and kids, and they can't go out.

'If they go to the play park over there, they get called names and insulted by the other kids, so I don't let them go out. It was good here, because we have public toilets and we've kept the police clean. Any rubbish you see was there when we arrived.'

A Richmond Council spokesman previously said there was no damage to Kew Green after the group were forced to leave. Piles of rubbish which had been left behind were removed by officials.

Photographs, taken before the group moved, showed a group of men gathering to drink beers. Others were seen hacking away at a large oak tree with two machetes as they appeared to build a swing.
Melbourne's tough lockdown is set to end on Friday but residents will still be confined by a raft of restrictions leading into the long weekend.

Victorian government sources say Melburnians will be banned from travelling beyond 25km from their home when the city moves to eased restrictions from 11.59pm on Thursday.

The measure will be implemented in a bid to prevent residents from flocking to regional parts of the state for the Queen's Birthday weekend, the Herald Sun reports.

The capital city will likely move to the same restrictions currently in place in regional Victoria after it exited lockdown on Friday.

Masks are expected to remain mandatory indoors, while household visitors will remain banned.

Melbourne is on track to be reprieved from lockdown on Friday, but masks are expected to remain mandatory indoors

RESTRICTIONS EXPECTED IN MELBOURNE FROM FRIDAY No travel beyond 25km from home

Masks required indoors

Household visits banned

Outdoor gatherings restricted to ten people

Schools will reopen for in-class learning

Cafes and restaurants will be limited to 50 customers

Gyms will remain closed Advertisement

Outdoor gatherings will likely be restricted to ten people, while capacity limits will be cast over venues, with cafes and restaurants limited to 50 customers.

It is anticipated that schools will reopen for in-class learning from next week, but gyms will remain closed.

Further eased restrictions are also expected to come into effect across regional Victoria from Friday.

The government was locked in 'positive' discussions with health officials on Tuesday night about plans to lift the lockdown. The details will be finalised on Wednesday.

The positive news about the city's fourth lockdown ending comes amid explosive allegations about a hotel quarantine linked to an outbreak of the more infectious Delta Covid-19 strain.

Acting premier James Merlino said authorities had genomically linked the West Melbourne Delta cluster to a man in his 40s who arrived from Sri Lanka on May 8 and stayed in quarantine at the Novotel/Ibis hotel.

Melbourne resident Sarah Paparo, who lives at 408 Lonsdale Street in the apartment block that adjoins the Novotel/Ibis hotel, claimed medical waste and dirty linen labelled 'terminal/positive cases' was being stored in the building's shared basement.

Ms Paparo believes her apartment block, which has roughly 450 residents, is 'inextricably intertwined' with the quarantine facility next door.

Photographs obtained by The Australian show yellow bins filled with dirty linen from positive cases in the hotel's carpark - which is a shared space often visited by staff at the adjacent apartment block.

The toxic linen appears to be unbagged - despite assurances from the government it should be bagged and sanitised.

The carpark, which is owned by the hotel and not the apartment building, is connected to a stairwell which leads to a separate carpark and a break room both used by hotel quarantine staff.

The stairwell is also used by both residents and hotel quarantine staff, which Ms Paparo believes presents a serious risk of an outbreak.

Emma Cassar, the head of COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria, has insisted 'there is no sharing of entries with residents'.

Government sources say that Melbourne is likely to have similar eased restrictions as those currently in place in Victoria, with capacity limits at venues. Pictured: a woman signs in using a QR code outside of the Foodbank pop up store in Melbourne on June 4

Authorities are still desperately trying to find out the missing link between the infected man at the Novotel/Ibis hotel and the West Melbourne Delta cluster.

Ms Cassar said the infected man mistakenly opened his hotel room door early in his stay, but it would not have been long enough to transmit the virus.

'The last 24 hours have been a flurry of activity ... to make sure we cover off all bases,' she told ABC Radio.

She added health authorities are also tracking down the people who cleaned and restocked the plane that brought the infected man to Melbourne.

Two of the 12 residents who were on the same floor of the hotel as the infected man are also being followed up, as they did not have day 17 and 20 tests.

After testing positive on the same day he returned from overseas, the man was moved from the Novotel Ibis to the Holiday Inn 'health hotel' on May 9.

Gyms are likely to remain closed when the Victorian government announces Melbourne's eased restrictions later this week

He completed 14 days of hotel quarantine and was released on May 23.

Genomic sequencing shows his infection is identical to one of two families linked to the North Melbourne Primary School, which has emerged as the epicentre of the West Melbourne outbreak.

However, it remains unclear how the virus was transmitted from the returned traveller - who lives in the Glen Eira area in the city's southeast - to the infected family.

Deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng said there were four main theories, with the most likely being that the man transmitted the virus to a staff member while in transit or to a fellow guest.

That person has then gone on to infect someone in the community.

'I am very surprised it got out. But this is what we have, and we need to work out what has happened here,' Professor Cheng said.

Acting Police and Emergency Services Minister Danny Pearson said no one who came into contact with the man has tested positive so far, including fellow plane passengers and crew, Skybus and hotel quarantine staff and other hotel guests at the Novotel Ibis.

Students are likely to return to in-class learning from next week after the Queen's birthday long weekend

Meanwhile, none of the guests at the Holiday Inn at the time of the man's stay were infected with the Delta variant.

Mr Pearson said there was no indication that transmission had taken place inside either of the hotels as COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria continues to review CCTV footage and incident logs.

The latest incident is the sixth time coronavirus has breached Victoria's coronavirus system, and the 22nd incident nationwide.

Victoria's deadly second wave of COVID-19 last year was sparked from leaks in hotel quarantine, leading to a major overhaul of the system.

The revamped program restarted in December, only for it to be paused in February as a leak from the Holiday Inn grew to nearly 25 cases and triggered a three-day lockdown.

The 'Delta' Covid strain outbreak in West Melbourne has been linked to a man who stayed at the Holiday Inn (pictured) in May

Last week, Victoria secured federal government support to construct a purpose-built quarantine facility in the state.

Victoria reported two new local COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, both linked to existing outbreaks and with limited community exposure.

One is a child linked to the West Melbourne outbreak, while the other is a household contact of a worker linked to the Arcare Maidstone cluster.

The state's COVID-19 commander Jeroen Weimar said a string of new exposure sites added to the list of more than 270 on Monday evening were linked to the new cases.

Some 22,814 Victorians were tested on Monday and 21,192 received a vaccine dose at state-run sites.
At least 60 members of Congress from both parties have been unable to access data for weeks in the latest ransomware attack to strike the United States.

The target was iConstituent, a tech vendor that provides constituent outreach services to dozens of House offices, including a newsletter service that allows lawmakers to communicate with residents in their districts and a service to track constituent casework.

It's the latest cyber attack after a series of hacks against the US executive branch and American companies have left many institutions feeling vulnerable and the Biden administration struggling to deal with the situation.

The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, which handles IT security for the House of Representatives, said there was 'no impact' on overall House data and it was working with the company to resolve the situation.

'At this time, the CAO is not aware of any impact to House data. The CAO is coordinating with the impacted offices supported by iConstituent and has taken measures to ensure that the attack does not affect the House network and offices' data,' the office said in a statement.

At least 60 lawmakers were left unable to access constituent data for weeks in a ransomware attack that targeted Capitol Hill

It's the latest cyber attack after a series of hacks against the US executive branch and American companies have left many institutions feeling vulnerable

Several lawmaker offices list payments to iConstituent in the latest Statements of Disbursement, with payments in the thousands of dollars to the tech company.

News of the attack was first reported by Punchbowl News.

And frustration is building among lawmakers on the matter.

Rep. Rodney Davis, the top Republican on the House Administration Committee, told Punchbowl that he 'understands there is some frustration at the vendor in question here.'

It's unclear who was responsible for this latest attack. Russian actors were blamed for the Solarwinds attack last year, one on the Colonial Pipeline last month and the most recent attack on meat producer JBS USA. Gas and meat prices rose in the wake of the hacks.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken warned that Vladimir Putin will have to answer for the ransomware attacks when the Russian president meets with President Joe Biden next week.

'We would prefer to have a more stable, predictable relationship with Russia. Weve made that clear. But weve made equally clear that if Russia chooses to act aggressively or recklessly toward us or toward our allies and partners, well respond,' Blinken told Axios' Mike Allen in an interview that aired on HBO.

'When it comes to these ransomware attacks, of course, weve already talked to the Russians about this. One of the things were seeing is that criminal enterprises seem to be engaged in these attacks. And it is an obligation on the part of any country, including Russia, if it has a criminal enterprise acting from its territory against anyone else, to do whats necessary to stop it, to bring it to justice,' the secretary of state said.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken warned that Vladimir Putin will have to answer for the ransomware attacks on US companies

President Joe Biden is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva on June 16 at the end of his trip to Europe; it's his first sit down with Putin since he was elected president

Biden is meeting with Putin next Wednesday in Geneva for their face-to-face meeting since Biden became president. Tensions have risen between Washington and Moscow as Biden has taken a heavy-handed approach when dealing with Russia. He has taken Russia to task for its interference in US elections; Moscow's aggressive posture toward the Ukraine and the government's treatment of dissent Alexei Navalny.

Blinken said one of the reasons Biden is meeting with his Russian counterpart is because of the ransomware attacks, 'to tell him directly and clearly what he can expect from the United States if aggressive, reckless actions toward us continue.'

He said the meeting would be a test of the administration's goal to have a 'stable, predictable relationship' with the Kremlin.

'I cant tell you whether Im optimistic or not about the results of that test, but its important to do that. And also, I dont think were going to know after one meeting, but well have some indications and well see. Were prepared either way,' Blinken noted.

'If Russia chooses to continue reckless and aggressive action  were prepared to deal with that, as we have  on the other hand, if it chooses a different course, were prepared to engage,' he added.

Last week, Biden did not rule out retaliation against Putin for the series of cyber attacks on American companies.

'We're looking closely at that issue,' Biden said when asked if he would retaliate. But he dismissed concerns he was being tested by his Russian counterpart.

'No,' he said when asked if he thought Putin was testing him.

The meeting between Biden and Putin will come at the end of the president's first foreign trip, capping off his nine-day trip to Europe.
Canada is considering lifting COVID-19 travel restrictions for fully-vaccinated American tourists on June 22, as world leaders prepare to discuss a global reopening plan at the G7 summit.

Officials have said that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has discussed loosening the 14-day quarantine requirement for American travelers who have received two vaccines, but they may be still be subjected to testing for COVID-19 and shorter quarantine periods.

The plan is expected to be announced within a matter of days, Bloomberg reported, with transportation officials telling Politico that Canadian Public Safety Minister Bill Blair is considering naming June 22 as the day when restrictions could be lifted.

The border between the United States and Canada has been closed since March 2020

Officials said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (pictured) has discussed reopening the border by June 22 and eliminating the quarantine requirement for vaccinated Americans

'He didn't put it in stone, but he suggested that is the date they're looking at,' at a virtual meeting of the border mayors from Ontario,' said Jim Diodati, the mayor of Niagara Falls. 'We're hoping to get some more confirmation this week.'

Trudeau has previously said that before the country can ease its COVID restrictions, including the travel restrictions, at least 75 percent of Canada's population should have their first COVID vaccine and 20 percent should be fully vaccinated.

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said Trudeau has told the mayors Canada was on track to hit that mark by June 21.

As of June 8, 61.7 percent of Canadians have received at least one dose of a vaccine, and nearly eight percent were fully vaccinated.

'The federal government's nervous,' said Diodati, whose city relies heavily on American tourism. 'They don't want to make a mistake or misstep. We get that.'

Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada relies heavily on American tourism

The pact that limits non-essential travel between the United States and Canada has been in place since March 2020 and is due for renewal by both countries' leaders on June 21.

But stakeholders and government officials told Bloomberg that pressure is mounting on government officials to re-open the border for the summer season.

Extending the travel ban another month would strike a major blow to Canada's tourism industry, restricting movement between the two countries for both Canada's Independence Day and America's Independence Day.

One estimate says the travel restrictions have already cost Canada's travel industries about $20billion Canadian in revenue last year.

More than one million cars crossed over the border from Canada to the United States every month before the pandemic, according to Bloomberg, but that number decreased to just over 100,000 last year.

In order to open up the border, though, Trudeau has said he would like to work with American officials for 'symmetry, coordination and collaboration at the border'.

Traffic on the Peace Bridge between New York and Canada has been sparse

More than 1 million cars crossed over the border from Canada to the United States every month before the pandemic, but that number had decreased to just over 100,000 last year

Meanwhile, global leaders are preparing to speak about international travel at a G7 summit that starts Friday, following a virtual discussion last month between the countries' tourism officials.

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps led the discussion, sharing his Global Travel Taskforce's findings with transportation officials from the United States, Canada, France, Italy, Japan and the European Union.

'If we're to safely and sustainably restart international travel on a global scale, we need a robust, accessible and coordinated approach,' he said to The National News.

'That's why I've brought together my G7 counterparts to identify shared goals, address challenges we may face and progress work on a coordinated approach that will allow us to build back better as we look to the future.'

The country has since created a 'traffic light system,' to allow visitors from countries on a so-called 'green list' to visit the country without quarantining, while those from countries on an 'amber list' would be subjected to COVID travel restrictions.

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps led a discussion about international travel last month

Major airlines are pressuring U.S. and U.K. officials to resume transatlantic travel ahead of the G7 summit this week

The European Union is already working on creating a digital pass that would allow people to show they have been vaccinated, tested negative for the coronavirus or had recently recovered from it to travel around the continent, and last month Italy reopened its borders to tourists from several destinations traveling on 'COVID-free' flights.

Travelers on these flights must get tested before their departure and again upon arrival regardless of their vaccination status , the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luigi Di Maio, announced on Facebook.

'This is how we open to safe tourism from all G7 states after over a year,' Di Maio said.

'So far, with the COVID-free flights you couldn't come to Italy for tourism from the extra EU countries,' he said. 'Now let's reopen to this opportunity, which allows safe travels without quarantine.

'With hard work we work to bring Italy out of crisis and save the tourist season,' he wrote.

Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luigi Di Maio, announced last month that the country would reopen its borders to tourists from several destinations traveling on 'COVID-free' flights

International tourist arrivals dropped 73 percent around the world in 2020, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council and 62 million jobs in the tourism industry worldwide were lost as a result of the pandemic.

Now, the CEOs of all airlines that offer travel between the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as Heathrow International Airport officials, are calling for a reopening of transatlantic travel.

On Monday, they spoke about the merits of having the United States added to the UK's green list and encouraged the United States government to lift entry requirements for UK travelers who have provided a negative COVID test or are fully vaccinated.

International leaders are expected to discuss these measures at the G7 Summit, which will be held in the UK from June 11 to June 13, and an announcement about international travel is expected.
Donald Trump's niece Mary Trump is once again unloading on the former president  and predicting he would turn on his own children if it comes to keeping New York prosecutors at bay.

'What's good for him has always been his only calculus, really,' Mary Trump told CNN's Chris Cuomo, when asked if her famous uncle might 'take one for the kids' and shield them from potential legal exposure.

'No, he wouldn't,' she told the host Monday night.

'I think if that were to happen  if prosecutors were to go after his children, he would fully expect them to take a hit for him  to benefit him. What he probably doesn't understand is that's not really how it works.'

Former President Donald Trump will not 'take one for the kids,' his niece Mary Trump told CNN. 'He would fully expect them to take a hit for him,' she said, as prosecutors in New York examine Trump Organization finances

She then pointed to how prosecutors often operate, trying to coerce lower-level employees to provide information which might incriminate a bigger target. Prosecutors have already been focused on longtime Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg in their probe of the company's finances.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. has obtained years of Trump's tax return information after a court fight.

'You know, they always try to get people to flip so they can go after the bigger target, she said.

'But Donald would never imagine in a million years that his children would do that, although I'm fairly sure they would. So, if that indeed happens, it's going to be fascinating because he would never do anything to protect them if it were at his expense,' she said.

Cuomo asked her how she knew that.

Mary Trump was asked if Trump would 'take one for the kids' to protect his adult children amid an investigation of Trump Organization finances

Mary Trump sued Trump last year, claiming to have been deprived of millions in inheritance funds

Manhattan district Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. has obtained Trump tax return information

'I've known him my whole life and unfortunately, I've had to analyze him pretty closely over the last four or five years,' she responded.

'This is somebody who's never changed. He doesn't evolve,' she continued. 'He has one thing he cares about, and that's himself. That will never, ever change, no matter who gets in his way, no matter who gets hurt, even if it's his kids.'

Eric Trump and Donald Trump Organization ran the company along with Weisselberg while Trump was in the White House.

Cuomo asked her if she believed Trump engaged in criminal conduct. Trump has denied wrongdoing and has called the prosecution a 'witch hunt.'

She said her own suit against Trump could 'help prosecutors hopefully establish intent and state of mind.' She said what Trump has been doing 'has been going on for decades.' Then, using a term that shows up in case law, the psychologist said: 'We're looking at setting precedent.'

She said her uncle believes 'there's still an opportunity for him to somehow undo the results of the last election.

Last year, Mary Trump sued the former president as well as his sister Maryanne Trump Barry and late brother Robert Trump, claiming she was deprived of millions in an inheritance.
United Airlines has announced that it will require all new employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before they begin work with the company.

The carrier made the announcement in a memo on Monday, becoming the second major US airline to mandate that new recruits get the shot. Delta announced a similar policy late last month in a move that divided millions of Americans.

'As we welcome new employees to the company, it's important we instill in them United's strong commitment to safety,' United wrote in their memo.

'Effective for all job offers made after June 15, 2021, we will require any external candidates for U.S.-based jobs to attest that they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by their start date.'

New recruits must upload their vaccination card into the United system within a week of joining the company.

Current employees of United are not required to be vaccinated, but the company has strongly urged them to do so.

Earlier this week, they incentivized having the vaccine by announcing they would give three extra extra vacation days to employees who have their first shot by June 9.

The company says around 80 percent of its 96,000 employees have already provided proof of vaccination.

United Airlines has announced that it will require all new employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before they begin work with the company

United CEO Scott Kirby signaled his support for mandating the vaccine during an employee town hall event back in in January.

'If other businesses go along and are willing to start to mandate vaccines, you should probably expect United to be amongst the first wave of companies that do it,' he stated.

United has also urged its customers to also have the vaccine, and they are running a competition offering flights for a year's worth of travel.

Under the terms of their 'Your Shot to Fly' sweepstakes, members of the airline's frequent flier program who upload their vaccination records to United's website before mid-June will be entered to win a roundtrip flight for two, in any class of service, to anywhere in the world United flies.

The carrier is to give away 30 pairs of tickets throughout the month of June before announcing five randomly selected members for a grand prize of travel for a year for themselves and a companion.

'It's important we instill in them United's strong commitment to safety': United is hoping to see airports packed with people as soon as possible, and mandatory vaccination of new employees may make customers feel more comfortable taking to the sky. Pictured: Fort Lauderdale Airport in March 2020

United CEO Scott Kirby signaled his support for mandating the vaccine during an employee town hall event in January

Delta announced they were mandating COVID vaccines for new recruits on May 14.

We know that vaccines are the best tool we have to protect one another and bring an end to the pandemic,' the company declared at the time.

It called the move to require vaccines for new hires important as 'our business recovers and demand for air travel continues to rise.'

Responses to the news were deeply divided.

Some welcomed the suggestion for the safety of customers, some of whom may be unable to get the vaccine themselves for medical reasons.

Others were outraged that the airline is forcing new recruits to have the vaccine if they want the job.

'What happened to "my body, my choice"?' one person raged on social media.
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Emmanuel Macron was slapped across the face and told to 'f*** off' as he greeted voters during a walkabout in France today.

The assailant took the French President by the arm, appearing to stop him for a chat, before shouting: 'Down with Macronia' ('A Bas La Macronie') as he struck his face.

Bodyguards quickly seized upon the man and bundled him to the ground before dragging him away, as a member of Macron's security detail pulled the president to safety.

A few seconds later Macron returned to the barriers to get a word in, although it was unclear what he was saying. He then continued to shake people's hands while a bodyguard stood between him and the crowd.

Two men were arrested following the incident outside a culinary school in the village of Tain-l'Hermitage in the Drome region where Macron had been meeting students to discuss how life is returning to normal after the Covid restrictions were eased.

The attack represents a serious security breach and overshadows the start of Macron's 'Tour de France' which he said was designed to 'take the pulse of the nation.'

'Around 1.15pm, the president got back into his car after visiting a high school and came back out because onlookers were calling out to him,' the regional prefecture said in a statement.

'He went to meet them and that's where the incident happened.'

No motive was given but a police spokesman said that one of the men arrested 'described himself as an anarchist.'

OW REVOIR: French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped across the face by a man during a trip to southeast France on Tuesday, an aide said.

SHOW HIM NO MERCI: The man appears to gesture Macron over for a discussion before lashing out and striking him in the face

RIGHT IN THE FRENCH KISSER: A scrum of security personnel swiftly intervene, bundling the assailant to the ground and heaving Macron away to safety

CLOCKED MONSIEUR: Macron and the assailant were briefly clinched in what appeared to be a Roman handshake before he was suddenly slapped across the cheek

Some of Macron's fiercest political rivals swiftly came to his defence, including Marine Le Pen who called the violence 'intolerable.'

Le Pen, who is hoping to topple the 43-year-old in next year's election, told a press conference: 'It is inadmissible to physically attack the President of the Republic. I am the first opponent of Emmanuel Macron, but he is the president. We can fight him politically, but we cannot allow the slightest violence towards him.'

Jean-Luc Melenchon, of the left-wing La France Insoumise group, tweeted: 'I stand in solidarity with the President.'

Just a few minutes after the incident, Macron's ally, Prime Minister Jean Castex, took the floor of the National Assembly where he warned of attacks on 'the foundations of democracy.'

Former President Francois Hollande tweeted: 'To attack the President of the Republic is to deal an unbearable and intolerable blow to our institutions. Faced with this unspeakable gesture, the whole Nation must show solidarity with the Head of State. In these circumstances, I address all my support to Emmanuel Macron.'

In videos circulating on social media, Macron, dressed in shirt sleeves and wearing a face mask, could be seen walking towards a crowd of well-wishers who were behind a metal barrier outside the culinary school.

The French president reached out his hand to greet one man, in a green T-Shirt, with glasses and a face mask.

'Mr Macron appeared very relaxed and thought he was getting a good reception from those watching him,' said an eye-witness.

'He was outside a catering school when he stuck his right hand towards a man who promptly grabbed it. Then the man slapped the President in the face, before Mr Macron was pulled away by security guards.'

There were shouts of 'get lost a*******' and 'f*** off' from the crowd as Macron was bundled away.

Two of Macron's security detail tackled the man in the green T-shirt, while another ushered Macron away.

Macron was in the south east French departement of Drome as part of his 'Tour de France' which he said was designed to 'take the pulse of the nation' - it is widely seen as the beginning of his bid for re-election in 2022

Macron has undertaken several other tours since his 2017 electoral triumph over the traditional parties of government on the left and right. Pictured: The French President poses for selfies in the streets of Valence

But Macron remained in the vicinity of the crowd for a few more seconds, and appeared to return to the barriers to get a word in, although it was unclear what he was saying.

A few minutes beforehand, Mr Macron had launched an appeal for 'peace across France', and called for people to 'respect one another'.

He told journalists: 'Democratic life needs calm and respect, from everybody involved  from political leaders and citizens alike. In a democracy, opponents can express themselves freely, on the street, in the press, on television, and through the ballot box.'

A local police spokesman confirmed that two men had been arrested at the scene of the attack.

'One is thought to have described himself as an anarchist, but an enquiry is ongoing' said the spokesman.

The presidential administration said there had been an attempt to strike Macron, but declined further comment.

Around a dozen stops had been planned over the next two months, with Macron keen to meet voters in person after more than a year of crisis management linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Shortly before being slapped, Macron had been asked to comment on recent remarks from far-left leader Melenchon who suggested at the weekend that next year's election would be manipulated.

'Democratic life needs calm and respect, from everyone, politicians as well as citizens,' Macron said.

'In a democracy, opponents can express themselves freely, on the street, in the press, on television, and through the ballot box.

'The benefit of all this is that it puts an end to violent and hatred. If hatred and violence come back they weaken one thing, and that is democracy, and that's why I'm urging everybody to respect each other and remain calm'.

Some of Macron's fiercest critics, including Marine Le Pen, swiftly denounced the attack on social media

Jean-Luc Melenchon, of the left-wing La France Insoumise group, said he stood in 'solidarity' with his political rival following the slap

Former President Francois Hollande tweeted: 'To attack the President of the Republic is to deal an unbearable and intolerable blow to our institutions. Faced with this unspeakable gesture, the whole Nation must show solidarity with the Head of State. In these circumstances, I address all my support to Emmanuel Macron'

In July last year, Macron and his wife Brigitte (seen together today) were verbally abused by a group of protesters while taking an impromptu walk through the Tuileries gardens in central Paris

Macron has undertaken several other tours since his 2017 electoral triumph over the traditional parties of government on the left and right

The president also faced massive protests across the Muslim world last year after he said that France would never renounce its laws on caricatures following the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty, who showed Charlie Hebdo cartoons to a class

In July last year, Macron and his wife Brigitte were verbally abused by a group of protesters while taking an impromptu walk through the Tuileries gardens in central Paris.

Macron has undertaken several other tours since his 2017 electoral triumph over the traditional parties of government on the left and right.

A 2018 trip to mark the centenary of the end of World War I is best remembered for the scenes of furious citizens booing and heckling France's youngest post-war leader.

It took place just as Yellow Vest ' protests were gathering momentum to denounce the government's policies and the head of state personally for his leadership style, which was criticised as aloof and arrogant.

Macron conducted another tour billed as a listening exercise in 2019 in the aftermath of those protests, which shook the country and saw him promise to change his way of governing.

The president also faced massive protests across the Muslim world last year after he said that France would never renounce its laws on caricatures following the beheading of teacher Samuel Paty, who showed Charlie Hebdo cartoons to a class.

The Royalist slogan 'Montjoie Saint Denis!' was also heard during Tuesday's attack.

The 'Montjoie Saint Denis' was the banner of Charlemagne, the King of the Franks in the 8th Century, and it was kept in the Basilica of Saint Denis, which exists to this day.

Today's swearing was reminiscent of the kind used in 2008 by the then conservative President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, when he was attacked at a farming fair in Paris.

A video clip showed a man refusing to shake Mr Sarkozy's hand, and shouting: 'Oh no, don't touch me, you'll dirty me.'

Mr Sarkozy snapped back: 'Get lost a*******, just get lost'. Mr Sarkozy later said that he regretted using such unpresidential language.

Mr Macron is in his fourth year of office, and is hoping to be re-elected for a second five year term next year.

His main opponent at the moment is Marine Le Pen, the far-Right leader of the Rassemblement National (National Rally) party.

In November 2018 six activists linked to the far Right were arrested in connection with a 'violent plot' against Mr Macron.

The six were picked up by anti-terrorism units in the eastern French regions of Moselle and Isere.

And in July 2017, a 23-year-old far-Right extremist was charged with plotting to assassinate Mr Macron at France's Bastille Day military parade, which the French leader attended with the US president, Donald Trump.

The suspected said he wanted to kill Macron at the 14 July national day parade in Paris, along with 'Muslims, Jews, blacks and homosexuals'.

Three kitchen knives were found in his car and analysis of his computer found that he had conducted web searches as part of his plot.

French President Emmanuel Macron with his wife Brigitte before a lunch in Valence on Tuesday

Macron had been attending a culinary lesson during Tuesday's visit to Tain-l'Hermitage Hospitality School not long before he was attacked

Two people were arrested following the incident in the village of Tain-l'Hermitage in the Drome region where Macron had been meeting restaurateurs and students to talk about how life is returning to normal after the Covid restrictions were eased

It is not the first time that Mr Macron has been attacked by angry crowd members while out in public.

In 2016  before he became President a year later  Mr Macron was pelted with eggs by Communist Party members outside a post office in the Paris suburb of Montreuil.

Macron is currently on a 'Tour de France' to 'take the pulse of the country,' according to the Elysee Palace.

His opponents see it as a campaigning effort two weeks out from regional elections and less than a year from the presidential election.

Macron's popularity has taken a massive hit throughout the pandemic, a recent poll by Le Monde showing 43 per cent support for Macron's closest rival Le Pen, compared to 57 per cent for the president.

Public dissatisfaction has been compounded by his bungled vaccine programme, that has seen him brazenly claiming the AstraZeneca jab is only 'quasi-effective' and leading a shambolic EU offensive to try and lay the blame at Britain's door.

The voters disdain for the EU has increased, leaving Macron more isolated as Le Pen gains ground.

Two polls carried out in April by IFOP (the independent French Institute of Public Opinion) showed that only 35 per cent of voters trusted the government's actions during the pandemic, while only 45 per cent saw Macron as suitable for presidential office.

Impatience with the president has been fuelled not just by the glacial vaccine roll-out but also by his apparent contradictions of scientific advice, with rivals referring to him as a 'Napoleon' and accusing the president of believing that he is an epidemiologist.

Adding to his woes, voting intentions for Le Pen's party have not been this positive since her father Jean-Marie Le Pen's campaign in 2002, when he reached the second round of the presidential election.

The right-wing party is ranking ahead of any other party in France among the 25-34 age group, who have faced unemployment and soaring costs of student loans.

Many of the younger age groups had already turned against Macron in the Yellow Vest protests of 2018, the pandemic only hardening their positions.
A woman in El Salvador sentenced to 30 years in prison on charges of terminating her pregnancy and violating the country's strict abortion laws has been released after almost nine years behind bars.

Sarah Rogel, 28, left the women's prison near the southern city of Zacatecoluca on Monday, where she became emotional as she embraced her family.

She was arrested in October 2012 at the age of 20 on abortion charges after she was taken to hospital with bleeding.

Rogel, who was eight months pregnant at the time, said she slipped and fell while washing clothes.

Her family found her lying unconscious and took her to hospital, where authorities detained her on suspicion of having an abortion.

Sarah Rogel, 28, left the women's prison near the southern city of Zacatecoluca on Monday, where she became emotional as she embraced her family

Sara Rogel (left) who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for a suspected abortion, is embraced by her mother (right) as she is released from jail on Monday

A court then found her guilty of aggravated homicide and sentenced her to 30 years in prison, but her lawyers later helped her reduce the sentence to a decade - which would have seen her released in October 2022.

El Salvador has one of the world's strictest bans on abortion. It does not permit exceptions, even for rape or if the mother's life is at risk, and prison sentences can stretch up to 40 years.

Rogel hugged her relatives as she left the prison on Monday. Released on parole, she is banned from leaving the country and must undergo therapy with a psychologist.

'She was deprived of freedom for almost nine years, in a sentence we believed was unfairly given,' Rogel's lawyer Karla Vaquerano of the abortion rights group ACDATEE said.

Rogel left the prison, where she served nine years, on Monday before being embraced by her mother

Human rights groups say Rogel suffered a miscarriage and should never have been imprisoned.

'Sara never deserved to be in prison,' feminist activist Morena Herrera said. 'While in mourning for the heartbreaking loss of her pregnancy, Sara should have been with her family. Instead she was unjustly imprisoned for nine years.'

Her release from a jail in Zacatecoluca was initially ordered a week ago by a judge in Cojutepeque on the grounds that she 'did not represent a danger to society', but Rogel was forced to remain in detention until a deadline passed for the Attorney General's office to appeal her release.

'We have been waiting 10 years, 10 years without her,' her father Angel Rogel told El Pais outside the courthouse in Cojutepeque last week.

Women hold placards that read, 'Freedom for Sara' and 'Sara you are not alone' during a protest as Sara Rogel attended a hearing in Cojutepeque, El Salvador on May 31 where a judge ordered her release

Socially conservative and devoutly Catholic El Salvador bans abortion in all cases - including rape and when a mother's life is at risk, and sentences can range from eight to 50 years in cases of 'aggravated homicide.'

Several women have been prosecuted after suffering miscarriages, stillbirths and abortions induced because of medical emergencies.

In recent years some rulings have been reversed, with several women released from jail after serving parts of their long sentences.

In 2020, Cindy Erazo was freed from prison after six years in prison following a stillbirth.

Erazo was initially sentenced to 30 years in prison after an obstetric emergency during her eighth month of pregnancy resulted in a stillbirth.

Evelyn Beatriz Hernandez, 21, has been cleared after a re-trial found her not guilty of aborting her baby illegally in El Salvador, where there is a total ban on terminations

In 2019, 21-year-old rape victim Evelyn Beatriz Hernandez was released after serving nearly three years of her 30-year prison sentence after being accused of having an abortion.

Her foetus was at 32 weeks in 2016 when she felt intense abdominal pains and delivered it into an outdoor toilet.

It was later found lifeless in a septic tank, with her mother claiming she discovered her daughter passed out next to the latrine.

Both women maintained Hernandez didn't know she was pregnant and that there was a foetus in the tank, but prosecutors didn't believe them and pressed charges.
New DUP leader Edwin Poots axed ministers loyal to his predecessor Arlene Foster today as he unveiled Northern Ireland's new First Minister.

DUP leader Edwin Poots announced that Lagan Valley MLA Paul Givan was his nomination to take the administration's top job after he controversially broke with tradition and ruled himself out of the post.

But he also revealed that he was replacing the education and economy ministers who served under Mrs Foster during a series of announcements in the Great Hall at Stormont on Tuesday.

Mrs Foster, who was ousted as DUP leader following an internal revolt against her moderate social policies, is expected to resign at the start of next week.

The new appointments come as the DUP has been left reeling by a number of further resignations linked to the way Mr Poots was elected leader following the 'coup' against his predecessor.

Diane Dodds, one of the ministers replaced today, expressed disappointment following the announcements.

In a tweet, which has been retweeted by Mrs Foster and former leadership contender Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, she said: 'It is regrettable however that the new team announced today does not match the rhetoric about healing and bringing the party together.'

DUP leader Edwin Poots (background) announced today that Lagan Valley MLA Paul Givan (foreground) was his nomination to take the administration's top job after he controversially broke with tradition and ruled himself out of the post.

Mrs Foster, who was ousted as DUP leader following an internal revolt against her moderate social policies, is expected to resign at the start of next week.

Mr Givan said: 'There is a huge responsibility that comes with this position, particularly in serving the people of Northern Ireland.'

A renomination process involving Sinn Fein will have to be undertaken before Mr Givan assumes office.

When Mrs Foster resigns as First Minister, Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill is automatically removed from her post as well - as the joint office can only function if both positions are filled.

Both parties will then need to re-nominate their respective first and deputy first ministers within seven days.

If one of the parties declines to re-nominate, then a functioning executive could not be formed and a snap election would become likely.

Revealing Mr Givan as First Minister designate, Mr Poots paid tribute to Mrs Foster, thanking her for the 'excellent work' she had done.

When Mrs Foster resigns as First Minister, Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill is automatically removed from her post as well - as the joint office can only function if both positions are filled.

He also also named Gary Middleton as junior minister.

Paul Frew replaces Diane Dodds as Economy Minister while Michelle McIlveen replaces Peter Weir at Education.

Mr Weir tweeted: 'There are some great appointments but disappointed to leave education, and in the balance of appointments it is sad there is little sign of healing or reaching out.'

The ministerial roles will be designate at this stage, with the appointments post-dated to take effect from Monday.

Outgoing First Minister Mrs Foster previously indicated that she will stand down when Mr Poots names a new ministerial team.

But Mr Poots said Mrs Foster will remain as First Minister to lead a British-Irish Council meeting in her home constituency of Fermanagh on Friday.

Mr Poots began his reshuffle of Stormont posts by announcing new chairs and vice-chairs of a number of committees.

Flanked by the new appointments and deputy party leader Paula Bradley, Mr Poots named his new team.

They include Christopher Stalford as principal deputy speaker and vice-chairman of the standards and privileges committee, Tom Buchanan as vice chairman of procedures, Keith Buchanan as vice chairman of the finance committee and Gordon Lyons as vice chairman of the health committee.

Mr Poots also unveiled David Hilditch as vice chairman of the infrastructure committee and William Irwin as vice chair of the audit committee.

Pam Cameron will become chairwoman of the assembly and executive review committee.

North Antrim MLA Mervyn Storey has been appointed as chairman of the justice committee and Jonathan Buckley will take up the role as chair of the infrastructure committee.

DUP deputy leader Ms Bradley has been appointed as chairwoman of the Communities Committee and William Humphreys is chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.

(Left to right) NI Justice Minister Naomi Long, Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, First Minister Arlene Foster, and NI Minister of Infrastructure Nichola Mallon

South Down DUP constituency association chairman and councillor Glynn Hanna, his daughter Diane Forsythe, association member Richard McKee, and councillor Kathryn Owen all announced their resignations this week.

The latest to quit is Upper Bann association member Roberta McNally.

In her resignation statement posted on social media, Ms McNally referred to scenes at a party executive meeting to ratify Mr Poots as leader last month.

'Having been at the meeting myself, I also witnessed senior members telling people to put their hands down to enable the vote to be open,' she said.

'It was clear that those of us who did put our hands up were being noted.

'The arrogance of some senior members at the meeting was mind-blowing.

'I personally, until now, have enjoyed my time in the DUP and it was a great privilege to be elected onto the executive.

'I am extremely sorry to say that I informed the Upper Bann chairman of my resignation.'
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Covid hospital admissions are still only a fraction of what they were at the peak of the second wave in January, according to official data that will bolster calls for No10 not to delay England's June 21 'Freedom Day'.

Fewer than 1,000 Covid patients were on wards across the country at the end of May  773 on May 31, which has since risen slightly to 860  just 2 per cent of the peak in early January when there were nearly 40,000 beds taken up by the infected.

And the average age of patients being admitted to hospital has plunged by a decade to below 50 for the first time during the pandemic, thanks to vaccines protecting millions of vulnerable older people who were prioritised in Britain's inoculation roll-out.

Scientific breakthroughs in finding drugs to help seriously ill patients, such as dexamethasone and budesonide, have also helped the death rate in intensive care halve since January, dropping from 40 per cent of all those admitted to less than 20 per cent.

The positive figures will inevitably put further pressure on Boris Johnson not to delay England's roadmap  which is still set to see nightclubs reopen and weddings allow more than 30 guests by June 21.

But No10 is reportedly considering pushing the date back by at least two weeks after England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and chief science adviser Sir Patrick Vallance spooked officials that unlocking too early could fuel a third wave.

Ministers reportedly plan to delay the unlocking to leave enough time for all over-50s to get their vaccines, plus two weeks to allow time for the jabs to take effect. MailOnline analysis suggests all over-50s in England could be fully protected against Covid by July 1  nearly two weeks after 'freedom day on June 21.

It comes as Matt Hancock today told 4million people in Greater Manchester and Lancashire to 'minimise travel', get tested and meet outdoors amid the spread of the Indian variant, in a sign Freedom Day may be pushed back.

Mr Johnson said yesterday he could still see nothing in the data that suggested a pause would be needed. Sources say ministers will not take a decision until June 14, a week before the final easing is set to go ahead.

Covid patients (red) made up three quarters of all ICU patients in January but this has tumbled to just one in five

The percentage of people admitted to hospital who die has tumbled from almost half to just one in five

The age of patients admitted to intensive care suffering from the virus has fallen (top graph) since the start of the pandemic. The average is now 50 years, compared to 60 years last March

Matt Hancock tells 4million people in Greater Manchester and Lancashire to 'minimise travel' Up to 4million people living in Greater Manchester and Lancashire face lockdown rules creeping back into their lives as the Government has urged them not to leave the area and to avoid meeting people indoors to stop Covid. The North West areas are hotspots for the Indian 'Delta' strain and are now being sent 'enhanced support' from the military and Department of Health including surge testing and contact tracing to try and contain the variant. NHS boards in the area will split from national policy and allow anyone over the age of 18 to book a vaccine in a bid to boost protection. Health Secretary Matt Hancock today asked local people to get tested for coronavirus and said: 'We know that this approach can work, we've seen it work in south London and in Bolton in stopping a rise in the number of cases.' Both places were added to the 'coronavirus restrictions' page of Government guidance under the heading 'If youre in an area where the new Covid-19 variant is spreading', alongside other parts of the North West, Leicester, Hounslow in London and North Tyneside. They cover a total of 5.7million people  around 10 per cent of England. Manchester's Mayor Andy Burnham insisted: 'It is not a lockdown.' The move comes amid claims that science chiefs Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance have spooked No10 into pushing back plans for June 21's 'Freedom Day' total unlocking citing fears of a third wave. The top advisers reportedly gave a 'fairly grim' update on the situation to ministers, underlining that jabs can never provide 100 per cent protection and the new variant is significantly more transmissible so will cause more cases. Whitehall sources said contingency plans are being drawn up for a possible delay of 'between two weeks and a month' to give scientists more time to consider data and allow the NHS to carry out more vaccinations. Matt Hancock added that it is still likely to be another couple of weeks before advisers and ministers can fully understand how well the vaccines work against the now-dominant Delta strain. Boris Johnson is expected to confirm by next Monday at the latest whether the June 21 plan will go ahead and he is running the roadmap timetable down to the wire, so far refusing to give any indication of what he will do. His spokesman said today: 'We need to take the time as built into the roadmap to consider the data.' Advertisement

Covid patient numbers are still very low and at just 2.5% of the January peak

Covid patient numbers in UK hospitals are still very low, despite warnings they could surge due to the spread of the Indian variant.

Department of Health data shows they are at just 2.5 per cent of the peak in the darkest days of January.

There were an average of 900 patients suffering from the virus in hospitals over the seven days to May 31, the latest available, a similar level to the start of the month.

For comparison, at the peak of the second wave around 38,000 Covid patients were in hospital beds.

It was feared that hospital admissions with the virus would start to rise amid the rapid spread of the Indian variant.

But figures are yet to show a sudden peak, with hospitalisations now falling in Bolton which was the first place to be hit by the variant.

Experts say vaccines have broken the link between rising cases and upticks in hospital admissions.

But ministers are waiting for clearer data to confirm that is the case before pressing ahead with any unlocking plans.

Only 5% of hospital patients end up in intensive care

While Covid hospitalisations remain very low, the number of patients who end up in intensive care or needing mechanical ventilation is even smaller.

Department of Health data shows 3,493 people suffering from Covid were admitted to hospital in May and 169 to the intensive care unit (ICU).

This means just 4.8 per cent of Covid patients admitted to hospital ended up in intensive care.

For comparison, there were 56,457 Covid patients admitted to hospitals across the country in the first two weeks of January, and 3,816 (6.7 per cent) patients were taken to intensive care.

The South West, South East, East of England and Wales all had fewer than 10 people go into intensive care across May  four, eight, six and two, respectively.

The discovery of drugs that can save people from dying of Covid have dramatically boosted survival rates in ICU, too, with the death rate halving to around 20 per cent from 45 per cent in the first wave, The Telegraph reports.

Medicines such as the steroid dexamethasone and arthritis drug tocilizumab have both helped to cut the risk of death for hospital patients since they were proven to work in June and January.

Average age of Covid patients in hospital has dropped by 50% as vaccines drive takes effect

An intensive care admissions report shows the average age of Covid patients has fallen by 10 years since the start of the pandemic amid a successful vaccine roll out.

The Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) said patients were aged 60 on average during last March, at the start of the pandemic.

But the average age has fallen to 50 years during the last three months.

The vaccine roll out prioritised older age groups first, because they are more at risk of hospitalisation and death if they caught the virus.

And the above results show the drive is working, pushing down hospitalisations among older groups.

More than 40.4million Britons  or three in four adults  have received at least one dose, and more than 27.9million  or over 50 per cent  have got both jabs.

The Indian variant is susceptible to vaccines

There has been mounting alarm over the rapid spread of the Indian variant which has now reached more than 85 per cent of areas in England.

But studies show it is just as susceptible to vaccine-triggered immunity as the old virus.

Bolton  one of the first places hit by the variant  is now seeing its hospitalisations with the virus fall after surge testing to root out every case.

Matt Hancock yesterday told the Commons that only three of the 126 patients in hospital suffering from the variant had been vaccinated.

He added that 28 had received one dose, and 83 were yet to get their jabs. No data was available for the other 12 hospitalised patients.
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Khan claims to have renounced his Pakistani citizenship, making him 'stateless'

Pair, who were part of notorious Rochdale grooming gang, are appealing order

A Rochdale grooming gang member who got a girl pregnant and trafficked a 15-year-old said 'we have not committed that big a crime' as he said it would breach his human rights to be sent back to Pakistan.

Adil Khan, 51, and Qari Abdul Rauf, 52, have been told they are to be deported from the UK for the public good after both were part of a notorious gang convicted of a catalogue of serious sex offences against young girls.

The pair are appealing against a deportation order served last July. Khan told an immigration tribunal hearing today: 'We have not committed that big a crime.'

He claims to have renounced his Pakistani citizenship which would make him 'stateless' and would be a bar to deportation.

Khan got a 13-year-old girl pregnant but denied he was the father then met another girl, 15, and trafficked her to others using violence when she complained.

Adil Khan (pictured left), 51 and Qari Abdul Rauf (right), 52, have been told they are to be deported from the UK for the public good after both were part of a notorious gang convicted of a catalogue of serious sex offences against young girls

The Rochdale grooming gang's abuse was dramatised in a BBC programme called Three Girls (above). Khan told an immigration tribunal hearing: 'We have not committed that big a crime'

He was sentenced to eight years in 2012 and released on licence four years later.

At an immigration tribunal hearing on Tuesday in London, Khan complained about the press coverage of the case.

Speaking via a videolink and through a Mirpuri translator, he said: 'The journalists have made our lives a living hell.

'We are not that big a criminal. We have not committed that big a crime. I'm innocent.

'I'm not committing any crime. The journalists made us out to be big criminals.'

Khan, Rauf and two others were among nine Asian men convicted of sex offences against vulnerable girls in 2012.

For two years from early 2008, girls as young as 12 were plied with alcohol and drugs and gang-raped in rooms above takeaway shops and ferried to different flats in taxis where cash was paid to use the girls.

Police said as many as 47 girls were groomed.

Khan and Rauf were among four of the gang with dual UK-Pakistani citizenship, so liable to be stripped of UK citizenship and deported, after then-Home Secretary Theresa May ruled it would be 'conducive to the public good' to deprive the four of the right to remain in the UK.

The pair, along with another man, Abdul Aziz, then fought, and lost, a long legal battle against the deprivation order, losing a final Court of Appeal ruling in 2018.

Rauf spotted shopping for food in Rochdale at a local supermarket in April. He earlier admitted that even he was surprised that there had not been any move to get him out of Britain

The convicted child trafficker was seen at a local Lidl stocking up on supplies in April this year

But the failure to then deport any of the four, almost a decade after their convictions, has heaped public criticism on a number of home secretaries and led to anger in Rochdale, where victims were living alongside their tormentors.

In April this year, Rauf admitted that even he was surprised that there had not been any move to get him out of Britain.

Asked by the MailOnline if he was surprised he had not been deported and speaking for the first time since his presence back in Rochdale was revealed, he replied: 'Yes'.

When pressed again if he expected to be removed soon, the Muslim preacher added: 'No I don't think so'.

After Rauf was pictured stocking up on food and fizzy drinks in the town, Girl A, the main victim of the grooming gang, said it was a disgrace the Government had failed to act and called for an explanation from the Home Secretary.

Girl A, now 28 and played by Molly Windsor in the BBC drama Three Girls, told the Sun: 'We were told they would be kicked out of the country.

'Knowing that had been done would have been a huge help for all of us in trying to rebuild our lives. But instead we're still haunted by the paedophiles who raped and trafficked us. Every day we run the risk of bumping into them.'

One neighbour previously said: 'I'm angry he's still here.

He had traveled to the supermarket by car from his home which is near the large food store. Asked by the MailOnline if he was surprised he had not been deported, he replied: 'Yes'

Former Home Secretary Theresa May ruled it would be 'conducive to the public good' to deprive the four of the right to remain in the UK

'You see children playing in the street by his home and I don't understand why he hasn't been removed. I don't feel safe with him here.'

Ex-police officer Maggie Oliver, 65, who quit Greater Manchester Police over its lack of action over the scandal, said the sight of Rauf 'made her blood boil'.

She said: 'The victims have been treated disgracefully and he is carrying on as if he's done nothing wrong.

'The public and the victims see the criminal justice system failing them. Sadly it does not surprise me he hasn't been deported.'

Billy Howarth, founder of Parents Against Grooming UK in Rochdale, said: 'We demand an explanation as to why they have not been deported.

'That was one of the promises, that these men would be removed from the country so they would not have to set eyes on them again.

'People are going mad over it, especially the people who live on the same streets with them.'

And local Labour MP Tony Lloyd said the failure to deport him showed 'grossly unacceptable inaction'.

Khan and Rauf are now appealing against the decision by current Home Secretary Priti Patel (pictured above, on May 23 this year) to deport them

Khan and Rauf are now appealing against the decision by current Home Secretary Priti Patel to deport them.

Cathryn McGahey QC, representing the Home Office, told the tribunal: 'The facts supporting deprivation are overwhelming.'

The tribunal heard Khan's reasons for appealing against deportation are on the grounds of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, his right to a private and family life.

His other ground of appeal was cited as 'statelessness' after he renounced his Pakistani nationality in September 2018 so he could not be returned there.

But this only came a month after he was told a decision had been made to deport him from the UK.

Rauf, a father-of-five, trafficked a 15-year-old girl for sex, driving her to secluded areas to have sex with her in his taxi and ferry her to a flat in Rochdale where he and others had sex with her.

He was jailed for six years and released in November 2014 after serving two years and six months of his sentence.

He then returned home to his wife and five children.

A further deportation hearing involving both Khan and Rauf is scheduled for July 1.
Convicted sex offender Rick Thorburn is serving a life sentence for the murder of Tiahleigh on October 29, 2015

The loyal wife of a man who murdered his foster daughter still visits him in prison every week because he 'doesn't have anybody else' and she has an 'obligation' to stand by him 'for better or worse' in honour of their marriage vows.

Rick Thorburn is serving a life sentence for murdering 12-year-old Gold Coast schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer on October 29, 2015.

Tiahleigh's badly decomposed body - naked except for underpants - was found by fishermen six days later on the banks of the Pimpama River, in a horrific crime that shocked the nation.

The night Tialeigh was killed, Thorburn's youngest son Trent - who was 18 at the time - told his mother Julene he'd had sex with the schoolgirl and was worried she might be pregnant.

During an inquest hearing on Tuesday, Thorburn claimed he accidentally suffocated the 12-year-old girl when she tried to leave home after an argument.

His wife Julene Thorburn told the inquest she speaks to her husband frequently and admitted she feels like she has an 'obligation' to visit him behind bars.

'He doesn't have anybody else and I feel you take vows over 30 years for better or for worse and he doesn't have anybody else so I tend to feel an obligation,' she said, The Courier Mail reported.

Ms Thorburn said while she wouldn't say she had a 'close' relationship with her husband, she did speak to him regularly on the phone.

She also told the inquest her husband never discussed how he killed Tiahleigh.

Rick's wife Julene Thorburn said she speaks to her husband frequently and admitted she feels like she has an 'obligation' to visit him behind bars (pictured is Ms Thorburn outside court in a red wig)

A foster father who murdered schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer (pictured) says he accidentally suffocated her when she tried to leave home after an argument

'All he ever said to me was... "what you aren't told, you can't repeat", so he never told me anything around the circumstances of anything on the night,' she said.

After the hearing on Thursday, Ms Thorburn bizarrely put on a red wig and changed clothes to try and avoid the media scrum waiting outside.

Her husband had sobbed and apologised for Tiahleigh's death while he read out a one-page statement he said was written about four years ago.

Thorburn claimed he put his arm around Tiahleigh's waist and mouth to stop her screaming when she tried to leave the home.

But an experienced police detective says he struggles to believe the account provided by the convicted sex offender and child killer.

Cindy Palmer (left) arrives at Brisbane Coroners Court for an inquest into the death of her daughter who was murdered by foster father Rick Thorburn

When questioned about the admission, further details and other allegations, Thorburn said he had no recollection.

'You can make up any story you like,' he told counsel assisting the coroner Kate McMahon while threatening to 'f**king walk out,' news.com reported.

'You can go f**k yourselves,' Thorburn told the inquest when his confession was questioned.

Asked when he dug up the statement, Thorburn said it was about a month ago when told he was to attend the inquest.

He had a handwritten original of the typed version handed into the inquest, but said he threw it away on the morning of Tuesday's proceedings.

Questioned why, he said: 'This is the end of it. I don't need it anymore.'

Thorburn said he had no recollection of being told by his wife on the day Tiahleigh died that his son had had sex with the 12-year-old.

But Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Knight - who was involved in the investigation - believes Thorburn's account of accidentally killing Tiahleigh isn't consistent with information obtained by investigators.

'It doesn't sit well with me, what I heard earlier today, in terms of those circumstances,' he told the inquest.

'I struggle to believe that.'

Trent Thorburn (pictured) arrives at the inquest. He admitted to his mother he had sex with Tiahleigh before her death and was concerned her stomach aches meant she may be pregnant

Ms Thorburn said she felt obligated to visit her husband each week in prison because he 'doesn't have anybody else'

Tiahleigh's family hope to get some answers from the two-day inquest before Deputy State Coroner Jane Bentley.

Despite internal reviews and criminal trials, no one knew what happened to Tiahleigh - who had been in the Thorburns' care for about 10 months - in her final moments, a pre-inquest hearing was told last month.

Although Thorburn pleaded guilty to her murder, he had never before given an account as to how he killed her.

In the hours before Tiahleigh died, she had been to a hip-hop dance class where she complained of stomach pains.

That day, son Trent Thorburn confessed to his mother that he'd had sex with the schoolgirl and feared the stomach pains were a sign she was pregnant.

From 8pm that night, Tiahleigh was home alone with her foster father for two hours.

She was never seen alive again.

Trent and brother Joshua Thorburn told the inquest they understood Tiahleigh was killed because of the sexual encounter.

The 12-year-old's body was found by three fishermen on the banks of the Pimpama River on the Gold Coast on November 5, 2015

The family members are all expected to be called as witnesses during the inquest

Trent was sentenced to four years in prison for incest, perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

A large amount of his sentence was served in solitary confinement, after he was subjected to vicious assaults by other inmates.

Trent was allowed to walk free after just 16 months behind bars.

Asked whether it was fair to say Thorburn killed the girl because he feared his son would go to jail, Trent Thorburn said he didn't remember his father saying that, but 'that has just been my overall guess'.

'He's my father and I believe that he would do anything to protect his family,' Trent Thorburn added.

Thornburn and his wife feared a pregnancy could mean Trent would go to jail, according to earlier proceedings

Tiahleigh's family hope to get some answers from the two-day inquest before Deputy State Coroner Jane Bentley that started on Tuesday

Ms Thorburn said her husband was concerned about their son going to jail, but when she returned home on the day Tiahleigh died he simply said the schoolgirl was no longer with the family.

She said the process had been 'long and drawn out' for her family, but she was prepared to answer any questions she could.

'There's not a day that goes by that I don't remember everything about having Tiahleigh with us,' she said tearfully.

Members of the Thorburn family were convicted of being part of the crime - Rick Thorburn for the murder, Trent for incest, and Julene and Joshua for being part of an elaborate cover-up.

Rick Thorburn was sentenced to 20 years in jail.

Legal teams are expected to make submissions to Ms Bentley on the final day of the inquest on Wednesday.
Fishmongers' Hall terrorist Usman Khan was unlikely to have been released from prison by a Parole Board because of his disruptive behaviour, a senior police officer today told an inquest into the jihadist's death.

Detective Chief Inspector Dan Brown, who is leading the investigation into the convicted terrorist, said the 28-year-old's behaviour was consistently poor during much of his time behind bars in HMP Whitemoor.

Khan was arrested in December 2010 and sentenced to 16 years in jail after he eventually admitted planning to set up a terrorist training camp in Pakistan and plotting to bomb the London Stock Exchange.

Though he was regarded as one of the most high-risk inmates across the prison estate, Khan's sentence was varied on appeal - meaning he no longer needed the approval of the Parole Board before his release.

The jihadist, from Staffordshire, was released on Christmas Eve 2018, to complete the rest of his sentence on licence in the community.

Less than a year later, Khan fatally stabbed Cambridge graduates Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, at a prisoner education event at Fishmongers' Hall in the City of London. He was later shot to death by armed police.

Giving evidence at the inquest, Mr Brown described how Khan became interested in the views of extremists Anwar al-Awlaki and Anjem Choudary, and had repeatedly been involved in violence while in prison.

Fishmongers' Hall terrorist Usman Khan was unlikely to have been released from prison by a Parole Board because of his disruptive behaviour, a police officer has told an inquest

Detective Chief Inspector Dan Brown said 28-year-old Khan's was consistently poor during much of his eight years in jail in HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire

At various points, extremist literature and some household items which could be used to construct a bomb were found in his cell, while he was also found in possession of a blade, the home address of a governor, and had been planning to break through to a neighbouring cell.

Giving evidence to jurors at the Guildhall in the City, Mr Brown said: 'Generally speaking, his behaviour was fairly poor. He was disruptive... and there was intelligence to suggest he was responsible for radicalising others.'

Mr Brown agreed that the decision to vary Khan's original indeterminate sentence was significant, because his behaviour in prison was unlikely to have satisfied a parole board.

The police officer said Khan was the second youngest of seven children, and was raised in Stoke-on-Trent. However, various claims from Khan's childhood - including that he was expelled from school at the age of 12 or 13 - could not be verified.

The inquest heard one former teacher described Khan as 'fairly unremarkable'.

Mr Brown, recalling a police interview with the staff member, said: 'He (Khan) had a teenage swagger, a little bit of a chip on his shoulder. But fairly unremarkable.'

Khan was chased onto nearby London Bridge on November 29, 2019 and pinned to the ground by members of the public brandishing a fire extinguisher and a narwhal tusk, before exposing a fake suicide belt on his waist.

Khan stabbed Cambridge graduates Jack Merritt, 25, (left) and Saskia Jones, 23, at a prisoner education event in Central London in November 2019

Police giving evidence at Khan's inquest previously described how they were trained to treat devices as viable until proven otherwise. Pictured, the fake suicide vest

The terrorist is alleged to have shouted 'Allahu Akbar' after first being shot by police, before writhing around on the ground for eight minutes, then sitting upright and staring at firearms officers who opened fire.

He was shot at 20 times by police and was declared dead at the scene, jurors heard.

Yesterday the inquest heard how the suicide belt Khan wore when he was shot to death by police was 'an elaborate hoax' which looked like a realistic device capable of mass destruction and death.

Khan was said to have used items including parts from an Xbox controller, an Energizer battery charger, cling film, bandages, Gorilla Glue and a weightlifting belt to fashion the device he wore under his coat.

Police giving evidence at Khan's inquest previously described how they were trained to treat devices as viable until proven otherwise.

The Fishmongers' Hall terrorist fled to London Bridge, where he was shot at 20 times by police

Wiring detectives believe was part of the fake suicide vest

Matthew Middleditch, the technical lead of the Met's explosives ordnance disposal unit, described how he agreed with a report from the UK's Bomb Disposal Centre that Khan's device was 'an elaborate hoax, with what appears to be some effort made to manufacture a reasonable facsimile of a suicide belt'.

Mr Middleditch told the inquest: 'I would agree with that statement entirely. The make up is a very good facsimile of a person-borne IED'.

He said it compared well with real devices he had seen during his quarter-century career as an explosives expert, including several years serving with the military in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He added: 'With the experience I have, I wouldn't be able to recognise it (Khan's) as a hoax without carrying out further examination of it. I would have thought I was looking at a real person-borne IED.'

Mr Middleditch said he would not expect police officers called to the scene to have been able to differentiate between Khan's hoax and a viable device.

Jonathan Hough QC, counsel to the inquest, asked: 'Would you expect any officer to be able to recognise this device as a hoax device, whether by close inspection or by inspection from a distance?'

Mr Middleditch replied: 'No I wouldn't, sir.'

The inquest is due to conclude later this week.
Chad Gordon, 27, (pictured) was killed when he opened his front door in north London

Two men have been sentenced to 29 years each in jail for murdering an autistic man who was shot dead on his doorstep in a case of mistaken identity.

Chad Gordon, 27, was blasted in the face when he opened his door to the killers who had travelled to his home in Finsbury Park, north London, on a stolen moped intent on revenge.

The shooting, during the first coronavirus lockdown in May last year, was said to have been in retribution for the death of Jemal Ebrahim who had been stabbed five days earlier.

But Cameron Robinson and Mason Sani-Semedo went to the wrong address and shot Chad instead.

Following a trial at the Old Bailey, Robinson, 20, and Sani-Semedo, 19, were found guilty of murder and possession of a gun with intent to endanger life.

Today, Robinson was sentenced to a minimum term in prison of 28 years and three days with Sani-Semedo sentenced to 27 years and 363 days.

They were each given six years concurrent sentence for the firearms offence.

In a moving statement to the court, Chad's mother Ann Marie Wilson, said her 'world shattered' when she learnt of Chad's death.

She said: 'My heart broke into tiny pieces and cannot be mended. Chad was my world, my everything, but most of all my first born and he was no more. Our lives have been ruined.'

Chad's father, Narson Gordon, said: 'Not just because Chad was my only son, he was a unique individual with absolutely no malice whatsoever.

'Anyone who knew or met Chad would instantly recognise "a gentle giant" with humility to match. The hurt and anguish caused by his evil murder is immeasurable.

'The void left is deeply felt by aunts, sisters, nephews, nieces, and cousins, especially by his 95-year-old grandmother who is still inconsolable.'

'It is heart wrenchingly sad that Chad was not allowed to flourish and live beyond the age of 27. I wish this for no parent.'

Following a trial at the Old Bailey, Cameron Robinson, 20, (left) and Mason Sani-Semedo, 19, (right) were found guilty of murder and possession of a gun with intent to endanger life

London Fire Brigade received reports of a fire in the Lea Valley area around 30 minutes after the fatal shot was fired where they found the moped as well as clothing that had been set alight on a bonfire

'I received the worst phone call that any parent dreads': Parents's heartbreaking tributes to gunned-down son Chad's mother, Ann Marie Wilson, said: 'At 8:25pm I received the worst phone call that any parent dreads, to say that something beyond my imagination has happened to my child. 'He had been shot. I prayed to the almighty God for him to be ok but my prayer was not to be answered. At 9:20pm the earth shattering phone call came, a conversation with my little sister I will never forget, "I'm so sorry Sis, but he didn't make it". 'The numbness spread all over me. My world shattered, my heart broke into tiny pieces and cannot be mended. 'Chad was my world, my everything, but most of all my first born and he was no more. Our lives have been ruined. 'He will not be around to enjoy and participate in the merriment, jovial and frivolity of these occasions, all his birthdays and family celebrations. The chance to see Chad having a family of his own and a promising future has been taken away from us. 'The night he answered the door has put our family into disarray and has torn our worlds apart. The family home where Chad grew up has been left behind because of the painful memory of this death, which a year on is still difficult to return to. 'You will never know how difficult it is to just get through a day much less the rest of our lives without him, without hearing his laughter, without seeing his smile, without hearing his voice and feeling his big strong cuddles.' Chad's father, Narson Gordon, said: 'Anyone who knew or met Chad would instantly recognise 'a gentle giant' with humility to match. The hurt and anguish caused by his evil murder is immeasurable. 'The void left is deeply felt by his aunts, sisters, nephews, nieces, cousins and especially by his 95 year old grandmother who is still inconsolable. 'It is heart wrenchingly sad that Chad was not allowed to flourish and live beyond the age of 27. I wish this for no parent.' Advertisement

Detectives discovered that there had been ongoing tensions between two gangs in the area in the days leading up to Chad's murder.

It was also confirmed that a male, thought to be the intended target for the shooting, lived next door to Chad.

Officers believe the killing was a revenge attack for the murder of Jamal Ebrahim in Tottenham on May 13, 2020.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, sentencing, described Chad as an 'ordinary, dignified, decent man' who was 'entirely innocent'.

She told the court both defendants played an equal part in the 'considered, high-stakes attempt at a swift, polished assassination,' which she said contributed to 'the senseless cycle of death and destruction on the streets of London'.

The judge said: 'The hurt caused by his evil murder is immeasurable.'

Chad's aunt told the court: 'I feel I'm existing on autopilot since Chad's murder.

'My son is now filled with anxiety, he is easily startled and I cannot describe his reaction and distress towards someone wearing a helmet on a moped. The murder of Chad has left his sister devastated.

'She is traumatised every night as she will never receive the daily call from him, he would call her every day to tell her he loved her.'

During the trial, prosecutor Oliver Glasgow QC had said Chad, who had autism, was the 'last person anyone would want to kill'.

He was described as a shy and quiet 'gentle giant' who was well-liked and polite.

At around 8.20pm on May 18, 2020, Chad went to answer a knock at the door at the address he shared with his grandmother and aunt.

He was immediately confronted by Sani-Semedo and Robinson who had arrived at the address on a moped.

Sani-Semedo produced a firearm and shot Chad in the face causing 'catastrophic' injuries, the court heard.

Chad's family and friends were alerted to the gunfire as he collapsed on the ground, jurors heard.

The victim's aunt shouted at the killers as they ran back to the moped, who, without breaking stride, pointed the gun at her and told her to shut up.

She then threw herself to the ground to cover a young child.

The killers pointed the firearm towards a mother and child who were walking in the street in order to 'make good' on their escape as they fled the address.

The killers had travelled to Chad's home in Finsbury Park on a stolen moped (pictured) intent on revenge in a case of mistaken identity

Mr Glasgow said it was a 'carefully planned' attack, apart from one essential aspect - the address.

Police and London Ambulance Service rushed to the scene of the shooting, but despite their efforts Chad was pronounced dead at 9.07pm.

London Fire Brigade later found the moped connected to the murder as well as clothing that had been set alight on a bonfire.

Sani-Semedo and Robinson were arrested following the analysis by detectives of CCTV footage linking them to the murder, which also revealed the pair to have coordinated the killing together.

Clive Spencer, 24, Talye Olabisi, 24, and Javarn Carter-Fraser, 23, were earlier cleared by a jury of Chad's murder.

Following Chad's death, detective inspector Laura Nelson from Specialist Crime, who led the murder investigation, said Chad's murder was 'utterly senseless' and his death has left his 'local community devastated.'
The women's suffrage movement began in the mid-1800s as organised campaigns began to take place across the UK after Mary Smith delivered the first women's suffrage petition to parliament.

In 1866, a women's suffrage committee was formed in London, which soon sparked other groups being set up in other areas, such as the Manchester National Society for Women's Suffrage.

Millicent Garrett Fawcett lead the The National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), which was set up in 1897.

They were known as 'suffragists', as they believed in enfranchising women by peaceful means such as protests and petitions.

The suffragist campaigners began by holding public meetings, seeking newspaper coverage and publishing pamphlets and magazines to spread their message. By the 1900s they had gathered thousands of members throughout Britain.

Fawcett concentrated much of her energy on the struggle to improve women's opportunities for higher education and in 1875 co-founded Newnham College, Cambridge, one of the first Cambridge colleges to admit women.

But Emmeline Pankhurst, who was then a member of the NUWSS, decided to employ more direct and militant tactics, leading her to set up the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in 1906 with her two daughters, Sylvia and Christabel.

Emmeline Pankhurst set up the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in 1906 with her two daughters, Sylvia and Christabel

The union's motto was 'Deeds not Words' and many of their actions were considered extreme by the population. Among the most infamous acts was the death of Emily Davison, who died after she ran out in front of the King George V's horse while trying to petition the royal at Epsom in 1913.

More than 1,000 women were arrested over the course of their campaign. Never before had so many women been imprisoned for a political cause. The women demanded to be given the status of political prisoners, and when the government refused, they went on hunger strike.

The government's response was to force feed the prisoners, with a funnel and tube pushed down into their stomachs.

Another group, the Women's Freedom League (WFL), was set up a year later by Charlotte Despard and Teresa Billington-Grieg, and were somewhere in between the other two groups in regards to their approach.

The First World War was a turning point in the history of women's suffrage. The WSPU called an immediate halt to their suffrage activism in support of the British government's war effort. Emmeline Pankhurst believed that the danger posed during the First World War by what she called the 'German Peril' outweighed the need for women's suffrage.

Unlike the Pankhursts, Milicent Fawcett's NUWSS did not cease their activities at the outbreak of war. Less militant and containing many more pacifists, support for the war was weaker. While Fawcett was not a pacifist, she risked dividing the organisation if she ordered a halt to the campaign.

The NUWSS continued to campaign for the vote during the war, and used the situation to their advantage by pointing out the contribution women had made to the war effort in their campaigns.

The Government passed the Representation of the People Act 1918. The Act,which was passed on February 6, 1918, granted voting rights to certain women over the age of 30.

Ten years later, the age limit was lowered and the law changed to ensure women had the same rights as men.

The key figures in the movement

Emmeline Pankhurst

One of the best-known founding members of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), she oversaw the group from its non-violent beginnings but later advocated for direct action as a tactic for gaining the vote.

She was arrested several times and after being convicted of conspiracy to commit property damage, she used a common suffragist prison tactic - a hunger strike - to secure better conditions for her fellow suffragettes.

When the First World War began, Pankhurst refocused the WSPU's efforts on supporting the war, causing a split in the group and within her own family. Her daughters Sylvia and Adela were pacifists.

Sylvia Pankhurst

One of Emmeline Pankhurst's three daughters, she worked full time for the WSPU, which was founded by her sister Christabel and her mother.

She was a trained artist and designed many of the group's posters, leaflets and logos.

But unlike her mother and sister, she maintained a political affiliation, which for many years was restricted by the WSPU. After being expelled from the group for her part in labour movement causes and socialist beliefs, she founded her own group, the East London Federation for Suffragettes.

Sylvia was horrified that Emmeline and her favourite daughter Christabel joined the white feather movement, which aimed to shame men into enlisting in the army, and instead opposed the Great War, continuing to campaign for suffrage when the WSPU changed direction during the war years.

One of Emmeline Pankhurst's three daughters, Sylvia worked full time for the WSPU, which was founded by her sister Christabel and her mother Emmeline

Christabel Pankhurst

Sylvia's sister Christabel was, along with her mother, a co-founder of the WSPU.

She fiercely advocated the use of militant tactics to win the vote for women in England.

Sylvia was sent to prison in 1905 after she disrupted a Liberal Party meeting in Manchester, where she unfurled a banner reading 'Votes for Women'.

She directed the subsequent campaign of direct action, hunger strikes and open-air rallies.

However, during the First World War, she declared a suffrage truce and helped to lead the domestic war effort.

She was made a dame in 1936 and became a religious evangelist in later life.

Sylvia's sister Christabel was, along with her mother, a co-founder of the WSPU

Sophia Duleep Singh

The daughter of a deposed Indian Maharaja whose kingdom was annexed by the British before he was exiled to England, Sophia was Queen Victoria's goddaughter as well as being a committed suffragette.

The queen even gave her lodgings at Hampton Court Palace, where she was often seen distributing suffragette newspapers, but despite these royal connections she was a member of the Women's Tax Resistance League.

Her connections proved useful for the movement. In 1911, she was among women protesting at Downing Street as then-prime minister Herbert Asquith left for the king's speech to parliament.

Waving a suffragette poster and suffragist slogans, she threw herself at his car as he left, but was released without charge to avoid embarrassment for the royals.

The daughter of a deposed Indian Maharaja whose kingdom was annexed by the British before he was exiled to England, Sophia Duleep Singh was Queen Victoria's goddaughter as well as being a committed suffragette

Emily Davison

Best known as the suffragette who was fatally injured at Epsom racecourse by the king's horse, Davison had a reputation as one of the most daring champions of direct action in the WSPU.

She was arrested and force-fed dozens of times, admitted setting fire to postboxes, and hid within the Palace of Westminster several times, perhaps most famously in a cupboard on the night of the 1911 census in an attempt to boycott it.

Tony Benn MP later placed a plaque in the cupboard himself to commemorate her act.

Best known as the suffragette who was fatally injured at Epsom racecourse by the king's horse, Emily Davison had a reputation as one of the most daring champions of direct action in the WSPU

Flora Drummond

The Manchester-born WSPU member was known for dramatic stunts, a militant attitude to suffrage, and rallying speeches.

Her exploits included sneaking in through the front door of 10 Downing Street as her colleagues distracted police, and sailing a boat up to the Houses of Parliament so she could address MPs on the terrace.

Charlotte Despard

After years of writing romance novels, Charlotte Despard turned her hand to charity and suffrage when her husband died.

Although she was twice put in Holloway prison, she advocated non-violent means of protest such as withholding taxes and census boycotts.

One of the oldest prominent WSPU members, she was in her 60s when she left the group after her pacifist ideas contradicted their changed approach when war broke out.
A report overseen by Dr. David Rakestraw (above) found that a lab leak was a plausible origin scenario for COVID-19

Questions are mounting about whether officials intentionally suppressed a top secret government report concluding COVID-19 could have originated in a lab leak, after it emerged that the study took five months to reach the State Department.

Lawrence Livermore National Lab's secretive 'Z Division' intelligence unit produced the report on May 27, 2020, but it did not reach the State Department until last October, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

Dr. David J. Rakestraw, a senior science adviser who formerly ran LLNL's biodefense programs and coordinated the labs COVID-19 technical response, was reportedly intimately involved in the preparation of the Z Division report.

The classified study weighed the lab leak possibility as well as the theory that the pandemic crossed over naturally from an animal, and concluded that both scenarios were plausible and could not be ruled out.

This explosive conclusion, which came at a time when many experts were loudly clamoring that a lab leak origin was impossible, could have significantly impacted the debate if the study had been more widely circulated.

'We will not be commenting on this issue,' Livermore Public Affairs Director Lynda Seaver told DailyMail.com on Tuesday when asked about the delay in the report's distribution to other government departments.

Lawrence Livermore National Lab's (above) secretive 'Z Division' intelligence unit produced the report on May 27, 2020, but it did not reach the State Department until last October

The slow distribution of the Z Division report across the top levels of government frustrated Trump administration officials and led some of them to seek access to reporting by other intelligence agencies on the subject, according to Sinclair Broadcasting Group, which first revealed the existence of the study.

On May 11, three House Republicans sent a letter to Livermore Director Kimberly S. Budil, demanding that Rakestraw appear before Congress to deliver a classified briefing on the Z Division report.

'Rare' genome sequence suggests the virus WAS man-made Two U.S. experts have penned a damning essay saying that science strongly suggests the novel coronavirus was manufactured inside a Chinese laboratory. The claim was made by Drs Stephen Quay, CEO of biopharmaceutical company Atossa Therapeutics Inc, and Richard Muller, a physics professor at the University of California Berkeley, in The Wall Street Journal on Sunday. In the op-ed, the men say their proof lies in genome sequencing, or analyzing the DNA, of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. There are 36 DNA segments - made up of three-letter 'words' - that viruses use to make an amino acid known as L-arginine. L-arginine helps make proteins but is also often used in so-called 'gain of function' research, which alters viruses to make them more transmissible and more deadly. The new virus contains a segment called CGG-CGG, which is considered rare even in experiments in which researchers are trying to manipulate virus. But even more telling is that this combination has never been found naturally in any other type of coronavirus, including in SARS and MERS, both of which are cousins of the new virus. 'A virus simply cannot pick up a sequence from another virus if that sequence isn't present in any other virus,' Quay and Muller wrote. 'The CGG-CGG combination has never been found naturally. That means the common method of viruses picking up new skills, called recombination, cannot operate here.' Advertisement

The letter gave a May 25 deadline for response, but it was not immediately clear whether the briefing ever took place.

In May 2020, as the Z Division was finalizing its report on COVID origin scenarios, Rakestraw referred to COVID-19 as 'a natural occurrence' in an interview on YouTube.

However he also framed the pandemic in the context of Chinese gain-of-function research, the controversial field that involves genetically modifying dangerous viruses to make them more lethal, in order to assess the risks of future outbreaks.

'The thing that I've worked on probably the hardest being able to respond rapidly to biological threats as they appeared,' Rakestraw said in the interview.

'And we were focused on both the potential for natural occurrences, like the most recent COVID-19, but also on the potential for adversaries to use advances in biotechnology to create novel threats that we wouldn't have vaccines for,' he added.

Livermore is one of the 17 National Laboratories that President Joe Biden has ordered to assist in a new 90-day intelligence review of of the pandemic's origins.

'We've been putting a large amount of focus for the last six years on using the computational resources at LLNL to try to accelerate the timescales for developing a response to an emerging biological threat,' Rakestraw said in a Livermore press release early in the pandemic.

'That effort has put us in a position where we have tools now that are applicable to helping with the current response,' he said.

The sprawling Livermore lab has an annual budget of $2.5 billion and employs 7,900 people.

It is largely funded by the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.

The California lab has not confirmed the contents of their report, which remains secret.

Anthony Blinken, the Secretary of State, has urged China to be more transparent about what they knew, when.

'What the government didn't do in the early days and still hasn't done is given us the transparency we need,' Blinken said on Sunday, in an interview with Axios.

The White House has also accused China of obstructing investigations into the source of the pandemic.

Concerns have been raised about 'gain-of-function' research taking place at the Wuhan Institute for Virology (above), located in the city where the outbreak began

The World Health Organization (WHO) sent a team to the Wuhan lab in late January, but the investigators were only allowed in for three hours, and were not granted access to all the documentation they required.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the WHO, said their visit was inconclusive and upbraided China for being uncooperative.

Dr Anthony Fauci, Biden's chief medical adviser and the nation's top infectious disease expert, is now facing scrutiny over what he knew, when - and whether he was always straight with the public.

His critics, mainly Republicans, accuse him of downplaying the 'lab leak' theory because it was promoted heavily by Donald Trump.

The critics also argue that Fauci did not want to admit at the time that U.S. taxpayers' money was being directed to the Wuhan lab.

He has since confirmed that $820,000 was given to the lab, over six years, to fund their research into coronaviruses.

Inside the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where scientists a year ago were investigating whether COVID-19 escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China

Fauci justified the spending when quizzed on it before Congress last month, insisting that it was vital to understand coronaviruses coming from bats, and the bats were in China.

He said it would have been a dereliction of duty not to support the scientific research.

Fauci also insisted that the grants were not being used on 'gain of function' research, whereby viruses are made more transmissible or deadly, to understand their capabilities.

He said the scientific studies published thanks to U.S. funding bore no evidence of 'gain of function' research.

But he admitted that he had no way of knowing if the Wuhan lab was carrying out experiments in secret.
The FBI is investigating a cyber attack that took out the New York City Law Department on Monday and forced city officials to disable the computer network in its legal offices.

On Monday, officials detected a cyber attack and ransomware that is commonly used by foreign governments. They disabled the entire network to try to protect data.

It's unclear who is responsible for the attack but they have not yet asked for a ransom, like the Colonial Pipeline hackers did.

The Law Department serves as a part of the city government. It is the legal department where lawyers on behalf of the city work, litigating civil cases and filing their own court files.

Around 1,000 lawyers work there and the agency holds the sensitive information of countless other government employees.

'All the agencies come through us. We have everyones information,' one staffer, who first revealed the hack to The New York Daily News, said.

The NYC Law Department's HQ at 100 Church Street, near City Hall. The department handles all of the city's legal affairs

At a press conference on Tuesday, Jeff Brown of the Cyber Command unit at the NYPD said no ransom had been demanded, but he refused to say what the hackers' motive was.

'This is not a ransom situation. Comparing this to some of the other events is not accurate. We do expect the law department to be fully reestablished properly,' he said.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said: 'At this point we're constantly investigating this. Cyber Command working with NYPD.

'To this hour we have not seen information compromised but this is an evolving investigation.'

The incident is the latest in a string of worrying cyber attacks on the US which experts say continues to prove how fragile the country's online security is.

The deliberate outage meant that lawyers couldn't file court records for the day, or access cases.

It comes as another cyber attack- this time on members of Congress - emerged.

The target was iConstituent, a tech vendor that provides constituent outreach services to dozens of House offices, including a newsletter service that allows lawmakers to communicate with residents in their districts and a service to track constituent casework.

It's the latest cyber attack after a series of hacks against the US executive branch and American companies have left many institutions feeling vulnerable and the Biden administration struggling to deal with the situation.

The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, which handles IT security for the House of Representatives, said there was 'no impact' on overall House data and it was working with the company to resolve the situation.

At least 60 lawmakers were left unable to access constituent data for weeks in a ransomware attack that targeted Capitol Hill

Secretary of State Tony Blinken warned that Vladimir Putin will have to answer for the ransomware attacks on US companies

'At this time, the CAO is not aware of any impact to House data. The CAO is coordinating with the impacted offices supported by iConstituent and has taken measures to ensure that the attack does not affect the House network and offices' data,' the office said in a statement.

Rep. Rodney Davis, the top Republican on the House Administration Committee, told Punchbowl that he 'understands there is some frustration at the vendor in question here.'

It's unclear who was responsible for this latest attack. Russian actors were blamed for the Solarwinds attack last year, one on the Colonial Pipeline last month and the most recent attack on meat producer JBS USA. Gas and meat prices rose in the wake of the hacks.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken warned that Vladimir Putin will have to answer for the ransomware attacks when the Russian president meets with President Joe Biden next week.
Many voiced concerns about the program on Twitter, including the impact it will have on their Internet bill

Sidewalk was built with three layers of encryption so no one could view the raw data passing through it

The program already existed in Echo and Ring security cameras

Amazon today automatically enrolled millions into its Sidewalk program, but users have the ability to opt out

Amazon has flipped a switch that automatically enrolled millions of its users in a program that will share Internet bandwidth between neighbors - expanding the company's ability to track devices.

Dubbed Amazon Sidewalk, the internet-sharing program links nearby devices via Bluetooth and radio frequencies so they can stay connected to the internet via other Sidewalk-enabled devices even when disconnected from home WiFi networks.

The program already existed inside Echo and Ring security cameras dating back to 2018 and remained dormant until Tuesday.

While users do have the option to turn Sidewalk off, it has drawn scrutiny from critics concerned about the amount of data that will pass through devices to and from neighbors connected to it.

There are also concerns that the program will enable Amazon to track more users outside of their individual homes.

However some experts - and Amazon itself - say that the benefits of the program outweigh the risks.

Amazon Sidewalk, a mesh network that shares Internet bandwidth among neighbors, is already built into most Echo devices and Ring security cameras

Amazon Sidewalk uses the 900 MHz spectrum to create a so-called mesh network that ties together overlapping signals from nearby devices up to a half-mile away.

It allows a user's device to share their home Internets bandwidth up to 500 megabytes a month, which equates to streaming about 10 minutes of high-definition video.

The programs has been years in the making. In September 2019, 700 Amazon employees were given Sidewalk technology and the resulting network was vast enough to cover an entire metropolitan area of the city.

Reasons to opt in to the crowdsourced, community benefit, as Amazon describes it, include the ability to continue receiving motion alerts from Ring security cameras after they lose WiFi connection, extending the range of smart lights and soon-to-come features like a Bluetooth lost-item tracker and a smart lock maker.

Amazon is also partnering with CareBand, which makes wearable sensors for people with dementia, and plans to implement a tool for tracking pets and valuables and a help button.

HOW TO OPT OUT OF AMAZON SIDEWALK  On Echo devices, go to the Alexa app on your phone and hit More. Then go to Settings and hit Account Settings. Then hit Amazon Sidewalk and set Enabled to off  On Ring doorbell devices, go to the Ring app on your phone and tap the three bars at the top left corner for a menu. Then hit Control Center and scroll down until your see Amazon Sidewalk and switch Enabled to off Advertisement

With connectivity support from the community, Amazon Sidewalk improves coverage, provides offline functionality, and enables troubleshooting to improve the smart home experience, reads a white paper that Amazon published with Sidewalk's release. By sharing a small portion of their home network bandwidth, neighbors give a little  but get a lot in return.

However, Amazon isnt footing the bill users will get from the increase in Internet usage. Twitter user Christian tagged @AmazonHelp in a post published today that reads, if youre going to share my internet, then I expect you to share the bill.

One of the first warnings about Sidewalk came from a Business Insider article written by Aaron Holmes in September 2019.

He explained that the mesh network created by Amazon Sidewalk could enable to tech giant to harvest data about the location of your devices, even if you dont use Amazon wireless networks in your home.

Owners of WiFi networks can track what devices are nearby even if those devices don't sign onto the network, just like a smartphone can detect nearby networks without signing on, he wrote.

Twitter user John Maese wrote that this sets a dangerous precedent and a few twitter users likened the feature to the artificial intelligence network Skynet from the Terminator films, which eventually gained sentience and tried to wipe out the human race.

Twitter user John Maese shared a post voicing his concerns about Amazon Sidewalk

Twitter user Christian shared his frustration with the increase in Internet cost that could arise from using Amazon Sidewalk

Mike Henry shared a post on Twitter about his worries with Amazon Sidewalk

Sidewalk could also be used to perpetuate the influence of Ring and its role in helping law enforcement. According to the Washington Post, 'Police forces across the US made more than 20,000 requests last year for footage captured by Rings 'video doorbells' and other home-security cameras.'

This kind of information goes both ways, as law enforcement officials learned in February when 55-year-old David Lee Huber, a suspect in a child pornography investigation, opened fire on FBI agents when they tried to search his home in Sunrise Florida. Huber allegedly used Ring to spot the agents outside his home and opened fire before they could even knock, killing two and injuring three.

Concurrent with the release of Sidewalk, Amazon published an FAQ to address users concerns.

Preserving customer privacy and security is foundational to how weve built Amazon Sidewalk, reads the companys response to a question asking how Amazon will protect consumer information.

It continues to explain that Sidewalk was built with three layers of encryption so no one could view the raw data passing through it, not even Amazon itself.

Information customers would deem sensitive, like the contents of a packet sent over the Sidewalk network, is not seen by Sidewalk; only the intended destinations (the endpoint and application server) possess the keys required to access this information.

In a YouTube segment, tech analysts Daniel Newman and Patrick Moorhead, of Futurum Research, attempt to quell consumer concerns about the program.

Moorhead explained that he has already opted in to the program. Do I know the risk that Im taking? Absolutely,' he said. But do I like the benefit of being able to troubleshoot when my WiFi goes sideways or the ability to track my dog in somebody elses neighborhood. Yeah. That value proposition sounds pretty good.

This doesnt mean it will never get hacked, Newman said. The government gets hacked, big enterprises get hacked, theres a chance someone might hack your Ring doorbell. But the reality is, I think these are more fear-mongering stories than reality.

Heres how to opt out of Sidewalk:

 On Echo devices, go to the Alexa app on your phone and hit More. Then go to Settings and hit Account Settings. Then hit Amazon Sidewalk and set Enabled to off

 On Ring doorbell devices, go to the Ring app on your phone and tap the three bars at the top left corner for a menu. Then hit Control Center and scroll down until your see Amazon Sidewalk and switch Enabled to off
New York Times editorial board member Mara Gay sparked fierce backlash on social media Tuesday after saying she was 'disturbed' to see American flags flown on pickup trucks in a recent trip to Long Island.

Speaking on MSNBC's Morning Joe, she said the flags were being flown on trucks belonging to Trump supporters, with the vehicles also bearing expletives against President Joe Biden.

She said the displays were symptomatic of a broad coalition of Americans who feel threatened as citizens.

'The reality is here that we have a large percentage of the American population  I don't know how big it is, but we have tens of millions of Trump voters who continue to believe that their rights as citizens are under threat by simple virtue of having to share the democracy with others,' she said.

'I was on Long Island this weekend visiting a really dear friend, and I was really disturbed. I saw, you know, dozens and dozens of pickup trucks with explicatives (sic) against Joe Biden on the back of them, Trump flags, and in some cases just dozens of American flags, which is also just disturbing because essentially the message was clear. It was this is my country. This is not your country. I own this.'

New York Times editorial board member Mara Gay said the flags were being flown on trucks belonging to Trump supporters, with the vehicles also bearing expletives against President Joe Biden

NYT/MSNBCs @MaraGay: In Long Island last weekend, I saw dozens of American flags, which was just disturbing pic.twitter.com/RhGdqqJope  Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) June 8, 2021

Gay said the flag-bearing trucks were sending a message that, 'this is my country. This is not your country. I own this.' Pictured are Trump supporters sailing through the streets of Portland, Oregon in their pickup in August 2020

She added that a solution, 'to get every American a place at the table,' needed to involve separating 'whiteness' from 'Americanness.'

Gay was responding to a call by host Mika Brzezinski for an investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Her comments received a scathing response on social media, where the commentator was slammed for what many said was a dig against displays of patriotism.

New York Times editorial board member Mara Gay was slammed on social media Tuesday for comments she made on MSNBC's Morning Joe earlier in the day saying she was 'disturbed' to see dozens of American flags flying from pickup trucks in a recent trip to Long Island

'As a son of a WWII [veteran], I proudly display the American flag on the front of my house,' tweeted Harry McNeir.

'American flags is now considered hateful what the hell is going on with our country,' posted @DankRhythm.

'Wow dozens of American flags the horror of of it lol,' Blake Katuin commented.

'Wait now a pick up trick with an American flag is now racist?? What's next saluting the American flag?' tweeted @swell472.

'Why is skin color even being brought into this discussion?' tweeted Matt Haubrich. 'This narrative is disgusting and they keep peddling it, and Joe's panel says nothing. I find people who group everyone in boxes very disturbing.'

Many said Gay's comments represented a dig against displays of American patriotism

'Mara gay is but a glimpse of what the future will be like for the US, a self-loathing, socialistic hateful country, with no borders.' said @kendrickNQB.

'So... who's the threat? This is disturbing!' wrote Chris Barnett. 'American flags relate to whiteness? The American flag represents any color or creed of [a] person who legally lives here!'

Mark Ashworth said, it's likely that the people Gay was referring to would likely be the first to help if she were in trouble.

'The people she's snarling at are the ones who'll pull over and put her spare on if she has a flat,' he tweeted.
Bitcoin was down by ten percent in 24 hours on Tuesday morning amid questions over the cryptocurrency's security, after FBI investigators revealed they had been able to access a hacker's digital wallet and retrieve part of a ransom paid over the cyberattack that shut down the Colonial Pipeline last month.

The world's largest cryptocurrency's value dropped to $32,154 Tuesday morning .

Bitcoin's value has dropped by nearly in half recent weeks after surging to an all-time high of $63,000 in April, shaking confidence in the market.

But the digital currency is still up 9 percent since the start of the year, and has more than tripled in price from a year ago, CNBC reported.

Smaller digital coins also slumped Tuesday, with Ether falling 13 percent to $2,396 and XRP falling 12 percent to $0.82.

The slump comes after U.S. officials said they seized $2.3 million of a $4.4million bitcoin ransom which was paid to hacker group after it shut down the Georgia-based Colonial Pipeline, causing fuel shortages and panic buying at the pump.

Court documents said investigators had access to the password for a bitcoin wallet allegedly belonging to one of the hackers, and were able to retrieve the funds.

The nation's largest pipeline, which supplies roughly half the fuel consumed on the East Coast, temporarily shut down its operations on May 7 after hacker group DarkSide broke into its computer system.

The world's largest cryptocurrency's value dropped to $32,154.73 Tuesday morning amid security concerns following a cyberattack

Colonial officials said they took their pipeline system offline before the attack could spread to its operating system, and decided to pay a 75 Bitcoin ransom, which equals about $4.4million, in hopes of bringing the pipeline back online as soon as they could.

Bitcoin has struggled in recent weeks amid fears of renewed regulatory scrutiny in China, and critical tweets by tech kingpin Elon Musk.

Musk has been a major promoter of cryptocurrencies but has turned critical of bitcoin since suspending Tesla plans to take it in payment for cars, owing to concerns about the energy use required to 'mine' the digital coins

Many crypto specialists have struggled to understand the motives behind his tweets.

'He's trolling the community,' Bobby Ong, co-founder of crypto data aggregator and analytics website CoinGecko said last week.

A slew of crypto-related accounts in China's Twitter-like Weibo platform were blocked over the weekend, as Beijing stepped up a crackdown on bitcoin trading and mining.

More actions are expected, including linking illegal crypto activities in China more directly with the country's criminal law, according to analysts and a financial regulator.

Last month, China's State Council, or cabinet, vowed to crack down on bitcoin mining and trading, escalating a campaign against cryptocurrencies days after three industry bodies banned crypto-related financial and payment services.

Over the weekend, access to several of widely followed crypto-related Weibo accounts was denied, with a message saying each account 'violates laws and rules.'

Colonial Pipeline, the nation's largest pipeline temporarily shut down its operations on May 7 after hacker group DarkSide broke into its computer system

There has also been pressure to introduce regulation of cryptocurrencies in the US.

Internal Revenue Service chief Charles Rettig said on Tuesday that Congress needs to provide clear statutory authority for the tax agency to collect information on cryptocurrency transfers valued at over $10,000 that largely go unreported.

'I think we need congressional authority,' Rettig said in testimony to the Senate Finance Committee. 'We get challenged frequently, and to have a clear dictate from Congress on the authority for us to collect that information is critical.'

He said cryptocurrency market capitalization is over $2 trillion, with more than 8,600 exchanges worldwide, 'and by design, most crypto virtual currencies are designed to stay off the radar screen, so we will be challenged right now.'

The operation to recover the cryptocurrency from Russia-based hacker group DarkSide is the first undertaken by a specialized ransomware task force created by the Biden administration Justice Department, and reflects what US officials say is an increasingly aggressive approach to deal with a ransomware threat that in the last month has targeted critical industries around the world.

Bitcoin's value has dropped by nearly in half recent weeks after surging to an all-time high of $63,000 in April, shaking confidence in the market

DOJ's ransomware task force tracked transfers of cryptocurrency and identified that 63.7 bitcoins had been transferred to a specific address for which the FBI has the 'private key,' or password, needed to access assets accessible from the specific bitcoin address.

DarkSide reportedly received $90 million in bitcoin ransom payments before being shut down last month.

The hacker group ran a 'ransomware as a service' business model, where hackers develop and market ransomware tools and sell them to affiliates who then carry out attacks, CNBC reported.

Any ransom payment made by a victim is then split between the affiliate and the developer, blockchain analytics firm Elliptic reported.

In the Colonial Pipeline ransom payment, 85 percent - or 63.75 bitcoins - went to the affiliate and 15 percent went to the DarkSide developer, Elliptical reported.

The hack caused a shutdown lasting several days, leading to a spike in gas prices and fuel shortages in some states on the East Coast. It posed a major political challenge for President Joe Biden as the US economy was starting to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

'The extortionists will never see this money,' Stephanie Hinds, the acting US attorney for the Northern District of California said.

'Today, we turned the tables on DarkSide,' Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said Monday at a news conference announcing the operation. 'By going after an entire ecosystem that fuels ransomware and digital currency, we will continue to use all of our tools and all of our resources to increase the costs and the consequences of ransomware attacks and other cyber-enabled attacks.'

The FBI generally discourages the payment of ransom, fearing it could encourage additional hacks. Monaco said the takeaway for the private sector is that if companies come quickly to law enforcement, officials may be able to conduct similar seizures in the future.

The White House urged corporate executives and business leaders last week to step up security measures to protect against ransomware attacks after the Colonial hack and later intrusions that disrupted operations at a major meatpacking company.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Sunday the Biden administration was looking at all options to defend against ransomware attacks and that the topic would be on the agenda when President Joe Biden meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin this month
Hershel 'Woody' Williams after he received his Medal of Honor in 1945

The sole surviving World War II Medal of Honor Marine partook in fiery display of admiration for war veterans in West Virginia - using the same weapon he wielded in solo acts of bravery during the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Hershel 'Woody' Williams, 97, fired off a few fully automatic and single shot rounds on Saturday in Harris Riverfront Park, but the real thrill was his flamethrower exhibition.

He held part of the weapon while flamethrower expert Charles Hobson shot a burst of fire over the Ohio River, WOWKTV reported.

The living WWII legend used a flamethrower during the Battle of Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945, in a series of acts of valor straight out of a war movie.

While American tanks were maneuvering 'vainly' to open a lane for infantry, Williams moved forward alone 'to attempt the reduction of devastating machine-gun fire from the unyielding positions,' his Medal of Honor citation says.

'Covered only by four riflemen, he fought desperately for four hours under terrific enemy small-arms fire and repeatedly returned to his own lines to prepare demolition charges and obtain serviced flamethrowers' and kept going back 'to the rear of hostile emplacements, to wipe out one position after another.'

Scroll down for video.

Hershel 'Woody' Williams, 97, (left) held part of the flamethrower while flamethrower expert Charles Hobson shot it the Ohio River, WOWKTV reported

Williams, 97, fired off a few fully automatic and single shot rounds on Saturday in Harris Riverfront Park, West Virginia

In a stand-alone act of bravery, 'he grimly charged enemy riflemen who attempted to stop him with bayonets and destroyed them with a burst of flame from his weapon.'

In another, he mounted a 'pillbox' - a raised hexagonal-shaped concrete protector equipped with small holes where soldiers can fire out of - and stuck the nozzle of his flamethrower through the air vent, 'killing the occupants, and silencing the gun.'

'They dug caves called pillboxes to protect the island, and they were built in such a way that mortars and artillery couldn't affect them,' Williams said after the demonstration, which was recorded on video by WOWKTV.

'So the enemy can stay in those pillboxes, and the flamethrower was the only way you can actually get through them. Once you eliminated the enemy in the pillbox, you were required to detonate an explosive to ensure they weren't going to survive.'

He said the flamethrower used in the demonstration is just like the one he used in the war, except his didn't have 'all the gages on it for safety' Williams told WOWKTV after the demonstration.

Williams (right) has continued to support military veterans and their families. He's pictured here in West Virginia after a flamethrower demonstration

President Harry Truman awarded Williams the Medal of Honor in 1945

Hershel Woodrow Williams - pictured here with his Medal of Honor saluting as he is introduced to the stage along with other members of the ship commissioning committee on March 7, 2020 in Norfolk, Virginia - has helped military veterans and their families for decades

Williams, seen in the blue hat, spoke to the only Sea Cadets unit in the state of West Virginia

Williams, who was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry Truman on October 5, 1945, continued his service to his country and fellow service members didn't stop there.

To date, Woody and his foundation are responsible for establishing 85 Gold Star Families Memorial Monuments across the United States with more than 75 additional monuments underway in 50 states and one US Territory.

In 2018, a Navy vessel that entered service was named in his honor - the USS Hershel 'Woody' Williams - and in the same year, the Huntington VA Medical Center, near Woody's home in West Virginia, was renamed The Hershel 'Woody' Williams VA Medical Center.

In his hometown of Fairmont, West Virginia, the Hershel 'Woody' Williams Armed Forces Reserve Center is the only National Guard facility in the country named after a Marine.
Security forces in Mexico have arrested a fugitive former governor and his daughter on money laundering charges in a predawn raid on a home which is reportedly owned by a cartel.

Roberto Sandoval, who governed the Pacific coast state of Nayarit from 2011 to 2017, and Lidy Sandoval, were apprehended on Sunday in Linares, a city in the northeastern state of Nuevo Leon.

The ex-governor and his daughter were flown to Nayarit and on Monday appeared before a judge, who ordered Roberto Sandoval held without bail because he is considered a flight risk.

Lidy Sandoval was released from custody after paying $75,000 bail bond.

Both are being investigated for crimes of illicit enrichment, embezzlement and for allegedly being linked to criminal organizations.

Mexican newspaper El Universal reported that they were staying at a home owned by members of the Gueros Cartel, a cell linked to the Sinaloa Cartel.

Roberto Sandoval (left) who governed the Mexican Pacific coast state of Nayarit from 2011 to 2017, was arrested along with his daughter Lidy Sandoval (right) on Sunday at a ranch in the northeastern state of Nuevo Leon. Both are being investigated for crimes of illicit enrichment, embezzlement and for allegedly being linked to criminal organizations

Former Mexican governor Roberto Sandoval is escorted by security forces at an airport in the Pacific coast state of Nayarit on Sunday following his arrest after seven months on the run

In March, Attorney General's Office in Mexico revealed that former governor Roberto Sandoval had bought real estate properties that were placed under the name of Lidy Sandoval (center), however, she had 'no way of covering these types of expenses since she was a university student'

Roberto Sandoval had been on the run since November 4, 2020 when the Nayarit State Attorney General's Office obtained a warrant for his arrest. A second warrant was issued in December 2020.

On February 29, the Financial Intelligence United blocked 42 accounts at 11 banks with deposits that totaled $60.5 million.

On March 1, a federal court judge approved a third arrest order for the governor and his daughter, linking them to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

The nation's Attorney General's Office revealed that Sandoval had bought real estate properties that were placed under the name of Lidy Sandoval, however, she had 'no way of covering these types of expenses since she was a university student.'

Roberto Sandoval governed the Pacific coast state of Nayarit from 2011 to 2017. Mexico intelligence agents learned of Roberto Sandoval's location after he received a visit from his wife and a bodyguard last week at a ranch in the northeastern state of Nuevo Leon

Lidy Sandoval, the daughter of former Nayarit governor Roberto Sandoval, was arrested Sunday and released Monday by a judge after she posted bail

'In addition, there is evidence, both in the [state] and federal courts, of their alleged relationship with various people who have been detained in a foreign country for crimes related to organized crime.'

In February 2020, then-United States Attorney General Mike Pompeo accused Roberto Sandoval of corruption, a year after the Department of Treasury designated the former governor for 'corruption-related conduct.'

'Specifically, during his tenure as governor of Nayarit (2011-2017), Mr. Sandoval misappropriated state assets and received bribes from narcotics trafficking organizations, including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in exchange for information and protection,' Pompeo said.

Pompeo signaled that Sandoval had also taken kickback payments from the Beltran Leyva Organization, a criminal enterprise that formed under the Sinaloa Cartel before it was weakened as its founders were either killed or apprehended and remained jailed in Mexico or were extradited to the United States.

U.S. Department of Treasury in May 2019 sanctioned Roberto Sandoval under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which focuses on 'perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption'

Former Mexico governor Pablo Sandoval (top left) with his son Roberto Sandoval (top right), his wife Ana Lopez (bottom left) and daughter Lily Sandoval (bottom right)

Sandoval and his family switched residences soon after the first arrest warrant came down, living in the states of Jalisco, Guanajuato, State of Mexico, Nuevo Leon and the nation's capital, Mexico City.

According to El Universal, authorities zeroed in on Sandoval's location after intelligence agents were able to trace phone calls made by his bodyguard at a home in the Nuevo Leon city of San Pedro Garza Garcia, where Sandoval was hiding with his wife Ana Lopez and Lidy Sandoval.

The family then moved to an exclusive development in the Guadalajara neighborhood of Puerto de Hierro.

They eventually moved from the high-end digs to two ranches in Saltillo, Coahuila, and the second property in Nuevo Leon that was provided to him by the Gueros Cartel.

The criminal organization's leaders, Esteban Rodriguez and Luis Rodriguez, were arrested in 2011 and 2012, respectively, and extradited to New York. The pleaded guilty to trafficking more than 100,000 kilos of cocaine.

The Nayarit State Attorney General issued an order in December 2020 that led to the seizure of two properties, including a ranch (pictured) that was reportedly purchased by former governor Roberto Sandoval with illicit money

The Nayarit State Attorney General's Office also confiscated from former governor Roberto Sandoval a property in the capital city of Tepic that served as a rehabilitation site for children

Former Nayarit, Mexico, governor Roberto Sandoval has been linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the country

Esteban Rodriguez, who was sentenced to five year and credited for serving time in prison, was deported to Mexico in September 2017.

Authorities learned of Sandoval's location last week after his wife and a bodyguard visited the Nuevo Leon ranch, deploying a team of security forces to arrest him and his daughter.

Before the former governor's arrest, Lopez sought out Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for assistance and requested that the government perform a thorough review of the family's assets dating back to 2011.

'What I ask is to stop this fierce political persecution that we have had for more than three and a half years,' Lopez told Radio Formula.
A daredevil has died after jumping off a 120ft cliff into the sea and accidentally landing in a tourist boat.

Fahd Ibrahim Jamil Al-Lakma leaped off the side of the Raouche Rocks in Beirut, Lebanon on Sunday.

The Syrian failed to hear the warning shouts from onlookers that there was a boat directly below him.

A daredevil has died after jumping off a 120ft cliff into the sea and accidentally landing in a tourist boat

The tourist boat had just emerged from a tunnel under the cliff which would have likely obscured his view.

Audible gasps are heard as the man, who hailed from the city of Hajin in Syria's eastern Deir ez-Zor Governorate, collides with the boat with an audible thud.

He fell from a height of 118ft and hit his head on the boat, killing him instantly and also injuring the boat's captain.

Agents from the Lebanese Civil Defence pulled the young man's body out of the water and took him to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The tourist boat had just emerged from a tunnel under the cliff which would have likely obscured his view

The captain was taken to another hospital, where he received treatment for his unspecified injuries.

Diving off the Raouche Rocks into the sea below is a popular activity amongst young men in the Lebanese capital.

It is unclear how long the victim had been in Lebanon, but his hometown in Syria came under the occupation of the Islamic State group in 2014.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Lebanon has 865,530 registered Syrian refugees and 1.5 million Syrians in total.
The Education Secretary today slammed the 'absurd' cancelling of the Queen by Oxford students, who voted to take down an 'unwelcoming' portrait of the monarch from the graduates' common room because 'she represents recent colonial history'.

Members of the Middle Common Room (MCR) at Magdalen College passed the measure by a substantial majority, with one student commenting that 'patriotism and colonialism are not really separable'.

Expressing his outrage, Gavin Williamson tweeted: 'Oxford University students removing a picture of the Queen is simply absurd. She is the Head of State and a symbol of what is best about the UK.

'During her long reign she has worked tirelessly to promote British values of tolerance, inclusivity and respect around the world.'

Oxford's vice-chancellor Lord Patten also weighed in, calling the decision 'offensive and obnoxiously ignorant'.

The committee will now explore replacing the portrait with 'art by or of other influential and inspirational people' and subject any future depictions of the Royal Family to a vote, according to committee minutes that have not been published.

The motion was brought forward by MCR President Matthew Katzman, a 25-year-old lecturer in computer science who studied at Stanford University and is from Maryland in the USA.

Mr Katzman, the son of top lawyer Scott Katzman, 60, claimed the move did not 'equate to a statement on the Queen' but said the painting was being taken down to create 'a welcoming, neutral place for all members regardless of background, demographic, or views'.

The decision sparked an immediate backlash, with the president of Magdalen College swiftly moving to distance the institution itself from the students involved. It comes amid growing concern at the rise of intolerance and 'cancel culture' at British universities.

Members of the Middle Common Room at Magdalen College - which is made up of graduates - overwhelmingly backed the removal of a portrait of the Queen

The motion was brought forward by MCR President Matthew Katzman, a lecturer in computer science who studied at Stanford University and is from Maryland in the USA

He claimed the move did not 'equate to a statement on the Queen' but said the painting was being taken down to create 'a welcoming, neutral place for all members regardless of background, demographic, or views'

Mr Katzman told MailOnline: 'The Magdalen College MCR voted yesterday to remove an inexpensive print of the queen that was hung in the common room a few years ago (a motion I brought forward in my role as MCR President as I do all motions raised in a sub-committee).

'It is being stored securely and will remain in the MCR's art collection.

Rich history of kings and cognoscenti Founded in 1458, Magdalen boasts a history of illustrious connections. Henry VIII's Archbishop Thomas Wolsey was an early alumni, and the college was also visited by Edward IV, Richard III and James I. More recent alumni include - John Betjeman, poet

Lord Alfred Douglas, poet

King Edward VIII

Malcolm Fraser, ex-Australian PM

William Hague, former Tory leader

Robert Hardy, actor

Ian Hislop, journalist

Nicholas Kristof, Pulitzer winner

TE Lawrence, archaeologist

CS Lewis, writer

Dudley Moore, actor

George Osborne, former chancellor

Dr Erwin Schrodinger, physicist

Oscar Wilde, poet

AJP Taylor, historian

Jeremy Hunt, former health secretary

Andrew Lloyd-Webber, playwright. Advertisement

'The action was taken after a discussion of the purpose of such a space, and it was decided that the room should be a welcoming, neutral place for all members regardless of background, demographic, or views.

'The Royal Family is on display in many areas of the college, and it was ultimately agreed that it was an unnecessary addition to the common room.

'The views of the MCR do not reflect the views of Magdalen College, and the aesthetic decisions made by the voting members of its committee do not equate to a statement on the Queen.

'Indeed, no stance was taken on the Queen or the Royal Family  the conclusion was simply that there were better places for this print to be hung.'

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick today called the row over Oxford University students removing a picture of the Queen 'student union politics' but said he was 'proud' to have a portrait of the monarch in his office.

'Well, this really is student union politics, and I'm not going to get involved in that - it's their decision,' he told BBC Breakfast.

'I have a portrait of the Queen on my office wall in my Government department and I'm proud to do so.'

Asked about Gavin Williamson's comments, Mr Jenrick said: 'I'm a huge fan and supporter of Her Majesty the Queen, I think we are incredibly lucky to live in a country with a head of state of her stature.

'I wouldn't want anyone to disrespect her out of ignorance in this way but I don't think that we should waste too much time on student union politics.'

Lord Patten said: 'Freedom of speech allows even intelligent people to be offensive and obnoxiously ignorant.

'I hope it does not do too much damage to the reputation of the college. I am sure old members of the college will try to be charitable in their assessment.'

Meanwhile, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said he 'does not support' the idea of removing the portrait.

'These kind of gestures are getting a bit out of hand,' he told Nick Ferrari on LBC. 'We should always respect the Queen but particularly now given things that have happened in the last few months. I don't support that.

'Let's get a sense of proportion and a bit of respect. People can air their views but those kind of gestures are divisive actually - they just divide people, and I don't think they achieve much, to be honest.'

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson (pictured) has slammed the 'absurd' cancelling of the Queen by Oxford students

How the Queen has helped change perceptions of Britain and the Royal Family During her reign, the Queen has overseen the growth of the Commonwealth - an organisation which aims to foster international co-operation and trade links between people all over the world. It has brought together dozens of countries, once under British rule, to be a unified, major global force for change. And in response to Harry and Meghan's explosive recent claims of institutionalised racism, the Queen is to appoint a diversity tsar to modernise the Monarchy. As part of a major drive encompassing Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Kensington Palace, aides will undertake a 'listen and learn' exercise over the coming weeks which will involve speaking to a range of businesses and individuals about how the Monarchy can improve representation. Advertisement

Barrister Dinah Rose, who was appointed president of Magdalen College last year, emphasised that the students were not representative of the college, but supported their right to 'free speech and political debate'.

In a series of tweets, she said: 'Here are some facts about Magdalen College and HM the Queen.

'The Middle Common Room is an organisation of graduate students. They don't represent the College.

'A few years ago, in about 2013, they bought a print of a photo of the Queen to decorate their common room.

'They recently voted to take it down. Both of these decisions are their own to take, not the College's.

'Magdalen strongly supports free speech and political debate, and the MCR'S right to autonomy.

'Maybe they'll vote to put it up again, maybe they won't. Meanwhile, the photo will be safely stored.'

She finished: 'Being a student is about more than studying. It's about exploring and debating ideas. It's sometimes about provoking the older generation. Looks like that isn't so hard to do these days.'

Responding to the news, Twitter user Samantha Smith said: 'The Queen was a pioneer of anti-racism in an era of widespread segregation and apartheid. Imagine trying to cancel the reigning monarch.'

Others criticised the move last night. Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said: 'This petulant and pathetic insult to Her Majesty the Queen is childish and pointless. It will change nothing.'

Toby Young, general secretary of the Free Speech Union and himself an Oxford graduate, said: 'The students are perfectly within their rights to remove this painting from their common room, but it is baffling that they associate the Queen with colonialism.

'I don't think these students realise how loved the Queen is by the people of the Commonwealth. It is only woke British students who feel offended by it.'

Joining the backlash, Twitter user Samantha Smith said: 'The Queen was a pioneer of anti-racism in an era of widespread segregation and apartheid. Imagine trying to cancel the reigning monarch'

MailOnline has contacted Magdalen College (pictured) and members of the Middle Common Room executive committee for comment

Oxford climbs to second in global university rankings The University of Oxford has been ranked second in an international league table. Five British universities made it to the top 20 in the QS World University Rankings - with the University of Cambridge also climbing to joint third place. Only Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US outperformed the Oxbridge institutions. Oxford - which moved up from fifth to second place - made gains as a result of its research impact, high levels of global collaboration and teaching capacity. Ben Sowter, director of research at QS, said it was 'no accident' that the most internationally collaborative universities enjoyed success in the rankings. On the value of global collaboration, he added: 'As British higher education navigates its post-Brexit future, this lesson should not be ignored.' Mr Sowter said: 'Perhaps no British research success story has captured the public imagination to the extent that the University of Oxford's role in developing the ChAdOx1 vaccine has - and quite rightly. 'However, Oxford's record-equalling jump in this year's rankings is the result of the sterling work done across its entire faculty body: in the United Kingdom, only UCL has produced a higher number of academic research papers over the last five years, and no British university's research has enjoyed a higher impact, with almost 1.5 million citations yielded on Oxford's papers.' Professor Louise Richardson, vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford, said: 'We are delighted to have improved our position in the QS world rankings and applaud MIT for retaining the top spot. 'We attained our position through the talent of our remarkable academics and their many collaborators around the world. The response to the pandemic this past year has amply demonstrated the importance of research universities to national and global health, wealth and well-being.' Advertisement

On its website, Magdalen College Middle Common Room described itself as 'one of the biggest graduate communities of the traditional Oxford Colleges', with 200 members.

It states: 'Our graduates come from many different countries throughout the world, and have diverse interests, academic and otherwise.

'The MCR forms an integral part of the Magdalen graduate experience - not only do we organise social and cultural events for students so that we can make the utmost out of our time in Oxford, but we also provide a network of support for graduate life in representing the concerns of students to the College.'

During her reign, the Queen has overseen the growth of the Commonwealth - an organisation which aims to foster international co-operation and trade links between people all over the world.

It has brought together dozens of countries, once under British rule, to be a unified, major global force for change.

And in response to Harry and Meghan's explosive recent claims of institutionalised racism, the Queen is to appoint a diversity tsar to modernise the Monarchy.

As part of a major drive encompassing Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Kensington Palace, aides will undertake a 'listen and learn' exercise over the coming weeks which will involve speaking to a range of businesses and individuals about how the Monarchy can improve representation.

The row at Magdalen comes after another university has apologised for sending staff a photograph of Prince Philip opening its library after it sparked complaints about the Duke's 'history of racist and sexist comments'.

Left-wingers working at King's College London reacted angrily to an email bulletin they received after the Duke's death in April, featuring a photograph of him opening the university's Maughan Library with the Queen in 2002.

Following weeks of simmering tensions, Joleen Clarke, the associate director at King's College libraries, sent out an extraordinary apology for the 'harm' caused by including the photo in her email.

'The picture was included as a historical reference point following his death,' she wrote last month.

'The inclusion of the picture was not intended to commemorate him.

'Through feedback and subsequent conversations, we have come to realise the harm that this caused members of our community, because of his history of racist and sexist comments. We are sorry to have caused this harm.'

Free speech campaigners and MPs condemned the apology, labelling it the latest example of a 'cancel culture' by woke activists on university campuses. Royal experts insisted it was wrong to accuse the Prince of being racist or sexist.

MailOnline has contacted Magdalen College and members of the Middle Common Room executive committee for comment.

From 'white supremacy' in the music curriculum to Cecil Rhodes's statue: The woke rows rumbling through Oxford's quadrangles Oxford University has found itself at the forefront of the culture wars at late, with 'woke' demands for change gaining extra momentum as Black Lives Matter protests arrived on Britain's shores. Recent rows include - Rhodes WON'T fall: College officials decide to keep statue after student protest The statue of Cecil Rhodes outside Oriel College The governing body of an Oxford University college last month rejected calls from an inquiry to tear down a statue of Cecil Rhodes. Oriel College's said they had decided not to remove the monument due to 'considerable obstacles', including financial costs and 'complex' planning processes It came after a long-running campaign demanding the removal of the British imperialist's monument. An independent inquiry to examine Rhodes' legacy was set up last June in the wake of BLM protests after the governing body 'expressed their wish' to remove the statue from outside the college. A majority of members on the Commission supported the college's original wish to remove the Rhodes' statue. But Oriel College said: 'In light of the considerable obstacles to removal, Oriel's governing body has decided not to begin the legal process for relocation of the memorials.' The Rhodes Must Fall campaign accused Oriel College of 'institutional racism' Music faculty considers reforms to address 'white hegemony' In March, Oxford was considering changes to the music curriculum, including alternative titles for courses, after certain staff raised concerns about the 'complicity in white supremacy' in the teaching of the subject. Professors were set to reform their music courses to move beyond the classic repertoire, which includes the likes of Beethoven and Mozart, in the wake of the BLM movement. University staff argued that the current curriculum focuses on 'white European music from the slave period', according to The Telegraph. The University of Oxford (Merton College pictured) was in March considering changes to the music curriculum, including alternative titles for courses, after certain staff raised concerns about the 'complicity in white supremacy' in the teaching of the subject Documents seen by the publication indicate proposed reforms to target undergraduate courses. It claimed that teaching musical notation had 'not shaken off its connection to its colonial past' and would be 'a slap in the face' to some students. And it added that musical skills should no longer be compulsory because the current repertoire's focus on 'white European music' causes 'students of colour great distress'. It is thought that music writing will also be reformed to be more inclusive. But the proposals caused upset among some faculty members who argued that it was unfair to accuse those teaching music from before 1900 of being concerned with just 'white'. College defies calls to remove statue of slave owner Christopher Codrington from its library after agreeing to change room's name All Souls College in January removed the name of an 18th century slave trader from its main library but defied calls to take down his statue (pictured) All Souls College in January removed the name of an 18th century slave trader from its main library but defied calls to take down his statue. The college reviewed its link to Christopher Codrington, a Barbados-born colonial governor, in the wake of last year's Black Lives Matter movement. The former fellow, who died in 1710, bequeathed 10,000 to the library which has since been unofficially known as the Codrington Library. A marble statue by Edward Cheere of the benefactor has been standing in the library for centuries and the college says it has no plans to take it down despite the clamour from students. The All Souls governing body said: 'Rather than seek to remove it the College will investigate further forms of memorialisation and contextualisation within the library, which will draw attention to the presence of enslaved people on the Codrington plantations, and will express the College's abhorrence of slavery.' Their review found that Codrington's wealth 'derived largely from his family's activities in the West Indies, where they owned plantations worked by enslaved people of African descent'. The college claims it has undertaken a number of measures to address the colonial legacy, including erecting a memorial plaque in memory of those who worked on the Caribbean plantations. The college's review found that Codrington's (pictured) wealth 'derived largely from his family's activities in the West Indies, where they owned plantations worked by enslaved people of African descent' Advertisement

Hartlepool council will put a sign on 'unfriendly' monkey statue which explains the local legend of a primate hanged as a French spy during Napoleonic wars - over fears it makes town 'unwelcoming' to tourists

Councillors have been accused of 'virtual-signalling gone crazy' after insisting on adding a plaque to Hartlepool's monkey statue over fears it could be used to depict the town as 'unfriendly to foreigners' in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests.

Legend says the monkey was hanged as a French spy after being washed ashore at the seaside town in County Durham following a shipwreck during the Napoleonic Wars.

Hartlepool United's mascot is called H'Angus the Monkey in tribute, and a man wearing his costume was famously elected mayor of the town three times after standing on a platform of 'free bananas'.

But the monkey's statue - which is located in the town's marina and is thought to date back to the 1990s - will now be fitted with an explanatory plaque over fears it could be 'misused by those with differing agendas to portray Hartlepool as unfriendly towards foreigners'.

Legend says the monkey was hanged as a French spy after being washed ashore at the seaside town in County Durham following a shipwreck during the Napoleonic Wars. A statue of the animal is located in the town's marina

The conclusion was contained in a report - seen by The Telegraph - which was commissioned by Hartlepool Borough Council on links between statues and 'the slave trade, colonialism, and imperialism' began after the BLM protests.

Historian Dr Zareer Masani criticised the move: 'This is an example of tragedy ending as farce, virtue-signalling gone crazy.

'As this legend is probably a myth, will we be searching the Greek classics next for xenophobia?'

But Conservative Councillor Gordon Cranney said he had 'no objection' to the context of the monkey story being explained on a plaque to make it clear it had nothing to do with race.

He told MailOnline: 'It was a made up rumour. Hartlepool used to be split in two, West Hartlepool and then Old Hartlepool, so it was one mocking the other.

'Now we are classed as the monkey hangers. It has absolutely nothing to do with race - it's an old wives tale.

'So I've got no objections to the story being explained.'

The June 2020 report, which reviewed all monuments and street names, warned that the monkey statue - which includes a bowl to collect coins for a local hospice - 'could be perceived negatively by some'.

A new plaque is expected to make it clear that the incident is most 'not a factual event'.

The council declined to say whether it was concerned about the monument being used by BLM supporters to paint the town as racist, or by the far-right.

Hartlepool United's mascot is called H'Angus the Monkey in tribute, and a man wearing his costume was famously elected mayor of the town three times after standing on a platform of 'free bananas'

A spokesperson said: 'We are currently working on an interpretation of the Hartlepool monkey legend with the intention of installing an explanatory sign on the monkey statue at the Hartlepool Marina lock gates for the benefit of visitors

The primate hanged for being a spy: What is the Hartlepool monkey story and is there any truth to it? Hartlepool is famous as the place where a monkey was hanged by locals after being mistaken for a French spy, but whether the incident ever actually happened is up for debate. The story goes that the monkey was the only survivor from a shipwreck during the Napoleonic Wars, when fears of a French invasion were at their height. Having never seen a Frenchman before, locals mistook it for a 'hairy French spy' and put it to death on the beach. The legend led to the townsfolk being branded as 'monkey hangers', but they in turn embraced the story. But is it actually true? 'There is no evidence whatsoever that the people of Hartlepool hanged a monkey,' said Keith Gregson, a local historian, told the BBC. The story was first mentioned in a 1855 song by Edward 'Ned' Corvan, a Victorian travelling performer whose performances included mocking whichever town he was in. Some aspects of the legend appear to crib from another story about a baboon who is believed to have visited Newcastle with some Cossack soldiers in 1825. Hartlepool Borough Council itself accepts that the monkey story is 'not a factual event'. Advertisement

'The statue does not belong to the Council and is not on our land, but is believed to date back to the 1990s, a time when the Teesside Development Corporation was responsible for regenerating this area.

'We have not received any complaints about the statue, and in fact it helps raise around 2,000 a year for charity thanks to the coins deposited within it by visitors

'In putting up an explanatory sign, we intend to liaise closely with the marina's current owners, Hartlepool Marina Ltd.'

The council report made a number of other tendentious comments, including noting that a statue of Andy Capp, a comic strip character created by Reg Smythe, a local cartoonist, could be criticised for portraying a stereotypical northerner.

Street names mentioning Winston Churchill and Scouts founder Robert Baden-Powell were also mentioned over their beliefs on race. Admiral Lord Nelson and former Prime Minister William Gladstone were also referenced.

Hartlepool recently elected a Tory MP, Jill Mortimer, for the first time since the 1970s.

The fate of statues with links to colonialism or the slave trade has generated intense controversy after some were targeted by left-wing protesters.

A paint-spattered statue of slave trader Edward Colston was recently installed lying down at a Bristol museum after being torn down and thrown in the harbour during a pro-BLM protest last summer.

However, a statue of Cecil Rhodes above Oriel College in Oxford was recently spared the chop after officials noted 'considerable obstacles', including financial costs and 'complex' planning processes

An independent inquiry to examine Rhodes' legacy was set up in June in the wake of BLM protests after the governing body 'expressed their wish' to remove the statue from outside the college.

A majority of members on the Commission supported the college's original wish to remove the Rhodes' statue, but there was a substantial backlash from donors.

But Oriel College said: 'In light of the considerable obstacles to removal, Oriel's governing body has decided not to begin the legal process for relocation of the memorials.'

The Rhodes Must Fall campaign accused Oriel College of 'institutional racism'

The fate of statues with links to colonialism or the slave trade has generated intense controversy after some were targeted by left-wing protesters. A paint-spattered statue of slave trader Edward Colston was recently installed lying down at a Bristol museum after being torn down and thrown in the harbour during a pro-BLM protest last summer

It came as new Church of England guidance, published last month, urged churches and cathedrals to consider the history of their buildings and the physical artefacts and how it could impact their congregations' worship.

Churches that have already taken action include St Margaret's church in Rottingdean, Sussex, which has removed two 'deeply offensive' grave headstones which contained racial slurs.

St Peter's Church in Dorchester has also covered a plaque commemorating a plantation owner.
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The Virginia mansion where Robert E. Lee once lived has received a woke makeover and reopened with a new focus on slavery.

The Confederate general's home reopened to the public on Tuesday, for the first time since 2018, following a $12 million 'rehabilitation and reinterpretation'.

It now includes a series of exhibits focused on telling the stories of people who were enslaved there, including the history of the Syphax and Norris families.

The Virginia mansion where Robert E. Lee once lived has received a woke makeover and reopened with a new focus on slavery

The Confederate general's home reopened to the public on Tuesday, for the first time since 2018, following a $12 million 'rehabilitation and reinterpretation'

Slaves in Freedman's Village, Arlington, Virginia, in 1865. Lee inherited more than 200 slaves when he took over Arlington House on the death of his father-in-law in 1857

Visitors now have the chance to see the inside of Arlington House, for the first time since 2018, included a peek of the dining room

The Confederate general's home, formally named Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, commands an unrivalled view of the nation's capital and the Potomac River

Visitors to the 'rehabilitated' Arlington House can now peek inside the main entrance hallway of Confederate general Robert E. Lee

Soldiers outside Arlington House in 1864, after Confederate general Robert E. Lee had inherited the property from his father-in-late

Steve Hammond, a descendant of the Syphax family who is now a trustee of the Arlington House Foundation, said he believes the new interpretive materials do a better job of telling the site's full history.

'It's going to be much more focused on everyone who has lived on that historic piece of property,' he said.

Hammond has led efforts to remove Lee's name from Arlington House, whose formal name is 'Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial', in a move backed by Democratic Representative for Virgina Don Beyer.

Hammond said he expects the new interpretation, like the proposed name change, will be difficult for those who liked it better when Lee was the focal point.

But he is optimistic that Arlington House can now serve to engender broader conversations about the lives of all who resided there.

'We're trying to create space for these difficult conversations,' he said.

One exhibit details how Hammond's distant relative, Wesley Norris, escaped from Arlington House in 1859 when Lee was managing the estate.

When Norris was captured, Lee insisted that Norris be whipped 50 times and that the wounds be washed with brine, according to newspaper accounts, including one given by Norris directly to an anti-slavery newspaper.

Steve Hammond, a descendant of the Syphax family who is now a trustee of the Arlington House Foundation, said he believes the new interpretive materials do a better job of telling the site's full history

The site was 'rehabilitated' following a $12 million project and now focuses on the stories of people who were enslaved there

A wall is left open to show building detail at Arlington House in Virginia, which opened to the public for the first time since 2018 on Tuesday

The Confederate general's home, formally named Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, commands an unrivalled view of the nation's capital and the Potomac River

The site, at Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia, includes a mansion where Confederate general Robert E. Lee once lived

The main entrance to Arlington House, formerly known as the Custis-Lee Memorial, as it reopens to the public for the first time since 2018

The mansion commands an unrivalled view of the nation's capital and the Potomac River

Historians have struggled to put together an extensive picture of slavery at Arlington House because of incomplete records.

But, Charles Cuvelier, superintendent of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, the National Park Service unit that manages Arlington House, said the reopened site tries 'to illuminate those layers of history to the best of our ability'.

The mansion and surrounding grounds, controlled by the National Park Service, had been expected to reopen in 2019, but delays and the coronavirus pandemic extended the closure.

The rehabilitation was funded by philanthropist David Rubenstein, who has also donated millions for the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and other historical sites around the D.C. region.

The mansion, which commands an unrivalled view of the nation's capital and the Potomac River, is best known as the home of the Confederate general leading up to the Civil War. But its history goes well beyond Lee.

George Washington Parke Custis, the adopted son of George Washington, built the mansion as a memorial of sorts to the country's first president.

Robert E. Lee came to Arlington House after he married Custis' daughter, Mary Anna Randolph Custis.

Descendants of Charles and Maria Syphax can trace their lineage back to Parke Custis, who fathered children with Maria's mother, Arianna Carter, also a slave.

Who was Confederate general and slave owner Robert E. Lee? A portrait of Confederate general Robert E. Lee Robert E. Lee was a decorated Confederate general. He joined the army in 1825, and graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1829. He married Mary Anna Randolph Custis, the only daughter of George Washington Parke Custis, the grandson of Martha Washington, in 1831. Lee first saw action with the American military in Mexico in 1846. He later served as major general of Virginias state forces. He inherited the Virginia mansion when his father-in-law died in 1857, leaving Lee to manage the large estate. The estate was in disarray and Lee ended up taking a two year leave of absence from the army to re-organise the flailing plantation. He had extremely strict expectations of his slaves and exacted harsh punishments for those who fell short. His efforts led to near slave revolts on site, especially as many believed they would be released on Custis' death. In 1859, Lee severely punished three slaves - Wesley Norris, his sister Mary, and a cousin of their - after they tried to escape the plantation. A newspaper at the time claimed Lee had them whipped once they were captured and returned to Virginia. Mary received 20 lashes while the two men received 50 before the pair were sent to work on railroads in Virginia and Alabama. Many of the 200 slaves he had inherited were either sold to traders or jailed by Lee and by 1860, only one family remained intact. He is believed to have told his son in 1868: 'You will never prosper with the blacks, and it is abhorrent to a reflecting mind to be supporting and cherishing those who are plotting and working for your injury, and all of whose sympathies and associations are antagonistic to yours.' After the Civil War, Lee resisted efforts to build Confederate monuments in his honor and instead wanted the nation to move on from the Civil War. After his death, Southerners adopted 'The Lost Cause' revisionist narrative about the Civil War and placed Lee as its central figure. The Last Cause argued the South knew it was fighting a losing war and decided to fight it anyway on principle. It also tried to argue that the war was not about slavery but high constitutional ideals. As The Lost Cause narrative grew in popularity, proponents pushed to memorialize Lee, ignoring his deficiencies as a general and his role as a slave owner. Lee monuments went up in the 1920s just as the Ku Klux Klan was experiencing a resurgence and new Jim Crow segregation laws were adopted. The Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville, Virginia, went up in 1924. A year later, the U.S. Congress voted to use federal funds to restore the Lee mansion in the Arlington National Cemetery. The U.S. Mint issued a coin in his honor, and Lee has been on five postage stamps. No other Union figure besides President Abraham Lincoln has similar honors. A generation after the civil rights movement, black and Latino residents began pressuring elected officials to dismantle Lee and other Confederate memorials in places like New Orleans, Houston and South Carolina. The removals partly were based on violent acts committed white supremacists using Confederate imagery and historians questioning the legitimacy of The Lost Cause. A Gen. Robert E. Lee statue was removed from Lee Circle in New Orleans as the last of four monuments to Confederate-era figures to be removed under a 2015 City Council vote. The Houston Independent School District also voted in 2016 to rename Robert E. Lee High School, a school with a large Latino population, as Margaret Long Wisdom High School. In this June 30, 2015, photo, activists gather around the Confederate Army Gen. Robert E. Lee statute at Lee Park chanting the names of Civil War era activists in Dallas Earlier this year, the Charlottesville, Virginia, City Council voted to remove its Lee statue from a city park, sparking a lawsuit from opponents of the move. The debate also drew opposition from white supremacists and neo-Nazis who revered Lee and the Confederacy. The opposition resulted in rallies to defend Lee statues this weekend that resulted in at least three deaths. Monuments and memorials to Lee remain hugely controversial. Currently Virginia's Supreme Court is hearing arguments on whether the state has the right to take down a statue of Lee on a horse in Richmond. The monument, which depicts the controversial general mounted on a horse, was dedicated in 1890 and has been the topic of fierce debate in Richmond, the former capital of the Confederacy, for decades. Protesters gathered around the monument last year and defaced it with graffiti and spray paint decrying the death of George Floyd. In December, a statue of Lee in the U.S. Capitol was removed and replaced with one of civil rights pioneer Barbara Johns. It was removed after Virginia Governor Ralph Northam requested it be swapped because Lee was not seen as a fitting symbol for the state. There has also been calls to change the name of military bases, including one named after Lee - Fort Lee -, that bear the names of slave owners. Massive crowds gathered for days around the monument of Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia, in June 2020, demanding it be brought down Advertisement

The bedroom at Arlington House, which has now been 'rehabilitated' to focus on the stories of people who were enslaved there

Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee memorial, formerly named the Curtis-Lee mansion, reopened to the public on Tuesday for the first time since 2018

Visitors can catch a peek wall detail at Arlington House in Virginia since it reopened following a three year 'rehabilitation' programme

The dining room of former Confederate general Robert E. Lee went back on display on Tuesday when Arlington House reopened to the public for the first time since 2018

A dining room at Arlington House in Virginia after the property reopened following a three year 'rehabilitation' project

Inside the Virginia mansion that reopened to the public on Tuesday after a three year 'rehabilitation and reinterpretation' project
US Capitol Police denied that intelligence leading up to the January 6th MAGA riot revealed the pro-Donald Trump crowd would storm the building as lawmakers certified Joe Biden's presidential victory.

The police department pushed back against a bipartisan Senate report that found there was specific intelligence that the MAGA crowd planned to mount an armed invasion of the Capitol.

'What the intelligence didnt reveal,' US Capitol Police said in their statement Tuesday, 'was the large-scale demonstration would become a large-scale attack on the Capitol Building as there was no specific, credible intelligence about such an attack. The USCP consumes intelligence from every federal agency. At no point prior to the 6th did it receive actionable intelligence about a large-scale attack.'

'Neither the USCP, nor the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Metropolitan Police or our other law enforcement partners knew thousands of rioters were planning to attack the U.S. Capitol. The known intelligence simply didnt support that conclusion,' the police concluded.

But the report, a joint endeavor from the Senate Rules and Administration and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees, found that law enforcement was aware of a plot to breach the Capitol, that maps of the building's tunnel system had been shared online, and that supporters were planning to bring guns to D.C.

The report also found, however, that law enforcement failed to act or share information with uniformed cops.

US Capitol Police denied that intelligence leading up to the January 6th MAGA riot revealed the pro-Donald Trump crowd would storm the building - above riot police clear a hallway inside the Capitol on January 6th

USCP was responding to a new Senate report on that day; above US Capitol Police officers hold rioters at gun point near the House chamber

The report noted that then President Donald Trump encouraged his supporters to go to the Capitol in his remarks on ellipse in front of the White House the morning of January 6th. A copy of his speech was appended to the report, but it did not discuss his role. It also fell short of labelling the riot an insurrection.

The investigation also stated that seven people - including three police officers - 'ultimately lost their lives'. Officer Brian Sicknick died of natural causes from a stroke and Jeffrey Smith and Howard Liebengood killed themselves. The Senators also state that Sicknick was hit with 'bear spray', an allegation prosecutors have already dismissed and said it was pepper spray.

One comment seen on a pro-Trump website by intelligence agencies before January 6 read 'this is do or die. Bring your guns'.

'If they [cops] don't show up, we enter the Capitol as the Third Continental Congress and certify the Trump Electors,' another comment on the site read.

The 127-page report, released on Tuesday morning, also said Capitol Police were heavily compromised by multiple failures - poor planning, faulty equipment and a lack of leadership - during the attack.

The force's leadership 'broke down' once protesters had breached the Capitol, it said. Senior police were fighting instead of giving orders and left officers on the front lines without direction.

One officer said police felt 'betrayed' by their leadership. 'We were ill prepared. We were NOT informed with intelligence', they said.

The report also revealed:

Capitol Police failed to share intelligence that maps of the Capitol's tunnel system had been posted online

FBI and Department of Homeland Security dismissed evidence they were given as not credible enough to be deemed intelligence

Capitol Police board members did not fully understand the procedures to request assistance from other agencies or declare an emergency

Police officers were not fully informed of the threat level on January 6 and some were left to fend off protesters without riot gear or helmets as the equipment was locked in a bus nearby

The Department of Defense's response to the riot was informed by criticism that police were too heavy handed during civil unrest following the killing of George Floyd

National Guardsmen did not arrive on site until nearly three hours after they were requested

Capitol Police and intelligence agencies including the FBI knew Trump supporters were threatening to storm the Capitol and wanted to target Democrat lawmakers weeks before January 6, but didn't act, a bipartisan Senate Report has revealed

Hundreds of Donald Trump supporters breached the Capitol building on January 6

Pro-Trump protesters managed to get inside the Capitol, forcing Senators into a lockdown on January 6

'BRING GUNS. IT'S NOW OR NEVER': THE ONLINE THREATS IGNORED BEFORE JANUARY 6 'There are tunnels connected to the Capitol Building! Legislators use them to avoid press, among other things! Take note'

'Forget the tunnels. Get into Capitol Building, stand outside congress. Be in the room next to them. They wont have time [to] run if they play dumb.'

'Deploy Capitol Police to restrict movement. Anyone going armed needs to be mentally prepared to draw down on LEOs. Let them shoot first, but make sure they know what happens if they do.'

'If they don't show up, we enter the Capitol as the Third Continental Congress and certify the Trump Electors.'

'Bring guns. It's now or never.'

'If a million patriots who up bristling with AR's, just how brave do you think they'll be when it comes to enforcing their unconstitutional laws? Don't cuck out. This is do or die. Bring your guns.'

'Surround every building with a tunnel entrance/exit. They better dig a tunnel all the way to China if they want to escape. Advertisement

Since January 6, 465 defendants had been arrested in connection with the attack and the federal government is set to charge a total of 550.

More than 130 defendants have been charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding officers or employee. Forty of those have been using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.

'Three officers lost their lives following the attack,' the new Senate report added.

'USCP Officer Brian Sicknick, a 13-year veteran and member of the First Responder Unit, was stationed on the West Front of the Capitol, where rioters attacked him with bear spray. Officer Sicknick passed away at 9:30 p.m. on January 7.

'Officer Howard Liebengood, a 16-year veteran of USCP, died on January 9. Officer Jeffrey Smith, a 12-year veteran of MPD, died on January 15.'

THREATS IGNORED ON PRO-TRUMP WEBSITES

The pro-Trump website also featured posts calling for protesters to surround the Capitol and be prepared to drag down police.

'A key contributing factor to the tragic events of January 6 was the failure of the Intelligence Community to properly analyze, assess, and disseminate information to law enforcement regarding the potential for violence and the known threats to the Capitol and the Members present that day,' the report said.

The United States Capitol Police said it 'agrees improvements are needed specific to intelligence analysis and dissemination'.

Both the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, heavily criticized in the report, have defended their actions.

The Senate report was a bipartisan review of the riots which interrupted the certification of President Biden's victory on January 6.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN THAT LEFT COPS TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES

It includes new details about the police officers on the front lines who suffered chemical burns, brain injuries and broken bones and who told senators that they were left with no direction when command systems broke down.

'USCP leadership never took control of the radio system to communicate orders to front-line officers,' the investigation found.

'I was horrified that NO deputy chief or above was on the radio or helping us,' one officer told the committee in an anonymous statement.

The 127-page report, released on Tuesday morning, also said Capitol Police were heavily compromised by multiple failures - poor planning, faulty equipment and a lack of leadership - during the attack

The Senate report was a bipartisan review of how hundreds of former President Donald Trump's supporters were able to violently push past security lines and break into the Capitol on January 6

Rioters clash with police as they try to enter the Capitol building through its front doors on January 6

National Guard troops eventually responded to the unfolding crisis but it was not until 5.20pm - hours after it began

The lawmakers are shown back inside the Capitol after the riot. They returned once it was declared secure after 8pm - four hours after Pence made the call

United States Capitol Police Response to the U.S. Senate Capitol Attack Report The Capitol Police issued the following statement in response to the Capitol Attack Report by the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Government Affairs and the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules. The USCP appreciates and welcomes the analysis conducted by the Senate committees. As a consumer of federal intelligence, the Department leadership agrees improvements are needed specific to intelligence analysis and dissemination. Law enforcement agencies across the country rely on intelligence, and the quality of that intelligence can mean the difference between life and death. The USCP also acknowledges it must improve how it collects and shares intelligence with its own officers and stakeholders and has made significant changes since the attack on January 6. The Department has also made major changes to its now Department-wide operations planning processes, even recently bringing on a National Special Security Event planning and coordination expert from the United States Secret Service. Before January 6, the Capitol Police leadership knew Congress and the Capitol grounds were to be the focus of a large demonstration attracting various groups, including some encouraging violence. Based on this information, the Department enhanced its security posture and tried to get support from the National Guard. What the intelligence didn't reveal, as Acting Chief Pittman has noted, was the large-scale demonstration would become a large-scale attack on the Capitol Building as there was no specific, credible intelligence about such an attack. The USCP consumes intelligence from every federal agency. At no point prior to the 6th did it receive actionable intelligence about a large-scale attack. Neither the USCP, nor the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Metropolitan Police or our other law enforcement partners knew thousands of rioters were planning to attack the U.S. Capitol. The known intelligence simply didn't support that conclusion. Advertisement

'For hours the screams on the radio were horrific(,) the sights were unimaginable and there was a complete loss of control. ... For hours NO Chief or above took command and control. Officers were begging and pleading for help for medical triage.'

Acting Chief of Police Yogananda Pittman, who replaced Sund after his resignation, told the committees that the lack of communication resulted from 'incident commanders being overwhelmed and engaging with rioters, rather than issuing orders over the radio.'

The committee's interviews with police officers detail what one officer told them was 'absolutely brutal' abuse from Trump's supporters as they ran over them and broke into the building.

They described hearing racial slurs and seeing Nazi salutes.

One officer trying to evacuate the Senate said he had stopped several men in full tactical gear who said 'You better get out of our way, boy, or we'll go through you to get [the Senators].'

The insurrectionists told police officers they would kill them, and then the members of Congress. One officer said he had a 'tangible fear' that he might not make it home alive.

Another officer told the Senate police had 'frozen cans and bottles, rebar from the construction, bricks, liquids, pepper spray, bear spray, sticks of various widths, pipes, bats' thrown at them during the riot.

At the same time, the senators acknowledged the officers' bravery, noting that one officer told them, 'The officers inside all behaved admirably and heroically and, even outnumbered, went on the offensive and took the Capitol back.'

It recommends immediate changes to give the Capitol Police chief more authority, to provide better planning and equipment for law enforcement and to streamline intelligence gathering among federal agencies.

The United States Capitol Police (USCP) responded to the report saying it 'welcomes the analysis' and that it 'acknowledges it must improve how it collects and shares intelligence with its own officers and stakeholders'.

'Law enforcement agencies across the country rely on intelligence, and the quality of that intelligence can mean the difference between life and death.'

The USCP said it had made 'major changes' to the department since the attack including bringing in a National Special Event planning and coordination expert from the United States Secret Service.

The report, a product of three months of investigation, includes 20 recommendations including changes to intelligence handling and allowing the Capitol Police chief to unilaterally call for emergency back up.

The Capitol cops were drastically outnumbered and quickly overpowered by the crowd which, at one time, was estimated to be as large as 10,000

The report finds that the Pentagon spent hours 'mission planning' and seeking multiple layers of approvals as Capitol Police were being overwhelmed and brutally beaten by the rioters

This was the scene outside the Capitol as the rioters approached while lawmakers ran to safe locations inside

Hundreds of pro-Trump protests gathered outside the Capitol building on January 6

Timeline of Capitol riot 12pm: Trump tells fans at rally 'I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard' 12.53pm Unruly crowd starts to overpower police at the Capitol. Trump is still speaking 1.45pm: Crowd overpowers Capitol police 2.13pm Pence is evacuated from the Senate chamber 2.24pm Trump tweets Pence 'didn't have the courage' not to certify the vote 3.13pm: Trump tweets telling people to 'remain peaceful'. By now, they are inside the Capitol and rioter Ashli Babbitt has been shot dead 3.19pm: Pelosi and Schumer call the Pentagon 3.44pm: Schumer begs Pentagon officials to tell Trump to tell the rioters to go home 4.06pm: Pence calls the Pentagon, telling them to 'clear the Capitol' 4.17pm: Trump releases a video telling rioters to go home peacefully and saying 'go home, you're very special, we love you' 4.30pm: Military plan is 'finalized' but still no troops on ground 5.20pm: First National Guard troops arrive 8pm: Capitol is declared secure Advertisement

As a bipartisan effort, the report does not delve into the root causes of the attack, including Trump's role as he called for his supporters to 'fight like hell' to overturn his election defeat that day. It notably does not call the attack an insurrection.

HOW THE NATIONAL GUARD WAS DELAYED FOR HOURS BY BUREAUCRACY

The Senate report recounts how the Guard was delayed for hours on January 6 as officials in multiple agencies took bureaucratic steps to release the troops.

It details hours of calls between officials in the Capitol and the Pentagon and as the then-chief of the Capitol Police, Steven Sund, desperately begged for help.

It finds that the Pentagon spent hours 'mission planning' and seeking multiple layers of approvals as Capitol Police were being overwhelmed and brutally beaten by the rioters.

It also states that the Defense Department's response was 'informed by criticism' of its heavy-handed response to protests in the summer of 2020 after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police.

The senators are heavily critical of the Capitol Police Board, a three-member panel that includes the heads of security for the House and Senate and the Architect of the Capitol.

The board is now required to approve requests by the police chief, even in urgent situations.

SENATE ON THE CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE BY CAPITOL POLICE

The report recommends that its members 'regularly review the policies and procedures' after senators found that none of the board members on January 6 understood their own authority or could detail the statutory requirements for requesting National Guard assistance.

Two of the three members of the board, the House and Senate sergeants at arms, were pushed out in the days after the attack. Sund also resigned under pressure.

Congress needs to change the law and give the police chief more authority 'immediately,' Minnesota Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said.

The report recommends a consolidated intelligence unit within the Capitol Police after widespread failures from multiple agencies that did not predict the attack even though insurrectionists were planning it openly on the internet.

In a response to the report, the Capitol Police acknowledged the need for improvements, some of which they said they are already making.

The screams on the radio were horrific, the sights were unimaginable, and there was a complete loss of control

'Law enforcement agencies across the country rely on intelligence, and the quality of that intelligence can mean the difference between life and death,' the statement said.

The force's incident command system 'broke down during the attack,' leaving officers on the front lines without orders.

The force's incident command system 'broke down during the attack,' leaving officers on the front lines without orders as hundreds of protesters descended on the Capitol

Police try to fend off pro-Trump protesters outside the Capitol building on January 6

Recommendations from the Senate report Capitol Police Board - Empower the Chief of the USCP to request assistance from the D.C. National Guard in emergency situations - Document and streamline Board policies and procedures for submitting, reviewing, and approving requests from USCP to ensure coordination among all members of the Board - Ensure the Board is appropriately balancing the need to share information with officials with the need to protect sensitive and classified information - Appoint a new Chief of the Capitol Police with appropriate input from USCP officers, congressional leadership, and the committees of jurisdiction U.S. Capitol Police - Ensure USCP has sufficient civilian and sworn personnel, with appropriate training and equipment, in the roles necessary to fulfil its mission - Require a department-wide operational plan for special events - Establish the Civil Disturbance Unit (CDU) as a formal, permanent component of the USCP and ensure that its dedicated officers are properly trained and equipped at all times - Consolidate and elevate all USCP intelligence units into an Intelligence Bureau, led by a civilian Director of Intelligence reporting to the Assistant Chief of Police for Protective and Intelligence Operations; ensure the Bureau is adequately staffed and all agents and analysts are properly trained to receive and analyze intelligence information; and develop policies to disseminate intelligence information to leadership and rank-and-file officers effectively - Update its Incident Command System Directive to address how Incident Commanders are to communicate priorities, strategies, tactics, and threat assessment to front-line officers prior to and during an incident and ensure that the Directive is followed Intelligence Agencies - Review and evaluate handling of open-source information, such as social media, containing threats of violence - Review and evaluate criteria for issuing and communicating intelligence assessments, bulletins, and other products to consumer agencies, such as the Capitol Police - Fully comply with statutory reporting requirements to Congress on domestic terrorism data, including on the threat level and the resources dedicated to countering the threat Department of Defense and D.C. National Guard - Develop standing 'concept of operation' scenarios and contingency plans for responding quickly to civil disturbance and terrorism incidents - Enhance communications prior to and during an event between DOD and DCNG strategic, operational, and tactical decision-makers and commanding generals - Practice for the mobilization of additional National Guard members from neighboring jurisdictions to provide immediate assistance and report to command and control in the event of an emergency - For special events in which a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) is approved, consider proximity and response, among other factors, when deciding where to stage the QRF to ensure the ability to quickly respond to incidents at the Capitol - Clarify the approval processes and chain of command within DOD to prevent delays in authorizing the deployment of the DCNG when authorized Law enforcement and uniformed services in the national capital region - Ensure that Mutual Aid Agreements among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies include all partners in the National Capital Region and that those agreements are regularly reviewed and updated - Conduct joint training exercises to ensure coordination across federal, state, and local governments concerning security threats in the Washington, D.C. area for requesting, receiving, and utilizing emergency assistance House and Senate Sergeants-At-Arms - Develop protocols for communicating with Members of Congress, staff, and other employees during emergencies Advertisement

Republicans claim Capitol rioters face 'unequal justice' compared to recent BLM, Antifa protesters A group of Republican senators have complained in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland that Capitol rioters who are being prosecuted may be receiving 'unequal justice'. The letter called for January 6 rioters to face similar treatment as those who clashed with police in protests sparked by the death of George Floyd last summer. The senators did not defend the rioters who stormed the Capitol  saying they 'fully support' prosecutions. But they called into question what they cast as a disparity and demanded information from the DOJ about tactics authorities used to run down Capitol rioters, while seeking similar information on protests last summer. Advertisement

The report comes two weeks after Republicans blocked a bipartisan, independent commission that would investigate the insurrection more broadly.

'This report is important in the fact that it allows us to make some immediate improvements to the security situation here in the Capitol,' said Michigan Senator Gary Peters, the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which conducted the probe along with the Senate Rules Committee.

Peters added: 'But it does not answer some of the bigger questions that we need to face, quite frankly, as a country and as a democracy'.

The House in May passed legislation to create a commission that would be modelled after a panel that investigated the September 11 terrorist attack two decades ago.

But, the Senate failed to get the 60 votes needed to advance, with many Republicans pointing to the Senate report as sufficient.

The top Republican on the Rules panel, Missouri Senator Roy Blunt, has opposed the commission, arguing that investigation would take too long.

He said the recommendations made in the Senate can be implemented faster, including legislation that he and Senator Klobuchar, the rules committee chair, intend to introduce soon that would give the chief of Capitol Police more authority to request assistance from the National Guard.
An 88-year-old farmer has been charged with murdering his wife whose remains were found in a septic tank 37 years after she went missing in 1982.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said David Venables is accused of killing Brenda Venables, 48, who was reported missing from the couple's then home at Bestmans Lane in Kempsey.

West Mercia Police launched a murder investigation after the grim find at the address in the Worcestershire village on July 12, 2019.

Mark Paul, head of the CPS' complex casework unit, said: 'The decision to authorise the charge against the defendant was made after careful consideration of all the available evidence of this complex case and determining that a prosecution is required in the public interest.

David Venables (pictured above, in 2019), 88, is accused of killing his wife, who was reported missing in 1982, said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)

Brenda Venables, 48, in a passport image. She was reported missing from the couple's then home at Bestmans Lane in Kempsey before her remains were found in a septic tank in 2019

'The alleged offences occurred between May 2 1982 and May 5 1982.

'The function of the CPS is not to decide whether a person is guilty of a criminal offence, but to make fair, independent and objective assessments about whether criminal charges are appropriate.

'Criminal proceedings are now active, and there must be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could prejudice these proceedings.'

In July 2019, officers from West Mercia Police carried out searches at a bungalow in a quiet cul-de-sac in Kempsey, following the discovery of the remains earlier that month.

An aerial view showing the farmhouse and cess pit (bottom centre, between the trees) in Kempsey, Worcestershire, where human remains were found in a septic tank by police

The force launched an 'unexplained death' inquiry and linked it to the disappearance of the farmer's wife.

In May 1982, the Worcester Evening News ran a story on Mrs Venables going missing two days earlier from her home in Bestmans Lane.

The article described police using a helicopter to search the banks of the nearby River Severn.

Venables will appear at Worcester Magistrates' Court for the first hearing on June 15, the CPS said.
The bipartisan Senate report into the Jan.6 attack on the U.S. Capitol said three police officers lost their lives and Brian Sicknick died after being attacked with bear spray - claims that have already been dismissed or called into question.

The report found that Capitol Police and intelligence agencies including the FBI knew Trump supporters were threatening to storm the Capitol but failed to act.

The 127-page document concludes: 'Rioters, attempting to disrupt the Joint Session of Congress, broke into the Capitol building, vandalized and stole property, and ransacked offices.

'They attacked members of law enforcement and threatened the safety and lives of our nations elected leaders.

'Tragically, seven individuals, including three law enforcement officers, ultimately lost their lives.'

USCP Brian Sicknick suffered two strokes and died of 'natural causes' according to the District of Columbia's chief medical examiner.

Capitol Police and intelligence agencies including the FBI knew Trump supporters were threatening to storm the Capitol and wanted to target Democrat lawmakers weeks before January 6, but didn't act, a bipartisan Senate Report has revealed

It goes on to say that Officer Sicknick died after being attacked with bear spray.

'USCP Officer Brian Sicknick, a 13- year veteran and member of the First Responder Unit, was stationed on the West Front of the Capitol, where rioters attacked him with bear spray.'

The authors cited a New York Times report that referenced the use of bear spray.

In fact, prosecutors later changed their account of what happened. After saying he had been attacked with bear spray they later said it was pepper spray.

The District of Columbia's chief medical examiner later ruled that he suffered two strokes and died of natural causes a day after confronting rioters.

The document also describes how three police officers died.

'On that day, officers faced violent physical and verbal assaults; three officers, and four other individuals, ultimately lost their lives,' it says.

But as well as Sicknick dying of natural causes, Jeffrey Smith and Howard Liebengood died by suicide.

The 127-page report, released on Tuesday morning, also said Capitol Police were heavily compromised by multiple failures - poor planning, faulty equipment and a lack of leadership - during the attack.

The force's leadership 'broke down' once protesters had breached the Capitol, it said. Senior police were fighting instead of giving orders and left officers on the front lines without direction.

One officer said police felt 'betrayed' by their leadership. 'We were ill prepared. We were NOT informed with intelligence', they said.

The report also revealed:

Capitol Police failed to share intelligence that maps of the Capitol's tunnel system had been posted online

FBI and Department of Homeland Security dismissed evidence they were given as not credible enough to be deemed intelligence

Capitol Police board members did not fully understand the procedures to request assistance from other agencies or declare an emergency

Police officers were not fully informed of the threat level on January 6 and some were left to fend off protesters without riot gear or helmets as the equipment was locked in a bus nearby

The Department of Defense's response to the riot was informed by criticism that police were too heavy handed during civil unrest following the killing of George Floyd

National Guardsmen did not arrive on site until nearly three hours after they were requested

Hundreds of Donald Trump supporters breached the Capitol building on January 6

Pro-Trump protesters managed to get inside the Capitol, forcing Senators into a lockdown on January 6

'BRING GUNS. IT'S NOW OR NEVER': THE ONLINE THREATS IGNORED BEFORE JANUARY 6 'There are tunnels connected to the Capitol Building! Legislators use them to avoid press, among other things! Take note'

'Forget the tunnels. Get into Capitol Building, stand outside congress. Be in the room next to them. They wont have time [to] run if they play dumb.'

'Deploy Capitol Police to restrict movement. Anyone going armed needs to be mentally prepared to draw down on LEOs. Let them shoot first, but make sure they know what happens if they do.'

'If they don't show up, we enter the Capitol as the Third Continental Congress and certify the Trump Electors.'

'Bring guns. It's now or never.'

'If a million patriots who up bristling with AR's, just how brave do you think they'll be when it comes to enforcing their unconstitutional laws? Don't cuck out. This is do or die. Bring your guns.'

'Surround every building with a tunnel entrance/exit. They better dig a tunnel all the way to China if they want to escape. Advertisement

Since January 6, 465 defendants had been arrested in connection with the attack and the federal government is set to charge a total of 550.

More than 130 defendants have been charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding officers or employee. Forty of those have been using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.

'Three officers lost their lives following the attack,' the new Senate report added.

'USCP Officer Brian Sicknick, a 13-year veteran and member of the First Responder Unit, was stationed on the West Front of the Capitol, where rioters attacked him with bear spray. Officer Sicknick passed away at 9:30 p.m. on January 7.

'Officer Howard Liebengood, a 16-year veteran of USCP, died on January 9. Officer Jeffrey Smith, a 12-year veteran of MPD, died on January 15.'

THREATS IGNORED ON PRO-TRUMP WEBSITES

The pro-Trump website also featured posts calling for protesters to surround the Capitol and be prepared to drag down police.

'A key contributing factor to the tragic events of January 6 was the failure of the Intelligence Community to properly analyze, assess, and disseminate information to law enforcement regarding the potential for violence and the known threats to the Capitol and the Members present that day,' the report said.

Responding to the report, the United States Capitol Police said it 'agrees improvements are needed specific to intelligence analysis and dissemination'.

But the force defended its failure to act on intelligence because 'at no point prior to the 6th did [police] receive actionable intelligence about a large-scale attack.'

'Neither the USCP, nor the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Metropolitan Police or our other law enforcement partners knew thousands of rioters were planning to attack the U.S. Capitol. The known intelligence simply didn't support that conclusion', it said.

Both the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, heavily criticized in the report, have defended their actions.

The Senate report was a bipartisan review of the riots which interrupted the certification of President Joe Biden's victory on January 6.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN THAT LEFT COPS TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES

It includes new details about the police officers on the front lines who suffered chemical burns, brain injuries and broken bones and who told senators that they were left with no direction when command systems broke down.

'USCP leadership never took control of the radio system to communicate orders to front-line officers,' the investigation found.

'I was horrified that NO deputy chief or above was on the radio or helping us,' one officer told the committee in an anonymous statement.

The 127-page report, released on Tuesday morning, also said Capitol Police were heavily compromised by multiple failures - poor planning, faulty equipment and a lack of leadership - during the attack

The Senate report was a bipartisan review of how hundreds of former President Donald Trump's supporters were able to violently push past security lines and break into the Capitol on January 6

Rioters clash with police as they try to enter the Capitol building through its front doors on January 6

National Guard troops eventually responded to the unfolding crisis but it was not until 5.20pm - hours after it began

The lawmakers are shown back inside the Capitol after the riot. They returned once it was declared secure after 8pm - four hours after Pence made the call

United States Capitol Police Response to the U.S. Senate Capitol Attack Report The Capitol Police issued the following statement in response to the Capitol Attack Report by the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Government Affairs and the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules. The USCP appreciates and welcomes the analysis conducted by the Senate committees. As a consumer of federal intelligence, the Department leadership agrees improvements are needed specific to intelligence analysis and dissemination. Law enforcement agencies across the country rely on intelligence, and the quality of that intelligence can mean the difference between life and death. The USCP also acknowledges it must improve how it collects and shares intelligence with its own officers and stakeholders and has made significant changes since the attack on January 6. The Department has also made major changes to its now Department-wide operations planning processes, even recently bringing on a National Special Security Event planning and coordination expert from the United States Secret Service. Before January 6, the Capitol Police leadership knew Congress and the Capitol grounds were to be the focus of a large demonstration attracting various groups, including some encouraging violence. Based on this information, the Department enhanced its security posture and tried to get support from the National Guard. What the intelligence didn't reveal, as Acting Chief Pittman has noted, was the large-scale demonstration would become a large-scale attack on the Capitol Building as there was no specific, credible intelligence about such an attack. The USCP consumes intelligence from every federal agency. At no point prior to the 6th did it receive actionable intelligence about a large-scale attack. Neither the USCP, nor the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Metropolitan Police or our other law enforcement partners knew thousands of rioters were planning to attack the U.S. Capitol. The known intelligence simply didn't support that conclusion. Advertisement

'For hours the screams on the radio were horrific(,) the sights were unimaginable and there was a complete loss of control. ... For hours NO Chief or above took command and control. Officers were begging and pleading for help for medical triage.'

Acting Chief of Police Yogananda Pittman, who replaced Sund after his resignation, told the committees that the lack of communication resulted from 'incident commanders being overwhelmed and engaging with rioters, rather than issuing orders over the radio.'

The committee's interviews with police officers detail what one officer told them was 'absolutely brutal' abuse from Trump's supporters as they ran over them and broke into the building.

They described hearing racial slurs and seeing Nazi salutes.

One officer trying to evacuate the Senate said he had stopped several men in full tactical gear who said 'You better get out of our way, boy, or we'll go through you to get [the Senators].'

The insurrectionists told police officers they would kill them, and then the members of Congress. One officer said he had a 'tangible fear' that he might not make it home alive.

Another officer told the Senate police had 'frozen cans and bottles, rebar from the construction, bricks, liquids, pepper spray, bear spray, sticks of various widths, pipes, bats' thrown at them during the riot.

At the same time, the senators acknowledged the officers' bravery, noting that one officer told them, 'The officers inside all behaved admirably and heroically and, even outnumbered, went on the offensive and took the Capitol back.'

It recommends immediate changes to give the Capitol Police chief more authority, to provide better planning and equipment for law enforcement and to streamline intelligence gathering among federal agencies.

The United States Capitol Police (USCP) responded to the report saying it 'welcomes the analysis' and that it 'acknowledges it must improve how it collects and shares intelligence with its own officers and stakeholders'.

'Law enforcement agencies across the country rely on intelligence, and the quality of that intelligence can mean the difference between life and death.'

The USCP said it had made 'major changes' to the department since the attack including bringing in a National Special Event planning and coordination expert from the United States Secret Service.

The report, a product of three months of investigation, includes 20 recommendations including changes to intelligence handling and allowing the Capitol Police chief to unilaterally call for emergency back up.

The Capitol cops were drastically outnumbered and quickly overpowered by the crowd which, at one time, was estimated to be as large as 10,000

The report finds that the Pentagon spent hours 'mission planning' and seeking multiple layers of approvals as Capitol Police were being overwhelmed and brutally beaten by the rioters

This was the scene outside the Capitol as the rioters approached while lawmakers ran to safe locations inside

Hundreds of pro-Trump protests gathered outside the Capitol building on January 6

Timeline of Capitol riot 12pm: Trump tells fans at rally 'I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard' 12.53pm Unruly crowd starts to overpower police at the Capitol. Trump is still speaking 1.45pm: Crowd overpowers Capitol police 2.13pm Pence is evacuated from the Senate chamber 2.24pm Trump tweets Pence 'didn't have the courage' not to certify the vote 3.13pm: Trump tweets telling people to 'remain peaceful'. By now, they are inside the Capitol and rioter Ashli Babbitt has been shot dead 3.19pm: Pelosi and Schumer call the Pentagon 3.44pm: Schumer begs Pentagon officials to tell Trump to tell the rioters to go home 4.06pm: Pence calls the Pentagon, telling them to 'clear the Capitol' 4.17pm: Trump releases a video telling rioters to go home peacefully and saying 'go home, you're very special, we love you' 4.30pm: Military plan is 'finalized' but still no troops on ground 5.20pm: First National Guard troops arrive 8pm: Capitol is declared secure Advertisement

As a bipartisan effort, the report does not delve into the root causes of the attack, including Trump's role as he called for his supporters to 'fight like hell' to overturn his election defeat that day. It notably does not call the attack an insurrection.

HOW THE NATIONAL GUARD WAS DELAYED FOR HOURS BY BUREAUCRACY

The Senate report recounts how the Guard was delayed for hours on January 6 as officials in multiple agencies took bureaucratic steps to release the troops.

It details hours of calls between officials in the Capitol and the Pentagon and as the then-chief of the Capitol Police, Steven Sund, desperately begged for help.

It finds that the Pentagon spent hours 'mission planning' and seeking multiple layers of approvals as Capitol Police were being overwhelmed and brutally beaten by the rioters.

It also states that the Defense Department's response was 'informed by criticism' of its heavy-handed response to protests in the summer of 2020 after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police.

The senators are heavily critical of the Capitol Police Board, a three-member panel that includes the heads of security for the House and Senate and the Architect of the Capitol.

The board is now required to approve requests by the police chief, even in urgent situations.

SENATE ON THE CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE BY CAPITOL POLICE

The report recommends that its members 'regularly review the policies and procedures' after senators found that none of the board members on January 6 understood their own authority or could detail the statutory requirements for requesting National Guard assistance.

Two of the three members of the board, the House and Senate sergeants at arms, were pushed out in the days after the attack. Sund also resigned under pressure.

Congress needs to change the law and give the police chief more authority 'immediately,' Minnesota Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said.

The report recommends a consolidated intelligence unit within the Capitol Police after widespread failures from multiple agencies that did not predict the attack even though insurrectionists were planning it openly on the internet.

In a response to the report, the Capitol Police acknowledged the need for improvements, some of which they said they are already making.

The screams on the radio were horrific, the sights were unimaginable, and there was a complete loss of control

'Law enforcement agencies across the country rely on intelligence, and the quality of that intelligence can mean the difference between life and death,' the statement said.

The force's incident command system 'broke down during the attack,' leaving officers on the front lines without orders.

The force's incident command system 'broke down during the attack,' leaving officers on the front lines without orders as hundreds of protesters descended on the Capitol

Police try to fend off pro-Trump protesters outside the Capitol building on January 6

Recommendations from the Senate report Capitol Police Board - Empower the Chief of the USCP to request assistance from the D.C. National Guard in emergency situations - Document and streamline Board policies and procedures for submitting, reviewing, and approving requests from USCP to ensure coordination among all members of the Board - Ensure the Board is appropriately balancing the need to share information with officials with the need to protect sensitive and classified information - Appoint a new Chief of the Capitol Police with appropriate input from USCP officers, congressional leadership, and the committees of jurisdiction U.S. Capitol Police - Ensure USCP has sufficient civilian and sworn personnel, with appropriate training and equipment, in the roles necessary to fulfil its mission - Require a department-wide operational plan for special events - Establish the Civil Disturbance Unit (CDU) as a formal, permanent component of the USCP and ensure that its dedicated officers are properly trained and equipped at all times - Consolidate and elevate all USCP intelligence units into an Intelligence Bureau, led by a civilian Director of Intelligence reporting to the Assistant Chief of Police for Protective and Intelligence Operations; ensure the Bureau is adequately staffed and all agents and analysts are properly trained to receive and analyze intelligence information; and develop policies to disseminate intelligence information to leadership and rank-and-file officers effectively - Update its Incident Command System Directive to address how Incident Commanders are to communicate priorities, strategies, tactics, and threat assessment to front-line officers prior to and during an incident and ensure that the Directive is followed Intelligence Agencies - Review and evaluate handling of open-source information, such as social media, containing threats of violence - Review and evaluate criteria for issuing and communicating intelligence assessments, bulletins, and other products to consumer agencies, such as the Capitol Police - Fully comply with statutory reporting requirements to Congress on domestic terrorism data, including on the threat level and the resources dedicated to countering the threat Department of Defense and D.C. National Guard - Develop standing 'concept of operation' scenarios and contingency plans for responding quickly to civil disturbance and terrorism incidents - Enhance communications prior to and during an event between DOD and DCNG strategic, operational, and tactical decision-makers and commanding generals - Practice for the mobilization of additional National Guard members from neighboring jurisdictions to provide immediate assistance and report to command and control in the event of an emergency - For special events in which a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) is approved, consider proximity and response, among other factors, when deciding where to stage the QRF to ensure the ability to quickly respond to incidents at the Capitol - Clarify the approval processes and chain of command within DOD to prevent delays in authorizing the deployment of the DCNG when authorized Law enforcement and uniformed services in the national capital region - Ensure that Mutual Aid Agreements among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies include all partners in the National Capital Region and that those agreements are regularly reviewed and updated - Conduct joint training exercises to ensure coordination across federal, state, and local governments concerning security threats in the Washington, D.C. area for requesting, receiving, and utilizing emergency assistance House and Senate Sergeants-At-Arms - Develop protocols for communicating with Members of Congress, staff, and other employees during emergencies Advertisement

Republicans claim Capitol rioters face 'unequal justice' compared to recent BLM, Antifa protesters A group of Republican senators have complained in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland that Capitol rioters who are being prosecuted may be receiving 'unequal justice'. The letter called for January 6 rioters to face similar treatment as those who clashed with police in protests sparked by the death of George Floyd last summer. The senators did not defend the rioters who stormed the Capitol  saying they 'fully support' prosecutions. But they called into question what they cast as a disparity and demanded information from the DOJ about tactics authorities used to run down Capitol rioters, while seeking similar information on protests last summer. Advertisement

The report comes two weeks after Republicans blocked a bipartisan, independent commission that would investigate the insurrection more broadly.

'This report is important in the fact that it allows us to make some immediate improvements to the security situation here in the Capitol,' said Michigan Senator Gary Peters, the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which conducted the probe along with the Senate Rules Committee.

Peters added: 'But it does not answer some of the bigger questions that we need to face, quite frankly, as a country and as a democracy'.

The House in May passed legislation to create a commission that would be modelled after a panel that investigated the September 11 terrorist attack two decades ago.

But, the Senate failed to get the 60 votes needed to advance, with many Republicans pointing to the Senate report as sufficient.

The top Republican on the Rules panel, Missouri Senator Roy Blunt, has opposed the commission, arguing that investigation would take too long.

He said the recommendations made in the Senate can be implemented faster, including legislation that he and Senator Klobuchar, the rules committee chair, intend to introduce soon that would give the chief of Capitol Police more authority to request assistance from the National Guard.
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Kamala Harris snapped at reporters during a briefing in Mexico on Tuesday for allowing the border crisis to overshadow her first international trip to address 'root causes' of mass migration.

'Why not go to the border, as well, so you do see the full complexity?' a reporter asked Harris as she took some questions following a bilateral meeting with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

'Listen, I've been to the border before and I'll go again,' she said with an awkward laugh.

'But when I'm in Guatemala, dealing with root causes, I think we should have a conversation about what's going on in Guatemala,' she said  even though she is in Mexico.

The vice president was clearly unamused by the border being brought up during her trip Monday to Guatemala and again on Tuesday in Mexico.

Harris also made an inappropriate and uncomfortable joke during an interview that aired Tuesday morning with NBC's Lester Holt about not going to the border but also not yet taking a trip to Europe as vice president.

Harris held bilateral talks with Lopez Obrador during her trip to Mexico on Tuesday. The duo discussed stopping mass immigration from Central America by way of migrating through Mexico.

The vice president said the 'bottom line' is that the administration has to apply 'equal weight' to what's going on at the border and 'root causes' in Northern Triangle nations.

Republicans argue, however, that there is not equal attention since she nor President Joe Biden have gone to the southern border to see the humanitarian crisis first hand.

Vice President Kamala Harris lashed out when reporters again brought up the southern border during her trip to Mexico on Tuesday. 'Listen, I've been to the border before and I'll go again. But when I'm in Guatemala, dealing with root causes, I think we should have a conversation about what's going on in Guatemala,' she said with a laugh even though she is in Mexico

Kamala Harris and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had a bilateral meeting in Mexico City on Tuesday as the vice president still refuses to visit the southern border but says the U.S. is 'embarking on a new era' of relations

Harris' first international trip included stops in Guatemala and Mexico, 1,308 and 582 miles away respectively from the Rio Grande, where families risk their lives ever day trying to cross into the U.S.

Harris, however, is visiting Guatemala and Mexico to see for herself what sort of 'root causes' the U.S. can help address there.

Ahead of her bilateral meeting with Lopez Obrador, Harris said the U.S. and Mexico are 'embarking on a new era'.

Although Harris is 582 miles from the border the U.S. shares with Mexico, she will not make a stop to survey for herself the humanitarian crisis still unfolding there.

She said in short remarks to the press before the bilateral meeting that the U.S. wants more cooperation with Mexico because 'you are closest to us.'

The vice president kicked off the second and final of her first foreign trip by meeting with Lopez Obrador as the two nations reaffirmed their commitment to stopping the flow of illegal migration from Central America to the U.S.

Harris received her first dose of the Moderna vaccine in December and Obrador got the AstraZeneca shot in April  meaning both are fully vaccinated against coronavirus.

During Harris' trip to Guatemala, however, she was reminded she needed to wear a mask by Guatemalan President Alejandor Giattammei and one of his aides after they concluded their joint press conference and she walked away from the podium without a mask.

On Tuesday, Harris and Lopez Obrador witnessed signatories signing a memorandum committing the two nations to help Northern Triangle countries address 'root causes' that lead their citizens to migrate illegally to the U.S.

At the same time, more images emerged Tuesday of Central American migrants being apprehended by Border Patrol agents after crossing the Rio Grande River into La Joya, Texas.

When asked if Lopez Obrador would commit to increasing border security in Mexico, he said: 'We are very pleased to have her here and we will touch on that subject but always addressing the fundamental root causes.'

Although both Harris and Lopez Obrador are vaccinated, the vice president masked up for the meeting

New images were taken June 8 of Central American migrants sitting on the ground after being apprehended by Border Patrol agents after crossing the Rio Grande River into La Joya, Texas on Tuesday

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Harris should stop in McAllen, Texas on her way back to Washington, D.C. Tuesday evening  considering it's only a two-hour plane ride from Mexico City.

'On her way back from Mexico City, VP Kamala Harris should stop by McAllen, Texasa border community overwhelmed by illegal immigrants, drug cartels, and COVID risks,' McCarthy tweeted with an image of the plane route.

'No guarantee that the flight serves cookies of her likeness, but it's just a 2-hour plane ride.'

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also pushed back against the criticism during a press briefing on Tuesday as the GOP ups its attacks on the vice president's avoidance of the border.

'I expect that at sometime she may go to the border, we'll see,' Psaki told Fox News reporter Peter Doocey as Harris met with Lopez Obrador in Mexico.

When the reporter pushed on what the White HOuse strategy is in keeping Harris away, she said: 'She's made a couple of announcements already, probably more to come before she comes back to the United States.'

'Republicans and conservatives are going crazy on Twitter,' Psaki told reporters when she was pushed on why Harris called visiting the border a 'grand gesture' in her Monday briefing in Guatemala. 'They're worked up. I've seen it.'

Harris lashed out at Lester Holt in an interview in Guatemala on Monday when he asked why she has refused to the border in the 76 days since President Joe Biden put her in charge of the crisis.

'Do you have any plans to visit the border?' the NBC host questioned Harris in an interview taped Monday in Guatemala during the vice president's first international trip.

'At some point, you know, we are going to the border,' she insisted in the interview 1,308 miles from where migrants are risking their lives crossing the Rio Grande River on inflatable rafts.

'We've been to the border. So this whole thing about the border. We've been to the border. We've been to the border,' she repeated.

'You haven't been to the border,' Holt pushed back.

'And I haven't been to Europe,' Harris snapped, then quickly turned it into her signature laugh.

'And I mean, I don't understand the point that you're making,' she said to Holt 'I'm not discounting the importance of the border.'

Before the bilateral meeting, Harris and Lopez Obrador watched as two signatories signed a memorandum of cooperation between the two nations on tackling immigration problems in the U.S.

Harris lashed out during an interview on Monday when asked again why she hasn't visited the southern border. 'I haven't been to Europe,' she snapped at interviewer Lester Holt (right). 'And I mean, I don't understand the point that you're making'

The migrants are transported on Tuesday by bus to holding facilities where they will be processed

Customs and Border Patrol number show record numbers of encounters with illegal crossers with a record-high of 178,622 in April alone, continuing on from massive spike in February and March

Texas Senator Ted Cruz shot back against Harris' comments, claiming she was 'laughing off' the seriousness of the border crisis.

'You haven't been to Europe, you haven't been to Australia, but we don't have an Australian border crisis, we don't have a border crisis in Europe. We have a border crisis on the southern border,' Cruz told Fox News during an interview on America's Newsroom.

'Come to Texas, come to the Rio Grande Valley, come to McAllen,' the Texas lawmaker insisted of Harris.

'Come see the cages that the Biden-Harris administration has built and then, even more importantly, stand up and be willing to enforce our laws to fix it, because that's not what they're doing right now,' Cruz added.

As Harris continues to refuse to visit the border, Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert released a video where she brought a cardboard cut out of the vice president to a part of the southern border wall

She set up the life-size cut out facing the wall looking into Mexico and said: 'I brought Kamala down to see exactly what this regime is responsible for with their man-made crisis. Now Kamala, I want you to stand here and look at what you've done'

WHITE HOUSE FACT SHEET: U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Cooperation Following a bilateral meeting with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on June 8, 2021 and in light of the United States and Mexico's deep cultural, social, and economic ties and the two governments' shared commitment to a prosperous and secure North America, Vice President Harris announces the following: High-Level Economic Dialogue The United States and Mexico agreed to hold a High-Level Economic Dialogue in September, fulfilling President Biden's and President Lopez Obrador's commitment on March 1 to revive this key forum that will expand bilateral economic cooperation and collaboration. The proposed agenda will cover key themes, such as trade facilitation, telecommunications and interconnectivity, and supply chain resiliency. Cabinet-Level Security Dialogue The United States and Mexico agreed to hold a cabinet-level security dialogue to discuss a shared vision for security. Transnational criminal organizations do not recognize borders. They pose a threat to all peoples and require a joint response. The United States and Mexico are committed to working together to reduce homicides and drug-related deaths on both sides of the border and counter the illicit forces that drive them. Strengthen Labor Cooperation The United States will invest an additional $130 million in technical assistance and cooperation over the next three years to work with Mexico as it implements labor legislation and to fund programs that will support workers, improve working conditions, and address child and forced labor. President Lopez Obrador signed historic labor reform legislation into law on May 1, 2019. Work Together To Address Root Causes of Migration in Central America The governments of the United States and Mexico signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a strategic partnership to address the lack of economic opportunities in northern Central America. The two governments will work together to foster agricultural development and youth empowerment programs in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala and will co-create and co-manage a partnership program enabling them to better deliver, measure, and communicate about assistance to the region. Operations Group on Human Smuggling and Human Trafficking U.S. and Mexican law enforcement agencies will partner to exchange information and take appropriate actions to address the shared priority of disabling human trafficking and human smuggling organizations. These groups prey on vulnerable individuals, falsely promising them safe passage or a good job in the United States in exchange for their savings. In fact, these organizations often use lies and threats to lure migrants into being trafficked or leave them stranded in Mexico or at the border, far from help and without basic supplies. Law enforcement agencies will work jointly to identify targets, develop investigations, and take enforcement actions such as freezing bank accounts associated with criminal groups. Attract Investment to Southern Mexico The U.S. government has developed a package of grants, loans, and other commitments that will help generate broad-based growth in southern Mexico, create jobs and reduce economic inequality in the region. The U.S. government will aim to create $250 million in new investment and sales in southern Mexico by strengthening rural value chains such as cacao, coffee, and eco-tourism. The U.S. International Development Finance Cooperation will issue a loan to support affordable housing and mortgages; 40 to 50 percent of new homes will be built in southern Mexico. The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and the Department of Commerce will organize trade and business development missions that will support infrastructure development in southern Mexico. USTDA plans to provide a grant to Mexico's aviation regulator for technical assistance to improve efficiencies. Partnership to Resolve Disappearances Cases in Mexico The United States and Mexico will work to expand forensic capacity and partnerships to help solve the more than 82,000 cases of missing persons and disappearances in Mexico, potentially bringing closure to tens of thousands of families and ending impunity for offenders. The Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Department of Justice will continue to train lab technicians and police to enhance their skills in forensic analysis of decomposed bodies and support Mexico's National Search Commission to collect, maintain, and analyze missing persons registries across the country. As a next step, the Federal Bureau of Investigation will train genetics experts on a new system to track forensic information and improve capacity. Advertisement

Minority Whip Steve Scalise tweeted in shock: 'This is a crisis we're talking aboutnot a vacation.'

Perhaps most flamboyant of all responses was from Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado, who released a video Tuesday where she brought a cardboard cut out of Harris with her on a trip to the border.

'She hasn't even been down here to see the border,' Boebert said in a clip of her walking along part of the southern border wall to the tune of instrumental rock music. 'You can't just hear about what's happening, you have to come down here to see for yourself, to really understand the devastating reality at our southern border.'

'So I brought Kamala down to see exactly what this regime is responsible for with their man-made crisis,' she continued.

The video then showed Boebert carrying under her arm sideways a life-sized full-body cutout of Harris.

She then set down the cutout so it was facing the border wall and said in a reprimanding tone, 'Now Kamala, I want you to stand here and look at what you've done,' before leaving it there and walking away.

Holt made it clear it was important to bring it up since Republicans have consistently criticized Harris for not visiting the border where the humanitarian crisis is taking place  even though she was put in charge of tackling it.

'Listen, I care about what's happening at the border,' Harris said. 'I'm in Guatemala because my focus is dealing with the root causes of migration. There may be some who think that that is not important, but it is my firm belief that if we care about what's happening at the border, we better care about the root causes and address them. And so that's what I'm doing.'

Harris landed in Guatemala City on Sunday evening for her first out-of-country trip as vice president to address 'root causes' in the country that lead to mass migration to the U.S.

She met with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei on Monday for bilateral talks and later flew to Mexico City, Mexico for the second part of her two-day Latin America trip.

Harris said during a press conference alongside Giammattei on Monday that she does not plan to visit the southern border because it would just be a 'grand gesture' as opposed to a genuine trip.

She vowed to take on corruption and insisted climate change was one of the driving forces behind people fleeing their homes and heading North.

'On the issues of Republicans' political attacks or criticism or even concerns, the reason I am here in Guatemala as my first trip as vice president of the United States is because this is one of our highest priorities,' Harris said during a question and answer portion of her press conference.

'I came here to be here on the ground, to speak with the leader of this nation around what we can do in a way that is significant, is tangible and has real results,' she continued.

'And I will continue to be focused on that kind of work as opposed to grand gestures.'

Congressman Andy Biggs, a Texas Republican, didn't buy Harris' reasoning for not visiting the southern border.

'It is not a grand gesture for Vice President Harris to inspect the damage and inhumanity fueled by the Biden Administration at the southern border,' Biggs said in a statement to DailyMail.com. 'However, Kamala would rather turn a blind eye to the mounting chaos than reinforce Trump's policies that would bring security and stability back to our border.'

Other Republicans also have been open about their criticism of Harris refusing to visit the border even after being named 'border czar' by President Joe Biden in March. They claim her avoiding the region is proof she is not committed to solving the problem.

Harris said she 'believes' any migrants who attempt to enter the U.S. through non-legal channels will be turned away if they arrive at the border.

'I want to emphasize that the goal of our work is to help Guatemalans find hope at home,' Harris said after her bilateral meeting with Giammattei.

'At the same time, I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come,' she said, and repeated for emphasis: 'Do not come.'

'The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our border,' the vice president insisted. 'There are legal methods by which migration can and should occur, but we, as one of our priorities, will discourage illegal migrations. And I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back.'

Harris' chief spokesperson Symone Sanders clarified to reporters that the administration still wants immigrants to come to the U.S. by seeking the legal ways to do so from their home countries.

'The President and Vice President have been clear in dissuading people from making the dangerous and treacherous journey to the U.S./Mexico border,' Sanders said.

'We encourage those who do want to come to the U.S. to do so legally and seek legal immigration options in their home countries,' she continued. 'The Vice President is committed to addressing the root causes of migration, which also addresses why migrants are coming to our border.'

Harris and Guatemalan President Alejandro Giamattei (right) held a bilateral meeting in Guatemala on Monday as part of talks to deal with 'root causes' of mass migration from Latin America to the U.S.

Harris' first international trip was met with protesters demanding she 'mind your own business'

'Kamala go home' one sign read outside the Guatemalan Air Force facility

'This is disappointing': AOC slams Kamala for telling migrants not to come and blames the US for influx after 'setting Latin America on fire' Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has described Kamala Harris' remarks on immigration as 'disappointing', after the vice president used a speech in Guatemala to declare to migrants: 'Do not come'. Ocasio-Cortez accused the United States of having 'set the house on fire' when it comes to Latin America - but being unwilling to allow people to escape. She didn't explain why she made her explosive claim. She then argued that the U.S. needed to emphasize the root causes of migration, rather than punishing those who seek to enter the country. She reacted to a clip of Harris' press conference by stating: 'This is disappointing to see. 'First, seeking asylum at any US border is a 100% legal method of arrival. Second, the US spent decades contributing to regime change and destabilization in Latin America. We can't help set someone's house on fire and then blame them for fleeing.' Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, pictured on June 5, criticized Vice President Kamala Harris' remarks in Guatemala. On Monday Harris told would-be migrants from the country that her message was: 'Do not come' The New York congresswoman added: 'It would be helpful if the US would finally acknowledge its contributions to destabilization and regime change in the region. 'Doing so can help us change US foreign policy, trade policy, climate policy, & carceral border policy to address causes of mass displacement & migration.' She was responding to Harris' remarks at her press conference on Monday besides Alejandro Giammattei, Guatemala's president. Advertisement

Republicans were not happy with Harris classifying a trip to the border as a 'grand gesture.'

'Traveling to our Southern Border is not a grand gesture; it is her responsibility as the 'Border Czar' and Vice President of the United States,' Republican Florida Representative Byron Donalds told DailyMail.com.

'Vice President Harris is refusing to travel to the border because she will be forced to acknowledge the crisis she and the President have created if she does,' he continued.

'Local, State, and Federal leaders and law enforcement officials will be the first to let the Vice President know that there is a growing crisis on the border and that ignoring it or evading her responsibility by examining the root causes will only exacerbate this crisis.'

Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy also tore into Harris' bid to tackle the crisis as 'spend now strategize later'. In a statement he wrote: 'Today marks 75 days since President Biden chose Vice President Harris as his administration's point person to '[stem] the migration to our southern border.' She still has yet to travel to our southern border and see the extent of the crisis she and President Biden have created over the past six months.

'Instead of upholding her responsibilities to the American people and our communities impacted by the border crisis, Vice President Harris decided to focus her efforts on studying the 'root causes of migration' from Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries.

'That's why she's in Guatemala today, her first foreign trip since becoming Vice President, where she just held a press conference during which she dismissed going to the border as nothing more than 'grand gestures,' and declined to say when she'd actually go.

'This unconventional approach is nothing more than a cynical political decision to ensure the blame doesn't fall on her shoulders by distancing herself from Biden's Border Crisis.

'Now Vice President Harris and the Biden administration want to take the typical Democrat approach of throwing more taxpayer dollars at a problem without first thinking through a coherent strategy. Over the next four years, President Biden is proposing we send $4 billion in aid to Central America with the pretense this will help curb the historic migration happening at our southern border. But there are two glaring problems to their proposal of spending our way out of the border crisis: Aid programs have failed to stem migration in the past and border order apprehensions of individuals from countries outside of Central America are rapidly increasing.

'As Vice President, Biden has already tried spending our way out of a migration surge. He 'led an enormous push to deter people from crossing into the United States by devoting hundreds of millions of dollars to Central America.' However, that never panned out. In fact, in Guatemala specifically, the $1.6 billion America provided in aid over the last decade proved ineffective.

'Vice President Harris won't find the root cause of the border crisis on her Central America tour because it's her and President Biden's policies that are actually responsible. And word that our southern border is open reached significantly further than just Central America. The Border Patrol reported that encounters with individuals from nations other than Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador jumped by 35 percent since March 2021, and individuals from over 160 countries have recently been apprehended.'

GOP Senator Rick Scott called Harris' refusal to visit the border 'disgraceful' and an 'insult' to border law enforcement.

He said: 'Months after being chosen to lead the Biden administration's response to the border crisis it created, Vice President Harris has shown she'll do anything to avoid taking responsibility and showing real leadership. Her continued refusal to address the border crisis  which threatens the safety of American families  is disgraceful and an insult to our brave Customs and Border Protection agents. Buy in from Guatemala and Mexico is critical to getting this crisis under control, but first, Biden and Harris must acknowledge the humanitarian and national security chaos their policies have created here in America and see it firsthand at our border. Anything less is an unacceptable failure.'

Harris affirmed during her bilateral press conference Monday that she told Giammattei the U.S. will be donating 500,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine to Guatemala.

Harris was greeted with protesters when she arrived for her first international trip as vice president in Guatemala City, which is 1,308 miles from where families are streaming across the U.S.-Mexico border.

'Kamala go home,' one white flag with black painted letters read, while another demanded she 'mind her own business'.

As the vice president rode in her motorcade from her hotel to Palacio Nacional de la Cultura, reporters spoted a group of pro-Trump demonstrators with signs reading: 'Kamala, Trump won.'

During the press conference, Giammattei vowed Guatemala would set up 'returnee centers' where they would accept their citizens who the U.S. sent back after crossing the border illegally.

Harris began her meeting with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei with quick remarks where she said: 'I very much have been looking forward to this trip, we have had many conversations, but it is good to see you in person.'

The two have spoken on the phone previously.

'I am very proud that this is my first foreign trip as vice president,' Harris continued. 'It is a reflection of the priority that President Biden placed on this region.'

As Harris commenced her two-day trip south of the border, migrant families continue to stream over into the U.S. either by foot or on inflatable rafts.

Harris doubled-down that she will not be visting the border during her trip  or any time soon. 'I will continue to be focused on [addressing root causes of migration and corruption] as opposed to grand gestures'

The border is closed: During the press conference, Harris warned those thinking of crossing illegally: 'Do not come!' She said, 'I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back'

Ahead of the meeting, Giammattei made a statement in English.

'Thank you very much for your visit,' he said to Harris. 'For us, it's very important to have you here because it means that Guatemala and the United States can work as partners with common goals.'

He details some of the main goals as addressing narcotics trafficking, immigration, corruption in the region and building up prosperity walls within departments near the border with Mexico.

In a press conference following the meeting, Giammattei said  in Spanish this time  that the two nations would work toward more 'orderly migration' that would 'allow people to migrate regularly to the United States.'

'We also spoke about the need to support the United States with a returnee center that will be located in the western part of the country,' he continued, adding they are wording on a 'strong family reunification program.'

These efforts, he ensured, would 'help to ensure that the flow of persons in the southern border of the United States be controlled.'

Harris' trip started off bumpy on Sunday when Air Force 2 was forced to turn around minutes after take-off due to 'technical issues', which appeared to stem from an unusual noise coming from the landing gear.

'I'm good, I'm good. We all said a little prayer, but we're good,' Harris told reporters as she deplaned Air Force 2 and waited for another plane to get ready.

The vice president's team has made it clear that Harris' role as 'border czar' is to address the 'root causes' that lead to a mass amount of Central American citizens fleeing their home countries and migrating to the U.S.

Harris chief spokesperson Symone Sanders told reporters climate and economic downfall were among 'main drivers' of the surge in migrants.

Critics claim, however, that President Joe Biden is to blame for the crisis after he immediately rolled back Trump-era border restrictions upon taking office this year.

The Biden administration has denied that they are sending the message that the border is 'open', and instead is blaming it on 'root causes' in Northern Triangle nations like climate, poverty, crime and corruption.

More than 178,000 migrants crossed the border in April alone, which was a continuation of a spike in February and March. Numbers for May have not yet been released.

The bilateral meeting between Harris, Giammattei and their team was held Palacio Nacional de la Cultura

Harris' first foreign trip comes as migrants continue to make the trek from Central America to the U.S. southern border. Here people ride rafts across the Suchiate River between Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico and Tecun Uman, Guatemala on June 7, 2021

Demonstrators urged Harris to 'respect Guatemala's constitution'

The Supreme Court sided with President Joe Biden by unanimously refused on Monday to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the U.S. on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally.

The justices, acting on an appeal by a married couple from El Salvador who were granted so-called Temporary Protected Status, upheld a lower court ruling that barred their applications for permanent residency, also known as a green card, because of their unlawful entry.

The case could affect 400,000 immigrants, many of whom have lived in the U.S. for years.

Biden, who has sought to reverse many of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, had opposed the immigrants in this case, placing the president at odds with immigration advocacy groups and some of his fellow Democrats.

The Biden administration is facing a massive crisis at the southern border, which includes record-high levels of illegal crossers and all-time high numbers of unaccompanied minors in U.S. custody.

In March, Biden put Harris in charge of the migration crisis  but the administration has still not referred to the situation as such.

As it appeared the problem wasn't going anywhere at the southern border, the administration quickly rebranded to indicate Harris is focused on addressing root causes that lead to mass migration to the U.S. from Northern Triangle countries  Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Reports show the vice president's office didn't want to give her something that could be seen as a failure on her part.

Since taking over, Republicans have slammed the vice president for not once visiting the southern border, where enforcement groups are overwhelmed and facilities reached near 2,000 per cent capacity at some points.

Harris said she will go to Mexico during her trip south of the border, but maintained that she will still not stop at the U.S. side of the border.

She has also already spoken on the phone with Guatemalan President Giammattei and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Harris is meeting with Giammattei on Monday and will afterwards engage in events with Guatemalan community leaders and entrepreneurs afterwards.

On Tuesday, she will travel to Mexico City to meet with President Lopez Obrador and participate in roundtables with women entrepreneurs and labor leaders in Mexico.

People protesting the Guatemalan government hold signs during Harris and Giammattei's bilateral meeting

Supreme Court unanimously BLOCKS 400,000 immigrants who entered the US illegally and were allowed to stay on 'humanitarian grounds' from applying for a green card

The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously refused to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the United States on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally, siding with President Joe Biden's administration.

The justices, acting in an appeal by a married couple from El Salvador who were granted so-called Temporary Protected Status, upheld a lower court ruling that barred their applications for permanent residency, also known as a green card, because of their unlawful entry.

The case could affect 400,000 immigrants, many of whom have lived in the United States for years.

The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously refused to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the United States on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally. The case involves Jose Sanchez and Sonia Gonzalez from El Salvador (above), who entered the US twice illegally

Biden, who has sought to reverse many of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, had opposed the immigrants in this case, placing the president at odds with immigration advocacy groups and some of his fellow Democrats.

A federal law called the Immigration and Nationality Act generally requires that people seeking to become permanent residents have been 'inspected and admitted' into the United States. At issue in the case was whether a grant of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which gives the recipient 'lawful status,' satisfies those requirements.

Writing for the court, liberal Justice Elena Kagan said that 'because a grant of TPS does not come with a ticket of admission, it does not eliminate the disqualifying effect of an unlawful entry.'

Foreign nationals can be granted Temporary Protected Status if a humanitarian crisis in their home country, such as a natural disaster or armed conflict, would make their return unsafe.

There are about 400,000 people in the United States with protected status, which prevents deportation and lets them work legally.

The case involves Jose Sanchez and Sonia Gonzalez, who live in New Jersey and have four children.

The couple twice entered the United States illegally: in 1997 and 1998. After a series of earthquakes in 2001, the United States designated El Salvador as covered under the Temporary Protected Status program. The couple received protection under the program that same year.

Biden, who has sought to reverse many of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, had opposed the immigrants in this case, placing the president at odds with immigration advocacy groups and some of his fellow Democrats

U.S. officials rejected their 2014 applications for green cards because they had not been lawfully admitted.

They sued in federal court, saying that those with lawful status, including Temporary Protected Status recipients, are deemed to have been lawfully admitted, and may apply for permanent residency.

Last year, the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the couple.

Besides El Salvador, 11 other countries currently have such designations: Haiti, Honduras, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. Myanmar was the latest addition to the list, placed there by Biden's administration in the wake of a Feb. 1 military coup there.

The Supreme Court ruled in the case on a day when U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visits Guatemala as part of the Biden administration's efforts to lower migration to the United States from that country as well as El Salvador and Honduras.

Conservative justice Clarence Thomas initially suggested the Supreme Court would be reluctant to let immigrants with protected status apply for permanent residency when the case was first presented to the court on April 19.

'They clearly were not admitted at the borders, so is that a fiction, is it metaphysical, what is it? I don't know,' conservative Justice Clarence Thomas asked.
Imagine for a moment that were back in the year 2001, and the US Senate has just issued a report into 9/11 neglecting to say it was an act of terrorism or cite Osama bin Laden as the man responsible for inspiring it?

Wed think theyd all gone nuts, right?

This was my thought process as I studied the Senates 127-page findings into the January 6 riots at Capitol Hill and could find little reference to the two whopping big elephants in the accountability room: Donald Trump and the word Insurrection.

The report makes startling, horrifying reading, not least for revealing the calamitous failure by intelligence agencies including the FBI to identify the deadly threat that they were reading about all over cyberspace in the build-up to one of the darkest days in Americas history.

For weeks before the attacks, Donald Trump supporters were making very visible threats online to storm the Capitol and target lawmakers, even sharing maps of the buildings tunnel system.

One comment seen on a pro-Trump website by intelligence agencies read, If a million patriots [show] up bristling with ARs, just how brave do you think theyll be when it comes to enforcing their unconstitutional laws? This is do or die. Bring your guns'.

As I studied the Senate's 127-page findings into the January 6 riots (pictured), I could find little reference to the two whopping big elephants in the accountability room: Donald Trump and the word Insurrection

Not exactly ambiguous, right?

Another online message that agencies read before January 6 said: 'If they [cops] don't show up, we enter the Capitol as the Third Continental Congress and certify the Trump Electors.

A third message urged: Get into Capitol Building, stand outside congress. Be in the room next to them. They wont have time [to] run if they play dumb.

Short of going on national TV and declaring were going to attack the Capitol and take control, its hard to know what more the thugs who did just that could have done to alert the world to what they were going to do.

An FBI memo on January 5 even warned of people travelling to Washington for war at the Capitol, yet staggeringly this warning never made its way to senior law enforcement officials.

The failure to adequately assess the threat of violence on that day contributed significantly to the breach of the Capitol, said Senator Gary Peters. The attack was quite frankly planned in plain sight.

It was, and those charged with preventing it, knew it.

A January 3 report by one of three Capitol Police intelligence units warned that Congress itself is the target on the 6th and could create a significantly dangerous situation for law enforcement and the general public alike.

The report makes startling, horrifying reading, not least for revealing the calamitous failure by intelligence agencies including the FBI to identify the deadly threat that they were reading about all over cyberspace in the build-up to one of the darkest days in Americas history. Protesters attempt to force their way through a police barricade in front of the U.S. Capitol on January 6

The Capitol Police, many of whom were astoundingly brave during the rioting, are eviscerated throughout in the report. Riot police clear the hallway inside the Capitol Jan. 6

Yet this intelligence, which was obviously very accurate, wasnt incorporated into subsequent reports leading up to the attack.

Alarmingly, the Senate report states that FBI and DHS officials stressed the difficulty in discerning constitutionally protected free speech versus actionable, credible threats of violence.

Really?

Anyone with half a brain could surely see those messages were actionable threats?

The Capitol Police, many of whom were astoundingly brave during the rioting, are eviscerated throughout in the report for awful planning, a lack of training, faulty equipment including a shortage of helmets and riot gear, and a woeful dereliction of leadership that led to senior officers getting engaged with the fighting, communications collapsing, and regular officers left feeling betrayed and defenseless.

Incredibly, it also took three hours for the National Guard to be summonsed, by which time the worst of the carnage was over.

The failures are obvious,' said Senator Amy Klobuchar, To me, it was all summed up by one of the officers who was heard on the radio that day asking a tragically simple question: Does anybody have a plan? Sadly, no one did.

What a shameful damning verdict.

How could one of Americas most revered buildings, full of its most powerful people, be left so shockingly unprotected?

Enemies of the United States must have been licking their lips in glee as they witnessed how pathetically easy it is to attack the political headquarters of the worlds biggest superpower.

But horrific though these findings are, its what isnt included in them that is even more shocking.

Donald Trump was the man whose ugly, violent rhetoric directly led to what happened on January 6. He is pictured at the North Carolina Republican Convention Saturday, June 5

Nowhere in the report does it use the word insurrection to describe what was unequivocally an insurrection, which is defined as a violent uprising against an authority or government.

I dont know what it would formally take to be deemed an insurrection but given that 465 people have been arrested in connection with the violent uprising against their government, while the federal government is set to charge a total of 550, Id say this one probably just gets over the qualification line.

Nor does the report go into the root cause of the riots, which was Donald Trumps persistent furious refusal to accept the result of the 2020 election and rallying cry for his supporters to go to the Capitol and fight like hell that day to stop his presidency supposedly being stolen from him.

These omissions are frankly preposterous.

CNN reported today that Democratic Senate investigators took careful steps not to alienate their Republican counterparts in the process of the probe, which meant not taking a closer look at Trump's role in promoting the January 6 rally and months-long attempt to pressure local officials, lawmakers in Congress and then-Vice President Mike Pence to subvert the will of the electorate.

They also apparently steered clear of language that could turn off some Republicans, including not referring to the attack as an insurrection.

To which I say, why?

How can you possibly file an extensive report into such an outrageous atrocity and not call it what it was, or who inspired it?

This wasnt just irresponsible by the Democrats - it was downright gutless.

Donald Trump was the man whose ugly, violent rhetoric directly led to what happened on January 6.

He took the most powerful megaphone in the world, and he screamed at his enraged, unhinged diehard fan base to go to the Capitol that day and fight for his presidency that he lied about being stolen from him.

So, thats exactly what thousands of them did.

Many of the rioters have said in their own words that it was Trumps command that drove them to attack Congress.

Pretending the Capitol riot wasnt a Trump-inspired insurrection is as deluded as saying 9/11 had nothing to do with Bin Laden (pictured in a file image) or terrorism

Yet reading this Senate report, youd be left thinking this was a minor irrelevance and that the real scandal was the abject failure by intelligence and law enforcement to deal with the murderous rampage that ensued, costing six people their lives.

Those failings were undeniably appalling, and lessons must now be learned very fast to stop anything like this being allowed to happen again.

But the real scandal is that the President of the United States incited an insurrection and still hasnt been made remotely accountable for it, other than being barred from various social media platforms.

And worse, he is still out there every day screaming about the election being rigged and stolen from him, which is a humongous demonstrable lie, and many senior Republicans are still supporting him in this dangerous, delusional bullsh*t.

It beggars belief that Trump thinks he could run again in 2024 after inspiring such a terrible attack on US democracy, but if the Senate hasnt got the collective cojones to condemn his culpability for what went down on January 6, then he can be forgiven for believing that hes got away with it and can win the White House again.

Shame on the Senate for their moral cowardice, and shame on the intelligence and law enforcement officials who dropped the ball so badly.

But most of all, and this should have been the key finding of this whitewashed report, shame on Donald Trump for continuing to perpetuate a grotesque inflammatory lie that threatens to imperil the very foundation of American democracy.
Tucker Carlson has accused Vice President Kamala Harris of 'bribing' Central Americans to stay in their home countries as the crisis at the US southern border continues to plague her.

President Joe Biden recently tapped Harris to lead the diplomatic efforts to stop the surge of migrants who have been pouring into the United States since he took office in January. The pair have proposed to spend $4 billion to address the 'root causes of migration' in countries such as Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico.

On Tuesday night, Carlson was left incredulous by that plan, saying on his Fox News show: 'Harris flew to Guatemala, to unveil her policy to address the crisis. What is it? In a word, the plan is bribery.

'The administration plans to spend billions of dollars to pay Latin America's poor not to move to the United States. CNN loves the idea of course. It blames America.'

Tucker Carlson has accused Vice President Kamala Harris of 'bribing' Central Americans to stay in their home countries as the crisis at the US southern border continues to plague her

Biden recently tapped Harris to lead the diplomatic efforts to stop the surge of migrants who have been pouring into the United States since he took office in January. She is pictured in Mexico on Tuesday

U.S. border authorities encountered nearly 19,000 unaccompanied children in March, the highest on record. Overall, it had more than 170,000 encounters on the border in April, the highest level in more than 20 years

He stated that, as Vice President in the Obama administration, Biden actually instituted a similar foreign aid plan, which was unsuccessful.

'The idea at the time was the idea now: once we sent billions to corrupt foreign governments, their citizens would stop showing up in Texas and California. So we tried it. How'd that work exactly? Let's see. We now have more people from Central America coming over our border illegally than at any time in decades, possibly ever. So it didn't work very well,' Carlson declared.

'Kamala Harris is no genius, but... she knows more bribes won't work. So instead of defending her plan on the specifics, she's taking the easier and far more familiar road: more babbling about racism and sexism, and of course, climate change.'

Carlson then played a clip of the VP saying many were fleeing Central America to escape 'violence against women, Indigenous people, LGBTQ people, and Afro-descendants.'

But Carlson disputed that claim, saying: 'They're not coming here because they're fleeing a culture they don't like. They're coming here because this is a much richer and much more generous country, and now they can come here. So why wouldn't they? It's not their fault, it's ours.'

He continued: 'If you really wanted to solve this problem, the answer is pretty simple. You would deport people here illegally. Thats what normal countries do... If we did that, it would get the worlds attention immediately.'

'Kamala Harris is no genius, but... she knows more bribes won't work': Carlson lashed out at the VP on Monday night

Biden recently tapped Harris to lead the diplomatic efforts to stop the surge of migrants who have been pouring into the United States since he took office in January. The pair have proposed to spend $4 billion to address the 'root causes of migration' in countries such as Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico

Central American migrants make a line to board a bus to be transported by U.S. Border Patrol agents after crossing the Rio Grande river on Tuesday

Carlson added that foreign aid projects 'are where liberal arrogance goes to die. They almost never work for the people theyre supposed to work for.'

He added: 'If anything, Joe Bidens aid package encouraged illegal migration to the U.S. Michael Clemens, a fellow at the Center for Global Development, studied the data on this. Clemens found that "foreign aid focused on economic development is actually associated with increases in emigration from poor countries.'

Carlson's monologue came just hours after Harris landed in Mexico Monday for a crunch meeting with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who she has been courting for months.

The Tuesday meeting will close out Harris' first foreign trip, with Biden's administration hoping it will help in its efforts to curb the spike in migration from Central America and secure the southern border.

While Lopez Obrador committed in a previous virtual meeting with Harris that the U.S. can 'count on us' to help address the issue of irregular migration, the Mexican president has in the past blamed Biden for the increase in migration at the border.

Harris, in her role dealing with the root causes of increased migration from the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, as well as Mexico, has sought to strengthen diplomatic relations with the Mexican president.

Harris walks with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador after arriving in the country on Tuesday

Mexico is a key partner in enforcement efforts at the border.

lllegal border crossings have increased steadily since April 2020, after Trump introduced pandemic-related powers to deny migrants the opportunity to seek asylum, but further accelerated under Biden, who quickly scrapped many of Trump's hardline border policies - most notably the 'Remain in Mexico' program to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for court dates in U.S. immigration court.

Shortly after taking office, Biden also exempted unaccompanied children from Title 42, named for a section of an obscure 1944 public health law that allows authorities to deny entry to prevent the spread of disease.

Mexico agreed to take back its own citizens under Title 42 authorities, as well as people from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

U.S. border authorities encountered nearly 19,000 unaccompanied children in March, the highest on record. Overall, it had more than 170,000 encounters on the border in April, the highest level in more than 20 years.

Mexicans accounted for 36 percent of encounters with people who crossed illegally in April, the largest nationality according to the latest monthly data available from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Hondurans were second with 22 percent and Guatemalans were third with 17 percent.

Kamala snaps at Lester Holt from Guatemala for asking why she won't to go to the border Kamala Harris lashed out at Lester Holt on Tuesday when he asked why she has refused to the border in the 76 days since President Joe Biden put her in charge of the crisis. 'Do you have any plans to visit the border?' the NBC host questioned Harris in an interview taped Monday in Guatemala during the vice president's first international trip. 'At some point, you know, we are going to the border,' she insisted in the interview 1,308 miles from where migrants are risking their lives crossing the Rio Grande River on inflatable rafts. 'We've been to the border. So this whole thing about the border. We've been to the border. We've been to the border,' she repeated. 'You haven't been to the border,' Holt pushed back. 'And I haven't been to Europe,' Harris snapped, then quickly turned it into her signature laugh. 'And I mean, I don't understand the point that you're making,' she said to Holt 'I'm not discounting the importance of the border.' Texas Senator Ted Cruz shot back against Harris' comments, claiming she was 'laughing off' the seriousness of the border crisis. 'You haven't been to Europe, you haven't been to Australia, but we don't have an Australian border crisis, we don't have a border crisis in Europe. We have a border crisis on the southern border,' Cruz told Fox News during an interview on America's Newsroom. Kamala Harris lashed out during an interview on Monday when asked again why she hasn't visited the southern border. 'I haven't been to Europe,' the vice president snapped at interviewer Lester Holt. 'And I mean, I don't understand the point that you're making' Advertisement





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Conservative commentator Matt Walsh has ripped into Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for refusing to accept the more than $104,000 he raised to help repair her grandmother's home in Puerto Rico.

Walsh launched his attack on the Democratic 'Squad' leader during a Monday appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight, saying: 'She's a wealthy, single woman who has two apartments and a Tesla she just recently bought apparently.

'She for whatever reason refused to help her own grandmother. We said: "Alright, you know what? We'll get together and we'll raise the money." We raised $100,000 in ten hours, okay?

'We probably could've raised a million dollars if they'd let the fundraiser continue, but someone, "someone"  in abuela's family shut down the fundraiser about ten hours into it and said that she didn't want the money.'

Scroll down for video

Matt Walsh appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight on Monday, where he slammed AOC

'This is a problem we could've solved not just for abuela but they could've taken the money, fix the ceiling, bought her some furniture she clearly needs, and then could've taken the rest of the money and helped the neighbors, they could've helped the whole community, but they didn't want to do that,' Walsh stated

Ocasio-Cortez posted images of her grandma's falling-down house in Puerto Rico last week

Walsh said the refusal of the money raised questions about the true living conditions of Ocasio-Cortez's grandmother and whether or not she was allowing her grandmother to live in poor conditions rather than take money from conservatives.

'I think either way it's sort of scandalous on AOC's part,' Walsh added.

Walsh went on to say that the money could've helped not only Ocasio-Cortez's grandmother, but also others in the hard-hit community.

'This is a problem we could've solved not just for abuela but they could've taken the money, fix the ceiling, bought her some furniture she clearly needs, and then could've taken the rest of the money and helped the neighbors, they could've helped the whole community, but they didn't want to do that,' Walsh stated.

According to Fox News, some of the donors to the GoFundMe campaign included Candance Owens and Ben Shapiro.

One image of AOC's grandmother's home shows a room where there is a dresser and more ceiling panels falling down

Another image shows a room with just a chair and several plastic buckets to catch water coming rom the ceiling, which is falling down in several spots

Ocasio-Cortez had posted images on social media last week showing the severely damaged house - with a falling-in ceiling - which she blamed on former President Trump, who she said had blocked aid to the hurricane-ravaged island and US territory.

Walsh said it was rich that someone who made $174,000 a year as a congresswoman - and drove a Tesla - would be begging on Twitter for help; he organized the GoFundMe campaign that had raised $104,000 by Saturday morning.

But a spokesperson for the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe told DailyMail.com on Saturday that 'the beneficiary has made clear to our Trust and Safety team they do not wish to accept the donations.'

'I can confirm the donations have been turned off and all donors will be fully refunded,' GoFundMe spokesperson Bobby Whithorne told DailyMail.com.

Matt Walsh, a blogger for Daily Wire who launched the fundraiser, confirmed on Saturday that 'someone in AOC's abuela's family told GoFundMe that she won't take the money, even though AOC previously claimed that her grandma was in dire straits (and it was Trump's fault)'

Walsh, who posted an email from GoFundMe on his Twitter account, added: 'AOC still hasn't acknowledged this effort or thanked us'

Walsh, a blogger for Daily Wire who launched the fundraiser, also confirmed on Saturday that 'someone in AOC's abuela's family told GoFundMe that she won't take the money, even though AOC previously claimed that her grandma was in dire straits (and it was Trump's fault).' Abuela is Spanish for grandmother.

Walsh, who posted an email from GoFundMe on his Twitter account, added: 'AOC still hasn't acknowledged this effort or thanked us.'

Critics, including Walsh, were quick to jump on Ocasio-Cortez's initial post on Wednesday showing her grandmother's home in a dilapidated state after it sustained damage due to Hurricane Maria in September 2017.

The critics questioned why the progressive lawmaker who makes $174,000 and drives a Tesla isn't sending money to help her grandmother.

Walsh announced the crowdfunding effort on his Twitter feed last week

On Twitter, Walsh was accused of 'turning charity into a racist "f*** you"'

'Abuela is not my enemy,' Walsh tweeted at a Twitter user who criticized him. 'Her wealthy socialist granddaughter declined to help so I stepped into the void. What's the problem here?'

'On June 2nd, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reported to Twitter that her dear abuela has fallen ill and continues to live in squalid conditions since her home was ravaged by Hurricane Maria,' Walsh wrote on the GoFundMe crowdfunding page on Friday.

'One cannot be certain of the cost to repair grandmas house, but surely most of the work could be completed for the price of AOCs shiny Tesla Model 3.

'As AOC pointed out to us, we "dont even have a concept for the role that [incredibly successful children of two American citizens] play in their families," but clearly caring for their own grandparent isnt part of it.

'Says the congresswoman, "instead of only caring for [my own grandmother] & letting others suffer, Im calling attention to the systemic injustices"

'No, seriously. She really said that.

'Sadly, virtue-signaling isnt going to fix abuelas roof. So we are.

'Lets all kick in to help save AOCs abuela's ancestral home. Any amount is appreciated, but the cost of a monthly lease payment on that Tesla is around $499

'All proceeds will be donated to abuela, if she will accept them.'

Walsh was also criticized by fellow conservatives, including Elijah Schaffer, a reporter for the right-leaning The Blaze

Amanda Milius, a former Trump administration official, said the fundraiser was a 'stupid [and] not even remotely humored AOC-obsessed GOP stunt'

Another Twitter user accused Walsh of running a 'fraudulent fundraiser'

As of Saturday morning, the fundraiser raised a total of $104,153, but GoFundMe says that all of the money will be returned to each donor.

The crowdfunding effort took off after Walshs hashtag #HelpAbuela went viral on Twitter.

Nonetheless it generated outrage from both the left and the right.

Amanda Milius, a former Trump administration official, said the fundraiser was a 'stupid [and] not even remotely humored AOC-obsessed GOP stunt' and that donors should give money to 'actual people who need help.'

Walsh replied to Milius: 'Of course we do something new and interesting and some people on the right whine about it.

'Not sure how our fundraiser is preventing anyone from donating to any other fundraiser, but okay Amanda.

'Sorry youre offended.'

'I don't know why I'm trending,' Walsh tweeted. 'All I wanted to do was help a poor grandmother out'

When Walsh was told that he was 'sick in the mind,' he responded: 'Why? Can't a guy raise money for an abuela? What's sick about that?'

Elijah Schaffer, a reporter for the right-leaning The Blaze, tweeted: 'Conservatives are raising money for AOC's family & I cant even breathe. Lol.

'As if we werent taken advantage of and abused by the Dems already, now we paying their family bills.'

Walsh tweeted in response to Schaffer: 'Im a philanthropist, Elijah. Just doing what philanthropists do.

'AOC has her money tied up in Tesla car payments so Im stepping in to solve the problem. Thats all there is to it.'

Others like columnist Kurt Schlichter praised Walsh, saying his fundraiser was 'genius.'

Gina Bontempo tweeted: As a self-proclaimed 1st-gen, first-born minority daughter, AOC should feel so ashamed that a straight white Christian male like Matt Walsh is doing more to help her poverty-stricken abuela than she is.

He's raised over $40,000 already.

Conservative columnist Matt Walsh excoriated AOC for choosing to spend money on a new Tesla instead of sending part of her $174,000 salary to her grandma in Puerto Rico

Others offered harsh criticism, with one Twitter user calling Walsh sick in the mind.

Another Twitter user denounced Walsh as a fascist and urged others to report the fraudulent fundraising activity to GoFundMe.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Walsh and Ocasio-Cortezs office for comment.

Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday posted the initial tweet that generated a backlash from conservatives.

'Just over a week ago, my abuela fell ill. I went to Puerto Rico to see her- my 1st time in a year+ bc of COVID,' Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter.

'This is her home,' she continued, posting two pictures of mostly-empty rooms where the ceiling is falling in and plastic buckets on the ground are collecting water. Also in the images are one chair, one dresser and a tarp on the ground.

'Hurricane Maria relief hasn't arrived. Trump blocked relief $ for PR. People are being forced to flee ancestral homes, & developers are taking them,' the New York congresswoman wrote.

Stock photo of an image of the living rooms in the apartment units where Ocasio-Cortez rents in Washington D.C.

Walsh jumped on the post: 'AOC went and bought herself a Tesla while her grandmother lives in a shack with a collapsing ceiling.'

'It never fails with these champagne socialists,' he continued. 'They expect everyone else to make sacrifices while making none themselves.'

'AOC is willing to redistribute everyone's money but her own,' Parkland school shooting survivor Kyle Kashuv agreed in his own post.

GOP candidate for Florida's 24th congressional district Lavern Spicer boiled the situation down to one word  'sad.'

'Honey, you drive a Tesla and have two apartments,' she tweeted on Wednesday. 'If your grandmother is living poor that's because you don't help her out. I'm surprised that a socialist wouldn't redistribute that wealth to their grandma.'

AOC has an apartment in her home district in New York City and a luxury apartment in Washington, D.C. where one bedroom units  at least those where the bedroom actually has a window  starts at $2,500 per month.

Ocasio-Cortez, who represents New York's 14th congressional district and is a self-described Democratic socialist, continued to blame Trump in her Twitter thread.

The one-bedroom units in luxury apartment building start at $2,500 per month if residents want to have a window to outside from their bedroom

'In the aftermath of Maria, the Trump admin oversaw two key items: handing millions in public $ to unqualified donor pals (ex Whitefish). The other was to impose extremely difficult eligibility rules for Puerto Ricans, which allowed mass rejections of recovery fund applications,' she wrote.

'I want to be clear - while Trump admin had a major role, it wasn't just them,' she said. 'La Junta, local policies, etc were all on the same page: policies that pushed out local families. To turn this around, we need audits & get recovery relief to people ASAP, without the onerous strings.'

She did clarify 'for the record - my abuela is doing okay.'

'It's not about us, but about what's happening to Puerto Rican's across the island. She had a place to go to and be cared for - what about the thousands of people who don't?'

A Twitter user wrote to AOC: 'Sell your Tesla! You should be ashamed for letting her live like this. We have a responsibility to care for our elders!?'

Another said: 'Are you seriously admitting to the whole internet that you let your grandma sleep on a bare wood platform while you drive around in a tesla? how could you not wire a couple thousand bucks to your own grandma?'

Ocasio-Cortez's white Tesla was spotted illegally parked last month outside the Whole Foods under her apartment building in an upscale neighborhood of Washington, D.C. less than a mile from Capitol Hill.

Former Puerto Rico Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, who was in office when Hurricane Maria hit, sympathized with AOC.

'This is how it is,' she wrote. 'The investors and those who believe in privatizing essential services are taking advantage of the tragedy of Puerto Rico and our people.'

Cruz was in office from 2013 to 2020 and was highly critical of Trump when he was president.
Emmanuel Macron is sensationally plotting to drop English from all EU meetings and replace it with French once the country takes control of the bloc's rotating presidency next year.

Currently, English is the 'working language' of the EU and is used in high-level meetings between representatives from across the bloc's 27 member states.

But sources suggest French premier Emmanuel Macron, 43, plans to implement French as the main language used by the EU's diplomats.

Macron hopes to implement the new rule once France takes control of the rolling six-month EU presidency in 2022.

The news comes as the French premier was slapped in the face during a trip to the Drome region in south-eastern France today.

The assailant took the French President by the arm, appearing to stop him for a chat, before shouting: 'Down with Macronia' ('A Bas La Macronie') as he delivered the blow.

Bodyguards quickly seized upon the man and bundled him to the ground, as a member of Macron's security detail pulled the president to safety.

French President Emmanuel Macron, 43, plans to drop the use of English in EU meetings once France takes control of the EU's rolling presidency in 2022

The French president is understood to be weighing up the decision to replace English with French in meetings held across the bloc from next year.

Macron is considering plans for all meetings in Brussels to be held in French and there are suggestions he will ignore letters sent by the European Commission if they are penned in English,reports The Express.

Minutes and official documents are also expected to be communicated in French, according to sources familiar with the scheme.

A senior French diplomat told Politico: 'Even if we admit that English is a working language and it is commonly practiced, the basis to express oneself in French remains fully in place in the EU institutions.

'We must enrich it, and make it live again so that the French language truly regains ground, and above that, the taste and pride of multilingualism.'

Currently, English is the working language used in most meetings held by the European Union

French is already one of the EU's three 'working languages', alongside English and German, but Macron and his ministers plan to revive the language across the bloc.

Money could be put aside for language lessons for EU diplomats, and French-only debates are also being earmarked.

But the move has been met with criticism from EU insiders, who fear the crippling effect it could have on meetings which are usually conducted in English.

An unnamed diplomat explained to Politico: 'Many national delegates in EU working groups simply dont understand or speak French.

'It's hoped that France will ultimately follow a pragmatic language approach.'

There are also concerns over the impact such a move could have in frustrating UK-EU relations further.

France will hold the EU's temporary presidency from January to June next year - the first time since 2008.

French ministers Clement Beaune and Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne argued in April that control of the presidency created an 'opportunity to hold high this vital fight for multilingualism'.

Earlier today, Macron faced fresh protests from some French voters with two men being arrested after the French premier was slapped in the face during a meet and greet event in the village of Tain-l'Hermitage.

OW REVOIR: French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped across the face by a man during a trip to southeast France on Tuesday, an aide said

In video circulating on social media, Macron, dressed in shirt sleeves, could be seen walking towards a crowd of well-wishers who were behind a metal barrier outside the culinary school.

'Mr Macron appeared very relaxed and thought he was getting a good reception from those watching him,' said an eyewitness.

'He was outside a catering school when he stuck his right hand towards a man who promptly grabbed it.

'Then the man slapped the President in the face, before Mr Macron was pulled away by security guards.'

The president's bodyguards seized upon the man and bundled him to the ground, as a member of Macron's security detail pulled the president to safety.

The attack represents a serious security breach and overshadows the start of Macron's 'Tour de France' which he said was designed to 'take the pulse of the nation' ahead of next year's election.
An inquest into the death of a history teacher who was killed by a man she met on Plenty of Fish will examine whether systemic failures contributed to the vicious and fatal attack.

Katie Locke, 23, was on a first date with Carl Langdell, from Hertfordshire, when he took her back to a hotel room and strangled her to death on Christmas Eve in 2015.

Langdell, who described himself as a 'monster', then had sex with her body and took photos of her corpse on his iPhone in a room at the Theobalds Park Hotel in Hertfordshire.

At St Alban's Crown Court, Judge Andrew Bright QC jailed the then 26-year-old Langdell, of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, for life, with a minimum term of 26 years.

In February this year, Langdell was found dead in his high-security cell, having allegedly taken his own life.

A coroner is set to examine whether the murder of Katie Locke (left) by Carl Langdell (right) on a blind date could have been prevented if mental health services had done their job properly

'Katie lived her life to the full and did not want to miss a minute' Today, Katie Locke's father paid a touching tribute to his daughter who was killed at the hands of a violent man. Bill Locke, speaking on behalf of his wife and family, told the court: 'We have three daughters, Katie is much younger than her sisters because she was a happy surprise. 'Her sisters, Karen and Michelle, loved her and were very protective of her. Katie was born with her eyes open and that is how she lived her whole life, she lived it to the full and did not want to miss a minute. 'She was always good to her friends and family. She was there for Karen while she had cancer. 'On the day Karen died, Katie was babysitting her children. She was a lovely member of the family and was loved by so many people.' The devoted father told stories of how Ms Locke had devoted her time to others since she was a child, even missing playtime at school so she could help other children tie their laces. Mr Locke revealed that his daughter had been a dedicated history and politics teacher at the Cardinal Pole School in Hackney, London. She is still honoured by a trophy handed out each year to the pupils. Concluding this tribute he told the court: 'My wife has asked me to say that on the day Katie died, she died. 'Only a mother can understand the feeling of losing a young one who they brought into the world.' Advertisement

When Katie, from Essex, met bogus lawyer Langdell through Plenty of Fish she was unaware that he was serving a suspended sentence after telling a Community Psychiatric Nurse that he wanted to cut a girl's throat, see her naked and have sex with her when she was dead.

At the start of a hearing Hatfield Coroner's Court today, Assistant Coroner Alison McCormick said the inquest, without a jury, was being held after an application was made by Katie's parents Bill and Jennifer.

She said she will decide whether 'acts or omissions' by public bodies contributed to the death of Katie, the youngest of three daughters who lived with her parents in Buckhurst Hill, Essex.

The coroner said: 'Most of the evidence will not be about Katie. It will be the interaction of Carl Langdell with mental health services and the criminal justice system.'

But she went on: 'We should not forget she was an innocent young woman who lost her life because of the actions of Mr Langdell.'

Ms McCormick told the packed courtroom that she would hear evidence at the inquest about whether public bodies, including NHS trusts and local police forces, could have stopped Langdell before he killed Ms Locke.

The hearing is expected to last for three weeks and will hear detailed evidence about how Langdell had previously been admitted to a number of psychiatric institutions.

Langdell's sentencing revealed that before the pair met on Plenty of Fish, he had been telling nurses at a psychiatric facility about his violent fantasies.

After his arrest, he refused to answer police questions about the murder, however, Langdell finally admitted killing the teacher to his mother.

He confessed he had put her body in a laundry cage and then dumped her body under a bush.

The killer was initially tracked down after Ms Locke's family used a photo she had sent them to identify him.

Police discovered he had previously been given a suspended prison sentence for threatening to kill his ex-partner's younger sister and have sex with her body.

Langdell was jailed for life for the murder of Katie Locke on Christmas Eve in 2015. He took photos of her dead body before having sex with her and then dumping her body in a bush

Prosecutors told the court that Langdell had been diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder and had lied on his dating profile, claiming he owned a law firm.

In February this year Langdell, now aged 30, Herts, died in Wakefield Maximum Security Prison, having been found with a serious injury to his throat.

The coroner said before his death Langdell had been contacted about giving evidence to the inquest, but had not responded.

The inquest was adjourned until tomorrow.

The coroner is expected to return her findings of fact and conclusions on Tuesday June 22 or Wednesday June 23.

Katie's father Bill told the coroner she had 'lived life to the full' and 'was a generous person who cared for other people and put them first.'

Carl Langdell, 30, (pictured) was found in his single-man cell at Wakefield prison in West Yorkshire with serious injuries to his neck

She loved being part of a team, was a Brownie, a Guide and loved water sports, becoming a Kayak instructor.

Katie studied history and politics at Southampton University, had volunteered at the London Olympics and worked with underprivileged children in the US.

'She was self-confident and fearless and an energetic and beautiful person,' he said. His wife said she 'died' on the day Katie died.

At the time of her death she was working as a history teacher at Cardinal Pole School in Hackney, east London.

She is still honoured by a trophy handed out each year to the pupils.

Concluding his tribute he told the court: 'My wife has asked me to say that on the day Katie died, she died.

'Only a mother can understand the feeling of losing a young one who they brought into the world.'

The inquest continues.
Black Lives Matter are holding an 'emergency protest' tonight after video emerged showing police pepper-spraying a black man before arresting him on suspicion of being 'drunk and disorderly'.

Video of the incident in Leeds city centre shows an officer spraying the man, who was sat on a bench, before two colleagues pull him to the ground and handcuff him.

Three other officers then arrive as a crowd gathers around and the man being arrested cries 'my eyes!' repeatedly.

Witnesses ask why he is being arrested, with some saying the scenes, which took place at 5.46pm yesterday, were 'outrageous'.

Someone at the scene can be heard saying 'f***ing b***' shortly before the officers take the man to the ground.

Black Lives Matter Leeds will now hold a protest in the city centre tonight, criticising West Yorkshire Police's for 'blatant racism'.

Police issued a statement saying that the man been 'acting aggressively' and was removed twice from the Trinity shopping centre by security staff before he was reported to be sat on a bench drinking alcohol.

Video of the incident in Leeds city centre shows an officer spraying the man, who was sat on a bench, before two colleagues pull him to the ground and handcuff him

IN FULL: THE POLICE RESPONSE TO THE FOOTAGE West Yorkshire Police said he had admitted guilt and accepted responsibility for his actions, and was given a community resolution, dealing with the offences outside of court proceedings At 5.46pm yesterday, police were contacted by Leedswatch CCTV reporting a man who had been acting aggressively and had been removed twice from the Trinity shopping centre by security staff. He was then reported to be sat on a bench drinking alcohol in breach of the Public Spaces Protection Order which is in place in the area. Officers attended and located the man in Albion Street, and a local PCSO confirmed to them details of the prior incidents at the shopping centre. Officers spoke to the man for more than eight minutes and attempted to establish his identity as a suspect for those offences but he repeatedly refused to provide his details, which is an offence in these circumstances. When officers tried to arrest him, he resisted and incapacitant spray was deployed and physical control was used to detain him. The man was taken into custody on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly in a public place. He was subsequently given a community resolution for that offence, which is an out of court disposal that can be issued when the offender admits their guilt and accepts responsibility He received no injuries during his arrest or detention and was released from custody earlier this morning. A referral has been made to West Yorkshire Police Professional Standards Directorate so that the circumstances can be formally reviewed. Chief Superintendent Damien Miller, Leeds District Commander, said: 'We are aware that this man's arrest has been the focus of speculation on social media, but we hope that by providing further context people will now have a fuller understanding of the circumstances leading up to officers detaining him. 'We recognise the understandable concerns that exist around police interactions with people from ethnic minority communities, and we continue to work closely with those communities through our Independent Advisory Group to improve trust and confidence, scrutinise police actions and decision making and increase transparency. 'We are also liaising with the organisers of a planned protest in relation to this incident to ensure they have the full context and understanding of what occurred. This includes inviting them to meet with us and view the officers' body-worn footage in full.' Advertisement

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said officers were called to the scene at 5.46pm on Monday.

They found him on Albion Street where officers spoke to him for more than eight minutes, trying to establish his identity as a suspect for those offences, the force said.

But he refused to give his details, they added.

His decision to resist arrest sparked the officers' use of physical force and 'incapacitant spray', and the man was then taken into custody on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly in a public place, police said.

West Yorkshire Police said he had admitted guilt and accepted responsibility for his actions, and was given a community resolution, dealing with the offences outside of court proceedings.

He sustained no injuries, and was released this morning.

A referral was made to the police standards organisation for formal review.

Black Lives Matter Leeds will now hold a protest in the city centre tonight, criticising West Yorkshire Police's 'blatant provocation'.

They claim the incident is an example of 'blatant police racism' and 'police brutality'.

The group posted the video on Facebook along with a statement saying: 'United for Black Lives are alarmed to see footage of blatant police racism in Leeds town centre yesterday shortly after 6pm.

'A lone black man was sat on a bench and was then set upon and confronted by three police officers.

'The man refused to give his name and details which is his right under the law but one police officer wearing blue gloves, for no apparent reason, continued to put his hands near the man's face whilst harassing him and touching his upper body in what can only be surmised as attempted provocation.

'This innocent man did not in any way react to this blatant provocation. It is clear that this man is within his rights not to give the police his details unless they can clearly state why they are interrogating and publicly harassing him.

'The gloved police officer continues to put his hands in the man's face and touch his upper body.

'For no apparent reason the same police officer attempts to grabs the man's hand and when this is objected to, takes out his pepper spray and sprays the man directly in his eyes.

'The officer is joined by his two colleagues when they wrestle the man to the ground much to the disapproval of witnesses to this police brutality.'

The group added: 'Black communities are tired of seeing the police abuse their position by profiling and attacking innocent black people in the street for no good reason. We will not tolerate police racism and brutality.

'The ridiculous excuse for arrest was stated as ''suspicion of anti-social behaviour.''

'The only anti-social behaviour was at the hands of the racist police officers that handcuffed this man who was screaming from the pain of his eyes burning from the pepper spray.

'We demand a public apology from the police in Leeds. We demand that this man is released without charge and compensated for the brutality and humiliation he was subjected to.

'BLM Leeds will now be responding this gross injustice with an emergency protest today, 8th June 2021, at the place of unlawful arrest, 48 Albion Street, Leeds, LS1 6AB.'
Infants were among those who continued to make dangerous journeys across the Channel today, just a day after the body of a Kurdish boy was discovered in Norway.

Pictures taken in Kent from this morning show more than 20 migrants, among them young children wrapped in lifejackets, aboard a boat headed for Dover's shores.

Seniors figures at Kent County Council have warned services are currently at 'breaking point' after over 1,000 people made the 21-mile crossing in the past week.

A Border Force unit collected several more youngsters this morning just a day after the perilous nature of migrant crossings was laid bare, as a one-year-old boy was identified after his body washed up on the Norwegian coast.

The remains of Artin Iran-Nejad - an 18-month-old Iranian Kurdish boy - was found near the shores of Karmoy, some 900 miles from where he drowned near Dunkirk in October last year.

More than 20 migrants, among them women and infants, were picked up by a UK Border Force vessel in Dover this morning

A young boy is pictured clutching onto a woman ahead of his arrival in Dover, Kent this morning

A UK Border Force boat was pictured collecting a group of more than 20 migrants who made the 21-mile journey across the English Channel today

The group of migrants were pictured aboard an official Border Force vessel in Dover, Kent this morning, following an extremely busy week for English Channel crossings.

Migrant children wrapped in lifejackets have been arriving in the UK after crossing the Channel on Monday, as local children's services warn they are at breaking point.

Some 250 minors have made the dangerous journey across the Channel this year so far, including 50 over the recent Bank Holiday weekend.

Meanwhile, migrants continued to risk their lives by sailing across the Channel today, with 1,000 arriving last week alone and more than 4,500 making the crossing since the start of the year.

The annual total is expected to exceed the 8,400 who made the journey in 2020.

Border police escort child migrants ashore in Dover amid a fresh wave of migration that has seen more than 1,000 people make the crossing in the last week

The group of masked migrants confer with a member of UK Border Force as they prepare to enter the country

Underscoring the dangers of the journey, Norwegian investigators revealed yesterday that the body of Artin Iran-Nejad - an 18-month-old Iranian Kurdish boy - was found near their shores some 900 miles from where he drowned near Dunkirk in October last year.

Four members of Artin's family - including father Rasoul, mother Shiva, both 35, nine-year-old sister Anita and brother Armin, six - were confirmed dead after the small boat they were attempting to cross in capsized near the French coast in rough seas, but the toddler's body was never found.

Yesterday, Norwegian investigators revealed his remains washed up near Karmoy, in the country's southwest, on January 1 but they had been unable to identify him until this week.

Artin's tragic journey had begun in Iran on August 7 last year after his parents 'sold everything' and reportedly paid smugglers 21,000, in the hopes of making a better life for themselves in the UK.

Their exact reasons for leaving Iran were not made clear by family members who spoke at the time, but Kurds are an oft-persecuted minority in Iran.

It is thought the family then made their way to Turkey, before catching a ferry to Italy and then riding in lorries into France where they arrived almost a month before the tragic sinking.

They then made three attempts to cross to the UK, where it is thought they had family. Two attempts via train failed, before their third doomed attempt on a boat.

Artin and his relatives had been crammed into the sightseeing boat with as many as 23 others - despite it only being designed to carry 18.

The family are thought to have been put in a cabin below deck, meaning they were trapped when the boat capsized on October 27 in rough seas.

Artin Iran-Nejad, aged 15 months, was listed as missing after a boat carrying his family across the Channel capsized near France last year. His remains have now been identified by investigators in Norway, who say his body washed up on January 1

Norwegian investigators have released images of the clothes that Artin was wearing when his body was found in the ocean off Karmoy, in the southwest of the country, on New Year's Day (pictured, his jacket is seen from the front)

Mr Iran-Nejad (left) and his wife, Shiva, (far right) with two rescue workers (centre) in a French migrant camp. The children are seen from left to right: Artin, Anita and Armin

DNA testing subsequently confirmed that the body and the boy were one and the same.

His surviving relatives have been informed, and his body is expected to be flown back to Iran for burial.

The news comes as Kent County Council is said to be weighing up the decision to launch a judicial review to try to force Home Secretary Priti Patel to disperse newly arrived infants across the country after they arrive.

The authority said it may no longer be able to accept new unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) within days - a situation which came to pass in August 2020.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: 'We recognise the longstanding role that Kent County Council has played in supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and are extremely grateful for their contribution.

'We continue to encourage more areas to join the National Transfer Scheme and do their part.'
A man killed his boyfriend and broadcast his breakdown on Facebook Live before setting his apartment ablaze and shooting himself, all while authorities and crisis negotiators surrounded the complex in a six-hour standoff.

Keith Jackson, 30, told a friend on FaceTime Monday morning that he had killed his partner.

Deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office were immediately dispatched to his gated community in the Tampa suburb of Riverview, Florida, at 7.30am.

Deputies, a SWAT team and crisis negotiators swarmed the area outside the home, but Jackson refused to pick up the phone or answer the door - but began streaming on Facebook Live.

Authorities watched on Facebook as Jackson held the gun to the camera and confessed to killing 'the love of his life'.

He told viewers that he'd tried to kill himself three times since shooting his boyfriend.

A SWAT team surrounds a building hours before Keith Jackson, 30, set an apartment on fire

Sheriff's deputies responded after a man called 911 and told them his friend, later identified as Jackson, admitted to killing his partner on FaceTime

Firefighters rushed in to save the building from burning down after they noticed smoke coming from the back

He said he wanted deputies to come into the apartment and kill him, according to Sheriff Chad Chronister.

'During this great length of time our negotiators are talking to him and trying to de-escalate him in any way that we can,' Chronister said after the incident.

'He gets frustrated with us that we're not going to take his life and, just before 1pm this afternoon, tells our negotiators, "If you guys aren't going to do this we're back at square one. I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands".'

Officers then saw smoke billowing from behind the residence. Firefighters rushed in to save the building from burning down.

Inside, they found two dead adult men.

The sheriff's office described Jackson's victim as a black male in his late twenties to early thirties.

They have since obtained a search warrant to process the scene and search for clues as to what could have caused the murder-suicide.

The incident involved a nearly six-hour standoff with deputies, a SWAT team, and crisis negotiators

The standoff ended after firefighters burst into the apartment and found two men dead

The Florida murder-suicide happened in the gated Villages of Bloomingdale community near Tampa, Florida

'Im tired of notifying individuals that their family member is deceased,' Sheriff Chronister said

'We are saddened by the violence displayed today by the suspect, and the loss of life,' Chronister said. 'Our team made every attempt to get the suspect to surrender peacefully.'

Monday's incident happened a day after a 39-year-old man was arrested for shooting at deputies while they were conducting a welfare check on a minor in Tampa.

The sheriff thinks his community is 'on edge' and has become 'too violent.'

'I dont know what its going to take, who its going to take being killed for us to finally say enough is enough and, as a society and a community, were not going to tolerate any additional violence,' he said. 'Because I tell you what, Im tired of notifying individuals that their family member is deceased.'
A minister has said government is 'very concerned' about noises and vibrations in new Army tanks that make them practically inoperable.

Jeremy Quin, the minister for defence procurement, confirmed that crews testing out Ajax tanks, the new generation of armoured fighting vehicles, may have been exposed to excessive noise that made some sick.

The government has ordered more than 580 of the tanks in a range of US-designed models which are being built in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales.

But so far only 14 without turrets have been delivered because the project has been beset by delays and problems.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed that it had to pause trials of the 3.47 billion fleet of tanks over design issues

The government is 'very concerned' about noises and vibrations in new Army tanks that make them practically inoperable. Pictured: The new Ajax Army tank ordered by the Ministry of Defence

A leaked internal report claimed the machine were unable to travel safely faster than 20 miles per hour - half the 40mph top speed, and crew members were suffering noises so loud that it made them feel sick.

Answering an urgent question on the Ajax programme, Mr Quin told the Commons: 'We remain in the demonstration phase and, as with all such phases, issues have emerged with the vehicle that we need to resolve.

'We were very concerned by reports of noise issues in the vehicle, all personnel who may have been exposed to excessive noise have been tested and training was paused.

'It now continues with mitigations in place as we pursue resolution.'

He also said the Government has 'commissioned independent vibration trials from world-class specialists' which should conclude 'next month'.

A leaked internal report claimed the machine were unable to travel safely faster than 20 miles per hour - half the 40mph top speed, and crew members were suffering noises so loud that it made them feel sick

Jeremy Quin, the minister for defence procurement, confirmed that crews testing out Ajax tanks, the new generation of armoured fighting vehicles, may have been exposed to excessive noise that made some sick

He told MPs that 'we will not accept a vehicle that falls short of our requirements' and added: 'This is an important project for the British Army, delivering impressive capabilities and employing thousands of skilled workers across the UK.

'We are looking forward to taking it into service.'

Shadow defence secretary John Healey accused the Government of 'failing British forces and failing British taxpayers'.

Asking about the progress of the Ajax tanks programme, Mr Healey told the Commons: '3.5 billion paid out, four years late and just 14 vehicles delivered, light tanks that can't fire while moving and vehicle crews made so sick that the testing has been paused.'

He went on: 'This is a project that has been flagged red by the Government's own major projects authority, the defence select committee calls it another example of chronic mismanagement by the MoD (Ministry of Defence) and its shaky procurement apparatus, yet the Defence Secretary is failing to get to grip with the failures in the system and failing our frontline troops as a result.

'He's breaking a promise he made to them in this House when he said when it comes to equipment, the first thing to ensure is that we give our men and women the best to keep them alive and safe on the battlefield.

'Ministers are failing British forces and failing British taxpayers,' he added.

Conservative chairman of the Defence Committee Tobias Ellwood said he had argued for an increase of 3 per cent in the defence budget, adding: 'But it does make the job harder of convincing the Treasury, Parliament and indeed the taxpayer when we see so many errors, delays, cost over runs and redesigns.'

SNP defence spokesman Dave Doogan said: 'There is in the UK no shortage of MoD procurement debacles to draw on....but this multibillion pounds Ajax failure sets a new low.'
Royal Caribbean backpedaled on vaccination requirements for passengers preparing to set sail next month from ports in Texas and Florida after the states passed laws banning businesses from asking for so-called vaccine passports.

The cruise line announced last week that eight of its ships will resume voyages in July and August with trips leaving ports in Florida, Texas and Washington state.

Royal Caribbean International said on Friday all crew members will be vaccinated against COVID-19. Passengers 16 and older on cruises from Seattle to Alaska will also be required to be vaccinated. The requirement will be expanded to cover Alaska-bound passengers 12 and over starting August 1.

For other trips passing through US water, Royal Caribbean said that passengers are 'strongly recommended' to get vaccinated.

Unvaccinated passengers must be tested for the virus and follow other measures that will be announced later, the company said.

In a dramatic about-face, Royal Caribbean has announced that cruise passengers sailing from Texas and Florida won't be required to show proof of vaccination

The move comes a month after Florida Gov Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill that bans companies from requiring customers to show proof of vaccination

This is a dramatic reversal from Royal Caribbean's initial policy announced in May, which called for all passengers over 16 years old on ships sailing from the US and the Bahamas to be vaccinated.

The about-face comes after Florida lawmakers passed a law that imposes a $5,000 fine on businesses each time they request proof of vaccination from customers, and also prohibits state agencies from issuing so-called vaccine passports that document COVID-19 vaccinations and test results.

'In Florida, your personal choice regarding vaccinations will be protected and no business or government entity will be able to deny you services based on your decision,' DeSantis said during the bill signing last month.

Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley stated that 90 percent of all customers booking vacations with Royal Caribbean 'are either vaccinated or planning to get vaccinated in time for their cruise'

In April, Texas Gov Greg Abbott signed an executive order that bans government-mandated 'vaccine passports' that show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

Requirements for cruise lines to resume sailing are also at the center of an ongoing legal tug-of-war between Florida Gov Ron DeSantis and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

DeSantis has sued the federal agencies, demanding that it lift its conditional sailing order, which states that cruise lines can resume operations on the condition that crews are fully vaccinated and that they complete a trial trip with volunteer passengers.

A ship can skip the test trip phase by adhering to a vaccine threshold that calls for a combined 95 percent of employees and passengers to be vaccinated, reported Insider.com.

In a statement, Royal Caribbean International CEO Michael Bayley thanked DeSantis, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Broward County Mayor Steve Geller and other officials 'for their steadfast support of our industry and for providing access to vaccines to the thousands of crew on our ships off the eastern seaboard.'

Bayley said according to company data, 90 per cent of all customers booking vacations with Royal Caribbean 'are either vaccinated or planning to get vaccinated in time for their cruise.'

Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings on Monday announced plans to set sail from two Florida ports requiring passengers to be fully vaccinated

Royal Caribbean said that its first US sailing since March 2020 will leave Miami on July 2 on the Freedom of the Seas.

The company said that over the following six weeks, five other ships will sail the Caribbean after leaving from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Port Canaveral, Florida, and Galveston, Texas. Two ships will sail from Seattle to Alaska.

Meanwhile, Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings on Monday announced plans to set sail from two Florida ports requiring passengers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 despite state legislation banning businesses from asking for proof.

Norwegian announced sailings from New York, Los Angeles, Port Canaveral and Miami.

Carnival Cruise Line, also based in Miami, announced sailings from the Port of Galveston, Texas, with vaccinated guests and was working with Florida officials for a ship to leave from PortMiami.

The cruise lines plans appear to be at odds with the new state law. The sailings are contingent on obtaining a certificate from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and it remains unclear how the plans can be reconciled with Florida law.

Disney Cruise Line said last week that the CDC approved a request to conduct a two-night simulation cruise later this month departing from Port Canaveral.
President Joe Biden ended budget talks with GOP Sen. Shelley Moore Capito after talks collapsed following a Republican counter-offer that the White House rejected.

The breakdown, which both the White House and Capito's office confirmed, came as a separate bipartisan groups continued to seek agreement  but a Democratic effort seeking to move legislation on their own remained a live option at some point.

Biden 'informed Senator Capito today that the latest offer from her group did not, in his view, meet the essential needs of our country to restore our roads and bridges, prepare us for our clean energy future, and create jobs,' White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.

President Joe Biden ended budget talks with GOP Sen. Shelley Moore Capito after talks collapsed following a Republican counter-offer that the White House rejected

'He offered his gratitude to her for her efforts and good faith conversations, but expressed his disappointment that, while he was willing to reduce his plan by more than $1 trillion, the Republican group had increased their proposed new investments by only $150 billion.' The White House had rejected a GOP increase of $50 billion, saying it didn't meet Biden's policy goals for a much larger package.

The breakdown doesn't end the chances for action. A bipartisan group that includes Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.)  who recently infuriated fellow Democrats with her comments in support of the filibuster  Rob Portman (R-Ohio), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), along with Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) continued to meet among themselves.

Psaki's statement noted that Biden had spoken with Sinema, as well as GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), a key player in any bipartisan deal.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said in her own statement that she and Republicans worked 'in good faith'

The White House said Biden had spoken to Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.)

A bipartisan group including Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) is still meeting

'He urged them to continue their work with other Democrats and Republicans to develop a bipartisan proposal that he hopes will be more responsive to the country's pressing infrastructure needs.' Biden would continue outreach on his trip to Europe, which begins Tuesday night, the White House said.

Capito said in her own statement that she and Republicans worked 'in good faith.' She said Biden 'understood one of our red lines,' which was not rolling back the 2017 Trump tax cuts.

Earlier in the day, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the talks 'seem to be running into a brick wall.'

An administration official said Biden changed course after Capito, the leader of a group of six Senate Republicans handling the negotiations, offered $330 billion in new spending on infrastructure, far short of Biden's reduced $1.7 trillion offer.

Capito had a five-minute call with the Democratic president on Tuesday, a Capito spokesperson said.

'After negotiating in good faith and making significant progress to move closer to what the president wanted, I am disappointed by his decision,' Capito said in a statement.

Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, gave new life to the possibility of some sort of a bipartisan bill being cobbled together that ultimately could be paired with a Democrat-only bill to achieve more of the administration's $2 trillion investment goals.

Republicans have been talking about a far more modest package of less than $1 trillion, with much of the money coming from initiatives already enacted into law, such as COVID-19 relief.

Some liberal members https://www.reuters.com/world/us/liberal-democrats-restless-over-bidens-infrastructure-talks-with-republicans-2021-06-04 of Biden's party have become worried that the talks are dragging on for too long and may result in a smaller package than the country needs. They are keenly aware of the risk that they could lose their narrow majorities in either or both chambers of Congress in next year's midterm elections, making progress on Biden's agenda urgent now.

The two parties remain far apart https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/republicans-vs-biden-whats-their-infrastructure-plans-2021-04-22 on one of Biden's major domestic policy goals, disagreeing on how much to spend, how to pay for it and even what constitutes infrastructure.

The White House has offered to whittle down its package of proposals, which include climate change, home healthcare and education initiatives, to $1.7 trillion. It also includes spending on more traditional infrastructure projects such as roads and bridges.

'I'm working hard to find common ground with Republicans when it comes to the American Jobs Plan, but I refuse to raise taxes on Americans making under $400,000 a year to pay for it,' Biden wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. 'It's long past time the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share.'

Biden also reached out to Senator Bill Cassidy on Tuesday to discuss infrastructure, the Republican said.

'POTUS just called to discuss infrastructure,' Cassidy wrote on Twitter. 'I brought up flood resiliency and energy provisions that would benefit Louisiana as well as the rest of our nation. Strongly support @SenCapito's efforts. Any infrastructure package should and must be bipartisan.'

Administration officials had said that Biden would not let the negotiations drag on endlessly. Later this week, he leaves on the first foreign trip of his presidency, to attend a G7 Summit in Cornwall, England. (Reporting by David Morgan, additional reporting by Susan Cornwell; Writing by Richard Cowan; Editing by Scott Malone, Alistair Bell and Jonathan Oatis)
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Bryce Michael Williams, 27,was sentenced to 27 months in prison for burning a Minneapolis police building

The last of four men who admitted to burning Minneapolis Police Department's Third Precinct building during a riot after George Floyd's murder has been slapped with a four-year prison sentence and $12million fine.

Bryce Michael Williams, 27, received the sentence on Monday from Judge Patrick Schlitz, who described the defendant as a 'good person who made a terrible mistake'.

While the judge handed down a lighter sentence than prosecutors had requested under state guidelines, he denied Williams' request for probation because he said the defendant was a leader, 'not a follower', in the attack.

Williams, of Staples, was among the thousands of protestors who surrounded the police station on May 28, 2020 - three days after Floyd's death.

At one point, the crowd was heard chanting, 'burn it down, burn it down,' referring to the police building and became unruly.

They tore down a fence intended to keep trespassers out of the Third Precinct, according to prosecutors.

That's when Williams and three other men - Davon De-Andre Turner, 25, Branden Michael Wolfe, 23, and Dylan Shakespeare Robinson - lit and threw Molotov cocktails at the building and caused the 'near total destruction' of the building, Acting US Attorney W. Anders Folks said in a statement.

Williams was pictured on surveillance footage holding a Molotov cocktail while others lit the wick. Another man carried the device inside and used it to light the fire (pictured)

The Minneapolis Third Police Precinct is set on fire during a third night of protests following the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody, on Thursday, May 28

All four men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit arson, and Williams was the last to be sentenced.

'Mr. Williams and his co-defendants have been held accountable for their dangerous and destructive actions. I thank our federal, state, and local partners who pursued justice in these cases,' Folks said.

In addition to prison time, Williams will have to pay $12 million in restitution and will be subject to two years of post supervision release.

During last year's protests, several businesses were looted and torched, and a suspected looter was shot dead.

The city looked like warzone after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck. The National Guard was deployed to reign in the violence

Chauvin was ultimately convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Nearly a year later, the city of Minneapolis descended into chaos again.

Protests and violence have gripped the city since Thursday, when US Marshals shot a black man - 32-year-old Winston Boogie Smith Jr. - while attempting to arrest him on a warrant for a felony firearms violation.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is investigating the shooting, said evidence at the scene indicates that Smith fired his weapon from inside the vehicle.

Smith's family have called for the release any video of Thursday's deadly encounter, including from security cameras, CNN reported.

The U.S Marshal Service does not allow the use of body cameras for officers serving on its North Star Fugitive Task Force, the Minnesota Department of Safety said in a statement.

There is also no squad camera footage of the incident.
Michigan has confirmed its first case of hantavirus, a potentially deadly respiratory disease spread through contact with infected rodents.

Michigan health officials reported on Monday that a woman from Washtenaw County was 'recently hospitalized with a serious pulmonary illness from Sin Nombre hantavirus,' which was 'likely exposed when cleaning an unoccupied dwelling that contains signs of an active rodent infestation.'

As of January 2017, there have only been been 728 reported cases of the hantavirus in the United States since health officials began monitoring it in 1993, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

New Mexico reported the most cases, with 109, followed by Colorado, with 104; Arizona, with 78; California, with 61; and Texas, with 45.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the Department of Health for more information on the patient's condition.

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan's chief medical executive, announced on Monday that a woman from Washtenaw County was the first in the state to contract hantavirus

Hantavirus is spread through contact with mice, like the house mouse seen here

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is typically passed to humans when they breathe air contaminated with the virus through rodent droppings, from a rodent bite or if people touch something that has been contaminated with rodent urine, saliva or droppings before touching their skin, mouth or nose.

It may also be possible to contract the virus by eating food contaminated by an infected rodents' droppings, urine or saliva, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

'Anyone who comes into contact with rodents that carry hantavirus is at risk for HPS,' said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

The most common hantavirus in the United States is the Sin Nombre hantavirus, which the Michigan woman was confirmed to have.

It is spread through deer and white footed mice, and cannot be transmitted from person to person and has a 38 percent mortality rate.

Symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome may occur one to eight weeks after exposure and include fatigue, fever and muscle aches as well as headaches, dizziness, chills, nausea and abdominal pain.

Later symptoms include coughing and shortness of breath.

A microscopic view of the hantavirus virions responsible for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome

Many of those symptoms echo those for COVID-19, and Khaldun said healthcare providers with a suspected case of hantavirus should contact their local health department to report it and discuss options for testing.

It is susceptible to most disinfectants and typically survives less than a week in indoor environments and just a few hours in outdoor environments exposed to sunlight.

'We can prevent and reduce the risk of hantavirus infection by taking precautions and being alert to the possibility of it,' said Dr. Juan Luis Marquez, medical director with the Washtenaw County Health Department.

He recommended people 'use rubber, latex, vinyl or nitrile gloves when cleaning areas with rodent infestations, ventilate areas for at least 30 minutes before working and make sure to wet areas thoroughly with a disinfectant or chlorine solution before cleaning.'
A mother has blasted a Washington middle school after her 14-year-old twin daughters, who are black, were made to clean freshly picked cotton during a history lesson.

Emzayia and Zyeshauwne Feazell, 14, said that they were the only black students who had to participate in a cotton picking lesson plan at Sacajawea Middle School in Spokane.

The girls told ABC News that on May 3 their social studies teacher pulled out a box of raw cotton and told the class they were going to do a 'fun' activity.

The teacher then instructed students to clean freshly picked cotton as part of a classroom assignment to see who could do so the fastest.

The sisters, who were the only black students in the class, said the lesson made them feel uncomfortable.

The twins said they were made more uneasy about the lesson when their classmates commented they would not have picked cotton if they had been enslaved.

14-year-old twins Emzayia and Zyeshauwne Feazell say the cotton picking lesson left them feeling 'humiliated'

The twin girls' mother, Brandi Feazell (pictured) expressed concerns about the lesson plan to school administrators

Spokane Public School district said a third-party investigation into the incident will be conducted

'They didn't have any reaction like we did,' Emzayia told KUOW.com 'They were just okay.'

'I didn't understand why she was actually doing this as a teacher,' she added. 'why she would bring a box of cotton into class.'

The girls told ABC News that the lesson plan, which has negative connotations for African Americans who were forced to pick cotton as slaves in the south during the 18th century, left them feeling 'humiliated.'

The twins told their mother Brandi Feazell about the lesson and she immediately called the school and spoke with the principal assistant Taylor Skidmore.

Feazell told KUOW.com that Skidmore went into 'defense mode' when she brought up her concerns about the lesson plan.

She said that the principal assistant insisted the social studies teacher would not do such a lesson plan because she herself had black family members and also because she was a 'very kind and gentle soul'

'Instead of maintaining his job, and defending these children, and making sure that their health and their safety, mentally and emotionally was taken care of, and being their first line of defense; he did not portray any of that. He was more worried about his faculty,' Feazell told KUOW.com

Feazell also questioned the judgement behind the lesson plan.

'For you to pass out cotton and to my children (and tell them) that essentially, they're going to pick the cotton clean and it's a race of who can get it clean first, that was extremely bothersome to me and my children,' she told ABC News. 'Under no circumstance do they need to be taught what it's like to be a slave or what it's like to be Black.'

Emzayia and Zyeshauwne Feazell, 14, said that they were the only black students who had to participate in a cotton picking lesson plan at Sacajawea Middle School in Spokane

Spokane Public Schools said they would release a third-party investigation into the situation

A third-party investigation into the incident will be conducted, Sandra Jarrard, executive director of communications for the Spokane Public School district told ABC News.

''The students were learning about the industrial revolution and the cotton gin was discussed,' a statement from the school district said. 'We take all complaints very seriously and are committed to investigating them fully. There are conflicting reports to this incident. Once the third party investigation is completed, we look forward to coming back to share the outcomes.'

Despite the ongoing investigation, the 14-year-old's mother says she is disappointed with the school administration's response to the incident.

'I truly believe that at this point, the school district did not do their job,' Feazell said. 'The administration at the school as well as the district level, are not protecting these children the way they need to.'

The girls have not returned to school since the incident occurred because their mother said school officials 'made it seem as if we were not going to be able to have my daughters in a safe environment at all.'
A mayoral candidate abruptly dropped out in the middle of the race after her brother was kidnapped and beaten in Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman's hometown in western Mexico.

Guadalupe Iribe quit in the middle of Mexico's midterm elections Sunday after learning that a group of armed men had abducted Uriel Iribe.

The politician, who was running for mayor of Badiraguato, Sinaloa, under the Institutional Revolutionary Party ticket, said her brother was at sitting under a neighborhood palapa approximately at 6pm local time when he the assailants jumped out of three vehicles and took him away.

Uriel Iribe was found by the National Guard lying on a side of a road in the city of Mocorito, at least 70 miles away from where he was kidnapped. No arrests had been reported as of Tuesday.

'I do not want the candidacy for (mayor). I step down,' Guadalupe Iribe said according to El Sol de Sinaloa newspaper. 'I don't want to be mayor. I want to be a woman who works to raise her children.'

Iribe revealed that her brother-in-law was assaulted Saturday night and five party workers were beaten at their homes in the middle of the night Sunday.

Guadalupe Iribe quit in the middle of Mexico's midterm elections Sunday after learning that a group of armed men had abducted Uriel Iribe in the Sinaloa city of Badiraguato, the hometown of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman

Guadalupe Iribe, who was running for mayor of Badiraguato, Sinaloa, under the Institutional Revolutionary Party ticket, said her brother was at sitting under a neighborhood palapa approximately at 6pm local time when he the assailants jumped out of three vehicles and took him away. He was safely located by the National Guard at least 70 miles away on the side of a road in the city of Mocorito

She pinned her sibling's abduction on her main rival Jose Paz, who eventually was elected mayor under the National Regeneration Movement.

Just three hours before her brother was kidnapped, Iribe had received 49.91% of the votes reported by 12 of the 66 polling stations. Her main rival, Jose Paz, only had 42.8%.

Paz, who eventually beat out Iribe by getting 6,744 votes to her 5,597, was unaware of the abduction and denied that he was involved.

He accused Iribe of fabricating her brother's kidnapping because residents in Badiraguato were tired of represented by the same political parties.

'I feel that this is a tantrum that she is throwing again because clearly when you want to resign you present the resignation and you withdraw. You could have done it anytime or now,' Paz said according to online news site Cafe Negro Portal.

Jose Paz, who beat out Guadalupe Iribe by getting 6,744 votes to her 5,597, said he was unaware of the abduction and denied that he was involved. He was elected mayor under the National Regeneration Movement

Guadalupe Iribe revealed that her brother-in-law was assaulted Saturday night and five party workers were beaten at their homes in the middle of the night Sunday

Mexico's midterm elections were marred by violence dating back to September 2020 when campaigning began.

Consulting firm Etellek reported that 91 politicians who sought or held office were killed.

More than 900 violent incidents against political party members during midterm election campaign season were recorded, including 172 criminal acts in over 100 cities on Sunday.

Security analysts said most electoral violence tends to occur at the municipal level, where gangs exert pressure to influence the outcome in the hope of securing more control over drug trafficking and other criminal rackets.

A man lobbed a severed human head at a voting station in the border city of Tijuana and plastic bags filled with body parts were found nearby.

In a separate incident, someone threw an inactive grenade into a voting station in Mexico State, authorities said.

In Sinaloa, armed men robbed electoral material from voting stations, a source at the state prosecutor's office said.
Detectives have arrested three seamen over a bid to smuggle 69 Albanian migrants from Belgium to the UK on a fishing boat.

The trio, a 34-year-old Lithuanian national living in Lambeth, a 32-year-old Israeli national living in Finchley and a 39-year-old Latvian national living in Kent, were detained by NCA officers in a series of raids this morning.

Footage shows officers knocking on a door before a man in his underwear lets them in. National Crime Agency officers then arrest the man and take him away.

The trio, a 34-year-old Lithuanian national living in Lambeth, a 32-year-old Israeli national living in Finchley and a 39-year-old Latvian national living in Kent, were detained by NCA officers in a series of raids this morning

Footage shows officers knocking on a door before a man in his underwear lets them in. National Crime Agency officers then arrest the man and take him away

The men are now being questioned on suspicion of attempting to facilitate illegal immigration.

The arrests follow the interception of the fishing boat Svanic off the coast of East Anglia on 17 November last year, as part of a joint operation involving the NCA, Immigration Enforcement and Border Force.

The boat had sailed from the Ostend area of Belgium and was carrying 69 Albanian passengers, who were offloaded in Harwich to be dealt with by the immigration authorities.

The three crew members, a Latvian national and two Ukrainian nationals, were arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration and were subsequently charged.

The arrests follow the interception of the fishing boat Svanic off the coast of East Anglia on 17 November last year, as part of a joint operation involving the NCA, Immigration Enforcement and Border Force

The boat had sailed from the Ostend area of Belgium and was carrying 69 Albanian passengers, who were offloaded in Harwich to be dealt with by the immigration authorities

NCA Regional Head of Investigation Jacque Beer said: 'Those arrested today are suspected of having played a key role in the events which led up to the interception of the Svanic in November last year.

'This was a serious attempt to breach the UK's border controls, and our investigation into that incident continues.

'But today's activity once again demonstrates our determination to disrupt and dismantle people smuggling networks wherever they are operating. It is a key priority for the NCA.'
A Wisconsin pharmacist who purposefully ruined more than 500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine told the court he felt 'great shame' for his actions before he was sentenced to three years in prison on Tuesday.

Steven Brandenburg, 46, admitted to intentionally spoiling hundreds of Moderna vaccines by removing them from a refrigerator for 12 hours at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton, located just north of Milwaukee.

He was sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty to two counts of attempting to tamper with consumer products with reckless disregard in January.

Brandenburg said he spoiled the doses because he believed the Moderna vaccine was not safe.

He had claimed that the vaccine 'was unsafe for people and altered their DNA,' a criminal complaint said.

In fact, the vaccines have been thoroughly tested by the Food and Drug Administration and found to be safe.

Steven Brandenburg, 46, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of attempting to tamper with consumer products with reckless disregard

Brandenburg admitted to intentionally spoiling hundreds of Moderna vaccines by removing them from a refrigerator for 12 hours at Aurora Medical Center (pictured) in Grafton

In a statement before receiving his sentence, Brandenburg said he felt 'great shame' for his 'irrational' actions and owned up to his crimes, FOX 6 reported.

'I am taking total responsibility for my actions, no matter how scattered my life was, he said. 'I did these two actions. It was not appropriate. It was not legal.'

Brandenburg added he is 'tormented by it daily.'

He also apologized to his coworkers, families and their loved ones, saying Advocate Aurora healthcare is a 'pillar of the community.' He was fired by the medical center when his actions were discovered.

Aurora destroyed most of the tampered doses, but not before 57 people received inoculations from the supply. Those doses are believed to have still been effective, but weeks of uncertainty created a storm of anger, anxiety and anguish among the recipients, according to court documents.

Brandenburg also secretly substituted saline for flu vaccine that he was mandated to receive and persuaded several co-workers to secretly swap saline for their flu vaccine as well, according to court filings.

Prosecutors asked for a sentence of three years and five months. Brandenburg faced a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment at $250,000 in fines for each felony count.

After completing his three year sentence, Brandenburg will face another three years of supervised release, NBC News reported.

Brandenburg, an admitted conspiracy theorist, said he spoiled the doses because he believed the Moderna vaccine (pictured) was not safe

Brandenberg (pictured) told the court he felt 'great shame' for his actions before he was sentenced to three years in prison on Tuesday

At the time of his arrest Brandenberg told police he was under pressure due to a 'contentious' divorce and lack of sleep from taking prescribed clonazepam.

The 46-year-old is an admitted conspiracy theorist who was vocal about his beliefs at work, which included that he is a prophet and vaccines are a product of the devil.

He also professed a belief that the Earth is flat and the 9/11 terrorist attacks were faked.

A co-worker told investigators that Brandenburg carried a .45-caliber handgun to work 'in case the military came to take him away.'

Brandenberg is prohibited from practicing at state pharmacies after the Wisconsin Pharmacy Examining Board suspended his license earlier this year, NBC News reported.
Rachael Ayers (above), the principal at Mead High School in Longmont, Colorado, has resigned, it was announced on Monday

The principal of a Colorado high school has resigned three weeks after a photo went viral showing a student on campus grounds wearing blackface while two others knelt on him in a re-enactment of George Floyds murder.

Rachael Ayers resignation as principal at Mead High School in Longmont, some 35 miles north of Denver, was announced on Monday in a letter sent to parents by St. Vrain Valley School District Superintendent Don Haddad.

In the letter, Haddad praised Ayers for the 12 years she spent at the school as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal, according to Daily Camera.

Ayers will be replaced by Frederick High School Principal Brian Young.

Haddad wrote in his letter that Young plans to reach out to the community to 'discuss advancing student success and achievement with a focus on a safe and inclusive school environment and culture for every student, teacher, staff, and community member.'

The three teens ignited a firestorm of controversy last month for what some said was a 'disturbing and disgusting' re-enactment of Floyd's death.

The photo, which was posted on Snapchat, shows one student in blackface lying on the ground, while another student presses their knee into his neck and the third kneels on his back.

Ayers' resignation comes just three weeks after a photo went viral showing a student on campus grounds wearing blackface while two others knelt on him in a re-enactment of George Floyds murder

The re-enactment shows the three boys in the very same position Floyd was forced into during his murder by white cop Derek Chauvin and three other officers involved in the 46-year-old black man's fatal arrest.

The third teen appeared to be pretending to hold the boy in blackface down on the ground. Their photo was captioned: 'Bye bye seniors.'

The blond-haired student on the other teen's neck is white. Their re-enactment was first shared via a Change.org petition. It is unclear when the snap was taken, although Mead High School's graduation took a month ago.

Days after the explosive photo went viral, protests erupted outside the school while a Change.org petition demanding an end to racism at the campus generated thousands of signatures.

The teens in the photo take on the same position the black 46-year-old was forced into during his murder by white cop Derek Chauvin in May 2020 (above)

In a letter sent to parents this week, St. Vrain Valley School District Superintendent Don Haddad praised Ayers (above) for the 12 years she spent at the school as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal

Dozens of students staged a walkout on May 21 in protest over the photo demanding the teens involved face expulsion, reported CBS Local.

Many protesters Black Lives Matter signs and chanted, as they accused school officials of failing to properly discipline the teens behind the racially charged image.

The three students were reportedly suspended for five days each.

Some protesters said the incident marked just the latest in a string of racist incidents at the school, although they did not offer further details.

Sarah Steere, a 16-year-old sophomore who attended the protest, told CBS Local she 'wasn't surprised' by the 'disgusting' photo.

'I screenshotted (the photo) and sent it to the principal. I was disgusted, embarrassed but wasn't surprised,' she said.

'I want to see it come from the parents first because they're teaching their kids to act like this.'

Kara Bee, a 16-year-old sophomore, said she is one of the only black students in the largely white school and wants action to be taken about the incident.

'As one of the only black people here, I think it's important to speak up about these issues and not just kick them under the rug,' Bee said.

'The picture was disgusting. I was shocked. I didn't think people were like that anymore. That was murder they're making fun of.'

A Change.org petition 'Bringing the racial profiling discrimination that occurs at MHS to notice' was set up last month and had more than 9,000 signatures as of Tuesday.

'Its unbelievable that there are still people acting so immature towards racism,' the petition reads.

'Everyone in our school represents Mead and having such students re-created a humiliating death, as they dishonor themselves is sad.'

The shocking image was taken on the grounds of Mead High School in Colorado, which the three teens attend, and posted on Snapchat. Teens protest outside the school on May 21

Dozens of students staged a walkout on May 21 in protest over the photo demanding the teens involved face expulsion

Many carried Black Lives Matter signs and chanted, as they accused school officials of failing to properly discipline the teens behind the racially charged image

The photo came to light this week, with some students sending it on to the school administration in disgust.

Ayers sent a message to parents on May 19 saying the school was aware of the incident and takes 'this type of conduct very seriously and have begun an investigation into the matter.'

'If you or your student saw this social media post and would like to process any feelings it may have brought forward, our counseling staff is prepared to provide additional support,' she said.

The SVVSD launched an investigation alongside local police.

Haddad issued a statement blasting the actions of the students involved as 'disturbing and disgusting' and said the district has a zero tolerance approach to racist behavior.

A Change.org petition demanding an end to racism at the campus had reached thousands of signatures

Mead High School above. The St. Vrain Valley School District and local police are investigating the incident

'It was brought to my attention that a disturbing and disgusting social media post depicting the re-enactment of the murder of George Floyd was made by a group of students from Mead High School,' he said in a post on the district's website last month.

'We in the St. Vrain Valley Schools strongly condemn, and have no tolerance for, racism in any form and will be addressing this extremely serious matter immediately and accordingly.

'Our district reaffirms its commitment to diversity and equality in our schools and in our operations.'

Haddad did not share what disciplinary action had been taken against the students behind the stunt.

Meanwhile, Ayers said in a letter to parents Thursday that the school had received a threat in connection to the racist photo.

The student responsible for the threat was identified and there was 'no ongoing threat to the school community,' Ayers said.

The nature of the threat was not clear.

Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Chauvin during an arrest over a $20 counterfeit bill on May 25

Chauvin is led away in handcuffs after being found guilty of Floyd's murder last month

The racist incident came less than two weeks after graduation at the high school.

It is also just days before the one-year anniversary of Floyd's Memorial Day murder.

Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Chauvin during an arrest over a $20 counterfeit bill on May 25.

The cop knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes while he begged for air saying 'I can't breathe.'

Chauvin was found guilty of murder in April and is awaiting sentencing. The trial of the three other officers involved in Floyd's death is set for March 2022.

All four officers also face federal hate crime charges over Floyd's death.
Some bars and restaurants in New York City have begun segregating diners, creating separate seating areas where vaccinated customers can mingle while the unvaccinated have to remain outdoors or behind plexiglass.

It came after bars were last month given the go-ahead by New York State to operate at 100% capacity and remain open until 4am.

But while state law now says that vaccinated parties in bars and restaurants do not have to be socially distanced, bars must allow six feet of distancing or appropriate physical barriers for unvaccinated customers.

It means that bars are under pressure to demand proof of vaccination to maximize the number of people who can fit inside.

And while the new policies might sound good in theory, they don't make much sense from a legal, and, in some cases, a health standpoint.

State laws do not require proof of vaccination at 'indoor catered events of 250 or less', meaning customers could just claim to be vaccinated to get better seats.

And even if restaurants and bars could could enforce policies based on who is and who isn't vaccinated, health experts say being indoors, segregated or not, presents the same risk of infection, particularly for the unvaccinated crowd.

The policies seem to be taking different forms at different bars, with some reserving their indoor seating exclusively for the vaccinated in a bid to once again take full advantage of their indoor space.

Llama San in Manhattan's West Village, for example, is asking that in order to seat its dining room close indoor capacity, diners are asked to provide proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test.

'We believe this will help bring peace of mind to you and your guests to fully enjoy your dining experience with us,' the restaurant says on its Resy. 'Similarly, the entirety of our staff has been vaccinated or will provide frequent negative covid tests.'

West Village Japanese Peruvian restaurant Llama San announced that on May 19 it was fully relaxing social distancing restrictions in its indoor dining room, but with the caveat that patrons show proof of vaccination. It's part of a trend of NYC restaurants attempting to create separate spaces for vaccinated and unvaccinated patrons. Diners can be seen at the restaurant on May 21

The restaurant's outdoor area is still available to unvaccinated patrons

Others are following suit, with Jolene, also in the West Village, asking for an Excelsior Pass or a vaccination card in order to secure an indoor reservation, and it notes on its Resy that its staff are vaccinated and working without masks.

For the unvaccinated, the spot's outdoor reservations are still available.

Diner in Brooklyn is doing the same, with its indoor space reserved exclusively for the vaccinated, while the unvaccinated can still dine outdoors, according to its Resy page.

Marie's Crisis Cafe, a Broadway showtunes 'Sing-along' piano bar in the West Village says that it has opened its space to vaccinated customers to allow customers and workers alike to safely remove their masks.

Jolene, also in the West Village, is following a similar configuration and is asking indoor customers provide proof of vaccination

Venues are asking for a variety of proof, including digital and physical, but state law prohibits they require it for entry

Diner in Brooklyn has also reserved its indoor dining room for the vaccinated

Other venues are opting to take a different route, and are creating separate seating areas with relaxed social distancing and mask restrictions for the vaccinated, while unvaccinated patrons must still contend with masks and plexiglass barriers.

Carroll Place, an Italian-American wine bar in the West Village plans to do just that starting Wednesday by reserving its main floor for vaccinated guests.

'I started thinking, once everything starts reopening, people want a sense of normalcy,' restaurateur AJ Bontempo told the New York Post.

'When you first walk in, Id like there to be an energy, without all that plexiglass, and to reward people for being vaccinated  to give them that experience.'

Carroll Place is opting to have segregated indoor spaces for the vaccinated and unvaccinated

The majority of the Italian-American eatery's first floor is reserved for the unvaccinated, while the unvaccinated must remain upstairs in socially distanced seating

A an example of a New York Excelsior Pass digital vaccine passport. While a number of venues are asking for proof of vaccination, only places with a capacity of 250 people or above are allowed to require it for entry

Ninety nine of the venue's first-floor seats will be reserved for the vaccinated, with 50 seats upstairs set aside with distanced tables and barriers for the unvaccinated.

'It's based on an honor system,' Bontempo told the outlet, noting the state regulations.

But with the indoor segregated spaces at least, health experts say having restrictions for some and not for others makes little sense.

Epidemiologist Stephanie Silvera said that regardless of barriers and social distancing, unvaccinated people are still susceptible to contracting Covid-19 in close spaces, the Post reported, and she recommended they keep their masks on indoors when not eating.

While outdoor dining might remain, most of New York's social distancing restrictions will end once 70% of its adult population is vaccinated

Other venues, such as Caroline's comedy club in Times Square are following a similar track to Carroll Place.

Owner Caroline Hirsch said she first asks for an Excelsior pass. 'If they dont have it, we ask for their vaccination card, and if they dont have that, we go by the honor system,' she told the Post.

The vaccinated, she said, get the seats closest to the performer.

In the future, Hirsch said she would like to have shows exclusive to vaccinated patrons, with relaxed restrictions throughout the venue.

The segregation measures for most bars may only be a stop-gap measure for many restaurants to get around state regulations.

Governor Cuomo announced this week that that most of the state's remaining COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted once 70% of New Yorkers aged 18 or older have received the first dose of their COVID-19 vaccination.

So far, nearly 69 percent of New Yorkers over 18 have received at least one shot, according to state figures.
DarkSide hackers were able to breach Colonial Pipeline's computer system last month using a single compromised password, according to testimony from the company's top executive and revelations from a cybersecurity expert.

Colonial Pipeline CEO Joseph Blount appeared before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday to discuss the May 7 ransomware attack that caused widespread fuel shortages and panic buying.

Blount assured the panel that Colonial, which is the nation's largest pipeline that supplies about half the fuel consumed on the East Coast, 'takes cybersecurity very seriously.'

Still, he admitted the attack occurred using a legacy Virtual Private Network (VPN) system that did not have multifactor authentication in place, meaning it hinged on a single password.

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Colonial Pipeline CEO Joseph Blount on Tuesday appeared before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, revealing that the May 7 cyberattack occurred using a legacy Virtual Private Network (VPN) system that hinged on a single password

Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) (R) speaks with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) as Joseph Blount, President and Chief Executive Officer, Colonial Pipeline attends a hearing to examine threats to critical infrastructure, focusing on examining the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack

A cybersecurity expert said the password for a VPN account used by the nation's largest fuel pipe had been previously leaked on the dark web, rendering it compromised

He said the system was protected with a complex password. 'It wasn't just Colonial123,' he said.

The VPN account, which allowed employees to remotely access the company's computer network, was not intended to be in use and has since been shut down, Blount said.

Charles Carmakal, senior vice president at cybersecurity firm Mandiant, who responded to the cyberattack, said in an interview with Bloomberg last week that the password for the VPN account had been previously leaked on the dark web, rendering it compromised.

Carmakal noted that he was not sure that is how the DarkSide hackers obtained the password.

Security experts say two-factor authentication, which requires a secondary measure to confirm an individual password like a mobile text or hardware token, should be a basic and standard security precaution.

Most major companies require two-factor across all internal applications. The use of a single factor login system, security experts say, is generally viewed as a sign of poor cybersecurity 'hygiene.'

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced on Monday the recovery of millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency from the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attacks in May

in his testimony before the Senate on Tuesday, Blount defended his decision to pay the hackers a ransom totaling about $4.4million, even as federal authorities have discouraged such transactions.

'I made the decision to pay, and I made the decision to keep the information about the payment as confidential as possible,' Blount told Senators. 'It was the hardest decision Ive made in my 39 years in the energy industry, and I know how critical our pipeline is to the country  and I put the interests of the country first.'

Asked how much worse it would have been if the company hadnt paid to get its data back, Blount said, 'Thats an unknown we probably dont want to know. And it may be an unknown we probably dont want to play out in a public forum.'

Blounts testimony, his first since the May 7 cyberattack that led the pipeline to halt operations, underscored the dilemma facing both the private industry and the federal government as ransomware attacks have proliferated in scale and sophistication.

US authorities have cautioned against payments for fear of encouraging additional attacks, but Blounts remarks made clear the enormous economic consequences if ransoms arent paid and critical infrastructure is shut down.

In this case, the Justice Department announced on Monday it has been able to recover most of the ransom after seizing a virtual bitcoin wallet used to hide the proceeds.

Though officials said they may be able to achieve similar success in future ransomware attacks, that is hardly guaranteed.

Blount said the Georgia-based company began negotiating with the hackers on the evening of the May 7 attack and paid a ransom of 75 bitcoin  then valued at roughly $4.4million  the following day. The hack prompted the company to suspend operations before the ransomware could spread to its operating systems.

A sign is seen as Exxon station is out of gas on May 15 after a cyberattack crippled the biggest fuel pipeline in the country

The cyberattack caused panic buying in several states on the East Coast that were affected by the shutdown of the nation's largest fuel pipeline

Though the FBI has historically discouraged ransomware payments for fear of encouraging cyberattacks, Colonial officials have said they saw the transaction as necessary to resume the vital fuel transport business as rapidly as possible.

'It was our understanding that the decision was solely ours to make about whether to pay the ransom,' Blount said.

The encryption tool the hackers provided the company in exchange for the payment helped 'to some degree' but was not perfect, with Colonial still in the process of fully restoring its systems, Blount said.

'If you start to look at the fact that it took us from Friday all the way to Wednesday afternoon the following (to resume operations), and we already started to see pandemonium going on in the markets, people doing unsafe things like filling garbage bags full of gasoline or people fist-fighting in line at the fuel pump, the concern would be what would happen if it had stretched on beyond that amount of time,' Blount said.

'What would happen at the airports where we supply a lot of jet fuel, let alone what might happen at the gas pump,' he added.

The operation to seize cryptocurrency paid to the Russia-based hacker group is the first of its kind to be undertaken by a specialized ransomware task force created by the Biden administration Justice Department.

It reflects a rare victory in the fight against ransomware as US officials scramble to confront a rapidly accelerating threat targeting critical industries around the world.

'By going after the entire ecosystem that fuels ransomware and digital extortion attacks  including criminal proceeds in the form of digital currency  we will continue to use all of our resources to increase the cost and consequences of ransomware and other cyber-based attacks,' Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said Monday in announcing the operation.

The Bitcoin amount seized  63.7, currently valued at $2.3million after the price of Bitcoin tumbled amounted to 85 per cent of the total ransom paid, which is the exact amount that the cryptocurrency-tracking firm Elliptic says it believes was the take of the affiliate who carried out the attack.

The ransomware software provider, DarkSide, would have gotten the other 15 per cent.

'The extortionists will never see this money,' said Stephanie Hinds, the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, where a judge earlier Monday authorized the seizure warrant.

Ransomware attacks  in which hackers encrypt a victim organizations data and demand a hefty sum for returning the information  have flourished across the globe. Last year was the costliest on record for such attacks. Hackers have targeted vital industries, as well as hospitals and police departments.

Weeks after the Colonial Pipeline attack, a ransomware attack attributed to REvil, a Russian-speaking gang that has made some of the largest ransomware demands on record in recent months, disrupted production at Brazils JBS SA, the worlds largest meat processing company.

The ransomware business has evolved into a highly compartmentalized racket, with labor divided among the provider of the software that locks data, ransom negotiators, hackers who break into targeted networks, hackers skilled at moving undetected through those systems and exfiltrating sensitive data  and even call centers in India employed to threaten people whose data was stolen to pressure for extortion payments.
Republicans are demanding to know more about a classified report from an influential government laboratory that recommended as far back as May last year that more investigation was needed into whether the COVID-19 pandemic leaked from a Chinese research facility.

The report found the hypothesis of a lab leak to be plausible and its conclusions were used by the State Department as it probed the pandemic's origins in the last months of the Trump administration, according to the Wall Street Journal.

It was produced by researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a biodefense research facility in California, which is largely funded by the Department of Energy.

Republicans on Capitol Hill examining the pandemic's origins are demanding to know more about the report. And have been pressing the Department of Energy for details.

Rep. Morgan Griffith, who sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said part of the problem in getting to the truth had been the Chinese government's lack of openness.

'But uncovering the truth need not depend on a newfound commitment to transparency and accountability in Beijing,' he said.

'Our countrys diplomatic, security, and public health agencies have information about the origins of COVID-19.

Lawrence Livermore National Lab's (above) secretive 'Z Division' intelligence unit produced the report on May 27, 2020, but it did not reach the State Department until last October

President Biden has ordered the intelligence community to redouble efforts into finding out whether the novel coronavirus emerged naturally or from a lab. Researchers at the Wuhan Institute for Virology are seen in this February 2017 file photo

'Rare' genome sequence suggests the virus WAS man-made Two U.S. experts have penned a damning essay saying that science strongly suggests the novel coronavirus was manufactured inside a Chinese laboratory. The claim was made by Drs Stephen Quay, CEO of biopharmaceutical company Atossa Therapeutics Inc, and Richard Muller, a physics professor at the University of California Berkeley, in The Wall Street Journal on Sunday. In the op-ed, the men say their proof lies in genome sequencing, or analyzing the DNA, of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. There are 36 DNA segments - made up of three-letter 'words' - that viruses use to make an amino acid known as L-arginine. L-arginine helps make proteins but is also often used in so-called 'gain of function' research, which alters viruses to make them more transmissible and more deadly. The new virus contains a segment called CGG-CGG, which is considered rare even in experiments in which researchers are trying to manipulate virus. But even more telling is that this combination has never been found naturally in any other type of coronavirus, including in SARS and MERS, both of which are cousins of the new virus. 'A virus simply cannot pick up a sequence from another virus if that sequence isn't present in any other virus,' Quay and Muller wrote. 'The CGG-CGG combination has never been found naturally. That means the common method of viruses picking up new skills, called recombination, cannot operate here.' Advertisement

'None of them may have the full picture, and some of them may lack the capacity to analyze the data they have on their own.'

He id the COVID-19 origins investigation launched by House Energy Commerce Committee Republicans had also asked for information and classified briefings from the Departments of State and Homeland Security on any relevant material they have.

Most scientists still believe that a natural crossover from an animal host remains the most likely explanation for the emergence of COVID-19.

But the classified study will raise fresh questions about why more was not done to probe the possibility it leaked from a laboratory.

People familiar with the report said it was prepared by Lawrence Livermore's Z division, which is tasked with making technical assessments of foreign weapons capabilities.

It reportedly drew on genetic analysis of the coronavirus for some of its conclusions.

However, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken cast doubt on its methodology.

'I saw the report. I think it's on a number of levels, incorrect,' he told a Senate committee Tuesday.

The existence of the study was previously reported by Sinclair Broadcasting and Vanity Fair, which said it was used last fall by a State Department investigation.

But investigators said the Department of Energy, which oversees the Lawrence Livermore lab, tried unsuccessfully to block the State Department from talking to the authors of the report.

David Asher, who headed the investigation, said he believed the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), the laboratory at the center of the controversy may have been conducting weapons research.

Some of their findings were declassified in a State Department fact sheet published in January.

It pointedly did not rule out the possibility that the coronavirus was part of a weapons program.

'Despite the WIV presenting itself as a civilian institution, the United States has determined that the WIV has collaborated on publications and secret projects with Chinas military,' it said.

'The WIV has engaged in classified research, including laboratory animal experiments, on behalf of the Chinese military since at least 2017.'
A mother who confronted a group of men taking their horses for a dip in the Serpentine lido has spoken of her shock and upset at their 'cruel' behaviour, which left her 11-year-old daughter 'broken' and in tears.

The 39-year-old woman, who asked only to be named as Rebecca, stepped up to intervene as the men rode their animals into the central lake in London's Hyde Park on Saturday.

Footage taken by an onlooker showed her squaring up to the group, who are believed to be travellers, as they claimed to be cooling off the animals in the water.

As a row rumbled on for several minutes, Rebecca was seen on camera shouting: 'You don't get to tell me to shut up.'

Police were called as tensions escalated and Rebecca tonight told MailOnline how she and her daughter were left shaken by the 'terrifying' ordeal and that she felt taking horses into the water risked endangering children swimming in there and the animals themselves.

'They were acting like big baddies in a pantomime wrestling show,' she said.

'They rode in on bareback horses with such bravado, as if with the intention of making a spectacle.

'It was so incredible. If it wasn't caught on video, no one would probably believe us.

'I know travellers have deep connection with horses, and they kept saying that it was their culture and we were being racist, and that we were ruining it for them by asking for them to get out of the pool.

'But is it in their culture to endanger children or abuse animals? I was just worried about my daughter and all the other young children in the water.'

The 39-year-old woman, who asked only to be named as Rebecca, stepped up to intervene as the men rode their animals into the central lake in London's Hyde Park on Saturday

One of the men struggles to stay on the horse, which he rode into the water, much to the shock of onlookers

Rebecca described seeing one of the horses almost completely submerged underwater

She claimed that the group, which included as many as 12 people altogether, were drunk and becoming increasingly aggressive, making a series of gestures and comments towards her and other onlookers.

The ordeal lasted around 30 minutes, before police finally arrived on the scene and began breaking up the chaos.

'At one point one of the horses started to buckle and slip, and these men just started hitting and kicking it, said Rebecca, a women's fitness specialist from south London.

'You could also see one of the horse's heads being submerged under the water. I felt like a caged animal watching this man be that cruel.

'I tried to tell my daughter that we'd talk about it at home but she was absolutely broken by it. Horses are her favourite animal. I've only seen her cry like that when her rabbit died.

'I'm a massive animal lover and animal rights activist as well. It was upsetting on so many levels.'

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said officers were called at 4.36pm when sunseekers' swimming sessions were abruptly cut short.

Comments underneath a social media post sharing the video suggest the animals may have been brought to the water before they were raced along the embankment cycle lane.

Police officers were called to Hyde Park on Saturday to reports of ponies in the popular swimming spot

Footage taken by an onlooker showed a mother squaring up to a group of men as the horses cooled off amid high temperatures

One read: 'Just watering their horses before charging down the embankment cycle lane. I saw them at tower hill breaking the 20 mph limit. Luckily as usual hardly any bikes about.'

One mother wanted the men to get out of the water immediately. She told another group of men standing at the water's edge: 'I will not go away. I don't have to shut up, you don't get to tell me to shut up. Get them out of the water.'

It is unclear what the men said to her.

Police revealed no arrests were made, adding: 'Police were called around 16:36 hrs on Saturday, 5 June to reports of horses in the Serpentine, Hyde Park.

'Officers attended and advised the horse riders that it was an offence to have animals in the Serpentine. They got out of the water and left the area.'

Twitter users had reported seeing traveller horses and pony traps elsewhere in the capital on Saturday afternoon, including around 15 to 20 at 2.30pm at Bishopsgate and one at Borough High Street.

Temperatures on Saturday soared to 77F (25C) as families headed out to the beach or London's parks to enjoy the sun.

People lie down on the grass at Wimbledon Common, in London, as hot weather hit the capital on Saturday

It is not known if the men were part of the same group that police had to evict from Ravenscourt Park in west London last week.

At 7pm on Thursday night around 12 caravans and cars parked in Ravenscourt Park - just three days after they were forced out of Kew Green, which is just 3.7miles away, on Tuesday.

Jim, a member of the travelling community at the park, claimed they had to move from the wealthy area after people broke into their homes and others were victims of racist abuse.

On Wednesday, legal representatives from Richmond Council said it had been granted a three-month order banning travellers from returning to the Kew site.

Metropolitan Police officers have been called to Ravenscourt Park, where an eviction notice has been served. It is believed the caravans could be moved on within hours.

It is not known if the men were part of the same group that police had to evict from Ravenscourt Park in west London last week

A group of travellers moved into Ravenscourt Park in West London, having been previously moved out of Kew and Windsor in recent days

Police were at the scene in Ravenscourt Park observing what was happening with a van equipped with CCTV

A neighbourhood enforcement van was deployed after officers received complaints about the travellers in the park

More than a dozen caravans pulled up in Ravenscourt Park in Hammersmith, west London on Thursday evening

A Hammersmith and Fulham Council spokesman told MailOnline: 'We've worked closely with the Met Police and a notice has been served to require the owners of the vehicles to leave the park immediately.'

Photographs showed cars towing caravans into the park after members of the group broke into a gate that closed the area off to traffic.

Around a dozen vehicles were photographed parked in rows on the grass at the popular leafy park in west London, where the average house is worth 1.05million.

Jim, one of those parked up in Ravenscourt Park, said he did not know where to take his family next after the group were moved on from three sites in 24 hours.

He said: 'We just arrived last night from Kew and they've already used a section 61 on us to move on. They're abusing us pretty badly because they keep using it on us and moving us on. We've been moved three times in 24 hours, once at one in the morning and then at 10am the next day.'

He claimed people tried to break into their caravans, before the group chased them away. 'Then when the police arrived they blamed us, as always, which I think is disgusting,' he added.

Rubbish left behind after a group of travellers spent the bank holiday weekend on Kew Green in west London

'When you have six kids and you don't even have time to feed them, because by the time you've cooked a meal you've got to leave again.

'Some of the lads here have real mental health issues because of this - some have even thought about committing suicide. I don't know where we're going to go next, so I'm just going to get in my car and get on the motorway.'

He said he 'felt like crying' after the group were moved on from Kew Green, because he didn't know where to go.

'I'm going to have to look at my wife and tell her I don't know where we're going, which doesn't make you feel like much of a man, does it?

'Yesterday I sat down and felt like crying, because I'm sat in a trailer with my wife and kids, and they can't go out.

'If they go to the play park over there, they get called names and insulted by the other kids, so I don't let them go out. It was good here, because we have public toilets and we've kept the police clean. Any rubbish you see was there when we arrived.'

A Richmond Council spokesman previously said there was no damage to Kew Green after the group were forced to leave. Piles of rubbish which had been left behind were removed by officials.

Photographs, taken before the group moved, showed a group of men gathering to drink beers. Others were seen hacking away at a large oak tree with two machetes as they appeared to build a swing.
Actress and outspoken MeToo activist Alyssa Milano has revealed that she is considering a run for Congress in a California district that has long been held by Republicans.

Milano, 48, told The Hill on Tuesday that she is 'looking at' a 2024 run in California's 4th Congressional District, a seat that Republican Tom McClintock won handily in November.

The district has not elected a Democrat to the House since 1990, but Milano believes her celebrity and wealth could flip the seat out of the hands of Republicans.

'It's going to take someone with, I think, name recognition and deep pockets to be able to run against McClintock, and so I'm considering it,' said Milano.

Actress and outspoken leftwing activist Alyssa Milano has revealed that she is considering a run for Congress in California

Milano, 48, is 'looking at' a 2024 run in California's 4th Congressional District, a seat that Republican Tom McClintock (above) won handily in November

'I'm basically gathering information right now, speaking to different consultants, speaking to the community,' the actress said. 'I would love to maybe consider flipping that seat blue.'

The district covers a broad, mostly rural swathe of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Northern California, including Yosemite National Park.

'The Republicans have basically had a strong arm there in the 4th District,' said Milano.

She said she splits her time between Truckee, which is in the 4th District, and Bell Canyon, a wealthy enclave outside Los Angeles.

Milano recently finished shooting a Netflix moving and is planning to join an upcoming reboot of Who's The Boss alongside her original co-star Tony Danza.

'Before I run, obviously I can't do both at the same time,' she says of her acting work. 'So it's just really going to be about timing.'

'My intentions are to make the world a better place,' Milano said of her political aspirations

The actress has long been outspoken on social issues, including the MeToo movement, and insists that her background qualifies her for high office.

'I've been an activist since I was 15 years old,' she told The Hill. 'The first pictures of me in the White House are with Nancy Reagan. I've been at this a really long time.'

'I'm very hands-on, boots on the ground, as far as the work that I do,' Milano said. 'My intentions are to make the world a better place.'

Milano on Tuesday joined a virtual delegation from the activist group Creative Coalition to urge lawmakers to continue federal funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.

Last month, Milano starred in a public service announcement urging people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Actress Alyssa Milano speaks during a rally protesting the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh in front of the U.S. Supreme Court September 28, 2018 in Washington, DC

Milano said in the ad that she still suffers debilitating symptoms 14 months after recovering from infection.

She said that she's still suffering from shortness of breath, heart palpitations, brain fog, exhaustion and 'aches and pains that feel like they're on a skeletal level.'

'The vaccine is completely safe for people who have had COVID and I think it's really important that everyone, including those who have had COVID, get vaccinated,' Milano said in the PSA.

'This virus is like nothing I've ever experienced in my life and impacted every part of my health, from my mental health to my physical health,' she added.
Pfc. Dalton Beals, 19, passed away partway through a training exercise which took place on Parris Island in South Carolina on Friday

The Marine Corps have launched an investigation after a young recruit died during a grueling 54-hour training exercise known as the 'Crucible'.

Pfc. Dalton Beals, 19, passed away partway through the exercise, which took place on Parris Island in South Carolina on Friday.

Beals had been assigned to Echo Company in the 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, with the Crucible capping off an intense 13-week boot camp.

'Our deepest condolences go out to Dalton's family and to the Marines and staff of Echo Company,' the Marines wrote, announcing the death in a Facebook post.

The Marines website states that the Crucible is a series of challenges that test recruits 'physical strength, skills and the Marine Corps values they have learned throughout training.'

It adds that recruits are 'only allowed a limited amount of food and sleep'.

The Marines would not reveal at what stage during the Crucible Beals passed away.

Beals (center) is pictured with his family in a recent social media snap. The seemingly-healthy teenager died suddenly during the Crucible

The Crucible includes an intense 9 mile hike, which concludes with the recruits receiving a pin which signifies that they have earned the title of Marine.

Marines spokesman, Bobby Yarbrough, told Task & Purpose that Beals would be awarded the title posthumously.

'The Drill instructors and Company staff made the determination that based on his resolve and dedication throughout recruit training and the Crucible, Pfc. Beals earned the title Marine,' he told the publication.

Beals is the seventh trainee to die on Parris Island since the year 2000.

Back in 2016, one female recruit threw herself to her death after enduring verbal abuse from one of her commanders.

Beals is seen in a social media snap. Beals will be be awarded his Marines title posthumously

Beals' mom, Stacie, has paid tribute to her son, describing him as 'the most sincere, kindhearted, sweet and amazing young man'

Beals was native of Pennsville, New Jersey, and only graduated from Pennsville Memorial High School last year.

His mom, Stacie, has paid tribute to her son, describing him as 'the most sincere, kindhearted, sweet and amazing young man'.

A GoFundMe page has raised more than $26,000 for the family to help cover funeral costs.

The Marines have not stated when they expect their investigation to be completed.
Former State Department officials who investigated China's role in the spread of COVID-19 are demanding that Washington take urgent steps to hold Beijing accountable, with sanctions, a ban on research funding and backing for individuals to launch lawsuits for damages.

They say it is only way to protect the world from another pandemic.

'We cannot afford further impunity by Beijing and passivity from Washington as we enter what may be a century of synthetic biological adventurism and potential biowarfare,' write the former officials, who all worked at the State Department.

David Asher, who led a task force looking into the origins of COVID-19 in the final months of the Trump presidency, Thomas DiNanno, who worked with Asher at the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, David Feith, who was also on the investigation team, Miles Yu, then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's chief China adviser, and Matthew Zweig, a sanctions expert, make their recommendations in a paper published by the Hudson institute.

'Chinas initial silencing and censoring of its doctors and scientists, followed by misinformation about COVID-19s dangers - especially denials concerning the viruss ability to be spread human-to-human, invisibly and asymptomatically - helped cost the world trillions of dollars and millions of lives,' they write.

David Asher spearheaded a task force at the State Department last year looking into the origins of COVID-19 and the role of the Chinese government in its development. He is one of the authors - along with other Trump era officials - demanding that President Biden gets tough on China in order to uncover the truth about how the pandemic began

Thomas Dilanno (left) and David Feith both worked at the State Department and were part of the investigation into COVID-19's origin.

Miles Yu (left) and Matthew Zweig joined their former colleagues in calling for Biden to investigate whether the Wuhan lab embarked on undeclared, classified biological weapons research for the Chinese military

Concerns have been raised about 'gain-of-function' research taking place at the Wuhan Institute for Virology (above), located in the city where the outbreak began

They called on President Joe Biden to cease funding for 'gain of function' research, enforce China's treaty compliance - including requirements to share data - investigate formal sanctions, and establish a new network for pandemic preparedness.

The sanctions probe should look into whether the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the lab at the center of questions, embarked on undeclared, classified biological weapons research and development for the Chinese military.

Their recommendations are drawn from work they conducted in the fall of last year and which concluded there was no proof that COVID-19 appeared spontaneously in nature.

They used the results of a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory which concluded a lab leak was plausible as the origins of the pandemic, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Their work has been used to question whether scientists, other government agencies and the media were too quick to dismiss the lab leak hypothesis.

Whether it emerged from a lab or not, the four write, China must provide answers for the pandemic.

'Whether one believes COVID-19 originated in a zoonotic host, a bat cave, a frozen food shipment, or a Wuhan labs dangerous dual-use research supporting undeclare bioweapons programs, the world needs answers from the Chinese Communist Party,' they write.

'These are answers Beijing wont provide unless it faces a high price for refusing.'

Three members of staff Wuhan Institute of Virology were reported to have sought medical help for COVID-like symptoms in November 2019, adding to growing speculation that the virus escaped from the facility triggered a pandemic

Last month Biden said the inability of inspectors to access key sites in China hampered early investigations as he asked the intelligence community to redouble efforts in investigating how COVID-19 emerged

The authors also have recommendations for Congress.

They want to see an independent bipartisan commission to probe the pandemic's origins; 'curb dual-use abuse,' tightening restrictions on technologies that can be put to military use; impose sanctions on individuals and government bodies that were negligent or withheld information; and support civil litigation.

This might mean expanding the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act to ensure that US federal courts would have jurisdiction over liability claims and enforcement against American assets held by the targets of suits.

In multiple interviews, members of the State Department's investigation say they faced hurdles as they went about their work, warned by officials not to delve too deeply.

In a recent interview, Asher said the problem was that the U.S. government had funded work in China and did not want it to be exposed as the possible source of the coronavirus.

'I'm not saying they are mentally retarded, but they are unqualified and unfit for office,' he said of the people who tried to halt the investigation.

'Moreover they had their hands dirty. Who signed off on all this cooperation with the Chinese?'

The origins of the virus have been under renewed scrutiny after President Biden ordered the intelligence community to redouble its efforts to find the cause.

He ordered a report within 90 days.
Rebekah Jones, pictured in her office at the Florida Department of Health, was a COVID-19 data compiler who claims she was fired last May. She announced her bid for the US House of Representatives on Tuesday

A former Florida Health Department official who was fired for allegedly running a disinformation campaign about the state's COVID-19 response has launched a bid to unseat Matt Gaetz in the US House of Representatives.

Rebekah Jones - an outspoken critic of Florida's Gov Ron DeSantis, who's a close ally of Donald Trump and Gaetz - announced her candidacy in a Twitter statement via WPTV reporter Forrest Saunders.

Jones couldn't tweet the announcement herself because Twitter banned her on Monday for violating the sites 'rules against platform manipulation and spam.'

Saunders tweeted that Jones said the suspension was due to her 'overzealous' sharing of a recent @MiamiHerald article and expected her account would be returned shortly.

It didn't take long for DeSantis to take a victory lap.

His spokesperson, Christina Pushaw, tweeted on Monday, 'Rebekah Jones was NOT "censored" by Twitter for anything she posted.

'She was suspended because she broke a clear rule against buying followers (platform manipulation) and  all evidence points to this  hijacking the accounts of unsuspecting users to make them follow her.'

This reportedly accelerated Jones' announcement timeline. Instead of waiting another month, she said she was taking on Gaetz Tuesday.

'Didn't want to announce it this way, but since DeSantis is now taking credit for me getting suspended for sharing an article that proves he's a sociopathic liar it looks like I have to say it this way,' Jones wrote through a screenshot reported that Saunders reported.

'I'm running for Matt Gaetz's seat next year,' she said. 'No more sex traffickers in congress!'

Gaetz, a controversial Republican congressman representing Florida, has made a name for himself as a strong defender of former president Donald Trump (pictured together)

Jones announced her candidacy in a Twitter statement via WPTV reporter Forrest Saunders - after her own Twitter account was suspended

It didn't take long for DeSantis to take a victory lap. His spokesperson, Christina Pushaw, tweeted on Monday, 'Rebekah Jones was NOT "censored" by Twitter for anything she posted

Jones was referring to a Justice Department investigation that is looking into allegations that Gaetz paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl.

The age of consent in Florida - where the encounter is said to have taken place - is 18. He denies the allegations.

Jones - a self-proclaimed whistleblower - has been embroiled in her own legal entanglements since she was fired from her state job last May.

Before she was booted from her position as a state health department data scientist, she was credited with leading a team in the creation Florida's COVID-19 dashboard early on in the pandemic.

Jones claimed she was fired because she refused to manipulate the state's infection numbers, but DeSantis has said she was fired because of 'insubordination'.

Jared Moskowitz, Florida's head of emergency management, told Politico in a story that published Friday that she was leaking information and running a 'disinformation' campaign against the state's COVID-19 response.

Rebekah Jones, was a COVID-19 data compiler for the state of Florida before she was fired last May, plans to run against Republican US Representative Matt Gaetz

'With a platform of 400,000 Twitter followers, her reputation for bullying people on social media and her running a disinformation campaign that the national media echoed, she was more dangerous as an enemy than a friend,' Moskowitz told Politico.

Then Jones was arrested in December following a highly publicized search of her home after she was accused of hacking a state-run computer network and ultimately charged with illegally gaining access to a computer system, a felony.

That case is still pending.

She was also fired in 2017 from Florida State University when she was a PhD student and instructor for having an affair with her student. She was charged with three counts of cyberstalking her student Garrett Sweeterman, then 21, in July 2019.

Jones sued her ex-boyfriend in June 2019 in civil court, accusing him of intentionally inflicting emotional distress, sexual battery, domestic violence, emotional abuse and defamation. She abandoned the lawsuit weeks later.

Jones said the 68 pages she was accused of publishing online were excerpts from a longer, 342-page collection of essays she wrote about her relationship with her ex-boyfriend. Those documents were filed in circuit court as part of her civil lawsuit.
NYC Mayoral candidate Eric Adams, a 22-year veteran of the NYPD, has slammed opponent Maya Riley for hiring private security in her neighborhood while encouraging calls to defund the police.

Wiley and her husband pay $550 a month for a private security car to patrol the neighborhood of Brooklyn they live in, where they live in a $2.75million home.

She is however calling for more cuts to the NYPD, while the rest of the city faces a spiraling crime problem.

On Tuesday, her opponent Adams called her a hypocrite.

He said Maya's stance was an insult to Justin Wallace, the murdered 10-year-old boy who was killed by stray bullets in Queens over the weekend, saying at a press conference: 'What do I tell Justins mom? That protection is only for affluent New Yorkers?'

'When I read that article today, to learn that a candidate in the race has private security while theyre saying to other families that are frightened over gun violence, that you dont need any more security. Thats just not fair. Thats not fair.

'To me, thats the highest level of hypocrisy. Security  must be for every New Yorker and this is what Ive been saying on this trail over and over and over again.

'I just think this is the wrong message when you have private security and at the same time, youre telling New Yorkers, "You dont need more security."

'Thats just not right.

NYC mayoral hopeful Eric Adams called Maya Wiley a hypocrite on Tuesday as he spoke at a campaign rally. Wiley wants to defund the NYPD. She can afford to spend $550 a month for private security in her Brooklyn neighborhood

NYC mayoral candidate Maya Wiley leaving her $2.75million home in Brooklyn

'New Yorkers deserve public security, and its called NYPD, that gives both justice and safety.'

Wiley - who is AOC's pick for the next mayor - blamed the fee on her husband, saying he'd been paying it without her knowledge and that it was 'ridiculous' but that he had also been the victim of a mugging in 2001.

'I think its ridiculous and we shouldnt have it.

'Its neither effective nor does it create the sense of community that I support. And I dont think it reflects the actual reality of our community in terms of whether its even needed.

'The complicating factor is that Harlan was mugged after September 11th.

'To this day, if its dark out he walks down the middle of the street, he doesnt walk on the [poorly lit] sidewalk.

'And he said, one night he was coming home from work and he saw the car at the end of the block and it just made him feel better.

So far this year, there have been 564 shootings, up from 318 this time last year which is a jump of 77.4 percent. In the final week of May, there were 33 shootings across New York City. The number of shooting victims has also risen by 76.9 percent from 360 by this time last year to 637 this year.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (left) threw her support behind civil rights lawyer Maya Wiley (right) for New York mayor over the weekend

'And so he started paying again and then I had a very hard time saying, "dont do it",' she told The New York Daily News last December.

The couple live in a $2.75million, 4,000-sq-ft house in Brooklyn. Her husband Harlan Mandel, 58, is CEO of a multimillion investment fund.

She wants to defund the police but she and her neighbors pay for private security for their wealthy area.

Adams worked in the NYPD for 22 years. He doesn't want to strip it of anymore funding and instead says he knows how best to utilize the money they have.

One of his promises is to civilianize the paperwork side of the job that can chalk up hours of overtime pay, and have cops instead focus on street work.

He says that he will also reinstate what was formerly the anti-crime unit, and instead make it an anti-gun unit.

Adams is also promising to send cops in low areas of crime to the city's worst affected areas to try to turn the escalating crime rise around. He also wants to appoint the first female NYPD Commissioner.
Chuck Schumer on Tuesday criticized a bipartisan Senate report on the January 6th MAGA riot for not doing enough of examination of Donald Trump's role in that day's events.

'They almost assiduously avoided two words that are vital to finding out what happened on January 6: Donald Trump. The Republicans reportedly didn't want any mention of him at all,' the Senate Democratic Leader said.

The 127-page report is the the most comprehensive to date on the intelligence, communications and policing failures on that fateful day.

Democrats immediately were critical of it for not containing enough detail on Trump's actions, for not stating his claims that the election was stolen from him are false or exploring the implications that the former president fanned the flames of his supporters in the days leading up to the event.

The report noted that then President Trump encouraged his supporters to go to the Capitol in his remarks on ellipse in front of the White House the morning of January 6th. A copy of his speech was appended to the report, but it did not discuss his role. It also fell short of labelling the riot an insurrection.

Chuck Schumer criticized a bipartisan Senate report on the January 6th MAGA riot for not doing enough of examination of Donald Trump's role

Democrats were not the only ones to take issue with the report.

US Capitol Police denied that intelligence leading up to the January 6th MAGA riot revealed the pro-Trump crowd would storm the building as lawmakers certified Joe Biden's presidential victory.

The police department pushed back against a bipartisan Senate report that found there was specific intelligence that the MAGA crowd planned to mount an armed invasion of the Capitol.

'What the intelligence didn't reveal,' US Capitol Police said in their statement Tuesday, 'was the large-scale demonstration would become a large-scale attack on the Capitol Building as there was no specific, credible intelligence about such an attack. The USCP consumes intelligence from every federal agency. At no point prior to the 6th did it receive actionable intelligence about a large-scale attack.'

'Neither the USCP, nor the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Metropolitan Police or our other law enforcement partners knew thousands of rioters were planning to attack the U.S. Capitol. The known intelligence simply didn't support that conclusion,' the police concluded.

But the report, a joint endeavor from the Senate Rules and Administration and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees, found that law enforcement was aware of a plot to breach the Capitol, that maps of the building's tunnel system had been shared online, and that supporters were planning to bring guns to D.C.

The report also found, however, that law enforcement failed to act or share information with uniformed cops.

US Capitol Police denied that intelligence leading up to the January 6th MAGA riot revealed the pro-Donald Trump crowd would storm the building - above riot police clear a hallway inside the Capitol on January 6th

USCP was responding to a new Senate report on that day; above US Capitol Police officers hold rioters at gun point near the House chamber

The investigation also stated that seven people - including three police officers - 'ultimately lost their lives'. Officer Brian Sicknick died of natural causes from a stroke and Jeffrey Smith and Howard Liebengood killed themselves. The Senators also state that Sicknick was hit with 'bear spray', an allegation prosecutors have already dismissed and said it was pepper spray.

One comment seen on a pro-Trump website by intelligence agencies before January 6 read 'this is do or die. Bring your guns'.

'If they [cops] don't show up, we enter the Capitol as the Third Continental Congress and certify the Trump Electors,' another comment on the site read.

The 127-page report, released on Tuesday morning, also said Capitol Police were heavily compromised by multiple failures - poor planning, faulty equipment and a lack of leadership - during the attack.

The force's leadership 'broke down' once protesters had breached the Capitol, it said. Senior police were fighting instead of giving orders and left officers on the front lines without direction.

One officer said police felt 'betrayed' by their leadership. 'We were ill prepared. We were NOT informed with intelligence', they said.

The report also revealed:

Capitol Police failed to share intelligence that maps of the Capitol's tunnel system had been posted online

FBI and Department of Homeland Security dismissed evidence they were given as not credible enough to be deemed intelligence

Capitol Police board members did not fully understand the procedures to request assistance from other agencies or declare an emergency

Police officers were not fully informed of the threat level on January 6 and some were left to fend off protesters without riot gear or helmets as the equipment was locked in a bus nearby

The Department of Defense's response to the riot was informed by criticism that police were too heavy handed during civil unrest following the killing of George Floyd

National Guardsmen did not arrive on site until nearly three hours after they were requested

Capitol Police and intelligence agencies including the FBI knew Trump supporters were threatening to storm the Capitol and wanted to target Democrat lawmakers weeks before January 6, but didn't act, a bipartisan Senate Report has revealed

Hundreds of Donald Trump supporters breached the Capitol building on January 6

Pro-Trump protesters managed to get inside the Capitol, forcing Senators into a lockdown on January 6

'BRING GUNS. IT'S NOW OR NEVER': THE ONLINE THREATS IGNORED BEFORE JANUARY 6 'There are tunnels connected to the Capitol Building! Legislators use them to avoid press, among other things! Take note'

'Forget the tunnels. Get into Capitol Building, stand outside congress. Be in the room next to them. They wont have time [to] run if they play dumb.'

'Deploy Capitol Police to restrict movement. Anyone going armed needs to be mentally prepared to draw down on LEOs. Let them shoot first, but make sure they know what happens if they do.'

'If they don't show up, we enter the Capitol as the Third Continental Congress and certify the Trump Electors.'

'Bring guns. It's now or never.'

'If a million patriots who up bristling with AR's, just how brave do you think they'll be when it comes to enforcing their unconstitutional laws? Don't cuck out. This is do or die. Bring your guns.'

'Surround every building with a tunnel entrance/exit. They better dig a tunnel all the way to China if they want to escape. Advertisement

Since January 6, 465 defendants had been arrested in connection with the attack and the federal government is set to charge a total of 550.

More than 130 defendants have been charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding officers or employee. Forty of those have been using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.

'Three officers lost their lives following the attack,' the new Senate report added.

'USCP Officer Brian Sicknick, a 13-year veteran and member of the First Responder Unit, was stationed on the West Front of the Capitol, where rioters attacked him with bear spray. Officer Sicknick passed away at 9:30 p.m. on January 7.

'Officer Howard Liebengood, a 16-year veteran of USCP, died on January 9. Officer Jeffrey Smith, a 12-year veteran of MPD, died on January 15.'

THREATS IGNORED ON PRO-TRUMP WEBSITES

The pro-Trump website also featured posts calling for protesters to surround the Capitol and be prepared to drag down police.

'A key contributing factor to the tragic events of January 6 was the failure of the Intelligence Community to properly analyze, assess, and disseminate information to law enforcement regarding the potential for violence and the known threats to the Capitol and the Members present that day,' the report said.

The United States Capitol Police said it 'agrees improvements are needed specific to intelligence analysis and dissemination'.

Both the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, heavily criticized in the report, have defended their actions.

The Senate report was a bipartisan review of the riots which interrupted the certification of President Biden's victory on January 6.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN THAT LEFT COPS TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES

It includes new details about the police officers on the front lines who suffered chemical burns, brain injuries and broken bones and who told senators that they were left with no direction when command systems broke down.

'USCP leadership never took control of the radio system to communicate orders to front-line officers,' the investigation found.

'I was horrified that NO deputy chief or above was on the radio or helping us,' one officer told the committee in an anonymous statement.

The 127-page report, released on Tuesday morning, also said Capitol Police were heavily compromised by multiple failures - poor planning, faulty equipment and a lack of leadership - during the attack

The Senate report was a bipartisan review of how hundreds of former President Donald Trump's supporters were able to violently push past security lines and break into the Capitol on January 6

Rioters clash with police as they try to enter the Capitol building through its front doors on January 6

National Guard troops eventually responded to the unfolding crisis but it was not until 5.20pm - hours after it began

The lawmakers are shown back inside the Capitol after the riot. They returned once it was declared secure after 8pm - four hours after Pence made the call

United States Capitol Police Response to the U.S. Senate Capitol Attack Report The Capitol Police issued the following statement in response to the Capitol Attack Report by the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Government Affairs and the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules. The USCP appreciates and welcomes the analysis conducted by the Senate committees. As a consumer of federal intelligence, the Department leadership agrees improvements are needed specific to intelligence analysis and dissemination. Law enforcement agencies across the country rely on intelligence, and the quality of that intelligence can mean the difference between life and death. The USCP also acknowledges it must improve how it collects and shares intelligence with its own officers and stakeholders and has made significant changes since the attack on January 6. The Department has also made major changes to its now Department-wide operations planning processes, even recently bringing on a National Special Security Event planning and coordination expert from the United States Secret Service. Before January 6, the Capitol Police leadership knew Congress and the Capitol grounds were to be the focus of a large demonstration attracting various groups, including some encouraging violence. Based on this information, the Department enhanced its security posture and tried to get support from the National Guard. What the intelligence didn't reveal, as Acting Chief Pittman has noted, was the large-scale demonstration would become a large-scale attack on the Capitol Building as there was no specific, credible intelligence about such an attack. The USCP consumes intelligence from every federal agency. At no point prior to the 6th did it receive actionable intelligence about a large-scale attack. Neither the USCP, nor the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Metropolitan Police or our other law enforcement partners knew thousands of rioters were planning to attack the U.S. Capitol. The known intelligence simply didn't support that conclusion. Advertisement

'For hours the screams on the radio were horrific(,) the sights were unimaginable and there was a complete loss of control. ... For hours NO Chief or above took command and control. Officers were begging and pleading for help for medical triage.'

Acting Chief of Police Yogananda Pittman, who replaced Sund after his resignation, told the committees that the lack of communication resulted from 'incident commanders being overwhelmed and engaging with rioters, rather than issuing orders over the radio.'

The committee's interviews with police officers detail what one officer told them was 'absolutely brutal' abuse from Trump's supporters as they ran over them and broke into the building.

They described hearing racial slurs and seeing Nazi salutes.

One officer trying to evacuate the Senate said he had stopped several men in full tactical gear who said 'You better get out of our way, boy, or we'll go through you to get [the Senators].'

The insurrectionists told police officers they would kill them, and then the members of Congress. One officer said he had a 'tangible fear' that he might not make it home alive.

Another officer told the Senate police had 'frozen cans and bottles, rebar from the construction, bricks, liquids, pepper spray, bear spray, sticks of various widths, pipes, bats' thrown at them during the riot.

At the same time, the senators acknowledged the officers' bravery, noting that one officer told them, 'The officers inside all behaved admirably and heroically and, even outnumbered, went on the offensive and took the Capitol back.'

It recommends immediate changes to give the Capitol Police chief more authority, to provide better planning and equipment for law enforcement and to streamline intelligence gathering among federal agencies.

The United States Capitol Police (USCP) responded to the report saying it 'welcomes the analysis' and that it 'acknowledges it must improve how it collects and shares intelligence with its own officers and stakeholders'.

'Law enforcement agencies across the country rely on intelligence, and the quality of that intelligence can mean the difference between life and death.'

The USCP said it had made 'major changes' to the department since the attack including bringing in a National Special Event planning and coordination expert from the United States Secret Service.

The report, a product of three months of investigation, includes 20 recommendations including changes to intelligence handling and allowing the Capitol Police chief to unilaterally call for emergency back up.

The Capitol cops were drastically outnumbered and quickly overpowered by the crowd which, at one time, was estimated to be as large as 10,000

The report finds that the Pentagon spent hours 'mission planning' and seeking multiple layers of approvals as Capitol Police were being overwhelmed and brutally beaten by the rioters

This was the scene outside the Capitol as the rioters approached while lawmakers ran to safe locations inside

Hundreds of pro-Trump protests gathered outside the Capitol building on January 6

Timeline of Capitol riot 12pm: Trump tells fans at rally 'I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard' 12.53pm Unruly crowd starts to overpower police at the Capitol. Trump is still speaking 1.45pm: Crowd overpowers Capitol police 2.13pm Pence is evacuated from the Senate chamber 2.24pm Trump tweets Pence 'didn't have the courage' not to certify the vote 3.13pm: Trump tweets telling people to 'remain peaceful'. By now, they are inside the Capitol and rioter Ashli Babbitt has been shot dead 3.19pm: Pelosi and Schumer call the Pentagon 3.44pm: Schumer begs Pentagon officials to tell Trump to tell the rioters to go home 4.06pm: Pence calls the Pentagon, telling them to 'clear the Capitol' 4.17pm: Trump releases a video telling rioters to go home peacefully and saying 'go home, you're very special, we love you' 4.30pm: Military plan is 'finalized' but still no troops on ground 5.20pm: First National Guard troops arrive 8pm: Capitol is declared secure Advertisement

As a bipartisan effort, the report does not delve into the root causes of the attack, including Trump's role as he called for his supporters to 'fight like hell' to overturn his election defeat that day. It notably does not call the attack an insurrection.

HOW THE NATIONAL GUARD WAS DELAYED FOR HOURS BY BUREAUCRACY

The Senate report recounts how the Guard was delayed for hours on January 6 as officials in multiple agencies took bureaucratic steps to release the troops.

It details hours of calls between officials in the Capitol and the Pentagon and as the then-chief of the Capitol Police, Steven Sund, desperately begged for help.

It finds that the Pentagon spent hours 'mission planning' and seeking multiple layers of approvals as Capitol Police were being overwhelmed and brutally beaten by the rioters.

It also states that the Defense Department's response was 'informed by criticism' of its heavy-handed response to protests in the summer of 2020 after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police.

The senators are heavily critical of the Capitol Police Board, a three-member panel that includes the heads of security for the House and Senate and the Architect of the Capitol.

The board is now required to approve requests by the police chief, even in urgent situations.

SENATE ON THE CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE BY CAPITOL POLICE

The report recommends that its members 'regularly review the policies and procedures' after senators found that none of the board members on January 6 understood their own authority or could detail the statutory requirements for requesting National Guard assistance.

Two of the three members of the board, the House and Senate sergeants at arms, were pushed out in the days after the attack. Sund also resigned under pressure.

Congress needs to change the law and give the police chief more authority 'immediately,' Minnesota Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said.

The report recommends a consolidated intelligence unit within the Capitol Police after widespread failures from multiple agencies that did not predict the attack even though insurrectionists were planning it openly on the internet.

In a response to the report, the Capitol Police acknowledged the need for improvements, some of which they said they are already making.

The screams on the radio were horrific, the sights were unimaginable, and there was a complete loss of control

'Law enforcement agencies across the country rely on intelligence, and the quality of that intelligence can mean the difference between life and death,' the statement said.

The force's incident command system 'broke down during the attack,' leaving officers on the front lines without orders.

The force's incident command system 'broke down during the attack,' leaving officers on the front lines without orders as hundreds of protesters descended on the Capitol

Police try to fend off pro-Trump protesters outside the Capitol building on January 6

Recommendations from the Senate report Capitol Police Board - Empower the Chief of the USCP to request assistance from the D.C. National Guard in emergency situations - Document and streamline Board policies and procedures for submitting, reviewing, and approving requests from USCP to ensure coordination among all members of the Board - Ensure the Board is appropriately balancing the need to share information with officials with the need to protect sensitive and classified information - Appoint a new Chief of the Capitol Police with appropriate input from USCP officers, congressional leadership, and the committees of jurisdiction U.S. Capitol Police - Ensure USCP has sufficient civilian and sworn personnel, with appropriate training and equipment, in the roles necessary to fulfil its mission - Require a department-wide operational plan for special events - Establish the Civil Disturbance Unit (CDU) as a formal, permanent component of the USCP and ensure that its dedicated officers are properly trained and equipped at all times - Consolidate and elevate all USCP intelligence units into an Intelligence Bureau, led by a civilian Director of Intelligence reporting to the Assistant Chief of Police for Protective and Intelligence Operations; ensure the Bureau is adequately staffed and all agents and analysts are properly trained to receive and analyze intelligence information; and develop policies to disseminate intelligence information to leadership and rank-and-file officers effectively - Update its Incident Command System Directive to address how Incident Commanders are to communicate priorities, strategies, tactics, and threat assessment to front-line officers prior to and during an incident and ensure that the Directive is followed Intelligence Agencies - Review and evaluate handling of open-source information, such as social media, containing threats of violence - Review and evaluate criteria for issuing and communicating intelligence assessments, bulletins, and other products to consumer agencies, such as the Capitol Police - Fully comply with statutory reporting requirements to Congress on domestic terrorism data, including on the threat level and the resources dedicated to countering the threat Department of Defense and D.C. National Guard - Develop standing 'concept of operation' scenarios and contingency plans for responding quickly to civil disturbance and terrorism incidents - Enhance communications prior to and during an event between DOD and DCNG strategic, operational, and tactical decision-makers and commanding generals - Practice for the mobilization of additional National Guard members from neighboring jurisdictions to provide immediate assistance and report to command and control in the event of an emergency - For special events in which a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) is approved, consider proximity and response, among other factors, when deciding where to stage the QRF to ensure the ability to quickly respond to incidents at the Capitol - Clarify the approval processes and chain of command within DOD to prevent delays in authorizing the deployment of the DCNG when authorized Law enforcement and uniformed services in the national capital region - Ensure that Mutual Aid Agreements among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies include all partners in the National Capital Region and that those agreements are regularly reviewed and updated - Conduct joint training exercises to ensure coordination across federal, state, and local governments concerning security threats in the Washington, D.C. area for requesting, receiving, and utilizing emergency assistance House and Senate Sergeants-At-Arms - Develop protocols for communicating with Members of Congress, staff, and other employees during emergencies Advertisement

Republicans claim Capitol rioters face 'unequal justice' compared to recent BLM, Antifa protesters A group of Republican senators have complained in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland that Capitol rioters who are being prosecuted may be receiving 'unequal justice'. The letter called for January 6 rioters to face similar treatment as those who clashed with police in protests sparked by the death of George Floyd last summer. The senators did not defend the rioters who stormed the Capitol  saying they 'fully support' prosecutions. But they called into question what they cast as a disparity and demanded information from the DOJ about tactics authorities used to run down Capitol rioters, while seeking similar information on protests last summer. Advertisement

The report comes two weeks after Republicans blocked a bipartisan, independent commission that would investigate the insurrection more broadly.

'This report is important in the fact that it allows us to make some immediate improvements to the security situation here in the Capitol,' said Michigan Senator Gary Peters, the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which conducted the probe along with the Senate Rules Committee.

Peters added: 'But it does not answer some of the bigger questions that we need to face, quite frankly, as a country and as a democracy'.

The House in May passed legislation to create a commission that would be modelled after a panel that investigated the September 11 terrorist attack two decades ago.

But, the Senate failed to get the 60 votes needed to advance, with many Republicans pointing to the Senate report as sufficient.

The top Republican on the Rules panel, Missouri Senator Roy Blunt, has opposed the commission, arguing that investigation would take too long.

He said the recommendations made in the Senate can be implemented faster, including legislation that he and Senator Klobuchar, the rules committee chair, intend to introduce soon that would give the chief of Capitol Police more authority to request assistance from the National Guard.
National Geographic magazine's editor Susan Goldberg has been mocked online for adding 'white, privileged, with much to learn' to her email signature.

Goldberg added the words on a June 6 newsletter emailed to readers, which invited them to participate in the magazine's Race Card Project, which sees those featured sum up their experience with race in six words.

These arent just binary conversations about Black and white people, reads Goldbergs letter. This quilt, as she describes it, pulls at all manner of cultural threads, from Latinos and Indigenous people to Asians and Iranians.

So, whats my race card? Goldberg continues. This is a hard exercise, but reflecting on the difficult past year, on our fraught politics, and so many frank conversations Ive had with friends and colleagues, for now Ill leave it at this: White, privileged, with much to learn. 

Many took to Twitter to mock Goldberg's decision.

America surely has the most insufferable elite, wrote conservative writer Rod Dreher in a Twitter post with a screen grab of the letter. His tweet has since garnered 7,336 likes, 1,175 shares and 766 comments.

'If she's ashamed of her race, her class, and her ignorance, maybe she should resign,' replied Geoffrey Miller, a psychology professor and writer, to his post and Twitter user Barrington Martin II, a former Atlanta congressional candidate, simply commented, 'cringeworthy.'

National Geographic editor-in-chief Susan Goldberg was mocked on social media for having the email signature, 'white, privileged, with much to learn'

Twitter users like Rod Dreher criticized Goldberg's signature as 'virtue signaling'

Other users agreed in a thread that spans over 700 comments

Many Twitter users criticized Goldberg for not doing enough to prove she is anti-racist

Some Twitter users had suggestions for what Goldberg should do about her privilege

A number of Race Card Project entries are shared on Twitter and all have evoked outraged tweets from mostly conservative outlets and readers threatening to cancel their subscription.

Perhaps the most criticized was a portrait of a white woman from Arkansas with the caption, I am ashamed of my ancestors race. One user wrote I doubt theyre thrilled with her either and another wrote Im ashamed of NatGeo for publishing this story.

A tweet explaining the post in the same thread reads, Lindsey Lovel Heidrich was born in Arkansas and her ancestors ran a small plantation in Georgia and owned slaves. "When I try and bring things up, or I try and criticize the south, you know, it's never gone over great with my family," [she said]. 

Another Race Card Project post shows a young, black man with the caption, 'Black boy. White world, Perpetually exhausted.' The tweet drew hundreds of appalled comments mocking the man in the photo and the idea that the world is white.

A following tweet reads, After a frightening encounter with police right before entering college, Esayas Mehretab decided not to tell his parents, who had fled persecution in Ethiopia. But he discovered that keeping quiet about these challenges takes a toll.

Another shows a mixed-race woman with the caption, I am not an exotic creature. The following tweet explaining the caption reads, Hana Peoples said the constant guessing game about her identity, as well as the harassment and unwanted attention shes received from creepy men, makes her feel like a specimen. Her six-word story was born of exasperation.

Writer Michele L. Norris began pursuing the Race Card Project on her own over a decade ago and National Geographic recently brought her own as a storytelling fellow to continue her work. So far, she has included entries from 500,000 people from 100 countries and territories.

The Race Card Project is one of the most recent efforts made by National Geographic to discuss racism and expose injustice. But many see it as ironic considering the magazine's past.

National Geographic was first published in 1888, but has recently come under fire for treating non-white cultures and native people with what critics say is neo-colonialist disdain. One example that has since been widely shared featured a 1916 issue on Australia referred to the indigenous people of the continent as savages who lacked intelligence.

One Twitter user, named techLurker, summed up the controversy with the tweet, the National Geographic has smoothly transitioned from trafficking in racial stereotypes to . . . trafficking in racial stereotypes. One must admire the evolution, I suppose.

Susan Goldberg spoke of her desire to make amends over criticism by publishing the magazine's Race Issue in April 2018.

She tapped University of Virginia professor John Edwin Mason to examine the magazines archives and pinpoint what it could have done differently.

But many left-leaning sources and Twitter users found the magazine's attempts to emerge from its racist past as being tone deaf and superficial. Vaxton Hartnabrig, of NPRs Code Switch, wrote that the magazine recognizes that race is socially constructed, but acts like its coverage of that means that racism 'could just be waved away.'

What's more is that, since the April 2018 Race Issue, more than 75 percent of the magazines cover stories have been assigned to white male photographers, according to a Vox article published in May. Several current and former staffers say they cannot recall a cover story ever having been assigned to a black female photographer.

National Geographic has also responded to criticism over its racial imbalances by announcing a plan to boost inclusion, and creating a residency program aimed at giving young journalists of color a foot on the latter.
The White House said on Tuesday said Vice President Kamala Harris might head to the border 'at some point,' after Harris indicated on a trip to Guatemala and Mexico that she was not interested in 'grand gestures.'

It was the latest answer to a question that has dogged Harris since President Biden tasked her with dealing with root causes of a migration surge  and the latest indication that Harris' trip to the Golden Triangle would not quell the pressure to visit the source of many migrants seeking to cross the border.

'I think that at some point she may go to the border. We'll see,' said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, who fielded several questions on the topic at her daily briefing.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki faced a series of questions about when Vice President Kamala Harris would visit the border. ''I think that at some point she may go to the border. We'll see,' she said Tuesday

She added further hedging, even while keeping the timing of any visit up in the air.

'If it is constructive and it moves the ball forward for her to visit the border, she certainly may do that,' Psaki added, combining three hedges into her answer.

She said at one point, when pressed: 'I expect, at some time, she may go to the border, but as you know, what her focus has been, what the assignment is, specifically, is to work with leaders in the Northern Triangle. Shes on a trip doing exactly that, exactly what the president asked her to do.'

When a questioner asked Psaki about Republicans 'going crazy on Twitter' following the latest Harris comments, Psaki said: 'They're worked up  I've seen it.'

The apparent walkback came after Harris asserted that 'we've been to the border'  a in comments that aired after she characterized such a move as being for show.

Harris lashed out at at NBC host Lester Holt in an interview Tuesday when he asked why she has refused to the border in the 76 days since President Joe Biden put her in charge of the crisis.

'Do you have any plans to visit the border?' the NBC host questioned Harris in an interview taped Monday in Guatemala during the vice president's first international trip.

'At some point, you know, we are going to the border,' she insisted in the interview 1,308 miles from where migrants are risking their lives crossing the Rio Grande River on inflatable rafts.

'We've been to the border. So this whole thing about the border. We've been to the border. We've been to the border,' she repeated.

'You haven't been to the border,' Holt pushed back.

'And I haven't been to Europe,' Harris snapped, then quickly turned it into her signature laugh.

'And I mean, I don't understand the point that you're making,' she said to Holt 'I'm not discounting the importance of the border.'

Harris met with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday in Mexico City, but had not border visit planned as part of her trip.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz shot back against Harris' comments, claiming she was 'laughing off' the seriousness of the border crisis.

'You haven't been to Europe, you haven't been to Australia, but we don't have an Australian border crisis, we don't have a border crisis in Europe. We have a border crisis on the southern border,' Cruz told Fox News during an interview on America's Newsroom.

Kamala Harris lashed out during an interview on Monday when asked again why she hasn't visited the southern border. 'I haven't been to Europe,' the vice president snapped at interviewer Lester Holt. 'And I mean, I don't understand the point that you're making'

The interview was taped in Guatemala City during Harris' first international trip, which took place 1,308 miles away from the Rio Grande, where families risk their lives to reach the U.S.

A masked Harris met with unmasked Mexican Mexico City, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday in Mexico City, less than 600 miles from the border, but the vice president will not stop there on her way back to D.C.

Central American migrants sit on the ground after being apprehended by Border Patrol agents after crossing the Rio Grande River into La Joya, Texas on June 8, 2021

The migrants are transported on Tuesday by bus to holding facilities where they will be processed

'Come to Texas, come to the Rio Grande Valley, come to McAllen,' the Texas lawmaker insisted of Harris.

'Come see the cages that the Biden-Harris administration has built and then, even more importantly, stand up and be willing to enforce our laws to fix it, because that's not what they're doing right now,' Cruz added.

Minority Whip Steve Scalise tweeted in shock: 'This is a crisis we're talking aboutnot a vacation.'

Perhaps most flamboyant of all responses was from Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado, who released a video Tuesday where she brought a cardboard cut out of Harris with her on a trip to the border.

'She hasn't even been down here to see the border,' Boebert said in a clip of her walking along part of the southern border wall to the tune of instrumental rock music. 'You can't just hear about what's happening, you have to come down here to see for yourself, to really understand the devastating reality at our southern border.'

'So I brought Kamala down to see exactly what this regime is responsible for with their man-made crisis,' she continued.

The video then showed Boebert carrying under her arm sideways a life-sized full-body cutout of Harris.

As Harris continues to refuse to visit the border, Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert released a video where she brought a cardboard cut out of the vice president to a part of the southern border wall

She set up the life-size cut out facing the wall looking into Mexico and said: 'I brought Kamala down to see exactly what this regime is responsible for with their man-made crisis. Now Kamala, I want you to stand here and look at what you've done'

She then set down the cutout so it was facing the border wall and said in a reprimanding tone, 'Now Kamala, I want you to stand here and look at what you've done,' before leaving it there and walking away.

Holt made it clear it was important to bring it up since Republicans have consistently criticized Harris for not visiting the border where the humanitarian crisis is taking place  even though she was put in charge of tackling it.

'Listen, I care about what's happening at the border,' Harris said. 'I'm in Guatemala because my focus is dealing with the root causes of migration. There may be some who think that that is not important, but it is my firm belief that if we care about what's happening at the border, we better care about the root causes and address them. And so that's what I'm doing.'

Harris landed in Guatemala City on Sunday evening for her first out-of-country trip as vice president to address 'root causes' in the country that lead to mass migration to the U.S.

She met with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei on Monday for bilateral talks and later flew to Mexico City, Mexico for the second part of her two-day Latin America trip.

Harris said during a press conference alongside Giammattei on Monday that she does not plan to visit the southern border because it would just be a 'grand gesture' as opposed to a genuine trip.

She vowed to take on corruption and insisted climate change was one of the driving forces behind people fleeing their homes and heading North.

'On the issues of Republicans' political attacks or criticism or even concerns, the reason I am here in Guatemala as my first trip as vice president of the United States is because this is one of our highest priorities,' Harris said during a question and answer portion of her press conference.

'I came here to be here on the ground, to speak with the leader of this nation around what we can do in a way that is significant, is tangible and has real results,' she continued.

'And I will continue to be focused on that kind of work as opposed to grand gestures.'

Congressman Andy Biggs, a Texas Republican, didn't buy Harris' reasoning for not visiting the southern border.

'It is not a grand gesture for Vice President Harris to inspect the damage and inhumanity fueled by the Biden Administration at the southern border,' Biggs said in a statement to DailyMail.com. 'However, Kamala would rather turn a blind eye to the mounting chaos than reinforce Trump's policies that would bring security and stability back to our border.'

Harris' first foreign trip comes as migrants continue to make the trek from Central America to the U.S. southern border. Here people ride rafts across the Suchiate River between Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico and Tecun Uman, Guatemala on June 7, 2021

Customs and Border Patrol number show record numbers of encounters with illegal crossers with a record-high of 178,622 in April alone, continuing on from massive spike in February and March

Other Republicans also have been open about their criticism of Harris refusing to visit the border even after being named 'border czar' by President Joe Biden in March. They claim her avoiding the region is proof she is not committed to solving the problem.

Harris said she 'believes' any migrants who attempt to enter the U.S. through non-legal channels will be turned away if they arrive at the border.

'I want to emphasize that the goal of our work is to help Guatemalans find hope at home,' Harris said after her bilateral meeting with Giammattei.

'At the same time, I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come,' she said, and repeated for emphasis: 'Do not come.'

'The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our border,' the vice president insisted. 'There are legal methods by which migration can and should occur, but we, as one of our priorities, will discourage illegal migrations. And I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back.'

Harris' chief spokesperson Symone Sanders clarified to reporters that the administration still wants immigrants to come to the U.S. by seeking the legal ways to do so from their home countries.

'The President and Vice President have been clear in dissuading people from making the dangerous and treacherous journey to the U.S./Mexico border,' Sanders said.

'We encourage those who do want to come to the U.S. to do so legally and seek legal immigration options in their home countries,' she continued. 'The Vice President is committed to addressing the root causes of migration, which also addresses why migrants are coming to our border.'

Harris and Guatemalan President Alejandro Giamattei (right) held a bilateral meeting in Guatemala on Monday as part of talks to deal with 'root causes' of mass migration from Latin America to the U.S.

Harris' first international trip was met with protesters demanding she 'mind your own business'

'Kamala go home' one sign read outside the Guatemalan Air Force facility

'This is disappointing': AOC slams Kamala for telling migrants not to come and blames the US for influx after 'setting Latin America on fire' Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has described Kamala Harris' remarks on immigration as 'disappointing', after the vice president used a speech in Guatemala to declare to migrants: 'Do not come'. Ocasio-Cortez accused the United States of having 'set the house on fire' when it comes to Latin America - but being unwilling to allow people to escape. She didn't explain why she made her explosive claim. She then argued that the U.S. needed to emphasize the root causes of migration, rather than punishing those who seek to enter the country. She reacted to a clip of Harris' press conference by stating: 'This is disappointing to see. 'First, seeking asylum at any US border is a 100% legal method of arrival. Second, the US spent decades contributing to regime change and destabilization in Latin America. We can't help set someone's house on fire and then blame them for fleeing.' Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, pictured on June 5, criticized Vice President Kamala Harris' remarks in Guatemala. On Monday Harris told would-be migrants from the country that her message was: 'Do not come' The New York congresswoman added: 'It would be helpful if the US would finally acknowledge its contributions to destabilization and regime change in the region. 'Doing so can help us change US foreign policy, trade policy, climate policy, & carceral border policy to address causes of mass displacement & migration.' She was responding to Harris' remarks at her press conference on Monday besides Alejandro Giammattei, Guatemala's president. Advertisement

Republicans were not happy with Harris classifying a trip to the border as a 'grand gesture.'

'Traveling to our Southern Border is not a grand gesture; it is her responsibility as the 'Border Czar' and Vice President of the United States,' Republican Florida Representative Byron Donalds told DailyMail.com.

'Vice President Harris is refusing to travel to the border because she will be forced to acknowledge the crisis she and the President have created if she does,' he continued.

'Local, State, and Federal leaders and law enforcement officials will be the first to let the Vice President know that there is a growing crisis on the border and that ignoring it or evading her responsibility by examining the root causes will only exacerbate this crisis.'

Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy also tore into Harris' bid to tackle the crisis as 'spend now strategize later'. In a statement he wrote: 'Today marks 75 days since President Biden chose Vice President Harris as his administration's point person to '[stem] the migration to our southern border.' She still has yet to travel to our southern border and see the extent of the crisis she and President Biden have created over the past six months.

'Instead of upholding her responsibilities to the American people and our communities impacted by the border crisis, Vice President Harris decided to focus her efforts on studying the 'root causes of migration' from Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries.

'That's why she's in Guatemala today, her first foreign trip since becoming Vice President, where she just held a press conference during which she dismissed going to the border as nothing more than 'grand gestures,' and declined to say when she'd actually go.

'This unconventional approach is nothing more than a cynical political decision to ensure the blame doesn't fall on her shoulders by distancing herself from Biden's Border Crisis.

'Now Vice President Harris and the Biden administration want to take the typical Democrat approach of throwing more taxpayer dollars at a problem without first thinking through a coherent strategy. Over the next four years, President Biden is proposing we send $4 billion in aid to Central America with the pretense this will help curb the historic migration happening at our southern border. But there are two glaring problems to their proposal of spending our way out of the border crisis: Aid programs have failed to stem migration in the past and border order apprehensions of individuals from countries outside of Central America are rapidly increasing.

'As Vice President, Biden has already tried spending our way out of a migration surge. He 'led an enormous push to deter people from crossing into the United States by devoting hundreds of millions of dollars to Central America.' However, that never panned out. In fact, in Guatemala specifically, the $1.6 billion America provided in aid over the last decade proved ineffective.

'Vice President Harris won't find the root cause of the border crisis on her Central America tour because it's her and President Biden's policies that are actually responsible. And word that our southern border is open reached significantly further than just Central America. The Border Patrol reported that encounters with individuals from nations other than Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador jumped by 35 percent since March 2021, and individuals from over 160 countries have recently been apprehended.'

GOP Senator Rick Scott called Harris' refusal to visit the border 'disgraceful' and an 'insult' to border law enforcement.

He said: 'Months after being chosen to lead the Biden administration's response to the border crisis it created, Vice President Harris has shown she'll do anything to avoid taking responsibility and showing real leadership. Her continued refusal to address the border crisis  which threatens the safety of American families  is disgraceful and an insult to our brave Customs and Border Protection agents. Buy in from Guatemala and Mexico is critical to getting this crisis under control, but first, Biden and Harris must acknowledge the humanitarian and national security chaos their policies have created here in America and see it firsthand at our border. Anything less is an unacceptable failure.'

Harris affirmed during her bilateral press conference Monday that she told Giammattei the U.S. will be donating 500,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine to Guatemala.

Harris was greeted with protesters when she arrived for her first international trip as vice president in Guatemala City, which is 1,308 miles from where families are streaming across the U.S.-Mexico border.

'Kamala go home,' one white flag with black painted letters read, while another demanded she 'mind her own business'.

As the vice president rode in her motorcade from her hotel to Palacio Nacional de la Cultura, reporters spoted a group of pro-Trump demonstrators with signs reading: 'Kamala, Trump won.'

During the press conference, Giammattei vowed Guatemala would set up 'returnee centers' where they would accept their citizens who the U.S. sent back after crossing the border illegally.

Harris began her meeting with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei with quick remarks where she said: 'I very much have been looking forward to this trip, we have had many conversations, but it is good to see you in person.'

The two have spoken on the phone previously.

'I am very proud that this is my first foreign trip as vice president,' Harris continued. 'It is a reflection of the priority that President Biden placed on this region.'

As Harris commenced her two-day trip south of the border, migrant families continue to stream over into the U.S. either by foot or on inflatable rafts.

Harris doubled-down that she will not be visting the border during her trip  or any time soon. 'I will continue to be focused on [addressing root causes of migration and corruption] as opposed to grand gestures'

The border is closed: During the press conference, Harris warned those thinking of crossing illegally: 'Do not come!' She said, 'I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back'

Ahead of the meeting, Giammattei made a statement in English.

'Thank you very much for your visit,' he said to Harris. 'For us, it's very important to have you here because it means that Guatemala and the United States can work as partners with common goals.'

He details some of the main goals as addressing narcotics trafficking, immigration, corruption in the region and building up prosperity walls within departments near the border with Mexico.

In a press conference following the meeting, Giammattei said  in Spanish this time  that the two nations would work toward more 'orderly migration' that would 'allow people to migrate regularly to the United States.'

'We also spoke about the need to support the United States with a returnee center that will be located in the western part of the country,' he continued, adding they are wording on a 'strong family reunification program.'

These efforts, he ensured, would 'help to ensure that the flow of persons in the southern border of the United States be controlled.'

A 33-year-old Guatemalan man transports people and goods across the Suchiate River between Tecun Uman, Guatemala and Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico

Harris' trip started off bumpy on Sunday when Air Force 2 was forced to turn around minutes after take-off due to 'technical issues', which appeared to stem from an unusual noise coming from the landing gear.

'I'm good, I'm good. We all said a little prayer, but we're good,' Harris told reporters as she deplaned Air Force 2 and waited for another plane to get ready.

The vice president's team has made it clear that Harris' role as 'border czar' is to address the 'root causes' that lead to a mass amount of Central American citizens fleeing their home countries and migrating to the U.S.

Harris chief spokesperson Symone Sanders told reporters climate and economic downfall were among 'main drivers' of the surge in migrants.

Critics claim, however, that President Joe Biden is to blame for the crisis after he immediately rolled back Trump-era border restrictions upon taking office this year.

The Biden administration has denied that they are sending the message that the border is 'open', and instead is blaming it on 'root causes' in Northern Triangle nations like climate, poverty, crime and corruption.

More than 178,000 migrants crossed the border in April alone, which was a continuation of a spike in February and March. Numbers for May have not yet been released.

The bilateral meeting between Harris, Giammattei and their team was held Palacio Nacional de la Cultura

The Supreme Court sided with President Joe Biden by unanimously refused on Monday to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the U.S. on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally.

The justices, acting on an appeal by a married couple from El Salvador who were granted so-called Temporary Protected Status, upheld a lower court ruling that barred their applications for permanent residency, also known as a green card, because of their unlawful entry.

The case could affect 400,000 immigrants, many of whom have lived in the U.S. for years.

Biden, who has sought to reverse many of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, had opposed the immigrants in this case, placing the president at odds with immigration advocacy groups and some of his fellow Democrats.

The Biden administration is facing a massive crisis at the southern border, which includes record-high levels of illegal crossers and all-time high numbers of unaccompanied minors in U.S. custody.

In March, Biden put Harris in charge of the migration crisis  but the administration has still not referred to the situation as such.

As it appeared the problem wasn't going anywhere at the southern border, the administration quickly rebranded to indicate Harris is focused on addressing root causes that lead to mass migration to the U.S. from Northern Triangle countries  Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Reports show the vice president's office didn't want to give her something that could be seen as a failure on her part.

Since taking over, Republicans have slammed the vice president for not once visiting the southern border, where enforcement groups are overwhelmed and facilities reached near 2,000 per cent capacity at some points.

Harris said she will go to Mexico during her trip south of the border, but maintained that she will still not stop at the U.S. side of the border.

She has also already spoken on the phone with Guatemalan President Giammattei and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Harris is meeting with Giammattei on Monday and will afterwards engage in events with Guatemalan community leaders and entrepreneurs afterwards.

On Tuesday, she will travel to Mexico City to meet with President Lopez Obrador and participate in roundtables with women entrepreneurs and labor leaders in Mexico.

People protesting the Guatemalan government hold signs during Harris and Giammattei's bilateral meeting

Supreme Court unanimously BLOCKS 400,000 immigrants who entered the US illegally and were allowed to stay on 'humanitarian grounds' from applying for a green card

The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously refused to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the United States on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally, siding with President Joe Biden's administration.

The justices, acting in an appeal by a married couple from El Salvador who were granted so-called Temporary Protected Status, upheld a lower court ruling that barred their applications for permanent residency, also known as a green card, because of their unlawful entry.

The case could affect 400,000 immigrants, many of whom have lived in the United States for years.

The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously refused to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the United States on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally. The case involves Jose Sanchez and Sonia Gonzalez from El Salvador (above), who entered the US twice illegally

Biden, who has sought to reverse many of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, had opposed the immigrants in this case, placing the president at odds with immigration advocacy groups and some of his fellow Democrats.

A federal law called the Immigration and Nationality Act generally requires that people seeking to become permanent residents have been 'inspected and admitted' into the United States. At issue in the case was whether a grant of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which gives the recipient 'lawful status,' satisfies those requirements.

Writing for the court, liberal Justice Elena Kagan said that 'because a grant of TPS does not come with a ticket of admission, it does not eliminate the disqualifying effect of an unlawful entry.'

Foreign nationals can be granted Temporary Protected Status if a humanitarian crisis in their home country, such as a natural disaster or armed conflict, would make their return unsafe.

There are about 400,000 people in the United States with protected status, which prevents deportation and lets them work legally.

The case involves Jose Sanchez and Sonia Gonzalez, who live in New Jersey and have four children.

The couple twice entered the United States illegally: in 1997 and 1998. After a series of earthquakes in 2001, the United States designated El Salvador as covered under the Temporary Protected Status program. The couple received protection under the program that same year.

Biden, who has sought to reverse many of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, had opposed the immigrants in this case, placing the president at odds with immigration advocacy groups and some of his fellow Democrats

U.S. officials rejected their 2014 applications for green cards because they had not been lawfully admitted.

They sued in federal court, saying that those with lawful status, including Temporary Protected Status recipients, are deemed to have been lawfully admitted, and may apply for permanent residency.

Last year, the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the couple.

Besides El Salvador, 11 other countries currently have such designations: Haiti, Honduras, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. Myanmar was the latest addition to the list, placed there by Biden's administration in the wake of a Feb. 1 military coup there.

The Supreme Court ruled in the case on a day when U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visits Guatemala as part of the Biden administration's efforts to lower migration to the United States from that country as well as El Salvador and Honduras.

Conservative justice Clarence Thomas initially suggested the Supreme Court would be reluctant to let immigrants with protected status apply for permanent residency when the case was first presented to the court on April 19.

'They clearly were not admitted at the borders, so is that a fiction, is it metaphysical, what is it? I don't know,' conservative Justice Clarence Thomas asked.
The mum of Australian-born Tamil youngster Tharnicaa Murugappan has issued emotional plea from her daughter's hospital bedside as her little girl fights a blood infection.

There are growing calls for the Biloela family detained on Christmas Island to be resettled in Australia after three-year-old Tharnicaa was flown to Perth Children's Hospital after being evacuated from the island with her mother Priya.

Ms Murugappan has issued an emotional plea from her daughter's bedside as supporters plan to hold a candelight vigil outside the hospital on Wednesday night.

Tharnicaa (right) is currently being medically evacuated to Perth after being hospitalised on Christmas Island with a suspected blood infection.

'I want to thank everybody for their love and good wishes,' Priya said in a video message as she cradled her daughter.

'I hope that Tharnicaa can get the help she needs now. Please, help us to get her out of detention and home to Biloela.'

Priya says her daughter was sick for almost two weeks and that medical contractors at the immigration detention centre repeatedly refused to take her to hospital.

Tharnicaa potentially-deadly blood infection has been linked by supporters to untreated pneumonia.

Candelight vigils will be held outside Perth Children's Hospital on Wednesday evening and at Sydney Town Hall on Thursday.

Family supporter Angela Fredericks said medical arrangements for detainees on Christmas Island, far off the coast of WA, were inadequate and dangerous.

'From my understanding, this would usually show up as a chest infection, which would then get treated,' she said.

Priya Murugappan (in hospital with daughter Tharnicaa) released a gut-wrenching video

Three-year-old daughter Tharnicaa from the Biloela family has contracted suspected sepsis

Tharunicaa (pictured) has been rushed to hospital in Perth with sepsis and has spent the vast majority of her life in detention

'And that would stop it going to pneumonia. If it went to pneumonia, that would then be treated to stop it going into the blood supply.

'We've had two delays in treatment here, which has led to this crisis point.'

The Department of Home Affairs and Australian Border Force said Tharnicaa had been receiving medical treatment and daily monitoring on Christmas Island consistent with medical advice.

'As soon as the ABF was advised by the treating medical practitioners that the minor required medical treatment in Western Australia, the minor was transferred to a hospital in Western Australia,' an official said.

'The Australian Border Force strongly denies any allegations of inaction or mistreatment of individuals in its care.'

Kopika (left) gets taken to school by guards while Priya stays inside to look after three-year-old Tharunicaa (right) - who has now gone to Perth for treatment for sepsis

Healthcare for detainees was 'broadly comparable' with that on the mainland, the official said.

Priya, her husband Nades and their Australian-born daughters Tharnicaa and Kopika, 6, have been in detention since 2018, and on Christmas Island since August 2019.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said 'a range of resettlement options' were under negotiation for detainees.

The government has previously vowed to never permanently resettle anyone who arrives illegally by boat.
Nearly six million residents in the North West were yesterday told to meet other people outdoors and keep travel to a minimum to curb the spread of Covid's Indian variant.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said restrictions currently in place in Bolton would be expanded across the rest of Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

People will be urged to avoid meeting others inside where possible, cut back on travel in and out of the region and maintain social distancing.

The 22 councils in the region will be given military support to help with Covid testing and health chiefs will have the power to enforce mandatory face masks in secondary schools. Local leaders last night insisted the measures do not amount to a North West lockdown, but 'guidance and advice' for residents.

Although people in Greater Manchester and Lancashire have been told to minimise travel, they are still allowed to go on holiday. However, ministers are urging the 5.7million covered by the guidance to be cautious about social interaction in the face of high rates of the Indian variant.

Mr Hancock described the measures, which affect nearly one in ten of the UK population, as a 'strengthened package of support'. He also admitted the Government faces a 'challenging decision' in working out whether 'Freedom Day'  the final step in lifting lockdown  can go ahead as planned on June 21.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said restrictions currently in place in Bolton would be expanded across the rest of Greater Manchester and Lancashire

He told the Commons: 'We know that this approach can work. We've seen it work in south London and in Bolton in stopping a rise in the number of cases.

'This is the next stage of tackling the pandemic in Manchester and Lancashire and, of course, it's vital that people in these areas, as everywhere else, come forward and get the jab as soon as they are eligible because that is our way out of this pandemic together.'

He added: 'We face a challenging decision ahead of June 21. These are difficult judgments.'

Mr Hancock also stressed that 'conclusive data' on the effectiveness of the vaccine against the Indian variant would not be available for at least two more weeks.

He said Public Health England officials were trying to determine the crucial figure which would show how effective the jabs were at reducing serious diseases and hospital admissions. He added: 'It's obviously an absolutely critical figure and I'll report it to the House as soon as we have it.'

The areas affected by the measures  which cover ten council areas in Greater Manchester and 12 in Lancashire  all have particularly high cases of the Indian variant, which has since been renamed the Delta variant.

The 22 councils in the region will be given military support to help with Covid testing and health chiefs will have the power to enforce mandatory face masks in secondary schools

But Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham insisted the measures were guidance rather than a regional lockdown.

He said it was 'very important to keep a sense of proportion', adding: 'This is guidance  it is advice to the public. It is not a lockdown. It is not a ban.

'This is not about telling people to cancel their plans  it is about asking them to be careful in setting any new ones, to minimise non-essential travel.'

He urged ministers to release extra vaccine stocks, saying: 'We are not asking for any more vaccine here than our fair share. What we are asking for is the bringing forward of Greater Manchester's supplies so that we can run a surge vaccination programme over the next three weeks.'

Sacha Lord, night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, said: 'We remain hopeful that with these measures in place Step Four of the roadmap on June 21 will go ahead.

'However, we must not allow a disregard for the guidance now to affect those chances.

'We must all continue to work as one to help prevent a surge of infections delaying our exit from this crisis  from those taking the time to discuss vaccine concerns with friends and family to the thousands of businesses who have worked hard to implement measures to aid the reduction in transmission.'

Rishi Sunak may agree to two-week Freedom Day delay: Chancellor could accept lockdown extension as scientists get jittery over spread of Indian variant

Rishi Sunak could reluctantly accept an extension to lockdown  but for no longer than 'a week or two'.

As some call for 'Freedom Day' to be delayed by a month, Tory pressure grew to stick to June 21.

Ministers are considering delaying the final stage of the road map out of lockdown following jittery warnings from scientists about the spread of the Indian variant.

Some are pushing for restrictions to remain in place until as late as the start of English school holidays on July 23.

Rishi Sunak could reluctantly accept an extension to lockdown of 'a week or two' following calls to delay the final stage of the roadmap out of lockdown

The Chancellor is among a string of Cabinet ministers pressing Boris Johnson to stick to the target date, arguing there is a pressing need to get key sectors such as hospitality firing on all cylinders.

A Whitehall source said Mr Sunak could live with a delay of 'a week or two' but would resist any further slippage as this could involve extending the furlough scheme.

'I don't think he's in principle against a short delay if that is what is necessary,' the source said. 'If it is more than a week or two then that is problematic.'

Treasury sources said there were no plans to extend the furlough scheme, which continues in full until the end of this month. From July, employers will have to make a gradually increasing contribution until the scheme ends in September.

Debate about the lifting of lockdown has intensified at the top of government following a surge in Covid cases.

Government scientists are understood to have warned ministers that daily cases are on course to be running at well over 10,000 a day by June 21.

Yesterday, daily cases topped 6,000 for the first time since mid-March. And there is concern that those who have had only one jab are at risk from the virulent Indian strain.

Debate about the lifting of lockdown has intensified at the top of government following a surge in Covid cases. Pictured: People line up to receive their Covid vaccination in Stanmore, London

Matt Hancock told MPs on Monday that only three of the 126 people hospitalised by the Indian variant in the UK had been fully vaccinated. But a further 28 in hospital  just over a fifth of the total  had received one jab.

Mr Hancock and the Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty are said to have argued that a short delay would enable many more to gain the extra protection of a second jab. But Michael Gove, who is also urging caution, is said to believe Mr Johnson will press ahead with lifting at least some restrictions on June 21.

Downing Street said the Prime Minister wanted to see more data before announcing the decision on Monday.

Tory MPs urged Mr Johnson to overrule the scientists.

Former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: 'Scientists have got themselves into a frightened state where none of them want to be the one who says unlock because they are fearful they will be blamed if something goes wrong, even though there is no evidence that it will.

'They are drifting towards a zero Covid goal, which is unattainable, and the politicians have to take back control.'

Former Cabinet minister David Jones also warned against further delay. 'We cannot continue to live as we have for the last 15 months,' he said. At some stage we have to take our courage in our hands and start getting back to normal, and that stage is now.'
Nevada has officially banned the use of 'sundown sirens' which were historically used for driving non-white people out of towns overnight.

On Friday, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak signed into law a bill that bans sirens that 'previously sounded on specific days or times in association with an ordinance enacted by the county which required persons of a particular race to leave the county, town or township within the county by a certain time.'

The bill was introduced by Assemblyman Howard Watts after years of the Washoe Tribe criticizing the town of Minden for its 6pm siren, which tribal leaders claim goes back to when nonwhites were ordered to leave the town by 6.30pm.

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak signed into law a bill Friday that bans sunset sirens, which were historically used to drive nonwhite people out of town at night

The bill was introduced following years of controversy over the Town of Minden's 6 p.m. siren

'It's something that is still deeply hurtful,' Watts told the local NBC affiliate. 'There are still members of the Washoe Tribe and others who know exactly what it means when that goes off.'

Sunset provisions were imposed across the United States during the Jim Crow era, according to the Huffington Post and stated that any nonwhite people who were seen in a particular municipality after sunset could face arrest or be beaten.

Douglas County, Nevada officials first approved a sunset ordinance in 1908 for the town of Gardnerville, located less than two miles south of Minden.

It stated: 'Any and all Indians (except such as are actually employed as servants in the town of Gardnerville) remaining in said town of Gardnerville after sunset of each and every day are hereby declared a public nuisance an d are considered detrimental to the county in general and to the town of Gardnerville in particular.'

The ordinance was expanded in 1917, according to the Record-Courier, which originally published the ordinance in the 20th century, to include the new county seat in Minden.

Washoe Tribal Chairman Serrell Smokey said the siren dates back to a time when a local ordinance prohibited Native Americans from staying in the city limits past 6 p.m.

The ordinance prohibiting Native Americans from staying in nearby Gardnerville expanded to the Town of Minden in 1917, when it was then the seat of the Douglas County government

The new ordinance specified that members of the Washoe tribe had to be out of Gardnerville by 6.30 p.m. or face up to 10 days in prison or a $25 fine. It did not include an exemption for servants.

Four months later, a story appeared on the front-page of the Record-Courier, the community newspaper reported, about the Gardnerville Fire Department installing a new fire siren at Odd Fellow's Hall, which was audible for several miles.

Minden Town Manager JD Frisby has said the siren was purchased for emergency use, and told the Huffington Post that it was originally sounded twice a day as part of a test for insurance purposes.

He said the firefighters chose to sound the siren at noon and 6 p.m. due to their work scheduled and it had 'never been tied' to the sundown ordinance in Gardnerville, where officials used a whistle to drive out the Native Americans.

'It is unfortunate the true history of the siren has not been added to any of the news articles, but at this point, we have lost the true narrative,' Frisby said, noting that he had spent the better part of the year 'trying to show the history with no luck.'

He told KOLO-TV he could understand how the timing of the siren may be misconstrued as relating to a sunset ordinance, 'but that's not the intent of the siren.'

Assemblyman Howard Watts introduced the bill banning the siren saying it is 'still deeply hurtful' to the members of the Washoe Tribe

The Washoe Tribe has been fighting the nightly sounding of the siren since 2006, and it was soon turned off, though Frisby said, that was just because it had to undergo some maintenance.

But once residents started to express their displeasure, KOLO reports, it was turned back on and the county established a resolution saying it was sounded to 'honor first responders.'

Then, just last year, a California resident who owns property in the area created an online petition to 'stop' the siren. It received more than 13,000 signatures, with over 10,000 in just two weeks.

'Is this something that should go on in 2020 America,' Matt Niswonger wrote in his petition. 'Or is this something from the past that we want to be in the past?'

Washoe Tribe members then renewed their calls for the siren to stop, saying it could sound at other times of the day  just not 6 p.m.

'Change it to 5 or 7,' said Tracy Kizer, a member of the tribe who lives in the area. 'Turn it off at 6.'

Frisby said the town has been working with tribal leaders to discuss the issue, and he hopes discussions will continue.
It is impossible to imagine the bitter grief that is once again afflicting the families of the two girls raped and murdered by Colin Pitchfork, whose prison release was approved by the Parole Board this week.

Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth were both 15 when they were murdered by the violent paedophile.

These were two pitiless acts of the most revolting kind of murder, separated by three years in the 1980s, though Pitchfork subsequently pleaded guilty to other sexual offences in between.

The trial judge expressed his shock and anguish at the sadistic nature of the crimes, with the most senior judge in England at the time, Lord Lane, saying: 'I doubt if he should ever be released.'

This, I am afraid, is always how it works in this country. Judges and law officers make tough-sounding statements about cracking down on violent, predatory murderers. But in the end, the institutional drift is always back to permissiveness, and erring on the side of the 'reformed perpetrator'.

It is impossible to imagine the bitter grief that is once again afflicting the families of the two girls raped and murdered by Colin Pitchfork (pictured), whose prison release was approved by the Parole Board this week, writes David Blunkett

Unless ministers show urgently that they have the will to stand up to this outrage, Pitchfork could be free within weeks after 33 years behind bars.

Lynda Mann's sister, Sue Gratrick, is understandably appalled by this 'crazy' ruling and said: 'I don't believe somebody guilty of acts such as those he did is capable of being rehabilitated.

'Every time he comes up for parole, or there is some other development such as him being granted day release, our pain is heightened once more.'

As someone who served as Home Secretary during the Tony Blair administration, I know how powerless one can feel against the courts and the criminal justice bureaucracy.

I won some battles to ensure life in prison meant exactly that, but I still carry the bruises from my encounters with the powerful legal and judicial forces that line up against ceding power to the Home Secretary.

Victims: Lynda Mann (left) and Dawn Ashworth (right) were both 15 when they were murdered by the violent paedophile

This dilemma can be traced back to seismic social and political changes in the 1960s when a private member's bill in Parliament was carried overwhelmingly to abolish capital punishment.

It is easy to forget at this distance that the issue was highly controversial, and opposed by many.

So, in effect, the Government made a contract with the public that the most heinous crimes  those that would previously have merited the hangman's noose  would instead be punished with a full life sentence.

The idea was that premeditated murder, particularly of children, could never be normalised or treated as just another category of crime.

This has to be an essential pillar of our criminal justice system because if the principle is compromised, public confidence in the proper application of punishment to crime evaporates.

I should make it clear that I accept that the Parole Board truly has the job from hell in adjudicating some of these cases.

But it lets itself and the public down when it intervenes to release those whose crimes were so sickening that any notion of rehabilitation is somehow rendered meaningless.

In November 1983, he attacked 15-year-old Lynda Mann as she took a shortcut home from babysitting in the Leicestershire village of Narborough. He raped her and then strangled her to death with her own scarf. Pictured: The crime scene

Pitchfork viciously raped then strangled Lynda Mann in November 1983 while his own baby son slept in his parked car nearby. The judge who oversaw his sentencing, Mr Justice Otton, observed that the rapes and murders 'were of a particularly sadistic kind'.

In almost all cases I try to believe that offenders are capable of genuine remorse and rehabilitation.

But in the case of Pitchfork, I genuinely do not see why anything other than a whole-life term fits the crimes. I agree with Lynda Mann's sister that a man capable of such wicked outrage is literally incapable of rehabilitation.

This was why, as Home Secretary, I reintroduced the principle in 2003 of what was then known as the 'whole-life tariff' for the most appalling crimes.

This commanded general popular support, but the policy was constantly under attack from the European Court of Human Rights, and indeed from our own High Court, which fiercely resisted the notion of any political influence in the sentencing of criminals.

The mother of victim Dawn Ashworth (pictured) said the killer  the first to be convicted on DNA evidence  'will always present a danger'

We tried to introduce 50-year tariffs, cut to 40 years by the courts, but even that was eventually overturned.

But I believed, and I continue to believe, that the principle of whole-life tariffs is essential to the working of our justice system as it distinguishes those who cannot or should not be 'redeemed' from the vast majority of offenders who can and should be rehabilitated.

It is essential the public, and indeed the parole and prison staff, understand that there is a clear distinction between very serious offences meriting perhaps 20 years in prison, and those for which there should in effect be no limit.

The distinction allows for a balanced and rational sentencing regime, building confidence with the public that those who are released  and this is the overwhelming majority  stand some chance of going straight.

Pitchfork, some argue, should be given some credit for having pleaded guilty at his trial and for not putting the girls' families through the trauma of a full trial.

But I have little sympathy with that indulgent view. He was the first murderer to be trapped by DNA in this country, but only after inducing a colleague at the bakery where he worked to illegally provide the sample on his behalf.

He dodged justice for as long as he could. DNA has transformed the prosecution of most murder trials, and Pitchfork should not get credit for having belatedly accepted the obviousness of his guilt.

There was a similar outrage in the case of Roy Whiting, who is still in prison for murdering Sarah Payne in 2000.

Five years earlier he had been convicted for the abduction and sexual assault of a nine-year-old girl, for which he could have been sentenced to life in prison.

But, because he pleaded guilty and was given 'credit' for having spared the victim the ordeal of testifying, he was sentenced to a disgracefully paltry four years.

Even more astonishingly, he was released early after just over two years, allowing him to emerge and reoffend with such devastating consequences to the Payne family.

When I was Home Secretary back in the 2000s, I came under attack for criticising 'airy-fairy civil liberties' zealots.

The Guardian newspaper, I recall, was particularly outraged when I made the point that the law should not be made by judges legislating from the bench, but by 'those who are held to account for both making it, and changing it.'

By that, of course, I meant elected politicians who have to explain and justify their actions to those who elect them to office.

Nothing I have seen in the years since I left the Home Office has persuaded me to change my view.

Since Whitehall reorganisations, criminal justice policy falls under the auspices of the Justice Secretary, Robert Buckland, rather than the Home Secretary.

Mr Buckland's officials will now be urgently reviewing the case and seeing if there are grounds for a formal review of the Parole Board's decision to free one of the most evil killers of our time.

I wish Mr Buckland the best of luck in his endeavour. Not just for the sake of the families of Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth, who scarcely can be expected to take any more pain from the murders of their daughters. But because there is a wider point at play here too.

When child killers who are beyond redemption are set free, confidence in the entire justice system is undermined, and those who should be rehabilitated are overlooked.

'Do they know what he did to those girls?': Top detective who snared double killer Colin Pitchfork slams decision to free him from jail after 33 years

ByAndy Dolanand David Barrett For The Daily Mail

The detective who snared double killer Colin Pitchfork has slammed the decision to free the sex monster, saying he remains a danger.

Retired officer David Baker said he was not consulted by Parole Board members before they approved Pitchfork's release on licence.

He warned that, at 61, the paedophile remained physically capable of attacking girls again.

Retired officer David Baker said he was not consulted by Parole Board members before they approved Colin Pitchfork's release on licence

Detective Superintendent Baker, whose use of DNA evidence helped prove Pitchfork raped and murdered 15-year-olds Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth, said the full extent of the bakery worker's brutality in the attacks was never revealed.

His call for the killer to remain behind bars comes after relatives of his victims also condemned the Parole Board's decision.

Pitchfork's murders on footpaths between two Leicestershire villages in 1983 and 1986 were solved when Mr Baker approached Leicester University professor Sir Alec Jeffreys for help, having read about his pioneering work in DNA fingerprinting.

But Pitchfork almost got away with the crimes after persuading a workmate to pose as him during a blood-testing dragnet.

Echoing the warnings of Dawn's mother Barbara Ashworth in yesterday's Mail, Mr Baker, 85, said he fears Pitchfork could 'pull the wool over people's eyes again'.

Colin Pitchfork was jailed for life for the two rapes and murders in 1988 and given a minimum tariff of 30 years, later reduced to 28

He said: 'I understand the Parole Board claims to have spoken to the police as part of the process that led to their decision, but they certainly have not spoken to me.

'As the chief investigating officer in the case, I know what kind of person Pitchfork is and the extent to which he tried to evade arrest.

'Because of his guilty pleas, what never came out at any court hearing was the levels of violence he caused to the two girls. You wonder if the Parole Board are aware of exactly what he did to the girls.

'While he has been in jail he has been out of temptation's way, but once freed he will be back in the community where there are countless young girls to tempt him.'

Pitchfork was jailed for life for the two rapes and murders in 1988 and given a minimum tariff of 30 years, later reduced to 28.

The Parole Board's decision, published on Monday, means he could be freed in weeks.
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Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert trolled Kamala Harris over her persistent refusal to visit the border by placing a cardboard cut out of the vice president at the wall.

While Harris was in Mexico meeting President Manuel Lopez Obrador 500 miles away, the freshman Colorado congresswomen visited McAllen, Texas, and 'took the VP to the border' herself.

'More than 70 days ago, Biden named cackling Kamala as border czar but she hasn't done a single thing to protect the American people.

'You can't just hear about what's happening, you have to come down here to see for yourself to understand the devastating reality at our southern border,' Boebert said to the cutout.

She also mentioned how illegal crossings and instances of trafficking have continued to surge, while Harris is in the Northern Triangle discussing the 'root causes' of the crisis.

'Now Kamala, I want you to stand here and look at what youve done', she added, looking at the cutout.

Boebert released the video on the day Harris faced renewed pressure over why she has snubbed visits to the border, despite mounting criticism and invitations.

On Tuesday afternoon she snapped at reporters during a briefing in Mexico for allowing the border crisis to overshadow her first international trip to address 'root causes' of mass migration.

'Why not go to the border, as well, so you do see the full complexity?' a reporter asked Harris as she took some questions following a bilateral meeting with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

'Listen, I've been to the border before and I'll go again,' she said with an awkward laugh.

'But when I'm in Guatemala, dealing with root causes, I think we should have a conversation about what's going on in Guatemala,' she said  even though she is in Mexico.

As Harris continues to refuse to visit the border, Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert released a video where she brought a cardboard cut out of the vice president to a part of the southern border wall

She set up the life-size cut out facing the wall looking into Mexico and said: 'I brought Kamala down to see exactly what this regime is responsible for with their man-made crisis. Now Kamala, I want you to stand here and look at what you've done'

The vice president was clearly unamused by the border being brought up during her trip Monday to Guatemala and again on Tuesday in Mexico.

Harris also made an inappropriate and uncomfortable joke during an interview that aired Tuesday morning with NBC's Lester Holt about not going to the border but also not yet taking a trip to Europe as vice president.

Harris held bilateral talks with Lopez Obrador during her trip to Mexico on Tuesday. The duo discussed stopping mass immigration from Central America by way of migrating through Mexico.

The vice president said the 'bottom line' is that the administration has to apply 'equal weight' to what's going on at the border and 'root causes' in Northern Triangle nations.

Republicans argue, however, that there is not equal attention since she nor President Joe Biden have gone to the southern border to see the humanitarian crisis first hand.

Harris, however, is visiting Guatemala and Mexico to see for herself what sort of 'root causes' the U.S. can help address there.

Ahead of her bilateral meeting with Lopez Obrador, Harris said the U.S. and Mexico are 'embarking on a new era'.

Although Harris is 582 miles from the border the U.S. shares with Mexico, she will not make a stop to survey for herself the humanitarian crisis still unfolding there.

She said in short remarks to the press before the bilateral meeting that the U.S. wants more cooperation with Mexico because 'you are closest to us.'

The vice president kicked off the second and final of her first foreign trip by meeting with Lopez Obrador as the two nations reaffirmed their commitment to stopping the flow of illegal migration from Central America to the U.S.

Vice President Kamala Harris lashed out when reporters again brought up the southern border during her trip to Mexico on Tuesday. 'Listen, I've been to the border before and I'll go again. But when I'm in Guatemala, dealing with root causes, I think we should have a conversation about what's going on in Guatemala,' she said with a laugh even though she is in Mexico

Kamala Harris and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had a bilateral meeting in Mexico City on Tuesday as the vice president still refuses to visit the southern border but says the U.S. is 'embarking on a new era' of relations

Harris' first international trip included stops in Guatemala and Mexico, 1,308 and 582 miles away respectively from the Rio Grande, where families risk their lives ever day trying to cross into the U.S.

Harris received her first dose of the Moderna vaccine in December and Obrador got the AstraZeneca shot in April  meaning both are fully vaccinated against coronavirus.

During Harris' trip to Guatemala, however, she was reminded she needed to wear a mask by Guatemalan President Alejandor Giattammei and one of his aides after they concluded their joint press conference and she walked away from the podium without a mask.

On Tuesday, Harris and Lopez Obrador witnessed signatories signing a memorandum committing the two nations to help Northern Triangle countries address 'root causes' that lead their citizens to migrate illegally to the U.S.

At the same time, more images emerged Tuesday of Central American migrants being apprehended by Border Patrol agents after crossing the Rio Grande River into La Joya, Texas.

When asked if Lopez Obrador would commit to increasing border security in Mexico, he said: 'We are very pleased to have her here and we will touch on that subject but always addressing the fundamental root causes.'

Although both Harris and Lopez Obrador are vaccinated, the vice president masked up for the meeting

New images were taken June 8 of Central American migrants sitting on the ground after being apprehended by Border Patrol agents after crossing the Rio Grande River into La Joya, Texas on Tuesday

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Harris should stop in McAllen, Texas on her way back to Washington, D.C. Tuesday evening  considering it's only a two-hour plane ride from Mexico City.

'On her way back from Mexico City, VP Kamala Harris should stop by McAllen, Texasa border community overwhelmed by illegal immigrants, drug cartels, and COVID risks,' McCarthy tweeted with an image of the plane route.

'No guarantee that the flight serves cookies of her likeness, but it's just a 2-hour plane ride.'

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also pushed back against the criticism during a press briefing on Tuesday as the GOP ups its attacks on the vice president's avoidance of the border.

'I expect that at sometime she may go to the border, we'll see,' Psaki told Fox News reporter Peter Doocey as Harris met with Lopez Obrador in Mexico.

When the reporter pushed on what the White HOuse strategy is in keeping Harris away, she said: 'She's made a couple of announcements already, probably more to come before she comes back to the United States.'

'Republicans and conservatives are going crazy on Twitter,' Psaki told reporters when she was pushed on why Harris called visiting the border a 'grand gesture' in her Monday briefing in Guatemala. 'They're worked up. I've seen it.'

Harris lashed out at Lester Holt in an interview in Guatemala on Monday when he asked why she has refused to the border in the 76 days since President Joe Biden put her in charge of the crisis.

'Do you have any plans to visit the border?' the NBC host questioned Harris in an interview taped Monday in Guatemala during the vice president's first international trip.

'At some point, you know, we are going to the border,' she insisted in the interview 1,308 miles from where migrants are risking their lives crossing the Rio Grande River on inflatable rafts.

'We've been to the border. So this whole thing about the border. We've been to the border. We've been to the border,' she repeated.

'You haven't been to the border,' Holt pushed back.

'And I haven't been to Europe,' Harris snapped, then quickly turned it into her signature laugh.

'And I mean, I don't understand the point that you're making,' she said to Holt 'I'm not discounting the importance of the border.'

Before the bilateral meeting, Harris and Lopez Obrador watched as two signatories signed a memorandum of cooperation between the two nations on tackling immigration problems in the U.S.

Harris lashed out during an interview on Monday when asked again why she hasn't visited the southern border. 'I haven't been to Europe,' she snapped at interviewer Lester Holt (right). 'And I mean, I don't understand the point that you're making'

The migrants are transported on Tuesday by bus to holding facilities where they will be processed

Customs and Border Patrol number show record numbers of encounters with illegal crossers with a record-high of 178,622 in April alone, continuing on from massive spike in February and March

Texas Senator Ted Cruz shot back against Harris' comments, claiming she was 'laughing off' the seriousness of the border crisis.

'You haven't been to Europe, you haven't been to Australia, but we don't have an Australian border crisis, we don't have a border crisis in Europe. We have a border crisis on the southern border,' Cruz told Fox News during an interview on America's Newsroom.

'Come to Texas, come to the Rio Grande Valley, come to McAllen,' the Texas lawmaker insisted of Harris.

'Come see the cages that the Biden-Harris administration has built and then, even more importantly, stand up and be willing to enforce our laws to fix it, because that's not what they're doing right now,' Cruz added.

WHITE HOUSE FACT SHEET: U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Cooperation Following a bilateral meeting with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on June 8, 2021 and in light of the United States and Mexico's deep cultural, social, and economic ties and the two governments' shared commitment to a prosperous and secure North America, Vice President Harris announces the following: High-Level Economic Dialogue The United States and Mexico agreed to hold a High-Level Economic Dialogue in September, fulfilling President Biden's and President Lopez Obrador's commitment on March 1 to revive this key forum that will expand bilateral economic cooperation and collaboration. The proposed agenda will cover key themes, such as trade facilitation, telecommunications and interconnectivity, and supply chain resiliency. Cabinet-Level Security Dialogue The United States and Mexico agreed to hold a cabinet-level security dialogue to discuss a shared vision for security. Transnational criminal organizations do not recognize borders. They pose a threat to all peoples and require a joint response. The United States and Mexico are committed to working together to reduce homicides and drug-related deaths on both sides of the border and counter the illicit forces that drive them. Strengthen Labor Cooperation The United States will invest an additional $130 million in technical assistance and cooperation over the next three years to work with Mexico as it implements labor legislation and to fund programs that will support workers, improve working conditions, and address child and forced labor. President Lopez Obrador signed historic labor reform legislation into law on May 1, 2019. Work Together To Address Root Causes of Migration in Central America The governments of the United States and Mexico signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a strategic partnership to address the lack of economic opportunities in northern Central America. The two governments will work together to foster agricultural development and youth empowerment programs in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala and will co-create and co-manage a partnership program enabling them to better deliver, measure, and communicate about assistance to the region. Operations Group on Human Smuggling and Human Trafficking U.S. and Mexican law enforcement agencies will partner to exchange information and take appropriate actions to address the shared priority of disabling human trafficking and human smuggling organizations. These groups prey on vulnerable individuals, falsely promising them safe passage or a good job in the United States in exchange for their savings. In fact, these organizations often use lies and threats to lure migrants into being trafficked or leave them stranded in Mexico or at the border, far from help and without basic supplies. Law enforcement agencies will work jointly to identify targets, develop investigations, and take enforcement actions such as freezing bank accounts associated with criminal groups. Attract Investment to Southern Mexico The U.S. government has developed a package of grants, loans, and other commitments that will help generate broad-based growth in southern Mexico, create jobs and reduce economic inequality in the region. The U.S. government will aim to create $250 million in new investment and sales in southern Mexico by strengthening rural value chains such as cacao, coffee, and eco-tourism. The U.S. International Development Finance Cooperation will issue a loan to support affordable housing and mortgages; 40 to 50 percent of new homes will be built in southern Mexico. The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and the Department of Commerce will organize trade and business development missions that will support infrastructure development in southern Mexico. USTDA plans to provide a grant to Mexico's aviation regulator for technical assistance to improve efficiencies. Partnership to Resolve Disappearances Cases in Mexico The United States and Mexico will work to expand forensic capacity and partnerships to help solve the more than 82,000 cases of missing persons and disappearances in Mexico, potentially bringing closure to tens of thousands of families and ending impunity for offenders. The Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Department of Justice will continue to train lab technicians and police to enhance their skills in forensic analysis of decomposed bodies and support Mexico's National Search Commission to collect, maintain, and analyze missing persons registries across the country. As a next step, the Federal Bureau of Investigation will train genetics experts on a new system to track forensic information and improve capacity. Advertisement

Minority Whip Steve Scalise tweeted in shock: 'This is a crisis we're talking aboutnot a vacation.'

Holt made it clear it was important to bring it up since Republicans have consistently criticized Harris for not visiting the border where the humanitarian crisis is taking place  even though she was put in charge of tackling it.

'Listen, I care about what's happening at the border,' Harris said. 'I'm in Guatemala because my focus is dealing with the root causes of migration. There may be some who think that that is not important, but it is my firm belief that if we care about what's happening at the border, we better care about the root causes and address them. And so that's what I'm doing.'

Harris landed in Guatemala City on Sunday evening for her first out-of-country trip as vice president to address 'root causes' in the country that lead to mass migration to the U.S.

She met with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei on Monday for bilateral talks and later flew to Mexico City, Mexico for the second part of her two-day Latin America trip.

Harris said during a press conference alongside Giammattei on Monday that she does not plan to visit the southern border because it would just be a 'grand gesture' as opposed to a genuine trip.

She vowed to take on corruption and insisted climate change was one of the driving forces behind people fleeing their homes and heading North.

'On the issues of Republicans' political attacks or criticism or even concerns, the reason I am here in Guatemala as my first trip as vice president of the United States is because this is one of our highest priorities,' Harris said during a question and answer portion of her press conference.

'I came here to be here on the ground, to speak with the leader of this nation around what we can do in a way that is significant, is tangible and has real results,' she continued.

'And I will continue to be focused on that kind of work as opposed to grand gestures.'

Congressman Andy Biggs, a Texas Republican, didn't buy Harris' reasoning for not visiting the southern border.

'It is not a grand gesture for Vice President Harris to inspect the damage and inhumanity fueled by the Biden Administration at the southern border,' Biggs said in a statement to DailyMail.com. 'However, Kamala would rather turn a blind eye to the mounting chaos than reinforce Trump's policies that would bring security and stability back to our border.'

Other Republicans also have been open about their criticism of Harris refusing to visit the border even after being named 'border czar' by President Joe Biden in March. They claim her avoiding the region is proof she is not committed to solving the problem.

Harris said she 'believes' any migrants who attempt to enter the U.S. through non-legal channels will be turned away if they arrive at the border.

'I want to emphasize that the goal of our work is to help Guatemalans find hope at home,' Harris said after her bilateral meeting with Giammattei.

'At the same time, I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come,' she said, and repeated for emphasis: 'Do not come.'

'The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our border,' the vice president insisted. 'There are legal methods by which migration can and should occur, but we, as one of our priorities, will discourage illegal migrations. And I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back.'

Harris' chief spokesperson Symone Sanders clarified to reporters that the administration still wants immigrants to come to the U.S. by seeking the legal ways to do so from their home countries.

'The President and Vice President have been clear in dissuading people from making the dangerous and treacherous journey to the U.S./Mexico border,' Sanders said.

'We encourage those who do want to come to the U.S. to do so legally and seek legal immigration options in their home countries,' she continued. 'The Vice President is committed to addressing the root causes of migration, which also addresses why migrants are coming to our border.'

Republicans were not happy with Harris classifying a trip to the border as a 'grand gesture.'

'Traveling to our Southern Border is not a grand gesture; it is her responsibility as the 'Border Czar' and Vice President of the United States,' Republican Florida Representative Byron Donalds told DailyMail.com.

'Vice President Harris is refusing to travel to the border because she will be forced to acknowledge the crisis she and the President have created if she does,' he continued.

'Local, State, and Federal leaders and law enforcement officials will be the first to let the Vice President know that there is a growing crisis on the border and that ignoring it or evading her responsibility by examining the root causes will only exacerbate this crisis.'

Harris and Guatemalan President Alejandro Giamattei (right) held a bilateral meeting in Guatemala on Monday as part of talks to deal with 'root causes' of mass migration from Latin America to the U.S.

Harris' first international trip was met with protesters demanding she 'mind your own business'

'Kamala go home' one sign read outside the Guatemalan Air Force facility

'This is disappointing': AOC slams Kamala for telling migrants not to come and blames the US for influx after 'setting Latin America on fire' Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has described Kamala Harris' remarks on immigration as 'disappointing', after the vice president used a speech in Guatemala to declare to migrants: 'Do not come'. Ocasio-Cortez accused the United States of having 'set the house on fire' when it comes to Latin America - but being unwilling to allow people to escape. She didn't explain why she made her explosive claim. She then argued that the U.S. needed to emphasize the root causes of migration, rather than punishing those who seek to enter the country. She reacted to a clip of Harris' press conference by stating: 'This is disappointing to see. 'First, seeking asylum at any US border is a 100% legal method of arrival. Second, the US spent decades contributing to regime change and destabilization in Latin America. We can't help set someone's house on fire and then blame them for fleeing.' Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, pictured on June 5, criticized Vice President Kamala Harris' remarks in Guatemala. On Monday Harris told would-be migrants from the country that her message was: 'Do not come' The New York congresswoman added: 'It would be helpful if the US would finally acknowledge its contributions to destabilization and regime change in the region. 'Doing so can help us change US foreign policy, trade policy, climate policy, & carceral border policy to address causes of mass displacement & migration.' She was responding to Harris' remarks at her press conference on Monday besides Alejandro Giammattei, Guatemala's president. Advertisement

Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy also tore into Harris' bid to tackle the crisis as 'spend now strategize later'. In a statement he wrote: 'Today marks 75 days since President Biden chose Vice President Harris as his administration's point person to '[stem] the migration to our southern border.' She still has yet to travel to our southern border and see the extent of the crisis she and President Biden have created over the past six months.

'Instead of upholding her responsibilities to the American people and our communities impacted by the border crisis, Vice President Harris decided to focus her efforts on studying the 'root causes of migration' from Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries.

'That's why she's in Guatemala today, her first foreign trip since becoming Vice President, where she just held a press conference during which she dismissed going to the border as nothing more than 'grand gestures,' and declined to say when she'd actually go.

'This unconventional approach is nothing more than a cynical political decision to ensure the blame doesn't fall on her shoulders by distancing herself from Biden's Border Crisis.

'Now Vice President Harris and the Biden administration want to take the typical Democrat approach of throwing more taxpayer dollars at a problem without first thinking through a coherent strategy. Over the next four years, President Biden is proposing we send $4 billion in aid to Central America with the pretense this will help curb the historic migration happening at our southern border. But there are two glaring problems to their proposal of spending our way out of the border crisis: Aid programs have failed to stem migration in the past and border order apprehensions of individuals from countries outside of Central America are rapidly increasing.

'As Vice President, Biden has already tried spending our way out of a migration surge. He 'led an enormous push to deter people from crossing into the United States by devoting hundreds of millions of dollars to Central America.' However, that never panned out. In fact, in Guatemala specifically, the $1.6 billion America provided in aid over the last decade proved ineffective.

'Vice President Harris won't find the root cause of the border crisis on her Central America tour because it's her and President Biden's policies that are actually responsible. And word that our southern border is open reached significantly further than just Central America. The Border Patrol reported that encounters with individuals from nations other than Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador jumped by 35 percent since March 2021, and individuals from over 160 countries have recently been apprehended.'

GOP Senator Rick Scott called Harris' refusal to visit the border 'disgraceful' and an 'insult' to border law enforcement.

He said: 'Months after being chosen to lead the Biden administration's response to the border crisis it created, Vice President Harris has shown she'll do anything to avoid taking responsibility and showing real leadership. Her continued refusal to address the border crisis  which threatens the safety of American families  is disgraceful and an insult to our brave Customs and Border Protection agents. Buy in from Guatemala and Mexico is critical to getting this crisis under control, but first, Biden and Harris must acknowledge the humanitarian and national security chaos their policies have created here in America and see it firsthand at our border. Anything less is an unacceptable failure.'

Harris affirmed during her bilateral press conference Monday that she told Giammattei the U.S. will be donating 500,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine to Guatemala.

Harris was greeted with protesters when she arrived for her first international trip as vice president in Guatemala City, which is 1,308 miles from where families are streaming across the U.S.-Mexico border.

'Kamala go home,' one white flag with black painted letters read, while another demanded she 'mind her own business'.

As the vice president rode in her motorcade from her hotel to Palacio Nacional de la Cultura, reporters spoted a group of pro-Trump demonstrators with signs reading: 'Kamala, Trump won.'

During the press conference, Giammattei vowed Guatemala would set up 'returnee centers' where they would accept their citizens who the U.S. sent back after crossing the border illegally.

Harris began her meeting with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei with quick remarks where she said: 'I very much have been looking forward to this trip, we have had many conversations, but it is good to see you in person.'

The two have spoken on the phone previously.

'I am very proud that this is my first foreign trip as vice president,' Harris continued. 'It is a reflection of the priority that President Biden placed on this region.'

As Harris commenced her two-day trip south of the border, migrant families continue to stream over into the U.S. either by foot or on inflatable rafts.

Harris doubled-down that she will not be visting the border during her trip  or any time soon. 'I will continue to be focused on [addressing root causes of migration and corruption] as opposed to grand gestures'

The border is closed: During the press conference, Harris warned those thinking of crossing illegally: 'Do not come!' She said, 'I believe if you come to our border, you will be turned back'

Ahead of the meeting, Giammattei made a statement in English.

'Thank you very much for your visit,' he said to Harris. 'For us, it's very important to have you here because it means that Guatemala and the United States can work as partners with common goals.'

He details some of the main goals as addressing narcotics trafficking, immigration, corruption in the region and building up prosperity walls within departments near the border with Mexico.

In a press conference following the meeting, Giammattei said  in Spanish this time  that the two nations would work toward more 'orderly migration' that would 'allow people to migrate regularly to the United States.'

'We also spoke about the need to support the United States with a returnee center that will be located in the western part of the country,' he continued, adding they are wording on a 'strong family reunification program.'

These efforts, he ensured, would 'help to ensure that the flow of persons in the southern border of the United States be controlled.'

Harris' trip started off bumpy on Sunday when Air Force 2 was forced to turn around minutes after take-off due to 'technical issues', which appeared to stem from an unusual noise coming from the landing gear.

'I'm good, I'm good. We all said a little prayer, but we're good,' Harris told reporters as she deplaned Air Force 2 and waited for another plane to get ready.

The vice president's team has made it clear that Harris' role as 'border czar' is to address the 'root causes' that lead to a mass amount of Central American citizens fleeing their home countries and migrating to the U.S.

Harris chief spokesperson Symone Sanders told reporters climate and economic downfall were among 'main drivers' of the surge in migrants.

Critics claim, however, that President Joe Biden is to blame for the crisis after he immediately rolled back Trump-era border restrictions upon taking office this year.

The Biden administration has denied that they are sending the message that the border is 'open', and instead is blaming it on 'root causes' in Northern Triangle nations like climate, poverty, crime and corruption.

More than 178,000 migrants crossed the border in April alone, which was a continuation of a spike in February and March. Numbers for May have not yet been released.

The bilateral meeting between Harris, Giammattei and their team was held Palacio Nacional de la Cultura

Harris' first foreign trip comes as migrants continue to make the trek from Central America to the U.S. southern border. Here people ride rafts across the Suchiate River between Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico and Tecun Uman, Guatemala on June 7, 2021

Demonstrators urged Harris to 'respect Guatemala's constitution'

The Supreme Court sided with President Joe Biden by unanimously refused on Monday to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the U.S. on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally.

The justices, acting on an appeal by a married couple from El Salvador who were granted so-called Temporary Protected Status, upheld a lower court ruling that barred their applications for permanent residency, also known as a green card, because of their unlawful entry.

The case could affect 400,000 immigrants, many of whom have lived in the U.S. for years.

Biden, who has sought to reverse many of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, had opposed the immigrants in this case, placing the president at odds with immigration advocacy groups and some of his fellow Democrats.

The Biden administration is facing a massive crisis at the southern border, which includes record-high levels of illegal crossers and all-time high numbers of unaccompanied minors in U.S. custody.

In March, Biden put Harris in charge of the migration crisis  but the administration has still not referred to the situation as such.

As it appeared the problem wasn't going anywhere at the southern border, the administration quickly rebranded to indicate Harris is focused on addressing root causes that lead to mass migration to the U.S. from Northern Triangle countries  Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Reports show the vice president's office didn't want to give her something that could be seen as a failure on her part.

Since taking over, Republicans have slammed the vice president for not once visiting the southern border, where enforcement groups are overwhelmed and facilities reached near 2,000 per cent capacity at some points.

Harris said she will go to Mexico during her trip south of the border, but maintained that she will still not stop at the U.S. side of the border.

She has also already spoken on the phone with Guatemalan President Giammattei and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Harris is meeting with Giammattei on Monday and will afterwards engage in events with Guatemalan community leaders and entrepreneurs afterwards.

On Tuesday, she will travel to Mexico City to meet with President Lopez Obrador and participate in roundtables with women entrepreneurs and labor leaders in Mexico.

People protesting the Guatemalan government hold signs during Harris and Giammattei's bilateral meeting

Supreme Court unanimously BLOCKS 400,000 immigrants who entered the US illegally and were allowed to stay on 'humanitarian grounds' from applying for a green card

The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously refused to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the United States on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally, siding with President Joe Biden's administration.

The justices, acting in an appeal by a married couple from El Salvador who were granted so-called Temporary Protected Status, upheld a lower court ruling that barred their applications for permanent residency, also known as a green card, because of their unlawful entry.

The case could affect 400,000 immigrants, many of whom have lived in the United States for years.

The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously refused to let immigrants who have been allowed to stay in the United States on humanitarian grounds apply to become permanent residents if they entered the country illegally. The case involves Jose Sanchez and Sonia Gonzalez from El Salvador (above), who entered the US twice illegally

Biden, who has sought to reverse many of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, had opposed the immigrants in this case, placing the president at odds with immigration advocacy groups and some of his fellow Democrats.

A federal law called the Immigration and Nationality Act generally requires that people seeking to become permanent residents have been 'inspected and admitted' into the United States. At issue in the case was whether a grant of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which gives the recipient 'lawful status,' satisfies those requirements.

Writing for the court, liberal Justice Elena Kagan said that 'because a grant of TPS does not come with a ticket of admission, it does not eliminate the disqualifying effect of an unlawful entry.'

Foreign nationals can be granted Temporary Protected Status if a humanitarian crisis in their home country, such as a natural disaster or armed conflict, would make their return unsafe.

There are about 400,000 people in the United States with protected status, which prevents deportation and lets them work legally.

The case involves Jose Sanchez and Sonia Gonzalez, who live in New Jersey and have four children.

The couple twice entered the United States illegally: in 1997 and 1998. After a series of earthquakes in 2001, the United States designated El Salvador as covered under the Temporary Protected Status program. The couple received protection under the program that same year.

Biden, who has sought to reverse many of his Republican predecessor Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, had opposed the immigrants in this case, placing the president at odds with immigration advocacy groups and some of his fellow Democrats

U.S. officials rejected their 2014 applications for green cards because they had not been lawfully admitted.

They sued in federal court, saying that those with lawful status, including Temporary Protected Status recipients, are deemed to have been lawfully admitted, and may apply for permanent residency.

Last year, the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the couple.

Besides El Salvador, 11 other countries currently have such designations: Haiti, Honduras, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen. Myanmar was the latest addition to the list, placed there by Biden's administration in the wake of a Feb. 1 military coup there.

The Supreme Court ruled in the case on a day when U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visits Guatemala as part of the Biden administration's efforts to lower migration to the United States from that country as well as El Salvador and Honduras.

Conservative justice Clarence Thomas initially suggested the Supreme Court would be reluctant to let immigrants with protected status apply for permanent residency when the case was first presented to the court on April 19.

'They clearly were not admitted at the borders, so is that a fiction, is it metaphysical, what is it? I don't know,' conservative Justice Clarence Thomas asked.
Coronavirus test results could be returned within 10 minutes through a saliva-based detector being developed in Australia.

Perth-based drug and alcohol test manufacturer Alcolizer is working to manufacture a new medical device called the Virulizer.

The federal government has handed the company a $742,000 grant to work with researchers and industry to develop the saliva-based antigen test for the mass market.

Alcolizer is aiming to combine patented breakthrough technologies developed by the University of Technology Sydney with its own hardware.

The test has been mooted to return coronavirus test results from asymptomatic and symptomatic people within 10 minutes

The test has been mooted to return coronavirus test results from asymptomatic and symptomatic people within 10 minutes.

Federal Industry Minister Christian Porter said the project had the potential to save lives while delivering an economic boost.

'By making our manufacturers more competitive and able to scale-up to take on new markets the government is ensuring we can create the jobs we need,' he said.

'This is crucial, not only as we recover from the pandemic, but for generations to come.'

Coronavirus vaccination numbers continue to rise with locked down Victorians leading the country in rolling up their sleeves to receive the jab.

About one-fifth of the 127,000 vaccinations administered in the most recent 24-hour reporting period were in Victoria where people are anxiously awaiting news about restrictions easing.

About one-fifth of the 127,000 vaccinations administered in the most recent 24-hour reporting period were in Victoria where people are anxiously awaiting news about restrictions easing

More than 5.2 million doses have been administered but just 613,000 have been fully vaccinated with both shots.

States continue to broaden vaccine eligibility faster than the federal rollout with Western Australia granting access for all people aged over 30.

Victoria recorded just two new infections on Tuesday with authorities declaring Melbourne is on track to loosen lockdown on Friday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the case numbers were encouraging for Melburnians.

'I make no secret of fact that I want to see restrictions lifted in Melbourne as quickly as possible. And as safely as possible,' he told reporters in Sydney.

Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid will on Wednesday outline a plan to improve the nation's healthcare system.

His National Press Club speech is expected to highlight ways to ease pressures on public hospitals and private health insurance while elevating the role of GPs as Australia emerges from the pandemic.
The father of a woman beaten to death in a Melbourne park is suing Corrections Victoria for alleged negligence in letting her killer walk free beforehand.

Henry Hammond was on a community correction order when he attacked 25-year-old Courtney Herron with a tree branch for 50 minutes at Royal Park in May 2019.

He was in the grip of schizophrenia and last year found not guilty of murder by way of mental impairment. Hammond was ordered to spend 25 years in a psychiatric facility.

The victim's father, John Herron, is suing the Commissioner for Corrections Victoria for alleged negligence over the release of Hammond from custody the month before the attack.

The victim's father, John Herron, is suing the Commissioner for Corrections Victoria for alleged negligence over the release of Hammond from custody the month before the attack

John Herron with his daughter Courtney Herron who was found dead in Royal Park in Parkville

Henry Hammond was on a community correction order when he attacked 25-year-old Courtney Herron with a tree branch for 50 minutes at Royal Park in May 2019

In a writ lodged in Victoria's Supreme Court on Tuesday, Mr Herron said Corrections Victoria was also negligent in its supervision of Hammond while he was on the order.

Hammond had been released on appeal against a 10-month jail sentence for offences including making a threat to kill.

He should not have been assessed as suitable for a 12-month community order because he was homeless and required help for substance abuse, the writ said.

It also said Hammond lacked family support, had refused counselling in custody and there was no psychiatric evaluation of him while he was there.

'No reasonable corrections officer' would have concluded a community order was suitable in those circumstances, the writ said.

The writ said this didn't happen and Hammond was not in regular contact with his supervisors between his release on April 1 and Ms Herron's death on May 25

He spent the next 50 minutes beating the woman to death before tying her legs together and dragging her body into a clearing

She met Hammond the day before and invited him to join her friends in smoking ice

There were conditions that Hammond be assessed and receive treatment for drug, alcohol and mental health issues as directed by corrections authorities.

The writ said this didn't happen and Hammond was not in regular contact with his supervisors between his release on April 1 and Ms Herron's death on May 25.

She met Hammond the day before and invited him to join her friends in smoking ice.

The group was uneasy about Hammond tagging along. Early the next morning, he and Ms Herron went for a walk.

The Corrections Victoria commissioner when Ms Herron died was Emma Cassar. She is now the head of Covid-19 Quarantine Victoria

Hammond (pictured) picked up a tree branch and Ms Herron asked, 'Are you going to kill me?'

Hammond picked up a tree branch and Ms Herron asked, 'Are you going to kill me?'

He spent the next 50 minutes beating the woman to death before tying her legs together and dragging her body into a clearing.

Mr Herron wants damages for chronic post-traumatic stress disorder and adjustment disorder following his daughter's death.

He worked as a lawyer and for the justice department at the time but said his psychiatric injuries had caused him economic loss.

The Corrections Victoria commissioner when Ms Herron died was Emma Cassar. She is now the head of Covid-19 Quarantine Victoria.
Twin sisters attacked by a crocodile on holiday in Mexico had been taken on an 'illegal' tour of a reptile-infested lagoon by a rogue guide who is now feared to have fled.

Melissa and Georgia Laurie, 28, had been assured it was safe for them to swim in the water ten miles from the surfing resort of Puerto Escondido.

But the pair were ambushed by the 10ft reptile, which dragged zoo keeper Melissa under water in a vicious 'death roll'. She was only saved when her brave twin Georgia came to her rescue.

The experienced diver repeatedly punched the predator  fighting off its terrifying advances three times  before she was able to bring her sibling to safety.

Both women are still in hospital where Melissa is fighting for her life after suffering a string of injuries including a suspected puntured lung. Last night their mother Sue, 63, said it was the unbreakable bond between the twins that had saved their lives.

Twins Melissa and Georgia Laurie, 28, were attacked by a crocodile on holiday in Mexico after being taken on an 'illegal' tour by a rogue guide who is now feared to have fled

Mrs Laurie said: 'They have always been there for each other. The girls can fight like cats and dogs, but there is no closer relationship than twins. They will do anything for each other.

'And what happened in Mexico shows just that. If Georgia had not have been there who knows what would have happened.'

Their business consultant father Sean, 63, said: 'The crocodile took her [Melissa] in a death roll, turning her over and over under water. Fortunately Georgia got to her.'

He said Melissa was in a serious condition and a medically induced coma after Sunday's attack.

The father added that the twins  who are from Sandhurst in Berkshire  had repeatedly asked if it was safe to go swimming.

But their tour guide convinced them the area, one of the few places in the world where glowing bioluminescent creatures light up the waters at night, was safe to swim in.

A friend said the guide, an expat German, visited the sisters in hospital and saw the extent of Melissa's injuries before fleeing the area popular with backpackers and surfers.

Travelling companion Cassie Leventhal said she had discovered last night that the guide was unregistered and had been known for holding illegal tours.

She said: 'He has been doing this for a while and was called out by the locals who are licensed tour guides for hiring boat drivers and doing illegal tours in widely known unsafe areas, where crocodiles live, and not the location where all legal, certified, sanctioned tours take place.'

Miss Leventhal added: 'He has been called out in the past, and, as of a couple of hours ago... nowhere to be found.'

The twins had been assured it was safe for them to swim in the water ten miles from the surfing resort of Puerto Escondido (above)

Discussing his daughter's injuries, Mr Laurie said: 'Melissa has lacerations all over her abdomen, her body, bite injuries.

'Her wrist is broken and has been pinned in several places. But her worst injuries are in her lungs. She was half-drowned.'

The twins had stopped in Mexico after setting off to backpack around the world in March and planned to return in November.

They had been volunteering at animal sanctuaries in the country but took a break from their work to embark on the boat trip to the Manialtepec Lagoon.

The twins' elder sister Hana, 33, said the pair had booked a nighttime tour via their hostel.

Business consultant father Sean, 63, said: 'The crocodile took her [Melissa] in a death roll, turning her over and over under water. Fortunately Georgia got to her.' (File picture)

She said she was 'very proud' of Georgia  who is 'awake... but really stressed'  for saving her sister.

The twins are in a private hospital in Puerto Escondido where Melissa  who has a diploma in animal management  was placed in a medically-induced coma to prevent infection.

Last night the twins' distraught family were trying to find a way to fly out amid complex Covid restrictions and limited flight options.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are supporting the family of two British women who are in hospital in Mexico, and are in contact with the local authorities.'
Lindsay Boylan, 36

Former aide Lindsay Boylan, 36, was the first woman to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment in a Medium post on February 24. She claimed that the governor asked her to play strip poker and kissed her on the lips without her permission when she worked for him in 2017.

Lindsay Boylan, 36

Charlotte Bennett, 25

Charlotte Bennett, 25, came forward a few days after Boylan and claimed that Cuomo sexually harassed her last June while she was working as a health policy adviser in his administration at the height of the COVID-19 crisis.

Bennett accused Cuomo of 'grooming' her and asking inappropriate questions about her sex life.

She also claimed that he told her he was open to dating women in their 20s.

BENNETT said the governor asked her about her love life - including whether she ever had sex with older men - and talked about his own, saying that age differences didn't matter in relationships and he was open to dating women over 22.

During a meeting alone in his office, the governor said he was lonely and talked about wanting to hug someone, Bennett said.

She said she swiftly complained to Cuomo's chief of staff and was transferred to another job.

She said she spoke to a lawyer for the governor, but didnt insist on further action because she liked her new post and wanted to move on.

Charlotte Bennett, 25

Anna Ruch, 33

Anna Ruch was the third woman to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment and the only one thus far who did not work with him in a professional capacity. She claimed that Cuomo put his hands on her face and asked if he could kiss her just moments after they met at a September 2019 wedding in Manhattan.

Anna Ruch, 33

Ana Liss, 35

Ana Liss, 35, a former aide, said Cuomo asked her whether she had a boyfriend, once kissed her hand at her desk and called her by patronizing names, including 'blondie,' 'sweetheart' and 'honey.'

At a reception, the governor hugged her then put his arm around her lower back and waist as they posed for photo, Liss said.

She said she eventually asked for a job transfer. In an interview, Liss said she was 'not claiming sexual harassment per se,' but felt the administration 'wasn't a safe space for young women to work.'

Liss, who previously served as Cuomo's policy and operations aide between 2013 and 2015, told the Wall Street Journal that during her time in his administration, the governor had subjected her to unsolicited advances, including touching her lower back, kissing her hand and quizzing her about her love life.

Ana Liss, 35

Karen Hinton, 62

The oldest allegations against Cuomo came from Karen Hinton, who served as a press aide for him when he led the US Department of Housing and Urban Development two decades ago and she was a consultant for the agency. Hinton told the Washington Post about a 2000 incident when she said Cuomo summoned her to his 'dimly lit' hotel room and embraced her after a work event. She said she tried to pull away from Cuomo when he pulled her back and held her before she managed to escape the room.

Karen Hinton, 62

Unnamed sixth accuser

The most damning allegations leveled against Cuomo to date came from a sixth accuser, whose name has not been released.

The accuser, who is a member of Cuomo's staff, alleged that he closed a door, reached under her blouse and fondled her after summoning her to the governor's mansion in Albany for help with his cellphone, according to the Times Union of Albany.

It first reported on her accusation last month; she then gave more detail in her first interview on the matter, published Wednesday.

The woman spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect her privacy, although her identity is known within the governors circle, the Times Union reported.

The woman, an executive assistant, told the Times Union the governor gave her kisses on the cheek and inappropriately tight hugs for years and made remarks including, 'If you were single, the things that I would do to you' and 'I'm single and ready to mingle.'

Then, one day in November, she was summoned to his Executive Mansion office to help him with a cellphone problem, she said.

He got up from his desk, started groping her and told her 'I don't care' after she tried to deflect him by saying he was going to get them into trouble, and then he slammed the door, she said.

Then he reached under her blouse and clutched one of her breasts over her bra, she told the newspaper.

The woman told a colleague this winter about the alleged encounter, and the co-worker told a supervisor in early March, according to the newspaper.

Cuomo called the report 'gut-wrenching' in a March statement and said: 'I have never done anything like this.'

Another female aide, who has remained anonymous, claimed he called her to his Executive Mansion last year, reached under her blouse and fondled her

Jessica Bakeman

Jessica Bakeman claimed in a first-person article for New York Magazine that she was sexually harassed by Cuomo on several occasions since the start of her journalism career in 2012.

Bakeman added her voice as the seventh accuser as she detailed inappropriate touching by the governor as he continued to deny all of the claims.

'He took my hand, as if to shake it, then refused to let go,' Bakeman wrote of an interaction with Cuomo as she said goodnight at a holiday party in 2014 when she was only 25 years old.

'He put his other arm around my back, his hand on my waist, and held me firmly in place while indicating to a photographer he wanted us to pose for a picture.'

At the time Bakeman had been working for what is now Politico New York and claimed that red flags went up as her 'job was to analyze and scrutinize him'.

'I didn't want a photo of him with his hands on my body and a smile on my face,' she wrote.

Jessica Bakeman, a reporter who once covered the Cuomo administration, was the seventh woman to come forward with claims of harassment

'But I made the reflexive assessment that most women and marginalized people know instinctively, the calculation about risk and power and self-preservation. I knew it would be far easier to smile for the brief moment it takes to snap a picture than to challenge one of the most powerful men in the country.'

In an earlier 2012 incident while she was working for USA Today, Bakeman also claims that Cuomo kept her pinned to his side as he told a story to her male colleagues.

'He left it there, and kept me pinned next to him, for several minutes as he finished telling his story,' she said. 'I stood there, my cheeks hot, giggling nervously as my male colleagues did the same. We all knew it was wrong, but we did nothing.'

The reporter, who now works in Florida, claimed that Cuomo 'never let me forget I was a woman' as she also alleged that he made frequent attempts to humiliate her, including calling out her purple phone instead of answering her question during a press gaggle.

Alyssa McGrath, 33

McGrath, a current administrative assistant in Cuomo's office, told The New York Times that he looked down her shirt, quizzed her about her marital status, and told her she was beautiful, using an Italian phrase she had to ask her parents to interpret.

McGrath didn't say the governor made sexual contact with her but thought his behavior was sexual harassment.

She recalled Cuomo kissing her on the forehead and gripping her firmly around the sides while posing for a photo at a 2019 office Christmas party.

Alyssa McGrath (pictured) is one of two aides who have come forward to accuse the governor of harassment

Sherry Vill, 55

Sherry Vill, 55, accused Cuomo of sexual misconduct during a press conference with her attorney Gloria Allred on Monday.

She alleges Cuomo grabbed her face and kissed her 'aggressively and in a sexual manner' on both cheeks in May 2017 while he was touring her home in Greece, near Rochester, as he inspected local flood damage.

Vill, who said she felt uncomfortable at the time, shared an image her daughter took on the day that showed Cuomo holding her face as he kissed her cheek and her attorney held up multiple photos showing the Governor inside her home.

The same photos appear on Cuomo's Flickr account, as well as multiple others that show him kissing and greeting residents as he toured the town.

None of the women in the other photos have accused the governor of inappropriate behavior or wrongdoing.
Texts released after Australia's biggest underworld bust show crime bosses were so convinced their communications were secret on the police-devised 'AN0M' app, they brazenly discussed huge shipments of drugs.

Australian, U.S., and European authorities carried out raids across the world on Tuesday, with 4,000 cops in Australia arresting 224 accused organised crime figures and seizing tonnes of drugs, millions in cash and other contraband and luxury goods in Operation Ironside.

Some of the world's biggest crooks began using 'AN0M' branded phones with encrypted messaging almost three years ago, not realising the app had been secretly created by police and they were reading every word.

The app gained currency in the underworld after being promoted by criminal figures including Australia's most wanted man, flamboyant 'Facebook Gangster' and alleged drug lord Hakan Ayik.

He promoted use of the app and special phones after they were initially circulated among crime figures by police informants.

The Australian Federal Police have urged Ayik, who was thought to be in his ancestral home of Turkey, to turn himself in as many criminals would hold him responsible for the widespread usage of the police-monitored app.

His former mate and ex-Comancheros bikie leader Mark Buddle, who was last said to be in Iraq, was also considered to have had his criminal enterprises smashed by the raids.

'He would have been on the network and a lot of his dealings would have been captured,' a senior unnamed NSW police officer said about Buddle to the Daily Telegraph.

AN0M messages, released by the US Department of Justice, show crime figures discussing a shipment of drugs which were to allegedly be thrown over a boat and then picked up

So convinced were criminals they that the encrypted messages were beyond the reach of law enforcement that they openly organised and discussed criminal activities.

For instance, two Australian associates discussing a cocaine smuggling operation on January 4, 2020 exchanged the following messages:

'Think he got it in,' one told the other, before the second responded: 'You're dreaming. You reckon. What he offer it to you for'.

The first person then sent a photo of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine with batman stickers on the packaging.

Authorities sensationally carried out Australia's biggest ever organised crime bust on Tuesday

A tactical police officer guards a handcuffed arrested man during a raid. He was one of 224 people arrested as part of Operation Ironside

Two months later, on March 23 last year, an Australian user and an unknown person exchanged messages about the price of cocaine.

'Ok sweet, I got a small job that popped up for the building block. There is 2kg put inside the French diplomatic sealed envelopes out of Bogota (Colombia),' the third Australian wrote.

The message continued, saying the Colombian distributors would take 50 per cent of the profit while four others would split the remaining half.

The same Australian then informed the unknown person that the drug drop could happen weekly, before sending three photos of cocaine and French diplomatic pouches.

Further messages, released by the US Department of Justice, show crime figures discussing a shipment of drugs which were to allegedly be thrown from a ship and then picked up at sea.

'I have a cargo ship with captain on side too they want to throw over (the) load as they leave,' the AN0M message read.

'So once tug boats release the pilot boat guides him out to sea. Once pilot boat leaves we (message) saying throw then they'll throw right away. Can you do this? If so, what is your fee?'

The associate responded, saying: 'Yes they can definitely catch it. They charge 20% door fee'.

'How many kg can they do per time? What are the cost of goods? When can we start?'

The app - which required installation on mobile phones stripped of other capabilities - became increasingly popular among organised crime figures as it was spruiked by their associates, according to AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw.

Police raid a property in Melbourne's Sydenham over a $1billion drug importation plot

Hakan Ayik (pictured) was tricked into distributing messages to criminal associates. Australian Federal Police have called for the suspected drug lord to hand himself in

The raid allegedly uncovered a loaded firearm and $30,000 cash hidden inside a bathroom wall

While surveillance of the 'AN0M' communication platform culminated in Tuesday's raids, it had led to the arrest of more than 220 Australian organised crime figures going back to 2018.

Offenders are linked variously to the Australian-based Italian mafia, outlaw motorcycle gangs, Asian crime syndicates and Albanian organised crime.

The communications found on the platform revealed 21 murder plots, gun distribution activity and mass drug trafficking, Australian Federal Police say.

The AFP also said on Tuesday it had seized 3.7 tonnes of drugs, more than 100 weapons and almost $45 million in cash as part of the operation since 2018.

'We allege they are members of outlaw motorcycle gangs, Australian Mafia, Asian crime syndicates and serious and organised crime groups. We allege they've been trafficking illicit drugs into Australia at an industrial scale,' Commissioner Kershaw said.

The app became popular among organised crime figures as it was spruiked by their colleagues. Pictured: excerpts of messages between an Australian and an unknown associate

'Australian law enforcement has been arresting and charging alleged offenders and we have prevented tonnes of drugs from coming onshore.

'We've arrested the alleged kingmakers behind these crimes, prevented mass shootings in suburbs, frustrated organised crime by seizing ill-gotten wealth.

'We have been in the back pockets of organised crime.'

Details of the communications come after new footage from the most audacious law enforcement operation in Australian history was revealed, showing heavily-armed police kicking in doors, cutting through barriers and scaling high-rise apartments.

Australian police have warned Ayik - dubbed the 'Facebook gangster' for the flashy lifestyle he flaunted on social media - is a marked man after unwittingly peddling the 'trojan horse' app to his underworld associates.

The AFP have urged Ayik, who they allege still orchestrates huge shipments of methylampthetamine and cocaine into Australia from his base in Turkey, to hand himself in to authorities.

'Given the threat he faces, he's best off handing himself into us as soon as he can,' Commissioner Kershaw said.

'He was one of the coordinators of this particular device, so he's essentially set up his own colleagues.'

Police said the covert operation had foiled 21 murder plots - saving the lives of a family of five - and shut down gun distribution and mass drug trafficking rings, with Mafia bosses, bikies and reality TV stars among those arrested.

In a Melbourne court on Tuesday it was revealed how the operation stopped over $1billion of ice and cocaine being smuggled into Australia.

Ninja Warrior 2017 contestant Sopiea Kong was among those arrested. The 33-year-old was charged last week following a raid at a Kangaroo Point home, where police allegedly seized 154g of meth

Australia's most wanted Hakan Ayik (centre) was influential in spreading the AN0M app through his criminal networks, it has been claimed

Among those swept up as part of the clandestine operation was father Mark Joannou, who applied for bail in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday after being charged with his alleged role as an 'investor' in the drug ring.

A raid of his Sydenham home in Melbourne's west allegedly uncovered a loaded firearm and $30,000 cash hidden in his bathroom wall.

About $400,000 was found in the rest of the property, police allege.

The court heard the 41-year-old used the AN0M app to conspire with the alleged leader of the drug ring to bring in about 1.6 tonnes of ice and cocaine worth an estimated $1billion between April and June this year, the Herald Sun reported.

Investigators alleged Joannou posted on the network as the 'wolf' and openly discussed the importation of 400kg of ice from India.

Police allege he would have pocketed $16,000 profit per kilo. The court also heard how the duo allegedly bragged about going undetected.

'Bro, as an example, yeah, we landed twice this past six months,' Mr Zayneh allegedly wrote on the app.

'They knew nothing. And we will f**king land three more times, bro. Watch.'

Mr Joannou allegedly replied: 'Yeah, I know bro. Just stay safe.'

In another alleged deal Mr Zayneh asked Mr Joannou about investing in a drug Los Angeles venture, calling it 'good opportunity'.

'We are working with the cartel,' the message said.

Four other men - Joe Scordo, Sebastian Bezborodoff, Omar Dib, Robin Reffo - were also charged for their role in the alleged crime syndicate.

All six caught up in the raid now face charges of conspiring to import a large commercial quantity of border controlled drugs, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The bust exposed new details about how one of Australia's most wanted fugitives gave police extensive access to the world's criminal underworld. Pictured: one man being arrested by AFP officers

Pictured: Officers as part of operation Ironside are seen lining up on the street before moving in on a target

Despite the incredible success of the secret sting, Daily Mail Australia can reveal the operation was in jeopardy of being compromised earlier this year - and authorities may have wound it up earlier as a result.

In late March, an anonymous blogger known only as 'canyouguess67' posted an article warning users to keep off ANOM for their 'own safety'.

'STAY AWAY FROM ANOM IF YOU VALUE YOUR PRIVACY AND SAFETY,' the blogger wrote in an article, which has since been pulled down.

'THEY ARE COMPROMISED, LIARS AND YOUR DATA IS RUNNING VIA USA.'

In what now seems to be a telling clue, the blogger expressed serious concerns about the fact that the AN-M device he had tested 'was actually in constant contact with Google services' in both New South Wales, Australia and California.

'I was quite concerned to see the amount of IP addresses relating to many corporations within the Five Eyes governments (Australia, USA, Canada, UK, NZ who share information with one another),' he wrote.

Following a technical analysis, the blogger - correctly - recommended people not use AN0M technology, warning authorities could 'completely infiltrate every users' devices (sic) as well as their operations, and worse of all authorities would have the ability to decrypt and intercept messages'.

In a ironic twist, the unnamed tech blogger warned that they had contacted law enforcement agencies with their concerns.

The blog, named 'ANOMEXPOSED', had since been taken down but it was still publicly available via Google on Tuesday.

It is unclear whether the tech expert's concerns reached the ears of the Federal Police or played a role in the project being sensationally unveiled today.

An anonymous tech geek posted a blog online in March, titled 'AN0M ENCRYPTED SCAM EXPOSED'

Millions of dollars in assets have been seized including this sparking collection of expensive watches

A fire engine red Ducati which is also now in the possession of the Australian Federal Police

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the AFP operation, known as Operation Ironside, had struck a 'heavy blow' against organised crime.

'The operation puts Australia at the forefront of the fight against criminals who peddle in human misery and ultimately, it will keep our communities and Australians safe,' he said on Tuesday.

'Illicit drug use ruins lives and fuels organised crime.'

AFP Commissioner Kershaw said federal agents had been in the 'back pockets' of criminals through the encryption app.

The idea, Mr Kershaw said, came over a 'couple of beers' between officers and FBI agents years back.

'The FBI had the lead on this. We provided the technical capability to decrypt those messages,' he said.

'Some of the best ideas come over a couple of beers.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the AFP operation, known as Operation Ironside, had struck a 'heavy blow' against organised crime

Pictured: Officers from operation Ironside prepare to bust down a down as part of a raid

Ninja Warrior 2017 contestant Sopiea Kong was among those arrested. The 33-year-old was charged last week following a raid at a Kangaroo Point home, where police allegedly seized 154g of meth.

Kong, who was also allegedly in possession of $2,030 cash and a revolver, was granted bail and will appear in court on June 28.

Former Bachelorette star Samuel Minkin, who appeared on Becky and Elly Miles' season of the dating show, was charged with possessing a large commercial quantity of cannabis after police stopped a van in Byron Bay last month.

Former Bandito bikie Benjamin Joseph Thornton, 31, was arrested after police seized two mobile phones and a small quantity of cocaine. He was denied bail and will reappear in court next week.

What is ANoM?

On its glitzy website, the 'AN0M' phone looks like any new tech innovation with sleek black lines, 'invite only' exclusivity and a pledge to 'enforce your right to privacy'.

But its best feature - and for most of its users, the worst - wasn't promoted in its marketing material.

The phone, which supposedly allowed encrypted communications safe from the eyes of the law, was actually a cunning trap laid for a who's who of organised crime.

The Australian Federal Police on Tuesday revealed a breathtaking three-year tech ploy which led to 4,000 police executing 525 search warrants.

'Enforce your right to privacy': This is how the ANoM website advertised its product - with users not realising that law enforcement officials could read each and every message

Senior bikies and mafia figures were tricked into buying hi-tech phones that would supposedly let them message one another, free of police snooping.

But the AN0M phones were actually designed by the FBI and allowed Australian police to read the texts of organised crime figures.

Police watched in real time as alleged crooks spilled their secrets to one another on their own app.

Crooks even paid six-monthly subscription fees to the police - the money only being used against them by funding law enforcement actions.

How did it all work?

Users could buy phone handsets costing between $1,500 and $2,500 from what has been described as underground distributors.

The phones were stripped down - they couldn't even make calls, access the internet or send emails.

What did do was send encrypted messages, photos and videos, using a foreign SIM card to apparently avoid Australian data snooping laws.

Crooks could buy a six month subscription to use the app - the funds raised unknowingly redirected to the police.

Mafia figures and bikies purchased ANoM-branded phones with encrypted messaging technology already downloaded. When criminals used the phones, the messages were intercepted by Australian Federal Police law enforcement agencies

The app was invitation-only as of Tuesday morning - before the page was sensationally taken down and replaced with a warning by the FBI

Anom's Twitter account claimed the company was based in the famously neutral nation of Switzerland

This is how the Anom.io website looked as of late Tuesday morning

The app was accessed by entering a PIN number into the phone's calculator, the stuff of spy dramas.

AN0M's website, which was only deleted about 10am on Tuesday, made the technology sound impenetrable.

The company was apparently based in famously neutral Switzerland and boasted of 'military grade encrypt and sanitise'.

For its encryption, it claimed to use 'OMEMO Double Ratchet Algorithm ... independently audited by Dutch security research group Radically Open Security'.

That may have been an in-joke - as all the supposedly self-destructing messages sent on the app was radically open to the Australian Federal Police to read.

Police have been coy about just how Australian mafia and bikie figures first came across the devices.

That is likely to remain a secret, as it involves police informants.

But what is clear is that the 'business' began to grow of its own accord beginning in about October 2018.

Criminal 'influencers', including Ayik, eventually became so enthralled by the technology they distributed the devices around the world.

But it is clear that AN0M is no secret anymore - with its details splashed across the world's news sites and hundreds of cases before the courts, many no doubt unaware that someone was sounding the alarm about the app months ago.
Advertisement

Rishi Sunak could reluctantly accept an extension to lockdown  but for no longer than 'a week or two'.

As some call for 'Freedom Day' to be delayed by a month, Tory pressure grew to stick to June 21.

Ministers are considering delaying the final stage of the road map out of lockdown following jittery warnings from scientists about the spread of the Indian variant. Some are pushing for restrictions to remain in place until as late as the start of English school holidays on July 23.

But Michael Gove has said he would 'bet on a relaxation' of the coronavirus rules on June 21 - if he were a 'betting man'.

He made the comments on Monday during a ministerial meeting, as the Prime Minister got ready to decide whether to go ahead with the June 21 'freedom day', the Huffington Post reported. His comments appear to leave open the chance of either a full or partial lifting of measures.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is among a string of Cabinet ministers pressing Boris Johnson to stick to the target date, arguing there is a pressing need to get key sectors such as hospitality firing on all cylinders.

A Whitehall source said Mr Sunak could live with a delay of 'a week or two' but would resist any further slippage as this could involve extending the furlough scheme.

Rishi Sunak (left) could reluctantly accept an extension to lockdown of 'a week or two' following calls to delay the final stage of the roadmap out of lockdown. Michael Gove (right) has said he would 'bet on a relaxation' of the coronavirus rules on June 21 - if he were a 'betting man'

All over-50s could be fully vaccinated by July 1st - two weeks after 'freedom day' All over-50s in England could be fully protected against Covid by July 1  nearly two weeks after 'freedom day on June 21  but it will take until September for all adults to have had two jabs, MailOnline analysis can reveal All over-50s in England could be fully protected against Covid by July 1  nearly two weeks after 'freedom day on June 21  but it will take until September for all adults to have had two jabs, MailOnline analysis can reveal. The figures will boost calls for the Government to delay opening up all restrictions on June 21 for a fortnight in order to ensure the most vulnerable members of society have all had time for both doses to have had an effect. And it comes amid claims that science chiefs Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance have spooked No10 into pushing back plans for June 21's 'Freedom Day' total unlocking citing fears of a third wave. Experts say the vaccine forecast supports the case for a delay in reopening because one dose of vaccine can be as little as 30 per cent effective against the Indian coronavirus variant that is now dominant in the UK. Cases are currently rising by around 40 per cent a week and new infections will be well above 15,000 a day by June 21, although it remains to be seen if the full vaccination of older Britons will keep hospital occupancy low. But opponents of a postponement believe the vaccines have successfully broken the link between cases and hospitalisations, and argue the economic cost of a delay would be greater than that caused by a third wave this summer. MailOnline analysis of official figures shows all people aged 50 and above could all of had their second vaccine dose by June 17, with a full immune response coming two weeks later. But over-16s will not have received by their final inoculation until September 14, fueling concerns a surge in Covid infections caused by the Indian variant will result in a spike in deaths and hospitalisations among the unvaccinated. And experts today told MailOnline the figures suggest the Government would be right to delay by two weeks in order to ensure all over-50s have had their second dose and are protected. Advertisement

'I don't think he's in principle against a short delay if that is what is necessary,' the source said. 'If it is more than a week or two then that is problematic.'

Treasury sources said there were no plans to extend the furlough scheme, which continues in full until the end of this month. From July, employers will have to make a gradually increasing contribution until the scheme ends in September.

Debate about the lifting of lockdown has intensified at the top of government following a surge in Covid cases.

Government scientists are understood to have warned ministers that daily cases are on course to be running at well over 10,000 a day by June 21.

Yesterday, daily cases topped 6,000 for the second time since mid-March. And there is concern that those who have had only one jab are at risk from the virulent Indian strain.

Matt Hancock told MPs on Monday that only three of the 126 people hospitalised by the Indian variant in the UK had been fully vaccinated. But a further 28 in hospital  just over a fifth of the total  had received one jab.

Mr Hancock and the Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty are said to have argued that a short delay would enable many more to gain the extra protection of a second jab. But Michael Gove, who is also urging caution, is said to believe Mr Johnson will press ahead with lifting at least some restrictions on June 21.

Downing Street said the Prime Minister wanted to see more data before announcing the decision on Monday.

Tory MPs urged Mr Johnson to overrule the scientists.

Former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: 'Scientists have got themselves into a frightened state where none of them want to be the one who says unlock because they are fearful they will be blamed if something goes wrong, even though there is no evidence that it will.

'They are drifting towards a zero Covid goal, which is unattainable, and the politicians have to take back control.'

Former Cabinet minister David Jones also warned against further delay. 'We cannot continue to live as we have for the last 15 months,' he said. At some stage we have to take our courage in our hands and start getting back to normal, and that stage is now.'

It comes after MailOnline analysis yesterday revealed all over-50s in England could be fully protected against Covid by July 1  nearly two weeks after 'freedom day on June 21.

The figures will boost calls for the Government to delay opening up all restrictions on June 21 for a fortnight in order to ensure the most vulnerable members of society have all had time for both doses to have had an effect.

Experts say the vaccine forecast supports the case for a delay in reopening because one dose of vaccine can be as little as 30 per cent effective against the Indian coronavirus variant that is now dominant in the UK.

Cases are currently rising by around 40 per cent a week and new infections will be well above 15,000 a day by June 21, although it remains to be seen if the full vaccination of older Britons will keep hospital occupancy low.

But opponents of a postponement believe the vaccines have successfully broken the link between cases and hospitalisations, and argue the economic cost of a delay would be greater than that caused by a third wave this summer.

MailOnline analysis of official figures shows all people aged 50 and above could all of had their second vaccine dose by June 17, with a full immune response coming two weeks later.

But over-16s will not have received by their final inoculation until September 14, fueling concerns a surge in Covid infections caused by the Indian variant will result in a spike in deaths and hospitalisations among the unvaccinated.

Experts told MailOnline the figures suggest the Government would be right to delay by two weeks in order to ensure all over-50s have had their second dose and are protected.

DARK RED/PURPLE = MORE INDIAN VARIANT CASES. Variant-tracking data from the Wellcome Sanger Institute shows that the now-dominant Indian 'Delta' strain is hotly focused in the North West of England, where the new restrictions are coming into place

Debate about the lifting of lockdown has intensified at the top of government following a surge in Covid cases. Pictured: People line up to receive their Covid vaccination in Stanmore, London

SIX MILLION people are told to stay outdoors: A tenth of the UK's population gets tough new 'advice' to curb Indian 'Delta' variant in the North West of England

By Sophie Borland for The Daily Mail

Nearly six million residents in the North West were yesterday told to meet other people outdoors and keep travel to a minimum to curb the spread of Covid's Indian variant.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said restrictions currently in place in Bolton would be expanded across the rest of Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

People will be urged to avoid meeting others inside where possible, cut back on travel in and out of the region and maintain social distancing.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said restrictions currently in place in Bolton would be expanded across the rest of Greater Manchester and Lancashire

The 22 councils in the region will be given military support to help with Covid testing and health chiefs will have the power to enforce mandatory face masks in secondary schools. Local leaders last night insisted the measures do not amount to a North West lockdown, but 'guidance and advice' for residents.

Although people in Greater Manchester and Lancashire have been told to minimise travel, they are still allowed to go on holiday. However, ministers are urging the 5.7million covered by the guidance to be cautious about social interaction in the face of high rates of the Indian variant.

Mr Hancock described the measures, which affect nearly one in ten of the UK population, as a 'strengthened package of support'. He also admitted the Government faces a 'challenging decision' in working out whether 'Freedom Day'  the final step in lifting lockdown  can go ahead as planned on June 21.

He told the Commons: 'We know that this approach can work. We've seen it work in south London and in Bolton in stopping a rise in the number of cases.

'This is the next stage of tackling the pandemic in Manchester and Lancashire and, of course, it's vital that people in these areas, as everywhere else, come forward and get the jab as soon as they are eligible because that is our way out of this pandemic together.'

He added: 'We face a challenging decision ahead of June 21. These are difficult judgments.'

Mr Hancock also stressed that 'conclusive data' on the effectiveness of the vaccine against the Indian variant would not be available for at least two more weeks.

He said Public Health England officials were trying to determine the crucial figure which would show how effective the jabs were at reducing serious diseases and hospital admissions. He added: 'It's obviously an absolutely critical figure and I'll report it to the House as soon as we have it.'

The areas affected by the measures  which cover ten council areas in Greater Manchester and 12 in Lancashire  all have particularly high cases of the Indian variant, which has since been renamed the Delta variant.

The 22 councils in the region will be given military support to help with Covid testing and health chiefs will have the power to enforce mandatory face masks in secondary schools

But Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham insisted the measures were guidance rather than a regional lockdown.

He said it was 'very important to keep a sense of proportion', adding: 'This is guidance  it is advice to the public. It is not a lockdown. It is not a ban.

'This is not about telling people to cancel their plans  it is about asking them to be careful in setting any new ones, to minimise non-essential travel.'

He urged ministers to release extra vaccine stocks, saying: 'We are not asking for any more vaccine here than our fair share. What we are asking for is the bringing forward of Greater Manchester's supplies so that we can run a surge vaccination programme over the next three weeks.'

Sacha Lord, night-time economy adviser for Greater Manchester, said: 'We remain hopeful that with these measures in place Step Four of the roadmap on June 21 will go ahead.

'However, we must not allow a disregard for the guidance now to affect those chances.

'We must all continue to work as one to help prevent a surge of infections delaying our exit from this crisis  from those taking the time to discuss vaccine concerns with friends and family to the thousands of businesses who have worked hard to implement measures to aid the reduction in transmission.'
The global hair accessories market size is expected to reach USD 53.6 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 15.2% over the forecast period. Growing awareness about hair grooming and rising preference for fashionable products that serve the purpose of utility as well as give a trendy look.

Influence of fashion media and magazines have fueled the market growth. Increasing popularity and availability of videos, tutorials, and pictures of trendy hairstyles and hair accessories have evolved the fashion tastes among the consumers, which, in turn, is expected to propel the market growth. Furthermore, availability of various hair products such as sequenced and ornamented pins, bands, and clips on e-commerce websites, which are usually not available offline, is expected to drive the demand for the market.

Apart from elastics and ties, wigs and extensions are one of the trending accessories, especially among the African descendants, in U.S. and Europe. The growth is attributed to increased demand among these consumers due to their curly and crinkled hair and popularity of Halloween celebrations.Asian consumers accounted for a relatively smaller proportion in the global market as they generally use wigs to cover their hair loss. However, due to rapid development in the production technology, evolving fashion trends and hairstyles and availability of various attractive accessories have driven the consumers towards significant acceptance of this market.

Browse Details of Report @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/hair-accessories-market

General stores accounted for the largest share of 39.7% in 2018. This segment is popular owing to its benefits such as scanning the product before purchase that influences consumers buying decision, easy availability of a wide variety of products, presence of an in-store associate who helps them choose the right product, and instant buying of the product. General stores refer to various local beauty shops and retail stores that offer a number of hair accessory products to choose from.

Regions such as Asia Pacific, Europe, and MEA are expected to significantly contribute to the market growth over the forecast period. Evolving fashion trends and changing style statements among the consumers have increased the demand for hair accessories to complement their outfit. This trend is expected to contribute to the growth of the market in the near future.

Hair Accessories Market Report Highlights

 The global hair accessories market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 15.2% from 2018 to 2025, thereby reaching a value of USD 53.6 billion by 2025

 By product, elastics and ties accounted for the largest share of above 30.0% in 2018 due to continuous product development in terms of designs, shapes, and materials

 Wigs and extensions are expected to register the highest CAGR of 15.5% over the forecast period

 North America accounted for the largest share of above 30.0% in 2018 owing to increasing demand from the African descendants residing in U.S.

 Key players operating in this market are J&D Beauty Products; Goody Products Inc.; Claires; LATADA; Conair Corporation; Diana Enterprise North America Inc.; and Hairline Illusions, to name a few.
Hundreds of British passengers on a cruise ship sailing around the country have been told they will not be allowed to disembark when they arrive in Scotland due to Nicola Sturgeon's coronavirus measures.

The MSC Virtuosa left Liverpool on Tuesday and was due to dock at Greenock on Wednesday at about 9.30am, departing at 8pm the same day.

The domestic seven-night cruise is then due to drop anchor at Belfast, Southampton and the Isle of Portland before returning to Greenock and with a final stop at Liverpool the following day.

But the Scottish Passenger Agents' Association (SPAA), the professional body for travel agents and the sector in Scotland, has seen a copy of an email sent to current passengers by the cruise operator.

It says: 'Due to the latest Scottish Government Covid 19 restrictions and regulations... we are sorry to inform you that the port call of Greenock has been cancelled.

'No guests are allowed to embark or disembark... This decision has been made by the Scottish Government and is out of our control.'

The MSC Virtuosa left Liverpool on Tuesday and was due to dock at Greenock on Wednesday at about 9.30am, departing at 8pm the same day (pictured: MSC Virtuosa, May 22)

The domestic seven-night cruise is then due to drop anchor at Belfast, Southampton and the Isle of Portland before returning to Greenock and with a final stop at Liverpool the following day

Scottish passengers were due to join the cruise in Greenock and the SPAA anticipated a third of those currently on board were expected to go ashore for excursions on Wednesday.

Michele Lister, who works for Glasgow-based Glen Travel, is one of those who boarded the ship in Liverpool, and has expressed her disappointment at not being allowed in to Greenock.

She said: 'We were expecting to go into Greenock tomorrow morning for the full day... and we're not allowed to go into my own country which is really disappointing.

'The captain made an announcement over the Tannoy and said that due to the latest government announcement we were not going to be allowed to disembark in Greenock and we were going to remain in Liverpool one other night.

'There's about half a dozen people that I'm aware of on board that are Scottish and they want to show off to the English customers what Scotland's all about and they want to spend the money in the area as well, which is badly needed.

'The majority of Scotland is in Level 2 just now, I don't see why we're not allowed to go in our country - it's safer on here than it is to walk about the street in Glasgow, we had to do two PCR tests to get on board the ship.

Pictured: Guests relax in the champagne bar during the first sailing of the MSC Virtuosa

The Scottish Passenger Agents' Association (SPAA), the professional body for travel agents and the sector in Scotland, has seen a copy of an email sent to current passengers by the cruise operator (pictured: Guests on the MSC Virtuosa, May 20)

'A cruise is my favourite holiday, it's safer for me to be on here and make sure I'm travelling with people that are Covid-free because you could be walking down the street and it can be transmitted by people walking past you.'

Joanne Dooey, SPAA president, said: 'We're now facing the situation where Scottish passengers who joined the cruise in Liverpool are barred from setting foot in their own country.

'The SPAA has been asking for clarity on the situation for this particular cruise ship since last week, and all we have received so far is an indication that cruises may only restart when all of Scotland is in Level 1.

'Inverclyde itself is currently in Level 1.

'The Scottish Government has effectively closed the country's borders to anything other than road travel.

'The irony is that any of these passengers can get in a car and drive from Southampton to Inverclyde with no testing, border control or vaccinations.

'We, as travel agents, are utterly devastated. The Scottish Government is not even paying lip service now to working with the travel sector to save Scottish travel.'

MSC Virtuosa arrives at the port on May 22, 2021 in Portland, England

A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'We fully understand the impact of the current restrictions on domestic cruises.

'We explained our concerns about the transmission risks posed by cruise vessels in an update to industry on May 24 and confirmed that we would clarify the position in June.

'Following extensive engagement with stakeholders, we have now confirmed that domestic cruises can restart when all of Scotland reaches Level 1 and we have made industry, including the operator, aware of this.

'This decision has been informed by the combination of risks that exists between both cruises and the wider travel context, including the current trajectory of Covid infections and the unknowns around the new Delta variant, in addition to the potential for high risk of uncontained rapid transmission on the cruise.

'Affected passengers should contact the operator for further information regarding their trip.'
The wife of Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is expected to plead guilty this week to federal charges of helping him run his cartel, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.

Emma Coronal Aispuro, a 31-year-old former beauty queen with dual Mexican-U.S. citizenship, was arrested at the Dulles International Airport in February.

Known as the 'Kardashian of Sinaloa,' prosecutors accused her of working with her husband to help run the Sinaloa drug cartel.

Emma Coronel Aispuro, 31, will plead guilty this week to helping her husband Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman run his drug empire, The New York Times reported on Tuesday. He was convicted by a New York court in February 2019 and is serving a life sentence in Colorado

Her husband, Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, is seen in February 2014 after he was presented before the Mexican press, as proof of his arrest. He would later escape - allegedly with his wife's help

Coronel cultivated a substantial social media following thanks to the high-profile trial

Prosecutors say Coronel also conspired in Guzman's famous July 2015 escape from the Altiplano prison in Mexico through a mile-long tunnel dug from his cell.

Damaso Lopez, one of Guzman's former lieutenants, testified that he met several times with Coronel and Guzman's sons to plan the drug boss' escape from the Altiplano prison. And he said Coronel had relayed messages from her husband.

Coronel was unrepentant.

'What I can only say about that is that I have nothing to be ashamed of,' she wrote. 'I am not perfect but I consider myself a good human being and I have never hurt anyone intentionally.'

Her plea agreement with prosecutors in Washington does not require her to cooperate with the U.S. authorities, the person familiar with the case told The New York Times.

One person with extensive knowledge of the family and the case told DailyMail.com they doubted she was not cooperating, adding: 'She knows enough'.

Guzman, whose nickname 'El Chapo' means 'Shorty', is seen on January 19, 2017, when he was extradited from Mexico to the United States. He was handed over on the last day of Barack Obama's presidency

Guzman himself is unlikely to be affected, as the 63-year-old was convicted in February 2019 in a high-profile Brooklyn trial of masterminding a multibillion dollar drug enterprise for his drug operation.

He was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years, and locked up in the federal Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado.

His sons, however, may well be concerned, a source told DailyMail.com.

Joaquin Guzman Lopez, 36, and Ovidio Guzman Lopez, 30, have both been indicted by the U.S. authorities.

Ivan, 40, and Jesus, 38, are also believed to be heavily involved in the running of the cartel, now that their father is behind bars.

So too might Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, the 73-year-old right-hand man of Guzman. El Mayo, unlike Guzman, has never been caught and is almost a mythical figure among law enforcement trying to track him down.

His son, Ismael Zambada Imperial, 35, admitted in a plea agreement in San Diego at the end of April to being a major coordinator in the trafficking operation, including importing and distributing tons of cocaine, heroin and marijuana from Mexico into the U.S.

Coronel is expected to appear in court in Washington DC on Thursday and enter her plea, the paper reported.

If convicted of all charges, she faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine of $10 million.

Coronel is seen, left, at her husband's trial and right, on February 23, appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather in Washington DC

Coronel is seen outside court in Brooklyn with two of her husband's lawyers, Eduardo Balarezo (left) and William Purpura (right)

Coronel is seen with their twin daughters, Maria Joaquina and Emali, outside court in New York in June 2018. During the trial Guzman would frequently wave and blow kisses at the trio

Guzman waves at his wife in a court sketch during a sentencing hearing, on July 17, 2019

Coronel, mother of his twin daughters Maria Joaquina and Emali, was a constant presence at the trial, using it to showcase her dramatic outfits. She later announced she was launching a fashion line.

During the trial jurors heard how Coronel's father and brother both worked for Guzman, head of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Her father, Ines Coronel Barreras, served as one of Guzman's top lieutenants before his arrest in Mexico in 2013.

Her brother, Ines Omar Coronel, is also behind bars for having worked with the cartel.

Coronel, who is Guzman's third or possibly fourth wife, met her future husband when she was 17 and named beauty queen at a Sinaloa coffee and guava festival

Coronel has turned herself into an Instagram star, sharing photos like this one of her on vacation in Venice after her husband was sentenced

Coronel is his third, or possibly fourth, wife and famously caught his eye as a teenage beauty queen at a Sinaloa event.

She began participating in beauty pageants at a young age, and at age 17 was named beauty queen at the Coffee and Guava Festival.

El Chapo's wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro (pictured), 31, is pictured after her February arrest

At a ball to celebrate her coronation, she met Guzman, who was 51 at the time.

Coronel left her boyfriend to become his wife, and they agreed to marry the day she legally became an adult, just a few months after they met.

When asked about her husband's business, she would reply: 'I would prefer not to answer that.'

She said in 2018: 'I am not aware that he deals drugs. I'm in love with him.'

Yet U.S. prosecutors in court documents alleged that she was well aware of his dealings.

A letter allegedly written by Guzman to an associate regarding heroin trafficking was included in the warrant for her arrest.

'The mother of the twins will tell you and my sons something. Please be attentive compadre. She will explain,' the document read.

While he awaited sentencing, she said she lived off her own businesses.

'I can't tell you much about them, only that they are not illicit. For example, I own land that I inherited from my dad,' she said in 2018.
Wearing a face mask for extended periods of time is causing some people to have severe outbreaks of skin conditions like eczema and acne, dermatologists warn.

Experts explored instances of the most common causes of facial conditions directly caused by wearing face masks and other PPE, a phenomenon known as 'maskne'.

The team from King's College Hospital, London looked at all forms of facial PPE, including face shields, visors, safety glasses, surgical masks and respirators.

The article, published in the British Medical Journal, was written to help doctors and specialists diagnose 'maskne' and identify skin breakouts not related to PPE.

It features a range of images showing different types of facial skin conditions caused as a direct result of mask wearing, that were used to create a flow chart specialists can follow to better diagnose and in turn treat a specific condition.

Inflamed and scaly skin on the face of a 30 year old woman with seborrheic dermatitis. This is an inflammatory disorder where the skin becomes flaky, itchy and red. It occurs especially in areas rich in oil-producing sebaceous glands, such as the scalp and round the nose

Close-up of urticaria on the face of an 11-year-old female patient. Urticaria, also known as nettle rash or hives, is a skin condition in which a rash of itchy wheals or lumps develops on the skin, usually on the trunk or limbs

The researchers created a flow chart specialists can follow to better diagnose and in turn treat a specific condition

REQUIREMENTS FOR DIAGNOSING MASKNE Researchers say certain aspects of patient history can help diagnose Maskne treatment. This includes: History of skin disease and a comprehensive drug history that includes prescribed, over-the-counter, and complementary medicines

Relationship with mask wearing, including whether periods without mask wearing improved the issue

Symptoms of itch, soreness, and appearance of pustules or papules

Duration of PPE exposure each day and whether mask breaks are allowed

Assess the impact on the patients mood, work, and social life to assess severity and decide further management Advertisement

The coronavirus pandemic has led to a notable rise in people wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), especially masks due to government orders.

The term 'maskne' has become increasingly popular during the pandemic, where it is used to describe several facial skin conditions caused by mask wearing.

Individuals often buy expensive but potentially ineffective treatments for these conditions, so King's College Hospital researchers set out to improve diagnosis.

'In this practice pointer we summarise the most common causes of facial eruptions associated with wearing facial PPE,' authors of the article wrote.

They also highlight the 'key areas to cover when assessing someone with new or worsening pre-existing facial dermatoses that they attribute to the use of facial PPE.'

The researchers, including Emily Rudd, dermatology senior clinical fellow and Sarah Walsh, dermatology consultant wanted to make diagnosis more consistent.

Facial skin defects related to PPE have been well described in previous research, but doctors and specialists are using descriptive terms to describe outbreaks, they said.

'Based on the limited available evidence, mask related acne and irritant contact dermatitis are the most common facial dermatoses associated with mask wearing.'

The article, published in the British Medical Journal, was written to help doctors and specialists diagnose 'maskne' and identify skin breakouts not related to PPE. Stock image

A cross sectional study of 833 medical school staff in Thailand helped inform some of this research, including healthcare and non-healthcare workers.

That study showed that 54 per cent of those in the study self-reported instances of adverse skin reactions to wearing surgical or cloth masks.

'Typically, a patient presents with new onset facial eruption, or exacerbation of a pre-existing dermatosis that is most pronounced in the area covered by the mask,' according to the team behind the BMJ article.

Neck of a 23 year old man with folliculitis barbae. This is an inflammation of the hair follicles of the beard and is often caused by infection with Staphylococcus aureus bacteria

Contact dermatitis on a female patient's eyelid caused by eye drops used to treat glaucoma. Contact dermatitis is a type of eczema caused either by a toxic reaction to a particular substance or by an allergic reaction

'Ideally, such an assessment would take place in person, but video consultation provides an acceptable alternative.'

Examination should focus on the morphology of the eruption, the distribution, and whether it is present at sites other than the face, they explained.

There are a number of conditions linked to mask wearing, and they can either exist without the mask but made worse by it, or by caused by the mask, the team found.

When a condition is made worse by a mask it is usually the result of the development of a warm, moist environment around the area the mask has been worn.

Pustular acne on a young man's face. Acne is a general name given to a skin disorder in which the sebaceous glands become inflamed. The most common form, acne vulgaris, begins in adolescence and is due to overactivity of the sebaceous glands

The team recommend ensuring the mask isn't overly tight, taking breaks where possible, and using a wipe around the area of contact.

The most common condition they discovered was irritant contact dermatitis, a form of eczema caused by direct physical or chemical injury.

It is associated with wearing masks for more than six hours and severity depends on the type of mask and length of exposure.

It presents as discrete, dry, scaly patches. The main treatment is regular breaks from masks and a silicon backed dressing to protect the skin by creating a seal between it and the mask.

Acne rosacea on the face of a 28 year old woman. This condition is a reddening of the skin of unknown cause, sometimes accompanied by pustules (pus-containing blisters) that resemble acne. One possible cause is overuse of corticosteroid creams

Other conditions include those caused by a hypersensitivity reaction to something in the mask, including rubber in elastic straps and wires used to mould it to the face.

This is best treated with a short, mild course of something like hydrocortisone ointment, the researchers explained in the letter written for doctors and specialists.

They also found instances of atopic eczema, which affects up to 30 per cent of children and 10 per cent of adults, made worse through mask wearing.

The doctors pointer letter is published in the British Medical Journal.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO) levels nearly hit 420 parts per million (ppm) in May this year, their highest peak since accurate measurements began 63 years ago.

The finding comes from long-running records taken at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s weather station on Mauna Loa, Hawaii.

Instruments on the mountaintop observatory recorded CO levels of around 419 ppm last month - an increase on the 417 ppm seen during the same period last year.

The record-breaking figure last month came even despite the massive reduction in commuting and many commercial activities seen across the COVID-19 pandemic.

Researchers said that they attributed this, in part, to the release of carbon from global wildfires in the last year, alongside the longevity of carbon in the atmosphere.

Ongoing CO recordings began on Mauna Loa back in 1958, thanks to the efforts of Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientist Charles David Keeling.

Since 1974, these measurements have been complemented by independent observations taken by researchers from NOAA.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO) levels nearly hit 420 parts per million (ppm) in May this year, their highest peak since accurate measurements (pictured) began 63 years ago

CO AT MAUNA LOA Positioned atop a barren volcanic mountain in the middle of the Pacific, the Mauna Loa Atmospheric Baseline Observatory is perfectly suited to take benchmark carbon dioxide readings. The location makes it ideal for sampling well-mixed air  such that is undisturbed by either local sources of pollution or vegetation. This allows it to produce measurements that can represent the average state of the atmosphere in the Earth's northern hemisphere. Atmospheric carbon dioxide measurements have been consistently taken atop Mauna Loa since 1958. Despite being on a volcano, the readings are not distorted by Hawaiian eruptions, Dr Tans explained  noting that the occasional CO plume does need to be removed from the data. Advertisement

According to climatologist Pieter Tans of NOAA's Global Monitoring Laboratory, the findings show that reducing fossil fuel usage, deforestation and other practices that lead to carbon emissions must be a top priority to avoid 'catastrophic climate change'.

'We are adding roughly 40 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution to the atmosphere per year,' Dr Tans said.

'That is a mountain of carbon that we dig up out of the Earth, burn and release into the atmosphere as CO  year after year.'

Carbon dioxide, he added, is by far the most abundant human-caused greenhouse gas and it can persist in the atmosphere and oceans for thousands of years.

According to the researchers, the amount of carbon present now in the Earth's atmosphere is equal to that which would have been seen some 4.14.5 million years ago, during a time which scientists refer to as the 'Pliocene Climatic Optimum'.

At this time, the sea level was a whopping 78 feet (24 meters) higher than in the present day, while the average global temperature stood at 7F (3.9C) higher than it was before the Industrial Revolution, Dr Tans noted.

In fact, the temperature was so warm during this period of time that large forests occupied areas of the Arctic which today are barren, chilly tundra.

Positioned atop a barren volcanic mountain in the middle of the Pacific, the Mauna Loa Atmospheric Baseline Observatory (pictured) is perfectly suited to take benchmark carbon dioxide readings. The location makes it ideal for sampling well-mixed air  such that is undisturbed by either local sources of pollution or vegetation

According to climatologist Pieter Tans of NOAA's Global Monitoring Laboratory, the findings show that reducing fossil fuel usage (as pictured in this coal-fired power plant), deforestation and other carbon-emitting practices must be a priority to avoid 'catastrophic climate change'

'The ultimate control knob on atmospheric carbon dioxide is fossil-fuel emissions, said geochemist Ralph Keeling  Charles Keeling's son, who now runs the Scripps Institution of Oceanography program at Mauna Loa.

'We still have a long way to go to halt the rise, as each year more carbon dioxide piles up in the atmosphere,' he added.

'We ultimately need cuts that are much larger and sustained longer than the COVID-related shutdowns of 2020.'

The finding comes from long-running records taken at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s weather station on Mauna Loa, Hawaii (pictured)
A huge underwater 'avalanche' off the coast of West Africa kept moving for two days, scientists reveal.

The colossal event happened underwater in Congo Canyon, a deep submarine canyon leading away from the mouth of the Congo River, on Africa's west coast.

Underwater sensors dotted on the seafloor revealed it spread just under 683 miles (1,100 km) across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.

The avalanche broke two seabed telecommunication cables that underpin data traffic to West Africa, causing the internet to slow from Nigeria to South Africa.

It was not triggered by an earthquake, but a combination of two factors  severe flooding and unusually large spring tides.

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The event happened underwater in Congo Canyon, a deep canyon leading away from the mouth of the Congo River (pictured here in NASA imagery)

WHAT IS A TURBIDITY CURRENT? A turbidity current is a rapid, downhill flow of water caused by increased density due to high amounts of sediment. Turbidity currents can be set into motion when mud and sand on the continental shelf are loosened by earthquakes, collapsing slopes, and other geological disturbances. The turbid water then rushes downward like an avalanche, picking up sediment and increasing in speed. Source: NOAA Advertisement

It took place on January 14 last year, although a team of scientists, including experts from Durham University and the University of Hull, have only just fully analysed the resulting data.

Congo Canyon is one of the largest submarine canyons in the world. Submarine canyons are a steep-walled, sinuous valleys with V-shaped cross sections cut into the seabed of the continental slope.

'We had a series of oceanographic moorings that were hit by the event, which broke them from their seafloor anchors so that they popped up to send us an email,' Professor Peter Talling from Durham University told the BBC.

'This thing gradually got faster and faster. Because it erodes the seabed as it goes, it picks up sand and mud, which makes the flow denser and even quicker.

'So, it has this positive feedback where it can build and build and build.'

The flow continuously self-accelerated, so that it went from from speeds of 16 feet (five metres) per second to 26 feet (eight metres) per second.

'This is the longest runout turbidity current yet monitored in action, and the only monitored flow to continuously self-accelerate for over a thousand kilometres,' the researchers say.

The event is officially called a turbidity current  a rapid, downhill flow of water caused by increased density due to high amounts of sediment.

Turbidity currents can be set into motion when mud and sand on the continental shelf are loosened by earthquakes, collapsing slopes, and other geological disturbances  although this event was not due to an earthquake.



The event was triggered by an extreme flood observed in December 2019 along the Congo River, which delivered sand and mud to the head of Congo Canyon, as well as some unusually large spring tides two weeks later.

Congo Canyon is a submarine canyon found at the end of the Congo River in Africa. Submarine canyons are a steep-walled, sinuous valleys with V-shaped cross sections cut into the seabed of the continental slope

Buried deep beneath the world's oceans and seas is a network of underwater cables silently connecting even the remotest parts of the world to the web. The avalanche broke two seabed telecommunication cables that underpin data traffic to West Africa, causing the internet to slow from Nigeria to South Africa (stock image)

There has only been one previously directly-measured turbidity current on the same kind of scale  the Grand Banks earthquake event in 1929.

Grand Banks, in Newfoundland, Canada, broke all 20 submarine cables across the North Atlantic.

The event ran out for more than 500 miles (800km), but decelerated from 62 feet (19 metres) a second to 10 feet (3 metres) a second, rather than continuously accelerating like the January 2020 event.

A turbidity current is a rapid, downhill flow of water caused by increased density due to high amounts of sediment

Researchers say it is crucial to determine how the frequency of submarine flows will be effected by future climate and hydrological changes in the Congo Basin.

The event also has implications for upcoming builds of submarine communications cables, which will provide critical internet for parts of Africa.

'It is important to understand how such powerful and very long runout turbidity currents are triggered, especially for hazards to strategic seabed cables, including cable routes that are planned for 2020-21 off West Africa,' they say.

As well as the University of Hull, the analysis involved scientists from the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Germany and Institut Francais de Recherche pour lExploitation de la MER in France.

The team have detailed the event further in a pre-print paper, yet to be peer reviewed.


Russian scientists are actively studying Tibetan monks in the hopes of garnering tips for astronauts on future long-distance space missions.

Experts from Moscow State University are examining ancient techniques for putting the human body into a 'semi-lethargic state - suspended animation', before returning to normal weeks later.

They are also examining the electrical activity in the monks' brain during deep meditation.

In addition, the team is studying the phenomenon known as 'tukdam' - or 'posthumous meditation' - when monks are declared clinically dead but remain sitting upright with no sign of decay for days or weeks.

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Russian scientists are actively studying Tibetan monks in the hopes of garnering tips on future long distance space travel

Human hibernation for space travel? Since 2019, the European Space Agency (ESA) has been looking into human hibernation for space travel. Hibernation would take place in small individual pods that would double as cabins while the crew are awake. A drug would be administered to induce torpor  the term for the hibernating state. Like hibernating animals, the astronauts would be expected to acquire extra body fat in advance of torpor. Their soft-shell pods would be darkened and their temperature greatly reduced to cool their occupants during their projected 180-day Earth-Mars cruise. The hibernating cruise phase would end with a 21-day recuperation period  although based on the experience of animal hibernation, the expectation would be that the crew would not experience bone or muscle wastage. Source: ESA Advertisement

Professor Yury Bubeyev - a leading planner for long-distance space travel - said 'hibernation' may be critical to reaching Mars after further afield.

'We are looking for possible methods that can help us,' he said.

'One of them is the use of practices of altered states of consciousness, in which Buddhist monks have been most successful.'

Research has been conducted with the approval of the Dalai Lama, and is poised to restart after a delay caused by the pandemic.

'The most interesting practices for us are about altered states of consciousness,' he said.

'These states were achieved by many hours of meditation, isolation, monotonous recitation of mantras, in which deep concentration is achieved.

'This was already closer to the states of consciousness that are of interest to us, thanks to which a person can change the speed of their metabolism.'

The professor - a psychologist - said the Dalai Lama 'confirmed that such a method exists'.

'Only a few are familiar with it,' said Dr Bubeyev.

'A perfectly healthy person puts himself into a semi-lethargic state - suspended animation - and after a while, maybe a month later, returns back to normal.

'Such a practice would be very suitable for us.

'We very much hope to resume our research when the pandemic ends.'

One finding is that 'for the first time, it was shown that the brain of a meditating person can completely switch off from external stimuli.

'That is, if usually sound stimuli cause bursts on an EEG (electroencephalogram), here the auditory analyser seems to be completely turned off.'

The Russian team believes that a combination of the ancient methods of Tibetan monks and other technologies may be they key to long-distance space travel.

Among the other possibilities are cooling the body with inert gas xenon, hypothermia, and the use of drugs 'to achieve the maximum effect of hypobiosis for several months and exit from it without side effects'.

The scientists are also examining the electrical activity in the monks' brains and bodies during deep meditation

The Russian team believes that a combination of the ancient methods of Tibetan monks and other technologies may be they key to long distance space travel

'We asked the Dalai Lama to give us the opportunity to study the electrical activity of the brain of the most successful monk practitioners,' he said.

'In turn, the Dalai Lama proposed that we study the phenomenon of "posthumous meditation."'

He told Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper: 'We were given more than 100 practising monks to study meditation.'

More than 100 Tibetan monks are involved in the study, which has been approved by the Dalai Lama

Dr Bubeyev, 65, of Russia's Institute of Biomedical Problems which ran the MARS-500 experiment simulating manned flight to Mars, said: 'Many methods are being studied that could help people to their dream, reaching Mars, with fewest losses for the body.

'One such method that is now being considered by both us and NASA is hibernation.

'One option is introducing cosmonauts into a state of "prolonged sleep" during such a flight.

A team of Russians including experts from the Bekhtereva Institute of the Brain and the Institute for Advanced Research of the Brain of Moscow State University have been working with the Tibetan monks since 2017

'Then the body, due to the inhibition of metabolism, will use its resources less and possibly because of that it will have increased resistance to radiation.'

This will also decrease the chances of friction on the spaceship on long flights in cramped surroundings.

'Cosmonauts will get tired of each other less, there will be no interpersonal conflicts,' said the professor.

'There are medical methods of introducing a person into prolonged sleep with inhibition of the metabolism.

'But they are used in exceptional cases when the risk of death from serious injury outweighs all other threats. Their action is limited to a few hours.

'After that, irreversible changes in the brain may occur.'

A team of Russians, including experts from the Bekhtereva Institute of the Brain and the Institute for Advanced Research of the Brain of Moscow State University, have been working with the Tibetan monks since 2017, he said.
Late night emails or calls from your boss could be easier to ignore if you are an iPhone user, after Apple revealed a new feature that lets you mute notifications.

The Focus setting, announced at the World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) last night, lets users setup their device to only allow certain people to reach them.

When setting it up, you can name the 'Focus' and determine which apps and people can reach you while the Focus is activated - which can be for a time or at a place.

One use of this feature could be to create an 'Out of Office' that is enabled at the end of your work day, blocking calls from work numbers and emails from the boss.

Apple hasn't said when iOS 15 will be publicly available, but confirmed it would be released in the autumn through the settings app, as with previous releases.

If it follows earlier versions of iOS it will likely be released on the same day as the new iPhones, also expected to be released towards the end of the year.

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The Focus setting, announced at the World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) last night lets users setup your device to only allow certain people to reach you

Notifications will also look a little different following the download of iOS 15 - they will have photos and larger icons. This is part of Apple's new Focus feature that lets users decide how notifications appear on their iPhone or iPad

FaceTime gets largest upgrade with Apple's new iOS 15 Apple's iOS 15 brings the largest update to FaceTime. It includes 3D audio, which is like surround sound but multiplied. Portrait mode is coming that blurs the background so the user stands out. SharePlay will let users watch movies, listen to music or search the web together via FaceTime. The update also adds features that pits FaceTime against Zoom. Users can now send video conference links with a schedule and access number. Chat boxes are also organized as grids for better viewing. Advertisement

Focus doesn't technically stop your boss emailing you, but stops you getting a notification for that email and will prevent their calls from coming through.

If your boss has an iPhone and uses iMessages, they will get a notification when they try to message you that you have Focus enabled, asking if they really want to send.

This was just one of a number of new features announced by the Apple team, coming alongside more privacy controls and sharing functionality.

'For many customers, iPhone has become indispensable, and this year we've created even more ways it can enhance our daily lives,' said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering.

'iOS 15 helps users stay connected while sharing experiences in real time, gives them new tools to help reduce distraction and find focus.

'[It] uses intelligence to enhance the photos experience, and, with huge upgrades to Maps, brings new ways to explore the world.'

Another use of the Focus feature is to turn all distractions off while reading, including from apps, but still allowing messages from loved ones to come through.

It is effectively a more advanced and customisable version of the Do Not Disturb feature that is already available through iOS 14.

'Focus suggestions are based on users' context, like during their work hours or while they're winding down for bed, and when Focus is set on one Apple device, it automatically applies to their other Apple devices,' said Apple in a statement.

'Users can create Home Screen pages with apps and widgets that apply to moments of focus to only display relevant apps and reduce temptation.'

When a user's Focus is blocking incoming notifications, their status is automatically displayed to others in Messages, reflecting that a user is not currently reachable.

When setting it up you can name the 'Focus' and determine which apps and people can reach you while the Focus is activated - which can be for a time or at a place

Apple hasn't said when iOS 15 will be publicly available, but confirmed it would be released in the autumn through the settings app, as with previous releases

Apple's new macOS will now let users drag and drop files between their Macs and iPads Continuing to blur the lines between Macs and iPads, Apple announced that its new Mac operating system, macOS Monterey, will have a feature that lets people drag and drop files between both devices. The feature, known as Universal Control, will let users move between Macs and iPads with just a single mouse and keyboard, bringing files back and forth between devices. It even lets users draw something on an iPad with Apple Pencil and then put it into a Keynote slide on a Mac. Users will also be able to send their iPad screens and music to an Apple computer, with another feature, known as AirPlay to Mac. Advertisement

Default Focus options include a simple Do Not Disturb, a Personal setting that lets in messages from friends and family, a Sleep setting that turns everything off and dims the screen, as well as a Work setting that puts focus on office-friendly apps.

This could be setup to mute social media notifications, adapt the home screen to focus on apps like email and Zoom, or prioritise calls from the boss.

You can set a specific Focus based on time, or location. So you could set an Out of Work focus to run from 5pm to 8am, or start the minute you step out of the office.

It could act as an antidote the modern 'always on' trend, that some have complained became worse as a result of lockdown moving more people to work from home.

Office workers have complained of having to work longer hours as a result of having work emails on their phones, making it harder to switch off.

Some countries are considering 'right to disconnect' laws that could force firms to leave staff alone once their shift is over.

This is designed to ensure a sensible work life balance, and allowing employees to 'switch off' after their work day is done.

Focus could help with this by muting any notifications related to work when either away from the physical office, or after a certain time if working from home.

One use of this feature could be to create an 'Out of Office' that is enabled at the end of your work day, blocking calls from work numbers and emails from the boss

Some research has revealed that the average work day increased by up to two hours during the pandemic.

This is due to staff more easily able to continue working into the evening without risking missing a bus or train home from the office.

As well as a new 'Focus' setting, iOS 15 includes FaceTime improvements including 3D audio, a portrait mode to blur the background and Zoom like video conferences.

Users can also watch and listen to the same movies and music with friends through the new SharePlay feature.

FaceTime will also be supported on Windows and Android devices through a browser - the first time it has been available on another platform.

There will be an iMessage redesign that transforms message photos into galleries and a change to notifications, including photos of contacts and larger icons.
Since launching in 2016, TikTok has become one of the most popular social media apps around the world  particularly among younger users.

Now, it seems that YouTube wants a slice of the action, and is launching its own TikTok copycat called YouTube Shorts in the UK.

Like TikTok, YouTube Shorts allows users to post short-form videos from their smartphones.

However, the Google-owned brand has also added the ability to sample audio from videos across YouTube, which includes billions of videos worldwide.

The feature was first tested in India and the US, but is finally available to budding content creators in the UK from today.

Like TikTok, YouTube Shorts allows users to post short-form videos of up to 60-seconds from their smartphones

How to create a Short 1. Sign in to YouTube on mobile. 2. Tap create and then tap Create a Short beta. 3. To make your Short longer than 15 seconds, tap 15 above the record button to record up to 60 seconds. 4. To record a clip, hold the capture button or tap it to start recording and then again to stop. 5. Tap undo to remove the previous video clip that you recorded or tap redo to add it back. 6. Tap done to preview and enhance your video and then tap NEXT to add details to your video. 7. Add a title (max 100 characters) to your short video. 8. Tap UPLOAD to finish. Advertisement

YouTube Shorts were first announced in September last year, before being trialled in India and the US.

'We want to make it easy and fun to create Shorts. When we first launched our beta in India and the US, we had foundational creation tools for Shorts,' YouTube explained.

'As we continue to build Shorts based on feedback from our community, we've added more features to play with.'

The new features include the ability to add text to specific points in your video, sample audio from other Shorts, automatically add captions, add clips from your phone's gallery, and add basic filters.

And while users were initially restricted to 15 second videos, this has now been extended to one minute.

YouTube Shorts users will also have the ability to sample audio from videos across YouTube  which includes billions of videos worldwide.

YouTube explained: 'This means you can put your own creative spin on the content you love to watch on YouTube and help it find a new audience  whether it's reacting to your favourite jokes, trying your hand at a creator's latest recipe, or re-enacting classic comedic skits.

'Creators will be in control and will be able to opt out if they don't want their long form video remixed.'

While rival TikTok has its own dedicated app, YouTube Shorts will sit within the main YouTube platform.

'We've introduced a row on the YouTube homepage especially for Shorts, have launched a new watch experience that lets you easily swipe vertically from one video to the next, and have added a Shorts tab on mobile that makes it easier for you to watch Shorts with a single tap,' YouTube explained.

The Shorts beta will be available to everybody in the UK over the next couple weeks.

'We know that it will take us time to get this right, and we're just getting started,' YouTube added.

The new features include the ability to add text to specific points in your video (pictured), sample audio from other Shorts, automatically add captions, add clips from your phone's gallery, and add basic filters

'We can't wait for you to try Shorts and help us build a first-class short-form video experience right on YouTube.'

YouTube isn't the only platform looking to TikTok for inspiration - in August, Instgram announced that it was also launching a TikTok-inspired feature, called Instagram Reels.

Instagram explained: 'Reels invites you to create fun videos to share with your friends or anyone on Instagram. Record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools.

'You can share reels with your followers on Feed, and, if you have a public account, make them available to the wider Instagram community through a new space in Explore.'
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Which sites are affected? The outage saw visitors to a vast array of sites, including the UK government's pages, receive error messages including 'Error 503 Service Unavailable' (pictured) and 'connection failure.' Countless popular websites have been affected by the issues, including: - Amazon - Spotify - Reddit - gov.uk - PayPal - Twitch - Stack Overflow - GitHub - Hulu - HBO Max - Quora - Vimeo - Shopify - Stripe - CNN - The Guardian - The New York Times - BBC - Financial Times Advertisement

Hundreds of websites worldwide crashed this morning following a massive internet outage  with the UK government, Amazon and Spotify among those experiencing issues.

Millions of users across the globe reported problems trying to access web pages, with PayPal, Twitch and news websites including the BBC, Guardian, CNN and the New York Times hit by the problem.

Passengers desperately trying to fill out locator forms on UK.Gov to enter the UK from Portugal and abroad were also affected by the outage.

After around an hour of downtime, some websites appeared to be gradually coming back online shortly before midday, but with slow loading times.

The problem was caused by the US firm Fastly, a content delivery network (CDN) company which helps users view website content more quickly.

The aim of CDNs is to reduce latency  the delay from the moment a user makes a request to the exact instant they receive a response. The higher the latency, the worse the user experience.

But if the service suffers a failure, as Fastly's did today, it prevents the companies that use it from operating on the net at all.

Many of the world's biggest websites run on the 'edge cloud' platform's network, hence the mass outage.

Fastly first posted an error message at 10.58 BST (05.58 ET), saying it was 'investigating potential impact to performance with our CDN services'.

It later tweeted shortly after midday UK time: 'We identified a service configuration that triggered disruptions across our POPs globally and have disabled that configuration.

'Our global network is coming back online.'

Users took to social media to vent their frustrations about the outage.

One called it an 'internet apocalypse', while another said 'everything just shut out of nowhere'.

Another tweeted that the internet was 'broken'.

The outage saw visitors to a vast array of sites receive error messages including 'Error 503 Service Unavailable' and 'connection failure.'

Streaming sites Twitch and Hulu were also hit by the problem.

Some sites including the UK government website were offline entirely, while others such as Twitter had more specific errors, such as not showing emojis.

Travelling Britons revealed their frustration this morning at not being able to complete their passenger locator form because the Gov.UK website was down.

Hundreds of websites worldwide crashed this morning following a massive internet outage  with the UK government, Spotify and Amazon among those experiencing issues. The outage tracker site DownDetector picked up the problems (pictured)

In an error message posted at 10.58 BST (pictured), Fastly - a content delivery network (CDN) company that helps users view digital content more quickly - said: 'We're currently investigating potential impact to performance with our CDN services'

Fastly later tweeted around midday UK time that it had identified the issue and its global network was 'coming back online'

Users took to social media to vent their frustrations about the outage, saying that it appeared 'most of the internet is down'

What is Fastly and why has it affected so many sites? Fastly is a content delivery network (CDN) that makes content transmission faster between websites and consumers. For CDNs, the goal is always to reduce latency - the delay from the moment a user makes a request to the exact instant they receive a response. The higher the latency, the worse the user experience. For example, when you load a page on a server on the other side of the world, it will take hundreds of milliseconds to get the page. Over time, this latency adds up, resulting in a sluggish consumer experience. However, when sites use a CDN like Fastly, they can start sending the content of the page in less than 25 milliseconds. Fastly is used by a range of popular websites, including several media site like the Guardian, New York Times and Buzzfeed. This means that when Fastly suffers a 'disruption', it affects data centres worldwide. Jake Moore, a cybersecurity specialist at ESET, explains: Web pages are located all over the world so content delivery networks are placed to distribute the data evenly by reducing the physical distance between where its actually held and the end user. This helps users around the world view the same high quality information and content without any lag or slow loading times. With Fastly down, millions of web pages will be affected. Advertisement

Among them was Priya Bhargava from London, who tweeted: '@GOVUK hello your website is down I need to submit a passenger locator form by this eve. Pls can this get looked at ASAP. Thanks!!!'

Another, Jo Thornhill, tweeted: '@GOVUK your website is down and I need to complete a passenger locator form ASAP.'

And a third, Richard Pearson, from Nottingham, said: 'Need to fill out passenger locator forms to return to the uk but http://gov.uk is down so I can't. Great.'

Passenger locator forms are required by British border officials for those returning from all countries abroad.

These must be completed online at Gov.UK, although those aged under 18 may be included on adults' forms if they are staying at the same UK address.

The form details your home address, passport number and test package booking reference.

The official Gov.UK Twitter account said: 'We are aware of the issues with http://GOV.UK which means that users may not be able to access the site.

'This is a wider issue affecting a number of other non-government sites. We are investigating this as a matter of urgency.'

Outage tracker website DownDetector also reported problems for Squarespace, Shopify, Vimeo, Imgur, Tidal, Weightwatchers and Kickstarter. UK chemist Boots was also affected.

The Guardian earlier tweeted: 'The Guardian's website and app are currently being affected by a wider internet outage and will be back as soon as possible.'

Other websites hit by the issue included the online discussion platform Reddit and French newspaper Le Monde.

A CDN is a platform of servers that helps minimize delays in loading web page content.

Jake Moore, a cybersecurity specialist at ESET, said: 'Web pages are located all over the world so content delivery networks are placed to distribute the data evenly by reducing the physical distance between where it's actually held and the end user.

'This helps users around the world view the same high quality information and content without any lag or slow loading times.

'With Fastly down, millions of web pages will be affected.'

More than half of the internet's traffic is served by a CDN, according to internet services company Akamai.

Fastly later updated its service status page, saying: 'The issue has been identified and a fix is being implemented.'

A number of the affected websites had earlier begun to confirm that the issue was linked to Fastly.

Alex Hern, the Guardian's technology editor, tweeted that Fastly 'has been identified as the cause of the problem'.

Social media users complained that the internet was 'broken' following the problems affecting leading websites this morning

Unhappy: Users across the world have been taking to social media to share their frustrations about the global internet outage

Among the reported websites affected were Twitch, Reddit and Amazon, as shown in the Tweet above, as well as Spotify

Panic attack: Many internet users encountered problems trying to access Amazon's website earlier this morning

What is a content delivery network? A content delivery network (CDN) is a platform of servers that helps minimize delays in loading web page content. Jake Moore, a cybersecurity specialist at ESET, explains: 'Web pages are located all over the world so content delivery networks are placed to distribute the data evenly by reducing the physical distance between where its actually held and the end user. 'This helps users around the world view the same high quality information and content without any lag or slow loading times. 'With Fastly down, millions of web pages will be affected.' More than half of the internets traffic is served by a CDN, according to internet services company Akamai. Advertisement

'The outage, which began shortly before 11am UK time, saw visitors to a vast array of sites receive error messages including "Error 503 Service Unavailable" and a terse "connection failure",' he tweeted.

Fastly offers services such as speeding up loading times for websites, protecting them from denial-of-service cyberattacks and helping them deal with bursts of traffic in order to stay online and stable.

A software testing expert told the PA news agency that the issue was probably due to a physical problem rather than it being a software-related one.

'Given the nature of this kind of technology, it's probably not a software issue,' Adam Leon Smith, from BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, said.

'It's more likely to be a physical issue or a hardware failure somewhere.'

He added: 'Some of the websites will have removed their dependency on Fastly in order to get themselves back online and so I think within a few hours things should be ticking along nicely again.'

Toby Stephenson, chief technology officer at IT and cyber security experts Neuways, said: 'This incident highlights the reliance of many of the world's biggest websites on content delivery networks such as Fastly.

'As there are so few of these CDN services, these outages can occur from time-to-time.

'By using these CDNs to push content to readers, these websites are usually fast and responsive, but on this occasion they have been left with egg on their collective faces.

'The technical backends of these big websites are probably fine, but it is the frontends that can't be accessed and content cannot be pushed as the network is down.'

Similar issues have affected Amazon Web Services, another huge cloud computing provider, in the past.
Scientists have revealed they're planning to create a smartphone app that detects if someone's depressed based on changes in their voice.

Speech coordination changes when a person becomes depressed, according to the researchers, at the University of Maryland.

Depressed people cannot think as fast, and their speaking rate is slowed with more and longer pauses than if they are not depressed, they say.

Therefore, a voice detection app using deep learning  a type of machine learning based on artificial neural networks  could help detect such traits, which can often be subtle.

The app could be recommended by mental health therapists to their patients, who would submit video and audio updates on their mood at home, which the technology would then assess.

This would help patients and those around them to stay informed about potentially life-threatening changes to their mental health.

An app that uses deep learning could be used to assist mental health classifications, experts at University of Maryland say (stock image)

WHAT IS DEEP LEARNING? Deep learning is a form of machine learning concerned with algorithms. It is a field which was inspired by the human brain and focuses on building artificial neural networks. It was formed originally based on brain simulations and to allow learning algorithms to become better and easier to use. Processing vast amounts of complex data then becomes much easier and allows experts to trust algorithms to draw accurate conclusions based on parameters the experts have set. Advertisement

The project is being led by Carol Espy-Wilson, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Maryland.

During the 180th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, which will be held virtually from June 8 to 10, Professor Espy-Wilson is discussing how a person's mental health status is reflected in the coordination of speech gestures.

The as yet unnamed app  which is still in the preliminary planning stages  would be recommended to patients by their therapists to help monitor them between therapy sessions.

'Ideally, therapists will give the app to patients who suffer with MDD when they are in remission or only have mild depression,' Professor Espy-Wilson said.

'That is, they are in a state where they are likely to use it regularly, so their mental health status can be tracked, and the appropriate people will be alerted if the app detects that the severity of the depression is increasing.

'The point is to alert the therapist if a patient needs to be seen so that they don't get severely depressed and possibly decide to commit suicide.'

The user would sign on to the app on their smartphone, which would then ask some basic questions about how they have been feeling physically and emotionally the past week.

The app could be recommended by mental health therapists to their patients, who would submit video and audio updates on their mood (stock image)

Users would answer the questions verbally, and their speech would be recorded. The smartphone may also capture video of the user as they talk, if they opt to have their camera switched on.

'We will look at their articulatory coordination, language and facial movements to determine depression severity,' Professor Espy-Wilson told MailOnline.

'If there has been a change that is concerning, then the proper people will be notified  e.g., therapist, patient and their caregiver.

'We have to do simulations and a clinical trial to work out all of these details and understand the best way to share information.'

Professor Espy-Wilson also said her team is still working on developing a system that can not only tell if the person is depressed, but the severity of the depression too  so either mild, moderate, severe or very severe.

Analysing the facial movements of the subject, if they've switched on their camera, will also help with a diagnosis.



According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 264 million people worldwide have major depression disorder (MDD) and another 20 million have schizophrenia. Both are among the most common precursors to suicide.

A 2018 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that suicide is the second-leading cause of death in youth and young adults between 10 and 34 years of age in the US.

It's also the second-leading cause in the country of death of black children between 10 and 14 years of age and the third-leading cause of death for black adolescents between 15 and 19 years of age.

In the UK, there were 5,691 suicides in England and Wales and 833 suicides in Scotland in 2019, according to the Samaritans.

One in 10 people had suicidal thoughts by the end of the first six weeks of Britain's lockdown, University of Glasgow academics revealed last year.

Samaritans called Glasgow's findings 'stark' and said they 'leave us with no doubt Covid-19 has had a detrimental impact on the nation's mental health'.
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Relativity Space announced it is raising $650 million from several investors on Tuesday in an effort to build its reusable, 3-D printed rocket, the Terran R.

The new money, which values the company at $4.2 billion according to CNBC, comes from a number of different investors, including Tiger Global, Coatue, BlackRock, as well as Mark Cuban, actor Jared Leto and former Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff.

After raising the money, Relativity is now the second-most-valuable privately held space firm, behind SpaceX.

The funding is vital to accelerating production of Relativity's new booster, the 216-foot tall Terran R.

This rocket is set to enter service in 2024 as a rival to SpaceX's pioneering and dominant medium-lift reusable Falcon 9 workhorse, Relativity's CEO Tim Ellis said.

Relativity Space is raising $650 million from several investors to build its reusable, 3-D printed rocket, the Terran R

The Terran R is set to enter service in 2024 and take on SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9

The new funds will be used to eventually bring the Terran R to Mars, Relativity's CEO Tim Ellis said

Relativity is still completing work on its first rocket, having completed 85 percent of the Terran 1

Relativity's bigger Terran R will be capable of blasting some 44,000 pounds (20,000 kilograms) to low-Earth orbit

'From our founding days in Y Combinator just five years ago, we planned on 3D printing Terran 1 and then Terran R  a 20X larger fully reusable rocket  on our Factory of the Future platform,' said Tim Ellis, CEO and co-founder of Relativity, in a statement.

Ellis continued: 'Today we are one step closer to this goal. Together with our first rocket Terran 1, our second product, Terran R, will continue to take advantage of Relativity's disruptive approach to 3D printing  reduced part count, improved speed of innovation, flexibility, and reliability  to bring to market the next generation of launch vehicles.'

Relativity is still completing work on its first rocket, having completed 85 percent of the Terran 1, but the new funds will be used to eventually bring the Terran R to Mars, Ellis added.

'Relativity was founded with the mission to 3D print entire rockets and build humanity's industrial base on Mars. We were inspired to make this vision a reality, and believe there needs to be dozens to hundreds of companies working to build humanity's multiplanetary future on Mars. Scalable, autonomous 3D printing is inevitably required to thrive on Mars, and Terran R is the second product step in a long-term journey Relativity is planning ahead.'

Since being founded in 2015, the company has raised $1.34 billion and continues to add employees, reaching more than 400 with plans to hire 200 more this year, the company added in a release.

The fundraising announcement is the latest in a frenzy of capital infusions and blank-check deal-making focused on a new breed of firms building launch systems that are far smaller than traditional rockets. The plan is to cash in on the exponential growth of compact satellites used for everything from communications to national security to climate studies needing a ride to orbit in the coming years.

Industry insiders do not expect all the players to survive this gold rush.

Among the frontrunners are U.S.-New Zealand startup Rocket Lab, billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit, Texas-based Firefly Aerospace, and Relativity.

Relativity has inked launch contracts with the U.S. Defense Department, NASA, and Iridium Communications Inc, for rides to space on its Terran 1. That rocket can blast up to 2,755 pounds (1,250 kg) into orbit for $12 million. Its inaugural launch is slated for December.

By comparison, Rocket Lab's Electron rocket aims to send nearly 500 pounds (225 kg) to space for $5.7 million, and Firefly's Alpha rocket is expected to loft 2,200 pounds (1,000 kg) into low-Earth orbit at a cost of $15 million per flight.

Relativity's bigger Terran R will be capable of blasting some 44,000 pounds (or roughly 20 times more than the Terran 1) to low-Earth orbit, according to the company.

In speaking with Reuters, Ellis declined to disclose the cost for a trip.

A ride on SpaceX's Falcon 9 with a payload topping 50,000 pounds (22,700 kg) costs around $62 million.

Ellis waved off any idea of taking the company public any time soon.

'We are excited to stay private,' Ellis said.
Researchers have found that boulders on the massive asteroid Ryugu are 'porous,' leading some to wonder if the discovery could help experts learn more about how planets are formed.

The findings, published in Nature Astronomy, reveal that the 2,790-foot-wide Ryugu, has boulders with 'an average porosity of greater than 70 percent, a level as high as early planetismals.

Planetismals are ancient celestial bodies, some as old as 4.6 billion years ago, that are made of dust, rock and other materials that comprise the 'building blocks of planets,' NASA notes.

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As such, the boulders could potentially contain left-over portions of the early Solar System, the researchers theorized.

'We propose that these boulders are the least processed material on Ryugu and represent remnants of porous planetesimals that did not undergo a high degree of heating and compaction,' researchers wrote in the study. 'Our multi-instrumental analysis suggests that fragments of the highly porous boulders are mixed within the surface regolith globally, implying that they might be captured within collected samples by touch-down operations.'

To come up with their findings, the team used Hayabusa2's thermal infrared camera to look at the surface of the asteroid and found two areas, including one near the center of a crater, that are full of porous boulders.

The first area had boulders that were between 72 and 91 percent porous, according to Space.com.

Although unable to confirm the second area as having boulders, they used the thermal infrared camera to suggest that area was about 71 percent porous, the news outlet added.

Previous research suggested that the boulders were between 30 and 50 percent porous, higher than meteorites, but lower than comets.

The 2,790-foot-wide Ryugu, has boulders with 'an average porosity of greater than 70 percent, a level as high as early planetismals

The boulders could potentially contain left-over portions of the early Solar System, according to a new study

The researchers used Hayabusa2's thermal infrared camera to look at the surface of the asteroid and found two areas, including one near the center of a crater, that are full of porous boulders

Ryugu is considered a 'potentially hazardous' near-Earth object, as it is approximately 0.6 miles long and roughly 190 million miles from Earth.

Researchers will need to examine the boulders in greater detail to get an idea if they are some of the building blocks of planets in the early solar system.

Hayabusa2 first visited Ryugu in June 2018; from there, it took measurements and samples of the asteroid, before leaving for Earth in November 2019

Though it's more than 190 million miles from Earth, Ryugu is considered a 'potentially hazardous' near-Earth object

However, analyzing the sample that Hayabusa2 brought back to Earth last year may prove difficult 'because of its fragile properties,' the study's lead author Naoya Sakatani, a planetary scientist at Rikkyo University in Japan, told Space.com.

Hayabusa2 first visited Ryugu in June 2018; from there, it took measurements and samples of the asteroid, before leaving for Earth in November 2019.

It successfully returned the samples on December 5, 2020 and is now on an 11-year voyage to another asteroid  '1998KY26'  with the goal of studying possible defenses against space rocks that we might one day encounter flying towards the Earth.
The skull of an small cave bear from the last Ice Age has been found in Russia and it may hold the earliest evidence of the animal being hunted by humans.

A team from the Ural Federal University uncovered the skull in the Imanay Cave, which bears a hole made from a spear that was pushed into its head about 35,000 years ago.

The bear, according to researchers, was nine to 10 years old when it was killed while hibernating during the last Ice Age that occurred 115,000 to 11,700 years ago.

However, the team also suggests that the hole may have occurred naturally by a stone could fall on the bear's head, or water dripped onto the skull during thousands of years, Dmitry Gimranov, senior researcher of the laboratories at the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Ural Federal University, said in a statement.

But this is highly unlikely. Most likely the animal was killed by ancient people, he continued.

The skull of an Ice Age cave bear found in Russia may hold the earliest evidence of the animal being hunted by humans

The cave bear skull was one of more than 10,000 remains of the Late Pleistocene period uncovered during three years of excavations in the Bashkiria National Park.

The most recent Ice Age occurred during the Pleistocene period, which started 2.8 million years ago and lasted until 11,700 years ago.

Remains include thousands of bone fragments from red foxes, mammoths, cave lions and wooly rhinos that once roamed the area, according to the study published in Vestnik Archeologii, Anthropologii I Ethnographii.

To establish whether the bear was killed or not, scientists set out to date when the hole was made - during life or after the death of the animal.

If the hole was made in the bear's skull after it died, that could be evidence of a ritual, which was common during the era.

The bear, according to researchers, was nine to 10 years old when it was killed while hibernating during the last Ice Age that occurred 115,000 to 11,700 years ago

A team from the Ural Federal University uncovered the skull in the Imanay Cave

Gimranov and his team were able to date the bear skull using growth layers on its teeth, which also allowed them to determine the bears age when it died.

The skull was also found near evidence of Pleistocene human habitation, which supports the notion that the animal was murdered in its sleep by humans.

Pleistocene humans hunted large animals to support an entire community, so a small cave bear is a rare prey during this time.

However, Gimranov also notes that these ancient humans had such strength that they could pierce the bear skull with a spear at close range with relative ease.

Cave bears inhabited the territory of northern Eurasia in the Late Pleistocene, which ranged from 250,000 to roughly 10,000 years ago, the statement added.

The skull was found mixed in with human artifacts (left)). Right is an drawing of the now extinct cave bear

Gimranov and his team were able to date the bear skull using growth layers on its teeth, which also allowed them to determine the bears age when it died.

These animals were often found in the faunas of Western Europe, the Russian Caucasus and the Urals.

And many excavations have found both remains of the ancient cave bears and humans mixed inside caves, so the latest discovery is not uncommon.

However, the Pleistocene small cave bear is not a very common type of cave bear.

The animal weighed between 880 to 2,200 pounds, with the largest comparable to the Kodiak bears found in Alaska.

And the first remains of a cave bear were unearthed in Great Britain in 1922.
Young clownfish living closest to the shore die faster than those further out because they are being exposed to artificial lighting from streetlights, piers and ports, a new study has warned.

Made famous by 'Finding Nemo', the iconic reef-dwellers feed, reproduce, defend their territories and interact with other fish during the day before sleeping at night.

Like humans, this period of inactivity is crucial for their well-being because they need it to recharge, researchers said.

But when the down time is interrupted by artificial light the effect on clownfish can be catastrophic.

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In need of sleep: Young clownfish living closest to the shore die faster than those further out because they are being exposed to artificial lighting from piers and ports, a study has warned

Clownfish were monitored for almost two years in the reefs around Moorea in French Polynesia

Why do clownfish need moonlight rather than artificial light to thrive? The survival and growth rates of clownfish are negatively affected by long-term exposure to artificial light at night, a study has found. This may be due to the potential for light to attract natural predators, as well as the harmful effects on physiology of the fish, the team of international researchers said. Clownfish need a period of inactivity at night to recharge but the lack of sleep caused by artificial light may also result in increased metabolism, with a subsequent higher demand for energy. This could be part of the reason why the growth of young clownfish was stunted. By comparison, those living further from the shore and enjoying natural moonlight had higher survival rates and increased growth. Advertisement

A team of international scientists from France, the UK, Chile and Australia found that young clownfish had higher rates of death when exposed to light pollution close to the coast.

This is because of the harmful effects it has on the physiology of the fish, as well as the potential for artificial light to attract natural predators.

The juvenile clownfish also grew 44 per cent slower than those in natural lighting conditions.

'The impacts of light pollution found here are probably underestimated and mitigation measures and policy changes are urgently required,' said marine ecology expert Stephen Swearer.

The clownfish were monitored for almost two years in the reefs around Moorea in French Polynesia.

Professor Swearer, from the University of Melbourne, said researchers exposed 42 clownfish in their host anemones to either artificial light at night (ALAN) or natural light in the lagoon.

'Thirty six per cent of the clownfish exposed to light pollution were more likely to die than fish under natural light cycles,' said lead author, Jules Schligler, from the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes PSL Universite Paris.

He said clownfish can be found in shallow coastal waters and are easily impacted by light at night from streetlights, piers or ports because they are highly sedentary living in anemones.

In the research paper, the scientists said that 'even those fish that survived didn't entirely escape the effects of artificial light at night as they grew less than fish from the control group.'

Reef-dwellers: Researchers exposed 42 clownfish to either artificial light or natural moonlight

The study from the University of Melbourne produced this graphic to summarise its findings

'This is the first time that the impacts of ALAN have been tested on a coral reef fish in the wild and over such a long time,' said Daphne Cortese, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Glasgow.

'As 12 per cent of all coral reef fish live in close association with another sedentary species, such as a coral or anemone, light pollution could already be having severe negative impacts on a fifth of fringing reef fish populations.'

Scientists hope the research will help raise awareness of the impacts of ALAN on coastal marine ecosystems.

'Many marine protected areas are impacted by light pollution at night, and authorities are not taking this pollution into account,' said Ricardo Beldade, associate professor at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile.

'We hope that policymakers take this threat much more seriously for future management strategies.'

The study is published by the University of Melbourne in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
The deadline to become the next European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut closes next week, with the succesful candidate likely to travel to the Moon by 2030.

A recruitment drive was launched in February with the goal of training a new generation of astronauts from any member nation of the European Space Agency.

This recruitment drive, the first from ESA since 2008, is the only one in history to feature a pilot scheme which encourages people living with disabilities to apply.

Individuals with missing feet or lower legs, either from amputation or birth defects, are eligible, as too are people who are shorter than 130 cm (4ft 3in).

In total the European Space Agency are looking for about 26 astronauts - six permanent career astronauts and 20 reservists who can be called up as needed.

The agency extended the deadline from the original March 31 to June 18 to give residents of new ESA member state Lithuania time to apply, but the deadline change applies to people from any ESA member, including the UK.

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The European Space Agency is looking for a parastronaut that could travel to the ISS in the future

TWO TYPES OF ASTRONAUT VACANCY The European Space Agency (ESA) is searching for two types of astronaut candidates. Permanent - career astronauts The career astronauts will be selected to work permanently for the European Space Agency and will lead missions. They will be regularly scheduled for space travel and up to six will be picked from the candidates. Temporary - reserve astronauts Reserve astronauts will continue in their usual place of work but be called up for short notice and duration trips to the International Space Station. These will be missions in partnership with other agencies and there will be a pool of 20 reservist astronauts. Advertisement

While it is possible to apply until June 18, the European Space Agency has warned it could be difficult to get medical certification in time, so recommends applying as soon as possible.

Head of space medicine, Guillaume Weerts, says there is an intensive testing process involved and these certificates are required as part of this.

'This is why the June 18 deadline cannot be further extended,' he said.

'Applicants must undergo the required medical examination by an aviation medical examiner certified by their national aviation medical authority.

'However, if you have not yet received your formal certificate, ESA will also accept a copy of the official medical report,' he explained.

'The official certificate can then be provided at a later date if needed.'

ESA have secured three astronaut trips to the Lunar Gateway due to be built in orbit around the Moon and hope to be able to send European's to the surface of our natural satellite in the future.

'Astronauts will fly further away from Earth than anybody has ever been' when they go to the Gateway as it will be further from Earth than the Moon, says Frank De Winne from the ESA astronaut training centre.

'The first five to ten years will see astronauts fly to the ISS, but after that there will be opportunities to fly to the Moon and further than the Moon,'

The lucky individual will continue the British space exploration legacy started by Helen Sharman in 1989 and continued in 2015 by Tim Peake.

Ms Sharman became the first British Astronaut when she was selected for the joint UK - Soviet Union mission, Juno and spent eight days in space in May 1991. She also made history as the first female Astronaut to visit the Mir Space Station.

Mr Peake however became the first government-funded Briton in space when he launched to the ISS on December 15, 2015. he spent six months on the ISS and was the first Briton to complete a spacewalk.

ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet is currently on the ISS, becoming the first European to fly to the station on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule

Mr Peake was part of the 2008 ESA recruiting class alongside five other Britons and this was the last time the ESA actively recruited for astronauts.

Jan Womer, ESA Director General, said they were actively recruiting for new astronauts despite those from the last selection still being active as they need to 'secure a continuity' and smooth transfer of knowledge between generations.

'The International Space Station is a destination for the future but we are also looking towards the Moon, especially the Gateway, and so we're looking for new astronauts.'

Womer said all astronauts are 'European astronauts'. He says he understands they are loved and held up with pride by their home nation, but at the heart they are pan-European astronauts that are celebrated throughout the continent.

Although more people than ever are being encouraged to apply, there are still stringent restrictions on who can become an astronaut.

For example, people are only eligible if they are either qualified as an experimental test pilot or hold a master's degree or higher in Natural Sciences, Medicine, Engineering, Mathematics or Computer Sciences.

Fluency in English is essential, as too is the ability to be calm under pressure and a willingness to participate in life science experiments.

ESA are looking for up to six 'career astronauts' that will command missions and be permanent members of the ESA Astronaut crew, as well as a selection of 'reserve astronauts' to step in for short term or short notice missions.

British astronaut Tim Peake is helping with the latest recruitment drive and will likely be going back to the International Space Station in the coming years

These would be a one-off or limited duration mission, with reserve astronauts remaining with their current employer, but hired by ESA temporarily.

'They could come from contributing members of ESA, including associated states such as Canada, willing to fund an astronaut, says David Parker from ESA.

They are looking for up to 20 astronauts to join the volunteer, reserve crew.

'Over the next few years and decades, space exploration will become even more exciting as we travel back to the Moon and even further to Mars,' Mr Peake said.

'For space missions to succeed, they require highly motivated people from diverse backgrounds to combine their skills and work as a team.

Candidates will go through a rigorous selection process including screening, psychological testing, medical testing and interviews

Astronaut criteria The UK Space Agency hopes the next professional UK astronaut will be selected through this recruitment drive. To be eligible to file an application, an individual must: have a master's degree (or higher) in Natural Sciences, Medicine, Engineering, Mathematics or Computer Sciences

OR be qualified as an experimental test pilot

be fluent in English

Good knowledge of a second language

be calm under pressure and be willing to participate in life science experiments

Flexible with regards to place of work Advertisement

'The next generation of UK citizens have so much to offer the world, and so I would encourage anyone who has dreamt of pushing the boundaries of what is possible to take this opportunity to be part of ESA's future cohort of space pioneers.'

To apply you will need to upload a CV, medical certificate and proof of qualifications and that you meet all the requirements.

Jennifer Ngo-Anh, a space scientist with ESA, said it is a challenging job that requires candidates that can work with inter-disciplinary and international teams.

'Candidates need to have fine and advanced motor skills and need to be calm under pressure, but there will be a strong team supporting them.

'Astronauts are the most visible characters of our space programme and so will contribute to outreach and public relations activities before, during and after a mission,' she said.

Following this period of time there will be a 17-month process of screening and testing before the finalists are announced in October 2022.

Science Minister, Amanda Solloway, said: 'Becoming an astronaut is a dream for many, and Tim Peake's historic mission to space in 2015 showed millions of Brits that it can become a reality, while putting the UK firmly on the map as a leading space-faring nation.

'With the UK space sector receiving more government backing than ever before, it's time for a new generation of British astronauts to answer this call as we continue working with our European partners to push the boundaries of science and exploration even further.'

The coveted role of astronaut is the most well-known role in the sector of space exploration but 42,000 people in the UK work in the business, with roles ranging from aerospace engineers to lawyers.

Astronauts launching for space will be expected to be able to participate in space science missions and may one day travel to the lunar gateway

A number of European Space Agency astronauts have already been to the ISS and the new cohort will also travel to a new space station around the Moon within the decade

There will then be a 17-month process of screening, psychological, practical, and psychometric testing, medical selections and two interview selections until the final applicants will be appointed and announced in October 2022.

'It is a tough process, I found it tough going through but just took it one step at a time. A large number won't make it through the application phase to round one, so an attention to detail is very important,' said Tim Peake.

'Becoming an astronaut has been a dream come true. It brings together many of my passions,' Samantha Cristoforetti, current ESA astronaut said of the opening.

She said it covers 'science and technology, complex machines, demanding operational environments, international teams, physical fitness, public outreach. And of course, occasionally you get to ride a rocket to work!'

Frank De Winne from the ESA astronaut centre said the first missions of the new astronauts will be to the ISS as it is still the core of ESA projects.

A recruitment drive from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the UK has launched today with the ultimate goal of hiring and training people who will be sent to the moon before the end of the 2020s

There will be a rigorous training regime for the handful of potential astronauts selected from the thousands of applications

PARASTRONAUT: ESA SEARCHING FOR DIFFERENTLY ABLED CANDIDATE The European Space Agency is looking for a parastronaut that could travel to the ISS in the future. The person selected will join the reserve crew while ESA work with partners to find a safe way to travel. Individuals with missing feet or lower legs, either from amputation or birth defects, are eligible, as too are people who are shorter than 130 cm (4ft 3in). Tim Peake says he 'wouldn't have any reservations travelling to space with someone with disabilities'. ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti said we 'didn't evolve to be in space'. She said we're 'all disabled in space' and it is just a case of perfecting the technology to take candidates who would otherwise be selected to be an astronaut if it were not for a disability. Advertisement

'They will participate in long duration missions to the ISS where they will participate in space science experiments,' he said, adding over the decade they will have the opportunity to go further afield, including to the surface of the Moon.

'Some of the future missions these astronauts have got to look forward to are incredible,' said Tim Peake.

Jan Womer said 'diversity is not a burden for us, diversity is an asset for us.'

'Diversity is something we are looking into in more broader sense, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability and other characteristics,' he said.

'We would really encourage women to apply as it is interesting and supportive to have mixed teams, but for the first time we are also selecting people with disabilities for our parastronaut project, said Womer.

De Winne confirmed future astronauts would travel to space on a range of launch vehicles including SpaceX, Soyuz and Boeing.

'Our astronauts can fly on any of those vehicles and it is decided on a mission by mission basis based on traffic flow to the International Space Station,' he said.

De Winne said the important part is the work on the ISS and the 'bus taken to get there is of less importance,' adding 'we are open to any solution in the future'.

For the parastronaut vacancy, while they will remain a member of the reserve crew, ESA plans to work with commercial space operators to find a safe way to send them to the ISS where thy can perform 'meaningful and useful work'.

'We believe it is time to assess the feasibility of sending astronauts with physical disabilities into space, Womer said.

David Parker from ESA said they've been examining the barriers involved in sending a physically disabled astronaut to the ISS and have them work there.

This is why initially a disabled astronaut will join the reserve list, rather than become a permanent ESA astronaut, but they aim to send them to the station.

The plan is to work with ISS partners to find a way to send someone with physical disabilities to space - as ESA doesn't have its own crew vehicles.

'We need to work with experts in the field, with providers of space transportation, with medical technology companies,' said Parker.
There may be as few as 5,000 blue whales left in the world, but researchers may have discovered a new population of the largest animal in the world in the Indian Ocean, thanks to bomb detectors.

A population of pygmy blue whales was likely detected because their singing was recorded by underwater microphones used to detect bombs.

'We've found a whole new group of pygmy blue whales right in the middle of the Indian Ocean,' said University of New South Wales professor and marine ecologist Tracey Rogers, marine ecologist and senior author of the study, in a statement. 'We don't know how many whales are in this group, but we suspect it's a lot by the enormous number of calls we hear.'

The discovery was aided by data from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), which monitors international nuclear bomb testing.

CTBTO, which has used underwater microphones to look out for nuclear bomb tests since 2002, noticed the strong song signals in their recordings, hearing different frequencies, tempos and structure.

It was only after the researchers analyzed the data, did they realize they had stumbled upon a new population of blue whales in the area.

Researchers may have discovered a new population of pygmy blue whales in the Indian Ocean

The pygmy whales were discovered because their songs were detected by underwater microphones used to detect bombs. The songs are likely this is from a new group, which the researchers have named 'Chagos,' after a nearby archipelago

Songs from blue whales can travel great distances, estimated to between anywhere between 125 and 300 miles

'Blue whales in the Southern Hemisphere are difficult to study because they live offshore and don't jump around  they're not show-ponies like the humpback whales,' Rogers added.

'I think it's pretty cool that the same system that keeps the world safe from nuclear bombs allows us to find new whale populations, which long-term can help us study the health of the marine environment.'

The sounds were compared with three other-known groups of blue whales in the Indian Ocean, as well as four types of Omura whale songs.

It's likely this is from a new group, which the researchers have named 'Chagos,' after a nearby archipelago.

'We suspect that the whales singing the Chagos song move at different times across the Indian Ocean,' Rogers added.

'We found them not only in the central Indian Ocean, but as far north as the Sri Lankan coastline and as far east in the Indian Ocean as the Kimberley coast in northern Western Australia.'

Although blue whales can reach up to 100 feet in length in some cases, weighing nearly 200 tons, pygmy blue whales are smaller, reaching up to 78 feet in length, weighing nearly 90 tons.

If confirmed by visual sightings, the new population of pygmy blue whales would be the fifth to be discovered in the Indian Ocean.

Although blue whales can reach up to 100 feet in length in some cases, weighing nearly 200 tons, pygmy blue whales are smaller, reaching up to 78 feet in length, weighing nearly 90 tons

The sounds were compared with three other-known groups of blue whales in the Indian Ocean, as well as four types of Omura whale songs

Blue whales have structured, simple songs, unlike humpbacks whales

'Without these audio recordings, we'd have no idea there was this huge population of blue whales out in the middle of the equatorial Indian Ocean,' Rogers said.

Since blue whales have structured, simple songs (unlike humpbacks) the 'strong signal' and frequent occurrences mean they are likely from more than just a few random blue whales.

'Thousands of these songs were being produced every year,' the study's lead author, Dr. Emmanuelle Leroy said, adding the team looked at data going back 18 years.

'They formed a major part of the ocean's acoustic soundscape.

'The songs couldn't have just been coming from a couple of whalesthey had to be from an entire population.'

Songs from blue whales can travel great distances, estimated to between anywhere between 125 and 300 miles (200-500km), and they can change within a species, with some pygmy blue whale populations singing slightly different variations.

'We still don't know whether they're born with their songs or whether they've learnt it,' Rogers said.

'But it's fascinating that within the Indian Ocean you have animals intersecting with one another all the time but whales from different regions still retain their distinctive songs. Their songs are like a fingerprint that allows us to track them as they move over thousands of kilometers.'

The new findings have been published in Scientific Reports.
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A long-lost letter detailing Amelia Earhart and her Captain Fred J. Noonan's adventure around the globe has been discovered nearly 84 years after the pair went missing.

The handwritten, 17-page letter is postmarked just eight days before the duo issued their last radio call from somewhere over the Pacific Ocean.

It was mailed on June 23, 1937 from the Grand Hotel in Indonesia and contains specific details of dates, locations and weather challenges that Earhart and Noonan faced along the fateful flight path.

The letter is one of four discovered by San Diego-resident Hunter Person, whose mother found them rolled up in her fathers desk 40 years ago.

Persons grandfather was a close friend of Noonan and the two had exchanged letters for years and even up until the captain disappeared.

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The handwritten, 17-page letter is postmarked just eight days before the duo issued their last radio call from somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. It was mailed on June 23, 1937 from the Grand Hotel in Indonesia

Earhart took to the sky on June 1, 1937 to be the first female aviator to fly around the world.

She and her navigator Noonan left Oakland, California then flew to Miami, down to South America, across to Africa and then east to India and South Asia.

A few weeks later, they departed Lae in Papua New Guinea and planned to stop on Howland July 2, 1937 to refuel.

Earhart and Noonan eventually lost radio contact and were never heard from or seen again.

It contains specific details of dates, locations and weather challenges Earhart and Noonan faced along the fateful flight path

Pictured are Amelia Earhart (left) and Captain Fred Noonan (right) on June 11 1937. This was 10 days into their adventure when the pair stopped at the hangar at Parnamerim airfield, Natal, Brazil,

The long-lost letters are postmarked from 1935 through 1937 and could holding missing clues to what happened after Earhart and Noonan left Papua New Guinea.

It's an exciting letter. You know, like I say, it tells the whole trip, and the last postmark was from Bandung, Java, Person told KSWB.

The letter is one of four discovered by Hunter Person, from San Diego, whose mother found them rolled up in her fathers desk 40 years ago

It describes, you know, the flight like no one has ever read it before.

And they were handwritten by Captain Fred J. Noonan, Amelia Earhart's navigator who was with her on the tragic flight.

Persons mother, Beverly, told her father and Noonan had been corresponding through since she was just 15 years old and some of the letters were also addressed to her.

Experts are amazed by the letter because it is the last complete account of the trip days before the pilots went missing and it could provide a trail to where the plane may have been resting all these years.

The mystery of Earhart's disappearance also produced a number of theories  from crashing to landing on and island an island outside of Howland or being taken as hostages by the Japanese.

Persons mother, Beverly, told her father and Noonan had been corresponding through since she was just 15 years old and some of the letters were also addressed to her (pictured)

The mystery of her disappearance has produced a number of theories  from crashing to landing becoming castaways on an island outside of Howland to being taken as hostages by the Japanese

Although no one has confirmed what really happened, many have accepted the challenge to solve the puzzle, with the latest being scientists from Penn State University.

In February, the team announced they are using a nuclear reactor to analyze a metal patch found on a small Pacific Island in 1991 to determine if the piece belonged to Earhart's Lockheed Model 10-E Electra plane.

The patch was obtained from Richard Gillespie, who leads The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) that has been focused on Earhart's disappearance since 1988.

Experts are amazed by the letter because it is the last complete account of the trip days before the pilots went missing and it could provide a trail to where the plane may have been resting all these years. Pictured is 'Amelia Earhart'

Although no one has confirmed what really happened, many have accepted the challenge to solve the puzzle, with the latest being scientists from Penn State University . The team announced they are using a nuclear reactor to analyze a metal patch found on a small Pacific Island in 1991 to determine if the piece belonged to Earhart's Lockheed Model 10-E Electra plane

Gillespie found the metal panel in storm debris on Nikumaroro, a Pacific island about 300 miles away from Earhart's actual destination of Howland Island.

Using a nuclear reactor, the team was able to send powerful beams through the patch to uncover paint particles or eroded etching that may go unnoticed to the naked eye.

The group is set to reveal their findings sometime this year.
A breakthrough stem cell injection could one day help cure faulty hearts, according to scientists.

Previous attempts to regenerate hearts this way have faltered because the cells struggle to adapt to their new environment.

Now researchers at University College London have figured out how to keep stem cells alive for longer in the heart by first growing them on to miniature spheres.

The size of the microspheres means they can be injected into heart muscle. The researchers say their method, which was tested in rats, could help cure heart failure.

Researchers at University College London (above) have figured out how to keep stem cells alive for longer in the heart by first growing them on to miniature spheres

The disease, in which the heart cannot properly pump blood around the body, affects nearly a million people in the UK.

The scientists hope to test the treatment in humans within a decade.

Dr Daniel Stuckey at University College London said: Our technology provides a new way of ensuring that the cells injected into the heart are working as they should.

Professor Metin Avkiran, of the British Heart Foundation, said: This is a promising new delivery system that could give stem cell-derived heart cells the best chance of repairing damaged hearts.

Stem cells are those which can morph into all sorts of other cell types and are used in bone marrow transplants and other therapies.

The breakthrough stem cell injection could one day help cure heart failure, according to scientists

Dr Stuckeys colleague Annalisa Bettini said: As well as developing heart injections, we are developing these traceable microspheres to act as heart patches that can be simply injected to the particular area of heart damage.

In the future, these could provide cardiologists with a number of solutions to provide the best treatment for their patients.
Riyad Mahrez has brushed off suggestions he could be interested in a summer move to Arsenal and said he could wants to end his career at Manchester City.

The Manchester City winger worked with Mikel Arteta when the Spaniard was at the Etihad as Pep Guardiola's assistant before moving to the Emirates.

Convincing Mahrez to make the same move to London would be a major coup for the Gunners amid reports that Guardiola is willing to sell the 30-year-old along with other top stars, but the Algerian told DZ Sport after playing and scoring the winner in his country's 1-0 friendly win over Mali on Sunday: 'There is nothing about my future.

Riyad Mahrez says he would like to stay at Manchester City until the end of his career

The 30-year-old has brushed off suggestions he would like to reunite with Mikel Arteta

Pep Guardiola is considering selling Mahrez, Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva this summer

'I am well in Manchester. I will stay, God willing. I don't yet know what my situation will be, but I am happy at City - and they are the club where I want to be.

'People have spoken about me ending my career with Marseille, but that is not something I think about.

'I want to finish my career in England, with City. I don't foresee myself at Marseille.'

The 30-year-old scored a number of vital goals as City made it to the Champions League final

However, Guardiola's men up just short as they beaten by Chelsea thanks to Kai Havertz's goal

Mahrez - who attracted Arsenal's attention during his Leicester days before the former Foxes man chose City - has enjoyed another successful season at City.

He was part of a team that won the Premier League and EFL Cup and scored 14 goals in 48 games across all competitions, including a strike against Borussia Dortmund and three across both legs of the Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, although the competition came to a bitterly disappointing end for Guardiola's men with a 1-0 defeat in the final to Chelsea late last month.
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Wat-er beautiful world we live in.

The winners of the United Nations World Oceans Day Photo Competition 2021 have been announced, with the stunning images showcasing a fascinating spread of marine flora and fauna around the planet, from the Faroe Islands to Costa Rica.

There were six categories in the contest - The Ocean: Life & Livelihoods, Above Water Seascapes, Underwater Seascapes, Digital Ocean Photo Art, Faces Of The Sea and Oceanic Discoveries.

Award-winning Belgian photographer Ellen Cuylaerts, who curated the contest, told MailOnline Travel that there were around 1,400 entries from across the world. She added: 'The diversity of the judges made this a very interesting year for the contest, with musician and photographer Julian Lennon and Swedish TV host Joakim Odelberg among those on the panel.

'The images we selected evoke a feeling of places we want to be right now and want to protect. We, along with the United Nations Division of Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea, which produced the competition, hope these images will inspire us to rebalance our relationship with the oceans. It's time to make an impactful change.'

Dive down to see a selection of the winning images...

US photographer Evans Baudin took this striking shot of a shortfin mako shark off the coast of Baja California, Mexico. It came third in the Faces Of The Sea category. Baudin said: 'It is absolutely fascinating to observe pelagic species that have probably never seen a human before. Who is watching who?'

Hannes Klostermann from Germany came second in the Oceanic Discoveries category with this fascinating photo of a school of skipjack tuna preying on a sardine bait ball in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico. The photographer noted: 'Due to the relatively large size of the prey, the tunas ended up ripping apart any sardines they caught, each taking a chunk. This image also shows the skipjack's vertical stripes, which are only visible while hunting'

American photographer Matthew Meier received an honourable mention in the Above Water Seascapes category for this cute shot of a sea lion pup scratching its chin while basking in the early morning sunlight on the shore of La Jolla in California

The winner of the Above Water Seascapes category was Pawel Zygmunt from Poland, who is behind this epic image of the cliffs of Kallur on Kalsoy Island in the Faroe Islands. Zygmunt used a drone to capture the scene and said the weather was 'very challenging'. At one point, while climbing up the cliff, he was 'pummelled by a hail storm and pushed around by strong wind' but luckily the wind dropped and it was safer for him to explore. The photographer added: 'I managed to capture Kalsoy Island from a slightly different perspective. In the background are the islands of Kunoy and Vidoy'

Rafael Fernandez Caballero from Spain came in third in the Above Water Seascapes category with this incredible aerial image of a blue whale. Recalling his encounter with the creature off the coast of Isla Cerralvo in Mexico, he said: 'While sailing in the open sea, it was amazing to see the whale from far away, the sea was flat and the conditions were perfect. When we realised that it was a blue whale all the people on the boat were really excited. It was amazing to spend a long time with the huge animal, which was completely calm that day'

This magical shot of a sea lion pup in a cave was snapped by British photographer Nur Tucker while he was diving off the coast of Baja California in Mexico. The image earned him the gold medal in the Underwater Seascapes category

The runner-up in the Above Water Seascapes category was Christophe Mason-Parker, from the UK, who snapped this dreamy aerial shot of the Passe Dubois channel flowing between the remote islets of Ilot Emili and Ilot Yangue in the Seychelles

Victor Nunez from Spain received an honourable mention in The Ocean: Life & Livelihoods category for this macro shot of a glaucus atlanticus, a type of sea slug, which is also known as a blue dragon. Nunez snapped the image while off the coast of Tenerife. He revealed that the tiny mollusc gets its colour from feeding on jellyfish

Tom St George from the U.S claimed first prize in the Oceanic Discoveries category. His winning image was shot in the Sistema Sac Actun underwater cave system off Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. St George says the water-filled chambers are 'renowned for their incredible beauty and crystal clear waters' but they are facing 'increasing pressure from pollution and the over-extraction of water'

Jacopo Brunetti from Italy is behind this amazing shot of sardines being chased by a striped marlin during their annual migration off the coast of Mexico. The image, called The Fear, came second in The Ocean: Life & Livelihoods category

An incredible shot of a diver investigating the skeletal remains of a Bryde's whale off Koh Haa Island, which sits within Thailand's Mu Koh Lanta National Park. It was taken by Sirachai Arunrugstichai from Thailand, who came third in the Ocean Discoveries category. The whale's cause of death could not be determined due to the deteriorated condition of the carcass

This striking shot of a man spearfishing for yellowfin tuna off the coast of Costa Rica was taken by British photographer Henley Spiers. He said that David, the man pictured, 'lives in harmony with his local waters' and he only takes what he needs to survive. Spiers came third in The Ocean: Life & Livelihoods category thanks to this image

Renee Capozzola from the U.S was crowned winner of The Ocean: Life & Livelihoods category thanks to this stunning photo of two local fishermen paddling in a traditional canoe along a shallow coral reef off Adonara Island in Indonesia. Capozzola said they were practising handline fishing, which is 'a type of sustainable fishing without poles or nets'

In the Underwater Seascapes category, Kevin De Vree from Belgium came third with this shot, which he took in the Dampier Strait in the Indonesian province of West Papua. He said: 'This photo highlights the beauty and importance of coral reefs as the underwater forests of our planet'

Marchione Giacome from Italy is behind this jaw-dropping shot, which he snapped off the coast of Cebu in the Philippines. It came second in the Underwater Seascapes category. The photographer said: 'The reefs around Cebu are inhabited by thousands of sardines that form immense shoals, large enough to form masses of fish that obscure the sun, much like clouds moving during a thunderstorm. The scene is very impressive; the observer is left speechless in the face of this amazing spectacle put on by mother nature'

Sayaka Ichinoseki from Japan was the winner of the Faces Of The Sea category thanks to this striking image taken in Hokkaido, Japan. She said: 'They were very tiny and immature so I can't say for sure but they are most likely to be yellow goosefish. Just 2mm in size, these babies were in a two square metre egg veil, just before hatching out. They were rotating as the entire egg veil was shaking with the tide current'
The report " Post-harvest Treatment Market for Fruits & Vegetables by Type (Coatings, Cleaners, Fungicides, Ethylene Blockers, Sanitizers, and Sprout Inhibitors), Crop Type (Fruits and Vegetables), and Region - Global Forecast to 2026", The post- harvest treatment market is projected to grow from USD 1.5 billion in 2019 to USD 2.3 billion by 2026, recording a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5% during the forecast period. The growing trade of fruits and vegetables is one of the key factors driving the growth of the post-harvest treatment market.

The fruit segment is projected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period.

The fruit segment, by crop type, is projected to grow at the highest CAGR, in terms of value, during the forecast period. Fruits are highly perishable in nature and are required to be treated with post-harvest solutions to increase their shelf life for longer storage duration and easy transport of these products. Increasing application of natural flavors in the food and beverages industry is also encouraging the trade of fruits, which in turn, has led to a surge in demand for post-harvest treatment solutions in the major fruits and vegetable producing region such as Asia Pacific.

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https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=256316169

By type, the coatings segment is estimated to account for the largest share in 2019 in the post-harvest treatment market.

Coatings are one of the methods to increase the shelf life of products and decrease the quality and quantity losses. They are mostly applied to fruits & vegetables during the packaging process for maintaining their softness, color, odor, and flavor. The development of edible coatings has made it easier for fruits and vegetable processors to use the produce without any concerns about their harmful effects. Edible coatings help to prevent unnecessary softening and ripening of fruits & vegetables. Coatings form an integral part of the post-harvest treatment process, as fruits & vegetables are stored for longer periods, thereby making it important to maintain their shelf life and quality.

Asia Pacific is projected to account for the largest share in the post-harvest treatment market during the forecast period.

Asia Pacific dominated the post-harvest treatment market for the fruits and vegetables segments in 2018. Countries such as India and China are the key producers of fruits and vegetables, a majority of which are exported to North America and Europe. Since the Asia Pacific region is a developing region, post-harvest losses of fruits and vegetables are witnessed on a large scale in its countries. Hence, the need for efficient post-harvest treatment mechanisms remains high, which is subsequently projected to drive the growth of the market.

Key players in the post-harvest treatment market include Decco (US), JBT (US), Pace International LLC (US), Xeda International (France), Agrofresh (US), Syngenta (Switzerland), FMC Corporation (US), Nufarm (Australia), Bayer (Germany), Citrosol (Spain), Fomesa Fruitech (Spain), Futureco Bioscience (Spain), Corteva Agriscience (US), BASF (Germany), Sensitech Inc (US), Post-Harvest Solutions (New Zealand ), Janssen PMP (Belgium), Colin Campbell Pty Ltd (Australia), Valent Biosciences (USA), and RPM International (US). These players have a broad industry coverage and strong operational and financial strength.

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Recent Developments:
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have plunged the Royal Family into crisis in recent months following their explosive sit-down with Oprah Winfrey.

And while royal enthusiasts remain hopeful the Windsors will one day make amends, a telling clue in the family's response to the Sussexes' baby news suggests a reconciliation isn't on the cards.

Australian TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson pointed out on Monday that certain royals phrased their congratulatory messages to Harry and Meghan differently.

Clue: Lisa Wilkinson pointed out on Monday that certain royals phrased their congratulatory messages to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle differently, after the Sussexes announced the birth of their daughter, Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, on Sunday

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their daughter, Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, on Friday in California. They announced the news on Sunday.

Lisa observed that the Cambridges didn't use Harry and Meghan's royal titles when acknowledging Lilibet's birth, and neither did Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. Harry's grandmother The Queen did refer to their titles, however.

This omission comes amid a wider discussion about whether or not the Sussexes should relinquish their titles in light of their relentless criticism of the Royal Family.

'Can't help noticing that neither the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, nor Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, used Harry and Meghan's royal titles in the messages of congrats on the birth of baby Lilibet,' The Project host, 61, tweeted.

She added: 'The Queen - after whom the baby is named - was the only one that did.'

Not acknowledging Harry and Meghan's royal titles could be interpreted as a subtle hint they are no longer considered part of the Royal Family.

'Can't help noticing': Lisa tweeted that the Cambridges didn't use Harry and Meghan's royal titles when acknowledging Lilibet's birth, and neither did Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. Harry's grandmother The Queen did refer to their titles, however

Indeed, Prince William and Kate Middleton referred to the Sussexes by their first names in an official congratulatory message on Instagram.

They wrote: 'We are all delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby Lili. Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie.'

Harry's father, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles, similarly failed to use the Sussexes' royal titles in their message.

'Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie on the arrival of baby Lilibet Diana,' they wrote on social media.

The Queen, however, did refer to the couple as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in her official statement, perhaps subtly indicating their relationship remains intact.

First names: Prince William and Kate Middleton (pictured in May) referred to the Sussexes by their first names in an official congratulatory message on Instagram

Message: 'We are all delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby Lili. Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie,' they wrote

Omission: Harry's father, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles, similarly failed to use the Sussexes' royal titles in their message

Indeed, in the Sussexes' recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry spoke of his respect for his grandmother.

Meghan also said: 'The Queen... has always been wonderful to me.'

The Duke and Duchess Sussex plunged the royal family into crisis with the televised interview in March, when they accused an unnamed royal of making a racist remark about their son Archie's skin tone and claimed Harry's family had failed to help Meghan when she was suicidal.

Last month, Harry also suggested in the Apple TV+ docuseries The Me You Don't See that his father had allowed his children to 'suffer' when it came to the media because of his own negative experience growing up in the Royal Family.

Telling detail: The Queen, however, did refer to the couple as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in her official statement, perhaps subtly indicating their relationship remains intact

Praise: Indeed, in the Sussexes' recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry spoke of his respect for his grandmother. Meghan also said: 'The Queen has always been wonderful to me'

Sweet family nickname for Queen that inspired Harry and Meghan's name for their baby daughter Lilibet - the Queen's family nickname - was first used when Princess Elizabeth was just a toddler and unable to pronounce her own name properly. Her grandfather King George V would affectionately call her 'Lilibet', imitating her own attempts to say Elizabeth. The sweet nickname stuck and she became Lilibet to her family from then on. The Duke of Edinburgh also referred to his wife as Lilibet, writing to his mother in law after their wedding: 'Lilibet is the only 'thing' in the world which is absolutely real to me.' Harry and Meghan's new baby daughter - the Queen's 11th great-grandchild - will be known as Lili. A variation on Lily, the flower is often seen to symbolise purity, commitment, rebirth and fertility. Lili's middle name Diana honours Harry's later mother Diana, Princess of Wales. It is no surprise the couple chose to pay tribute to Diana, who died in a car crash in 1997 when Harry was just 12. Lili has been born almost a month before the princess would have celebrated her 60th birthday on July 1. Her cousin Princess Charlotte also has Diana as one of her middle names, as well as Elizabeth. She is Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. Harry and the Duke of Cambridge are due to unveil a statue of their mother at Kensington Palace on her birthday, but the arrangements have yet to be confirmed, amid a long-reported rift between the brothers. The Sussexes' tribute to the Queen is likely to be seen as an olive branch to the monarch and the rest of the family. Pictured: Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California where Lilibet was born. The hospital is a private facility where births cost up to $37,000. Harry and Meghan plunged the Windsors into crisis with their Oprah Winfrey interview in March when they accused an unnamed royal of making a racist remark about their son Archie's skin tone before he was born. They also said the institution failed to help Meghan when she was suicidal. But during the televised interview with Winfrey, the Sussexes lauded the Queen. Harry spoke of his respect for his grandmother, while Meghan said: 'The Queen... has always been wonderful to me.' Advertisement

On Sunday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their daughter's arrival.

'On June 4, we were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Lili,' they said.

'She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe. Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family.'

Lili, who is eighth in line to the throne, was born in Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in California, a private facility where births cost up to $37,000.
She put on a wild display at Australian Fashion Week last week with her outrageous outfits and antics.

But Tammy Hembrow pared it back as she relaxed by the pool at her home on the Gold Coast on Monday.

The mother-of-two covered up her ample cleavage in a beige tankini as she topped up her tan.

That's not like you! Tammy Hembrow pared it back as she relaxed by the pool on the Gold Coast on Monday

She did however flaunt her incredible abs in the two-piece, which featured a pair of skimpy bottoms.

The blonde bombshell completed her summer look with an on-trend bucket hat.

The 27-year-old attended the Afterpay Australian Fashion Week 2021 on Thursday night and she certainly wasn't afraid to let loose.

Wearing an eye-catching pink ensemble with floating tendrils, the influencer locked lips with a mystery woman as she waited for a taxi.

The big cover up! The mother-of-two covered up her ample cleavage in a beige tankini as she topped up her tan

On-trend Tammy! The blonde bombshell completed her summer look with an on-trend bucket hat

Having fun! The 27-year-old attended the Afterpay Australian Fashion Week 2021 on Thursday night and she certainly wasn't afraid to let loose

Tammy appeared quite festive as she laid a smooch on the blonde woman, who had on a black Balenciaga coat.

Clearly in a kissing mood, Tammy then locked lips with her boyfriend, Matt Poole, 32, who looked a tad worse for wear.

The pair shared a little makeout session as they headed outside to a waiting taxi.

Kisses: Wearing an eye-catching pink ensemble with floating tendrils, the influencer locked lips with a mystery woman as she waited for a taxi

Pals: Tammy appeared quite festive as she laid a smooch on the blonde woman, who had on a black Balenciaga coat

Feeling frisky: She was also cuddling up to her boyfriend Matt. The pair embraced inside the venue and couldn't keep their hands to themselves

Smooch: Clearly in a kissing mood, Tammy then locked lips with Matt

Big night? The 32-year-old surfer looked a tad worse for wear

The influencer stopped to take selfies with waiting fans, posing up a storm for one man's camera.

She chatted with a number of women outside the venue, appearing very animated.

Tammy was also flanked by her older sister, Amy Hembrow, 31, who also seemed in a jolly mood.

Good sport: The influencer stopped to take selfies with waiting fans, posing up a storm for one fan's camera

Chats! She gave a little time to her fans who were keen for photos

Did you hear? She chatted with a number of women outside the venue, appearing very animated

All smiles: Tammy was beaming as she jumped into another photo for a fan

Amy, Tammy and Matt jumped in a cab and headed off to another late night party.

After arriving, the well-dressed trio went inside to keep the party kicking on for a while yet.

Tammy looked sensational in pink mesh bodysuit, made of a layered, sheer fabric which clung to her gym-honed figure.

Sisters: Tammy was also flanked by her older sister, Amy Hembrow, 31, who also seemed in a jolly mood

A look: Tammy looked sensational in pink mesh bodysuit, made of a layered, sheer fabric which clung to her gym-honed figure

Wow! The bodysuit featured an off-the-shoulder design that showed off a hint of cleavage, and long, sheer sleeves

The bodysuit featured an off-the-shoulder design that showed off a hint of cleavage, and long, sheer sleeves.

The outfit also had the unusual addition of a number of floating, mesh tendrils that trailed behind the designer.

She carried a white handbag from her own Saski label, featuring a graffiti style design on one side.

A look: She carried a white handbag from her own Saski label, featuring a graffiti style design on one side.

Party on! Amy, Tammy and Matt jumped in a cab and headed off to another late night party

Off we go! A number of friends also came along with the group

Tammy wore her blonde hair up in a very high ponytail, augmented with flowing platinum extensions.

For makeup, she opted for ample highlighter, winged eyeliner and a matte pink lipstick.

She carried in her hands a phone, and opted for a pair of metallic pointed heels in a rust tone.

Hairy situation: Tammy wore her blonde hair up in a very high ponytail, augmented with flowing platinum extensions

Flowing: Tammy's outfit also had the unusual addition of a number of floating, mesh tendrils that trailed behind the designer

Amy meanwhile turned heads in a powder blue suit, which consisted of a matching top and bottoms with textured fabric.

The coat portion of the outfit had a faux fur trim, and she added strappy white heels to the look.

Amy wore her blonde hair in a high bun, and for makeup, chose winged liner and pink lipstick.

All for one: Matt had on an all-brown outfit in a velour fabric

Matching: He wore pants and a top in the same colour and fabric

Having fun: The couple stuck close together during the outing

Tammy made headlines across the world after she was pictured leaving Kylie Jenner's 21st birthday party in West Hollywood on a stretcher in 2018.

The bodacious Australian model was taken from the scene, face down, after paramedics arrived just before midnight, The Blast reported.

She was loaded into the back of an ambulance as Kylie's father Caitlyn Jenner and her partner Sophia Hutchinson looked on in horror, however quickly recovered.

The Queensland mother-of-two and fitness blogger blamed 'drinking' and a 'lack of sleep' for her horrifying collapse.
Katya Jones has revealed cruel internet users trolled her over going from a size six to a size eight over Christmas.

The Strictly Come Dancing star, 32, said it's not easy dealing with the comments, particularly as she needs to be in shape for her career as a dancer.

Speaking on Aimee Fuller's Monday Mile podcast, Katya said: 'I see comments. People are saying, 'Glad to see she's losing some weight. She was looking a little bit chunky.'

Hurtful: Katya Jones has revealed cruel internet users trolled her over going from a size six to a size eight over Christmas (pictured in June)

'It's like, 'I went from a size six to a size eight  and you're calling me chunky?'

'Mentally it's not an easy place to be. You're expected to be that certain shape that represents a dancer.'

Katya, who joined Strictly in 2016 and won the following year with Joe McFadden, said she tries not to let the negative words get to her.

She said: 'I try to have a positive mental attitude. I tried to look inside. I try to do what is good for me. I know when I am fit and healthy, I am energised.'

Candid: The Strictly Come Dancing star, 32, said it's not easy dealing with the comments, particularly as she needs to be in shape for her career as a dancer (pictured in 2019)

The Russian-born beauty is looking forward to getting back on the dancefloor later this year for the next series of the BBC show.

She said: I crave muscle ache and I want my feet to bleed. I can't wait for the brain ache from coming up with all the ideas.

'I absolutely love it. When you do what you love, it is not work. My work is my motivation.'

Katya announced her split from ex-husband Neil Jones in September 2019 - ten months after she was pictured kissing her former dancer partner Seann Walsh.

Katya said: 'I see comments. People are saying, 'Glad to see she's losing some weight. She was looking a little bit chunky' (pictured with Nicola Adams on Strictly in 2020)

But the professional dancer has said they are still good friends following their

They often appear on each other's social media feeds, while also sharing custody of their beloved pet dog Crumble. separation.

She told The Sun: 'We have a good relationship. It's really nice. We've known each other 13 years so we've gone through everything together.'

Earlier this year, Katya spoke out about the demise of her seven-year marriage to Neil.

In an interview with Waggel, the Strictly star reflected on how she found her 30th birthday 'challenging' because her marriage to Neil was going 'downhill'.

Exes: Katya and Neil Jones wed in 2013 and announced their separation in September 2019 but have remained close friends

Talking about the dark period, she said: 'In 2019 I turned 30, it was a challenging time. I didn't like where I was, it felt like I was in limbo actually.

'My relationship was going downhill. I didn't feel happy in my own company until May 2020, when I spent my birthday in lockdown.'

Katya also revealed she has used the time since her split from Neil to 'better myself' and hasn't dated since they broke-up.

She said: 'I've come out of a marriage, not even a long-term relationship, but a marriage. Neil and I were together for 12-years, married for seven.'

At the time, the professional dancer said she hasn't even thought about dating because 'I've just been with this person for such a long time'.

Controversy: Katya and Neil announced their separation in September 2019 - ten months after she was pictured kissing her former dancer partner Seann Walsh (pictured)

Katya added she is 'happy on my own' but does have days where she wants to 'sit down and binge Netflix with someone else'.

The Strictly star also ruled out the prospect of meeting someone on a dating app because she is an 'old romantic'.

While Katya has remained single since the breakdown of her marriage, Neil had a turbulent brief romance with Columbian dancer Luisa Eusse.

The couple split in January after their relationship was marred by claims Luisa had cheated on Neil and was also just using him for a visa into the country.

Katya admitted she got 'jealous' when their dog Crumble, whom they share custody with, spent time with Luisa, but says she is sure if the situation arises again when one of them is in a relationship, it will be 'absolutely fine'.
Welsh actor Luke Evans has shared his frightening experience with a huntsman spider while shooting a TV series Australia.

The 42-year-old made the revelation on comedian Alan Carr's Life's A Beach podcast earlier this month.

Huntsman spiders are large and often look scary, but are considered not dangerous and are not particularly aggressive towards humans.

Scary: Welsh actor Luke Evans has shared his frightening experience with a huntsman spider while shooting a TV series Australia

'I did see a huntsman the size of my face,' Luke said of his time in Sydney and Byron Bay.

Luke explained he'd walked towards the spider and it looked ready to pounce at him. Fortunately, his housekeeper sorted it out.

'The woman that came to clean the house was like, "Oh my, it's just a spider!" She pulled it by the leg onto the floor.'

'I did see a huntsman the size of my face': Huntsman spiders are large and often look scary, but are considered not dangerous and are not particularly aggressive towards humans

Luke confessed he had to move rooms after the spider scurried into his bedroom.

'It landed on the floor and ran straight back into my bedroom and I couldn't find it. I had to move rooms,' he said.

Luke left Australia in April for filming commitments in the UK.

Creepy crawlies: Luke said he had to move rooms after the spider scurried into his bedroom

He was in the country shooting Hulu mini series Nine Perfect Strangers, in which he plays divorce lawyer Lars.

Luke, who is openly gay, recently said it was 'nice' to portray a gay character on screen for the first time.

'It was a lovely character to delve into and to calibrate and deliver this complex person. But, yes, it was nice to play a gay character after all these years of doing roles on stage and screen,' he said.

Luke recently confirmed his split from his art director boyfriend Rafael Olarra.

Screen: Luke was in Australia shooting Hulu mini series Nine Perfect Strangers, in which he plays gay divorce lawyer Lars

Luke was rumoured to have split from Rafael last October after they unfollowed each other on Instagram, but days later appeared to patch things up.

Speaking to The Times' Saturday Review in January, Luke confirmed he was single, adding: 'It is what it is.'

The couple had started dating in mid-2019 and made their relationship Instagram official the following February.
Pillow fight, anyone?

Society model Cara Delevingne enjoyed a pyjama party as she was reunited with her sisters, actress Poppy and former midwife Chloe, for the first time since Christmas.

Newly brunette Cara, near right, flew in from California, where she now lives, to join Poppy, and mother-of-two Chloe, for the nocturnal get-together in London.

Naturally, the affluent trio didnt sling on any old nightwear but matching 460 horse-print silk jim-jams.

Happily, this party didnt flout any rules.

At Christmas, their property developer father Charles was said to have defied lockdown rules by hosting a secret bash for the family at a rented mansion in Oxfordshire.

Society model Cara Delevingne enjoyed a pyjama party as she was reunited with her sisters, actress Poppy and former midwife Chloe, for the first time since Christmas

Pictured: Cara Delevingne and her sister Poppy

She has been accused of handing down genetic pain and suffering and her family tarnished by racism claims, but the Queen clearly does not hold a grudge against Prince Harry.

I hear the monarch has invited her grandson to join her for lunch at Windsor Castle when he flies over from California for the unveiling of the Princess Diana statue next month.

Its a typically magnanimous gesture by Her Majesty, a courtier tells me. The lunch will be a chance for them to talk things through.

The invitation is said to have been made before the birth of the Duke and Duchesss daughter last Friday. Harry and Meghan announced that they had called her Lilibet after the Queens family nickname.

I hear the monarch has invited her grandson to join her for lunch at Windsor Castle when he flies over from California for the unveiling of the Princess Diana statue next month

Pictured: Meghan and Harry sit next to the Queen during her Young Leaders Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace in March

Meghan is expected to stay behind at the couples 11 million mansion in Montecito, California, with baby Lilibet and their two-year-old son, Archie.

It would be the first time that Harry has had a tete-a-tete with his grandmother since he and Meghan announced that they were quitting Britain more than a year ago.

After the rancour of the Sandringham summit and tense Megxit negotiations, she hosted an informal Sunday lunch for Harry in March 2020  a month before he and Meghan formally stepped down as working members of the Royal Family. They ate in the Queens dining room in her Windsor Castle apartment. When Harry attended the funeral of his grandfather, Prince Philip, he spoke to the Queen only outdoors with other members of the Royal Family.

In his and Meghans now infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey (pictured), they made a string of distressing claims about the Royal Family and accused an unnamed royal of racism

They will certainly have much to discuss. In his and Meghans now infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey, they made a string of distressing claims about the Royal Family and accused an unnamed royal of racism. In a string of public appearances since, Harry has blamed his family for his mental anguish and said just the thought of flying back to London was enough to fill him with dread.

The Queen, by contrast, has made clear that Harry and Meghan will be much-loved family members. A Buckingham Palace spokesman declined to comment.

Cheering news for Sir Malcolm Rifkind. The Tory grandee, who was widowed two years ago, has a new lady in his life: socialite Sherry Bodie, mother of Prince Andrews ex, Arabella Bodie.

They are the talk of North London dinner parties, a friend tells me. Rifkind declines to discuss his new companion.

Sherrys daughter made such an impression on Andy he introduced her to the Queen just a month after they met.

Stars are always desperate to shine on the red carpet, but Billie Pipers happy to share a more candid view

Stars are always desperate to shine on the red carpet, but Billie Pipers happy to share a more candid view.

The actress made a video of herself in a London hotel bathroom preparing for the Bafta awards, where she was nominated for best leading actress in the Sky series I Hate Suzie.

Wearing nothing but a towel, she was recorded by the shows creator, Lucy Prebble, whom she nervously asked: Do you think Ill win best actress?

When Lucy replied yes, Billie burst out laughing. In the event, she lost out to Michaela Coel, in I May Destroy You. First prize for frankness, though.

Could your little darling be the new Elizabeth Taylor? A nationwide search is on for two young girls to play the role of a teenage Cleopatra and as a young woman in a lavish new West End musical about the Egyptian queen.

Our Cleopatra should have an amazing voice, striking good looks and be able to dance and act, songwriter Rawaa Barnes tells me.

She definitely needs to have the X Factor, because she was such an extraordinary woman.

Known as the original hippy aristocrat, baronet Sir Mark Palmer is in mourning.

The Queens godson has lost his wife of more than 40 years, the astrologer Catherine Tennant, whos died aged 74.

Her childhood friend, the author Simon Blow, tells me: Im very sad, as we grew up together. I have very fond memories of Catherine.

Gregarious Tennant was the daughter of the 2nd Baron Glenconner and mother of top model Iris Palmer. She became the stargazer for Vogue before joining the Daily Telegraph.

In the Swinging Sixties, Sir Mark set up the first hip modelling agency, English Boy.

He and Catherine went on to adopt an alternative lifestyle, travelling around the country in a horse-drawn caravan.

In the case of the worlds richest artist, Damien Hirst, who turned 56 yesterday, his girlfriend, former ballerina Sophie Cannell, 27, unwrapped herself on a dancing pole, surrounded by balloons

However, Hirst seemed more impressed by his cake, baked in the shape of a training shoe and its box

What do you give the man who has everything for his birthday?

In the case of the worlds richest artist, Damien Hirst, who turned 56 yesterday, his girlfriend, former ballerina Sophie Cannell, 27, unwrapped herself on a dancing pole, surrounded by balloons.

Its installed at their 36 million, 14-bedroom home in Londons Regents Park.

However, Hirst seemed more impressed by his cake, baked in the shape of a training shoe and its box.
MasterChef fan favourite Dan Dumbrell was eliminated from the competition on Sunday night after failing in a seafood stand-off.

In a three-round intense cook-off, the contestants were asked to prepare dishes with just one Murray cod.

Eventually the competition whittled down to just 31-year-old Dan, who had to pack his bags.

Eliminated: MasterChef fan favourite Dan Dumbrell was eliminated from the competition on Sunday night after failing in a seafood stand-off

Fans poured out their emotions for Dan on social media after the judges confirmed the amateur chef would not be returning.



'Dan's the best guy there, I'm gonna miss him so much,' one viewer wrote.

'I'm sad to see Dan go. He's a sweetheart!' another added.

Reeling: Fans poured out their emotions for Dan on social media after the judges confirmed the amateur chef would not be returning

Dan explained he was genuinely stunned by the audience reaction to his departure.

'Yeah, I was really shocked and surprised,' he told Yahoo Lifestyle. 'In a good way because you know, when you join competitions like this and, you pour your heart out for the nation. And you just wonder: will people like me?'

Dan explained he initially tried to play it 'safe' during the first round of the Murray cod cook-off, admitting he was not entirely confident with the challenge.

Stunned: Dan explained he was genuinely surprised by the audience reaction to his departure

He also said he was feeling 'very, very helpless' and 'rattled' towards the third round and was blocking out what the judges were saying.

'It was very telling but I think the writing was on the wall once I plated up that laksa' he confessed.

After leaving the competition, Dan has fallen more in love with food, and despite his challenge with the Murray cod, he hasn't given up on mastering seafood.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcomed their second child, a daughter named Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, on Friday.

And the royal baby's name has certainly surprised some people, including Australian radio hosts Tommy Little and Carrie Bickmore.

During an episode of their Hit Network show Carrie and Tommy on Monday, the pair pointed out an awkward detail in Lilibet's name.

Awkward: Hit Network radio hosts Tommy Little (left) and Carrie Bickmore (right) pointed out an awkward detail in the new royal baby's name on Monday

According to the duo, the name sounds extremely similar to 'little bit'.

Tommy suggested this may expose their daughter to schoolyard taunts one day, as kids could say 'she's a little bit' followed by an insult.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed Lili - who is named after her great-grandmother The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet - on Friday in California.

The baby's name is also catching attention because certain royals didn't use Harry and Meghan's royal titles when acknowledging the child's birth.

Theory: According to the duo, the name sounds similar to 'little bit', and Tommy said this may expose the child to taunts one day, as kids could say 'she's a little bit' followed by an insult

Omitting the Sussexes' titles could be interpreted as a subtle hint they are no longer considered part of the Royal Family.

Indeed, Prince William and Kate Middleton referred to them by their first names in an official congratulatory message on Instagram.

They wrote: 'We are all delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby Lili. Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie.'

Baby joy: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry (pictured in 2017) welcomed their second child, a daughter named Lilibet, on Friday in California

Harry's father, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles, similarly failed to use the Sussexes' royal titles in their message.

'Congratulations to Harry, Meghan and Archie on the arrival of baby Lilibet Diana,' they wrote on social media.

The Queen, however, did refer to the couple as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in her official statement, perhaps subtly indicating their relationship remains intact.
Salma Hayek revealed her hidden dancing skills as she urged her 18 million Instagram followers to participate in a new social media challenge on Monday.

While promoting her upcoming film Hitman's Wifes Bodyguard, out next Wednesday, the 54-year-old actress shared a video of herself busting a move alongside her glam team, including hairstylist Miguel Perez and makeup artist Sofia Schwarzkopf-Tilbury.

'Show me your #hitmanschallenge baby!' the mother-of-one captioned the footage, which showed her lip synching to Britney Spears' 1998 hit ...Baby One More Time.

Having fun: Salma Hayek showed off her impressive dance moves with a bunch of her pals as she urged her 18 million Instagram followers to participate in a new dance challenge

While listening to the track, Hayek shook her hips and looked lost in the song, until ending her performance by flipping her hair and doing a front side kick.

Within seven hours of posting the recording on Monday morning, the video received more than half a million views and likes from her loyal fans and celebrity friends, like Jennifer Aniston.

She also received thousands of comments, many of which praised her 'leg flip' at the end.

For the spirited dance, Hayek sported a loose black v-neck, a pair of matching leggings and sneakers.

Her crew matched in all black as they appeared to be performing at the star's home.

Oozing confidence: While promoting her upcoming film Hitman's Wifes Bodyguard, out next Wednesday, the 54-year-old actress shared a video of herself busting a move alongside her glam team, including hairstylist Miguel Perez and makeup artist Sofia Schwarzkopf-Tilbury

'Show me your #hitmanschallenge baby!' the mother-of-one captioned the footage, which showed her lip synching to Britney Spears' 1998 hit ...Baby One More Time

Dancing queen: While listening to the track, Hayek shook her hips and looked lost in the song, until ending her performance by flipping her hair and doing a front side kick

Her latest film is the sequel to 2017's sleeper hit The Hitman's Bodyguard.

The post comes just a month after she revealed her secret battle with COVID-19 early on in the pandemic, which was near fatal.

During an interview with Variety, she said she was put on oxygen and spent about seven weeks isolated in a room of her house.

She told the publication: 'My doctor begged me to go to the hospital because it was so bad.'

'I said, 'No, thank you. I'd rather die at home,' the Like a Boss star recalled.

Matching with her crew: For the spirited dance, Hayek sported a black v-neck t-shirt, a pair of loose matching leggings and sneakers

Hayek lives in London with her husband, Kering CEO FrancoisHenri Pinault, and their 13-year-old daughter Valentina.

Though the harshest effects of the infectious disease are behind her, she has experienced some long-term effects including that she still feels fatigued.

Due to that lack of energy, she said that her first job - which happens to be House Of Gucci with Adam Driver and Lady Gaga - after recovering from COVID-19 was a proper amount of work for her.

'It was not a lot of time,' Hayek said of the shoot. 'I had started doing Zooms at one point, but I could only do so many because I would get so tired.'
She found fame as Betty Cooper on The CW's teen drama Riverdale.

And now, at just 24, Lili Reinhart has landed an exclusive first look television and feature film deal with Amazon Studios.

Through her company Small Victory Productions, the actress will develop 'modern young adult content that celebrates diversity and inclusivity, in addition to championing new voices and bringing their stories to life,' Deadline.com reported Monday.

Big deal: At just 24, Lili Reinhart has landed an exclusive first look television and feature film deal with Amazon Studios in which she'll develop content for young adults

The deal comes on the back of Reinhart's starring role in Amazon Studios romantic drama Chemical Hearts. released last year.

In a statement, Head of Studios Jennifer Salke said: 'Following the success of the emotional and poignant Chemical Hearts, were so thrilled to continue our working partnership with Lili, as we welcome her back into the Amazon family.

'Lilis on-screen charisma, as well as her passion for dynamic storytelling, brings a refreshing perspective to the young adult genre, and we cant wait for our global audiences to see what we have in store.'

'So happy': The actress shared her excitement on social media and described the deal as a dream come true

Impressed the studio: The deal comes on the back of Reinhart's starring role in Amazon Studios romantic drama Chemical Hearts (pictured with co-star Austin Abrams)

Breakthrough role: The Ohio-born star found fame as Betty Cooper on The CW's teen drama Riverdale

Meanwhile, Reinhart recently spoke candidly about her struggles with body image and with depression.

'My focus has been on myself, looking inward and trying to grow. I've been working on taking the pressure off myself, and stress doesn't affect me as much,' she explained in an interview with DuJour magazine

And in May, the Ohio-born star had shared on her Instagram that she has battled 'exhausting' depression since starting to get panic attacks when she was 13.

'Some days I feel really defeated by my depression,' she confessed. 'It's an exhausting battle that I've been fighting for 11 years. Some days, like today, it can feel intolerable.'

Reinhart - who also lives with OCD - reminded her 'fellow warriors' that it's okay to have days where you don't want to fight.

'You don't need to justify your mental health to anyone. Prioritize yourself when needed, take time to rest,' she advised. 'But remember you are always worth fighting for. And tomorrow could be such a beautiful day.'
She is one of the world's most iconic supermodels, known for her age-defying visage and frame.

And Helena Christensen looked incredible as she posed in a number of racy swimwear ensembles on Saturday,

The 52-year-old model showcased her taut midriff and cleavage in a black plunging top, paired with high-waisted bottoms which drew the eye to her lithe legs.

'Heavenly spots': Helena Christensen, 52, flaunted her incredible physique as she shared a number of sultry snaps on Saturday

The Vogue coverstar kept her make-up radiant and her tresses worn in soft waves, adding a splash of colour with an orange flower in her hair.

A second racy shot saw the former Victoria's Secret Angel go topless as she pressed herself against the tree, wearing a pair of yellow bikini bottoms which emphasised her pert posterior.

A third image saw her with her back against the tree, but this time her ensemble consisted of a saucy sheer black lace dress paired with a white belt- with lace protecting her modesty.

Stunning: In one photo, Helena stood against a tree wearing nothing but a skimpy pair of yellow bikini bottoms

Candid: In another image, she stood with her back against the tree, but this time her ensemble consisted of a sheer black lace dress paired with a white belt

Afloat: Standing in a speed boat, Helena wore a simple black bikini covered by a sheer lace gown which left little to the imagination

Helena changed location for another of her pictures, as she stood in a speedboat wearing a black bikini covered in a sheer lace gown.

Still in the boat, but this time lounging in a seat, Helena was also seen having put on a pink shirt over her black bikini, but with an open front, she revealed her ample assets.

The final image in Helena's uploaded collection was a close-up of a reflection of her face in a mirror as she stared nonchalantly into the distance.

It comes after Helena set pulses racing as she slipped into sexy black lingerie last week.

Casual: Still in the boat, but this time lounging in a seat, Helena was also seen having put on a pink shirt over her black bikini, but with an open front, she revealed her ample assets

The model showcased her phenomenal figure in a pair of cut-out bottoms and suspenders while playfully posing with a camera.

Helena exuded confidence as she put on an animated display in the sultry snap, holding up her toned arms to her brunette locks.

She highlighted her ample assets in a bandeau style bra which also boasted straps over her chest to accentuate her cleavage.

The beauty wore her long tresses down, letting them cascade over her shoulder as she displayed her taut midriff in the stunning underwear.

Adding a little colour to her look, Helena donned a touch of red lipstick and a slick of glittering eyeshadow.

Helena's modelling career was launched when she won the Miss Universe Denmark title in 1986.

The bombshell went on to become one of the original 1990s supermodels alongside Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Elle Macpherson and Claudia Schiffer.

Since her break into the fashion industry, the clothing designer also has become an accomplished photographer and was a co-founder of Nylon magazine which published from 1999 to 2017.

In 2019, the brunette, who shares son Mingus, 21, with her former partner Norman Reedus, spoke to Daily Mail about some of her fitness secrets.

She detailed how she likes to swim in 'rivers, lakes and oceans' in a bid to maintain her sensational figure.

She shared: 'I think it's important to shake it up and do as many different forms of workout as possible, but also to incorporate nature into them.

'Swim in the ocean, swim in rivers, swim in lakes. Hiking, trekking, chopping wood  it's the best way of working out, because it doesn't really feel like a workout. It feels like you're alive.'
Beijing (Gasgoo)- BYD shipped 100 Tang EVs to Norway from Shanghai on Monday and plans to deliver its first batch of new vehicles to customers there in August, the latest Chinese automaker to export electric vehicles to Europe.

Photo credit: BYD

The Chinese electric vehicle company said it is working with RSA, a distributor in Northern Europe, to provide marketing, sales, aftermarket and parts services for end users there. For 2021, BYD aims to ship 1 total of 1,500 new vehicles to Norway.

Photo credit: BYD

Powered by its Blade Battery, the 2021 BYD Tang EV boasts enhanced safety and long range. It has a NEDC rang of over 500km and support super charging. For those vehicles to be sold in Norway, the automaker has made adjustments in accordance with local regulations. The price of the Norway version will be 599,900 Norwegian kroner ($72,479).

Photo credit: BYD

NIO and XPeng are also taking Norway as their gateway to European markets. In September last year, Xpeng exported its first batch of the G3s to Norway and at the beginning of this year, it shipped another batch of new vehicles to the Northern country.

On May 6, NIO officially announced its market entry into Norway. The startup will start to deliver the ES8, its first mass-produced model, in September, a month later than the delivery of the BYD Tange EV. Along with the model, NIO will also launch its battery swapping service in Norway.
The global polysilicon market size is estimated to reach USD 9.68 billion by 2026 says a new report published by Polaris Market Research. The report Polysilicon Market Share, Size, Trends, Industry Analysis Report By Application (Photovoltaics {Monocrystalline Solar Panel and Multicrystalline Solar Panel} and Electronics), By Regions, Segments & Forecast, 2019  2026 gives an accurate analysis of current market indices and taps future market trends.

Polysilicon is a high-purity silicon grade and a major raw material for the electronics and photovoltaic (PV) industries. Silicon has profuse abilities from which it is manufactured. The three commercial processes for extracting it from silicon are quite lucrative. Polysilicon finds itself useful in production of PV wafers which is another strong growth factor for global market.

Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/polysilicon-market/request-for-sample

The product is characteristically identified by two grades. One is electronics and the other solar. The electronics grade is used to manufacture microelectromechanical systems, optics, power conversion devices and Integrated Circuits. The solar grade is used in manufacturing photovoltaic cell.

The global solar installations surpassed 100 GW for the first time in 2017. This phenomenon has raised the ranking of polysilicon and wafers that are manufactured. Though the solar installation has grown prolifically on a global basis, the market witnessed less supply in 2017. The weak demand came about due to China with feed-in-tariff deadline and lack of transmission line that occurred in West China form sunnier regions.

Globally, solar energy has been actively adopted for different end-use industries in various applications. This has resulted in increased consumption of polysilicon in photovoltaic industry. An improvement in emerging countries of the world with rising disposable incomes has been major parameters for success of these end-use sectors. The demand for consumer electronics has also risen due to such economic and social factors.

Polysilicon is extensively used in electrical and electronics industry for manufacture of electrical components such as integrated circuits, which are an integral component in all electronics circuits and assemblies. A rising demand for smart phones, personal computers and data storage devices has given industry wide traction in the electrical and electronics industry globally.

Complete Summary with TOC Available @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/polysilicon-market

China is a major consumer and also the largest PV module-manufacturing base which are factors responsible for growth of market in the country. However, there are minor obstacles in market on account of feed-in-tariff and ongoing trade disputes between China and United States. The situation in China has worsened the financial leg of US because US has lost access to Chinas PV manufacturing industry, leaving a huge financial loss in its wake.

Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the largest and fast-growing regional market due to industrial growth of its countries, especially the emerging countries. China, India, South Korea and Japan have significantly contributed to growth in region. The global polysilicon market comprises large multinational and domestic companies. The industry is moderately consolidated and highly competitive.

The key industrial players in global polysilicon market include REC Silicon, Wacker Chemie, LDK Solar Company Ltd., Tokuyama Corporation, CSG holdings Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Materials Corporation and GCL Poly Energy Holdings Ltd.

Polaris Market research has segmented the polysilicon market on the basis of application and region.

Polysilicon Application Outlook (Revenue USD Millions, 2015  2026) Photovoltaics Monocrystalline Solar Panel Multicrystalline Solar Panel Electronics

Polysilicon Regional Outlook (Revenue USD Millions, 2015  2026) North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany UK France Italy Spain Belgium Russia Netherlands Asia Pacific China Japan India Australia Korea Singapore Malaysia Indonesia Thailand Philippines Latin America Mexico Brazil Argentina MEA UAE Saudi Arabia South Africa



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About Polaris Market Research

Polaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide unmatched quality of offerings to our clients present globally. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. We strive to provide our customers with updated information on innovative technologies, high growth markets, emerging business environments and latest business-centric applications, thereby helping them always to make informed decisions and leverage new opportunities.

Contact us-

Polaris Market Research

Phone: 1-646-568-9980

Email: sales@polarismarketresearch.com

Web: www.polarismarketresearch.com
Ashling Lorger seems to be settling back into her regular life just fine after her memorable stint on Below Deck earlier this year.

The blonde beauty, who appeared on the show's eighth season, updated fans this week with some photos of herself at the beach in a bikini.

Ashling looked incredibly fit and toned in the skimpy green swimwear as she pranced around on the shore.

All smiles! Australian Below Deck star Ashling Lorger flaunted her incredible physique on the beach this week

'Be your own mind ,power and strength... you can do anything!' she captioned it.

The photos quickly racked up almost 7000 likes, with dozens of admirers leaving gushing comments about the reality star.

'Wife material right there!' exclaimed one, while another particularly bold admirer wrote: 'Will you marry me?'

She's fit! Ashling looked incredibly fit and toned in the skimpy green swimwear as she pranced around on the shore

The Queensland-based bombshell is an ambassador for F45 Training in Noosa, which is how she stays in such great physical shape.

Ashling joined the eighth season of Bravo's Below Deck as a stewardess.

She quickly sparked up a close friendship with Chief Stewardess Francesca Rubi, who is also Australian.

Bikini babe: The Noose-based blonde often posts photos of herself on Queensland's stunning beaches

The pair are best remembered for their clash with co-star Elizabeth Frankini, which played out both on the show and on social media.

The Below Deck spin-off Sailing Yacht is currently airing on Bravo in the U.S. and on Hayu in Australia.

The new season features Australian stewardess Alli Dore and the Brazilian-born Dani Soares, who is now based in Sydney.
Khloe Kardashian made her love of family clear as she shared a helplessly adorable gallery of snaps to her Instagram on Monday.

The Good American co-founder posted photos showing her daughter True Thompson hugging cousins Dream and Chicago along with another friend in lovely purple leotards.

The post saw the four girls clearly having a great time as they posed for mom/auntie Khloe, 36.

Cute Monday: Khloe Kardashian shared an adorable gallery of snaps to her Instagram, showing her daughter True Thompson (center) hugging cousins Dream and Chicago

Khloe appropriately captioned the gallery 'The sweetest girls' flanked by purple hearts.

True, Kardashian's three-year-old daughter with beau Tristan Thompson, was in the center, modeling a high and tight hair bun held up with a matching purple scrunchie.

Little True couldn't contain her wide grin as she hugged her first cousin Chicago West, also three, who is the daughter of Khloe's older sister Kim Kardashian and her estranged husband Kanye West.

Rounding out the familial trio was Dream Renee Kardashian behind True, the four-year-old daughter to Khloe's brother Rob Kardashian and his ex Blac Chyna.

Posing in purple: True, Kardashian's three-year-old daughter with beau Tristan Thompson, was in the center, modeling a high and tight hair bun held up with a matching purple scrunchie

Seen earlier in the day on Instagram: The post saw the girls clearly having a great time as they posed for mom/auntie Khloe

Both Dream and Chicago sported pigtail braids of differing lengths.

All three girls wore the same purple outfit, sleeveless and with short pant legs.

The fourth little girl was the daughter of friend and actress Natalie Halcro.

The sweet post comes after the youngest Kardashian sister received a bit of flack for disciplining fans and followers for their consumption of single-use plastic bottles earlier on Monday.

Three's a crowd: Little True couldn't contain her wide grin as she hugged her cousin Chicago West, also three, while cousin Dream Renee Kardashian grabbed her from behind

The reality superstar attempted to educate her fans about pollution, only for users to remind Khloe of her own tendencies to go overboard on disposables, including opulent balloon displays for nearly every event at her house in addition to a pantry stocked to the brim with plastic.

'There's something that irks me is that I see people taking water bottles and they're just pouring it into the gallon size reusable plastic bottle so they can consume their water for the day,' she said in a selfie video. 'That defeats the purpose because those water bottle are just going to go into a landfill somewhere and potentially cause you know pollution.'

Twitter was then set alight with commentary as users quickly called out the hypocrisy and found photos of Khloe's affinity for massive balloon displays.

Off target: The post comes after the youngest Kardashian sister received a bit of flack for disciplining followers for their consumption of single-use plastic bottles earlier on Monday
She infuriated social media users after seeming to call people out for their dependence on single-use plastics after having used plenty of them herself.

And Khloe Kardashian returned to Twitter later on Monday to defend herself from her eco-conscious critics, while also admitting she would be the 'last one to say that I'm super environmentally conscious.'

The 36-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star also claimed she hadn't meant to call out wasteful people, but rather to recommend more sustainable options for consumers.

Firing back: Khloe Kardashian, 36, shot back at social media users who called her a hypocrite after complaining about single-use plastics on Monday, even as she admitted she's still learning

'Oh my! LOL What drives me [crazy emoji] is that people turn nothing into some thing,' Khloe complained in her first tweet, adding that, 'It must be a slow news day.

'I am constantly learning and trying to be better for the environment for the sake of my daughter. I am the last one to say that Im super environmentally conscious because I know how much more I have to learn.'

She clarified: 'All I was simply saying is a pet peeve of MINE. I find it silly that people are pouring 4 to 5 single use plastic bottles into a reusable container. Its sort of defeats the purpose.'

The reality star added that she was encouraging her followers to look into 'a water filtration system' that could be obtained for 'the price of a case of water bottles.'

'Sometimes plastic water bottles are the only option for some people and I totally get that.'

Khloe also admitted that she 'sometimes' reaches for a disposable water bottle.

Mixed message: Khloe complained on Twitter that it 'must be a slow news day' and admitted she was 'the last one to say that I'm super environmentally conscious'

Her point: She defended her morning videos and said it 'defeats the purpose' to pour multiple small water bottles into a larger reusable jug

Hidden message: The KUWTK star said she was encouraging people to look into cheap filtration systems, even though most of her video was spent complaining about others

Making strides: She admitted she wasn't perfect' and was still 'earning' and 'making small changes for our future'

Ready for more: She called herself 'a baby at this stuff' and denied 'shaming' people, though she was happy to get environmentally conscious tips

Keeping it secret: She ended her rant by claiming she'll be keeping her water bottle to herself from now on

'Its not about being perfect. Its about learning and hopefully making small changes for our future. Holy smokes.

'Anyways I love when I get educated on easy tips as to how to potentially make a change in our world. Feel free to tweet me some tips,' she continued.

Despite her initial defensive tone, the Good American co-founder sounded open to ways to decrease her waste.

'Im always down to learn and Ill see how that incorporates into my life. Hopefully We all do our part in our own ways,' she wrote. 'Im proud of us all for doing our best and simply trying. But these stories sayin Im shaming peps is BS because Im a baby at this stuff myself.'

Khloe concluded her tweet stream by vowing to keep her water jugs to herself from now on, though she jokingly said it was back on after one user replied that they wanted to see her hydrating.

Ironically, she started off the day right around when she posted her water bottle rant by encouraging her followers to 'Block out the negativity' and to 'Block out the people that are cruel.'

'Remember they are fighting their own issues,' she continued. 'Respond with kindness.'

Ironic: Khloe started off the day around when she posted her water bottle rant by encouraging her followers to 'Block out the negativity' and to 'Block out the people that are cruel'

Teaching moment: Khloe Kardashian clearly had a lot on her mind as she ranted about single-use plastics to her 152 million followers on Instagram in the early hours of the morning

Earlier, the social media fixture had attempted to educate her fans about pollution, only for users to remind her of her own tendencies to go overboard on disposables, including opulent balloon displays for nearly every event at her house in addition to a pantry stocked to the brim with plastic.

'So many people tag me in these huge gallon sized jugs of water and I feel awesome because I know people are staying hydrated,' she began.

'There's something that irks me is that I see people taking water bottles and they're just pouring it into the gallon size reusable plastic bottle so they can consume their water for the day. That defeats the purpose because those water bottle are just going to go into a landfill somewhere and potentially cause you know pollution.

'We're trying to limit our single usage of plastics, so I think people should just be aware of that. The point of this is yes to stay hydrated, but also to hopefully reduce you know all the pollution.'

Khloe went on to note that many retailers offer affordable filtration systems that attach to faucets or can be placed in refrigerators.

Do it for them: 'I'm not saying that or judging that, I'm just saying that I don't know why we're pouring water bottles and using ... just to throw that plastic away for these jugs. So, I'm turning into Kourtney, but let's try to save the environment for the kids,' she said

'That is a lot smarter than buying cases of waters,' she said. 'If you're going to be using reusable jugs like I am, and if not every day ... I get it. Sometimes we need to grab a water bottle.

'I'm not saying that or judging that, I'm just saying that I don't know why we're pouring water bottles and using ... just to throw that plastic away for these jugs. So, I'm turning into Kourtney, but let's try to save the environment for the kids.'

Twitter was set alight with commentary as users quickly called out the hypocrisy and found photos of Khloe's affinity for massive balloon displays.

'Khloe is really out here trying to shame her followers for using single use water bottles, when every party they throw looks like this (next tweet). This girl is too much,' @imheretowatch1 wrote.

Float on: Twitter was set alight with commentary as users quickly called out the hypocrisy and found photos of Khloe's affinity for massive balloon displays

Let them eat plastic: Another Twitter user pointed out photos of Khloe's color-coordinated pantry and organization system, which was stocked with plastics

They added: 'If there was a hypocrite of the CENTURY award Khloe would win by a landslideeeee #sooutoftouch.'

'AND the flowers they go soooo over the top for every single day are a whole other disaster for the environment.'

Another Twitter user pointed out photos of Khloe's color-coordinated pantry and organization system, which was stocked with plastics.

'I'm sorry Khloe. What were you saying about single use plastic's irking you????' @BurntPopcorn5 replied.

Others pointed out Khloe and her family's extensive use of private jets to travel across the globe on a whim.
MasterChef guest judge Josh Niland surprised viewers with his version of a lamington on Sunday night's episode.

The 32-year-old chef and seafood expert used fish scales to decorate the iconic Australian dessert instead of the traditional coconut flakes.

He demonstrated his technique as the main challenge of the episode was to show the contestants how to get the most out of one fish.

Something fishy going on! MasterChef guest judge Josh Niland surprised viewers on Sunday with his version of a lamington using fish scales instead of coconut flakes

'I feel the biggest thing to come away from this Sundays episode is the fact that you can make a lamington, with no coconut, using fish,' Josh told news.com.au.

'The dessert will be a real eye opener for a lot of people,' he added.

While his creation was innovative, some viewers on Twitter were appalled by the use of fish scales, with one even calling the addition 'disrespectful'.

'Saw disrespect to a lamington on MasterChef and turned the TV off,' they tweeted.

Another wrote: 'If I ever crave chocolate, Ill just remember that some chef on MasterChef made a lamington with fish and Ill be good.'

'The good dude on MasterChef just made a cod-fat lamington with fish scales as fake coconut and thats why the aliens wont talk to us. #blergh,' a third added.

Unique: Josh, a 32-year-old chef and seafood expert, demonstrated his technique as the main challenge of the episode was to show the contestants how to get the most out of one fish

Not impressed: While his creation was innovative, some viewers on Twitter were appalled by the use of fish scales, with one even calling the addition 'disrespectful'

In April, chef Josh also shared his unique spin on the classic cheeseburger by using tuna instead of beef patties.

The owner of Saint Peter and the Fish Butchery in Paddington shared a photo of the mouthwatering creation on Instagram, describing it as one of his 'favourites' on the Fish Butchery menu.

The pricey $20 takeaway burger includes charcoal grilled Mooloolaba Yellowfin tuna fillets, cheddar cheese, 'lacto-fermented' cucumber, trimmed iceberg lettuce leaves and optional 'swordfish bacon' for $8.

No meat: In April, chef Josh also shared his unique spin on the classic cheeseburger by using tuna instead of beef patties

Chef: Josh, who is the owner of Saint Peter and the Fish Butchery in Paddington, described the mouthwatering creation as one of his 'favourites' on the Fish Butchery menu

A similar dish is on the menu at Saint Peter for $38.

It's not the first time the masterful young chef has wowed with his creations, with Niland recently coming up with an epic gourmet sandwich - complete with ocean trout 'salami', kingfish 'mortadella' and swordfish 'belly bacon'.

Niland, who's known for cooking with every part of a fish, unveiled the 'Muffuletta', which looks remarkably similar to a deli-style sandwich, except the 'sliced meats' are made entirely from different types of fish.

Not cheap! The pricey $20 takeaway burger includes charcoal grilled Mooloolaba Yellowfin tuna fillets, cheddar cheese, 'lacto-fermented' cucumber, trimmed iceberg lettuce leaves and optional 'swordfish bacon' for $8

Italian muffuletta sandwiches are usually made with layers of thin-sliced cured meats such as salami, capocollo, soppressata and mortadella.

His deli-inspired sandwich consists of an ocean trout salami, kingfish mortadella, albacore tuna nduja, swordfish belly bacon and pickled tommy ruff, topped with dried tomatoes, olives, sorrell and pesto and provolone.

Niland said his sandwich was inspired by top chef Clayton Wells, who created the A1 Canteen's muffaletta press sandwich, which comes with sourdough, Italian provolone, ham, mortadella, salami, olives, sun-dried tomatoes.

Substitution: Josh, who is known for cooking with every part of a fish - unveiled the 'Muffuletta', which looks remarkably similar to a deli-style sandwich, except the 'sliced meats' are made entirely from different types of fish

Can you tell the difference? He also previously added a 'kingfish ham' to the menu, which wowed with its remarkable similarity to a traditional ham

He also previously added a 'kingfish ham' to the menu, which wowed with its remarkable similarity to a traditional ham.

The kingfish version was made with crispy, glazed skin and pink flesh.

'I don't think fish has ever looked tastier. In the entire history of humans eating fish for food, no one has made fish look this tasty,' one customer wrote.
Katie Thurston said things get so emotional on this season's The Bachelorette, she nearly walked off production of the show in New Mexico.

The 30-year-old reality star, speaking with US Weekly Monday, was seen in a preview in which she said she was 'done' with the show's 17th season.

The one-time bank manager told the outlet, 'At that moment, I was at my lowest and really wanted to leave.'

The latest: Katie Thurston, 30, said things get so emotional on this season's The Bachelorette, she nearly walked off production of the show in New Mexico

Thurston, a native of Lynnwood, Washington, said that the show's Kaitlyn Bristowe, 35, and Tayshia Adams, 30 - who are hosting this season in place of Chris Harrison, 49, (who stepped back following a controversy earlier this year) - were key in her journey.

'It wasnt for the amazing women who have been Bachelorettes before helping me navigate that, I probably would have. And so, Im so thankful for all of them,' said Thurston, who appeared on season 25 of The Bachelor.

She added: 'I thought, maybe, thered be people helping with dates, you know, here and there, but I certainly did not expect to have both of them there with me the entire time. And so I think I was just, like, so overwhelmed.'

She said she can be seen on the reality romance 'crying of relief and happiness and excitement to have them there to help me.'

Lifting her up: Thurston said that the show's Tayshia Adams, 30, (L) and Kaitlyn Bristowe, 35, who are hosting this season in place of Chris Harrison, were key in her journey

She said she can bee seen on the reality romance 'crying of relief and happiness and excitement to have them there to help me'

She said that Bristowe advised her, 'Dont fall in love with one person on the first night, be open,' while Adams advised her to 'surrender to the process' and 'trust the journey.'

She said she was 'excited' and 'anxious,' and was dealing with 'a little bit of everything' as she prepared to watch the show air.

Thurston added, 'Im scared, you know, reliving those connections or heartbreak, thats going to be tough.'

The Bachelorette's new season debuts Monday on ABC at 8/7c.

Thurston was previously seen as she appeared on season 25 of The Bachelor
Jodi Gordon has reflected on Australian Fashion Week after her embarrassing wardrobe malfunction last Monday.

The former Neighbours star, 36, appeared on The Morning Show on Tuesday, and spoke about the emerging designers on display.

'[It was] great to see Australian fashion,' the actress said after having attended several runway shows at Carriageworks in Sydney.

Whoops! Jodi Gordon has reflected on Australian Fashion Week after her embarrassing wardrobe malfunction last Monday. Pictured on The Morning Show on Tuesday

The former model went on to say that by pursuing an acting career she had to 'step away' from the fashion industry.

'I felt that doing Neighbours I stepped away from that little bit, so it was exciting to be back in the fashion world again,' she said.

Jodi had awkwardly suffered a wardrobe malfunction last Monday while modelling a Bally trench coat worn as a dress during Fashion Week.

Local styles: '[It was] great to see Australian fashion,' the 36-year-old actress said after having attended several runway shows at Carriageworks in Sydney

In footage shared to YouTube by Kobie Thatcher, Jodi was seen quickly readjusting her blue coat after nearly exposing her underwear.

Proving she's a total pro, the model-turned-soap star kept calm and composed during the blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment.

The mother of one amped up the sex appeal on day one of Fashion Week, showcasing her toned legs in a pair of $1,400 stocking boots by Fendi.

Oh, no! Jodi had awkwardly suffered a wardrobe malfunction last Monday while modelling a Bally trench coat worn as a dress during Fashion Week

Last month - the same day a Sydney newspaper claimed they'd broken up - they were pictured arriving at the former Neighbours star's eastern suburbs home.

In photos that prove there may be hope for the couple yet, Jodi looked casual as she exited her vehicle and walked up to her house with her daughter, Aleeia.

Sebastian, who was travelling as a passenger in Jodi's car, entered her house separately carrying a large hold-all suitcase and carrier bag.

Parting ways? Her sighting at Australian Fashion Week came after reports she'd split from her boyfriend Sebastian Blackler (pictured) after just six months of dating

The Sunday Telegraph previously reported the couple had parted ways after the relationship 'fizzled out'. They also unfollowed each other on Instagram.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Jodi Gordon for comment.

Jodi had confirmed her relationship with Sebastian last year, going Instagram official on November 21, 2020.
Radio host Lawrence Mooney has blasted Grant Denyer live on air over his bizarre admission that he once saw a UFO when he was 19.

On Tuesday's Moonman in the Morning breakfast show, the 56-year-old sensationally branded Grant a 'wack job' over his surprise on-air revelation on Seven's Spotlight on Sunday.

'Grant said that maybe people might be thinking, "You're a bit crazy,"' Lawrence said, after playing a clip of Grant's interview. 'Well - you're a wack job!'

He doesn't believe it! Radio host Lawrence Mooney (pictured) has blasted Grant Denyer live on air over his bizarre admission that he once saw a UFO when he was 19

He continued: 'That is supersonic speed measured by a 19-year-old in a car in the suburbs.'

Lawrence added to his co-host Jess Eva: 'UFOs often appear to people like you and Grant Denyer, who spend a bit of time outside with Vodka Cruisers by the fire.'

Confirming he meant no harm, Lawrence clarified: 'Grant is a friend of the show. We do love Grant!'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Grant Denyer for further comment.

The former Sunrise weatherman had made the bold claim about seeing a UFO on Seven's Spotlight, telling investigative journalist Ross Coulthart he saw 'a couple of very strange lights hovering in the sky' that were 'too bright to be stars or planets'.

'What I saw was real': The former Sunrise weatherman had made the bold claim about seeing a UFO on Seven's Spotlight on Sunday, telling investigative journalist Ross Coulthart he saw 'a couple of very strange lights hovering in the sky' that were 'too bright to be stars or planets'

Was it real? Grant said he kept the sighting a secret for a while because people who claim to have seen UFOs are often 'considered wack jobs'

He went on to admit that he kept the sighting a secret for a while because people who claim to have seen UFOs are often 'considered wack jobs'.

'I was driving along the road at night time at about nine o'clock at night,' Grant recalled of the incident when he was 19.

'I noticed a couple of very strange lights hovering in the sky, and they were too bright to be stars or planets.'

The father of three described the five dots, making up two groups, as 'bright as a plane but not moving at all'.

When asked by Coulthart whether they were satellites and not a UFO sighting, Grant stressed that it was definitely 'not satellites'.

'I believe what I saw was some form of UFO,' he claimed.

A hoax? Across the globe there have been numerous claims by people who have recalled seeing what they believe to be a UFO - Unidentified Flying Objects - or alien life. However, these are often dismissed as just a hoax or the imagination running wild

Claim to fame: Grant became a household name when he joined Seven's breakfast program Sunrise in 2004 as a weather presenter. He has more recently hosted shows for Channel 10

Across the globe there have been numerous claims by people who have recalled seeing what they believe to be a UFO - Unidentified Flying Objects - or alien life.

However, these are often dismissed as just a hoax or the imagination running wild.

Grant became a household name when he joined Seven's breakfast program Sunrise in 2004 as a weather presenter.

He left the show in 2006 to spend more time with his family, but returned in 2010 before quitting for good in 2013.

Grant went on to host Channel 10's Family Feud from 2014 to 2020.

He is married to former TV producer Chezzi Denyer, 41, and the couple share three daughters, Sailor, 10, and Scout, five, and Sunday, three months.
She was trolled for getting the coronavirus vaccine earlier on Monday.

And just hours later Carrie Bickmore was attacked for not having a perfect manicure on The Project, despite Melbourne being in the midst of its fourth hard lockdown.

After the 40-year-old posted a picture of the vibrant yellow outfit she was wearing on the news desk, Carrie was criticised for having two unpainted nails by ridiculous trolls.

Not quite nailing it: Carrie Bickmore has been attacked for not having a perfect manicure on The Project, despite Melbourne being in the midst of its fourth hard lockdown

'Bad nail day,' one commented.

Despite the mean comment, Carrie was also inundated with positive feedback from fans who were impressed by her dress by Australian brand The Significant Other.

'Absolutely stunning as always,' one wrote.

While another added: 'Killing it Carrie! Love that colour on you.'

Positive comments: Despite the mean comment, Carrie was also inundated with positive feedback from fans who were impressed by her dress by Australian brand The Significant Other

Earlier in the week, the journalist was targeted by anti-vaxxer conspiracy theorists for announcing that she'd received the coronavirus vaccine.

On Monday, Carrie posted an Instagram photo of herself receiving the jab on alongside the caption: 'Vaccinated [thumbs up emoji].'

It didn't take long for a wave of trolls to flood Carrie's post with bizarre comments, accusing her of 'selling out' and 'feeding into government propaganda'.

Ridiculous: 'Bad nail day': one commented

When Karens attack! Just hours earlier Carrie was attacked by anti-vaxxer conspiracy theorists after she shared this Instagram photo of herself getting the coronavirus vaccine

Elsewhere, several critics accused the TV presenter of 'passive coercion' - a buzzword used by coronavirus anti-vaxxers to refer to supposed 'brainwashing' tactics used by celebrities to convince their fans to get the vaccine.

'Another celebrity using medical coercion. Getting paid, are we, to virtue signal? Full comedy viewing from here in the placebo control group!' one wrote.

'Why do celebrities keep feeling the need to publicise getting 'the jab'!? Passive coercion at its finest! All the best, guinea pigs,' another sneered.

Bizarre backlash: Several critics accused the TV presenter of 'passive coercion' - a buzzword used by coronavirus anti-vaxxers to refer to supposed 'brainwashing' tactics used by celebrities to convince their fans to get the vaccine

Some trolls used their comments to perpetuate unfounded theories about the vaccine by insinuating that Carrie would soon die as a result of getting the jab.

'RIP' one wrote, while another added: 'Bye bye!"

Others simply expressed their disdain by posting vomiting face emojis, thumbs down emojis, and writing the word, 'Unfollow'.

Misinformation: Some trolls used their comments to perpetuate unfounded theories about the vaccine by insinuating that Carrie would soon die as a result of getting the jab

Don't let the door hit you on the way out! Others simply expressed their disdain by posting vomiting face emojis, thumbs down emojis, and writing the word, 'Unfollow'

The coronavirus vaccine is a vital measure being taken to protect the community from the spread of the virus.

COVID-19 can cause serious illness, ongoing health problems and sometimes even death.

The vaccines currently being rolled out in Australia are designed to ensure that even if you do contract Covid, you won't get seriously ill.

Peace out! Carrie posted this picture of herself wearing a mask while waiting for her jab in a Melbourne vaccination centre

It comes after Australia celebrated several milestones in its coronavirus vaccine rollout program over the weekend.

The country notched its fifth millionth jab, while a record 88,000 Australians rolled up their sleeves on Saturday.

Around 772,750 vaccinations have been completed in the last six days, which is also a record.

In good company: Carrie was joined by The Project co-host Peter Helliar on Monday as they waited to receive their vaccine

'We have seen the vaccine program is accelerating,' federal health minister Greg Hunt told reporters on Sunday.

'As supply becomes available, the public is stepping up and doing their part of the job.'

An additional 100,000 vaccines are being made available for Victoria, where five million Melburnians remain in a 14-day lockdown due to end on Thursday.
She is a modelling icon.

And Alessandra Ambrosio maintained her runway figure as she hit up a Pilates class in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon.

The catwalk queen, 40, showcased just a sliver of her envy-inducing abs as she headed to class wearing a figure-hugging crop top.

Working it! Alessandra Ambrosio maintained her runway figure as she hit up a Pilates class in Los Angeles on Monday afternoon

Overall, the Victoria's Secret model dressed rather modestly as she headed to class with a friend by her side.

The superstar covered up her long legs with a white pair of Alo sweatpants, which showed a glimpse of her toned legs, and put her best foot forward in SAYE sneakers.

She warded off a chill with a matching sweatshirt whilst accessorizing the sporty look with a beaded choker necklace and dangling earrings.

Adding a pop of color were her bold red nails.

Ab fab! The catwalk queen flashed a hint of her washboard abs with her ripped crop top

With no mask on her face, everyone was able to see Alessandra's naturally exquisite complexion.

The outing comes after Alessandra was seen packing on the PDA with her model boyfriend Richard Lee on Saturday as they enjoyed a beach date in Santa Monica, California.

They confirmed their relationship in May by going Instagram official after they were first pictured canoodling in February at Nobu Malibu.

Don't sweat it! Ambrosio warded off a chill wearing a white zip-up jacket and matching sweats

Alessandra shares nine-year-old son Noah Phoenix and 12-year-old daughter Anja Louise with Re/Done denim co-founder Jamie Mazur, whom she split from in 2018.

The Brazilian native and her 40-year-old former fiance never wed, but they were together for a decade.

Alessandra's romance with Wilhelmina model Richard marks her first public romance since ending her two-year relationship with Alanui co-designer Nicolo Oddi last year.

Pucker up! Ambrosio is currently in the throes of a romance with fellow model Richard Lee

The catwalk model - who became a US citizen on September 4 - frequently documents her glamorous, globe-trotting lifestyle on social media to her 10.3million followers.

On the career front, Alessandra co-founded her second swimwear brand GAL Floripa with her younger sister Aline and best friend Gisele Coria in March 2019.

The mother-of-two, who retired her Victoria's Secret 'wings' in 2017, previously ran her eponymous swimwear line Ale By Alessandra from 2014 to 2018.
Shaynna Blaze shut down a popular radio trio during a tense interview on Tuesday.

Things became awkward off the jump when Shaynna called in to Adelaide's Bec, Cosi & Lehmo for an interview and one of the hosts hadn't bothered to even learn Celebrity Apprentice boss Lord Alan Sugar's name.

'You're already fired from me, who are we talking to?' a frustrated Shaynna said.

Drama: A furious Shaynna Blaze scolded Adelaide radio trio Bec, Cosi & Lehmo (pictured) during an awkward interview on Tuesday

Cosi then purposely mispronounced Shaynna's name as 'Shauna', before playing an audio clip of Lord Sugar saying that Shaynna 'has a face like a slapped a**e'.

The Block judge, 58, quickly took the radio team to task for playing the 'derogatory' clip during a heated back and forth.

'Can I just jump in there?' she snapped. 'By you replaying that all the time, it actually recycles that thing the whole time.'

She continued: 'I think the thing is, it's a comment that one, shouldn't have been said, and you call it out, but I think replaying that again gives him more air.'

Stunned: Radio host Cosi purposely mispronounced Shaynna's name as 'Shauna', before playing an audio clip of Lord Sugar saying that Shaynna 'has a face like a slapped a**e'

Shaynna then told the hosts to 'stop replaying that', which seemed to upset Cosi.

'You could argue the same thing about shows like The Block where they take one piece of drama and replay it and replay it,' he fired back.

Shaynna explained that it wasn't the same thing, as Lord Sugar's comment specifically attacked her appearance and wasn't just manufactured reality show drama.

Fiery: 'Can I just jump in there?' Shaynna snapped at the trio. 'By you replaying that all the time, it actually recycles that thing the whole time'

This isn't the first time that the 58-year-old has hit back at Lord Sugar for his shocking comment about her looks.

The phrase 'face like a slapped a**e' is British slang for when a person has a stern or unhappy expression and doesn't necessarily suggest they are unattractive, but Shaynna took the remark as a criticism of her physical appearance.

Reacting to the insult on Nova FM's Fitzy and Wippa on Monday, the Block judge rejected the excuse that it was just UK slang that got lost in translation.

Not having it: Shaynna (pictured) hit back at Lord Alan Sugar after the British businessman said last week she had a 'face like a slapped a**e'

'Yeah I think you can give an excuse if that's a British term, [but] if you're coming to another country you need to read the room of the country,' Shaynna said.

'I'm grateful to come here today to talk about this,' she added.

'He's apologised but we need to talk about this in public about what actually happened. You can't talk about people and their physical appearance in a derogatory way to get a cheap laugh. We've gone past that. The world isn't like that anymore.'

Harsh words: The phrase 'face like a slapped a**e' is British slang for when a person has a stern or unhappy expression and doesn't necessarily suggest they are unattractive, but Shaynna took the remark as a criticism of her physical appearance. Pictured: Lord Sugar

The interior design expert also criticised radio hosts Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald and Michael 'Wippa' Wipfli for allowing Lord Sugar, 74, to make the remark unchallenged on their show last week.

'[By] not calling [him] out publicly or straight away, you're enabling that and meaning they feel they can get away with it,' she said.

Wippa, who is also starring on Celebrity Apprentice, then apologised to Shaynna.

Laying down the law: Reacting to the insult on Nova FM's Fitzy and Wippa on Monday, the Block judge, 58, rejected the excuse that it was just UK slang that got lost in translation

'It happened on our show and I almost led him [Lord Sugar] into it because I made the comment that Shaynna looked upset in the boardroom, so I felt a responsibility too,' he said.

Lord Sugar made the 'slapped a**e' comment on Fitzy and Wippa last Monday after Wippa and co-host Sarah McGilvray noted how she rarely smiled on Celebrity Apprentice.

'Oh, bloody hell. She's got a face like a slapped a**e, doesn't she most of the time?' he said. '[She's] Like a rabbit in the headlights.'
Coronado, CA (92118)

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A mix of clouds and sun. High 73F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph..

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A few clouds. Low 63F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
Bridgerton's Phoebe Dynevor and Rege-Jean Page sat down to discuss one of their most swoon-worthy scenes, which occurred on their character's wedding night.

While participating in Variety's Making a Scene video series, the duo admitted they were both stunned by the audience's feverish reaction to the special way Dynevor's character Daphne Bridgerton tells the Duke of Hastings (Page) she's in love with him.

'You have no idea what lines people are going to care about,' the 26-year-old actress said, nodding to the iconic moment she says: 'I burn for you.'

Reminiscing: Bridgerton's Phoebe Dynevor and Rege-Jean Page sat down to discuss one of their most swoon-worthy scenes, which occurred on their character's wedding night

She continued: 'That was surprising to me. It wasn't like I saw 'I burn for you' in the script and was like, 'This is what people are going to talk about.'

In response, Page theorized fans were under the 'Mandela effect' because many of them wrongly attributed the line to his character.

'I do not say, 'I burn for you!' It's not my line!' he clarified. 'Everyone clearly was feeling very burned for, which I'll take as a compliment.'

Surprised: While participating in Variety's Making a Scene video series, the duo admitted they were both stunned by the audience's feverish reaction to the special way Dynevor's character Daphne Bridgerton tells the Duke of Hastings (Page) she's in love with him

'I do not say, 'I burn for you!' It's not my line!' Page clarified. 'Everyone clearly was feeling very burned for, which I'll take as a compliment.'

Speaking of her choice to deliver the line in an almost questioning manner, Dynevor explained she wanted to make the dialogue sound 'as organic and as real as possible.'

'Theres no other way to play saying a line like that than to make it an inward feeling,' she noted.

Meanwhile, the hit Netflix drama's director Sheree Folkson added, 'It's so much more sexy to watch the anticipation of sex than actual sex. So I just wanted to drag [it] out as long as I could having to undo the laces and the buttons, it delays it.'

Behind-the-scenes thoughts: Speaking of her choice to deliver the line in almost a questioning manner, Dynevor explained she wanted to make the dialogue sound 'as organic and as real as possible' (pictured last year)

Late last month, Dynevor broke her silence over Page's exit from the show, which left fans devastated.

The pair became household names after landing the roles, but Page, 31, broke hearts across the nation when he confirmed in April that he would not be reprising his role as the Duke of Hastings.

Speaking about her co-star's decision on Variety's Awards Circuit podcast, Dyvenor talked about learning the news with just a 'bit of a heads up.'

Meanwhile, the hit Netflix drama's director Sheree Folkson added, 'It's so much more sexy to watch the anticipation of sex than actual sex. So I just wanted to drag [it] out as long as I could having to undo the laces and the buttons, it delays it'

'I knew but yeah, I guess it is a spanner,' she noted. 'But again, the show centers around the Bridgertons and there are eight books.'

The Younger star explained: 'I think maybe the fans of the books were more aware of that happening than the fans of the show. I think fans of the books know that every episode is about a different sibling.'

Despite her pal's departure, she reminded listeners that the second installment of the popular period drama, based on Julia Quinn's novels and produced by Shonda Rhimes, was always set to star 'the lovely Johnny, who plays Anthony.'

Sad news: One month after the British heartthrob, 31, confirmed he would not be reprising his role as the Duke of Hastings, Dyvenor opened up about continuing the show without him

'Were very much passing the baton,' the beauty said. 'Obviously its sad to to see [Page] go but Im looking forward to being reunited with my with my family.'

While reflecting on the success of Bridgerton, she recalled 'shooting the last scene in episode one' where she and Page had their 'first dance together.'

'I remember thinking, wow, this feels kind of special,' she admitted.

Additionally, Dynevor spoke of the hard work required of her leading role, which included piano lessons, etiquette classes and learning how to ride horseback.

'We had six weeks prep, so it was pretty mega,' she said. 'I was so nervous about dancing because Ive always thought of myself as a terrible dancer.'

Unexpected: During an appearance on Variety's Awards Circuit podcast last month, the star reflected on learning the news with just a 'bit of a heads up'

With the assistance of a 'great dance instructor' she enjoyed learning to bust a move.

She and Page also worked with an intimacy coordinator to ensure their love scenes looked 'very consensual' even though 'Daphne has no idea what shes doing.'

'It was finding that balance and how we were going to portray that on screen in an authentic way,' the daughter of screenwriter Tim Dynevor and actress Sally Dynevor said.

Bridgerton was watched by a whopping 82 million households worldwide in just a month, after launching on Christmas Day.
Kylie Minogue is offloading the eco-friendly Byron Bay property where she filmed her popular 2019 Tourism Australia campaign.

The beautiful three-bedroom home - located in Coorabell, 30 minutes from famous seaside town - has hit the property market for an undisclosed amount.

On Tuesday, realestate.com.au reported that the home will exceed its 2018 asking price of $3,780,000 to reflect the increasing prices of the area.

Kylie Minogue is offloading the eco-friendly Byron Bay property where she filmed her popular 2019 Tourism Australia campaign

The home, which runs off the grid and features it's own solar energy, opens to a luscious courtyard and then welcomes guests into a spacious combined living and dining.

The property's biggest draw card is the floor to ceiling windows that look out to the rolling hills and beautiful green countryside.

Part of the common area is the kitchen, which is decked out with top-end appliances and sleek cabinetry.

One wing of the home contains two of the three ample-sized bedrooms, along with a shared bathroom and a study space.

Australian-British connection: Matesong was sung by Kylie for the 2019 Tourism Australia ad campaign and was targeted to British audiences

What a view! The property's biggest draw card is the floor to ceiling windows that look out to the rolling hills and beautiful green countryside

The other wing features a master bedroom with it's own ensuite, alongside the laundry and mudroom.

Both wings of the 28-hectare property each have a deck that looks out to the countryside and the sea in the distance.

It also boasts a newly installed swimming pool, which is situated to the side of the stunningly designed home.

Peaceful: The property features two wings that each have a deck that looks out to the countryside and the sea in the distance

How's the serenity: The property sits on the 28-hectares and looks out to rolling hills and has distant views out to the sea

The deck is where Kylie shot her short segments for her Matesong Tourism Australia ad campaign, which was targeted at British audiences.

In the ad, the pint-sized pop princess relaxed back on a chair as she enjoyed the verdant views ahead of her.

Another snippet showed Kylie pouring out a cup of tea from a beautiful floral China set as the sunset on the surrounds.

New feature: It also boasts a newly installed swimming pool, which is situated to the side of the stunningly designed home

Relaxing: In her Tourism Australia ad, the pint-sized pop princess relaxes back on the chair as she enjoyed the verdant views ahead of her

Real estate agent Su Reynolds told realestate.com.au: 'This is the property where Kylie Minogue filmed the video to promote tourism in Australia, and what better property could you imagine to show off one of Australia's most spectacular areas?'

'It's truly one of the most breathtaking views you'll find along Australia's vast coastline.

'It's perfect for celebrities because of the absolute privacy, and is also well laid out for families or retirees because it has been designed over a single level,' she added.
After going viral with her TikTok beekeeping videos, Erika Thompson is defending herself after some have alleged she is a 'fake beekeeper.'

Thompson's TikTok video where she was seen scooping a 'queenless bee swarm' under an umbrella garnered over 23 million views.

However, another bee rescue claimed Erika's actions were dangerous and claimed she was not, in fact, rescuing the bees, which she responded to in a new Instagram post.

Not fake: After going viral with her TikTok beekeeping videos, Erika Thompson is defending herself after some have alleged she is a 'fake beekeeper'

Viral: Thompson's TikTok video where she was seen scooping a 'queenless bee swarm' under an umbrella garnered over 23 million views

While the videos making the allegations were ultimately deleted, Thompson, under her verified Texas Bee Works Instagram, addressed them.

'Recently, a series of untrue and hurtful attacks was made about me and my work,' Thompson began.

'Then, journalists chose to support and reward this online harassment by perpetuating a false narrative without taking time to check the facts,' she added.

Addressed: While the videos making the allegations were ultimately deleted, Thompson, under her verified Texas Bee Works Instagram, addressed them

Journalists: 'Then, journalists chose to support and reward this online harassment by perpetuating a false narrative without taking time to check the facts,' she added

'Its a sad day when people see a woman doing something thats so outside of the norm, they assume theres no way she can actually be doing those things, and if she is, she must be getting help from a man, Thompson continued.

She went on to thank, 'the mass of experienced beekeepers, leaders of the beekeeping community, and all of the beekeeping associations who were quick to come to my defense.

Thompson also thanked Vice journalist Drew Schwartz, 'who took the time to check the facts before supporting online harassment.'

Sad day: 'Its a sad day when people see a woman doing something thats so outside of the norm, they assume theres no way she can actually be doing those things, and if she is, she must be getting help from a man, Thompson continued

'As a professional beekeeper, its my mission and my purpose to help people understand and appreciate the work of bees and beekeepers, and Id really like to get back to doing that now,' Thompson continued.

She went on to tell her 585K followers, 'If you see a swarm or hive of bees that needs to be removed, dont call an exterminator, call an experienced beekeeper to relocate the colony.

'Experienced beekeepers are the only ones who should be handling bees in these situations, because sometimes... bees need a helping hand,' she concluded.

Mission: 'As a professional beekeeper, its my mission and my purpose to help people understand and appreciate the work of bees and beekeepers, and Id really like to get back to doing that now,' Thompson continued

Thanks: Thompson also thanked Vice journalist Drew Schwartz, 'who took the time to check the facts before supporting online harassment'

Thompson has cultivated a strong social media following, with over 585K followers on Instagram and over 6.3 million on TikTok.

Her company, Texas Bee Works, is located in Austin, Texas, and she's been interviewed on Good Morning America and by the Washington Post.

The company, 'supports the health and wellness of honeybees by offering bee removal services, hive hosting opportunities for individuals and businesses, beekeeping classes and more,' according to the official website.
Margot Robbie and her husband Tom Ackerley are pressing ahead with the construction of their new dream home in Los Angeles, despite being warned to 'get out' as the neighbourhood suffers a wave of crime and homelessness.

The Australian actress, 30, and her British filmmaker husband, 31, splashed $6.5million on two adjacent plots of land near Abbot Kinney Boulevard in the once-elite beachside Venice neighbourhood in 2019.

And while members of the community have recently warned the couple to abandon their building plans, construction continued as usual on Monday as bulldozers plugged away at the site.

Nothing can stop them! Margot Robbie, 30, and her husband Tom Ackerley, 31, are pressing ahead with the construction of their new dream home in Los Angeles (pictured) despite being warned to 'get out' as the neighbourhood suffers a wave of crime and homelessness

High-vis clad workers could be seen digging holes in the dirt, while other builders continued boarding up the skeleton of a half-built home.

According to building plans, Margot and Tom intend to build a two-storey family dwelling with an attached garage.

It comes after insiders told Woman's Day magazine on Monday that Margot and Tom are making a grave mistake by continuing construction.

A $6.5million mistake? The Australian actress (left) and her British filmmaker husband (right), splashed $6.5million on two adjacent plots of land near Abbot Kinney Boulevard in the once-elite beachside Venice neighbourhood in 2019

Just keep digging: Construction continued as usual on Monday as bulldozers plugged away at the site

Venice has seen a vast increase in homelessness and crime since the COVID-19 pandemic gripped Los Angeles, with hundreds of tents now lining the beach's famous boardwalk.

'It's a completely different neighbourhood from when Margot and Tom bought it  the crime rate's gone up 177 per cent since lockdown,' an insider told Woman's Day magazine.

A former taxi driver who is now homeless also told told the publication that Margot and Tom are asking for trouble by continuing their building project.

The show must go on: High-vis clad workers could be seen digging holes in the dirt, while other builders continued boarding up the skeleton of a half-built, wooden home

Crisis: Venice has seen a vast increase in homelessness and crime since the COVID-19 pandemic gripped Los Angeles, with hundreds of tents now lining the beach's famous boardwalk

'I know people here who will target Margot's house for burglary because they know she's got money,' they warned.

'She'd be better off if she just abandoned it. I don't know why anyone would want to spend millions of dollars to buy a house next to all this.'

The couple are already trying to offload one of their LA properties, having listed their smaller home in Hancock Park for $4.5million late last month.

'She'd be better off if she just abandoned it': A former taxi driver who is now homeless told Woman's Day magazine that Margot and Tom's newly-renovated home may be targeted by criminals

Margot purchased the two-story residence in 2017 for $.3.5million shortly after her marriage to British filmmaker Tom.

Margot and Tom's neighbour in Venice, Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan, 81, meanwhile recently told fans he was 'desperate' to leave crime-stricken Venice and return to Australia.

Paul, who moved to the US in 2005 after growing up in Sydney's western suburbs, is currently holed up inside his 'fortress-like' $4.5million mansion with his son Chance, 23.

Getting out: The couple are already trying to offload one of their LA properties, having listed their smaller home in Hancock Park for $4.5million (pictured) late last month

Desperate to leave: Margot and Tom's neighbour in Venice, Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan, 81, (pictured) also recently told fans he was 'desperate' to leave his crime-stricken Venice neighbourhood and return to Australia

Homesick: 'I'm living in LA County, which is 10 million people and half of them have got Covid. So am I homesick? You bet your life,' Paul told Channel Seven's Sunrise last month

Bunkering down: Paul, who moved to the US in 2005 after growing up in Sydney's western suburbs, is currently holed up inside his 'fortress-like' $4.5million mansion with his son Chance, 23 (left)

'I'm living in LA County, which is 10 million people and half of them have got Covid. So am I homesick? You bet your life,' he told Channel Seven's Sunrise last month.

When asked how he was coping with Los Angeles' recent crime wave, Hogan simply said he 'doesn't go anywhere'.

'[I'm] bored in lockdown, and the minute I can get on the plane without being locked in a hotel for two weeks, I'm back,' he said.

Terrifying situation: It comes as residents of Venice say soaring crime rates and the exploding homeless population have made life in the elite beachside community unbearable

The movie star went on to explain he 'wouldn't survive' Australia's mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine.

'My son [Chance] would have to be with me... we'd strangle each other,' he said.

It comes as residents of Venice say soaring crime rates and the exploding homeless population have made life in the elite beachside community unbearable.

Tent city: The world-famous 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

Police patrol the Venice Beach Boardwalk on April 20, which has seen an explosion in homeless numbers during COVID lockdowns

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.

The world-famous 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.

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 (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

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 Neighbourhood 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.

'Venice's world famous beach and boardwalk are crippled,' a letter to city and county officials from residents says

According to figures from the Los Angeles Police Department provided to the Venice Neighbourhood Council, the violent robberies in the neighbourhood are up 177 per cent from last year.

The same period has also seen a 162 per cent increase in cases of assault with a deadly weapon involving a homeless person.

Meanwhile, 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 neighbourhoods.'
FM breakfast radio star Kyle Sandilands has just received his first coronavirus vaccine at the Westmead Hospital vaccination clinic today.

The news was posted on The Kyle and Jackie O Show Instagram page, with four images of the 49-year-old outside the clinic and then one of him inside receiving his Pfizer jab.

The caption for the post read, 'Kyle bit the bullet and got his first COVID-19 vaccination this arvo! Great work King!'

Vaccinated: KIIS radio star and FM shock jock Kyle Sandilands receives his first COVID-19 vaccine at a NSW vaccination centre

The post was filled with a flurry of comments with a mixed reaction from followers.

One vaccine sceptic responded with, 'what have you done!,' while another wrote 'R.I.P.'

Some comments were more positive, with several fans complimenting Kyle, while others enquired about which specific vaccine he received.

Divided: The Instagram post of Kyle's vaccination was filled with a flurry of comments with a mixed reaction from followers

Kyle said he wanted to get the vaccine as he hoped to fly to holiday in Hawaii towards the end of this year.

'I just want to go to Hawaii, thats why Im here, and if getting this vaccination means were one step closer to it happening, thats a good thing,' he said.

He added that it's ' in everyones best interest to get the vaccine. I dont understand why anyone wouldnt get it.'

All done! Kyle looked happy as a clam as he showed off his arm after getting the shot

Kyle explained that he places his trust into doctors and scientists and continued to urge his fans to get the jab.

'Don't be one of those anti-vaxxing losers' he added.

Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) chief executive Graeme Loy said he hopes Kyles positive experience will mean more people will roll up their sleeves to get vaccinated.
Season two Married At First Sight star Mark Hughes has announced the happy news that he and his partner Marie Angeleski are expecting their second child together.

The former groom, who 'married' Christie Jordee way in 2016, posted a series of photos of himself pretending to be pregnant with pillows up his shirt.

Alongside him was Marie and their three-year-old daughter Stevie, who cradled his belly.

'Happy to announce we are expecting': Season two Married At First Sight star Mark Hughes has announced the happy news that he and his partner Marie Angeleski are expecting their second child together

He also shared a photo of their unborn child's sonogram and wrote in the caption: 'Happy to announce we are expecting!!'

Meanwhile, Marie posted a 3D sonogram of their baby and revealed their little one on the way is a 'rainbow baby' - a term used for child born following the loss of a child to miscarriage.

She wrote: 'After the hardest journey with ups and downs and heartbreak over the years, baby Hughes number 2 is due early December.

'We feel so, so grateful and can't wait to meet the little one later this year,' she added.

Former flames: MAFS fans will remember Mark from season two of the social experiment, when he married Christie Jordee in 2016

There's baby! Mark shared a photo of their unborn child's sonogram and wrote in the caption: 'Happy to announce we are expecting!!'

'Thank you to the friends who have supported me and been there for us. Stevie is pumped too!' Marie added, along with the hashtags '#babyhughes' and '#rainbowbaby'.

Mark found love with Marie after trying to make his relationship with his TV wife Christie Jordee work following their time on the social experiment.

At the time, he said in an Instagram post that their split was a 'mutual decision.'

'We feel so, so grateful': Meanwhile, Marie posted a 3D sonogram of their baby and revealed their little one on the way is a 'rainbow baby' - a term used for child born following the loss of a child to miscarriage

Going their own ways: Mark found love with Marie after trying to make his relationship with his TV wife Christie Jordee work following their time on the social experiment. At the time, he said in an Instagram post that their split was a 'mutual decision'

Meanwhile, Christee told Woman's Day that the distance between them - her base in Sydney and his farm in rural Victoria - was too much for them to overcome.

'We were starting to fall in love but our heads got in front of our hearts,' she said.

'It's hard, it's difficult. My business is lacking a little bit so Ive told him he needs to get his butt up here now,' she admitted
She's called Western Australia home for the past 15 months.

But Grey's Anatomy star Kate Walsh, 53, is about to return to her home in the US, telling The West Live host Ben O'Shea 'I'm about to go home for a bit, literally in six days' during an interview on Tuesday.

However she made a promise to return, adding, 'I go back for work and [to] see my family. So I'll be gone for a couple of months, but then I'll be back!'

Going: Grey's Anatomy star Kate Walsh, 53, is about to return to her homeland, telling The West Live host Ben O'Shea 'I'm about to go home for a bit, literally in six days'

She assured Western Australians she was going to return, revealing she was leaving her pets behind with her assistance in the interim.

And in between she'll be going to Europe to shoot an undisclosed project.

'I can tell you this: I'll be in Paris,' added Walsh, cryptically when pressed for details.

This seemed to provide a clue as to the project's title, likely the second season of Netflix show Emily in Paris.

Walsh played Emilys boss Madeline in the show's first season.

Back soon: She assured Western Australians she was going to return, revealing she was leaving her pets behind with her assistance in the interim

During her time in Western Australia, the Private Practice star put down roots in the beachside city of Perth on the country's west coast.

The beloved star found herself 'stuck' in the Southern Hemisphere after pandemic lockdowns began to take hold while she was vacationing down under last March.

She quickly fell for the country.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph about her new love affair with Australia recently, the actress explained she didn't want to go back to her New York home.

'I didn't really want to go back to New York in the middle of a pandemic when it was pretty gnarly to say the least," she said.

'I couldn't go home initially, and now that I can, I don't really fancy going back. When I have my own mother saying don't come home, my 86-year-old mum we are in a very challenging time!'

Hollywood star: During her time in Western Australia, the Private Practice star put down roots in the beachside city of Perth on the country's west coast. Seen here in Grey's Anatomy in 2005

Claiming to have found a new 'passion project', Kate revealed recently her plans to help bolster Australia's local film industry after it suffered enormously due to global pandemic.

The Grey's Anatomy star recently told 2GB's Jim Wilson she felt 'very grateful' to be in Australia during the COVID-19 crisis.

'Honestly, I feel very lucky,' she said. 'It's kind of a crazy situation: it's like being in an alternate reality compared to the rest of the world.'

Grey's Anatomy is available to stream on Stan in Australia
With the world under the grips of COVID-19 for nearly 15-months, many people have found it near impossible to venture back to their hometowns.

But with things improving, and travel restrictions eased in the U.S. and other countries, Joan Smalls decided it was time to head back to her native country of Puerto Rico.

And the top model, and Kendall Jenner bestie, was happy to share a few bikini snaps Instagram to the delight of her 3.8 million fans and followers.

Finally home! Top model Joan Smalls, 32, flaunted her statuesque figure in a tiny olive-colored TJ Swim bikini in her return home to Puerto Rico

'Feels so good to be Back,' the 32-year-old wrote in the caption of a series of four new photos.

In the first image, Smalls laid on the ground, with plenty of gorgeous greenery in the backdrop, in her skimpy TJ Swim number.

She also made sure to reveal she was in Puerto Rico, which is otherwise known as La Isla Del Encanto, which translates in Spanish to 'the island of enchantment.'

Sexy stare: The 5ft10.5in beauty flashed several sultry look in a series of photos

There's also a second pic of the in-demand catwalk queen laying on her back and her arms reaching out over her head dressed in the olive-colored two-piece.

She flashed a seductive look out of the corner of her left eye with her knees pointed up into the air.

Around the same time, Smalls took to her Insta-Story and struck a bootylicious pose, standing with her back to the camera, while again offering a sultry stare into the camera.

Cheeky: Smalls also took to her Insta-Story and struck a bootylicious pose, standing with her back to the camera, while again offering a sultry stare into the camera

Smalls pulled her long brown tresses back into a bun for the impromptu photoshoot as she celebrated her trip home

In September 2012, Smalls was ranked number one on the Top 50 Models list by Models.com, a position she duplicated in 2014.

In 2013, the stunner entered Forbes magazine's World's Highest-Paid Models list for the first time, ranking at number eight with over $3 million in earnings.
She always commands attention with her daring fashion ensembles.

And Saweetie was once again showing off her eye-catching sense of style as she stepped out for dinner at AVRA in Beverly Hills on Monday night.

The American rapper, 27, slipped into a pink velour Playboy tracksuit for the outing that had a plunging zip which flashed a hint of her ample assets.

Wow! Saweetie was once again showing off her eye-catching sense of style as she stepped out for dinner at AVRA in Beverly Hills on Monday night in a pink velour tracksuit

The star, real name Diamonte Quiava Valentin Harper, teamed the tracksuit with dark pink velvet slip-ons and carried a shiny pink handbag with her to complete the coordinated look.

Saweetie wore her curly blonde tresses in a half up half down do and opted for a typically glamorous makeup look.

She accessorized with a statement silver cross chain, silver anklets and had a dramatic purple and silver manicure.

Style: The American rapper, 27, slipped into the two-piece from Playboy for the dinner that had a plunging zip which flashed a hint of her ample assets

The outing comes after she announced the upcoming release of her latest single Come And Shake That A$$ - Saweetie's Freaknik on Instagram last Wednesday.

Sharing the album cover art, Saweetie told her fans: 'SAVE THE DATE! 7/2,' alongside a flawless snap of her sitting on a pink Honda in a leopard print corset.

Her debut studio album titled Pretty B***h Music is set to drop this summer but in the meantime, she's enjoyed a string of hit singles such as Tap In, Fast, and Best Friend with Doja Cat.

Of the album, Saweetie told Hype Bae last year: 'The key inspirations behind my new album was being a boss, getting money, loving my family, talking about them more and also just exploring my Filipino roots again.'

New music: The outing comes after she announced the upcoming release of her latest single Come And Shake That A$$ - Saweetie's Freaknik on Instagram last Wednesday

She continued: 'I wanted to do something that highlighted the Filipino culture because I have a couple lyrics that are in Tagalog so I think that's cool.

'The "Pretty B*tch" movement came about when I started the "pretty girl tap in" on Twitter.

'I really like that different types of boys and girls who look different were all tapping in because beauty is unique.

'We should not all be looking alike but on social media a lot of people are starting to look alike. We need to celebrate our differences.'

Reflecting on her experience of releasing hip hop music as a female artist, Saweetie gushed that her career has been lucrative.

She revealed: 'My experience as a woman in hip hop and rap has been great. I love getting dressed up, I like getting fly, I like getting my own money.

'And I feel like music is kinda like the new drug dealers. We make a lot of money from a lot of different things and I'm really grateful to be put in my financial position.'
Tituss Burgess is standing by Ellie Kemper's side, after she posted a lengthy apology for participating in a St. Louis debutante ball with racist origins as a teen on Monday.

Within hours of his Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's costar's statement expressing deep remorse for competing in the event with ties to white supremacy on Monday, the 42-year-old actor shared his support for the two-time Emmy nominee, 41.

'I love my Ellie [heart emoji],' the star captioned his repost of Kemper's apology, which she posted on Monday. 'Oh, & P.S. Next time, just ask me, I'll tell ya what to do [smiling face with three hearts emoji].'

Supportive: Tituss Burgess is standing by Ellie Kemper's side, after she posted a lengthy apology for participating in a St. Louis debutante ball with racist origins as a teen on Monday; seen in 2019

In response, the Bridesmaids star commented: 'I love you Tituss .'

Earlier in the day, Kemper apologized for taking part in a 1999 Missouri pageant that once banned black members and celebrated the wealthy white elite, saying she was not aware at the time of its 'racist, sexist and elitist past.'

The star spoke out after a photo of her being crowned the winner of the Veiled Prophet Ball when she was 19-years-old started going viral on Twitter last week.

Regrets: Within hours of his Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's costar's statement expressing deep remorse for competing in the event with ties to white supremacy on Monday, the 42-year-old actor shared his support for the two-time Emmy nominee, 41; seen in 2019

'I love my Ellie [heart emoji],' the star captioned his repost of Kemper's apology, which she posted on Monday. 'Oh, & P.S. Next time, just ask me, I'll tell ya what to do [smiling face with three hearts emoji]'

The Veiled Prophet Organization has been criticized in the past for its racist history.

In her Instagram post, Kemper said her ignorance about the organization's past as a teenager wasn't an excuse.

'When I was 19 years old, I decided to participate in a debutante ball in my hometown. The century-old organization that hosted the debutante ball had an unquestionably racist, sexist, and elitist past,' she wrote.

Making ammends: Just hours earlier, Kemper apologized for taking part in a 1999 Missouri pageant that once banned black members and celebrated the wealthy white elite, saying she was not aware at the time of its 'racist, sexist and elitist past'

Costars: Kemper and Burgess starre in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt from 2015 to 2019

'I was not aware of this history at the time, but ignorance is no excuse. I was old enough to have educated myself before getting involved.

'I unequivocally deplore, denounce, and reject white supremacy. At the same time, I acknowledge that because of my race and my privilege, I am the beneficiary of a system that dispensed unequal justice and unequal rewards.

'There is a very natural temptation, when you become the subject of internet criticism, to tell yourself that your detractors are getting it all wrong. But at some point last week, I realized that a lot of the forces behind the criticism are forces that I've spent my life supporting and agreeing with.'

Sorry: Kemper apologized on Monday for participating in the Veiled Prophet Ball when she was 19 years old

Kemper went on to apologize for those she had 'disappointed'.

The controversy erupted a week ago after the photo of her being crowned the winner resurfaced and started spreading on social media.

The image, which was originally printed in St Louis Dispatch newspaper, sparked controversy after a person referred to Kemper as the 'KKK queen' for being crowned the winner.

While an historic Veiled Prophet image showing a person dressed in a hood and robe has drawn comparisons to the KKK, there are no known links between the organization and Klansman.

The latest: Ellie, whose real name is Elizabeth, was a 19-year-old Princeton University student when she was crowned Queen of Love and Beauty in 1999

The latest: During her five slide long apologize, Ellie said she wasn't aware of the history of the organization but added 'ignorance is no excuse' and that she should 'have educated myself before getting involved'

Speaking out: She posted her apology on Monday morning to her Instagram page

Historians have previously pointed to how the organization was started in the late 1870s, which is decades before the KKK was formed in the early 1900s.

The Veiled Prophet Organization has, however, been criticized in the past for its racist history and ties to white supremacy.

The Veiled Prophet Organization was started as a secret society in St Louis back in 1878 by a group of wealth white businessmen.

Its founder Charles Slayback was a grain executive and former Confederate cavalryman.

The actress, who has starred in The Office and Bridesmaids, was the organization's 105th winner. She hails from one of Missouri's wealthiest banking families and her father, David Kemper, is the chairman of Commerce Bank

The organization banned black and Jewish members until 1979.

It still holds its annual Veiled Prophet Ball each year, which is similar to a debutante event where members present their daughters to society.

During the ball, one girl is crowned Queen of Love and Beauty.

The winner is crowned by the 'Veiled Prophet' - a member of the organization who covers their face with a white veil so their identity remains secret. The member who is the Veiled Prophet is believed to change each year.

The ball's website says 60 to 70 young women are chosen each year for 'their outstanding community service efforts.

The history: While an historic Veiled Prophet image showing a person dressed in a hood and robe has drawn comparisons to the KKK, there are no known links between the organization and the white supremacists

They 'walk down the magnificent 72-foot-long Veiled Prophet runway in fashionable couture gowns, and in front of family and friends, are presented and honored for their contributions'.

Kemper, whose real name is Elizabeth, was a 19-year-old Princeton University student when she was crowned Queen of Love and Beauty in 1999.

The actress, who has starred in The Office and Bridesmaids, was the organization's 105th winner.

She hails from one of Missouri's wealthiest banking families and her father, David Kemper, is the chairman of Commerce Bank.

Twitter erupted after the resurfaced image of Kemper started going viral as some branded her a racist, white supremacist and a 'KKK queen'.

The ceremony: The annual Veiled Prophet Ball is still held each year where the winner is crowned by a 'Veiled Prophet' (pictured on left) - a member of the organization who covers their face with a white veil so their identity remains secret

They drew comparisons to her role in Kimmy Schmidt where she plays a young woman who escapes an Indiana cult and restarts her life in New York City.

Others, however, argued that Kemper had no known history of being racist.

Those with knowledge of the Veiled Prophet argued that it was a stretch to compare Kemper to a white supremacist just because she was crowned queen.

The organization still hold the ball and a parade each year but the latter has been rebranded as the 'America's Birthday Parade'.

'Many things have changed since 1878, but the Veiled Prophet Organization will always continue its largest gift to the community: a spectacular parade that has become one of St. Louis' most enduring family traditions,' its website reads.
Helen Flanagan has fuelled speculation that she has tied the knot with her fiance Scott Sinclair after she referred to him as 'hubby' several times on social media.

The actress, 30, cosied up to beau Scott, 32, during a shopping trip on Monday and shared a series of snaps on her Instagram Stories which referred to him as her 'hubby'.

The loved-up pair, who have three children together, Matilda, five, Delilah, two, and their two-month-old son Charlie, got engaged in May 2018 but were forced to postpone their wedding due to the pandemic.

Wedding bells? Helen Flanagan, 30, has fuelled speculation that she has tied the knot with her fiance Scott Sinclair, 32, after she referred to him as 'hubby' several times on social media

The blonde beauty, who started dating Scott when she was aged 19, shared a sweet snap of her and Scott cuddling up in an elevator with their son Charlie, who was born in March.

The Coronation Street star wore a beautiful pink patterned dress with frilled sleeves for the outing, while Scott donned a plain white T-shirt.

Accessorising the look, Helen, who wore her tresses pulled back in a messy bun, carried a Christian Dior cross body bag.

On the cards: The loved-up pair, who have three children together, Matilda, five, Delilah, two, and their two-month-old son Charlie, got engaged in May 2018

Loved up: The actress cosied up to beau Scott during a shopping trip on Monday and shared a series of snaps on her Instagram Stories which referred to him as her 'hubby'

Later in the day she posted another picture showcasing her flawless complexion and again using the 'hubby' caption as Scott was shown in the background.

MailOnline has contacted Helen for comment.

Speaking in February last year, the soap actress said she and Scott planned to reschedule their nuptials to 2021 as her younger sister Jessica hoped to tie the knot in summer 2020.

'Me and Scott have been together for 10 years, since forever. I know this sounds weird but, because weve got children and have been together for so long, we already feel like were married', she explained.

Speaking to The Express, the I'm A Celeb star elaborated: 'We were going to get married this year but my little sister is getting married next summer, so maybe next year.

Hubby? The Coronation Street star wore a beautiful pink patterned dress with frilled sleeves for the outing, which Scott donned a plain white T-shirt

Wedding delays: Speaking in February last year, the soap actress (pictured with her three children) said she and Scott planned to rescheduling their nuptials to 2021 as her younger sister Jessica hoped to tie the knot in summer 2020

'I think its just because weve been together for so long, were just a bit lazy about. But, it would be nice to have the same name.'

The long-term couple got engaged in May 2018 during a holiday in Disneyland Paris and while Helen has admitted that she didn't see the point in getting married in the past, she's now excited to be tying the knot.

'Before I had Matilda and Delilah I wasn't that fussed about getting married, but now it means a lot to me that we will all have the same surname,' the Manchester native told OK! Magazine.

Romantic: The long-term couple got engaged in May 2018 during a holiday in Disneyland Paris

Helen and Scott recently returned from Dubai with their two daughters, and the brunette revealed plans to expand their family.

'I wanted to have another one before I was 30. I get really broody. I would love three or four,' the TV star said.

Earlier in the day on Monday Helen shared more snaps as the doting mother and fiancee enjoyed a day out at the Natural History Museum.

She looked stunning in two of the pictures uploaded to her main page, as she dressed for the day out in a light blue shirt dress which was tied off at the waist.

Helen paired her outfit with simple black and white slip on flat shoes while fiance Scott opted for a casual ensemble consisting of a pink t-shirt and black shorts.

Helen also enjoyed some quality time with her newborn son Charlie as she posted a sweet snap of herself cuddling him while lying on a bed.

Charlie could be seen lying on his front with Helen lovingly cuddling him, with the picture captioned: 'I love him so much.'

It comes after Helen was left 'hurt' after mummy-shamers criticised her for sharing a stunning bikini picture eight weeks after giving birth, according to reports.

The former Coronation Street star recently shared a smiling snap with her two daughters while on a staycation.

However trolls hit out at the actress for 'making other mums feel bad' about their postpartum figures, and Helen was reportedly horrified.

An insider told new! magazine: 'Criticism is hard for Helen as she's openly admitted to being insecure and is very self-aware.

'The photo was a happy moment with her girls and she did feel content in her body.

'She got a lot of really lovely comments but the negative comments from mummy-shamers still crept in and they do hurt.'

The source added that Helen wasn't 'bragging' about her postpartum figure and just wanted to embrace the body that had birthed three children.
She recently returned home to Rome after spending several weeks filming in Venice.

And Matilda De Angelis showed off her lean legs in navy shorts as she left the new Damien Hirst exhibition at Galleria Borghese in the Italian city on Monday.

The Undoing actress, 25, teamed the chic Prada shorts with a cropped white T-shirt also from the brand as she puffed on a vape after leaving the venue.

Chic: Matilda De Angelis showed off her lean legs in navy Prada shorts as she left the new Damien Hirst exhibition at Galleria Borghese in Rome on Monday

She completed the effortlessly chic look with pointy cream heels and carried an 850 shiny pink Prada handbag with her for the outing.

The star wore her brunette tresses in a stylish up do and opted for a smokey eye makeup look while accessorizing with statement black and white earrings.

She beamed while chatting to a friend in the street, and strolled along the pavement arm in arm with another pal as she donned a white face mask.

Happy: The Undoing actress, 25, teamed the chic Prada shorts with a cropped white T-shirt also from the brand as she chatted to a friend

The actress is currently filming Robbing Mussolini in Rome.

Little has been revealed about the movie, but it is likely to focus on the ruthless Italian dictator of the same name, who ruled over the country from 1922 to 1943.

Forming the Fascist party in 1919, the journalist used his organised of ex-war veterans to - known as Black Shirts - to terrorise his political opponents, and after joining the coalition government in 1921, gradually took power as dictator.

Star: She completed the effortlessly chic look with pointy cream heels and carried a shiny pink handbag with her for the outing

Glowing: The star wore her brunette tresses in a stylish up do and opted for a smokey eye makeup look while accessorizing with statement black and white earrings

Eventually Mussolini was overthrown by Allied troops at the height of the Second World War, and after fleeing north, was captured by Partisans and shot in 1945.

Despite being buried in an unmarked grave in 1946, Mussolini's body was famously stolen by Fascists supporters before being recovered, missing a leg, four months later.

It's been an exciting few months for the thespian after she soared to fame at the end of last year due to her role as Elena in The Undoing alongside Hollywood stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant.

Stylish: She looked great in the white top which flashed a hint of her toned abs

Precautions: The screen star made sure to put safety first as she donned a white face mask while out and about

More recently, the brunette was filming Across The River And Into The Trees alongside Liev Schreiber in Venice.

In the film, Matilda plays an 18-year-old Italian contessa called Renata, while Liev's character Colonel Richard Cantwell falls in love with her.

Set in post WW2 Venice, US Army Col. Cantwell, haunted by the war, is a hero who faces news of his illness with stoic disregard.

Determined to spend a weekend in quiet solitude, he commandeers a military driver to facilitate a visit to some of his old haunts in Venice.

Close: She beamed while chatting to a friend in the street, and strolled along the pavement arm in arm with another pal as she donned a white face mask

As Cantwell's plans begin to unravel, a chance encounter with a remarkable young woman begins to rekindle in him the hope of renewal.

Based on the last full-length novel by Ernest Hemingway, the movie captures a fleeting moment of immortality where time stands still.

Matilda has previously revealed that her first ever role was the lead in an Italian film after an open casting call and she got the part as the director was looking for a 'non-professional actress who had a specific accent from a specific region in Italy'.

The star said that she has never studied acting and has instead learnt on the job, which can be both 'great' and 'frightening'.
She works hard and rarely gets time off from her busy schedule.

But Emily Atack took a well deserved break with friends on Monday and enjoyed oysters and champagne in the London sunshine.

The Celebrity Juice star, 31, wore a chic black playsuit and documented her day of relaxation with her 1.7 million Instagram followers.

Yum! Emily Atack took a well deserved break with friends on Instagram on Monday and enjoyed oysters and champagne in the London sunshine

Fun in the sun: The Celebrity Juice star, 31, wore a chic black playsuit as she posed with a pal while and documenting her day of relaxation with her 1.7 million Instagram followers

The star captioned her post: 'Day off? More like day bl***y on mate.'

Her blonde locks were swept back off her face and her glam make-up enhanced her naturally flawless features.

She accessorised with a large pair of black sunglasses and a black chain strap bag. In a cute mirror selfie Emily wrote: 'Day off! So just gonna do this for a bit.'

Pose: In a cute mirror selfie Emily wrote: 'Day off! So just gonna do this for a bit'

Emily recently became Instagram official with her boyfriend Jude Taylor, last week she shared some loved-up snaps beside the entrepreneur with her fans.

In a sweet photo, Emily could be seen leaning into Jude as they posed for a mirror selfie at a swanky London hotel.

Emily and Jude were first romantically linked to each other earlier this month, and were said to have 'hit it off'.

The star had been seen leaving Soho House's newest venue 180 The Strand in London with Jude during a night out.

And shortly after a source claimed that the duo have 'hit it off' after going on 'dates in recent weeks', adding that they're not 'rushing to make it super serious'.

A source told The Sun: 'Emily and Jude know a few of the same people and have hit it off.

'They have been going on dates together in recent weeks and have just enjoyed spending time together.

'Neither of them are rushing to make it super serious, they're just seeing how it goes and having a good time.'

Happy: Emily and Jude were first romantically linked to each other earlier this month, and were said to have 'hit it off'

Jude used to work for Burberry and is now preparing for the launch of his own brand, with his Instagram profile teasing a new venture called 'Picante' for June.

He also launched a fashion line with two pals during lockdown, Cure Des Garcons, which put 'popular memes onto designer motifs', reports Forbes.

The comedian split from her ex Charlie Edwards five months ago amid claims the Covid pandemic put pressure on the pair's relationship.

Emily is said to have split from the model, who is nine years her junior, after her busy work schedule and strict Covid rules made it difficult for them to see each other.

Split: The comedian split from her ex Charlie Edwards five months ago amid claims the Covid pandemic put pressure on the pair's relationship

It was first revealed that the pair were an item back in October, but the couple were thought to have ended their romance after just three months, according to The Sun.

Emily was said to have been 'totally taken with' the tattooed model after they met through mutual friends.

Friends told The Sun at the time that the Inbetweeners star was wooed by Charlie, who also works as a tattoo artist, on Instagram before they started dating.

Her romance with Charlie came after reports that Emily was linked to Missguided social media executive Joe Caro, after they were seen on a boozy date in early July.
She recently detailed her 'crazy' dash home from Portugal with her family before it made the UK's 'amber' travel list.

And Jacqueline Jossa cut a low-key figure as she enjoyed a sweet day out with her youngest daughter Mia, nearly three, in Essex on Monday.

It comes after the former EastEnders star, 28, insisted that she is not an 'anti-vaxxer' and is instead 'pro choice' after her husband Dan Osborne's recent rant about the Covid jab.

Sweet: Jacqueline Jossa cut a low-key figure as she enjoyed a sweet day out with her youngest daughter Mia, nearly three, in Essex on Monday

Jacqueline cut a casual figure for her day out in a white Hogwarts sweatshirt and black tracksuit bottoms.

Adding some finishing touches, the soap star opted for white platform trainers, a face mask branded with her performing arts school -Jac Jossa Academy - and a white Prada handbag.

Jacqueline styled her brunette locks into a sweptback bun, she appeared to go makeup-free as she displayed her sun-kissed complexion from her recent trip.

The actress looked every inch the doting mother as she sweetly hugged Mia and held her hand during the outing.

Casual: Jacqueline cut a casual figure for her day out in a white Hogwarts sweatshirt and black tracksuit bottoms

Covid: It comes after the former EastEnders star, 28, insisted that she is not an 'anti-vaxxer' and is instead 'pro choice' after her husband Dan Osborne's recent rant about the Covid jab

It comes after Jacqueline insisted that she is not an 'anti-vaxxer' and is instead 'pro choice' after her husband Dan's recent rant about the Covid jab.

During an impassioned video shared to social media on Sunday, Dan, 29, claimed that coronavirus 'is not dangerous enough to be forcing a vaccine on the world' and that he won't be getting the jab - and neither will his three young children.

The former TOWIE star shares daughters Ella, six, and Mia, two, with Jacqueline. He also has son Teddy, seven, with ex Megan Tomlin.

Taking to her own Instagram on Sunday, Jacqueline took part in a Q&A session where she was asked: 'Are you an anti Covid vaccine.'

Low-key: Adding some finishing touches, the soap star opted for white platform trainers and a white Prada handbag

Natural beauty: Jacqueline styled her brunette locks into a sweptback bun, she appeared to go makeup-free as she displayed her sun-kissed complexion from her recent trip

Lovely: The actress wore a black face mask branded with her performing arts school, Jac Jossa Academy, during her outing

To which she replied: 'I'm not anti vac, I am pro choice. Read that again.'

During Dan's rant on Sunday to his 1.1million followers, he claimed that the COVID-19 crisis is 'all about money', despite the pandemic causing a global recession which is the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

He also claimed that coronavirus 'is not dangerous enough to be forcing a vaccine on the world' and that he won't be getting the jab - and neither will his three young children.

This came as the global death tally reached (at the time of publication on Sunday) 3,709,397 deceased, with 172,242,495 confirmed cases and 1,638,006,899 vaccines administered.

Vaccine: It comes after Jacqueline insisted that she is not an 'anti-vaxxer' and is instead 'pro choice' after her husband Dan's recent rant about the Covid jab

Rant: During an impassioned video shared to social media on Sunday, Dan, 29, claimed that coronavirus 'is not dangerous enough to be forcing a vaccine on the world' and that he won't be getting the jab - and neither will his three young children

Family: The former TOWIE star shares daughters Ella, six, and Mia, two, pictured, with Jacqueline. He also has son Teddy, seven, with ex Megan Tomlin

As of Saturday, an estimated 40 million people in the UK alone have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, out of the country's 68 million population.

Dan's rant began on Saturday when he travelled home from Portugal and filmed himself in his car heading home from the airport.

'I've said it from day one. People are going to have a go at me, but the whole thing is about money. The whole damn thing.

'I've had hundreds, maybe thousands of messages about kids getting the vaccination. Personally that s**t isn't even going in me - never mind my kids. People do your research, it's not good!'

Q&A: Taking to her own Instagram on Sunday, Jacqueline took part in a Q&A session where she was asked: 'Are you an anti Covid vaccine.' to which she replied: 'I'm not anti vac, I am pro choice. Read that again.'

On arriving home, the ex-Celebrity Big Brother contestant returned to his Instagram Stories, having clearly been met with a slew of outraged messages from fans slamming his anti-vaxxer stance.

He said: 'People are going mad at me for talking bad about the vaccine. You guys are crazy!

'All I'm saying is if there was a legitimate vaccine that actually works and is no harm to you, why would it not just be all the vulnerable people get the vaccine and that's it.

'Why would a 12-year-old kid need a vaccine. If all the vulnerable people had had it and they were safe, why would anyone else need it? You just wouldn't because it's a 99.6 percent chance that you're going to be fine with COVID-19.

Claims: During Dan's rant on Sunday to his 1.1million followers, he claimed that the COVID-19 crisis is 'all about money', despite the pandemic causing a global recession which is the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression of the 1930s

'It's not dangerous enough to be forcing it on the world. That to me is suspect!'

Dan was then seen later in the evening asking his followers to stop bombarding him with responses, clearly having faced a backlash from them.

He was seen drinking beer and eating a take-out to cheer himself up, adding that he was feeling 'nervous' after the barrage of comments he had been inundated with after his rant.

Dan was fresh off the plane from Portugal where he and wife Jacqueline took advantage of the sunny destination before it was moved onto the UK's amber list.

Driven to drink: Dan was then seen later in the evening asking his followers to stop bombarding him with responses, drinking beer and eating a take-out to cheer himself up

Rant: He also claimed that coronavirus 'is not dangerous enough to be forcing a vaccine on the world' and that he won't be getting the jab - and neither will his three young children

Earlier this week, Jacqueline revealed that she had returned home to Essex on Sunday after a 'crazy journey' with her two daughters.

Speaking on her Instagram Stories, the actress said that her youngest daughter had been 'temperamental' during the flight but they 'got there in the end' as they rushed home before the country was put back on the amber travel list.

Thousands of British travellers in Portugal have faced chaos at airports, with many describing boarding flights with just minutes to spare while others will be forced to quarantine because they cannot book PCR tests.

As Portugal moves into the amber list, passengers had until 4am Tuesday to return to the UK or quarantine for 10 days, and must have proof of a negative PCR test taken no more than three days before their departure or face 500.

Home: Dan's rant began on Saturday when he travelled home from Portugal and filmed himself in his car heading home from the airport

Not gonna happen: Dan has insisted that his children [pictured are daughters, Ella, six, and Mia, two] won't have the vaccine

Father and son: Dan is also father to son Teddy, seven, from a previous relationship

Speaking about her experience on holiday, Jacqueline said: 'For those asking, Portugal was absolutely fine. You have to wear your masks everywhere.'

She continued: 'Obviously you have to get tested there, get tested on your way back and get tested here. You have to show all of your stuff as well.

'It doesn't go into the amber list until Tuesday so we don't have to quarantine. We've done all our tests and everything was negative so we're all good.'

Discussing her journey home, she said the airport was 'super, super busy' as people made attempts to get home before they will be forced to quarantine.

Getaway: Dan was fresh off the plane from Portugal where he and wife Jacqueline took advantage of the sunny destination before it was moved onto the UK's amber list
Richard Madeley clashed with Dr Hilary Jones on Tuesday's Good Morning Britain as he argued against a delay to lockdown easing on June 21.

The show's guest host, 65, became visibly angry when discussing recent reports that the final stage of easing could be delayed by two weeks or more.

Ministers are inching closer to making the call on whether to stick to the road map Boris Johnson announced back in February.

On the potential delay being enforced, Richard asked Dr Hilary, 67,: 'You're going to agree, aren't you?', to which he replied: 'I am.'

Heated: Richard Madeley (pictured) clashed with Dr Hilary Jones on Tuesday's Good Morning Britain as he argued against a delay to lockdown easing on June 21

He continued: 'I mean, we're looking at rising cases, we're looking at a population where - still - only 75 per cent have had the first jab and just over half have had the second jabs.

'So a lot of people unprotected with a variant which is pretty nasty.

'So the idea of mass gatherings, the idea of people abandoning masks, hand sanitising and social distancing is crazy at a time when things are getting worse.'

Tense: On the potential delay being enforced, Richard asked Dr Hilary, 67, (pictured): 'You're going to agree, aren't you?', to which he replied: 'I am'

However in response, Richard insisted that due to the successful vaccine roll out in the UK, the government should allow the lockdown restrictions to lift.

He argued: 'But we have government ministers who have said - repeatedly now after two weeks ago - that the vaccines have broken the link between Covid and hospitalisations and deaths. They've broken the link.'

Refusing to back down, Dr Hilary said: 'And that is why we need to be a little more patient, get everybody vaccinated and then we can start thinking about lifting restrictions.

Argument: The show's guest host Richard, 65, became visibly angry when discussing recent reports that the final stage of easing could be delayed by two weeks

Opinions: Richard insisted that due to the successful vaccine roll out in the UK, the government should allow the lockdown restrictions to lift

Freedom day could be delayed by a fortnight after Chris Whitty delivered a 'downbeat' assessment to ministers, it was claimed today.

The June 21 milestone could be pushed back to allow all over-50s to be fully vaccinated and give time for the jabs to take effect.

The Cabinet are split on the issue with some urging Boris Johnson to exercise caution while others say the focus must now shift to the economic recovery.

In a round of interviews this morning, Environment Secretary George Eustice said the government 'don't rule anything out' in terms of changing the timetable.

Having her say: Susanna Reid, 50, then pointed out that the vaccination protects well against the Indian variant

But he also insisted that the data on vaccines were 'encouraging' and a final decision will not be taken until next Monday.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Matt Hancock - one of the main 'doves' in government - announced that surge testing and vaccines are being extended to Greater Manchester and Lancashire in response to Indian variant cases.

Medical and science chiefs Prof Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance reportedly gave a 'fairly grim' update on the situation to ministers, underlining that jabs can never provide 100 per cent protection and variants are significantly more transmissible.

Decisions: In a round of interviews this morning, Environment Secretary George Eustice said the government 'don't rule anything out' in terms of changing the timetable

Whitehall sources said contingency plans are being drawn up for a possible 'short' delay to give scientists more time to consider data and allow the NHS to carry out more vaccinations.

Indian Covid variant is now dominant in 200 areas The Indian 'Delta' Covid variant is now dominant in 201 authorities in England, data showed today as infections begin to rise in more parts of Britain than at any point since the peak of the second wave in early January. Surveillance data showed the mutant strain was responsible for more than half of infections in two thirds of England over the two weeks to May 29, after spreading from hotspots in the North West and London. This was double the number the previous week, when it was dominant in 102 areas, and eight times more than at the start of May when it was the main strain in just 23 areas. The 'Delta' variant  dubbed B.1.617.2  was also spotted in 272 of 317 council areas in England, or more than 85 per cent of the country. It was behind 10,477 infections over the 14-day period. For comparison, the previously dominant Kent variant was blamed for just 3,171 infections in the same time, fewer than a third of those blamed on the Indian variant. Bolton was battling the biggest outbreak of the strain over the two weeks to May 29, the latest data available, after detecting 1,674 cases. Advertisement

One cabinet source told The Times they expected to see a delay of 'between two weeks and a month'.

They said there was not much concern about political backlash as long as the full reopening happened before schools break for summer on July 23.

Mr Hancock and Michael Gove are among those pushing a more dovish approach, while Rishi Sunak and Grant Shapps want to avoid delay.

Despite the vaccine success, some ministers and officials have been spooked by a surge in Covid cases  with a 68 per cent rise today compared to last week.

However, those cases have so far not fed through into hospitalisations and deaths, suggesting immunity levels are offering substantial protection.

Failure to lift restrictions will mean that those getting married will have to keep the number of attendees at the current limit of 30.

Meanwhile continuing to limit indoor gatherings to six people or two households would curtail sections of the hospitality sector reliant on large-scale events.

The row comes as people aged 25 to 30 will be offered their first jab from today as ministers try to step up the vaccination programme.

In other developments, official figures showed just one Covid-related death in the UK recorded yesterday.

The Prime Minister is due to announce next Monday if the Government will press ahead with the fourth and final step in the roadmap out of lockdown.

This would scrap the one-metre social distancing rule and lift caps on the number of people who can meet indoors or outdoors.

Ministers are also set to rule on whether mask wearing should continue and if formal advice to work from home should end.

Downing Street sources said the 'finely balanced' decision would be taken at the end of this week.
She has always known how to put her best fashion foot forward.

And Amanda Holden, 50, looked radiant as she put on a busty display in a flowing summer dress for her shift at Global Studios on Tuesday.

The asymmetric floral mini dress clung to the Heart FM radio host in the all the right places, showcasing her enviable figure.

Glowing: Amanda Holden, 50, looked radiant as she put on a busty display in a flowing summer dress for her shift at Global Studios on Tuesday

Amanda looked glowing in the sunshine as she strutted her stuff through the streets of London, much to the surprise of some onlookers.

The straps of her dress were draped over her slender arms and the bronzed beauty's toned legs were on full display.

Her beautiful layered dress, from luxury fashion brand Nadine Merabi, had a long train, so the outfit looked like a maxi from the back.

She wore a pair of nude strappy high heels which highlighted her pins and accessorised with large sunglasses and a white clutch bag.

Chic: The asymmetric floral dress clung to the Heart FM radio host in the all the right places, showcasing her enviable figure

Strike a pose: Amanda looked glowing soaking in the sunshine as she strutted her stuff through the streets of London, much to the surprise of some onlookers

The television star also posed with fellow Heart FM presenter Emma Bunton, who matched with their pink ensembles.

Emma donned a bubblegum pink trouser suit, with flared detailing, over a crisp white shirt and carried a pale pink Prada purse.

It comes as Amanda posted a picture of herself on Instagram on Monday alongside Davina McCall, revealing they are working on a project together.

The pair both showed off their incredible figures with plunging outfits.

Enviable figure: The straps of her dress were draped over her slender arms and the bronzed beauty's toned legs were on full display

Gorgeous: Her beautiful layered dress from luxury fashion brand Nadine Merabi billowed in the breeze as she walked

Davina, 53, looked radiant in a bright pink blazer which she paired with matching trousers along with silver hoop earrings.

Amanda opted for a silver sleeveless dress with a plunging neckline while she cinched her waist with a chain belt.

Letting her blonde locks fall loose down her shoulders, Amanda completed her outfit with gold earrings as she joked she and Davina should fill in for Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on Strictly Come Dancing.

Alongside the post, she wrote: '@davinamccall and I are taking the PLUNGE together  exciting project on the way. ( oh and if @tessdaly & @claudiawinkle need a night off...)'.

Stylish: She wore a pair of nude strappy high heels which highlighted her pins and accessorised with a pair of large sunglasses and a white clutch bag

Co-workers: The television star also posed with fellow Heart FM presenter Emma Bunton, who matched with their pink ensembles

Radio hosts: Emma donned a bubblegum pink trouser suit, with flared detailing, over a crisp white shirt and carried a pale pink Prada purse

It comes after Amanda recently returned from Portugal, after the country was put on the amber list and joined a hoard of holidaymakers racing back before the change in quarantine rules.

Thousands of British travellers in Portugal have faced chaos at airports, with many describing boarding flights with just minutes to spare while others will be forced to quarantine because they cannot book PCR tests.

As Portugal moves into the amber list, passengers have until 4am Tuesday to return to the UK or quarantine for 10 days, and must have proof of a negative PCR test taken no more than three days before their departure or face a 500.

Last week, Amanda sizzled in a dreamy shot that saw her cooling off in the sea while showing off her stunning figure in her skimpy beachwear.

Braless: Davina McCall and Amanda looked sensational as they posed for a stunning snap together on Instagram on Monday

Insane: Last week, Amanda looked incredible in a plunging mesh swimsuit as she got flirty with fans on Instagram while making the most of her sun-soaked family break overseas

In the picture shared to Instagram, she had teamed her almost see-through swimsuit with a chunky pair of shades and sported wet locks as she flashed a smile while making her way back up onto the sand from the ocean.

Using the shot as a perfect opportunity to flirt with her fans, Amanda sent temperatures soaring as she teased alongside her post: 'Fancy a dip?'

She was also seen championing her saucy swimsuit from Melissa Odabash over on her Instagram story as she kicked back on a rock and joked: 'This swimsuit makes me look like I have an ab.'

Her followers were all for the talent show panellist's risque swimwear, as they littered the comments with flame emojis.

Sizzling: Amanda joked that her risque swimsuit gave her 'an ab' as she kicked back on a rock

'Sisters': Amanda was every inch the proud mother as she shared a sweet Instagram snap of her lookalike daughters Lexi, 15, and Hollie, nine, while on holiday in Portugal

Amanda's holiday upload came after she was seen having a proud mum moment with her lookalike daughters.

Following a trip to the beach, Amanda posted an image of sisters Lexi, 15, and Hollie, nine, in matching red outfits after spending the day relaxing in the picturesque sunshine.

Lexi was dressed in a stylish red swimsuit for the snap, while her sister Hollie wore a matching red top and printed skirt.

Clearly proud of her two girls, Amanda uploaded the snap to social media with the caption '#sisters.'
Karlie Kloss looked svelte in a beige ensemble and a striking jacket as she headed to dinner in New York City on Monday.

The 28-year-old supermodel was glowing as she hit the sidewalk in her showstopping outfit before hopping into a car to join her husband Josh Kushner.

She wore a pair of ecru tapered trousers for the outing and tucked a pale vest top into the waistband.

Glamorous: Supermodel Karlie Kloss, 28, looked svelte in a beige ensemble and a striking jacket as she headed to dinner with her husband Josh Kushner in New York City on Monday

Layering up, she donned a camel coloured jacket with contrasting emerald sleeves and a vibrant beach print across the bodice.

Always known for putting on a fashionable display, the blonde beauty wore a pair of brown strappy high heels and carried a matching box bag.

She kept her long tresses styled in a natural wave and wore several gold necklaces, including one with her son Levi's name on it, as well as a Briony Raymond ring.

Chic: Always known for putting on a fashionable display, the blonde beauty wore a pair of brown strappy high heels and carried a matching box-shaped bag

Karlie and her husband Josh welcomed their first child Levi Joseph into the world on March 11.

She went public with her baby's name in April alongside a sweet Instagram snap of her baby's hand holding one of her fingers.

She reportedly announced that he was called Levi Joseph after a yeshiva [a Jewish educational institution] in Israel accidentally leaked the name and sex.

Yeshiva Reishit in Israel published the name while congratulating the parents in the 'Mazel Tov' portion of their email newsletter, Page Six reported.

Josh was raised Modern Orthodox Jewish, and Karlie converted to the religion before tying the knot in 2018.

Baby mine: The blonde supermodel went public with her baby's name in April underneath a sweet Instagram snap of his hand holding one of her fingers

Karlie announced her pregnancy with Josh, whose brother and sister-in-law are Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, in November with an Instagram video in which she showed off her bump in lingerie.

In the past she has publicly expressed her political disagreements with her in-laws on multiple occasions.

Investigative reporter Vicky Ward's book Kushner, Inc. aired out a raft of gossip about Karlie and Josh's romance - and his family's opposition to the match.

Motherhood: Karlie gave birth to her son Levi nearly three months ago, but did not reveal his arrival until April

It claimed Jared and his parents Charlie and Seryl objected to Karlie being a 'shiksa' [a gentile girl or woman] who - unlike former Gentile Ivanka - did not come from a powerful family.

Karlie's lack of Ivanka's Ivy League education is also said to have rankled the Kushner family, whose inner circle derisively referred to her as 'the lingerie model.'

The night of former U.S. President Donald Trump's inaugural ball, the Kushners held a Sabbath dinner where Charlie warned Josh off Karlie in front of other guests.

Although Josh's parents avoided coming face-to-face with her for six years after she began dating their son, Karlie was evidently bent on impressing them.
They welcomed a son named Freddie into the world in March.

And Christine Lampard was seen enjoying a stroll through London with husband Frank, 42, their daughter Patricia, 2, and their little one on Monday.

The TV presenter, 42, looked casually chic as she stepped out in a khaki shirt and jeans for the outing to gastropub Hollywood Arms.

Outing: Christine Lampard looked casually chic in khaki shirt and jeans as she stepped out with husband Frank, daughter Patricia, 2, and son Freddie, 3 months, in London on Monday

Christine added a stylish touch to her ensemble by wearing a pair of brown strap sandals, and she kept her personal items in a black quilted handbag.

Her brunette locks were brushed into a sleek, straight style and she shielded her eyes with a pair of stylish shades.

Frank, meanwhile, looked dapper in a black polo shirt that he wore over matching shorts and teamed with grey trainers.

Patricia also looked adorable in a pink dress as she held her mum Christine's hand, who was also seen pushing Freddie around in a pram.

Chic: Christine added a stylish touch to her ensemble by wearing a pair of brown strap sandals, and she kept her personal items in a black quilted handbag

Relaxed look: Frank, meanwhile, looked dapper in a black polo shirt that he wore over matching shorts and teamed with grey trainers

In May, Frank discussed how he has enjoyed spending some downtime with his family following the birth of his son after being sacked as Chelsea manager.

He spoke to Daily Mail columnist Jamie Redknapp about how his axe from the club allowed him to spend more time with Christine and the kids.

After being asked by Jamie how he has been feeling since leaving Chelsea, Frank said: 'My son, Freddie, was born two months ago. I've been able to enjoy that and being at home with my girls.'

Family: The couple welcomed son Freddie in March and share Patricia, while Christine (pictured in January) is step-mum to Frank's daughters Luna, 15, and Isla, 14

Frank went on to explain that when Patricia was born he was 'engrossed' in his work as manager at Derby, while his experience with Freddie has been different.

He said: 'Certainly a managerial career means much more sacrifice than as a player. For instance, Patricia was born when I was manager at Derby and I was engrossed in my work. Being there this time has been the big positive.'

Frank also discussed how he has received some words of reassurance from fellow managers including Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson.

He divulged: 'The other positive is reflection. I've spoken to some top managers over the last few months. All of them, first and foremost, said: 'You're not a manager until you've been sacked.'

'It was a hit, but then I started the reflection process. I didn't want to sit at home and throw blame elsewhere. It was more: 'What can I do better?'

'Roy Hodgson was amazing. I spoke to Roy a week after leaving Chelsea and he gave me some of the best calm, collected advice. I'm always willing to listen to these managers.'
She recently revealed she's expecting her second child with husband Michael O'Neill.

So Danielle Lloyd ensured she spent some quality time with her partner and their there-year-old son, Ronnie in Birmingham on Monday.

The 37-year-old model - who also shares three sons with her ex-husband Jamie O'Hara - looked in great spirits as she joined the boys for a dog walk.

Family fun: Danielle Lloyd ensured she spent some quality time with her partner and their there-year-old son, Ronnie in Birmingham on Monday

Putting her burgeoning baby bump on display, the mother-of-four donned a snake print shirt that she tied to fashion in crop top style.

She teamed the garment with a pair of skinny jeans and donned a pair of black flip flops as well as a delicate gold necklace.

Danielle completed the look by styling her glossy brunette locks in loose waves and donning minimal makeup that allowed her radiant pregnant glow to shine through.

Fun in the sun: The 37-year-old model - who also shares three sons with her ex-husband Jamie O'Hara - looked in great spirits as she joined the boys for a dog walk

Terrific trio: Danielle held onto the leash of her French Bulldog Fendi as she made the most of the warm weather alongside her husband and son

By her side, Michael opted for an all-green ensemble as he donned a mint fitted T-shirt and forest shorts.

Toddling alongside his parents, Ronnie looked adorable in a full England kit.

Danielle, who is already mother to four sons, Archie, 10, Harry, nine, and George, seven, with x-husband Jamie O'Hara, and Ronnie, three, with Michael, who she married in April 2019, announced that she was expecting in Closer magazine.

Bumping along nicely: Putting her burgeoning baby bump on display, the mother-of-four donned a snake print shirt that she tied to fashion in crop top style

Danielle, who has been extremely candid about her desire to have a daughter and even debated undergoing gender selection, told Closer: 'I can't wait to become a family of seven. I know there's a risk it'll be another boy though

'But, of course, the main thing I want is for the baby to be healthy. And if it's not a girl  we'll just try again after!'

She said: 'We were both just over the moon. Please let it be a girl! Michael is really hoping for a girl and the boys are desperate too  they're convinced it's a little sister.'

Legs eleven! She teamed the garment with a pair of skinny jeans and donned a pair of black flip flops as well as a delicate gold necklace

Brunette beauty: Danielle completed the look by styling her glossy brunette locks in loose waves and donning minimal makeup that allowed her radiant pregnant glow to shine through

Last year, the former glamour model revealed she's put her plans to use controversial gender selection treatment on hold after being diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis.

She admitted she 'can't think about having a baby at the moment' but would 'love a little girl' during an appearance on Loose Women.

In the interview, she shared she's put her eldest child Archie in therapy after he began suffering from anxiety following her divorce from her ex-husband Jamie.

Baby news: Danielle, is already mother to four sons, Archie, 10, Harry, nine, and George, seven, with x-husband Jamie O'Hara, and Ronnie, three, with Michael

Danielle tragically suffered a miscarriage in 2019.

The media personality said she'd have to delay her hopes of having a daughter as she's set to undergo an operation to treat her conditions, which can affect a woman's fertility.

She said: 'I've just found out that I've got PCOS and endometriosis so I have to have an operation for that so can't think about having another baby at the moment anyway.

'I'm in two minds, I've just got a puppy who is a little girl so she's my baby at the moment. I would love a little girl but four boys is a lot.'

Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus - the endometrium - grows outside the uterus, while PCOS is a common condition that affects how a woman's ovaries work.
In April, Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond's nephew Caleb was arrested over a month after his terrifying car crash also involving her husband Ladd.

Two months later, Caleb is facing a DWI charge after cops said he was 'tipsy' and 'fast asleep' in his car, according to TMZ.

The 21-year-old was reportedly sleeping in his car behind the wheel when cops pulled up to him.

The latest: In April, Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond's nephew Caleb was arrested over a month after his terrifying car crash also involving her husband Ladd. Two months later, Caleb is facing a DWI charge after cops said he was 'tipsy' and 'fast asleep' in his car, according to TMZ

His blood alcohol level was .05, with two misdemeanor charges - driving while impaired and driving with an open container.

Caleb is not facing any weapon charges, per the outlet.

They knocked on the window several times but he didn't respond, per the outlet.

After they got into the car, they reportedly said there was an 'overwhelming' smell of alcohol in the car.

Family: The 21-year-old was reportedly sleeping in his car behind the wheel when cops pulled up to him; his Aunt Ree Drummond pictured

Caleb allegedly finally woke up, having fallen asleep with his foot on the brake and his car still in drive.

When he was told to get out of the car, he allegedly put the car in reverse on accident before losing his balance.

He had 'red bloodshot eyes' and 'thick slurred speech' and handed his credit card instead of his driver's license.

He also allegedly told cops he 'should have been driving' and that he was 'glad' he 'wasn't caught a few hours ago.'

There reportedly was an open beer that was 'cool to touch' and 'practically full,' per TMZ with a loaded 9mm handgun and ammo.

The incident came just a month after his nearly fatal wreck in a head-on collision with Ladd Drummond, Ree's husband.

Legal: His blood alcohol level was .05, with two misdemeanor charges - driving while impaired and driving with an open container

Ladd, 51, and Caleb, 21, were each driving a Himmat Fire Truck on March 10 when they collided head-on after winds caused visibility to decrease, with Caleb reportedly ejected 70 feet from the truck, since neither man was wearing a seat belt.

In addition to the DUI he was charged Saturday with carrying firearms under the influence and transporting an open container of beer, TMZ reported.

The Osage County Sheriff's office have not disclosed detailed information about the arrest and it is unknown whether he remains in custody.

The Instagram page for Ree's The Pioneer Woman Magazine, featuring Ladd's kids Alex and Todd, offered an update on the accident earlier this month, with their prognosis looking good.

'Ladd and Caleb are healing up after their accident on the ranch,' the statement read, adding, 'And the Drummond family is so grateful for all of your kind words!'

They also directed fans to The Pioneer Woman website, where they featured a video segment called Ask Alex, where Ladd's daughter Alex, 23, and son Todd, 17, offered a new update on their father.

'A lot of people are asking how our dad is. He's doing a lot better. He's recovering and he's even starting to get back into ranch work,' Alex said.

Details: Ladd (pictured), 51, and Caleb, 21, were each driving a Himmat Fire Truck on March 10 when they collided head-on after winds caused visibility to decrease

Frightening: Caleb (pictured) was reportedly ejected 70 feet from the truck, since neither man was wearing a seat belt

Update: They also directed fans to The Pioneer Woman website, where they featured a video segment called Ask Alex, where Ladd's daughter Alex, 23, and son Todd, 17, offered a new update on their father

She added that his mobility is, 'a little limited' at the moment, but Ladd is, 'still able to hang.'

Todd also said that, 'Caleb is doing good. He's pretty much all healed up and back to his normal life.'

Alex said that Ladd, 'had some broken neck issues' and he just had to have surgery, 'so he's healing up from that.'

Limited: She added that his mobility is, 'a little limited' at the moment, but Ladd is, 'still able to hang'

Healed: Todd also said that, 'Caleb is doing good. He's pretty much all healed up and back to his normal life'

Issues: Alex said that Ladd, 'had some broken neck issues' and he just had to have surgery, 'so he's healing up from that'

After the accident, which took place on March 10 near Pawhuska, Oklahoma, both men were taken to the St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Caleb was admitted in critical condition with head, arm, leg and internal injuries, according to the report by Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

Ree revealed in a March 15 blog post that both Ladd and Caleb were responding to a fire on the ranch when the accident happened.

Ree and Ladd: Ree revealed in a March 15 blog post that both Ladd and Caleb were responding to a fire on the ranch when the accident happened

While Ladd initially refused help, he was taken to the hospital after learning his neck was broken in two different places, which was nearly catastrophic.

'Rather than wish the accident didn't happen, I'm gonna live in a state of gratitudenot just for the guys being okay, but also for the love, kindness, and prayers of so many of you,' Ree wrote on her blog.

'Thank you all so very much for reaching out to our family and for keeping us in your hearts through the past several days. I can't tell you how much it means to all of us, and I'll never, ever forget it!' she added.
Litchfield (06759)

Today

A few showers early becoming a steady rain overnight. Low 56F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

A few showers early becoming a steady rain overnight. Low 56F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Jacqueline Jossa has given fans a glimpse at the progress made on her home bar.

The former I'm A Celebrity champion, 28, took to Instagram on Monday to show off a closer look at the progress that has been made on the DIY project in their 1.2 million Essex mansion.

Inside the space, a wooden L-shaped bar had been set up with a brick facade on one end while Jacqueline squealed in delight over her future plan for a mirrored wall.

Excited: Jacqueline Jossa squealed with delight as she showed off the progress that's been made on her home bar which will have mirrored walls and a brick facade

She gushed: 'Guys, I'm currently in my work in progress bar - how good is it looking though?

'There's a brick wall effect, we are gonna have lighting running through there and a shelf, and mirrored walls.'

Jacqueline then squealed in delight and said something incoherent, before she joked: 'I'm pathetic aren't I? But it's exciting though isn't it?'

In progress: Inside the space, a wooden L-shaped bar had been set up with a brick facade on one end while Jacqueline squealed in delight over her future plan for a mirrored wall

Happy: Jacqueline gushed: 'Guys, I'm currently in my work in progress bar - how good is it looking though?'

Ecstatic: Jacqueline then squealed in delight and said something incoherent, before she joked: 'I'm pathetic aren't I? But it's exciting though isn't it?'

It comes after Jacqueline insisted that she is not an 'anti-vaxxer' and is instead 'pro choice' after her husband Dan Osborne's recent rant about the Covid jab.

During an impassioned video shared to social media on Sunday, Dan, 29, claimed that coronavirus 'is not dangerous enough to be forcing a vaccine on the world' and that he won't be getting the jab - and neither will his three young children.

The former TOWIE star shares daughters Ella, six, and Mia, two, with Jacqueline. He also has son Teddy, seven, with ex Megan Tomlin.

Taking to her own Instagram on Sunday, Jacqueline took part in a Q&A session where she was asked: 'Are you an anti Covid vaccine.'

Covid: It comes after Jacqueline insisted that she is not an 'anti-vaxxer' and is instead 'pro choice' after her husband Dan Osborne's recent rant about the Covid jab

To which she replied: 'I'm not anti vac, I am pro choice. Read that again.'

During Dan's rant on Sunday to his 1.1million followers, he claimed that the COVID-19 crisis is 'all about money', despite the pandemic causing a global recession which is the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

He also claimed that coronavirus 'is not dangerous enough to be forcing a vaccine on the world' and that he won't be getting the jab - and neither will his three young children.

This came as the global death tally reached (at the time of publication on Sunday) 3,709,397 deceased, with 172,242,495 confirmed cases and 1,638,006,899 vaccines administered.

Claims: During Dan's rant on Sunday to his 1.1million followers, he claimed that the COVID-19 crisis is 'all about money', despite the pandemic causing a global recession which is the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression of the 1930s

As of Saturday, an estimated 40 million people in the UK alone have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, out of the country's 68 million population.

Dan's rant began on Saturday when he travelled home from Portugal and filmed himself in his car heading home from the airport.

'I've said it from day one. People are going to have a go at me, but the whole thing is about money. The whole damn thing.

'I've had hundreds, maybe thousands of messages about kids getting the vaccination. Personally that s**t isn't even going in me - never mind my kids. People do your research, it's not good!'

Rant: He also claimed that coronavirus 'is not dangerous enough to be forcing a vaccine on the world' and that he won't be getting the jab - and neither will his three young children

On arriving home, the ex-Celebrity Big Brother contestant returned to his Instagram Stories, having clearly been met with a slew of outraged messages from fans slamming his anti-vaxxer stance.

'It's not dangerous enough to be forcing it on the world. That to me is suspect!'

He said: 'People are going mad at me for talking bad about the vaccine. You guys are crazy!

'All I'm saying is if there was a legitimate vaccine that actually works and is no harm to you, why would it not just be all the vulnerable people get the vaccine and that's it.

Driven to drink: Dan was then seen later in the evening asking his followers to stop bombarding him with responses, drinking beer and eating a take-out to cheer himself up

'Why would a 12-year-old kid need a vaccine. If all the vulnerable people had had it and they were safe, why would anyone else need it? You just wouldn't because it's a 99.6 percent chance that you're going to be fine with COVID-19.

Dan was then seen later in the evening asking his followers to stop bombarding him with responses, clearly having faced a backlash from them.

He was seen drinking beer and eating a take-out to cheer himself up, adding that he was feeling 'nervous' after the barrage of comments he had been inundated with after his rant.

Dan was fresh off the plane from Portugal where he and wife Jacqueline took advantage of the sunny destination before it was moved onto the UK's amber list.
Piers Morgan grimaced as he worked up a sweat during a gruelling weightlifting session on Tuesday.

The broadcaster, 56, shared a picture of himself on Instagram in which he could be seen sweating through his shirt as he lifted weights during a personal training session.

Piers hoisted the heavy black bar into the air but he certainly appeared to be putting some effort in as displayed by the red hue of his face.

Sweating it out: Piers Morgan grimaced as he worked up a sweat during a gruelling weightlifting session on Tuesday

The former Good Morning Britain host, who left the show in March, wore a pair of black Nike shorts and matching trainers.

The large sweat patch on his white polo shirt proved he'd been working hard during his exercise session.

He caption the image: 'I hated every minute of training, but I said, "Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion." - Muhammad Ali.

'Savage session with The Torturer @roarfitnessgirl at @roarfitnessldn in Kensington, but she assures me Ill be ripped & emaciated by the time Im back on TV again.

Hitting back: Mail Online editor-at-large Piers recently launched a fresh attack on the Sussexes in a heated interview on Australian TV

'Great to see gyms back open again and cant recommend this place highly enough.'

It comes after Piers sounded off on 'downright liar' Meghan Markle in an explosive interview with Karl Stefanovic on 60 Minutes Australia recently.

The Daily Mail Australia editor-at-large doubled down on his criticism of the Sussexes and claimed Markle phoned his bosses at ITV to complain before he famously stormed off the set of Good Morning Britain.

'We're all walking around on eggshells, terrified of offending people, terrified of losing our job over a misspoken Tweet or a comment on Facebook, and it's got to stop,' Piers told 60 Minutes.

Piers accused Meghan Markle of being a 'downright liar' during her interview with Oprah

'Even in Australia, the woke brigade are snapping at people's heels trying to put everyone back in their box.

'It started in America, it has come to Britain. It has come to Australia and it's a real menace.'

Piers sensationally left his GMB gig earlier this year, after a live war of words with the show's weatherman Alex Beresford over Harry and Meghan.

Morgan had faced a severe backlash online after declaring he didn't believe Markle's claims during her blockbuster interview with Oprah Winfrey in March.
Ashley Tisdale admitted she 'still' doesn't feel 'comfortable' in her skin following the birth of her daughter Jupiter in March.

The High School Musical star, 35, opened up about her postpartum body emotions in a new post for her site Frenshe, titled Getting Real About My Body After Baby.

There, Ashley wrote about social media's effect on self-image, remarking: 'There are so many models and influencers that I've compared my own personal journey in "bouncing back" toand then, I'm like wait they just had a baby and they look like that??'

Unashamed, Ashley teamed her post with an unfiltered mirror selfie showing her body three months after giving birth.

Ashley Tisdale opened up about not feeling 'comfortable' in her body following the birth of her daughter Jupiter in March, sharing her thoughts in a new post for her site Frenshe , titled Getting Real About My Body After Baby. The post was accompanied by an unfiltered image of Ashley's real figure

Though Tisdale was quick to recognize how apps like Instagram 'really f*** with your head,' she said the comparisons were still taking a toll on her self-esteem.

'I've worked my butt off,' she explained. 'Whether it's hiking, Pilates, riding on my Peloton, and yet, I still don't feel comfortable in my body.'

'Yes, I started to fit into some jeans again, but not the size I was wearing before. Everyone keeps saying that it takes timeit takes time growing the baby and it takes time losing the baby weight. And you know what? That's the truth.'

Ashley recalled a recent epiphany she had while spending time with two other new moms.

'[They were] saying how great I looked and that they wished they could fit into jeans,' she recalled.

'Here they were thinking that I looked great and yet Im at home looking in the mirror thinking I could look better. Thats when I realized we cant compare our bodies to each other.'

Flashback: Ashley wrote about social media's effect on self-image, remarking: 'There are so many models and influencers that I've compared my own personal journey in "bouncing back" toand then, I'm like wait they just had a baby and they look like that??' Above is a pre-baby snap of the star

Making the effort: 'I've worked my butt off,' she explained. 'Whether it's hiking, Pilates, riding on my Peloton, and yet, I still don't feel comfortable in my body'

Tisdale reminded readers how diverse different moms' experiences are, writing: 'Everyone is going to have a different journey and its important to not communicate negative feelings towards our own bodies.

'Thoughts like youre not good enough, you could look better have to stop! And they especially need to stop when realizing that your body just created and gave life to another human being.'

'The bottom line: be kind to yourself and fill yourself up with love,' she continued.

'Its okay to set a goal and be inspired by others, but we should all truly love ourselves and our bodies in every season.

'Its easier said than done and I know there have been stages in my pregnancy where I have felt uncomfortable.

'Im still dealing with plantar fasciitis, but even Im working on not comparing myself to others and their post-baby journeys. Love yourself first!'

Love yourself: Tisdale reminded readers how diverse different moms' experiences are, writing: 'Everyone is going to have a different journey and its important to not communicate negative feelings towards our own bodies'

Ashley and husband Christopher French welcomed daughter Jupiter Iris French on March 23rd and announced her arrival with a heart-melting black-and-white snap of her tiny hand days later.

In an interview with Forbes, Ashley gushed about life with her newborn baby.

'Life is great. I mean, she's so cute,' the High School Musical star told the magazine. 'It's so wild she's finally here. You spend so long with her inside of you and then you're just like "Oh my God, she's here!" I'm past the more difficult things that you go through.

'You go through a lot when you come home from the hospital. It's just an adjustment for everyone in the family.

'You're learning about each other and as a mom, going through physically and mentally a lot. Now I'm on the other side of it, which is great!'
Chloe Ferry recently revealed her split from Hollyoaks hunk Owen Warner after he was reportedly messaging glamour model, Apollonia Llewellyn, begging to meet up.

And following the bombshell revelation, the actor, 21, took to Instagram stories on Monday to clear up the 'lies', saying: 'I was not in a relationship.'

The hunk posted an empassioned statement, which read: 'I was never in a relationship and I didn't cheat on anybody....as I was never in a relationship.'

Not to be: Hollyoaks' Owen Warner has hit back amid claims he split from Chloe Ferry due to messaging a glamour model (pictured with Chloe earlier this month)

The star wrote: 'I usually wouldn't come on here and say anything, but there's been a few lies written about me that I want to clear up.

'Now let's stop all this negativity, it's my birthday tomorrow so good energy only plz x'

This comes after Chloe and Owen appeared to have went Instagram official in May during a Portugal break and hinted they were engaged.

Shocking: Owen was reportedly messaging glamour model, Apollonia Llewellyn, begging to meet up

Short lived: Chloe recently revealed her split from Owen - days after they were seen cosying up in smitten snaps

Fuming: Owen, 21, took to Instagram stories on Monday to clear up the 'lies', saying: 'I was not in a relationship, I was never in a relationship and I didn't cheat on anybody....as I was never in a relationship'

But the romance was been short-lived after The Sun reported Owen was sliding into the [Instagram] DMs of the OnlyFans model, just days before he went public with Chloe.

A source told the publication: 'They met when she was an extra on Hollyoaks. Owen had his eye on Apollonia as soon as he saw her on the set of Hollyoaks and slid right into her DMs.

'He has been desperate to get her to go on a date with him and was trying to pin her down in late April and early May. They made plans a few times but the weather and work got in the way.

'Chloe clearly has no idea what he was up to before going official with her and has been telling everyone how into him she is.'

According to the insider, he began 'putting the moves' on Apollonia straight after his split from The Apprentice star, Camilla Ainsworth.

Following the bombshell revelation, Chloe has stopped following Owen on social media.

MailOnline reached to her and the Hollyoaks star's reps for further comment.

Only last week, Chloe revealed her new romance with Owen was going swimmingly as she spoke to MailOnline about their passionate union - even revealing she could see herself marrying the 'Greek God'.

The Geordie Shore legend spoke at the launch of her best pal and co-star Bethan Kershaw's BB The Label clothing collection, during which she lauded praise on the hunk who she says has helped with her many insecurities.

Revealing: They said: ''He has been desperate to get her to go on a date with him and was trying to pin her down in late April and early May. They made plans a few times but the weather and work got in the way'

She said: 'So me and Owen have been meeting before. He's absolutely lush - that body is to die for - I said he looks like a Greek God...

'We're not official but we're just seeing how we go. It's good. I know that he would be the perfect husband and he's the sort of person I would marry. I've never felt passion like I do with him, I can't believe it'.

On how he quells her insecurities, she went on: 'Do you know what it is with him. He gets annoyed when I put myself down. He says what are you talking about? And I'm so insecure but you wouldn't thinking it looking at me and that's what I need...

'I went for the wrong people before but now I'm working on myself. I'm buying my own house, it was the right person.'

On her recent holiday and her upcoming plans, excited Chloe said: 'Hot girl summer - all about it! It was good to get back to normal life and it was so hard. Not seeing people was the hardest in lockdown.'
Salma Hayek has questioned why she 'didn't have the courage' to speak out against Harvey Weinstein at the height of his power in the early 2000s.

The actress, 54, worked with the disgraced producer on her film Frida in 2002 and now wonders how things would be 'different' if she went public with her experience being harassed and retaliated against by Weinstein nearly 20 years ago.

Thinking about the harsh reality of Weistein's abuse, she told InStyle: 'Some people got raped.'

'It makes you wonder if you had said something [back then], would it have been different? How come I didn't have the courage? But I dealt with it to the best of my ability at the time.'

'Would it have been different?' Salma Hayek reflected on her experience with Harvey Weinstein in a new story for InStyle where she wondered why she 'didn't have the courage' to come forward about his harassment

Salma first detailed Weinstein's harassment in a 2017 essay for the New York Times, revealing how he went into a 'Machiavellian rage' when she refused to shower with him, let him massage her, perform oral sex on her or several other highly inappropriate asks.

But Hayek endured Harvey's fury in order to get Frida made, hoping to make a film honoring the legacy of painter Kahlo and the beauty of Mexican culture.

'For me Frida was a political statement, a social statement, a feminist statement,' Hayek said.

'It was my way of screaming. And Harvey used my way of screaming to repress me even more. So I could not let him win.'

Still, Weinstein - whose company Miramax distributed the movie - tried his hardest to sabotage the film, threatening to take the project away from Hayek and her team.

Abuser: Salma first detailed Weinstein's harassment in a 2017 essay for the New York Times , revealing how he went into a 'Machiavellian rage' when she refused to shower with him, let him massage her, perform oral sex on her or several other highly inappropriate asks. He's seen in 2018 above

Retaliation: Hayek says that Weinstein tried to sabotage her film Frida after she refused his advances, but she endured his abuse as a 'political' and 'feminist' stand against him

He would continue the terror on set, later demanding Hayek appear fully nude in a sex scene with co-star Ashley Judd while claiming 'the only thing' Salma had to appeal to audiences was her 'sex appeal.'

It wouldn't be until nearly 15-years later when Weinstein's pattern of abuse would be publicly exposed via investigative reporting from Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey of The New York Times and Ronan Farrow of The New Yorker.

Their stories would unearth dozens of allegations of sexual misconduct against Weinstein, along with a history of intimidation, hush money payouts, and professional retaliation.

Weinstein's downfall sparked an international conversation about gender inequity, in part inspiring the #MeToo movement as well as the Hollywood industry initiative #TimesUp.

Strong: 'It was my way of screaming,' she said of the 2002 film. 'And Harvey used my way of screaming to repress me even more. So I could not let him win'

Weinstein would be ousted from his role as co-chair of The Weinstein Company and is currently in maximum security prison.

He still faces additional charges in California.

In April Weinstein was indicted on eleven counts of sexual assault in Los Angeles County and he could be extradited to the Golden State from Wende Correctional Facility, where he is currently being held.

New York Times journalists Kantor and Twohey would go on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for their investigation, along with Farrow.
David Schwimmer has daughter Cleo Buckman Schwimmer with ex-wife Zoe Buckman to whom he was married from 2010 until 2017.

The actor, 54, is rarely seen with his 10-year-old child so it was surprising when they were spotted riding the same electric scooter together in the NoHo neighborhood of New York City on Monday.

The Friends actor stood behind his little girl who showed off a head of short hot pink locks after shaving her head last year. They were both helmet free but had their masks on.

Family: Friends star David Schwimmer, 54, made a rare sighting with his pink-haired daughter Cleo, 10, as they went helmet-free while sharing an electric scooter in NYC on Tuesday

According to the New York City Department Of Transportation, helmets are recommended for all e-scooter riders, and 'required for 16 and 17 year olds.' Riders have to be at least 16 years of age.

David had his hands on the controls as he looked ahead for traffic on the busy street. The actor was dressed down in a blue polo shirt and black shorts with blue sneakers and a matching cap as he added a backpack.

His daughter looked ready for summer in a short-sleeved peach T-shirt and denim shorts with cartoon drawings of a child and hearts on the front as she added sneakers with white socks.

Taking a chance: The Friends actor stood behind his little girl who showed off a head of short hot pink locks after shaving her head last year. They were both helmet free

Helmets are a good idea: According to the New York City Department Of Transportation, helmets are recommended for all e-scooter riders, and 'required for 16 and 17 year olds.' Riders have to be at least 16 years of age

David and Cleo's mom Zoe met in London in 2007 and wed in 2010. In 2017 they called it quits.

Before Zoe he romanced Natalie Imbruglia (1996 - 1997), Mili Avital (1998 - 2001), Carla Alapont (2002 - 2003), Gina Calavera (2004) and Tina Barrett (2004).

His hit show Friends ran from 1994 until 2004 and during that time, Schwimmer said that he had a 'major crush' on co-star Jennifer Aniston, who played his on-screen love interest Rachel Green.

He added during the Friends Reunion that though the feeling was mutual, they never acted on it because they were both in relationships and never single at the same time.

Speaking on the show's reunion special, David admitted: 'During the first season I had a major crush on Jen.

Mom: David has the child with ex-wife Zoe Buckman to whom he was married from 2010 until 2017; seen in Beverly Hills in 2016

'In the first year or two there were moments we would cuddle on the couch and I was thinking, how did not everyone know we were crushing on each other? It was a situation we couldn't do anything about, because one of us was always in a relationship and we never crossed that boundary, we respected that.'

While the rest of the cast admitted to host James Corden that they were well aware of the pair's feelings, Jennifer agreed they could never act on their attraction but admitted they both thought it would be 'a bummer' if they only got to kiss one another as part of a storyline for their characters, Ross Geller and Rachel Green.

She said: 'It was reciprocated, we'd spoon and fall asleep on the couch together. I remember saying to David it would be such a bummer if the first time we kissed was on national television, but it was.

His crush: His hit show Friends ran from 1994 until 2004 and during that time, Schwimmer said that he had a 'major crush' on co-star Jennifer Aniston, who played his on-screen love interest Rachel Green. He added during the Friends Reunion that though the feeling was mutual, they never acted on it because they were both in relationships and never single at the same time.

Pals: Schwimmer posted behind the scenes pictures from the Friends Reunion; this image included Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, Aniston, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow

'We just channeled all of our admiration and love for each other into Ross and Rachel.'

But Courteney Cox thinks they were better as friends. She said: 'It's probably good you didn't [get together]. It might not have been as good for the show.'

The pair's admission came after the cast recently revealed they had an 'unspoken rule' not to date one another. Matthew Perry said: 'There was a rule, it was really important to the six of us, that we kept a friendship. Hooking up could have caused a strangeness that might mess with things. And we are really good friends to this day.'

David added: 'We didn't want to jeopardize any of the great relationships and friendships we had established. It was kind of an unspoken rule.'
Director Ben Winston has hit back at criticism that last month's Friends: The Reunion lacked diversity.

The 39-year-old responsible for the long-awaited one-off special - that reunited the sitcom's six stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer - argued that he featured contributors from across the world in the show.

He also stated that 'the cast is the cast' with regards to the principal cast all being white, pointing out this was not something he could change.

Hitting back: Director Ben Winston has hit back at criticism that last month's Friends: The Reunion lacked diversity [pictured on set with stars Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer]

During a sit-down with The Times, Winston reeled off some of those who were interviewed about their love for the HBO Max show.

He said: 'We have Malala, Mindy Kaling, BTS. There are three women from Ghana, one who talks about how Friends saved her life. Two boys from Kenya. Three kids in India.'

'What more diversity do they want in this reunion?'

Addressing the original sitcom - which ran from 1994-2004 - he said: 'The cast is the cast. It was made in 1994. I think it's remarkable how well it does stand the test of time.'

Winston noted that 'not everyone could join' when he was asked why none of the show's few black actors participated in the reunion.

'I'm really pleased with the show we were able to put together,' he added.

Counterargument: He noted that he featured contributors from across the world in the show

Making a point: He also stated that 'the cast is the cast' with regards to the principal cast all being white, pointing out this was not something he could change

Friends: The Reunion recruited certain BAME stars to contribute, including Korean boyband BTS, who credited the show with teaching them English.

Sitcom star Mindy Kaling - who is of Indian heritage - gushed about the series, as did Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai.

Non-celebrities from across the world were also interviewed, with more than one crediting the show for bringing them back from the brink of suicide.

LGTBQ people were also featured, with one gay woman talking about how she 'found her Monica' thanks to the show.

Guest: Sitcom star Mindy Kaling - who is of Indian heritage - gushed about the series

Pals: Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, (left) and her best friend Vee took part

BAME stars: Korean boyband BTS credited the show with teaching them English

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Friends co-creators Kevin Bright and Marta Kauffman discussed the show's diversity issues.

'There are different priorities today and so much has changed,' Bright said. 'It's important for today's shows to be reflective of the ways society truly is.'

'We didn't intend to have an all-white cast,' he went on. 'That was not the goal, either. Obviously, the chemistry between these six actors speaks for itself.'

Diverse: Non-celebrities from across the world were also interviewed

He said: 'There are three women from Ghana, one who talks about how Friends saved her life. Two boys from Kenya. Three kids in India. What more diversity do they want in this reunion?'

'Friends saved me!' More than one person credited the show for bringing them back from the brink of suicide

'What can I say?' he added. 'I wish Lisa was Black? I've loved this cast. I loved the show and I loved the experience.'

Kauffman noted there were 'probably a hundred things' she would change about the show if she had the opportunity.

'There are many things that I could say if I only knew then what I know now. Back then, there was no conscious decision,' Kauffman said. 'We saw people of every race, religion, color. These were the six people we cast. So, it was certainly not conscious.'
Salma Hayek is still working on losing the weight she put on for her role in House Of Gucci.

'I've lost very little. You go, "Whoa, whoa, whoa." You gain it so fast, but it takes so long to lose it,' explained the Frida actress, 54, in a new interview with InStyle.

And while her main goal is to keep healthy, the Mexican-born beauty admitted she was also worried about 'what's expected for a woman who people consider good-looking.'

'As you get older, you're expected not to age,' the actress/producer went on.

Relatable: Salma Hayek admitted she's been having trouble shedding the extra weight she gained for her upcoming role in House Of Gucci while talking to InStyle for their new issue

But Salma said she was grateful for her health, given 'how much mileage I put on my body' and 'how much pressure and judgment I put on it, my body has been incredibly generous.'

'I don't think I am some hot tamale, but I know that for my age, for the lifestyle that I lived, I'm not doing too badly,' the star said.

Salma went on to say how she attributes her wellness to her two-plus decades of practicing meditation.

'It makes you experience your body with a lightness that's really delicious and satisfying,' the Like A Boss star explained.

Unrealistic expectations: The Mexican-born beauty admitted she was also worried about 'what's expected for a woman who people consider good-looking,' noting how 'As you get older, you're expected not to age.' She's seen in April in character as psychic Pina Auriemma in Rome above

Like a fine wine: 'I don't think I am some hot tamale, but I know that for my age, for the lifestyle that I lived, I'm not doing too badly,' the star told InStyle. She's seen on May 19th, 2021 above

'With the breathing and the going inside, you explore your body in a different way, and you learn not to go crazy with the expectations.'

Hayek plays psychic Pina Auriemma in Ridley Scott's House Of Gucci, which explores the 1995 murder of Italian fashion heir Maurizio Gucci, played by Adam Driver.

Based on a non-fiction of the same name, the movie tells the saga of how Gucci's jilted ex-wife Patrizia Reggiani, played by Lady Gaga, organized a hit on her ex-husband.

If looks could kill: House Of Gucci follows fashion heir Maurizio Gucci's jilted ex-wife Patrizia Reggiani, played by Lady Gaga, organizing a hit on her ex, played by Adam Driver

She was eventually tried and convicted of orchestrating the assassination.

As Reggiani's best friend, Auriemma also had a hand in organizing the murder-for-hire, also serving time in a Milan prison.

House Of Gucci - which also stars Jared Leto, Jeremy Irons, Jack Huston, Reeve Carney, and Al Pacino - is planning on a November 2021 release.
She plays feisty Erin Croft in the Sky One comedy series about a group of hapless friends embroiled in a life of petty crime.

And Brassic star Michelle Keegan is set to reprise her role once again as she's signed up to feature in another series.

It comes as Brassic has been commissioned for a fourth series following its huge success so far.

Back for more: Brassic star Michelle Keegan is set to reprise her role once again as she's signed up to feature in another series

The former Coronation Street actress, 34, is said to be keen to sign on the dotted line once again.

A source told The Sun: 'Michelle loves the show and filming as Erin - she jumped at the chance to play her again.'

MailOnline have contacted representatives of Michelle and Sky for comment.

The third series of the show is set to hit screens later this year, with the run featuring Michelle, co-star Jo Gilgun (Vinnie ONeill) and other cast members including Damien Molony, Tom Hanson and Aaron Heffernan.

Another run: It comes as Brassic has been commissioned for a fourth series following its huge success so far

Meanwhile, series two ended on a cliffhanger as Vinnie confessed his true feelings for single mum Erin, just as he was being carted off by the police.

As he was being lead away, Erin, who has dated his best pal Dylan, whispered something inaudible in his ear.

Declaring his feelings, Vinnie said: 'I know its wrong, but youre the first thing in the morning, and youre the last thing at night.'

He then added he didn't know 'how to tell' how much she means to him.

Brassic follows the story of Lancashire native Vinnie, who suffers from bipolar disorder and his best friend Dylan, played by Damien Molony, from whom he has been inseparable since childhood.

Role: Michelle plays feisty Erin Croft in the Sky One comedy series about a group of hapless friends embroiled in a life of petty crime

A tainted past, the boys have dealt, scammed, bribed and conned their way through adolescence.

Now, on the brink of adulthood, their dealing and stealing is catching up with them, with the repercussions of their crimes heading their way.

Michelle plays alongside them as a single mum seeking a better life for herself and son Tyler (Jude Riordan).

Thrilled: A source told The Sun : 'Michelle loves the show and filming as Erin - she jumped at the chance to play her again'

While navigating complicated relationships with the show's leads Dylan and Vinnie, she still strives for a good childhood for her son.

Like many other shows, Brassic's filming schedule was slightly derailed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Michelle was forced to stop filming the third series of the show last year, in order to isolate, after she was exposed to COVID-19.

But, luckily, the actress didn't actually contract the potentially deadly virus.

Love story: Meanwhile, series two ended on a cliffhanger as Vinnie confessed his true feelings for single mum Erin, just as he was being carted off by the police

A source told MailOnline at the time: 'Michelle had to take time away from the Brassic set. She has once again been laying low in Essex with her husband Mark Wright.'

The Brassic insider added at the time: 'She only missed one day of filming. But she needed to isolate after she came into contact with someone in Manchester who had it.

'Luckily it all happened very quickly and Michelle did not return to the Brassic set before isolating. So it didn't affect filming too much.

'She has spent last two weeks in total isolation. She will go back to filming at the end of this week.'
New Zealand's biggest pop star Lorde is on the cusp of releasing her first music in four years.

On Tuesday, the Kiwi musician updated her website with a new record cover, titled Solar Power, with a tagline 'Arriving in 2021 ... patience is a virtue'.

The news follows Lorde's first confirmed performance in three years, a headlining slot at Spain's Primavera Festival next year.

New Zealand's biggest pop star Lorde is on the cusp of releasing her first music in four years. On Tuesday, the Kiwi musician updated her website with a new record cover, titled Solar Power, with a tagline 'Arriving in 2021 ... patience is a virtue'

The Auckland-raised star, real name Ella Yellich-O'Connor, became an overnight success in 2013 with the release of her first album Pure Heroine with lead single Royals.

Lorde has eschewed traditional music release patterns since then, releasing just one album in the past eight years: 2017's Melodrama.

Both albums have been commercial and critical successes; last month Lorde and songwriter Joel Little received an industry award for reaching one billion streams of Royals.

The cover art is risque, capturing the pantless 24-year-old from below as she runs on the beach

In 2019, Lorde wrote a note to her millions of fans saying the heartbreaking death of her dog, Pearl, who 'brought an immeasurable amount of joy and purpose into my world', would delay her third album.

Last year, she ended a social media hiatus to ask Kiwis to vote in the 2020 election, won by Jacinda Ardern's Labour Party.

'Do it for our beautiful country and me. And next year I'll give you something special in return,' she wrote.

She followed that with another note saying the music was 'so f***ing good' and that she was 'truly jazzed for you to hear it'.

At long last, the music seems set to arrive.

The cover art is risque, capturing the pantless 24-year-old from below as she runs on the beach.

Between work on her music, Lorde has also produced a photo book called Going South about a trip to Antarctica.
Evan Peters transformed into notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer as he was seen for the first time on the set of new Netflix biopic Monster on Tuesday.

The actor, 34, donned glasses and bleached his dark locks blonde to better inhabit the killer, who murdered and dismembered 17 men and boys between 1978-1991.

Two-time Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins, 74, - who plays Jeffrey's father Lionel - was also spotted on the Los Angeles set of the 10-episode limited series.

First look: Mare of Easttown star Evan Peters (left) was seen on the Los Angeles set of Netflix biopic Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story for the first time on Tuesday (right, the serial killer)

Evan donned a casual costume for filming on Tuesday, wearing a checked blue shirt with light denim jeans.

His ensemble was completed with a brown belt and white trainers as well as a pair of large glasses, similar to the ones the real-life serial killer wore.

The St. Louis native, who most recently played Detective Colin Zabel in HBO's Mare Of Easttown, ensured to wear a face shield while moving around the set.

Monster is 'told from the perspective of the victims and it also focuses on the police incompetency' that let the Wisconsin necrophile/cannibal go free on 10 separate instances - according to Deadline.

Transformation: The St. Louis native, 34, donned glasses and bleached his dark locks blond to better inhabit the notorious serial killer, who murdered and dismembered 17 men and boys

Dahmer was convicted in connection with the murders of 16 men between 1978-1991, making national headlines for his acts of cannibalism and necrophilia involving his victims. He admitted to killing 17 men in the wake of his arrest in 1991.

Two years into his 16-life sentence, Dahmer was beaten to death with a metal bar by another Columbia Correctional Institution inmate in 1994 at age 34.

In April, Evan spoke with Variety about his approach to playing the killer explaining that the team are not making a documentary.

He said: 'You can have all the backstory you want, but at the end of the day, we're not making a documentary. It's more about maintaining the idea and the through line of why you're telling the story and always having that as your guiding light.'

Action! Two-time Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins (M) - who plays Jeffrey's father Lionel - was also spotted on the set of the 10-episode limited series

The actor added: 'But there's so much material for Dahmer that I think it's incredibly important to make it really authentic.'

The 'Milwaukee Monster' has been previously portrayed in past films by the likes of Carl Crew, Jeremy Renner, Rusty Sneary and Ross Lynch.

Dahmer's life and crimes have been the subject of numerous previous filmic incarnations, most recently the 2017 high school-set indie My Friend Dahmer.

The ensemble cast for the upcoming Netflix show also includes Penelope Ann Miller, Niecy Nash, Michael Learned, Shaun J. Brown and Colin Ford.

Miller and Jenkins are slated to play Dahmers parents, while Nash will play Dahmers neighbor Glenda Cleveland, who made futile efforts to report Dahmer's strange behavior to authorities.

White privilege: Monster is 'told from the perspective of the victims and it also focuses on the police incompetency' that let the Wisconsin necrophile/cannibal (pictured in 1991) go free on 10 separate instances

Cleveland, who died in 2011, had been quoted in later interviews as saying she believed her race was part of the reason why police did not take her pleas seriously.

Five of Dahmers 17 murders came AFTER Cleveland notified police  and even the FBI  as to what she called his erratic behavior.

SAG Award nominee Penelope, 57, - who plays Dahmer's mother Joyce - wrote on Instagram on March 23: 'So thrilled to be working with this incredible cast and the amazing @mrrpmurphy!'

Monster is being co-created by leading star Evan's frequent AHS/Pose producer Ryan Murphy as well as three-time Emmy nominee Ian Brennan.

Murphy has plenty of experience working on true crime through his past projects which include the first two installments of his series American Crime Story.

Ensemble: The cast also includes Penelope Ann Miller (L) as Dahmer's mother, Niecy Nash (M) as the killer's neighbour, Michael Learned (R), Shaun J. Brown, Colin Ford, and Tenz McCall

Star-studded cast: SAG Award nominee Penelope (R) - who plays Dahmer's mother Joyce - wrote on Instagram on March 23: 'So thrilled to be working with this incredible cast and the amazing @mrrpmurphy!'

Both the first season, The People Vs. OJ Simpson, as well as the following season's The Assassination of Gianni Versace, won multiple awards including several Primetime Emmys.

Dark subject matter is definitely one of the super-producer's strong suits, whether it be his still-going-strong American Horror Story, which has been renewed through its 13th season in 2023, or his most recent successful Netflix show Ratched.

That series focuses on the origins of one of fiction's notoriously evil characters, Nurse Ratched from the Oscar-winning film One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (as well as the novel and play upon which it was originally based).

Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story will be a 10-episode period series that will span the 1960s, 70s and 80s, ending with Dahmer's arrest in the early 90s.

Production on the limited series is thought to have started in January.
Elizabeth Olsen has revealed she has married her partner Robbie Arnett after she called him her 'husband' during a WandaVision interview on Tuesday.

The actress, 32, spoke to Kaley Cuoco for Variety's Actors on Actors series where she 'casually' dropped the news.

Elizabeth has been engaged to Milo Greene musician Robbie since 2019 after dating for three years.

'Her husband!' Elizabeth Olsen has revealed she has married her partner Robbie Arnett after she called him her 'husband' during a WandaVision interview on Tuesday (pictured in 2018)

During the interview, the actress said that she was doing the interview from her bathroom due to construction noises and sweetly called her 'husband' Robbie a 'f**king cutie' as he helped decorate.

She said: 'I'm in a bathroom. I've been in the U.K. for seven months, and I got back two days ago, and my neighbor is doing so much construction to their backyard. I can still hear it, and I'm in the furthest bathroom.'

She added: 'I also just noticed that my husband put Little Miss Magic, you know, the Little Miss books? They're these classic books, but magic because of WandaVision, because he's such a f**king cutie.'

DailyMail.com has contacted her representatives for comment.

Interview: The actress, 32, spoke to Kaley Cuoco for Variety's Actors on Actors series where she 'casually' dropped the news

Elizabeth sent fans into meltdown after the interview and they took to Twitter to joke about how 'casually' she dropped the revelation.

One person said: 'Elizabeth Olsen saying out of nowhere: "MY HUSBAND"', followed by a GIF of someone pointing to their ring finger.

A different fan put: 'So Lizzie got married and mentioned her husband so casually in chat with kaley cuoco like it's not a big revelation #elizabetholsen.'

Another follower commented: 'I love that #ElizabethOlsen casually mentioned her 'husband' in an interview! Congratulations to the happy couple!'

Sweet: Elizabeth has been engaged to Milo Greene musician Robbie since 2019 after dating for three years

Meltdown! Elizabeth sent fans into meltdown after the interview as they took to Twitter to joke about how 'casually' she dropped the revelation

While a different account added: 'Elizabeth Olsen saying "my husband"', followed by a GIF of Rachel from Friends jumping up and down.

Elsewhere during the interview, Elizabeth confirmed that WandaVision wont be getting a second season due to it being a 'limited series'.

Kaley, 35, asked: 'Do you think youll do a second season of WandaVision?' to which the actress replied: 'No. Its definitely a limited series.'

The Big Bang Theory star continued: 'Limited series. Well, we said that too...' with Elizabeth explaining: 'I mean, I'm saying that. I dont know. I mean, with Marvel, you can never say no. People die.'

Sad: Elsewhere during the interview, Elizabeth confirmed that WandaVision wont be getting a second season as it's a 'limited series' (pictured in still)

To which Kaley joked: 'Thats true. Youre right. I really thought I had a major scoop for the entire world just now. But then she took it back very quickly.'

Series one of WandaVision ended in March 2021 and it concluded with Wanda finally realising her truth.

It comes after Elizabeth previously discussed how signing up to portray a Marvel character would impact her family plans.

The actress starred alongside Paul Bettany as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in spin-off series WandaVision.

However, Elizabeth admitted she had concerns about committing to the character  who she has previously played in five movies  for so long would work for her family life.

Asked by OK! magazine how committing to Marvel affects her life decisions, she said: 'Babies? That's so funny  That was part of the Marvel pitch.

'Kevin Feige pitched the new show to me and he told me about Doctor Strange 2  and then I said, "So when should I think about conceiving a child, if I want to?"

Show: Series one of WandaVision ended in March 2021 and it concluded with Wanda finally realising her truth (pictured in still with co-star Paul Bettany)

'He said to me, "I'll tell you the same thing I told Zoe [Saldana] and Scarlett [Johansson], You like your life and we'll work around you."' That's honestly the best answer any boss could say.'

The Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) appears in multiple Marvel Comics.

She appears in the films Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and the forthcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), and is a lead character in the Disney+ series WandaVision (2021).
Love Islander's Montana Brown, Paige Turley, Yewande Biala and Samira Mighty have discussed the challenges they have faced since appearing on the show during their respective seasons.

In a candid interview with Cosmopolitan, the swimwear founder, 25, discussed feeling 'disposable' in the industry after exiting the villa, while Paige, 23, and Yewande, 25, detailed the negative impact on their love lives.

Montana, who appeared on the 2017 season, said: 'The first year after Love Island, I behaved like a bit of a brat  people give you everything for free, and do everything for you.

Honest: Love Islander's Montana Brown (pictured), Paige Turley, Yewande Biala and Samira Mighty have discussed the challenges they have faced since appearing on the show

'But you cant forget that youre quite disposable in this industry. Future contestants need to know what theyre getting into, and also understand that fame and money dont last forever.'

Reflecting on how she's learnt to stay grounded, she continued: 'In the beginning I was constantly looking in my peripherals to see what other contestants were doing. Whos working with which brands? Whos getting paid what?

'You psycho-analyse yourself, because you feel pressure to look a certain way in order to get the work.

'As times gone on, Ive learned you cant copy people. I had to find what I was passionate about beyond social media, and now use it as a place to keep up with my friends.'

Revealing: In an interview with Cosmopolitan , the swimwear founder, 25, discussed feeling 'disposable' in the industry after exiting the villa, while Yewande (pictured), 25, detailed the negative impact on her love life

Unconventional: Meanwhile Paige, 25, confessed she had to start dating Finley Tapp 'backwards' after they finished the show and began living together during the pandemic

Yewande, who stepped foot in the sun-soaked villa in 2019, said Love Island has made it harder for her to date.

She said: 'I had trust issues before I went in, but once I left, it got even harder.

'Normally if you want to meet someone, you go on Tinder, but if someone matches with me, I think its because theyve seen me on TV. Im so paranoid that now I just dont put myself in that situation.'

Despite making her wary of new suitors, she confirmed she wouldn't change a thing about her time on the reality dating programme.

Be prepared: Montana reflected: 'You cant forget that youre quite disposable in this industry. Future contestants need to know what theyre getting into' (pictured on the show in 2017)

Where it all began: Yewande, who stepped foot in the sun-soaked villa in 2019 (pictured), said: 'I had trust issues before I went in, but once I left, it got even harder'

She added: 'I had an amazing summer. The way its engineered is so clever because youre so completely focused on your time there that you forget about what we called "the outside".

'It means youre really in the moment and I had my highest highs and my lowest lows in that villa.'

Meanwhile Love Island 2020 winner Paige confessed she had to start dating Finley Tapp 'backwards' after they finished the show and began living together during the pandemic.

Couple: Paige added: 'We did things back to front. Now were actually going to go on our first dates!  I keep saying to Finley that itll be nice when he can see me in normal clothes that arent joggers or pyjamas' (pictured on the show with Finn in 2020)

She said: 'You start the relationship very accelerated  you meet them and then youre sharing a bed!

'So its been nice to find the basics. We did things back to front. Now were actually going to go on our first dates!  I keep saying to Finley that itll be nice when he can see me in normal clothes that arent joggers or pyjamas.

'Hes seen me in the villa in heels and dresses every night, and when we left the villa he must have been like, "Oh my god."'

Read the full interview in the July/August issue of Cosmopolitan which goes on sale on Thursday

Weighing up the benefits from the show, she said: 'Its changed my life. I live in a new city with my boyfriend, Ive doubled my family with Finns, and every day is a pinch-me moment.'

Meanwhile Samira, 25, admitted she struggled to comprehend the online backlash and trolling after appearing on Love Island in 2018.

'It was surprising,' she said. 'You never expect to see your name trending on Twitter. I couldnt get my head round how people can send messages like ones Ive had.

'Every little thing you do gets looked at. People think they know you very well, but sometimes it can get a bit too personal.'

According to the West End star, one of the biggest changes she experienced from the show was being recognised in the street by strangers.

She elaborated: 'I cant compare being "just Samira who was in musicals" to who I am now in the public eye.

'Imagine going from normal life where no one recognises you to one day suddenly everyone recognises you everywhere you go. The degree of fame was a huge shock.'

But just like Yewande, she said she wouldn't change a thing as she added: 'I dont have any regrets, not one.'

Read the full interview in the July/August issue of Cosmopolitan which goes on sale on Thursday

Take it to heart: Samira, 25, admitted she struggled to comprehend the online backlash and trolling after appearing on Love Island as she said: 'Sometimes it can get a bit too personal'
They've refused to abandon construction of their new dream home in Venice, Los Angeles, despite the neighbourhood's wave of crime and homelessness.

But it seems Margot Robbie and her husband Tom Ackerley aren't taking any chances when it comes to protecting their plush pad from unwanted visitors.

Photos taken on Tuesday show the Hollywood couple have installed a large iron gate at the front of the lot.

No trespassing! Margot Robbie and Tom Ackerley have built a large iron gate in front of their dream home in Venice, LA, as the neighbourhood suffers a wave of crime and homelessness

The tall structure appears to be power-operated, meaning that only those with special permission can open the doors.

The home's facade is covered in industrial grey concrete and has barely any windows - making the building appear more like a fortress than a family home.

Meanwhile, high-vis-clad workers could be seen digging holes in the dirt, while other builders boarded up the skeleton of the half-built home.

A $6.5million mistake? The Hollywood couple (pictured at the Golden Globes in January 2018) spent $6.5million on the land in 2019, but are now being warned they've made a grave mistake

Actress Margot, 30, and film producer Tom, 31, intend to build a two-storey family dwelling with an attached garage.

The building site sits on two adjacent plots of land near Abbot Kinney Boulevard in the once-elite beachside neighbourhood of Venice.

The couple spent $6.5million on the land in 2019, but are now being warned they've made a grave mistake.

Fortress Robbie: The home's facade is covered in industrial grey concrete and has barely any windows - making the building appear more like a fortress than a family home

Work continues: On Tuesday, high-vis-clad workers could be seen digging holes in the dirt, while other builders boarded up the skeleton of the half-built home

Venice has seen a vast increase in homelessness and crime since the Covid-19 pandemic gripped Los Angeles, with hundreds of tents now lining the beach's famous boardwalk.

'It's a completely different neighbourhood from when Margot and Tom bought it  the crime rate's gone up 177 per cent since lockdown,' a local told Woman's Day.

A former taxi driver who is now homeless also told told the publication that Margot and Tom are asking for trouble by continuing their building project.

Crisis: Venice has seen an increase in homelessness and crime since the Covid-19 pandemic gripped Los Angeles, with hundreds of tents now lining the beach's famous boardwalk

'I know people here who will target Margot's house for burglary because they know she's got money,' they warned.

'She'd be better off if she just abandoned it. I don't know why anyone would want to spend millions of dollars to buy a house next to all this.'

The couple are already trying to offload one of their LA properties, having listed their smaller home in Hancock Park for $4.5million late last month.

'She'd be better off if she just abandoned it': A former taxi driver who is now homeless told Woman's Day magazine that Margot and Tom's newly-renovated home may be targeted by criminals

Margot purchased the two-story residence in 2017 for $.3.5million shortly after her marriage to British filmmaker Tom.

Margot and Tom's neighbour in Venice, Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan, 81, meanwhile recently told fans he was 'desperate' to leave crime-stricken Venice and return to Australia.

Paul, who moved to the US in 2005 after growing up in Sydney's western suburbs, is currently holed up inside his 'fortress-like' $4.5million mansion with his son Chance, 23.

Getting out: The couple are already trying to offload one of their LA properties, having listed their smaller home in Hancock Park for $4.5million (pictured) late last month

Desperate to leave: Margot and Tom's neighbour in Venice, Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan, 81, (pictured) also recently told fans he was 'desperate' to leave his crime-stricken Venice neighbourhood and return to Australia

Homesick: 'I'm living in LA County, which is 10 million people and half of them have got Covid. So am I homesick? You bet your life,' Paul told Channel Seven's Sunrise last month

Bunkering down: Paul, who moved to the US in 2005 after growing up in Sydney's western suburbs, is currently holed up inside his 'fortress-like' $4.5million mansion with his son Chance, 23 (left)

'I'm living in LA County, which is 10 million people and half of them have got Covid. So am I homesick? You bet your life,' he told Channel Seven's Sunrise last month.

When asked how he was coping with Los Angeles' recent crime wave, Hogan simply said he 'doesn't go anywhere'.

'[I'm] bored in lockdown, and the minute I can get on the plane without being locked in a hotel for two weeks, I'm back,' he said.

Terrifying situation: It comes as residents of Venice say soaring crime rates and the exploding homeless population have made life in the elite beachside community unbearable

The movie star went on to explain he 'wouldn't survive' Australia's mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine.

'My son [Chance] would have to be with me... we'd strangle each other,' he said.

It comes as residents of Venice say soaring crime rates and the exploding homeless population have made life in the elite beachside community unbearable.

Tent city: The world-famous 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

Police patrol the Venice Beach Boardwalk on April 20, which has seen an explosion in homeless numbers during COVID lockdowns

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.

The world-famous 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.

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 (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

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 Neighbourhood 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.

'Venice's world famous beach and boardwalk are crippled,' a letter to city and county officials from residents says

According to figures from the Los Angeles Police Department provided to the Venice Neighbourhood Council, the violent robberies in the neighbourhood are up 177 per cent from last year.

The same period has also seen a 162 per cent increase in cases of assault with a deadly weapon involving a homeless person.

Meanwhile, 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 neighbourhoods.'
Rapper Pooh Sheisty is behind bars in Florida after being charged in relation to an alleged strip club shooting on Memorial Day weekend.

The 21-year-old Back In Blood artist has been booked for aggravated battery and is being held without bond in Miami-Dade jail, the Miami Herald reported Tuesday.

An arrest warrant obtained by the news outlet stated the rapper - real name Lontrell Williams - shot a security guard in the leg at the King of Diamonds strip club in Northwest Miami-Dade on May 30.

Rapper Pooh Sheisty, 21, is behind bars in Florida after being arrested and booked for aggravated battery stemming from a shooting at a Miami-Dade strip club on May 30

The incident which occurred around 4 a.m. happened as security staff escorted Pooh out of the club, according to TMZ.

A police report said the altercation was about money that fell out of the rapper's pants which caused him to brandish a gun and fire off a shot.

TMZ reported that a security guard was hit in the ankle by the bullet and taken to hospital, and that Pooh had left the scene by the time cops arrived.

Rumors flew on social media at the time that Pooh had been robbed of $40,ooo but he posted on his Instagram Story that it wasn't true.

An arrest warrant obtained by the Miami Herald stated the Back In Blood rapper - real name Lontrell Williams - shot a security guard in the leg during a scuffle over money

The Memphis native, who is signed to Gucci Mane's 1017 Records and Atlantic Records, released his debut commercial mixtape Shiesty Season in February and it made it to number 3 on the Billboard 200.

His latest arrest comes on the heels of his alleged involvement in a double shooting in Florida's Bay Harbor Islands last October.

He was charged in December with armed robbery with a firearm, aggravated assault, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon doing great bodily harm, aggravated assault with a firearm, and theft, according to the Miami Herald.

Pooh pleaded not guilty and was released on $30,000 bond in March.
Armie Hammer has checked into a Florida-based 'treatment program' for 'drug, alcohol, and sex issues' amid his infamous cannibalism scandal and allegations of rape that prompted an LAPD investigation in March.

The Rebecca actor, 34, is said to have left the Cayman Islands, where he has spent much of the last year, and has been staying at an in-patient facility outside of Orlando, since May 31.

Hammer allegedly reached out to his estranged wife Elizabeth Chambers in 'late May,' telling the TV personality that he 'was ready to seek treatment - and pledging to stay at the facility as long as it takes to get healthy,' according to Vanity Fair.

He was reportedly seen arriving at Grand Cayman airport on Saturday, May 29, with Chambers and their two children by his side, for what sources described as an 'emotional' sendoff between the exes.

Seeking treatment: Armie Hammer has entered rehab for 'drug, alcohol, and sex issues' amid his cannibalism scandal and accusations of rape (pictured in 2019)

'Elizabeth and kids dropped him off [at the airport] and walked in as far as allowed,' an eye witness claimed on social media. 'A lot of hugs and seemed emotional.'

A family friend told Vanity Fair the actor is 'committed to getting healthy and having custody of his kids', adding 'This is a clear sign that he is taking back control [of] his life and knows that this [is] a step towards his overall well being.'

Hammer, who is typically based in Los Angeles, has been residing in the Cayman Islands since late December in order to be with their daughter Harper, six, and son Ford, four, after being separated for several months due to visa issues amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Chamber and Hammer put an end to their marriage in June 2020 after 10 years together, with each of them sharing a statement to Instagram confirming the split.

Reaching out: Hammer allegedly reached out to his estranged wife Elizabeth Chambers in 'late May,' telling the TV personality that he 'was ready to seek treatmentand pledging to stay at the Florida facility, outside of Orlando, as long as it takes to get healthy,' according to Vanity Fair; Chambers and Hammer pictured in 2018

A 'close friend' of the actor's explained to Vanity Fair that 'everyone looks at Armie thinking that he's had some sort of privileged lifeand that must mean there were no problems in his youth and everything was peachy keen.'

Hammer happens to be the great-grandson of oil tycoon Armand Hammer, who passed away in 1990 and left an estimated $180million fortune to Armie's businessman father Michael, according to Business Insider.

The Rebecca actor's 'friend' continued: 'But that's not necessarily the way things go. Just because you come from an upbringing where financial resources are plentiful doesn't mean life isn't without problems.'

Spotted? 'Elizabeth and kids dropp[ed] him off [at the airport] and walk[ed] in as far as allowed,' an eye witness claimed on social media . 'A lot of hugs and seemed emotional'

Armie's woes began in January 2021 when he was rocked by accusations of abuse by several ex-girlfriends along with a series of leaked messages online, purported to be from the star, discussing cannibalism fetishes and rape fantasies.

The now infamous direct messages, which were never confirmed to have been sent by the actor, were originally published by an Instagram account named House of Effie.

After the DM leaks, several of Hammer's former partners  including Paige Lorenze and Courtney Vucekovich  accused him of being controlling and physically abusive during the span of their relationships.

Fall from grace: Armie's woes began in January 2021 when he was rocked by accusations of abuse by several ex-girlfriends along with a series of leaked messages online, purported to be from the star, discussing cannibalism fetishes and rape fantasies; Armie pictured in 2020

Hammer's estranged wife Elizabeth  whom he married in 2010 and split from in July of last year  broke her silence on the matter in February, when she said she was 'shocked, heartbroken, and devastated' and insisted she will always 'support any victim of assault or abuse'.

Following the scandal, Hammer left several projects including upcoming film Shotgun Wedding opposite Jennifer Lopez. He was replaced by Josh Duhamel.

Things took an even darker turn in March when a woman named Effie came forward to accuse the Call Me By Your Name star of violently raping her in hotel room during their four-year relationship.

Specifically, Hammer was accused by the 24-year-old of forcing himself upon her during an incident in April 2017, where she claims he 'committed acts of violence' against her which she 'did not consent' to.

Yikes: The now infamous direct messages, which were never confirmed to have been sent by the actor, were originally published by an Instagram account named House of Effie

During a press conference with her attorney Gloria Allred, Effie alleged: 'On April 24, 2017, Armie Hammer violently raped me for over four hours in Los Angeles. During which he repeatedly slapped my head against a wall bruising my face.

'He also committed other acts of violence against me to which I did not consent.'

According to Variety, Effie said she thought Hammer was 'going to kill' her, and claimed he beat her feet during the alleged attack 'so they would hurt' and said she tried to leave 'but he wouldn't let' her.

Effie alleges she met Hammer on Facebook when she was 20, and admitted to falling in love with the actor, although she now believes she fell victim to 'manipulation tactics'.

She claimed: 'He would often test my devotion to him. He abused me mentally, emotionally and sexually.'

Coming forward: After the DM leaks, several of Hammer's former partners  including Paige Lorenze and Courtney Vucekovich  accused him of being controlling and physically abusive during the span of their relationships; Armie and Paige pictured in 2020

Shortly after, the LAPD confirmed it was investigating the actor after a 'community member' came forward with an attorney on February 3 2021 with a sexual assault claim.

However, Hammer has denied the allegations made against him, and his lawyer has provided screenshots of alleged text conversations between him and Effie which seemingly suggest he told her they couldn't pursue a relationship, though these are not verified.

In one message, Hammer allegedly told Effie: 'I am not going to be able to engage in you in that specific way right now. It never ends well. We can talk and be friends, but I can't do that.'

Dark turn: Things took an even darker turn in March when a woman named Effie came forward to accuse the Call Me By Your Name star of violently raping her in hotel room during their four-year relationship; Effie and Armie pictured

The actor's lawyer also said Hammer's encounter with Effie was 'completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance, and mutually participatory'.

In a statement, the lawyer said: 'Effie's own correspondence with Mr. Hammer undermines and refutes her outrageous allegations. As recently as July 18, 2020, [she] sent graphic texts to Mr. Hammer telling him what she wanted him to do to her.

'Mr. Hammer responded, making it clear that he did not want to maintain that type of relationship with her.

Shocked: After the DM leaks, several of Hammer's former partners  including Paige Lorenze and Courtney Vucekovich  accused him of being controlling and physically abusive during the span of their relationships

'It was never Mr. Hammer's intention to embarrass or expose [Effie's] fetishes or kinky sexual desires, but she has now escalated this matter to another level by hiring a civil lawyer to host a public press conference.

'With the truth on his side, Mr. Hammer welcomes the opportunity to set the record straight. From day one, Mr. Hammer has maintained that all of his interactions with [Effie]  and every other sexual partner of his for that matter  have been completely consensual, discussed and agreed upon in advance, and mutually participatory.

'[Effie's] attention seeking and ill-advised legal bid will only make it more difficult for real victims of sexual violence to get the justice they deserve.'

Split: Armie and Elizabeth, at the time of their split, took to Instagram to share statements on the matter

In May, it was revealed that Hammer was feeling 'happier and healthier' than ever thanks to his new dental hygienist girlfriend in the Cayman Islands.

A source with close ties to the actor told DailyMail.com that he and new Canadian girlfriend Lisa Perejma had been dating for three months and says she has 'really helped turn Armie's life around.'

'Armie's happier and healthier than I've seen him in a long time,' they said. 'He's even introduced her to his father and stepmother - it won't be long until she meets his kids.'

A source added to People magazine: 'They seem happy and comfortable with each other. They seem to have lots of friends and she introduces him to any friends who haven't met him before when they are out.'
An all-inclusive playground is now open for children of all abilities and ages at Kensington Metropark in Milford.

The $450,000 project, located at the park's Maple Beach, provides a space for able-bodied and disabled children to play together and incorporates universal accessibility design principles that far exceed the national ADA requirements. It's one of only a few such playgrounds in southeast Michigan, and is the first for the Huron-Clinton Metroparks system, which includes 13 parks located across the region.

Kensington Metropark All-Inclusive Playground Maple Beach Playground, an all-inclusive playground, located at Kensington Metropark in Milford, Mich.

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Kensington Metropark All-Inclusive Playground Maple Beach Playground, an all-inclusive playground, located at Kensington Metropark in Milford, Mich.

Some of the key features of the Maple Beach playground and park space include:

Solid, rubber safety surfacing

Wheelchair accessible ramps into the playscape

Sensory-friendly equipment

Shade structures

Transfer-stations onto the playscape

Spaces for quiet independent play

Dignity landings on slides

A unique We Go Round where both visitors who use, and who dont use, wheelchairs can play

Improved pathways to the beach

New restrooms

"Metroparks remains focused on collaborating with community partners in thoughtful ways intended to ensure visitors to the Metroparks can wholly enjoy recreational activities regardless of ability," said Metroparks Director Amy McMillan. "What weve done at Maple Beach playground is one of many actionable steps the Metroparks is focused on in our efforts to remove barriers and enhance accessibility at our parks.

Playground design elements were based on the perspective of multiple organizations and individuals including the Fun, Accessible, Inclusive Recreation (FAIR) Play Coalition, which is comprised of organizations and individuals that have expertise in working with those with disabilities or who have disabilities, served as an advisory group for this project.

Kensington Metropark All-Inclusive Playground Maple Beach Playground, an all-inclusive playground, located at Kensington Metropark in Milford, Mich.

Casey Somerville, FAIR Play Coalition member and mother of children with disabilities, said the Huron-Clinton Metroparks went above and beyond in their vision and execution of Maple Beachs renovation.

"By assuring the renovations and new playground would meet the needs of most every visitor they included valuable voices and insight from the disability community," she said. The recognition and thoughtful consideration was not lost on me as a disability mom and I truly believe they understand that, inclusion gives to everyone and takes from no one."

Funding for the project came from the Metroparks budget, but supplemental funding was also provided by partners including Margaret Dunning Foundation and a Giving Tuesday campaign for the project in 2019 where Genisys Credit Union matched funds raised.
Take a few minutes to catch up on some of your local news:
The Fitness Court at Huffman Park in Madison Heights was developed by the National Fitness Campaign and sponsored by a matching grant from Priority Health, a large health plan provider. The fitness area has seven different exercise features for users of all ages and exercise levels, which are available on a free app. Billed as an outdoor gym, the court will be unveiled to the public Friday.
The chief executive of the massive fuel pipeline hit by ransomware last month says authorizing a multi-million-dollar payment to hackers was the right thing to do to bring an end to fuel shortages affecting much of the eastern United States
Seattle, WA (98195)

Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. High 64F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.
Museum of Darien / Contributed photo

DARIEN - The Museum of Darien will display some of the colorful antique quilts from its renowned collection during a one-day Airing of the Quilts from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday.

The display, which will be both inside the Museum, 45 Old Kings Highway, and outside on the front and side lawn areas, is part of a tradition of caring for the quilts while also giving the community an opportunity to view at the Museums most prized quilts.
BOSTON (AP)  An outage at a little-known firm that speeds up access to websites knocked a lot of top internet destinations offline on Tuesday, disrupting business and leisure for untold millions globally. The problem was quickly resolved. The company, Fastly, blamed a configuration error in its technology.

But the incident  Fastly's traffic dropped 75% for about an hour just as the U.S. East Coast was beginning to stir raises questions about how vulnerable the global internet is to more serious disruption.

WHAT'S A FASTLY? WHY DID ITS TECHNICAL PROBLEMS LEAD TO SO MANY OUTAGES?

San Francisco-based Fastly isn't a household name, but its edge server computing technology is used by many of the world's most popular websites, such as The New York Times, Shopify, the Guardian, Ticketmaster, Pinterest, Etsy, Wayfair and Stripe. The British government is among its clients.

The company provides what's called a content delivery network  an arrangement that allows customer websites to store data such as images and videos on various mirror servers across 26 countries so that the data is closer to users, and thus shows up faster. Many of Fastly's customers are news sites that use its technology to update their websites with breaking news. Buzzfeed, for example, used Fastly to cut the time its users took to reach the site by half. Fastly had $290.9 million in revenues last year.

WAS THERE ANY BACKUP? COULD OTHER COMPANIES HAVE STEPPED IN IF THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN MORE SEVERE?

Customers rely on Fastly and its rivals to host and protect their website data from denial-of-service attacks and disruption from spikes in traffic. Had this outage been more serious, customers could have moved to competitors such as Cloudflare or Akamai. But that's not simple; many businesses would have had to scramble and might have suffered losses.

You can't switch quickly to another service unless you had it set up ahead of time, said Doug Madory, an internet infrastructure expert with the traffic-measuring company Kentik. If Fastly were down for a day, that would be pretty bad.

Even if they do have an alternative provider, engineering a smooth switchover from one to another is not for the faint of heart, said Ben April, chief technical officer of Farsight Security.

Madory and other experts said Fastly and its competitors spend heavily and devote major engineering resources to reducing the possibilities of such outages and ensuring they can recover as quickly as Fastly did on Tuesday.

Such outages are not new  but not at all common. There may be years between when a company has an outage like this, Madory added. I think we are going to have these very rare but probably impactful short outages for the foreseeable future.

ARE OTHER PARTS OF THE INTERNET SIMILARLY VULNERABLE?

Like the content distribution network world, cloud computing  when computing services are entrusted to a remote provider  is dominated by just a few major players led by Amazon Web Services, Google and Microsoft. Amazon, the biggest cloud provider, periodically has brief outages, which are a big deal for customers.

"And if it became a major outage of, say, more than six, eight hours  but days  it could put companies out of business, said Josh Chessman, an analyst with the tech market researcher Gartner Inc.

The question is: What could cause such a serious outage that might destroy customer data? A major cyberattack is one possibility. Another is fire or catastrophic natural disaster. These businesses, after all, are based in datacenters. In March, a fire at a datacenter in Strasbourg, France, owned by a major cloud computing firm knocked out service to millions of websites.

SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT REGULATE THESE FIRMS? WHAT CAN COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS DO TO PROTECT THEMSELVES?

I don't know that we need regulation, Chessman said. Suppose Congress proposed to mandate additional cloud providers to increase competition. How do you do that? he asked.

Of course, the federal government can set new standards for security at companies that control vast data resources online. It's already beginning to tighten up cybersecurity requirements for critical infrastructure in the energy sector following last month's cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline, he said.

In a regulatory filing last year, Fastly said it had been subject to cyber-attacks from third parties  including parties who we believe are sponsored by government actors. Those attacks have strained our network and could harm it in the future, it said.

Businesses and consumers, meanwhile, should be thinking seriously about how much they should rely on the cloud for their most valuable data. If there's an outage, what's the impact on our business?" Chessman asked. Perhaps it makes sense not to rely on a cloud-based service for your company's email if you'd go bankrupt without it during a two-week outage.

But running your own email and backup services is complicated and costly  one reason companies turned to the cloud in the first place.

David Vaskevitch, a former Microsoft chief technical officer and CEO of the photo management app Mylio, said people have grown so accustomed to the always-on internet - everywhere we go, we carry a pocket computer with us  that we wrongly assume it will be available 24/7/365.

It's not very realistic and it's not a good way to live, said Vaskevitch, who at 67 grew up in a pre-digital world. The internet is always there  until it isn't.

Despite the vast interconnectedness of the world, it can still be wise to store some data locally, said Vaskevitch. Instead of streaming all our music, we should think about saving some locally. Same goes for email  for instance, in an arrangement where you store it on the computing device you use most.

Your device is both the best friend of the internet and the best insurance policy, he said. "When the internet goes down, if you arrange things carefully, you can still do most of the things you need to do.

___

An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of Gartner analyst Josh Chessman.

___

O'Brien reported from Providence, Rhode Island. Kelvin Chan in London contributed to this report.
As Enbridge Energy prepares to finish rebuilding an oil pipeline across rural northern Minnesota, protesters are occupying part of the construction area and pledging a summer of resistance on the ground and in court.

Enbridge, which has obtained all necessary state and federal permits for the Line 3 project, says it will be finished by year's end.

The Canadian company describes it as essential for reliable oil supplies in both nations, saying the plan has undergone rigorous environmental permitting and will boost Minnesota's economy. Opponents contend it endangers waterways, violates indigenous treaty rights and abets dependence on fossil fuels that will further overheat the planet.

What's beyond dispute is that the project fits into an escalating battle over the future of energy pipelines, which federal regulators say are generally safer than hauling fuels by rail or highway but pose their own hazards, particularly spills in ecologically sensitive places.

WHAT IS THE LINE 3 PROJECT?

The 1,097-mile (1,765-kilometer) line is part of an Enbridge network that moves oil from fields in Canada's Alberta province to refineries in southern Ontario and the U.S. Midwest. It crosses the far northeastern tip of North Dakota, then cuts through northern Minnesota to a terminal at Superior, Wisconsin.

The line carries nearly 16.4 million gallons (62 million liters) of oil used in fuels and other products.

Enbridge says the original 1960s pipe is deteriorating and carrying about half its capacity. The company is replacing it with pipe made of stronger steel that it says would enable resumption of a normal flow  about 32 million gallons (121 million liters) daily.

Work is finished in Canada, North Dakota and Wisconsin and 60% complete in Minnesota, where 337 miles (542 kilometers) of new pipe is being laid. A new section veers south around reservation land of the Leech Lake tribe, which objected to the project. The detour adds about 50 miles (80 kilometers) to the length.

ASIDE FROM PROTESTS AND CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE, WHAT OPTIONS DO OPPONENTS HAVE?

They await a ruling from the Minnesota Court of Appeals on whether the state Public Utilities Commission's approval was lawful. A pending suit challenges the Army Corps of Engineers' issuance of a permit. State and federal judges have refused to halt construction while the cases proceed.

Also, groups are pushing President Joe Biden to order the Corps to withdraw the Clean Water Act permit. During a protest Monday, actress Jane Fonda carried a placard with Biden's image and the words, Which side are you on?

Although Biden pleased environmentalists by canceling the Keystone XL project, his administration has not done likewise with other disputed pipelines, including the Dakota Access line near the Standing Rock Reservation in the Dakotas.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has stayed on the sidelines while the legal process over Line 3 unfolds. His hands-off approach differs from that of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a fellow Democrat who ordered Enbridge to shut down Line 5, which moves oil from Superior, Wisconsin, through Michigan to Sarnia, Ontario.

Whitmer's demand focuses on a roughly 4-mile (6.4-kilometer) section beneath a channel that connects Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, where the state granted an easement for the pipeline in 1953 and now seeks to revoke it. That action is also tied up in court.

Line 3 opponents are focusing on blocking the rebuilding project instead of shutting down the line, although their long-term goal is making it obsolete through conversion from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

WHY ARE ENERGY PIPELINES BECOMING A CAUSE CELEBRE?

The day after Fonda joined Line 3 protesters in Minnesota, the National Wildlife Federation in Michigan announced a radio and television ad campaign against Line 5 featuring actor Jeff Daniels. While environmental and indigenous activists have fought energy pipelines for years, the involvement of celebrities is one illustration of widening resistance.

It comes after high-profile spills in the past decade, including a 2010 rupture of an Enbridge line in southern Michigan that sent oil into the Kalamazoo River. A resulting federal consent decree required Enbridge to upgrade the U.S. portion of Line 3.

Another factor: rising awareness that racial minorities suffer disproportionate harm from environmental damage.

Native Americans have been on the front lines of opposition to pipelines, some of which run through or near reservations. They say Line 3 threatens their waters and rights to gather wild rice, fish and hunt on ancestral lands. Enbridge says it consulted with tribes in rerouting the line to protect cultural resources and has employed more than 500 native people for the project.

Also fueling the battle against pipelines is climate change. Many activists consider virtually any project  whether new, an expansion or a replacement of existing pipes  a lifeline for fossil fuels that delays the transition to cleaner energy that scientists say is needed quickly to avoid catastrophic warming.

Enbridge says people will need oil for years to come and shutting down pipelines will mean more shipments by train and truck.
DARIEN  The magic of imagination just got a little more intriguing with the creation of Storywalks at the Darien Nature Center.

The Darien Library has partnered with the center and last month constructed a second semi-guided literary experience for children and families on the back trails, with a new one planned later this month.

There are many different ways to do a Storywalk, Erika Walston, early literacy and outreach coordinator at the library, said, but the basics are you take two copies of a book, remove the pages, and display the pages along with different prompts to encourage reading and physical activity.

The Storywalk Project is credited in concept to Anne Ferguson, a librarian from Montpelier, Vt., who copyrighted the program about 10 years ago. Following the start of the pandemic, some area libraries made them available outdoors for patrons.

The two Ive done with the nature center focused on stories about the outdoors, Walston said, with Tracks in the Snow by Wong Herbert Lee having been featured in the winter, and The Hike by Alison Farrell, the current story, put in place to coincide with Earth Day for a spring activity.

What makes the StoryWalk a good collaborative project between the Nature Center and the library is that it speaks to both of our missions, Emily Ciffone, program director at the center, said. Through literacy, we are bringing people of all ages outdoors and providing them with ways to engage with the environment.

Physical creation of the Storywalk, which required semi-permanent posts on which to hang weather-resistant pages, came through the generous gratis work of Paul Cardone, father of the librarys Samantha Cardone, childrens program coordinator.

We are grateful to my dad, she said, crediting him with the creation of both the temporary structures and new, permanent ones that will be used when the next Storywalk is undertaken later this month.

The childrens library will be able to use these standees on location and at the Darien Nature Center to share stories with the Darien community for many years to come, Walston said, with the next surprise story to kick off the summer reading program on June 21.

He really is a brilliant woodworker, she said.

Ciffone said that the response from the community to the Storywalk has been extremely positive, with parents in particular appreciating a chance to have the whole family engage in an outdoor activity.

Working with the library has always been a natural and easy process, she said of the collaboration.

We think this is a great outdoor activity for families to participate in together while practicing early literacy skills, Cardone said.

I love Storywalks, Walston said, especially those in the woods, because they're a great family activity and being outside can be an amazing mood booster.
To the Editor:

The Darien Community Association (DCA) would like to thank the numerous local businesses, organizations and individuals who were instrumental to the success of our recent Darien Neighbors Global Players Speaker Series.

These include our generous sponsors - Platinum Sponsor John M. Glover Insurance Agency; Gold Sponsor Miller Motorcars; Silver Sponsors Connecticut Community Bank and Dell Technologies; and Bronze Sponsors PG Properties, the Darien Police Association, Hollow Tree Self Storage and Nancy Dauk with Brown Harris Stevens as well as Holly and David Hawes with Compass CT.

Our speakers and moderators enthusiastically gave their time, shared unique insight and donated auction and door prizes: Jad Finck (Allbirds), Nate Checketts (Rhone), Chase Carey (Formula 1), Mark Waller (McLaren Racing), Jay Alter (ESPN) and Michael Mauboussin (Counterpoint Global, Morgan Stanley).

Production partners DAF Media and Jeff DeMaio Audio Visual Services enabled us to provide community connection through innovative livestream broadcasts and hybrid events.

Lastly, thank you to our large and supportive audience, whose participation in this fundraiser provided critical support for the mission of the DCA, as the place in our community to gather, give and learn.

Wanda Forlivio and Sue Hayes

DCA Darien Neighbors, Global Players Committee Chairs
Daytona Beach, FL (32114)

Today

Thunderstorms, some locally heavy early will become more isolated after midnight. Low 73F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall may reach one inch..

Tonight

Thunderstorms, some locally heavy early will become more isolated after midnight. Low 73F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall may reach one inch.
It sits there and just pumps up all the heat and humidity from the Southern states and the Gulf of Mexico and brings it right over the top of us, he said.


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Jagadish Reddy is on the radar of the partys top leadership after he held a private event in January last, at which several unsavoury comments were made by some participants against Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. (DC file image)

Hyderabad: Ousted health minister Etala Rajendar, it seems, was not the odd man out in the Telangana Rashtra Samiti. Another storm is brewing within, centering around energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy.

Jagadish Reddy is on the radar of the partys top leadership after he held a private event in January last, at which several unsavoury comments were made by some participants against TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, his leadership style and the growing trend of family domination in the ruling party.

The meeting took place at a resort in Hampi, Karnataka, where Jagadish Reddy was celebrating his sons birthday. Four TRS MLAs besides some other dignitaries attended the birthday party.

As per TRS sources, these MLAs and other dignitaries discussed the political situation in the state extensively. They also discussed the already simmering Rajendar issue in the party. The discussions hovered around the possibility of Rajendar launching his own party if Chandrashekar Raos son and minister K.T. Rama Rao was made Chief Minister.

One of the TRS MLAs sang a song on the situation existing in the TRS and gauging what would happen if Rama Rao becomes Chief Minister. A video of these promptly reached the Chief Ministers Office. It was noticed that minister Jagadish Reddy did not admonish the MLA. Instead, he remained silent while the detractors had a go at Chandrashekar Rao and his family.

An intellectual, whose loyalty to the Chief Minister was a criterion for his appointment to a nominated post, too was very aggressive in his criticism of Chandrashekar Rao. It was noticed that the minister kept silent, including on the remarks against Chandrashekar Rao in relation to the mishandling of the Rajendar issue.

There are eerie coincidences to the Rajendar saga. TRS sources had, in a similar setting, likened it to the beginning of the end for the former health minister. In a meeting held by Rajendar in Bengaluru last year, he was vocal about how unhappy and disappointed he was at the governance styles of Chandrashekar Rao. A leaking of such comments at this meeting eventually sealed Rajendars fate.

On his return from Bengaluru, too, Rajendar made sensational remarks against the government and the party high command. The sequences of such remarks continued despite Rajendar being grilled once by the party leadership over such of his indulgences. Rajendar came on the Chandrashekar Rao familys radar after this episode and it eventually ended with the CM forcing his health minister out of the Cabinet.

Now, its Jagadish Reddys turn to be on the radar of the TRS top brass. As the proceeding at the January meeting leaked and reached the high command, the CM made enquires about Jagadish Reddy and his meeting with the MLAs.

Party sources say the minister has explained to the CM that he organised the celebrations for his sons birthday along with his family and close friends. He stressed that there was no significant political discussion at the event.

The CMs radar is powerful and ubiquitous, which picks up all kinds of signals and does not miss anything important, especially matters that involve his ministers and party leaders. Chandrashekar Rao keeps getting reports about the meetings and movements of all key political figures. His rivals are specially kept track of.

The state intelligence closely monitors all key political activities every day, and reports to the CM as to who meets whom, who is going where, and the sleuths are invariably keeping a close watch on ministers and other influential people.

A close look at the suspected anti- Chandrashekar Rao moves was not done immediately because of the Nagarjunasagar bypoll. Now, discussions have turned to an impending Cabinet reshuffle. Sources say Jagadish Reddy could be replaced by Palla Rajeswar Reddy, who had recently been re-elected as a graduate constituency MLC.

The matter does not end there. The TRS is looking for a strong leader from the Reddy community, a leader who could play the role of in-charge of the erstwhile Nalgonda districts. Palla fits the bill, and hes close to the CM as well as minister Rama Rao.

Only time will say if the Jagadish Reddy saga too ends like that of Rajendar or get settled. The TRS party meanwhile is keeping its eyes and ears open.
P T Thomas (Congress) sought to know how the government's declared policy of financial austerity and spending whopping amount for the 'refurbishing' of the CM's bungalow would go together. (Wikipedia)

Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition Congress-led UDF on Tuesday slammed the Left government in Kerala over its decision to renovate Cliff House, the official residence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan spending nearly one crore rupees at a time when the state was reeling under acute financial crunch.

Raising the issue in the Assembly, P T Thomas (Congress) sought to know how the government's declared policy of financial austerity and spending whopping amount for the 'refurbishing' of the CM's bungalow would go together.

"The finance minister has ensured the House that he would implement financial discipline. So, he should explain how the austerity measures and the spending of crores of rupees for the refurbishing of the buildings would go each other," the Thrikkakkara MLA said.

Finance Minister K N Balagopal, however, rejected the criticism of the opposition saying the government was taking all possible steps to reduce expenditure.

"At the same time, it is also important to conserve the heritage buildings under the ownership of the government by making necessary repair and renovation," he said during the question hour.

There are buildings which are 100 to 120 years-old in the state and necessary maintenance work should be carried out to preserve them and the Cliff House was one among such old buildings, he added.

Balagopal also cautioned the opposition that avoiding extravagant spending does not mean refraining from minimum things to be done by the government.

There were media reports that the second LDF government had granted permission to renovate Vijayan's official residence here spending over 90 lakh rupees and the contract was awarded to Uralungal, a labour society based in north Kerala, without allegedly inviting any formal tender.

A royal era building constructed 79 years ago, Cliff House, located at Nanthancode in the heart of the city, had been the official residence of majority of Chief Ministers, after the state of Kerala was formed in 1957.

Earlier, it was the residence of 'diwan peshkar' (secretary of the state) during erstwhile royal rule.
Based on the recommendations of the assistant commissioner of police of Banjara Hills division, the Jubilee Hills inspector S Rajasekhar Reddy submitted a report to the additional chief metropolitan magistrate court, Secunderabad. (Representational image: Facebook)

Hyderabad: The city police have concluded that the case of knocking of a valuable property in Jubilee Hills by way of impersonating the plot owner and forging her identity allegedly by chairman of NTV Telugu news channel T Narendra Chowdary and others, is not a criminal act, but civil in nature.

Based on the recommendations of the assistant commissioner of police of Banjara Hills division, the Jubilee Hills inspector S Rajasekhar Reddy submitted a report to the additional chief metropolitan magistrate court, Secunderabad.

The ACP also suggested that the complainant in the case should seek relief from the Registrar of Cooperative Societies.

The report by the ACP, a copy of which is available with Deccan Chronicle, is self-explanatory that the police have not made any effort to investigate the allegations of serious offences. These offences include impersonation and forgery of an identity proof -- that too a voter ID card issued by the Election Commission of India  by the accused.

Notably, the accused have been granted anticipatory bail by the Telangana High Court.

Instead, the inspector dwelled at length on his investigation into the backdrop of filing of the case, the bitter rivalry between Chowdary and the complainant in the recently held society elections, and the efforts of a few to encroach into the plot allotted to one Ch Sirisha and is lying vacant.

The report filed before the magistrate completely ignored the deposition made by the owner of a house in Jubilee Hills, the municipal number of which was mentioned in the voter ID card of Sirisha, to establish proof of residence.

According to complainant B Ravindranath, secretary of the Jubilee Hills cooperative housing society, the NTV chairman along with others conspired to sell the Rs.45 crore worth plot using illegal means. The plot was originally allotted in the name of Sirisha, who was later found to be settled in the US, married an American and became a citizen there.

However, during the thick of the pandemic, Chowdary and secretary Hanumantha Rao completed the allotment process and registered the plot to a person who claimed herself to be Sirisha.

The person, who allegedly impersonated Sirisha, within no time registered a gift deed in favour of one Srihari who, in turn, sold it to former AP Minister P Pulla Raos wife.

The Jubilee Hills inspector referred to a high court order directing the society to register the plot in the name of Sirisha perhaps in support of his civil-in-nature claims. Other plots were indeed registered following the HC order. But this particular case pertains to the criminal procedure in which the plot was registered, said Ravindranath, adding that he was filing a protest petition against the police report.
Like Rajendar, Ramana is also considered a prominent BC leader from North Telangana region and hails from Karimnagar district. Ramana is expected to join TRS very soon.  DC Image

HYDERABA/KARIMNAGAR: The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leadership is making moves to garner support of Backward Classes to minimise the impact of Etala Rajendar's exit from the party. Rajendar was a strong BC leader, who ensured victory for TRS in his native district right from the inception of the party.

The party is learnt to be luring Telangana TDP president L. Ramana, a BC leader, into its fold and reportedly offered him an MLC seat.

Speculations are rife in TRS circles that minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao and TRS Jagtial MLA M Sanjay Kumar held negotiations with Ramana and made this offer as per the directions of TRS president and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.

Like Rajendar, Ramana is also considered a prominent BC leader from North Telangana region and hails from Karimnagar district. Ramana is expected to join TRS very soon.

The TDP which already lost its leader and cadre base to the TRS in Telangana after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh would receive another major blow with Ramana' exit.

Ramana, who belongs to Padmashali community from Jagtial, has considerable hold in Karimnagar district. The TRS leadership apparently feels that Ramana could fill up the vacancy created by Rajendar who is all set to join the BJP, so that he could balance the BC equations in the district. Ramana, got elected to Legislative Assembly twice in 1994 and 2009. He worked as handlooms and textiles minister in Chandrababu Naidu's Cabinet in undivided AP in 1995-96.

After bifurcation of AP in 2014, he was appointed as Telangana TDP president, the post that he continues to hold even today. He contested the recent Graduate MLC election for Hyderabad-Rangareddy-Mahbubnagar constituency but failed to retain deposit. Ramana continued in the TDP despite all his colleagues like Errabelli Dayakar Rao and A Revanth Reddy quit and joined other parties.

By taking Ramana into the party fold and elevating him as MLC, the TRS leadership wants to pacify BCs and wants to send a message to BCs in general and Karimnagar in particular that the TRS gives prominence to BCs and sacking of Rajendar should not be viewed as anti-BC stand of the TRS.

Since there are six MLC seats to be filled under MLA quota and one under Governor quota, the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is ready to give one to L. Ramana if he agrees to join the party, it is learnt.

Ramana hails from Jagtial of united Karimnagar district. He started his political career in 1978 as student leader from Congress-I and later joined the TD after its formation the late Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao.
TRS leaders are trying to convince the cadre not to support Ravinder Reddy and are assuring them of due recognition.  DC Image

NIZAMABAD: Intelligence sleuths are concentrating on followers and those in support of former MLA Enugu Ravinder Reddy.

It may be noted that Reddy ended his two-decade association with TRS to join BJP.

In this context, the former MLA is interacting with supporters in Yellareddy, Nagireddypet, Lingampet, Gandhari, Sadashivanagar, Rajampet and Ramareddy mandals.

Supporters in huge numbers attended his meeting in Yellareddy town on Monday, which was barred for the media.

Reportedly, Ravinder Reddy discussed their strong base in villages and the future course of action. The participants whole-heartedly backed his move. The four-time legislator has developed a strong cadre base in Yellareddy Assembly constituency. Although not only supporting him, some elected representatives are in touch with him. Their movements and interactions are being monitored by intelligence officials, who are reportedly collecting information about village-wise supporters.

On the other hand, TRS leaders are trying to convince the cadre not to support Ravinder Reddy and are assuring them of due recognition.

Reddys followers are planning to play the role of a strong opposition in the constituency.

It is believed that a high-voltage political situation will prevail in the constituency as Reddy is going on whirlwind tours in the constituency.
The National Democratic Alliance government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked its seventh anniversary at the end of last month. The celebrations were muted because of the sickness and death that the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to us. But the Prime Minister did put out a document on the achievements of the seven years. It was called Vikas Yatra and had 15 points.

The first point was Ease of doing business. In the World Banks report, India has risen from 142 to 63 in doing business. This is indeed commendable. What does it mean? It is a survey of limited firms of a particular size and how easily they are able to obtain permits in two cities (Mumbai and Delhi). The Vikas Yatra document does not refer to what the result of India climbing on the index was. Presumably making doing business easier would result in more businesses investing in this country.

But Indias investment rate has fallen from 38 per cent of GDP before Narendra Modi to 28 per cent now.

The second point is called Ease of living. This is not an index that the world measures and it is not quite clear what is meant by it, so I will leave it alone. The third one is Eliminating corruption, and it says that PM Narendra Modi has led a historic battle against corruption Now, honesty is honoured, and transparency is the norm.

In Transparency Internationals Global Corruption Perceptions Index, India has fallen from a rank of 76 in the world in 2015 to 86 this year.

The fourth point is called Empowering youth opportunities. It says: The last seven years of the Modi government have focused on clearing the path of Indias youth as they navigate through opportunities across fields.

The latest Periodic Labour Force Survey conducted by the Narendra Modi government says that youth unemployment in urban India is 23 per cent. This means that one in four young people looking for work cannot find it. This is the highest rate that India has ever had.

The fifth point is Health for all. Here we need not look beyond what is going on all around us at this very time. Indias government is unique in the world in several ways. First, because it has the highest cost of vaccination in the world. Second, because there are three different vaccination procurements -- the Centre, states and private companies. And third, because India has defaulted on its commitments to vaccinate the world. We need not go into all the details of this today. So far as health for all is concerned, only a few days ago oxygen was being sold for Rs 60,000 a cylinder lasting for a few hours in Delhi and there was (and there is) no national helpline for finding oxygen and essential drugs.

The sixth point is called Infra for growth. Indias GDP growth has been falling since January 2018, according to the governments own figures. It fell from eight per cent to seven per cent to six per cent to five per cent to four per cent to three per cent even before the pandemic. Last year the economy contracted in the biggest fall in its history.

The seventh point is called Mobility for the middle class and says that no other government has done more for them as the Modi government. Last month a report by the Azim Premji University showed that during the pandemic 27 crore Indians were pushed into poverty. This means that they were not poor according to the governments poverty line before but have become now.

The Vikas Yatras eight point is called Nari Shakti for New India The participation of women in Indias labour force is around 10 per cent today, the lowest in history. In a 2018 study by Thomson Reuters, India was found to be the most dangerous place for women in the world. In the 2020 Georgetown Institutes Women, Peace and Security Index, India ranked 133, having fallen two places since 2017.

Point 9 says Prosperous farmers for prosperous India. It claims that farmers welfare is a top priority for the Modi government. The tens of thousands of farmers currently holding protests outside Delhis borders, who have been sitting there for the past six month and who have been vilified as terrorists, Khalistanis and anti-nationals, will disagree.

Number 10 is Putting India first. The claim here is on national security. We havent been told yet what the status of our patrolling in Depsang is by the government, but if experts are to be believed we have given away considerable space to China.

Numbers 11, 12, 13 and 14 are called Renewed focus on the Northeast, Social empowerment, Taking development to the poorest and Transformative economic growth. These are generic terms, but we can accept that work has been done on them. The final point is India fights Corona. It would be interesting to see what the world thinks of that statement. Even with its under-reporting of numbers on infections and deaths, India has the second highest number of cases in the world and the third highest number of deaths. Estimates say that in reality it is the leader in both and that the number of deaths just in the second wave has been over a million across India.

This then is the state of the Government of India and of our country as we enter the eighth year of the Narendra Modi government.
The American drawdown has begun in earnest, and it is only a matter of weeks before it becomes total. Till Chinas Peoples Liberation Army woke us up and Covid-19 knocked us down, Indian diplomats, both professional and self-styled, were arguing for an active Indian policy in Afghanistan, suggesting if problems in that historically uncontrollable country were not controlled these will spill over into India. This is quite nonsensical. India doesnt even have a border with Afghanistan. India has Pakistan as its buffer. If that Afghan situation were to boil over it will spill out mostly into Pakistan, a country quite dedicated to our destruction.

No one country has played a more deleterious role in unleashing chaos in Afghanistan than Pakistan, and it is only Pakistan, because of its unique history and geography that can still play an active role in Afghanistan. We must never forget that half the Pashtun nation lives in Pakistan. And to understand what Afghanistan is today we only have to recall the words of a great Afghan poet, Khushal Khan Khattak:

Son one word I have for thee,/ Fear no one and no one you flee./ Pull out your sword and slay any one,/ That says Pashtun and Afghan are not one./ Arabs know this and so do Romans,/ Afghans are Pashtuns,/

Pashtuns are Afghans.

Afghanistan only emerged as a country of sorts in the mid-18th century, when Ahmad Khan, later Ahmad Shah, leader of the Abdali contingent in the Persian army of Nadir Shah, carved out a buffer zone between Persia and a crumbling Mughal empire in the Indian subcontinent. This later evolved into a buffer zone between Czarist Russia and British India. As a consequence of the May 1879 Treaty of Gandamak after the Second Afghan War, Britain had taken control of Afghanistans foreign affairs. This treaty also gave Britain control over traditional Pashtun territory west of the Indus, including Peshawar and the Khyber Pass.

After the Panjdeh incident, a joint Anglo-Russian boundary commission, without any Afghan participation, fixed the Afghan border with Turkestan, which was the whole of Russian Central Asia, now- Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Thus, as a consequence of the competition between Britain and Russia, a new country, the Afghanistan that we know today, was created to serve as the buffer.

The United States National Intelligence Councils 2008 report Global Trends 2025 has this to say about Pakistans prospects: The future of Pakistan is a wild card in considering the trajectory of neighbouring Afghanistan. Pakistans Northwest Frontier Province and tribal areas probably will continue to be poorly governed and the source or supporter of cross-border instability. In due course a broader coalescence of Pashtun tribes is likely to emerge and act together to erase the Durand Line, maximising Pashtun space at the expense of the Punjabis in Pakistan and the Tajiks and others in Afghanistan. If this comes to be, should it worry us too much?

Now lets take a reality check on the Afghan situation. With a population of about 39 million and growing at 2.33 per cent annually, it has a GDP of $19 billion, placing it among the worlds poorest countries. It ranks 173 out of 177 in the world HDI rankings. But what this GDP is made up of should cause us sleepless nights. Almost 45 per cent of the GDP is due to grants from America and its allies, Saudi Arabia and some from even countries like India.

Since 2002, the United States has deployed about $150 billion on non-military aid to Afghanistan, but in the same period it also spent about $900 billion on military operations in Afghanistan, which really means mainly on itself. Afghanistans own revenues are less than 10 per cent of its GDP. Quite clearly, without this continued burn rate of Western aid, Afghanistans GDP will undergo a massive contraction, something few nations can emerge from without irrevocably and irretrievably changing. Just not to fall off the treadmill Afghanistan needs an annual grant-in-aid package of about $15 billion. Military operations will cost a lot more.

The other numbers in Afghanistan are equally distressing. In 2015, the country produced nearly 7,000 tons of opium and converted almost 670 tons of heroin. Afghanistan now produces 87 per cent of the worlds heroin. Other estimates suggest Afghanistan accounts for 92 per cent of the worlds non-pharma grade opiates. In the Taliban period, the total area under opium cultivation was just 30 sq. km. During the ISAF occupation this rose to about 285 sq. km. The pressure to cultivate opium is huge. Opium earns about $16,000 per hectare, while wheat just fetches about $1600 per hectare.

The total value of legal exports from Afghanistan are estimated to be about $776 million, accounting for around 20 per cent of GDP. The main Afghan exports are carpets and rugs (45%); dried fruits (31%) and medicinal plants (12%). Its main export partners are Pakistan (48%), India (19%) and Russia (9%). Afghanistan now imports almost 10 times that, which leaves it with a trade deficit of $5.8 billion. This further underscores its dependence on grants-in-aid.

But this situation isnt entirely without hope. For a mountainous and mostly desert country, Afghanistan has a fairly large available arable acreage. It has eight million hectares of it, but right now exploits only 1.6 million. It also has sufficient water resources, but its rivers mostly flow into the Indus and Pakistan doesnt allow Afghanistan, either by direct pressure or more unorthodox means, to develop these resources for agriculture. Fruit and vegetable production was over $800 million last year and contributes hugely to its exports. The scope to expand this is great, but Pakistans water aggressiveness must be curbed to benefit Afghanistan.

To be able to prosecute the war against the Taliban and grow at a useful rate to meet the demands of its fast-growing population, Afghanistan needs about $2 billion a month. In 1992, after the Russians precipitously pulled out of Afghanistan, it took a dole of $300 million from Russia to enable the Najibullah government to hold on. One month after it was stopped, the Najibullah government collapsed.

In 1841 William McNaughten sent a message to the Governor General in Calcutta that read: What can you do with a kingdom whose revenues are only Rs 15 lakhs a year? Now it has revenue of about only $2.6 billion, and grants help it to barely stay afloat. When the West pulls out and the money spigots run dry, what will happen to Pakistan?
More than a dozen people work in the Litchfield office, about six of them lawyers and 7 or 8 others, said Ken Taylor, a lawyer in the firms New Milford office. Although they didnt see the shooting happen, weve reached out to the staff to make sure everyone is OK, he said.
Updated: June 8, 2021

This week, the Delaware County COVID-19 Task Force is offering free COVID-19 vaccines at fourteen sites, including three large-scale Delaware County Government clinics at the Delaware County Wellness Center in Yeadon, the Keystone First Wellness Center in Chester, and Springfield Hospital.

All vaccinations are free, and do not require identification or health insurance.

The Moderna vaccine will be offered to individuals 18 years of age and older at the Keystone First Wellness Centerlocated at 1929 W. 9th Street in Chesteron Thursday, June 10, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Moderna will also be available at the Delaware County Wellness Center located at 125 Chester Avenue in Yeadonon Tuesday, June 8, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday, June 12, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Wellness Center will not be open on Sunday as originally scheduled.

The Pfizer vaccine will be offered on Thursday, June 10, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Delaware County Wellness Center, and is also being offered at Springfield Hospitallocated at 190 W. Sproul Road in Springfieldon Monday, June 7 through Friday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Pfizer is available to individuals 12 years of age and older. Parents or guardians must provide consent for 12 to 15-year-olds who are receiving the Pfizer vaccine from Delaware County Government and must plan to be present during the vaccination.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be offered at 69th Street Terminal on Thursday, June 10, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Great Hall. Walk-ins are encouraged. Please note that the Delaware County Community College, which has provided Johnson & Johnson vaccinations for the past two months, has permanently closed as of June 5.

In addition to these large-scale vaccination siteseach capable of vaccinating hundreds of individuals each daythe Delaware County COVID-19 Task Force is hosting a variety of smaller municipality-partnered vaccination clinics as part of the ongoing Pop-Up COVID-19 Vaccination Program. Clinics will be held at small pedestrian- and parking-friendly sites in Bethel, Concord, Chadds Ford, Chester Heights, Edgmont, Media, Middletown Township, Newtown Township, and Thornbury. Single-dose Johnson & Johnson and two-dose Moderna will be offered.

Delaware County residents who are homebound or unable to safely leave their residence also have the option to receive the vaccine in their safety of their own home through the Countys Homebound COVID-19 Vaccination Program. To schedule a homebound vaccination for themselves or a loved one, residents should call the COVID-19 Call Center at (484) 276-2100.
Editor of Town Talk, News & Press of Delaware County

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Highlights of this day in history: Islam's Prophet Mohammed dies; James Earl Ray caught, wanted for killing civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.; Architect Frank Lloyd Wright born; The N.Y. Yankees retire Mickey Mantle's number. (June 8)
Dr. Monica Taylor is sworn -in as a Delaware County Council member in January 2020 as daughters Zoey and Maya hold the Bible at the Honorable John V. Diggins Ceremonial Courtroom at the Delaware County Courthouse.
Courts

Man caught with 26 pounds of weed pleads out for time served, probation
Today, in 2021, we can view it as an object in what was for some people considered the first genocide that ever took place on the North American continent, Frank said. So that same object depending on how you look at it, how you view it, the layers of history that you put on it, really changes how you see the sword.
The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has today issued decisions not to prosecute three individuals who wore Soldier F insignia during an Apprentice Boys parade in Derry.

It comes almost two years after the Clyde Valley Flute Band wore Parachute Regiment insignia with a letter F underneath in support of a British soldier charged with murdering innocent civilians in Derry.

Three individuals were reported to police for an alleged public order offence at the parade on August 10, 2019.

Thirteen people were killed and fifteen wounded when members of the British Army's Parachute Regiment opened fire on civil rights demonstrators on Bloody Sunday in 1972.

An ex-paratrooper known as Soldier F is charged with murdering Jim Wray and William McKinney.

He's also charged with attempting to murder Patrick O'Donnell, Joseph Friel, Joe Mahon and Michael Quinn, as well as attempting to murder a number of persons unknown.

Bloody Sunday families viewed the bands actions on August 10, 2019, as a deliberate attempt to cause hurt and heighten tensions.

The PPS had to consider whether the wearing of these shirts amounted to an offence of provocative conduct having regard to all the circumstances including the location of the parade, the findings of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, and the pending prosecution of Soldier F for offences including murder.

Several requests for further information were made to police to ensure that all relevant evidence was obtained and properly taken into account.

The offence of provocative conduct has two limbs. The first arises where a person displays something, or does any act in any public place, with intent to provoke a breach of the peace.

The second arises where the conduct is likely to result in a breach of the peace or public disorder, whether or not there was any specific intent that it should do so.

PPS Assistant Director Martin Hardy said: A Senior Public Prosecutor, assisted by advice from independent Senior Counsel, carefully considered all the available evidence and information reported on a police investigation file.

It was concluded that the Test for Prosecution was not met in respect of any offence for any of the three individuals on evidential grounds.

In respect of two of the three reported individuals, both of whom had worn the relevant shirts, it was concluded, following careful consideration of all the relevant facts and circumstances, that there was no reasonable prospect of conviction.

EVENTS ON THE DAY

In the lead up to the march on August 10, DUP representatives including East Derry MP Gregory Campbell, Foyle MLA Gary Middleton, new DUP leader Edwin Poots and new Mayor of Derry City & Strabane District Council, Graham Warke, stood under a Parachute Regiment banner in the Fountain estate in support of our British soldiers.

Then Sinn Fein MLA Raymond McCartney, amongst others, accused the DUP of provocation and pandering to loyalists.

Before the march it had been agreed that no provocative symbols would be on display, according to parade negotiators, businessman Garvan O'Doherty and Donncha MacNiallais of the Bogside Residents Group.

However, General Secretary of the Apprentice Boys of Derry, Billy Moore, said it was nonsense to suggest that any agreement was in place before the march.

During the march the PSNI intervened to escort the Clyde Valley Flute Band from Larne around the main parade but it was prevented from taking part in the return leg.

The bands bus was stopped by the PSNI on the way home.

Afterwards, Bloody Sunday families said they were disgusted and felt it was a deliberate attempt to antagonise them.

They said the band should never be allowed to march in the city again.

The DUP described the policing operation as heavy handed and over the top.

They said it angered the unionist community and along with members of the UUP met PSNI officials to question the police response.

First Minister Arlene Foster also said people have the right to support Soldier F.

Disorder followed in the Bogside during which petrol bombs were thrown at the Apprentice Boys memorial hall and the City Walls.

Several days later the Apprentice Boys of Derry offered an apology saying that it recognised the potential upset caused to nationalists.

Families of the victims of Bloody Sunday then had a cordial and constructive meeting with the Apprentice Boys with a view to restoring positive relations in the city.

The considerations that informed today's PPS conclusion included the context of the event, which, the PPS says was an annually held loyal order parade at which symbols of British military pageantry would be anticipated.

The PPS said the nature of and size of the emblems did not reference any unlawful organisation or carry any positive message of offence, and were small and visible only from close range.

According to the PPS, there was an absence of any clear evidential link between the conduct of the suspects and the public disorder that took place on the evening of the parade

The difficulty in proving any specific intent on the part of the reported individuals and the fact that, under the second limb of the offence, the prosecution is required to prove that violence, or threatened violence, was the likely effect of the suspects conduct.

Proof of a mere risk or possibility of a breach of the peace would not suffice.

The third reported individual had worn a replica military uniform which did not bear any emblem relating to the Parachute Regiment or Soldier F.

It was concluded that there was nothing worn, or done, by this individual in the course of the parade that provided any separate basis for prosecution.

Mr Hardy added: Although it was concluded that the wearing of the emblems did not provide a basis for prosecution, we recognise the sensitivities and concerns arising from the conduct of the Clyde Valley Flute Band in Derry on 10th August 2019.

Those sensitivities and concerns were recognised by the band itself when it withdrew from a subsequent parade in December 2019.

The decision not to prosecute is a judgment as to the likely prospects of proving an offence in the context of a criminal trial and should in no way be seen as diminishing the hurt that the conduct may have caused, not least to the victims and loved ones of those killed on Bloody Sunday.
A County Derry teenager is to appear on a TG4 talent showcase after judges were impressed by her multi-instrument talent.

Caitriona Lagan, from Castledawson, submitted her audition video after seeing an advertisement online for Cruthaim, a TG4 programme which gives young Irish speakers a voice to express themselves.

The 14-year-old says she enlisted the help of a friend to help her brush up on her Irish skills.

Pictured with the TG4 film crew in Magherafelt.

I saw the post online asking to audition by sending in a few videos of you playing, so that's how I found the TV programme was looking for people, she told the County Derry Post.

I was a bit nervous, because I don't speak Irish fluently, but we went to a friend's house  Maire Darragh - to help with the Irish speaking part of the video.

I recorded that the next day and then used an app to put the two clips together and send it off.

Mum Roisin said the judges had been impressed by her ability to play multiple instruments and the pair were thrilled when they got a response a few weeks later.

Initially, the video had to be 30 seconds and then she had to talk in Irish with a wee bit of music, said Roisin.

The teenager's wide array of instruments includes the banjo.

She made the initial 30 seconds in April time and about three weeks later, they got back to us to say they'd chosen Caitriona to represent County Derry.

They were impressed with her talent and loved the video she sent with the five instruments.

In search of a suitable location in which to record the video for her TV appearance, Caitriona and mum Roisin enlisted the help of the local parish, who offered the use of the hall.

Caitriona had done a charity session before, so we contacted the parish. and they said it was no problem, said Roisin.

On the day, the camera man had said he would have liked somewhere outside. It was a beautiful day and Fr Gates [parish priest] agreed to let us use the grounds over at the parochial house.

The diversity of Caitriona's instruments meant the filming for her video took a little longer, and the crew spent almost six hours filming her at a number of locations.

We had to go up the mountain and it took about 20 minutes just to get there. We filmed a load of different clips on it, said the St Pius X College, Magherafelt student.

It was good craic. I think they said it was the longest recording that they did. Everyone else's was only two or three hours, but mine was a lot longer.

Caitriona during filming at the parochial house in Magherafelt.

It actually flew, I had a lot of fun. I didn't even realise until I looked at the time that five and a half hours had gone by, because it was fun.

With the video being aired at 3.45pm, Caitriona may actually miss her TV debut while on the way home from school, but thankfully all the clips will be available on the Cruthaim YouTube channel.

Getting to represent her county, while appearing on TV for the first time, will be a proud experience for Caitriona.

I feel very proud, because I'm the only one getting to represent Derry, she said.

My friends were a bit shocked when I told them. It's my first time being on TV. I don't think it will feel real, but I'm really excited for it.

Caitriona will appear on the Cruthaim programme on TG4 on Thursday June 10 at 3.45pm, with the video available afterwards on the Cruthaim YouTube channel.
Marie Heaney has officially launched a new outdoor visitor experience which for the first time brings her husband Seamus Heaneys literature into the landscape of South Derry which so inspired him.

Seamus Heaney HomePlace Open Ground is a series of five locations, all of which held a significance for the poet, from the Strand at Lough Beg to the banks of the Moyola River.

Seamus Heaneys poetry is not only visible in each place where interpretation panels explain the literary connections, but also audible with the poets own voice heard via listening posts on site, as well as via a dedicated Open Ground App, with elements of augmented reality adding a new dimension to the experience.

Open Ground has been developed by Mid Ulster District Council which manages Seamus Heaney HomePlace, with funding from DAERA, and represents an overall investment of 750K.

The Strand at Lough Beg, a place of special memories for Seamus Heaney, has been made accessible to visitors for the first time.

A newly constructed boardwalk leads to a woodland pathway which gently opens out into a clearing with uninterrupted views across Lough Beg to Church Island and its soft outline of yew.

A riverside walk along the Moyola River, where Seamus Heaney walked, fished and thought, is now also more accessible to visitors who can meander alongside those same river banks, retracing the steps of the poet who was at home on the water in all sorts of ways.

Sculpture is at the heart of the remaining three locations, with a tall, steel structure at the Eelworks in Toome, symbolising the twists and turns of eels as they swim, and reflecting the poets fascination with both the lifecycle of eels and the fishermen who trapped them.

An alleyway in Magherafelt is now home to the sculpted silhouettes of people walking towards the towns bus station which featured in Heaneys poetry, with the agitated rooks from Route 110, the poem which takes its title from the number of a local bus, flying just above their heads.

The existing Turfman sculpture in Bellaghy has benefited from an extended and freshly landscaped seating area, creating a new space for visitors to contemplate both the art piece and lines from Digging, one of Seamus Heaneys most well-known poems.

Speaking at the launch, Chair of the Council, Councillor Cathal Mallaghan, said: This is a truly unique development which brings Seamus Heaneys poetry alive in the places which were so much a part of his formative years and had such an influence on the body of work which brought him literatures highest accolade  the Nobel Prize.

If you read Seamus Heaneys speech from the day on which he became a Nobel Laureate, you will be left in no doubt about his roots being in South Derry and their significance on his journey from his home in the traditional thatched farmstead to the stage on Stockholm.

I consider it an honour to be launching Open Ground and to celebrate further the man, his work and his deep connections to this area.

Chris Heaney, speaking on behalf of the Heaney family, said: "The names of the locations that make up this particular open ground - Bellaghy, Magherafelt, Toome, Moyola, Lough Beg - are familiar to people from this locale but they have also become familiar to readers of my father's poetry throughout the world. The development of five sites linked to different poems was a great idea from the start and there is something special and genuinely powerful hearing the poems read in their own home places.

Director of Rural Affairs at DAERA, Paul Donnelly said: Tourism has the potential to create jobs and opportunities for our rural communities and economy and I am delighted that we have invested 471k from our Rural Tourism Scheme into the Heaney Open Ground Experience.

"This project will highlight the literacy significance of the sites in the life story of Seamus Heaney and in doing so will hopefully attract more people to visit the area and stay longer.
A new scholarship scheme has been launched in Derry to help two young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to fulfil their dreams of becoming a doctor.

The new School of Medicine at the Magee campus of Ulster University will receive its first intake of trainee doctors in August.

It was revealed today that local building form, Heron Bros, are to sponsor two of the new students.

The students will each receive 6,000 for each of the course's four year.

One of the key requirements is that the students live in an area of 'high deprivation' and must has attended a school where more than 50% of the pupils received free meals.

Applications for the scholarships will open on July 5 for students starting the Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery programme in August 2021.

Damien OCallaghan, Group Managing Director for Heron Bros Ltd, said they were honoured to partner with the university for the new scholarships.

In funding scholarships to students, Heron Bros will build a better future for the local community, support upskilling of local talented people and provide health benefits for all of us, he said.

Heron Bros have been involved in various health, education and third sector education construction projects over the years and the scholarships truly showcases our business values of passion, forward-thinking and relationships.

As we progress from the Covid pandemic, Heron Bros Medicine Scholarships will support our future medicine students provide a vital and enduring service in our community.

The Foundation Dean of the School of Medicine, Professor Louise Dubras, welcomed the scholarship announcement for prospective students.

Ulster University and Heron Bros have enjoyed a longstanding partnership which has seen many of our students work with the team on a variety of Apprenticeship, Placement and Graduate programmes, enriching their learning experience and increasing employability.

We are very proud to continue to strengthen this partnership through this scholarship announcement and we are delighted that Heron Bros will support two of our students through the brand new Graduate Entry Medicine programme, starting in August 2021.

This presents opportunities for those who may face barriers to developing their vocation for a career in medicine  thanks to these scholarships they can now access and achieve the qualifications needed to become a doctor, joining the ambitious, capable healthcare hub here in the North West in four years time.
Arjuns Sister Anshula Returns Home From The Hospital; Father Boney Kapoor Confirms Shes In Fine Health

Veteran superstar Dilip Kumar was admitted to Hinduja hospital a few days ago after he complained of breathlessness. He was diagnosed with bilateral pleural effusion and was on oxygen support in the ICU. While he is stable now and will be discharged soon, it was reported that Arjun Kapoors sister Anshula was also admitted to the same hospital recently. The place was buzzing with paparazzi who snapped her as well as her sister Janhvi Kapoor. Well, it has been revealed that Anshula was admitted for a routine check up and has now been discharged from the hospital.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anshula Kapoor (@anshulakapoor)

In a report shared by Bollywood Hungama, Anshulas filmmaker father Boney Kapoor was quoted saying, Anshula was in hospital for routine tests and a check-up. Shes in fine health and now back home. All those worried about her can stop stressing. He went on to add, You see, Mr Dilip Kumar was also admitted into the same hospital when my daughter was there. Hence the photographers presence was stronger than ever. But like I said, its all good. Anshula is home and healthy. Touchwood.

Well, thats great news! Along with the Kapoor Khaandan, Anshulas fans can also take a breath of relief after hearing this health update.
Saira Banu Shares Health Update About Dilip Kumar Along With A Picture From The Hospital

Legendary actor Dilip Kumar, who was admitted to a hospital here after experiencing breathlessness, is stable and should be discharged soon, his wife and veteran actor Saira Banu said on Monday. Kumar, 98, was taken to the suburban Khar-based Hinduja Hospital, a non-COVID-19 facility, on Sunday, where he was diagnosed with bilateral pleural effusion, which is the build-up of excess fluid between the layers of the pleura outside the lungs.

The all-time favorite pink shirt. pic.twitter.com/JVsgntYTj3  Dilip Kumar (@TheDilipKumar) March 2, 2021

Earlier in the day, Kumar's family said in a tweet that the actor was on oxygen support and stable. In a note shared on the actor's official Twitter account in the evening, Banu thanked fans for their prayers and best wishes. "My husband, my Kohinoor, our Dilip Kumar Sahab's health is stable and doctors have assured me that he should be discharged soon," the 76-year-old actor said. Banu, who shared her picture with Kumar from his hospital bed, also appealed to the people to not fall prey to rumours. "While I ask you to pray for Sahab I am praying that the Almighty keep all of you safe and healthy during this pandemic," she further said.

Message from Saira Banu pic.twitter.com/TDQzXDAigs  Dilip Kumar (@TheDilipKumar) June 7, 2021

Dr Jalil Parkar, the chest specialist treating the screen icon, said Kumar's health condition has improved and he is responding to the treatment. The oxygen saturation levels of the veteran star were also better, he further said. "His health is much better. His oxygen saturation has improved and the fluid has reduced too with the medicines. His breathing difficulty has also reduced. We will now monitor his improvement, check if the fluid reduces more," Parkar told PTI.

If the improvement continues, Kumar will be be discharged soon, added Parkar. "Dr Nitin Gokhale and I will review tomorrow once again and take a joint call," he said. The actor was admitted to the same hospital last month for a regular health check-up.

Kumar, who made acting debut with Jwar Bhata in 1944, has appeared in several iconic films in his career spanning over five decades, including Kohinoor, Mughal-e-Azam, Devdas, Naya Daur, Ram Aur Shyam, among others. He was last seen on the big screen in Qila in 1998.
The Lunchbox Casting Director Seher Aly Latif Dies After Suffering Cardiac Arrest

Casting director Seher Aly Latif, known for her work on films like The Lunchbox and Durgamati, passed away on Monday due to cardiac arrest, her associate and director Neeraj Udhwani said. She was in her early 40s. Also the co-founder of independent production company Mutant Films, Latif backed the Netflix series Bhaag Beanie Bhaag, starring Swara Bhasker, and Maska, a film for the streaming service which featured Manisha Koirala.

Udhwani, who directed Maska, said Latif was admitted to Lilavati Hospital eight days ago due to kidney failure. "There was some infection, which caused renal failure. She was admitted last weekend. She was on antibiotics and was recovering. But today she suffered a cardiac arrest and suddenly it was all over," the filmmaker told PTI.

Latif was known for her extensive work as a casting director on projects like mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan's biopic The Man Who Knew Infinity, starring Dev Patel; filmmaker Gurinder Chadha's period film Viceroy's House and Bhumi Pednekar-fronted drama feature Durgamati. She was the Indian casting associate for acclaimed international projects like the Kathryn Bigelow feature directorial Zero Dark Thirty, Julia Roberts-starrer Eat Pray Love, the Netflix series Sense8, season four of the Showtime espionage thriller Homeland and the BBC One/AMC series, McMafia.

Nimrat Kaur, who starred in The Lunchbox and Homeland, took to Twitter to pay tributes to Latif. "One of the kindest, most loving people Mumbai gifted my life with. Still trying to process this unreal news... Travel on into the light my dearest, sweetest Seher. The unpredictable, ghastly shortness of life remains baffling. Await to meet you on the other side," Kaur wrote.

One of the kindest, most loving people Mumbai gifted my life with. Still trying to process this unreal news....

Travel on into the light my dearest, sweetest Seher. The unpredictable, ghastly shortness of life remains baffling...

Await to meet you on the other side. pic.twitter.com/18jnHvytTL  Nimrat Kaur (@NimratOfficial) June 7, 2021

Filmmaker Ritesh Batra, who helmed the acclaimed 2013 drama The Lunchbox, shared Kaur's tweet and said he was shocked to learn about Latif's passing. "I don't believe it, unfair parting with a kind soul and real friend. Goodbye Seher, I hope there is another side," Batra wrote. Maska actor Nikita Dutta posted a picture with Latif to remember her "The heaven will be blessed with your mushy hugs and infectious smile. Still can't fathom this though," Dutta wrote. "Salut #SeherLatif such an amazing casting director, producer and wonderful person. Gone too soon. Thank you for your legacy of films. God bless," tweeted fellow casting director Tess Joseph.

Latif was also attached as the executive producer on films like Shakuntala Devi, starring Vidya Balan, and Akshay Kumar's Gold (2018). Latif is survived by husband and her parents.
New Christian Children's Album Helps Kids Connect with God, Build Identity in Christ "I Am a Worshipper" by Anthony & Tiffany Salerno in now available on all digital platforms and as a physical CD.



"Anthony and Tiffany have an anointing to lead children in worship. There is a war for the hearts of children today, but this album can help kids solidify their identity as worshippers of Jesus Christ." -- Christi Given, who has hosted on TBN and written and sung for Bravo TV



Anthony & Tiffany Salerno hold the album cover for "I Am a Worshipper" outside FD Studio in Downtown Los Angeles after shooting the music video for their single, "Stars and Dots," which is the first song on the album.

"I Am a Worshipper," songs for kids by Anthony & Tiffany Salerno, is now available on iTunes, Amazon Music and wherever music is sold.

Anthony & Tiffany Salerno, photographed and styled here by Kelry Kirschenmann of One Woman Wildfire in Santa Monica, Calif., are thrilled to share their album, "I Am a Worshipper," with children and families across the U.S. and beyond.

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Moose & Squirrel Media

June 8, 2021



LOS ANGELES, June 8, 2021 /Christian Newswire/ -- Created by the family who produced America's first Christian children's album to sell 1 million copies, "I Am a Worshipper" by Anthony & Tiffany Salerno dropped to all digital platforms today. It is also available as a physical CD.



This six-song collection takes children on a musical journey, from the oceanic vibes of the first track, "Stars and Dots;" to the forest with "Like a Tree;" and going deeper in the ground with "Seeds Song." Along the way, kids can march to "Strong in the Lord;" enjoy the electronic energy of the title track, "I Am a Worshipper;" and sing along with the sweet simplicity of "Forever and Today."



Anthony & Tiffany Salerno have played their songs for children at The Cause in Brea, Calif., Mount Baldy Village Church in Mount Baldy, Calif., and Emmanuel Church in Abilene, Kan., as well as at summer camps and in after-school programs. She met Anthony, who became her music producer and then her husband, at CBS Studios in Hollywood on his birthday in September 2018.



Anthony's father, Tony Salerno, creative producer of gold, platinum and Grammy-nominated children's albums, provided oversight and feedback for the album.



"I'm excited for kids to hear this powerful album, which carries the heritage of my parents' music into a new era," Anthony said.



Christi Given, who has hosted on TBN and written and sung more than 300 tracks and short jingles for Bravo TV's "Vanderpump Rules," Lifetime's "Dance Moms," and other shows, said she is excited for children to be impacted by the songs' messages.



"Tiffany sings like a Disney princess, and Anthony's arrangements make the songs so fun for kids to enjoy," Given said. "Anthony and Tiffany truly have an anointing to lead children in worship. There is a war for the hearts of children today, and I believe this album can help them solidify their identity as worshippers of Jesus Christ."



Chuck Reich, pastor, host and executive producer of "Answering the Call" on Overcomers TV, said he saw Anthony and Tiffany's love for kids when they performed their songs at a church and a school in Haiti, and he believes the couple will continue to be used by God with children all over the world.



Rachel Bishop, minister of children and preschool director at Emmanuel Church in Abilene, Kan., said she always enjoys when Anthony and Tiffany lead worship for the children in her ministry.



"It is so vital and life-changing for children to learn about their identity in Christ and hearing God's voice from an early age. Anthony and Tiffany do an excellent job facilitating that through music," Bishop said.



When Anthony and Tiffany met at CBS Studios, she was assisting Meri Crouley Ministries and Anthony was directing "Victory Road with Lee Benton."



Benton said, "I feel so blessed to know these wonderful people who have such a heart for God, who love children so much and who have created such a great ministry together. They are so talented and wear so many hats. They are an asset to my business and ministry, and I know they will bless people all over the world, wherever they go, as they continue to do amazing work for God's Kingdom."



Ron Thomas, pastor of Mount Baldy Village Church, and Jonathan Ngai, pastor of Radiance International  Hollywood House of Prayer, who has been featured in the Elijah List, married the couple in December 2020 at the church in Mount Baldy, Calif., where Anthony and Tiffany lead worship and direct the children's department.



"Anthony and Tiffany have brought joy and truth to our children through their music ministry," Thomas said. "I appreciate their work in our church and I look forward to seeing how God uses them to minister to even more kids through their exciting music."



Further background, education



Tiffany earned a bachelor's degree in mass communications with emphases in journalism and public relations and a minor in creative writing, followed by a graduate certificate in technical writing and professional communication, from Kansas State University. She later graduated from Radiance International  Hollywood House of Prayer's Launch ministry school with the Evangelism Award. Tiffany was born and raised in Abilene, Kan.



Anthony graduated from California Polytechnic State University with a bachelor's degree in commercial music. He has worked as a musician, director and producer for many ministry leaders, including Willie Aames, known for playing the title character in "Bible Man" (1995-2003); Raul Ries, who pastors a congregation of 12,000 at Calvary Chapel Golden Springs in Diamond Bar, Calif; Dennis Sempebwa, president and chancellor of The 300, a ministry training college; and others.



Anthony was born in Tyler, Texas, where his parents launched Agape Force at a site that has been shared with the headquarters of Youth with a Mission (YWAM), Teen Challenge, Leonard Ravenhill's Last Days Ministries, the evangelist David Wilkerson, the late musician Keith Green and now Mercy Ships. Anthony grew up in Dallas, the Los Angeles area and the former home of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz in Sebastopol, Calif.



"Music Machine," which his father, Tony, produced in 1977, became America's first Christian children's album and first Christian album by a group artist to sell 1 million copies.



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CONTACT: Tiffany Roney Salerno, 785-317-4165, MooseAndSquirrelMedia@gmail.com



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At the same time, with anxiety running high as time slips by, Democrats are laying the groundwork to pass some or all of the ambitious package on their own. Biden conferred Tuesday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer about launching the budget resolution process for Senate votes in July, the White House said.
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By FRANCISCO UBILLA and ALICIA LEAN

Associated Press

PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain  Spain jumpstarted its summer tourism season on Monday by welcoming vaccinated visitors from most countries as well as European tourists who can prove they are not infected with coronavirus. It also reopened its ports to cruise ship stops.

The move opened borders for the first tourists from the United States and other countries outside of the European Union, travelers who had been banned since March last year, when the pandemic hit global travel.





. . .
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PARIS (AP)  A replica of the Statue of Liberty, smaller but based on the original plaster cast of its big sister on Ellis Island, a gift from France, was given a sendoff Monday ahead of a trip to the United States where it will be displayed for Independence Day.

The nearly 10-foot-high bronze will make a nine-day trip across the Atlantic Ocean later this month, sailing out aboard a container ship from the French port of Le Havre to Baltimore. It will then be transported to Ellis Island, arriving in time for July 4 celebrations.





. . .
G7 nations strike deal on uniform tax rate for global firms

The Group of Seven (G7) worlds richest nations on Saturday agreed on a minimum global corporate tax rate to close cross-border tax loopholes used by some multinational corporations. The G7 hopes to reach a final agreement at the July gathering of the expanded G20 finance ministers group.

The landmark deal reached by United States, Britain and other large, rich nations at the meeting of G7 finance ministers in London, aims to squeeze more money out of multinational companies such as Amazon and Google and reduce their incentive to shift profits to low-tax offshore havens.

G7 advanced economies have agreed to back a minimum global corporate tax rate of at least 15 per cent that would help tap hundreds of billions of dollars in corporate tax by governments left cash-strapped by the Wuhan virus (coronavirus) pandemic.

We  commit to a global minimum tax of at least 15 per cent on a country by country basis, the G7 said in a statement at the conclusion of their London meeting.

"Under the principles of the landmark reforms, the largest global firms with profit margins of at least 10 per cent will be in scope  with 20 per cent of any profit above the 10 per cent margin reallocated and then subjected to tax in the countries where they make sales," British Treasury Secretary Rishi Sunak posted a Twitter message.

The move, he said, will create a more level-playing field for UK firms and help crack down on tax avoidance.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the agreement provides tremendous momentum for reaching a global deal that would end the race-to-the-bottom in corporate taxation and ensure fairness for the middle class and working people in the US and around the world.

The meeting of finance ministers comes ahead of an annual summit of G7 leaders scheduled for 11-13 June in Cornwall, England.

Part of the agreement Saturday is that other countries would repeal their unilateral digital taxes in favour of a global agreement.

Major economies are aiming to discourage multinationals from shifting profits  and tax revenues  to low-tax countries regardless of where their sales are made.

Increasingly, income from intangible sources such as drug patents, software and royalties on intellectual property has migrated to these jurisdictions, allowing companies to avoid paying higher taxes in their traditional home countries.

While global tech giants like Facebook welcomed the deal to set the taxfloor low, campaign group Oxfam slammed the deal as inadequate.

Its absurd for the G7 to claim it is overhauling a broken global tax system by setting up a global minimum corporate tax rate that is similar to the soft rates charged by tax havens like Ireland, Switzerland and Singapore. They are setting the bar so low that companies can just step over it, Oxfam said.

Stopping the explosion in inequality caused by Covid-19 and tackling the climate crisis will be impossible if corporations continue to pay virtually no tax . This is not a fair deal.

The Group of 7 is an informal grouping of countries such as Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the United States. European Union representatives also attend. Its decisions are not legally binding, but leaders can use the forum to exert political influence.
RBI opens new window for banks to lend to contact-intensive segments

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had decided to open a separate liquidity window of Rs15,000 crore to cater to the financing needs of contact-intensive segments over the medium term, of up to three years at the repo rate till 31 March 2022.

The new window, announced in RBIs Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies on 4 June, will be available for sectors like hotels and restaurants; tourism - travel agents, tour operators and adventure/heritage facilities; aviation ancillary services - ground handling and supply chain; and other services that include private bus operators, car repair services, rent-a-car service providers, event/conference organisers, spa clinics, and beauty parlours/saloons.

Under the scheme, banks are expected to create a separate Covid (Corona) loan book. By way of an incentive, such banks will be eligible to park their surplus liquidity up to the size of the Covid loan book created under this scheme with the RBI under the reverse repo window at a rate which is 25 bps lower than the repo rate.

Banks desirous of deploying their own resources without availing funds from the Reserve Bank under the scheme for lending to the specified segments will also be eligible for the incentive scheme.

The operational details of the On-Tap Liquidity Window for contact-intensive segments are as under:
NCLT approves Piramal Group's Rs37,250-cr resolution plan for DHFL

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Monday gave its approval for the Rs37,250 crore resolution plan submitted by Piramal Group for the stressed Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL). The bid amount will enable lenders to recover around 40 per cent of their total claims of Rs87,082 crore.

However, the tribunal's Mumbai-bench, chaired by H P Chaturvedi and Ravikumar Duraisamy, said the approval is subject to the final judgement of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) and the Supreme Court's judgement on Kapil Wadhawans petition in the matter.

Wadhawan moved the Supreme Court against the NCLAT's 25 May interim order, which set aside NCLT's decision to get lenders to consider a Rs91,000 crore settlement offer from Wadhawan to take the company out from bankruptcy process.

Wadhawan had also, last November, requested an RBI-appointed DHFL administrator to be included in the bidding process, but the lenders chose to go for Piramal, which emerged as the highest bidder after an intense bidding war between Oaktree Capital, Adani group and distressed assets buyer SC Lowy.

Piramals wholly owned subsidiary Piramal Capital and Housing Finance (PCHFL) has proposed to acquire DHFL for Rs37,250 crore. The plan involves delisting DHFL, writing off equity and merging the businesses into PCHFL.

Piramal Groups Rs 37,250-crore offer includes an upfront cash payment of Rs12,700 crore to the creditors. Besides, Piramal Group has offered Rs3,000 crore of cash to lenders from the interest earned on the existing cash on DHFLs books, another Rs1,000 crore for the insurance stake, and Rs1,000 additional cash for interest income after NCLT approval. This takes the total cash for the creditors at Rs17,700 crore. The remaining Rs19,550 crore is in the form of instruments payable over 10 years.

Piramal Capital has already received approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and Reserve Bank of India for its Rs34,250 crore bid to take over DHFL.

PCHFLs resolution plan for DHFL had received 94 per cent votes by the committee of creditors.

In its order, NCLT has asked DHFL's Committee of Creditors to consider giving more money to small fixed deposit holders under the approved resolution plan.

"We are not remanding the plan back to CoC, we respect their commercial wisdom," it said.

NCLT also rejected former DHFL promoter Kapil Wadhawan's plea to get access to a copy of the resolution plan.

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) last month stayed the NCLT Mumbai bench's order, directing the lenders of debt-ridden mortgage firm DHFL to consider the settlement offer by its erstwhile promoter Kapil Wadhawan. The appellate tribunal also directed the NCLT to decide over the application filed by the administrator over the bid submitted by Piramal Capital and Housing Finance for DHFL.

Wadhawan, who is facing charges of money laundering and diversion of bank funds, has repeatedly accused DHFLs lenders of selling the company much below its fair value.
Pentagon funded NGO $39 mn for 'gain of function' SARS-CoV-2 research at Wuhan Lab: Report

As global search for the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus continue to point to the Wuhan Virology Lab in China, a report saying that Pentagon gave $39 million to EcoHealth Alliance (EHA), the charity that funded coronavirus research at Wuhan lab, has further complicated the mystery of its origin.

Further complicating the mystery of the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a report on Sunday revealed that Pentagon gave $39 million to EcoHealth Alliance (EHA) - the charity that funded controversial coronavirus research at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology.

A report by the Republicans' House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the pandemic, was manufactured in a lab in China, against the claimed thesis of natural occurrence.

The report also questions the role of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), an American institute headed by top medical expert Dr Anthony Fauci, which allegedly funded labs in Wuhan to carry out research on Coronaviruses.

The report comes as the charitys chief, British-born scientist Dr Peter Daszak, was exposed in an alleged conflict of interest and back-room campaign to discredit lab leak theories.

The US non-profit, set up to research new diseases, has also partly funded deeply controversial gain of function experiments, where dangerous viruses are made more infectious to study their effect on human cells.

Reports also said that in 2020 the then US President Donald Trump cancelled a $3.7 million funding to the EHA, after reports surfaced claiming that the SARS-CoV-2 was either created in Wuhan lab funded by the EHA or leaked from there.

Data on US federal grants accessed by independent researchers show that the charity received more than $123 million from the government between 2017 and 2020 with the Department of Defence (DoD) being one of its biggest funders. A majority of DoD funding came from the Defence Threat Reduction Agency, a combat support agency with the goal to reduce the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction. It has provided almost $39 million to the organisation since 2013.

The 21-page unclassified report accessed by Republic Media Network gives details of alleged experiments being conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) since 2016, warnings of the growing threat to America posed by the CCP and the Chinese PLA.

The committee accuses the Chinese authorities of undermining the investigation into the origins of the SARS-CoV-2. The Republican report has claimed that Wuhan Institute of Virology researchers had been conducting experiments since 2016 which involved RaTG13, the bat coronavirus identified by the WIV in January 2020 as the closest sample to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Recently, Dr Anthony Fauci, who was among the first to suggest that the virus developed organically, took a backtrack and admitted that there was a need to 'get to the bottom' of the origins of the pandemic, saying a possibility of lab leak could not be ruled out.

Later, however, several media outlets in the US released thousands of emails sent by Fauci when the coronavirus infection was just on the rise. In one such email, an executive at EcoHealth which funded research at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology into the SARS-CoV-2 origin thanked Dr Fauci for publicly stating that scientific evidence supports a 'natural origin for the Coronavirus and not a lab leak. However, the White House medical adviser labelled it as nonsense and stressed that he has been misquoted.
Donald Trump calls for $10 trn reparations from China over Wuhan virus

Former US President Donald Trump on Saturday called on America and all the nations hit by the Wuhan virus to demand reparations from China for the damage caused by the virus, which is now almost certain, was leaked from the Wuhan virology lab.

Trumps demand is backed by reports that a Chinese military scientist filed a patent for a vaccine against the virus much before the virus was declared a global pandemic.

Scientist Yusen Zhou reportedly filed a patent for a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus on behalf of China's Peoples Liberation Army on 24 February 2020. He also worked closely with the deputy director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, known as the 'bat woman' at Wuhan institute, the reports add.

China, which declared human transmission of the virus only in January, was ready with the vaccine in weeks, suggesting that it was ready with the vaccine.

This also fortifies the news that Chinese officials have known about the virus much earlier than they admitted.

Speaking at the North Carolina Republican Convention, Trump said: "The time has come for America and the world to demand reparations and accountability from the Communist Party of China. We should all declare within one voice that China must pay. They must pay."

He also demanded that America immediately take steps to impose 100 per cent tariff on all Chinese products, to disable their military and move tech companies out of the country.

The former US President said he had a great relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping until the 'China virus'. He also said that China doesn't care much about current President Joe Biden.

"All nations should work together to present China for a bill of minimum $10 trillion to compensate for the damage they have caused and that is a very low number, the damage is far far greater. As a first step, all countries should collectively cancel any debt that they owe to China as a down payment on reparations," he said at the convention.

"Nations of the world should no longer owe money to China. China has destroyed so many nations... China should owe money to the nations of the world... These nations have been destroyed," Trump added.

Trump also slammed the Biden administration for being 'timid' and 'corrupt', accusing it of shutting down investigation into the origins of Wuhan virus earlier. "Joe Biden and his family took millions of dollars from the CCP. They bought him off, they fragrantly lied about it to American voters... the big tech and fake news media did not want to talk about it," he said.

Taking a dig at White House top medical adviser Anthony Fauci, he said: "Fauci said powerfully at the beginning ' no masks', you remember that? No masks, and then he went into masks and then he became a radical masker...but perhaps Fauci has never been more wrong than when he denied the virus and where it came from."

Trumps call comes after an explosive new study has found that Chinese scientists created the virus in a lab in Wuhan, then tried to cover their tracks by reverse-engineering versions of the virus to make it look like it evolved naturally from bats.

Earlier this month, a report in the Wall Street Journal had stated that three researchers from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology sought hospital care after they fell ill in November 2019, a month before Beijing reported the first patient with the SARS-CoV-2 symptoms.
Duncan, OK (73533)

Today

Widely scattered showers or a thunderstorm this evening. Then partly cloudy. Low 71F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Widely scattered showers or a thunderstorm this evening. Then partly cloudy. Low 71F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
A Fianna Fail Senator for Louth has criticised a member of the Commission of Investigation into the Mother and Baby Homes and says survivors have been let down after they attended an academic event in Oxford last week.

Senator Erin McGreehan said that she was disappointed that Professor Mary Daly, one of three commissioners, attended the academic event to discuss the report.

I was very disappointed to see that Prof. Mary Daly came before an academic event to discuss the report like it was a historical study. This was very ill-judged and in bad taste, said Senator McGreehan.

This is not history, the women, the survivors, all those people who gave their testimonies in good faith are present. They are not artefacts to be discussed like they were somehow just a research project, she continued.

Controversy erupted last week in the aftermath of the academic event when Professor Daly said that testimonials provided to the Confidential Committee of the Commission couldnt be used as evidence in the report as it was not taken under affidavit.

Senator McGreehan says that terms of reference set out by the committee did allow for use of evidence given in the Confidential Committee.

They do in fact allow for a report of a general Nature comprised of the evidence heard by the Confidential Committee. The testimonies heard by the Confidential Committee is the majority of the evidence given. I find it incredible that the Commission heard from over 500 individuals but clearly did not listen to their experiences.

I feel yet again these survivors have been let down, said Senator McGreehan.

The three commissioners involved in the report, Judge Yvonne Murphy, Dr William Duncan and Professor Daly, all had been previously invited to attend a meeting of the Oireachtas Children Committee but had declined.

Senator McGreehan said that another invite has now been issued to the three commissioners.

We as a committee have reissued the invite to the Commission members and I hope they will have the courtesy to appear as this is a very serious matter. The Mother and Baby homes and how we treated women, girls and children in this country has created a legacy of pain and heartache and that legacy will continue for generations to come if we do not confront the wrongs.
Primary school students at Gaelscoil Dundalk have begun star weaving, to help encourage peace around the globe.

Over 50 students at the Gaelscoil have gotten involved with the project, which is funded by the EU under its PEACE IV programme.

Students at the school have been mentored by Caoimhe ODwyer, who has taught them how to weave the stars from ribbons.

Aine Ui Choinne, Principal at Gaelscoil Dundalk says that the students have enjoyed and engaged with the star weaving initiative.

This has been a thoroughly enjoyable programme from start to finish. The pupils really engaged with it, and it has given them the opportunity to use a different set of skills to those which they normally would, said Ui Choinne.

Star Weaving has taught them a new skill, while also allowing them to be creative and expressive. They are very proud of their creations!

The star weaving programme originally began in 2012, with a goal of using star weaving to help build links and partnerships, as well as to create violence-free communities.

The original goal was to create one million stars and this was reached in 2018.

The project in Louth was started by the Drogheda Star Weavers, with a total of 230 communities around the world getting involved in the project.
A PhD student from Dundalk has won a Fullbright Award, which will allow her to travel to one of the top US universities to further her research.

Beatrice Monciunskaite, who is currently working on her PhD within the School of Law and Government in DCU, won the award not just for her academic work, but also for her leadership qualities.

The award will enable her to travel to the US to study in Princeton University in New Jersey.

Her current studies are being funded by the Irish Research Council and are based around investigating the status of liberal constitutional democracy in Lithuania and Latvia in light of the current democratic crisis in Europe.

Alongside Monciunskaite, Joan Devlin, from Drogheda, has also received a Fullbright Award for her research in the Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI) on Covid-19 and artificial intelligence.

Devlin first completed her BSc in Midwifery at Dundalk Institute of Technology, before beginning her PhD at the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences in RCSI.

She will continue her studies in the University of California, Irvine, where she will examine electronic health records to help improve maternal, paediatric and neonatal care in relation to both sepsis and Covid-19.

Chair of the Board of the Fulbright Commission in Ireland Professor Diane Negra said: The Commission Board congratulates the Awardees travelling to the U.S. in the coming year. It is exciting to consider the role they will play in the resumption and reinvigoration of academic and cultural activities.

Current winners in 2021 will begin to travel to the US in September this year, however, a majority will travel in January next year.

An awards ceremony to highlight the achievement of Fullbright Award winners will take place on Zoo.

The Fullbright programme was initially established in Ireland in 1946 to allow Irish scholars to travel to the US to further their research at US institutions.
Irish Water are set to carry out works on the Castletown Road tomorrow this morning.

The work involves replacing water valves in the area, with disruptions to water services expected on the Castletown Road, Fatima, Coxes Desmene as well as surrounding areas.

Works will begin at 9:20am and are scheduled to be completed at 6pm this evening.

Irish Water are recommending that residents and businesses in the area allow between two and three hours from when maintenance completes before water supplies return to normal.

For updates, residents should use the reference number LOU00033959 and place it into the search bar on the Irish Water website.

Additional valve replacement works on the Carrick Road are expected to take place tomorrow, which may lead to water supply disruption between 8:30am and 5pm.
GOP leaders argue that many residents and small businesses had a tough time getting through the past year, and cant be hit with a tax increase now. The Republican Town Committee put out a statement praising council Republicans, saying These members have kept in touch with the needs of our taxpayers and business community and took into account the struggles many of our citizens and businesses have and continue to face due to the pandemic.
A third of Irish people are not at all worried about skin cancer, worrying new research has revealed.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Ireland and claims over 230 lives each year.

Meanwhile, a survey of 1,000 adults conducted by Core Research on behalf of the Irish Cancer Society during Skin Cancer Awareness Month in May has also found that 3 in 10 people never check their skin for signs of cancer.

And the number of people who are not at all worried about skin cancer increases to four in ten among some groups who are actually at higher risk, including males and those aged over 55.

The survey also found that people mostly associate skin cancer signs with moles, with over half of those queried saying they would seek attention within a matter of days if they noticed a worrying sign with a mole.

However this drops to four in ten for other, less well understood skin cancer signs like lumps, spots and rough, scaly patches on the skin.

The Irish Cancer Society has recently spoken out about a catchup phenomenon where patients have delayed getting warning signs of cancer checked due to the pandemic. As with all cancers, catching skin cancer early is vital for patients to have the best outcome possible.

Commenting on the research Dr Blaithin Moriarty, Dermatologist at St Vincents University Hospital, said: If people notice the signs of skin cancer early treatment can be very straightforward with a low-risk surgical procedure. However, as a skin cancer such as melanoma develops into later stages the survival rate drops significantly from almost 100% when caught at stage 1 to approximately 20% at stage 4, and treatment becomes much more difficult.

Fortunately skin is the type of cancer you can see with your own eyes and do something about immediately. It is worrying to think that people believe they are at low risk when that might not be the case, as weeks can make a difference when it comes to the stage of diagnosis.

Skin cancer survivor Ailish McBride says people should trust their gut if they notice anything that worries them.

In February last year I noticed a small but very dark freckle or mole just above my knee. It looked different from my other moles, so I went to see my GP and within a few days it was removed quickly and painlessly. For many people thats all that will be needed.

In my own case I went for further surgery to make sure the cancer hadnt spread, which thankfully it hadnt. After my own experience I would urge others to be vigilant, and if you have an ugly duckling of a freckle or mole that keeps catching your eye then trust your gut and get it checked, because Im really glad I did.

Kevin OHagan, Cancer Prevention Manager with the Irish Cancer Society, said: We are asking everyone to be Skin Smart and know the signs of skin cancer. It is extremely treatable when picked up early, so a simple and frequent routine of checking your own skin for anything that is new, changing or unusual can be a lifesaver.

This is particularly important for people who are at higher risk such as those aged over 50, or outdoor workers who are exposed to the sun more. With summer now here we are as always encouraging the public to mind their skin in the sun by seeking shade, wearing covering clothes, a hat and sunglasses as well as sunscreen on exposed skin, and knowing when the sun is strongest.
The wonderful family business, Jinnys Bakery, is looking to treat your family to a two night stay in their charming traditional Irish Red Door Cottages which are found overlooking Acres Lake and its floating boardwalk and the Shannon Blueway in Drumshanbo, Co Leitrim.

Home to the best soda bread in Ireland, you will also be treated to a welcome pack of delicious goodies from Jinnys' Bakery and Tearooms on your arrival.

This family run business has much to celebrate at the moment and they want share a little of the joy with you!

Baking bread is a family thing and has been for generations of Irish families. Its something we did with our Mams and Nans and the scent of bread baking can transport us back to when we were knee-high to a grass hopper begging to be allowed to stir the bowl, knead the dough or have the first slice!

For Jinnys Bakery, baking bread certainly is a family thing. Run by husband and wife team  Pascal and Sinead (Jinny) Gillard, Jinnys bakery has grown to a team of 11 people supplying brands like SuperValu, Centra, Tesco, Gala and Independent retailers in 70 locations nationwide.

Great News for this Leitrim Bakery - For the second year running, Jinnys has been shortlisted for the Grow with Aldi programme in partnership with Board Bia. This means that from June 6th  19th, their delicious Jinnys Stout Bread Mix which proved hugely popular during the programme last year, will make its return. It will sit beside Jinnys brand new Porridge Oat Bread Mix which launches this week and will also be available in all 145 Aldi stores nationwide.

Like many small businesses Jinnys Bakery has had to think differently to get through Covid 19. Part of that adaption is diversifying their product so it can travel and have a longer shelf life  hence the focus and development of their Bread Mix range. Their stout bread was awarded the Best soda bread in Ireland at the Irish Quality Food Awards in 2019. John and Sally McKennas Irish Food Guide described us as one of the great Irish BakeriesJust try a slice of that Irish Stout Bread and succumb to its tartness, its subdued sweetness, its classy confidence.

If like many Irish people you were reared on home-baked bread but just cant seem to get it right or if you love that nostalgic and warm feeling of the scent of bread baking in the oven but dread the baking part? You will love the Jinnys Bakery Bread Mix packs. They take just 2 mins to prepare and when done, youll have 2 delicious home-baked loaves to share or silently devour! Jinnys bread mixes are wholesome with no artificial colours nor preservatives, they are naturally yeast free with no added sugar. And they will fill your home with the wonderful scent and warmth of home baking!

To Celebrate Jinnys Bakery would like to give you the chance to win a family staycation!

Jinnys Bakery and Tea Rooms are found on the site of the Red Door Cottages (https://selfcateringleitrim.ie/) also owned and managed by Sinead and Pascal.

To celebrate the launch of their new Porridge Oat Bread Mix and their success in being short listed for the Grow with ALDI programme there is a weekend staycation getaway to the charming Red Door Cottages, in beautiful Drumshanbo with delicious Jinnys Bakery welcome pack to be WON!

To enter: Follow Jinnys Bakery on Facebook (jinnys Bakery & Tearooms) or Instagram (jinnysbakery.tearooms) and privately message Jinnys with the name of the new Jinnys Bread Mix with is launching this week in your local Aldi store.

Terms and conditions

Subject to availability

Based on two adults + 2 Children sharing

No cash alternative

Valid June 2021-June 2022

Closing date Midnight Sunday, June 13

Prize includes, accommodation (2 nights) in the traditional Red Door Cottages and Jinnys Bakery and TeaRooms Welcome Pack on arrival.

For more information see the following links

https://www.instagram.com/jinnysbakery.tearooms/

https://www.facebook.com/JinnysBakery

The Red Door Cottages - https://selfcateringleitrim.ie/
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Lawrence - Madeleine "Maddy" (Waye Descoteaux Brown), 87, passed away on April 5, 2020. Maddy was born to Irene and Charles Waye in Nashua, N.H., on December 17, 1932. She was predeceased by her parents; a brother Charles Waye; and husbands, Louis G. Descoteaux of Nashua, N.H., and George Br
The original proposal, submitted by the Open Communities Alliance and Yale Law School team, aimed to rezone every residential area in town to permit multifamily zoning and stirred up considerable controversy. Some residents voiced support for efforts to expand affordable housing and address the regions legacy of housing segregation. Others raised concerns that the proposal would lead to an influx of developments that would overwhelm local infrastructure and disrupt the Woodbridges bucolic atmosphere.
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Two out of three global CISOs feel unprepared to cope with a cyberattack, according to an annual survey released Wednesday by a cybersecurity and compliance company.

The 2021 edition of Proofpoint's Voice of the CISO report -- based on a survey of more than 1,400 CISOs in 14 countries -- found 66 percent of the executives acknowledged their organizations were unprepared to handle a targeted cyberattack this year.

In addition, more than half the CISOs (53 percent) admitted they are more concerned about the repercussions from a cyberattack this year than they were in 2020.

"Cyberattacks are coming fast and furious and getting more so by the minute," declared Saryu Nayyar, CEO of Gurucul, a threat intelligence company in El Segundo, Calif.

"It feels like we are headed to the point where no company is truly safe, and nothing will be able to stop cybercriminals," she told TechNewsWorld. "So no, no one is adequately prepared to cope with future cyberattacks -- not even CISOs."

The survey also found that nearly three out of five CISOs (58 percent) consider human error their biggest cyber vulnerability.

Misaligned Mitigation

"It's not that CISOs aren't trying their best to prepare. It's that cyberattacks are a very tough thing to prevent in the first place; and most CISOs aren't focusing their resources against the right threats," maintained Roger Grimes, a data-driven defense evangelist at KnowBe4, a security awareness training provider in Clearwater, Fla.

As an example, Grimes explained that the vast majority of successful malicious breaches are from social engineering and phishing. Many surveys put phishing as responsible for 70 to 90 percent of all successful cyberattacks.

"Yet," he told TechNewsWorld, "most organizations dedicate less than five percent of their IT security budget to it."

"It's this fundamental misalignment of mitigations versus the root cause of exploits that is causing cybersecurity to be so ineffectual," he said.

"Most CISOs see threats as bubbles in a glass of champagne and aren't told that one or two of these bubbles are far bigger than all the other bubbles added up all together," he observed.

"This leads to a bunch of threats being treated more equally than they should be, and unfortunately, with the biggest threats left weakly mitigated," he added.

Top of Mind Threats

The survey also found that 64 percent of the CISOs feel at risk of suffering a material cyberattack in the next 12 months.

Attacks that the CISOs say they expect to face in the coming months include:

Business email compromises (34 percent)

Account compromises (33 percent)

Insider threats (31 percent)

Supply chain compromise (29 percent)

Ransomware (27 percent)

"Insider threats are often overlooked in favor of tools to protect from external threats," noted Morey Haber, CTO and CISO at BeyondTrust, maker of privileged account management and vulnerability management solutions in Carlsbad, Calif.

"However, we can't underestimate the insider threat risk," he told TechNewsWorld.

"When we think of insider threats, we often imagine disgruntled employees seeking revenge on their former employers' business," he explained. "In reality, a vast majority of these threats are most often caused by honest mistakes such as clicking on malicious links or opening phishing emails."

"Either way, insider threats can be very difficult to detect, and pose a threat that businesses struggle to address," he added.

Credential Compromise

Piyush Pandey, CEO of Appsian Security, an ERP data security and compliance company in Dallas, agreed that threats targeting users should be a top concern of CISOs, especially threats aimed at compromising credentials.

"Right now, a user's identity is typically identified by the credentials they login with," he told TechNewsWorld. "Given phishing and brute force attacks are so prevalent, organizations must ensure access to sensitive business data is dynamic and context-aware to ensure privileges are effectively aligned with the level of risk in their access."

Insider threats are not limited to people, either.

"The volume of threats coming from cloud infrastructure -- such as Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace -- means that the attackers are using trusted systems -- and potentially even the systems that the organization is using themselves -- to attack them," observed Jack Miller, former CISO and current head of global professional services at Menlo Security, a cloud security provider in Mountain View, Calif.

"We can't assume that 'my' OneDrive installation is safe," he told TechNewsWorld. "We have to assume that everything is malicious, including our own systems. Phishing and credential theft can make it easy for attackers to plant their threats internally to an organization."

Remote Working Challenges

Although ransomware as a threat seems to have been played down by the CISOs in the survey, it remains dangerous, especially in a world with more remote workers than ever.

"Threat actors have been busy exploiting a wider attack surface because the workforce is now remote," explained Bryan Embrey, director of product marketing at Zentry Security, a zero trust remote access company in Milipitas, Calif.

"Workers are using unsecure Wi-Fi, personal devices, and accessing applications and resources across the hybrid IT landscape," he told TechNewsWorld. "All of these offer possibilities for malware exploitation."

"And 2020 didn't help CISOs," he said. "Given the workforce's rapid shift to remote work, CISOs added licenses to their existing VPNs as quickly as they could to keep their organizations running and productive. VPNs, however, are often cumbersome and complex, and provide wider access than is needed."

Indeed, more than half the CISOs surveyed agreed that remote working made their organization more vulnerable to targeted cyberattacks, with three in five revealing they had seen an increase in targeted attacks in the last 12 months.

"Last year, cybersecurity teams around the world were challenged to enhance their security posture in this new and changing landscape, literally overnight," Lucia Milica, global resident CISO at Proofpoint, said in a statement.

"This required a balancing act between supporting remote work and avoiding business interruption, while securing those environments. With the future of work becoming increasingly flexible, this challenge now extends into next year and beyond," she explained.

"In addition to securing many more points of attack and educating users on long-term remote and hybrid work, CISOs must instill confidence among customers, internal stakeholders, and the market that such setups are workable indefinitely," Milica added.

John P. Mello Jr. has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, IT issues, privacy, e-commerce, social media, artificial intelligence, big data and consumer electronics. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including the Boston Business Journal, the Boston Phoenix, Megapixel.Net and Government Security News. Email John.




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That old adage about crime never pays could not be more false, at least when it comes to modern-day cybercriminals. For those bad actors using ransomware as their weapon, crime is paying more than ever.

Cybersecurity company Emisoft estimates that the true global cost of ransomware, including business interruption and ransom payments in 2020, was a minimum of US$42 billion and a maximum of nearly $170 billion.

A survey by Veritas Technologies found that 66 percent of victims admitted to paying part or all of the ransom, according to a report released Wednesday by managed detection and response firm eSentire.

The report, authored by eSentire's security research team it calls the Threat Response Unit (TRU), found that six ransomware gangs claimed at least 290 new victims fo far this year. The combined spoils tallied potentially $45 million for the hackers.

Company researchers from eSentire teamed up with dark web researcher Mike Mayes to track the Ryuk/Conti, Sodin/REvil, CLOP, and DoppelPaymer ransomware groups. They also tracked two emerging cybergangs known as DarkSide and Avaddon.

The DarkSide gang should ring some familiarity bells. It is the outfit responsible for the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack earlier this month.

Esentire's TRU and Hayes found that specific groups racked up hundreds of victims in 2020 and collectively compromised 292 new victim organizations between January 1 and April 30 of this year. Researchers estimated the average ransom organizations paid increased from $115,123 in 2019 to $312,493 in 2020, a 171 percent year-over-year increase.

"There are many more successful ransomware attacks which have compromised companies than the public has any idea about. There really is no type of industry/business that is not a potential target of these groups," Mark Sangster, vice president at eSentire, told TechNewsWorld.

Booming Business for Hackers

Ransomware attacks are frequent. Their payouts are often not disclosed by the victims due to embarrassment or loss of public trust. The hacker groups are not shy, however, about self-reporting of their successful exploits on their personal blog/leak sites.

The eSentire report noted three new attacks in the previous three months:

Tata Steel -- compromised by Sodin/REvil ransomware group in April. Tata Steel refused to pay the $4 million ransom.

Broward County School District -- compromised by the Ryuk/Conti gang in March. Threat actors demanded $40 million, and the district said they would not pay.

Quanta Computer -- maker of Apple's next-generation MacBooks, also attacked by Sodin/REvil. Hackers in April reportedly demanded $50 million, first from Quanta who said no to the extortion, and then from Apple.

But researchers noted that despite the increasing reports of ransomware attacks in the media, the victim organizations the media discloses are a drop in the bucket compared to the actual events.

One ransomware incident which occurred last month but never went public involved a small private U.S. company. The threat actors demanded $12 million, which that company paid, according to a high-ranking employee of the organization who asked not to be named.

With cyberattacks evolving at breakneck speed, cyberthreat intelligence (CTI) has become a critical component in cybersecurity programs. Without intelligence, organizations are flying blind through very stormy skies, offered Dov Lerner, Security Research Lead at Cybersixgill.

"On a strategic level, CTI will enable executives to understand the threat landscape and assess risks to their organizations. On a more tactical level, CTI is used to block malicious indicators of compromise and to detect compromised data," Lerner told TechNewsWorld.

As more daily business and activities become digitized, there is more opportunity for dark web actors to consume and exploit sensitive data posted to underground platforms, he added. The cybercrime underground is only continuing to grow, and pandemic and economic crisis may lead more threat actors to seek illicit financial activity and lately, radical political discourse.

No Doubt About Successes

Sangster said his researchers fully believe that the organizations these groups claim to have compromised are true for several reasons, which include:

Each of the ransomware groups the report details provide numerous examples of various files and documents that they claim to have stolen from the victim companies. Plus, they all look authentic.

Researchers have seen the threat groups post a victim on their leak site. Later on, perhaps weeks down the road, the target comes out publicly about suffering a ransomware attack.

It does not benefit these ransomware groups to lie about the victims they claim to have hacked. If they did post victims on their leak site that they had not compromised, then the word would spread very quickly, and no victim would pay them.

"Our security research team, TRU, and dark web researcher Mike Mayes went down into the dark web and spent a lot of time analyzing these six ransomware group's blog/leak sites, and we also analyzed the TTPs of these groups which we have gathered from tracking them since they began their crime spree," Sangster said.

Researchers just wrapped up all of their findings and are in the midst of sharing the details with the various law enforcement agencies, he added.

Expanded Attack List

Esentire and Mayes found that the six ransomware groups they tracked for this report are not only continuing to target the usual suspects -- state and local government, school districts, law firms, and hospital and healthcare organizations. They have expanded their hit list to include manufacturers, transportation/logistics companies, and construction firms in the U.S., Canada, South America, France, and the U.K.

Here is a summary of the new victims resulting from this expanded attack list:

Ryuk/Conti

The Ryuk/Conti ransomware group first appeared in August 2018. Their initial victims tended to be U.S.-based organizations. These included technology companies, healthcare providers, educational institutions, financial services providers, and numerous state and local government organizations.

The gang hit a total of 352 organizations, compromising 63 companies and private sector organizations this year alone. TRU examined 37 of Ryuk's 63 victims, and among them, 16 were manufacturers that produced everything from medical devices to industrial furnaces to electromagnetic radiation equipment to school administration software.

Ryuk reportedly compromised in 2021transportation/logistics companies, construction companies, and healthcare organizations.

Sodin/REvil

Sodin/REvil listed 161 new victims this year, with 52 being manufacturers, as well as a few healthcare organizations, transportation/logistic companies, and construction firms. In March, the group hit computer and electronics manufacturer Acer and demanded a $50 million ransom.

When Quanta Computer, which manufactures notebook computers for Apple, refused to negotiate, as mentioned above, the Sodin criminals reportedly turned to Apple for the ransom. Sodin hackers posted on their blog called "Happy Blog," a warning stating that if they did not get paid, they would publish what they claimed were technical details for current and future Apple hardware.

DoppelPaymer

The DoppelPaymer ransomware group emerged in 2019. The DoppelPaymer group's website claims they compromised 186 victims since making their debut with 59 in 2021 alone. The victims include numerous state and local government organizations, plus several educational institutions.

In December 2020, the FBI issued a warning that "Since late August 2019, unidentified actors have used DoppelPaymer ransomware to encrypt data from victims within critical industries worldwide such as healthcare, emergency services, and education, interrupting citizens' access to services."

Many of the SMBs the group claims as victims were never reported in the press, nor have many of the public sector entities. One of the exceptions is the Illinois Attorney General's office, which first discovered the DoppelPaymer attack on April 10, 2021.

Clop (Cl0p)

The Clop ransomware first appeared in February 2019 and became better known in October 2020 when its operators became the first group to demand a ransom of more than $20 million. The victim, German tech firm Software AG, refused to pay.

Clop made headlines this year for culling through victims' stolen data and retrieving contact information for the company's customers and partners and emailing them to urge them to make the victim company pay the ransom.

DarkSide

DarkSide is a relatively new ransomware group. Esentire's TRU began tracking it last December, about one month after it reportedly emerged. The operators claim on their blog/leak site to have infected 59 organizations in total, compromising 37 of them in 2021.

Victims are located in the U.S., South America, Middle East, and U.K. They include manufacturers of all types of products, such as energy companies, clothing companies, travel companies.

Late on May 13, the DarkSide blog/leak site went down with the DarkSide threat actors claiming that it had lost access to the infrastructure it uses to run its operation and would be closing. The notice cited disruption from a law enforcement agency and pressure from the U.S. Prior to the DarkSide website going down, the operators always stated that they provided their malware via a ransomware-as-a-service model.

The DarkSide operators claimed they are like Robin Hood by only going after profitable companies that can afford to pay a ransom. The group's operators also noted that they will not attack hospitals, palliative care facilities, nursing homes, funeral homes, and companies involved in developing and distributing the Covid-19 vaccine, according to eSentire's report.

Avaddon

Avaddon operators, whose ransomware demands first appeared in the wild in February 2019, claim they infected 88 victims during their lifetime, 47 of them in 2021. The nine ransomware attacks followed the ransomware-as-a-service model.

Its operators allow affiliates to use the ransomware with a portion of the profits paid to the Avaddon developers. The Avaddon threat actors also reportedly offer their victims 24/7 support and resources on purchasing bitcoin, testing files for decryption, and other challenges that may hinder victims from paying the ransom, according to Esentire.

How to Avoid Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware groups are wreaking havoc against many more entities than the public realizes, according to eSentire. No single industry is immune from this ransomware scourge which is happening across all regions and sectors.

Esentire recommends these tips to defend against ransomware attacks:

Backup all critical files and store them offline

Require multifactor authentication to access your organization's virtual private network (VPN) or remote desktop protocol (RDP) services

Only allow only administrators to access network appliances using a VPN service

Domain controllers are a key target for ransomware actors. Ensure your security team has visibility into your IT networks using endpoint detection and response (EDR) agents and centralized logging on domain controllers (DCs) and other servers

Employ the principle of least privilege with staff members

Disable RDP if not being used

Regularly patch systems, prioritizing your key IT systems

Implement network segmentation

Mandate user-awareness training for all company employee

"From a cybersecurity industry perspective, there are some very effective security services, tools and policies available to companies to greatly help them protect their valuable data and applications from cyber threats such as ransomware, business email compromise, cyber espionage, and data destruction," Sangster advised.

Jack M. Germain has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His main areas of focus are enterprise IT, Linux and open-source technologies. He is an esteemed reviewer of Linux distros and other open-source software. In addition, Jack extensively covers business technology and privacy issues, as well as developments in e-commerce and consumer electronics. Email Jack.


Imagine if COVID-19 had first emerged in a country with a free press. Government officials might have quickly raised alarm and taken action, knowing the truth would get out. Or they might hesitate, but a nurse could call the local paper to raise concern about a mysterious new illness or reach out to a national news outlet over Twitter. A reporter with a tip might ask a question at a news conference.
Mrs. Alberta Hamley Griffin, 97, of Athens, Alabama, died Wednesday, June 9, 2021, at Athens Health and Rehab. A Graveside Service will be 1:30 p.m. Sunday in Copeland Cemetery with Keith Griffin officiating. No visitation is planned. Spry Funeral Home in Athens is directing the services. Mr
Members of the Athens High School Football team volunteer with Athens Main Street to load and relocate the bricks that will soon be on display in Merchant's Alley. The bricks were first laid on the streets of Athens in 1919.
Apple announced a string of privacy-related features during its WWDC presentation, and one them will be able to hide your web browsing activities from your internet service provider and anyone else. That feature called "private relay" is part of the suite of features included with a paid iCloud subscription now dubbed as iCloud+. If you're in China, however, don't expect it to encrypt your web activities for you. The tech giant told Reuters that it will be excluding China and a handful of other countries from private relay's rollout due to regulatory restrictions.

As you know, the Chinese government keeps a close eye on how people in the country use the internet, making a large number of Western web services inaccessible within its borders. Reuters notes that this isn't the first time the tech giant is making a compromise for one its largest markets. Back in 2018, it also moved the digital keys used to lock Chinese users' iCloud data into servers within the country itself, so authorities can access them with permission from domestic courts.

Apple's private relay feature works by sending traffic to a server maintained by the company first, stripping it of its IP address. That traffic is then forwarded to a second server operated by a third party that assigns it with a temporary IP address, which is what the destination website sees. While it could be useful in preventing bad actors and advertisers from tracking your activities, its implementation is pretty limited. In addition to being part of a paid package, it will also only work if you're using Safari.

Still, you won't even have the option of protecting yourself with it if you're in the countries excluded from the rollout. Aside from China, private relay also won't be available in Belarus, Colombia, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkmenistan, Uganda and the Philippines.
Last year, Facebook started a program called Discover , which builds on its Free Basics internet accessibility service . It offers users in some countries an allowance of free daily data to access any website through the mobile web and an Android app.

Discover simplifies web pages by running them through a proxy server. It removes video and audio streams, as well as some images. However, a new paper suggests Discover favored Facebook and Instagram.

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine and the University of the Philippines studied how the service rendered content from popular websites. The study was conducted last summer in the Philippines, a country with a high level of internet usage.

The researchers found that Discover rendered Facebook and Instagram with "their features nearly intact, while other sites become broken or difficult to use." Messaging didn't work on Instagram, but it did on Facebook. "On both Globe and Smart [networks used to test Discover], images on Facebook and Instagram appeared, while most or all images were redacted from every other site we encountered," the researchers wrote. "On a few sites, images appeared only for advertisements."

According to the paper, Facebook was deemed fully functional, as were Google, the Philippines Department of Education website, job portal Jobstreet and the World Health Organization's site. Instagram, YouTube and Yahoo (owned by Engadget's parent company Verizon) were among those listed as semi-functional. Netflix, Roblox and Twitter were found to be non-functional. It wasn't possible to create or log into accounts on some sites, partly because Discover often blocked images in CAPTCHA tests.

Facebook told Rest of World , which first reported on the study, that it didn't mean to favor its own services. It attributed that to a technical error which it said has been resolved. It's impossible to check that every site is rendered properly through Discover because of high volume, a spokesperson said.

As this report identified, there was a proxy error in the Discover app that resulted in inconsistent image loading across many websites that load images involving HTTP redirection, the spokesperson told the publication. This was a technical error that has since been resolved and all websites are being proxied the same as intended.

Regardless of whether Facebook favoring its own services was intentional, net neutrality advocates may take issue with Discover, as might those who've suggested the company is using it to onboard Facebook and Instagram users in developing countries. These aren't necessarily new issues, however.
The FBI covertly ran an encrypted communications platform for years that allowed it to intercept 20 million messages from international criminal organizations. Hundreds of arrests have been made across 18 countries as part of the investigation known as Operation Trojan Shield. Suspects, including members of the Italian Mafia and outlaw motorcycle gangs, are among those that have been charged. Australian Police, who helped conceive the sting, have arrested 224 offenders and seized 3.7 tonnes of drugs and $44.9 million in cash and assets.

The crackdown was essentially borne out of the demise of a popular encrypted phone service, known as Phantom Secure, according to newly unsealed court documents. After that enterprise was shut down and its CEO arrested in 2018, the FBI used a "source" to peddle a new app, dubbed "Anom," to criminal networks. Unknown to those who used the devices featuring the platform, the FBI had built a master key into its encryption system. This allowed agents to surreptitiously monitor each message and enabled them to decrypt and store messages as they were transmitted.

Over the following months, the app organically grew on the back of a "beta test" in Australia and the dismantling of two additional encryption phone enterprises, Encrochat and Sky Global. The FBI's supply-side "source" used this window to distribute Anom devices to criminals who had used those now-defunct messaging channels. The phones grew in popularity within the underworld after high-profile criminals vouched for the app's integrity, Australian Police noted.

"These criminal influencers put [law enforcement] in the back pocket of hundreds of alleged offenders," Australian Federal Police commissioner Reece Kershaw said in a statement. "Essentially, they have handcuffed each other by endorsing and trusting AN0M and openly communicating on it  not knowing we were watching the entire time."

Overall, law enforcement have catalogued the aforementioned 20 million messages from a total of 11,800 devices located in over 90 countries. Breaking down the surveillance process, the FBI said that phones outside of the US routed an encrypted BCC of the message to an iBot server. From there, it was decrypted from the encryption code and then immediately re-encrypted with FBI encryption code. The message was then routed to a second FBI-owned iBot server, where it was decrypted and its content made available for viewing.

Each Anom user was also assigned to a particular Jabber Identification (JID) by the FBI's supply-side source or an Anom administrator. A JID is akin to a PIN in Blackberry Messenger, according to the documents, which describe it "as either a fixed, unique alphanumeric identification or, in the case of more recent devices, a combination of two English words." Anom users were also able to select their own usernames and could change their list of usernames over time. As part of the operation, the FBI maintained a list of JIDs and corresponding screen names of Anom users.

In all, roughly 9,000 Anom devices are currently active in the wild. According to the FBI, it has identified over 300 transnational criminal organizations using the chat platform. The Australian Police, which helped intercept local messages, said the communications included alleged plots to kill, mass drug trafficking and gun distribution. Additional offenders include those linked to an Asian crime syndicate and Albanian organised crime. Meanwhile, New Zealand Police have made 35 arrests and seized $3.7 million in assets as part of their interlinked operation.
The cannabis bill that passed in the Senate includes a section that allows medical marijuana growers  with authorization from the state  to expand into the new recreational market. They must pay a conversion fee of $1.5 million or $3 million, depending on whether or not they are participating in an equity joint venture that is at least 50% owned by social equity applicants who meet income thresholds and are residents of an area with unemployment rates or drug conviction rates of more than 10%. The producers must also contribute $500,000 to a program to assist those applicants with applying for licenses.
Fortnite's 7th season of chapter 2 is now live with the ability to play as Superman or Rick & Morty's Rick Sanchez and fly in a UFO. The latest chapter also comes with a revamped Battle Pass system that uses battle stars, reducing the level grind and making individual items easier to nab.

The story trailer shows Fortnite's denizens reacting to the arrival of a huge UFO that hovers ominously over the island and consumes the Zero Point energy source. That in turn destroys the spire and primal ruins, effectively wiping out the remains of season 6.

Instead, we see a mysterious character called the Foundation, rumored to be voiced by The Rock. Then, Agent Jonesy's former boss Doctor Sloane appears, calling on the island's inhabitants to take on the alien invaders. "We now stand at the brink of war with an enemy we do not understand," she intones.

Other new headline characters include horror bunny Guggimon, along with the aforementioned Dr. Sloan and plenty of alien characters. One, called Kymera, can be customized with "different head shapes, eye colors, skin patterns and more," Epic notes. You'll also get new sci-fi weapons including a rail gun, flexible pulse rifle and more.
If theres one thing weve learned about Sony, its that it isnt wed to annual updates. The WF-1000XM3 true wireless earbuds quickly shot to the top of our best of list when they debuted in 2019, primarily for their stellar mix of sound quality and handy features. Of course, that set wasnt without its flaws, one of which was the massive size. 2020 came and went without a new version.

Today, Sony announced a follow-up, the WF-1000XM4 ($280), after a trove of leaks bent on ruining the big reveal. The company has managed to push the limits of what its true wireless products are capable of, but the M4 isnt the bargain its predecessor was. And theres one change that might cause some issues for you.

Sony WF-1000XM4 SCORE 86 Engadget 86 Critics - Not yet scored N/A Users - Not yet scored N/A Buy Now Pros Great sound quality

Powerful ANC

Improved battery life

Wireless charging

360 and high-res audio support Cons New ear tips can be awkward

Redesigned earbuds are still big

Speak-to-Chat is handy but imperfect

Gallery: Sony WF-1000XM4 review | 21 Photos







































/21 Gallery: Sony WF-1000XM4 review | 21 Photos







































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Design

Billy Steele/Engadget

I love nearly everything about the WF-1000XM3 earbuds  except the design. Theyre huge. Not only does that lead to an awkward fit, but it also means the buds are quite noticeable when youre wearing them. The rounded rectangle outer panels looked a bit like a Bluetooth headset from the early aughts. Thankfully, Sony has ditched that look entirely on the M4, opting for a more traditional earbud shape thats compact and circular rather than elongated and rectangular.

A round touch panel accepts taps for track controls and the virtual assistant on the right side while the left earbud can be used to toggle active noise cancellation (ANC) modes or activate the quick attention feature. Those are the default actions, but Sonys app will allow you to reconfigure things as you see fit. Like the M3, you can opt for on-board volume controls on the M4. However, youll have to sacrifice either your playback controls or your ability to change quickly from noise cancelling to ambient sound. You also have the ability to mirror the set of controls you choose on both sides.

The new design doesnt lead to a massive reduction in overall size, though. In fact, Sony says the WF-1000XM4 is only 10 percent smaller than the M3. Thats because these new buds are just as deep, which means they also stick out from your head a bit. Theyre more discreet than the previous version, but still bulky. And when you combine the heft with the new ear tips, you might encounter some issues when it comes to fit.

The included charging case is another item Sony redesigned. Its 40 percent smaller than the accessory that came with the WF-1000XM3, which means you can more easily tuck it in your pants pocket. It sits upright now as well, with a USB-C port on the back for wired charging and an LED on the front for battery status.

Comfort and fit

Billy Steele/Engadget

Rather than the silicone tips you usually get with earbuds, like the ones Sony included with the M3, the company went with so-called Noise Isolation Earbud Tips this time around. These are made of a spongy foam thats supposed to conform to your ear canal to offer a tighter fit and improved noise isolation. If youre not someone who typically does the in-app fit test, youll want to make sure you do it here.

Despite the app telling me I had a good seal with the small and medium sizes, neither offered a secure fit. I finally found a decent option in the third pair (large), but it never felt comfortable. During longer listening sessions, they got slightly painful. In my frustration I pulled the silicone tips off the M3 and slapped them on the M4. No more ill-fitting earbuds. I just wish Sony wouldve included both foam and silicone options, which some other companies do.

Software

Billy Steele/Engadget

Sometimes a companys earbuds app doesnt offer much in the way of customization. Thats not the case with Sony. The companys premium buds and headphones offer so many features and such a degree of customization that its app is not only useful, its essential. In addition to the fit test, features like individual battery levels, Adaptive Sound Control, 360 Reality Audio setup and the EQ return from previous models. Adaptive Sound Control still allows you to let the app detect movement and automatically adjust presets accordingly. The feature can also do so based on your location if you give the software permission. For example, you could have different noise cancelling or ambient sound profiles for home, the office and the gym.

The Headphones app gives you the ability to fine tune ambient sound levels with a 20-step slider. You can also tell the software to focus on voices and suppress background noise when needed. The adjustable ambient sound comes in handy when youre building your automatic presets for Adaptive Sound Control.

Sony debuted its Speak-to-Chat feature on its WH-1000XM4 headphones last year, and now its available on the WF-1000XM4 earbuds. It will automatically and temporarily pause the audio and activate ambient sound when the earbuds detect that youre speaking. After a few seconds, the music will resume or you can tap either earbud to manually do so. Its a handy feature, especially for those of us still working from home. However, the system still cant distinguish between a cough and speech. Sometimes even when I clear my throat I inadvertently trip it. Its not perfect, but it gets a lot of use from me, and I think the microphones on the M4 earbuds are quicker at detecting my voice than those on the headphones. If you dont like it, you can always turn it off in the app.

Active noise cancellation
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The Garfield County Industrial Park, seen in a file photo, currently is home to Tyson Foods (in the foreground) as well as Nextlink Internet, Winfield United. The dotted lines are where land is currently available. (Photo provided)
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Jeff Bezos plans to take an extraordinary tour with his brother, Mark Bezos.

Bezos will step down as the Chief Executive Officer of Amazon on July 5 after years of blooming careers. But he will not leave his post blandly.

This week, Blue Origin confirmed that the world's richest man and his brother, Mark, will join the company's first-ever crewed flight on July 20. The scheduled date runs 15 days after Bezos officially resigns from the company.

On Monday, the 57 years old tech mogul shared his story on Instagram, saying that he always dreamed of traveling to space.

Once he successfully flies outside the Earth's atmosphere, he will set another record by being the first billionaire space tycoon to personally experience a space ride.

For what it's worth, his close competitor Elon Musk, who brainchild Space X, has not announced his plans to travel to space. Meanwhile, Richard Branson also has not thought of the same. However, his company Virgin Galactic plots to conduct flights to suborbital space to allow passengers to see more of the planet.

Bezos is set to break one space tradition with his first crewed flight. Compared to NASA astronauts, the billionaire and the other passengers will not need to take training to help them survive space travel.

Before the scheduled flight, Blue Origin already warns him and the passengers that they must be able to climb the stairs to reach the capsule. The rocket ship will not also make the adjustments for them if they feel like they need to go to the bathroom.

However, the company assured that Bezos and the passengers will not need to study the commands as they will be commanded by computers.

The Blue Origin and Its Rocket Ship

For years, Bezos has been supporting Blue Origin's crewed flight. The rocket ship, New Shepard, can accommodate six persons. The 59-foot rocket tear will travel at 60 miles above Earth and will only take around 11 minutes to reach space.

As early as May 2011, the company already announced its preparation on finding and selecting the first passengers of the New Shepard capsule.

READ ALSO: Lisa Banes In Critical Condition, Sustains Severe Injuries After Hit-And-Run in NYC [REPORT]

The ticket prices remain unknown. However, Blue Origin reserves one of its seats to the winner of a month-long auction. The bid initially reached $2.8 million before reaching a whopping $3.2 million mark.

Blue Origin waited for two decades for its first crewed flight since its establishment in 2000. During that time, Bezos successfully became Time Magazine's Person of the Year. Amazon's $1 billion worth also helped him fund the company's rocket development.

Although he will leave the CEO post, he will remain in an executive chairman role and involve in Amazon. The head of Amazon Web Services, Andy Jassy, will be the new Chief Executive Officer.

Meanwhile, his brother mark currently serves as the senior vice president of New York City charity, Robin Hood.

Apart from New Shepard, Blue Origin is also working on a rocket named New Glenn.

READ MORE: 'Jeopardy!' Oldest Staff Johnny Gilbert Plots Special Goal For Alex Trebek At Age of 92

See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles
Safaree Samuels is not giving up his right to be the father to his children as he rejected the request of his estranged wife Erica Mena for physical primary custody.

Samuels hits back on their divorce as he laid down his own terms. According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, he wants a joint legal custody that lets him have a say in parenting decisions.

He also has the right to visit his children at any time he wants if ever he's granted, Samuels wants his visitation to be "uninterrupted" as well as "consistent" because he believes that "this is in the best interest of the kids."

According to early reports, Erica Mena has requested to have an exclusive use of the house that they currently live in, today, Safaree has nothing against her request as he lets her live in their home as long as he is removed from any liability from the property through a refinancing of the mortgage.

Samuels also wants to retain both of their rights as owners of their individual vehicles as weill as their properties that they acquired while they're still together.

His final request is for the court to decide the child support obligations for the both of them.

READ ALSO: 'The Chase' Actor Bradley Walsh Throws Tantrum During BAFTA For Losing To Romesh Ranganathan

Erica Mena divorces Safaree Samuels while pregnant

As we previously reported, Erica files from divorce from Safaree Samuels after almost two years of marriage.

Mena filed for divorce on May 21st at the Fayette County Superior Court in Georgia. According to legal docs, the reason behind their split is their relationship described as "irretrivably broken" and there's "no hope in reconciliation"

The divorce issue came after her pregnancy announcement on Instagram, the reality TV star is expected to give birth next month.

The estranged couple is parent to their 1-year-old daughter Safire.

Split rumors began circulating months before she filed for divorce. Samuels had posted a photo in November saying that he's a "Bachelor" where he also tagged the divorce court. He later on apologize to Mena at the time.

Mena shares 14-year-old son named King Javien Conde with ex Raul Conde.

Both Erica Mena and Safaree Samuels appear on "Love & Hip Hop Atlanta" as well as New York.

The ex-couple has not publicly addressed their divorce.

READ ALSO: Liam Payne Ends Maya Henry Engagement -- Cause of Split Similar As to Why Cheryl Allegedly Left?









See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed their newest bundle of joy, Lilibet Diana, last Friday.

While many people are happy for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, some used the announcement for negativities.

But a couple of people went too far. A controversial journalist and a British lawyer made racist comments following news that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had welcomed their daughter.

The couple named their baby to honour both Queen Elizabeth and the late Princess Diana.

Controversial journalist Julie Burchill first tweeted, "What a missed opportunity. They could have called it Georgina Floydina," about George Floyd, who was killed just last year by American police officers.

Joanna Toch, the founder of Family Law Cafe in the UK, then responded to the tweet, "No Doria? Don't black names matter?"

Doria Ragland is the former "Suits" star's mom, who is an American Black woman.

Burchill responded to the lawyer's tweet by saying, "Was hoping for Doria Oprah, the racist rotters."

But Toch continued with a tweet, responding, "Doprah?"

The tweets later went viral on Twitter, with the family lawyer quickly apologizing for her "joke."

Responding to one Twitter user, she wrote, "It was a joke, and I'm sorry if it upset you."

Toch later issued a more extended apology and attempted to excuse herself by saying she also had children of colour.

Oh, and shout out to family law barrister @Joannatoch who replied to that tweet with her own - since deleted - offerings that had all the creativity and finesse you'd expect from an 8-year-old.



Now apologising swiftly and unreservedly as you'd expect from a legal professional. pic.twitter.com/fvas1JDYMS  Elizabeth Pears (@BizPears) June 6, 2021

Despite her public apology about the "joke" she made, Toch's workplace stated on Monday saying she was being suspended.

Its all lets be racist against a new born baby when youre down a couple of glasses of wine on a Sunday evening and then suddenly These Tweets are protected when you face the consequences in the morning @Joannatoch pic.twitter.com/ZCUNXq7rvt  AM  (@iDontHaveTawita) June 7, 2021

"Family Law Cafe Limited ('FLC') has suspended Joanna Toch with immediate effect pending an internal review into her recent comments on Twitter." Their statement added how the firm sees her comments as "offensive, unacceptable and highly contradictory to the inclusive matter" in their workplace.

READ ALSO: Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Baby's Name Is More Than Just A Tribute To Queen Elizabeth II

Meanwhile, it wasn't just Joanna Toch and Julie Burchill who had things to say about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's baby name.

Many royal experts claim that by choosing "Lilibet," the Duke and Duchess of Sussex invaded Queen Elizabeth II's "privacy."

However, it's not how others see it.

By choosing those names, others believe that it could be the Sussexes' sending an olive branch to the British royal family after their controversial statements.

Additionally, it was also reported that Prince Harry went to her grandmother to get her blessing in using her nickname for their daughter, but it wasn't a "formal permission."

Per Russell Myers, "Sources have confirmed that Harry and Meghan did not seek formal permission from the Queen to use the nickname, but they did inform her in private before announcing her arrival to the world."

All in all, the royal family may not seem to think more of it as they sent out their congratulations to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for the arrival of their daughter.

READ MORE: Queen Elizabeth II Might Never Strip Prince Harry of His Royal Titles -- Here's Why

See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle welcomed Lilibet Diana last Friday in a California hospital. The precious bundle of joy weighed about 7 lbs. and 11 oz.

Her name became the talk of the internet after being named after Queen Elizabeth II's family nickname and Prince Harry's late mom, Princess Diana.

According to reports, Prince Harry's brother and sister-in-law, Prince William and Kate Middleton, sent their niece a special gift, while Lilibet's great grandmother, the Queen, received photos of the newborn.

royal experts claimed that the future King would not become the new Sussex baby's godfather, but not because of the alleged ongoing rift between Prince Harry and Prince William,

NBC royal commentator Daisy McAndrew explains to TODAY, "That's because the royals don't do siblings as godparents."

One can note that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge didn't choose Prince Harry to be godfather to any of their three children either, but instead chose a few other relatives and friends.

As for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's first child Archie Harrison, the couple didn't announce who his godparents are.

But according to rumors, one of them was former Wales' brother's nanny and one of them was also one of Prince Harry's mentors.

McAndrew also believes that maybe Lilibet Diana's godparents would be primarily American since they're far away from British soil.

"I suspect this time around they'll be full of Americans, and I think that'll be yet another departure from their old life to their new life."

Serena Williams, Katy Perry As Lilibet Diana's Godmothers?

Meanwhile, another royal expert, Marlene Koenig, also believes that the second Sussex child would have "mentors" for godparents.

Koenig said, "You're more likely to have a relationship with your godparent if they're close friends with the family."

She added, "I think they'll choose people who will have roles in their lives as mentors, as adopted uncles, as friends."

It's possible that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would ask their friends like Serena Williams, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Oprah Winfrey, David Foster, Katharine McPhee, Amal Clooney, Priyanka Chopra to be godparents of Lili.

Also, James Corden, from the UK.

If Prince William or Kate Middleton were part of Lili's godparents' roster, Koenig believes it would make some tongues wagging.

But she also explained that there could be an excellent side to choosing the Cambridges to be part of the daughter's life.

"It would also perhaps be a good way to begin the healing of tension between the two brothers right now."

As of writing, there are no reports of who Lilibet Diana's godparents will be.

READ ALSO: Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Baby's Name Is More Than Just A Tribute To Queen Elizabeth II

Lilibet Diana - Is She Part of The Royal Succession Line?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's daughter Lilibet Diana is Queen Elizabeth II's 11th great-grandchild. She is the first member to be born since the death of Prince Philip.

Lilibet is still part of the royal succession. She is eighth in line to the British throne after her older brother Archie.

The new Sussex baby's arrival has knocked Prince Andrew down to ninth place in the royal line of succession.

Lilibet and her older brother possess dual citizenship, UK and US.

BREAKING: Prince Harry & Meghan Markle have welcomed their daughter! Lilibet Lili Diana Mountbatten-Windsor was born on Friday, June 4. Both mom and baby are healthy and well, a Sussex spox says. pic.twitter.com/VVsM6JKJ6f  Carly Ledbetter (@ledbettercarly) June 6, 2021

READ MORE: Queen Elizabeth II Might Never Strip Prince Harry of His Royal Titles -- Here's Why

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Row as Finland and Sweden call for weakening of forestry requirements in EU taxonomy

A member of the EU's Platform on Sustainable Finance has slammed a demand by Finland and Sweden to change the requirements for forestry in the EU's taxonomy of sustainable activities.

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This session has been a session where weve been talking about equity, talking about dealing with the policies of the past and making them right, said Winfield, a Democrat from New Haven. To my mind, if cannabis was made illegal not because there was a real reason ... but to deal with the Mexicans in the early 1900s or the hippies and the Blacks in the 1970s, that is not good public policy. And we have seen what has been wrought by having a war on drugs. Whole communities have been decimated.
2021-06-08

Maeci

On Tuesday 8 June 2021, at 15:00, the first De Sanctis Award  Europe edition will be held at the Italian Foreign Ministry, with an opening address by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio. Recipients of the Award  granted to outstanding European cultural, scientific and literary figures  will be the conductor, Maestro Riccardo Muti, and the Director General of CERN, Fabiola Gianotti.

The event will be streamed on the Foreign Affairs Ministry website and YouTube channel.

The establishment of the De Sanctis Award  Europe edition had been announced by the Foundation in October 2019, with a final award ceremony in Brussels, capital of Belgium and heart of Europe.

Due to the pandemic, it was not possible to hold the first event in Brussels in 2020 or in early 2021, given the ongoing health emergency in Belgium and the related measures to contain the Covid pandemic.

The first De Sanctis Award  Europe edition has, therefore, been divided into two sections: the first held on 8 June, in Rome, the second in Brussels on 25 October 2021.
2021-06-08

Maeci

On the instructions of Minister Luigi Di Maio, the Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Ettore Sequi, has summoned today the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, Omar Al Shamsi, to the Foreign Ministry.

The Secretary General has expressed to the Ambassador his surprise and great disappointment for an unexpected gesture that is hard to understand.
Feature Article

DOE announces $6.4 million for research on international fusion energy facilities

Projects span studies of turbulence, ion-heat transport, and equilibrium stability to improve confinement of fusion plasmas

DOE/US Department of Energy

WASHINGTON, D.C.--Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $6.4 million in funding for U.S. scientists to carry out seven research projects at two major fusion energy facilities located in Germany and Japan. These collaborations enable U.S. researchers to explore critical science and technology issues at the frontiers of magnetic fusion research using the unique capabilities of the most advanced overseas research facilities.

Fusion energy research seeks to harness the energy that powers the sun and stars as a clean, safe, and abundant source of energy on earth. The research projects will be carried out at two fusion facilities, known as "stellarators," that represent a promising alternative approach to the "tokamak" fusion reactor design that dominates magnetic fusion research in the United States and around the world. The two facilities, Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) in Germany and the Large Helical Device (LHD) in Japan, are respectively the largest and second largest superconducting stellarator facilities in the world. Compared with tokamaks, stellarators have the advantage of providing continuous operation without damaging plasma disruptions and with low recirculating power requirements.

"The early success of W7-X has demonstrated the ability to optimize stellarators for performance, reliability, and simplicity" said James Van Dam, DOE Associate Director of Science for Fusion Energy Sciences (FES). "These awards will help us assess whether stellarators are a viable option for a future fusion pilot plant."

The funded projects at W7-X will continue the major U.S. collaboration with Germany, advance understanding of magnetic confinement, and address research priorities critical to the W7-X mission. Projects include studying ion-heat transport within heated plasmas, developing improved methods to measure electric fields and turbulence, and investigating equilibrium stability and control to improve plasma confinement.

The projects were selected by competitive peer review under the DOE Funding Opportunity Announcement for Collaborative Research in Magnetic Fusion Energy Sciences on Long-Pulse International Stellarator Facilities.

Total funding is $6.4 million for projects lasting up to three years in duration, with $1.6 million in outyear funding contingent on congressional appropriations. The list of projects can be found on the FES homepage under the heading "What's New."

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Durham, NC - Critically ill COVID-19 patients treated with non-altered stem cells from umbilical cord connective tissue were more than twice as likely to survive as those who did not have the treatment, according to a study published today in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine.

The clinical trial, carried out at four hospitals in Jakarta, Indonesia, also showed that administering the treatment to COVID-19 patients with an added chronic health condition such as diabetes, hypertension or kidney disease increased their survival more than fourfold.

All 40 patients who took part in the double-blind, controlled, randomized study were adults in intensive care who had been intubated due to COVID-19-induced pneumonia. Half were given intravenous infusions containing umbilical mesenchymal stromal cells, or stem cells derived from the connective tissue of a human birth cord, and half were given infusions without them.

The survival rate of those receiving the stem cells was 2.5 times higher and climbed even more - 4.5 times - in the COVID-19 patients who had other chronic health conditions, said Ismail Hadisoebroto Dilogo, professor of medicine at Cipto Mangunkusumo Central Hospital-Universitas Indonesia and research team member.

The stem cell infusion also was found to be safe and well-tolerated with no life-threatening complications or acute allergic reactions in seven days of post-infusion monitoring, he said.

Previous clinical trials have shown that treating COVID-19 pneumonia patients with stem cells from umbilical cord connective tissue may help them survive and recover more quickly, but the Indonesian study is the first to treat intubated, critically ill COVID-19 pneumonia patients with a naive, or non-genetically manipulated, form of the stem cells.

"Unlike other studies, our trial used stem cells obtained through explants from actual umbilical cord tissue and we did not manipulate them to exclude ACE2, a cellular protein thought to be an entry point for COVID-19," Dilogo said.

Some research suggests that one of the main causes of acute respiratory distress in COVID-19 patients is "cytokine storm," a condition in which infection prompts the body's immune system to flood the bloodstream with inflammatory proteins.

"The exact cause of cytokine storm is still unknown, but our study indicates that the presence of non-manipulated umbilical cord stromal stem cells improves patient survival by modulating the immune system toward an anti-inflammatory immune state," Dilogo said.

Since there is no cure for COVID-19, supportive care has been the only help available for patients who are critically ill with the virus.

"Although our study focused on a small number of patients, we think this experimental treatment could potentially lead to an effective adjuvant therapy for COVID-19 patients in intensive care who do not respond to conventional supportive treatment," he said.

Dilogo's research team launched the clinical trial last year after the COVID-19 occupancy rate in Jakarta's intensive care units climbed to 80 percent and the mortality rate of critically ill COVID-19 pneumonia patients in the ICUs reached 87 percent.

"This study, which assessed the potential therapeutic effect of human umbilical-cord mesenchymal stem cells on critically-ill COVID-19 patients, provides promising results that could inform a potential treatment to increase survival rates," said Anthony Atala, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. "Having additional potential therapies, such as MSCs, could be highly beneficial for these patients."

###

The full article, "Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stromal Cells as Critical COVID-19 Adjuvant Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial" can be accessed at https:/ / stemcellsjournals. onlinelibrary. wiley. com/ doi/ abs/ 10. 1002/ sctm. 21-0046 .

About STEM CELLS Translational Medicine: STEM CELLS Translational Medicine (SCTM), co-published by AlphaMed Press and Wiley, is a monthly peer-reviewed publication dedicated to significantly advancing the clinical utilization of stem cell molecular and cellular biology. By bridging stem cell research and clinical trials, SCTM will help move applications of these critical investigations closer to accepted best practices. SCTM is the official journal partner of Regenerative Medicine Foundation.

About AlphaMed Press: Established in 1983, AlphaMed Press with offices in Durham, NC, San Francisco, CA, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, publishes two other internationally renowned peer-reviewed journals: STEM CELLS (http://www. StemCells. com ), celebrating its 39th year, is the world's first journal devoted to this fast paced field of research. The Oncologist (http://www. TheOncologist. com ), also a monthly peer-reviewed publication, entering its 26th year, is devoted to community and hospital-based oncologists and physicians entrusted with cancer patient care. All three journals are premier periodicals with globally recognized editorial boards dedicated to advancing knowledge and education in their focused disciplines.

About Wiley: Wiley, a global company, helps people and organizations develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Our online scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, combined with our digital learning, assessment and certification solutions, help universities, learned societies, businesses, governments and individuals increase the academic and professional impact of their work. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to our stakeholders. The company's website can be accessed at http://www. wiley. com .

About Regenerative Medicine Foundation (RMF): The non-profit Regenerative Medicine Foundation fosters strategic collaborations to accelerate the development of regenerative medicine to improve health and deliver cures. RMF pursues its mission by producing its flagship World Stem Cell Summit, honouring leaders through the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Action Awards, and promoting educational initiatives.
Speech patterns of children are often compared with those of adults, but this ignores developmental and socioeconomic factors that affect how young kids talk

MELVILLE, N.Y., June 8, 2021 -- Variations in children's speech has traditionally been attributed to developmental delays. Recent work suggests the reasons for variability are not so clear, and an immediate call for treatment may need to be reconsidered.

During the 180th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, which will be held virtually June 8-10, Margaret Cychosz, from the University of Maryland, will discuss the need to better understand these variations. Her presentation, "Reconsidering variability in child speech production," will take place Tuesday, June 8, at 11:35 a.m. Eastern U.S.

Cychosz said speech patterns measured by artificial intelligence applications are particularly unreliable, since these often depend on databases of adult speech, which is very different from child speech.

"Children have a smaller anatomy -- smaller heads, smaller tongues, smaller vocal tracts -- but they're not just miniatures of adults, so we can't apply a simple function to transform all of the algorithms trained on adult speech," Cychosz said.

Even within populations of children, different developmental rates, dialects, and exposure to languages can cause vast distinctions in speech.

"When we don't factor in the languages and dialects that children are learning at home, and we don't include representative samples for the design of standardized speech-language tests, we sometimes end up pathologizing bilingual children or children who speak additional dialects, which definitely doesn't help them reach their fullest potential," said Cychosz.

Developing a larger database of speech from children can help artificial intelligence overcome this bias, but Cychosz said adult listeners also need to be aware of these factors and note the subtle differences in sounds made by children that may be imperceptible to adults.

"Just because a child says 'tatch' instead of 'catch' doesn't always mean that they don't know or aren't trying to say the word correctly. Instead, children are gradually learning to make this distinction. It's a step along the way to speaking like an adult."

Cychosz emphasized the role of caregivers in this process. Hearing different words used in different ways is important for children's development and can even aid with reading in the longer term.

"One way to do that is to talk about things outside of the here and now. What did you do yesterday? How much time will we spend at the park?" she said. "These types of interactions help children construct larger vocabularies and practice pronouncing tough sounds in new contexts."

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Researchers have reviewed all clinical trials of targeted drugs used in the treatment of vasculitis. With this, they propose a completely mechanistic categorisation of these diseases, which may in time provide better treatment

Systematic literature review provides evidence base for new therapeutic avenues in vasculitis

Researchers have reviewed all clinical trials of targeted drugs used in the treatment of vasculitis. With this, they propose a completely mechanistic categorisation of these diseases, which may in time provide better treatment.

Diseases which cause inflammation of the blood vessels are presently categorised according to the size of the blood vessels involved. But it would make more sense - and ultimately end with better treatment - if the diseases were categorised based on the causes of the inflammation.

This is shown by a systematic literature review of clinical trials in vasculitis, which researchers from Aarhus University are behind.

The new categorisation provides both the opportunity to develop new medicines and to test existing drugs in new ways, says Associate Professor at the Department of Biomedicine Tue Wenzel Kragstrup.

"We're dealing with a group of immune mediated inflammatory diseases that must be treated in very different ways. We've made so much progress with the clinical trials now that we can use them to learn about understanding of diseases and the underlying immunology," he says.

The researchers have reviewed the latest clinical studies for drugs within the group of autoimmune diseases called vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels). At present, the group of diseases is divided anatomically according to the size of the blood vessels that are being affected. However, the old classification criterion does not reflect the cause of the disease, which is immunological.

"Some of the diseases that were previously classified as being very similar, actually turn out to be quite different. They affect the same kind of blood vessels but there are significant differences in the response to different treatments," explains Christopher Kirkegaard Torp who is first author on the study.

"Once you know the cause of a disease, it becomes easier to develop new medicines or test existing drugs for the disease in question. The new categorisation can help patients, doctors and researchers to a better understanding and thereby better treatment," Tue Wenzel Kragstrup says.

Effective drugs must be tested on other diseases

The study is limited to the diseases which are treated with an EMA or FDA-approved drug (approved by the European Commission or The Food and Drug Administration of the United States), which means that the researchers have studied ten drugs. Their use has provided new information about the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of five different types of vasculitis.

"We now have a whole catalogue of targeted immunosuppressants in rheumatology, but only a few have been approved for vasculitis. Our review highlights the immunological aspects of different types of vasculitis. This paves the way for clinical trials with other drugs targeting adjacent immunological abnormalities to identify new treatment options for the patients," says Tue Wenzel Kragstrup.

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The research results - more information:

The article is published in the journal Autoimmunity Reviews: https:/ / authors. elsevier. com/ a/ 1cyPs5alwY0kSs

Type of study: Systematic literature study.

The study was carried out in collaboration with the Department of Rheumatology at Aarhus University Hospital, the NIHR Leeds Biomedical Research Centre and the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

Tue Wenzel Kragstrup was supported by a grant from the Danish Council for Independent Research.

Contact

Associate Professor Tue Wenzel Kragstrup

Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University

Tel.: (+45) 2982 1739

Email: kragstrup@biomed.au.dk
E-scooter injuries are most likely to occur at the weekend and after alcohol-fuelled risk taking, such as kerb jumping, reveals an analysis of the pattern and timing of these injuries in one European city, and published online in Emergency Medicine Journal.

Much stricter regulations on the use of e-scooters, plus technical modifications to their design, are required to lessen the risk of injury, say the researchers.

E-scooters have become popular in major European cities since their initial licensing in June 2019, prompted by their ready availability and environmental concerns.

With 3.8 million residents and almost 14 million tourists every year, Berlin was chosen by e-scooter manufacturers as a test site for short-distance journeys ('micromobility'). And in September 2019, more than 11,000 e-scooters entered circulation in the city.

Few studies have looked at the patterns of injury associated with e-scooter use in European cities. To plug this knowledge gap, the researchers looked at e-scooter injuries treated at four emergency departments in central Berlin for the six months between June and December 2019.

At two of the emergency departments, injured patients were asked to fill in questionnaires on the likely cause of the incident, previous experience with e-scooters, possession of a driving licence, whether they had been drinking before the incident, and whether they had worn a helmet.

During the 6-month study period, 248 patients were treated at the four emergency departments after sustaining an e-scooter injury.

The riders' average age was 29, but ranged from 5 to 81, with the bulk of injuries occurring in those aged between 26 and 40. Just over half the patients were male (52%). Nearly six out of 10 (58%) were resident Berliners; 41% were tourists.

Most incidents (75%) occurred between July and September, peaking between noon and 18:00 hours (40%) and between 18:00 hours and midnight (29%).

E-scooter injuries were also higher at the weekend (58%) than on weekdays. In 20 patients (8%), the incidents happened on the way to or from work.

The primary cause of the injury was falling off the scooter because of loss of control, due to not paying attention, single handed driving, kerb jumping, inexperience, or going too fast.

Injuries were also caused by contact with the sharp edges or protruding screws of the e-scooter during acceleration or when pushing off from the ground or while trying to brake.

Pedestrians were injured in 12 cases (5%), either by getting hit by an e-scooter (9) or by tripping over a parked vehicle (3).

Leg and arm injuries were recorded in 178 patients and made up most of the injuries (72%). Thirteen of the 17 patients with a leg fracture required surgery; but most leg injuries were soft tissue injuries.

Arms were more likely to be fractured than legs (17% vs 6%); 21 of these patients (8%) required surgery. Four people dislocated a shoulder.

Head injuries (135) were sustained by 101 patients: soft tissue injuries (27%); fractures (19%); and tooth damage (17%). One patient had a brain bleed. Thirty two (13%) also had a traumatic brain injury of mild severity, 22 of whom were admitted to hospital.

In total, 1 in 4 patients (61;25%) was admitted to hospital: 57 of them (23%) required surgery, with the average stay lasting 3 days, but ranging from 1-12 days.

Of the 120 patients who filled in the questionnaire, two thirds (82; 68%) had a driving licence and around half (58; 48%) had driven an e-scooter before.

One in five patients (49; 20%) tested positive on the alcohol breath test; 15 of them had sustained traumatic brain injury (31%).

A positive breath test was associated with a fivefold increase in the odds of traumatic brain injury and a doubling in the odds of hospital admission, even if the drivers were experienced in handling e-scooters.

Previous experience with e-scooters was associated with a threefold increase in the odds of traumatic brain injury. Only 1% of riders wore a helmet.

The researchers acknowledge that their study was confined to four central emergency departments in one city and that patients at only two of the emergency departments filled in the questionnaire.

Nevertheless, the study reports on the largest cohort of patients involved in e-scooter incidents in Europe, they point out.

Their findings prompt the researchers to call for much tighter regulations for e-scooter users. "These should include the wearing of helmets, an age limit of 18 years, a ban on alcohol and a strict adherence to traffic regulations, such as avoiding driving on pavements," they write.

"By performing technical modifications to the e-scooter platforms, providers can help to eliminate an additional source of injury," they add.

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Externally peer reviewed? Yes

Evidence type: Observational

Subjects: People
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- New research from Binghamton University, State University of New York shows the human trauma and family separation that resulted from the Trump Administration's zero tolerance policy on undocumented immigration.

The news reports surrounding the Trump Administration's "zero tolerance" policy on undocumented immigration were stark: children separated from their parents, uncertain whether they would ever see them again.

All told, the official zero tolerance policy lasted only a few months, from April to June 2018. But family separations occurred before and after those dates: at least 5,512 children were separated from their families since July 2017, and 1,142 families were separated even after the policy formally ended.

Along with four Binghamton students, Assistant Professor of Human Development Oscar F. Gil-Garcia put a human face on these tragic statistics in "'It felt like my son had died': Zero tolerance and the trauma of family separation," recently published in the journal Latino Studies, the article documents the impact of immigration policy on a Central American family that became separated in 2017 from their son David, a minor and a United States citizen.

As the Biden administration begins to reunify families, the case of David and his family provides an opportunity to comprehend the long-term harm inflicted by family separations, said Gil-Garcia, who is also affiliated with Latin and Caribbean Area Studies (LACAS).

"Immigration policies in the U.S. and Mexico are really damaging to migrant populations; they paint migrant populations as not human, but as criminals and as undeserving," said co-author Sarah Vener '22, an English and political science dual major. "We see that this creates human rights abuses that have real impacts on people throughout their lives -- and those impacts last."

Vener has spent three years as a research assistant under Gil-Garcia, exploring the effects of U.S. and Mexican immigration policy on indigenous Maya refugees. Co-authors also include Francesca Bove '21, who recently graduated with a master's in public administration; psychology major Luz Velazquez '21; and sociology, human development and LACAS triple-major Alexandra Miranda '22.

The interview with David came out of a larger project that Gil-Garcia has been working on since around 2012, concerning members of a Maya community living in the Mexican state of Chiapas. Gil-Garcia worked with these stateless individuals on obtaining legal status in Mexico; David's parents, Evelyn and Carlos, were among them.

The two had fled Guatemala in 1985 to escape that nation's civil war. Lacking legal status and job opportunities in Mexico, they crossed the border to work at an Alabama sweatshop. David was born in the United States in 2003, making him a U.S. citizen.

He first became separated from his father at only 4 years old, when he and his mother returned to Mexico, concerned about rising deportations; Carlos joined them two years later. At the age of 14, David expressed interest in returning to the United States for his education. His father joined him, believing that his son's U.S. citizenship meant that he could accompany him. That proved not to be the case.

The two were immediately separated by immigration officials. After two months' detention, Carlos was deported to Mexico in February 2018. David ended up in the Arizona foster care system, and neither knew the whereabouts of the other for months.

Frantic, Carlos and Evelyn enlisted Gil-Garcia's help in tracking down their son, who ended up in three different foster-care facilities. Unable to speak English, he was at times unable to communicate in his group home, and struggled with eating and sleeping. Gil-Garcia worked with David's family to expedite his release. Just as the coronavirus began to spread, David was finally able to leave the foster care system and live with a family member in California.

While David's story may seem uniquely tragic, he's not alone, the researchers stress; more than 5.9 million children who are citizens of the United States have at least one undocumented parent and live with the constant fear of family separation.

Such separations have long-lasting health consequences for both the children and their families, including forms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression and other conditions that can shorten life expectancy. Family separations also meet the definition of an enforced disappearance, which is considered a crime in international law -- and even the United Nations' definition of torture, the researchers note.

For all the pain they inflict, zero tolerance policies are largely ineffective in deterring migration; in fact, they have the opposite effect, Gil-Garcia noted.

"These kinds of separations are actually creating new forms of migration and compelling these individuals to re-migrate," he said.

Gil-Garcia and his research team have other projects in the works concerning experiences like that of David and his family. One will conceptualize a heuristic model for practitioners who want to help unaccompanied minors cope with the trauma of family separation.

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Glass is one of the most common subjects we see every day, but the detailed structure of this non-metallic and non-liquid material has always been a major mystery in science. A research team co-led by scientists at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has successfully discovered that the amorphous and crystalline metallic glass have the same structural building blocks. And it is the connectivity between these blocks that distinguishes the crystalline and amorphous states of the material. The findings shed light on the understanding of glass structure.

Glass is a non-crystalline amorphous solid which has widespread practical and technological use in daily life. Besides the soda-lime glass used in windows, there are many other types of glasses like metallic glass. Glass phase material is mysterious and special: on the outside, the material behaves like a solid, but inside, it appears as disorderly as a liquid. So its structure has long been the focus of scientific research.

A research team co-led by Professor Wang Xunli, Chair Professor of Physics and Head of the Department of Physics at CityU, has discovered a structure link between a glass solid and its crystalline counterpart, which is a breakthrough in understanding the detailed structure of amorphous material. The work was published in Nature Materials, titled "A medium-range structure motif linking amorphous and crystalline state".

"The structure of glass has been a grand scientific challenge," said Professor Wang.

Unlike a crystalline solid consisting of periodic stacking (long-range order) of fundamental building blocks known as unit cells, a glass material has no long-range order. But a glass material has ordered structures at short-range (2-5 A) and medium-range (5-20 A), and even longer length scales. However, due to the lack of contrast resulting from the amorphous nature of the material, it was difficult for scientists to experimentally determine the nature of medium-range order. As a result, it remained a scientific mystery whether there exists any structural link at medium range or longer length scales between the amorphous material and its crystalline counterparts. Further compounding the issue is that an amorphous material often crystalizes into a phase of different composition, with very different underlying structural building blocks.

To overcome this challenge, the team captured an intermediate crystalline phase through precise control of the heating of a metallic glass (a palladium-nickel-phosphorus (Pd-Ni-P) alloy) at a high temperature.

The team subsequently employed different advanced structure analysis techniques, including high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, high precision synchrotron X-ray diffraction and automated computer image analysis. By comparing the structures of the metallic glass (alloy) in its amorphous and intermediate crystalline states, the team discovered that both forms of the alloys share the same building block, which is a "six-membered tricapped trigonal prism cluster (6M-TTP)" consisting of atoms of palladium, nickel, and phosphorus. The team also concluded that it was the connectivity between the clusters that distinguish the crystalline and amorphous states.

"Our experimental study shows that structural building blocks linking the amorphous and crystalline states, such as the trigonal prism cluster for Pd-Ni-P metallic glass, could well extend to the medium-range length scale, on the order of tens of angstroms (A), which could be a universal feature for amorphous materials. This finding strongly suggests that the structure of the glass differentiates from its crystalline counterpart mainly in the connectivity of the structural building blocks," said Professor Wang.

The researchers believed that understanding the molecular structure of amorphous material was vital to the design of new materials because the structure determined the properties. "Our experimental study shed light on the structure of amorphous materials at extended length scales. This will go a long way aiding our efforts to figure out the structure of glass," Professor Wang added.

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Research groups from Nanjing University of Science and Technology (NJUST), CityU and Argonne National Laboratory co-led the study. The corresponding authors are Professor Lan Si of NJUST, Dr Ren Yang, Senior Physicist of Argonne National Laboratory, and Professor Wang.

The co-first authors are Professor Lan, Mr Zhu Li (PhD student from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, NUAA), Dr Wu Zhenduo from City University of Hong Kong Dongguan Research Institute, and Professor Gu Lin from Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Other collaborators include Professor Liu Chain-tsuan, University Distinguished Professor in the College of Engineering and Dr Liu Qi from the Department of Physics at CityU.

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Neutron Scattering Science and Technology, the Croucher Foundation, and the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong SAR.
This session has been a session where weve been talking about equity, talking about dealing with the policies of the past and making them right,' said Winfield, a Democrat from New Haven. To my mind, if cannabis was made illegal not because there was a real reason...but to deal with the Mexicans in the early 1900s or the hippies and the Blacks in the 1970s, that is not good public policy. And we have seen what has been wrought by having a war on drugs. Whole communities have been decimated.
Propylene oxide (PO) is one of the important propylene derivatives with high reactivity, which is used extensively as raw material for the manufacture of numerous commercial chemicals. The titanosilicate-catalyzed hydrogen peroxide propylene oxide process (HPPO) is considered to be most advantageous because it is highly economical and ecofriendly, giving only H 2 O as the theoretical byproduct and achieving high PO selectivity under mild reaction conditions. The industrial HPPO process is generally carried out in a fixed-bed reactor using the shaped titanosilicate catalysts. Unfortunately, the inert and non-porous binders in shaping catalysts always negatively affect the accessibility of active sites and reaction performance in HPPO process. Moreover, for the HPPO process, in terms of catalyst cost, epoxidation reactivity and PO selectivity, the second-generation Ti-MWW/H 2 O 2 /Acetonitrile system is superior to the currently commercialized first-generation TS-1/H 2 O 2 /Methanol system. Therefore, it is of great academic and industrial significance to design and synthesize an applicable Ti-MWW catalyst and realize a highly efficient HPPO process, which should be engineered delicately and comprehensively.

Recently, a research team led by Prof. Peng Wu from East China Normal University, China designed and synthesized a structured binder-free MWW-type titanosilicate catalyst with attractive HPPO performance via a combination method of shaping, recrystallization and chemical modification of Ti sites. The controlled dual- templates-assisted hydrothermal recrystallization converted the amorphous SiO 2 binders in extruded SiO 2 /Ti-MWW catalyst to crystalline zeolite phase. Actually, such procedure could kill two birds with one stone: mass transfer problems in the shaped catalyst and chemical modification of micro-environments of the active Ti sites were conquered simultaneously. It was found recrystallization not only released the part of Ti sites within the micropores imprisoned by binders, improving the diffusion efficiency and the accessibility of Ti sites, but also constructed more active open framework TiO 6 species and abundant internal silanol nests, which promoted the accumulation and activation ability of H 2 O 2 inside the Ti-MWW monolith.

Afterwards, successive piperidine treatment and fluoridation of the binder-free Ti-MWW further enhanced the H 2 O 2 activation and the active O transfer ability of active Ti sites, and stabilized the Ti-OOH intermediate through H-bonding formed between the end H in Ti-OOH and adjacent Si-F species, thus achieving a more efficient epoxidation process. Additionally, the side reaction of PO hydrolysis was inhibited because the modification effectively quenched numerous acidic Si-OH groups. The lifetime of the modified binder-free Ti-MWW catalyst was 2400 h with the H 2 O 2 conversion and PO selectivity both above 99.5% as well low solvent consumption. The outstanding catalytic performance implied the great potential of this structured binder-free Ti-MWW catalyst in industrial HPPO applications. The results were published in Chinese Journal of Catalysis (10.1016/S1872-2067(20)63759-7).

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This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 21872052, 21533002, 21972044), the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (2016YFA0202804) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

About the Journal

Chinese Journal of Catalysis is co-sponsored by Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Chemical Society, and it is currently published by Elsevier group. This monthly journal publishes in English timely contributions of original and rigorously reviewed manuscripts covering all areas of catalysis. The journal publishes Reviews, Accounts, Communications, Articles, Highlights, Perspectives, and Viewpoints of highly scientific values that help understanding and defining of new concepts in both fundamental issues and practical applications of catalysis. Chinese Journal of Catalysis ranks among the top six journals in Applied Chemistry with a current SCI impact factor of 6.146. The Editors-in-Chief are Profs. Can Li and Tao Zhang.

At Elsevier http://www. journals. elsevier. com/ chinese-journal-of-catalysis
New structure shows how virus envelope protein hijacks cell-junction protein and promotes viral spread; findings could speed the design of drugs to block severe effects of COVID-19

UPTON, NY--Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have published the first detailed atomic-level model of the SARS-CoV-2 "envelope" protein bound to a human protein essential for maintaining the lining of the lungs. The model showing how the two proteins interact, just published in the journal Nature Communications, helps explain how the virus could cause extensive lung damage and escape the lungs to infect other organs in especially vulnerable COVID-19 patients. The findings may speed the search for drugs to block the most severe effects of the disease.

"By obtaining atomic-level details of the protein interactions we can explain why the damage occurs, and search for inhibitors that can specifically block these interactions," said study lead author Qun Liu, a structural biologist at Brookhaven Lab. "If we can find inhibitors, then the virus won't cause nearly as much damage. That may give people with compromised health a much better chance for their immune systems to fight the virus successfully."

Scientists discovered the details and developed the molecular model using one of the new cryo-electron microscopes at Brookhaven Lab's Laboratory for BioMolecular Structure (LBMS), a new research facility built with funding from New York State adjacent to Brookhaven's National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II).

"LBMS opened last summer ahead of schedule because of its importance in the battle against COVID-19," said Sean McSweeney, director of LBMS and a coauthor on the paper. "LBMS and NSLS-II offer complementary protein-imaging techniques and both are playing important roles in deciphering the details of proteins involved in COVID-19. This is the first paper published based on results from the new facility."

Liguo Wang, scientific operations director of LBMS and another coauthor on the paper, explained that "cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is particularly useful for studying membrane proteins and dynamic protein complexes, which can be difficult to crystallize for protein crystallography, another common technique for studying protein structures. With this technique we created a 3-D map from which we could see how the individual protein components fit together."

"Without cryo-EM, we couldn't have gotten a structure to capture the dynamic interactions between these proteins," Liu said.

Triggering lung disruption

The SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein (E), which is found on the virus's outer membrane alongside the now-infamous coronavirus spike protein, helps to assemble new virus particles inside infected cells. Studies published early in the COVID-19 pandemic showed that it also plays a crucial role in hijacking human proteins to facilitate virus release and transmission. Scientists hypothesize that it does this by binding to human cell-junction proteins, pulling them away from their usual job of keeping the junctions between lung cells tightly sealed.

"That interaction can be good for the virus, and very bad for humans--especially elderly COVID-19 patients and those with pre-existing medical conditions," Liu said.

When lung cell junctions are disrupted, immune cells come in to try to fix the damage, releasing small proteins called cytokines. This immune response can make matters worse by triggering massive inflammation, causing a so-called "cytokine storm" and subsequent acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Also, because the damage weakens the cell-cell connections, it might make it easier for the viruses to escape from the lungs and travel through the bloodstream to infect other organs, including the liver, kidneys, and blood vessels.

"In this scenario, most damage would occur in patients with more viruses and more E proteins being produced," Liu said. And this could become a vicious cycle: More viruses making more E proteins and more cell-junction proteins being pulled out, causing more damage, more transmission, and more viruses again. Plus, any existing damage, such as lung-cell scarring, would likely make it harder for COVID patients to recover from the damage.

"That's why we wanted to study this interaction--to understand the atomic-level details of how E interacts with one of these human proteins to learn how to interrupt the interactions and reduce or block these severe effects," Liu said.

From specks to blobs to map to model

The scientists obtained atomic-level details of the interaction between E and a human lung-cell-junction protein called PALS1 by mixing the two proteins together, freezing the sample rapidly, and then studying the frozen sample with the cryo-EM. The electron microscopes use high-energy electrons to interact with the sample in much the same way that regular light microscopes use beams of light. But electrons allow scientists to see things at a much smaller scale due to their extremely short wavelength (100,000 times shorter than that of visible light).

The first images didn't look like much more than specks. But image-processing techniques allowed the team to select specks that were actual complexes of the two proteins.

"We used two-dimensional averaging and started to see some structural features that are shared among these particles. Our images showed the complex from different orientations but at fairly low resolution," Liu said. "Then we use computational tools and computation infrastructure at Brookhaven's Computational Science Initiative to perform three-dimensional reconstructions. These give us a 3-D model--an experimental map of the structure."

With an overall resolution of 3.65 Angstroms (the size of just a few atoms), the map had enough information about the unique characteristics of the individual amino acids that make up the two proteins for the scientists to fit the known structures of those amino acids into the map.

"We can see how the chain of amino acids that makes up the PALS1 protein folds to form three structural components, or domains, and how the much smaller chain of amino acids that makes up the E protein fits in a hydrophobic pocket between two of those domains," Liu said.

The model provides both the structural details and an understanding of the intermolecular forces that allow E proteins deep within an infected cell to wrench PALS1 from its place at the cell's outer boundary.

"Now we can explain how the interactions pull PALS1 from the human lung-cell junction and contribute to the damage," Liu said.

Implications for drugs and evolution

"This structure provides the foundation for our computational science colleagues to run docking studies and molecular dynamics simulations to search for drugs or drug-like molecules that might block the interaction," said John Shanklin, chair of Brookhaven Lab's Biology Department and a coauthor on the paper. "And if they identify promising leads, we have the analytical capabilities to rapidly screen through such candidate drugs to identify ones that might be key to preventing severe consequences of COVID-19."

Understanding the dynamics of this protein interaction will also help scientists track how viruses like SARS-CoV-2 evolve.

"When the virus protein pulls PALS1 out of the cell junction, it could help the virus spread more easily. That would provide a selective advantage for the virus. Any traits that increase the survival, spread, or release of the virus are likely to be retained," Liu said.

The longer the virus continues to circulate, the more chances there are for new evolutionary advantages to arise.

"This is one more reason it is so essential for us to identify and implement promising therapeutics," Liu said. "In addition to preventing the most severe infections, drugs that effectively treat COVID-19 will keep us ahead of these mutations."

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This research was funded by Brookhaven National Laboratory's COVID-19 Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) fund. LBMS is supported by the DOE Office of Science (BER), NSLS-II is a DOE Office of Science user facility, supported by the Office of Science (BES).

Brookhaven National Laboratory is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https:/ / www. energy. gov/ science/ .

Follow @BrookhavenLab on Twitter or find us on Facebook.
Decisions made now will determine whether economies win or lose money as the coal industry changes over the next couple of decades.

Countries including Australia and Indonesia could lose billions of dollars if they continue to invest in new coal mines and exports as the world moves away from fossil fuels.

These are the conclusions of a new analysis led by a team from Imperial College London and including researchers from Queen Mary University of London and Deloitte, which is published today in the journal Joule.

The team combined data on coal resources and demand in an economic model of trade and prices. They modelled the risk of 'stranded assets' for coal investment under different decarbonisation scenarios: business as usual, where investment in coal mining and consumptions continues as it does today, and a sustainable pathway where coal consumption is reduced in line with keeping global heating to well below 2C.

Following the sustainable pathway results in a third of today's coal mines becoming stranded assets by 2040. This means these assets become economically unviable before their operating lifetime ends, and have to be scrapped. This will cause coal-producing nations such as Australia and Indonesia to lose vital export revenues and jobs as international trade shrinks. For example, Australia could lose $25 billion per year in this scenario, and globally 2.2 million jobs could be at risk.

However, these losses are avoidable, say the authors, if financial institutions and governments prepare for the change. This could include divesting early from coal to prevent locking in future development, and by funding the retraining of coal workers.

Lead researcher Dr Iain Staffell, from the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial: "This is not to say that not all new coal investments - such as the deep mine planned Cumbria - will be unprofitable, but investors must carefully assess the financial as well as reputational and environmental risks when pursuing new coal mining projects."

For many world regions there are great economic benefits to phasing out coal. China, Europe and India would save money under the sustainable pathway, as they face reduced costs from importing less coal. Europe, for example, could gain $20 billion per year as coal is phased out.

Overall, the researchers estimate the sustainable pathway gives a global net saving of $10 billion per year by 2040 from reduced coal transportation costs, on top of the economic savings from reduced air pollution and health consequences.

Importantly, the authors say that under the business-as-usual scenario many more economies are likely to be losers: the longer the world waits to phase out coal, the more extreme the measures to reduce carbon emissions will need to be, leading to more stranded assets and job losses in the long run.

Dr Staffell said: "Businesses have a limited window of opportunity to get out in front of the sweeping changes that face the coal industry. We must build the human and financial resilience so that workers do not lose out, and make the transition to a coal-free world easier.

"The financial and job losses are small on a global scale, but they will be heavily concentrated in mining regions, meaning some developing economies, like Indonesia, will disproportionately suffer if the transition isn't managed carefully. When economic and job losses start to happen it will be too late - we need to start preparing for these changes now."

The mining and consumption of coal is being rapidly phased out in many Western nations, but global coal consumption is rising, especially in Asia, which is home to three-quarters of all new coal power plant capacity.

China opened many new coal mines in the 2000s, which have a lifetime of about 30 years. The decisions countries like China and India make in the coming years around whether they continue to mine and consume coal will have a huge impact on the global trajectory, say the team.

Similarly, India's energy consumption is booming, and if new coal capacity is built to meet demand rather than renewables, the world will be locked into more decades of coal trade and consumption, negatively affecting both the climate and the global economy.

First author Thomas Auger undertook the analysis as part of his MSc in Environmental Technology in the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial in partnership with Deloitte, which provided him access to coal market data. He said: "The wealth of knowledge from the combination of academia and industry provided us with an unprecedented opportunity to analyse not just the global situation over the next 20 years, but also how individual countries would fare.

"Our analysis shows there will be big winners and losers from this transition, but the future is not set in stone. The more governments anticipate the green transition, the more its impacts in terms of economic stability and disruption to people's livelihoods would be minimised."

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Tropical cyclones (TCs) are humbling and powerful forces of nature that can have tremendous impacts on people and human populations. Meteorologists have strived to improve TC forecasting skill, hoping to save lives. In the past few decades, TC track forecasts over the western North Pacific (WNP) have progressed considerably. However, TC intensity forecasts have improved insignificantly, with only a 3-5 day lead time. Therefore, improving TC intensity forecast skill and extending lead forecast time are important and urgent issues.

To address this critical problem, a research group led by Prof. Ruifen ZHAN from the Department of Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences/Institute of Atmospheric Sciences at Fudan University, along with the Shanghai Typhoon Institute of China Meteorological Administration, have developed a new forecasting method that provides more precise TC intensity forecasts. The team just published their findings in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences.

"The new scheme also shows the potential for forecasting TC rapid intensification and rapid weakening, and for extending the current 5-day forecast time limit to 7 days."said Prof. Zhan.

Developers based the new approach on the logistic growth equation. They combined step wise regression (SWR), which is essentially a "trial-and-error" method of variable testing, and machine learning (LightGBM) methods using observed and reanalysis data. Results show that the new scheme produces much less significant TC intensity forecast error than the China Meteorological Administration's official intensity forecast, especially for TCs that have impacted coastal regions of East Asia. Researchers also compared new LightGBM-based data with results obtained using the SWR-based method. The LightGBM-based scheme consistently outperformed conventional SWR-based processes.

"Future work may be needed to overcome the problem of insufficient samples by combining the transfer learning methods based on this research, which is the key whether the new scheme can be used in operational forecasts." added Prof. Zhiwei Wu, a co-author of the study.

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The National Key Research and Development Program and the National Natural Science Foundation of China provided funding for this research. Yanchen Zhou is the first author, Prof. Zhan is the corresponding author.
JUNE 8, 2021, NEW YORK - A study conducted by researchers at the Ludwig Center at Harvard has demonstrated how a drug screening method known as dynamic BH3 profiling can be used to quickly identify potentially effective combinations of existing drugs for personalized cancer therapy.

"We know that cancer cells and healthy cells have different metabolisms," said Ludwig Harvard investigator Anthony Letai who, with former postdoctoral researcher Veerle Daniels, led the study reported in the current issue of Science Signaling. "Using BH3 profiling, we found a specific metabolic dependency in triple negative breast cancer cells obtained from a patient that we could target with an existing drug, making the cells more susceptible to death and priming them for a second targeted drug that could then trigger their death."

Daniels, Letai and colleagues also showed that the strategy suppresses growth of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in mice bearing patient-derived tumors.

Though tumors often have unique metabolic adaptations on which they depend, specifically targeting those vulnerabilities with drugs has proved challenging. Such drugs have often failed in clinical trials because they were poorly targeted or too toxic at the doses required to kill cancer cells when used as single agents.

"We wanted to see which of the drugs known to perturb metabolism would bring the TNBC cells closer to dying, but leave normal cells unaffected," said Daniels. The researchers reasoned that such cells could then be selectively targeted by existing therapies known as BH3 mimetics to push them over the edge. Because the initial priming treatment requires low doses of the drug, this strategy could lower the risk of toxicities that have troubled the development of drugs targeting cancer metabolism.

Therapy often induces in cancer cells a type of programmed death known as apoptosis, which is orchestrated by an elaborate protein machinery. Cells, however, also produce anti-death proteins that inhibit key elements of that machinery. Whether a stressed cell dies or survives depends on the balance of pro-death and anti-death proteins, and cancer cells tend to produce large quantities of the latter to escape apoptosis and resist therapy.

BH3 mimetics inhibit anti-death proteins, tipping the balance in favor of cell suicide. Notably, one BH3 mimetic has already been approved for the treatment of certain blood cancers, and other such drugs are in various stages of development.

Dynamic BH3 profiling (DBP), developed in Letai's laboratory, measures that same balance of pro-death and anti-death proteins to gauge how primed a patient's tumor cells are for apoptosis following exposure to a drug. It thus represents a potentially rapid and unbiased method for screening hundreds of drugs at a time to find those most likely to treat a given patient's tumors.

Daniels, Letai and colleagues used DBP to examine a "library" of 192 compounds that perturb metabolism--developed in the laboratory of Ludwig Harvard Co-Director Joan Brugge--for their effects on normal and TNBC cells. Eight disrupted cancer cell metabolism but left normal cells unperturbed.

Two of these drugs target an enzyme known as NAMPT, which participates in one of three biochemical pathways that produce NAD+, a molecule of critical importance to metabolism. Some sensitive TNBC cell lines, the researchers showed, were dependent on the pathway involving NAMPT. They also ran a DBP screen to find out which specific anti-death proteins the TNBC cells depended on for survival following NAMPT inhibition. They used this information to identify the most effective BH3 mimetic drug to use in combination with NAMPT inhibitors.

Using two mouse models of patient-derived TNBC tumors developed in Brugge's lab, the researchers showed that only the mice bearing NAMPT-dependent tumors responded to a combination of the NAMPT inhibitor and the BH3 mimetic. They propose that the NAMPT inhibitor, which proved too toxic as a single agent, might be repurposed as a combination therapy given at lower doses with BH3 mimetics.

"What we've shown overall is that we can use DBP to find metabolic regulators of apoptotic priming and specific anti-apoptotic dependencies in tumors--and so identify powerful combinations of metabolic compounds and BH3 mimetics for therapy," said Daniels.

Letai's laboratory is using DBP to methodically identify other drug combinations for the treatment of a variety of cancers. Because it is a functional drug screen--examining only whether a given drug primes cancer cells for death--DBP does not require prior knowledge of a cancer's inner workings or genetic aberrations.

"We don't have to be limited to drug targets that are identifiable only by genetic mutations, which are only a tiny fraction of the true targets out there in the cancer world," said Letai.

He and his colleagues are also planning a clinical trial using DBP to identify tailored therapies for individual patients diagnosed with myelogenous leukemia.

Letai and Daniels note that the regular inter-lab meetings and collaborative model of the Ludwig Harvard Center were critical to the conception, design and conduct of the study.

"It was a way of combining a unique set of expertise," said Letai. "I'm good at cell death, not good at metabolism. Veerle is good at metabolism and cell death, but was lacking some key tools to do her initial screening, so we turned to other members of the Ludwig Harvard Center who actually had those tools. We wouldn't have been aware of that expertise if we weren't at the Center because Harvard is a very big place."

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Anthony Letai is a Professor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Veerle Daniels is now a research scientist at Flamingo Therapeutics in Leuven, Belgium.

This study was supported by Ludwig Cancer Research, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation, Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, Tap Cancer Out, Brazil's National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester and the American Association for Cancer Research. About Ludwig Cancer Research

Ludwig Cancer Research is an international collaborative network of acclaimed scientists that has pioneered cancer research and landmark discovery for 50 years. Ludwig combines basic science with the ability to translate its discoveries and conduct clinical trials to accelerate the development of new cancer diagnostics and therapies. Since 1971, Ludwig has invested nearly $3 billion in life-changing science through the not-for-profit Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and the six U.S.-based Ludwig Centers. To learn more, visit http://www. ludwigcancerresearch. org .

For further information please contact Rachel Reinhardt, rreinhardt@lcr.org or +1-212-450-1582.
After looking for just one-twentieth of a second, experts in camouflage breaking can accurately detect not only that something is hidden in a scene, but precisely identify the camouflaged target, a skill set that can mean the difference between life and death in warfare and the wild, investigators report.

They can actually identify a camouflaged target as fast and as well as individuals identifying far more obvious "pop-out" targets, similar to the concept used at a shooting range, but in this case using easy-to-spot scenarios like a black O-shaped target among a crowd of black C shapes.

In fact, the relatively rapid method for training civilian novices to become expert camouflage breakers developed by Medical College of Georgia neuroscientist Dr. Jay Hegde and his colleagues, also enabled the camouflage breakers to sense that something was amiss even when there was no specific target to identify.

This intuitive sense that something is not quite right has also been found in experienced radiologists finding subtle changes in mammograms, sometimes years before there is a detectable lesion.

The MCG investigators who developed the camouflage breaking technique wanted to know if trainees could detect the actual camouflaged target or just sense that something is different, an issue that is highly significant in real world circumstances, where a sniper might be hiding in the desert sand or a dense forest landscape.

"Merely being able to judge, no matter how accurately, that the given combat scene contains a target is not very useful to a sniper under real-world combat conditions if he/she is unable to tell where the target is," Hegde and his colleagues write in the journal Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications.

They already knew that they could train most nonmilitary individuals off the street to break camouflage in as little as an hour daily for two weeks as long as their vision is good, a finding they want to benefit military personnel.

"We want to hide our own personnel and military material from the enemy and we want to break the enemy's camouflage," says Hegde, goals that summarize his research, which has been funded by the Army Research Office, an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory, for nearly a decade. "What are the things we can tweak? What are the things we can do to make our snipers better at recognizing camouflage?"

Because a missed shot by a sniper also tells the enemy his location. "You can't take shots at things that are not the target," Hegde says.

"The potential for rapid training of novices in the camouflage-breaking paradigm is very promising as it highlights the potential for application to a wide variety of detection and localization tasks," says Dr. Frederick Gregory, program manager, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory. "Results in experts highlight an opportunity to extend the training to real world visual search and visualization problems that would be of prime importance for the Army to solve."

For this newly published work, six adult volunteers with normal or corrected-to-normal vision were trained to break camouflage using Hegde's deep-learning method, but received no specific training about how to pinpoint the target. Participants looked at digitally synthesized camouflage scenes like foliage or fruit and each scene had a 50-50 chance of containing no target versus a camouflaged target like a human head or a novel, 3D digital image. Similar to computer scientists training self-driving cars, the idea was and is to get viewers to get to know the lay of the land that is their focus. "If it turns out there is something that doesn't belong there, you can tell," he says.

Trainees could then either look at the image for 50 milliseconds --.05 seconds -- or as long as they wanted, then proceed to the next step where they quickly viewed a random field of pixels, that work like a visual palate cleanser, before acknowledging whether the camouflage image contained a target, then using a mouse to show where the target was. "You have to work from memory to say where it was," he notes.

When the participants could look at the image for as long as they wanted, the reported location of the actual target was essentially indistinguishable from the actual target but the accuracy did not drop much when the viewing time was just 50 milliseconds, which gives little time for even moving your eyes around, Hegde says.

The subjects again had no subsequent training on identifying precisely where the target was. And they found that even without that specific training, they could do both equally well. "This was not a given," Hegde notes.

In a second experiment with seven different individuals they used a much-abbreviated training process, which basically ensured participants knew which buttons to push when, and used instead a clearly more pronounced "pop-out' target without the traditional camouflage background, rather scenarios like that black O-shaped target among a crowd of black C shapes or a blue S shape among a sea of green H shapes. Both the longer and shorter viewing times yielded essentially identical results from the more extensively trained camouflage-breakers, both in accuracy of localization and reaction time.

Camouflage is used extensively by the military, from the deserts of the Middle East to the dense jungles of South America with the visual texture changing to blend with the natural environment. "You often are recognized by your outline, and you use these patterns to break up your outline, so the person trying to break your camouflage doesn't know where you leave off and the background begins," he says.

He notes that context is another important factor for recognition, referencing how you may not recognize a person whose face you have seen multiple times when you see them in a different environ. His current Army funded studies include exploring more about the importance of context, and further exploring ramifications of "camouflage breaking" in identifying medical problems.

He notes that even with his training, some people are better at breaking camouflage than others -- he says he is really bad at it -- and why remains mostly a mystery and another learning point for Hegde and his colleagues.

###

Coauthors Isabelle Noel Santana and Allison JoAnna Lewis were undergraduate apprentices of the U.S. Army in Hegde's lab when the work was done. Lewis is now an MCG medical student. First author Fallon Branch is a U.S. Navy veteran.

Read the study.
An Australian-led study will investigate whether it's possible to predict who remains susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 variants after having COVID-19 or receiving a COVID-19-specific vaccine.

The study will explore the immune response to COVID-19-specific vaccines in Brazilian healthcare workers to find biomarkers that indicate whether someone will be protected from - or remains at risk of - contracting COVID-19 if exposed to a variant.

The research has received philanthropic funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and is a sub-study of the Murdoch Children's Research Institute's (MCRI) study assessing if the Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine can help protect against COVID-19.

The BRACE trial is now the world's largest study on the off-target effects of the BCG vaccine. Since the trial launched in March 2020, more than 6800 healthcare workers have enrolled across 36 sites in Australia, Brazil, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK.

BCG was originally developed 100 years ago to prevent tuberculosis. Now, the BRACE randomised controlled clinical trial is working to determine if the BCG vaccine reduces the incidence of symptomatic and severe COVID-19 in healthcare workers. It is also investigating whether BCG vaccine reduces the impact of other respiratory illnesses and allergic diseases.

Professor Nigel Curtis, Head of the Infectious Diseases Research Group at MCRI, Professor of Paediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Melbourne and BRACE Chief Principal Investigator, said the big story of 2021 was the potential impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants.

"With the emergence of new variants - for which vaccine-induced and natural immune responses may not be as effective - there is concern that herd immunity may be undermined. If this happens, SARS-CoV-2 will continue to spread and cause disease," he said.

"We have been lucky enough to receive this additional funding for the BRACE COVID-19-Specific vaccine sub-study (BCOS) to investigate biomarkers of protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and reinfection induced by natural infection and COVID-specific vaccination."

Associate Professor Julio Croda, the BRACE trial's Brazil Principal Investigator, said 2400 healthcare workers across three trial sites in Brazil were being actively followed up and tested for COVID-19 as part of the trial.

"This subset of participants provides a unique opportunity to understand the risks and determinants of susceptibility to reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 variants, particularly the P.1 variant. This research is critical to designing effective approaches to help protect people," he said.

With COVID-19-specific vaccines now available to healthcare workers, BCOS will also look at whether BCG vaccine improves the immune response to Pfizer, AstraZeneca and CoronaVac vaccines.

Dr Nicole Messina, the Biosample and Laboratory Lead on the BRACE trial said: "We are recruiting existing BRACE trial participants in Victoria, South Australia and Brazil to assess whether those who had the BCG vaccine have a better or more prolonged immune response to their COVID-19-specific vaccine."

Professor Kathryn North AM, MCRI Director, said: "It's incredibly exciting work and demonstrates how MCRI responded to the pandemic. A deeper understanding of immune responses to COVID-19-specific vaccines will be important to the global effort to contain this pandemic."

Participant follow-up continues every three months with questionnaires and blood collection, as well as ongoing data collection via phone calls and the trial's custom-built smartphone app, powered by WeGuide.

The BRACE trial has received philanthropic funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Sarah and Lachlan Murdoch, Minderoo Foundation, The Royal Children's Hospital Foundation, South Australian government, NAB Foundation, The Calvert Jones Foundation, UHG Foundation, Modara Pines Charitable Foundation, Health Services Union NSW, Peter Sowerby Foundation, South Australia Ministry of Health, Epworth Health, Swiss National Science Foundation and individual donors.

###

BRACE audio grabs, video and images available for download

Available for interview

Professor Nigel Curtis

BRACE trial Chief Principal Investigator

Head of the Infectious Diseases Research Group at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute

Professor of Paediatric Infectious Diseases at The University of Melbourne

Head of Infectious Diseases at The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne

Dr Nicole Messina

Biosample and Laboratory Lead on the BRACE trial at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute

Honorary Fellow, Department of Paediatrics, Melbourne Medical School at The University of Melbourne
A team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has completed the first census of molecular clouds in the nearby Universe, revealing that contrary to previous scientific opinion, these stellar nurseries do not all look and act the same. In fact, they're as diverse as the people, homes, neighborhoods, and regions that make up our own world.

Stars are formed out of clouds of dust and gas called molecular clouds, or stellar nurseries. Each stellar nursery in the Universe can form thousands or even tens of thousands of new stars during its lifetime. Between 2013 and 2019, astronomers on the PHANGS-- Physics at High Angular Resolution in Nearby GalaxieS-- project conducted the first systematic survey of 100,000 stellar nurseries across 90 galaxies in the nearby Universe to get a better understanding of how they connect back to their parent galaxies.

"We used to think that all stellar nurseries across every galaxy must look more or less the same, but this survey has revealed that this is not the case, and stellar nurseries change from place to place," said Adam Leroy, Associate Professor of Astronomy at Ohio State University (OSU), and lead author of the paper presenting the PHANGS ALMA survey. "This is the first time that we have ever taken millimeter-wave images of many nearby galaxies that have the same sharpness and quality as optical pictures. And while optical pictures show us light from stars, these ground-breaking new images show us the molecular clouds that form those stars."

The scientists compared these changes to the way that people, houses, neighborhoods, and cities exhibit like-characteristics but change from region to region and country to country.

"To understand how stars form, we need to link the birth of a single star back to its place in the Universe. It's like linking a person to their home, neighborhood, city, and region. If a galaxy represents a city, then the neighborhood is the spiral arm, the house the star-forming unit, and nearby galaxies are neighboring cities in the region," said Eva Schinnerer, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) and principal investigator for the PHANGS collaboration "These observations have taught us that the "neighborhood" has small but pronounced effects on where and how many stars are born."

To better understand star formation in different types of galaxies, the team observed similarities and differences in the molecular gas properties and star formation processes of galaxy disks, stellar bars, spiral arms, and galaxy centers. They confirmed that the location, or neighborhood, plays a critical role in star formation.

"By mapping different types of galaxies and the diverse range of environments that exist within galaxies, we are tracing the whole range of conditions under which star-forming clouds of gas live in the present-day Universe. This allows us to measure the impact that many different variables have on the way star formation happens," said Guillermo Blanc, an astronomer at the Carnegie Institution for Science, and a co-author on the paper.

"How stars form, and how their galaxy affects that process, are fundamental aspects of astrophysics," said Joseph Pesce, National Science Foundation's program officer for NRAO/ALMA. "The PHANGS project utilizes the exquisite observational power of the ALMA observatory and has provided remarkable insight into the story of star formation in a new and different way."

Annie Hughes, an astronomer at L'Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planetologie (IRAP), added that this is the first time scientists have a snapshot of what star-forming clouds are really like across such a broad range of different galaxies. "We found that the properties of star-forming clouds depend on where they are located: clouds in the dense central regions of galaxies tend to be more massive, denser, and more turbulent than clouds that reside in the quiet outskirts of a galaxy. The lifecycle of clouds also depends on their environment. How fast a cloud forms stars and the process that ultimately destroys the cloud both seem to depend on where the cloud lives."

This is not the first time that stellar nurseries have been observed in other galaxies using ALMA, but nearly all previous studies focused on individual galaxies or part of one. Over a five-year period, PHANGS assembled a full view of the nearby population of galaxies. "The PHANGS project is a new form of cosmic cartography that allows us to see the diversity of galaxies in a new light, literally. We are finally seeing the diversity of star-forming gas across many galaxies and are able to understand how they are changing over time. It was impossible to make these detailed maps before ALMA," said Erik Rosolowsky, Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Alberta, and a co-author on the research. "This new atlas contains 90 of the best maps ever made that reveal where the next generation of stars is going to form."

For the team, the new atlas doesn't mean the end of the road. While the survey has answered questions about what and where, it has raised others. "This is the first time we have gotten a clear view of the population of stellar nurseries across the whole nearby Universe. In that sense, it's a big step towards understanding where we come from," said Leroy. "While we now know that stellar nurseries vary from place to place, we still do not know why or how these variations affect the stars and planets formed. These are questions that we hope to answer in the near future."

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Ten papers detailing the outcomes of the PHANGS survey are presented this week at the 238th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

Resource

PHANGS-ALMA: Arcsecond CO(2-1) Imaging of Nearby Star-Forming Galaxies, Leroy et al. ApJS accepted, preview [https:/ / arxiv. org/ abs/ 2104. 07739 ]

About ALMA

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded by ESO on behalf of its Member States, by NSF in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and by NINS in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI).

ALMA construction and operations are led by ESO on behalf of its Member States; by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), on behalf of North America; and by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) on behalf of East Asia. The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA.

Media Contact:

Amy C. Oliver

Public Information Officer, ALMA

Public Information & News Manager, NRAO

+1 434 242 9584

aoliver@nrao.edu
Tuesday, 8 June 2021: A study by RCSI indicates that exercise is probably the most effective short-term treatment for depression in people with coronary heart disease, when compared to antidepressants and psychotherapy or more complex care.

The study, led by researchers at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, is published in the June edition of Psychosomatic Medicine.

This is the first systematic review to compare treatments for depression in those with coronary disease and the findings provides valuable clinical information to help doctors determine the best treatment plan for patients.

The researchers reviewed treatment trials which investigated antidepressants, psychotherapy, exercise, combined psychotherapy and antidepressants, and collaborative care (i.e. treatments devised by a multidisciplinary team of clinicians with input from the patient).

To measure effectiveness, the researchers looked at factors including patient adherence to the treatment (dropout rate) and change in depressive symptoms eight weeks after commencing treatment.

The strongest treatment effects were found to be exercise and combination treatments (antidepressants and psychotherapy). However, as the combination study results have a high risk of bias, the findings of the review suggest that exercise is probably the most effective treatment. Antidepressants had the most research support, while psychotherapy and collaborative care did not perform very well.

"Depression is common in patients with coronary artery disease. Having both conditions can have a significant impact on the quality of life for patients so it is vital that they access to the most effective treatments," commented Dr Frank Doyle, Senior Lecturer Division of Population Health Sciences, RCSI and the study's first author.

"Our study indicates that exercise is likely to be the best treatment for depression following coronary artery disease. Our findings further highlight the clinical importance of exercise as a treatment as we see that it improves not only depression, but also other important aspects of heart disease, such as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, in these patients."

"We continue to see emerging evidence of the importance of lifestyle to treat disease - in comparison to other treatments - but further high-quality research is needed. People with coronary heart disease who have symptoms of depression should talk to their doctor about treatments that are most suitable for their personal needs, and clinicians can be confident of recommending exercise to their patients."

Dr Frank Doyle and the study's senior authors, Prof. Jan Sorensen (Health Outcomes Research Centre, RCSI) and Prof. Martin Dempster (School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast), conducted the study in collaboration with researchers in the USA, The Netherlands, the UK and Denmark.

This study was also the first of its kind to establish a new method to conduct systematic reviews known as a hybrid review, which is a combination of umbrella reviews and systematic reviews.

###

About RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is a world-leading university for Good Health and Well-being. Ranked second in the world for its contribution to UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2021, it is exclusively focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide.

RCSI is an international not-for-profit university, headquartered in Dublin. It is among the top 250 universities worldwide in the World University Rankings (2021) and its research is ranked first in Ireland for citations. RCSI has been awarded Athena Swan Bronze accreditation for positive gender practice in higher education.

Visit the RCSI MyHealth Expert Directory to find the details of our experts across a range of healthcare issues and concerns. Recognising their responsibility to share their knowledge and discoveries to empower people with information that leads them to better health, these clinicians and researchers are willing to engage with the media in their area of expertise.
HOUSTON - (June 8, 2021) - A simple chemical process developed at Rice University creates light and highly absorbent aerogels that can take a beating.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), crystal structures with strong molecular bonds, can form a porous aerogel for use as a custom membrane in batteries or other devices or as an absorbent to remove pollutants from the environment.

Conventional COFs are usually powders. Chemical and biomolecular engineer Rafael Verduzco, lead authors and Rice graduate students Dongyang Zhu and Yifan Zhu and their colleagues at Rice's Brown School of Engineering discovered a way to synthesize COF aerogels that can be made in any form at any size, limited only by the reaction chamber.

The process reported in the American Chemical Society's Chemistry of Materials employs COF monomers, a solvent and a catalyst. When mixed and heated to 80 degrees Celsius (176 degrees Fahrenheit), they become a uniform gel. Washing and drying the gel to remove the solvent leaves behind the scaffoldlike aerogel with pores between 20 and 100 microns.

"The big advantage of polymers is that you can dissolve them in a solvent, you can spray coat, spin coat and dip coat them, and they're easy and cheap to work with," Verduzco said. "But COFs are not. They're an insoluble powder and hard to do anything with, but they are really promising for applications because you can design or engineer them almost any way you want on the molecular level. They're like Lego blocks and you can pick the molecular shapes, sizes and characteristics you'd like to include in the final material.

"We were looking for ways to make COFs easier to work with, more like polymers, and we found that under particular reaction conditions they would form a gel," he said. "When you extract the solvent, you get this very light foam, or aerogel."

Verduzco said COF aerogels could be a valuable addition to industrial absorbents now in use for remediation because their porous structures can be customized.

The lab formulated six aerogels and found their remediation properties with various dyes, oils and gold nanoparticles were far better and faster than COF powders. In a test with iodine vapor, a product of nuclear fission, the aerogel absorbed 7.7 grams of iodine per gram of aerogel, significantly better than a COF powder of the same material.

The researchers found the aerogels could be washed and reused at least 10 times without deforming. "They're pretty soft but you can squish them by hand and they spring back," Verduzco said.

He sees even greater potential for COFs as membranes to separate components in advanced batteries, the subject of a recent review paper led by Dongyang Zhu in Advanced Functional Materials.

They could also mimic biological membranes. "Nobody's figured out how to efficiently separate a mixture of ions or molecules that are about the same size and shape, but with this class of materials, we can precisely control the pore sizes and shapes," Verduzco said.

"Biological membranes separate ions of the same size and charge through small changes in pore functionality that preferentially bind one ion or the other," he said. "I think we can start to make synthetic materials that have similar properties."

The lab is developing a library of COF aerogels to test in applications. "There's really a lot to explore here," Verduzco said.

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Co-authors of the paper are Rice undergraduate Qianqian Yan, graduate students Morgan Barnes, Fangxin Liu, Nicholas Tjahjono, Po-Chun Huang and Chia-Ping Tseng, postdoctoral researcher Pingfeng Yu, research scientist Muhammad Rahman, adjunct professor Eilaf Egap and Pulickel Ajayan, chair of the Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor in Engineering and a professor of chemistry. Verduzco is a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and of materials science and nanoengineering.

The Army Research Laboratory and the Welch Foundation for Chemical Research supported the research.

Read the abstract at https:/ / pubs. acs. org/ doi/ pdf/ 10. 1021/ acs. chemmater. 1c01122 .

This news release can be found online at https:/ / news. rice. edu/ 2021/ 06/ 07/ absorbent-aerogels-show-some-muscle/

Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews.

Related materials:

Covalent organic frameworks for batteries: https:/ / onlinelibrary. wiley. com/ doi/ 10. 1002/ adfm. 202100505

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A covalent organic framework-based aerogel selectively absorbs red-dyed chloroform from water. (Courtesy of the Verduzco Laboratory/Rice University)

Images for download:

https:/ / news-network. rice. edu/ news/ files/ 2021/ 06/ 0607_AEROGEL-1-WEB. jpg

A simple chemical process developed at Rice University creates light and highly absorbent aerogels based on covalent organic frameworks for environmental remediation or as membranes for batteries and other applications. (Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University)

https:/ / news-network. rice. edu/ news/ files/ 2021/ 06/ 0607_AEROGEL-2-WEB. jpg

Rice graduate student Dongyang Zhu holds an aerogel made through a simple chemical process and intended for environmental remediation or as membranes for batteries and other applications. (Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University)

https:/ / news-network. rice. edu/ news/ files/ 2021/ 06/ 0607_AEROGEL-3-WEB. jpg

Rice University chemical and biomolecular engineer Rafael Verduzco, left, and graduate student Dongyang Zhu check an aerogel, a lightweight, porous covalent organic framework able to absorb environmental pollutants or serve as membranes in batteries or other applications. (Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University)

Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,978 undergraduates and 3,192 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 1 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance.
The Navy had originally planned to accept delivery of Kennedy in two steps, basically to stretch out payments for the ship. The idea was to avoid having both the Kennedy and USS Nimitz, the carrier it is replacing, in the fleet at the same time. That would have stretched Navy personnel and budgets more than Congress, back in 2016, wanted. The Navy decided to return to a single-step delivery last November, as that concern eased.
The incidence rate of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is increasing gradually and the mortality is still high. Recent advances in the genomic profile of LUAD have identified a number of driver alterations in specific genes, enabling molecular classification and targeted therapy accordingly. However, only a fraction of LUAD patients with those driver mutations could benefit from targeted therapy, and the remaining large numbers of patients were unclassified. RNA editing events are those nucleotide changes in the RNA. Currently, the role of RNA editing events in tumorigenesis and their potential clinical utility have been reported in a series of studies. However, the profiles of the RNA editing events and their clinical relevance in LUAD remained largely unknown.

"We describe a comprehensive landscape of RNA editing events in LUAD by integrating transcriptomic and genomic data from our NJLCC project and TCGA project. We find that the global RNA editing level is significantly increased in tumor tissues and is highly heterogeneous across LUAD patients. The high RNA editing level in tumors can be attributed to both RNA and DNA alterations." said Dr. Cheng Wang, the first author for this work. The results indicated that the pattern of RNA editing events could represent the global characteristics of lung adenocarcinoma. "We then define a new molecular subtype, EC3, based on most variable RNA editing sites. The patients of this subtype show the poorest prognosis. Importantly, the subtype is independent of classic molecular subtypes based on gene expression or DNA methylation. We further propose a simplified prediction model including eight RNA editing sites to accurately distinguish EC3 subtype. " said Dr. Wang. Molecular typing based on a few RNA editing sites may have enormous potential in the clinics. "By applying the simplified model, we find that the EC3 subtype is associated with the sensitivity of specific chemotherapy drugs." said Dr. Wang.

"Our study comprehensively describes the general pattern of RNA editing in LUAD. More importantly, we propose a novel molecular subtyping strategy of LUAD based on RNA editing that could predict the prognosis of patients. A simplified model with a few editing sites makes the strategy potentially available in the clinics." said Professor Hongbing Shen, the corresponding author.

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This work was supported by National Natural Science of China (81922061, 82072579, 81521004, 81973123), National Key Research and Development Project (2017YFC0907905), and Research Unit Of Prospective Cohort of Cardiovascular Diseases and Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU038).
The Late Triassic Tianqiaoling flora is well-known in China, and its discovery has changed our understanding of Chinese Late Triassic phytogeographical divisions. More broadly, this flora has great significance for the study of phytogeography in East Asia during this time. However, the previous dating of this flora was only evidenced by plant fossils and stratigraphic correlation, and the accurate dating has still not been achieved. Recently, the team of Dr. Yuhui FENG of Shenyang Normal University collected isotope dating samples from the bottom of the Tianqiaoling Formation, which is conformally contacted the Tianqiaoling flora-bearing beds (Figure 1). The results of new U-Pb dating gave ages for the rhyolites of 212.82.5 Ma, indicating the end of Malugou Formation and initial Tianqiaoling Formation in deposition occurred in the late Norian (~227-208.5 Ma), which is contemporaneous with the peak of the Tianqiaoling flora in development.

The Tianqiaoling of Wangqing, eastern Jilin, NE China, has extensive non-marine Upper Triassic strata yielding the well-known Late Triassic Tianqiaoling flora. The discovery of this flora is interested and very significant for the Late Triassic phytogeography in East Asia. Since the Tianqiaoling flora has the floristic characteristics of "Southern type flora" (Dictyophyllum-Clathropteris flora) in China and is found in the Northeast China, it has changed our understanding of the Late Triassic phytogeographical divisions in China, and provided new data for floral comparison and stratigraphic correlation of flora-bearing beds in the eastern Jilin of China, South Primorye of Russia and Southwest Japan.

However, the previous dating of the Tianqiaoling flora was based only on the evidences of the fossil plants and stratigraphic correlation of the Tianqiaoling with those of the South Primorye (Russia) and southwestern Japan dated by marine beds, while the accurate dating of this flora has still not been achieved. The Tianqiaoling flora and its strata are lack of isotopic dating, which has been puzzled and regretted for the paleobotanists concerned.

Recently, on the basis of detailed field geological profile analysis in the flora-bearing stratotype, members of the Evolution of Past Life in Northeast Asia research team from the college of Paleontology, Shenyang Normal University obtained the dating sample of the rhyolite from the bottom of the Tianqiaoling Formation (Figure 2), conformable with Tianqiaoling flora-bearing beds, which has been the best attempt to date the Tianqiaoling flora, so far.

This present dating sample was analyzed by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) of zircon U-Pb, and produced an age of 212.82.5 Ma (Figure 3). The present new U-Pb age (212.82.5 Ma) for the bottom of the Tianqiaoling Formation suggests that the end deposition of the Malugou Formation and initial deposition of the Tianqiaoling Formation occurred in the later Norian, contemporaneous with the peak interval for the Tianqiaoling flora in development.

The new radiometric dating is not only basically consistent with those of paleobotanical data , but also provides a key anchor point for regional stratigraphic correlation between the Tianqiaoling flora and other Late Triassic floras, such as Nariwa and Yamaguchi floras and Amba flora. Thereby, this study contributes to a better understanding of the geology and phytogeography in the East Asian region covering the "triangle region" including the eastern Jilin of China, South Primorye of Russia and SW Japan during the Late Triassic.

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This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41072011), the Education Department of Liaoning Province (Grant No. LQN201916), and the Scientific Research Foundation of Shenyang Normal University, China (Grant No. BS201911).
Epidemiological and toxicological studies indicate that the adverse outcomes of PM2.5 exposure associated closely with the chemical composition in PM2.5. Metals in PM2.5 are highly concerned for their induced disruption of iron homeostasis in the lung and following oxidative stress, which is one of the key mechanisms underlying the cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction of PM2.5 exposure. However, there is no clear evidence on whether COPD patients are more susceptible to cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction associated with exposure to metals in ambient PM2.5 than individuals without COPD. Based on a panel study, the researchers directly compared metal-associated cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction between COPD patients and healthy controls.

"We observed higher levels of heart rate (HR) associated with exposure to PM2.5 and the metal elements therein. Associations between HR and metals exposure in COPD patients were stronger than those in healthy controls. Exposure to Cr had robust associations with HR, comparing to other metals." said Dr. Ke Gao, the first author for this work.

This study has many advantages. "It is a panel study design with repeated measurements of HR and exposure to metals in PM2.5. All of the recruited participants acted as their own controls, thereby lessening deviation linked to intra-individual differences. In addition, we recruited both individuals with COPD and healthy controls, allowing them to make direct comparisons of different responses from the COPD and healthy groups and to investigate the susceptibility of individuals with COPD to air pollution-linked responses." said Dr. Xi Chen, the co-first author for this work.

"Although our results require further validation, they shed light on the disease burden of COPD associated with exposure to metals in airborne PM2.5 in China." Said Prof. Tong Zhu, the corresponding author of the paper.

These encouraging results provide valuable data and improve the scientific understanding of susceptibility of COPD patients to metal-associated cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction

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See the article:

Gao, K., Chen, X., Li, X., Zhang, H., Luan, M., Yao, Y., Xu, Y., Wang, T., Han, Y., Xue, T., et al. (2021). Susceptibility of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to heart rate difference associated with the short-term exposure to metals in ambient fine particles: A panel study in Beijing, China. Sci China Life Sci 64, https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1007/ s11427-020-1912-4
ROCKVILLE, MD, USA - June 8, 2021 - The PfSPZ malaria vaccines of Sanaria Inc. are unique in vaccine development as they are composed of weakened (attenuated) forms of the live parasite cells that cause malaria. These parasite cells are called eukaryotic cells and there are no vaccines against any infectious disease composed of such cells. Furthermore, there are no licensed vaccines against any infectious disease caused by a eukaryotic pathogen. Thus, Sanaria and its collaborators have had to take a step by step empirical approach to optimizing immunization with PfSPZ vaccines to achieve a safe, effective, durable, and broadly protective malaria vaccine.

Two recent landmark malaria vaccine studies have moved the optimization process forward and highlighted the strong protective efficacy of Sanaria PfSPZ-CVac in malaria-naive adults. In a study published in Nature Communications, 77% (10/13) of subjects vaccinated with a 3-dose regimen administered within a 4 week period were protected 12 weeks later when challenged with live malaria parasites of a strain genetically quite distant (heterologous) from the vaccine strain.

"This high-level efficacy of 3 months would be excellent for protecting travelers to malaria endemic regions against the disease," said Professor Peter Kremsner, Director of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Travel Medicine and Human Parasitology at the University of Tubingen, Germany who led the study. "We have demonstrated excellent efficacy with just three co-administrations of PfSPZ-CVac and chloroquine, paving the way for a product that can be used for travelers worldwide."

The second study, published in PLoS Pathogen, revealed the profound negative effects of the presence of blood stage malaria parasites on vaccine efficacy. Vaccinations given 7 days apart conferred no protection in study subjects, and this timing coincided with the emergence of parasites into the blood from the liver after previous doses. By changing the timing between doses to 5 days, a regimen first reported in Nature by the Tubingen team, PfSPZ-CVac protective efficacy dramatically increased to 75%. "This study demonstrates the capacity of the malaria parasite to manipulate immune responses of the human host in favor of its own survival and demonstrates how we can optimize the spacing of doses of PfSPZ-CVac to overcome this negative impact," said Dr. Sean Murphy, first author of the paper and Associate Professor at the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington. "Given the high prevalence of malaria infection, these results also have profound implications for malaria vaccine immunization strategies in Africa."

Sanaria PfSPZ-CVac is a chemo-attenuated, live whole parasite vaccine in which an anti-malarial drug is co-administered with the parasite cells (PfSPZ), to kill parasites. Efficacy in these studies was measured by controlled human malaria infection (CHMI) in which well-characterized, infectious malaria parasites were administered to vaccinated subjects. This is a highly rigorous measure of efficacy because a 100% infective dose of disease-causing parasites is administered and the heterologous challenge strain used in Tubingen is genetically more distant from the vaccine strain than parasites encountered naturally in Africa. Additionally, CHMI is not subject to seasonal variations, subject behaviors, or other unknown variables, as is the case in observational field trials.

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These studies were sponsored by Sanaria Inc. with support from the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) at University Hospital, Tubingen, Germany, as well as support from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, at the Vaccine and Treatment Evaluation Unit at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute.

About Sanaria Inc.: Sanaria is a biotechnology company based in Rockville, Maryland (USA) whose mission is development of whole parasite PfSPZ vaccines to protect against malaria. Sanaria's vaccines have been highly protective against malaria in clinical trials in the US, Africa, and Europe. Sanaria's vaccines will be used to prevent malaria in individuals and in combination with other malaria control measures to stop malaria transmission and eliminate malaria in defined geographic regions.

About the DZIF: The German Center for Infection Research coordinates translational infection research in Germany and provides strategic direction. Its mission is to translate results from basic infectious disease research into clinical research and bring them to patients. Thirty five DZIF research institutions work together against the global threat of infectious diseases. The Tubingen site coordinates research on malaria under the guidance of the Director and site spokesperson Prof. Peter Kremsner.

About the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington: The Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology provides biomedical clinical care, education, and research and is internationally recognized as a center for clinical and basic science research. Dr. Sean Murphy serves in the Department's Division of Microbiology and his research program is focused on malaria vaccine development, diagnostics, and clinical trials.

About the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute: The Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute brings together a faculty of investigators, research associates, and biostatisticians with broad expertise in medicine, biostatistics, and other relevant disciplines. Over the past five years, Dr. Lisa Jackson and the Institute have joined forces with other Seattle area institutions to perform several CHMI studies to accelerate malaria vaccine developmen
Rising unemployment, inadequate benefits and low paid work are the main causes of poverty and destitution in Stoke-on-Trent according to the findings of a new study.

The research carried out by Staffordshire University and Citizens Advice Staffordshire North & Stoke-on-Trent, and funded through Research England's Strategic Priorities Fund, aims to understand the impact COVID-19 is having on residents in the city.

The report includes case studies of people who have turned to Citizens Advice and Alice Charity's Foodbank after finding themselves unable to work through the pandemic and facing increasing debt or struggling to claim benefits.

Post COVID-19 crisis and its impact on poverty and destitution in Stoke-on-Trent follows a report produced by Professor David Etherington for the Hardship Commission last year which examined the threat of the pandemic to Stoke-on-Trent's economy.

Ten months on, the new study includes updates the evidence and makes a number of recommendations on the "comprehensive action" needed to tackle the issues.

Professor David Etherington said: "Even before the COVID-19 crisis, Stoke-on-Trent was the 14th most deprived district in England with one of the highest rates of people on low pay and with low level skills. This has been exacerbated during the pandemic with the lowest paid, women, part-time workers and young people hit the hardest.

"A disturbing fact, given that Britain is one of the richest countries in the world, is that thousands of people in Stoke-on-Trent have insufficient incomes to meet basic needs and a consequence of this is that more and more people are turning to foodbanks for welfare support. The Alice Charity's foodbank reported that some parents are going without food for up to three days before coming to the foodbank. Another often-overlooked area is that people often do not take up the benefits they are entitled to."

The report highlights that:

across Stoke-on-Trent there are 50,228 persons of working age in-receipt of one or more benefits - 12,495 more than November 2019. This equates to an increase from 23.6% to 31.4% of the Working Age population.

even with the 20 'uplift', Universal Credit only amounts to the equivalent of 40% of average wages - 409.89 month for single person and 1112 per month for a couple with two children

young people claiming benefits in Stoke on Trent rose from 5.9% 2020 in March to 10.2 in December 2020.

over 90,000 people in Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme are in debt, struggling to pay their bills, keep up with their loan payments. Stoke-on-Trent has the 2nd highest rate of Debt Relief Orders (DROs) in England and Wales

the estimated total value of unclaimed benefits across the City is between 71.85m to 84.55m

hunger is now a key issue. Stoke-on-Trent Foodbank has provided food aid to 14,000 people in the last year (2020) and 1,500 received food aid who had never used a foodbank before. The Alice Charity's Foodbank provided more aid in the first two months of 2021 than in the whole of 2018.

The report also predicts a surge in demand for advice services as reported by Citizens Advice North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

Simon Harris, Chief Executive Officer for Citizens Advice Staffordshire North and Stoke-on-Trent, said: "Before lockdown about 40 per cent of our Universal Credit clients were seen face to face and helped to make a claim. Many of these will not have successfully transferred to online channels due to poor digital skills and other factors and will have fallen through the net."

"Given that many more people have fallen behind with rent and bills and other payments over the pandemic, there is undoubtedly significant pent-up demand for debt advice and we anticipate a significant surge at some point in the next 12 months."

The report authors Professor David Etherington and Professor Martin Jones are now calling for action to address high levels of poverty and destitution experienced across the City.

Their recommendations include benefit take-up campaigns - similar to those adopted by the Scottish Government - which involve community groups, advice organisations and foodbanks working together to tackle the issue.

It also advocates using a Scandinavian style employment and training model (Jobrotation) to address unemployment and low skills.

Professor Jones said: "With fears of high unemployment in the UK following the COVID-19 pandemic and the phasing out of the Job Retention scheme, this is a critical time to be thinking about Jobrotation.

"Jobrotation is highly effective at providing opportunities for unemployed people to gain permanent jobs at the same time as upskilling existing employees. It could involve packaging funds from a range of programmes such as the Kickstart scheme, Universal Credit, Apprenticeships Levy and the UK Community Renewal Fund and we urge civic and business leaders to urgently explore these possibilities."

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UNESCO IOC delivers 1st global assessment report after 7 years' work by 109 experts in 35 countries, creating a baseline to detect and gauge the changing distribution, frequency, and intensity of harmful -- often poisonous -- algal blooms

An unprecedented analysis of almost 10,000 Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) events worldwide over the past 33 years was launched today by UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

The first-ever global statistical analysis examined ~9,500 HABs events over 33 years and found that the harm caused by HABs rises in step with growth of the aquaculture industry and marine exploitation and calls for more research on linkages.

Conducted over seven years by 109 scientists in 35 countries, the study found that reported HAB events have increased in some regions and decreased or held steady in others. A widely-stated view that HABs are on the rise throughout the world, perhaps due to climate change, isn't confirmed.

However, the study, "Perceived global increase in algal blooms is attributable to intensified monitoring and emerging bloom impacts," published in the Nature journal Communications Earth & Environment, creates the world's first baseline against which to track future shifts in the location, frequency and impacts of HABs, which differ depending on which of the 250 harmful marine algae species is involved and where, requiring assessment on a species-by-species and site-by-site basis.

A public webinar on Global HAB Status Report will take place Tuesday Jun 15, 2021 at 1 PM, Paris time. To register: https:/ / bit. ly/ 3z3kjCB

Databases mined

The scientists mined both the global Harmful Algae Event Database (HAEDAT), consisting of 9,503 events with one or more impacts on human society, and the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) database, containing 7 million microalgal observation records, including 289,668 toxic algal species occurrences.

The study found that regionally-recorded HAB events, after being corrected for higher levels of monitoring effort, have

Increased:

Central America/Caribbean

South America

Mediterranean

North Asia

Decreased:

West Coast America

Australia/New Zealand

No significant change:

East Coast America

South East Asia

Europe

The 9,503 events' impacts on humans break down as follows:

48% involved seafood toxins

43% high phytoplankton counts and/or water discolorations with a socio-economic impact

7% mass animal or plant mortalities

2% caused other impacts (including foam and mucilage production)

(As well, in 11% of events, a single incident had multiple impacts, e.g. both water discoloration and mass mortality)

Of the event records linked to seafood toxins:

35% were Paralytic Shellfish Toxins (PST)

30% Diarrhetic Shellfish Toxins (DST)

9% Ciguatera Poisoning (CP)

9% marine and brackish water cyanobacterial toxins

7% Amnesic Shellfish Toxins (AST)

10% others, including Neurotoxic Shellfish Toxins (NST), Azaspiracid Shellfish Toxins (AZA), and toxic aerosols

By region, the largest number of records came from, in order:

Europe

North Asia

Mediterranean

The east and west coasts of North America

Caribbean

Pacific/Oceania

Southeast Asia

With more limited data sets for South America, and Australia/New Zealand

All geographic regions were impacted by multiple HAB types, but in varying proportions.

50% of regional HAEDAT records in the Caribbean, Benguela, Mediterranean Sea, North and South East Asia related to high phytoplankton density problems.

Seafood toxins and fish kill impacts dominated in all other regions

Among toxin-related impacts:

Paralytic Shellfish Toxins (PST) prevailed in North America, the Caribbean, South America, South East Asia, and North Asia

Diarrhetic Shellfish Toxins (DST) were the most frequently recorded in Europe and the Mediterranean (and are an emerging threat in the USA) Neurotoxic Shellfish Toxins (NST) were confined to the US State of Florida, with a single outbreak also reported from New Zealand

Human poisonings from Ciguatera were prominent in the tropical Pacific, the Indian Ocean, Australia and the Caribbean.

For the most part, however, the impacts were confined to shellfish harvesting area closures; rarely to human poisonings. The exception: Ciguatera event records are almost exclusively based on medical reports of human poisonings.

HAB events over time

Eight of nine regions used in the study showed increases in reports logged via HAEDAT of harmful events per year, of which six were statistically significant.

The OBIS dataset, meanwhile, generally showed an increase in sampling effort in five of the nine regions.

When all the information was combined, the researchers could find no statistically significant global trend overall.

They also found, however, that aquaculture production increased 16-fold from a global total 11.35 million tonnes of seafood in 1985 to 178.5 million tonnes in 2018, with the largest increases occurring in Southeast Asia and South America/Caribbean and Central America, with North America and Europe stabilising.

The number of recorded harmful algal bloom events over time was strongly correlated with intensified aquaculture production in all regions with data suitable for the study.

However, says lead author Gustaaf M. Hallegraeff of the University of Tasmania: Intensified aquaculture clearly drives an increase in HAB monitoring efforts essential to sustaining the industry and protecting human health.

"And, just as clearly, a secondary effect of aquaculture is nutrient pollution. But a major data gap exists here. Conducting a meta-analysis of HABs vs aquaculture we had data on HAB monitoring efforts using OBIS records as a proxy but data on nutrient pollution is inadequate. The relationship between aquaculture-related nutrients and HABs therefore represents an important direction for further research."

Greater monitoring efforts

The study revealed

A 4-fold increase from 1985 to 2018 in observations of organisms mainly responsible for Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (84,392 OBIS records)

A 7-fold increase in observations of organisms mainly responsible for Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (128,282 OBIS records)

A 6-fold increase in observations of organisms mainly responsible for Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (9,887 OBIS records)

(Note: Some observations may include non-toxic species or strains.)

In each case, the clear increase in the number of observations of problematic organisms paralleled an increase in records of associated toxic syndrome impacts.

They also found that the presence of toxic HAB species doesn't always accurately predict cases of human shellfish poisonings, which the study credits to the food safety risk management strategies in many affected countries. Some 11,000 non-fatal events related to Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning were reported worldwide, mostly from Europe, South America and Japan, with impacts consisting mostly of shellfish harvesting area closures.

Also, the study says, despite widespread distribution of the responsible algal species, there have been no human fatalities from Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning since the original 1987 incident in Prince Edward Island, Canada (150 illnesses, three fatalities). But ASP-associated mortalities of important marine mammals are of growing concern in Alaska and other parts of western North America, and ASP toxins have been linked to marine mammal calf mortalities in Argentina.

Of the world's 3,800 human Paralytic Shellfish Poisonings from 1985 to 2018, the largest number (2,555 from 1983 to 2013, including 165 fatalities) occurred in the Philippines, which depends strongly on aquaculture for human food protein.

DNA and other advanced detection methods have improved knowledge of the global distribution of ciguatera- causing organisms. Ciguatera poisonings, rarely fatal but annually affecting 10,000 to 50,000 people, have been decreasing in Hawaii and remained stable in French Polynesia and the Caribbean but constitute a new phenomenon in the Canary Islands.

Farmed fish killed by algal blooms: Largely a human-generated problem.

Aquacultured finfish mortalities account for much greater economic damage than HAB-contaminated seafood. Notes the study: wild marine finfish can simply swim away from blooms but those held captive in intensive aquaculture operations are vulnerable. Recorded losses include US $71 million in Japan in 1972, $70 million in Korea in 1995, $290 million in China in 2012, and $100 million in Norway in 2019.

A 2016 Chilean salmon mortality event caused a record $800 million loss, causing major social unrest.

Again, the presence of fish-killing HAB species doesn't accurately predict economic losses, the study shows. For example, Heterosigma blooms occur on the west and east coasts of Canada and the US, but fish mortalities are mostly confined to the west coast. In large part, the difference reflects the differences between sites where blooms occur and the relative location and size of aquaculture operations.

A harmful algae species that caused no problems in Australian lagoons killed 50,000 caged fish in Malaysia in 2014. It is now also known in Japan and the Philippines.

The authors note that some troublesome algal species may thrive, others decline, as ocean waters warm and acidify.

Commentary

"There has been a widely-stated contention that HABs worldwide are increasing in distribution, frequency or intensity, so a quantitative global assessment is long overdue," says lead author Prof. Hallegraeff of the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania.

"While some of the HAB literature over the past 30 years has handpicked selected examples to claim a global increase and expansion in HABs, this new big data approach shows a much more nuanced trend," he adds.

"Our study concludes that the health and economic damages caused by harmful microalgae -- seafood poisoning, water discolouration that blights tourism, and the death of finfish in aquaculture operations, for example -- differ between regions."

Adds co-author Adriana Zingone: "We also found that overexploitation acts as a natural multiplier of the effects of HABs, leading to an increase in impacts independent of an actual trend in HABs."

"It should be noted that over the last 40 years capacity and monitoring efforts to detect harmful species and harmful events have also increased, thus increasing the reporting of harmful events across the world's seas," she says.

"The absence of events and decreasing trends, like all negative results, are rarely published. Whether or not HABs are increasing globally, however, their impacts are a growing concern all around the globe."

Says co-author Henrik Oksfeldt Enevoldsen: "As the human population continues to increase in tandem with resource demands, HABs will predictably constitute a serious threat in terms of seafood safety and security, a hindrance to recreational uses of the sea, and a problem for the tourism industry."

"Occurrences of harmful species over time and their human impacts can be expected to change locally, regionally and globally alongside the effects that climate, hydrography and human pressure impose on the coastal environment."

"Understanding the trends and distribution patterns of harmful species and events at multiple spatial and temporal scales will help predict whether, where and when to expect HABs, their frequency and intensity. This knowledge is fundamental for effective management of HABs and to optimise the uses and values of the maritime space in coastal areas."

Johan Hanssens, Secretary-General Flanders Department of Economy, Science and Innovation, a sponsor of this report, concluded: "This status report is a very timely reminder, at the start of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, that a thorough understanding of natural and ecological processes in the ocean is crucial for the development of the blue economy, now that many coastal countries are turning to the sea for additional resources, including food provisioning. International scientific collaboration is essential and most efficient to address the associated challenges."

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New interactive portal

At a new interactive portal (https:/ / data. hais. ioc-unesco. org ), also launched today, concerned citizens and scientists can extract data and knowledge about HABs occurrences over time at every scale, from local to global.

Key public databases used

The Harmful Algal Event Database (HAEDAT)

The only existing database of information about harmful algal events from around the world, summarized into 'events' associated with a management action or negative economic / ecological impact. Includes cases of non-toxic water discolorations, mucilage, anoxia or other damage to fish. Link: http://haedat. iode. org

HABMAP-OBIS: Database on the geographic range of Harmful Species

The Database provides biogeographic information, as referenced maps, of the microalgal species that are listed in the IOC-UNESCO Taxonomic Reference List of Harmful Microalgae. Because entries concern these taxa regardless of the intraspecific variability in toxicity and impacts, the database provides a worldwide map of potential risks related to the occurrence of toxic species. Link: https:/ / obis. org

The IOC-UNESCO Taxonomic Reference List of Harmful Microalgae

Includes formally accepted names of 150+ planktonic or benthic microalgae that have been proven to produce toxins. The number of species in the list has doubled over the years. Link: http://marinespecies. org/ hab

These datasets will help address three main questions in future:

The distribution of HAB species, HAB events, and toxins globally How the geographic distribution, characteristic, frequency and intensity of HABs are changing and if these changes attributable to global change How climate change alters impacts from HABs on human health, ecosystems, economics, food and water security

Background

Algae are essential for life on Earth and for fisheries. But when some species "bloom" they can cause harm in various ways.

Some 5,000 species of microalgae form the foundation of aquatic food chains, help control atmospheric CO2 levels, and produce roughly half of the world's oxygen. The troublemakers are approximately 250 species that can produce potent toxins or cause harm through their sheer biomass.

A harmful algal event is broadly defined as "any event where humans, animals or other organisms are negatively affected by algae." These include:

A bioaccumulation of toxins in seafood reaching levels unsafe for human consumption, or a ban on harvesting wild or farmed shellfish or other seafood.

An abundance of harmful algae causing the closure of e.g. a beach or desalination plant

A bloom of toxic or non-toxic microalgae causing discoloured water, scum or foam causing damage to tourism

The Global Harmful Algal Bloom Status Report (GHSR) initiative is funded by the Flanders Government through the DIPS-4-Ocean Assessments project (link) as part of the UNESCO/Flanders Fund-in-Trust for the support of UNESCO's activities in the field of Science (FUST).

Principal authors: 19 principal authors from 15 countries (including two from Australia, two from France, three from the USA)

Gustaaf M. Hallegraeff, University of Tasmania, Australia

Donald M. Anderson, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA

Catherine Belin, IFREMER, France

Marie-Yasmine Bottein, Ecotoxicology and Sustainable Development Expertise, France

Eileen Bresnan, Marine Scotland, UK

Mireille Chinain, Institut Louis Malarde-UMR241, Tahiti

Henrik Enevoldsen, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Mitsunori Iwataki, University of Tokyo, Japan

Bengt Karlson, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Oceanographic Research, Sweden

Cynthia H. McKenzie, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Canada

Ines Sunesen, CONICET - UNLP, Argentina

Grant C. Pitcher, University of Cape Town, South Africa

Pieter Provoost, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, Oostende, Belgium

Anthony Richardson, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, and University of Queensland, Australia

Laura Schweibold, Institut Universitaire Europeen de la Mer, France

Patricia A. Tester, Ocean Tester, USA

Vera L. Trainer, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USA

Aletta T. Yniguez, University of the Philippines, Philippines

Adriana Zingone, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Italy

About the HAB Programme:

https:/ / bit. ly/ 3l44mUY

The Intergovernmental Panel on Harmful Algal Blooms (IOC-IPHAB), part of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, initiated the development of the Global HAB Status Report in Paris in April 2013, developed with the support of the Government of Flanders within the IOC International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) Programme, which manages both the Harmful Algae Event Data Base (HAEDAT: http://haedat. iode. org ) and the Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS: https:/ / obis. org ). Partners include the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), The North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

OBIS focuses on the global distribution of all marine species including those HAB species that are toxic to humans and fish as covered by the IOC-UNESCO Taxonomic Reference list of Harmful MicroAlgae (a subset of the World Register of Marine Species), while HAEDAT holds information specifically on the HAB events that have adversely impact on human society, whether by high biomass (clogging of fishing nets, beach closures), aquaculture fish kills, or seafood toxin events leading to shellfish farm closures, human poisonings or even death.
During spring, Lusitanian toadfish (Halobatrachus didactylus) suitors form choirs in Portugal's Tagus estuary to serenade the females, vibrating their swim bladders to produce a call, known as a boatwhistle, which sounds like a vibrating cell phone. The males also listen in on each other to check whether anyone is intruding on their territory. But sadly, their performances are no longer conducted in hushed reverence. Revving motorboats and churning ferry propellors and engines fill the water with unwelcome noise, which made Clara Amorim, Daniel Alves, Manuel Vieira and Paulo Fonseca, from the Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal, wonder whether human noise pollution is playing havoc with the garrulous fish's ability to communicate. They publish their discovery that toadfish serenades are being drowned out by water traffic that also disrupts their ability to croon together in Journal of Experimental Biology at https:/ / journals. biologists. com/ jeb .

'We had previously measured how far toadfishes could communicate with each other', says Alves, who worked with local fisherman to collect the vocal fish. Once the fish were comfortable in the lab, Alves and Fonseca tested their hearing by playing boatwhistles - which had been recorded at distances from 0.1-15 m - while logging the fishes' brainwaves as they listened to the sound against a silent background. Then, the duo added the whine of an outboard motor or a rumbling ferryboat and rechecked the brainwaves, to find out whether the fish were still able to hear the serenades.

Unfortunately, the outboard motor almost completely drowned out the recordings of the males. One boatwhistle that had been clear up to 10.4 m away in absolute silence became inaudible over distances of more than 2.5 m and the range of another toadfish rumble fell to just 2.0 m. However, the ferryboat seemed to have less of an impact on the toadfishes' hearing, cutting the range over which one boatwhistle could be heard by 4 m, to 6.3 m, while the other, which had been so badly affected by the outboard motor, could be heard over slightly longer distances (6.7 m). Water traffic is clearly affecting the ability of these vocal fish to hear one another, but does the sound of passing vessels affect how harmonising toadfish croon together?

To find out, Vieira, Amorim and Fonseca crossed the Tagus to a quiet toadfish breeding ground, providing the serenading residents with 12 custom-built concrete nests, each equipped with an underwater microphone to record their boatwhistles as they settled into duetting with nearby males to attract females. In peaceful waters, the neighbours coordinated well, slightly advancing or delaying their responses to each other's calls depending on their proximity. However, when the scientists played recordings of passing ferries and motorboats to the courting males, the toadfishes' coordination broke down entirely, with serenading duetters interjecting more randomly between their neighbour's timed rumbles.

'These results demonstrate that boat noise can severely reduce the distance at which the Lusitanian toadfish can communicate and affect how they produce sounds in their choruses', says Vieira, who warns that noisy human water traffic could dramatically affect the Lusitanian toadfish's love life.

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Of all the different types of cancer known, a subtype of pancreatic cancer called pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the most aggressive and deadly. This disease begins in the cells that make up certain small ducts in the pancreas and progresses silently, usually causing no symptoms until advanced tumors actually obstruct these ducts or spread to other places. PDAC is not only difficult to diagnose, but also very unresponsive to available treatments. In particular, researchers have noted that PDAC cells can usually survive radiotherapy through mechanisms that remain largely unknown.

Part of the Radiation and Cancer Biology Group of the National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Japan, Dr. Sumitaka Hasegawa and colleagues Motofumi Suzuki and Mayuka Anko are currently studying what makes PDAC cells so radiation-resistant, and if there's a way to break through their defenses. In their latest study, published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, they've managed to uncover some of the mysteries underlying the curious relationship between treatment resistance in PDAC, the cell cycle, and a process called autophagy--or "self-digestion."

Every cell in our body is the result of the completion of countless cell cycles, from one cellular division to the next. Each cell cycle, shown schematically in Figure 1, is a chemically orchestrated sequence of phases in which a multitude of proteins actively control the growth of the cell and ensure it divides safely. When DNA damage is encountered, the cell cycle is halted at what's called the G2 checkpoint and division is postponed until the problem is fixed. In many types of cancers including PDAC, the G2 checkpoint is strongly activated after irradiation, which has been shown to increase resistance to therapy.

On the other hand, autophagy is a natural mechanism by which a cell digests some of its own organelles and proteins, especially damaged or unnecessary ones, to reclaim nutrients and maintain proper internal conditions, among other functions. While essential for healthy cells, researchers have found that autophagy increases in cancer cells right after radiation treatment and that it actually helps them endure and survive therapy.

Most interestingly, because autophagy and the G2 checkpoint share some of the same chemical signals, it has been suggested that these two processes are interrelated. "Although a relationship had been proposed, the mechanistic details of the interactions between autophagy and the G2 checkpoint after irradiation were unclear. Thus, in our recent study, we sought to understand more about the link between these processes, especially in PDAC cells," explains Dr. Hasegawa.

After numerous experiments in PDAC cell cultures, the team of scientists led by Dr. Hasegawa determined that irradiation-induced autophagy is dependent on the G2 checkpoint being activated. Moreover, they showed that autophagy helped the irradiated PDAC cells generate more energy (in the form of a molecule called ATP), which in turned led to their survival. Thus, the team proceeded to analyze what happened to irradiated PDAC cells when the G2 checkpoint was chemically inhibited. These irradiated cells, which could not activate the G2 checkpoint, did not undergo autophagy, and thus were much more likely to die post-radiation (Figure 2).

These promising results were then tested in mice onto which PDAC cells were transplanted to produce tumors. By treating these mice with both radiation and the G2 checkpoint inhibitor, the scientists managed to greatly suppress tumor growth compared to when irradiation was administered alone (Figure 3). In essence, this means that suppressors of the G2 checkpoint, which also mitigate autophagy, could be effectively used as tools to lower the radiation resistance of PDAC cells. "Our research," concludes Dr. Hasegawa, "should facilitate the development of radiosensitizers or new radiotherapeutic strategies for PDAC. In turn, this could largely improve the survival rate of patients with this type of cancer."

Further studies will be needed to better understand the connection between the G2 checkpoint and autophagy and how these processes make cancer cells more resistant. Let us hope scientists eventually find ways to effectively combat particularly difficult cancer types, such as PDAC, and give more years of life to affected people.

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Research Article: Radiation-induced autophagy in human pancreatic cancer cells is critically dependent on G2 checkpoint activation: a mechanism of radioresistance in pancreatic cancer, International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, Motofumi Suzuki , Mayuka Anko , Maki Ohara , Ken-ichiro Matsumoto and Sumitaka Hasegawa, DOI: https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1016/ j. ijrobp. 2021. 04. 001

About Dr. Sumitaka Hasegawa from National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Japan:

Sumitaka Hasegawa is a physician-scientist and currently a group leader of the Radiation and Cancer Biology Group at the National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Japan. He graduated from Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences after graduating from the medical school of Nagasaki University. He spent as a postdoc at UCLA and the Stanford University. He has many publications in the field of cancer research, radiation oncology, and nuclear medicine, including prestigious journals such as Nature, Science, Journal of the American Chemical Society, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

About National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Japan: The National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology (QST) was established in April 2016 to promote quantum science and technology in a comprehensive and integrated manner. QST's mission is to raise the level of quantum and radiological sciences and technologies through its commitment to research and development into quantum science and technology, the effect of radiation on humans, radiation emergency medicine, and the medical use of radiation. To ensure that research and development delivers significant academic, social and economic impacts, and to maximize benefits from global innovation, QST is striving to establish world-leading research and development platforms and explore new fields. Website: https:/ / www. qst. go. jp/ site/ qst-english/

Funding information: This study was supported by the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI (Grant number 18K15653 [MS]) and research grants from the National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology.

Media contact: Public Relations Section

Department of Management and Planning, QST

Tel: +81-43-206-3026 Email: info@qst.go.jp
FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- Army scientists and engineers partnered with combat arms units to create closer working relationships between Soldiers and universities. The partnership between the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command and the XVIII Airborne Corps will help to solve military challenges, according to officials who met at Fort Bragg May 25.

As part of a new Congressional initiative called the Catalyst-Pathfinder program, the goal is to harness the creativity and technical skills of academic institutions and help the Army to quickly create better solutions to real problems.

The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM, Army Research Laboratory manages the program in close partnership with the DEVCOM Armaments Center.

As part of the agreement, ARL and AC will work with the XVIII Airborne Corps, and specifically the 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne Divisions at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and Fort Campbell, Kentucky. to strategically engage top academic institutions and team them with Soldiers in small, integrated teams focused to solve technical problems in a highly integrated manner.

"Our role at DEVCOM's Army Research Lab is to support the Soldier, and we have a long established relationship with the XVIII Airborne Corps," said Dr. Patrick Baker, ARL director. "We are excited to work with them on the Catalyst-Pathfinder program to accelerate learning and science through Soldier problem identification and feedback. The teaming we are doing through the Catalyst-Pathfinder program is key to operationalizing science for Army modernization."

The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command partners with the XVIII Airborne Corps to create a close working relationships between Soldiers and universities to solve military challenges. The partnership is part of a new Congressional initiative called the Catalyst-Pathfinder program.

Universities in North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia will work with the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, both under XVIII Airborne Corps, to identify and rapidly solve those problems and accelerate the transition of those solutions into the Army.

"XVIII Airborne Corps fosters a culture of innovation across all ranks, giving voice and life to novel ideas that support our people, optimize our readiness, and inform Army modernization efforts," said Brig. Gen. Robert Ritchie, XVIII Airborne Corps. "In order to field tangible solutions fast, we are partnering with ARL through the Catalyst-Pathfinder program to connect our Soldiers with the nation's brightest academics. These Soldier-academic teams are currently empowering the 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne Division to unleash and implement creative thoughts, technologies, and equipment. Going forward, we are really excited to deepen our integration with ARL to collaboratively innovate on behalf of the Army."

Catalyst-Pathfinder will engage Soldiers earlier in the research and development process to make them aware of emerging research and technologies that academia can provide to help meet their needs.

Lt. Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, commanding general of XVIII Airborne Corps (left) and Dr. Patrick Baker, DEVCOM ARL director sign a memorandum of understanding at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. As part of the agreement, DEVCOM ARL will team top academic institutions with Soldiers in the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions to rapidly solve problems and accelerate the transition of the solutions into the Army.

Catalyst frames Soldier problems in a manner suitable for academia to identify research and emerging technologies to solve them. Pathfinder executes pilot programs, rapidly accelerating the delivery of technologies to address complex Army problems. Pathfinder uses Catalyst software to curate Army problems and executes projects building Soldier-academic teams to create solutions to those problems.

At the direction of the Army Futures Command, the Catalyst program started in March 2020 with a burgeoning partnership with the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. The inaugural team members developed the program framework, produced Soldier-integrated design and development training curricula, developed support tools for execution, sourced and curated Soldier challenges and project opportunities, and identified the first project with Vanderbilt University, Soldier Assistive Bionic Exosuit for Resupply, known as SABER. This effort will evaluate physiological effects on Soldiers and optimize lift-assist technology to support logistics operational challenges of Soldiers and enhance Soldier readiness.

"Establishing ARL partnerships with Army units is critical to developing scalable approaches to Army modernization," said Dr. Arwen DeCostanza, Catalyst-Pathfinder program manager, DEVCOM ARL. "These collaborative projects will yield discoveries and future outcomes by exploiting the creativity of Soldiers, faculty, students, industry partners and the Army science and technology community."

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Visit the laboratory's Media Center to discover more Army science and technology stories

As the Army's national research laboratory, ARL is operationalizing science to achieve transformational overmatch. Through collaboration across the command's core technical competencies, DEVCOM leads in the discovery, development and delivery of the technology-based capabilities required to make Soldiers more successful at winning the nation's wars and come home safely. DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory is an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command. DEVCOM is a major subordinate command of the Army Futures Command.
In "Atchafalaya," John McPhee's essay in the 1989 book The Control of Nature, the author chronicles efforts by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prevent the Atchafalaya River from changing the course of the Mississippi River where they diverge, due to the Atchafalaya's steeper gradient and more direct route to the gulf. McPhee's classic essay proved inspirational to John Shaw, an assistant professor of geosciences who called it "a foundational text."

Indeed, his latest work adds to the story.

In a recent paper published in the American Geophysical Union's journal, Water Resources Research, Shaw and his fellow researchers, Kashauna G. Mason, Hongbo Ma and Gordon W. McClain III, examine the critical period before the decision was made in 1950 to create a river control system at the junction of the two rivers to get a clearer understanding of the rivers' natural state - and how regulation might be fine-tuned moving forward to preserve Louisiana coastlands.

The paper, Influences on Discharge Partitioning on a Large River Delta: Case Study of the Mississippi-Atchafalaya Diversion, 1926-1950, seeks to resolve lingering questions about the rate at which the Atchafalaya River captured water from the Mississippi River and the degree to which it would have changed the course of the river.

"You basically have two conduits to the ocean, and you can think of them as competing for water and sediment. You've got the Mississippi and the Atchafalaya -- anything to widen or grow one branch will pull more water from the other," Shaw said. "More and more water was going down the Atchafalaya, so that was what everybody focused on."

By looking at old Army Corps of Engineers surveys, McCain and Mason were able to painstakingly digitize more than 100,000 data points, bringing historic measurements into the modern field. From this, Ma and Shaw were able to model the hydrodynamic flow through the channel network.

An unexpected finding was that while the Atchafalaya was widening, increasing its flow, the Mississippi was widening, too, just not as fast the Atchafalaya. "That's really interesting," Shaw explained, "because I think most people assumed the Mississippi was shrinking simply because the Atchafalaya was expanding." In short, the situation may not have been as dire as initially thought.

Ultimately, the team found that erosion of the upper Atchafalaya accounted for about 73 percent of the increased water flow, while dredging of the lower part of the river accounted for the remainder, meaning the increased flow was a product of both natural and man-made forces. While man-made controls on the flow are secondary, they weren't properly understood at the time McPhee wrote "Atchafalaya."

Why is this important to know?

As Shaw explains it, Louisiana is slowly being submerged due to rising sea levels and human impact on the river system. Billions of dollars are being spent to prevent that from happening.

The Atchafalaya-Mississippi Diversion is the linchpin to controlling where water and sediment go, whether down one river or the other, and determining which marshes will be nourished by sediment. Hundreds of megatons of sediment come down the Mississippi every year, and if more goes down the Atchafalaya, that impacts the Mississippi and the coastline it shapes.

The ultimate goal of the research is to better understand how these rivers are being regulated and what would happen in the absence of regulation. By focusing on the years between 1926-1950, Shaw and his team are seeking to find a clearer picture of what the river looked like before regulation began -- and how it might be fine-tuned moving forward. This research was funded by a Department of Energy grant to understand river channel dynamics along coastlines.

Now that the paper is done, Shaw wants to send a copy to McPhee, a professor emeritus at Princeton. "I just want to let him know this was inspired by him," he said, "maybe not written so well, but it updates the story he broke to the world in the 80s."

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Its hotter on Venus than on Mercury. Why did Venus form the way it did? Why did Mars form the way it did, from a habitable or not habitable atmosphere? Why did Earth form the way it did? The question is, why are Venus, Earth and Mars different at this point in time? NASA Langley Research Center Executive Director Clayton Turner said. Either they are our future or our past. Wouldnt it be nice to understand those two planets and think about it from that perspective?
Stereotypes are knowledge structures integrated in our world representation, which have an influence on our decisions and which are hard to change. A team from the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), in collaboration with the Epica Foundation - La Fura dels Baus analysed how a performing experience could have a positive impact in reducing the population's bias against physical illnesses. This performing experience is a pioneer one for it combines scientific training and theatre performance in the same working platform.

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, shows that the participation in a 14-day performing arts program reduces these implicit cognitive biases. According to the researchers, these results shed light on the development of strategies with performing arts to help treat this social problem in the general population. Participants in the study are Josue Garcia-Arch (IDIBELL-UB), as first signatory, and Lluis Fuentemilla, both researchers at the IDIBELL Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit and the Institute of Neurosciences of the UB (UBNeuro). Other signatories of the article are Celia Ventura-Gabarro, from the Pompeu Fabra University, and Pedro Lorente and Pep Gatell, from the Epica Foundation - La Fura dels Baus.

The challenge of modifying stereotypes

Previous studies show that representation structures from which stereotypes derive are malleable, but achieving a change through an intervention is very difficult. "Studies in cognitive neuroscience indicate that a memory (or representation structure) can be altered if it reactivates efficiently in the brain. Also, if the memory goes with emotional context, this can increase the reactivation-derived change", notes Lluis Fuentemilla, coordinator of the study.

"On the other hand, --continues the researcher--, we also know that people tend to understand and integrate how others are if we are able to simulate them as if we were them".

Epica Foundation has designed a performing experience that has these elements: the ability to simulate artistically a concept through performing arts developed om a context of intense emotion. The participants were sixteen amateurs, selected of the activity, who had to prepare a theatre play on several illnesses. With this objective, for two weeks, they received advice from experts on cancer and degenerative disorders from the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), who helped them to take in the disease and understand it from a multi-dimensional perspective (physiological, psychological, social impact, etc.). For instance, after these exchanges with the researchers, they simulated the daily life of patients with degenerative diseases or the life of the caregivers. The activity ended with a public performance in front of more than 300 people. "This work protocol gathers many features that enable us to think that the activation of knowledge structures that are the basis for stereotypes could make them malleable: emotion, continuity and first-person experience. These features are hard to work with under laboratory conditions or different practices in other programs, since they limit the motivation and commitment of the participants in the task, therefore hardening the chance to make reliable changes in the implicit bias at an individual level", notes Lluis Fuentemilla.

The effects of the intervention were measured with the implicit association test (IAT), an experimental task that allows the calculation of how long it takes for an individual to associate an item, for instance, with a word or an image, and a conceptual category: the longer the reaction, the harder it is to establish a link between concepts. "For instance, we know it takes longer to link an image of someone playing sport to the idea of "bad" than the "good" category, and the contrary happens wit the image of someone who wears a hospital patient robe. This difference in the reaction time shows we have an integrated "good" and "bad" category associated with a category linked to "healthy" and "ill" people, a phenomenon that, as expected, we found in the actors before the workshop", notes Josue Garcia Arch, researcher of the project.

Once the program ended, the differences in reaction time had decreased in the participants, showing that the allocation of these ideas had decreased as well. Also, this reduction did not happen in two control experiments carried out on people of the same age, sex and education levels. One of these groups received the same scientific and medical information but without the arts, and did not show a change in the reaction time regarding the initial test. "This response shows that the experience provided by the performing activity was essential to reduce the negative stereotype towards ill people", note the researchers.

A potential strategy to treat other prejudices

These results shed light on the development of strategies based on this performing experience to treat problems related to stereotypes in the general population. "The way in which society faces stereotypes is based on education-derived processes and awareness in order to prevent these knowledge structures from being created. However, the problem of stereotypes is that this knowledge is attached to many situations of our society and coping with this in education is not enough. The presented protocol of the study enables us to open the way to reverse this problem using performing arts", states the researcher.

Moreover, according to the authors of the study, tis protocol could be used to treat other problems. "In this case, we have worked on the stereotype associated with the disease, but the program enables us to treat any stereotype, race or gender for instance, using the theme of performing arts", notes Lluis Fuentemilla.

A unique platform to create new knowledge

This study emerges in the frame of the platform created by Epica Foundation, in which performing arts, science and technology are grouped to create new knowledge. The objective of this initiative is to create a performance based on research questions by the researchers to create results from the interactions between creatives, scientists and the audience. "Knowledge can be learnt through language and experiences, and performing arts have both. In addition, in the language of FURA, which prioritizes the interaction with the audience, the experience is lived by actors, creators and the audience at the same time. Therefore, in our space, we can create realities that the audience can feel as real, and therefore, their reaction will be more spontaneous than in a laboratory or in a test carried out by research groups in the workshop", note the members of Epica Foundation.

The UB-IDIBELL team has taken part in two workshops: Information vs Memory, where they analysed the impact of this show on memory, and Complex Systems, the origin of this project. Moreover, it is also part of the European Performing Science Night project, co-funded by the Marie Sk?odowska Curie actions, and led by the Epica Foundation, which will apply the same work methodology. The result will be the different dissemination activities that will take place in Badalona in September 2021 as part of the European Researchers' Night.

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While most fish need water to feed, the unique anatomy of moray eels gives snowflake morays the ability to grab and swallow prey on land

Most fish rely on water to feed, using suction to capture their prey. A new study, however, shows that snowflake morays can grab and swallow prey on land without water thanks to an extra set of jaws in their throats.

After a moray eel captures prey with its first set of jaws, a second set of "pharyngeal jaws" then reaches out to grasp the struggling prey and pull it down into the moray's throat. Rita Mehta, an associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, first described this astonishing feeding mechanism in a 2007 Nature paper.

The new study, published June 7 in the Journal of Experimental Biology, shows that these pharyngeal jaws enable at least one species of moray to feed on land.

"Most fishes really need water to feed," Mehta said. "This is the first example of a fish that can feed on land without relying on water."

Reports of snowflake morays coming out of the water to grab crabs on the shore prompted her to take a closer look, she said. "These particular moray eels tend to eat hard-shelled prey like crabs, and I would see reports in the literature of them moving out of the water and lunging for crabs, but it was unclear what happened next."

Even fish well adapted to an amphibious lifestyle, such as mudskippers, need water to swallow their food. "Mudskippers come up onto mudflats and grab prey like small crabs and insects. They get around the challenge of swallowing on land by sucking up water and then using the water they have reserved in their mouth to swallow," Mehta said.

Snowflake morays can do it without water because of their unusual feeding mechanics.

"They have highly moveable pharyngeal jaws in their throat," she said. "Once the moray captures prey in its oral jaws, the pharyngeal jaws grab onto the prey again and move it further back into the esophagus. This mechanical movement does not rely on water."

Demonstrating that snowflake morays can eat on land, however, was no easy task. It took Mehta and a team of undergraduates over five years to train seven snowflake morays to slither up a ramp onto a platform, grab a piece of fish, and swallow it before returning to the water.

"They feel safer in the water, so at first they would just grab the fish and go straight back into the water with it," she said. "I relied on a team of dedicated and enthusiastic undergraduate researchers to work on training them."

Coauthor Kyle Donohoe was especially helpful, she said, because of his animal training experience from working with marine mammals as a research assistant at the Pinniped Cognition and Sensory Systems Laboratory next to Mehta's lab at UCSC's Long Marine Laboratory.

Once the eels were trained to feed on the platform, Mehta documented this unusual feeding behavior on video. She said the feeding performance of young snowflake morays is as good on land as it is in water.

"As a result, these particular morays can utilize very different environments for food resources," she said.

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Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Unidel H. Rodney Sharp Chair and professor in the School of Education (SOE) and in the departments of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Linguistics and Cognitive Science at the University of Delaware, has been elected to membership in the National Academy of Education.

The National Academy of Education advances high quality education research and its use in policy and practice, and its members are elected on the basis of outstanding scholarship related to education. Golinkoff is one of 22 national and international scholars elected to membership this year, and she is the first member from UD to receive this honor.

"This diverse group of scholars is at the forefront of those who are improving the lives of students in the United States and abroad through their outstanding contributions through education scholarship and research," said Gloria Ladson-Billings, president of the National Academy of Education.

"Becoming a member of the National Academy of Education is one of our field's highest honors, and is a fitting acknowledgement of Roberta Golinkoff's decades of groundbreaking contributions to language development, the benefits of playful learning, the effects of media on children, and early spatial development," said Laura Desimone, director of research in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) and professor in the School of Education and the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration.

With research partner Kathy Hirsh-Pasek of Temple University, Golinkoff has dedicated her career to foundational research on language, literacy, education, and spatial reasoning in the field of developmental psychology in infants and young children. Her work has been recognized with prestigious awards from several organizations, including the American Educational Research Association, Association for Psychological Science, and the Society for Research in Child Development.

In the late 1980s, Golinkoff and Hirsh-Pasek pioneered an innovative research method for studying preverbal infants named the Intermodal Preferential Looking Paradigm (IPLP). Through the use of side-by-side visual stimuli on a television screen and a single auditory stimulus, researchers were able to determine whether preverbal infants could match what they heard with one of the events they saw on the screen. This method is now used throughout the world to study what young children know about language and how they learn it. At the University of Delaware, Golinkoff established the Child's Play, Learning, and Development Lab (formerly the Infant Language Project), which continued this line of research and currently explores a range of topics on how children learn and grow.

Golinkoff and Hirsh-Pasek later focused their research on the importance of play in the development of young children, demonstrating that preschoolers often learn best during child-directed free play and guided play with adults. In 2010, Golinkoff and Hirsh-Pasek organized the Ultimate Block Party in New York City's Central Park and invited families to engage in child-centered activities that illustrated the value of playful learning. Over 50,000 families participated in the event, and subsequent block parties were held in Baltimore and Toronto.

Golinkoff continues to engage the community through hands-on learning events. Through her Playful Learning Landscapes project, Golinkoff works to develop learning environments outside of the traditional classroom given that children only spend 20% of their waking time at school. Golinkoff and Hirsh-Pasek have showcased the science of how the brain works in New York City's Central Park, transformed supermarkets to heighten caregiver-child interactions, and mounted a life-sized, human game board designed to encourage STEM learning at Philadelphia's Please Touch Children's Museum.

Their most recent book, Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children, reached the New York Times best seller list. Golinkoff and Hirsh-Pasek assert that the development of six skills are necessary for children to thrive in a 21st century global workplace, experience personal fulfillment, and become concerned citizens. They argue that adults and organizations need these six skills as well to thrive in a world where robots are becoming increasingly prevalent. Translating scientific evidence into accessible and usable information, Golinkoff and Hirsh-Pasek show how parents and educators can nurture collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creative innovation, and confidence in children and in themselves.

"In inviting Roberta into membership, the National Academy of Education has undoubtedly recognized her unceasing curiosity, boundless energy and enthusiasm, and the impressive range of her intellectual gifts. Her contributions span a wide range of substantive topics and the continuum from deep, scholarly articles to popular press to play-filled events to give families access to research-based resources to enhance their children's development," said Gary T. Henry, dean of CEHD and professor in the School of Education and the Biden School. "Whether working in her Child's Play, Learning, and Development Lab at UD or speaking to school superintendents across Delaware or keynoting at a scholarly conference, Roberta speaks science in a way that is attuned to her audience, leaving them informed and motivated to know more and act accordingly. We are proud to have her as a colleague in the School of Education at the University of Delaware."

Golinkoff will be inducted into the organization with a ceremony at the 2021 National Academy of Education annual meeting in November.

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People whose sleep pattern goes against their natural body clock are more likely to have depression and lower levels of wellbeing, according to a largescale new study

People whose sleep pattern goes against their natural body clock are more likely to have depression and lower levels of wellbeing, according to a largescale new study.

Research led by the University of Exeter, published in Molecular Psychiatry, also found the most robust evidence to date that being genetically programmed to be an early riser is protective against major depression, and improves wellbeing. Researchers suggest this may be because society is set up to be more aligned to early risers, through the standard 9-5 working pattern.

COVID-19 has led to more flexible working patterns and this research may help make the case for more adaptable working habits to suit individuals' needs.

The team built on previous research which mapped 351 genes linked to being an early riser, or a night owl. They used a statistical process called Mendelian Randomisation to examine whether these genes were causally associated with seven mental health and wellbeing outcomes, including major depression, using data on more than 450,000 UK adults from UK Biobank's biomedical database and research resource. As well as the genetic information, participants also completed a questionnaire on whether they were a morning person or an evening person.

The team also developed a new measure of "social jetlag" that measures the variation in sleep pattern between work and free days. They measured this in more than 85,000 UK Biobank participants for whom sleep data was available, via wrist-worn activity monitors. They found that people who were more misaligned from their natural body clock were more likely to report depression and anxiety and have lower wellbeing.

Lead author Jessica O'Loughlin, of the University of Exeter, said: "We found that people who were misaligned from their natural body clock were more likely to report depression, anxiety and have lower wellbeing. We also found the most robust evidence yet that being a morning person is protective of depression and improves wellbeing.

We think this could be explained by the fact that the demands of society mean night owls are more likely to defy their natural body clocks, by having to wake up early for work."

Overall, the research team found that morning people were more likely to be aligned to their natural body clock. They then tested the effect by looking at shift workers, and found that morningness may not be protective for depression in shift workers, meaning morning people who work shifts may not have improved mental health and wellbeing, however, this was inconclusive.

Senior author Dr Jessica Tyrrell, of the University of Exeter, said: "The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a new flexibility in working patterns for many people. Our research indicates that aligning working schedules to an individual's natural body clock may improve mental health and wellbeing in night owls."

###

The study is entitled 'Using Mendelian Randomization methods to understand whether diurnal preference is causally related to mental health', and published in Molecular Psychiatry. The research is supported by the Academy of Medical Sciences. The study involved collaborators from King's College London, the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Manchester and Monash University.
Natural selection can reverse evolution that occurs through sexual selection and this can lead to better females, new research shows.

The study - led by the University of Exeter and Okayama University - examined broad-horned flour beetles, whose males have exaggerated mandibles, while females do not.

Male beetles with the largest mandibles win more fights and mate with more females - an example of "sexual selection", where certain characteristics (like a male peacock's tail) improve mating success.

However, having bigger mandibles requires a masculinised body (large head and neck), and a smaller abdomen - which, for females, limits the number of eggs they can carry. A masculinised body is not good for females.

Experimentally enhanced natural selection through predation, however, targets the same males favoured by sexual selection and this results in the evolution of less masculinised bodies and better-quality females.

In the study, broad-horned flour beetles were exposed to a predator called the assassin bug, which ate males with the largest mandibles.

By removing these males, predation effectively reduced the benefits of sexual selection and this means natural selection has an increased impact.

After eight generations of this, females produced about 20% more offspring across their lifespan, compared to a control group of beetles where large-horned males were not removed by predation.

"Males and females of every species share genes, but in some cases - including broad-horned flour beetles - the genes good for one sex aren't always ideal for the other," said Professor David Hosken, of the University of Exeter.

"We see this process, known as intralocus sexual conflict, across the natural world.

"For example, humans share the genes for hips - which males need for walking, and females need for both walking and childbirth.

"Optimal hips for women would be broad enough to allow childbirth, while optimal hip width for men is narrower.

"Humans reach a sort of evolutionary compromise, in which neither males nor females get the body shape that would be optimal for them."

Professor Hosken added: "Our findings show that sexual selection favouring large-horned males drags female body shape away from the female optima.

"This study helps us understand two evolutionary tug of wars, one between natural and sexual selection and the other that takes place over body shape and characteristics shared between the sexes."

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Funding for the study came from the Leverhulme Trust and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

The paper, published in the journal Nature Communications, is entitled: "Natural selection increases female fitness by reversing the exaggeration of a male sexually selected trait."
While captive rearing may cause temporary disorientation, researchers found if Monarchs are given time in the wild to calibrate their internal compasses they can fly in the proper direction

Monarch butterflies raised indoors still know how to fly south if given enough time to orient themselves, according to new University of Guelph research.

The finding is good news for the many nature lovers and school students who raise monarchs and then set them free to help boost struggling numbers.

Monarchs are the only butterfly known to make a long-distance migration to warmer wintering grounds. While those born in the spring and early summer live only from two to six weeks, those that emerge in the late summer sense environmental signals that tell them to fly thousands of kilometres south, to central Mexico.

Recent U.S. studies have suggested that captive-raised monarchs become disoriented when they emerge from their cocoons and cannot fly south. But this new research, led by U of G PhD student Alana Wilcox and integrative biology professor Dr. Ryan Norris, finds that may not be true.

Wilcox said previous research was conducted only in a "flight simulator," involving placing the butterflies into an open vessel and then gauging which direction they try to fly. The U of G team used a flight simulator but also tracked a second group of monarchs that were released in the wild after being equipped with tiny radio transmitters.

Those butterflies showed proper southward orientation, if given enough time to get their bearings.

"We believe the reason why the monarchs released in the wild flew in the proper direction is likely because they had time to calibrate their internal compasses after being released, which ensured they flew in a southerly direction," said Norris.

The new study appears in the journal Conservation Physiology. Integrative biology professor Dr. Amy Newman and Dr. Nigel Raine, a professor in U of G's School of Environmental Sciences, contributed to the research.

The team came upon the finding almost by accident. They had been investigating whether monarch caterpillars raised on milkweed grown in soil with a neonicotinoid pesticide would have trouble migrating once they moulted into butterflies.

They found the pesticide did not appear to affect the butterflies' migration. But they noticed differences between the monarchs tested in the flight simulator and those that had been raised in the same conditions and released in the wild with radio transmitters.

Only 26 per cent of monarchs tested in the flight simulator (10 of 39 butterflies) showed a weak southward orientation after several minutes of testing; the rest flew in all directions. But almost all the radio-tracked butterflies (28 of 29, or 97 per cent) flew in a south-to-southeast direction from the release site and were detected at distances of up to 200 kilometres away.

"Our results suggest that although captive rearing of monarch butterflies may cause temporary disorientation for monarchs, once butterflies have been exposed to sunlight and natural skylight cues, they can establish proper orientation using their sense of proper flight direction," Wilcox said.

This process of orientation after release from captivity can take between 24 and 48 hours, added Norris.

The findings are good news for the thousands of butterfly enthusiasts and educators concerned that raising endangered monarchs in captivity might hamper their instinct to fly to their wintering grounds in Mexico.

The team notes the findings apply only to late-summer monarchs, which perceive environmental cues such as shorter days as signs that it's time to migrate to Mexico.

"Though the environmental conditions in our experiment might differ for monarchs reared by hobbyists, our results suggest that captive rearing remains a valuable educational tool for highlighting the natural history and biology of butterflies," said Norris.

###

Contact:

Dr. Ryan Norris

rnorris@uoguelph.ca
Everyone is familiar with tiny gas bubbles gently rising up in sparkling water. But the bubbles that were created by intense focused lasers in this experiment were ten times smaller and contained water vapour at a pressure around a hundred thousand times higher. Under these conditions, the bubble expands at supersonic speed and pushes a shockwave, consisting of a spherical shell of highly compressed water, ahead of itself. Now the research team led by the University of Gottingen, together with the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchroton (DESY) and the European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser (European XFEL), has created such an event and then, with an innovative technique that they developed using holographic flash imaging and nanofocused X-ray laser pulses, captured data and images. The research was published in Nature Communications.

The team first created tiny bubbles with a radius of a few thousandths of a millimetre by focusing an infrared laser pulse in water to create "cavitation" (a phenomenon in which small vapour-filled cavities, ie bubbles, form in a liquid). The researchers observed the expanding bubble with synchronized but carefully controlled delayed X-ray pulses. "In contrast to visible light, where refraction and scattering blur the image, X-ray imaging not only resolves the shape but also the density profile of the interior of both the bubble and the shockwave," explains Malte Vassholz, PhD student at the University of Gottingen and lead author of the publication. Vassholz goes on to say, "This enabled us to generate X-ray holograms of the tiny bubbles and record a large data stream with thousands of events which we then analyzed by a specially devised 'decoding algorithm' to obtain the density of the gas in the bubble and the shockwave around it." Thanks to the well-controlled time delay between the seeding laser pulse that created the effect and the X-ray pulse that measured it, the team could then record a 'movie' of the process.

The results of his experiment already challenge current scientific understanding and will help other scientists develop better models. Professor Tim Salditt, Professor of X-Ray Physics at the University of Gottingen, explains, "Even though water is the most important liquid on Earth, there is still much to learn about this mysterious and elusive substance. Thanks to the unique properties of the X-ray laser radiation generated at the European XFEL, and our new single shot holography method, we can now observe what really goes on in vapour and liquid water under extreme conditions."

This research technique provides insights for processes relevant in other applications: "Cavitation can be an undesirable effect in fluids in pumps or propellers for instance, but it can be harnessed for use in laser processing of materials or to modify chemical reactions," explains Dr Robert Mettin, an expert researching cavitation for many years at the Faculty of Physics, Gottingen University. "In laser surgery, shockwaves and compressed gases in tiny bubbles are created intentionally in tissue, by laser pulses," adds Salditt. "In the future, such processes could be 'filmed' in detail, using the methodology which we have developed, at a microscopic level and at high temporal resolution."

Original publication: Vassholz et al, Pump-probe X-ray holographic imaging of laser-induced cavitation bubbles with femtosecond FEL pulses, Nature Communications 2021. DoI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23664-1. Text also available at: https:/ / www. nature. com/ articles/ s41467-021-23664-1

An animated explainer video on our website https:/ / www. uni-goettingen. de/ en/ 3240. html?id= 6287 shows how the experiment was carried out by researchers at the University of Gottingen, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchroton (DESY) and the European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser (European XFEL). An infra-red laser beam is tightly focused into a water-filled container, igniting a plasma spark; the subsequent shock wave and cavitation bubble are imaged by an X-ray flash. From this, the density inside the bubble and the surrounding shock wave is computed.

Everyone is familiar with tiny gas bubbles gently rising up in sparkling water. But the bubbles that were created by intense focused lasers in this experiment were ten times smaller and contained water vapour at a pressure around a hundred thousand times higher. Under these conditions, the bubble expands at supersonic speed and pushes a shockwave, consisting of a spherical shell of highly compressed water, ahead of itself. Now the research team led by the University of Gottingen, together with the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchroton (DESY) and the European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser (European XFEL), has created such an event and then, with an innovative technique that they developed using holographic flash imaging and nanofocused X-ray laser pulses, captured data and images. The research was published in Nature Communications.

The team first created tiny bubbles with a radius of a few thousandths of a millimetre by focusing an infrared laser pulse in water to create "cavitation" (a phenomenon in which small vapour-filled cavities, ie bubbles, form in a liquid). The researchers observed the expanding bubble with synchronized but carefully controlled delayed X-ray pulses. "In contrast to visible light, where refraction and scattering blur the image, X-ray imaging not only resolves the shape but also the density profile of the interior of both the bubble and the shockwave," explains Malte Vassholz, PhD student at the University of Gottingen and lead author of the publication. Vassholz goes on to say, "This enabled us to generate X-ray holograms of the tiny bubbles and record a large data stream with thousands of events which we then analyzed by a specially devised 'decoding algorithm' to obtain the density of the gas in the bubble and the shockwave around it." Thanks to the well-controlled time delay between the seeding laser pulse that created the effect and the X-ray pulse that measured it, the team could then record a 'movie' of the process.

The results of his experiment already challenge current scientific understanding and will help other scientists develop better models. Professor Tim Salditt, Professor of X-Ray Physics at the University of Gottingen, explains, "Even though water is the most important liquid on Earth, there is still much to learn about this mysterious and elusive substance. Thanks to the unique properties of the X-ray laser radiation generated at the European XFEL, and our new single shot holography method, we can now observe what really goes on in vapour and liquid water under extreme conditions."

This research technique provides insights for processes relevant in other applications: "Cavitation can be an undesirable effect in fluids in pumps or propellers for instance, but it can be harnessed for use in laser processing of materials or to modify chemical reactions," explains Dr Robert Mettin, an expert researching cavitation for many years at the Faculty of Physics, Gottingen University. "In laser surgery, shockwaves and compressed gases in tiny bubbles are created intentionally in tissue, by laser pulses," adds Salditt. "In the future, such processes could be 'filmed' in detail, using the methodology which we have developed, at a microscopic level and at high temporal resolution."

###

Original publication: Vassholz et al, Pump-probe X-ray holographic imaging of laser-induced cavitation bubbles with femtosecond FEL pulses, Nature Communications 2021. DoI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23664-1. Text also available at: https:/ / www. nature. com/ articles/ s41467-021-23664-1

An animated explainer video on our website https:/ / www. uni-goettingen. de/ en/ 3240. html?id= 6287 shows how the experiment was carried out by researchers at the University of Gottingen, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchroton (DESY) and the European X-Ray Free-Electron Laser (European XFEL). An infra-red laser beam is tightly focused into a water-filled container, igniting a plasma spark; the subsequent shock wave and cavitation bubble are imaged by an X-ray flash. From this, the density inside the bubble and the surrounding shock wave is computed.

Contact:

Professor Tim Salditt

University of Gottingen

Institute for X-ray Physics

Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Gottingen

Tel: +49 (0)551 39-29918 / Secretary: +49 (0) 551 39 25556

Email: tsaldit@gwdg.de

http://www. roentgen. physik. uni-goettingen. de

Malte Vassholz

University of Gottingen

Institute for X-ray Physics

Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Gottingen, Germany

Tel: +49 (0)551 39-29428

mvassho@gwdg.de

Dr Robert Mettin

Third Institute of Physics - Biophysics

University of Gottingen

Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Gottingen, Germany

Tel: 49 (0)551 39-26933

Email: RMettin@gwdg.de

http://www. uni-goettingen. de/ de/ 501414. html

Contact:

Professor Tim Salditt

University of Gottingen

Institute for X-ray Physics

Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Gottingen

Tel: +49 (0)551 39-29918 / Secretary: +49 (0) 551 39 25556

Email: tsaldit@gwdg.de

http://www. roentgen. physik. uni-goettingen. de

Malte Vassholz

University of Gottingen

Institute for X-ray Physics

Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1, 37077 Gottingen, Germany

Tel: +49 (0)551 39-29428

mvassho@gwdg.de
The analysis of very old plant fossils discovered in South Africa and dating from the Lower Devonian period documents the transition from barren continents to the green planet we know today. Cyrille Prestianni, a palaeobotanist at the EDDy Lab at the University of Liege (Belgium), participated in this study, the results of which have just been published in the journal Scientific Reports.

The greening of continents - or terrestrialisation - is undoubtedly one of the most important processes that our planet has undergone. For most of the Earth's history, the continents were devoid of macroscopic life, but from the Ordovician period (480 million years ago) green algae gradually adapted to life outside the aquatic environment. The conquest of land by plants was a very long process during which plants gradually acquired the ability to stand upright, breathe in the air or disperse their spores. Plant fossils that document these key transitions are very rare. In 2015, during the expansion of the Mpofu Dam (South Africa), researchers discovered numerous plant fossils in geological strata dated to the Lower Devonian (420 - 410 million years ago), making this a truly exceptional discovery.

Cyrille Prestianni, a palaeobotanist at the EDDy Lab (Evolution and Diversity Dynamics Lab) at the University of Liege, explains: "The discovery quickly proved to be extraordinary, since we are in the presence of the oldest fossil flora in Africa and it is very diversified and of exceptional quality. It is thanks to a collaboration between the University of Liege, the IRSNB (Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences) and the New Albany Museum (South Africa) that this incredible discovery could be studied. The study, which has just been published in the journal Scientific Reports, describes this particularly diverse fossil flora with no less than fifteen species analysed, three of which are new to science. Dr. Prestianni adds :  This flora is also particularly interesting because of the quantity of complete specimens that have been discovered," says the researcher. These plants are small, with the largest specimens not exceeding 10 cm in height. They are simple plants, consisting of axes that divide two or three times and end in reproductive structures called sporangia. 

The fossil flora of Mpofu allows us today to imagine what the world might have been like when the largest plants were no taller than our ankle and almost no animals had yet been able to free themselves from the aquatic environment. It gives us a better understanding of how our Earth went from a red rock devoid of life to the green planet we know today. These plants, simple as they are, are a crucial step in the construction of the environments that hosted the first land animals, arthropods. They form the basis of the long history of life on Earth, which continues today from dense tropical forests to the arid tundra of the north.

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DURHAM, N.H.--Why did the deer cross the road? According to research from the University of New Hampshire to keep going and going and going. Researchers have discovered the longest distance ever recorded by an adult male white-tailed deer--300 kilometers, or close to 200 miles, in just over three weeks. The finding has important implications for population management and the transmission of disease, especially chronic wasting disease, a fatal neurological disease.

"Deer are one of the most abundant, well-known and intensely managed species of wildlife in the United States," said Remington Moll, assistant professor of wildlife ecology and lead author. "So, to make this discovery despite the fact that they are so well studied is pretty surprising."

In their study, published in the journal Ecology and Evolution, researchers analyzed data from GPS radio collars on more than 600 deer in Missouri. One dispersal, or long-distance journey, of an adult white-tailed deer stood out for its length, duration and age of the deer. The buck travelled close to 300 kilometers over 22 days by moving an average of 13.6 kilometers per day (almost eight and a half miles), crossing a major river seven times, an interstate highway, a railroad and eight state highways. To confirm the findings, the researchers surveyed the scientific literature for other dispersals of white-tailed deer. The deer, known as N17003, stood head and antlers above others; his walkabout was 174 kilometers longer than any other recorded for an adult male deer.

"This extraordinary movement just jumped out from the others we tracked," said Moll. "At first, we thought it was an error. It looks like someone took the GPS collar and drove across the state of Missouri."

The findings were remarkable not only for the deer's range--he roamed a distance equal to that between New York City and Baltimore--but also because unlike juvenile males, who move to seek breeding opportunities, adult males tend to stay put. Movements were faster and more directional than those in their home territory and were faster and more directional at night than during the day when the deer frequently sheltered in forest cover. The journey, which happened in November 2017, occurred during hunting season.

"We call this a rare event, but we haven't been putting collars out for that long, and not in these large numbers," said Moll. "It's entirely possible that it could be happening with greater frequency than we've known."

Nearly eight million Americans hunt deer which contributes more than $20 billion to the U.S. economy. The researchers say that understanding the distance deer travel and how they do it is important for managing the species and controlling chronic wasting disease, a fatal neurological disease spread by direct contact and the environment. Knowing that deer are crossing county or even state lines highlights a need for regional management coordination.

Funding for this study was provided by the Missouri Department of Conservation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of Montana.

Co-authors are Jon Roberts and Joshua Millspaugh, University of Montana; Kevyn Wiskirchen, Jason Sumners, Jason Isabelle and Barbara Keller, Missouri Department of Conservation; and Robert Montgomery, Michigan State University.

The >University of New Hampshire inspires innovation and transforms lives in our state, nation, and world. More than 16,000 students from all 50 states and 71 countries engage with an award-winning faculty in top-ranked programs in business, engineering, law, health and human services, liberal arts and the sciences across more than 200 programs of study. As one of the nation's highest-performing research universities, UNH partners with NASA, NOAA, NSF and NIH, and receives more than $110 million in competitive external funding every year to further explore and define the frontiers of land, sea and space.

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PHOTOS FOR DOWNLOAD

Image: http://unh. edu/ sites/ default/ files/ deer_distance_monroebuck_. jpg

Credit: Missouri Department of Conservation

Caption: Fleeting glimpse of an adult white-tailed deer, known as N17003, that traveled the longest distance ever recorded by a UNH researcher - over 200 miles in 22 days.
Drone footage shows that porpoises may be more social and cooperative than previously thought

When sailing along on the seas and you suddenly spot a porpoise's fin in the distance, chances are that you have only encountered a single animal. Porpoises are most often seen alone, but new research now suggests that they also roam in groups - and even enter into a sophisticated collaboration when hunting.

The way they collaborate surprises us, because the common perception among biologists is that porpoises roam and hunt alone, says Associate Professor Magnus Wahlberg, who is an expert in marine mammals and heads the Marine Biological Research Centre at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU).

Drone footage has revealed group hunting among porpoises coming together to hunt schools of fish.

The research team has recorded almost 44 hours of drone footage from the waters around Funen, corresponding to 159 hunting sequences. In 95 of these, between two and six adult porpoises participated. The researchers expected to see the porpoises hunting alone. And if it turned out that several porpoises were in fact hunting together, the researchers expected that it would be an unstructured hunt without no cooperation whatsoever between the individual animals.

Instead, a seemingly solitary animal has turned out to be more social than previously thought, says PhD student Sara Torres Ortiz, who was at SDU when the research was conducted but is now at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Germany. She researches animal cognition.

The footage also shows porpoises hunting alone. According to the researchers, solitary hunters are less successful at foraging food than the porpoises that hunt in groups.

In order to hunt in the observed way, the porpoises must be able to share information and coordinate their actions. They take on different roles during the hunt, and the drone footage has revealed six different roles:

The distant gatherer (far bordering) swims around the school of fish at a distance of at least three body lengths.

The close gatherer (close bordering) swims around the school of fish at a distance closer than three body lengths and with its body and head parallel to the school of fish.

The shepherd (herding fish) swims close to the school of fish and influences its direction.

The splitter (cross school) swims through the school

The spear (hunting attempt) swims directly into the school at high speed

Swimming away - swims away from the school.

Each porpoise can take on different roles during the hunt, and the result of the collaboration is that the school of fish eventually becomes so confused and exhausted that the individual hunters are able to capture the fish that stray away from the school.

There are several different types of group hunting in the animal kingdom. The form observed can be called a form of collaborative hunting, and it is more sophisticated than the form called cooperative hunting, explains Sara Torres Ortiz.

Animals such as chimpanzees and raves exhibit cooperative hunting abilities. During this form of hunting, several hunters gather without taking on different roles.

The collaborative hunt, in which the individual hunters take on different roles, is more rare - or, rather: It is not observed very often because it is inherently difficult to follow. The use of drones opens up new possibilities of following a herd of animals from above - like this porpoise study - and this may in the future contribute with new and improved knowledge about hunting animals.

Until now, collaborative hunting has been scientifically described in animals such as lions, fossas, wolves and jackals. Wolves and jackals divide the hunting pack into two teams, where one team lurks while the other team drives the prey forward. Among lions, the strategy is for the entire pack to approach the prey from different directions, after which some hunters lie down to hide while the rest of the group drives the prey towards them.

Sea-dwelling predators are extra difficult to observe, meaning researchers cannot say with certainty whether animals like killer whales and dolphins hunt cooperatively and/or collaboratively. However, several researchers have observed complex hunting behaviours in killer whales and dolphins. For example, killer whales have been seen making waves that push seals off ice floes.

What other surprises await?

The drone footage now raises new questions:

Does the hunting group consist of the same individuals every time, or is it randomly composed? How often do participants change roles? And do porpoises enter into other social relations with each other?

- Drones have truly changed the possibilities of studying marine animals, and it will be exciting to see if they can surprise us again, says Sara Torres Ortiz.

###

The study is published in the Canadian Journal of Zoology.

The work is supported by SDU's Lighthouse Initiative, the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences, the Royal Physiographic Society in Lund and the Lars Hierta Memorial Foundation.
Vietnam confirms 55 more Covid-19 patients, Tuesday counts rise to 175

Vietnam confirmed 55 more Covid-19 infections as of Tuesday evening, raising the daily counts to 175 and the total number of patients in the country to 9,158 the Ministry of Health has reported.





According to the ministry's report, 75 of the newly-confirmed patients are locally-transmitted cases most of whom were detected in quarantine sites or areas under lockdown in some localities including 21 in Bac Giang, 14 in Ho Chi Minh City, 15 in Bac Ninh, one in Ha Tinh, and two in Hanoi.

The 21 cases in Bac Giang were recorded at some industrial parks of Van Trung, Dinh Tram, Song Khe-Noi Hoang, and Quang Chau which have reported a large outbreak over the last few weeks.





As of Tuesday evening, 6,003 locally-transmitted cases have been reported since the new outbreak occurred in the country on April 27, including 3,309 in the virus epicentre of Bac Giang. The outbreak has so far spread to 39 cities and provinces nationwide.

Two imported patients are both Vietnamese people who recently returned from abroad. They were sent to a quarantine area in An Giang Province upon arrival and are now being treated at a local hospital.





With these new infection cases, the number of Covid-19 patients in Vietnam has increased to 9,158 including 7,573 locally-transmitted cases.



As of 6 pm on June 8, a total of 3,549 Covid-19 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospital.



So far there have been 55 deaths, most of them being the elderly with serious underlying diseases.



At present, over 176,000 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 June 7, an additional 87,016 people were given Covid-19 vaccine in Vietnam, raising the total number of vaccine doses used in the country to 1,340,098. The number of people who have received two doses has risen to 38,166.
Like most Americans, I am eager for the pandemic to be over and for life to return to normal. For this to happen, we as a society must achieve herd immunity, said Robert Scott, associate director for aerosciences at Langley on why the agency invited Offit. Our future is tied to our ability to convince our fellow citizens that this particular vaccine is safe and necessary.
Scientists have observed for the first time what it looks like in the key memory region of the brain when a mistake is made during a memory trial. The findings have implications for Alzheimer's disease research and advancements in memory storage and enhancement, with a discovery that also provides a view into differences between the physiological events in the brain during a correct memory versus a faulty one.

The study was published today in the journal Nature Communications.

In both correct and incorrect recall of a spatial memory, researchers could observe patterns of cell activation in the brain that were similar, though the pace of activation differed.

"We could see the memories activating," said Laura Colgin, an associate professor of neuroscience at The University of Texas at Austin and lead author of the paper. "It's like dominoes falling. One cell activates and then the next fires."

Colgin and her team used electrophysiological recordings of rats in and out of mazes to study signals in the brain as the rats attempted to remember where a food reward was located and find it.

When rats remembered where the food reward was and located it, a specific pattern of brain cells activated with similar timing. These cells, called place cells, are associated with memories involving spatial relationships and locations and are found in the hippocampus, a section of the brain where animals including humans store most of their memories. It is also a region of the brain that experiences degeneration in patients with Alzheimer's and related memory disorders.

"If we understand what happens when a memory is not properly retrieved, it may give us insights into what is happening with memory disorders like Alzheimer's," Colgin said.

What the researchers saw in rats when they got the location wrong surprised them. They expected to see cells fire in a jumble. What they saw was the same pattern observed when rats were correct in finding the location, but the timing of the cell activation was different.

"The activation started later and it was slower, but the same pattern fired," Colgin said. "There may be less energy in the network to drive the cells, and that may be why memory was not connected with action."

The study also found that on trials when rats remembered the correct location, they were accessing the memory of the location while they were resting between tests, causing the pattern of cells to activate as they waited, the way a person might practice a speech before giving it.

On trials when rats made mistakes, they did not activate the memory of the location before they entered the maze.

One of the lab's long-term goals is to contribute to understanding memory formation and retrieval enough that one day, lost memories could be accessed even by people with memory disorders with the help of brain-computer interface technology.

"If we can understand how these large ensembles of neurons that represent memories are formed and what's happening when these memories are being properly retrieved, someday we may be able to decipher and store memories," Colgin said.

Colgin and her team plan to continue the research and hope to be able to decode memory formation and activation in real time in rats.

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Chenguang Zheng (now a faculty member at Tianjin University in China), Ernie Hwaun (now a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University) and Carlos A. Loza at UT Austin also contributed to the research. Support for Colgin's research came from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
Medics training to become general practitioners reported a significant positive improvement in their mental wellbeing after participating in a specially-designed mindfulness programme, a study from University of Warwick researchers shows

Medics training to be GPs reported positive improvement in burnout and resilience after completing a mindfulness course specially designed for doctors

The participants in the study by Warwick Medical School also saw improvements in their wellbeing and stress

By improving the mental wellbeing of trainees the researchers hope to better prepare them for the challenges of general practice and the impact of Covid-19 on the profession

Supports the wider adoption of mindfulness in medical training and the need for larger studies

Medics training to become general practitioners reported a significant positive improvement in their mental wellbeing after participating in a specially-designed mindfulness programme, a study from University of Warwick researchers shows.

The results show that incorporating mindfulness into training for GPs could help them cope better with the pressures of the profession and the challenges of practicing medicine during the pandemic.

The conclusions are drawn from a new study in the BMC Medical Education by a team from Warwick Medical School and funded by Health Education England focusing on a sample of 17 GP trainees working in Coventry and Warwickshire.

Mindfulness is defined as a capacity for enhanced and sustained moment-to-moment awareness of one's own mental and emotional state and being, in the context of one's own immediate environment. For their study, the researchers used the Mindful Practice Curriculum, an intervention designed for doctors in that it is structured and addresses issues that are specific to their profession. It has been widely tested in the United States but the researchers are currently evaluating its effectiveness in the UK.

For this study, 17 GP trainees took part in weekly 1.5-hour group sessions over a six-week period led a fully trained Mindful Practice tutor. Prior to starting, they completed questionnaires based on validated measures for wellbeing, burnout, stress, mindfulness and resilience. They then completed the same questionnaires after they finished the programme and their scores on both were compared.

Analysing the results, the researchers found significant change for the better in participants scores for all five categories. There were significant reductions in emotional exhaustion (24.2%) and disengagement (17.7%), measures of burnout, and stress (23.3%) reported amongst the trainees, and similarly improvements in resilience (15.8%) and wellbeing (22%). In addition, 16 trainees (94%) scored above the threshold for emotional exhaustion pre-course, but only 9 (53%) afterwards.

Lead author Dr Manuel Villarreal, Honorary Clinical Research Fellow at Warwick Medical School and a practicing GP, said: "As a medic, these are important qualities when engaging in consultations and making decisions. Strengthening all those qualities will help them to be better clinicians, engage better with patients, and it will benefit them at a personal level. The key thing is how you incorporate this type of programme into their training, how we put this in place so that GP trainees acquire these skills.

"It will also allow them to better navigate the challenges of Covid. The pandemic has entailed doing lots of telephone consultations and GP trainees are now having to make different decisions in new scenarios. That comes with additional stress."

Co-author Dr Petra Hanson, PhD student at the University of Warwick and Clinical Research Fellow at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, said: "This was such a positive and encouraging improvement, even in a small study, that this will hopefully lead to bigger and longer studies. This kind of intervention is feasible and is practical. We have shown that it can work as part of postgraduate training and it should now be tested in other areas."

A previous study by the team showed that GP trainees experienced similar levels of burnout to experienced GPs, but that the majority were willing to use mindfulness as a method to reduce its impact.

Co-author Professor Jeremy Dale, Professor of Primary Care at Warwick Medical School said: "General practitioners at all stages of their career experience considerable stress, often leading to exhaustion and burnout, early retirement and career change. Training to become a GP must not only include focusing on the clinical knowledge and skills needed to care for patients effectively, but also needs to support development of the personal skills needed to cope with being a GP. This is essential to ensuring the sustainability of the profession. As this study shows, mindfulness training offers a readily applicable approach, which it is feasible to deliver as part of GP vocational training. Preventing or relieving emotional exhaustion, stress and burnout is unarguably good for GP trainees. Trainees' wellbeing will almost certainly have an impact on their patients, colleagues and the wider NHS, and so should be a priority in vocational training."

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Notes to editors:

For interviews or a copy of the paper contact:

Peter Thorley

Media Relations Manager (Warwick Medical School and Department of Physics) | Press & Media Relations | University of Warwick

Email: peter.thorley@warwick.ac.uk

Mob: +44 (0) 7824 540863
The work, which will be published by Princeton University Press on June 1, 2021, describes how a handful of companies have made the greatest gains brought about by technological advances and proposes solutions to revive the economy

In an era of technological progress and facilities for communication, it would be reasonable to assume that working people around the world have never had it so good nor enjoyed such good conditions as today's. But, the reality is that wages are frozen and prices are rising, resulting in everything being dearer, from a bottle of beer to a hip replacement.

The economist, Jan Eeckhout, ICREA research professor at the UPF Department of Economics and Business, shows in The Profit Paradox. How Thriving Forms Threaten the Future of Work how this situation is caused by a small number of companies that exploit an unbridled increase in market power: the ability to set higher prices than could be permitted in a competitive market that functioned properly.

Jan Eeckhout shows how market power has stifled the work environment, and how without better mechanisms to ensure competition, this situation could lead to disastrous market corrections and political upheaval.

In the book, to be published by Princeton University Press on 1 June, Jan Eeckhout, based on his own innovative research and telling the stories of workers around the world, shows how market power has stifled the work environment, and how without better mechanisms to ensure competition, this situation could lead to disastrous market corrections and political upheaval.

Jan Eeckhout presents his book on Wednesday June 2 at 7.00 pm in the Auditorium at UPF Ciutadella Campus. There will be a conversation between Andreu Mas-Colell (UPF) and Mar Reguant (Northwestern) followed by the presentation of the book. The presentation will be streamed on the University's website.

Huge consequences and proposed solutions

The Profit Paradox describes how over the past forty years, a handful of companies have obtained the greatest gains brought about by advances in technology, obtaining huge profits and creating drastically unequal outcomes for workers.

"Instead of transmitting the advantages of the best technologies to consumers, these 'superstar' companies take advantage of new technologies to achieve even higher profit margins", Jan Eeckhout affirms.

According to the ICREA-UPF research professor in his work, "the consequences are already huge, from unnecessarily high prices for almost everything, to the existence of fewer emerging companies to compete, through increased inequality and frozen wages for most workers and highly limited social mobility".

Besides presenting the causes and consequences of increased market power, the work combines an in-depth economic vision with examples from everyday life: it reflects on monopolies and competition, links macroeconomic trends with the lives of workers and consumers, and also offers concrete solutions on how to solve this serious problem, to restore and revive the economy.

An expert on the relationship between market power and macroeconomics

Jan Eeckhout holds a PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics (1998). He was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania for nine years and in 2008 he returned to Barcelona as an ICREA research professor at the UPF Department of Economics and Business. He was also a professor at University College London and a visiting lecturer at the universities of New York, Princeton (Louis A. Simpson Visiting Professor) and at the MIT.

Throughout his career he has received three grants from the European Research Council (ERC), the latest one for "Market Power and Secular Macroeconomic Trends". In this project, which runs until 2025, he analyses the relationship between market power and macroeconomic trends, the backbone for the book he is now presenting.

His work has been widely disseminated in the media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist and The Financial Times.

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Dr. Katalin Kariko receives the 2022 Vilcek Prize for Excellence in Biotechnology for her scientific contributions that led to the development of mRNA vaccines for COVID-19

NEW YORK, June 8, 2021--Dr. Katalin Kariko is the recipient of the 2022 Vilcek Prize for Excellence in Biotechnology recognizing her research work that directly led to the development of the mRNA vaccines to combat COVID-19.

The Vilcek Prize for Excellence is awarded to immigrants to the United States who have had a significant impact on both American society and world culture, and to individuals who are dedicated champions of immigrant causes. The award was introduced in 2019 as part of the Vilcek Foundation Prizes program to honor outstanding individuals whose work exemplifies the Vilcek Foundation's mission.

Born in Szolnok, Hungary, Kariko moved to the United States in 1985 to pursue postdoctoral studies at Temple University in Philadelphia. She is the senior vice president at BioNTech RNA Pharmaceuticals and an adjunct associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania.

"Dr. Kariko's pioneering work is responsible for the development of novel vaccines against COVID-19," says Vilcek Foundation Cofounder, Chairman and CEO Jan Vilcek. "This formidable accomplishment, based on four decades of her research on the therapeutic use of messenger RNA, promises to stop the worldwide spread of COVID-19 and save millions of lives."

In the mid-2000s, working with immunologist Drew Weissman, Kariko demonstrated that modifying nucleosides--the building blocks of messenger RNA (mRNA)--renders mRNA safe for use in vaccination against infectious agents. At the time, researchers were pessimistic about the prospect of mRNA vaccines; synthetic mRNA that has not been modified is inherently fragile, and can trigger a serious inflammatory response when introduced to the human immune system. In groundbreaking studies, Kariko showed that using the pseudouridine instead of uridine to create synthetic mRNA not only averts adverse immune reactions but also boosts the molecule's stability and protein yield.

Kariko's breakthrough on the stabilizing effect of modifying nucleosides in mRNA enabled scientists to develop mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, most notably those developed by Pfizer and Moderna. The vaccines have shown more than 94% efficacy in preventing symptomatic disease in clinical trials and are now being deployed across the United States to turn the tide on the pandemic.

"The Vilcek Prize for Excellence was conceived to honor individuals whose contributions benefit society on a broad level," says Marica Vilcek, Vilcek Foundation Cofounder, Vice Chairman and Secretary. "Dr. Kariko's work has obviously had a tremendous impact on science and medicine--but the development of mRNA vaccines based on her research also has a profound humanitarian significance. In enabling people and communities to return to normal activities and to connect with one another in person, her work has had a direct positive impact on global society."

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The Vilcek Prize for Excellence is awarded as part of the Vilcek Foundation Prizes program. Recipients of the prize receive a cash award of $100,000 and a commemorative diploma. In recognition of the profound impact of Kariko's work at the current moment, the Vilcek Foundation made the decision to announce the 2022 Vilcek Prize for Excellence in advance of the rest of the 2022 Vilcek Foundation Prizes. The recipients of the 2022 Vilcek Foundation Prizes in Biomedical Science and Dance will be announced on September 7, 2021.

Read more at the Vilcek Foundation website: Dr. Katalin Kariko receives 2022 Vilcek Prize for Excellence for pioneering vaccine research

The Vilcek Foundation

The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and fosters appreciation for the arts and sciences. The foundation was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia. The mission of the foundation was inspired by the couple's respective careers in biomedical science and art history. Since 2000, the foundation has awarded over $5.9 million in prizes to foreign-born individuals and has supported organizations with over $5.3 million in grants.

The Vilcek Foundation is a private operating foundation, a federally tax-exempt nonprofit organization under IRS Section 501(c)(3).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, food systems faced disruptions from staff shortages and supply chain issues. Now, a Virginia Tech researcher is assisting with efforts to help plants themselves from facing their own pandemic.

Just like human diseases, plant diseases don't have arbitrary boundaries. These diseases don't stop at a border crossing or a port of entry. That's why plant disease surveillance, improved plant disease detection systems, and predictive plant disease modeling - integrated at the global scale - are necessary to mitigate future plant disease outbreaks and protect the global food supply, according to a team of researchers in a new commentary published in "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."

"The manuscript offers a unique and timely perspective on plant diseases, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic," said David Schmale, a co-author on the paper and a professor in the Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. "What would happen if the world lost a staple crop, such as wheat, to a plant disease pandemic? The manuscript considers current tools and capabilities in the context of climate change and growing human populations. There is a clear opportunity to bring researchers together that work on the epidemiology of human diseases and plant diseases."

Schmale was a part of a team of experts, led by North Carolina State University, that met in Raleigh, North Carolina, a few years ago to discuss plant diseases and their impacts on food security. This manuscript is the result of that meeting, and many of the experts that were there in Raleigh are co-authors on the paper.

The idea is to "detect these plant disease outbreak sources early and stop the spread before it becomes a pandemic," said Jean Ristaino, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Plant Pathology at North Carolina State University and the paper's lead author. Once an epidemic occurs, it is difficult to control, Ristaino said, likening the effort to the one undertaken to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Ristaino said that the efforts from a wide range of scholars - so-called convergence science - are needed to prevent plant disease pandemics. That means economists, engineers, crop scientists, crop disease specialists, geneticists, geographers, data analysts, statisticians, and others working together to protect crops, the farmers growing crops, and the people fed by those crops.

While some diseases are already under some sort of global surveillance - such as wheat rust and late blight, an important pathogen that affects potatoes and caused the Irish Potato Famine - other crop diseases are not routinely monitored.

A new strain of the fungal pathogen that causes wheat rust turned up in 1999 (Ug99) and has moved quickly throughout Africa, recently flying over the Red Sea into Yemen.

Globalization of food trade is another factor for the jump of plant pathogens and further risks a food supply already strained by a growing world population and human diseases.

Research is underway to model the risk of plant-pathogen spread and help predict and then prevent outbreaks, the researchers report in the paper. Modeling and forecasting disease spread can help mobilize mitigation strategies more precisely to stop these plant pandemics.

"Our work extends the concept of One Health to plant disease pandemics and the threat they pose to global food security," Schmale said. "People, domestic animals, and plants are all tightly connected through each other and the environments that they share. These connections are changing, and we must address the threat of high-risk plant pathogens to staple food crops to safeguard global food security."

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Tuesday, June 8, 2021

On Fox and Friends with Lawrence Jones, Dr. Carol Swain analyzed the meaning and impact of the psychologist who divulged her fantasy of murdering white people. Dr. Swain said that the psychologist, Dr. Aruna Khilanani, acted dangerously. Dr. Swain assessed that Khilanani had planted justification for murder and violence against white people in the minds of the mentally ill.

She should not be practicing medicine. What she says matters. There are lunatics that may be listening to her speech right now that will go out and act on her fantasies. She has planted that in someones mind, said Dr. Swain. [Shes p]lanting [murder] in their minds. Shes a psychiatrist. She knows what shes doing.

On April 6, Khilanani said in a lecture at Yale School of Medicines Children Study Center that shes had dreams of murdering white people. Khilanani describes herself as a forensic psychiatrist and psychoanalyst with expertise in violence and racism, who left academic institutions due to racism.

I had fantasies of unloading a revolver into the head of any white person that got in my way, burying their body, and wiping my bloody hands as I walked away relatively guiltless with a bounce in my step. Like I did the world a f****** favor, said Khilanani. White people are out of their minds and they have been for a long time.

The public lecture, The Psychopathic Problem of the White Mind, was published internally by Yale University. Dr. Swain observed that this was just one recent example of how higher education has encouraged racist speech from minorities over the years.

There is a dangerous double standard that allows racial and ethnic minorities to engage in hate speech without any consequences. And this has been going on for years, said Dr. Swain. And what Ive always noticed is that universities seem to reward the ones who make the most outrageous, the most hate-filled statements. Its been the case ever since Ive been in academia. White people seem to be entertained by minorities, by this. And I mean, not all white people, but the ones on university campuses that make the big decisions.

Dr. Swain added that her state board of health and all professional boards should hold her accountable.

In response, Jones shared that they hadnt received a statement from Khilananis state board of health. However, Fox News did receive a statement from Yale School of Medicine.

To emphasize that the ideas expressed by the speaker conflict with the core values of Yale School of Medicine, we added the disclaimer: This video contains profanity and imagery of violence [], wrote the university. Yale School of Medicine expects the members of our community to speak respectfully to one another and [] does not condone imagery of violence racism against any group.

According to Dr. Swain, that response alone shouldve dealt a death blow to Khilalanis career because it demonstrated that shes unfit to practice medicine. Dr. Swain compared Khilalanis approach to medicine to the reality that some Harvard University-educated doctors are treating patients based on race.

[W]e also should be concerned that even Harvard University-educated physicians are talking about using racial preferences in the treatment of patients suffering from heart attacks, said Dr. Swain. Theyre going to give preferences on the basis of race. This is ridiculous, its unprofessional, its un-American, its probably illegal  if not, it should be.

Khilananis other remarks in her speech included a condemnation of white people as demented, violent predator(s) incapable of discussing race properly.

We keep forgetting that directly talking about race is a waste of breath. We are asking a demented, violent predator who thinks that they are a saint or a superhero to accept responsibility, said Khilanani. It aint gonna happen. They have five holes in their brain.

Khilanani has defended her speech adamantly, and asked Yale University to publish her speech to the public. In a tweet, Khilanani laughed at the condemnation against her for wanting to murder white people.

Lol[.] Looks like everyone is a [sic] in a tizzy ! About fantasies[,] dreams. But not actions, wrote Khilanani.

Watch the full remarks from Dr. Swain here:

[embedded content]
The new president and CEO of Visit San Antonio aims to attract visitors from Europe, China and other international destinations as part of his efforts to rebuild tourism in the city.

Of course Marc Anderson, who took over the top spot at the public-private tourism marketing organization on May 24, is thinking about the future, when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted and visitors can roam the U.S. again.

Anderson, 50, spent his entire life in Chicago up until moving to San Antonio several weeks ago, but said he plans on becoming San Antonios biggest booster.

The former chief operating officer of Visit Chicago is starting his position at a time tourists are coming back and hotels are starting to sell out their rooms again on weekends. But San Antonio hotels  particularly those downtown  are still half empty during the week because business travel, conventions and meetings are still just a fraction of what they were pre-pandemic.

Visit San Antonio /

Visit San Antonios own consultant does not see a full recovery until 2023 for the local tourism industry.

On ExpressNews.com: Visit San Antonio has new leader

Anderson replaces Casandra Matej, who was the top executive at Visit San Antonio for nine years. She left to become president and CEO of Visit Orlando in February.

Anderson is taking the reins of an organization whose city funding was cut by $9.9 million in the budget year that ends Sept 30. Visit San Antonio also has lost about half of its formerly 80-person staff due to layoffs under its reduced $15.1 million budget.

Anderson spoke with the Express-News this week to discuss his plans to promote San Antonio to travelers and convention planners. The following interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Q: Why are you excited about marketing San Antonio?

A: There are very few United States cities that offer the level of authenticity and storytelling that a city like San Antonio can offer. The focus has been on the visitors who drive from the rest of Texas. But we need to expand, especially to the European and Chinese audience. Their lifetime goal is to travel to the United States. Eventually, in the long run, youre going to be focusing on the Chinese travelers that can come to San Antonio. They are going to stay longer and theyre going to spend more money than domestic counterparts. And when they are coming to the United States, they want to experience an authentic, real United States city. San Antonio has all those stories.

Q: Marc, youve talked about these authentic stories that San Antonio has to offer, could you elaborate?

A: One of those authentic stories is the Alamo and the reimagination of the Alamo. I was listening to this podcast Beyond the River Walk and they were telling a story about the live white horse which was sacrificed as a peace offering (in the mid-1700s) to end the conflict between the Indians and Spaniards. It was buried somewhere around the Alamo. I think those kinds of stories that celebrate the history of our city are new and can be reinvigorated. I think theres a chance to tell these stories and bring in visitors from St. Louis, Chicago, Indiana, L.A. and Denver.

Q: I understand youre planning to relaunch a massive marketing campaign called Si San Antonio in the next few days. Do you feel this is a good time to do so?

A: Now is the time to get out into that audience again of people who havent traveled to San Antonio or havent been here in the last 15 months. Were also running promotions on Expedia, which is the main online travel agency, primarily for that local audience. We will also have an app with 150 promotions. We want to create some more demand for our hotels, our restaurants and our attractions.

Q: Fiesta is coming up later this month, the first time the event is being held in more than two years. How do you plan on promoting that?

A: I think that Texans know about Fiesta but do people outside that audience really know about Fiesta, the celebration of our culture and our heritage? They can come to our city for a long weekend or even a week to enjoy a great festival of celebration highlighting San Antonio history and heritage. I think there is an opportunity here, this is an example of one of the things we are doing this year. We are bringing in 20 CEOs of various associations, some that are visiting San Antonio for the first time, so they can take their experience back to meeting professionals to drive new business to the city. They are going to experience the first Fiesta since 2019 firsthand. Fiesta is a very special local experience, but it could also be shared by people all throughout the United States and the world as well.

Q: I know you want to attract more international visitors, but our airport currently only has flights to one international destination, Mexico. Do you feel it is important that the airport offer more flights to more destinations?

A: The key to the future success of our city is the airport. I have not had a chance to meet with Jesus (San Antonio Aviation Director Jesus Saenz Jr.) but were going to be strategizing much more in the future with airport officials on how we bring in not only more domestic carriers but international as well.

randy.diamond@express-news.net
Fiesta is an 11-day whirlwind of parties, carnivals, parades, concerts, drinking and eating  and it can be a bit overwhelming for rookies and first-timers.

But theres no need to worry. Here are a few tips for navigating the celebration so youll fit right in.
Like many San Antonians, Rhonda Minten has looked forward to Fiesta each year since she was a child.

Minten, 69, has fond memories of going to the Battle of Flowers Parade with her grandmother and sister when she was growing up, and then sharing that tradition with her daughter. She also remembers thinking Fiestas took place all over the country: I was surprised that it wasnt a national event. I thought it was. It was just so big.

So she was startled recently when it hit her that April had come and gone  the second in a row with no springtime Fiesta because of the pandemic  and the citywide celebration hadnt even crossed her mind.

It was weird, said Minten, who teaches American history at the University of Texas at San Antonio. I didnt even think about it, and it broke my heart. How could I have forgotten about it?

Minten and the rest of the citys Fiesta fanatics can make up for lost partying when the citywide event returns June 17. Itll run for the standard 10 days, but the calendar is slimmer than usual  roughly 40 events are slated, down from about 115.

The Battle of Flowers and Fiesta Flambeau parades are sitting this one out, as is the Fiesta Arts Fair at the Southwest School of Art, among other marquee events. And some long-standing Fiesta attractions that are going ahead, such as A Night in Old San Antonio, will have a different feel because of safety measures.

On top of all that, this years Fiesta is taking on new meaning, coming after more than a year of illness and isolation for so many San Antonians.

On ExpressNews.com: Street closures OKd for Fiesta

All the changes are OK with Fiesta fans, as is the shift from spring to summer, especially since that means not having to wait another 10 months to munch on chicken-on-a-stick, deck themselves in medals and indulge in all the other traditions that make Fiesta special.

If Christmas in July can be an unofficial holiday, why not Fiesta in June? said Michael Quintanilla, 69, a retired Express-News fashion writer and man about town who will be leading the Fiesta Fiesta People Parade, the kickoff event in Hemisfair. The pandemic shut down the party, but were ready to bring it back on. If theres any time to be blissful, its now, when were slowly, and hopefully wisely, easing away from COVIDs grip and now we can let out a grito.

The seeds for Fiesta were sown way back in 1891 with the very first Battle of Flowers Parade, launched as a tribute to those who fought in the Texas Revolution battles at the Alamo and San Jacinto. The parade also was the very first Fiesta event to be rescheduled: It was slated for April 21 but was moved to April 24 because of inclement weather, according to a timeline of the events history posted on the Battle of Flowers website.

That first parade, in which participants tossed flowers at one another, became an annual affair, and soon, other events were added around it.

Minten urges her students to check out Fiesta events because its such a meaningful part of life in San Antonio. She also suggests they research whatever they decide to attend.

Witte Musseum

Dont go and drink the margaritas  find out why youre drinking the margaritas. Find out what all this is about, and why the Battle of Flowers is significant, she said. First off, the idea of having a battle with flowers is peace. That, to me, is extremely significant. And theres the evolution of it, where it was kind of the upper crust involved and then, eventually, more and more of the community got involved.

Its not just history thats far back. Its history now, continuing history.

Over time, Fiesta has grown into something more than a commemoration of 19th-century battles, said Amy Fulkerson, chief curator of the Witte Museum.

Fiesta as we celebrate it today has taken on layers of meaning, said Fulkerson, 48, who grew up volunteering for Fiesta events. It doesnt mean that the original meanings have gone away, but as San Antonio has grown and evolved as a city and over the generations, new meanings have been layered in with the older meanings.

The Witte is contributing to the festivities with two exhibits. Fiesta Couture: Behind the Seams features Paris-themed ensembles from the Order of the Alamo court. The coronation was a much smaller ceremony than usual, Fulkerson said, so even fewer people than usual have had a chance to see the elaborate attire. The other exhibit, Te Amo Fiesta, digs into the history and meaning of Fiesta.

The 2021 edition is distinctive since its the citys first big celebration in more than a year because of the pandemic.

I think everybody is starting to feel more comfortable about going to events, and I think thats really wonderful, Fulkerson said. I think some of the anxiety that we were feeling is starting to lighten up, and so thats a really positive thing.

On ExpressNews.com: Smaller Fiesta is still a reason to celebrate

She noted that Fiesta is community-driven, with events produced by nonprofits as fundraisers for the work they do. Thats why its been dubbed a party with a purpose.

Among the nonprofits that take part every year is the San Antonio Conservation Society, which pulls together NIOSA.

I love NIOSA the most because I know what we do is a benefit to other people, said Terry Schoenert, 69, who is chairwoman of the conservation society and has been involved with NIOSA since 1983. Its not just a party. It has a reason for what we do.

Not having the event last year meant that the society had to tighten its belt, she said.

We didnt spend as much, but we were still able to help the community, she said. Its allowed us to visualize ourselves doing things differently. We can do virtual meetings, and we can do things in a different way and still be effective.

Schoenert is glad NIOSA will go forward, even if it will take a different shape. The famously crowded footprint has been opened up to allow for social distancing, and there will be a limit to the number of people allowed in at a time. There will be no walk-ups  everybody will have to pony up the $20 admission fee in advance at niosa.org, and paper food and beverage tickets have been replaced by a Blastpass, which also can be purchased in advance in increments of $25, $50 and $100.

Express-News file photo

There have been some headaches behind the scenes. Its been hard to find people to work, since some still have safety concerns, Schoenert said.

Shes confident, though, that it will all come together and people will turn out: I think on the whole, San Antonios ready to party.

The needs of the participating nonprofits was a big motivation behind Fiesta organizers drive to find a way to put the event on in some form this year, said Steve Rosenauer, 52, executive director. But there was more to it than that.

From a financial standpoint, its important, Rosenauer said. But also, I think, from an emotional standpoint. Since 2020, people have been through a lot of heartache, a lot of hardship. This gives San Antonio a reason to celebrate and to start moving back to normalcy.

Fiesta may be rooted in the past, but its also about making new memories and maybe creating new traditions, said Quintanilla, who grew up going to Fiesta with his mom and sisters.

This year will give us a chance to dig into something new because there are fewer events, he said. And we can make new traditions, which Im sure are going to revolve around the heat, because June isnt springtime, honey, and Im thinking were going to hear stories about, Remember how hot it was when Fiesta happened in June?

He recommended people dress appropriately for the weather, in brightly colored shorts and sleeveless tops, wide-brimmed hats adorned with flowers and, of course, chanclas.

And, he said, its not too early to start thinking about next year, when, hopefully, Fiesta will come roaring back with a packed calendar.

Its really going to open up, he said. Come on, kids  2022, its going to be full-frontal Fiesta!

dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN
SOLWAY, Minn. (AP)  Hundreds of protesters vowing to do whatever it takes to stop a Canadian-based company's push to replace an aging pipeline blocked a pump station Monday in northern Minnesota, with some people chaining themselves to construction equipment before police began making arrests.

Environmental and tribal groups say Enbridge Energy's plan to rebuild Line 3, which would carry Canadian tar sands oil and regular crude from Alberta to Wisconsin, would worsen climate change and risk spills in sensitive areas where Native Americans harvest wild rice, hunt, fish, gather medicinal plants, and claim treaty rights.

By evening, at least 30 people were arrested by state police and sheriff's officers, but the number "is growing rapidly, Ashley Fairbanks, a spokeswoman for Treaty People Gathering, told The Associated Press.

None of them appeared to resist as allies chanted We love you. Protesters said the Treaty People Gathering was the largest show of resistance yet to the project.

The crowd showed no signs of leaving hours after an earlier protest at the headwaters of the Mississippi River, roughly 20 minutes away, where they chanted Stop Line 3! and Water is life!

This is important. This is what we need, actress Jane Fonda told the AP at the rally, motioning toward the crowd as she held signs with President Joe Bidens image that said, Which side are you on?

She urged protesters to keep pressuring Biden to halt construction so his administration can study any harm to the environment and indigenous people. The Mississippi River is one of the water crossings for the pipeline.

Fonda said Line 3 protesters are going to Standing Rock this place, referring to the Dakota Access pipeline, which is owned by a different company and was the subject of major protests near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in the Dakotas in 2016 and 2017.

Activists said they were pitching tents at the pump station site Monday night, and an AP reporter saw people rolling a large wooden spool that holds wire into a pile of trees and twigs. Police were directing traffic.

Elizabeth Claggett-Borne, 55, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, sat in a beach chair perched in front of a boat blocking the entrance to the work site. She was equipped with a homemade device made of rebar, PVC pipe and handcuffs, in order to make it more difficult for authorities to remove her from the site.

Were just foot soldiers, she said. But were here to stay.

Minnesota Public Radio News reported that a Border Patrol helicopter at one point hovered about 20 feet (6 meters) off the ground, blowing up sand and dirt, to try to get protesters to leave.

Enbridge said that 44 workers were evacuated from the site in an effort to de-escalate the situation. In a written statement, the company said it hoped all parties would come to accept the outcome of the thorough, science-based review and multiple approvals of the project.

Spokeswoman Juli Kellner said the company will assess potential damage once it can safely reenter the site.

Enbridge says the 1960s-era Line 3 pipeline is deteriorating and can run at only about half its original capacity. It says the new line, made from stronger steel, will better protect the environment while restoring its capacity and ensuring reliable deliveries to U.S. refineries.

More than 300 groups delivered a letter to Biden last month calling on him to direct the Army Corps of Engineers to suspend or revoke Enbridges federal clean water permit for the project. They urged Biden to follow the example he set on the first day of his administration, when he canceled the disputed Keystone XL pipeline, citing worries about climate change.

Biden has not taken a stand on Line 3, and Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is letting the legal process play out.

Biden's administration has declined to shut down the Dakota Access pipeline. In Michigan, Enbridge is defying an order by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to shut down its Line 5 because of the potential for a spill in a channel linking two Great Lakes.

Enbridge is gearing up for a final construction push on Line 3, which clips a corner of North Dakota on its way across northern Minnesota to Enbridges terminal in Superior, Wisconsin. The Canadian and Wisconsin replacement segments are already carrying oil. The Minnesota segment is about 60% complete. The company has said it plans to put the line into service late this year.

Enbridge, which updated the projected total cost for Line 3 in February to $7.3 billion (U.S.), has been touting the economic benefits, including about 4,000 jobs as full-scale work resumes.

Both sides are awaiting a ruling from the Minnesota Court of Appeals on a legal challenge by environmental and tribal groups that want to overturn state regulators approval of the project. The court is expected to rule by June 21 on whether Enbridge adequately proved a long-term need.

The independent Public Utilities Commission approved the project, but the state Department of Commerce, two tribes and other opponents argue that the companys demand projections failed to meet the legal requirements. Enbridge and the PUC say the projections complied.

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Associated Press writer Tammy Webber in Fenton, Michigan, contributed to this story.
Directors Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K. speak about their latest hit and reveal the influential roles their respective wives play in their film making process

The juggernaut of the Telugu boys Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K. continues as they taste success in the second season of The Family Man. Were extremely pleased with the kind of appreciation weve been getting; such admiration only gives us the impetus to push the envelope of filmmaking even more, says Raj.

Interestingly, their recent Telugu release, Cinema Bandi, directed by Praveen Kandregula, became Netflix Indias most popular movie. Were very proud of how weve been working. Despite Cinema Bandi being a budget film, our passion for cinema remained the same regarding the creative aspects, shares Krishna.

Initial days of struggle

What do these back-to-back successes mean to them? As per Raj, it proves that independent cinema is pure and unspoilt by commercialism and masala fare and is getting a lot of love. Krishna says the success the duo has been tasting reminds him of their struggling days.

We started our careers as independent filmmakers, and life has come full circle, adds Krishna. Despite their successes today, life was not rosy for the duo. The filmmakers reveal they faced enough criticism while making some of their films, with some questioning their faith too.

Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K.

We took risks and it worked because if it hadnt worked then people wouldve judged. When we made big films, theyd ask why we arent getting into small movies. We cant live in the fear of failure. We believe if you dont try something new, you will never grow or explore new frontiers, and that has been our learning curve, says Raj.

Krishna adds to Rajs thoughts. At times, the return on investment (ROI) on our films were challenging. But we stuck to our brand of filmmaking and now were seeing some success. So what we have learnt is that we cannot give up on our first failures, he adds. We always want to curate unique content and while theres a risk that people may not like it initially, thats the only way to explore.

What lies ahead?

In the 12 years of Raj and DKs journey, who are rank outsiders, theyve made around 10 films. But for the filmmakers whove been shooting films pretty quickly, even Raj admits that just 10 films seem a little small in numbers.

But whats important is that people have been appreciating us as filmmakers who can deliver content in multiple formats  OTT, web series, theatrical, etc. So its a great team effort. People like Vijay Shankar Donkada (executive producer), and others have been like a family and integral part of our team for a long time, he adds.

Contrasting perceptions are a familiar feature in any creative field. So, didnt the two former engineering graduates ever have any differences? From the beginning, we saw filmmaking as a collaborative effort, and dreamed together. Both of us complement each other. DK is technically stronger and has a great drive on the field. That gives me the freedom and space to explore new ideas, says Raj.

While we wonder why despite hailing from Telugu backgrounds theyve never made a Telugu film, they admit that they did come close to making one last year. But COVID-19 messed up things. We hope to make one this year, the duo says.

A family that makes films together

Not many know that both Raj and Krishnas wives form an integral part of their filmmaking team and are deeply and emotionally involved in the filmmaking process. Shhyamali De, my wife, constantly advises me about casting, says Raj about his wife who he says is passionate about films. She comes from a non-filmy background, so she keeps us grounded always.

Despite her background, Shhyamali De worked as the associate director for the 2006-Bollywood film Rang De Basanti. She's now the creative consultant for them, and chips in with her ideas too.

Krishna tells us that his wife Anuradha Sharma plays an integral role in the compnay. She worked as an associate producer for The Family Man, Cinema Bandi, and also on their upcoming projects. Her support has been instrumental, and our personal lives are intertwined with the profession, describes Krishna.
Dozens of staff members at a Houston-area hospital protested Monday night against a policy that requires employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The hospital, Houston Methodist, had told employees that they had to be vaccinated by Monday. Last month, 117 Houston Methodist employees filed a lawsuit against their employer over the vaccine policy.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends health care workers get a flu shot, and some hospital systems require it, few companies have required COVID-19 shots, despite federal government guidance that says employers can mandate vaccines for on-site workers.

Executives, lawyers and consultants who advise companies say that many of them remain hesitant because of a long list of legal considerations the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says must be followed before mandating vaccinations. Some companies say they are wary of setting mandates until the vaccines have received full approval by the Food and Drug Administration, which has granted emergency use authorization.

On ExpressNews.com: Community Labs will end its COVID testing at community centers to focus on schools

Jennifer Bridges, a nurse who led the Houston Methodist protest, has cited the lack of full FDA approval for the shots as a reason she wont get vaccinated.

Vaccine hesitancy has been high among frontline health care workers: Surveys showed that nearly half remained unvaccinated as of mid-March, despite being among the first to become eligible for the shots in December. A March 2021 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that health care workers had concerns about the vaccines newness and their possible side effects, both of which are common reasons for waiting to be vaccinated.

By Monday evening, dozens of Houston Methodist employees had gathered outside the hospital systems location in Baytown, Texas, holding signs that read VAXX IS VENOM and Dont Lose Sight Of Our Rights.

If we dont stop this now and do some kind of change, everybodys just going to topple, Bridges told local media covering the protest. Its going to create a domino effect. Everybody across the nation is going to be forced to get things into their body that they dont want and thats not right.

Those who did not meet the hospitals vaccination deadline Monday will be placed on a two-week unpaid suspension. If they still do not meet the hospitals vaccine requirements by June 21, Houston Methodist will initiate the employee termination process.

The workers lawsuit accuses the hospital of forcing its employees to be human guinea pigs as a condition for continued employment.

In a statement, Houston Methodist said that by Monday nearly 100% of its 26,000 employees had complied with the vaccine policy. The hospital said it was aware that some employees who had not met the vaccine requirements planned to protest Monday, and that they had invited other employees to join them.

We fully support the right of our employees to peacefully gather on their own time, but it is unacceptable to even suggest they abandon their patients to participate in this activity, the hospital said. We have faith that our employees will continue putting our patients first. It is unfortunate that todays milestone of Houston Methodist becoming the safest hospital system in the country is being overshadowed by a few disgruntled employees.

On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas signed a law prohibiting businesses or government entities in the state from requiring vaccine passports, or digital proof of vaccination, joining states such as Florida and Arkansas. Its unclear how or if the new law will affect employer mandates like Houston Methodists.

In some industries, including aviation, employers are taking a middle-ground approach. Delta Air Lines, which is distributing vaccines out of its flight museum in Atlanta, said in May that it would strongly encourage current employees to get vaccinated and require it for new hires.

United Airlines, after considering a blanket mandate, said last week that it would require anyone hired in the United States after June 15 to provide proof of vaccination no later than a week after starting. Exceptions may be made for those who have medical or religious reasons for not getting vaccinated, the company added.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
When Bexar County Sheriffs Deputy Patrick Divers pulled into the shelter for migrant children, a few staff members waited outside to greet him. They gave him the basics: There was a 16-year-old boy inside. He hadnt wanted to go to class that day. He'd broken some stuff and was super aggressive. The boy had anger issues, Divers was told.

Well, obviously, he scoffed before entering the building.

As Divers was led to the boy, he didnt ask many questions. He eventually arrived to find the child sitting in a bathroom, yelling in Spanish to the facilitys staffers.

If theyre going to take me, lets just ... get it over with, the child yelled over and over again, according to Divers body camera footage.

Ricardo Cisneros, the interim director of the Southwest Key Casa Blanca shelter in San Antonio, repeatedly gave the teen his word that the police wouldnt touch him or take him anywhere. They just wanted the boy to come out. The boy sat motionless and didnt touch anyone.

Divers didnt request evidence of the childs alleged wrongdoing at the time, according to the footage. He did ask staff whether they wanted to press charges. After Cisneros said yes, the deputy shared his plan with the staff members: He would wait for his partner to arrive. As soon as they get here, well take care of this, he said.

The boy repeatedly asked what they were going to do with him.

On ExpressNews.com: Children's Shelter to lay off 93 workers in San Antonio

He was a refugee, an asylum-seeker in the country without his parents and in the custody of the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement. The previous year, hed fled a gang that had beaten him and, his family says, threatened his life in Honduras.

By that afternoon in May 2020, the teen had already spent nine months bouncing around five refugee agency-sponsored shelters from California to Virginia and Texas; hed only been at this shelter for a week. Like so many other teenagers across the United States, hed decided on this day that he didnt want to attend class.

Except he now faced a sheriffs deputy looming over him.

After a seven-minute wait, Divers partner, Deputy Harold Schneider, showed up.

Ready? Im going to tase this kid, Divers said.

The deputy had repeatedly been told that the child, who was sitting on the toilet seat cover, understood little English. He was surrounded by bilingual staff members who could interpret, but they stepped aside when Divers drew his weapon. He did not tell the boy that he was under arrest. He ordered the teen in English to stand up and turn around. The child stood up; he was adjusting the drawstring on his pants when Divers shot him with his Taser.

The child showed no signs of fighting back or resisting arrest. Divers then repeatedly pulsed the weapon on the childs torso and thighs. In all, the 16-year-old experienced 35 seconds of electric current running through his body, rendering him immobile. Divers partner eventually cuffed the teen, who was dripping blood; its unclear what caused the bleeding.

After picking him up, Schneider chose a nickname for the refugee child, whod just lost voluntary control of his muscles and who was screaming in pain and agony.

El Stupido, he said.

Calling in local police

When migrant children enter the United States without their parents and end up in U.S. government custody, either after presenting themselves at a port of entry or after being picked up by the Border Patrol, theyre supposed to be taken care of by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

The children arent generally detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The refugee agency, ORR, is a separate agency and is subject to a court decree thats designed to safeguard migrant children from neglect and abuse.

The decree, called the Flores settlement, was crafted in response to a class-action lawsuit representing children fleeing violence in El Salvador in the 1980s who were strip searched, handcuffed and denied release to their families by the federal government. The settlement, which the Trump administration unsuccessfully tried to end, sets guidelines for how long and under what conditions the U.S. government can detain migrant children without their parents  generally less than 20 days.

To care for the tens of thousands of children who pass through its custody each year, ORR finances a network of about 100 privately run shelters across the country.

An investigation by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting has found that a number of the governments shelters have been turning to police to manage the sort of behavior that could be expected of children, in particular isolated refugee children. Over the last six years, shelters have discharged at least 84 children, from ages 11 to 17, to local law enforcement, according to data Reveal obtained after suing the federal government.

Local law enforcement and courts released records for 19 of those children. An examination of more than 200 pages of records, nearly four hours of body camera footage and a half-dozen 911 call recordings shows that many of the children were turned over for arrest after they allegedly fought, damaged property or had mental health challenges. Most children were processed for misdemeanors; one in Washington state was arrested for a felony, but prosecutors didnt pursue the charge.

In April 2018, for example, police in Houston were called to a Southwest Key shelter after a 16-year-old allegedly made a suicidal threat. According to police records, officers took him into custody. The child had spent more than seven months in four different shelters.

Two shelter operators, Southwest Key Programs and BCFS, account for three-fourths of all the cases in which migrant children were turned over to law enforcement, the records show. And the incidents overwhelmingly stem from two Texas counties, Bexar and Cameron.

Over a one-month span in the summer of 2019, federal records indicate seven children, including a 12-year-old, were arrested from the Staff Secure shelter in San Antonio run by BCFS, a nonprofit that received more than $186 million from federal grants for the care of migrant children last year.

Reveal obtained local law enforcement records for four of the cases involving 17-year-olds; all four were charged with misdemeanor offenses for allegedly hitting staff or peers or, in one case, breaking a television and a chandelier.

In one case, no injuries were reported. Another case alleging bodily injury was later dismissed for lack of evidence. A third resulted in a misdemeanor conviction for bodily injury to another child. The child who was hurt in that case was arrested for misdemeanor assault a few days later in a separate incident and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault. He was sentenced to serve 28 days.

At least 10 migrant youth were charged as adults in Texas, where the criminal justice system treats 17-year-olds as adults.

A number of current and former shelter workers and immigration advocates said staffers should be able to handle situations in which children have simple fights or break things because they dont want to go to class. Children can be separated, for example, or a child can be transferred to a different shelter thats more equipped to handle a childs needs.

Claudia Valenzuela, an attorney with the nonprofit legal service provider Immigrant Legal Defense, said Southwest Key staffers did not need to call the police on the 16-year-old boy who was tased in San Antonio.

There was no appreciation of the circumstances of this young man, she said after Reveal showed her the video. Im kind of speechless at the fact that they were the ones that decided to press charges, which triggered the tasering.

Such an arrest could make it more difficult for a child to get a visa or be released to live with a family member or friend, she said.

Reveal showed the video to U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio. He called what happened horrendous.

Here you have a young man whos experienced incredible trauma, Castro said. Weve talked a lot in this country about over-policing in different situations, and this is clearly an example of over-policing with respect to asylum-seeking youth.

Castro told Reveal that hell be asking the federal refugee agency to review what occurred and evaluate Southwest Key Casa Blanca and its staffers training.

Neither Southwest Key nor BCFS would answer Reveals questions about the police calls. In a statement, Southwest Key spokesperson Kasey El-Chayeb said staff receive crisis intervention training and contact law enforcement only if their de-escalation techniques are not effective or if children present a danger to themselves or others.

We understand that we provide care to young people who have suffered various traumas while coming to this country as unaccompanied minors, El-Chayeb said.

The refugee agency, now under the purview of President Joe Biden, would not answer questions about the police transfers, saying it doesnt respond to anonymous allegations. Xavier Becerra, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the refugee agency, issued an identical statement.

Reveals reporting is not based on anonymous allegations. The data - 266,000 records, one for every child whos made their way through the refugee agencys system from late 2014 to late 2020 - were obtained directly from ORR through litigation. The bodycam video was obtained under the Texas public information law directly from the Bexar County Sheriffs Office. Even after Reveal made that clear, ORR declined to view video evidence of tasing in one of its shelters.

The boy in that video was arrested on a charge of criminal mischief. Officials in Bexar County wont disclose whether the boy was charged with a crime and, if he was, whether he was found guilty. When Reveal requested to interview Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar about the incident, his spokesperson said she was unaware of the case.

I have checked on my end to see if there was any recent incident involving our deputies using a taser on a migrant child, Adelina Simpson wrote in an email, and have not been able to find any information.

When provided more detailed information about the case, including the shelters address and the names of the deputies who were involved, Change Management Specialist Sandra Altamirano-Pickell thanked Reveal for making the department aware of the incident and said the department would launch an internal affairs investigation.

The following day, Sgt. Abraham Abraham, an open records officer at the sheriffs department, called a Reveal reporter and requested that Reveal destroy the video, saying he should not have turned it over in response to a public records request because it involves a minor.

Reveal will not destroy the video. There is a strong public interest in its airing. The childs grandmother told Reveal that she wants the video to be published so the public knows what can happen in shelters for migrant children in the United States.

Threats in Honduras

When the boy was 12, he began helping his family get by, selling coconut water on the street in Honduras. Reached by phone from Honduras, his grandmother - who raised him - recalled how soon after he began working, he was hounded by a local gang to pay a tax on the little money he made. Threats against him grew more serious, and, she said, he was brutally beaten for all of his money on a few occasions.

Terrified for his life, he eventually decided to do what thousands of Central American children do each year: He made his way north. He was 15 years old.

Reveal is not naming the grandmother out of concern for her safety and is not naming the boy because hes a juvenile.

He eventually arrived in the United States, and its unclear how he ended up in federal custody. Typically, migrants either present themselves as asylum-seekers at a port of entry or are picked up by Border Patrol while attempting to cross without authorization. The government then began shuttling him from shelter to shelter across the country.

It first put him in a shelter in Fullerton, Calif. Two weeks later, it moved him to a more restrictive facility for children about an hour north of San Francisco. There, he turned 16. Then the government sent him to Virginia, to one shelter in San Antonio and then to the Southwest Key Casa Blanca shelter across town.

Children are moved for a variety of reasons, without judicial oversight. Some children are moved when a shelter reaches maximum capacity; others are sent to more restrictive facilities because of how they behave or the support they are deemed to need.

Nine months, five facilities, three states and one birthday.

The governments migrant shelter system isnt designed for this kind of prolonged stay, depriving children of the emotional and educational support they need in the long term. Indeed, the Flores settlement calls for the government to release a minor from its custody without unnecessary delay.

Yet nearly 1 in 10 migrant children spent more than 100 days in custody over the last six years. Nearly 1,000 spent more than a year in custody.

Persistently moving around the country, having to adjust to a new setting with new rules and new people, stressed out the boy and made him anxious, said his grandmother, whos still in contact with the child through weekly phone calls. Before his detention, she said, he was a relatively carefree kid.

She said she noticed he was anxious when they talked by phone after he arrived at his first shelter. The anxiety, she said, grew into depression with time.

It was the tasing that drastically changed her grandson, she said.

After he was tased, she said he cried a lot more on their weekly phone calls and has expressed a desire to end his life. Hes terrified of being tased again. She said he wants to seek deportation to escape the shelter but remains terrified of the death threats that motivated him to flee Honduras originally.

You dont know how much this has hurt my heart, she said.

Records from the refugee agency show that a day or two after his arrest in Bexar County, the 16-year-old boy was transferred for a second stint at the Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center in Virginia.

After four months in Virginia, the child was transferred back to Texas - this time to a different shelter run by Southwest Key, Casa Montezuma in Harris County. He turned 17 years old there, his second birthday in custody. Two months later, he was sent to the Shiloh Treatment Center outside Houston, which has a history of drugging children without parental consent. He was there for a few months before being transferred to another shelter in Washington state.

Tased and handcuffed

Once Southwest Keys staffers called police, they put the boys fate in the hands of Bexar County deputies. He had been a child seeking protection from violence, someone afforded special protections under federal law. Then he became a criminal suspect turned over to law enforcement.

Even then, deputies are bound by rules about when and how they can use force against a suspect.

According to the departments use-of-force policy, officers should use the minimum amount of force required to bring any incident under control. The handbook explains that (g)enerally, the use of force against another is not justified in response to verbal provocation alone. If the officer determines the need for force, the policy manual states that an officer will use verbal persuasion first, followed by a physical hold. Deploying a Taser would be the next step.

The body camera video does not show the boy provoking the deputies verbally. It doesnt show Deputy Divers attempting verbal persuasion. When Divers demanded that the boy stand up, he did so, while appearing to tighten the drawstring on his pants. Its then that Divers deploys his Taser. In two bodycam videos, neither deputy read the child his Miranda rights following his arrest.

The video shows that after the child is handcuffed, led out of the shelter and placed in the back of the squad car, Divers returns to the shelter with Ricardo Cisneros, the shelters interim director, to assess the damage. Cisneros explains that the child broke two bed frames and three plastic bins, estimating a total of about $500 worth of damage. But the alleged evidence was removed because, according to Cisneros, they were things (the teen) can use for self-harm.

Divers and his partner, Schneider, couldnt be reached for comment.

Personnel records indicate Divers is a 24-year veteran of the force; Schneider retired in late March after 30 years as a Bexar County deputy.

Moved 10 times in 2 years

The Office of Refugee Resettlements policies indicate that care providers must call 911 for true emergencies, like immediate dangers that would require hospitalization, situations in which a child has run away or in the event of a childs death.

Congressman Castro said the agency needs to take the care of migrant children, and the trauma theyre facing, more seriously. With Biden now in the White House, he said federal departments charged with the custody of migrants of all ages have an opportunity to alter the way asylum-seekers are treated.

If we get through these next few years of the Biden administration and nothing has structurally changed - I don't mean, like, little things on the edges - structurally changed about how we do this, then that will have been a tragic missed opportunity, he said.

Police arrested 31 migrant children at shelters run by BCFS, which has operated more than a dozen federally funded migrant children shelters in Texas and California, over the six-year period, records from the refugee agency show.

In a statement, a BCFS spokesperson said: The safety and well-being of both those in our care and our employees is a top priority. BCFS Health and Human Services follows all protocols and policies as outlined by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Law enforcement is called whenever incidents of violence occur or as deemed necessary.

Southwest Key, the nations largest shelter network for migrant children, accounted for the largest number of arrests. At least 36 children in Southwest Keys care were turned over to local law enforcement.

Southwest Key, which has run approximately 30 shelters in Texas, Arizona and California, declined to discuss the boys Taser incident, claiming that doing so would violate the privacy of children in its care.

When law enforcement is present, we respect their authority and judgment on how to handle the situation and what approach officers take, wrote spokesperson Kasey El-Chayeb.

Cisneros, the shelters interim director at the time, declined to comment.

After the teen was tased and taken into custody, the footage doesnt capture Southwest Key staffers making objections to Divers actions. In one conversation between deputies and Julie Tamez, who was listed in records as the childs lead case manager at the time, Tamez explained that the child had previously been in a different facility.

After she informs Divers that the child may bang his head against the window, Divers responds, I aint worried about it.

Tamez throws her head up, shrugs and smiles. Apparently, when they cross countries without anybody, they feel they know all, she told the deputies.

When reached by phone last month, Tamez stressed that she wasnt the person who called 911 the day the child was tased. Tamez said she was shocked by how quickly the situation escalated after Divers arrival to the shelter.

I was very surprised to see that there was a Taser used, she said.

She expressed regret for what happened and wanted the child and his family to know she was sorry for what occurred that day. Tamez said she would never call 911 for a similar situation.

The boy is now back in Virginia - he was sent to the Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center for a third time in mid-May. In nearly two years, the Office of Refugee Resettlement has moved him into 10 placements across four states.

The boy could be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for adult detention when he turns 18 in September. At that time, the possibility of a special visa reserved for children abandoned by a parent will evaporate.

And the legal and social services granted to him by the federal government as a minor will also vanish, along with the traumatic pubescent years wasted in refugee agency custody.

Former Reveal reporter Patrick Michels and Reveal data reporter Melissa Lewis contributed to this story.

This story was produced by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, a nonprofit newsroom. Sign up to follow this investigation and more at revealnews.org/newsletter.
With only days left in the 2020-21 school year, Southside Independent School District teachers and administrators were not letting anyone slow down.

Instruction continued to the very last day of classes, when students celebrated the start of the summer break  what little they could have of it.

Superintendent Rolando Ramirez drilled through end-of-year campus visits, hopping from classroom to classroom with his top staff to evaluate teaching and learning in a pandemic-hampered year when every minute counted.

Everything we do has to be intentional, Ramirez told administrators at Losoya Middle School. We cant just do it because we like doing it, or we think that it is good. There has to be a purpose for it, and we have to be asking those questions.

How, they asked, were students  both virtual and in-person  engaging with each other and with their teacher? Were students randomly selected to participate? How was each classroom using technology?

Was the lesson relevant to learning plans constructed to face the reality of standardized tests?

Ramirez wanted to end his first year at Southside ISD with a better understanding of where the district stands and where it needs to go next to get better academic results.

The purpose of this is, how can we make things better? Ramirez said during a visit to Gallardo Elementary. Its not an I got you, or The teacher is going to be in trouble ... Its just about, How can we help by making these recommendations?

Billy Calzada /Staff Photographer

First year

Ramirez was hired in April 2020 after former Southside ISD Superintendent Mark Eads announced he would retire after leading the district since 2016, a tenure that saw a state intervention rebuild its board after years of unstable leadership.

Ramirez came from Valley View ISD, in the Rio Grande Valley, a rural district with about 4,364 students, more than 90 percent of them considered economically disadvantaged.

Valley View had a history of academic struggles but earned an A in 2018 and 2019 under the Texas Education Agencys rating system, reaching an overall score of 95 and performing at or above state averages in most subjects in the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR.

At Southside, Ramirez took over a district that had been under a TEA-appointed board of managers since 2017. It enjoyed stability under Eads but still struggled to overcome its low academic standing.

Ramirez saw a similar challenge to what he had inherited in the Valley, he said, a district where students were not expected to perform well and where infrastructure didnt meet their technology needs.

His goal is to change the culture and the expectations  the outcomes will follow, he said.

Has anything changed so far? Yes, especially communication, said trustee Jesus Jesse Hernandez, who was appointed by the TEA in 2018 and, having also won election, will stay on the board as it transitions from state control.

Its his willingness to have conversations, Hernandez said of Ramirez. Its as simple as having a conversation with his community, with his leadership team, with his teachers and just being there all the time.

The superintendent has attended almost every district event in the past year, nights or weekends, Hernandez said. During the pandemic, Ramirez was visible at every food distribution hosted by the district.

Billy Calzada /Staff Photographer

The challenges are real, but having leadership that chooses to engage with the community, rather than hide, is an important part of rebuilding, Hernandez said.

It all builds and leads to building trust, he said. To ensure that the community has faith in, not only the elected leaders, but that the administration, the schools, are doing whats best for the students.

Southside earned a C in the states accountability ratings in 2018 and 2019, increasing from a 73 to a 78, well under the states average performance.

This year might not be different. Preliminary STAAR results show most of Southsides students performed similarly to 2019  the most recent point of comparison because the tests were waived in the pandemic year of 2020.

Students were urged to return to classrooms this spring to take the STAAR, but attendance was not mandatory and the results are not expected to carry the same weight in calculating campus and district ratings (which also were waived last year.)

But even with less at stake, Ramirez was among area educators who pushed to get as many students as possible to take the tests, hoping this years STAAR results could be a useful snapshot of what the pandemic did to learning. With about 90 percent of students participating, the district gained an idea of the damage and what may have worked.

By no means are we content with the scores, Ramirez said. But knowing where we are at and knowing that there are some improvements in comparison with last year, with all the obstacles our students and staff had to deal with this year, is very promising and encouraging.

At Matthey Middle School, the percentage of students who met grade-level expectations for algebra remained at 29 percent this year, the same as 2019. Those who mastered it increased from 11 percent in 2019 to 15 percent this year, while the number who approached grade-level expectations decreased from 64 percent to 57 percent.

At the high school level, preliminary algebra results were worse. Only 2 percent of students mastered the subject, down from 19 percent in 2019; 10 percent met grade level, down from 48 percent; and 37 percent approached it, down from 76 percent.

The high schools fared better in English, biology and history, maintaining or slightly improving the 2019 scores.

What is expected next year? One of Ramirezs immediate goals is to have the district move from a C rating to a B and get any failing campuses to a passing grade, C or higher.

We have everything on our side, he said. The board of managers and the involvement of TEA here at the district are 100 percent supportive of the initiatives that the district is taking. The students, the staff and our parents are on board. So, there is no reason for us to fail.

Planning

Flexibility was key when planning for 2020-21. But even amid constant changes and uncertainties, many school districts knew early on that they would need to expand summer school, to repair the learning loss experienced by students at all levels.

At Southside, summer school is open to all students this year. It started Monday for high school students and will run to July 1. It will go from June 28 to July 22 for K-8 students.

The district identified and contacted students most in need of summer classes but didnt make them mandatory, opting instead to encourage early commitment from parents and students.

Last week, 450 high school students began their summer courses. The district already has commitments from 1,148 of the younger students  the goal was to have at least 1,000.

Over the summer, the district is also starting to roll out its STEAM  which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics  and Health Science academies at the elementary and middle school level, to expose students earlier to paths they can take in high school.

Its now making it to where you have more hands-on activities that are fun and engaging, and relevant, to our students, Ramirez said of the academies. And where they actually see how what they learn from the books and the lessons come to be in real professions.

For teachers and staff, this will also be a time to adjust next years curriculum to meet students where they are, Ramirez said, just like last year, when staff of all levels participated in the creation of curriculum and STAAR study guides that will also be used in summer school.

In the following weeks, updated STAAR scores will be one of the many metrics used to shape next years curriculum and guide the preparation of even the youngest students as they move up to STAAR testing grades.

Once we have that system in place, you are going to have students coming in from the very get-go, who are going to be ready for the exam, Ramirez told administrators. So study guides are going to be very important.

Hernandez said he expects that the continued focus on accountability will lead to more cohesive work and, eventually, better test scores.

Hes very honest with his team, and he has very clear expectations, Hernandez said of the superintendent.

danya.perez@express-news.net | @DanyaPH
It took less than eight minutes at a hearing Friday to sentence Noah Espada, a man who suffocated a woman he encountered while on his way to kill the manager who fired him from a downtown dance club in 2004.

But the plea agreement took several years to negotiate, starting when his attorney discovered that a witness had lied in the capital murder trial that sent Espada to death row in 2005.

Espada, now 37, pleaded guilty to a new charge of murder as well as the previous charge, to receive stacked sentences of 20 years in prison and life in prison, respectively.

At a Zoom hearing before state District Judge Ron Rangel, he waived his right to a double jeopardy defense, which would have prevented him from being convicted of the same crime twice.

With credit for time served, Espada will be eligible for parole as a 71-year-old, in 2055.

On ExpressNews.com: Amid court battle over storm charges, top attorney at San Antonio's CPS Energy to depart utility

Espadas attorney, Michael Gross, who has represented him since 2008, called the moment poignant.

He was an early 20s kid in 2005, and here we are 13 years later, Gross said. Hes not even the same individual anymore.

Espada was 20 when he killed his former boss, Luther Luke Scott in February 2004 after Scott fired him from Polly Esthers, a now-defunct River Walk nightclub. After following Scott home, Espada broke into the wrong apartment and found Sandra Ramos instead.

He tied her with duct tape, placed a bag over her head and tightened it, then left. Days later, Espada found the right apartment and shot Scott in the back of the head.

Charged with capital murder for both killings, Espada was sentenced to death.

During the punishment phase of the trial, a former Bexar County Jail guard, Christopher Nieto, testified that Espada was found with drugs in his cell and had gotten into a fight with another inmate within two months of his arrest. It bolstered prosecutors argument that Espada would be a future danger to society even if sentenced to life in prison.

When Gross was appointed to handle Espadas appeals, he sought out the inmates who witnessed the fight and had been set to testify during Espadas initial trial. One of them did, but was cut off by prosecutors before he could say what he and the others swore in affidavits Gross obtained: that Nieto had lied, and had planted the drugs and set up the inmate fight, Gross said.

Ive done this 34 years, and never have facts like this come out, Gross said of the case.

Nieto, during an appeal hearing in 2012, testified that he had not lied during the initial sentencing, but acknowledged that he didnt try to fight a suspension from his job over threats another jailer heard him direct at Espada and that he quit the Sheriffs Office after a small amount of marijuana was found in his car. Nieto said it had been left there by his brother-in-law.

In 2015, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that Espada should get a new punishment hearing. The conviction was unchanged but the death sentence was suspended.

And in 2017, jailers told a different story about Espada. Gross said statements from jail guards called Espada a model inmate, and that they wished all inmates behaved as well. He followed the rules, was never a problem and was always considerate, they said.

That did away with future danger, and contributed to Fridays outcome, Gross said.

The time Espada spent in a four-by-12-foot cell on death row for seven years changed him for the better, Gross said, adding that its not something that can be said of everyone who spends time there.

During Fridays hearing, prosecutors announced to Rangel that they were not seeking the death penalty. The waiver of Espadas right to a double jeapardy claim allowed the new charge of murder.

News researcher Misty Harris contributed to this report. JBeltran@express-news.net
Radioman 1st Class William St. John, one of the last three Pearl Harbor veterans in San Antonio, was buried with military honors Tuesday at Mission Park South Cemetery.

A U.S. Navy bugler sounded Taps. St. John died here last week at 99, a few months from turning 100.
The shotgun house had been in Humberto Martinezs family for generations, but it appeared brand-new as he and his wife, Laura, entered.

Standing for nearly 100 years at 222 Furnish Ave., the Martinez home is the first to be renovated in a new city program to save these historic structures. The structure was entirely made over, from the flooring to the kitchen cabinets to a sky blue exterior.

Three months ago, daylight had streamed through cracks in the ceiling. Rainwater leaked into the front room and kitchen. The exteriors paint and wood slats were weathered by age and time.

Its good news, said Humberto, 71, as he and Laura Martinez, 61, stood on the front porch by large photos of the home from before the makeover. It was in bad shape. I appreciate all of their hard work.

On ExpressNews.com: Pilot program seeks to save historic San Antonio shotgun houses and create jobs

Martinezs home is the first of three shotgun houses near West Side to be renovated at a lesser cost than razing the old structures and building new homes. The project tackles several concerns, including saving historic and existing older housing stock, providing affordable housing, and preserving culture.

The citys goal is to provide affordable and sustainable housing, help residents stay in place and foster micro-business development. The pilot project received $250,000 from the citys 2021 fiscal year budget.

Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News

Gonzales said that most of the citys shotgun houses are in District 5, District 1 and part of District 2.

Were trying to get the houses up to modern standards, Gonzales said. And give examples of how we can do this in houses across the city.

District 5 staff members worked with the Office of Historic Preservation, Neighborhood and Housing Services and Development Services. Partners in the initiative include nonprofit Micro:SA, which offers economic opportunities for underserved micro-businesses, and the University of Texas at San Antonio Policy Studies Center.

There are different explanations for the housing styles name. Some sources say the small structures were named shotgun houses due to their linear, narrow form. Other legends say the name was derived from the fact that a person could shoot a bullet through the front door, and it would zip through the rear door without striking a wall.

The Office of Historic Preservation shared a theory on its blog that the buildings roots are West African, and the name is a modification of either shogun, which means Gods house or to-gun that means place of assembly.

Shannon Miller, director of the Office of Historic Preservation, said the office has been working for a couple of years to identify shotgun houses and similarly sized structures across the city. Theyve identified close to 800, with more than half located in District 5.

Miller said the oldest house theyve documented is from the late 1870s.

In addition to being culturally and historically significant, the tiny houses are an important component of the citys affordable housing strategy, she said.

From a climate perspective, they have a small footprint and relatively low-energy consumption, Miller said.

Plus, she said, theres value in keeping the existing material, rather than tearing it down and moving it to a landfill.

Admiring the transformation of the Martinez home from across the street were Abraham Diaz and Pedro De Leon, from the citys Neighborhood and Housing Department, and Aaron Acosta, from American Best Home Improvements. Acosta said the rehab began in March with five different crews. The other two homes are still under construction.

Im proud that I can do something for the community, he said. Im happy to see the homeowners come back to live in this house.

On ExpressNews.com: Election results: San Antonio City Council will have its first openly gay man; two incumbents ousted

Gonzales said people can apply through her district office, the office of historic preservation or the housing department.

The councilwoman is serving out her last few days in office after hitting the eight-year term limit. She said meeting people in their homes is the best way shes been able to build trust with the community.

Its not really by making policies  its really by talking to people in their homes, she said. That one-on-one communication with people in their homes has been most impactful for both parties. Its been the highlight of my career.

vtdavis@express-news.net
San Antonio Water System Chairwoman Jelynne LeBlanc Jamison will ask the utilitys trustees at a meeting Tuesday to donate the CEOs performance bonus to a program that helps customers pay their bills.

Jamison also told the Express-News Editorial Board last week she expected CEO and President Robert Puente to recommend the utility resume service cutoffs for nonpayment on Oct. 1.

And I expect to see a very robust plan on how staff will begin to engage our customers so that they can begin making payment arrangements in anticipation of the disconnects resuming in October, said Jamison, who is not recommending any changes to Puentes salary at this time.

Jamison said the donation was Puentes idea.

On ExpressNews.com: A win for conservation  SAWS alters pipeline plan

At the height of the pandemic, Puente promised to avoid disconnections through payment plans and assistance programs.

Once were past this, then well start talking about what your situation is and how we might continue to help you, he said during a city-county COVID-19 briefing in May 2020.

The $100,000 performance award would be redirected to Project Agua, which provides emergency payment assistance to residential customers who have difficulty paying their water and sewer bills.

Jerry Lara /Staff photographer

Assistance is based on federal guidelines, including household income and family size, type of emergency and available funding. Customers can apply for the program or make a tax-deductible donation on the SAWS website.

William Luther /Staff

Puente, SAWS CEO since 2008, turned down bonuses offered to him in 2010 and 2018. In August 2020, the board gave him a 4 percent pay raise, elevating his salary by nearly $20,000 to just over $516,000. But despite giving him high scores for his 2019 performance, trustees decided not to award Puente a $100,000 bonus at that time, citing the devastating financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on ratepayers.

Jamison, who joined SAWS as its new board chair in September, said Puente met or exceeded many of the goals issued by the board for his 2020 performance. She said he suggested donating his bonus to Project Agua after she told him it would send the wrong message for the whole performance system if he flatly turned it down.

Given our situation, I thought it was a pretty significant and pretty generous recommendation from him. And so Im happy to support it, she said.

Even before the pandemic, SAWS has grappled with the CEOs compensation process. Trustees hired two consultants in 2018 after Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who sits on both the SAWS and CPS Energy boards, said the approach SAWS used for evaluating its CEO lacked clear metrics and didnt have criteria aligned with broader goals of the organization.

Jamison said shes trying to improve the evaluation process further and accelerate its timing to be forward-looking and concurrent with the utilitys January-to-December fiscal year. Tuesday, the board is expected to review CEO performance goals for the current year. Then, a board compensation committee will start formulating goals for 2022, Jamison said.

She said Puentes compensation is aligned with the market for public utility executives. But she cautioned the utility needs to stay competitive to best serve 1.9 million people in Bexar and parts of Medina and Atascosa counties.

We need talented individuals who can work in this complex organization and make sure that our future is secure in terms of water delivery, Jamison said. We dont want to find ourselves being only attractive to the JV team. We deserve much more than that.

The board also is expected to hear recommendations from a consultant on the utilitys response to the mid-February winter storm and receive a report on a staff risk assessment and decision to re-route pipelines to extend water and sewer service to a planned 420-home subdivision in an area known as the Specht tract in north Bexar County.

On ExpressNews.com: SAWS board approves raise but no bonus for CEO

SAWS withdrew an earlier plan to run oversized sewer and water lines through environmentally sensitive land protected from development under the citys Edwards Aquifer Protection Program. Instead, the water utility will install lift stations and force mains along Blanco Road, using daily inspections and construction of a berm to prevent and contain potential spills.

Jamison said the re-routing of pipelines will be discussed but not voted on by the board.

I think its, from an engineering standpoint, a very solid recommendation, she said.

shuddleston@express-news.net
First the deputy bought the guns at a discount for law officers. Then he sold them to a Mexican smuggler. Now hell spend time in federal prison.

Former Karnes County sheriffs deputy Oswaldo Bernal, 27, betrayed his badge for illegally buying 40 guns for Mexican citizens who smuggled them south of the border. He was sentenced this week to 32 months in federal prison for his crime.

Bernal bought the handguns in San Antonio last year under the Blue Label Program, in which licensed dealers sell firearms to law officers at a discount. Bernal then sold the .22-caliber, 9mm and .380-caliber handguns to Juan Cesar Fabian Ayala-Melendez, a native of Monterrey, Mexico, who was illegally living in Texas.

On ExpressNews.com: Accused Boogaloo Bois member pleads guilty to federal gun charge

Texas is a well-known market for Mexican drug cartel operatives who recruit U.S. citizens to buy them high-power firearms. But the Bernal case is slightly different: The guns were a type sought because they can be possessed legally in Mexico, as long as they are registered with the proper authorities.

A half-dozen of the 40 guns have been registered in Mexico, according to a source familiar with the investigation, even though they were illegally exported.

They are sought after by certain communities in Mexico, said the source, who has seen attorneys, doctors, engineers and other well-to-do people use this type of black market to buy guns for protection. These typically go to wealthy citizens.

Normally, they are resold in Mexico for three times what they cost in the United States, the source said.

Bernal trained in the Alamo Area Council of Governments police academy and was a probationary deputy for Karnes County from Feb. 18, 2020 to May 20, 2020.

He was still on probation, Karnes County Sheriff Dwayne Villanueva said Tuesday. When this was brought to my attention, I released him.

On March 11 of this year, Bernal pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting smuggling goods from the U.S.

In sentencing him, Senior U.S. District Judge David Ezra noted Bernal would have been flagged early on by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, had he not used his badge as a shield.

On ExpressNews.com: Former San Antonio cop gets eight years for child porn charge

Bernal betrayed his badge. He knowingly purchased handguns for an individual he knew could not legally purchase them in the U.S. and who would smuggle them into Mexico, said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas. I could not agree more with Judge Ezras comments in court  that if any member of the public were to have purchased this many firearms in such a short time period, it would have raised red flags.

Ayala-Melendez admitted that he smuggled the firearms into Monterrey through a Laredo international shipping company. On March 4, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and one count of being an alien in possession of a firearm. He remains in federal custody awaiting sentencing scheduled for July 19.

A third co-defendant, Yesenia Berenice De La Cerda Mendoza, is in custody on federal charges for her role in the weapons trafficking and money laundering scheme. She is scheduled for a possible plea hearing on June 17.

Public trust is a critical element of accomplishing law enforcements mission, said Fred Milanowski, special agent in charge of the ATFs Houston Field Office. This former officer stepped outside of that public trust by committing crimes and received the proper treatment from the justice system.

guillermo.contreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland
San Antonios Southwest Side will see more medical practitioners this summer as Texas Vista Medical Center partners with the University of Incarnate Word to start a new residency program in internal medicine.

Starting July 1, Texas Vista will welcome its first group of 15 internal medicine doctors for a three-year residency program. Also, a third class of physicians is entering its four-year psychiatry residency program.

In all, there will be 43 resident physicians working alongside the hospitals medical staff, serving patients at the only major medical facility in this section of the city  an area populated with residents who have higher rates of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, and those who cannot afford health care.

These two accredited residency programs at Texas Vista are part of the Texas Institute for Graduate Medical Education and Research or TIGMER, sponsored by the universitys School of Osteopathic Medicine.

The new internal medicine residents, overseen by director Dr. Bernard Hildebrand, will do clinical work at Texas Vista and work with WellMed Medical Group in an outpatient primary care setting.

The institute also has residency programs at CommuniCare Health Centers and Laredo Medical Center.

Weve been looking forward to this for a long time, said Texas Vista President Jonathan Turton, who added that expanding their role as a teaching hospital should help them earn trust in the community. Its a tremendous opportunity to improve health care access for patients on the South Side.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio South Side hospital gets major updates and new name

Texas Vista is a 327-bed acute care hospital at 7400 Barlite Blvd. Its been open for more than 40 years in San Antonio under the name of Southwest General Hospital.

In March, Dallas-based owner Steward Health Care announced a new name and millions of dollars in upgrades at a ceremony that acknowledged the need to shed its image as a second-rate medical facility.

According to Hospital Compare, a federal website for consumers measuring the quality of care at health care facilities that receive Medicare funds, the former Southwest General had two out of five stars. The same goes for Bexar Countys University Hospital and Methodist Hospital in the South Texas Medical Center.

Baptist Medical Center, Christus Santa Rosa Medical Center and Methodist Hospital Stone Oak got three stars.

Currently, no San Antonio hospital has been rated four or five stars.

One effort to improve Texas Vistas ratings is a new community outreach program. Turton said Healthy Horizons addresses health disparities in the area by emphasizing preventative care and getting residents the assistance they need. The program connects residents with resources ranging from COVID-19 vaccines and health screenings to diapers and food via the San Antonio Food Bank.

Dr. Jason Miller, director of the psychiatry residency program at Texas Vista, has practiced at the hospital for nearly seven years.

We know we have a lot of work to do. We know that it takes time to earn peoples trust, and were in a great position to do that now, he said, applauding the hospitals recent collaborations with other providers.

For the past two years, hes overseen two classes of psychiatry residents that work with Bexar Countys Center for Health Care Services for training in outpatient treatment.

The physicians get hands-on clinical experience at Texas Vista, where they have 50 inpatient beds designated for patients who are experiencing mental health crises. These beds are full almost every day, he said.

San Antonio, particularly the South Side, is a medical catchment area for very sick patients who travel in from hours away from places like Laredo and other cities along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Miller said he hopes that in time theyll be recognized as a community hospital rooted in academic excellence.

On ExpressNews.com: Vascular surgeon plans to open South Sides first accredited outpatient surgery center

Another positive impact of the residency programs is they could create a pipeline of doctors who decide to stay and practice in the area once theyve completed their post-grad training.

The Association of American Medical Colleges 2019 Report on Residents shows that more than half of the doctors who completed residency training from 2009 to 2018 are practicing in the state where they did their training.

Thats good not only for this side of town but for South Texas, Turton said.

Dr. Michael Mohr, a primary care physician and one of the founding faculty members for the universitys School of Osteopathic Medicine, said this is often because the doctors get to know the local resources such as consultants, social workers and nonprofit agencies, as well as the city, county, state and federal resources available in the area.

The universitys medical school admitted its first class in 2017 at its Brooks City Base academic campus on the Southeast Side of San Antonio, and 137 students graduated last month.

Each year, medical school graduates throughout the country are matched to a residency or fellowship program through a universal ranking system. Mohr said selecting a residency where they will spend the next three to seven years after graduation is an individual decision. Still, to match with a program, the hospital also must score these applicants favorably.

Fourteen of the universitys graduates matched with Texas Vista, which has 27 residency slots.

Mohr was not surprised. He said the students showed a deep commitment to serving disenfranchised patients, so hes not surprised that they wanted to continue practicing in the South Side communities.

Im very impressed to see this new generation of physicians and the challenges that they face, especially as we come out of a pandemic and how theyve been able to adapt this year, he said.

laura.garcia@express-news.net
He had joined the Congress in 2013, after quitting as MLC, expressing displeasure over BJP's decision to name Nadrendra Modi as its Prime Ministerial candidate. (Image credit: Youtube)

Bengaluru: Former Karnataka Minister Prof. Mumtaz Ali Khan passed away on Monday at his city residence, due to age related ailments, sources close to him said.

He was 94 and is survived by his wife and a daughter.

Khan had served as Minister for Minority Affairs, Haj and Wakf during the previous BJP government led by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa in 2008.

He was soft-spoken, and had served as sociology professor at the University of Agricultural Sciences here.

His family also runs an unaided primary and secondary school in the memory of his late son.

He had joined the Congress in 2013, after quitting as MLC, expressing displeasure over BJP's decision to name Nadrendra Modi as its Prime Ministerial candidate.

Expressing condolences over Khan's death, Chief Minister Yediyurappa said, he has lost a "close friend", and a simple and well-mannered politician.

He also recalled his service as MLC, Minister, and to education and literary fields.

Several of Yediyurappa's cabinet colleagues, state BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel, have expressed grief over Khan's death.
Two suspects were arrested in connection with a 35-year-old Comal County homicide case.

Tracey Keith Loy, 56, of St. George, Utah, and Mark Gatten, 57, of Quaker City, Ohio, were arrested in May and each charged with one count of murder in the 1986 death of Charles Robert Hardin, 56, the Comal County Sheriffs Office announced Monday.

Hardins death was ruled a homicide when his body was found at a camping location at Jacobs Creek Park near Canyon Lake.

Top hits: Get San Antonio Express-News stories sent directly to your inbox

Texas Rangers were asked to review the cold case, and evidence from the crime scene was resubmitted to the DPS Crime Laboratory in Austin for forensic testing. An investigation eventually pinpointed Loy and Gatten as persons of interest.

Loy was found in Utah on May 9 and extradited to Texas on May 31. He is being held in the Comal County Jail. Gatten was located in Ohio and is awaiting extradition to Texas.
If all goes as planned, the Whitt Printing Co. building in the Cattleman Square Historic District on the west end of downtown will be saved from demolition.

Its a relief to preservationist groups, which rallied quickly to safeguard the building as its owners moved quickly to raze it, positioning large equipment nearby before they had city permission.

Lesson learned: Historic structures in the same area may need similar protection before such emergency demolition requests reach city commissions and City Council.

The lawyer for the family that owns the Whitt and the nearby Golden Star Cafe said last week that they will withdraw their demolition request.

The Lim family had sought to tear down the structure to make the property easier to sell, presumably to a developer would prefer the land without a historic building on it.

But on the way to a good outcome, the familys lawyer, Patrick Christensen, made an unpalatable suggestion.

He told the citys Historic and Design Review Commission that the family would withdraw its demolition request if it could tear down a two-story, red-brick building between the Golden Star Cafe and the Whitt.

Madison Iszler / San Antonio Express-News staff

According to a spokeswoman for the HDRC: The red, two-story portion is a later addition and was considered by the commission to be non-contributing to the landmark building, so approval to demolish that portion was granted.

For preservationists, that looked like a reward for a negligent owner. Thats hard to dispute.

The family now plans to wait for city crews to remove the Whitts deteriorated wooden roof and its in-fill walls and stabilize its columns and facade, preserving the building for the future. A city spokeswoman said: The owner is paying for the stabilization.

If the red-brick building is demolished, the Golden Star Cafe would have open space between it and the Whitt, which it proposes to use for outdoor dining.

Dining under the stars at the Whitt sounds inviting and could help renew the restaurants business after the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Good for them. It sounds like a resolution to another redevelopment dilemma.

But not just yet  not until more is known about the little red buildings history, and not if the business is circumventing city processes to tear down a structure in a historic district.

Preservationists worry that it would set a precedent, especially on the West Side, which is undergoing gentrification and where structures important to the citys Mexican and Mexican American history remain.

It comes at a time when the planned expansion of the University of Texas at San Antonios downtown campus is expected to squeeze the near West Side. Activists worry that the loss of affordable housing will drive poorer residents out.

The Whitt building, part of a local and national mecca of Spanish-language printing and publishing companies that dates to the Mexican Revolution, will be saved.

That, at the very least, doesnt reward owners who allowed the building to deteriorate and who could have sold the Whitt to a buyer willing to restore it, while selling the rest of the 1.1-acre site.

The Lims immigrated from China in the 1930s and have operated a restaurant on the West Side since arriving in San Antonio, Christensen said. They purchased the Whitt in the 1980s.

Activists question whether city processes were circumvented when Christensen suggested withdrawing a wrecking ball from one building while proposing to aim it at another in the same historic district.

It floored me, said Susana Mendez Segura, who is overseeing the restoration of the historic Lermas Nite Club for the nonprofit Esperanza Peace & Justice Center.

No one knows its history, she said of the little red building. Local historians and genealogists are hurrying to collect information about it, she said.

Those who held an overnight vigil for the Whitt now are interested in checking on the structural soundness of other historic buildings in Cattlemans Square, Mendez Segura said.

This episode has been distasteful in various ways.

The process was rushed.

The owner asked the HDRC to remove the Whitts historic designation so it could be demolished. City staff recommended that the request be denied. It didnt provide evidence that the historic building was no longer deserving of the designation.

Owners failed to show the building couldnt be adapted or sold.

Then the family went to the Zoning Commission with the same request.

An anonymous call about hazards at the Whitt opened a case for an emergency demolition. Fencing was put up around the building, along with barriers on the street and sidewalk.

The call raised eyebrows about its convenient timing in the middle of a rushed request for demolition.

Christensen said the Lims want to put the episode behind them, especially since it led to insults and ethnic slurs.

Thats deplorable, especially since Asian communities across the country have been under attack.

San Antonio wont stand for such behavior. But it also cant stand for the destruction of historic structures and the loss of cultural heritage.

eayala@express-news.net
PAUL RATJE, Contributor / AFP via Getty Images

WASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher is calling for a federal investigation into persistent cases of mail theft in her West Houston district.

The Houston Democrat urged the Postmaster Inspector General to probe the issue, writing in a letter to the watchdog that her office has received more than 100 complaints about stolen and lost mail, mailbox break-ins and washed checks since 2019, with a substantial increase in complaints during the second half of last year. In one case, a check worth $22,000 was stolen, Fletcher wrote.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday signed sweeping legislation intended to strengthen the Texas electric market in response to this years deadly outage crisis.

The measures, including winter preparation at power plants and some natural gas facilities, the creation of a statewide alert system, and a regulatory overhaul, amount to the most significant changes to the market since deregulation two decades ago.

Bottom line is that everything that needed to be done was done to fix the power grid in Texas, Abbott said.

Energy consultants and academics who study the states isolated grid have welcomed the reforms, while warning they dont do enough to prevent another massive winter blackout  at least not immediately.

The new weatherization mandates take effect after this coming winter, and will be enforced with flexible fines that escalate over time. They also leave oversight of the gas system, which fuels most of the grid, to regulators closely aligned with the oil and gas industry.

Past enforcement efforts at power plants, enacted by utility regulators after a freeze in 2011 knocked out power to millions of Texans, had been halted or scaled back as recently as November 2020.

FAILURES OF POWER: Fixing Texas unreliable power grid wont be cheap or easy. Can we trust politicians to get it done?

Republicans who joined Abbott on Tuesday said they dont expect resistance from the industry this time, noting that the weatherization penalties are commensurate with federal fines and can rise to up to $1 million per day for companies that blow off the mandates.

Im very confident that folks are going to comply, because if not, its going to be pretty punitive, said state Rep. Chris Paddie, who led negotiations for the House.

Theres no one sitting or standing here who does not remember that week, none of us, Sen. Kelly Hancock said. We dont want people to go through that again  Thats why we passed reforms, to fix that, to make sure it will never happen again.

Former regulators and clean energy advocates have also stressed that other measures, such as requiring households to be more insulated and offering incentives to electric consumers to lower their usage during peak periods, were left largely untouched this legislative session.

You have to have a standard and a requirement, and I think the legislation recognizes that and is taking steps in the right direction, Beth Garza, a consultant and former market monitor for Texas, said last month. Certainly what hasnt been addressed is any kind of energy efficiency or demand-side actions to improve usage.

The provisions were approved with wide bipartisan support, though some Democrats have said they would have voted for stronger reforms if Republicans, who control the Legislature, would have agreed.

FAILURES OF POWER Hearst Newspapers documented how 20 million Texans lost power in a deadly freeze after state lawmakers brushed aside a decade of warnings about the increasingly vulnerable electric grid. Read the series at houstonchronicle.com/news/investigations. See More Collapse

Republicans in the House rejected Democratic amendments to increase penalties for gas suppliers that dont weatherize and would have required progress on winter preparations within six months of the measure becoming law. No Democrats were present for the governors signing Tuesday.

The Legislature also passed on proposals for power plants to store additional fuel onsite, build new emergency gas plants or connect the state's power grid to others. Most states are linked to one of two interstate grids, which allow them to move electricity to areas that need it most, though the infrastructure is dated.

State lawmakers have separately approved billions in debt relief to electric companies, municipal co-ops and gas suppliers that were hit hard by the February storm, which killed at least 200 people. Ordinary ratepayers across the state are expected to pay for that bailout through monthly surcharges over the coming decades.

TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

Republicans said Tuesday that the financial relief will indirectly help ratepayers in the long run, by shoring up the companies that keep their lights on. A Senate proposal to finance direct payments of $350 to ratepayers for the storm was deleted during the final negotiations.

Critics of the reforms have said they leave broad discretion to natural gas suppliers, who underpin most of the states grid and were unable to supply power plants with fuel early in the storm. The bills signed Tuesday call on the Texas Railroad Commission to regularly inspect gas facilities and force those that directly supply power plants to prepare for extreme cold.

The commissions elected members often receive funding from the industry and have long opposed weather requirements, including in the days after the February storm. They will decide when and how much to fine gas companies that dont comply with the new mandates.

Its unclear how regulators plan to identify which facilities feed power plants directly, since gas is typically mixed in large pipelines once it leaves the field. Some of it may be shipped to storage facilities, piped out of state or sent offshore in the form of liquid natural gas.

Gas producers testified in hearings that they see the need to prepare some operations for winter, but said that mandates forcing them to do so are unnecessary. Gas wells in colder parts of the country are routinely insulated.

Ive seen lots of reports from you fine folks who talked about how weve taken it easy on natural gas, Paddie said, addressing reporters. I wish you would go tell them that because theyve been whining in my office  that is not what theyre saying.

The legislation signed Tuesday also carried through on an earlier commitment to overhaul the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages the grid and which Abbott and others had blamed for some aspects of the blackouts. Under the new provisions, board members will be required to live in Texas, and most will be direct nominees of the governor, the lieutenant governor and the House speaker.

jeremy.blackman@chron.com
WASHINGTON (AP)  The rich really are different from you and me: Theyre better at dodging the tax man.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos paid no income tax in 2007 and 2011. Tesla founder Elon Musks income tax bill came to zero in 2018. And financier George Soros went three straight years without paying federal income tax, according to a report out Tuesday from the nonprofit investigative journalism organization ProPublica.

Overall, the richest 25 Americans pay less in tax  an average of 15.8% of adjusted gross income  than many ordinary workers do, once you include taxes for Social Security and Medicare, ProPublica found.

An anonymous source delivered to ProPublica reams of Internal Revenue Service data on the countrys wealthiest people, including Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch and Mark Zuckerberg.

ProPublica compared the tax data it received with information available from other sources. It reported that in every instance we were able to check  involving tax filings by more than 50 separate people  the details provided to ProPublica matched the information from other sources.

Using perfectly legal tax strategies, many of the uber-rich are able to whittle their federal tax bills down to nothing or close to it. Soros went three straight years without paying federal income tax; billionaire investor Carl Icahn, two, ProPublica finds.

A spokesman for Soros, who has supported higher taxes on the rich, told ProPublica that the billionaire had lost money on his investments from 2016 to 2018 and so did not owe federal income tax for those years.

Musk responded to ProPublica's initial request for comment with a punctuation mark  ?''  and did not answer detailed follow-up questions.

The federal tax code is meant to be progressive  that is, the rich pay a steadily higher tax rate on their income as it rises. And ProPublica found, in fact, that people earning between $2 million and $5 million a year paid an average of 27.5%, the highest of any group of taxpayers.

Above $5 million, though, tax rates fell: The top .001% of taxpayers  1,400 people who reported income above $69 million  paid 23%.

And the 25 very richest people paid still less.

The rich can reduce their tax bills through the use of charitable donations or by avoiding wage income (which can be taxed at up to 37%) and benefiting instead mainly from investment income (usually taxed at 20%).

ProPublicas findings are likely to heighten the national debate over the vast and widening inequality between the very wealthiest Americans and everyone else.

President Joe Biden, in seeking revenue to finance his spending plans, has proposed higher taxes on the wealthy. Biden wants to raise the top tax rate to 39.6% for people earning $400,000 a year or more in taxable income, estimated to be fewer than 2% of U.S. households. The top tax rate that workers pay on salaries and wages now is 37%.

Biden is proposing to nearly double the tax rate that high-earning Americans pay on profits from stocks and other investments. In addition, under his proposals, inherited capital gains would no longer be tax-free.

The president, whose proposals must be approved by Congress, would also raise taxes on corporations, which would affect wealthy investors who own corporate stocks.

ProPublica reported that the tax bills of the rich are especially low when compared with their soaring wealth  the value of their investment portfolios, real estate and other assets.

ProPublica's data reveals that the countrys wealthiest, who have profited handsomely during the pandemic, have not been paying their fair share of taxes, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who leads the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, said at the start of a hearing on the IRS' budget with Commissioner Charles Rettig.

Wyden has proposed legislation that would tighten enforcement of tax collection against wealthy individuals and corporations that use artifices and loopholes to skirt paying taxes.

For his part, Rettig said the IRS is investigating the leak of the tax data to ProPublica and said any violations of law would be prosecuted. ProPublica reported that it does not know the identity of the source who provided the data.

We will find out about the ProPublica article, Rettig said. We have turned it over to the appropriate investigators, both external and internal.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The two sheriffs deputies who shot and killed a Black man while assigned to a U.S. Marshals Service fugitive task force had been told they could not use their body-worn cameras, despite a change in Justice Department policy to allow cameras months before the shooting.

The shooting of Winston Boogie Smith Jr. last week has sparked nights of protests in Minneapolis  a city still reeling from the death of George Floyd at the hands of police  and is raising questions about the implementation of a Justice Department policy change that shifted away from its longstanding rule prohibiting the tool.

Last October, the Justice Department formalized a new policy to allow local officers to wear body cameras during joint operations, reversing a policy that had strained its relationship with some law enforcement agencies. They sent guidance out to all U.S. Marshals across the country and opened an office dedicated to supporting the effort. The issue had previously hit such a boiling point that Atlantas police chief had withdrawn city police officers from federal task forces over the issue.

In February, the Marshals Service, which has a network of fugitive task forces nationwide with local law enforcement, sent guidance to state and local officials about how they could equip their officers with cameras and the necessary paperwork allowing the footage, according to a Justice Department official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The process, though, can take months to train officers on federal policy and because of the variety of cameras used by police departments in the U.S. and the complexity of data collection.

In Minnesota, federal officials began in February contacting agencies that had already dropped out of the task force over the issue to try to bring them back aboard, the Justice Department official said. Some agencies said they were still told cameras weren't allowed, or they weren't made aware of the complex legal process required to actually allow task force officers to wear the cameras. Under the new rule, local law enforcement agencies could equip their officers with body cameras, though they need to sign an amendment to the legal paperwork between the agency and the Marshals Service.

Members of the federal fugitive task force in Minnesota were trying to apprehend Smith last week on a warrant for a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The Marshals Service said Smith was in a parked car at the time and then produced a handgun before two sheriffs deputies on the task force opened fire. Later, the state agency investigating the shooting said evidence showed Smith also fired his gun.

In the wake of the shooting, Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa Monaco has ordered Justice Department law enforcement officers to wear body cameras when making planned arrests or serving search warrants. The directive orders the heads of the Marshals Service, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to develop body-worn camera policies within 30 days.

But even as Justice makes a major policy shift to bring federal agents a tool that has been common for years with most local police agencies, there is still confusion about the process for local task force officers -- and the length of time it will take to actually allow them to be worn in the field.

In Minnesota, the task force members who fired at Smith were sheriff's deputies from Ramsey and Hennepin counties. Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher decided to pull his deputies from the task force on Monday, saying he would remain off the federal task force until body cameras are actually authorized."

His office said deputies were told they could wear body cameras on Friday, a day after the shooting. He then signed an amended memorandum that would allow the deputies to wear the cameras, but said he received a call Monday from the U.S. Marshal in Minnesota, Ramona Dohman, telling him they still couldnt.

It could take a while for this to get approved  so, your deputies still wont be allowed to use their body cameras until the onboarding process has gone on, Fletcher said Dohman told him in a voicemail. The sheriff's office said five deputies assigned to the task force had been issued body cameras but were told they could not use them during task force work.

Even after the memo has been signed, there could be a delay for local officers to be able to use the cameras because the Marshals Service needs to train both local and federal officials in the district on their use and the rules surrounding what can be recorded during federal operations, the Justice Department official said.

Fletcher said despite regular requests from local law officers, the Marshals Service has repeatedly said they were working on the issue. He said that as recently as last month, federal representatives told local law enforcement that the cameras were still not allowed.

The day after Smith was fatally shot by officers, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension  the agency leading the investigation  said in a statement that the U.S. Marshals Service currently does not allow the use of body cameras for officers serving on its North Star Fugitive Task Force. But the U.S. Marshals Service said that while deputy marshals do not yet wear body cameras, the Justice Department permits state, local and tribal task force officers to do so.

Smiths family members and activists have called for transparency, demanding to see any footage that exists, though officials have said there is none.

The Hennepin County Sheriffs Office, where the other deputy involved in the shooting works, said it had issued the deputy a body camera but sheriffs officials were told it could not be used while the deputy was working on task force operations. Sheriffs officials were also told that the new policy remains in the implementation phase, nearly eight months after it was announced, and has not yet been implemented on the task force.

The issue has kept some local departments off task forces altogether. John Elder, the spokesman for the Minneapolis Police Department, said that agency does not participate in any task forces where officers are not allowed to use their body cameras.

St. Paul police officers stopped participating in the fugitive task force in 2019. St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell sent a letter to the local U.S. Marshals Service in 2018 saying he was unwavering in his decision to require all St. Paul police officers to use body cameras while on duty  even if they are on a federal task force. In 2019, the U.S. Marshals Service responded to Axtell, saying in a letter that if the St. Paul department held firm on its decision to require cameras, those officers would be removed from the task force.

Since then, Axtell has had some conversations with federal officials about the use of body worn cameras by task force officers and has raised concern about language that gives DOJ control over the release of footage. He said he'd be willing to reengage in federal task forces if that issue is worked out.

To me, I was not willing to give up that necessary tool of transparency, he said. They wanted to have final say in when and if the video could be released to the public."

Axtell has been an advocate for federal agencies using body cameras for years, and says he's grateful the Biden administration is taking on the issue, which he says they inherited. He called the DOJ's new order that federal officers conducting search warrants and takedowns must wear the cameras a seismic shift."

I couldnt be more happy to hear of this seismic shift in the DOJ approach to body worn cameras, he said.

___

Forliti reported from Minneapolis.
Dozens of high-traffic websites, including CNN, the New York Times and Reddit, were offline Tuesday morning after an apparent widespread outage at a cloud service company.

San-Francisco-based cloud service company Fastly said around 6 a.m. that it was investigating the issue. Around 7 a.m., the company said a fix had been applied, adding that customers could experience increased origin load as global services return.
Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media

Metro-North Railroads New Haven Line customers will now be able to see the amount of available space in each car of an approaching train by checking the digital signs on platforms or the Train Time smartphone app.

The rail service announced Monday that riders can check the digital signs five minutes before a train arrives to see the open spaces, or check the Train Time app at any time. The feature is expected to help customers find cars before boarding.
NORWALK  A stabbing in a Norwalk Hospital parking lot on Saturday morning that left the victim in serious condition is believed to have been a random act of violence, officials said.

An individual called the citys 911 dispatch center around 10:40 a..m to report the incident.

While police said later Saturday it was unclear why the victim was attacked, hospital officials confirmed Sunday it was apparently random.

We have been advised that this was a random act of violence, which could have occurred anywhere, Andrea Rynn, spokesperson for Nuvance Health, the hospitals parent company, said in a statement. Our security team took immediate action as did Norwalk Police, for which we are very grateful for their assistance.

Rynn said Nuvance Healths primary concern is for the victim and his family. She would not comment further, citing the ongoing investigation.

Norwalk police Lt. Joseph Dinho also said authorities could not provide more information other than what was shared in a press release on Saturday, also citing the active investigation.

Following the incident on Saturday, Sgt. Sofia Gulino said the victim had parked his car in the hospital parking lot off Rhodonolia Park to pick up a patient who was being discharged. Gulino said as the victim was putting the patients items into the back of the vehicle, an unknown man rushed up and stabbed him twice.

The alleged attacker ran off in the direction of Woodward Avenue, as the victim made his way back inside the hospital for help. The victim sustained serious injuries, but is expected to recover, Gulino said.

Multiple officers responded to the area and searched for the alleged suspect, described as a man in his mid-20s, possibly about 5-foot-8, with short hair. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Hudyma at 203-854-3189 or dhudyma@norwalkct.org. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling 203-854-3111, online at www.norwalkpd.com or by texting TIP411 with NORWALKPD and the information in the text field.
Weyan, a village in district Bandipora (J&K) has become the first village in the country, where entire population above 18 years has been vaccinated. (Image credit: Twitter/@PIBSrinagar)

Srinagar: A remote hamlet in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir has become the first village in India to vaccinate all its adult population against COVID-19, officials said on Tuesday.

The credit goes to the healthcare workers whose strenuous efforts shot Weyan hamlet, with an adult population of 362, to national fame, they said.

"The village is located only 28 kilometres away from Bandipora district headquarters, but a distance of 18 kilometres has to be covered by foot as there is no motorable road, an official of the health department said.

He said the task of vaccinating all the residents was even more difficult as the village consists of nomadic families who go to higher reaches for grazing their livestock.

"There is no internet access in the village. So it was not possible for the residents to get appointments for vaccination like the way people in urban areas do," Bashir Ahmed Khan, Chief Medical Officer, Bandipora said while explaining the difficulty faced by the healthcare workers.

The vaccination in the village was covered under 'J&K model', which is a 10-point strategy to vaccinate entire eligible population at accelerated pace.

Despite initial vaccine hesitancy, Jammu and Kashmir has achieved 70 per cent vaccination in the 45+ age group, almost double the national average, the official said.

Commenting on the achievement, Yatish Yadav, media advisor to Jammu and Kashmir government, said the Union territory was raising the bar in the Covid vaccination drive.

"#JammuAndKashmirModel. And we thought up to now that Everest was the highest and toughest peak of Himalayas. But, some journey brings a new light, a new life. Team J&K raising the bar on vaccination drive," he tweeted.
NORWALK  City officials and residents celebrated the unveiling of a newly refurbished 120-year-old fountain designed by renown architect Stanford White at Fodor Farm on Flax Hill Road Sunday afternoon.

The fountain, depicting American patriot, spy and Connecticut native Nathan Hale, was constructed in 1901 by White and placed outside the Norwalk Armory on West Avenue, said Norwalk native Lisa Grant, who spearheaded the restoration.
When Fulton County, Ga., poll manager Suzi Voyles sorted through a large stack of mail-in ballots last November, she noticed an alarmingly odd pattern of uniformity in the markings for Joseph R. Biden. One after another, the absentee votes contained perfectly filled-in ovals for Biden  except that each of the darkened bubbles featured an identical white void inside them in the shape of a tiny crescent, indicating they'd been marked with toner ink instead of a pen or pencil.

Adding to suspicions, she noticed that all of the ballots were printed on different stock paper than the others she handled as part of a statewide hand recount of the razor-thin Nov. 3 presidential election. And none was folded or creased, as she typically observed in mail-in ballots that had been removed from envelopes.

In short, the Biden votes looked like theyd been duplicated by a copying machine.

All of them were strangely pristine," said Voyles, who said shed never seen anything like it in her 20 years monitoring elections in Fulton County, which includes much of Atlanta.

She wasnt alone. At least three other poll workers observed the same thing in stacks of absentee ballots for Biden processed by the county, and they have joined Voyles in swearing under penalty of perjury that they looked fake.

Now election watchdogs have used their affidavits to help convince a state judge to unseal all of the 147,000 mail-in ballots counted in Fulton and allow a closer inspection of the suspicious Biden ballots for evidence of counterfeiting. They argue that potentially tens of thousands may have been manufactured in a race that Biden won by just 12,000 votes thanks to a late surge of mail-in ballots counted after election monitors were shooed from State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

We have what is almost surely major absentee-ballot fraud in Fulton County involving 10,000 to 20,000 probably false ballots, said Garland Favorito, the lead petitioner in the case and a certified poll watcher who runs VoterGa.org, one of the leading advocates for election integrity in the state.

He said the suspect ballots remain in the custody of the election officials and inaccessible from public view.

We have confirmed that there are five pallets of shrink-wrapped ballots in a county warehouse, Favorito said in an interview with RealClearInvestigations.

He and other petitioners were ordered to meet at the warehouse May 28 to settle the terms of the inspection of the absentee ballots. But the day before the scheduled meeting, the county filed a flurry of motions to dismiss the case, delaying the inspection indefinitely.

We will be in court on June 21 to resolve these motions, said Favorito, calling them another roadblock the county has tried to throw in their way. He expects talks over the logistics of the inspection to resume after the Fourth of July holiday.

As part of his May 21 order, Superior Court Judge Brian Amero requested officials guard the warehouse around the clock until an inspection date can be set. But just eight days later, a breach in security was reported after sheriffs deputies left their post for a couple of hours.

The front door was [found] unlocked and wide open in violation of the court order, Favorito said.

County officials confirmed that a motion-detection alarm was triggered Saturday, May 29, shortly after the deputies drove away from the building in their patrol cars around 4 p.m. But they said a locked room where the ballots are kept was never breached or compromised.

Favorito is not convinced, and his lawyer is seeking to obtain the video footage from building security cameras. How do we know for certain there was no tampering with the ballots? asked Favorito, who said he did not vote for Donald Trump.

News of the security lapse caught the attention of the former President, who has claimed his loss to Biden was marred by fraud. In a statement, he implied election officials in the Democratic-controlled county are trying to hide evidence of fraud. "They are afraid of what might be found, he asserted.

Trump is also closely monitoring the ongoing election audit in Arizona, another red state that turned blue in 2020. If evidence of fraud is found in these key swing states, it might help confirm suspicions the election was stolen" from Trump and the 74 million who voted for him -- as a recent poll found 61% of Republicans believe -- as well as provide the proof of voter fraud that Democrats and major media have long claimed doesnt exist.

The cases could potentially give other battleground states incentive to take steps to tighten election security and root out fraud, including passing legislation to limit the use of controversial mail-in drop boxes and require the verification of signatures on such ballots. In Georgia, relatively few mail-in ballots were rejected for invalid signatures in the November general election, even though several thousand had been disqualified for signature issues in the primary election.

In a move that inspired national boycotts alleging voter "suppression," Georgia recently passed a law limiting, but not removing, the drop boxes. The state had installed them for the first time in 2020 under pressure from Democratic groups, who argued officials needed to make voting easier for minorities who didnt trust the mail and feared going to the polls during the COVID scare.

The 38 drop boxes Fulton distributed throughout the county in the November election will be cut to eight in the future. The boxes had been largely unregulated and unattended  located outdoors, open 24 hours a day and available for drop-offs until the evening of Election Day, prompting complaints of ballot stuffing and double voting. But now they have to be located inside election offices or early voting locations, and can only be available during the hours when early voting is permitted. The new law also requires ballots be printed on special security paper.

Voting by mail traditionally was limited to voters who had clearly defined and well-documented reasons to be absent from the polls. But Democrats in key swing states lobbied to relax the rules in the middle of the election and amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Mail-in or drop-off ballots create opportunities for voter error and fraud. In a typical election, one in 20 mailed ballots are rejected, according to recent studies. More than 534,000 mail-in ballots were rejected during the 2020 Democratic primaries alone.

Still, both Republican and Democratic officials in Georgia say they have found no credible evidence of widespread fraud in the general election. Democrats, as well as many major media outlets, have written off Favoritos group's allegations of fraud as conspiracy theories.

This is nothing more than a circus thats being put on by those who promote the big lie  that Trump won the election, said Robb Pitts, the Democratic chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. Where does it end? The votes have been counted. The elections have been certified. Its over."

Pitts effectively controls the county elections board through his Democratic appointee Mary Carole Cooney, who runs the board. They are in charge of securing the pallets of disputed Biden mail-in ballots awaiting inspection in the county warehouse.

But Judge Amero, who federal elections records show is a Democratic donor, felt compelled to unseal the ballots for a forensics review after reading the sworn affidavits submitted by election monitors. Here are key witnesses in the case:

Suzi Voyles , a veteran Fulton poll manager who audited the Nov. 14 recount at Georgia World Congress Center, testified she examined several stacks of ballots of about 100 ballots each from a cardboard box marked Box No. 5  Absentee  Batch Numbers 28-36. She said these ballots came from the ballot [drop] boxes that had been placed throughout Fulton County.



Most of the ballots had already been handled; they had been written on by people, and the edges were worn. They showed obvious use, she wrote in her Nov. 17 affidavit. "However, one batch stood out. It was pristine. There was a difference in the texture of the paper, and these mail-in ballots hadnt been folded even though they ostensibly had been removed from envelopes.



All but three of the 110 ballots in the bundle  which had been labeled State Farm Arena  were marked for Biden and appeared to be identical ballots."



The most alarming peculiarity was the identically marked ovals next to Bidens name. In every ballot, The bubble next to Joseph R. Biden had a slight white eclipse in the bubble, she said, leading her to believe that the batch of 107 Biden ballots had been copied" from a single ballot.



Voyles speculated that additional absentee ballots had been added [for Biden] in a fraudulent manner at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta on election night.



The void she and other auditors witnessed in the exact same spot of the oval filled in on 107 ballots for Biden was alarming to us, Voyles said in an RCI interview. Every single bubble was precisely alike. I had never seen that before in 20 years of election monitoring.



But when she and other recount workers raised concerns with county election officials, we were told not to worry about it, she said. They seemed uninterested in the [integrity of the] ballots.



After Voyles later blew the whistle in affidavits and state election hearings, she was fired as a poll manager by the Fulton County Department of Elections. I got the boot for speaking the truth, she told RCI.





, a veteran Fulton poll manager who audited the Nov. 14 recount at Georgia World Congress Center, testified she examined several stacks of ballots of about 100 ballots each from a cardboard box marked Box No. 5  Absentee  Batch Numbers 28-36. She said these ballots came from the ballot [drop] boxes that had been placed throughout Fulton County. Most of the ballots had already been handled; they had been written on by people, and the edges were worn. They showed obvious use, she wrote in her Nov. 17 affidavit. "However, one batch stood out. It was pristine. There was a difference in the texture of the paper, and these mail-in ballots hadnt been folded even though they ostensibly had been removed from envelopes. All but three of the 110 ballots in the bundle  which had been labeled State Farm Arena  were marked for Biden and appeared to be identical ballots." The most alarming peculiarity was the identically marked ovals next to Bidens name. In every ballot, The bubble next to Joseph R. Biden had a slight white eclipse in the bubble, she said, leading her to believe that the batch of 107 Biden ballots had been copied" from a single ballot. Voyles speculated that additional absentee ballots had been added [for Biden] in a fraudulent manner at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta on election night. The void she and other auditors witnessed in the exact same spot of the oval filled in on 107 ballots for Biden was alarming to us, Voyles said in an RCI interview. Every single bubble was precisely alike. I had never seen that before in 20 years of election monitoring. But when she and other recount workers raised concerns with county election officials, we were told not to worry about it, she said. They seemed uninterested in the [integrity of the] ballots. After Voyles later blew the whistle in affidavits and state election hearings, she was fired as a poll manager by the Fulton County Department of Elections. I got the boot for speaking the truth, she told RCI. Robin Hall , a certified Fulton County recount observer, also testified she witnessed a number of boxes of absentee ballots marked 100% for Biden that appeared to be perfectly filled out as if they were pre-printed with the presidential candidate selected. She stated: They did not look like a person had filled this out at home. All of them looked alike."

, a certified Fulton County recount observer, also testified she witnessed a number of boxes of absentee ballots marked 100% for Biden that appeared to be perfectly filled out as if they were pre-printed with the presidential candidate selected. She stated: They did not look like a person had filled this out at home. All of them looked alike." Judy Aube also worked at the World Congress Center on Nov. 14 where she observed the same thing: suspicious batches" of mail-in ballots for Biden whose markings appeared identical, as if they had been duplicated by a machine and not filled out by a voter at home.

also worked at the World Congress Center on Nov. 14 where she observed the same thing: suspicious batches" of mail-in ballots for Biden whose markings appeared identical, as if they had been duplicated by a machine and not filled out by a voter at home. Barbara Hartman, another election official auditor, also doubted the authenticity of absentee ballots she handled that she said were never folded, as would normally be the case for ballots returned in an envelope by mail or dropped in a box. The absentee ballots looked as though they had just come from a fresh stack, she swore in her affidavit. "I could not observe any creases in the ballots and [it] did not seem like they were folded and put into envelopes or mailed out. Also, The majority of the mail-in ballots that I reviewed contained suspicious black perfectly bubbled markings for Biden, Hartman stated, adding that they looked as if they were stamped."

The veteran poll watchers found no plausible explanation for the anomalies other than possible fraud.

However, election officials have offered an explanation for why the mail-in ballots examined in the stacks did not have folds or creases. They say ballots are sometimes copied onto other paper when they are too damaged to be fed through one of the scanning machines during tabulation. The mailed ballots can be torn or crumpled by postal workers during delivery or by poll workers while opening them and removing them from envelopes, which could prevent the machines from reading them.

But Favorito suspects the hundreds, if not thousands, of allegedly duplicate absentee ballots for Biden might be connected to spikes in votes for Biden he observed late on election night in Fulton County after election officials cleared monitors from State Farm Arena and pulled cases full of ballots out from under tables and began scanning them.

Theres always the chance it was an inside job, said Favorito, a career IT professional who's been a leading advocate for Georgia election integrity over the past two decades.

On Nov. 3, Fulton County elections officials informed monitors that they were shutting down the State Farm tabulation center before midnight, only to continue counting throughout the night while no one was watching.

Election workers dont bring ballots in after the supervisor has delayed processing until the morning, hide them under a table and then bring them out for scanning and tabulation after the supervisor tells [monitors] they are done scanning for the evening and they go home, Favorito said.

Once scanning [was] completed, an election line feed showed an unprecedented vote spike that turned the election in favor of Biden, he added. In fact, just over a half hour after workers scanned the potentially fraudulent ballots, an election line feed showed a 100,000-plus vote spike for Biden.

Where did those ballots come from and why did they handle them so suspiciously? Favorito asked.

Voyles noted that the county elections supervisor who oversaw the secret scanning of the cases full of ballots also helps run the warehouse where the suspect ballots are being stored.

Phone calls and emails to Fulton County went unanswered.

Similar Anomalies, Other Counties

Favorito pointed out that the potential for counterfeit ballots exists in other Georgia counties, not just Fulton.

In fact, two Democrat poll workers blew the whistle on similar anomalies they witnessed in neighboring DeKalb and Cobb counties, where the election process also is controlled by Democrats.

Carlos E. Silva, for one, declared in a Nov. 17 affidavit that he observed a similar "perfect black bubble in absentee ballots for Biden during the recount he worked in DeKalb County. And while overseeing the Cobb County recount, he swore he observed absentee ballots being reviewed with the same perfect bubble that I had seen the night before in DeKalb. All of these ballots had the same characteristics: they were all for Biden and had the same perfect bubble.

Added Silva, a registered Democrat: There were thousands of [mail-in] ballots that just had the perfect bubble marked for Biden and no other markings in the rest of the ballot.

Another registered Democrat, Mayra Romera, testified that while monitoring the Cobb County recount, she noticed that hundreds of these ballots seemed impeccable, with no folds or creases. The bubble selections were perfectly made ... and all happened to be selections for Biden."

In a recent article pooh-poohing complaints of fraud in Georgia, as well as Arizona, the New York Times portrayed Favorito as a known conspiracy theorist and suggested he was a 9/11 truther. As evidence, it cited a 2002 book he published questioning the origin of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Asked about it, Favorito responded: My book did not propose any theories on what happened on 9/11. I dont mention anything about explosives planted in the World Trade Center, as truthers have baselessly speculated. Rather, he said, he questioned Bush family business connections with the bin Laden family and other wealthy Saudis, and argued that the war on terror benefited the Bushes. He also faulted the Bush administration for obstructing" FBI investigations into the attacks.

Favorito says he is a constitutionalist and neither a Republican nor a Trump supporter.
WASHINGTON  Its important to have boots on the ground when battling wildfires. And come July 1, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management will be able to start putting 1,400 more boots on the ground.

Thats when an expansion of a long-running program that lets the department use inmate crews to do forest maintenance will allow for the possible addition of 700 more inmates  or 1,400 more boots.

This is a win-win for inmates and for the state and agencies that are benefitting from the work, said Donna Leone Hamm, executive director of Middle Ground Prison Reform.

Any time an inmate is allowed to leave the correctional facility and go into the community to work  that alternative alone is beneficial to the inmate because they dont feel the sense of confinement so deeply when they are out in the community, she said of the program.

The expansion is part of the states Healthy Forest Initiative, a $24.5 million plan for wildfire prevention and forest maintenance approved by the Legislature this spring. As he signed authorizing legislation in March, Gov. Doug Ducey said the plan would allow more than 700 inmates over the next two years to be part of the forest-maintenance crews in fire-prone areas, clearing brush and doing other work in hopes of stopping wildfires in the first place.

The plan comes on the heels of a 2020 wildfire season that saw 2,520 wildfires burn nearly 980,000 acres of state, federal and tribal lands across the state, according to the forestry department. That was the most since 2011, when more than 1 million acres in the state burned.

Only a fraction of the funding will go to inmates, who can be paid no more than $3 an hour. But participating inmates get experience that can help them find jobs when they get out, officials said.

Weve had a longstanding relationship with the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry. This is going to further that partnership, and we know the benefits of rehabilitation, said Tiffany Davila, public affairs officer for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Management.

Davila said some post-release inmates have walked right out of prison and into a full-time job with the state of Arizona.

She said the forestry department already has a dozen 20-member inmate hand crews in place that work in forest thinning and one initial attack crew in Phoenix, consisting of mostly post-release inmates, which may be called in to do firefighting as well as fire prevention work.

The expanded program begins July 1, with the start of the 2022 fiscal year.

Well be able to start getting overhead (supervisors) hired, supplies, equipment and things of that nature, Davila said. These folks are going to have to be trained on how to use saws, properly and safely for the work that they will be doing. The project work will need to be funded as well, its not free.

Davila said the crews do a bunch of positive things besides fire prevention, including improving the overall health of forests.

Hamm said women will be included in groundwork crews, which she called fairly unusual.

A lot of times, female inmates are relegated to what some might consider stereotypical female work when they are assigning jobs, Hamm said. So this is outside of that stereotypical job description and its empowering and healthy for the inmates who get to participate in it, male and female.

She said that by being out and working in the community, the program can help inmates develop a sense of pride in their community and that can lead over into all aspect of their lives.

While there is not always a direct linear connection between the program and a job, there are other indirect benefits for inmates, Hamm said, like meeting people and possibly making an impression on an employer or supervisor, that can transfer to a direct job offer upon release.

The more ambiguous benefit is that it prepares inmates to interact with employers  it prepares them for the experience of working for another person, she said.

Davila, noting that nine out of 10 wildfires are caused by humans, said it is important that people do their part. But the inmate crews will help, she said.

This will  allow us to get more work done in a faster amount of time because we will now have more boots on the ground, Davila said.

For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.
BILLINGS  Montanas two senators took different approaches with fellow state resident Tracy Stone-Manning during her confirmation hearing to become director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Tuesday.

Democratic Sen. Jon Tester introduced Stone-Manning to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and noted it was the second time he supported a Montanan for a major federal post.

The last time I sat in this committee room was to introduce Ryan Zinke, Tester said, referring to former Montana Republican congressman who former President Donald Trump nominated to direct the Department of Interior.

Stone-Manning was driven by facts, not political ideology, Tester said. She was a member of Testers senatorial staff before becoming chief of staff to former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock and later Bullocks director of the Department of Environmental Quality.

Committee Ranking Member Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming immediately challenged Stone-Manning as someone with unvarnished political partisanship, asking why we should have confidence she will work with us (Republicans) in good faith.

I would not be here introducing her if she was the person you described, Tester responded to Barrasso.

Montanas Republican Sen. Steve Daines later brought up an article Stone-Manning had written about a copper/silver mining project alongside the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness which he quoted her describing as philosophically abhorrent. Daines asked her if that indicated a larger bias against mining on public lands.

Stone-Manning replied that her track record leading the Montana Department of Environmental Quality showed she was fair and transparent when working with industrial applicants. She added that she had serious concerns based on hydrological studies of what those mining projects might do to lakes in the wilderness area.

Several Republican senators also recalled Stone-Mannings criticisms of Daines and energy development on public lands. Stone-Manning replied she did have concerns about appropriate use of public lands, and that many of her comments were made while Bullock was in an electoral race against Daines for the Senate seat in 2020.

I was supporting my former boss, Gov. Bullock, Stone-Manning said. The election is over.

Other Republicans lambasted Stone-Manning over her role as treasurer and board member of the Montana Conservation Voters group, which ran ads against Daines during the last election cycle.

"You've been incredibly partisan in your past," said Republican Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. "It seems like from your heart, you really don't care for Republicans."

Stone-Manning said her parents, both Republicans, would be "rolling in their graves" over the allegation.

Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper asked Stone-Manning about the headquarters relocation, which he said was "done in haste" and let down employees of the land bureau and Grand Junction residents who had hoped the change would spur the city's economy.

Stone-Manning said the Interior Department was reviewing the issue but gave no further details.

The BLM has jurisdiction over 245 million acres (100 million hectares) of federally-owned swaths of land in western states, managing them for uses ranging from fossil fuel extraction and grazing to recreation.

Senate confirmation for Stone-Manning would mark a stark change for an agency that catered to oil and gas interests under former President Donald Trump.

She would take the helm after the bureau suffered turmoil in recent years when it lost nearly 300 employees to retirement or resignation after its headquarters was relocated from Washington D.C. to Grand Junction, Colorado under Trump.

After leaving Bullock's staff in 2017, Stone-Manning led the National Wildlife Federation's efforts to preserve public lands in the West for wildlife, hiking, hunting and other nonindustrial uses.

She worked previously as an aide to Tester and for a nonprofit group that worked to clean up one of the country's largest contaminated Superfund sites, Montana's Clark Fork River.

The land management bureau's director post went unfilled for four years under Trump, who instead relied on a string of acting directors to execute a loosening of restrictions on industry. Chief among them was conservative lawyer William Perry Pendley, who before he took the position advocated for selling off federal lands.

Pendley was ordered removed by a federal judge after leading the bureau for more than year without required Senate confirmation and getting sued by Bullock.

Stone-Manning backed the effort to oust Pendley and said he was an illegal appointee.

She would serve under Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a former Democratic congresswoman from New Mexico who was confirmed over opposition from Republicans citing her criticisms of the oil and gas industry.

Associated Press reporter Matthew Brown contributed to this story.
Farmers who are testing a pilot version of the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme will be paid 5,000 for their time, Defra has revealed.

Those taking part will be paid for their work and costs associated with learning activities, which are expected to take up to 15 hours a month.

This payment will be 5,000 per pilot participant in the first year of the pilot, and it will be paid in monthly instalments.

This is in addition to the payments farmers will receive for their land management actions, Defra confirmed on Monday (7 June).

More than 2,000 farmers responded to its call for applicants to take part in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) pilot, which is due to start in October.

The SFI is the next step in the the government's post-Brexit plan to reward farmers for sustainable farming practices that enhance the environment.

It is one of three new schemes that will help to deliver on the UK's carbon net zero targets, with an aim for a full roll out from 2024.

As part of the pilot, learning activities are expected to take up to 15 hours a month, and farmers will be paid for this time.

Defra explained more about the scheme in a new update released on Monday: "Most of these hours will involve thinking while doing.

"For example, youd be thinking about how aspects of the scheme (such as advice or land management actions) could be improved, while youre planning or physically undertaking work."

On the 5,000 payment, the department said: "This is a flat rate, meaning that everyone is paid the same regardless of how much land they have in their agreement.

"The demand on your time for learning activities is the same for all participants."

It added this payment would be reviewed for future years of the pilot, depending on how much time is spent on the activities and how much learning is needed.

Learning activities will be based on a farmer's experience of carrying out actions associated with the pilot agreement.

This includes things like: making an application and entering into an agreement; delivering an agreement; planning and implementing the land management actions chosen.

Defra said it would run a programme of surveys, interviews and workshops to gather information about farmers' experiences.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive is the first of the UK's three new environmental schemes to be piloted and co-designed.

The government says further information on the other two schemes, Local Nature Recovery and Landscape Recovery, will be shared later this year.

More information on the SFI pilot can be found on the government's 'Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot: how youll help Defra learn' webpage.
A new mentor scheme launched by the government and NFU will help farming businesses who are looking to export for the first time.

The scheme, run by the Department for International Trade (DIT), AHDB and NFU, will match experienced exporters with farmers and food producers.

The mentors will give practical help and advice to would-be exporters through roundtables, mentoring sessions and newsletters.

There is global demand for British agriculture and food, with the UK exporting 21.7bn worth of food and drink in 2020.

And by 2030, two-thirds of the worlds middle classes will be in Asia, creating new export opportunities for British farming.

Secretary of State for International Trade, Liz Truss, said the government was 'determined' to help farmers make the most of the new post-Brexit trade deals.

"This new mentor programme matches experienced exporters with our brilliant farmers and food producers to help them open even more doors to the fastest-growing consumer markets.

"We are working in lockstep with partners like the AHDB, the NFU to unleash our global exporting potential and fly the flag for British food and drink."

The AHDB added that the scheme would provide 'huge benefits' to farmers, whilst also allowing mentors to help shape new exporters to meet demand for British agriculture.

The scheme will allow businesses to share their expertise with would-be exporters and equip them with the tools they need to sell their products around the world.

The first round of unpaid mentors will focus on diary and red meat, however seafood and packaged/processed food mentoring programmes will follow later in the year.

The scheme is part of DITs new strategy to boost agri exports into new markets, as 97% of the food and drink sector are SMEs but only 1 in 5 of food and drink businesses export.

Earlier this year DIT launched a new campaign 'Open Doors' to encourage food producers to take advantage of opportunities in markets like the Indo-Pacific region.
Improved powers will be given to the police to respond to livestock worrying incidents more effectively, the government has today announced.

New measures to crack down on dog attacks are to be introduced in England and Wales through the newly-unveiled Kept Animals Bill.

Figures show that the cost of livestock worrying increased by over 10% to 1.3m last year as the pandemic saw a surge in people visiting the countryside.

A recent survey by the National Sheep Association's (NSA) showed the continued increase year-on-year of these attacks, underlining the significant emotional cost experienced by farmers.

Measures included in the bill include increasing the scope of livestock species and locations covered by the law, such as llamas, emus, enclosed deer, and donkeys. New locations will include roads and paths as long as the livestock have not strayed onto a road.

Police will also gain more power to seize dogs after particularly serious incidents, if there is a reason to believe that dog might pose an ongoing risk to livestock.

Currently, forces can only seize a dog for the purpose of identifying the owner, and it has to be returned to the owner once they have been identified.

A new power to take samples from livestock and dogs suspected of an offence will be granted, which will help the police investigate these crimes. At present, most cases dont end up in prosecution due to a lack of evidence.

The bill will also modify powers of entry, meaning that police can enter a premises to identify and/or seize a dog or any items they believe to be evidence of an offence.

The NSA said it 'welcomed' the new Kept Animals Bill, adding that it would strengthen legislation to support local police forces and rural crime teams in stopping these incidents.

Chief executive Phil Stocker said: "Dog ownership has increased markedly  all of which have added to an increased threat to livestock and livelihoods.

"We look forward to continuing to work with Defra, and other interested organisations, to address the issue of dogs attacking sheep and other livestock, to change behaviours and attitudes for the good of all.

Defra's farming minister Victoria Prentis said live stock worrying caused 'devastating effects' for the animals involved and for farmers.

Growing up on a farm, and having suffered from a dog attack at home, I know first-hand the distress that it causes farmers and animals as well as the financial implications.

We are cracking down on this issue by introducing new laws to tackle this offence and giving police more powers to act on reports of livestock worrying.
Total exports of UK sheep meat lifted considerably in March compared to a year before, new analysis by AHDB shows.

Exports of UK fresh and frozen sheep meat lifted 11 percent in March to total 6,150 tonnes, the levy board said in a new update.

Export prices for the month also rose year-on-year, driven by the elevated farmgate prices seen over the last few months in the UK and Europe.

However, the year to date volumes of exports is still 22 percent lower compared to the same period last year, AHDB added.

In Q1 as a whole, volumes to all major UK sheep meat export destinations have declined on the year.

Volumes to the EU were down a marked 26 percent, although volumes to Hong Kong lifted (+600 tonnes).

Meanwhile, AHDB explained that UK sheep meat imports dropped back in March, down 19% compared to the same month last year to 7,600 tonnes.

There were declines in recorded trade from all major import partners, with New Zealand (-10%), Australia (-46%) and Ireland (-71%) falling year-on-year.

Import volumes for the year-to-date total 14,500 tonnes, 15 percent lower than last year, AHDB added.
The UK will become the first European country to end live exports as the government sets out new powers to boost animal welfare.

The second Animal Welfare Bill has launched on Tuesday (8 June) as part of the government's ambition to 'protect pets, livestock and wild animals'.

The new bill seeks to improve welfare standards through a wide range of measures, including new powers to clamp down on livestock worrying and a live export ban.

It will also permit for an increase in police powers to tackle puppy smuggling.

Defra said it was 'committed' to improving the UK's 'already world-leading standards' by delivering reforms outlined in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare.

On live exports, the department said the practice caused farm animals to experience 'distress and injury' due to 'excessively long journeys during export'.

"We will become the first European country to end this practice," Defra explained today.

"EU rules prevented any changes to these journeys, but the UK government is now free to pursue plans which would see a ban on the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening."

But farming groups have warned that any significant regulatory changes could potentially have a major impact on the UK food supply chain.

The Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) has said that a live export ban could 'cut off an essential lifeline' for sheep producers.

President Glyn Roberts: We fully appreciate peoples concerns about live exports, but we must bear in mind that the EU has legal welfare standards which are the highest in the world, and these apply both here and on mainland Europe."

According to Ruminant Health & Welfare (RH&W)  whose members represent the breadth of the supply chain  a ban on live exports would have far-reaching consequences.

It urged the government to build regional abattoir capacity in response: "Defra should, if a trade ban is implemented, take responsibility for the impact on businesses," said chairman Nigel Miller.

The new bill will also give powers to the police to provide greater protection to livestock from out-of-control dogs.

It will also extend this protection to other species such as llamas, ostriches and game birds.

Figures show that the cost of dog attacks on livestock increased by over 10% to 1.3 million last year as the pandemic saw a surge in people visiting the countryside.

Defra Secretary George Eustice said: "The Kept Animals Bill will bring in some of the worlds highest and strongest protections for pets, livestock and kept wild animals.

"As an independent nation outside the EU we are now able to go further than ever on animal welfare by banning the export of live animal exports for slaughter and fattening, prohibiting keeping primates as pets and bringing in new powers to tackle puppy smuggling."

Todays announcement is the second piece of legislation introduced in the last month aimed at boosting animal welfare.

It follows the governments decision to formally recognise animals as sentient in law through the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill which was introduced to parliament last month.

As well as the new bill, the government is set to announce further reforms this year related to microchipping, pet theft, farm animal welfare and tackling wildlife crime.
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The Cabinet had an in-depth review on kharif cultivation and the readiness of the agriculture department. (Photo: Twitter @TelanganaCMO)

HYDERABAD: The state Cabinet on Tuesday decided to extend the lockdown by 10 more days from Wednesday with more relaxation period from 6 am to 5 pm, when shops and establishments will down their shutters.

A grace period of an hour till 6 pm will be given for people to return home and strict lockdown will be enforced from 6 pm to 6 am. However, it was decided that in Sathupalli, Madhira, Nalgonda, Nagarjunasagar, Munugode, Devarakonda and Miryalaguda Assembly segments, the existing lockdown from 1 pm to 6 am will be extended for 10 more days.

Officials of the medical and health department toured these segments to assess ground-level situation and found that the Coronavirus spread had not come under control and recommended that the government continue the existing lockdown as it is.

In other decisions, the Cabinet gave approval to set up special food processing zones in the nine undivided districts except Hyderabad. It directed the officials to set up rice mills and other food processing industries in not less than 250 acres.

The Cabinet had an in-depth review on Kharif cultivation and the readiness of the agriculture department. It hailed the increase in cultivation under the Kaleshwaram and other irrigation projects. It also expressed happiness over 3 crore tonnes of paddy being produced in 1.06 crore acres in the last kharif and rabi seasons.

The Cabinet has taken a decision to constitute a sub-committee to deal with ration dealers commission and other issues in the public distribution system headed by civil supplies minister Gangula Kamalakar.

Another Cabinet sub-committee headed by finance minister T. Harish Rao has been constituted to recommend measures to improve facilities in government hospitals. The Cabinet asked the sub-committee to tour Kerala, Tamil Nadu as well as Sri Lanka, where better medical treatment is given, to study the situation and submit a report.
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Bollywoods fittest diva Shilpa Shetty turns a year older today. On her birthday we get our hands upon her interview where she shares the details of her first date with Raj Kundra and they turn out to be quite like the perfect Mills & Boons romance.

Shilpa Shetty spoke to a publication in 2018 and revealed her details about meeting Raj Kundra. She said that when Raj tried to make the first move, she clearly told him that nothing was going to happen between them. She said that Raj had a few things of hers, and he flew all the way from London to Mumbai to give them to her. Recounting that day she said, On the first day, he sent me a colourful bag, and the next day, he sent me another bag. I immediately picked up the phone and made it clear to him that nothing could happen between us as I was not interested in shifting base from Mumbai to London."

Both Raj and Shilpa were looking to settle down at that point of time. But Shilpa was sure that she wouldnt leave Mumbai. She further added, He gave me his Mumbai address and asked me to meet him. Thats how I ended up going on my first date with Mr Kundra. Now thats really sweet, isnt it?





Shilpa and Raj are now married for more than 12 years and have two adorable children  Viaan and Samisha. The actress is currently busy judging a dance-reality show, where she sashays her way to the panel in jaw-dropping attire.





Heres wishing the diva a very happy birthday and a rocking year ahead!



Read More - 11 Most Loved Instagram Videos Of Shilpa Shetty Kundra And Raj Kundra
Salman Khan had filed a defamation case against Kamaal R. Khan after he posted a video reviewing the actors latest film, Radhe. Salman later issued a statement that the case was not because of the review but KRKs offensive remarks about his family and brand, Being Human, calling it a front for money laundering and a fraud.

After the first hearing, Kamaal R. Khan lawyer Manoj Gadkari had told the court that KRK will not post anything about Salman till the next hearing. But KRK continued to tweet about Salman.

Salmans lawyer, Pradip Ghandy has now filed a contempt of court case against KRK for his continued remarks on Salman on social media. He told Additional Sessions Judge C V Marathe that despite the assurance, Kamaal R Khan continued to publish defamatory tweets. The court heard the case based on this application and posted it for further hearing for June 11.


MOUNTAIN VIEW (dpa-AFX) - Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL, GOOG), the parent company of search giant Google, has surpassed retail giant Amazon Inc. (AMZN) on a market-capitalization basis.



Last Friday, Amazon closed at $1.616 trillion at the bell, Google's market capitalization was $1.622 trillion. This makes Alphabet the third most valuable company in the US market after Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT). While Amazon is $1.613 trillion at the bell, Google's market capitalization is $1.632 trillion as of Monday.



Apple leads the way with $2.101 trillion, followed by Microsoft's at $1.912 trillion, with the Windows maker set to become the second US company after Apple to breach the $2-trillion mark.



This is the first time Alphabet has managed to surpass Amazon on a market cap basis in 16 months.



Created in 2015, Alphabet is essentially a holding company for Google, which generates most of its revenue and profit. Although Google has invested in different areas of technology, including mobile phones, artificial intelligence, self-driving cars, and health technology, its key money-generating business continues to be online advertising, driven by its dominance in the search industry.



For the recent first quarter, the company reported revenue growth of 34 percent to $55.31 billion, of which advertising revenues were $44.68 billion. Google has been the market leader in online advertising for well over a decade.



Moving ahead, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said that the company will continue to focus on search engines.



'[For] me, our ultimate moonshot is still Search. I know people would be surprised to hear that 20 years in. Search works very well, but because I'm working on Search, I see all the limitations. Even today, when people type in a complex query, we're looking at keywords trying to match it. We still have a long way to go to actually understand what the user's intent is, the context, where they are coming from, and giving the best answer. So that is still the moonshot,' Pichai told Yahoo Finance in an exclusive interview.



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Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 7, 2021) - Thunder River Enterprises Inc. ("Thunder River" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it completed a non-brokered private placement offering (the "Unit Offering") of 30,000,000 units ("Units") at a purchase price of $0.01 per Unit, for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $300,000. Each Unit consists of one common share ("Common Share") and one half of one warrant (a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant is exercisable to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.015 until June 7, 2023.

The Company is also pleased to announce that it closed a private placement of secured convertible debentures (each a "Debenture") for gross proceeds of $80,000 (the "Debenture Offering"). The Debentures bear interest at a rate of 10% per annum and have a term of 24 months from the date of issue and are convertible in Units at a conversion price of $0.01 per Unit. Each Unit has the same terms as the Unit Offering. Net proceeds of the Unit Offering and Debenture Offering will be used for general corporate and working capital purposes. All securities issued pursuant to the Unit Offering and Debenture Offering are subject to a statutory hold period ending October 8, 2021.

Thunder River is also pleased to announce that it is has completed debt settlements with Family Memorial Inc. ("Family Memorial") and Morris McManus Professional Corporation ("McManus") in respect of an aggregate of $99,354 (collectively, the "Debt Settlements"). Family Memorials has agreed to forgive an aggregate of $60,254 and settle the balance of $20,000 by way of issuance of 2,000,000 Units. McManus has agreed to a cash payment of $9,600 and settle the balance of $9,500 by way of issuance of 950,000 Units. The Units issued pursuant to the Debt Settlements have the same terms as under the Offering and are subject to a statutory hold period ending October 4, 2021. The participation by Family Memorial in the Debt Settlements constitutes a "related party transaction" as such term is defined by Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") under applicable securities laws. Under MI 61-101, the Company is relying on an exemption from the formal valuation requirement and the minority approval of the shareholders for the Debt Settlement. The participation by Family Memorial in the Debt Settlements was approved by directors of the Company who are independent of the related party for purposes of Debt Settlement.

Finally, the Company announces that upon completion of the Offering, the current directors and officers resigned, and the following persons were appointed as directors and officers of the Company:

Michael Stein, Chief Executive Officer and a Director

Mr. Stein currently acts as a financial consultant and advises clients on various matters, including acquisitions, divestitures, corporate financings, re-organizations and restructurings. Mr. Stein is Chief Executive Officer and a director of Loon Energy Corporation. Mr. Stein was past Chief Executive Officer and director of Danbel Ventures Inc., Applied Inventions Management Inc. and Majesta Minerals Inc.; Director, U.S. Money Markets for a federally chartered Canadian Trust Corporation and prior thereto a Senior Institutional Money Banker for a Savings & Loan Association in Long Beach, California. Mr. Stein majored in economics and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from York University.

Harvey McKenzie, Chief Financial Officer and a Director

Mr. Harvey McKenzie is a CPA, CA (LIFE MEMBER) with more than 35 years' accounting experience, including seven years with an international public accounting firm. He is currently the CFO and Corporate Secretary of Omai Gold Mines Corp., CFO and Director of Debut Diamonds Inc., and a Director of MGM Resources Corp., Jaguar Financial Corporation, Canada Iron Inc., Eagle 1 Capital Corporation, Guyana Frontier Mining Corp., and Loon Energy Corporation. During the past ten years, Mr. McKenzie has served as CFO of several Canadian publicly listed exploration, development and producing mining companies. His public-company experience includes the TSX, TSXV and AIM, giving him a solid grasp of global reporting standards, IFRS and consolidation of reporting for worldwide entities. Mr. McKenzie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Toronto.

Barry Polisuk, Director

Mr. Polisuk is a graduate of McGill University and University of Ottawa Law Schools, having obtained an LL.B. cum laude and a Quebec Civil Law Degree. Mr. Polisuk was called to the bar in 1988. Mr. Polisuk is Senior Counsel with Friedmans LLP and was previously a partner with Garfinkle, Biderman LLP since 1997. Mr. Polisuk is a corporate and commercial lawyer, focused on financings, corporate and commercial work, including securities. He has served on the boards of several publicly traded companies including, Majesta Minerals Inc., Richards Oil & Gas Limited, Arehada Mining Limited (formerly Dragon Capital Corporation) and iSign Media Solutions Inc. (formerly Corbal Capital Corp.). He has served as the Corporate Secretary of Mooncor Oil & Gas Corp. and of Solid Gold Resources Corp. and President of Danbel Ventures Inc. Mr. Polisuk is currently a director and Corporate Secretary of Nurcapital Corporation Ltd., a director and Chairman of Canntab Therapeutics Ltd. and a director of Loon Energy Corporation.

Danny Dalla-Longa, Director

Mr. Dalla-Longa is currently CEO of Flurotech Ltd., a technology company which is currently involved in the development of a high speed, verifiable, accurate Covid 19 testing technology. He has been involved in the brokerage industry for 5 years and prior to that was a partner for 18 years in a major accounting firm practising in the area of corporate finance and business valuations. Consequently he has considerable experience in acquisitions, divestitures and corporate financings. Mr. Dalla-Longa holds the designations of Chartered Public Accountant as well as Chartered Business Valuator.

About Thunder River

Thunder River was incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and has never carried on an active business other than the identification and evaluation of assets or businesses with a view to completing a transaction.

For further information contact:

Thunder River Enterprises Inc.

Attention: Michael Stein, Chief Executive Officer

Phone: (416) 410-7722

E-mail: Michael.stein@rogers.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86813
NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 7, 2021 / Infield Minerals Corp. ("Infield" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion of the previously announced qualifying transaction (the "Transaction") of ECC Ventures 2 Corp. ("ECC2") (TSXV:ETWO.P) pursuant to Policy 2.4 - Capital Pool Companies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"). ECC2 today completed a consolidation of its issued and outstanding common shares on the basis of 1 post-consolidation common share (the "Shares") for each 2.25 pre-consolidation common shares and changed its name to "Infield Minerals Corp.". Pursuant to the terms of the amalgamation between ECC2, its wholly owned subsidiary, 1276678 B.C. Ltd. ("Subco"), and Infield Minerals Corp. ("Infield Privco"), the Company has acquired 100% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Infield Privco through Subco in consideration for the issuance of an aggregate of 35,606,477 Shares to former shareholders of Infield Privco.

Effective at the opening of the market on Thursday, June 10, 2021, the Shares will commence trading on the Exchange under the symbol "INFD". The Company's new CUSIP number is 4567H102 and ISIN is CA45674H1029. For further information on the Transaction, please see the Company's Filing Statement dated May 14, 2021, which is available on SEDAR.

Infield Private Placement

On completion of the Transaction, the previously issued 9,552,500 Subscription Receipts of Infield Privco, which were issued at a price of $0.40 for each Subscription Receipt pursuant to private placement financings completed on February 26, 2021 and April 14, 2021 (the "QT Financings"), each converted into one unit of the Company for no additional consideration. Each unit consists of one Share and one share purchase warrant, with each share purchase warrant entitling the holder to acquire one additional Share at a price of $0.60 per share until June 4, 2023. In connection with the QT Financings, the Company paid fees of $231,770 and issued 535,675 agents warrants and 17,500 finders warrants to brokers and finders who introduced subscribers to the QT Financings. Each agent and finder warrant is exercisable into one Share at a price of $0.40 per Share until June 4, 2023.

The gross proceeds of $3,821,000 from the QT Financings will be used to fund the Company's exploration campaign on the Mercury One property (the "Property") located in the Schell Creek Range, White Pine County, Nevada, USA, for Transaction costs, and for general working capital purposes.

M1 Property

Pursuant to an option agreement between Infield and Mercury Exploration Nevada Inc. ("MExN") dated June 30, 2020, Infield has an option to earn a 100% interest in the Property (the "Option"). The Property is a low-sulphidation epithermal gold-silver project with mineralization associated with silicified breccia zones along and proximal to regional and local fault structures.

2021 Exploration Campaign

Infield's exploration objectives at the Property during the 2021 season consists of prospecting, mapping, rock sampling, and geophysical surveying activities as well as approximately 4,000 metres of reverse circulation ("RC") drilling.

Initial drilling commenced in Q1 with 1,920 metres of RC drilling completed over six holes within the South zone of the Property. An additional 2,000 metres of RC drilling at the North zone of the Property is anticipated in Q3. The drilling program is designed to test initial targets in the North and South zones to assess if the gold- and silver-bearing breccia bodies observed in the field are surface expressions of much larger breccia bodies that are associated with faults at depth. The program prioritizes targets with coincident geophysical anomalies (resistivity and chargeability), altered and brecciated rocks mapped on surface, and rock and soil samples with anomalous gold and silver values interpreted to be associated with silicified fault structures.

Pursuant to the terms of the Option, Infield may earn a 100% ownership interest in the Property by issuing MExN 776,250 Infield Shares and making aggregate cash payments of a total of US$207,500 over a period of three years. Infield must also spend $200,000 on the Property by September 30, 2021. To date, Infield has issued 168,750 Infield Shares to MExN, made aggregate cash payments of USD$12,500, and has satisfied the requirement to spend $200,000 on the Property by September 30, 2021. Going forward, Infield will refer to the Property as "M1" in its disclosure documents and corporate materials.

Board and Management

The Board of Directors and management team of the Company have been reconstituted to include the following individuals:

Evandra Nakano, President, CEO and Director

Ms. Evandra Nakano, is the founder, Director, President and CEO of Infield Minerals Corp. She was also co-founder and former CEO and CFO of Kismet Resources Corp. which amalgamated with TDG Gold Corp. in 2020. From 2010 to 2014, Ms. Nakano was a technical team member of B2Gold Corp., where she participated in the evaluation of several major acquisitions. With more than a decade of international mineral exploration and mining industry experience, Ms. Nakano brings a strong combination of technical expertise and business acumen to Infield. She holds a B.Sc. (Honours Geology) from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and an MBA (Finance) from Sauder School of Business, UBC.

Robert Chisholm, CFO and Corporate Secretary

Mr. Robert Chisholm is the CFO of Emprise Capital Corp. ("Emprise"), a private merchant bank based in Vancouver, BC, which provides management, restructuring, accounting and financial services to public companies. Prior to Emprise, Mr. Chisholm was the CFO for PNI Digital Media, a publicly listed company (acquired by Staples). Mr. Chisholm holds a professional accounting designation in Canada and received his BBA with a major in accounting from Saint Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia.

Richard Dufresne, VP Exploration

Mr. Richard Dufresne is a professional geologist active in the mining and mineral exploration industry for more than 30 years. He has held executive and senior management positions for both junior and major companies exploring in North and South America as well as West Africa. From 2009 to 2014, Mr. Dufresne was VP Exploration for Camino Minerals Corp., where he managed all operational and technical aspects of exploration activities in Mexico. From 2002 to 2007, Mr. Dufresne held the position of Senior Geologist for Anglo American Exploration (Canada) Ltd., managing Eastern Canada exploration. Mr. Dufresne is a Geology graduate from University of Montreal and hold a P.Geo. designation with Engineers and Geoscientists BC (EGBC).

Elizabeth McGregor, Director

Ms. Elizabeth McGregor served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Tahoe Resources Inc. from August 9, 2016 until the acquisition by Pan American Silver Corp. on February 22, 2019. Ms. McGregor is a Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and, prior to her role as Chief Financial Officer, served as Tahoe Resource's VP Treasurer. She directed financial planning, corporate liquidity, financial reporting and risk management. Prior to joining Tahoe Resources, she worked at Goldcorp Inc. from 2007 to 2013 where she held various financial roles including Director of Project Finance and Cost Control, Administration Manager at the Penasquito mine, and Director of Risk. Ms. McGregor began her career at KPMG as Audit Manager. She holds a B.A. (Hons) from Queen's University in Kingston.

Shervin Teymouri, Director

Mr. Shervin Teymouri is the founder, CEO and Principal Mining Engineer of Mineit Consulting Inc. Prior to MineIt Consulting, Shervin was a senior mining engineer with Roscoe Postle Associates, and a senior mining engineer at Alexco Resource Corp. Mr. Teymouri has served as a director and on advisory boards for several public and private mining companies. He is a technical director with the Canadian Institute of Mining in Vancouver, and a member of the Mining Technical Advisory and Monitoring Committee of the Canadian Securities Administrators. Mr. Teymouri is also an Adjunct Professor of Mining Engineering at UBC. He holds a B.A.Sc. (Geological Engineering) and Masters (Mining Engineering/Mining Economics) from UBC and holds a P.Eng. designation with EGBC.

David Hladky, Director

Mr. David Hladky is a Professional Geologist with over 22 years of hands-on international mineral exploration experience. His positions have included Senior Geologist and Project Manager for projects in Mexico, Canada, Argentina and Peru, as well as contributing roles in Australia, Brazil and Nevada. Mr. Hladky is currently a Geological Consultant for Newrange Gold Corp. in Ontario and Nevada, and for GR Silver Mining Ltd. in Mexico. He also serves as a Director and Technical Advisor for TRU Precious Metals Corp., and was formerly a Director of Kismet Resources Corp. Mr. Hladky holds a B.Sc. from the University of Alberta, and a P.Geo. designation with APEGA.

Scott Ackerman, Director

Mr. Scott Ackerman is the President and CEO of Emprise. Mr. Ackerman has been active in the public markets for more than 25 years, having held senior executive roles in various capacities from Investor Relations to Executive Management. In addition to his role with Emprise, Mr. Ackerman serves as director and/or officer of a number of publicly traded and private "start-up" venture companies.

The Company wishes to thank Doug McFaul and Brent Ackerman, who have resigned as directors of the Company, for their past services.

Share Capital

Following closing of the Transaction, the Company has a total of 47,758,981 Shares issued and outstanding, including an aggregate of 13,478,142 common shares which are subject to escrow and will be released over 36 months from closing. An additional 23,175,002 Shares are subject to additional resale restrictions (the "Pooled Shares"). 13,612,500 of the Pooled Shares are subject to the provision of a value escrow agreement, with 10% released on closing and 15% every six months thereafter, and 9,562,502 of the Pooled Shares are subject to four-month pooling, with 20% released on closing and 20% monthly thereafter.

On closing of the Transaction, the Company granted 2,500,000 stock options to directors, officers and consultants of the Company, exercisable at $0.40 per share for a period of five years. ECC2's 565,000 stock options which were previously outstanding were affected by the share consolidation, resulting in: (i) 111,111 stock options with an expiry date of April 18, 2023; and (ii) 140,000 stock options with an expiry date of September 4, 2021, each being exercisable at $0.225 per share.

In addition, commencing on August 5, 2021, and every three months thereafter, the Company will issue 168,750 shares (to a maximum of 843,750 shares in total) to Richard Dufresne as consideration for services rendered to the Company pursuant to the terms of a consulting agreement, with such shares being subject to escrow upon issuance.

As a result of the Transaction, Evandra Nakano has ownership and control over 8,000,225 Shares, representing 16.75% of the issued and outstanding Shares (or 8,925,225 Shares and 18.33% of the Company's then outstanding Shares on a partially diluted basis, assuming exercise of Evandra Nakano's share purchase warrants and stock options). Neither the Company nor, to the knowledge of the Company after reasonable inquiry, Evandra Nakano, have knowledge of any material information concerning the Company or its securities which has not been generally disclosed.

The Company has been advised that the securities were acquired by Evandra Nakano for investment purposes, and she has no present intention to acquire further securities of the Company, although she may, in the future, acquire or dispose of securities of the Company through the market or otherwise, as circumstances or market conditions warrant.

To obtain a copy of the early warning report filed under applicable Canadian provincial securities legislation, please go to the Company's profile on SEDAR.

Technical aspects of this news release have been reviewed and approved by Richard Dufresne, P.Geo., Vice President Exploration of Infield, who is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

For more information, please contact Evandra Nakano, the CEO, President and a director of the Company, at +1 (604) 220-4691 or email: info@infieldminerals.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of Infield Minerals Corp.

Evandra Nakano

Director

About Infield

Infield Minerals is currently exploring for high-grade gold and silver in mining-friendly Nevada. Our mission is to grow the company through discovery, acquisitions and sustainable development of high quality, high potential assets. Founded in 2020, Infield is led by a team of mining entrepreneurs with extensive technical and resource evaluation experience.

www.infieldminerals.com

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

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements included in this announcement, including statements concerning Infield's plans, intentions and expectations, which are not historical in nature, are intended to be, and are hereby identified as, "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements may be, but are not always, identified by words including "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "expects" and similar expressions. Infield cautions readers that forward-looking statements, including without limitation those relating to Infield's future operations and business prospects, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties (including geopolitical risk, regulatory, Covid-19 and exchange rate risk) that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statement will prove to be accurate or that management's assumptions underlying such statements will materialize. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this new release and Infield does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking information included herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

SOURCE: Infield Minerals Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/650820/Infield-Minerals-Announces-Completion-of-Qualifying-Transaction
The corporation has now changed its mind and feels having a huge number of public toilets on city footpaths and arterial stretches is not a good idea. (Representational image: Twitter/@GHMConline)

Hyderabad: Thousands of public toilets have gone missing in the city post Swachh Survekshan and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) polls. Incidentally, officials are refusing to reveal data pertaining to the amount spent on erecting these toilets across the city before the Swachh Survekshan and municipal polls.

The civic body had in January claimed that about 7,800 public toilets had been installed at 3,500 locations all across the municipal corporation limits, while efforts will be made to meet the state governments target of having 10,000 such toilets. The corporation went on to claim that Hyderabad now has the highest number of public toilets compared to any other city in the country.

Most of these facilities have been installed under Build, Operate and Transfer basis involving different agencies.

Though installation of 10,000 public toilets across GHMC limits should have been completed by January, GHMC took the stand that their construction had got delayed mainly due to Covid-19 pandemic. Officials maintained that the balance 2,200-odd toilets will be installed at the earliest, as tenders had already floated for them.

The municipal corporation further asserted that these toilets will be well maintained by different agencies, including a few self-help groups. For this, GHMC has earmarked Rs. 3,500 per toilet per month. The annual expenditure for maintenance of these toilets is estimated to be between Rs. 2225 crore. Of the 6,000 new public toilets, around 1,000 have been installed in LB Nagar zone, 1,000 in Kukatpally, 1,034 in Charminar, 1,000 in Serilingampally, 905 in Khairatabad and 1,032 in Secunderabad zone.

The civic body has, however, taken a 'U' immediately after conclusion of GHMC polls and Swachh Survekshan survey. Apparently, this means all publicity about constructing the public toilets was to only serve these two purposes and increase Hyderabads rank at the all-India level. Building public toilets had also been extensively used for campaigning by the ruling party, with many hoardings erected during polls.

The corporation has now changed its mind and feels having a huge number of public toilets on city footpaths and arterial stretches is not a good idea. It feels such toilets at every 500-metre distance will not only give a shoddy look to the city, but also make the city unclean due to their improper maintenance.

Incidentally, a top bureaucrat, who instructed GHMC authorities to set up public toilets in the first place, later ordered that they be removed. Following his instructions, the civic authorities dismantled around 1,000 public toilets in Baghlingampally, Uppal, Mettuguda, Sangeet Road, Panjagutta, LB Nagar, Moosarambagh and other areas.

A senior GHMC official, on condition of anonymity, said the corporation's advertisement wing has officially removed 327 toilets on footpaths and other arterial stretches. It would remove another 20 of them in a couple of days. The official disclosed that the engineering wing too has dismantled over 500 toilets and will relocate them at city bus stops.

"Despite inviting tenders, private agencies have not turned up to take up maintenance of public toilets. Citing this, higher authorities have decided to remove the toilets due their unhygienic usage by citizens", the official added.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 7, 2021) - KES 7 Capital Inc. ("KES 7") announces that on June 7, 2021 it acquired 2,852,972 common share purchase warrants of Cuda Oil and Gas Inc. (the "Company") by way of a private placement (the "Private Placement") in satisfaction of fees payable for services rendered in the amount of $270,000. Each warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share at an exercise price of $0.07 for a term of three years.

Prior to completion of the Private Placement, KES 7 and its joint actors held 3,397,028 common shares and 2,850,000 common share purchase warrants of the Company, which represented 7.5% of common shares outstanding before giving effect to any outstanding warrants and 12.9% of the outstanding common shares assuming the exercise by KES 7 and its joint actors of their warrants. After giving effect to the Private Placement, KES 7 and its joint actors held 3,397,028 common shares and 5,702,972 common share purchase warrants, which represents 7.5% of the common shares outstanding before giving effect to any outstanding warrants and 17.8% of the outstanding common shares assuming the exercise by KES 7 and its joint actors of their warrants.

The warrants were acquired for investment purposes. In the future, KES 7 or any joint actor may, subject to applicable law, acquire or dispose of securities of the Company depending upon a number of factors, including but not limited to general market and economic conditions and other available investment opportunities.

For further information or to obtain a copy of the early warning report, please contact Mark Christensen at 416 926 4387.

KES 7 Capital Inc.

87 Scollard Street, Suite 200

Toronto, ON M5R 1G4

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86789
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 7, 2021) - PORTOFINO RESOURCES INC. (TSXV: POR) (OTCQB: PFFOF) (FSE: POTA) ("Portofino" or the "Company") wishes to report that all management resolutions proposed in the Management Proxy Circular were approved by shareholders at its Annual and Special General Meeting ("AGM") held Monday June 7, 2021, including:

The number of Directors for the Company was set at three. The three members elected to the Board of Directors include: David G. Tafel, Stephen J. Wilkinson and Brian Crawford. Manning Elliott LLP, Chartered Accountants, was re-appointed as auditor of the Company for the ensuing year. Disinterested shareholders approved the Equity Incentive Plan. The Company's Stock Option Plan was ratified.

About Portofino Resources Inc.

Portofino is a Vancouver-based Canadian company focused on exploring and developing mineral resource projects in the Americas. Its South of Otter and Bruce Lake projects are in the historic gold mining district of Red Lake, Ontario, Canada proximal to the high-grade Dixie gold project owned by Great Bear Resources Ltd. In addition, Portofino holds three other northwestern Ontario gold projects; the Gold Creek property located immediately south of the historic Shebandowan Nickel-Copper mine, as well as the Sapawe West and Melema West properties located in the rapidly developing Atikokan gold mining camp.

The Company also holds the right to a 100% interest in the Yergo lithium salar property located within the world-renowned "Lithium Triangle" in Argentina.

For further information on the Company, its projects and its management please visit our website:

https://www.portofinoresources.com/.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"David G. Tafel"

Chief Executive Officer

For Further Information Contact:

David Tafel CEO,

Director 604-683-1991

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

This news release may contain forward-looking statements concerning future operations of Portofino Resources Inc. (the "Company"). All forward-looking statements concerning the Company's future plans and operations, including management's assessment of the Company's project expectations or beliefs may be subject to certain assumptions, risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual performance and exploration and financial results may differ materially from any estimates or projections.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86812
With high-quality imaging of a broad range of objects, Mech-Eye Pro Enhanced expands the boundary of pick-and-place applications

BEIJING, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mech-Mind Robotics ("Mech-Mind"), fast-growing Chinese AI startup, has announced its new-generation Mech-Eye Pro Enhanced Industrial 3D Camera. Equipped with fast structured light, this 3D camera presents high-quality 3D imaging of a broad range of objects, including tiny, shiny, reflective, and colored objects.

Industrial 3D camera has become an essential partner for pick-and-place robotics. Yet, when it comes to densely packed, randomly placed, and highly detailed objects, limitation in terms of resolution, precision, and speed restricts their performance and potential.

With advances in resolution and precision, Mech-Eye Pro Enhanced 3D industrial camera can generate complete, detailed, and accurate point cloud with native and perfectly aligned color for a wide variety of objects, including plastic, ceramic, metal, cardboard, and wood.

In addition, Mech-Eye Pro Enhanced's notable features include:

Extra field-of-view w ith 3D imaging time shortened to 0.5 second possible. This enables Mech-Eye Pro Enhanced to meet a wide variety of typical applications, including bin picking, inspecting, measuring, and academic research.

This enables Mech-Eye Pro Enhanced to meet a wide variety of typical applications, including bin picking, inspecting, measuring, and academic research. Compact Aluminium housing with flexible mounting options. This minimizes the impact on maneuverability and enables robot cells to maintain reliable operation in demanding applications.

This minimizes the impact on maneuverability and enables robot cells to maintain reliable operation in demanding applications. Cost efficiency. Mech-Eye Pro Enhanced is competitive in terms of pricing. Moreover, it helps customers boost efficiency and productivity.

Mech-Eye Pro Enhanced is competitive in terms of pricing. Moreover, it helps customers boost efficiency and productivity. Industrial suitability with IP65, vibration resistant, EMC/EMI proved, obtaining CE, FCC, VCCI, and RoHS certifications.

Mech-Mind has developed a full infrastructure and industrial 3D cameras portfolio including:

Mech-Eye Laser : Equipped with fast structured light, Mech-Eye Laser boasts ambient light resistance, significantly reducing shading facility requirements even under sunlight exceeds 10000 lux.

Equipped with fast structured light, boasts ambient light resistance, significantly reducing shading facility requirements even under sunlight exceeds 10000 lux. Mech-Eye Nano : Combining small size with high-quality imaging processing, Mech-Eye Nano helps robotic arms to better understand and interact with their surroundings.

Combining small size with high-quality imaging processing, helps robotic arms to better understand and interact with their surroundings. Mech-Eye Deep : With a large field of view and extra depth accuracy, Mech-Eye Deep can well recognize tightly-packed wrinkled sacks of different sizes.

With a multi-language SDK for platforms, end-users can integrate Mech-Eye 3D Camera with Mech-Vision graphical vision software and Mech-Viz intelligent robot programming environment to develop customized applications.

With such features and potential, Mech-Eye 3D industrial cameras have been deployed in over 1000 applications across wide-ranging industries including manufacturing, steel, food, logistics, finance, and healthcare since 2016.

"Mech-Mind is driven by the philosophy to empower partners and integrators with competitive products and comprehensive service." says Tianlan Shao, Founder & CEO of Mech-Mind.

"Our products are designed to fundamentally reframe the manufacturing pain points by utilizing the practice of AI and human-robotics interaction. Moving forward, we will focus on leveraging technical strength to pioneer the next frontier of manufacturing."

For more information, please visit https://en.mech-mind.net/.

About Mech-Mind Robotics

Mech-Mind was founded in 2016 to put intelligence into industrial robots. Integrating advanced technologies including deep learning, 3D Vision, and motion planning, Mech-Mind offers cost-effective solutions to palletizing and depalletizing, bin picking, order sorting, machine tending and assembly/gluing/locating in logistics and manufacturing.

Mech-Mind's intelligent industrial robot solutions are used in automotive OEM plants, appliance plants, steel plants, food plants, logistics warehouses, banks, and hospitals in countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, and the U.S.

Media Contact:

info@mech-mind.net

+86 156-0056-6154

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1527305/image_5013107_29205793.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1527307/image_5013107_29206184.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1527306/1.jpg
JEOL Ltd.(TOKYO:6951) (President COO Izumi Oi) and SCiLS, a division of Bruker Daltonics, announced that they have concluded a non-exclusive, worldwide distribution agreement for SCiLS Lab MVS software.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210607005273/en/

MALDI-TOFMS imaging system (Graphic: Business Wire)

https://www.jeol.co.jp/en/products/detail/MS-Imaging.html

The SCiLS Lab has been the software of choice for researchers wanting to gain new insights from mass spectrometry imaging. Used in science and industry, the software sets new standards in analysis and visualization, simplifying everyday work and advancing the research. The SCiLS Lab MVS (Multi-Vender Support) can be used for the analysis of mass spectrometry imaging datasets based on the open imzML data format. SCiLS Lab MVS offers all features of SCiLS Lab and it allows the statistical analysis and visualization of mass spectrometry imaging data of virtually unlimited size in two and three spatial dimensions.

"We're very excited to work with JEOL to jointly disseminate the technology of mass spectrometry imaging and to support JEOL's further development of their MALDI imaging solution ," Dennis Trede, co-founder of SCiLS and Director at Bruker Daltonics commented. "SCiLS Lab MVS our software package for vendor-agnostic data analysis offers the broadest possible compatibility for mass spectrometry imaging data of all vendors. The software enables to easily convert data into knowledge irrespective of which mass spectrometers the data come from."

"We are excited to offer SCiLS lab MVS software through our own sales channels," said Yoshihisa Ueda, general manager of the mass spectrometry business unit of JEOL Ltd. "Highly sophisticated statistical analysis capability of SCiLS Lab MVS will benefit our SpiralTOF-plus users considerably as they can now take full advantage of high mass-resolving power of SpiralTOF-plus for their imaging MS researches."

About SCiLS

SCiLS was founded in 2010 as a spin-off from the University of Bremen to develop and promote mathematical and computational software solutions for mass spectrometry imaging. Since 2017, SCiLS has been part of Bruker Corporation.

URL: www.scils.de

JEOL Ltd.

3-1-2, Musashino, Akishima, Tokyo, 196-8558, Japan

Izumi Oi, President COO

(Stock code: 6951, Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section)

www.jeol.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210607005273/en/

Contacts:

JEOL Ltd.

Science and Measurement Instruments Sales Division

SI Sales Promotion Department

MS Group

Toshihito YAMAMOTO

+81-3-6262-3575

E-mail: toyamamo@jeol.co.jp

https://www.jeol.co.jp/en/support/support_system/contact_products.html
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 7, 2021) - Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd. (TSXV: SCZ) (FSE: 1SZ) ("Santacruz", or the "Company") announces that it intends to issue an aggregate of 10,342,604 common shares of the Company at a price of $0.432 per share in settlement of outstanding debts totalling C$4,468,005 (the "Debt Settlements").

Pursuant to the terms of a debt settlement agreement dated as of the date hereof, the Company has agreed to issue 9,907,530 common shares of the Company (the "Manquiri Settlement Shares") in settlement of outstanding debts totaling C$4,280,053 (US$3,545,438) (the "Manquiri Debt") owing to Empresa Minera Manquiri, S.A. ("Manquiri"). The Manquiri Debt was accrued pursuant to a loan agreement dated March 6, 2018, among Impulsora Minera Santacruz, S.A. de C.V. (the "Borrower"), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, the Company, as guarantor, and Manquiri, as amended by a first amendment agreement dated July 2, 2018, as amended by a second amendment agreement dated October 2, 2018 and further amended by a third amendment agreement dated January 30, 2020 (together, the "Loan Agreement"). Pursuant to the Loan Agreement, Manquiri advanced to the Borrower the sum of US$2,300,000 (the "Manquiri Loan") that accrued interest at the rate of 9% per annum, which was subsequently amended to 12% per annum. The Manquiri Loan had a maturity date of March 31, 2021; however, pursuant to a debt acknowledgement and obligation of payment agreement dated April 21, 2021, the parties agreed to settle the Manquiri Debt by July 21, 2021.

Pursuant to a debt NSR settlement agreement dated as of the date hereof, the Company has also agreed to issue 435,074 common shares of the Company (the "Guilloyna Settlement Shares" together with the Manquiri Settlement Shares, the "Settlement Shares") in settlement of outstanding debts totaling CAD$187,952 (USD$156,000) (the "Guilloyna Debt") owing to Minas Guilloyna, S.A. de C.V. ("Guilloyna"). The Guilloyna Debt was accrued pursuant to a Net Smelter Returns Agreement dated September 19, 2014 (the "NSR Agreement") among the Borrower, the Company, as guarantor, and Guilloyna, that was entered into in connection with the Company's acquisition of the Rosario Mine from Guilloyna. Pursuant to the NSR Agreement, the Borrower agreed to pay a net smelter return royalty for of up to 1.0% on precious metals produced from the Rosario Mine. On December 31, 2016, the net smelter return royalty in the amount of US$156,000 became due and owing to Guilloyna.

By issuing the Settlement Shares, the Manquiri Debt and Guilloyna Debt will be definitively extinguished. The Company is proposing to issue the Settlement Shares in order to preserve cash to fund future operations.

The Debt Settlements are subject to all necessary regulatory approvals, including acceptance from the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued in connection with the Debt Settlements will be subject to a four-month hold period from the closing date under applicable Canadian securities laws, in addition to such other restrictions as may apply under applicable securities laws of jurisdictions outside Canada.

About Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd.

Santacruz is a Mexican focused silver company that currently owns and operates the Rosario Project and the Zimapan Mine.

The Company is managed by a technical team of professionals with proven track records in developing, operating and discovering silver mines in Mexico. Our corporate objective is to become a mid-tier silver producer.

'signed'

Arturo Prestamo Elizondo,

Executive Chairman

For further information please contact:

Mars Investor Relations

Telephone: (778) 999 4653

scz@marsinvestorrelations.com

Arturo Prestamo

Santacruz Silver Mining Ltd.

Email: info@santacruzsilver.com

Telephone: (528) 183 785707

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

Forward-Looking Statements:

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "occur". This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements regarding discussions of future plans, estimates and forecasts and statements as to management's expectations and intentions with respect to, among other things: the Debt Settlements.

These forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties and actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things: the Company not receiving the necessary regulatory approvals in respect of the Debt Settlements.

In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that: the Company will receive the necessary regulatory approvals in respect of the Debt Settlements.

Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, forward-looking information or financial out-look that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. We seek safe harbor.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86846
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 7, 2021) - Though on first glance winemakers and marine scientists may seem like an odd match, on World Ocean Day on June 8, 2021, family owned Australian winery, Wakefield Wines is coming together with the Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS) to save the White's seahorse, and their habitats, from extinction.

The SeaBnB campaign is a fundraising initiative calling on supporters from around the world to give these underwater equines a temporary home in a 'seahorse hotel' while SIMS researchers work to rebuild their permanent, seagrass habitats. 100% of donations (less any transaction fees) go directly towards SIMS research projects with the aim to fully restore the seahorse's natural habitats and give these animals a fighting chance to avoid extinction. The aim is to raise $150,000, with $10,000 donated by the family winery to kickstart the campaign.

"I've always been fascinated by the great work that SIMS does and I'm blown away by the innovative research they are doing to restore the homes of these precious marine animals," Wakefield Wines third-generation Winemaker and Managing Director Mitchell Taylor said.

"Seahorses, much like grapevines, are an indicator species that raise the alarm to serious climate-related issues. It's very important we do what we can to reverse their population decline before it's too late."

The White's seahorse is endemic to the east coast of Australia and is one of only two seahorses on the planet to be listed as an Endangered species. Their preferred homes, the underwater seagrass meadows known as Posidonia australis, are declining at a rapid rate, the same rate as our beloved coral reefs.

According to SIMS, the survival of this seagrass species is crucial in the fight against climate change. It has the ability to slow climate change by storing carbon 30 to 40 times faster than terrestrial forests. And while being home to beautiful sea critters like the White's seahorse, the seagrass helps filter the debris in our oceans, making them the picturesque clear blue waters seen in tourism ads around the world.

"This is such an exciting initiative - it's a partnership which unites two quite distinct organisations who share common values focused on safeguarding the future of the planet." SIMS CEO Martina Doblin said.

"Many people don't realise that changes in the earth's climate system impact both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Every second breath we take is from our oceans. The SeaBnB initiative is an important project that brings together two areas of research - restoring seagrass meadows in Sydney Harbour, and artificial seahorse habitats for the endangered White's seahorse.

"We hope this campaign will inspire everyone to support our work and learn more about the importance of these restoration efforts."

Donations of any denomination can be made at SeaBnb.com.au or selected from the list of luxury SeaBnB seahorse accommodation packages.

To launch the campaign, Wakefield Wines have called upon Australian record freediver Adam Stern to act as an underwater hotel concierge for incoming seahorse guests in a short film about the initiative.

"It's hard not to notice the deterioration of marine habitats all over the world. Without projects like this, we're going to continue to see the degradation of these underwater environments."

Funds raised for this campaign directly supports three phases of SIMS research and restoration projects. To kick start the campaign and Phase 1A of the project, Wakefield have chipped in $10,000:

Phase 1A is to develop a greater scientific understanding of the success of extending the seahorses' natural seagrass habitat with the temporary SeaBnB structures

is to develop a greater scientific understanding of the success of extending the seahorses' natural seagrass habitat with the temporary SeaBnB structures Phase 1B will trial the restoration of Posidonia meadows in areas of Sydney Harbour where they have drastically declined

will trial the restoration of Posidonia meadows in areas of Sydney Harbour where they have drastically declined Phase 2 of the project will be the rehabilitation of Posidonia seagrass in one major site in Sydney Harbour

of the project will be the rehabilitation of Posidonia seagrass in one major site in Sydney Harbour Phase 3 will be the rehabilitation of the Sydney seahorse populations in Sydney Harbour. This will be based on the successful rearing of seahorse babies with a partner organisation, followed by the reintroduction of seahorses to the established Posidonia site

Donations to the SeaBnB initiative, as well as additional information about the project, is available at www.seabnb.com.au

wakefieldwines.com.au

@wakefieldwines

SeaBnB

Wakefield Wines brings attention to World Ocean Day, June 8th 2021 as a reminder to all about the importance of caring for the planets oceans and encourage others to take action in the clean up and preservation of our marine ecosystems.

For further information, imagery or interview requests please contact Wakefield Wines Global Assistant Brand Manager:

Joanna Blaszczyk | e: joanna.blaszczyk@taylorswines.com.au | m: +61 423 073 356

__________________________________________________________

World Oceans Day is an international day that takes place annually on 8 June. The concept was originally proposed in 1992 by Canada's International Centre for Ocean Development (ICOD) and the Ocean Institute of Canada (OIC) at the Earth Summit - UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "World Oceans Day" was officially recognised by the United Nations in 2008. The international day supports the implementation of worldwide Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and fosters public interest in the protection of the ocean and the sustainable management of its resources. The purpose of the Day is to inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, and mobilize and unite the world's population on a project for the sustainable management of the world's oceans.

worldoceanday.org

Source: Wakefield Wines

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86834
THR-149 is a potent plasma kallikrein inhibitor for the treatment of DME in the roughly 40% of the patient population respondingsuboptimally to anti-VEGF therapy

Leuven, BE,Boston, MA, US -June8, 2021 - 07.00 AM CET - Oxurion NV(Euronext Brussels: OXUR), a biopharmaceutical company developing next generation standard of care ophthalmic therapies, today announced the completion of patient enrollment into Part A of its two part Phase 2 study ("KALAHARI") evaluating multiple injections of THR-149 for the treatment of DME. Dose selection data from Part A of the study is expected in the second half of 2021.

THR-149, Oxurion's most advanced drug candidate, is being developed to potentially become the treatment of choice for the up to 40% of DME patients, who respond suboptimally to anti-VEGF therapy. THR-149 acts through inhibition of the plasma kallikrein-kinin (PKaI-Kinin) system, a validated VEGF-independent target for DME.

A single dose Phase 1 study showed that THR-149 was well-tolerated, safe and delivered promising efficacy results, particularly improvements in patients' Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) the primary endpoint for registration in DME. A rapid onset of action was observed from Day 1, across all doses, with an increasing average improvement in BCVA of up to 7.5 letters at Day 14. Importantly, this visual gain was maintained with an average improvement in BCVA of 6.4 letters at Day 90.

The Phase 2 KALAHARI study is a two part, randomized, prospective, multi-center study assessing multiple (3) injections of THR-149 in DME patients who suboptimally respond to anti-VEGF therapy. In Part A of the study, three dose levels of THR-149, each administered in 3 monthly intravitreal injections, are being tested in at least 18 patients to select the optimal dose for Part B.

Tom Graney, CFA, Chief Executive Officer of Oxurion, comments, "We are very pleased to announce the completion of patient enrollment into Part A of ourPhase 2 study evaluating THR-149 for the treatment of DME, particularly given the challenges posed by the continuing Covid-19 situation. This milestone positions us to report the important initial Part A data in the second half of the year. These data, if positive, will provide proof of concept and be a significant derisking event for the company. This patient population currently does not have adequate treatment options and representsacritical area of unmet medical need in the treatment of diabetic macular edema."

Part B (n104) is the double-masked, active-controlled part of the study with the dose selected from Part A studied against aflibercept as the active comparator. Final topline results from Part B of the study are expected in the first half of 2023.

END



For further information please contact:

Oxurion NV

Wouter Piepers,

Global Head of Investor Relations

& Corporate Communications

Tel: +32 478 33 56 32

wouter.piepers@oxurion.com (mailto:wouter.piepers@oxurion.com)



EU

Citigate Dewe Rogerson

David Dible/ Sylvie Berrebi/Frazer Hall

Tel: +44 20 7638 9571

oxurion@citigatedewerogerson.com (mailto:thrombogenics@citigatedewerogerson.com)







US

Westwicke, an ICR Company

Christopher Brinzey

Tel: +1 617 835 9304

chris.brinzey@westwicke.com (mailto:chris.brinzey@westwicke.com)

About Oxurion

Oxurion (Euronext Brussels: OXUR) is a biopharmaceutical company developing next generation standard of care ophthalmic therapies, which are designed to better preserve vision in patients with retinal vascular disorders including diabetic macular edema (DME), the leading cause of vision loss in diabetic patients worldwide as well as other conditions, including wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinal vein occlusion (RVO).

Oxurion is aiming to build the leading global franchise in the treatment of retinal vascular disorders based on the successful development of its two novel therapeutics:

THR-149, a plasma kallikrein inhibitor being developed as a potential new standard of care for the 40% of DME patients who respond suboptimally to anti-VEGF therapy. THR-149 has shown positive topline Phase 1 results for the treatment of DME. The company is currently conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating multiple injections of THR-149 in DME patients who previously responded suboptimally to anti-VEGF therapy.





THR-687 is a pan-RGD integrin antagonist that is initially being developed as a potential first line therapy for DME patients. Positive topline results in a Phase 1 clinical study assessing THR-687 as a treatment for DME were announced in 2020. THR-687 is expected to enter a Phase 2 clinical trial in mid-2021. THR-687, also has the potential to deliver improved treatment outcomes for patients with wet AMD and RVO.





Oxurion is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and is listed on the Euronext Brussels exchange under the symbol OXUR. More information is available at www.oxurion.com.

Important information about forward-looking statements

Certain statements in this press release may be considered "forward-looking". Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, and, accordingly, entail and are influenced by various risks and uncertainties. The Company therefore cannot provide any assurance that such forward-looking statements will materialize and does not assume an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or any other reason. Additional information concerning risks and uncertainties affecting the business and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement is contained in the Company's Annual Report. This press release does not constitute an offer or invitation for the sale or purchase of securities or assets of Oxurion in any jurisdiction. No securities of Oxurion may be offered or sold within the United States without registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or in compliance with an exemption therefrom, and in accordance with any applicable U.S. state securities laws.
Julius Meinl Living PLC, through its group companies, acquires prime real estate assets for development into serviced residences that the group will then operate itself ("Julius Meinl Living").

Julius Meinl Living PLC is fully owned by the Meinl family who, over the last 150 years, have demonstrated their expertise in Central and Eastern Europe in consumer goods, retail and real estate. The aparthotels will offer five star rooms for four star prices and will operate under the brand "Julius Meinl House".

New Property Acquisition

Julius Meinl Living is pleased to announce that it has signed binding documentation for the purchase of a third property, the Escala Hotel & Suites in Budapest. This property:

Is being acquired through the acquisition of the SPV whose main asset it is.

Has a purchase cost of approximately 7 million on a cash and debt free basis.

Has a built area of 4,093m2 and currently has 50 guest rooms with an average size of 50.2m2. There is also a breakfast lounge and parking for 20 cars.

Is located in the Corvin district of central Budapest, approximately a 15 minute walk from the city's main sites and from the main business districts also.

Was opened in 2010 and for 10 years until March 2020 operated as an aparthotel by Frasers Hospitality. It has since been operated by the owner as a four star property.

Achieved consistent pre-covid occupancy levels in excess of 90%, revenues of 1.4 - 1.5 million and net operating income (NOI) margins of 40 - 45%. Through 2020, it achieved lower occupancy but remained profitable at the NOI level.

Once the acquisition has completed, Julius Meinl Living intends to:

Invest a limited amount in the property in order to secure and enhance its performance. This investment will increase the number of rooms to 51.

Operate the property under a brand of its own, reflecting it having a positioning in the market that is distinct from Julius Meinl Living's core "Julius Meinl House" offering of "five star rooms for four star prices".

Return revenues to pre-covid levels and achieve further growth thereafter, together with growing the NOI margin towards the group's long term target of 55 - 60%.

For Julius Meinl Living, this approach brings with it many benefits:

Integration of an operating property in advance of the opening of the Senovazne Namesti property, with many resulting opportunities to test offerings, capabilities and systems.

Immediate and continuing cash generation.

The option, as the group expands to operate properties under more than one brand, thereby targeting and growing the aparthotel market at different levels.

The acquisition of the Escala Hotel & Suites is subject to approval by the Hungarian government. This is expected to take approximately two months.

The bank financing of the acquisition is currently at the signed term sheet stage. It is anticipated that binding loan documentation will enable bank debt to be drawn down at the time the acquisition completes.

Existing Properties

The group's first property is under development on Senovazne Namesti in Prague, in the Czech Republic, and will have 168 guest rooms and apartments. The main construction works commenced in July 2019 and are now [substantially complete and the main focus is switching to the installation of fixtures, fittings and systems, as well as testing]. The property is on track to open in Q4 of this year. To ensure that the property trades successfully upon opening, Julius Meinl Living is currently building its hospitality, sales and marketing teams. For the purposes of Julius Meinl Living's 2020 group accounts, prepared according to IFRS, this property has a net development value of 65.7 million. Stabilised revenues from this property are expected to exceed 8 million per annum from 2026

The group's second property is on Bulevar vojvode Bojovica in Belgrade, Serbia and is part of a wider development called "K-District". Julius Meinl Living has contracted to acquire this property by means of a binding forward purchase agreement. It will have 129 guest rooms and apartments in addition to 96 underground parking spaces. Construction of this property is underway and opening is targeted for Q2 of 2022. For the purposes of Julius Meinl Living's 2020 group accounts, prepared according to IFRS, this property has a net development value of 27.0 million. Stabilised revenues from this property are expected to exceed 3.5 million per annum from 2026.

Branding

Both the Prague and the Belgrade properties will operate under the brand "Julius Meinl House". This brand embodies the heritage and tradition of service associated with the name "Julius Meinl" whilst introducing it to the lodging sector and the idea that for its guests, a "Julius Meinl House" should be a "home away from home". More information is available at www.juliusmeinlhouse.eu.

Future Developments

Julius Meinl Living continues to progress negotiations to seek additional pipeline opportunities funded by its diversified capital structure including the public listed bonds issued in 2019 by JML Finance (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l, maturing in 2024.

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Epazz, Inc.

Epazz Holdings ZenaTech Begins Production of ZenaDrone 1000; To Deliver More Drones to Greenheart Hemp Farms in August After Beta Testing



08-Jun-2021 / 08:45 CET/CEST





As the ZenaDrone 1000 begins production, it will benefit many farmers and improve their farms

CHICAGO, IL via NewMediaWire -- Epazz Inc. (OTC: EPAZ), a mission-critical provider of drone technology, blockchain mobile apps, and cloud-based business software solutions, has announced today that its holding, ZenaTech Inc., has successfully conducted flight testing of the ZenaDrone 1000 in Ireland. The company is upgrading components to increase flight time and hover for extended periods. The company plans to begin autonomous flights next week.

The ZenaDrone smart farming solution combines ZenaTech's software and hardware technological features beneficial to hemp farming at Greenheart CBD farms in Ireland and other crop farming estates. Its technical components can efficiently monitor hemp plant health, detect potential plant problems and help determine the male hemp plants, so the farmers will remove them to quickly increase female hemp plants necessary for producing volumes of CBD oil. The company is working on the technology to remove male hemp plants from the fields.

The drone's distinguishable features include octa quad propellers for excellent lift, speed, and hovering capabilities. Moreover, it has multispectral sensors - infrared, thermal, red, green, blue - for terrain mapping, and GPRS capabilities for tracking. It contains weather sensors - sunlight, wind, and rain-sensing elements for accurate environmental data surrounding the plants. Its 4K high definition camera captures clear images and records crisp videos that display even the little details for precise plant tracking and monitoring. It can store up to one (1) terabyte of data gathered over time.

ZenaDrone 1000 is wrapped with a strong carbon fiber body coat with which you can customize the paint job accordingly. Production of the next version of the ZenaDrone 1000 begins on July 1, 2021, in the United Arab Emirates Free Zone. The company will ship the next drone version to Ireland in August.

Dr. Shaun Passley, CEO of Epazz and ZenaPay, said, "Our ZenaDrone team continues to innovate, improve, test, and enhance the drone components to create a hybrid smart farming solution drone that meets the needs of the farmers. Each prototype is better, faster, more efficient than the previous one. So we are very excited for the future of hemp farming with the help of drones."

Furthermore, ZenaTech Inc expands its customer reach to include the European market and will inaugurate a new satellite office in Dublin, Ireland, in the late summer or early fall this year.

If you are interested in preordering the ZenaDrone farm solution, please visit https://www.zenadrone.com/.

Epazz will provide daily updates on the drone's development and the company on its Twitter page, https://www.twitter.com/epazz.

About ZenaTech Inc. (https://www.zenadrone.com/)

ZenaTech Inc. is a drone-smart hemp farming solution that monitors the plant life cycle from growth to sale. In accordance with government regulations for quality assurance measures, ZenaPay tracks, monitors and calculates plant life cycles in real time, providing accurate data extraction for management and auditing reports and certifying the plant life cycle from start to its targeted purpose.

About Epazz, Inc. (https://www.epazz.com/)

Epazz Inc. is a leading cloud-based software company that specializes in providing customized cloud applications to the corporate world, higher-education institutions and the public sector. Epazz BoxesOS v3.0 is a complete business web-based software package for small to midsized businesses, Fortune 500 enterprises, government agencies and higher-education institutions. BoxesOS provides many of the web-based applications organizations would otherwise need to purchase separately. Epazz's other products are DeskFlex (room scheduling software) and Provitrac (an applicant-tracking system).

SAFE HARBOR

This is the "Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Certain statements contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking statements such as "may," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe" and "continue" (or the negatives thereof) or similar terminology. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results or those implied by such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Epazz Inc. assumes no obligation and has no intention of updating these forward-looking statements, and it has no obligation to update or correct information prepared by third parties that is not paid for by Epazz Inc. Investors are encouraged to review Epazz Inc.'s public filings on SEC.gov and otcmarkets.com, including its unaudited and audited financial statements and its OTC markets filings, which contain general business information about the company's operations, results of operations and risks associated with the company and its operations.

For more information, please contact

Investor Relations

investors@epazz.net

(312) 955-8161

https://www.epazz.com/

Dissemination of a CORPORATE NEWS, transmitted by EQS Group.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.




On World Oceans Day, the Two Companies Join Forces to Bring Benefits of Another Plant-Based Protein to People Worldwide

LIVEKINDLY Collective, a collection of heritage and scale-up brands on track to become one of the world's largest plant-based food companies, today announced an agreement to acquire The Dutch Weed Burger, an Amsterdam-based, iconic brand that uses seaweed as its hero ingredient.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005169/en/

(Photo: Business Wire)

By adding The Dutch Weed Burger to LIVEKINDLY Collective, the company expands its plant-based portfolio with seaweed, a high-quality source of protein cultivated using minimal fresh water and no agricultural land. Additionally, this proposed acquisition will help the company scale internationally in the UK and Nordics, two key markets in Europe, as well as in the U.S. and Canadian markets, and eventually into Asia.

"Innovation in plant-based protein has created a tremendous opportunity to transform the global food system, as consumers increasingly demand tasty and nutritious alternatives to meat," said Kees Kruythoff, CEO and Chairman of LIVEKINDLY Collective. "With the addition of The Dutch Weed Burger, we expand the types of plant-based protein we can offer our consumers in more than 40 countries and accelerate our mission to make plant-based living the new norm."

"We are so excited to join these driven, experienced and passionate leaders who are going to help scale our brand and change the food culture around the globe," said Mark Kulsdom, CEO and Founder of The Dutch Weed Burger.

He added: "Seaweed farming is highly sustainable because it grows profusely in the ocean and it breathes out oxygen while it grows. The plant is nutrient-rich and healthy while bringing a unique umami flavor to people's taste buds. These ocean greens mix perfectly with protein-rich beans and other innovative textures we use. I am looking forward to working within the Collective, because the time for real change is imminent and more urgent than ever!"

LIVEKINDLY Collective brings together founders, entrepreneurs and global business leaders to create a robust ecosystem of plant-based brands, including Oumph!, The Fry Family Food Co., LikeMeat, No Meat and LIVEKINDLY, a digital media platform. The company recently closed a growth funding round, bringing the total of funding received in its first 12 months to $535 million and making LIVEKINDLY Collective one of the top three highest-funded and fastest-growing plant-based food companies globally.

About The Dutch Weed Burger

The Dutch Weed Burger is a plant-based food company, based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It was founded in 2012 by Lisette Kreischer and Mark Kulsdom, as a spin off from their eponymous documentary, shot mostly in New York City, in which they search for the best recipes to bring seaweed to the mainstream public. The first Dutch Weed Burgers were sold from a handmade pushbike in the streets of Amsterdam, where (the icon was born) and it became an instant cult-hit. When restaurants started to put the burger concept on their menu, the pioneer brand trailblazed the vegan trend in the Netherlands and beyond.

About LIVEKINDLY Collective

LIVEKINDLY Collective was founded by Blue Horizon Group on the belief that plant-based alternatives have the power to make the global food system sustainable. Its mission is to make plant-based living the new norm. As a collective of founders, entrepreneurs and business leaders from across the globe, LIVEKINDLY Collective is uniquely positioned to create impact with speed, at scale. Through its portfolio of brands, Oumph!, The Fry Family Food Co., LikeMeat and No Meat, LIVEKINDLY Collective is providing consumers around the world with healthy, sustainable and delicious food options. Furthermore, the company is the voice of the plant-based movement, communicating informative, entertaining and inspiring content through its media and lifestyle platform, LIVEKINDLY, at www.livekindly.com and @livekindlyco on Instagram. LIVEKINDLY Collective has 500 employees and sells in more than 40 countries around the world. To learn more, visit www.thelivekindlyco.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005169/en/

Contacts:

For press inquiries please contact:

Marta Tomczak

press@thelivekindlycollectiveco.com
Agra: The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to carry out an inquiry into a viral video of the owner of a private hospital in Agra, in which he allegedly details how the hospital decided to carry out an oxygen mock drill. The drill is said to have been on April 26, amidst the peak days of Indias second COVID-19 wave, wherein they cut the oxygen of 22 critical Covid patients in the ICU.

The hospital owner is seen making flippant comments about how the patients "turned blue" due to lack of oxygen.

#Agra : @myogioffice ji who is responsible for 22 #deaths?

Paras Hospital owner Dr Jain says that to deal with the increasing number of patients and oxygen shortage, he did a 5-minute oxygen mock drill. In such a situation, 22 patients out of 96 with serious condition died. pic.twitter.com/T1FqLKWxE5  Mohammad Sartaj Alam (@SartajAlamIndia) June 7, 2021

There is no oxygen anywhere-- not even the CM could arrange oxygen. Modi Nagar has run dry. So we started counselling families and asked them to discharge the patients. Some listened, but many refused (to discharge the patients). So we decided to locate critical patients whose oxygen might be on the verge of ending patients on their last legs of oxygen supply. We decided to try to do a mock drill on them. We did the mock drill at 7 a.m. and snapped their oxygen for five minutes. We recognised 22 patients, and realised they would die. We turned their oxygen supply off for five minutes. They turned blue, Arinjay Jain, the owner of Paras hospital, claimed in the video.

After the video was released, it went viral on social media, with netizens condemning the apathy and cruelty of hospital administration, calling upon authorities to look into the matter. Though unconfirmed, netizens are speculating the deaths of the 22 critical patients whose oxygen was cut during the mock drill. Even though both the hospital and government authorities have reported 7 deaths due to Covid on April 26 and April 27, the number of casualties due to oxygen shortage has not been reported.

Agras District Magistrate, Prabhu N Singh, in his statement to the media, claims that no deaths occurred due to the lack of oxygen that day, and a total of 7 deaths were reported as a result of Covid on April 26 and April 27. Mr. Singh has insisted that a probe shall be done by the UP government on the matter.

While talking to the media, Jain insisted that his statements were misapprehended. He insisted that the mock drill was done to spot critical patients and their oxygen dependency, and provide them with better assistance. Though he does not deny the occurrence of the mock drill, he has denied claims of oxygen supply of these patients being cut during the mock drill, asserting that the four deaths that happened on 26th and three on the next day were solely due to Covid-19, and not because of the said drill.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi publicly condemned the incident with a tweet, blaming the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party for its mishandling of the Covid situation in India. In a tweet originally in Hindi, he said, There is a severe shortage of both oxygen and humanity under the BJP rule. Action should be taken immediately against all those responsible for this dangerous crime. My condolences to the families of the deceased in this hour of grief.

          

            



           pic.twitter.com/CYoBB0mJWe  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 8, 2021

Coincidentally, on April 24, Uttar Pradeshs CM Yogi Adityanath, during a virtual interaction with select journalists, had claimed that there was no shortage of oxygen in any government or private Covid hospital in Uttar Pradesh. The state government had also claimed that its preparation for Covid management was better than before.
A Wine of Infinite freshness, Timeless Elegance, and Rare Class

REIMS, France, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Rare Champagne, a wine of true exception, today unveils its Rare Millesime 2008 to wine lovers around the world. The e-launching event will take place at the heart of Paris, at the Aveline Gallery.

Marella Rossi has chosen Rare Champagne to sublimate the decor of her exhibition "Les Petits Plats dans les Grands" in tribute to the 280th anniversary of the Manufacture de Sevres. For its part, the Manufacture de Sevres has chosen the Aveline Gallery to create an event outside the walls and to promote the French Gastronomic Meal, which has been classified as an intangible heritage site by UNESCO for a decade.

"The exhibition directed by Camille Leprince and Marella herself allows us to inscribe the fundamentals of our history. We are delighted to be at the heart of it. It's like a gift." explains Maud Rabin, in charge of Rare Champagne.

Rare Champagne has declared only twelve exceptional vintages of Rare Millesimes Brut & Rose since its inception in 1976: Rare Millesime 1976, 1979, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006 and 2008 and Rare Rose Millesimes 2007 and 2008.

Each vintage is nothing less than a work of art. Even more so, each vintage is a labour of love for Cellar Master, Regis Camus and the Rare Millesime 2008 embodies the harmony between Regis Camus's state of mind and the gifts offered by Nature. The pure, linear precision of Rare Millesime 2008 is true to the Rare Champagne signature, holding unlimited potential for growth, youth and complexity. All the sensations of an infinite springtime.

Of the new release, Camus stated:

"For me, Rare Millesime 2008 embodies the infinite, with its unlimited, rich, constantly present youth and freshness. These sensations intertwine on the palate in a constant cycle of flavours, each more precise and harmonious than the one before. While already a pleasure to drink, this vintage has now acquired an exceptional complexity and mineral character, punctuated with Oriental notes that promise infinite longevity."

While most Champagne houses released their 2008 vintage Tete de Cuvees Brut Champagne in 2018, Regis Camus did not, tasting and reviewing the wine in the cellar until his "labour of love" was ready to be released to wine lovers around the world in 2021.

communication@rare-champagne.com

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DGAP-News: Eckert & Ziegler Strahlen- und Medizintechnik AG / Key word(s): Contract

Eckert & Ziegler: Affiliates Receives Additional NIAID Funding to Advance Pharmaceutical Development



08.06.2021 / 09:30

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Berlin, 8 June 2021 - Myelo Therapeutics GmbH, an affiliate of Eckert & Ziegler (ISIN DE0005659700, TecDAX) focused on developing medical countermeasures (MCM) and therapies for cancer supportive care, announced that the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, extended their contract to advance the development of the new chemical entity Myelo001. The extension into year two of the three-year contract provides an additional $2 million to Myelo Therapeutics to develop clinical-stage Myelo001 as an oral formulation MCM for the treatment of Hematopoietic Acute Radiation Syndrome (H-ARS). The total contract, initially awarded in April 2020, is valued at up to $ 6.2 million over three years if all options are exercised.

The additional funds will advance the development of Myelo001 as an H-ARS monotherapy, and in polypharmacy regimens in laboratory models ranging from rodents to larger animals toward an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The candidate MCM development program is funded in whole or in part by the Radiation and Nuclear Countermeasures Program (RNCP), NIAID, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in the Department of Health, and Human Services (HHS), under Contract No. 75N93020C00005. Only a select number of companies are funded by the RNCP, based on a highly competitive application process.

About Acute Radiation Syndrome

ARS, also known as radiation toxicity or radiation sickness, is an acute illness that presents after exposure of large portions of the body to high levels of radiation, like those that might be experienced during a radiological or nuclear incident. The primary manifestation of ARS is the depletion of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, constituting one of the major causes of mortality. The U.S. government encourages development of new drugs to treat bodily injuries resulting from ARS.

About Myelo Therapeutics

Myelo Therapeutics is a pharmaceutical company based in Berlin, Germany, that is developing innovative treatments in areas of high unmet medical needs, such as Chemotherapy-Induced Myelosuppression (CIM), Radiation-Induced Myelosuppression (RIM), and ARS. Myelo's lead candidate, Myelo001 is a clinical-stage, adjuvant cancer therapy for treatment of chemotherapy - and radiotherapy-induced myelosuppression. It is delivered as an oral tablet formulation and is stable at room temperature for at least three years. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that Myelo001 has both prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy at reducing hematopoietic symptoms caused by radiation and chemotherapy. Eckert & Ziegler is one of Myelo's largest shareholder and has funded a substantial portion of the Myelo001 development activities. www.myelotherapeutics.com.

About Eckert & Ziegler.

Eckert & Ziegler Strahlen- und Medizintechnik AG with her 800 employees is a leading specialist for isotope-related components in nuclear medicine and radiation therapy. The company offers a broad range of services and products for the radiopharmaceutical industry, from early development work to contract manufacturing and distribution. Eckert & Ziegler shares (ISIN DE0005659700) are listed in the TecDAX index of Deutsche Borse.

Contributing to saving lives.



Your contact:

Eckert & Ziegler AG, Karolin Riehle, Investor Relations

Robert-Rossle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany

Tel.: +49 (0) 30 / 94 10 84-138, karolin.riehle@ezag.de, www.ezag.com
COPENHAGEN (dpa-AFX) - Denmark's industrial production declined in April after rising in the previous month, figures from Statistics Denmark showed on Tuesday. Industrial production fell a seasonally adjusted 3.6 percent month-on-month in April, after a 4.4 percent rise in March. In February, output had increased 2.5 percent. Production of plastic, glass and concrete industry decreased the most by 8.9 percent monthly in April. Production of food, beverages and tobacco, and pharmaceutical declined by 6.1 percent and 5.0 percent, respectively. The industrial turnover fell 3.1 month-on-month in April. For the three months ended in April, industrial production gained 1.2 percent. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
MACIF, Aema Groupe's affiliate, announced on 8 June 2021 its intention to raise Euro subordinated debt in the capital market as part of Aviva France acquisition financing. The transaction, subject to market conditions, is expected to be made of several Euro tranches (Restricted Tier 1, Tier 2 and/or Tier 3) and will strengthen the new Group capital structure and Solvency position.

Aema Groupe's management team will conduct investors' meetings/calls on 8, 9 and 10 June 2021. Further information on Aema Groupe, the proposed acquisition and the pro-forma financial information for 2020 of Aema Groupe (including with the Aviva France perimeter) is available at the following address: [https://www.macif.fr/assurance/le-groupe-macif/chiffres-cles-et-publications/informations-financieres]

As of 31 March 2021 (without any transitional measures, and including grandfathering on existing subordinated debt):

MACIF displayed a Solvency 2 ratio of 288% before Aviva France acquisition

- Aema Groupe displayed a Solvency 2 ratio of 215% before Aviva France acquisition

Credit Suisse is acting as Structuring Advisor and Global Coordinator, HSBC and Natixis are acting Global Coordinators and BBVA, BNP Paribas, JP Morgan, ING, RBC and Societe Generale are acting as Joint Lead Managers on this transaction.

About Aema Groupe

Aema Groupe is the mutual protection group resulting from the merger between Aesio and Macif.

With 8 million policy-holders, it employs 14,000 people and has a turnover of 8 billion euros in France.

Every day, Aema Groupe imagines the outlines of a fairer and more humane world by placing thoughtfulness at the heart of its relationship with its members, shareholders and corporate clients..

Find out more: aemagroupe.fr

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005532/en/

Contacts:

Press contact

Valerie Imparato vimparato@aemagroupe.fr +33 6 10 24 48 68

Catherine Meddahi c.meddahi@agence-influences.fr +33 6 08 14 49 70
Department store retailer increases forecast accuracy leading to improved planner productivity and better fulfillment with AI/ML-powered Luminate Planning

Ensuring the right inventory is available to meet customer demands became even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to its recent digital transformation with Blue Yonder's cloud-based Luminate Planning, HEMA, a leading department store retailer, was able to improve its demand forecasting and fulfillment capabilities to meet those customer demands.

The first HEMA store opened in 1926 in Amsterdam. Today, the company has close to 800 stores in 13 countries on three continents with 19,000 employees serving over 6 million visitors every week. The retailer also operates an e-commerce presence in all the countries in which it operates. HEMA stores offer only 100% HEMA-designed products, and the company also recently started selling its products via wholesale partnerships. Seeking an end-to-end omni-channel supply chain solution to optimize its demand forecasting and omni-channel fulfillment capabilities, the retailer turned to Blue Yonder.

HEMA implemented Blue Yonder's Luminate Planning demand forecasting and fulfillment capabilities to all product groups and channels in 2020. This cloud-based solutions portfolio built on Microsoft Azure and powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) provides HEMA with a more accurate view into demand by consolidating and synchronizing demand signals, as well as external variables across all stores and online sales channels. HEMA uses demand forecasting to supply the right inventory through the distribution network to minimizing stock-outs and maximizing inventory turns.

"We have greatly benefited from the AI forecasting engine, generating a more accurate forecast by taking multiple external variables into consideration and creating less work for our demand planners who no longer have to set up seasonal models and promotional lift factors. The model reacts to shifting customer demand, and especially during COVID-19 related store openings/closings, we have been able to get the right inventory to the locations that needed it and increase speed in our supply chain," said Jan Daan van Erven Dorens, manager, Supply Chain Development, HEMA. "In addition, we have also experienced benefits from the fulfillment capabilities, including supporting a multi-echelon supply network, improving efficiency in the end-to-end supply chain and prioritizing stock movements to channels that really need it."

A long-time Blue Yonder customer, HEMA already has a broad Blue Yonder footprint comprised of category management and workforce management solutions.

"By moving from an on-premise to a cloud-based solution, HEMA was able to utilize the power of AI/ML to help bring about more accurate forecasting and demand planning. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, HEMA was able to meet consumer demands by ensuring its shelves were stocked with the right products in store and it was fulfilling orders quickly through its distribution centers (DCs). Because they chose to digitally transform in advance of the pandemic, they were able to thrive and improve customer service," said Johan Reventberg, EMEA president, Blue Yonder.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Blue Yonder's Luminate Planning solutions portfolio

About HEMA

Ever since 1926, HEMA has been making daily life better, easier, and more fun for its customers. With products and services that stand out because of their sustainable quality, optimistic design, and good prices. HEMA has over 32,000 own brand products and services, close to 800 stores in 13 countries on 3 continents, and over 19,000 employees. HEMA revised its strategy at the beginning of 2019. In the coming years, HEMA will focus on growth via partners, its own online channels and those of other companies, international master franchise partners and wholesale activities. As a result, HEMA is increasingly becoming a brand rather than just a retailer.

About Blue Yonder

Blue Yonder is the world leader in digital supply chain and omni-channel commerce fulfillment. Our intelligent, end-to-end platform enables retailers, manufacturers, and logistics providers to seamlessly predict, pivot and fulfill customer demand. With Blue Yonder, you can make more automated, profitable business decisions that deliver greater growth and re-imagined customer experiences. Blue Yonder Fulfill your PotentialTM blueyonder.com

"Blue Yonder" is a trademark or registered trademark of Blue Yonder Group, Inc. Any trade, product or service name referenced in this document using the name "Blue Yonder" is a trademark and/or property of Blue Yonder Group, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of the companies with which they are associated.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005230/en/

Contacts:

Blue Yonder Public Relations Contacts:

Jolene Peixoto, Vice President, Corporate Communications

Tel: +1 978-475-0524, jolene.peixoto@blueyonder.com

Marina Renneke, APR, Corporate Communications Manager

Tel: +1 480-308-3037, marina.renneke@blueyonder.com
MISA nomination enables close collaboration between members and demonstrates long-term commitment to the Microsoft relationship

ITC Secure (ITC), a leading managed security services provider (MSSP) and specialist cyber advisory firm, today announced it has joined the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA), an ecosystem of independent software vendors and managed security service providers that have integrated their solutions to better defend against a world of increasing threats.

This announcement follows the recent successes of ITC achieving Microsoft Gold Partner competencies for Security in May 2021 and Cloud Platform in November 2020.

Mark Weait, CRO, ITC Secure said "At ITC, we acknowledge the critical role that close collaboration and information sharing plays in driving business success. We are extremely proud to join MISA and work with other top experts across the community, share threat intelligence and enhance our solution offerings. Our collective global intelligence will enable us to continue to protect our customers and our customers' customers."

Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman, ITC Secure (US) said "We are thrilled to see ITC achieve industry recognition for excellence from Microsoft once again. We continue to mature our relationship with Microsoft and demonstrate commitment to its best-in-class technology."

Andre Pienaar, Founder, C5 Capital added "This nomination to MISA further positions ITC in Microsoft's partner ecosystem and as a global cyber security defender and leader in managed security services."

Customers will benefit from ITC's ecosystem of managed security services: including security information and event management (SIEM), powered by Microsoft Azure Sentinel and managed detection and response (MDR), powered by Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. Providing scalable, cloud-native solutions, businesses will be more equipped to tackle today's rapidly evolving cyber threats.

Mandana Javaheri, Director of Business Strategy, Microsoft Security Partner Development said "I am pleased to have ITC Secure join us as a partner in the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA). By including our strategic Managed Security Services Providers (MSSPs) in MISA, we help enable further collaboration between cyber security industry leaders in protecting and supporting our joint customers."

For more information on how ITC Secure integrates with Microsoft, please visit us in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace.

-ENDS-

About ITC Secure:

ITC, backed by C5 Capital, is a full-service cyber security solutions provider founded in 1995 and headquartered in London.

At the heart of ITC's cyber services is a 24-hour manned Security Operations Centre. From this centre of excellence, ITC's teams deliver high quality managed security services to help organisations manage the growing complexity of cyber threats and securely support their digital transformation.

ITC's cyber advisors support customers from London and Washington DC offices, driving cyber security change inside organisations and helping them make the right security investment choices.

ITC has over two decades of experience delivering cyber security solutions to organisations in over 180 countries.

ITC is making the digital world a safer place to do business.

Website: itcsecure.com LinkedIn: ITC Secure Twitter: @ITC_secure

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005383/en/

Contacts:

Sophia Casimir at sophia.casimir@itcsecure.com
Maxihost Brings Powerful, Automated Bare Metal Servers for Cloud and Edge Applications to Critical Latin America Interconnection Hub

SAO PAULO, Brazil, June 08, 2021, an innovative global provider of on-demand Bare Metal Cloud is joining forces with KIO Networks , the leading provider of mission critical IT infrastructure services in Mexico and Central America, to launch a new point of presence (PoP) for its platform in Mexico City. This adds a third location to Maxihost's Latin America footprint, following Brazil and Chile. Maxihost's state-of-the-art platform will support international clients interested in Bare Metal servers delivered instantly to support many types of use cases such as gaming, streaming, VPNs, and other low-latency, high-bandwidth applications.



Mexico, with a population of close to 130 million people, is Latin America's largest economy, after Brazil. The Mexico City metro area alone has more than 21 million people. With the current acceleration of digital transformation, the Mexico market is fast becoming a major interconnection and digital hub.

Maxihost's new PoP is situated in KIO's MEX|5 Data Center, one of the most important interconnection hubs in all of Mexico. The facility is strategically located right in Mexico City and offers high levels of availability, redundancy and security, as well as access to a wide range of local and international networks.

"We are thrilled to team up with KIO Networks to bring our Bare Metal Cloud platform to Mexico," says Guilherme Soubihe Alberto, CEO of Maxihost. "We are launching our new location with more than twenty international customers, most of whom are currently reaching end users in Mexico and Central America from Dallas, Texas. Having servers so much closer to targeted users and access to KIO's low-latency networks in the region will enable an enhanced customer experience - whether that is for gaming, streaming, or other high-bandwidth applications."

"We are very excited to welcome Maxihost to the KIO ecosystem," adds Santiago Suinaga, Managing Director of KIO Data Center Services. "Maxihost offers an impressive range of bare metal servers that are unrivaled in Mexico City, including purpose-built machines that are optimized for particular workloads including energy-efficient, high-performance ARM-based servers. Our many existing and future clients will benefit by being able to instantly deploy these powerful bare metal offerings using Maxihost's easy-to-use cloud platform."

Maxihost sees the addition of Mexico to its footprint as part of a global strategy to bring the benefits of its Bare Metal Cloud to broader audiences. The company has additional geographical expansion goals for this year, with new locations planned in Europe and Asia that will add to the company's existing presence in Latin America, the United States, Australia and Japan.

About Maxihost

Maxihost is a global provider of on-demand bare metal cloud for businesses of all sizes. Its mission is to help make the Internet faster and safer by providing powerful, secure, scalable infrastructure solutions. For more information, visit www.maxihost.com or contact sales@maxihost.com .

About KIO Networks

KIO Networks is one of the most innovative Information Technology companies in Latin America, offering a broad portfolio of mission-critical information technology infrastructure services. The company operates 40 state-of-the-art data centers with the highest security, availability and density in the region and has a presence in Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Spain. For more information, visit www.kionetworks.com

Press contact:

Antonio Gonzalez

agonzalezd@kionetworks.com

Mobile:

+ 52 1 5532000398

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/51cb5ca6-25ac-40bc-817c-08f6e5b84634




KARIYA and TOKYO, June 8, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - DENSO and NTT DATA today announced that they have completed a joint verification test to improve mobility experiences using data on vehicle and people flows.In the test, which spanned June 2020 to March 2021, DENSO and NTT DATA gathered participants' "vehicle flow data," or their movements by car, through in-vehicle devices and -people flow data" through their smartphone GPS and beacon detection logs.(1) Together, these data offered insights on participants' driving characteristics and the types of driving scenarios they encountered.The test was conducted to provide better mobility experiences and services, and to help businesses attract potential customers amid changing consumer behaviors. To do this, the test analyzed the participants' driving behaviors and their driving status and behavior, and then recommended stores they might be interested in using their vehicle flow data and people flow data. The test showed that the drivers' behavior were affected by recommendation based on those flow data analysis.Based on the results, DENSO and NTT DATA will consider commercializing the joint service, and verify the business model together with mobility businesses (automakers, car-sharing companies, car rental companies, etc.) and service providers (retailers, tour agents, commercial complexes, etc.).BackgroundWhen going out, many people not only want to enjoy activities at their destination such as shopping, they also want to enjoy the trip and experiences along the way. If, for example, they want to reserve a restaurant, however, first they have to search the Internet for necessary information, and make a reservation through dedicated apps, which makes the experience inconsistent. As technologies such as connected vehicles, next-generation cockpits and automated driving evolve, the amount of information people can access from their cars will increase. Providing a seamless mobile experience for people both inside and outside of the ehicle may provide consumers with value and improve their trips.DENSO is planning and developing next-generation cockpit platforms and connected vehicle system platforms, to build a new mobility society that connects vehicles, people, and things.Since June 2020, in collaboration with unerry Inc., which operates the "Real Behavior Data Platform," NTT DATA has been developing "Mobility Commerce Service(2)," which provides users with a new travel experience to enjoy trips en route to their destination. The verification test used unerry's people flow data(3) and algorithms, which are part of the above service.DENSO and NTT DATA found advantages in working together to provide services that connect people's trips using mobility systems and their destinations. The two companies therefore conducted a verification test to innovate the mobility experience based on vehicle and people flow data.Concept of the serviceIt understands preference for how people move based on data gathered from in-vehicle devices and their smartphones, and analyzes the characteristics of their driving and movement, in order to provide timely and personalized content and recommendations to improve travel experiences and deliver better services when traveling with or without a car. The service is also intended to offer new values to service providers, such as helping them attract potential customers amid changing behaviors.(1) This verification test is being conducted with the consent from the monitors to obtain and use their personal information for the purpose of this verification test.(2) News release issued on June 18, 2020. "NTT DATA and unerry Forms Capital and Business Alliance to Provide "New Travel Experience"https://www.nttdata.com/jp/ja/news/release/2020/061801/(3) Uses unerry's Beacon Bank, the offline behavior data platform. (unerry has formed a capital and business alliance with NTT DATA)For more information, visit https://www.denso.com/global/en/news/newsroom/2021/20210608-g01/.Source: DensoCopyright 2021 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
FELTON, Calif., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As per the published report, the global Non Invasive Prenatal Testing Market is expected to arrive at USD 6.5 billion, by 2028. It is projected to develop by 10.9% CAGR in the period of 2021 to 2028.

What are Key Factors Driving the Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing Market?

Elevated demand along with the acceptance for before time non invasive prenatal testing, together with the progress in the compensation situation, are some of the factors, inspiring the progress of the market.

The exercise of the invasive method of prenatal testing, for example amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling, can initiate problems, like miscarriage. This has caused to a regression in the exercise of these measures and greater demand for the examinations that are non-invasive, safe and additionally efficient.

Besides, non-invasive fetal tests contain a lesser misleading positive along with failure percentage. This has brought about a substantial rise in acceptance of non-invasive tests, during the previous a small number of years. The non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) market is packed with the presented major competitors. The companies are creating joint ventures and associations to retain a steady situation in the market.

For example, Eurofins Scientific declared a settlement with Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd. for the acquirement of GeneTech Inc., one of the revolutionary non invasive prenatal testing developing companies of Japan, in August 2020. By way of this acquirement, Eurofins Scientific is ready to reinforce its existence in the Japanese market.

Please click here to get the sample pdf and find more details on "Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) Market" Report 2028.

Further key findings from the report suggest:

One of the important developments pursued by the competitors of the market comprise, authorization of the examination to other labs and making considerable profits, via gathering royalty payments.

In 2020, owing to the increasing number of diagnostic laboratories through the world, that gives non invasive prenatal testing; the diagnostic laboratories sector retained the major profits share, with reference to the end use. It will enlarge more, by the highest CAGR, during the forecast period.

Due to the existence of constructive compensation strategy in this sector, non invasive prenatal testing for standard & high risk pregnancy, dominated the market.

Attributable to the progressively rising standard motherly period and increasing occurrence of chromosomal aneuploidies, Asia Pacific is estimated to record the highest annual enlargement.

is estimated to record the highest annual enlargement. Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) is likely to be the biggest as well as the highest increasing technology division for the forecast period, since the Next-Generation Sequencing is the frequently used technique for non invasive prenatal testing.

As a result of the existence of a highest number of examinations, performed in this stage of pregnancy, the 13-24 weeks gestation period sector, held the biggest revenue share, in 2020.

Browse 150 page research report with TOC on "Global Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing Market" at: https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/global-non-invasive-prenatal-testing-nipt-market

Million Insights segmented the global non-invasive prenatal testing market based on End Use, Product, Technology, Method, Gestation Period, Risk Type, and Region:

NIPT Gestation Period Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

0-12 Weeks



13-24 Weeks



25-36 Weeks

NIPT Risk Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

High & Average Risk



Low Risk

NIPT Method Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

Ultrasound Detection



Biochemical Screening Tests



Cell-Free DNA in Maternal Plasma Tests

NIPT Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

NGS



Array Technology



PCR



Other Technologies

NIPT Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

Consumables & Reagents



Instruments

NIPT End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

Hospitals & Clinics



Diagnostic Laboratories

NIPT Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

North America



U.S.





Canada



Europe



Germany





U.K.





France





Italy





Spain



Asia Pacific



Japan





China





India





Singapore





Australia



Latin America



Brazi





Mexico



MEA



South Africa





Saudi Arabia

Companies

Quest Diagnostics, Inc.



Qiagen



Myriad Women's Health, Inc. (Myriad Genetics Inc/Counsyl, Inc.)



Med Genome Labs Ltd.



Illumina, Inc. (Verinata Health, Inc.)



Natera, Inc.



Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings



Progenity, Inc.



F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. (Ariosa Diagnostics)



Eurofins LifeCodexx GmbH



Cento gene N.V.



Genesis Genetics (Cooper Surgical, Inc.)

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NEW YORK, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kent Global LLC's Chairman & C.E.O, Mr. Thomas J. Kent, Jr. announced today that a special joint venture with Mr. Manurung from Indonesia has been formed. Mr. Kent went on to say that this mutual alignment is both critical and strategic to the global expansion of Kent Global, LLC, as his firm will now have a unique Indonesian deal flow to present to its private investor network.



Mr. Manurung stated he expects to bring his diverse network of government contacts and business owners looking for foreign direct investment and that this special joint venture is a win-win for everyone. Also, he is personally looking forward to working with Mr. Kent, and plans are already underway for Mr. Kent to visit Indonesia (post COVID) as his special guest to meet with the country's top politicians, government officials and business leaders.

Contact Data

Thomas J. Kent Jr., CEO

< kentthomas141@gmail.com >

New York, New York

+1-646-207-6801

About Kent Global LLC

Kent Global LLC is a New York City based private boutique consultancy supporting clients around the world from startups to governments. Kent Global LLC has assembled strategic contacts which include money managers and angle investors throughout the world.

Related Links

< www.kentgloballlc.net >

About Raya Timbul Manurung

Raya Timbul Manurung has accumulated 30 years of experience in international trade, renewable energy, as board member of the Real Estate Indonesian Association-North Sumatra and as a Partner of Jondaire Capital.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this release are "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "estimates," "projected," "expects," "anticipates," "forecasts," "plans," "intends," "believes," "seeks," "may," "will," "would," "should," "future," "propose," "target," "goal," "objective," "outlook" and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements are not guaranteeing future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside Kent Global LLC's control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements.

Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include Kent Global LLC's ability to manage growth; Kent Global LLC's ability to execute its business plan and meet its projections; potential litigation involving Kent Global LLC; changes in applicable laws or regulations; the possibility that Kent Global LLC may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and the impact of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic on Kent Global LLC's business.

Source: Kent Global LLC
The suggestion to hold virtual meetings has been rejected by both the Houses due to fears that the proceedings of the committees could be leaked. (PTI file image)

New Delhi: Ruling out holding any virtual sessions, various standing committees of Parliament are likely to resume their regular meetings from July.

The standing committees have not been holding their sittings due to the severe second wave of COVID-19.

Sources informed that with most of the Members of Parliament, senior officials and support staff now vaccinated and active cases of COVID-19 coming down, these meetings can now likely resume from July.

This comes even as the Congress and some other opposition parties had urged the secretariats - both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha - to hold these meetings virtually.

However, the suggestion to hold virtual meetings has been rejected by both the Houses due to fears that the proceedings of the committees could be leaked. The proceedings of these committees are confidential and can't be shared in the public domain without proper consent, sources pointed out.

"There is no provision of virtual parliamentary standing committee meeting. It was declined by both the secretariats when few members asked to convene these meetings. These meetings are confidential and there are chances of leaking the video of these meetings," added the source.

A senior minister, when asked about holding these meetings virtually opined, "There should be no virtual meet. These are most confidential meetings and many are related to the security of the nation."

Sources stated that it has already been communicated to the members that virtual meetings are not possible due to the confidentiality and the sensitive character of these meetings.

"The members of these committees need to travel to come for sittings called. They are of various ages. It would be criminal to put them at such a risk till the COVID-19 situation subsided. So, a decision was taken to not hold these meetings," sources stated.

The parliamentary standing committees debate and issue suggestions on various issues and legislation brought before it.

Meanwhile, Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter to request the convening of parliamentary standing committee meetings virtually. "Mr. Prime Minister sir, @narendramodi. Since you seem to be in one of those rarest of rare moods -- of listening to the Opposition. Please do agree to have online meetings of Parliamentary Standing Committees. Please make Digital India a reality!" he tweeted.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2021 / Pascal Biosciences Inc. ("Pascal" or the "Company") (TSXV:PAS)(OTC PINK:PSCBF), has been awarded a grant of US$343,750 from the National Cancer Institute of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). This two-year award will fund development of Pascal's antibody drug for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), which is the most common childhood leukemia.

Pascal is the first to advance an antibody targeting the highly leukemia-specific protein, VpreB, for treating ALL. "This grant validates our scientific efforts and will accelerate development of a new treatment for leukemia patients", stated CEO Patrick Gray. "The exquisite specificity of our antibody will eliminate many of the hazards of current therapies for ALL. This grant will enable Pascal to bring our product into clinical trials."

More than 6000 patients are diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) each year in Canada and the US. About half of ALL patients are adults and half are children, which makes this disease the most common type of childhood leukemia. Pascal's drug will be eligible for orphan drug designation, which can enable financial incentives and a seven year marketing exclusivity. Pascal has filed for patent protection for its ALL treatment. While the number of patients with ALL is relatively small, the market potential for Pascal's drug could be significant. Other cancer products for orphan diseases have proven to be financially successful, selling over $1B each year.

ABOUT ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA

ALL arises as a consequence of dysregulated proliferation of early-stage B cells. The current treatment for ALL---a chemotherapeutic regimen with four toxic drugs---has not changed in over 40 years. This regimen can be quite effective (85% success in children, 50% in adults). However, short- and long-term side effects can be devastating: young patients may have cognitive or developmental problems and frequently develop additional cancers 20 years after treatment, while older patients tend to have great difficulty coping with side effects. Pascal is developing monoclonal antibodies specific for a cell surface protein found only on ALL cells and on the early-stage cells from which ALL originates. This specificity spares the normal, mature B lymphocytes needed for protecting the patient from infection. Pascal's lead antibody for drug development binds the tumor target with high affinity and has good biophysical properties for expedient drug development. Patients treated with Pascal's drug will have the benefit of a highly targeted treatment and will also avoid the detrimental side effects of chemotherapy. The NIH grant, which covers both research and administrative costs for Pascal's program over a period of two years, will validate a drug product for clinical development to treat this challenging leukemia.

ABOUT PASCAL BIOSCIENCES INC.

Pascal is a biotechnology company targeting innovative therapies for serious diseases, including COVID-19. In addition to a targeted therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Pascal is developing treatments for cancer and cannabinoid-based therapeutics. Pascal's leading portfolio also comprises a small molecule therapeutic, PAS-403, that is advancing into clinical trials for the treatment of glioblastoma, and PAS-393, an immuno-stimulatory cannabinoid to be used in combination with checkpoint inhibitor therapy which is being developed collaboratively with SoRSE Technology.

To learn more, visit: https://www.pascalbiosciences.com/.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Dr. Patrick W. Gray, CEO

Company Contact:

Mark van der Horst, President

Investors:

invest@pascalbiosciences.com

Tel: 206-221-3443

Forward-Looking Statements

DISCLAIMER

Certain statements in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 or forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities legislation that may not be based on historical fact, including without limitation statements containing the words "believe", "may", "plan", "will", "estimate", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect" and similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, events or developments, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, events or developments express or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such factors include, among others, our stage of development, lack of any product revenues, additional capital requirements, risk associated with the completion of clinical trials and obtaining regulatory approval to market our products, the ability to protect our intellectual property, dependence on collaborative partners and the prospects for negotiating additional corporate collaborations or licensing arrangements and their timing. Specifically, certain risks and uncertainties that could cause such actual events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from any future events or results expressed or implied by such statements and information include, but are not limited to, the risks and uncertainties that: products that we develop may not succeed in preclinical or clinical trials, or future products in our targeted corporate objectives; our future operating results are uncertain and likely to fluctuate; we may not be able to raise additional capital; we may not be successful in establishing additional corporate collaborations or licensing arrangements; we may not be able to establish marketing and the costs of launching our products may be greater than anticipated; we have no experience in commercial manufacturing; we may face unknown risks related to intellectual property matters; we face increased competition from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies; and other factors as described in detail in our filings with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com. Given these risks and uncertainties, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements and information, which are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. All forward-looking statements and information made herein are based on our current expectations and we undertake no obligation to revise or update such forward- looking statements and information to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law.

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

SOURCE: Pascal Biosciences Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/650833/Pascal-Biosciences-Awarded-NIH-Grant-For-Leukemia-Program
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - INCA ONE GOLD CORP. (TSXV: INCA) (OTC Pink: INCAF) (FSE: SU92) ("Inca One" or the "Company"), a gold producer, operating two, fully permitted, mineral processing facilities in Peru, is pleased to report it has just recorded its most productive May since commencing operations in 2015. All comparative month-over-month ("MoM") production numbers represent consolidated operations from both facilities.

Consolidated Production May-21 Apr-21 MoM Change Deliveries (tonnes) 5,367 3,681 46% Processing (tonnes) 3,538 2,968 19% Gold Production (ounces) 2,219 1,141 94%

Gold production for May 2021 increased 94% on a MoM basis as Inca One produced 2,219 ounces of gold compared to April 2021 (1,141 ounces). The Company also processed 3,538 tonnes of material in May 2021 as compared to the prior month of April 2021 (2,968 tonnes). This was the highest level of gold production for the Company in over one year, dating back to pre COVID-19 operations of March 2020 (2,315 ounces). Average grade processed this past May also increased to 19 grams per tonne, an increase of 58% over the prior month of April.

Deliveries for the month of May 2021 also increased significantly by 46% on a MoM basis as 5,367 tonnes of gold and silver bearing material was delivered between our Chala One and Kori One processing facilities. Deliveries for the month averaged 173 tonnes per day ("TPD").

"I am pleased with the increase in production and especially the level of deliveries recorded at our plants over this past May," stated Edward Kelly, President and CEO of Inca One. "Our ore purchasing teams have been focused and working hard to source high quality, high grade mineral supplies and their effort has been recognized as we recorded record numbers this past month."

As indicated, this past month was the most productive May in the Company's history. The high level of deliveries should bode well for June's production numbers which generally lag deliveries by a few weeks. The steady increase in deliveries is a direct result of the effective deployment of the OCIM Gold Pre-Payment Facility (see Press Release dated March 31, 2021).

About Inca One

Inca One Gold Corp is a TSXV listed, gold producer operating two, fully permitted, gold mineral processing facilities in Peru. The Company has produced in excess of 92,000 ounces of gold, generating over US$125 million in revenue from its first 6 years of operations. Inca One is led by an experienced and capable management team that has established the Company as a trusted leader in servicing government permitted, small-scale miners in Peru. Peru is the world's seventh-largest producer of gold and its small-scale mining sector is estimated by government officials to be valued in the billions of dollars annually. Inca One possesses a combined 450 tonnes per day permitted operating capacity at its two fully integrated plants, Chala One and Kori One. To learn more visit www.incaone.com.





Figure 1. Inca One's gold processing facilities in Peru (left: Chala One facility; right: Kori One facility)

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2645/86858_523f45f8f4ade897_001full.jpg

On behalf of the Board,

Edward Kelly,

President and CEO

Inca One Gold Corp.

For More Information Contact:

Konstantine Tsakumis

Inca One Gold Corp.

ktsakumis@incaone.com

604-568-4877

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

Statements regarding the Company which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as "may", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intend", "believe" and "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature, they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results in each case could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements due to factors such as: (i) fluctuation of mineral prices; (ii) a change in market conditions; and (iii) the fact that future operational results may not be accurately predicted based on this limited information to date. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to update any changes to such statements. Inca One believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included herein should not be unduly relied upon.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86858
Family-owned Bacardi adds ANGEL'S ENVY Whiskey to super-premium portfolio in Europe

LOUISVILLE, Ky., June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ANGEL'S ENVY Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Wine Barrels, the super-premium whiskey owned by Bacardi, launched in select bars in Paris, Berlin and Rome on June 3rd. After launching in London in February 2020, the expansion of ANGEL'S ENVY to cities across the region reflects the growing demand for super-premium spirits and the commitment of Bacardi to growing this sector.



ANGEL'S ENVY, which has been awarded and acclaimed by organizations and publications across the US, was co-founded by the late Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson and his son Wes Henderson, and two generations of Hendersons continue to expand Lincoln's legacy today. The Louisville-based, family-run distiller is recognised in its home country for being one of the first to use secondary finishing in bourbon, a method traditionally reserved for Scotch, to add greater depth and complexity to the whiskey. Though a radical concept when it was first founded in 2010, ANGEL'S ENVY has led and remained at the forefront of secondary finishing in bourbon, which has grown to become common practice in the industry over the last decade. Acquired by Bacardi Limited in 2015, ANGEL'S ENVY perfectly complements other super-premium brands in the Bacardi portfolio including GREY GOOSE vodka and PATRON tequila.

Francis Debeuckelaere, Regional President for Bacardi Europe, Australia & New Zealand, said: "With the premiumisation trend in Europe showing no signs of slowing down, ANGEL'S ENVY is an incredible fit for our portfolio. People continue to show their appreciation for exceptional quality and craftsmanship, which is why they will love ANGEL'S ENVY. As our on-trade partners open their doors for the first time across Europe, we can now offer a lucky few the most exciting brand in the American whiskey category. It is a very special moment for Bacardi and for ANGEL'S ENVY."

Revered by bartenders and whiskey lovers, ANGEL'S ENVY Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Wine Barrels is the core expression, handcrafted in Louisville, Kentucky and the first to launch in Europe. Tasted at every step to ensure incredible quality, the 43.3% ABV bourbon is blended in small batches of eight to twelve barrels at a time and then aged for up to six years, before being finished in hand selected 60-gallon ruby port wine casks made from French oak and imported directly from Portugal. The port finishing process lasts between three to six months, depending on taste, and results in notes of Madeira, ripe fruits, and maple syrup.

ANGEL'S ENVY Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer Wes Henderson comments, "When creating ANGEL'S ENVY, my father and I were deeply inspired by the world of Scotch and its rich history of secondary finishing. As we tasted our bourbon, it became clear just how much the process enhances the whiskey with a subtle sweetness and complex flavours. By applying this familiar technique to our bourbon, we've been able to create a whiskey that has already gained huge popularity in our home country. We feel privileged that as bars in Europe get back on their feet, a select few will be able to offer their customers their first ever taste of ANGEL'S ENVY Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Wine Barrels."

Adhering to the brand motto that whiskey is 'not perfect until it's finished,' ANGEL'S ENVY, which is based in its own 8,000 square metre distillery in downtown Louisville, has now released seven expressions in the USA. Named after the well-known 'Angel's Share' expression of the 5% of spirit lost in ageing, Lincoln famously joked that with this whiskey, he'd finally gotten a better deal than the angels.

Always drink responsibly.

For more information, please contact Shift6:

Email: angelsenvy@shift6pr.global

Phone: +44 7968 894 983 [Nicola Jones]

About ANGEL'S ENVY

ANGEL'S ENVY is a Louisville-based craft distiller that produces small batch, finished whiskeys. Co-founded in 2010 by the late Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson and his son Wes Henderson, it began as a passion project that combined their family's deep-rooted passion for and knowledge of the industry with an innovative outlook on bourbon making and finishing. Today, Wes Henderson and his sons continue the family legacy, working together to produce ANGEL'S ENVY's core offerings - Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Port Wine Barrels, Rye Whiskey Finished in Caribbean Rum Casks and an annually-released Cask Strength Bourbon Finished in Port Wine Barrels - as well as a variety of innovative, special releases.

ANGEL'S ENVY opened the doors to its distillery in 2016 - it was the first full-production whiskey distillery in downtown Louisville and is located at 500 East Main Street. The company distributes to all 50 U.S. states and several select international markets as of February 2020. ANGEL'S ENVY is produced by Louisville Distilling Company, a subsidiary of Bacardi Limited.

For more information, please visit us at www.angelsenvy.com, or on:

Facebook: facebook.com/AngelsEnvyBourbonor facebook.com/TourAngelsEnvy

Twitter: @angels_envy

Instagram: @angelsenvy

About Bacardi Limited

Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, produces and markets internationally recognized spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited brand portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDI rum, GREY GOOSE vodka, PATRON tequila, DEWAR'S blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin, MARTINI vermouth and sparkling wines, ANGEL'S ENVY Kentucky straight bourbon, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON'S Scotch whisky, ST-GERMAIN elderflower liqueur, and ERISTOFF vodka. Founded nearly 160 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs more than 7,000, operates production facilities in 11 countries, and sells its brands in more than 170 countries. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit www.bacardilimited.comor follow us on Twitter, LinkedInor Instagram.

2021. ANGEL'S ENVY, ITS TRADE DRESS AND THE ANGEL WINGS LOGO ARE TRADEMARKS.

ANGEL'S ENVY is produced by Louisville Distilling Company, a subsidiary of Bacardi Limited, with global headquarters in Hamilton, Bermuda.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/280633b7-da22-4f11-9179-6b254c2de237
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Pancontinental Resources Corporation (TSXV: PUC) (OTCQB: PUCCF) ("Pancon" or the "Company"), further to its news releases of March 2 and April 27, 2021, reports gold assay and multielement geochemistry results for the remaining two sonic and two diamond drill holes drilled in Phase 1 of the Company's fully funded 10,000-meter (m) maiden diamond drill program at its flagship Brewer Gold & Copper Project. The Brewer Project, on the gold-rich Carolina Slate Belt in South Carolina, is where the former shallow Brewer Gold Mine produced 178,000 ounces of oxide gold between 1987-1995, and is located 12 kilometers along trend from the producing Haile Gold Mine.

Highlights:

First two sonic holes through the backfill waste material and former mined pit floor bedrock produced 242 large samples averaging about 35 kilograms (kg) per sample (see Table 1).

One pit floor bedrock sonic sample contains 9.81 g/t Au; one backfill waste sample contains 5.67 g/t Au.

Average gold value of all 242 sonic samples is 0.37 g/t Au; average value of all samples excluding the surface clay cap and pit floor bedrock is 0.34 g/t Au (see Table 2).

All sonic samples but one contain detectable gold (>0.025g/t Au); 30 samples contain >0.5 g/t Au and 11 samples contain >1 g/t Au (see Table 3).

Pancon President and CEO, Layton Croft, stated: "Brewer's backfill waste material and former pit floor contain compelling gold values and strong gold continuity (see Table 1). The previous operator reclaimed 6.8 million tonnes of waste rock and sulphide ore they couldn't process with heap leaching, filling up two of the three mined pits to surface. The reclamation was well engineered, resulting in homogenous layers of material (see Figure 3). Our maiden sonic drill results are very encouraging, suggesting there could be enough gold in the former pits to be economic, especially since the loose material doesn't require blasting and crushing. Further, removing and monetizing the backfill is likely to reduce Brewer's ongoing environmental management needs, as we believe the waste material is exacerbating acidity in groundwater currently being extracted and treated. Additionally, removing and monetizing the backfill waste could reduce construction and production costs of a potential future mining operation beneath the former mine."

Table 1: Average of All Samples from Sonic Holes 1-2 (B20S-001 and B20S-002)

Hole ID Length (m) # Samples Total Sample Weight (Kg) Au (g/t) Min. Max. Avg. B20S-001 55.49 121 1928.6 0.055 3.229 0.318 B20S-002 65.85 121 1608.9 <0.025 9.811 0.431

Table 2: Average of Sonic Samples Excluding Clay Cap and Pit Floor Material

Hole ID Length (m) # Samples Total Sample Weight (Kg) Au (g/t) Min. Max. Avg. B20S-001 49.73 110 1798.7 0.055 3.229 0.316 B20S-002 60.75 116 1540.8 0.031 5.666 0.354

Table 3: Average of Sonic Samples with Respect to Material Type

Hole ID Backfill Type From (m) To (m) Length (m) # Samples Total Sample Weight (Kg) Au (g/t) Min. Max. Avg. B20S-001 Clay cap 0.00 0.88 0.88 3 39.1 0.055 0.096 0.076 HLP 0.88 20.12 19.25 46 853.4 0.066 3.103 0.316 Waste 20.12 24.51 4.39 7 88.9 0.167 3.229 1.030 HLP 24.51 50.61 26.10 57 856.5 0.055 1.274 0.228 Pit floor 50.61 55.49 4.88 8 89.9 0.121 1.539 0.435 B20S-002 Clay cap 0.00 0.46 0.46 2 15.9 <0.025 0.175 0.094 HLP 0.46 16.87 16.41 48 721.0 0.138 1.346 0.338 Waste 16.87 40.01 23.14 20 239.4 0.102 5.666 0.676 HLP 40.01 61.21 21.10 48 580.5 0.031 0.776 0.237 Pit floor 61.21 65.85 4.64 3 52.3 0.512 9.811 3.623

HLP = heap leach pads

See Quality Assurance and Quality Control Statement below regarding sampling and assaying techniques.

Croft continued: "Diamond holes 6 and 7 were the two step-out holes in our Phase 1 diamond drill program, with Hole 6 located about 250 m south of the former mine and Hole 7 located about 500 m northwest of the former mine (see Figure 1). Neither of these holes contain notable gold or copper values, but both holes provide valuable geochemical and mineralogical information on the structurally complex Brewer system. This information has already informed our Phase 2 exploration decisions and actions, and will help de-risk our targeting of mineralization below the former mine as well as what we believe is a nearby intrusive complex and the source of the mineralizing fluids."

Diamond hole 7 contains anomalous gold in most of the hole, which seems to correlate with strong presence and continuity of topaz and prospective alteration north and northwest of the former mine. Diamond hole 6 missed its target associated with the 3.6 g/t Au assay from vertical rotary air blast (RAB) hole 60. Diamond hole 6 was collared near RAB hole 60 and drilled due south at a 65-degree angle over 286.8 m.

The Company has posted on its website the Certificates of Analysis with complete results for gold assays and multielement geochemistry for diamond drill Holes 1-7 and sonic drill Hole 1, and gold assays for sonic drill Hole 2 (see here). The Company cautions that the mineralization at the former Brewer Gold Mine is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization that may be identified by the Company's ongoing and upcoming exploration work.

Figure 1: Plan Maps with Phase 1 and Planned Phase 2 RAB Holes (left panel) and Phase 1 and Completed, In Progress and Planned Phase 2 Diamond Holes (right panel)



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5156/86814_ba5c5ed0c4cdc9e5_003full.jpg

Figure 2: Updated Cross Section of Sonic Holes 1, 2, 3 and 5 and Diamond Holes 4, 5, 8, 9 and 11



To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5156/86814_ba5c5ed0c4cdc9e5_004full.jpg

Figure 3: Historic Cross Section of Waste Backfill Schematic of Former Brewer Gold Mine



To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5156/86814_ba5c5ed0c4cdc9e5_005full.jpg

Phase 2 Drilling Update

Pancon commenced Phase 2 drilling on April 6, 2021, and to date has completed four new vertical sonic drill holes (sonic holes 3-6) through the backfill waste material and pit floor in the former main and adjacent B6 mined pits, for a total of 246 large sonic samples over a total 222 meters (see Figure 1). Below those new sonic holes, Pancon has completed three new vertical diamond drill holes (diamond holes 8-10) over a total 422.75 m of core, and is currently drilling one additional new vertical diamond drill hole (diamond hole 11) immediately north of the former main pit. Gold assay and multielement geochemistry results for these initial Phase 2 sonic and diamond holes are expected from SGS lab in Ontario within the next month.

In addition, on June 14 Pancon will commence Phase 2 of shallow rotary air blast (RAB) drilling, following up to the Company's 90-hole RAB drill program conducted in August-September 2020 (see news release of November 16, 2020). The Company plans to drill more than 75 new RAB holes, averaging about 20 meters per hole, in order to produce more valuable geological, geochemical and mineralogical data to inform future diamond drill targeting (see Figure 1).

Quality Assurance and Quality Control Statement, Notes and Assumptions

Phase 1 exploration diamond core drilling was HQ/HQ3 and NQ/NQ3 size. The core was logged and marked for sampling and assaying by geologists contracted by Pancon. Samples, typically 1.5 meters in length, were sawn in half using a diamond core saw and one-half of the core was placed in sample bags and tagged with unique sample numbers, while the remaining half was kept in the core box for storage. Each bagged core sample was shipped to Minerals Processing Corporation's (MPC) ISO/IEC 17025 Certified sample preparation and assay laboratory in Carney, Michigan where it was dried, crushed and pulverized to >80% passing -200 mesh. For sonic drilling, each complete sonic sample was crushed and split.

Gold was analyzed by fire assay (30 g) with an AA (atomic absorption) finish at ALS Laboratories (Holes 1-3) and MPC (Holes 4-7) with detection limits of 0.005 g/t gold (ALS) and 0.025 g/t gold (MPC). Samples containing greater than 3.0 g/t gold were analyzed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Multielement analyses, including base metals and rare earth elements, were analyzed at ALS with ICP-MS (inductively coupled argon plasma mass spectrometry). Strict sampling and QA/QC protocols are followed, and assay integrity is monitored internally with a quality control program including the insertion of standards, blanks, and duplicates in the sample stream on a regular basis.

Qualified Person

The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements as set out in NI 43-101 and reviewed and approved by Richard "Criss" Capps, PhD, RPG, SME REG GEO, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

About Pancon

Pancon is a Canadian junior mining company focused on exploring the prolific and underexplored Carolina Slate Belt in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, USA. In January 2020, Pancon won the exclusive right to explore the former Brewer Gold Mine property. Between 1987-1995, Brewer produced 178,000 ounces of oxide gold from open pits that extended to 65-meter depths, where copper and gold-rich sulphides were exposed but could not be processed by the oxide heap leach processing facility (Zwaschka, M. and Scheetz J.W., 1995, Detailed Mine Geology of the Brewer Gold Mine, Jefferson, South Carolina, Society of Economic Geologists). Brewer hasn't been explored since 1997, and most of the tools used previously to explore the property have since been updated with more advanced technologies. Brewer is a high sulphidation system driven by a sub-volcanic intrusive and possibly connected to a large copper-gold porphyry system at depth, as indicated by: widely known prospective geology, including diatreme breccias; associated high sulphidation alteration; gold and copper mineralization; and geophysics (Schmidt, R.G., 1978, The Potential for Porphyry Copper-Molybdenum Deposits in the Eastern United States, U.S. Geological Survey). Pancon's 100%-owned, 1,500-acre Jefferson Gold Project nearly completely surrounds the 1,000-acre former Brewer Gold Mine property, and both Jefferson and Brewer are located 12 kilometers northeast along trend from the producing Haile Gold Mine, which produced 137,413 ounces of gold in 2020 (https://oceanagold.com/operation/haile/).

For further information, please contact:

Layton Croft, President & CEO or Jeanny So, Manager, External Relations

E: info@panconresources.com

T: +1.647.202.0994

For additional information please visit our new website at http://www.panconresources.com/ and our Twitter feed: @PanconResources.

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

This news release contains forward-looking information which is not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required regulatory or governmental approvals, and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, including those risks set out in the Company's management's discussion and analysis as filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on the opinions and assumptions of management considered reasonable as of the date hereof, including that all necessary governmental and regulatory approvals will be received as and when expected. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86814


EL SEGUNDO (dpa-AFX) - Toymaker Fisher-Price failed to ensure that its recalled Rock 'n Play Sleeper is safe, ignored warnings that it was dangerous, and marketed it for overnight use despite risks, according to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.



The committee, which conducted an investigation into the design, safety, and recall of infant inclined sleep products, alleged that the company's poor safety practices and lack of meaningful oversight allowed the product to stay on the U.S. market for 10 years, during which time more than fifty infants died after using the product, while the firm collected at least $200 million in revenue.



It was in 2019 that Fisher-Price recalled the sleeper, which came to market in 2009, citing the risk of injury or death after more than 50 infants had lost their lives. Around 4.7 million Rock 'n Play units were sold before the recall.



As per the new report, executives at Fisher-Price, a unit of toy giant Mattel Inc., ignored critical warnings from pediatricians, parents, and foreign regulators that the product was dangerous. They also continued to market it for overnight sleep despite clear evidence that this put infants at risk of serious harm or death.



The report was released ahead of a hearing in which Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz and Fisher-Price senior vice president and general manager Chuck Scothon were testified.



As per the available documents, Fisher-Price became aware of serious concerns about the Rock 'n Play soon after its launch, including from regulatory bodies in Australia and Canada, pediatricians in the United States, and from consumers who were concerned the product was not safe for overnight sleep.



The Committee had launched the probe in August 2019 following media reports about dozens of infant deaths in inclined sleep products.



The Committee's investigation also showed that the New York-based company and other manufacturers of infant inclined sleepers operate with inadequate oversight. The committee also said that the Consumer Product Safety Commission or CPSC, which is responsible for oversight of consumer products, lacks the necessary authority to protect infants from potentially deadly products.



The Committee noted that even though Fisher-Price and CPSC were aware of injuries and deaths in the Rock 'n Play as early as 2012, CPSC first expressed concern about the product's safety to the company in 2018. Even after warning, the Rock 'n Play was not recalled until more than a year later in April 2019.



Meanwhile, last week, Fisher-Price recalled 227,000 4-in-1 Rock 'n Glide Soothers and 2-in-1 Soothe 'n Play Gliders, after the death of four children. According to the CPSC, the infants were all placed on their backs and unrestrained but later rolled to their stomachs when placed in the gliders, causing suffocation. The incidents occurred between April 2019 and February 2020.



Aiming to sooth the allegations, Fisher-Price has now launched a Safe-Start campaign to train the parents and caregivers to provide training for safe environments for sleep and the proper use of safety restraints on their products. A Medical and Scientific Safety Council or MSSC is also formed to help parents and caregivers with security and safe sleep environment advice from renowned medical experts.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Regulatory News:

Philip Morris International Inc.'s (NYSE:PM) Chief Financial Officer, Emmanuel Babeau, will address investors today at the Deutsche Bank Global Consumer Conference.

The presentation and Q&A session will be conducted in a virtual format, beginning at approximately 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. A live audio call for the entire PMI session will be held in a listen-only mode. Investors and other parties may register for the call at www.pmi.com/2021deutschebank, in order to receive dial-in instructions and numbers. Presentation slides will be available on the same site.

An archived copy of the call will be available at www.pmi.com/2021deutschebank until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, July 7, 2021. The archived call can also be accessed on iOS or Android devices by downloading PMI's free Investor Relations Mobile Application at www.pmi.com/irapp.

2021 Full-Year Adjusted Diluted EPS Forecast

Full-Year 2021

Forecast 2020 Organic

Growth Adjusted Diluted EPS1 $5.95 $6.05 $5.17 Currency (0.20) Adjusted Diluted EPS, excluding currency $5.75 $5.85 $5.17 11% 13%

1. 2021 Forecast excludes asset impairment and exit costs of $(0.02). 2020 excludes asset impairment and exit costs of $(0.08), fair value adjustment for equity security investments of $(0.04), tax items of $0.06 and a Brazil indirect tax credit of $0.05.

PMI reaffirms its full-year adjusted diluted EPS forecast, provided on April 20, 2021, to be in a range of $5.95 to $6.05, at the then prevailing exchange rates. On an organic basis, this forecast represents a projected increase of around 11% to 13% versus adjusted diluted EPS of $5.17 in 2020, as outlined in the table above.

2021 Second-Quarter Adjusted Diluted EPS Assumption

PMI continues to expect second-quarter adjusted diluted EPS in a range of $1.50 to $1.55, as communicated on April 20, 2021, including a favorable currency impact, at the then prevailing exchange rates, of around $0.04 per share, notably reflecting:

Strong sequential and year-over-year PMI heated tobacco unit shipment and in-market sales volume growth, driven by EU, Japan, Russia;

Heated tobacco unit shipment volume of around 24 billion units;

Strong organic net revenue growth, partly driven by a favorable comparison versus the second quarter of 2020;

Continued improvement in adjusted operating income margin on an organic basis; and

A partial reversal of the approximately $0.08 per share benefit recorded in the first quarter related to the timing of specific factors, notably associated with shipments in certain markets and the phasing of commercial investments.

PMI is scheduled to report its second-quarter 2021 earnings results on Tuesday, July 20, 2021.

2021 Full-Year Forecast Assumptions

This forecast assumes:

A gradual improvement in the general operating environment, with potential volatility around the duration and effects of pandemic-related mobility restrictions across PMI's key markets;

Lack of near-term recovery in PMI's duty-free business given the uncertain outlook for global travel, with current dynamics persisting through year end;

A limited impact from the current global shortage of semiconductors on the supply of our electronic devices to consumers;

An estimated total international industry volume progression, excluding China and the U.S., of approximately -3% to flat;

A total cigarette and heated tobacco unit shipment volume progression for PMI of approximately -2% to +1%;

Heated tobacco unit shipment volume of 95 to 100 billion units;

Net revenue growth of approximately 5% to 7% on an organic basis;

An increase in adjusted operating income margin of around 200 basis points on an organic basis;

Operating cash flow of around $11 billion at prevailing exchange rates and subject to year-end working capital requirements;

Capital expenditures of approximately $0.8 billion;

An effective tax rate, excluding discrete tax events, of around 22%;

No share repurchases;

A second half of 2021 reflecting: The assumption that many of PMI's key markets will have largely emerged from pandemic-related restrictions; Continued robust organic net revenue growth; Incremental commercial investments, compared to the first half of 2021, of approximately $300 to $400 million; and Lower organic adjusted operating income margin expansion compared to the first half of 2021.



The foregoing is underpinned by the assumption that, even in the event of prolonged pandemic-related restrictions, there will not be a return to the depressed consumption levels of the second quarter of 2020. This assumption is consistent with the less severe impact on consumption levels observed in the second half of 2020 as COVID-19 spread in a number of markets.

This forecast excludes the impact of any future acquisitions, unanticipated or unquantifiable asset impairment and exit cost charges, future changes in currency exchange rates, further developments pertaining to the judgment in the two Quebec Class Action lawsuits and the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) protection granted to PMI's Canadian subsidiary, Rothmans, Benson Hedges, Inc. (RBH), any unusual events, any intensification of the global shortage of semiconductors and the related impact on the supply of our electronic devices, and any COVID-19-related developments different from the assumptions set forth in the company's forecast.

Factors described in the Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements section of this release represent continuing risks to these projections.

Saudi Arabia Customs Assessments

On June 1, 2021, the Customs Appeal Committee in Riyadh notified our distributors in Saudi Arabia of its decisions to largely reject the distributors' challenges of the Saudi Arabia Customs General Authority assessments requiring them to pay additional customs duties described in our Form 10-Q that was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for the quarter ended March 31, 2021. The assessments relate to fees paid by the distributors under their agreements with our subsidiary for exclusive rights to distribute our products in Saudi Arabia during the period of 2014 through 2018.

PMI is evaluating the impact of the decisions and the related amount that it will accrue. PMI currently estimates an adverse impact on its 2021 full-year reported diluted EPS of up to $0.18 per share. The accrued amount will be excluded from PMI's 2021 full-year adjusted financial results.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

This press release contains projections of future results and other forward-looking statements. Achievement of future results is subject to risks, uncertainties and inaccurate assumptions. In the event that risks or uncertainties materialize, or underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could vary materially from those contained in such forward-looking statements. Pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, PMI is identifying important factors that, individually or in the aggregate, could cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements made by PMI.

PMI's business risks include: excise tax increases and discriminatory tax structures; increasing marketing and regulatory restrictions that could reduce our competitiveness, eliminate our ability to communicate with adult consumers, or ban certain of our products; health concerns relating to the use of tobacco and other nicotine-containing products and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke; litigation related to tobacco use and intellectual property; intense competition; the effects of global and individual country economic, regulatory and political developments, natural disasters and conflicts; changes in adult smoker behavior; lost revenues as a result of counterfeiting, contraband and cross-border purchases; governmental investigations; unfavorable currency exchange rates and currency devaluations, and limitations on the ability to repatriate funds; adverse changes in applicable corporate tax laws; adverse changes in the cost, availability, and quality of tobacco and other agricultural products and raw materials, as well as components and materials for our electronic devices; and the integrity of our information systems and effectiveness of our data privacy policies. PMI's future profitability may also be adversely affected if we are unsuccessful in our attempts to produce and commercialize reduced-risk products ("RRPs") or if regulation or taxation do not differentiate between such products and cigarettes; if we are unable to successfully introduce new products, promote brand equity, enter new markets or improve our margins through increased prices and productivity gains; if we are unable to expand our brand portfolio internally or through acquisitions and the development of strategic business relationships; or if we are unable to attract and retain the best global talent. Future results are also subject to the lower predictability of our reduced-risk product category's performance.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant societal and economic disruption, and resulted in closures of stores, factories and offices, and restrictions on manufacturing, distribution and travel, all of which will adversely impact our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial position during the continuation of the pandemic. Our business continuity plans and other safeguards may not be effective to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. Currently, significant risks include our diminished ability to convert adult smokers to our RRPs, significant volume declines in our duty-free business and certain other key markets, disruptions or delays in our manufacturing and supply chain, increased currency volatility, and delays in certain cost saving, transformation and restructuring initiatives. Our business could also be adversely impacted if key personnel or a significant number of employees or business partners become unavailable due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The significant adverse impact of COVID-19 on the economic or political conditions in markets in which we operate could result in changes to the preferences of our adult consumers and lower demand for our products, particularly for our mid-price or premium-price brands. Continuation of the pandemic could disrupt our access to the credit markets or increase our borrowing costs. Governments may temporarily be unable to focus on the development of science-based regulatory frameworks for the development and commercialization of RRPs or on the enforcement or implementation of regulations that are significant to our business. In addition, messaging about the potential negative impacts of the use of our products on COVID-19 risks may lead to increasingly restrictive regulatory measures on the sale and use of our products, negatively impact demand for our products, the willingness of adult consumers to switch to our RRPs and our efforts to advocate for the development of science-based regulatory frameworks for the development and commercialization of RRPs.

The impact of these risks also depends on factors beyond our knowledge or control, including the duration and severity of the pandemic, its recurrence in our key markets, actions taken to contain its spread and to mitigate its public health effects, and the ultimate economic consequences thereof.

PMI is further subject to other risks detailed from time to time in our publicly filed documents, including the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2021. PMI cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not a complete discussion of all potential risks and uncertainties. PMI does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that we may make from time to time, except in the normal course of its public disclosure obligations.

Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future

Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company, its shareholders and its other stakeholders. PMI is a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, as well as smoke-free products, associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the U.S. In addition, PMI ships versions of its IQOS Platform 1 device and consumables to Altria Group, Inc. for sale under license in the U.S., where these products have received marketing authorizations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) pathway; the FDA has also authorized the marketing of a version of IQOS and its consumables as a Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP), finding that an exposure modification order for these products is appropriate to promote the public health. PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. PMI's smoke-free product portfolio includes heat-not-burn and nicotine-containing vapor products. As of March 31, 2021, PMI's smoke-free products are available for sale in 66 markets in key cities or nationwide, and PMI estimates that approximately 14.0 million adults around the world have already switched to IQOS and stopped smoking. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005631/en/

Contacts:

Investor Relations:

New York: +1 (917) 663 2233

Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4666

InvestorRelations@pmi.com

Media:

Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4500

Iro.Antoniadou@pmi.com
NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of financial markets for 11,000 U.S. and global securities, announced that Carsted Rosenberg, a specialist international law firm with offices in Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, has been designated as an OTCQX sponsor.

Carsted Rosenberg attorneys Brad Furber, Michael Carsted Rosenberg, and Andreas Tamasauskas have been approved by OTC Markets Group to act as a sponsor for companies to be quoted on the OTCQX and OTCQB markets. Carsted Rosenberg has a particular expertise in cross-border banking & finance, capital markets, mergers & acquisitions and corporate & commercial matters.

"OTC Markets Group welcomes Carsted Rosenberg to our community of OTCQX sponsors," said Joe Coveney, VP, International Corporate Services at OTC Markets Group. "As global issuers look to increase tradability of their securities in the U.S., qualified advisors continue to provide critical expertise and practical insight on navigating the guidelines set forth in our OTCQX and OTCQB Rules."

To qualify for the OTCQX market, all U.S. and International companies must engage an OTCQX Sponsor. To learn more about the OTCQX Market, contact Joe Coveney at jcoveney@otcmarkets.com.

About Carsted Rosenberg

Carsted Rosenberg is a specialist international law firm with a focus on cross-border banking & finance, capital markets, mergers & acquisitions and corporate & commercial matters.

Carsted Rosenberg provides high-end legal counsel services in connection with large-scale cross-border transactions with a particular focus on the Danish market. Our clients rely on us for pragmatic advice and transactional excellence. We specialise in matters that require transactional expertise, considerable cross-border experience and a high degree of proficiency and efficiency.

About OTC Markets Group Inc.

OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates the OTCQX Best Market, the OTCQB Venture Market and the Pink Open Market for 11,000 U.S. and global securities. Through OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN, we connect a diverse network of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. We enable investors to easily trade through the broker of their choice and empower companies to improve the quality of information available for investors.

To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com .

OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN are SEC regulated ATSs, operated by OTC Link LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.

Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed

Media Contact:

OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, media@otcmarkets.com

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Deploy and Innovate with the most mature ALL G - 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G Open RAN ecosystem, with Intel, GigaTera Communications, Comba Telecom, Supermicro, Silicom, Facebook Connectivity, Red Hat, Telecom Infra Project, and O-RAN Alliance

NASHUA, N.H., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Parallel Wireless, Inc., the leading U.S.-based O-RAN compliant, Open RAN company, enabling ALL Gs, has reached a milestone in creating the largest ecosystem of Open RAN partners, and plans to demonstrate with our partners the latest innovations in Open RAN technology at MWC21 - Barcelona, in Hall 2, booth 2015.

Parallel Wireless is leading the disruption in the industry with deployments and innovations in Open RAN, including the world's first network architecture that unifies all mobile connectivity standards - 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G & Wi-Fi - under the same software umbrella. Together with a broad ecosystem of partners, Parallel Wireless can enable MNOs to deploy leading edge networks, while reducing costs and complexity and growing revenues.

This ecosystem of partners is customer-driven and focuses on assembling viable solutions that build on an open and modular architecture, leveraging input from top worldwide operators leading the Open RAN movement such as Vodafone, Telefonica and MTN. At Mobile World Congress Parallel Wireless will showcase how this can be replicated on a global level to hasten operators roll-out of Open RAN and 5G.

Parallel Wireless is working with a broad ecosystem of partners to deliver rapid innovation across hardware and software domains. Reimagine Today with the Vision of Tomorrow is the Parallel Wireless theme for this year's event with two sub-themes of Deploy and Innovate. Our leading-edge demos with our broad ecosystem of partners includes:

DEPLOY

Enabling All Gs with Open RAN: Visit our ALL G demo to learn how you can deploy O-RAN compliant, cloud-native, Open RAN across 2G, 3G, 4G networks . We will showcase the most advanced Open RAN CU and DU software with partners such as Red Hat, 6Wind, Whitestack, Dell and HP. Our solutions include a leading edge, mature Open RAN ecosystem for 7.2 radios with partners such as Comba Telecom and GigaTera Communications. We also partner with server hardware suppliers such as Supermicro and Silicom Ltd. Connectivity Solutions with Intel's Xeon x86 platform and we are part of Facebook's TIP Open RAN group.



Visit our ALL G demo to learn how you can deploy O-RAN compliant, cloud-native, Open RAN across 2G, 3G, 4G networks We will showcase the most advanced Open RAN CU and DU software with partners such as Red Hat, 6Wind, Whitestack, Dell and HP. Our solutions include a leading edge, mature Open RAN ecosystem for 7.2 radios with partners such as Comba Telecom and GigaTera Communications. We also partner with server hardware suppliers such as Supermicro and Silicom Ltd. Connectivity Solutions with Intel's Xeon x86 platform and we are part of Facebook's TIP Open RAN group. Open RAN reduces TCO: At our TCO demo you will learn how Open RAN solutions can reduce your overall network Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). We will showcase how Capital Expense (CapEx) savings are enabled by utilizing software and hardware from a broad ecosystem of partners, including commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware powered with self-configuration tools. And with Operating Expenses (OpEx) at 70% of overall TCO, MNOs will learn how by utilizing Open RAN technology, expenses can be cut in half.

INNOVATE



New Services Faster with Automation: Visit our automation demo to learn how cloud-native state-of-the-art features such as RAN automation, self-configuration, hands free software testing, integration and delivery, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) enable scalability, flexibility, and innovation with the ability to launch new services faster. With cloud-native automation tools with partners such as Red Hat, you will reap the benefits of not only flexibility of choice and cost savings, but also the agility, scalability and ease of management and upgradability that comes with the Open RAN promise.



Visit our automation demo to learn how cloud-native state-of-the-art features such as RAN automation, self-configuration, hands free software testing, integration and delivery, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) enable scalability, flexibility, and innovation with the ability to launch new services faster. With cloud-native automation tools with partners such as Red Hat, you will reap the benefits of not only flexibility of choice and cost savings, but also the agility, scalability and ease of management and upgradability that comes with the Open RAN promise. Maintain Legacy and Upgrade to 5G and beyond: MNO's are often faced with maintaining legacy networks, 2G, 3G, 4G while planning their migration path to 5G and beyond. With our software driven solutions, supporting multiple Gs from the same COTS server, innovation and upgradeability is seamless and efficient. Visit this demo to learn how you can upgrade your networks to 5G and beyond while continuing to support 2G, 3G, and 4G legacy networks.

Also be sure to join the panel session on Monday, June 28th as Eugina Jordan, VP of Marketing at Parallel Wireless and others from companies such as Mavenir, Orange Wholesale International Networks, Accenture, Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc., and Spirent, discuss, "Open RAN".



In addition, Parallel Wireless is proud to be selected as a nominee for the 2021 GSMA Global Mobile Awards (GLOMO) in the category of 'Best Mobile Technology Breakthrough' for our Parallel Wireless All G - 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G Urban Macro Open RAN solution. The Award winners will be announced at MWC21 Barcelona on Wednesday, June 30th at 12 noon CET.



We look forward to seeing you soon in Barcelona!

Keith Johnson, President at Parallel Wireless said "One of the key topics of conversation at MWC will be how, with the continued roll-out of 5G, the economics of the mobile industry have to change. Years of consolidation have left the telecoms industry with just a couple of Radio Access Network (RAN) technology vendor giants. The telecom industry is demanding networks that are open and flexible so that they can reduce deployment and maintenance costs. We are pleased to be working with the Telecom Infra Project (TIP), O-RAN Alliance and Open Compute Project to enable a broad open ecosystem of disaggregated RAN solutions using vendor-neutral hardware and software-defined technology based on open interfaces and community-developed standards."

About Parallel Wireless

At Parallel Wireless, we believe that software has the power to unleash amazing opportunities for the world. We disrupt the ways wireless networks are built and operated. We are reimagining how hardware, software, and the cloud work together to change deployment economics for our customers. Our ALL G (2G 3G 4G 5G) O-RAN compliant software platform forms an open, secure, and intelligent RAN architecture to deliver wireless connectivity, so all people can be connected whenever, wherever, and however they choose. We are deploying with leading global MNOs and have been recognized with over 74 industry awards. At the core of what we do is our team of Reimaginers who value innovation, collaboration, openness, and customer success. For more information, visit: www.parallelwireless.com. Connect with Parallel Wireless on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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As part of its bold growth plans, Fishawack Health announces the acquisition of closerlook, a data analytics and digital native healthcare agency specializing in intelligent omnichannel marketing solutions.

KNUTSFORD, England, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fishawack Health, a leading global commercialization partner for the life sciences industry, announces the acquisition of Chicago-based closerlook LLC. closerlook is a digital-native healthcare agency that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics to develop omnichannel strategies, creative and digital media solutions for life science brands across the entire pre-commercial and commercial lifecycle of a drug.

The award-winning firm's skills and software products in data science, AI, and advanced analytics provide life science brands with real-time insights, providing the ability to develop hyper-targeted and precisely personalized campaigns at scale. This expertise, combined with Fishawack Health's broad spectrum of medical communications, commercial and consulting capabilities, will provide healthcare marketers with unrivaled access to an integrated platform that is designed for competitive advantage.

closerlook's approach to data-driven healthcare marketing is powered by its four interlocking capabilities: omnichannel strategy, conceptual creative and content, digital tactics and media management, and advanced analytics. These are all informed by Backstage Intelligence, the firm's proprietary data and intelligence market hub. The platform uses AI and data science to inform and precisely tailor healthcare professional and patient experiences. Such personalization ensures biopharma companies engage with customers and patients in novel and intelligent ways, driving innovation, and connecting healthcare professionals and patients with the knowledge they need to improve health outcomes and live better lives.

Oliver Dennis, Fishawack Health co-founder, and CEO said: "Traditionally, the healthcare sector has fallen behind when it comes to leveraging the power of innovative technologies to enhance commercial and medical communications strategies. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the necessity of digital communication and the opportunities an omnichannel approach brings. Life science brands need a new breed of partner that offers bespoke teams who bring with them digital and analytics prowess, a rigorous understanding of the science, and the ability to develop impactful strategies and creative solutions.

"Importantly, closerlook's advanced AI and analytics offering can track and optimize performance, delivering increased business results for clients. Through this combination of expertise, we can develop highly intelligent solutions that are integral for developing, launching, and growing brands and portfolios in a complex and crowded marketplace."

David Ormesher, CEO of closerlook, said: "We are energized by the prospect of joining a global team with the breadth and depth of Fishawack Health. I believe that the combination of our AI/advanced analytics-enabled omnichannel strategy, creative, and digital media with Fishawack Health's global consulting, commercial and medical communications capabilities will create a unique commercialization offering for life science brands and healthcare companies looking for growth.

"We have spent over six months getting to know the Fishawack Health leadership, and we are excited about the alignment of vision, purpose, and culture between our two organizations. Over the past year, closerlook has experienced the fastest growth in its history and we expect Fishawack Health to supercharge that even more. We are looking forward to working together to achieve our mission of better health outcomes for patients and greater business results for the biopharma brands that serve them".

About Fishawack Health

Visit www.fishawack.com ?and follow us on? Twitter ?and? LinkedIn .

Contact:

Natasha Cowan - +44-20-3328-1840

Corporate Communications Manager

natasha.cowan@fishawack.com

Louise Stone - +44-20-3328-1840

Corporate Communications Manager

Louise.stone@fishawack.com

About closerlook

Visit closerlook.com .

Contact:

Liz Mitchell - +1-847-445-6383

Director of Marketing

emitchell@closerlook.com



Advisers involved in this transaction included:

KPMG (Manchester and Chicago) acted on behalf of Fishawack Health for financial and tax due diligence; Sheppard Mullin (San Diego), and Allen & Overy (London) provided legal support; and EY provided tax structuring advice.Houlihan Lokey acted on behalf of closerlook for M&A advice. Gould & Ratner provided legal counsel and KPMG (Chicago) provided tax advice and accounting support.

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MONTREAL, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brunswick Exploration Inc. ("BRW" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has received TSX Venture Exchange approval with respect to its transaction with Osisko Metals Inc. ("Osisko Metals"), pursuant to the option agreement previously announced on April 21, 2021 whereby Brunswick can acquire a majority interest in Osisko Metals' Brunswick Belt exploration property, located in the eastern portion of the Bathurst Mining Camp in the Bathurst area in New Brunswick. The Property covers 72 kilometres of the prolific Brunswick Belt and includes the Key Anacon and Gilmour South base metal deposits. The Option allows Brunswick to earn up to 51% interest by spending an aggregate of $10,000,000 in two stages over a five-year period.



Corporate Change

Brunswick Exploration welcomes aboard, effective immediately, Mr. Anthony Glavac CPA, CA, as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Anthony Glavac has over 20 years of experience in financial reporting, including over 14 years in the mining industry. He will replace Etienne Courchesne who is stepping down from his position. The Company would like to thank Mr. Courchesne for his contributions over the years and wishes him well in his future endeavors.

About Brunswick Exploration

The Company is a Montreal-based mineral exploration venture listed on the TSX-V under symbol BRW. The Company is focused on exploration and development of gold and base metal properties in Eastern Canada. Current projects include gold-polymetallic vein systems in Southern New Brunswick (Fundy Gold Project), the Lac Edouard nickel-copper project in Quebec, base metals VMS in the Bathurst Camp in northern New Brunswick and in the Chibougamau region of Quebec (Waconichi).

Investor Relations/information

Mr. Killian Charles, President).

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

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; changes in equity markets; inflation; fluctuations in commodity prices; delays in the development of projects; the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry; and those risks set out in the Corporation's public documents filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Corporation believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
The party leadership is pacifying disgruntled leaders at the last minute by promising various nominated posts after the election and preventing them from joining other parties. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: The ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) will not project anyone as its candidate for the upcoming Huzurabad Assembly bypoll till the deadline for filing nominations nears.

Sources in the TRS revealed that the party leadership had adopted the policy of announcing candidates at the last minute during the recent Nagarjunasagar Assembly bypoll.

The uncertainty over whether former minister Etala Rajendar or his wife Jamuna would contest the bypoll is said to be another reason for adopting a wait and watch policy till the last minute as the party's strategy may change depending on the Opposition candidate.

The TRS announced Nomula Bhagat, son of deceased MLA Nomula Narasimhaiah, as candidate for Nagarjunasagar bypoll in April, a day before the deadline to file the nominations.

Similarly, the party announced late former prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao's daughter Surabhi Vani Devi as candidate a day before the deadline to file the nomination for Legislative Council elections from the graduates constituency in March.

The TRS leadership has been adopting this policy of keeping everyone guessing on its candidate till the last minute after Dubbak bypoll in November 2020, which it lost to the BJP by a slender margin.

The party announced Solipeta Sujatha as candidate on October 6 even before the poll notification was issued on October 9. This has resulted in an exodus of disgruntled TRS leaders who failed to get tickets to other parties along with cadres. In fact, the Congress fielded its candidate Cheruku Srinivas Reddy, who quit the TRS the same day the ruling party announced Sujatha's candidature.

To prevent disgruntled leaders in the TRS, who fail to get party tickets joining other parties and contest elections from rival parties, the TRS has adopted the policy of declaring its candidates at the last minute since then.

This strategy paid off in MLC polls and Nagarjunasagar bypoll as both the candidates emerged victorious against all odds and the party wants to continue the same strategy for Huzurabad bypoll.

The party leadership is pacifying disgruntled leaders at the last minute by promising various nominated posts after the election and preventing them from joining other parties. Since the TRS leadership is giving significance to the Huzurabad bypoll as it turned out to be a battle between Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and Rajendar, who was sacked from the Cabinet, the party doesn't want to take any chances.

The party asked ministers, MLAs, MLCs, MPs and local bodies representatives in the erstwhile Karimnagar district to work on strengthening the party in Huzurabad and not focus or talk about party's candidate till the party declares the candidate.
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2021 / Idaho Champion Gold Mines Canada Inc. (CSE:ITKO)(OTCQB:GLDRF)(FSE:1QB1) ("IdahoChampion" or the 'Company') is pleased to announce details for the planned drilling component of the previously announced 2021 exploration program (the "Field Program") at the 100% controlled Champagne Gold Project ("Champagne") near the city of Arco, Butte County, Idaho (See press release dated May 12, 2021).

Idaho Champion has signed a contract for an 8,000-metre core drilling program (the "Drill Program") with National Drilling (Elko, NV). The Drill Program is expected to begin at Champagne in early July 2021, pending final approvals from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The Company's geologists are currently on-site and carrying out mapping and sampling around known occurrences of mineralized vein breccia and other intense alterations in the northern part of the property. The core logging and processing facility is also being readied for the upcoming drilling.

Company technical advisor, Dr. Craig Bow, commented on the findings of the 2020 program, "From Champion's technical efforts during the 2020 exploration program, we believe that the breccia veins and vuggy silica bodies exploited at Mine Hill and outlying areas represent two distinct epithermal events; a high silver, polymetallic phase and a distinct, high sulfidation overprint. Observed mineralization is consistent with the presence of a deeper-seated porphyry copper (moly) system at depth. Further, the ground geophysical survey conducted in 2020 suggests that the Mine Hill mineralization is cut at relatively shallow depths by a low-angle detachment fault and displaced 800 meters to the ESE. Drilling in 2021 will test for the roots of this system.'

2021 Drill Program

The Drill Program is designed to test the large Induced Polarization (IP) anomaly (Figure 1) identified during the 2020 exploration program northwest of the Mine Hill mineralization (See press release dated February 2, 2021). The drilling will proceed with a series of holes comprising "fences", first along IP line 4 and then line 5 (Figure 2). The program design includes possible additional holes along IP line 3.

"The drill targets along IP lines 4 and 5 are first priority because of the strength of the anomaly and the relatively shallow depth of cover rocks above the detachment fault, ranging between 30 to 60 meters. Given the relatively shallow depth to the target, there is the potential for outlining an open-pittable resource in this area," commented Chief Geologist, Robert Kell. "The mineralization at Mine Hill occurred in near-vertical to steeply dipping vein breccia and vuggy silica zones, so the angled holes in the 2021 program are designed to effectively test such high-angle features and optimize our geologic understanding."

Figure 1. 2021 Drill Program Location in relation to IP anomaly.

2021 IP Survey

As part of the Field Program, the Company will engage Durango Geophysical (Durango, CO) to complete IP line 6 and add two new lines, which will be completed late in the second quarter. Lines -7 and -8 will be designed to test for an extension of the IP anomaly another 800 meters to the north. The completion of line 6 is essential for fully defining the anomaly, which will be needed to plan further drilling to the south. Depending upon the results of the extended IP survey, the drill may be moved northward to test the continuation of the anomaly. Bringing in a second drill rig toward the end of August is already being considered to take on drilling out the anomaly in a southward direction, including the potential holes along IP line 3.

Figure 2. Cross Section of 2021 Drill Program location along IP Line 4 and 5.

The Company also announces the completion of the previously announced early exercise warrant incentive program (the "Program") (See press release dated: May 3, 2021). Under the Program, Idaho Champion received aggregate gross proceeds of $45,000 upon the exercise 300,000 Warrants and issued 300,000 incentive warrants. As per the Program, the Incentive Warrants are subject to a four-month and a day hold period from the date of the Incentive Warrant issuance pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws. Each Incentive Warrant has a strike price of $0.25 for a period of five (5) years.

About the Champagne Project

The Champagne Mine* was operated by Bema Gold as a heap leach operation on an epithermal gold-silver system that occurs in volcanic rocks. Bema Gold drilled 72 shallow reverse circulation holes on the project, which complement drilling and trenching from other previous operators. The property has had no deep drilling or significant modern exploration since the mine closure in early 1992.

The Champagne Deposit contains epigenetic style gold and silver mineralization that occurs in strongly altered Tertiary volcanic tuffs and flows of acid to intermediate composition. Champagne has a near surface cap of gold-silver mineralization emplaced by deep-seated structures that acted as conduits for precious metal rich hydrothermal fluids. Higher grade zones in the Champagne Deposit appear to be related to such feeder zones.

* The Company cautions that the information about the past-producing mine may not be indicative of mineralization on Champion's property, and if mineralization does occur, that it will occur in sufficient quantity or grade that would result in an economic extraction scenario. The historic data were simply used to evaluate the prospective nature of the property. The Company has not yet conducted sufficient exploration to ascertain if a mineral resource is present on the property.

Qualified Person

The technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Peter Karelse P.Geo., a consultant to the Company, who is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Karelse has more than 30 years of experience in exploration and development.

About Idaho Champion Gold Mines Inc.

Idaho Champion is a discovery-focused gold exploration company that is committed to advancing its 100%-owned highly prospective mineral properties located in Idaho, United States. The Company's shares trade on the CSE under the trading symbol "ITKO", on the OTCQB under the trading symbol "GLDRF", and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol "1QB1". Idaho Champion is vested in Idaho with the Baner Project in Idaho County, the Champagne Project located in Butte County near Arco, and four cobalt properties in Lemhi County in the Idaho Cobalt Belt. Idaho Champion strives to be a responsible environmental steward, stakeholder and a contributing citizen to the local communities where it operates. Idaho Champion takes its social license seriously, employing local community members and service providers at its operations whenever possible.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Jonathan Buick"

Jonathan Buick, President and CEO

For further information, please visit the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com or the Company's corporate website at www.idahochamp.com.

For further information please contact:

Nicholas Konkin, Marketing and Communications

Phone: (416) 567- 9087

Email: nkonkin@idahochamp.com

THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY ANY SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION, NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY OFFER, SALE, OR SOLICITATION OF SECURITIES IN ANY STATE IN THE UNITED STATES IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SALE, OR SOLICITATION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL.

Cautionary Statements

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release This press release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business of the Company. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of the Company, including suggested strike extension. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based on are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE: Idaho Champion Gold Mines Canada Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/650834/Idaho-Champion-Gold-Announces-Drill-Program-at-Champagne-Gold-Project
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2021 / Northern Lights Resources Corp. ("Northern Lights" or the "Company") (CSE:NLR)(OTCQB:NLRCF) is pleased to announce that it has received approval from the Arizona State Land Department ( the "ASLD") to commence drilling at the Tin Cup Prospect at the Company's Secret Pass Gold Project ("Secret Pass") in Mohave County, Arizona.

Northern Lights began drilling at Secret Pass on April 15 and is now completing the 4rth drill hole (total approximately 600 metres) out of the total 22 permitted drill holes located on mineral claims registered with the US Bureau of Land Management (the "BLM"). The prospects drilled included Fiery Squid, Nine Second Shaft and Fluorspar Ridge locations. (See Figure 1) All drill core has been split and sent to Skyline Laboratories in Tucson, assays are pending.

CEO, Jason Bahnsen, commented "Historic RC drilling at Tin Cup in the 1980s intersected steeply angled veins with grades up to 40 grams per tonne gold. We are excited to begin drilling at Tin Cup where we plan to confirm the previous high-grade RC results with large diameter HQ diamond core drilling and test the system to a depth of approximately 350 metres, well below the maximum historic drilling depth of 180 metres. We are completing drilling at the Fluorspar Ridge Prospect and will immediately move the drill to the Tin Cup Prospect to begin the planned 7-hole program."

Seven exploration drill holes have been approved at the Tin Cup Prospect (total 1,350 metres planned) The initial drill program at Tin Cup is planned to confirm high-grade mineralization from historic drilling and to test the down plunge extension of the mineralization to a depth of approximately 350 metres below the surface.

Table 1 - Planned Drill Holes at Tin Cup Prospect

Hole No. Location Azimuth (o) Dip (o) Length (m) TC01 Tin Cup 310 -50 250 TC02 Tin Cup 220 -45 175 TC03 Tin Cup 220 -55 225 TC04 Tin Cup 220 -65 400 TC05 Tin Cup 040 -60 100 TC06 - F2 Tin Cup 180 -45 100 TC07 - F2 Tin Cup 100 Total 1,350

Tin Cup Zone

Records show that there was an historic small scale open pit and underground mine located at Tin Cup. The mine reportedly produced several hundred tons of mineralized materialgrading 15 g/t to 31 g/t of gold. Historic workings, from approximately 1918 to the early 1930's, included an open pit and an inclined shaft to a depth of 21 metres (70 ft) with minorunderground level workings.

During the period from 1984 to 1991, a total of 145 drill holes (predominately reverse circulation drilling) were drilled at Tin Cup with a number of holes intersecting high grade gold mineralization. The historic drilling had an average depth of approximately 95 metres and a maximum depth of 180 metres.

The Tin Cup Gold Zone is localized along the steeply northeast-dipping Frisco Mine

Fault. The gold mineralization is hosted by Tertiary andesite and associated with the

margins of rhyolite dykes that occur as lenses within the Frisco Mine Fault. A few of the

deepest historic drill holes intersect gold mineralization in the Proterozoic basement granite.

The mineralized zone at Tin Cup has a strike length of approximately 245 metres to drill-indicated depth of 180 metres and is open along strike and depth. Higher grademineralization (greater than 10 g/t Au), is localized in narrow sub-vertical structures developed within broader zones of lower grade mineralization ranging up to 86 metres in width. The mineralization plunges to the northwest at 50 degrees. Surface oxidation is variable extending to a maximum depth of up to120 metres based on historical drilling. Selected historic intersections are summarized in Table 2.

Table 2 - Selected Historic Drill Results at Tin Cup Zone

Hole No. Year Type Depth (m) Interval (m) Width (m) Au g/t TC-01 1984 RC 52 22.9-30.5 7.6 7.6 21.2-51.5 30.3 2.9 TC-10 1985 RC 176 89.9-121.9 32 13.6 including 1.5 40.4 including 12.2 20.8 TC-15 1985 RC 146 111.2-115.8 4.6 13.1 TC-30 1986 RC 150 63.3-150 86.7 4.1 including 9.1 17.7 TC-32 1986 RC 90 18.8-69.7 50.9 2.7 TC-11 1987 RC 90.9 46.9-90.9 44 2.8 TC-14 1986 RC 121 90.9-121.9 31 5.8

Note: These results are historical in nature and a Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to verify these previous drilling results. Previously released on October 28, 2020.

Figure 1 -Secret Pass Project Drill Hole Locations

Figure 2 - Tin Cup Prospect Cross-Section Model

The scientific and technical data contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Gary Artmont (Fellow Member AUSIMM #312718), Head of Geology and qualified person to Northern Lights Resources, who is responsible for ensuring that the geologic information provided in this news release is accurate and who acts as a "qualified person" under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

For further information, please contact:

Albert Timcke, Executive Chairman and President

Email: rtimcke@northernlightsresources.com

Tel: +1 604 608 6163

Jason Bahnsen, Chief Executive Officer

Email: Jason@northernlightsresources.com

Tel: +1 604 608 6163

Shawn Balaghi, Investor Relations

Email: shawn@northernlightsresources.com

Tel: +1 604 773 0242

About Northern Lights Resources Corp.

Northern Lights Resources Corp is a growth-oriented exploration and development company that is advancing two projects: The 100% owned, Secret Pass Gold Project located in Arizona; and the Medicine Springs silver-zinc-lead Project located in Elko County Nevada where Northern Lights, in joint venture with Reyna Silver are earning 100% ownership. Northern Lights Resources is a member of the Arizona Mining Association.

Northern Lights Resources trades under the ticker of "NLR" on the CSE. This and other Northern Lights Resources news releases can be viewed at www.sedar.com and www.northernlightsresources.com.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the terms and conditions of the proposed private placement; use of funds; the business and operations of the Company after the proposed closing of the Offering. 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; delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals; and the uncertainties surrounding the mineral exploration industry. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE: Northern Lights Resources Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/650805/Northern-Lights-Receives-Permit-to-Drill-Tin-Cup-Prospect-at-Secret-Pass
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) (OTCQX: IVPAF) announced today the publication of its fourth annual Sustainability Report.

The report highlights Ivanhoe Mines' sustainability programs and initiatives in 2020, including significant accomplishments achieved at its three mine development projects, and outlines goals and benchmarks for current and future corporate activities.

Ivanhoe Mines recently passed the first milestone on its journey to produce the world's "greenest copper", with first concentrate production at the tier-one Kamoa-Kakula Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) achieved on May 25th. We encourage all investors to see the outstanding sustainability initiatives undertaken by the company by viewing our 2020 Sustainability Report at: https://ivanhoemines.com/investors/sustainability-report/.





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"Long before the Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) movement went mainstream, Ivanhoe committed to being a modern leader in sustainability, environmental stewardship, community partnerships and responsible mineral production," said Executive Co-Chairman Robert Friedland. "Together with our partners, we are expanding Kamoa-Kakula to be the world's 'greenest' copper mine, and our team is confident that Ivanhoe will be an ESG leader in the mining industry for generations to come, with key exposure to commodities that are crucial components in the clean-energy transition."

In her introduction to the report, President and Chief Financial Officer Marna Cloete commended the Ivanhoe family for maintaining unity and strength during a challenging year: "Despite the strain, grief and challenges presented during the reporting year, our teams have rallied together, providing their unwavering commitment and support and thereby enabling Ivanhoe not only to navigate the unprecedented impacts of COVID-19 on our operations and daily engagements, but also to foster innovative partnerships and solutions to some of our problems which will have lasting, positive effects for our operations and host communities."

Patricia Makhesha, Executive Vice President, Sustainability and Special Projects, added: "Ivanhoe's culture is the heartbeat of our organization and is integral to everything that we do. Our culture is one of caring for others, and therefore of operating with the best interests of our key stakeholders in mind. Our culture encourages open communication at all levels of the organization, and behind the scenes at Ivanhoe we are all one big family, committed to each other and to the organizational mandate, which is rooted in a deep commitment to the sustainable development agenda."

Pictures showcasing several of the company's 2020 sustainability initiatives are shown below.

Israel Kainda, first grade student at the Musokantanda Agronomist Technical Institute near the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project. Education is key to improving and changing lives, and Ivanhoe has worked hard to create opportunities for quality education for children and adults in communities surrounding all three of our mining projects.





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Dolly Molekoa from Ga-Molekana Village in Mokopane matriculated in 2013 and graduated from the University of Limpopo with a Bachelor's degree in Environmental and Resources in 2017. The Platreef Project sponsored Dolly throughout her studies and awarded her a scholarship to attend Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan, where she recently completed her Master's degree in Environmental Sciences.





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Women collecting water at the newly installed solar-powered water well at the Kaponda Village near the Kipushi Project. Ivanhoe Mines is committed to responsible water use in support of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with regard to access to water and sanitation, and responsible consumption and production.





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A young Kipushi resident on his way to collect water from the solar-powered water wells installed by the Kipushi Project.





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Hendrietta Sarila, Environmental Coordinator, Platreef Project. Ivanhoe has developed goals to help build environmental resilience, promote diversity and inclusion, and foster inclusive growth and sustainable livelihoods in our host countries and communities. The number of women in the mining sector is low, and we are committed to playing a prominent role in addressing this issue.





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Chancelle Kabinda, a graduate cadet Utility Vehicle Operator, Kamoa-Kakula Project. Chancelle is part of Ivanhoe Mine's continued strategic effort to empower a new generation of highly skilled women.





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Jean Claude Ilunga Kashala, Auto Electrician, Kakula Mine. Investment in training opportunities for our employees as well as education opportunities for host communities is core to Ivanhoe's investment strategy.





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Members of Ivanhoe and Kamoa-Kakula's multinational senior management teams at Kakula's Phase 1 concentrator. L-R: Abraham Li (Director & Deputy General Manager, Kamoa Copper); Steve Amos (Head of Projects, Kamoa Copper); Annebel Oosthuizen (Executive, Finance, Kamoa Copper); Ben Munanga (Chairman, Kamoa Copper); Marna Cloete (President and CFO, Ivanhoe Mines); Wenneng Ke (Deputy General Manager, Kamoa Copper): Mark Farren (CEO, Kamoa Copper); Rochelle de Villiers (Co-CFO, Kamoa Copper); Minty Cai (Co-CFO, Kamoa Copper); and Olivier Binyingo (VP Public Affairs DRC, Ivanhoe Mines).





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Ivanhoe has successfully focused on prevention, preparation and mitigation in managing the risks associated with COVID-19. Large-scale testing, combined with focused preventative measures, ensured that positive cases were quickly identified, isolated and treated, with cross contamination kept to a minimum. Maintaining this high standard of risk management remains a daily focus, to prevent future cases.





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Ivanhoe is committed to powering its mines with energy from renewable energy sources, such as hydropower. The Mwadingusha hydro-power dam in the DRC is being upgraded to provide long-term, environmentally friendly electricity for the Kamoa-Kakula and Kipushi mines, and the Congolese people.





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About Ivanhoe Mines

Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three principal joint-venture projects in Southern Africa: the development of major new, mechanized, underground mines at the Kamoa-Kakula copper discoveries in the Democratic Republic of Congo and at the Platreef palladium-rhodium-platinum-nickel-copper-gold discovery in South Africa; and the extensive redevelopment and upgrading of the historic Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, also in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kamoa-Kakula began producing copper concentrates in May 2021 and, through phased expansions, is positioned to become one of the world's largest copper producers. Kamoa-Kakula and Kipushi will be powered by clean, renewable hydro-generated electricity and will be among the world's lowest greenhouse gas emitters per unit of metal produced. Ivanhoe Mines has pledged to achieve net-zero operational greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2) at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Mine when large-scale electric, hydrogen and hybrid underground mining equipment become commercially available. Ivanhoe also is exploring for new copper discoveries on its Western Foreland exploration licences in the Democratic Republic of Congo, near the Kamoa-Kakula Project.

Information Contacts

Investors

Bill Trenaman

+1.604.331.9834

Media

Matthew Keevil

+1.604.558.1034

Website www.ivanhoemines.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86888
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Big Ridge Gold Corp. (TSXV: BRAU) ("Big Ridge" or "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced earn-in agreement (the "Earn-In Agreement") with First Mining Gold Corp. (TSX: FF) ("First Mining") pursuant to which Big Ridge can earn up to an 80% interest in First Mining's Hope Brook Gold Project, located in Newfoundland and Labrador. Under the terms of the Earn-In Agreement, Big Ridge is now the operator of the Hope Brook Gold Project.

HOPE BROOK GOLD PROJECT

Located in a world-class, mining-friendly jurisdiction - Newfoundland, Canada.

Historical high-grade operation that produced over 750,000 oz. Au.

Excellent infrastructure including grid power and a 28-person camp.

26,000 hectare land package with very little exploration done since 1997 closure.

Multiple high priority drill targets in and around the Hope Brook mine.

"We are excited to close the Hope Brook transaction and to commence our Phase 1 exploration program this summer," commented Mike Bandrowski, President and CEO of Big Ridge Gold Corp.

Hope Brook is located 85 kilometers east of Port aux Basques, Newfoundland. The project has well maintained infrastructure on site and is connected to the provincial electrical power grid via an on-site substation. Significant exploration potential remains on the 26,000-hectare concession, providing a great opportunity to expand the mine area as well as surface showings throughout the concessions. As at March 31, 2021 Big Ridge had C$3.1 million in cash and plans to initiate a drilling program by Q3 2021.

Board Appointment

In connection with the closing of the Transaction and the right for First Mining to appoint one board member as long as First Mining holds at least 10% of the issued and outstanding shares of Big Ridge, Big Ridge has increased the size of its board of directors to five. Big Ridge is pleased to announce the appointment of Ken Engquist to the Big Ridge Board of Directors, joining Mike Bandrowski, Nick Tintor, Bill Williams and Rick Mazur. Ken is currently the Chief Operating Officer at First Mining.

Ken brings over 25 years of engineering and project leadership experience to his role, and has extensive experience overseeing the advancement of assets through development. Most recently, he oversaw the development of various aspects of Tinka Resources' Ayawilca project in Peru, and the feasibility engineering study for Arizona Mining's Hermosa Zinc Project in the United States which was acquired by South32 Limited in the summer of 2018 for C$2.1 billion. Ken's prior roles include Vice President of Project Development for Nevsun Resources where he was responsible for the Timok copper project in Serbia, and roles with Oxygen Capital, where he was responsible for advancing a portfolio of projects within Oxygen's managed group of companies (True Gold, Pilot Gold and Pure Gold) through various stages of development from advanced exploration to the start of production. He has also held positions with AngloGold Ashanti and Rio Tinto. Ken holds a B.Sc. in Engineering from Michigan Technological University and is a registered Project Management Professional.

Acquisition Terms

Big Ridge paid C$500,000 in cash and issued 11,500,000 common shares of Big Ridge to First Mining on closing of the Earn-In Agreement (the "Closing Date"). The closing shares are subject to a four-month hold period as required by applicable securities laws.

The earn-in is comprised of two stages. In order to exercise its first earn-in right to acquire a 51% interest in the Hope Brook Gold Project, Big Ridge must incur and fund expenditures on the Hope Brook Gold Project of no less than C$10 million within the three-year period following the Closing Date. Upon achieving this expenditure threshold and issuing an additional 15 million common shares to First Mining, subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, Big Ridge (51% interest) shall become party to a joint venture agreement for the Hope Brook Gold Project with First Mining (49% interest), with Big Ridge continuing as the operator.

Concurrently with the creation of the joint venture, the joint venture entity shall grant to First Mining a 1.5% net smelter returns royalty on the Hope Brook Gold Project, subject to a right of Big Ridge to buy back 0.5% for C$2,000,000 in cash to First Mining.

To earn an additional 29% interest in the Hope Brook Gold Project, Big Ridge must incur an additional $10 million in expenditures on the project by the end of the fifth anniversary of the Closing Date. Upon achieving this final expenditure threshold and issuing an additional 10 million common shares ("Stage 2 Shares") to First Mining, subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, Big Ridge shall become the holder of an 80% interest in the Hope Brook Gold Project. Big Ridge will solely fund all expenditures on the project up to and including the date on which Big Ridge announces the results of a feasibility study on the project, at which time First Mining's free carry period terminates. If the issuance of the Stage 2 Shares would result in First Mining owning more that 19.9% of the total number of Big Ridge common shares issued and outstanding following such share issuance, the number of Stage 2 Shares shall be reduced such that First Mining will own no more than 19.9% of the total number of Big Ridge common shares issued and outstanding following the issuance of the Stage 2 Shares.

Upon the commencement of commercial production at the project, Big Ridge will pay $2,000,000 in cash to First Mining.

Under the terms of the Earn-In Agreement, Big Ridge has granted to First Mining a number of rights which will remain in force so long as First Mining holds at least 10% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Big Ridge, including (i) the right to nominate one director to the Big Ridge board, and (ii) a right to participate in financings by Big Ridge in order to maintain its percentage ownership in the Company. The Earn-In Agreement also includes various restrictions on the parties from transferring their respective interests in the Hope Brook Gold Project and on First Mining's ability to resell its Big Ridge shares.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical content of this press release has been reviewed and approved by Nick Tintor, a Qualified Professional Member of the Mining & Metallurgical Society of America and a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101.

About Big Ridge Gold Corp.

Big Ridge Gold Corp. is an exploration and development company managed by a disciplined and experienced team of officers and directors. The Company is committed to the development of advanced stage mining projects using industry best practices combined with strong social license from our local communities. Big Ridge owns a 100% interest in the highly prospective Oxford Gold Project located in Manitoba, a 100% interest in the Destiny Gold Project in Quebec where Clarity Gold Corp. is earning up to a 100% interest and is exploring in the Beardmore-Geraldton gold belt in Ontario. Big Ridge is now the operator of the Hope Brook Gold Project located in Newfoundland and Labrador.

For more details regarding the Company's projects, please visit our website at www.bigridgegold.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,

Mike Bandrowski,

President & CEO

For Further Information Contact:

Mike Bandrowski,

President & CEO

BIG RIDGE GOLD CORP.

1 Yonge Street, Suite 1801

Toronto, ON, M5E 1W7

Tel: 416-540-5480

Email: Mike@bigridgegold.com

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

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "intends", "estimates", "envisages", "potential", "possible", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events, including the exercise of the options under the Earn-In Agreement. All forward-looking statements are based on Big Ridge's and its employees' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to Big Ridge, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Big Ridge does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the Company or on our behalf, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86777
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Ethos Gold Corp. (TSXV: ECC) (OTCQB: ETHOF) (FSE: 1ET) ("Ethos" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement of flow-through units raising gross proceeds of C$1,333,333 (the "Private Placement").

The Private Placement consisted of 5,555,556 flow-through units priced at $0.24 per unit (each, a "Unit"). Each Unit consists of one flow through share, and one half of one non-flow through common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant is exercisable into one common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.30 for a period of two years.

Immediately following the closing of the Private Placement, Crescat Portfolio Management, LLC ("Crescat") owns 15,848,456 shares of Ethos, representing approximately 12.7% of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company.

"We see our investment in Ethos as a stake in multiple high-quality projects across Canada that will be explored by a tier one team led by well renowned geologist, Rob Carpenter," commented Dr. Quinton Hennigh, technical advisor to Crescat Capital. "The Company recently announced commencement of drilling at its Perk-Rocky porphyry copper-gold project in BC, but this is just the beginning of a long list of exploration objectives this year. Work is soon slated for multiple projects in Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland. We look forward to seeing the company become one of the most aggressive gold explorers in Canada. Aggressive exploration results in discovery."

The Private Placement constitutes a related-party transaction as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 as there are certain insiders participating. Because the Company's shares trade only on the TSX Venture Exchange, the issuance of securities is exempt from the formal valuation requirements of Section 5.4 of MI 61-101 pursuant to Subsection 5.5(b) of MI 61-101 and exempt from the minority approval requirements of Section 5.6 of MI 61-101 pursuant to Subsection 5.7(a) and 5.7(b) of MI 61-101.

The gross proceeds of the Private Placement will be used by the Company to incur "Canadian exploration expenses" that will qualify as "flow-through mining expenditures" within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

The Private Placement is subject to the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange and all securities issued or issuable under the Private Placement are subject to a 4-month hold period expiring on October 9, 2021.

About Crescat Capital LLC

Crescat is a global macro asset management firm headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Crescat's mission is to grow and protect wealth over the long term by deploying tactical investment themes based on proprietary value-driven equity and macro models. Crescat's goal is industry leading absolute and risk-adjusted returns over complete business cycles with low correlation to common benchmarks. Crescat's investment process involves a mix of asset classes and strategies to assist with each client's unique needs and objectives and includes Global Macro, Long/Short, Large Cap and Precious Metals funds.

Crescat is advised by its technical consultant Dr. Quinton Hennigh on investments in gold and silver resource companies. Dr. Hennigh became an economic geologist after obtaining his PhD in Geology/Geochemistry from the Colorado School of Mines. He has more than 30 years of exploration experience with major gold mining firms that include Homestake Mining, Newcrest Mining and Newmont Mining. Recently, Dr. Hennigh founded Novo Resources Corp and currently serves as Chairman. Among his notable project involvements are First Mining Gold's Springpole gold deposit in Ontario, Kirkland Lake Gold's acquisition of the Fosterville gold mine in Australia, the Rattlesnake Hills gold deposit in Wyoming, and Lion One's Tuvatu gold project on Fiji, among many others.

About Ethos Gold Corp.

Ethos Gold, a Discovery Group company, has accumulated a portfolio of district-scale projects in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland that have large scale discovery potential. The Company has a solid technical team led by Dr. Rob Carpenter, formerly the CEO of Kaminak Gold Corporation, who led the Kaminak team from initial listing in 2005 through acquisition and discovery of the multiple-million-ounce Coffee Gold Project. In Ethos, he has assembled a senior technical advisory team with a strong record of discovery success and includes Dr. Robert Brozdowski, P.Geo., Dan MacNeil, M.Sc., P.Geo., Dr. Alan Wainwright, P.Geo, and Dr. Quinton Hennigh, an economic geologist with 25 years of exploration experience formerly with Homestake Mining Company, Newcrest Mining and Newmont Mining Corp. Ethos is advancing its nine projects throughout Canada under the stewardship of Vice President of Exploration, Jo Price, P.Geo., MBA, with work programs set to begin this summer with dedicated teams on each project.

Ethos engages proactively with Indigenous rightsholders and seeks to develop relationships and agreements that are mutually beneficial. The Company's community relations efforts are led by Michelle Tanguay who has over 25 years experience in indigenous and stakeholder engagement and environmental program design and management.

With approximately C$12 million in working capital, Ethos is well funded to advance its portfolio of Canadian projects.

Ethos Gold Corp.

Per: "Alex Heath"

Alex Heath, CFA, President and CEO

For further information about Ethos Gold Corp. or this news release, please visit our website at ethosgold.com or contact Alex Heath at 604-354-2491 or by email at alexh@ethosgold.com.

Ethos Gold Corp. is a proud member of Discovery Group. For more information please visit: discoverygroup.ca.

Forward-Looking Statement Cautions:

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the Company's plans with respect to the Company's projects and the timing related thereto, the merits of the Company's projects, the Company's objectives, plans and strategies, the Private Placement and the expected use of proceeds thereof, and other project opportunities. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective,", "strategy", "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include the risk of accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, or the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other agency or governmental clearances, necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, risks and uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic, risks and uncertainties related to the Company's ability to complete the Offering and the size of the Offering, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes in the jurisdictions where the Company carries on its business that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects.

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

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

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86826
Victoria, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Plurilock Security Inc. (TSXV: PLUR) (OTCQB: PLCKF) and related subsidiaries ("Plurilock" or the "Company"), an identity-centric cybersecurity solutions provider for workforces, has signed a contract extension worth US$120,000 with the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) under National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Solution for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP), a U.S. Government-Wide Acquisition Contract Vehicle (GWAC).

Per the terms of the order, the Company will be providing Atlassian software license renewal and continued maintenance support for the product. The contract extension represents the second SEWP contract signed with Plurilock by the U.S. Department of Defense in recent weeks, as the Company continues efforts to expand sales within the government vertical.

About SEWP

The SEWP V program, launched by NASA in 2015, is the leading information technology (IT) contract vehicle, with government agencies spending $7.9 billion in fiscal 2020.1 Estimates anticipate that agencies will utilize SEWP V for $8.8 billion in contracted spending in fiscal 2021.2 The contract vehicle provides Plurilock with the opportunity to access downstream customers in the government sector.

About Plurilock

Plurilock provides identity-centric cybersecurity for today's workforces. Plurilock offers world-class cybersecurity solutions paired with AI-driven, cloud-friendly security technologies that deliver persistent identity assurance with unmatched ease of use. The Plurilock family of companies enables organizations to operate safely and securely-while reducing cybersecurity friction.

For more information, visit https://www.plurilock.com or contact:

Ian L. Paterson

Chief Executive Officer

ian@plurilock.com

416.800.1566

Roland Sartorius

Chief Financial Officer

roland.sartorius@plurilock.com

Prit Singh

Investor Relations

prit.singh@plurilock.com

905.510.7636

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") which relate to future events or Plurilock's future business, operations, and financial performance and condition. Forward-looking statements normally contain words like "will", "intend", "anticipate", "could", "should", "may", "might", "expect", "estimate", "forecast", "plan", "potential", "project", "assume", "contemplate", "believe", "shall", "scheduled", and similar terms. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, actions, or developments and are based on expectations, assumptions and other factors that management currently believes are relevant, reasonable, and appropriate in the circumstances. Although management believes that the forward-looking statements herein are reasonable, actual results could be substantially different due to the risks and uncertainties associated with and inherent to Plurilock's business. Additional material risks and uncertainties applicable to the forward-looking statements herein include, without limitation, impact of general economic conditions, success of the Company in obtaining new or extended contracts or orders; the Company's ability to maintain existing customers or develop new customers; the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquisitions of other businesses and/or companies or to realize on the anticipated benefits thereof; and unforeseen events, developments, or factors causing any of the aforesaid expectations, assumptions, and other factors ultimately being inaccurate or irrelevant. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the Company's forward-looking statements. Many of these factors are beyond the control of Plurilock. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as at the date hereof and Plurilock undertakes no obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in its most recent Annual Information Form and are otherwise disclosed in its filings with securities regulatory authorities which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.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.

https://about.bgov.com/news/this-is-it-sewp-v-is-the-top-it-vehicle-in-fiscal-2020/ https://about.bgov.com/news/this-is-it-sewp-v-is-the-top-it-vehicle-in-fiscal-2020/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86861
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2021 / Lahontan Gold Corp. (the "Company" or "Lahontan") is pleased to announce the first results from its Phase One exploration drilling program at its 100% owned flagship Santa Fe Project in Nevada's prolific Walker Lane gold belt. Lahontan is reporting results from six recently completed reverse-circulation drill holes totalling 1,218 meters, highlights include:

188.9 meters grading 1.75 gpt Au and 9.9 gpt Ag in drill hole SF21-001R including 56.4 meters grading 2.78 gpt Au and 17.6 Ag and also including 6.1 meters grading 4.29 gpt Au and 31 gpt Ag . Gold and Ag mineralization starts at the surface and the hole bottomed in mineralized rock.

. Gold and Ag mineralization starts at the surface and the hole bottomed in mineralized rock. 86.9 meters grading 1.08 gpt Au and 3.7 gpt Ag in drill hole SF21-002R. A complete table of drill results is below.

The first portion of the drilling program was centered on the past-producing Santa Fe pit and had two principal objectives: 1) Verify assay data from historic drilling that outlined substantial gold and silver mineralization below and adjacent to the Santa Fe pit; and 2) Confirm metallurgical domains identified by modeling historic drilling, especially at the margins of the deposit. Lahontan believes that early results from the Phase One drilling program is already achieving these objectives.

Drill holes SF21-001R and -002R were collared in the Santa Fe pit and targeted portions of the high-grade BH Zone. Both drill holes intercepted extensive thicknesses of gold and silver mineralization with structurally controlled, higher-grade intervals that characterize the BH Zone as seen in the cross section and plan view below:

The assay results compare favorably with nearby historic drill holes giving confidence in the use of historic data in future resource estimates. The 0.1 gpt outline of gold mineralization, based on modeling of historic drill holes and shown in red in the cross section above, corresponds with thick intervals of gold mineralization seen in drill holes SF21-001R and -002R. The high silver grades are also similar to historic drill results and previous mine production, underscoring the potential for important silver by-product credits in any future mining operation.

As part of the systematic organization of the drill campaign, drill holes SF21-003R through -006R were collared at the margins of the known gold and silver deposit to confirm depths of oxidation (metallurgical domains) and test the limits of mineralization. Drill holes SF-003R and -004R both intercepted low-grade gold and silver mineralization: 19.9 meters grading 1.04 gpt Au and 2.3 gpt Ag in -003R and 22.8 meters grading 0.51 gpt Au and 4.5 gpt Ag in -004R. Unfortunately, drill hole -003R lost circulation prior to reaching its targeted depth. Drill holes SF-005R and -006R did not hit significant gold and silver mineralization, however, when combined with the results from -003R and -004R, these drill holes show that the depth of oxidation below the central and northwest portions of the Santa Fe pit is somewhat deeper than what was modeled using historic drill holes and that extensive volumes of oxidized gold and silver mineralization remain unmined. For additional plan maps and cross sections, please visit our website: www.lahontangoldcorp.com

Reverse-Circulation Drill Results, Santa Fe Project, Nevada Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (gpt) Ag (gpt) Au Eq (gpt) Notes SF21-001R 4.6 193.5 188.9 1.75 9.9 1.88 Bottomed in mineralization includes: 96.0 152.4 56.4 2.78 17.6 3.01 also includes: 117.3 123.4 6.1 4.29 31.0 4.70 and: 146.3 152.4 6.1 4.25 21.4 4.54 TD = 193.5m SF21-002R 44.2 68.6 24.4 0.46 6.5 0.55 91.4 178.3 86.9 1.08 3.7 1.13 includes: 144.8 175.3 30.5 1.88 4.9 1.95 also includes: 160.0 170.7 10.7 2.60 6.1 2.68 185.9 222.5 36.6 0.49 1.3 0.51 TD = 304.8m SF21-003R 61.0 80.8 19.9 1.04 2.3 1.07 TD = 85.3m, lost circulation SF21-004R 74.7 83.9 9.1 0.43 2.6 0.46 137.2 160 22.8 0.51 4.5 0.57 TD = 329.2m SF21-005R NSI TD = 102.1, lost circulation prior to reaching target SF21-006R 102.1 109.7 7.6 0.39 2.4 0.42 TD = 304.8

Notes: NSI = No Significant Intercepts. Au Eq = Au (gpt) + (Ag (gpt) / 75). No correction for metallurgical recovery has been made due to lack of sufficient testing.

Kimberly Ann, Chairman, President and CEO of Lahontan Gold Corp. commented: "The Company is very pleased with results obtained from our maiden drill campaign at Santa Fe. We have confirmed all of our initial objectives: Verify the continuity, depth, and grade of the BH Zone; corroborate data from historic drilling that shows extensive volumes of oxidized gold and silver mineralization lie below the Santa Fe pit; and that metallurgical domains generated by modeling historic drill holes are generally accurate, and in some areas, oxidation is deeper than previously modeled. Lahontan plans to resume drilling soon, depending on drill rig availability, with a focus on expanding the known footprint of gold and silver mineralization, drilling in and around the Slab and Calvada pits, and stepping out from the pits along un-drilled structures."

About Lahontan Gold Corp:

Lahontan Gold Corp. is a privately held Canadian mineral exploration company that holds, through its US subsidiaries, three top-tier gold and silver exploration properties in the Walker Lane of mining friendly Nevada. Lahontan's flagship, the 19 km2 Santa Fe Project, is a past producing gold and silver mine with excellent potential to host significant gold and silver resources (past production of 345,000 ounces of gold and 710,000 ounces of silver between 1988 and 1992; Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, 1996). Modeling of over 110,000 meters of historic drilling, geologic mapping, and geochemical sampling outline both shallow, oxidized gold and silver mineralization as well as deeper high grade potential resources. The Company plans an aggressive 25,000 meter drilling program with the goal of a NI 43-101 resource estimate in Q4 2021. For more information, please visit our website: www.lahontangoldcorp.com

All scientific and technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Quentin J. Browne, P.Geo., Consulting Geologist to Lahontan Gold Corp., who is a qualified person under the definitions established by National Instrument 43-101.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Kimberly Ann

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Lahontan Gold Corp.

Kimberly Ann, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

Phone: 1-530-414-4400

Email: Kimberly.ann@lahontangoldcorp.com

Website: www.lahontangoldcorp.com

Cautionary Statement:

Certain disclosure in this release, could constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Canadian securities legislation. In making the forward-looking statements in this release, the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable. However, the forward-looking statements in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Such uncertainties and risks are detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the appropriate securities commissions, and could include, among others, market conditions, and delays in obtaining or failure to obtain required regulatory approvals or financing. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and expressly 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.

SOURCE: Lahontan Gold Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/650776/Lahontan-Gold-Corp-Drills-189-Meters-Grading-175-gpt-Gold-and-99-gpt-Silver-at-Santa-Fe
CHICAGO, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Aircraft Electric Motors Market by Type (AC motor, DC motor), Application, Output Power, Torque, Power Density, End User, Aircraft Type (Fixed Wing, Rotary Wing, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Advanced Air Mobility), and Region - Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market size is projected to grow from USD 8.4 billion in 2021 to USD 12.1 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 7.4% from 2021 to 2026. The market is driven by various factors, such as as increase in aircraft renewals and rise in development of UAvs and hybrid VTOLs.

Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=3248447

The aircraft electric motors market includes major players Moog Inc. (US), Meggitt PLC (UK), Altra Industrial Motion Corporation (US), Woodward, Inc. (US), and Rolls-Royce PLC (UK). These players have spread their business across various countries includes North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. COVID-19 has impacted their businesses as well. Industry experts believe that COVID-19 has affected aircraft electric motors production and services by 7-10% globally in 2020.

Demand for maximum efficiency during engine operation will drive the demand for engine control system segment

The engine control system segment is expected to be the largest market by value. The growth of the engine control system segment of the aircraft electric motors market can be attributed to the increase in the complexity of engines increasing with more control signals and greater demand for performance and functionality. In addition, small electric aircraft usually have an electric starting system during which an electrical motor is employed along with a battery, which is the source of electricity, wiring, switches, and solenoids to operate the starter. Electric motors are also used to drive the lubrication and scavenge pumps in aircraft for oil lubrication and fuel or coolant systems.

The AC motor segment is projected to witness a higher CAGR during the forecast period

Based on type, the AC motor segment is projected to be the highest CAGR rate for the aircraft electric motors market during the forecast period. The growth of the AC motor segment of the aircraft electric motors market can be attributed to the applications with varied power requirements. These are used in actuation systems in aircraft fans and hydraulic pumps.

The above 200 kW segment is projected to witness a higher CAGR during the forecast period

Based on output power, the above 200 kW segment is projected to be the highest CAGR rate for the aircraft electric motors market during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to their ideal usage for the propulsion of mid-sized aircraft covering short-range flights. These motors are well-suited to power smaller aircraft as a standalone system or as part of a distributed system on larger aircraft like the Eviation Alice 9-passenger aircraft. They typically have higher torque and lesser RPM compared to smaller motors.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Aircraft Electric Motors Market"

586 - Tables

48 - Figures

354 - Pages

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The above 10 kW/kg segment is projected to witness a higher CAGR during the forecast period

Based on power density, the above 10 kW/kg segment is projected to be the highest CAGR rate for the aircraft electric motors market during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to heavy aircraft applications like propulsion.

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles segment is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period

Based on the aircraft type, the unmanned aerial vehicles segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR rate for the aircraft electric motors market during the forecast period. UAVs are commonly termed drones and are mostly known for their wide usage in various military missions such as border surveillance. They are also used for mapping, surveying, and determining weather conditions of a specific area. Certain remotely piloted UAVs are designed to operate as loitering munition for defense forces.

The OEM segment is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period

Based on the end use, the OEM segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR rate for the aircraft electric motors market during the forecast period. OEMs are responsible for the installation of electric motors in an aircraft during the assembly stage and are then made available for delivery to aircraft manufacturers. Over the years, there has been a significant rise in the demand for different aircraft types across regions. According to Airbus, it delivered 863 commercial aircraft to 99 customers in 2019.

The North America market is projected to contribute the largest share from 2021 to 2026

North America is projected to be the largest regional share of the aircraft electric motors market during the forecast period. The key factor responsible for North America, leading the aircraft electric motors market owing to the rapid growth of the technologically advanced electric motors in the region. In North America, the rise in aircraft orders and supplies is encouraging manufacturers of aircraft electric motors to increase their sales year on year. The increasing demand for commercial aircraft and the presence of some of the leading players operating in the market, such as MagniX, H3X, Kollmorgen, Windings Inc., Honeywell International, Inc, are expected to drive the aircraft electric motors market in North America. These players are focusing on R&D to increase their product lines and using technologically advanced systems, subsystems, and other components for manufacturing aircraft electric motors.

Related Reports:

Aircraft Hydraulic System Market by Type (Open-Center, Closed-Center), Component (Reservoir, Filters, Pumps, Accumulators, Actuators, Hydraulic Fluid), Platform (Fixed, Rotary) and Region - Global Forecast to 2021

Aircraft Fuel Systems Market by Application (Commercial, Military and UAV), Engine Type (Jet engine, Turboprop engine, Helicopter engine and UAV engine), Component, Technology & Region - Global Forecasts to 2020

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DGAP-Ad-hoc: Ferratum Oyj / Key word(s): Forecast

Ferratum Oyj: Ferratum Oyj presents new strategy, financial targets and the change of the Group name to Multitude SE at its Capital Markets Day



08-Jun-2021 / 13:30 CET/CEST

Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Ferratum Oyj presents new strategy, financial targets and the change of the Group name to Multitude SE at its Capital Markets Day

Helsinki, 8 June 2021 - Ferratum Oyj (ISIN: FI4000106299, WKN: A1W9NS) ("Multitude" or "the Group") announces that its Board of Directors has confirmed the company's new strategy, financial targets, and the change of the Group name from Ferratum Oyj to Multitude SE.

According to the new strategy, the Group's business units will gain a more independent role and will consequently be even more closely aligned to their clients and their specific needs. Multitude will concentrate on business-critical operations centrally, with cost advantages derived from delivering greater economies of scale. The strategy and the new role for the Group is also reflected in the new name, Multitude.

The Group acts as an enabler, or a platform, for the business units to flourish. Primelending and the Mobile Wallet business has now been rebranded SweepBank, a brand with a very clear customer focus and an ambition to make its clients' lives easier. The brand Ferratum is reserved for the Near Prime lending business.

Brand Products Ferratum Microloan, PlusLoan and Credit Limit CapitalBox SME lending SweepBank Primeloan and Mobile Wallet

We have defined clear roles for our tribes. While Ferratum will continue to concentrate on generating strong profits and cash flows, Capital Box, and particularly Sweepbank will represent the future growth engines for the Group in the years to come.

Jorma Jokela, CEO of Multitude Group commented: "We want to get client-specific decisions made in closer collaboration with the client. This helps us to respond better to changing client needs and to help us serve them better. We have, for example, moved a significant part of our application development to the business unit level - or 'tribes' as we call them. The functions, where we see clear economies of scale benefits, we will retain at the Group level. These functions include administration, risk management and IT Infra, technology development and data management.

Our new brand is an outcome of our revised strategy. The name Multitude clearly emphasises our ability to serve a large number of clients with a broad variety of leading products and services.

We are very excited about our opportunities in Primelending and the Mobile Wallet app, now under the new SweepBank brand. We have identified a very clear target segment for SweepBank, where we see potential to generate not just volume, but high revenues. We also expect strong growth in our SME business, CapitalBox, while at Ferratum we envisage strong profit and cash flow generation.

All in all, the outlook for 2021, and especially 2022 looks positive. The latest economic forecasts from the International Monetary Fund (World Economic Outlook, April 2021) for example, predicts 6.0% growth in global GDP, and 4.4% growth in the Euro area for 2021. This gives us a good basis to build our business."

Multitude's strategic priorities, 2021-24:

- Increased autonomy for tribes, with more agile operations and better focus on clients

- Continuous development in our operations with economies of scale benefits at Group level

- Executing operations according to the defined roles for the business units - SweepBank and CapitalBox for growth, Ferratum for strong profits and cash flows

- Looking for expansion opportunities in new markets and through M&A

Financial targets

* Multitude expects revenue growth during second half of 2021 (quarter-on-quarter), and expects all tribes to contribute to growth in 2022

* For the financial year 2021, Multitude expects consolidated EBIT to be at or above EUR 20 million, taking into consideration current growth initiatives

* For the period 2022-2024, Multitude expects profitable growth, reflected in an EBIT growth rate of 50% p.a.

Multitude bases the given forecast on the assumption that there will be no negative soar in new COVID-19 cases in key markets or wide spread government imposed lockdowns.

The company will host a virtual Capital Markets Day event today, 8 June 2021 from 14.00 CET onwards. The event will be held in English. Presentation materials and a recording of the webcast will be available on Multitude's website after the event. The presentation can be followed at https://www.ferratumgroup.com/investors/cmd

The change in Group name does not have an impact on the company's Stock Exchange symbol 'FRU.'

The final decision on the change of the name is subject to approval at the shareholders' general meeting.

With this release, Multitude publishes inside information.

About Multitude (Ferratum) Group:

Ferratum Group is an international provider of mobile banking and digital consumer and small business loans, distributed and managed by mobile devices. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, Ferratum has expanded to operate in 19 countries across Europe, Africa, South and North America, Australia and Asia.

As a pioneer in digital and mobile financial services technology, Ferratum is at the forefront of the digital banking revolution. Ferratum has approximately 480,000 active customers that have an open Mobile Bank or Wallet account or an active loan balance in the last 12 months (as at 31 March 2021).

Ferratum Group is listed on the Prime Standard of Frankfurt Stock Exchange under symbol 'FRU.' For more information, visit www.ferratumgroup.com.

Contacts:

IR@ferratum.com

https://www.ferratumgroup.com/investors/ir-contact
Eastern and Western veining horizons are extended in the Shepherd Zone, with numerous high-grade gold intercepts along a 400 metre strike extent

TORONTO, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mandalay Resources Corporation ("Mandalay" or the "Company") (TSX: MND, OTCQB: MNDJF) is pleased to provide an update on the newly discovered Shepherd Zone at its Costerfield Operation in Victoria, Australia.



The Eastern vein has now been traced over 300 metres ("m") of strike length and approximately 100 m in vertical extent. The mineralization remains open to the south and at depth (Figure 2).

The Western vein has now been traced over 400 m of strike length and approximately 100 m in vertical extent and remains open to the south and at depth (Figure 4).

New Drilling Highlights:

Eastern Veining

172.3 g/t gold over true width of 0.27 m in BC213; and

in BC213; and 69.5 g/t gold over true width of 1.11 m in BC210 including: 406.0 g/t gold over true width of 0.14 m



in BC210 including:

Western Veining

33.7 g/t gold over true width of 3.22 m in BC201 including: 127.0 g/t gold over true width of 0.69 m ;

in BC201 including: 712 . 8 g/t gold over true width of 0.10 m in BC205; and

. in BC205; and 19.4 g/t gold over true width of 4.84 m in BC210 including: 657.3 g/t gold over true width of 0.13 m



in BC210 including:

Note: Further intercept details including significant intercepts within composite intervals can be found in Table 1 in the Appendix to this document.

Dominic Duffy, President and CEO of Mandalay, commented: "Over the past month, Mandalay's increased focus on the Shepherd Zone has demonstrated great success with the Eastern and Western veining horizons extending 300 m and 400 m in strike length, respectively. The grades shown along strike within the Eastern veining are consistently high, with significant visible gold identified within each intercept along the top of the zone, demonstrating an exciting new high grade gold vein system (Figures 1,2 and 4)."

Mr. Duffy continued, "Mandalay is also encouraged by the indication that the two veining horizons merge towards the south, in an area that exhibits elevated widths and grades. This southern area remains unconstrained at depth."

Mr. Duffy continued, "To date, drilling has been concentrated in the upper portions of the zone with a focus on optimizing the knowledge of the geometries and grades for near term mine planning. During the near-term, additional underground exploration drill platforms will be developed allowing for optimum drill intercept angle, which will slow the drill rates into the Shepherd Zone. Infill drilling will continue at an accelerated rate in the upper areas of the Shepherd Zone for medium-term mine planning, as well as to test for extensions of the vein system to the south and at depth."

Mr Duffy concluded, "We are extremely excited about this discovery and the continuity of very high grades over many hundreds of meters in strike length. It is obviously important to understand the full dimensions of this vein system and the economic portions of the deposit to determine its overall impact on Costerfield's long-term future. A video has been prepared by Mr. Chris Davis, Vice President of Operational Geology and Exploration, to further explain the information in this release. The video can be found on Mandalay's website or by clicking here."

The Shepherd Zone Extension

Since Mandalay's last release on the Shepherd Zone drilling (April 26, 2021), drilling rates have been increased with a total of four underground drill rigs operating on the program. An additional 22 holes have been drilled with 29 significant intercepts assayed. Due to the accelerated nature of the program, not all significant intercepts have been assayed at present. Drilling to date has focused on delineating the upper reaches of the Shepherd system in support of short term mine planning activities, with further exploration at depth being prioritized in the following months once drill platforms have been established.

In general terms, the original interpreted orientation of the veining has been supported by the new drilling, and the two major horizons continue with new high-grade intercepts located as far as approximately 300 m south of the initial intercept encountered in BC176. The southern intercepts support the interpretation of a subvertical system extending down from the west dipping Youle structure with a shallow northern plunge to the interaction point. The concept of a convergence of these vein systems has also been demonstrated with the interpretation of this interaction at approximately 7000N leading to a zone of wide and high-grade veining to the south of the convergence. The southerly extension of the converged vein system is untested and represents an ongoing priority drill target.

Although the depth extension to this drilling has not been the recent focus, inferences of the system framework have been made with the forward modelling of results from the 2019 Costerfield Deeps drilling program. This work highlights a potentially significant interrupted anticlinal position at depth which has been shown to be anomalously mineralized within CD001 to the south. Vectoring analysis of the mineralization from the original Costerfield veining at surface to the Shepherd veining at depth suggest that this increasingly favourable environment exists approximately 400 m north of the CD001 intercept (initial Costerfield Deeps dill hole), indicating that this drill hole has intercepted south of the main endowment at depth (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Schematic cross-section of the Shepherd vein system highlighting its relationship to Youle and potential targets at depth.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a445ccdc-1ba1-4c69-810d-66024300eace

Eastern Veining

A further 13 intercepts have been added to the previously defined Eastern veining. Excitingly, and consistent with targeting models, high grades have been discovered to the south underneath the southern high-grade domain of the currently modelled extents of Youle. Highlights include BC213 with 172.3 g/t gold over a true width of 0.27 m and BC212A with 69.5 g/t gold over a true width of 1.11 m. To date, consistent high grades are noted along the upper portion of the system with an approximate strike length of 200 m as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Longitudinal section of the Shepherd Zone Eastern Veining.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d3b58599-b614-4957-8bcf-06e549fa6551

Within the Eastern horizon, quartz veining becomes more consolidated south of BC187 and dispersed to the north with stibnite present alongside quartz veining within, and to the north of, BC187. Mineralogy remains consistent with the majority of gold as grains of up to 2mm hosted in quartz (Figure 3). At depth grades appears to diminish towards to the quartzite layer within the centre of the horizon shown in Figure 2.Drilling to date has not tested the corridor below the quartzite which has been known to be a disrupter of grade within the Cuffley orebody that lies approximately 2 km to the south of the Shepherd Zone. It is significant to note from the accumulated knowledge acquired from mining the Cuffley deposit that grade returns to the veining below the quartzite. Further drilling is therefore required to test this hypothesis at Shepherd.

Figure 3. Photomicrograph of gold within the vein at 193.21m of BC187 highlighting the spatial relationship with quartz, carbonate, stibnite and siltstone.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/94c80865-d6df-409c-afeb-4f46b3f4d631

Western Veining

The Western veining has also been intercepted repeatedly with recent drilling. Although intercepts have been less consistent in grade compared to the Eastern veining, structural continuity has been demonstrated to be consistent throughout the horizon indicating a strike length of approximately 400 m. The southernmost intercept BC210 is significant in both grade and width (19.4 g/t gold over a true width of 4.84 m), while BC201, approximately 40 m above, is likewise significant (33.7 g/t gold over a true width of 3.22 m) showing the mineralization is open still to the south. To the north the veining has been shown to extend up to the Youle structure with significant grades found in BC205 (712.8 g/t gold over a true width of 0.10 m). There is also veining approximately 20 m to the east of the Western veining intercepted in BC196 (58.8 g/t gold and 13.5% antimony over a true width of 0.23 m) and BC206 (115.0 g/t gold and 3.0% antimony over a true width of 0.14 m).

Gold bearing veining has been intercepted below the quartzite layer, however not to comparable levels of grade as encountered above the quartzite. Analysis of analogues within the Costerfield mineral field suggest that a westward shift of mineralization should be anticipated at depth, however, to date the area has not been adequately tested. Exploration of this area is expected in the coming months.

Figure 4. Longitudinal section of the Shepherd Zone Western Veining.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/874766af-18e6-44ff-9af3-1739e5d88d91

Reassessing the Costerfield Mineral System

In 2015, Mandalay embarked on a drilling campaign to identify the depth extension of the Cuffley mineralization. This was undertaken drilling from East to West to test this sub-vertical system and identified a series of veins analogous in orientation and mineralization to those noted in the Shepherd Zone. Significant grades were encountered within the area, however the intercepts were deep and were lower priorities than follow-up of nearer surface extensions to Cuffley. The discovery of the westerly dipping Youle deposit highlights an exploration target opportunity for a westerly dipping mineralized system, analogous to Youle, that the 2015 exploration program would not have tested effectively due to the orientation of drilling being sub parallel to the target system. This is a target currently under investigation and the results of the 2015 program are being reviewed in detail in conjunction with the evolving Shepherd interpretation. This updated targeting exercise aims to pursue a significant parcel of mineralization under the mined extent of the Cuffley orebody that mirrors the mode of mineralization of the Youle / Shepherd system.

Drilling and Assaying

All drilling reported in this document was completed from underground in Youle using 3 x LM90 and 1 x LM30 Boart Longyear diamond drill rigs operated by drill contractor Starwest Pty Ltd. All diamond drill core was logged and sampled by Costerfield geologists. All samples were sent to On Site Laboratory Services) for a complete description of drilling, sampling, and assaying procedures.

Qualified Person:

Chris Davis, Vice President of Operational Geology and Exploration at Mandalay Resources, is a Chartered Professional of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (MAusIMM CP(Geo)), and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. He has reviewed and approved the technical and scientific information provided in this release.

For Further Information

Dominic Duffy

President and Chief Executive Officer

Edison Nguyen

Manager, Analytics and Investor Relations

Contact:

647.260.1566

About Mandalay Resources Corporation

Mandalay Resources is a Canadian-based natural resource company with producing assets in Australia (Costerfield gold-antimony mine) and Sweden (Bjorkdal gold mine), with projects in Chile and Canada under care and maintenance, closure or development status. The Company is focused on growing its production profile and reducing costs to generate significant positive cashflow.

Mandalay's mission is to create shareholder value through the profitable operation of both its Costerfield and Bjorkdal mines. Currently, the Company's main objective is to continue mining the high-grade Youle vein at Costerfield, which continues to supply high-grade ore, and also focus on extending Youle's Mineral Reserves at depth. At Bjorkdal, the Company will aim to increase production from the Aurora zone in the coming years, in order to maximize profit margins from the mine.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securitieslaws,includingstatementsregardingtheexplorationanddevelopmentpotentialof theShepherd zone(Costerfield).Readersarecautionednotto place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things,changesincommoditypricesandgeneralmarketandeconomicconditions.Thefactors identifiedabovearenotintendedtorepresentacompletelistofthefactorsthatcouldaffect Mandalay.Adescriptionofadditionalrisksthatcouldresultinactualresultsanddevelopments differingfromthosecontemplatedbyforward-lookingstatementsinthisnewsreleasecanbe foundundertheheading"RiskFactors"inMandalay'sannualinformationformdatedMarch 31, 2021, a copy of which is available under Mandalay's profile at www.sedar.com. In addition, there can be no assurance that any inferred resources that are discovered as a result of additionaldrillingwilleverbeupgradedtoprovenorprobablereserves.AlthoughMandalayhas attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differmateriallyfromthosedescribedinforward-lookingstatements,theremaybeotherfactors thatcauseactions,eventsorresultsnottobeasanticipated,estimatedorintended.Therecan be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results andfutureeventscoulddiffermateriallyfromthoseanticipatedinsuchstatements.Accordingly, readersshouldnotplaceunduerelianceonforward-lookingstatements.

Appendix

Table 1. Shepherd Drilling Composites

DRILL

HOLE ID FROM

(M) TO

(M) DRILLl

WIDTH

(m) TRUE

WIDTH

(m) AU

GRADE

(G/T) SB

GRADE

(%) AU (G/T) OVER

MIN. 1.8M

MINING

WIDTH VEIN NAME BC188 294.87 295.08 0.21 0.11 1.0 LLD 0.1 Western Veining BC191 204.67 204.87 0.20 0.16 0.4 LLD 0.0 Eastern Veining BC191 278.18 278.37 0.19 0.07 3.9 0.10 0.2 Western Veining BC196 148.19 158.5 10.31 7.16 2.5 LLD 3.0 Eastern Veining BC196 177.77 177.98 0.21 0.11 181.0 13.1 11.3 Unnamed BC196 260.9 261.26 0.36 0.23 58.8 13.5 9.3 Unnamed BC197 120.07 120.67 0.60 0.49 7.9 0.02 2.1 Western Veining BC199 200.01 200.21 0.20 0.09 36.2 12 2.5 Eastern Veining BC201 139.8 144.3 4.5 3.22 33.7 0.02 33.7 Western Veining INCLUDING 141.78 142.63 0.85 0.69 127.0 0.04 BC202 141.54 141.92 0.38 0.32 59.8 LLD 10.6 Eastern Veining BC202 170.87 171.09 0.22 0.19 310.4 LLD 32.5 Western Veining BC203 67.68 68.30 0.62 0.52 18.4 LLD 5.3 Eastern Veining BC203 101.19 101.32 0.13 0.10 29.1 LLD 1.6 Western Veining BC204A 105.35 105.82 0.47 0.22 96.4 LLD 11.8 Eastern Veining BC204A 143.61 144.19 0.58 0.22 0.5 LLD 0.1 Western Veining BC205 105.49 105.63 0.14 0.10 712.8 0.02 40.5 Western Veining BC205 146.14 146.34 0.20 0.14 8.9 LLD 0.7 Eastern Veining BC206 131.39 131.56 0.17 0.14 115.0 2.98 9.0 Unnamed BC207 104.62 105.02 0.40 0.23 1.9 LLD 0.2 Eastern Veining BC207 133.8 134.06 0.26 0.20 0.2 LLD 0.0 Western Veining BC208 123.5 123.75 0.25 0.11 7.2 LLD 0.5 Eastern Veining BC209 124.95 126.15 1.20 0.79 10.1 LLD 4.4 Western Veining BC210 171.58 177.9 6.32 4.84 19.4 LLD 19.4 Western Veining INCLUDING 176.98 177.15 0.17 0.13 657.3 LLD BC210 231.28 231.69 0.41 0.21 22.8 5.00 3.2 Unnamed BC211 138.77 139.08 0.31 0.20 77.1 LLD 8.5 Eastern Veining BC211 186.72 191.88 5.16 3.65 0.3 LLD 0.3 Western Veining BC212A 153.66 155.5 1.84 1.11 69.5 0.04 42.8 Eastern Veining INCLUDING 155.12 155.35 0.23 0.14 406.0 0.21 BC213 91.87 92.70 0.83 0.27 172.3 10.20 27.4 Eastern Veining BC213 101.9 102.51 0.61 0.49 39.3 LLD 10.8 Western Veining

Note: LLD signifies an undetectable amount of antimony. Detection limit for the analysis used is 0.01%
One feels glad to see Jammu and Kashmir drop steeply in the hierarchy of Indias security concerns. I am not going to spoil the party by suggesting that the current situation is just a smokescreen behind which lie many scheming ideas and thoughts to take it all back to 2001. Why 2001? It is simply because that is a landmark year recorded as the one with the highest terrorist casualties (2,100 killed); or, in other words, the year with a disproportionately high number of engagements, contacts, gunbattles. It was also the year when we saw the beginning of the Nato onslaught into Afghanistan (then usually referred as AfPak) after 9/11. Afghanistan and J&K have a long association; I am not alluding to their deep history but only to recent times. Its the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan at the end of 1979 that brought the mercenaries, often called jihadis, to Afghanistan under the sponsorship of the United States and Saudi Arabia. The rise of Islamic obscurantism can be traced back mostly to the 1980s when the refugee camps on the Pak-Afghan border became the centres of conversion to more radical beliefs of Islam. Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence gained much of its experience in handling tricky intelligence and operations related situations in Afghanistan. As soon as the war ended with the Soviet defeat, the mercenaries were available for a song and became the new jihadis in J&K. People unaware of the nuances of the issues in J&K over the last 30 years need to be informed that the original separatist movement of 1989 was largely indigenous and may have been controlled, but for the sudden availability of the mercenary jihadis freed from the war in Afghanistan. The ISI got them together with funds, weapons and military wherewithal no one had control over. They were then infiltrated into Kashmir from every conceivable direction to add to the growing footprint of terror. Many of them were Afghans who had no love lost for Kashmiris. The Indian Army and its fledgling anti-terror force, Rashtriya Rifles, neutralised hundreds as intelligence on them was never far, with them getting on to the wrong side of many in the local population, especially women. The pipeline of so-called jihadis dried up by 1996, when the remnants of the mercenaries who fought the Soviet Army in Afghanistan had either met their end or returned to do service with the Taliban when it came to power. The infiltration of foreign terrorists from 1996 onwards was mainly that of Pakistanis who flooded North Kashmir, in particular in the Bandipur, Sopore, Lolab and Handwara tracts.

Kashmirs proactive media repeatedly queried me in 2010-12 about the then situation in Afghanistan and how it would affect Kashmir if the US troops withdrew. Those were the days when Gen. David Petraeus was in charge of the US Central Command and the principles of the COIN (counterinsurgency) doctrine were in full flow in Afghanistan. I always answered with the stock reply that almost became a byline: When you throw a stone into water there are ripples in every direction. Ripples from the conflict in Afghanistan will invariably travel to J&K. I usually left it at that, and if someone persisted, I would usually say: Let no one imagine that 2011 is 1989, we are far superior in deployment and even more in experience. All these words are coming back to me in bits and pieces to create a picture for the region once the Americans are out of Afghanistan. That is expected largely by July 2021, without waiting for President Joe Bidens September 11, 2021 deadline.

So, is a resurgence of extremist violence in the region likely after July? The American presence being sought at some Pakistani airbases to afford drone operations and possibly other forms of aerial warfare including Special Forces is with a view to ensure that Afghan territory, and maybe some Pakistani territory as well, is not used to conduct activities that are detrimental to US interests. Its to keep a vigil over these areas which have provided much sorrow to the world in the last two decades. Of course, this will never be sufficient to have full regional coverage, but the US can always be advised to include India in its coverage too, simply as emerging strategic partners, and Pakistan is in no position to resist that, given its precarious financial position.

The current 2021 season has thus far seen minimal activity in Kashmir. The infiltration season began almost two months ago but attempts have been few and far between. Obviously, the flavour for jihadism is low at present, but it would be incorrect to assume it is all over. In 2011 too, the infiltration picked up in the July-October period. Pakistans attention is focused on Afghanistan, where mistakes can cost it dearly. On the J&K front, a season of low-profile activity can be accepted, and the separatist infrastructure can remain intact with infusion of money and wherewithal through some routes which are extremely difficult to neutralise. What really makes the difference is the absence of human resources. If enough rebels are not being recruited locally, there wont be sufficient resources for guidance, logistics and overground work. 2021 is not 1989 either as far as the Line of Control is concerned. The counter-infiltration layout and network is smart, extensive, integrated and efficient. Twenty per cent attempting infiltration could yet get through, but unless huge resources are deployed for this by the ISI, the impact will be low. That big effort is difficult in view of the visibility today and efforts by outfits like FATF to keep vigil internationally. It wont be easy for Afghan or any other foreign terrorists to function in Kashmir, especially with dilution of the extensive OGW networks. Besides, no one really trusts these jihadi elements in Kashmir nowadays, especially in the urban areas.

Diplomatically, India like all other interested nations have to address the situation of having to deal with an Afghan leadership other than the current one. Back channels would have been established by some nations and exchange of information would be in practice. What one really fears is bloodshed and civil war-like conditions in Afghanistan which could persist for some years. In such a situation it would become extremely unpredictable on what the fallout on Kashmir could be. We should make the best of the current situation, focus on development activity, and outreach to people with sufficient messaging that Indias stable climes are far better than the turbulence of the neighbouring region.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Global Battery Metals Ltd. (TSXV: GBML) (OTCQB: REZZF) (FSE: REZ) (the "Company" or "GBML") is pleased to announce that the Company has completed two of six drill holes at its North-West Leinster Lithium Project ("NW Leinster Project") in Ireland.

Drilling activities are ongoing as the drill program consists of six holes totalling 900m.

The NW Leinster Project is focused on the exploration for lithium bearing (spodumene) pegmatites in the northern part of the Leinster Massif in the Wicklow Mountains of Ireland. The project area covers fifteen (15) government issued prospecting licences and are collectively termed the North West Leinster Block (NWLB). The Block covers a total area of 477.39 km2 and is located predominantly within the Wicklow Mountains, which forms a large belt of continuous upland area trending in a NE-SW direction, to the south and south-west of Dublin.

The six holes are targeted on the granite contact zone with the Maulin Formation. The first three holes intend to test both the best prospecting samples located at this prospect as well as the highest values for lithium reported in the base overburden grid survey. The remaining three holes will be collared further to the NE along the same contact zone and will be sited based on the information gained from the initial fence.

Mining Option and Royalty Agreement with Minsur S.A.

The Company also announces that, having received shareholder and TSX Venture Exchange approval, it has closed the previously announced mining option and royalty agreement with respect to its Lara Copper Property in Peru.

As previously disclosed, the Company, together with its joint venture partner, Lara Exploration Ltd., through their Minas Dixon S.A. subsidiary, entered into a mining option and royalty agreement on July 21, 2020, with Minsur S.A. ("Minsur"), granting Minsur the option to acquire 100% of the rights and titles to the Lara Copper Property in Peru in exchange for staged payments based on permitting milestones totalling USD $5.75 million and a 1.5% net smelter return (the "Mining Option and Royalty Agreement"). The term of the option is five years from the date of execution of the Mining Option and Royalty Agreement.

About Global Battery Metals Ltd.

GBML is a mineral exploration company with a focus on metals that make up and support the rapid evolution to battery power. GBML's common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and Frankfurt Stock Exchange and quoted on the OTCQB. GBML currently has three projects: (1) an option to acquire up to a 90% in the North-West Leinster lithium property in Ireland, (2) a 100% interest in the Lithium King property in Utah, and (3) a 55% stake in Peru-based Lara copper property, which has over 10,000 metres of drilling. As previously disclosed, Minsur S.A., a Peruvian mining company, entered into an option agreement with GBML and Lara Exploration Ltd. to acquire the Lara copper property for staged payments of USD$5.75 million. GBML will retain a 0.75% net smelter royalty.

Global Battery Metals Ltd.

Michael Murphy BA, MBA, MSc., ICD

President & CEO

T: 604-649-2350

E: MM@gbml.ca

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

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to a drill program being conducted on the Company's North-West Leinster lithium property in Ireland. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made, and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include risks associated possible accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, the risk that the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86866
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Provenance Gold Corp. (CSE: PAU) (FSE: 3PG) (OTCQB: PVGDF) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has appointed as strategic advisors Steven D. Craig, P.Geo. and Nathan Tribble, P.Geo. (ON) who will assist with detailed technical advisory work within the Company.

These additions further compliment the Company's strong geological knowledge of Nevada gold and silver as Rauno Perttu, Provenance's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), is an Oregon registered engineering geologist with fifty years of experience in the mining industry. He has worked internationally in all phases of minerals and metals exploration, evaluation, and development. Mr. Perttu has extensive experience in the western USA, including Nevada, and has made several gold and silver discoveries. He is working closely with Steve Craig and the Company's other advisors and consultants to advance the Company's current Nevada properties. Mr. Craig located the Company's projects in Nevada and is playing a key role in their advancement.

Mr. Craig is a Senior Consulting Geologist with 47 years of exploration, development, and operating experience. Mr. Craig's career has taken him to many projects and mines around the world, but his true passion is Nevada where he has focused most of his professional effort. He has previously led an exploration team for Kennecott / Rio Tinto as Regional Manager and discovered several gold deposits and or developed resource expansions.

Mr. Tribble, P.Geo. (ON) has over 13 years of professional experience in exploration and mining, with a particular focus on gold and base metal exploration and project evaluation. His past experience includes Senior Principal Geologist for Sprott Mining, Senior Geologist for Bonterra Resources, Jerritt Canyon Gold, Kerr Mines, Northern Gold, Lake Shore Gold and Vale Inco. He was also part of the exploration team that discovered the 8.2 million-ounce Cote Lake gold deposit for Trelawney Mining and Exploration Inc. Mr. Tribble is registered as a Professional Geoscientist in Ontario and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from Laurentian University.

As the Company continues to aggressively explore its pivotal properties in Nevada, these additions to the Company's technical advisory team will enhance the likelihood of further developing the three Nevada projects.

The Company also announces that it has granted 3,500,000 stock options to various advisors, representatives, consultants, and directors of the Company. The options have an exercise price of $0.155 per share, and have a twenty-four (24) month term from the date of the grant and vest immediately.

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/86870
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Cabral Gold Inc. (TSXV: CBR) (OTC PINK: CBGZF)("Cabral" or the "Company") is pleased to provide assay results from two recently completed diamond drill holes and four RC holes at the MG gold deposit, within the Cuiu Cuiu gold district in northern Brazil. Results continue to show higher grades in basement zones as well as strong gold mineralization within the weathered, oxide cover sequence.

Highlights are as follows:

DDH-215 drilled at MG returned 17.6m @ 4.1 g/t gold from 149.0m depth including 4.3m @ 11.3 g/t gold and 18.1m @ 4.3 g/t gold from 198.9m depth including 1.0m @ 45.1 g/t gold. Both intercepts were returned from the sub-vertically dipping MG gold deposit which underlies the recently identified gold-in-oxide blanket

The second significant intercept of 18.1m @ 4.3 g/t gold returned from DDH-215 appears to be a new footwall zone, located south of the main MG gold deposit that has not been encountered in previous holes

Drill results from four RC holes (RC65-RC68) drilled on the same section at MG and 300m to the west of DDH-215, returned encouraging results in gold-in-oxide blanket and saprolitized, oxidized basement material, including 51m @ 0.8 g/t gold from surface in RC-65, 75m @ 0.6 g/t gold from surface in RC-66 (of which 47m was gold-bearing oxide blanket material), and 18m @ 1.4 g/t gold from surface in RC-68 which also returned 20m @ 0.9 g/t gold from 24m depth

Alan Carter, Cabral's President and CEO commented, "The latest diamond-drill results from the MG gold deposit confirm that we have significant high-grade mineralization at depth within the main MG gold deposit and a new zone of high-grade mineralization in the footwall which has not been previously encountered. Furthermore, recent results from four RC holes drilled on a north-south section 300m west of where we recently intercepted 60m @ 3.5 g/t gold, confirm that the overlying gold-in-oxide blanket is extensive and of good grade. These results continue to demonstrate that we have significant zones of high-grade gold mineralization at depth at MG and excellent widths and grades of near surface oxide material in the overlying gold-in-oxide blanket."

MG Diamond Drilling

Assay results were returned on two additional diamond-drill holes (DDH-215 and DDH-216), which were recently completed at MG as part of the current diamond-drill program designed to define the limits to the high-grade zones within the existing MG and Central deposits at Cuiu Cuiu. Both holes were drilled on the same section (553610), which is located 50m west of section 553655, where recently reported diamond-drill holes, DDH208, DDH209, DDH210 and DDH211 were drilled (Figure 1) (see press releases dated April 15 and April 29, 2021).

DDH-214 which recently returned 60m @ 3.5 g/t gold including 2.6m @ 64.6 g/t gold from 40m depth was drilled 50m to the east of section 553655.

DDH-215 and DDH-216 were both drilled from north to south and were designed to test the up-dip and down-dip continuity of the main zone of high-grade basement mineralization previously intercepted at depth in DDH-202 (see press release dated January 20, 2020), which returned 14.2m @ 6.7 g/t gold, and in hole CC-50 which intersected 36m @ 2.0 g/t gold (Table 1, Figure 2).

DDH-215 was drilled approximately 40m north of DDH-202, and returned 17.6m @ 4.1 g/t gold from 149.0m depth including 4.3m @ 11.3 g/t gold from 149.0m (Table 1, Figure 2) which is interpreted to be the same mineralized zone that was encountered last year in DDH-202 and in hole CC-50.

In addition to the above intercept, DDH-215 also intercepted a second mineralized zone at depth which returned 18.1m @ 4.3 g/t gold from 198.9m depth including 1.0m @ 45.1 g/t gold from 210.5m (Table 1, Figure 2). This zone appears to be a new footwall zone, located south of the main MG gold deposit that had not been encountered in earlier holes.

DDH-216 was drilled approximately 25m south of DDH-202 and returned 39m @ 0.3 g/t gold from 2m depth including 19.0m @ 0.5 g/t gold from 16.0m depth in the overlying gold-in-oxide blanket before intersecting 9.0m @ 1.0 g/t gold at 81.0m depth which is interpreted to be the up-dip extension of the main MG deposit (Table 1, Figure 2).







Figure 1: Map showing the outline of the MG gold deposit (in red) and the interpreted outline of the recently identified and overlying mineralized oxide blanket (in beige). Results from DDH 215 and 216 drilled on line 553655 are shown in yellow together with RC results from holes RC-65 to RC-68 drilled on line 553310 which are also shown in yellow

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3900/86875_5f3db054a45f1b84_002full.jpg

Figure 2: Cross-section (line 553655) through the MG gold deposit, showing the gold-in-oxide blanket and recent drill results from holes DDH 215 and 216

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3900/86875_5f3db054a45f1b84_003full.jpg

Drill Hole

# Weathering Mineralized Zone From

m to

m Width

m Grade

g/t gold DDH_215 Oxide/Saprolite Blanket 0.0 13.5 13.5 0.1 Fresh Rock MG Main Zone 149.0 166.6 17.6 4.1 incl. 149.0 153.3 4.3 11.3 incl. 152.0 153.3 1.3 29.5 and incl. 163.3 166.6 3.3 4.9 incl. 165.6 166.1 0.5 23.0 Fresh Rock Footwall Zone 198.9 217.0 18.1 4.3 incl. 208.0 217.0 9.0 7.7 incl. 210.5 211.5 1.0 45.1 DDH_216 Oxide/Saprolite Blanket 2.0 41.0 39.0 0.3 incl. 16.0 35.0 19.0 0.5 and 53.0 59.0 6.0 0.1 partly oxide weathered bedrock? and 71.0 81.0 10.0 0.2 Fresh Rock MG Main Zone 81.0 90.0 9.0 1.0 Fresh Rock Footwall Zone 189.4 190.3 0.9 1.9 DDH_202 Oxide/Saprolite Blanket 0.0 42.0 42.0 0.4 incl. 16.0 30.0 14.0 0.7 previously

released Fresh Rock MG Main Zone 109.4 123.6 14.2 6.7

incl. 109.4 115.0 5.6 13.0 incl. 111.0 113.0 2.0 32.7 incl. 120.0 123.6 3.6 5.9 incl. 121.3 122.2 0.9 22.4 CC_50 Oxide/Saprolite Blanket 0.0 32.0 32.0 0.2 and 48.7 50.7 2.0 0.3 and 65.5 68.6 3.1 0.2 Historic Fresh Rock MG Main Zone 139.0 141.0 2.0 0.8 and 155.0 191.0 36.0 2.0 including 171.0 189.1 18.1 2.5

Table 1: Drill results for section 553610 including recent results from holes DDH-215 and DDH-216

MG RC Drilling

As reported on May 19, 2021, following the identification of the significant gold-in-oxide mineralized blanket at MG, the larger RC rig has been re-assigned to drill off the near surface gold-bearing mineralized blanket and has completed four holes on a section which is located 300m west of the area that is currently being targeted by the diamond drilling.

Four RC holes (RC65 - RC68) were drilled on section 553310 at MG, located approximately 300m to the west of DDH-215. (Figure 1) The only previous hole on this section was historic diamond-drill hole CC-46 which intersected 8m @ 1.4 g/t gold and 38.8m @ 0.9 g/t gold in oxides, and 28.4m @ 1.3 g/t gold within the underlying basement MG deposit (Table 2, Figure 3).

RC65 was drilled 40m to the north of CC-46 and intersected 51.0m @ 0.8 g/t gold most of which is gold-bearing oxide blanket and weathered mineralized material (Table 2, Figure 3). Hole RC-66 was drilled 40m north of RC-65 and returned 75.0m @ 0.6 g/t gold from surface, the top 47m of which is gold-bearing oxide blanket material. Similarly, RC-68 was drilled to the south from the same platform as CC-46 and intersected 18.0m @ 1.4 g/t gold from surface and 20m @ 0.9 g/t gold from 24.0m depth (both in oxide material) and 19.0m @ 0.3 g/t from 61.0m depth in hard rock material. This final mineralized interval in RC-68 was unexpected and may suggest the presence of another mineralized zone in the footwall of the MG deposit at this location. Unfortunately, RC-66 was terminated early due to drilling difficulties and failed to test the interpreted footwall basement material as planned (Figure 3).





Figure 3: Cross-section of N-S section line 553310 through the MG gold deposit and the gold-in-oxide blanket and weathered basement showing recent drill results from holes RC-65 to RC-68

To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3900/86875_5f3db054a45f1b84_004full.jpg

Drill Hole

# Weathering Mineralized Zone Fro

m to

m Width

m Grade

g/t gold RC_65 Oxide Blanket 0.0 51.0 51.0 0.8 Fresh Rock Footwall Zone 73.0 75.0 2.0 0.5 and 93.0 95.0 2.0 0.7 and 103.0 113.0 10.0 0.5 RC_66 Oxide Blanket 0.0 47.0 47.0 0.6 Fresh Rock Footwall Zone 47.0 75.0 28.0 0.6 RC_67 Oxide Blanket 0.0 2.0 2.0 0.2 RC_68 Oxide Blanket 0.0 18.0 18.0 1.4 incl. 0.0 11.0 11.0 2.2 incl. 4.0 11.0 7.0 3.1 Oxide Footwall Zone 24.0 44.0 20.0 0.9 incl. 31.0 44.0 13.0 1.3 Fresh Rock Footwall Zone 61.0 80.0 19.0 0.3 CC_46 Oxide Blanket 0.0 8.0 8.0 1.4 Historic Oxide Blanket 8.0 46.8 38.8 0.9 incl. 8.0 10.0 2.0 5.2 and incl. 16.0 38.0 22.0 1.1 Fresh Rock MG Main Zone 72.8 73.5 0.7 2.8 and 104.8 125.7 20.9 1.7

Table 2: Drill results for section 553310 including recent results from holes RC-65 to RC-68

About Cabral Gold Inc.

The Company is a junior resource company engaged in the identification, exploration and development of mineral properties, with a primary focus on gold properties located in Brazil. The Company has a 100% interest in the Cuiu Cuiu gold district located in the Tapajos Region, within the state of Para in northern Brazil. Two gold deposits have so far been defined at Cuiu Cuiu and contain 43-101 compliant Indicated resources of 5.9Mt @ 0.90g/t (200,000 oz) and Inferred resources of 19.5Mt @ 1.24g/t (800,000 oz).

The Tapajos Gold Province is the site of the largest gold rush in Brazil's history producing an estimated 30 to 50 million ounces of placer gold between 1978 and 1995. Cuiu Cuiu was the largest placer gold camp in the Tapajos and produced an estimated 2Moz of placer gold historically.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

"Alan Carter"

President and Chief Executive Officer

Cabral Gold Inc.

Tel: 604.676.5660

Guillermo Hughes, P. Geo. FAusIMM and AIG., a consultant to the Company as well as a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release.

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

Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively "forward-looking statements"). The use of the words "will", "expected" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. This news release contains forward-looking statements and assumptions pertaining to the following: strategic plans and future operations, and results of exploration. Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. The Company believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct.

Notes

Gold analysis has been conducted by SGS method FAA505 (fire assay of 50g charge), with higher grade samples checked by FAA525. Analytical quality is monitored by certified references and blanks. Until dispatch, samples are stored under the supervision the Company's exploration office. The samples are couriered to the assay laboratory using a commercial contractor. Pulps are returned to the Company and archived. Drill holes results are quoted as down-hole length weighted intersections.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86875
8June 2021, 14:15 CET

The Annual General Meeting and Extraordinary General Meeting ('General Meetings') of shareholders of ArcelorMittal ('the Company') held today approved all resolutions by a strong majority. Over 73.5% of the voting rights were represented at the General Meetings. In view of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Board of Directors of ArcelorMittal had decided to hold this year's General Meetings by virtual-only format, as permitted by Luxembourg law. The meeting was preceded by a virtual one-hour Q&A session with shareholders.

Arrangements were made to allow shareholders to vote electronically and by proxy voting. The results of the votes will be posted shortly on https://corporate.arcelormittal.comunder 'Investors - Equity investors - Shareholders events - AGM - General Meetings of shareholders, 8 June 2021' where the full documentation regarding the General Meetings is available.

In particular, the shareholders, approved the distribution of a dividend of US$ 0.30 per share, the re-election of Mrs. Karyn Ovelmen and Mr. Tye Burt and the election of Mrs. Clarissa Lins as directors of ArcelorMittal, for a term of three years each. Shareholders also approved the decision to cancel shares and to consequently reduce the issued share capital following the cancellation of shares repurchased under its share buyback program as required.

ENDS

About ArcelorMittal

ArcelorMittal is the world's leading steel and mining company, with a presence in 60 countries and primary steelmaking facilities in 17 countries. In 2020, ArcelorMittal had revenues of $53.3 billion and crude steel production of 71.5 million metric tonnes, while iron ore production reached 58.0 million metric tonnes.

Our goal is to help build a better world with smarter steels. Steels made using innovative processes which use less energy, emit significantly less carbon and reduce costs. Steels that are cleaner, stronger and reusable. Steels for electric vehicles and renewable energy infrastructure that will support societies as they transform through this century. With steel at our core, our inventive people and an entrepreneurial culture at heart, we will support the world in making that change. This is what we believe it takes to be the steel company of the future.

ArcelorMittal is listed on the stock exchanges of New York (MT), Amsterdam (MT), Paris (MT), Luxembourg (MT) and on the Spanish stock exchanges of Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia (MTS).

For more information about ArcelorMittal please visit:http://corporate.arcelormittal.com/
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2021 / Today, JML Law announced that they won a massive arbitration case for their client Eric Engleman (Eric Engleman vs. Greystar Management Services, LP, and Greystar Real Estate Partners, LLC Case No. 01-19-0002-5313), who was wrongfully terminated by his employer, Greystar Management Services, LP. The final award granted to Mr. Engleman totaled more than $819,000 and included more than half a million dollars in damages.

'Our firm was proud to bring justice to a well-deserving client after years of hard-fought litigation in a forum that is many times stacked against the employee,' said Cathryn Fund, the lead attorney in this case for JML Law. Ms. Fund was supported by attorney Eden Kalderon throughout the litigation and during the hearing.

Mr. Engleman worked as a Community Property Manager for Greystar Management Services, LP, an international property management company. After Mr. Engleman returned from a disability-related finite leave of absence, he submitted complaints of disability discrimination and within a few short months his employer had concocted a pretextual reason for his termination. As a result of his termination, Mr. Engleman was forced to move from California to Oregon in order to support his family. JML Law argued that Mr. Engleman was retaliated against for submitting a complaint to his employer for disability discrimination, as supported by the fact that Greystar was unable to provide a legitimate business reason for the termination decision.

The arbitration was held December 1-2, 2020, before arbitrator Dana Welch with the American Arbitration Association. The final award included $532,002.49 for damages, $279,827.00 for attorneys' fees, and $7,183.91 for court costs, totaling $819,013.40.

Attorney Eden Kalderon

Attorney Cathryn Fund

About Cathryn 'Katy' Fund

Cathryn Fund is an attorney in JML Law's personal injury and employment law departments. Raised in upstate New York, Katy has spent her legal career representing individuals who have been injured by the unlawful acts of others. Katy is a graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and New England Law in Boston, Massachusetts, where she was repeatedly recognized for her academic excellence. After completing her legal education and prior to joining JML Law, Katy moved to California where she worked as a trial lawyer focusing on litigating catastrophic injury and wrongful death matters at a firm in Century City, California. Since joining JML Law in 2015, Katy has successfully tried numerous personal injury and employment matters to verdict and has been named a Super Lawyers 'Rising Star' for 2017-2021 and Up-and-Coming Top 50 Women in Southern California Rising Stars for 2020-2021.

About JML Law

Joseph M. Lovretovich is widely regarded as one of California's top trial lawyers, and 100% of his practice is devoted to litigation. JML Law is in the forefront of representing individuals who are subject to all types of employment discrimination. JML Law also focuses on personal injury and workers' compensation. For more information, please call (818) 835-5735, or visit http://www.jmllaw.com .

For media inquiries, please call the NALA at 805.650.6121, ext. 361.

SOURCE: JML Law

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/650717/JML-Law-Awarded-819000-in-Wrongful-Termination-Case-for-Disabled-Client
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Argo Gold Inc. (CSE: ARQ) (OTCQB: ARBTF) (FSE: P3U) ("Argo Gold") has commenced drilling at the Uchi Lake Gold Project. A helicopter supported program started in early June. All drill sites have been spotted and most drill pads are cut for a 2500 metre drill program. The program is designed to test the down-dip continuity of high-grade gold results returned from the 2020 channel sampling program as well as test reconnaissance targets along the projected strike of known high-grade mineralization. The drill rig is currently at the Raingold Zone, which has never been drilled, and one of the first targets will be to test down-plunge of the channel intersection of 2.3 metres (true width) of 31.2 g/t Au which was returned from the 2020 field exploration program.

Argo Gold initiated bedrock stripping, trenching, washing, geological mapping and channel sampling at the Uchi Lake Gold Project in April 2021 and will continue in phases throughout the 2021 field season. Objectives of the bedrock stripping and trenching are to expand and define known gold mineralization, identify additional gold mineralization along the mineralized trends, and to follow-up on the biogeochemical anomalies identified by the Summer 2019 biogeochemical survey that covered 5 kilometres of strike length on the main mineralized trend. (Argo Gold news release October 28, 2019).

Completion of LiDAR and Aerial Photography at Uchi Lake

Argo has also completed a LiDAR and Aerial Photography at Argo Gold's Uchi Lake Project in the Red Lake District. The data collection by Eagle Mapping covered 23.2 square kilometers consisting of 10 strips with > 50% overlap totalling 65-line kilometers. The data provided by the survey are being used to enhance the base map and assist with planning, access and execution of bedrock stripping, trenching, washing, channel sampling, geological mapping, and drilling. The data is also useful in identifying geophysical structures under canopy allowing for visualization of resistant or recessive lithologies, faults, and veins.





Figure 1

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3921/86815_14ef1a62e481e90f_001full.jpg

The Uchi Lake Gold Project

The exploration targets for the Uchi Gold Project area continues to be the narrow vein, high-grade gold mineralization; a common economic model in the Canadian Shield where a series of high-grade gold veins are mined using narrow vein mining methods.

William Kerr, P.Geo., consulting geologist of Argo Gold, is the Qualified Person, as defined by National Instrument 43-101, who has approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release.

Argo Gold

Argo Gold is a Canadian mineral exploration and development company, focused on gold exploration at the Uchi Gold Project in the Red Lake District. Argo Gold recently added the Talbot Lake Gold Project to its portfolio; (Argo Gold news release June 11, 2020). Information on Argo Gold can be obtained from SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on Argo Gold's website at www.argogold.ca. Argo Gold is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (www.thecse.com) CSE: ARQ, as well as OTCQB: ARBTF and FSE: P3U.

For more information please contact:

Judy Baker, CEO

(416) 786-7860

jbaker@argogold.ca

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATIONS SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement

Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available.





Figure 2

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

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To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86815
Seoul, Republic of Korea--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Xangle, the crypto disclosure platform offers Xangle Credibility Rating (XCR) which will be used as official reference material for Korean commercial banks to evaluate cryptocurrency exchanges.

New guidelines, known as "Visual Asset Operation Risk Evaluation" recently issued by the Korea Federation of Banks to commercial banks, include rules for evaluating the creditworthiness of listed coins. Exchanges with low-creditworthy trading pairs will be considered high-risk as part of the new rules.

The guidelines address the total number of virtual assets listed on an exchange, the trading volume of each coin, and the presence of low-creditworthy coins. Issuing a real-name account is important for the successful operation of a virtual asset trading site. Banks are accordingly setting standards for issuing real-name accounts.

Establishing standards for listed assets is meant to decentralize the exchange's authority to list new coins. Exchanges have enjoyed a monopoly in a regulatory blind spot, which will be mitigated by audits from banks and third parties.

The Korean securities market requires companies seeking listing to apply for a pre-listing examination by sharing information on the following: auditor designation, selection of a management company, organisation of the corporate system, development of the internal control system, and obligatory share vesting procedure.

The KRX Korea Exchange listing team will start their listing investigations based on documents received from the auditor and management company. Input from third-party agencies that are not connected to the trading platform nor the pre-listing company will help prevent accounting issues caused by coin listings.

Korean crypto exchanges have been requiring listed projects to provide the following: project information, business strategy, token structure and issuance plan, overall project development plan, and the presence of a third-party company. The South Korean crypto market is expected to introduce an independent third-party auditing system.

James Kim, co-founder and co-CEO of CrossAngle said, "Currently, the Korean authorities are not directly regulating the crypto industry, but are embarking on indirect regulation through commercial banks. Therefore, it seems that they have given exchanges the responsibility of ensuring that the coins they list have credibility and business value to protect investors."

Because the guidelines are not from the Financial Services Commission, however, they will not be enforced by regulatory authorities.

Since these thin guidelines are the only ones issued so far before the Act-On Reporting and Using Specified Financial Transaction Information comes into full effect in September, they are unlikely to change the main course of said Act.

--

Xangle has been tackling information asymmetry in the crypto-asset industry with its disclosure issuance platform since 2018. The platform collects the widest scope of project-related on-chain and off-chain information, verifies it, and displays it all in one place as disclosures, or announcements. With Xangle, traders and investors gain unparalleled access to all-inclusive real-time information that they need from over 2,000 crypto assets. Xangle legitimizes the crypto assets industry in the eyes of government regulators, those in the traditional finance sector, and the general public. The Xangle platform directly promotes transparency, which dismantles the barrier of understanding between projects and investors, and allows projects to progress at the pace they feel is best.

Media Contact:

Company Name: Xangle

Contact name: Brian Newar

Email: pr@crossangle.io

Phone Number: 82-2-558-4437

Postal Address: 376 Gangnam-daero, 13th Fl,

City: Seoul, Republic of Korea

Zip Code: 06232

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Xangle_official

Medium: https://medium.com/xangle-official

Official website: https://xangle.io/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86896
Tempe, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) -Business Warrior Corp. (OTC Pink: BZWR), the source for small businesses in America to get more customers, announced more positive revenue results with a large return on investment with one of its partners which propelled a massive quarter of revenue growth.





BZWR - LEAPING AHEAD AFTER STRONG MARCH REVENUE



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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March Revenue Jumps Again

Business Warrior previously reported that its March revenues increased over 350% compared to February. However, as the accounting for the month was closed, the actual revenue growth exceeded that estimate by reaching over 412% revenue growth. Additionally, the company is reporting that the positive momentum continued through April and May, which will result in the company's strongest quarter ever.

Combined Solution of Software and Marketing Results in Big Returns

Business Warrior's goal is to help its business subscribers determine what's preventing them from getting more customers, guide them to solve the problems identified, and propel their marketing campaigns forward to reach a clear return on investment. Its business model specializes in small local businesses or medium sized companies looking to scale up.

"Every business owner wants to know if their marketing dollars are giving them a return on their investment (ROI), but it remains a big, unknown answer to most of them. Our software identifies the gaps for their business, helps them solve those gaps and then we provide the solutions to get them more customers," said Business Warrior CEO, Rhett Doolittle.

Business Warrior's solutions are a unique combination of the company's proprietary software and the advertising campaigns they create on behalf of subscribers. Business Warrior is finding new ways to set up its subscribers for success, including how the software and services can get subscribers quicker ROI.

The company applied this solution to one of its subscribers in January and partnered with them to fund their advertising campaigns. Once a clear ROI was achieved, they scaled the campaigns up quickly and shared in the profits. This resulted in a massive revenue increase for the client and Business Warrior.

"The massive success we had with one of our partners was a perfect example of how our software and marketing solutions can work together to help businesses get more customers and scale up quickly," Doolittle commented on the recent financial success they've had this quarter.

For more information on Business Warrior's recent success and expectations for 2021, view an-interview with CEO, Rhett Doolittle, here.

About Business Warrior

Business Warrior Corp. (OTC Pink: BZWR) is the source for small businesses in America to enhance their brand and boost marketing results. The Business Warrior software takes a holistic view of a business' online reputation, listings, website search results and social media. Predictive algorithms are utilized to recommend the most imperative actions needed to drive new customers, positively impact daily operations and improve profitability. For more information, please visit www.BusinessWarrior.com.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release and the offering materials may contain forward-looking statements and information relating to, among other things, the company, its business plan and strategy, and its industry. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. They are based on the current beliefs of, assumptions made by, and information currently available to the company's management regarding the future of the company's business, future plans and strategies, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. When used in the offering materials, the words "aim," "estimate," "project," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "envision," "estimate," "expect," "future," "goal," "hope," "likely," "may," "plan," "potential," "seek," "should," "strategy," "will" and similar references to future periods are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which constitute forward looking statements. These statements reflect management's current views with respect to future events and are subject to inherent risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict (many of which are outside of the company's control) and could cause the company's actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning the company, the offering or other matters, are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above. The company does not undertake any obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after such date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Investor Relations:

Jonathan Brooks

Investors@BusinessWarrior.com

(855) 884-5805

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86877
LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2021 / Tego Cyber Inc. (OTCQB:TGCB), an emerging developer of proactive cyber threat intelligence applications and solutions, today announced that Shannon Wilkinson, Director & CEO of Tego Cyber Inc. will be presenting virtually at the upcoming LD Micro Invitational XI investment conference on Thursday, June 10th at 4:00 PM EDT. The presentation will be 20 minutes in length: a 10 minute talk followed by a 10 minute Q&A by a panel of investors and analysts.

Tego Cyber Inc.

Presentation Date: Thursday, June 10, 2021

Presentation Time: 4:00 PM EDT

Track #3

View Tego Cyber profile: https://www.ldmicro.com/profil/tgcb

Register for the conference: https://ldmicrojune2021.mysquire.com

Summary of LD Micro Invitational XI Event

The 2021 LD Micro Invitational will be held on the Sequire Virtual Events platform on Tuesday, June 8th - Thursday, June 10th, 2021. The event runs from 7:00 AM PT - 3:00 PM PT / 10:00 AM ET - 6:00 PM ET each day. This three-day, virtual investor conference is expected to feature around 180 companies, presenting for 25 minutes each, as well as several influential keynotes. The first day of this conference will also feature an exceptional one-time event: the LD Micro Hall of Fame.

About LD Micro

LD Micro began in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource to the microcap world. What started as a newsletter highlighting unique companies, has transformed into the pre-eminent event platform in the space. For more information, please visit ldmicro.com. In September 2020, LD Micro. Inc. was acquired by SRAX, Inc., a financial technology company that unlocks data and insights for publicly traded companies. Through its premier investor intelligence and communications platform, Sequire, companies can track their investors' behaviors and trends and use those insights to engage current and potential investors across marketing channels. For more information on SRAX, visit srax.com and mysequire.com.

About Tego Cyber Inc.

Tego Cyber Inc. (OTCQB:TGCB, "the Company") was created to capitalize on the emerging cyber threat intelligence market. The Company has developed a cyber threat intelligence application that integrates with top end security platforms to gather, analyze, then proactively identify threats to an enterprise network. The Tego Threat Intelligence Platform (TTIP) takes in vetted and curated threat data and after utilizing a proprietary process, the platform compiles, analyzes, and then delivers that data to an enterprise network in a format that is timely, informative, and relevant. The threat data provides additional context including specific details needed to identify and counteract threats so that security teams can spend less time searching for disparate information. The first version of the TTIP will integrate with the widely accepted SPLUNK platform to provide real-time threat intelligence to macro enterprises using the SPLUNK architecture. The Company plans on developing future versions of the TTIP for integration with other established SIEM systems and platforms including: Elastic, IBM QRadar, AT&T AlienVault, Exabeam, and Google Chronical. For more information, please visit www.tegocyber.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements contained in this press release, those which are not purely historical or which depend upon future events, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements regarding the Company's expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future constitute forward-looking statements. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements because of various factors. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based on information available to the Company on the date hereof and the Company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statement. Prospective investors should also consult the risks factors described from time to time in the Company's Reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K and Annual Reports to Shareholders.

Contact:

Tego Cyber Inc.

8565 S Eastern Avenue, Suite 150

Las Vegas, Nevada 89123

USA

Tel: 855-939-0100 (North America)

Tel: 725-726-7840 x 705 (Europe)

Email: info@tegocyber.com

Web: tegocyber.com

Facebook: facebook.com/tegocyber

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/tegocyber

Twitter: twitter.com/tegocyber

Investor Relations:

Crescendo Communications, LLC

Tel: 212-671-1020

Email: TGCB@crescendo-ir.com

SOURCE: Tego Cyber Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/650720/Tego-Cyber-Inc-To-Present-At-Upcoming-LD-Micro-Invitational-XI-Conference
SANTA MONICA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2021 / Demand Brands, Inc. (OTC Pink:DMAN), ("Company" or "DMAN"), announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary Pacific Technologies Group, Inc., http://www.pacifictechnologiesgroup.com , marketed under the brand "Lucky Chief" http://www.luckychief.com , has entered into a definitive arrangement agreement pursuant to which DMAN will acquire all of the issued and outstanding subordinate voting shares, multiple voting shares and super voting shares of the Show Me State LLC - Cannabis Farm (the 'Transaction').

Show Me State LLC - Cannabis Farm ("Show Me State LLC" https://luckychief.com/lucky-chief-ok/ ) is a 33-acre working farm with a 5500 sq ft indoor facility ("Farm") producing 120 lbs of exotic indoor flower every 8 weeks. Cloning bays in the Farm produce 2000 clones every 8 to 12 days on 10 acres of outdoor flower cultivation and the Company expects to harvest 45,000 plants this upcoming season. Included in the Transaction is the Show Me State LLC mobile drying and mobile extraction units and related IP.

Upon completion of the Transaction and formal integration the combined business will maintain operations in both California and Oklahoma, comprising 3 cultivation sites and an Oakland processing facility with a total capacity of 150,000 square feet. This will be in addition to the Company's Cannabis Outlet dispensary in Atwater CA, which serves both medicinal and recreational adult cannabis markets.

Key Transaction Highlights and Benefits:

Strong and Growing Multi-State Presence - bolsters Lucky Chief's expansion in US hubs and establishes a Midwest in core markets including Oklahoma, where the use of cannabis was recently legalized for medicinal purposes.

Creates a Profitable US MSO - with combined estimated 2021E Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $50 million with exceptional growth prospects moving forward.

Leverages Expert Operating Teams and Optimal Practices - from both Lucky Chief and Show Me State, enhancing key operational synergies by combining industry knowledge and successful strategies as well as state license application processes expertise.

Increases Scale Across Hub Markets - through vertical integration, the Company looks to become one of the leading U.S. cannabis businesses with retail, extraction, and cultivation operations.

Adds Premium Brands - to Demand Brand's portfolio of in-house brands and national brand partners to promote product lines of Lucky Chief to the Oklahoma market.

Ian Dixon, Chief Executive Officer of DMAN said: 'We believe the synergistic acquisition of the Show Me State businesses will allow us to rapidly scale. Our companies share similar customer values with a focus on core market sectors. The combination of Oklahoma and California offers us an opportunity to leverage our respective foundations as Show Me State LLC has an established presence giving us immediate entry into the medicinal space within Oklahoma."

About Lucky Chief - Lucky Chief is a lifestyle brand which pioneers the avenues of research, cultivation, production and distribution of cannabis and cannabinoids. Lucky Chief was one of the first licensed producers of cannabis concentrates in California out of their Type 7 Lab in Oakland CA and has their own in-house catalog of THC genetics. The vertically-integrated "seed-to-sale" operation has been on dispensary shelves since 2016. The brand also operates an in-house cannabis dispensary Cannabis Outlet with the flagship location under construction in Atwater, CA.

This press release includes 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In addition to statements which explicitly describe such risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements labeled with the terms 'believes', 'belief', 'expects', 'intends', 'anticipates', "projects" 'will', or 'plans' to be uncertain and forward looking. The forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in the company's reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Press Contact:

connect@pacifictechnologiesgroup.com

323-967-7900

SOURCE: Demand Brands, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/650813/Demand-Brands-DMAN-Lucky-Chief-Acquires-Show-Me-State-Cannabis-Farm
South Africa: President Ramaphosa pays tribute to Shaleen Surtie-Richards

President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent his condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the late veteran stage and screen actor, Shaleen Surtie-Richards.

Surtie-Richards, aged 66, passed away in Cape Town on Monday.

She was in the city to film the KykNet series Arendsvlei.

Paying tribute to an educator-turned-actor, President Ramaphosa said the country has lost a performer, whose distinctive energy, artistic versatility and humility touched generations of South Africans for more than three decades.

On stage and screen, Shaleen Surtie-Richards held a mirror to our unjust past and gave us hope for our future as a nation. May her soul rest in peace, President Ramaphosa said in a statement.

Also paying tribute to Surtie-Richards, chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture, Beauty Dlulane, said the departure of "Tanie Shaleen" is a massive blow to the arts.

This legend has offered so much through her acting career over the years. She was the queen of the stage, and once more our country, has lost. May her soul rest in eternal peace,Dlulane said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Russia considers transferring vaccine production technology to Vietnam

Russia is considering transferring technology for the production of Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine in Vietnam, President of the Russian Federal Council (upper house) Valentina Ivanovna has said.













National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue holds online talks with President of the Russian Federal Council (upper house) Valentina Ivanovna on June 8. (Photo: VNA)

During her online talks with National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue on June 8, Matvienko said Russia will make efforts to maintain the development trend of economic and trade cooperation in the time ahead.



The Russian Federal Council will also work hard to promote collaboration between the two countries, she pledged.



NA Chairman Hue said Vietnamese people always treasure and keep in mind the support of Russian people for Vietnam's struggle for national liberation and reunification.



He hailed the achievements Russia has recorded under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin, and applauded the countrys efforts in the pandemic fight.



The Vietnamese top legislator thanked Russia for presenting 1,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Vietnam earlier this year, and its recent commitment to give Vietnam priority in accessing 20 million doses of Sputnik V.



The two sides rejoiced at the fruitful developments of the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership, and shared a wish that the Vietnamese legislature and the Russian council will continue their close cooperation, thus promoting relations between the two countries.



They said the bilateral political ties have been consolidated continuously and prospered in all channels of the Party and the State, as well as localities, businesses and social organisations.



The leaders consented to maintain the exchange of high-ranking parliamentary delegations and friendship parliamentarians groups, and intensify information sharing.



The two sides pledged to step up coordination in supervising the implementation of cooperation agreements signed by the two Governments and strategic cooperation projects, and build and complete legal frameworks to facilitate exchanges and cooperation between the Governments, localities, enterprises and people of the two countries.



At the same time, they will maintain meetings, consultations, coordination and mutual support at multilateral parliamentary forums, and in regional and international issues of shared concern./
PRO Unlimited, the modern workforce management solutions provider, announced an evolution of its Worker Experience, Employer of RecordEOR) and Independent Contractor (IC) solution. The broadened offering helps organizations to better attract, manage and retain contingent talent. It affords a superior worker experience as part of today's best-of-breed workforce management programs.

The contingent workforce management space has entered a historic inflection point of strategic importance and financial P&L impact. As the contingent talent worker census approaches a full 50% of total employee headcount, with an uptick in remote work globally, there is an exponential increase in the complexity of sourcing and managing contingent workers from a regulatory, benefits, and pay rate perspective. To address these shifts taking place in the market, organizations seek solutions that provide compliance, payroll and benefit management, and risk mitigation while also creating an optimal contingent worker experience.

As such, PRO continues to take the lead on modernizing and innovating its Worker Experience/EOR offering as a critical component of the company's contingent workforce management platform. PRO's enhanced solution will increase an organization's ability to attract and retain non-employees while mitigating risk, increasing efficiency and driving cost savings.

When companies select its solution, PRO becomes the employer of record and assumes responsibility for worker bene?ts and risk management. PRO helps ensure workers are properly classi?ed, veri?cation occurs, onboarding functions and redeployment are facilitated. PRO also o?ers trends, analysis and reporting on hiring activity, market bill rates, market-driven changes and much more. Worker Experience and EOR services are also part of PRO's groundbreaking DirectSource platform, which leverages Eightfold's AI technology to more effectively and intelligently identify, engage and secure the best talent in the world, while achieving diversity goals.

From the industry's most comprehensive worker benefits package, which includes superior health and family benefits, PRO is constantly looking to optimize what it provides to both workers and clients. Additionally, PRO offers to customize its solution to ?t the requirements of each client, such as paid holidays, paid time off (PTO), paid parental leave, tuition assistance, etc.

The company also understands the significant working capital challenges presented to ICs. PRO is now offering its EarlyPay PRO solution. This allows ICs to receive payment prior to the client paying PRO. ICs can choose a payment term best suited for them.

"The entire world has now become one big talent pool where companies on different sides of the planet are battling for these knowledge, specialty skillset, digital-native contingent workers," said Kevin Akeroyd, CEO at PRO Unlimited. "While many organizations have successfully figured out how to facilitate remote work for their existing employees, the truly innovative companies are figuring out how to leverage this new normal to disrupt the talent acquisition landscape around the globe and across sourcing channels. To that end, our Worker Experience and EOR solution plays a critical role in helping industry-leading organizations optimally navigate the risk and costs associated with a global contingent workforce program while transforming the worker experience."

PRO's Worker Experience, EOR and IC solution is available to all clients. To learn more about this offering, please contact a PRO representative at information@prounlimited.com.

About PRO Unlimited

Servicing hundreds of the world's most recognizable brands, PRO Unlimited offers modern workforce management and a partner ecosystem supported by data, software, intelligence, and services to meet your flexible workforce needs. PRO's Modern Workforce Management Platform can adapt quickly to regional or industry economic shifts, and provides the speed, scale, flexibility, transparency, and expertise to serve as the holistic platform for the modern workforce. Headquartered in San Francisco, PRO has helped global brands and organizations achieve operational and financial success for more than 30 years. For more information, visit https://prounlimited.com/ and follow the company on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005401/en/

Contacts:

More Information

PRO Unlimited

Christian Barbato

215.527.6616

cbarbato@prounlimited.com
STOCKHOLM, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tobii Pro, the global leader in eye tracking research solutions, today introduces a new mobile capability for their marketing and advertising research platform Sticky by Tobii Pro. For the first time, eye tracking research is now available for advertisers and marketers on desktop, laptop and mobile devices.

Sticky by Tobii Pro is a self-service online platform used for marketing and advertising researchers that combines webcam eye tracking and emotion recognition with online survey questions, making advanced quantitative research simple. With the new mobile capability, advertising and packaging researchers can gather insight into consumer behavior on smartphones. It will enable companies to determine the impact that advertising content has on awareness and how users respond to it, and measure users' reaction to different packaging designs and product details.

The mobile capability provides the ability to collect eye tracking data, without requiring additional hardware or software installations. By gathering insight into consumer behavior on devices consumers use most frequently, marketers and advertisers gain improved marketing effectiveness and speed to insight.

"We are now expanding the scope of the Sticky platform by adding a brand-new mobile capability, making Sticky a one-stop-shop for advertising and packaging studies", said Ali Farokhian, VP of Market Research & User Experience at Tobii Pro. "In today's fast changing society with mobile-first generations and where attention is a currency, marketers need to understand customers ever-changing preferences and interests, across all devices."

Procter & Gamble, one of the world's largest advertising buyers globally, has been testing the new capability for ad performance and has already seen benefits from the new solution:

"As consumers move their media behavior more and more mobile, Sticky enables learnings & insights from where the consumers really are and, consequently, allow us as P&G to continue keep the consumer at heart. During our pilot study with Sticky by Tobii Pro, we discovered a great tool to measure media attention through a smoothly handled project given Tobii's collaborative approach.", said Tobias Graaf Bjoersdorff, Nordic Data & Digital Brand Manager at Procter & Gamble.

For more information, visit: www.tobiipro.com/product-listing/sticky-by-tobii-pro

Contact

Lina Perdius, Head of Communications, Tobii AB, phone: +46 (0)70 018 78 75, email: lina.perdius@tobii.com

Henrik Mawby, Investor Relations, Tobii AB, phone: +46 (0) 72 219 82 15, email: henrik.mawby@tobii.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/tobii-ab/r/tobii-pro-launches-new-mobile-eye-tracking-solution-for-marketing-and-advertising-research,c3363077

The following files are available for download:
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2021 / Perk Labs Inc. (CSE:PERK)(OTCQB:PKLBF)(FRA:PKLB) ("Perk" or the "Company"), the parent company of Perk Hero, the mobile commerce platform with perks on curated specialty products and digital gift cards, today announced that it has launched a reseller program for its restaurant payment solution and that Century Restaurant Group has signed an agreement to be its first reseller partner.

"We are excited to launch our new reseller program with Century Restaurant Group joining us as our first partner in the program,' said Jonathan Hoyles, CEO of Perk Labs. "We believe that our reseller program will be key to our ability to scale and distribute our restaurant mobile ordering, payment and digital loyalty solution across the North American continent."

Perk believes that its reseller program offers companies and individuals a lucrative income-generating opportunity in the rapidly growing business of digital payments and ordering. Under the reseller program, resellers have the right to sell Perk's restaurant ordering and payment solution to restaurants and receive a share of the revenue received on every order. Perk's restaurant solution includes QR code payment, PayByPhoto, order from table, pre-order and pick-up, self-managed delivery and Perk's proprietary digital loyalty program. By working with resellers, Perk will be able to scale up its business without having to hire a large sales and operations workforce that would be required to physically support brick & mortar restaurants across North America.

"We are excited to partner with Perk and bring its innovative ordering and payment solution to the restaurant industry," said Justin Strange, President of Century Restaurant Group. "I believe that ordering and paying directly through your mobile device while sitting at your table is the future for restaurants and the time is right to bring this solution to the market as restaurants begin to re-open following the pandemic restrictions lifting."

Pursuant to the terms of the agreement with Century, Perk will receive a recurring annual fee in addition to a percentage share of transaction fees. Century will have exclusive reseller rights for the restaurant vertical in the Greater Vancouver region and Perk will provide technical support. The agreement also includes a minimum sales target for Century to achieve over a three-year period.

Perk also announced today that Amazon.ca digital gift cards are now available on its platform in Canada. Amazon.ca digital gift cards can be purchased by using Perk Coins, which are earned by making purchases on Perk Hero.

About Century Restaurant Group

Century Restaurant Group DBA "Century Service" was founded in 2019 by Justin Strange and his team with the goal of bringing a focused digital solution to dine-in restaurants. Century's model allows customers control over their dining experiences by initiating instant ordering and payment solutions right from their phone - something customers have come to expect with the latest food ordering technologies gaining popularity. Century is excited to pair hospitality professionals with technology that will bring a seamless digital dine-in experience to complement the current model and aid in the recovery of the hospitality industry caused by the pandemic.

About Perk Labs Inc.

Perk Labs Inc. (CSE:PERK)(OTCQB:PKLBF)(FRA:PKLB) is the owner of Perk Hero, the mobile commerce platform on a mission to make shopping experiences more engaging, convenient, and rewarding. Perk has partnered with vetted specialized brands across North America to bring its customers products that are eco-friendly, natural, organic, and ethically sourced. Consumers can also buy digital gift cards from top merchants that include gaming and electronics, apparel, dining, and more. The Perk Hero platform, currently available in Canada and the U.S., was engineered for reliability and scale using enterprise-level technology fit for businesses of all sizes. The platform also features Shopify integration, contactless payments using Apple Pay, Google Pay, BitPay and Alipay, as well as its own digital currency called Perk Coin, a gamified loyalty program, e-commerce dropshipping capabilities, pre-order and pick up, and in-store payments with a QR code.

For more information about Perk Labs, please visit www.perklabs.io. Visit Perk Hero at www.perkhero.com .

For more information, contact:

Jonathan Hoyles

CEO

Perk Labs Inc.

(833) 338-0299 investors@perklabs.io

Iryna Zheliasko, Manager, Corporate Communications

CHF Capital Markets

416-868-1079 x 229

iryna@chfir.com

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

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively 'forward-looking information') within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is typically identified by words such as: "may", 'believe', "thinks", 'expect', "exploring", "expand", "could", 'anticipate', 'intend', 'estimate', "plan", "pursue", 'potentially', "projected", "should", "will" and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. These forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, relate to, among other things, the discussion of the Company's business strategies and its expectations concerning future operations, that Perk's reseller program will be key to its ability to scale and distribute its mobile ordering, payment and digital loyalty solution across the North American continent, that its reseller program will be a lucrative income-generating opportunity, and that Perk will be able to scale up its business without having to hire a large sales and operations work force. Although the Company considers these forward-looking statements to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking statements in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking information provided by the Company is not a guarantee of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking information, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur.

SOURCE: Perk Labs Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/650842/Perk-Labs-Announces-Agreement-with-Century-Restaurant-Group-and-New-Channel-Partner-Program
Drill targets are now well supported by coincident IP, geochem and geology

Victoria, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - GoldON Resources Ltd. (TSXV: GLD) ("GoldON" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an overview of the induced polarization (IP) survey recently completed on its McDonough gold property (the "Property") that is located 15 kilometres (km) north of the town of Red Lake and straddles a key structural signature of many deposits within the Red Lake Greenstone Belt (Figure 1).





Figure 1: Regional location of the McDonough Property and GoldON's other Projects



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://goldonresources.com/images/McDonough/McDonough-Regional.jpg

GoldON completed a 7.68 line-km IP survey in March 2021, with the objective of testing chargeability and resistivity responses over gold-in-soil anomalies that were coincident with a regional unconformity.

The IP survey was subsequent to a study completed in 2020 by Orix Geoscience that included data compilation of all known historical information along with a geological and structural reinterpretation incorporating data from a 2020 heliborne high resolution MAG survey. Results from the Orix study included the identification of a primary target area within the property where elevated soil samples overlie the contact between an iron-formation clast dominated conglomerate (Huston Assemblage), and intermediate to felsic volcanics proximal to northeast and northwest intersecting structures (see Figure 2 and GoldON's news release of September 29, 2019).





Figure 2: McDonough regional geology and structural interpretation with gold-in-soil sample results



To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://goldonresources.com/images/McDonough/McDonough_Integration-092920.jpg

The IP survey, interpreted by Dynamic Discovery Geoscience, defined a total of 23 chargeable IP axes. The chargeable responses coincide very well with the McDonough gold-in-soil anomalies where A-horizon soil samples returned values from 2-229 ppb over an iron formation clast supported conglomerate in an unconformable contact with mafic volcanics (Figure 3). The conglomerate belongs to the Huston Assemblage, which is proximal and associated with the Cochenour, Campbell and Red Lake mine complex 15 km to the south.





Figure 3: McDonough IP anomaly axes over geology with gold-in-soil results



To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://goldonresources.com/images/McDonough/McDonough_2021-IP-interpretation.jpg

"The setting at McDonough is ideal for gold mineralization," said Mike Romanik president of GoldON. "We have our permits in place and are awaiting drilling bids to test the coincident gold-in-soil and IP anomalies in this very favourable geological setting."

Mike Kilbourne, P. Geo, an independent qualified person as defined in NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release on behalf of the Company.

About GoldON Resources Ltd.

GoldON is an exploration company focused on discovery-stage properties located in the prolific gold mining belts of northwestern Ontario, Canada. Our current project portfolio includes six properties in the Red Lake Mining Division (West Madsen, Red Lake North, Pipestone Bay, McDonough, McInnes Lake and Pakwash North) and a seventh property in the Patricia Mining Division (Slate Falls).

For additional information: please visit our website at goldonresources.com; you can download our latest investor presentation by clicking here and you can follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GoldONResources.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Signed "Michael Romanik"

Michael Romanik, President

GoldON Resources Ltd.

Direct line: (204) 724-0613

Email: ir@goldonresources.com

179 - 2945 Jacklin Road, Suite 416

Victoria, BC, V9B 6J9

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

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

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86761
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Fjordland Exploration Inc. (TSXV: FEX) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an investor relations agreement (the "Agreement") with MI3 Communications Financieres Inc. ("MI3").

The Agreement is for an initial term of six months renewable on an annual or semi-annual basis and may be terminated upon 30 days' written notice by either party. In consideration for the services of MI3, the Company has agreed to pay a fee of $3,000 per month. Pursuant to the Agreement, Fjordland shall also grant MI3 a stock option to purchase 100,000 common shares of Fjordland at a price of $0.125 per share for a period of 5 years with one quarter of the options vesting every three months. If the Agreement is terminated, the options expire 12 months after termination.

James Tuer, Fjordland's President, commented, "I'm very pleased to welcome Quebec-based MI3 to our team. As the operator of the Renzy Nickel Project it will be a great advantage for us to have MI3 communicating efficiently with members of the Quebec financial community. Their plan is to use certain communication channels including social media, phone campaigns, and participation in select Quebec-based conferences to help increase Fjordland's visibility and investor audience."

MI3 is not related to the Company and does not have any direct or indirect material interest in Fjordland or its securities, other than the stock options as described above. The stock option grant and the Agreement are subject to TSX Venture Exchange acceptance.

About MI3

Launched in 2007, MI3 is a Montreal-based new-age financial communication company geared for today's fast-paced global economy. MI3's services were developed to leverage the trading and market experience of our bilingual team to provide public relations, market-making activities and investor relations to Canadian public companies.

About Fjordland Exploration Inc.

Fjordland Exploration Inc. is a mineral exploration company that is focused on the discovery of large-scale economic deposits located in Canada.

Fjordland, as operator, has an agreement to acquire 100% of the Renzy nickel copper project located near Maniwaki Quebec from Quebec Precious Metals. The project encompasses the former Renzy Mine where during the period from 1969 to 1972, 716,000 short tons were mined with average grades of 0.70 % Nickel and 0.72 % Copper. Fjordland has staked additional claims to increase the size of the project to 235 sq. km.

In collaboration with HPX and Commander Resources, Fjordland is exploring the South Voisey's Bay "Pants Lake Intrusive" target which is in a geologic setting analogous to the nearby nickel-cobalt-copper Voisey's Bay deposit.

Fjordland is currently reviewing its West Milligan copper gold project located within 4 km of Centerra's Mount Milligan copper gold mine in central British Columbia. The project is a joint venture with Northwest Copper Corp.

Fjordland has an option from CanAlaska Uranium to earn an initial 49% interest in the North Thompson Nickel Belt project, situated 20 km. north of Vale's long-life Thompson mine located in northern Manitoba. The project is considered prospective for Ni-Cu-Co-PGE magmatic sulphide mineralization analogous to the deposits hosting the historic mine.

Robert Cameron, P. Geo., a technical advisor to the Company, is a qualified person within the context of National Instrument 43-101 and has read and takes responsibility for the technical aspects of this release. For further technical information please visit Fjordland's website at www.fjordlandex.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"James Tuer"

James Tuer, CEO

For further information:

James Tuer

Ph: 604-688-3415

tuer@fjordlandex.com

www.fjordlandex.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements or information. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the use of proceeds from the private placement, and other future plans and objectives of the Company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include market prices, general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. The Company expressly 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 otherwise required by applicable securities legislation.

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

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86819
Val-d'Or, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Bonterra Resources Inc. (TSXV: BTR) (OTCQX: BONXF) (FSE: 9BR2) ("Bonterra" or the "Company") is pleased to announce results from the ongoing drilling campaign at the Barry project. Recent drilling continues to expand the Barry "H-Series" gold mineralized zones at depth. Specifically, the Barry H15 Zone gold mineralized outline has quadrupled in size since the last National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") report was filed in 2019 and remains open along strike and at depth (see Figure 4). The latest drilling results encompass 25 expansion diamond drill holes [12,989 metres ("m")], including seven drill holes that were deepened to test for potential extensions of "H-Series" subparallel zones. Drilling highlights include a wide zone of mineralization in drill hole MB-21-346 that intercepted 4.4 grams-per-tonne gold ("g/t Au") over 8.0 m (see Figures 1 to 4).

The Company is currently drilling at a rate of approximately 10,000 m per month and plans to announce a mineral resource estimate update on its three main deposits, Gladiator, Barry, and Moroy in the coming weeks (the "2021 Resource Update"), which is expected to incorporate approximately 130,000 m of new drilling information, including the results presented today. In addition, work on the the Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") is ongoing and is expected to be completed in Q4 2021 (see press release dated March 1, 2021).

Drilling Highlights*:

4.4 g/t Au over 8.0 m in hole MB-21-346

9.0 g/t Au over 3.6 m and 5.5 g/t Au over 2.1 m in hole MB-21-345

11.4 g/t Au over 1.8 m in hole MB-21-343

5.4 g/t Au over 5.0 m in hole MB-21-341

5.6 g/t Au over 4.0 m in hole MB-21-349

* True widths are estimated to be greater than 65% of the drill intersection length.

Pascal Hamelin, CEO, commented: "It is very encouraging to continue seeing drill results that demonstrate good continuity across thick widths in these "H-Series" gold mineralized zones. I really look forward to seeing how these results are incorporated into the upcoming mineral resource estimate update. Importantly, company-wide engineering and permitting continues to progress which should allow for a smooth and rapid transition for Bonterra from exploration to development over the next 18-24 months."







Figure 1 - Barry Project - Drill Hole Location Map

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Figure 2 - Barry West Composite Cross Section

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Figure 3 - Barry Central Composite Cross Section

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Figure 4 - Barry H15 Zone Longitudinal Section

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The Company has drilled 86 holes and deepened eight existing holes representing a total of 38,958 m at Barry since July 23, 2020. Complete and partial results from 21 drill holes have been received including seven of the eight deepened holes since the press release dated March 31, 2021. Some results from the remaining holes are still pending (See Table 1 and Figure 1).

The Barry drilling program targeted the expansion and continuity of the gold mineralized zones in key areas around the NI 43-101 Barry mineral resource estimate in 2019. Drilling results continue to confirm the expansion of multiple "H-Series" subparallel zones which remain open at depth across the Barry deposit, in addition to outlining further potential to the east of the deposit (See Table 1 and Figures 1 to 4).

The Barry gold deposit is characterized as multiple sub-parallel, sub-vertical, shear zones and a second set of subparallel "H-Series" veins dipping 30 to 60 degrees to the south hosted within intermediate to mafic volcanics and tuffs with local felsic intrusions. Gold mineralization consists of disseminated sulfides within the shear zones and the veins with local visible gold. The Barry deposit has been delineated over 1.4 kilometres along strike and 600 m vertical and remains open for expansion.

Table 1: Significant mineralized intersections of recent drilling on the Barry deposit

Hole ID

From (m) To (m) Length (m) Grade (g/t Au) Zone MB-18-187

417.1 422.9 5.8 0.6





511.8 516.0 4.2 1.7 H15

including 513.5 514.0 0.5 7.4 H15 MB-18-189

455.1 459.0 3.9 5.0 H15

including 455.1 455.9 0.8 21.1 H15 MB-18-191

470.5 474.3 3.8 2.7 H15

including 472.8 473.5 0.7 10.9 H15 MB-18-195

511.6 519.0 7.4 2.3 H15

including 511.6 514.9 3.3 3.4 H15 MB-18-198

403.9 406.6 2.7 3.0 H12



442.0 444.5 2.5 1.3

MB-20-246

512.8 513.3 0.5 0.9





526.5 527.2 0.7 1.5 H13



569.2 570.3 1.1 1.2





593.4 597.0 3.6 1.0 H14



623.0 624.8 1.8 2.4 H15 MB-20-278

508.3 509.8 1.5 4.6 H14

including 508.3 508.8 0.5 13.0 H14 MB-21-334

240.7 241.5 0.8 4.6





397.0 415.0 18.0 0.7



including 401.4 404.5 3.1 3.4





654.5 657.1 2.6 0.4 H15 MB-21-335

85.5 90.0 4.5 0.5





93.0 97.5 4.5 1.8 H-Series

including 95.9 96.5 0.6 8.9 H-Series



314.2 315.2 1.0 0.6





317.8 318.3 0.5 1.9

MB-21-337

503.9 505.9 2.0 0.8





511.7 516.6 4.9 0.5





630.8 647.8 17.0 1.3



including 635.5 636.3 0.8 9.4





657.2 659.9 2.7 1.1 H12



744.0 744.7 0.7 1.4 H13 MB-21-341

347.0 354.1 7.1 1.7



including 348.1 349.0 0.9 11.8





364.6 366.6 2.0 0.5





450.1 450.6 0.5 3.8





491.0 492.0 1.0 2.0





499.5 504.0 4.5 1.4





511.1 512.5 1.4 0.8





533.0 536.0 3.0 3.5



including 533.0 533.8 0.8 11.6





600.0 605.0 5.0 5.4 H12

including 603.0 604.0 1.0 11.3 H12



669.3 670.1 0.8 2.6





729.0 731.0 2.0 1.9 H13



769.8 773.6 3.8 1.5 H15 MB-21-342

352.5 354.5 2.0 1.0 H6



407.8 408.7 0.9 0.6





417.0 421.6 4.6 0.7 H8



459.8 460.9 1.1 0.7





463.6 466.3 2.7 1.6 H12



474.9 476.4 1.5 1.2 H13



568.5 579.6 11.1 2.1 H15

including 577.4 579.6 2.2 6.4 H15 MB-21-343

328.3 330.2 1.9 0.9





491.8 492.4 0.6 1.1





550.0 569.0 19.0 0.5





764.6 768.0 3.4 6.6 H14



765.5 767.3 1.8 11.4 H14



779.4 791.4 12.0 0.7 H15 MB-21-344

487.2 488.4 1.2 2.1





620.1 630.0 9.9 0.8 H15 MB-21-345

392.0 397.1 5.1 0.6





488.9 491.0 2.1 5.5





500.9 502.6 1.7 3.4



including 501.6 502.6 1.0 5.2





533.6 537.1 3.5 9.0



including 534.6 536.2 1.6 19.1





559.0 564.0 5.0 0.8



including 562.1 562.7 0.6 5.7





624.5 628.8 4.3 1.5



including 624.5 626.1 1.6 3.2





751.8 762.5 10.7 0.7 H15



755.7 756.2 0.5 5.0 H15 MB-21-346

420.8 421.3 0.5 1.2





610.8 618.8 8.0 4.4 H15

including 617.6 618.8 1.2 8.9 H15 MB-21-347

598.0 601.5 3.5 0.5 H15 MB-21-348

426.3 427.4 1.1 0.9





694.4 695.8 1.4 3.8 H14



706.3 708.0 1.7 6.1 H15

including 707.0 707.5 0.5 16.0 H15 MB-21-349

489.3 490.0 0.7 1.0





530.0 531.1 1.1 0.7





638.1 642.1 4.0 5.6 H15 MB-21-350

694.0 699.2 5.2 1.7 H14

including 694.5 696.2 1.7 3.9 H14



720.7 722.8 2.1 1.3 H15 MB-21-351

64.4 84.0 19.6 0.5



including 71.3 77.8 6.5 1.1





222.0 225.0 3.0 0.7

MB-21-352 Results pending MB-21-353 Results pending MB-21-354 Results pending MB-21-355 Results pending

Notes:

1) The meterage represents drilled lengths.

2) True widths are estimated to be greater than 65% of the drill intersection length.

3) The mineralized intervals shown above use a 0.5 g/t Au cut-off grade.

Quality control and reporting protocols

The Barry project's drill core gold analyses are performed at the Company's Bachelor Mine analytical laboratory (the "Laboratory"). The Company employs a rigorous QA-QC analysis program that meets industry standards. The analyses are carried out by fire assay (A.A.) with atomic absorption finish. Blanks, duplicates, and certified reference standards are inserted into the sample stream to monitor the Laboratory's performance. The Company's QA-QC program requires that at least 10% of samples be analyzed by an independent laboratory. These verification samples are sent to ALS Minerals laboratory facility located in Val-d'Or, Quebec. The verifications show a high degree of correlation with the Laboratory's results.

Qualified person

Marc Ducharme, P.Geo. and Bonterra's Exploration Manager, has compiled and approved the information contained in this press release. Mr. Ducharme is a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101.

About Bonterra Resources Inc.

Bonterra is a Canadian gold exploration company with a large portfolio of advanced exploration assets anchored by a central milling facility in Quebec, Canada. The Company has three main assets, Gladiator, Barry, and Moroy, that collectively have a total of 698 thousand ounces in measured & indicated categories, and 1.4 million ounces in inferred category. Approximately 130,000 m of drilling will be used to update this resource shortly. Importantly, the Company owns the only permitted and operational gold mill in the region that is currently two-thirds the way through the permitting process to expand from 800 to 2,400 tonnes-per-day. Bonterra is focused on graduating from advanced exploration to a development company over the next 18-months to deliver shareholder value.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Pascal Hamelin, President & CEO

ir@btrgold.com

2872 Sullivan Road, Suite 2, Val d'Or, Quebec J9P 0B9

819-825-8678 | Website: www.btrgold.com

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

Cautionary and Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" that is based on Bonterra's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. This forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements with respect to Bonterra's exploration and development plans. The words "will", "anticipated", "plans" or other similar words and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking information. This forward-looking information includes namely, information with respect to the planned exploration programs and the potential growth in mineral resources. Exploration results that include drill results on wide spacings may not be indicative of the occurrence of a mineral deposit and such results do not provide assurance that further work will establish sufficient grade, continuity, metallurgical characteristics and economic potential to be classed as a category of mineral resource. The potential quantities and grades of drilling targets are conceptual in nature and, there has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource, and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the targets being delineated as mineral resources. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Bonterra's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include but are not limited to: uncertainties related exploration and development; the ability to raise sufficient capital to fund exploration and development; changes in economic conditions or financial markets, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological or operational difficulties or inability to obtain permits encountered in connection with exploration activities; and labour relations matters. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect our forward-looking information. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86830
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) -Altamira Gold Corp.'s (TSXV: ALTA) (FSE: T6UP) (OTC PINK: EQTRF) ("Altamira" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that 11 lines of the Induced Polarization ("IP") survey have now been completed over the Mutum gold target at its 100% controlled Apiacas gold project in Brazil.

Highlights

Four lines covering the central portion of the target area have been processed and reveal a consistent 500-650 metre wide chargeability anomaly visible below a depth of some 70 metres on all four lines (800 metre E-W strike length and open both to the east and west). The anomaly, which is open at depth, is directly below the mapped and sampled mineralised intrusive which contains gold and has been mapped on surface in the same area

Resistivity data for these lines reveals a distinct horizontal change in resistivity readings at between 50-60 metres vertical depth, which is interpreted as the oxide-sulphide interface between the weathered surface intrusive rock where the pyrite has been oxidized and the fresh pyrite-bearing intrusive rock below 70 metres depth

Two new channel samples returned 0.41 g/t Au over 12 metres and 0.90 g/t Au over 6 metres. All of these channels are located some 70 metres vertically above the IP chargeability anomaly on line 4 and are located immediately north of the previous channel sample in the area which returned 2 g/t gold over 12 metres

The chargeability anomalies defined by the IP survey suggest the presence of disseminated sulphide concentrations at depth and surface auriferous channel samples strongly suggest that substantial disseminated sulphide concentrations are correlated with gold mineralization

The IP survey is ongoing and Altamira Gold expects to have the processed lines from the Western extension of the Mutum target area processed in the next two weeks. The survey is expected to be completed during June in preparation for the stage one drilling program

Matt Cooper, Principal at Core Geophysics and a geophysical consultant to the Company commented "Induced Polarisation Surveys provide a measurement of chargeability and resistivity of the ground. Where there are sulphide concentrations in the bedrock the chargeability will be higher. The very wide, high chargeability anomalies that we have encountered at depth on the four initial IP lines are interpreted as the sulphide bearing intrusives, vertically below the areas which have been mapped on surface with disseminated sulphide and gold mineralisation. The anomaly remains open both at depth and along strike".

Michael Bennett, President and CEO of Altamira Gold commented "We are extremely excited by the initial results from the IP survey. The possibility of a wide sulphide -rich body underling the area mapped as a syenogranite intrusive containing disseminated pyrite and gold mineralisation on surface, is a really positive indication for the presence of deeper-seated mineralisation and demonstrates that this work will be invaluable in assisting the company in siting the initial drillholes".

IP Survey at Mutum Target

The Mutum target is part of the Apiacas Project area is located 50km west of Altamira's Cajueiro gold project which hosts 43-101 compliant indicated resources of 5.66Mt @ 1.02 g/t gold for a total of 185,000 oz and inferred resources of 12.66Mt @ 1.26 g/t gold for a total of 515,000oz. An estimated 1Moz of colluvial gold was historically recovered from the Mutum target, suggestive of the presence of a significant underlying hard-rock deposit.

In 2019, geological mapping outlined an area of pervasive disseminated-style gold mineralisation over at least 4 km2 at Mutum. A total of 93 surface rock samples of disseminated and altered rocks collected on surface over this area returned gold values of up to 406.6 g/t gold (see news release dated September 11, 2019). Recent exploration has also identified four high-grade vein structures with channel samples returning values up to 3m @ 10.39 g/t gold. Silver assays have also returned high grade values up to 871 g/t silver (see March 8, 2021 news release for more information).

Ground based IP survey is now 50% complete over the Mutum target, within the Apiacas Gold project. The survey has been partially completed over the central and western zones of the target area, Figure 1. The survey was commissioned to detect disseminated sulphide concentrations which are related to gold mineralisation within the syenogranite intrusive.



Figure 1: Map showing progress of the IP survey over the Mutum target, Apiacas project

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The survey has been planned on 200m spaced lines to cover the most prospective portions of the project at 2 km lengths, with some lines extended to 3 km to test the width of the mineralised syenogranite intrusive body (Figure 1).

Inversion of the data has displayed regions of high chargeability evident across numerous lines within the mineralised syenogranite intrusive body (Figure 2). These anomalies are interpreted to represent accumulations of disseminated sulphides at depth, potentially associated with gold mineralisation. These zones which are some 500- 650 metres in width can now be traced for over 800 metres along east-west strike open in both directions and represent priority targets for follow up drilling.





Figure 2: Map showing high chargeability anomalies on four lines in the central part of the Mutum target in the Apiacas project. The anomalies are directly below an area with mineralised syenogranite intrusive mapped and sampled on surface

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The resistivity data clearly shows a marked vertical zonation with a change from lower to higher resistivity at a vertical depth of 60 metres which is interpreted as the oxide-sulphide interface within the mineralised syenogranitic intrusive body. Figure 3 shows the resistivity response on Line 2.





Figure 3: Resistivity section on line 2 clearly showing the interpreted zone of transition between oxidised and sulphide bearing syenogranite intrusive at approximately 60 metres vertical depth

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The high chargeability anomaly which is between 500-650 metres in width and seen below 70 metres is open at depth. Figure 4 shows the anomaly on lines 2 and 4.





Figure 4 Showing the high chargeability anomalies on line 2 and line 4 which are directly below the area mapped and sampled on surface within the mineralised syenogranite intrusive

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The IP survey is proving to be crucial to defining the limits of the altered and mineralised intrusive rock with disseminated pyrite and gold and will guide the subsequent trenching and drill program. As stated in the press release of 21st April 2021, an environmental permit has already been granted to allow drilling over part of the central Mutum area.

Channel sampling at Mutum Target

Further channel sampling along a new road cut parallel and close to line 4 has exposed a section of mineralised syenogranite intrusive to the north of the previously reported channel of 12 metres @ 2.0 g/t Au. The new channel samples shown in the photos below returned 0.9g/t Au over 6 metres and 0.41g/t Au over 12 metres with all three channels located on surface directly above the high chargeability anomalies identified by the IP survey in the area.





Figure 5: Channel sampling along road cut sub parallel to line 4 within the mineralised syenogranite intrusive

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Qualified Person

Guillermo Hughes, P. Geo., a consultant to the Company as well as a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release.

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

About Altamira Gold Corp.

The Company is focused on the exploration and development of gold projects within western central Brazil. The Company holds 8 projects comprising approximately 190,000 hectares, within the prolific Juruena gold belt which historically produced an estimated 7 to 10Moz of placer gold. The Company's advanced Cajueiro project has NI 43-101 resources of 5.66Mt @ 1.02 g/t gold for a total of 185,000 oz in the Indicated Resource category and 12.66Mt @ 1.26 g/t gold for a total of 515,000oz in the Inferred Resource category.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

ALTAMIRA GOLD CORP.

"Michael Bennett"

Michael Bennett

President & CEO

Tel: 604.676.5660

Toll-Free:1-833-606-6271

info@altamiragold.com

www.altamiragold.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this document which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. It is important to note that actual outcomes and the Company's actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, we do not undertake to update these forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86871
Preliminary data shows ANVS401 protects some types of nerve cells from dying after being infected by gingipains, the virulence factors of P. gingivalis

Berwyn, Pennsylvania--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Annovis Bio, Inc. (NYSE American: ANVS) ("Annovis" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage drug platform company addressing Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative diseases, today announced preliminary data demonstrating ANVS401, the Company's lead drug candidate, protects certain nerve cells from dying after being infected by gingipains, the virulence factors of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), which have been identified as pathogenic effectors in AD.

"We initiated this study last year after filing our patent related to treating neurological injuries due to infections," Maria L. Maccecchini, Ph.D., CEO of Annovis Bio. "Researchers have noted the similarities between many types of infections of the brain, including infections resulting from COVID-19. These short and long-term neurological problems are caused because invasion of the brain by a virus or bacterium causes levels of neurotoxic proteins to rise, which consequently impairs axonal transport, induces inflammation, and leads to nerve cell death. Because ANVS401 has been shown to protect nerve cells against the ill effects of an increase of neurotoxic proteins in the brain, we believe our compound could help with the treatment of neurological diseases associated with bacterial and viral infections, and these latest data support that thesis."

Once the brain is infected with P. gingivalis, two proteases attack and kill nerve cells. Annovis Bio demonstrated that P. gingivalis and its associated proteases infect and kill nerve cells and ANVS401 protects the infected cells from dying. ANVS401 has quite a large impact on the viability of astrocytes in the presence of gingipains. At the concentration of 1nM gingipain infected cells were completely protected from the enzyme while only around 20% of the control cells survived. ANVS401 is shown to protect cells from dying from the P. gingivalis protease Rgp at very low concentrations.

Microglia and neuroblastoma cell lines are not affected as both are quite resistant to gingipains. As expected, since neither are dying, ANVS401 has no impact on the microglia or neuroblastoma survival in the presence of gingipains.



Figure 1

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Annovis Bio is conducting an ongoing Phase 2a clinical trial in AD and PD patients to compare, in both patient populations, how nerve cells die by measuring all the steps in the toxic cascade leading to nerve cell death and how ANVS401 reverses the toxic cascade and recovers normal brain and body function. The data presented today shows that ANVS401 may protect nerve cells from dying due to bacterial infections, furthering the results Annovis Bio has previously shown that ANVS401 protects nerve cells from dying in various animal models, including AD, PD, Down syndrome, stroke, traumatic brain injury, frontotemporal dementia and acute glaucoma.

About Annovis Bio Inc.

Headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Annovis Bio, Inc. (Annovis) is a clinical-stage, drug platform company addressing neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's in Down Syndrome (AD-DS). We believe that we are the only company developing a drug for AD, PD and AD-DS that inhibits more than one neurotoxic protein and, thereby, improves the information highway of the nerve cell, known as axonal transport. When this information flow is impaired, the nerve cell gets sick and dies. We expect our treatment to improve memory loss and dementia associated with AD and AD-DS, as well as body and brain function in PD. We have two ongoing Phase 2a studies: one in AD patients and one in both AD and PD patients. For more information on Annovis, please visit the company's website: www.annovisbio.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release contain "forward-looking statements" that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "expect," "believe," "will," "may," "should," "estimate," "project," "outlook," "forecast" or other similar words, and include, without limitation, statements regarding the timing, effectiveness, and anticipated results of ANVS401 clinical trials. Forward-looking statements are based on Annovis Bio, Inc.'s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled "Risk Factors" in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and Annovis Bio, Inc. undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.

Investor Relations:

Dave Gentry, CEO

RedChip Companies Inc.

407-491-4498

Dave@redchip.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86894
OAK BROOK, IL / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2021 / Affluence Corporation (OTC PINK:AFFU) and its subsidiary OneMind Technologies SL announced today that Stephane Eyme, CEO of One Mind Technologies will join other industry leaders at Messe Frankfurt Middle East's latest event: "Integrated Operations Centers (IOC) - what is next?"

Time: 2.00pm (Gulf Standard Time/ UAE)

6.00am New York Time

Date: Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Link for Registration: https://lnkd.in/dDa4iPx

The expert panel will discuss the latest trends in the implementation of integrated command and control centers that help streamline city operations, minimize risk, and lower the total cost of operating a city's infrastructure. The webinar is free to attend.

Stephane Eyme said "Managing cities today involves the creation of Integrated Operations Centers (I.O.C). Control rooms are witnessing new levels of sophistication with a requirement to handle continuous streams of real-time data and images. OneMind Technologies creates applications to help organizations and administrations analyze these large volumes of data and make real-time decisions."

Other panelists are Hani Khalaf, CTO and Business Development Manager for Dell Technologies in Middle East, global security consultant John Cowling and Captain Abdullah Mohammed Al Marri, Head of Command and Control at Dubai Police.

Stephane Eyme, CEO of OneMind Technologies, has 25 years' experience delivering sales successes and complex projects for Accenture, Fujitsu, and now OneMind Technologies. He combines deep expertise in crafting strategic plans with solid practice in managing organizations.

About Affluence Corporation

Affluence Corporation (AFFU.PK) is a diversified technology company focused on edge computing and innovative cloud solutions that capitalize on IoT, AI and 5G technologies. We are investing in mid-market businesses to create a cohesive unit which brings together technology for the next generation of internet. https://affucorp.com

About OneMind Technologies SL

OneMind Technologies SL based in Barcelona, Spain is a wholly owned subsidiary of Affluence Corporation. The OneMind intelligent IoT solution builder is used to create applications for smart construction and smart city operations. Functioning as a system of systems, OneMind connects data sources to one single point of insight to provide real-time information on operational processes. It is a key component in the enterprise solutions currently being offered by several Fortune 50 companies that resell, distribute, and integrate smart city enterprise solutions. https://www.onemindtechnologies.com

About the relation between Dell Technologies and OneMind Technologies

The two companies are complementary players in the IoT field. They have worked and are working together on several smart city projects, mainly in the Middle East.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. There are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including: general economic business conditions, competitive and technological factors, markets, services, products and prices, availability and the cost of capital, success of growth initiatives, limited operating history and other factors discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commissions. Additionally, this release may not be considered as legal, accounting, or investment advice, and is not, and may not be considered, a solicitation for the purchase of any securities issued by Affluence Corporation.

For further information

Affluence Corporation Investor Relations contact: info@affucorp.com or +1 720-295-6409

OneMind Technologies SL Press Relations contact: Chloe Tadros news@onemindtechnologies.com

SOURCE: Affluence Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/650877/Join-OneMind-Technologies-CEO-at-an-Intersec-Live-Webinar-on-9-June-2021-Integrated-Operations-Centers-IOC--What-is-next
- Revamped Brand Identity System (BIS) placing Nexen Tire as a company that cares for customers, partners and society

SEOUL, South Korea, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nexen Tire, a leading global tire manufacturer, has announced the launch of its new brand identity system (BIS) and "We Got You" corporate slogan, pledging to enhance customer satisfaction in mobility and beyond tire manufacturing.



"We Got You" evokes Nexen Tire's corporate mission and promise to always put people at the center of things and make them more connected to the world while improving their lives. It also reflects the Company's commitment to provide customers with utmost convenience anytime, anywhere.

Core to Nexen Tire's new identity is to take the lead in developing and providing innovative technologies, designs, and services that enhance customer mobility with the bold spirit of taking on challenges while always thinking ahead.

As a total mobility solutions provider, Nexen Tire will introduce new products to satisfy customers' needs, especially at a time when electric, hydrogen, and self-driving cars are expected to become more prevalent in the market going forward.

The Company will also assist customers in their transition into the age of digital convergence. In fact, Nexen Tire established Nexen Century Ventures in Silicon Valley, California, in March of this year, to invest in promising start-ups offering future core technologies in the automotive components and mobility sectors, includes automotive sensors.

"Thanks to the continued support of our customers, Nexen Tire has quickly become one of the world's leading tire manufacturers," said Travis Kang, Global CEO of Nexen Tire. "We are excited to launch into this new chapter, aiming to satisfy our customers by improving the quality of their mobility."

Meanwhile, Nexen Tire's new BIS will extend to a variety of promotional activities and marketing programs especially within the digital space to strengthen its new brand identity to customers and stakeholders. The Company has created a brand film and distributed it online to build relations with customers and help them connect to the new brand identity. And internally, global brand communication guidelines have been developed and circulated to employees worldwide for consistent message delivery to customers. For more information about the brand film, please visit http://www.nexentire.com/international/media/

About New Brand Identity "We Got You"

Nexen Tire's brand slogan relaunch underlines the foundation of the company's overarching vision that reflects its core identities: Trendy, Innovative, and Caring. The slogan also describes Nexen Tire's brand essence titled, Creating Your Mobility, which is focused on the Company's goals of advancing customer mobility and lifestyle while also being the leading solution provider in innovative mobility.

About Nexen Tire

Nexen Tire, established in 1942, is a global tire manufacturer headquartered in South Korea. Nexen Tire, one of the world's fastest growing tire manufacturers, currently interacts with approximately 150 countries around the world and owns four manufacturing plants - two in Korea (Yangsan and Changnyeong) and one in Qingdao, China. Another plant in Zatec, the Czech Republic has also begun operation in 2019. Nexen Tire produces tires for passenger cars, SUVs, and light trucks with advanced technology and excellence in design. Nexen Tire supplies OE tires to global car makers in various countries around the world. In 2014, the company achieved a grand slam of the world's top 4 design awards for the first time amongst the various tire makers in the world.

For more information, please visit https://www.nexentire.com/international/

CONTACT: Sylvia Chang, sylvia.chang@pivotp.co.kr




MONTREAL, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bombardier Inc. ("Bombardier") today announced that it has successfully closed its previously announced offering of US$1,200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes due June 15, 2026 (the "New Notes"). The New Notes carry a coupon of 7.125% per annum and were sold at 100.000% of par.



Bombardier intends to use the net proceeds of this offering of Notes to finance its previously announced tender offer (the "Tender Offer") for (i) 5.750% Senior Notes due 2022 (the "5.750% 2022 Notes"), (ii) 6.000% Senior Notes due 2022 (the "6.000% 2022 Notes") and (iii) 6.125% Senior Notes due 2023 (the "2023 Notes" and together with the 5.750% 2022 Notes and the 6.000% 2022 Notes, the "Subject Notes") and to pay related fees and expenses. Bombardier intends to use the remaining net proceeds from this offering of Notes for general corporate purposes, including the repayment and/or retirement of other outstanding debt.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or buy or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any security and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation, sale or purchase of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offering, solicitation, sale or purchase would be unlawful.

The New Notes and the Subject Notes mentioned herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, any state securities laws or the laws of any other jurisdiction, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. The New Notes mentioned herein were offered and sold in the United States only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers in accordance with Rule 144A under the U.S. Securities Act and outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act. The New Notes mentioned herein have not been and will not be qualified for distribution to the public under applicable Canadian securities laws and, accordingly, any offer and sale of the securities in Canada was made on a basis which is exempt from the prospectus requirements of such securities laws. The New Notes were offered and sold in Canada on a private placement basis only to "accredited investors" pursuant to certain prospectus exemptions.

The Tender Offer mentioned herein is being conducted in accordance with the separate Offer to Purchase relating thereto.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements based on current expectations. By their nature, forward-looking statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to important known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause our actual results in future periods to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

For information

Francis Richer de La Fleche

Vice President, Financial Planning

and Investor Relations

Bombardier

+514 855 5001 x13228 Mark Masluch

Senior Director, Communications

Bombardier

+514 855 7167




VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2021 / NV Gold Corporation (TSXV:NVX)(OTCQB:NVGLF)(FSE:8NV) ("NV Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Lease Agreement (the "Agreement") with Robert Foster and Jay Winrod (the "Vendors"), providing NV Gold the right to lease an undivided 100% right, title and interest in the Pickhandle Gold Project in Lander County, Nevada ("Pickhandle").

"In 2021, we are focused on ensuring that we provide the opportunity for a gold discovery in Nevada. Leasing the highly prospective Pickhandle project in the Cortex Trend area in Nevada, and building strong relationships with respected gold prospectors Robert and Jay, is key to establishing NV Gold as the story to follow in 2021," commented Peter A. Ball, President and CEO of NV Gold. "As we continue to add key drill-ready gold projects to build out our portfolio for our upcoming exploration season, we are readying and expanding our technical team, and look forward to the drills turning at multiple projects during 2021."

About the Pickhandle Gold Property

The Project is located at a structural intersection of the "Rabbit Suture" (Hwy 305) and the Crescent Valley Fault Zone (refer to Figure 1), approximately 45 kilometers southwest of Nevada Gold Mine's Cortez and Pipeline multi-million ounces gold deposits .

(refer to Figure 1), . The Pickhandle gold target comprises a small window of Permian Edna Mountain Limestone cut by mineralized dikes. The surface geology, alteration, structural complexity, and geochemical environment are strongly indicative of a "Carlin-type" gold environment. Particularly the pervasive silicification (Jasperoids) and silica-flooded brecciation (refer to Figure 2), superimposed on ferroan dolomite, are especially encouraging. Gold values from rock chip sampling reached up to 1.5 g/t Au.

It is particularly significant that the Pickhandle prospect area has never been drilled and shows no evidence of having been prospected in recent times.

NV Gold will conduct a Phase 1 exploration program during 2021 leading to a potential RC (Reverse Circulation) drilling program, which will be focused on testing all unexposed Permian Antler Sequences, and to extend the target underneath Tertiary volcanic cover and into the pediment.

Figure 1: Pickhandle Gold Project General Location Map (NV Gold properties highlighted in red)

Figure 2: Pickhandle Jasperoids and Pediment Target

"I am pleased that Jay and Rob have partnered up with NV Gold to advance the Pickhandle Gold Project, which has never been drilled. The project has the right structural complexity, 'Carlin-type' ingredients, and is in an excellent neighbourhood to the Cortez and Pipeline gold deposits. After the Discovery Bay lease agreement announced last week, this will be the second drill-ready project acquired recently by NV Gold. I am excited to be part of a new chapter in NV Gold's future, with the beginning of an aggressive multi-project drilling campaign in Nevada," stated Thomas Klein, Exploration Manager, NV Gold.

NV Gold notes that there is no guarantee that the historical results are representative and cannot guarantee that the Company will be able to duplicate the results with future exploration programs. NV Gold's management team does not view the Pickhandle project as material to the Company at this time.

About NV Gold Corporation

NV Gold (TSXV:NVX)(OTCQB:NVGLF)(FSE:8NV) is a well-financed exploration company with ~77 million shares issued, close to $4.5M in its treasury and no debt. The Company is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Reno, Nevada and is focused on delivering value through mineral discoveries in Nevada, USA. Leveraging its expansive property portfolio, its highly experienced in-house technical team, and its extensive geological data library, 2021 will be NV Gold's busiest exploration year in its corporate history.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Peter A. Ball

President & CEO

For further information, visit the Company's website at www.nvgoldcorp.com or contact:

Peter A. Ball, President & CEO

Phone: 1-888-363-9883

Email: peter@nvgoldcorp.com

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

Forward Looking Statements

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements or information. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's planned exploration activities, the potential for a discovery at its properties, and acquisition of new gold projects are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include regulatory issues, market prices, availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals, the extent to which mineralized structures extend on to the Company's Projects and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation.

SOURCE: NV Gold Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/650840/NV-Gold-Announces-Lease-of-Drill-Ready-Carlin-Style-Pickhandle-Gold-Project-in-Nevada
DGAP-News: The Mastercard Foundation / Key word(s): Miscellaneous

Mastercard Foundation to deploy $1.3 billion in partnership with Africa CDC to save lives and livelihoods



08.06.2021 / 15:15

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Mastercard Foundation to deploy $1.3 billion in partnership with Africa CDC to save lives and livelihoods

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - June 8, 2021 - The Mastercard Foundation (www.MastercardFdn.org) has announced that it will deploy $1.3 billion over the next three years in partnership with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to save the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in Africa and hasten the economic recovery of the continent.

The Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative will acquire vaccines for at least 50 million people, support the delivery of vaccinations to millions more across the continent, lay the groundwork for vaccine manufacturing in Africa through a focus on human capital development, and strengthen the Africa CDC.

"Ensuring equitable access and delivery of vaccines across Africa is urgent. This initiative is about valuing all lives and accelerating the economic recovery of the continent," said Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation. "In the process, this initiative will catalyze work opportunities in the health sector and beyond as part of our Young Africa Works strategy," she added.

The African Union's goal as set out in the African COVID-19 Vaccine Development and Access Strategy is to vaccinate at least 60 percent of its population - approximately 750 million people or the entire adult population of the continent - by the end of 2022. To date, less than two percent of Africans have received at least one vaccine dose.

The new partnership builds on the efforts of the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access facility (COVAX), the COVID-19 African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT), and the global community to expand access to vaccines across Africa. The number of vaccines available to Africa represents a small portion of the global supply and the financial costs to purchase, deliver, and administer vaccines remain significant. The Africa CDC is calling on governments, global funders, the private sector, and others to help meet this goal.

"Ensuring inclusivity in vaccine access, and building Africa's capacity to manufacture its own vaccines, is not just good for the continent, it's the only sustainable path out of the pandemic and into a health-secure future," said Dr. John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa CDC. "This partnership with the Mastercard Foundation is a bold step towards establishing a New Public Health Order for Africa, and we welcome other actors to join this historic journey."

In 2020, Africa faced its first economic recession in 25 years due to the pandemic. The African Development Bank has warned that COVID-19 could reverse hard-won gains in poverty reduction over the past two decades and drive 39 million people into extreme poverty in 2021. Widespread vaccination is recognized as being critical to the economic recovery of African countries.

The initiative builds on an earlier collaboration between the Mastercard Foundation and the Africa CDC to expand access to testing kits and enhance surveillance capacity in Africa. Through the Foundation's support, the Africa CDC's Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing (PACT) deployed nearly two million COVID-19 tests and more than 12,000 trained health care workers and rapid responders across Africa. In total, the PACT has enabled over 47 million COVID-19 tests across the continent.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The MasterCard Foundation.

About the Mastercard Foundation:

The Mastercard Foundation is a Canadian foundation and one of the largest in the world with more than $39 billion in assets. The Foundation was created in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company. Since its inception, the Foundation has operated independently of the company. The Foundation's policies, operations, and program decisions are determined by its Board. For more information on the Foundation, please visit: www.MastercardFdn.org



About Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC):

Africa CDC is a specialized technical institution of the African Union that strengthens the capacity and capability of Africa's public health institutions as well as partnerships to detect and respond quickly and effectively to disease threats and outbreaks, based on data-driven interventions and programs. For more information, please visit: www.AfricaCDC.org.
The acquisition kicks off the development of Sovryn's free-to-consumer OTA video broadcast platform

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2021 / Madison Technologies, Inc. d/b/a Sovryn Holdings, (OTCQB:MDEX) today announced the purchase of a Class A television broadcast station in Houston, the number 8 ranked DMA (Designated Market Area) in the nation. Sovryn's acquisition, filed in June with the FCC, was for a Class A broadcast license, KVVV in Houston from TVue Associates, Inc. The station, currently broadcasting over 10 different streams of content to the Houston marketplace 24 hours per day/7 days per week, will be immediately accretive to Sovryn's cash flow:

KVVV-LD, using Display Channels 15.1-15.10

This purchase is the second acquisition of a planned series of similar top DMA television broadcast station acquisitions by Sovryn with another 7 stations currently in the pipeline and a plan to further expand the portfolio to 30 stations within the next 12-14 mos. Sovryn expects to ultimately grow the station base to 100 tv stations nationwide through additional acquisitions targeting the top 100 DMA's, covering 80% of the population of the U.S.

The result will be a broad, nationwide, OTA independent distribution platform to host various content providers and data transmissions of many sorts, creating not only a unique, independent platform but an alternative to the existing Cable, OTT, and Internet platforms for those seeking to expand viewership of their content.

"With little or no technology changes in more than a generation, the broadcast TV industry today is poised for dramatic change as new disruptive technology prepares to roll out allowing for OTA mobile viewing and other major advancements, "said Philip Falcone, Founder, and CEO of Sovryn.tv. "The OTA market represents an untapped and sizeable market opportunity, and our goal is to continue expanding our platform to capitalize on the changing media and viewer landscape and growing OTA viewership in the U.S.

Sovryn Holdings, Inc. and it's broadcasting unit Sovryn.tv merged earlier this year with publicly traded Madison Technologies, Inc (OTCQB:MDEX)

Strong Tailwinds for OTA TV and Online Streaming

Consumers have embraced cutting the cord trend and moving to broadband (Netflix, Apple, Disney) and OTA (to continue to watch the basics). OTA households alone have doubled over the last 10 years to 20MM, becoming a material part of the addressable TV universe.

As cord-cutting continues to accelerate in conjunction with other factors (e.g., censorship) affecting distribution, the need for an alternative distribution platform will accelerate, ultimately driving higher rates and higher valuation all without even factoring in the true value of the spectrum.

Says, Mr. Falcone, "This opening allows for new revenue opportunities to address the mobile tv viewing marketplace and potentially subscription-based Over-the-Air TV. This Houston purchase represents the start of a wave of more station acquisitions in the works as part of our build-out of a free local and national network of OTA content distribution."

The OTA market represents a compelling market opportunity. With an estimated 107MM TV households in the U.S., 57.9MM households use Cable, 28.7MM use alternative or satellite dish delivery systems while 20.4MM use OTA antennas - representing 44.8MM people. As any TV set purchase comes equipped by federal law to be OTA accessible, the adoption opportunities are massive if the right offer is presented to the market that is already growing weary of the recurring costs associated with content subscriptions.

An even bigger opportunity lies in the forthcoming advent of NextGen TV. In late 2017, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to allow broadcasters to use the Next Gen TV using the new ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard on a voluntary basis. This new OTA broadcast technology offers high definition, mobile video, 4K resolution video, interactive features like polling and voting as well as e-Commerce capabilities for TV-based shopping. Sovryn's plans include leveraging these innovations and others to bring a truly modern interactive experience to consumers for free.

About Madison Technologies / Sovryn Holdings, Inc.

Press Contact

Jeff Canouse

Madison Technologies, Inc.

770-235-6053

jeff@madisontech.io

SOURCE: Madison Technologies, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/650848/Madison-Technologies-Inc-Completes-Purchase-of-TV-Station-KVVV-Houston
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - TransCanna Holdings Inc. (CSE: TCAN) (FSE: TH8) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that the British Columbia Securities Commission ("BCSC") has lifted the Management Cease Trade Order ("MCTO") it had previously granted the Company on March 31, 2021.

The MCTO had been granted in conjunction with the Company's anticipated filings of its Annual Audited Financial Statements, Management Discussion and Analysis, and related officer certifications for the financial year ended November 30, 2020, which were originally due March 30, 2021.

The Company publicly disclosed that the delay in filing was due to changes in key personnel and difficulty coordinating necessary financial documentation due to parties affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and stay at home restrictions. TransCanna itself applied for the MCTO in order to forfeit management trades so that other shareholders could continue to trade while it organized the necessary filings.

The BCSC granted the Company a new deadline, which was extended to include Q1 financials. The Company has now successfully completed all necessary filings for its Annual and Interim Financials. Revoking the MCTO means members of management are no longer prevented from trading the Company's common shares.

The Company remains committed to timely financial transparency and wishes to thank the BCSC, the auditors, and shareholders for their continued trust in this important commitment.

TransCanna's Annual and Interim Financials are now publicly available on SEDAR (sedar.com).

About TransCanna

TransCanna Holdings Inc. is a California-based, Canadian-listed company building cannabis-focused brands for the California lifestyle through its wholly-owned California subsidiaries.

TransCanna's wholly owned subsidiary Lyfted Farms is California's authentic cannabis brand whose pioneering spirit has been continuously providing the finest cannabis flower genetics and cultivation methods since 1984. The Lyfted Farms brand of exclusive cannabis flower is sold at premium retailers throughout the state. With its new cultivation facility in Modesto, California, the company is now poised to become one of the largest and most efficient vertically integrated cannabis companies in the California market.

For updated information with respect to our company, please see our filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the CSE at www.thecse.com, or visit the Company's website at www.transcanna.com. To contact the Company, please email info@transcanna.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Bob Blink, CEO

Corporate Communications:

investor@transcanna.com

604-200-8853

FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION:

Certain information in this release may contain forward-looking statements, such as statements regarding financial statement filing timelines, future expansions and cost savings and plans regarding production increases and financings. This information is based on current expectations and assumptions, including assumptions concerning the completion of the expansion of the Daly Facility, government approval of pro-cannabis policies, greater access to financial services and increased cultivation capacity, that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. Risks that could cause results to differ from those stated in the forward-looking statements in this release include unexpected increases in operating costs, a continued strain on farmers due to fires and the Coronavirus pandemic and competition from other retailers. All forward-looking statements, including any financial outlook or future-oriented financial information, contained in this release are made as of the date of this release and are included for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to the Company. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com.

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



NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86818
Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Northern Graphite Corporation (TSXV: NGC) (OTCQB: NGPHF) (the "Company" or "Northern") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an option agreement (the "Option Agreement") to earn up to an 80 per cent interest in the South Okak Ni-Cu-Co project ("South Okak "), located 80 km southeast of Voisey's Bay, Labrador. The South Okak area produced some of the best Ni-Cu-Co drill intervals outside of Voisey's Bay during the 1990s exploration rush. The 6,350 hectare South Okak property has been consolidated into one exploration license for the first time and covers the most prospective ground. A substantial amount of historical data is available and advances in geophysical data processing including 3D modelling, and a much better understanding of the Voisey's Bay geological controls, has already resulted in the identification of a number of highly prospective targets.

The South Okak property is located along the main structural break that hosts the high grade Voisey's Bay deposits which are contained within a large, lower grade disseminated halo. Previous exploration in the South Okak area also resulted in the discovery of several areas containing significant intervals of disseminated low-grade Ni-Cu-Co mineralization but their significance was not fully appreciated. These areas need a second look now that the Voisey's Bay model is better understood. Numerous untested geophysical anomalies exist within the claims and provide the Company with immediate exploration targets. Northern has commenced detailed data compilation and 3D modelling of the historical high-resolution airborne geophysical and drill hole data to identify the highest priority targets.

Gregory Bowes, CEO commented that: "The Company has been searching for a complimentary battery minerals asset for some time and South Okak exactly meets our criteria. It is a relatively advanced stage project with a substantial body of historical work that has enabled high quality targets to be identified relatively quickly with modern technology and geological concepts. It is elephant country in a politically stable jurisdiction and Ni/Cu/Co are key battery metals that will be in high demand as the electric vehicle and battery markets grow."

The Option Agreement enables Northern to earn up to an 80 per cent interest in the South Okak Project by spending $1.5 million over four years, together with cash payments and share issuances, as follows:

Payment of $50,000 in cash and the issuance of 500,000 common shares on closing;

Cumulative expenditures of $250,000 prior to March 1, 2022 and $500,000 prior to March 1, 2023;

Payment of $75,000 in cash, plus $200,000 in cash or common shares at Northern's option, on the 24 month anniversary of the Option Agreement.

Cumulative expenditures of $1,000,000 prior to March 1, 2024;

Payment of $75,000 in cash, plus $200,000 in cash or common shares at Northern's option, on the 36 month anniversary of the Option Agreement; and

Incurring cumulative expenditures of $1,500,000 prior to March 1, 2025;

Northern will earn a 49 per cent interest in South Okak by making the first two payments and incurring exploration expenditures of $1,000,000 and will earn an 80 per cent interest upon completing all payments and incurring the $1,500,000 in expenditures. The owners of South Okak will then be carried to production on their 20 per cent interest.

Northern has approved an initial budget of $500,000 for exploration activities during the 2021 exploration season, consisting of sampling, mapping and geophysics, together with a review of historical, untested targets. The Option Agreement is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Any securities issued in connection with the Option Agreement will be subject to applicable statutory hold periods for a period of four months from the date of issuance.

About Northern Graphite

Northern Graphite is a mineral development and technology company focussed on developing its Bissett Creek graphite deposit and upgrading mine concentrates into high value components used in lithium-ion batteries, electric vehicles, fuel cells, graphene and other advanced technologies. An independent study estimates that Bissett Creek will have the highest margin of any existing or proposed graphite deposit due to its very favorable location, simple metallurgy and the high quality of its concentrates which the Company believes will provide a competitive advantage in manufacturing products for the green economy.

Bissett Creek is an advanced stage project with a full Feasibility Study and its major mining permit which puts the Company in position to make a construction decision, subject to financing. The Project is located in the southern part of Canada between the cities of North Bay and Ottawa and close to the Trans-Canada highway providing ready access to labour, supplies, equipment, natural gas and markets.

Qualified Person

Gregory Bowes, B.Sc. MBA, P. Geo., a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and is responsible for the technical information in this news release.

For additional information

Please visit the Company's website at http://www.northerngraphite.com/investors/presentation/, the Company's profile on www.sedar.com, contact Gregory Bowes, CEO (613) 241-9959 or visit our Social Channels.

LinkedIn

YouTube

Twitter

Facebook

This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward- looking statements and information are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "potential", "possible" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "will", "could", or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements regarding, among others; economic and technical studies, graphite prices, project economics, permitting, the development timeline and the graphite market. All such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by management based on their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors they believe are appropriate in the circumstances. However, these statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected including, but not limited to, unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of other parties to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; unexpected failure or inadequacy of infrastructure and the failure of ongoing and contemplated studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued studies, development or operations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements.

Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based on what management believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with them. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release.

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

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86900
Autocar's highest accolade and most prestigious and personal award is presented annually to the individual who has made the greatest contribution to the success of their company

Chairman Chung hailed by Autocar for transforming Hyundai Motor Group into one of the world's greatest car makers, and being a leader in the fields of electrification and hydrogen

Advancement of hydrogen fuel cell technology and the launch of Genesis premium luxury brands established under Chairman's leadership

LEATHERHEAD, England and SEOUL, South Korea, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung has today been honored with the Issigonis Trophy at the 2021 Autocar Awards ceremony.

Named in honor of legendary car designer Sir Alec Issigonis, the Trophy is Autocar's highest accolade. Each year it is presented to a stand-out individual within the global automotive industry, whom Autocar judges deem to have delivered an exceptional level of success.

In recognizing the visionary leadership of Chairman Chung on the presentation of the Issigonis Award, Autocar editor-in-chief Steve Cropley said: "In the last decade the Hyundai Motor Group has grown into one of the world's leading car firms, and chairman Euisun Chung has been key to that transformation. We're proud to award him this year's Issigonis Trophy to recognise his achievements. The transformation made by the company is unmatched in the industry in recent years.

"While Hyundai and Kia were considered unexciting budget brands with limited market share just a decade ago, under Euisun Chung's leadership they have made incredible progress, winning market share and customers with cars that are the match of any mainstream rival.

"The Hyundai Motor Group has expanded into performance cars with Hyundai's N division and the premium market with the new Genesis brand, and become a true industry leader in both electric and hydrogen-powered cars. It is no longer trying to catch up to rivals: now other car firms are chasing it."

On receiving the Issigonis Trophy, Chairman Chung commented: "It's a true honor to receive this prestigious award today from Autocar and I must thank all my colleagues for their contribution in securing this accolade. Despite the dramatic upheaval of the global auto industry and challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hyundai Motor Group is spearheading a paradigm shift and what lies at the heart of our efforts is our single-minded focus on serving and empowering our customers. Through a considered approach, we will create more opportunities and oil the wheels of 'progress for humanity'."

Recent significant advances by the Hyundai Motor Group made under the Chairman's tenure include the introduction of highly advanced electric vehicles: the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6. Both use the Group's new, dedicated EV platform, the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). In addition to the high-performance N brand of Hyundai Motor Company, the Group has also launched HTWO dedicated fuel cell brand, and the Genesis premium luxury brand.

For the full press release, please visit globalpr.hyundai.com or www.kianewscenter.com

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DUBAI, U.A.E., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Future Market Insights, Dubai: The global biophotonics market is anticipated to witness an impressive growth of over 11.3% CAGR during the forecast period of 2021 and 2031, forecasts ESOMAR-certified consulting firm Future Market Insights.

Growing geriatric population and extensive use of biophotonics in cell and tissue diagnostics are the key factors propelling the market growth. Advent of nanotechnology in biophotonics and increasing application of biophotonics within light therapy and microscopy will improve the demand.

Biophotonics are extensively used in light therapy, as light therapy devices are acquiring center stage in the healthcare industry. Also, government support through funding and investment in medical diagnostics is improving the market demand.

Integration of detection, diagnosis, and staging during the time of endoscopy is providing growth opportunities for the market players. Significant developments in the field of see-through imaging techniques, especially in medical diagnostics and drug discovery, will improve the market demand.

Extensive usage of biophotonics endoscopic techniques, especially in providing functional and biochemical information in the application of medical therapeutics will drive the market growth.

Increasing geriatric population and rising prevalence of lifestyle diseases such as obesity, insomnia and others have improved the demand of light therapy in the field of medical therapeutics. This in turn will bolster the growth of biophotonics market.

According to FMI, the application of biophotonics in microscopy and light therapy will witness an impressive growth, exhibiting the demand of over 15% each respectively over the forecast period.

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"Technological advancements and soaring demand within medical therapeutics and diagnostics for treating lifestyle diseases such as obesity and insomnia will drive the market demand. Catering the heightened demand, biophotonics manufacturers have increased the development by incorporating advanced technology, generating expansion prospects in the industry," says the FMI analyst.

Key Takeaways from FMI's Biophotonics Market Study

Medical diagnostics is anticipated to be the primary end-user of biophotonics market, exhibiting a CAGR of over 10.7% during the forecast period

Non-medical applications in biophotonics market is estimated to project impressive growth of over 15.5% CAGR between 2021 and 2031

In terms of application, biosensors segment is poised to expand at a CAGR of around 17.2% CAGR during the forecast period

Microscopy and light therapy applications will expand at a CAGR of 15.1% each respectively in the upcoming decade

The U.S. is anticipated to be the major market owing to the increasing investment by the U.S. government in healthcare industry

Germany and the U.K are expected to collectively lead the Europe's biophotonics market owing to the expansion of healthcare industry

and the U.K are expected to collectively lead the biophotonics market owing to the expansion of healthcare industry Countries such as China , India and Japan will emerge as lucrative markets attributing to the technological advancements in the healthcare and imaging industry

Competitive Landscape

Key players in the biophotonics market are focusing on new product launches for the expansion of their product portfolios.

Adoption of latest technology in the healthcare sector have enabled the advent of the new players, leading to a competitive market.

Prominent market players are forging alliances with other top healthcare companies to maintain their position in the industry.

For instance, in June 2021, Alberta Biophotonics Inc. announced the acquisition of additional shares of Flurotech Limited, pursuant to a three-cornered amalgamation between the FluroTech, FluroTest Systems Ltd. and 2330853 Alberta Ltd.

Recently, another key player PhotoniCare Inc. announced the funding of more than US$ 7 million to commercially expand its imaging technology, TOMi Scope.

In May 2021, Olympus America announced the launch and clearance of its BF-UC190F endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) bronchoscope, a new addition to its EBUS portfolio of devices for lung cancer diagnosis and staging via needle biopsy.

Increasing investment and funding for biomedical imaging and initiatives for research & development are providing lucrative opportunities for the market players.

For example, recently, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) announced a funding of nearly US$ 32 million for biomedical imaging research, technology development, and the Bio Imaging North America international network of bio imaging facilities & communities.

Some of the prominent market players profiled by Future Market Insights operating in biophotonics market include:

Becton and Dickinson & Co.

Thermofisher Scientific

Affymetrix Inc.

Carl Zeiss

Olympus America

Andor Technology

Hamamatsu Photonics

Others

For any Queries Linked with the Report, Ask an Analyst@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-92

More Insights on the Global Biophotonics Market

Future Market Insights, in its latest study of global biophotonics market offers an unbiased analysis on the market trends and drivers, providing historical data for the period of 2016-2020 and forecast statistics for the period of 2021-2031. In order to understand the global market potential, its growth, and scope, the market is segmented on the basis of:

Application

See-Through Imaging

Inside Imaging

Spectro molecular

Surface Imaging

Microscopy

Light Therapy

Biosensors

Others

End Use

Medical Diagnostics

Medical Therapeutics

Test Components

Non-Medical Diagnostics

Region

North America

Latin America

Europe

East Asia

South Asia & Pacific

& Pacific Middle East and Africa (MEA)

Key Questions Covered in the Report

Which region has the highest growth in biophotonics market?

Which are the leading manufacturers operating in the biophotonics market?

How will the biophotonics market expand in the forecast period?

Which trends will drive the biophotonics market during the forecast period?

What are the challenges faced by leading players in the biophotonics market?

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About Future Market Insights (FMI)

Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai, and has delivery centers in the UK, U.S. and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.

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Future Market Insights,

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United Arab Emirates

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Aite Group recognizes 10 innovative financial institutions leveraging best-in-class initiatives.

Boston, MA, June 08, 2021taking place virtually on June 17, recognize and celebrate the industry's best and brightest financial services firms across six dynamic categories.

In its second year, the awards program honors innovations achieved by wealth management firms leveraging technology to surpass the status quo. Award recipients are leading the industry by identifying and implementing new products, capabilities, or levels of automation and effectiveness that are bringing our industry one step closer to next-generation financial services. They are the wealth management firms, regardless of size, that others will follow. The winners across the six categories are as follows:

Digital Investment Management Offering: IQvestment

Financial Wellness:

North America: BrightPlan

BrightPlan Europe: Wealth Wizards

Digital Client Engagement:

Advisor Focused: Merrill Lynch Wealth Management

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Risk Management: Morgan Stanley WM | Investment Solutions

Morgan Stanley WM | Investment Solutions ESG: BNP Paribas Wealth Management

BNP Paribas Wealth Management Client Focused: Ameriprise Financial

Sales Enablement/Prospecting: Hightower Advisors

Digital Initiative of the Year: Formue

Digital Startup of the Year: SEBA Bank

"This year's Impact Innovation Awards clearly demonstrate that wealth management firms globally have made tremendous progress in all areas of digital client engagement over the last 18 months," says Aite Group research director Alois Pirker. "Excelling digitally has allowed leading firms to not only stay connected with their clients in times of social distancing but also transform their business models, expand client service offerings, and reach new client segments," he adds.

A global panel of six external experts on digital wealth management selected the winners based on the following criteria, which were considered when scoring each entry:

Level of innovation and competitive advantage

Market needs assessment

Impact on customer experience

Impact on customer operational efficiency

Level of new revenue opportunity for the organization

Impact on customer retention/new customer attraction

Level of scalability across customer base

Future roadmap

The identification of an Aite Group award winner or finalist is not an endorsement by Aite Group of any vendor, product, or service.

To request additional information about Aite Group's Digital Wealth Management Impact Innovation Awards, please contact us at pr@aitegroup.com.



About Aite Group:

Aite Group is a global research and advisory firm delivering comprehensive, actionable advice on business, technology, and regulatory issues and their impact on the financial services industry. With expertise in banking, payments, insurance, wealth management, and the capital markets, we guide financial institutions, technology providers, and consulting firms worldwide. We partner with our clients, revealing their blind spots and delivering insights to make their businesses smarter and stronger. Visit us on the web and connect with us on Twitterand LinkedIn.
Present and future of web scraping: registration opened for prominent industry conference OxyCon 2021

VILNIUS, LITHUANIA / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2021 / OXYLABS / Web scraping - a process that allows the collection of large amounts of public web data - is behind the growth and success of numerous industries. Thus, while the importance of big data in business is ever-growing, so is the interest in new web scraping possibilities. To share and discuss the trends and future outlook for public data gathering practices, Oxylabs will be hosting a free online conference - OxyCon 2021. It will take place on 25-26 August with early-bird registration available here .

The two-day online event will cover the most pressing topics in the field of web scraping. OxyCon's focus will be divided into three major themes: data collection for business, the future of web data gathering, and web scraping for developers. Participants will be able to navigate through 10 informative presentations by global business leaders, round-table discussions, Q&A sessions, workshops, and seminars.

"OxyCon is an opportunity for the web scraping community to get together, network and share insights, tips, common challenges and solutions. Despite being an indispensable part of modern business, the field is still not that widely covered. Thus, events like this provide an extremely valuable shot to keep a finger on the pulse", - says Julius Cerniauskas, CEO of the OxyCon organiser Oxylabs.

Among the most relevant business topics in the field is the ethical approach to web scraping. As the industry is maturing, it is moving towards stricter ethical frameworks on web data gathering and use. OxyCon participants will get acquainted with the best practices of integrating ethical standards.

Another pressing topic concerns the legal aspects of web scraping. While there's no industry wide regulation, it is crucial to identify the legalities of each specific use case. Dedicated sessions will cover legal matters for both seasoned professionals in the field, as well as businesses looking to kickstart their external data collection process.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are quickly taking over the data gathering processes from AI-powered proxies to ML-based fingerprinting. How does automatization help to achieve better data quality and what innovations will be next? Industry professionals will share their predictions for the future.

A special technical part of OxyCon will be focused on developers. As data sources get increasingly advanced, developers need to constantly adapt their skills to the changing landscape. Discussions and workshops with industry experts will provide them with hands-on experience.

OxyCon 2021 is an annual web scraping community gathering opportunity enabled by Oxylabs, a leading data gathering solutions provider. First organised in 2019, it was an instant hit. The event is intended for everyone interested in web scraping trends and best practices - web scraping professionals, developers, data scientists, analytics, decision makers, and everyone else.

Application for speaking opportunities is still open and the registration for the early-bird tickets is available here .

About Oxylabs

Oxylabs is a leading global provider of premium proxies and data scraping solutions for large-scale web data extraction. The company's mission is clear: To give every business - whether big or small - access to big data. With unmatched hands-on experience in publicly available web data gathering, Oxylabs is in trusted partnerships with dozens of Fortune 500 companies and global businesses, helping them unearth hidden gems of business intelligence data through state-of-the-art products and technological expertise. For more information, please visit: https://oxylabs.io/ .

Media contact:

Name: Vytautas Kirjazovas

Company: Oxylabs

Website: oxylabs.io

Phone: +447593365814

Email: press@oxylabs.io

SOURCE: Oxylabs

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/650886/Behind-the-Scenes-of-Big-Data-Solutions--Oxylabs-to-Host-a-Free-Two-Day-Conference-for-Web-Scraping-Community
As part of the world's largest environment event, this new innovation program will develop the company's future solutions for ecological problems

Veolia, the leading company for ecological transformation, is inviting startups and other innovators to put their creativity and talent to work to solve some of the thorniest issues currently facing the planet, as part of its launch of Open Playground, an expertise-sharing program that connects the company with entrepreneurs committed to finding solutions for the global climate emergency. Open Playground was recently launched at ChangeNOW, a global summit to create concrete actions and innovations for the planet.

On Friday, May 28, Veolia's innovation teams participated in a reverse pitch session to present startups, selected by ChangeNOW, with common ecological problems. The objective was to initiate discussions about the solutions to be invented.

The pitches covered the following areas:

Ideas on how to keep track of and ensure that plastics can be traced in the supply chain

Concepts to create a platform where new sustainable materials are used in the fashion, textiles and luxury goods industry to support a circular economy

Innovations in waste streams from the agricultural/food industry so food waste is viewed as a resource

Sustainable and self-sufficient houses

"Unfortunately, North America is ranked as one of the highest producers of waste in the world. If we view waste as a resource, we can help our customers realize value and help our planet, all while we aid our ecological transformation movement. Veolia North America is involved in a global discussion with ecological experts and innovators, all working together with the same ambition to ChangeNOW," said Rob Brown, vice president of strategy for Veolia North America.

"Veolia's model is essentially collaborative: the solutions that we deploy today in all four corners of the world were invented yesterday with our customers and partners. Now, with Open Playground, we are counting on the agility of startups, immersing them in the key problems facing our business, by providing them with installations and experts that will enable them to invent with us tomorrow's ecological innovations," said Claire Falzone, Veolia's director of innovation.

The "Open Playground" program timetable includes:

September 2021: selection of startups and development of a roadmap, creation of the team, analysis of requirements and testing until a pilot program is developed

March 2022: assessment, including monitoring the viability of pilots and selection of the startups during the second part of the program

September 2022: second proof of concept and establishment of a framework agreement to deploy the ecological innovation within the Veolia Group

About Veolia

Veolia group aims to be the benchmark company for ecological transformation. With nearly 179,000 employees worldwide, the Group designs and provides game-changing solutions that are both useful and practical for water, waste and energy management. Through its three complementary business activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, preserve available resources, and replenish them. In 2020, the Veolia group supplied 95 million people with drinking water and 62 million people with wastewater service, produced nearly 43 million megawatt hours of energy and treated 47 million metric tons of waste. Veolia Environnement (listed on Paris Euronext: VIE) recorded consolidated revenue of 26.010 billion in 2020. www.veolia.com

About Veolia North America

A subsidiary of Veolia group, Veolia North America (VNA) offers a full spectrum of water, waste and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery. VNA helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Mass., Veolia North America has more than 7,000 employees working at more than 250 locations across the continent. www.veolianorthamerica.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005226/en/

Contacts:

Carrie Griffiths

(781) 491-3117

Carrie.Griffiths@Veolia.com
Esker partners with French FinTech Sis ID to fight against bank transfer fraud

Esker, a global cloud platform and leader in AI-driven process automation solutions for finance and customer service functions, today announced the availability of new functionalities within its Procure-to-Pay solution to fight against bank transfer fraud, integrating the technologies of the French Lyon-based FinTech Sis ID.

The fight against cybercrime and bank transfer fraud

According to recent industry reports, 31% of companies experience at least one cyberattack per day1 and 47% have been victims of fraud in the last 24 months2. Similar numbers over the past few years demonstrate the adaptability and resilience of fraudsters, who maintain consistent pressure on businesses and their cashflow. The pandemic and widespread remote working have led to increased cybercrime, specifically in bank transfer fraud. Cybercrime damage costs are predicted to hit 6 trillion dollars annually 20213

"Companies are looking for automated solutions that can secure payment while eliminating time-consuming and error-prone manual verification, particularly in today's context of increased cyber threats," said Laurent Sarrat, CEO at Sis ID. "It's better to prevent than treat, as the cost of a fraud operation can be very high. For nearly 1 in 3 companies, the damage can be more than 10 thousand euros4. This can seriously and sometimes permanently weaken a company's cashflow, even jeopardize their business."

A meaningful alliance between two leading players in Lyon's tech industry

Fully integrated with Esker's Procure-to-Pay automation suite and already available in France and Europe and rapidly expanding globally, the addition of Sis ID's anti-fraud solution goes hand-in-hand with Esker's goal of building a complete and agile automation platform. As a result, customers are provided a seamless experience through a single, scalable interface, bringing together the best expertise and technologies on the market. This approach allows Esker to build a secure customer/supplier relationship with a high level of automation and traceability at every step of the P2P process.

In an effort to support companies in their fight against authorized push payment (APP) fraud, Sis ID technology is directly integrated into the new supplier registration process. Customers contract directly with Sis ID and simply provide their credentials to Esker in order to connect the two solutions and enable automatic verification of a company's identity and bank details on Sis ID's platform in seconds. By pooling and anonymizing payment histories, Sis ID delivers real-time alerts in the event of fraud risks. The collective platform certifies bank transactions thanks to its network of more than 10,000 companies. This validation process is repeated with each request for a change of bank details to validate its full legitimacy.

"We naturally approached Sis ID because of our shared core values, our respective technological footprints in Lyon and because it was fast and easy to integrate their API and implement their solution within our ecosystem," said Catherine Dupuy-Holdich, Senior Product Manager at Esker. "Payment fraud is expected to continue increasing and projected to cost over 40 billion dollars in 20275, so it was essential to address the problem by enriching our P2P solution. This partnership is in line with Esker's strategy to expand its payment offering. The growing demand for security and automation will help us accelerate our developments around AI and multiply our alliances with other FinTechs by the end of the year."

About Sis ID

Sis ID, a French FinTech created in 2016, supports companies in the fight against bank transfer fraud. Conceived and created by treasurers and CFOs from the CAC 40, My Sis ID, a collaborative platform, offers companies to share the challenges of automating finance functions, their experience and expertise in the field of fraud, and their transactional information all in a single, secure and centralized repository to protect their banking operations. The power of collective intelligence is the strength of the Sis ID network. For more information on Sis ID: https://www.sis-id.com/en/

About Esker

Esker is a global cloud platform built to unlock strategic value for finance and customer service professionals, and strengthen collaboration between companies by automating the cash conversion cycle. Esker's solutions incorporate technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive increased productivity, enhanced visibility, reduced fraud risk, and improved collaboration with customers, suppliers and internally. Esker operates in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific with global headquarters in Lyon, France, and U.S. headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information on Esker and its solutions, visit www.esker.com. Follow Esker on Twitter @EskerInc and join the conversation on the Esker blog at blog.esker.com.

1. Acronis Cyber Readiness Report 2020. (https://dl.acronis.com/u/rc/WP_Acronis_Cyber_Readiness_Report_EN-US_200908.pdf) 2. PWC's Global Economic Crime and Fraud Survey 2020 (https://www.pwc.fr/fr/publications/securite/economic-crime-survey-2020.html) 3. Cybersecurity Ventures (https://cybersecurityventures.com/top-5-cybersecurity-facts-figures-predictions-and-statistics-for-2019-to-2021/) 4. Euler Hermes DFCG 2020 (https://www.eulerhermes.fr/actualites/etude-fraude-2020.html) 5. Global Payment Fraud Statistics, Trends Forecasts (www.merchantsavvy.co.uk/payment-fraud-statistics/)

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005259/en/

Contacts:

Press Contact: Alexis Diehl

Tel: (469) 999-4975 adiehl@ideagrove.com

Investor Relations Contact: Emmanuel Olivier

Tel: +33 (0)4 72 83 46 46 olivier@esker.fr
NuPort will use NVIDIA AI compute platform for middle-mile autonomous semi-truck operation

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2021 / NuPort Robotics Inc., a leading Canada-based autonomous trucking company, today announced that it has selected the NVIDIA DRIVE platform to power its middle-mile semi-truck transportation solutions, which will be capable of safely operating in all weather conditions.

NuPort is defining next-generation transportation solutions for the Canadian trucking industry. Using state-of-the-art technology and a unique approach, NuPort is poised to change the middle-mile logistics.

NuPort will leverage the centralized compute capabilities of the NVIDIA DRIVE platform-which is scalable to Level 4 autonomy-for processing a wide array of deep neural networks (DNNs) necessary for autonomous trucks to operate safely under various weather conditions. The company plans to develop upcoming generations of its autonomous trucking platform on NVIDIA DRIVE Orin, which is capable of more than 250 trillion operations per second (TOPS). NuPort is also leveraging NVIDIA DRIVE OS and DriveWorks software for open and easily scalable autonomous development.

"The NVIDIA DRIVE platform allows us to have a reliable and consolidated AI computing system in the vehicle, which significantly reduces our technology development timelines and allows us to bring our solution to the market faster," said Raghavender Sahdev, CEO of NuPort Robotics.

"Autonomous trucks need to safely operate in all kinds of environments - including Canada's sometimes harsh and dangerous weather conditions," said Rishi Dhall, Vice President of Autonomous Vehicles, NVIDIA. "Selecting the NVIDIA DRIVE platform gives NuPort the scalable computational horsepower to design and test sophisticated AI essential for safe autonomous trucks."

NVIDIA DRIVE provides support for different sensors, including lidars, radars, cameras, and GPS, all on a centralized computing platform. This is the foundation on which NuPort builds its AI algorithms. The DriveWorks SDK provides access to different built-in APIs for sensor integration. This enables NuPort to run their AI algorithms in real-time on a single in-vehicle computer.

Earlier this year, NuPort, together with Canadian Tire, a leading Canadian retailer, announced the launch of Canada's first heavy-duty trucking technology pilot designed to enhance industry safety, improve supply chain sustainability, and improve the overall fleet efficiency. This project is also supported by a $1 Million contribution from the Ontario Government through the Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN). The pilot leverages the NVIDIA DRIVE platform as the in-vehicle computer controlling the autonomous systems for Level 4 autonomy.

About NuPort Robotics Inc.

NuPort Robotics Inc., Canada's first autonomous trucking company, was founded in 2019 by Canada's leading roboticists and artificial intelligence (AI) professionals. Its mission is to improve transportation safety, increase efficiency and reduce costs for clients in retail, logistics, and manufacturing. NuPort's proprietary AI technology allows existing trucks to drive autonomously for short distances and is suited for high frequency, repetitive short-haul shuttle runs between distribution centres, warehouses, and terminals. NuPort has established extensive partnerships with industry-leading sensor suppliers, OEMs, technology providers, research and academic institutions, which gives it an edge in the industry. For more information, visit www.nuport.ai.

Media Contacts:

NuPort Robotics Inc.

Erica Zeidenberg

erica@hottomato.net

+1 (925) 518-8159

SOURCE: Nuport Robotics

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/650596/NuPort-Robotics-Selects-NVIDIA-DRIVE-Platform-for-Autonomous-Trucks
LONDON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Access Bank, one of the most established banks in Ghana, has won the "Most Innovative Retail Banking Brand" and the "Best CSR Bank" in Ghana for the year 2020. The felicitation ceremony will be held at the Palm Jumeirah - Waldorf Astoria on the 3rd of December 2021 in Dubai.

The Global Brand Awards is an annual event held by Global Brands Magazine (GBM), an international publication headquartered in the UK. The award aims to recognise global brands achieving excellence in performance across a broad range of sectors while keeping its readers updated on key trends surrounding the branding world. Access Bank was evaluated based on customer service, satisfaction, digital innovation, strategic relationships and new business development.

Commenting on Access Bank winning the awards, Shiv Kumar (CEO) of Global Brands magazine said, "Access Bank Ghana has been judged the best CSR Bank in Ghana for its commitment to the community in terms of providing financial services to the less privileged and also the Bank's corporate social responsibility initiative. It also won the retail award for its continued excellence in service delivery as well as its digital innovation in the retail banking sector."

Commenting on winning the award s, Mr. Olumide Olatunji (MD) of Access Bank said, "Retail Banking has been a key strategic focus for the Bank, informing its financial inclusion activities, and is proud the efforts are having an impact and duly recognised. As a truly African bank, we appreciate the rapidly evolving and increasingly complex business environment in which we operate. To take the lead, anticipate and solve problems of our customers and stakeholders, we have embraced a culture of innovation, and through an enterprise-wide approach, we are able to channel resources towards developing promising ideas that translate into pro?t and sustainable business growth."

This award relates to the Bank's corporate social responsibility and retail prowess and its positioning within the global financial community. This defines the future of banking and its commitment to delivering the purpose beyond banking to create a more sustainable future.

Though the year faced a worldwide pandemic that has upended commerce and made forecasting even more complicated, yet business must continue. Access Bank exemplifies a bank ready for the sharp rise in demand for alternative channels for banking services during the pandemic.

Access Bank is committed to leveraging technology to ensure convenience for clients. In addition, the Bank is committed to building lasting relationships by ensuring transparency in dealings and winning trust from clients.

With its selective network of operations in Ghana and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, Access Bank presents exciting career opportunities. The Bank acknowledges the passion, commitment, and can-do spirit.

About Access Bank

Access Bank Ghana commenced operations in 2009 as one of the most capitalised banks in the industry. With the mandate to provide Universal Banking Services, the Bank has been catering to Ghanaian corporate, commercial, retail and international business communities.

The Bank is a member of the Access Bank Group, a financial services conglomerate, with presence across eight African countries, China, India, Dubai, Lebanon and the United Kingdom, with a total asset base of more than US$18 billion.

The Bank's corporate social responsibility (CSR) philosophy is anchored on the Bank's core belief in the critical role those financial institutions play in the economic development of their countries. Accordingly, the Bank is a catalytic agent for socio-economic development in Ghana and actively seeks to boost the Ghanaian economy's growth.

About Global Brands Magazine (England)

Global Brands Magazine (GBM) has been at the forefront, bringing news, views and opinions on brands shaping the future of their industry. The UK-based magazine provides its readers with the latest news and information on 'best-in-class brands across the globe. Each year, GBM develops a series of awards for companies that stood out, having a unique vision, exceptional service, innovative solutions and consumer-centric products among their industry leaders.

About Global Brand Awards

Global Brand Awards honours brands for their excellence in performance and rewards companies across different sectors for the quality of their services. The Brand Awards highlight accomplishments of organisations that have performed remarkably well in finance, education, hospitality, automotive, lifestyle, education, real estate, technology and several more. Global Brand Awards recognise vital players who progress towards excellence by providing a platform to acknowledge their efforts. In addition, GBM strives to create awareness concerning the significance of such organisations and rewards them for their notable efforts with the ultimate global recognition.

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Trust Science pledge signed by Nobel Laureates, scientific leaders and science bodies worldwide

Trieste, Italy--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - The UNESCO International Day of Light on May 16th celebrated the worldwide campaign promoting the importance of science and the scientific process for society and sustainable development.

The Trust Science pledge saw supporters of science worldwide join together to affirm their appreciation for science. Notable signatories include Nobel and Breakthrough laureates, UNESCO prizewinners, CEOs, representatives from scientific societies and academies, individual scientists and students from nearly 100 countries.

"After a year in which we have seen science lead the global response to the coronavirus pandemic, we thought it was essential to highlight the importance of trusting its methods in guiding decisions," said Steering Committee Chair John Dudley. "The pledge focuses particularly on science's role in improving quality of life, a sentiment that clearly resonates around the world."

The International Day of Light recognizes the value of light science and technology and its role in providing clean energy, clean water, high-speed connectivity and medical treatments. The day was celebrated with events and hands-on activities in more than 55 countries.

The International Day of Light also highlighted the achievements of a number of Champions of Science, individuals from all fields whose work is changing the world.

"As a scientist, seeing this kind of support for the scientific process is inspiring," said Neysha Lobo-Ploch, FBH Berlin, UVphotonics NT GmbH, Germany and LightDay 2021 champion. "I'm honored to have my work acknowledged in this way."

After its initial launch with the International Day of Light, the TrustScience campaign will continue throughout 2021, and scientists worldwide will be organising targeted actions throughout the year.

Dudley explains, "A central aim of this initiative has been to remind members of the scientific community that we share a responsibility to ensure that the public has confidence in science and its outcomes. It is up to us to explain how science works and why it can be trusted."

The Trust Science campaign is organized by the IEEE Photonics Society, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and The Optical Society (OSA), together with the International Day of Light Steering Committee.

To sign the pledge and to learn more, please go to https://www.trust-science.org.

Contacts

For questions about how you can engage with the campaign, please contact: info@trust-science.org

For media inquiries, please contact: pr@trust-science.org

Social media: please share using TrustScience and LightDay2021

Social media links: Facebook; Instagram; Twitter

About the International Day of Light

The International Day of Light (LightDay)is a worldwide initiative that provides an annual focal point for the continued appreciation of light and the role it plays in science, culture and art, education and sustainable development, and in fields as diverse as medicine, communications and energy. The International Day of Light is administered from the International Basic Science Programme (IBSP) of UNESCO by a Steering Committee that includes representatives from a broad range of international partners: the American Institute of Physics (AIP), the American Physical Society (APS), Bosca, the China International Optoelectronic Exhibition (CIOE), Chinese Optical Society (COS), the European Centres for Outreach in Photonics (ECOP), the European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC), the European Physical Society (EPS), the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), the IEEE Photonics Society (IPS), the International Commission on Illumination (CIE), lightsources.org - the international network of accelerator based light sources, Light: Science and Applications, The Optical Society (OSA), Tampere University, SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics, SESAME, Signify, Tampere University, Thorlabs, Transitions, the Universite de Franche-Comte and Velux.

For information about the International Day of Light, please visit www.lightday.org.

Contacts for IDL:

John Dudley and Joseph Niemela Bethany Downer

2021 Steering Committee Chairs 2021 Communications Coordinator

Email: contact@lightday.org Email: contact@lightday.org

Media Contact for Trust Science:

pr@trust-science.org

About IEEE Photonics Society

The IEEE Photonics Society is the professional home for a global network of scientists, engineers and allied professionals who advance laser, optoelectronics, and photonics technology. As a technical society representing the IEEE, it is a vital part of the world's largest technical professional organization of more than 400,000 members dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, educational activities, and humanitarian initiatives, the IEEE Photonics Society provides its members in more than 160 countries the opportunity to grow professionally and stay on the forefront of transformational breakthroughs in photonics. PhotonicsSociety.org

About SPIE

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, was founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies. Serving more than 255,000 constituents from 183 countries, the not-for-profit society advances emerging technologies through interdisciplinary information exchange, continuing education, publications, patent precedent, and career and professional growth. SPIE annually organizes and sponsors approximately 25 major technical forums, exhibitions, and education programs in North America, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific. In 2020, SPIE provided more than $5 million in support of education and outreach programs. www.spie.org

About The Optical Society

Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and business leaders in light science and technology. The society serves over 432,000 customers and 22,000 members from more than 100 countries who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the field. OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts through world-renowned publications. For more information, visit osa.org.

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Company Website

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SUNRISE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2021 / U.S. Stem Cell, Inc. (OTC:USRM), a corporation that has historically focused on the regenerative medicine / cellular therapy industry specializing in physician training and certification and stem cell products in both human and veterinary stem cell processes, has received the results of the Appeal from the United States 11th District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Since May 9th, 2018, U.S. Stem Cell, as one of the parties named on a legal action by the FDA, has been challenged by an injunctive action filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The suit alleged, among other matters, that the defendants manufactured "stromal vascular fraction" (SVF) products from patient adipose (fat) tissue without first obtaining what the government alleged are necessary FDA approvals for a new drug. The Company had always maintained that stem cell treatments are medical procedures regulated by the respective State medical boards-and a patients' own stem cells are not drugs to be regulated by the federal government.

Notwithstanding:

On June 25th, 2019 , Florida-based federal court judge Ursula Ungaro ruled in favor of the government on summary judgement (a ruling without providing the Company with a trial) and ruled that U.S. Stem Cell and the other defendants must stop most product sales, processes, and procedures.

, Florida-based federal court judge ruled in favor of the government on summary judgement (a ruling without providing the Company with a trial) and ruled that U.S. Stem Cell and the other defendants must stop most product sales, processes, and procedures. On August 23 rd , 2019 , the Company filed an appelate brief challenging Judge Ungaro's decision and respectfully requesting the Company's due process rights of a trial.

, the Company filed an appelate brief challenging Judge Ungaro's decision and respectfully requesting the Company's due process rights of a trial. On January 27 th , 2020 , on a similar case, California-based federal court judge Jesus Bernal ruled against the government on summary judgement and ordered the case to proceed to trial.

, on a similar case, California-based federal court judge ruled against the government on summary judgement and ordered the case to proceed to trial. On January 13 th , 2021 , the 11 th District Court of Appeals heard the Company's oral arguments.

, the 11 District Court of Appeals heard the Company's oral arguments. On June 1 st , Judge Ungaro retired from the bench after 29 years of distinguished service and joined the board of directors of another clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cellular therapies for chronic, aging-related and life-threatening conditions.

, Judge Ungaro retired from the bench after 29 years of distinguished service and joined the board of directors of another clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cellular therapies for chronic, aging-related and life-threatening conditions. On June 2nd, 2021, the Eleventh Circuit Court ruled to affirm Judge Ungaro's judgement on the basis, generally, that neither the same day surgical procedure exception nor the 361 HCT/Ps exception applies to the Company's and the other defendants' surgical practices.

"The ongoing case has been a long, expensive and arduous fight and although the results of the appeal are disappointing, the Company will, of course, continue to abide by the court's decision" states Mike Tomas, President & CEO. Adding "Nonetheless, we will both examine future legal options on this court case while looking forward to exploring other avenues of growth for the Company."

The company will continue to monitor the ongoing trial in California, 5:18-cv-01005 where a federal judge ruled that a stem cell company involved in a similar stem cell procedure was entitled to a trial and has yet to rule on whether the stem cell procedures may be regulated by the FDA as a 'drug.'

As a result of this court case result and taking advantage of the different capabilities housed within U.S. Stem Cell, the Company will take steps to rebrand, restructure, and relaunch the Company to refocus on its other divisions.

U.S. Stem Cell, Inc. is a corporation that has historically focused on the regenerative medicine / cellular therapy industry specializing in physician training and certification and stem cell products in both human and veterinary stem cell processes. To management's knowledge, USRM has completed more clinical treatments than any other stem cell company in the world in the past 20 years, and has certified more than 700 physicians and veterinarians in autologous stem cell therapy worldwide. The company will refocus on its animal health division while it evaluates its future opportunities for its human division and subsidiary.

Forward-Looking Statements: Except for historical matters contained herein, statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as "may", "will", "to", "plan", "expect", "believe", "anticipate", "intend", "could", "would", "estimate", or "continue", or the negative other variations thereof or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and represent our management's beliefs and assumptions only as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. The Company's historical business and the risks and uncertainties of the business are described in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission which can be found at sec.gov.

Media Contact:

U.S. Stem Cell, Inc.

1560 Sawgrass Corporate Parkway, 4th FL

Sunrise, Fl 33323

Phone: 954.835.1500

Email: usstemcell@us-stemcell.com

SOURCE: U.S. Stem Cell, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/650893/US-Stem-Cell-Inc-Reports-Legal-Appeal-Results-and-Company-Direction
Kamloops, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Advance Gold Corp. (TSXV: AAX) ("Advance Gold" or "the Company") is pleased to announce results from the first four core holes drilled at its Saldivar Salar, which is one of 13 salars it recently acquired in central Mexico.

Allan Barry Laboucan, President and CEO of Advance Gold Corp. commented: "We have recently completed seven core holes at Saldivar with four reported today, and three more pending. The first two holes went to bedrock at 84m and 77m. These two deeper holes were designed to test the depth to bedrock. With the five auger holes and now four core holes we have established widespread lithium, boron and potassium distribution starting at the surface and continuous to bedrock. These early assay results appear to indicate that the Lithium content increases with depth and increases as we move towards the centre of the salar. The surface expression of the Saldivar salar is approximately 2000 metres north to south and 800 metres east to west with a depth of 80 metres. The drilling clearly establishes the Saldivar salar as a bulk tonnage, open pit target. We are also working to optimize our recovery process to prepare our test plant for bulk sampling."

Saldivar Lithium Project, Mexico

Coordinates: 788,600E, 2,586,000N, Elevation 1925m

Hole AG-Li-06

N o. INTERVAL SAMPLED Li B K FROM TO WIDTH ppm ppm % 1 0.00 1.00 1.00 135.00 130.00 0.96 2 1.00 2.00 1.00 126.00 220.00 1.41 3 2.00 3.00 1.00 101.50 230.00 1.27 4 3.00 4.00 1.00 99.80 280.00 1.27 5 4.00 5.00 1.00 93.60 280.00 1.21 6 5.00 6.00 1.00 109.50 210.00 1.27 7 6.00 7.00 1.00 106.50 220.00 1.28 8 7.00 8.00 1.00 106.00 200.00 1.21 9 8.00 9.00 1.00 107.00 200.00 1.22 10 9.00 10.00 1.00 101.00 210.00 1.20 11 10.00 11.00 1.00 89.40 230.00 1.15 12 11.00 12.00 1.00 91.90 270.00 1.28 13 12.00 13.00 1.00 102.50 290.00 1.27 14 13.00 14.00 1.00 103.00 310.00 1.31 15 14.00 15.00 1.00 89.10 260.00 1.13 16 15.00 16.00 1.00 102.00 300.00 1.26 17 16.00 17.00 1.00 94.30 260.00 1.19 18 17.00 18.00 1.00 109.50 270.00 1.21 19 18.00 19.00 1.00 104.50 280.00 1.25 20 19.00 20.00 1.00 95.20 260.00 1.23 21 20.00 21.00 1.00 92.30 260.00 1.19 22 21.00 22.00 1.00 101.00 260.00 1.20 23 22.00 23.00 1.00 119.50 310.00 1.58 24 23.00 24.00 1.00 131.50 310.00 1.53 25 24.00 25.00 1.00 114.00 290.00 1.43 26 25.00 26.00 1.00 122.50 310.00 1.52 27 26.00 27.00 1.00 117.00 280.00 1.37 28 27.00 28.00 1.00 108.50 260.00 1.30 29 28.00 29.00 1.00 102.00 260.00 1.33 30 29.00 30.00 1.00 133.50 290.00 1.46 31 30.00 31.00 1.00 132.50 280.00 1.40 32 31.00 32.00 1.00 116.50 250.00 1.26 33 32.00 33.00 1.00 119.00 250.00 1.32 34 33.00 34.00 1.00 120.50 250.00 1.31 35 34.00 35.00 1.00 138.00 280.00 1.49 36 35.00 36.00 1.00 143.50 260.00 1.40 37 36.00 37.00 1.00 155.00 260.00 1.44 38 37.00 38.00 1.00 150.50 270.00 1.50 39 38.00 39.00 1.00 141.50 270.00 1.59 40 39.00 40.00 1.00 132.00 270.00 1.58 41 40.00 41.00 1.00 138.50 260.00 1.53 42 41.00 42.00 1.00 137.50 260.00 1.58 43 42.00 43.00 1.00 139.50 260.00 1.55 44 43.00 44.00 1.00 127.50 230.00 1.46 45 44.00 45.00 1.00 131.50 250.00 1.55 46 45.00 46.00 1.00 135.00 230.00 1.37 47 46.00 47.00 1.00 161.00 230.00 1.39 48 47.00 48.00 1.00 174.00 230.00 1.48 49 48.00 49.00 1.00 181.00 210.00 1.36 50 49.00 50.00 1.00 146.00 190.00 1.23 51 50.00 51.00 1.00 194.50 230.00 1.43 52 51.00 52.00 1.00 220.00 250.00 1.56 53 52.00 53.00 1.00 183.50 210.00 1.50 54 53.00 54.00 1.00 177.50 210.00 1.53 55 54.00 55.00 1.00 169.50 220.00 1.54 56 55.00 56.00 1.00 174.50 220.00 1.55 57 56.00 57.00 1.00 174.00 220.00 1.50 58 57.00 58.00 1.00 198.00 210.00 1.34 59 58.00 59.00 1.00 210.00 210.00 1.37 60 59.00 60.00 1.00 231.00 200.00 1.33 61 60.00 61.00 1.00 232.00 190.00 1.32 62 61.00 62.00 1.00 173.00 160.00 1.12 63 62.00 63.00 1.00 173.00 160.00 1.15 64 63.00 64.00 1.00 161.00 160.00 1.17 65 64.00 65.00 1.00 149.50 160.00 1.19 66 65.00 66.00 1.00 173.00 160.00 1.26 67 66.00 67.00 1.00 166.00 170.00 1.24 68 67.00 68.00 1.00 200.00 190.00 1.37 69 68.00 69.00 1.00 167.00 170.00 1.22 70 69.00 70.00 1.00 146.50 150.00 1.08 71 70.00 71.00 1.00 149.00 160.00 1.11 72 71.00 72.00 1.00 147.50 170.00 1.15 73 72.00 73.00 1.00 132.00 160.00 1.16 74 73.00 74.00 1.00 116.50 160.00 1.22 75 74.00 75.00 1.00 133.50 180.00 1.39 76 75.00 76.00 1.00 112.00 170.00 1.31 77 76.00 77.00 1.00 126.50 170.00 1.39 78 77.00 78.00 1.00 147.50 180.00 1.41 79 78.00 79.00 1.00 118.50 170.00 1.32 80 79.00 80.00 1.00 127.50 170.00 1.25 81 80.00 81.00 1.00 112.00 130.00 1.04 82 81.00 82.00 1.00 98.80 130.00 0.96 83 82.00 83.00 1.00 112.50 160.00 1.13 84 83.00 84.00 1.00 113.50 200.00 1.20 AVERAGE 136.3143 224.8809 1.3225

SALDIVAR LITHIUM PROJECT, MEXICO

COORDINATES: 788,500E, 2,586,300N, ELEV. 1,925m

HOLE AG-Li-07

No. INTERVAL SAMPLED Li B K FROM TO WIDTH ppm ppm % 1 0.00 1.00 1.00 125.00 160.00 1.17 2 1.00 2.00 1.00 99.10 190.00 1.19 3 2.00 3.00 1.00 102.00 210.00 1.18 4 3.00 4.00 1.00 107.00 250.00 1.32 5 4.00 5.00 1.00 107.00 270.00 1.29 6 5.00 6.00 1.00 98.80 210.00 1.19 7 6.00 7.00 1.00 98.80 260.00 1.13 8 7.00 8.00 1.00 103.50 290.00 1.23 9 8.00 9.00 1.00 108.00 280.00 1.21 10 9.00 10.00 1.00 102.50 260.00 1.16 11 10.00 11.00 1.00 94.10 240.00 1.09 12 11.00 12.00 1.00 90.10 240.00 1.08 13 12.00 13.00 1.00 90.40 240.00 1.06 14 13.00 14.00 1.00 90.40 250.00 1.11 15 14.00 15.00 1.00 94.20 250.00 1.18 16 15.00 16.00 1.00 102.50 260.00 1.28 17 16.00 17.00 1.00 105.50 280.00 1.38 18 17.00 18.00 1.00 117.50 300.00 1.50 19 18.00 19.00 1.00 114.50 290.00 1.53 20 19.00 20.00 1.00 107.50 260.00 1.27 21 20.00 21.00 1.00 102.50 240.00 1.22 22 21.00 22.00 1.00 100.00 230.00 1.19 23 22.00 23.00 1.00 115.50 250.00 1.32 24 23.00 24.00 1.00 120.00 240.00 1.20 25 24.00 25.00 1.00 114.50 230.00 1.16 26 25.00 26.00 1.00 119.00 240.00 1.26 27 26.00 27.00 1.00 113.50 230.00 1.24 28 27.00 28.00 1.00 117.00 230.00 1.30 29 28.00 29.00 1.00 145.00 260.00 1.40 30 29.00 30.00 1.00 148.50 250.00 1.36 31 30.00 31.00 1.00 150.50 250.00 1.43 32 31.00 32.00 1.00 141.50 250.00 1.51 33 32.00 33.00 1.00 138.50 250.00 1.50 34 33.00 34.00 1.00 136.00 240.00 1.44 35 34.00 35.00 1.00 142.00 240.00 1.46 36 35.00 36.00 1.00 140.50 230.00 1.42 37 36.00 37.00 1.00 143.50 230.00 1.48 38 37.00 38.00 1.00 128.50 210.00 1.38 39 38.00 39.00 1.00 155.00 230.00 1.50 40 39.00 40.00 1.00 148.00 230.00 1.51 41 40.00 41.00 1.00 185.00 240.00 1.65 42 41.00 42.00 1.00 182.50 210.00 1.47 43 42.00 43.00 1.00 174.50 190.00 1.34 44 43.00 44.00 1.00 217.00 230.00 1.55 45 44.00 45.00 1.00 214.00 220.00 1.56 46 45.00 46.00 1.00 197.50 190.00 1.56 47 46.00 47.00 1.00 187.50 210.00 1.61 48 47.00 48.00 1.00 180.50 210.00 1.58 49 48.00 49.00 1.00 184.00 210.00 1.59 50 49.00 50.00 1.00 191.00 210.00 1.45 51 50.00 51.00 1.00 186.00 200.00 1.31 52 51.00 52.00 1.00 186.50 190.00 1.27 53 52.00 53.00 1.00 209.00 200.00 1.29 54 53.00 54.00 1.00 229.00 180.00 1.28 55 54.00 55.00 1.00 198.00 170.00 1.17 56 55.00 56.00 1.00 177.00 160.00 1.08 57 56.00 57.00 1.00 175.50 170.00 1.19 58 57.00 58.00 1.00 168.00 170.00 1.16 59 58.00 59.00 1.00 176.00 160.00 1.20 60 59.00 60.00 1.00 211.00 190.00 1.30 61 60.00 61.00 1.00 195.00 190.00 1.30 62 61.00 62.00 1.00 173.50 170.00 1.16 63 62.00 63.00 1.00 164.50 170.00 1.14 64 63.00 64.00 1.00 166.00 180.00 1.17 65 64.00 65.00 1.00 159.50 170.00 1.20 66 65.00 66.00 1.00 143.50 170.00 1.20 67 66.00 67.00 1.00 137.50 170.00 1.28 68 67.00 68.00 1.00 143.00 200.00 1.43 69 68.00 69.00 1.00 113.50 170.00 1.28 70 69.00 70.00 1.00 136.50 180.00 1.38 71 70.00 71.00 1.00 164.50 190.00 1.44 72 71.00 72.00 1.00 125.00 180.00 1.29 73 72.00 73.00 1.00 131.00 180.00 1.34 74 73.00 74.00 1.00 125.50 160.00 1.16 75 74.00 75.00 1.00 144.50 150.00 1.16 76 75.00 76.00 1.00 105.50 90.00 0.69 77 76.00 77.00 1.00 74.70 50.00 0.39 AVERAGE 141.70 213.38 1.29

SALDIVAR LITHIUM PROJECT, MEXICO

COORDINATES: 788,500E, 2,586,300N, ELEV. 1,925m

HOLE AG-Li-08

INTERVAL SAMPLED Li B K FROM TO WIDTH ppm ppm % 1 0.00 1.00 1.00 138.00 220.00 1.22 2 1.00 2.00 1.00 117.00 270.00 1.28 3 2.00 3.00 1.00 104.00 280.00 1.15 4 3.00 4.00 1.00 115.00 330.00 1.32 5 4.00 5.00 1.00 98.30 300.00 1.20 6 5.00 6.00 1.00 91.90 280.00 1.10 7 6.00 7.00 1.00 100.00 300.00 1.17 8 7.00 8.00 1.00 113.00 260.00 1.11 9 8.00 9.00 1.00 99.70 260.00 1.14 10 9.00 10.00 1.00 93.90 240.00 1.07 11 10.00 11.00 1.00 96.90 240.00 1.10 12 11.00 12.00 1.00 98.90 250.00 1.12 13 12.00 13.00 1.00 86.30 230.00 1.06 14 13.00 14.00 1.00 96.70 250.00 1.23 15 14.00 15.00 1.00 103.50 260.00 1.26 16 15.00 16.00 1.00 104.00 270.00 1.34 17 16.00 17.00 1.00 105.00 260.00 1.30 18 17.00 18.00 1.00 95.40 230.00 1.13 19 18.00 19.00 1.00 87.30 220.00 1.07 20 19.00 20.00 1.00 91.60 210.00 1.08 21 20.00 21.00 1.00 112.00 240.00 1.20 22 21.00 22.00 1.00 109.00 230.00 1.15 23 22.00 23.00 1.00 103.00 220.00 1.08 24 23.00 24.00 1.00 94.00 220.00 1.11 25 24.00 25.00 1.00 94.10 210.00 1.06 26 25.00 26.00 1.00 109.50 220.00 1.20 27 26.00 27.00 1.00 130.50 250.00 1.27 28 27.00 28.00 1.00 135.00 230.00 1.25 29 28.00 29.00 1.00 130.50 240.00 1.33 30 29.00 30.00 1.00 127.00 240.00 1.36 31 30.00 31.00 1.00 114.00 230.00 1.33 32 31.00 32.00 1.00 124.50 230.00 1.31 33 32.00 33.00 1.00 124.50 220.00 1.32 34 33.00 34.00 1.00 127.00 230.00 1.32 35 34.00 35.00 1.00 123.00 210.00 1.24 36 35.00 36.00 1.00 117.50 210.00 1.28 37 36.00 37.00 1.00 127.00 210.00 1.30 38 37.00 38.00 1.00 144.00 230.00 1.40 39 38.00 39.00 1.00 157.50 220.00 1.38 40 39.00 40.00 1.00 193.00 230.00 1.43 41 40.00 41.00 1.00 179.00 210.00 1.34 42 41.00 42.00 1.00 214.00 230.00 1.49 43 42.00 43.00 1.00 180.00 190.00 1.37 44 43.00 44.00 1.00 200.00 200.00 1.48 45 44.00 45.00 1.00 163.00 190.00 1.40 46 45.00 46.00 1.00 162.00 200.00 1.43 47 46.00 47.00 1.00 158.00 200.00 1.37 48 47.00 48.00 1.00 173.00 190.00 1.24 49 48.00 49.00 1.00 174.50 200.00 1.26 50 49.00 50.00 1.00 190.00 180.00 1.24 51 50.00 51.00 1.00 211.00 190.00 1.22 52 51.00 52.00 1.00 210.00 170.00 1.22 53 52.00 53.00 1.00 167.00 140.00 1.07 AVERAGE 130.46 229.62 1.24

SALDIVAR LITHIUM PROJECT, MEXICO

COORDINATES: 788,500E, 2,586,300N, ELEV. 1,925m

HOLE AG-Li-09

No. INTERVAL SAMPLED Li B K FROM TO WIDTH ppm ppm % 1 0.00 1.00 1.00 135.50 250.00 1.23 2 1.00 2.00 1.00 119.50 280.00 1.22 3 2.00 3.00 1.00 116.50 320.00 1.21 4 3.00 4.00 1.00 127.50 350.00 1.37 5 4.00 5.00 1.00 121.00 250.00 1.10 6 5.00 6.00 1.00 102.50 270.00 1.13 7 6.00 7.00 1.00 105.50 280.00 1.17 8 7.00 8.00 1.00 107.00 260.00 1.23 9 8.00 9.00 1.00 95.80 220.00 1.12 10 9.00 10.00 1.00 99.80 230.00 1.13 11 10.00 11.00 1.00 100.50 230.00 1.21 12 11.00 12.00 1.00 97.70 220.00 1.20 13 12.00 13.00 1.00 94.80 220.00 1.22 14 13.00 14.00 1.00 109.00 250.00 1.42 15 14.00 15.00 1.00 105.00 250.00 1.44 16 15.00 16.00 1.00 107.50 240.00 1.44 17 16.00 17.00 1.00 95.90 220.00 1.24 18 17.00 18.00 1.00 97.40 210.00 1.24 19 18.00 19.00 1.00 99.40 220.00 1.28 20 19.00 20.00 1.00 121.50 240.00 1.42 21 20.00 21.00 1.00 105.00 210.00 1.24 22 21.00 22.00 1.00 115.00 220.00 1.26 23 22.00 23.00 1.00 104.00 210.00 1.23 24 23.00 24.00 1.00 104.00 210.00 1.26 25 24.00 25.00 1.00 113.50 210.00 1.27 26 25.00 26.00 1.00 127.00 230.00 1.39 27 26.00 27.00 1.00 126.00 230.00 1.35 28 27.00 28.00 1.00 138.00 230.00 1.43 29 28.00 29.00 1.00 136.50 230.00 1.49 30 29.00 30.00 1.00 136.00 230.00 1.53 31 30.00 31.00 1.00 138.00 220.00 1.47 32 31.00 32.00 1.00 131.00 210.00 1.41 33 32.00 33.00 1.00 140.50 220.00 1.50 34 33.00 34.00 1.00 132.50 210.00 1.45 35 34.00 35.00 1.00 142.50 210.00 1.46 36 35.00 36.00 1.00 151.50 200.00 1.40 37 36.00 37.00 1.00 186.50 220.00 1.54 38 37.00 38.00 1.00 163.00 200.00 1.46 39 38.00 39.00 1.00 161.50 190.00 1.36 40 39.00 40.00 1.00 173.50 200.00 1.41 41 40.00 41.00 1.00 211.00 220.00 1.57 42 41.00 42.00 1.00 199.50 200.00 1.71 43 42.00 43.00 1.00 179.00 200.00 1.67 44 43.00 44.00 1.00 171.00 210.00 1.64 45 44.00 45.00 1.00 174.50 210.00 1.62 46 45.00 46.00 1.00 188.00 200.00 1.50 47 46.00 47.00 1.00 196.50 200.00 1.44 48 47.00 48.00 1.00 198.00 190.00 1.46 49 48.00 49.00 1.00 220.00 200.00 1.49 50 49.00 50.00 1.00 231.00 190.00 1.44 AVERAGE 137.07 226.40 1.37



VERTICAL GRADE DISTRIBUTION: HOLE DDH-06, SALDIVAR PROJECT



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VERTICAL GRADE DISTRIBUTION: HOLE AG-LI-7, SALDIVAR PROJECT



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VERTICAL GRADE DISTRIBUTION: HOLE AG-LI-8, SALDIVAR PROJECT



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VERTICAL GRADE DISTRIBUTION: HOLE AG-LI-9, SALDIVAR PROJECT



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Diamond and Auger drill hole locations



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Drill core is logged and sampled in a secure core storage facility located near the Saldivar salar. Core samples were delivered to ALS Global in Zacatecas, Mexico, for sample preparation, then concentrates sent to ALS Global in Vancouver, Canada for assaying. Standard rock preparation was done and then aqua regia digestion with multi-element ICP-MS41. The Company relies on ALS Global for QA/QC procedures.

Julio Pinto Linares is a qualified person, doctor in geological sciences with specialty in economic geology and qualified professional No. 01365 by MMSA for Advance Gold and is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 responsible for the accuracy of technical information contained in this news release.

About Advance Gold Corp.

Advance Gold is a junior exploration company focused on acquiring and exploring mineral properties containing precious metals, battery metals and fertilizer minerals. The company acquired a 100-per-cent interest in the Tabasquena silver mine in Zacatecas, Mexico, in 2017, and the Venaditas project, also in Zacatecas state, in April, 2018. In addition, Advance Gold holds an 11.45% interest in strategic claims in the Liranda Corridor in Kenya, East Africa. The remaining 88.55% of the Kakamega project is held by Shanta Gold Limited (project previously owned by Barrick Gold Corporation, for details see Advance Gold News Release dated 2020-08-26). In March 2020, the Company moved into the lithium space with a purchase agreement to acquire 13 lithium-potassium boron prospective salars in central Mexico, which also includes a test plant and exclusive rights to a patented proprietary lithium extraction method.

For further information, please contact:

Allan Barry Laboucan,

President and CEO

Mexico Cellular Phone: 492-238-5282

Email: allan@advancegold.ca

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors should change, except as required by law.

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 news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86910
LONDON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ATFX Connect just won the Best Institutional Forex Broker Award at the recently concluded Global Forex Awards 2021 - B2B. The awards are in their second year and their main goal is to celebrate global businesses that are leading innovation in B2B forex trading solutions.

The organiser of the Global Forex Awards B2B, recently unveiled the winners of this year's awards in 21 different categories. ATFX Connect emerged as the Best Institutional Forex Broker.

ATFX Connect's win is a culmination of its hard work and dedication of the broker's management and staff who have worked tirelessly to provide the best Forex services to institutions that need seamless Forex services.

The awards are unique in that the winners of each category are chosen by their peers via a public voting system. The voting process took place throughout April 2021 with over 9000 votes cast from 3400+ unique voters.

The award confirms ATFX Connect's crucial role as a service provider to other companies that are part of the B2B forex trading ecosystem as well as independent businesses that need the institutional Forex services provided by the broker.

Over the last 18 months ATFX have invested heavily in their technology and product offering. We have continued to develop our Multi Access Platform "ATFX CONNECT" and have added a number of new order functions designed to give our clients more options and flexibility when trading. The platform offers low latency, quick order entry and competitive pricing in a stable environment with a choice of either Agency or Margin configuration. ATFX Connect provides clients with direct market access to a number of Tier 1 bank and Non Bank liquidity providers, allowing them to leverage our aggregated pricing feeds via FIX API or Gui. The platform's technology also allows ATFX Connect to provide our clients with tailored liquidity streams designed to meet their needs on a sweep or full amount basis.

ATFX Connect recently partnered with a tier-1 Prime Broker to provide seamless liquidity solutions and prime brokerage services to its institutional clients, while eliminating some of the routine hurdles faced by these clients.

The broker remains committed to transforming the institutional Forex brokerage industry by offering innovative services that make it easier for more firms to benefit from institutional Forex services.
Growing demand of RDP powder for waterproofing due to its hydrophobic properties drives the market growth

NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As per a study by Fact MR, the global RDP powder market is forecast to cross the valuation of US$ 3 Bn by the end of 2031. RDP powder is added to cement renders to enhance their adhesion, workability, and flexibility.

Rising demand for reducing efflorescence in cement renders especially in exterior and wet interior applications will fuel the RDP powder demand.

RDP powders effectively enhance durability, tensile strength, impact resistance, and flexibility of mortars which is necessary for construction of green buildings. Increasing private investments towards developing plasters, insulating systems, and architectural paints with less VOC will accelerate market growth.

Some of the leading companies are investing in research and development to offer greater performance of RDP powder. For instance, Celanese Corporation introduced ELOTEX RDP polymer powders which assist in application of flexible waterproofing membranes on difficult to coat substrates.

The formed polymer-modified membrane is highly resistant against chloride and sulphate ions, carbon-dioxide and other aggressive media. Introduction and development of similar products will further assist in market growth during the forecast period.

Surge in market growth was observed due to pandemic induced demand for hospital and supporting infrastructure in China in 2020. Announcement of strict VOC emission norms will fuel the development of highly sustainable adhesive solution leading to market growth.

"Increasing investment in the development of eco-friendly and sustainable RDP powder production process will pave way for market growth," said a lead analyst at Fact.MR.

Request a report sample with 170 pages to gain comprehensive insights at https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=5908

Key Takeaways

Strict government rules restricting volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions is driving RDP powders market demand across key industries in U.S.

Initiation of massive infrastructural projects like developing high speed rail network will create lucrative growth opportunities in China .

. Increasing government investment towards infrastructure development as a part of their low cost housing scheme will accelerate the market growth in India .

. Rapid industrial and nonresidential construction and infrastructure development like establishment of water supply pipelines, erection of schools and hospitals in Indonesia will heighten the RDP powder market demand.

will heighten the RDP powder market demand. High adhesion, elevated heat resistance, minimal VOC emissions, and superior scrub resistance properties of vinyl acetate ethylene (VAE) RDP powder will fuel its market demand throughout the forecast period 2021-2031.

Prominent Drivers

Incorporation of RDP powder in developing cost-effective and environmentally-friendly residential and non-residential buildings by mixing RDP powder with mortars will positively influencing the market demand.

RDP powders assist in arresting volatile organic compounds (VOC) emissions to a very large extent, which fuelling their demand.

Increasing use of RDP powder in water proofing as it reduces capillary water absorption in cement-based building products will elevate the market growth.

Key Restraints

RDP powder offers high risk of explosion and decomposition reaction, restraining the market growth.

Smoke produced by RDP powder is toxic and bad for human health. The irritation in eyes, nose and throat is further restricting the adoption of the product.

Burning of RDP powder produces carbon monoxide which is hazardous to the environment is limiting the market demand.

Discover more about the RDP powder market with 51 figures and 168 data tables, along with the table of contents. You will also find detailed market segmentation on

https://www.factmr.com/report/rdp-powder-market

Competitive Landscape

Leading players operating in RDP powder market profiled by Fact.MR are Wacker Chemie AG, Nouryon (AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals), Dow Chemicals, BASF SE, Synthomer Plc., Hexion Inc., VINAVIL S.p.A., Dairen Chemical Corporation, Shandong Xindadi Industrial Group Co. Ltd., Organik Kimya, FAR Polymers, Archroma, SIDLEY Chemical Co. Ltd., Boading Hualian Lingshi Technology Co. Ltd., Anhui Wanwei Group Co. Ltd.

The market players are focusing on the penetrating into potential and new markets. They are employing organic and inorganic marketing strategies to achieve the goal.

Market players are also focusing on strengthening their supply chain by establishing new networks. They are also looking to expand their production capacity and fast track their new product launches.

Around US$ 100 Mn investment was done by Wacker Chemie AG in October 2020 to elevate its integrated production site at Nanjing , China . This will increase facility's polymer manufacturing capabilities especially high-quality binders for the construction segment

investment was done by Wacker Chemie AG in to elevate its integrated production site at , . This will increase facility's polymer manufacturing capabilities especially high-quality binders for the construction segment Nouryon launched a global patent-pending smart-tagged polymer line of products named "LumaTreat TM" in March 2021 . The product launch provided a major breakthrough in the water treatment domain, providing fluorescent monomers which attach to a deposit controlling agent

More Valuable Insights into RDP Powder Market

Fact.MR, in its new report, offers an unbiased analysis of the global RDP powder market, analyzing forecast statistics through 2021 and beyond. The study reveals segments the RDP powder market on the basis of polymer type (acrylic RDP powder, vinyl acetate ethylene (vae) RDP powder, vinyl ester of versatic acid (veova) RDP powder, styrene butadiene RDP powder), application ( RDP powder for mortar & cement, RDP powder for masonry mortar, RDP powder for waterproofing mortar), and end-use industry ( RDP powder for residential use, RDP powder for non-residential use), across regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa).

Key Questions Covered in the Report

Which factor will be the most crucial for RDP powder market growth?

What is likely to be the future outlook of RDP powder market?

What are the key drivers and restraints for RDP powder market?

Which region has the highest growth rate in RDP powder market?

Who are the leading players operating in RDP powder market?

Explore Fact.MR's Coverage on the Chemical & Materials Domain

Hydrophobic Solvents Market - Industrial chemical and protective agents are becoming a prominent segment in the market for improved coating and chemical solution applications as a result of innovations and innovation. In recent years, the growing preference for building structures with metallic structures, as well as infrastructure expansion, has fueled the demand for hydrophobic solvents.

Aluminum Powder Market - Aluminum powder's critical function in car paints and other applications has increased demand in the automobile industry. In the projected period, the increase in demand for metal powders in applications such as 3D printing and fast prototyping in the aerospace and automotive industries would favourably influence the growth of the aluminium powders market.

Powder Coatings Market - Powder coatings made from epoxy resin are gaining popularity among consumers due to the extreme protection they provide against repeated mechanical stress, weather, and wear and tear that come with ordinary product lifecycles. Powder coatings based on epoxy resins account for over 30% of the market, followed by polyester resins, which account for more than a quarter of the market.

About Fact.MR

Market research and consulting agency with a difference! That's why 80% of Fortune 1,000 companies trust us for making their most critical decisions. We have offices in US and Dublin, whereas our global headquarter is in Dubai. While our experienced consultants employ the latest technologies to extract hard-to-find insights, we believe our USP is the trust clients have on our expertise. Spanning a wide range - from automotive & industry 4.0 to healthcare & retail, our coverage is expansive, but we ensure even the most niche categories are analyzed. Reach out to us with your goals, and we'll be an able research partner.

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With year-over-year growth projections exceeding 100% in the Middle East, this partnership will allow Incorta to address the specific data analytics and business intelligence needs in the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and Eastern Europe

Incorta, the Direct Data Platform, today announced a multi-year partnership with MDSap, a sub-holding of Midis Group, a global leader in redistributing and reselling, to expand its go-to-market in the Middle East, Turkey, and Eastern Europe and address the region's growing need for modern analytics and business intelligence. The partnership will provide MDSap's 400 global enterprise customers with a fast and scalable data analytics solution, bringing Incorta's Direct Data Platform to key regions such as the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and Eastern Europe.

The COVID-19 pandemic spurred a rapid increase in the need for advanced technology, and Incorta's presence in the Middle East is expected to grow by more than 100% this year a market valued at $11 billion in 2020 and expected to reach $28 billion by 2026. The partnership will help replace outdated, legacy solutions, bringing modern data analytics to new and existing customers at unprecedented speed and scale.

"We're thrilled to partner with Incorta to bring their state-of-the-art data analytics solution to our enterprise customers," said Tony Achkar, group managing director of MDSap. "As the Middle East, Turkey and Eastern Europe regions continue to experience rapid digitization, our customers need a modern solution to help them keep up with today's pace of business. Incorta is allowing them to analyze their data at a level of speed and scale they've never seen before."

As SAP's gold partner, MDSap leverages SAP technology and other solution providers to help businesses run smoothly and efficiently. Making smart, data-informed decisions is a key part of operating a business, as MDSap customers require the ability to quickly analyze, ingest and then act on their data in order to gain crucial insights about their business. Incorta's Direct Data Platform will enable users to analyze massive sets of data at lightning speed, allowing them to maximize the full value of their data.

"The Middle East presents exciting opportunities for digital transformation and growth, especially in the data analytics market," said Incorta CEO Scott Jones. "We are proud to be partnering with MDSap to help more companies in the region innovate and thrive with tools for making the most of their business data."

The Incorta and MDSap integration is available now.

For more information, visit https://www.incorta.com/partners/mdsap.

About Incorta

Incorta is the only unified data analytics platform powered by Direct Data Mapping. Purpose-built to help companies stay ahead of the accelerating rate, volume, and complexity of modern enterprise data, the platform delivers unmatched speed and visibility. Incorta is built with open standards and integrates with cloud-friendly tools and platforms, making it easy to consolidate data in the cloud and extract meaningful insights. By making any data source continuously available for analytics, the platform helps business leaders, business teams, and data scientists make more accurate, timely and transparent decisions with faster access to richer data sets. Backed by GV (formerly Google Ventures), Kleiner Perkins, M12 (formerly Microsoft Ventures), Telstra Ventures and Sorenson Capital, Incorta powers analytics for some of the most valuable brands in the world, including Broadcom, Credit Suisse and Shutterfly. To learn more and try it for yourself, visit www.incorta.com.

About MDSap

MDSap, a gold partner of SAP and expert in SAP's banking solutions, has over 25 years of in-depth experiences helping customers manage, integrate, analyse and mobilize business mission critical data across the enterprise. The company has an exceptional track record providing turnkey IT solutions across the Middle East, Turkey Central Eastern Europe to over 400 enterprise customers and government entities. MDSap is part of the Midis Group and is a member of EPM International and currently operates 10 offices across the Middle East, Turkey and Central Eastern Europe.

For more information, visit https://www.mdsaptech.com/en/.

About Midis Group

With more than 5,000 professionals, representing the top 100 global IT vendors, and a solid 50-year track record of performance and reliability, the Midis Group is an international organization of over 170 companies across Europe, the Middle East Africa. The group is known for its advanced offering of managed IT services and consultancy, system integration, cloud and data center capabilities and infrastructure, software and hardware solutions, as well as technology distribution and retail. It was named in 2006 as one of the World Economic Forum's initial 100 Global Growth Companies. The group focuses on providing the best in services, with integrity, to vendors, partners, and customers across the destinations it serves. For more information, visit: www.midisgroup.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005870/en/

Contacts:

Media Contact:

Anthony Priwer

Bradford Dalton Group for Incorta

(615) 515-4891

anthony@bradfordgroup.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Northstar Gold Corp. (CSE: NSG) (FSE: 3WV) ("Northstar" or the "Company") announces the Company has signed an Option Agreement (or "the Agreement") to acquire 100% interest in the 64 hectare Searles Patent (or "the Searles Property") situated 18 km southeast of Kirkland Lake, Ontario.

The Searles Property represents a portion of a historical resource estimate* (1987) of 0.73Mt grading 11.5 g/t Au** (for a total of 270,000 contained ounces of gold) on the No. 1 Vein of the Miller Independence Mine (Figure 1). The historical resource estimate straddles both the Searles Property and Northstar's adjoining Miller Gold Property to the west and this Agreement consolidates Northstar's control of the entire historical resource estimate area.

* Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines Assessment report # OM87-6-L-239: AFRI file 32D04SW0265 "Mining and Geological Report on the 1987 Nortek Exploration Program" by Gordon B. French, President of French & Associates Inc., Highway 112, Tarzwell, Ontario.

**A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify this historical estimate as a current mineral resource and the Company is not treating this historical estimate as a current mineral resource. The historical estimate cannot be fully verified. These values cannot and should not be relied upon and are only referred to herein as an indication of previously defined gold mineralization. In order to verify the estimate and to upgrade to NI 43-101 compliant categories, the historical area would need to be re-drilled with updated sampling procedures put in place.

Click here to view a Proactive Canada interview with Stephen Gunnion and Northstar CEO Brian Fowler detailing the significance of the Searles Property Option Agreement.

No.1 Vein Drill Results - Past and Present

Reported historic No. 1 Vein diamond drill hole intersections on the Searles Property (1987)* span a 330 metre strike length and include 96.0 g/t Au over 3m and 13.4 g/t Au over 2.3m at the west end, and 11.2 g/t Au over 2.4m at the east end (Figure 1). These results compliment subsequent 2014 and 2020 Northstar No. 1 Vein drill results on the adjoining Miller Gold Property that include 86.6 g/t Au over 0.5m, 18.0 g/t Au over 3.9m and 15.4 g/t Au over 2.0m to the west.

Historic and recent No. 1 Vein drilling by Northstar has defined the high-grade quartz-telluride vein as a continuous structure ranging in true width from 0.5m to 15m, spanning a 1 km northeast strike length and extending 750m down dip to the northwest. No. 1 Vein bisects the Allied Syenite at depth, where it expands in width and forms a major component of the newly defined bulk-tonnage Allied Gold Zone. The No. 1 Vein remains open in all directions.





Figure 1. Miller Independence Mine Area - No. 1 Vein Drill Results

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"The Searles Property acquisition was a long time coming and is a key part of our Miller Gold Property consolidation strategy," states George Pollock, Northstar's V.P. Exploration. "Northstar can now focus on validating the No.1 Vein historic results on the Searles Property quickly by drilling a limited number of short, confirmatory twin holes and step-outs along the shallow, north-dipping high-grade gold-telluride mineralized structure. The Allied Deformation Zone extends southeast onto the Searles Property and is host to numerous syenitic intrusions that remain largely unexplored. Exploration potential for deeper, sheeted gold-telluride bearing quartz veins and gold bearing syenite on the Searles Property is excellent."

Searles Property Agreement Terms

To earn a 100% interest in the Searles Property, Northstar has agreed to the following option terms (All dollar amounts in CAD unless specified otherwise):

Cash payment of $75,000 and issuance of 250,000 Northstar common shares upon signing.



Cash payment of $75,000, issuance of 200,000 Northstar common shares and completion of $100,000 in exploration expenditures by the first anniversary of signing for 50% interest in the Searles Property.



Cash payment of $150,000, issuance of 200,000 common shares and completion of $100,000 in exploration expenditures by the second anniversary of signing for 100% interest in the Searles Property.



The Vendors retain a 2.5% Net Smelter Return (NSR). Northstar has the right to purchase 1% of the NSR for $1.5 million and an additional 0.5% NSR for $1 million. Northstar retains a standard right of first refusal on any proposed sale or transfer by Searles of the remaining 1% of the NSR.



Northstar shall pay the Vendors US$20 per ounce for any National Instrument 43-101 Measured, Indicated, and Inferred mineral resource ounce delineated on the Searles Property, determined as at and payable upon the commencement of Commercial Production, subject to a maximum payment of US$15 million. The parties acknowledge and agree that the ounces shall be verified by a formal feasibility study initiated by Northstar at the time of production.

Summer Phase IIB Drill Program

Northstar is positioning to resume drilling at the Miller Gold Property in late July 2021 with a planned 4,600 metre, Phase IIB drill program to expand the recently discovered Allied Syenite Gold Zone, test several 3D IP geophysical anomalies and expand and confirm the No. 1 Vein historic estimate on the Miller Gold Property and recently acquired Searles Property.

2021 Surface Stripping, Mapping and Sampling Program

The Company is fully permitted and will conduct surface stripping in multiple areas of the Miller Gold Property, including the vicinity of the Allied Syenite where visible gold and gold tellurides have been observed, to provide for geological mapping and additional sampling. Surface stripping has proven to be highly effective in defining new mineralized zones on the Property as overburden is generally thin. This work will commence in early July.

About the Miller Gold Property

The Company's flagship property is the 100% owned Miller Gold Property, situated 18 km southeast of Kirkland Lake and Kirkland Lake Gold's Macassa SMC gold mine. Northstar drilled 5,023 metres in 28 holes at Miller in 2020, targeting near-surface high-grade and bulk-tonnage gold-telluride mineralization at Miller. Four new high-grade vein structures (Vein 1, 2, 3 and 4) (86.6 g/t Au / 0.5 metres and 18.0 g/t Au / 3.9 m; incl. 100.0 g/t Au / 0.6m) and the bulk-tonnage Allied Gold Zone (1.4 g/t Au over 118.5m and 1.2 g/t Au over 107.3m) were expanded / discovered and 3D modeled.

Northstar also commissioned a $350,000 property-wide 3D IP, gravity and magnetic geophysics program on the Miller Gold Property in 2020 to further define gold mineralization controls at depth.

During the period March 15th - April 27th, 2021, Northstar drilled 1,990 metres (8 holes) in a Phase IIA program following up the 2020 near-surface bulk-tonnage Allied Syenite Gold Zone discovery (2 holes), near-surface confirmation drilling of the historic gold-telluride No. 1 Vein (2 holes) and 4 holes targeting geophysical and machine learning anomalies. Mineralized intercepts were obtained in all 8 Phase IIA drill holes and the Company will report assay results when available.

On May 27th, 2021, Northstar announced partial results from drill hole MG21-56 in the Allied Syenite Gold Zone that included 6.6 g/t Au over 117m between 14m and 131m encompassing the Veins 1 - 4 zones, including 175 g/t Au over 0.6m between 14m and 14.6m, 24.9 g/t Au over 1.5m between 43m and 44.5m, and 1,170 g/t Au over 0.5m between 69.5m and 70m depth in drill hole MG21-56 within the Allied Syenite.

Qualified Person

Trevor Boyd, PhD, P.Geo., a 'Qualified Person' (Q.P.) as defined under Canadian National Instrument NI 43-101, has reviewed technical aspects of this news release.

About Northstar Gold Corp

Northstar's flagship property is the 100% owned Miller Gold Property, situated 18 km southeast of Kirkland Lake and Kirkland Lake Gold's Macassa SMC gold mine. The Kirkland District is being explored by numerous junior gold companies and subject to recent consolidation efforts by major companies active in the District. Northstar spent $2 million in exploration at Miller in 2020, resulting in the expansion / discovery of four new high-grade vein structures (Vein 1, 2, 3 and 4) and the near-surface bulk-tonnage Allied Gold Zone. Northstar recently closed an over-subscribed $2.7 million financing and completed a 1,990 metre Phase IIA follow up diamond drill program at Miller on April 27th, 2021. The Company is currently awaiting assay results in preparation for a follow-up Phase IIB drill program scheduled to commence in late July, 2021.

Northstar has 3 additional 100%-owned exploration projects in northern Ontario, including the recently acquired 1,200 ha Rosegrove Property situated 0.5 km from the Miller Gold Property, the 4,500 ha Bryce Property, an intrusive-gold / PME VMS project located along the projected east extension of the Ridout Break, and the recently expanded Temagami-Milestone Cu-Ni-Co Property located in Strathcona Township. Northstar is advancing all 3 properties to the NI 43-101 Technical Report stage to maximize geological understanding, increase investor awareness and optimize monetization opportunities.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Mr. Brian P. Fowler, P.Geo.

President, CEO and Director

(604) 617-8191

bfowler@northstargoldcorp.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements which involve known and unknown risks, delays, and uncertainties not under the control of Northstar Goldcorp. which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Northstar Gold Corp to be materially different from the results, performance or expectation implied by these forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on factors that will or may occur in the future. Actual results may vary depending upon exploration activities, industry production, commodity demand and pricing, currency exchange rates, and, but not limited to, general economic factors.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86914
Convert Italia, a Valmont company, is pleased to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with one of Europe's largest global energy companies to collaborate on 700 megawatts of solar projects. The projects will begin over the next 18 months and be implemented in different regions of Europe, including Italy and possibly extending into additional countries. The scope of the project represents enough energy to power 133,000 homes, and is a collaborative effort by both companies to drive the shift to a decarbonized society.

The document outlines a roadmap for delivery of innovative solar tracker technology for photovoltaic plants: the ConvertTRJ single-axis tracker. "The Convert TRJ is an industry-leading tracker that allows companies to maximize performance when working in difficult topographic and layout conditions," says Yury Reznikov, vice president of global solar. "Stated simply, the Convert TRJ tracker can be installed where others cannot."

Going Where Others Cannot

The Convert TRJ Tracker is highly differentiated with a unique controller architecture, Reznikov explains. This tracker design enables customers to more effectively utilize project land by placing more solar structures, save civil costs by minimizing grading, and have complete control over the system with the TRJ-AI SCADA system.

Plus, with its modular design and superior engineering, Reznikov adds, Convert TRJ provides utilities structural technology that allows solar panels to generate more power and energy with less maintenance than traditional trackers. In fact, single-axis trackers offer system production increases of up to 25% compared to fixed-tilt systems, and will operate for more than 30 years.

Innovative Options for Solar Infrastructure

Reznikov says Valmont Utility recognized the opportunity of working in the solar space because of demand for more viable and innovative solar options in the European utility sector. "We offer a full range of complete grid infrastructure solutions making everything work together and streamlining the process, from solar technology to substations and beyond. We have been able to leverage our global supply chain and industry-leading solutions to provide customers an unprecedented value in deploying solar projects."

Reznikov and Valmont see the transition to a zero-carbon society as an opportunity to build a better future for all. The European Union aims to be climate-neutral an economy with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. This objective matches the Valmont commitment to conserving resources and improving life.

"To date, we have completed multiple gigawatts of projects globally, and Convert Italia projects have an annual production capacity of more than 2 gigawatts," says Reznikov. "We are focused on working with utilities, owners, developers and EPCs to provide solutions on a global level to minimize greenhouse emissions and replace fossil fuel-based energy generation."

About Valmont Industries, Inc.

Valmont is a global leader, designing and manufacturing highly engineered products and services that support global infrastructure development and agricultural productivity. Its irrigation equipment and services for large-scale agriculture improve farm productivity while conserving fresh water resources. Its products for infrastructure serve highway, transportation, wireless communication, electric transmission, and industrial construction and energy markets. In addition, Valmont provides coatings services that protect against corrosion and improve the service life of steel and other metal products. For more information, visit valmont.com.

About Valmont Utility

Valmont Utility is a global leader developing structures that enable electric power to be transferred from the generation source power generation facility or renewable source such as a solar and wind production to the end power consumer. As an industry-leading provider of transmission and distribution poles, transmission towers, substation components and renewable energy generation equipment, and a global manufacturing network, Valmont Utility excels in supply chain logistics in service, performance and delivery. For more information, visit valmontutility.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005853/en/

Contacts:

Greg Turi, Vice President Global Generation

+1 858.945.0625
CAMBRIDGE, England, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Thermal imaging specialist Thermoteknix has been awarded a contract to supply the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) with its ClipIR XD-E Thermal Clip-on systems (TCOS). The first phase of units, in excess of 3 million, will be delivered within the next 12 months under the TCOS program with options to procure additional units over the life of the contract.

The ClipIR XD-E systems will deliver enhanced situational awareness and increased threat detection capabilities at low light or no light situations to dismounted British ground forces.

The miniature clip-on infrared thermal imager from Thermoteknix converts an existing monocular or binocular night vision device into an enhanced surveillance solution. The fused combination of thermal and night vision technologies provides superior tactical advantages compared to standard night vision or thermal imaging alone.

ClipIR XD-E provides a 40-degree field of view to detect targets at distances of up to 500m allowing the user to view a target without being detected.

"We are delighted that our state-of-the-art thermal imaging technology will play a crucial role in equipping British forces in the most challenging of environments. We look forward to working with the MoD to deliver world-leading battlefield technology to British troops, designed, engineered and manufactured here in the UK," explains Thermoteknix Managing Director, Dr Richard Salisbury.

"Our success will translate into the creation of more UK jobs and provide a boost to the local economy, while also driving British exports to worldwide markets. We are delighted to have been awarded a contract with the MoD during a challenging year for British business suffering from the effects of COVID."

Thermoteknix designs and manufactures specialist defence and security solutions, including thermal imagers, night vision, fused night vision and target location systems, used by military and civil security forces around the world.

Please visit www.thermoteknix.com/products/defence-security to see our range of thermal and night vision devices.

Link: https://www.thermoteknix.com/news/thermoteknix-selected-by-uk-ministry-of-defence-mod-to-supply-clipir-xd-e-thermal-imaging-clip-on-systems

Caption: Pictured is the ClipIR XD-R Thermal Clip-on System procured by the MoD.

About Thermoteknix Systems Ltd (www.thermoteknix.com)

Over 35 years of consistent technical breakthroughs in infrared (IR) thermal imaging and thermal measurement-based hardware, systems & software application products. The company has been awarded the prestigious 'Queen's Award for Export Achievement' and the 'Queen's Award for Enterprise (Innovation)' in 2008 & 2015.

Contact: Gina Ghensi, Press Office, 07769 875422 / g.ghensi@thermoteknix.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1528766/Thermal_Clip_on_System_MoD.jpg
Expanded Capabilities Enhance the No-Code User Experience, Bolster Enterprise-Grade Security, and Grow Ecosystem of Partners

Smartsheet (NYSE: SMAR), the enterprise platform for dynamic work, today unveiled new innovations, partnerships and offerings that unlock the full value of the Smartsheet platform for its community of more than 8.5 million users, empowering everyone to become an agent of change in their organization.

At ENGAGE, virtual attendees heard how Smartsheet's ever-improving platform scales to meet the demands of both business and IT. Looking through the lens of customers like Overtime, Intuit, Climate Pledge Arena and Seattle Kraken, Smartsheet showcased how organizations that harness the power of no-code technology activate a new era of business: the no-code enterprise.

"The combination of 'no-code' and 'enterprise-ready' has the potential to unlock something incredibly powerful," said Mark Mader, Chief Executive Officer at Smartsheet. "We see the emergence of the no-code enterprise as fundamentally representing a human opportunity-a moment in time where we have the chance to harness the most powerful force in business: human ingenuity and creativity."

Smartsheet Advance: A new offering built for scale and empowering IT

Announced last week, Smartsheet Advance is a new premium capabilities offering to extend the value of the platform and empower customers to more effectively manage work at scale. This offering brings together what customers have told us they need with the premium features they use the most, enabling them to do more and get more with greater speed, flexibility, and protection.

Smartsheet also announced Smartsheet for Marketing, which takes the unifying and familiar power of Smartsheet and adds the resource management, digital asset management and other premium capabilities Smartsheet offers. It is the centralized launchpad for modern campaigns that allows marketing teams to drive personalized customer experiences at scale with agility and flexibility.

Enhancing Enterprise-Grade Security, Compliance and Governance

Smartsheet is the leading collaborative work management (CWM) platform that delivers the capabilities solution builders need with the enterprise-class security that IT teams require. With enterprise-grade security and governance, Smartsheet ensures all data within the platform remains secure, can be easily managed, and that all appropriate parties have full visibility across all regions.

New platform enhancements announced today include:

An additional layer of control with Customer Managed Encryption Keys (CMEK) that allows customers to encrypt sheet data with encryption keys owned by the customer and stored within Amazon Web Services' Key Management Service (KMS);

that allows customers to encrypt sheet data with encryption keys owned by the customer and stored within Amazon Web Services' Key Management Service (KMS); Enterprise Plan Manager that enables large businesses to centrally manage security controls without needing to consolidate plans, allowing them to manage Smartsheet the way they are organized and split cost centers by usage;

that enables large businesses to centrally manage security controls without needing to consolidate plans, allowing them to manage Smartsheet the way they are organized and split cost centers by usage; Data Retention Controls that empower Smartsheet Admins to set up policies that automatically remove sheets after a certain amount of time or period of inactivity, simplifying the finding and reduction of outdated information to not only help performance, but maintain critical data governance and compliance; and

that empower Smartsheet Admins to set up policies that automatically remove sheets after a certain amount of time or period of inactivity, simplifying the finding and reduction of outdated information to not only help performance, but maintain critical data governance and compliance; and Coming soon, Smartsheet Regions will provide organizations the flexibility to choose a specific region when establishing an account, making it easy to ensure compliance, privacy, and governance requirements are met. The company will launch its first new Region in Germany this fall with additional Regions coming next year.

Learn more about Smartsheet's latest security, governance, and compliance enhancements here.

Empowering a Modern Experience

No-code technology provides workers the ability to adapt to how they work, so businesses can optimize how they operate, innovate and ultimately respond to customer needs. To give builders an easy way to package solutions that best fit their needs, Smartsheet released WorkApps. WorkApps is a no-code offering that enables anyone to become an app builder, giving users an innovative way to package and manage access to Smartsheet and third-party assets into a curated web and mobile application experience.

New WorkApps enhancements shared at ENGAGE include:

Proofing capabilities that give users the ability to manage content designs and approvals with other collaborators within WorkApps;

capabilities that give users the ability to manage content designs and approvals with other collaborators within WorkApps; Preview in Desktop that allows app builders to review the app experience before pushing it live to stakeholders;

that allows app builders to review the app experience before pushing it live to stakeholders; Transfer Ownership that enables admins to hand off administrative ownership of any app right from within WorkApps;

that enables admins to hand off administrative ownership of any app right from within WorkApps; Coming this summer, Action View provides a new, intuitive interface that presents all relevant information and actions related to a task as a clean, well-organized list; and

provides a new, intuitive interface that presents all relevant information and actions related to a task as a clean, well-organized list; and Also launching this summer, Collaborator Visibility will make it easy for Smartsheet administrators to keep track of everyone collaborating in WorkApps across the entire organization.

Since launch, customers from over 1,900 organizations including Alaska Airlines, Global Medical Response, Six Flags and GE Renewable Energy have built over 30,000 WorkApps.

Read about how Smartsheet customers are using WorkApps to streamline work and simplify collaboration here.

Enabling Execution at Scale

The tools and platforms organizations deploy are not only critical to support where the business is today, but also where it wants to be in the future. Smartsheet continues to invest in new and innovative capabilities to help our customers execute efficiently at scale.

Available this summer for Enterprise plans and up, Work Insights continuously analyzes business data and provides a curated set of metrics that enables customers to quickly and easily get a deep understanding of cycle times, which groups are doing better than others, and key trends over time.

continuously analyzes business data and provides a curated set of metrics that enables customers to quickly and easily get a deep understanding of cycle times, which groups are doing better than others, and key trends over time. Modern Workflow Manager, also available this summer, is a completely reimagined experience for creating and managing no-code automated workflows, greatly reducing the time spent on manual tasks. Dozens of new workflow examples coupled with several new controls to sort, search, and filter workflows will make it easier than ever to create, find and share workflows across your entire organization.

also available this summer, is a completely reimagined experience for creating and managing no-code automated workflows, greatly reducing the time spent on manual tasks. Dozens of new workflow examples coupled with several new controls to sort, search, and filter workflows will make it easier than ever to create, find and share workflows across your entire organization. Last month, Smartsheet released the next generation of Data Uploader which allows customers to automatically upload data from any enterprise system directly into Smartsheet. Data Shuttle extends this capability by allowing users to export data back into those platforms to create a centralized source of truth and make confident, real-time decisions.

Expanding the Ecosystem to Solve Key Business Challenges

Building on existing integrations with some of today's industry-leading systems of record, including Adobe, Atlassian, Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Workday, and popular productivity tools like Box, Dropbox, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, and Slack, Smartsheet announced several new and expanded integrations and partnerships that will add even more value as customers build solutions with and on top of its platform:

Starting today, Smartsheet is an Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) Service Ready for Business Applications Launch Partner. To receive this designation, we demonstrated our experience and success in helping AWS customers evaluate and use their technology productively, at scale with varying levels of complexity.

To receive this designation, we demonstrated our experience and success in helping AWS customers evaluate and use their technology productively, at scale with varying levels of complexity. Available today in Smartsheet's document builder feature, the DocuSign integration saves time and streamlines processes by seamlessly creating documents, sending them for signatures, and tracking signing status all from within Smartsheet.

saves time and streamlines processes by seamlessly creating documents, sending them for signatures, and tracking signing status all from within Smartsheet. A new partnership with McAfee powers an integration with their MVISION Cloud security product line via McAfee CASB Connect, which allows customers to add powerful new controls created by McAfee within the Smartsheet platform. Threat and anomaly detection, along with data loss prevention (DLP) policies, can now help find and remediate sensitive data violations such as sharing a healthcare record, social security number, or credit card information.

powers an integration with their MVISION Cloud security product line via McAfee CASB Connect, which allows customers to add powerful new controls created by McAfee within the Smartsheet platform. Threat and anomaly detection, along with data loss prevention (DLP) policies, can now help find and remediate sensitive data violations such as sharing a healthcare record, social security number, or credit card information. A new partnership and new integrations with UiPath, a leading enterprise automation software company, will make it easier to retrieve, update, and share data in Smartsheet, saving hours of repetitive, manual work. The integrations streamline processes including project management, budgeting, sales, procurement, and content management, all while reducing potential human errors and ensuring security and interoperability. UiPath software robots can collaborate on sheets, update projects, access attachments, update comments and share Smartsheet information across teams so people can focus on higher-value work.

will make it easier to retrieve, update, and share data in Smartsheet, saving hours of repetitive, manual work. The integrations streamline processes including project management, budgeting, sales, procurement, and content management, all while reducing potential human errors and ensuring security and interoperability. UiPath software robots can collaborate on sheets, update projects, access attachments, update comments and share Smartsheet information across teams so people can focus on higher-value work. A new integration with the leading virtual whiteboard, Lucidspark, enables users to collaborate visually and seamlessly turn ideas into tasks, deliverables and project plans in Smartsheet. The bi-directionality between Lucidspark and Smartsheet is a powerful way to avoid project discrepancies, keeping teams aligned and moving forward.

Learn more about today's ENGAGE announcements here.

About Smartsheet

Smartsheet (NYSE: SMAR) is the enterprise platform for dynamic work. By aligning people and technology so organizations can move faster and drive innovation, Smartsheet enables its millions of users to achieve more. Visit www.smartsheet.com to learn more.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking" statements that are based on our management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about Smartsheet's expectations regarding possible or assumed business strategies, channel and partner strategies, potential growth and innovation opportunities, new products, and potential market opportunities.

Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance. Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and can be identified by terms such as "believe," "continue," "could," "potential," "remain," "will," "would" or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties related to: our ability to achieve future growth and sustain our growth rate, our ability to attract and retain talent, our ability to attract and retain customers (including government customers) and increase sales to our customers, our ability to develop and release new products and services and to scale our platform, our ability to increase adoption of our platform through our self-service model, our ability to maintain and grow our relationships with channel and strategic partners, the highly competitive and rapidly evolving market in which we participate, our ability to identify targets for, execute on, or realize the benefits of, potential acquisitions, and our international expansion strategies. Further information on risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from forecasted results is included in our filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2021 filed with the SEC on June 4, 2021. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of this date. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons if actual results differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005497/en/

Contacts:

Chrissy Vaughn

pr@smartsheet.com
LONDON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bitpanda , the leading European digital investment platform and Austria's first unicorn, welcomes a new chief to its C-suite, appointing Lindsay Ross to the position of Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). In her role as CHRO, Lindsay will be a key factor in leading Bitpanda's most valuable asset, its team members, and will be responsible for all facets of Bitpanda's global HR, including people functions, internal communications and office spaces, as well as planning and executing the key organisational factors that Bitpanda needs to achieve its short- and long-term business goals.

Lindsay brings over 10 years of experience in creating people strategies for multinational, hyper-growth organisations - from start-ups to multi-billion-dollar enterprises. Her versatile background includes a broad mix of leadership and specialist roles during which she has implemented and nurtured strategies to build high-performing, diverse and purpose-led cultures. Prior to joining Bitpanda, Lindsay held senior roles for tech giants MessageBird and Adyen, as well as Tommy Hilfiger and its holding company PVH Corp, helping them scale by enhancing and transforming their human resources operations.

Appointment Comes As Bitpanda Continues To Grow, Surpassing 500 Full-Time Employees

"We were looking to find the right CHRO who believes in our vision, understands hyper-growth and has the right amount of energy and empathy for a long time. Lindsay combines those attributes and I am happy she is becoming our Chief Human Resources Officer to reinforce our view that it is the strength and depth of our talented team that will drive Bitpanda's continued success", said Eric Demuth, Co-Founder and CEO of Bitpanda and continued: "We have tremendous confidence in Lindsay's ability to help Bitpanda stand out and to provide valuable strategic contributions to build on the success of our high-performing teams."

Lindsay Ross, Bitpanda CHRO, commented: "This is a pivotal and exciting moment to be joining Bitpanda and the wider fintech community. I'm already inspired by the extremely talented, diverse and passionate team members who I've had the privilege to meet and can sense an incredible culture driven by purpose, high performance and innovation. I look forward to growing along with Bitpanda as we enter the next phase of our global expansion and seize the limitless opportunities ahead of us as we democratise the world of investments."

Having successfully established its presence in France, Spain, Turkey, Italy and Poland in the last year, Bitpanda intends to expand into new European markets with plans to open tech hubs and offices in Madrid, Barcelona, London, Paris and Berlin. In December last year, Bitpanda also launched an innovation hub in Krakow, creating 300 new jobs.

www.bitpanda.com | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

NOTES TO EDITORS

ABOUT BITPANDA

Bitpanda makes investing accessible for everyone. Founded in 2014 in Vienna, Austria by Eric Demuth, Paul Klanschek and Christian Trummer, Bitpanda removes the barriers to investing by harnessing the innovative power of digitised assets and blockchain technology. With more than 500 team members and over 2.7 million users, the company is one of Europe's fastest-growing fintechs. The user-friendly, trade-everything platform empowers both first-time investors and seasoned experts to invest in the stocks, cryptocurrencies, and metals they want - with any amount of money.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1528781/Picture1.jpg
Symetrica Limited today announced a change to its Group Chief Executive Officer. Heddwyn Davies, who has built the company into a global leader in radiation monitoring technology, will retire this month.

David Price, Symetrica's Chairman, commented: "Heddwyn has done a tremendous job of building this company from a small UK University startup into a recognized world leader in radiation detection systems, products and technology. In his 17 years at Symetrica, he led the commercial, technical and organizational development, both in the UK and the USA, to create a broad portfolio of best-in-class fixed, mobile and handheld monitoring equipment and established these products and associated software systems within the global Homeland Security market. Over the last few years, the Company has achieved many notable successes; securing key contracts for the provision of hand-held devices to a wide range of US and European government customers, including our most recent award of a $35 million contract to supply the Verifinder hand-held sensors to the US Department of Defense. On behalf of our Shareholders and the Board of Directors, I thank Heddwyn for everything he has done for the Company over these years!"

Mr. Davies is succeeded by Mr Eric Zanin who will become the Group Chief Executive Officer immediately and will principally be located at our US facility in Westford, Massachusetts. Eric has held global executive positions in business development and general management with Analogic Corporation and Leidos Corporation's Security Detection and Automation operation. He has extensive experience in leading security technology innovation most notably the introduction of computed tomography (CT) at aviation security checkpoints.

David Price commented: "We are excited that Eric has accepted our offer to join the Symetrica team and drive the next stage of global growth for the company. New prospects in the US market now look set to drive significant growth over the next two years and strengthening our corporate capability in the US was considered of vital importance. The board of directors recognizes his proven leadership in internationally building brands, product portfolios and operational management, which will all be critical for the successful delivery of the scale of growth expected."

Eric Zanin added: "I am honored to become Symetrica's new CEO. The company has exceptional technology and scientific leadership in radiation detection. I look forward to leading two strong teams in Southampton and Westford, MA in extending the product portfolio to new applications in the global security market. I offer my sincere thanks to Heddwyn for positioning Symetrica for success."

About Symetrica

Symetrica is the market leader in the detection and identification of radioactive threats through its patented Discovery Technology portfolio. The company was founded on designing, developing, manufacturing, and deploying detection equipment that is now in use for the detection of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Military and Homeland Security Market. Symetrica uses Machine Learning to provide the very best operational tools. As a result, Symetrica provides world-leading performance and low through-life costs to the Military and Homeland Security markets. Focus on operational challenges has enabled the business to apply detection technology in wider applications in Homeland Security and Civil National Infrastructure protection.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005969/en/

Contacts:

Andrew Malone

Fieldhouse Associates for Symetrica Ltd

andrew@fieldhouseassociates.com

+44 7515 671 782
Article L. 238-8-II of the French commercial Code and article 223-16 of the AMF (French Financial Markets Authority) general regulation

Regulatory News:

Veolia Environnement (Paris:VIE):

Corporate name of the issuer:

Veolia Environnement

21 rue La Boetie

75008 PARIS

FRANCE

(ISIN code: FR0000124141-VIE)

Information closing date Total number of shares forming the share capital Total number of voting rights May 31, 2021 579,583,189 Total number of theoretical voting rights (1): 618,469,771 Total number of voting rights that may be exercised (2): 606,077,690

Inclusion in the Veolia Environnement Articles of Association of a clause requiring a reporting obligation of the declaration of crossing a shareholding threshold, complementary to the one relating to the thresholds provided by the French law and the regulations in force (article 8).

(1) Number of theoretical voting rights after taking into account the number of shares with double voting rights as of May 31, 2021 (38,886,582 shares) and the number of treasury shares held as of May 31, 2021 (12,392,081 shares).

(2) Number of voting rights that may be exercised number of theoretical voting rights (or total number of voting rights attached to shares) shares without voting rights (number of treasury shares held as of May 31, 2021).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005995/en/

Contacts:

Veolia Environnement
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Origen Resources Inc. (CSE: ORGN) (FSE: 4VXA) (the "Company" or "Origen") is pleased to announce that it has made a strategic investment into Opawica Explorations Inc. (TSXV: OPW), a Canadian junior exploration company holding a strong portfolio of precious and base metal properties within the Rouyn-Noranda region of the Abitibi Gold Belt in Quebec and 39,000 ha in Newfoundland's new gold district.

"We are pleased and excited to have made a strategic investment in an active and emerging gold district highlighted by the recent success of New Found Gold. This investment compliments the Company's project generation business model by providing it access to additional opportunities throughout the district," states Gary Schellenberg, Company President.

About Opawica

Opawica currently holds a 100% interest in six projects totalling 39,000 ha in the Exploits subzone of Newfoundland. These assets host similar geological, geochemical, and structural settings similar to the adjacent Queensway discovery. The lack of modern exploration on the properties presents an opportunity for significant new discoveries in this emerging gold district. Opawica also holds two flagship high grade gold assets in Quebec, which are fully funded for a 10,000m drill program.

The Transaction

Origen has purchased 750,000 units @ $0.40 per unit with each unit comprising one common share and one half of one share purchase warrant with each full warrant being exercisable into a common share at a price of $0.60. The transaction is deemed to be a non-arm's length transaction as Blake Morgan, a Director of Origen is also an Officer and Director of Opawica.

Other News

The company has issued 200,000 warrants to a consultant of the issuer, in partial consideration of the services provided. The warrants are exercisable for a period of 2 years at 36 cents per share.

About Origen

Origen is an exploration company engaged in generating, acquiring and advancing base, precious metal, and lithium properties. The Company currently holds a property portfolio of four 100% owned precious and base metal projects in southern British Columbia, a 100% interest in the 26,771 ha LGM project and an option to acquire a 100% interest in the 3,971 ha Wishbone property in the mineral rich Golden Triangle of British Columbia, a 100% interest in the Middle Ridge gold project and a 100% interest in 12 lithium prospects in Newfoundland.

On behalf of Origen,

Gary Schellenberg, CEO

For further information, please contact Blake Morgan, President at 236-878-4938 or Gary Schellenberg, CEO at 604-681-0221.

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

Certain of the statements made and information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information." In particular references to the private placement and future work programs or expectations on the quality or results of such work programs are subject to risks associated with operations on the property, exploration activity generally, equipment limitations and availability, as well as other risks that we may not be currently aware of. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86946


OMAHA (dpa-AFX) - Billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway(BRK.A, BRK.B) has made a $500 million investment in Nu Pagamentos SA, the parent company of Brazil-based digital bank Nubank.



The bank also said that it raised another $250 million from a group of funds that includes former investors. The funding is an extension of the G Series, held in January of this year. It has raised around $2 billion since it was founded in 2013. The new investments give Nubank a $30 billion valuation, up from $25 billion from previous funding round.



The bank claims to be the world's largest digital bank by number of customers. The company said it just reached the 40 million mark and, in these first five months of the year, grew at a rate of more than 45,000 new customers per day.



The company plans to use the investment to fund its international expansion to Mexico and Colombia, launch new products and services and hire more employees.



The company had started as a tech company in Brazil that offered only a fee-free credit card with a line of credit of R$50. It now offers a variety of financial products, including a digital bank account, a debit card, insurance, P2P payment via Pix, loans, rewards, life insurance and an account and credit card for small business owners.



'It's amazing to see everything we've been able to do in these eight years of business. No one thought it was possible to change the financial system, but we were always convinced that there was room for disruption and innovation and, more importantly, that customers deserved better services. Nubank has established a new paradigm in the market, which has forced all players to review their processes and products. And as I say, for us at Nubank, it's still the first day. There's still a lot to do,' says founder and CEO David Velez.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil futures settled notably higher on Tuesday after positive news on the coronavirus vaccine front raised hopes that the demand for oil will see a steady increase in the coming months. According to reports, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S.' top infectious disease expert, has said both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca Covid vaccines are effective against the Delta variant post two doses. Many countries including the U.S. are looking to gradually ease travel restrictions. However, a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) that showed the agency has cut its 2021 world oil demand growth forecast by 10,000 barrels per day to 5.41 million bpd, limited oil's uptick. In its monthly forecast, the agency cut its oil demand growth estimate for 2022 by 90,000 bpd to 3.64 million bpd. Traders also continued to weigh the prospects of Iranian oil coming into the market. Iran and global powers will enter a fifth round of talks on June 10 in Vienna that could include Washington lifting economic sanctions on Iranian oil exports. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for July ended up by $0.82 or about 1.2% at $70.05 a barrel, the highest settlement since October 2018. Brent crude futures moved up $0.82 or 1.16% to $72.31 a barrel. Traders now look ahead to weekly inventory data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the EIA. While API's report is due later today, the EIA will release its inventory data Wednesday morning. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - KWESST Micro Systems Inc. (TSXV: KWE) (OTCQB: KWEMF) ("KWESST" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that it has extended the term of its previously announced agreement with Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC (EMC) until June 8th, 2022. EMC will continue to provide investor relation services to KWESST, including electronic media and webcast services, design, development and dissemination services.

Jeff MacLeod, President and CEO of KWESST, said: "Following our recent acquisition of the Low Energy Cartridge system, we believe the time is right to be reaching U.S. based investors. The Low Energy Cartridge system is the world's first cartridge based non-lethal firing system with universal applications across four market segments that currently use a variety of dated non-lethal or less-lethal. 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." He concluded: "We expect the continued engagement of EMC will help us expand our shareholder base and the liquidity of the stock to the benefit of all shareholders."

James Painter, President of EMC, said: "We are pleased to continue to represent KWESST Micro Systems Inc. A few years ago, EMC had the privilege to be one of the marketing and investor relations firms for a premier personal defence and law enforcement company in the United States. We are excited about the KWESST's Low Energy Cartridge System and see a blue ocean of opportunity for it in the less-than-lethal market."

The compensation to be paid to EMC will be established by the Parties in writing from time to time, based on the scope of work of various investor relations projects undertaken by EMC on behalf of KWESST. Such compensation will be commensurate with the scope of work for each project. Neither EMC nor any of its principals currently own any securities, directly or indirectly, of the Company or have any intention to acquire any securities of the Company. The extension of EMC's engagement is subject to KWESST making certain filings with and approval by the TSX Venture Exchange.

About Emerging Markets Consulting LLC

Based in Orlando, Florida, Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC (EMC) brings multiple decades of combined experience in the investor relations industry. EMC is an international investor relations firm with affiliates around the world. EMC is relationship-driven and results-oriented with the goal of seeking attractive emerging companies and concentrating its resources and efforts to serve a limited number of high-quality clients. EMC is a syndicate of investor relations consultants consisting of stockbrokers, investment bankers, fund managers and institutions that actively seek opportunities in the microcap and small-cap equity markets. For more information, visit EMC's website at www.emergingmarketsllc.com

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 PhantomTM electronic 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 statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the timing for the commencement of trading and the plans and operations of KWESST after giving effect to the Qualifying Transaction. 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/86953
DGAP Voting Rights Announcement: QIAGEN N.V.

QIAGEN N.V.: Release according to Article 40, Section 1 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act] with the objective of Europe-wide distribution



08.06.2021 / 22:04

Dissemination of a Voting Rights Announcement transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



The AFM (the Netherlands Authority For the Financial Markets has informed us on June 5, 2021 that a notification related to our institution has been released by the AFM. The following notification has been disclosed in the relevant register on the AFM website: Date of transaction: 01 jun 2021

Person obliged to notify: Goldman Sachs Group Inc., The

Issuing institution: Qiagen N.V.

Registration Chamber of Commerce: 12036979

Place of residence: VENLO Distribution in numbers Type of share Number of shares Number of voting rights Capital interest Voting rights Manner of disposal Settlement Ordinary share 32,00 32,00 Real Real Indirectly - Folio Investments Inc. Physical Delivery Warrant 61.437,00 61.437,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs International In cash Ordinary share 5.775,00 5.774,94 Real Real Indirectly - Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE Physical Delivery Convertible bond 510.282,00 510.282,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs International Physical Delivery Contract for difference 279,00 279,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC In cash Contract for difference 593.467,00 593.467,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs International In cash Swap 79.272,00 79.272,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman, Sachs & Co. Wertpapier GmbH In cash Ordinary share 285.585,00 285.582,14 Real Real Indirectly - Goldman Sachs International Physical Delivery Swap 2.044,00 2.044,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC In cash Ordinary share 2.543,00 2.543,00 Real Real Indirectly - United Capital Financial Advisers, LLC Physical Delivery Swap 14.428,00 14.428,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs International In cash Warrant 2.029,00 2.029,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman, Sachs & Co. Wertpapier GmbH In cash Option 3.863.782,00 3.863.782,00 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC Physical Delivery Ordinary share 295.086,00 295.083,05 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC Physical Delivery Ordinary share 609.198,00 609.191,91 Potential Potential Indirectly - Goldman Sachs International Physical Delivery Distribution in percentages Type Total holding Directly real Directly potential Indirectly real Indirectly potential Capital interest 2,74% 0,00% 0,00% 0,13% 2,61% Voting rights 2,74% 0,00% 0,00% 0,13% 2,61% QIAGEN N.V. is not responsible for the accuracy and correctness of the notification above. The content has been taken from the relevant register of the AFM:

https://www.afm.nl/en/professionals/registers/meldingenregisters/substantiele-deelnemingen/details?id=113413

08.06.2021 The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.dgap.de


Not for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States

TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2021 / Grid Metals Corp. (the "Company") (TSXV:GRDM)(OTCQB:MSMGF) is pleased to announce that its has closed the second and final tranche of its previously announced private placement and that the total funds raised by the first and second tranche were $3,500,000 which included an over allotment of $500,000.

The second tranche consisted of:

2,054,545 units of the Company (the " Units ") at a price of C$0.22 per Unit;

") at a price of C$0.22 per Unit; 382,240 flow-through units of the Company (the "FT Units") to traditional flow-through purchasers at a price of C$0.25 per FT Unit.

Each Unit consisted of one common share of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one half of one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at a price of C$0.33 at any time on or before June 8, 2023. Each FT Unit consisted of one "flow-through share" within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (each, a "FT Share") and one half of one Warrant.

The net proceeds from the private placement will be used for exploration of the Company's mineral exploration properties including its East Bull Lake Palladium property and for general working capital purposes. Proceeds from the sale of FT Shares will be used to incur "Canadian exploration expenses" as defined in subsection 66.1(6) of the Income Tax Act and "flow through mining expenditures" as defined in subsection 127(9) of the Income Tax Act ("Qualifying Expenditures"). Such proceeds will be renounced to the subscribers with an effective date not later than December 31, 2021, in the aggregate amount of not less than the total amount of gross proceeds raised from the issue of FT Shares.

For the second tranche of financing the Company paid aggregate finders fees consisting of $37,590 cash and a total of 167,618 finder's warrants ( 143,818 for Units and 23,800 for FT Units ) to eligible finders. The finders warrants entitle the holder to purchase a share of the company at a price of either $0.22 (Units) or $0.25 per share (FT Units) until June 8, 2023.

An insider of the Company participated in the Offering for 17,240 FT Units, which participation constituted a related party transaction pursuant to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company relied on the exemptions from the valuation and minority approval requirements set forth in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the transaction did not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. A material change report with respect to the closing of the Offering was not filed less than 21 days prior to the closing date of the Offering as participation by insiders was not settled until shortly prior to closing and the Company wished to complete the Offering as expeditiously as possible.

Resale of the securities of the Company issued under the Offering will be restricted, including a customary hold period pursuant to Canadian securities laws of four months and one day following the closing date of the Offering

Closing of the Offering has been conditionally approved by the TSXV, with final acceptance subject to the fulfillment of the customary requirements of the TSXV and other regulatory approvals.

USE OF PROCEEDS

The proceeds of the Offering will be used to advance Grid's nickel copper PGM cobalt projects which are located in Manitoba and Ontario.

The East Bull Lake Palladium Project is an exploration stage property targeting a several million ounce palladium resource in the 20 km x 4 km East Bull Lake layered intrusion. Over the next several weeks the Company expects to release additional drilling results, initial rhodium assays and key findings from an ongoing metallurgical study. The Bannockburn Nickel Project is targeting a >100 million tonne, bulk mineable nickel sulfide deposit of sufficient grade to produce a high quality nickel sulfide concentrate for use in the EV supply chain. Historical drilling on a major ultramafic intrusive body confirmed the presence of secondary nickel sulfide mineralization having similar grades and widths to that observed at Canada Nickel Company's (TSXV: CNC) Crawford project. The Company expects to begin reporting initial results from the current drill campaign within the next few weeks. The Bannockburn property also hosts at least three zones of nickel-rich massive sulfides with cobalt and palladium credits. The property was acquired from Outokumpo Mining who holds a 2% royalty on most of the claims. The Makwa-Mayville Ni-Cu-PGM-Co Project is an advanced exploration project located 145 km east of Winnipeg, Manitoba. It comprises the past producing Makwa nickel-rich sulfide deposit and the undeveloped Mayville Cu-rich sulfide deposit. A preliminary economic assessment (PEA) study published in April 2014 ( RPA Associates ) reported pit constrained indicated resources of 7.2 million tonnes at a nickel equivalent grade1 of 0.85% for the Makwa nickel deposit and 26.6 million tonnes having a copper equivalent grade of 1.05% for the Mayville copper deposit. Another ~6 million tonnes of inferred resources were also considered in the PEA. The conceptual plan described in the PEA featured a bulk nickel-rich concentrate from Makwa mill feed and separate nickel and copper concentrates from Mayville feed. A concentrator was contemplated at the Mayville site to treat both feed sources. Significant improvements in certain metal recoveries were achieved from processing test work completed subsequent to the publication of the PEA in 2014 and will be captured in an updated PEA study that is expected to commence this summer. The Company is currently working on a trade off study investigating potential economic improvements that could acrrue from an underground mining option at Makwa and a smaller but higher-grade pit design at Mayville.

The Company also holds the mineral rights to a number of lithium-bearing pegmatites located directly adjacent to the Mayville copper-nickel-PGM deposit. This lithium property hosts a non-compliant historical resource of approximately 3.5 million tonnes averaging 1.28% Li2O. The Company completed its most recent drill program in 2018 with positive results and is currently considering options for advancing work on the property.

Notes: 1 The nickel and copper equivalent grades reported here were calculated based on the NI 43-101 resource calculation for the Makwa Mayville Project published in the April 2014 PEA by RPA Associates using the following long-term consensus price forecasts ($US) sourced from S&P Global Metals and Mining Research and dated October 30, 2020: Pd - $1,813.90/oz; Pt - $955.55/oz; Au - $1,832.01/oz; Cu - $2.96/lb; Ni - $6.87/lb. A long-term cobalt price of $20.00/pound was also assumed. 2 The historical lithium oxide resource reported for the Mayville area lithium property was reported in Manitoba Mineral Inventory Card #229 filed with the Manitoba Government's Mines Branch. The Company is not able to determine the accuracy of this estimate.

Company President Robin Dunbar stated " this financing will be instrumental in unlocking the value of our projects going forward. The demand for low capital intensive, ESG positive metals streams is only expected to increase in the coming years." VP of Exploration and Business Development, Dave Peck, added that " we believe strongly in the technical merits of our core projects. We have a clear vision for each property and are continuously benchmarking our exploration results against our junior peer group in in the context of the global mining market."

This news release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from U.S. registration requirements.

Dr. Dave Peck, P.Geo., has reviewed and approved the technical content of this release for purposes of National Instrument 43-101.

GRID TO PRESENT AT EMERGING MARKETS CONFERENCE June 9, 2021 at 11:30 a.m Eastern

Grid will be presenting at the the Emerging Growth Conference on June 9, 2021 at 11:30 am for 30 minutes and the Company invites individual and institutional investors to attend the real-time interactive presentation. The Conference focus and coverage includes companies in a wide range of growth sectors, with strong management teams, innovative products & services, focused strategy, execution, and the overall potential for long term growth.

The Company will give a presentation and may subsequently open the floor for questions. Attendees may have the opportunity to ask questions during the presentation.

Please register at the following link here to ensure you are able to attend the conference and receive any updates that are released.

https://goto.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1469230&tp_key=f8b5116237&sti=msmgf

If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available on EmergingGrowth.com and we will also release a link to that after the event.

About Grid Metals Corp.

To find out more about Grid Metals Corp., please visit www.gridmetalscorp.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Grid Metals Corp.

Robin Dunbar - President, CEO & Director Telephone: 416-955-4773 Email: rd@gridmetalscorp.com

David Black - Investor Relations Email: info@gridmetalscorp.com

We seek safe harbour. This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of the Securities Act (Ontario) (together, "forward-looking statements"). Such forward-looking statements may include the Company's plans for its properties, the overall economic potential of its properties, the availability of adequate financing and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward- looking statements to be materially different. Such factors include, among others, risks and uncertainties relating to potential political risk, uncertainty of production and capital costs estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, physical risks inherent in mining operations, metallurgical risk, currency fluctuations, fluctuations in the price of nickel, cobalt, copper and other metals, completion of economic evaluations, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, the inability or failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis, and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the most recent financial period and Material Change Reports filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available at www.sedar.com.

SOURCE: Grid Metals Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/650975/Grid-Metals-Corp-Completes-Private-Placement
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - 1287396 B.C. Ltd. ("396") and Filament Ventures Corp. ("Filament") are pleased to announce that further to the press release of Filament dated May 17, 2021, 396 and Filament have entered into an amalgamation agreement dated June 7, 2021 (the "Amalgamation Agreement") and have received conditional acceptance from the NEO Exchange Inc. ("NEO") for the closing of the proposed amalgamation of Filament and 396 (the "Amalgamation").

The Amalgamation Agreement provides for the Amalgamation, pursuant to which, among other things: (a) 396 and Filament shall be amalgamated and continue as one corporation, Filament Health Corp. (the "Resulting Issuer") in accordance with the provisions of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia); (b) all of the outstanding common shares of Filament (each, a "Filament Common Share") will be cancelled and, in consideration therefor, the holders thereof will receive one fully paid and non-assessable common share (each, a "Resulting Issuer Share") in the capital of the Resulting Issuer for each one Filament Common Share held immediately prior to the Amalgamation (the "Effective Time"); and (c) all of the outstanding common shares of 396 (each, a "396 Common Share") will be cancelled and in consideration therefor, the holders thereof will receive one fully paid and non-assessable Resulting Issuer Share for each one 396 Common Share held immediately prior to the Effective Time.

Completion of the proposed Amalgamation is subject to, among other things, receipt of all necessary regulatory and shareholder approvals.

The Amalgamation Agreement

The Amalgamation Agreement contemplates that the following conditions precedent be met prior to the closing of the Amalgamation, including, but not limited to, (a) acceptance by the NEO and receipt of other applicable regulatory approvals; (b) completion of the Private Placement (as defined below); (c) completion of the 396 Placement (as defined below); (d) receipt of the requisite shareholder approvals from Filament and 396; and (e) no adverse material change in the business, affairs, financial condition or operations of Filament or 396 shall have occurred between the date of entering into the Amalgamation Agreement and the closing of the Amalgamation. If all conditions to the implementation of the Amalgamation have been satisfied or waived, Filament and 396 will carry out the Amalgamation. There can be no assurance that Amalgamation will be completed as proposed or at all.

Pursuant to the terms of the Amalgamation Agreement, it is expected that the following security conversions, exercise and issuances will occur among 396, Filament and the securityholders of Filament immediately prior to completion of the Amalgamation:

(a) each 396 Common Share (other than those held by dissenting 396 shareholders) outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be cancelled and, in consideration therefor, the holder of such 396 Common Share shall receive such number of fully paid and non-assessable Resulting Issuer Shares;

(b) each Filament Common Share (other than those held by dissenting Filament shareholders) outstanding immediately prior the Effective Time shall be cancelled and, in consideration therefor, the holder of such Filament Common Share shall receive such number of fully paid and non-assessable Resulting Issuer Shares;

(c) each common share purchase warrant of Filament (a "Filament Warrant") outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be cancelled and, in consideration therefor, the holder of such Filament Warrant shall receive such number of fully paid and non-assessable Resulting Issuer warrants;

(d) each stock option of Filament (a "Filament Option") outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be cancelled and, in consideration therefor, the holder of such Filament Option shall receive such number of fully paid and non-assessable Resulting Issuer options;

(e) each non-transferable broker warrants of Filament to be issued in connection with the Private Placement (as defined below) (a "Filament Broker Warrant") outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be cancelled and in consideration therefor, the holder of such Filament Broker Warrant shall receive such number of fully paid and non-assessable Resulting Issuer warrants; and

(f) each non-transferable finder warrants of Filament ("Filament Finder Warrant") outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be cancelled and in consideration therefor, the holder of such Filament Finder Warrant shall receive such number of fully paid and non-assessable Resulting Issuer warrants.

Following completion of the Amalgamation and assuming: (i) the Private Placement (as defined below) is fully subscribed; and (ii) the minimum offering pursuant to the 396 Placement is met and not exceeded, it is anticipated that the Resulting Issuer will have 177,189,369 Resulting Issuer Shares outstanding and of which 3,800,000 Resulting Issuer Shares, representing approximately 2.1% of the then outstanding Resulting Issuer Shares, will be held by former 396 Shareholders, 148,389,369 Resulting Issuer Shares, representing approximately 83.7% of the then outstanding Resulting Issuer Shares, will be held by the current Filament common shareholders, not including investors in the Private Placement (as defined below), and 25,000,000 Resulting Issuer Shares will be held by investors in the Private Placement (as defined below), representing approximately 14.1% of the then outstanding Resulting Issuer Shares.

About 396

396 was incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) as a wholly-owned subsidiary of 1289625 BC Ltd. Pursuant to a plan of arrangement under the provisions of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia), 1289625 BC Ltd. reorganized its capital such that each holder of common shares disposed of their holdings to 1289625 BC Ltd. and, in consideration therefor, received, among other things, certain 396 Common Shares and which resulted in 396 ceasing to be a subsidiary of 1289625 BC Ltd.

396 has no material assets and does not conduct any operations or active business, other than the identification and evaluation of acquisition opportunities to permit 396 to acquire a business or assets in order to conduct commercial operations.

396 is a reporting issuer under the securities laws of the jurisdictions of Alberta and British Columbia.

About Filament

Filament is a privately-held corporation incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) on June 8, 2020 and changed its name to "Filament Ventures Corp." on July 6, 2020.

Filament is an exclusively-natural psychedelic drug discovery and extraction company. Its mission is to see safe, approved, natural psychedelics in the hands of everyone who needs them as soon as possible. Filament believes measurable and efficacious medicines will be a catalyst to addressing many of the world's mental health problems and that natural psychedelics provide an optimal option for widespread adoption of these substances. Filament engages in natural extraction technology and commercialization, utilizing its intellectual property portfolio, in-house good manufacturing practices and a Health Canada psilocybin Dealer's License. Filament is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia.

As of the date hereof, there are 148,389,369 Filament Common Shares outstanding. The following persons own, control or direct 10% or more of the outstanding Filament Common Shares:





Name of Shareholder Number of Filament Common Shares Beneficially Owned, or Controlled or Directed, Directly or Indirectly Percentage of Filament Common Shares Beneficially Owned, or Controlled or Directed, Directly or Indirectly Ben Lightburn 70,989,802 47.8% Tom Kineshanko 33,833,333 22.8%

Proposed Directors and Senior Management Team

Upon the closing of the Amalgamation, it is anticipated that Greg Mills (Chair), Ben Lightburn, Chris Wagner, Maureen O'Connell and Jon Conlin will constitute the Board of Directors of the Resulting Issuer. It is also anticipated that the new senior management team of the Resulting Issuer will be comprised of Ben Lightburn (Chief Executive Officer), Tom Kineshanko (President), Warren Duncan (Chief Financial Officer), Lisa Ranken (Chief Operating Officer), Ryan Moss (Director of Research) and Jon Conlin (Corporate Secretary).

The following are brief resumes of the currently proposed directors and senior officers of the Resulting Issuer following the Amalgamation:

Gregory Mills - Age 59 - Chair of the Board of Directors

Mills has nearly 35 years of experience in capital markets, including 20 years with RBC Capital Markets LLC. During his time at RBC Capital Markets, Mr. Mills served as Managing Director of RBC Capital Markets Global Equities, Director of RBC USA Holdco Corporation, member of the RBC Capital Markets Operating Comm, and RBC Capital Markets' Capital Commitment and Global Risk committees. Mr. Mills is currently the Chairman of the board of directors of Sundial Growers Inc., Director of the Aequitas Innovations Inc., Director of Frontier Lithium Inc. and a capital markets advisor to Portag3 Ventures L.P.

Mr. Mills received a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Windsor.

Mr. Mills will devote the time necessary to perform the work required in connection with serving as chair of board of the directors of the Resulting Issuer.

Ben Lightburn - Age 35 - Chief Executive Officer, Director & Co-Founder

Mr. Lightburn has 15 years of experience in the natural health and technology sectors. Mr. Lightburn was previously the Chief Executive Officer of Mazza Innovation Ltd. ("Mazza"), which was focused on the commercialization of a phytochemical extraction technology called the PhytoClean Method. Mr. Lightburn raised over $10 million in angel and venture capital and over $2 million in non-dilutive financing from local and international investors, recorded three successive years of triple-digit revenue growth (with two years of over $1 million growth), grew the team from 8 to 28 employees, developed partnerships with leading multinationals such as BASF and Givaudan, and added several patents to the portfolio relating to existing and new technologies. In 2018 Mazza was sold to Sensient Technologies Corp. (NYSE: SXT) for $26 million.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Lightburn was the Business Manager at Radient Technologies Inc. He managed technicians and chemists who produced high value plant extracts for use as active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Mr. Lightburn received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Sauder School of Business at UBC and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Physics from Queen's University.

Chris Wagner - Age 53 - Director

Mr Wagner has over 25 years of experience in commercialization and product development in the life sciences industry. Mr. Wagner is currently the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ImmunoFlex Inc. and focused on immune system genomics. Mr. Wagner was recently Chief Executive Officer and a director of Emerald Health Therapeutics, where they filed 17 patents, launched an international brand, and increased the market capitalization by 400%. Prior to Emerald, Mr. Wagner held several executive positions including Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Canexia Health (currently selling its medical products globally), Chief Executive Officer of Sirius Genomics (sold to a strategic investor), Vice President of Business Development of Aspreva Pharmaceuticals (sold to a strategic investor), and Global Team Leader at Eli Lilly.

Mr. Wagner is an Accredited director and received a Bachelor of Science in Organic Chemistry from UBC.

Maureen O'Connell - Age 59 - Director

It is expected that Maureen O'Connell will become a director of Filament at the annual and special meeting of the holders of Filament Common Shares to be held on June 18, 2021. With over 35 years of experience, Ms. O'Connell has held progressively more senior roles in public companies, with the most recent position being Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Scholastic Corporation. Currently, Ms. O'Connell is Chair of the Board of Acacia Research Corporation and serves on the board of ISACA. Previously, Ms. O'Connell served on the Board of Harte Hanks Inc. (Chair of the Compensation Committee and member of Audit Committee), Sucampo Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (Chair of Audit Committee and member of Compensation Committee).

Ms. O'Connell received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Economics from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University and is a certified public accountant.

Jon Conlin - Age 36 - Director

Mr. Conlin is a Partner at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP in the Securities & Technology Group. Mr. Conlin brings over 10 years of financing, M&A, and corporate governance experience, with expertise in the life sciences, mental health and cannabis sectors. In recent years, Mr. Conlin has led venture capital, private equity and other strategic transactions for high growth companies totalling over $1 billion. Mr. Conlin has served as an officer in multiple public and private companies. Mr. Conlin is currently the corporate secretary for, among other companies, Lungpacer Medical Inc. (a venture-backed medical device company headquartered in Exton, PA, USA), Starling Minds Inc. (a venture-backed digital mental health therapy technology company headquartered in Vancouver, BC) and Alavida Health Ltd. (a venture-backed addiction treatment technology company headquartered in Vancouver, BC).

Mr. Conlin received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government from Washington State University and a Juris Doctor from UBC.

Mr. Tom Kineshanko - Age 36 - President

Mr. Kineshanko brings 12 years of experience as a founder, executive, and director in regulated frontier markets to Filament. Most recently, Mr. Kineshanko co-founded Protos Asset Management where he helped the team successfully launch and raise approximately $10 million for the first fully SEC compliant tokenized hedge fund (the PRTS token).

Mr. Kineshanko has been a seed round investor in over fifty start-ups from Ethereum to Argo Blockchain (Founding Member of the Board of Advisors) that have grown to greater than $50 million in total market capitalization.

Mr. Kineshanko received a Joint Honours BBA (Finance and Geography) from Simon Fraser University.

Mr. Kineshanko will devote the time necessary to perform the work required in connection with serving as a President of the Resulting Issuer.

Warren Duncan - Age 31 - Chief Financial Officer

Warren Duncan brings a wealth of experience in capital markets, transaction advisory, and accounting. Previously, Mr. Duncan spent over four years in investment banking at Cormark Securities Inc. where he acted as an underwriter on over 75 financings raising greater than $6.5 billion in aggregate proceeds with significant go-public experience.

Prior to Cormark Securities Inc. , Mr. Duncan spent approximately five years at Ernst & Young Global Limited between the Private Mid Market Audit Practice and the Transaction Advisory Services. Mr. Duncan serves as a Director for the Tusarnaarniq Sivumut Association Music for the Future non-profit organization which delivers youth music programs to communities in Nunavut, Canada.

Mr. Duncan received a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen's University and holds the Chartered Professional Accountant designation.

Lisa Ranken - Age 38 - Chief Operating Officer

Lisa Ranken is the Chief Operating Officer of Filament. Ms. Ranken has spent her career honing operations and leading teams in rapidly growing industries. Ms. Ranken's expertise and success in new technology start-ups show that she is a master of solving complex business challenges. Most recently, Ms. Ranken led the commercialization of a patented extraction technology through acquisition and supported the successful advancement of the first-of-its-kind low carbon biofuel technology. Ms. Ranken has operational experience in HR, process and workflow design, supply chain, compliance and R&D.

Ms. Ranken is an active member in her community, acting as the President of the Lake Country Health Planning Society and a director on a pet therapy board, Pets and Friends.

Ms. Ranken holds a Bachelor of Engineering (B. Eng) in Chemical Engineering from McGill University and a Master of Engineering (M. Eng) in Process Engineering from New South Wales University. Ms. Ranken also holds the P. Eng designation (Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia).

Ryan Moss - Age 33 - Director of Research

Ryan Moss is the Director of Research at Filament. Mr. Moss brings ten years of R&D experience dealing with all aspects of industrial process chemistry and the scale-up of extraction, purification, and standardization of natural products. Mr. Moss has brought over 20 products from bench-scale to commercialized products in the food, cosmetic and nutraceutical industries. This includes two patents involving the commercial-scale extraction and purification processes using water and aqueous solvent chemistry.

Mr. Moss received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a Master of Science in Chemistry, both from UBC.

Filament Private Placement

Further to the news release of Filament dated May 17, 2021, concurrently with the transactions contemplated by the Amalgamation Agreement and as a condition to completion of the Amalgamation, Filament plans to complete a brokered and non-brokered private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $10,000,000 through the issuance of up to 25,000,000 subscription receipts ("Subscription Receipts") and units (each, a "Filament Unit") at a price of $0.40 per security, or such other amount and price as may be determined by the Filament (the "Private Placement").

In connection with the brokered Private Placement, Filament has entered into an agreement with Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. and Canaccord Genuity Corp. (collectively, the "Agents") to act on a commercially reasonable best-efforts basis to complete the offering of Subscription Receipts upon terms and conditions to be superseded by a formal agency agreement between Filament and the Agents.

The Private Placement is expected to close in multiple tranches with the first tranche of approximately 12,500,000 Subscription Receipts and Filament Units (for aggregate proceeds of approximately $5,000,000) expected to close on June 11, 2021 or such other date as mutually determined by Filament and the Agents.

The Subscription Receipts will be created and issued pursuant to the terms of the subscription receipt agreement (the "Subscription Receipt Agreement") between, inter alios, Computershare Trust Company of Canada, as subscription receipt agent (the "Subscription Receipt Agent"), Filament and the Agents. Each Subscription Receipt will be automatically converted, without payment of additional consideration or further action by the holder thereof, into one Unit, subject to adjustment in certain events, immediately prior to the completion of the Amalgamation upon the satisfaction or waiver of certain Escrow Release Conditions (as defined in the Subscription Receipt Agreement) at or before the Outside Date (as defined in the Subscription Receipt Agreement).

Each Filament Unit is comprised of one Filament Common Share and one-half of one Filament Warrant. Each whole Filament Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Filament Common Share at a price equal to $0.60 at any time on or before the date which is 24 months after the Escrow Release Conditions have been satisfied.

Subject to certain assumptions discussed under the Amalgamation Agreement, the Filament Common Shares and Filament Warrants comprising the Filament Units will be exchanged for Resulting Issuer Shares and Resulting Issuer Warrants (as such term is defined in the Amalgamation Agreement) in accordance with the terms of the Amalgamation.

A portion of the gross proceeds of the brokered Private Placement, being the Escrowed Funds, will be held in escrow by the Subscription Receipt Agent, in accordance with the Subscription Receipt Agreement and will be released to Filament upon the satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions, provided that the Escrow Release Conditions are satisfied at or prior to the Outside Date.

In consideration for their services in connection with the brokered Private Placement, Filament shall pay the Agents a cash commission equal to 6.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds from the sale of the Subscription Receipts (3.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds of the issue and sale to the president's list), 50% of which commission will be paid on the closing of the brokered Private Placement and the remaining 50% of which commission to be deposited in escrow. As additional consideration for the services of the Agents, the Agents will be granted Filament Broker Warrants equal to 6.0% of the aggregate number of Subscription Receipts issued (3.0% of the aggregate number of Subscription Receipts sold to the president's list). Each Filament Broker Warrant is exercisable to acquire one Filament Common Share at a price of $0.40 per share for a period of 24 months from the date the Resulting Issuer Shares are listed on the NEO. The Filament Broker Warrants will be exchanged for an equivalent number of Resulting Issuer Filament Broker Warrants (as such term is defined in the Amalgamation Agreement) pursuant to, and on completion of, the Amalgamation.

The 396 Placement

Prior to the completion of the Amalgamation, 396 is expected to complete a private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $20,000 through the issuance of approximately 50,000 396 Common Shares at a price of $0.40 per 396 Common Share, or such other amount and price as may be determined by 396 and Filament (the "396 Placement").

Further Information

396 and Filament will provide further details in respect of the Amalgamation, Private Placement and 396 Placement in due course by way of a subsequent news release, however, 396 and Filament will make available to NEO, all information, including financial information, as may be requested or required by the NEO.

All information contained in this news release with respect to 396 and Filament was supplied by the respective party, for inclusion herein, without independent review by the other party, and each party and its directors and officers have relied on the other party for any information concerning the other party.

Completion of the Amalgamation is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, NEO acceptance and if applicable pursuant to NEO requirements. The Amalgamation cannot close until the required Filament shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Amalgamation or the Private Placement will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular of Filament to be prepared in connection with the Amalgamation, any information released or received with respect to the Amalgamation may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of the Resulting Issuer should be considered highly speculative.

The NEO has not in any way passed upon the merits of the proposed Amalgamation and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

For further information, please contact:

James Ward

Chief Executive Officer

1287396 B.C. Ltd.

Email: james@wardfinancial.ca

Ben Lightburn

Chief Executive Officer, director and Co-Founder

Filament Ventures Corp.

Email: ben@filament.health

Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements or information include but are not limited to statements or information with respect to: the Private Placement and 396 Placement, including amounts anticipated to be raised thereunder; the Escrow Release Conditions and the use of net proceeds therefrom; the terms and conditions of the Amalgamation, including receipt of NEO and shareholder approval; the details of any securities issuances, exchanges or cancellations; the anticipated directors, officers and insiders of the Resulting Issuer; and the closing of the Amalgamation. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use of words such as "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information.

With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, 396 and Filament have made numerous assumptions including among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions of Filament and the market in which it operates. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive.

Although management of 396 and Filament believe that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. These factors include, but are not limited to: risks relating to the Private Placement and 396 Placement; risks relating to the receipt of all requisite approvals for the Amalgamation and/or other ancillary transactions, including the approval of Filament and 396 shareholders and the NEO; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time. 396 and Filament do not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. 396 and Filament assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release.

Not for distribution to U.S. news wire services or for dissemination in the United States

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86975
Strongly recommends shareholders vote only the GREEN proxy FOR all six of the Concerned Shareholders' Nominee's Slate of exceptionally qualified director nominees no later than 5:00pm (Toronto Time) on June 24, 2021.

proxy all six of the Concerned Shareholders' Nominee's Slate of exceptionally qualified director nominees no later than 5:00pm (Toronto Time) on June 24, 2021. Provides 90 Day Plan to change direction of Fancamp and create shareholder value.

Reminds shareholders voting for our highly qualified Nominee Slate of Concerned Shareholder is voting AGAINST the dilutive ScoZinc Transaction.

the dilutive ScoZinc Transaction. Shareholders with questions on voting should contact Gryphon Advisors Inc. at 1-833-461-3651 toll free in North America (1-416-902-5565 by collect call) or email us at inquiries@gryphonadvisors.ca.

Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Incumbent director of Fancamp, Peter H. Smith, who, together with joint actors James Hunter and his affiliates, Mark Fekete and Heather Hannan, (the "Concerned Shareholders") hold in aggregate, directly and indirectly an aggregate of 22,285,597 shares, representing approximately 12.63% of Fancamp Exploration Ltd.'s ("Fancamp" or the "Company") issued and outstanding common shares, has SEDAR filed its Concerned Shareholders circular (the "Circular") today and has commenced the mailing of the Circular and its accompanying letter to shareholders. The letter carefully lays out its plan to create shareholder value and return Fancamp to its core business of being an exploration company. Furthermore, the letter strongly recommends that shareholders vote only the GREEN proxy for all of the Concerned Shareholders Nominee Slate of highly qualified director nominees.

YOUR CHOICE IS SIMPLE. A vote for the entrenched management slate is giving your support for the highly dilutive, self-serving and non-arm's length transaction with ScoZinc Mining Ltd. (the "ScoZinc Transaction"). Voting for our highly qualified Nominee Slate of Concerned Shareholder's is voting AGAINST the ScoZinc Transaction.

If we are successful, our Nominee Slate will refuse to close the ScoZinc Transaction, right this ship and act as proper stewards of YOUR investment to ultimately increase shareholder value.

For ease of reference the letter to shareholders is below in its full entirety.

Letter to Fancamp Exploration Ltd. Shareholders

Dear Fellow Fancamp Shareholder,

Your investment in Fancamp Exploration Ltd. (the "Company" or "Fancamp") is at a crossroad. At the upcoming Annual General Meeting (the "Meeting") of the shareholders of the Company (the "Shareholders"), it will be up to YOU to determine the future of YOUR Company. As a Shareholder you have two distinct choices:

Elect our slate of nominee directors (the "Nominee Slate") and choose a strategy that moves the Company forward with a continuing plan to create significant value, strengthening of the current operations of the Company as an exploration company that is focused on developing its valuable portfolio of assets and act in the best interests of the Company and its Shareholders, rather than pivoting to questionable, otherwise unfinanceable mining operations. Furthermore, this choice allows you to oppose the proposed highly dilutive business combination with ScoZinc Mining Ltd. ("ScoZinc") (the "Transaction") - that is - THE SCOZINC TRANSACTION WILL NOT BE COMPLETED;

OR

Elect the nominees put forth by the entrenched board and management (the "Entrenched Slate") and choose a self-serving plan that only benefits the incumbent board and management at the expense of the true owners of the Company. You have had a front seat view of what the incumbent board and management are willing to do to entrench themselves at YOUR expense. Their decisions and actions over the last seven months have shown you the utter disregard they have for the true owners of the Company. If YOU choose the Entrenched Slate, you will continue to see transactions that further entrench the incumbent board and management and reward their friends and cronies all at YOUR expense. THE SCOZINC TRANSACTION WILL BE COMPLETED.

This proxy fight is very simple once you peel back all the rhetoric that the incumbent board and management have been spouting - it is whether YOU as the true owner of this Company wish to approve a plan of arrangement the Company has entered into with ScoZinc which has been determined to not offer any value to YOU the current owners of the Company but instead is a financial drain on the Company's assets and which personally benefits Mr. Mehra, in the amount of $1,400,000 (as buried at the end of the management information circular). Furthermore, the incumbent board and management entered into this Transaction without once thinking about YOUR investment in the Company. They only contemplated their own personal interests. They saw this Transaction as an opportunity to further entrench themselves and to distract Shareholders from their recent persistent egregious behavior aimed at forcing the Transaction through at your expense and atrocious, unwarranted, unfounded personal attacks against the one board member willing to stand up for you.

Additionally, what Management failed to tell you was the Transaction will result in the issuance of approximately 84.5 million shares to bring the Fancamp issued and outstanding share count to approximately 250.5 million, representing dilution to existing Fancamp shareholders of 33.7%. On a fully diluted basis existing Fancamp Shareholders will be giving 44.3% of YOUR company to ScoZinc shareholders and the share structure will increase to 317.0 million shares!

To be crystal clear, this proxy fight is in essence, your only chance to have a say on the Transaction. A vote for the Entrenched Slate is giving your support for the ScoZinc Transaction. Voting for our highly qualified Nominee Slate is voting AGAINST the ScoZinc Transaction. If we are successful, the Nominee Slate will refuse to close the Transaction with ScoZinc, right this ship and act as proper stewards of YOUR investment to ultimately increase shareholder value.

The behaviour of Mr. Billings, Mr. Mehra, Mr. Ankorn and Mr. Sharma highlight the lack of respect they have for Fancamp Shareholders and underscores that these individuals feel that they can do whatever they want. It is clear they have forgotten their accountability to Shareholders and apparently feel they can manipulate various rules and policies that are in place to protect shareholders to their advantage with impunity. This must stop, and it must stop now.

After a review of the facts set out in this circular, and reviewing our proposed extremely highly qualified Nominee Slate, it should be clear to Shareholders that the best - and only - way to protect YOUR interests and to support value creation is to vote FOR all of the Concerned Shareholders' resolutions using only the GREEN proxy.

Vote Using the GREEN Proxy FOR the Right Strategy, a Clear Path Forward and the Right Board of Directors

While continuing to execute on the optimal strategy, the group of concerned shareholders (the "Concerned Shareholders") comprised of Peter H. Smith, James Hunter and his affiliates, Mark Fekete and Heather Hannan, are taking action to strengthen the board and improve its corporate governance. The first step in strengthening the board is to provide Shareholders with a slate of nominees that are highly skilled and have the relevant experience to make Fancamp stronger across the board. The Nominee Slate of highly qualified and experienced professionals bring significant mining, regulatory, capital markets and financing skills that will represent the interests of the Company and ALL Shareholders and when compared to the Entrenched Slate and management the choice will be crystal clear. You will find more information about our nominees in this Circular but by way of introduction the members of our Nominee Slate are as follows:

Dr. Peter Henderson Smith : Dr. Smith was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Fancamp from January 1986 until November 2012, and from October 2014 until August 2020. He was also Chairman from 1986 -2010 and from October 2012 to October 2019.

: Dr. Smith was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Fancamp from January 1986 until November 2012, and from October 2014 until August 2020. He was also Chairman from 1986 -2010 and from October 2012 to October 2019. Mr. James Hunter : Mr. Hunter is currently a Realtor with EXP Realty Ltd., a position held since January 2021. Mr. Hunter is also the president of Llewellyn Holdings Ltd., a private investment company. Mr. Hunter has been a licensed power engineer since 1982.

: Mr. Hunter is currently a Realtor with EXP Realty Ltd., a position held since January 2021. Mr. Hunter is also the president of Llewellyn Holdings Ltd., a private investment company. Mr. Hunter has been a licensed power engineer since 1982. Mr. Louis Doyle : Mr. Doyle is executive Director of Quebec Bourse the association regrouping Quebec based listed companies and other markets stakeholders, a position he has held for 5 years. Before, Mr. Doyle spent 15 years as the Vice-President, Montreal of TSX Venture Exchange. During his tenure, he acted as chairman of TSX Venture Listing Committee and was a member of the Policy committee.

: Mr. Doyle is executive Director of Quebec Bourse the association regrouping Quebec based listed companies and other markets stakeholders, a position he has held for 5 years. Before, Mr. Doyle spent 15 years as the Vice-President, Montreal of TSX Venture Exchange. During his tenure, he acted as chairman of TSX Venture Listing Committee and was a member of the Policy committee. Mr. Mark Fekete : Mr. Fekete is the President of Breakaway Exploration Management Inc., a company that provides consulting services to the exploration industry. He is currently President and CEO of Auston Capital Corp., a TSX Venture capital pool company. He will also be the CEO of Fancamp once the Meeting is over and we are successful.

: Mr. Fekete is the President of Breakaway Exploration Management Inc., a company that provides consulting services to the exploration industry. He is currently President and CEO of Auston Capital Corp., a TSX Venture capital pool company. He will also be the CEO of Fancamp once the Meeting is over and we are successful. Mr . Mathieu Stephens: Mr. Stephens was the President and CEO of UrbanGold Minerals Inc. UrbanGold was very recently acquired by Troilus Gold Corporation and Mr. Stephens is now acting as a consultant during the transition period.

. Mr. Stephens was the President and CEO of UrbanGold Minerals Inc. UrbanGold was very recently acquired by Troilus Gold Corporation and Mr. Stephens is now acting as a consultant during the transition period. Mr. Greg Ferron: Mr. Ferron was the director and CEO of Treasury Metals Inc. from September 2018 until November 2020 following the First Mining Inc. transaction. Previously, from 2011 to 2018 he was the Vice President Corporate Development and Investor Relations at Laramide Resources Ltd. and Treasury Metals Inc. He is currently a director at Platinex Inc. and provides corporate development and advisory services to mining clients including Northern Sun Mining, Platinex and Maxtech Ventures.

As you will see, the Nominee Slate not only bring years of experience and expertise, they are extremely knowledgeable about the industry and understand what it means to be a director of a public company. They understand what their fiduciary duties are and will always put Fancamp first.

Vote Using the GREEN Proxy FOR the Right Strategy, and a Clear Path Forward and the Right Board of Directors

The proposed strategy and 90-day execution plan for the Company (which is further outlined in greater detail in the Circular) will build positive momentum and offer several avenues to significant value creation for ALL Shareholders such as:

Completing a CFO search.

Implementing good corporate governance practices such as chartering committees, adopting a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and conducting a review of the Company's articles to ensure that they are in accordance with current standards to avoid the misuse that resulted in the appointment of Mr. Sharma as a board member and other abuses that have been displayed by the Entrenched Slate in their efforts to maintain control of the Company and complete the Transaction.

Strengthening the technical, marketing and management capacity of the executive team to fully exploit the Company's impressive exploration portfolio.

Executing aggressive, disciplined, innovative exploration guided by clear objectives to create value, leverage investment risk and maximize the probability of long-term success.

Monetizing the existing portfolio by farming out property interests in exchange for cash, securities and work expenditures.

Leveraging the strong balance sheet to uncover transactions, forge alliances and form joint venture partnerships to expand the asset pipeline and generate new value-added opportunities for Shareholders.

Launching a marketing strategy to communicate the value of the Company to financial institutions and retail investors.

Refusing to complete the Transaction and, if required, pay the unfortunate break fees agreed to by the entrenched board and management in their efforts to force the Transaction through.

The incumbent board and management have intentionally downplayed the potential of the Company's property portfolio and halted any meaningful exploration work to bolster its narrative in support of the ScoZinc Transaction. The Nominee Slate, when elected, will give the new executive team a clear mandate to immediately implement an aggressive, surface exploration plan to catch up for lost time and missed opportunities. The goal of this work will be to develop technically solid targets on several properties to be drilled within a six-month time frame. This work will focus primarily on projects in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt of Quebec but will also include work on projects in New Brunswick and the Gaspe region of Quebec. New management will also be given the authority to promote the Company's exploration assets to attract transactions or joint venture partnerships. The current mantra of dysfunction, inactivity and self-dealing will be replaced by good corporate governance, team effort, decisive action and a commitment to unlock the inherent value of the Company.

Protect Your Investment by WITHHOLDING from Voting for Any of the Entrenched Slate and Voting FOR the Nominee Slate Using Only the GREEN Proxy.

The Entrenched Slate have already shown you who and what they are. A group of individuals that have one common goal - to enrich and entrench themselves at YOUR expense. They have constantly been trying to pull the wool over YOUR eyes by falsely stating:

That they had a valid reason for requesting an unjustifiable extension from the BC Registrar of Companies of the time within which it is required to hold its annual general meeting ("AGM") for the year 2020 by six month from December 31, 2020 to June 30, 2021. The truth is that the only reason why this request was made was that they were hoping to close the Transaction without Fancamp Shareholder approval and without the true owners of Fancamp having an opportunity to vote on the board at the AGM as they knew that Shareholders wanted change. Under their plan current Shareholders would have been diluted by 6:1 and with the new shareholder base YOUR voice would not have mattered at the upcoming Meeting and the incumbent management and board would have had enough support to get their scheme through. Further, the Company misled the Shareholders as to the expected timing of holding the AGM. These efforts failed only because of the extensive submissions made by Dr. Smith to the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") which resulted in the TSXV requiring that the Company not close the Transaction until Shareholders have a vote at their long overdue AGM.



They falsely claim that the Transaction is not dilutive. In all public communications the incumbent board and management refused to clearly state to its owners that the Transaction is highly dilutive. The Entrenched Slate and management refused to state plainly for shareholders the basic fact that the Transaction will result in the issue of approximately 84.5 million shares to bring the Fancamp issued and outstanding share count to approximately 250.5 million representing dilution to existing Fancamp Shareholders of 33.7%. On a fully diluted basis existing Fancamp Shareholders will be giving 44.3% of THEIR company to ScoZinc shareholders and the share structure will increase to an aggregate of 317.0 million shares! When asked or pressed their response is filled with words that in the end are there to confuse and baffle its audience when the very truth of the matter is that Fancamp Shareholders will be severely diluted. Furthermore, it is precisely this dilution that the Entrenched Slate and management are counting on to entrench their position and ensure their ability to maintain their positions in the face of the Concerned Shareholders' wish to see them removed. In addition to the substantial dilution Fancamp Shareholders will suffer, they will also see the Company's assets put toward the substantial costs of approximately $30 million to develop the mine over the next year which is approximately the same amount as Fancamp's current assets.



They repeatedly falsely stated that the Transaction went through a transparent, credible and thorough "process" with input from independent financial and legal advisors. The truth is Fancamp did not have independent financial and legal advisors until Dr. Smith's complaints to the regulators brought the matter before the British Columbia Securities Commission. The only financial advisors that the entrenched board and management have disclosed to date are Ernst & Young Global Limited who were retained by management, prior to disclosure of the proposed Transaction to the independent members of Fancamp's board of directors, and without prior board approval. By definition, an "independent advisor" to an issuer's board would be independent of that issuer's management. Further, despite repeated calls for disclosure, Fancamp has refused to disclose the fairness opinion it obtained. Dr. Smith obtained an expert opinion identifying serious flaws with the fairness opinion that Fancamp's entrenched board and management claim to rely upon. However, with respect to independent legal advisors, the incumbent board and management publicly disclosed that the only legal advisors to Fancamp are corporate counsel Lavery de Billy, LLP. Under the terms of the arrangement agreement in respect of the proposed Transaction, ScoZinc was required to work with Fancamp's legal counsel to prepare its management information circular to be provided to ScoZinc's shareholders in connection with their review and approval of the proposed Transaction (an opportunity that Fancamp's board is denying its own shareholders). In other words, Fancamp's legal counsel was providing corporate and securities law legal advice to ScoZinc, while also advising Fancamp, in connection with the proposed Transaction. That is what they call "independent advice". The process was fundamentally flawed and involved conflicted board members, included numerous failures to disclose fundamental information to the independent board members relating to this non-arm's length Transaction. Notably, in the management information circular, the Company says that under applicable stock exchange policies, the Transaction is an arm's length Transaction despite having conceded in its February 18, 2021 news release announcing the Transaction that "it will be a non-arm's length transaction pursuant to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange".



They falsely claim and point the finger at Dr. Smith to say that he has a self-serving agenda to take over the Company and destroy shareholder value and that he has failed to comply with duty of confidentiality. The truth is that ever since Dr. Smith first requested and demanded that the board and management of Fancamp consider Shareholders' interests and rights with respect to the highly dilutive Transaction, the entrenched Fancamp board and management stopped paying him as per the terms of his consulting agreement as a part of their continued bully tactics and threats that verge on intimidation if he was not going to align himself with THEIR self-serving agenda. They say that Dr. Smith was asked to resign before he was advised of the Transaction, but they do not say that the plan by Mr. Mehra and Mr. Billings relating to the ScoZinc Transaction began in August, 2019, when they joined the board of ScoZinc within months of each other (along with Mr. Haywood becoming a director and Mr. Candrea joining ScoZinc, who will both join Fancamp if the Transaction completes) and Mr. Mehra acquiring his substantial position in ScoZinc.



Dr. Smith has given more than half of his life to the betterment of this Company. He has steered this Company in the right direction to the best of his abilities and now the Entrenched Slate and management are trying to impugn his reputation that he has worked so hard to build. Once they were aware that Dr. Smith was not going to play their game, they fired him, alleging cause which does not exist. They have now commenced frivolous legal actions against Dr. Smith as another form of intimidation and in an effort to financially ruin him, just as the Board had threatened. In response to any request to resolve matters, Dr. Smith repeatedly requested that Shareholders be given a chance to vote on the Transaction. The primary damage claimed by the Company is that Dr. Smith sold shares of Champion Iron Ltd ("CIA"). The fact is that these shares were sold over an extended period of which the current board was fully aware in order to fund exploration expenses and avoid dilution to YOU the Shareholders. Ironically, it was through staking activities that Dr. Smith was responsible for, that the Company obtained the CIA shares in the first place. Shareholders should also be suspicious of the fact that the Company chose to establish a special committee to investigate Dr. Smith AFTER commencing legal proceedings against him. Moreover, they describe the Special Committee as made up of disinterested members, but it includes Mr. Billings who was on the ScoZinc board until 2 days before the first vote on the Transaction by the Fancamp board.

The Entrenched Slate and management continue to issue press releases trying to imply that Dr. Smith and the Nominee Slate are not independent and will not comply with requests the Entrenched Slate's counsel has put forward regarding additional information required under their outdated advanced notice policy ("ANP") in an attempt to try to invalidate our Nominee Slate. Further, the Company is misleading in its description of the Nominee's Slate's responses in the management information circular and intentionally included the initial version of the Concerned Shareholder's notice of nominations which was submitted prior to the questions from Management being asked and did not contain the responses that were, in fact provided by the members of the Nominee Slate, despite Dr. Smith's request to do so. The Nominee Slate did not say that it would not continue the investigation or proceedings against Dr. Smith, but instead that it did not have sufficient information to respond to the request and would make that determination after being fully informed. Befitting of their style they are asking the Nominee Slate to confirm that they will continue the investigation against Dr. Smith if they are to win, they are asking the nominee Slate to confirm that they will not reimburse themselves for the costs of the proxy fight if they are successful - a right they have legally to pursue. Yet the Entrenched Slate continues to misuse corporate funds through the use of FOUR law firms and KPMG to try to further entrench themselves as they are unable to accept the inevitable. Shareholders must be skeptical of why such funds are being spent to pursue Dr. Smith when the main allegation against Dr. Smith relates to the sale of the CIA share at what the Company alleges were inopportune times.

Dr. Smith has always believed that the Company's long-term shareholders will be rewarded for their support and has endeavoured to keep the Company's assets intact and under one roof. Their description of Dr. Smith after he has worked with the current directors for the better part of eight years including Debra Chapman, CFO for 35 years is unrecognizable. The picture they are trying to paint of Dr. Smith is so inaccurate it is laughable and if any of their frivolous claims were true, what does it say about them as they have worked alongside Dr. Smith for a number of years and not once ever had an issue. Furthermore, if any of these claims were true it would bring to question the role of the CFO and other board members for not being true fiduciaries of the Company. Basically, if any of their claims are true it would be a logical conclusion that the incumbent board and management lied to regulators, auditors and YOU the Shareholders and should be held accountable for their role. Notably, the Company asks that you reappoint MNP LLP who have been the auditors since 2011 and that the members of the audit committee, Mr. Billings, Mr. Mehra and Mr. Ankorn remain the same. If the allegations were true, it is clear that the audit committee failed in its purpose to "assist the Board in its oversight of the integrity of the Company's financial statements and other relevant public disclosures, the Corporation's compliance with legal and regulatory requirements." This is consistent with Mr. Billings failings in connection with other companies in which he is involved as Mr. Billings had a cease trade order issued against him in May, 2021, and was also a director of a company that was subject to a year-long cease trade order by the British Columbia Securities Commission in 2015-2016 for failing to file its mandatory documents.

The list of lies and deception go on and on outlining the numerous falsehoods and deceit that the Entrenched Slate and management are willing to spew all in an attempt to pull the wool over YOUR eyes. The lies go so far and the disrespect to YOU runs so deep that Mr. Mehra did not feel the need to disclose that in addition to being a director of ScoZinc, he is also a large shareholder of ScoZinc and, as a result, stands to benefit personally from the completion of the Transaction. Furthermore, there has been no mention in Fancamp's disclosure that Mark Billings was a director of both companies until he resigned from ScoZinc's board on December 2, 2020, inexplicably less than one month after being re-elected as a director at ScoZinc's annual general meeting held on November 3, 2020, and two days before the first vote by the Company relating to the Transaction. All this means that both Mr. Mehra and Billings are conflicted with respect to the Transaction.

The only way to stop this type of behaviour is to usher in a new board of directors with relevant skills, expertise and experience that will act in the best interest of the Company and its Shareholders to seek out opportunities that will increase shareholder value as opposed to decreasing shareholder value.

We had hoped that we could force the incumbent board and management to show fairness to Fancamp Shareholders and hold a meeting to allow shareholders to vote to approve the Transaction. However, the incumbent board and management refused to consider YOUR ownership and your right to preserve YOUR investment (which in some individual cases is more ownership than any of them). The incumbent board and management had hoped that they could have rushed this Transaction through, dilute the true owners and get away with this. Unfortunately, Fancamp has not been ordered to get Shareholder approval for the Transaction but the TSXV has made it very clear that Fancamp will not receive TSXV approval to close the Transaction unless the AGM is held. By requiring that Shareholders have their say on the composition of the board before the Entrenched Slate and management can force a closing of the Transaction YOU are being given an opportunity to have a say on whether YOU approve the highly dilutive Transaction. Ultimately the TSXV has given YOU the opportunity to vote on the Transaction without actually voting on the Transaction.

As a Shareholder you now have an opportunity to be heard and have a say on the Transaction. By voting for the Concerned Shareholder's Nominee Slate YOU are voting to change the current direction of Fancamp and return it to its exploration roots. By voting for the Nominee Slate you are also voting on whether you wish to approve the ScoZinc Transaction. If we are successful at the AGM, the Nominee Slate will not close the ScoZinc Transaction. If you vote for Management's Entrenched Slate you are ultimately voting for the ScoZinc Transaction and voting for an entrenched board and management that does not have YOUR interest at heart, they seem to only care about their entrenchment at the expense of YOUR investment.

Vote FOR the NOMINEE SLATE and Resolutions Using Only the GREEN Proxy Today

YOU control the Company's future, so it's integral that you vote for all of the Nominee Slate and all resolutions in this Circular, using only the GREEN proxy. Time is of the essence. To ensure that your vote is counted at the Meeting please vote immediately and no later than 5:00pm (Toronto time) on June 24, 2021.

For questions or assistance in voting your proxy, please contact the Concerned Shareholder's proxy solicitation agent, Gryphon Advisors Inc. at 1.833.461.3651 toll-free in North America (1.416.902.5565 by collect call) or by email at inquiries@gryphonadvisors.ca.

We believe that the future is bright and that we are just getting started. Thank you for your continued support as we take the right path to value creation for ALL Shareholders.

Sincerely,

(signed) "Concerned Shareholders"

Advisors

Farris LLP are acting as legal advisors to Dr. Peter Smith and Gryphon Advisors Inc., are acting as their strategic shareholder communications and proxy advisor. Gryphon's responsibility will include providing strategic advice and advising the Concerned Shareholders with respect to the Meeting and proxy protocol.

The registered address of Fancamp is located at 3200 - 650 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 4P7. The mailing and head office address of Fancamp is 7290 Gray Avenue, Burnaby, British Columbia V5J 3Z2. A copy of this press release may be obtained on Fancamp's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

For more information regarding the Concerned Shareholders' position please contact:

Gryphon Advisors Inc.

Tel: 1-833-461-3651

Email: inquiries@gryphonadvisors.ca

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86972
Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - June 8, 2021) - Quantum eMotion Inc. (TSXV: QNC) (formerly Quantum Numbers Corp.) ("Quantum" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce the results of its annual and special meeting of shareholders held on May 27, 2021 (the "Meeting").

At the Meeting, the shareholders voted in favour of the adoption of a special resolution approving and authorizing the corporate name change to "Quantum eMotion Inc.". The Corporation's common shares are expected to commence trading on the TSX Venture under the new name, CUSIP 74767K103 and ISIN number CA74767K1030 on or around June 14, 2021. The stock symbol remains the same.

No action is required to be taken by shareholders with respect to the name change. Outstanding common shares certificates are not affected by the name change and do not need to be exchanged.

Shareholders have also voted in favor of all other matters presented at the Meeting, being: (i) the election of the directors nominated by management namely, Francis Bellido, Edward Lawrence Moore, Luc Paquet, Scott Rickards and Marc Rousseau; (ii) the appointment of KPMG LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as new auditors of the Corporation for the ensuing year and the authorization to fix their remuneration; and (iii) the adoption of an ordinary resolution approving an amendment to the Corporation's stock option plan, in order to increase to 15,000,000 the number of common shares issuable under such plan, as more particularly described in the management proxy circular of the Corporation dated April 28, 2021 available at www.sedar.com.

About Quantum

The Corporation's mission is to address the growing demand for affordable hardware security for connected devices. The patented solution for a Quantum Random Number Generator exploits the built-in unpredictability of quantum mechanics and promises to provide enhanced security for protecting high value assets and critical systems.

The Corporation intends to target high profile verticals such as Healthcare Services and the technology is also applicable to Financial Services, Cloud-Based IT Security Infrastructure, Classified Government Networks and Communication Systems, Secure Device Keying (IOT, Automotive, Consumer Electronics) and Quantum Cryptography.

For further information, please contact:

Francis Bellido, Chief Executive Officer

Tel: 514.887.5469

Email: info@quantumemotion.com

Website: www.quantumemotion.com

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

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/86986
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2021 / Viva Gold Corp. ("Viva" or the "Company") (TSXV:VAU) announces that it has called a special general meeting of its shareholders (the "Meeting") to consider the business stated in a May 18, 2021 dissident shareholder meeting requisition (the "Requisition") delivered to the Company pursuant to section 167 of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the "Act"). The Meeting is scheduled to be held at 10 a.m. (Pacific Time) on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, at 250 Howe Street, 20th Floor, Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 3R8. To address the requirements of subsection 128(5) of the Act, notice of the date, time and location of the Meeting has today been sent to the Company's registered shareholders. A copy of that Meeting information is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR.

This unfortunate distraction of the Company's time, attention and resources away from its ongoing financing transaction and work to advance its Tonopah project, was necessitated by a dissident group of shareholders seeking to take control of Viva without giving it's majority of shareholders any payment or premium. In due course, and in accordance with the disclosure and timing requirements of the applicable securities laws, the Company intends to prepare and send a management information circular and related proxy materials to its registered and beneficial shareholders.

About Viva Gold Corp.

Viva Gold Corp. is a gold exploration and project development company with a focus on Nevada. Viva holds 100% of the advanced Tonopah Gold Project, a large land position of approximately 8,800 acres with demonstrated high-grade measured, indicated and inferred gold resources, located on the prolific Walker Lane gold trend in Nevada, about 30 kilometers south-east of the Round Mountain mine of Kinross Gold and 20 kilometers north from the Town of Tonopah. Viva's management team has extensive experience in mining exploration, development and production and are supported by a Board of Directors and advisors who are proven mine finders, deal makers and financiers. Viva trades on the TSX-V as "VAU", on the OTCQB in the US as "VAUCF" and on the Frankfurt exchange under "7PB". For additional information on Viva Gold and the Tonopah Gold Project, please visit our website: www.vivagoldcorp.com.

For Further Information, Contact:

James Hesketh, President & CEO

(720) 291-1775

jhesketh@vivagoldcorp.com

Valerie Kimball, Director Investor Relations

(720) 933-1150

vkimball@vivagoldcorp.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information

This news release contains certain information that may constitute forward-looking information or forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking information"). This forward-looking information entails various risks and uncertainties that are based on current expectations, and actual results may differ materially from those contained in such information. These uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, future events, including dissident shareholder actions, that may require the Company to change the date, time or other arrangements for the Meeting, the strength of the global economy; the price of gold; operational, funding and liquidity risks; the potential for achieving targeted drill results, the degree to which mineral resource estimates are reflective of actual mineral resources; the degree to which factors which would make a mineral deposit commercially viable are present; the risks and hazards associated with drilling and mining operations; and the ability of Viva to fund its capital requirements. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the Company's disclosure materials filed with the security's regulatory authorities in Canada available at www.sedar.com. Readers are urged to read these materials. Viva assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such information unless required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

SOURCE: Viva Gold Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/650988/Viva-Gold-Sends-Notice-of-Special-Meeting


OAK BROOK (dpa-AFX) - Florida-based Burger King (QSR), fired shots at Chick-fil-A on Tuesday through their social media posts. The burger chain, known among the netizens for its tongue-in-cheek approach, decided to donate to the Human Rights Campaign during Pride Month, and in the process, took a jab at their orthodox rivals.



Last week, the restaurant chain tweeted that it will donate $0.40 for every Ch'king sandwich sold until the amount reaches $250,000. The tweet proceeded to say that it will continue to donate even on Sundays, the day Chick-fil-A stays closed.



The Human Rights Campaigns is the biggest LBGTQ+ activist society in the country and the month of June is celebrated across the globe as Pride Month. Burger King's jibes are not rare on social media as their rivalry with McDonald's (MCD) is an ever-present element of their marketing strategy. Burger King has made the most of its reputation to support the LGBTQ+ community. Earlier in March, they made headlines with their tweet to announce the hiring of more LGBTQ+ members of the community. In September 2020, Burger King joined hands with McDonald's to show support to the community with a poster of Burger King kissing Ronald McDonald, the mascot of McDonald's, during the Helsinki Pride festival.



While on the contrary, Chick-fil-A has found themselves in the mud for their much known homophobic approach. In 2012, Dan Cathy, CEO of the chain said that the organization supports 'the biblical definition of the family unit.' In March 2014, after the Supreme Court omitted section 3, the Defense of Marriage act, Dan tweeted, 'Sad day for our nation; founding fathers would be ashamed of our gen. to abandon wisdom of the ages re: cornerstone of strong societies.' The tweet was later deleted. Even in 2018, in an interview, Dan made his stance against same-sex marriage. In the United Kingdom as well, the chain has been criticized severely and had to close an outlet in Berkshire after a backlash from the LGBTQ+ activists.



Chick-fil-A has faced criticism before for donating to anti-LGBTQ groups and the company said in 2019 that it will distance itself from such organizations. Burger King's tweet can be seen as a shrewd marketing ploy to show their support to the community and bring back Chick-fil-A's murky past.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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(ASX:DKM)

Hello. Melissa Darmawan for the Finance News Network. Joining me from Danakali (ASX:DNK, LSE:DNK) is Executive Chairman Seamus Cornelius. Seamus, nice to meet you and welcome to FNN.Thanks very much, Melissa. It's great to be here, and I'm really happy to have this opportunity to talk to your viewers.It's great to have you. First off, can you start with an introduction to the company?Danakali is a public company listed on the ASX and on the LSE, and we're developing the Colluli sulphate of potash project in Eritrea, in a joint venture with the Eritrea National Mining Corporation.By the way, where does the name "Danakali" come from?So, the asset, Colluli, is in the Danakil Basin, which is the D-A-N-A part, the "Dana", and then "kali" is salt. So, we just put the two together, Danakali.When we did speak to you last, you were in a financing stage with the project. How has that progressed?With COVID going on last year, we didn't make as much progress as we thought we'd make. But if I start looking at things from this year in March, we've really gone forward really well. We just did a very important capital raise. It was only just over $20 million, but it's very significant because it lets us start the early work, and it will trigger some further developments on the debt side of the project. So, we have US$200 million dollars of debt signed up, properly documented, and we are working on getting some more senior debt, which has been going very well, and closing the equity gap in a very short frame of time.And, Seamus, can you remind us about the economics of the project?Danakali is in a 50/50 joint venture with ENAMCO, which is the Eritrean National Mining Corporation. So, when I talk about the numbers now, I'll talk about Danakali numbers. We will be getting US$43 million per year on an average basis, free cashflow. So, that is fantastic for Danakali. When we have two modules, our free cashflow every year will be US$85 million coming to Danakali. So, that's post-finance, post-tax, those two numbers. Our total capital cost, as defined in our FEED study, is about $302 million. There'll be some working capital on top of that, so you're probably looking at somewhere around, altogether, $340 to $350 million, including contingencies and provisions, and actual capital spend. So, you can do the calculations and see that free cashflow that we get as Danakali is really strong compared to the total project capex, most of which is going to be funded by third-party debt at the project company level. So, we think it's really compelling.How does that stack up in terms of social and environmental impact, and carbon footprint?We're really conscious of the fact that, when you have an asset like Colluli, it will be producing for 200 years, and it's in Eritrea, which is in the Horn of Africa. And we know that there's a lot of population and economic growth coming in that part of the world. And therefore, there's a strong demand for fertiliser. And the fertiliser that we'll produce in the first instance is SOP, sulphate of potash. That's basically the best kind of potash. We're not producing anything other than first-grade fertiliser that goes on first-class food for people to eat, so that's really strong. Besides that, we will indirectly contribute to about 10,000 jobs in Eritrea, which is really significant. The reason I know these numbers, and, more broadly, the kind of impact we will have socially and environmentally, is because very uniquely for us, the United Nations Development Program has done a study just on Colluli. We will have a very positive impact on 13 of the 17 United Nations sustainable development goals. People should look it up. You can find it from the UNDP website Last question. Is there anything else you'd like to add?Most people don't know much about the Danakil, but if they know anything, it's that it's one of the hottest and the driest places in the world. So, we have abundant solar energy. We've been collecting wind data for quite a long time. And, more recently, we've started to talk about the geothermal potential that exists at Colluli, because it's right on top of the East African Rift, which is the really large, well-known, well-studied geothermal source of energy. So, those three things combined make it very obvious for us to transition from not being a zero-carbon producer when we turn the plant on, and going as quickly as we can to becoming a zero-carbon producer. It's part of our whole approach to doing the right thing at Colluli, and making sure that we don't just get the economic benefits, but we get all of the social and environmental and other benefits as well -- for our company, for our shareholders, for our partners, but also for all our consumers. I think people will be very happy to take a zero-carbon Colluli SOP and put it onto their plants. We think that drives real value, and also it helps the environment, and it helps people.Colluli is a really superior asset. It's going to give superior returns, and have superior social and environmental impacts as well. So that's really good. The way that you get involved in Colluli is through Danakali. That's how you can access it. We're committed to honouring the obligations that we have by being involved in an asset like Colluli. These things don't come along very often. As we like to say, there's only one Colluli, and there's only one way to get involved, and that's through Danakali.Seamus Cornelius, it was nice to meet you. I look forward to hearing from you on your next update.Thanks very much, Melissa.United Nations Development Programme report on the potential contributions of Colluli to Eritreas Sustainable Development GoalsDanakali corporate videos: https://www.danakali.com.au/medias/project-videos
InSpace, a Burlington Vt-based provider of a collaborative video conferencing platform that replicates personal interaction between students and teachers in virtual classrooms, raised $6M in two seed funding rounds.

The funding was led by a $2.6 million investment from Boston Seed Capital and $1.5m each from Gutbrain Ventures and PBJ Capital, in addition to other investors including John Abele (co-founder, Boston Scientific); Jeff Seibert and Wayne Chang (co-founders, Crashlytics and Digits); Rick Gibbs (co-founder, Dealer.com); Hovhannes Avoyan and Mikayel Vardanyan (founder and chief product officer, PicsArt); and Andrew Artz (partner at Social Capital).

The company intennds to use the funds to expand its business reach and development efforts.

Launched in 2020 by Dr. Narine Hall, data science assistant professor and academic program director at Champlain College, and software and video engineer Haykanush Lputyan, InSpace provides a collaborative video conferencing platform that replicates personal interaction between students and teachers in virtual classrooms.

It allows participants to create an engaging environment that fosters collaboration. Each person is represented in a video circle that can freely move around the space. When people are next to each other, they can hear and engage in conversation, and as they move away, the audio fades, allowing for one-on-one and group conversations all in one space. As participants zoom out, they can see the entire space, which provides visual social cues. Participants can use Google docs, Miro board and other tools to collaborate without leaving InSpace.

Teachers can speak to everyone when needed, move between individual students and groups for smaller discussions, and place groups of students in audio-isolated rooms for collaboration. Accessibility for all learners is built in to the core platform, which also features multiple levels of security  including end-to-end encryption, daily Secureframe scanning, and 24/7 alerts  to safeguard users against unwanted participants.

InSpace is used by thousands of professors in over 100 universities and K-12 schools worldwide.

The company is headquartered in Burlington, Vermont, with engineers in the U.S. and Armenia.

FinSMEs

08/06/2021
Orbital Internet Group, a London, UK-based provider of independent Internet services, raised a multi million pound funding round.

The round was led by Mobeus via Mobeus Equity Partners Fund IV.

The company intends to use the funds to fast track rollout of ultrafast fibre broadband, especially in rural areas of Kent, position the business to become a Internet Service Provider for Holiday Parks in the UK; and develop its bespoke B2B technology service offerings.

Led by CEO Darren Brown, MD of VFast, Rebecca Brown, Technical Director, Ben Doherty and Finance Director, Sam Miller, Orbital provides wireless, fibre and leased line connectivity, voice services and internet managed services under its Orbital Net (B2B) and Vfast (B2C) brands. The company aims to become a leading specialist ISP for Holiday Parks across the UK. The business has recently completed a significant project for Park Holidays Group, delivering ultrafast internet connectivity to 14,000 holiday homes and is positioned to install infrastructure for other park operators and connect new customers across the country.

FinSMEs

07/06/2021

For more information, please contact Amy Reyniers on [email protected] / 07387 418378

About Orbital

Orbital is one of the UKs original Internet Service Providers formed in the 1990s and one of the last remaining independently run operators. Orbital provides connectivity solutions to customers spanning multiple continents and creates bespoke solutions to fit individual end user requirements. Vfast provides residential connectivity using the best medium available, be that served from Orbitals large Kent based WiMax class network or fibre optic served from the unbundled Openreach exchanges.
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Fuzzys Taco Shop Expands Nationwide Footprint with the Addition of Wyoming

Johnson Restaurant Group signs 5-store agreement with the Texas-based taco brand

June 08, 2021 // Franchising.com // Irving, TX - Fuzzys Taco Shop, the Texas-based Baja-style restaurant group with a cult following, announces its expansion into Wyoming. The fast-casual taco brand has partnered with Casper, Wyoming-based Johnson Restaurant Group to bring Fuzzys to the market, with plans to continue expansion into Montana as part of a five-store agreement.

Their first Fuzzys will open in Casper, Wyoming mid-summer and will be the 14th open restaurant in Johnson Restaurant Groups portfolio of brands.

Johnson Restaurant Group is owned by John Johnson and operated by Mike Malmberg. The group currently owns 13 restaurants with brands including Old Chicago, and independently owned Johnny Js Diner, FireRock Steakhouse, Wyoming Ale Works and Js Pub.

We were first introduced to Fuzzys Taco Shop on a trip to Texas, and immediately knew there was something special about the brand, said Johnson. The fact that the food is delicious and the portions are generous while being served in a fast-casual setting with a full bar is extremely unique to any other concept weve encountered. We are looking forward to opening our first Fuzzys in our home market where our company is headquartered and know that the Casper community will love it as much as we do.

Fuzzys Taco Shop was founded in 2003 in Fort Worth, TX on the foundation of serving quality Baja-style Mexican favorites at an approachable price. Throughout the years, the fast casual restaurant brand has earned a cult following for its laid-back atmosphere, paired with signature Baja-style tacos, famous chips and queso and icy-cold beverages always served at a chill price.

Were excited to welcome John, Mike and this new market into the Fuzzys family and know their extensive knowledge of the restaurant industry and the Wyoming and Montana markets will be an incredible asset to our brand, says Mel Knight, President of Fuzzys Taco Shop.

SOURCE Fuzzys Taco Shop

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Yes! I think the restaurants should keep as much outdoor seating as possible  now and after the pandemic ends

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Erica Suter, left, a defense attorney who is taking over as the new head of the Innocence Project, and attorney and professor Michele Nethercott, the longtime head of the Innocence Project at the University of Baltimore School of Law, who is retiring, pose in Baltimore. The innocence project works to set free men and women who have been wrongly convicted and are locked up.
Keep the conversation about local news & events going by joining us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Recent updates from The News-Post and also from News-Post staff members are compiled below.
Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador thumbs up after voting in congressional, state and local elections in Mexico City, Sunday, June 6, 2021. Mexicans on Sunday were electing the entire lower house of Congress, almost half the countrys governors and most mayors in a vote that will determine if Obradors Morena party gets the legislative majority. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
Written by ACM

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- "Succeed ... to Create New Legends" in Europe, particularly through "ambitious", key "Big Projects" and "Big Dreams", at the Horison of the next "10 Years", thanks Also to "a much Needed, nowadays, New Breath of Democracy", emerge as the Main Aims of EU's Conference on Eurpope's Future for French President Emmanuel Macron, who Launched Officialy Today, in EU Parliament in Strasbourg, Together wth the Presidents of all EU Institutions, the Beginning of such an UnPrecedented, original collective Event, due to Culminate during the French EU Presidency of 2022.

+ As Macron Resumed soon Afterwards, speaking to Journalists in EU Parliament, "this will be the Year of Joint Reflexions and Projects", where "we have the Right to hold Big Ambitions".

- For such a purpose, "Be Together in Strasbourg Today, this May 9", (Day of Europe and of Victory against NAZIsm on 1945), "says much on what we (Europeans) have worked during 71 Years", since "this City is the living Symbol of Reconciliation" and "of that Europe which Refused War, in order to Buid Peace, replacing Occupation by Cooperation", and "we canNot build a European Imaginary, a Feeling of Common Belonging, withOut Symbols", as "Strasbourg, which is Also Home to what Europe thought and wanted in her Democratic appeal and its Values", since "Here beats the Heart of European Democracy, CoE and EU Parliament, i.e. of the Values that Unite us and Inspire us in Building the Future too", he observed.

- In fact, Nowadays, "our Union Needs a New Democratic Breath, (particularly with Citizens' participation, etc), and that's the Meaning of this Conference on Europe's Future", stimulating a "Founding Momentum".

-----------------------------------------------

- Because "we should Not become Accustomed to the Present Situation and to the Weaknesses which appear" : "Whenever grand Crisis arrive", as in "this Unprecedented Context" of "the Pandemic which Hits as, since More than 1 Yeatr, Everywhere in the World, but Particularly in Europe", "as in the Past, there are Always profound Doubts, ...which seek to Challenge what we are, and Underestimate what we have built" : "That's the Risk Nowadays, of Impatience, Lassitude, a kind of Depression, which would have been spread, of Confusion ...where, suddenly, All is Disolved". "This kind of ambiant Defaitism, boils down into claiming that "Europe is Not Up to the present Requirements. We have Not what is needed. I already hear such Accusations against Europe, Each Morningl", he Denounced.

--------------------------------------

- In fact, "Democracy is one of our (EU's) Great Forces. It belongs to our Identity", Macron went on to add.

- "Nevertheless, it's insidiously Challenged, more en more, in the name of a so-called "Efficiency"", by "those who Claim that Authoritarian Regimes would be More Efficient into facing Crisis, they would go Faster". But they "Forget the Real Consequences of Authoritarian Regimes : Deprivations of Liberty, Persecutions of Political Dissidents, Jailing of Journalists or Universitarians" (etc), "They Forgot the bites of History, those who back such trends"...

- On the Contrary, "we must Congratulate ourselves (EU) for having continued to Debate, to pursue, in all ou Democracies, everywhere in Europe, the Democratic Debate, Criticism, Contest, Dispute, Quarell, Parliamentary and Judiciary Control : That's what defines us, and it's also in this way that we (Europeans) become more Efficient, Because that's what allows Democratic and Calm Criticisicm", Macron pointed out. *

=> "Our European Identity is a Productive, Solidary, and Democratic Model, ...attached to the preservation of (Natural) Environment and Climate : An Ambition that that we have pursued" even "during the (Virus') Crisis, with the Green Deal", "a Fair Regulation of Digital Platforms, and Private Life protection. It's the Respect of Law and Liberties", where "Strasbourg is, there too, the main Symbol", he added.

- "It's a Model Based on an Economic and Social System which showed its Resilience also During the Virus' Pandemic) Crisis, (Comp. f.ex. the Exceptionaly Important and Innovating EU Summit of July 2020 in Brussels, f.ex. at : ... + ... + ..., etc), and we (EU) have Strenthened even More, Yesterday, in Porto (EU informal Summit), in order to Adapt it to Green and Digital Transitions, and bring, there too, New Protections to our Workers, allow a(n Economic) Growth, a Creation of Jobs, synonumous to a Fight against Exclusion and Poverty, promotion of Equality between Women and Men, Respect of Fundamental Rights fo all Workers in all chains of value. That's our (EU's) Model, and I'd like to Remind it here, before we Think about the 10 next Years to come, Because we must Never let it be Weakened : It's a Tresor conquered accross the Times, since it had Nothing Spontaneous", he Warned.

+ But it's also true that "this (Virus') Crisis revealed also some Weaknesses, and ...this Conference on Europe's Future must Help us to Respond to them", since "the Expectations that we Legitimately have, must be Inspired by the Lessons of the (Pandemic) Crisis", Macron incited.

(1) "First of all, we understood that Solidarity goes hand to hand Together with Sovereignity", stressed the French President. "We (EU) canNot ...Help the most Fragile People in our Societies, If we doN't Produce". Thus, we (EU Member Countries) were Divided, at the Beginning of this Crisis, on Buying Masks, sometimes on Closing our Borders, even on the (Economic) Revival. We were Divided each time that we did Not have the Reply in Our Hands", so that "we realized that Sovereignity is Also the Capacity to Produce". "We canNot have a Europe Able to meet its History and Values if we don't become Conscious of the fact that we (EU) are Not merely a big Market of Consumers open to any winds", he Warned. On the Contrary, "we must (also) become anew Producers : ...anew a community of Great Researchers, great Creators, great Artists, great Industry" leaders. "Because Produce, Create on our Land is a Guarantee of our Sovereignity, a Protection for our Model (of Society : Comp. Supra), of our Values : This Cultural, Academic, Industrial, Reasearch's Sovereignity is absolutely Essential !", Macron stressed.

=> "In order to Build that, we (EU) sometimes must ReConquer anew what we had abandoned" , "Identify our strategic Dependencies, and Reply with European industrial Alliancies", ("as, we've Started to do, ..f.ex. on Batteries and Hydrogen, Semi-Conductors, Clouds", etc., and "Vaccins"). "We Must Advance much Further, because, each time that there is External Dependence, there is (also) European Division", he warned.

(2) "We have also learned, during the (Virus') Crisis, ...that our Europe was InComplete :"

- Indeed, "When Europe has the Capacity to act, it acts, as long as it's inspired by Political Will". F.ex. "since March 2020, ...a Central European Bank at the Height" of circumstances, "and afterwards a Pragmatic Suspension of our Budgetary and Competition Rules, allowed, at any cost, our Will for (Economic) Revival",

- "But, in a number of areas, the EU has Not similar Competences or means", he regretted. F.ex., "1 Year ago, it was so Powerless in the area of Health", and ...it still is Nowadays. This Weakness explained our (EU Member States') Difficulties to be coordinated", Indeed, "in front of Big Schocs , as the Pandemics, we (EU) Must Strengthen our Joint Capacities, because an Adequate Reply stands at a European Level", he pointed out.

(3) "Last", but not least, "we have observed, sometimes, that Europe doesN"t work Fast enough, and, may be, hadN't sufficient Ambition". F.ex. "3 Years Ago, here, I told you that I was convinced that, in face of Authoritarianism, the Only adequate Reply was the Authority of Democracy", which "is gained only by Efficiency and Rapidity". But, "our European Democracy is based on Compromise", and "Balance, which is a Virtue that we must protect as a Treasure, because it Avoids any Hegemony. However, it's Also a Weakeness, when it's Suffocating in its own Procedures". In consequence, "We (EU) Must find a new Efficiency and Ambition. Be able to Face Crisis, Adversities, Decide Faster, and, above all, with More Strength".

- F.ex., when "I see the Numbers of many of Our Projects of Research, Investment in Industrial matters of the Future", and "I Compare them to those of the Chinese or of Americans, we (EU) are Not yet at the Hight of this Ambition: We take, sometimes, Too Many Long Months, in order to reach the end of Investment Decisions which are 5 or 10 Times Less Important than what are our American Friends", he Criticized. Europe has an Advance "in Solidarity" (Comp. Supra), But "Must Find" also "the taste of Future and Rapidity. Invest Massively and ... Fast" enough. "In such matters, we (EU) Must succeed to go Faster, and learn how to Find anew Force and Rapidity in Essential Issues", Macron urged.

(4) "Finaly, this (Virus' Pandemic) Crisis Affected our Lives profoundly : It Restricted our Horizons, Limited our Aspirations, Imposed Borders to our Displacements, (even) to our Dreams". Particularly for "Young Europeans", and "Artists", etc., "who Suffered very much by this Crisis", "Deprived of their Contacts", etc., he noted.

- "But, Nothing is Fatal, and ...the Moment that we Launch this Conference is Essential, because it's that from which we should Find anew a Way towards the Future", Macron Optimisticaly invited.

--------------------------------------

=> "That's what is the Conference on Europe's Future about : To Find anew a Collective Democratic Respiration", he stressed. "It should be Inspired from those Lessons that I described, in a Non-Exhaustive list, But Also guided by a Method allowing to Find Long-Term Perspectives, and to forge a Common Vision", he highlighted.

>> - "Thus, there will be 1 Year of Debates, ...Open to Everybody : to the Institutions, the Parliament, the Social Partners, ...the Think-Tanks, to All Citizens at a European Level, to Local levels, at the (Web) Platform On-Line, available in All (EU) Languages, to Citizens' Panels", he indicated. "It will be an UnPrecedented Exercice : Take the Pulse of the (European) Continent regarding Our Future !"

F.ex., "in France, we shall Oganise, from the Beginning of Autumn (2021), Citizens' Debates in All Regions, and I asked from all Members of the Government to get Involved", he announced.

>>> Europe-Wide, "We (Top EU Politicians) Must undertake a Collective Commitment Today : From March 2022, when the Synthesis of Contributions and Debates will be established, we, Political Leaders of various Member States, of EU Parliament, Commission, Will Have to Take that into Account in order to Reform Europe". And, personaly, "I take the Commitment, in the name of the French Presidency of EU's Council, during the 1st Semester of 2022, that the work of the Conference will be Largely Fruitfull, and, for that purpose, we'll Need that All Get Involved", Macron vowed.

- "That's for the Method. As for the Content, it's for You (involved EU Politicians and Citizens, together) to Write it", the French President modestly Urged. Concerning that, however, "I Wish that this Conference will Announce a Return of Big Projects, Large Ambitions, Great Dreams !", he rightfuly Incited, (anew in a key Direction for which "Eurofora" Pleaded particularly during the Crucial July 2020 EU Brussels' Summit on Relanching the EU Economy, also in order to Succeed to Overcome initial Differences and Find an Agreement between All EU Member States, as it was, indeed, Later done at the End : See ..., etc).

- "What Europe do we Want in 10 or 15 Years ? With What Borders for it ? Which New (EU) Institutions ? What Big Cultural Projects to Lounch Together ? Why make our Europe the Leader in Reducing (C02) Emissions Faster ? How to Build that Europe of Education, of (Scientific) Research, even More Strong ? New Frontiers in Space, as in our Oceans ? => I.e., "in substance, How to Succeed to Write New Legends ?", Macron wondered.

>>> Indeed, on this Key point of Synthesis : "A French Poet, recently forgotten, Fabrice de la Tour du Pin, stressed : - "All Countries which do Not have Legends, no more, are Condemned to Die from the Cold !" It's the Same with our Europe : If we do Not have Legends, no more, we shall Die from the Cold", he Warned.

=> But, in fact, "We (EU) Have a(n Historic) Legend. We've just had a look at it, in a Hurry (Comp. Supra). What we Need is to Write New ones. It's up to us, it's up to You to Do so : Thus, I Count on You !", Macron urged, in conclusion.

--------------------------------------

+ 1st to Speak among EU Institutions' Heads, EU Parliament's President, David Sassoli, from Italy, started by pointing at the Symbolic "Impportance for this major Democratic exercise", as he called the Launching of the Conference, to take place "Here in the ...Home of European Citizens ... in Strasbourg, the Seat of our institution, from which we've been absent for so many months as a result of the covid-19 Pandemic", and where "We (MEPs)...Hope ... very soon be able to Return" for "the Plenary Sessions".

- Already, "Before the pandemic, the parliament firmly believed in the importance of having an event such as this", he reminded. But, even "Today, after 15 Months of Crisis" and "Delay", at least, ," t's very Clear to us what has Worked and what hasN't worked. It's much clearer to us where the European Union is Strong,... But we're Also aware of where we're Weak and what we could Improve", he pointed out.

I.e., "the lessons we've learnt from covid are iImportant ones", since, in the EU, "some things have Not worked, and some have", Sassolii observed.

=> So, in general, "We want to Improve the way in which we Function", even if "we firmly Believe that Democracy is stronger than authoritarianism". Therefore Sassoli presented a Series of Concrete Points that EU has to settle :

- "Europe needs to have ... clear Competences in many areas, ...in which member States alone would be Marginalised", he warned.

- Moreover, "We need to become capable of taking Rapid decisions"... But if" the EU "has to decide Unanimously, if there can be Vetoes, How can it ..respond effectively ?", he wondered.

=> In ordet to Solve such Issues, "We (EU)... Need to move forward with this Unprecedented exercise (the Conference) in Democracy. Institutions and Citizens" together, and "Discuss the way we are withOut Taboos", But "clear, Pragmatic Suggestions", "Based on recommendations made by Citizens and Debates in the plenary,...followed by Action", he stressed, as well as "a Compass to Guide our work during the coming Decade."

- F.ex, inter alia, "we need a European policy on human Health".

- "Social dimension", (particularly after the "Porto" Summit of 7-8/5/2021.

- "The Right of (Legislative) Initiative should be given to EU Parliament", he added, (while "Eurofora" has succesfuly proposed to Top MEPs to get it Immediately, on the Basis of the existing Lisbon Treaty, simply by Cooperating adequately with "Citizens' Initiatives", (See : ... + ..., etc).

- We "also need to increase the Transparency of Elections and enable Citizens to indicate their preference for President of the Commission", so. I hope that the Conference will also deal with the Lead (Spitzen) Candidate Issue", EU Parliament's Head added.

- Moreover, "it's Crucial to look at the issue of Unanimity in the (EU) Council", he reminded (Comp. Supra).

>>> Both in these, and ssveral Other Issues, Sassoli said that he "Firmly Believe(s) that the awareness of our unity and a common destiny is shared by the majority of our Citizens", because "without a European policy, all our countries, all our communities ... would be Weaker".

=> Therefore, he Optimisticaly believes that Citizens' involvement may Help to "build a Stronger, more resilient, more Democratic and more United Europe", Such "Message(s) ... can Incite our Citizens to Give us the Responses we Need !", Sassoli optimisticaly suggested.

---------------------------------------------------

Antonio Costa, Prime Minister of Portugal and current Chairman of EU Council, who had just Hosted all EU Heads of State/Government in a Summit at Porto, Startes with "a message of Confidence in the Future", by observing that almost everything "Changes" in Humans' Lives usually, and it's often "Needed to Develop New Qualities".

-"71 Years ago", Europe had Started with a mere "Steel and Coal Community", he reminded. "Moves", sometimes needed "Difficult Choices" and/or "Compromises", were not always made at the same time for all. Now "there is a Desire to Move Forward, But we should Not allow Problems to exist, which can Undermine Cohesion", he warned. Particularly since "we're still far away from where we need to be".

Nowadays, f.ex., "Solidarity", "Share of Resources", "Migration", etc., could be Adressed by the Conference, "Frankly and Openly". "New times require new ways of working".

>>> But, what is Specific, this time, is that "this conference ... should Focus on all the different desires and roles of all the Citizens in Europe, and Not on negotiations between Countries. This is a conference For Citizens, By Citizens and For Citizens! !", Costa stressed.

- In fact, "European Citizens Recognise the added V alue of EU action" in general, But want it to Solve certain "Specific Problems that Citizens face".

-- Indeedf, "over the past 10 Years, ....Major Topics are Continually quoted as sources of Concern" : F.ex. Islamist "Terrorism" and "Migration", "Economic/Social situation, and Climate", etc. Over the past 12 Months, "Health" was added.

=> Thus, "We Veed to ensure Vast Citizen Participation. This is a Key point. The conference on the future of Europe should Focus on the Women and Men of Europe. What is Troubling these people? What is making them Dream? This should Not be an exercise which is based in Brussels", the Prime Ministet Warned.

In this regard, f.ex., "the very High Youth Unemployment rate", and "the difficulties for access to Housing", which humper the "Young Generation", have to be tackled, he Urged, inter alia. Because "Europe will have No future, if our young generations do not have a future in Europe", while, Nowadays, "the largest Threat to the future of Europe and to the prosperity of Europe is the Ageing population", (i.e. the Restriction of Births among European People), he Denounced.

+ Meanwhile, in Addition, Europe "must therefore take the Lead in the Major Causes of Humanity in our century", Costa urged. Such moves should obviously include Nowadays also "BioEthics", where Recent Technological developments have Reached a Crucial Threshhold for the survival of the Human Race, (already since 11/2018, with Artificial Births including Genetic Manipulations of Human Embryos in Labos, which are scandalously and dangerously Transmssible to Future Generations), But also the "Oceans", to which Costa, (in a typical Portugeese Tradition), Focused Today, citting their "BioDoversity and Resources",(etc).

=> Concluding, once again, the EU Council's Chairman-in-office reiterated a vibrant Call for the European People to get massively involved in EU's Conference on Europe's Future : - "I'd like to give my final words to the People of Europe : ... This conference is Open. It's open, so that All of you can Participate in it", he Invited.

------------------------------------

Ursula von der Leyen, EU Commission's President, was the last EU Istitution's Head to take the floor Today :

- "We should be honest that the conference is not a panacea or a solution to every problem", But "we must Listen to All voices, whether Critical or Complimentary", she stressed from the outset.

>>> The Main Point for von der Leyen is that "this conference is a real Opportunity to bring Europeans Together, and to Rally around a Common ambition for our future".

-Because, otherwise, recently, "there are certain Dichotomies and issues that we should attempt to resolve. F.ex. some feel Europe is Too Close and too involved in their lives, and for Others it is far too far Away and too Remote and too detached", she Warned. +Moreover, "For some, the narrative of Peace is Not as compelling as for others", she regretted. => Therefore, "this (Conference) is an Opportunity to help Build a New Common Purpose for All Europeans" she Urged. *

+ Moreover, "the Pandemic has been Traumatic for people in Europe", ("Epicenter" of the World, since March 2020). So that, in order "to move Beyond it", "there is no better way to do that than by offering Perspective, Hope and the Ability to Change things for the Better", (including through this Conference).

- "This pandemic stole more than a year from them. It stole experiences and emotions"..."It stole opportunities from them... And more than anything. It made so Many People, Old or Young, feel Anxious, lonely, and simply Less in Control of their Lives and their future. For the First time in a generation, more people Worry that their children will not be better off than them".

=> "This shows that we Need a New form of Solidarity and social justice Between Generations", she Urged. "This is about justice and rights, not only within our current society, but Across the Generations", Von der Leyen wenst on to add. "I believe we should use this Conference in order to hold a genuine, structured Dialogue between the Generations".

- "My view is that Europe has always been at its Best when it is Reverse Engineered. We are at our Boldest when we 1st set an Ambitious goal, or have to act out of Necessity, often without competence or precedence. This is the Europe that Rises to the Challenge, the Europe that just Does it because it Needs to be done", she stressed, focusing on "what Brings Generations Together".

- "And what will Europe do? What will she Defend ....? Will she be respectful, more Diversified, more United? Or will she be Divided as often we were in the past? These matters may seem too large or too distant, whereas there are so Many Immediate Challenges. However, the course of Our Action will Determine the answers that we will be looking for Tomorrow. And that's precisely why we Need this Conference and why we need to get it Started Now", Von der Leyen urged. .

=> "We will Tackle this task with Humility, recognising that Not everything is Ideal, But also with a real sense of Pride, knowing where we are coming from and the Conviction of what Must be done", she vowed, Concluding "with Antoine de Saint-Exupery", (who has lived in Strasbourg) : The Most beautiful profession a man can have is that of Bringing men Together. It's up to us Now to keep on Doing that".

___________________________

Last, but not least, Experienced Top MEP, former Prim-e Minister of Belgium and f. Presiden of the Liberal Group of MEPs, currently EU Parliament's Head Representative to the Conference on Europe's Future, as well as Co-Chair of that Conference, Guy Verhofstadt, from Belgium, (after a Last-Minute Change of Agenda, just to skip an Euro-Regions' parallel Meeting in Strasbourg, in order to Join EU Parliament's main Meeting with Macron and All EU Institutions' Heads), was the 1st to Reply to an EU Citizen's Question on EU and Culture :



- "Culture can become an EU Competence", Verhofstadt replied from the outset. "It's quite Emotional". But, "for me, f.ex. Goethe, Voltaire, the Enlighnement, or Florence and Strasbourg, are European realities". Often, "some Small Things are enough : F.ex., print also a beautiful European Monument in uro-Bank-notes, and not only National ones. Or, in the Olympic Games, to put, on Players' jackets, from one Side the National Flag, and from another, the European Flag", he suggested, attracting a positive node by President Macron....(Comp. a relevant "Eurofora" Publication on EU and Sport, at : ...). In fact, "Culture needs to be in the Heart of the approach, because it's the Most Solid Base of the EU !", he concluded.



**********************************

+ Meanwhile, Earlier Today, at a relevant Event organized by the European Regions in the City Hall, (Symbolicaly inside the Historic Room where CoE was Created, 71 Years Before), at the Particular Local/Regional Level of Strasbourg's City and EU Regions, at EU's Franco-German Core, New Mayor Jeanne Barseghian (atypical "Green" from Armena), and Region President Jean Rottner, both felt that they had Specific Potential and Duty to Help Boost EU Citizens' role in the Conference on Europe's Future :

- Barseghian (who has Already expressed several times her Agreement with "Eurofora"'s Project : See ...+ ... + ....) Focused Mainly on "Digital" and "Citizens' Participation" Tools, vowing to make them available to the People for such purposes, as well as offering to Host most Citizens' forthcoming Collective Events, during a Year, added to a possible EU Citizens' Summit.

- Rottner, (who represented also the whole National Union of Regions of all France), pointed at the Unique Dimension of the "Trans-Border Fact" in Strasbourg's "Great East" Region, located Near Italy, facing Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and even Switzerland, (a Franco-Germano-Italian cultural Synthesis), giving a particular Potential towards "all European People" by considerably "Facilitating" the "absolutely Crucial Echanges" between them, (Comp. Relevant Rottner's replies to "Eurofora"s Questions, f.ex. at: ... + ..., etc), and Ensured about the Region's Political "Will" to Help "Enable Everybody", including "the Youth", to participate in a large "Critical Dialogue" on the Future of Eurpope, in order to "Think of a New World", after the Pandemic, as he highlighted.

+ He was followed by the President of the European entity of Alsace, (emerging from a recent Fusion of High and Low Rhine Departments around their Histpric Area), Frederic Bierry, who stressed, in particular, that this EU's Conference on Europe's Future, in particular, "is about Our European Identity" and "Development", currently facing various exceptional "Challenges" thearening even to "Destroy" it, so that "it"s Essential" to Boost People's "Feeling of Common Belonging", through its debates and outcome.

------------



++ Speaking Earlier, the EU Commissioner in charge of Democracy and the CEFuture, Dubravka Suica, Ambitiously focused on the aspiration to "Bring (EU) Citizens into the Heart of Decision-Making", in a New way, which could "offer a Greater Role to Citizens, Beyond (EU) Elections" (just once in 5 Years).

Meanwhile, in order to Achieve that, EU Citizens have, During the Conference on Europe's Future, 3 Possibilities to InterAct : - "On the (Web) Platform, in the (Citizens') Panels, and at the Plenary", she resumed.

+++ Interestingly, Many among the other Speakers, (including MEP Eva Maydell, International President of the European Movement : Comp. her Earler Statements to "Eurofora" f.ex. at : ... etc), stressed, in Various Converging Ways, that "we (EU) Need to Hear Criticism" also, from a part of the People whenever there are doubts or misundestandings to dissipate, and "Listen to Critical Voices" too, withOut Ignoring them, as it was Repeatedly pointed out.

Indeed, this 2021-2022 EU's CEFuture must "Not play down the Expectations of the People", but, on the Contrary, "Deliver" on them, because, in fact, "this is about <<We, the European People>> and Trust", Concluded in substance, on behalf of the EU Council's rotating Chairmanship, Vasco Alves Cordeira, from the Regional Parliament of Acores, and 1st vice-President of EU's Comittee of Regions, as a final Warning.

(../..)

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William Weber West, 93 of Gainesville, Texas passed away on June 2, 2021. He was born on April 7, 1928 in Atchison, Kansas to Lee West and Elizabeth (Weber) West. He married Mary Ellen Peyrot on May 17, 1951 in Gainesville, Texas. William enlisted in the U.S. Army on January 5, 1951 in Gaine
Galveston, TX (77553)

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Galveston, TX (77553)

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Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 79F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph..

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The organizers of this years all-digital Game Developers Conference have been working diligently to ensure this years online event is accessible to attendees in need of audio accommodations.

It goes without saying then that said organizers are pleased to announce that at GDC 2021 all the content you can access will include closed captioning.

Since GDC 2021 will feature a mix of live and pre-recorded content, we wanted to take time today to break down for you exactly how closed captioning will function, in order to better help you plan your event.

Heres a breakdown of each of our session types, and how closed captioning will function:

Pre-recorded sessions: Weve been working with speakers to pre-record a large chunk of our 400+ GDC 2021 talks in advance. When these talks go live on Swapcard, they will include English subtitles burned into the video.

Shortly after each talk finishes airing, attendees will have the ability to watch it again (or catch it for the first time, if they missed the original broadcast) with a new suite of closed caption options. While watching on-demand versions of talks, you will be able to choose between English, Japanese, Spanish, and Mandarin subtitles.

Live sessions: The GDC operations team will be working to ensure that live sessions (including Ask-Me-Anything Sessions, Fireside Chats, and GDC Podcast Live!) will be live-captioned in English in real time.

And just like with pre-recorded talks, archived versions of these talks will include the option to play English, Japanese, Spanish, or Mandarin for the rest of the conference.

Attendees looking to view these captions should be aware---due to the long production time with live sessions, these captions will be available 72 hours after the original broadcast.

The GDC event platform will remain online after the event formally ends so that you have time to watch these captioned sessions.

Zoom sessions: Like you, weve been getting used to using Zoom over the last year and a half. At GDC 2021, a number of session types (Speaker Q&As, roundtables, and workshops) will have attendees participate over Zoom during the conference.

Attendees who need closed captions will be able to use the automated closed caption function in Zoom during these sessions. Please make sure you have downloaded the latest version of Zoom.

Were so close to this years event! Register today to start picking sessions to check out at this years show.

For more details on GDC 2021 visit the show's official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS.

Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under Informa Tech
LIGHT IT UP WITH THE NEW HAMMERHEAD TRUE WIRELESS X EARBUDS





[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Gamasutra and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press.]

For Release on June 8th, 2021 at 4pm BST / 5pm CEST / 11pm SGT / 8am PDT:

WHO: Razer, the worlds leading lifestyle brand for gamers (Hong Kong Stock Code: 1337). WHAT: Razer today announced the new Hammerhead True Wireless X high-performance earbuds, engineered to stand out from the crowd with illuminated green LED touch controls for a flash of style. Optimized for gamers with a 60ms low latency Gaming Mode and delivering rich, immersive sound through custom-tuned 13mm drivers, the Hammerhead True Wireless X is a versatile set of earbuds for gaming and media enjoyment on the go. Compatible with Google Fast Pair for Android and utilizing Bluetooth 5.2 with Auto-Pairing, the Hammerhead True Wireless X earbuds deliver a quick, convenient, and reliable connection, ideal for use with smartphones, tablets, laptops, and consoles.* The customizable backlit LED touch controls on each earbud provide quick access to the most commonly used functions such as managing calls, volume control or activating the Gaming Mode. The new Razer Audio App, launching alongside the Hammerhead True Wireless X, enables users to fine tune the soundscape, customize lighting effects and brightness, and remap touch gestures to their preference. With up to 24 hours of use with lighting enabled (up to 28 hours with lighting disabled), the Hammerhead True Wireless X have the battery life for all-day gaming and media enjoyment, making them the perfect earbuds for mobile gamers wanting a dependable, low latency experience with crystal clear sound. For more information on the new Hammerhead True Wireless X, please see here *Use with consoles requires a Bluetooth adapter that is sold separately. WHY: The Hammerhead True Wireless X deliver rich, immersive, low latency sound, ideal for gaming, in a stylish, illuminated pair of earbuds that makes users stand out from the crowd. WHEN: Available for purchase on June 8th, 2021 WHERE: Online at Razer.com, in-store at RazerStore locations, and at select retailers. PRICE: 79.99 GBP / 89.99 EUR MSRP ASSETS: Download product assets here # # # ABOUT RAZER Razer is the worlds leading lifestyle brand for gamers. The triple-headed snake trademark of Razer is one of the most recognized logos in the global gaming and esports communities. With a fan base that spans every continent, the company has designed and built the worlds largest gamer-focused ecosystem of hardware, software, and services. Razers award-winning hardware includes high-performance gaming peripherals and Blade gaming laptops. Razers software platform, with over 125 million users, includes Razer Synapse (an Internet of Things platform), Razer Chroma RGB (a proprietary RGB lighting technology system supporting thousands of devices and hundreds of games/apps), and Razer Cortex (a game optimizer and launcher). Razer also offers payment services for gamers, youth, millennials, and Gen Z. Razer Gold is one of the worlds largest game payment services, and Razer Fintech provides fintech services in emerging markets. Founded in 2005 and dual-headquartered in Irvine (California) and Singapore, Razer has 17 offices worldwide and is recognized as the leading brand for gamers in the USA, Europe, and China. Razer is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (Stock Code: 1337). PRESS CONTACTS United Kingdom Nick Haywood [email protected] Americas Julie Wu [email protected] EMEA Maren Epping [email protected] China Evita Zhang [email protected] Asia Pacific Vanessa Li [email protected] Global Jan Horak [email protected] Razer - For Gamers. By Gamers.  # # #
A Halsey bakery owner has been fined $9,000 by the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration for COVID-19 violations.

According to a news release issued by Oregon OSHA on Monday, Loretta Birky of Country Bakery, 26615 Peoria Road, willfully did not ensure face coverings were worn inside the bakery.

A serious violation was also committed by not posting the required COVID-19 Hazards Poster for workers to see.

The citation has not been appealed, but the order is not final.

Birky, contacted Monday afternoon by phone, declined comment regarding the penalty.

Ongoing refusals to correct violations and come into compliance with workplace health and safety standards can lead to additional higher penalties, according to the Oregon OSHA news release.

The fine for Birky and Country Bakery is only the fourth COVID-19 Oregon OSHA penalty for a mid-Willamette Valley business or organization, and just the second to include a willful violation.

All four of the previous penalties have come from Linn County. Benton County has had zero such fines, according to OHA data.
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Asia Pacific head Suyi Kim delivers a lecture at the Lotte Hotel Seoul in this January 2019 file photo. Courtesy of Institute for Global Economics



Canadian pension fund's APAC head welcomes Korea's efforts




Gettysburg, PA (17325)

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Partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

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Partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
30 years on, China, ASEAN committed to building community with shared future

Xinhua) 08:36, June 08, 2021

The Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Dialogue Relations is held in Chongqing, southwest China, June 7, 2021. The foreign ministers of China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathered on Monday for the meeting, which was co-chaired by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Teodoro Locsin, foreign secretary of the Philippines that serves as the current country coordinator for ASEAN-China relations. Also in attendance was the ASEAN Secretary-General. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

-- The two sides have become an important pillar for regional peace and stability and a powerful engine for development and prosperity, setting the most successful paradigm of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, according to Wang.

-- During the meeting, the foreign ministers agreed to beef up pragmatic cooperation in such areas as fighting the pandemic, economic recovery, connectivity, disaster relief and prevention, as well as sustainable development.

-- China and ASEAN should forge a higher level of strategic partnership and build a closer community with a shared future in the following 30 years, said Wang.

CHONGQING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- China and ASEAN countries on Monday agreed to promote the upgrading of bilateral ties, build an even closer community with a shared future and open up another 30 years of even greater cooperation.

The agreement came as Chinese and ASEAN foreign ministers gathered in Chongqing for a special ASEAN-China foreign ministers' meeting in celebration of the 30th anniversary of dialogue relations.

Aerial photo taken on Nov. 26, 2020 shows the view of Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center, the venue of the 17th China-ASEAN Expo, and its neighboring buildings in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.(Xinhua/Lu Boan)

SUCCESSFUL PARADIGM

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of dialogue relations between China and ASEAN.

China and ASEAN began talks in 1991, when former Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen was invited to the opening ceremony of the 24th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, marking the start of the formal contact between China and ASEAN.

"Over the past three decades, China-ASEAN relations have achieved leapfrog development," Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said when attending the foreign ministers' meeting Monday.

China and ASEAN have established dialogue mechanism at all levels, including state leaders, ministers, and senior officials, laying a solid foundation for the development of bilateral ties.

Trade volume between China and ASEAN has jumped from less than 8 billion U.S. dollars to 684.6 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of more than 80 times.

The personnel exchanges have exceeded 65 million in 2019, and there are nearly 4,500 flights between China and Southeast Asia every week. The two sides exchanged more than 200,000 foreign students and formed more than 200 pairs of sister cities.

"In the past 30 years, through joint efforts, we have become the largest trading partner, the most connotative partner, and the most dynamic strategic partner," Wang said.

The two sides have become an important pillar for regional peace and stability and a powerful engine for development and prosperity, setting the most successful paradigm of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, according to Wang.

"China is one of the most active partners of ASEAN by coming up with many initiatives to advance the cooperation. China has also responded positively and signed up to various ASEAN policies and initiatives. China has always emphasized and respected ASEAN centrality in regional cooperation," said Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan, former Malaysian ambassador to China.

Workers work at the construction site of the China-funded Binondo-Intramuros Bridge in Manila, the Philippines, Nov. 18, 2020. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

PRAGMATIC COOPERATION

During the meeting, the foreign ministers agreed to beef up pragmatic cooperation in such areas as fighting the pandemic, economic recovery, connectivity, disaster relief and prevention, as well as sustainable development.

"The two sides always regarded the interests of the people as the priority to advance pragmatic cooperation across the board," Wang said.

Thanks to the synergizing of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025 between China and ASEAN, a large number of projects are being implemented, bringing tangible benefits to the people.

In face of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and ASEAN countries stood in solidarity and helped each other in times of difficulties. ASEAN member states donated medical supplies to support China when it was at the height of its fight against the disease, and China returned the favor by offering medical supplies, dispatching medical teams, sharing prevention and treatment experiences and enhancing vaccine cooperation.

China will continue to provide more vaccines as needed, and carry out vaccine-related cooperation in terms of research and production, procurement, supervision, and inoculation, Wang said when meeting with ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi on the sideline of the foreign ministers' meeting.

He also pledged to support the ASEAN anti-pandemic fund and the reserves of emergency medical supplies, advance the building of 10+3 medical supplies reserve center, and implement the China-ASEAN public health cooperation initiative.

"China has made good of its pledge to offer its COVID-19 vaccines as a global public good by prioritizing the supply to ASEAN countries, not only providing finished vaccines but was also willing to embark on the transfer of technology through joint manufacturing cooperation with countries like Malaysia and Indonesia," said Majid.

Aerial photo taken on Nov. 19, 2020 shows a cargo ship leaving a berth of the Qinzhou Port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

CLOSER COMMUNITY WITH A SHARED FUTURE

China and ASEAN should forge a higher level of strategic partnership and build a closer community with a shared future in the following 30 years, said Wang.

He called for considering the lifting of China-ASEAN ties to comprehensive strategic partnership and strive for an early agreement on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).

In terms of the post-pandemic economic recovery, Wang pledged to support the implementation of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework and speed up making the action plan of digital economy cooperation.

This year is also the China-ASEAN Year of Sustainable Development Cooperation.

Wang stressed that China is willing to work with ASEAN to make a success of the Year and committed to building the blue economy partnership, exploring and innovating new highlights of technological cooperation, and enriching the two sides' relations.

China, ASEAN member countries, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand have signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement last November, and China has took the lead in ratifying the agreement.

Wang expressed the hope that ASEAN countries would speed up the approval process and push for it to take effect and be implemented at an early date, so as to deliver benefits to the people of all countries and help accelerate economic recovery at an early date.

"The relations will become stronger as China is playing a bigger role in regional issues and the RCEP would further foster regional cooperation," said Majid.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
gettyimagesbank



By Anna J. Park



The amount of money currently being invested by private equity funds (PEFs) has exceeded 100 trillion won ($89 billion) for the first time, turning them into a major force in the country's capital market and particularly the M&A market.



The total amount of capital raised by PEFs from major institutional investors, such as the National Pension Service (NPS), stood at 100.48 trillion won as of the end of the first quarter this year, according to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS).



This marks more than a 250-fold increase since PEFs were introduced to Korea back in 2004, when they raised around 400 billion won nationwide. The market has more than doubled during the past eight years, as the total size of the PEF market was estimated at around 44 trillion won back then.



Market experts say the key factor behind the exponential growth of PEFs here is the fact that major institutional investors  including the NPS, The Korean Teachers' Credit Union, Teachers' Pension, and some insurance firms  are making huge investments worth over trillions of won into these funds every year, as they seek further profits.



With more of these investors  or limited partners  parking ample liquidity into PEFs, the money is ultimately being funneled into diverse M&A deals in the country.



PEFs are becoming increasingly vocal in their calls for enhanced management practices at firms and conglomerates they have invested in, as seen from a recent feud between Hanjin KAL and activist PEF KCGI over corporate governance. Scandal-ridden Namyang Dairy's recent sale to local buyout fund Hahn & Company is another example that demonstrates the increasing influence of PEFs over the market.



As PEFs aim for successful exits within a few years after making their investments, they make various attempts to boost corporate value, including inducing changes in corporate governance as well as making additional investments necessary for a firm's value to be reassessed. Based on these proactive efforts, PEFs have now grown into the local capital market's powerhouse.



According to a recent study by the Korea Capital Market Institute, local PEFs made 879 investments from 2005 to 2019, and only 3.4 percent of them have been regarded as failures, which is much lower than the global average investment return rate of around 6 percent.


Bob LeResche is a former Commissioner of Natural Resources of Alaska, energy executive and investment banker. He and his wife Carol own a ranch and heirloom vegetable farm near Clearmont, Wyoming. He is a board member of the Powder River Basin Resource Council and the Western Organization of Resource Councils.


By Anna J. Park



Korean Air's stock price has been on a bullish run recently, buoyed by expectations of rapid progress in COVID-19 vaccinations and increasing global freight charges.



The country's flagship carrier saw its stock price close Tuesday at 32,700 won ($29.30), up 1.24 percent from the previous session. The price increase was powered by net purchases by foreign and retail investors.



Retail investors, in particular, net-purchased the stock during eight sessions from May 27 until Tuesday. In fact, retail investors net purchased the stock for the entire two-week period, except for only one session on June 2.



The company's stock price jumped by 17 percent during the past month alone. It is noteworthy that the price reflects market expectations of a recovery in tourism demand, even though a full-fledged rebound has yet to begin.



Rising global air freight charges has also increased the luster of the flag carrier, even though international travel demand remains lackluster.



Korean Air is the only carrier in Korea that logged an operating profit during the first quarter, thanks to its cargo shipment performance. As cargo charges increased by some 40 percent during the past year, Korean Air managed to achieve an operating profit of 101.5 billion won during the three-month period. Over three quarters of its revenue during January to March came from freight shipments.



Market experts forecast the carrier to achieve a solid profit in the second quarter amid signs of a recovery in global trade.



"The passenger transportation sector's performance in May declined by about 68 percent from May 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the performance of the domestic transportation as well as freight businesses have displayed an improvement compared to pre-COVID-19 days," said Choi Go-un, analyst at Korea Investment & Securities.



"Monthly cargo shipments have increased by some 40 percent for the past two consecutive months. Thanks to the solid freight performance, operating profit in the second quarter is expected to far exceed market consensus."



Experts also forecast demand for overseas travel to start rising in the latter half of this year. The expert explained that local airlines will resume offering flights to major vacations spots, such as Guam and Saipan, in August.


Sculptor Park Eun-sun, center, receives an honorary citizenship from Alberto Stefano Giovannetti, the mayor of Pietrasanta, a town in Tuscany, Italy, Saturday local time. Courtesy of Park Eun-sun



By Park Ji-won



Italy-based sculptor Park Eun-sun has received honorary citizenship from Pietrasanta, a town in Tuscany, Italy, for his artistic contributions to the city famous for sculpture.



Pietrasanta Mayor Alberto Stefano Giovannetti awarded the certificate to Park during a ceremony attended by Korean Ambassador to Italy Kwon Hee-Seog at the Church of Saint Augustine, local media outlet La Nazione reported. Park is known as the third foreign artist having received honorary citizenship from the Italian town. The two others are Colombian sculptor Fernando Botero and Polish sculptor Igor Mitoraj.



In an acceptance speech, he was quoted as saying by the local newspaper, "I am touched and honored. I want to thank all the people who have helped me and my family. In Pietrasanta I made my dreams come true, it is my home  We are happy. The city has made me grow as a person and artist. It is a great joy to be able to carry the name of this little big city on my shoulders and to be able to represent it."



Park has lived in the city since 1993 after graduating from Kyung Hee University Department of Sculpture and the National Academy of Fine Arts of Carrara, Italy. When asked why he chose to live there in an interview with Seoul Economic Daily in 2018, he said he could easily get materials for sculptures, calling it a sacred place for sculpture. He said he could easily focus on sculpture as many great artists live near him.





Sculptor Park Eun-sun / Courtesy of Park Eun-sun
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken / Reuters



U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged Monday to work with both South Korea and North Korea to help realize long-awaited reunions of Korean-Americans with their loved ones in the North, calling it a "heart wrenching" issue.



The top U.S. diplomat also said he is "deeply sensitive" to the issue.



"This is just heart wrenching, knowing that people have been not only separated but don't even know the fate of their loved ones," Blinken said in a hearing before a House Appropriations subcommittee.



Earlier reports have said as many as 100,000 Americans of Korean descent are believed have relatives living in the reclusive North.



Seoul and Pyongyang have held some 20 rounds of family reunions between their separated families, but none of the reunions had included those in the U.S., according to Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY).



"So what I can pledge to you is that we will absolutely work on this, including with our South Korean partners, to make sure that the interests of Korean-Americans who have been separated from families are reflected in the efforts that we make and that are made," Blinken said when asked by Meng if the humanitarian issue would be included in any future dialogue with Seoul or Pyongyang.



Blinken noted it was not clear how the North may react, saying, "It's, as you know, very, very challenging and we don't know what kind of engagement we're going to get from the DPRK."



DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.



Blinken said the Joe Biden administration was "moving forward" on naming a special envoy for North Korean human rights, who would be specifically tasked with handling such issues as separated family reunions.



"Yes, you can, and we're moving forward on that," he said when asked if the appointment of a special envoy for North Korean human rights can be expected expeditiously.



"As you know, the usual challenges with vetting and everything make it, some of these things, a little slower than we would like them to be or shouldn't be, but the short answer is yes," he added.



Blinken earlier noted the appointment of a special envoy may still take more time.



"I think as you know, the vetting process has become ever more complicated, ever more time consuming, ever more laborious. We want to make sure that all of that is done properly, but we will do that," he said in a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on his department's Fiscal Year 2022 budget request.



The U.S. president is required by the North Korean Human Rights Act to appoint a special envoy for North Korean human rights, but the post at the State Department has been vacant since January 2017.



Biden took office on Jan. 20.



The new U.S. president has yet to name nominees for many top government posts, including most ambassadorial positions at home and abroad. (Yonhap)


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Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 59F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph.
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This article is the second in a four-part series to highlight and address issues surrounding marginalized residents of foreign nationality who are living in legal blind spots in Korean society.  ED.



By Lee Hyo-jin



Na-young, as she prefers to identify herself, is a 12-year-old girl living in Gyeonggi Province who faces the threat of deportation when she turns 19. She is an undocumented child living with her parents from the Philippines, who entered Korea as migrant workers in the late 1990s, but later lost their legal status.



Undocumented children can only stay in the country until they graduate high school, after which they face deportation.



"She will probably have to go to the Philippines, which is a completely foreign country for her," her mother said. Na-young doesn't know Tagalog, the main language of the Philippines, nor the country's culture.



Meanwhile, as a fifth grader at elementary school, Na-young is already paying the price of being undocumented. Last year, when most classes went online following the COVID-19 outbreak, without an ID number, Na-young couldn't sign up for the EBS website, the state-run education content provider, and so was forced to use an ID registered under her homeroom teacher's name.



She is also uncertain whether she will be able to enter high school later. Although all children in Korea are eligible for mandatory primary and middle school education, regardless of their legal status, to enroll in high school, undocumented children need the principal's approval.



As an undocumented child, Na-young also lacks access to social services, such as having medical insurance. "Once, she was hospitalized with pneumonia. We had to pay nearly 2 million won ($1,800), an amount we could barely afford," her mother said, adding that she is constantly worried that her daughter might get ill again.



Na-young's story is emblematic of the difficulties many undocumented children face in Korea. They struggle to get an education while fearing they will be separated from their families and loved ones.



The Ministry of Justice estimates that there are around 20,000 unregistered children. Since they are virtually invisible in government records, they cannot be included in the state social welfare system.



"Simply delaying the child's deportation does not guarantee his or her basic rights to education, health, and protection from violence," said Lee Jin-hye, a lawyer at Chingune, a public interest law firm for immigrants.



Lee said that limited access to urgent medical care is one of the worst problems. "Without medical insurance, undocumented children have to rely on fundraising campaigns or other external support for medical expenses when they fall seriously ill. There was an unfortunate case in which a child died after failing to receive surgery in time," she said.





A coalition of civic groups supporting undocumented children hold a press conference in front of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea in central Seoul, in this Oct. 28, 2020 photo, calling on the government to guarantee basic rights for undocumented children. Courtesy of Chingune
The relationship between Valtteri Bottas and Mercedes seems to have reached an all-time low. Not only was the Finn's performance disappointing in Azerbaijan, but with George Russell warming up in the wings, his confidence seems to be dwindling by the day.

Bottas has to prove himself every year at Mercedes to secure another seat for the following year, and in 2021 the motivation for this seems to have run out a bit. While Lewis Hamilton is competing for the world title, Bottas is either unlucky or simply lacks speed. Russell has made no secret of his desire to take Bottas' seat, and the question is, how far has it gone?

Valtteri under pressure

''We are always honest with our drivers. They have the preference. It has always been like that and it will always be like that. We haven't made a decision yet. Valtteri has had so much bad luck this year, you can hardly believe it. We will certainly take that into account in the decision'', Toto Wolff told Motorsport-total.com.

Toto Wolff's predecessor, Norbert Haug, views Bottas' declining performance with members' eyes. ''You have to give a driver a hug and take care of him. He clearly has a problem at the moment, he hasn't suddenly forgotten how to drive. He was good in Monaco and completely wrong in Baku. You have to stabilise that,'' Haug told Sky Germany.

Wolff points the finger at Bottas

Yet there seems to be more to it as well, with Wolff pointing the finger at Bottas after the Monaco Grand Prix. He had not positioned his car perfectly in the pit lane and this had contributed to the failure of the pit stop. A big blow for Bottas who did not understand that. He had done nothing wrong.

And that turned out to be the case because in Azerbaijan Wolff backed down. ''That was my mistake. When I analysed the pit stop I said he went a few centimetres too far, without really identifying that as a mistake. Valtteri actually turned out to be very precise with the pit stop. He made no mistake in that whole thing, it was our problem,'' the Mercedes team boss concluded.
Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll crashed at particularly high speeds during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Both had to deal with a blowout, and according to Damon Hill, Verstappen in particular was very lucky.

36 to 40 laps could be driven on the hard tyre, according to Pirelli, but with less than 36 laps on the clock the left rear tyre of both Stroll and Verstappen burst. Pirelli would point to debris on the track, but it's still causing discontent among drivers, according to former world champion Damon Hill.

Luck for Verstappen

''Certainly, the drivers are concerned and well they might be because the circuit has got some of the highest speeds - sustained high speeds - of any circuit, we go to,'' Hill shares the drivers' concerns to Sky Sports. After the crash of Verstappen the red flag came out and everyone could put a new red set under the car.

So Max was already out of the race at that point, and he was still lucky with his crash, according to Hill. ''Max was lucky because if he goes to the left there's a barrier that goes into the pit wall, if he'd gone there the accident could have been quite a lot more severe. The impact could have been a lot heavier'', concludes the 1996 champion.
The Formula 1 calendar is going to be shaken up again with another cancellation. The Singapore Grand Prix was cancelled this weekend and that means more work for Stefano Domenicali and his team. Turkey is surprisingly high on the list to replace the Singapore race.

No GP in Singapore

Formula 1 wanted to return to a normal calendar in 2021, but it's clear by now that's not going to be easy. ''Planning is more difficult than last year because the rules around travel and the quarantine period keep changing,'' Domenicali told Auto, Motor und Sport.

Canada was the Grand Prix that really pulled the plug, but with Turkey, a replacement was quickly found. However, due to the rules in that country, the race could not take place there after all. Austria was the saviour, just like in 2020, with a second race at the Red Bull Ring. Now that Singapore has cancelled the race, Turkey is back in the picture according to Auto, Motor und Sport.

To Turkey after all

The GP in Singapore is only on October 3rd so there is a possibility that it will be held in Turkey. Logistically it is also very well justified because Singapore was the second race in a Triple Header together with Russia and Japan. According to AMuS there are also doubts about the GP in Japan, as is the case with the Olympic Games in that same country.

If the Olympic Games go ahead, there is a bigger chance for the GP. Should the GP not take place, AMuS points to Malaysia and China as possible replacements, but that doesn't mean that F1 is finished. The travel restrictions in Australia are still very strict and Brazil is no certainty with the emergence of a new mutant.

For these races, there are several possible replacements. A second Grand Prix in America is mentioned. That could mean a second race in Austin or the return to Indianapolis. An extra race in Bahrain would also be a good option. AMuS does not assume that Hockenheim and Nurburgring are options, as they do not seem to be willing to bring a GP to Germany.
Pirelli was seen as the big enemy after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Not for the first time, two Pirelli tyres gave up the ghost without any warning, causing huge crashes for Lance Stroll and Max Verstappen. According to Marc Priestley, the finger should not be pointed at Pirelli immediately.

Criticism of Pirelli

Since Pirelli returned to Formula 1 in 2011, they have come under pressure numerous times. In Silverstone, there were already several races where we saw Pirelli blow-out tyres, but there is also hardly any overtaking possible with the fast wearing tyres. After the race in Baku, Pirelli took a lot of blame from stakeholders in F1, but according to Priestley, this was way too early.

"Overwhelmingly people have immediately jumped on the Pirelli hating bandwagon and disappointingly some of the commentators did it very quickly, some of the other drivers did it. Having been in a situation of having cars fail and incidents happen when actually very few people know the facts, to come out and publicly crucify a company, or a supplier without knowing the full story is often a foolish way to do things," said Priestley in His latest video.

Waiting for FIAinvestigation

The former McLaren mechanic does want to stress that he's not necessarily saying it wasn't because of Pirelli. "I'm certainly not saying this is not just an outright Pirelli failure because there's lots of evidence pointing towards that, but there's also a possibility that debris could've caused these things. We can't discount that. Lance Stroll, the first major incident, we didn't see any debris or an incident that could have caused that. That doesn't mean there wasn't anything on the circuit. It's a street circuit where a couple of days ago heavy traffic was moving down the roads and people were walking down them," he added.

According to Priestley, one should wait for the investigation and not make a judgement right away. "We just don't know. It's pointless of any of us saying 'I know what happened, it's obvious there are a couple of scenarios that both have justification on this. Pirelli are doing an investigation, and I believe the FIA will do their own independent investigation. Let's wait and see what happens," Priestly concluded.
Former Formula 1 driver Jolyon Palmer has voiced his criticism of Valtteri Bottas. The Mercedes driver seemed totally lost during the race weekend in Baku, and could therefore count on considerable criticism at his address.

Mercedes struggled on the Azerbaijan circuit from Friday. Similar to Monaco, the team could not impress until qualifying on Saturday, where Lewis Hamilton qualified on the front row of the grid. Bottas was unable to improve, however, and from a tenth starting position only dropped further into the race.

Not a good word for Bottas

Palmer doesn't have a good word to say about that performance, suggesting it wasn't a one-off. "Hamilton made a big step after Friday, Bottas did not. His restart after the safety car was terrible. He was stuck behind Lando Norris on the same strategy, in a car where Hamilton was much faster than the McLaren," he says in the F1 Nation podcast.

"He's very poor at wheel-to-wheel fighting, every time you see him. If you put him in midfield he doesn't get ahead. At best he holds his position, but probably falls back," the 30-year-old Briton continued. "I can't remember a good overtake by Bottas. This weekend he was just a midfielder," said Palmer.

Read more Video | Verstappen sets fastest lap in Baku before dramatic tyre blowout
Red Bull Racing and Mercedes have been at loggerheads over the wings in recent weeks. While the German team claimed that Red Bull's rear wing did not comply with the regulations, the team of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez had comments about Mercedes' front wing.

Surprisingly, during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, this discussion was hardly present anymore and it was mainly about the race. "It is strange of course. It was a point for a while and there were some skirmishes between Christian Horner and Toto Wolff ", Kees van de Grint at RTL Slipstream commented. "Wolff didn't protest in the end, even though it was in his interest. He could of course have tried to protest Perez out of the race."

Mercedes ultimately did not do so and decided to focus primarily on the race weekend. "That also says something about the mentality. It's mostly a lot of shouting," said Van de Grint, who agrees that the discussion will most likely return to France at the end of June.

Not a great weekend for Mercedes and Red Bull

Neither Red Bull nor Mercedes had a perfect weekend. Verstappen had to leave the track early on behalf of Red Bull due to a flat rear tyre, while Lewis Hamilton made a big mistake and finished without any points.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was a special one, as fans were treated to the ultimate sprint race of just two laps remaining after the red flag was waved for Max Verstappen's crash. Gasly says drivers came 'like lions out of the cage' on that final restart.

Intense restart with two laps to go

There were seventeen drivers left in competition at the time of the final restart of the race. Lewis Hamilton eliminated himself by shooting straight into Turn 1, giving the win to Sergio Perez. Behind, it was very exciting, as both Sebastian Vettel, Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc still had a claim to the podium.

Gasly eventually managed to snatch the final podium spot from behind Vettel in front of Leclerc, and was able to enjoy the battle despite the hefty fight. "It always brings a bit more excitement," Gasly said at MotorsportWeek.com about the standing starts. "It creates some sort of adrenalin inside you and yeah, I knew there would be some opportunities because you start only for two laps, everybody is a bit like lions out of the cage."

Gasly hopes for more super sprints

"Everybody goes for everything and tries to make up as many positions as they can in a very short time. I didnt see the replay of the last two laps but I must say on my side it was very intense, I really enjoyed it. If anything, hopefully in the future they will do the same," Gasly concluded.
A well-known Formula 1 tyre expert has publicly questioned Pirelli's explanation about the high speed tyre blowouts at Baku.

Even before Pirelli chiefs said a word, Max Verstappen correctly predicted that F1's official tyre supplier would blame his and Lance Stroll's scary incidents on track debris.

However, Kees van de Grint says as soon as he saw the incidents, he suspected it was in fact "a problem with the carcass".

Van de Grint is best known in Formula 1 circles for working for Bridgestone as Michael Schumacher's tyre engineer.

"In theory, there could have been debris on the track," he told Algemeen Dagblad newspaper. "But it seems to me that it happened at exactly the same lifespan on both Stroll and Verstappen's cars.

"It's quite a coincidence if it happens after 34 laps of running on both cars. And there was debris on the track for both Stroll and Verstappen, but not in between?"

Van de Grint said tyre failures are not highly unusual in Formula 1, "but it happens a bit too often now".

"I suspect that Pirelli was already nervous about Azerbaijan, especially when the teams were asked to increase the pressures to the maximum.

"You only do that if you're worried," he said.

However, like fellow Dutchman Verstappen, van de Grint wasn't surprised when Pirelli almost instantly declared that track debris was the likely problem.

"They've always had that story ready for the past few years now," he said. "It's always because of debris, or team mistakes, or the driving style. It's never the tyres.

"Some modesty and self-criticism would be good," van de Grint insisted.

"The current tyres were strengthened after the problems at Monza last year, so at least investigate what happened first before saying anything about it."

He even thinks the FIA should step in to ensure Pirelli investigates the Verstappen and Stroll incidents properly.

"After the Romain Grosjean accident, there was an extensive analysis of what happened," said van de Grint. "And rightly so. That should happen now because this is also about people's lives.

"These cars are now 99.9 percent safe, but just imagine if another car had rammed into Verstappen or Stroll at 300kph."

Van de Grint agrees with David Coulthard that the tyre situation in F1 would be greatly improved by the addition of a second manufacturer.

"David said on Sunday that this sort of thing happened much less often with Goodyear, Michelin and Bridgestone, and that's because competition logically makes a product better," he said.

(GMM)
Sebastian Vettel is finally restoring his confidence after the ill-fated end to his Ferrari adventure.

That is the view of Kai Ebel, the legendary face of RTL's former long-time television coverage of Formula 1 in Germany.

He was speaking after Vettel brushed aside his struggle to get up to speed at Aston Martin this year by finishing second at Baku.

"He did everything right, kept his nerve and smelled the opportunity," Ebel told Sport1's AvD Motor und Sport magazine.

Some, however, were busily writing off the 33-year-old German after his sluggish start to 2021, but even Vettel admits the result "means a great deal".

"Obviously it's been a tough start for us," he explained. "We expected quite a bit more after the team had such a strong year last year, but I was confident that at some point it would start clicking."

Kai Ebel thinks Vettel's long slump can be traced back to when his relationship with Ferrari began to sour.

"For a few years he was virtually unbeatable - he won four titles," he said. "It meant he could walk around with a broad chest.

"But then he was at a team where someone was beating him, and then you can get self doubt and become insecure. He had to work his way back up.

"For me, it was just a matter of the mind. I think it's going to be better now. We are seeing a completely different Sebastian Vettel already," Ebel added.

Ebel says Vettel is a F1 driver who needs both "a family environment" within his team, and also to "feel comfortable inside and outside the car".

"That was the case at Red Bull - then he went to Ferrari, where the clocks tick differently. He was still comfortable with his friend Kimi Raikkonen, but something changed when Charles Leclerc came in.

"Vettel was no longer the big guy. The certain warmth that Vettel needs was gone," he said.

(GMM)
By Bahk Eun-ji



A Saudi Arabian woman who worked at the Korean embassy there had a complaint filed on her behalf with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) in March of last year accusing the ambassador of forcing her to remove her hijab.



The rights commission acknowledged Tuesday that the woman, who worked as a translator at the embassy, was the plaintiff and Korean Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Jo Byung-wook was the person against whom the complaint was filed.





National Human Rights Commission of Korea / Korea Times file
Members of a civic group stage a protest in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, Tuesday, urging the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee to revise its map describing Dokdo as its territory. Yonhap



Experts don't expect Seoul-Tokyo ties to make progress overnight



By Kang Seung-woo



The latest Korean court ruling dismissing a damage suit against Japanese firms by victims of wartime forced labor is leaving more room for the Moon Jae-in administration to step up efforts to improve strained ties with Japan, according to diplomatic observers, Tuesday.



However, they remained skeptical that the ruling would bring about an immediate reconciliation between the two sides, as they have been locking horns with each other over historical and territorial issues for decades.



On Monday, the Seoul Central District Court said that the compensation lawsuit launched by 85 Korean victims and their families against 16 Japanese companies, including Nippon Steel Sumitomo Metal, Nissan Chemical and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, was not sufficient to proceed with a hearing, which is tantamount to a ruling against the plaintiffs.



It was clearly a reversal of the October 2018 ruling by the Supreme Court, which ordered Japanese companies to compensate four Korean citizens who were forced to work for them before and during World War II. The decisions was a landmark ruling that led to Japan's retaliatory move of imposing export controls on three key materials critical for the semiconductor and display industries here, and thus resulted in relations between the neighboring countries slumping to their worst level in years.



In the wake of the dismissal on Monday, the foreign ministry here said that the government was respecting the court ruling, adding that the government will continue to consult with the Japanese side with an open stance on discussing a reasonable solution acceptable to both governments and all parties concerned.



"The court ruling is giving the Korean government some breathing room in exploring measures to resolve pending bilateral issues diplomatically," said Shin Beom-chul, director of the Center of Diplomacy and National Security at the Research Institute for Economy and Society.



Yang Ki-ho, a professor of Japanese studies at Sungkonghoe University, echoed Shin's view.



"Recent court rulings dismissing cases regarding Japan's wartime atrocities here are paving the way for the Korean government to step up efforts to mend fences with Tokyo diplomatically," Yang said.









Amid the soured relations, President Moon has yet to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who took office in September 2020.



Since the inauguration of the Joe Biden administration in January, which stresses the importance of trilateral cooperation with Korea and Japan, the Moon administration has offered an olive branch, as highlighted by his remarks from the New Year press conference. At that time, Moon said that it would be "undesirable" for Korea-Japan ties if Japanese companies' assets here were ordered by the court to be sold to compensate the victims of forced labor, while also admitting that he felt "a bit perplexed" by another court ruling, also in January, which ordered the Japanese government to compensate former "comfort women," who were forced into sexual slavery for the pleasure of Japanese soldiers before and during World War II.





A family member and an attorney representing Korean victims of wartime forced labor by Japan speak during a press conference in front of the Seoul Central District Court, Monday, after the court dismissed their damages suit against Japanese companies. Yonhap
Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm launched the US Department of Energys (DOE) Energy Earthshots Initiative to accelerate breakthroughs of more abundant, affordable, and reliable clean energy solutions within the decade. The first Energy EarthshotHydrogen Shotseeks to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen by 80% to $1 per kilogram in one decade.





Industries are beginning to implement clean hydrogen to reduce emissions, but there are still many hurdles to deploying it at scale. Currently, hydrogen from renewable energy costs about $5 per kilogram.

The Energy Earthshots are an all-hands-on-deck call for innovation, collaboration and acceleration of our clean energy economy by tackling the toughest remaining barriers to quickly deploy emerging clean energy technologies at scale. First up: Hydrogen Shot, which sets an ambitious yet achievable cost target to accelerate innovations and spur demand of clean hydrogen. Clean hydrogen is a game changer. It will help decarbonize high-polluting heavy-duty and industrial sectors, while delivering good-paying clean energy jobs and realizing a net-zero economy by 2050. Secretary Granholm

The Hydrogen Shot establishes a framework and foundation for clean hydrogen deployment in the Biden Administrations American Jobs Plan, which includes support for demonstration projects.

The Energy Earthshots will drive integrated program development across DOEs science, applied energy offices, and ARPA-E to address technological challenges and cost hurdles, and to advance solutions to help achieve climate and economic competitiveness goals.

As part of the launch, at the DOEs Hydrogen Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting, DOEs Hydrogen Program issued a Request for Information (RFI) on viable hydrogen demonstrations, including specific locations, that can help lower the cost of hydrogen, reduce carbon emissions and local air pollution, create good-paying jobs, and provide benefits to disadvantaged communities. (DE-FOA-0002529) Topics in the RFI include:
By Ron Bandun





A white guy with a nosebleed peers over the construction fence at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Nov. 28, 2012. / Courtesy of Ron Bandun

Construction is encountered everywhere in Seoul, even if we aren't always aware of it. So it's no wonder that sometimes the temporary fences built around construction sites are decorated with various types of designs.



They may show local government slogans, or list off cultural heritage assets and tourist sites in the neighborhood, or contain information on the new construction to be built there. They may be informative or aesthetically pleasing, or just silly and regrettable.



Fun fact: the official term for these temporary fences around construction sites is "hoarding," a word which you will probably forget shortly after reading this article and never use again. Hoarding may consist of a variety of materials, but the two we're most likely to encounter in this article are metal shutters standing maybe a little over two meters tall, and flimsier, but taller, white plastic boards that can look a little nicer, and also be more comfortable to climb over. Both present surfaces that can display art for a couple years.





Hoarding art at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza construction site shows an illustration of the finished building populated with translucent white people, photographed April 27, 2008. / Courtesy of Ron Bandun



The first time I took notice of construction hoarding art may have been in early 2008, at Dongdaemun Stadium. The two stadiums there  one that had been converted into a flea market  were simultaneously undergoing demolition. Big panels were posted on the metal shutters surrounding the site, showing off various renderings depicting how the final building, Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), would look.



The images themselves were somewhat photorealistic and captured the surreal design of the site quite well. But the really weird thing was that an illustrator had tried to populate the as yet unfinished park with clip art of translucent people, some of which have been excessively cloned appearing in multiple spots. In stark contrast to the flea market vendors nearby, the people of the image were all ethnically white, well-fed and in frumpy clothes  sort of stereotypical American tourists. It's obvious the white figures were just what was available, not an intentional message  white people are just seen as the "default," and that kind of notion will obviously come out in clip art and stock photography. But that's no excuse  it still went up on a public-facing wall, right next to where Korean flea market vendors were undergoing violent eviction, with their forced displacement mirrored without commentary in the unintended ethnic displacement presented by the art.



In my eyes this art was an alarming display of encroaching gentrification, signaling unawareness of the local community's needs and struggles, in favor of those half-invisible hypothetical future tourists from a foreign land and the fat wallets they presumably carried. I imagine the market vendors walked by this art every day and it gave them a vision of an affluent future from which they would be excluded.





Hoarding art at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza construction site shows a rendering of the finished building, populated with translucent white people, photographed April 27, 2008. / Courtesy of Ron Bandun



Also in spring 2008, I frequented Nasan Homeplace, an abandoned department store close to the site of Gangnam District Office Station on Seoul Metro Line 7 and the Bundang Line. It collapsed during demolition later that year, killing at least two workers, sadly, but at the time it was an alluring target for me. The structure was surrounded on all sides with hoarding: metal shutters around the back, and tall plastic fencing around the front.



I visited a few times agonizing about the best point of entry into the property. Finally, I realized that the fence itself was my way in. Various letters, both in Hangeul and of the Roman alphabet, were pasted to the exterior of the fence. They were made of foam and not solid, but jutted out just enough that I could use them as handholds and footholds. I was able to climb up and clear the fence thanks to those letters. As a writer, it felt good to be assisted so literally by the written word.





The hoarding at Nasan Homeplace in Gangnam District was decorated with letters that made for useful footholds while climbing over the fence, photographed April 27, 2008. / Courtesy of Ron Bandun



By far the most striking hoarding art I've ever seen was at what is now the site of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, just east of Gyeongbok Palace, which at that time (around 2011) was nicknamed, "UUL National Art Museum." The wall art featured massive nude illustrations of famous art figures, such as a naked full-body view of a blushing Mona Lisa reclining, with real trees placed strategically to censor certain parts.



Also peering over the tall fence was a giant naked Vincent van Gogh, Michelangelo's David and a few other figures I can't identify. Also present were more anonymous faces of random "foreigners" peeking over the wall, with one white guy suffering a nosebleed, which in Japanese anime imagery means sexual arousal. In spraypainted letters, it announced "MUSEUM GOT NAKED  It's open for ALL," "Nothing's between You and Art" and, "Sick, tired and Artless  yes, you can say."





A naked Mona Lisa is depicted on the construction fence surrounding at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Nov. 28, 2012. / Courtesy of Ron Bandun



Designed by artist Yi Je-seok (Jeski), it was incredibly effective promotion, making people extremely curious about what was going up on the other side. Curiosity got the better of me and I slipped into the site late one night in 2012. My goal was to climb the construction crane and pose nude mimicking the hoarding art, but you'll be relieved to know I was too nervous to even think about disrobing when I reached the top.





A naked Vincent van Gogh towers over the construction fence at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Nov. 28, 2012. / Courtesy of Ron Bandun



Perhaps the most laughable hoarding art I've seen was at an apartment complex remodeling site in Gaepo-dong, which may still be there, located across the street from Ilwon Elementary School. Whoever was in charge wanted to put up aspirational messages for the students, so, along with art depicting classroom settings, at various segments along the wall, it asks "What do you hope for?" and then answers that awkwardly phrased question with a series of potential careers, including "Computer Enginner" "Barista" "Semiconductor" "Sport Man" and, most ironically, "Contributing Editor" If you don't know what these words mean, they beat staring at a blank white wall, but if you can read them, they'll inject a moment of unintentional hilarity into your day.





A sign on construction hoarding in Gangnam District's Gaepo-dong asks students what they want to be when they grow up, with other sections offering "Computer Enginner" and "Contributing Editor," Aug. 17, 2019. / Courtesy of Ron Bandun



Another very weird example I found was in western Seoul's Morene Market, part of which has been demolished leaving the other section facing a tall construction wall. So they decorated it in a massive panorama of natural scenery. It's breathtaking and beautiful, but so absurd as to be disorienting. On my visit last September, I thought I saw lush trees way down the market passageway, only to discover the hoarding had been decorated with forest scenery. There are even paths enticing people to step into the picture and bonk their heads. I'm honestly curious if it has caused any injuries.





Construction hoarding at Morene Market in Seoul shows a lush forest scene with a path beckoning unwary pedestrians, Sept. 18, 2020. / Courtesy of Ron Bandun



More recently, I've been watching the ongoing Gwanghwamun Plaza renovations closely. The barrier art there is incredibly diverse, showcasing some of the worst and best characteristics I've seen in hoarding art.





Hoarding art at Gwanghwamun Square shows the finished square populated with distinctly non-Korean figures, March 23. / Courtesy of Ron Bandun



On my first visit, I was disappointed to note more of the same old scenes, showing renderings of the finished square with stock photography models pasted in. Just like I saw in Dongdaemun back in 2008, the people appear to be mostly white, but when I looked closer I was able to spot one or two darker faces, perhaps even from another part of Asia. A few other figures are ambiguous enough that they could possibly be Korean. Still, the ethnic makeup depicted was overwhelmingly mismatched to the surrounding population, which makes me a little uncomfortable.





Hoarding art at Gwanghwamun Square shows the finished square populated with distinctly non-Korean figures, March 23. / Courtesy of Ron Bandun



As I moved around the perimeter of the construction site, I found another style of hoarding art taking a step further back from the edge of the uncanny valley. Some elements seem to be photos assembled as a collage, showing trees with colorful autumn leaves, with Gwanghwamun and Mount Bugak in the distance. But the people are more crudely rendered cutouts, more on the level of "South Park" characters. They're just going about their day, looking a little shocked and uncomfortable to be there, and their features as well as fashion are believably typical of Seoul.





Hoarding art at Gwanghwamun Square shows the finished square populated with cartoonish South Park-like figures, March 23. / Courtesy of Ron Bandun



Then I found what I'd consider the most attractive hoarding art, viewable over by the King Sejong statue. A wide panoramic scene of the completed Gwanghwamun Plaza is fully illustrated, not remotely attempting to look photorealistic.



The landmarks are beautifully recognizable, including the statues of King Sejong, Admiral Yi Sun-shin and the mythical haechi animal, as well as the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Kyobo Building and the palace gate. And the people depicted are cartoons, most of which are identifiably Asian. They show a strong diversity, including playful children with loving parents, young adults having a good time hanging out, along with one even carrying a skateboard, and a few senior citizens here and there. Two different figures are shown in wheelchairs, while one woman is wearing a construction helmet and another guy is dressed in a snazzy silver suit. There are two young white tourists, notable for their pale skin, light hair color and baggage. Another couple I suspect are elderly grey-haired people of foreign nationality, dressed practically and smiling brightly.



Like the other hoarding murals, there is some cloning of the human figures, although it's less noticeable because all the figures are spread out horizontally, so you end up just feeling like you're walking along the same people. One woman giving a friendly wave appears three times in different places, wearing a different color sweater each time. Despite some quirks and the highly stylized depiction, this mural almost perfectly reflects back the city surrounding it. I wish I could find the artist's name.





Hoarding art at Gwanghwamun Square shows the finished square populated with distinctly Asian figures, April 16. / Courtesy of Ron Bandun



These different kinds of hoarding art have various effects and deliver differing messages to observers. So while their content has in the past mostly been treated as an afterthought, why don't people start taking this more seriously as an opportunity? Even commercial advertising should be considered, especially in light of just how much visual real estate we're talking about here. Why not dedicate these spaces, or at least a signification portion, to citizen's art? Maybe the corporate ads could pay for the community service and help democratize public spaces. Wouldn't it be a great way to encourage creativity and help build community? Anything's better than blank walls, and it means that somewhere an artist is (hopefully) being paid to beautify these liminal spaces found throughout the city.





Hoarding art at Gwanghwamun Square shows the finished square populated with distinctly Asian figures, April 16. / Courtesy of Ron Bandun



Or at least that's what I would have figured, until I was passing through Yeonsinnae area recently in northwestern Seoul and a hideous apparition on some construction hoarding caught my eye. Staring back at me was a massive image of Podori, the male mascot of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency that is some kind of animal, maybe a rat. It's a real photo, probably taken of someone wearing a Podori costume, except the pupils of both eyes are punched out, with two rather cybernetic streetlights sticking out, causing Podori's eyes to shine like spotlights and triggering a very uneasy sensation in me. If it is intended to scare criminals straight, it might be very effective.





Hoarding art near Yeonsinnae Station in northwestern Seoul shows a horrifying photorealistic image of Podori, the Seoul Metropolitan Police mascot, May 23. / Courtesy of Ron Bandun
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Some of the worlds biggest online media platforms including The New York Times, The Guardian and Le Monde, have been temporarily taken offline. A cause is not yet known, but its thought a server outage could be at play.

Users trying to access sites such as The New Yorker, The Independent and the Financial Times FT.com at around 11 a.m. GMT were greeted with a 503 service error.

Users of social media platforms including Reddit, Twitch and Pinterest have also reported outages on those sites.

It is believed the source of the outages is a disruption to a key content delivery network, thought to be Fastly. Fastly.com is also down, showing a blank page saying connection failure.

The Guardian's website and app are currently being affected by a wider internet outage and will be back as soon as possible  The Guardian (@guardian) June 8, 2021

Outlets that are currently returning errors include The New York Times, The Guardian, Forbes, The Atlantic, Reddit, The New Yorker and French newspaper Le Monde, one of the few major non-U.S. sites that appears to be affected.

The British Governments official website, gov.uk, is also currently down. However, the United States and Frances official government websites appear to be working.

The outages are believed to be local, with some websites working intermittently while users in certain geographical locations, such as Berlin, have reported no issues at all for these sites.

Unable to deliver the news what is now the traditional way, some affected media sites, such as the Guardian and The Verge, have resorted to innovative ways of keeping their readers updated with the latest headlines  including that of their own outage. The Guardians UK technology editor, Alex Hern, has been using a Twitter thread as a formal liveblog for the Fastly outage, he reported. The Verge, meanwhile, has pivoted to a Google Docs page.

Vast chunks of the internet are offline, including The Verge. Until were back, were reporting to you live out of Google Docs. Heres what we know so far about the outage: https://t.co/4b1p2qhYif  The Verge (@verge) June 8, 2021

Websites that are still online include the BBC, Los Angeles Times, El Pais, South China Morning Post, Al Jazeera, Daily Mail, The Sun and Buzzfeed.

More to come.

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
GREENWICH  Art in the Park returned to Binney Park in Old Greenwich.

Presented by the Old Greenwich Merchants Association, dozens of local and regional artists of various mediums displayed their work in booths positioned around the pond in picturesque Binney Park on Sunday.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  A state senator from southcentral Pennsylvania said Tuesday that he is forming an exploratory committee to run for the Republican nomination for governor in 2022.

Sen. Scott Martin, R-Lancaster, joins a crowded field of declared candidates and prospective candidates.

Martin is a second-term senator and former county commissioner who hails from a Republican-leaning district and chairs the Education Committee. Forming an exploratory committee helps him raise money for a campaign.

Already declared is Lou Barletta, the former four-term congressman who was the party's nominee for U.S. Senate in 2018 before he lost to Democrat Bob Casey. Barletta has by far more electoral experience than any other Republican considering running, and is the only one to have run statewide.

Democrats are coalescing around Pennsylvania's second-term Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who has said he expects to run for governor, but has yet to formally announce his candidacy.

Other Republicans who have said they are interested in running or spoken at party functions for prospective candidates include U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, marketing consultant Charlie Gerow, state Sen. Dan Laughlin, state Sen. Doug Mastriano and Bill McSwain, a former chief federal prosecutor in Philadelphia.

Several others are declared candidates: Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale, Pittsburgh lawyer Jason Richey and Dr. Nche Zama, a cardiothoracic surgeon.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden ended talks with a group of Republican senators on a big infrastructure package on Tuesday and started reaching out to senators from both parties in a new effort toward bipartisan compromise, setting a summer deadline for Congress to pass his top legislative priority.

The president is walking away from talks with lead Republican negotiator Sen. Shelley Moore Capito after the two spoke Tuesday, but would welcome her in the new bipartisan group, according to an administrative official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private negotiations.

Shortly after the Biden-Capito talks collapsed, 10 senators huddled late Thursday over pizza  five Republicans, five Democrats  emerging after three hours with some optimism their new effort could create a viable path forward, said a person familiar with the closed-door talks and granted anonymity to discuss them.

At the same time, with anxiety running high as time slips by, Democrats are laying the groundwork to pass some or all of the ambitious package on their own. Biden conferred Tuesday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer about launching the budget resolution process for Senate votes in July, the White House said.

The President is committed to moving his economic legislation through Congress this summer, and is pursuing multiple paths to get this done, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.

The breakdown in the White House's efforts with GOP senators comes after weeks of prolonged infrastructure talks between the president and Capito as the two sides failed to broker the divide over the scope of Biden's sweeping infrastructure investment and how to pay for it.

The Republican senators offered a $928 billion proposal, which included about $330 billion in new spending  but not as much as Biden's $1.7 trillion investment proposal for rebuilding the nation's roads, bridges, highways and other infrastructure, including Veterans Affairs hospitals and care centers.

Biden has proposed raising the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, a nonstarter for Republicans, and rejected the GOP senators suggestion of tapping unspent COVID-19 aid money to fund the new infrastructure spending.

In a statement, Capito said she was disappointed Biden ended the talks, but also expressed interest in ongoing bipartisan work.

While I appreciate President Bidens willingness to devote so much time and effort to these negotiations, he ultimately chose not to accept the very robust and targeted infrastructure package, and instead, end our discussions," she said. However, this does not mean bipartisanship isnt feasible.

As Biden aims for a compromise deal, he has begun reaching out to other senators, including Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and two key centrist Democrats, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, whose votes will be crucial in the evenly split Senate.

Those senators receiving phone calls from Biden were among the group of 10 assembled with Sinema and Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, late Tuesday in Portman's office for what was described as a productive meeting, the person familiar with the session said.

Portman and Sinema have been engaged for months with Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on a sizable infrastructure proposal that is expected to include proposed ways to pay for it.

The senators' group has expanded in recent weeks to include the others from both parties. Romney has described it a back burner group, in case the administration's talks with the GOP senators faltered.

Psaki said the president urged the senators in his conversations to continue their work to develop a bipartisan proposal that he hopes will be more responsive to the countrys pressing infrastructure needs. Biden tapped Cabinet and White House aides to meet with the senators in person.

Ahead of Bidens announcement, the White House had also spoken to other lawmakers, including from the House.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., the co-chairs of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, spoke late Monday with Brian Deese, director of the White House National Economic Council, about bipartisan efforts to reach an infrastructure deal, according to an aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversations.

The Problem Solvers group has agreed to $761.8 billion in new spending over eight years as part of $1.2 trillion plan, according to a draft obtained late Tuesday by The Associated Press. The one-page draft does not include any proposed ways to pay for the package.

Gottheimer is also working with Cassidy and Sinema from the senators group, the aide said.

With the narrowly split House and the 50-50 Senate, the White House faces political challenges pushing its priorities through Congress with Democratic votes alone. Biden's party holds a slight majority in the Senate because Vice President Kamala Harris can break a tie.

The special budget rules could provide Biden with an alternative path, particularly in the Senate, because they allow legislation to be approved with a 51-vote threshold, rather than the 60 votes typically needed to advance a bill past a filibuster  in this case, led by Republicans against the Biden package.

Democrats are watching warily as time passes and anxiety builds toward an agreement, with many lawmakers worried they are not fulfilling their campaign promises to voters who put the party in control of Congress and the White House.

During a private discussion of Democratic senators at lunch Tuesday, there were differing views over whether they should keep talking with Republicans or pursue an approach that would allow them to pass a bill on their own, through the budget reconciliation process.

Schumer told reporters afterward that Democrats are pursuing a two-path approach.

The bipartisan talks led by Sinema with the other senators are underway, Schumer said, while the budget committee is preparing the legislation that would allow passage through the reconciliation process.

It may well be that part of the bill that is passed will be bipartisan, and part of it will be in reconciliation, he said. But were not going to sacrifice bigness and boldness.

The president is expected to engage with lawmakers while he sets out this week on his first foreign trip for an economic summit of the Group of Seven industrialized nations in Europe.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. Security Council gave its unanimous backing to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a second term on Tuesday, assuring his election as the next U.N. chief by the General Assembly, most likely on June 18.

The 15 council members adopted a brief resolution by acclamation and approved a communique at a brief private meeting endorsing Guterres  the only candidate  to be the worlds top diplomat for another five years starting Jan. 1.

He has proven worthy of the post already with the five years he has been in office. said Estonias U.N. Ambassador Sven Jurgenson, the current council president, after reading the communique to the media. He has been an excellent secretary-general. Hes a bridge builder. ... Hes able to speak to everybody, and I think this is something that is expected from the secretary-general.

Guterres called the councils decision a great honor and said in a statement, I would be deeply humbled if the General Assembly were to entrust me with the responsibilities of a second mandate.

He said it has been an immense privilege to serve we the peoples -- the opening words of the U.N. Charter -- during the past 4  years when we have been facing so many complex challenges.

Traditionally, candidates for the U.N.s top job have been nominated by a U.N. member state, but that is not a requirement in the U.N. Charter or in a resolution adopted by the General Assembly in 2015. That measure made the previously largely secretive selection of the secretary-general more open and transparent, allowing member states for the first time to see basic information about all candidates, including their resumes, and to question them at open sessions.

Guterres, a former Portuguese prime minister and U.N. refugee chief, was elected by the assembly to succeed Ban Ki-moon after a hotly contested and transparent race in October 2016 that initially included 13 candidates -- seven women and six men. Guterres took office on Jan. 1, 2017.

This year, seven individuals submitted applications to be secretary-general without backing from any government, including most recently former Ecuadorian President Rosalia Arteaga.

Guterres, whose five-year term ends Dec. 31, was the only applicant nominated by a U.N. member state, his home country Portugal. He followed the 2015 process, holding a lengthy open question and answer session with U.N. diplomats in the General Assembly last month and then meeting privately with Security Council members.

General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir told reporters last month 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.

He said, It looks like the Security Council has the opinion that, traditionally, only applicants supported by a country can become a candidate, so the only joint letter was sent on behalf of Guterres.

Estonias Jurgenson confirmed the councils position again on Tuesday, saying according to the rules and procedures only states can nominate candidates -- fortunately, unfortunately ... this time no other state presented a candidate

Under the U.N. Charter, the 193-member General Assembly elects the secretary-general and Jurgenson said: The timeline now is that most probably it will happen in the General Assembly in the morning of June 18.

After the vote, Guterres had lunch with the 10 elected members of the council who serve two-year terms.

Irelands U.N. Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason said she fully supports Guterres, saying he has managed the U.N. through difficult crises, difficult periods" including the COVID-19 pandemic.

As for a woman becoming secretary-general for the first time, she said, Im sure a woman like me will one day" be chosen.

Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth alluded to the need for a candidate to be U.N. secretary-general to get support from the five veto-wielding members of the Security Council -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France.

He reiterated his past criticism of Guterres for remaining silent publicly during his first term about human rights abuses by China, Russia, and the United States and their allies.

Roth singled out Guterres non-confrontational approach toward former U.S. President Donald Trumps efforts to sideline human rights and embrace authoritarian leaders and toward what he called Chinas crimes against humanity against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang as well as toward what he described as Saudi Arabias war crimes in Yemen and Russias vetoes of human rights-related resolutions on its ally Syria.

Guterres should use his next five years to become a strong vocal advocate for rights, Roth said. His recent willingness to denounce abuses in Myanmar and Belarus should expand to include all governments deserving condemnation, including those that are powerful and protected.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric responded to the criticism saying the secretary-general has a strong stance on defending human rights, speaking up against abuses."

Whether its NGOs, whether its the United Nations, whether its the secretary-general, the high commissioner for human rights, we all have the same goal and that is seeing an end to human rights abuses," Dujarric said. We all take different roads to get there, but in the end, we all want to get to the same place."

I
Samsung has announced its smartwatches will move on from Tizen and will come with Wear OS in the future, and there are at least two new series incoming - the Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch Active4.

Four devices (both lineups in two different sizes) have been certified at 3C (the Chinese Compulsory Certification) with a 5W charger, but more interestingly, none of them will ship with a power adapter.

The four variants are for the Chinese market since Samsung always marks the devices with a 0 at the end of the model number. According to our source, SM-R860 stands for Galaxy Watch Active4 39 mm, SM-R870 is Galaxy Watch Active4 43 mm, SM-R880 is Galaxy Watch4 41 mm and SM-R890 is Galaxy Watch4 45 mm.

The first of those four has already been certified with a battery of 247 mAh, meaning the other three are likely to get bigger power cells. However, it is rather sad that Samsung has decided to stick to the 5W charging and we shouldnt be surprised to see last years charging dock in the retail box as well.

The new wearables are likely to arrive in August alongside the new Galaxy Z foldable smartphones, although we have nothing official by Samsung so far.

Via 1  Via 2
Aaron Cossrow poses with some of his art. / Courtesy of Kyung Lee









By Kyung Lee







Portrait painter Aaron Cossrow hopes to host an exhibition in the coming weeks featuring his more than 20 oil, acrylic and digitized artworks.







Of those works that he wants people to see, he has largely intended to display realism and Norman Rockwell-esque portraits of Korean men and women using their hands and physical might to earn a living.









And to Cossrow, these artisans, laborers, street performers and even

signify a dying breed of an older, but cultural, colorful and flavorful Korea  a group he sees as possessing qualties that later generations of Koreans are less connected to.







Speaking on his plans to organize a gallery back in mid-May, Cossrow told The Korea Times, "As a member of the expat community speaking for other members of the expat community, I can express a vision of the Korean experience and an older culture from an outside perspective."









Cossrow's works can be found in expat community groups on Facebook and also his professional Instagram handle

.







And just as his paintings consist of more complex layering of colors and brushstroke techniques relative to his comics, so too do his preferred models  with attention paid not only to the grit on their fingers from their labor-intensive jobs, but also the surroundings that house them and their aging quality amid all the real work.







Responding why he chose to paint an Itaewon shoe repairman, Cossrow said: "I loved all the detail in the shop, how old and used it was, how there's dirt everywhere [and] how that shoe polish is ingrained in the materials of that old box filled with all his things, his toys and trinkets. All of these pieces of detail create a story about this guy. I just love how it's so 'ajeossi.'"







Cossrow, with the help of his translator, researcher and friend Oh Chae-won  as well as observing firsthand the strength, energy and authenticity of middle-aged locals over soju and traditional dinner tables  has found and captured other subjects who fit the profile of Korean laborers who have spent decades working at their craft.







And like the shoe repair man, their stories might be layered in the jobs they work, the worn-out settings they occupy or even the clothes they put on every day.









Speaking of a

that he reached out to through Oh and completed more than a month ago, he said: "I love his blue jacket, that old 'ajeossi' hat he's got, his old shoes, his equipment and old Daiso bowl."









Cossrow also spoke of his encounters with a

, who was at first hesitant on getting his picture taken until his wife convinced him otherwise. Having worked in metals and pounding them for some 40 years  now with a mechanical hammer and his other aging tools  has cost him part of his hearing.







And though he captures these older generations on canvas in their element and invested in their craft, Cossrow's ultimate motive of portraying his subjects for audiences is to see them for their authenticity, culture and hard work.







He wants his subjects to be seen as powerful and hardworking as much as they are culturally and "iconically" Korean.







"I like my paintings to be uplifting, showing that resilient quality in these characters," Cossrow said.







After his works are finished and digitized, Cossrow often returns to his artistic models with friend James Beckwith to record their reactions to their portraits.







It's nice to come through for them," he said.







Aaron Cossrow poses with a woman who appears in one of his latest paintings. / Courtesy of Aaron Cossrow





Having already established himself in the foreign community through his comical, raw, distorted but accurate depictions of Itaewon's various nightlife scenes in comic strips and posters, the Philadelphia native added that he expects and wants his upcoming exhibition to turn a lot of heads to discuss and relate to the community at focus.







"I want to get a lot of attention because I feel like the work encapsulates a larger idea of Korea," he said. "Telling that story, it's definitely something that requires its own project and series of paintings."






Students at Mandeok Elementary school play traditional Korean musical instruments during an afterschool class in Damyang, South Jeolla Province, June 7. South Jeolla Province was the first region to allow all students to attend in-person classes. A total of 822 elementary, middle and high schools started face-to-face classes for approximately 203,000 students, Monday. Yonhap




Haiti - Ouanaminthe : Violent incident at the border





On Monday in Ouanaminthe, several hundred Haitians tried to force their way into Dominican territory to buy food and other goods on the binational market in Dajabon, which was temporarily closed by the Dominican authorities to avoid the spread of Covid-19, while Haiti declared a state of emergency duie to the strong rebound in the number of cases and deaths on its territory https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33918-haiti-flash-3rd-wave-already-more-than-2-500-cases-and-60-deaths.html



Immigration inspectors and public health officials backed by the Dominican military demanded Haitians to present Covid-19 vaccination cards. Haitian buyers and merchants reacted violently stressing these requirements do not concern large merchants and businessmen who are allowed to enter without meeting these requirements, frustrated several individuals attacked the Dominican soldiers stationed at the border with stones which did nothing but take shelter without responding.



Faced with the risk of a more violent confrontation, the Dominican authorities ordered the temporary closure of the border.



Angry, the Haitians then set tires on fire and blocked the road from Ouanaminthe to Dajabon warning that they would not allow the entry of Dominican goods into their territory as long as the market remained closed.



Many Haitians then tried to enter Dominican territory despite everything via the Massacre River, a movement thwarted by the arrival of the Border Police (PoliFront) a special unit of the National Police of Haiti (PNH), which had to face violent individuals who threw stones at them.



A PoliFront officer, with a megaphone warned the protesters that they were not Dominican soldiers and police, but Haitian law enforcement officers. In order to disperse these highly motivated demonstrators, the PoliFront used tear gas, gunshots were reported. According to Haitian testimonies at least one protester was injured and another killed. Information that has not been confirmed by the Haitian authorities.



During these clashes, a strong presence of soldiers from the Specialized Corps for Land Border Security (Cesfront) was observed throughout the border strip that separates the two nations, to prevent possible demonstrators from entering Dominican territory.



S/ HaitiLibre


















By William Schwartz | Published on 2021/06/07

A recent interview from Lee Je-hoon about his recently completed drama "Taxi Driver" has grabbed attention thanks in part to his outspoken stance on the social value of his work. "Taxi Driver" attracted much attention for its discussion of serious social issues, and Lee Je-hoon stated that this aspect of the drama was at the forefront of his mind during filming. Lee Je-hoon explained in the interview that as an actor, he is in a unique position to express a voice against that which ought not occur.

In "Taxi Driver" Lee Je-hoon played the title character Dogi, a dark hero who takes on tasks of vengeance for those wronged by society. From cruelty against the disabled to schoolyard violence, Lee Je-hoon ran across many hot button social issues throughout the drama's run. Lee Je-hoon claimed that some of the scripts made him genuinely angry, but he could not bring himself to raise an objection because he firmly believed in the importance of the messaging.

This, even as episodes received a 18+ age rating as necessary. Lee Je-hoon's character engages in explicitly illegal actions, typically at the request of people who have been failed by systems that were supposed to protect them. Lee Je-hoon claimed that while he believes in legal measures, he knows the reality of how they often don't work. This has been a theme through his career, with the drama "Signal" and the films "Anarchist from Colony" and "I Can Speak" being other examples.

Lee Je-hoon was no slouch with action scenes either. "Taxi Driver" was noteworthy for extensive use of single shot takes, common in such classic South Korean films as "Old Boy" but more uncommon with television dramas. Lee Je-hoon claimed to have wanted to do work like this for a long time, and that he had prepared diligently for the moment. Nevertheless, Lee Je-hoon credited production staff for amazing work, able to work through any difficulties with the challenging shooting style.

Lee Je-hoon has been busy. He moved straight from production on "Collectors" to "Taxi Driver" with no break in-between. And even now he's hard at work with "Unframed" which will premiere on Watcha later this year. Lee Je-hoon will write and direct his own part of the project, alongside Choi Hee-seo, Park Jung-min, and Son Sukku. Lee Je-hoon claims this is another project he's long had an interest in, nervous as he is to finally put it into execution. Nevertheless, he has high hopes.

Written by William Schwartz
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Interview: "I saw how CPC leadership promotes human development": Belarusian party leader

Xinhua) 16:40, June 07, 2021

MINSK, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC)'s governing philosophy helps promote the idea of constant human development, said a Belarusian party leader.

Under the CPC's leadership, China has become the only major economy in the world to see GDP growth in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and "this is what speaks about the policy that is being pursued. It means that people are constantly developing," Aleksei Sokol, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus, told Xinhua in a recent exclusive interview.

China has set "an example of what needs to be taken in the fight against such a terrible epidemic," Sokol said.

The party leader noted that the main reason for the CPC's longevity is its ability to adapt the Marxism theory to the Chinese context.

Having visited China many times, Sokol said he is deeply impressed by the country's rapid development, citing China's efforts in improving infrastructure, and advancing innovative technology, aerospace technology and biotechnology as examples.

With the CPC's leadership, China is "focusing not only on central cities, but also developing the periphery very seriously," he said, adding that China promotes a diversified development to increase the well-being of its people by any means.

Sokol said he is also amazed by China's poverty alleviation. "I saw how the leadership of the CPC promotes the idea of human development."

Behind China's eradication of absolute poverty is a certain human development potential, which ultimately pushes forward the development of the whole country, he said.

All China's socio-economic achievements, fulfilled under the CPC's leadership, deserve respect, he said.

Members of the CPC have spearheaded the efforts to speed up China's development over the past decades, the party leader noted, adding that the Chinese people are hardworking, active and highly disciplined, which also contributed to China's rapid development.

Sokol was invited to participate in the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting in Beijing in 2017. He said he is deeply impressed by the remarks on jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind made at the meeting by Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

"This is an excellent, wonderful and strong idea. This is a very promising direction," he said.

China has proposed to the international community an initiative that countries should unite to develop in a peaceful way, and the world should respond to the initiative, he said.

Sokol said his party has repeatedly sent members to participate in various international forums and seminars in China, and also sent young Belarusians to China to promote exchanges with Chinese youths. "We have learned a lot both in theory and in practice from our Chinese colleagues thanks to these visits."

Noting that Belarus-China relations "are deepening every year," and that the two countries have great mutually beneficial prospects, Sokol praised the leaders of both sides for their invaluable role in promoting "such friendly relations."

Congratulating the CPC on its 100th anniversary, Sokol said he wishes China can further speed up the pace of its development in the future.

China should go forward and show the world that "socialism with Chinese characteristics is really a modern model. It is aimed at caring for people, at development," he added.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Lawyers from One and Partners speak to reporters before entering Seocho Police Station in Seoul, June 1. The law firm is representing a friend of Son Jeong-min, a medical college student who was found dead in the Han River on April 30. Yonhap



By Nam Hyun-woo



More than 700 YouTubers and online gossipers who spread rumors suggesting that a 22-year-old medical student, Son Jeong-min  found dead in the Han River in April  was murdered by his friend who was last spotted with him, are seeking forgiveness.



One and Partners, the law firm representing the friend, said it has received more than 700 apologies via e-mail, KakaoTalk messages and other means, as of Monday night, after the law firm announced Friday that it would sue all rumormongers who claimed that the friend was involved in the death.



The law firm said it will have "no tolerance for anyone spreading groundless rumors, suspicions and other insults about the friend and his family," but will accept apologies for those asking for leniency or wanting to avoid being sued.



Son, a 22-year-old medical student in Seoul, was found dead in the Han River, April 30, five days after he disappeared from a riverside park in southern Seoul. He disappeared allegedly following falling asleep after drinking with his friend in the park from 11 p.m., April 24, until after 2 a.m. the next morning.



His death received a huge amount of public attention, as a police investigation has yet to uncover the exact events that led to the death, such as how the medical student ended up in the water. The uncertainty about the cause of his death sparked various rumors, including speculation that the friend is deeply involved in the case.



The friend's personal information and photos were revealed by internet users, while some claimed that his uncle and father are police officers or other higher ranking government officials, and are abusing their power to hide the truth. Such rumors, however, were confirmed as being false by law enforcement authorities.



Some YouTubers have been rushing to upload videos claiming that Son's death was a murder, suggesting unconfirmed accounts, in what appears to be a trick to profit from the misfortune of others. Some even interviewed shamans who offered their own takes, with one claiming that "the murderer may have had an accomplice," while another claimed that "Son and his friend may have gotten in a fight over a girl."





Members of a group named "People Seeking the Truth about the Death of Medical Student Son Jeong-min" hold banners in front of Seocho Police Station in Seoul, Monday. They claim that Son's friend, who was with him before he died, should be investigated as a suspect. Yonhap
Lake Havasu City is home to 100 newly vaccinated residents, and most of them are teenagers.

A covid-19 clinic held at the Havasu Community Health Foundation targeted youths over 12. In three weeks, a second clinic will offer their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
A Senate panel voted Wednesday to give themselves and their colleagues a big increase in their allowance  and do it as soon as possible.

You voted:
The retrial of a Havre man convicted of negligent homicide in 2014 in the shooting death of his brother started today in state District Court in the Hill County Courthouse.

The retrial of Shane Clark Johnson started with jury selection this morning, with District Judge Matthew Cuffe presiding.

In initial discussions, Cuffe said they expected opening arguments may be made this afternoon.

Johnson had appealed his 2014 conviction, arguing the court made errors in allowing the jury unrestricted access to all of the states testimonial audio and video exhibits during deliberations and by...
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Rep. Yun Ho-jung, center, floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, speaks during a party meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap



By Jung Da-min



The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) demanded 12 of its lawmakers leave the party, Tuesday, a day after they or their family members were accused of alleged real estate speculation by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC).



The move was in response to an earlier pledge to take strong action if any real estate speculation  even allegations  was uncovered involving its members, and followed a speculation scandal involving employees of the Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH).



"During an earlier party convention, we pledged the party would sternly deal with any speculation, and the Supreme Council members today held a discussion and decided to demand all 12 leave the party," DPK spokesman Rep. Koh Yong-jin said.



He said the party decided not to wait until the results of an investigation came out, because the public anger over housing and land speculation issues is so huge, and the ruling party has been criticized for applying double standards on corruption issues.



Among the 12, the DPK will arbitrarily strip Reps. Youn Mee-hyang and Yang Yi Won-young of their membership as they hold proportional representation seats, and will lose them if they voluntarily leave the party.



On Monday, the ACRC announced the results of an investigation into real estate transactions made by 816 people  174 DPK lawmakers and their family members.



According to the ACRC, there were 16 alleged violations of relevant laws and ordinances by 12 people  six lawmakers and the family members of six other lawmakers. Reports on those involved in the alleged improper trades were sent to the National Office of Investigation (NOI) under the National Police Agency, which will continue to investigate the allegations.



The ACRC's probe kicked off in late March at the request of the ruling party itself, after public anger rose over the speculation scandal in which employees of the state-run housing corporation bought farmland in several regions using confidential information prior to the government's announcement of new development projects there.



This scandal caused a large amount of negative public sentiment toward the ruling party, and is also seen as the biggest cause for the DPK's crushing defeat by its rival main opposition People Power Party (PPP) in the April 7 by-elections, in which the PPP took mayoral posts of the countries two major cities, Seoul and Busan.



Last week, DPK Chairman Rep. Song Young-gil said, "If DPK lawmakers or their family members are involved in scandals connected to influence peddling for school admissions or employment of their family members, real estate speculation and sexual harassment, the party will immediately oust them and ban them from reentering."



Meantime, as calls grow that a similar investigation should be conducted on the PPP, the opposition party said it would ask the Board of Audit and Inspection to carry out an investigation into real estate transactions made by PPP lawmakers and their family members. The PPP said the DPK is also urged to accept another investigation by the BAI, as it is an independent institution free from the influence of the ruling bloc.


Huntington, WV (25701)

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Huntington, WV (25701)

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Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%..

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The Hunt County Commissioners Court is expected to resume plans to brief the public about the proposed creation of an Emergency Services District, also referred to as an ESD, in Hunt County, along with the establishment of a tax rate connected to the district.
By Kim Tae-jong





During an interview with a Korean newspaper last year, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg said people are increasingly attempting to justify their actions by hijacking the term "green."



That was what first came to mind as I watched the Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals Summit (P4G) held here in Seoul at the end of May.



Its "Seoul Declaration'' was intended to be the centerpiece.



"We recognize the climate crisis as an urgent global threat whose impacts reach beyond the environment agenda to include economic, social, security and human rights-related challenges," it stated.



But the fine sentiments and the hype did little to mask the utter lack of credible action.



The failure to match words with real, tangible policies and outcomes is unfortunately a common theme in the current administration.



For instance, Korea has pledged to go carbon neutral by 2050, yet has not revealed how it will get there. And most importantly, the country's current 2030 carbon emission reduction target, which is a 24.4 percent cut from 2017 levels, is insufficient to limit warming to even 2C.



With nothing forthcoming at the P4G, we will now have to wait until as late as November for an "upgraded" carbon emission reduction target.



What's more, there are seven new coal-fired power plants under development at home, with Korean companies also behind two big coal plant construction projects underway in Vietnam and Indonesia.



The International Energy Agency (IEA), known as relatively conservative on energy issues, even said in its recent report that no new coal-fired power stations can be built if the world is to stay within safe limits of global heating and meet the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.



Certainly, of all the fossil fuels, coal has to be the first to go if there is to be any hope of reaching the 2050 carbon neutrality goal. Building more is a leap in the wrong direction, with any plant built today having a potential lifetime of around 30 years.



Despite the sorry state of climate ambition in South Korea, President Moon has made public an audacious bid to host the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) in 2023.



Without drastically enhancing its climate efforts, the country cannot and should not chair the climate event, whose host country should be able to lead on climate policies, alongside credible plans to deliver them, and build coalitions to respond to humanity's biggest challenge.



For instance, the U.K., the host of COP26, already has a greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 68 percent by 2030, and is gearing up the effort to increase it to 78 percent by 2035 compared to 1990 levels. The country has also committed to phase out all coal power by 2024.



If the Korean government simply believes hosting an international event is enough to burnish national pride and global status, it's just not true. On the contrary, such a naive idea would shine an international spotlight on the gaping hole at the heart of Korea's climate policy.



Back in 2019, Greta asked global leaders how they 'dared' offer empty words on climate, which stole her dreams and her childhood. Two years later, while there is much more to do, from the Biden Administration to renewable acceleration, the world is starting to belatedly get on the right track.



Korea is kidding itself if it thinks green rhetoric still suffices.





Kim Tae-jong (tj@climatemediahub.com) is the head of Climate Media Hub, a Seoul-based climate advocacy communications organization.


By Nancy Qian





IRVINE  In an effort to address rapid population aging, China has just announced that it will allow all families to have up to three children. The decision comes on the heels of widely publicized new data showing that the Chinese fertility rate in 2020 was only 1.3 per woman, which is similar to that of Japan (1.36 in 2019) and notably lower than that of the United States (1.7).



But a below-replacement fertility rate is only one part of China's demographic problem. A second issue is the sheer size of its older population. Before 1971, Chinese family-planning policies were pro-natal, restricting access to contraceptives and family-planning education.



As a result, the country's current or soon-to-be elderly population has grown particularly large: the size of the population aged 15-24 is only around 72 percent that of those aged 45-54, compared to 79 percent in Japan and 100 percent in the U.S. This top-heavy demographic structure makes the problem of declining fertility even more acute, because new, younger workers are needed to replace those who will retire and require support.



A third issue is urban-rural inequality. China's rural population is generally prohibited from moving to urban areas by the country's hukou system of residency permits. Rural residents thus have had fewer opportunities to access education and health care. In 2010-12, the urban enrollment rate was 100 percent for middle school, 63 percent for high school, and 54 percent for university; in rural areas, it was 70 percent, 3 percent, and 2 percent, respectively.



Likewise, urban areas had 2.68 doctors per 1,000 people in 2008, compared to just 1.26 per 1,000 people in rural areas. Not surprisingly, rural areas suffer worse health outcomes, with lower life expectancy and higher morbidity rates than in urban areas.



Chinese policymakers tend to discuss each of these issues separately. But that is a mistake. Low fertility, the legacy of pro-natal policies, and rural-urban divides all affect a population-age structure that has a direct bearing on China's long-run economic development.



Economic growth depends heavily on the quality of the labor force. If workers cannot access health care or acquire skills in school or on the job, the economy will suffer. Worldwide, differences in worker quality can explain around half of all cross-country differences in income and growth.



Telling Chinese couples that they may have three children will not automatically increase the fertility rate, nor will it necessarily help with the larger economic challenge. Fertility is determined by socioeconomic factors such as the cost of raising children and the economic opportunities that parents foresee for their offspring. Those costs are extraordinarily high in urban China, where residential real estate is more expensive than in any other country at a similar income level.



Moreover, academic competition is intense. Children and their parents begin feeling the pressure of the National College Entrance Examination, commonly known as Gaokao, for university admission in primary school. A 1999 reform that expanded the number of university slots could have partly relieved this pressure, except that job growth has not kept up; unemployment rates for college graduates have duly increased.



Urban parents also face the burden of caring for their own aging parents. This is no small task in a country where pensions are limited, and where few people move to retirement communities later in life. Most aging Chinese expect their adult children to care for them.



And because the one-child policy in place from 1979 to 2016 was enforced more strictly in urban areas, most young urban parents grew up as only children. With no siblings to share the load, couples can expect to spend the next one or two decades caring for four aging parents in addition to rearing their own child. Adding two more children would increase the average couple's dependents from five to seven.



By contrast, fertility is higher in rural areas, and the cost of rearing children is lower. Housing is cheaper, and the fact that there are fewer schooling opportunities means that parents can worry less about the costs of education. Rural Chinese of childbearing age are much more likely to have siblings with whom they can work together in caring for elderly parents.



Under these circumstances, allowing families to have three children without also making other changes would likely not achieve the intended economic result, and could even make things worse. With the urban population unlikely to have many more children unless the financial burdens of child-rearing and elder care are reduced, it is only rural fertility that will increase. And without improvements in rural health and education, the size and share of the unskilled working population will grow.



A labor force with a growing share of unskilled workers is the last thing China needs as it strives to push the frontiers of technological innovation and advance beyond middle-income status. While improving schools and public health in rural areas is straightforward (albeit expensive), generating employment for the graduates will be much more difficult. And without employment, young people will not be able to help support the aging population.



Chinese policymakers have shown awareness of some of these issues. In addition to increasing the fertility limit, they have acknowledged the need to reduce housing costs and to provide education subsidies. But these proposals remain vague, because there really are no simple solutions. Chinese policymakers will need to be mindful of the economic ramifications of the country's demographic trends in tandem with its rural-urban divide  and take care to avoid making a difficult problem worse.





Nancy Qian is professor of managerial economics and decision sciences at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and director of China Lab. This article was distributed by Project Syndicate. (www.project-syndicate.org)


Uniontown, PA (15401)

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Partly to mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 62F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Uniontown, PA (15401)

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Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 62F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

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Justice Department officials reveal federal authorities struck a blow to a criminal hacking group that caused the suspension of the Colonial Pipeline, recovering the majority of the $4.4 million in cryptocurrency ransom paid to restore the energy system.

The FBI was able to turn the tables on the DarkSide, which is thought to be located in Russia, according to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate stated at a Justice Department briefing that agents were able to trace the payment to a virtual currency wallet and recovered $2.3 million in cryptocurrency.

Although the hackers are unlikely to face prosecution in the United States, Monaco and Abbate said the move was a significant strike against such groups, depriving them of the unlawful profit they seek.

Consequences will deter attacks

According to court filings, investigators in the Colonial case were able to follow various Bitcoin transfers by looking at a public ledger. The payments were made by Colonial and were transmitted to the address whose password was known to the FBI, which was able to retrieve the money.

It is not the first time the FBI has achieved such a recovery, according to Monaco. However, it comes at a time when cyber warfare has become more intense, prompting comparisons to the terror battle following 9/11.

Former Cyber Policy Lead at the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Tatyana Bolton, said the action is exactly what the government is supposed to be doing.

"We need to devote a lot more resources to not only identifying and attributing cyberattacks but also pursuing the criminals who commit the attacks. Because we will only be able to deter future assaults if we have serious consequences," says Bolton, as per USA Today.

Monaco complimented the efforts of law enforcement and intelligence officers in her remarks, and Bolton said that as the US government mobilizes against an influx of ransomware attacks, such cooperation will become extremely important.

Read Also: Meatpacking Giant JBS Believes Russia Behind Cyber Attack; Price Hike, Shortages in Beef Feared

US energy grid is vulnerable to cyberattack

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm stated on Sunday that the US energy infrastructure is vulnerable to a foreign attack. On CNN's "State of the Union," Jake Tapper asked Granholm directly if the country's opponents are capable of shutting down the energy grid.

Granholm's remarks come at a time when cyberattacks are becoming more frequent. In the aftermath of the Colonial Pipeline hack, the US Department of Justice raised the priority of ransomware assault investigations to the same level as terrorism, according to a senior department official.

The Colonial Pipeline attack in early May knocked down the East Coast's largest pipeline for several days, and certain Southern states are still reeling from it a month later, with many gas stations still empty. Colonial paid the hackers the required ransom of $4.4 million, which Granholm strongly opposes, as per Daily Mail.

In a separate Sunday interview, she claimed that cyberattacks are a major problem in the United States right now and that paying ransoms exacerbates the problem by sending a negative message. Making sure that energy firms, which are primarily private firms, quickly tell the federal government if they are a victim of a cyberattack is one immediate change.

In the long run, President Joe Biden is expected to prioritize international cyberattacks on his first foreign trip to Geneva, Switzerland, to meet with European leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin, CNN reported. In his first meeting with Putin, President Joe Biden is expected to bring up cybersecurity and Russia's cyber-aggressiveness as key topics of conversation. In the interview, the energy secretary complimented the Biden administration's efforts to tackle cybercrime.

Related Article: Colonial Pipeline Resumes Operations; Consumers Resort To Storing Fuel in Plastic Bags Amid Gas Shortages



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By Park Jung-won





President Moon Jae-in has been acting as a "mediator" in the conflict over the issue of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula between the United States and North Korea, despite doubts as to whether he is in a position to play this role by any general internationally recognized standard.



South Korea, far from being a neutral party to the conflict, is directly exposed to the North's nuclear threat, and as such should not act as a mere broker in these negotiations. Moon should transform his country's role to that of negotiator, as direct participation is the most appropriate approach to achieve his goals.



Mediation is considered one of the most effective mechanisms for the peaceful resolution of international disputes, as provided in Article 33 (1) in the U.N. Charter. A mediator plays a crucial role in guiding negotiations between contending parties by actively joining the negotiation process, because disputants rely on the trust and influential power flowing from the mediator.



This makes the role of mediator different from that of merely offering the good offices of a neutral third party to the disputants. The more political leverage the mediator possesses, the greater the likelihood of resolution of the dispute. Successful resolutions in the peace talks in 1978 between Egypt and Israel and in the Dayton Peace Agreement in 1995 among parties from the former Yugoslavia were both made possible by the U.S.'s influential status as a mediator.



Even if Moon could be considered a mediator, his efforts seem to have only been relevant up to the adoption of the Panmunjeom Declaration between Moon and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un and the Singapore Joint Statement between Kim and former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2018. Unfortunately, these efforts have not led to any meaningful denuclearization by North Korea. Rather, the situation has worsened after the failure of the North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi in 2019, since which North Korea has ignored and even humiliated Moon, exposing his inefficacy as a reliable mediator.



In the wake of this failure, the joint statement made by the South Korean and U.S. presidents on May 22 after their summit marks a significant turning point, signaling a substantial contextual change with regard to the issue of denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula.



The two heads of state reaffirmed both countries' commitment to the shared values of democratic norms, human rights and international law-based regional stability while confirming that the issue of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula will be dealt with by diplomatic means based on existing inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korean agreements.



The greatest achievement of the summit appears to be that previous controversies which had cleaved and polarized South Korean society, including Seoul's ambiguous triangulation between the U.S. and China, have been to a large extent removed.



Additionally, considering that North Korea has interpreted the phrase "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" to mean the removal of the U.S. nuclear umbrella to defend South Korea and the withdrawal of U.S. armed forces stationed in South Korea, it is very significant that South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong clarified the meaning of the phrase.



He affirmed before South Korea's legislature on May 28 that the phrase "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" is based on the 1991 Joint Declaration of the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, implying that it means North Korea must denuclearize in substance, as South Korea does not possess nuclear weapons.



As stances have been made clearer since the May 22 summit, common sense dictates that the Moon administration should return to acting as a direct party to the dispute on the North Korean issue rather than as a mediator, acknowledging that playing the role of mediator will not contribute to any tangible results at this stage. An immutable truth amid the deterioration of the North Korea issue is that South Korea has been and will continue to be an immediate target exposed to direct nuclear threat from the North.



The raison detre of any democratic state lies in the protection of lives, freedom and property for its people, the absence of which delegitimizes its existence. The Moon administration should resist any temptation to create another political stunt with North Korea in the name of "peace." Given its tough neighborhood, it is understandable that South Korea has been tiptoeing around the two superpowers, the U.S. and China. South Korea's troubled modern history has made "international politics" a subject that its citizens follow compulsively.



However, an excessively submissive posture toward Kim's North Korean regime which plays down South Korea's identity, as symbolized by liberal democracy, human rights and the rule of law, will no longer be convincing in the eyes of the proud South Korean people. To advance his country's interests, it is time for Moon to shed the delusion of playing the role of mediator and adopt that of a negotiator.





Park Jung-won (park_jungwon@hotmail.com), Ph.D. at the London School of Economics (LSE), is professor of international law at Dankook University.


The Supreme Court unanimously voted on Monday that immigrants who illegally entered the United States and are under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will not be allowed to apply for green cards.

Thousands of U.S. residents who are in the country because of dangerous situations in their home countries find the vote a massive setback. Supreme Court Associate Justice Elena Kagan said the major question addressed by the decision is whether or not the conferral of TPS will allow an immigrant Legal Permanent Residency (LPR).

Some nonimmigrants are allowed to seek a review of their U.S. legal status under federal law if they have been admitted into the country. However, being under TPS in itself is not considered as having admitted someone into the country, Kagan said.

Illegal Entry

What the United States government considers as admission is the legal entry of a person after inspection and authorization by an immigration officer. While the TPS program gives people from other countries a nonimmigrant status, it does make them admitted into the country, Kagan said.

A Salvadoran immigrant, Jose Santos Sanchez, entered the United States illegally in 1993 and was brought under TPS in 2001. In 2014, Sanchez applied for a green card but was told he was ineligible, prompting him to bring the case.

Read Also: Child Tax Credit: Eligibility and Mode of Payment, Everything Parents Need to Know

The Congressional Research Service estimates that about 320,000 foreign nationals are currently residing within the United States and are under TPS. These include immigrants from 12 countries, including Burma, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.

Many of these foreign nationals illegally entered the United States and are not considered admitted, immigration advocates said. Immigrants are expected to be forced back to their home countries if and when their TPS status is revoked, ABC News reported.

Effects of the Vote

The unanimous vote comes after several presidential administrations have struggled to control the number of migrants coming into the U.S. from Central America because of the instability or chaos in their home countries.

This week, United States Vice President Kamala Harris will be visiting Guatemala in an attempt to address that problem.

Many experts argue that the decision will have significant detrimental effects on TPS beneficiaries who are looking to apply for permanent legal residency in the United States. National Immigrant Justice Center attorney, Lisa Koop, said officials are not aware of the devastating real-life impacts the decision will cause. She said Congress should work with immigration statutes to solve these kinds of problems.

In April, court justices seemed to be skeptical of the immigrants' case. These lead many to believe the decision was already decided even before the voting was held.

At around that time, Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh told a lawyer for immigrants they had a mountain of challenges to face if they want to fight for their goals. He also said politicians should be wary of changing the immigration statutes as written, USA Today reported.

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Relations between Russia and the US have been tense due to President Joe Biden's placing blame on Moscow for election intervention and cyber-attacks that were vehemently denied.

No expectation from the summit

One of the actions that are done before the Geneva Summit is repudiating Open Skies last January before meeting with the US leader. The head of the Kremlin invited Biden to a debate after he was called a "Killer," but the American leader declined the challenge.

Both countries have issues on the unarmed monitoring flights which prompted former President Trump to leave the treaty, which the current administration continued despite risks not to continue it, reported Aljazeera.

Despite the dim view Putin has on the current US administration and the current president, there is a hope that Biden will shed his "current tough guy stance," and start the discussion about the treaty when they meet in the Geneva Summit.

The new US administration gave notice way before the expected summit that its withdrawal has been decided, and will stay out of the treaty.

According to the Kremlin last Monday, not giving a second chance to discuss the treaty has made an imbalance of interests for all treaty members, so Russian is leaving the agreement.

An exact statement from Moscow was mentioned by NBC News, "This undermined the Open Skies Arms Control Treaty enforcement and its significance in building accountability and confidence, posing a risk to Russia's national security."

Read also: Pentagon Gauging How Fast Nukes Can Be Armed If New START is Not Renewed

Biden's decision to ignore Russia's suggestion may affect the check and balance of nuclear weapons. Putin was more than willing to discuss and get something done to restart the agreement.

Did Russia violate it?

At the time, a Kremlin spokeswoman stated that the US can still collect information from its NATO allies underneath the pact.

Nevertheless, US reports indicate that Russia had breached the treaty by restricting US overflights above Georgia and the Russian region of Kaliningrad on the Baltic coast.

The pact, which was ratified in 1992 and took effect in 2002, allows nations to undertake unarmed observation flights across the whole territory of other members at a short notice to acquire data on opposing military assets.

Its member are several European nations, Russia and Canada who are obliged under the pact.

A backgrounder on the US decision to back out

Former President Donald Trump carried on his plan to withdraw the United States from the Treaty on Saturday, but it appears that Vice President-elect Joe Biden, who opposed Trump's decision, may have a path to revive the treaty, cited Defense News.

The Air Force could take months to finish the legal and regulatory procedures involved to deactivate the Boeing OC-135B planes used to conduct the treaty mission from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., it seems the Biden administration has plenty of time to change its mind about the Open Skies Arms Control Treaty.

Related article: Nuclear Disarmament With Russia and US Will Begin, But China Refuses to Join

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Caitlyn Jenner sat down with FOX 11's Elex Michaelson on Friday in her first TV interview with a California journalist since her campaign to become state governor. The candidate's interview came about six months after the transgender activist and parent to world-famous Kim Kardashian announced plans to challenge Gavin Newsom amid a recall campaign.

The two discussed many of Jenner's plans if she becomes nominated for the position. One of the questions Michaelson asked Jenner is her qualifications for California governor and what would make her the most suited person for the job.

California Governor

When Jenner applied to be a candidate, she joined several others with backgrounds and experiences in the political field, including former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, former California congressman Doug Ose.

Michaelson questioned what made Jenner different from these candidates and what her advantages were coming into the nomination. Jenner answered that she has been preparing her whole life for this fight. She said California was in a decline and is fighting for the position to show people if they see something wrong, they should stand up and fight.

If Jenner does win the candidacy for California governor, Michaelson asked if Kim Kardashian would become an advisor to the state governor. She has previously been seen frequently at the White House during Donald Trump's administration, working on criminal justice reform.

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Jenner said Kardashian was doing a great job with criminal justice reform and is spot on with her perspective. While she did not request her daughter to join her campaign, Jenner said she would keep her ears open to Kardashian if she does become California governor, FOXLA reported.

Michaelson also asked Jenner for her choice of a replacement for Senator Diane Feinstein if she steps down from her 3.5-year-long term. The California governor candidate said she would pick the right person for the job regardless of their political or personal views. She said she was not restricted to a specific view like most other Republicans.

California's Decline

Jenner said one of the state's main problems that contribute to its decline is homelessness, and it is made worse by regulations that make it difficult to build affordable housing. She said her plan once she becomes governor is to work together with charities to build more homes for residents.

Jenner agreed that tents set up on sidewalks across the region were a big problem. She also said Newsom was not doing enough despite providing a $12 billion package to battle the issue. Jenner also assured residents she will not be swayed by other parties because she does not owe any special interest group in Sacramento anything.

Jenner also criticized Newsom, arguing the California governor played politics when he decided to send stimulus checks to residents amid a recall campaign. However, Michaelson replied by saying federal law required money to be returned to residents if there was a budget surplus.

The two also talked about the time in 2020 where Jenner previously said she did not vote despite public records showing she did. She said there was some confusion with the incident about mail-in balloting, FOX News reported.

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Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos will be joining passengers in a Blue Origin flight going to space, only two weeks after he steps down from his position with the massive American multinational technology company.

The Amazon CEO plans to step down from his position on July 5, giving authority to Andy Jassy, who is currently leading the company's cloud computing division, NPR reported.

Bezos said seeing the earth from space will be a life-changing experience that would make a person realize their relationship with the world. He said it has been his dream to fly off into space since he was five years old.

Blue Origin

Blue Origin's first flight will be using a rocket called "New Shepard," a reusable vessel that could reduce the cost of going up into space. This will make space travel more accessible to experts and the public. Additionally, the capsule can carry up to six passengers and does not need pilots.

The schedule marks the first time the New Shepard will carry passengers inside a capsule attached to the rocket. Bezos is also bringing his brother Mark along in his space adventure. A seat will be sold in an auction that would fund Blue Origin's foundation. Currently, the highest bid is at $2.8 million.

The Bezos brothers are scheduled to fly into space on July 20, along with the lucky passenger who will win the bidding. The date is also the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.

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Space Journey

Blue Origin's space flight comes after six years of developing its tourism rocket. Anyone is allowed to bid on the available seat via Blue Origin's website. The first round of bidding will run from May 5 to 19. It will later be sealed, meaning no one will be able to see how much the bid is currently going for.

On May 19, officials will start with an unsealed round of bidding and will hold a live auction to conclude the contest on June 12 to determine who will be the one to join the space flight.

Blue Origin will use the proceeds to support Club for the Future, a youth-focused foundation that aims to support children and help them become interested in studying science and technology.

Company officials did not specify who will be included in the first flight to fill the remaining vacant seats. They also did not reveal how much each seat was sold for.

Blue Origin said that while anyone was allowed to bid for the seat, there are a few limitations set in place to avoid unnecessary outcomes. First, a person must be at least 18 years of age. They must be in good physical shape and able to climb seven flights of stairs in under a minute and a half. They must also be between 5'0" and 6'4" in height, and weigh between 110 and 223 pounds.

Bezos founded Blue Origin 21 years ago, and is currently in rivalries with Tesla CEO Elon Musk's SpaceX and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic, for space technology advancements, CNN reported.



Related Article: A Mound Shaped Like a Pyramid With 30 Bodies Can Be One of the Oldest War Memorials From Ancient Syria

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On Monday, an express train rammed another train in Pakistan's southern Sindh province, killing up to 51 people and injuring over 100 others. The Millat Express train from Karachi to Sargodha derailed at Dharki, in the Ghotki area of upper Sindh, and its carriages tumbled onto the next track.

According to a Pakistan Railways spokesperson, the tragic disaster happened when the Sir Syed Express, which was traveling from Rawalpindi to Karachi, collided with the first train's wrecked carriages.

Authorities called in the Army and paramilitary forces for rescue and relief operations in one of the country's worst rail accidents in recent years.

Pakistan trains crash fatality may increase as rescue continues

Ghotki Deputy Commissioner Usman Abdullah was cited by ARY News as he reported that fifty people died, including several railway employees. The toll was changed to 51 late at night. Authorities also said the collision injured over 100 people.

Ghotki SSP Umar Tufail said the death toll may grow dramatically since there were still wrecked railway compartments that rescuers had not been able to enter. He stated that at least 25 persons have major injuries and are in critical condition. Hospitals in Ghotki, Dharki, Obaro, and Mirpur Mathelo were put on emergency alert as injured people were taken in.

Per Republic World, rescue workers are facing difficulties in rescuing passengers who are still stranded, and that a relief train had left Rohri. Officials were still trying to recover dead and injured people from one of the wrecked carriages, but they were experiencing struggles because of a shortage of proper cutters.

"The problem for us is to immediately rescue those people stuck in the wreckage," said Umar Tufail, the district's police chief, Sun Star reported. More than 100 people were hurt and those with significant injuries will be sent to a nearby city's hospital by helicopter. Around 1,100 people were on board the two trains, according to railway officials.

Senior officials said the accident derailed 13 to 14 bogies, while six to eight were entirely wrecked.

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Train's cause of the derailment remains unknown

According to Usman Abdullah, a deputy commissioner of Ghotki, the Millat Express train derailed at 3:30 a.m., and the Sir Syed Express train hit it minutes later. The cause of the derailment was not precisely identified. The driver of the second train stated he braked when he noticed the crippled train but didn't have enough time to avoid colliding with it.

The driver of the Sir Syed Express was mildly hurt and villagers removed him from the train's engine after the incident, said the railway officials.

Engineers and specialists are trying to figure out what caused the collision. Azam Swati, Minister for Railroads, indicated that all factors will be investigated, including the potential of sabotage.

Imran Khan, Pakistan's Prime Minister, expressed his great sadness over the incident, saying on Twitter that he had requested the Railway Minister to oversee the rescue efforts. He also called for an investigation into the disaster.

Mohammad Amin, one of the Millat Express passengers who suffered minor injuries, told the Associated Press from a hospital that he and his brother observed mechanics working on one of the compartments before the train left Karachi. This prompted them to assume there was a problem, but they were reassured that everything was all right.

According to Amin, the vehicle that was being repaired at the time was the one that eventually derailed. Officials with the railway said they were taking testimony from survivors, including the drivers.

In Pakistan, train accidents are common because previous administrations have paid little attention to upgrading the deteriorating signal system and old rails. In 1990, a loaded passenger train slammed into a stopped freight train in southern Pakistan, killing 210 people in the country's worst rail accident.

Related Article: Italy Cable Car Accident Deaths Rise to 14 People, Car Plunged Into the Wooded Area

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U.S Vice President Kamala Harris claimed on Monday that she had "robust" conversations with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei on tackling corruption to prevent Central American migration and bluntly advised migrants not to come to the U.S.

First Foreign Trip of the U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris

The Biden administration has long been campaigning the ease of immigration policies even during the elections. Following the victory of Biden, a surge of migrants has increased in the Southern Border and this becomes one of the main problems of the new administration.

In a recently published article in The Hill, Harris said "The reason I am here in Guatemala, as my first trip as vice president of the United States, is because this is one of our highest priorities."

When asked to react to Republican accusations that she and Biden have not visited the southern border, Harris told reporters that she is focused on tackling the core causes of migration in a manner that produces "significant" and "tangible" effects "rather than big gestures."

Read Also: Biden Administration to Use Taxpayers' Money to Pay for Migrants' Hotel Accommodations

Harris Repeatedly Said "Do Not Come"

The U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said "Do not come. Do not come. The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our borders. If you come to our border, you will be turned back," according to a published article in Reuters.

In addition, Harris said that a US anti-corruption task force will collaborate with local prosecutors to target corrupt people in the area. The Biden administration has identified corruption as a root cause of the poverty and violence that is pushing unprecedented numbers of Central Americans to seek asylum in the United States, according to BBC News.

The corruption task group has already been proposed, but Harris provided further specifics, stating that it would include resources from the Justice, State, and Treasury departments. Differences of opinion over the battle against corruption developed in the run-up to Harris' travel to Guatemala, her first official abroad tour, with corruption fighters lauded by Washington being chastised by Giammattei.

The U.S. Government Offers Entrepreneurship Program

Harris said that the United States will invest in agricultural enterprises and affordable housing, as well as assist Guatemalan entrepreneurs. According to a fact sheet, the White House aims to contribute $48 million over four years to increase economic opportunities in Guatemala.

Harris also announced that the United States will provide 500,000 excess coronavirus vaccinations to Guatemala as part of a larger initiative to increase global vaccine availability and to help the country slow down the number of COVID-19 cases.

However, Harris's repeated call to migrants to stay at home overshadowed the visit's minutiae, revealing the stark reality that migrant apprehension counts at the US-Mexico border continue to be the yardstick by which immigration policy success is evaluated.

When asked to react to Republican accusations that she and Biden have not visited the southern border, Harris told reporters that she is focused on tackling the core causes of migration in a manner that produces "significant" and "tangible" effects "rather than big gestures."

Related Article: President Joe Biden Strikes International Deal To Reduce Migrants Arriving At the Southern Border



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While on vacation, a British tourist had a chance encounter with a crocodile that could have ended in death if not for the fearlessness of her twin sister who hit the reptile until it let go. The victim is in critical condition with injuries while her sibling suffered bite marks.

Twins meet the beast

According to reports, the holidaymakers from the UK are identified as Melissa Laurie, 28, and Georgia Laurie, 28. Both had booked a stay at Puerto Escondido, a surfing resort that is popular with foreigners. Melissa was swimming in a lagoon at night that was 10 miles from their resort, reported The Daily Mail.

While swimming, the reptile went after Melissa and pulled her down to drown her. Georgia noticed what happened and dove under the water when her sister did resurface or answer her calls.

Georgia pulled her sister to the surface and tried to board a boat. However, the crocodile continued its attack and refused to let go of the victim. At that point, Georgia punched the animal until it let go of her sister.

Their mother, Sue Laurie from Berkshire, was later told that Melissa almost drowned and that both sisters were bitten by the crocodile and hospitalized. She was also informed that during the attack, one twin fights off a savage crocodile in a Mexican lagoon.

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Sue confirmed that both her daughters were on holiday in Mexico and that they were victims of a crocodile attack. She later confirmed that Melissa survived her injuries. Sue also said that she was unsure of Melissa's injuries but described that she was coughing out blood, possibly from an injury to her lungs.

Zookeeper sister saves the day

The father of Melissa and Georgia, Sean Laurie, said Georgia is a zookeeper, and her knowledge saved her sister, cited the Mirror UK, "Georgia forced the animal to stop attacking." He added," One is a diver and with first-aid knowledge, saved the unconscious sister."

Both sisters were with others in the bioluminescent waters of the lagoon, when Melissa was attacked by the crocodile. Her sister became alarmed when she did not hear her sister.

A deadly visit to a beautiful lagoon

The two women had gone on a boat ride to the Manialtepec Lagoon, a coastal lagoon that is renowned because of its bioluminescence. The lagoon is created by saltwater from the Pacific Ocean, freshwater from the Manialtepec River, and deep water from the lagoon, giving it rich ecological diversity.

Sean Laurie mentioned, as noted by Nation LK, "His girls had asked specifically whether swimming is safe, and the guide had replied it was."

Backpacking around the world is something that the sisters were used to doing. They left the United Kingdom in March with the plan of going back in November. Now, the parents think they should fly out to pick them up in Mexico and take them home. As one twin fights off a savage crocodile in a Mexican lagoon, the other is severely injured ending a holiday on a bad note.

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On Monday, the Senate overwhelmingly enacted legislation that would provide financial assistance to government workers who are experiencing symptoms that are consistent with "Havana Syndrome."

Number of Injuries

In a recently published article in Yahoo News, more than 130 instances of the condition, which was first discovered at the US Embassy in Cuba in 2016, have been recorded among U.S. troops stationed abroad.

According to a Senate Intelligence Committee statement, the head injuries were probably the result of directed energy strikes in Cuba, China, and elsewhere. The bill, if signed by President Biden, will help the affected personnel receive payments.

In a published article in The Hill, The vast majority of known incidents have involved State Department or CIA personnel. The attacks first came to public attention in 2016, when they happened in Havana, which is where they are unofficially titled. However, they have subsequently spread to other nations, causing neurological problems in US diplomats and analysts.

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The U.S. Suspects a Notorious Russian Spy Agency Behind the Attack

In a recently published article in Politico, three current and former officials with direct knowledge of the conversations say that US authorities fear that a known Russian intelligence organization is behind the claimed assaults. These alleged attacks are blamed for inexplicable health concerns among US government people throughout the globe.

Officials do not have a smoking gun tying Russia's military intelligence organization, the GRU, to the alleged directed-energy occurrences, said the sources, who were not allowed to talk publicly. The intelligence community has not formed a consensus or issued a formal conclusion.

However, authorities have informed legislators that they have escalated their probe in recent weeks to include all 18 federal intelligence agencies and that it is focused on the GRU's probable participation, according to a congressional official informed on the topic.

Findings of the Report Commissioned by the State Department

According to research commissioned by the State Department in December, radiofrequency energy from radiation, such as microwaves, is likely to have caused American diplomats to get sick with neurological symptoms.

There have been reports of 40 State Department employees suffering from symptoms such as earaches, strong head pressure or vibration, dizziness, vision impairments, and cognitive issues. The study did not assign responsibility for the alleged assaults, but it did indicate that a major study was being conducted in Russia or USSR on the consequences of pulsed, rather than continuous-wave radiofrequency exposures.

White House Released a Statement

A White House spokesman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, stressed that investigators do not yet know what caused these instances or if they were carried out by foreign actors. However, the National Security Council is working with other authorities to solve the "unexplained health incidents" according to the spokesperson.

According to two persons familiar with the situation, CIA Director William Burns is intensifying his participation in the endeavor and is now getting daily updates on the state of the inquiry. Burns has also chosen a senior official who will report directly to him regarding the initiatives.

Related Article: Russian Intelligence Chief Slams Accusations from the US and UK Saying It Hacked Solar Winds

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Currently, the US Armed Forces finished with the first part of its Golden Horde demonstration effort, which is a new type of weapon based on semi-autonomous AI that seeks out its programmed targets, reported Defense News.

Self-homing munitions

The development of swarming autonomous weapons like drones to seek out targets is considered a high priority by military planners. This technology essentially relies on basic intelligence to guide them.

According to Gen. Arnold Bunch, head of Air Force Materiel Command, the technology is not yet ready is still being researched. An alternative to getting the systems developed is to use virtual technology to design and engineer what needs to be incorporated in swarming weapons technology.

Bunch told a Defense Writers Group event on June 4, cited Report Door, "We can determine what we should get out of this system, then we'll look for potential ways to turn this into a program of record." He added that for now, it is not yet in the full stages of development.

Weapons demo

The last test, conducted last May 25 at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, enabled the service to accomplish all three Golden Horde strategic goals, based on a press release from the service. Golden Horde is one of the four primary Vanguard activities of the Air Force Research Laboratory that helps to drive breakthrough innovations via prototyping and experimenting.

Does the US Air Force use its swarming munitions? The test is whether a final system can be designed to fully implement it.

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Used for the trial are two F-16 Fighting Falcons of the 96th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, from Florida. They were armed with six Collaborative Small Diameter Bombs (CSDB) that are modified versions of Boeing's Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) that was launched.

All the six CSDBs were networked to each one and with a ground station connected to all of them. The goal of linking all six munitions was achieved with a sophisticated radio network for military use. Tests before were with two and four weapons.

The Air Force finished the second goal by transmitting an in-flight target correction via the ground station to the cluster of CSDBs, ordering the bombs to abandon their present trajectory and seek a new target.

Dual CSDBs conducted a synchronized time-on-target assault on a specific target for the final objective, and two other collaborative munitions attacked two separate targets.

A success showing the lethality of such a system

The Georgia Tech Research Institute's algorithm for controlling the weapons to attack specific targets was a success. The test proved that the technology of using swarming smart munition linked to a base station has potential.

A statement by AFRL commander Maj. Gen. Heather Pringle, mentioned by Amp Goo, "The Golden Horde or other systems like it should help the Air Force handle many of its challenges and opportunities, but we're only scratching the surface of what's plausible."

Nonetheless, it is yet uncertain which technologies would be facilitated by the Golden Horde project. Ever since it was proposed as a Vanguard initiative in 2019, the Air Force has significantly limited the proportion of the endeavor.

Should the US Air Force use its swarming munitions in the future, it would be dependent on the direction planners will take.

Related article: US Navy's New Missile Subs Will Be Armed with Deadly Nuclear Missiles

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A 22-year-old guy was detained by Atlanta police for shooting at three individuals and injuring a local father of three who was out for his morning stroll.

Man Shoots Three Persons

According to a recently published article in Fox News, police authorities and the victim's wife, Anne Pearce Worrell said that Andrew Worrell was walking in Atlanta's Buckhead district at 8:35 a.m. on Saturday when he was shot twice.

In a separate report from Foxbangor, the culprit then critically injured another man after striking him with his automobile. These attacks occurred in one of the state's richest zip codes.

After the shooting, Pearce Worrell posted on Facebook that her husband was approximately one mile into his three-mile walk when he was approached by a vehicle, which police described as a silver Hyundai vehicle.

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Victim's wife described the incident through social media post

The victim's wife said that the suspect rolled down the window and pointed the gun at her husband and started shooting him. Pearce Worrell also wrote that her husband was first shot in the leg. Then the bullet passed through Andrew's hip, piercing through a ball-and-socket joint, then going through his lower abdomen. The bullet finally stopped in his right hip.

Newson left the scene, but Worrell remained awake and was able to offer authorities a description of his assailant, according to police. According to Pearce Worrell, he was brought to a nearby hospital, where she and investigators met with him.

Two other joggers were shot at the same time, but no one else was hurt, according to authorities. Deputy Atlanta Police Chief Charles Hampton Jr. alleged later that day at a press conference that Newson went on to hit and critically hurt another man in his twenties. Police added that Newsom was already arrested, according to a published report in Newstral.

The suspect is already under police custody

According to authorities, Newson was apprehended approximately one mile from the first shot, at the location of the wreck. Hampton speculated that he was going through "some kind of mental health crisis."

In an official statement, police authorities said he was charged late Saturday with murder or criminal attempt to commit murder, as well as three charges each of aggravated assault and possession of a handgun during the commission of a crime.

In the case of Andrew Worrell, Pearce Worrell m continued to inform her Facebook friends of his condition. On Monday, she stated that physicians had approved her husband to be brought home later that day.

However, in a recent Facebook post, Worrell's wife announced that his discharge was delayed. "He is on IV antibiotics for the bullet wounds because ballistics can be so dirty, a higher chance of infection. So they didn't feel comfortable releasing him, which we understand. Just bummed. We met with the case manger who is going to help get his antibiotics switched over to pill form in the morning so he can hopefully get discharged. Prayers for another stable night and easy discharged tomorrow," she wrote, according to a published report in Fox News.

Related Article: Video Reveals NRA's Wayne Lapierre Repeatedly Shooting At Endangered Elephant in Bostwana

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It is absurd to disregard top court's ruling



A local court has dismissed a damages suit filed by 85 South Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor and their families against 16 Japanese companies. This move is stirring up legal confusion over whether individual victims have the right to compensation for their suffering inflicted by Japan during World War II.



Rejecting the suit Monday, the Seoul Central District Court said the "forced laborers" could not claim the individual legal right to seek damages from Japan. This means the victims were not allowed to make any arguments for their claims in court. It is hard to understand why the court dismissed the case without any trial, saying the plaintiffs had no right to litigation.



The dismissal has amplified the agony of the victims who began their legal battle against the Japanese firms, including Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Nissan Chemical Corp., in 2015. It is difficult to figure out why the court spent such a long time to make such a decision. The court should have paid more attention to the pain of the victims and Japan's persistent refusal to acknowledge its wartime atrocities.



The court stated that it cannot be said that individual compensation claims were terminated or waived by the 1965 treaty between Seoul and Tokyo normalizing their diplomatic relations. But the court decided that the individual rights cannot be exercised through lawsuits. It added that an acceptance of the plaintiffs' claims could result in a violation of international law.



The decision is disappointing as it dims the prospects of the forced labor victims receiving compensation for their exploitation by Japanese businesses. More seriously, the district court disregarded the Supreme Court's October 2018 ruling that upheld an appeals court decision to order Nippon Steel to pay 100 million won ($89,680) in compensation to each of four Korean forced labor victims.



The top court made it clear that individual reparations claims for damages arising from Japan's forced labor were not resolved by the bilateral treaty. That is why Japanese firms should pay compensation to the laborers. Regrettably, however, the district court defied the highest court's ruling, making it harder for the victims to seek compensation from the Japanese side.



The Seoul Central District Court caused another controversy in April by dismissing a damages suit filed by surviving South Korean victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery. As the main reason for the rejection, the court cited "sovereign immunity," a legal doctrine that allows a state to be immune from civil suits filed in foreign courts. The decision contradicted an earlier ruling made by the same court in January that ordered Japan to pay 100 million won in compensation to each of 12 victims.



Now the plaintiffs in the two dismissed cases will have to wage a long-drawn legal battle. High courts should respect the Supreme Court's ruling made in favor of the victims of Japan's wartime atrocities. At the same time, the Moon Jae-in administration should make concerted diplomatic efforts to resolve historical issues with Japan. For its part, Tokyo also needs to change its rigid stance that all reparations claims were fulfilled under the 1965 treaty.


A breach of the city's Law Department has prevented government lawyers from accessing papers and may have exposed sensitive personnel information of thousands of employees.

City Government Confirms the Hacking Incident

In a recently published article in the Daily News, the New York City administration announced on Monday that it was looking into "unauthorized access to the NYC Law Department's IT infrastructure."

Laura Feyer, a spokeswoman for Mayor de Blasio, said also on Monday that the city's cyber command immediately launched an investigation into the hacking incident. She added that the city has taken further precautions to ensure security, including restricting access to the Law Department's network at this time, according to a published article in ABC7.

The department promotes itself as one of the largest legal offices in the country, with over 1,000 attorneys on staff. They handle everything from litigation against the mayor and the city to contracts, as well as legislative formulation and approval.

De Blasio Released a Statement

According to a published report in MSN News, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said, "From what I know at this moment, no information has been compromised that we know of nor an attempt to achieve a ransom."

The Mayor also added that they will have additional information as the situation develops, but for now, they know that defenses have been held and that law department materials have not been exposed and compromised.

According to Feyer, city cyber-defense employees discovered the attack on Saturday night, and no ransom was demanded. Details of the incident, including who carried it out, were not immediately available.

Read Also: US Senate Passes Havana Syndrome Bill

How Did It All Start?

The person, who requested anonymity because they were not allowed to discuss the situation, stated that they got an email notification telling them that their login information has been hijacked. At least six other coworkers received the same email.

According to the Law Department employee, the agency's computer system contains a wide range of sensitive information. A person familiar with the matter described the event as "a severe cyber delay or shutdown that is taking place."

The incident at the Law Department comes less than a week after Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials announced that hackers with suspected links to the Chinese government hacked at least three of the agency's computer systems in April. According to authorities, the transit agency hack did not jeopardize the running of New York's public transport networks.

Other Cyber Attacks

The national infrastructure was also the subject of big attacks last month. A cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline disrupted gas deliveries and sparked panic purchasing in the Southeast. In a second incident, the country's largest meat-processing firm was attacked.

Earlier this year, hackers used the so-called "SolarWinds attack" to gain access to at least nine governmental agencies and countless private organizations, making it one of the largest such assaults in history.

According to Rep. Ritchie Torres, who recently urged for President Biden's infrastructure plan to include millions for communities to improve cybersecurity, the city administration should have been more forthright about the Law Department intrusion.

Related Article: Russian Hacking Group Breaches Washington DC Police Network, Obtains Sensitive Data

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By Lee Seong-hyon





The first question asked at a Chinese Foreign Ministry press conference on May 24, posted on the ministry's website, was about the South Korea-U.S. summit. A foreign correspondent pointed out that the joint statement from the South Korea-U.S. summit contained the contents of strengthening the bilateral alliance and asked about China's position.



In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that China "has taken notice" (zhuyi) of the contents of the ROK-U.S. joint statement and "expresses concern" (biaoshi guanqie). That's a surprisingly measured reaction.



Regarding the first-ever reference to the Taiwan issue in a ROK-U.S. joint statement, the foreign ministry spokesman said, "The Taiwan issue is completely within China's internal affairs." That was a standard statement. He didn't use stronger words, such as "interference" (ganshe) in internal affairs.



China's measured reaction was evident when compared to the language used by China in conflicts with other countries. For example, when it was at loggerheads with the U.S. over the Hong Kong issue, the Chinese foreign ministry described Washington as being "crazy" and said it "expresses intense anger," adding that the U.S. action was a "grave interference in internal affairs" (Dec. 8, 2020).



Regarding the Taiwan issue, China issued the warning, "Don't play with fire," but did not directly mention South Korea. Instead, China referred to South Korea as a "related country" (youguan guojia).



From an analytical point of view, the question to be asked should focus on why China has shown such a "moderate" response. In particular, this is because of the view that the Moon Jae-in administration has made a dramatic shift to an "anti-China policy" timed with the South Korea-U.S. summit.



The joint statement contained the lifting of South Korea's missile range limit, a sensitive issue for China. But it also contained signature wording, such as the Indo-Pacific, freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, and the Quad  expressions seen as the U.S. strategy to contain China.



The first-ever reference to the Taiwan issue in a South Korea-U.S. joint statement came as a surprise to many. China regards it as an untouchable "core interest." In addition, the joint statement also specified that South Korea, together with the U.S., "supports" the transparent investigation into the cause of COVID-19. Australia previously called for it. And it ruined the relationship between Australia and China, after the latter reacted angrily and started economic and social retaliation against Canberra.



As such, if you look at the contents of the joint statement alone, it can be said that the summit contains a message that South Korea has clearly turned toward the U.S. side. If so, that would mark Seoul's dramatic departure from its balancing act between Washington and Beijing.



A former foreign ministry official said, "I was very surprised that the liberal Moon Jae-in administration's joint statement with the United States was filled with contents that were much closer to the United States than to China. More so than any other conservative government in history."



However, just over two months ago, South Korea's Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said, "The U.S. and China are never a matter of choosing one over the other." (March 31. "We will harmoniously develop South Korea-China relations based on the Korea-U.S. alliance." Then, what caused the abrupt change?



Indeed, there are questions about Seoul's sudden change of position, which has decisively turned "pro-American." Even though Washington also evaluated the South Korea-U.S. summit as a success overall, there seems to be some curiosity as to whether this may be a "tactical adjustment" mindful of South Korea's domestic politics, such as the upcoming presidential election. China's "moderate" reaction should not be irrelevant from this context.



In the end, both China and the United States will pay attention to whether the Moon administration would actually implement the joint statement. For the past four years, Washington widely viewed that the Moon government was inching toward China.



Despite the memorable summit that bolstered the South Korea-U.S. alliance, Washington commentator Gordon Chang called President Moon Jae-in "the most anti-American president in South Korea's history" (May 24, The Hill). This reminds us of the importance of building further trust between the two countries even after the successful summit.





Lee Seong-hyon, Ph.D. (sunnybbsfs@gmail.com), is ICAS fellow in Washington and the author of the book, "The U.S.-China Competition: Who Will Rule the World?" (2019).


CHICAGO, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) today announced that Rick Hammell, CEO and Founder of Elements Global Services, a global HR tech firm and pioneer of the director Employer of Record (EOR), was named an Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021 Midwest Award finalist. Now in its 35th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program honors unstoppable business leaders whose ambition, ingenuity and courage in the face of adversity help catapult us from the now to next and beyond.






By Kim Hyun-bin



Korea's major IT conglomerates are in the hot seat after being embroiled in a series of scandals surrounding their work environments and governance issues.



Top-tier online platform operators Naver, Kakao and Nexon have been among the most sought-after workplaces among young jobseekers.



However, their images have been tainted by recent incidents that revealed their pressure-cooker work environments and grueling work hours aimed at supporting the rapidly-growing industry; while a series of power abuse and bullying cases have also emerged.



A Naver programmer recently took his own life after leaving a note complaining about the heavy workload and abuse in the workplace. The incident prompted people to raise questions about the leading IT firms' working conditions and irregular labor practices.



"The deceased was overworked, treated unfairly and verbally insulted leading to psychological damage," Naver's union claimed during a protest in front of the company's headquarters in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. "For over two years, the deceased and his colleagues took diverse steps asking the company to resolve the issues, but they were all ignored."



The country's leading messaging application company, Kakao, has also been accused of six violations of the labor standards and minimum wage acts.



A government inspection found that the company made employees, including a pregnant woman, work over the 52-hour workweek limit, while some employees were ordered not to log their overtime work.



Leading game developer, Nexon, is alleged to have "unilaterally" placed some 200 employees on a waiting list and reduced their pay, resulting in labor and management conflict.



Naver was the first internet company to establish a union in April 2018, and Nexon, Smilegate and Kakao quickly followed suit. But since then, there have been increased calls for the companies to improve their work environments and address their authoritarian management culture.





Naver headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Korea Times file
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Anchor/Multimedia Journalist

Hello! I am the weekend anchor as well as a reporter for Your News Now! You can reach me with news tips (or just to say hello!) at khonigford@wlio.com.
Now Open

8 June 2021

Pioneering hospitality brand Locke's first opening outside of the UK, Zanzibar Locke, overlooking Ha'penny Bridge is open for leisure stays.

Zanzibar Locke, the latest property from home-meets-hotel brand Locke, is pleased to announce the opening of its doors to leisure travellers in Dublin's city centre. Overlooking Ha'penny Bridge, Zanzibar Locke is the brand's sixth property and first outside of the UK, featuring 160 studio apartments, an original food and beverage offering, gym, and a locally-led cultural programme.

Locke leads the way in a hybrid travel concept that combines the space and comfort of home with the experience and thoughtful design of a boutique hotel. Each of Zanzibar Locke's studio apartments come equipped with fully fitted kitchens and living space. Generously-sized rooms create a sense of freedom unique to the Irish market, where guests can enjoy the option of a short stay in a City Studio (average 25sqm) or retreat to a larger premium River Suite (average 40sqm) for a long term stay.

The aparthotel will house new food destination BARAZA, operated by Dublin foodie favourites NolaClan (House Dublin, 9 Below and Xico). Located on the mezzanine floor, BARAZA will serve coffee and light bites in the morning, before transitioning into a lively restaurant serving seasonal small plates and craft cocktails. Currently restrictions in Ireland permit indoor dining for hotel guests only, and Zanzibar Locke will be opening with a launch package offering an overnight stay in the hotel and dinner in BARAZA for 219.

Situated on Ormond Quay, with views overlooking the River Liffey, Zanzibar Locke draws on its rich architectural heritage to inform its design. Formerly site of the infamous noughties' hotspot Zanzibar Nightclub - which inspired the property's name - the Georgian building has been sensitively restored and developed by Dublin-based interior design studio O'Donnell O'Neill Design and C+W O'Brien Architects. Working with local contractors, joiners and artists, O'Donnell O'Neill retained the original character of the building, while combining the stylish design, contemporary fittings and custom furniture synonymous with Locke.

From its interiors to music playlists, the brand has worked extensively with Irish partners and suppliers to create Zanzibar Locke, including O'Donnell O'Neill Design, sustainable fashion brand GROWN, and DJ and founder of creative collective Gxrl Code, Mona Lxsa. In doing so, the brand aims to build a unique, inclusive environment that is deeply embedded in the social fabric of its neighbourhood.

As the world continues to navigate travel over the coming months, Locke's self-contained studio apartments provide safe, clean, and flexible accommodation for business and leisure travellers, as well as short-term residents. Zanzibar Locke's opening to leisure travellers follows an extended soft launch period where the property housed guests for essential stays and those in need of an interim home during lockdown, which was possible due to the self-contained design of the apartments. As a result, Zanzibar Locke experienced an average of 27 days length of stay, with an average occupancy of 40% occupancy - considerably outperforming the Dublin industry average of 10%.
Press Release

8 June 2021

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA)  the voice of the global business travel industry has reinforced its presence in Latin America, announcing several new appointments to the LATAM Advisory Board, for the 2021  2023 period.

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The GBTA Advisory Boards are run by member volunteers, selected for their expertise and industry knowledge. The role of the advisory board is tohelp shape and guide the strategy of GBTA Latin America, working closely with the GBTA leadership team.

Volunteers are essential to the success of GBTA, and with this recently appointed LATAM Advisory Board, we will hear first-hand from professionals working in the local business travel Industry to address and support the specific needs of the region. With a healthy balanced representation from both supplier and buyer communities, we can ensure we deliver high-quality content, activities and the networking opportunities our members require, especially during these Road to Recoverytimes for the Industry. This recently appointed (and re-purposed) board is part of GBTAs objective, to re-engage with the region and address the challenges specific to Latin America, now and during the years to come, states Candela Fernandez Wyngaard, Senior Manager, LATAM Operations.

New volunteers for the 2021-2023 period, include:

Chair: Alma Rocio Ceballos, PwC MX Procurement, Business Services & Travel

Members (Direct):

Claudia Palacios, Regional Travel Manager LATAM, Worley

Claudio Salerno, Travel and Visas Manager, South America, LDS Church

Conrado Sainz, Corporate Travel Global Coordinator, Exiros  Techint Group

Members (Suppliers)

Maren Hanschke, President FCTG MX & LATAM Network at Flight Centre Travel Group Mexico

Giancarlo Mulinelli, Senior Vice-President Global Sales, Aeromexico

Monica Crawfurd, Assistant Managing Director of Sales, Mexico & Central America, Hilton

It is inspiring to see to these professionals aligned with the noble purpose of helping the industry move towards recovery during these uncertain times. Each of them brings their expertise and market knowledge of the challenges facing the region, ensuring the programs, content for members, and deliverables for members are both relevant and timely. This renewed LATAM Advisory Board re-energizes us all: industry and members at large. I cannot wait to start working alongside each of them, making sure that members are well served and represented across Latin America Alma Rocio Ceballos, Chair, LATAM Advisory Board.
Press Release

8 June 2021

Raines, one of the Southeasts premier hospitality management, investment, and development groups, announces the acquisition of SpringBridge Development, LLC, a development firm based in Florence, SC. Following the recent rebrand and services expansion of Raines, this acquisition adds to the groups in-house development offerings and contributes to their comprehensive approach towards hospitality, commercial real estate, and historic rehabilitation services. Born of a long-standing part nership, SpringBridge has been providing development services to Raines extensive client portfolio since 2013, and following a seamless transition phase, SpringBridges capabilities and offerings are now available under one roof with Raines.

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Prior to this acquisition, SpringBridge Development assisted in spearheading the revitalization of the downtown Florence, SC area and the development of Hotel Florence, as well as developing more than ten select service hotels across North and South Carolina. Their immense focus and involvement in historic rehabilitation and construction management are just two aspects of business that Raines is looking forward to absorbing into their portfolio of capabilities.

While synonymous with the ground-up development of hotels, Raines robust list of offerings in the commercial and historic rehabilitation sectors continues to expand with the acquisition of SpringBridge Development, adding to their already vast manageme nt and investor services. Raines full-scope of services extends to their impressive portfolio of clients, including boutique properties within Woven by Raines and commercial concepts within Array by Raines.

To learn more about Raines services, including the new in-house development offerings, please visit the Raines website.
Press Release

8 June 2021

Earlier this month we launched The Great Rebalance of European Travel, a series of commitments to work with communities in Europe to help rebalance tourism following the pandemic. Key priorities for this work include supporting the regulation of short-term rentals and collaborating with governments to redistribute tourism and help prevent the return of overtourism, where too much tourism is concentrated in too few places.

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In this spirit and following updates and progress reports from EU policymakers on the Digital Services Act  new EU legislation to harmonise rules for digital services across Europe and make them clear and consistent for consumers, governments and platforms  we have published an updated position paper on the DSA to highlight our support for the EUs work.

We support the draft Digital Services Act and the fundamental principles of this legislation. We have engaged with the EUs legislative process at every opportunity and we always seek the best outcome for all stakeholders. That is why we backed calls for an EU regulator for digital services and we are pleased that independent cross-border oversight is a central piece of the Commissions plans.

Airbnb has built the City Portal to help support any future harmonised regulatory framework, and we are already introducing this tool in destinations across Europe. The City Portal is our purpose-built tool that provides governments and tourism organizations with access to data, insights and industry-first compliance tools to help governments implement fair and proportionate short-term rental rules. For example Governments with applicable short-term rental laws can utilize the City Portal to view Airbnb listings within their registration systems. We have also signed a data sharing partnership with the EU Commission to further help ensure that policymakers have access to the information they need as we move forward.

We believe that the DSA will make Europe stronger and provide clarity for governments, platforms and consumers. We also recognise that this broad legislation needs to be accompanied by industry-specific proposals for short-term rentals to truly drive a harmonised approach to regulating our industry across Europe.

To deliver the best possible outcomes for consumers, governments and platforms, we believe that the EU Commissions work on the DSA and an EU-wide approach to short-term rental regulation should be developed together in parallel and accelerated, and we want to work with the EU Commission, European Parliament and member states to support that effort.

We recognise that this is complex work and we believe that a joined-up approach is the most efficient and effective way to drive harmony in Europe and provide a more complete and actionable solution to the blocs fragmented regulatory framework, as soon as possible.

As work on EU rules proceeds, Airbnb is making progress with national governments to bring the fundamental principles of the DSA to life now. Already this year we have signed agreements with the governments of France, Greece and the Netherlands, which are examples of how we want to move forward in collaboration with governments and in concert with the rest of the platform economy.

We will continue to work with governments at all levels as we move forward. We will continue to support fair and proportionate rules for short-term rentals and collaborate with governments to help rebalance tourism so it truly benefits everyone.

You can read Airbnbs full updated position paper on the Digital Services Act here.
Press Release

8 June 2021

Mallorca, one of Europes top destinations for more than 70 years, welcoming millions of visitors every year, becomes the latest member of UNWTOs global INSTO network. The Mallorca Sustainable Tourism Observatory (STO) is a key new element of the islands strategy to preserve the destination and assess how the sector affects the natural environment, economy, and residents.

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The Observatory will systematically monitor the environmental, social and economic impact of tourism and so facilitate evidence-based decision making. Key objectives for the islands tourism sector include promoting a circular economy within hospitality, reducing the overall carbon footprint, and promoting local gastronomy to enhance Mallorcas reputation and increases its appeal.

Commenting, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: We warmly welcome the Mallorca Sustainable Tourism Observatory into our global network of observatories. As a mature destination, the Observatorys work will generate more and better evidence of the economic, environmental and social impacts that tourism has on the destination. This will further facilitate the decision-making process and ensure that tourism can continue to be a tool for sustainable development.

Catalina Cladera Crespi, President of the Consell de Mallorca said The Mallorca Sustainable Tourism Observatory will play a fundamental role in monitoring and dealing with issues like job creation and sustainable production and consumption, public health and safety and security, human rights, quality education and inequalities. Being part of UNWTOs global network of observatories will help Mallorca become a more dynamic, attractive and sustainable destination.

The Mallorca Sustainable Tourism Observatory is managed by the Fundacion Mallorca Turismo, part of Mallorcas Island Council and is supported by the local and national Spanish public and private sector. This is the third Observatory in Spain, following on from the inclusion of the Navarre and Canary Islands Tourism Observatory into INSTO, and brings the worldwide total to 31.

About INSTO

The UNWTO International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO) was created in 2004 with the main objectives of supporting the continuous improvement of sustainability and resilience in the tourism sector through systematic, timely and regular monitoring of tourism performance and to connect dedicated destinations, helping them to exchange and improve knowledge and understanding about destination-wide resource use and the responsible management of tourism.




By Kim Bo-eun







LG CNS is set to offer artificial intelligence (AI) powered language learning programs to students in Seoul in partnership with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE). Under the partnership, about 800,000 elementary, middle and high school students will be able to study English with the programs both in regular classes and through extracurricular activities.







LG's IT service firm will provide its "AI Tutor" and "Speaking Class" programs free of charge to 1,300 schools in the capital. AI Tutor is a smartphone app-based English learning program, with 760,000 users. A total of 150 companies, including LG affiliates, are using the app for employees to learn foreign languages. LG CNS is also selling its AI Tutor service to language teaching firms YBMNET and Pagoda. The app became the first AI-based English learning program to receive certification from the Korea Associate of Teachers of English earlier this year.







Speaking Class is a platform with which teachers can create English learning programs with AI conversation algorithms and voice recognition technology. The AI-powered platform creates problems for students to solve, saving teachers time. Teachers do not require coding skills to use the platform effectively.







Speaking Class analyzes student data to provide information on how much the student has progressed. The data enables students to experience tailored learning based on their performance. When a student takes longer to answer a question or if they answer incorrectly AI technology analyzes the students' weaknesses and provides tips for improvement.







LG CNS is also developing an AI Tutor app with the Seoul education office to help children of multi-racial families learn Korean.







"This will serve as an opportunity for AI to be introduced in the public education sphere," LG CNS CEO Kim was quoted as saying in a press release.






Opinion Article

8 June 2021

EHLs Institute of Real Estate, Finance & Economics is pleased to present the first update of the European Hotel Transaction Price Index that was initially launched last year. In 2020, European hotel transaction prices decreased on average by 11.1% vs. the prior year. The total transaction volume recorded by Real Capital Analytics (RCA) decreased to EUR 10.5 bn, which is 59% lower than the record transaction volume of 2019.

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A smaller drop than expected

To date, the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the European hotel real estate sector is significantly smaller than the -30% drop associated with the 2009 global financial crisis. This may be surprising, given the fact that the global pandemic has hit the hospitality industry at its core. Besides the outlook for a recovery on the back of accelerating vaccination campaigns, two major factors have contributed to the relatively modest price declines so far. First, government support for hotel staff and owners in many countries has preserved a more severe wave of bankruptcies and forced selling in the European hotel real estate sector. Secondly, liquidity interventions by central banks and policy makers have led to record high stock market indices and record low bond yields in the credit markets. As a result, cash rich investors are waiting on the sidelines, ready to invest in higher yielding investment alternatives such as hotels.

Download EHL's European Transaction Price Index

On a cautious note, governmental support programs will eventually expire. Moreover, business travel and international travel may be structurally challenged for sustained periods of time. The fundamental recovery of the hotel real estate sector may thus be more bumpy than implied by current transaction price levels. We look forward to providing the next update of the European Hotel Transaction Price Index in spring 2022.

Full service vs. limited service hotels

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first transaction-based price index of the European hotel investment market documenting a significant decline of hotel prices following the Covid-19 pandemic. In our sample, the average transaction price per hotel room in 2020 increased by 17% compared to 2019. However, rather than an increase in the price level, this surprising result reflects the higher quality of hotels transacted in 2020. In fact, our 2020 hotel transaction sample is characterized by a higher share of full service vs. limited service hotels, more transactions in the central business districts of a city, and significantly higher location ratings.

The hedonic regression methodology that is the basis for our European Hotel Transaction Price Index allows for the estimation of yearly hotel transaction price levels, while controlling for the qualitative attributes of the hotels sold in a particular year. In turn, we report year-over-year price changes for a constant quality set of hotels.

Photo: EHL

About the index

EHLs European Hotel Transaction Price Index is estimated based on a hedonic regression model. To understand the merits of hedonic regression-based indices, consider a simplistic average transaction price per room-index as the counter example. Over time, with many upscale hotel transactions in expensive cities such as London or Paris, such an index will tend to record unusually high levels of average transaction prices. In the given example, this is however largely because of the specific characteristics of the transaction sample in that period, and not necessarily because of the general hotel transaction price level in that year. Note that the latter should be the ultimate objective of a well-constructed index. The hedonic regression approach circumvents this problem by explicitly taking into account the characteristics of all hotels sold in a given year. In particular, EHLs European Hotel Transaction Price Index takes into account 10 different hedonic factors, ranging from variables capturing a hotels location, building quality and size, to its operating structure.

To learn more about the Index, visit EHLs Institute of Real Estate, Finance & Economics website
The Heights can feel like a town within a town. Despite its location near the heart of a city famous for its lack of zoning, the Heights is home to block after block of Craftsman-style bungalows, with low-pitched, gabled roofs and expansive porches. Many date from the early 1900s. Others are recent developments built in the style.

The historic character of the neighborhood has been such a source of pride for many in the community that in 2008 they petitioned the city to become a historic district. The designation, approved in 2018, sparked a battle led by a pair of Heights residents who sued the city in 2014, alleging the citys historic districts constitute de facto zoning and should be struck down because they did not follow state regulations about how zoning laws should be put into place.

Friday, the state Supreme Court upheld Houstons ordinance regulating the preservation of historic districts. In his opinion, Justice J. Brett Busby wrote that the historic districts did not have the characteristics of a zoning ordinance.

The ruling was cheered by preservationists, who warned that if the suit was successful, it would have stripped a preservation tool from communities throughout the state while making it easier for homeowners and developers to alter or tear down and build anew.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houstons historic preservation ordinance gets OK from Texas Supreme Court

Its really about freedom of choice, said David Bush, executive director of Preservation Houston, a private nonprofit that works to protect historic resources. You can always build new. You cant build historic.  (So) the only way to ensure that people who want to live in historic houses in historic neighborhoods have that choice is to protect them.

For Paul Luccia, one of the Heights residents who filed the lawsuit, the decision upheld what he saw as an unnecessary burden on homeowners.

If I wanted to put on a historically accurate door, said Luccia, they require me to get a photograph of my house with the original door on it. Who has one of those? I cant go to one of my neighbors houses that is approved and say, I want the same door. Theyll say, No, you cant do that, you have to know what was on your house.

A form of zoning?

The homeowners who filed the lawsuit, real estate agents Luccia and Kathleen Powell, stressed that they were not against historic preservation as an idea. Instead, they said they were against the way the city created the ordinance in the first place and the seemingly arbitrary and ever changing guidelines of the Houston Office of Preservation's Historical Commission, which must approve all exterior alterations.

Luccia said his neighbors have learned to not talk about the Historical Commission because it has become a sore subject. The people who I know who have dealt with the commission firsthand are not pleased with it because of the difficulties in building what they believe would be a historic-looking home, said Luccia.

Powell said the section of the Heights where she lives chose to become a historic district in 2008, when the rules governing historic districts were less strict. Residents did not have to receive approval by the Historic Preservation Office; they also had the option of waiting 90 days and proceeding with any alteration they desired.

When that option was taken away in 2010, said Matthew Festa, her lawyer, the historic district regulations became de facto zoning, which would mean the city would have to follow state law outlining how zoning is put into place.

The lawsuit that my clients brought is basically saying, Look, when you draw lines on the map of the city and say, well inside these lines, you have a lot more restrictions than everybody else does, thats a form of zoning, Festa said.

Reopening path forward

Sara Bronin, who wrote a brief supporting the preservation ordinance, applauded the decision.

Ultimately, the court found that the city was well within its authority to adopt the historic preservation ordinance, said Bronin, the Thomas F. Gallivan Chair in Real Property Law at the University of Connecticut Law School. And thats a good result for Houston, which has so few land use regulations that create a sense of order and beauty in the city.

She said the courts opinion appears applicable to similar land use regulations across the state and is good for Texans who want to shape the quality of their built environment through local regulations.

Regarding homeowners concerns on how stringent those regulations are, Bronin said there are enough examples of successful alterations that there are plenty of options for Houston homeowners to choose from when theyre thinking about rehabilitating their homes.

The decision has also reopened the path forward for at least two other Houston neighborhoods that were considering becoming historic districts.

Residents of historic neighborhoods have approached us in the last 18 months about the possibility of designating their neighborhoods as historic districts, said Preservation Houstons Bush. And its a fairly complicated project. So we really didnt want to start them down that road if there was a chance the court was going to invalidate the ordinance.
WASHINGTON (AP)  A pipeline company CEO on Tuesday defended his decisions to abruptly halt fuel distribution for much of the East Coast and pay millions to a criminal gang in Russia as he faced down one of the most disruptive ransomware attacks in U.S. history.

Colonial Pipeline CEO Joseph Blount said he had no choice, telling senators uneasy with his actions that he feared far worse consequences given the uncertainty the company was confronting as the attack unfolded last month.

I know how critical our pipeline is to the country, Blount said, and I put the interests of the country first.

His testimony to the Senate Homeland Security Committee on the May 7 cyberattack provided a rare window into the dilemma faced by the private sector amid a storm of ransomware attacks in which overseas hackers breach a companys network and encrypt their data, demanding a ransom to release it back to them.

U.S. authorities tell companies not to pay the ransom, arguing the crooks may not provide the keys to unencrypt the data and that the payments will encourage future attacks and help sustain criminal networks typically based in Russia and Eastern Europe. Blount chose to disregard that advice within the first 24 hours of the attack and paid the equivalent of $4.4 million in bitcoin to retrieve the company's data. U.S. officials said Monday they had recovered much of the payment.

I made the decision to pay, and I made the decision to keep the information about the payment as confidential as possible, Blount said. It was the hardest decision Ive made in my 39 years in the energy industry."

The company, he said, was deeply sorry for the effect of the shutdown but had to act fast as it worked feverishly to determine whether the criminal gang had compromised the operational systems or physical security of the 5,500-mile pipeline  and to try to avoid a more sustained shutdown.

Asked how much worse it would have been if the company hadnt paid to get its data back, Blount said, Thats an unknown we probably dont want to know. And it may be an unknown we probably dont want to play out in a public forum.

His appearance before the Senate comes as lawmakers consider possible measures to address the ransomware attacks that have been launched against thousands of businesses as well as state and local government agencies.

Weve got to recognize these ransomware attacks for what they are. Its a serious national security threat, said Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio. Attacks against critical infrastructure are not just attacks on companies. They are attacks on our country itself.

Already, the Justice Department and FBI have established a task force to deal with ransomware with some success, including managing to seize 85% of the bitcoin that Colonial paid as ransom. But many of the criminals behind the attacks are beyond their reach in Russia or other countries that will not extradite suspects to the U.S.

The Biden administration has also made ransomware, and cybersecurity more broadly, a national priority in the wake of a series of high-profile intrusions.

Last month, the administration issued new regulations for the pipeline industry, requiring companies to conduct cybersecurity assessments and immediately report any breaches to the federal government. The industry has until now operated under voluntary guidelines.

Blount disputed a media report that his company had refused to participate in one of the voluntary assessments, conducted by the Transportation Security Administration, earlier this year, saying it had merely been delayed because of COVID-19 and other issues. That was quite a shock to me, he said of the account.

The attack on Colonial Pipeline  which supplies roughly 45% of the fuel consumed on the East Coast  has been attributed to a Russia-based gang of cybercriminals using the DarkSide ransomware variant, one of more than 100 variants the FBI is currently investigating.

It began after hackers accessed the company's IT system through a virtual private network that was no longer in active use. Blount said it only required a complicated password to gain entry rather than multi-factor authentication, which provides additional security and is now required at Colonial.

The ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline affected millions of Americans,  said Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat. The next time an incident like this happens, unfortunately, it could be even worse.

Blount said the Georgia-based company began negotiating with the hackers on the evening of the May 7 attack and paid a ransom of 75 bitcoin  then valued at roughly $4.4 million  the following day. The hack prompted the company to halt operations before the ransomware could spread to its operating systems.

The encryption tool the hackers provided the company in exchange for the payment helped to some degree" but was not perfect, with Colonial still in the process of fully restoring its systems while working with consultants to assess the damage and improve cybersecurity, Blount said.

It took the company five days to resume pipeline operations. What took place in that time illustrated why they needed to quickly pay the ransom, he told the lawmakers.

We already started to see pandemonium going on in the markets, people doing unsafe things like filling garbage bags full of gasoline or people fist-fighting in line at the fuel pump," he said. The concern would be what would happen if it had stretched on beyond that amount of time.



Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
Oil fell for a second session after a rally that saw prices hit $70 a barrel in New York for the first time since October 2018 faltered.

Futures dropped back below $69 a barrel on Tuesday. That mirrored wider markets where the dollar rose and U.S. equity futures pared gains as the recent surge in various assets brought on inflation concerns.

Still, in the oil market theres confidence in the demand outlook with accelerating vaccinations allowing people to travel more. The Middle Eastern Dubai benchmark is trading in its strongest backwardation -- a market structure that indicates supply tightness -- in almost a year.

Crudes advance from the worst of the virus has stalled a handful of times this year, but prices have usually returned to an upward track as overall global demand keeps improving. The Covid-19 comeback in Asia and parts of Latin America, however, is a reminder that the rebound will be bumpy.

While consumption improves, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies are returning some stalled supply to the market. The group is looking at prospects for demand growth later this year and the potential lifting of U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil before deciding on output policy beyond July.

Negotiations between Iran and world powers over reviving a nuclear deal are entering a decisive phase, according to the agency monitoring the Persian Gulf nations atomic sites.

From a demand perspective there is good news with many lockdowns being eased, said Hans van Cleef, senior energy economist at ABN Amro. But OPEC+ is hesitant to add production and export to the market as it is still unclear whether Iran will come back or not.

While the market structure in the Middle East is firming, the equivalent gauges for Brent and WTI have eased in recent days. Still, both benchmarks remain in a backwardated structure, indicating tight supply.
Houston oil field service company McDermott International on Monday announced the resignation of CEO David Dickson, effective immediately.

Dickson was president and CEO of McDermott since December 2013. The company did not specify the reason for his resignation.

Lee McIntire, who has served on the companys board of directors since July 2020, was named as interim president CEO.

FRENCH OIL MAJOR: Total latest oil company to rebrand as world shifts from fossil fuels

McIntire, who has 35 years of industry experience, according to the release, was most recently the CEO at Terrapower, a nuclear reactor design company headquartered in BellevPublishue, Wash., from August 2015 to October 2018. Prior to that, he was president and CEO at CH2M HILL, an Englewood, Colo., global engineering services company, from 2006 to 2014.

McIntire was a partner and executive vice president at the Bechtel Corporation from 1989 to 2004.

Under Dickson, McDermott, facing enormous cost overruns at construction projects for two liquefied natural gas plants, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2020, some two months before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States and the collapse of oil prices.

The company shed $4.6 billion of debt and emerged with more than $2.9 billion in fresh credit and loans as it came out of bankruptcy protection on June 30, 2020.
Employees are increasingly eager to get back to the office on a more regular basis and feel their productivity is declining as they seek separation from home and work responsibilities, according to a new study.

The Worker Performance Barometer from real estate services firm JLL tracked the sentiments of 3,300 office workers across 10 countries in March to see how working at home impacted employees priorities at work, performance and well-being. The responses were compared with previous surveys in April 2020 as stay home, work safe orders took effect and in October.

Theres sort of a sense that work from home is what we had to do during the pandemic, but its not what everybody and every company wants to do on the other side of the pandemic, said Dan Bellow, president of JLL Houston.

On HoustonChronicle.com: CDCs new guidance has accelerated return-to-office plans

The survey found that 61 percent of the workforce craves real human interactions with colleagues, while 48 percent feel under pressure and are exhausted by a massive workload.

A lot of people want to get back into the office out from under their kids, contractors, garbage trucks, lawnmowers and everything else that gets in the way of conducting business every day, Bellow said.

Post-COVID, respondents said they wanted flexibility, more balance and a change of scene. Employees cited an ideal situation of three days in the office and two days of remote work, including about half a day in a third location, such as a coffee shop. Thats up from just over 2 days of work in the office in the October survey.

Nearly one-third of the workforce did not want to work from home at all, up from 28 percent in October.

Groups that felt most burned out working from home included parents with young children, caregivers living with an elderly person and 18- to24-year-olds who worried about their jobs as they miss out on interacting with mentors, according to the survey.

Of working parents with young kids, 57 percent feel more exhausted by their workload, according to the survey. Half of Gen Z workers, those born after 1996, worry about their jobs, and 57 percent feel under pressure.

As nerves get frazzled with unrelenting home duties and what can seem an endless work day, the report found that productivity is on the decline. In March, 37 percent of the workforce said they felt more productive at home than in the office. Thats down from 48 percent in April 2020.

Employee expectations are also changing, and offices need to adapt, according to JLL. An average of 47 percent of office employees said they were satisfied with their office today, down from 63 percent satisfaction a year ago. One in four people dont want to share their desk anymore.

Theres a greater desire to leave the home and show up at work in a great workplace, Bellow said.

Such workplaces will likely be a more spread out and have multiple areas for working and interacting, such as lobbies and outdoor patios.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Moving with the times: Employers debate tracking COVID vaccination status, flexible schedules

Keeping it flexible goes a long way. The majority of employees  79 percent  said time saved on commuting improved their quality of life. And 88 percent of workers would like more flexible work hours, which could help alleviate traffic by keeping cars off the roads during peak times.

The survey comes as Houstons office vacancy reached 26 percent in the first quarter, edged higher by the energy downturn and the pandemic, according to JLL. While employers may ultimately take less space amid the pandemic, the impact wont be immediate.

In the Houston area, about 45 percent of employees are back in the office, according to Kastle Systems, a security company that tracks trends at major cities across the U.S.

Over the last 13 months or so, JLL has brought most of its 400 local employees back to its Houston offices in phases as the Texas economy opened back up.

You can have meetings and make decisions, but random interactions and that mojo that you really need to drive your business, you dont get it on a zoom call, Bellow said. It just doesnt happen.

katherine.feser@chron.com

twitter.com/kfeser
As Texas peach season heats up, I cant help but think of my maternal grandfathers love for peach ice cream.

During the summer when I was a kid, Grandpa Julio would haul out his hand-crank wood bucket contraption whose metal canister in the middle held a creamy slurry that, with work, would eventually turn to ice cream. Ice and rock salt were placed in the space between the canister and wood bucket, and my siblings and cousins and I would fight to take our turns at the crank, eager for the ice cream  peach was Grandpas favorite flavor  that would result.
Ground was broken today for the expansion of SIREs therapeutic horse facility in Spring, adding multiple buildings to expand the number of people they serve.

Joe Wappelhorst, executive director of SIRE, said the expansion would include the addition of five buildings, including an education and visitor center, a barn to house 30 horses, a second full-size arena, a garage to house equipment and a counseling center for equine-assisted psychotherapy.

On HoustonChronicle.com: New counseling center, arena and barn coming to SIREs Spring location by 2022

We serve approximately 100 clients a week through therapeutic horseback riding and equine-assisted learning programs, Wappelhorst said. This expansion will allow us to double those numbers.

The first phase of the expansion is expected to be complete by September, he said, while final construction should be finished by September in 2022.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Caldwell Communities breaks ground on Cadence Creek, opening this winter

Dozens of board members, sponsors and community members were at the groundbreaking, including U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, who said he was a big fan of equine therapy, which he had used after being injured in Afghanistan in 2012, causing the loss of one of his eyes.

I jumped on that opportunity immediately because its empowering, and for the people you work with here, its life changing, Crenshaw said. Whether its for mobility or that freedom or just the sensation of this amazing animal that youre working with, I think the work you do here is incredibly impactful and meaningful.

In addition to the Spring facility, SIRE has locations in Houston and Fort Bend.

The SIRE Board of Directors first talked about expanding at one of their sites in January 2019, Board President Charlotte McIntyre said, and decided to move forward with the expansion at the Spring site in February 2020. But then the COVID-19 pandemic began a month later, which pushed back their time to begin to seek funding to start construction.

Wappelhorst said horse therapy can help clients in different ways depending on the need. While sitting on a horse, the horse walking will move a persons hips and legs as if they were walking to strengthen their leg and core muscles. For emotional and social issues, people can learn social skills by interacting with horses, or emotional control, before having to use those skills with people.

Megan Fry, diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, has been a client of SIREs since she was 3 years old, and said it did more for her than just helping her with her physical disability.

When I am down, I just text my horse instructor Shayna if I could play with the horses during my lesson, Fry said. There is something amazing about the horses. They can pick up emotions I might have. It is a priceless experience.

SIRE helped her to be more independent and confident, Fry said. Her mother, Andrea Fry, said being able to tell people she can ride a horse like anyone else gave her amazing power.

When she has that ability to know I can get on this great big horse when I have this disability and know I can do this, theres nothing stopping me from doing other things and becoming who I want to become, Andrea Fry said. SIRE has created not only this amazing opportunity to help strengthen her physical disability but strengthen her mind and know that she can do it.

paul.wedding@hcnonline.com
LONDON (AP)  A 39-year-old lawmaker is set to become Northern Ireland's youngest first minister, following an internal party revolt that led to the ousting of the leader who played a major role during the Brexit dramas of the past few years.

Paul Givan, who has a reputation as a social and religious conservative, was nominated Tuesday for the top job in the Northern Ireland Assembly by Edwin Poots, the recently elected leader of the Democratic Unionist Party.

The new ministerial team is set to be in place Monday following a formal renomination process. The British government retains an array of powers affecting Northern Ireland, but the Belfast assembly can make laws in a wide range of areas, including agriculture, education and health.

There is a huge responsibility that comes with this position, particularly in serving the people of Northern Ireland as we come through the COVID pandemic," Givan said.

Both Givan and Poots, a former communities minister, are in the more conservative wing of the DUP. In February, for example, Poots proposed a new law to prevent abortions from being carried out in Northern Ireland in cases of non-fatal disabilities.

Party divisions came to the fore this year with the effective ousting of First Minister Arlene Foster following weeks of pressure related to her handling of Brexit and her perceived softening on social issues such as abortion and LGBT rights.

Poots won a two-person contest last month to lead the DUP, the senior partner in the Catholic-Protestant power-sharing government in Belfast. He thanked Foster for her excellent work."

Poots broke with tradition by deciding to not take up the post of first minister himself. Poots, who will retain his position as agriculture minister, said he wants to concentrate his energy on rebuilding and reforming the DUP following a period of rising discontent and division.

Early indications are that the tensions remain. Outgoing economy minister Diane Dodds said it was regrettable that the new team does not match the rhetoric about healing and bringing the party together.

The party, which is rooted in the fundamentalist Free Presbyterian Church, opposed Northern Irelands 1998 peace accord. It later became reconciled to it and has shared power with the Irish Republican Army-linked party Sinn Fein.

The power-sharing relationship has often been strained, but it is Britains economic split from the European Union at the end of 2020 that has really shaken the political balance in Northern Ireland, a part of the U.K. where some people identify as British and some as Irish.

Post-Brexit trade rules have imposed customs and border checks on some goods moving between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. angering Northern Irelands British unionists, who say the new checks amount to a border in the Irish Sea and weaken ties with the rest of the U.K.

Tensions over the new rules contributed to a week of street violence in Northern Ireland cities in April that saw youths pelt police with bricks, fireworks and firebombs.

Foster faced the wrath of party members for backing the Brexit divorce agreement that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson struck with the EU. She quit amid a party push to oust her.

U.S. President Joe Biden, who is set to attend the Group of Seven leaders' summit in Cornwall, England, this weekend, has raised concerns over the mounting tensions in Northern Ireland and urged all sides to respect the basis of 1998 peace agreement.
LIMA, Peru (AP)  Peruvians on Tuesday were still waiting to learn who will become their president next month as votes from Sundays runoff election continued to be counted and the tiny difference between the two polarizing populist candidates narrowed.

With 97% of ballots tallied, leftist Pedro Castillo had 50.2% of the vote, while conservative Keiko Fujimori had 49.7%, according to official results. The difference between the candidates was about 69,600 votes.

Perus elections agency, the National Office of Electoral Processes, continued to count votes cast in remote rural areas and abroad.

The candidates did not issue any statements Tuesday. A day earlier Fujimori, who is in her third run for president, charged that her rivals campaign staff carried out a a series of irregularities during the election, but she did not present conclusive evidence. She predicted her support would increase when votes from Peruvians living abroad were counted.

Meanwhile, Castillo told supporters that the popular will should be respected.

I will be the first to enforce the will of the Peruvian people, here and there, he said.

On Tuesday, former Bolivian President Evo Morales, who supports Castillo, criticized Fujimori and compared her unsubtantiated fraud claims to those of other politicians. Morales tweeted that (Donald) Trump in the US, (Carlos) Mesa in Bolivia and (Keiko) Fujimori in Peru repeat the same lie and ignore the peoples vote. The result should be respected.

Morales added that Fujimori's stance is the same discourse of the racist, fascist and coup right wing: it denounces fraud without evidence and attacks the democracy it claims to defend.

Ruben Ramirez, former foreign minister of Paraguay and head of the Organization of American States electoral mission in Peru, congratulated the country for the organization of the elections in the midst of the pandemic and political polarization. He asked that any disagreements be resolved through legal channels.

The candidates have promised coronavirus vaccines for all. More than 186,000 people have died of COVID-19 in Peru, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University, and only 4.1% of the country's 32.5 million residents have been fully vaccinated.

Fujimori, a former congresswoman and daughter of imprisoned ex-President Alberto Fujimori, has promised various bonuses to people, including a $2,500 one-time payment to each family with at least one COVID-19 victim. She has also proposed distributing 40% of a tax on the extraction of minerals, oil or gas among families who live near those areas.

Castillo until recently was a rural schoolteacher in the countrys third-poorest district, deep in the Andes. The political novice has softened his stance on nationalizing key sectors of the economy, but he remains committed to rewriting the constitution that was approved under the regime of Fujimoris father.

Election results showed Castillo overwhelmingly dominated the impoverished rural areas of the Andes and much of the Amazon. Fujimori was the candidate of the business elite, dominating the capital and other cities on the Pacific coast.

The winner will succeed President Francisco Sagasti on July 28.
SsangYong factory workers assemble a car engine at the company's Pyeongtaek plant in Gyeonggi Province. Courtesy of SsangYong Motor



By Kim Yoo-chul



Unionized workers at Ssangyong Motor have agreed to accept heavy restructuring measures after the cash-strapped automaker confirmed its intention to look for a buyer by October of this year.



The ailing automaker said Tuesday that 52 percent of unionized workers accepted management's proposal to furlough employees and cut the wages of remaining staff. Out of 3,224 unionized workers, 1,681 accepted the company's proposal.



With the labor union's approval, SsangYong workers will take two-year unpaid leaves on a rotating basis. The program will affect all of the automaker's 4,700 employees, including 1,200 non-manufacturing workers, it said in a statement, adding that all company-provided welfare benefits will be suspended until June 2023.



SsangYong's management decided to implement an additional 20-percent wage cut (their wages had already been cut by 20 percent). The automaker also plans to sell off more assets, while unionized workers vowed not to hold a strike for an unspecified number of years.



After its majority owner, Mahindra & Mahindra (Mahindra), pulled out of the ailing automaker, SsangYong Motor approached potential investors to help it stay afloat. However, such last-ditch efforts were in vain, mostly because of heavy labor costs, according to officials involved with the issue.



SsangYong Motor is now positioned to submit an updated restructuring plan to a court by the first week of July, thanks to the union's consent. The company is also planning to invite new investors by the end of June, at the earliest. After Mahindra's departure, SsangYong fell under court receivership.



U.S.-based HAAH Automotive is still said to be interested in acquiring the South Korean carmaker as it was hoping to become a major player in the booming electric vehicle (EV) industry. Plus, smaller EV bus manufacturer Edison Motors, along with a consortium of EV makers with private equity funds (PEFs), are showing interest in acquiring a controlling stake, according to officials.



The estimated value of this stake could be around $270 million, as offered earlier by HAAH Automotive. Given its high debt levels, as well as the required time and investment needed for the development of new products, market analysts say it won't be easy for SsangYong to find the "right investor."


PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP)  An elementary school principal in the city has been named interim superintendent of the embattled Providence public school district, Gov. Daniel McKee and state Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green announced Tuesday.

Javier Montanez, principal of the Leviton Dual Language School, replaces Harrison Peters, who resigned under pressure last month after facing intense criticism for hiring a school administrator charged with misdemeanor simple assault for allegedly fondling a teenage boys foot at a Warwick gym in April.

Peters hired Olayinka Alege even though he had faced similar accusations when he worked at a Florida school district.

Dr. Montanez possesses a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the needs of the Providence Public Schools community, McKee said at a news conference.

Montanez is a product of the city's schools, who experienced homelessness as a student and often attended school only because it was a place he could get fed, according to an Education Department release.

Many students will see themselves and their potential in Montanez, Infante-Green said.

Dr. Montanez has a remarkable story and is a shining beacon of hope for our school community," she said.

He dropped out of Hope High School but earned his GED, as well as advanced degrees from Rhode Island College and Johnson & Wales University. He started his career in education in 1997 as a bilingual teacher at a city elementary school.

Under his leadership, Leviton students have shown significant improvement.

I know the immense value of an education personally because it changed my life, and Im eager to contribute to the transformational work that is taking place in Providence to help students reach their highest potential, he said.

The state took control of the city's schools in November 2019 after an independent review described it was one of the nation's worst districts. The district is also currently in contract negotiations with the teachers' union.

Infante-Green said she hopes to find a permanent superintendent by the start of the new school year.

Alege, who was not criminally charged in Florida, has pleaded not guilty.
BUCHAREST (AP)  Romania on Wednesday started administering COVID-19 vaccines to young teenagers aged 12 to 15, after the European Medicines Agency approved use of the Pfizer jab last week for that age group in the 27-nation European Union.

National vaccination committee chief Valeriu Gheorghita said more than 2,100 appointments were made for children in the past 24 hours via the online national booking platform.

Vaccination centers will also accept no-appointment walk-ins, he said, speaking at the inauguration of a childrens vaccination center in the capital, Bucharest.

By authorizing the vaccination of those between 12 to 15 years old, we bring an important advantage especially for kids with chronic diseases or other conditions which make them vulnerable to serious illness, Gheorghita said.

Accompanied by her father, 12-year-old Alexandra Maiorescu, who is afraid of needles, got her jab from Gheorghita.

He explained what he did step-by-step. It did not hurt as much as I expected but I was very afraid, she told The Associated Press. I may go to see a movie, I really was longing for that during the pandemic.

The girl's vaccination also came as a relief for her father, Mihai Maiorescu.

Our daughter (has) had pneumonia, and we knew that if she gets (COVID-19) she might not heal easily, he said. I was hoping she wouldnt cry, and she didnt.

Since launching its vaccination campaign, Romania has administered nearly 8 million vaccine doses to its population of more than 19 million. But just 3.7 million people have so far been fully inoculated.

In recent weeks the number of administered daily vaccine doses in the Eastern European country has dropped, raising concerns about vaccine hesitancy in a country where COVID-19 has killed more than 30,000.

Gheorghita said Wednesday that vaccination remains the safe and effective way to return to normality. But he also addressed the need to extend vaccinations to rural areas where take-up lags behind urban areas.

___

Follow all of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
Houston Police Department

Police arrested a man accused of shooting an off-duty Houston police officer in the leg during a May clash, according to authorities.

Josue Tomas Gallegos was charged over the weekend with aggravated assault of a public servant for a May 30 shooting in which investigators believe he shot an off-duty homicide investigator.
Five-year-old Samuel Olson, found in a Jasper hotel room last week, died from homicidal violence with blunt head trauma, according to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

The body recovered in the Best Western, north of Beaumont, has also been officially identified as Olson. He was presumed dead when authorities transferred his body from east Texas to Houston. Medical examiners determined the manner of death a homicide.

Theresa Balboa, 29, has been charged with a felony count of tampering with evidence. The boy could have died as early as May 10, when Balboa's roommate said he saw Olson dead on a mattress and covered with bruises, court records revealed.

Olson's father, Dalton Olson, said he was keeping the boy in Balboa's care. The father reported his son missing on May 27, and he was found dead inside a hotel room June 1.

The last time the boy was seen at school was April 30. Investigators and family members realized something was amiss when Balboa gave conflicting stories about the boy's disappearance.

Balboa was on bond at the time for a charge of assaulting a family member, related to an assault on her boyfriend, Dalton Olson, court records show. Picking up a new charge is a bond violation, and state district Judge DaSean Jones on Tuesday revoked Balboas bail in the earlier case.

She is also being held in lieu of posting $500,000 in the tampering case.

Balboas former attorney, Gerald Fry, removed himself Monday from the assault case. He wrote to the judge, "Gerald Fry does not want to represent her on this new case."

Robert R. Scott is her new appointed defense attorney on both cases.

Prosecutors asked for a high bail amount for Balboa partly because they felt she was a flight risk, having been on her way to Louisiana with the body at the time of her arrest, according to court documents. A capital murder investigation remains ongoing, prosecutors said.

samantha.ketterer@chron.com
Plans to offer virtual learning for some students in the Houston area and across Texas appear uncertain after legislation died last week that would have ensured districts receive funding for each student enrolled in online-only classes.

A House bill related to remote learning was expected to be called at 11:40 p.m. on May 30, but it was not voted on by the midnight deadline after Democrats broke quorum to kill a controversial voting bill.

Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who had listed the education legislation among his 31 priorities for the session, have said they want to see the voting bill passed in a special session. However it is not clear whether Abbott would add the remote instruction legislation on the agenda of any special session. During a special session, lawmakers only can vote on topics designated by the governor. Spokespersons for Abbott and Patrick did not respond to requests for comment.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Republicans wield power 'unapologetically' to steamroll Democrats in Texas Legislature

This is something that I think were all trying to figure out what can we do, said Jennifer Bergland, director of government relations for Texas Computer Education Association, noting the group would support the governor adding it to the expected special session. School districts are needing this as an option and many of them were making plans.

The four largest school employees unions had opposed the original bill.

For the vast majority of students, in-person instruction is the preferred method, Bergland said. There is a slice of public school children who have thrived in a remote environment, however.

There are some students that actually discovered that this was a better method for them, Bergland said. They needed the flexibility. Going to school produced a lot of anxiety where maybe they didnt have it. And then there were some parents that are just still really worried about COVID.

Now, districts in the Houston region and beyond that had hoped to provide remote instruction to students are slashing and pausing such plans, waiting to determine how to proceed.

In Houston ISD there will be no virtual instruction for the upcoming school year, Chief Financial Officer Glenn Reed said. No official communication has been sent to parents. Texas Connections Academy at Houston, an online public school operated through a contract with HISD, will not be affected.

Meanwhile, officials at Katy ISD told parents the district will be unable to offer a standalone virtual high school in the upcoming academic year as a result of the dead legislation.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Without funding, Katy ISD unable to open virtual high school

We look forward to welcoming all Katy ISD students back to in-person learning, district officials wrote in a letter distributed Friday. Your patience and understanding is greatly appreciated as we awaited further guidance and legislation regarding the future of virtual learning in Texas.

Approximately 29,500 students, less than 1 percent all public school children in Texas, are enrolled in virtual schools operated by seven traditional and charter districts that offered such instruction before the coronavirus pandemic shut down campuses at the end of the last school year and the beginning of the current one.

State law does not allow the other 1,200 districts to collect per-student funding for children who would enroll in new online campuses, presenting a challenge to start virtual programs.

There is no new statutory framework authorizing remote instruction without the legislation, according to Texas Education Agency. The agency used disaster authority for the 2020-21 school year to OK funding for remote instruction, but that authority cannot be used for the new school year.

At Clear Creek ISD, approximately 300 students already had applied for a new online-based campus, said Elaina Polsen, the districts chief communications officer.

A week after the bill died, it was unclear what would happen to the program. No decision had been made as of Monday, and the topic is expected to be discussed at a school board workshop next week, Polsen said.

On HoustonChronicle.com: As Carnival requires vaccines for cruisers, Abbott signs ban on 'vaccine passports'

At Conroe ISD, officials were working on plans for a virtual school before the end of the legislative session, Director of Communications Sarah Blakelock said. Those plans were put on hold when the legislation did not pass.

Updates will be shared as information becomes available, Blakelock said.

Rep. Keith Bell, R-Athens, who authored the House legislation aiming to increase online learning opportunities, said Democrats who walked out of the chamber to block the controversial voting bill violated constitutional duty, effectively killing his proposal.

Under the proposal, districts and charters with a state-issued academic accountability rating of C or higher for the previous year would have been allowed to operate a local remote learning program. Districts that decided to offer such programs would have had wide discretion over which students could enroll.

It had a broad support. It would have passed. I was not worried about that. Its just the calendar, said Bergland, of Texas Computer Education Association. I cant read the tea leaves right now but were certainly advocating for it.

alejandro.serrano@chron.com
Patricia Ann Garcias voice came in, harsh and flat, over the phone.

More than two years before, in the thrall of drug addiction and alcohol, she had called police and told them her neighbors were drug dealers. That her daughter  she had no daughter  was in a neighbors house, and police needed to rescue her. That they had guns. And that police would probably need to swarm the house unannounced, because the people inside might resist.

When shed made the call, she wasnt in her right mind, she told U.S. Judge George C. Hanks. Shed made a bad decision. Shed never meant for police to storm the house of Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas weeks later, and turn their home into a shooting gallery, killing them.

Im so sorry for my 911 call, she said. And the false calls I made.

Hanks was unmoved. He didnt believe her, he said.

Hanks sentenced Garcia to 40 months in federal prison, and three years supervised release, significantly more than the 10 to 16 months imprisonment and home confinement for which Garcias public defender had argued.

Theres no question in my mind, Ms. Garcia, in that you wanted something bad to happen to (Tuttle and Nicholas), Hanks said, explaining his decision. You didnt really care what happened, and respectfully, the court cant condone that.

RELATED: Lawyer of Houston police officer charged in Harding Street murder blasts DA Kim Ogg

Garcias sentencing by videoconference  which took hours and was plagued by technical difficulties  comes more than two years after the Jan. 8, 2019, phone calls that brought Houston police to 7815 Harding St. and set in motion the fatal raid on Tuttles home three weeks later. It is the first sentencing in the scandal, which captured national headlines on Jan. 28, 2019, when a team of narcotics officers broke into the home. The operation immediately devolved into gunfire, claiming the lives of Tuttle and Nicholas and leaving five officers injured, one paralyzed from the neck down.

In the ensuing years, the scandal has only grown. Police, prosecutors and FBI agents all began investigating. And while they investigated Garcias lie, they discovered a much bigger lie: that the officer who led the raid, Gerald Goines, had never bought drugs from 7815 Harding St.  and that he appeared to have lied about years of arrests going as far back as 2008. Goines  who has since retired  is now charged with murder, as is another officer.

All told, 12 police officers now stand charged with various crimes, in federal and state court, including 10 for padding their overtime. And local prosecutors have declared Goines a liar, reviewing 11 years of his past cases, and reversing four convictions thus far. But one former Goines defendant from 1991 has filed paperwork claiming he was wrongly convicted, a move that could force prosecutors to question the majority of Goines career.

An operation completely out of control: Damning HPD narcotics audit reveals hundreds of errors

Garcia has been in custody since Dec. 4, 2020, after she was arrested for violating conditions of her bond. She faced up to five years in prison. She was the first person associated with the case to plead guilty, in March. Her sentencing Tuesday comes a week after Goines former partner, Steven Bryant, pleaded guilty in federal court to falsifying records to impede the investigation into the scandal.

Garcias public defender, Marjorie Meyers, said Garcia had a long-term dispute with Nicholas, and made the calls in the fog of cocaine and alcohol use. But she argued that Garcia was not responsible for the actions of rogue officers who raided Tuttles home, and that she deserved a sentence of 10 to 16 months, with home confinement.

She is sorry what happened to her neighbors, Meyers said, arguing Garcia had shown remorse by seeking out treatment and other programs while in federal detention.

Bryant  who is cooperating with authorities  is set for sentencing in August.

Relatives of Tuttle and Nicholas, meanwhile, have waged lengthy court fight seeking answers and accountability for the debacle that cost the couple their lives. Mike Doyle, attorney for Nicholas relatives, called the sentencing a small step forward, but said the Houston Police Department has yet to address many significant problems uncovered since the shooting.

The central questions of the citys two-year, million-dollar cover-up of the killings of Rhogena Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle remain unanswered: What happened, before and after the HPD murderous raid? he said.

The Nicholas family and public still need answers from the mayor and the police chief, Doyle said.

Case review: Lawyers say man was wrongly convicted in 1991 in case handled by now-disgraced former narcotics officer Goines

After Bryant pleaded guilty, Harris County prosecutors dropped the charges he was facing in state court. In the 18 months following the former officers arrests, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg also announced charges against 10 other current and former police officers, including a murder charge against officer Felipe Gallegos and aggregate theft of overtime by Goines, Bryant, retired sergeants Clemente Reyna and Thomas Wood and retired officers Hodgie Armstrong, Cedell Lovings and Griff Maxwell.

Current officers Nadeem Ashraf, Oscar Pardo and Frank Medina also are charged with aggregate overtime theft. Former Narcotics Lt. Robert Gonzales was also charged with one count of misappropriation of fiduciary responsibility.

Garcia was not responsible for all of that, Judge Hanks said. But her actions had amounted to a clear case of SWAT-ing, he said. Garcia had spoken with police several times that night, upping the ante every time.

And her behavior after the shooting  including continued substance abuse and callous disregard for the tragedy that befell Tuttle and Nicholas  showed a lack of remorse, he said.

What did you think was going to happen? he said. This wasnt a run-of-the-mill hoax, it was a very serious 911 call made to police with intent of harming their neighbors.

st.john.smith@chron.com
Until now, the best-known UFO-related publication may be a fictional tome entitled To Serve Man, featured in a classic Twilight Zone episode that still thrills viewing audiences in reruns and Twilight Zone marathons. As Twilight Zone fans can tell you, authors of the book are the Kanamits, a race of 9-foot-tall aliens of vastly superior intelligence. When they arrive on Earth, these extraterrestrial giants present their book to the United Nations and immediately begin solving all of humankinds problems.

Its only after humans are enthusiastically boarding spacecraft for excursions to the Kanamits home planet in a galaxy far away that cryptographers decipher the contents of their book. Spoiler alert for the dozen or so TV viewers who havent seen the episode since it first aired in 1962, or listened to the El-P song built around it: To Serve Man is a cookbook.

Sometime this month, maybe in the next few days, the federal government will release a report that may displace To Serve Man in the public consciousness. The purpose of the comprehensive report is to disclose what the government knows  and doesnt know  about flying objects that not only are unidentified but seemingly inexplicable. The report apparently addresses more than 120 UFO incidents over the past two decades. Many will be disappointed if, as early reporting by The New York Times states, the report contains no definitive proof that aerial phenomenon observed by U.S. military pilots in recent years has otherworldly origins.

MORE THE EDITORIAL BOARD: One Texan's 'election integrity' is another's 'voter suppression.' Got question on voting? We've got answers.

Meanwhile, we can say with some assurance that the report will not address Kanamit-like visitations. Thats too bad in a way, since the arrival of actual aliens planning a farm-to-table future for us might be the singular event that unites quarrelsome humankind.

Its tempting to snicker about Roswell (and Aurora, Texas, by the way), about alien abductions and other reported contacts with nonhuman intelligence, and yet numerous sightings like those featured on a recent Sixty Minutes report cant be laughed away. What are we to make of giant Tic Tacs that Navy pilots observed bobbing and careening across the sky like hyperactive pinballs, sometimes plunging into the ocean and back out?

What about the UFO  theyre now called Unidentified Aerial Phenomena  that resembled a spinning top moving against the wind and in 2014 and 2015 appearing almost daily in the skies above the East Coast? As the New York Times reported recently, Navy pilots told their superiors that the objects had no visible engine or infrared exhaust plumes but could reach 30,000 feet at hypersonic speeds. One nearly collided with a Navy Super Hornet.

John Ratcliffe, the former Texas congressman who briefly served as director of national intelligence in the last months of the Trump administration, indicated he takes the forthcoming government report seriously.

When we talk about sightings, he told Fox News recently, we are talking about objects that have been seen by Navy or Air Force pilots, or have been picked up by satellite imagery, that frankly engage in actions that are difficult to explain, movements that are hard to replicate, that we dont have the technology for, or traveling at speeds that exceed the sound barrier without a sonic boom.

Former CIA director John Brennan also takes the sightings seriously. They might be some type of phenomenon that is the result of something that we dont yet understand and that could involve some type of activity that some might say constitutes a different form of life, he said in a recent interview.

On HoustonChronicle.com: 'There is stuff': Enduring mysteries trail US report on UFOs

Harry Reid, the former Senate majority leader from Nevada, has written that he got interested in unidentified aerial phenomena, in part through conversations with the late John Glenn, the pioneering astronaut and U.S. senator. Reid has come to believe that the military has information the public deserves to know, and in 2007 he persuaded Congress to establish the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program Task Force.

Its highly unlikely the information we need to know is about hungry alien intruders; it more likely concerns advanced technology perfected by our fellow humans  Russians, perhaps, or Chinese. Maybe theyre some sort of hypersonic stealth drones our scientists either dont understand or our military hasnt told us about  though the report is said to state definitively that the phenomena were not caused by U.S. military aircraft.

Whatever they are, if they are terrestrial, their existence leaves us dangerously far behind.

Maybe were bored with the mundane, but theres something vaguely disappointing about earthly explanations, however likely. Molly Roberts, a Washington Post opinion writer, put it this way: The possibility of aliens is the possibility of annihilation by a hostile species, but its also the possibility of whole worlds beyond our own that our minds can populate as our whims move us. And in many ways it is more comforting to contemplate a cosmos that is alive and awake rather than just light-years of cold, sterile emptiness.

Americans watched the wonderfully schlocky To Serve Man, with its intimation of other worlds, the same year President John F. Kennedy spoke to a Rice University audience and called for a national effort to land a man on the moon before this decade is out. Astronaut Neil Armstrongs giant leap for mankind a mere seven years later was essentially the tiniest, tentative reaching out toward other worlds (that may or may not exist).

Even if we eventually learn that our unidentified aerial phenomena are themselves mundane, lets keep reaching. The idea that there might be something more out there, something almost unimaginably more, keeps us alive. And aware. And humble.
Strange and twisted

Regarding Thumbs up, down, (A9, June 5): How strange and twisted is our world when an 18-year-olds valedictorian speech supporting the right to abortion gets a thumbs up?

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram had the courage to print a reply from columnist Cynthia Allen to the young woman, Paxton Smith. Allen pointed out that abortion is not some great equalizer. She went on to state that if Smiths fear is that diminished access to abortion will stymie her life, ending the hopes and dreams of another human being will not better help her to fulfill her own. Rather working to create a world where abortion is not necessary because every woman and unborn child has access to support and assistance should be the goal. Pro-abortion policies are about telling babies they cant have a life. Abortion is a procedure that savagely ends a beating heart.

Michael Spiech, Sugar Land

Insightful statements

I always enjoy your editorial feature, Thumbs, but especially this Saturdays edition. First, the acknowledgment of the courageous and insightful statement made by Paxton Smith in her valedictorian speech, denouncing the old white men of the Republican legislature for deciding that they had the right and moral authority to usurp the decisions women make about their own bodies, regarding reproductive rights. As a Texas Longhorn, I am proud to know she is headed for the 40 Acres. Secondly, thank you for calling out our own favorite criminal, Ken Paxton. Not only are his deeds and his avoidance of facing his accusers reprehensible, but so are the Texas system that allows him to retain office, and the rest of us for tolerating it! All this following close on the heels of a legislative session in which our guys passed legislation allowing anyone to possess and carry firearms in public (as if we didnt already have enough murder, road rage shootings and mass casualty gun incidents). Happily, there is hope on the horizon; a special session of the Legislature is about to convene for the purpose of passing laws to legally suppress voter turnout in metropolitan areas where there is a heavy concentration of Democratic leaning voters. Lets call it the suppression session. Maybe they will bring back the poll tax and use the revenue generated, to buy assault rifles for any angry white person who doesnt already own one (or four).

Mark Schreiner, Houston

Wake up call

Regarding After democracy dies, well wonder why we failed, (A15, June 6): Every Texan and every American should read Leonard Pitts Jr.s article. Regardless of our political persuasion were all patriots, and we need to wake up and realize what is happening to our democracy right in front of our eyes. Whether youre a Pitts fan or not, this a wake-up call we need to recognize and respond to before it is too late.

Carell Freeman, Sugar Land
WASHINGTON  Texans back President Joe Bidens approach to immigration over Gov. Greg Abbotts by nearly 10 percentage points, according to a new poll released as the clash between the governor and Biden administration over border policy continues to escalate.

The poll, conducted at the end of May, found 44 percent of Texans approve of Bidens handling of immigration compared to 35 percent who approve of Abbotts. The online poll of 506 Texas residents was conducted by Spectrum News and Ipsos and had a margin of error of plus or minus 5.2 percentage points.

BACKGROUND: Texas governor bars facilities from housing children in the country illegally

The Biden administration on Monday threatened to sue Texas over Abbotts move to prohibit state-licensed child care facilities from housing migrants who are in the country illegally, a step that could leave the federal government scrambling to find shelter for thousands of unaccompanied young people.

Abbott in a statement made clear he is not planning to change course, accusing the administration of commandeering state resources to fulfill the federal governments responsibility.

The Biden administration is yet again pressuring Texas to aid its illegal immigration program and force our state to do its job, the governor said. The federal government caused this problem and should be solely responsible for the care of these children. No child will be uncared for. Texas will remain focused on doing our job  protecting Texans.

Federal Health and Human Services officials called Abbotts proclamation a direct attack on the immigration system and the Office of Refugee Resettlement that runs the facilities.

(The resettlement agency) operates 52 state-licensed facilities in Texas, which comprise a significant portion of ORRs total operational footprint, and represent an indispensable component of the federal immigration system, Paul Rodriguez, HHS deputy general counsel, wrote in the letter to Abbott.

Abbott, meanwhile, is planning a border security summit with law enforcement officials and local leaders on Thursday, which comes as the governor has said state troopers will begin arresting migrants at the border.

A University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll released in May found Biden had a 44 percent approval rating in Texas, but a 46 percent disapproval rating  with 59 percent of Texans disapproving of the presidents handling of immigration and border security.

This story contains material from the Associated Press.

ben.wermund@chron.com
Xi inspects northwest China's Qinghai

Xinhua) 08:15, June 08, 2021

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, greets employees of a company producing carpets in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

XINING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Monday started an inspection tour of northwest China's Qinghai Province.

In Xining, the provincial capital, Xi visited a company producing carpets and learned about how it leveraged the advantages of local resources and used new design concepts to boost its products' competitiveness, create jobs and increase the income of locals.

Xi also visited a residential community in Xining to learn about its efforts to strengthen Party building, improve community-level governance and advance ethnic unity and progress.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee is known for his trademark "New Management Initiative," announced in 1993 during a company trip in Frankfurt, Germany. Samsung skipped the 28th anniversary of the initiative, Monday, amid risks including emergency management and a global crisis. Korea Times file



By Yi Whan-woo



Marking the 28th anniversary of late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee's "New Management Initiative" that put his company on the global map, the Korean conglomerate faces a series of management risks that led it to remain low key and skip commemorative events this year.



The country's top business group is in emergency management mode with its chief Lee Jae-yong being imprisoned since January, struggling to cope with a global semiconductor crisis that requires aggressive leadership, bold determination and business acumen more than ever.



The firm's misfortunes additionally include the death of the former chairman, the father of Lee Jae-yong, in October 2020.



Also known as the "Frankfurt Declaration," the 1993 initiative was announced by the late chairman during a business trip to Frankfurt, Germany, that year with 200 company executives.



While in Germany, Lee uttered to the gathered executives the famous line "Change everything, except your wife and children." This line exemplified Lee's trademark business philosophy that transformed a then-second-tier Samsung into a global electronics giant. Accordingly, his philosophy has been embraced by the group as doctrinal to date.



"The birth of the historic business management philosophy would have been celebrated if Lee Jae-yong was not imprisoned over a political corruption case," said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University.



Lee is serving a two-and-a-half-year prison term over bribery and embezzlement linked to former President Park Geun-hye who is also behind bars.





The company logo of Samsung is seen on an entrance to its headquarters in Seoul. Korea Times file
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FORT LAUDERDALE FL - MAY 08: The U.S. Navy's Blue Angels Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets are seen during the Fort Lauderdale Air Show at Fort Lauderdale Beach on May 8, 2021 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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Security personnel carry out rescue operations at the site of a train accident in Daharki area of the northern Sindh province, Pakistan, June 7. AFP-Yonhap



An express train barreled into another that had derailed in Pakistan before dawn Monday, killing at least 51 people and setting off a desperate effort to search the crumpled cars for survivors and the dead, authorities said.



More than 100 other people were injured. Cries for help pierced the night as passengers climbed out of overturned or crushed rail cars. The pleas continued to echo throughout the day at the scene in the district of Ghotki, in the southern province of Sindh.



Heavy machinery arrived to cut open some cars, and more than 15 hours after the crash, rescuers carefully removed wreckage as they looked for anyone who might remain trapped  though hopes were fading for survivors. The military deployed troops, engineers and helicopters to assist.



The Millat Express train derailed around 3:30 a.m., and the Sir Syed Express train hit it minutes later, said Usman Abdullah, a deputy commissioner of Ghotki. It was not immediately clear what caused the derailment, and the driver of the second train said he braked when he saw the disabled train but did not have time to avoid the collision.



About 1,100 passengers were aboard the two trains, rail officials said.



''The challenge for us is to quickly rescue those passengers who are still trapped in the wreckage,'' said Umar Tufail, a police chief in the district.



The death toll steadily rose through the day, and the chances of finding survivors were diminishing, said Rizwan Nazir, a district administration official.



Authorities brought in lights so rescuers could work through the night. Relatives of some of the missing passengers waited nearby.



Passengers with critical injuries were to be brought by helicopter to a nearby hospital.



Engineers and experts were trying to determine what caused the collision, said Azam Swati, the minister for railways who headed to the scene of the crash. He told The Associated Press that all aspects would be examined, including the possibility of sabotage.



The segment of the railway tracks where the crash took place was old and needed replacing, Habibur Rehman Gilani, chairman of Pakistan Railways, told Pakistan's Geo News TV. He did not elaborate.



Aijaz Ahmed, the driver of the Sir Syed Express, told the station that on seeing the derailed train, he tried his best to avoid the crash by braking but failed. Railway officials said Ahmed was slightly injured, and villagers pulled him from the train's engine after the crash.



Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his deep sorrow over the tragedy, saying on Twitter that he asked the railway minister to supervise the rescue work and ordered a probe into the crash.



According to local media, some of the passengers on the Millat Express were heading to a wedding party.



Mohammad Amin, one of the passengers on the Millat Express who had minor injuries, told the AP from a hospital that before the train departed from the southern port city of Karachi, he and his brother saw mechanics working on one of the cars.



That led them to believe there was something wrong with it, but they were reassured all was fine. Amin said he believed the car that was being worked on was the one that later derailed. Railway officials said they were recording statements of survivors, including the drivers.



Train accidents are common in Pakistan, where successive governments have paid little attention to improving the poorly maintained signal system and aging tracks.



In 1990, a packed passenger plowed into a standing freight train in southern Pakistan, killing 210 people in the worst rail disaster in the nation's history. (AP)


MusicBrainz: Organizing music in the public interest

The Electonic Frontier Foundations Danny OBrien looks at the public interest internet and MusicBrainz free music metadata project.

Guest post by Danny OBrien from the Electronic Frontier Foundation

This blog post is part of a series, looking at the public interest internetthe parts of the internet that dont garner the headlines of Facebook or Google, but quietly provide public goods and useful services without requiring the scale or the business practices of the tech giants. Read our first two parts or our introduction.

Last time, we saw how much of the early internets content was created by its usersand subsequently purchased by tech companies. By capturing and monopolizing this early data, these companies were able to monetize and scale this work faster than the network of volunteers that first created it for use by everybody. Its a pattern that has happened many times in the networks history: call it the enclosure of the digital commons. Despite this familiar story, the older public interest internet has continued to survive side-by-side with the tech giants it spawned: unlikely and unwilling to pull in the big investment dollars that could lead to accelerated growth, but also tough enough to persist in its own ecosystem. Some of these projects youve heard ofWikipedia, or the GNU free software project, for instance. Some, because they fill smaller niches and arent visible to the average Internet user, are less well-known. The public interest internet fills the spaces between tech giants like dark matter; invisibly holding the whole digital universe together.

Sometimes, the story of a projects switch to the commercial model is better known than its continuing existence in the public interest space. The notorious example in our third post was the commercialization of the publicly-built CD Database (CDDB): when a commercial offshoot of this free, user-built database, Gracenote, locked down access, forks like freedb and gnudb continued to offer the service free to its audience of participating CD users.

Gracenotes co-founder, Steve Scherf, claimed that without commercial investment, CDDBs free alternatives were doomed to stagnation. While alternatives like gnudb have survived, its hard to argue that either freedb or gnudb have innovated beyond their original goal of providing and collecting CD track listings. Then again, thats exactly what they set out to do, and theyve done it admirably for decades since.

But can innovation and growth take place within the public interest internet? CDDBs commercialization parlayed its initial market into a variety of other music-based offerings. Their development of these products led to them being purchased, at various points, by AV manufacturer Escient, Sony, Tribune Media, and most recently, Nielsen. Each sale made money for its investors. Can a free alternative likewise build on its beginnings, instead of just preserving them for its original users?

MusicBrainz, a Community-Driven Alternative to Gracenote

Among the CDDB users who were thrown by its switch to a closed system in the 1990s, was Robert Kaye. Kaye was a music lover and, at the time, a coder working on one of the earliest MP3 encoders and players at Xing. Now he and a small staff work full-time on MusicBrainz, a community-driven alternative to Gracenote. (Disclosure: EFF special advisor Cory Doctorow is on the board of MetaBrainz, the non-profit that oversees MusicBrainz).

We were using CDDB in our service, he told me from his home in Barcelona. Then one day, we received a notice that said you guys need to show our [Escient, CDDBs first commercial owner] logo when a CD is looked up. This immediately screwed over blind users who were using a text interface of another open source CD player that couldnt comply with the requirement. And it pissed me off because Id typed in a hundred or so CDs into that database so that was my impetus to start the CD index, which was the precursor to MusicBrainz.

Over two decades after the user rebellion that created it, MusicBrainz continues to tick along

MusicBrainz has continued ever since to offer a CDDB-compatible CD metadata database, free for anyone to use. The bulk of its user-contributed data has been put into the public domain, and supplementary datasuch as extra tags added by volunteersis provided under a non-commercial, attribution license.

Over time, MusicBrainz has expanded by creating other publicly available, free-to-use databases of music data, often as a fallback for when other projects commercialize and lock down. For instance, Audioscrobbler was an independent system that collected information on what music youve listened to (no matter on what platform you heard it), to learn and provide recommendations based on its users contributions, but under your control. It was merged into Last.fm, an early Spotify-like streaming service, which was then sold to CBS. When CBS seemed to be neglecting the scrobbling community, MusicBrainz created ListenBrainz, which re-implemented features that had been lost over time. The plan, says Kaye, is to create a similarly independent recommendation system.

While the new giants of Internet music- Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon- have been building closed machine-learning models to data-mine their users, and their musical interests, MusicBrainz has been working in the open with Barcelonas Pompeu Fabra University to derive new metadata from the MusicBrainz communities contributions.

Automatic deductions of genre, mood, beats-per-minute and other information are added to the AcousticBrainz database for everyone to use. These algorithms learn from their contributors corrections, and the fixes they provide are added to the commonwealth of public data for everyone to benefit from.

MusicBrainz aspirations sound in synchrony with the early hopes of the Internet, and after twenty years, they appear to have proven the Internet can support and expand a long-term public good, as opposed to a proprietary, venture capital-driven growth model. But whats to stop the organization from going the same way as those other projects with their lofty goals? Kaye works full-time on MusicBrainz along with eight other employees: whats to say that theyre not exclusively profiteering from the wider unpaid community in the same way as larger companies like Google benefit from their users contributions?

MusicBrainz has some good old-fashioned pre-Internet institutional protections. It is managed as a 501(c) non-profit, the MetaBrainz Foundation, which places some theoretical constraints on how it might be bought out. Another old Internet value is radical transparency, and the organization has that in spades. All of its financial transactions, from profit and loss sheets to employment costs, to its server outlay and board meeting notes are published online.

Another factor, says Kaye, is keeping a clear delineation between the work done by MusicBrainzs paid staff and the work of the MusicBrainz volunteer community. My team should work on the things that arent fun to work on. The volunteers work on the fun things, he says. When youre running a large web service built on the contributions of a community, theres no end of volunteers for interesting projects, but, as Kaye notes, theres an awful lot of things that are simply not fun, right? Our team is focused on doing these things. It helps that MetaBrainz, the foundation, hires almost exclusively from long-term MusicBrainz community members.

Perhaps MusicBrainzs biggest defense against its own decline is the software (and data) licenses it uses for its databases and services. In the event of the organizations separation from the desires of its community, all its composition and outputits digital assets, the institutional historyare laid out so that the community can clone its structure, and create another, near-identical, institution closer to its needs. The code is open source; the data is free to use; the radical transparency of the financial structures means that the organization itself can be reconstructed from scratch if need be.

Such forks are painful. Anyone who has recently watched the volunteer staff and community of Freenode, the distributed Internet Relay Chat (IRC) network, part ways with the networks owner and start again at Libera.chat, will have seen this. Forks can be divisive in a community, and can be reputationally devastating to those who are abandoned by the community they claimed to lead and represent. MusicBrainz staffs livelihood depends on its users in a way that even the most commercially sensitive corporation does not.

Its unlikely that a company would place its future viability so directly in the hands of its users. But its this self-imposed sword of Damocles hanging over Rob Kaye and his staffs heads that fuels the communities trust in their intentions.

Where Does the Money Come From?

Open licenses, however, can also make it harder for projects to gather funding to persist. Where does MusicBrainz money come from? If anyone can use their database for free, why dont all their potential revenue sources do just that, free-riding off the community without ever paying back? Why doesnt a commercial company reproduce what MusicBrainz does, using the same resources that a community would use to fork the project?

MusicBrainzs open finances show that, despite those generous licenses, theyre doing fine. The projects transparency lets us see that it brought in around $400K in revenue in 2020, and had $400K in costs (it experienced a slight loss, but other years have been profitable enough to make this a minor blip). The revenue comes as a combination of small donors and larger sponsors, including giants like Google, who use MusicBrainz data and pay for a support contract.

Given that those sponsors could free-ride, how does Kaye get them to pay? He has some unorthodox strategies (most famously, sending a cake to Amazon to get them to honor a three-year-old invoice), but the most common reason seems to be that an open database maintainer that is responsive to a wider community is also easier for commercial concerns to interface with, both technically and contractually. Technologists building out a music tool or service turn to MusicBrainz for the same reason as they might pick an open source project: its just easier to slot it into their system without having to jump through authentication hoops or begin negotiations with a sales team. Then, when a company forms around that initial hack, its executives eventually realize that they now have a real dependency on a project with whom they have no contractual or financial relationship. A support contract means that they have someone to call up if it goes down; a financial relationship means that its less likely to disappear tomorrow.

If Sony had used MusicBrainz data, they would have been able to carry on regardless

Again, commercial alternatives may make the same offer, but while a public interest non-profit like MusicBrainz might vanish if it fails its community, or simply runs out of money, those other private companies may well have other reasons to exit their commitments with their customers. When Sony bought Gracenote, it was presumably partly so that they could support their products that used Gracenotes databases. After Sony sold Gracenote, they ended up terminating their own use of the databases. Sony announced to their valued customers in 2019 that Sony Blu-Ray and Home Theater products would no longer have CD and DVD recognition features. The same thing happened to Sonys mobile Music app in 2020, which stopped being able to recognize CDs when it was cut off from Gracenotes service. We can have no insight into these closed, commercial deals, but we can presume that Sony and Gracenotes new owner could not come to an amicable agreement.

By contrast, if Sony had used MusicBrainz data, they would have been able to carry on regardless. Theyd be assured that no competitor would buy out MusicBrainz from under them, or lock their products out of an advertised feature. And even if MusicBrainz the non-profit died, there would be a much better chance that an API-compatible alternative would spring up from the ashes. If it was that important, Sony could have supported the community directly. As it is, Sony paid $260 million for Gracenote. For their CD services, at least, they could have had a more stable service deal with MusicBrainz for $1500 a month.

Over two decades after the user rebellion that created it, MusicBrainz continues to tick along. Its staff is drawn from music fans around the world, and meets up every year with a conference paid for by the MusicBrainz Foundation. Its contributors know that they can always depend on its data staying free; its paying customers know that they can always depend on its data being usable in their products. MusicBrainz staff can be assured that they wont be bought up by big tech, and they can see the budget that they have to work with.

Its not perfect. A transparent non-profit that aspires to internet values can be as flawed as any other. MusicBrainz suffered a reputational hit last year when personal data leaked from its website, for instance. But by continuing to exist, even with such mistakes, and despite multiple economic downturns, it demonstrates that a non-profit, dedicated to the public interest, can thrive without stagnating, or selling its users out.

But, but, but. While its good to know public interest services are successful in niche territories like music recognition, what about the parts of the digital world that really seem to need a more democratic, decentralized alternativeand yet notoriously lack them? Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google have not only built their empires from others data, they have locked their customers in, apparently with no escape. Could an alternative, public interest social network be possible? And what would that look like?

Well cover these in a later part of our series. (For a sneak preview, check out the recorded discussions at Reimagining the Internet, from our friends at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and the Initiative on Digital Public Infrastructure at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, which explore in-depth many of the topics weve discussed here.)

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musicFIRST taps former Congressman Joe Crowley to be new Chairman

Most recently famous recently for losing to political rockstar Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, former Congressman Joe Crowley has been chosen by US music advocacy group musicFIRST to serve as the coalitions new Chairman.

Guest post by Emmanuel Legrand of the Legrand Network

US music advocacy group musicFIRST has picked former Congressman Joe Crowley (NY-14) to serve as the coalitions Chairman and lead efforts to rectify a decades-long injustice that denies artists payment when their music is played on traditional radio.

Congressman Crowleys brief is to oversee Capitol Hill efforts to enact legislation to finally get artists paid when their music is played on FM/AM radio stations. After losing a primary to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018, Crowley joined law firm Squire Patton Boggs two years ago.

Sources in Washington, DC suggest that by picking such a high profile former policy-maker to lead the organisation signals that for the members of the coalition, the passing of a legislation introducing performance rights for sound recordings is one of the top lobbying issues for the current legislature. The US is one of the few countries in the world that does not recognised performance rights for sound recordings.

Achieve fair compensation for creators

Said Crowley: We need to change the rules that are rigged in favor of a few big, billion-dollar media companies and ensure that hardworking creators get paid when their work is played on the radio. I am eager to build upon the work and advocacy efforts of musicFIRST as we continue to take serious strides toward achieving fair compensation for all music creators.

While in Congress, Crowley sponsored the Allocations For Music Producers (AMP) Act, which was signed into law in 2019, and co-sponsored the Fair Pay Fair Play Act of 2015. He also was a member of the Recording Arts and Sciences Congressional Caucus.

A tireless supporter of artists rights

Congressman Crowley is a longtime advocate for music creators, said Daryl P. Friedman, Chief Advocacy Officer at the Recording Academy. His tireless support for artists and understanding of crucial parity issues uniquely position him in this ongoing fight for fairness.

Members of the musicFIRST coalition include the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), the American Federation of Musicians, The Recording Academy, The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), SAG-AFTRA and SoundExchange, among others.

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Facebook today announces that it will expand the partnership with GRASSs FactCheck Georgia as an independent fact-checker to help tackle the spread of misinformation on Facebook and Instagram in Armenian. FactCheck Georgia is certified through the non-partisan International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and for the upcoming two months (June-July 2021) will cooperate with a local Armenian NGO Media Initiatives Center (MIC) fact-checking content posted on Facebook and Instagram in Armenian.

Facebooks fact-checking programme includes more than 80 partners around the world checking content in over 60 different languages. These partners play a key role in identifying viral misinformation. When a fact-checker rates a story as false, Facebook adds a warning label to the content and significantly reduces its distribution. Pages and domains that repeatedly share false news will also see their distribution reduced and their ability to monetize and advertise removed.

As Facebook cooperates only with IFCN-certified fact-checkers and prioritizes places with upcoming elections, where misinformation might be leading to real risks on the grounds, Facebook decided to expand the cooperation with FactCheck Georgia, Facebooks important partner with experienced journalists, to Armenia.

Were very happy that we may expand the partnership with FactCheck Georgia to Armenia. Before this announcement we took into account several factors that we analyzed prior to the launch of the fact-checking programme. Together with Media Initiatives Center (MIC), a local partner in Armenia, their vital work will help us reduce the spread of Armenian-language misinformation on our platforms - Sophie Eyears, Strategic Partner Development Manager at Facebook.

Facebook has a three-part strategy for tackling misinformation:

 inform people by giving them more context on the posts they see

 reduce visibility of false news and inauthentic content

 remove content that violates Facebook and Instagrams Community Standards or ad policies

This strategy has been particularly important in tackling health-related misinformation. Since the start of the pandemic, Facebook has removed more than 18 million pieces of content for breaking its rules on COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation. Warning labels have also been applied to more than 167 million pieces of content. When a warning label is placed on a post, 95% of the time people dont click to view it.

Additional information on the fact checking program is available here. More information on the International Fact-Checking Network and its code of principles is available here and here.
Dixie Huval Poche grew up in St. Martin Parish. She was a tad sensitive about what
Fisherman missing from Antique in the Philippines found safe in Palawan

by Annabel Consuelo Petinglay

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Monday said a fisherman from Antique who was reported missing for several days was found safe in the vicinity of Agutaya Island in Palawan on Sunday.



Senior Chief Petty Officer Alan Mandado, deputy commander of PCG Antique Station, said they received a call from another fisherman named Rolly Cabugnasan on the same day that Dante Mahilum was found wading on the high waters of the island after his boat capsized.



Mahilum's fishing boat sustained a hole that let water into the boat causing it eventually to sink, Mandado said.



Cabugnasan and Mahilum are both residents of Barangay Maybato North in this town.



On May 29, Mahilum left their barangay to go fishing but failed to return.



On June 4, his wife Mildred reported to the PCG Antique that her husband had gone missing as per information she got from Marvin Delecano, a resident of Sta. Teresa, Occidental Mindoro and skipper of FBCA Princess Alexa.



Mandado said as relayed by the wife, Mahilums boat was seen floating between the waters of Agutaya and Mindoro but no one was onboard.



Proper coordination was made with the PCG Stations in Cuyo and Agutaya for the conduct of a joint search and rescue operation.



The PCG also coordinated with the Antique Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) and the Municipal DRRMO of San Jose de Buenavista.



In a separate interview, PDRRMO chief Broderick Train said he hoped the incident would serve as a reminder to all fishermen that they should always follow advisories issued by the PCG and local government authorities preventing venturing out into the sea when a typhoon is forthcoming.



"Fishermen are being reminded to adhere to the advisories because it would only be good if they could still be rescued, Train said.



Before the landfall of Tropical Storm Dante in the provinces of Masbate and Romblon on June 2, the PCG advised fishermen not to go out into the sea for their safety.



Mahilum is currently in the custody of a fisherman in Agutaya. Through Cabugnasan, they are still arranging on bringing the stranded fisher back to Antique.

 2021 Philippine News Agency

Theme(s): Communities and Organisations.
2 injured, property destroyed as fire ravages Elmina fishing market in Ghana

June 08,2021 | Source: myjoyonline

Two persons have sustained injuries and property running into thousands of cedis destroyed after fire ravaged the Mpobeng Fishing Market at Elmina in Ghana.



According to one of the victims, he and his other colleague were transferring premix fuel into a canoe when fire suddenly engulfed it.



He, however, could not tell the cause of the fire.



Personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) at the Elmina and the University of Cape Coast (UCC) fire stations were dispatched to the scene to help douse the fire.



According to the Central Regional GNFS PRO, DOIII Hudu, upon arrival, the crew observed the fire had engulfed a wooden shed that harbored premixed fuel and other fishing gear.



He narrated that; the firefighters immediately started defending the Kakum Rural Bank which was right next to the shed on fire. The fire was brought under control after about 35 minutes and finally got extinguished.



The GNFS PRO, however, intimated part of the roof of the bank was burnt and the heat from the fire visibly affected the walls.



The items damaged included some quantity of fish, about 10 drums of premix fuel, a canoe, power generator and other household belongings.



One fishmonger recounted: we have lost a lot to this fire. When it happened, some unscrupulous people also stole our money. We are calling for support to help us survive this.



One person was seriously injured and was rushed to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital while the other who was got mildly injured is being treated.



Municipal Chief Executive for the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abirem Municipality, Nana Appiah Korang commended the Fire Service for their proactive approach.



He says the service has been educating the people on fire safety and the need for the people to take precautionary measures.



The Assembly, he indicates, will continue their sensitisation drive on the prevention of fires.



We arent going to allow people to fry things at these fish markets again otherwise, we may not, he added.



The Central Regional PRO of the GNFS says there has been several engagements with the fishing communities on the storage and safety of premix fuel, especially, in Elmina.



More fire safety education, he avers, has been organised several times including one that was organised late last year just to help prevent these kinds of incidents.



Investigations into the cause of incident is underway.

 1996-2021 Copyright: MyjoyOnline.com

Theme(s): Communities and Organisations.
This image provided by Biogen shows a vial and packaging for the drug Aduhelm for patients with Alzheimer's, June 7. AP-Yonhap



The United States on Monday approved a drug called Aduhelm to treat patients with Alzheimer's, the first new medicine against the disease in almost two decades and the first to address cognitive decline linked to the condition.



The decision was highly anticipated but also contentious, because an independent expert panel convened by the regulatory Food and Drug Administration last November found insufficient evidence of Aduhelm's benefit and recommended against approval.



"Aduhelm is the first treatment directed at the underlying pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease, the presence of amyloid beta plaques in the brain," said the FDA's Patrizia Cavazzoni.



Nevertheless, the decision falls under the FDA's "Accelerated Approval" pathway which it uses when it believes a medicine may provide meaningful benefit over existing treatments but there is still some uncertainty.



"As is often the case when it comes to interpreting scientific data, the expert community has offered differing perspectives," said Cavazzoni in a statement acknowledging the controversy.



Aduhelm, a monoclonal antibody also known by its generic name aducanumab that is administered intravenously, was tested in two late-stage human trials known as Phase 3 trials.



It showed a reduction in cognitive decline in one, but not the other.



But in all studies, it convincingly showed a reduction in the build-up of a protein called beta-amyloid in the brain tissue of Alzheimer's patients.



One theory holds that Alzheimer's disease comes from an excessive accumulation of these proteins in some people's brains as they age and their immune systems decline.



Providing such patients antibodies could therefore be a means to restore some of their capacity to clear the plaque buildup.



"We feel a great sense of purpose and responsibility to turn the hope of today's FDA approval of Aduhelm into a reality for people living with Alzheimer's disease and their families," said Alisha Alaimo, president of Biogen U.S. in a statement.



She added the company was committed to "health equity" and helping lower-income patients get access to the treatment, delivered once a month.



The yearly cost of the treatment would be $56,000, but the cost to U.S. patients would depend on their type of insurance.





In this 2019 photo provided by Biogen, a researcher works on the development of the medication aducanumab in Cambridge, Mass. AP-Yonhap
Japan arrests Russian trawlers captain assistant after collision with local fishing boat

June 08,2021 | Source: TASS

A captain assistant of the Russian trawler Amur, which collided with Japans Hokko Maru No. 8 fishing vessel on May 26, has been arrested, the Russian Consulate Generals Office in Sapporo reported on Monday.



"We have just received information about the detention of the vessels 3rd captain assistant, who was on duty [during the incident]," the Russian Consulate Generals office stated.



The Coast Guard Service of the Japanese port city of Mombetsu confirmed to TASS that Russias 38-year-old Pavel Dobryantsky was arrested at 9:46 am local time (3:46 am Moscow time).



Japans Kyodo news agency reported earlier in the day that the Coast Guard Service of the Japanese port city of Mombetsu has arrested a navigating officer of Russian trawler Amur. The agency later issued corrections to its previous reports stating that a person at the issue was a captain assistant, who is now charged with an account of a wrongful death.



The incident occurred on May 26, about 23 kilometers off the coast of Hokkaido. Three of the five-crew members of the Hokko Maru No. 8 boat died as a result of the collision.



Two survivors were brought onshore, they are not in any life-threatening danger. According to the Russian Embassy in Japan, the Amur trawler was directed to Mombetsu port after the incident.

Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods.
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Spanish Mediterranean fleet strikes in protest against EU demersal plan

by Jason Holland

June 08,2021 | Source: SeafoodSource

Spains Mediterranean fishing fleet  spanning the trawling, seine, and small-gear sectors  temporarily stopped operations on 4 June in protest against the European Unions multiannual management plan for demersal stocks, declaring that the plan which entered into force in January 2020 is gradually eradicating the regions trawl fleet through heavy restrictions on working times and fishing zones.



The fishermen were publicly supported in their dispute by sailors, shipowners, fish markets, and local governments from along the regions coastline, according to Cepesca, the Spanish Fisheries Confederation.



Cepesca, which comprises 36 fishing shipowners' associations and 725 fishing companies, said that the activity of 600 Spanish vessels and more than 17,000 direct and indirect jobs are being threatened, while some 3,400 E.U. vessels fish in Mediterranean grounds. In addition to this, the sector is now also facing the future approval of the new E.U. fisheries control regulation which, among other measures, aims to introduce cameras onboard vessels. The move treats fishermen as suspected criminals, Cepesca said.



It also said that the response of the sector and of the Mediterranean coasts citizens on 4 June had been unanimous and forceful in defense of fishing, which in addition to being traditional and sustainable, is essential for the socio-economic development of the towns and cities along more than 1,600 kilomters of coastline.



Trying to put an end to these activities, as Europe intends, would alter the social reality of the Spanish Mediterranean, even undermining its capacity to attract tourists, Cepesca said in a statement. We believe that the Spanish government and European politicians, often distant or unaware of the reality of our activity, will have to assess and take into account the discontent of million citizens of the Mediterranean coast.



The European Unions Multi-Annual Fisheries Plan in the Western Mediterranean was introduced to regulate demersal fishing with the objective of achieving maximum sustainable yield by 2025. But the trawler fleet working in those waters has faced a path full of obstacles, Cepesca said. These include combined 2020 and 2021 fishing effort reductions that have exceeded 20 percent in some cases, it said.



The strike coincided with an online debate entitled Building a sustainable future for Mediterranean fisheries, which was led by European Parliament Fisheries Commission President Pierre Karleskind and Spanish Member of the European Parliament Clara Aguilera. At the forum, fishing sector representatives expressed their frustration at the abandonment suffered by the fleet and requested the modification of the management plan to take into account social and economic sustainability, as well as environmental sustainability.

 2021 Diversified Communications. All rights reserved.

Theme(s): Others.
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The United States will soon start discussing a trade deal with Taiwan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday, risking Beijing's wrath.







"I know we are engaged in conversations with Taiwan, or soon will be, on some kind of framework agreement," Blinken said at a congressional hearing in Washington.







"And those conversations should be starting," he stressed. He said that U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai would be the one to offer any details on these future negotiations.







The possibility of a U.S. trade deal with Taiwan is likely to infuriate Beijing, which sees the democratic, self-ruled island as part of its territory which is to be seized one day, by force if necessary, and rages at any diplomatic attempts to recognize it as an independent nation.







Though Washington severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979 to recognize Beijing as China's sole official representative, the United States remains Taiwan's most powerful ally and its top arms supplier.







"We are committed to the proposition that Taiwan must have the means to defend itself, and that is consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act," Blinken stressed on Monday. "We've continued to provide significant equipment and sales to Taiwan for that purpose.







"We have real concerns about the increased aggression that the government in Beijing has shown toward Taiwan," Blinken added. (AFP)


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Government, news and social media websites across the globe were coming back online Tuesday after being hit by a widespread outage linked to U.S.-based cloud company Fastly.







High traffic sites including Reddit, Amazon, CNN, Paypal, Spotify, Al Jazeera Media Network and the New York Times were all listed as experiencing problems by outage tracking website Downdetector.com, but appeared to be coming back up after outages that ranged from a few minutes to around an hour.







Fastly, one of the world's most widely-used cloud based content delivery network providers, said "the issue has been identified and a fix has been applied. Customers may experience increased origin load as global services return."







The company, which went public in 2019 and has a market capitalization of $5 billion, is far smaller than peers like Amazon's AWS. It helps websites move content using less-congested routes, enabling them to reach consumers faster.







The United Kingdom's attorney general earlier tweeted that the country's main gov.uk website was down, providing an email for queries.







The disruption may have caused issues for citizens booking COVID-19 vaccinations or reporting test results, the Financial Times reported.







Fastly's website said that most of its coverage areas had faced "Degraded Performance". Error messages on several of the websites pointed to Fastly problems.







News publishers came up with inventive workarounds to report about the widespread outage when their websites failed to load up.







Popular tech website the Verge took to Google Docs to report news, while UK Technology Editor at the Guardian started a Twitter thread to report on the problems.







Nearly 21,000 Reddit users reported issues with the social media platform, while more than 2,000 users reported problems with Amazon, according to Downdetector.com.







Amazon's Twitch was also experiencing an outage, according to Downdetector's website.







Websites operated by news outlets including the Financial Times, the Guardian, the New York Times and Bloomberg News also faced outages. (Reuters)






African journalists leaders have called on the African Union and national governments to institute a comprehensive framework for media freedom and quality journalism in Africa and launched campaigns in support of media freedom and the safety of journalists.

The call came at the end of a two-day African Journalists Leadership Conference on Building Stronger Unions to Enhance Journalism and Media Freedom in Africa, which took place in Accra, Ghana from June 1-2.

The conference was organized by the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) in collaboration with its Ghana affiliate, the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), to brainstorm on the challenges and achievements of African journalism, precarious working conditions of journalists and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on various aspects of the media industry.

Against all the odds, we gathered in Accra to put our minds together as we reflect on and seek solutions to the precarious conditions in which African journalists operate and the thorny problems of media freedom and quality journalism. Beyond these traditional challenges, we now also face the sad reality of the Covid-19 pandemic killing journalists and throwing many into unemployment. These challenges cannot be solved by journalists alone and the search for permanent solutions requires wide stakeholder involvement, including governments, FAJ President Sadiq Ibrahim Ahmed said in his remarks during the opening ceremony presided over by Ghanaian President Nana Akufo Addo.

In his opening address, President Akufo Addo implored African journalists to strive for a free, responsible and ethical media as a vehicle for development. He condemned the continuing persecution of the media in many parts of the continent, saying the failings of the press were the lesser evil compared to the risks posed by opaque and unaccountable governance.

Governments should instead work with the media to promote accountability, transparency, democracy and human rights, which are key ingredients of good governance, the Ghanaian leader said.

He outlined some of the measures his government has taken to help the media industry recover from adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

African journalists leaders also asked governments to create and enforce laws that support the growth of organised labour while media owners should engage with journalists union leaders before taking actions that can adversely affect the welfare of journalists and have the potential to compromise journalistic integrity.

The Declaration adopted at the end of the conference stated that labour rights are an integral part of promoting quality journalism and governments should support journalists unions' quest for fair pay and decent working conditions.

Journalists were also challenged not to lose sight of their ethical and professional obligations as a way of preserving public trust and to act against the scourge of misinformation and disinformation. Journalists should also remain true to their calling by preserving professional integrity refraining from subservience to politics or using the profession as a vehicle to achieving their personal political ambitions.

Participants at the Conference noted that African governments should also endorse and implement the recommendations of the Windhoek+30 Declaration that was adopted at the Global Conference of World Press Freedom Day in Windhoek, Namibia.

In his speech, the General Secretary of the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Unions Confederation (ITUC-Africa) Kwasi Adu-Amankwah, said the COVID-19 crisis had exposed the naked reality of the pathetic state of journalists welfare in Africa, the majority of whom work without any form of employment contract.

It is a sad truth that in Africa, journalists are among the most vulnerable members of society. Such a status quo is not healthy for journalism. Decent pay and credible, quality journalism cannot be separated", Kwasi said in support of calls for equitable pay that is commensurate with journalists contribution to the production process.

African journalists are doing an incredibly good job under extremely difficult conditions. Through their bravery and sacrifices, they have contributed to the development of more open societies and accountable leadership. They deserve all the support from governments, the private sector and development partners to build their professional capacity and resilience", Kwasi added.

The continental conference adopted resolutions on Palestine, FIFA world Cup and strengthening journalists unions and associations.
Leading global smart device brand OPPO introduces the latest smart devices with the True Wireless Earphones OPPO Enco Buds and OPPO Enco Air.

More reasons to enjoy music with the latest True Wireless Earphones for every Filipino audio fan

Both OPPO Enco Buds and OPPO Enco Air are exclusively available in the country starting June 6 via OPPOs official flagship stores in Shopee and Lazada for only Php1,699 and Php2,999 respectively. OPPO Enco Air will be available in select OPPO Brand Stores nationwide starting June 9, while OPPO Enco Buds will be up for purchase starting June 13.

OPPO ceaselessly innovates in the audio space, offering superior quality sound and smarter connectivity. The OPPO Enco Buds and OPPO Enco Air were crafted with the highest standards to ensure that Filipinos can ultimately enjoy uncompromised sound quality with enhanced latency, Zen Han, Vice President for National Sales of OPPO Philippines.

All-Day Music, Non-Stop with OPPO Enco Buds

OPPO Enco Buds give you all-day music enjoyment with its long-lasting battery life. 15 minutes of charging lets you play music for one hour, while at 50% of the battery life gets you 6 hours of continuous listening, and takes only 2.5 hours to full charge when using the charging case.

As a true wireless earbud, the stable wireless connection allows you to be 10 meters away from your phone when youre on a phone call. The Bluetooth 5.2 chipset provides a stable connection between the phone and OPPO Enco Buds. OPPO Enco Buds feature intelligent DNN model-based noise cancellation, which uses a smart algorithm to distinguish human voices from background noises when youre on a call. OPPO Enco Buds are not only ideal for phone calls, but also provide amazing sound quality when listening to music with 8 mm moving coils and support for AAC audio coding.

Enjoy the Sound You Can See with OPPO Enco Air

The OPPO Enco Air is the worlds first true wireless earphones to receive a High-Performance/Low Latency Certificate for True Wireless Earphones from the world-renowned German technical testing company TUV Rheinland  successfully passing the companys comprehensive earphone testing and certification system.

OPPO Enco Airs long-lasting, fast-charging power supply is perfect for users who worry about battery life. With the charging case, users can get up to 8 hours of playback on just a 10-minute charge, and up to 24 hours on a full charge, making them perfect for all-day listening.

Additionally, OPPO Enco Air is integrated with intensive AI call noise-cancellation technology  a smart function that helps to deliver a crystal-clear call experience every user will appreciate. It is also equipped with the latest Bluetooth 5.2 chip to enhance transmission stability and fight interference, all while minimizing latency. Coupled with OPPOs latency-reducing Game Mode, OPPO Enco Air combines software and hardware solutions to deliver a smooth, in-sync audiovisual experience.

OPPO Enco Buds and OPPO Enco Air will be available in White color variants.
So your favorite new grad wants to be her own boss? Forget about giving her Oh, the Places You'll Go! Leave that Dr. Seuss classic for Aunt Sally to give. These thoughtful graduation gifts will help make your budding entrepreneur's day-to-day a little easier as well as inspire her startup journey. They'll show that you really understand her entrepreneurial dreams and support them.

1. Monk Manual 90-day planner

Staying organized is key when starting a business, and Monk Manual was designed with busy dreamers in mind, according to its website. The pages of this $38 planner are based on the PAR Method--prepare, act, and reflect--and encourage the user to write down goals, make progress, and reflect on what did or didn't work. Founder Steven Lawson crowdfunded his idea on Kickstarter in 2018, and the $10,000 campaign was fully funded within four hours of posting.

2. Personalized stationery from Minted

In a world of 24/7 email, Slack, and texts, a handwritten note is one of the best ways to communicate when you want to make a strong and lasting impression. Give your recent grad a personalized and monogrammed set of stationery to help make any message professional and memorable. This minimalist yet colorful card set from Minted costs $50 for a pack of 25. Minted was founded by Mariam Naficy. After selling her first business, online cosmetics company Eve.com, Naficy launched the stationery e-commerce site and says that influencers on Pinterest and Instagram helped it grow to where it is today.

3. MOO stickers

Whether on packaging, a water bottle, or a skateboard, stickers are a fun and easy way to share your logo with customers and fans of your brand. This waterproof and tear-proof sticker set from MOO Print Limited can be personalized with a company's name, logo, and colors and costs $13.99 for a roll of 52 stickers. MOO made the Inc. 5000 list of fast-growing private U.S. companies three times. Who knows? Maybe some of the shine of this gift will rub off on your new grad.

4. Herman Miller chair

While young entrepreneurs may not realize it, the chair they sit in every day can have a big impact on their productivity and health. They'll love a chair from Herman Miller, the famed furniture brand based in Zeeland, Michigan, which was founded by Miller and his son-in-law D.J. De Pree over a century ago and continues to innovate in the furniture industry. Its most recent Herman Miller X Logitech G Embody chair is a generous gift with a price tag of $1,595, and it comes with a 12-year warranty. Gen-Zers will appreciate that it was designed over two years with studies and research on professional e-sports athletes.

5. Hyper wireless phone battery

To get through a busy day, it's key to have enough charge on your phone. This $39.99 wireless battery pack from Hyper by Sanho Corporation sticks to the back of a smartphone for on-the-go charging. Founded in 2005 by Daniel Chin, Hyper by Sanho Corporation is based in Silicon Valley and has crowdfunded many chargers and tech accessories on Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

6. 1Password secure password manager

Running a business typically means more accounts and more passwords to remember. What's more, small businesses are often targeted for cybersecurity attacks since bad actors assume they don't have the same resources as big corporations to keep them safe. Secure password manager 1Password keeps track of and encrypts multiple secure, unique passwords for $2.99 a month. Founded by Dave Teare and Roustem Karimov in 2005, the password manager has grown to more than 400 employees and is used by more than 80,000 businesses.

7. Udemy course

Successful business owners are lifelong learners. Udemy has a range of online courses sure to appeal to the ambitious entrepreneur, such as a $139.99 class on speed reading or a $99.99 class on stress management. The company was inspired by co-founder Eren Bali's experience growing up in a small Turkish village with a one-room schoolhouse. Because of online learning, Bali says, he learned enough to earn a silver medal in the International Math Olympiad. To give an Udemy class as a gift, use the "gift this course" button on the course landing page.
Anya Taylor-Joy is set to star opposite Ralph Fiennes in a forthcoming black comedy thriller about foodie culture.

The Queens Gambit star is in negotiations to join Fiennes for a darkly comedic psychological thriller with a unique premise.

According to Deadline, the film  ominously titled The Menu  will be set in the world of eccentric culinary culture.

Joy will play one half of a couple who venture to a remote island where an acclaimed chef has prepared a lavish tasting menu at his exclusive restaurant. Fiennes will portray the chef.

Mark Mylod  who is heavily involved with the HBO hit series Succession  will direct, with Successions executive producer and Big Short director Adam McKay serving as a producer alongside Betsy Koch through his company Hyperobject Industries.

As reported by Collider, Fiennes Harry Potter co-star Daniel Radcliffe is also in talks to play himself.

Recently, Taylor-Joy made headlines with the release of the mind-bending trailer for Edgar Wrights Last Night in Soho, in which she stars opposite Matt Smith and Thomasin McKenzie and Jessie Mei Li.

The psychological thriller is slated for release on 23 April.
Taylor Jenkins Reids writing career began with Friends. She had relocated to Los Angeles from Massachusetts and was working in casting when Jennifer Aniston stopped by her office. Excited to have met the Friends star in person, Reid recounted the anecdote to her friends in an email. That email earned her a lot of support and made its way to a TV writer, who praised it. And just like that, Reid caught the writing bug.

Its little things like this that indicated to me that if I tried this, it might work and I might belong, she says. It gave me the confidence I needed to sit down one day and say, OK, Im going to try to write fiction.

Reids first novel, Forever, Interrupted (the tale of a young widow whose husband dies just nine days after their elopement), was submitted to publishers in the spring of 2012. After a few anxiety-filled weeks, she signed a two-book deal with Simon & Schuster, one of the most prestigious publishing houses in the US. As Reid established herself as a character-driven author who respects her protagonists integrity and lets their personalities drive the plot, so her critical and commercial success grew. She writes with heart and is a master at seemingly innocuous scenes that carry deep meaning. Nine years later, she has just released her seventh novel.
What to make of the foreign aid debate? Last night, a group of Conservative MPs tried  and failed  to rebel against the governments decision to cut the overseas aid budget by 4bn. Their plan was to put an amendment to the Advanced Research and Invention Agency Bill, which would have returned spending from 0.5 per cent back to 0.7 per cent of national income next year.

Sadly for them, Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle ruled that the amendment was not within the remit of the law they wanted to change, and instead granted them an emergency debate this afternoon.

This debate will not lead to a binding vote, which means that the issue may be going away for now. Still, the row was revealing for several reasons. Firstly, it was a dispute about the role a post-Brexit Britain should play in the world, and it had nothing to do with trade. For the past few years, foreign policy has rarely been in the headlines; instead, the nation has been treated to countless stories about a grinning Liz Truss announcing a new deal with Liechtenstein, Grenada or similar.
Summer is arriving in Italy's wine country in Tuscany and the leaves on the vines shimmer in gold and green.

Yahya Adams moves his gloves through the foliage, removing excess buds and shoots to make the vines stronger.

He's among 24 asylum-seekers from Africa and Asia who are working in vineyards of Tenute Silvio Nardi on this year's crop of Brunello di Montalcino, one of Italy's most famous wines.

They come from Ghana Togo, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Pakistan and other countries, with no prior experience in wine-making. But they have found temporary work here through a local non-profit group that helps asylum-seekers find legal employment in vineyards or olive groves while their claims are being processed.

Adams, a 21-year-old from Ghana, is enjoying learning the craft.

I like to study how the plant grows and I want to improve in this job, he said. "And one day, I could teach others who arrive how to do the work, how to manage the plants, everything.

Adams left Ghana when he was just 14 to search for work abroad. He spent two years in Libya a conflict-ridden North African country where many migrants hoping to reach Europe face abuse and extortion from ruthless human smugglers.

Adams said he was temporarily held in captivity in Libya and considered going home to Ghana before making it to Italy on a ship with 118 other migrants. After living in centers for unaccompanied minors, he tried to find work in Belgium, but returned to Italy, where he is now enrolled in the agricultural work program of the Cooperativa Agricola San Francesco.

The NGO aims to bring asylum-seekers into the labor market with the same pay and working conditions as Italians, keeping them away from the off-the-books system known as caporalato in which migrant workers often get exploited. The phenomenon is widespread among seasonal workers in the agricultural sector, where almost 40% are hired irregularly, according to the Placido Rizzotto Observatory, a union watchdog group monitoring the infiltration of organized crime in agriculture.

Some of them, they can tell you, for three or four years they worked in the black market, with no contract, nothing, so they did not exist. They didnt have social security, nothing. Here they have a contract, there is hope, said Salis Godje, who co-ordinates the program for Cooperativa Agricola San Francesco.

Godje, who came to Italy from Togo as a student and received a degree in economics, said the asylum-seekers selected for the program are given a training course to learn the basics of vineyard work. After that they do three seasonal stints in the vineyard, pruning in the winter and summer and harvesting in the fall.

Nicola Peirce, the president of the NGO, said the workers are paid around 7 euros ($8.52) an hour and work eight hours a day, in line with Italian union requirements for agricultural work. Others who end up working irregularly often earn half as much while working longer hours.

The program is now in its second year at Tenute Silvio Nardi, a family-owned winemaker established in the 1950s in hills of Casale del Bosco. It annually produces 210,000 bottles of wine made with Sangiovese grapes, including 160,000 bottles of Brunello di Montalcino, which is aged for five years before release.

The asylum-seekers work in teams of eight over 15 hectares (40 acres), pruning vines under the supervision of agronomist Vittorio Stringari.

You need to have some patience in the beginning," Stringari said. Like with everyone who starts a new job, there is a phase of apprenticeship. But given that they are very motivated ... they very quickly fill the technical gap.

Adams considers himself lucky to have a job that he likes and from which he earns enough to send some money to his family in Ghana.

If I had this work in my country, I would not go anywhere," he said.

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One Good Thing is a series that highlights individuals or groups whose actions provide glimmers of joy in hard times  stories of those who find a way to make a difference, no matter how small. Read the stories at https://apnews.com/hub/one-good-thing

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Follow all AP stories on migration issues at https://apnews.com/hub/migration.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through The Conversation U.S. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
This April 29, 2018, file photo shows the Google logo displayed on a screen and reflected on a tablet in Paris. France's competition regulator on June 7 fined Google 220 million euros ($267 million) after finding it had abused its dominant market position for placing online ads, the latest move by European authorities to take tougher stances against U.S. tech giants. AFP-Yonhap



France's competition regulator fined Google 220 million euros ($267 million) on Monday after finding it had favored its own services for placing online ads at the expense of rivals, as U.S. tech giants face growing pressure in Europe.



The penalty is part of a settlement reached after three media groups  News Corp, French daily Le Figaro and Belgium's Groupe Rossel  accused Google in 2019 of abusing a dominant market position over ad sales for their websites and apps.



The competition authority determined that Google gave preferential treatment to its own ad inventory auction service AdX and to Doubleclick Ad Exchange, its real-time platform for letting clients choose and buy ads.



"It is the first decision in the world to look into complex algorithmic auctions processes through which online display advertising works," the authority's president Isabelle de Silva said.



Media groups looking to sell ad space on their internet sites or mobile apps using rival platforms often found that Google's services were unfairly competing against rivals, using a variety of methods.



For example, regulators found that Doubleclick would vary the commission it took when making a sale based on prices offered by other so-called ad servers.



At the same time, Google arranged for AdX, its own supply-side platform (SSP), to give preferential treatment to offers emanating from Doubleclick  effectively squeezing out rivals such as Xandr or Index Exchange.



"These very serious practices penalized competition in the emerging online advertising market, and allowed Google not only to maintain but also to increase its dominant position," De Silva said.



'First in the world'



Media groups saw their online ad revenues crimped "even though their economic model is also strongly weakened by the decline in sales of print subscriptions and the decline in associated advertising revenue" in the shift to online news, it said.



Le Figaro eventually dropped its complaint last November, but News Corp, owner of The Wall Street Journal, and Rossel pressed ahead.



"We need regulation because today we are not defending ourselves with the same weapons," Rossel's commercial and marketing director Thierry Hugot told AFP last week.



Google did not contest the findings, and the regulator said the company has committed to operational changes including improved interoperability with third-party ad placement providers.



"As part of these commitments, we are reaffirming our promise not to use data from other SSPs to optimize bids in our exchange in a way that other SSPs can't reproduce," Maria Gomri, legal director at Google France, said in a statement.



"We will be testing and developing these changes over the coming months before rolling them out more broadly, including some globally," she added.



The fine represents just a tiny fraction of the $55.3 billion in revenue booked by Google in the first quarter of this year alone, mainly from online ad sales.



The ruling comes as American technology firms are drawing closer scrutiny from European authorities, which are giving themselves new resources to better understand the complex workings of fast-evolving markets.



Last week, Germany's competition regulator said it was expanding an antitrust investigation into Google and its parent company Alphabet to include Google News Showcase, a service aimed at increasing revenue for media publishers.



Facebook also found itself targeted last week by parallel competition inquiries from the European Union and Britain, into whether the social media giant uses data from advertisers to unfairly dominate the online classifieds market.



Google had already been fined 150 million euros by the French regulator in December 2019 over "opaque" operating rules for its advertising platform, which were deemed to be applied in "an unfair and random manner."



And in December last year, Google as well as Amazon were fined a total of 135 million euros by France's privacy watchdog for placing advertising cookies on users' computers without consent. (AFP)


An eyewitness has described how a crocodile attacked a British woman three or four times before the animal was fought off by her twin sister in Mexico.

Melissa Laurie is in an induced coma in the Angel del Mar hospital in the Pacific Coast resort of Puerto Escondido, where both she and her twin sister Melissa are recovering from their ordeal.

Hana Laurie, the twins elder sister told BBC Breakfast that Melissa is in a serious condition and that she had developed sepsis after bite marks to her legs and stomach had become infected.

Her twin sister Georgia is expected to be discharged today.

Elliott Scott was part of the group swimming in the Manialtepec lagoon in Oaxaca when the crocodile struck.

The group, who had gone on a tour to the world-famous bioluminescent lagoon, was swimming a short distance from a popular tourist spot when they spotted something in the water.

We were swimming in another part of the lake and then all of a sudden somebody noticed there a was a movement  we thought it was a log  they poked their head up  nope, it [was] a crocodile, Elliot told The Independent, evidently still in shock.

As the group turned to swim to safety, Melissa was dragged under the water and started thrashing, he said.

It attacked her probably three or four times, explained Elliott, until Georgia went over and was punching it in the face, like a hero until it went away and she had to drag her sister to safety by her hair. It was terrifying.

There was nothing anyone could do, because between us and them was the [crocodile]. So, we were trying to throw things, trying to get it away but there wasnt much we could do. It was all very fast, he said.

The group were told that while there were crocodiles in the lagoon, it was perfectly safe for tourists if they stayed away from the mangrove roots and if trained tour guides took appropriate measures to ensure that local wildlife was kept away.

However, Elliott says they are unsure if the guide they used had the appropriate qualifications to work in the region. By law, qualified guides must learn how to protect tourists from crocodile attacks. When asked about the guide, he said the group were unclear as to who he actually was.

Nobody knows and now hes fled. We thought he was a guest at the hostel, the way he approached us like Oh, were going to go on a little trip, I know this Mexican family, we can take you here, we can do this - no worries - quite cheap, well do it. There was no other information.

We were told we cant swim in the sea, but you could swim in the mangroves, said Elliot.

Twin sisters Melissa and Georgia Laurie, 28 (Facebook)

Despite asking if there were crocodiles in the mangrove roots that lined the lagoon, they were explicitly told by their guide that there were not, and it was safe to swim, he said.

According to local police, the tour guide  who has not been named  has been arrested by the Guardia Civil after fleeing the scene of the attack. He is currently being held in nearby Tutepec pending further investigation.

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told Sky News earlier today that they were supporting the family of two British women who are in hospital in Mexico and are in contact with the local authorities.

Many people claim to be tour guides says Campos but they arent able and have never been trained to look after a group.
A firearms officer feared London Bridge would collapse if a terrorist detonated what appeared to be a real suicide vest, an inquest has heard.

Senior Metropolitan Police commanders gave officers the authorisation to shoot Usman Khan dead because they believed he posed an imminent threat to life.

The inquest into his death heard that police shot at the 28-year-old 20 times, in several bursts.

Khan had been chased onto London Bridge after murdering two victims in a knife rampage at Fishmongers Hall on 29 November 2019.

An inspector codenamed TC82, because of an anonymity order, told Mondays hearing that Khan was believed to be reaching for what looked like a real suicide vest when the second barrage of shots were fired.

TC82, who was a Tactical Firearms Commander in the control room during the attack, said that while watching live footage of the incident he believed Khan could be holding a trigger.

I feared the IED deonating, he added. Obviously because hes on a bridge,that bridge could collapse and I could see members of the public walking  just going about their day-to-day business  underneath the bridge.

TC82 recalled seeing Khan sit up minutes after he was initially shot and appearing to be ready to detonate.

He told the inquest he heard that the critical shot authorisation had been given at around the same time as multiple officers opened fire.

Matthew Middleditch, the technical lead of the Metropolitan Police's explosives ordnance disposal unit, said Khans suicide vest looked very realistic.

He described it as a very good facsimile of a person-borne IED, which appeared to include separate compartments containing a white explosive substance and wires.

Mr Middleditch said that even as an expert, he wouldnt be able to recognise that as a hoax without having carried out specific actions on it.

If I was looking at Khan, I would have thought I was looking at a real person-borne IED, he added.

Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, were stabbed to death by Usman Khan at Fishmongers Hall in London (AFP/Getty)

Gary Wright, the explosives officer who inspected Khans vest on the day, said he believed he was dealing with a real bomb until removing the device and conducting technical checks.

The inquest heard that Khan had fashioned the device out of components including an Xbox 360 controller, USB charger and battery pack, and concealed it under a large coat before his attack.

Khan launched a stabbing rampage at Fishmongers Hall shortly before 2pm, where he murdered Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, and stabbed three other people.

The inquests into his victims deaths, which ended last month, found that Khan had targeted people linked to the Learning Together prison education scheme he attended while serving a terror sentence.

Jurors found that omissions and failures by the authorities charged with managing Khan after he was freed from jail in December 2018 contributed to the attack.

He was chased onto London Bridge by staff and attendees who had been at the rehabilitation event, wielding makeshift weapons including a fire extinguisher and narwhal tusk.

They pinned Khan to the ground before armed police arrived, and one officer shot khan twice after seeing his fake suicide vest.

The inquest heard he continued moving and sat up eight minutes after being shot.

Police fired a volley of 18 shots across a period of around 90 seconds. Khan stopped moving by 2.12pm, around 15 minutes after launching his attack, but was not formally pronounced dead until the scene had been declared safe an hour later. The inquest into his death continues.
A genetic genealogy investigation led to a breakthrough in the 1972 case of a teenage girl who was stabbed to death and dumped in a cornfield.

Barry Lee Whelpley, 76, was arrested last week at his home in Minnesota for the killing of 15-year-old Julie Ann Hanson in Illinois almost 50 years ago.

Officials say that they identified the suspect using genetic genealogy, which allegedly tied his DNA to the crime scene.

The investigation technique allows officers to search for family members who have voluntarily submitted their own DNA to popular ancestry databases.

It was most famously used to capture Golden State Killer Joseph DeAngelo for a string of rapes and murders, which he carried out between 1973 and 1986.

Authorities have refused to say which database was used in the arrest of Mr Whelpley, but police in the Chicago suburb of Naperville say they used the services of Identifinders International.

The California-based firm describes itself on its website as worldwide cold case experts and was founded by forensic genealogist, Colleen Fitzpatrick.

Julie Ann Hanson went missing after borrowing her brothers bike to attend his 7 July 1972 baseball game.

She never returned home and after she was reported missing the next day her body was discovered in a field and she had been raped and stabbed 36 times.

Mr Whelpley, who was 27, at the time, was living a mile from her familys home when she disappeared.

He has been charged by the Will County States Attorneys Office with three counts of First-Degree Murder.

The retired welder, who has two daughters, is being held on $10m bail in a Minnesota county jail pending his extradition to Illinois.

This brutal crime haunted our community for many, many, many years, said Naperville Police Chief Robert Marshall.

This was never a cold case  we continually investigated.

Julies parents are now dead but remaining family members thanks the police for their efforts.

As you might assume, it has been a long journey for our family, they said in a statement.

We are forever grateful to all those who have worked on this case throughout the many years.
A Georgia woman visiting South Florida has been arrested after she accidentally shot her sister with a gun while posing for videos with it in a car, police have said.

WSVN reported that 18-year-old Drenaya Ponder is currently on life support following the shooting on Sunday.

Taniyria Holt, 24, who has been identified as Ms Ponders sister, is currently facing a culpable negligence charge following the alleged incident, reports said.

According to the broadcaster, an arrest report states that four women were recording videos while handling a gun and handing it back and forth to each other in a car on a Miami Beach road.

When one thing led to another, a firearm was displayed. The shooter in this case, she says, was handing the firearm to the victim when it discharged, Miami Beach Police Officer Ernesto Rodriguez told the outlet.

First responders located the 2019 Jaguar at around 8.15pm on Sunday, reports said, and rescue crews transported Ponder to a local hospital.

On Tuesday a judge raised Ms Holts bond from $2,000 to $10,000, despite requests from a public defender to allow her to support her sister in hospital, Fox13 reported.

Mr Rodriguez told WSVN that the incident was one-hundred percent avoidable. That firearm should not have been on display, he said.

Jail records did not list an attorney for Ms Holt, the Associated Press reported.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press
The four Muslim family members killed in a truck attack in Ontario, Canada have now been identified, along with the sole survivor: the familys nine-year-old son.

The deceased were 46-year-old Salman Afzaal; his 44-year-old wife, Madiha Salman; their 15-year-old daughter, Yumnah Afzaal; and Mr Afzaals 74-year-old mother, who has not been named.

The Afzaals nine-year-old son, Fayez, survived the attack and is on the road to recovery from serious injuries, the family said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the attack a brutal, cowardly, brazen act of violence.This killing was no accident, he said on Tuesday. This was a terrorist attack, motivated by hatred, in the heart of one of our communities.

Canadian police said a black truck mounted a kerb and struck five members of the family in the city of London, in Ontario, on Sunday before speeding away from the scene. Police have said the attack was motivated by hate.

Detective Superintendent Paul Waight, of the London police department, told reporters: There is evidence that this was a planned, premeditated act motivated by hate.

We believe the victims were targeted because of their Islamic faith.

Nathaniel Veltman, 20, of London, Ontario, has been charged with four counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.

The suspect was wearing body armour-type vest when he was arrested without incident in the car park of a shopping centre, police said.

Police officers look for evidence in London, Ontario, after four members of a Muslim family were killed by a truck (Geoff Robins/The Canadian Press via AP)

It is not known whether the alleged attacker, who has no previous convictions, is a member of a hate group, they added.

Police are said to be consulting the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and prosecutors about potentially filing terrorism charges.

Describing the scene as chaos, witness Paige Martin told reporters: It was just absolutely like something that you never want to see.

The attack was the worst against Canadian Muslims since a man gunned down six members of a Quebec City mosque in 2017.

London mayor Ed Holder said it was the worst mass murder his city had ever seen.

He told reporters: We grieve for the family, three generations of whom are now deceased.

People gather at a makeshift memorial after four members of a Muslim family were struck by a truck and killed in London, Ontario (Carlos Osorio/Reuters)

This was an act of mass murder, perpetrated against Muslims, against Londoners, and rooted in unspeakable hatred.

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said he was horrified by the news, writing on Twitter: Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities. This hate is insidious and despicable  and it must stop.

Ontario premier Doug Ford added that justice must be served for the horrific act of hatred that took place.

Mr Veltman is due back in court on Thursday after being remanded into custody on Monday.

Additional reporting by Reuters
Accused Capitol rioter Jacob Chansley  aka the Qanon Shaman  is being moved from jail to a federal prison this week for a psychological evaluation, NBC has reported.

Mr Chansley, who infamously wandered the halls of the United States Capitol in face-paint and an animal headdress, was arrested in January on six federal charges, including violent entry and disorderly conduct. He has pleaded not guilty.

He is currently being held at the Alexandria Detention Center in Virginia, but the Justice Department has ordered him transferred to a federal prison in Colorado for a forensic evaluation, according to NBCs Scott MacFarlane . He is expected to leave later this week.

Albert Watkins, Mr Chansleys lawyer, has repeatedly used mental health arguments to defend his client. He has said Mr Chansley is autistic, and that he believed he was obeying former president Donald Trumps orders when he entered the Capitol .

He also maintains that throughout the riot, Mr Chansleys actions were peaceful.

He was not violent. He did not assault. He did not steal or destroy while he was in the Capitol, Mr Watkins told Reuters .

Last month, US District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered that a psychological examination be conducted on Mr Chansley, and that he be moved to a suitable facility for a competency examination.

If Mr Chansleys lawyers can prove that he is not mentally competent, they may save him from serving a lengthy prison sentence, but he would likely be treated at a hospital within a federal prison.

Mr Watkins has argued that Mr Chansley was one of millions of Trump supporters who the former president groomed to do his bidding.

For years during the Trump administration, the President honed and routinely utilized his mass communication means to effectively groom millions of Americans with respect to his policies, protocols, beliefs and overwhelming fixation on all matters conspiratorial, the lawyer wrote in February .

Some experts, however, doubt that this argument will work in court.
United States investigators recovered millions of dollars of cryptocurrency paid to Russian ransomware hackers in the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack, the Justice Department revealed on Monday.

Earlier today, the Department of Justice has found and recaptured the majority of ransom Colonial paid to the DarkSide network in the wake of the ransomware attack, said Lisa Monaco, the US deputy attorney general, during a press conference.

Ransomware attacks are always unacceptable  but when they target critical infrastructure, we will spare no effort in our response, Ms Monaco added. Today we turned the tables on DarkSide.

The FBI was able to recapture a portion of the ransom by obtaining a password to DarkSides Bitcoin account. Investigators seized $2.3 million of the $4.4 million paid to the ransomware group by court order from the account, according to court documents.

The recovery of a ransom paid by a company who had fallen under a cyberattack was a rare occurrence.

Last month, Colonial Pipeline CEO Joseph Blount revealed in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that his company paid about $4.4 million in ransom in Bitcoin to DarkSide, a ransomware hacker group based in Russia, after it suffered the cyberattack.

Typically a ransomware attack involves hackers locking up computer systems by encrypting data and paralysing networks before asking for a large ransom from the targeted company to unscramble it.

The FBI has long advised companies against paying a ransom when hit by a ransomware attack, as paying the hackers gives them more incentive to target other organisations.

The FBI does not support paying a ransom in response to a ransomware attack, the FBI states on its website. It also encourages perpetrators to target more victims and offers an incentive for others to get involved in this type of illegal activity.

But Mr Blount defended the highly controversial decision to pay the ransom given how the companys 5,500-mile long pipeline, which runs between Texas and New Jersey, was a vital part of the United States fuel industry. The pipeline delivers fuel to about 45 per cent of the East Coast.

It was the right thing to do for the country, Mr Blout said at the time. I didnt make it lightly. I will admit that I wasnt comfortable seeing money go out the door to people like this.

The cyberattack was reported on 7 May and forced Colonial Pipeline to shut down its pipeline for several days while it worked to restore operations. This caused gas prices to increase and residents in the impacted states to panic buy.

The Department of Justice has warned companies that cyberattacks would likely continue and encouraged vital agencies to adopt proper security measures that would protect their services from these hacks.
Vice President Kamala Harris has responded to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs criticism of her comments on immigration after the Democratic lawmaker called the veeps rhetoric disappointing.

AOC hit out at the vice president on Monday after she told those in Guatemala considering crossing the US border do not come during a news conference with Guatemalan president Alejandro Giammattei.

In a post on Twitter, Ms Ocasio-Cortez was quick to condemn the speech, pointing out that seeking asylum at the border is legal. Ms Ocasio-Cortez called the rhetoric disappointing to see.

Not long after the messages were published on Twitter, Ms Harris was quizzed on the backlash by a reporter before departing Guatemala for Mexico, reports said.

Why did you emphasize that people shouldnt come? AOC is now being critical of that, sort of, emphasis that you made, a reporter asked the vice president.

Im really clear: we have to deal with the root causes, and that is my focus, Ms Harris said in response before adding: Period.

The comments prompting AOCs criticism came during a speech where Ms Harris suggested improved cooperation with Guatemala on addressing the spike in migration to the US.

I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come. Do not come, she said on Monday.

She added: The United States will continue to enforce our laws and secure our border. There are legal methods which migration can and should occur, but we as one of our priorities will discourage illegal migration.

Ms Harris said that those who come to the border will be turned back, asking the audience to discourage those around them from embarking on the extremely dangerous journey.

First, seeking asylum at any US border is a 100 per cent legal method of arrival, AOC added in her response to the clip.

Global humanitarian aid organisation, the International Rescue Committee, explains that seeking asylum is legaleven during a pandemic.

AOC continued: Second, the US spent decades contributing to regime change and destabilization in Latin America. We cant help set someones house on fire and then blame them for fleeing.

The overwhelming number of migrants traveling to the border has become one of the most difficult challenges for the new administration since Joe Biden took office.

While the new government has taken steps to roll back some of the harshest policies of former president Donald Trump policy allowing border officials to immediately send people back upon arrival remains in place.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press
Video recorded by journalists traveling with Vice President Kamala Harris in Mexico City on Tuesday shows the vice presidents car surrounded by motorbike-driving local reporters hoping for views of Ms Harris.

The chaotic scene unfurled on Tuesday morning as Ms Harris arrived in the country for her second day of discussions with local leaders about the Central American migration crisis which has led to record numbers of migrants headed for the US border.

In a video posted by Bloombergs Jennifer Epstein, dozens of motorbikes are seen following the vice presidents motorcade while local police officers, also on motorbikes, guarded Ms Harriss vehicle.

According to Bloomberg, some of the journalists appeared to be live streaming from the backs of the bikes as they traveled through Mexico Citys bustling downtown area.

Tons of TV cameras are chasing the Harris motorcade in Mexico City. Some have live-stream equipment. pic.twitter.com/8yYNfJ9XsB  Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) June 8, 2021

Harris discussions with Mexican officials on Tuesday follow her meeting with Guatemalas president a day earlier.

The trip is Ms Harris first foreign excursion since taking office in January. The vice president was tasked by President Joe Biden with addressing the factors contributing to the US border crisis earlier this year.

Her efforts have been criticized by Republicans who have accused the Biden administration of not taking the surge in migrant border crossings seriously and argued that Ms Harris has failed to show that the issue is a priority given her lack of visits to the border itself.

Ms Harris fought back against those criticism in an interview with NBC News Lester Holt on Monday evening.

Im in Guatemala because my focus is dealing with the root causes of migration, said Ms Harris in the interview. There may be some who do not think that is important. But it is my firm belief that if we care about what is happening at the border, we better care about the root causes and address them. So thats what Im doing.
Expressing worry about Americas state of democracy, Barack Obama criticised the Republican party for being cowed into accepting positions that would be unrecognisable and unacceptable even five years or a decade ago.

In an interview with CNNs Anderson Cooper, the former president said when he left the White House, he thought there were enough institutional safeguards in place, including the Republican establishment.

He said he did not believe things would get this dark when Sarah Palin in 2008 brought the dark spirits such as xenophobia, anti-intellectualism, paranoid conspiracy theories, an antipathy toward Black and brown folks to the centre stage of the modern Republican Party.

I thought that there were enough guardrails institutionally that even after [Donald] Trump was elected, he said.

The degree to which we did not see the Republican establishment say hold on, time out, not acceptable but rather be cowed into accepting positions that would be unrecognisable and unacceptable even five years ago or a decade ago..., Mr Obama said.

In his memoir, A Promised Land, Obama blamed Ms Palin for ushering a shift in the Republican party towards populist sentiment at its centre.

He said it culminated in the 6 January insurrection at the US Capitol where suddenly you have large portions of elected Congress going along with the falsehood [that] there were problems with the election. As many as 147 Republican lawmakers voted against the certification of President Joe Bidens victory.

On being pointed out that there were several GOP leaders who went against Mr Trump following the insurrection, Obama responded, And then poof! Suddenly everyone was back in line.

...The base believed it because this had been told to them not just by the President, but by the media that they watch and nobody stood and said stop, that is not correct, Mr Obama said, explaining the partys realignment with Mr Trump and their belief in his election falsehoods.

He, however, lauded some Republicans including Georgia secretary of state Brad Raffensperger for being very brave and standing up to Mr Trump.

I didnt expect that there would be so few people who would say, Well I dont mind losing my office because this is too important, Americas too important, our democracy is too important, he said. He was, however, hopeful that tides will turn.

But that does require each of us to understand that this experiment in democracy is not self-executed, he said.

It does not happen automatically but it happens because each successive generation says that these values, these tools we hold are self-evident. This is important. We are going to invest in it and sacrifice for it and we will stand up for it even when its not politically convenient, he said.
In an article by the Taiwanese media outlet, PopDaily, fourteen male idols often labeled as "face geniuses" and "visual representatives of K-pop" were named.

Want to know who made it to the rankings? Then keep on reading!

1. ASTRO Cha Eun Woo

Topping this list is K-Pop's "Face Genius," Cha Eun Woo. The idol is known for his exquisite face and warm personality and is the ideal type of numerous K-pop fans.

2. BTS V

In 2017, BTS V was selected as the "World's Most Handsome Face" by TC Candler, proving his overwhelming handsomeness. Not only is V the first K-pop act to top TC Candler's list, but he is also the first Asian to rank at number one since the list's inception in 2013.

3. BTS Jungkook

BTS's "Golden Maknae" Jungkook was named the "World's Most Handsome Face," making him the second BTS member to be awarded such a title. Junkook is popular among both local and international fans both for his looks and his overwhelming talent.

4. SF9 Rowoon

Rowoon is the visual and center of SF9, and it is no surprise why! Ever since he pursued a career as an actor, the idol has been praised for his manhwa-like visuals and warm and caring personality.

5. SEVENTEEN Jeonghan

When Jeonghan first debuted, he made waves for his long hair and innocent features, making him have a more androgynous image. After a few years of promoting with long hair, Jeonghan cut his hair short and showed off a new side of him  one that was more masculine and chic. Fans love seeing the idol's duality and hope to see more of his versatility!

6. SEVENTEEN Wonwoo

Wonwoo, who is blessed with fox-like eyes and a high nose bridge, is often praised as one of the most beautiful male K-pop idols in the industry. While he may look intimidating and chic at first glance, Wonwoo has shown to CARATs that he is actually full of affection and warmth!

7. HIGHLIGHT's Yoon Doojoon

Yoon Doojoon is the only second-generation idol on the list, which is a testament to his unwavering visuals. Yoon Doojoon has recently resumed activities with HIGHLIGHT following the group's military enlistment, and he has started making headlines once more for his masculine visuals.

8. NCT Jaehyun

Jaehyun has been praised for his ethereal, god-like beauty. In addition to his clear features and masculine beauty, the idol is also blessed with superior proportions, standing at 180cm tall. Now that Jaehyun has pursued a career as an actor, fans hope to see him in more dramas!

9. NCT Taeyong

Since 2017, Taeyong has ranked within the top 100 of TC Candler's "World's Most Handsome Faces" list and even ranked at number 15 in 2020. The idol, who is known for his perfect features that came straight out of a comic book, surprises fans every day with his charming looks.

10. EXO Sehun

Sehun is known for his unique and charming features. Some say he looks like a heroic Greek sculpture, with chic eyes and towering height, standing at 183cm tall. For TC Candler's "Asia-Pacific Most Handsome Faces" ranking in 2020, Sehun ranked at number 2 out of 100 Asian celebrities.

11. TXT Soobin

Soobin is the only idol born in the 2000s to be included in this list. After debuting in 2019, he was immediately included in TC Candler's "World's Most Handsome Faces" in 2020. His beauty and popularity are undeniable!

12. THE BOYZ Juyeon

Juyeon from THE BOYZ, a group that is dramatically rising in popularity, is also included in this list. Juyeon is known for his fox-like eyes and high nose-bridge. As an idol, he is often praised for his clean dance lines and charisma.

13. THE BOYZ Hyunjae

Another THE BOYZ member, Hyunjae, was included in the list! Hyunjae gained popularity after appearing on "Road to Kingdom" with his group. While the show was airing, the idol gained attention for his angelic features. Many fans shared screenshots of Hyunjae from the show to gush over his visuals on online community forums!

14. NU'EST Minhyun

Minhyun gained popularity as a contestant on "Produce 101 Season 2" and as a member of the show's project group, Wanna One. Known for his dancing skills, stable vocals, and feline-like visuals, Minhyun immediately snatched the hearts of "National Producers!" Now, as a member of NU'EST, the idol continues to receive recognition for his good looks.

For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article.

Written by Alexa Lewis
An 18-year-old man from Australias New South Wales was crushed by a whale in a freak accident in waters off Narooma town on Sunday.

Friends Nick and Matt were fishing when a whale landed on the deck of their boat  injuring them both.

Nick was taken to a hospital in Canberra with a broken neck and severe head injuries. He is still in a coma. Matt was treated for a concussion and facial lacerations.

Family friend Carmen Bartley has started a GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover Nicks medical expenses. In the appeal, she wrote that the two had no warning and no idea the whale was nearby.

She said at this stage, its not clear when Nick will wake up, or how the injuries have affected his brain.

A statement by the family said the teens future is uncertain at this time, but that we are already feeling the financial sting of having to live away from our home, according to 7news.

The NSW police said paramedics met the vessel at the boat ramp and treated both men before taking them to hospital.

An investigation has been launched into the incident. Police have also issued a public safety warning as migration season sees scores of whales coming to NSW waters.

Marine area commander Superintendent Joe McNulty said that while inquiries are in their infancy, the incident demonstrates the dangers these mammals can pose to those on the water.

Superintendent McNulty said that the number of whales migrating north has dramatically increased in recent days, and maritime authorities have received reports that theyre travelling closer to the coast than in previous years.

The police said that its believed the whale may have also been injured during the incident, and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service is working with Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) to ensure assistance is provided, if required.
A three-month-old baby has died after being attacked by a dog in County Waterford, Ireland.

The infant girl was in her bedroom in a house in the village of Clashmore when she was attacked early on Monday morning, according to local media.

She sustained serious head injuries during the attack, RTE reported.

She was taken to Cork University Hospital where she was pronounced dead shortly after 3.15am, Irish police said.

An investigation is under way into the incident and a post-mortem will be carried out today, the police added.

In a statement, they said: Gardai are investigating all the circumstances after a female infant, aged 3 months, was fatally injured by a dog at a residence in Clashmore, Co Waterford, in the early hours of this morning, 7 June 2021.

Gardai and paramedics treated the infant at the scene until she was taken to Cork University Hospital. She was pronounced deceased a short time later.

An Garda Siochana are appealing to the media and public to respect the privacy of the family at this time.

Friar Milo Guiry of Ardmore described the incident as a terrible tragedy.

We will keep the family in our prayers. Every support will be offered to them. It is terrible, terrible news, he said.
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Monday marked a historic day not just for Mumbai, but for civil society across India fighting to save environment.

Aarey Colony authorities on Monday handed over 286.7 hectares of land to the Maharashtra government, paving the way for the protection of one of Mumbai's main green lungs.

BCCL

A statement from the chief minister's office (CMO) said the Aarey land parcel handed over comprises 125 hectares in Borivali, 71 hectares in Goregaon and 89 hectares in Marol Maroshi.

The handover has been made to the chief conservator of forests, which in turn will pave the way for the creation of a jungle spread over 812 acres right in the middle of the metropolis, an official said.

The Uddhav Thackeray government had declared 800 acres of land in Aarey as reserve forest last year.

BCCL

The handover ends the nearly seven years of battle by the citizens of Mumbai to save the last green patch of the city, where the previous government wanted to build a car shed for the metro project.

Stalin Dayanand, the founder of Vanashakti, the NGO that led the legal battle to save Aarey expressed happiness on the development.

"We are much relieved and happy that ultimately the truth has come out. The previous government had even told the court that there was nothing resembling a forest in Aarey, now that has been turned on its head. 800 acres of undisputed areas of Aarey has now been identified and handed over for protection. It is a huge victory for citizens. To get back even 80sqt from the clutches of the builders is an impossible task, but here citizens rallied and brought back 800 acers for the city. This is a lasting heritage that future generations will appreciate," Dayanand told Indiatimes.

BCCL

The previous government led by Devendra Fadnavis and the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd(MMRCL) had gone to unprecedented length to deny that Aarey was a forest and even had resorted to a midnight cutting of a large number of trees to clear the area.

"I started this fight in 2014. I have been there since day one and that takes a toll on you. This has been the most draining battle in my life. This case stretched my resolve to the limits. This was a rollercoaster of emotions from despair to anger and fightback," Dayanand said.

BCCL

He also credited the youth of Mumbai who joined the fight to save Aarey, which he said was the difference-maker.

"We saw large youth participation in the save Aarey campaign from 2018. Till then I used to complain about where are the youngsters when we are fighting for their future. In 2018 a tsunami of youth leaders joined the movement and turned it around. When the previous government tried to suppress the movement the youth stood firm. They also added visibility to the movement," he said.

Sushant Bali is one of them and has been a part of the Save Aarey campaign for the past couple of years. He went on to become someone who used to take a walk in Aarey during office breaks to fighting to save it.

BCCL

"I used to work in an office near the area and during the breaks, we used to go for walks there. But then I moved to Pune and while I was there I met some people who were part of the campaign. For me, the biggest trigger was when I saw the photos on social media showing the trees being cut in the middle of the night. The next day morning I left for Mumbai, and when I reached Aarey, and it was a disheartening sight. To me the cut trees looked like bodies lying around," Bali said.

Indiatimes

Activists are cautiously optimistic after the handover of Aarey but believe more needs to be done to prevent encroachments and forest fires there.
Indian-origin psychiatrists lecture on The Psychopathic Problem of the White Mind at an Ivy League institution has ruffled feathers and sparked outrage online, specifically over a digression in which she describes in graphic, expletive-laden detail her fantasies of shooting white people dead.

What has happened?

According to a New York Times report, a Manhattan-based psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, Dr Aruna Khilanani was invited by Yale Universitys School of Medicine to give a talk at a weekly forum on mental health.

Dr Aruna Khaliani

A forensic psychiatrist and psychoanalyst with her own private practice in New York, Khilanani welcomed the opportunity. In an online lecture on April 6, she detailed the futility of talking to White people about race, dismissing the exercise as a waste of breath. She recalled how her white therapist had called her anger on racism psychotic.



We are asking a demented, violent predator who thinks that they are a saint or a superhero to accept responsibility. It aint gonna happen," she said during her talk.

Khilanani told the New York Times that going by comments on the online feed, her lecture had been well-received; a Yale psychologist described it as "absolutely brilliant", while a Black woman commended her for giving voice to us as people of colour and what we go through all the time.

What did she say?

The trouble began when the audio of the talk was posted last week on the sub-stack online platform of former New York Times opinion writer and editor Bari Weiss. Since then, conservative publications, alt-right talking heads and social media trolls have had a field day fixating on the following part of her speech:



Dr Aruna Khaliani

I had fantasies of unloading a revolver into the head of any white person that got in my way, burying their body and wiping my bloody hands as I walked away relatively guiltless with a bounce in my step, like I did the world a favour.

Faced with widespread backlash, Yale School of Medicine issued a statement in which it mentioned that several faculty members had expressed concern about the content of Khilananis talk. Despite finding the tone and contents of the lecture antithetical to the values of the school, a video of the lecture was posted online with access limited to members of the Yale community.



How is she defending herself?

However, the New York City-based psychiatrist who shared her violent fantasy of shooting white people in the head during the lecture claims her shocking words were taken out of context.

Khilanani told the New York Times on Saturday that she only meant to use provocation as a tool for real engagement while saying she dreamed of executing white people.

Too much of the discourse on race is a dry, bland regurgitation of new vocabulary words with no work in the unconscious, Khilanani reportedly wrote in an email. And, if you want to hit the unconscious, you will have to feel real negative feelings.

Khilanani added that listeners and critics alike should not have taken her words literally  and could instead use them as a therapeutic tool.

My speaking metaphorically about my own anger was a method for people to reflect on negative feelings, Khilanani added. To normalize negative feelings. Because if you dont, it will turn into a violent action.



File

Khilanani, who earned her New York state medical license in 2008, told the Times her lecture was well received at first. She called on Yale to release a video of the lecture in several TikTok videos while insisting to the newspaper that the college should not have been taken aback by its content.

They knew the topic, they knew the title, they knew the speaker, Khilanani told the Times.


Sometimes strangers can surprise you and that is exactly what happened with this 90-year-old man from the UK who had been having the same lunch alone every day at a pub - the man was stunned to discover that some strangers had left a 700 tab for him to buy things.

The man named Pete, lives alone and visits a pub in Chelmsford almost every day to eat Hunter's chicken with a glass of wine, reported SWNS.

Facebook

Almost every customer who visits the pub regularly knows Pete - he also happens to be a good friend of the pub owner Tim Mepham.

Tim posted a short clip of Pete on TiKTok and soon, it reached thousands of views - users asked how they could fund Pete's everyday meal at the pub.

Facebook (The Moulsham Inn)

The pub owner then posted Pete's table's number and donations came through an app with hundreds of people ordering food for the elderly man. Eventually, a bar tab of 700 (Rs 72,000) was made available for Pete.

A video by SWNS shows Tim telling Pete that strangers from the internet have bought 90 glasses of wine for him, and the 90-year-old responds by saying, "But you're gonna lose money."

"Pete is genuinely one of the most polite gentlemen I've ever met. He's so thankful for what we do for him, the time he spends with us and with what's happened recently, and his sense of humour is razor-sharp," Time was quoted as saying by The Sun.

"People bought Pete drinks because they just thought he was a nice guy. He isn't in need, or poor and people didn't pity him, they just loved him," he added.

Tim has known Pete for more than three years now and describes him as a 'perfect granddad'. He also claimed that Pete loves talking about his wife who passed away eleven years ago; he also talks about the time he served during the war.

Facebook (Tim Mepham in the middle)

What a kind and heartwarming thing to do! Do you agree? Let us know in the comments.
Woodbridge, VA (22192)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low around 65F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms this evening followed by occasional showers overnight. Low around 65F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.


Job Title: Director, Cluster Support



Office: Office of the Deputy Chancellor



Date Posted: 6/5/2021



Salary Range: 1-5 / $108,671 - $122,642



NTE Date: N/A



Position Overview The Office of the Deputy Chancellor works with the Chancellor to ensure coherence in the educational experience for our students, families, and schools. Our goal is to initiate change and lead DC Public Schools into the highest performing school district in the nation. We are currently in the process of creating our next strategic plan. After engaging with over 3,000 internal and external stakeholders to help shape the future of DCPS, our draft strategic priorities include: Promote Equity: Define, understand, and promote equity to close achievement gaps and interrupt institutional bias.

Empower Our People: Recruit, develop, and retain a talented, caring, and diverse team.

Educate the Whole Child: Provide rigorous, joyful, and inclusive academic and social emotional experiences for all students.

Ensure Excellent Schools: Increase the number of high quality schools across the district by defining blended autonomies for schools and creating opportunities for innovation.

Engage Families: Deepen partnerships with families and community. The Schools division strategically supports the Deputy Chancellors in ensuring consistent expectations; aligned initiatives, resources, and processes; and a collaborative approach to budget management and hiring across offices. The Schools division supports the Deputy Chancellors overseeing four offices: Office of Elementary Schools Office of School Improvement and Supports Office of Secondary Schools Office of Teaching and Learning The Director, Cluster Support will lead implementation and continuous improvement of the Cluster Support Model, which ensures high-quality central office support aligned to the needs of each DCPS school. The Director will collaborate with instructional superintendents and content teams to manage the refinement of effective support structures to ensure that schools receive consistent, ongoing support to continually improve the services they are able to provide to DCPS students. The Director will also help to lead overall design improvements focused on improving cross-functional collaboration and will attend to the professional development needs of the content experts as it relates to the Cluster Support Model. The Director, Cluster Support will report to the Deputy Chief, Schools. Essential Duties and Responsibilities The below statements are intended to describe the general nature and scope of work being performed by this position. This is not a complete listing of all responsibilities, duties, and/or skills required. Other duties may be assigned. Supports implementation of DCPS's Cluster Support Model, leads ongoing refinement and design of the model, and informs the development of a long-term school-based support strategy.

Gathers feedback from instructional superintendents, content owners, cluster support team members, and school leaders; and engages in regular conversations with national experts in order to continually reflect on and develop improvements to the Cluster Support Model.

Ensures alignment with District priorities and helps prioritize opportunities for school improvement through targeted support.

Creates and implements effective systems of communication, knowledge management, and information-sharing across a large group of varied stakeholders.

Develops measures of success and a data-driven cycle of continuous improvement.

Designs and develops professional learning sessions to support understanding and effective implementation of the model.

Stays closely aware of projects, high-level initiatives, and emerging issues across DCPS organization and pro-actively helps to adjust Cluster Support Model approach based on changes in direction, priorities, and resources.

Maintains expertise in best practices and stays current with latest research and practices of high-performing urban schools, districts, and charters; and applies key strategies and takeaways to the Cluster Support Model.

Troubleshoots and proposes solutions.

Cultivates relationships with key stakeholders across DCPS, including instructional superintendents and leaders in other Offices to build investment and ensure the continued support of the Cluster Support Model; and responds effectively to urgent requests from multiple internal and external DCPS stakeholders. Qualifications Bachelor's degree and five to seven years of related work experience.

Master's degree preferred.

Previous exposure to or experience in the education sector a plus.

Experience designing and facilitating professional development for educators preferred.

Outstanding strategic thinking skills with exemplary writing and interpersonal communications skills; and exceptional time management and organizational skills.

Experience with successfully building capacity in others and communicating priorities within and across teams.

DCPS Values STUDENTS FIRST : We recognize students as whole children and put their needs first in everything we do.

: We recognize students as whole children and put their needs first in everything we do. COURAGE : We have the audacity to learn from our successes and failures, to try new things, and to lead the nation as a proof point of PK-12 success.

: We have the audacity to learn from our successes and failures, to try new things, and to lead the nation as a proof point of PK-12 success. EQUITY : We work proactively to eliminate opportunity gaps by interrupting institutional bias and investing in effective strategies to ensure every student succeeds.

: We work proactively to eliminate opportunity gaps by interrupting institutional bias and investing in effective strategies to ensure every student succeeds. EXCELLENCE : We work with integrity and hold ourselves accountable for exemplary outcomes, service, and interactions.

: We work with integrity and hold ourselves accountable for exemplary outcomes, service, and interactions. TEAMWORK : We recognize that our greatest asset is our collective vision and ability to work collaboratively and authentically.

: We recognize that our greatest asset is our collective vision and ability to work collaboratively and authentically. JOY: We enjoy our collective work and will enthusiastically celebrate our success and each other.


Three priests have been placed on leave in response to claims in a lawsuit filed last month that they sexually abused a boy in the 1990s, the Diocese of Buffalo announced Saturday.

Bishop Michael Fisher said the priests all deny ever committing any acts of abuse but were placed on leave pending an investigation.

The diocese also notified the Erie County District Attorneys Office of the claims, which emerged in a lawsuit last month.

Placed on leave were the Revs. Adolph Kowalczyk, pastor of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church in Orchard Park; Mieczyslaw Matt Nycz, pastor of SS. Peter and Paul in Williamsville; and Gregory Dobson, who is retired but continues to assist in various parishes of the diocese.

Bishop Fisher wishes to emphasize that the decision to place the priests on administrative leave at this time is in no way intended to indicate their guilt or any determination about the truth or falsity of the complaint, the diocese said in a statement.

The lawsuit was filed by an Erie County man who had been a student at Sacred Heart School at the time of the alleged abuse, the Buffalo News reported.

The man claims the priests coerced him to engage in sexual contact with other underage female students, which the priests filmed.

The alleged abuse occurred on school grounds and in the confessional rooms, according to the lawsuit.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Claims Abuse Molestation Church
The National Rifle Association has dropped a lawsuit accusing New Yorks attorney general of suing the gun rights group last year out of political hostility, opting to challenge her through counterclaims in the same court where her case is playing out.

NRA lawyers filed court papers Friday voluntarily dismissing their lawsuit against state Attorney General Letitia James in federal court in Albany.

The NRAs law firm said in a statement that dropping the lawsuit was a significant and important procedural step that will ensure the organizations claims against James are heard in the same state court in Manhattan that will hear her lawsuit.

Todays move will ensure that the NRAs claims proceed promptly to discovery and a full vindication of its members rights, NRA lawyer William Brewer said.

James sued the NRA in August 2020, seeking to put it out of business over allegations executives diverted tens of millions of dollars for lavish personal trips, no-show contracts for associates and other questionable expenditures.

NRA chief Wayne LaPierre and three others whove worked for the organization were also named as defendants in the case, filed in New York state court.

The NRA responded by suing James in federal court, alleging her actions were motivated by hostility toward its political advocacy, including her comments in 2018 that the NRA is a terrorist organization.

In January, the NRA declared bankruptcy and sought to move its state of incorporation from New York to Texas, but a judge blocked the move last month, saying the NRAs bankruptcy was not filed in good faith. In the process, the NRA had made clear it sought to escape regulatory oversight in New York.

The NRA filed a response and counterclaims to James lawsuit in state court in February, calling the litigation a blatant and malicious retaliation campaign against the NRA and its constituents based on her disagreement with the content of their speech.

James, whose lawsuit is continuing, said in a statement Friday that the NRAs decision to end its suit against her is an implicit admission that their strategy would never prevail.

The truth is that Wayne LaPierre and his lieutenants used the NRA as a breeding ground for personal gain and a lavish lifestyle, James said. We were victorious against the organizations attempt to declare bankruptcy, and our fight for transparency and accountability will continue because no one is above the law.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics New York
Ascot Appoints Lillegard as Group Chief Actuary

Ascot has appointed Matthew Lillegard as group chief actuary.

He will be responsible for leading the overall Ascot Group actuarial functions and will work in close collaboration with colleagues across Ascots underwriting, risk, ERM, IT and data strategy teams to create a comprehensive framework. In the newly created position, he will report directly to Ascot Group President Jonathan Zaffino.

Lillegard joins Ascot from CNA Insurance, where he held a number of growing leadership responsibilities over the course of 20 years including senior vice president of P&C Reserving and senior vice president of Specialty Pricing, responsible for all specialty lines pricing activities.

Ascot Group is a global specialty insurance and reinsurance group. Founded in 2001, Ascot provides a range of property/casualty products to customers worldwide through its Lloyds and Bermuda market platforms. In the U.S., Ascot provides specialized insurance products to small and mid-sized business as well as offering underwriting services to carrier and syndicate partners through its managing general underwriter, Ethos Specialty.

Source: Ascot Group

Millers Mutual Insurance Promotes Begyn to VP of Underwriting and Risk Services

Millers Mutual Insurance has promoted Joe Begyn to vice president of underwriting and risk services.

Through the companys succession planning and position transition processes, Begyn has spent the last nine months as assistant vice president of underwriting and risk services, working closely with Don Manley, vice president of underwriting and risk services.

At the May 2021 board meeting, Begyns promotion to the vice president role was unanimously approved effective July 1, 2021. His predecessor, Don Manley, will assume the role of vice president of strategic initiatives.

In the vice president role, Begyn will be responsible for underwriting standards, profitability and people development, working closely with his underwriting leaders Derek Shaffer, Coleen Craig and Sharrod Parker.

Begyns career began at Liberty Mutual Group as a senior underwriter in the commercial lines department underwriting multi-lines of coverage including property, general liability, workers comp, auto, inland marine and more. He made the move to Westfield Insurance in 2011, where he started as a middle market field manager and was promoted to leadership in 2014.

Millers Mutual Insurance, based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is a regional property/casualty insurer serving commercial policyholders in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Washington, D.C., through a network of independent agents. It offers commercial insurance products and services, including business owners policies, umbrella liability, data cyber, employment practices liability and equipment breakdown insurance.

Source: Millers Mutual Insurance

The Maryland Insurance Administration Names Boone as Chief of Staff

Maryland Insurance Commissioner Kathleen A. Birrane has named Kory Boone as chief of staff for the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA). Boone succeeds Gregory Derwart, who was promoted to deputy insurance commissioner in March 2021.

Boone has experience in project management and systems modernization. He comes to the MIA from the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT), where he served as special assistant to the director.

In that role, Boone oversaw critical upgrades to SDAT processes, including automation and digitization projects. Notably, he took the lead on technology innovations in response to the COVID-19 state of emergency. Since January, he has served on the states COVID-19 Task Force.

Prior to joining SDAT in 2018, Boone worked in the public and private sectors, mostly as an information technology specialist and consultant. A native of Largo, Maryland, he began his career with the Prince Georges County Board of Education in 2005.

Source: The Maryland Insurance Administration

Topics Maryland
Contaminants released from the wreckage of a container ship off the coast of Sri Lanka could be dragged thousands of kilometers by ocean currents, impacting wildlife and humans in far-reaching latitudes.

Authorities and salvage crews are now working to prevent the more than 300 metric tons of oil transported by the MV X-Press Pearl from spilling out of the ships fire-damaged hull. But significant damage has already been done. Chemicals and tiny plastic pellets that were once onboard the 186-meter vessel have already entered the ocean, causing one of Sri Lankas worst environmental disasters to date.

Data Recorder Recovered from Ship Carrying Chemicals Sinking Off Sri Lanka Fire-Gutted Container Ship Raises Oil Spill Concerns for Sri Lanka

Oil, chemicals and plastic pellets are probably the worst combination you can have, said Delphine Lobelle, a postdoctoral researcher specializing in ocean plastics at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Its really unfortunate that the ship was carrying so many harmful materials.

Millions of plastic pellets have washed up on Sri Lankas southwestern coast, a tourist destination famous for its golden-sand beaches, fringed by palm trees and coconut groves. Debris from the vessel has already affected about 150 kilometers (93 miles) of shoreline, and the Singapore-based ship operator, X-Press Feeders Ltd., faces criminal charges for pollution, the Straits Times reported earlier this week.

Images from the beaches in Colombo, Sri Lankas capital, show the sand covered in a layer of white plastic pellets and people in blue scrubs and white boots shoveling them in bags.

Pellets the size of a grain of rice can easily be mistaken for food by birds or fish, Lobelle said, but consuming them can be deadly. If the animals dont die and are instead eaten by predators, the plastics can move up the food chain until they eventually reach humans. With time, the pellets break into even smaller pieces, known as microplastics, which are even more difficult to detect and control.

The real danger of having plastic on a beach is if its brought back into the ocean by tides, Lobelle said. If it moves further offshore then its impossible to clean up. Currents spread plastic everywhere and theres no way to collect it.

The ship was carrying 1,486 containers holding chemicals such as nitric acid, a highly corrosive mineral acid, methanol, sodium hydroxide and about 400 containers of small plastic pellets known as nurdles, according to ITOPF, a nonprofit set up by the shipping industry thats assisting the Sri Lankan government in the emergency response to the incident.

How many pellet containers have either burned or fallen off the ship isnt clear, said ITOPFs technical director Richard Johnson. At least four containers have washed ashore and many more are thought to have sunk. About 1,000 people are participating in cleanup efforts, Johnson said, with the rest of the city under a strict lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

About 11 million metric tons of plastic find their way into oceans every year, causing damage to wildlife habitats, humans and animals, according to a report on ocean pollution last year. If no action is taken, plastic litter will almost triple by 2040 as humanity increases the use of hydrocarbon-based plastics, which dont degrade naturally. The cumulative amount of plastic in the ocean could reach 600 million tons in 20 years time.

Studies done by Ifremer, the French institute for research and exploitation of the seas, show that fish can actually expel small pieces of virgin plastic like the ones in the Sri Lanka shipwreck, according to project manager Francois Galgani. If local bacteria and plankton get stuck in the plastic and wash up in other countries and continents, it can disrupt existing ecosystems. That phenomenon occurred in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster in Japan, said Galgani, who also advises the International Maritime Organization on shipping-related environmental issues.

Some potential damage can be avoided by loading pellets at deck level or below instead of on top, according to Galgani. But ship owners tend to put these containers on top because theyre the cheapest load, and they leave the most expensive goods at the bottom. We know that certain ship owners load ships with more containers than they should, Galgani said. Then captains throw the containers on top off board because they can endanger the safety of the whole ship.

Even if authorities manage to seal the oil containers aboard the X-Press Pearl, the fuel will remain at the bottom of the ocean and could start leaking any time.

Maybe a black tide doesnt touch the Sri Lankan coast in the next days or months, Galgani said. But in 30, 40, or 50 years, there will be a leak, and the hydrocarbons will end up getting there. Even if it looks like the problem is fixed today, its just pollution being delayed through time.

Photograph: The container ship MV X-Press Pearl sinks while being towed away from the coast of Colombo on June 2. Photo credit: Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP/Getty Images.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.
A company based in the Cincinnati, Ohio-area will pay $22,500 to settle a federal sexual harassment and retaliation suit.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) had charged in its lawsuit Total Maintenance Solutions Inc., a cleaning company, had fired an employee for complaining about abuse.

Total Maintenance Solutions specializes in commercial cleaning and construction clean-up. It will pay $22,500 to a former female employee and implement other relief to settle the federal sexual harassment lawsuit filed by the EEOC.

According to the EEOC lawsuit, Total Maintenance Solutions, through its male owner, forced the employee to endure sexual harassment, including unwanted touching, sexual comments, overtures and ogling. The employee complained repeatedly about the sexually hostile work environment and was subsequently fired for her complaints, the EEOC said.

Sexual harassment violates Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964. The EEOC filed the lawsuit (Case No. 1:18-cv-00413-MRB) in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio after first attempting to reach a voluntary pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

The consent decree resolving the case provides the former employee with back pay and compensatory damages of $22,500. The decree also provides for injunctive relief including anti-discrimination training, reporting of discrimination claims to an outside independent entity for investigation, notice posting and a prohibition against any discrimination or retaliation under Title VII.

Source: EEOC

Topics Lawsuits Ohio
A group of 50 investors managing more than $4.5 trillion in assets is calling on companies involved in the development and use of facial recognition technology, such as Amazon and Facebook, to do so in an ethical way.

The investor group, which is led by asset manager Candriam, a European division of U.S. financial services company New York Life, said in a statement the technology could infringe on an individuals privacy rights, given the lack of consent of those being identified, and that there is often no official oversight.

The initiative shows how fund managers are increasingly taking up policy issues that were once considered fringe subjects for shareholders as retail investors pour billions of dollars into funds focused on ethical and sustainability criteria.

Human rights advocates say face recognition technology, which can be used to unlock smart phones or verify bank accounts, also has the potential to be used by governments to track citizens and suppress political dissent.

The investor group said it would begin a two-year process of engagement with companies developing or using the technology. It said it considers 34 companies to be leaders in facial recognition, including Amazon, Facebook, and Asian tech companies Alibaba and Huawei.

An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment. The other companies did not immediately comment when contacted by Reuters.

Amazon told Reuters last month it was extending a moratorium it imposed on police use of its facial recognition technology. Civil liberties groups have warned inaccurate matching could lead to unjust arrests.

For investors to be able to fulfill our own responsibility to respect human rights, we call on companies to proactively assess, disclose, mitigate and remediate human rights risks related to their facial recognition products and services, said Rosa van den Beemt, Responsible Investment Analyst at BMO Global Asset Management, one of the investors that has signed up to the initiative.

The facial recognition technology market is set to grow to around $10 billion in 2020, Candriam said in a report published in March, citing a 2018 survey by Allied Market Research.

Among those to sign up to the investor initiative were Britains Aviva Investors, Royal London Asset Management, Canadas BMO Global Asset Management, Dutch-based NN Investment Partners and Norways KLP.

The increasing deployment and use of facial recognition technologies have human rights implications which are not fully being considered by companies, said Louise Piffaut, Senior ESG analyst at Aviva Investors.

Candriam said there was currently no global framework governing the collection and use of biometric data, but the European Union has proposed its first ever legal framework and China has published a draft standard.

The European Unions privacy watchdog said in April the technology should be banned in Europe because of its deep and non-democratic intrusion into peoples private lives.

(Editing by Jane Merriman)

Topics Tech
The U.S. recovered almost all the Bitcoin ransom paid to the perpetrators of the cyber attack on Colonial Pipeline Co. last month in a sign that law enforcement is capable of pursuing online criminals even when they operate outside the nations borders.

U.S. officials said Monday that they captured about 63.7 Bitcoin traced to recipients of a 75-Bitcoin ransom paid by Colonial soon after the early May attack that resulted in a shutdown of the nations largest gas pipeline. The shutdown had caused fuel shortages across the east coast just ahead of the Memorial Day weekend.

The announcement came as Colonial CEO Joseph Blount was set to testify Tuesday before a Senate committee and Wednesday before a House panel.

Because of the declining value of Bitcoin since the ransom was paid, the U.S. seizure in late May amounted to $2.3 million, just over half the $4.4 million paid weeks earlier after the ransom was demanded.

Deputy FBI Director Paul Abbate said at a Justice Department briefing announcing the seizure that law enforcement identified a virtual wallet used in the ransom payment and then recovered the funds. He said investigators found more than 90 companies victimized by DarkSide, a Russia-linked cybercrime group blamed in the pipeline attack.

Today we turned the tables on DarkSide, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said, as she called on companies to invest more to protect their critical infrastructure and intellectual property. DarkSide and its affiliates have been digitally stalking U.S. companies for the better part of last year.

How a Key U.S. Pipeline Got Knocked Out by Hackers: QuickTake

The action signals U.S. law enforcements ability, in some cases at least, to track cryptocurrency, identify digital wallets and seize funds, a potentially powerful tool in combating ransomware attacks in particular. The operation also reveals how quickly hacking operations can be identified by the FBI, which Abbate said has been investigating DarkSide since last year.

The FBI was able to find the Bitcoin by uncovering the digital addresses the hackers used to transfer the funds, according to an eight-page seizure warrant released by the Justice Department on Monday.

New financial technologies that attempt to anonymize payments will not provide a curtain from behind which criminals will be permitted to pick the pockets of hard-working Americans, Stephanie Hinds, acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California, said at the news conference alongside Monaco and Abbate.

While the governments efforts were significant, they also underscored the difficulty in going after the perpetrators of ransomware attacks. To date, no one behind the Colonial Pipeline attack has been publicly indicted, and the hackers still made off with a small portion of the ransom. Even if the people behind the attack are charged, they probably will remain out of reach of U.S. law enforcement agencies.

The attack in May caused fuel shortages at gasoline stations in several states and even affected operations by some airlines and airports. It was part of an increasing trend of such acts against critical infrastructure that is posing an early test of President Joe Bidens administration.

Colonial Pipeline said Monday that it quickly contacted the FBI and federal prosecutors after it was attacked and praised the government for recovering much of the ransom.

Holding cyber criminals accountable and disrupting the ecosystem that allows them to operate is the best way to deter and defend against future attacks of this nature, Joseph Blount, chief executive officer of the Alpharetta, Georgia-based company, said in a statement. We we must continue to take cyber threats seriously and invest accordingly to harden our defenses

U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials say stopping hacking attacks has become a national security priority, and the issue has raised tensions between the U.S. and Russia. Biden plans to bring up hacking attacks when he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has said.

The message at the one-on-one meeting in Geneva on June 16 will be that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals, and responsible countries must take decisive action against those ransomware networks, Psaki said. Putin has denied knowing about or being involved in ransomware attacks.

In another episode, Brazilian-based JBS SA, the worlds largest meat processor, restarted beef production last week after a ransomware attack forced it to halt operations across the globe.

Ransomware attacks are always unacceptable, but when they target critical infrastructure we will spare no effort in our response, Monaco said.

With assistance from Malathi Nayak and Gerson Freitas Jr..

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.


Project Engineer, Brose North America, Auburn Hills, MI. Plan, formulate & determine optimized technical (robustness, qlty, &light weight) &bus. (cost excellence) solutions for mechatronic 1st row seat syss, incldg seat structures, seat &rail assemblies. Evaluate the use of cmpnts, customer &product engrg data to ensure fit &function within vehicle architectures, adaptability to customer vehicle reqmts, exceeding design trends, &meeting aesthetic preferences as determined by customer &consumer. Support testing &validation of mechatronic subsys cmpnts incldg seat structures, seat/rail assemblies for serial mfg programs for OEM psgr vehicle specs incldg functional safety, to meet OEM vehicle maker specs &reqmts. Coordinate &create deliverables for bid packages regarding engrg topics, incldg BOMs creation, product sizing, fit &form evaluation. Bachelor, Mechanical or Automotive Engrg. 12 mos exp as Engineer, planning, formulating &determining optimized technical (robustness, qlty, &light weight) &cost excellence solutions for seat sys or safety restraint sys for seats, or related. Mail resume to Ref#2831, Brose, Human Resources, 3933 Automation Ave, Auburn Hills, MI 48326.

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General Motors Co. plans to offer subscriptions for its Onstar Guardian security services to anyone in the United States or Canada who wants to download a smartphone app, expanding beyond owners of GM vehicles in a step to generate recurring revenue.

Onstar Guardian services, including roadside assistance and crash response dispatching, will be offered through an Apple or Android smartphone app to people who dont drive GM vehicles for $15 a month after a one-month trial, GM said.

GM Chief Executive Mary Barra is pushing to extend Onstars reach  and its monthly subscription revenues  as part of a broader plan to expand the automakers sources of income beyond manufacturing cars and trucks.

General Motors to Sell Use-Based Auto Insurance Through Onstar General Motors Co. launched an auto insurance program with the help of its OnStar subsidiary. The new auto policy is aimed at tailoring insurance rates to consumers based on individual driving behavior and use of vehicle safety systems. Tesla Inc. has plans for a similar insurance and Ford Motor Co. in March struck a deal with Allstate Corp. to allow some customers to directly share usage data.

GM sees the Onstar Guardian app as a way to tap a $30 billion market for safety and security services, said Santiago Chamorro, the automakers vice president for connected services.

The Guardian location and emergency notification services could be offered as part of an auto insurance bundle, or marketed to people who want location-based emergency response services independent of a car, he said.

Onstar is beginning on Monday a campaign to promote the service, including a television ad that shows a concerned daughter using the app to track down her father who has wandered away from home.

Our ultimate goal is even if youre walking with the dog around the cornerwe want to be there with our customers, Chamorro said.

Onstar also is developing new insurance offers and a data analytics service for fleet operators.

GM, in its announcement, did not say how much additional revenue it expects from offering Onstar Guardian beyond the GM vehicle owner population. The company does not break out Onstars financial results.

(Reporting By Joe White; editing by Barbara Lewis, Kirsten Donovan)

Topics Personal Auto
Computer scientist Lynne Parker made breakthroughs in getting robots to work together so they could perform difficult missions, like cleaning up after a nuclear disaster, waxing floors or pulling barnacles off a ship.

Her job now is getting the U.S. government working together  alongside American businesses, research universities and international allies  as director of a new national initiative on artificial intelligence. Shes Americas first AI czar, at a time of rising promise and a heavy dose of both hype and fear about what computers can do as they think more like humans.

Theres an increased need for education and training so that people know how to use AI tools, they know sort of what the capabilities are of AI so that they dont treat it as magic, Parker said in an interview with The Associated Press.

A first task for Parker, who took on the role in the waning days of the Trump administration, is adapting to priorities set by the Biden administration. Those include confronting the societal risks of AI and putting the technology to work on causes such as health equity and reducing climate change.

Making sure that its responsible use of AI so that were not disadvantaging certain people, were not achieving biased outcomes, she said.

Theres been bipartisan interest in boosting AI research and development, fueled in part by fears that the U.S. could fall behind China in channeling the technologys potential for national security and economic growth. Congress passed a law that created the National AI Initiative Office last year and the Trump White House set it in motion in January.

More Research

Parker, who first joined the White Houses Office of Science and Technology Policy in 2018, has bridged two administrations, both of which have promised to fund more AI research, set new technical standards and help guide how the technology is regulated. But there are subtle differences that showed up when the Biden administration recently launched a new AI.gov website, according to Ryan Calo, co-director of the University of Washingtons Tech Policy Lab.

This is AI as a global project, improving humanity, Calo said. This is very different from the rhetoric of the Trump administration, which was all about this as a race that we have to win.

Biden made an early signal of the importance of science policy when he elevated the White Houses chief science adviser to Cabinet rank. Geneticist and mathematician Eric Lander was sworn in to that role Wednesday. Also filling out the White House science office is sociologist Alondra Nelson, known for her work examining the societal implications of technology.

How much of a shift this is for Parker isnt totally clear to some of those who have worked with her, from her doctoral student days at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to her time helping to coordinate AI and robotics funding from the National Science Foundation during the Obama administration.

I cant imagine that Lynne drives around with an America First bumper sticker, Calo said. I would imagine that shes a better fit with the Biden administration because she is ultimately a believer in the importance of expertise.

China Problem

But other priorities remain the same, including a willingness to point fingers at China as the promoter of the type of AI applications  from social credit scoring to all-seeing surveillance  the U.S. and its allies should avoid. While the Trump administration warned against needlessly hampering AI innovations with what Parker then called top-down regulation, Parker now says she is looking closely at what Europe is doing to set limits on risky applications.

All of those efforts are very much about like-minded countries coming together to demonstrate how we can use AI in an appropriate way, not violate the human rights that has been demonstrated in China and other authoritarian countries, she said.

The Tennessee-raised Parker said she grew up loving science, math and solving problems. Her mom worked for a time as a science teacher and her dad spent his career as an engineer with the Tennessee Valley Authority, the federally owned New Deal-era corporation known for its work in flood control and electricity generation. She was a teenager headed for Tennessee Technological University when her father, perusing the course catalog, suggested the still-emerging field of computer science.

That was actually the time in the evolution of computer science that it actually had more women in it than any time since, she said. Unfortunately, its gone down since then.

More than a decade later, Parker was one of a group of women who were encouraged to pursue their own ideas at an MIT robotics lab in the 1980s and 1990s and went on to become prominent leaders in the male-dominated field, according to fellow lab alumnus Helen Greiner, co-founder of iRobot, the company that makes Roomba vacuum cleaners.

Lynne was one of the pioneers in the field of multi-robot systems, or swarms of robots that could cooperate with one another, Greiner said.

For her 1994 dissertation, Parker borrowed a trio of iRobots early machines _ small wheeled rovers _ to test a new software system she called Alliance, designed to help robots learn from each other and environmental conditions to cooperate on a mission. It was a precursor to the robotic teams now seen maneuvering around each other to transport goods in Amazon warehouses, or the flocks of drones being tested by the military.

Greiner said shes thankful to have a robotics expert with decades of experience in such a top White House role.

Its important to make sure theres funding for people doing the cutting edge research, that we stay ahead of other countries, Greiner said. She could be spending her time doing research but instead she has chosen to try to herd a lot of cats together.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics USA InsurTech Data Driven
Texas businesses that require customers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 will be denied state contracts and could lose their licenses or operating permits under legislation Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law.

Texas is open 100%, and we want to make sure you have the freedom to go where you want without limits, Abbott said before signing the law, in a video he posted on Twitter. Vaccine passports are now prohibited in the Lone Star State.

Senate Bill 968 by state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, is a sweeping piece of legislation passed in the final days of the legislative session that includes a clause banning businesses from requiring proof of the vaccine from their customers.

Those that violate the ban may not contract with the state, and state agencies that oversee various sectors of business may decide to make compliance with the state law a condition of getting licensed or permitted.

Just under half of all Texans have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine. About 36.5% of Texans are fully vaccinated.

Abbott issued an executive order in April banning state agencies, political subdivisions and organizations receiving public funds from creating vaccine passports or otherwise requiring someone to provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccine in order to receive services.

Businesses may still implement COVID-19 screening and infection control protocols in accordance with state and federal law to protect public health, according to the new law, which goes into effect immediately.

Abbotts signature on the new law comes as Carnival Cruise Line announced that it would be restarting its cruises leaving from Galveston in July but only allow vaccinated passengers on board, after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it will allow the cruise industry to restart on the condition that 95% of crew members and 95% of customers are vaccinated. The CDC shut down cruise lines in March 2020.

Carnival Vista sails out of Galveston on July 3, followed by Carnival Breeze on July 15. It was unclear how the new Texas law would affect those plans.

We are evaluating the legislation recently signed into law in Texas regarding vaccine information, Carnival spokesperson Vance Gulliksen said in an email, according to the Houston Chronicle. The law provides exceptions for when a business is implementing COVID protocols in accordance with federal law, which is consistent with our plans to comply with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Preventions guidelines.

Miami-based Carnival, Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and other cruise companies are still in a standoff with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over restarting their cruises with only vaccinated passengers in spite of new legislation that DeSantis signed in May that bans companies from requiring proof of vaccination from customers.

We appreciate the progress and support for our U.S. restart from the CDC and other key federal agencies; however, the current CDC requirements for cruising with a guest base that is unvaccinated will make it very difficult to deliver the experience our guests expect, especially given the large number of families with younger children who sail with us, said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. As a result, our alternative is to operate our ships from the U.S. during the month of July with vaccinated guests.

The Florida law fines the businesses $5,000 for each customer required to do so. Norwegian has threatened to leave Florida if it is fined by the state for complying with CDC guidelines and checking vaccine status of its passengers.

Norwegian said it would be restarting its cruises from Miami in August with fully vaccinated passengers and crew. The company does not currently operate out of Galveston but plans to start next year.

Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill to punish businesses that require proof of COVID-19 vaccination was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

Topics COVID-19 Texas
Two Arkansas physicians were sentenced in late May to a combined 150 months in federal prison for distributing pain medicines without a prescription.

Cecil. W. Gaby, 71, of Fort Smith, and Robin Ann Cox, 64, of Rogers, were sentenced in the U.S. District Court in Fort Smith on one count each of Distribution of a Controlled Substance without an Effective Prescription, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Arkansas announced.

Gaby pleaded guilty in December 2019 to unlawfully dispensing a Schedule II controlled substance namely, oxycodone, to an individual, who subsequently died of an overdose.

thereby causing the death of the individual.

Between January 2016 and July 2018, Gaby was an owner and operator of the Hinderliter Pain Clinic in Barling, Arkansas, and from July 2018 through November 2018, was owner and operator of the Gaby Medical Clinic in Fort Smith, Arkansas. From January 2016 through November 2018, Gaby issued more than 11,000 prescriptions for opioids and/or benzodiazepines.

Gaby prescribed approximately 1,156,044 dosage units of Schedule II controlled substances to 347 patients (3,332 pills per patient over the course of 2 years); 98% of Gabys patients were prescribed at least one opioid (hydrocodone, oxycodone, methadone, etc.); 94% of Gabys patients received either multiple narcotics or a combination of narcotics and sedatives; and 27% of Gabys patients were age 40 or younger.

Evidence in the case revealed that Gaby issued a large number of prescriptions without a legitimate medical purpose and not in the usual course of professional practice. From 2016 through 2018, several of Gabys patients died of drug overdose or related causes.

As part of his plea, Gaby admitted that prescriptions he issued directly resulted in the death of one of his patients.

Gaby was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Cox was employed by the Arkansas Medical Clinic (AMC) in Rogers, Arkansas.

Cox and the owner of AMC contacted the DEA by telephone to report that prescriptions from Coxs previous employment had been fraudulently written and filled. Cox specifically identified a prescription for a patient written and filled on May 17, 2019, and a prescription for a patient dated May 19, 2019 and filled on May 20, 2019.

During the investigation into these prescriptions, the DEA discovered that the prescriptions were for Schedule II opioid medications, and that Cox had written one of the prescriptions while meeting with the patient in the parking lot of a restaurant in Fort Smith.

The prescription was not written in conjunction with an appropriate medical examination and therefore was issued outside the course of a legitimate medical practice.

Cox was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), DEA Diversion Little Rock, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS), Arkansas State Medical Board, the Fort Smith Police Department, the Springdale Police Department, and the Rogers Police Department investigated the case.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Gardner prosecuted the case for the United States.

Source: U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Arkansas

Topics Fraud Drugs Arkansas
Attorneys who are hired by insurance carriers to defend policyholders from lawsuits have a duty to represent the insured, but the insurer is paying their fees.

Obviously, the insurer has a financial interest in the outcome of the litigation. The insurer has to pay any settlement or award of damages. But if something goes wrong, does the insurer have a right to pursue a malpractice claim against the attorney?

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that if the insurance contract gives the insurer subrogation rights, yes, it does.

Where an insurer has a duty to defend and counsel breaches the duty owed to the client insured, contractual subrogation permits the insurer, whoon behalf of the insuredpays the damage, to step into the shoes of its insured and pursue the same claim the insured could have pursued, the high court said in a unanimous decision.

Arch Insurance Co. hired the Kubicki Draper law firm to represent its policyholder, Spear Safer CPAs and Advisors from a lawsuit filed by a receiver for Mutual Benefits Corp. in 2003.

MBC had run a fraudulent investment scheme from 1994 to 2004, selling $1 billion in viatical settlements to 29,000 investors. Spear Safer was its accountant. The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a lawsuit in 2004 that shut down the operation and put its assets into receivership.

The appointed receiver filed a malpractice lawsuit against Spear Safer, alleging that is accounting practices were negligent. Arch, the companys insurer, hired Kubiki Draper to defend its client.

During the course of the litigation, Kubiki erroneously advised Arch and Spear Safer that the statute of limitations for a professional malpractice action was four years, when in fact it was only two. Based on that advice, Arch agreed with the MBC receiver to toll the statute of limitations while the parties negotiated a settlement.

Kubiki at first said that MBCs case against Spear Safer was very weak and the value of the claim was the cost of defense. But the law firm abruptly changed course later and advised Arch that the value of the lawsuit was within policy limits.

Arch hired Butler Pappas for a second opinion. The new law firm filed a motion with the district court to amend its defenses to include the statute of limitations.

But by that time the lawsuit was nearing a trial date. Safer and Spear demanded that Arch settle the case to avoid a potential verdict of $68 million. Arch agreed to pay $3.5 million, the remaining policy limits.

Arch then filed suit against the Kubiki in Broward County Circuit Court, alleging that the law firms negligence forced it to pay a grossly inflated settlement. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of Kubicki. The court said the question had never before been raised, but decided than an insurer has no standing to bring a malpractice action against an attorney who represented its insured.

The court said Arch did not have privity with Kubicki, meaning there was no legal relationship between the two parties that created a duty of care. A panel of the Fourth District Court of Appeal agreed and affirmed the decision, but the court also sent a certified question to the Florida Supreme Court. Whether an insurer has standing to maintain a malpractice action against counsel hired to represent the insured where the insurer has a duty to defend.

Arch argued that a ruling that if insurers are barred from pursuing malpractice claims against attorneys who negligently represent their insureds would allow those attorneys to escape responsibility for gross negligence or even malfeasance.

Absent the insurers ability to assert a malpractice claim against defense counsel, the only beneficiary is the negligent attorney, who ends up immune from accountability for his or her negligence, the insurers brief says.

The American Property and Casualty Insurers Association filed an amicus brief in the case. The APCIA said Florida and Ohio are the only states where the judicial branch has created a rule of professional conduct that governs whether a defense attorney defending a lawsuit against an insured has one client or two.Rule 4-1.7(e) explains that lawyers representing insured clients have a tripartite relationship in which they represent both the insured and the insurance company unless there is a conflict of interest, the brief says. Attorneys that intend to solely defend the insured are required to inform the insurer at the beginning of representation.

Kubicki Draper failed to follow Rule 4-1.7(e) and never advisied Arch whether the firm represented both Arch and the insured, which is a departure from the norm, the APCIA said.

The firms failure to adhere to its ethical duty to notify Arch and its insured whether the firm represented both or only the insured should not give the firm an out to argue the insurer has no standing to pursue a malpractice claim against it, the brief says.

The Supreme Court agreed. The high court rephrased the certified question to include the existence of a subrogation clause in the insurance contract. The opinion says that the subrogation clause gives Arch privity with the defense counsel because it created a contractual right for the insurer to step into the shoes of the insured to pursue recovery from third parties of any payouts.

The opinion says, Florida public policy does not support shielding the law firm from accountability for its professional malpractice.

Kubicki Draper President Brad McCormick did not respond to an email and telephone call requesting comment on Thursday.

Topics Carriers Florida Medical Professional Liability
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C.  Developers planning to build homes on a sand spit south of Charleston, South Carolina are facing another setback after the state Supreme Court overturned their permits to construct a steel seawall.

The court ruled Wednesday that the state Department of Health and Environmental Control should not have issued the permits for the 2,380-foot (725-meter) steel wall between Captain Sams Spit and Kiawah Island.

Developers, who plan to build 50 homes on the sand spit, have said the wall would protect against erosion from the bordering Kiawah River.

The court sided with environmentalists challenging the project who argued that the wall would have devastated the ecologically sensitive area.

An attorney for Kiawah Development Partners told The Post and Courier that the builders want the court to rehear the case. The court has repeatedly sided against the developers in legal challenges to the project over the past decade.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics South Carolina
Authorities suspect an arsonist set a wooden roller coaster on fire in an overnight blaze at a northern Idaho theme park.

The Kootenai Sheriffs Office responded to the Silverwood Theme Park near the town of Athol at about 1:30 am Saturday to find one of the roller coasters on fire. A fire extinguisher was used to put out the blaze.

An initial investigation indicated someone snuck into the park after it had closed and set fire to one of the roller coasters wooden supports, KREM-TV reported.

State fire authorities were assisting the investigation and the sheriffs office asked anyone who might have information to step forward.

Silverwood is the largest theme park in the Pacific Northwest and has four roller coasters, according to Idaho tourism officials.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Arson
The Washington state Department of Corrections has agreed to pay $3.25 million to the family of a man who died at Monroe Correctional Complex after not receiving adequate medical care.

A lawsuit filed by Julia Kleutsch said her husband, John Kleutsch, 57, died of an abdominal wound that staff failed to properly treat, while offering him only Tylenol, The Seattle Times reported Wednesday.

The settlement filed Tuesday in King County Superior Court is the latest fallout from the tenure of former prison medical director Dr. Julia Barnett. Barnett, who was hired in 2017 without some qualifications, was fired in 2019 after an internal investigation found the medical care she provided and supervised contributed to the suffering and deaths of several men at the prison, including Kleutsch.

The lawsuit said Kleutsch was recovering from outpatient cancer surgery when he was sent to the prison infirmary to recover but failed to receive proper care. It says Kleutsch asked staff to help when his wound became puffy, oozing and tender and reported excruciating pain in the 26 days before his death.

The lawsuit alleges at least one nurse asked Barnett to transfer him to a hospital but she refused.

Kleutsch, who was serving a sentence for child molestation, died on Aug. 28, 2018, of septic shock, acute pancreatitis and a perforated intestine  conditions never diagnosed at the prison, according to the lawsuit.

John was treated inhumanely and suffered terribly before he died, Julia Kleutsch said. The Department told me nothing about Dr. Barnett failing to provide basic medical care to John or that it caused his death.

Marta OBrien, an attorney for Julia Kleutsch, on Tuesday called the case one of the worst medical malpractice cases I have encountered and said it showed a systemic failure by the Department of Corrections.

My heart goes out to Mrs. Kleutsch for her loss, Barnett said in a statement. By its actions in replacing me with 3 physicians, DOC has acknowledged the unacceptable level of risk it placed solely on my shoulders. Systemically, the DOC chose to have too few providers, despite my and the inmates begging for more.

As a result of the complaint, the Washington Medical Commission indefinitely suspended Barnetts medical license.

Our deepest sympathies go out to the Kleutsch family for the pain they suffer over the loss of a loved one, said newly appointed Department of Corrections Secretary Cheryl Strange. We know a settlement can never truly compensate for the pain of losing a family member and hope this resolution will bring some solace in the years to come.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Washington Medical Professional Liability
IRVING, Texas, June 8, 2021  Breckenridge Insurance Services hired experienced transportation broker Andrew Baker, AAI, AU, TRS to expand its transportation carrier relationships and partner with agents nationally. Baker has more than a decade of transportation underwriting experience and he is based in Dallas, Texas.

Baker recently was director of transportation at Towerstone, Inc. where he oversaw all commercial auto business primarily commercial transportation related to trucking and hard to place auto. Prior to that, he led the transportation team in the South Central region at All Risks, Ltd. while actively working as a transportation/trucking broker. However, the foundation of Andrews transportation experience was built as an underwriter for Deep South insurance.

Andrew brings a depth knowledge and proven skills to our existing team and will be integral in shaping the future of our transportation practice, stated Trevor Pierce, president of Breckenridge Insurance Services. His drive and commitment to underwriting integrity in a challenging market is going to serve our agents and carriers well.

Baker added, Everyone Ive met at Breckenridge and their reputation in talking to several carriers simply reinforces my decision to join this team. Its a collaborative and knowledgeable group at every level and Im looking forward to building out more transportation offerings and representing our diverse expertise.

As an experienced transportation underwriter, Baker can deliver agents informed and timely quotes. For Auto Physical Damage and Motor Truck Cargo risks, these quotes can be provided the same day when provided with a complete submission.

Baker can be reached at abaker@breckis.com or 214.883.1684.

About Breckenridge Insurance Services:

BRECKENRIDGE INSURANCE SERVICES is a national wholesale insurance brokerage/MGA delivering top-rated, competitive commercial coverage solutions. With more than three decades of providing responsive counsel and risk management insights, Breckenridge has become a recognized leader and trusted partner to valued agents and coveted carrier partners internationally. With significant in-house contract binding authority and expert, award-winning brokers spanning nearly all property and casualty, workers compensation and professional liability risks, we offer collaborative, comprehensive solutions. As part of Breckenridge Group, the team has access to additional resources and expertise to help clients go further. For more information, please visit WWW.BRECKIS.COM or call 855.728.8822. CA Insurance License #0G13592

About Breckenridge Group:

Headquartered in Atlanta, Breckenridge Group is the parent company of several best-in-class brands that provide insurance and risk management solutions and services to diverse audiences across three practice areas: insurance, financial and member services. For more than a decade, the company has built a reputation for strategic growth by empowering expert talent who achieve inspiring results. More than 350 employees work across its seven divisions including Breckenridge Insurance Services, Blue River Underwriters, Breckenridge General Agency, OSC Insurance Services, Southeastern Underwriters, Target Markets Program Administrators Association and Insurance Networks Alliance. For more information, please visit WWW.BRECKGRP.COM

Media Contact :

Caren Henry

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267.961.8252

Breckenridge Group

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Kennesaw, GA 30144

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Draft law against foreign sanctions submitted to China's top legislature for 2nd reading

Xinhua) 08:28, June 08, 2021

BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- A draft law on countering foreign sanctions was submitted Monday to the ongoing 29th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, for second reading.

The first plenary meeting of the session was held on Monday afternoon, when lawmakers heard a report by Shen Chunyao, vice chairman of the Constitution and Law Committee of the NPC, on the results of deliberation on the draft law.

For some time, out of political manipulation needs and ideological bias, some Western countries have used Xinjiang and Hong Kong-related issues as part of their pretexts to spread rumors on and smear, contain and suppress China, according to spokesperson office of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee.

In particular, the countries, in violation of international law and the basic norms governing international relations, have imposed so-called sanctions on relevant Chinese state organs, organizations and functionaries in accordance with their domestic laws, grossly interfering in China's internal affairs. The Chinese government has strongly condemned such hegemonistic acts, and people from all walks of life have expressed strong indignation, said the office.

In order to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, dignity and core interests and oppose Western hegemonism and power politics, the Chinese government has launched multiple corresponding countermeasures against entities and individuals of relevant countries since the beginning of 2021, according to the office.

It's paying them back in their own coin, said the office.

Around this year's "two sessions," some NPC deputies, members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, and people from all walks of life suggested that it is necessary for China to formulate a specific law on countering foreign sanctions, to provide legal support and guarantee for the country to counter discriminatory measures by a foreign country in accordance with the law.

A work report of the NPC Standing Committee, approved by the fourth session of the 13th NPC, put forward that its main tasks in the coming year include enriching the legal toolkit with focus on moves against sanctions and interference and countering long-arm jurisdiction to cope with challenges and risks.

According to related work plan, the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee has formulated the draft law after studying the legislation advice from various sectors, summarizing China's anti-sanction practices as well as related work, taking into account related overseas legislation, and soliciting opinions from the Communist Party of China Central Committee and national government departments.

In April, a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee put forward a legislative proposal in accordance with the legal procedure, and the 28th session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee conducted a preliminary review of the draft.

Members of the NPC Standing Committee broadly agreed to formulate the law to counter foreign sanctions, and gave some advice and suggestion on improving the draft.

The Constitution and Law Committee of the NPC has revised and improved the draft law on countering foreign sanctions based on the NPC Standing Committee's deliberation opinions as well as opinions from various sectors, and submitted a report on the results of the deliberation and the second reading draft to the 29th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th NPC in accordance with the law.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)


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Service center environment with moderate noise level due to Representatives talking, computers, printers, and floor activity UnitedHealth Group is an essential business. The health and safety of our team members is our highest priority, so we are taking a science driven approach to slowly welcome and transition some of our workforce back to the office with many safety protocols in place. We continue to monitor and assess before we confirm the return of each wave, paying specific attention to geography-specific trends. At this time, 90% of our non - clinical workforce transitioned to a work at home (remote) status. We have taken steps to ensure the safety of our 325,000 team members and their families, providing them with resources and support as they continue to serve the members, patients and customers who depend on us. You can learn more about all we are doing to fight COVID-19 and support impacted communities at: https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/newsroom/addressing-covid.html Careers with UnitedHealthcare. Let's talk about opportunity. Start with a Fortune 10 organization that's serving more than 85 million people already and building the industry's singular reputation for bold ideas and impeccable execution. Now, add your energy, your passion for excellence, your near - obsession with driving change for the better. Get the picture? UnitedHealthcare is serving employers and individuals, states and communities, Military families and Veterans wherever they're found across the globe. We bring them the resources of an industry leader and a commitment to improve their lives that's second to none. This is no small opportunity. It's where you can do your lifes best work.SM Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Colorado Residents Only: The hourly range for Colorado residents is $15.00 to $24.19. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. As of the date of this posting, In addition to your salary, UHG offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements: Health, dental, and vision plans; wellness program; flexible spending accounts; paid parking or public transportation costs; 401(k) retirement plan; employee stock purchase plan; life insurance, short-term disability insurance, and long-term disability insurance; business travel accident insurance; Employee Assistance Program; PTO; and employee-paid critical illness and accident insurance. UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment. Keywords: UnitedHealth Care; UHC; Customer Service, Remote; Spanish; Bilingual; work at home, work from home, WAH, WFH, remote, telecommute, hiring immediately, #rpo


Burma Myanmar Junta to Sell More Timber in Search for Hard Currency

Illegal timber seized under the NLD government. / Forest Department

Myanmars military regime will hold further timber auctions on June 23 and 24 as it seeks to raise hard currency to fund its coup.

Myanma Timber Enterprise (MTE), the state-run entity which controls Myanmars timber sales, held three separate auctions in late May in which nearly 10,300 tons of timber were sold for around US$5 million (8.2 billion kyats). The wood sold reportedly came from a stockpile of 200,000 tons of illegal timber seized under the ousted National League for Democracy government.

A total of 14,181 tons of timber from Sagaing, Bago and Yangon regions and Rakhine and southern Shan State will be auctioned in the June sale. The auction will be held in Yangons Dagon Township with buyers bidding online.

Due to international sanctions and domestic boycotts of military-linked products, the junta is suffering from a shortage of hard currency. Washington has already sanctioned MTE and other groups and individuals involved in Myanmars timber trade.

MTE has also invited tenders for the transportation of 67,690 tons of timber from western Sagaing Region to Monywa and Yangon. The logs are set to be sold in future auctions.

In May, the Forest Department awarded Myint Brother Co a permit to log 1,500 tons of timber as quickly as possible in Maungdaw District, Rakhine State.

A Forest Department official said that 1,500 tons of timber is not unusual for a big infrastructure project like bridge construction, but queried why such a large quantity is needed when most construction projects have been halted amid post-coup turmoil.

In a May report, the Environmental Investigation Agency questioned the motives behind the regimes timber sales.

Why would this State enterprise do this, other than to obtain desperately needed hard currency to continue the juntas brutal persecution of the people of Myanmar? the agency asked in its report.

Tu Khawng, the Minister for Resources and Environmental Conservation in the National Unity Government set up to rival the junta, has urged timber firms to stop cooperating with the military regime and join the civil disobedience movement by not paying for timber.

Meanwhile, the junta has formed new committees for the development of timber-based industries.

New committees for the development of wood-based industries and mills in the country have been formed. The junta has said it will discuss measures to develop the industry with businessmen. I plan to attend the discussion, said one local timber businessman.

Both the US and Canada have imposed sanctions targeting the military regimes attempts to profit from the timber trade.

U Khin Maung Yi, the military-appointed Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Conservation, has been placed on the US Treasurys special designated national list to block his assets and prohibit US citizens from dealing with him.

That listing also gives the US Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control the power to investigate his activities and connections, including any companies engaged in business with him and MTE.



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Burma Myanmars National Unity Government Deeply Concerned With China

Myanmar military chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meet in Naypyitaw on Tuesday. / Tatmadaw Information Team

Myanmars parallel National Unity Government (NUG) called on China to engage with them to find a solution to the countrys political crisis, while warning that any attempts to legitimize the military regime would risk undermining people to people relations between the two countries.

In its open letter to Chinas State Councilor and foreign minister Wang Yi on Monday, the NUG said that they are deeply concerned that China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have failed to adequately engage with the NUG in efforts to find solutions to Myanmars problems.

The letter said that NUG ministers look forward to the opportunity to engage in constructive dialogue with China through both bilateral and multilateral platforms. It also said that they are available to engage with Chinas ambassador to Myanmar, Chen Hai, at his convenience.

In early April, a counselor from the Chinese embassy in Yangon spoke by phone with members of the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, the NUGs parliamentary committee.

The NUGs call for Chinese engagement came a few days after its condemnation of ASEAN for its one-sided engagement with the junta to find solutions for Myanmars post-coup problems while neglecting the NUG.

Myanmar, one of ASEANs member countries, has suffered politically, economically and socially since the military takeover of the country. The regime has killed over 800 anti-coup protesters and with armed insurgencies in both urban and border areas, the countrys instability has become a pressing regional concern.

China has continued to support ASEANs efforts to address the crisis in Myanmar. However, the NUG said that there has been little progress so far due to the lack of a mechanism that might hold coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing accountable and pressure him to proactively take steps to peacefully end the crisis through dialogue.

Min Aung Hlaing has noted that ASEAN efforts can begin once stability is achieved in the country, and this position should be strongly rejected by both China and ASEAN. There will be no stability until the legitimate government is restored, it said.

China is currently hosting a Special China-ASEAN summit June 6-8th in Chongqing, marking the 30th anniversary of the first China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, and a Lancang Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Forum Ministers Meeting. Myanmar is the co-chair with China for the meetings and junta-appointed foreign minister U Wunna Maung Lwin is attending.

The NUG also said that both China and ASEAN have failed to engage with the NUG for the foreign ministers meeting, while the Chinese side has failed to consult the NUG and instead moved forward with preparations for the LMC with the regime.

That move, the NUG said, risks undermining Myanmars participation in a critical regional organization and further threatens the ability of the LMC to address important regional security threats.

Prior to the China-ASEAN meeting, Ambassador Chen Hai met Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw last Friday. The ambassador referred to the coup leader as Myanmar leader and reiterated Chinas support for ASEAN efforts in solving Myanmars crisis. The reference [as Myanmar leader] sparked ire from the Myanmar people. https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/china-supports-aseans-engagement-with-myanmar-junta.html

The NUGs letter read, The Chinese government should take note that the [junta-governing body] State Administrative Council established by Min Aung Hlaing does not represent the people of Myanmar, and that efforts to legitimize it as the government of Myanmar risk undermining people to people relations between the two countries.

Shortly after the coup, China described the Myanmar militarys takeover  internationally condemned as a coup  as a major cabinet reshuffle. China, along with Russia, also blocked efforts by the United Nations Security Council to condemn the coup, insisting that the seizure of power from the democratically-elected government was an internal affair.

On Monday, during the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, Chinas Wang Yi said that China continues to play a constructive role and supports ASEANs constructive engagement in Myanmar affairs as the Myanmar situation is directly related to Chinas interests.

ASEAN set out a five-point consensus at a special summit in late April to engage with Myanmar through the appointment of a special envoy and by providing humanitarian support.

Wang Yi added that China and ASEAN share similar views regarding Myanmars affairs, and repeated previous Chinese calls for a cessation of violence and the holding of political dialogue. China also urged the international community to abide by the aims and policies of the United Nations Universal Charter so that it will not act to impose one-sided sanctions and inappropriate intervention.



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Burma Myanmars Parallel Govt's Rohingya Policy Angers Rakhine Groups

Rohingya refugees on the Rakhine side before crossing to Bangladesh in October 2017. / The Irrawaddy

Rakhine communities say Myanmars shadow civilian National Unity Governments (NUG) policy on Rohingya does not represent Rakhine people.

The NUG, formed by elected lawmakers in mid-April to rival the military regime, on June 3 said it will replace the 1982 Citizenship Law with legislation offering the Muslim community citizenship and scrap the National Verification Cards that identify the Rohingya as foreigners.

The Muslims in Rakhine State identify as Rohingya but are labeled Bengali by many to imply they are illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh. They are denied citizenship and freedom of movement by the authorities.

The All Arakanese Solidarity Committee (AASC), a Rakhine State-based network of civil society organizations, community leaders and politicians, and the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) have released statements in opposition to the NUGs Rohingya policy.

ALP spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Khaing Kyaw Hlaing said: Everyone knows the Bengali issue is sensitive in the country. The NUG was only formed recently and our party says a nascent government should not be making these decisions without consulting Rakhine revolutionary groups, stakeholders and civil society organizations.

The ALP signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in October 2015 under U Thein Seins administration.

The NUGs move will complicate the issue while the state is starting to see stability after two years of fighting, the group said. The issue should not be used by any party or government, said the ALP.

The AASC said the NUGs policy will be unpopular with the Rakhine population and risk disrupting peace and stability.

The statement says the Rakhine people accept the rights of an ethnic group to choose its name freely. But it said the choice of name is intended to distort the history and identity of indigenous ethnic groups and could impact on Rakhine territory, politics and society, directly threatening the future of the Rakhine community and other ethnic minorities in the state.

It is a politically motivated move to seek international recognition and assistance, said the AASC.

The AASC declined to comment to The Irrawaddy.

Coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing told Chinese-language Phoenix TV in May: There are no Rohingya. It is just an imaginary name. It is not an officially recognized ethnicity. We dont recognize it.

While some Rakhine politicians and people have shown sympathy for the Rohingya, who have been persecuted by Myanmars military, and agree that they should have fundamental rights, many oppose their official recognition as an ethnic group called Rohingya.

Some Rakhine communities fear being swallowed up by the Muslim community as a result of Rohingya recognition as an indigenous ethnic group.

Britain-based Myanmar Rohingya Association chairman U Tun Khin said: I think Rakhine brothers have a little misunderstanding. We would like to hold talks with our Rakhine brothers as well as the NUG. This problem can be solved through negotiations between the NUG, Rakhine and Rohingya. I think Rakhine people will understand when the time comes.

The Arakan Army (AA), which has considerable influence in the state, has declined to comment on the NUGs policy.

In 2019, AA chief Major General Tun Myat Naing told The Irrawaddy that Rakhine people needed to get along with the Muslim community if Rakhine State was to achieve stability and development.

Communal strife broke out between Rakhine Buddhist and Muslim communities in 2012.

After the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army allegedly launched attacks on Myanmars security forces on Aug. 25, 2017, the military led a crackdown consisting of clearance operations that pushed more than 740,000 Rohingya Muslims into neighboring Bangladesh.

The international community has called the militarys treatment of the Rohingya genocide.

When in 2019 the Gambia filed a genocide case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice, the United Nations highest court, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi defended Myanmars military against genocide allegations.



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Burma Myanmars Suu Kyi Sent Food Supplies

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. / State Counselors Office

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been sent a food package, a day after asking her legal team to help provide her with essential supplies as she will not accept support from the military regime.

U Kyi Win, a lawyer acting for the detained State Counselor, said that 400,000 kyats worth of food, including rice and cooking oil, had been sent via the police to the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) leader and the eight other people detained with her.

I sent two sacks of rice and five viss (around 9 kg) of oil and other things through the police. I didnt ask for contributions from anyone and I bought it myself, said U Kyi Win.

During a court hearing in Naypyitaw on Monday, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi requested that her legal team help provide food for her and the other detainees as they have been using their own money to buy food and are now short of cash and in need of medicines and other supplies.

She told her legal team that she did not want support from those detaining her and asked the lawyers to help if possible.

After the military ousted her NLD government in a Feb. 1 coup, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest at her home in Myanmars capital Naypyitaw. She was subsequently moved to an unknown location in Naypyitaw.

The junta has filed six charges against her, including two under Article 25 of the Natural Disaster Management Law and one each under Article 8 of the Export and Import Law, Article 67 of the Telecommunications Law, Article 505(b) of the Penal Code for sedition and the Official Secrets Act.



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If you need to enter a work site for any reason, you will be required to screen for symptoms using the ProtectWell mobile app, Interactive Voice Response (i.e., entering your symptoms via phone system) or similar UnitedHealth Group-approved symptom screener. When in a UnitedHealth Group building, employees are required to wear a mask in common areas. In addition, employees must comply with any state and local masking orders Telecommuting Requirements: Required to have a dedicated work area established that is separated from other living areas and provides information privacy

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Service center environment with moderate noise level due to phone and walk-in conversation, printers, and floor activities. UnitedHealth Group is an essential business. The health and safety of our team members is our highest priority, so we are taking a science driven approach to slowly welcome and transition some of our workforce back to the office with many safety protocols in place. We continue to monitor and assess before we confirm the return of each wave, paying specific attention to geography-specific trends. At this time, 90% of our non-clinical workforce transitioned to a work at home (remote) status. We have taken steps to ensure the safety of our 325,000 team members and their families, providing them with resources and support as they continue to serve the members, patients and customers who depend on us. You can learn more about all we are doing to fight COVID-19 and support impacted communities at: https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/newsroom/addressing-covid.html Careers at UnitedHealthcare Employer & Individual. We all want to make a difference with the work we do. Sometimes we're presented with an opportunity to make a difference on a scale we couldn't imagine. Here, you get that opportunity every day. As a member of one of our elite teams, you'll provide the ideas and solutions that help nearly 25 million customers live healthier lives. You'll help write the next chapter in the history of healthcare. And you'll find a wealth of open doors and career paths that will take you as far as you want to go. Go further. This is your lifes best work. Colorado Residents Only: The hourly range for Colorado residents is $17.12 to $30.34. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc. As of the date of this posting, In addition to your salary, UHG offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements: Health, dental, and vision plans; wellness program; flexible spending accounts; paid parking or public transportation costs; 401(k) retirement plan; employee stock purchase plan; life insurance, short-term disability insurance, and long-term disability insurance; business travel accident insurance; Employee Assistance Program; PTO; and employee-paid critical illness and accident insurance. Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. UnitedHealth Group is a drug - free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment. Keywords: customer service representative, customer service, CSR, UnitedHealth Group, call center, UnitedHealthcare, health care, office, phone support, work at home, work from home, WAH, WFH, remote, telecommute, hiring immediately, #RPO


Guest Column Vaccine Aid: The US Catches Up With China

Boxes containing Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine, donated by China, arrive at Yangon International Airport in May. / Chinese Embassy in Myanmar

Strange as it may seem, vaccine diplomacy could cure US-China relations and improve their herd immunity against global hegemony. After all, these two superpowers ultimate objective in giving away vaccines is to save lives, regardless of nationality, ideology and religion, making sure the citizens of the world beyond their frontiers are safe and sound.

Then, in a year or two, inoculated people around the world could reflect on the good deeds Washington and Beijing did for them and their countries. Vaccine diplomacy can increase mutual respect, benefits and trust among nations.

US President Joe Bidens much anticipated decision last week to donate 25 million excess vaccine doses to Covax, an international vaccine-sharing scheme administrated by the World Health Organization (WHO), is highly commendable. Whenever the US gives non-military aid to the world, especially to countries outside its immediate strategic interests, without any conditions, there are repeated accolades.

The give-away plan came at the right time when vaccine demand has increased exponentially due to the spread of mutant strains in the four corners of the world. In addition, there are widening gaps between the rich and poor countries in inoculation coupled with India, the pharmacy of the world, not being able to produce sufficient vaccines for Covax due to virus upticks and domestic needs.

For the past 18 months, the US has acted as if all Americans, once jabbed, are safe and can travel and interconnect with the rest of the world. Then, the US will continue to lead the world. That is not the case as the world changed in the most unpredictable ways during the Trump years. It took Bidens courage over the past 149 days to admit that no American is safe if others are not safe regardless of where they live.

Despite Washingtons latest vaccine generosity, it still has not declared that vaccines should be a global public good. The US can do more and better in lifting restrictions on vaccine patents as it would save infected people in poor countries. Additional political will is needed.

As far as ASEAN member states are concerned, the US is a latecomer in conducting vaccine diplomacy. When COVID-19 struck the world at the end of 2019, the Trump administration was nowhere to be seen; its ties with the countries in the region were at their lowest ebb. Former President Donald Trump did not realize that the America First policy would seriously damage the US profile and prove a liability in this neighborhood.

While the Trump administration continued to attack China and its shortcomings, the leaders of ASEAN and China got together and held virtual talks at both ministerial and leader levels about the coronavirus. Less than six weeks after the outbreak, they came up with a full range of action plans. At the moment, both sides are benefiting from their earlier engagement. The ASEAN-China foreign ministers are having a three-day face-to-face meeting in Chongqing from June 6-8 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Unfortunately, the scheduled virtual special ASEAN-US ministerial conference on May 25 was canceled due to technical glitches. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken failed to connect online with the ASEAN foreign ministers, who were waiting anxiously for 45 minutes, because he was on a peace mission to the Middle East. To remedy the situation, he immediately wrote to all ASEAN ministers and expressed sincere regrets, but the damage had been done. It was a bad start for the Biden administration.

Such a mishap is not the first to have disrupted ASEAN-US ties. In the annals of their 44-year relations, American leaders have missed ASEAN-related meetings more than those with any other dialog partners. It almost seems that ASEAN-US ties have been cursed because of the many mishaps forcing their leaders to change plans in the wee hours. Every year, ASEAN leaders wonder whether the US president will attend or skip their summit.

Now, with American-made vaccines competing with the Chinese-made ones, fierce vaccine diplomacy could cause a bifurcation between countries in the region  those preferring the American-made vaccines versus those opting for the Chinese ones. Deep down, the ASEAN governments want to make sure all their citizens receive inoculations in the shortest period of time possible. Therefore, they have to decide which vaccines they are going to acquire.

Given its excellent ties with the US and China, Thailand under the Prayut government welcomes all vaccines. During last weeks visit by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, the White House announced that Thailand will be one of six ASEAN members along with 10 other Asian countries and territories to receive approximately 7 million vaccine doses. Further negotiations with the US are still needed to determine how many doses Thailand will get. Bangkok values the symbolic gesture from Washington as it is not a member of Covax.

Notably, Washington is paying more attention in efforts to further increase the capacity of Thai public health. Altogether, Thailand will receive US$30 million worth of COVID-related assistance, including $17.5 million in space ventilation development as well as other medical equipment. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also provided an additional $13 million in assistance for the Ministry of Public Health. It was a good gesture to mend fences with Thailand as the Trump administration decided last year to establish the CDC regional center in Vietnam. The CDC has the largest team of scientists and researchers working on public health in Thailand.

Due to the recent surge in virus infections, which reached 174,796 with 1,213 deaths as of June 7, Thailand has been asking for alternative vaccines beyond the AstraZeneca brand. China has responded promptly and immediately shipped 1 million doses of Sinovac in the past weeks. An additional 1 million doses will also come from Sinopharm, a pharmaceutical company owned by the Chinese state.

The kingdom of Thailand would serve as an ideal platform for United States-China collaborative efforts to combat the pandemic, if they so desire. American-trained public health officials and health care workers are administering the Chinese vaccines throughout the country. Subsequent reports about the efficacy and side effects of those shots should be closely scrutinized by the authorities concerned without prejudice.

Both Washington and Beijing have denied they are pursuing vaccine diplomacy. Deep down, they all want the recipients of their vaccines to be healthy and embrace their brands as the epidemic is not going away anytime soon. With such good intentions underscored, the regional politicization of vaccines, at least for the time being, has not yet led to a bifurcation between the US and China.

Kavi Chongkittavorn is a veteran journalist on regional affairs.

This article first appeared in The Bangkok Post.



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The U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board are pleased to announce that Dr. Matthew Levay, Associate Professor of English of Idaho State University has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to Poland. In Spring 2022, Levay will serve as the Distinguished Chair in Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Warsaws American Studies Center. In that capacity, he will teach upper-level and graduate courses in American popular culture, including crime fiction, comics, and film, while also mentoring graduate students, delivering public lectures, and participating in the intellectual community of the American Studies Center.

As a Fulbright Scholar, Levay will share knowledge and foster meaningful connections across communities in the United States and Poland. Fulbrighters engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their institutions, labs, and classrooms, in the United States, they share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad. As Fulbright Scholar alumni, their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Fulbright alumni include 60 Nobel Prize laureates, 88 Pulitzer Prize recipients, and 39 who have served as a head of state or government.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. governments flagship international educational exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is pleased to announce that 2021 marks the 75th Anniversary of the Fulbright Program. Celebrations throughout the year will highlight the impressive accomplishments and legacy of the program and its alumni over its first 75 years, both in the United States and around the world. A dedicated 75th Anniversary website - www.fulbright75.org - is being updated throughout 2021 to showcase anniversary events and to facilitate ongoing engagement.

Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 participants from over 160 countries the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright program is an annual appropriation by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of States Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support.
Jeff Bezos is going to space! One seat is still available, though, so you have a chance to join the Amazon CEO and his brother Mark riding the suborbital rocket New Shepard on July 20. Sign-up for the 11-minute flight outside Earth's atmosphere by following these steps.

As USA Today reported, Bezos will leave his post as Amazon CEO on July 5. He said that he would "focus my energies and attention on new products and early initiatives." Shortly after, Jeff posted on his Instagram a one-minute video on his goals of joining his Blue Origin's first human space flight.



Blue Origin Human Flight; New Shepard Space Capsule

In these last few months, the privately funded aerospace manufacturer Blue Origin finally opened to the public one seat to their New Shepard Space Capsule.

New Shepard is a reusable, suborbital spaceship designed to carry six people to space. These people will be riding a capsule on top of a 60-foot rocket, where they would be launched to space. The capsule is designed to experience a parabolic flight pattern, including launch and descent. The full details of the flight, along with its trajectory, are available in this article.

Riding the capsule will give you an opportunity to fly to space and experience approximately 11 minutes of zero gravity before gently landing back on Earth!

Read Also: Lego Space Shuttle Discovery Reviews, Issues and More: Why the 2,354-Piece Set Gets Positive Impressions

Space Flight Online Ticket Auction

The seat is open to the public because Blue Origin has a long-term plan to make New Shepard a tourist destination. They plan to make your trip memorable by "selling artificial gravity." Unfortunately, since seats are limited, the first seat for space flight would be sold through bidding.

Blue Origin is holding an auction for the seat on New Shepard. The auction comes in three phases: A sealed online bidding (May 5-10), Unsealed online bidding (May 19-June 10), and live auction (June 12).

At the time of writing, the current bid stands at $3,500,000. You can still put your bid by heading to their website.

On the chance that you could win the bid, you will be given the seat to join New Shepard on July 20 as its first astronaut crew sent in space!

Where to Watch and More Details

As the first mission of New Shepard, July 20 would be a date to make history. Unfortunately, no other updates have been given for the live streaming for New Shepard through official channels.

However, the event would certainly be covered through new networks across the world. So keep an eye on the date and your local news provider for more information.

You could also try following Blue Origin Twitter account for live updates or Blue Origin YouTube channel for video teasers. Cnet Highlights also cover the Blue Origin and New Shepard trial flights in the past.

This article will automatically update any new information on Blue Origin and New Shepard flights.

Related Article: NASA And Russia Launches Astronauts To The International Space Station With Stricter Safety Precautions Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
SH Figuarts, the high-quality collectible action figure line by the Japanese toymaker Bandai, has just revealed their new set of Marvel superhero action figures. This time, the Avengers are super teched-out!

According to ScreenRant, the announcement of the new line of Marvel action figures called "TECH-ON Avengers" lines up with the upcoming "Avengers: Tech-On Avengers" comic miniseries by Jim Zub and Jeff Cruz.

The figures and miniseries' foundation lies in having each hero in the collection receive tech upgrades from Tony Stark. Now, they all have their own custom ARC Reactor-based suits.

In the miniseries, these new and upgraded suits for his fellow Avengers aren't just pet projects but were born out of necessity. Red Skull has stripped them all of their powers, leaving the world defenseless. Stark took it upon himself to make everyone super again, in his own genius and techy way.

Now, it wouldn't be very "Tony" of him if he didn't deck himself out with new gear first, which is why it was quite fitting for SH Figuarts to reveal Iron Man first in the lineup.

SH Figuarts Iron Man Suit Design Chance: Gundam-Like?

Iron Man is still pretty recognizable with his red and gold metal suit. The redesign features a more sleek and stylized armor, reminiscent of the Ultimate Iron Man design found in the comics but definitely more Gundam-esque, ScreenRant pointws out.

You can notice the heavy Japanese mecha aesthetic, with Iron Man's rocket wings in his DH-10 mode that has a similar vibe to the Gundam 00 Quan[T] shield.

The Tamashii Nations website also hosted some really amazing shots of Iron Man with his rockets and his new weapons. The armor itself is quite intricate and the redesign of the plating is quite fresh and looks very substantial even in photographs.

The DH-10 mode, as Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski explained, are the special accessories that comes with the action figure. They are also integral parts to the comics' storyline, he said in his YouTube video with Bandai.

[S.H.Figuarts] Iron Man (Avengers: Tech-On Avengers) Revealed! From the upcoming Marvel comic with the same name, this Iron Man looks cool! It looks like this comic will have most of our heroes wearing armors! Sentinel did something similar like this with their Fighting Armor. pic.twitter.com/ZlIT1agGO8  Tendou (@TendouToys) June 2, 2021

Read Also: Marvel Logo Evolution: 'Captain Marvel' Sequel Gets Epic Logo Change

'TECH-ON Avengers'

Captain America's figure recently joined Iron Man in a recent teaser, and more will soon follow.

A sneak peek of Captain America's suit looks very sleek as well, his patriotic blue and red won't make you question whose suit it is. No other photos have been released showing off his DH-10 super mode, so we just have to wait for SH Figuarts to release those.

Basing it off of the silhouette of the next figure they will be revealing, it looks like Wolverine will be the next action figure to be introduced.

Other heroes in the comics with "Tech-On" features include Spider-Man, Black Panther and Captain Marvel. The villains Red Skull, Loki, and Venom will also be included in the SH Figuarts line-up.

S.H. Figuarts Release Date

Since these were just revealed, not much else has been said about the release of the new "TECH-ON Avengers" line. C.B. Cebulski mentioned, however, that these will be out later this year.

The comic book miniseries is scheduled to be released in August, according to Mephitsu, and it could be possible that the action figures will be released around the same time.

Related Article: Marvel 'Loki' Trailer: 4 Weird and Epic Moments to Watch Out for in Disney+ Series
In order to ensure the safety of its passengers, ride-hailing service Uber is fully implementing the option of providing a personal identification number (PIN) code to their driver to make sure they would not get into the wrong vehicle.

Uber PIN Code: How to Know if Trip is Verified

Passengers in the U.S. and Canada can now activate this feature in the Settings menu of the Uber app, requiring PIN verification for every ride, or at a certain time of the day--such as night trips from 9pm to 6am, Engadget revealed.

If the feature is enabled, a trip can't begin without the driver entering the code before the passenger enters the vehicle and verbally gives the PIN. If the PIN code matches with the driver's app, the passenger will receive a notification saying. "Your ride is verified." However, this is an optional feature only for users who enable it.

How to Activate PIN Code in Uber App

Here are the five steps to enable the PIN code in the Uber app, courtesy of the Uber blog:

1. Ensure that your Uber app is the latest version. If not, update it.

2. While in the app, go to Settings and choose Verify your rides.

3. Choose "Use PIN to verify rides" to turn it on.

4. Then, select if you want the PIN code security feature enabled "Every ride" or "Only at night."

5. Then Choose Done.

Uber's New Safety Precautions Due to Death of Student

This new feature comes after the death of 21-year-old student Samantha "Sam" Josephson, who was murdered in March last year after riding a vehicle of a man who masqueraded as an Uber driver. Josephson's body was later discovered in the woods, about 65 miles away from where she entered the vehicle.

Since that gruesome murder, U.S. states had sought additional safety requirements for Uber drivers, the Chicago Tribune reported. Josephson's state, New Jersey required Uber, Lyft or other ride-hailing services to have their drivers display identification signs on their vehicle's front windshield and rear window. Meanwhile, lighted signs are mandatory in North Carolina for Uber or Lyft drivers to display.

Read Also: Uber, Lyft Take Action to Avoid Assault Incidents; Banned Drivers Can Now Be Found in One Database!

Apart from the PIN code, Uber passengers can check the license plate, make and model of car.

Uber had long cautioned passengers to always check and confirm license plate numbers and the make and model of the cars before they ride it. Some passengers, however, ignore such ride information, heigthening the risks to their safety. Since Josephson's death, Uber has been reminding passengers about strictly checking those vehicle data, which is available in the app when they book a ride.

With the PIN code, another layer of security is offered to assure passengers that they are hailing the right car.

Uber and competitor Lyft had long encountered safety problems with their services. In December last year, Uber revealed that 464 people had been raped while using their ride-hailing services from 2017 to 2018. Lyft had faced legal action from women who claimed the company did not act on their complaints of being assaulted by their drivers.

On the other hand, a bill has been filed in the U.S. Congress that if enacted would require ride-hailing drivers to present quick response (QR) codes that a passenger could scan with a smartphone to verify the ride, the Chicago Trubune further reported. It also prohibits the production and sale of Uber and Lyft signs, unless those had come from the ride-hailing companies themselves.

Related Article: Stimulus Check for Uber Drivers: Ride-Hailing Company Pledges $250 Million for Incentives Amid Driver Shortage
Get a chance to win the limited-edition Blackwood Xbox Controller on Bethesda's Free Giveaway Event! The custom controller, along with another special surprise, is a present to celebrate the release of "The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood." Learn more about the details by reading below.

The newest installment for "The Elder Scrolls Online" starts with the opening of The Gates of Oblivion, featuring new dungeons and exciting in-game content. You will get a chance to fight against Mehrunes Dagon, the Daedric Prince of Destruction, who plans to turn the world into a living hell.

Bethesda partners up with two great brands to create giveaways for excited fans in celebration of this fantastic event!

'The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood' Limited-Edition Xbox Controller and Giveaway Rewards

We Are Robots created an absolutely amazing limited-edition Xbox Controller based on the Daedric Prince of Destruction! The AU Review provided a screenshot image for the controller. The controller is painted red, with the same shade as Dagon's charred skin. The controller also has carved grooves and indents to mimic the tattoos and scars.

The "A" "B" "X" and "Y" buttons have been translated to Daedric runes. There are also four cute little devil horns that accurately symbolize the ones on Dagon's head. Lastly, on the bottom of the controller, you can see the TESO Ourobouros rune with the "Blackwood" label on it.

Along with the controller, winners will also receive Melbourne Hot Sauce giveaways: the Hot Sauce of Oblivion! It's said to be hot enough to match even Dagon's Dragonfires. The bottle of hot sauce will feature the "The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood" event banner, with the Daedric Prince of Destruction in the background. You can also get the sauce from the MHS office in Sydney.

At 600,000 Scoville's, the 'Hot Sauce of Oblivion', is consumed by only the bravest of heroes . To really spice up the launch of Blackwood, we're going to be giving away these limited-edition, ultra-spicy hot sauces! Stay tuned!#ESO #GatesOfOblivion #ESOFam pic.twitter.com/aXkfK9PnvT  Bethesda ANZ (@Bethesda_ANZ) June 2, 2021

Read Also: 'Monster Hunter Rise' Update 3.0: Trailer, Valstrax and Zinogre Variants, Bug Fixes, and More

How to Join Bethesda Free Giveaway

Applying for the giveaway is absolutely free!

Bethesda gives you 17 ways to enter the event. You can complete all tasks to get 17 entries for the free giveaway. Some tasks include subscribing to their newsletter and answering a bunch of survey questions.

After completing these, you could also boost your chances by following the rules for their other giveaway events:

You can only enter the giveaway during the Promotional Period.

You need to be a registered user on Twitter or Facebook, and the account should be visible to "public."

You must follow Bethesda's official Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Like their post and comment with either #ESOFam or #ESO

Note that the event and reward are only available for selected areas: Australia and New Zealand. Also, participants must be older than 18 years old.

Winners for the giveaway would be notified through direct message on Twitter or Facebook within four days after the judging date. Winners will also be indicated through an official post on the website.

This is your chance to celebrate the release of "The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood" by winning event-exclusive collectible giveaways! Hurry, because there are only five days left for the event! Sign up and join the event now by completing the instructions on this Entry Link.



Related Article: Nintendo Switch Bethesda Sale 2021: 'DOOM,' 'Elder Scrolls V, 'Overwatch' and More for 50% Off-Where to Buy
On Friday, officials with the Walker County Hospital District board announced that they have finalized a $7.8 million purchase of Huntsville Memorial Hospital. Do you feel like this is a good use of tax dollars, and is this the right direction for the struggling health care facility?

You voted:
Ithaca, NY (14850)

Today

Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.


Archbishop Edward McCarthy High School located in Southwest Ranches, FL (Broward County) is looking to hire a qualified and experienced educator for High School Social Studies. This teacher will be expected to plan, organize and implement an appropriate instructional program for any one of the following courses or combination thereof at the high school level: American History, World History, US Government, and/or Economics. This candidate performs all duties and responsibilities in alignment with the mission, vision and tenets of the Catholic Archdiocese of Miami. Qualifications: Bachelors Degree in Social Studies/History or related field with experience in teaching at a high school level.

Florida Department of Education Teaching Certification in Social Science grades 6-12, temporary or professional required.

Must be supportive and respectful of the mission, and tenets of the Roman Catholic Church; experience in Roman Catholic environment preferred.

Knowledge and skill in use of instructional technology, including iPads in the classroom.

Excellent presentation skills with use of instructional technologies.

Excellent classroom management skills.

Excellent oral and written English language communication skills, including clear speaking voice. Good spelling and grammar required

Must have a professional demeanor.

recblid fia8di8qf3dk57d7taxuevq8pb15e7






CG Net leverages Nokias Gigabit Passive Optical Networking solution to improve broadband speed in Nepal. The solution is said to cater to the growing demand for a high-speed broadband network due to an increase in internet usage.

Nokia announces CG Net, an internet service provider in Nepal, will deploy its Gigabit Passive Optical Networking (GPON) solution as part of a Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) roll out across Kathmandu Valley.

The GPON solution will allow CG Net to scale its network in line with the growing demand for a high-speed broadband network due to increased consumption of video, over-the-top (OTT) content, and online education.

In addition, Nokia says the solution will allow for future upgrade to next-generation technologies and Software-Defined Access networks, leveraging the same access platform. The project includes Nokia consumer fibre modems to ensure digital experiences within the user premises.

Nirvana Chaudhary, CG Net managing director, explains: There is a growing demand for high-speed and quality broadband as people are using the internet in every aspect of their lives."

Nepals broadband market is increasingly competitive. CG Net has all the potential and ambition to become a digitally innovative, responsible telecom group. We are confident that Nokias solution will enable us to be fast to market with reliable, high-speed services, and position us for future growth, says Chaudhary.

Vinish Bawa, Nokia India head of emerging business, concludes: Fibre broadband is being deployed in almost every country. With more than 1,000 broadband projects worldwide, Nokia has the experience and expertise to support operators in diverse markets in addressing their unique challenges. We are excited to work with CG Net to build a high-capacity network that will enable them to address new opportunities and deliver exciting experiences to the subscribers.
Nokia has deployed its NetGuard XDR software, and according to its field-trial data, it has demonstrated 70% effectiveness at blocking threats. The XDR is also complemented by managed detection response services to strengthen security defence.

Nokia unveils its NetGuard XDR Security Operations platform and MDR services to provide communication service providers (CSPs) protection for their 5G networks, as well as revenue-enhancing security offerings.

As CSPs disaggregate and open their networks and industrial enterprises increasingly connect more of their mission critical assets, security challenges are rising exponentially. As a response, governments in the US, UK, India, and France are strengthening security requirements for critical infrastructure.

NetGuard XDR is said to provide CSPs with stronger network defences that rapidly prevent and stop threats before they materialise. The platform modules come with new analytics, machine learning, and automation functions to manage incidents and react faster to neutralise threats.

Where CSPs require additional cybersecurity expertise, XDR is said to be complemented by MDR. In an MDR business model, Nokia uses XDR capabilities and integrates the processes and skills in its 24/7 Security Intelligence Operations centre to offer an incident management solution for detection and resolution of any security incident in a 5G network.

NetGuard XDR has demonstrated 70% increased effectiveness at blocking threats, according to Nokia customer field-trial data, by integrating disparate tools from multiple vendors, putting previously siloed information into context, and streamlining security automation, analytics and response actions from across the entire network.

The platform supports subscription-based security services, such as 5G slice monitoring, endpoint protection for enterprise IoT devices, and identity and access management. The product is now available in North America and Asia.

Joel Stradling, IDC research director, European security, says: The timing is right for Nokia's NetGuard XDR software launch targeting CSPs, and private and public sector organisations. CSPs can leverage NetGuard XDR's contextual analytics, automation, and ease of integration with multiple vendor tools to drive new revenue opportunities. Nokia's 5G domain expertise, tailored processes for incident management in 5G, plus experienced security analysts combine to create a compelling MDR services with XDR capabilities.

Raghav Sahgal, Nokia president of cloud and network services, concludes: With NetGuard XDR and MDR, Nokia is once again demonstrating its technology leadership in the critical security space. Security is a top concern with our CSP and enterprise customers, due to the increased scale and sophistication of cyber-criminal activity; and this new platform suite and managed security offering gives customers a variety of new and needed capabilities.
Energy and telecommunications customer services provider AGL and Australian energy technology group RayGen have joined forces to begin construction of a $27 million concentrated solar and thermal storage project.

Claimed asone of Australias largest, most innovative and lowest-cost renewable energy storage projects, the first stage of the project will be located at Carwarp in Victoria and the second stage is planned for the Liddell power station site in NSW.

AGL Interim Managing Director and CEO, Graeme Hunt said AGL is excited to be working on this innovative project which uses a combination of solar and hydro technology and which will help to deliver the next generation of energy supply.

AGL is committed to leading the business of transition and developing the future of renewable energy storage at scale, ensuring Australian households and businesses have affordable, sustainable and reliable electricity, Hunt said.

RayGens technology has the potential to provide the same capabilities as other long duration storage technologies at lower cost and with fewer geographical constraints.

The system is powered by a field of smart, rotational mirrors whose concentrated solar energy is combined with the energy stored across two water reservoirs to create a hot and cold solar hydro solution.

The Carwarp plant will be able to deliver four megawatts (MW) of solar generation and 50 megawatt hours (MWh) of storage to produce electricity on demand - improving grid stability, as well as supplying reliable, synchronous power.

We believe the technology can be just as successful in the Hunter region and a key feature of our plans to transition the Liddell site into an Energy Hub, alongside grid-scale batteries and a waste to energy facility.

Building on more than 180 years of history, AGL has a proud heritage of investment and innovation and we believe Liddell could have an essential role in the energy transition.

As we transition to a cleaner energy future and meet ourClimate Statement commitments, we are looking to make reliable long duration storage combined with solar generation a reality by overcoming traditional barriers for variable, renewable energy deployment.

RayGen has also received support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) for the Carwarp site.

RayGens Chief Executive Officer, Richard Payne said two years ago, AGL agreed to provide a vital voice of customer into the design process for RayGens new storage product.

AGL provided valuable insights that enhanced our technology offering, and AGL is now supporting deployment with an offtake and investment, Payne said.

This innovative collaboration between a home-grown Australian technology start-up and Australias premier energy company will help pave the way to a lowest cost, secure and decarbonised grid.

Both companies have worked on the design of the $27 million concentrated solar and thermal storage site since 2019 and AGL has committed $5 million to help fund the construction at Carwarp as well as agreed to offtake the entirety of the plants production.

A pre-feasibility study for the Liddell site is now underway.
Multitasking on iPad, when it was finally introduced, was always a bit fiddly, and needing a bit of grokking to properly understand, but in iPadOS 15, multitasking looks simple, easy and intuitive.

Ok, so I haven't yet had the chance to download the developer beta of iPadOS 15, and the public beta won't arrive until July, but in the must-watch WWDC21 keynote, Apple demonstrated how iPadOS 15 multitasking works.

In the past, you need to swipe up from the bottom of the screen, and then you could either swipe up a multitasking-compatible app either as a split screen, called Split View, or as a floating screen, called Slide Over.

Once you learned it, it wasn't hard to use, but Apple looks to have refined this process with a new control that appears at the top of the app you're working on. Tap it and you'll see the multitasking menu, from which you can make an app full screen, create a split view, or put an app into slide over floating mode.

If you tap on the split view button, the app slides over and you can see your Home Screen, where you can tap on an app to see it take up the left half of the screen, with your initial app restore to the right hand side of the screen.

Now you have two apps side-by-side, and unless I'm mistaken, this appears to work with any app - I guess this will become clear as people start using it.

Want to change apps in your split screen? Just swipe down on the left hand side, for example, and the home screen returns (with the other app temporarily moved to the right hand side of the screen).

In the demo video, embedded below, the presenter taps the Mail app, and presto, you have two apps in side by side view again.

Here's the video that someone posted to YouTube, just of the multitasking section:

Tap and hold on an email, and you can have it floating in the middle of the screen above the other two. You can read the entire email without leaving the current view - as the video demonstrates.

You have the same multitasking options, letting you move the email itself into split view, or into slide over mode.

You can also swipe down on that email, and it is minimised into an area called the "Shelf".

You then have easy access to all open windows of an app.

In the video, the presenter goes to Safari, and we see a shelf of minimised windows pertinent to Safari.

You can have many Safari windows there, in split view with other apps, and you can easily add or remove windows by swiping them.

The traditional multitasking app view screen is also there, and the presenter says you can drag one window in that view over another to create a split view between two open apps that way, too.

It looks pretty cool if you ask me, and shows that the iPad is becoming ever more versatile, and ever more able to be a complete replacement for your Mac - if you want it to be.

That said, with macOS 12 Monterey's ability to let you use your Mac's keyboard and mouse or trackpad on an iPad, just by moving the mouse over to the iPad's screen - the Mac and iPad with macOS 12 and iPadOS 15 have never worked more smoothly together.

If the mythical MacPad is ever going to arrive, it's going to take some time. Rather than banging together the failed toaster fridge that was Windows 8, which Windows 10 didn't fix and which Microsoft will have another go at delivering with its next-gen Windows launch on June 24, 2021, Apple has elegantly made Macs and iPads work seamlessly together with macOS 12 and iPadOS 15 with a feature called "Universal Control."

Yes, this is only based on the videos I've seen of it working together, but again, it is based on more than a decade of iOS, iPadOS and two decades of the modern macOS.

I'm sure that whatever Microsoft demo's is going to look good, but in around four months, tens and hundreds of millions of Mac and iPad owners are going to be using the new hyper-cross-platform capabilities on an everyday basis, in the controlled environment that is the known quantities of compatible Macs and iPads.

I have a lot more faith that Apple is going to get this right than Microsoft, which hasn't yet shipped its supposed iPad and Mac combo-killer called Surface Neo.

We might see something arrive on June 24, but even if Microsoft ships it, it will be version 1.0 of a new device, while Apple's iPad and macOS have never been more sophisticated or mature, nor laden with native apps from across the spectrum, while Microsoft tries to get "developers, developers, developers" interested in a device that no-one owns yet.

The world's mass of developers are developing for Apple platforms and devices, and with iPadOS 15 finally allowing the creation of iPhone and iPad apps on the iPad itself, Apple is, after all the years, still years ahead of the competition.

I applaud and encourage Microsoft, Google, Samsung, Huawei and others for competing as hard as they can - Apple and the consumers and businesses of the world need competition - but the old adage that "once you go Mac, you never go back" has never been more apt.

Of course, these days, you can go Mac, and iPad, too, and doing so is a decision very few ever rue.

So, bring on the public betas, and the launch in the US Fall (and Australian spring)!

I'll definitely be giving the developer versions of iPadOS, iOS, macOS and watchOS a spin in the next few days in the meantime to see just what the future looks like, one in which the vast majority of Apple device owners will soon be living in before the year is out.

In the meantime, Mr Anderson Nadella will presumably try to convince Surface Neo that he is the one, but the machines he'll be fighting are Microsoft's own as the great architect Gates keeps trying to reboot the system.

Perhaps one day Microsoft will find that everything that has a beginning has an end, while on the Apple side of the fence, the last forty years of its existence see it finally reach the end of the beginning, with the really extraordinary part of Apple's dent-making trajectory in the universe revving into top gear and going into overdrive.

It's an incredible time to be alive, and while it will look incredibly primitive in the decades to come, this may well be the time that the B&W TV era of technology finally started broadcasting in stunning hyper-def colour.

You can watch the entire WWDC21 keynote here:
COMPANY NEWS: Giving Australian businesses access to a new tier of maximum data transfer speeds is one of the driving forces behind a project overhauling Over the Wire's core network and significantly increasing capacity.

The homegrown, ASX-listed IT and telecommunications provider has selected Juniper Networks to supply the equipment required to upgrade Over the Wire's core network into what the company has dubbed an advanced SuperCore.

The SuperCore upgrade, which will deploy Juniper Networks PTX10001-36MR packet transport routers, will span multiple strategic data centres across Australia, and will commence installation this week. Once complete this upgrade will enhance Over the Wire's capacity, particularly along the east coast, where multiple ultra-high bandwidth connections will provide a fast and resilient back bone to connect businesses and cloud services across the country. The new platform will also provide enhanced data encryption capabilities, complementing Over the Wire's established firewall and edge security offerings.

The SuperCore follows the completion of the carrier interconnect project, which led to Over the Wire establishing itself as a member of the exclusive tier one group of voice carriers in Australia.

Over the Wire CTO Ben Cornish said Juniper was chosen as the successful vendor following an extensive request for proposal process.

"The SuperCore represents a major investment in Over the Wire's core network that not only reflects the significant growth of our business but also lays a platform for a strong future as well," Cornish said.

"Australian businesses have come to expect higher bandwidth and our extensive reach for last-mile connectivity combined with the SuperCore will meet those expectations and then some. Through our SuperCore, Over the Wire is supporting faster, more efficient and more reliable business internet and private network solutions.

"The SuperCore will also benefit our wholesaler and channel market, which will be able to draw on our new capabilities with the SuperCore.

"The SuperCore is a long-term investment in future proofing our service and is part of our commitment to delivering an outstanding telecommunications and IT network to operate on that is effective, affordable and fully integrated.

"Over the Wire's network was designed and built with redundancy and resiliency as a key consideration, with the SuperCore only enhancing these qualities further.

"The SuperCore forms part of our bold and forward-thinking strategy to expand our leading infrastructure platform."

"We are honoured to have been selected by Over the Wire as a trusted partner in their transformation journey and are excited to power its extensive network of data centers across Australia," said Juniper Networks ANZ vice president and general manager Bruce Bennie.

"With Juniper at its core, Over the Wire now has the foundation to deliver enhanced services and connectivity at an unprecedented scale and speed to its customers, while fuelling its future growth plans. Together, we will deliver on Juniper's vision of experience-first networking and build an ultra-reliable and highly-agile network that will help businesses in Australia keep pace with innovation."

Cornish said the tier one network meant Over the Wire could now offer full-service voice capabilities Australia-wide that works seamlessly with the company's suite of data, cloud and security solutions.

He said the SuperCore will play a key role in enhancing the cloud capabilities of the Over the Wire's core network with added security capability.

"Cloud connectivity and capability is one of the backbones of providing a carrier-grade service to businesses," Cornish said.

"The capability of the SuperCore means our core network can easily meet the data demands of businesses now and in the years ahead.

"We don't just want to be fast  we want to be reliable, secure and affordable.

"Over the Wire is building a carrier-grade network ready to support businesses as they move their calls, applications, and business operations into the cloud."

About Over the Wire Holdings Limited

Over the Wire Holdings Limited (ASX: OTW) is an ASX listed telecommunications, cloud and IT solutions provider that has a national network with points of presence in all major Australian capital cities and Auckland, NZ. The company offers an integrated suite of products and services to business customers including data networks and internet, voice, data centre co-location, cloud and managed services.

Over the Wire Holdings Limited companies include Over the Wire, NetSIP, FaktorTel, Sanity Technology, Telarus, VPN Solutions, Access Digital Networks, Comlinx, Zintel Communications, Fonebox and Digital Sense.
A new report from Juniper Research has found that sales of iPhones will bring in over $200 billion in 2022; nearly 40% of the total smartphone hardware market, despite representing less than 20% of devices sold that year.

The new research, Smartphone Market: Device Innovation, Regional Analysis & Market Share Forecasts 2021-2026, notes that although smartphone purchase cycles are lengthening, Apple has managed to consistently convince users to purchase higher-priced models through curation of a strong hardware and software ecosystem, which other vendors have only limited opportunities to do in the current market.

As a result, Apples average selling price will rise in the coming years, while Android devices will decline, unless they can leverage new technologies like 5G or bring new design features, such as foldable phones, into the market.

Juniper Research has also provided a free whitepaper Smartphone Market Innovation: A Two-horse Race?, which examines and comments on smartphone growth drivers amongst other items.

Juniper Research believes that Android vendors will struggle to compete on a features basis in future. The research shows how vendors that focus on a particular segment and investing in premium features, such as high-end audio and advances in camera technology, will not appeal widely enough to compete at scale in the smartphone market.

"Feature diversification alone is not enough for lasting success in the crowded smartphone market," remarked research co-author Nick Hunt. "Apple and Samsung have succeeded in fostering brand loyalty, which smaller vendors have struggled with, despite many introducing new capabilities. These players need to pair strong features with strong branding to have sustained success."

The research also notes that the decline in Huaweis fortunes, thanks to the US trade ban, will not restore older brands to prominence, but allow other Chinese brands to expand.

We expect BBK, the manufacturer of Oppo, Vivo, Realme, iQOO and OnePlus smartphones, will have over 200 million smartphones shipped in 2022; making it the third largest player that year. In the meantime, Huaweis market share will decline to just over 9% in 2022, from 11% in 2019.
This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.


The Position Reporting to the Accounting Manager, the Staff Accountant is an integral part of the Finance and Administration team. The Staff Accountant provides support to the Accounting Manager and Controller to ensure efficiency and timeliness in the accounting treatment for FCNLs financial management of asset and revenue activities and controls. This role can be performed either in the office or 100% remotely. There may be times when the employee is required to come into the office for events or to complete special projects At FCNL, we embrace having a multitude of voices and talents working together to strengthen our impact in the world. In keeping with the Quaker testimony of equality, we strive to be an organization that welcomes, values and respects the different perspectives of every individual. We are actively soliciting applicants from all ethnic, racial, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and religious backgrounds. The Organization

FCNL lobbies from a basis of spiritual and ethical purpose and seeks to change government policy and practice for the better, playing a key role in lobbying initiatives on Capitol Hill that focus on racial and economic justice, peace, stewardship of the environment, and election integrity. FCNLs lobbyists build extensive connections with congressional offices and conduct focused legislative campaigns on the following current priorities: peacebuilding, human rights, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, curtailing endless war, cutting Pentagon spending, criminal justice reform, immigration reform, gun control, solutions to climate change, economic justice and Native American issues. FCNL and Friends approach each of these priorities by identifying, exposing and working to eliminate institutional racism, sexism, and militarism in order to promote genuine equality of opportunity and communities in which everyone can safely live, learn, work, worship and love. FCNLs dedicated grassroots network brings constituent perspectives into congressional officesboth in Washington at two major lobbying events each year, and in local district offices. FCNL informs and educates its network through newsletters and collateral materials and activates its grassroots network through a robust website, email, and social media outreach. FCNLs national network includes people from many different faiths and backgrounds who are activists and donors. The organization is dedicated to growing the network with a particular emphasis on building effective relationships as a path to policy change. In the past three years, FCNL increased the number of in-person visits from its constituents to legislators by 50 percent. Headquartered on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, FCNL is governed by a General Committee of 190 Quakers from across the country and employs a staff of about 55, including 20 registered lobbyists. FCNL has brought Quaker values to bear on national policy throughout its 75-year history through congressional testimony, Capitol Hill visits, grassroots lobbying, and educational initiatives. Its strategic direction in the coming years is to create a bigger presence for FCNLthrough media and marketing, as well as through its growing and vibrant network of activists. Key Priorities and Responsibilities Performs assigned monthly accounting closing processes. Collaborates with staff, when necessary, regarding all accounting issues to complete these processes on a timely basis.

Posts daily, online bank deposit(s) and posts entries from fundraising software (Raisers Edge NXT) into accounting software (Financial Edge NXT)

Collaborates with Development to ensure accurate and monthly reconciliation of all contribution (including Annual Fund, bequests, and Life Income gifts) and grant income.

Collaborates with Development staff to ensure Funds and Appeals are correct and up to date on a regular basis.

Manages the transactional activity and revenue recognition for contribution income (including Annual Fund, bequests and Life Income Gifts), grant income, deferred revenue, meeting & event income, pledges, discounts, accounts receivable, allowances, investments, investment income and loss and other income.

Collaborates with the Controller to carry out the Harvesting process for annuity, endowments, and capital campaign income.

Collaborates with Accounting Manager to support in the completion of all Bank Reconciliations.

Coordinates with Development staff to resolve differences that may arise from processing deposits or journal entry postings.

Actively involved with annual financial audit as directed and under supervision of Accounting Manager.

Assist in the implementation and the enhancement of finance policies and accounting practices. Collaborate with accounting staff in cross-training functions.

Manages and prepares other financial analyses and special one-time projects as requested by the Accounting Manager. Experience and Attributes Accounting knowledge and 3 - 5 years relevant accounting experience. Business/accounting degree preferred

Demonstrated ability to work with Microsoft Office Suite, and a computerized general ledger and accounts payable system. (previous experience with Blackbauds Financial Edge General Ledger, Accounts Payable, and Raisers Edge desirable)

Excellent organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills

Ability to work well under pressure and to deal readily with constant change as well as fixed routines

Commitment to promoting equity and inclusion, and respecting individuals from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives

General interest in legislative issues and public policy; comfortable with FCNL statement of legislative policy

Comfortable working in an office environment that reflects the Quaker testimonies of peace, equality, simplicity, and truth; supportive of FCNLs approach; comfortable working within the Quaker process. Compensation and Benefits Salary starts at $50,000 and is negotiable based on skills and experience, and in relation to other similarly sized non-profits in the Washington, D.C. market. Robust benefits package includes health, dental, vision, life, short- and long-term disability, generous retirement plan contribution, paid time off plus holidays, parental leave, and more. FCNL is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability status, genetic information, military service, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

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Stacker compiled a history of the NRA from its founding to its current legal woes. Click for more.

Bill Crane is a syndicated columnist based in Decatur. He has worked in politics for Democrats and Republicans, respects the process and will try and give you some things to think about. Your thoughts and responses to his opinions are also welcome, bill.csicrane@gmail.com.
Jacksonville, TX (75766)

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Scattered clouds with the possibility of an isolated thunderstorm developing late. Low near 75F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Scattered clouds with the possibility of an isolated thunderstorm developing late. Low near 75F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.




Donate Now As a public service during this pandemic, the Jewish News is providing free, unlimited access to all articles. Jewish News is a nonprofit publication that is owned by the community and relies on community support.
Bradford Overton plays with Western toys and tropes in his latest show, which is on display at Altamira Fine Art.
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Screener / QA Engineer- Messages Santa Clara Valley (Cupertino) , California , United States Software and Services Summary

Posted: Jun 7, 2021 Weekly Hours: 40 Role Number: 200254019 Imagine what you could do here. At Apple, new 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. Messages is one of the most used applications across both iOS and macOS platforms, and our work here touches millions of customers. The Messages team is looking for an enthusiastic, detail-oriented screener / QA engineer to help deliver the next quality release of Messages on Apple's platforms. Key Qualifications Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

Ability to utilize basic debugging and troubleshooting techniques

Experience with QA methodologies

Flexibility and ability to adapt in a dynamic environment

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Exceptional attention to detail

Knowledge of Python, Javascript or other scripting language a plus Description The Messages team is looking for a software engineer with a strong technical and triaging background to help screen and debug incoming issues. In this role, you will help us take a bug report from the field and reduce it to actionable steps and assignment to appropriate engineers. Excellent communication skills are a must because of the close interaction with engineering teams throughout Apple for this role. Education & Experience BS in Computer Science or related field, preferred, or equivalent work experience.


Della A. (Kinkade) McGuire, 85, passed away at 12:15 a.m. on Thursday, June 10th, 2021 at the Presbyterian Manor in Parsons, KS, where she had lived for almost three years. On July 28, 1953, Della married Max E. McGuire. He preceded her in death on January 21, 1999. Della is survived by her 


KraftHeinz 2340 Forest Lane, Garland Texas, 75042 ratrDelicious LET'S MAKE LIFE KraftHeinz You're the Missing Ingredient Be Part of our Team! To be the best, we need the best the best brands, the best processes, and most importantly, the best people. Kraft Heinz is transforming the food industry with bold thinking and unprecedent results. We're committed in creating opportunities for all to join our team! APPLY HERE Scan the QR code to join our close- knit Kraft Heinz family and help us delight more consumers globally! Team Member Benefits: 1. Sign-on Bonus Valid through 6/30 - $1000 paid over first 90 days! 2. Quarterly Awards - Free food and company apparel for top performing teams 3. Free Gym Membership - Full 24/7 access to our company gym! 4. Paid Time Off - 80 hours of vacation a year! 5. Career Advancement Opportunities (1) 6. Annual Salary Increases - Recognizing our top team members 7. 401 (k) Retirement Savings with Company Match https://kraftheinz.avature.net/careers/PipelineDetail/Production-Associate/33730 Kraft Heinz Compensation Model I Base Salary $58,975 I Total Bonuses and Production Associate Benefits* $70,305 Machine Operator $102,684 Team Leader We proudly delight consumers globally with our incredible brands Beloved Global Brands A globally trusted producer of delicious foods, The Kraft Heinz Company provides high quality, great taste, and nutrition for all eating occasions whether at home, in restaurants, or on the go. VETERAN Kraft HEINZ Ore Ida SLASSICO Velveeta Smart Ones KraftHeinz ABC CAPRISUN Watties JELLO Honoring our Veterans golden circle PHILADELPHIA PLANTERS Manwe HOUSE brchables Kraft Heinz is Veteran-Ready employer and committed to honoring our heroes by providing career opportunities for veterans and military spouses. Pudlis GREY POUPON HONIG Haster (Plasmon Quero DN-1796522-01

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Magnolia, AR (71754)

Today

Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 96F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Low 74F. Winds light and variable.










MELIA KOH SAMUI WELCOMES DIRECTOR OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE (Thailand) A Taiwanese national with 15 years of hospitality experience in Asia, the Middle East and Europe has been named Melia Koh Samuis director of food and beverage. MELIA KOH SAMUI WELCOMES DIRECTOR OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE (Thailand) A Taiwanese national with 15 years of hospitality experience in Asia, the Middle East and Europe has been named Melia Koh Samuis director of food and beverage. Thailand - Careers - Appointments

This is a press release

Filed by Balcony Media Group Category: Asia Pacific This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2021-06-07Filed by Balcony Media Group







Ting Yueh Hu (Yolande) has joined the 159-room and 41-suite beachfront resort on Koh Samuis north-east coast in the Gulf of Thailand, with ambitions to work in tandem with award-winning executive chef Azizskandar Awang to establish the islands leading fine dining restaurant.



Before joining Melia Koh Samui, Hu was executive assistant manager at Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel & Residence in Cambodia and F&B director at both Conrad Koh Samui and Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort.



Previously, she was assistant F&B director at Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel Shanghai and Shangri-La Hotel Fuzhou, restaurant manager at Mandinat Jumeirahs Al Muna, Honyaki and Zheng He restaurants, assistant restaurant manager at InterContinental Doha and head waitress at Marriott Forest of Arden Hotel & Country Club in the United Kingdom.



After studying a Bachelor of Applied Science of Living at Taiwans Chinese Culture University, she completed a post-graduate diploma in hospitality with Switzerlands Glion Institute of Higher Education and a certificate in hotel revenue management from Cornell University in the United States.



Melia Koh Samuis general manager Ernesto Osuna said Hu would oversee all F&B planning and services and work with the team to position the resorts Breeza Beach Restaurant & Bar, focused on contemporary Thai cuisine, as well as Western and Mediterranean fare, as Koh Samuis leading fine dining restaurant.



Yolande is a versatile and results-driven individual with a track record of driving projects, identifying sales opportunities and encouraging positive contributions from all of her team members; she will no doubt excel in propelling our F&B landscape to a new level, he said.



Melia Koh Samuis host of facilities include: two restaurants, a swim-up bar, a lagoon pool that meanders through the resorts lush grounds like a river, a two-level infinity pool with sunken seating areas, an executive lounge, spa, fitness centre, ballroom and conference facilities and, for families, a kids club, outdoor playground and mini water park. About Melia Hotels & Resorts Melia Hotels & Resorts is the best-known international brand in the portfolio of the Melia Hotels International company; it has more than 100 city and resort hotels in the main leisure and business destinations of Europe, Asia, Africa and America. The brand offers exemplary meetings and events facilities in all important business cities as well as in exotic locations, catering to the ever-expanding conference and incentive travel market. As part of its innovation philosophy and new positioning, Melia Hotels & Resorts has reinvented itself to cater to every aspect of the guests wellbeing. Unique experiences are created for guests and are defined by relaxation, quality time and personalised services. For a balanced lifestyle, Melia Hotels & Resorts instinctively understands the guests needs and lifestyle expectations, which is an integral part of its redefined identity. About Melia Hotels International Founded in 1956 in Mallorca (Spain), Melia Hotels International operates more than 390 hotels (portfolio and pipeline) throughout more than 40 countries, under the brands Gran Melia Hotels & Resorts, Paradisus by Melia, ME by Melia, Melia Hotels & Resorts, INNSiDE by Melia, Sol by Melia and TRYP by Wyndham. The Company is the global leader in resort hotels, while also leveraging its experience to consolidate the growing segment of the leisure-inspired urban market. Its commitment to responsible tourism has led the Group to become the most sustainable hotel company in the world in 2019, according to SAM, the sustainable investment company. Melia Hotels International is also included in the IBEX 35 Spanish stock market index and it is the Spanish hotel leader in Corporate Reputation (Merco Ranking). About Asset World Corporation Asset World Corp Public Company Limited (AWC) is Thailands leading integrated lifestyle real estate group under TCC Group, with a sustainable diversified development pipeline for future growth as well as the potential for long-term capital appreciation. AWCs business operations are organized into two principal segments: (i) Hospitality, comprising hotels managed and operated by the worlds leading hotel chains (ii) Retail and Commercial Building, comprising Retail and Wholesale group which includes world-class tourist lifestyle destination, community shopping mall, community market and wholesale space, with such well-known projects as Asiatique the Riverfront, Gateway at Bangsue, Pantip Plaza Pratunam and Tawanna Bangkapi; and Office Building group with prominent projects located in highly sought-after, central business district in Bangkok like Empire Tower, Athenee Tower, etc. Recently on October 10, 2019, Asset World Corporation succeeded in listing the company on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) in the real estate and construction industry under the property development category. AWCs market capitalization was highest in the history of the SET (According to Bloomberg Database).


CONCRETE BILL

SENATE APPROVAL: The captive insurance company fixing crumbling foundations would continue indefinitely, if Gov. Ned Lamont signs the bill into law.

EXTENT OF CRISIS: The measure calls for up to $175,000 from existing captive funds to research the extent of the crisis in nonresidential structures.

REPORTING: Quarries would have to report to the state the quality of their concrete aggregate.

REASSESSED: Homes that have been reassessed would remain at the reassessed value until they are fixed.
Town Reporter

Adam joined the JI in November 2020. He graduated in 2019 from the University of Connecticut. He enjoys reading, playing soccer and basketball, as well as piano and drums. He is a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates.
Its the end of a trial that many thought would never come. This Tuesday the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), a judicial body that has replaced the former UN tribunals for Rwanda and former Yugoslavia, will hand down the appeals judgement in the case against former Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic.

This judgement marks the end of the last trial of the real principals of the conflicts that tore apart the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. (The only Yugoslav case remaining at the MICT is the re-trial of two former Serbian spymasters.) Mladic was the head of the Bosnian Serb army during the Yugoslav wars of 1992-1995. He spent over 15 years on the run between 1995, when the UN court issued its first indictment against him, and 2011 when he was arrested at a cousins house in a Serbian village and handed over to the then International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)..

600 witnesses and a 2,500 page judgement

Because he was one of the last fugitives the ICTY got its hands on, the case against Mladic was largely known through other trials. At the time of his conviction in 2017 there had been 90 other individuals convicted and sentenced by the ICTY. Many of those cases overlapped to some extent with the Mladic case in terms of the crime base they were looking at. While a lot of the evidence was already tested in court in those other cases, the size and scope of the case against Mladic made his trial go on for five and a half years. Nearly 600 witnesses testified and almost 10,000 documents were taken into evidence. The Trial Chamber took notice of some 2,000 adjudicated facts and its final judgement was around 2,500 pages. The appeals phase alone took another three and a half years.

The IRMCT prosecutor Serge Brammertz  who has been in charge of this case since 2008 when he became the ICTY Prosecutor  pointed out that even though the prosecution had reduced the indictment by 40 percent prior to the beginning of the trial, it remained a huge case where most of the evidence and witnesses had to be presented live in court. There are many objective reasons why it has taken so long and if you look at other international tribunals you will see that you have cases that are, in terms of magnitude, 10 percent of our case and which have also taken ten years, he told journalists last week.

In 2017 the judges found that Mladic, who was then 74, played a central role in four different joint criminal enterprises which essentially carried out ethnic cleansing campaigns against Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats, as part of a plan to forge a Greater Serbia out of parts of the former Yugoslavia.

As the military leader of the Bosnian Serb forces he was convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, including terrorizing the civilian population of the Bosnian capital Sarajevo during a 43-month siege, and the killing of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica, Bosnia, in July 1995. He was sentenced to life in prison.

A simple man

Mladic appealed on several grounds, mainly attacking the findings about the existence of four joint criminal enterprises and his contribution to them. Defence lawyers also argued Mladic did not get a fair trial and said the judges did not take his failing mental health and advanced age properly into account. Mladic has suffered several strokes and a heart attack, but medical experts consulted by the court concluded the former general was fit to stand trial.

Last August, in a sometimes rambling personal statement at the end of the appeals hearing, Mladic cast himself as a professional soldier and a simple man who was thrown into war by a NATO alliance trying to break up the former Yugoslavia. We do not deny that others engaged in crimes but they do not have anything to do with Mr. Mladic, defence lawyer Dragan Ivetic told the appeals judges. Ivetic called for Mladic to be acquitted or face a retrial.

The prosecution has also appealed to ask the judges for a second genocide conviction for the campaign of ethnic cleansing in a number of municipalities in Bosnia at the start of the war. The campaign included setting up a series of detention camps where tens of thousands of Muslims and Croats were beaten, tortured, held in inhumane conditions and sometimes sexually assaulted. The prosecution has tried this in every case involving similar charges but so far the 1995 killings in Srebrenica remain the only recognized instance of genocide during the Yugoslav wars.

The suspense lies in a dissenting judge

The objections the defence raised might find more purchase with the appeals chambers presiding judge Prisca Nyambe. As tribunal watcher Iva Vukusic pointed out on Twitter, Nyambe wrote a dissenting opinion in the 2012 judgement of Zdravko Tolimir, one of Mladics direct subordinates in Srebrenica in 1995, where she questioned the basis for Tolimirs conviction by the majority. General Tolimir was convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity by an ICTY trial chamber and much of the evidence in the Tolimir and the Mladic case overlaps when it comes to the Srebrenica genocide. But in her dissenting opinion judge Nyambe said she believed most of the evidence against Tolimir was circumstantial and only derived from his position in the chain of command of the Bosnian Serb army. She stated that based on the evidence in the case she could not conclude there was forcible transfer of the Muslim populations of Srebrenica. She also did not agree with the majority finding that there was a highly organised murder operation after the fall of Srebrenica that was shared widely among the leadership of the Bosnian Serb army. Instead she suggested it could have arisen from a small group of individuals operating in an unauthorised and secretive manner.

Asked about the Tolimir judgement prosecutor Brammertz would not directly comment on the judges conclusions but stressed he was confident the appeals chamber would uphold Mladics conviction. I am absolutely convinced that the evidence is overwhelming, and I very much trust that a large majority of judges will see it the same way, he said. If there is a dissenting opinion so be it, I have nothing against it, it just shows we are not an institution where one opinion is imposed on everyone, he added while concluding that he could not imagine any other outcome than a confirmation of the conviction.
War crimes judges on Tuesday upheld the genocide conviction of former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic over the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, Europes worst act of bloodshed since World War II.

The UN tribunal in The Hague rejected Mladics appeal against his 2017 life sentence for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity over the 1992-5 Bosnian war.

Dubbed the Butcher of Bosnia, the once burly general who is now in his late 70s sat impassively and listened to the judgement through headphones as it was read out by presiding judge Prisca Nyambe.

The appeals chamber affirmed the sentence of life imprisonment imposed on Mr Mladic by the trial chamber, the tribunal in The Hague said in a statement.

The verdict by five judges at the UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals  which deals with cases from the now-closed Yugoslavia war crimes tribunal  is final and cannot be appealed any further.

Mothers of some of the 8,000 mostly Muslim men and boys killed in cold blood when Bosnian Serb troops overran Srebrenica were outside the court where they have long campaigned for justice.

Today is a historic day, not only for us mothers, but also for the whole Balkans, Europe and the world, Munira Subasic, president of one of the Mothers of Srebrenica associations, told AFP outside court.

Hes a monster who did not repent for what he has done, even after 26 years. Wherever their army came, wherever their boot stepped in, they committed genocide, she added.

 I have come to cry 

At the genocide memorial near Srebrenica, a giant screen broadcast witness testimony ahead of the verdict, near the lines of white headstones where the bodies of some 6,600 identified victims are laid to rest.

Instead of rejoicing with grandchildren, I have come to cry here, said Munevera Kabeljic, 69, resting on the graves of her husband and her sons aged 17 and 20, neither of whom were married.

Kabeljic hit out at members of the Serbian community in Bosnia who have denied that any massacre took place.

What hurts is the most is that they deny genocide, she added.

They say it didnt happen, but these tombstones prove it. They didnt come to sleep here, they were killed.

Mladic was the military face of a brutal trio led on the political side by ex-Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic and former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic.

Captured in 2011 after a decade on the run, Mladic was found guilty in 2017 of genocide for personally overseeing the massacre at the supposedly UN-protected enclave of Srebrenica.

Footage from the time showed him handing out sweets to children before they and the women of Srebrenica were taken away by bus, while the men of the town were marched into a forest and executed.

 Target of NATO 

Mladic was also found guilty of orchestrating a wider campaign of ethnic cleansing to drive Muslims and Bosnians out of key areas to create a Greater Serbia as Yugoslavia tore itself apart after the fall of communism.

The war left around 100,000 people dead and 2.2 million displaced.

Mladic, who gives his age as 78 but it is 79 according to the court, insisted throughout the trial and appeal process that he was guilty of genocide or war crimes.

In one of a series of tirades to the court, he painted himself last August as a target of the NATO alliance and derided the court as a child of western powers.

His lawyers argued that he was far from the scene at the time of the actual killings in Srebrenica, and that he could not be held responsible for the crimes of his subordinates.

The appeal hearing was delayed repeatedly after Mladic needed surgery to remove a polyp, and then because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Access to the court on Tuesday was also limited because of coronavirus measures.

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The UN rights chief on Tuesday hailed a ruling by war crimes judges upholding a life sentence for former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic over the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.

Michelle Bachelet welcomed the decision by the UN tribunal in The Hague, which rejected Mladics appeal against his 2017 life sentence for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War.

Bachelets comments came in a joint statement with Alice Wairimu Nderitu, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres special advisor on the prevention of genocide.

Tuesdays ruling highlights the determination of the international justice system to ensure accountability no matter how long it may take  in Mladics case, nearly three decades after he committed his appalling crimes, Bachelet said.

Dubbed the Butcher of Bosnia, Mladic was the military face of a brutal trio led on the political side by ex-Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic and former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic.

The 1995 Srebrenica massacre, in which some 8,000 mostly Muslim men and boys were killed in cold blood when Bosnian Serb troops overran the town, was Europes worst act of bloodshed since World War II.

The decision to uphold Mladics convictions by the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, as well as his sentence of life imprisonment, provides historical certainty and finality for victims and survivors, Nderitu said in the statement.

It also sends a hugely important message throughout the Western Balkans where we see genocide denial and the glorification of convicted criminals such as Mladic not only persisting but increasing.

In their statement, Bachelet and Nderitu urged officials and the press to refrain from revisionist narratives, divisive rhetoric and incitement to hatred.

Mladics crimes were the abhorrent culmination of hatred stoked for political gain. Todays decision is about his individual responsibility for his dreadful acts, not about collective punishment or apportioning guilt to any particular community, Bachelet said.
UN judges on Tuesday confirmed the genocide life sentence of former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic over the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, Europes worst act of bloodshed since World War II.

The man dubbed the Butcher of Bosnia briefly closed his eyes and shook his head as the Hague tribunal rejected his appeal against his 2017 conviction and sentence for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

US President Joe Biden hailed the historic confirmation that Mladic, now in his late 70s, will spend the rest of his life in jail for the atrocities he oversaw during the 1992-95 Bosnian war.

The worst of those was Srebrenica, where Serb forces under Mladics command executed 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys who had sought shelter in what was meant to be a UN protected enclave.

Ordering the grey-haired Mladic to stand for the final part of the ruling, chief judge Prisca Nyambe said the appeals chamber of five judges dismisses Mladics appeal in its entirety.

Nyambe, who dissented to the findings of all the other judges, added that the court affirms the sentence of life imprisonment imposed on Mladic by the trial chamber.

The court also dismissed a prosecution appeal against Mladics acquittal on wider genocide charges.

Mladic, who gives his age as 78 but it is 79 according to the court, is currently being held in the Netherlands but will serve the rest of his sentence in a yet-to-be-decided country.

 Historic day 

Relatives of some of the Srebrenica victims were outside court for the verdict.

Today is a historic day, not only for us mothers, but also for the whole Balkans, Europe and the world, Munira Subasic, president of one of the Mothers of Srebrenica associations, told AFP outside court.

Hes a monster who did not repent for what he has done, even after 26 years. Wherever their army came, wherever their boot stepped in, they committed genocide, she added.

Mladic was the military face of a brutal trio led on the political side by ex-Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic and former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic as the former Yugoslavia descended into carnage after the fall of communism.

Karadzic is currently serving a life sentence while Milosevic died in The Hague in 2006.

At the genocide memorial near Srebrenica, a giant screen broadcast witness testimony ahead of the verdict, near the lines of white headstones where the bodies of some 6,600 identified victims were laid to rest.

Instead of rejoicing with grandchildren, I have come to cry here, said Munevera Kabeljic, 69, resting on the graves of her husband and her sons aged 17 and 20, neither of whom were married.

Kabeljic hit out at members of the Serbian community in Bosnia who have denied that any massacre took place.

What hurts the most is that they deny genocide, she added.

They say it didnt happen, but these tombstones prove it. They didnt come to sleep here, they were killed.

 Prevent future atrocities 

The verdict was hailed as a victory for international justice in an age of increasing impunity.

This historic judgment shows that those who commit horrific crimes will be held accountable, Biden said in a statement. It also reinforces our shared resolve to prevent future atrocities from occurring anywhere in the world.

UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet said the ruling highlights the determination of the international justice system to ensure accountability no matter how long it may take  in Mladics case, nearly three decades after he committed his appalling crimes.

Captured in 2011 after a decade on the run, Mladic was found guilty in 2017 of genocide for personally overseeing the massacre.

Footage from the time showed him handing out sweets to children before they and the women of Srebrenica were taken away by bus, while the men of the town were marched into a forest and executed.

Mladic was also found guilty of orchestrating a wider campaign of ethnic cleansing to drive Muslims and Bosnians out of key areas to create a Greater Serbia.

The war left around 100,000 people dead and 2.2 million displaced.

Mladic insisted throughout the trial and appeal process that he was not guilty of genocide or war crimes.

In one of a series of tirades to the court, he painted himself last August as a target of the NATO alliance and derided the court as a child of western powers.

His lawyers argued he was far from the scene at the time of the killings in Srebrenica and that he could not be held responsible for the crimes of his subordinates.

The appeal hearing was delayed repeatedly after Mladic needed surgery to remove a polyp and then because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Access to the court on Tuesday was also limited because of coronavirus measures.

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Namibias government came under fire from lawmakers Tuesday for its 1.1-billion-euro settlement with Germany, under which Berlin officially acknowledged an early 20th century genocide by colonial troops.

Opposition MPs took turns to trash the $1.3-billion deal, accusing the government of sidelining them and the communities directly affected by the genocide during negotiations that reached agreement last month.

Edson Isaacks from the opposition Landless Peoples Movement Namibia (LPM), equated the dealmaking process to apartheid and called the result a substandard agreement.

They have excluded communities, groups of Namibians that is apartheid that government has practised, Isaacks said during a rowdy session in parliament.

Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila opened the debate by outlining details of the agreement.

This issue is indeed a sensitive one, the premier said, her calls for unity interrupted by heckling from members of parliament.

It is important that we do not become divided over this issue, but remain united as a nation in pursuing it until its logical conclusion, she said.

Another LPM lawmaker, Utaara Mootu told the prime minister you have betrayed us.

You have not allowed for equal participation based on human rights policies. You have not given us the chance to narrate the economic trauma caused by the genocide, she added.

The deal will be signed by the two countries foreign ministers at date yet to be specified.

Josef Kauandenge, leader of another opposition party, the National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO) declared we will not be party to any signatory for things that we did not participate in.

That agreement can be signed between the Germany and the Namibian government, but the vast majority of Nama and ovaHerero people will reject it with the contempt it deserves, said Kauandenge.

The PM insisted that the affected communities were fully consulted during the negotiations.

The countrys Vice President Nangolo Mbumba last week said the 1.1-billion-euro development budget offered by Germany as compensation for the genocide was not enough but would be revisited as funding is rolled out.

The southern African countrys government started negotiations with its former coloniser Germany in 2015 over the 1904-1908 massacre of Herero and Nama people for rebelling against their rulers.

After years of back and forth, the parties reached a landmark agreement last month in which Germany officially recognised the killings as a genocide.

The PM said the German government has agreed to render an unconditional apology to the affected communities and the country as whole for the genocide.

The apology will be delivered by the German president in the National Assembly on a yet to be decided date.

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OPINION ANALYSIS



By

By Elizabeth Reese



at 10:29 pm

On Tuesday in United States v. Cooley, the Supreme Court upheld a power that tribal governments have long assumed they possessed as a basic necessity of ensuring public safety. The court held that tribal governments  and thus their police officers  retain the power to temporarily stop, and if necessary, search non-Indians traveling on public rights-of-way (highways) through reservations for suspected violations of federal or state laws. The unanimous opinion was authored by Justice Stephen Breyer. The decision represents an important affirmation of tribal inherent sovereign power by the new court and the first time the court has ever found that a tribes interest in addressing a threat to its political integrity, economic security, health or welfare was strong enough for the tribe to exert government authority of any kind over a non-Indian.

The defendant in the case, Joshua James Cooley, was arrested after a tribal police officer noticed his truck idling on the side of a highway that runs through the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana. While questioning Cooley to figure out if he needed any help, the officer suspected Cooley may have drugs, and then suspected he might resort to violence, leading the officer to draw his weapon, detain Cooley, and search the vehicle for weapons. The officer found both drugs and guns in the car, leading to a federal drug and firearms prosecution.

Cooley argued that the evidence was illegally obtained because the officer was a tribal officer, and therefore lacked the power to detain and search Cooley because Cooley is a non-Indian. The defense suggested that the officer should have assessed Cooleys Indian status and then let him go upon realizing he was a non-Indian unless the officer actively witnessed him committing a crime  a framework the prosecuting jurisdiction, the United States, argued was unworkable and unsafe for officers and tribal communities.

Indian tribes are sovereign entities unlike any other. Once fully independent nations, they are now domestic dependent sovereigns within the United States whose authority over their lands and the people who come onto their lands is now necessarily limited by that status.

Breyers opinion begins by embracing the courts long history of describing and upholding tribal government powers as retained inherent sovereign authority. While it seems like little more than a nod to clearly binding precedent, there have been recent attempts to persuade the court to depart from this doctrine and instead require Congress to affirmatively delegate or grant tribal governments power over non-Indians. Indeed, Cooley argued as much in his brief, and a few justices raised questions about this at oral argument, leaving some wondering whether there would be a concurrence or dissent noting this difference of opinion on tribal powers. Cooleys unanimous re-affirmation of the retained inherent sovereignty understanding of tribal powers is a resounding rebuke of this attempted redirection in this age-old doctrine.

Nor was the court convinced by Cooleys argument that tribal government powers derive from their power to exclude persons from their land, and therefore must be lessened on areas where tribes cannot exclude, such as public rights-of-way like the highway in Cooley. While noting that prior cases had traced tribal powers from their powers to exclude, the court held that tribes have inherent sovereignty independent of th[e] authority arising from their power to exclude, including the policing authority at issue in Cooley. The court also noted the special circumstances of this application of tribal sovereignty to non-Indians  specifically that it involved a tribal sovereign enforcing not tribal but federal or state criminal law. As such, the fairness concern from prior cases that non-Indians who do not belong to the tribe and consequently had no say in creating the laws that would be applied to them is not present.

When asked to determine which inherent powers tribal governments still retain, the court has been more than a bit inconsistent over the last 200 years, applying different tests to different circumstances and creating or emphasizing different points of analysis. Indeed, Justice Brett Kavanaugh noted at oral argument in this case that the Tribal Law and Order Commission and a group of former U.S. attorneys who worked in Indian country describe the laws created by the court and Congress to govern authority over criminal conduct on reservations as so complex, conflicting, and illogical that they are nothing short of an indefensible morass.

Cooley marks an important foray into these murky waters for this newly composed court. Breyers short and unanimous opinion is a noticeable departure that seems written to make no more of a mess of things. Indeed, after raising the indefensible morass point at oral argument, Kavanaugh suggested precisely a solution that partially made it into this opinion. He said one of the things we should be trying to do here is to do no harm, and while not very analytically satisfying to Kavanaugh, a clean way to resolve the case would be to rely on the prior dicta that had been the courts only guidance on tribal policing power up until this case. Kavanaugh suggested that the court could simply stick with what we said in those cases since it does not make a morass, as it was described, any worse. Breyers opinion explicitly notes and cites the courts earlier dicta from Strate v. A-1 Contractors, Atkinson Trading Co. v. Shirley, and Duro v. Reina, as the court having reserved a tribes inherent sovereign authority to engage in policing of the kind before us. While the general impulse not to further complicate things may explain this reliance on dicta, the length, and the unanimity of this opinion, whether it will indeed do no more harm to the complexity of Indian law jurisdiction remains to be seen.

Rather than simply relying on the dicta and being done with it, the court held that the test developed previously by the court for determining tribal civil jurisdiction over non-members governs the outcome in Cooley. The court reasoned that the test fits the present case, almost like a glove. In Montana v. United States, the court set out the general rule that tribes do not have the power to regulate the civil conduct of non-members unless one of two exceptions is met. That second exception acknowledges that tribes must also retain power over non-member conduct if that conduct threatens or has some direct effect on the political integrity, the economic security, or the health or welfare of the tribe. The court reasoned that the power to temporarily detain and search non-Indians on tribal highways is precisely the kind of authority over non-Indians that tribes must retain in order to protect against a threat to their health and welfare. Without the power to stop and search non-Indians on tribal highways, Breyer wrote, it would be difficult for tribes to protect themselves against ongoing threats such as non-Indian drunk drivers, transporters of contraband, or other criminal offenders operating on roads within the boundaries of a tribal reservation.

This extension of Montana to more than strictly civil cases is noteworthy for three reasons. First, Montana is clearly becoming the courts favored Indian sovereignty test though it blurs the lines between the courts civil and criminal jurisdiction jurisprudence. This blurring is the most complex for non-member Indians who are considered non-members in Montanas civil jurisdiction analysis but Indians for criminal jurisdiction. Presumably Montanas expansion in Cooley to a non-Indian criminal conduct scenario  and use of non-Indian throughout a decision applying Montana  suggests the court views the two categories as interchangeable within the tests application (or simply did not think about the distinction since it was not explicitly raised in the case). But time will tell if this picture can stay analytically clean or if this kind of blurring is precisely the kind of stuff morasses are made of.

Second, Montana was not the United States preferred test, and thus route to victory. Rather, it was an argument in the alternative because Montana is a difficult test to satisfy where tribes have traditionally not fared well. The general rule is a presumption against tribal jurisdiction over non-Indians that tribes must overcome by gaining consent or proving an adequate threat in federal court. As noted earlier, this is the first time the court has ever found that a tribe satisfied the second Montana exception. This is an important victory for public safety on Indian reservations, but also raises the question of just how high the bar is for Montanas second exception if the only case that satisfies this test developed to resolve the scope of a tribes civil powers over non-member conduct  think taxes, private damage claims, fishing permits and zoning  is not a case about civil conduct at all, but potentially criminal conduct that is an obvious threat to public safety. Indeed, the opinion has a paragraph seeming to assuage any concerns that this is a broad expansion of Montanas exceptions, instead reiterating they are limited.

And yet, finally, the courts embrace of the Montana tests second exception is also a novel willingness to consider the public safety implications at all in a case involving criminal conduct. That is a notable departure from earlier sovereignty cases involving crime on reservations. In Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe, the court rejected the relevance of the drastic consequences that holding tribes lacked criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians would have for public safety on reservations. The Cooley opinion not only acknowledges tribal governments need to protect themselves against non-Indian criminal threats, but considers the practical realities of tribal policing in rejecting the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuits solution. The 9th Circuits rule required tribal officers to first ascertain Indian status, and let non-Indians go unless the officers observed an apparent violation of state of federal law. The Supreme Court rejected the solutions workability by explaining that if officers are simply required to ask suspects about their Indian status it would produce an incentive to lie and the requirement that violations are apparent is a not only new but it was not obvious what that means.

Even the courts rejection of a congressional preclusion argument discussed the practical realities facing Indian tribes trying to effectively cover their territories. The court dismissed the argument that Congress had already spoken on the issue and defined tribal policing authority through the laws it has passed allowing tribal police to become cross-deputized. The court was not convinced by this argument since these laws are overinclusive in addressing tribal police authority to arrest  presumably an exercise of criminal law held beyond the scope of inherent tribal jurisdiction after Oliphant  and underinclusive because they require additional agreements that are not easy to reach.

One practical reality of policing that seems conspicuously absent is what the standard is after Cooley for tribal police to detain and search non-Indians like Cooley. The 9th Circuit held that the reasonableness of a search or seizure was tied up in the limits of a sovereigns authority. After holding that tribal officers generally lacked authority over non-Indians, the 9th Circuit reasoned that officers could still justify their detention as reasonable if it was likened to the common-law authority of private citizens to seize perpetrators after witnessing an obvious or apparent violation of law. On remand, with the initial sovereign authority of the tribal officer clarified, the 9th Circuit will have to revisit and clarify the scope of the Indian Civil Rights Acts Fourth Amendment analogues reasonableness standard and whether it is exactly the same as the reasonable suspicion and probable cause standards enshrined in the Fourth Amendment. Justice Samuel Alitos one-paragraph concurrence noted that he views the courts opinion as holding no more than that tribal police have that same authority. However, his note limiting the case to its facts and emphasizing the limits of tribal police authority over non-Indians likely suggests a concern that tribal police may attempt to exercise authority seemingly beyond stops for reasonable suspicion of violating federal or state law  say, for example, by setting up checkpoints on their highways that stop all motorists and ask them to turn around instead of coming onto the reservation in order to limit the spread of COVID-19, precisely as the Crow tribe did earlier this year. We will have to wait and see what Montanas second exception has in store for such a scenario  whether a global pandemic is enough of a threat to tribal health and welfare to justify tribal police briefly stopping all non-Indian drivers.
Philadelphia provides additional incentives for residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine in the form of a chance to win a cash prize of up to $50,000.

Announced in the city Philadelphia Vax Lucky Draw Monday, this will include three paintings June 21, July 6, and July 19. In each draw, two Philadelphia residents will win $50,000, four will win $5,000, and the other six will win $1,000. The total bonus for this coronavirus vaccination reward program is US$400,000.

To be eligible, a person must have a current Philadelphia address, be at least 18 years old, and be vaccinated against COVID-19 at least once before each draw.

Health department data It shows that approximately 64.7% of Philadelphia residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 52% have been fully vaccinated.

The lottery is designed to specifically encourage people living in communities with the lowest vaccination rates to get vaccinated by providing these residents with a better chance of winning.For the first draw on June 21st, people living in the 19126 postal code will have an increased chance of receiving a cash prizeapproximately The chance of winning is increased by 100 times City officials say there are more people than those who live outside the postcode.

People will be entered into the drawing in one of three ways: City officials will use the Philadelphia residents database to automatically enter everyone who meets the eligibility requirements into the database. Since the database may contain errors, duplicate records or incompleteness, officials said there are other ways to ensure participation.

the first is Register online at phillyvaxsweepstakes.com, Available 24 hours a day. Residents need to provide their name, mailing address, phone number and email address. The registration form is available in English and Spanish.

People can dial (877)-642-5666 between 8 am and 7 pm to register. The system will prompt the caller to leave a message, including their name, mailing address, and phone number.

And residents can Register for the vaccination sweepstakes by sending a text message Phillyvax to (215) 608-9799.

Officials said that using online forms, calling or texting to confirm a persons entries in all three paintings, duplicate entries will only be counted once.

The Philadelphia Vax lottery is Efforts to increase the number of urban residents receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.TonThe city is working with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania on mapping.

Prizes are provided by the Wharton School of Business; Penns Behavior Change for Good Initiative; University of Pennsylvania Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics; and the Influenza Laboratory.

Here is how the city will determine which zip code residents will have a better chance:

 In each of the three sweepstakes, a postal code will be randomly selected from Philadelphias 20 postal codes with the lowest inoculation rate as of May 27.  Half of the winners in each award category will be drawn from this selected zip code, while the other half will be drawn from the entire Philadelphia.  The zip code selected in each painting will be publicly announced on Philadelphias website and the citys social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) approximately two weeks ago, creating additional incentives for residents of that zip code if they return No vaccinations. The selected postal code for the first picture is 19126, which includes parts of East Oak Lane and West Oak Lane.  No postal code can be a selected postal code more than once, which means there will be three different selected Philadelphia postal codes in total.

On Monday, Wharton Professor Katie Milkman explained that the raffle was designed to use insights from behavioral science. Participation in the plan and its impact on vaccination rates, especially in postal codes with low vaccination rates, will be compared with surrounding counties to better understand how communities accept public health incentives.

There is an interesting twist.

In our sweepstakes, we also used what behavioral scientists call theregret lottery, which means you may find that as long as you get vaccinated, you can win, Milkman said in a press release on Monday. Explained at the meeting. Knowing that this is a possibility would be very motivated. Imagine if you received that call and realized that if you were vaccinated, you would win $50,000 with regret.

The decision to hold a lottery event was made at a time when the demand for vaccines in the city was declining. Philadelphia and FEMA recently closed large-scale vaccination sites in Central City and North Philadelphia, although there is still ample supply of vaccines in community clinics and pharmacies, and they are more readily available than ever.

The Black Doctors COVID-19 Alliance will work with the city and the Wharton School of Business to help promote the Philadelphia Vax sweepstakes.

We are very familiar with priority postal codes because we have provided accessible and free testing and vaccinations in these communities since April 2020, said Dr. Ala Stanford, head of BDCC. The program is a way to help communities that are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus and have fewer testing sites and vaccination points in their communities. We will continue to provide all three vaccines, no appointments, no appointments, and weekly vaccines. Vaccination is used to provide community service clinics and home vaccinations for our residents at home. We will promote the lucky draw to all Philadelphia residents.
After the monsoon storm in West Bengal, at least 27 people on a flight were killed by lightning and 4 passengers were hospitalized.

Officials said that after severe turbulence during the monsoon storm in eastern India, lightning strikes have caused 27 deaths and 4 passengers were taken to hospital.

Officials said West Bengal was hit by a thunderstorm on Monday night, and lightning strikes occurred in parts of the state-which is quite common during the countrys annual monsoon from June to September each year.

West Bengal Disaster Management Minister Javid Ahmed Khan told AFP on Tuesday: Many of the 27 people on Monday night

Lightning over the apartment building during a thunderstorm in the suburbs of New Delhi [File: Prakash Singh/AFP]

Authorities said that most of the victims were farmers, but some people just happened to be outdoors. The storm hit six areas of the state and was accompanied by strong winds.

Officials said a flight from the western city of Mumbai to Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, was hit by a storm when it was about to land.

Eight passengers were injured and four were taken to the hospital.

One passenger is still in the hospital. The others have been discharged, Airport Director C Pattabhi told AFP. This is an intimate shave for the passengers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced 200,000 rupees (US$2,746) for the close relatives of the deceased, and 50,000 rupees (US$686) for each injured person.

According to the latest data from the National Criminal Records Bureau, nearly 2,900 people died of lightning in India in 2019.

Before the rainy season, summer storms with strong winds are common in India. The Bureau of Meteorology predicts more storms in India in the coming days.

The monsoon is essential to replenish the water supply in South Asia, but it can also cause widespread death and damage throughout the region.
The prime minister called for unity during the noisy parliamentary meeting, but opposition lawmakers accused the government of not marginalizing them and the directly affected communities.

Opposition politicians in Namibia lashed out at the governments deal with Germany as lawmakers in Windhoek began to debate

In the planned settlement agreement, Berlin officially recognized the genocide of the colonial army in the early 20th century and agreed to a settlement for US$1.3 billion.

The funds to be used for development projects will be allocated within 30 years.

Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila outlined the details of the agreement and kicked off a heated parliamentary debate on Tuesday.

This issue is indeed a sensitive issue, she said, and her call for unity was interrupted by questions from members of the parliament.

She said: The important thing is that we dont disagree on this issue, but to pursue it together until we reach a logical conclusion.

But opposition politicians took turns condemning the deal, accusing the government of marginalizing them and the communities directly affected by the genocide in negotiations that reached an agreement last month.

They ruled out communities, Namibian groupsthis is apartheid imposed by the government, Edson Isaacks of the opposition Landless Peoples Movement (LPM) in Namibia described the results of the transaction process as substandard Agreement.

Another LPM MP Utaara Mootu told Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, You betrayed us.

You did not allow equal participation based on human rights policies. She added that you did not give us the opportunity to talk about the economic trauma caused by genocide.

The agreement needs to be approved by the parliaments of Namibia and Germany, and then signed by the foreign ministers of the two countries.

Josef Kauandenge, the leader of another opposition party, the National Unity and Democracy Organization (NUDO), declared that for things that we are not involved in, we will not be a party to any signatory.

The agreement can be signed between the governments of Germany and Namibia, but the vast majority of Nama and Ovaherero people will reject it with due contempt, Kauandenge said.

The Prime Minister insisted that full consultations were conducted with the affected communities during the negotiations.

However, the descendants of the affected communities stated that they Not included in the process. They demand that compensation be paid directly to their community.

Last week, Nangolo Mbumba, Vice President of Namibia, stated that the development budget provided by Germany as compensation for genocide was not enough, but it will be reconsidered with the introduction of funds.

The German Empire conquered what is now Namibia and used it as a colony from 1884 to 1915, treating people cruelly.

The government of this southern African country began negotiations with its former colonizer, Germany, in 2015 on the massacres of the Herero and Nama people that rebelled against the ruler in 1904 and 1908.

Historians say that 65,000 of the 85,000 people living in Herero were killed, while at least 10,000 of the 20,000 Naamas living there at the time were killed.

After years of repetition, the parties reached a landmark agreement last month, and Germany officially recognized these killings as genocide.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said that the German government had agreed to unconditionally apologize to the affected communities and the entire country for the genocide.

The German President will issue a statement of apology in the National Assembly. The specific date has not yet been determined.
When can the pitchfork be released from prison?

Pitchfork pleaded guilty to raping and murdering two teenagers and was sentenced to life imprisonment of at least 30 years. The appeal period in 2009 was shortened to 28 years.

Local MP Alberto Costa said he met with Martin Jones, chief executive of the Parole Board in England and Wales, to discuss the case.

After the meeting, Mr. Costa announced that he would write to the Minister of Justice Robert Buckland Congressman to ensure that he and the parole committee are aware of the local concerns about the case.

Mr. Costa said: The heinous crime of Colin Pitchfork is understandable in the memory of many of my voters for a long time, and his case still attracts considerable attention from residents of South Leicestershire.

Given that he was recently referred for a parole review, I am pleased to meet with the CEO of the Parole Board and get a better understanding of the Pitchfork case in order to inform me of the next steps I will take on this matter.

Of course, the safety and well-being of my voters is the most important thing, so I want to make sure that the parole board fully understands Pitchforks crimes and his character before making any decisions.
Newest:

The head of the emergency of the United Nations health agency said that more than 80% of COVID-19 vaccination coverage is needed to significantly reduce the possibility of imported coronavirus cases producing new cases or triggering a wider outbreak.

Dr. Michael Ryan of the World Health Organization said that in the end, a high level of vaccination coverage is the way out of this pandemic.

Ryans remarks to reporters in Geneva on Monday came at a time when wealthy countries with access to vaccines are facing pressure from WHO and many global health advocates to share more vaccines with developing countries that are severely lacking vaccines.

The UK has been following the recent increase in cases, which is mainly due to the increase in cases associated with the so-called delta variant that first appeared in India.

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHOs head of COVID-19 technology, pointed out that the delta variant is circulating in more than 60 countries and is more contagious than the alpha variant that originally appeared in the UK.

-From the Associated Press, last updated at 7 am EST

Whats happening in canada

Over the weekend, people lined up for appointments at an outdoor pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic called Jababalooza on the football field of Immaculata High School in Ottawa. (Justin Tang/Canada Press)

As of early Tuesday morning, Canada had reported 1,394,128 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 22,844 were considered active. The death toll on CBC News is 25,761. To date, more than 26.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been vaccinated across the country. CBCs vaccine tracker.

On Monday in Atlantic Canada, Nova Scotia Report 14 new COVID-19 cases, in spite of Newfoundland and Labrador Report Two new cases.

Have A new case of COVID-19 Reported on New Brunswick, Officials announced that the province has not yet achieved its goal of vaccinating 75% of people 12 years and older with the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine by June 7.

No new COVID-19 case reports Prince Edward Island on Monday.

in Quebec, Health officials reported another 3 deaths and 193 new COVID-19 cases on Monday as the province lifted more public health restrictions.

(Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Ontario Another 15 deaths and 525 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Monday. According to data from the provincial dashboard, the number of inpatients is 547 and there are 497 in the ICU.

Senior Ontario health officials said this week that the delta COVID-19 variant has been detected across the province and it is likely to become the main strain, as it was in the early stages of the pandemic, with a more aggressive variant of COVID-19 . However, they say that vaccination seems to protect people infected with the variant from serious illness, especially those who have received two doses of the vaccine.

On Monday in the Prairie Province, Manitoba Two other deaths and 169 new COVID-19 casesThe provinces chief public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, said officials are drawing up our recovery roadmap, but warned that the healthcare system is still under tension.

Saskatchewan, At the same time, three other deaths and 68 new COVID-19 cases.

in Alberta, Health officials have reported two new COVID-19 deaths and 127 new COVID-19 cases.

In the entire north, no new cases have been reported Nunavut, This North-west region or Yukon Territory on Monday.

British Columbia On Monday, 482 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the past three days, with another 12 deaths.

-From CBC News and Canadian media, the last update time is 7 am EST

What is happening around the world

On Tuesday, a health worker vaccinated a man in Kathmandu with a Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccine. (Prakash Math/AFP/Getty Images)

A tracking tool from Johns Hopkins University said that as of early Tuesday morning, more than 173.6 million COVID-19 cases had been reported worldwide. The reported global death toll exceeds 3.7 million.

in AfricaThe head of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that he hopes to identify African COVID-19 vaccine production bases, and some will even be close to production before the end of 2021 in order to provide more vaccines to the African continent.

inside Asia Pacific In this region, the number of daily coronavirus infections in India fell below 100,000 for the first time in more than two months due to the overall economic downturn prompting some states to relax restrictions.

On Tuesday, the 86,498 new cases in the past 24 hours brought Indias total to more than 29 million, second only to the United States, which has more than 33 million.

At the same time, Nepal resumed its stalled coronavirus vaccination campaign on Tuesday after the Himalayas requested international help, and China provided 1 million doses of vaccine. Nepals vaccination campaign started in January but stalled after neighbouring India suffered a surge in the coronavirus and banned the export of its AstraZeneca vaccine.

inside AmericaOnce 70% of adults receive at least one dose of the vaccine, New York will remove more COVID-19 regulations, and Governor Andrew Cuomo hopes that the state can reach this goal within a few days.

According to the latest federal data, nearly 69% of New York adults received at least one dose of the vaccine.

inside middle East, According to the national news agency KUNA, Kuwait has approved the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson.

in Europe, Danish researchers are using virtual reality to encourage more COVID-19 vaccinations through a game of manipulation among virus-infected people in city squares.

-From the Associated Press and Reuters, the last update time is 7:10 am EST
The Eritrean Foreign Minister accused the Biden government of inciting further conflict and instability in northern Ethiopia.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Eritrea blamed the current conflict in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia on the US government that had supported the Tigray Peoples Liberation Movement (TPLF) for the past 20 years, adding that it was unfounded to blame Eritrea for the fighting.

In a letter sent to the UN Security Council on Monday, Osman Saleh accused President Joe Bidens government of inciting further conflict and instability through intervention and intimidation in the region, apparently in order to restore the TPLF regime Remnants of.

The coalition led by TPLF ruled Ethiopia for nearly 30 years until Prime Minister Abi Ahmed came to power in 2018.

Abi reconciled with his old enemy Eritrea as soon as he took office, further alienating TPLF, and tensions are increasing.

In November last year, Abi sent troops into the area, detained and disarmed the leader of the organization, saying that this was a response to the TPLF attack on the federal barracks.

Although he promised that the military operation will be short-lived, almost seven months later, the fighting has continued, reports of atrocities have surged, and world leaders have warned of a humanitarian disaster.

It is estimated that thousands of people were killed in the war, which caused one third of the regions 6 million people to flee.

On Friday, the United Nations warned of an imminent famine in Tigray and northern Ethiopia, saying there was a risk of hundreds of thousands of deaths.

Mark Lowcock, the head of UN humanitarian affairs, said in a statement that the economy, businesses, crops and farms have been destroyed, and there are no banks or telecommunications services.

Eritrean Army

The Eritrean army has also been accused of committing atrocities against the Ethiopian army in Tigray.

Salehs letter did not mention the Eritrean army in Tigray, despite the international request for their retreat.

Eritrea only admitted in April, Its troops are participating In the months-long war in Tigray. Follow that, Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced The Eritrean army began to withdraw from Tigray after fighting on the government side.

Witnesses, rape survivors, officials and rescuers said that Eritrean soldiers were found far away from the border, sometimes wearing faded Ethiopian military uniforms, controlling main roads and access to some communities.

In April, Eritrean soldiers Fire on civilians According to Amnesty International, a global rights watchdog, 3 people were killed and at least 19 were injured in Tigray.

The Ethiopian government regards TPLF fighters as terrorists who despise Abis authority. But the recent atrocities seem to have increased support for TPLF.

Saleh accused TPLF of conducting false propaganda activities to cover up its illegal plan to arm itself and overthrow the Abi government.

He urged the UN Security Council to take appropriate measures to correct injustices.

Saleh also criticized the U.S. State Departments recent announcement of imposing visa restrictions on current or former Eritrean and Ethiopian government and military officials, saying that this is just the latest in a series of unilateral intimidation and interference.

Less than two weeks ago, more than 10,000 Ethiopians returned Protest the position of the United States In their country.

The demonstration organized by the Ethiopian authorities in Addis Ababa stated that Ethiopia does not need Western intervention.
The elections in Ethiopia are less than two weeks away, but various insecurity and logistical issues, as well as representation issues, may cast a shadow over the countrys twice-delayed national opinion polls.

In a televised speech in April, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed promised Ethiopians that they would be able to vote to shape the countrys destiny.However, as bleed The unstable situation in northern Tigray and elsewhere continues to cause losses to civilians, and the candidate will provide Abiy with the toughest electoral challenge Stay in jail, The enthusiasm of some Ethiopians continued to weaken.

Haimanot Tsegaye, a graduate student in the capital Addis Ababa, said: I dont have much hope for this process. I just want peace.

Nowadays, anything can cause violence.

The sixth election

The June 21 poll of 547 seats in the Ethiopian House of Representatives will be the sixth vote since the overthrow of the Mengistu Haile Mariam communist government in 1991. But they will also be the first time that the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) four-party coalition has been declared a winner in the first five games, including the last one in 2015, when it was damaged by allegations of intimidation by voters. All seats were won in the process.

Under its nearly 30-year rule, the government led by EPRDF used mass arrests and state violence to suppress critics. In 2005, the police suppressed unarmed protesters who took to the streets to denounce election violations, resulting in the deaths of nearly 200 demonstrators.

Dissatisfaction with growing authoritarianism intensified popular uprisings and eventually paved the way for Abiy to come to power three years ago. At that time, Abi, who was only 41 years old and the youngest leader in Africa, promised to overhaul the government and implement democratic reforms. The ultimate goal is to achieve free and fair elections by 2020-the first time in history.

After taking power in 2018, Abiy fired many EPRDF officials who saw the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) end the alliances dominance. The following year, he disbanded the entire EPRDF alliance and invited the member parties to merge into a unified Prosperity Party (PP). However, the Tigray elite hesitated to merge into the PP and retreated to Tigray, where the TPLF still ruled the regional government until the outbreak of the war in November 2020.

PP Party officials argued that the dissolution of EPRDF would reduce social division and strengthen democracy in Africas second most populous country, which is made up of more than 80 ethnic groups.

Ethiopias Ambassador to Qatar Samia Zekaria said: Since 2018, the government has taken a series of measures to expand democratization by expanding political space and creating an enabling environment for democratic practice. It has repeatedly reiterated its guarantees. A firm oath of free elections and a firm belief that this is the only legal way to achieve a peaceful transition of power.

Ethiopia under Abidjan

As part of the radical change, parties that were banned for a long time in the EPRDF era were decriminalized. Famous opposition figures were released from prison or invited to return from exile and participate in the countrys fledgling democratic process without fear of persecution.

At the same time, the appointment of Birtukan Mideksa as the chairman of the National Election Board (NEB) further inspires optimism. Birtukan is a well-known former political opposition leader. He was imprisoned twice after the controversial election in 2005. He spent nearly 40 months in prison. This choice was welcomed by observers, who considered it to be The authenticity of the reform movement.

In March 2020, NEB announced that it would postpone the election of that year by one year on the grounds of the risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This decision angered most of the countrys political opponents, who accused the ruling party of illegally extending its term of office on the pretext of the pandemic. The government denied this accusation.

In June 2020, the Addis Ababa-based Valderas for the Real Democratic Opposition announced that if no elections are held, it will call for protests before October 2020, when Abis initial term will expire period.

But just a few weeks after the announcement, the partys leader Eskinder Nega (Eskinder Nega was one of the political prisoners ordered to be released in 2018) was arrested again and accused of inciting after June 29 Violence murder Pop musician and activist Hachalu Hundessa.

Many other well-known election candidates and critics of Abi, including the highly influential Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) party duo Jawar Mohammed and Bekele Gerba ), which eventually became a large-scale round up of critics of the government.

Polls Second postponement Last month, Eskinder, Jawar, and Bekele were still in custody on logistical issues including training electors and printing and distributing ballots. They were all charged with crimes related to terrorism.

No, if party leaders go to jail, these elections will not be close to freedom and fairness, said OFC Chairman Merera Gudina (Merera Gudina). These elections lack legitimacy. Members of the ruling party are now asking people to produce voter registration documents to obtain oil, sugar and other amenities. They are forcing people to register to increase the low turnout rate due to lack of interest.

Mereiras political party said it would boycott the election on the grounds that it cannot compete while the main leaders and party members are still in detention. OFC enjoys considerable prestige among the countrys Oromo population. They account for about one-third of the countrys 110 million population and took the lead in protests, which eventually led to Abis appointment as prime minister.

The only other party that can compete with OFC for influence among the Oromo people is the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), a former combat organization that gave up for decades at Abis invitation in 2018 The armed struggle has joined party politics. OLF members have also been arrested.

Most young people in Oromo lost hope in the process. Many people cant even tell you when the election date is, said Yeroon Tolasaa, a lecturer at the University of Addis Ababa. The Oromo people are not represented in the election.

At the same time, Tigray will not vote. The seven-month conflict between the federal army and the former ruler of the region has resulted in the destruction of its institutions and infrastructure, and the partial takeover of the army joined by neighboring Eritrea. Support the conflict in Addis Ababa.

Last year, Tigray ignored the federal governments order to postpone the vote and conducted his own rogue poll. TPLF was announced as the winner of these polls and has since been designated as a terrorist organization by the federal government.

Who is running?

Due to the lack of strong opposition from two key regions, these regions are the strongholds of the countrys political opposition, and there is a clear lack of diversity between the remaining election hopes and the Welfare Partys competitors.

One of the political forces competing in the upcoming polls is the Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice Party (known for its Amharic acronym Ezema), which is led by Berhanu Nega, who was in the controversial 2005 Election for mayor of Addis Ababa in the annual election. The Enat Party, which was formed about a year ago, will send more than 500 candidates.

Among the top 10 opposition parties in the number of candidates, 8 have a support base in Addis Ababa. Most people have little contact outside the Ethiopian capital.

These elections will not be competitive, said Goitom Gebreleul, a political analyst and researcher for Horn of Africa affairs. But perhaps the most destructive fact is that there is only one representative of the main social constituency in the polls. This will belittle the ideals of democracy and human rights, and will have an adverse effect on society.

In the past month, several televised election debates have been held, covering many topics. With the exception of the National Movement of Amhara (NAMA) party, almost all opposition parties participating in the debate are from Addis Ababa.

The two debate sessions held in April in Afaen Oromo, Ethiopia, may best demonstrate the lack of diversity. The debate arranged for the Oromia audience did not establish a political party in the Oromia region.

At the same time, although the Tigray War is one of the most pressing issues in the country, discussions during the election debate have been completely ignored because reports of increasing atrocities and starvation, as well as allegations of weaponized rape and ethnic cleansing, have been A warning was triggered: an imminent humanitarian disaster. It is estimated that 90% of Tigrays residents, or 5.2 million people, need emergency food assistance.

Last month, the United States imposed sanctions on Ethiopian officials on the grounds that they failed to take serious measures to end the war that has killed thousands or more and displaced nearly 2 million people. Also in May, the EU cancelled its plan to send election observers to Ethiopia, ostensibly due to communication problems. Followed by five U.S. senators called for the postponement of the polls, which they described as currently unable to meet international standards of freedom, fairness, and transparency.

Major political and legal reforms

However, the Ethiopian government insists that it has ensured inclusiveness and that this years elections will be very different from past practices.

Ambassador Samia said: Our history is undermined by an undemocratic political culture, that is, the ruler came to power and was driven away by guns. The upcoming June elections will be held after major political and legal reforms.

At the same time, the Ethiopian court recently ordered NEB to allow imprisoned candidates from Valderrass real Democratic Party-including leader Eskind-to participate in the election.

The agency initially stated that it would not be able to fulfill the court order due to logistic and time constraints, but later stated that the Valderas party will have an exception, which means that it can participate in the election of its leader in prison.

As most of Ethiopias political opponents withdrew from the race, some observers worry that the polls may exacerbate dissatisfaction with the government.

Flawed elections have accumulated resentment among the people. We know this in Ethiopia because election manipulation under the previous regime is one of the grievances now used to condemn TPLF, said Nic Cheeseman, a writer and democracy professor at the University of Birmingham.

If Abiy continues with the same flawed election, it will generate similar anger and frustration, repeating the cycle.
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The arrested murderer was an obvious gun lover

The man was arrested for an apparent road rage shooting that resulted in the death of 6-year-old Aiden Leos. Gun An auto shop worker who frequently posts his latest weapon videos.

The California Highway Patrol said that 24-year-old Eriz Anthony and his 23-year-old girlfriend Lee Wayne were arrested at their home in Costa Mesa after they offered a reward of $500,000 for information that led to their arrest. .

Officials said that Eriz was the gunman in the deadly road rage incident, and his posts flooded with guns on social media showed that Eriz shot various weapons.

Erizs social media is full of photos of the suspected gunman shooting and posing at the shooting range.

In one photo, he saw him holding two pistols and a rifle, while in another photo, he was brandishing ammunition.

Neither Eriz nor Lee is considered to have committed a felony, and it is not known which gun was used to kill Leos, or whether it was photographed on Erizs social media.
A statement from Netanyahus office stated that the march took place in a form agreed upon by the police and the organizers.

Israels outgoing government said that far-right nationalists and pro-settler groups will conduct a controversial march in the occupied East Jerusalems Old City next week. The decision was made a day after the event was cancelled due to security issues. of.

On Thursday, several Israeli right-wing groups planned to hold a so-called flag march through the walled old city Damascus Gate and into the Muslim quarter, which caused a recurrence of Hamas (the group that manages the besieged Gaza Strip) Warning of hostilities. If it continues.

The far-right group cancelled the march after the police denied them permission. But after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus cabinet met on Tuesday, his office said that the ministers had approved the march next week.

A statement from Netanyahus office said: The parade will be held next Tuesday (June 15) in a format agreed upon by the police and the parade organizer.

Khalil al-Hayya, a senior Hamas official, warned Israel on Monday to not let the march close to East Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

We want the message to be clear so that Thursday does not become [a new] May 10, he said, referring to the beginning of the 11-day battle between Israel and Hamas last month.

According to the Gaza health authority, at least 254 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli bombing, including 66 children, while Israeli officials said there were 12 people in Israel, including two children, who were in armed groups in Gaza. Killed in the rocket attack.

The Israeli attack on Gaza took place after weeks of escalating tensions. Several Palestinian families were imminent and forcibly displaced. This is a Palestinian community in occupied East Jerusalem where Jewish settlers have been trying to deport them for decades. .

The situation escalated when Israeli police attacked the Al-Aqsa Mosque (the third holiest site in Islam) in the Old City of Jerusalem and injured hundreds of Palestinian believers in a few days of violence.

On Sunday, when the countrys legislature closes, Netanyahu will face the end of his long hold in power. Scheduled vote Approved a multi-party government to unite to overthrow him.

If the vote is successful, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and his partner opposition leader Yail Rapide will decide whether to continue the march.

Labor politician Gilad Karif, a supporter of the coalition that challenged Netanyahu, described the move as another chapter in the outgoing governments attempt to leave the scorched earth.

Regardless of whether the march continues, the tensions in Jerusalem are likely to continue.
When did Madeleine disappear?

Madeleine McCann disappeared from her Portuguese vacation apartment 14 years ago, triggering a global search, but so far has not been able to find the missing child. Despite a 12 million investigation by the police, Madeleines whereabouts-or whether she is alive or dead-remains a mystery.

Madeleine disappeared on May 3, 2007, when her family was from Leicestershire and was on vacation in Praia da Luz, Algarve, Portugal. Parents Gerry and Kate let their three children-including toddler twins Sean and Emily-sleep in their apartment while they dine at a snack bar 120 meters away.

When Kate came back to check on the children around 10pm, she found that Madeleine was not in her bed and was missing.

In September of the same year, the two doctors Gerry and Kate were named arguidos in a sensational manner by the Portuguese police. The following summer, the McCann family was cleared by Portuguese investigators, who announced that they had exhausted all avenues for the case.

In June 2020, Christian B was revealed as the new main suspect.
As Brussels prepares to enact the long-awaited legislation, several EU countries are fighting the final battle to weaken the EUs most significant banking regulatory change in a decade.

The proposed rules will introduce a new minimum capital or floor, making it more difficult for banks to use their own internal calculations to determine the size of their capital base.

The European Commission is expected to propose rules-this is part of the international rules Basel III Banking Reform September or October. But according to those involved in the discussion, the capitals headed by Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen and Luxembourg are trying to persuade the committee to ease the minimum level imposed. They believe that the way in which international standards are set may punish EU banks.

German Deputy Finance Minister Jorg Kukies told the Financial Times that the French-German proposal is on the one hand, a pragmatic way to ensure the authenticity and compliance of the Basel Agreement and respect its political mandate. [the EUs economic and financial affairs council] And G20 capital requirements have not increased significantly.

The new rules will take effect between 2023 and 2028, but they have been delayed by one year due to the pandemic. Some diplomats said that the need to promote the recovery of the European economy from Covid-19 strengthened the committees reason for balancing.

Central bankers and regulators reached an agreement to tighten rules in 2017, including controversial The bottom line of output prevents banks from using risk estimates that are far below the output of standardized models designed by regulators.This concept has caused a lot of use in France, Germany, and Nordic countries. Internal model.

According to calculations by the European Banking Authority, these standards may force banks to increase the amount of capital they hold by more than 10%. The four states are arguing about a so-called parallel stacking approach, which will help prevent capital requirements from increasing substantially.

A French official said that Paris hopes to strictly implement the Basel Agreement on the bottom line of output, no more, no less. Its about finding a way to avoid gilding and excessive conversion in Europe, the official argued. In short, any two-digit [per cent] The increase in capital requirements is of great significance to us because it violates the G20 commitment. 

Another single stack approach-including full application of rules-is more stringent and is supported by other countries such as the Netherlands and the EBA. EBA analysis The implication is that it will raise capital requirements by 18.5%, leaving the euro zone banking industry with an estimated capital gap of 52.2 billion euros.

In 2019, EBA warned that the parallel stack approach was not in compliance with the Basel Agreement.

Andrea Enria, Director of Supervision, European Central Bank Said last month The EU will not succumb to the temptation to introduce creative methods, such as the parallel stacking rule, which is critical.

The Dutch government stated in a position paper submitted to its parliament this week: For the consistency, simplicity and robustness of the framework, a single-stack approach should be used, which includes EU-specific capital requirements.

An EU official said, There is resistance to the issue of lower output limits because many banks worry that capital requirements may surge excessively. We think these growth will be much lower than some earlier forecasts.. 

The committee told the Financial Times: We will implement the Basel Agreement, including the bottom line of output. We must also ensure that the implementation does not translate into a significant increase in the overall capital of the EU banking industry. The banking industry should be maintained to provide funding for economic recovery. Capability. We think we can achieve this goal while staying true to the key elements of reform.

The German government is also concerned that these regulations will increase banks capital requirements for loans to companies that do not have external credit ratings. Instead, it proposes a hybrid approach based on the banks internal estimates of the companys risk.

The committee is working on legislation to make the new system effective; it will then be finalized by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers of the European Union.
Poland vs. Iceland live broadcast: streaming media, TV channels, because Gudmundssons opener was cancelled in the UEFA Euro 2020 friendly





Poland is preparing for their final pre-match warm-up match.

They will face one of the biggest heroes of the 2016 European Cup Iceland, They will not bring their thunder in this years game because they are not qualified.

Kick-off time: 5pm UK time / 6pm local time

5pm UK time / 6pm local time TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football

Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football live: Sky Go and NOW TV

Sky Go and NOW TV Poland team: Szczesny, Kedziora, Glik, Puchacz, Dawidowicz, Krychowiak, Modern, Frankowski, Zielinski, Lewandowski, Swierczok.

Szczesny, Kedziora, Glik, Puchacz, Dawidowicz, Krychowiak, Modern, Frankowski, Zielinski, Lewandowski, Swierczok. Iceland team: Runarsson, Sampsted, Hermannsson, Bjarnason, Thorarinsson, Bjarnason, Gunnarsson, Baldursson, Gudmundsson, Anderson, Bodvarsson.

Win 50,000!Play Dream Team Euro-our free fantasy football game

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The United Nations war crimes judge on Tuesday upheld the genocide and life sentence of former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic, dismissing all his reasons for appealing the lower court ruling.

He was tried and convicted for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes and sentenced to life imprisonment, but appealed the verdict and sentence.

The Appeals Chamber completely rejected Mladics appealcompletely rejected the prosecutions appealconfirmed the Trial Chambers sentence of life imprisonment for Mladic, the written summary of the appeal judgement stated.

The 25-year trial of the Ad Hoc International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) ended and the tribunal convicted 90 people. The International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia is one of the predecessors of the International Criminal Court. The International Criminal Court is the worlds first permanent war crimes court and is also located in The Hague.

Mladic was called the Bosnian Butcher because he undertook a 43-month siege of the capital Sarajevo and presided over the 1995 massacre of as many as 8,000 Muslims in a safe zone designated by the United Nations. It was the worst atrocities in Europe since World War II.

idea53:59Settlement, Part Two: Nowhere to go In Bosnia, there are facts about genocide, but Serbian aggressors rarely accept their truth. For Bosniacs, denying genocide means that they are trapped in a violent past with little hope of release. This is the second part of a three-part series on genocide, truth and reconciliation. 53:59

The Srebrenica massacre was the terrible climax of a war that lasted for 3-1/2 years. In this war, the nationalist Bosnian Serb army led by Mladic used artillery, tanks, mortars and mortars every day. A heavy machine gun attacked Sarajevo, killing 10,000 people.

In July 1995, the dead in Srebrenica were pushed into mass graves within four days. Some of them were dug up and relocated to remote mountainous areas to hide evidence of the killing.

The goal set by the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia is ethnic cleansing-forcibly expelling Bosnian Muslims, Croats and other non-Serbians, and clearing Bosnian land for Greater Serbia.

I dont recognize this court

In a judgment upheld by the appeal judge on Tuesday, the court found that Mladic and the late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic constituted a criminal conspiracy. .

I dont recognize this court, Mladic said at a hearing in The Hague in 2018. When he was sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in 2017, he shouted: These are all lies, you are all liars!

Watch | Mladi?s reaction to the verdict in 2017:

Former Serbian military commander convicted of war crimes in The Hague 2:18

Karadzic was also convicted of genocide in 2016, and Mladic has been at the top of the ICTY wanted list for many years after the Western powers ended the war in 1995. Mladi? lived safely in Belgrade, but in 2000 a popular uprising overthrew Milosevic.

Milosevic died in custody on March 11, 2006, just a few months before the verdict of his own four-year court trial. Karadzic is serving his sentence in a British prison.

For me, Mladic is a symbol of all the terrible crimes that occurred during the war-our girls were raped, boys were killed, just because they were Muslims. The Germans have Hitler, and the Serbs have Mladic. Munila Subasi? said his son and husband were killed by the Bosnian Serb army that occupied Srebrenica.

I looked at him in court and he was proud of what he did. I didnt see the regret on his face.

The army created by Mladic to fight the secession of Bosnia from Yugoslavia led by Serbia in 1992 is a model of ruthlessness and brutality.

Some prisoners suffocated in the heat after being forced to eat salt and refuse water. Others starved and raped in the prison camp. After being driven out of the detention facility with poison gas, hundreds of people were forced to jump off the bridge at night and were shot.

Mladic asked a photographer to film his blitzkrieg in the enclave surrounded by Srebrenica and showed him the abuse of the Dutch UN peacekeepers. They mistakenly accepted his solemn promise that the residents were in He is safe in his hands.

We gave this town as a gift to the Serbs, he said to the camera, claiming that the victory was revenge against the Muslim Turks, who once regarded the area as part of the Ottoman Empire.

Bosnian Muslim women watched a television broadcast of the final verdict of the former Bosnian Serb military leader Ratko Mladic at the Srebrenica-Poto?ari Genocide Memorial Center in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday. (Dado Luvi?/Reuters)

The next day, Mladics troops were photographed distributing candies to the children to ensure their safe passage. At the same time, thousands of men and boys were preparing to be executed.

When NATO tried to control his forces with the threat of airstrikes in 1995, his forces provocatively used United Nations peacekeepers as human shields, locking them to possible targets.

Mladic chooses to command the Bosnian Serb army

When Yugoslavia began to split in 1991, Mladic was an officer of the old communist Federal Army of Yugoslavia (JNA).

When the Bosnian Serbs rose to oppose the secession led by Bosnian Muslims in 1992, Mladic was chosen to command a new Bosnian Serb army that quickly occupied 70% of the country.

The town is surrounded by heavy weapons that once belonged to JNA. 22,000 soldiers of the United Nations Protection Force were ordered not to choose a side station, and the village was burned down.

Some of his supporters say that after his daughter Anna committed suicide with Mladics trophy gun in 1994, Mladic became more ruthless.

The combination of Western pressure, American secret weapons and training of Bosnian Muslims and Croats gradually reversed the trend against the Mladic army. NATOs precision strikes did the rest.

However, many nationalist Serbs still consider him a hero because he reduced the casualties around them and tried to unite their people in one country.

The current Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said: Ratko Mladic is still a legend of the Serb people. He puts his professional and human talents to serve the freedom of the Serb people. 

In June 2019, Mladics lawyer stated that his client suffered from deteriorating brain function and cardiovascular disease after a heart attack in 2013. The risk of a new stroke and a new heart attack is great, Blanco Lukic said.

The 2,500-page war crimes verdict stated that when he was found guilty of the siege of Sarajevo and Srebrenica, Mladics actions were very important to committing crimes, and without them, these crimes would not It will be implemented as it is now.
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harrys decision to name their new daughter Lilibet Diana could backfire, an expert has claimed.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex famously fled the UK citing concerns for their privacy and repeatedly insisted they wanted to raise Archie as a private citizen, not under the relentless royal spotlight as Harry was.

But one royal commentator says that by giving their daughter two incredibly loaded royal names  Lilibet after Queen Elizabeth and Diana after Harrys late mother  they have actually cursed her with attention.

Such a name will merely heighten interest in her as she grows up; and, though it seems unkind to remark on it now, will inevitably attract the kind of media intrusion with which Lilibet Dianas wider family are only too familiar, Sean OGrady wrote in The Independent.

Her name may turn out to be more of a curse than a blessing, if the poignant experience of the past is anything to go by, he added.

He went on to claim that as a result there will be double the interest in who Lilibet Diana resembles as she grows up whether she inherits Dianas sense of style or the Queens sense of duty; and, of course, who shell be dating.

Read our Royal Family live blog below for the latest updates
Chula Vista-Unexpectedly, Sweetwater United High School District changed its decision to cut nationally renowned music programs.

The steel drum band and mariachi band of Southwest High and Middle School looked like it was done once and for all, even though the steel drum band played the Super Bowl and two American presidents. Until the director of the band and dozens of former and current students attended the school board meeting and asked the committee to reconsider.

Its like watching a movie next to my seat, said a student attending the conference.

It took a few weeks, but eventually the school district decided to change its mind and allow the club to continue until the 2021-2022 school year.

At least I can say that I am noble, another student said.

They listened to the children and the community, and God bless them, said band director Keith Ballard.

When Ballard entered the final year before retirement, he decided to keep the plan. The person who has won the annual National Music Education Award believes that he has been working hard for many years, but even in his last chapter, he is looking for new courses to teach his students.

It will tell you if you have a problem with the school district, you can organize, you can speak to the school board, he said. There is a way to get what you want.
According to the company and analysts, the spread of Covid-19 to electronics factories in Taiwan is likely to delay semiconductor shipments, which increases the possibility of re-interruption in industries that are in short supply globally.

The country is seen as the key to the worlds chip supply chain and is suffering from its The first large-scale coronavirus outbreak. Its in Escalating warning Regarding the depth of the semiconductor shortage, this has affected everything from automobiles to consumer electronics.

The chip testing and packaging company Jingyuan Electronics said on Monday that it expects the outbreak of the employee to reduce its June output and revenue by as much as 35%. Among KYECs 7,300 employees, 238 were confirmed to be infected with Covid-19.

The outbreak of migrant workers in Taiwan also hit chip packager Greatek, telecommunications equipment maker Accton and Foxsemicon, the latter is a semiconductor equipment manufacturer affiliated with Apple supplier Foxconn.

Taiwan reported 214 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, of which 211 were spread locally and 26 died. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the country has recorded more than 11,000 cases and 260 deaths.

KYEC and Foxsemicon each closed a factory for two days of disinfection. All four companies are testing all their employees. This work is expected to find more infected people.

The supply market is already under tremendous pressure. We already have four months of delivery time for Taiwan chip orders, so further reduction in supply capacity will exacerbate the current shortage, said supplier Olaf Schatteman. Consulting company Bains chain experts.

KYEC and similar test and packaged chips produced by contract manufacturers, such as TSMCThese are the last steps in the complex manufacturing process before the chips are shipped to the company that designed them.

KYECs customers include MediaTek, one of the worlds largest chip design companies, selling semiconductors used in electronic products ranging from smartphones to TVs.

Analysts said that KYEC and Greateks customers have little choice to protect themselves from delivery delays because other testing and packaging companies, such as the global industry leader Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, are already operating at full capacity.

Bernstein chip analyst Mark Li said that the interruption may be short-term. My guess is that it will mainly hurt smaller chip design companies because it prioritizes large customers, he said, adding that, despite KYECs problems, MediaTek has reiterated its revenue target for the second quarter.

Respected

In the rest of the chip supply chain, the risk of infection interruption production is considered to be much lower because these stages are much less labor-intensive than packaging, which allows companies such as TSMC and MediaTek to implement work arrangements that keep their distance from society.

But analysts said that it is not yet clear whether the measures taken by Taiwans health authorities are sufficient to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in electronics factories.

According to Taiwans Central Epidemic Command Center, migrant workers from the affected factories live in the same dormitory.

The same thing happened to Singapore, I dont know if there are any lessons that can be learned, said Patrick Chen, director of Taiwan research at CLSA, a brokerage firm. They need to improve the living conditions of migrant workers. 

According to government statistics, there are 713,000 migrant workers in Taiwan and at least 50,000 undocumented immigrants. Nearly 470,000 people work in the industrial sector, many of whom live in factories or nearby dormitories.

The law requires employers to provide accommodation and food for migrant workers, and most of them outsource these services to brokers who pack large numbers of workers into shared rooms.

Although the government has installed rapid testing stations in major technology industrial parks and quarantined those who tested positive, health authorities are working to improve the narrow living conditions of migrant workers who have not tested positive.
Elaine McGuire, a member of IBEW Local 98, a District 1 electrician with 22 years of experience, recently accepted the challenge of climbing a large cooling tower at the Limerick nuclear power plant to install new aviation lights.

The cooling tower project includes climbing to the top of 510 feet, Elaine and a IBEW local 98 The experienced electrician team in the north had to replace the existing beacon aviation lights. Elaine McGuire is a resident of Broomall, Delaware County. She is the first female electrician in union history to undertake and complete this difficult task.

Elaine McGuire won her colleague at the Limerick Nuclear Power Plant and the entire IBEW local 98 IBEW Local Business Manager John J. Dougherty said: As the first female electrician to perform such a daunting but vital task, we become a member. On behalf of the IBEW Local 98 leadership team, we congratulate Elaine on her milestone achievement.

Cindy Ortman, Elaines old friend and a female craftsman colleague of Glaziers Local Union 252, added: Elaine has been a great role model for women in the Philadelphia construction industry for many years! I respect her very much. !

As far as she is concerned, Elaine McGuire finds this high-profile job memorable, and she will start all over again.

In this experience, I never felt scared once, she said. There used to be For a moment on the first day, when I climbed the tower from straight to the tower to suddenly facing the horizon, I was awed by the wide view at such an extreme height. Although I have never worked at that height before, I would definitely do it again if asked. I feel very honored to be the first woman in Local 98 to perform this task. 
Forked tongue

For years, the EU has tried to weaponize Northern Ireland to prevent Brexit.

The excuse is to maintain peace. .. Avoid throwing hard boundaries at all costs. Yes, it almost unilaterally erected the same hard border in January of last year, making a hissing noise when it jabs.

3 The idea that the EU ban on British sausages is vital to Irish peace is a joke Credit: Alami

Brussels goal now is Ban the sale of fresh British meat in the province.

Forcing us to adopt EU food standards and jeopardizing our other trade agreements is a blatant trick.

Yes, in order to resolve the Brexit issue, an agreement to manage the new arrangements for Northern Ireland was hurriedly signed. Boris did underestimate the stinginess of Brussels.

But now a compromise must be found to avoid a trade war.

The EU must overcome its Brexit Hurt, show more flexibility and less combativeness.

It must recognize British food standards, which will always be at least as good as our membership.

Our government will not reject British shoppers in Northern Ireland.

It is a joke to think that the EUs criticism of them is essential to Irelands peace.

Let us free

Boris Johnson must get Britain back to work.

He must announce a full reopening of the economy next Monday June 21 And ending social distancing so that all workplaces can function normally.

3 Boris must get Britain back to work on June 21 Credit: Agence France-Presse

Too many people seem to believe that it will not do any harm to postpone it again until the rise in the number of infections can be subdued. But the country loses billions of dollars every week.

The new cases are mainly those who are young enough not to get seriously ill. Almost all vulnerable people were stabbed. The number of people in hospital is very small, let alone death.

Complacency is universal. Some people who work at home deceive themselves, they are as efficient as they are in the office and do not want to come back. Millions of people who are still on vacation now think this is normal. None of them are sustainable.

The UK is ready for the post-Covid boom.

Ignore the fearmonger, Boris, lets continue.

Net loss

Does the Prime Minister think that his net zero revolution will happen by magic?

Will his arbitrary deadlines and grand announcements come true? In fact, they threaten the severe economic suffering of millions of people.

3 The sun has been fighting for a greener planet

The sun is fighting for a greener planet.

But Boris announced before the G7 summit that Cornwall will become the first county to achieve zero emissions, which is all well and good.

Did anyone tell it What does this actually mean?

Sun said With the death of the lowest point, any failure to unlock must have disappeared comment Petronella Wyatt Is Harry & Meghans choice of Lilibet a subtle insult or a mean mockery? Angela Levine Harry decided to call his newborn, Lilibet Diana, which will eventually help him heal comment Clemy Moody Lilibet has no title but her name means she always feels qualified comment Douglas Murray Ollie Robinsons suspension shows that our revenge society needs to grow comment Sun said The government must make a difficult green list decision, but it cannot escape the cleanup

Unaffordable battery cars can only travel short distances. Punitive gas bills. Their reliable central heating system was dismantled and replaced at their expense.

Dont impose all of this on Britain, Prime Minister. You must bring voters.

If you make them poorer, expect a high fever.
People familiar with the matter told Al Jazeera that Saudi Arabia is about to reach an agreement with President Bashar al-Assads government on the normalization of diplomacy as Riyadh seeks to play a leading role in the withdrawal of Iran from Syria.

According to a senior official of the Syrian Opposition Free Officers Movement, which maintains close ties with the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the General Directorate of Intelligence (GID), The political sentiment of the Saudi royal family has changed. Man [MBS] He himself is keen to reconnect with Assad.

The general attitude can be defined as,The times have changed, the Arab Spring has become history, and the region is transitioning to a new future with new geopolitical characteristics,' the official recently reconciled with Damascus after defecting to Syria . Objected in the summer of 2011, added.

Discussions with Al Jazeera followed report In early May, it was claimed that Riyadh had sent an intelligence delegation led by GID Director-General Khalid Humaidan (Khalid Humaidan) to Damascus to discuss the possibility of easing between the two former enemies.Also in May, Syria send A ministerial delegation headed by Tourism Minister Rami Martini visited Riyadh for the first time in 10 years.

From the Syrian conflict Earliest daysSaudi Arabia has been a key participant in supporting the proxy war aimed at overthrowing Assad.Riyadh provides funds and weapons to a range of local rebel groups, including those made in the United States Anti-tank missile, As part of the effort. However, after Assads main foreign patrons, Russia and Iran, carried out a larger counter-intervention, the movement faltered.

However, in the strange turn of fate characteristic of international relations in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia now seems to regard Damascuss power corridor as an expedient measure to support its broader regional interests.

Relieve Tension in Iran

An official from the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Damascus who was familiar with the recent talks with Riyadh said: MBS is working to ease tensions with the Islamic Republic of Iran through contacts with Syria.

According to the official, MBS instructed his team to assure Syria that he does not want regime change against Bashar, and Syria, as a brotherly Arab country, should naturally be close to Saudi Arabia.

The official claimed that this was obviously also to send a signal to the Iranian leader that Riyadh recognizes the side of the war [Iran] The Korean won is the most invested and will not try to challenge this reality.

Although the official refused to confirm, he also mentioned that Iran might attend the Damascus meeting. He said, Lets say that the Iranians immediately welcome what they have heard.

Due to their sensitivity to this issue, both sources spoke with Al Jazeera under anonymity.

In May, Iraqi President Barham Saleh Confirmation report Beginning in April, Saudi Arabia and Iran held bilateral talks in Baghdad to ease the brewing tension. Allegedly, these discussions are mainly (but not exclusively) focused on resolving the Yemen war, where the Royal Saudi Air Force has been conducting air strikes against Houthi rebels allied with Iran since mid-2015.

An official from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs was reluctant to comment to Al Jazeera on whether the Damascus talks focused on improving relations with Iran, but did say that its time to accept that Syria is an indelible part of Iran. The Arab landscape.

However, while seeking to ease tensions with Iran to avoid a military conflict, Saudi Arabias efforts also constitute the rebirth of the Sunni Gulf monarchy that has sought to separate Syria from Tehrans strategic orbit for decades.

Now, as the Syrian civil war recedes, it has become more urgent for Iran to continue to benefit from the post-conflict benefits of its intervention by establishing a deep and influential organization. Foothold Spanning government-controlled regions, especially in the form of a huge quasi-national network Shia militias and institutions.

According to the close figures of the Free Officers Movement, Saudi officials asked [Syrian] The government stated that they want to restore normalization of relations, but any support for Syria in the diplomatic field requires signs that Assad is seriously considering reducing Irans influence in Damascus expelling Iranian militias and ending [Irans] And Hezbollah uses Syria as a huge military base. 

However, even if Assad has the political will to do so, it is questionable whether he is capable of destroying Irans vast network of proxy militias, and he needs their help to stop the remnants of armed opponents.

As the Syrian analyst Samir Altaqi recently wrote, The Syrian army is fragmented and weakAssad cannot replace or even fight against the much-needed and deeply entrenched pro-Iranian forces in Syria.

Syrian President Bashar Assad survived the uprising against him [SANA via Reuters]

Hidden political influence

According to officials of the Free Officers Movement, the Saudis now seem to have accepted this strategic reality and have proposed a compromise position to the Syrian government regarding the existence of Iran.

Saudi Arabia recognizes that Iran will continue to have secret political influence in Damascus as it did in Baghdad, but they and the UAE [United Arab Emirates] It is hoped that Assad will press Iran to at least reduce its accumulation of strategic military assets, such as missile storage and production bases. 

The dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Syria is the most recent Meetings facilitated by Russia There were talks between representatives of the Israeli and Syrian governments, and Irans military presence was also discussed.

According to officials from the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Riyadh thinks that our talks with the Israelis may be a prelude to backstage talks with the United States, especially when the new Biden administration wants to leave the Middle East and may, therefore, accept the status quo in Syria.

However, an official of the Biden National Security Council poured cold water on the idea of ??any reconciliation with the Assad government.

The United States supports free and fair elections in Syria as required by UN Security Council Resolution 2254. We will not legitimize the brutal Assad regime. Our allies in the region will do what they believe is in the interests of national security. However, we believe that it is in their best interest not to contact Assad, said the US official, who also asked not to be named.
BRITS may be regarded as a mini heat wave, with up to four sunny days in certain places this week, with temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius.

John Hammond of Weather Trending said that as the weather gets wetter on weekends, it is very likely to reach 30 degrees Celsius or higher on Saturdays and Sundays.

? Read our UK Weather Live Blog Latest forecast

11 More sunshine, the British are about to usher in sultry weather Credit: Sun

11 Warm weather is coming, including weekends Credit: Ventusky

He told Sun Online: So far, this will definitely be the hottest period of the year, especially in the south and east of the UK.

Later this week there will also be quite sultry air. This is the so-called tropical sea air, and it is likely to have quite a lot of clouds.

So, although the temperature will reach more than 20 degrees quite widely by then, clouds may prevent 30 degrees from reaching 30 degrees until Friday afternoon or more likely on weekends.

John added: However, by Saturday and Sunday, as high pressures continue to increase across the country, temperatures of 30 degrees or higher are very likely.

The high temperature in the southeast on Monday may continue for another day, but early next week, cooler fresh air will blow from the west.

11 People skating in the hot weather in Hyde Park, London Credit: Environmental Protection Agency

11 Relax in London on June 8 Credit: LNP

11 Rower Noah Norman cools off in the sun-drenched Thames in Molesy Credit: LNP

11 The Bureau of Meteorology also said that the temperature may soar to 30 degrees Celsius over the weekend. Credit: Meet the office

11 WX Updates said: The temperature will definitely rise this week, and we may see high temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius for four days in the southeast. Credit: @UKWXUpdates

The weather bureaus press officer Ollie Clayden said that the southeast corner-including East Anglia and Cambridgeshire-is a place with better weather.

He said Tuesday that it was clear in England.

The agency predicts a maximum temperature of 26C Nowadays Ollie said that in the south, it is roughly normal at this time of the year, and warm temperatures are universally present-temperatures in Scotland are expected to reach 22 degrees Celsius.

However, sudden changes happen overnight because temperature Oli said that due to almost clear skies, the temperature in rural areas dropped to 3-5 degrees Celsius.

There will be more sunshine on Wednesday, although there will be some rain in northern England and western Scotland.

The highest temperature in the south (including East Anglia and the southeast) is expected to reach 27 degrees Celsius tomorrow, and the temperature in Scotland will also climb to 23 degrees Celsius.

Ollie said that regarding this weekend, The maximum temperature on Sunday may be 28 degrees Celsius, and it may reach 29 degrees Celsius-we do not rule out the possibility of 30 degrees Celsius.

The temperature will continue to rise next week.

11

11 George Gilmore (4) Looking for crabs at Canoe Lake in South Sea, Hampshire this morning Credit: Solent

Brian Gaze of Weather Outlook said that temperatures will rise for the rest of the week, especially in the southern and central regions.

He explained: As the southwest air current pulls up the subtropical air, it will also become more and more humid.

The value may reach the upper limit of 20C, and there may be more than one 30C in the south between Friday and Monday.

The night temperature in the southern half of the UK will also be very high, and it may not drop below 19 degrees Celsius on Saturday night.

You can see 30C for four days

He added: It wont be so warm in the north, but the temperature in northeastern Scotland may reach 20 degrees Celsius on Sunday.

By Tuesday, the colder air may return from the Atlantic, but its progress to the southeast is uncertain.

After the long cool period in April and May, the weather turned around completely.

Anthony Grist of WX Updates tweeted: The temperature will definitely rise this week, and we may see high temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius for four days in the southeast.

Terrible fear Maddie McCann Latest News-Fearful corpses are about to be found in Portuguese forests stop

Millions of people have been told not to travel with the rising number of Covid variants in India Evil police Sarah Everard (Sarah Everard) Police convicted of rape and kidnapping, and take responsibility for murder Memory attack The Moment traffic supervisor flew 10 feet because he was knocked down by a road rage driver Quite severe June 21 May postpone MONTH at most until the school summer vacation begins Olive branch Since Harrys withdrawal from the family, the Queen invited him to lunch at the first private meeting

The hottest day of the year so far is June 2, when the temperature in Northolt, London reached 28.3 degrees Celsius, but this record may be broken this weekend.

The temperature in Kent may reach 27 degrees Celsius on Friday.

Ladbrokes has stated that the temperature will reach 30C this week, and the bookmaker has a 4/5 chance of requesting a hose ban anywhere in the UK this month, and 4/6 said it is the hottest in history?? June.

11 Friends swimming in the sea in Bournemouth Credit: Sun
These companies lack the cash flow to pay interest, and once the government ends the pandemic fiscal measures, these companies are likely to go bankrupt.

Swiss Re AG stated that it is expected that hundreds of so-called zombie companies will fail in the next few years and drag the economy down. This is one of the main concerns that prompt insurance companies to reduce risks and charge higher premiums. As failures increase, this The trend may continue. Say.

Chief economist Jerome Haegeli said that zombieslack of cash flow to cover the cost of debtare time bombs at the Swiss insurance company, told Reuters.

With the stock price hitting a record high, it seems that the US economy will achieve 6.5% growth this year, so a sober forecast has been made. However, these advantages are illusory, Haegeli said, because they are based on temporary fiscal and monetary support.

Haegeli said that during the pandemic, the proportion of zombie companies will definitely increase because the central bank injects large amounts of capital into the market and the government provides relief. At the same time, Swiss Re said in a report on Tuesday that the number of US company bankruptcies in 2020 has fallen by 5%.

controlling the risk

The Bank for International Settlements stated in September that before the pandemic, about 20% of listed companies in the United States and the United Kingdom were zombie companies, compared with 30% in Australia and Canada. In contrast, zombie companies accounted for approximately 15% of listed companies in 14 advanced economies in 2017, and 4% before the 2008 financial crisis.

Haegeli said that insurance companies are cautious in predicting economic conditions in a year or more. They are controlling underwriting risks, being more cautious in the allocation of portfolio assets, and even taking preventive measures in providing insurance for operational and supply chain risks.

They will not be fooled by short-term circumstances, Haegeli said. If you look at the market today, everything looks great. However, it is an illusion to think that this environment can be sustained, because the life support will be withdrawn in the next few months. This will result in long overdue Increase in bankruptcy cases.

I am worried that you will see a sudden spike in the default rate because the default rate is too low, he said.

He said that insurance companies may also continue to raise prices to ensure that they adequately price future risks.

According to data from Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., global commercial insurance prices began to rise in 2017 and have been rising since then, including an 18% increase in the first quarter of 2021.
BATON ROUGE  Gov. John Bel Edwards and Canfor Corp. President and CEO Don Kayne announced the company has selected Beauregard Parish, Louisiana, for final engineering and feasibility for a $160 million state-of-the-art lumber mill. Based in British Columbia, Canada, Canfor is one of the worlds largest producers of sustainable lumber, pulp and paper. The facility would be the first Louisiana investment for the company.

Canfor would create 130 new direct jobs with an average annual salary of $59,921, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project also would result in 386 new indirect jobs, for a total of 516 new jobs for Beauregard Parish and the Southwest Region. The sawmill project is expected to support 175 construction jobs.

Agribusiness remains one of our key industries for growing Louisianas economy, and our state offers unique advantages that attracted Canfor here, Gov. Edwards said. This major new manufacturing project can resonate across the regions economy in a variety of ways. We welcome plans for this foreign direct investment in Louisiana by this industry leader, and we look forward to the good jobs this project is expected to create in Beauregard Parish for the regions skilled workforce.

Canfor would locate the facility on an LED Certified Site at the Beauregard Regional Airport, near DeRidder. The sawmill would process yellow pine from Louisiana forests, with the manufacturing capacity and flexibility to produce a wide variety of high quality wood products for Canfors customers. Start-up is expected to begin late in the third quarter of 2022.

Canfor is excited to be investing in a new world-class sawmill in Louisiana that will support our growth and diversification in the U.S. South and ensure we continue to deliver high value products to our global customers, Kayne said.

Canfor selected Louisiana for its first greenfield project in the United States because of the sustainable and high quality fiber supply, the skilled labor force and the long history of wood products manufacturing, Canfor Southern Pine President Tony Sheffield said. In addition, the significant incentives and support we are receiving from the State of Louisiana are helping to make this project possible.

To secure the project, the State of Louisiana offered a competitive incentive package that includes the comprehensive solutions of LED FastStart  the nations No. 1 state workforce development program for the past 11 years. The package also includes a performance-based grant of $1.5 million, subject to the company reaching specified investment and payroll benchmarks. Should the project move forward, the company also is expected to recognize significant value from the use of Louisianas Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs.

This project announcement would represent the largest initial investment in Beauregard Parishs history, parish Police Jury President Mike Harper said. The vast renewable resources of Beauregard Parish initially attracted interest in the area, but the people, communities and quality of life sealed this agreement. This commitment promises a bright future for hundreds of families of this parish and region.

I am thankful that I had the opportunity to meet with the executives of Canfor to share the wonderful story of our community, DeRidder Mayor Misty Clanton said. I am delighted to formally welcome them to DeRidder. We look forward to the opportunities for our people and the relationships that we will undoubtedly build. Our community is a place where business needs and goals can be met. It is a place where you can grow and prosper. We want everyone to reach their fullest potential in DeRidder. This indeed would move our city in the right direction.

This significant project would bring jobs to Beauregard Parish, said President and CEO George Swift of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance. Importantly, this would be the first industrial project at the Beauregard Regional Airport Certified Site. The future is strong for this property. Also, I want to thank R.B. Smith, vice president of workforce and business development for the SWLA Alliance, who has worked tirelessly with Beauregard officials and the company to make this project happen.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) invites you to take part in its annual Free Fishing Weekend on Saturday, June 12, and Sunday, June 13. Louisianas Free Fishing Weekend is an opportunity for residents and visitors to fish Louisiana waters without an otherwise required fishing license.

Each year, we designate a weekend of free fishing as an incentive for families and friends to get outside and enjoy our beautiful Sportsmans Paradise, explained LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet. Whether your interest is saltwater or fresh, we encourage you to get on the water with family and friends and enjoy some of the best fishing on the planet.

While a fishing license is not required, all fishing regulations, including size, season, catch limits and gear restrictions will remain in effect during Free Fishing Weekend.

In addition, a Recreational Offshore Landing Permit (ROLP) is still needed during Free Fishing weekend when possessing tunas, snappers, groupers, amberjacks, hinds, cobia, wahoo, dolphin fish, billfish and swordfish. When registering for an ROLP, anglers should choose the Free Fishing Weekend option when asked for their license type. Registering for an ROLP in this manner does not require a fishing license number, and the ROLP will be valid Saturday, June 12, and Sunday, June 13.

To register for an ROLP, please go to https://rolp.wlf.la.gov or download the ROLP app in the Apple App Store: click here or Google Play Store: click here.

The department also urges anglers voluntary participation in its electronic reporting program to improve recreational harvest data collection. To learn how to participate in voluntarily reporting your catch, please reference the appropriate link below, depending on the make of your cellular device.

ROLP mobile app (Android phone)

ROLP mobile app (iPhone)

LDWF reminds the public that anytime outside of Free Fishing Weekend, anglers 16 and older must possess a Louisiana fishing license when fishing in any Louisiana public waters. Anyone who decides to continue fishing for the remainder of the year is invited to purchase a state fishing license at https://la-web.s3licensing.com/.

By purchasing a fishing license, you also help provide funding for public fishing and boating access, fishing programs and education, and fisheries management through the Sport Fish Restoration Fund.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisianas abundant natural resources. LDWF receives no state general funding and depends on license sales as a major funding source. Help us protect your hunting and fishing heritage while preserving habitat, wildlife, and aquatic resources by purchasing your license at www.wlf.la.gov. To receive email or text alerts signup here.
Plymouth Congregational Church held a Pride event Sunday in South Park. The event was well attended and people of many backgrounds enjoyed things such as rainbow sherbet ice cream, live music and cornhole.
Commentary: Washington's Greek gift to Taiwan

Xinhua) 08:42, June 08, 2021

People wearing masks walk on street in Taipei, southeast China's Taiwan, March 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

- The whirlwind visit of three U.S. senators to China's Taiwan on Sunday is another flagrant violation of three China-U.S. joint communiques, which allow no official exchanges of any form between the United States and the island. Only this time, the provocation came under the cover of COVID-19 vaccines.

- Under the pretense of humanitarian concern, the purpose of the visit this time is to stage an anti-China political farce and offer some symbolic support for the current Taiwan authorities that are overwhelmed by the raging pandemic situation in the island.

BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Washington is once again challenging Beijing's red line over the Taiwan question.

The whirlwind visit of three U.S. senators to China's Taiwan on Sunday is another flagrant violation of three China-U.S. joint communiques, which allow no official exchanges of any form between the United States and the island. Only this time, the provocation came under the cover of COVID-19 vaccines.

Promising to donate 750,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses with no details given on which vaccines Taiwan would get or when, those three U.S. politicians have brought Taiwan with nothing but Washington's Greek gift.

Under the pretense of humanitarian concern, the purpose of the visit this time is to stage an anti-China political farce and offer some symbolic support for the current Taiwan authorities that are overwhelmed by the raging pandemic situation in the island.

The United States has long been manipulating Taiwan as a political pawn to contain China's development. What Washington truly cares about is not the lives and health of people in Taiwan, but its own geopolitical interests in Asia-Pacific.

What has caught greater attention during Sunday's visit than Washington's verbal promise of vaccines is the fact that those U.S. politicians flew to Taiwan on a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III freighter. And the U.S. military plane landed at one of Taiwan's military airports.

Again, there should be no official contact between Washington and the Taiwan authorities, not to mention exchanges involving military elements.

Such a treacherous move of Washington has nothing to do with fighting COVID-19 as it claimed, and will only increase tensions in the region.

As the people in Taiwan are struggling with a spike in COVID-19 cases and vaccine shortages, it is quite despicable that some Taiwan politicians are turning vaccines into a tool for political manipulation.

Photo taken on April 19, 2021 shows posters with COVID-19 vaccination guidance for Taiwan compatriots outside a community health center in Malu Town of Jiading new city, east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

Beijing has been showing repeatedly its willingness to do its best to help Taiwan compatriots fight COVID-19, and offered to provide the island with the mainland-made vaccines already endorsed by the World Health Organization.

However, Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have turned a blind eye to the mainland's goodwill, impeded the mainland's vaccine offer to Taiwan in every possible way, and even falsely claimed that the mainland was obstructing its vaccine procurement.

What the DPP authorities have been doing shows no respect for the life and health of the people in Taiwan and violates the most basic humanitarian spirit.

Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory. The one-China principle is a recognized norm of international relations and a consensus of the international community.

Beijing will never compromise on its core interests. Washington should quit its salami slicing tactics to undermine the one-China principle that it has vowed to abide by, stop sending wrong signals to Taiwan's separatists, and refrain from further complicating the situation in the region.

If Washington truly wants to extend a helping hand to Taiwan in its anti-pandemic fight, it can find viable solutions under the one-China principle. Yet what it is offering to the island now is setting a dangerous trap for regional peace and stability.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
On the occasion of the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD), celebrated on the 17th May 2021, Huawei organized a one-week training for students. From Monday 17th to Friday 21st May, 400 students in the ICT field enrolled for the training. Students from the University of Mauritius, University of Technology Mauritius, Middlesex University, Universite des Mascareignes, Polytechnic School, African Leadership University, Curtin Mauritius, Rushmore Business School and Open University of Mauritius were invited.

The objectives of this training are to broaden the knowledge of youngsters who represent the future of the country on the latest Digital, Information and Communication technologies. Also, it must be ensured that the new talents joining the industry are up to speed with the multiple ecosystems requirement and dont have adaptability issues. In addition, the training will allow the students to attempt HCIA certifications exams which Huawei shall also consider to further sponsor in due course, mentioned Zheng Kui, General Manager of Huawei technologies Mauritius.

The online training was delivered by Punitha Subbramaniam, Wireless Trainer from Huawei Malaysia Global Training Center. Four main modules namely Basic Concepts and Developments, Key Network Capabilities, Use Cases, Industry Applications and Solutions of the latest technologies were covered. With the knowledge gained, students will understand the latest Digital, Information and Communication technologies which is the stepping stone to finding a job. The trainees will be able to demonstrate their abilities in a different technological domains. Furthermore, the HCIA certifications are globally recognized which will definitely help the trainees wherever they are. Given this training is not just theoretical but is delivered in a form of applied science and tech, they will be able to use the different techniques and knowledge into assignments or final year projects also, highlighted Zheng Kui.

The training is free for Mauritian students because the program is fully funded by Huawei Technologies.

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North Kansas City-based health care IT firm Cerner Corp. says they are currently going through a reduction of their workforce.
As the melodrama nears its finale, "Youth of May" gave the viewers another round of heartbreaking scene between Lee Do Hyun and Go Min Si.

Following the shocking incident involving Hwang Hee Tae (Lee Do Hyun,) Kim Myung Hee (Go Min Si) is eager to find him whatever it takes.

"Youth of May" Episode 11 Recap: Hwang Hee Tae Gets Abducted

"Youth of May" episode 11 displays the strong connection between the two as Myung Hee refuses to return to her hometown alongside her father, Kim Hyun Cheol (Kim Won Hae), and brother, (Kim Myung Soo) Jo Yi Hyun.

She insists on waiting for Hee Tae at the hospital, which left her father upset.

With Hee Tae's disappearance, Myung Hee knew that his father, Hwang Gi Nam (Oh Man Suk), was behind all this.

It turns out that her instinct was right. The wounded Hwang Hee Tae was brought and locked up in his father's office.

The vicious Hwang Gi Nam detained and threatened his own son to leave Gwangju and go back to Seoul.

As Hee Tae refuses to leave the area, his father warns him that he can erase all the evidence that proved that he came back to Gwangju, which means killing Myung Hee.

"Youth of May" episode 11 also featured how the devastating situation opened the eyes of Lee Soo Chan (Lee Sang Yi) to the unjust treatment of the government.

After getting out in the hands of the soldiers through their families connection with Hwang Gi Nam, he visited Gwangju Hospital to look for Myung Hee and ask Lee Soo Ryun's (Geum Sae Rok) whereabouts.

With the information that Hee Tae was missing, he warned Myung Hee to leave the area since the situation will be dangerous not just for Soo Ryun but also for her.

However, she insisted on staying in Gwangju and explained that she'd wait until Hee Tae comes back.

Song Hae Ryeong Helped Hwang Hee Tae Escape

At their residence, Hwang Jung Tae (Choi Seung Hoon) heard a loud thump inside his father's office.

Upon opening the door, he was surprised to see his older brother tied up and lying on the ground wounded.Unfortunately, he was seen by Hwang Gi Nam and told him never to open that door again.

He told his mother about Hee Tae being detained at their house, but Song Hae Ryeong (Shim Yi Young) told him not to get involved with his father's business.

Initially, Hee Tae's stepmother didn't want to interfere with her husband's relationship with Hee Tae, but this time, she realized that Hwang Gi Nam crossed the line.

Song Hae Ryeong helped Hee Tae escape, but before leaving their house, he warned her that she and his younger brother should also escape.

Hwang Hee Tae Reunites with Kim Myung Hee

"Youth of May" episode 11 showed the reunion between Kim Myung Hee and Hwang Hee Tae.

During her rounds at the hospital, she was surprised by Hee Tae's return and can't believe that he is now in front of her.

She touched his face passionately as she burst into tears and hugged him.

While at the hospital bed, he was visited by Kim Hyun Cheol. He and Myung Hee's father had a heart-to-heart talk. There, he gave a passbook with all his savings for Myung Hee's college fees and said that both of them could use it for a new start.

In addition, he also gave a silver pocket watch and said that he might be a lousy father, but Myung Hee will remain a precious child to him and only what's bet for her daughter.

At the end of "Youth of May" episode 11, Kim Myung Hee decides to spend the night with Hee Tae at the church.

She also proposed to Hwang Hee Tae and promised that he would be his family no matter what.

Despite a happy reunion with Hee Tae, her father and younger brother were caught by martial law forces on their way to Nanju.





KDramastars owns this article.

Written by Geca Wills
"Doom At Your Service" Episode 9 started with Myul Mang (Seo In Guk) expressing his desire to live as a human. As a deity who has been living for years, Myul Mang dreamt of experiencing a simple life like other normal human beings do.

Chasing Game with Tak Dong Kyung and Kang Soo Ja

Tak Dong Kyung (Park Bo Young) was surprised to see her Aunt Kang Soo Ja (Woo Hee Jin) in the middle of the street with her luggage. She just arrived from Canada after knowing that Tak Dong Kyung was ill.

IM ON THE FLOOR WITH THIS CRAZY FAMILY



 #DoomAtYourServiceEp9 pic.twitter.com/g2FwS6vnzz  sel (@kdjoongki) June 7, 2021

Kang Soo Ja started to chase Tak Dong Kyung for not telling her about her health condition. The two were having a small yet playful fight, and Myul Mang who was also in the scene was stunned to witness their chaotic relationship.

After their chasing game, Kang Soo Ja went home with Tak Dong Kyung and the male deity. She asked him where he lives but Tak Dong Kyung pushed Myul Mang away so he wouldn't mention that they live together.

After everything settled, the web novel editor tried calling Myul Mang. She lent her phone to him to make sure they could still talk even though they are apart. They felt a new kind of happiness while talking on the phone.

Lee Hyun Kyu Confessed His True Feelings for Na Ji Na

Na Ji Na (Shin Do Hyun) asked Cha Joo Ik (Lee Soo Hyuk) to come over to her apartment to help her finish her stories, but an unexpected visitor knocked on her door - it was Lee Hyun Kyu (Kang Tae Oh).

Lee Hyun Kyu confessed that he still likes Na Ji Na. On the other hand, Na Ji Na couldn't believe what she heard from her first love.

Instead of explaining herself, she refused to answer his questions. Meanwhile, Lee Hyun Kyu found out that Cha Joo Ik knew Na Ji Na after accidentally seeing Na Ji Na's message on his phone.

Tak Dong Kyung and Myul Mang's First Photo Together

Tak Dong Kyung asked Myul Mang a favor to disguise himself as a doctor in front of her aunt.

To lessen her concerns, Kang Soo Ja went to see Tak Dong Kyung's doctor to know more about her illness. On the other hand, Myul Mang made sure that there's no need to worry about Tak Dong Kyung for he will always there to save her from pain.

dongkyung asked for his help and he's once again telling ppl that he's going to save her :((( #DoomAtYourServiceEp9 #DoomAtYourService pic.twitter.com/bjM61cEMzW  dy  PROTECT MYULKYUNG (@cheorinyeop) June 7, 2021

Myul Mang was dragged by the female web editor to the mall to escort her as she wanted to go shopping. Tak Dong Kyung who has been busy for years with her work decided to do the thing she always dreamed of doing, but was hesitant because she thinks of others first before providing things for herself.

Tak Dong Kyung bought a cellphone for Myul Mang, shoes for her brother, a pen for Na Ji Na, and a bag for her auntie.

She enjoyed buying presents for her loved ones and when it's her turn to buy something for herself, she decided to take pictures with Myul Mang so she could have memories to look at.

Myul Mang Confesses His Love for Tak Dong Kyung

Tak Dong Kyung asked Myul Mang again if she could wish to live longer, but the male deity said that he can't grant it as his job is to destroy dreams.

After spending time with Tak Dong Kyung, Myul Mang went for a walk - and he realized that he always wants to be by Tak Dong Kyung's side.

He then rushed to Tak Dong Kyung's place, and there he told her he loves her.

He has already fallen in love with the female human being.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 'Doom at Your Service' Spoiler: Seo In Guk Gets Jealous Over Park Bo Young and Nam Da Reum

Have you watched the latest "Doom at Your Service episode? How's the story so far? 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
Han Hyo Joo flaunts her sophisticated visuals for 1st Look Magazine pictorial, wherein she also shared her journey of fulfilling her dream to work on an action series.

Han Hyo Joo Flaunts Elegance in Latest 1st Look Pictorial

K-drama actress Han Hyo Joo is known for her impeccable acting skills and ethereal beauty. Having a combination of these made her rise to prominence.

In her recent pictorial with Korean fashion magazine 1st Look, the Korean luminary wowed fans for her sophisticated visuals.

In the photoshoot, she displayed her overflowing charisma in the series of shots taken by the 1st Look team. The "Brilliant Legacy" star captured attention with her eyes that expressed her fierce and bold persona.

Han Hyo Joo looked elegant in black. She was able to put colors by showing alluring elegance to intense charisma, and completing a highly sensitive visual.

Apart from working in compelling dramas, the 34-year-old actress shared her experience of appearing in the American action series "Treadstone."

During the interview, Han Hyo Joo shared her passion for unexpected challenges and her deep thoughts about life as an actress.

Han Hyo Joo Shares Journey Working with International Slebs

Her appearance in the American drama was highlighted since it will be aired on OCN this coming June 11.

Working in "Treadstone" was like a destiny for the actress, according to her. She shared, "It was my dream to be able to appear in an action series, and being part of the 'Treadstone' was a work of fate for me."

She went on, "It was exciting to get the opportunity to do my dream genre, which is action. The scenes were always fierce and serious, but I definitely had fun doing it. I had a lot of preparation and practice for me to easily cope up with the other cast and also to enjoy the chance of working with such professional people."

The "Dong Yi" actress also confessed that when she received the news that she will be working with an American series, she felt less confident. But upon meeting new people in a new environment, Han Hyo Joo considered it as a big turning point in her career.

Han Hyo Joo also shared that when one of her colleagues in the series recognized her for being such a good actor who works very hard, she became happy and started to enjoy working again.

Meanwhile, Han Hyo Joo will be returning on the small screen with thriller "Happiness," alongside "Hwarang" star Park Hyung Sik and "Chicago Typewriter" actor Jo Woo Jin.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Park Hyungsik and Han Hyo Joo Confirmed to Lead Upcoming Apocalypse Drama 'Happiness'

Are you excited about Han Hyo Joo's comeback to the K-drama scene? 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
Jeff Bezos seems to have run out of things to colonize here on Earth.

His company, Amazon, now commands almost half of America's online retail purchases, according to one estimate. Amazon has acquired Whole Foods, a major grocery chain, and the powerhouse Hollywood studio MGM. Bezos has also bought The Washington Post and is now the richest person in the world.

So, with little left to acquire on this planet, he's turning his sights to outer space.

Bezos announced Monday that he'll be joining the first manned flight of Blue Origin, his space company, next month, along with his brother. Media coverage quickly focused on the fact that Bezos will beat out other male billionaires like Elon Musk and Richard Branson in entering outer space first. But, from a moral perspective, Bezos should really be spending more time looking down rather than up.

According to the World Bank, 689 million people are living in extreme poverty, which is defined as less than $1.90 per day. Half of them are children. The coronavirus pandemic has demolished two decades of progress, pushing an additional 120 million people into extreme poverty -- a number that is only expected to rise by the end of the year.

With an estimated net worth of $187 billion, there's a whole lot Bezos could do to change that -- especially given the time he'll now have on his hands since he's stepping down from his role as Amazon's chief executive.

For example, a gift of just $58 to a nonprofit like the International Rescue Committee -- an organization I support despite a net worth far below that of Bezos, and hope you will too -- can send a child to school for an entire year. Just imagine what could be done with $1 billion -- the amount Bezos once said he was investing each year in his rocket development. In fact, the Brookings Institution calculated that billionaires who are worth far less than Bezos could singlehandedly lower the poverty rates in their countries significantly.

In the United States, one-third of wealthy American households stepped up their charitable giving to organizations helping others meet their basic needs last year in recognition of the vast challenges spawned by the pandemic, according to Bank of America and the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. One might have expected Bezos to focus more on the good he could do, considering how richly he profited off of the pandemic: Amazon saw a nearly 200% increase in profits as Americans shopped online during the pandemic.

With $187 billion, the reality is that Bezos doesn't have to choose between helping others and building his own space enterprise. And he does make significant charitable contributions -- notably, the single-largest charitable contribution in 2020 came from Bezos, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy (a $10 billion gift aimed at fighting climate change). But for Bezos to throw his money so wantonly into the solar system is a bit of a sickening choice at a time in the world when people have been dying of Covid in India due to lax of oxygen.

For a better model of what to do with his money, Bezos might look at his ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott -- who, along with her new husband, Dan Jewett, has signed the Giving Pledge, promising to donate the majority of their wealth. In 2020, Scott gave away almost $6 billion. Recently, she has focused on supporting historically Black colleges and universities, proving that she has the ability to empathize with people whose experiences are different from her own.

Meanwhile, Bezos has been making global headlines for the lavish lifestyle he's enjoying with girlfriend Lauren Sanchez, spending $255 million on luxury Los Angeles mansions last year while the world was ravaged by a pandemic, and investing in a new yacht believed to cost about $500 million. But it's not just about Bezos's spending. Bezos is uniquely positioned to show leadership among billionaires and the very wealthy about what their money can do, especially in a time of crisis that has spelled big profits for them -- and his actions don't seem to give any indication he's planning to exercise this power for the greater good in ways that it's obvious he could.

Bezos' absence from the Giving Pledge is especially remarkable given some of the problems his own company has inflicted. Amazon has, of course, been able to undercut the prices of many retailers because it is mostly an online retailer and therefore avoids the cost of storefronts. As a result, it's been blamed for putting businesses from independent bookstores to major chains like Sears and JC Penney out of business. And, even as it has earned billions of dollars, Amazon paid no federal taxes in 2018, according to a 2019 analysis by the Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy (it did pay slightly more than 1% of its profits in taxes in 2019). The National Labor Relations Board this year also deemed Amazon to have illegally retaliated against staffers who raised concerns about warehouse safety. (The company said it had fired them for "repeatedly violating internal policies," and not for criticizing working conditions.)

Of course, it's not too late for Bezos to do better -- and stepping away from Amazon (as well as the planet) might give him some new perspective -- literally -- on what he can do on Earth with his wealth and new-found time. He should strongly consider using his gains to help those less fortunate (a message that also goes for other billionaires looking to board their own rides to space any time soon).

Bezos is certainly an admirably successful businessman -- so successful, in fact, that he can afford to go to outer space while others go hungry. But his latest exploit makes clear that for now, he's hardly a successful human being.
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SALEM, OR (KPTV) -- Republicans in the Oregon House of Representatives are calling on one of their own, Rep. Mike Nearman, to resign after new video surfaced that suggested he might have planned in advance to allow demonstrators inside the locked and secured capitol building.

In the video, which was posted on YouTube, Nearman can be heard mentioning something he called "Operation Hall Pass," which he claimed to know nothing about, and sharing a phone number, which he repeated three times.

In the video, Nearman claimed the number phone number was comprised of "random numbers."

Nearman went on to say that if someone were to text that number and indicate which entrance to the building they were near, that "somebody might exit that door while you're standing there."

Surveillance video taken during a protest at the Capitol on December 21, 2020, shows Nearman walking out an exterior door, and demonstrators immediately rushing in the open door.

Last month, a group of House Democrats called for Nearman's resignation, and on Monday, House Republicans followed suit.

House Minority Leader Christine Drazan said Nearman's actions did not meet the standards public servants should be held to.

"It was a decision to expose our state troopers and the occupants of the building to the potential for violence. That is not acceptable," said Drazan.

An outside investigation into Nearman's role in the protest recently found Nearman "more likely than not intentionally assisted demonstrators in breaching security and entering the capitol."

The House Committee on Conduct will be discussing Nearman's role in the capitol demonstration on Wednesday.

Nearman's office did not reply to requests for comment.
SALEM, Ore.  Despite allegations of mismanagement and excessive tree-cutting, an independent arborist commissioned by the Oregon Department of Transportation gave a favorable grade to the state's handling of hazard tree removal projects in the wake of the September 2020 fires.

Concerns about the tree removal efforts bubbled up in April, with a combination of whistleblowers and conservation groups alleging that state-contracted crews were cutting down trees unnecessarily, with little oversight or poor management. Senator Jeff Golden urged Governor Brown to temporarily halt the project following a legislative hearing where many of these concerns were aired.

No more trees should be felled in connection with these contracts (subject, perhaps, to very narrow exceptions for compelling and well-documented reasons) until these allegations are competently vetted, The Oregonian quoted Golden as saying. My strong hope is that this work will resume in a manner that deserves the full confidence and support of Oregonians in general, and those devastated by the 2020 wildfires in particular.

In response to the allegations, the Oregon Department of Transportation hired an independent arborist to inspect the agency's hazard tree removal project  Galen Wright, president of Washington Forestry Consultants. The report, released on Monday, covers tree removal projects on the Highway 22 corridor (Beachie Creek Fire), Highway 126 corridor (Holiday Farm Fire), and Highway 224 corridor (Riverside Fire).

Wright found that the arborists and foresters used in tree assessment almost universally had the necessary qualifications to do the work, and that 99 percent of trees marked for removal were either dead or in poor condition. More than 96 percent of trees sampled were correctly marked or left unmarked, "based on the current state of knowledge of the forestry profession."

"Considering the variability of the tree populations, the difficult terrain, weather challenges, and variation of damage to each tree from a crown or ground fire, this degree of agreement is as good as can be expected," Wright concluded.

Wright's report made no recommendations for changes to the current ODOT protocol, finding that the agency "has the necessary operational plan, protocols, contracts and requirements necessary to conduct and provide quality assurance for this hazard tree mitigation program."

Nonetheless, ODOT said Monday that it has put in additional checks-and-balances to counter potential wrongdoing. Arborists and foresters are being paid hourly instead of by the tree, and cutters can be fined $2,000 for each unmarked tree that is cut.

With our initial charge to move quickly, and knowing this work is unprecedented for Oregon, Mr. Wrights review helps underline the good work underway while providing a roadmap for adapting other areas moving forward," said Mac Lynde, an ODOT deputy administrator who heads the three-agency debris task force. "While we work to ensure no more lives are lost at the hands of the 2020 wildfires, we will continue to incorporate feedback from a range of partners to make sure this work is done right and look forward to future planning conversations if this operation becomes an unfortunate new reality for Oregon.

State officials estimate that there are roughly 140,000 fire-damaged trees that have been assessed and marked in these burned corridors. More than a quarter of those trees have been cut or removed as of this week.
BROOKINGS, Ore. -- Homelessness across Southern Oregon is not just impacting those who don't have a place to live. It's also impacting community members.

The Brookings City Council held a work session meeting June 7, following a petition submitted to the city of Brookings with the purpose of making the city reconsider allowing vagrants to continue congregating at St. Timothy's Church.

The council is now reviewing the possible steps of addressing neighborhood concerns including sending and official letter to the Public Health Department inquiring about the operation of an unpermitted commercial kitchen that serves up to 70 meals while open, require St. Timothys to apply for a minor change to their existing conditional use permit in order to condition the increased use of the property, and revisit and potentially rescind temporary rule 2020-1 allowing temporary car camping at religious institutions authorized by the city in March 2020.

Tina Peters is one of at least 29 concerned community members, living in Brookings for 31 years, who wrote a letter stating in part my fear is for our children and young adults.

The Executive Director for Brookings Core Response, Diana Cooper, who works in partnership with St. Timothys Church, says the church won't stop helping the homeless.

We're really lacking servicesso as far as what the church is going to do about the city's concernswe can't stop services and it's not our fault that no other church is providing services.

Cooper also said, Id like to see more community support, people don't usually come to council and talk about St. Tims unless it's in a negative way or talk about homeless unless it's in a negative way.

In addition to giving out food and providing other resources to the homeless throughout the week, the church also allows the homeless population in Brookings to use the address for mail and has been able to get several people housed.

Rev. Bernie Lindley says until city members are able to provide the resources the church currently has, his hope is for the church to be acknowledged for the work it is doing.

The reverend added that the church has created a safety net that homeless people in Brookings would not have had otherwise.

He says the church helps people by allowing them to use the church's address to get mail that helps them to receive health care and other needed benefits.

It's nearly impossible to get people housed in this area.

The reverend says helping people get on the list for housing has always been a priority and they have also made plans with FEMA to get those in need Covid-19 vaccinations.
GRANTS PASS, Ore.  The Grants Pass Department of Public Safety says it has been getting reports of someone calling residents and asking them for donations to support an officer who was injured during a confrontation at Boatnik, but it isn't the agency.

"These phone calls were made without the knowledge or approval of our Department or the officer," GPDPS said in a statement. "Neither GPDPS nor the Grants Pass Police Association would ever call citizens asking for monetary donations."

The agency indicated that this is a scam, and the caller(s) are not legitimate. GPDPS urged anyone who gets an unsolicited call asking for a charitable donation to always verify the organization and the legitimacy of the fundraiser. Organizations on the up-and-up should offer other ways to donate beyond a phone call.

Anyone who did donate money to the caller in this case should call GPDPS and file a police report at 541-450-6260.
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore.  A traffic stop south of Klamath Falls last weekend resulted in the discovery of nearly 90 pounds of narcotics, according to Oregon State Police.

Shortly after noon on Saturday, a trooper from the Klamath Falls Area Command pulled over the driver of an SUV speeding northbound on Highway 97, OSP said. During the stop, the trooper "noticed signs of criminal activity" and got consent to search the vehicle.

The search revealed roughly 87.1 pounds of packaged methamphetamine and 2.2 pounds of cocaine that had been concealed within the SUV.

OSP said that the driver was identified as 42-year-old Pablo Carmona-Carmona of Yakima, Washington. He was booked into the Klamath County Jail on charges for Unlawful Possession, Manufacture, and Delivery of Methamphetamine and Unlawful Possession and Delivery of Cocaine.
Even as U.S. vaccinations grow and case rates decline, Tang believes OraSure will see plenty of demand for the test in the United States at least through 2022. Beyond that, he sees long-term demand internationally, especially since many countries across the globe only have a sliver of their population vaccinated. To meet anticipated demand, OraSure is in the midst of a $7.5 million manufacturing expansion in the Lehigh Valley that will create 177 full-time jobs and retain 233 positions across three locations in Bethlehem and one in Bethlehem Township.
ASHLAND, Ore.  With Oregon's pandemic-induced moratorium on evictions set to expire at the end of June, state Representative Pam Marsh is getting the word out about two programs that can help both renters and landlords compensate for back-rent.

The last day of Oregon's eviction moratorium is June 30, established by a law passed at the beginning of the year. All rent that was deferred between April 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021 will enter a grace period before becoming due on February 28, 2022. Regardless of the grace period, failure to pay rent could still result in eviction once July begins.

Its imperative that we inform tenants that the eviction moratorium deadline is looming," said Rep. Marsh. "If you do not pay rent on time, you may be subject to eviction. Tenants who need help with July rent should apply immediately.

Oregon has two programs operating now that can help both tenants and landlords who missed rent over the last year. Though one is pitched to renters and the other to landlords, they each serve both sides of the equation.

The Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program can grant funds to renters who are struggling to pay overdue rent and utilities due to the pandemic or wildfires. Eligible renters can request rent or utility assistance dating back to March 13 of 2020. The program covers up to 12 months of past-due rent and three months of future rent, once the past-due is paid.

Meanwhile, a third round of funding opened up June 1 for the Landlord Compensation Fund, offering at least $60 million in assistance to cover rent owed to landlords between April 1 of 2020 and June 30 of this year. The fund provides relief to residential landlords who have been unable to collect rent due to tenant hardships. The fund now applies to former renters as well.

Landlords who apply for the fund can receive up to 80 percent of rent owed over the qualifying period, but they must agree to forgive the remaining 20 percent of the tenant's debt. The fund wraps up on June 30.
Less: Just look at London, Ont.

Same: We hear more bad news.

More: Canada is on the right path.

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A Canadian Border Services Agency worker is seen at the Canada/USA border crossing in Windsor, Ont., on Saturday, March 21, 2020. Canada's border agency is urgently looking to hire a global technology firm to help develop a biometric strategy in response to emerging issues including COVID-19. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rob Gurdebeke
London Police investigate the scene of a car crash in London, Ontario on Monday, June 7, 2021. Police in London, Ont., say four people have died after several pedestrians were struck by a car Sunday night. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Geoff Robins
The former Kamloops Indian Residential School is seen in Kamloops, B.C., on Friday, June 4, 2021. Widespread shock at the discovery of what's believed to be the buried remains of 215 Indigenous children has highlighted the pervasive ignorance among many Canadians of one of the most sordid, and as yet incomplete, chapters in Canadas national story, experts and observers say. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
BRIGHTON  Kenosha County Sheriffs Department detectives, along with the county fire task force, are investigating a fire that left one person dead Monday at a home in the 21700 block of Burlington Road (Highway 142).

Sheriffs Department Sgt. Chris Hannah said Tuesday afternoon that the victims name was not yet being made public, pending notification of the family.

The Sheriffs Department said the fire caused substantial damage to the home. An estimate of that damage was not available Tuesday.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation as of Tuesday, Hannah said. Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call the Sheriffs Department Detective Bureau at 262-605-5102.

The fire was reported at about 4:25 p.m. Monday, with units from several Kenosha, Racine and Walworth county fire departments responding to the multi-alarm structure fire.

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When deputies arrived, they found the home fully engulfed, according to a Tuesday release from the Sheriffs Department. The fire occurred in an older farm house on a wooded lot, with trees that shrouded the entrance to the property. Authorities blocked off access to the property at Burlington Road, east and west, about a quarter-mile in either direction.
Data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, which administers vaccinations everywhere except for Philadelphia, show that the average number of vaccinations administered per day continues to fall, now at just under 31,000 jabs per day. Thats a 43% decline over the last month, and down almost 73% from the peak of 114,000 shots per day reported in mid April.
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The foundation of modern medicine has been built on a well-established, iterative process of empirical research and the pragmatic implementation of new discoveries. A relevant example of this paradigm can be seen in the development of Pfizers and Modernas COVID-19 vaccines.

Researchers developed a hypothesis to use an mRNA vaccine, demonstrated its promise in animal research and substantiated its safety and effectiveness in human subjects through clinical trials, leading to the vaccines now becoming an integral part of our efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Because of these principles, we have advanced science and medicine in the last hundred years arguably beyond what any of our forefathers would have expected. We have given all of this care in order to help patients and help provide better treatment options for their conditions. Yet, when it comes to taking care of our physicians and preventing burnout, we have failed to put these same scientific principles into practice; its time for a change.

We can begin to look at physician burnout with the same scientific principles as we would in any other study.

First, we must answer the following question: do physicians experience higher rates of burnout than individuals in other professions? The answer is a resounding yes; the burnout rate for physicians is 49%, while the burnout rate for the general public is 28%. The next step in the process would be to figure out the mechanism of disease  why do physicians experience such high rates of burnout? The literature provides some clues.

Some of the most prominent factors behind physician burnout include 1) increased time spent charting/using the EHR, 2) increased time spent performing administrative tasks, 3) too many hours spent working, and 4) a lack of respect from patients.

Stated otherwise, we have acknowledged that the disease exists and understand its mechanism of propagation. Naturally, as with any other disease process, we would then try to cure that disease by developing and testing medications in clinical trials. Treatments to resolve physician burnout have already been discovered and have been shown to be effective by numerous studies. These include (1) increasing use of medical scribes in practice, (2) decreasing hours during residency training, and (3) increasing face-to-face communication between physicians and patients. These solutions should be implemented in practice in the following ways.

Increase the use of medical scribes in hospitals and offices

The most common opposition to the use of scribes is that scribes will cost hospitals or practices more money than they can afford. The economic conditions resulting from the pandemic have further exacerbated this kind of financial concern. However, a study published in JAMA Dermatology suggests that this viewpoint is not necessarily correct. In their study, Namburdi et al. found that 79% of physicians were willing to take on an increased patient load if they had access to medical scribes, and if a physician were to take on one extra patient per session, then the scribe would essentially pay for themselves. Moreover, the study showed that having more scribes in practice actually increased overall revenue by 7.7%. Another study conducted by the American Medical Association demonstrated that scribes increase physician satisfaction, decrease burnout, and increase patient satisfaction.

Decrease the hours required during residency training

The grueling hours during residency training are among the most arduous part of the path to becoming an attending physician. Nearly 38% of physicians between the ages of 25 and 39 experience burnout stemming from long working hours. Fatigued residents are significantly more likely to commit medical errors.

Naturally, the question arises: are the 80- to 100-hour workweeks necessary to train a physician? A study published in the BMJ showed that doctors who worked 90-100 hours a week did not produce better patient outcomes than physicians who had trained in the hospital for significantly less time. It could be argued that we are already improving in this area since the advent of the 80-hour workweek regulation. However, studies have shown that many residents still continue to exceed the 80-hour workweek due to external pressures. A national survey found that 60% of residents reported working more than 80 hours on an average week, and 70% of residents reported working longer than they should have without reporting it.

Implement bedside rounds

Medicine today has transitioned from treating the patient to treating the data. Stanford physician Abraham Varghese coined the term I-patient to describe this phenomenon. His argument is that, fifty years ago, medicine consisted of physicians talking about cases directly in front of the patient during bedside rounds. Today, it consists of physicians discussing cases in front of a computer in a conference room. As a result, patients may no longer see the full extent of time and effort that goes into their care. When the physician walks into a room and sees a patient for less than 15 minutes, the patient may think that is all the time the doctor spends on him or her and may consequently be unaware of the care transpiring behind the scenes. Perhaps we should go back in time and do what the doctors did 50 years ago  implement bedside rounds in hospitals. Allowing the patient to see the full range of care efforts may go a long way towards promoting mutual understanding with their health care providers.

So, the question arises, why have we not put these theories into practice?

After all, if we continue with the analogy of the coronavirus vaccine, the next step of implementation post-clinical trial is widespread distribution. Yet, we have failed in this regard with treating physician burnout. The short answer is, the implementation of any new programs, especially on a national scale, is difficult.

We can again see that to be the case in the example of distributing coronavirus vaccines. However, in addition to sound scientific principles, medicine has been built on resilience. We have found a way to cure what we once thought was incurable, we have found a way to distribute medications to millions of people around the globe, and now its time to find a way to implement these proven solutions to save our physicians.

Karan Patel, Henna Hundal, Ank A. Agarwal, and Basil M. Baccouche are medical students.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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A patient of mine (who was also a friend) reached out recently to say the cost of one of his essential medications had increased to a $300 monthly out-of-pocket expense.

As an independent musician, he did not get his health care through an employer. The COVID pandemic eliminated his gigs. His money reserves dwindled, and he stopped this essential medication  something he did not share with me. Not long after, I heard that he suffered a stroke and died.

No doctor should have to know the feeling of losing a patient  especially a friend  because they cannot afford routine, standard-of-care medications, the price of which is governed by the whims of an insurance company. It doesnt have to be this way.

The goal of all-inclusive health care is again a possibility.

But it has been this close before. In 2013, just prior to the rollout of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), there were 42 million Americans uninsured. This dropped to a low of 27.4 million in 2016. Over the next four years, the prior administration chipped away at provisions of the ACA, and the uninsured rate increased to 31.5 million by 2020.

In a recently launched open enrollment period that lasts until August 15, President Joe Biden announced that to date 1 million Americans have already signed up for health care coverage.

This is part of Bidens ambitious health care plan. In his recent speech to Congress, Biden said, Lets give Medicare the power to save hundreds of billions of dollars by negotiating lower drug prescription prices. And by the way, it wont just  it wont just help people on Medicare. Itll lower prescription drug costs for everyone. And the money we save, which is billions of dollars, can go to strengthening the Affordable Care Act and expand Medicare benefits without costing taxpayers an additional penny. It is within our power to do it.

Yes, the ACA wasnt perfect. It raised costs for some more so than others, and overall costs increased over time. It didnt insure everyone. Now, whichever health care plan we adopt  Medicare for All (which has recently been proposed to Congress), Bidens beefed-up ACA or one of the myriad other proposals  complete inclusion should be a priority.

Critics claim this would be too expensive. But they dont see the many hidden costs that can be avoided with all-inclusive health care coverage.

The fact is that there is already a form of universal coverage, but it is the most expensive and least effective way to deliver care: sporadically through emergency rooms, where care costs, on average, 12 times more than it does in a physicians office.

This accounts for an excess cost of $32 billion annually. This is because of a law passed during the Ronald Reagan administration that requires emergency departments of hospitals that accept Medicare payments to provide care for anyone seeking treatment regardless of ability to pay.

While well-intentioned, it had the unintended consequence of driving uninsured patients to the emergency department for routine and non-emergent care.

Our refusal to cover everyone is, paradoxically, one of the reasons that Americas health care costs 30 percent more than the next highest-spending country. It is about twice as much as the average amount spent by countries that provide universal coverage.

There are some costs that are harder to quantify. About two-thirds of all bankruptcies were tied to medical issues. This affects roughly 530,000 families each year.

About one-third of all crowdsourcing donations go to funding health care, a uniquely American phenomenon. This highlights how our current health care system is failing and is in need of repair.

A recent study by the Lancet found that a Medicare for all model would save approximately 68,000 lives and $631 billion per year. This plan is the most studied, but it may not be the best; other proposals should also be scrutinized.

Looking to other countries that provide universal coverage to see what works and what would fit well for the U.S. is an option. Countries like France, Australia, and England provide universal coverage and rank their health care systems very highly, and are culturally and socioeconomically similar to the U.S.

Whatever health care direction the country moves toward, it is essential to prioritize universal coverage. Otherwise, Americans will eventually end up paying for inefficient, expensive services in the form of higher premiums and taxes, while millions of Americans will remain uninsured, without access to health care or life-saving medications. Many, like my friend and patient, will die.

That is too high a cost to pay.

Payman Sattar is a cardiologist.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
There is an end to everything, planner Oldrich Foucek said. At a certain point, you know whether or not youre going to do it. ... At a certain point, we get the feeling we are being strung along.
By Ritah Kemigisa

Thousands of travellers have spent the better part of Monday night in taxi and bus parks as they wait to travel to their villages.

This has been caused by the latest partial lockdown announced by the President.

In the new measures, the President has given public transport proprietors and private cars up to June 10th after which inter district movements will not be allowed for 42 days.

Since yesterday, transport charges have been hiked and the situation is not in any way different today.

A tour to the Kisenyi bus terminal this morning showed charges had been hiked by over 100%.

For example, one has to pay shs 100,000 to Ibanda from shs 50,000. For those travelling to Kasese, the cost has now been also put at shs 100,000 from shs 50,000.

Much as the costs are high, the majority are willing to pay. However, the number of buses and taxis are not enough and it is now a scramble for who moves faster.

It should be noted that public cars have been taking half their full capacity since last year.

Meanwhile, last evening many city dwellers had to trek home following heightened enforcement of the 9 pm curfew.
The department would take a stricter approach to past use of other drugs. For example, applicants would be automatically disqualified if they ever used cocaine, or used anabolic steroids without a prescription in the past five years. Currently, cocaine use is a deal-breaker only if it occurred in the past five years, and the ban on steroid use is limited to three years.
'This is not right': Veterans vaccinated at VA won't be included in Washington's Shot of a Lifetime drawings
The father of Normal People star Paul Mescal has said the family is "absolutely delighted" following his son's Bafta Television Awards win in London on Sunday night.

Paul Mescal was named Best Actor for his role as Connell in the hit adaptation of the bestseller book by Sally Rooney.

Paul Mescal Senior told RTE Radio that the win was also a fantastic experience for the family at home.

He said they had a Bafta party in Kilcock on Sunday night, hosted by the actor's aunt.

"We were all quite emotional. It was a great event," Paul Snr told the Marty Morrissey Show on RTE Radio 1,

Ed Guiney, one of the executive producers of Normal People, said they are absolutely delighted that Paul Mescal won at the Baftas, especially as there was some particularly tough competition.

Guiney's company, Dublin-based Element Pictures, made Normal People for the BBC and US streaming service Hulu.

He said the series was supposed to launch at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York in April last year, but that was cancelled because of the pandemic.

He said they have promised they are going to have the party to end all parties in Dublin as soon as they are allowed.

After his win, Paul Mescal said he would love to make another series of Normal People and would instantly work again with co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones.

However, the Kildare star stressed that there is "nothing at all in the pipeline" for a second season of Normal People.
Looking back on 2020 members of Kilkenny Youth Theatre create a theatre event to mark their year.

20 young people, capture the year, by presenting 20 creative activities and sharing them within 20 social media posts on June 12 to celebrate Cruinniu na nOg - young peoples creativity.

Hindsight is 20:20

Barnstorms youth theatre is bringing its action-packed year to an end for Cruinniu na nOg with a presentation of ideas influenced by this weird and peculiar year. All four groups continued their activities throughout the pandemic and its resulting lockdowns and school closures.

The challenges of remotely working through Zoom were taken on board and facilitators Anna Galligan and Orla McGovern along with the members explored and created a new way of working through theatre and drama. New skills were learnt, new levels of persistence, resilience and plain old stubbornness were developed. Zoom fatigue was present but members fought back with their usual flair of commitment and humour.

I have been genuinely touched by the brilliance of these young people. Their commitment to the youth theatre and each other was second to none during a time, I know, was difficult. Zoom is not the same as meeting up with friends and it is tough if you have spent all day at school on-line. And then for them to show such humour and playfulness during this project, says Anna Galligan, Barnstorms Participation and Education Director.

I really hope people enjoy the results. As always, they are a genuine joy to work with. And thank you to Kilkenny County Council and Creative Ireland for their support.

Kilkenny Youth Theatre consists of four groups, 48 young people aged 10-18 years, who meet weekly to take part in drama and theatre workshops. At this time of year all groups would usually be showing off their skills through theatre performances, but for the second year running it was not to be.

Instead, the members captured their youth theatre year through a series of activities influenced by working remotely and how they felt about the lockdowns. 2020 consists of wacky and ingenious presentations of poetry, story, scenes, and monologues, all created by the young people. Keep an eye on a social media platform near you! Celebrate young peoples creativity by giving them a 'thumbs up!

2020 will run on June 12 for Cruinniu na nOg throughout the day across various social media platforms including /barnstormtheatrecompany @BarnstormTC barnstormtheatre

2020 is made possible with support from Creative Ireland and Kilkenny County Council.
A local secondary school has been chosen by The Irish Times for its annual Leaving Certificate Diary which gets under way tomorrow (Wednesday).

As thousands of students around the country settle into three weeks of state exams, they will be able to read about the experiences of six students from Castlecomer Community School.

Principal Pat Murphy, is delighted that the North Kilkenny school has been selected by the leading national broadsheet.

As a school, we were delighted to be approached by The Irish Times for their annual Leaving Certificate Diary. The Irish Times is Irelands national and historical newspaper. Every Library in Ireland stores an archive collection of The Irish Times as it is seen as the historical paper of the country. For our school to become part of this national archive is a fantastic endorsement of the excellent academic results our students have been achieving over the last ten years.

The Irish Times informed Mr Murphy that they selected Castlecomer Community School as they were interested in how a school which is totally inclusive has achieved a progression rate of 93% of its students to third level degree courses.

As a community school, we cater for every student in our community, says Mr Murphy.

We work really hard to ensure that every student in our school achieves their potential, whatever that may be. A rising tide lifts all boats, and our Leaving Certificate results in the past ten years have really inspired and motivated the students in our community.

Exam Diarists

When the Leaving Certificate begins (June 9) you can follow Ava O Shea, Tori Douglas, Aoife Walsh, Kevin Holland, John Kevin Malone and Ciaran Kehoe as they tell you about the trials and tribulations of life as a sixth year student during the exam period. They will tell you about their hobbies outside of school, study tips during the exams, review the exam papers over the first six days of the Leaving Certificate and much more.

These six students are excellent ambassadors for our school, and I know they will give a really good portrayal of the wide range of subjects and interests that we cater for in Castlecomer Community School, Mr Murphy says.

I also know that our late principal, Seamus O Connor, would take huge satisfaction from a national newspaper selecting our school to follow for this Leaving Certificate feature.
US rapper Vanilla Ice is narrating a new BBC podcast on the kidnapping of champion racehorse Shergar from Ballymany Stud on the outskirts of Newbridge, Co Kildare in the 1980s.

The musician, best known for his 1990 one hit wonder Ice Ice Baby, presents a seven-episode 'Sports Strangest Crimes' podcast, which features the disappearance of the prize-winning Kildare racehorse.

The rapper said he was fascinated by the disappearance, which made international headlines in 1983 and remains unsolved.

Shergar, owned by the Aga Khan, is famous for winning the 1981 Epsom Derby by 10 lengths.

The BBC said their new podcast, Sports Strangest Crimes, covers money, sex, glamour, politics, extreme violence to humans and animals, accusations of terrorist links to Europe, the Middle East and USA and the kidnap of Shergar the super horse.

In 1983, Shergar was stolen from the stud and a ransom of 2 million was demanded, but it was not paid.

In 1999, Sean O'Callaghan, a former member of the IRA, claimed Shergar was kidnapped in a bid to raise money for arms.

No one has ever been arrested by gardai in connection with the kidnapping.

Shergar also featured in a 2019 documentary The Irish Derby  Nios Mo Na Rasa (More Than a Race) on TG4 which captured the essence of one of Irelands greatest sporting traditions, from its humble beginnings in 1866 to becoming a top international race and attracting some of the leading racehorse owners in the world.

Vanilla Ice released his debut album, Hooked, in 1989 but it was later re-released in 1990 under the title To the Extreme and contained Ices best-known hits: Ice Ice Baby and Play That Funky Music.

"Ice Ice Baby" was the first hip hop single to top the Billboard charts.
AUSTIN, Minn. - The Austin Police Department is asking for the public's help to identify a subject regarding a burglary.

"If anyone knows who he is please call the LEC at 507-437-9400 and reference case number 202100008477," police said on social media.
ROCHESTER, Minn. - Community members gathered to remember the life of Todd Banks Jr. Monday night, one day after he was shot and killed downtown.

Dozens lit candles and released balloons on the corner of 1st Avenue SW 3rd Street SW, the location where Banks was shot.

Nautica Cox and Derrick Days were arrested for second-degree murder for the shooting. The gunfire happened after a dice game got heated, according to RPD. One other person was left critically injured.

A GoFundMe page for banks has been established.
Christianna takes numerous eye drops daily and visits a doctor to check her eye pressure every three to six months. Glaucoma is deteriorative, getting worse with time. In school, technology experts have brought Christianna different types of gadgets to help with lessons but the technology hasnt helped much. Christianna tried a pair of glasses resembling a virtual reality headset, but she said it was too heavy and uncomfortable to wear.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP)  Iowa has agreed to pay $5.7 million to settle eight separate discrimination and negligence claims at its public universities.

The Gazette reports those payments include $3.5 million to an Iowa City couple who accused UI Hospitals and Clinics doctors of negligence during the birth of their daughter, leaving the baby with permanent brain damage.

Another $1.8 million will be paid to a Massachusetts sound technician hurt while working a Luke Bryant concert at the University of Northern Iowa in 2018.

The state also agreed to pay a total of $150,000 to three former UI police offers who sued in 2018 accusing the institution and its administrators of age and disability discrimination.
CHARLES CITY, Iowa  Charges have now been filed over a winter drug investigation in Floyd County.

The Floyd County Sheriffs Office says it searched a home in the 800 block of 8th Avenue in Charles City on February 9. Substances believed to be narcotics were seized and law enforcement says tests at the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation lab have now confirmed the substances were 76.76 grams of methamphetamine and over 36 grams of marijuana.

Two people at the home when it was searched have now been charged. Blake Lee Steege, 26 of Fredericksburg, and Valerie Rose Frascht, 38 of Charles City, are both accused of possession with intent to deliver meth. Frascht is also charged for possession of marijuana.
ST. PAUL, Minn.  A recent rise in foodborne illness is leading to a reminder on post-pandemic health and safety standards.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) says it has seen a significant increase in norovirus activity. Norovirus is a very contagious foodborne virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea and this increase comes after a period of fewer outbreaks in food establishments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MDH says as COVID restrictions are lifted, its still important to take steps to prevent the spread of other diseases like norovirus. Food sellers are urged to take the following precautions

- Employees must not work if they are ill with vomiting or diarrhea, and they must stay home from work for at least 24 hours after it stops.

- Follow Handwashing for Employees procedures, and wash hands often.

- Use gloves, tongs, deli tissue, etc. to handle or prepare ready-to-eat foods like salads, sandwiches, and fruit. Do not handle ready-to-eat foods with bare hands.

Norovirus is transmitted through tiny particles of feces or vomit on food, drink, or surfaces.
MASON CITY, Iowa  The 2021 Dancing for the Dream event raised over $92,000 for 43 North Iowas work helping people with disabilities.

Our sponsors stuck with us from last year through this year, even amongst all the uncertainty, says Executive Director John Derryberry. We believe that is because our mission of helping people find their way is central to their community support.

Among the nights winners:

Terri Cosselman, Managing Partner of Apple Valley Assisted Living and her son Damian Beard, Wells Fargo (DSM), raised the most funds to win the crystal ball trophy.

Best Country Song and Dance  Diane Arndt, Patrick Storby and Kelby Schultz

Best Dance in a Costume  Thriller with Pattie Lathrop and Kristy Emerson

Best Flirty Skit in a Dance  David and Laura Bernemann

Best Throwback Performance  Sam Crosser with Mary Jane Porter as Carol Burnett

Best Dance from a Movie  Anne Hanson and John Derryberry  Blues Brothers

Best Disco and Dance Crew  Terri Cosselman and Damian Beard and the Appley Valley Dancers

Former 43 North Iowa Executive Director Sherry Becker was the honored guest of the night.

Over the last six months, there isn't a day that goes by where a community member, a staff member, or a client hasn't reminded all of us at 43 North Iowa how Sherry made them feel, says Derryberry. They Felt included, cared for, empowered, able to grow free from judgment, and most importantly, felt they could dream, and if they work hard enough, maybe see those dreams come true.

Sherry Becker in front of The Surf in Clear Lake.
AUSTIN, Minn.  A 45-year-old man has been identified as the victim in an Austin shooting while a suspect remains on the loose.

The Austin Police Department said David Harris, 45 of Austin, was killed at his home in the 100 block of 12th St. NE.

The suspect, 18-year-old Miguel Nunez Jr., of Sioux Falls, S.D., has a second-degree murder warrant for his arrest.

"Mr. Nunez is considered extremely dangerous and should not be approached. Anyone having information on his whereabouts should call law enforcement," police said.

The shooting happened around 1:10 am Saturday.
DECORAH, Iowa  A Wisconsin woman accused of a string of crimes in northeast Iowa has been sentenced.

Angela Marilyn Martinez, 28 of La Crosse, WI, pleaded guilty to second-degree theft, possession of burglar tools, and possession of methamphetamine-first offense. Martinez was a suspect in four different thefts and burglaries in Howard and Winneshiek counties.

Law enforcement says it searched a home where Martinez had been staying and recovered a great deal of stolen property, including ATV parts, a bicycle, a vacuum, LED lights, two tow chains, a torque wrench, a road sign, and a flat screen TV. Investigators say they also found meth in a pill bottle with Martinez name on it.

She has now been sentenced in Winneshiek County District Court to 20 days in jail, with credit for time served, and two to five years of supervised probation. Martinez has also been fined $430.
On Tuesday, Isaac Parker was finally laid to rest at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. It would have been his 97th birthday.
This July marks the 56th anniversary of Medicare. Did you know you can apply for Medicare online even if you are not ready to start your retir
ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) -- Former St. Louis officers Christopher Myers and Dustin Boone were back in court Monday as attorneys began whittling down the pool of potential jurors for the pair's second federal trial involving charges of deprivation of civil rights and destruction of evidence.

[Read background on the case: Jury selection begins Monday for re-trial of officers accused of assaulting Luther Hall, destroying evidence]

The 90 potential jurors, drawn from the City of St. Louis and 13 surrounding counties, were asked a broad spectrum of questions, ranging from specific topics such as whether they took place in the 2017 protests following the Jason Stockley verdict, to more broader concerns such as whether they had hard opinions on movements like Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, and Defund the Police. They were also asked whether they or any family member or close friend participated in protests of any kind in the last eight years.

Recent instances of police violence against black citizens also played a role in the questioning, as Judge E Richard Webber asked each group of potential jurors if they would be unable to keep instances such as the deaths of Michael Brown, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police officers from influencing their judgment in the case.

Boone and Myers are charged with different offenses and have entirely separate legal teams, and Myers' defense attorney Scott Rosenblum emphasized that fact while addressing potential jurors, asking specifically if they could, if selected, separate the two charges as well as evidence presented as it pertains to each defendant.

Rosenblum also had several questions for the jury pool regarding Randy Hays, the former officer who pleaded guilty and then testified as a witness for the prosecution in the first trial. Rosenblum said while jurors are supposed treat each witness the same, the law dictates a juror is allowed to consider that a witness is testifying in order to improve the terms of their plea deal. He brought up Hays's names several times in that context, while asking jurors if they understood and agreed with the law.

He then moved into the concept of text messaging, asking if jurors agreed that sometimes miscommunications happen over text messaging, or if sometimes things said over text message can be viewed in the wrong context. As he continued, Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Constantin objected, saying the line of questions was improper for voir dire, and Rosenblum abruptly moved on.

However, when Boone's attorney Patrick Kilgore began his round of questions, he picked up the topic of text messaging once again. Kilgore asked the pool whether any of them would presume Boone was guilty based on messages he sent disparaging protesters. He also primed potential jurors for the fact they will be presented evidence of Boone using racial slurs in text messages.

In court documents filed earlier this month, prosecutors point to texts from before and after the September 2017 attack, where Boone repeatedly sent family members and other officers messages using the n-word.

In July 2017, for example, Boone texted several other officers using racial slurs writing, "there r [n-words] running wild all across the city and even if/when we catch them...They don't get in any trouble because there are plate lips running the cao!" using a slur in reference to the Circuit Attorney's Office. The city's circuit attorney, Kim Gardner, is a Black woman.

Judge Webber previously ruled that the text messages can be used during Boones re-trial.

Kilgore called the texts "racist" and "vulgar," but asked if jurors would assume Boone's guilt just because he used such language. He also emphasized his client is not charged with a hate crime, and in an exchange with one juror who said they had experience with racist language, Kilgore asked whether they believed a person who used racist language could grow and change.

Several potential jurors said they were aware of the case due to news coverage and social media posts, and were asked whether they formed an opinion based on that coverage. Additionally, they were asked if they could set aside what they saw or heard, or, as Rosenblum put it, if they could "un-ring the bell."

Exclusive video shows minutes before brutal beating of undercover St. Louis police detective News 4 has obtained exclusive video from a police source showing some of the events leading up to the beating of St. Louis Detective Luther Hall while he worked undercover during Stockley protests in 2017.

A handful of pool members said they could not set aside what they had learned through coverage and were excused, including one who said he read a detailed story about the re-trial Monday morning and was aware of the new evidence being introduced.

However, one man who said he watched a news story Monday morning about this second trial did not appear to be immediately dismissed. That potential juror said racial tensions were high in the country, and this case and coverage of it could make things worse. When he was asked by Rosenblum if he could set aside the previous coverage and his feelings and be impartial, he responded that he hoped he could.

Another potential juror was questioned about his knowledge of the case through media coverage, and said he recalled thinking the violence during the protests was "stupid," referring to "rioting and looting," and saying "tearing up your own neighborhood just to say you tore it up makes no sense." However he also said he understands the difference between riots and peaceful protests, and also remembered thinking the incident with Hall was also "stupid," because officers were "holding him down when they didn't need to be holding him down."

One woman said she would not be able to judge the case based solely on the evidence presented in court, saying she remembered the 2017 incident as "the cops were trying to keep order," and said she wouldn't be able to judge if the actions of officers were right or wrong because she "wasn't in the situation." That juror was dismissed, as was a woman who said the death of George Floyd and the coverage of that incident affected her to such a degree she could not remain impartial, adding that it changed how she felt about police.

She was not the only one, as a potential juror who took part in a Black Lives Matter protest last summer was also dismissed after she admitted she couldn't guarantee that her feelings about Floyd's death wouldn't spill over into her judgement in this case.

Jurors were broken into three groups of 30, and the court moved through voir dire for the first two groups. The third group of 30 was not called, as proceedings ran long despite Judge Webber's hopes of seating the 12 jurors and four alternates for the case by end of day. However, attorneys for both sides agreed they would not need the third group as the first two panels provided them with a big enough pool.

The prosecution is allowed to strike six potential jurors, and the defense is allowed to strike 10, because there are two defendants. Additionally, each side can strike four potential alternates each. Because of those strikes, there have to be 40 jurors that have not been excused for conflicts or admitted bias before selection can be finalized (enough for all 24 strikes to be used and still have 12 jurors and four alternates left).

Jurors will be called back Tuesday morning and the process will resume at 9 a.m.
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FILE - In this Wednesday, June 20, 2018, file photo, stuffed toy animals wrapped in aluminum foil representing migrant children separated from their families are displayed in protest in front of the United States embassy in Guatemala City. In a report released Tuesday, June 8, 2021, the Biden administration says it has identified more than 3,900 children separated at the border under former President Donald Trumps zero-tolerance policy on illegal crossings.
JEFFERSON CITY - MSHP is investigating after a deadly police-involved shooting in mid-Missouri. Monday's shooting marks the latest of at least three deadly police shootings in Columbia and Jefferson City in 2021.

On June 7 in Jefferson City, May 26 in Columbia, and Jan. 3 in Jefferson City, three suspects were shot and killed by police.

MSHP identifies man shot by police officers in Jefferson City A tweet from MSHP Troop F says there are multiple officers near Capital Mall, on West Truman Boulevard.

The Cole County Prosecutor's office said they are currently working with MSHP on the investigation.

Cole County Prosecuting Attorney, Locke Thompson, said it is Jefferson City Police Department's policy to hand over officer-involved investigations to Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Thompson said, in his previous experience, it takes a few days for preliminary work, so he doesn't expect to see results from the investigation for a few weeks.

According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol news release, JCPD officers conducted a traffic stop at 1:45 p.m. near the Capital Mall. When officers came to the passenger side, the driver, Clay Willingham, 32, of Moberly, produced a rifle.

Officers told the Willingham to drop the weapon. When the he didn't comply, officers "fired their weapons, fearing for their safety, and struck the driver," according to the news release.

Willingham was pronounced dead at the scene.

The shooting occurred in the 3700 block of West Truman Boulevard, near Capital Mall.

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On May 26, officers from the Columbia Police Department shot and killed James Sears, III, 38 after CPD said he drew a firearm on officers.

The incident occurred in the parking lot of the Petro-Mart at the corner of Ash street and Stadium Boulevard.

On Jan. 3, JCPD shot James Reising at 3535 Missouri Boulevard.

According to a news release from MSHP, officers responded to a "disturbance involving a man with a large knife." Officers told Reising to drop the knife, and when he did not comply, officers fired their at the suspect.

The Cole County Prosecutor announced there would be no charges filed against JCPD for the incident. Thompson said the officers involved in the Jan. 3 shooting acted in self defense and in defense of others.

Cpl. Kyle Green said when MSHP takes over an investigation for an officer-involved shooting, troopers treat it just like any investigation.

Green said they focus on the evidence, review camera footage, and talk with witnesses. He said whether it is an officer-involved shooting, or a theft, it's always about the evidence.

Green said the information is turned over to the prosecutor's office, and typically the office won't release any information.

Green said the prosecutor's office is in charge of deciding whether or not body camera footage is released.

However, he said it takes time to get the footage to the office. He said toxicology reports could take several weeks, and all information needs to be given to the prosecutor's office at the same time.
Celebrating our nations independence every year on July 4 is a point of joy and pride. For more than 85 years, our programs have helped provi




North Korea faces a serious humanitarian crisis due to food insecurity and limited health care, aggravated by global sanctions and the coronavirus, an international nongovernmental organization has said.







According to the latest Inform Severity Index report compiled by the Geneva-based Assessment Capacities Project (ACAPS), North Korea faces a "high" level of humanitarian crisis severity.







This represented the second-highest level of a six-tier crisis evaluation scale. The report also ranked North Korea among the countries with "high constraints" in humanitarian access.







"The humanitarian situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is driven by political and economic factors as well as natural hazards," the report said, using North Korea's official name.







"Chronic food insecurity and limited access to basic services, such as healthcare and clean water, have left more than 10 million people in need of humanitarian assistance," it said.







The report said that global sanctions have restricted the North's import of humanitarian goods and affected people's access to aid.







North Korea is believed to be suffering from chronic food shortages due to unfavorable weather conditions in recent years and the impact of global sanctions on its economy.







The North's strict measures against COVID-19, including the closure of borders, are also expected to have "long-term consequences" on its economy, the report said. (Yonhap)






U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday the Biden administration is determined to appoint an envoy responsible for monitoring the human rights situation in North Korea, but that he was not able to offer a timeline for this.







Blinken was asked about the administration's plans for such an appointment at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the U.S. State Department's annual budget request.







"We will be coming forward with that. I can't put a timeline on it. We're determined to do that," Blinken said, while adding the vetting process had become ever more complicated and time consuming. (Reuters)


Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

A few passing clouds. Low near 60F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few passing clouds. Low near 60F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.
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PORTLAND, OR (KPTV)  Tuesday marked another day of recent deadly gun violence in Portland after a man was found dead by police in the Overlook neighborhood.

According to the Portland Police Bureau, officers responded just after 2 a.m. to reported gunfire in the area of the 4000 block of North Interstate Avenue. When they arrived at the scene, police found a body near North Failing Street and North Montana Avenue. The dead man, who has not been identified, appeared to have been shot.

Homicide detectives responded to the scene and the investigation is ongoing. PPB said there is no shooting suspect information at this time. An autopsy will be scheduled to determine cause and manner of the mans death. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact PPB Detective Brian Sims at Brian.Sims@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-2079 or Detective Scott Broughton at Scott.Broughton@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-3774.

Portland police on scene of another shooting this morning. Waiting for details. North parking lot of Kaiser Permanente Interstate taped off. 473 plus shootings in Portland this year. @PPBPIO @kpthrive #fox12Oregon pic.twitter.com/1WaoVBPdlL  Marilyn Deutsch (@marilyndeutsch) June 8, 2021

This shooting comes just about 28 hours after police responded to a shooting in southeast Portland and found four people dead late Sunday night. As of Monday, police confirmed to FOX 12 that there had been 473 shootings in Portland so far in 2021.
"We are going to be running at just about full capacity again this year after the pandemic last year," said Director of Idaho Falls Parks and Recreation PJ Holm. Read more
The states of Wyoming and Montana are pushing back on the federal governments claims that a lawsuit over a proposed Washington state coal port is moot because the project collapsed.

In their response to the solicitor generals filing from last month, the states maintain the issue is bigger than one development. Washingtons actions, they claim, are discriminatory to the coal industry and causing Wyoming and Montana harm.

Washington will continue to block port development and dissuade bidders from taking up this otherwise lucrative project, lawyers for the states wrote in their new filling. Evidenced by its successful eight-year crusade to kill the terminal project, Washingtons policy-driven interpretation of its laws and regulations is not going to change on its own. Without relief from this Court  the only forum with the power to grant it  Wyoming and Montana likely will never see their abundant coal reserves to foreign markets.

Wyoming and Montana took legal action against Washington last year over that states decision to deny a permit to Millennium Bulk Terminals, which was intended to serve as a hub for Powder River Basin coal before it was shipped to overseas markets. The coal-producing states argue Washingtons actions amount to the unlawful regulation of interstate commerce.

Last month, U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who represents the federal government in matters before the U.S. Supreme Court, argued that the matter was moot because the Millennium project has since declared bankruptcy.

None of the relief that Montana and Wyoming seek would change the fact that there will be no Millennium Bulk Terminal  and thus no chain of causation running from an increase in coal exports to increased revenues for Montana and Wyoming coming from coal severance and other taxes, the brief argued.

The solicitor generals position against the coal port was not unexpected. The Supreme Court in October invited the acting solicitor general  who at that point had been appointed by the Trump administration  to provide an opinion on the suit. The official did not do so before leaving office at the end of Trumps term, leaving the decision to the solicitor general appointed by the Biden administration.

But in their new filing, the states say the projects failure doesnt mean someone else might not try to pursue a port for shipping Powder River Basin coal overseas. Therefore, the states reasoned, the Supreme Court should get involved.

Only this Court can decide whether Washingtons policy to blockade Powder River Basin coal exports violates the Commerce Clause, the states wrote. The Court should exercise its original jurisdiction and allow Montana and Wyoming to vindicate their sovereign interests. The Court should not dismiss the States complaint simply because Washingtons discriminatory policies successfully bankrupted the most recent developer.

The company initially proposed the terminal in 2012. Wyoming government and industry leaders have long said the west coast port would be critical to one of the states premier industries, as it would allow Powder River Basin firms to export coal to Asia.

In January 2020, Wyoming joined Montana in asking the U.S. Supreme Court for a hearing.

In December, Lighthouse Resources, the proposed terminals parent company, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It then failed to find an interested buyer for the terminal.
Councilwoman wants action when it comes to violence in Shreveport
Virginia Supreme Court hears arguments for and against removal of the Lee monument in Richmond
Sheriff Steve Prator makes one of the many points in his written statement on fighting violent crime.
Israeli parliament to vote on approving new gov't by June 14

Xinhua) 08:47, June 08, 2021

An Israeli watches a televised press conference of Naftali Bennett, leader of the small pro-settler Yamaina party, in central Israeli city of Modiin on May 30, 2021. (Xinhua/Gil Cohen Magen)

JERUSALEM, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Israel's parliament will vote on approving a new government that could oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by June 14, parliament's speaker announced on Monday.

Parliament Speaker Yariv Levin, a lawmaker with Netanyahu's Likud party and his close associate, declined to set a specific date for the vote.

Levin made a formal announcement to the parliament, noting that opposition leader Yair Lapid informed the president last week that a coalition deal had been agreed. Levin said a vote to approve the new government will be held within a week, in accordance with the Israeli law.

"An announcement regarding a date for the session to establish the 36th government will be conveyed down the line to members of parliament," Levin said during the session, which was broadcast on main Israeli TV channels.

Israeli politician Yair Lapid, the head of the Yesh Atid party speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv on May 6, 2021. (Xinhua/Gil Cohen Magen)

Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, announced last week that he reached a deal to form a coalition government with nationalist Naftali Bennett, leader of the pro-settler party of Yamina, and six additional small parties.

If approved by the parliament, or Knesset, the new government would end the 12-year rule of Netanyahu, the country's longest-serving prime minister.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Weather Alert

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 9 PM MDT TUESDAY... * WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions. * WHERE...Portions of north central Wyoming and central, south central and southeast Montana. * WHEN...From noon to 9 PM MDT Tuesday. * IMPACTS...Extreme heat will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...After a very hot Monday, temperatures will peak on Tuesday with record high temperatures from 100-107 degrees. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.
GREEN RIVER, Wyo. (AP)  A judge has sentenced a Wyoming man to life in prison without parole on first-degree murder charges in the death of a 5-year-old boy in his care.

Sweetwater County Third District Court Judge Suzannah Robinson sentenced Christopher James Nielsen last week, The Rocket-Miner reported.

Court documents say Nielsen, 27, was arrested Nov. 14, 2019, and was originally charged with aggravated child abuse after the boy was taken to hospital where he died on Nov. 28, 2019, from excessive brain trauma. The aggravated child abuse charge was elevated to a first-degree murder charge after the boy died.

Nielsen initially pleaded not guilty, but changed his plea to no contest in April 2021, officials said. Nielsen later told police he lost his temper and shook him before the boy began to have a seizure.

Nielsen lived in the city of Green River in Sweetwater County for about a week before the boy was hospitalized and was living with Vanessa Kidner, the boy's mother, and Stacy Willeitner, her fiance, in exchange for babysitting.

Robinson said the most aggravating factor of the crime was the vulnerability of the child, who had developmental issues and was already being abused.

Sweetwater County Attorney Dan Erramouspe read a victim impact statement from Kidner, who said that she will never be whole again.

Nielsen apologized for his actions during the sentencing hearing and said that he prays for forgiveness even though he doesnt deserve it.
STEVENSVILLE, Mont. - A new health care center, Bitterroot Health - Stevensville, will open in late 2022.

With the Bitterroot Valley growing, the new facility will make it possible for local folks to get continuous and preventative care without having to travel as far to places like Hamilton and Missoula, saving them a 20-plus minute drive.

The center will provide the following services:

Primary care

Walk-in/Urgent care

Women's health services

Specialty services

Rehabilitation services

Lab services

X-ray, CT & ultrasound

Ambulance services

Pete Dunn, the incoming regional director of Bitterroot Health - Stevensville, said this access is huge because now people will more likely get help sooner, leading to less severe problems and ultimately saving lives.

"They can get the services they need," Dunn said. "Our focus is going to be on wellness and catching things early, keeping people healthy."

The new Bitterroot Health - Stevensville is part of an expansion project planned by Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital. The 21-thousand square foot facility will be located off Highway 93 on Kootenai Creek Road. They're breaking ground this fall and then plan to open in late 2022.

Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital is looking for community input on what they'd like to see in the new health center. To be a part of the conversation, please contact marking@mdmh.org or call 406-375-4589.
Sayre, PA (18840)

Today

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Early State Delinquencies Drop Below Pre-COVID Levels

The nation's mortgage delinquency rate is inching closer to its pre-pandemic level as early stage delinquencies improve. CoreLogic says that in March of this year 4.9 percent of all mortgages were 30 days or more past due, including loans in foreclosure. This is the lowest rate since March 2021, the month the pandemic hit, and the rate was 3.6 percent.

The company notes that "March 2021 marked a critical juncture in the U.S. - the one-year anniversary of the onset of the pandemic, the third round and disbursement of government stimulus checks and the extension of forbearance programs. Taken together, some of these factors helped mortgage holders stay current on their loans and led to the lowest national delinquency rate in a year.

"Additionally, the convergence of these financial paddings allowed many homeowners to chip away at other debt. A recent CoreLogic survey of current mortgage holders shows that in addition to 89 percent of respondents saying they are current on their mortgage payments, nearly 70% said they also have credit card debt - of which, only 15 percent reported falling behind on payments in the past year."

Early-Stage Delinquencies, loans 30 to 59 days past due, were at a 1.0 percent rate in March, down from 1.9% in March 2020. For the next stage, loans 60 to 89 days past due, the rate was 0.4 percent, compared to 0.6 percent the prior March.

The serious delinquency rate, loans that are 90 or more days in arrears including those in foreclosure, is the bucket that still reflects the financial distress of the past year. That rate is now 3.5 percent compared to 1.2 percent in March 2020. The foreclosure inventory rate, loans in the process of foreclosure remains low due to the ongoing foreclosure moratoria. That rate was 0.3 percent, down by 0.1 point on an annual basis.

The transition rate, the share of mortgages that moved from current to 30 days past due during the month, was 0.4 percent in March. It was 1 percent in March 2020.

Delinquency rates moved higher in every state and in most metro areas. The most severely affected states were Hawaii and Nevada with annual increases of more than 3 points and Odessa and Midland, Texas, up 7.9 and 6.1 points, respectively.
Larose, LA (70373)

Today

Partly cloudy with late night showers or thunderstorms. Low 74F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy with late night showers or thunderstorms. Low 74F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
ROME, JUN 8 - Former Taranto prosecutor Carlo Maria Capristo is facing more legal problems after magistrates in Potenza sent him notification that he must reside in Bari, sources said Tuesday. The case regards the period when Capristo was prosecutor in Taranto and, at least in part, the troubled steelworks in the southern city, the sources said. He is currently on trial in a separate corruption case after being arrested in May 2020. He was released in August. Last month Fabio and Nicola Riva were sentenced to 22 and 20 years in jail respectively for the "environmental disaster' caused by the ILVA steelworks in Taranto. The pair are the former owners and directors of the plant, whose emissions have been linked to high cancer rates in the area. They were convicted of criminal association to cause an environmental disaster and poisoning of food substances, among other things. Former Puglia Governor Nichi Vendola was sentenced to a three-year term in relation to the case. A high-profile Sicilian lawyer, Pietro Amara, was arrested on Tuesday in relation to the same ILVA case Capristo is implicated in, the sources said. Amara is also under investigation in Milan over allegedly false claims of a conspiracy regarding Italian energy giant Eni. (ANSA).
ROME, JUN 8 - A 19-year-old German woman has broken free after being held captive by two men near Rome and subjected to violence and sexual abuse, sources said on Tuesday. The woman came to Italy two years ago with one of the men, a 29-year-old Pakistani national who was her partner at the time. She managed to escape on May 27, taking advantage of a moment of distraction by her captors to get out of the house and ask for help from a passer-by . The passer-by took her to a Carabinieri police station in the town of Cesano and the officers arrested the two men, who were taken to Rieti prison. (ANSA).
NAPLES, JUN 8 - The Neapolitan Camorra mafia has started issuing invoices for people who pay 'pizzo' protection money with bank transfers, police said Tuesday. The new payment and records method has emerged in a police operation in which 31 people were arrested on suspicion of working for the Amato Pagano clan in the Naples district of Secondigliano. The transaction was channelled by a friendly company which paid the mobsters in cash after getting the bank transfer, and issued an invoice to the victim showing payment had been made, police said. The company levied VAT on the transaction, they said. In the police op, the head of a local business group, Antonio Papa, 59, was arrested for allegedly helping the Amato Pagano clan. The 31 arrestees have been charged with mafia association, extortion, drug trafficking, falsely claiming assets, and other offences all aggravated by mafia methods. Police seized assets worth some 25 million euros in Campania, Molise and Emilia Romagna. (ANSA).
TRENTO, JUN 8 - A 40-year-old African migrant was arrested in Trentino Monday night for attacking a woman church volunteer with a knife in her car earlier in the day. The man, Adama Nonka from Cote d'Ivoire, has also been charged with setting fire to the bed in the church oratory he had been staying in, sources said Tuesday. The woman, 64-year-old Luciana Rigotti, who volunteers at the church at Ranzo, a part of the town of Vallelaghi, was found bleeding beside her car at Vezzano after the alleged assailant ran off. The man's jacket and luggage were found outside the locked doors of the rectory, police said, but there was no sight of him. Police tracked him down after combing the area with the help of helicopters, drones, and the fire service. The woman was taken to Santa Chiara Hospital in Trento in code red but is not in a life-threatening condition. (ANSA).
ROME, JUN 8 - Mayors across Italy expressed dismay on Tuesday after the first citizen of the northern town of Crema said she had been put under investigation by criminal prosecutors in relation to an injury sustained by a child at a nursery school. The boy got his hand trapped in a fire door in October and crushed two fingers. The injuries were not permanent, although they needed three months of treatment Stefania Bonaldi, the mayor of the town in the Lombard province of Cremona, was among a number of people to be notified they are being probed over the failure to install equipment that would have prevented the accident. "We are all under investigation along with Stefania," said Bari Mayor Antonio Decaro, the head of Italian municipalities association ANCI. "If the State does not change the rules, we will stand as civil plaintiffs". Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said enough was enough. "I am one of the mayors who say it is not possible to continue in this way," Sala said. "It seems to me that there is widespread agreement on this and I expect there to be decisive action by the mayors". (ANSA).
ROME, JUN 8 - The award-winning president of a civic group at Tor Bella Monaca outside Rome was verbally and physically assaulted by a local mobster in a row over a parking slot there Monday night, sources said Tuesday. A member of the Moccia crime family threatened and jostled Tiziana Ronzio, named a knight of the republic in 2019 by President Sergiuo Mattarella for her work with the TorPiuBella civic association. The organisation said it was just the latest in a string of intimidatory acts against the woman and her group over the last few months. It posted on social media: "These provocations, death threats and intimidations have all been documented and brought to the attention of the authorities but despite this the situation does not appear to be improving". (ANSA).
International

Hamas warns Israel not to stir tension over flag march

The Israeli media reported that the Jerusalem flag march on Thursday had been called off.

Gaza, Jun 8 (IANS) | Publish Date: 6/8/2021 1:20:17 PM IST

The Islamic Hamas movement has warned Israel not to renew tension in the Palestinian territories although a Jerusalem flag march scheduled for Thursday is reported to have been called off.

Hamas warns the occupier (Israel), the mediators and the entire world against the flag march through the Old City and al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Khalil al-Hayya, a senior leader in Gaza, told reporters on Monday. Hamas message is clear: we dont want the Thursday event to be like what happened after May 10, he added, referring to the latest round of the 11-day fierce fighting between Israel and Hamas in the besieged enclave.

The fighting in and around Gaza broke out on May 10 following clashes between the Israeli police and Palestinian worshipers in East Jerusalem during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan An Israeli courts decision to evict Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem was also behind the clashes and ensuing fighting. Jerusalem for us is a red line. We are not fond of wars, but our resistance is ready to defend the holy city, al-Hayya said.

Meanwhile, the chamber of the joint military operations in Gaza, which comprises Palestinian armed wings, also warned Israel not to escalate tension in East Jerusalem.

We are closely monitoring the behaviour of the enemy (Israel) in the holy city (Jerusalem), and we will have our word if the enemy decides to bring the situation back to what was before May 11, the Chamber said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli media reported that the Jerusalem flag march on Thursday had been called off after the police rejected the organisers request for a march through the Old Citys Damascus Gate.
ASCOLI PICENO, JUN 8 - An Italian nurse was sent to trial Tuesday for allegedly murdering eight care home residents in Marche by slowly overdosing them with insulin and psychoative drugs between 2017 and 2018. The man, Leopoldo Wick, was also indicted for four other attempted murders. Some 46 relatives of the deceased residents have stood as civil plaintiffs in the case. The alleged murders took place in the home at Offida near Ascoli Piceno. The trial starts on October 27 in Macerata. (ANSA).
They saw Abrahamson ingest medication from the same package, sometimes by crushing it up and snorting it, court records allege.

Caregivers noticed the medication made the woman drowsy and further distorted her mental clarity, according to court documents.

Caregivers also reported they suspected Abrahamson was sharing a bed with his mother because he often would be locked in the bedroom when they arrived, court records state.

Medical personnel advised Abrahamson to take his mother for a professional examination after noticing unusual discharge, but he refused to have her examined and said it wasn't necessary, court records state.

Caregivers also noticed Abrahamson giving his mother "long-winded kisses on the mouth," according to documents. They thought the woman was attempting to tell them she was scared of Abrahamson by squeezing their hands when he approached as they tended to her, court records state.

Police began investigating in March after a social worker at a Munster hospital reported she suspected the woman was being abused and neglected by Abrahamson, court records state. The woman had been treated at the hospital after arriving with urine-soiled clothing and bruising on her arms and legs.
In the year 2000, Roger Rohrer planted 750 trees on 5 acres of pastureland that has been in his family since 1893. It was one of the earliest attempts to establish a riparian buffer in Lancaster County.

Rohrer wasnt sure how long the 5 acres had been pastured. His educated guess was that it had been cleared in the early 1700s, about the time Marie Ferree and her family fled religious persecution in their native France.

They settled in Strasburg Township, founded a village called Paradise and introduced animal agriculture  and pastures  to their corner of Penns Woods.

Theres nothing wrong with pasture, Rohrer said in a break between bouncing around his 200 acres in a red Polaris Ranger. But pasture with animals in a stream? Thats a problem.

Its not just a manure and urine problem; its also a stream bank destruction and sedimentation problem.

We visited Rohrer in the company of Teddi Stark, who is the watershed forestry program manager for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

It was Starks first visit to the farm, where she saw the Rohrer familys embrace of riparian buffers and other conservation best management practices.

A Rough Start

The first spot Rohrer took us to was that 5 acres where hed planted 750 trees in 2000 as part of USDAs Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.

The program had a list of allowable tree and shrub species, all of which had to be Pennsylvania natives, a rule that still holds.

Rohrers trees are mostly deciduous  swamp white oak, red oak, tulip poplar. He got an OK to include a few conifers, like white spruce and white pine.

In 2000, the trees had to be planted at random, rather than in rows, and Rohrer couldnt spray for weeds or mow between the trees.

Without mowing or spraying herbicides around the tree seedlings  standard practice today  for the first three to five years, the buffer plants were a haven for unwanted species.

Voles flourished in the ground cover, and they stripped the bark from the young trees. Without spraying to keep invasives in check, species like Canada thistle and mile-a-minute vines could shoulder out the natives. Tree mortality in that first buffer was very high.

The rationale for letting nature take its course was that a buffer should look natural. So nature, unmolested, did what it wanted to do with the Rohrer farms first buffer.

And what nature apparently wanted to do was to kill every one of those 750 trees. Which it almost did. In the first five years, nearly every tree had to be replanted at least once.

Making Progress

Did the experience turn Rohrer against riparian buffers? Did he come to believe they were a lost cause?

Not at all.

I cant criticize anybody, he said. We all had this idea of what a buffer should be. It should look like a native forest with native species growing willy-nilly. For those early buffers, there was no support for maintenance after the installation. We were all learning together. We have learned. We know better.

What they all learned  the landowners, the funders, the regulators  was that the first three to five years of a buffers existence are the most critical. A plant-it-and-forget-it approach guaranteed failure.

After enough of those failures, the notion caught on that buffers need maintenance, which is another word for management.

Today, with diligent replanting and weed management, the first buffer is mature, has a developed canopy and doesnt get mowed.

Frankly, it doesnt look like much. A patch of ground with a tulip poplar here, a black willow there and a hackberry bush yonder.

Theres a grassy patch thats home to wild turkeys. Deer roam the buffer, the entire farm, in fact. Rohrer and his sons, Todd and Mark, have amassed what for most hunters would be a lifetimes worth of trophy whitetail racks.

Curling through that patch of wilderness is a shallow stream, maybe a yard wide. At one time, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection carried the stream on its statewide list of impaired bodies of water.

It didnt have a name, but it was on the impaired map  until it and two other Lancaster County streams were taken off the list in 2019.

Delisting is a thorough, tedious process involving lab tests for water quality, and people with advanced degrees mucking about in a stream, turning over rocks and looking for the kinds of aquatic life that can only exist in pristine water.

When theres enough evidence to conclude that a stream should be delisted, theres a ton of paperwork.

The Rohrer farm has won all kinds of conservation awards from the state and the county, but the honor Rohrer seems to treasure the most is the simple delisting of a no-name stream that trickles through his 20-year-old buffer.

Did the buffer help clean up this stream? Rohrer asked, standing on its bank. Probably. Did 20 years of no-till help clean it up? Probably. Did 10 years of cover crops help? Probably. And the fact that the headwaters are only a mile away definitely helped.

Rohrer said that there came a point in time when, having spent his entire life on his familys ancestral farm, and having witnessed how easily the soil was moved by storms, he needed to do everything he could to keep the soil on the farm and out of the stream.

Over the past two decades, he has guided the installation of diversion terraces, grass waterways, drain tiles and covered manure storage.

Rohrer stressed that its not just one practice that can clean up a stream, but a lot of practices. And its not just one farmer; it takes every farmer along a stream to get it clean and keep it clean.

Rohrer said hes working on his neighbors, in a friendly kind of way, to convince them to clean up the water downstream from his place. That part of the stream, which flows into Beaver Creek, which flows into the Pequea, which flows into the Susquehanna, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay, is still impaired.

Seeing Improvements

Rohrer and his sons work the farm together. Their primary enterprise is raising nearly a million organic broilers a year for Coleman Natural Foods. They grow corn, soybeans, wheat and 6 acres of Pennsylvania type 41 tobacco.

They save fertilizer expense by spreading poultry litter on their fields in accordance with their manure management plan.

In 2010, the Rohrers installed their second riparian buffer, 600 trees on 4.5 acres. They planted that buffer not in spite of the experience with the first buffer, but because of what they learned in the process.

The second buffer trees were planted in rows for ease of mowing. Sprays were used around the tree tubes to reduce vole hiding spots and to keep invasives in check.

Rohrer estimated tree mortality in the second buffer at 30 to 40%, and all the dead ones were replanted. The replanting costs were paid for jointly by CREP and the Rohrers. CREP provides a small amount of money every year for buffer maintenance.

A third buffer, 200 trees on 1.5 acres, was planted in 2016. Rohrer estimated tree mortality at 5%. The trees were planted in rows 14 feet apart to accommodate the farms 10-foot rotary mower. Sprays and tree tubes have kept vole damage to a minimum.

A few of the young trees have been lost to buck rubbing, but if you live with whitetails, which the Rohrers are happy to do, youll have some of that.

Just up a hill from the third buffer is a 4-acre field thats planted to switchgrass, a warm-season grass that can reach 6 feet in height, with roots that can go down another 6 feet.

The Rohrers are in the fifth year of a 15-year contract to keep the steeply sloped, highly erodible field in switchgrass.

It cant be harvested, but it can be mowed during the establishment period. There are several switchgrass plots on the farms steepest slopes.

Payment rates for CREP contracts are based partly on soil types. Lancaster County has some of the highest quality soils in the U.S., so payments to county cooperators tend to be higher than they are in other parts of the state and the country.

A Lancaster County farmer who signs a 10- or 15-year contract for a permanent stand of warm-season grass, like switchgrass, in excellent soil on a steep slope could be looking at an annual payment of $400 or more per acre.

On the Rohrer farm, the field downhill from the switchgrass is planted to a variety of row crops. Over a five-year period, Rohrer expects to average $800 in gross receipts per acre.

Out of that $800 he has to pay for seed, fertilizer, pesticides, fuel and labor for planting and harvesting, and transportation costs for getting the crop to the mill.

In a normal year, gross minus expenses leaves a net of $200 or $300 per acre, Rohrer said.

If that acre would be on one of his steeper slopes, the environmental and management challenges, and probably lower yields, would cut into the net.

The Rohrers have 20 acres of their steepest slopes in switchgrass, mostly for environmental stewardship, but also for the CREP payments.

The 2020 cost for the switchgrass acres? Zero. Zip. Nada. The Rohrers only have to watch it grow and cash the CREP check.

Why arent more of my neighbors planting switchgrass on their steeper slopes? Rohrer asked.

In addition to the switchgrass, the farm has 12 acres enrolled in the CREP riparian buffer program.

The CREP payments dont add up to another enterprise for the farm, but they do give a modest boost on the bottom line.

The real payoff for the Rohrer family is the environmental stewardship on 200 acres that have been permanently preserved through the state farm preservation program and the Lancaster Farmland Trust.

Preservation proponents are given to saying that preservation means forever and a day. So what Roger Rohrers ancestors began in 1893 may look different in another 127 years, but it will still be a farm.

And maybe not look so different.
Milk is a rich resource in Virginia, with 505 dairy farms producing 173 million gallons of milk in 2019.

But not all Virginians have access to milk, so some dairy farmers and food banks have teamed up to help those in need.

Fluid milk in particular is one of the most requested items by the people we serve, but its simultaneously one of the least donated, said Eddie Oliver, executive director of the Federation of Virginia Food Banks. The logistics of milk are just challenging because of shelf life. Its perishable. It has to move quickly.

During June Dairy Month, Oliver wanted to highlight the Milk for Good campaign, a collaboration of food banks, milk processors and dairy farmers. Launched in 2019 with grants and donations from Farm Credit of the Virginias and The Dairy Alliance, the campaign helps the federation purchase, store and distribute milk.

We just recently crossed the 200,000 half-gallon threshold, Oliver said.

In rural Franklin County, dairy farmer Joanna Shipp and her father, Laird Bowman, sprang into action last spring to help their local food bank, Heavenly Manna, during the pandemic.

Theres a statistic that says most food pantries give out 1 gallon of milk per person per year, which isnt very much, Shipp said.

Collaborating with their church, Shipp and her father helped raise money for Heavenly Manna to provide milk for the 500 families it serves. She also facilitated weekly milk deliveries to the food bank and a cooler donation to improve the food banks refrigeration capacity.

Thats one thing we felt was important  helping people get a nutritious, versatile item thats going to work in multiple ways for them, Shipp said.

Milk to Give

In Nottoway County, brother and sister, TR Jones and Coley Jones Drinkwater of Richlands Dairy and Creamery, made giving back part of their business model.

We certainly dont have extra money, but we have milk, said Drinkwater, who serves on the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Dairy Advisory Committee.

Richlands One for 10 Gallon Give Back initiative provides one gallon of milk for a food bank or family for every 10 gallons purchased.

The company partners with area food banks, including the Dinwiddie Food Bank and Faces Food Pantry in Farmville, which serve around 300 families. Richlands donated more than 9,000 gallons of milk in 2020.
Can people with allergies get vaccinated?

Can pregnant women take Covid-19 vaccine? What about lactating mothers?

Do I get enough antibodies after getting vaccinated?

Is blood clotting common after taking the vaccine shots?

If I have contracted Covid, after how many days can I get myself vaccinated?

These are some of the frequently asked questions people raise about Covid vaccination. Dr. V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog and Dr. Randeep Guleria, Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences have addressed various doubts people have regarding COVID-19 vaccines in a special programme on DD News on Sunday the 6th June.

Read on, to be armed with the correct facts and information, and stay protected from the infection. This and other questions are also answered in the FAQs of the Union Health Ministry (https://www.mohfw.gov.in/covid_vaccination/vaccination/faqs.html)

Experts Answer Frequently Asked Questions About Vaccine and Inoculation

Can people with Allergies get Vaccinated?

Dr. Paul: If someone has a significant allergy problem, then COVID vaccine should be taken only after medical advice. However, if it is only a question of minor allergies like getting common cold, skin allergies, etc., one should not hesitate to take the vaccine.

Dr. Guleria: Those on prior medication for allergies should not stop these, they should continue to take the medication regularly while getting themselves vaccinated. It is also important to understand that arrangements have been made at all vaccination sites for management of allergies arising due to vaccination. Hence, we advise that even if you happen to have a severe allergy, you keep taking the medication and go and get yourself vaccinated.

Can pregnant women take COVID-19 vaccine?

Dr. Paul: As per our current guidelines (read PIB press release dated 19th May 2021- https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1719925 ) vaccination should not be given to pregnant women. The reason for this is that a decision recommending vaccination to pregnant women could not be taken by doctors and the scientific community based on available data from vaccine trials. However, the Government of India will clarify this situation in a few days, based on new scientific inputs.

It is being found that many COVID-19 vaccines are being found safe for pregnant women; we hope the route should open for our two vaccines as well. We request the public to be a little more patient, especially considering that the vaccines have been developed in a very short span of time, and pregnant women are not usually included in the initial trials, due to safety concerns.

Dr. Guleria: Many countries have begun vaccination for pregnant women. The US FDA has given approval for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Data regarding COVAXIN and COVISHIELD will also come soon; some data is already available, and we hope that in a few days, we hope to get the full required data and grant approval for vaccinating pregnant women in India too.

Can breastfeeding mothers take COVID-19 Vaccine?

Dr. Paul: There is a very clear guideline regarding this the vaccine is absolutely safe for lactating mothers. There is no need for any fear. There is no need to stop or pause breastfeeding either before or after vaccination.

Do I get enough antibodies after getting vaccinated ?

Dr. Guleria: It is important to understand that we should not judge the efficacy of vaccines only by the amount of antibodies getting generated. Vaccines give many types of protection - such as through antibodies, cell-mediated immunity and memory cells (which generate more antibodies when we get infected). Moreover, the efficacy results which have come so far are based on trial studies, where the study design of each trial is somewhat different.

Data available till now shows clearly that efficacy of all vaccines - whether COVAXIN, COVISHIELD or Sputnik V - are more or less equivalent. We should not hence say take this vaccine or that vaccine, whichever vaccine is available in your area, please go ahead and get yourself vaccinated so that you and your family are safe.

Dr. Paul: Some people seem to be thinking of getting an antibody test done post vaccination. But that is not required to be done for the simple fact that antibodies alone do not indicate the immunity of a person. This is so because of T-cells or memory cells; these undergo certain changes when we receive the vaccine, they become stronger and gain resistance power. And T-Cells are not detected by antibody tests as these are found in bone marrow. Hence, our appeal is to not fall in the tendency of doing antibody tests either before or after getting vaccinated, take the vaccine which is available, take both doses at the right time and follow COVID Appropriate Behaviour. Also, people should not be under the false notion that the vaccine is not required if you have had COVID-19.

Is blood clotting common after taking the vaccine shots ?

Dr. Paul: A few cases of this complication did come to the fore, particularly with regard to Astra-Zeneca Vaccine. This complication occurred in Europe where this risk was seen to be present to some extent in their younger population due to their lifestyle, body and genetic structure. But, I would like to assure you that we have systematically examined this data in India and found that such blood-clotting incidents are almost negligible here - so negligible that one need not worry about it. In European countries, these complications were found to be almost 30 times more than that in our country.

Dr. Guleria: It has been seen earlier also that blood clotting after surgery occurs less in Indian population in comparison to that in US and European populations. This side-effect, named as Vaccine induced Thrombosis or Thrombocytopenia, is very rare in India, found to occur in a much lesser proportion than in Europe. Hence, there is no need to be scared of this. Treatments also are available for this, which can be adopted, if diagnosed early.

If I have contracted Covid, after how many days can I get myself vaccinated ?

Dr. Guleria: The latest guidelines clearly state that a person who caught COVID-19 can take the vaccine after three months from the day of recovery Doing this will help the body develop stronger immunity and the effect of the vaccine will be better.

Both the experts  Dr. Paul and Dr Guleria also asserted and reassured that our vaccines are effective on the mutants which have been seen in India till date. They also termed as fake and unfounded the rumours circulating on social media that our immune system becomes weak after taking vaccines or people die after taking vaccines, a wrong belief held by some people in rural areas and remote blocks.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 08, 2021 12:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Regional

Shillong MP asks PM to increase for Meghalayas farmers welfare fund

Correspondent Shillong, Jun 8 | Publish Date: 6/8/2021 1:11:20 PM IST

Veteran Congress parliamentarian Vincent H Pala has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to personally instruct the PMO (Prime Ministers Office) to provide sufficient funds and necessary assistance to the poor farmers of Meghalaya who in majority are indigenous tribal, to enable them to sustain themselves and their families during this pandemic.

85 per cent of the population of Meghalaya is farmers. Therefore, if only 8967 farmers have been provided financial assisted under this flagship programmed - PM-Kisan Scheme, by the Government of India, then, the Government of India has done a grave injustice to the farmers of this state, the three-time sitting Congress Lok Sabha noted in his letter a copy of which was also sent to Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.

Drawing the attention of the Prime Minister to the plight of the farmers, which, he said, required the immediate attention and remedial measures of the PMO, Pala urged Modi to graciously consider enhancing the necessary financial assistance to the farmers and daily labourers of Meghalaya. Pointing out that this is the peak season for harvest, the MP said that because of the lockdown, the farmers have been facing tremendous hardship and difficulties either in arranging manpower or machineries to facilitate the process of harvesting the crops.

Normally, during this season, cash crops like broomstick, bay leaf, black pepper, ginger, potatoes, cabbages, cauliflower are harvested in huge quantity in the state. The cash returns come to crores of rupees, thereby benefiting the farmers. It is sad to state that the state government has not made enough efforts to provide marketing facilities and linkages to sell these products, the MP wrote.

He mentioned in the letter to the PM that in Meghalaya, most of the farmers are owners of their own fields and they engage and employ labourers to cultivate their crops.

Therefore, when the farmers, who are the owners of the cultivated land, cannot sell nor market their crops they will not be able to pay the local labourers. Hence, most of them are out of job and livelihood. This has adversely affected the families of the small and marginal farmers who depend solely on seasonal crops, Pala wrote.

You (Prime Minister) have been considering the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan or Self- Reliant India Mission, where special economic packages were announced which focus on the economic benefit of the labourers, farmers, and the cottage industry. In the process, the Government of India had announced an amount of Rs 20 lakh crores to tide over the COVID-19pandemic crisis, the Congress parliamentarian noted. Exhorting the Prime Minister to release adequate funds to Meghalaya to provide necessary assistance to the skilled and unskilled labourers, daily wage earners, domestic workers, taxi and sumo drivers, and other un-organized workers, Pala said, It is sad to mention that the much-needed financial assistance to these group of workers have not been released nor paid by the State Government since last year.

Recalling that the Centre released Rs 20,000 crore under the Prime Minister Kisan Scheme for the benefit of 9.5 crore farmers across the country, Pala said, According to the data available, only 8967 farmers from Meghalaya received the direct benefit transfer installment at the rate of Rs 2000 each amounting to Rs 1,79,34,000, the lowest amongst all the North Eastern States.
New Delhi, June 8: In a major boost to mango exports potential from eastern region, sixteen varieties of mangoes including three GI certified Khirsapati & Lakshmanbhog (West Bengal), Zardalu (Bihar) are being exported to Bahrain commencing today.

The fruits have been sourced from farmers in Bengal and Bihar by APEDA registered exporter, DM enterprises, Kolkata and imported by Al Jazeera group, Bahrain. 'Noorjahan' Mangoes in Madhya Pradesh Report Good Yield, Cost Up To Rs 1,000 Apiece This Year.

APEDA has been initiating measures to boost mango exports from the non-traditional regions and states. APEDA has been conducting virtual buyer seller meet and festival to promote mango exports.

Recently in a bid to increase mangoes exports to South Korea, APEDA in collaboration with Indian embassy, Seoul and Indian Chamber of Commerce in Korea, organised a Virtual Buyer Seller Meet. APEDA has recently organised mango festival in Berlin, Germany. Mango Museum To Come Up at Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture Office in Lucknow.

Due to the ongoing Covid19 pandemic, the export promotion programmes were not possible to be organized physically. APEDA took a lead to organize virtual meet to provide a platform to the exporters and importers of mangoes from India and South Korea.

For the first time in this season, India has shipped a consignment of 2.5 Metric Tonne (MTs) of Geographical Indication (GI) certified Banganapalli & other variety Survarnarekha mangoes sourced from farmers in Krishna & Chittor districts of Andhra Pradesh. Mango Growers Hit For Second Consecutive Year by COVID-19 Curfew.

The mangoes exported to South Korea, were treated, cleaned & shipped from the APEDA assisted and registered packhouse & vapor heat treatment facility at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh and exported by IFFCO Kisan SEZ (IKSEZ).

This was the first export consignment sent by IKSEZ, which is a subsidiary of IFFCO, a multi-state cooperative with a membership of 36,000 societies. There is possibility of more exports of mangoes to South Korea this season. IFFCO Kisan SEZ has an agreement with Meejaim, South Korea for supplying 66 MTs of mango this season.

Mango in India is also referred as king of fruits and referred as Kalpavriksha (wish granting tree) in ancient scriptures. While most of the states in India have mango plantations, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka have major share in total production of the fruit.

Alphonso, Kesar, Totapuri and Banganpalli are leading export varieties from India. Mango exports primarily take place in three forms: fresh mango, mango pulp, and mango slice.

Mangoes are processed by the APEDA registered packhouse facilities and then exported to various regions and countries including middle east, European Union, USA, Japan and South Korea.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 08, 2021 11:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
U.S. authorities recouped mostly of the Colonial Pipeline's payments to the hackers who are behind the ransomware attack at their company. The seizure of payments is a result of a law-enforcement operation that officials said showed progress in curbing the ability of criminals to disturb the American commerce and critical infrastructure for their profit, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

It can be recalled that the hacking incident Colonial Pipeline faced prompted shut down of the company, and panic buying from people on the eastern coast of the United States. More than 1,000 stations experienced a gas shortage, making the states of Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida, declare a state of emergency.

READ NEXT: Colonial Pipeline Hit by New Network Problem; DarkSide Hacking Group Shuts Down

U.S. Seizes Most of the Ransomware Payments to the Colonial Pipeline Hackers

The investigators recovered at least 64 Bitcoins, with the value of $2.3 million from a virtual wallet. Bloomberg noted that originally, the Colonial Pipeline paid at least 75 Bitcoins, but because of the declining value of the cryptocurrency, U.S. authorities were only able to recover over half of the total of $4.4 million.

The recuperation of Colonial Pipeline's payments stemmed out when investigators acquired a seizure warrant from a magistrate in Northern California on Monday. This allowed the authorities to capture the bitcoin from the virtual wallet that linked to the group of hackers that victimized Colonial Pipeline. Furthermore, the seizure warrant released by the Justice Department revealed that the FBI was able to locate the Bitcoins through uncovering the digital addresses the hackers utilized to transfer the funds.

However, it turned out that Colonial Pipeline is not the only victim of the hackers who attacked the company, forcing them to shut down.

Deputy Director Paul Abbate confirmed with the Justice Department that the investigators discovered more than 90 companies victimized by DarkSide, the group of hackers from Russia that is blamed for the Colonial Pipeline attack. The said companies that were victimized by DarkSide came from different sectors such as critical infrastructure, manufacturing, healthcare, legal, insurance, and energy.

U.S. Energy Secretary Backs the Ban on Ransomware Payments

Colonial Pipeline Chief Executive Officer Joseph Blount confirmed with Wall Street Journal that their company paid $4.4 million to DarkSide. Blount furthered that the movement was done because the executives were unsure how badly the cyberattack breached their system.

Despite the risk hackers like DarkSide pose to certain companies, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Sunday that she will support a law that would ban companies from paying ransom to hackers holding their information hostage. Granholm warned that paying the hackers would "embolden" them, according to an NBC News report.

"They should not be paying ransomware, but they should be letting us know so we can protect the rest of the country," said Granholm. The energy secretary also noted that "everyone" needs to level up in protecting themselves, as well as telling the authorities that they are a target of the attacks.

Despite what happened with what DarkSide caused, President Joe Biden and other officials said that there is no evidence that the Russian government was involved in the Colonial Pipeline attack. However, President Biden slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin for allowing criminal hackers to target the United States. The president is scheduled to address the ransomware attack with President Putin at the summit in Geneva on June 16.

READ MORE: U.S. Government Denies Disturbing Russian Hackers DarkSide Over Colonial Pipeline Attack

WATCH: U.S. recovers millions in Bitcoin paid in Colonial Pipeline ransom - from CBS Evening News
Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei had blamed U.S. President Joe Biden's immigration policies for the ongoing border crisis.

But Vice President Kamala Harris claimed that the current crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border is widely the result of climate change and the economy, which Giammattei disagreed on, according to The Federalist report.

Alejandro Giammattei was not the only one to criticize Harris and the Biden administration. Some of the Guatemalans had protested against Harris' visit for more diverse reasons other than immigration.

Harris' motorcade was met with Guatemalans carrying signs with a writing telling "Trump won" and "go home," New York Post reported.

Another sign that a protester was holding said that the vice president should mind her own business. It is not yet clear how many participants were involved in the said protest during Harris' motorcade.

READ NEXT: Kamala Harris Finally Sets Date for Long-Awaited Trip to Mexico, Guatemala

Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei Meets With Kamala Harris

Alejandro Giammattei said that he and Kamala Harris are not on the same side of the coin regarding the issue of migrations.

The Guatemalan president noted that they had asked the United States government to send a clearer message to prevent people from leaving their home countries.

He added that when Biden took office, he said that his administration would reunite families and children, which prompted coyotes to organize groups of children to take them to the U.S.

Meanwhile, Kamala Harris had insisted that the main drivers of the current migrant surge to the southern border are climate change and the economy.

U.S. officials also noted the role that corruption plays in forcing migrants to make the journey to the U.S.

Special envoy Richard Zuniga said they see corruption as one of the most significant root causes that had to be dealt with, Fox News reported.

Kamala Harris said corruption is one of their highest priorities in terms of focus after Biden had asked her to address the issue in the region.

The vice president noted that she and the Guatemalan president had a very frank conversation about the importance of an independent judiciary. They also discussed the importance of a strong civil society, according to a New York Times report.

During a joint news conference with Alejandro Giammattei on Monday, June 7, Kamala Harris said it is important to discourage people from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador from making a journey to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Harris also said that the United States would continue to implement its laws and secure the borders. She noted that if immigrants come to the border, they will be turned back.

According to an Aljazeera report, Kamala Harris directly told migrants not to come to the U.S. She also announced measures to fight human trafficking and smuggling in Guatemala.

The vice president said the U.S. would help create a smuggling, human trafficking, and anti-corruption task force. The said task force will support and train local prosecutors to create an independent judiciary that would uproot corruption networks in the country.

The Biden administration had outlined an investment of $48 million in entrepreneurship programs, affordable housing, and agricultural business in Guatemala. The said investment is part of a four-year $4 billion plan to invest in the region.

On Sunday, June 6, Kamala Harris traveled to Guatemala as part of her first overseas trip since assuming the vice presidency.

READ MORE: Kamala Harris Purposely Avoiding a Visit to U.S.-Mexico Border, Border Patrol Union Chief Says

WATCH: Vice President Kamala Harris Aims to Tackle Immigration on Her First Foreign Trip to Guatemala - From CBS This Morning




A Colorado principal turned in her resignation after a photo of three students, reenacting how George Floyd died, was shared on social media last month.

The Denver Post identified the Colorado principal as Rachel Ayers from Mead High. Ayers resignation was announced by the St. Vrain Valley School District Superintendent Don Haddad on Monday, June 7.

The resignation of the Colorado principal came as the prosecutors from the trial of former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin sought a 30-year sentence for the man behind the death of George Floyd.

READ NEXT: Colorado School Bus Driver Slaps 10-Year-Old Girl for Refusing to Wear a Mask

Colorado Principal Resigns After Photo of Reenactment of George Floyd's Death Published Online

Haddad's announcement of Ayers resignation was made through a letter to Mead High families. Haddad also wrote that Mead High experienced several successes and "significant challenges" in the previous year.

The district superintended also thanked Ayers for her service at Mead High, where the former principal worked for 12 years as an educator, assistant principal, and eventually principal.

After Ayers' resignation, The Hill reported that Principal Brian Young from Frederick High will now supervise Mead High school.

Haddad noted that Young would host meetings with the students of Mead High and the community and discuss the "advancing student success and achievement" focusing on a safe and "inclusive school environment and culture."

Haddad further noted that this program would cater to every student, staff, teacher, and community member.

Since Principal Brian Young was expected to oversee Mead High, Frederick High will now be supervised by Russell Fox, Frederick High's assistant principal.

Colorado Students Reenact George Floyd's Death in a Photo

The said photo that was published online portrayed the death of George Floyd in the hands of the former Minneapolis cop. The Hill reported that the image showed three students of Mead High.

The student, who represented George Floyd in the photo, was wearing blackface. The photo sparked attention and reached the school district superintendent.

Haddad labeled the photo as "disturbing and disgusting." Haddad said that they would address the "extremely serious" matter immediately and accordingly.

The district superintendent further noted that the schools in the St. Vrain Valley strongly condemn "racism in any form."

The photo reenactment of George Floyd's death also prompted a petition from an alumnus of the school, arguing that everyone in their school represents Mead as who they are.

"These kids need to be held accountable for their actions," said the petitioner, adding that the students who reenacted George Floyd's death in a photo dishonored themselves and the name of their institution.

"I'm truly embarrassed to have graduated from here and these students don't represent what Mead stands for," said the petitioner, who also posted the petition on Twitter.

This petition is mostly so the principal does something instead of ignoring the situation. I'm truly embarrassed to have graduated from here and these students don't represent what Mead stands for.  nessa  (@rxateez) May 20, 2021

The NAACP Boulder County Chapter and other local organizations in Colorado responded to George Floyd's death photo reenactment and other "systemic racism in schools. According to Denver Post, the groups would organize a virtual Townhall and panel discussion on Thursday, June 10, at around 6 p.m.

The first hour will be reserved for families, while the latter will allow staff to join the conference and ask questions to the district superintendent.

READ MORE: Capitol Rioter Faces Arrest for Killing a Mountain Lion in Colorado

WATCH: Colorado High School Students Reenact Murder of George Floyd in 'Disgusting' Photo on Social Media - From The Denver Channel
A 66-year-old man has allegedly sexually assaulted his 89-year-old mom with dementia, according to police. The man was identified as Bruce Michael Abrahamson, who was said to engage in a pattern of sexually abusing and controlling his mother, according to a Law and Crime report.

The suspect was said to have committed the crimes in the open. Caretakers said they saw Abrahamson sexually assault his mom with dementia during diaper changes between March 24 and June 1, according to police.

Bruce Michael Abrahamson allegedly told caregivers about him being a doctor and having a medical reason for engaging in the act, claiming it was an "exam." However, medical experts did not back up his explanation.

In a May incident, caregivers had stopped him from changing the elderly woman's diaper in front of customers at a restaurant. In addition, Bruce Michael Abrahamson had also allegedly given his mother "long-winded kisses" on the mouth.

READ NEXT: 9-Year-Old Girl Held Captive, Beaten and Molested by Indiana Man

Bruce Michael Abrahamson Abuses His Mom With Dementia

Bruce Michael Abrahamson was also reported to giving his mother pain medications multiple times a day, even when she was not in pain, as records stated, NWI Times reported.

Court records also stated that Abrahamson ingested medication from the same package, sometimes by crushing it or snorting it.

Court documents added that caregivers noticed that the medication had made the elderly woman drowsy and further distorted her mental clarity.

They also suspected that Abrahamson was sharing a bed with his mom. They said he would often lock the bedroom upon their arrival.

The caregivers added that the woman had tried to tell them she was scared of her son by squeezing their hands when his son would approach her.

Abrahamson claimed that he had gotten permission to change his mother at the dining table. However, the caregivers had checked with managers and found that no consent was given for that.

Police had started their investigation in March after a social worker at a Munster hospital reported that they suspected that the woman was being abused and neglected.

After she arrived with urine-soiled clothing and bruising on her arms and legs, the woman was being treated at the hospital.

Medical personnel had advised the suspect to take his mom with dementia for a professional examination after noting an unusual discharge. However, Abrahamson had refused to have her examined, saying that it was unnecessary, Kenosha News reported.

Investigators found out that Abrahamson had gotten his medical degree in Juarez, Mexico. However, he was denied medical licensing in Illinois in the 1980s. He was also determined ineligible for medical licensing in Indiana in 1982, according to court records.

Abrahamson was being held at the Lake County Jail in Indiana on a bond of $80,000 surety or $8,000 cash, according to Lake Criminal Court records.

Abrahamson is charged with rape when a victim is mentally disabled or deficient. Other charges include neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury, neglect of a dependent where the defendant places the dependent in a situation that endangers them and practicing medicine without a license.

READ MORE: Texas Teacher Sexually Abused Her Former Student for Years: Police

WATCH: Prevalence of Dementia in the United States in 2000 and 2012 - From JAMA Network




La Negra, the daughter of the Jalisco cartel's boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes or "El Mencho," asked a U.S. judge to free her Friday.

Prosecutors push for Jessica Johanna Oseguera Gonzalez, known by her alias "La Negra," to spend prison time with up to a $5 million fine.

According to a Courier-Journal report, La Negra pleaded guilty in March of violating the Kingpin Act for her connection in businesses blacklisted by the United States.

Her attorney, Steven J. McCool, argued in court motions that La Negra is the victim of a "vindictive prosecution," noting the rarity of charges filed against her.

La Negra allegedly provided financial support to a series of real estate investments in the U.S. and legitimate businesses in Mexico.

The said businesses include a pair of sushi restaurants and a tequila company, which El Mencho used to funnel drug proceeds, the Gangster Report noted. Jessica Johanna Oseguera Gonzalez has pleaded guilty in the case and is currently being held without bond.

In a 100-page motion, La Negra's attorney urged the judge to sentence her to time served. El Mencho's daughter has already spent more than 15 months in jail, which her lawyer said is already a "severe" punishment.

READ NEXT: Notorious Jalisco Cartel Eyed in Kidnapping, Killing of 3 Siblings in Mexico

La Negra's Arrest

Jessica Johanna Oseguera Gonzalez walked into the Washington D.C. courthouse in February 2020 to attend her brother's hearing. However, she was quickly arrested.

La Negra's brother is Ruben Oseguera Gonzales, who is known to inherit the Jalisco cartel throne from his father in Mexico. He was known as "El Menchito."

Chicago top federal drug enforcement officer Bob Bell said El Mencho is the head of the Jalisco cartel they are targeting to disrupt and dismantle, according to an ABC 7 Chicago report. The guilty plea by El Mencho's daughter is a pressure point in the effort to take the Jalisco cartel's boss down.

La Negra is looking at up to 30-year in federal prison when sentenced on June 11. There is no cooperation included in her plea agreement. There is also no requirement that she will testify against her father or her brother.

Meanwhile, El Menchito is planning to fight the charges against him. He was accused of distributing cocaine and methamphetamine in the U.S. from 2007 to February 2017, NBC News reported.

El Mencho And The Jalisco Cartel

El Mencho was outed as a top U.S. target by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in October 2018. Sessions has announced a coordinated attack on the Jalisco cartel, blaming the group and the Sinaloa cartel for the entry of illegal and deadly drugs into the U.S.

The Jalisco cartel had approximately 5,000 members and is considered more violent, with alleged involvement in mass graves, kidnappings, acid baths, and video recording beheadings.

Last July, the group had released a video showing elite force within the ranks of the Jalisco cartel. In addition, the said members had assembled a long line of armored vehicles and showed off a wide array of arsenal.

Many were holding .50 caliber weapons while some were holding grenade launchers and high-powered assault rifles, National Post reported.

El Mencho remains to be the most elusive criminal and is currently hiding in Mexico, separated from his family.

READ MORE: Man With Ties to Jalisco Cartel Arrested For Drug Trafficking In Massachusetts

WATCH: New Generation Jalisco Drug Cartel Spreads Through Mexico - From CGTN America




The supposed epic 70-day voyage across the Pacific of a kayaker failed after his California-to-Hawaii attempt was interrupted by rough seas and high winds that caused him to lose his anchor.

On May 31, Larkspur resident Cyril Derreumaux set out from the coastal town of Sausalito in California while heading for Hawaii to achieve the 70-day voyage across the Pacific. But his paddling hopes were cut short in less than a week by the extreme circumstances.

California-to-Hawaii 70-Day Voyage

According to The Guardian, the world record holder for endurance rowing, Cyril Derreumaux, was rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter six days after he set out.

Derreumaux endured several problems with his 23-foot kayak but continued. However, when he lost his sea anchor, he immediately decided to abort his adventure.

After he was rescued, the kayaker shared that he experienced unexpected things in his initial days of adventure. But on his sixth day, things went from bad to worse quickly, especially that he lost his anchor, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

In his post on social media, Cyril Derreumaux said that his 23-foot kayak was pummeled with 4.5 meter high waves. The endurance rower also noted that the anchor lines of the vessel became entangled in the rudder, and his GPS stopped functioning.

The kayaker added that together with his team, they were trying to find a solution to the electronic problem that he encountered. But he noticed that the general behavior of his kayak changed suddenly. He immediately attributed the change to the damage in his sea anchor.

READ NEXT: Wearing Mexican Flag at Graduation Caused North Carolina Student's Diploma to Be Withheld

The Kayaker Experienced More Problems

Cyril Derreumaux stated that few moments after he discovered the sudden change, his kayak was positioned almost parallel to the axis of the waves. He then found himself violently tossed from side to side, along with all the equipment that was inside the kayak.

The kayaker noted that when the night had just fallen, he realized that it was over as his situation was no longer sustainable because of problems in communication and consumption. The endurance rower was not able to drink, eat, and sleep because of the situation, ABC7 San Francisco reported.

After he consulted and mentioned his situation with his land crew, Derreumaux phoned the Coast Guard for rescue on Saturday night, June 5, and he was rescued around 70 miles west of Santa Cruz. A diver was lowered from a helicopter by the rescue unit into the water and helped hoist Derreumaux up.

Meanwhile, the boat of Derreumaux remains adrift in the ocean. But he said that he hopes to coordinate with a retrieval team to salvage his boat this week when the winds die down. The kayaker noted that he knew from the start that it would be a difficult task to achieve.

But the 44-year-old endurance rower emphasized in his social media post that he still has the passion for this adventure intact, and he is still determined to make it happen. He added that he would not stop until he can conquer it.

READ MORE: California Woman Reunites with Lost Wallet 46 Years Ago in Concert; Owner Feels Like Opening a 'Time Capsule'

WATCH: Kayaker Rescued by Coast Guard During Failed 2400 Mile Trip to Hawaii - From Yours News
After being known as a smart lady who knows her way out of chess matches, "Queen's Gambit" star Anya Taylor-Joy will dive into another role as she was reported to be in the talks of starring in Searchlight's upcoming feature film, "The Menu." Apart from Taylor-Joy, Deadline reported that Ralph Fiennes closed a deal to also star in the said dark comedy film.

The film will be written by Will Tracy and Seth Reiss, while it will be produced by Hyperobject Industries by Adam McKay, according to a Vulture report. Meanwhile, DanTram Nguyen and the director of the production, Zahra Philipps, will supervise the studio.

READ NEXT: Camila Mendes-Charles Melton Romance: Riverdale Stars Spotted Together One Year After Split

Anya Taylor-Joy of "Queen's Gambit" and Ralph Fiennes to Star in "The Menu"

Although Deadline reported that Taylor-Joy being in the film is still in talks, The Wrap pointed out that Searchlight confirmed the "Queen's Gambit" star will appear on the said movie. Anya Taylor-Joy will play the role of a woman who goes on an adventure with her boyfriend to an exclusive restaurant on a remote island.

Apart from being a part of "The Menu," good news just keeps on coming for Taylor-Joy, as the American born, Argentine-British actress and model was expected to be an Emmy contender, after playing the role of Beth Harmon in the hit Netflix series, "Queen's Gambit." Taylor-Joy's role for the Netflix limited series also became the behemoth streamer's biggest hit in 2020. Anna Taylor-Joy had her break-out role when she starred in Robert Eggers' "The Witch."

Taylor-Joy will be joined by Ralph Fiennes, who made the role of Voldemort in the "Harry Potter" franchise famous. The Wrap noted that Ralph Fiennes will play the role of the chef in "The Menu."

Fiennes made himself busy as he starred in the Netflix drama "The Dig." The two-time Oscar nominee, Fiennes returned to the screens as "M" in the James bond film "No Time to Die."

Both Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes were represented by CAA, although the "The Witch" star was also represented by United Agents and Felker Toczek Suddleson, Deadline reported.

Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes on "The Menu"

The film "The Menu" where Taylor-Joy would play the role of the tourist and Fiennes as the chef, will be directed by Mark Mylod, who played a part in the success of HBO's "Succession."

The story of the dark comedy film will revolve around the darkly comedic psychological thriller set in the world of eccentric culinary culture. The story will start when a young couple visited a remote island where an acclaimed chef prepared a sumptuous feast for them.

Although Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy had their roles confirmed, details regarding who will play the role of Taylor-Joy's partner in visiting the remote island of "The Menu" were not yet confirmed. Apart from the other casts of the film, details regarding the start of its production as well as its release were also not available.

READ MORE: Chrissy Teigen Resurfaces on Husband John Legend's Instagram After Courtney Stodden Bullying Scandal

WATCH: Top 10 Best Anya Taylor-Joy Moments - from MsMojo
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 01: The 4million bricks that make up London's longest canal tunnel are inspected today. The bricks date back to the 1800s when the Islington Tunnel on the Regent's Canal was built. The work is part of a 45million programme being spent by the Canal & River Trust this winter to repair and restore the nation's waterways at The Regent's Canal on December 1, 2015 in London, England. (Photo : Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images for Canal & River Trust)

Back in 2013, a group of curious scientist ventured deep down the Kidd Mine in Ontario, Canada. There, they discovered what is said to be the world's oldest water in all of the world's history.

At the depth of 2.4 kilometers was an underground tunnel which led to a mine. The 3.1 kilometer depth of the mine encouraged the researchers to dig even deeper.

Discovering the Ancient Pool

The researchers took advantage of the flow of the groundwater to analyze the dissolved gases in this water. The gases included were helium, neon, argon, and xenon. They were able to conclude that the water dates back to at least 2 billion years old, making it as the oldest known water in history.

They presented their discoveries at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco in the year 2016. There were microbes found in the water samples from the pool that was only found in deep ocean floors, to the astonishment of the researchers. Bacterium called chemolithotropic microbes was found on the water that has been feeding on nitrogen and sulphate. Not only that, the chemistry supporting them was similar to ocean beds that support similar extreme life forms.

"If geological processes can naturally supply a steady energy source in these rocks, the modern terrestrial subsurface biosphere may expand significantly both in breadth and depth." said Long Li from the University of Alberta. The researchers expressed that there's a lot more research to be done. The distribution of these ancient waters could be all over the earth!

According to Sherwood Lollar, there is much more to it than one might expect. "When people think of this water, they assume it must be a little bit of water trapped in the rock,"

"But in fact, it's bubbling up a lot. These things are flowing at a rate of liters per minute - the volume of water is much larger than anyone expected."

Also read: Youngest Volcanic Deposit from Mars Could Mean Life on the Planet

The Billion-Year-Old Liquid

The billion-year-old liquid gave away a musty smell. "It literally is following your nose right up to the rock, to find the crack or the fractures where the water is discharging," said Sherwood Lollar. When Sherwood Lollar sent the water samples for testing, it was found that the liquid was up to 10 times saltier than sea water. The liquid was tested using a mass spectrometer by the University of Oxford.

It took over four years of rigorous testing to confirm an accurate age for the water. Sherwood Lolar was particulary interested in this Ancient Pool because she believed that the ancient water might help answer a question that has long been sought after: could there be life on other planets?

"If there are any biomarkers, indicators of past life, they've gotta be in the subsurface. We no longer think of life on Earth as this smear of biology on the surface. Life may be something that deeply permeates our planet."

Our existence is dependent on water, or the lack of it, in many ways. Almost all water on Mars today exists as ice, though it also exists in small quantities as vapor in the atmosphere. Could the outcomes of discovering this ancient liquid lead us to find that there is more to be found in Mars' water supply? And if so, will NASA dig a little deeper for it?

Also read: NASA Scientists Are Studying Lightning to Predict Hurricane Intensity
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Two large wildfires in central Arizona have burned over 170 square miles and prompted the evacuation of many towns due to hazardous fire conditions.

Wildfires in eastern Arizona have consumed over 60,000 acres and caused hundreds of residents to evacuate from the vicinity.

Telegraph Fire

According to CNN, a fire known as the Telegraph Fire has burned more than 34,300 acres near the southern side of Tonto National Forest.

Parts of the town of Miami, Arizona, Central Heights, Ice House Canyon, Kellner Canyon, and Six Shooter Canyon, and the east side of El Capitan were told to evacuate by the Gila County Sheriff's Office on Monday.

As the Telegraph Fire approached the town, roughly 70 miles east of Phoenix, the Sheriff's Office told those living in residences west of Miami to evacuate.

Related Article: California Wildfire Destroyed 10,000 Redwood, Killing Off 10% of World's Sequoia Population



Evacuation

Residents in nearby Top-of-the-World, Arizona, were asked to vacate their houses earlier Sunday by the Pinal County Sheriff's Office due to the fire. Superior, Arizona residents, were urged to be prepared to evacuate at any time.

"If you choose to reject this advice, you must recognize emergency services may not be able to help you further," the Pinal County Sheriff's Office advised residents of the 250-person Top-of-the-World enclave, according to CNN.

According to the Arizona Republic, the Boyce Thompson Arboretum was evacuated Monday afternoon as the Telegraph Fire grew closer to the site.

Between Superior and Miami, U.S. Highway 60 was blocked. In addition, semi-tractor-trailers were prohibited from traveling along a section of U.S. Highway 70.

About 25 miles to the east, the Mescal Fire swiftly spread from 12 square miles to more than 82 square miles on Sunday, fueled by strong winds.

According to Inciweb, Coyote Flats, Soda Canyon residents, and those residing on the east side of State Route 77 in El Capitan have been told to abandon their houses.

The fire has forced the closure of two state highways: State Route 77 between Winkelman and U.S. 70 and State Route 177 between Winkelman and Superior.

Mescal Fire

About 12 miles southeast of Globe, Arizona, the Mescal Fire started on June 1.

Since last week, the Mescal Fire has burnt over 25,900 acres in the Mescal Mountains. Authorities evacuated residents near the El Capitan and Soda Canyon regions on Saturday, according to CNN. El Capitan has a population of roughly 4,800 people, although it's unknown how many were evacuated.

According to the US Drought Monitor, the area where the flames are raging is suffering extreme drought. More than a quarter of the West is experiencing exceptional drought, with up to 50% of the region experiencing extreme or exceptional drought, the two most severe conditions.

The fire risk is growing due to a lack of rain, high temperatures, low humidity, and strong winds.

No Reported Deaths or Injuries

So far, no deaths or injuries have been recorded as a result of the flames.

Two more Arizona wildfires, the Tussock Fire and the Copper Canyon Fire destroyed thousands of acres and caused hundreds of people to flee their homes only last month.

Also Read: Power Failures During Heatwaves May Endanger Cities on a Particularly Hot Summer

For similar news updates,don't forget to follow Nature World News
A man facing a charge under the Money Laundering Act was sent forward for trial to Portlaoise Circuit Court after the Book of Evidence was served on him last Thursday.

Adam Mullen, 20, of 27 Ashgrove, Mountmellick is charged with the offence at the Bank of Ireland, Mountmellick on October 30, 2019.

He is to abide by the same bail conditions, including surrendering his passport and not to leave jurisdiction.

One Senior Counsel and one Junior Counsel was assigned.
Portakabin has sought High Court orders directing Google to provide it with details about a Gmail account that has been sending allegedly defamatory messages to its customers.

Portakabin Ltd and Portakabin (Ireland) Ltd, which manufacturer and supply modular buildings, sought the orders so they can identify who in March and April of this year sent several messages aimed at damaging their business to their customers.

Google does not oppose the application.

The application came before Mr Justice Senan Allen on Tuesday, who told the court that he had received by registered post an anonymous letter about the application, purportedly by the person behind the account.

While it was not appropriate to write to judges about cases before them, Mr Justice Allen said that he should raise the correspondence in open court.

The Judge said the author also asked the court not to make the orders, as they would not be able to afford a solicitor.

The author, the judge added, partly tried to justify the postings, described themself as being "a whistle-blower" and was concerned about being identified.

The author of the letter also said that the account the subject of the proceedings" had been deleted" and gave "a 100% assurance" they would not send any more communications to Portakabin's customers.

Lawyers for Portakabin asked the court to make the orders, and told the court that it would not characterise the authors activities as whistle-blowing.

If the author had genuine concerns about Portakabin, then they should have raised them with either the companies, or with various regulatory authorities.

Instead, the author had sent emails which contain untrue, personalised, defamatory and negative allegations about matters including the quality of Portakabin's products and services, to important customers aimed at damaging Portakabin's business and reputation.

The plaintiffs want to pursue all remedies possible, including legal proceedings, against the person or persons, behind the emails, the court heard.

Mr Justice Allen said he would consider the application and would give his decision at a later date.

The Portakabin companies seek orders against Google Ireland Ltd directing the internet giant to disclose information and data it holds associated with the particular Gmail account that has been allegedly using a pseudonym 'John Smith'.

In what is known as a 'Norwich Pharmacal' order Portakabin secured an order requiring Google to provide information including the address, telephone number and or any other email address, of the holder of irishpeople2021@gmail.com.

Portakabin will also be given details about the payment instrument, including credit card details, used by the account holder, and the IP address and associated time stamps of the account.

Previously the court heard that Portakabin believes the emails formed part of a wider campaign dating back to October 2020, when anonymous letters were sent to is customers.

The companies believe that the author of the emails and the letters are the same person or persons.

Those letters also made false claims about the company, it is claimed.

Arising out of the contents of the letters Portakabin hired external consultants review its procurement and business practises.

The consultants found that that there was no evidence to sustain the claims made against them in the letters.
Covid-19 pandemic expert Luke O Neill has signed up for a new science series in the midlands.

Local development company, Midlands Science is pleased to announce Science Communities, the exciting new project which is funded by Science Foundation Ireland through the Discover Award programme and is designed to build impactful dialogue and discussion between community groups in the Midlands and those involved in science and public policy.

Mr O'Neill, who is a Professor of Biochemistry and Immunology at Trinity College Dublin, will explore the following topics in three upcoming fora:

Show me the Evidence - Exploring Science & Scientific Evidence

Sugar, Spice & everything Science - The Science of Food & Alcohol

Viruses, Vaccines and Immunity - The Science of Diseases

Medicine and Health - Who and how we can trust?

Midland Science says the experience of the Covid-19 pandemic has shown us how science and science-based decision-making has a powerful effect on our future economic and social wellbeing. It has also taught us about the importance of trusting science, fostering connection and having high-quality dialogue and shared learning.

Jackie Gorman is CEO of Midlands Science.

"In order to have an engaged public, it is important to recognise that science is not limited to formal education and is not just a collection of facts. It should also allow people to challenge what they read and hear about. Through community forums, we want to create a realistic and open conversation about the science behind decisions, how scientific evidence informs public health advice and how this information is communicated to the general public. We want to explore where there could be misinformation and resistance among the general public and use this as an opportunity for people to become more informed.

"We will be encouraging open debate and effective conversation between members of the public, experts from the fields of science and health care and the policymakers in our society. We are keen to be as inclusive as possible and we will therefore be aiming to have a broad range of people from across the Midlands taking part in these forums which will explore a range of issues from food and alcohol to diseases and positive psychology and much more.

We are now seeking people from the Midlands to engage with this project. If you are interested in facilitating discussions and taking in part in open dialogue with others around the topics of health, pandemics, science-based decision making, communication and misinformation, we would like to hear from you.

"We will be asking a small number of participants to take part in interviews at different stages and this will be crucial to reviewing the overall success of the project but it is not necessary to have any prior knowledge of science in order to partake. We are looking for a broad range of people from the midlands to participate and we are particularly interested in engaging people who would not usually interact with science or STEM in their everyday lives, she said.

As an additional support, all Science Communities participants will be offered free training in LIFT facilitation skills. LIFT is a not-for-profit organisation which aims to increase the level of positive leadership in Ireland. This project is a collaborative opportunity for people to enhance their skills and enable themselves to become leaders of science engagement in their communities. It will consist of four public engagement forums and one LIFT training day.

Given the current restrictions that are still in place nationwide, these public engagement forums and training days will take place online.

The project will run during the months of August, September, October and November.

Dr Ruth Freeman, Director of Science for Society, Science Foundation Ireland said: Science Foundation Ireland is delighted to support this Science Communities initiative, facilitating open dialogue at a time when understanding how scientific evidence informs public health advice is so important. This inclusive approach to science outreach will hopefully help members of the public feel more informed and more connected to the science behind public health policy, while allowing policy makers to build confidence and trust, by listening to and engaging with the public.

If you are interested in taking part in this project please email outreach@midlandsscience.ie
A brave young Laois lad had honey for breakfast, lunch and dinner recently, all in the name of science.

Ruairi Molloy from Scoil Mhuire Fatima National School in Timahoe trialled eating local honey for breakfast, lunch and

dinner in an experimental attempt to cure his hay fever.

The results were interesting.

"After this impressive showing, Ruairi concluded that honey might ease the symptoms but it is not a reliable cure," his teacher said.

It was all part of a big scientific study by the school, who have a strong focus on science.

More story below photos:

The children were taking part in Science Blast, a prestigious science competition run by the ESB which Timahoe has entered for the tenth year.

This year their entry was all about honey as the children investigated the science behind the making of honey alongside the consumer motivation for purchasing different brands.

More Honey for your Money? asked the question, do you get a better quality honey when spending more?

The children were inspired by the All Ireland Pollination Plan, the Netflix Documentary Rotten and the theory that local honey could cure hay fever.

Research began as the students returned to school after Easter. Like everything this year, Science Blast had to go online but that didnt quell the enthusiasm of the Timahoe science mad students who set about the task with the utmost diligence.

Intrigued by the fact that honey is the third most faked food in the world, Lucy McEvoy was determined to find out more.

Testing and tasting was carried out in the classroom as the children investigated the properties of some supermarket honeys and some local Irish honey from Meath, Ballacolla and Ballyadams.

The local honeys won out on the tasting test, though Andy Keane wasnt thrilled by the floral taste of one.

Next up was the Water Test and the Flame test. All honeys tested appeared to be pure though Aine Farmer reminded everyone that it would be difficult to know for sure without testing in a lab.

Following their thorough investigations, the children surveyed parents on their consumer choices with all parents being shocked at the value of the honey industry- over $9billion US dollars.

The data was gathered and the students got to work putting their findings together using Google slides. The project was then shared with and presented to an ESB Science Blast Judge. Pfizer Scientist Ciaran MCGinn visited the students virtually via Zoom, quizzing the students before returning 4 days later with his feedback.

He awarded the students with a plaque citing their depth of scientific research to be excellent and their presentation skills above their years.

Grainne Buggy explained that while she didnt get to experience the nerves and buzz of the RDS this year, she loved bringing the science fair into our classroom.

6th Class teacher is Anna Moore .

"I was delighted with a very positive experience for the children as we approach the end of the school year. I felt the children would benefit from experiencing the scientific process in a meaningful way and I hope they would use this experience throughout their time in secondary school.

Scoil Mhuire Fatima Principal is Ann Bergin.

"I am thrilled for the tradition of Science exhibitions to be maintained in what has been a very challenging school year.

Following their research, the childrens advice is to buy your honey direct from your local beekeeper or farmers market rather than the supermarket honeys which are often a blend of honey from hives across the world. In buying local, you are supporting the bees that pollinate our crops, plants and flowers.

They were awarded a plaque for their extraordinary scientific knowledge, remarkable presenting skills and their dazzling

display.

The scientific Timahoe school are also previous national winners and repeat finalists in the Intel Mini Scientist Exhibition.
Laois County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) have been warned that somebody will die in a car crash at a junction on the busy N80 between Carlow and Portlaoise.

Cllr Aisling Moran highlighted the problem at a recent meeting where she called on the to Council replace the signs near the Ashfield junction on the N80 at Arles and also seek an update on the meeting with the TII which she requested for the making safe of this junction almost two years ago.

Cllr Moran warned that it's not the first time she raised the alarm over the danger to life at the recent Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District meeting.

"Someone will be killed at this junction. Someone from the TII, if they are making the decisions, needs to come out and look at this. I want them to put a baby in the back of a car and drive from the Ashfield (junction) onto the main road and turn right and see how fast they can do it and how much of a heart attack they have. It's an absolute disgrace," she said.

The councillor said a farmer has agreed to allow the removal of part of a property to facilitate the work needed.

"It can be made safe, very simply," she said.

The official reply from Laois County Council was that the two recently damaged signs can be repaired at this junction. As for the works needed she was told that the council's road design would arrange a site meeting with the elected member and Area Engineer to discuss possible safety measures at this location.

Cllr Moran said she has been raising the issue for two years but nobody has met with her at the location. She said the problem can only be solved by the national agency.

"They're the ones paying the money. They're the ones who I want to talk with," she said.

Cllr Paschal McEvoy warned that TII will not meet councillors. He said no officials from the agency had met any public representative in his eight years.

"They won't meet councillors and that's a fact of life," said Cllr McEvoy.

Cllr Moran was annoyed.

"That's a disgrace. They have no respect for us or the people. Why are they not answerable. It is pubic money that they are using to fix roads," she said.

She added that all the relevant State agencies will meet councilors to discuss local issues in every constituency. She said it is not enough for TII officials to sit behind desks and look at maps.

Senior Executive Engineer confirmed that TII staff do meet with council officials. He added that the best approach is to meet with the council's roads engineer in the first instance who would take up the matter with TII to get the money for the safety scheme.

Cllr Moran agreed to this proposal.

"It's going on too long. We are playing with people's lives here," she said.

Cllr Padraig Fleming said he agreed 100% and had raised the danger at the junction previously himself as had Cllr Ben Brennan.

"It has never been resolved. It is treacherous," he said.

He hoped the danger can be addressed but the scheme of works is unlikely to be approved for at least a year. He added that completing the work would be difficult without funding being given the green light by TII and the Government.

A spokesperson for TII told the Leinster Express that the agency meets annually with all county councils to discuss roads projects. While not aware what the practice is in Laois County Council, he said councillors have attended these meetings around Ireland.

He insisted that TII works 'hand in glove' with the roads sections of Laois and other local authorities but that not every project can be completed funding is limited.

The spokesperson was adamant that TII inspectors will visit the locations of the road safety projects with council engineers as part of a decision-making process on whether work should be funded.

He also insisted that TII takes road safety 'very seriously' adding that the county councils are the local roads authority and that TII is a statutory standards agency.

MORE STORIES IN THE LEINSTER EXPRESS HERE
IFA will hold a nationwide rally this Friday, June 11, to highlight the importance of commercial farming to the rural economy.It will be the first large scale demonstration by IFA since the pandemic. Farmers will gather in county towns across the country to warn against the dangers in the current CAP proposals and the Climate Action Bill.

The farming and food sector employs 300,000 people across the country and we contributed 13bn in exports in 2020.

IFA president, Tim Cullinan met An Taoiseach Michael Martin earlier this month, where he told him that the current direction of the CAP and the Governments Climate Action Bill could shut down commercial farming in Ireland.

We will be making a strong statement across the country on Friday that policies must support our largest indigenous industry, noted Mr Cullinan.

A cohort of farmers, many of who are the most productive farmers, are being hit with huge cuts under the CAP. In addition, the Climate Bill, the subsequent carbon budgets and sectoral targets could result in huge additional regulation being imposed on the same group of farmers, he said.

The IFA farm leader said farms sequester carbon and this has to be fully factored into the calculation of carbon budgets and sectoral targets.

We will not accept any attempt to remove credits from our sector, he pointed out.

According to the Teagasc National Farm survey, only one-third of farmers in Ireland are viable.

The EU and our own Government policies are targeting these farmers and will make them unviable, he said.

The Programme for Government and the Climate Bill refers to taking account of the distinct characteristics of biogenic methane in setting climate budgets. Yet it appears that the Government now want to walk away from this commitment, he said.

Farmers want to work with the Government on climate action, but there has to be real engagement. Setting targets without any regard for the consequences wont work, he said.
Looking for somewhere new to go, walk, take the family?

Take a walk and play hide and seek with leprechauns at five family friendly Roscommon walking trails. These large leprechauns are 40cm tall and crafted from pure wool by Franziska Lienberger especially for Cruinniu na Nog Roscommon, which is Irelands national day of free creativity for children and young people taking place on June 12.

The leprechauns have already started to arrive in County Roscommon and you can discover them on the walking trails at Mote Park, Roscommon; Cloonlarge Walk, Kilteevan; Knockcranny Woods, Keadue; Castlerea Demesne and Monksland Walk. These are all family friendly routes and have been selected from the Roscommon Walks & Cycleways booklet at www.visitroscommon.ie/trails

The leprechauns range in size from 20cm to about 50 cm. The older they are the smaller they get. Which makes sense. It is easier to hide when you are small as you cant run as fast.

Leprechauns are still very shy and are actually not permitted to show themselves to the human race. Children up to the age of 10 spot them much easier. Adults find it increasingly difficult as they get older and lose their imagination.

The Leprechaun council gave 20 Leprechauns a special license to be more visible during the next few months in forests and parks in County Roscommon.

So, treat them well and with respect, because all misbehaviours will be reported back to the Leprechaun council headquarters!

Check out the list of trails and all of the fantastic events organised for Cruinniu na nOg by Roscommon County Council Arts Office, Heritage Office and Library Service, Roscommon Arts Centre, Music Generation Roscommon and Roscommon County Youth Theatre at https://cruinniu. creativeireland.gov.ie/.

Cruinniu na nOg is an initiative of the Creative Ireland Programme at the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and is presented in partnership with RTE and Roscommon County Council.

Gallery: Sharon Shannon filming in Leitrim for new TV programme
THE HAWTHORN is in full flower around the countryside at present, so it is safe to put away the winter clothes and introduce the summer wardrobe.

Never cast a clout till May is out is an old saying associated with the Hawthorn bush. It meant not to change to your clothes summer clothes until the Hawthorn was in full bloom, which could be earlier or later than May 31. The once very popular May altars to Our Lady would never include the hawthorn blossom, as it was regarded as bad luck to bring it into the dwelling house.

The Whitethorn or May bush, with its milk white blossoms and thorns is a symbol of May time, and of magical powers, and the little people or fairies. The hawthorn especially the lone bush has always been regarded with a mixture of fear and respect. In Irish the hawthorn is the sceach (or scheach geal) very common in place names all over Ireland.

A lone thorn bush in a field nourished by the ashes from the hearth was never cut or touched as it was the remnants of the life that went on around the hearth.

Trees were worshipped in ancient Ireland the oak ash and hazel in particular, but also the whitethorn which is usually much smaller than those mentioned. In many ways the respect and fear given to the hawthorn goes back to a time, when people lived closer to the land and were more in tune with nature.

Some of the hawthorn trees in Ireland are up to two hundred years old. They are very hardy trees and can grow in poor soil and can resist the power of wind and harsh weather. In autumn its red berries, haws, provide much needed food for the birds. While the wood of the whitethorn was seldom used in this country it is used as firewood in other countries. In Ireland it was considered unlucky to interfere with it and to bring any piece of it into the house was strongly frowned on.

Hawthorn blossoms and leaves are edible and can be used to make a tea, to cure anxiety and poor circulation. The blossom was also used as a fertility symbol in many countries. The Greeks and Romans saw the hawthorn as symbolic of hope and marriage. The Roman goddess Cardea, mistress of Janus keeper of doors, had a bough of hawthorn as her symbol, and the month of January is called after Janus.

Popular folklore has it that the crown of thorns which Christ wore was of hawthorn. According to Cornish legend Joseph of Armiathea, who buried the body of Jesus, came to Britain after the crucifixion, and where he stuck his staff, a hawthorn grew, and it is now known as the Glastonbury Thorn. The success of the hawthorn was taken to symbolise the spreading of Christianity and it was there he built his first church.

While it is an important part of many hedgerows, it is the solitary hawthorn which is more revered and even if its position is inconvenient, it generally is left alone. The warnings have been passed down through the generations. Otherworld creatures particularly the sidhe (fairy folk), are believed to live in, or nearby, the tree and it has often been recorded how passerby would hear music or see a light coming from the vicinity of the hawthorn.

The magical powers of the hawthorn are said to be greatest when found growing beside an oak or ash tree. Hawthorns are very often found growing beside holy wells, and in times past pieces of cloth, medals, and rosary beads, could be seen hanging from the branches. They are often referred to as rag trees and tying strips of fabric to a tree was a way of seeking a cure.

A famous hawthorn tree is located at Latoon in Co. Clare. In 1999 the motorway from Galway to Limerick was delayed and eventually rerouted to avoid damaging the fairy tree there. It is not clear whether the local authorities did so out of respect for the solitary tree, or the international media attention that was drawn towards it by the folklorist, Eddie Lenihan. A native of Brosna Co. Kerry he is the author of several books on folklore, including The Fairy stories of Hidden Ireland.

Eddie claims that the tree was a meeting point for the fairies of Munster when they did battle with the fairies of Connacht. He argues the otherworld forces would take revenge, and the road would be a cause of accidents if the tree was removed. Hawthorns are still respected by the majority of people, in the know who still a little fear of the consequence have if they interfere with them.

The hawthorn is also the basis of agricultural superstitions; that hanging the afterbirth of a premature calf on a hawthorn would help it survive. It was also said that sprig of hawthorn hung in the cow byre, would help cows produce more and creamier milk.

An old custom was that the first milk of a newly calved cow was taken and poured under a hawthorn as a tribute. The hawthorn was also known for its powers of fertility. An English tale tells of how , when a certain thorn bush was cut down, no chicken would lay eggs, no cow would calf or woman have babies. The situation was only rectified when a new bush was planted.

The hawthorn bush was ideal for hedges dividing fields in times past, and a great source of food and shelter for wildlife, before farming practices changed. The ditches were levelled to create larger fields and replaced by wire and poles. This led to a scarcity of habitat for wildlife, which has suffered as a result. T

he practice of yearly cutting of roadside hedges has added to the problem leaving them scalped and bare during the winter months, and of no use to our bird population, who move elsewhere. Our ringforts are also being destroyed but that is a story for another time.

As time passes these old traditions are being forgotten and the younger generation have little time for such matters. At present many people are reluctant to talk about fairy trees, partially for fear of being ridiculed by strangers who do not understand, or who have been told that belief in such things is superstitious nonsense. This may be so, but I would not like to interfere with a lone hawthorn bush.
A NEW Covid-19 vaccination centre opens at Limerick Racecourse, Patrickswell today after the centre at the Radisson Blu Hotel was decommissioned over the weekend.

A total of 46 vaccination booths have been installed on the ground and first floors of the main building at Limerick Racecouse, with staff support facilities available on the second and third floors.

The new centre, which opens at 11.30am this Tuesday, will run alongside the vaccination centres at Treacys West County Hotel in Ennis and the Abbey Court Hotel in Nenagh.

A shuttle bus service, which was launched by Bus Eireann last month, will operate between Limerick city and Limerick Racecourse when the vaccination centre is open.

Ahead of the opening of the vaccination centre at Limerick Racecourse, the final vaccinations were administered at the Raddison Blu Hotel on Saturday afternoon.

Staff from UL Hospitals Group and HSE Estates, supported by members of the Defence Forces, spent the Bank Holiday Weekend decommissioning the centre and readying Limerick Racecourse for the first vaccination appointments.

"I would like to applaud the hotel management and staff for all they have done to help our staff operate the largest of the three Mid-West Covid-19 Vaccination Centres. They have been with us throughout this crucial phase of the vaccine programme, helping us to make our communities safe from the threat of Covid-19. I wish the management and staff well as they prepare to re-open to the public as part of the ongoing re-opening of society, commented Colette Cowan, CEO of UL Hospitals.
A 35-year old senior executive at a software company in Singapore, who made racially offensive tweets in April last year, including slurs to Indians and condemning Indian immigrants about COVID-19, was jailed for three weeks on Tuesday, a media report said.

Zainal Abidin Shaiful Bahari, a Malay, pleaded guilty to two charges each of committing acts he knew were prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different racial groups in Singapore. Another two similar charges were considered in sentencing, Channel News Asia reported.

A member of the public called the police in April 2020 after seeing a tweet by the user "sharonliew86" condemning Indian immigrants about COVID-19.

Zainal, a senior director at a software company, used the pseudonym "Sharon Liew" (Chinese name), had sole control of the account.

In March 2020, he also posted that "smart Chinese" women have done social distancing inside the Mass Rapid Transit subway trains by not wanting to sit next to Indians.

Zainal's lawyers claimed that he was "not a racist" and that he was taking over a "parody account" and "overstepped the mark" while "trying to be funny".

District Judge S Jennifer Marie said that race and religion are sensitive issues and would-be offenders must realise that careless remarks have the potential to cause social disorder.

"Further, when such remarks are published with the medium of the Internet, they have the ubiquitous reach and therefore amplify the potential and irreversible harm that could be caused to...peace and racial harmony."

She added that racial tensions have been heightened by the continued pandemic and a strong deterrent signal must be sent.

Zainal was identified and police investigations revealed that he had set up the Twitter account in July 2018 with two other friends.

It was meant to be a parody account and had more than 5,000 followers, but the posts by Zainal's two friends stopped from early 2019.

Zainal took sole control of the account and posted the offensive tweets in March and April 2020.

The prosecutor called for four weeks' jail, saying there was a clear need for general deterrence, especially in the current climate where tensions in the community have been heightened and strained by exceptional pandemic circumstances.

Lawyer Sunil Sudheesan asked instead for three weeks' jail, saying that every action by his client must be viewed "in the proper context".

"He's not a racist, obviously," said Sudheesan. Zainal is married to a Chinese woman and has racially diverse friends.

Sudheesan said everyone who followed the account knew it was a parody, and things could have become inflamed when people who did not know the intention of certain tweets forwarded them.

"Our client is very sorry for this. He should have anticipated this," the Channel quoted the lawyer as saying.

The prosecutor responded that Zainal had well crossed the line.

"This was not parody, this was not satirical behaviour, this was simply the actions of an online troll who was provoking others...This is really not acceptable," he said. The judge told Zainal that the language used in his tweets were in bad taste.

"If you had really valued racial and cultural diversity, you should have appreciated all the more the need to preserve ... sensitivities given the multi-cultural fabric of Singapore," she said.

For each charge of committing an act prejudicial to racial harmony, Zainal could have been jailed up to three years, fined, or both.

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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Climate changing has caused a "mega-drought." Large regions of the Southwest are "arid," according to the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor Map.

It's wreaking havoc on the Colorado River system, which supplies water to 40 million people in seven states, and might compel the federal government to make a momentous choice.

Hoover Dam Water Reliance

The towering Hoover Dam has relied on water from Nevada's Lake Mead to cover its backside for more than eight decades. However, at the age of 85, it has become uncomfortably exposed. Much of the water that the dam was designed to keep back has already escaped.

Pat Mulroy, the previous head of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, described the situation as "a different universe." Lake Mead, the nation's largest reservoir, is on course to reach its lowest level ever recorded, she told CBS News senior national and environmental correspondent Ben Tracy.

Critical River System

This section of the Colorado River system is critical for Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Southern California's water supply. In addition, it allows the arid Southwest's huge agricultural acreage to existing.

Mulroy explained, "To me, this landscape screams issues. Take a look at the bathtub rings, for example. That is a huge wake-up call for me."

Related Article: Megadrought Ravages the American West, Climate Change Worsens the Situation



Dam Capacity

Only 37% of Lake Mead's capacity has been filled.

It hasn't been full since the water level rose to the crest of Hoover Dam in 2000.

Lake Mead has plummeted 130 feet since 2000, around the height of a 13-story skyscraper. As a result, islands that were once entirely buried in the lake are now visible.

Tracy had gone to the dam in 2014 and queried Mulroy about the water levels at Lake Mead, which she described as "very serious."

"If you look at 30 feet down now, what point are we at?" Tracy questioned today.

"We've reached a critical juncture," Mulroy remarked. "It's a life-or-death situation for Arizona, California, and Nevada. That's all there is to it."

Declaring Water Scarcity

The federal government is poised to declare a water scarcity on the lower Colorado River for the first time ever later this summer. Starting in 2022, Nevada and Arizona will be forced to make automatic water supply cuts. Homeowners are given higher priority and, at first, will not suffer as much as farmers.

In Arizona's Pinal County, Dan Thelander is a second-generation family farmer. Lake Mead provides the water for his maize and alfalfa crops. "We can't farm if we don't have irrigation water," he explained. "So, we're going to have around 25% less water next year, which means we'll have to fallow or not plant 25% of our land."

Thelander and other farmers in this section of Arizona anticipate losing virtually all of their water from Lake Mead by 2023, so they're digging wells to draw groundwater in an attempt to save their fields.

"Honestly, I hate to say it, but the future here is fairly murky," Thelander added.

Reduced Electric Production

Mark Cook, the facility manager of Hoover Dam, has his own concerns. Lake Mead has decreased to the point that the dam's hydroelectric production has been reduced by roughly 25%.

Cook wanted to show Tracy the brand-new turbine blades that had just been installed, which were designed to keep electricity flowing effectively even when lake levels were fast decreasing. But, unfortunately, the dam may eventually stop producing energy.

Cook explained, "Our prior figure [for cutoff] was at elevation 1,050, and now we've decreased it to 950." "So we went out and bought 100 feet."

Mulroy believes that a rapidly receding reservoir may become the new normal and that the millions of people who rely on it will have to swiftly adapt to living with less. But, she explained, "We don't alter unless it's essential." "Well, I suppose the moment of 'it's definitely vital' has arrived when you stare out over this lake."

Also Read: May 2021 Has Been 'Abnormally' Drier Than This Time Last Year - Here's Why

For more climate and weather updates, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
The facial approximation of a woman who lived more than 13,000 years ago in what is now Thailand.

The pretty face of a woman who lived more than 13,000 years ago in what is now Thailand, and is considered a likely descendant of the first humans to populate Southeast Asia, is seeing the light of day.

Scientists have created a digital reconstuction of the woman's face based on skeletal remains found in 2002 in the Tham Lod rock shelter in northwest Thailand. Though fragmented, the remains included the bones of the skull and teeth. [Images: A New Face for Otzi the Iceman Mummy]

It appears the body was laid to rest on its left side in a flexed position and with a hammerstone (stone used as a hammer) across the forearm.

Above the burial was a circle with five large pebbles and rounded limestone fragments. This could be interpreted as being part of the woman's burial ritual, but that's just speculation, as graves have been shown to be highly variable across the region, the researchers said.

Dating bones

A Thai research team, led by Rasmi Shoocongdej, a professor of archaeology at Silpakorn University in Bangkok, established that the bones belonged to a woman who was probably between 25 and 35 years old and 5 feet tall (152 centimeters).

The team used accelerator mass spectrometry to separate out istotopes of radiocarbon from the sediment where the burial was found. (Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons.) Using the known decay rates of this form of carbon, the scientists estimated that the young woman lived 13,640 years ago during the Late Pleistocene.

This makes the woman "the oldest human burial to be excavated in the northwestern highlands of Thailand, and probably a direct descendent of the founder population of Southeast Asia," Shoocongdej wrote in the academic journal Antiquity.

Finding a face

To produce a representation of the woman's face, the Thai-funded research project did not rely on the widely used forensic facial reconstruction method. Instead, they employed a range of robust skull-soft tissue relationships to estimate the individual's facial features.

"Facial reconstruction is a very, very popular method, but it has been tested and found to be scientifically invalid since around 2002," study co-author Susan Hayes, of the University of Wollongong in Australia, told Live Science.

Hayes noted the woman was a perfect candidate to test whether the new methods could reconstruct aspects of the unique facial features of a woman who is neither recent nor European.

The estimation of facial soft-tissue depths and shapes of facial features (eyes, nose, mouth, ears). (Image credit: Susan Hayes)

To estimate the facial appearance, Hayes used measurements of skulls, muscle, skin and soft facial tissue derived from large samples of contemporary populations worldwide. She then used the data to determine the relationship between the skull and soft tissue measurements and facial features. By applying this relationship to the Thai skeletal remains, Hayes created a two-dimensional image of a good-looking woman with small, almond-shaped eyes and a wide jaw.

"The woman is anatomically modern, so you would anticipate an anatomically modern facial appearance," Hayes said.

Hayes explained that facial reconstructions in museums tend to depict ancient human ancestors in a particular style.

"But this style is not at all supported by the evidence in scientific studies, and instead relates to the pre-Darwinian Christian mythology of the appearance of 'wild men,'" she added.

Stone Age looks

However, the main concern of the study was to make sure the results weren't too biased toward the facial appearance of contemporary women. Indeed, most of the skull-soft tissue relationships used in the study were statistical averages derived from the variation displayed in recent European populations.

"So it was possible that these predominantly recent European relationships might have overwritten the woman's distinctive Late Pleistocene and population characteristics," Hayes said.

Instead, when compared to the facial data derived from 720 contemporary women living in 25 different countries and across three continents, the facial appearance of the Stone Age woman remained clearly distinct, the researchers said. Moreover, it was not influenced by European features, the scientists said. [In Images: Deformed Skulls and Stone Age Tombs from France]

The facial approximation showed a closer connection with women from East and Southeast Asia, and appears affiliated with today's Japanese women in facial width and height, the study said.

Analyses of eyes, nose and mouth also indicated that the Stone Age woman shared morphological similarities with African women, particularly in the dimensions of the nose and mouth, the researchers said.

"Other than a clustering with extant modern Hungarian women with regard to mouth width, European women, despite dominating both the comparative population study and the methods used to estimate facial appearance, are noticeably absent," the researchers said.

Overall, the estimated face retained the distinctive characteristics of Late Pleistocene skulls, such as a larger jaw and more robust features, the researchers said.

The downside to the methods used by the team is that they take longer to achieve than the much quicker, and comparatively simple, method of facial reconstruction, the researchers said.

But, Hayes said, "the dead deserve the best we can do, no matter how long ago they lived, and this includes taking the time to apply the best methods to estimate each unique face from our human past."

Original article on Live Science.
The ancestors of today's East Asians moved into the region about 19,000 years ago, and in doing so, they replaced the mysterious people who were living there before them, a new study finds.

Researchers learned about these mysterious people by comparing the genetics of "Tianyuan man," a 40,000-year-old individual found in Tianyuan Cave in Beijing, with DNA from ancient human remains belonging to 25 individuals from the Amur region, which includes parts of eastern China and Russia.

The team found that Tianyuan man's ancestry was likely widespread from 40,000 years to 33,000 years ago across East Asia. But then, it disappeared and a new population emerged around 19,000 years ago, just as the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM)  when the ice sheets were at their maximum extent from about 26,500 years to 19,000 years ago  was ending, said study senior author Qiaomei Fu, a paleogeneticist at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.

Related: 10 things we learned about our human ancestors in 2020

In 2003, another research group found the remains of Tianyuan man , and to this day the individual's DNA is the earliest known ancient human genome from East Asia. Thanks to Tianyuan man and other archaeological findings, researchers know that modern humans lived in northern East Asia as early as 40,000 years ago. This region includes the Mongolian Plateau, northern China, Japan, the Korean Peninsula and the mountainous regions of the Russian Far East. Recent studies have shed light on the population dynamics of East Asia from about 9,000 years ago to recent historical times, but less is known about what happened from 40,000 to 9,000 years ago, Fu said.

To investigate, Fu and her colleagues compared the DNA of Tianyuan man with the ancient remains of people living in the Amur region, which includes Songnen Plain in northeastern China, between 33,000 and 3,400 years ago.

This stretch of time covers a period when the glaciers that covered vast swaths of the planet receded, "which is crucial to understand what happened to northern East Asians before, during, and after the LGM," Fu told Live Science in an email. After all, northern East Asia falls along similar latitudes as Central and Southern Europe. "In Europe, human population movements and size were influenced by Ice Age climatic fluctuations," the researchers wrote in the study. "These climatic oscillations may have had a similar effect on the population history of high-latitude and high-elevation regions in Asia."

The ancient DNA analysis revealed that the oldest person they studied, a Pleistocene female known as AR33K, who lived about 33,000 years ago in the Amur region (AR stands for Amur and 33K stands for 33,000), had the highest genetic similarity with Tianyuan man, compared with all other published ancient and modern individuals from East Asia, Fu said.

Another ancient woman, whose DNA was described in a previous study, lived about 34,000 years ago in Salkhit Valley in northeastern Mongolia. This woman was found about 720 miles (1,159 kilometers) from AR33K and about 692 miles (1,114 km) from Tianyuan Cave. A 2020 study in the journal Science found that the Salkhit woman shared 75% of her genetics with Tianyuan man and 25% with another ancient East Asian group that lived along the Yana river in North Siberia. Given that both AR33K and the Tianyuan man share about 75% of their DNA with the Salkhit woman, it's possible that these people were part of related groups that traveled across East Asia for at least 7,000 years, Fu told Science magazine .

Related: 5 ancient languages yet to be deciphered

However, unlike the Salkhit woman, AR33K does not have more Yana-related ancestry than Tianyuan man does, the researchers wrote in the new study. "This probably indicates that Tianyuan/AR33K ancestry was widespread before the LGM in northern East Asia, both geographically, from northern China to Mongolia and the Amur region, and temporally, from 40,000 to 33,000 years ago," Fu told Live Science in the email.

To explain the Salkhit woman's genetics, perhaps people with Tianyuan-related ancestry paired off with people of Yana-related ancestry in Mongolia, but stayed isolated from ancient people in the Amur region before the LGM, the researchers wrote in the study.

This map shows how the Salkhit woman (top) has DNA from the Yana in what is now Siberia and Tianyuan man, from what is now China. Around 19,000 years ago (middle red person), a new group of people moved into East Asia. The Amur region (green) has 14,000 years of genetic continuity. (Image credit: Mao, X. et al. Cell (2021))

Oldest "new person"

Another standout individual from the study, AR19K, who lived in the Amur region about 19,000 years ago toward the end of the LGM, caught the researchers' attention. AR19K's genetic ancestry is distinct from Tianyuan and AR33K, "indicating a potential population shift," Fu said. In other words, while AR33K and Tianyuan passed on some genes to modern East Asians (Fu called them "basal to all East Asians"), the populations they came from vanished at some point during the LGM.

In fact, AR19K is "the earliest northern East Asian yet identified," meaning this individual is ancestral to ancient northern East Asians. The identification of this northern East Asian ancestor "indicates that north-south genetic separation in East Asia is as early as 19,000 years ago, 10,000 years earlier than previously discovered," Fu said.

Some East Asia areas have had remarkable genetic ties to the past, the younger samples revealed. For instance, researchers previously thought that modern populations in the Amur region had an 8,000-year genetic continuity with Neolithic foragers and farmers who lived at Devil's Gate cave in Far Eastern Russia and the Amur region. But the new analyses showed that this continuity goes back 14,000 years, or "6,000 years earlier than previously proposed," Fu said.

Hair, sweat and teeth

The study also narrowed the time window that an Asian-specific genetic variant, known as EDAR V370A, emerged. This variant is associated with traits such as thicker hair shafts, more sweat glands and shovel-shaped incisors, Fu said.

"We show that this genetic variant was likely to be elevated to high frequency after the LGM," Fu said. "Our direct observations using ancient DNA likely support the hypothesis that selection on EDAR V370A increased vitamin D in breast milk in a low-UV [ ultraviolet light ] environment."

Overall, the results suggest the LGM had a profound impact on the ancient people who lived in East Asia. "This ancient DNA study ... offers us a clearer picture of the deep population history of northern East Asia," Fu said.

The study was published online May 27 in the journal Cell .

Originally published on Live Science.
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Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low 73F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

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Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low 73F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
LONDON (AP)  Dozens of websites went down briefly around the globe Tuesday, including CNN, The New York Times and Britain's government home page, after an outage at the cloud computing service Fastly, illustrating how vital a small number of behind-the-scenes companies have become to running the internet.

The sites that could not be reached also included some Amazon pages, the Financial Times, Reddit, Twitch and The Guardian.

San Francisco-based Fastly acknowledged a problem just before 6 a.m. Eastern. About an hour later, the company said: The issue has been identified and a fix has been applied. Most of the sites soon appeared to be back online.

The company said in an emailed statement that it was a technical issue and not related to a cyber attack.

Still, major futures markets in the U.S. dipped sharply minutes after the outage, which came a month after hackers forced the shutdown of the biggest fuel pipeline in the U.S.

Fastly is a content-delivery network, or CDN. It provides vital but behind-the-scenes cloud computing edge servers to many of the webs popular sites. These servers store, or cache, content such as images and video in places around the world so that it is closer to users, allowing them to fetch it more quickly and smoothly.

Fastly says its services mean that a European user going to an American website can get the content 200 to 500 milliseconds faster.

Internet traffic measurement by Kentik showed that Fastly began to recover from the outage roughly an hour after it struck at mid-morning European time, before most Americans were awake.

Looks like it is slowly coming back, said Doug Madory, an internet infrastructure expert at Kentik. He said it is serious because Fastly is one of the worlds biggest CDNs and this was a global outage.

Brief internet service outages are not uncommon and are only rarely the result of hacking or other mischief.

Fastly stock jumped almost 11% on Tuesday as investors shrugged off the problem.

Still, the incident highlighted the relative fragility of the internets architecture given its heavy reliance on Big Tech companies  such as Amazons AWS cloud services  as opposed to a more decentralized array of companies.

Even the biggest and most sophisticated companies experience outages. But they can also recover fairly quickly, Madory said.

When the outage hit, some visitors trying to access CNN.com got a message that said: Fastly error: unknown domain: cnn.com. Attempts to access the Financial Times website turned up a similar message, while visits to The New York Times and U.K. government's gov.uk site returned an "Error 503 Service Unavailable" message, along with the line Varnish cache server," which is a technology that Fastly is built on.

Down Detector, which tracks internet outages, posted reports on dozens of sites going down.

___

Frank Bajak in Boston, Zen Soo in Hong Kong and Matt O'Brien in Providence, Rhode Island contributed to this report.
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AmfAR has clarified the talent lineup for its annual fundraising gala to be held in conjunction with the Cannes Film Festival.

Earlier today, AmfAR told Variety that The Weeknd had been confirmed to perform at the July 16 event. But in fact there was a miscommunication somewhere along the way and representatives for the artist said he was no longer able to commit to the event.

We were obviously very disappointed to learn that The Weeknd will no longer be able to perform at our Cannes gala, said AmfAR CEO Kevin Frost. We are nevertheless thrilled to be able to return to live events and to the South of France in particular, and were confident that this years event will be as spectacular and successful as ever.

AmfARs annual fundraising is typically among the highlights of Cannes, which was delayed this year from its usual May timing by the pandemic. This years scaled-down festival is set for July 6-17.

AmfARs event will be held outdoors at Villa Eilenroc with the guest list pared to about 400 compared to 900 in recent years. The gala will feature a fashion show curated by Carine Roitfeld.

AmfAR has been a vital funding source since 1985 for medical research into AIDS and HIV. In a sign of the times, the organization is extending its mission to include research into treatment for COVID-19 and studies of how the coronavirus effects those living with HIV and AIDS.

Among the co-chairs of the traditionally starry AmfAR Cannes gala event are billionaire Len Blavatnik and actors Regina King, Rachel Brosnahan, Milla Jovovich, Nicole Kidman, Heidi Klum, Catherine OHara and Zoe Saldana.

(Pictured: Leonardio DiCaprio at the 2016 AmfAR Cannes Gala)

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Sources confirm to Variety that Mariah Carey has parted ways with Roc Nation and struck a partnership with the upstart Range Media Partners, where she will work with Melissa Ruderman, who oversaw her career at Roc Nation and left to join Range in January, as Variety exclusively announced. Ruderman is a managing partner at the firm.

The signing comes after a tabloid media story blaming the parting on an alleged blowout between Carey and Roc founder Jay-Z, which Carey quashed humorously on social media on Monday. She had been with Roc Nation since 2017; the news was first reported by Deadline.

The only "explosive" situation I'd ever "get into" with Hov is a creative tangent, such as our #1 song "Heartbreaker"!! To the people who make up these lies I say "Poof! Vamoose, sonofa*****"! pic.twitter.com/v8TGNuOAnZ  Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) June 7, 2021

The move is the latest in a long string of management changes for Carey  who has been managed by Roc, Stella Bulochnikov and Kevin Liles in just the past few years  although she has a long history with Ruderman. In 2005, Rudermans first job in the music industry was with veteran manager Benny Medina, where she handled day-to-day duties for Carey and helped steer her multi-platinum The Emancipation of Mimi album. Over her five years at Roc Nation, Ruderman executed for Carey two consecutive multi-year residencies at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, a Christmas TV deal with Apple, and a publishing contract that yielded the New York Times best-seller, The Meaning of Mariah Carey. Other artists with whom Ruderman has worked include Nicole Scherzinger, Miley Cyrus, Big Sean and Christina Aguilera.

Careys previous managers also include her ex-husband Tommy Mottola, Randy Jackson, Red Light Management and Jermaine Dupri, among others.

Range Media Partners was founded in Sept. 2020 by Peter Micelli and a group of high-profile defectors from super-agencies, including CAA, UTA and WME. Its clients span film, television, music, literary, and activism and include Naomi Ackie, Michael Bay, Emilia Clarke, Bradley Cooper, Johnny Depp, Taron Egerton, Michael Fassbender, Tom Hardy, Anna Kendrick, Keira Knightley, Gabrielle Union and the Michael Crichton Estate.

Additional reporting by Shirley Halperin and Michele Angermiller.

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Rising filmmaker Ma Aeint has disappeared without trace after being arrested by authorities in Myanmar earlier this month. Her family has no knowledge of her whereabouts, nor formal explanation for her sudden detention.

Ma Aient was a producer and co-writer on Money Has Four Legs, which appeared in the New Currents competition at the Busan International Film festival in 2020. She was also a regular participant at co-production and project promotion events intended to boost independent film making in Asia. These included the SEAFIC Open Fair, Ties That Bind, FAMU Summer Filmmaking Initiation Campus and the Locarno Festivals Open Doors consultancy.

She was picked up by authorities in Yangon shortly after leaving home around midday on June 5, 2021. The next day, family members in Myanmar were informed of her arrest. They were told that she is being housed at an undisclosed place of interrogation. There has not been any communication with her since her disappearance.

Ma Aeints disappearance has alarmed film institutions in Asia. On Tuesday, the Busan festival issued a statement urging respect for her safety and civil rights. It was co-signed by eleven other festivals in South Korea. Thailand-based SEAFIC did the same.

Media and civil society have come under direct attack since Myanmars already-powerful military forces mounted a coup on Feb. 1, 2021. The coup followed several years of nominal power-sharing between the military and a civilian government headed by Aung San Suu Kyi. Military-backed parties were defeated in a general election in November 2020, but the military claims that the poll was rigged.

Since taking back full control of national institutions, military forces have shot and killed several hundred anti-coup protesters, taken control of the media, shut down much of the internet and arrested journalists. This makes it difficult to learn information quickly and to verify it.

Variety spoke to Ma Aients producer-director colleague Maung Sun who remains in Myanmar, and to her sister who lives in the U.S.

On Sunday, June 6th afternoon, a few officials (not military) from the county office informed my aunt who resides at my late grandmothers house that Ma Aeint has been detained by the military and is being held at one of the military interrogation stations. They didnt provide who exactly came and told them. They just said, Military and one of the secret interrogation stations. It was not the police who took her, said sister Su Wai.

We are talking to a political lawyer as it could be a case of mistaken identity, of political agenda. It happens a lot lately and only the military handles such matters, said Su Wai.

We dont know which (interrogation) office she is at. There are around five offices around Yangon and they are infamous for torture and ill treatment, said Maung Sun. Many people have perished while in interrogation, in just a few days.

Maung Sun said that, following the arrest of Ma Aeint, their company office had also been raided. He acknowledged that speaking out might cause problems for himself. But then again, they already have some of my information, since they raided my office, he said. The most important thing is that Ma Aeint is well treated in interrogation.

My sister is a kind-hearted person who would give the shirt off her back to anyone. She is a smart businesswoman, a successful movie producer and a philanthropic person who used to work with the UN in Myanmar. She doesnt deserve any of this, said Su Wai. We, as a family, are open to cooperation with anyone. We have nothing to hide, and (Ma Aeint) should be treated with respect and no harm should be done to her during her arrest and detaining period.

The citizens and filmmakers of Myanmar including the producer, Ma Aeint are facing a horrendous reality in fear of their lives. The (Korean film) festivals strongly condemn the ongoing violence in Myanmar and urge release of the producer, Ma Aeint. Furthermore, we ask all the related authorities to protect her safety and civil rights fairly, said Busan and the other Korean festivals in an emailed statement.

We at SEAFIC are extremely concerned for (Ma Aeints) well-being, and would like to demand for her immediate release. Her safety and well-being are of utmost importance. Moreover, we urge the Myanmar military to cease the crackdown on its filmmakers and free those who have been arrested immediately, said SEAFIC.

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Russian production and distribution powerhouse Central Partnership and the Latin American film group BF Films have announced their first co-production, Variety can reveal.

Schizophrenic is a psychological horror film set in the real world of severe mental disorder. Dark stories of real patients will serve as inspiration, and a variety of schizophrenia symptoms are part of the script, including conspiracy theories and altered reality perception.

The story was created by J.P. Jacobsen, and the script is being written by Hernany Perla (Blink, Revelation, Santeria) whose scripts have twice been featured on Hollywoods Black List. Perla is represented by Verve, Anonymous Content and attorney Marios Rush.

The films director and cast are currently being scouted and will be announced in the coming months. The project will be shot in English by an international team working in Russia in late 2021 or early 2022. Executive producing are BF Films partner and CEO Carlos Hansen and the companys partner and head of acquisitions Juliana da Cunha Jacobsen, and Central Partnership CEO Vadim Vereschagin.

We have over 15 years of finding the worlds best film projects and widely distributing them in Latin America, said Hansen. We know what works in our territories, and now the time has come for us to collaborate with some of our favorite international partners to develop and produce BFs projects aimed at the global market.

Schizophrenic is a vivid illustration of what BF Films strives for, added Jacobsen. We all know that the horror genre has had an explosion of interest worldwide, and the challenge is to do something fresh that stands out in a crowded marketplace. The story carries an intriguing premise, two iconic female lead roles, and a lot of creative potential that were confident will attract world-class talent.

The film will be distributed by Central Partnership in Russia, and in Latin America by BF Distribution. The companies are also working as partners to sell the rights to other territories.

We are excited to be starting a new chapter in Central Partnerships history and beginning production of a joint project with our accomplished partner BF Distribution, one of the largest independent content distributors and producers in Latin America, said Vereshchagin. Schizophrenic carries a powerful statement and is perfectly positioned to be a successful horror film. The story appeals to one of the most relatable human fears, something wide audiences will understand and feel for, not just in Russia and Latin America, but all around the world.

The project was announced during the Key Buyers Event, which takes place online June 8-10. Also on Central Partnerships slate during the KBE are The World Champion (pictured), a drama based on the legendary 1978 chess match between Soviet world champion Anatoly Karpov and the dissident Viktor Korchnoi; December, a 1920s-set drama that follows the last days of Sergey Yesenin, a famous Russian poet and lover of the American dancer Isadora Duncan; and Row 19, a psychological thriller centered on a young doctor and her 6-year-old daughter who are on a redeye flight and get caught in a storm.

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The Shanghai International Film Festival (SHIFF) will kick off this year with the Chinese propaganda film 1921 as its opening night gala. The announcement was made late Tuesday evening local time with just three days to go before the premiere.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of Chinas ruling Communist Party on July 1, a key political date that for the past year already has sent censors into high alert and film companies scrambling to develop content lauding the Partys history and achievements.

SHIFFs 24th annual iteration takes place just before the anniversary itself, running from June 11-20.

Its opening night will be used to showcase the star-studded, Tencent Pictures-backed retelling of the Partys early history, which is set in Shanghai in the year 1921.

Although SHIFF has historically been Chinas most internationally minded festival by far, its choice to honor a propaganda film of no interest to any other global market comes as no surprise. The centennial is actually the very theme of this years festival, which will be turned much more inwards anyway, given that international visitors and reporters are mostly unable to enter the country to attend due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The festival chose the red and gold image of a train for its official poster to celebrate forward-marching progress of the glorious journey of Chinese film in the century of the Communist Partys leadership, it said in an official statement.

The upcoming 1921 harkens back to an earlier, cruder era of Chinese blockbuster filmmaking that worshipped star power over quality, when producers strategized that shoving as many top names into a film would attract audiences no matter what the content  and hopefully, young people to propaganda narratives.

Among the long list of stars appearing in 1921 are Ni Ni (The Flowers of War), Liu Haoran (Detective Chinatown 3), TFBoy idol Wang Junkai, Chinese-Canadian Shawn Dou, and Zu Feng (Summer of Changsha), among many others.

The film is co-directed by relative newcomer Zheng Dasheng and Huang Jianxin. The latter is one of the countrys best-known directors for combining historical propaganda narratives with star power. With veteran Han Sanping, he co-helmed 2009s The Founding of a Republic featuring cameos from Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Zhang Ziyi, Andy Lau and many others to mark the 60th anniversary of the Peoples Republic of China, as well as 2011s The Founding of a Party, a celebration of the Partys 90th anniversary that included Andy Lau and Chow Yun-fat playing former president Yuan Shikai.

SHIFFs last notable opener was in 2019, when it abruptly and embarrassingly pulled its opening night film The Eight Hundred the night before its scheduled debut due to censorship troubles. The festival hurriedly scheduled a restored 4K version of Midnight Cowboy to run in its place.

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Producer of HBO Max hit Veneno, Spains Buendia Estudios, a joint venture of Atresmedia and Movistar Plus, is now developing a series on Federico Garcia Lorca, Spains greatest and best known modern poet, executed by dictator Francisco Franco supporters in 1936 for his left-wing views and homosexuality.

Currently in development, Lorca in New York, a six hour miniseries, is based on an original idea by Granada writer-producer Eduardo Galdo. It is created and developed by Buendia Estudios and Galdo Media.

We now have extensive story lines which will allow us to move the project on the market, said Sonia Martinez, Buendia Estudios editorial director. Buendia has developed a creative dossier.Its quite special given the important visual and music components of the series.

Lorca in New York catches the poet over 1929-30 during the greatest spiritual crisis of his life, victim of an unrequited passion for Salvador Dali, his soul mate for much of the 1920s, and now a darling of the avant-garde Parisian surrealists.

In 1928, Dali dismisses Lorcas most famous poem collection, Romancero Gitano, sensuous ballads echoing ancient rural songs, as picturesquisms. Surrealism is where its at, Dali told Lorca. Lorca, probably quite correctly, took the title of Dali and Luis Bunuels first film An Andalusian Dog, a surrealistic masterpiece, to be a reference to his own sexual leanings.

Wounded to his core, and abandoned by his latest lover, the sculptor Emilio Aladren, Lorca seizes a chance to study English at Columbia, where he writes Poet in New York, his own surrealist masterpiece.

Lorcas story will interweave with another life, nearly a century later, as Elena, a young doctorate student from Spains Granada, journeys for the first time to New York and Columbia to finish a PhD on Lorca. Once more, the adaptation will not be easy, knit by a nostalgia for Spain and confrontation with parts of the poets life that remain cryptic: at this time, for example, Lorca still repressed any public acknowledgement of his homosexuality in his published poems. Elenas breakthrough comes when she discovers the letters that Lorca wrote to his family.

The series will render tribute to the poets genius through the eyes of a young woman attempting to find her own space in the world while exploring the chiaroscuro, as Buendia Estudios puts it, of the parties, and jazz and literary worlds of 1920s New York.

Lorcas Poet in New York anticipated the magic and asphyxia which today define the great cities of the world, Buendia Estudios said in a statement Tuesday. It was heralded as a masterpiece only 30 years later  Dramatic, complex and completely actual, translator J.L. Gili wrote in 1959. It can hardly be less actual in a world where the population of Chinas cities has quintupled over the last 40 years.

Variety talked to Sonia Martinez about one of Buendia Estudios banner projects for 2020:

As his poems make clear, Lorca abominated New Yorks inhumanity. But thats not the whole story.

Traveling opens the mind. Lorca, like Elena, is surprised by the multi-ethnic force of a citys like New York. Spain has changed. But it still doesnt have any city like New York. Wed like to transmit the power of this multi-ethnic makeup.

Another ethnic group, Spains gitano Romas, had already powered Lorcas creativity.

Yes, Lorca makes his own particular parallel between the flamenco world and that of Harlem, jazz. Hes never had contact with black people. We want this part of the series to be highly visual, and very playful.

Youll talk openly about Lorcas homosexuality.

Of course. His sexuality is an important issue. One fundamental reason for Lorcas leaving Spain was his being dumped by his sculptor lover, Emilio Aladren. But there he discovers other kinds of sex, races, music, people from the world of theater. He reads Walt Whitman and suddenly experiences a way of feeling that he hadnt had before. Spain at that time was very much shut off from the world.

One challenge is to make Elenas story as powerful as Lorcas.

Yes. But telling Lorcas story from the point of view of a woman brings another kind of vision. Elenas research allows us to show what really happened to Lorca and to suggest how, for recent arrivals, no matter how much time passes New York City maintains some of the same constants. There are also parallels between what Elena and Lorca feels. Elena left the world of music out of insecurity about her talent, She discovers things about her own sexuality that she hadnt explored. She learns, through Lorca, how to stand up to life.

The series synopsis says that a crux in her research will be the discovery of the letters Lorca sent to his parents.

In the letters, Lorca says everythings going very well. But this allows us a way of entry into what was really happening to Lorca.

His relationship with his father is moving.

Lorcas father was liberal for his times, but no way as advanced as Lorca, and he didnt approve his homosexuality. When Lorca was killed, his parents left Spain for New York.

His father said hed never return, that Spain was the worst thing that could happen to anyone. He never did. Hes buried in New York. We have a scene where Elena visits his grave.

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A "high-speed" solar storm could hit our planet tomorrow. Experts claimed it can eventually lead to complications with the power grid and satellite technology issues.

Solar Flare

Scientists monitoring the surface activity of the Sun have detected a sunspot that released coronal mass ejection (CME) or a solar flare. While this flare was released some days ago, it is almost getting to Earth and could hit tomorrow.

When it hit the earth, on June 8, it could spark a G1 class geomagnetic storm. A solar storm of this power can bring about "weak power grid fluctuations" and can have a "slight impact on satellite operations". On June 7, Lead astronomer for Space Weather, Dr. Tony Phillips, wrote on the blog: "Today, geomagnetic activity is low.

"Tomorrow could be stormy. On June 8, a high-speed solar wind stream is anticipated to buffet Earth's magnetic field, bringing a slight possibility of G1-class geomagnetic storms."

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) come to fruition from the existence of 'sunspots' on our host star's surface. They are generally cooler than the other surface of the Sun as sunspots are regions of strong magnetic fields. The magnetism is so powerful that it actually keeps some of the heat from getting away.

Also Read: Everything You Need to Know About Solar Storms: Dangers Explained

Government's Preparation For Solar Flares

However, as the magnetic field builds, it boosts pressure in the sunspot which has the possibility of erupting as a solar flare, or a CME. While most solar flares are not strong, the ex-advisor to Boris Johnson, Dominic Cummings, said the Government's preparation for solar flares is woeful.

Although in 2011 solar flares were put on the National Risk Assessment, still just a little has been done to prepare, Mr. Cummings told the Science and Technology, and Health and Social Care Committees, in a hearing that took place in May.

He said: "There is not a culture of talking to experts from outside. I'll give you a recent instance, I was speaking with some people who said to me 'did you ever go and read the plan on solar flares?"

'I said no, and they said if you get advice from an expert on that you'll see the current government plan on that is just totally hopeless. "If that happens we're all going to be in a worse condition than Covid."

Earth's Magnetosphere

There ought to be an entirely thorough, total review of all risk register programmes. "Every 25 years on average the Sun releases an extreme solar flare, past studies have uncovered. With the last Earth-hitting one coming in 1989.

This storm saw power outages in Canada, Quebec, as conducting rocks on Earth can hold the extra energy from the magnetic shield and then plough it into the national grid.

On top of that, a great solar storm can down satellite systems, as the solar particle bombardment can expand Earth's magnetosphere, making it more difficult for satellite signals to go through.

Related Article: Solar Storm Incoming: A Particularly Intense Geomagnetic Storm Will Hit Earth on May 13

For more news, updates about solar storms and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News!
WASHINGTON (AP)  Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin was unswayed Tuesday by civil rights leaders who implored him to rethink his opposition to a sprawling election bill that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said is crucial to countering a Republican assault on our democracy."

Manchin, from deeply Republican West Virginia, told reporters, I dont think anybody changed positions," in a meeting he described as excellent." A participant said Manchin was fairly well dug in.

The bill, known as HR1, is a top priority for Democrats and is viewed by many in the party as the antidote to a wave of Republican-backed laws being passed on the state level that restrict people's ability to vote. It touches on almost every aspect of voting and was already passed by the House.

But Manchin threw a wrench into the works Sunday when he said he would oppose it. That effectively dooms the measure in a narrowly divided Senate, where Republicans universally oppose it.

His decision sent voting rights groups and members of his own party scrambling for options, raising the odds that no voting legislation would pass Congress to address what experts say is the greatest attack on voting rights in generation.

Manchin has said inaction is not an option when it comes to voting rights. But he has exasperated fellow Democrats and voting rights groups by insisting his support for any legislation would be contingent on Republican support. He also opposes eliminating the 60-vote requirement to break a filibuster, a step that would allow Democrats to pass the legislation without Republican votes.

We may get to a point where the dialogue reaches a dead end, Marc Morial, one of the civil rights leaders who met with Manchin, told CNN. And Joe Manchin was fairly well dug in.

Now Democrats and voting rights groups are grasping for an alternative.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Democrats were open to making changes to the bill that could make it more palatable to Manchin. As long as it does the job, he told reporters at the Capitol, while renewing his commitment to bringing the measure to a floor vote later this month.

The future of the measure was also the subject of a frank and candid discussion during the Democratic caucus lunch on Tuesday, said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. Manchin was not present for that discussion, which his office said was due to a conflicting meeting. But Durbin said Manchin is supposed to provide a list of criteria that he will and won't accept.

Pelosi, meanwhile, has told House Democrats there is no substitute for the bill.

It is my hope that the passage of (the bill) will create a legacy for all of us who want to strengthen our democracy, the California Democrat wrote in a letter to colleagues.

Some advocates said they're willing to follow Manchin's suggestions and get behind a narrower piece of legislation known as HR4 that updates the Voting Rights Act to reinstate a requirement that new voting laws and legislative districts in certain states be subject to federal approval. Others want to stay the course.

Its going to get messy, predicted Fred Wertheimer, president of the good-government organization Democracy 21, who helped draft HR1 in 2017. "I dont believe he is prepared to go down in history as the senator that denied millions of eligible citizens, and in particular people of color, the opportunity to vote.

But Democrats are likely to run into the same roadblocks if they push the update to the Voting Rights Act that Manchin prefers.

Only one Republican senator, Alaskas Lisa Murkowski, has signed onto that approach, an indication of how politics on the issue have shifted since the Senate unanimously renewed the Voting Rights Act in 2006. And the newly aggressive constellation of conservative voting groups that mobilized against HR1 say it will now campaign to keep the GOP united against HR4 as well.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., slammed the measure as unnecessary and called it a backdoor way for Democrats to achieve the aims of their marquee bill.

"What this rewrite of it does is grant to the Justice Department almost total ability to determine the voting systems of every state in America, he said.

The staunch GOP opposition underscores how voting has become a polarized, partisan issue much like abortion or taxes following former President Donald Trump's lies about how he lost the 2020 election because of widespread fraud. That has almost guaranteed inaction in Congress, where the filibuster allows a unified minority party to block most major legislative initiatives.

I think it's likely Congress doesn't do anything on voting, said Rick Hasen, a University of California-Irvine law professor and election law specialist.

HR1's backers insist the bill remains the answer to the recent wave of Republican legislation curtailing access to mail voting, cutting early voting hours and making it easier for partisan poll watchers to challenge voters' qualifications.

Wendy Weiser of the Brennan Center for Justice, a public policy group that advocates for voting access and backs HR1, noted that the Voting Rights Act update would address only future laws, not ones passed this year.

It would only allow the federal government to weigh in to protect the rights of racial minorities rather than address other discrimination, like a new law in Montana that removes student IDs as an allowable form of identification for voting. And it is silent on provisions like the drawing of legislative district lines for partisan advantage, something barred in HR1.

Those provisions in HR1 still need to be adopted, somehow, or we're not going to be able to stem this really scary attack on our democratic institutions, Weiser said.

Still, many remain skeptical that there is a pathway for any voting-related legislation without Manchin abandoning his insistence on bipartisan support and keeping Senate filibuster rules intact.

Sen. Chris Coons burst into laughter when asked about progress on the bill Tuesday. Great, just great, the Delaware Democrat said.

___

Riccardi reported from Denver.
NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP)  Myanmar's military junta will begin presenting its case against deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi in court next Monday, her lawyers said.

The military arrested Suu Kyi in February when it overthrew her elected government. Public resistance to the coup remains strong and in recent months has taken the form of a low-level armed insurrection.

Government prosecutors will have until June 28 to finish their presentation in the court in Naypyitaw, the capital, where she is being tried on five charges, after which Suu Kyis defense team will have until July 26 to present its case, said Khin Maung Zaw, the teams senior member.

Court sessions are to be held on Monday and Tuesday each week.

Khin Maung Zaw spoke to journalists after a procedural hearing on Monday for Suu Kyi and two fellow defendants, ousted President Win Myint and former Naypyitaw Mayor Myo Aung.

Suu Kyis supporters say the charges against her are politically motivated and are meant to discredit her and legitimize the militarys takeover. If convicted of any of the offenses, she could be banned from running in an election promised by the junta within one or two years of its takeover.

She and her two co-defendants are charged with spreading information that could cause public alarm or unrest.

Suu Kyi also faces two counts of violating the Natural Disaster Management Law for allegedly breaking COVID-19 pandemic restrictions during the 2020 election campaign; illegally importing walkie-talkies that were for her bodyguards use; and unlicensed use of the radios.

A sixth charge that Suu Kyi faces is the most serious one: breaching the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a penalty of up to 14 years imprisonment. It has been handled separately from the other charges and was filed in a court in Yangon, the countrys biggest city. It was recently transferred to the Union Supreme Court in Naypyitaw, said San Mar La Nyunt, another of her lawyers.

Another of her lawyers, Min Min Soe, said that when they met with her, she asked them if they could help pay for her food expenses because her cash resources were low and she did not want to rely on being fed by her captors.
Election Day in Nuevo Laredo was a major victory for the political party Morena  shared by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador  as it grabbed numerous congressional seats and potentially even the mayorship of the city.

The election was one of the biggest that the city of Nuevo Laredo has seen, as a spokesman for Instituto Nacional Electoral stated that about 130,000 people went out to vote on Sunday. That represented more than 52% of the Nuevo Laredo electorate and was a 30% jump in participation from what was seen three years ago in the Mexican presidential races, as 25,000 more Nuevo Laredoans headed to the polls than in 2018.

Of all the races, the most contested and heated was the 10-person Nuevo Laredo mayoral race, in which the three leading candidates were all from major established parties in Mexico and together accounted for 93% of the current vote. Thats according to data from the Programa de Resultados Electorales Preliminares 2021, or PREP, that reports voting election results as they are being counted.

The latest count at press time Monday night stated that about 97% of the total vote was in.

Carmen Lilia Canturosas Hinojosa for the political party Morena, or the National Regeneration Movement, led the way with 43.91% of the vote, accounting for 61,623 votes. She was followed by Yahleel Abdala Carmona for the National Action Party at 42.02%, or 58,971 votes, and Cristabell Zamora Cabrera for the Institutional Revolutionary Party with approximately 7%, or 9,706 votes.

The thin margin between Canturosas and Abdala Carmona caused both candidates to make their own announcements Monday, with Canturosas announcing on social media that she had won while Abdala Carmona called for patience.

We won Nuevo Laredo! said Canturosas. Today hope has won, democracy, the voice of the people as well. Today, we won with the courage of the Nuevo-Laredoans who are looking for a better city to live in. Tonight, with a heart full of pride I tell you: true change is back. Family, I thank you all for your trust in our project. I assure you that I will dedicate the next three years of my life to serving you from sunrise to sunset to restore Nuevo Laredo to its dignity and greatness.

Meanwhile, the Abdala Carmona campaign released a statement that indicated a change could come as they are waiting until the final results are counted.

We are still waiting for the electoral authorities to make the official statement, but we have good news for you, it read.

Although several local media outlets have called the race for Caturosas, the results are still not final as specified by the INE. Neither candidate wanted to provide further comment to LMT on Monday afternoon as the voting process continues.

In one of the congressional races that was also considered an intense one, former Nuevo Laredo Mayor Enrique Rivas Cuellar  who left his mayoral position temporarily to run for a congressional seat  shows him behind. In the District 1 Deputy Congressional race, Rivas Cuellar was at 30.69%, or 16,063 votes, trailing his Morena counterpart Gabriela Regalado Fuentes at 47.43%, or 24,825 votes. Rivas Cuellar will return after the election to finish his term.

Even though some races have been called by candidates or local media outlets, the INE states that no major announcements should be made as the votes continue to be counted.

According to Manuel Moncada Fuentes  the executive spokesman for the INE in Nuevo Laredo  though some candidates have already declared victory, he warns that those with thin margins should wait until the results are certified later this week.

The results we are seeing right now are just the preliminary results, and even though they provide a good picture of who won and in what areas, they are not definitive and also they are not official to certify a certain winner, he said. Until Wednesday, when we do another count of the votes, then we will have computed all of the official results as we will count the ballots at the warehouses in which they are at and compare them with the records we already have in terms of people going out to vote and the political parties they choose, and then be able to check if all the votes were counted in a satisfactory manner.

Moncada states that if everything is normal and a recount is not needed because of a tight race, then the votes and winners can be certified on Wednesday. If a recount is needed, then final results wont be ready until Thursday night in tight races.

According to Moncada, any incidents reported during Sundays election were common ones in the sense that they did not involve any major allegations of fraud or threat to the security of voters. Rather, some polling places did not open early or stopped allowing people to enter even before the polls closed. But he states that all of these issues were resolved and people were allowed to vote as they wished in any areas where these issues were happening.

Another issue reported was that in some polls there were not enough watchers, as those randomly chosen to attend did not get to the location. But the INE quickly found some watchers to distribute so the polls could function normally.

This electoral process was intense, it was filled with participation and it was also very heated, as there were many local races in which there was much tension and support for one group of politicians over others, Moncada said.  But it was also calm in the sense that there was no major incidents when it came to the opening of the 579 different polling places for the election all at the same time and at the exact hour that the law dictates for elections.

Moncada states that he is very grateful that this election saw a huge turnout amid the pandemic. He states that the strict safety protocols put in place such as enforcing facemask usage, social distancing and only allowing 12 voters at a time into each voting site helped more people go out to vote.

I am also very grateful for all the citizenry's support in waiting in lines to cast their votes, and for all the support of the citizens who also participated in the process as poll watchers during this election, Moncada said. And also very grateful for the great respect that these citizens showed toward the many voters that went out and voted during this Election Day.

jorge.vela@lmtonline.com
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presented economic plans to senior ruling party officials before an upcoming meeting to review efforts to overcome hardships brought about by the pandemic, state media said Tuesday.

The Korean Central News Agency said Kim held his consultations Monday in preparation for a meeting of the Workers Partys powerful Central Committee at which they will discuss state affairs for the first half of 2021. The meeting was set for early June and could take place as early as this week.

Kim's plans were not specified but were described as intending to bring tangible change" to stabilizing the economy and people's living conditions.

The North Korean economy has been crippled by decades of mismanagement, U.S.-led sanctions over Kims nuclear weapons program and the coronavirus pandemic. South Korean officials say there are no signs North Korea is easing the border controls it imposed at the start of the pandemic or importing more industrial and agricultural materials to boost production.

The Workers Party last held a plenary meeting of Central Committee members in February, when Kim ripped into state economic agencies for their passive and self-protecting tendencies in setting their annual goals.

Earlier in the year, at the party's first congress since 2016, Kim urged his people to be resilient in the struggle for economic self-reliance and called for reasserting greater state control over the economy, boosting agricultural production and prioritizing the development of chemicals and metal industries. Those sectors have been critically depleted by sanctions and halted imports of factory materials amid the pandemic.

Kim has shown unusual candor in addressing the Norths economic problems in recent political speeches, saying that the country was facing its worst ever situation due to COVID-19, sanctions and heavy flooding last summer that decimated crops. He even called for his people to brace for another arduous march, a term that had been used to describe a 1990s famine that killed hundreds of thousands.

In a meeting of the Workers' Party's political bureau last week, Kim expressed appreciation that a lot of economic works were being sped up thanks to the ideological enthusiasm and fighting spirit of self-reliance demonstrated by the party and his people. But he also said there was a need to correct unspecified deflective matters," which he said would be discussed at Central Committee's plenary meeting.

While North Korea monitoring groups have yet to detect signs of mass starvation or major instability, some analysts say conditions could be aligning for a perfect storm that undercuts food and exchange markets and triggers public panic.

The Geneva-based Assessment Capacities Project, a nonprofit that specializes in humanitarian needs assessment, said in May that it considers North Korea to be at high risk of a humanitarian crisis. It said poor economic governance, repressive political measures and an increasing dependence on internal production amid a cutback in imports have negatively impacted the countrys population.

Chronic food insecurity and limited access to basic services, such as health care and clean water, have left more than 10 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, the group said.

The economic setbacks have left Kim with nothing to show for his ambitious diplomacy with former President Donald Trump, which failed to bring the North sanctions relief, and the North has so far ignored the Biden administrations calls to resume dialogue.

Some experts say Kim could use the upcoming Central Committee meeting to address the stalled diplomatic efforts.
SAN DIEGO (AP)  The Biden administration said Tuesday that it has identified more than 3,900 children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border under former President Donald Trump's zero-tolerance policy on illegal crossings, providing one of the more detailed accounts of a chapter in U.S. immigration history that drew widespread condemnation.

The Biden administration's Family Reunification Task Force count of 3,913 children separated from July 1, 2017, to the end of Trump's presidency is well below the more than 5,500 children identified by the American Civil Liberties Union in court filings, based on government information.

The task force said it identified nearly all children who were separated under the zero-tolerance policy but will review another 1,723 cases since July 2017, which would bring total cases examined to 5,636, close to the ACLU tally. The discrepancy appears to stem largely from a federal court ruling in San Diego that excluded 1,723 children who were separated for reasons other than Trump's zero-tolerance policy, such as risk of child endangerment or questions about parentage.

The task force will also try to determine if children were separated during the first six months of Trumps presidency, starting in January 2017, which was outside the scope of the ACLU lawsuit. That could raise the final number.

Of the 3,913 children, 1,786 have been reunified with a parent, mostly during Trump's tenure, parents of another 1,695 have been contacted and the whereabouts of 391 have not been established. Many who have been contacted were released to other family members.

The Biden administration has vowed to reunite parents who are still apart from their children, but the pace has been slow and it is unclear how high that number will go. The first four parents were returned to the United States last month, part of what the task force identified as an initial group of 62 people  28 from Guatemala, 20 from Honduras, 13 from El Salvador and one from Mexico. Administration officials say 29 of the 62 have received final clearances to return to the United States, which should occur after travel arrangements are made.

Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLUs immigrant rights project, said he wished the reunifications had happened more quickly but welcomed the Biden administration's efforts.

We believe the negotiations were having with the administration are constructive and being held in good faith, Gelernt told reporters. Our hope is now theyve put in a process for reunifying people it can be scaled up.

Gelernt said families not only need to be reunited but provided mental health and support services and compensation. For now, reunited families are being allowed to remain in the United States on a temporary basis, but the ACLU wants the administration to give them a more lasting solution, he said.

Its not a permanent status, he said. That is foremost in the negotiations.

The report provided data that hadn't been previously released. Nearly 60% of children separated under the zero-tolerance policy were Guatemalans (2,270), followed by Hondurans (1,150), Salvadorans (281), Mexicans (75), Brazilians (74) and Romanians (23).

The Border Patrol's Yuma, Arizona, sector recorded the highest number of separations of the agency's nine sectors on the Mexican border with 1,114. The Rio Grande Valley in Texas, which dominated media attention as the busiest corridor for illegal crossings by far, was second with 1,025 separations. The El Paso, Texas, sector, which was site of a trial run of the policy in 2017 that was not publicly disclosed at the time, was third with 982 separated children.

___

Associated Press writer Amy Taxin in Orange County contributed to this report.

___

This story has been corrected to show the number of parents contacted without being reunified is 1,695, not 1,965.
Carnival Cruise Line is setting sail next month, but Gov. Greg Abbott isn't happy about one of its new policies.

The cruise line will begin leaving from the Port of Galveston on July 3 and has announced it will require passengers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before setting foot on the ship.

TEXAS TRAVEL: A choose-your-own-adventure guide to Galveston for day-trippers

Abbott took this news as an opportunity to announce his plans to sign a law banning businesses in Texas from asking for vaccine information after a tweet questioned why Carnival was allowed to require passenger vaccinations.

"Im signing a law today that prohibits any business operating in Texas from requiring vaccine passports or any vaccine information," Abbott wrote on Twitter. "Texas is open 100% without any restrictions or limitations or requirements."

Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, acknowledged in a statement the support of Abbott in making vaccinations available to cruise line personnel and expediting the cruise line's return.

"We appreciate the progress and support for our U.S. restart from the CDC and other key federal agencies; however, the current CDC requirements for cruising with a guest base that is unvaccinated will make it very difficult to deliver the experience our guests expect, especially given the large number of families with younger children who sail with us," Duffy said. "As a result, our alternative is to operate our ships from the U.S. during the month of July with vaccinated guests."

Carnival has not responded to Abbott's tweet or the upcoming law. The bill, Senate Bill 968, will take effect immediately once Abbott signs it.

However, the bill does not prevent businesses from "implementing COVID-19 screening and infection control protocols in accordance with state and federal law to protect public health."

CHEERS: For some local businesses, alcohol to-go was a boon. Others are leaving it behind

Abbott made his feelings on "vaccine passports"documents providing proof of vaccinationknown in April when he signed an executive order banning any state agencies or entities that receive public funds from requiring them from Texans.

"Those shots help slow the spread of COVID-19, reduce hospitalizations and reduce fatalities," Abbott said in a video statement in April. "But, as I have said all along, these vaccines are always voluntary and never forced. Government should not require any Texan to show proof of vaccination and reveal private health information just to go about their daily lives."


Meryl Cassie was MC for the 2021 show.

Warkworth A&P Show chair Allan Barber says the show urgently needs younger people with fresh energy, ideas and enthusiasm if the event is to have a future in the life of the local community.

Mr Barber will step down as chair at the annual meeting later this month. Also stepping down is secretary Penny Webster and treasurer Vanessa Barber.

Those likely to be nominated for senior positions on the committee at the meeting include Carl King as chair and Karen Black as secretary/treasurer.

Mr King is a manager at EnviroNZ and goat farmer and Karen Black is a former secretary/treasurer of the Kumeu Show.

Mr Barber says both came onto the committee last year with a view to learning the ropes.

I was keen to see a seamless succession so the society was not left in the lurch, Mr Barber says.

Meanwhile, Mr Barber plans to stand for A&P Show president. If successful, he will replace Warren Churches, who also steps down this year.

But while Mr Barber hopes to continue serving in the background, he says its high time for a change of energy and a change of age bracket.

He hopes younger people will come forward to serve on the committee and volunteer.

Sometimes the A&P Show is viewed as a closed shop, but were keen to see new people, he says.

Mr Barber says upcoming challenges for the new committee will be to negotiate a lease with Auckland Council for the use of the Showgrounds and bring back the animal events.

Currently, the A&P Show owns buildings at the Showgrounds but has no rights over the use of the land, except during show days. By securing land rights it could sublet use of the land to community groups, which would help raise money to sustain the show.

Mr Barber also noted that horses and cattle had been absent from recent shows due to a timing clash with the Horse of the Year Show and M. bovis disease. He says these problems are not insurmountable, but it would require sponsorship and younger people to step forward to take responsibility for them to see these animals return.

The Warkworth A&P Show annual meeting will be held at the A&P office at Warkworth Showgrounds on June 28 at 7pm.
Lockport, NY (14094)

Today

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 59F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 59F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.


A FIRE destroyed staff quarters at Kwekwe General Hospital on Tuesday, making it the second fire incident to affect the countrys health institutions after a similar incident occurred at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo last month.

The Kwekwe General Hospital fire left nine families, including doctors, physiotherapists, nurses and an administrator homeless.

Information ministry secretary Nick Mangwana yesterday confirmed the incident in a tweet. A nurses and doctors cottage at Kwekwe General Hospital has been gutted by fire. Resource mobilisation is already underway, Mangwana said.

Kwekwe General Hospital medical superintendent Patricia Mapanda was also quoted saying the fire razed down one of the staff residences and destroyed property.

She said the affected staff lost almost everything as they did not get time to remove their property, adding that the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained.

A fortnight ago, 39 health practitioners were left homeless at Mpilo Central Hospital where the fire, believed to have been caused by an electrical fault, destroyed property worth US$500 000.

Government moved in and secured alternative accommodation for them at Bulawayo Polytechnic, St Patricks hostels and Ekusileni Centre. Newsday
In fact, its estimated that many farmers may be renewing their existing farm insurance policy each year because of this assumption, without realising they could be benefitting greatly by switching  whilst still retaining the same level of protection, or even achieve, enhanced benefits.

At Zurich Insurance, we help to make things easy and ensure that your experience is anything but daunting, with a team of experts ready to provide customers with the information to assist in their decision to switch insurance provider.

From start to finish, the Zurich insurance team are there to help alleviate any stress and ensure the process is as seamless and hassle free as possible.

At Zurich, we are committed to ensuring our customers receive quality farm insurance cover, while offering the best advice, price and security.

Heres what you need to know about how to switch farm insurance provider:



Consider what cover you need

Have the circumstances on your farm changed since taking up your last policy? Have you more high-value equipment and machinery than you had before? If so, take care to assess your cover needs. Our leading farm insurance experts are on hand, offering personalised farm visits to make sure you receive the best advice and have the best cover for your machinery or buildings.

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Its always a good idea to read the fine print and review what optional extras are on offer from a provider before deciding to make the switch.

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Once you know what level of cover you need, our farm experts will offer you the best price possible for the cover you require. With over 130 years farm insurance experience combined in delivering superior farm insurance cover, our team offer the reassurance and peace of mind, when considering switching to Zurich Insurance. At Zurich, with our local expertise, we are well positioned to advise farmers and provide tailored support to best suit their individual needs. With a history of settling 99%* of claims, our expert team will ensure you feel secure and supported from day one.

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Most farm insurance providers operate on an auto-renewal basis, so make sure you tell your current provider that you wish to end your policy before it renews.



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He said: There are definitely savings to be made when shopping around. I ended up getting the exact same level of cover as with my previous policy, but with the advantage of being able to avail of enhanced benefits as a client of FDC. This 30% saving now takes some of the pressure off. But I didnt just save money - everything, from start to finish, went smoothly.

To find out more about how you can make a saving, call Pat Maher on 086 047 5422 or visit Zurich.ie.

*From January to December 2020, on average we paid out on 99% of motor, home, van, farm and windscreen insurance claims.
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China releases new Mars image taken by Tianwen-1 probe

Xinhua) 08:49, June 08, 2021

The China National Space Administration on Monday released a new Mars image taken by the Tianwen-1 probe. In this combo photo, the left part is the Martian surface before the lander carrying the rover touched down on the red planet on May 15; and the right part shows the country's first Mars rover and its landing platform on the Martian surface. (Photo provided to Xinhua)

BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The China National Space Administration (CNSA) Monday released a new image taken by the Tianwen-1 probe, showing the country's first Mars rover and its landing platform on the red planet's surface.

In the image, taken by a high-resolution camera installed on the orbiter of Tianwen-1 at 6 p.m. on June 2 (Beijing Time), two bright spots are visible in the upper right corner. The larger one is the landing platform, and the smaller one is the Zhurong Mars rover, the CNSA said.

China's Tianwen-1 mission, consisting of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover, was launched on July 23, 2020. The lander carrying the rover touched down in the southern part of Utopia Planitia, a vast plain in the northern hemisphere of Mars, on May 15.

The rover Zhurong drove down from its landing platform to the Martian surface on May 22, starting its exploration of the red planet, and making China the second country after the United States to land and operate a rover on Mars.

The dark area surrounding the landing platform might be caused by the influence of the engine plume during landing. The symmetrical bright stripes in the north-south direction of the landing platform might be from fine dust when the landing platform emptied the remaining fuel after landing, the CNSA said.

The bright spots in the center of the image are the back cover of the entry capsule and the parachute jettisoned during the landing. Another bright spot in the lower left of the image is the heat shield of the entry capsule, the CNSA said.

As of June 6, the rover Zhurong has been working on the surface of Mars for 23 Martian days to detect the environment, move around the surface, and carry out scientific exploration. A Martian day is approximately 40 minutes longer than a day on Earth.

All scientific equipment aboard the rover is turned on to collect data. The orbiter operates in a relay orbit with a cycle of 8.2 hours, providing relay communication for the scientific exploration of the Mars rover.

The rover Zhurong is named after the god of fire in ancient Chinese mythology. The name echoes with the Chinese name for the red planet, Huoxing (the fire planet), while the name of the mission, Tianwen, means Questions to Heaven. It is the title of a poem by the ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan (circa 340-278 BC).

With an expected lifespan of at least 90 Martian days (about three months on Earth), Zhurong will record the Martian landscape with high-resolution three-dimensional images and analyze the material composition of the planet's surface. It will also detect its sub-surface structure and magnetic field, search for traces of ice and observe the surrounding meteorological environment.

The orbiter, with a design life of one Martian year (about 687 days on Earth), will relay communications for the rover while conducting its own scientific detection operations.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
ZIMBABWE Electoral Commission (Zec) deputy chairperson Emmanuel Magade yesterday failed to give a specific date when by-elections would be held, raising speculation that they may not take place any time soon.

Addressing journalists in Chinhoyi yesterday, Magade pointed out that a total of 117 parliamentary and council seats were vacant.

The need for the country to hold by-elections arose in February last year when the MDC-T led by Douglas Mwonzora recalled more than 40 MPs and 80 councillors affiliated to the MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa.

In response to questions from journalists, Magade could not be drawn into giving specific dates as to when the elections would be held, only preferring to say, as soon as is practicably possible.

Let me assure you that as soon as it becomes practically possible, and as soon as its safe for us to conduct by-elections, we will do so without further ado, he said.

Unfortunately, I am not a soothsayer, I cannot guess that we will do it next month or in two months. I am not being evasive at all, but we are going to do it as soon as its practically possible, he added.

The Zec deputy chairperson said the electoral body was committed to running elections in a non-partisan manner and in a free and transparent way.

We have always had by-elections as and when they were due. The current situation is what we call in law suri generis, and in other words, its a very unusual situation because of the pandemic and because of objective and subjective circumstances obtaining in our country, he said.

Zec chief elections officer Utoile Silaigwana also said they could not predict when polls would be held because they were not health experts, and, therefore, would rely on Vice-President and Health minister Constantino Chiwengas orders.

As long as the statutory instruments blocking elections remain in place, elections wont be run, Silaigwana said.

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn) has, however, urged Zec to approach government with a roadmap of running polls, adding that the continued failure to hold them was trampling on peoples rights.

Zec should engage government with options that demonstrate how by-elections can be conducted safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Zesn is worried about the continued suspension of by-elections which leave citizens in constituencies where elected leaders such as MPs and councillors were recalled or died without representation, Zesn said recently in a statement.

Chiwenga in October last year published Statutory Instrument (SI) 225A of 2020, Public Health COVID-19 Prevention, Containment and Treatment) (Amendment) Regulations, 2020 (No 4), which suspended the holding of by-elections which were then slated for December 5, 2020.

But constitutional experts said the move by Chiwenga was unconstitutional as Zec had no powers to suspend by-elections by administrative decree, adding that he also did not have powers to suspend them through regulations under the Public Health Act.

The Constitution overrides administrative decisions and regulations. The Constitution must be obeyed, legal think-tank Veritas said in its report critiquing the decree by Chiwenga.

Some countries that successfully held their elections during the COVID-19 era included Malawi, the United States and Uganda among others. Newsday
(Alliance News) - Brussels has delivered a sharp warning to Boris Johnson that it is ready to act "firmly and resolutely" to ensure the UK abides by its commitments in the Northern Ireland Protocol of his Brexit deal.

The Daily Telegraph reported the UK is unilaterally considering extending a "grace period" to allow Northern Irish shops to continue selling chilled meats a including sausages and mince a from Britain once it expires at the end of June.

But in an article for the paper, the European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic said they would "not be shy" in taking action to ensure that the UK abides by its international commitments.

Britain has already angered Brussels by unilaterally extending grace periods in the protocol on supermarket goods and parcels.

Ahead of talks on Wednesday with the Brexit minister David Frost to discuss the implementation of the protocol, Sefcovic said the commission would not tolerate further failures of compliance by London.

"Unfortunately, we see numerous and fundamental gaps in the UK's implementation a even though the protocol entered into force over 17 months ago," he said.

"Mutually agreed compliance paths, with concrete deadlines and milestones for the UK to fulfil its existing obligations, would therefore be an important stepping stone a and, I believe, a credible outcome of this joint committee.

"If this does not happen, and if the UK takes further unilateral action over the coming weeks, the EU will not be shy in reacting swiftly, firmly and resolutely to ensure that the UK abides by its international law obligations."

Sefcovic said the protocol was the "best solution" to ensure there was no return of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, adding: "No-one knows it better than Frost himself, then the UK's chief Brexit negotiator."

The warning comes amid reports that US President Joe Biden will use this week's G7 summit to impress upon Johnson the importance that he attaches to maintaining the protocol.

Ahead of the gathering in Cornwall, Johnson also discussed the issue in a telephone call on Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Downing Street said that the prime minister stressed that "both the UK and the EU have a responsibility to find solutions to address the issues with the protocol".

By Gavin Cordon

source: PA

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
IQGeo Group PLC - Cambridge, England-based geospatial software for telecom and utility network operators - Chosen by Deutsche GigaNetz GmbH as its strategic supplier of fibre network management and workflow software.

"Deutsche GigaNetz is a rapidly growing next generation fibre network provider that brings 'lightspeed' performance broadband to customers across Germany," company says.

It adds: "It has chosen a cloud deployment of IQGeo's Network Manager software as its dedicated system of record and will also be using its workflow manager software to optimise mobile field construction processes."

IQGeo notes it was a "highly competitive tender process".

Chief Executive Richard Petti says: "The competitive selection process demonstrates that IQGeo is well positioned against our European rivals and the new contract with Deutsche GigaNet is a validation of our technical and business strategy.

"This is an important new account that is embracing our software across their entire operational lifecycle while expanding our customer base of telecoms network operators in Central Europe. Our customer footprint is now truly global, and we look forward to further expanding our market penetration."

Current stock price: 127.50 pence, up 5.4% on Tuesday

Year-to-date change: up 33%

By Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Ireland Taoiseach Micheal Martin has suggested that the easing of Covid-19 restrictions could be accelerated if progress is maintained.

This could include a "blended" return of workers to offices in August, rather than September, as suggested by Tanaiste Leo Varadkar.

Martin said we will know by the end of the month if the lifting of restrictions can be brought forward.

"I think we will see towards the end of this month, given the progress we have made to date, whether we can move forward on some areas like that" he told reporters.

He added: "We'll take advice on it, we'll take it step by step.

"As you've seen all along the way, we were able to do things in June that we didn't signal we would do a month earlier.

"We were able to do more than what we signalled. And likewise by the end of this month, we will do more than we signalled by August.

"That could mean the return of some workers to offices by the end of August."

He said that any return to offices would be "blended", and would not take place all at once.

Martin was speaking on a visit to Cork, where he stopped on Princes St to take advantage of newly reopened outdoor dining.

He paid tribute to businesses in the city for their resilience throughout the pandemic.

He said: "I want to pay real tribute to the traders, they're always energetic, they're always thinking of new ways to take on the challenges of Covid-19.

"It's a very quick response to the outdoor dining issue. The people of Cork city have taken to it.

"Cork city council has worked well with the traders and there has been a rapid acceleration of pedestrianisation in the city."

Martin also said government was "very concerned" about violent scenes on the streets of Dublin over the weekend.

But he said he believed the situation would "settle down and level out."

"The vast majority of people did behave. I believe Covid has created new realities for people as well. It's very difficult for many, many people" he said.

The Taoiseach also paid tribute to An Garda Siochana, who were criticised in some quarters for their response to the disorder in Dublin.

"I thin An Garda Siochana have worked extremely hard during Covid-19.

"It hasn't been easy for the Gardai either, because they've been asked to do things that wouldn't normally be asked to do.

"It's been a strange period for them too, in terms of the restrictions they've had to enforce."

Tuesday brought an additional 271 confirmed cases of Covid-19, the Department of Health has said.

There are 77 people in hospital with the disease, with 27 in intensive care units.

Daily case numbers may change due to future data review, validation and update, owing to the cyberattack on the HSE.

source: PA

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Irish premier Micheal Martin has called for calm in the escalating trade row between the UK and the EU.

Martin has called on both sides to engage, to avoid continuing issues over the Northern Ireland protocol.

It comes amid concerns that British-made sausages could not be sold in Northern Ireland amid rows over post-Brexit border arrangements.

The Taoiseach said on Tuesday: "It's important that we do resolve these issues and that trust is built up between the EU and the UK.

"It's very important that our trust is built up, because otherwise we will have continuing issues and problems."

Martin called on UK Brexit Minister David Frost to engage with his EU counterpart Maros Sefcovic to resolve the row.

British Environment Secretary George Eustice has called the situation "bonkers" and accused the EU of being "slow to engage" with efforts to iron out difficulties.

It comes ahead of the ending of a grace period in the agreement between the UK and the bloc which allows Northern Irish shops to continue selling chilled meats a including sausages and mince.

The Taoiseach denied that the EU had not engaged on the issue.

"From our perspective, we would have thought that an agreement on SPS between the UK and EU would deal with 80% of the issues," he said.

But with tensions escalating, the Taoiseach has appealed for calm.

Martin added: "The type of Brexit we have creates issues all around in terms of trade between the EU and the UK.

"There are issues that I think can be reduced in terms of impact between UK goods going to Northern Ireland.

"I think that the beneficial side of the Protocol, which isn't often referenced, we take the dairy industry on the island of Ireland, for example, the Protocol facilitates the seamless movement of milk north and south.

"We need to stand back, de-politicise this and deal with it as a technical trading issue and get the outstanding issues resolved."

The row centres on EU fears that goods from Northern Ireland may enter the single market.

Brussels warned it is ready to act "firmly and resolutely" to ensure the UK abides by its commitments in the Northern Ireland Protocol and does not unilaterally grant an extension at the end of June.

Asked if there would be issues should the UK government proceed to grant an extension beyond June, Martin said: "I think we take it step by step.

"I mean, before Christmas we had similar issues. We were heading towards a no-deal Brexit. Maros Sefcovic and David Frost managed to work things out."

Downing Street said Prime Minister Boris Johnson stressed that "both the UK and the EU have a responsibility to find solutions to address the issues with the Protocol".

source: PA

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - RWS Holdings PLC on Tuesday reported a robust first-half performance - with revenue surging after its acquisition of SDL PLC - but said Chief Executive Richard Thompson will stepping down from his role.

Shares in the Buckinghamshire, England-based language support services firm were 1.2% lower in London on Tuesday morning at 636.00 pence each.

Thompson will step down to "pursue other interests" and will be replaced by Ian El-Mokadem.

"Following an extensive external succession process, which identified a number of high-calibre candidates with the necessary blend of skills and expertise to lead an ambitious, international group, the board is pleased to announce that Ian El-Mokadem will become the group's CEO, after commencing employment on July 19," the company explained.

RWS said El-Mokadem has held senior management roles in "large and international services businesses", most recently as CEO of ship management and marine support services firm V Group. He was previously CEO of materials testing and calibration services provider Exova Group. Prior to Exova, he was managing director for UK & Ireland at caterer Compass Group PLC. He also currently sits on the board of outsourcing firm Serco Group PLC.

Turning to its results, RWS recorded pretax profit of GBP24.0 million in the six months to March 31, down 7.0% from GBP25.8 million.

Revenue surged 92% to GBP326.4 million from GBP169.7 million the year before. The revenue growth was attributed to the firm's SDL PLC acquisition in November last year.

RWS Language Services sales jumped 84%, while Regulated Industries sales more than doubled, but IP Services sales slipped 2%. RWS also noted the creation of a new unit: Language & Content Technology, which recorded revenue of GBP48.3 million in the five months to March 31.

Administrative expenses rose to GBP120.8 million from GBP39.6 million.

Chair Andrew Brode said: "It has been a transformational six months for the group, with the acquisition of SDL positioning us as the global leader in language services and technology. Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, the integration has progressed rapidly, and to schedule, with a strong management team in place to complete the integration plans."

RWS has declared an interim dividend of 2.0 pence, up 14% year on year from 1.75p the year before.

"Alongside the successful acquisition RWS has delivered a good performance in the first half of the year despite headwinds including currency movements and the impact of Covid-19, which held back demand from certain customers," Brode continued.

He added: "The second half has started well, with a recovery in our core markets, particularly in the US where our former Life Science business continues to show strong growth, leaving the group well placed to deliver in line with our expectations for the full year."

RWS noted its performance since the first half ended has been "good" and in line with internal expectations.

By Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - British American Tobacco PLC on Tuesday said it expects this year will be a "pivotal" one for the business as it upgraded revenue guidance.

The cigarette maker now expects constant currency revenue growth of above 5% for 2021, ahead of prior guidance of 3% to 5%.

For combustibles, BAT said group value and volume share are both up 10 basis points in the year-to-date, with full-year cigarette volumes expected to be ahead of the industry, which itself is expected to be down 3%.

Meanwhile, BAT reported accelerating addition of non-combustible product consumers, up by 1.4 million to 14.9 million in the first quarter. BAT said sales of non-tobacco products, such as vapes, had seen "growing momentum" as customers turn to less harmful products.

Its Velo brand, which makes nicotine pouches, grew its market share to around 40% while BAT's vaping brand Vuse reached around 31% of market share. Tobacco heating products brand Glo saw strong volume share growth for the year, now up to about 16% of the market.

Mid-single digit adjusted diluted earnings per share growth on a constant currency basis is also expected.

"We are accelerating our transformation with increased investment capitalising on our growing momentum in the New Categories, and a record quarter for consumer acquisition. This, together with our strong business performance, is reflected in our upgraded group revenue growth guidance of above 5% for 2021," said Chief Executive Jack Bowles.

"The momentum across the business is strong, and I am excited about the future for BAT."

Looking ahead, BAT said it is forecasting volume recovery and share growth in emerging markets including Bangladesh, Pakistan and Vietnam. While strong constant currency revenue growth in the US is expected, driven by a strong price mix.

BAT shares were trading 2.2% higher in London on Tuesday morning at 2,838.50 pence each, while in Johannesburg, the stock was 2.5% higher at ZAR544.47 a share.

By Will Paige; willpaige@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Over-25s in England are to be offered a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine six months after the first jab was administered in the UK a as ministers continue to weigh up whether remaining lockdown restrictions will be lifted on June 21.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that those aged 25 to 29 in England a around three million people a will be invited to book their jabs from Tuesday as the NHS hailed reaching the "home straight" of the biggest vaccination programme in its history.

Exactly six months ago, on December 8 2020, grandmother Margaret Keenan, 91, became the first patient in the world to receive a Covid-19 jab outside of a clinical trial when she was given the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in Coventry.

Hancock also told members of Parliament on Monday that it was too early to say whether England's remaining coronavirus restrictions will be lifted on June 21, as case rates rose in more areas of the UK than at any point since early January.

Reports have suggested the final step in the government's road map could be delayed by two weeks, with The Times saying ministers were given a "downbeat" briefing on the latest data on Monday by Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance.

Hancock said a decision on moving to Step 4 would be delayed as long as possible, with a final announcement to be made next Monday a a week before any changes could come into effect.

Downing Street said there was "nothing in the data" to suggest a delay would be needed.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding June 21, the Health Secretary said he was confident that "one day soon freedom will return", with the latest data suggesting vaccines were protecting people against the Delta variant first identified in India.

And as the vaccination programme moved into its final stage a with under-30s the final cohort on the vaccine priority list a the NHS described the six-month anniversary as a "watershed moment".

NHS England National Medical Director Stephen Powis said: "It is remarkable to think that just six months after that first jab back in Coventry in December a Maggie Keenan got it, remember a we have now vaccinated three-quarters of the adult population with their first dose and over half with their second dose.

"That really is a tremendous achievement and of course the vaccine programme is our way out of this pandemic, so it is crucial that when you get the invite for your jab, come and get it."

As of June 6, England has delivered 23,710,646 second doses of Covid-19 vaccine, meaning the equivalent of 53.6% of its adult population is fully vaccinated, with 76.4% of adults having received one jab.

In Wales, the equivalent of 49.5% of its adult population is fully vaccinated, with 86.5% of adults having received a first jab, while in Scotland 50.8% of adults are fully vaccinated and 76.4% of adults have received a first dose.

The equivalent of 48.9% of Northern Ireland's adult population is fully vaccinated, while a first dose has been given to 75.1% of adults.

All adults have already been called forward to get their vaccine in Northern Ireland and most of Wales, while people aged 18 to 29 in Scotland have been asked to register for their jab, with appointments starting in mid-June.

Hancock said the Delta variant "made the race between the virus and this vaccination effort tighter" but the vaccine was breaking the previously "rock solid" link between infections and hospital admissions.

The variant is thought to be 40% more transmissible than the Alpha variant first seen in Kent which swept across the UK over the winter peak.

As of June 3, from 12,383 cases of the Delta variant 464 went on to present at emergency care and 126 people were admitted to hospital.

Of those admitted, 83 were unvaccinated, 28 had received one dose and three had received both doses of the vaccine, Hancock said.

The spread of the Delta variant has seen cases increase in almost all parts of north-west England, London and Scotland.

The rise in rates has yet to be mirrored by a steady increase in hospital cases. Latest data shows numbers have climbed slightly, with the seven-day average for patients in hospital reaching 912 on June 3 a the highest since May 26.

Nearly three-quarters of local areas of the UK recorded a week-on-week rise in Covid-19 case rates for the seven days to June 2, the highest proportion since January 6.

Downing Street said data emerging over the coming week will be "crucial" in deciding whether England's legal coronavirus restrictions can end as hoped on June 21.

By PA Reporters

source: PA

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Take a few minutes and scroll through some of the local news from the past week:
The discovery of previously undisclosed evidence in the Warren racial terror case produced frustration from a judge and exchange of blame between an assistant Macomb County prosecutor and the Warren police commissioner.

Assistant Macomb Prosecutor Kumar Palepu told Judge Diane Druzinski in court Monday that a substantial amount of evidence, including text messages between the father-son defendants in the case, was recently turned over by Warren police.

We (he and defense attorneys) discovered over a course of time there was a substantial amount of discovery that was not given to the prosecution that was in the hands of the police, Palepu said during a pretrial hearing shown over YouTube.com. From what I understand, because of when these crimes occurred, everyone in Warren Police Department was working on this case. From what I understand  there was substantial amount of information all over the place in their database.

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The new potential evidence likely means the trial scheduled for later this month will be delayed because the defendants, Michael Frederick and Michael Frederick Jr., and their attorneys must be given a reasonable amount of time to review the new information.

Failure to turn over the information would have resulted in what is known as a Brady violation, which could have led to having the case thrown out.

Druzinski indicated she was not happy with the news and expressed frustration, saying she and attorneys have been "working hard" to get a trial date as soon as possible.

This case has been hanging around a long time and thats a crying shame, frankly, she said. I dont frankly know what the Warren police was doing other than scattering all of this discoverable information all over the department.

Palepus blaming the police prompted Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer to defend his officers and criticize Palepu.

The Warren Police Department thoroughly investigated the case and all evidence was presented to the Prosecutors Office, Dwyer said Monday following the hearing. This is nonsense, ridiculous and offensive to the Warren Police Department.

Dwyer blasted Palepu, with whom his department has had a strained relationship in recent years, saying Palepu has been overly critical of Warren police.

He has a lot of resentment toward the police department, Dwyer said, adding the department gets along with most of the assistant prosecutors in Macomb.

County Prosecutor Peter Lucido provided a written statement: "The Macomb County Prosecutors Office produces to defense counsel, in compliance with the Michigan Court Rules, all available reports and information provided by investigating agencies to our office. If we learn of new information during the prosecution of a case, as happened here, the MCPO takes every step to obtain and produce that information quickly so as to protect the rights of all parties."

Michael J. Frederick Jr., 24, is accused of firing a total of nine shots over three days last September at the home of Eddie and Candace Hall on Tallman Avenue near 11 Mile and Hoover roads. He also is accused of writing graffiti on a vehicle and slashing tires on three vehicles at the home.

He is charged with two counts of firing a weapon at a building, three counts of ethnic intimidation, possession of a firearm during the commissioner of a felony, and two counts of malicious destruction of property, one between $1,000 and $20,000 and one between $200 and $1,000.

Also, for a separate incident around the same time at another home in the area, he faces a charge of malicious destruction of property between $1,000 and $20,000.

Fredericks father, Michael Sr., 53, is charged with accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence for allegedly dismantling the handgun used by his son and putting it into the Clinton River.

A trial is scheduled for June 25. Druzinski scheduled a June 14 pretrial to get an update.

Well look at a trial date and see where were at, she said.

Trials had been stalled for most of the time since the defendants were charged due to the pandemic but are resuming this week.

In addition to the text messages, other new potential evidence includes an audio interview with an anonymous source and/confidential information whose statements led to police obtaining warrants to search and arrest Michael Jr.

Paleup said the confidential source interview and statements will not be part of the trial and will ask Druzinski to not turn it over to the defense.

Frederick Jr.'s attorney, Paul Stockyj, said he believes he and his client should receive the recorded statements.

Additional evidence to be turned over includes videos from homes in the neighborhood that Palepu said does not appear to contain evidentiary value for the defense.

Stockyj also protested Paleups move on Monday to add an ethnic intimidation count to also include Candace Hall as a victim along with her husband. Because of the new charge, Stockyj said he may seek to remand the case back to 37th District Court for a preliminary examination.

This was very highly charged political environment at the time that this case was coming up form district court and it had racial undertones to it as well, Stockyj said. But we only had one victim, Eddie Hall, on the one matter. Now we have two.

Palepu said the defense could have anticipated an additional charge because Candace Hall was in the home with her husband and children when the shots were fired.

This is not some surprise where Im suddenly a new victim that came out of nowhere, Palepu said. She was always in discovery. She was always in the police reports.

It does change the dynamic a little bit, from someone placed in danger to a victim of ethnic intimidation, Druzinski said.

Paleup said he could have added the charge after Mrs. Hall testifies at the trial but decided to add it before those proceedings to provide defense attorneys with sufficient notice.

Frederick Sr.'s attorney, Jeff Cojocar, indicated he is in discussions with Palepu to possibly resolve the fathers case without a trial.

Cojocar also raised the specter that if a trial takes place, two juries may be needed, a factor that would be complicated by social-distancing restrictions under COVID-19.

Druzinski noted that Frederick Jr. remains held in the county jail on two bonds totaling $210,000.

+4 Warren white man accused of terrorizing Black family scheduled for May trial A May trial has been set for a white man accused of terrorizing a Black family in his Warren neighborhood and for his father, who police say i

+2 Father of Warren man charged with hate crimes accused of trying to cover up acts The father of a man accused of hate crimes against a Black family from Warren has been charged for dismantling the gun used by his son and dum

+3 Dive team locates gun parts used in Warren hate crime in river Investigators recovered critical evidence in the Clinton River on Tuesday in the violent hate crime case against a Black family in Warren, aut

+3 Police: Warren man admits to violence directed at Black family but denies due to skin color A 24-year Warren man formally charged Thursday with nine criminal counts for his alleged violent campaign against a Warren Black family claim

+4 Black family attacked in Warren in apparent racist incident In the seven years Eddie Hall Jr. has resided in Warren with his family, he's never had any problems with his neighbors or others in the community.
Getting vaccinated is the quickest way out of the pandemic and the fastest way for us to return to the lives we remember, said DeWine, who, like many other governors has seen a dip in the demand for vaccines.
CLINTON TWP.

New York man pleads in death of his son in drunken driving crash
EASTPOINTE

Teen to undergo court hearing in school stabbing case

Teen to undergo court hearing in school stabbing case

Judge to decide whether alleged stabber will face charges as teen or juvenile
Exton, PA (19341)

Today

Periods of rain. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Exton, PA (19341)

Today

Showers and a few thundershowers. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

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Nearly a year into a controversy over proposals to limit Nashvilles property tax rates by countywide referendum, the saga continues.

Ahead of a trial this week to decide the fate of six charter amendments proposed by 4 Good Government, the Davidson County Election Commission has asked a judge to deem an alternative proposal by the Metro Council null and void.

Last month, election commissioners voted to put the six charter amendments on a ballot for a citywide referendum election scheduled for July 27. Mayor John Cooper called the effort an unconstitutional attempt to sabotage our city. Days later, Metro filed suit.

Commissioners voted to ask a judge whether the councils alternative amendment  championed by council member Bob Mendes  must also be sent to voters.

In a lawsuit filed late last week, attorneys for the election commission note the councils proposed amendment requires it to be on a ballot with the 4 Good Government petitioned amendments. If not held on the same day, the councils amendment provides that it be disregarded.

The referendum election on the Resolutions proposed amendment could be held only on a date when the Resolutions proposed amendment would be the only matter on the ballot, the lawsuit reads. Under these conditions, the Resolution provides that it is null and void, without any further effect.

A trial on the legality of 4 Good Governments petition begins this morning. Heres what to know as the trial begins.

When is the trial?

A trial in the matter of Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County et. al. vs. Davidson County Election Commission will begin at 9 a.m. today. It is set to last three days. Chancellor Russell Perkins will preside.

Why is Metro suing the

election commission?

Metro says that limiting its ability to raise property taxes would cripple the city financially and cause Nashville to default on its bond agreements. Metro is asking a judge to either cancel the special election scheduled for July 27, void the election commissions decision to hold the election or find the 4 Good Government proposals ineligible to go to voters. The lawsuit alleges that the group did not collect enough petition signatures to trigger an election  an issue on which the election commission voted last month.

Who else is involved?

Several groups have filed amicus briefs in the case, including the 4 Good Government group, represented by attorney Jim Roberts, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and Tennesseans for Sensible Election Laws, represented by attorney Daniel Horwitz.

The Nashville Business Coalition has filed a separate lawsuit against the election commission over the matter.

As preparation for the special election moves forward, a coalition of businesses, nonprofits and religious organizations called Save Nashville Now has assembled to defeat the proposed charter amendments.

Americans for Prosperity of Tennessee is planning a get out the vote phone banking and door knocking effort ahead of the July 27 election date.

So, will there be a

referendum election?

Election commission staff members are preparing for an election July 27, as the election commission has voted to place the 4 Good Government measures on a ballot for a referendum election on that day. Significant advance work is required to make an election happen, and Administrator of Elections Jeff Roberts says commission staff members are making those preparations.

Absentee ballot applications opened on May 11. So far, fewer than 30 people have requested absentee ballots, Roberts said. Applications are available on the election commission website.

Early voting for the July 27 referendum election is set to begin at 8 a.m. July 7.

What will be on the ballot?

Election commissioners will have to vote to adopt a proposed ballot, and it will need to get approval from state election officials. Because neither has yet happened, ballots have not been printed. Roberts says he expects the commission will be able to send out a sample ballot in the coming weeks.

The 4 Good Government charter amendments would prohibit the Metro Council from raising property tax rates by more than 3% in a year, eliminate lifetime benefits for elected officials, restrict how the council can transfer publicly owned land, reduce the number of voter signatures needed to recall a public official, require professional sports facilities like Nissan Stadium to become public property if a team leaves, and prohibit the council from undoing changes to the Metro Charter made by voter petition.
Tennessee sets election to fill

seat after lawmakers death

Officials have set a special election to replace an eastern Tennessee state lawmaker who died after a fight with pancreatic cancer.

Last week, Secretary of State Tre Hargett tweeted that the primary election will be July 27 and the general election will be Sept. 14 in the contest to replace the late Republican Rep. Mike Carter of Ooltewah.

The 67-year-old died of pancreatic cancer last month. He announced his cancer diagnosis in November after he had been hospitalized with COVID-19 in August.

Carters district includes parts of Hamilton County. Carter had served in the Tennessee House since 2013.

He also was a Hamilton County general sessions judge from 1997 to 2005.

 Associated Press

Hearings set for 2 Tennessee

men charged in Capitol riot

Two Tennessee men face hearings this week after their recent arrests on charges related to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Federal prosecutors accuse Matthew Baggott and Stewart Parks of entering the building together. Both were charged with entering or remaining in a restricted building, disorderly conduct and violent entry on Capitol grounds, The Tennessean reported.

Parks faces an additional charge of theft of government property. A criminal complaint said Parks walked out of the building with a handheld metal detector wand picked up from a table near an entrance.

The FBI arrested Baggott on May 30 in Murfreesboro, while Parks was arrested Thursday in Columbia, prosecutors said.

A virtual hearing is scheduled before a federal judge in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday for Baggott and on Wednesday for Parks.

At least 13 others from Tennessee are charged in the investigation into the deadly riot.

 Associated Press

Teen, pontoon boat operator

die on Tennessee lake

KNOXVILLE  A teenager on a personal watercraft was killed in an accident on a Tennessee lake, and a pontoon boat operator died trying to save her, authorities said.

The teens watercraft hit a concrete railroad bridge support on Fort Loudoun Lake in Knoxville on Saturday, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said in a statement.

The pontoon boat operator found the teen floating face down in the water and jumped in to try to save her. The operator then suffered a medical emergency. Bystanders on another boat pulled both victims from the water and tried to administer first aid, but neither survived, the statement said.

The agency on Sunday identified the teen as Emma Renee Fila, 18, and the pontoon boat operator as Terrance Andrew Dea, 70, news outlets reported.

 Associated Press
Manchester Center, VT (05254)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening. Showers and a possible thunderstorm developing after midnight. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening. Showers and a possible thunderstorm developing after midnight. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.
ABC News reports that based on successful Phase 1 trials, the jab for kids in that age range will contain 10 micrograms of vaccine each, which is one-third the potency the dose given to those 12 and over. Children 5 and under will receive 3 microgram shots.
Electric scooters  left on city sidewalks to be rented by passersby  are a fixture in many large U.S. and European cities. Now, they're coming to the MSU campus area and possibly to other parts of Mankato.
FILE - In this May 9, 2021, file photo released by the San Sai District Administrative Office, a Thai officer checks the temperature of journalists working for Democratic Voice of Burma, at San Sai District in Chiang Mai province north of Thailand. The three journalists from military-ruled Myanmar who were convicted of illegal entry after they fled to Thailand have been sent to a third country where they are safe, their employer said Monday, June 7.
FILE - In this Friday, Dec. 11, 2020 file photo, Tamala Payne, center, with attorney Sean Walton, participate during a protest march for the shooting of her son, Casey Goodson Jr., by a Franklin County deputy sheriff in Columbus, Ohio. The Ohio deputy who shot Casey Goodson Jr. in the back five times last year is retiring on disability, the Franklin County sheriff said Friday, June 4, 2021. Goodson, 23, a Black man, was fatally shot by Deputy Jason Meade, who is white, last December in an encounter that is still largely unexplained.
Viola Caudill, 85, a resident of the Gowen Community passed away Thursday June 10, 2021 at home. A Graveside service will be held a 11:00 AM Monday June 14, 2021 in the Pavilion at Bache-Red Oak Cemetery. There will be a family and friends visitation on Sunday June 13, 2021 from 5:00pm to 7:
A recent Buckhead crime spree ended with one man being shot, another being injured in an incident where he was pinned against two cars and a s
In a previous court appearance shortly after his arrest, prosecutors said Brandenburg intentionally left the vaccines out of refrigeration to make them inert and lead people to believe they had been vaccinated properly. Prosecutors added that Brandenburg admitted to being a conspiracy theorist who believed the vaccines were unsafe and change peoples DNA structures.
Atlanta, GA (30342)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 69F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.
The thing that I find concerning is going forward, after this year, when teachers are placed in excess, they will then be placed in vacancies ... and schools will have to fund the position, he said. Effectively, whats happening is they are taking hiring decisions in certain circumstances out of the hands of principals and mandating forced placements.
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He didnt know anything about New York Citys Bravest. He didnt grow up dreaming of becoming a firefighter. He didnt know an FDNY firefighter typically makes over $100,000 after five years on the job. He had no knowledge of the FDNYs past troubles recruiting and retaining Black, Latino and women firefighters. Hed never even heard of the Vulcan Society, the association of Black firefighters who, in 2007, successfully sued the FDNY over its hiring practices in a landmark discrimination case.
Halls scam using a political group, Gay Voices for Trump, was reported by The New York Times in December. The DoorDash deliveryman, who is bisexual and uses the handle @TheBiTrumpGuy, is accused of promoting the political group using a Twitter account in the name of Trumps now-deceased brother, Robert Trump.
Luka Klasinc, 48, received $1,595,800 in coronavirus-related loans for his event management company, which he then transferred to international beneficiaries in Mexico, China, and India, prosecutors charged. His company stages ice-themed amusement park-style events around the world, according to court papers.
This screen capture from a video filmed Monday afternoon shows a black bear as it emerges from Conneaut Lake on the eastern shore near the southern end of the lake.
Kidney Transplant Using Robots For The First Time In The UK

A robotic kidney transplant has been done in the UK for the first time, signaling a revolution in 'minimally invasive surgery' for end stage renal disease patients.
A new variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been detected by the National Institute of Virology, Pune. Experts say symptoms can be different and worse with this novel mutant.



The new variant was isolated from nasal and throat swabs collected from international travelers from Brazil and the UK . A total of nine Syrian hamster models were used to assess the virulence and pathogenicity of the virus for about seven days.



In addition to this, Vero CCL81 cell line studies and next-generation sequencing analyses were performed. The neutralization effects were also compared between B.1.1.28.2 infected hamsters and D614G variant infected hamsters.



Sera from D614G variant infected hamsters showed a six-fold reduction in the neutralization against B.1.1.28.2 variant.





 B.1.1.28.2 can be isolated and characterized under laboratory conditions.



 B.1.1.28.2 variant was more pathogenic than B.1 lineage variant.



 A six-fold reduction in the neutralization against B.1.1.28.2 variant was observed in the sera of D614G variant infected hamsters.



Experts suspect that this new variant could be similar to the delta variant but more dangerous than the alpha variant. There could be different symptoms like weight loss in addition to lung lesions. However, a two-dose Covaxin regimen has shown promising outcomes in neutralizing the virus and providing an antibody boost to us.



The findings of the study are published as an online pre-print on bioRxiv.







Source: Medindia The critical findings of the study include: B.1.1.28.2 can beunder laboratory conditions. B.1.1.28.2 variant wasthan B.1 lineage variant. Aagainst B.1.1.28.2 variant was observed in the sera of D614G variant infected hamsters.Experts suspect that this new variant could be similar to the delta variant but more dangerous than the alpha variant. There could be different symptoms likein addition to lung lesions. However,has shown promising outcomes in neutralizing the virus and providing an antibody boost to us.The findings of the study are published as an online pre-print on bioRxiv.Source: Medindia In addition to this,andwere performed. The neutralization effects were also compared between B.1.1.28.2 infected hamsters and D614G variant infected hamsters.

Recommended Reading Coronavirus Coronaviruses infect animals, humans, and birds. Human coronaviruses, such as SARS, MERS, and 2019-nCoV cause respiratory distress and even death. The S protein is the infectious agent of the virus. READ MORE COVID-19: Diet Plan and Lifestyle Modifications for the Unlock Phase Healthy eating habits and adherence to physical activity are required during COVID-19 lockdown. WHO has prepared a set of general tips that you could follow during the lockdown to stay fit and healthy. READ MORE COVID-19 Mortality is High in People With Active Cancer Conditions People with cancer conditions are more likely to die from COVID-19, says a recent study. READ MORE AIDS Patient Got More Than Thirty SARS-CoV-2 Mutations Within Her Body Researchers found that SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus underwent more than thirty mutations in an African AIDS patient. READ MORE Acute Coronary Syndrome Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a sudden, acute life-threatening condition caused by a dramatic reduction in blood flow to the heart. READ MORE Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Find out more about the degenerative disease- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. READ MORE
"WHO's new handbook will help countries collect and analyse data to inform sustained investments in food safety. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the intimate links between the health of humans, animals and the planet that sustains us."WHO will continue to work with partners with a One Health approach to keep communities safe from foodborne disease," he said.Every year, 600 million cases of foodborne illnesses are reported. In 2010, 4,20,000 people died due to diseases such as salmonella and E.coli infection, a third of them children under five years of age.This figure is estimated to increase year after year, but it is difficult to get a clear picture of the real impact foodborne diseases are having around the world.In 2020, the World Health Assembly had adopted a new resolution mandating the WHO to monitor the global burden of foodborne and zoonotic diseases at the national, regional and international levels and to report on the global burden of foodborne diseases with up-to-date estimates.Source: IANS
There are thousands of people who aspire to make it big in Bollywood, however, sadly, not everyone gets to live their dream.

If you are a believer in luck, there are some actors who didn't plan to get into Bollywood but were rather discovered by chance that later helped them showcase their talents in movies.

Here's a list of 6 celebrities who were accidentally discovered at parties and coffee shops and then got into Bollywood:

1. Bipasha Basu

 Instagram/Bipasha Basu

In 1996, Arjun Rampal's former wife Mehr Jesia met Bipasha Basu at a hotel in Kolkata. After this brief meeting, Mehr suggested Bipasha try her hands on modelling.



She gladly agreed to it, and that's how Bipasha was discovered.

Bipasha then tried for movies and even took home her first best debut award for Ajnabee.

2. Siddhant Chaturvedi

 Instagram/Siddhant Chaturvedi

Siddhant Chaturvedi made us swoon over his character as MC Sher in Gully Boy. While his performance was highly appreciated, most of us didn't know that he was discovered by luck.



As per reports, filmmaker Zoya Akhtar saw Siddant at a success party. She asked him if he would like to audition for a role in Gully Boy, and we know the rest of the story!

Siddhant was also a part of the Inside Edge series.

3. Parineeti Chopra

 Instagram/Parineeti Chopra

For the unversed, Parineeti Chopra's academic background has been super impressive. She holds a triple honours degree in Business, Finance and Economics.



It was director Maneesh Sharma who discovered her while she was working in PR at Yash Raj Films. That's how she landed her debut role in Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl.

The movie was well-received by the audience, and then there was no stopping her after that. She also won the best debut award for the film.

4. Arjun Rampal

 Instagram/Arjun Rampal

At some point, most of us have crushed hard on Arjun Rampal. But, even his original plan wasn't acting.



Ace designer Rohit Bahl noticed Arjun at a party and asked him to go for modelling as he had sharp features.

He then ventured into Bollywood and later, also won the Filmfare award for best supporting actor for Rock-On.

5. Akshay Kumar

 Instagram/Akshay Kumar

The Khiladi of Bollywood had no plans of getting into acting.



After his arrival to India from Bangkok, Akshay Kumar started teaching martial arts. He was discovered by a photographer, who asked Akshay to try modelling.

Apparently, the actor missed his flight for his first-ever modelling assignment. He started submitting his portfolios at various studios, and that's how he received his first movie.

6. Madhuri Dixit

 Instagram/Madhuri Dixit

Touted as one of the most talented actors of Bollywood, Madhuri Dixit also became a part of the industry by chance.



As per reports, at the mere age of fifteen, she was approached by a film producer who was stunned by Madhuri's dancing skills. But, her parents opposed the idea and were against acting.

She again came into notice by her sister's friend, and that's how her debut was made.
It wasnt immediately clear why Guillebeaux was targeted. He served three terms in state prison, two for selling drugs and one for robbery, records show. He was most recently released in 2017, after a four-year stint.
As with most movies in The Conjuring universe, The Devil Made Me Do It claims that it is based on a real-life incident. While this is true, it would be foolish to think that whatever we see in the film is historically accurate.



 Warner Bros. Pictures

In fact, the makers have taken a lot of liberty while making the movie. They have also omitted quite a lot of things that would have made the film a whole lot more interesting. Needless to say, it is actually interesting to find out, how accurate is The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.



 Warner Bros. Pictures

Here are 7 things that filmmakers Michael Chaves, James Wan & Peter Safran left out in the movie, about the trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson.



1. The First Case In US History Where The Defense Was Not Guilty Because Of Demonic Possession

 NBC

This was the first case where the defence lawyer presented a plea of Not Guilty because of demonic possession. Arne Johnsons lawyer was called Martin Minnella, who would later go on to become a best-selling author for a book he wrote on his role in the case.



2. The Mysterious Old Man

 NBC

The movie starts with the scene of David Glatzels exorcism. Prior to the exorcism, David had often seen and been attacked by a demon who had taken up the shape of an old man. During one of the many interviews that Arne gave to the press, during and after his trial, Arne had also spoken of this old man who would say him to do certain things. Lorraine Warren also spoke of seeing the apparition of an old man standing near David, when she met him for the first time.



3. A Possessed David Predicted Arnes Manslaughter

 Warner Bros. Pictures

Gerald Brittle, who worked as an assistant to the Warrens and would often set up the cameras and recording devices, wrote a book about the exorcism of David Glatzel & Arnes trial. As per his book, during the exorcism, a possessed David, had predicted that Arne would commit manslaughter. A show made by The Discovery Channel, A Haunting, which also covered the case, spoke of this prediction. However, the filmmakers completely skipped this. It was because of this recorded prediction that Lorraine Warren, had asked the local police to reach Bonos kennel before the stabbing was reported.



 Wiki Commons

4. Both Arne & Bono Were Drunk At The Time Of The Stabbing

 Warner Bros. Pictures

One thing that the film got completely wrong was the sequence of the stabbing. On the day of the murder, Bono had taken Arnes girlfriend Debbie, her cousins, and Arne out for lunch, where the two men drank a lot, and got visibly intoxicated, as recorded in the court documents and the police report. The party then drove back to Bonos kennel, and stayed there for some time, during which the two men were drinking again.



5. Before The Murder, Arne Got In A Heated Argument With His Landlord Bono

 Warner Bros. Pictures

Debbies youngest cousin, Mary, wanted to get some pizza when they were at Bonos place. When they returned, Arne was apparently in a trance, not knowing where he was. Debbie suggested that she should drop the kids back home, and asked everyone to leave the room. At this point, an agitated and intoxicated Bono grabbed Mary. Arne re-entered the room and began shouting at Bono, although Mary and all her cousins testified that he was growling instead of shouting. At this point, Arne took out a pocket knife, flung himself on Bono and stabbed him repeatedly. Bono had been stabbed about 10-12 times, not 22 as the movie claims. Of this 10, 4-6 were around his vital organs, and it was these stabbings that killed him.



6. The Jury Was Not Allowed To Consider The Demonic Possession Defence

 Wiki Commonsg 3 Missed

The judge clearly from the start of the case that Demonic Possession was a defence that he would not entertain. As a result, Minnella had to come up with a defence that would imply that Arne had lost his self in the heat of the moment, and had gone temporarily insane. During the course of the trial, Minnella tried a number of tactics that would give the jury members, that Arne was in fact possessed by something other than himself. One of the biggest mistakes that Minnella made, however, was that they did not plead temporary insanity, and that cost them.



7. If Allowed To Consider The Demonic Possession Plea, Arne Wouldve Been Acquitted

 Warner Bros. Pictures

The prosecutor for the case pushed for the death penalty for Arne. However, Arne and Minnella were able to charm the jury. Even though he did not plead temporary insanity, Minnella was able to convince the jury that Arne was not himself on the day of the stabbing. Furthermore, reporters back then described Arne to be gentle, soft-spoken and docile. After the verdict, one of the jurors said in an interview that they wanted to acquit Arne, but simply couldnt because they were specifically ordered to not consider Demonic Possession as a plea, and the fact that defence never plead temporary insanity. As a result, instead of first-degree murder, they found Arne guilty of manslaughter, a hugely reduced offence. The judge then gave Arne a jail term of 10-20 years, of which, Arne had to serve just 5, because of his good behaviour behind bars.



The Bottom Line

Historical inaccuricasies notwithstanding, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is a pretty good film to watch if you like the Conjuring franchise of films. It may not be the best horror film, especially given what we have nowadays, but it surely does the trick of keeping you glued to your seats.
At a time when air pollution has been a major problem with the air quality index of many cities across India degrading with time, there has been a need to plant more and more trees so they can absorb pollutant gases in the air.



 iStock

Well, World Environment Day, which was celebrated on June 05, had been a perfect day to do just that with people across the world being inspired to plant as many saplings as possible in a bid to protect the environment.



 iStock

However, this felt like a perfect opportunity for a youth in Kandachira village of Kerala's Kollam district, to plant his favourite sapling of all, Ganja. (Yes, you heard that right.)

According to an eyewitness, a young man said to be "addicted to ganja" convinced a few other people to go ahead in planting the cannabis by the roadside, while saying that it was the plant that they "all loved".

"Let the plant grow here", the men simply said while planting the two samplings, before clicking some pictures with them and casually leaving.

Kerala youth plants cannabis near a road on World Environment Day, officials are not amused. https://t.co/oXv87YvjeL  Prajwal (@prajwalmanipal) June 8, 2021

Soon after, word spread to Kollam district's excise department whose team found the two 60 cm and 30 cm long saplings by the road between Kurishadi junction in Kandachira and the bypass.



 The News Minute

According to reports, the excise team has been working to nab the planters soon, however, the simple, ganja-loving creatures have been nowhere to be seen.



Probably, spreading the joy somewhere else by planting more such trees to make people even...'happier'.

Anyway, you can sure check out what people on Twitter had to say about this:

Is it even #WorldEnvironmentDay if you don't plant Ganja saplings https://t.co/NtiAblE9jR  Brikesh (@Brikesh) June 7, 2021

Long live, these kings.



Kerala youth plant ganja on World Environment Day, Excise Dept not amused https://t.co/FadQNILINx  amal john (@amaljohn123) June 7, 2021

Oh Kerala...



Kerala youth plant ganja on World Environment Day, Excise Dept not amused https://t.co/XoHYR8DzX7  Han Solo(ckdown) (@PseudoLawyer) June 8, 2021

He just wanted to spread happiness..That Guy deserves an award..  Manu (@oneforthevood) June 7, 2021

When gov said you should farm and produce what ever need .. this youth took seriously  Roshin (@roshinraghavan) June 7, 2021

Innovative  Roohdaar (@abacus003) June 7, 2021

Lmfao   Bhushan Kakollu (@kakollu_bhushan) June 7, 2021

Kerala youth plant ganja on World Environment Day, Excise Dept not amused. This story really made me laugh! https://t.co/OVFm7DbbZ6  Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) June 7, 2021

Government must allow us to planting ganja #WorldEnvironmentDay  Mumbaicha Engineer (@berozgaarhoo) June 5, 2021

When people all over the world were planting saplings on world environment day, in a village called Kandachira in Keralas Kollam, a few individuals planted cannabis by the roadside and declared that this was a plant they loved https://t.co/vjr0mTU675  Arun Dev (@ArunDev1) June 7, 2021
Mahatma Gandhi's great-granddaughter, Ashish Lata Ramgobin, has been accused in a forgery case and a six-million rand fraud.



She has been sentenced to jail for seven years by a Durban court.

 Twitter/ANI

The 56-year-old was convicted by the court on Monday, on the grounds of cheating businessman SR Maharaj who had advanced six million Rand.



Lata Rambogin has been sentenced for defrauding the businessman for allegedly clearing import and customs duties for a non-existent consignment from India. He was promised shared profits for the same.

 Wikipedia

The trial for the same started back in 2015.



Lata Ramgobin allegedly showed papers and forged invoices to persuade the potential investors that the three containers of linen were being shipped in from India, as Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said. Lata was released at 50,000 Rand back then.

 Reuters

There was a hearing held on Monday where it was informed to the court that Lata Ramgobin had met with the director of the New Africa Alliance Footwear Distributors.



Maharaj's company sells footwear and linen clothing. It also imports and manufactures. The company works on a profit-share basis.

Lata Ramgobin informed the company that she had imported the three containers of linen for the South African Hospital Group NetCare.

 iStock

The NPA spokesperson, Natasha Kara, said, "She said she was experiencing financial difficulties to pay for import costs and customs, and she needed the money to clear the goods at the harbour.



She further added, "She advised him (Maharaj) that she needed R6.2 million. To convince him, she showed him what she claimed was a signed purchase order for the goods. Later that month, she sent him what seemed to be a NetCare invoice and delivery note as proof that the goods were delivered and payment was imminent."

 iStock

She also sent the note from the bank that the payment was done, added Kara. Maharaj signed a written agreement with her for the given loan amount based on Lata's family credentials. Later, when Maharaj figured that the documents were forged, he put criminal charges on Lata Ramgobin.



Ramgobin is the daughter of Ela Gandhi and the late Mewa Ramgobin. She refused to appeal the conviction as well as the sentence by the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court.

As for Ramgobin, she was the executive director and founder of the Participative Development Initiative at the NGO International Centre for Non-Violence. She claimed herself as an activist with a focus on environmental, societal and political interests.

 Twitter/News Indian Express

Her mother, Ela Gandhi, has been internationally rewarded for her efforts as an activist and won national honours from South Africa and India.



Some other descendants of the Gandhi family too are human rights activists, including Lata Ramgobin's cousins, the late Satish Dhupelia, Uma Dhupelia-Mesthrie and Kirti Menon.
At a time when we really have to struggle to even travel outside our cities and countries due to Covid-related restrictions, it seems like that the world's billionaires, having seen everything there is to see in the world, are all planning space travel.



 iStock

Yes, literally all billionaires are going to space.



 Reuters

We already know of Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who is crazy about the idea of space adventures, and there is also British billionaire Richard Branson, whose Virgin Galactic, is planning on conducting space flights for the ultra-rich.



Now, the latest person to be added to the list is Amazon's billionaire founder, Jeff Bezos, who we feel is just done with the world for now. (We're kidding). He probably just wants a break!

 Reuters

Bezos is planning to fly off to space along with his younger brother, Mark, on what will be the first crewed flight of the New Shepard, the rocket ship that has been built by his space company, Blue Origin.



 Reuters

As per reports, the flight has been scheduled for July 20th, which is 15 days after Bezos is expected to resign as the CEO of Amazon.



"Ever since I was five years old, I've dreamed of travelling to space,"

 Reuters

"On July 20th, I will take that journey with my brother. The greatest adventure, with my best friend," said Bezos, in an Instagram post.



According to reports, the 57-year-old billionaire entrepreneur's crewed flight will see Blue Origin's six-seater capsule and 59-foot rocket set off towards the edge of space on an 11-minute voyage that will reach more than 60 miles above Earth.

 Reuters

The rocket and capsule have both undergone secretive and extensive testing for a period of almost six years.
In a shocking incident, an owner of a private hospital in Agra admitted to gambling with the lives of the patients by snapping the oxygen supply of critical patients in both Covid and non-Covid wards in order to check who will survive.



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Now, what comes out to be an even more traumatic piece of news is that as per the report of Livehindustan, 22 patients may have lost their lives as a result of the incident.



In the video tweeted by Livehindustan, Dr Arinjay Jain, the owner of Agra's Paras Hospital, can be heard telling people how the oxygen supply to patients was snapped was five minutes as part of the "mock drill".

I decided to conduct an experiment/mock drill as we were facing an acute shortage of oxygen as people were not ready to discharge their patients despite multiple requests. At 7 am on April 27, we snapped the oxygen supply for five minutes." Jain can be heard saying in the shocking footage.

The doctor even described how the hospital staff witnessed around 22 patients gasping for breath in the criminal experiment.

"Soon, 22 patients bodies turned blue and they started gasping for breath so we came to know that they wont survive in case there is no oxygen. Then, we asked family members of the remaining 74 patients to arrange their own oxygen cylinders," said Jain.

While authorities have suggested that there were no deaths due to the lack of oxygen, following the release of the video, the Uttar Pradesh Health Department has now ordered a probe into the matter, with Agra District Magistrate Prabhu N Singh saying, "we'll look into the video surfaced about these deaths. There were 22 critical patients admitted in the hospital but have no details of their death."

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However, Singh also said that strict action will be taken against those found guilty of this inhumane occurrence.



According to Chief medical officer Dr RC Pandey, seven patients had lost their lives in the same time period, and that the health department has launched an investigation into it.
Meridian, MS (39302)

Today

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 72F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 72F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
Meridian, MS (39302)

Today

Thunderstorms and gusty winds during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 72F. N winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms and gusty winds during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 72F. N winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
Meridian, MS (39302)

Today

Thunderstorms, some strong during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 71F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected..

Tonight

Thunderstorms, some strong during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 71F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.
While we realize that this request comes close to trial  and although we are ready to proceed to trial as scheduled in August  our reasons for withdrawal are significant and it is impossible, in our belief, for us to be able to continue to properly represent Mr. Kelly under the current circumstances, they wrote in the startling one-page filing.
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In summer 2020, The New York Times coordinated a nationwide project to document the lives of Americans out of work because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved collaborating with 11 other local newsrooms around the U.S. The Messenger-Inquirer was the only newspaper from Kentucky in the collaboration. The resulting collection of stories was published Oct. 23, 2020, in the New York Times print edition and at nytimes.com/outofwork. The following list is the Messenger-Inquirer's local unemployment coverage from that time period; read more by clicking the "New York Times Project" header. Click on "Out Of Work In America" to go to the full
Building a maritime community with shared future for the blue planet

Xinhua) 08:59, June 08, 2021

Aerial photo taken on June 5, 2021 shows an artificial beach resort at Dongjiang Port in the Binhai New Area of north China's Tianjin. (Xinhua/Li Ran)

BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Countries across the world will observe World Oceans Day on Tuesday. This year's theme, "The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods," highlights the importance of oceans for the life and activities of the global community.

In China, this year's World Oceans Day will be marked with a focus on protecting marine biodiversity and raising public awareness on the harmonious coexistence between humankind and nature.

"The ocean does not separate our blue planet into isolated continents; instead, it links the peoples of all countries to form a global community of shared future that remains bound together through thick and thin," Chinese President Xi Jinping once commented on the relationship between the oceans and humanity.

Xi made the remarks when he met with foreign naval dignitaries in 2019, when he called for cherishing the ocean and proposed building a maritime community with a shared future.

"We need to care for the ocean as we treasure our lives," he told the foreign guests.

Guided by this vision, the country has made strides in the conservation of marine ecology, prevention and treatment of marine pollution and protection of marine biodiversity, in a bid to leave a clean marine environment to the world's future generations.

Photo taken on May 30, 2021 shows a mussel breeding base in Shengsi County of Zhoushan City, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Photo by Yao Feng/Xinhua)

In a three-year campaign launched in December 2018, for instance, China has restored 8,891 hectares of wetlands along the Bohai Sea, the country's semi-enclosed inland sea whose coast is of global importance for many migratory bird species.

In the same period, the country also finished the improvement of 132 km of coastline of the Bohai Sea. As of last year, up to 82.3 percent of the nearshore waters in the sea have been of good quality, according to environmental authorities.

In proposing building a maritime community with a shared future, Xi has not only pledged great attention to the building of marine ecological civilization, but also called for joint efforts to address common threats and challenges at sea, and safeguard maritime peace and tranquility.

Maritime peace and tranquility concern the security and interests of all countries and need to be jointly maintained and cherished, the president has said, noting that ocean-based cooperation in market, technology, information, culture and other areas has been steadily deepening.

In a congratulatory letter to the 2019 China Marine Economy Expo, Xi also called for efforts to accelerate marine sci-tech innovation, improve marine development capacity, and foster and strengthen emerging marine industries of strategic importance.

He urged efforts to promote marine connectivity and cooperation in all areas and develop a "blue partnership" among all countries.

In past years, China has fully participated in the formulation and implementation of maritime governance mechanism and related rules within the United Nations framework, and is committed to sustainable marine development.

Tourists practice surfing at Dadonghai scenic area in Sanya City, south China's Hainan Province, Oct. 6, 2020. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

"As a Chinese saying goes, 'The ocean is vast because it admits all rivers.' Whenever a problem crops up, countries concerned should always hold deliberations in good faith, rather than resort to the use or threat of force at will," Xi has said.

In 2013, Xi proposed jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, part of the Belt and Road Initiative, which has become an important platform for international maritime cooperation.

The reason for China to propose jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, Xi said, is to facilitate maritime connectivity, pragmatic cooperation in various fields and the development of the "blue economy," as well as to promote the integration of maritime cultures and to improve maritime wellbeing.

China's gross ocean product increased 6.2 percent year on year to more than 8.9 trillion yuan (about 1.39 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2019, while its trade with countries along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road grew 4.6 percent, official data showed.

In part of its efforts to enhance maritime connectivity, China assisted with the Friendship Port expansion project in Mauritania, which improved the handling capacity and alleviated cargo congestion and delays in the port, making it an important logistics node along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, according to a white paper released early this year.

Looking ahead, China will coordinate and promote maritime ecological protection and maritime economic development while safeguarding its maritime rights and interests, according to the country's outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) and the long-range objectives through the year 2035.

For the next five years and beyond, China will seek extensive involvement in the making and implementation of the global maritime governance mechanism and push for the building of a maritime community with a shared future, said the outline.

Efforts will be made to develop "blue partnerships" and expand cooperation with coastal countries in terms of marine environment protection, scientific research and maritime rescue, among others, it said.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
He was the kind of person who always did things for others, Ashkinazy said. One of the beautiful things about Thomas, he had beautiful reddish-blonde hair and he would grow it to elbow length and every few years he would cut it off and donate it. That was just one of the extraordinary things Thomas did.
It's been a long road since the 1981 Time magazine cover story about Miami titled Paradise Lost? Along the way, some have felt paradise was found and lost again, but the truth is, it's in the bloody gutter. It has been for a long time  one dead Black body at a time.
Governor Whitmer and State Officials Encourage Reviewing Lender Programs and Insurance Policies During National Homeownership Month

This release was also issued by Governor Whitmers Office.

Media Contact: Laura Hall, 517-290-3779, halll17@michigan.gov

Consumer Hotline: 877-999-6442, Michigan.gov/DIFScomplaints

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 8, 2021

(LANSING, MICH) June is National Homeownership Month and Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS), and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) are reminding Michiganders of support available to homeowners who have been financially impacted by COVID-19.

This National Homeownership Month, its important to acknowledge that COVID has exacerbated so many underlying challenges for Michiganders, especially related to housing, said Governor Whitmer. No one should lose their home because of an unprecedented, once-in-a-century pandemic. We encourage Michigan homeowners to take advantage of the support and relief available right now to avoid foreclosure and ensure financial protection throughout the year.

The MiMortgage Relief Partnership, launched in 2020, is a cooperative agreement between the state of Michigan and more than 230 banks, credit unions, and mortgage servicers to provide mortgage relief to Michigan homeowners experiencing a COVID-19 related financial hardship. The deadline to request assistance from participating lenders has been extended to December 31, 2021. DIFS has also compiled a list of additional assistance programs to help impacted homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments.

The MiMortgage Relief Partnership is designed to help homeowners experiencing difficulty making their mortgage payments, but it is important to know that participation is not automatic  you must contact your lender right away to discuss available relief options, said DIFS Director Anita Fox. More than 230 of Michigans banks, credit unions, and mortgage companies have partnered with us to work with financially impacted borrowers to keep Michiganders in their homes.

Contacting your mortgage servicer at the first sign of trouble is the best way to help prevent foreclosure, but MSHDA also has resources to help homeowners, said MSHDA Homeownership Director Mary Townley. We have an expansive statewide network of nonprofit housing counselors ready to assist homeowners experiencing financial hardships.

To find a housing counselor near you, visit Michigan.gov/HousingEducationLocator.

Homeowners should also take this time to review their insurance policies with their agent or insurance company to understand their coverage and any new discounts available, including for recent home improvements or going without a claim for a certain amount of time. This insurance review is a good opportunity to understand the risks you may still face and consider adding new coverage, for example to cover flood damage or water back-up. Additional information about homeowners insurance is available on the DIFS website.

Consumers who need assistance with insurance or financial services issues can contact DIFS Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 877-999-6442 or file a complaint at Michigan.gov/DIFScomplaints.

View Governor Whitmers proclamation on Homeownership Month here.

The mission of the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services is to ensure access to safe and secure insurance and financial services fundamental for the opportunity, security and success of Michigan residents, while fostering economic growth and sustainability in both industries. In addition, the Department provides consumer protection, outreach, and financial literacy and education services to Michigan citizens. For more information, visit Michigan.gov/DIFS or follow the Department on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

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You are here

M-13 closure and detour for culvert replacement in Bangor Township starts June 7

M-13 closure and detour for culvert replacement in Bangor Township starts June 7

Jocelyn Hall, MDOT Office of Communications, 989-245-7117 Transportation

COUNTY:

Bay

HIGHWAY:

M-13 (Huron Road)

ESTIMATED DATE:

Monday, June 7, 2021

ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE:

Thursday, June 10, 2021

PROJECT:

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will close M-13 between Wheeler Road and M-247 in Bangor Township to replace a culvert under the roadway.

Project map

TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS:

This work will require detouring traffic for approximately three days. Drivers should use the posted detour via Wheeler Road, Old Kawkawlin Road, and M-247.

SAFETY BENEFITS:

This work will replace an aging culvert, ensuring proper drainage at the surrounding roadway.
"My office will not stand for threatening behavior directed at our public officials," Nessel said. "I recognize Mr. Thompson's admission of guilt and appreciate my team's work to ensure there's accountability in this case. Public servants must be able to do their jobs free from intimidation and fear."
Gov. Whitmer Announces Preschool Funding Plan to Ensure 22,000 More Children Can Enroll in Early Education

Gov. Whitmer Announces Preschool Funding Plan to Ensure 22,000 More Children Can Enroll in Early Education

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 8, 2021

Contact: Press@Michigan.gov

Kurt Weiss, Weissk1@michigan.gov

Gov. Whitmer Announces Preschool Funding Plan to Ensure 22,000 More Children Can Enroll in Early Education

LANSING, Mich. - Governor Gretchen Whitmer today announced her plan to fund preschool education to ensure that all eligible children in Michigan have access to high-quality, affordable early education opportunities that prepare them for success. The Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP), the state-funded preschool program for four-year-old children, has not been able to meet demand and currently only 66 percent of eligible children statewide are served by GSRP or federal Head Start programs. The plan announced today would increase funding for GSRP to ensure eligible 4-year-olds are served.

"We have a unique opportunity right now to make the type of investments in early education and preschool that will pay massive dividends by improving health, educational, and social outcomes for our children decades down the line," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "Parents across our state are aware of the importance of early education and now we have to seize this chance to eliminate waitlists for eligible children. The investments announced today provide access to all eligible children and will help narrow the achievement gap between high-income and low-income students. As we put Michigan back to work, parents can go about their work day knowing that their children are learning in a safe and productive environment."

GSRP is a proven preschool program that provides full- or part-day services to children from families at or below 250% of the poverty line, which is $66,250 for a family of four. In tandem with the Head Start program, GSRP currently provides preschool to 43,100 kids across Michigan. An estimated 65,400 students are eligible for the program.

"There is bipartisan support to expand preschool access for kids across Michigan and I am pleased we can make this investment," said State Budget Director David Massaron. "I think it's important to note that this is a plan with identified resources to ensure we can sustain full access into the future. The fact that this is not just a one-time investment for one year but rather a plan that incorporates continued investment in future years is extremely exciting."

Investments in GSRP provide both immediate and long-term results, such as improved literacy performance by 3rd grade, narrowed achievement gaps between low and high-income students, and improved high school graduation rates.

"Early childhood education is critical for the development and future success of all children. By investing in universal Pre-K education we can ensure that every Detroit child has the opportunity to get the head start they need," said Mayor Mike Duggan. "I appreciate Gov. Whitmer's leadership in prioritizing the education of our youngest children across Detroit and Michigan."

Governor Whitmer's plan proposes an additional $255 million in federal dollars and $150 million in state dollars, for a total of $405 million, for GSRP over the next three years.

"Research shows that the earlier we start investing in kids, the better the outcomes will be in education and in life," said Jeff Donofrio, President and CEO of Business Leaders for Michigan. "Investments in programs like GSRP not only will improve the lives of thousands of Michigan kids, it also will help many parents return to the workforce to build family-sustaining careers."

The plan also calls for an additional $50 million in federal funds to support a successful expansion , such as:

Ensuring an adequate supply of providers based on regional demands through grants to providers (an estimated 1,500 additional classrooms may be needed, at $15,000 per classroom, costs would be $22.5 million)

Ensuring additional access to transportation for early education with $15 million in addition to the $10 million currently dedicated to transportation.

Providing scholarships to early educators to ensure teaching staff are properly credentialed as well as providing curriculum purchasing and training grants to ensure all programs are using state-recommended, research-based material ($7 million).

Expanding outreach efforts to increase parental awareness of the availability of free programs in their area and developing web resources to connect parents to all programs in their area ($5.5 million).

"There is no better investment than our children," said Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich (D-Flint). "As a former teacher, I've seen firsthand the long-term benefits of a quality preschool education, and that's why I am so glad that Governor Whitmer is making the Great Start Readiness Program available to more of Michigan's kids. Her plan cuts down the financial and logistical barriers that currently stand between families and preschool, ensuring that more children start their education on the right foot."

"Every parent wants the best for their child, starting with an opportunity to attend a high-quality preschool," said House Democratic Leader Donna Lasinski (D- Scio Township). "For many families, this is out of reach. Children who start school behind, rarely end up ahead. I have been passionate about the need for accessible, high-quality preschool education for all since my work over a decade ago at the Great Start Collaborative. I am proud to stand with Governor Whitmer to support this historic proposed investment in the future of our children and state."

"The Child Development Laboratories is grateful Governor Whitmer understands the critical importance of high-quality early care and education programs for children and families in Michigan," said Laurie Linscott, Director of Michigan State University Child Development Laboratories. "Too many families don't have the resources to access early childhood education, and Governor Whitmer's work to make it affordable and accessible for so many students will have innumerable positive effects on the future of our state. It is an exciting time in the field as the value of this work is becoming understood."

"Helping people age with grace and dignity and living their best lives is some of the most important work we can do, but it all starts here with early childhood education," said Paula D. Cunningham, State Director of AARP Michigan. "This is step one in preparing a person to achieve success, to reaching their fullest potential. Everyone deserves the same opportunities for a Great Start, to begin that lifelong journey. Access to a quality education and quality of life should start at the cradle and end at the grave."

# # #
Dear readers,

My name is Teresa Homsi, and Im the new intern for the Huron Daily Tribune, as part of the Michigan News Group Internship.

I am looking forward to getting to know the community, sharing stories from across the county and offering up whatever skills I have to the Tribune.

However, before I get to all of that, an introduction:

I was born and raised in the Houston area of Texas, and I only moved to Michigan in 2018 to attend Central Michigan University. After this summer, I will enter my senior year as a student at CMU and (hopefully) graduate with a degree in journalism and environmental studies.

Something to note is that I am a student before anything else, and I intend to be one for the rest of my life.

Im a student in the sense that Im literally a student, but more importantly, in the fact that Im always learning. Pursuing knowledge, seeking expertise and reflecting on experiences are important to me personally, but theyre also insights I hope to bring into my reporting and writing.

I am grateful for this opportunity to expand my skills as a budding journalist, and Im excited to get to know the quirks of Huron County while getting more involved in the surrounding communities.

Everyone has a story here, and Im here to listen and learn from them.

Huron County, thank you for having me.

 Teresa, the new intern.

Given that Im new and all, I would appreciate some story ideas! I invite you to contact me at 989-269-3189 or teresa.homsi@hearst.com.

Teresa Homsi is a summer intern with the Huron Daily Tribune. We are excited to have her as part of our team this summer.
With its school year wrapping up in the next week, the Unionville-Sebewaing Area School District can turn the page on a rough year and look ahead.

George Rierson, the superintendent for USA Schools, said that this year has been difficult for the district as students, families, and staff had to manage so many changes not just at the beginning of the year, but as it went along.

We thought we had a plan that was sensitive to the needs of students and staff, Rierson said. As we got on into the year, as things changed, we asked teachers to teach and students to learn in different ways.

The district has been open with informing the public on when students and faculty members have tested positive for COVID-19 over the school year. In total, there were 52 students and 19 staff members who tested positive over the course of the year while the entire district had to go completely virtual for only five days. Grades 9-12 had to go to virtual learning for 24 days total, five of which were due to a state mandate that high schoolers partake in virtual learning.

Rierson felt the district should feel good about having the students in school for in-person instruction for as much as they were able to.

Instead of students going between classrooms in the schools, the teachers would go into teach classroom while the students remained in one room. Class sizes were smaller with students learning virtually using provided devices. The hours of the day were also adjusted to accommodate the Patriot Academic Support for Students program for those who were falling behind academically.

Were looking forward to having teachers in their classrooms again, Rierson said, instead of having them move between the classrooms like they have been.

The district also brought in a social worker three days a week, who met with students on an ongoing basis and helped reenforce to students that mental health awareness is important.

USA Schools had never run a virtual program before this year. Still, the district did learn how to properly run a remote learning program, create virtual content, learn the management system it uses, and communicate with students who are doing remote learning, Rierson said.

The district needs to continue making its virtual learning better for students who will continue to use it next year, such as improving its bitstream capabilities and improving communications and support to make sure students are on track with their learning, he said.

Some families want to continue learning virtually, so we want to provide the best we can, Rierson said.

Despite leaving the district to become the Caro Community Schools superintendent next school year, Rierson said that it is early to say what mitigation measures will be in place for the upcoming USA school year. But with the declining number of new positive COVID-19 cases, he is hopeful things will look more normal.

Were going to have to keep an eye on things, Rierson said. We dont know how this pandemic will change over the course of the summer. If it keeps declining, more students will see more familiar things.

The district still plans on keeping its support measures for students emotional, social, and academic needs in place, especially as it wants to make sure that students recover any learning that may have been expected of them in a normal year.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  In a sign of how bold migrant traffickers in Mexico have become, smugglers stole a purple passenger bus near Mexico City, loaded it with 57 people from Haiti, Brazil, Chile and Honduras and sent it up a highway toward the northern city of Monterrey.

Once in Monterrey, the migrants were to head to the U.S. border, authorities said.
The police were pumping Thomas, saying, Wake up! Wake up! He wasnt responding, Uddin said. The other guy was sitting there handcuffed. The crackhead was shot in the arm, and the cops dragged him to an ambulance.
If The Conservation Fund's project is successful, the Upper Thumb area may someday be able to add a sturgeon fishing tournament to its list of annual events.

The group dedicated to conservation of nature and maintaining access to it recently confirmed it would resume repopulation efforts of lake sturgeon, including a return trip to the Cass River with a new delivery of the fish. On Aug. 20, The Conservation Fund plans to release a batch of lake sturgeon into the Cass River in Frankenmuth after a one-year absence due to the pandemic.

"This will be the third time in recent years that we've released lake sturgeon into the Cass River," said Mike Kelly, Great Lakes director for the group. "Lake sturgeon is a threatened species right now; we're at less than one percent of the historical population. The Saginaw Bay Watershed at one time had a significant population of lake sturgeon, but they basically became extinct on a regional level."

Kelly said the repopulation efforts work toward a long-term goal to reverse the effects that dropped the number of lake sturgeon, which are estimated to have been in existence for about 130 million years.

"Due to a lot of the activities that have gone on, such as certain types of land use and overfishing, the population was basically destroyed," Kelly said. "We've been able to work on a number of issues in rivers to improve water quality, remove dams and have allowed fish to return to spawning areas.

"The long-term goal is decades out, but we'd like to have a fishable population again. To build that population takes a long time. We plan to plant fish in these rivers for at least 20 years."

Release events also are scheduled for the Flint, Tittabawassee and Shiawassee rivers the same day.

Kelly said his group coordinates with two hatcheries -- one in Michigan and another in Wisconsin -- to collect larvae after spawning. When those larvae grow to about four inches, they are introduced to river systems.

The project is considered long-term because the lake sturgeon need several years before they're able to reproduce, which created the project's 20-year timeframe.

"You can plant them in the rivers today but the males don't reach sexual maturity for 10 years and it's 15 years for the females," Kelly said. "So it's a very long-term process but they can live to be 100 years old."

The Conservation Fund, which has also worked on projects to increase public access to water in Port Austin and Caseville, needs only for certain targets to be met in order to keep the scheduled release date for 2021.

"The fish are in hatcheries right now and they need to hit a few growth targets, which usually happen by the end of August," Kelly said. "If for some reason those targets aren't met, we may push that date back a week or two, but we have confidence that we'll be doing this on Aug. 20."
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Valeria Luiselli is pleased to have passed the libraries test with her first novel written directly in English, Lost Children Archive (Sound Desert), which received the Dublin Literary Award.

The 100,000-euro ($122,000) award, sponsored by Dublin City Council, is the top monetary prize for a single novel published in English. The finalists are nominated by libraries around the world.

That really seems to me to be the most beautiful thing about this award, Luiselli said in a recent interview with The Associated Press from New York, where she lives. It is a prize that is not linked, like all other prizes, to the speed of the market, but to the speed of reading.

Published in 2019, Lost Children Archive addresses the issue of migrant children traveling unaccompanied to the United States, something that the author has witnessed first-hand as a translator and interpreter for children at the immigration court of New York.

In the novel, a family made up of a couple of sound documentary creators and their children set out on a road trip from New York to the southern border, something Luiselli did in 2014. This and other trips gave rise to her story about displaced children that is intertwined with the domination and elimination of the Apache culture.

Crossing this country a different urgency took hold of me, the urgency to write about political violence towards the communities that this country considers outsiders, Luiselli explained. Thinking about the cycles that are repeated in the history of violence against certain communities, almost always violence motivated by the deep racism in this country, traveling and touring this country and seeing that, I decided to write Lost Children Archive.

The 37-year-old author has been previously praised by librarians. In 2020, her novel won the Andrew Carnegie Medal, presented by the American Library Association. At the time Luiselli called herself a radical nerd and remembered spending more time in libraries  between the stacks, in silent reading rooms, in the rare books & manuscript sections, and hovering behind the lenses of microfilm readers  than is probably healthy.

Before Lost Children Archive," she had published books translated from Spanish into English, including the novels Faces in the Crowd and The Story of My Teeth, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and winner of the Los Angeles Times award for best fiction; and Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions, winner of the American Book Award.

She has written extensively in Spanish. Luiselli, daughter of a diplomat father and Zapatista mother, was born in Mexico City in 1983, but has since lived in South Africa, South Korea, India and several European countries. She has lived in the United States for 13 years, where she awaits the birth of her second daughter with her partner, a Somali man raised in Canada.

Her center of gravity, however, remains in Mexico.

I grew up in a house where we were constantly reminded of our Mexican roots, she said. I grew up with a feeling that we lived abroad, and that home was there in Mexico, that that was our home and that one day we would return."

In Lost Children Archive, the mother is of Nanu indigenous origin, a Mexican ethnic group. One day she meets Manuela, a speaker of Triqui, an indigenous language of Oaxaca, and asks to record her speaking this language to document it. Manuela tells her that her daughters were on their way to meet her from Mexico but were arrested and could be deported. Thus arises the mothers obsession for those children who get lost along the way, while traveling with her own children looking at them, imagining what would happen if they were them.

As part of the plot, the mother participates in a vigil with a priest for the disappeared in raids by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in which the authorities seek to cover a detention quota: At first, I thought Father Juan Carlos was preaching from a kind of Orwellian dystopic delirium. It took me some time to realize that he wasnt. It took me some time to notice that the rest of the people there that day ... were family members of someone who had, in fact, disappeared during an ICE raid," an excerpt reads.

Luiselli pointed to the increase in detention centers for migrants. According to the National Migration Forum, the United States has the largest detention system for migrants in the world, which has multiplied by 20 since 1979 and expanded 75% in the first decade of the 21st century.

In 2019, nearly 70,000 migrant children were in U.S. custody. Children are often held in a network of shelters, such a convention centers or military installations, a situation that Luiselli calls absurd.''

Its absurd ... It has become a way to feed the great monster of the private prison industry in the United States, said the writer. Basically they imprison migrants and with that they earn billions of dollars. Instead of giving them due process, instead of allowing a boy or a girl to live with their relatives while they process their visa, they are imprisoned in a childrens center. 

With the book, Luiselli worked directly with Daniel Saldana Paris to translate Lost Children Archive, edited in Spanish by Sexto Piso as Desierto Sonoro, into a version that feels as vivid as the original. When writing in Spanish, she works with translator Christina MacSweeney to bring her books into English.

She highlighted other contemporary writers who have addressed the issue of migration and borders, such as Samanta Schweblin, Gabriela Jauregui, Brenda Lozano, Cristina Rivera Garza, Dolores Dorantes, Natalie Diaz and Fernanda Melchor, whose Hurricane Season was a finalist for this year's Dublin Literary Award.

I can only think of women who are writing very interesting things about the border, she said. There is a generation of writers right now with a very powerful voice ... on topics that haunt and hurt us.
NEWTOWN - You think you know what youre watching the moment the homecoming soldier in camouflage fatigues is caught on a cell-phone video, right up to the scene where he approaches a woman at the dining room table, listening to a home movie on a laptop.

But suddenly its clear this is not the homecoming its supposed to be, and when the woman shrieks with inconsolable wailing that can only mean one thing, its too late to click away, and the viewer is caught reacting to an scene no one wants to see.

When (we) watched this for the first time, we all cried, said Po Murray, chairwoman of the homegrown nonprofit Newtown Action Alliance, about the groups debut PSA entitled Not Coming Home. But we felt it was important for Americans to see the true reality of the impact of gun violence in our country every day.

Hosts of a CNN morning news show agreed.

The people in that video are actors but the grief that they show is far from fantasy, said John Berman, co-host of New Day, which aired the Newtown Action Alliance PSA on Friday. Its both chilling and gut-wrenching.

The nonprofits hope is to convert views into petition signatures to pressure senators to pass a bill requiring background checks for internet and gun show firearms sales.

The House of Representatives passed expanded background check legislation in March. The companion bill, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, hasnt moved out of the Judiciary Committee.

The Newtown Action Alliances PSA aims to change that, Murray said.

It is very difficult to watch but its an important message because mothers are grieving in every corner of this country because of gun violence, Murray said. We need Americans to demand more from their senators.

The 90-minute video, conceived and produced without charge to NAA by the Munich-based advertising giant, Serviceplan Group, follows the release of three PSAs by another homegrown nonprofit founded after the 2012 massacre of 26 first-graders and educators at Sandy Hook School.

The trio of PSAs released in mid-May by Sandy Hook Promise conveys the emotional charge of ticking bombs about the powder keg of turmoil threatening the lives of school-aged youth.

Sandy Hook Promise has become known for its provocative PSAs, which have juxtaposed a school shooting with a back-to-school commercial, and satirized cultural complacency about school shootings.

The Newtown Action Alliance PSA borrows a page from Sandy Hook Promises book by transforming a soldiers homecoming into a gruesome scene of unrelenting grieving.

Are they in there? The soldier says to the camera.

Everybodys waiting except for Annie, the cameraman says.

As the song Im Coming Home kicks in and the soldier shows trepidation about going in, the viewer sees the family seated and waiting for the soldier to approach a young woman with her back to the room.

When the soldier places his hands on her shoulders, she breaks down inconsolable wailing, and the viewers sees what shes been watching - a video of the little girl in fairys wings, reading a book

As the soldier closes the laptop cover the viewer sees a memorial display of candles, the girls portrait, and a little stuffed giraffe. Over the fading scene comes the text:

To date, more Americans have died from gun violence than in all U.S. wars combined.

The statement was fact-checked by The Washington Post and PolitiFact, with caveats.

Fred Guttenberg, a Newtown Action Alliance board adviser and the father of a Florida teen slain in a 2018 Florida high school mass shooting, released a statement with the Not Coming Home PSA on Friday.

I remember pulling off to the side of the road and telling my wife that our daughter was murdered. This film brought me back to that moment, Guttenberg said. Every American should watch this film to understand that we are at a war in America, and its against the epidemic of gun violence killing our children and the ones we love.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
STATE ROAD, N.C. (AP)  A North Carolina charter school is closing amid investigations that exposed irregularities that threaten the school's financial well-being and ability to operate within its charter, according to the school's board.

News outlets report that Bridges Academy in State Road announced Friday that it is closing June 30. The school and the state are promising to help the schools 171 students in kindergarten through eighth grade transfer their records as they look for new schools.
LAS VEGAS (AP)  The head of the Senate Republican political arm says he expects former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt to challenge Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada next year.

Florida Sen. Rick Scott, the chair of the National Republican Senate Committee, told The Associated Press that he has been in touch with Laxalt, whom he considers a great candidate.

I think Adam will run, Scott said in a recent interview. He has not told me that he for sure will run. But Ill actually be surprised if he doesnt."

Laxalt, a close ally of former President Donald Trump's and part of a Nevada political dynasty, would give Republicans a boost in their quest to seize the Senate majority in next year's midterm elections. The GOP needs to flip just one seat nationally to take control of the Senate, which would break up the Democrats' hold of the White House and Congress.

Beyond Trump, Laxalt is well-connected to some of the Republican Party's most ambitious leaders, who have been drawn to the first-in-the-West presidential caucus state in recent years to attend his annual Basque Fundraiser. The headliners for this August's cookout in northern Nevada include 2024 presidential prospects, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was Laxalts roommate in the Navy.

The national political landscape is far from set more than a year before the election, but Republicans see legitimate pickup opportunities in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and New Hampshire, while Democrats are bullish about Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Ohio.

Nevada has trended blue in recent years, but its still considered a swing state.

President Joe Biden won the state by 2 percentage points in November. The Democrat overwhelmingly won Latinos, who make up a significant slice of the state's electorate, but Trump made inroads with those voters amid signs of frustration at coronavirus-related restrictions.

The 42-year-old Laxalt, who lost an election for Nevada governor in 2018, has acknowledged hes having conversations about running for public office but has not issued any timeline for a decision. Laxalt did not immediately respond Monday to a message left with his political consultant seeking comment.

Republicans and Democrats have been eagerly awaiting Laxalts decision.

If Washington Republicans are recruiting Adam Laxalt, theyre lining up behind a losing politician who always puts his own political interests first, said David Bergstein, a spokesperson for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. If he runs, Nevadans will reject him just like the last time he was on the ballot.

The tide is expected to be more in favor of Republicans next year, with a Democrat in the White House and midterm voters typically swinging toward the opposition party.

Most recently, Laxalt served as a co-chair of Trumps reelection campaign in Nevada. He spearheaded failed legal challenges to results, to stop the counting of mail ballots and lodge claims of voter fraud. Judges in every case dismissed the challenges, and the states Democratic attorney general blasted the efforts as an attempt to undermine confidence in the election.

While Cortez Masto is the first Latina elected to the U.S. Senate, Scott said that Republican candidates nationwide should benefit from a shift in Latino voters toward the GOP.

If Republicans will show up and engage with the Hispanic community, then we will win the Hispanic vote," Scott said.

Cortez Masto has been laying the groundwork for her first reelection bid next year.

With the election 17 months away, shes got $4.7 million banked in her campaign fundraising account. She has a national network of donors she can tap, thanks to longtime Nevada Sen. Harry Reids fundraising machine and her two years recently spent as the chair of Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Cortez Masto was elected in 2016, recruited by Reid to run for his seat when he retired. She was one of more than 10 women considered to be on Joe Bidens short list for a potential running mate in 2020 before she withdrew her name from consideration.

Before her election, she served eight years as Nevadas attorney general and was a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C.

Laxalt is a son of former U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico and a grandson of former Nevada Gov. and U.S. Sen. Paul Laxalt. He is also a former lieutenant in the Navy and served as a Navy judge advocate general in Iraq.

Laxalt succeeded Cortez Masto as attorney general, serving one term before losing the governors race by 4 percentage points.

His loss came in a year when midterm frustration with the Trump administration racked up Democratic victories up and down the ballot in Nevada.

___

Peoples reported from New York.
The state Senate was debating a long-awaited bill Monday night that will legalize the recreational use of cannabis, hours after lawmakers announced they had reached a compromise on how to ensure the new industry will benefit those residents adversely affected by the nation's war on drugs.

The anticipated vote on the wide-ranging and complex bill, which could happen early Tuesday morning following what's expected to be a lengthy debate, marks the culmination of years of failed efforts to pass legislation that legalizes a drug in Connecticut which continues to be illegal under federal law.

We've seen what's been wrought by having a war on drugs. Whole communities have been decimated, said state Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, co-chairman of the legislatures Judiciary Committee. He provided a history of how the drug once sold in pharmacies in the 19th century eventually became associated with Mexican immigrants and subsequently criminalized.

There are vestigial ways in which communities are still impacted by what we were doing," he said. We should never have made cannabis an illegal drug.

If the bill clears the Senate and the House of Representatives and is signed into law by Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont, who has made legalization a key priority this session, proponents said Connecticut will join 18 other states that already allow recreational marijuana possession and use.

Critics, however, questioned why Connecticut needs to follow that path. Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, the top Republican senator on the Judiciary Committee who supported Connecticut's existing medical marijuana program, voiced concern about numerous possible implications of recreational cannabis.

I think it's a big mistake, he said, arguing it sends a horrible message to young people. How many had parents who said, If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do that? No. All of a handful of other states are doing this. Why should we?

Under the bill, it would be legal for people 21 years and older to possess and use cannabis beginning July 1. A person would be allowed to have up to 1.5 ounces, with an additional five ounces secured in their home or vehicle. Homegrown cannabis, however, will not counted toward that allowed amount.

Beginning Oct. 1, 2022, the legislation makes it legal for medical marijuana patients in the state to have three mature and three immature plants, with a limit of 12 plants per household. By July 1, 2023, any adult in Connecticut will be allowed to have the same amount of plants.

Meanwhile, the retail sale of cannabis is expected to begin in May 2022. Under the program, municipalities will receive new revenue generated by a 3% local sales tax on gross receipts based on retail cannabis sales within their borders.

Besides the 6.35% state sales tax, the state will generate new revenue based on the levels of THC, the marijuana plant's main psychoactive component, in the different products. Under this proposed tax rate structure, Connecticut's taxes will be lower than New York's and around the same as Massachusetts' rates, lawmakers said.

While Connecticut has lagged behind its neighbors in finally reaching a deal after years of attempts, Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, D-New Haven, said the state has benefitted from watching how other states have handled legalizing a drug that still remains illegal under federal law and finding ways to help local entrepreneurs who want to get into the marijuana business.

We've seen problems in other states where out-of-state financed enterprises come in and swoop up all the licenses, he said.

Under Connecticut's bill, half of the initial licenses to be issued for the new industry through a lottery system, such as retailers and cultivators, will be reserved for so-called social equity applicants, those negatively impacted by the past drug laws. A new 15-person, state-funded Social Equity Council will determine the final rules for social equity applicants, review their applications and allocate $50 million in state borrowing to help entrepreneurs in targeted communities with loans and workforce training.

Meanwhile, the bill also automatically erases certain drug possession convictions that occurred between Jan. 1, 2000, and Oct. 1, 2015. If someone's conviction falls outside that time period, they can petition to have it erased.

___

This story has been corrected to show that possession and use of cannabis would be legal beginning July 1, not Jan. 1, 2022.
PLAINVIEW, Neb. (AP)  A man who was walking along a rural road in northeastern Nebraska this week was killed by a hit-and-run driver, authorities said.

The incident happened around 12:30 a.m. Monday in Pierce County just west of Plainview, according to the Pierce County Sheriffs Office. Officials said the 57-year-old mans body was found near the intersection of U.S. Highway 20 and 535th Avenue.
MIDDLETOWN  The teen accused of fatally stabbing his mother last month had his case continued during a brief court appearance on Tuesday.

Alicia Medina, a 53-year-old mother of six and grandmother of seven, was stabbed 10 times on May 20 during a domestic violence incident. She drove herself to a nearby fire station to ask for help.

Medinas son, 18-year-old Eugenio Vela III, a Middletown High School student, was taken into custody for the alleged attack.

He has been in custody on a more than $1 million bond since his arrest. He appeared in state Superior Court in Middletown on Tuesday on charges of murder, first-degree assault and violation of a protective order. The judge next scheduled Vela to appear in court on June 22.

Middlesex Judicial District Public Defender Angela C. Anastasi, who is representing Vela, waived the 90-day limit for a probable cause hearing. A date was not scheduled Tuesday for the hearing.

Police said Vela was taken into custody shortly after the incident, which they said occurred on East Street between Tuttle and Ridgewood roads.

Vela got into a domestic dispute with a woman inside a car, leaving her severely injured as she drove to the Westfield Volunteer Fire Department, according to his arrest warrant. The woman was later identified by family members to Hearst Connecticut Media as Medina.

Medina was rushed to Middlesex Hospital, where she died from her injuries.

Vela, who was taken into custody at the firehouse with a blood-like substance on his hands and clothing, admitted to investigators that he stabbed the victim during an argument in the car, the warrant stated.

He claimed Medina was slapping him while driving and tried to stab him with what he described to police as a kitchen knife, according to the warrant. Thats when, Vela told investigators, he used a 4-inch knife and started to stab her, the warrant said.

Vela told authorities that he tried to pull Medina out of the car to finish the job on East Street, but she got caught up in the seat belt, the warrant said. When detectives asked for clarification, the warrant said Vela told investigators he was trying to kill her.

The teen initially told authorities he did not know the victim, the warrant said. But he is the subject of two protective orders involving Medina, and had an active arrest warrant for allegedly violating one of those orders, police said.

Survivors of domestic violence should call 911 if they are in immediate danger. The Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence can be reached at 888-774-2900. The U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-7233 (TTY for the deaf and hard-of-hearing: 1-800-787-3224).
On behalf of Border Division Chief Omar Watson, and the Santa Ana Area, we are deeply grateful for the professionalism and tireless commitment of our investigators who have worked on this case from day one to find those responsible for Aidens death, said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray, according to KTLA. While these arrests will not ease the pain of a mothers loss, my hope is for the Leos family to have some peace of mind and to rest assured the CHP will work with the Orange County District Attorney to bring justice for Aiden.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Six weeks after California officials announced that Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom would face an almost certain recall election that could drive him from office, the contest continues to be roiled by uncertainty and questions  even the date when it might take place remains unclear.

The list of Republican challengers who have signaled an intention to enter the race is about to top 20, though no consensus front-runner has emerged. State Assemblyman Kevin Kiley this week became the latest to announce he is considering stepping in.

Newsom, meanwhile, has regained his footing after seeing his popularity fall at the start of the year amid the worst of the pandemic and criticism over his COVID restrictions for the public and businesses. The first-term governor has since benefited from a sharp decline in cases during the spring and a record-breaking surplus that allows him to bestow billions on favored projects and issues.

Still, just last week he faced another round of criticism for saying he planned to keep an emergency declaration in place even after the state fully reopens its economy next Tuesday. Theres uncertainty in the future, he warned.

The declaration means California can be reimbursed from the federal government for many of its pandemic-related expenses. But it also gives Newsom the authority to suspend state laws and impose new rules. Since declaring this emergency, Newsom has issued at least 58 executive orders to alter or suspend hundreds of laws because of the virus.

Recent polling suggests Newsom would beat back the recall; a Republican hasn't won a statewide race in heavily Democratic California since 2006. But those same surveys reveal signs of an unsettled public: independent voters, for example, tend to view his job performance skeptically and most say the state is going in the wrong direction.

Meanwhile, many voters say they are not paying much attention to the unfolding race, leaving open questions about which way they might turn. The slow push to reopen public schools, an emerging drought that is drying up reservoirs and streams, and the looming wildfire season all pose risks for the incumbent, who was elected in a 2018 landslide.

With Kileys potential entry into the race, it signals that many Republicans remain underwhelmed with the field so far, which includes businessman John Cox, who Newsom defeated in 2018, former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and reality TV personality and 1976 Olympic decathlon champion Caitlyn Jenner.

Kiley, who is 36 and represents suburbs east of Sacramento, has been one of Newsoms chief critics in the state capital during the pandemic. Though little known to a broad swath of voters, he is a hero of sorts among the recalls most fervent organizers and volunteers.

He sued to stop Newsoms use of broad emergency powers during the pandemic. A state Superior Court ruled in favor of Kiley, but an appeals court overturned that ruling in May. Kiley and fellow Republican Assemblyman James Gallagher plan to appeal to the state Supreme Court.

Earlier this year he released a book called Recall Newsom: The Case Against Americas Most Corrupt Governor, and he spoke at dozens of recall rallies and events during the signature-gathering process.

The recall's chief organizer, Orrin Heatlie, is informally advising Kiley as he ponders a candidacy and said hes hearing a lot of frustration about the current field, but declined to give specifics.

Heatlie said his assistance to Kiley is being done outside of his role with the recall committee, which is barred from coordinating with a candidate. Heatlie said he reached out to Kiley after getting a slew of phone calls from recall volunteers asking if the assemblyman planned to run.

With the lawsuit that he had against the governor, hes gained a lot of notoriety and hes gotten a lot of attention," said Heatlie, a former sheriffs sergeant who filed the recall petition and led the volunteer signature-collection drive.

Kiley said he has no timeline for deciding when to run and declined to criticize any of the Republican candidates, saying they all share the goal of getting a majority of Californians to support recalling Newsom.

He said he sees opportunity to appeal to many voters by pointing out Californias failures in dealing with the homeless crisis and poverty, high taxes and that under Newsom public school classrooms remained closed through most of the pandemic  all familiar themes for the leading GOP candidates.

Part of the unsettled landscape around the expected election is the result of the states time-consuming rules for placing a recall on the ballot.

State officials announced in late April that recall organizers had gathered more than the necessary 1.6 million petition signatures to place the election on the ballot, following a preliminary count. That kicked off a lengthy review process.

Even now, its possible it could take another two months before the recall is certified for the ballot, following various required state financial reviews. Under that scenario, it would push the election into at least October. But given wiggle room in the law, and the potential for more quickly concluding those reviews, that date could come sooner.

The recall took root last year, driven largely by public dismay with Newsom's long-running virus restrictions that shuttered schools and businesses.

In the election, voters would be presented with two questions: Should Newsom be recalled? Who should replace him?

If voters say yes to the recall, then whoever among the listed candidates gets the most votes becomes the next governor.

Tuesday marked the deadline for voters to withdraw their signatures from the recall petition, a new addition to the process adopted by Democrats several years ago after a state senator was removed from office. State elections officials will release the official count later, but it is improbable enough signers pulled back to change anything.

For example, in Orange County, the state's third-most populous county, more than 215,000 people signed the petition. Just one person withdrew, Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley said.
LAS VEGAS (AP)  A 7-year-old boy from San Jose, California, was the child whose body was found near a highway outside Las Vegas 10 days ago, and his mother is suspected of killing him, police said Monday.

The child was Liam Husted, and his mother, Samantha Moreno Rodriguez, 35, was last seen May 31 alone at a Denver-area hotel, Las Vegas police Lt. Ray Spencer said.

Rodriguez is now sought on a murder warrant in Las Vegas, Spencer said.

The police official had said it was clear the boy was killed, but did not say Monday how Liam died.

Spencer described what he called a heartbreaking conversation with the boys father, and said he is not a suspect in his killing.

"There's a lot of moving parts to this investigation," the homicide lieutenant told reporters. It is extremely active and ongoing.

The mother and boy left San Jose on May 24 driving a dark blue 2007 Dodge Caliber sedan with the back seat packed full of belongings, Spencer said.

A family friend told San Jose police on Friday that she had not seen Rodriguez or Liam in more than a week, and she recognized the boy from a rendering that was prepared by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and distributed by the media.

Liam and Rodriguez were seen May 26 in Laguna Beach, California, and Victorville, California, an Interstate 15 city about 190 miles (306 kilometers) southwest of Las Vegas, Spencer said.

Liams body was found shortly after dawn May 28 behind a bush at a trailhead off the main highway between Las Vegas and rural Pahrump.

He became the focus of an intense public campaign that on Thursday included an offer from the FBI of up to $10,000 for information to identify him and his assailant.

Spencer did not say if anyone became eligible for the reward, and no FBI official spoke Monday with reporters.

Police are still trying to determine where the mother and boy stayed May 26, Spencer said. Police believe the body was left near State Route 160 after dark May 27.
GUILFORD  Town officials began taking a look Monday at a long-running tax policy in nearby Madison that allows developers and owners of affordable housing to take advantage of tax breaks aimed at keeping housing costs low.

The proposal was pitched to the Board of Selectmen by Chris Widmer, a nonprofit developer behind the project to build low-cost, environmentally friendly homes in Guilford, to be known as the Great Hill Cottage Community.

What were trying to do is pay fair taxes on the properties that are developed as affordable housing, Widmer said. These developments should pay property taxes, but it should at a fair and equitable and agreed-upon rate.

The ordinance in Madison allows developers in that town to enter into agreements with the Board of Selectmen granting property tax abatements to specific projects, so long as those projects are funded with subsidies from federal or state housing programs. The developers also have to agree to rent or sell the homes to those with low or moderate incomes.

Those abatements can last up to 20 years, or longer if additional reimbursements are made through state or federal projects.

Median household income in Guilford is $111,870, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, while a typical home costs nearly $400,000 and median rent is $1,474 a month. Census data shows residents of Madison earn more, while also shouldering higher housing costs.

Clearly, anything that supports affordable housing in our community is something that I think we need to take a serious look at, First Selectman Matthew Hoey said.

Both towns face a shortage of affordable housing, according to state regulators. Under a statewide land-use procedure set up in 1989, towns where less than 10 percent of housing is considered affordable face an additional appeals process if they deny permits to build affordable units.

According to the Department of Housings 2020 list of towns that fail to meet its affordability criteria, about 2.4 percent of housing in Guilford is considered affordable, compared to 1.69 percent in Madison.

Madison First Selectwoman Peggy Lyons did not return phone calls Monday seeking comment on the towns affordable housing tax abatement program.

While most of Guilfords selectmen expressed a desire to spur affordable developments, others had reservations that mostly centered around the ability of unsavory developers to take advantage of the tax breaks.

Selectman Louis Federici, for example, raised the possibility of a developer applying for a tax break as a Trojan horse to build a luxury apartment complex with only a few affordable units.

The need for affordable housing for working families needs to be weighed against other costs, said Selectman Charles Havrda, who pointed out that larger developments are likely to bring families with children who will go to taxpayer-funded schools.

Conceptually, I completely agree that we should find a way to enable, for lack of a better term, workplace situations so that people can not only live and work in town, but live and work and raise their children in town, Havrda said. That question has to be answered [about the] numbers of children in town  and its got to be reflected in taxes.

Without a draft of a specific ordinance to move forward on, First Selectman Hoey said the board will study the issue further before planning a series of possible educational and public forums to get feedback from the town.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The rich really are different from you and me: Theyre better at dodging the tax collector.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos paid no income tax in 2007 and 2011. Tesla founder Elon Musks income tax bill was zero in 2018. And financier George Soros went three straight years without paying federal income tax, according to a report Tuesday from the nonprofit investigative journalism organization ProPublica.

Overall, the richest 25 Americans pay less in tax  an average of 15.8% of adjusted gross income  than many ordinary workers do, once you include taxes for Social Security and Medicare, ProPublica found. Its findings are likely to heighten a national debate over the vast and widening inequality between the very wealthiest Americans and everyone else.

An anonymous source delivered to ProPublica reams of Internal Revenue Service data on the countrys wealthiest people, including Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch and Mark Zuckerberg. ProPublica compared the tax data it received with information available from other sources. It reported that in every instance we were able to check  involving tax filings by more than 50 separate people  the details provided to ProPublica matched the information from other sources.

Using perfectly legal tax strategies, many of the uber-rich are able to shrink their federal tax bills to nothing or close to it.

A spokesman for Soros, who has supported higher taxes on the rich, told ProPublica that the billionaire had lost money on his investments from 2016 to 2018 and so did not owe federal income tax for those years. Musk responded to ProPublica's initial request for comment with a punctuation mark  ?''  and did not answer detailed follow-up questions.

The federal tax code is meant to be progressive  that is, the rich pay a steadily higher tax rate on their income as it rises. And ProPublica found, in fact, that people earning between $2 million and $5 million a year paid an average of 27.5%, the highest of any group of taxpayers.

Above $5 million in income, though, tax rates fell: The top .001% of taxpayers  1,400 people who reported income above $69 million  paid 23%. And the 25 very richest people paid still less.

The wealthy can reduce their tax bills through the use of charitable donations or by avoiding wage income (which can be taxed at up to 37%) and benefiting instead mainly from investment income (usually taxed at 20%).

President Joe Biden, in seeking revenue to finance his spending plans, has proposed higher taxes on the wealthy. Biden wants to raise the top tax rate to 39.6% for people earning $400,000 a year or more in taxable income, estimated to be fewer than 2% of U.S. households. The top tax rate that workers pay on salaries and wages now is 37%.

Biden is proposing to nearly double the tax rate that high-earning Americans pay on profits from stocks and other investments. In addition, under his proposals, inherited capital gains would no longer be tax-free.

The president, whose proposals must be approved by Congress, would also raise taxes on corporations, which would affect wealthy investors who own corporate stocks.

ProPublica reported that the tax bills of the rich are especially low when compared with their soaring wealth  the value of their investment portfolios, real estate and other assets. People don't have to pay tax on an increase in their wealth until they cash in and, say, sell their stock or home and realize the gains. Using calculations by Forbes magazine, ProPublica noted that the wealth of the 25 richest Americans collectively jumped by $401 billion from 2014 to 2018. They paid $13.6 billion in federal income taxes over those years  equal to just 3.4% of the increase in their wealth.

Chuck Marr, a senior director at the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, suggested that Bidens proposals, which face fierce opposition from Republicans in Congress and from businesses, are modest" given how much the wealthy have benefited in recent years and how comparatively little tax many of them pay.

It always seems like the solutions are cast as radical when theres less focus on the current situation being radical, Marr said.

Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, among others, have proposed taxing the wealth of the richest Americans, not just their income.

On Tuesday, Warren tweeted in response to the ProPublica report:

Our tax system is rigged for billionaires who dont make their fortunes through income, like working families do. The evidence is abundantly clear: it is time for a #WealthTax in America to make the ultra-rich finally pay their fair share.

Gabriel Zucman, an economist at the University of California, Berkeley, who is a leading expert on financial inequality, says there are three ways to ensure that the wealthy pay more: Impose a direct tax on their wealth like the one Warren has proposed; tax the gains in their wealth, whether or not they cash in and realize a gain; or raise taxes on corporate profits.

ProPublica's data reveals that the countrys wealthiest, who have profited immensely during the pandemic, have not been paying their fair share of taxes, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who leads the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, said at the start of a hearing Tuesday on the IRS' budget with Commissioner Charles Rettig.

Wyden has proposed legislation that would tighten enforcement of tax collection against wealthy individuals and corporations that use artifices and loopholes to skirt paying taxes. It also would eliminate the ability of high earners to defer paying taxes on capital gains until they are realized, so that wealth would be taxed the same way as wages.

For his part, Rettig said that the IRS is investigating the leak of the tax data to ProPublica and that any violations of law would be prosecuted. (ProPublica reported that it doesn't know the identity of the source who provided the data.)

We will find out about the ProPublica article, Rettig said. We have turned it over to the appropriate investigators, both external and internal.

Now controlling the White House and Congress, Democrats are focusing on the tax gap  the hundreds of billions of dollars difference between what Americans owe the government in taxes and what they pay  and its connection to economic inequality. The top 10% of earners have accounted for most of that gap, experts say, by underreporting their liabilities, intentionally or not, as tax avoidance or as outright evasion.

The tax gap is under a spotlight as a potential source for recouping some revenue to help pay for Bidens proposed spending on infrastructure, families and education. Democrats have been pushing the IRS to invigorate its enforcement of tax collection and make it fairer, by pursuing the big corporations and wealthy individuals who manage to game the system.

At Tuesdays hearing, Wyden told Rettig that its wrong how the wealthy always seem to skip out on their obligations.

You have a better chance of being struck by lightning than being audited if youre a partner in a partnership, Wyden said.

Rettig responded, We are outgunned.

Democrats have argued that the tax gap has widened mainly because big U.S. corporations have parked revenue overseas and wealthy individuals have failed to pay their fair share. They assert that the IRS, long understaffed and underfunded, has tended to pursue taxpayers of modest means more aggressively than high-powered businesspeople and corporations.

The agencys funding has been slashed about 20% since 2010. Bidens new spending proposals include an extra $80 billion over 10 years to bolster IRS audits of upper-income individuals and corporations, with an eye toward recovering an estimated $700 billion.

Much of the gap comes from the use of overseas havens. The government loses between an estimated $40 billion and $120 billion a year from offshore tax evasion. Bidens tax plan includes measures to stop corporations from stashing profits in countries with low tax rates. Last weekend, the Group of Seven wealthy democracies, which includes the United States, agreed to support a global minimum corporate tax of at least 15% to deter multinational companies from avoiding taxes by stashing profits in low-rate countries.
HARTFORD  House lawmakers passed a sweeping ban on PFAS chemicals Monday night, citing a number of instances in which the toxic family of chemicals appeared in Connecticut water supplies in recent years.

If signed by Gov. Ned Lamont, Connecticut will follow other states banning the chemicals from food packaging, including New York, Maine and Washington.

The ban would phase out the use of the chemicals in firefighting foams beginning this year, while giving other industries and the manufacturers of food packaging products until 2023 to find safer alternatives.

More recently, the chemicals have popped up at potentially dangerous levels in a dozen wells in Killingworth, prompting state officials to order new rounds of testing and supply affected residents with bottled water.

These chemicals, known scientifically as per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, are found in a wide variety of household products, including food packaging and nonstick such as like Teflon.

Because the chemicals are designed to not break down easily, they can accumulate in the body, and have been linked to liver and kidney problems, low birth weights and certain cancers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

These PFAS chemicals are extraordinarily dangerous, said state Rep. Christine Palm, D-Chester, one of the sponsors of the legislation. They are found throughout our environment and the problem is getting worse. These chemicals are known as forever chemicals because they bio-accumulate.

The House passed the legislation by a vote of 146-0 Monday, though the Senate must still concur on amendments before the end of the session at midnight Wednesday.

Lamont, who has established a task force and committed funds toward the clean-up of potential PFAS contaminants, has not commented on the bill.

Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, Audubon Society of Connecticut and the League of Conservation Voters all pushed for passage of the bill.

State leaders, including Lamont, began discussing possible actions to limit contamination of PFAS chemicals in 2019, following two incidents at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks that caused the release of thousands of gallons of firefighting foams containing PFAS chemicals, some of which later leaked into the Farmington River.

It put a halt to fishing, [through] which people supplied food to their families and would freeze throughout the winter, recalled state Rep. Jane Garibay, D-Windsor Locks, adding that the spill also disrupted swimming, canoeing and recreational activities.

Officials are still investigating the potential source of the contamination in Killingworth, though First Selectwoman Catherine Iino said the local fire department hasnt used PFAS foams in decades.

Municipal fire departments that are left with stores of unusable foams under the proposed ban would be able to participate in a take-back program established last year by DEEP.

Commissioner Katie Dykes would also be required to approve a suitable replacement for PFAS foams  which are specialized to douse fuel-based fires  before the ban could go into effect. Airports, which are required by federal regulators to keep firefighting foams with PFAS, would be exempt from the ban unless federal regulations change.

Obviously, we dont want to prevent firefighters from having the ability to use this if theres no other reasonable alternative, said state Rep. Stephen Harding, R-Brookfield, who spoke in favor of the bill.

A chemical industry group, the Alliance for Telomer Chemistry Stewardship, had pushed back against the bill, telling lawmakers in testimony that foams containing PFAS are currently the most effective at extinguishing the most dangerous flammable liquid fires.

Florine-free foams can, and do, provide an alternative to florinated foams in some applications, such as spill fires and smaller tank fires, the group said in testimony. However, they are not currently able to provide the same level of fire suppression capability, efficiency, flexibility and scope of usage.

Addressing that concern Monday, Palm said many industrial companies have already voluntarily phased-out PFAS foams in favor of safer alternatives. Those wishing for more time to find new fire suppressants may request an extension from DEEP to do so, she said.

Manufacturers of food packaging products containing PFAS would have until 2023 to develop new products, though Palm said that restaurants and other end-use businesses that unwittingly pass those products along to customers after that point will not be penalized.
PARK RAPIDS, Minn. (AP)  Protesters fighting a Canadian-based companys push to replace an aging oil pipeline across northern Minnesota maintained a blockade at a pump station Tuesday as part of a summer drive to stop the project before it can go into service.

Two protesters spent the night locked down in a boat blocking the entrance to one construction site, while two others locked themselves down underneath, tucked in behind duffel bags, beach chairs, water bottles and clothing. A Hubbard County sheriff's deputy and a handful of private security guards stood by in the morning, but other law enforcement officers arrived as authorities went to work cutting the protesters free.

Deputies freed the two women in the boat early Tuesday afternoon and led them away. They worked into the afternoon to cut through the device that two men used to make it difficult to extract them from the trailer under the boat, which bore the name Good Trouble" on its stern, a quote from the late civil rights leader and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who was known for encouraging people to get in good trouble in a worthy cause.

The pumping station near Park Rapids was a major focus of protests Monday, with some people chaining themselves to construction equipment before police made arrests. Law enforcement officials had still not released arrest figures by Tuesday afternoon. One of the lead groups organizing the protests, the Giniw Collective, put the number of arrests at over 150.

Environmental and tribal groups say Enbridge Energy's plan to replace Line 3 would worsen climate change and risk spills in sensitive areas where Native Americans harvest wild rice, hunt, fish, gather medicinal plants, and claim treaty rights. The line would cross the Mississippi River while carrying Canadian tar sands oil and regular crude from Alberta to Wisconsin.

Enbridge says the original pipeline  built in the 1960s  is deteriorating and can run at only about half its original capacity. It says the new line, made from stronger steel, will better protect the environment while restoring its capacity and ensuring reliable deliveries to U.S. refineries

Protesters said the Treaty People Gathering was the largest show of resistance yet to the project. They also rallied Monday at the headwaters of the Mississippi, roughly 20 minutes away, chanting Stop Line 3! and Water is life!

Among those attending was actress Jane Fonda, who held signs with President Joe Bidens image that said, Which side are you on?

This is important. This is what we need, she told The Associated Press, motioning toward the crowd.

Biden has not taken a stand on Line 3.

Calgary-based Enbridge this month began a final construction push on Line 3, which clips a corner of North Dakota on its way across northern Minnesota to Enbridges terminal in Superior, Wisconsin. The Canadian and Wisconsin replacement segments are already carrying oil.
A Marine recruit died Friday during the culminating "Crucible" event at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, officials announced Monday night.

Pfc. Dalton Beals died during the event. Parris Island did not provide any details about his death or immediately respond to a request for comment. His age and hometown were not disclosed.

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"On Friday, June 4th, Private First Class Dalton Beals passed away during the conduct of The Crucible with the new Marines of Echo Company," the statement said. "Our deepest condolences go out to Dalton's family and to the Marines and staff of Echo Company. The cause of death is currently under investigation."

An online fundraiser set up on behalf of Beals' family described the recruit as "a son, a brother, a friend of many, an incredible athlete and a United States Marine."

He had been set to graduate June 18, it adds.

His amazing mother described him as the most sincere, kindhearted, sweet and amazing young man.

The Crucible is the final challenge for Marine recruits, following 13 weeks of intensive training. It is a 54-hour endurance test that assesses what the recruits have learned, and limits food and sleep.

The final part of the event is a 9-mile ruck march from the training ground to a ceremony field where the recruits are given their Eagle, Globe and Anchor pins, symbolizing that they have become Marines.

Recruit deaths at boot camp are rare but not unheard of. In a 2016 scandal that made national headlines, a 20-year-old recruit, Raheel Siddiqui, died after apparently jumping from the third floor of a barracks building. Siddiqui's death uncovered a pattern of hazing by drill instructors that resulted in firings and prosecutions. The recruit's family continues to dispute the classification of Siddiqui's death as a suicide.

The most infamous tragedy at Parris Island took place in 1956, when a junior drill instructor marched his recruits into a swampy body of water at the depot known as Ribbon Creek. Six of the recruits drowned. The drill instructor was ultimately court-martialed, but allowed to remain in the Marine Corps.

-- Hope Hodge Seck contributed to this report.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

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The Army is moving quickly toward a replacement for the M4 carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon machine gun, but don't expect those old weapons to head into retirement any time soon.

"That is a future decision to be made, very much dependent on the prototyping we have going on now," Gen. John Murray, head of Army Futures Command, told lawmakers during a House Armed Services subpanel hearing Monday when asked about the force's timeline on shelving the M4 and SAW.

Sig, Textron Systems and General Dynamics are competing for contracts in the Army's Next Generation Squad Weapon, or NGSW, effort, designed to begin arming units with a rifle and light machine gun chambered for a specially designed 6.8mm projectile, as opposed to the M4 and SAW's 5.56mm ammunition.

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All three companies have designed new rifle and machine gun prototypes soldiers have already been testing. The Army is expected to make a decision on who will supply the force with new weapons and start fielding them next year.

While the service does not have a clear timeline on when the weapon replacement will be complete, many soldiers might be training with the old weapons for a long time, partly because the new ammo could be in short supply for a while.

It could take "three to four years" for the Lake City Ammunition Plant, the military's largest producer of small-caliber ammunition, to fully transition to making 6.8mm rounds on a large scale, Doug Bush, who serves as acting assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, told lawmakers. The facility is in Independence, Missouri.

While the Army is looking into new guns and slowly moving to field 6.8mm ammunition, the force could see a dip in the number of bullets it buys next year. The force's 2022 budget calls for a reduction of more than half a billion dollars in ammo spending. The administration's proposed budget outlines $2.1 billion for ammo versus $2.8 billion this year.

The service is taking a hit in the new budget proposal, which still has to be approved by Congress. The administration is asking for $173 billion for the Army, a drop from this year's $176.6 billion.

Murray said the Pentagon looked at places to make cuts, and ammunition was where the Army took a big hit. He noted that the force has a stockpile but didn't specify how big or whether training drawdowns during the pandemic saved the force a lot of ammo.

"We looked at where we could find acceptable risk," Murray told lawmakers. "We thought that was an acceptable level of risk, considering our stock on hand."

President Joe Biden is calling for a relatively flat Defense Department budget amid unprecedented levels of spending on domestic projects, including pandemic relief. The move is taking heat from Democrats for spending too much and from Republicans for not spending enough.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

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THE HAGUE, Netherlands  Ratko Mladic, the military chief known as the Butcher of Bosnia for orchestrating genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Balkan nations 1992-95 war, lost his final legal battle Tuesday when U.N. judges rejected his appeals and affirmed his life sentence.

The ruling involving his 2017 convictions and sentence closed a grim chapter in European history that included the continents first genocide since World War II  the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys.

The now-frail Mladic, often belligerent at his court appearances in The Hague, showed no reaction other than a scowl as Presiding Judge Prisca Matimba Nyambe of Zambia said the panel had dismissed, by a vote of 4-1, his appeals of convictions for crimes including genocide, murder, extermination and terror for atrocities throughout the war that killed more than 100,000 and left millions homeless.

The 79-year-old former general is the last major figure to face justice from the conflict that ended more than a quarter century ago.

His former political chief, ex-Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, already is serving a life sentence after being convicted for the same crimes. Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who was accused of fomenting the ethnic conflicts that tore apart the Balkans in the 1990s, died in a U.N. cell in 2006 before judges at his trial could reach verdicts.

Serge Brammertz, the prosecutor who finally brought both Karadzic and Mladic to justice, said Mladic ranks among the most notorious war criminals in modern history who abused his position of power to commit crimes including genocide.

Mladic should be condemned by all responsible officials in the former Yugoslavia and around the world, Brammertz said. "His name should be consigned to the list of historys most depraved and barbarous figures.

U.S. President Joe Biden said the historic judgment shows that those who commit horrific crimes will be held accountable. It also reinforces our shared resolve to prevent future atrocities from occurring anywhere in the world.

My thoughts today are with all the surviving families of the many victims of Mladics atrocities. We can never erase the tragedy of their deaths, but I hope todays judgment provides some solace to all those who are grieving, a statement from Biden said.

The court also rejected an appeal by prosecutors of Mladics acquittal on one other count of genocide linked to ethnic purges early in the war.

As commander of the Bosnian Serb Army, the once-swaggering Mladic led troops responsible for atrocities ranging from ethnic cleansing campaigns to the siege of Sarajevo and the wars bloody climax in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.

In Sarajevo, applause broke out among those watching the proceedings. Mayor Benjamina Karic called it a day of justice for Sarajevo, Bosnia and innocent victims of the war.

Mladics toxic legacy continues to divide Bosnia and his dark shadow has spread far beyond the Balkans.

To Serbs in Bosnia, he is a war hero who fought to protect his people. To Bosniaks, mostly Muslims, he will always be a villain responsible for their wartime suffering and losses.

Nedziba Salihovic, who lost her son and husband in the bloodshed, watched the court hearing on a large screen in Srebrenica.

This means a lot to me, my heart is racing," she said. He was punished. It is not important where hell end up (to serve his sentence). Like mothers of Srebrenica, hell spend the rest of his life without his family.

Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik blasted the final verdict as selective justice and satanization of Serbs which will only deepen the existing ethnic divide in Bosnia so many years after the war.

The court did not prove Mladics direct guilt, Dodik said. It is clear that genocide in Srebrenica never happened.

Mladics son, Darko, who was part of his defense team, said in The Hague: This traveling circus (the tribunal) has finished its job like it started. The general had no chance of a fair trial.

Mladic was first indicted in July 1995. After the war in Bosnia ended, he went into hiding and was finally arrested in 2011 and handed over to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia by the then-ruling pro-Western government of Serbia.

The judgment was welcomed as an important affirmation of the rule of law by Kathryne Bomberger, director-general of the International Commission on Missing Persons that helped locate and identify victims of atrocities in Bosnia.

"Ramifications of the judgment in case of Mladic and in previous cases, such as that of Radovan Karadzic, go beyond the Western Balkans. This gives hope to survivors of atrocity, including families of the missing and disappeared persons around the world, that justice can be delivered, Bomberger said.

Amnesty Internationals Europe Director Nils Muizniek said the ruling sends a powerful message around the world that impunity cannot, and will not, be tolerated.

Nedzad Avdic, who survived a mass execution in Srebrenica, said he was satisfied even though nothing can erase what weve been through nor bring back our dead.

The judgment will make denying the crimes more difficult. This and other verdicts will be the starting point for anyone who cares about truth, he added.

The shadow of Mladic and Karadzic has spread far beyond the Balkans. They have been revered by foreign far-right supporters for their bloody wartime campaigns.

The Australian who shot dead dozens of Muslim worshippers in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019 was believed to be inspired by the wartime Bosnian Serb leaders, as was Anders Breivik, the Norwegian white supremacist who killed 77 people in Norway in 2011.

The U.N. tribunal that initially indicted Mladic has since shut its doors. His appeal and other legal issues left over from the tribunal were being dealt with by the U.N.s International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which is housed in the same building as the now-defunct court for the former Yugoslavia.

Outside the court, another mother from Srebrenica, Munira Subasic had a message for young people in Serbia and the Serb part of Bosnia.

She urged them to study the court's judgments and indictments, and "stop hating and create a better future for themselves and our children.

___

Associated Press writers Dusan Stojanovic in Belgrade, Serbia, Sabina Niksic in Srebrenica, Bosnia, and videographer Aleksandar Furtula in The Hague contributed.
The break in the case came from a family friend, who told authorities that she recognized the boy from a rendering that was prepared by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and distributed by the media.
Leaders at II Marine Expeditionary Force are dangling a prized incentive to units to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations: a "96," or four-day weekend, if they meet a 65% immunization threshold.

So far, seven of the 80 squadron or battalion-level commands at the Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, command have met the requirement, according to II MEF spokesman 2nd Lt. Jacob Sugg. Roughly 42% of the MEF has received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine "with a steady increase over the past month," he added.

II MEF has faced an uphill battle encouraging members to get the COVID-19 vaccine: In April, the Marine Corps reported that it had the highest rate of vaccine rejection among the three operational forces units -- nearly 60% of 29,300 II MEF Marines who had been offered the vaccine had turned it down.

I MEF, headquartered in California, had a decline rate of 28%, and III MEF, based in Japan, had a rate of roughly 33%, according to the service. News of the 96-hour weekend incentive at II MEF was first reported by Carolina Public Press.

Getting the COVID-19 vaccine is currently optional for service members and Defense Department employees, so military units have worked to encourage troops to get vaccinated, launching educational efforts and providing liberties and incentives to those who are fully vaccinated.

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The Navy announced in late February that it would lift COVID-19 restrictions on ships for crews that achieved 100% vaccination rates.

And Fort Bragg, North Carolina, first reopened a dining facility and gymnasium for the fully vaccinated -- defined as two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, plus a two-week period for maximum immune response.

Now that all facilities at Fort Bragg have reopened, capacity limits remain in place, but those who are fully vaccinated do not have to wear masks indoors -- a policy that follows a Pentagon directive issued in May, said XVIII Airborne Corps spokesman Col. Joe Buccino.

The base is not offering additional incentives to encourage personnel to get vaccinated but is relying on leadership to convey the importance of immunity against the coronavirus.

"For us, this is about readiness, not incentives," Buccino said Friday. "We have a response force mission, so the actual incentive is the nature of our mission. Vaccination ... really allows us to have ready forces available."

Fort Bragg has seen a steady increase in vaccine acceptance, he added, with some units having an 80% vaccination rate. "That's a really high number," he said.

As of Monday, the DoD had administered 3.7 million COVID-19 vaccines to service members, civilian employees, family members and military retirees in its health system.

Nearly 52% of service members across all three components -- active-duty, National Guard and Reserve -- have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 37% are fully vaccinated.

The Army has the most troops who have received at least one dose: 456,156 soldiers across the active duty, National Guard and Reserve. But as the service with the highest number of personnel -- more than a million across all components -- it has the lowest percentage of vaccinated troops, with 45% having received a dose as of Monday and 26% fully vaccinated.

The Navy has the highest vaccination rates, with 69% of the Navy and Navy Reserve having gotten at least one shot and 60% fully vaccinated.

More than 52% of the Air Force and Space Force have received at least one vaccination, and 43% are fully vaccinated.

Nearly 48% of Marines have received a vaccine, and 38% are fully vaccinated, according to DoD data.

Military leaders have already said that troops will likely be required to get a COVID-19 vaccine if the Food and Drug Administration approves their use. Pfizer filed for full FDA approval in May for use in those aged 16 and older, while Moderna filed for approval last week for those 18 and up.

Both companies have asked for priority in the application process, which means approval could come within six months.

Buccino said the Army has worked hard to overcome vaccine hesitancy and "debunk" bad information, educating leaders on how to speak with soldiers about their concerns. At Fort Bragg, he produced a podcast with guests that included hesitant personnel and Army Dr. Sammy Choi, a researcher involved in the development of the Pfizer vaccine.

"For us, it's about talking to soldiers about their concerns," Buccino said. "People will listen to reason."

Still, some in the military community, including proponents of vaccine choice for children, say incentives or decisions to allow freedom of movement for the fully vaccinated amount to a form of discrimination against those who elect not to get the vaccine.

An Army spouse who asked that her name not be used out of concern for her family and husband said that since the services are encouraging vaccinations, those who opt out are "being bullied and threatened."

While she did not cite specific examples, she said early restrictions regarding leave and travel on those who declined the vaccine and rewards for those who do get vaccinated are a form of discrimination.

"These policies undermine the right of refusal for an emergency use authorization drug, restricts the freedom of movement of healthy people, and thus creates a culture of coercion in clear violation of medical ethics," she said. "It's already considered bad form and discrimination to single service members out in front of their peers (or in private) for different beliefs or opinions they hold. Why now is it OK to berate and belittle those in front of their peers and raters who are choosing to decline something that is still 100% voluntary?"

Army Staff Sgt. Kiera Holbrook was among those who initially did not want the vaccine, telling Military.com that she was worried it would harm her long-term health or cause infertility.

But after leadership engaged her in discussions over the issue, providing her with the medical research, a list of ingredients and answers to her concerns, she decided to get vaccinated.

"I think soldiers can trust their leadership. That's what happened with me. And I think in our company, more people are getting it because they look around and see that, 'Oh, this person got it, and it's no big deal,'" Holbrook said.

She added that she contracted a severe case of COVID-19 last summer and would rather never have it again.

"It was awful. I was out of work for about three weeks, and because I'm a platoon sergeant, it was not a good look," Holbrook said.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime.

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For hours on Jan. 6, miscommunication, confusion and bureaucratic snafus snarled the effort to deploy National Guard troops to quell rioters at the U.S. Capitol, a Senate report released Tuesday found.

Defense Department officials could not adequately explain why the District of Columbia National Guard did not deploy until after 5 p.m. that day, according to the bipartisan report from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Senate Rules Committee.

The Pentagon's response was delayed for hours in part because leaders, when contacted by D.C. officials, weren't clear what they were being asked to do -- or even whether a formal request was being made -- and weren't sure with whom to coordinate, the report found.

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Pentagon officials told Senate investigators that criticism they received over the Defense Department's "heavy-handed response" to civil unrest last summer after the murder of George Floyd -- in particular, flying military helicopters over protests -- led the Pentagon to be more cautious in how it responded to the Jan. 6 riot.

The report said that Pentagon officials believed the department needed a "clear deployment plan" before sending in D.C. Guard troops "to avoid the appearance of over-militarization."

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After the events of 2020, the Pentagon put measures in place to control the Guard's deployment, including requiring then-Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy to sign off before deploying a Quick Reaction Force, or QRF, and requiring it to be used "only as a last resort."

"Thanks to the heroic actions of U.S. Capitol Police, D.C. Metropolitan Police, the National Guard and others -- rioters on January 6th failed to achieve their goal of preventing the certification of a free and fair presidential election," Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., said in a release. He is chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.

"The events of January 6th were horrific, and our bipartisan investigation identified many unacceptable, widespread breakdowns in security preparations and emergency response related to this attack," Peters continued. "Our report offers critical recommendations to address these failures and strengthen security for the Capitol to prevent an attack of this nature from ever happening again."

When local officials first began calling Army and National Guard leaders that afternoon as a mob of Trump supporters angry at election results swarmed the Capitol complex, Pentagon officials said the requests weren't specific and they needed clarity on what kind of help was being sought.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called McCarthy at 1:34 p.m. and asked whether the DoD had gotten any requests for help from the Capitol Police because the crowd was "getting out of control," the report said.

Former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, who resigned the day after the riot, also called Gen. William Walker, the commanding general of the D.C. Guard, at 1:49 p.m. to ask for help, according to the report.

A clear request for Guard assistance finally came through at about 2:30 p.m., the report said, but more miscommunication garbled the response and planning took a few more hours. Then-Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said he signed off on the deployment at 3:04 p.m., understanding that McCarthy would conduct a mission analysis with Walker.

But McCarthy had a different understanding, the report found. He thought he needed to brief Miller and get his approval before Guard troops could leave the D.C. Armory. McCarthy huddled with D.C. officials and drew up a plan, and the Guard troops were approved to deploy by 4:35 p.m. -- three hours after Bowser called the Army secretary. The Guard finally rolled out nearly a half-hour later, at 5:02 p.m.

The report said "no one could explain" why it took so long to reach that point, citing confusion and communication breakdowns.

The report also pointed the finger at Capitol Police leaders for not understanding the requirements for declaring emergencies or requesting outside help. For example, members of the Capitol Police Board disagreed over whether they all needed to agree before asking for help from the D.C. Guard, the report explained.

Sund didn't send the board a formal request in advance of Jan. 6 for an emergency declaration and Guard assistance. This hamstrung his ability to respond quickly once the riot erupted, the report said, because he didn't have the authority to unilaterally ask for the Guard to come help.

The report advised Congress to pass a law giving the Capitol Police chief authority to ask the D.C. Guard for help in emergency situations, and to clarify the approval processes and chain of command to prevent delays in deploying the Guard.

The report found that the Pentagon had twice confirmed with the Capitol Police -- once on Jan. 3 and again Jan. 4 -- that it did not need and was not requesting help from the D.C. Guard.

The Pentagon and D.C. Guard should draw up scenarios and contingency plans for responding quickly to civil disturbances and terrorism incidents, the report recommended, including what level of assistance and equipment might be needed and how command-and-control would work. This would reduce confusion and allow forces to respond much more rapidly to unfolding emergencies, it added.

The National Guard also should practice mobilizing troops from nearby jurisdictions to immediately help in case of an emergency, the report recommended. And when a QRF is approved to respond to special events, the Pentagon should make sure it can quickly respond to incidents when deciding where to stage it, the report said.

-- Stephen Losey can be reached at stephen.losey@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StephenLosey.

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The U.S. Air Force wants to test whether it's possible to move hundreds of tons of military equipment to forward operating locations and bases around the world using reusable rockets instead of mobility aircraft.

Last week, the service announced that "Rocket Cargo" will be the fourth experiment under its Vanguard program, which examines how new technologies and commercial capabilities can be applied to its missions. The service is asking lawmakers for $47.9 million in its 2022 budget request to develop the technology and test "whether it can deliver cargo anywhere on the Earth in less than one hour," according to budget documents.

"We decided it's time to make an investment and see if this turns into an operational capability," Greg Spanjers, Rocket Cargo program manager at the Air Force Research Laboratory, said during a briefing with reporters Friday.

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While the lab typically oversees the science and technology elements of Vanguard programs, the U.S. Space Force will take the lead on Rocket Cargo, a first for the fledgling service.

The idea of using rockets for cargo delivery is not new.

Last year, U.S. Transportation Command, or TRANSCOM, and aerospace company SpaceX began looking at the project. And in 2018, Gen. Carlton D. Everhart II, then head of Air Mobility Command, or AMC, laid out his vision for the command's future priorities, including rocket logistics delivery.

"About five years ago, when we brought this [idea] onboard, honestly, a lot of people looked at me and went, 'Are you nuts?'" Everhart said in an interview Monday. Military.com caught up with the retired general on the recent developments.

"It's a game changer," Everhart said, "and I think it opens up a huge amount of avenues for logistics and new logistics systems, which further opens up avenues for jobs and the economy.

"It also is a game changer in the fact that we can do point-to-point cargo rapidly, which gets inside the [decision-making process] of our enemy, which really opens up new avenues for strategy," he added.

Spanjers on Friday agreed there was skepticism about Everhart's initial proposal years ago.

"I was, frankly, one of the scoffers at the time because we've looked at this for many, many decades, and it's never made sense," he said, adding that it's different this time.

Some key findings have changed, including upper limits on how many tons of cargo a rocket can carry. To start, it should be roughly the same as a C-17 Globemaster III, Spanjers said.

"The cost per pound to transport it decreases as the rockets get larger," he said. "We also have multiple companies that are using their own money to develop various aspects of reentry systems that allows you to get the global reach to return the payload anywhere on the planet."

Private industry tackling the issue gives the services leverage, said Todd Harrison, director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, a think tank in Washington, D.C.

The private sector has been working on the technology to make rocket resupply feasible for years, with "SpaceX arguably at the forefront with its Starship and Super Heavy family of vehicles," Harrison said in an email Monday. "Blue Origin is also in the mix.

"Suborbital cargo and passenger flights are likely to become a reality within this decade, so I wouldn't discount the idea [of rocket resupply]," he said. "If it is a fully reusable system that refuels before flying back, then it will need a fair amount of infrastructure on both ends. But if it is a capsule that flies out and may be considered expendable, then you could image 'space drops' of cargo into forward locations on unprepared terrain."

He added, "It would still be a niche capability because of the price per pound, but it could be worth it under certain situations."

The Rocket Cargo program will study how the military can safely land a rocket "near personnel and structures, engineer a rocket cargo bay and logistics for rapid loading and unloading, and air-drop cargo from the rocket after reentry in order to service locations where a rocket or aircraft cannot possibly land," the Air Force said in a release.

The research lab also is looking at ways "to rapidly measure high-altitude weather, which is a key aspect of the launch," Spanjers said.

Rocket resupply potentially could be used for disaster relief and humanitarian or nontraditional missions in remote areas, easing the burden on TRANSCOM and AMC units, officials said.

The Air Force's Space and Missiles Systems Center, or SMC, will be responsible for transitioning the Vanguard to a Space Force program of record, said Brig. Gen. Jason Cothern, vice commander and primary executive officer for the Space Enterprise Corps at SMC.

The organization would treat rocket resupply similarly to the way it oversees space launch activities today, Cothern said during Friday's briefing.

As the Pentagon pivots to the Pacific, rocket resupply would be useful in the vast expanses of that region, Everhart said. As noted by Popular Mechanics, it takes a C-17 cargo aircraft 12 hours to make the trip from California to Okinawa, Japan; a rocket could do it in 30 minutes.

"That is the gator next to the boat, if you will," he said, referring to the region to watch.

Everhart predicts there will be further applications for the technology.

"Could you preposition cargo in space?" he mused. "Could you bring it down and place it where you want it to? I mean, there's a whole lot of branches and sequels to this thing.

"I think any region would benefit with it," including the U.S., Everhart added.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.

Related: A Flying Car Could Be the Air Force's Next Medevac Transport
James Grazioplene, the retired Army major general who last year pleaded guilty to sexual battery, has been reduced in rank to second lieutenant.

Grazioplene was indicted by a Virginia grand jury on multiple charges, including rape, incest and aggravated sexual battery, allegedly involving his daughter in 1987 and 1988. He pleaded guilty to a single count of sexual battery last July in a deal that saw the rest of the charges dismissed.

In an email Tuesday morning, Pentagon spokeswoman Lisa Lawrence said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reduced Grazioplene's rank to the lowest possible for an officer in retirement.

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"The Secretary of Defense changed the retired grade of then-Major General James J. Grazioplene, United States Army retired, to second lieutenant after determining that second lieutenant was the highest grade in which he served on active duty satisfactorily," Lawrence said. "This action may not be appealed. Second Lieutenant Grazioplene will maintain any benefits or privileges authorized for retired officers in the grade of second lieutenant."

Army Times first reported the reduction in rank.

Grazioplene's daughter, Jennifer Elmore, identified herself as his victim and chose to speak publicly about her story.

The Army originally charged Grazioplene in 2017 with violating Article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including six specifications of rape of a minor on multiple occasions between 1983 and 1989.

However, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces ruled that there should be a five-year statute of limitations on rape charges, and the Army dismissed the case.

The case then moved to civilian court in Prince William County, Virginia. Grazioplene was arrested in December 2018 after a grand jury indictment. After several delays, he was slated to face trial last September.

But in July 2020, Grazioplene pleaded guilty to the single charge in exchange for a 20-year suspended sentence and supervised probation. By that point, he had been incarcerated for 18 months and served no additional jail time as part of the plea agreement.

Elmore's attorney said at the time that she supported the plea agreement "because at the end of the day, the truth was more important than the punishment for her."

The reduction in retired rank means, among other things, that Grazioplene's retirement pay will be slashed by more than two-thirds.

He retired from the Army in 2005.

-- Stephen Losey can be reached at stephen.losey@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StephenLosey.

Related: Retired General Accepts Plea Deal, Avoids More Jail Time in Rape Case
The U.S. Air Force has no plans to replace its small fleet of Boeing 757s despite a series of high-profile breakdowns in recent months that has delayed travel for VIPs such as Vice President Kamala Harris.

Over the weekend, Harris was starting her first foreign trip as VP to Guatemala and Mexico when the C-32A she was traveling on, an enhanced 757 used for transport, requested an emergency return to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, over a technical issue.

"I'm good. I'm good," she said when deplaning, according to Bloomberg White House reporter Jennifer Epstein, who was accompanying Harris on the trip. The aircraft was able to land safely.

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Prior to landing, Symone Sanders, Harris' spokeswoman, told media representatives aboard the plane there were no major safety concerns. A backup C-32 was then used to fly the vice president and her staff to their destination.

In 2018, the C-32 that then-first lady Melania Trump was traveling on was forced to return to Andrews after smoke filled the cabin. Officials at the time said the plane had "a mechanical issue."

Andrews, home of the 89th Airlift Wing, is best known for its special airlift mission to transport VIPs such as the president and vice president. It is home to the VC-25 aircraft, known as "Air Force One" when the president is aboard; the C-32A; the C-37A, a Gulfstream V; the C-37B, a Gulfstream 550; and the C-40, an upgraded Boeing 737-700 business jet.

While the C-32 will remain in the fleet, the Air Force will not pursue investment in the airframe beyond already planned modifications, according to the service's fiscal 2022 budget request. DefenseOne was first to note the Air Force has shelved plans to buy another Air Force Two aircraft.

"The C-32 Executive Transport Recapitalization program was intended to replace the aging C-32A aircraft fleet," according to the Research, Development,Test and Evaluation Budget Item Justification for the program.

Instead, remaining funding for the C-32 program was recently "applied to the evaluation and maturation of advanced high speed transport scale aircraft," the budget request states.

The Pentagon last year awarded three companies contracts to begin prototyping a supersonic aircraft that could someday carry the president and other officials around the world in half the time.

In August 2020, the service's Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate awarded a $1 million small business innovation research phase II contract to Exosonic, a start-up aerospace company, to begin the design and development of a low-boom executive airlift concept. That same month, the Air Force awarded Hermeus Corp., another start-up developing Mach 5 commercial aircraft, a $1.5 million Other Transaction Authority Phase II contract to begin research on how it could modify its commercial prototype to fit the military's VIP fleet.

And a month later, Aerospace company Boom Supersonic received an innovation research contract for an undisclosed amount from the service.

The projects are still years away from becoming reality.

Boom Supersonic signed a 15-aircraft purchase deal with United Airlines last week for its supersonic aircraft -- at $200 million a piece -- to be commercially ready by 2029 at the earliest.

How the technology will be used or applied to the military is yet to be determined. Until then, the C-32 -- flying since 1998 -- will press on, officials have said.

"[Recapitalizing the C-32 is] not on the table right now," Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, head of Air Mobility Command, told reporters in February.

"The C-32 is a very capable aircraft," she said, adding that the planes receive incremental but necessary upgrades to their command and control systems "to ensure that our senior leaders remain connected at all times."

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.

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[June 08, 2021] Healing Wings with support of Ice Wireless & Huawei Canada provide Internet-connected Mobile Devices to Emergency Shelters in Canada's North IQALUIT, NU, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - In an effort to continue providing support and connectivity to those most at risk during the pandemic, the Healing Wings Foundation is delighted to make a donation of Huawei tablets and laptops  powered by free and unlimited internet access from Ice Wireless  to clients at four emergency shelters. The 25 tablets and laptops will be divided up for communal use at Kaushee's Place, a women's transition home in Whitehorse; Side Door, an emergency shelter in Yellowknife; YWCA Agvik Nunavut Society in Iqaluit; and Isuarsivik Regional Recovery Centre in Kuujjuaq, Northern Quebec. "Many residents in these communities do not have access to the technology that many of us take for granted," says Healing Wings President Mireille Dahab. "Equipment such as computers, mobile devices and tablets are needed to help facilitate connections with family and friends and enable access to important information for housing, job search, research and education." The Healing Wings Foundation has focused heavily on the so-called "digital divide" between Canada's North and South. This very real disparity translates into fewer employment opportunities as well as challenges to learning, especially during this pandemic. On top of that, a lack of connectivity and access to technology can also have more dire ramifications. "Often women do not have access to a phone, or it is shared with their abusers," says Healing Wings Vice-President Samer Bishay, who is also President and CEO of Ice Wireless. "Communications is important for their safety and security, as well as their ability to search for long-term accommodation, social services and support for their children. Dr. Ashraf Salib, also a Healing Wings Vice-President, points out that technology is vital for the youth at these shelters who are either there on their own or with their mothers. "These laptops and tablets from Huawei  with connectivity from Ice Wireless  enable homework and research for these at-risk youths who are supposed to keep up with studies during such troubling times," Dr. Salib says. "And with schools open only half days or not at all, the laptops and tablets help reduce the sense of isolation and helplessness." All the Huawei devices will be delivered in the near future to the four shelters in Iqaluit, Yellowknife, Whitehorse and Kuujjuaq, where they will be connected to Ice Wireless internet service. "We at Huawei Canada, together with Healing Wings and Ice Wireless, believe in the power of connectivity. We also believe that every Canadian deserves access to a fast and reliable network, no matter which part or where in Canada they call home," says Tom Wang, President of Huawei Canada. "We are proud to help our partners connect those living in rural and remote communities, bringing people together from coast to coast to coast." About Healing Wings Foundation Founded in 2020 during the pandemic, the Healing Wings Foundation has four main goals: provide connectivity and access to infrastructure to those living in remote arctic communities; provide subsidized accommodation for Armed Forces, Police Officers, Fire Fighters and Veterans and/or their families as they receive medical treatment within the Greater Toronto Area; provide a variety of subsidized or donated social services to those of needs; and collaborate with other local charities and not-for-profit organizations to support their objectives by aiding and providing supplementary programs. For more information or to make a donation, visit https://www.healingwings.org/ About Iristel Iristel is Canada's fastest-growing Competitive Local Exchange Carrier providing innovative communication services that are changing how consumers and businesses communicate. Founded in 1999, Markham-based Iristel operates Canada's largest facilities-based local voice network extending Coast-to-Coast-to-Coast. It also owns Ice Wireless, an LTE-A carrier with operations in Canada's northern territories and Quebec. Iristel also owns brands such as Sugar Mobile, an Over-the-Top (OTT) app where phone calls and text messages can be transmitted through data, and Telecommunications de l'Est (TDE), a company that operates a Nomad mobile network, a unique two-way radio digital trunking network built to meet the specific needs of Canada's rural regions. About Huawei Canada Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. With integrated solutions across four key domains  telecom networks, IT, smart devices, and cloud services  we are committed to bringing digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world.

Huawei's end-to-end portfolio of products, solutions and services are both competitive and secure. Through open collaboration with ecosystem partners, we create lasting value for our customers, working to empower people, enrich home life, and inspire innovation in organizations of all shapes and sizes. At Huawei, innovation focuses on customer needs. We invest heavily in basic research, concentrating on technological breakthroughs that drive the world forward. We have more than 194,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company wholly owned by its employees. Established in 2008, Huawei Canada ranks amongst the top corporate R&D investors in the country and is committed to connecting Canadians for a better, brighter future. SOURCE Huawei Canada

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Media personality, Akua Amoakowaa, popularly known as Akua GMB, says people who brag about their acquired properties should learn a lesson from Prophet TB Joshua's sudden death.

The late founder of The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN), she indicated as of 2011 had a net worth of 10 million to 15 million US dollars but he wasn't going to be buried with any of his properties.

That, she added, should be a big lesson to those who boast about owning properties.

The renowned televangelist died on Saturday, June 5, 2021, aged 57. Reports from Nigeria said he was found dead in his office after conducting a service in the church. The cause of his death is yet to be known. Many people across Africa and beyond have expressed shock over his death.

I just came from church and I have been thinking about something, I believe it's something we should all ponder on. So I chanced upon an article on Facebook saying that TB Joshua is dead and I quickly went to google his name and Forbes in 2011 reported that his net worth is 10 to 15 million US dollars. He is dead, he is gone. He has left all this wealth behind. Now people who go about bragging and boasting that I have three (3) cars, I have a house, I have five (5) houses, I have that, I believe you will take a cue from this that if you die today you will not be buried with any of your assets. Be humble, there is more to life than you see. Know that there is death, and then one day you will die, Akua said when she reacted to the unfortunate death of TB Joshua.

It appears the ex-Ghana Most Beautiful queen definitely can't stand braggarts.

By Francis Addo
Young people have been key drivers of social and political change in Ethiopia going back to the closing decades of the imperial era . Back in the 1960s and 1970s, university students played a crucial role in the massive protests that led to the overthrow of Emperor Haile Selassie's regime. A military regime was installed in its place.

Subsequently, an armed rebellion against the military regime  known as the Derg  was powered by young combatants. Most leaders of the Tigray People's Liberation Front  including prime minister-to-be Meles Zenawi  left university to join the armed struggle that overthrew the Derg in 1991.

These young people grew to be the country's governing elite as part of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, who would themselves be challenged in the mid-2010s by a new crop of youths. This led once again to a change in the balance of power in Addis Ababa with the rise of Abiy Ahmed in 2018.

We are involved in a multi-year research project to document young Ethiopians' concerns about institutions and governance. Our focus is on young people between the ages of 20 to 35 years in Oromia and Sidama. These have been centres of popular protests since 2015. This project brings together young people and members of parliament in conversations about the effectiveness of the country's representative institutions. A key question we asked was how institutions might be reformed to include and represent young people better.

Under its federal structure, Ethiopia has 10 regional parliaments, known as regional councils. At federal level is the house of people's representatives, made up of 547 directly elected MPs. The young people we spoke to said parliaments in Ethiopia had not lived up to their promise. They needed to be legitimate, representative, inclusive and vibrant enough to make better decisions and lead to better outcomes.

These views matter in a country where over 70% of the population is under the age of 30. Elections are scheduled for late June 2021. Initially scheduled for August 2020, they were delayed twice. The reasons given were logistical challenges and the conflict in Tigray, which was in part sparked by the delayed polls .

Simmering discontent

The 2020 Afrobarometer survey found that 53% of Ethiopians believed the government was managing the economy badly. In addition, 62% believed the government was doing a bad or very bad job of creating new jobs. Nearly 60% of people believed young people's needs were not being addressed. Over the last five years , the Ethiopian currency has halved in value against the US dollar, raising the cost of living.

Unresolved historical grievances over the distribution of power between the central state and federal regions and a heavy-handed state response have heightened instability in the country. Two recent popular protest movements  in Oromia and Sidama  point to this dissatisfaction.

Protests in Oromia were triggered by the 2014 expansion of Addis Ababa city boundaries into neighbouring Oromia region. This had the potential to displace farmers and undermine local land rights.

The government plan was soon cancelled but protests led by young men and women  most of them students  continued. In 2018 the protesters forced out prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn, paving the way for prime minister Abiy Ahmed. Driving reform: youths and parliaments in Oromia.

In the south of the country, the Sidama have long agitated for statehood . The quest developed fresh momentum after the 2018 reforms. A popular movement driven by an informal activist group called Ejjetto led to autonomy through a 2019 referendum . Youths and parliaments in Sidama.

Youth exclusion

Trust in Ethiopian parliaments is the second lowest of all institutions in the country. Some 47% of Afrobarometer respondents trusted the house of people's representatives just a little or not at all. Similarly, 22% of young people (ages 18-35) didn't trust parliament at all and 27% trusted it just a little. Some 71% of young people thought that at least some MPs were corrupt.

We held focus groups with 30 young people from around Oromia and the Sidama Regions, over several days in August 2019 and 2020. Our aim was to establish how young people perceived their role in Ethiopian society, and how they felt about the institutions that represented them.

Parliaments  particularly regional parliaments  are one of the most important institutions where citizens can raise their issues and deliberate on policy through their elected representatives.

But young people have generally been excluded from participation at both the national and regional levels. As a result, they argued that these institutions suffer a lack of legitimacy, inclusiveness and representativeness and are broadly distrusted by the public .

Many young people in both regions said that they did not trust members of the regional bodies to represent their interests or to voice their demands. The youths said they were not consulted when laws were enacted, including those which directly affected their lives.

Youth movements are demanding greater inclusion. They suggested that quota systems would give young people their own representatives and a say in their governance. These young people want more democracy, not less, and would like to see free and fair elections.

For young people in Ethiopia, the government has refused to listen for too long  but history shows that their demands can only go unaddressed for so long.

Nicole Beardsworth receives funding from the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and the UKRI. This project was funded by the Global Research Network on People and Parliaments, which receives funding from the UKRI and GCRF.

This project was funded by the Global Research Network on People and Parliaments, which receives funding from the UKRI and GCRF

By Nicole Beardsworth, Honorary Research Fellow, Politics & International Studies, University of Warwick And

Assefa Fiseha, Associate Professor, Center for Federal Studies, Addis Ababa University And

Henok Kebede, Lecturer, School of Law, Hawassa University
The former president of the prestigious Paris-Descartes university has been charged with defiling a corpse following revelations about the putrid conditions in which thousands of bodies donated to the faculty were kept.

Frederic Dardel's lawyer confirmed that he had been charged on Friday after being questioned over the scandal that forced the closure of the Centre for Body Donations at Paris-Descartes University.

In 2019, the government shut down the centre, heralded as a "temple of anatomy" for over half a century, after reports that bodies had been left to rot, gnawed by mice or even sold.

France's news weekly, L'Express, broke the story in November 2019, and referred to a "mass grave in the heart of Paris".

It reported that photographs taken in the cold room of the Centre for Body Donations showed macabre scenes of bodies "naked, dismembered, eyes open, piled up on a gurney [...] in an indescribable jumble.

"Here, a decomposing leg dangles. There, another damaged, blackened and riddled with holes after being nibbled by mice," they wrote.

The Association Charnier Paris-Descartes, which represents families whose relatives had donated their bodies to the institution, welcomed the fact that the first person in authority had been charged "at last".

Bodies 'sold' for up to 900 euros

The Centre for Body Donations was founded in 1953 and received hundreds of bodies a year before it was closed.

Unnamed sources told L'Express that while bodies had been stacked on top of each other for "decades", conditions had deteriorated sharply from 2013 onwards.

The magazine reported that one of the doors of the cold room was so rusty it no longer closed and that the air conditioning frequently broke down, forcing staff to incinerate some rotting bodies before they had been dissected.

It also revealed that bodies donated for teaching anatomy had been sold to private individuals or companies, with a limb going for up to 400 euros and a whole body for up to 900 euros.

The report, which was based on photographs taken inside the centre in 2016, caused a scandal.

In February 2020, 35 families whose relatives' corpses and body parts had been donated to the university filed a lawsuit for "violation of the integrity of the human body".

An investigation was launched and the university apologised to the families concerned.

In June 2020, a government agency in charge of inspecting education facilities concluded that there had been "serious ethical breaches" in the Centre's management.

The report noted that management had received various warnings which had gone unheeded until 2018.

Guilty of neglect

Two lab assistants have already been charged with violation of a corpse, as has Paris University, a new entity created in 2020 from the merger of Paris-Descartes University and a sister faculty.

Dardel had escaped censure until now.

After the centre was closed he was made a special advisor in the cabinet of Minister for Research Frederique Vidal and later appointed director of a unit at the state research facility CNRS.

His lawyer Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard argued that he had tirelessly lobbied the government to fund renovations of the centre, but that his appeals had gone unheard.

Speaking to AFP, she argued that the state, not Dardel, was guilty of neglect.

(with AFP)
Malian strongman Colonel Assimi Goita stood by the goal of staging elections next February as he was sworn in as transitional president on Monday, also naming a civilian premier after international outrage over the country's second coup in nine months.

Goita, who had already headed a coup that toppled the West African country's democratically elected leader last August, ousted the civilian president and prime minister of a transitional government on May 24.

In doing so, he sparked diplomatic uproar and deepened fears of chaos in a country key to efforts to stem the jihadist insurgency sweeping the Sahel.

"I swear before God and the Malian people to preserve the republican regime... to preserve democratic gains," said Goita during the swearing-in ceremony in the capital Bamako.

The colonel, dressed in full military regalia, added that Mali will stick to its commitments and pledged to stage "fair and transparent" elections by February next year.

It is unclear how Mali's partners and neighbours, who have condemned the second coup, will respond.

Mali's new prime minister Choguel Maiga, centre, looks on at President Colonel Assimi Goita's inauguration ceremony. By ANNIE RISEMBERG (AFP)

The latest putsch prompted the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to suspend Mali, and to call for the appointment of a civilian prime minister.

France also suspended military cooperation with Malian forces and stopped giving military advice.

PM from opposition

After Goita's swearing in, Malian political veteran Choguel Maiga was announced as prime minister in a statement read out on Mali's national broadcaster.

The 63-year-old's appointment had been expected for days. As a leading figure in the opposition M5 movement, Malian observers view Maiga as a figure who can lend credibility to the post-coup administration.

The M5 helped build dissent that led to the ouster of former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita last August following mass protests over perceived corruption and a bloody jihadist insurgency.

But the movement became sidelined in the first post-coup government, which was dominated by military figures.

Goita salutes members of Mali's armed forces after being sworn in as transitional president. By ANNIE RISEMBERG (AFP)

This transitional government pledged to reform the constitution by October, and stage elections in February.

Still, the M5 became a vocal critic, calling the transitional government a "disguised military regime".

However there has a rapprochement between the group and the army since the May 24 coup.

Soon after the putsch, Goita floated that he wanted to appoint an M5 figure as his prime minister.

The appointment of a civilian premier fulfils a key international demand.

Rifts ahead

Maintaining its international partnerships, not least with former colonial power France, is crucial for Mali, one of the world's poorest countries and whose security forces suffer from poor equipment and training.

Current state of military presence in troubled Sahel region with French-led Operation Barkhane and international forces. By (AFP)

France has 5,100 troops stationed in the Sahel to help fight jihadist violence that erupted in Mali in 2012 and now threatens the region.

By stressing that Mali would stick to its commitments on Monday, Goita appeared to be seeking to allay international concerns.

In a move that will reassure foreign partners, the colonel also promised to continue work on the 2015 Algiers accord, a shaky agreement between the central government and several armed groups.

The deal, which has never been fully implemented, is seen as crucial to ending Mali's grinding conflict.

Its future was put into question, however, when it became clear that Maiga was poised to become the prime minister.

As an opposition figure, he had been a vocal critic of the peace accord.

Other potential rifts loom on the horizon.

Maiga is close to religious leader Mahmoud Dicko, who has repeatedly spoken in favour of negotiating with the jihadists -- a position ferociously opposed by France.

Goita himself alluded to such negotiations on Monday, stating during the ceremony that "inclusive national dialogue" will continue in a "judicious manner".

bur-sd-ah-siu/eml/dl
Walsh at the time ordered an independent investigation, which is ongoing, and said the disturbing issues were not known to me or my staff, but should have been at the forefront. White meanwhile has said the Mayors office was fully aware of the restraining order at the time of his hiring as police commissioner.
The UN Security Council on Monday called on the Central African Republic and "all forces present" in the conflict-wracked country to ensure the safety of its peacekeepers -- likely an implicit rebuke of Russian soldiers there as "instructors."

In a statement approved unanimously during a closed-door meeting spearheaded by France, the Council's 15 members also called for CAR forces, the Blue Helmets and others to coordinate their efforts.

The Council did not identify the other "forces" but seemed to be referring to a large contingent of Russian soldiers acting as unarmed "instructors" in the country.

Numerous witnesses and NGOs say the instructors are in fact paramilitaries from the Wagner Group, a shadowy private military company that is actively participating in the fight against CAR rebels, alongside Rwandan special forces and UN peacekeepers.

The Security Council also did not say what prompted their sudden meeting on the issue, simply saying that "attacks against United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes."

One diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity that the UN mission in the country (MINUSCA) has been subject to "obstacles and media attacks on the ground."

In late May, the UN under secretary-general for peacekeeping operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who visited the Central African Republic, cited "incidents" that happened between peacekeepers and other forces, without offering details.

Council members received a briefing from MINUSCA head Mankeur Ndiaye, but no details were made public.

"The members of the Security Council strongly condemned ongoing human rights violations and abuses and violations of international humanitarian law in the CAR, and stressed the need to bring to justice their perpetrators," the statement said.

"They called on all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access."

France, the former colonial power in the CAR, said Monday it was freezing aid and military cooperation with the government in Bangui, accusing authorities of being complicit in an anti-French disinformation campaign masterminded by Russia.

Paris has been under tough pressure to lift an arms embargo on the Central African Republic, in place since 2013 and which is expiring on July 31.

In a recent letter to the Security Council, released Monday by the UN, Angola, the Republic of Congo and the CAR again called for a special meeting aimed at getting the embargo lifted. A previous request in February went unheeded.

The perennially unstable Central African Republic, among the poorest countries in the world, has been gripped by civil war since a coalition of armed groups overthrew the government in 2013.
How did a foreign citizen disappear from Kenya's police headquarters and end up under arrest in Turkey, despite a court order banning his extradition?

A week after it emerged that Selahaddin Gulen, whose uncle is a longtime foe of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had been forcibly returned to his country, Kenya has remained silent on the abduction and any role it might have played.

Rights activists say the incident has put the spotlight on Kenya's history under President Uhuru Kenyatta of ignoring court orders and collaborating with foreign security agencies.

Since 2016, Turkey has arrested tens of thousands of people suspected of having links with US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of masterminding a failed coup in 2016 that left hundreds dead.

According to court documents filed in Kenya, his nephew Selahaddin Gulen, 30, a US permanent resident, travelled to the country on October 17 where he was arrested at the airport after clearing immigration.

Ankara had sent out an alert to Nairobi saying that Gulen was wanted for "child molestation" and asking that he be extradited to Turkey.

His lawyers said that the alleged child molestation case was "tried and concluded with an acquittal of the applicant in 2018".

They argued that "the Turkish government is on a protracted campaign to prosecute and persecute the applicant together with his family", saying that Selahaddin's brother, sister and 62 other family members were currently imprisoned.

"Their only crime was that they were related to one Fethullah Gulen," said a court filing.

The preacher, who lives in Pennsylvania, insists he is the head of a peaceful network of charities and companies, and denies any links to the 2016 coup bid.

In March, a Kenyan judge issued orders barring authorities from deporting Selahaddin -- who was also in possession of an asylum seeker pass -- to Turkey.

'Forcefully seized'

Under his bail conditions, Selahaddin had to report to the police every Monday.

According to an urgent court application filed by his lawyer Jotham Arwa on May 5, it was when he had presented himself at the main police headquarters in Nairobi two days previously that he was last seen.

Arwa accused Kenyan authorities of having "forcefully, wantonly and egregiously seized and detained the applicant incommunicado" in a "hasty and clumsy attempt to circumvent the law" and send him back to Turkey.

Turkish state news agency Anadolu said Selahaddin was brought back to Turkey by intelligence agents.

Police and immigration officials have not responded to numerous requests for comment.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan being welcomed by Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta in Nairobi in 2016. By SIMON MAINA (AFP)

Human Rights Watch's senior researcher in East Africa, Otsieno Namwaya, told AFP that in Kenya the narrative is that he was kidnapped by Turkish agents outside the police headquarters.

"Even if that were true, how did he get out of the country?"

"How do foreign agents manage to grab someone, and go out with him and take him to JKIA (international airport) and fly him outside the country? Without anyone asking questions? How can the government keep quiet on that issue?"

Namwaya said HRW planned to send a letter to the government demanding an explanation.

"The Kenyatta administration has become very notorious for collaborating with foreign security agencies and kidnapping foreign nationals who are in Kenya for security reasons," he said.

Kenyatta vs the judiciary

Namwaya recalled the case of two prominent critics of the South Sudanese government, lawyer Dong Samuel Luak and opposition member Aggrey Idri, who were kidnapped from Nairobi in January 2017, just days after a court blocked their deportation to South Sudan.

The United Nations said in 2019 it was "highly probable" the two men, who were taken back to Juba, had been executed by security agents.

Namwaya said HRW has heard many reports of Rwandans, Burundians, Congolese and Ethiopians being picked up in Kenya and forcibly returned to their homes, in many cases with the involvement of Kenyan security forces.

"The hostility of the Kenya government towards asylum seekers and refugees is just astonishing," he said.

"The government as it is now doesn't respect the courts at all."

Kenyan opposition supporters demonstrate in 2017 after Kenyatta won a presidential election re-run which the opposition boycotted. By Georgina Goodwin (AFP)

Last week, the Law Society of Kenya slammed a "continuous onslaught on the judiciary by the executive" after Kenyatta criticised the judiciary for recently blocking his attempts to reform the constitution.

Kenyatta also brought up a particularly sore issue, the nullification by the Supreme Court of his election victory in 2017 over widespread irregularities.

Kenyatta later won the re-run which the opposition boycotted.

Kenya and Turkey have close ties, but in 2016 Nairobi refused to close schools linked to the Gulenist movement despite pressure from Ankara.

In 1999, Turkish services arrested the leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, in Kenya. Ocalan remains imprisoned in Turkey.
The National Democratic Congress, NDC, has chided President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for being part of the final funeral rites of the former CEO of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, that flouted the governments existing COVID-19 protocols.

The President, his vice, the Chief Justice, and other state officials filed past the remains of Sir John last week amidst blatant neglect of the COVID-19 safety protocols.

This is in spite of the fact that the one-time NPP General Secretary died of COVID-19.

Viral videos from the funeral showed many people crowded at the venue with a handful of them wearing facemasks.

The number of people seen at the funeral were also far more than the expected 100 directed by the government as part of measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.

In an interview with Citi News, the National Chairman of the NDC, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, asked the government to act responsibly.

Mr. Ampofo insists the continuous disregard of the protocols by state officials does not send the right signals to the masses.

Anytime there is an attempt by the citizenry or groups of people to demonstrate against the ills of the society, every available means is found by the state authorities to prevent them from demonstrating, but you look at the President who himself has decided to flout all the regulations he himself has put in place in terms of COVID-19 protocols for funerals and others, and they are the very people breaking these protocols. So we are saying that the government must be up to their responsibilities.

On the same issue, a number of groups have also expressed their displeasure about the development.

For instance, Pressure Group, Occupy Ghana, while condemning the act, slammed government officials for their complicity.

To wake up to contrary behaviour by prominent members of the same government and other politicians, after we have seen the colossal human disaster that has unfolded in India, caused by unrestrained political activities and religious events that did not respect COVID-19 protocols, is both disappointing and frightening. We cannot show such a remarkable sense of recklessness and abandon in these times and not expect to reap disastrous and possibly deadly consequences.

The Ghana Medical Association, GMA, has called on the country's security agencies to deal with the organizers of the funeral.

They urged the IGP to act without fear or favour.

We call on the law enforcement agencies to investigate and deal with the organizers of this and any similar events to serve as a deterrent to others who intend to endanger the public health of our nation. We call on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to act without fear or favor in this regard, the GMA said in a statement.

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A former Deputy Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has condemned the blatant disregard for COVID-19 safety protocols during the final funeral rites of the late CEO of the Forestry Commission and one-time NPP General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, also known as Sir John.

The funeral had high-profiled state authorities including President Akufo-Addo, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Chief Justice, the Attorney General, Godfred Dame, and other ministers of state in attendance.

Viral videos from the funeral showed many people crowded at the venue with a handful of them wearing facemasks.

The number of people seen at the funeral were also far more than the expected 100 directed by the government as part of measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.

According to the Juaboso legislator, it is disturbing that President Akufo-Addo did not show leadership by drawing attention to the fact that the funeral he was attending was in complete defiance of his announced COVID-19 restrictions.

I thought the President was going to lead by example. It becomes exceedingly difficult for people to obey the law we make because the very people who propose the laws and approve them are the same people who at the end of the day flout those rules. It is unacceptable, he said in an interview on Eyewitness News.

The NDC MP said with information that Sir John died from COVID-19 complications, it was wrong that he was buried amidst a huge public gathering especially as the government had directed and forced other families whose relatives were lost to COVID-19 to have private burials or the state buried them without any funeral activity.

We are aware of how people who are killed by CVID-19 must be treated and buried. We saw the President file past Sir Johns corpse. Is this the kind of President superintending over the country? [It appears] there is a set of rules and laws for the ordinary Ghanaian, while others [government officials] decide to break the law at any point in time, he stated.

Kwabena Mintah Akandoh further called on the countrys law enforcement agencies to quickly take action against the organizers of the funeral saying that just as they have done to other citizens in the past by punishing them for breaking the COVID-19 protocols, they must apply the law in this instance.

We are looking at the law enforcers. If churches could be prosecuted and fined or jailed, we are looking at them. It is rather unfortunate, he added.

GMA condemns organizers

Meanwhile the Ghana Medical Association, GMA, has called on the country's security agencies to deal with the organizers of the funeral.

The Association in a statement said it is disappointed that the funeral was done in total disregard for COVID-19 protocols.

We call on the law enforcement agencies to investigate and deal with the organizers of this and any similar events to serve as a deterrent to others who intend to endanger the public health of our nation. We call on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to act without fear or favor in this regard, the GMA said in a statement.

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A 43-year-old poultry farmer is in the custody of the Tesano Divisional Police Command for allegedly defiling his 8-year-old stepdaughter.

The suspect was picked up at Ofankor after a close relative reported the incident to the police.

According to the Police, preliminary investigations revealed that the victim had been sexually abused several times by the suspect.

The Tesano Divisional Police Commander, ACP Oduro Amaning, in a Citi News said the suspect is in police custody.

It was his own daughter who came to report the issue to the police. She is a stepsister to the victim. She the victim told her [step-sister], that the father has been sleeping with her. According to her, the victim is eight years old. She added that the sister disclosed this to her in confidence. So when the victim came, we interrogated her and she narrated everything to us.

We then issued a medical form to her to go to the hospital and according to the medical report, her private part had been tampered with. So we charged the suspect with the offense and he is on remand currently after he was granted bail but couldnt meet the bail conditions.

Just last month, a 48-year-old mason was also sentenced to 15 years in prison for defiling a four-year-old girl at Odorkor in Accra.

Akwesi Yeboah pleaded not guilty to the charge of defilement, but was found guilty by the Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Ms. Christiana Cann, after a full trial.

The court was told that Yeboah applied a cream into the girl's vagina, which gave her a burning sensation, after which he inserted his finger into her private part and defiled her.

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National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dappah, has indicated that the country's security architecture will respect the rule of law and the fundamental human rights of citizens without compromising security.

Mr. Kan Dappah maintained that the security setup will not allow anyone to pose a threat to the country.

The operations of National Security have come under the radar in recent times following the alleged involvement of operatives in some illegal activities and the abuse of persons in their custody such as the recent arrest of Citi FM and Citi TV journalists, and the subsequent invasion of the premises of the media house last month.

But speaking at the launch of a national security strategy document on Monday, June 7, 2021, Albert Kan Dappah said national security will not compromise on the general security of the country.

He however said the security architecture will always respect the fundamental human rights of Ghanaians enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.

And may I assure all Ghanaians that we pledge to respect the rule of law, fundamental human rights, and freedoms of all Ghanaians as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, but let me also caution that the respect for human rights cannot and must not be compromised with strategic threats to national security.

Several organisations and individuals have called for reforms in the way the National Security particularly carries out its operations.

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A Deputy Minister-designate for Energy, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, has denied claims of conflict of interest against him in the botched PDS deal.

The MP for Sekondi, who was a Director and Secretary of TGN Energy Solution, one of the companies that formed PDS, said his role in the company did not affect his work as a Member of Parliament when the deal was brought to the House for consideration.

He also said he was never found in a conflict of interest position.

My understanding of interest which is really a legal construct is one that is in the nature of a property that is transferable either tangible or intangible, but with respect to duty or relationship with TGN Energy Solution is in the nature of fiduciary which is separate from interest.

So that is why I say I dont have any interest in TGN Energy Solution. I never received benefits from TGN Energy solution even though I was entitled to them.

The PDS brouhaha

PDS was in July 2019 found to have presented invalid insurance security for the takeover of ECG assets.

The company was initially supposed to furnish the ECG with payment securities in the form of either a demand guarantee or a letter of credit issued by a bank.

The insurance guarantee came about because of difficulties experienced with raising a bank guarantee.

PDS appealed to use a demand guarantee issued by an A-rated insurance company.

PDS thus submitted the Payment Securities in the form of demand guarantees issued by a Qatari insurance firm, Al Koot Insurance and Reinsurance, which eventually became the source fraud after it was discovered that there were fabricated letters and forged signatures.

The government also noted that Al Koot did not have the capacity to engage in such a transaction based on its net worth.

The company was also not authorised to issue demand guarantees.

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Ghana is losing billions of Cedis each year through inefficient and incompetent ministers, who cant create jobs or do anything significant to improve the lives of the common Ghanaians, simply because they don't know what to do.

The fact many can't ignore, especially those in the Diaspora aware of is that these so-called Ghanaian politicians or ministers will not be qualified for any ministerial job, other than to be cleaners or dishwashers in hotels, in Europe, or America.

In Europe, if you are qualified to work and you come from Africa, dont expect to get work as Ministers for Education, Health, Agriculture, or Tourism. Even though you have a diploma or certificate that shows what you studied, that will not secure you a job immediately in that field.

Firstly, the Europeans dont have an interest in Africas education; secondly, they depend on efficiency, experience, and productivity, of which they know very well that Africa lacks those qualities.

Thus, before you get any job, depending on what you have studied, you might follow a course, ranging from six months to one year, sometimes longer, followed by an examination to determine your potentials.

This has nothing to do with discrimination or racism. It is how they analyze your academic performance if qualified for the job, since you are to serve the country and the people.

The criteria of selecting qualified or the right people to serve the nation results in success and rapid development.

Africa is far behind development, not because the continent is poor. Apart from corruption, the people employed as ministers to take positions of many jobs are not qualified.

Many are employed because they are related to a politician - nepotism or paid a bribe to get that post. The result is what we are seeing now in every part of Africa, including Ghana. The lack of progress and developments.

In Europe and America, every minister knows what to do. They meet, coordinate policies, adopt laws, creating jobs, improving the already health sectors, combating against crimes, and improving the roads and lives of the people.

Such efficiency doesnt exist in Ghana. This is one of the reasons Ghanaian ministers serve eight years and go without creating a single job for the common people. An example is the current government in power, the NPP.

Imagine someone like Hawa Koomson, a minister who cant explain her own duties, what would be her benefit to Europe or America as a minister?

Thats why she can only work in Europe or America, as a cleaner or dishwasher to survive. Dont be deceived, dishwashers and cleaners earn better than many Ghanaian politicians.

Many Ghanaian politicians steal the government's money to build houses and purchase luxurious cars. An American or European cleaner acquires everything through hard work, as he pays his mortgage monthly.

Apart from the corruption that has affected all the infrastructures, Ghana is not progressing because we have many kinds like Hawa Koomson in Ghanaian politics.

In Europe and America, every politician involved in corruption scandals has to step down. He or she has to resign immediately. It saves the government with the impression that they don't condone corruption.

In Ghana, the government keeps corrupt politicians. We have such people in the NPP government, Charles Bissue, caught red-handed on camera, taking money from over illegal mining.

Another, Eugene Arhin, the Director of Communications at the office of the President, exposed by his own wife of amassing wealth just within the shortest period of joining politics.

This is the kind of politics in Ghana, therefore, we don't have to be angry if Donald Trump refers to the continent as a 'Shithole,' and African leaders mustn't feel disappointed if they are the least respected among world leaders.

Why possible for a country to be so rich with such a vast amount of resources yet the people continue to suffer?

That means both the president and the ministers lack knowledge. That's why the white man will let you clean or wash dishes in the developed world.
Most Nigerians are unhappy with President Muhammadu Buharis decision to suspend Twitter indefinitely, the Editor for International Center for Investigative Reporting in Abuja, Ajibola Amzat has said.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Monday, June 7, 2021, Mr. Amzat said the Presidents decision has become unpopular as it infringes on the fundamental human rights of citizens.

This decision by the government of Nigeria is a clear violation of the fundamental human rights and freedoms of Nigerians. You cannot tell Nigerians not to have access to a platform on which people not only communicate, but transact business. A lot of transactions take place on the platform.

The President cannot just decide to deny people access to the platform just because a tech giant has offended him. This is what the decision taken by the President means. Nobody was consulted, there was no debate whatsoever, the President just went ahead and took the decision.

Majority of Nigerians are very unhappy, he added.

Nigeria's government has suspended Twitters operations in the country indefinitely, as announced by the country's Information Minister, Lai Mohammed.

The ban is due to the persistent use of the platform for activities capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence, according to a statement released on Friday.

The decision was taken days after a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari was removed for breaching the site's rules.

Information Minister previously criticised the US social media giant's decision, calling it double standards.

The site  which was still available to users in Nigeria following Friday's announcement  removed a tweet sent by the president on 1 June.

It referred to the 1967-70 Nigerian Civil War and to treating those misbehaving today in the language they will understand.

A Twitter spokesperson said the post was in violation of Twitter Rules. The account owner will be required to delete the violative Tweet and spend 12 hours with their account in read-only mode. The statement gave no further details.

The statement also revealed that the national broadcasting regulator, NBC, has been told to start the process of licensing all OTT [internet streaming services] and social media operations in Nigeria.

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In 2017, Ratko Mladic appealed against a sentence of life imprisonment for war crimes committed in Bosnia in the mid-1990s. Judges at the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague described the atrocities carried out by troops under Mladic's command as "amongst the most heinous known to humankind". The result of his appeal will be announced on Tuesday.

Mladic orchestrated the massacre of 8,000 Muslim boys and men in Srebrenica in 1995.

That slaughter -- the worst single atrocity in Europe since World War II -- led media across the world to dub him "the butcher of Bosnia".

Former UN rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein described Mladic as "the epitome of evil" after his conviction.

But many Serbs continue to revere him.

"He only defended his people," Serb veteran Ljubo Tomovic told the French AFP news agency. "To convict him would be a disgrace and a sin."

'A simple man, protecting his people'

Mladic, who is in his late 70s, has repeatedly pushed the image of himself as "a simple man" chosen to protect his people.

"Fate put me in a position to defend my country that you Western powers had devastated with the help of the Vatican and the Western mafia," he told his appeal hearing last year.

Mladic oversaw the three-year siege of the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, his snipers and artillery shells killing thousands of men, women and children.

Video footage from Srebrenica shows him reassuring a 12-year-old Muslim boy shortly before his soldiers massacred thousands of civilians.

Days later, he is seen returning to a deserted Srebrenica, telling the camera: "We give this town to the Serb people as a gift."

Three dangerous men

Mladic formed a Serb nationalist triumvirate with political leader, Radovan Karadzic, and Yugoslav former president, Slobodan Milosevic. Together, they unleashed a wave of ethnic killing in a bid to redraw the map of the region.

Karadzic was the ideologue, Milosevic the politician, Mladic was the soldier.

Mladic was dismissed from his army post after being indicted in 1995, but evaded capture for another 16 years. He was finally arrested in May 2011 in northern Serbia.

His wartime leadership continues to be celebrated in murals around Republika Srpska -- the Serbian entity within Bosnia.

Republika Srpska leader Milorad Dodik is among many who hail Mladic as a hero, telling reporters last month: "There was no genocide in Srebrenica. There is no credible evidence or any other evidence that it was genocide."
The young mans parents allowed authorities to publicly identify him, Judd said, so the community knows that, Irrespective of what he was here to do, this was a 17-year-old high school kid that was viciously murdered last night in this county park. It never should have happened.
The Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) founded by businessman Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom has slammed the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Ernest Addison over his recent remarks on the suit filed by an equity fund and securities investment company based in the United States, Birim Group LLC.

Mr. Addison had said the suit filed against Dr. Nduom and 18 others including his immediate family, proves that BoGs financial sector clean-up was not a political witch-hunting exercise.

I thought that you will congratulate the Bank of Ghana for the work that was done in trying to identify the problems in that bank. Many people were out there vilifying us that we were on a witch-hunt, but now, you've had people outside the country using GN Bank for the same reasons.

So those who thought we didn't have a basis for what we did, now the evidence is out there that what the Bank of Ghana was trying to do was the appropriate thing, Mr. Addison had said.

The PPP in a statement rubbished these claims, insisting that the suit was a continuation of the deliberate and well-orchestrated political smear campaign against Dr. Nduom.

The party posited that the Governor was only seeking to give the suit a cloth of legitimacy and currency with his comments.

We find his remarks very unfortunate, misleading, and mischievous, the statement added. What did the suit say?

The plaintiff in the suit filed by Birim Group LLC alleged that Groupe Nduom engaged in many illegalities for the sole personal financial benefit of the Nduom family, and used his businesses as a conduit to facilitate the unlawful acts.

According to the writ, the plaintiff's assignors are victims of defendants' fraudulent, avaricious and criminal conduct perpetrated on more than a million unsuspecting depositors who have lost their life savings because of defendants' unlawful acts.

Reference was also made to the recent clean-up in Ghana's financial sector where the plaintiff claims a substantial portion of its [GN Bank] loans were illegally made to Nduom-related entities without the benefit of appropriate risk assessments, managements or determinants. Nduoms response

But Dr. Nduom has denied all the claims.

He argued that the plaintiff has no direct business with him or the other defendants, and therefore does not have a case.

This motion is brought by more than a dozen US Defendants named in the complaint but who have never met, spoken to, or be involved in any transaction with either Assignor. This includes Dr. Nduom and his immediate family; GN-IL, a Chicago bank in which Dr. Nduom invested, as well as GN-IL's outside directors and CEO, and three other companies owned in part by members of the Nduom family.

Groupe Nduom on April 5, 2021, filed a motion asking for a dismissal of the case.

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The wife of the late Nigerian televangelist and founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) Temitope Balogun Joshua, Evelyn Joshua, has open up about the death of her husband.

Mrs Joshua said the sudden passing of her husband popularly known as T.B. Joshua, has left the family devastated.

According to her, the televangelist had prayed for three hours before the last service on the mountain.

Afterward, he came up to shower and I left him to have some time to prepare for service as worship had started.

A few minutes later, he stepped out for ministration. While ministering, he spoke about a time to come and a time to leave. His statements were spiritual and suddenly, he left the stage and went to his inner chambers.

I waited a few minutes and thereafter decided to check on him. I met him sitting on the chair like someone reflecting but unconscious. I quickly beckoned on his disciples who came and tried to revive him to no avail, she told journalists a day after the incident.

Mrs Joshua said her 57-year-old husband ended his race prayerfully.

Of a truth, he went home to be with the Lord and left us with a message, watch and pray, Evelyn Joshua has been quoted as saying.

She took to Twitter to further mourn her husband saying: Losing a loved one is never easy; whether sudden or foreseen. It is always heart-breaking. Grief can wreak havoc on our overall well-being. That's why it's important to stay rooted in the Almighty. Only He can lessen our heartache and comfort us in these times. Seek refuge in him.

Reports indicate that the popular man of God had suffered a stroke just two months ago and was flown to Turkey to undergo treatment.

He was reportedly airlifted with an air ambulance from Nigeria to Turkey to receive treatment as his condition got critical.

The father of three was reported to have returned to Nigeria after treatment not too long before his death.

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At least one soldier was killed in an attack in northeastern Ivory Coast near the border with jihadist-hit Burkina Faso, the military said Tuesday.

"Armed individuals" late Monday attacked the village of Tougbo in the district of Bouna, armed forces headquarters said in a statement.

An Ivorian soldier died of wounds, it said, citing a provisional toll.

"A pre-deployed detachment of the armed forces responded immediately and repelled the enemy," the statement said. "There were no civilian casualties."

Troops were carrying out a sweep of the area with the help of reinforcements, it said.

The attack, the fourth this year, follows warnings from security experts that the bloody jihadist insurgency in the Sahel could spread to countries on the Gulf of Guinea

On March 29, dozens of suspected Islamists killed three members of the Ivorian security forces in a twin attack on border with Burkina.

Three "terrorists" were killed and four were arrested, the army said.

On April 12, a gendarmerie vehicle travelling in the same area was hit by an improvised explosive device, but without suffering any casualties, in the first known IED attack on Ivorian soil.

And on April 21, armed men attacked a military base near Ivory Coast's economic hub Abidjan, wounding a soldier.

Ivory Coast. By Laurence SAUBADU (AFP)

Three assailants were killed and a fourth injured and a dozen people were arrested, according to state media.

Ivory Coast was first hit in a jihadist attack in March 2016, when 19 people died in a raid on Grand-Bassam, a seaside resort near Abidjan.

In June 2020, 14 soldiers were killed in an attack at Kafolo that was blamed on jihadists.

Several attacks have been thwarted thanks to tip-offs shared among the French, Malian, Burkinabe and Ivorian intelligence services, according to Ivorian and French secuirity sources.

The insurgency in the Sahel sprang up in northern Mali in 2012 before advancing into Niger and Burkina Faso in 2015.

Burkina Faso is reeling from its bloodiest attack to date.

At least 132 people died -- 160, according to local sources -- when armed men on motorbikes overnight Friday attacked the village of Solhan, near the border with Mali and Niger.

More than 3,300 children, most of them children, have since fled the area, the UN refugee agency said on Tuesday.
Deputy General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Obiri Boahen has mounted a spirited defense on the fragrant disregard for Covid-19 protocols at the funeral ceremony of the late CEO of the Forestry Commission (FC) Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John).

Mr Obiri Boahen told Dzifa Bampoh on the First Take on 3FM Monday June 7 that most of the people in attendance observed all the protocols during the event.

If some persons were seen to have violated the protocols, he said, they should be dealt with in accordance with law as individuals, but not to blame the organizers of the funeral.

The president was there and he observed the COVID-19 protocols, the Vice President was there he observed the protocols, the Chief of Staff was there she observed the protocols, Nana Obiri Boahen was there the next day he observed the protocols. So if an individual fails to observe the COVID-19 protocols the individual must be held answerable.

John Boadu did, Asiedu Nketia observed the protocols. A lot of NDC activists were there and a lot of them observed the protocols so where do you put the blame on the New Patriotic Party and the government.

If an individual flouts the protocols he must be held answerable. [On Sunday] Accra Hearts of Oak played Great Olympics. What happened? People trooped in, people broke the gate, why are we not also commenting about that?

His comments come after the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and pressure group, OccupyGhana have asked the security agencies to arrest persons who flouted the protocols during the funeral.

Describing the funeral as a potential super spreader of the deadly viral disease, the GMA said investigations must quickly be launched into the organisation and the perpetrators dealt with.

The memories of the catastrophic consequences of the surge in Covid-19 cases in January-February 2021 including that of many lives lost and the pressure our healthcare system came under during the surge is fresh on our minds, the association of medical doctors and surgeons said in a statement issued and signed jointly by President Dr Frank Ankobea and General Secretary Dr Justice Yankson.

The GMA condemns such activities that violate our protocols and has the tendency to reverse all the gains made in our fight against Covid-19.

We call on the law enforcement agencies to investigate and deal with the organisers of this and any similar events to serve as a deterrent to others who intend to endanger the public health of our nation.

OccupyGhana also said in a statement that We cannot show such a remarkable sense of recklessness and abandon in these times and not expect to reap disastrous and possibly deadly consequences.

We need no reminders that by exercising bad judgment in releasing Aisha Huang, government created a defiant galamsey population on its hands and more destruction of our water bodies and forests ensued until it had to resort to the illegal and populist remedy of burning excavators to try and stem the tide of evil genie unleashed with the release of Aisha Huang. Similarly, this disregard of the law will embolden several people to treat COVID-19 protocols with disdain and contempt.

---3news.com
Climate Communications & Local Governance (CCLG)-Africa has observed that the environment plays a critical role in the very existence of humanity and so there is the urgent need to protect it.

The environment plays a vital role in living healthy as humans and our existence on planet earth, there is the need for us as humans to protect our surrounding and the environment. The climate emergency has made it even clearer that we need to protect our environment, CCLG-Africa said in a statement issued in commemoration of the World Environment Day, which fell on last Saturday, June 5, 2021.

The statement added, On the occasion of World Environment Day (WED) which is observed annually on the 5th of June, the Climate Communications and Local Governance Africa wishes to encourage Ghanaians and the rest of the world to participate in the activities marking this period.

The theme for this year is Ecosystem Restoration. The World Environment Day was officially established in 1974 by the United Nations (UN) to encourage the awareness of actions and inactions to protect the environment.

The statement signed by Kofi Don-Agor, President of CCLG-Africa, commended all Government Institutions, religious bodies and traditional authorities, non-state actors and individuals who in diverse ways have played major roles in planting trees and continue to plant in contribution to greening the environment.

Once again, CCLG-Africa encourages institutions and individuals to cultivate the habit of growing seedlings, planting trees in the home and in the local communities to improve afforestation and combat climate change.

Please find below the full text of the Press release:

PRESS RELEASE

OBSERVATION OF THE WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

On the occasion of World Environment Day (WED) which is observed annually on the 5th of June, the Climate Communications and Local Governance Africa wishes to encourage Ghanaians and the rest of the world to participate in the activities marking this period.

The theme for this year is Ecosystem Restoration. The World Environment Day was officially established in 1974 by the United Nations (UN) to encourage the awareness of actions and inactions to protect the environment.

This years celebration which is to mark the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, serves as an opportunity to create awareness on emerging issues on the environment: pollution on marine activities; pollution caused by activities due to the overpopulation of humanity; and global warming to sustainable consumption.

The environment plays a vital role in living healthy as humans and our existence on planet earth, there is the need for us as humans to protect our surrounding and the environment. The climate emergency has made it even clearer that we need to protect our environment.

The CCLG-Africa takes the opportunity to commend all Government Institutions, religious bodies and traditional authorities, non-state actors and individuals who in diverse ways have played major roles in planting trees and continue to plant in contribution to greening the environment.

Once again, CCLG-Africa encourages institutions and individuals to cultivate the habit of growing seedlings, planting trees in the home and in the local communities to improve afforestation and combat climate change.

SIGNED:

KOFI DON-AGOR

(PRESIDENT, CCLG-Africa)

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The Koforidua Circuit Court B presided by Her Honour Mercy Adei Kotei has admitted each of the 32 accused "galamsey operatives to bail of Ghc350,000 with two surety one to be justified.

This was after the lead Prosecuting officer Dickson Donkor, an Assistant State Attorney told the court that the charge sheet has been substituted therefore mounted no opposition to plea for bail for the accused by the defense counsels.

The case has been adjourned to July 7, 2021.

The accused persons burst into a joyous mood when they were onboard a prisoner transport vehicle which transported them to court, and started singing praises to God.

Some of them were heard saying who say man no dey."

Some family members who thronged the court were excited. A woman who cried uncontrollably on Monday, May 24, 2021 when the accused were refused bail, sat on the floor thanking God for the bail granted the accused persons.

Berserk

Some galamsey operatives arrested for engaging in illegal mining in the Atewa Forest went berserk on Monday, May 24, 2021, at the premises of Koforidua Circuit Court B after the court refused them bail.

The prosecution led by Dickson Donkor and Helen Samlafo both state Attorneys, and Silvester Asare  Police Prosecutor prayed the court to remand the accused persons into Police Custody to enable further investigation into some names of individuals mentioned by the accused persons as those who allegedly sent them.

But the lawyers for the accused persons, however, prayed to the court that their clients will not run away and that they will be available anytime the court needs them, therefore, be considered to grant them bail.

The court presided by Her Honour Mercy Addei Kotei, however, remanded the accused into Police Custody to reappear on June 8, 2021.

This is the second time the accused persons have been refused bail by the Court.

Friends and family members of the accused persons who were expectant of bail for the accused persons were disappointed and cried uncontrollably at the premises of the court.

Some of the accused persons seated in handcuffs in a bus, went berserk accusing the ruling New Patriotic Party of using and dumping them.

Some of them alleged that the party used them to commit atrocities in Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election as well as the 2020 Presidential election in Kumasi.

You sent us to Ayawaso, in the 2020 elections you sent us to Kumasi to make a show. But today you are calling us thieves meanwhile it is the office of the President that sent us to the Atewa Forest. NPP is not a good party. We will show them.

The 32 accused persons are George Asante, Kwaku Frimpong, Alfred Kyei, Yaw Opoku, Richard Nartey, Paul Osei Kuffour, Dominic Beblie, Samuel Kofi Edusei, Silas Boakye Gyan, Joseph Oduro Asare, Mukaila Attah, Stephen Opoku, Michael Quansah, Derrick Adu Kwakye, Razark Suleman, Stephen Kofi Felan, Dominic Ghansah, Robert Nartey Tetteh, Eric Addei, Yakubu [email protected] Jordan 1 and Benlord [email protected] Commander.

The rest are Adam Dakurugu, Kwame Isaac, Joe Acquah, Emmanuel Arhin, Samuel Asiedu Gyamfra, David Akakpo, Ebenezer Boateng, Joseph Kwaku Gyqmfi, Fuseini Alhassan, Alhassan Asibi and Gabriel Dormate.

They have been charged provisionally with possession of firearms without lawful excuse.

Brief facts

The brief facts of the case are that the accused persons are a group of persons who carried themselves as operatives of the National Security.

According to the Prosecution, the security agencies picked up information that the accused persons armed with weapons and riffles were undertaking illegal mining activities in the name of the National Security and harassing the natives of villages around the Eastern Region with their weapons.

The Prosecutor said, upon the strength of the information, a team of officers both plain clothes and uniform officers from the National Security secretariat were dispatched to the area to ascertain the facts.

He told the court that, the officers together with a team of police officers from the Eastern Regional Police command proceeded to the Akenteng portion of the Atewa forest reserve, near Osinease in the Eastern Region where the team met and rescued the accused persons from an angry youth at Akenteng.

The Prosecution said preliminary investigations revealed that, the accused persons are a group of persons who carried themselves as National Security Operatives whereas in fact, they are not.

The Prosecution said, the accused persons armed with weapons and parading themselves as National Security Operatives have been visiting several mining towns and villages within the Ashanti and the Eastern Region to undertake illegal mining activities.

It was also established that the accused persons as part of their unlawful activities threatened, demanded and seized an unspecified kilo of gold and huge sums of money from certain small-scale miners (Galamsey) in the name of the National Security.

He said, on May 4, the accused persons armed with rifles stormed the Akenteng forest reserve in the Eastern Region as officers of the National Security in furtherance of their identity and mission pounced on them in the forest whilst digging for gold and arrested them.

The accused persons according to the prosecution, were later brought to Accra for further interrogations.

The Prosecution said, in the course of interrogation, the accused persons indicated that they were not officers of the National Security as they alleged.

They however claimed ownership of the weapons retrieved.

According to the prosecution, the accused persons added that they were in the forest to undertake reconnaissance.

Exhibits retrieved from the accused persons include a Tudor short gun, pump-action gun, two bad short guns, assault rifles and 10 rounds of ammunition as well as a cougar pistol.

The team also retrieved from the accused persons 12 Gotta handsets, three handcuffs, four shovels and an electronic shocker.

---kasapafm
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Security Analyst, Saani Adib has cast doubt on governments commitment to undertake the full implementation of the countrys first ever National Security Strategy (NSS).

He fears this all-important security strategy may be shelved just like other policy documents already introduced in the system.

The documents are plenty and Ghanaians are becoming tired of the lack of action to back these policies. Has the Vigilantism and Related Offenses Law been applied after its enactment? Is like these document has been sent to the national archive. We need action on the ground and enough of the talk. The implementation of that security document is critical, Saani Adib said in an interview with host Bonohene Baffour Awuah on Ghana Kasa on Kasapa 102.5 Fm.

The National Security Strategy(NSS) was drafted by a multi-sectoral working group, according to the Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah.

The NSS is essentially the blueprint reference document for the coordination of the total national response effort to protect and safeguard the nation from threats, risks, challenges to its security and stability from both the domestic and international environments.

Addressing a brief ceremony on Monday, June 07, 2021, to officially launch the National Security Strategy and to commission the new national security building at the forecourt of the National Security Ministry, President Akufo-Addo said the strategy has been developed at a time when the threat to the security of the country and the West African sub-region is on the increase. The President therefore noted that the countrys security apparatus owe the people of Ghana a duty to implement the strategy without fail in order to secure the territorial integrity of the nation at all times.

The strategy, regardless of its potency, cannot yield desired results until successfully implemented. Our success will therefore be based on how we implement the National Security Strategy, President Akufo-Addo said.

The Ministry of National Security will serve as the lead government ministry for the implementation of the strategy, President Akufo-Addo added.

Saani Adib intimated that is gratifying to see a National Security Strategy come to light after technocrats clamouring for this document for ages.

Hes optimistic Ghanas security will get better with the launch of the National Security Strategy after remaining reactive over the years in security matters as a nation.

---kasapafm
Striking Senior Staff Association of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has today chased out some senior members of the university for defying the strike directive.

The association is on strike over demands for improved conditions of service and the payment of outstanding Tier-2 pension contributions.

Meanwhile, the government paid the principal amount of the allowances in contention a few days after the strike was announced.

However, the striking staff insist until government pays their interest on the principal money they will not call off the strike.

Kasapa News Ashanti regional correspondent Isaac Justice Bediako reports that initially, the essential services providers were exempted from the strike but two weeks into their strike the university communicated to them, since they are senior, staff to also join.

In other to ensure full compliance with the strike directive, a task force was on Monday morning deployed to the KNUST hospital to check if their colleagues were complying.

Some of the Senior staff who were spotted on duty were asked to pack out in a polite manner without any resistance.

Currently, academic exercise at KNUST basic school and JHS has come to a halt as a result of the strike.

The once active basic school has been shut down to teaching and learning leaving only the security personnel at post to man the campus.

---kasapafm
The Progressive People's Party (PPP) says the second wave of vicious attacks against its founder and Groupe Nduom President, Dr. Paa Kwasi Nduom is a face-saving exercise by government led by the governor of the Bank of Ghana.

Nduoms GT Bank as well as several of his businesses suffered a great deal during the financial sector clean-up by the ruling government in the first term of President Akufo-Addo.

Just last month, an equity fund and securities investment company based in the United States, Birim Group LLC, filed charges against Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom.

In a writ, Groupe Nduom, the umbrella company for 60 other businesses owned by Dr. Nduom has been accused of laundering a total of $63,000,000.

Recently in a response to a question relating to the suit filed by Birim LLC against Groupe Nduom, at the 100th Monetary Policy Meeting, the BoG Governor Dr. Ernest Addison said the suit is evidence out there that the BoG's financial sector reform was not a political witch-hunting exercise especially in relation to GN Bank.

In reaction, the PPP has accused Dr. Addison of abandoning the field of his expertise to act as a political foot soldier.

According to the political party, it believes the suit is the work of some government actors embarking on a face-saving agenda and also distract campaigners of the Fix the Country movement.

This second wave of vicious attacks against the person of Dr. Nduom is a face-saving exercise for a botched and politically motivated financial sector reform. It is also to divert attention from the FixTheCountry campaign led by the youth of Ghana. The incessant attacks on Dr. Nduom are not in the best interest of the Republic of Ghana, part of the release from the PPP read.

Insisting that the latest attacks against its founder Dr. Nduom will not work, the PPP wants government to rather channel its energy towards settling its indebtedness to financial institutions.

The most important solution is for the Bank of Ghana and the Government of Ghana to validate the claims of its indebtedness to these financial institutions even if those debts are indirectly owed to these firms, as lawyers of the Bank of Ghana had been arguing in court, the PPP noted in a press release.

Below is the full press release from the PPP:

PPP addresses mischievous remarks by Ernest Addison at the 100th Monetary Policy Meeting

This statement is to address and respond to a number of inaccurate, unfortunate and misleading remarks made by the Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. Ernest Addison. In a response to a question relating to the suit filed by Birim LLC against Groupe Nduom in the United States, at the 100th Monetary Policy Meeting, the BoG Governor effectively made the following unfortunate statements:

That the suit is evidence out there that the BoG's financial sector reform was not a political witch-hunting exercise especially in relation to GN Bank.

That the US court system is more expeditious than our courts

That shareholders and directors took assets from the collapsed banks.

We find the above remarks very unfortunate, misleading and mischievous and wish to respond as follows: -

That the suit is evidence out there that the BoG's exercise in the financial sector reform was not a witch-hunting exercise especially in relation to GN Bank.

On this statement, we wish to state that the suit filed in the United States by Birim LLC is actually a continuation of the deliberate and well-orchestrated political smear campaign against a Ghanaian businessman and politician, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom by some elements in the current administration. We see the suit as an attempt to divert attention from the negative image that the government has suffered for its high-handedness in the reform agenda. The suit is an attempt by elements in the government, working with their collaborators, to strenuously seek some form of external or third-party vindication for their deliberate collapse of the businesses of the veritable entrepreneur Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom. That is why we see the governor's comments as a corollary to the bizarre suit and an unfortunate attempt to give the suit a cloth of legitimacy and currency.

That the US court system is more expeditious than our courts

This comment sought to create the impression that the suit filed by the Birim LLC against Groupe Nduom had been expeditiously decided and that the frivolous and baseless claims against Dr. Nduom had been upheld by the court in the US. For the records, the US court in Chicago seized with the matter has not made any pronouncements or delivered its ruling in the matter for the BoG Governor to draw the unfortunate conclusion of a somewhat expeditious trial in the United States.

At the current stage, Counsel for Dr. Nduom and others has filed a response to the suit and has given cogent reasons for the consideration of the court for the matter to be dismissed. The comments by the Governor created the impression that the matter had been concluded and that the wild allegations had been proven or upheld by the court.

Secondly, the suit is between a surrogate claimant and Dr. Nduom and not a case brought against Dr. Nduom by the United States government as some media houses misreported the facts.

Thirdly, on the question of the slowness of our processes, we would like to remind the Governor, and by extension the government, that "slow court processes" in Ghana is a two- way traffic and that some shareholders and directors who also sued the BoG or the government suffer the same processes bemoaned by the Governor. Judgements in some of the cases have been arrested by the same BoG utilizing the very legal processes available in Ghana. To proceed to express some kind of frustration with the processes creates the unfortunate impression that it is only the BoG or the government that suffers undue delays in our courts. Shareholders who have sued the Bank of Ghana are also going through the same legal processes described as slow by the Governor.

Moreover, we would like to address the wild allegations of money laundering levelled against Dr. Nduom by many different people as part of this smear campaign. For the avoidance of doubt, Dr. Nduom and Groupe Nduom have not engaged in any money laundering activity anywhere. In fact, the Bank of Ghana itself has not come to that conclusion or at least, they have not publicly made that allegation against the veritable businessman.

Money Laundering is a criminal offence under our laws and it is regulated by the Anti- Money Laundering Act 2020, Act 1044. According to the Act 1044, a person commits the offense of money laundering when that person converts, conceals or transfers the PROCEEDS OF AN UNLAWFUL ACTIVITY for the purpose of concealing or disguising the illicit origin of the proceeds. The law also defines what an UNLAWFUL ACTIVITY means and lists about 25 criminal offences and prohibited activities such as trade in narcotics, murder, kidnaping, terrorism, child trafficking etc. Neither Dr. Nduom nor Gold Coast, nor GN Bank nor any of the GN Companies has been engaged in any criminal activity or prohibited activity that constitute an unlawful activity under our laws.

At worst, the allegation of insolvency as result of government's refusal to pay its indebtedness to the Groupe is what has been used as a pretext to revoke the licenses of his companies. Hitherto, the companies were licensed and regulated and were engaged in open legitimate lawful business activity for over twenty-five years.

The transfer of funds for the purpose of procuring a fleet of vehicles, industrial raw materials, office equipment, furniture, computers, air conditioning units for 300 plus offices, heavy industrial generators, heavy industrial machinery for printing, manufacturing, quarrying, construction, rice milling and other consumable supplies does not and cannot constitute money laundering. In fact, GN Bank alone had more than three hundred vehicles at the time of receivership, which vehicles have been abandoned and at the mercy of the vagaries of the weather, in addition to the huge cost of garage services, possibly provided by cronies of the people involved in the whole plot.

That shareholders and directors took assets from the collapsed banks.

It is unfortunate for the BoG Governor to continue to focus on what they call prudential violations committed by the directors and shareholders and completely ignore where the substantial parts of the so called taken assets are located. Some of the shareholders and directors have made legitimate and credible claims of the huge government of Ghana's indebtedness to some of these financial institutions, that if they were paid promptly by the government, the firms would not be classified as insolvent or illiquid.

If assets were taken from a bank, and the assets can be traced to the government of Ghana, even if the transfer of assets to the government was in violation of prudential norms, what is the big deal? Does the indebtedness disappear because the money was lent to government of Ghana contractors in violation of the rules of financial intermediation?

The Suit in the United States

We would like to take this opportunity to provide some details about the suit filed in the United States. Two former customers of two Groupe Nduom companies in Ghana have ostensibly SOLD their claim against Gold Coast and GN Bank to a US based company called Birim LLC. So Birim LLC claims that they have paid what GN or Gold Coast should have paid to these two customers. Instead of filing a claim with the Receiver and the Liquidator, as the government of Ghana announced as the procedure to make a claim against GN Bank and Gold Coast, Birim LLC, as part of the smear campaign decided to rather file a suit in the United States as a pretext to make a barrage of unfounded allegations against Dr. Nduom and his business entities. Among other things, the suit is about a claim of $30,000 in respect of the Gold Coast customer with interest and legal fees against Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom. The suit offers no proof of wire fraud or anything of that nature. It merely refers to a mysterious report from the Bank of Ghana to which an appropriate answer has been offered by GN.

What is the interest of Birim LLC, that it would ACQUIRE or "BUY" all the interest of Margaret Sekyere's investment? We should pay particular attention to the following facts: Margaret Sekyere has filed a lawsuit at the High Court of Ghana still pending for her alleged investment; she has also filed a claim with the Securities & Exchange Commission for a claim of GHC134,000 for which GHC74,000.00 has been validated. She has possibly received the initial bailout amount of GHC50,000.00 from GCB Capital, which amount Dr. Nduom will be expected to pay to the government of Ghana from his money with the same government of Ghana contractors. Then she sells her interest to Birim LLC. We are at sea as to the real intentions of these conspirators. Is it about recovering funds or to pursue with others a sinister plan against a Ghanaian citizen?

The Governor of the Bank of Ghana is seemingly rejoicing over something which has not taken place. Is he sitting in Ghana pronouncing victory for a case in the US which has just begun? The Governor has left his field of expertise and is now acting like a clear political foot soldier. In fact, the BoG Governor was so much in a hurry to vilify Dr. Nduom that he refused to notice that the suit in the United States side-stepped his own instituted procedure for claims against the so called companies under receivership. Some faceless entity like Birim LLC has conspired with Margaret Sekyere to IGNORE your own stated procedures, and yet you are happy to report their actions as a vindication of the deliberate collapse of Ghanaian companies. We would rather consider their action as a vote of no confidence in your stewardship. For the avoidance of doubt, per the claims of Birim LLC, they should have taken over the interest of Margaret Sekyere in the suit she filed in Ghana and also her claims she filed against Gold Coast with the SEC. This is what the lawyers call Lis pendens, instead of filing this frivolous case far away in the United States as an agent of elements in government determined to destroy a Ghanaian businessman. These attempts will never fly.

Conclusion

The most important solution is for the Bank of Ghana and the Government of Ghana to validate the claims of its indebtedness to these financial institutions even if those debts are indirectly owed to these firms, as lawyers of the Bank of Ghana had been arguing in court.

This second wave of vicious attacks against the person of Dr. Nduom is a face-saving exercise for a botched and politically motivated financial sector reform. It is also to divert attention from the FixTheCountry campaign led by the youth of Ghana. The incessant attacks on Dr. Nduom is not in the best interest of the Republic of Ghana. He was and is still creating the much-needed jobs our teeming youth are seeking. The power of government must be exercised in support of its citizens and not to be construed as a tool against political opponents. The government would be better off fixing the unemployment situation than engaging in needless attacks on its own citizens. #FixTheCountryNow.

Sign

Felix Mantey

Director of Communications

0243560186
COVID-9 frontline health workers at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH) in the Central Region, have threatened to withdraw their services if government does not pay them their share of the allowances promised them.

In April 2020, President Akufo-Addo announced that all frontline health workers helping in the fight against COVID-19 would receive an additional allowance of 50 percent of their basic salary per month.

But according to frontline workers at CCTH, all efforts to get their outstanding allowances paid have proven futile.

They have given the government until June 14, 2021, to pay all their allowance arrears, which span from July to December 2020, or they will stop attending to Covid-19 related cases.

In an interview with Citi News, one of the workers, Brilliant Donne, said the allowances for April, May, and June were paid. After June, the President extended it to September, which has not been paid till now. After September, he extended it once more to December, making it six months in all. Our 6 months allowances havent been paid to date.

Meanwhile, our colleagues in other hospitals say they have been paid. All efforts to get the allowances paid have been unfruitful. We feel we are being taken for granted. And if care is not taken, our toil will go unrewarded, he lamented.

Another member of the team, Peter Naab, said all our efforts to get the allowances paid, just as has been done for our colleagues in other hospitals, have yielded no results. We are left with no other option than to go on strike after the window weve given.

We planned on this some time ago, but management constantly pleaded that we hold on with our intention. This time around we have had enough, and we are not going to settle for anything less.

---citinewsroom
While police were en route to that restaurant, first responders got a call about a woman behaving in a similar fashion at an Outback Steakhouse just down the road. When law enforcement officers arrived, there was shattered glass on the eaterys bar and Kindred was holding a liquor bottle, which she hurled at cops. That bottle missed, but she threw two more, one of which allegedly grazed an officers arm and got him wet.
A hospital in troubled eastern DR Congo was looted and torched during fighting between government forces and an armed group, an aid group and local officials said on Tuesday.

The general hospital in Boga in Ituri province was "deliberately targeted in a brutal attack" on Monday, said Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which supports the facility.

The hospital was "the last structure in the area which provided treatment to people," it said in a statement.

The pharmacy and medical store were looted, the intensive care unit burned down and other buildings were pillaged, it said.

MSF said it knew "little" about the attackers or why they targeted the hospital.

But the army blamed a notorious militia, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which on May 31 slaughtered 57 people in the area.

Nine children who were being treated in the paediatric service and two adult patients are awaiting transfer to another hospital, MSF said.

Kabimba Zitono, head of the Rubingo administrative area, said at least four civilians were killed, and that the church in Boga as well as the hospital had been burned.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's troubled eastern provinces. By Sophie RAMIS (AFP)

The unidentified attackers are believed to have holed up in a neighbouring village, he told AFP.

The army said the ADF, which has been blamed for massacring hundreds of people this year, set the hospital ablaze while retreating from government troops.

A historically Ugandan Islamist group that the United States links with the so-called Islamic State, the ADF is the deadliest of scores of armed militias that roam the mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

MSF said the attack on the hospital "showed blatant disregard for the neutrality of hospitals and medical spaces" and urged all combatants to respect medical infrastructure and personnel.

DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi on May 6 proclaimed a 30-day "state of siege" in Ituri and neighbouring North Kivu province to help stem the violence.

Governors and other senior officials have been replaced by army officers or police.

The measure was renewed for another 30 days by the National Assembly on Thursday.
Turkey's military presence in Libya is under growing pressure amid increasing international and Libyan calls for all foreign forces to leave the country. The pressure is predicted to grow as critical players in the Libyan civil war meet in Berlin this month.

Turkey has deployed hundreds of soldiers and encouraged thousands of Syrian fighters to support the Libyan Government of National Accord in its battle against forces led by General Khalifa Hafta, who is backed by Russian and Sudanese mercenaries.

Now, with a ceasefire in force and elections scheduled for December, pressure is growing for all foreign troops to leave Libya.

"There have been two UN Security Council Resolutions already for the removal of all foreign presence from Libya, be it Turkish, Russian, Sudanese, so yes, the political terrain has changed very much," said Aya Burweila, a visiting lecturer at the Hellenic National Defense College in Athens.

"There has been an increasing realisation that Turkey was building up its presence on the Mediterranean in Libya," she added. "So I think the EU, as well as the United States, had a rude awakening about Turkish intentions in Libya."

Turkish forces claim to have been 'invited'

Ankara insists Libya's internationally recognised government has invited Turkish forces. But in May, Libya's Foreign Minister Najla El-Mangoush called for all foreign fighters to quit, including Turkish soldiers.

The Turkish military has already established an airbase in Libya and, according to Turkish media reports, is seeking to build a naval base. The growing military presence has drawn intense criticism from France, with Ankara and Paris increasingly competing for regional influence.

Ilhan Uzgel, an international relations analyst who writes for the Turkish news portal Duvar, predicts that Ankara will likely yield to international pressure and partly reduce its military presence.

"The Arabs will not like it (Turkish military in Libya), the Libyan population will not like it in the mid to longer term. But for now, in order to maintain the balance of the forces in the country, they (Libya) may allow a small symbolic number of Turkish troops there. And This will make Erdogan's job easier - he can claim Turkey still has a military presence in this country.

"But Turkey will definitely withdraw the jihadists, the fighters that they carried all the way from Syria. Turkey can maintain a small number of liaison officers there, not a combat force, not a tactical force. But Turkey's military presence there is a very strong bargaining chip for Turkey," said Uzgel.

Ankara regards Libya as a bargaining token

A US defense department report last year said Turkey sent thousands of paid Syrian fighters to Libya. Ankara denies any Syrian fighters deployed in Libya have links to Jihadist groups. Turkey is currently seeking to improve relations with both Washington and the European Union, and cooperation over Libya is seen by Ankara as substantial leverage.

Turkish presidential advisor Mesut Casin defends his country's military deployment to Libya but says they are ready to withdraw under certain circumstances.

"If Turkey did not send out a military force, we will be seeing a very big conflict," said Casin, "How can we withdraw Turkish military forces? It will be possible if the other foreign forces withdraw their military people. "

However, Casin says the Turkish military can play a new important regional role in Libya.

"Turkey did not want military influence in Libya; we don't need it. But Turkey and also European Union maybe work together. Turkey aims to support the Frontex European Union border security. This is not only for Turkey, even Italy, and also Malta support this situation," added Casin.

With Libya one of the main gateways for migrants seeking to enter the European Union illegally, analysts claim Ankara is likely calculating that helping to secure the EU's southern border can give it essential future leverage.
Freelance journalist Olivier Dubois was kidnapped two months ago by members of the Group to Support Islam and Muslims, the most powerful jihadist alliance in the Sahel region of northern Africa. Speaking to RFI and France 24, the mother of his children, Deborah Al Hawi Al Masri, says she is frightened at the prospect of a military intervention and would prefer to see diplomatic negotiations for his release continue.

Olivier Dubois was working in the city of Gao in northern Mali when he was abducted in early April.

He has since appeared in a video, apparently released by the islamist Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM), confirming that he is being held by members of this Al-Qaeda affiliate, and urging the Malian and French authorities "to do everything to secure his freedom".

The French government has confirmed that Olivier Dubois is missing, but has not confirmed the identity of his kidnappers.

The national anti-terrorist unit has opened a preliminary inquiry into a suspected kidnapping by an organised gang, linked to a terrorist organisation.

The French Foreign Affairs Minister, Jean Yves Le Drian, has said France is doing its utmost, "as always in this sort of case. We have frequently been successful, even if the results have not been immediate," the minister continued.

Confidence in French and Malian authorities

Olivier Dubois' partner, and mother of his children, Deborah Al Hawi Al Masri, says she has the support of the French and Malian authorities, and has confidence in both to organise his safe return.

Asked if she believes that an armed military operation might free him more rapidly, a visibly moved Al Masri replies that such an option leaves her "extremely frightened".

"I am in favour of diplomatic discussions," she told RFI. "A military effort is something that frightens me very much. We're talking about Olivier's life. For me, he's not just a journalist. He's the father of my children. He's the person that I love and I'm terrified at the prospect of a military intervention.

"I have great faith in both France and Mali. But if they were to ask my opinion, I would say they should keep talking. Because all I want is for Olivier to come back, unharmed, to me and his children. That's all I want."

Political instability not an issue

Deborah Al Hawi Al Masri says she does not think the current political instability in Bamako, where the government is being reorganised in the wake of a second coup d'etat in nine months, will have any bearing on the safety of Olivier Dubois.

France has temporarily suspended military co-operation with the Malian authorities.

Al Masri bases her confidence on the solidity and historical depth of Franco-Malian relations. She says the energy and the interests of the two states will converge to ensure that Dubois is safely returned to his family.

"That's what I believe," she continues. "That's what helps me to keep going."

In the final moments of the interview, Deborah Al Hawi Al Masri address her partner directly, in the hope that he might hear the interview, or at least hear about it. She assures Olivier Dubois that the couple's children are well and that he is terribly missed.

She confirms that huge efforts are being made to ensure his release.

"We love you enormously, infinitely," she concludes. "And we're waiting for you to come back, patiently and confidently. We love you."
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A few days ago, I saw a video on social media of some men and women engaged in serious fisticuffs in what appeared to be the chamber of some Parliament. The dramatis personae were all adults of seemingly sound mind and when I read that the venue of that juvenile behaviour was allegedly the chamber of the African Parliament, I smiled and shook my head. My mind momentarily went to our own day of national disgrace of a few months ago  7th January, 2021. I closed my phone, left social media behind and returned to the flesh and blood reality called life. For a couple of minutes, strangely, I could not shake off the pictures of that day floating in my mind, especially the swearing in of the Speaker, the Vice-President and the President of the Republic. I found my memorys wanderings strange because at my age, I have had the great fortune of watching all the eight swearing in ceremonies on TV. I just couldnt put a finger on why several months after the ceremony, my mind was ruminating on the scenes I saw on TV that day.

Then, eureka! My thoughts settled on the Judicial Secretary, the second female to occupy the position in this 4th Republic, and I presume, the second ever since independence. It was her first attendance at a swearing in ceremony as she had been appointed in October, 2018. She reportedly resigned from another public service institution to take up the Judicial Secretary position as she could not have held two portfolios within the public sector. In my thoughts, I remembered her meekly and mildly taking out sheets of paper containing the various oaths of office from a black portfolio for the Chief Justice to administer to the Republics top three VVIPs. The thought that a grown person in full legal regalia will be part of a ceremony just to turn over a sheet of paper and a pen to His Lordship, the Chief Justice in his white-gloved hands seemed so feudal to me but, it is tradition! Perhaps, if we modify and modernize the pomp and ceremony, it might open the floodgates for our traditions to be diluted, dented and disregarded. We have bought this tag line before, havent we? Opening the floodgates is the new euphemism for continuity. It has been adopted by contented public servants who are just fine with the way things are and wishes them to remain so. That way, they need to do very little and our society stays stagnant for centuries while for other countries, the notion of opening their floodgates is what has led to their innovation and advancement in all spheres of life. That is why for us, a childs eagerness to go to school is not as relevant as the type of natural hair he carries on his head. We thank God for a forward-looking judgment that has saved the day and saved us from ourselves. But I digress.

Who is a judicial secretary and what role do judicial secretaries play?

The current Judicial Secretary was appointed as such in her capacity as a lawyer of standing on the roll of lawyers in October, 2018. In less than two years, that is, in August 2020, she was appointed as a judge of the Court of Appeal. Now, Her Ladyship had to ditch her own ceremonial gown for the drab black gown and collaret worn by lawyers for the national swearing in ceremony. She could not be seen wearing the same regalia as the Chief Justice and at same time, serve as his attendant. Interestingly, her colleagues on the Court of Appeal bench and her juniors on the High Court bench attending the swearing in ceremony had to wear their ceremonial robes, that is, the red velvet gown and extended wigs; the same as the one worn by the Chief Justice. I believe it was to avoid some of these awkward situations that for so many years after independence, lawyers and not judges, served as judicial secretaries. Those who wanted a career on the bench only did so after they left the judicial secretary position; for instance, the late G. A Aryeetey was a lawyer when he was appointed as Acting Judicial Secretary and he joined the High Court bench only after he left his position as acting judicial secretary. The judge cum judicial secretary combination appears to have started with the appointment of the incumbents predecessor as a High Court judge whiles serving as judicial secretary. The practical challenges are now manifesting themselves as will be demonstrated presently.

In the earlier ruminations I alluded to, I guess my thoughts dwelled on the Judicial Secretary longer than necessary because I started wondering what might have happened to her after that swearing in ceremony. The reason was not far-fetched. Soon after ushering the nation into the 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic, the Judicial Secretary appeared to have taken a leave of absence. This is because the Hon. Chief Justice of the Republic resorted to writing and signing his own official letters on the letterhead of the Office of the Hon. Chief Justice. As is the convention and practice, all communication from the Judiciary and the Chief Justice as its head emanates from the Judicial Secretary, and so, this development raised many an eye-brow. Secondly, when citizens of Ghana, personified as the media, were perceived to be all-knowing and commenting ignorantly on the 2020 Presidential Election Petition pending before the Supreme Court, the judiciary reportedly instructed a private law firm to write and warn the erring fellows. No one knew where the Judicial Secretary then was. And when those the cap seemingly fit decided to wear it and asked the letter writer to bring it on, the lot fell on a Justice of the Supreme Court, no less, and not the Judicial Secretary, to address a joint press conference with the media on behalf of the Chief Justice.

The Chief Justices invitation to the public to criticize the judiciary.

The Justice of the Supreme Court, speaking for the Chief Justice, did a good job by calling upon all and sundry to criticize the bench violently but pleaded that the bench should not be insulted. His Lordship delivered the criticize us violently sermon against the backdrop of the bronze busts of the three slain High Court judges and the President of the Ghana Bar Association, among other persons. This put paid to the notion that the Judicial Secretarys job description had been reviewed to curtail her ability to write or speak for the Judiciary and the Chief Justice. One probable reason that could be proffered to explain the situation was that, she might have assumed her role on the Court of Appeal bench and the Judicial Service was either looking for a replacement or grooming one of the numerous deputies to step into Her Ladyships shoes. Indeed, deputy Judicial Secretaries who were appointed to the bench some time ago have left the office and are sitting as judges in courts. Therefore, I wagered I could not have been far from right in my guesstimation. Boy, was I unpardonably wrong; Her Ladyship is very much at post with all her duties and responsibilities as Judicial Secretary intact. In fact, it appears Her Ladyships duties have now been enhanced.

The petition by the Chief Justice against Dr. Dominic Ayine to the General Legal Council.

By a letter dated 25th May, 2021, and addressed to the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council, the Judicial Secretary lodged a petition on behalf of the Hon. Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana against a certain Dr. Dominic Ayine, a former Attorney-General. The essence of the letter was, in summary, to petition the Disciplinary Committee to investigate an allegation that Dr. Ayine passed disparaging comments about the manner in which the Supreme Court handled the 2020 election petition, that is to say, the Supreme Courts failure to apply the rules of procedure as well as the consistent and continuous dismissal of the petitioners applications or reliefs. The letter continued, His Lordship, the Chief Justice, therefore, finds his alleged disparaging comments totally unacceptable and would like you to investigate this matter further. The letter also made reference to an apology Dr. Ayine rendered to the Supreme Court during the trial of the 2020 election petition when he was summoned to appear before the Supreme Court on charges of contempt of court. Since the publication of the letter, it has emerged that the alleged disparaging comments were made at a forum organized by CDD-Ghana, a civil society organization on democracy and governance, to discuss the election petition and its implication for governance in Africa.

The bizarre nature of the petition

Coming just about two months after the Chief Justice assured the nation through a press conference that the citizens are free to criticize the courts (albeit devoid of insults), it is most bizarre that the Chief Justice will personally take offence for a citizens criticism of the Supreme Courts handling of a case that has ended. This move is unprecedented and it bodes ill for the fledgling tenets of rule of law and democracy in Ghana. If every judge should sit on a case and thereafter set out to monitor discussions that follow on radio, TV, social media, pubs and drinking spots, including the not-so-flattering comments, then we are done for as a country.

Secondly, the Chief Justice caused the petition to be lodged in his own name. In my view, if the petition were actuated by a desire to protect the judiciary as an institution, then any employee of the Judicial Service could have lodged the same. The petition filed in the name of the Chief Justice, therefore, sets a dangerous precedent for the judiciary. If the Chief Justice is criticism-averse and will not tolerate views he disagrees with, then very soon, we should not be surprised to hear that His Lordship has petitioned the President for the removal of the four justices of the Supreme Court who recently gave a majority ruling and left the Chief Justice a lone dissenter in a case at the Supreme Court.

Furthermore, the Chief Justice is the Chairman of the General Legal Council. It is the General Legal Council that appoints the members of the Disciplinary Committee. The Disciplinary Committee is, as the name implies, a committee. Therefore, it only makes recommendations and it is the General Legal Council itself that takes the final decision and imposes sanctions. In the circumstances of the instant case, the Chief Justice is the petitioner so he must appear before the Disciplinary Committee and give evidence to support his allegations in the petition. Then, as the Chairman of the General Legal Council, he will be part of those who will take the final decision in the case based upon the recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee.

This state of affairs, therefore, presents a veritable case of one being a judge in his own cause. It offends against the nemo judex in causa sua rule of natural justice and the Chief Justice ought to be advised accordingly by his lawyers to forestall any unpleasant consequences this situation might cause. In this 4th Republic, we have had Chief Justices who have been sued in their personal names by the Bar Association for purposes of constitutionalism and we remember them for their sense of accommodation. They did not draw swords against their adversaries but rather saw such legal challenges to their exercise of power as a legitimate and healthy cause in a democracy. We have also encountered those who felt intoxicated by the My Lord, My Lord chorus and decided to teach others a lesson in how not to use words like judicial chicanery. After all was said and done, the Ghana Bar Association put together a strong legal defence team, embarked on a strike action in support of their colleague and a months jail sentence was served at Nsawam Medium Security prison. Surely, there must have been a momentary feeling of release but what memory did that course of action etch on the minds of Ghanaians? Who was the poorer for all that happened?

The petition is bizarre not only in terms of the personal role played by the Chief Justice but also that of the Judicial Secretary as the person who lodged the petition on His Lordships behalf. The role of the Judicial Secretary as the representative of the Chief Justice as petitioner is most intriguing. The Judicial Secretary is the secretary to the General Legal Council. The Judicial Secretary is also the one who ensures that the decisions taken by the General Legal Council, including those emanating from the Disciplinary Committee, are carried out. In the recent past, a Judicial Secretary was dragged to court in proceedings bothering on his role relative to the enforcement of a decision of the Council. In the light of the foregoing, the Judicial Secretarys role as the advocate of the Chief Justice in his petition to the Disciplinary Committee is most untenable. Just like the Chief Justice, the Judicial Secretary is not an independent person; she is very much an important feature in the affairs of the General Legal Council.

At any rate, the Judicial Secretarys role as the advocate of the Chief Justice by lodging the petition on His Lordships behalf on her Office of the Judicial Secretary official letterhead is antithetical to her position as a Justice of the Court of Appeal. Judges cannot, and ought not, act as advocates or representatives of litigants and parties before the courts or other adjudicating bodies such as the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council. It will, therefore, be most appropriate for the Judicial Secretary to cease her representation of the Chief Justice in the petition forthwith to curtail any further assault on the due process of law. Since appeals against decisions of the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council are heard by the Court of Appeal, it will be interesting to see how the Judicial Secretarys colleagues on the Court of Appeal bench will handle an appeal in such a case where she was the person who filed the petition on a partys behalf.

The future of the legal profession

From the contents of the petition, the basis of the petitioners action is the views expressed by Dr. Ayine at an academic forum to discuss the Supreme Courts handling of the 2020 presidential election petition. Apparently, the respondents commentary on the case was not music to the petitioners ears. Can anyone, in all sincerity, give judgment in a case of such national importance  with a victor and a vanquished  and expect to receive hugs and kisses from all and sundry? Certainly not. And that is why the petitioner and the judiciary must come to terms with the fact that in a democracy, expression of divergent views and violent criticisms are part of the landscape. When the judiciarys letter from its externally-instructed law firm got to the press, the expression of opprobrium by the press and civil society organizations was swift. That should have alerted the powers-that-be that any acts that amount to stifling of free speech in Ghana will not be suffered gladly.

To think that a precedent is now being set to curtail lawyers right to comment on decisions of the courts is a new low in our Republic. If the press expressed their opprobrium when an attempt was made to gag them as alluded to earlier, then the Bar must show its abhorrence to the attempt at striking at the very heart of their professional duty as lawyers. Lest, we see the beginning of the end of our beloved profession. When the Bar dies, so will the Bench. The Bench grows out of the Bar. Even a magistrate ought to have some years of practice at the Bar before appointment to the Bench.

Conclusion

Currently, there is not one Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council. There are, at least, two such Disciplinary Committees and the Chief Justice sits on one as its Chairman, to the best of my knowledge. As to which of these two Disciplinary Committees will be handling the petition, only time will tell.

To the respondent: prepare yourself for a visitation, either physically or virtually, by some of our professional colleagues who now eke out a living from a nascent influence- peddling industry. They will brazenly reach out to you by any means necessary and make you an offer to intercede on your behalf to have the matter settled amicably. Watch out for such characters.
An alumnus of the University of Ghana (UG) has sued the institution to halt the ongoing processes aimed at finding a new Vice-Chancellor.

The plaintiff, Justice K. Ennin, a 2012 graduate of the school, believes the Selection Committee that was constituted to receive applications from persons interested in the vacancy is null and void as the tenure of two of its members has expired.

The two, Mrs. Vesta Nunoo and Prof. Baffuor Agyeman-Duah are representatives of the University Council.

 The two nominees in issue were no longer Council members under law at the material time they purported to act and continued to act as such as representatives for the purposes of selecting the new Vice-Chancellor of the University, even after their lawful tenure had terminated. The Plaintiff further says that as of July 31, 2020, the tenure of many members of the University Council had expired, and the continued membership and inclusion in the work of the university council of these members renders the activities of the council, post terminal dates null and void, and of no legal effect whatsoever, the plaintiff said in his suit.

He said the attention of the University has been drawn to the situation, but it has failed to take action, hence the suit.

He added that a worrying situation may arise if immediate action is not taken to halt the operations of the committee since all decisions emanating therefrom has been tainted by the continuing illegality and cannot legitimately undertake any assignment as a Search Committee for, a new Vice-Chancellor after their tenure had terminated.

Among the reliefs the plaintiff is seeking is a declaration that the search committee was unlawfully constituted due to the inclusion of Mrs. Vesta Nunoo and Prof. BaffuorAgyeman-Duah.

He also wants a declaration that any decision taken by the committee is null and void.

The boards of the tertiary institutions have expired terms as of 31st May. We have collated the information and forwarded it to the ministry for the necessary action, so there is work in progress to get them reconstituted.

The councils are being reconstituted, so it should not take long because they are put going to be in place. The statutes of the university make provisions for any eventuality, so there is not much of a problem with that. We disagree with the argument.

The tenure of the current Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, is expected to elapse in the next two months.

---citinewsroom
Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has dragged the Minister of Finance to Parliament to account for the cost of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos recent trips to France, Belgium, and South Africa.

According to a publication from Parliament, the question has been programmed to be answered, but the specific day for the response has not been scheduled yet.

The North Tongu MP has alleged that President Akufo-Addo chartered a luxurious private jet for the said trips.

In relation to the same issue, he has also dragged the Minister of Defence to the floor of the house to give further clarity as to the state of the Presidential jet (Dassault Falcon).

The publication said, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (North Tongu): To ask the Minister for Finance how much the President's recent official travels to France, Belgium, and South Africa in May this year cost the Ghanaian taxpayer.

The North Tongu lawmaker claims President Akufo-Addo has spent an amount of GHS 2.8 million on his recent travels to only South Africa and France using the services of a private jet.

The Airbus ACJ320neo owned by Acropolis Aviation based in Farnborough, UK and registered as G-KELT, is the most luxurious and the most expensive in the Acropolis fleet. The manufacturers describe it as the most outstanding ambassador for Airbus Corporate Jets. It costs the Ghanaian taxpayer approximately 15,000 an hour when President Akufo-Addo rents it, the legislator alleged in a post on Facebook.

He accused the President of blowing the money to satisfy his insatiable appetite and comfort at the expense of the suffering masses.

Let's further analyse President Akufo-Addo's latest trip to Europe: per Flightradar24, the G-KELT aircraft left Accra with the President to Paris on the 16th of May  a 6 and half hour duration. Airlifted the President from Paris to Johannesburg for 11 hours on the 23rd of May.

Then Johannesburg to Accra on the 25th of May was a five and half hour flight. This gives us accumulated flight travel of 23 hours; so at 15,000 an hour, it thus cost us a colossal 345,000. At the current exchange rate, that is a staggering GHS2,828,432.80, he posted.

---citinewsroom
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Speaking at the 2021 GLF Africa Digital Conference, Ottilie Balz, Senior vice president of the Robert Bosch Stiflung said healthy ecosystems are a prerequisite for sustainable development and climate resilience.

He noted that the Global Landscape Forum provides much-needed support for local actors by building communities of practice and connecting the local level to international networks and resources.

He further expressed his excitement about the commitment seen throughout the GLF Africa conference.

Robert Bosch Stiflung stated that they are proud to support the establishment of five new GLFx chapters in the greater Sahel region.

Also sharing his view, the Director-General of the Center for Internal Forestry Research, Robert Nasi said the restoration of the African drylands is about restoring the balance between people, animals, and the environment to sustain productivity in these fragile ecosystems while supporting aspirations of the next generation for a modern life.

Experts at the GLF Africa Conference on restoring Africas Drylands said, nearly half of Africas population could face a future of widespread drought, hunger, and mass migration due to the effects of climate change  but there is still time to prevent catastrophe by restoring the continents drylands.

Bonn, Germany (7 June 2021) GLF Africa: Restoring Africas Drylands.

Restoration experts say, theres hope that the dryland degradation can be reversed, recreating more resilient and productive landscapes that will fix more carbon especially in the soil, restore ecosystem service, promote new viable enterprises, and create employment while reducing conflicts and migration.

Over 200 speakers, including Nigerian Environment Minister H.E. Sharon Ikeazor, Fridays for Future activist Adenike Oladosu, and Ghanaian Sakoya chief Sintaro Iddrisu Mahama, called for a concerted effort to restore the world's drylands, nearly half of which are located in Africa, to protect millions of livelihoods.

The fully online event on the 23 June 2021, hosted by the Global Landscapes Forum, brought together thousands of participants from 186 countries, including pastoralists, scientists, youth activists, restoration practitioners, and government officials, and reached over 22 million people via social media.

The conference provided critical insights on dryland restoration for policymakers ahead of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, which kicks off on World Environment Day, June 5, 2021, with 47 sessions, the release of 12 white papers, and the launch of several major initiatives. The UN Decade will help to protect, halt, and reverse ecosystem degradation around the world, including grasslands and savannas, peatlands, forests, farmlands, mountains, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems, and urban areas.
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Mr Mzwakhe Lubisi, the South African High Commission Counsellor of Economics will lead a delegation to embark on a two-day working visit to the Ahafo Region, from June 8 to June 10 this year.

The visit would help enhance economic cooperation between Ahafo Region and South Africa.

A statement signed by Moses Antwi, the Special Aide to Mr George Boakye, the Ahafo Regional Minister, explained the delegation would conduct project scope and assess economic prospects in the region.

The visit is to prepare the grounds ahead of the official visit Ms Grace Jeanet Mason, the South Africa Ambassador to Ghana. Her visit is a follow-up to Mr Boakyes visit to the South Africa Embassy in Accra in April this year, it added.

The visit would take the delegation to Asunafo South and Asunafo North, and the Asutifi South District where they would be conducted round 1,000 acre cocoa plantation at Sankore, a quarry site, rice farms at Hwidiem, and tourist attraction sites at Mim.

According to the statement, the South Africa delegation would also visit the Tano South and North District, meet with departmental heads, and tour major tomato farms at Derma and the Tano River Course.
This portal has gathered that the Shama constituency office of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Western Region was broken into by some alleged criminals last Thursday and made away with almost all items that were at the office.

Some of the items stolen included desktop computers, printers, ceiling fans, a decoder and flat-screen television sets among others. The alleged thieves also ransacked all the drawers at the office.

The constituency's NPP chairman, Richard Degraft who confirmed the story, noted that the thieves used the backdoor after breaking the burglar-proof that had been used to secure the door.

They used the backdoor. We already have burglar-proof at that door but they destroyed it before having access to the place. When I got to my office, I realized the place has been ransacked. Now I am unable to stay at the office now because the place is not safe, he asserted.

He said he had a call on Thursday morning from his colleagues that the party office has been broken in to and some items missing.

He indicated that the robbers broke all the inner doors in the office to search and see if they could find any valuable items to take.

He added that there was a Police Barrier at Inchaban where the NPP constituency office is situated, however, the authorities have relocated the barrier to Shama Kumasi also in the district and that might have made the thieves gather the vim to break into the office.

He noted that the Shama District Police Command has taken over the issue and that investigations had already begun, adding None of the suspects have however been arrested.

He said There was a police barrier at where our office is located but the barrier has been relocated and I believe that was why the thieves were able to carry out their operation.

I have reported the issue to the police and investigations have begun. However, we have locked the office for the meantime, Richard Degraft indicated.

For his part, the Constituency Secretary of the NPP, Emmanuel Mark Ackon said apart from the furniture, the thieves bolted with almost every property in the office.

We are collaborating with the police to investigate the issue and we are hopeful that the thieves will be apprehended, he stressed.

The office was constructed for the party by the former Member of Parliament (MP) for Shama, Ato Panford who was defeated by Erickson Abakah, a legal practitioner in the party's 2020 parliamentary primaries and now an MP for the area.

---DGN online
An envoy from West Africa's regional bloc arrived in Mali on Tuesday a day after Colonel Assimi Goita pledged to swiftly return the country to civilian rule after leading its second coup in nine months.

Former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, representing the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), will meet Goita in the evening, a diplomat said.

The Sahel state is battling to restore credibility with its partners after the second military takeover since August sparked diplomatic uproar.

Goita led a putsch that toppled Mali's elected president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, and last month ousted the two civilian heads of the post-coup interim government.

Deposed president Bah Ndaw and prime minister Moctar Ouane had been tasked with steering Mali back to civilian rule by February 2020.

Mali. By (AFP)

In his inauguration speech on Monday, Goita promised Mali "will uphold all its commitments" and stood by the deadline for the elections set by the transitional government.

He also named a veteran political figure, Choguel Kolkalla Maiga, a 63-year-old leader of the country's biggest campaign movement, as prime minister.

Those two moves aim at key demands set by Mali's partners.

ECOWAS suspended Mali following the second coup but stopped short of reimposing sanctions -- a lever that pushed the junta into accepting a civilian-led caretaker overnment after the first takeover.

Mali's chronic instability has deepened fears of chaos in a country key to efforts to stem the jihadist insurgency sweeping the Sahel.

One of the poorest countries in the world, Mali is deeply reliant on outside help to combat Islamist violence that first emerged in 2012, and now threatens the region.

French anger

Mali's formal colonial power France last week suspended joint military oppositions with Malian forces pending "guarantees" about the February 2022 elections.

France has 5,100 troops stationed in the Sahel as part of its anti-jihadist Barkhane force.

Goita also stressed his support for continuing work on the 2015 Algiers accord, a shaky agreement between the central government and several armed groups.

The deal, which has never been fully implemented, is seen as crucial to ending Mali's grinding conflict.

Choguel Kolkalla Maiga, a veteran politician, has been named prime minister under Goita. By ANNIE RISEMBERG (AFP/File)

On Monday evening, Maiga began holding consultations on forming a new government, with ECOWAS pushing for it to be "inclusive" -- a potential tall order in the politically polarised nation.

Maiga told AFP that forming a government should not take long, however, adding that there is "total break with what there was in the past".

Mali's main political players have offered little resistance to the coup.

Mahmoud Dicko, an influential imam who rallied dissent against Keita in 2020, has said he "acknowledges" the new political reality in Bamako.

ECOWAS leaders are due to convene again in Ghana on June 19.
Gardner was at home with her 9-year-old son in 1988 when Girtman allegedly raped her at knifepoint. She provided a rape kit, but it was never tested until police found more than 1,000 untested kits in police evidence lockers in 2015, according to WESH. Hers was eventually linked to Girtman.
(Voinjama, Lofa County): Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson T. Koijee who arrived in Lofa County ahead of President Weah, has attracted the people of Lofa County to the presidents development initiatives.

Mayor Koijee and entourage Thursday, June 3, 2021 entered Lofa County to tsunamic welcome by citizens and residents who lined and spread lappas, waived placards, handkerchiefs, flags, and banners from the border with Bong County to Salayea in Lofa County.

As he goes deeper into Lofa County, Mayor Koijee is not just encouraging the people of Lofa to continue to give support to President Weah and his government, but is also focusing on impacting the lives of the people of Lofa County, mostly the youths.

While touring Salayea District, throngs of Lofians appealed to Mayor Koijee to consider having a meeting with them at their already constructed youth center in the district. Upon his consent to hear from and speak to the people, the young mayor and entourage matched to the youth center.

During the meeting at the youth center in Salayea District, Lofa County, the young people appealed to Mayor Koijee to consider furnishing the youth center.

Mayor Koijee reminded Lofians that President Weah holds a natural love for Lofa and its citizens. He said the president has sent a proposal to Lofa and awaits her response. President Weah is in love with Lofa and willing to transform her in every way possible, but Lofa is yet to respond to his quest, Mayor Koijee exclaimed.

He told Lofians that the county is an embodiment of so many competing interests  institutional interest, individual interest, and religious interest, and that the people of Lofa should not allow any individuals political quest to overshadow the collective interest of the county and people.

Meanwhile, Mayor Koijee reiterated President Weahs commitment to building roads, a modern youth center, a clinic, a multipurpose market center, and a US16M intended for loan to support business in Lofa.

In response to the young peoples quest, Mayor Koijee committed 50 dura plastic chairs, dstv set with two months subscription, 33 smart TV, 25kva generator, and a sum of LD18,000.00, an amount which was given on scene.

He was confident that Lofians collective support to the president would greatly help in the realization of the Pro Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD), his governments flagship development program.

On arrival at the suburb of Zorzor District, the mayoral convoy got blocked into crowds of citizens who assembled to receive the president.

Citizens of Zorzor District including youth and students, men and women, traditional chiefs and local government authorities queued in throngs singing, shouting, and dancing as Mayor Koijees convoy pierced its way through the district.

Following an effort to meander through the huge crowds, the Mayor and his entourage managed to get to business, encouraging Lofians to stand with the president in his quest to build clinics, markets, roads and many others.

According to the Mayor, he came to Lofa with great passion to help the president transform the county because of the enormity of challenges plaguing the county and his love for the people, and that their support toward President Weah will never remain unfruitful.

He assured Lofian citizens that they will never regret supporting President Weah to continue his development because the government is working to meet their development needs and Lofa is a major priority.

By Alpha G. Gray

Spokesperson

City Government of Monrovia
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It was very hard for me to come up with the opening statement for this article, but as my own principles have already stated, journalism is an accountability tool which holds governments to their words more often than they would have. And so without the fourth estate of the land there to serve as a watchdog only massacre would take place.

Once again, a new aura of defect has aroused in our governance system which has left members of the country astonished, but as we all know it , there are no surprises in the gift bag of Ghana's problems only disappointments.

The funeral of late Forestry Commission Chief Executive Officer Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie popularly known as Sir John totally exposed the bias and incompetent nature of our political cohorts in terms of adherance to the rules and regulations which has been provided by the state. In 2020 when COVID-19 first made its way into the nation the first gentleman of the land the president in an attempt to curb it's outbreak released some restriction policies and passed it into law. The Restrictions Act 2020 (Act 1012) was set into motion and was given the mandate to prevent Ghanaians from engaging in mass gathering acts, be it funeral services, religious services, parties, demonstrations, and campaigns etc. This Act when breached would see to it that culprits were made to face the full rigours of the law with whatever punishment it may provide.

The president assured us all that COVID-19 will no longer be happy with us when it realises we are trying hard to kick it from our shores and so would leave.But it is rather disappointing that we find Mr President engaged in an act which he sought to disrepute by providing laws for it , I was rather petrified and disgusted as a young person to have found Mr President in a gathering of more than 25 people with the safety protocols being totally breached upon. Half or many of the people present at the funeral were with no masks and with no social distancing being observed.

It is true to say that the president was not a family member of the deceased but an invited guest of honour, but that should have been a solid reason for the family to have observed all the protocols with caution and diligence.

I find it unprofessional and incompetent on the part of the president to have supported an action which sought to disregard the laws he himself created. Such an act is preposterous and should not be condoned as it only seeks to preach impunity, something we have sought to kick against for so many years.

Many believe COVID-19 is just a hoax, I guess now their beliefs have been solidified and given a foundation because Mr President himself has breached the laws he gave. It's hard for me to decipher if we are running a state or just acting in a comedy series.

Christ Embassy was sanctioned after it breached the protocols of social distancing, how come leadership itself is going contrary to the laws it provided. I ask this question will the president allow himself to be convicted after three years of living office, as Article 57 clause 4 and 5 have enshrined in the constitution. Or will the other political cohorts allow themselves to be convicted? The answer is no , none of them will allow himself to be dealt with by the law.

The "fix the country campaign" was halted because of COVID-19 protocols, so why then is a politician's funeral different? Politicians should know they are not above the law, the concept of "Rule of Law" applies to everybody, Government told Ghanaians to fix themselves when they demanded for change may I ask, was this act and attitudinal exposure by the politicians any different from the attitude they proposed Ghanaians wielded.

Seriousness is what we need not rhetorics and indiscipline, the president must live up to his words and must stop rhetorical preachings about himself being a disciplinarian.

Let us not put this country into dismay, it is time for accountability and good governance to take its full form.

Long Live Ghana.

By Adom Desmond.
Lai Mohammed, the Nigerian Minister for Information, in a BBC interview on June 8 edition of New Day, said "the Nigerian government has decided to ban Twitter because the platform is being used by secessionist to create security problems in the country".

But this decision by the Nigerian government comes right at the heels of the social media platform's decision to delete a post by President Buhari threatening to deal with potential secessionists by reminding them of what befell them during the Biafran war, which it deemed breached its rules.

So the Nigerian government, in a bid to pick a fight with Twitter, has chosen a blanket approach which has affected all Nigerians who have nothing to do with the brouhaha, but are bearing the brunt of having their businesses and other online transactions being hit, with consequential loss of income.

Meanwhile, the entire security architecture of Nigeria, for some years, has been reeling under enormous pressure and has proven to be woefully inefficient to bringing under control.

For example, the southern part of the country has almost been overran by Indigenous People of Biafra (IBOP) and the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) which was led by the late Ken Sarawiwa who was executed by firing squad by Sanni Abacha.

The middle belt is characterised by clashes between Fulani cattle herders and crop farmers over grazing lands with hundreds of thousands being slaughtered on both sides.

The North-East has been taken over by Boko Haram and other criminal gangs who freely storm schools and neighbourhoods to slaughter and kidnapp thousands of people and school children, respectively.

The North and North-West are always being infiltrated by Islamic terrorist groups from across the border in Niger and Mali. Effectively, the State of insecurity is not as a result of operations of Twitter but total lack of effective security strategy by the State to deal with the menace.

An independent functional State is the one that is able to protect and provide security to it's citizens and ensure total integrity of it's borders.

But Nigeria, decades now, has witnessed terrorist groups freely launching deadly attacks from both internal and external. Hundreds of school children are always being kidnapped from the three North-eastern states Yobe, Adamawa and Borno, and taken into the Sambisi forest on foot. Evidence of a total security meltdown.

Indeed, when Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and other social media platforms banned the sitting-president of the most powerful nation on earth, Donald Trump of the United States of America, nobody called on Americans to boycott these platforms because they had nothing to do with issues between these social media platforms and their President.

Just last night, the Australian security agencies, in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States of America, have busted an international criminal organisation engaged in narcotic trade and money laundering.

As a matter of fact, the encrypted platform being used by this criminal organisation and thought was water-tight, without anyone knowledge, was actually developed by the FBI, and all their activities were being closely monitored for close to 3years.

Again, criminals who, earlier this year, hacked into operations of the Gold Coast Pipeline which supplies 45% of petrol, diesel and aviation fuel to the entire eastern part of America and brought the company's operations to a complete halt resulting in fuel shortages and total disruptions to socioeconomic activities, have been busted.

The criminals, thought to be operating from Russia, demanded $6m in ransom in Bitcoins because it is believed to be encrypted and therefore untraceable. But to their utter chagrin, they have just been busted yesterday, and the ransome payment made to them, duly retrieved by the FBI.

Indeed, security, as I have always said, has moved from "massa say I for bring you" era into pure cyber space, based on intelligence and primitivism.

As such, imposing a total Twitter ban on your citizens because of a personal conflict with the social media platform, for me, is backward, economically retrogressive and completely unsustainable.

Newton-Offei Justice Abeeku

International Relations Expert

email: [email protected]
Tamara Zidansek and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova reached the semi-final of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time on Tuesday following three-set wins over Paula Badosa and Elena Rybakina respectively.

Zidansek, the world number 85, started nervously against Badosa. The 23-year-old Slovenian lost the first three games but managed to claw her way back to 3-3. She eventually took the opener 7-5.

She surged into a 4-2 lead in the second but lost six games on the trot to the 33rd seed to cough up the second set 6-4 and go a break down in the decider.

But she recovered and from 3-3 it was level pegging until the 23-year-old Spaniard was trying to make it 7-7. She cracked to hand Zidansek the set 8-6 and a place in the last four after two first round exits in her previous visits.

"It's overwhelming," said Zidansek of her run to the semis. "Of course the match was a great opportunity for the both of us and I guess I managed to keep my composure a little bit better than her. But still, it was a tough battle in the end."

Return

Pavlyuchenkova came from a set down against Rybakina to book her spot in the semis.

The first set tiebreak was over before it had even begun for the 29-year-old Russian.

Rybakina raced into a 5-0 lead against her doubles partner and though Pavlyuchenkova retrieved two of the points, a 10th forehand winner furnished Rybakina with four set points.

And she claimed it after 57 minutes when Pavlyuchenkova's service return slumped into the net.

The second set was one-way traffic after Pavlyuchenkova broke to lead 4-2. She wrapped it up 6-2 and sped into a 2-0 lead in the final set. Rybakina looked buried. But she resurrected herself and served for a 4-2 lead.

Fight

She could not take the chance and instead became embroiled in a dogfight.

In the ensuing battle of wits, Pavlyuchenkova kept her nose in front but could not fashion any openings as Rybakina held her serve three times to stay in the match.

Pavlyuchenkova eventually made her move at 8-7 up. At 30-30, a 14th forehand winner brought up one match point and Rybakina's sixth double ended the contest after two hours and 33 minutes.

"I was very nervous," Pavlyuchenkova told the on-court interviewer Fabrice Santoro. "It's not easy to play against your doubles partner, someone you know well. But of course I am very happy to reach a semi-final."
President of the Artisanal Palm Oil Millers and Outgrowers Association of Ghana, Mr. Paul-Kwabena-Amaning, has said the oil palm industry in Ghana can feed the whole of Europe if government invests in the palm oil sector.

According to him, should government invest in the palm oil sector, Ghana will be the leading producer of palm oil in the world.

He further stressed that Ghana has all the raw materials to be one of the leading producers of palm oil hence government needs to invest in oil palm industry to make it lucrative to create jobs for Ghanaian youth.

The oil palm industry has the capacity to feed the whole of Europe, this can be achieved if the government invest huge sums of money in the palm oil industry, Mr. Paul-Kwabena-Amaning exclusively told Okatakyire Obeng Mensah on Pae Mu Ka on Accra-based Kingdom FM 107.7.

Paul believes the land tenure system which works perfectly in Malaysia helps them to grow palm trees on a large scale and process the fruits into quality oil.

He further stated that the commercialization of oil palm will boost the countrys economy and reduce the unemployment rate.
Ten civilians were killed and a hospital burned down in troubled eastern DR Congo during fighting between government forces and an armed group, aid groups and local officials said on Tuesday.

The Kivu Security Tracker (KST) monitor said on Twitter that it had updated its death toll from the Monday attack on Boga village in Ituri province to 10 "after the discovery of five additional bodies".

"The hospital was set on fire and a tomb was desecrated in the cathedral," the group added, saying that two of the attackers were killed in fighting with Congolese armed forces and UN peacekeepers.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) had earlier said that the general hospital it supports in Boga in Ituri province was "deliberately targeted in a brutal attack" on Monday.

The hospital was "the last structure in the area which provided treatment to people," it said in a statement.

The pharmacy and medical store were looted, the intensive care unit burned down and other buildings were pillaged, it said.

MSF said it knew "little" about the attackers or why they targeted the hospital.

But the army blamed a notorious militia, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which on May 31 slaughtered 57 people in the area.

Nine children who were being treated in the paediatric service and two adult patients are awaiting transfer to another hospital, MSF said.

Kabimba Zitono, head of the Rubingo administrative area, said at least four civilians were killed, and that the church in Boga as well as the hospital had been burned.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's troubled eastern provinces. By Sophie RAMIS (AFP)

The unidentified attackers are believed to have holed up in a neighbouring village, he told AFP.

The army said the ADF, which has been blamed for massacring hundreds of people this year, set the hospital ablaze while retreating from government troops.

A historically Ugandan Islamist group that the United States links with the so-called Islamic State, the ADF is the deadliest of scores of armed militias that roam the mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

MSF said the attack on the hospital "showed blatant disregard for the neutrality of hospitals and medical spaces" and urged all combatants to respect medical infrastructure and personnel.

DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi on May 6 proclaimed a 30-day "state of siege" in Ituri and neighbouring North Kivu province to help stem the violence.

Governors and other senior officials have been replaced by army officers or police.

The measure was renewed for another 30 days by the National Assembly on Thursday.
The Registrar-General, Jemima Oware, says companies that fail to file their returns by the end of June risk having their names deleted from the list of businesses in Ghana.

She said about 200,000 companies have since 2011 failed to file their annual returns and financial statements despite several notices and reminders.

Speaking on the second virtual forum of the #CitiBusinessFestival on Citi TV on Tuesday, Jemima Oware said the deletion process will start in July 2021.

Since 2011 when we introduced the new e-registrar software, I have over 200,000 businesses that have not filed their annual returns basically because some of them think theyve not done business, COVID-19 has come among others. We gave extensions for people to file annual returns, and we extended it to almost one year, and we allowed businesses to hold Annual General Meetings virtually. We gave all these dispensations, but now the time is up. By the end of June 30, we are going to start another round of penalties, she said.

Anytime you come back and want to resurrect it [your company after its name is struck out], you would have to go to the court, and at the court, the decision is at the judges discretion, she added.

The Registrar Generals Department in April 2021 issued its third and final public warning of its intention to purge its Register of names of dormant companies pursuant to Section 289 of the Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992).

Companies that have their names expunged from the register would have to go to the law courts to have their business restored.

Jemima Oware said such a process can be avoided if the dormant businesses pay the required GH50 in addition to the yearly penalty of GH450, and file their returns as expected of them.

She further dispelled the notion that companies must have carried out business within the year under review before they file their returns.

When you file an annual return, you are updating the Registrar General on changes that have taken place in your company, whether youve carried out any business or not. It is just GH50, she stated.

---citinewsroom
A top World Health Organization official said on Monday that the WHO cannot compel China to divulge more data on Covid-19's origins, adding that the UN body will propose further investigations into the source of the virus.

Pressed by a reporter on how the WHO will "compel" China into being more open, Mike Ryan, director of the agency's emergencies programme, said at a press conference that the "WHO doesn't have the power to compel anyone in this regard.

"We fully expect cooperation, input and support of all of our member states in that endeavour," Ryan said.

There are competing theories: that the virus jumped from animals, possibly starting with bats, to humans, or that it escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan, China. Members of a WHO team that visited China earlier this year hunting for Covid-19's origins have said they did not have access to all data, fueling continued debate over the country's transparency.

Conspiracy theory?

But while the "lab origin" was initially discarded as a conspiracy theory, it has started to gain momentum among mainstream observers.

The "lab theory" was first proposed by two Chinese researchers, Xiao Botao and Lei Xiao from the South China University of Technology. On 6 February, just after Covid-19 had developed into a global phenomenon, they published a paper saying that the killer virus probably originated from a laboratory in Wuhan.

That paper was quickly retracted, and the researchers wrote a letter to the Wall Street Journal saying that the conclusions were premature. The paper disappeared from the internet, and is only accessible through the Internet Archive.

The claims kept on coming. In April, French doctor Luc Montagnier, who received the 2008 Nobel Prize for Physiology for his discovery of the HIV-Aids virus, confirmed in a podcast with medical website Pourquoi Docteur, that the Covid-19 virus was indeed a laboratory construct based on the structure of the HIV virus.

Attacked and discredited

His comments may have been inspired by work by Indian researcher Prashant Pradhan and nine of his colleagues at the Kusuma School of Biological Sciences in New Delhi.

In a paper published in February 2020, they indicated the uncanny similarity between elements found in the Covid-19 and HIV viruses, saying the parallels were unlikely to be fortuitous and certainly warranted further investigation.

But the Indian report was attacked and discredited by Chinese researchers and later withdrawn, while the remarks by Montagnier were severely criticised by France's scientific community.

China's health ministry meanwhile, aggressively pushed the theory that the virus originated in the wetmarket in Wuhan, showing as evidence the possibly most cited scientific work on Covid-19's origins The Proximal Origin of SARS-Cov-2 co-authored by Professor Kristian Andersen, an immunologist with Scripps Research, that also states its research clearly shows that SARS-CoV-2 is not a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus.

People's Liberation Army

But the lab-theory persisted. A 272-page book published in August, and titled Cina COVID 19. La Chimera che ha cambiato il Mondo (China COVID 19. The chimera that changed the world) by Guiseppe Tritto, president of the Paris-based World Academy of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies says his research proves that China's virologists, in close cooperation with China's People's Liberation Army, successfully developed Covid-19 in the Wuhan lab, with, he says, the help of French and US scientists. However, the WABT website does not function, and there are no clear links to verify the claim.

Similar allegations, made by Alina Chan, a molecular biologist who works with the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, have had their moment in the media spotlight.

And yet another study, this one by Dr. Yan Limeng, a post-doctoral fellow with Hong Kong University, which claims to reveal smoking gun evidence, was rejected because it was not peer reviewed, and it was published by the Rule of Law Society, run jointly by Chinese millionaire-in-exile and Beijing critic Guo Wengui, and former Donald Trump Chief Strategist Steve Bannon.

Turning point

Turning point came when WHO's director himself, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia said, after a controversial investigation by a WHO team that did not bring any conclusive evidence on Covid's origins, that as far as WHO is concerned all hypotheses remain on the table.

This in turn triggered calls, most strongly by the Biden administration, that brought the "lab theory" back to the table. On 26 May, Biden said in a statement that he had given US intelligence agencies 90 days to come up with a report that would point out where the Covid-19 virus comes from - but as China has consequently barred access to thorough investigation by outside parties, the chances of this ever happening remain extremely slim. Biden's hope that China will "participate in a full, transparent, evidence-based international investigation and provide access to all relevant data and evidence" will probably be in vain.
A South African woman gave birth to ten babies at once on Tuesday, South African media reported. With that, she would take over the world record from a Malian woman, who gave birth to nine babies in early May .

Gosiame Thamara Sithole, 37, gave birth to seven girls and three boys via caesarean section. Mother and children are all reportedly in good health.

"It was difficult for a while, but now I am very happy," the woman is quoted by local media. "Thank God all my children were born healthy. It's a miracle."

Doctors had previously told Sithole and her husband that she was carrying octuplets. Two babies went undetected with a scan.

It is not the first time that the South African has had several children at the same time, because she is also the mother of six-year-old twins.

At the beginning of May, Malian Halima Cisse gave birth to nine babies in Morocco. Often a pregnancy of so many children at once is accompanied by medical complications, which means that some babies do not survive the full gestation period.

---Nu.nl
UN appeals judges on Tuesday upheld the conviction of former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic for genocide and other offenses committed during Bosnia's 1992-95 war. It also confirmed his life sentence.

The ruling means that the 79-year-old former general who terrorized Bosnia throughout the war will spend the rest of his life in prison.

He is the last major figure from the conflict that ended more than a quarter century ago to face justice.

Presiding Judge Prisca Matimba Nyambe of Zambia dismissed Mladic's appeal in its entirety and affirmed his life sentence.

It also rejected an appeal by prosecutors of Mladic's acquittal on one other count of genocide linked to ethnic purges early in the war.

Mladic was initially tried by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTFY) and sentenced, on 22 November 2017, to life in prison.

The ICTFY was dissolved in the same year and appeals were taken over by the Appeals Chamber of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, a UN organ designed to tie up loose ends left over by the ICTFY and a similar tribunal that dealt with the Rwanda genocide.

Ethnic bloodshed

Mladic joins his former political master, ex-Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, in serving a life sentence for masterminding ethnic bloodshed in the Bosnian war that left more than 100,000 dead and millions homeless.

Once a swaggering military strongman known as the Butcher of Bosnia, Mladic appeared upbeat as he entered the courtroom, mimicking photographers as he sat down.

But he scowled as the judgment was read and showed no emotion when he heard his appeal had been rejected in its entirety.

Mladic commanded troops responsible for atrocities ranging from ethnic cleansing campaigns to the siege of Sarajevo and the war's bloody climax in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. Now, he is a frail elderly man whose ill health delayed this final judgment.

His toxic legacy continues to divide Bosnia and his dark shadow has spread far beyond the Balkans.

To Serbs in Bosnia, he is a war hero who fought to protect his people.

To Bosniaks, mostly Muslims, he will always be a villain responsible for their wartime suffering and losses.

Mladic was first indicted in July 1995.

After the war in Bosnia ended, he went into hiding and was finally arrested in 2011 and handed over to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia by the then-ruling pro-Western government of Serbia.

(with agencies)
Her disappearance triggered a week-long search effort, which included dozens of volunteers as well as hundreds of officers combing through CCTV, bus camera and video doorbell footage. It culminated in the discovery of Everards remains, which were uncovered in a wooded region in Kent, located about 50 miles from where she was last seen alive.
Pakistan's trade with Afghanistan through Torkham remained suspended on the third consecutive day on Thursday as Khugakhel tribesmen continued their protest and blockade of the main road leading to the border crossing.

Mufti Ejaz and Mirajuddin Khan, the elders of Khugakhel, said at the protest site that their protest would continue till signing of a mutually agreed accord regarding fulfilment of their four major demands with concrete guarantees from the regional security officials.

The Khugakhel tribesmen, being the collective owners of the land leased out for the construction of modern customs terminal at Torkham, had long been pushing for payment of the price of the additional land the National Logistic Cell (NLC) had off late acquired for the terminal, share in the monthly profit from the terminal and adequate share in jobs for the youth of the tribe.

Both Mufti Ejaz and Mirajuddin said that Federal Board of Revenue, with whom they had earlier signed an agreement regarding lease of their land in 2016, and NLC had committed to sign a new agreement regarding acceptance of their demands in February but later they backtracked on their promise and they were compelled to resort to protest.

Meanwhile, scores of representatives of various political parties and local tribal and religious leaders visited the site of the protest near Landi Kotal bazaar and extended support to the protesting Khugakhel tribesmen and called upon the officials concerned to help resolve the issue.

According to the Dawn, Afghan nationals aspiring to return to their country were, however, provided with an alternative route via Charbagh area to reach Torkham as part of a good-well gesture by the protesters as the travellers also included women, children and elderly people.
The National Labour Commission (NLC) has ordered the Senior Staff of Universities of Ghana to call off the ongoing strike and appear before it on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, to discuss their concerns.

The NLCs order comes after it received a letter from the Ministry of Health that in furtherance of the strike action embarked upon by the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana, its members providing essential services in hospitals, clinics, fire service, anatomy departments and basic schools in public universities have been asked to also lay down their tools.

In a letter to the association on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, NLC said the order is in exercise of its powers, to remind the association that its action goes against section 127(3) of Act 651.

The National Labour Commission in the exercise of its powers under Section 139(d) of the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) wishes to draw the Associations attention to a contravention of Section 127(3) of Act 651 and hereby directs the SSA-UoG to not only withdraw the said directive to the essential service providers but to also call off the ongoing strike immediately pursuant to Section 161 of Act 651 and appear before the Commission tomorrow, Wednesday 9th June 2021 at 3 pm.

The NLC said it will be forced to enforce compliance if the association fails to appear before it on the said day.

---citinewsroom
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The Ghana Police Service is urging Ghanaians not to heed calls by the #FixTheCountry conveners to demonstrate.

This follows a Supreme Court ruling which nullifies the Police injunction on a planned protest by the conveners.

On May 6, 2021, the campaigners were stopped from protesting by an injunction secured by the Ghana Police Service from an Accra High Court on grounds of Covid-19 restrictions.

The campaigners subsequently stormed the Supreme Court on May 7 to file an application seeking to quash the injunction by the Ghana Police Service.

Hours after the Supreme Court ruling today, a statement by the Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Afia Tenge has indicated that the substantive case is pending at the High Court.

She added that the case has been slated for hearing on June 14.

"The public is advised to disregard any call to demonstrate by the conveners of the #FixTheCountry protest march without complying with the provisions of the Public Order Act, 1994 (Act 491)," the statement noted.

Read full statement below:
Patrick Ayaba

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Contrary to Section 11 of the Public Office Holders Act which disqualifies ex-convicts or persons with criminal records from holding public office, the NPP Constituency Chairman for Zebilla in the Upper East Region, Patrick Ayaba who was convicted by both the Tamale Circuit Court and the Tamale High Court (Commercial Division) for stealing is being considered for the position of a District Chief Executive for Bawku West.

A former employer of Mr Ayaba, Mr. Abdulai Sirta, who reported him to the police for allegedly stealing his heap of sand, a by-product of gold called over worth GH400,000 at his mining site at Wasepe near Bole, has disclosed that the NPP Chairman is shortlisted for the DCEs position after going through the vetting process with 16 other people.

Meanwhile, the aspiring DCE he said, was arraigned before the Tamale Circuit Court in 2015 after he [Abdulai Sirta, a businessman and owner of a small scale mining company] caused his arrest for stealing.

Patrick Ayaba was arrested by the Police in Bole on December 11, 2015 and later sent to the Tamale Circuit Court for that criminal conduct.

The Tamale Circuit Court, presided over by Justice William Appiah Twumasi, Mr. Sirta noted sentenced the accused person to a fine of 300 penalty units (GH3,600), or in default serve two years imprisonment. He was also ordered to refund the GH400,000 being the cost of the gold product he stole from him [the complainant in the case].

The accused, Patrick Ayaba, who was, however, not satisfied with the Circuit Courts judgement, appealed against the sentence at the Commercial division of the Tamale High Court, presided over by Mr Justice Daniel Kwaku Obeng. But unfortunately for him, the High Court upheld the earlier decision by the Tamale Circuit Court and enhanced the fine from 300 penalty units (GH3,600) to 5,000 penalty units, which is about GH60,000, or in default, serve five years imprisonment in hard labour, Mr. Abdulai Sirta noted.

He indicated that Patrick Ayaba, again, ran to another judge at the same Tamale High Court to appeal against the Commercial Courts ruling. And in its ruling, the High Court, presided over by Justice Kwame Osei Gyamfi, squashed the ruling by the Circuit Court at the time the Commercial Division of the High Court had upheld the ruling of the Circuit Court upon appeal by the accused.

Justice Gyamfis decision to quash the earlier ruling by the Circuit Court, which was subsequently upheld by Justice Daniel Kwaku Obeng of the Commercial High Court, the complainant noted, raised many eyebrows, which caught the attention of the Chief Justice.

He said that the Chief Justice set up a one man fact finding committee to investigate why Justice Osei Kwame Gyamfi, a High Court judge in Tamale had reversed a ruling of another High Court judge.

The committee on 11th April, 2018 submitted its report in a form of a Memo to the Chief Justice signed by Justice Doreen G. Boakye Agyei. Mr. Abdulai Sirta alleged that the report recommended that the petitioner, Abdulai Sirta should be written to, to co-operate with the Court of Appeal to prosecute the Appeal filed by the State to enable the matter to be concluded as early as possible.

He quoted portions of the report which also indicated that: Osei Kwame Gyamfi was not measured in the delivery of his judgment and has to have more judicial restraint.

As it stands now, the State is now battling the issue out with Patrick Ayaba at the Appeals Court in Tamale and the final judgement is expected on Friday June 25, 2021.

The Spokesperson for Mr. Abdulai Sirta, Mr. Abdulai Rahman Suale also raised serious concerns about why a man with criminal record and even standing trial in Court can be chosen as a potential DCE for Bawku West.

He expressed disappointment in the vetting committee of the Government for not conducting any background checks to ascertain the eligibility of the aspirants.

Mr. Abdualai Suale noted that it would be extremely dangerous for the President, Nana Akufo-Addo to appoint a thief as a DCE and entrust the resources of the good people of Bawku West District in his hands.

He therefore appealed to the appointing authorities to be very careful about their choice of a DCE for the people in the area.

Patrick Ayaba is a man who has a criminal record hanging on his neck. He was convicted by the Circuit Court in 2016, he appealed at the High Court and the sentence was even enhanced. Now the case is even at the Appeals Court and the final judgement is coming on 25th June 2021. How can such a person fit to become a DCE for Bawku West?

When contacted, Mr. Patrick Ayaba confirmed that he is one of the aspirants for the Bawku West DCEs position.

He also admitted that he has a case currently pending at the Appeals Court in Tamale but vehemently refused to give any further details.

According to Patrick Ayaba, he had been advised by his lawyer not to speak to the issues until his accuser, Mr. Abdulai Rahman Suale brought a petition to the NPP vetting committee.
Linda Agyei, a 23- year old woman at Odumasi, a farming community near Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region, has been hospitalised with serious burns after her husband poured hot water on her for not serving him supper.

She has been admitted at Nkwanta Medical Hospital receiving treatment with burns around her lower back and ribs.

Ms Agyei, a farmer, narrates to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) from her hospital bed that her husband, Yakubu Naru, refused to provide food and housekeeping money and yet wanted to be served food.

She said food has always been a problem for them and she has to manage to prepare food for the children and starve herself.

She said anytime her husband returns home and there was no food for him, she becomes the cause and receives beatings on regular instances.

An eyewitness said this was not the first time the victim was being beaten as recently her husband similarly burnt her clothes.

The suspect, a farmer, has since gone into hiding upon hearing that the case has been reported to the Nkwanta South Police.

Superintendent of Police, Lawson Lartey, the Nkwanta South Municipal Police Commander, who confirmed the incident assured that the suspect would be arrested and brought to justice.

---GNA
Isha Fuseni, a petty trader has been convicted to the sum of GH 1,440 for building a house without a development permit.

The Hohoe Magistrate Court also ordered her to pay a sum of GH 800 to the Hohoe Municipal Assembly as compensation.

Fuseni, who appeared in court pleaded guilty, was convicted on her own plea and would serve eight months imprisonment if she defaults in the payment of the fines.

Mr Frank Azila-Gbettor, the Prosecutor, told the court presided over by Madam Edith Lucy Dzormeku that the convict was constructing a house at Gbi-Bla (New Abattoir Road).

He said on January 15, 2020, the Hohoe Municipal Development Control Taskforce, on official duty to check development projects realised the convict had put up a building at the said location without a development permit.

The Prosecutor said Fuseni was educated, asked to stop work and obtain a permit for the structure but refused to comply.

Mr Azila-Gbettor said on August 13, 2020, the convict was served a warning letter to produce permit documents within two weeks but failed to do so.

He told the court that Fuseni had already built and occupied a 3-unit hall and chamber house without a permit before beginning construction works on the building in question.

The trader was arrested and brought to court on a bench warrant after she failed to appear in court on May 10, 2021.

---GNA
The century scored by the regulator in issuing the much-awaited order in the case of Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund (MF) has hogged the headlines in the media and the order that the asset management company (AMC) shall return the fees collected from 4 June 2018 in all the affected schemes to the investors is being seen as a major victory for the investors.

The 100- page order of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has not set the Arabian Sea on fire in any manner. Rather than being viewed as an indictment of the AMC, the order is actually a litany of the failure of the regulator in stepping in early and asserting its importance as an agency that does not wait for the outside world to wake it up from its slumber, but that it has an effective alarm clock that blares loud enough when there is danger.

Most of the issues considered in the order, in my humble opinion, neither needed a forensic investigation nor the benefit of hindsight to identify. It was obvious and stares anyone in the face like an erupting volcano!

It is not my intent to analyse the case, issue-wise, as there are better-equipped experts like compliance specialists, who will examine the applicability of the SEBI circulars purportedly violated and the transgression of the terms of the schemes which were shared with the investors.

Franklin Templeton is not any unique case. It is like many non-banking finance companies (NBFC) collapses that have happened over time and are continuing to happen. The schemes were taking credit calls to maximise return and it is trite that high returns in debt is correlated to high and disproportionate risk. Most of these schemes were returning eye-popping returns compared to the peer group since 2016 and 2017, may be even earlier but my cut off is when I started tracking these schemes.

The papers they were investing in were in no way hidden; it was quite clear the money was not going into top companies in the BSE50, but many that were like special purpose vehicles (SPVs) set up to address specific credit situations like an asset reconstruction company (ARC), or real estate fund. There could have been no ambiguity in the mind of anybody with basic market knowledge that most of the investments were in the nature of structured debt and not standard issues where large number of market participants invest.

What is it that the forensic report and the investigation undertaken by SEBI has discovered anew? It would have been equally explicit from the monthly data that the fund house provides that many of the investments were common across multiple schemes. Equally, a little effort, SEBI could have discovered that the investments formed a lions share of the borrowings of the investee companies.

Most of these investments would have been issued under private placement of debt, that are supposedly listed in the wholesale debt market and, hence, all issue details are filed with SEBI!

Two of the most critical discoveries of the 100-page order are that the schemes together constituted bulk investors in many cases. Moreover, despite differences in the credit risk characteristics of the six schemes, many investors were, indeed common. Both these facts could have been noted long back from the data available with SEBI.

The next major issue is the calculation of the (Macaulay) duration of the papers and their fitment into schemes which were essentially shorter term in nature. Here again, I would assume that in the years since the inception of these schemes there would have been many inspections by SEBI and if these issues were not investigated at that time, it is a shame!

The fund house has taken calls on not pressing for repayment when the borrower was distressed. SEBI has viewed this poorly and made it a big issue in the order. I would hold my judgement.

But this was also widely reported in the media as these cases of credit defaults are noticed immediately thanks to the vigilance of various reporting agencies and invariably the press caries the mutual funds schemes that have exposure to these companies.

It may be a specious argument to say that rescheduling of terms does not get reported as a credit event for rating purposes. These ought not to deter an agency like SEBI from monitoring the happenings in the market, as it knows that the mutual fund industry has big stakes in the credit market and lakhs of small investors are indirectly exposed to the risk.

If SEBI is operating on the basis that it will act only when asked to by a court of law, or when the muck hits the ceiling, it has no right to exist at all.

In respect of the six problem schemes, the inflows had reduced right from about August 2019 and the outflow had increased. These are typical tell-tale sign of impending trouble. Borrowings started in a big way around this time and even SEBI was approached for a higher limit. Yet, the regulator was deep in slumber.

When the Vodafone and Essel group defaults happened, some of the portals that rate MF schemes woke up for the first time and both ultra-short and low duration schemes that had enjoyed uninterrupted five-star rating got revised. Still, SEBI felt there was no alarm and did not bother to react.

The fund house, Franklin Templeton, had imposed restrictions on online withdrawals some time perhaps in March or early April 2020. Though the fund house has denied this in writing, it was a fact. The software, if audited, would certainly have a trail of how it was tampered with.

Even this did not attract SEBIs attention. It was perhaps easier to wake up Kumbakarna because there was a set protocol as one can notice by reading the Ramayana and wake up, he did, once those were followed!

SEBI has an alarm clock that snoozes without the button being operated and most pitiably, is not even sensitive to the aroma of Kumbakonam degree coffee as well!

While the disgorging of the management fee is being played up in the media as a major development in regulatory reprisal, I would like to see the day when the salary of the SEBI officials is withheld for their incompetence!!

The order has come in a record time if compared to the one that came some time back after a gap of two decades in the case of a famous tycoon!

The Supreme Court should not think its role ends when the schemes are wound up and the investors are paid. This is a perfect opportunity to bring SEBI to account so that it does not end up like Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which is beyond redemption now!

If this does not happen in a hurry, frankly the investors have only the temples to trust!!

(The author is a CA and CS and retired as a partner at EY, Chennai heading tax and regulatory advice.)
The new e-filing website of the income tax (I-T) department with a variety of new additional features was finally launched Monday evening for taxpayers. However, many users complained on Twitter about glitches on the new portal for filing of income-tax returns (ITRs), with several claiming that the website was not working.

Numerous users tagged finance minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman in their tweets. She in turn, tagged Infosys Ltd, which is managing the new portal and the companys co-founder Nandan Nilekani urging them to ensure that the new income-tax e-filing portal does not let down taxpayers. She requested them to fix glitches in the new income tax e-filing website urgently and said that easing compliance for taxpayers at the earliest should be prioritised.

The much awaited e-filing portal 2.0 was launched last night 20:45hrs.



I see in my TL grievances and glitches.



Hope @Infosys & @NandanNilekani will not let down our taxpayers in the quality of service being provided.



Ease in compliance for the taxpayer should be our priority. https://t.co/iRtyKaURLc  Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) June 8, 2021

Many users are still reporting outage and are saying they are struggling to access the website. After the launch, officials said that it would take some time for the website to stabilise and only then taxpayers will be able to use all the features smoothly.

In 2019, Bengaluru-headquartered Infosys was given the contract to develop the next-generation income-tax filing system to reduce processing time for returns from 63 days to one day and expedite refunds.

The fact that FM @nsitharaman named Infosys & @NandanNilekani for non performance of @IncomeTaxIndia new portal do not shift her responsibility!



All know how bad MCA portal is, & worst GST portal, why Income Tax contract was given to Infosys?



FM equally responsible



RT if agree  CA Chirag Chauhan (@CAChirag) June 8, 2021 Why the contract to made IT portal is given to @Infosys ?

We are feeling helpless in GST from 2017 due to portal operated & manged by @Infosys .

Now it's time for Income Tax too

Good flow of money in pocket of @Infosys?

Is their any problem in current IT portal?@abhishekrajaram  aa.a. aaaa aaaYY (@caashish_jain) June 8, 2021 I am here not to complain about the portal .......!

but i am appreciating the image that you have selected it is more resemblance the situation

Good job guys @Infosys @nsitharaman @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/obi4s9RCcJ  Ramesh Dasari (@dasaris_ramesh8) June 8, 2021

Infosys had also developed the government's GST Network (GSTN) portal, used for GST (goods and services tax) payment. and return filing. It might be recalled that Infosys had faced scathing criticism in July 2017 over similar glitches on the GST website.

Read: MCA21 is down for a month after a handover of the management by TCS to Infosys. Why? ) Even before that Infosys was handed over the MCA21 portal of ministry of corporate affairs (MCA). However, till date, users continue to complain about several issues with the MCA21 portal. Moneylife wrote about the issues in 2013, when Infosys took over the website from Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). (

Interestingly, as recent as in January this year, many users were facing issues with both the MCA21 and GSTN portals. Lakhs of professionals like company secretaries (CSs) and chartered accountants (CAs) continue to have a hard time filing tax documents on these government websites. While the MCA21 portal of the MCA continues to give regular trouble, the GSTN portal was denying access to people in January 2021. The due date for filing GSTR3B was 24 January 2021 but taxpayers and professionals continue to struggle in their filing with the GSTN portal.

However, at that time, Infosys GSTN had accused unscrupulous elements for causing trouble to taxpayers while accessing the portal.

Read: After MCA21, GSTN Portal Goes Out of Access; Infosys Blames Unscrupulous Elements for the Glitch ) In a tweet, Infosys GSTN said, "We observed some activity in cyber space by unscrupulous elements because of which some taxpayers may have experienced difficulties or delays in accessing the GST portal, which otherwise is working fine. We have resolved the problem and have blocked these activities. Kindly retry to access the portal." (

Coming back to the new I-T portal, which has been developed as a mission mode project under the national e-governance plan. The objective of this portal is to provide a single window to the income-tax-related services for taxpayers and other stakeholders.

Last week, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), which frames policies for the tax department, had said the new website will be launched on Monday, but features like the online tax payment system and a mobile app will be activated only on 18th June.

The new portal is integrated with the immediate processing of ITRs to issue quick refunds to taxpayers, and all interactions and uploads or pending actions will be displayed on a single dashboard for follow-up action by the taxpayer.

It will also have free ITR preparation software with interactive questions to help taxpayers file ITRs 1, 4 (online and offline) and ITR 2 (offline) to begin with, and the facility for preparation of ITRs 3, 5, 6 and 7 will be made available shortly.

Taxpayers will be able to proactively update their profile to provide certain details of their income, including salary, house property and business or profession, which will be used in pre-filling their ITR on the new web portal.

Detailed enablement of pre-filling with salary income, interest, dividend, and capital gains will be available after TDS (tax deducted at source) and SFT (statement of financial transaction) statements are uploaded (due date 30 June 2021).

A new call centre for taxpayer assistance is also planned, and the portal will have detailed frequently asked questions (FAQs), user manuals, videos, and chatbot or live agent. Functionalities to fill in income-tax forms, add tax professionals, submit responses to notices in faceless scrutiny or appeals would be available.
GREAT FALLS, Mont. - On June 7, Governor Greg Gianforte toured the 120th Airlift Wing in Great Falls.

While at the Montana Air National Guard, he was able to see the Hush House.

The Hush House is a place to test engines and props of C-130's and it is one of the few places like it in North America.

The governor was able to meet with 5th graders in the STARBASE program.

He also toured the other facilities learning a little history, using a simulator to land an aircraft, was able to sit down in the cockpit of an airplane, and learned about new equipment.

"It was great to see the new C130's arriving. These aircrafts are 20 years younger than the ones we have been flying. This is going to allow us to accomplish more missions safely and have a higher utilization for our men and women in uniform," said the governor.

Governor Gianforte says he's happy about the new aircrafts as these are the men and women helping both the nation and the state when emergencies arise.
HELENA, Mont. (AP)  A state judge on Monday granted a request by the Montana Board of Regents to extend a temporary restraining order that blocked a new campus carry law from taking effect.

District Court Judge Mike McMahon on May 28 temporarily blocked the law that would have allowed students and staff to carry firearms on public college campuses. The law was to take effect on June 1.

Attorneys for the regents asked McMahon to extend the restraining order while the case is heard, the Montana State News Bureau reported. McMahon heard the request Monday morning and granted it in the afternoon.

The Montana university system has a long-established policy about the use, storage and access of firearms on campus, said Martha Sheehy, an attorney for the Board of Regents and a former regent. The new law interferes with that policy.

The Montana Constitution gives the Board of Regents the power, responsibility and authority to supervise, coordinate and control the university system, she said.

David Dewhirst, state solicitor with the Attorney General's Office, said the Board of Regents had been involved in negotiations of House Bill 102, which includes the campus carry provision, and only filed a lawsuit after hearing public opposition to the new law.

Dewhirst argued the Legislature has the authority to enact laws that enforce self-defense rights.

The Montana Federation of Public Employees along with former regents, students and faculty groups have also challenged HB102 along with other bills they argue overstep the Board of Regents' constitutional authority to control the university system. That challenge was filed in District Court in Gallatin County.
Though Day is mindful of the economic setback brought about by the closure, the ruling, according to The Gadsden Times, noted: Diligence in the attainment of that unquestionably worthy goal must be measures against the rights and interests of citizens who live, own property, and do business in this county, and those who administer and attend the churches and schools here.
UPDATE: JUNE 8 AT 12:32 P.M.

HELENA, Mont. - The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff has identified the 17-year-old boy who drowned in Canyon Ferry Lake.

According to Sheriff Leo Dutton, the boy was identified as Elias Bowe.

Elias' family has been notified of his death.

Elias' family has set up a GoFundMe page.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

HELENA, Mont. - A Helena teenager died while swimming in Canyon Ferry Lake Saturday.

Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton tells Montana Right Now 911 dispatch received a report of a 17-year-old boy who was missing in the Crittenton day use area.

Authorities with search and rescue, the Lewis and Clark County Water Emergency Team, and Tri-Lakes fire responded.

Dutton said the current became too strong for swimmers in the area and the 17-year-old did not make it to shore, adding the waves were bigger than usual due to powerful winds.

The teen was found in 15-feet of water after crews spent two hours searching.

An autopsy is being performed at the State Crime Lab in Missoula.

The teen has not been identified at this time, but Dutton said he was a junior at Helena High School.

An investigation is ongoing.
SALEM, Ore. (AP)  A Republican state lawmaker faces being expelled from office after a video emerged apparently showing him choreographing how he would let far-right protesters into the closed Oregon Capitol days before he did so in December.

The crowd entered the building during an emergency legislative session, and some sprayed chemical irritants at police.

On Monday, Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek introduced a resolution that would have the Democrat-controlled House expel Rep. Mike Nearman if two-thirds of its members vote in favor. She appointed a committee to consider the matter.

GOP members of the House also wrote a letter to Nearman on Monday, saying he should step down.

Today, we strongly recommend that you resign from the Oregon State House of Representatives, all 22 House Republicans said in the joint letter. Given the newest evidence that has come to light ... it is our beliefs as friends and colleagues that it is in the best interest of your caucus, your family, yourself, and the state of Oregon for you to step down from your office.

The lawmakers were referring to video that emerged late Friday in local news reports that appeared to show Nearman coaching constituents on how to text him so they could get into the Capitol.

The committee appointed by Kotek, a Democrat, will convene later this week. It is composed of three Democrats and three Republicans.

With Republicans calling for Nearman to step down, his fate appeared sealed. If he does not resign, there was little doubt that an overwhelming number of House members would vote to cast him out.

Nearman himself said Monday he believes there are enough votes to expel him, which he said would make him the first House member to be expelled by its members in Oregon history. He joked in a call to the Lars Larson Show, a conservative talk radio program, that this would eventually make him the subject of a question on TV's Jeopardy!

He did not say whether he would resign.

"Ill put myself in Gods hands and see how that works out for me, Nearman said.

The incident on Dec. 21 rattled lawmakers and staff inside the Capitol and foreshadowed the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by rioters spurred on by then President Donald Trump. Several of those who were among the crowds in Salem on Dec. 21 later were in Washington during the U.S. Capitol attack.

As lawmakers met in emergency session on Dec. 21 to deal with economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, far-right rioters entered the building. They sprayed chemical irritants at officers who finally expelled them. Outside, protesters broke windows on the Capitol and assaulted journalists.

Later, security camera video emerged showing Nearman opening a door to the Capitol, which was closed to the public because of the pandemic, allowing protesters to enter. Nearman allegedly told people in a video days earlier that he would let them in if they texted him, and he provided his cellphone number. The existence of the video was first reported Friday by Oregon Public Broadcasting.

That video was me setting up the 21st, I think, Nearman said on the radio show. He indicated that his actions were civil disobedience because he objected to the Capitol being closed to the public.

In her resolution, Kotek said personnel who were authorized to be in the Oregon Capitol described Dec. 21 as intense and stressful, terrifying and distressing.

Law enforcement officers were visibly injured and shaken due to the demonstrators action, Kotek added.

The severity of Representative Nearmans actions and last weeks revelation that they were premeditated require a special committee to immediately consider expelling him from the House of Representatives, Kotek said. He knowingly put the physical safety of everyone in the Capitol  lawmakers, staff and law enforcement  in jeopardy."

Her resolution cites the Oregon Constitution, which empowers the House to punish a representative for disorderly behavior.

With the concurrence of two-thirds of the members of the House of Representatives, Representative Nearman (shall) be expelled from the House of Representatives, the resolution says.

Nearman also faces two misdemeanor criminal charges and has said he will seek a trial by jury.

He didnt respond to messages seeking comment Monday. A woman sitting at a desk in the anteroom of his Capitol office said the lawmaker was not present. She refused to comment, went into Nearmans office and shut the door.

Kotek said police in the state Capitol prevented the situation from escalating.

As we saw in January at the U.S. Capitol, the ramifications could have been dire if law enforcement had not stepped in so quickly, Kotek said.

Members of the new committee are Rep. Paul Holvey, D-Eugene; Rep. Christine Drazan, R-Canby; Rep. Barbara Smith Warner, D-Portland; Rep. Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles; Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Lake Oswego; and Rep. Duane Stark, R-Grants Pass.



Follow Andrew Selsky on Twitter at https://twitter.com/andrewselsky
GREAT FALLS, Mont. - When you googled Great Falls, Montana in the past - a Wikipedia page is the most you would find.

Now, that's changed with a new Great Falls Development Authority Website.

Now with the click of your mouse, you can learn all about what the Electric City has to offer.

When you go to this website, you can access everything from housing, healthcare, education, parks & recreation, and more.

"The purpose of the website is part of our over arching talent attraction plan. We have been talking to employers and HR professionals with our local employers. We know that we need talent to be moving back to Great Falls," said Soren Chargois, the talent attraction director for GFDA.

The website also gives people looking to move here resources and information as it showcases Great Falls as one of the treasures the state has to offer.

"Number one, our affordability. Access number two, the ability to get to a river, to mountains, to planes, hiking, wherever you want to be, we have the access here in Great Falls. And I also can't complain about the awesome commute time," said Chargois.

However, the website isn't just for potential movers; it also lets residents re-discover the Electric City.

"Maybe you'll find some inspiration there, something to do this week or this weekend and share it with your friends and family who don't live here. We have something really special in Great Falls," said Chargois.

The website also has special features including the 'Live in Great Falls Magazine'.

As well as a cost of living calculator.

"Where you can go in, fill in where a person is moving from - wherever that is, Washington, California, Colorado, wherever that is and then that converts their salary there to what the equivalent they would be making here in Great Falls," said Chargois.

And a new blog highlighting local people and their stories.

"We want them here, we want growth, we want those new minds and new opportunities. So, this website is part of a larger plan to help grow Great Falls, Montana. And bring those new ideas and new minds here," said Chargois.

She says this website is a great tool to connect people locally and across the globe as they see an estimated 80 unique views or more per day.
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Lansdale, PA (19446)

Today

Showers this evening, becoming a steady rain overnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

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Showers this evening, becoming a steady rain overnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
Highways become a fantastic window on Chinas development, vitality

09:00, June 08, 2021 By He Juan ( People's Daily

Photo taken on May 12, 2021 shows the Xiamen-Chengdu expressway crossing Huichang county, Ganzhou city of east Chinas Jiangxi province like a beautiful ribbon winding its way between green mountains and villages. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhu Haipeng)

As of the end of 2020, Chinas total mileage of highways reached 160,000 kilometers. Highways in China, which have been built from scratch and developed rapidly over the past three decades, have become a great window on the development, changes, and achievements of China.

Chinas highway network has witnessed the countrys resolve and strength to build highways wherever possible.

Since the implementation of the countrys reform and opening-up policy, especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held in 2012, the construction of highways in China has experienced leapfrog development. By the end of 2020, almost all the Chinese cities with a population of over 200,000 had been covered by the countrys highway network.

The Beijing-Urumqi Expressway, which stretches from Chinas capital city Beijing all the way west to Urumqi in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and spans the vast Gobi Desert, has reduced the road distance between Beijing and Urumqi by more than 1,300 kilometers.

The Yaan-Xichang Expressway in southwest Chinas Sichuan province, where half of the sections are rampways, winds along and passes through mountains and crosses over rivers, turning deep chasm into thoroughfare.

The Ningbo-Zhoushan Expressway in east Chinas Zhejiang province connects islands through towering cross-sea bridges and opens up a lifeline for the islands in Zhoushan city of Zhejiang.

By prevailing over whatever challenges that lie ahead, unclogging bottlenecks, reconnecting disrupted links, and overcoming challenges, China has formed a highway network that links the eastern and western regions and runs through the northern and southern parts of the country.

Drive through Chinas highway network, one can see the secret behind the countrys success in development. The countrys highways extending in all directions have generated opportunities for development.

The Guangzhou-Shenzhen Expressway, one of the busiest highways in the country, links Chinas Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and three cities of south Chinas Guangdong province, namely Guangzhou, Dongguan, and Shenzhen.

With an average daily traffic flow of 650,000 vehicles, the expressway accelerates the integrated development of Guangdong and HKSAR, drives improvement in the layout of industries and economic restructuring of cities along the route, and facilitates the emergence of a world-class city cluster.

In more than ten provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities of China, all the counties have been covered by highway network, thus smoothening the channel for promoting industrial products in the countryside and bringing farm produce to urban areas and offering a powerful driving force for rural vitalization.

Like a special bond between different parts of China, highways have formed a network that facilitates the flow of resources and sharing of opportunities, and allows different areas to complement each others advantages. Such a network has laid a solid foundation for the coordinated development of various regions and unimpeded circulation on the domestic market.

The highway network of China has mirrored the evolving development philosophy of the country.

Since 2012, many Chinese cities have attached more attention to old revolutionary base areas, areas inhabited by ethnic minority groups, border areas, and poor areas in the construction of highways. Relevant endeavors have not only helped these areas sell agricultural products throughout the country, but brought to these places talents, technologies, and other resources, providing strong support for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. This is one of the best examples of the idea of shared development in the countrys new development philosophy.

In fact, highways in China not only mirror the countrys new development philosophy, but help promote the philosophy in various areas. Examples of the fact can be easily found in such efforts as removing all toll stations at provincial boundaries of national expressways to further lower logistics costs and improve the efficiency of road networks, giving priority to protecting important ecological functional zones to the greatest extent and keeping clear of ecologically sensitive areas in projects under construction, as well as seeking digital transformation and empowering highways with new technologies including big data, AI, blockchain, and supercomputing.

Chinas highway network demonstrates the countrys confidence in its development in the future. Infrastructure construction plays an important role in driving economic growth and generates strong spillover effect. It can help reduce a countrys cost of economic circulation and improve the overall efficiency of economic operation.

Whether a country is capable of providing complete infrastructure shows its capabilities to mobilize resources, organize activities and implement plans.

Chinas achievements in the construction of infrastructures such as highways and high-speed railways, while manifesting the countrys strong governance capacity, serve as an important cornerstone of Chinas economic development.

Looking into the future, China aims to develop itself into a country with a strong transportation network and promote coordinated development of traditional and new forms of infrastructure, according to Chinas latest blueprint for national development, the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035. Efforts made to realize the goal will no doubt lay a solid foundation for high-level self-reliance in science and technology and higher-quality development of the country.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Wondering what your Zodiac sign says about the kind of Soldier you could be in the Army? the Go Army Instagram ad posted before the start of the weekend asks. Youll just have to click through our Instagram Story to find the answer because our lips are sealed over here.
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A Cleveland man was charged with theft for his alleged role in stealing $200,000 that is con
Dr. Rebecca Starck, president of Cleveland Clinic Avon Hospital, speaks about the novel coronavirus pandemic during the June 8, 2021, as part of the Lorain County Community Protection Team online meeting. The gathering of health experts, local government officials and community and business groups will meet twice a month instead of weekly, unless pandemic conditions get worse from COVID-19.
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Richard Payerchin covers Lorain City Hall, business news and other interesting stories for The Morning Journal. Reach the author at rpayerchin@MorningJournal.com or follow Richard on Twitter: @MJ_JournalRick.
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Moultrie, GA (31768)

Today

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
Moultrie, GA (31768)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 69F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 69F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Just 34 days before the end of World War II, a U.S. Navy cruiser was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and sunk in the Philippine Sea.

The USS Indianapolis had been the ship of state of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and had just delivered core components of the Hiroshima-bound atomic bomb "Little Boy" off the coast of Japan four days earlier.

After unloading her top-secret cargo at Tinian and then making a quick stop in Guam to await further orders, the crew of the Indy were soon bound for the Philippine island of Leyte, unaware that their location had just been discovered by an enemy submarine.

A Japanese sonar man had picked up on the sound of rattling dishes in her kitchen from some six miles away. The submarine began stalking her through the water until it was close enough to engage.

The sub's commanding officer, Mochitsura Hashimoto, gave the order to fire six torpedoes into her side at 12:04 a.m. on July 30, 1945. Two of the torpedoes hit their mark, and it took the Indy just twelve minutes to capsize and sink, forever entombing some 300 of her 1,195-man crew 18,044 feet beneath the surface of the moonlit water.

For the next five days, the nearly 900 sailors who had survived the sinking found their numbers whittled down as crew member after crew member fell victim to saltwater poisoning, drowning, delirium and shark attacks. Only 316 survived the horrific ordeal.

Survivor Harlan Twible later recounted his time in the water: "I saw some great heroism, and I saw some great fright, and I saw some things I wouldn't ever want to talk about."

When the survivors were first spotted on the fourth morning by 24-year-old U.S. search and reconnaissance air pilot Chuck Gwinn while he was looking for enemy vessels in the area, they had drifted apart from each other and were found in several groups across nearly 200 miles of ocean.

Their collective rescue took about 24 hours to complete - leaving some survivors in the water for five harrowing days. One of the discovered clusters of men contained the Indy's captain, Charles McVay.

Despite the nightmare he'd just experienced and survived at sea, Captain McVay soon found himself in a different kind of fight - this one with the United States Navy.

The Navy had bungled many things regarding the Indianapolis and they knew it: They denied McVay the escort he'd requested for protection while traveling through enemy waters; they failed to respond to any of the distress signals sent from the Indy that listed its coordinates in the final moments of its sinking (the Navy has since disputed receiving any distress signals, though multiple servicemen claimed to have received them); they failed to recognize or report that the Indy had not arrived at Leyte when it was scheduled to; and they had provided McVay with an incomplete intelligence report in the first place - withholding the vital information they had come by through a top-secret code-breaking program that confirmed enemy submarine activity along the route the Indy would be taking to Leyte.

To prevent such blunders from getting out and possibly overshadowing the triumphant news of the likely ending of the war (the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima just two days after the survivors were rescued with "This one is for the Boys of the Indianapolis" written on its side), the Navy ordered a news blackout about the incident once the survivors were sequestered and convalescing on a nearby island.

In Washington, the Navy had already begun preparing for a court inquiry as requested by Admiral Chester Nimitz. Nimitz's inquiry requested an investigation of the cause of the sinking, the culpability of any servicemen involved, and how the survivors had been discovered entirely by accident after the base at Leyte failed to report the ship as missing.

In the end, a few servicemen were reprimanded for their respective roles in not recognizing the Indy's absence, but only McVay would be taken to trial and charged for the sinking of the ship once he arrived back on American soil.

The Navy all but spelled out their reasons for doing so in a letter their judge advocate general (JAG) sent officials at the time: "Full justification for ordering the trial...springs from the fact that this case is of vital interest not only to the families of those who lost their lives, but also to the public at large."

In other words, "the Navy needed someone to blame for what The New York Times had already called 'one of the darkest pages of our naval history,'" said Doug Stanton, author of "In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors."

Initially, Navy prosecutors tried to charge Captain McVay with two counts of negligence: "failure to abandon ship in a timely manner" and "hazarding his ship" by failing to steer her in diagonal lines, a since-abandoned defensive maneuver known as zigzagging.

But the prosecutors soon realized they could not prove the first charge because the ship sank so quickly. So they put all their effort into making the second charge stick. McVay had already admitted that the Indy had not been zigzagging at the time of the attack, citing weather conditions. The Navy insisted on proving that his lack of doing so had been consequential.

Among the list of witnesses the prosecution called to testify against McVay was none other than the submarine commander who had sunk the Indy in the first place: Commander Mochitsura Hashimoto. The decision caused an uproar among members of the press and politicians alike.

"American military prosecutors calling Hashimoto to testify against McVay regarding the loss of his ship would have been as outrageous as the New York City district attorney calling a 9/11 hijacker to testify against the NYC fire commissioner regarding the loss of the World Trade Center," said Lynn Vincent, co-author of "Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man."

Nonetheless, Hashimoto had been asked to testify at the court martial and he obeyed - just not in the way prosecutors had hoped he would.

During his testimony, he was asked to confirm that the Indy had not been zigzagging at the time he fired upon her - a point he readily conceded. But he went on to seemingly mock the maneuver by explaining that zigzagging would have made "no change" in the way he fired the torpedoes and that he would have sunk the defenseless ship either way.

Despite the unexpected blow that Hashimoto's testimony had been to the prosecution, Captain McVay was still convicted of hazarding his ship by failing to zigzag.

"The conviction meant that of the almost 400 U.S. captains whose ships had been sunk during the war, McVay was the only one to have been court-martialed," Stanton said. Indeed, he was the only captain in the entire history of the Navy to be court-martialed whose ship was sunk by an act of war.

That distinction stayed with McVay for the rest of his life as he endured anguished letter after anguished letter ("Hate mail," Indy survivor Granville Crane Jr. later called it), from the families of the fallen sailors whose deaths had been blamed on him. "He read every letter he received and took them all personally," Stanton said.

In the end, McVay took his own life on November 6, 1968 - a gift from his father of a toy sailor clutched in his hand when he died.

His death marked a turning point for the remaining Indianapolis survivors as they had never held their captain responsible for the sinking and resented the way he'd been made to carry that unnecessary burden. "Once the captain was court-martialed, my first thought was how can we get these guys for doing this?" Twible later recounted.

Indeed, for more than fifty years, the survivors had tried and failed to get the Navy to reverse the court-martial and to clear their captain's name. At last, they decided to try another way: by making his exoneration a matter of law by appealing directly to the United States Congress.

The survivors gathered signatures and lobbied members of Congress in visit after visit to Washington. Finally, New Hampshire Sen. Robert Smith agreed to champion their cause, and he introduced an exoneration resolution that, as he put it at the time, "expresses a sense of Congress that Captain McVay's court martial was morally unsustainable."

Smith's resolution wasn't enough, however, because it was up to Sen. John Warner, R-Va., the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and former Navy secretary, to decide whether to take the exoneration resolution to the Senate floor for a vote.

For several months, Vincent said Warner had opposed the measure and been "utterly immovable" until he received a letter from the most unlikely of people: Mochitsura Hashimoto.

Once again, 54 years after he'd testified at McVay's court martial, the submarine commander was coming to his old enemy's defense. Hashimoto told Warner that he wanted to join the "brave men who survived the sinking of the Indianapolis ... in urging that your national legislature clear their captain's name." He added: "Our peoples have forgiven each other for that terrible war and its consequences. Perhaps it is time your peoples forgave Captain McVay for the humiliation of his unjust conviction."

His heartfelt words were enough to soften Warner's resolve. "With the addition of Hashimoto's voice," Vincent said, "it was as though the entire matter had reached a kind of cosmic critical mass, and Warner realized it was time to finally lay it to rest."

With Sen. Warner at last allowing the resolution to be considered, Congress voted to exonerate Captain Charles McVay on October 12, 2000. Hashimoto died 13 days later.

In a show of support for the survivors, Hashimoto's daughter, Sonoe Hashimoto Iida, and his granddaughter, Atsuko Iida, bravely attended the 60-year anniversary of the ship's sinking in 2005. Though nervous about how they may be received by the survivors who had been meeting together on the anniversary of the Indy's sinking every year since 1960, they felt connected to the men of the Indianapolis through their father and grandfather and wanted to attend.

They soon found their role as spectators change to participants, however, when at the close of that anniversary celebration the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the survivors were asked to stand together and sing God Bless America. Atsuko was invited to take her two sons up to the front of the room to sing along with the other grandchildren and great-grandchildren. "She seemed nervous," Vincent's co-author, Sara Vladic, said, "but she agreed to go with a cautious smile."

Singing as one, the moment was a fitting demonstration of healing between two peoples who had once called each other "enemy" - brought together by their shared desire to vindicate an innocent man.

"The survivors had fought for fifty years to exonerate their captain," Vincent said. "In an ironic twist of history, the man who first put them in peril was the same one who came to their aid."
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP)  Alvaro Enciso plants three or four crosses each week in Arizona's desert borderlands, amid the yellow-blossomed prickly pear and whip-like ocotillo, in honor of migrants who died on the northbound trek.

Each colorful wooden memorial denotes where a set of bones or a decomposing body was found. Over eight years, the artist has marked more than 1,000 locations across public lands dotted with empty black plastic water jugs and camouflage backpacks beneath circling turkey vultures.

Anything out here can kill you," Enciso said. "A blister, a snake, not enough water.

Protecting migrants and honoring the humanity of those who died on the perilous trail is a kind of religion in southern Arizona where spiritual leaders four decades ago founded the Sanctuary Movement, a campaign to shelter Central Americans fleeing civil war, and scores of volunteers carry on their legacy today.

Faith-based groups working in migrant activism run the gamut from the Tucson Samaritans, which leaves lifesaving caches of water, food and other provisions in the remote wilderness, to Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona, which operates a shelter, to Methodists providing asylum-seeking families with legal aid and a place to stay, to name a few.

Encisos art project, Where Dreams Die, fits squarely in that spiritual tradition, though he believes there's nothing overtly religious in memorializing the dead.

On a recent day he placed a golden cross where the bones of an unknown male were found Sept. 24, 2020, amid the jumping cholla cactus. The cause and approximate year of the man's death, about a mile north of state Highway 86, are undetermined.

Can you imagine what their families go through, not knowing what happened to them? Enciso said.

Volunteer Michele Maggiora kissed a fist of fresh sage and faced east, south, west and north, then held the fist down for the Earth Mother and up for the Sky Father in prayer.

I feel like we have to recognize that something happened here, Maggiora said.

Such activism has roots in the 1981 founding of the Sanctuary Movement, which spread to a dozen Tucson churches and synagogues and more than 500 U.S. Protestant, Catholic and Jewish congregations, drawing on the ancient tradition of protecting people inside houses of worship.

Now 81 and retired, the Rev. John Fife III was pastor at Tucsons Southside Presbyterian Church back then when his Quaker friend Jim Corbett told him Central Americans were fleeing to the U.S. to escape violence back home.

The men recalled the Book of Matthew 25:35: For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.

Soon Fife and Corbett, who died in 2001, were smuggling Central American migrants into the U.S. and sheltering them in their homes, despite their wives protests. The church hosted some 13,000 asylum seekers in the '80s, with up to 100 people sleeping on the floor on a given night.

I felt that if I didnt help, I would have to resign as pastor, Fife said recently in Southsides worship hall, which was modeled after an indigenous ceremonial structure known as a kiva.

Fife was convicted in 1986 of violating U.S. immigration laws and served five years' probation, but that didn't deter him.

In 2000 he helped create Humane Borders, which maintains water stations with 55-gallon (208-liter) plastic blue barrels accompanied by a blue flag visible from a distance. Two years later he co-founded Tucson Samaritans, a ministry of Southside, which along with partner organizations in Ajo and Green Valley-Sahuarita sends volunteers into the wilderness to leave water and food. Fife also had a hand in the 2004 creation of No More Deaths, which staffs remote aid camps for weeks at a time.

We couldnt stop what we were doing, because peoples lives were on the line, Fife said.

Many of those volunteering with the groups are of retirement age, like Gail Kocourek.

Every week the Tucson Samaritan volunteer drives donations of clothes and food to Casa de la Esperanza, a new daytime migrant help center just south of the border in the Mexican town of Sasabe where about 50 migrants a day can get a meal, a shower and clothes. They usually sleep at hotels or guest houses in town.

I dont think anyone deserves to die for trying to make a better life for their family, Kocourek said.

Often traveling there as well is Dora Rodriguez, who was among 13 Salvadorans who survived in 1980 when 13 others died in the broiling sun near Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Then 19, she remained in Tucson and eventually became an American citizen.

And now, 41 years later, people are still dying out here in the desert, said Rodriguez, who formed a nonprofit called Salvavision to aid migrants in Arizona and encourage people in Central America not to make the dangerous journey. The only difference now is that there is no longer a civil war. But you still have the aftermath of war  the gangs, crime, corruption.

Rampant poverty is another reason for leaving, according to Vicente Lopez, a 19-year-old from Guatemala who was staying elsewhere in town. Its because were so poor.

Groups that seek to restrict immigration, such as the Washington-based think tank Center for Immigration Studies, contend the border wall and other barriers are a better way to keep deaths down by keeping migrants out.

I have no question about the good intentions of these groups, and we dont want people dying in the desert, said Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge and the centers resident fellow. But you dont want to create a magnet for people expecting to find water.

For its part, the Border Patrol, in a recent statement on the 20th anniversary of the deaths of 14 people in the Devil's Highway region southeast of Yuma, noted the danger remains: Smugglers and guides regularly risk the lives of the migrants who pay them thousands of dollars for help to get to the United States.

Humane Borders, which works with Pima County chief medical examiner Dr. Greg Hess to map the discoveries of human remains, in 2020 documented 227 deaths, including those in Maricopa County, the highest in a decade after the hottest, driest summer in state history. Hess' office received the remains of 79 apparent border crossers this year as of late May, and activists fear 2021 could prove especially treacherous with large numbers of people launching journeys.

Customs and Border Protection reports that apprehensions of migrants are way up, with 20,246 such encounters in the Tucson sector alone in April  a 674% increase over the same month last year  out of 178,622 along the entire four-state border. Rescues of migrants found in dangerous areas are also up.

Im not looking forward to this summer, said Douglas Ruopp, chairman of Humane Borders. No matter what we do, people keep dying."

Yet the danger doesn't dissuade people like Josue Hernandez Ruiz, a tour guide from the Mexican resort of Huatulco who was laid off during the coronavirus pandemic and ventured north seeking to support his wife and two children. After staying at a guest house in Sasabe, he and a friend planned to set out into the desert without a guide.

Im going to use my phone, Hernandez Ruiz said. It has GPS.

In Tucson, activists regularly gather at a shrine to pray for migrants who didn't survive that journey.

The local cumbia band Vox Urbana pays homage by writing and recording songs about migrants, including one about a transgender asylum seeker named Karolina.

We are a community of migrants," guitarist and vocalist Kike Castellanos said, "and it is important to tell the stories of our community.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through The Conversation U.S. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Can you remember any Republican president going out there, or former Democratic president, Go find that guy and prosecute him? You ever hear that? Or: By the way, Im being sued because a womans accused me of rape. Represent me. Represent me. ... Whats that all about? What is that about? Biden said at the time.
Midland County Records

A former Ector County ISD teacher who was previously charged with having an improper relationship with a student has now been arrested and charged with possession of child pornography.

William Hikes Boone, 51, was arrested Monday for the child pornography charge after he was charged in August of 2020 with having an improper relationship with a student at Odessa Collegiate Academy, where he taught.
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Bell Buckles salute to famous snack MoonPies and RC Cola creates sweet fun

Picasa/Wilson Post News The most popular spot in this Bedford County village is likely the Bell Buckle Cafe, which has been operated since 1992 by Jeanette and J. Gregory Heinike and their daughters, Heidi (left) and Hillary. Heidi holds their signature oatmeal cake with caramel sauce and ice cream. Hillary has the BBQ plate that comes with three sides. KEN BECK Two-time MoonPie Toss world champion Joe Hunt shows his winning form in front of the Bell Buckle mural. The games begin at the 26th Annual RC Cola-MoonPie Festival on Saturday, June 19, in Bell Buckle, which Southern Living recently named the best small town in the South. /Wilson Post News Lisa Scimeca (left) and Heather Williams (also president of the Bell Buckle Chamber of Commerce), are co-owners of the Bell Buckle Coffee Shop and Book Swap where folks can sample their hot or cold beverages, homemade treats and sandwiches. SUBMITTED The cutting of the worlds largest MoonPie is scheduled to take place at 4 p.m. Saturday, June 19, in Bell Buckle. The whopper will be cooked by the Chattanooga Bakery, which began making MoonPies in 1919. The 38-inch-diameter and about four-inch-high pie serves 300-400 people. Here, Emily Minor has the honors of cutting the pie in 2018. Nancy Phillips, 85, known as Mama Phillips to most folks in Bell Buckle, holds a white-chocolate-raspberry waffle cone, the Bluebird Ice Cream Parlors signature waffle cone. The Bell Buckle native makes 125 fried pies seven days a week at her sweet shop which nestles in a pre-1900s grocery store and features a soda parlor with a soda bar from a long-gone Chattanooga saloon. /Wilson Post News Billy Phillips has operated Phillips General Store since 1989. His mom, Nancy Phillips, bought the store while pregnant with her son in 1971. While the decor transforms with the holidays, one thing never changes: the proprietor always has fresh MoonPies and cold RC Colas on hand.

Not only can you take a bite out the worlds largest MoonPie at the 26th annual RC Cola-MoonPie Festival on Saturday, June 19, but also anyone with a robust throwing arm could give a mighty heave and become the next world champion MoonPie tosser.

The whopper MoonPie will be whipped up by the Chattanooga Bakery, which began making MoonPies in 1919. The gigantic pie, 38 inches in diameter and about four-inches high, serves 300-400 people.

Jenny Hunt, public relations director for the Bell Buckle Chamber of Commerce, estimates that half a million MoonPies have been devoured here over the course of 25 previous festivals, which have been held every third Saturday of June (except last year) since 1994. The day-long event attracts 30,000 visitors who consume 8,000 RC Colas and 12,000 MoonPies, give or take a few.

Thus, the Bedford County community of 405 residents, not counting 300 Webb School students, lays claim to being the MoonPie Capital of the World. Not only that but earlier this year Southern Living magazine named Bell Buckle as the top small town in the South

Describing the day that MoonPie mania rules, Hunt said, The atmosphere of this town takes over the crowd and with the old-timey tie-in to an old Southern snack, its a feel-good all day.

We have race people (for the 10-mile and 5k foot races), and families and then those who come hell or high water for the giant MoonPie. When we start cutting, it gets crazy. Everybody has their hands out, and I want them to just be careful and not crush anybody. We have to have security now to protect the pie.

Heather Williams, who has lived here for seven years and is in her fifth year as president of the Chamber of Commerce, described the town as the quirkiest little village  Bell Buckle oozes charm. Its a little like Cheers. Here you cant go far without somebody hollering your name. I went to my first potluck ever here and it was the best.

The festival brings people from all over the U.S. Some plan vacations around it. We have a contest for whoever travels the farthest. One year it was a couple from Australia who just happened to be here, and so they scheduled their vacation the next year to come back.

Its a typical small-town festival with a parade and super energetic. The crowning of the MoonPie king and queen is a blast.

The idea for the festival was spawned by a group led by Capt. Rodney Simmons, Hunt explained. One of the towns early press releases about the event noted, Known as the first fast-food meal, these two Southern traditions, RC and a MoonPie, are brought together for a grand celebration Bell Buckle-style. The idea for the festival first began in 1994 as a way to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the MoonPie and to bring tourists to Bell Buckle. Bell Buckle called the Chattanooga Bakery to see about throwing a birthday party for MoonPie. Little could anyone have expected what a huge event this would become.

Warm it up for distance

Getting to the details on how to win a MoonPie toss contest, this writer, who won the 1998 event and has the ribbon to prove it, chatted with two-time world champion MoonPie tosser Joe Hunt, who won around 2003 and 2004 and just so happens to be married to Jenny.

Asked point blank what it takes to win, Joe joked, I can tell you that you have to throw it further than anybody else.

Funning aside, Joe shared, Ive got an advantage. I played baseball all the way through college. I watched some of the others throw the MoonPie like Frisbees. That wont win.

A little heat is your friend, he said, spilling the beans. You need to get it warm. So put it under your armpit where it will melt. Then smother it like a ball and make a baseball out of it. And you need to get the air out of it (rules state that the single decker MoonPie must be thrown in its cellophane wrapper]. You can punch a tiny hole in it with your teeth and get the air out of it.

Joe estimated that his best toss went approximately 200 feet.

This writer, who competed in the primitive era of the sport, waited to go last in the contest, trying to see what worked best for the other hurlers as they flung their pies from behind a line on the asphalt.

My method was to get a 40-foot running start and spin the chocolatey snack in the style of skipping a rock across water and hoisting it at a 45-degree angle. That did the trick and for one year I ruled as champion MoonPie thrower of the world.

Hey, it can only happen in Bell Buckle. I must confess I returned the following year to defend my crown and was soundly walloped, not even finishing in the top five. (I wonder if it was those five MoonPies I ate a few minutes earlier?)

Asking Joe if he would be coming out of retirement and entering the contest this year, he retorted, Because youre here, probably yes.

Jenny added that MoonPie toss has become so popular that they have had to put spotters on the site. For those who have never attended the festival and witnessed this sport, please note that many lackadaisical bystanders have been known to get smacked in the head or on the body by off-course, wobbling MoonPie missiles, but, other than embarrassment, no injuries have been reported.

Other Bell Buckle attractions

While the MoonPie Toss remains the sport of chocolate-snack kings, Jenny, sadly reported the festival had to drop the watermelon seed-spitting contest because we couldnt find watermelon seeds. It seems everybodys growing seedless melons.

She and Williams also put in a plug for the villages major event, the Webb School Arts and Craft Festival, held each October and which draws 125,000 guests over two days.

The duo noted there are seven must-see places or persons to meet should you brighten their fair city. These include the Bell Buckle Cafe, the Bluebird Ice Cream Parlor, the gorgeous mural in alley (the hot spot to take your picture), Bell Buckle Park, Tennessee poet laureate Maggi Vaughn, sculptor Russ Faxon and Phillips General Store.

If you need directions, just ask when you get there as these highlights are all within walking distance.

This writer suggests tourists make their first stop at the Bluebird Ice Cream Parlor (hey, life is short, eat dessert first, I say) and say howdy to the hamlets true superstar, Nancy Phillips, 85, who makes 125 fried pies in a cast-iron skillet seven days a week. Note that she gets off around 2 p.m.

Phillips has been making fried pies since she was 7 years old and whips up a variety of flavors but creates her banana pudding fried pies and lemon fried pies only on Saturdays.

Said Phillips, When I have time, I like to talk to people about Bell Buckle and what Bell Buckles meant to me. Its where I was born and grew up and where Im still making fried pies. Ive been in business in this town for 50 years, since my husband and I started Phillips General Store.

Im glad to have a place to be and have something to do. The students from Webb School call me Mama and Mama Phillips in several different languages, said the woman who is a mother figure to everybody in town.

The thriving half block that makes up Bell Buckle today is pretty much nearly the spitting image of what it was a century ago but almost went before the wrecking ball 45 years ago. The block has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975.

As for whom Bell Buckle tolls, it tolls for thee.
The statement was posted to Twitter by reporters from outlets including the Independent because Trump himself was banned from that platform, as well as Facebook, following the deadly Jan. 6 uprising at the U.S. Capitol during an event he used social media to promote. The 45th president had steadily used Twitter to spread disinformation following his loss in the 2020 presidential election.
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Jacksonville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 George M. Stice, 31, of 605 W. College Ave. was arrested at 2:15 p.m. Monday at Chambers and Main streets on a warrant accusing him of violating probation.



Brown County

Sheriff

ACCIDENTS

 Cory R. Mefford, age unavailable, of Quincy was treated for minor injuries after his vehicle went off the road and struck a culvert on County Road 600 North at 10:51 a.m. Friday.

State Police

ACCIDENTS

 Five people were injured in a two-vehicle accident at 5:15 p.m. Sunday on U.S. 24 in Brown County.

Police said Carson S. Gay, 23, of Quincy was going west on U.S. 24 and crossed the center line, collided head-on with a vehicle being driven by Molly R. Bunge, 36, of Camp Point. Both Gay and Bunge were taken to hospitals with unspecified injuries. Three passengers in Bunges vehicle  Scott W. Bunge, 35, of Camp Point, a 16-year-old girl and a 7-year-old girl  were also injured, police said.

Gay was cited on a charge of improper lane use.



Pike County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Three people were arrested at 12:17 a.m. Monday after a traffic stop on Hamilton Street in Barry.

Deputies stopped a car being driven by Danielle L. Slavin, 28, of Hannibal, Missouri, and she was arrested on charges of driving while license suspended and having no rear registration light. Passenger Ashley M. Clayton, 34, of Louisiana, Missouri, was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine, retail theft and unlawful use of weapon. A second passenger, John M. Mayfield, 44, of Monroe City, Missouri, was arrested on a charge of possession of a firearm by a felon.

 Ryan T. Brown, 33, of Barry was arrested at 11:37 p.m. June 1 on charges of domestic battery and violation of a stalking no-contact order and on a petition to revoke.

 Patricia P. Touchette, 57, of Barry was arrested at 3:47 p.m. Thursday on a petition to revoke.

 Nicole L. Hare, 24, of Griggsville was arrested at 6:56 p.m. Thursday on a possession of methamphetamine charge.

 Devon L. Wagner, 22, of Hannibal, Missouri, was arrested at 2:44 p.m. Thursday on a petition to revoke or modify bond.

 Zachary B. Greenwood, 29, of Griggsville was arrested at 7:32 p.m. Thursday on a possession of methamphetamine charge.

 Patrick E. Cantwell, 52, of Pleasant Hill was arrested at 11:17 a.m. June 1 on a disorderly conduct charge.

 Adam L. Crowder, 32, of Pleasant Hill was arrested at 12:38 a.m. Friday on a possession of methamphetamine charge.

 Stephen M. Rexroad, 44, of Springfield was arrested at 7:39 p.m. Friday on a charge of driving while license is revoked or suspended and on a Colorado warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court.

 Lance W. Brockhouse, 24, of Winchester was arrested at 2:11 a.m. Thursday on a possession of methamphetamine charge.

Pittsfield Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Barry B. Zarfas, 42, of Lake St. Louis, Missouri, was arrested at 6:50 p.m. June 1 on a charge of defrauding a drug and alcohol screen.

 Rodney D. Smith, 51, of Pittsfield was arrested at 3:45 a.m. Friday on charges of aggravated assault, intimidation, unlawful use of weapons and resisting or obstructing a peace officer.

Compiled by David C.L. Bauer
Theyre the ones that really wanted it for me, Ever said. Like I said, I did it for them and I feel really grateful now that I have it because I fought for it, they fought for it real hard, and it just means the world to me.
PARIS (AP)  French President Emmanuel Macron denounced violence and stupidity after he was slapped in the face Tuesday by a man during a visit to a small town in southeastern France.

The incident prompted a wide show of support for the head of state from politicians across the ideological spectrum.

Macron was greeting the public waiting for him behind barriers in the town of Tain-lHermitage after he visited a high school.

Two videos show a man slapping Macron in the face and his bodyguards pushing the assaulter away as the French leader is quickly rushed from the scene.

I'm always going to meet people," Macron told reporters on Tuesday evening, as he was greeting a crowd in the nearby city of Valence, accompanied this time by his wife, Brigitte Macron.

Some people express anger, sometimes disarray ... that's legitimate anger, and we will continue to respond. Stupidity and violence, no, not in democracy," he said.

A few hours earlier, Macron had taken another 25-minute walk in the narrow streets of the city, posing for selfies with a small crowd and chatting with many people in a laid-back atmosphere.

Macron described the incident as an isolated act, in an interview with local newspaper Le Dauphine Libere.

We must not let isolated acts, ultra-violent individuals, like there had been some also in (street) protests, dominate the public debate: they don't deserve it," he said.

Macron said he didn't have specific concerns after the assault.

I greeted the people who were by the man's side and made pictures with them. I continued and will continue. Nothing will stop me, he said.

A bodyguard, who was standing right behind Macron, raised a hand in defense of the president, but was a fraction of a second too late to stop the slap. The bodyguard then put his arm around the president to protect him.

Macron just managed to turn his face away as the aggressor's right hand connected, making it appear that the president took more of a glancing blow than a direct slap.

The man, who was wearing a mask, appears to have cried out Montjoie! Saint Denis! a centuries-old royalist war cry, before finishing with A bas la Macronie, or Down with Macron.

Another video showed Macron immediately coming back after the incident, seemingly to face his assailant, and then to say hello to other members of the crowd.

Valence prosecutor Alex Perrin said in a statement that police have detained the man who slapped Macron and another man who was accompanying him. Their motives aren't known at this stage, he said.

They are both 28 and live in the region. They weren't armed and not previously known to police. They are being detained on suspicion of violence on a person in a position of public authority," the statement said.

In 2018, Montjoie! Saint Denis! was cried out by someone who threw a cream pie at far-left French lawmaker Eric Coquerel. At the time, the extreme-right, monarchist group Action Francaise took responsibility. Coquerel on Tuesday expressed his solidarity with Macron.

Speaking at the National Assembly, the lower house of the French parliament, Prime Minister Jean Castex said through the head of state, thats democracy that has been targeted. Lawmakers from across the political spectrum got to their feet and applauded loudly in a show of support.

Democracy is about debate, dialogue, confrontation of ideas, expression of legitimate disagreements, of course, but in no case can it be violence, verbal assault and even less physical assault, Castex said.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen firmly condemned on Twitter the intolerable physical aggression targeting the president of the Republic.

Visibly fuming, she said later that while Macron is her top political adversary, the assault was deeply, deeply reprehensible.

Former President Francois Hollande of the Socialist Party tweeted that the slap was an unbearable and intolerable blow against our institutions... The entire nation must show solidarity with the head of state.

Less than one year before France's next presidential election, centrist Macron embarked last week on a political tour de France, saying he plans to visit French regions in the coming months to "feel the pulse of the country as the government works to revive the nation's pandemic-hit economy.

Macron has said in an interview he wants to engage with people in a mass consultation with the French public aimed at turning the page" of the pandemic  and preparing his possible campaign for a second term.

Mounting concerns about violence against elected officials and police have been aired in France, particularly after unruly members of yellow vest economic protest movement repeatedly clashed with riot-control officers in 2019.

Village mayors and lawmakers also have been targeted with physical assaults, death threats and harassment.

But Frances well-protected head of state had been spared, which compounded the shockwaves that rippled through French politics in the wake of Tuesday's assault.

Macron, like his predecessors, enjoys spending time in meet-and-greets with members of the public. Called crowd baths in French, they have long been a staple of French politics and only very rarely produce shows of disrespect for the president.

A bystander yanked then-President Nicolas Sarkozys suit during a crowd bath in 2011. His successor, Hollande, was showered with flour the next year, months before winning the presidential election.

___

Elaine Ganley in Paris, and John Leicester in Le Pecq, contributed to the story.
Editors note: This is part of a series highlighting sites on the National Registry of Historic Places throughout the area.

To say that the Jacksonville Public Library is one of many may sound redundant.

Of course, there are libraries just about everywhere you go, from the smallest town to the biggest city.

As institutions, there are some that have a very attractive, classic architectural appearance for the public to marvel. But theres a specific class of libraries that stands alone  the Carnegie libraries  and out of the nearly 1,700 built in the United States throughout the turn of the 20th century, Jacksonville has one of them.

Andrew Carnegie started building libraries in places he had familiarity and association, but later with the hiring of his assistant, James Bertram, requests started pouring in.

They do all have similar architectural features. Youll see columns in the front, Sara Snyder, the adult services librarian at the Jacksonville Public Library, said. A lot of the same architects from Chicago built a lot of the Carnegie libraries.

Some of the common features youll find are stained oak trim, ceramic tile floors, and in some cases  Jacksonvilles, for one  a dome rotunda, according to the application sent to the National Register of Historic Places.

It was local lawyer L.O. Vaught who made the formal request for Jacksonville to receive its own Carnegie Library.

Within time, the money was put forth and in 1902 the library opened.

When you look at it from outside it just stands out, Snyder said. Especially for the population in Jacksonville, its pretty big. Even at the time it was built.

In the mid-'90s, an addition was put on, and according to the NRHP application, it vastly expanded the building. But the history was left intact. The limestone structure that was once the outside of the library is now an interior wall dividing the old and the new.

People who come from out of town like Springfield or St. Louis will comment on it, Snyder said.

It might be historical, however, theres one characteristic that remains true. The services and assistance a library offers to the people continues to grow.

Its a place where you can go and walk up to somebody and ask any question in the world, Snyder said passionately. Just to make a connection with another human being after the pandemic is very valuable. We were only closed for a few months when we were fully locked down.

Jacksonvilles Carnegie Library was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
Congressman Darin LaHood has introduced legislation that would dedicate funding to repair more than 45,000 bridges nationwide that are structurally deficient.

Illinois ranks third in the nation for most bridges in poor condition. LaHood said the 18th District he represents has more than 400 structurally deficient bridges.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Justice Department has recovered most of a multimillion-dollar ransom payment made to hackers after a cyberattack that caused the operator of the nation's largest fuel pipeline to halt its operations last month, officials said Monday.

The operation to seize cryptocurrency paid to the Russia-based hacker group is the first of its kind to be undertaken by a specialized ransomware task force created by the Biden administration Justice Department. It reflects a rare victory in the fight against ransomware as U.S. officials scramble to confront a rapidly accelerating threat targeting critical industries around the world.

By going after the entire ecosystem that fuels ransomware and digital extortion attacks  including criminal proceeds in the form of digital currency  we will continue to use all of our resources to increase the cost and consequences of ransomware and other cyber-based attacks, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said at a news conference announcing the operation.

Georgia-based Colonial Pipeline, which supplies roughly half the fuel consumed on the East Coast, temporarily shut down its operations on May 7 after a gang of cybercriminals using the DarkSide ransomware variant broke into the company's computer system. The ransomware variant used by DarkSide, which has been the subject of an FBI investigation since last year, is one of more than 100 that law enforcement officials are now scrutinizing, said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate.

Colonial officials have said they took their pipeline system offline before the attack could spread to its operating system, and decided soon after to pay ransom of 75 bitcoin  then valued at roughly $4.4 million  in hopes of bringing itself back online as soon as it could. The company's president and chief executive, Joseph Blount, is set to testify before congressional panels this week.

In a statement Monday, Blount said he was grateful for the FBI's efforts and said holding hackers accountable and disrupting their activities "is the best way to deter and defend against future attacks of this nature.

The private sector also has an equally important role to play and we must continue to take cyber threats seriously and invest accordingly to harden our defenses, he added.

Cryptocurrency is favored by cybercriminals because it enables direct online payments regardless of geographical location, but in this case, the FBI was able to identify a virtual currency wallet used by the hackers and recovered the proceeds from there, said the FBIs Abbate. The Justice Department did not provide details about how the FBI had obtained a key for the specific bitcoin address, but said law enforcement had been able to track multiple transfers of the cryptocurrency.

For financially motivated cyber criminals, especially those presumably located overseas, cutting off access to revenue is one of the most impactful consequences we can impose, Abbate said.

Though the FBI generally discourages the payment of ransom, fearing it could encourage additional hacks, Monaco said one takeaway for the private sector is that if companies come quickly to law enforcement after ransomware incidents, officials may be able to again help recover funds  though that is not guaranteed.

The Bitcoin amount seized  63.7, currently valued at $2.3 million after the price of Bitcoin tumbled amounted to 85% of the total ransom paid, which is the exact amount that the cryptocurrency-tracking firm Elliptic says it believes was the take of the affiliate who carried out the attack. The ransomware software provider, DarkSide, would have gotten the other 15%.

The extortionists will never see this money, said Stephanie Hinds, the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California, where a judge earlier Monday authorized the seizure warrant.

Ransomware attacks  in which hackers encrypt a victim organization's data and demand a hefty sum for returning the information  have flourished across the globe. Last year was the costliest on record for such attacks. Hackers have targeted vital industries, as well as hospitals and police departments.

Weeks after the Colonial Pipeline attack, a ransomware attack attributed to REvil, a Russian-speaking gang that has made some of the largest ransomware demands on record in recent months, disrupted production at Brazils JBS SA, the world's largest meat processing company.

The ransomware business has evolved into a highly compartmentalized racket, with labor divided among the provider of the software that locks data, ransom negotiators, hackers who break into targeted networks, hackers skilled at moving undetected through those systems and exfiltrating sensitive data  and even call centers in India employed to threaten people whose data was stolen to pressure for extortion payments.

_____

Associated Press writer Frank Bajak in Boston contributed to this report.

___

Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
To the editor:

In 1918, after four years of attritional trench warfare, the Great War (World War I) neared its end. The German army was driven back to its home frontier. Its generals panicked at the prospect of an invaded Fatherland and pressed their government to get an immediate armistice.

An armistice was achieved, but the subsequent Versailles Treaty settlement was a decidedly anti-German one. In the 1920s, Germany drowned in economic and political ruin and a profound spiritual despair. Its post-war democratic government was excoriated for signing the hated treaty and bitterly blamed for the horrendous conditions of daily life.

All this was ruthlessly exploited by hyper-nationalists and a nascent Nazi Party that orchestrated a remorseless big lie that would have apocalyptic consequences for Germany, Europe and the world. It was shrilled across the country that the army had never been defeated, its heroic soldiers had been stabbed in the back by traitorous politicians, revolutionaries, profiteers and Jews, robbing the country of its deserved victory.

There is a parallel big lie story in American history. It arose in the wake of our Civil War. Southern Confederates were embittered and humiliated by their military defeat in 1865. Soon after Appomattox, they were busy concocting an alternative reality, a perversely romanticized lost cause.

This myth posited that slavery has been a positive good that benefited both slaves and slaveholders, but oddly enough it had nothing to do with the cause of the war. Lincolns 1860 election was deemed invalid, so southerners fought for states rights and freedom, for a 1776-like independence. Their soldiers had not been defeated, just overwhelmed by superior resources and Yankee perfidy. Their cause was a noble one, protective of a more honorable way of life (albeit one based on slave labor).

For another century and more, the South was defined by white supremacy. In ways remindful of Nazi angst, it wallowed in faux honor, grievance, self-pity, anti-modernism and racial bigotry. This has blighted the American pursuit of democracy and shamed our pretensions to justice and exceptionalism.

Through time military and political defeats have driven whole peoples into apocalyptic pessimism, reducing them to easy dupes for big lie demagogues who despise democracy. People apparently find unvarnished history dangerous and truth too awful to contemplate.

Any man or group who can convince you to believe an absurdity can get you to commit an atrocity (i.e. a Holocaust, Jim Crowism or the overthrow of election results). Thats what big lie politics are all about.

Richard Nelson

Jacksonville
Watertown, SD (57201)

Today

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 58F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 58F. Winds NE at 10 to 20 mph.
Whitley Strieber, bestselling author and arguably the worlds most famous UFO abductee: Much of the media and the government are acting as if the UFO phenomenon started when the first UAP videos were released in 2017. But it started long before that. In fact, what caused us to notice it in the 1940s was not that it was starting, but that it was increasing. As to what it is, that question has never been addressed properly by science and the academy. Its time to get started. Hopefully this report will help.
State media: Kim has plans to stabilize N. Korean economy View Photo

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presented economic plans to senior ruling party officials before an upcoming meeting to review efforts to overcome hardships brought about by the pandemic, state media said Tuesday.

The Korean Central News Agency said Kim held his consultations Monday in preparation for a meeting of the Workers Partys powerful Central Committee at which they will discuss state affairs for the first half of 2021. The meeting was set for early June and could take place as early as this week.

Kims plans were not specified but were described as intending to bring tangible change to stabilizing the economy and peoples living conditions.

The North Korean economy has been crippled by decades of mismanagement, U.S.-led sanctions over Kims nuclear weapons program and the coronavirus pandemic. South Korean officials say there are no signs North Korea is easing the border controls it imposed at the start of the pandemic or importing more industrial and agricultural materials to boost production.

The Workers Party last held a plenary meeting of Central Committee members in February, when Kim ripped into state economic agencies for their passive and self-protecting tendencies in setting their annual goals.

Earlier in the year, at the partys first congress since 2016, Kim urged his people to be resilient in the struggle for economic self-reliance and called for reasserting greater state control over the economy, boosting agricultural production and prioritizing the development of chemicals and metal industries. Those sectors have been critically depleted by sanctions and halted imports of factory materials amid the pandemic.

Kim has shown unusual candor in addressing the Norths economic problems in recent political speeches, saying that the country was facing its worst ever situation due to COVID-19, sanctions and heavy flooding last summer that decimated crops. He even called for his people to brace for another arduous march, a term that had been used to describe a 1990s famine that killed hundreds of thousands.

In a meeting of the Workers Partys political bureau last week, Kim expressed appreciation that a lot of economic works were being sped up thanks to the ideological enthusiasm and fighting spirit of self-reliance demonstrated by the party and his people. But he also said there was a need to correct unspecified deflective matters, which he said would be discussed at Central Committees plenary meeting.

While North Korea monitoring groups have yet to detect signs of mass starvation or major instability, some analysts say conditions could be aligning for a perfect storm that undercuts food and exchange markets and triggers public panic.

The Geneva-based Assessment Capacities Project, a nonprofit that specializes in humanitarian needs assessment, said in May that it considers North Korea to be at high risk of a humanitarian crisis. It said poor economic governance, repressive political measures and an increasing dependence on internal production amid a cutback in imports have negatively impacted the countrys population.

Chronic food insecurity and limited access to basic services, such as health care and clean water, have left more than 10 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, the group said.

The economic setbacks have left Kim with nothing to show for his ambitious diplomacy with former President Donald Trump, which failed to bring the North sanctions relief, and the North has so far ignored the Biden administrations calls to resume dialogue.

Some experts say Kim could use the upcoming Central Committee meeting to address the stalled diplomatic efforts.

By KIM TONG-HYUNG

Associated Press
Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic loses genocide appeal View Photo

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)  Ratko Mladic, the military chief known as the Butcher of Bosnia for orchestrating genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Balkan nations 1992-95 war, lost his final legal battle Tuesday when U.N. judges rejected his appeals and affirmed his life sentence.

The ruling involving his 2017 convictions and sentence closed a grim chapter in European history that included the continents first genocide since World War II  the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys.

The now-frail Mladic, often belligerent at his court appearances in The Hague, showed no reaction other than a scowl as Presiding Judge Prisca Matimba Nyambe of Zambia said the panel had dismissed, by a vote of 4-1, his appeals of convictions for crimes including genocide, murder, extermination and terror for atrocities throughout the war that killed more than 100,000 and left millions homeless.

The 79-year-old former general is the last major figure to face justice from the conflict that ended more than a quarter century ago.

His former political chief, ex-Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, already is serving a life sentence after being convicted for the same crimes. Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who was accused of fomenting the ethnic conflicts that tore apart the Balkans in the 1990s, died in a U.N. cell in 2006 before judges at his trial could reach verdicts.

Serge Brammertz, the prosecutor who finally brought both Karadzic and Mladic to justice, said Mladic ranks among the most notorious war criminals in modern history who abused his position of power to commit crimes including genocide.

Mladic should be condemned by all responsible officials in the former Yugoslavia and around the world, Brammertz said. His name should be consigned to the list of historys most depraved and barbarous figures.

U.S. President Joe Biden said the historic judgment shows that those who commit horrific crimes will be held accountable. It also reinforces our shared resolve to prevent future atrocities from occurring anywhere in the world.

My thoughts today are with all the surviving families of the many victims of Mladics atrocities. We can never erase the tragedy of their deaths, but I hope todays judgment provides some solace to all those who are grieving, a statement from Biden said.

The court also rejected an appeal by prosecutors of Mladics acquittal on one other count of genocide linked to ethnic purges early in the war.

As commander of the Bosnian Serb Army, the once-swaggering Mladic led troops responsible for atrocities ranging from ethnic cleansing campaigns to the siege of Sarajevo and the wars bloody climax in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.

In Sarajevo, applause broke out among those watching the proceedings. Mayor Benjamina Karic called it a day of justice for Sarajevo, Bosnia and innocent victims of the war.

Mladics toxic legacy continues to divide Bosnia and his dark shadow has spread far beyond the Balkans.

To Serbs in Bosnia, he is a war hero who fought to protect his people. To Bosniaks, mostly Muslims, he will always be a villain responsible for their wartime suffering and losses.

Nedziba Salihovic, who lost her son and husband in the bloodshed, watched the court hearing on a large screen in Srebrenica.

This means a lot to me, my heart is racing, she said. He was punished. It is not important where hell end up (to serve his sentence). Like mothers of Srebrenica, hell spend the rest of his life without his family.

Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik blasted the final verdict as selective justice and satanization of Serbs which will only deepen the existing ethnic divide in Bosnia so many years after the war.

The court did not prove Mladics direct guilt, Dodik said. It is clear that genocide in Srebrenica never happened.

Mladics son, Darko, who was part of his defense team, said in The Hague: This traveling circus (the tribunal) has finished its job like it started. The general had no chance of a fair trial.

Mladic was first indicted in July 1995. After the war in Bosnia ended, he went into hiding and was finally arrested in 2011 and handed over to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia by the then-ruling pro-Western government of Serbia.

The judgment was welcomed as an important affirmation of the rule of law by Kathryne Bomberger, director-general of the International Commission on Missing Persons that helped locate and identify victims of atrocities in Bosnia.

Ramifications of the judgment in case of Mladic and in previous cases, such as that of Radovan Karadzic, go beyond the Western Balkans. This gives hope to survivors of atrocity, including families of the missing and disappeared persons around the world, that justice can be delivered, Bomberger said.

Amnesty Internationals Europe Director Nils Muizniek said the ruling sends a powerful message around the world that impunity cannot, and will not, be tolerated.

Nedzad Avdic, who survived a mass execution in Srebrenica, said he was satisfied even though nothing can erase what weve been through nor bring back our dead.

The judgment will make denying the crimes more difficult. This and other verdicts will be the starting point for anyone who cares about truth, he added.

The shadow of Mladic and Karadzic has spread far beyond the Balkans. They have been revered by foreign far-right supporters for their bloody wartime campaigns.

The Australian who shot dead dozens of Muslim worshippers in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019 was believed to be inspired by the wartime Bosnian Serb leaders, as was Anders Breivik, the Norwegian white supremacist who killed 77 people in Norway in 2011.

The U.N. tribunal that initially indicted Mladic has since shut its doors. His appeal and other legal issues left over from the tribunal were being dealt with by the U.N.s International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which is housed in the same building as the now-defunct court for the former Yugoslavia.

Outside the court, another mother from Srebrenica, Munira Subasic had a message for young people in Serbia and the Serb part of Bosnia.

She urged them to study the courts judgments and indictments, and stop hating and create a better future for themselves and our children.

___

Associated Press writers Dusan Stojanovic in Belgrade, Serbia, Sabina Niksic in Srebrenica, Bosnia, and videographer Aleksandar Furtula in The Hague contributed.

By MIKE CORDER

Associated Press
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP)  Republican Gov. Mike Parson signed a bill Monday to make Missouri the final state to adopt a prescription drug monitoring database aimed at flagging possible opioid misuse.

Missouri for years has been the only state without such a program because of pushback from primarily Republican lawmakers concerned about patient privacy.

The measure finally made it to the governors desk in May.

Parson in a statement said it will help provide necessary information to health care professionals and empower them to make decisions that better serve their patients and assist in fighting the opioid epidemic in Missouri.

Bill sponsor Sen. Holly Rehder, whose daughter became addicted to opioids when she sliced her thumb at work at age 17 and was prescribed painkillers, watched as Parson signed the bill into law in his Capitol office and called it a huge blessing.

The Sikeston Republican has been proposing a monitoring program since her first term as a House member in 2013.

St. Louis County eventually launched its own program after years of inaction by lawmakers, and numerous other counties across the state joined in. An estimated 85% of Missourians currently fall under that monitoring program.

But advocates have argued a more expansive program will give lawmakers greater oversight and prevent people from loading up on painkillers in uncovered areas.

The bill Parson signed will only collect data on medications that are considered controlled substances, such as opioid painkillers and some anti-anxiety drugs. The data cannot be provided to law enforcement and can only be used for medical treatment.

The law makes it a felony to share patient data for any other reason.

By SUMMER BALLENTINE

Associated Press
Civil rights leaders dont budge key senator on voting bill View Photo

WASHINGTON (AP)  Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin was unswayed Tuesday by civil rights leaders who implored him to rethink his opposition to a sprawling election bill that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said is crucial to countering a Republican assault on our democracy.

Manchin, from deeply Republican West Virginia, told reporters, I dont think anybody changed positions, in a meeting he described as excellent. A participant said Manchin was fairly well dug in.

The bill, known as HR1, is a top priority for Democrats and is viewed by many in the party as the antidote to a wave of Republican-backed laws being passed on the state level that restrict peoples ability to vote. It touches on almost every aspect of voting and was already passed by the House.

But Manchin threw a wrench into the works Sunday when he said he would oppose it. That effectively dooms the measure in a narrowly divided Senate, where Republicans universally oppose it.

His decision sent voting rights groups and members of his own party scrambling for options, raising the odds that no voting legislation would pass Congress to address what experts say is the greatest attack on voting rights in generation.

Manchin has said inaction is not an option when it comes to voting rights. But he has exasperated fellow Democrats and voting rights groups by insisting his support for any legislation would be contingent on Republican support. He also opposes eliminating the 60-vote requirement to break a filibuster, a step that would allow Democrats to pass the legislation without Republican votes.

We may get to a point where the dialogue reaches a dead end, Marc Morial, one of the civil rights leaders who met with Manchin, told CNN. And Joe Manchin was fairly well dug in.

Now Democrats and voting rights groups are grasping for an alternative.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Democrats were open to making changes to the bill that could make it more palatable to Manchin. As long as it does the job, he told reporters at the Capitol, while renewing his commitment to bringing the measure to a floor vote later this month.

The future of the measure was also the subject of a frank and candid discussion during the Democratic caucus lunch on Tuesday, said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. Manchin was not present for that discussion, which his office said was due to a conflicting meeting. But Durbin said Manchin is supposed to provide a list of criteria that he will and wont accept.

Pelosi, meanwhile, has told House Democrats there is no substitute for the bill.

It is my hope that the passage of (the bill) will create a legacy for all of us who want to strengthen our democracy, the California Democrat wrote in a letter to colleagues.

Some advocates said theyre willing to follow Manchins suggestions and get behind a narrower piece of legislation known as HR4 that updates the Voting Rights Act to reinstate a requirement that new voting laws and legislative districts in certain states be subject to federal approval. Others want to stay the course.

Its going to get messy, predicted Fred Wertheimer, president of the good-government organization Democracy 21, who helped draft HR1 in 2017. I dont believe he is prepared to go down in history as the senator that denied millions of eligible citizens, and in particular people of color, the opportunity to vote.

But Democrats are likely to run into the same roadblocks if they push the update to the Voting Rights Act that Manchin prefers.

Only one Republican senator, Alaskas Lisa Murkowski, has signed onto that approach, an indication of how politics on the issue have shifted since the Senate unanimously renewed the Voting Rights Act in 2006. And the newly aggressive constellation of conservative voting groups that mobilized against HR1 say it will now campaign to keep the GOP united against HR4 as well.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., slammed the measure as unnecessary and called it a backdoor way for Democrats to achieve the aims of their marquee bill.

What this rewrite of it does is grant to the Justice Department almost total ability to determine the voting systems of every state in America, he said.

The staunch GOP opposition underscores how voting has become a polarized, partisan issue much like abortion or taxes following former President Donald Trumps lies about how he lost the 2020 election because of widespread fraud. That has almost guaranteed inaction in Congress, where the filibuster allows a unified minority party to block most major legislative initiatives.

I think its likely Congress doesnt do anything on voting, said Rick Hasen, a University of California-Irvine law professor and election law specialist.

HR1s backers insist the bill remains the answer to the recent wave of Republican legislation curtailing access to mail voting, cutting early voting hours and making it easier for partisan poll watchers to challenge voters qualifications.

Wendy Weiser of the Brennan Center for Justice, a public policy group that advocates for voting access and backs HR1, noted that the Voting Rights Act update would address only future laws, not ones passed this year.

It would only allow the federal government to weigh in to protect the rights of racial minorities rather than address other discrimination, like a new law in Montana that removes student IDs as an allowable form of identification for voting. And it is silent on provisions like the drawing of legislative district lines for partisan advantage, something barred in HR1.

Those provisions in HR1 still need to be adopted, somehow, or were not going to be able to stem this really scary attack on our democratic institutions, Weiser said.

Still, many remain skeptical that there is a pathway for any voting-related legislation without Manchin abandoning his insistence on bipartisan support and keeping Senate filibuster rules intact.

Sen. Chris Coons burst into laughter when asked about progress on the bill Tuesday. Great, just great, the Delaware Democrat said.

___

Riccardi reported from Denver.

By BRIAN SLODYSKO and NICHOLAS RICCARDI

Associated Press
Greenpeace wins Australian court case against power company View Photo

CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Australias largest electricity generator on Tuesday largely lost its court case alleging that the environmental group Greenpeace had breached copyright and trademark laws by using its logo in a campaign that described the company as the nations biggest climate polluter.

Justice Stephen Burley ruled that AGL Energy had failed in its trademark infringement claim and failed in its copyright infringement claim for all of the uses of the logo except for three social media posts as well as some photographs and placards.

Burley denied AGLs request for damages.

Greenpeace had argued the Federal Court case had significant implications for charities and advocacy groups. Greenpeace also described AGL as the latest fossil fuel corporation to seek to stifle dissent through litigation.

In the online advertising campaign, Greenpeace Australia Pacific accused AGL, which predominantly generates coal-fired electricity, of greenwashing by promoting itself as a leading investor in renewable energy. The campaign used the AGL logo and featured the slogan, AGL  Australias Greatest Liability.

Greenpeace lawyer Katrina Bullock said Tuesdays decision was a win for freedom of expression and set an important legal precedent in copyright law.

Todays legal victory is good news for charities, advocacy organisations, satirists and anyone else who seeks to rely on the fair dealing freedom of speech safeguard in the Copyright Act to criticise, review, satirise or parody powerful corporations, Bullock said in a statement.

Greenpeace plans to continue its campaign to pressure AGL to close its three coal-burning power stations by 2030.

AGL released a statement welcoming the parts of the case decided in its favor.

As weve always made clear, this legal action was about the integrity of how our brand is used, AGL said.

AGL understands its role as Australias largest integrated energy generator to lead the energy transition while continuing to deliver reliable and affordable energy, AGL added.

AGL unsuccessfully applied for an interim court order in early May that would have forced Greenpeace to stop using the logo.

Greenpeace argued during a one-day hearing last week that Australian trademark law allows for the logo to be used for satire, parody and criticism.

AGL lawyer Megan Evetts told the court there was a clear intention to harm the brand through the Greenpeace campaign.

Greenpeace lawyer Neil Murray told the court the campaign did not breach the law because it did not use the AGL trademark in a trade context and its motives were pure.

AGL accepted in its latest annual report that it was Australias largest greenhouse gas emitter with plans to continue generating electricity by burning coal until 2048, Murray said.

The campaign was aimed at ending Australian reliance on coal-fired power by 2030 as recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Australias Clean Energy Regulator confirms that AGL is the nations largest greenhouse gas polluter, accounting for 8% of the nations total emissions.

Greenpeace and AGL must return to court on Wednesday to offer wording for orders to give the judges verdict effect.

By ROD McGUIRK

Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Mayor London Breed married four couples inside San Franciscos City Hall Monday, to mark the reopening of the storied building after it shut down in March 2020 as part of a regional lockdown.

Madelyn Peterson and Indira Carmona were the first couple to wed on the grand staircase of the buildings rotunda. They had three witnesses, each sitting in chairs spaced 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart at the bottom of the steps.

The buildings doors opened at 8 a.m. for those looking to get marriage license applications, business registrations, birth and death certificates, and other documents. Visitors are still required to wear a mask and socially distance.

San Francisco has had some of the strictest pandemic-related restrictions in the country and the compact city of nearly 900,000 has reported 36,766 COVID-19 cases and 546 deaths. To compare, Long Beach in Southern California has about 467,000 residents but more than 53,000 cases and more than 900 deaths.

Vaccination rates in San Francisco are also high, with 80% of residents having received at least one dose.

Moments before Breed officiated the weddings, she raised the Pride flag outside the buildings main entrance to officially kick off the annual LGBTQ Pride Month celebrations.

Were going to celebrate, were going to have a good time, were going to keep smiles on our faces because we survived a pandemic, yall, Breed told a small, cheerful crowd gathered for the flag-raising ceremony, which also included music from the San Francisco Lesbian and Gay Freedom Band.

I am looking forward to making sure that San Francisco comes back alive, Breed added.

The mayor announced several investments and programs for the LGBTQ community, including $2 million for a guaranteed income program for trans people and $12 million to buy a site for the countrys first full-scale LGBTQ Museum.

Last week, a massive pink triangle was illuminated on the citys Twin Peaks with Breed and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in attendance of the annual tradition started in 1995. The pink triangle was used by Nazis during the Holocaust to identify LGBT prisoners. Now, the LGBT community uses it as a symbol of pride.

By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ

Associated Press
Secoriea Turner was fatally struck by gunfire on July 4, 2020, while riding in an SUV with her mother and a friend near the Wendys restaurant where Brooks, a 27-year-old Black man, was killed by an Atlanta officer on June 12. The fast food joint was set on fire the following day and people protesting police brutality camped out in the parking lot in the weeks after.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP)  Outdoing his fellow billionaires in daredevilry, Jeff Bezos will blast into space next month when his Blue Origin company makes its first flight with a crew.

The 57-year-old Amazon founder and richest person in the world by Forbes' estimate will become the first person to ride his own rocket to space.

Bezos announced his intentions Monday and, in an even bolder show of confidence, said he will share the adventure with his younger brother and best friend, Mark, an investor and volunteer firefighter. He said that will make it more meaningful.

Blue Origin's debut flight with people aboard  after 15 successful test flights of its reusable New Shepard rockets  will take place on July 20, a date selected because it is the 52nd anniversary of the first moon landing by Apollo 11's Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

The Bezos brothers will launch from remote West Texas alongside the winner of an online charity auction. Theres no word yet on who else might fill the six-person capsule during the 10-minute flight that will take its passengers to an altitude of about 65 miles (105 kilometers), just beyond the edge of space, and then return to Earth without going into orbit.

Bezos said he has dreamed of traveling to space since he was 5.

To see the Earth from space, it changes you. It changes your relationship with this planet, with humanity. Its one Earth, Bezos said in an Instagram post. I want to go on this flight because its a thing Ive wanted to do all my life. Its an adventure. Its a big deal for me.

Added his brother: I wasnt even expecting him to say that he was going to be on the first flight, and then when he asked me to go along, I was just awestruck.

Bezos will step down as Amazon's CEO 15 days before liftoff. He announced months ago that he wants to spend more time on his rocket company as well as his newspaper, The Washington Post.

His stake in Amazon stands at $164 billion, which will make him by far the wealthiest person to fly to space.

Until now, thrill-seeking billionaires have had to buy capsule seats from the Russian space program or, more recently, Elon Musk's SpaceX, which plans its first private flight in September. These orbital trips, generally lasting several days, with visits to the International Space Station, have cost tens of millions of dollars per person.

The flight by Blue Origin's New Shepard capsule, named for Alan Shepard, the first American in space, will last five minutes less than Shepard's history-marking suborbital ride aboard a Mercury capsule in 1961.

But Blue Origin's capsule is 10 times roomier with a huge window at every seat  the biggest windows ever built for a spacecraft, in fact.

The company, based in Kent, Washington, is working to develop an orbital rocket named after John Glenn, the first American to circle the Earth.

The Bezos flight will officially kick off the company's space tourism business. The company has yet to start selling seats to the public or even to announce a ticket price for the short trips, which provide about three minutes of weightlessness.

Blue Origins launch and landing site is 120 miles southeast of El Paso, close to the Mexican border. After the capsule separates, the rocket returns to Earth and lands upright, to be used again. The capsule, also reusable, descends under parachutes.

Virgin Galactics Richard Branson  a "tie-loathing," mountain-climbing, hot-air-ballooning daredevil  also plans to ride into space aboard his own airplane-launched rocketship later this year after one more test flight over New Mexico. Virgin Galactic completed its third test flight into space with a crew two weeks ago; the company doesn't want him climbing aboard until the craft is thoroughly proven.

The 70-year-old Branson on Monday offered congratulations to Bezos, a tame, bookish Wall Streeter by comparison. Branson tweeted that their two companies "are opening up access to space  how extraordinary!

Like Blue Origin, Branson's company will send paying customers to the lower reaches of space on up-and-down flights, not Earth-orbiting rides.

Musk's SpaceX already has transported 10 astronauts to the space station for NASA and sold several seats on private flights. Musk himself has yet to commit to going into space, though he has repeatedly said he wants to die on Mars, just not on impact.

Until recently, Blue Origin had been criticized by some for proceeding too slowly, especially when compared with SpaceX. Bezos adopted as the company's motto Gradatim ferociter, Latin for Step by step, ferociously, and had it emblazoned on the so-called lucky cowboy boots he wears to his company's space launches.

Blue Origin, admirably, has gone about it carefully and has built a reliable and less ambitious vehicle and is likely to succeed, the director of Vanderbilt Universitys aerospace design lab, Amrutur Anilkumar, said in an email Monday. It is noteworthy that Bezos feels comfortable taking his brother for a ride; that is probably the best exclamation for safety and reliability.

While Blue Origins and SpaceXs capsules are fully automated, Virgin Galactic has two pilots in the cockpit for every spaceflight. A 2014 accident left one pilot dead and the other seriously injured.

As for the seat that is being auctioned off, Blue Origin opened online bidding on May 5, the 60th anniversary of Shepard's flight. It's up to $2.8 million.

The auction will conclude Saturday, with the winning amount donated to Club for the Future, Blue Origin's education foundation, which encourages youngsters to pursue careers in science. Nearly 6,000 people from 143 countries have taken part in the auction.

In an Instagram video posted by Bezos, Mark Bezos' reaction when his brother invited him on the flight was: "Are you serious? ... Seriously? My God!

What a remarkable opportunity not only to have this adventure, but to be able to do it with my best friend," the younger brother said.

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AP business writer MIchelle Chapman contributed to this story.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Government health officials on Monday approved the first new drug for Alzheimers disease in nearly 20 years, disregarding warnings from independent advisers that the much-debated treatment hasnt been shown to help slow the brain-destroying disease.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug from Biogen based on study results showing it seemed reasonably likely to benefit Alzheimer's patients. Its the only therapy that U.S. regulators have said can likely treat the underlying disease, rather than manage symptoms like anxiety and insomnia.

The decision, which could impact millions of Americans and their families, is certain to spark disagreements among physicians, medical researchers and patient groups. It also has far-reaching implications for the standards used to evaluate experimental therapies, including those that show only incremental benefits.

The new drug, which Biogen developed with Japans Eisai Co., did not reverse mental decline, only slowing it in one study. The medication, aducanumab, will be marketed as Aduhelm and is to be given as an infusion every four weeks.

Dr. Caleb Alexander, an FDA adviser who recommended against the drug's approval, said he was surprised and disappointed by the decision.

The FDA gets the respect that it does because it has regulatory standards that are based on firm evidence. In this case, I think they gave the product a pass, said Alexander, a medical researcher at Johns Hopkins University.

The FDA's top drug regulator acknowledged that residual uncertainties surround the drug, but said Aduhelm's ability to reduce harmful clumps of plaque in the brain is expected to help slow dementia.

The data supports patients and caregivers having the choice to use this drug, Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni told reporters. She said the FDA carefully weighed the input of people living with the devastating, debilitating and deadly disease.

Under terms of the so-called accelerated approval, the FDA is requiring Biogen to conduct a follow-up study to confirm benefits for patients. If the study fails to show effectiveness, the FDA could pull the drug from the market, though the agency rarely does so.

Biogen said the drug would cost approximately $56,000 for a typical year's worth of treatment, and said the price would not be raised for four years. Most patients won't pay anywhere near that thanks to insurance coverage and other discounts. The company said it aims to complete the FDA-mandated follow-up trial by 2030.

Biogen shares jumped 38% in trading Monday on the news, with analysts forecasting billions in future sales. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company plans to begin shipping millions of doses within two weeks.

The non-profit Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, which studies drug value, said Biogen's drug would have to halt dementia entirely to justify its $56,000 per-year price tag.

Some 6 million people in the U.S. and many more worldwide have Alzheimers, which gradually attacks areas of the brain needed for memory, reasoning, communication and basic daily tasks. In the final stages of the disease, those afflicted lose the ability to swallow. The global burden of the disease, the most common cause of dementia, is only expected to grow as millions more baby boomers progress further into their 60s and 70s.

Aducanumab (pronounced add-yoo-CAN-yoo-mab) helps clear a protein called beta-amyloid from the brain. Other experimental drugs have done that but they made no difference in patients ability to think, care for themselves or live independently.

The pharmaceutical industrys drug pipeline has been littered for years with failed Alzheimers treatments. The FDAs greenlight Monday is likely to revive investments in therapies previously shelved by drugmakers.

The new medicine is manufactured from living cells and will be given via infusion at a doctors office or hospital.

Researchers dont fully understand what causes Alzheimers but theres broad agreement the brain plaque targeted by aducanumab is just one contributor. Evidence suggests family history, education and chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease may all play a role.

This is a sign of hope but not the final answer, said Dr. Richard Hodes, director of the National Institute on Aging, which wasnt involved in the Biogen studies but funds research into how Alzheimers forms. Amyloid is important but not the only contributing factor.

Patients taking aducanumab saw their thinking skills decline 22% more slowly than patients taking a placebo.

But that meant a difference of just 0.39 on an 18-point score of cognitive and functional ability. And its unclear how such metrics translate into practical benefits, like greater independence or ability to recall important details.

The FDAs review of the drug has become a flashpoint in longstanding debates over standards used to evaluate therapies for hard-to-treat conditions. On one side, groups representing Alzheimers patients and their families say any new therapy  even one of small benefit  warrants approval. But many experts warn that greenlighting the drug could set a dangerous precedent, opening the door to treatments of questionable benefit.

The approval came despite a scathing assessment in November by the FDAs outside panel of neurological experts. The group voted no to a series of questions on whether reanalyzed data from a single study submitted by Biogen showed the drug was effective.

Biogen halted two studies in 2019 after disappointing results suggested aducanumab would not meet its goal of slowing mental and functional decline in Alzheimer's patients.

Several months later, the company reversed course, announcing that a new analysis of one study showed the drug was effective at higher doses and the FDA had advised that it warranted review. Company scientists said the drugs initial failure was due to some patients not receiving high enough doses to slow the disease.

But the changes to dosing and the companys after-the-fact analysis made the results hard to interpret, raising skepticism among many experts, including those on the FDA panel.

The FDA isnt required to follow the advice of its outside panelists and has previously disregarded their input when making similarly high-profile drug decisions.

About 900 U.S. medical facilities are ready to begin prescribing the drug, according to Biogen, with many more expected in coming months. But key practical questions remain: How long do patients benefit? How do physicians determine when to discontinue the drug? Does the drug have any benefit in patients with more advanced dementia?

With FDA approval, aducanumab is almost certain to be covered by most insurers, including Medicare, the government plan for seniors that covers more than 60 million people.

Insurers could try to manage the drugs costs by requiring strict conditions, including brain scans to confirm plaque, before agreeing to cover it.

Additional scans will be needed to monitor potential side effects. The drug carries a warning about temporary brain swelling that can sometimes cause headaches, confusion and dizziness. Other side effects included allergic reactions, diarrhea and disorientation.

Although Biogen studied the drug in people with mild dementia or early-stage Alzheimer's, the FDA label approved the drug for anyone with Alzheimer's, a sweeping population given doctors have broad leeway in diagnosing the condition.

The FDA is empowering the physician to make the decision on diagnosis, Biogen CEO Michel Vounatsos said in an interview.

For patients already enrolled in Biogen's trials, Monday's announcement means they can continue taking a drug many believe has helped.

Phillip Lynn, 63, was diagnosed with Alzheimers in the spring of 2017 after having trouble with conversation and memory, including forgetting a recent vacation to Hawaii.

His husband Kurt Rehwinkel says Lynn's cognitive ability has stabilized since starting on Biogens drug more than three years ago. And his performance on short-term memory tests has actually improved, though the couple acknowledges most patients are unlikely to see similar results.

But even for those who it has little or no effect, I think hope is a good thing, said Rehwinkel. I dont think theres such a thing as false hope.

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Follow Matthew Perrone on Twitter: @AP_FDAwriter

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AP writers Lauran Neergaard and Tom Murphy contributed to this report.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
MELBOURNE, Australia  Australias second-largest city will emerge from its fourth pandemic lockdown Friday.

But some restrictions will remain and the 5 million residents of Melbourne wont be allowed to travel to regional centers in surrounding Victoria state.

State officials say the lockdown is being ended after two weeks following only one new coronavirus case being detected in the latest 24-hour period linked to the Melbourne cluster. The new case brings the number of infections in the cluster to 68.

Children will be able to return to school Friday and travel restrictions will be changed to allow Melbourne residents to travel up to 25 kilometers (16 miles) for non-essential reasons rather than 10 kilometers (6 miles).

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MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

 Preparations around Olympic venues, virus cases down for Tokyo Games

 Master Card Foundation to spend $1.3B to vaccinate 50 million Africans among population of 1.3 billion

 Indias daily coronavirus infections dip below 100,000 for the first time in more than two months

 WHO official: High vaccination coverage needed to reduce risk of more transmissible variants

 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:

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved a declaration calling for urgent action to end AIDS by 2030. It notes with alarm that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities and pushed access to AIDS medicines, treatments and diagnosis further off track.

The declaration adopted Tuesday commits the assemblys 193 member nations to reducing annual new HIV infections to under 370,000 and annual AIDS-related deaths to under 250,000 by 2025. It also calls for progress toward eliminating all forms of HIV-related stigma and discrimination and urgent work toward an HIV vaccine and a cure for AIDS.

The assembly says the coronavirus pandemic has created setbacks in combating AIDS, widening fault lines within a deeply unequal world and exposing the dangers of under-investment in public health, health systems and other essential public services for all and pandemic preparedness.

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BEIJING  The southern China metropolis of Guangzhou has ordered the closure of cinemas, theaters, nightclubs and other indoor entertainment venues as authorities seek to contain the countrys latest coronavirus outbreak.

The controls announced Wednesday are even stricter in parts of the city where the risk of infection is categorized as high or moderate. Guangzhou has isolated several neighborhoods where cases have been detected and barred people from leaving the city or the surrounding province of Guangdong unless absolutely necessary.

Guangzhou has reported more than 100 cases of local transmission since May 21, with eight more announced Wednesday.

China has largely eliminated local transmissions elsewhere, with a total of 91,316 virus cases and 4,636 COVID-19 deaths reported in the country.

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Arkansas will no longer require students exposed to the coronavirus to quarantine so long as they are fully vaccinated against the virus.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday the new policy aligns with guidance from the CDC.

People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or their only shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The CDC says about 40% of Arkansas population has received at least one dose of the vaccine and nearly 32% are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

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WASHINGTON  The U.S. is on pace to fall short of President Joe Bidens aim to have 70% of Americans at least partially vaccinated by July 4.

The White House has launched a month-long blitz to combat vaccine hesitancy and a lack of urgency to get shots, particularly in the South and Midwest. But it is increasingly resigned to missing the presidents vaccination target.

Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday that he still hopes the goal will be met and if we dont, were going to continue to keep pushing.

So far 14 states have reached 70% coverage among adults, with about a dozen more on pace to reach the milestone by July 4. But the state-to-state variation is stark.

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DEARBORN, Mich.  U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has visited a coronavirus vaccine clinic at a suburban Detroit community college to highlight the White Houses efforts to encourage similar efforts across the country.

Cardona said Tuesday of the clinic at Henry Ford College in Dearborn that this is a great example of how colleges can do their part to bring people in to get them vaccinated.

Cardona also talked about the Biden administrations COVID-19 College Challenge, in which colleges and universities commit to working to get their communities vaccinated. The challenge is part of President Joe Bidens effort to get at least one vaccine dose into 70% of American adults by July 4.

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JOHANNESBURGSouth Africas health minister has been placed on special leave over a corruption scandal involving an irregular government contract.

Zweli Mkhize has been spearheading the COVID-19 response in South Africa, which has the most cases and deaths in Africa.

The contract saw $11 million paid by the health department Mkhize heads to a company connected to two people who used to work for him.

The move was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in a statement from his office Tuesday. It said Mkhize was placed on special leave to attend to allegations and investigations around the irregular contract.

South Africas minister of tourism will stand in as the acting minister of health.

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MILWAUKEE  A former pharmacist in Wisconsin who intentionally ruined more than 500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Steven Brandenburg, of Grafton, was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty in February to two felony counts of attempting to tamper with a consumer product. He had admitted to removing the doses manufactured by Moderna from a refrigerator for hours at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton, located just north of Milwaukee. Brandenburg said in a statement before receiving his sentence that he felt great shame and accepted responsibility for his actions. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports he apologized to his co-workers, family and the community.

Prosecutors asked for a sentence of three years and five months. Brandenburg faced a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment and $250,000 in fines for each felony count.

Brandenburg is an admitted conspiracy theorist who believes vaccines are a product of the devil. Brandenburg also secretly substituted saline for flu vaccine that he was mandated to receive and persuaded several co-workers to secretly swap saline for their flu vaccine as well, according to court filings.

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NEW YORK  Pfizer says it is expanding testing of its COVID-19 vaccine in children younger than 12.

After a first-step study in a small number of young children to test different doses, Pfizer is ready to enroll about 4,500 young volunteers at more than 90 sites in the U.S., Finland, Poland and Spain.

The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech already is authorized for emergency use in anyone 12 and older in the U.S. and European Union.

Enrollment of 5- to 11-year-olds began this week. Those youngsters will receive two vaccine doses of 10 micrograms each -- a third of the teen and adult dose -- or dummy shots. Enrollment of children as young as 6 months will start in a few weeks using an even lower dose, 3 micrograms per shot.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio  Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is trying to persuade citizens to get vaccinated as the state rushes to administer around 200,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine set to expire in two weeks.

The Republican governor, like his counterparts across the country, is facing slowing vaccination rates as health officials say the majority of individuals who wanted the vaccine have already received it and the rest are either vaccine-hesitant or unwilling to receive it.

The state is also working against the clock to push the one-shot Johnson & Johnson to vaccine providers and asking them to distribute as many doses as possible. The doses are set to expire on June 23.

DeWine said Ohio and other states dont have legal options for sending the vaccine elsewhere, either to other states or other countries.

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COLUMBIA, S.C.  South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster on Tuesday announced a cash infusion for the states technical colleges, aimed at training the jobless in new skills as they re-enter the workforce.

The Republican says hes allocating $8 million in federal coronavirus relief aid to a partnership between the states 16 tech schools and the Department of Employment and Workforce.

Starting this week, the agency will contact the 87,000 South Carolinians already eligible for jobless benefits to advise them of tuition-free, short-term training classes designed to quickly prepare them for jobs like welding and truck driving, according to Tim Hardee, president of the states technical college system.

The funds come from a total of more than $48 million provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, to be used at the governors discretion.

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TOKYO  Roads are being closed off around Tokyo Olympic venues for the event scheduled to begin July 23.

With six weeks to go, the roadblocks are appearing around the new $1.4 billion National Stadium, which will host the opening ceremony.

This is a sign that Tokyo Olympic planners and the International Olympic Committee are moving forward despite public opposition and warnings about the risks of the games becoming a coronavirus spreader event. New infections rates are going down in Tokyo. But the city and other parts of Japan remain under a state of emergency until June 20.

The number of hospitalizations and the seriously ill have also decreased, but the levels are still higher than last fall when COVID-19 variants were not prevalent in Japan.

Japan has registered 13,500 confirmed deaths to the coronavirus.

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BERLIN  Germany officials say it will exempt people accredited for soccers European Championship from quarantine when they arrive in the country.

The Interior Ministry says the Cabinet will approve the exemption this week. It says it will apply to everyone accredited by the organizing committee involved in the tournament, which opens on June 11. Munich is one of the venues for the tournament, which is taking place at venues in multiple countries this year.

The exemption is particularly relevant for people coming from Britain, the only country in Europe currently on a German list of virus variant areas. All arrivals from such areas are currently required to spend 14 days in quarantine, and airlines and others are restricted to transporting German citizens and residents.

Those restrictions will be dropped for Euro 2021 participants. But the Interior Ministry says theyll still have to abide by rules such as daily testing. The exemption will last until July 28.

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TORONTO  The Mastercard Foundation says it will spend $1.3 billion over the next three years to acquire and deliver coronavirus vaccines for more than 50 million people in Africa.

The first-of-its-kind initiative from the Mastercard Foundation is aiming to bolster Africas lagging vaccination campaign amid widespread fears of a third wave of infections on the continent.

The foundation will purchase single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the discounted rate negotiated by the African Union during its 220 million-dose deal with the company. A spokeswoman says the doses will become available in August.

The announcement Tuesday from the Toronto-based Mastercard Foundation comes days after the World Health Organization said Africa is encountering an alarming spike in virus cases and a near halt of vaccine shipments.

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NEW ORLEANS  Louisiana lawmakers have taken aim at coronavirus vaccines, sending Gov. John Bel Edwards two bills that would keep state and local government agencies from requiring individuals to be immunized in order to be eligible for certain services.

Edwards has championed vaccines against the coronavirus and regularly urges Louisiana residents to get shots. He hasnt taken a position on the legislation that passed Monday.

No state agency in his administration has publicly proposed mandating vaccination for services.

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KATHMANDU, Nepal  Nepal has resumed its stalled coronavirus vaccination campaign with 1 million doses given by China after the Himalayan nation made international pleas for help.

Thousands of 64-year-old people lined up at vaccination centers even before they opened Tuesday. People ages 60-63 are scheduled to be eligible for shots in coming days.

Nepals vaccination campaign began in January but stalled when neighboring India suffered a coronavirus surge and banned exports of the AstraZeneca vaccine it produces. Nepal had received 1 million AstraZeneca doses donated by India and paid for 2 million more but never received half the shipment.

That left 1.4 million people over age 65 who had received an initial dose of AstraZeneca vaccine uncertain if they would receive their second shot.
Offices linked to Donald Judd, the iconic artist and architect who helped turn Marfa into a West Texas cultural destination, were "severely damaged" in a fire last week.

In the early morning hours of Friday, June 4, the Judd Foundation's Architecture Office caught fire. The foundation, a nonprofit that maintains and preserves Judd's libraries and archives, confirmed that no one was in the building at the time and the extensive artwork collection that is normally housed inside the offices had been removed.

The fire was contained by the Marfa Volunteer Fire Department and the cause of the fire remains unknown.

Housed at 102 North Highland Ave. in Marfa, the headquarters had recently undergone an extensive restoration. The two-story building is part of the Marfa Restoration Plan, a project that "focuses on the critical protection and restoration of Donald Judds spaces and the completion of his architectural plans" throughout the beloved West Texas town.

Architecture Office, Judd Foundation, Marfa, Texas. Photo Alex Marks  Judd Foundation.

READ MORE: 'This is so sad': Fans react to Liam Payne ending engagement to San Antonio's Maya Henry

There was a fire last week in downtown Marfa in Dons Architecture Office, a turn of the century building that has held a central place in the community since its construction," Flavin Judd, the Judd Foundations artistic director, says in a statement. "The fire was contained to the building and fortunately no one was injured. As the building was deinstalled for the restoration, it was empty and there were no artworks or objects damaged in the fire. Its unfortunate as we were weeks away from finishing the restoration but we will rebuild, thats what we do.

In a statement provided to MySA, the foundation says that since Friday, SCHAUM/SHIEH, the architects leading the restoration, along with project engineers, have been on-site to stabilize the remaining structure of the building so that the full damage may be assessed. On Monday, June 7, work to shore the building with braces began.

According to Surface, the eventual restoration will include a first floor that is open to public, and will house Judd-designed furniture and artwork as well as architectural exhibits with models, drawings, and design objects. The building's second floor will include the restoration and installation of Judds bedroom, office, and sitting room to support scholars working with the Judd Foundation.
North Italia is days away from officially adding San Antonio to its growing U.S. footprint.

The Rim installment of the brand opens on Wednesday. The restaurant hosted a preview events over the weekend and invited media, Instagram influencers and nearby residents in to get a taste and give employees a chance to get some training under their belts.

RELATED: Bob Saget and Kelly Rizzo really, really love this popular downtown San Antonio hangout

We opted for a Saturday evening meal. The restaurant was bustling with guests on the patio and inside, where the atmosphere is sleek enough for a date but also family friendly.

After some back and forth and confusion, my date (my mom) and I discovered that guests were given different variations of the menus so more of the offerings could be experienced. We found this out after she insisted there was salmon on the menu despite me scanning my list of entrees ten times over. Opting for a lighter dish, we decided to switch menus and I ordered the roasted salmon.

READ MORE FROM MADALYN: Houston's famed Turkey Leg Hut is coming to San Antonio

Don't get me wrong, I left North Italia fully satisfied and in need of a nap but that silly Pinterest quote that reads something like "I just don't want to look back one day and think 'I could have eaten that,''" is on repeat in my mind.

Here's what to know before you go.

What's the back story? North Italia, one of The Rim's newest tenants, hosted a weekend of preview events ahead of its June 9 grand opening. Madalyn Mendoza, MySA.com Until 2019, North Italia was part of the Sam Fox's Fox Restaurant Group. The Cheesecake Factory completed its acquisition of the company in October 2019. There are more than 20 North Italia restaurants in the U.S. While the national network of restaurants has a footprint reaching from Washington D.C. to Calabasas, Calif., North Italia prides itself on serving dishes made from scratch.

What's the space like? North Italia, one of The Rim's newest tenants, hosted a weekend of preview events ahead of its June 9 grand opening. Madalyn Mendoza, MySA.com San Antonio's North Italia is located at The Rim, next door to Southerleigh Haute South. Considering The Rim's popularity on the weekends, with traffic from other restaurants and the adjoining apartment complex, finding a parking spot took about five minutes. We eventually found one a short walk away, but something to consider if you're planning to break out the stilettos for date night. North Italia offers indoor and outdoor seating. We opted for a spot inside because San Antonio humidity. Once inside, my eyes were drawn to the sleek, mid-century bar on the far left side of the dining room. My interior design expertise is copying whatever IKEA puts together for its showrooms, but I know a pretty setup when I see one.

What's on the bar menu? North Italia, one of The Rim's newest tenants, hosted a weekend of preview events ahead of its June 9 grand opening. Madalyn Mendoza, MySA.com Since we're talking about the bar, let's get started with drinks. The cocktail menu included an Italian spritz, Julietta, Milano Mule, Rosemary and Lime, Sicilian margarita and Veni Vidi Vici as well as bubbles, sangria and red and white wines. I ordered the Rosemary and Lime, a refreshing vodka-based drink with Amaro Nonino, rosemary, angostura and smashed lime. My mom sipped on the margarita, with Milagro resposado tequila, Solerno blood orange, Amaro Nonino and fresh citrus.

The main attraction North Italia, one of The Rim's newest tenants, hosted a weekend of preview events ahead of its June 9 grand opening. Madalyn Mendoza, MySA.com The food! We shared Italian meatballs for our starter. The appetizer comes with three meatballs covered in creamy polenta, marina and Grana Padano cheese. We both eyed the third and final meatball with hungry eyes, ultimately deciding to go half on it. We joked that the marina was so good, we were tempted to lick the spoon (we didn't). While the meatballs were a hit at our table, I had a bit of foodie FOMO after seeing the Instagram posts by influencers after their visit. The photo by @sa_socialista had me wishing the wild shrimp scampi and crispy calamari was on my menu. After I saw my mom's massive chicken parmesan, I questioned myself for deciding on a lighter option. Still, my medium cooked salmon served on pesto farro and caramelized cauliflower with broccolini filled me up. It was flaky on the outside with a moist middle. Plus, I got a few bites off my mom's plate. North Italia's other inaugural guests also really sold the glazed short rib cavatelli on Instagram after their dinners. We shared a hazelnut torta for dessert. Unlike the appetizer round, I was too full by dessert and was relieved to split the rich hazelnut toffee with salted caramel gelato. Entrees on my menu ranged from $21 to $27. My mom had enough for a sizable to-go portion. I finished most of my dish, save a few spoonfuls of cauliflower.
Editor's note: This is part of a weekly series highlighting San Antonio moms in all areas including business, media, food and politicians. Have a mom you want us to highlight? Send Candice a note at candice.garcia@express-news.net.



As cliche as it is to say, there really is no greater strength than that of a mother.

Don't believe me? Meet Annamarie Cozzi.



I was introduced to Cozzi by Lisa Norwood, the Public Relations and Outreach Manager at Animal Care Services.



Cozzi is the head of the San Antonio Animal Care Services officer training academy, According to Norwood, she is responsible for the training of all cadets for SAACS.

"Officer Cozzi gets the cadets through the rookie phase all the way through their state certifications as Animal Care Officers all the while raising her toddler son," Norwood told MySA.



So what makes her story so unique? Well, her promotion to Academy Commander and the birth of her son almost didn't happen. In 2016, the now-36-year-old battled an aggressive form of ovarian cancer.

MORE MOM THINGS FROM CANDICE: 'It is a truly a 24/7 job:' Police spokeswoman reveals what it's like working for SAPD as a mom



What I can say is that she never gave up her dream of becoming a mother. It was also that strength and resilience that led her to leading one of the largest municipal animal shelters in the country.



Cozzi chats with MySA about her personal journey into motherhood.



This interview has been edited for style.



MySA: Tell me about morning routine.



AC: My morning routine is pretty hectic! I wake up at 0530 and start to get ready for work, at 0600, Ill walk by my 2-year-olds room and say, Sawyer, its time to start thinking about getting up. I then go downstairs and put whatever is for breakfast in the toaster oven and grab whichever fruit we have to go with it. Ill get most of my things together and then go back upstairs, Ill open Sawyers door again and say, OK Kiddo, its time to start thinking really hard about starting your day!

I then rush to put in my contacts which I undoubtedly forgot to do, and come back to get little man dressed, and his teeth and hair brushed. I then take him downstairs and practically throw his breakfast at him, put on Dino Dana and kiss him on the head as I call to his daddy Bye babe, have a safe day at work! all to get out of the door before 0620. His daddy will take it from there.



MySA: Describe your work day  what does a typical day look like?



AC: One of my most favorite things about my line of work is that I never know what will happen, but I will know that coffee runs the office. Because of this, I will usually get a pot started for the team before I check my email and do whatever is needed to help the team get started. A primary function of my job is to develop training and organize classes, so I will spend a large portion of my day researching relative topics and adding them to the curriculum.

Im happiest when I get to teach courses to the Officers and staff here at Animal Care Services, I love getting to play an active role in progressing the education within my field. My most favorite class to teach to the ACOs or Animal Care Officers is Officer Safety where I can go into great detail about de-escalation tactics, active listening, and ways to practice safe policing for animal care. I am also very passionate about constitutional law and have been known to nerd out while teaching it. I grew up in New England, so I feel a strong connection to the birth of the Constitution, and it bleeds through my teaching. My instruction style is very physical, and I am never sitting or just reading off slides, I like to be an active part of the course, sometimes even yelling or playing a part in a role-play example.

It is not uncommon for me to somehow end up with a doggo buddy in the office with me. My day could be a day in the office working on classes, or a day at the police academy teaching, and sometimes, its a day chasing a cow off the highway. I really never know what the day will bring!

Courtesy Annamarie Cozzi

MySA: Tell me about how your recent promotion to Academy Commander and the birth of your son?

AC: I come from a family of educators, so it has always been important to me to be a part of that. I love to see people succeed in their dreams, so to get to be a part of that here at Animal Care Services, is truly an honor. I had been given the opportunity to command the academy at the beginning of 2020 and loved it, I was able to guide two officers to success and I am extremely proud of them.

Prior to teaching the academy, I had been diagnosed with cancer in 2016. At that point, I was advised not to have children, but I knew it was part of my lifes journey. I did not know how my baby would get here, but I knew it was important. I went to several doctors and finally, I met a wonderful team at Texas Oncology. My doctor there asked me are you SURE you want a baby? I have four! and I looked at him and said, Would you ever change that? and he replied, Im going to make sure you have that baby."

My husband and I welcomed little Sawyer Mack into the world in March of 2019 and he is truly a miracle and a joy. It was a year later that I was tasked with running the academy. I was excited to start another class, in the fall of 2020. It was then that I got the devastating news that my cancer had returned, and I needed to undergo surgery that would put me out of the office for six to eight weeks. I told our leadership team who have been nothing but supportive and wonderful, and they told me to get better, and that the academy would be here when I got back.

In January, I was met with the unfortunate news that chemo and radiation would be necessary to prevent more cancer from developing due to the size of the tumor removed from my uterus. I had to prolong my return to work and barrel through this journey. I was finally declared cancer-free and cleared for work in April. A week before my return, I had interviewed for the Academy Supervisor position and felt more prepared than ever to be a strong leader. The lessons I had learned throughout my battle had prepared me for this exciting endeavor. I was over the moon when I learned that I had been selected to officially run the academy.



MySA: How do you manage to handle home life with a toddler and work life, plus also being a wife?



AC: My toddler keeps me going, and there are times that I feel like I dont stop from 0530 to midnight. I leave work and pick him up from our wonderful nanny and bring him home, then we play outside until my husband gets home and then I start dinner. Then after dinner, its bath time, bedtime and then schoolworkyes, on top of ALL that, I am also pursuing a marketing degree.

The workweek can be overwhelming at times, but I am fortunate to have help from my husband who is a detective for [the] San Antonio Police Department. Its a delicate balance, but I enjoy my work and my home so much that it is not difficult to have a healthy work/life balance.

Courtesy Annamarie Cozzi

MySA: How do you decompress at the end of the day?

AC: Playing outside with my kiddo! We get that every day and I think it is so important (yes even in the rain). I usually wait until the weekend to really decompress. I try to make sure we go on at least one adventure a week. We have passes to the zoo, and my parents live in Canyon Lake. This weekend, we visited Canyon Lake and went for a swim in the pool. We also enjoy hiking and riding top-down mom! in my jeep. I have an adopted dog called "Koda" who joins us whenever possible as well.



MySA: What do you love the most about being a mom?



AC: You know, when I was pregnant, everyone had advicethey would tell me how hard it will be, how little sleep Ill get, and EVERYONE mentioned how fast it goes by (it really does!). But no one, not a one, told me how much FUN I was going to have! This kid is AWESOME! Hes so funny, and has such a sense of humor, even at 2 years old, the kid is a riot. I cant pick just one thing, because even when Im over-tired and grumpy and out of patience, even when he was small and peed on me almost every time I changed his diaper, despite taking all of the advice to prevent it, even when hes throwing an occasional tantrum, Im still loving every second of it.

To be Sawyers mommy is the best job Ive ever had, and I wouldnt change that for the world. He fills my life with joy and laughter and makes me want to be a better person every day.




Summer is in full blaze, and for some, the weather change spurs the desire to acquire a new hobby.

Maybe you suddenly have more free time on your hands, or you simply want to explore new and exciting activity avenues. When it comes to picking a new hobby, theres a lot to consider, but maybe one of these options in our great city will prove right for you.

Citizen science is a great way to get in touch with nature and help conserve it. While it may sound inaccessible if you dont have a science background, with the San Antonio River Authority, all you need is a smartphone and a birth year before 2006. The organization has a variety of projects for the eco-curious volunteer and prospective hobbyist. Some projects involve using apps, like iNaturalist to submit photos of wildlife, like migrating butterflies, to a scientific database.

Others require a bit more training, like participating in the Texas Stream Team, which involves capturing water samples to monitor quality once a month. This fall, the organization is launching a new Citizen Science program through the app Litteratti and its all about cataloguing litter in an effort to know where its coming from in other words, it involves taking pictures of trash.

We have this amazing space that we live in, so much outdoor opportunity, so much biodiversity, and doing Citizen Science is the coolest way for [people] to really get to know their spaces much better, said Minna Paul, Education and Volunteer Coordinator at the San Antonio River Authority.

What are the birds that come through our yard? What are the trees that live along the river banks?.

Wouldnt you like to know?

Navigating escape rooms

For those who think they might want an immersive challenge, navigating an escape room with your friends, family (and most enticing, your enemies) is a great way to challenge your brain and feel like youre in a high-budget action film. It might also cultivate bonding, since you have to work as a team. Your crush might think youre noble for cracking the codes, and when you come to your parents' rescue, they finally might start to feel proud of you.

There are several harrowing escape rooms based in San Antonio, including Escape the Room, which might place you in a Western bank heist. Other escape rooms include The Exit Game, which challenges you to escape an apocalypse-like scenario, and The Great Room Escape, which has you dodging zombies.

RELATED: San Antonio trail receives big honor from national park service

Texas hiking

A tried and true hobby, hiking is a beautiful way to decompress and unplug while enjoying all the natural beauty our state has to offer. Texas has scores of park destinations that are ripe for adventuring, including nearby gems like Enchanted Rock, Pedernales State Park, Garner State Park and Lost Maples.

If youre looking to explore more of the many Texas hiking trails, you can visit the Texas State Park website for maps and park passes. Just make sure to pack lots of water.

Sipping on locally made brews

Its hard to dispute that cracking open a cold brew on a hot summer day elicits a special kind of joy. Maybe youre already a big beer fan, but you havent yet dived into the diverse catalogue of brews made here in San Antonio. For a laid-back, low-effort hobby that you can do anywhere between the comfort of your backyard to tubing town the Frio River, perhaps consider running the gambit of Bexar beers this summer. Some local breweries to start crossing off your list include: Freetail Brewing, Alamo Beer Company, Roadmap Brewing and more.

Becoming a party person

Its no question that this past year or so has required all of us to lay a little lower than we might have wanted. Maybe youve been secretly partying all corona long, or maybe the pandemic turned you into a certified hermit. If the latter is true, then it could be time you start to come out of your shell. Your new hobby may be moonlighting as a party person. Flutter about, channel your social butterfly impulses, rub elbows with your fellow San Antonians. Become a Strip rat. If there arent already any events decorating your social calendar, local establishments have got you covered. Looking for a place to start? For the 25 and up crowd, Midnight Swim is hosting a much hyped millennial-only event The White Tee Ball honoring 00s culture on Saturday, June 12.





RELATED: A 'White Tee Ball' for the 25 and up crowd is happening at the St. Mary's Strip
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  The authoritarian president of Belarus signed a law Tuesday that allows prison sentences of up to three years for participating in an unsanctioned demonstration, the latest move in a relentless crackdown on protests against his rule after nearly 27 years in power.

Previously, taking part in unauthorized demonstrations was punishable by fines or brief jail terms ranging from several days to two weeks. The bill President Alexander Lukashenko signed permits judges to sentence people convicted of joining at least two unauthorized protests over a year to up to three years in prison.

The revised law also toughens the maximum punishment for the rude violation of public order from three years to five years in prison. Belarusian authorities have leveled those charges widely against participants in months of protests fueled by Lukashenko's reelection to a sixth term in an August election that was widely seen as rigged.

More than 35,000 people were arrested and thousands beaten by police during the government's response to the unrest. Belarusian authorities also have relentlessly cracked down on journalists, including blocking several major news websites and outlawing opposition-leaning messaging app channels as extremist.

The wide-ranging repression was spotlighted on May 23, when Belarus diverted a Ryanair flight traveling from Greece to Lithuania to Minsk, where authorities arrested Raman Pratasevich, a dissident journalist who was on board the airliner.

Since his arrest, Pratasevich, 26, has been shown tearfully repenting for his activities and praising Lukashenko in videotaped remarks aired on state TV. The political opposition has slammed the remarks as coerced.

The legislation signed Tuesday also introduces two-year prison terms for posting banned information online, such as calls for the government's ouster.

It follows up on another law approved by Lukashenko last month that bans news media from doing live reports on unauthorized demonstrations and allows the Information Ministry to shut down a media organization without a court order.

The European Union and the United States have responded by sanctioning Belarusian officials involved in allegedly rigging the August election and organizing the clampdown on dissent. Outraged by the Ryanair flight's diversion, the EU also has hit Belarus with new restrictions, barring the country's flag carrier from its skies and airports and advising European airlines to avoid the Belarusian airspace.

At the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told lawmakers Tuesday that the 27-nation bloc is set to impose asset freezes and travel bans on more Belarus officials and companies in coming days.

He said the sanctions would target critical sectors of the Belarusian economy, without providing further details.

Diplomats from the EU, the U.S., the U.K., Switzerland and Japan also met with Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei.

In a statement issued after the meeting, they said they emphasized to Makei that the crisis in Belarus is escalating: the persecution of the opposition, media, civil society, and the society at large, including the Polish community in Belarus, has increased.

They urged Belarusian authorities to end the crackdown on protests and independent media, to release all political prisoners, to investigate human rights abuses and to launch an inclusive political process resulting in free and fair elections.

____

Associated Press Writer Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.
Sometimes you get kicked out of a bar. Other times you get removed like a toy in a crane machine game.

The latter of these two scenarios is the one that played out for a patron at Bombshell's in the Fuqua Shopping Center off the Gulf Freeway in South Houston.

Twitter user @_sammyjo6 posted a clip of the incident that has since gone viral. In the video, a very large police officer/security guard appears to ask a not-nearly-as-large patron of the military-themed bar to leave the establishment. At some point, the officer opts to remove the offending individual from the patio like a whiteboard listing the day's specials.

**Fair warning: some NSFW language is used by onlookers who also can't believe what they're seeing.**

Some notes:

1. Damn.

2. In some states this would be considered a legal adoption.*

3. he man held his phone the entire time.

4. Looking your children in the eyes would be hard after this.

5. Damn.

'OH GOD DAMMIT': Would-be Houston lumberjack chops tree down directly on house

Naturally, Twitter users have plenty to say about the sight of a grown man being gingerly placed in timeout.

Others are just looking for the officer's, er, badge number. Any number, really:

Getting kicked out of the bar isn't fun. Being plucked from the bar and placed in timeout by the Paul Bunyan of on-site security is an entirely different beast.

*Source needed.
In this undated photo supplied by the New Zealand police, a bag of marijuana is displayed during a police raid as part of Operation Trojan. Authorities in Australia and New Zealand said Tuesday, June 8, 2021, they've dealt a huge blow to organized crime after hundreds of criminals were tricked into using a messaging app that was being secretly run by the FBI. (NZ POLICE/AP)
San Antonians, live indie music shows are back.

New company Resound announced its launch Monday, releasing a jam-packed schedule of shows for the beloved Paper Tiger. The local music venue lost its national booking and promotion company when shutdowns fueled by COVID-19 shuttered Margin Walker Presents.

But the show must go on. Graham Williams, Margin Walker's former head who also launched FunFunFun Fest, decided to launch a new endeavor with Resound. The new agency plans on bringing progressive artists to the state with a primary focus on Austin and San Antonio.

READ ALSO: City's Animal Care Services rescues Lil' Sebastian look-a-like named Churro

"The shutdown of live events left many of us in the business anxious for a return, but it also has us all re-thinking what we do and how we do it," Williams said in a news release. "With Resound, we want to bring back to the scene what we've always done best: throwing badass shows and events while expanding our reach and thinking outside of the box to evolve as a business within our community and culture."

At Paper Tiger, Resound has a few concerts already lined up, with Goatwhore at the venue on Aug. 11 and the Mountain Goats on Aug. 13. For the full schedule and artists, visit resoundpresents.com.

Additionally, Resound will produce events of all sizes, with shows at The Mohawk and The Paramount Theatre in Austin and The Espee in San Antonio.

Blayne Tucker, Texas Precinct Captainfor NIVA, told MySA.com he's excited about Williams' new company, as it brings hope to all music fans in Texas.

"Throughout the years, Graham Williams' companies, in one form or another, have been the flagships of independent music in Texas," Tucker said. "His newly reconstituted Resound Presents provides hope for all music fans that indie music is back in Texas. Perhaps more importantly, it signals a bullish outlook for the future of live music in Texas, in general."
The Biden administration threatened Monday to pursue legal action if Texas Gov. Greg Abbott doesn't rescind his order shutting down federally funded shelters that house migrant children who cross the U.S.-Mexico border without their parents.

In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, the deputy general counsel for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told the Republican governor that even though the state issues the licenses for the shelter, Congress has tasked his agency with caring for unaccompanied children.

He warned Abbott not to interfere with those operations and said HHS intends to pursue legal action if the state proceeds to close the shelters down.

Jerry Lara, Staff / Staff photographer

(The Office of Refugee Resettlement) operates 52 state-licensed facilities in Texas, which comprise a significant portion of ORRs total operational footprint, and represent an indispensable component of the federal immigration system, Paul Rodriguez, HHS deputy general counsel, wrote in the letter two Abbott and two other Texas officials. The proclamation would be a direct attack on this system.

The letter urges Abbott to clarify by June 11 whether his proclamation last week applies to 52 shelters that are licensed by the state but funded with federal grants. It argues that federal law states these migrant children do not accrue unlawful presence while they are in the United States, challenging Abbotts labeling of these children as unlawful immigrants.

More than half of migrant children sheltered by the U.S. government in licensed facilities are in Texas. The last census taken on May 19 showed 4,223 children in the facilities of about 7,000 in the entire network of licensed shelters.

Experts and advocates say shutting down these shelters could seriously disrupt the program for unaccompanied children, which already faces capacity problems forcing the government to open up a dozen emergency sites to process thousands of children.

The Biden administration has worked to speed up the transfers from Border Patrol to HHS custody, and the releases of children to relatives in the U.S. In the past month, HHS has reduced the number of children in shelters or emergency sites by releasing more of them to their families.

However, as of Sunday, there are still about 16,000 children in HHS custody, and the federal government has struggled to increase the number of beds in licensed shelters, which are preferred by advocates.

The so-called emergency intake sites were opened beginning in March at convention centers, military bases and other large venues. They look like hurricane evacuation shelters, with little space to play and no privacy. Advocates and lawmakers who have visited have voiced concerns about the childrens mental health.

Abbott also has been critical of emergency facilities that lack state licenses, but advocates say his directive could transfer more children to the large-scale sites.

The letter says the state would be discriminating against providers who have federal government grants to run these shelters. That would violate the doctrine of intergovernmental immunity, which impedes state interfering with federal activity, and the Supremacy Clause, which says federal law takes precedence over state or local laws.

The order to strip away licenses from shelters is part of a disaster declaration Abbott issued last week, arguing the federal government cant force Texas to keep issuing state licenses in response to a federal problem. The proclamation was a highly unusual move by the governor that comes amid criticism of record numbers of border crossings in recent months.

More recently, Abbott is saying that state troopers will soon begin arresting migrants at the border, promising an announcement later this week.

The letter sent Monday was addressed to Abbott, Texas Deputy Secretary of State Jose Esparza and Executive Commissioner of Texas Health and Human Services Cecil Erwin Young.
By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She is currently writing a book about textile artisans.

Last month, cyclone Yaas made landfall in the Indian state of Odisha. Due to a full moon tidal surge, the storms most severe impact occurred in the Sundarbans, the world largest mangrove forest, spanning parts of eastern India and Bangladesh.

Yaas is only the latest cyclone to form in the Bay of Bengal during the last year. According to an article in The Times of India, Rising surface temperature at sea behind frequent cyclones: Experts:

In the past 12 months, there have been four cyclonic storms in Bay of Bengal  severe cyclone Amphan (May 16-21), severe cyclone Nivar (Nov 22-26), cyclonic storm Burevi (Nov 30-Dec 5) and Yaas (May 23-27). Climate scientists say the cyclogenesis or triggering of very severe cyclonic storms in Bay of Bengal is a result of climate change. The water around the Indian sub-continent is warmer than usual. The threshold value for sea surface temperatures (SSTs) for formation of cyclones is 28C, but SST over the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean 30C-32C.

These storms havent caused many deaths  nothing approaching the half million that died when cyclone Bhola struck Bengal in 1970. Both the Indian and Bangladeshi governments have developed a system for warning people and evacuating them safely to shelters. So far, this system has continued to function well, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to an article Cyclone Yaas: Record evacuation saves lives in Sundarbans but not livelihoods in Down to Earth:

According to state government sources, nearly 1.5 million people were evacuated before and during the disaster into 14,000 flood shelters, both formal and temporary ones. The evacuation of about 500,000 people during Cyclone Amphan was the record in West Bengal before Yaas. Around 0.7 million people each were evacuated during cyclones Phani and Hudhud, which mainly affected Odisha. We planned carefully after Amphan. We enhanced our capacity, procured machinery and above all, the coordination has been very good under the leadership of the chief minister [Mamata Banerjee]. That did the trick, state disaster management minister Javed Ahmed Khan claimed. Experts are also attributing the success to the state governments preparations. This effort of the state government, with the chief minister leading from the front, particularly evacuating such a record number of people smoothly and that too during this pandemic period, is definitely praiseworthy, Nasir Ateeq, a disaster management expert attached with an international organisation, told this reporter May 27. Locals in the Sundarbans however pointed out that a heightened level of awareness among people, especially after Amphan, did the trick. People, who earlier refused to go to the flood shelters, complied with government directives this time, which minimised casualties, a non-profit worker from Sagar island, said.

This appears to me to be another win for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose All Trinamool Congress Party recently trounced the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seize power in her state (see Mamata Banerjees TMC Retains West Bengal, Shutting Out Modis BJP from Taking Power in the State). Her success in managing the Yaas evacuation only further strengthens the still long shot possibility that she might be able to spearhead a national ani-Modi coalition. Shes been both lauded and sometimes criticised for leading from the front, whether strolling through open-air Kolkata food markets, enmeshed and maintaining social distance, or memorably, when during the course of construction, a flyover collapsed in Kolkata, rushing to the scene, and directing rescue efforts from her emergency operations centre: a folding chair, plonked next to a table.

Damage to Homes and Livelihoods

Deaths arent the only devastation the storms cause. The homes and livelihoods of people in the low-lying Sundarbans have been particularly hard-hit. According to an article In photos: In the Sundarbans, Cyclone Yaas leaves flooded farmland and devastated lives in Scroll:

Islands in the Sundarbans are a protected by embankments, which run around 3,500 km. More than 134 embankments were breached, the state government said, devastating many villages. As the embankments were damaged, previous farmland was destroyed as saline water flooded in. Tens of thousands of homes in the region were damaged, as were livestock and poultry farms. The West Bengal government estimated by the cost of damages caused by Cyclone Yaas at Rs 20,000 crore. Rising sea-surface temperatures may be the cause of the more frequent, intense cyclones in the Bay of Bengal, scientists say. Since 2007, there have been 16 major cyclones in the Bay of Bengal. Many islands in the Sundarbans, such as Mousuni, were already facing the threat due to the rapid sea-level rise.

I encourage readers to click on the Scroll link above, to see pictures of the devastation Yaas has caused.

Down to Earth provided further details:

The inhabitants of West Bengals Sundarbans region may have been saved from Cyclone Yaas due to timely evacuation. However, their livelihoods have been lost due to embankments in the region being breached. People in at least one area of the worlds largest delta shared by India and Bangladesh used their own bodies to plug the breach in an embankment. However, with most of the region underwater currently, it will take a lot of time for shattered livelihoods to be revived. The human wall was made by people in the G Plot of Pathar Pratima block in the Sundarbans. As Yaas subsided May 26, 2021, residents noticed the embankment on the Jagaddal river adjoining Sitarampur village beginning to wobble. Kalipada Das, a local, said: The embankment adjoins agricultural land as well as residential plots. People quickly ran and tried to stop the water with whatever they could find, be it hay, plastic or tarpaulin. They even used their bodies to form a human chain. Others dug earth to plug the embankment. However the embankment gave away during the next high tide. I am now in the G Plot area and cant distinguish where the river ends and where land starts  It seems that rivers have completely swallowed Pathar Pratima. Many areas of Pathar Pratima are under water, Samir Jana, member of the legislative assembly from Pathar Pratima told this reporter May 27.

Royal Bengal Tigers

Earning a livelihood in the Sundarbans is difficult, even without the pressures caused by climate change. Much of the delta is nature reserves, divided between India and Bangladesh, comprising two UNESCO World Heritage sites. Tourism from the Indian side is mainly day-trippers and weekenders from Kolkata (Calcutta), and birdwatchers.

Many are drawn by the prospect of seeing a royal Bengal tiger, a fearsome beast that drinks salt water, swims, and catches fish. Now that the number of tigers no longer reaches three figures, the India state of West Bengal in 2016 refocused its tourist promotion efforts, shifting away from touting its tigers  which most tourists would never see anyway  to highlighting the much more prevalent monitor lizards, crocodiles, four types of aquatic turtles, two types of freshwater dolphins, and numerous birds  including four types of kingfishers (see my article for The National, India and Bangladeshs mysterious mangroves: The Sundarbans).

Alas for the people who live in the region, fatal encounters with tigers are not unknown and still kill dozens of people each year. Local honey collectors wear lurid masks on the back of their heads  to confuse tigers  which target that vulnerability  and thus deter attacks. Women trawl for tiger prawn seedlings, immersed to their waists, dragging large nets behind. They, too are sometimes attacked by tigers, or more frequently, by crocodiles or sharks. Exposure to saline water causes skin problems for these women.

To these many natural hazards climate change has added the additional catastrophe of regular flooding by storm surges. These damage or destroy homes and by soaking the ground with salt water, making farming more difficult, if not impossible. In the immediate wake of the storm, Banerjee estimated the storm damaged 500,000 homes and affected 10 million people, according to Down to Earth..

People may rebuild, but if flooding becomes a more regular occurrence, that task becomes increasingly difficult. And if the flooding pattern recurs or indeed accelerates, If the Sundarbans simply becomes uninhabitable, where will all these people go?
By Kenny Stancil, staff writer at Common Dreams. Originally published at Common Dreams

In an opinion piece, the Washington Posts publisher on Sunday accused President Joe Bidens Justice Department of exacerbating the Trump administrations assault on press freedom and called for a full accounting of the Biden DOJs recent practices in order to prevent such a brazen infringement of the First Amendment rights of all Americans from happening again.

Recent reporting revealed that during the last days of then-President Donald Trumps term, DOJ officials authorized subpoenas to secretly obtain the phone and email records of reporters at the Post, CNN, and the New York Times. In the wake of the revelations, Biden last month condemned the unconstitutional actions taken by his predecessors Justice Department and vowed that his administration would protect the rights of journalists and, by extension, those of the public.

Unfortunately, Post publisher Fred Ryan wrote Sunday, new revelations suggest that the Biden Justice Department not only allowed these disturbing intrusions to continueit intensified the governments attack on First Amendment rights before finally backing down in the face of reporting about its conduct.

According to Ryan:

After Biden took office, the department continued to pursue subpoenas for reporters email logs issued to Google, which operates the New York Times email systems, and it obtained a gag order compelling a Times attorney to keep silent about the fact that federal authorities were seeking to seize his colleagues records. Later, when the Justice Department broadened the number of those permitted to know about the effort, it barred Times executives from discussing the legal battle with the Times newsroom, including the papers top editor.

Ryan argued that this escalation, on Bidens watch, represents an unprecedented assault on American news organizations and their efforts to inform the public about government wrongdoing.

Following last months bombshell report about the Trump DOJs seizure of three Post journalists communications records, the newspaper immediately requested an explanation and answers to several questions from the Justice Department as well as a meeting with the attorney general, Ryan wrote Sunday.

To date, no answers have been provided and the meeting has yet to take place, he added. This delay is troubling.

Although Biden last month called apprehending journalists communication records in an attempt to identify the sources of leaks simply, simply wrong and insisted that he will not let that happen, his Justice Department tried to justify the Trump administrations intervention at the Post as part of a criminal investigation into unauthorized disclosure of classified information.

As Ryan noted Sunday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has been unable to explain the discrepancy between Bidens denunciation of the Trump administrations actions plus his assurances that he would not permit such practices to continue, on the one hand, and his own Justice Departments behavior, on the other. She did, however, issue a statement disavowing White House knowledge of the actions that appear to have continued for several months during Bidens presidency.

While First Amendment advocates have long argued that cracking down on journalists and their sources dissuades people from sharing information that can help expose the truth, hold the powerful accountable, and improve the common good, the Obama-Biden administration and the Trump White House both went to great lengths to prevent leaks and punish government officials for divulging information to reporters. Before the Trump-era war on whistleblowers, the Obama DOJ prosecuted nine leak cases, more than all previous administrations combined.

In his opinion piece, Ryan wrote that:

Throughout U.S. history, there have been inevitable differences between news organizations seeking to shed light on government activity and government officials seeking to preserve secrecy. As a society, we have become accustomed to these tensions. For the most part, they have been constructive and good for the health of our democracy. However, the egregious acts by the outgoing Trump Justice Department, and the apparent doubling down on them during the Biden administration, should alarm all Americans, regardless of political persuasion. The First Amendment is not a special privilege of the press but, rather, a fundamental right protecting all Americans. It empowers citizens to hold their elected officials to account by ensuring that wrongdoing, even at the highest levels, will be brought to light. Much of this reporting would be impossible without courageous government employees who, after learning about serious misdeeds, improper programs conducted under the cloak of secrecy, or other actions contrary to Americas fundamental principles and national interests, take the risk of speaking to reporters in confidence to bring such conduct to the attention of their fellow citizens.

Trumps actions, and the expansion upon them during the Biden administration, pose a grave threat to our ability as a nation to keep powerful officials in check, Ryan stressed.

While he argued that the Biden DOJs Saturday statement that it will not seek compulsory legal process in leak investigations to obtain source information from the media doing their jobs is a step in the right direction, Ryan added that it does not guarantee that the Biden administrationor future administrationswill not resume these intrusive tactics.

There must be clear and enduring safeguards to ensure that this brazen infringement of the First Amendment rights of all Americans is never repeated, Ryan continued.

Moreover, The inconsistency between presidential words and Justice Department deeds dictates the need for full accountability and transparency regarding the actions taken by the exiting Trump Justice Department and those of the incoming Biden administration, he wrote. A full accounting should be produced and released for the American public to see.
(Natural News) After granting pharmaceutical companies total immunity from all lawsuits involving injury or death caused by Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines, Canada decided to launch a new Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP) to provide compensation for those who experience a serious and permanent injury resulting from an injection.

The first ever program of its kind in Canada, VISP was launched back in December 2020 right around the time when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave the green light for mass administration of Wuhan Flu shots. Theresa Tam, Canadas Chief Medical Officer, unveiled the program in a tweet.

On the VISP website, it is explained that the program will ensure that all people in Canada who have experienced a serious and permanent injury as a result of receiving a Health Canada authorized vaccine, administered in Canada on or after December 8, 2020, have fair and timely access to financial support.

According to Anita Anand, Canadas Procurement Minister, indemnification clauses in vaccine contracts are standard, including for emergency medicines like Chinese Virus injections.

All countries, generally speaking, are faced with the issue of indemnification of companies, especially in cases of novel technologies like this, Anand stated back in December. Yes we are, and we are definitely not different than any other country in this world.

A 2017 document from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), which was updated in 2019, stipulates that during a pandemic, indemnity clauses should be used to ensure that there is no supply disruption.

To prevent delays in release of the vaccine at time of pandemic, the pandemic vaccine supply contract stipulates that the Government of Canada will indemnify the manufacturer against any claims or lawsuits brought against it by third parties, that document states.

If you die after getting injected for the Chinese Virus in Canada, the government might pay your funeral expenses

Almost immediately after the Canadian government announced the creation of VISP, it put out a contract notice to eligible organization to submit an application to administer a no-fault support program for people in Canada with a serious and permanent vaccine injury.

In other words, before the Chinese Virus even appeared, followed by Operation Warp Speed vaccinations from the Trump administration, the Canadian government was busy preparing all the legal paperwork for the inevitable fallout from the then-future program.

VISP is supposedly being administered and delivered independently by the Canadian and accounting tax firm Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, with direct funding from PHAC.

Decisions on individual claims are made by a committee of independent medical experts and neither PHAC nor Health Canada is involved in the decision of individual claims, the VISP website explains.

There is already a litany of serious adverse reactions to Wuhan Flu shots being reported to the CovidVaccineReactions.com website, which unlike the government is keeping a close eye on injuries and deaths associated with the jabs.

Any of these cases that occurred in Canada  even to a non-citizen  may be eligible for compensation through VISP, which will also cover all future Health Canada authorized vaccines or immunoglobulins.

Eligible individuals can file a claim with VISP for up to three years after injection, or at the apparent onset of injury, or death. Those who qualify will receive income replacement indemnities; injury indemnities; death benefits; coverage for funeral expenses; reimbursement of eligible costs such as otherwise uncovered medical expenses.

The amount of financial support an individual will receive will be determined on a case by case basis. Amounts will be based on a pre-determined financial support payment framework, the VISP website further explains.

More related news about Chinese Disease shots can be found at ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

LifeSiteNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The man at the center of the NIH funding of research at the Wuhan Virology lab in China, Peter Daszak, actually thanked Fauci last year for playing down the lab leak theory and pushing people toward the natural spread theory from bats:

(Article republished from TheRightScoop.com)

Notice how Daszak complains about Fox News reporters targeting the grant money. That should tell you a lot.



In case you arent familiar with Daszak, heres what we wrote about him via Mark Levins interview with a former New York Times science writer:

Faucis organization, NIAID, gave grant money to an intermediary, EcoHealth Alliance, for the purpose of testing and creating more coronaviruses. Wade indicated this is a legitimate role of the NIAID, especially after the previous SARS epidemic, and that Fauci had a duty to create more virulent coronaviruses in a lab so they could then determine what to do about them. Peter Daszak, the president of Eco Health Alliance, then gave the money to the Wuhan virology lab, which we later found out was operating at a much lower degree of safety than what it necessary for this kind of work. Finally, when the epidemic actually happened, Daszak penned a letter in the Lancet journal saying it could only have come directly from animals and not from a lab, and declaring that he had no conflict of interest on the matter. But he DID have a conflict of interest  a huge one in fact  because he would have been seen as at least partially at fault if the virus had come from the Wuhan lab. This conflict was not made known to the readers of the Lancet. Thus it was Daszaks opinion (and that of another mentioned in the video) which the media ran with, declaring everyone who favored the lab leak as conspiracy theorists.

Daszak looks to have been protecting his own backside with the lancet article he wrote suggesting theres no way the coronavirus could have come from a lab.

In regards to the email above, Id love to know what is being hidden under the big gray box. According to Kerpen, something could only be redacted for law enforcement purposes:

Unusual exemption in the Peter Daszak thank you email to Fauci. FOIA exemption (b)(7)(A) applies to "records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes, but only to the extent that production could reasonably be expected to interfere with enforcement proceedings." pic.twitter.com/cpunxCXfQv  Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) June 2, 2021

How in the world can a portion of an external email be a "record or information compiled for law enforcement purposes"? pic.twitter.com/y9WxMbZhrx  Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) June 2, 2021

Read more at: TheRightScoop.com and Conspiracy.news.
(Natural News) Dr. Anthony Fauci has become the poster boy for what is wrong with our government, as evidenced by the massive emerging scandal involving his so-called leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This career bureaucrat  the highest-paid federal employee at more than $400,000 a year  has been the head of his National Institutes of Health agency since the early 1980s. Hes on his seventh president. He no doubt knows a lot about everyone in D.C. at this particular moment. He probably knows where a few of the bodies are buried, if you follow.

And because of this insulation from society, he pretty much behaves any way he wants to, up to and including putting Americans lives in danger and, honestly, allowing Americans to die to protect his own interests.

Thats the assessment, anyway, of the situation after emails obtained via Freedom of Information Act requests were published last week revealing Fauci ignored a research physicist who told him there were effective, existing medicinal treatments for the coronavirus that caused the pandemic but he chose to push vaccines exclusively.

Breitbart News reports:

Emails show Dr. Anthony Fauci was advised by Erik Nielsen, a physicist and CEO of Bio-Signal Technologies, in March 2020, that two drugs could possibly help battle the coronavirus pandemic, but Fauci ignored it, claiming the email was too long for him to read.

Nielsen, in the email, said he had instructed members of his family to get Alvesco (ciclesonide) for emergency use only. He claimed that his colleagues on the front-line in Japan, China, and Korea found several pre-print papers, that it is an effective treatment for late-stage COVID-19 patients.

Some patients on ventilators who were approaching death have fully recovered after treatment with ciclesonide, noting ciclesonide has much smaller particles than other corticosteroids, so it reaches deeper into lungs and alveolis, Nielsen added.

Mind you, one of COVID-19s most dangerous aspects was its ability to attack the human respiratory system, as noted by the high number of elderly people who succumbed to the disease. Many of them had preexisting conditions, but clearly it is common that an older persons lung functions are far more diminished than those of more active, much younger people.

The physicist went on to note that a second drug could also, quite possibly, be used, which he advised his own family to obtain: The drug is called hydroxychloroquine, he told Fauci, also seems to be effective and safe.
(Natural News) Pro-vaccine fanatics describe anyone who is against being jabbed with experimental, man-made lab concoctions as experiencing vaccine hesitancy, but really, its vaccine terror, considering the fact that all 4 of the Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers have criminal rap sheets longer than the Mississippi River, including AstraZeneca. The anti-vaccine community of the USA is actually pro-science, and thats why we are all terrified of getting a vaccine thats been proven to cause blood clots in the lungs, brain and other vital organs.

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has already shelled out hundreds of millions of dollars in lawsuit settlements for off-label drug marketing and kickback schemes, and now theyve created this horrific failure of a Covid-19 vaccine called Vaxzevria, a viral vector vaccine, like the toxic, blood-clotting jab made by Johnson & Johnson.

AstraZeneca scientists use a chimpanzees adenovirus to carry spike proteins, and fragments from a gain of function bat virus into human cells, all while clogging the blood with proteins and prions that are now uncontrollably manufactured by the injected-humans body. Its like cancer but worse, and kills you much sooner.

Any vaccines that cause blood clots and death come highly recommended by the World Hate Organization (WHO), and the Centers for Disease Continuation (CDC), just like the deadly Astra-Z SARS-CoV-2 jab.

None of the Covid-19 vaccines have approval in the US for injecting humans, only EUA which means they are all human medical experiments

AstraZenecas deadly jab causes blood clots in very unusual areas of the body, such as the brain and abdomen, proving its not some coincidence that these victims got the China Flu vaccine and just so happened to get some new blood clots a few days later.

Medical doctors in the USA are scrambling to explain the deadly blood clot phenomenon, and many are labeling it HIT (heparin-induced thrombocytopenia), but that may be a distraction in order to blame genetics or other health factors, instead of putting the responsibility on the vaccine manufacturers to prove its safe and effective, which not one single company has yet to do (theyre all only FDA approved for Emergency Use Authorization, which means theyre all medical experiments).

All of this stabbing of humans with experimental gene therapy syringes needs to end and soon, or were going to see half the worlds population fall off the face of the earth. The biggest crooks and freaks in the world are creating and marketing these toxic jabs, and they all have a long, sordid history of criminal activity to prove it.

AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine doses corrupted and causing massive blood clotting, so theyre shipping them to India, where nobody knows yet

Since the poisonous jab made by the pharma giant criminals failed authorized use in the USA by the FDA, the Biden Regime decided to ship out millions of the corrupted doses to other countries, including India. Why? They dont want to waste money and the other countries dont know, plus, the American vaccine industrial complex is always trying to wipe out minorities, so India and Africa are easy targets Therefore the U.S. is looking at options to share the AstraZeneca doses with other countries as they become available.

Once people in Italy started dying from AstraZenecas China Flu vaccine, they seized a batch of 400,000 doses and suspended use. Same thing is happening in Australia, where they now refuse to offer AstraZenecas Covid jabs. Even pro-vaccine scientists and virus researchers who literally worked on these Covid vaccines are blowing the whistle on the research fraud and the dangers of the injections. Take a listen:



AstraZeneca changed the name of their Covid vaccine after a string of deaths and blood-clotting cases came to be widely known

If youre a filthy rich pharma company and you make a toxic product that kills people so fast they sue you and the word gets out, then you just change the name of the product and keep on selling. Problem solved! Thats how the medical industrial complex functions, and thats why, if youre pro-science, then you should be anti-vaccine.

After a string of deaths and controversy surrounding the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, the pharma giants switched the name of the vaccine from AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Vaxzevria, that way, if patients dont ask any questions, they wont know that the risks FAR OUTWEIGH any potential benefits. The name change was immediately approved by the EMA, European Medicines Agency, by request from AstraZeneca, without even giving a reason for wanting or needing the name change. Mainstream media in America is silent.

AstraZeneca has their hands in everything Covid. From bacteria-breeding face masks to deadly jabs, its all just an means to an end  and that end is world population reduction, control and money. The British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company has concoction labs all over the world, including inside the US. Their portfolio of toxic products includes oncology and respiratory scam products. The net worth of AstraZeneca is $150 billion right now. Covid-19 is an insidious business model and these gangsters have a rap sheet full of offenses to humans across the globe.

Visit CovidVaccineReactions.com if you or a loved one already got a toxic Covid jab and are experiencing side effects, blood clots, adverse events, blindness, deafness or dementia (then you might have your loved ones help you with the smart device). Now tune your internet frequency to Pandemic.news for updates on these crimes against humanity being delivered under the guise of inoculation. Plus, learn how to best prepare for the upcoming vaccine-induced wipeout.

Sources for this article include:

Pandemic.news

NaturalNews.com

LifeSiteNews.com

Healthline.com

Justice.gov
The suspension of yearbook distribution and sales because of a page that talks about the struggles that Black people face in our world is disappointing and gross because a good amount of our student body is Black, or a person of color, Twitchell said.
(Natural News) In another move designed to shrink its workforce and save on labor expenses, McDonalds is testing out its artificial intelligence-driven drive-thrus at 10 locations in Chicago.

In these locations, workers will no longer be taking down the drive-thru orders of customers. A computer will do it instead, according to McDonalds CEO Chris Kempczinski.

On Wednesday, June 2, Kempczinski spoke at the Strategic Decisions conference of investment firm Alliance Bernstein. He said the A.I. drive-thrus are seeing about 85 percent order accuracy. The remaining 15 percent of orders at the automated windows cannot be jotted down by the voice-ordering technology and still require human intervention.

If the implementation of the technology is successful, Kempczinski said it could be rolled out to locations across the world. This move would deprive thousands of employees of stable, good-paying jobs.

But Kempczinski said the technology will take more than one or two years to test run and successfully implement. No decision has yet been made on whether the A.I. tech would be installed at other restaurants across the United States.

Now theres a big leap from going to 10 restaurants in Chicago to 14,000 restaurants across the U.S., with an infinite number of promo permutations, menu permutations, dialect permutations, weather  and on and on and on, he explained.

One other challenge Kempczinski pointed out was properly training employees to stop themselves from jumping in to help take down drive-thru orders.

McDonalds automating more of its stores at the expense of workers

McDonalds voice-ordering technology was built by Apprente. Acquired by McDonalds in 2019, Apprente focuses on the research and development of A.I. speech-driven technology. (Related: McDonalds acquires machine-learning startup to develop personalized menus using AI.)

The fast-food giant is venturing into A.I.-powered drive-thrus because it believes it can reduce customer wait times. The automated drive-thru windows can also supposedly help in-store workers transition between shifts.

Chris Albrecht, writing for food tech news website The Spoon, speculated that if the rollout of the A.I. drive-thrus is successful, it could be tied in with other automated systems in the restaurant. These future automated systems could remember a customers purchasing history to automatically make recommendations.

The company is also looking to add other automated features to its drive-thru windows, including express lanes for digital orders and conveyor belts that carry food out to customers.

With improved understanding accuracy, a restaurant would no longer need a dedicate person to take (or confirm) a drive-thru order, wrote Albrecht. He adds that this might free up more McDonalds staff to expedite orders or do more customer service work. In reality, the full rollout of automated drive-thru windows could be used as an excuse for massive layoffs.

In addition to automating the drive-thru window, the company is also looking to fully automate other parts of its restaurant.

Kempczinski said his company has been considering technology that can automate parts of the kitchen, such as the fryers and the grills. But he said this wont be rolled out en masse for another five years, despite the availability of the technology.

The level of investment that would be required, the cost of investment, were nowhere near to what the breakeven would need to be from the labor cost standpoint to make that a good business decision for franchisees to do, Kempczinski explained.

McDonalds began considering introducing a lot more automation in its stores around 2016 after employees began demanding that the minimum hourly wage be increased to $15. This is when then-CEO Ed Rensi noted that it would be cheaper for McDonalds to use robots than people.

Its cheaper to buy a $35,000 robotic arm than it is to hire an employee whos inefficient making $15 an hour bagging French fries, he said. If you cant get people for a reasonable minimum wage, youre going to get machines to do the work.

Find out the latest news regarding job automation in the United States and the rest of the world at Robotics.news.

Sources include:

DailyStar.co.uk

CNBC.com

TheSpoon.tech
(Natural News) Joel Robert Kallman, an Oracle employee who created a breakthrough app for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to track Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination progress, has died, ironically, from getting his second jab.

According to reports, Kallman, of Delaware, Ohio, died on May 25, just days after receiving his second dose of mRNA vaccine for the Chinese Virus. Kallman received his first dose of the shot several months prior.

I got my first vaccination today, Kallman tweeted back on March 26. I am incredibly proud of @Oracle and the team that worked tirelessly to create and run v-safe for the USA.

After waiting the allotted amount of time after his first dose, Kallman went in for his second, only to die not long afterward. The mainstream media, of course, is attempting to shroud the link between Kallmans second dose and his subsequent death.

The 54-year-old husband and father is best known in the technology field as the creator and visionary behind APEX, a web-based software development platform owned by Oracle upon which the V-safe smartphone app he developed operates.

Reports explain that the app uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after a person gets injected for the Wuhan Flu. The CDC adopted the app to collect data on vaccine side effects, as well as to remind users to get their second dose.

Sadly, Kallman became just another statistic in the app, his death being reported to the CDC after his second prescribed dose of the Chinese Virus injection.

Kallman tweeted a total of five times in the three days following his first injection before completely dropping off the radar. Prior to that, Kallman was known to tweet at least once a day.

Oracle blames covid for Kallmans death

Rather than tell the truth about the timeline of Kallmans injections in relation to his sudden death, Oracle APEX instead tried to blame covid for his sudden passing  because everyone knows that in the age of Covidism, all deaths are caused by covid (sarcasm).

Were heartbroken to share that Joel Kallman had passed away from Covid-19 on May 25th, tweeted Oracle APEX on May 27. Joels warmth and enthusiasm touched countless across the globe. We miss him dearly.

Not once has Oracle even mentioned the fact that Kallmans death occurred shortly after his second injection, which, if we are to believe Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates, should have protected him against serious complications  perhaps sudden death is not considered to be all that serious?

Instead, the multinational corporation took the opportunity to ignore the elephant in the room and pretend as though Kallman died because some floating virus entered his breathing passages after he had already been injected and taken hold.

The only thing this proves, if true, is that the vaccines are worthless and do nothing to protect a person against infection. At worst, the vaccines are causing the infection in the first place, potentially leading to death.

Officially, Kallmans death is being called a breakthrough case of the Chinese Virus, meaning it came about after vaccination. The number of breakthrough cases is skyrocketing, according to the CDC, which says serious hospitalizations and deaths post-injection have more than tripled just in the past month alone.

[C]ritically, in persons who have had recent infections, vaccination could re-ignite a critical inflammatory disease or blood clotting complications that have proven deadly to some patients, warns Dr. Hooman Noorchashm, who says that unvaccinated people who have already tested positive for covid already have immunity anyway and should not get jabbed.

To keep up with the latest news about injuries and deaths caused by Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) injections, be sure to check out ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

LifeSiteNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Dr. Li-Meng Yan, a Chinese virologist who was among the first people to suggest that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) leaked from a lab, said Dr. Anthony Faucis work emails proved she was right all along.

As international leaders finally focus on her Wuhan lab-leak theory, Yan told Newsmax on Wednesday, June 2, that Faucis emails contained a lot of useful information suggesting he always knew more than he revealed.

Thousands of Faucis emails were recently released to the public via Freedom of Information Act requests. Some of the emails hinted that he knew about the Chinese gain-of-function research before the pandemic started. They also showed leading virus experts warning Fauci that COVID-19 may have been created in a lab while he publicly played down such claims.

They verify my work from the very beginning, said Yan. These people know what happened, but they choose to hide for China and for their own benefits.

Faucis emails show hes ware coronavirus is potentially man-made

In a Jan. 1, 2020 email, Dr. Kristian Anderson, an immunologist at the Scripps Research Institute, told Fauci that some features of the virus could potentially be man-made.

Shortly after, Fauci sent an urgent email to his deputy, Hugh Auchincloss, asking him to review a document he was attaching, which was titled baric, shi et al nature medicine SARS gain of function.

Although the contents of the attachment are unknown, the title is likely a reference to U.S.-based virologist Dr. Ralph Baric and Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) scientist Dr. Shi Zhengli, who specializes in coronavirus transmissions in bats.

On April 17, 2020, Fauci announced that it was believed the virus had emerged from bats in China.

In an email sent two days after the announcement, EcoHealth Alliance President Peter Daszak thanked Fauci for publicly standing up and stating that the scientific evidence supports a natural origin for COVID-19 from a bat-to-human spillover. (Related: Email: Researcher who funded Wuhan lab admitted to manipulating coronaviruses, thanked Fauci for dismissing lab leak theory.)

Daszak then persuaded 26 other scientists to sign off on a letter he had written to the Lancet, claiming the virus could only have been natural in origin and to suggest otherwise creates fear, rumors and prejudice.

The letter flatly denied the virus could have originated in a lab in Wuhan and dismissed it as a conspiracy theory.

It was later found that a $600,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to EcoHealth Alliance was channeled to the WIV to study bat coronaviruses  and apparently conduct gain-of-function research.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is headed by Fauci and a sub-agency under the NIH, awarded the grant to Daszaks nonprofit group.

During interviews with CNN and MSNBC on Thursday, June 3, Fauci said that an email he received from the EcoHealth Alliance executive has been misconstrued.

Thats nonsense. I dont even see how they get that from that email, said Fauci. I have always said, and will say today to you  that I still believe the most likely origin is from an animal species to a human, but I keep an absolutely open mind that if there may be other origins of that, there may be another reason, it could have been a lab leak.

A growing number of experts believe that China was conducting gain-of-function research on SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and an accident resulted in its release into the world.

In gain-of-function research, viruses are genetically enhanced so that scientists can develop vaccines to fight against them and potentially prevent a pandemic. But this dangerous study can also create bioweapons.

China preparing for war fought with bioweapons

Documents obtained by the Department of State revealed that Chinese scientists have been preparing for a third world war fought with biological and genetic weapons, including coronaviruses, since 2015. According to the document, they will be the core weapon for victory in a conflict of that magnitude.

The documents outlined the perfect conditions to release a bioweapon and documented the impact it would have on the enemys medical system. Analysts determined that the set of documents has 18 authors working at high-risk labs. (Related: More signs point to coronavirus being engineered in Wuhan lab.)

Attacks using bioweapons 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, according to the authors. Instead, they should be released at night, dusk, dawn or under cloudy weather with a stable wind direction so that the aerosol can float into the target area.

The authors also noted that such an attack would result in a surge of patients requiring hospital treatment, which could cause the enemys medical system to collapse.

According to the authors, the next world war will be biological  unlike the first two wars which they described as chemical and nuclear, respectively.

Following developments in other scientific fields, there have been major advances in the delivery of biological agents, the authors wrote. For example, the new-found ability to freeze-dry microorganisms has made it possible to store biological agents and aerosolize them during attacks.

Follow Pandemic.news for more news and information related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk 1

BBC.com

DailyMail.co.uk 2
(Natural News) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci secretly told world leaders in the spring of 2020 that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) may have escaped from a lab in China. This is despite his public insistence that the virus came from a bat.

The revelation was made by Scott Gottlieb, the former head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under Donald Trump. Gottlieb said that Fauci last year at least considered that COVID-19 could have come from a lab  before making an about-face and settling on the idea that it occurred naturally.

I think early on, when they looked at the strain, they had suspicions, Gottlieb said of U.S. scientists on CBSs Face the Nation on Sunday, July 6. And it takes time to do that analysis, and that dispelled some of those suspicions.

COVID-19 origins need to be examined from a national security lens

Gottlieb said it was a mistake to simply look at the coronavirus from a scientific perspective. It needed to be examined from a national security perspective as well.

A scientific mindset looks at the virus and the viruss behavior and draws a conclusion, he said, clarifying that A national security assessment looks at that and then looks at the behavior of the Chinese government, the behavior of the lab, other evidence around the lab  including the infections we now know took place  and that changes the overall assessment.

Chinas Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) was known for conducting tests on bat coronaviruses. Experts who support the lab-leak theory point to the fact that Wuhan was ground zero for the pandemic is too great a coincidence to ignore.

Fauci is now facing accusations that he mishandled and downplayed the theory that the virus leaked from the WIV.

Emails obtained by BuzzFeed and The Washington Post last week under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) include scientists who wrote to Fauci about the theory last year. Among them is Dr. Kristian Andersen, a virologist at the Scripps Research Institute at La Jolla, California.

The unusual features of the virus make up a really small part of the genome (<0.1%) so one has to look really closely at all the sequences to see that some of the features (potentially) look engineered, Andersen wrote, adding that he and his team found that the genome of SARS-CoV-2  the virus behind COVID-19  was inconsistent with expectations from evolutionary theory.

Fauci faces criticism, but is defended by White House

One of the emails released through the FOIA request came from Peter Daszak, head of the EcoHealth Alliance. He thanked Fauci for publicly standing up and stating that the scientific evidence supports a natural origin.

Daszak added that these would help dispel the myths being spun around the virus origins. (Related: Fauci emails: Fauci colluded with Zuckerberg to fearmonger about the coronavirus before the election)

The EcoHealth Alliance received $600,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which it then funneled to the WIV for the purpose of researching bat coronaviruses. The NIAID, a sub-agency under the NIH, awarded the grant to EcoHealth Alliance.

Talking to CNN, Fauci stated the email from an EcoHealth executive has been misconstrued.

That email was from a person saying thank you for whatever it is he thought I said, and I said that I think the most likely origin is a jumping of species. I still do think it is, at the same time as Im keeping an open mind that it might be a lab leak.

Allies of Fauci have come to his defense. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called him an undeniable asset during a press briefing on June 3. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden said that he was very confident in Dr. Fauci.

Follow Pandemic.news for more on the search for COVID-19s true origins.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

BBC.com

FT.com
(Natural News) In a May 27 tweet, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pointed to a new study supporting his call to lift mask mandates in schools. The study, which was led by Brown University researchers, found no correlation between mask wearing in schools and lower transmission of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19).

The researchers arrived at this finding after analyzing data on student density, ventilation upgrades and masking in Florida, New York and Massachusetts. They examined whether measures to curb virus transmission are correlated with COVID-19 case rates in school staff and students. They detailed their findings in a paper, which was posted May 21 on the pre-print website medRxiv.

The researchers found that student infection rates are higher in schools and school districts with lower in-person student density. Conversely, ventilation upgrades are associated with lower infection rates in Florida but not in New York. Meanwhile, mask mandates are not correlated with either student or staff infection rates, the researchers found. (Related: Researchers ignore scientific evidence, use obsolete data to push national mask mandate.)

Florida officials, parents urge school districts to lift mask mandates

DeSantis urges school boards to life mask mandates, saying that children shouldnt wear face masks in schools.

These kids do not need to be wearing these masks, OK? Im sorry, they dont, he said during a news conference in Jacksonville on May 11. We need to be able to let them be kids and let them act normally.

Early this month, the governor signed an executive order suspending mask mandates and other restrictions imposed in the state due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the order did not cover school districts policies for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. Several school districts, including those in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee Counties, still mandate students and staff members to wear a face covering inside school buildings.

DeSantis promised to have all mask requirements in Florida schools removed starting fall, in time for the 2021-2022 academic year.

Whats our direction to the school districts and the other schools? Our direction is relatively simple. Have a normal school year, DeSantis said. Thats what we want, and thats what will happen.

The Florida Department of Education also tweeted about the study amid calls from Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran to end mask mandates. He sent a letter last month to school district superintendents throughout the state, urging them to make mask wearing optional.

We ask that districts, which currently are implementing a mandated face covering policy, revise their policy to be voluntary for the 2021-2022 school year, Corcoran wrote.

He noted that mask mandates in schools do not impact the spread of the virus, as health data showed, but might actually be doing more harm than good. He said that face masks inhibit peer-to-peer learning and might also impede instruction for English language learners and students with disabilities. These students benefit from seeing a teachers face and mouth, he noted.

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, the education commissioner said. Broad sweeping mandatory face covering policies serve no remaining good at this point in our schools.

Parents echoed Corcorans calls, noting that families should have the freedom to choose whether or not to wear a mask.

You want to wear you mask, wear your mask, Julie Damsker, the organizer of a local advocacy group called Unmask Palm Beach County Kids, said during a rally early this month. But my kids are not doing well with one, and its my choice. Its my child.

Read the latest news about mask mandates and other coronavirus restrictions at Pandemic.news.

Sources include:

FloridianPress.com

WPTV.com 1

CNBC.com

MiamiHerald.com

WPTV.com 2

WPTV.com 3
(Natural News) Officials within the Israeli Ministry of Health have determined that the mRNA vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech is probably linked to causing deadly heart inflammation, particularly in young men, following the second dose.

After receiving a litany of reports about cases of heart inflammation, including myocarditis, post-injection, a panel of public health experts specializing in epidemiology, along with members of numerous respected universities, decided to take a close look at the jab to see if any correlation between the two exists.

They found that the experimental gene therapy injections inflame the heart muscle, potentially leading to cardiac arrhythmia and death. Researchers from the National Organization for Rare Disorders says that myocarditis can result from infection, but is more commonly the result of the bodys immune reaction to the initial heart damage.

Some 275 cases of myocarditis were identified between December 2020 and May 2021, including 148 cases that occurred within one month after vaccination. Of these, 27 occurred after the first dose and 121 occurred after the second dose.

Many of the cases were identified in men between the ages of 16 and 30, and most were in the specific age range between 16 and 19. A majority of the cases were categorized as mild, with most leaving the hospital in less than four days, but the phenomenon is still of great concern.

There is a likelihood of a connection between receiving a second dose of vaccine and the onset of myocarditis in young men aged 16-30, the panel concluded. The connection is stronger in young people aged 16-19 compared to other ages and it decreases as age increases.

Analysis: There is a causal nature between covid shots and heart inflammation

Accoring to Dror Mevorach, who heads up the internal medicine department at the Hadassah Medical Center, the findings are very suggestive of a causal nature between Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA injections and prolific heart inflammation, especially in younger men.

I am convinced there is a relationship, he is quoted as saying.

Peter Liu, a cardiologist and the chief scientific officer at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, agrees, noting that statistically speaking this is a real phenomenon.

Pfizer, of course, denies all links, insisting its experimental gene therapy injections are completely safe and effective. Only crazy conspiracy theorists, the company suggested, would believe otherwise.

More than 300 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab have been administered globally thus far, and the benefit-risk profile still remains positive, the company insists.

Israel and a number of European countries, however, are not convinced. There is now a push to stop all vaccination of young children based on the findings, though an official decision has not been made.

Some of these countries have yet to even include the 12-15 age group that the United States already has, and could avoid doing so indefinitely. Pfizer-BioNTech will almost certainly fight against this, as the companies hope to inject all age groups at warp speed in order to keep everyone safe against the Chinese Virus.

European Union regulators are calling on both Pfizer and Moderna to procure additional data about their respective mRNA injections showing that they are safe with regards to heart inflammation. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also claims to be investigating the matter.

The CDCs Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) currently shows 419 cases of pericarditis and myocarditis that were reported during roughly the same period as the aforementioned cases in Israel. More than half of these are attributed to the Pfizer-BioNTech jab.

Ive never heard as much hedging as I have in the medical field in the last year, wrote one LifeSiteNews commenter. Nobody wants to admit causation or imply it.

More of the latest news about covid vaccine injuries and deaths can be found at ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

LifeSiteNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Californias assault weapons ban was ruled unconstitutional Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

(Article by Awr Hawkins republished from Breitbart.com)

The case, Miller v. Bonta, argued Californias ban on so-called assault weapons violated the Second Amendment.

Judge Roger T. Benitez, appointed by President George W. Bush, agreed with the plaintiffs contention, ruling:

The Second Amendment elevates above all other interests the right of law-abiding, responsible citizens to use arms in defense of hearth and home. Heller, 554 U.S., at 635. The Supreme Court clearly holds that the Second Amendment protects guns commonly owned by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes. At the same time, the Second Amendment confers an individual right to keep and bear arms . . . that have some reasonable relationship to the preservation or efficiency of a well regulated militia.

He added:

And although the Supreme Court cautioned that the Second Amendment does not guarantee a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose, Heller, 554 U.S., at 626, lower courts have often cited this proviso about extreme cases to justify gun laws in average contexts. There is no evidence that the Supreme Court intended that language to be a license to avoid its common sense holding in average contexts.

Benitez also noted:

Heller took the already expansive zone of protection for weapons that could be used by the militia and focused on the core use of firearms for self-defense. The [Heller] Court determined that the right to keep and bear arms is an individual right held by the people, and not limited by the prefatory clause  a well regulated Militia  only to the right to possess and carry a firearm in connection with militia service.

Benitez also zeroed in on the phrase assault weapons, noting, As an aside, the assault weapon epithet is a bit of a misnomer. These prohibited guns, like all guns, are dangerous weapons. However, these prohibited guns, like all guns, can be used for ill or for good. They could just as well be called home defense rifles or anti-crime guns.

Benitez ruled against the assault weapons ban, finding it unconstitutional but issuing a 30-day stay on his injunction in order to give California Attorney General Rob Bonta a timeframe in which to appeal the ruling.

After 30 days, the following ruling is in effect:

Defendant Attorney General Rob Bonta, and his officers, agents, servants, employees, and attorneys, and those persons in active concert or participation with him, and those duly sworn state peace officers and federal law enforcement officers who gain knowledge of this injunction order or know of the existence of this injunction order, are enjoined from implementing or enforcing the California Penal Code  30515(a)(1) through (8) (defining an assault weapon by prohibited features), 30800 (deeming those assault weapons a public nuisance), 30915 (regulating those assault weapons obtained by bequest or inheritance), 30925 (restricting importation of those assault weapons by new residents), 30945 (restricting use of those registered assault weapons), and 30950 (prohibiting possession of those assault weapons by minors) and the penalty provisions  30600, 30605 and 30800 as applied to assault weapons defined in Code  30515(a)(1) through (8).

Millers case was supported by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC).

Alan Gottlieb, SAF founder and executive vice president, commented on Benitezs ruling, saying, It is clear that the judge did his homework on this ruling, and we are delighted with the outcome.

The case is Miller v. Bonta, No. 19-cv-1537 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.

Read more at: Breitbart.com and SecondAmendment.news
(Natural News) Billionaire investor Kyle Bass dropped major bombshells during an interview last week that should worry every American and leave them wondering where in the world the Biden administration is.

In a video, Bass, the founder of Hayman Capital Management who made much of his money shorting the housing industry ahead of the 2007-08 collapse, has been a frequent critic of the ChiCom regime and as such follows it carefully. And when he discovered that the regime in Beijing just managed to obtain a major foothold in the United States, he had to go public.

Its kind of hard to believe that were talking about this and it actually happened, Bass begins. But its already happened.

He explained that he was recently flying to the Devils River region of the Lone Star state, which is located along the U.S.-Mexico border, when he was told that a former Chinese military general-turned-billionaire had just managed a straw purchase of a major tract of land that spans 200 square miles and features a runway which Bass believes will be expanded to 10,000 feet from its current 4,000-5,000 foot length, as well as elements of a wind farm and the ability to tap into the states power grid.

This is happening inside the United States, Bass emphasized. This general is actually interfacing directly with the critical infrastructure of the United States.

Continuing, he said its his belief the Chinese general bought the wind farm and wants to put up 700-foot turbines that he plugs directly into our electric grid, said Bass, adding thats something that should never happen, especially when the principle involved is from a country considered to be an adversary.

Bass noted that the name of the property is the Morning Star ranch, which he went on to explain is reminiscent of the Bibles reference to Lucifer as the morning star.

The investor went on to explain that the location of the 130,000-acre property is less than ideal for a wind farm but it was purchased by the Chinese general anyway because it has strategic value: It happens to be next door to one of the United States most active Air Force bases.

Bass said that the general is very connected to the Chinese Communist Party and that he is director of dozens of local CCP branches back in his home country. In addition, he has two retired Peoples Liberation Army generals serving as his closest advisers.

Asked about the size of the runway expansion and how it could not be noticed by state and federal governments, Bass explained that people who own large expanses of land in the U.S. often build long runways to accommodate larger aircraft.

Still, the enormity of this particular [air]strip is a head-scratcher, he continued. Again, why are we allowing people from China, Russia, Iran or North Korea to build runways in the United States next to our border or next to our airbases? They are 10 miles from this airbase; 10 miles is nothing.

He went on to admit, however, that he truly doesnt know the full relevance of the runway, but it is nevertheless disconcerting.

Later, Bass referenced the February emergency in Texas that knocked out large swaths of the states power after hundreds of windmills froze, adding that the state is the only one in the country with its own grid. He said that Texas built its own so that the federal government could not interfere with it, and yet we have a Chinese PLA general plugging directly into our grid.

The investor added that, based on recent events and a Government Accountability Office report, China, Russia, North Korea and Iran are working to disrupt U.S. infrastructure to gain an advantage during times of emergency, and that no one from those countries should ever be allowed to interface with our grids.

Watch the fascinating interview here:

Sources include:

CitizenFreePress.com

NationalSecurity.news
(Natural News) A Chamber of Commerce report released Tuesday, June 1, warned that a recent labor shortage plaguing businesses nationwide is worsening. The Chambers report described the situation as a national economic crisis.

According to the report, the United States had a record 8.1 million vacant job openings in March  the last month where data was available. It was an increase of 600,000 from February.

Some states have more job openings than workers

The Chamber found that there are approximately half as many available workers for every open job, or 1.4 available workers per job opening, across the country and that the ratio continues to fall. The organization noted that there were 2.8 available workers per job opening on average in the previous 20 years.

In several states and several industries, including hard-hit sectors like education and health services as well as professional and business services, there are currently fewer available workers than the total number of jobs open, the Chamber wrote, adding that more than 90 percent of local Chambers of Commerce have reported that worker shortages are hurting their economies.

The states with the lowest worker availability rate include Vermont, Nebraska and South Dakota. All three states had a ratio of less than 1.

The report also pointed to an underwhelming April jobs report released by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, which found that just 266,000 jobs were created. Analysts had expected that more than 1 million would be created.

Even with 9.7 million unemployed at the beginning of April, workers reluctance to return to work [and fill open positions] was one reason for the lackluster job creation, the Chamber wrote. Another could be that employees know just how easy it is to get a new job.

Some employers and economists cite enhanced unemployment benefits as one of the biggest factors for labor shortages. Under relief bills passed by Congress, those receiving jobless benefits during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic get an additional $300 a week on top of regular state benefits, which average $318 a week, according to the Department of Labor.

That means the average unemployment recipient earns better than the equivalent of working full time at $15 an hour. A University of Chicago study found 42 percent of those on benefits receive more than they did on their prior jobs. The enhanced benefits are available until September 6.

In the past several weeks, close to two dozen GOP-led states have decided to opt-out of the federal unemployment program. Republicans have criticized the provision, saying that it is creating an incentive for people not to work.

Companies, state governments offer incentive to encourage people to work

The severity of the issue was highlighted in April when a McDonalds franchise owner in Tampa, Florida, authorized paying people $50 to show up for job interviews but still struggled to find employees.

Last month, Fox5 New York reported that McDonalds raised pay at 650 company-owned stores in the U.S. as part of its push to hire thousands of new workers in a tight labor market. The fast-food giant has also encouraged its franchisees, which make up 95 percent of its nearly 14,000 stores in the country, to boost pay.

Chipotle, Taco Bell, and others offer lucrative perks such as cash bonuses, raises, and education benefits to attract new staff. (Related: Nobody wants to work: Labor shortage holds back restaurant industry as states ease pandemic restrictions.)

Some chains are turning to large-scale hiring events to screen swaths of candidates at once. IHOP hosted a National Recruiting Day on May 19 to fill some of its 10,000 openings. The open positions include a variety of part- and full-time opportunities across all 1,600+ restaurants in the IHOP system.

In April, Taco Bell hosted hiring parties at 2,000 stores nationwide to hire 5,000 employees. The fast-food chain converted parking lots into job fairs. Some candidates had drive-up interviews from their cars. Taco Bell also added new benefits for managers at company-owned stores.

Also in April, McDonalds locations in Texas held a three-day hiring event to fill up 25,000 openings. Whataburger, which is looking to hire 50,000 new employees, extended perks to existing employees and hosted a free virtual leadership conference on April 21.

State governments are also doing their share to encourage residents to rejoin the labor force. Arizona, Montana, New Hampshire and Oklahoma reportedly authorized a return-to-work bonus between $500 and $2,000.

Were going to use federal money to encourage people to work instead of paying people not to work, Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said in May.

Follow Pandemic.news for more news and information related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

WSJ.com

Fox5NY.com
(Natural News) A Chinese military scientist by the name of Zhou Yusen who was paid by Anthony Fauci and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct dangerous gain of function research on bat coronavirus at the Wuhan Institute of Virology reportedly turned up dead just months after filing a patent for a Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine back in February 2020.

Zhou, 54, had been working with bat woman Zhengli Shi to genetically manipulate coronaviruses at the WIV using grant money from Fauci. Sharri Markson of The Weekend Australian wrote all about this in her upcoming book, What really happened in Wuhan.

EcoHealth Alliance and several American universities also funneled cash to Zhou and his colleagues, which is supposedly under investigation by the Biden regime. We now know that tens of millions of American tax dollars were used to genetically modify (GMO) bat coronavirus for the purpose of developing bioweapons.

The revelation shows American money was funding risky research on coronaviruses with Peoples Liberation Army Scientists  including decorated military scientist Zhou Yusen and the Wuhan Institute of Virologys Bat Woman, Shi Zhengli, reports Zero Hedge.

Zhou had been working on novel coronavirus vaccines since at least 2006

For all of last year, Zhous mysterious death was shrouded in secrecy, only recently coming to light thanks to the diligent work of independent investigators. Zhou, by the way, was an award-winning scientist at the PLA Laboratory of Infection and Immunity at the Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology.

Despite his high ranking and lengthy career, Zhou was paid no tribute after his passing, nor was it ever even mentioned in the media. Only in a passing Chinese media report from last July was Zhous death given a casual reference, as well as again at the end of December in a scientific paper.

Both had the word deceased in brackets after his name, says Zero Hedge about how little attention Zhous life was given.

The suspicious timing of Zhous death coupled with the fact that neither China nor the United States seem to have wanted anybody to know about it is concerning, to say the least. There was clearly an attempt by the powers that be to cover the whole thing up indefinitely.

Perhaps Zhou knew so much about Faucis criminality that he had to be suicided in Hillary Clinton-type fashion to keep him from spilling the beans. This seems to be a more likely scenario than Zhou just so happening to pass right when he was planning to unveil an injection for the Chinese Virus he was paid by Fauci to create.

Zhou also could have revealed to the world early on that the natural origin plandemic narrative was a farce, and thus had to be silenced. Whatever the case may be, it is clear that his mouth was forcibly shut to keep up the ruse.

Considering the timeline and its implications, Zhou died three months after filing a patent for a Chinese Virus injection on Feb. 24, 2020. This would suggest that he was already working on this vaccine before the plandemic was even publicly announced.

 keep in mind that Moderna was able to design the sequence for their COVID-19 vaccine just two days after Chinese officials released its genetic sequence on Jan. 11, 2020  filing for their first related patent in March, two months later, Zero hedge further adds.

Also note that Zhou had been working on coronavirus vaccines since at least 2006 in response the original SARS-CoV outbreak  authoring a study which found that the vaccines containing the (receptor-binding domain) of SARS-CoV S protein may induce sufficient neutralising antibodies and long-term protective immunity against SARS-CoV challenge in the established mouse model.'

More of the latest news about Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) deception can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
The American Legion Auxiliary Department of Ohio in no way condones the events that occurred at the Memorial Day ceremony of Hudson Post 464, the group said. We are deeply saddened by what occurred and categorically denounce discrimination in all its forms. We value diversity and strive to provide an environment where all are welcome and can have their voices heard.
(Natural News) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is investigating UFO sightings to deepen their understanding of what these unexplained phenomena are.

In an interview last week with journalist Rachel Crane, NASA Administrator and former Senator Bill Nelson said that he ordered NASA scientists to investigate UFOs from a scientific standpoint to get a better idea of what these objects are.

When asked whether humans already made contact with extraterrestrial intelligence, Nelson pointed to the three videos that the Department of Defense (DOD) released in spring last year. Each of the videos was taken by Navy personnel during flight and featured an unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP)  the Pentagons preferred term for UFOs.

I have talked to those Navy pilots and they are sure that they saw something real. And of course we have seen their video from their jet. What is it? We dont know, said Nelson, a spaceflight veteran who served as a payload specialist for NASA in the 1980s. (Related: After detecting life on Mars in 1976 and sweeping it under the rug, NASA banned life-detection experiments to hide the truth from the world.)

The Pentagon and other intelligence agencies will deliver their highly anticipated UFO report to Congress on June 25. Ahead of this, government officials who were briefed about the report disclosed to multiple media outlets that the concerned agencies found no evidence of alien activity in the UAPs spotted by American and foreign militaries. At the same time, however, the agencies did not rule out the possibility that some of the UAPs were alien technology.

We dont know if its extra-terrestrial, we dont know if its an enemy. We dont know if its an optical phenomenon, Nelson told Crane, while dismissing the possibility of an optical illusion. We dont think so because of the characteristics that those Navy jet pilots described as they saw it move around.

UFOs performing exceptional feats of flight

One example of a UFO performing extraordinary maneuvers was the Tic Tac-shaped aircraft that flew off the coast of San Diego, California in 2004. A video of the aircraft was among the three videos released by the DOD last year.

Retired Navy Master-at-Arms Sean Cahil, who was at the scene when Navy pilots spotted the mysterious aircraft, explained in an interview last month what made the Tic Tac UFO so extraordinary.

First of all the aircraft had zero control surfaces, it had no means of propulsion that we could detect, it moved at hypersonic velocities and it preceded the pilots to their cap point, so it seemed to have some knowledge of where the pilots were headed ahead of time, he told journalist Chris Cuomo.

Other UFOs were also spotted flying at hypersonic speeds without a sonic boom, according to former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe. He told Fox News last March that some of the unidentified aircraft detected by the military engaged in actions that were difficult to explain and replicate. He added that the vehicles that performed these movements constituted technologies that were not available to the U.S. at the time of the sighting.

An aircraft flying off the coast of San Diego was also seen disappearing into the water in a video taken by Navy personnel in 2019. Investigative filmmaker Jeremy Corbell, who leaked the footage last month, said that a submarine was used to search for the craft but the sub did not recover anything.

Nelson said that the space agency has been investigating such UFOs since he took office last month. He clarified that NASA is not directly working with the Pentagon on the latters UFO report but said that if we find something, the Pentagon will want to know.

Follow UFOs.news for the latest on UFOs and the governments investigations into these mysterious objects.

Sources include:

HindustanTimes.com

BBC.com

DailyMail.co.uk

TheGuardian.com

LiveScience.com
(Natural News) If you needed any more proof that charities often function as cover for deep state money laundering operations, then look no further than the Pentagon, which reportedly funneled $39 million to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) via the non-profit EcoHealth Alliance, headed up by British-born scientist Peter Daszak.

According to newly released federal data, the Pentagon sent American taxpayer dollars to Daszak, who then used it to conduct illegal gain of function research on bat coronaviruses. This research is now believed to be how the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) came into existence.

Daszak, as you may recall, was one of the most aggressive voices decrying the lab leak theory early on in the plandemic. Along with Anthony Fauci and other career criminals, Daszak almost violently pushed the narrative that the Chinese Virus came out of nowhere at a Wuhan wet market.

That conspiracy theory has since been debunked, and now Daszak, Fauci, and others are in the hot seat as they struggle to explain away their involvement in the bioweapons programs that were, and likely still are, taking place on Chinese soil with funding from the United States.

Fauci helped facilitate the awarding of special government grants that were used by Daszak to genetically modify bat coronaviruses for the purpose of weaponizing them. This is how the world ended up with the Wuhan Flu, which continues to be injected into peoples bodies through the vaccines.

The federal government swamp is deeper and more putrid than we ever could have imagined

Reports suggest that then-President Donald Trump, after learning what Fauci was up to, canceled a $3.7 million grant last year that was supposed to have been delivered to EcoHealth Alliance. This occurred around the time when Trump first started talking about the lab origin theory of the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19).

This is a mere drop in the bucket, however, of the more than $123 million that was sent from the U.S. government to China between 2017 and 2020  all during Trumps presidency, to be clear. The Pentagon has also been quietly funding the operation since at least 2013.

The full extent of U.S. funding to the WIV remains unknown, but more is being revealed daily to suggest that criminals within our nations government  this includes Fauci  have been engaging in this treasonous behavior for years, if not decades.

Grants from the Pentagon included $6,491,025 from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) from 2017 to 2020 with the description: Understanding the risk of bat-borne zoonotic disease emergence in Western Asia,' the DailyMail Online (United Kingdom) reports.

The grant was categorized as scientific research  combating weapons of mass destruction.'

The Department of Defense (DoD) contributed most of its funding to this operation through the DTRA, a military branch with a stated mission to counter and deter weapons of mass destruction and improvised threat networks.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) contributed an additional $64.7 million to the scheme, while the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) contributed $13 million. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also contributed $2.3 million, along with the National Science Foundation, which contributed $2.6 million.

Fauci has lied on numerous occasions about all this, claiming under oath before Congress that neither he nor any of the departments within his purview have given any money towards illegal gain of function research in China.

Obama authorized the restart of gain of function research (biological weaponization of SARS virus) on Jan 9, 2017, mere days before Trump was inaugurated, lifting the current moratorium on certain life sciences research that could enhance a pathogens virulence and / or transmissibility to produce a potential pandemic pathogen (an enhanced PPP), noted one DailyMail Online commenter.

More related news stories about the Chinese Virus and Faucis involvement in its creation can be found at Treason.news.

Sources for this article include:

DailyMail.co.uk

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) One by one, mainstream media outlets everywhere are nodding in agreement that the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) may have come from a laboratory after all, the latest being the Wall Street Journal.

Writers Steve Quay and Richard Muller reported that the Biden regime has suddenly switched course and is now asking the intelligence community to look more closely into the theory that the Chinese Virus may have leaked from a laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology rather than emerged naturally at a Wuhan wet market.

For much of 2020, the media denied the lab origin theory, calling it a wild conspiracy theory and banning all talk of it on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. In recent weeks, however, the narrative has shifted and suddenly even Anthony Fauci says that the Wuhan Flu might have originated in a lab.

We know that Fauci was secretly funding illegal gain of function research at the WIV, where scientists were being paid to genetically modify bat coronaviruses to create bioweapons. Once this became public, Faucis tune about the Chinese Virus changed dramatically.

Now, the media is blaming amateur sleuths for blowing the lid on the scandal, the details of which become more disturbing by the day.

Certain fingerprints inside the Wuhan Flu point to manipulation, the experts now admit, which suggest the virus did not just randomly transfer from bats to humans by chance.

The Chinese Virus could not have emerged naturally

It would take something like gain of function technology to make a bat coronavirus transmissible into humans  either that or the virus was injected through vaccines. There is no other way for a bat coronavirus to naturally pass from animal to person.

The spike protein in particular, which is used in the Chinese Virus injections they are calling vaccines, bear certain trademarks that point to the whole thing being engineered rather than a random occurrence.

Since 1992 there have been at least 11 separate experiments adding a special sequence to the same location, the WSJ reports about these spike proteins and their artificial insertion into bat coronaviruses. The end result has always been supercharged viruses.

The mRNA injections from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna program a persons DNA to manufacture spike proteins inherently, while the injections from Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and AstraZeneca actually contain spike proteins right in the syringe.

Both types of shots will ultimately lead to injury and / or death, but the latter seem to be bringing about the doom a lot sooner for some people. Those receiving the mRNA shots could see their bodies develop AIDS-like autoimmune disease months down the road.

Further evidence of the Wuhan Flu being tampered with was present in a February 2020 paper published by WIV lab worker Shi Zhengli, which omitted any mention of the special sequences that were inserted into the virus to supercharge it.

These sequences are easily identified in the data that accompanied the paper, but not in the paper itself. Why was this important information omitted, and did they really think that nobody would notice the disparity?

There is also a dramatic difference between the genetic diversity of the Chinese Virus compared to earlier iterations of it like SARS and MERS. The latter two were deemed to be of natural origin, but the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) was found to behave much differently.

Science knows of only one way that could be achieved: simulated natural evolution, growing the virus on human cells until the optimum is achieved. That is precisely what is done in gain-of-function research, the WSJ reveals.

More up-to-the-minute news about the Chinese Virus can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

Archive.fo

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com

Brighteon.com
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PASCO, WA - Pasco Police Officers arrested an organized retail thief that has been stealing lawn and construction equipment from big-box retailers in the Kennewick and Pasco Area.

The Kennewick Police Department originally posted on their Facebook page asking the community for help identifying the suspect from security cameras in April 2021.

On Friday afternoon, Pasco Police arrested 24-year-old Josue Daniel Sepulveda-Zuniga at about 5 PM on Sandifur near Valdez after officers were forced to physically block the minivan he was driving to make him stop.

Arresting officers reported that he tried to ram the police car in front of him to create space to drive out, but officers adjusted their positioning to keep him there. There was a short standoff with the suspect inside the minivan before he was convinced to exit peacefully. He was arrested without further incident and was booked into Franklin County Jail on investigative holds for Organized Retail Theft and Attempting to Elude.

Lowes reported that this time, he dropped two items, ran to a red minivan, and left. The LPOs had the license plate for the van. As Officer Branden Upton arrived at Lowes to investigate, Officer Brad Leininger (K9 Zadors driver) found the same minivan pulling out onto Sandifur from Valdez. The minivan did not want to stop but got successfully boxed in front and back by the patrol cars. Officer Leininger spent some time calming the suspect down as other officers quickly arrived.

Anyone with info about this case is urged to call Dispatch at (509) 628-0333 or email Officer Upton at uptonb@pasco-wa.gov about the latest case 21-15981 Theft.
PASCO, WA - Pasco Police are on the case for an 8 year-old missing boy. NBC Right Now spoke with Edgar Casian's mother, Maria Quintero who say
BOSTON (AP)  More than 8.1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Massachusetts as of Monday.

That includes more than 4.2 million first doses and nearly 3.6 million second doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

There have been nearly 258,000 doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine administered.

More than 3.8 million people have been fully immunized, according to state health officials.

Gov. Charlie Baker has set a goal of at least 4.1 million people in the state fully vaccinated.

He said the state has adopted a more targeted approach, particularly in communities hardest hit by the pandemic.

___

VIRUS BY THE NUMBERS

The number of new daily cases of COVID-19 fell below 100 Monday while the number of newly confirmed coronavirus deaths in Massachusetts rose by four.

The new numbers pushed the states confirmed COVID-19 death toll to 17,552 since the start of the pandemic, while its confirmed caseload rose to about 662,200.

The true number of cases is likely higher because studies suggest some people can be infected and not feel sick.

There were about 180 people reported hospitalized Monday because of confirmed cases of COVID-19, with about 65 in intensive care units.

The average age of those hospitalized was 58. There were an estimated 4,200 people with current active cases of COVID-19 in the state.

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VIRTUAL FORUM

The Cape Cod Foundation is holding a virtual forum next week to address the lingering mental health needs of area residents even as the COVID-19 pandemic ebbs.

Mental and Behavioral Health Across Cape Cod is scheduled for June 17, the Cape Cod Times reported Monday.

For many, social isolation, feelings of uncertainty, emotional and physical loss, and the inability to access care have increased over the past year due to the pandemic, Kristin OMalley, president and CEO of The Cape Cod Foundation, said in a release.

In addition, unemployment, loss of housing, and food insecurity have added to the psychological burden of residents across every age and demographic, especially our most vulnerable populations.

Signups are at the foundation's website.

___

VACCCINE CLINIC

Attleboro's VFW Post 115 is hosting a COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Tuesday afternoon.

The two-dose Moderna vaccine will be provided by trained clinicians to patients 18 years old or older, at no cost.

No preregistration is required for the walkin clinic, which will feature free food from area restaurants and a DJ.

The clinic is sponsored by the city in conjunction with the Healthy Lifestyle Alliance and the Massachusetts Health Council.
The sisters, and a male whose identity has not been released, were spotted on surveillance videos shooting homeless people, including some who were sleeping. The vehicle used, a Hyundai Sonata, which had been spray-painted a different color, was found in Covington, Ky., on Monday, police said.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  A committee created to consider a name change for a university in Utah voted Monday to choose a replacement that does not include Dixie  a regional term many consider offensive because of its association with the Deep South and slavery.

Dixie State University, which is located in St. George, Utah, has been studying the impact of changing its name for nearly a year following a national outcry against racial injustice after the death of George Floyd. While several hurdles remain, the committees decision makes it likely that whatever name is ultimately recommended to the Legislature will not include the controversial term that has spurred months of protest and debate.

The University Board of Trustees formed a committee in March to review options for the institutions name under a process outlined in a bill Gov. Spencer Cox signed earlier this year. The committee collected feedback from a public survey, as well as students, university employees and community members before voting to ditch the Dixie name.

The committee will reconvene next week to discuss specific names that performed well in focus groups and then choose one to recommend to the universitys Board of Trustees later this month. The name will then go to the Utah Board of Higher Education, which has until Nov. 1 to vote on whether to recommend the name to a legislative committee.

The Utah universitys board of trustees voted to remove Dixie from its name in December. But because its a public institution, the Legislature had to sign off as well.

The monikers deep ties to local history fueled a backlash at the GOP-dominated Legislature. Lawmakers passed a watered-down version of the bill that would require the name to be reconsidered next year but allow the option of keeping it.

Dixie State had faced scrutiny in the past over its name but resisted changing it. The area was nicknamed Dixie, a reference to Southern states, when settlers with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, many of them from the South, tried to make it a cotton-growing mecca in the 1800s.

Supporters say the name is important to the areas heritage and is separate from the history of slavery.

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Eppolito 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.
New Castle, PA (16103)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening, with mainly clear skies after midnight. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening, with mainly clear skies after midnight. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.
Hampton - Douglas M. LaPorte, 63, of Hampton, passed away on Sunday, June 6, 2021 at his home. He was born in Albany, NY on October 6, 1957 a son of Earl LaPorte and Rosemary (Pomakoy) Snyder. Doug was a volunteer firefighter in NY in his younger years and went on to work for various Walmart
South Africa: FSCA to recommend candidates for Deputy Commissioner positions

The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) shortlisting panel has expressed its intention to recommend the names of Farzana Badat and Katherine Gibson to fill the authoritys vacant positions of Deputy Commissioners.

The public now has until 14 June to submit comments, if any, on the two candidates names, before they are submitted to Finance Minister Tito Mboweni for consideration.

The FSCA was established in 2018 in terms of section 56 (1) of the Financial Sector Regulation (FSR) Act, as a new regulator for market conduct and the fair treatment of customers in the financial sector.

In a statement, the authority on Monday said it was aiming to enhance and support the efficiency and integrity of financial markets, and assist in maintaining financial stability.

In pursuit of its mandate, the FSCA is legally required to act without any fear, favour or prejudice.

The shortlisting panel, which commenced its work on 16 September 2020, received 38 applications for the positions.

The FSCA said after assessing each candidates CV in detail, and based on the requirements in the advert and the selection criteria, the panel agreed to shortlist the five most suitably qualified candidates for interviewing on 14 and 22 January.

As the interviews for the Deputy Commissioner positions were identical to the interviews for the Commissioner position, candidates who were interviewed on 21 November 2020 for the Commissioner position were also considered for the Deputy Commissioner positions, it said.

Following the closure of the period for public comments, the panel will consider all comments received, and take them into account before it finalises its recommendations to the Minister.

The FSCA said the Finance Minister has the prerogative to appoint or not appoint any of the recommended candidates.

Should the Minister decide to appoint other candidates that are not recommended by the Shortlisting Panel, he will be required, in terms of the Regulations, to publish the reasons for doing so.

The shortlisting panel envisages that the Minister will publish a comprehensive report on the recruitment and selection process.

Where any public comment is submitted, the commentator must identify his/her name, email address and contact number, and expect that such comment and the name of the commentator may be made public, said the FSCA.

The authority said any objections included in the comments must be supported by cogent reasons for them to be considered, with appropriate supporting documentation.

The FSCA said the panel embraces the principle of transparency, and appropriate public participation in its processes of selecting and recommending suitably qualified and experienced candidates for the positions. This would be based on merit and transparent criteria.

This, among others, requires that the candidates have at least 10 years experience in a senior or executive position with a regulator (preferably a financial sector regulator); a financial institution; a financial sector industry body or a government department that is responsible for overseeing the regulation of the financial sector.

The panel said the results of the interviews and the competency assessments saw Badat and Gibson emerge as the best fit for the positions. The two have already been subjected to enhanced reference checks, which indicated that they were both suitable for appointment.

Comments must be submitted to the Shortlisting Panel no later than 5pm on 14 June 2021, preferably by email to Shortlisting.Panel@treasury.gov.za, or to: Att: Mr Ngoni Mangoyi Secretariat of the Shortlisting Panel c/o National Treasury P. Bag X115 Pretoria 0001. SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Putin signs law on Russia's official withdrawal from Open Skies Treaty

Xinhua) 09:02, June 08, 2021



A file photo of a U.S. OC-135 plane for Open Skies flights

After Washington announced its withdrawal last year, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in January that the country had started domestic legal procedures for the official pullout from the treaty.

MOSCOW, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law to officially quit the Treaty on Open Skies, the Kremlin said Monday.

The multilateral Treaty on Open Skies, which came into effect in 2002, allows its states-parties to conduct short-notice, unarmed reconnaissance flights over the others' territories to collect data on military forces and activities.

After Washington announced its withdrawal last year, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in January that the country had started domestic legal procedures for the official pullout from the treaty.

The Russian Federation Council, or the upper house of parliament, passed a bill on Wednesday to endorse Russia's withdrawal from the treaty.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
According to The Guardian, Melissa and Georgia Laurie, 28, has been taken to the lagoon, about 10 miles from Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca, on the countrys southern coast. Melissa was attacked and Georgia, an experienced diver, found her floating face down and managed to fight off the crocodile as she dragging her back to the boat.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: As some sections of farmers continue to protest against the three farm laws, Niti Aayog Member Ramesh Chand has said that in order to resume talks with the government, there should be "some signal" from the farmers' leaders on their willingness to point out deficiencies in the legislations rather than just demanding repealing of the laws.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on April 29 had said farmer unions are ready to discuss the three contentious agri laws with the Centre whenever it wants to resume talks, but asserted the discussion would have to be about repealing the legislation.

"I think that statement by Rakesh Tikait is welcome, but at the same time, statements from some leaders came that our demands are same, (we want) repealing of three farm laws. So, as long as they stick to repealing those three farm laws, then what kind of talk can be held," the Niti Aayog Member (Agriculture) told PTI.

He asserted that the government is willing to discuss the three farm laws clause by clause.

"So, there should be some signal from the farmer's side that they are willing to discuss all matters and they are willing to point out what are the deficiencies of these laws as the government has already asked them that (to point out) whatever is wrong with these laws.

"If there are two things wrong, tell us, if there are five things which you don't accept, please tell us," the Niti Aayog member said.

Enacted in September 2020, the three farm laws have been projected by the Centre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the country.

"So, I think if farmers unions indicate that we are willing to discuss these farm laws. I think that will be a great statement from farmers' leader Rakesh Tikait," Chand noted.

Scores of farmers have been camping at Delhi's borders since November last year, demanding that the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 be rolled back and a new law be made to guarantee minimum support price (MSP) for their crops.

The government, however, has been maintaining that the laws are pro-farmer.

Several rounds of talks between the agitating farmers and the government have failed to break the deadlock over these contentious laws.

The government last held talks with farmer leaders on January 22.

The talks between the two sides came to a halt after a January 26 tractor parade by farmers in Delhi turned violent.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Five-star hotel property Hyatt Regency Mumbai on Monday issued a notice informing its on-roll staff that no funds are forthcoming from Asian Hotels (West) Ltd, that owns the property, to enable payment of salaries or to support the operations of the hotel. As a result, the hotel has to be closed until further notice.

Located on the Sahar Airport road, Hyatt Regency is close to ITC Maratha and the Hilton Mumbai International Airport.

Within a radius of less than a kilometre from Hyatt Regency lies three other five-star hotels, the JW Marriott, The Lalit and The Leela. These properties will most likely benefit from the shutting of operations of Hyatt.

This is to inform all the on-roll staff of the hotel that no funds are forthcoming from Asian Hotels (West) Ltd, the owner of Hyatt Regency Mumbai, to enable payment of salaries or to support the operations of the hotel. As a consequence, the decision has been taken to temporarily suspend all operations for Hyatt Regency Mumbai with immediate effect. The hotel will remain closed until further notice, the note signed by hotel GM Hardip Marwah said.

Meanwhile, the top management said that Hyatt is working closely with the hotels owner to resolve this situation at the earliest.

The suspension of operations of the Hyatt Regency coincides with the same day when the Maharashtra government eased several localised restrictions.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Group of Ministers (GoM) set up to examine the issue of GST exemption on critical pandemic relief supplies, including Covid-19 vaccines failed to reach a consensus and the matter may go back to the Council.

There is no clear consensus yet. It is a divided mandate. However, many aspects have been discussed. If there is no consensus, if there is no agreement, the matter will go back to the council again. A report will be submitted on the observations that were made during the deliberation, a source aware of the development told TNIE.

Sources say, the report was submitted on Monday to the finance minister.

Slashing of GST rates on medicines, medical grade oxygen, pulse oximeters, test kits, hand sanitisers, oxygen therapy equipment, ventilators and other supplies was on the top of agenda in the last GST council meeting.

There was a lot of deliberation on this matter after the fitment committee said reducing GST would result in revenue losses.

Several states, however, said the rates have to be reduced else it will add to the burden of common people.

Opposition states, including West Bengal, Kerala and Punjab, have been demanding that the GST levied on Covid-related items be scrapped.

The finance minister had then formed a GoM to examine the issue headed by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.

I have decided and announced a group of ministers to submit a report within ten days on or before June 8 so that if there are any further reductions that need to be done, will be done, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said in a media briefing after the meeting.

She also added that the revenue implications were not driving the rate cut reluctance.

Why Finance Minister is not keen on vaccine GST exemption

According to the Finance Minister, if exemption from GST is given, vaccine manufacturers would not be able to offset their input taxes and would pass them on to the end consumer.
By PTI

MUMBAI: The RBI on Tuesday asked banks to preserve the CCTV recordings of their branches and currency chests from November 8, 2016, to December 30, 2016, till further orders with a view to assisting the enforcement agencies to take actions against persons involved in illegal activities during the demonetisation period.

The government had demonetised the then in circulation high value currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 on November 8, 2016, with an aim to check blackmoney and curb terror funding.

As part of the exercise, the government gave the opportunity to the people to exchange junked currency notes (referred as Specified Bank Notes) or deposit them in their bank accounts.

New currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 denominations were also issued after withdrawal of SBNs.

Huge crowds were witnessed at bank branches across the country for exchanging or depositing the demonetised currency.

On the basis of various inputs, the investigative agencies also started probing matters relating to illegal accumulation of new currency notes.

In order to facilitate such investigations, the RBI has asked the banks not to destroy the CCTV recordings of the period of demonetisation till further orders.

"Keeping in view the investigations pending with law enforcement agencies, proceedings pending at various courts, you are advised to preserve the CCTV recordings of operations at bank branches and currency chests for the period from November 08, 2016 to December 30, 2016 in a proper way, till further orders," the RBI said in a circular to banks.

The present order is a continuation of an earlier advisory issued to the lenders in December 2016 to preserve the CCTV footage of operations at bank branches and currency chests.

Of the Rs 15.41 lakh crore worth Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in circulation on November 8, 2016, when the note ban was announced, notes worth Rs 15.31 lakh crore have been returned.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Tata Groups ambition of developing Indias first super-app got one step closer with its subsidiary firm Tata Digital signing a deal for investing of up to $75 million in fitness start-up Curefit.

The development comes on the heels of the company acquiring 64.3 per cent in e-grocer Big Basket for $1.2 billion and also a likely acquisition of epharma 1 mg.

Tata Sons is aiming to take on Reliance with its digital expansion and create a one stop shop for the 500 million internet users of the country ranging from fashion, grocery, pharma to food delivery.

As a part of the Curefit-Tata deal, Mukesh Bansal, co-founder and CEO, Tata Digital will join the company as President, in addition to continuing his leadership role at Curefit.

In 2017, Tata Group chairman emeritus Ratan Tata had invested $3 million in the start-up.Curefit is backed by Chitrae ventures, Temasek, Accel. The Covid-19 induced restrictions has rendered many of its health/ fitness centres across the country non-operational.

Revenues slumped to zero

Curefit co-founders Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori have claimed that all employees were paid full salaries for March and April even though Cure.fits revenue went down to nearly zero from over Rs 70 crore a month.

Both had to forego salaries for one entire year and initiate paycuts to keep the company running, they had said.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Telehealth platform Truemeds on Tuesday said it has closed its USD 5 million (over Rs 35 crore) funding round led by InfoEdge Ventures, Asha Impact and Indian Angel Network Fund.

The funding will be used to expand its footprint to three additional cities, build product and technology and invest in improving the supply chain of generic medicines, Truemeds said in a statement.

This was Series A funding round.

"With this investment, we'll be able to not only make the Truemeds experience even more seamless, but also bring access to affordable medicines to more people in different parts of India," Truemeds Co-founder & CEO Akshat Nayyar said.

Truemeds was founded with a mission to make medicine affordable for chronic patients, he added.

InfoEdge Ventures Partner Amit Behl said, "With this new round, we continue our support for the company as they build further on the proposition to deliver significant savings on healthcare expenses of consumers.
The Assembly is currently conducting an impeachment investigation into sexual harassment claims made against the governor and other issues related to the administrations handling of the COVID pandemic. Critics slammed Cuomo for moving forward with the nominations after blowing past mandated deadlines and sending them to the Senate just days before the Legislature wraps for the year.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: With the Covid-19 case load reducing, people who had left Bengaluru earlier for their hometowns in other states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, and also to districts and villages within Karnataka, are now slowly returning to the city. Meghana, who left for Kerala towards the end of April due to the surge in Covid-19 cases in Bengaluru, returned last week. When the daily cases in Bengaluru hit 27,000, I decided it would be safer to take a bus home than stay here.

I was worried about not getting a hospital bed or oxygen if I needed it. I had been watching the numbers and now that the cases and positivity rate are decreasing, I decided to come back. I have also got the first shot of the vaccine here. I am still very wary about going out, but I needed to be back for some urgent work, she said.

29-year-old Rehan Ali (name changed), a business development manager who hails from Tumakuru, returned to Bengaluru on Saturday morning. When Karnataka was deciding on a lockdown, I moved back to Tumakuru so that I dont get stuck here. My company gave us permission to work from home. However, as the cases have come down and as the lockdown might be lifted in the city, the company has asked us to head back to the city to start work from the office again. It also looks safer to travel now as the cases have reduced significantly, he said.

Some others are looking for ways to return to the state capital amidst the lockdown. The number of people returning is expected to rise once the lockdown is lifted. Offices are expected to reopen by June-end or early July and that may prompt employees to return.

Rukshar Parween, native of Jharkhand who works in Bengaluru, left the city before the lockdown, owing to rising COVID-19 cases. My office provided work from home, but now I am trying to return as cases are reducing. I am looking for flights to get back, said Rukshar, a testing engineer.

Mohamed Fahad, a language specialist at Google, returned to Kalaburagi because of the pandemic. Though he is apprehensive about getting back to Bengaluru, he has to return for official purposes. We cannot stay home forever and have to return at some point, irrespective of the Covid-19 situation. I intend to return around June 14, he said.
By PTI

BENGALURU: The Karnataka government will not hike the bus fares in Bengaluru city buses at this moment but may review it after a few months when life normalises and the crowds return, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi said on Tuesday.

"Officials had proposed to hike the ticket prices but neither the Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa nor I heeded to it because most of those who commute in our buses are from the economically weaker sections, who are already in trouble. So we are not willing to trouble them further by increasing the ticket prices," Savadi, who holds the Transport portfolio, told reporters here.

He, however, said the government would review only after a few months when people start moving freely when the COVID cases decrease.

According to him, the government had hiked the ticket prices of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation and (NWKRTC) and North East Karnataka Transport Corporation (NEKRTC) about one and half years ago, the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) did not submit any proposal to increase the ticket prices.

Now the BMTC has submitted a proposal saying that it may face a financial crunch, but keeping in mind the current situation, the government is not focusing on it, he added.

Savadi said the bus services would be resumed stage by stage once the lockdown is eased by strictly adhering to COVID appropriate behaviour such as social distancing, wearing masks and hand hygiene.

Expressing apprehensions that people will be scared to travel in buses due to COVID, he said his department will start bus services in a phased manner.

The Deputy Chief Minister explained that only those drivers and conductors who have taken both the doses of COVID vaccines will be called for duty.

"We will not pressurise them to work unless they have taken both the shots of the vaccine. Keeping in mind that those who have taken both the doses do not face problems, we started vaccinating our drivers and conductors a fortnight ago," Savadi said.

He also said that those who are entitled for a second dose, will be giving the jab on a priority basis. Savadi said the transport corporations have suffered a loss of more than Rs 4,000 crore due to COVID and it may require at least 10 months to recover from it.

Till the bus services start in a full-fledged manner, the transport department may seek government aid to overcome the losses.

Bus services have been stopped since April 27 when the restrictions were imposed till June 14 due to the raging COVID pandemic, which had at one point in time seen cases crossing the 50,000 mark a day.
Sahaya Novinston Lobo By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Chennai Police on Tuesday arrested a teacher of Maharishi Vidya Mandir on charges of sexually harassing his students.

The arrest comes nearly two weeks after several alumni of the school sent posts on social media alleging that the accused teacher Anand had made sexual advances and harassed them when they were studying in the school. The posts were made in wake of many sharing similar experiences in various schools in Chennai.

ALSO READ | #MeToo: CB-CID to probe as three more complaints filed against Chennai martial arts trainer

Following this, the school had suspended Anand on May 28 and formed a committee to inquire about the allegations.

While an all-women police station filed a case on May 28, police sources said only recently they received a written complaint from one of the victims. Following this, the police arrested Anand on Tuesday.

He was produced before a court and the court remanded him in judicial custody.

The Child Welfare Committee had conducted inquiries and sent a report to the state government on the issue. The Tamil Nadu State Commission for Protection of Child Rights had also taken cognisance of the issue and summoned Anand to appear on June 10.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: COVID-19 led to inflammation of cardiac muscles in an 18-year-old youth, a rare and potentially life-threatening complication, said doctors at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on Monday.

Abdullah, a resident of Chandni Chowk, was rushed to the hospital by his family members when he fell unconscious. Abdullah underwent tests that revealed he had a weak, poorly functioning and enlarged heart.

His heart had started to fail with reduced pumping leading to build up of fluids in the lungs which kept him out of breath, the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said in a statement issued on Monday.

According to the statement, Abdullah was diagnosed with myocarditis, which many times is the result of a viral infection.

He recalled an episode of fever, giving a clue that it may be post-Covid infection cardiac complication, the hospital said.

We conducted an antibody test for COVID-19 on him. The antibody levels were unusually high confirming the suspicion of post-Covid cardiac involvement, the statement read.

Abdullah was treated with antiarrhythmic agents along with heart failure drugs and was discharged after a few days of treatment. He is recovering at home.

Many times, patients suffer from what doctors describe as unexplained tachycardia (fast heartbeat) and postural hypotension (fall in blood pressure), but occurrence of myocarditis and heart failure post-Covid is rare. It is a life-threatening complication needing urgent attention, Dr Ashwani Mehta, senior consultant, Department of Cardiology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said.

The inflammation of cardiac tissues can lead to congestive heart failure, a term used to describe the failing heart pump, symptoms of which are breathlessness, swollen face and feet.

It can also cause abnormalities of cardiac rhythm which, if not treated appropriately in time, can even lead to cardiac arrest, Dr Mehta added.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The city received 40,000 Covaxin doses on Sunday evening for the 18-44 age group and they will be used only for those in this category requiring the second jab.

Issuing the daily vaccination bulletin on Monday, AAP MLA Atishi said for the 18-44 segment, Delhi has a stock of 40,840 vaccines, out of which 40,300 are Covaxin doses.

The 40,000 Covaxin shots will be used only for those in the 18-44 group who received their first shots in early May and are now eligible for their second dose, Atishi said.

On Sunday, the Delhi government directed private hospitals and nursing homes to administer Covaxin only to those eligible for the second dose in the 18-44 age group in the month of June or until further orders.

A total of 15,707 vaccines were administered at private hospitals in the city on Sunday. Since it was a Sunday, all the government vaccination centres were closed, she said.

For the 45 plus age segment, Atishi said there were 5,82,830 vaccines available, out of which 5,61,480 are Covishield and 21,350 are Covaxin doses.

A total of 56,67,211 vaccines have been administered in Delhi so far and 12,85,000 people have been fully vaccinated.

(With PTI inputs)
By PTI

NEW DELHI: More than 130 passengers were penalised by Delhi Metro authorities on Tuesday for not wearing a face mask inside trains, officials said.

Seventy passengers were also asked to disembark from trains for travelling while standing, they said.

The Delhi Metro resumed services after four weeks on Monday in view of the improved COVID-19 situation in the national capital.

Trains are operating at 50 per cent seating capacity and passengers are not allowed to travel while standing.

According to a senior DMRC official, the line utilisations performed till about 8 PM on Tuesday was around 5.22 lakh, adding that this was in view of the drastically reduced capacity.

Journey or line utilisation is calculated by the number of corridors passengers use to reach their destinations.

"To ensure compliance of Covid appropriate behaviour inside metro premises, around 14 metro stations were closed briefly during morning and evening peak hours today," the official said.

Also, 136 passengers were fined for not wearing masks during random checks inside trains by flying squads and 70 passengers were asked to disembark for travelling while standing, the DMRC official said.
Toby Antony By

Express News Service

KOCHI: As the custody period of don Ravi Pujari in the beauty parlour shooting case ends on Tuesday, the Kasaragod crime branch wing will seek his custody in another extortion case. Kerala Polices Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) will produce Pujari at Ernakulam Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Court on Tuesday.

He has confessed details of his extortion activities in Kerala as well as in other states. As far as the beauty parlour shooting case is concerned, we have collected several crucial pieces of evidence while he was in custody. The crime branch wing in Kasaragod has informed us that they will seek his custody. He will be produced at the open court as he has requested to meet his lawyer there. The Kasaragod crime branch will approach the court soon seeking Pujaris custody, an official said.

The Kasaragod crime branch and the ATS North Kerala wing are probing the extortion bid made by Pujari in 2008 and 2012 in which he and his henchman Manish Shetty threatened a contractor. Meanwhile, ATS recorded the second statement of actor Leena Maria Paul whose salon in Panampilly Nagar was attacked in the extortion attempt.

According to sources, Leena told ATS officials that she received multiple threat calls from unidentified numbers suspected to be made from abroad seeking money. She said that Rs 25 crore was demanded from her. She could also identify the voice of Pujari who made calls as part of the extortion bid.
By ANI

MUMBAI: With the orders of the unlock issued by the state government of Maharashtra, the Film and TV industry has been allowed to commence shooting with the time limit of 5 pm in a bio bubble, though no outdoor shoot is allowed.

The industry has reacted positively to the decision but has also said it will take time for the complete resumption.

Speaking to ANI, FWICE Chief BN Tiwari stated, "We went through a tough time due to the rise in covid cases in the city, hence we immediately moved to different states including Gujarat, MP, Bihar, Jharkhand, UP so that the show would continue and due to fewer restrictions as compared to Mumbai."

He further stated that he has requested the Maharashtra CM to extend the shooting time, "It's most favourable for us to work here in Mumbai, as we have a base here. But as the Maharashtra government-imposed restrictions in the state, we had no option but to move. Now we will need at least a week time is required restart the film sets and studios as many of them need to be sanitised and refinished. We have also written to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray to extend the shooting time till 7 pm as the bubble till 5 pm isn't enough."

The Film and Television industry has started a vaccination drive and is making sure all unit members who begin shooting are vaccinated with the first dose.

Speaking about it, Tiwari added, "There are more than 500 film sets in Mumbai where around 5 lakh members of the federation are working. Looking into the current scenario we have now started a Vaccination program for all our workers including, labours, technicians, actors, directors, artists. We will be getting everyone vaccinated before the shoot resumes to avoid risk."

Tiwari concluded by talking about the difficulties faced while shooting in Mumbai and said, "Mumbai is the base of the industry but it's getting difficult to shoot here these days, hence the industry has started moving to other states these days."

"We face a lot of problems here in Mumbai because there is no single window for shooting. We have moved to UP, MP, and other states as it is cheap as well as we get single-window permission for the shooting of movies," he said.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Marvel star Tom Hiddleston says the "vulnerabilities" of his character Loki draws people towards the God of Mischief, who is finally stepping out of his brother Thor's shadow in the eponymous stand-alone Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series.

"Loki", Marvel Studios' third series at Disney Plus, centres on Hiddleston's witty master of magic, following the events of 2019's feature film "Avengers: Endgame".

While the movies have mainly touched upon Loki's mischievous side, the series aims to give an insight into what hides beneath the wickedness of the fan-favourite villain.

"I think over time I'm made aware of the different things he represents. Some people enjoy his playfulness, his spontaneity and that inherent sense of mischief he has.

Some people enjoy his quality as an antagonist. There are some people who are drawn to his vulnerabilities, under all these layers of charm and charisma.

There is something really relatable about vulnerability," Hiddleston said during a virtual global press conference ahead of the show's premiere on Wednesday.

The British star, who has played Loki in six MCU movies -- "Thor" (2011), "The Avengers" (2012), "Thor: The Dark World" (2013), "Thor: Ragnarok" (2017), "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018), and "Endgame" -- said he owes his success to all the writers who have contributed in creating the character.

"I owe it to the writers, everyone who has ever written this character.

Starting from Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Don Payne, to Michael (series writer Waldron) and his amazing team," he said.

The "Infinity War" saw Loki's character dying at the hands of Thanos, but the series begins by showing the character being stuck at Time Variance Authority (TVA), a fictional organisation that monitors timeline in the Marvel comics.

Loki's range as a character, makes his job even more exciting, said Hiddleston, adding that working on the series was a joyful experience as he got to team up with people who could resonate with his passion for the story.

The series is directed by "Sex Education" fame Kate Herron and executive produced by Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige.

It also marks the MCU debut of Hiddleston's "Midnight In Paris" co-star Owen Wilson as well as "The Morning Show" star Gugu Mabtha-Raw.

The 40-year-old actor said Loki is a "character of huge range" and playing the role always feels like a new experience.

"I just love playing Loki. I feel so fortunate that I'm still here and there are just new aspects to the character every time that I learn about," he said.

"Particularly this time around I'm surrounded by these amazing people. All my conversations with Kevin, Kate, and Michael and interactions with Owen and Gugu.

We just had a really good time," he added.

For Wilson, best known for starring in comedy and dramas like "Zoolander" and "Wedding Crashers", working on "Loki" was an interesting process.

"It's exciting to be a part of it. I never understood the secrecy around Marvel projects, but when I saw the fan-base is so passionate and committed, it surprised me and then I kind of got it," he said.

The actor, who plays TVA member Mobius M. Mobius on the show, said coming on board didn't require a lot of "convincing".

"There was a very comprehensive phone call where Kate (Herron) walked me through the idea of the show and the dynamics between Mobius and Loki," he added.

Hiddleston said he was offered the project some time between "Infinity War" and "Endgame" and he was surprised and delighted with the idea of a stand-alone show on Loki.

"I was so excited by the idea of the series and also had to scratch my head a bit because that scene in 'Infinity War' (when Thanos kills Loki) felt so final and conclusive. It looked like the end of Loki's story."

It was after "Endgame" when they were finally able to figure out the future of Loki in MCU, added Feige.

"We didn't know about the Loki series when we shot 'Infinity War', but I think we did know it when we shot 'Endgame'," he said.

Over the years, the "Thor" franchise, which as yet comprises three movies led by Chris Hemsworth -- has built a huge fan-base courtesy its humorous take on Thor and Loki.

Feige said humour in the franchise came organically as the actors started to build upon the characters.

"I think Thor and Loki had a certain amount of humour in the comics over the decades. But the answer comes down to the performers and the remarkable talent of Mr. Hemsworth and Mr. Hiddleston and the range to be hilarious.

"It was not a plan to make it funnier now, they have always been funny and we took the fun from behind-the-scenes and put it on camera," he said.

As for the series, director Herron said wit was always an integral part of Loki's character and with the show, they tried to enhance that trait.

"I and Michael (Waldron) both of us have a comedy background so we would bring that to the work we do. And also, Tom is so witty. He is like keys on the piano with different parts of Loki. So we were always going to bring that wit to the show." Waldron, famous for his work on the adult animated series "Rick and Morty", said Loki gave him a space to go "dramatic".

"I was coming off 'Rick and Morty' and was doing too much comedy. I had to shift it to more dramatic space and that was the great thing about this character," Waldron added.

"Loki" will stream in India on Disney+ Hotstar Premium.
By Online Desk

Amidst the raging pandemic and the black, white fungus outbreaks, a new health threat has come up. Over the past few weeks, local residents in Kakkanad in Kerala's Ernakulam have been facing distress due to insects belonging to the blister beetle family. Here is everything we know so far about the insect that has become a cause of concern.

1. What are blister beetles?

Blister beetles, sometimes called acid flies, belongs to the Meloidae family of beetles that secretes toxic Cantharidin -- an odourless, colourless fatty substance. There are over 7,500 species of blister beetles on earth and the insects display aggressive behaviour and move towards sources of light at night.

2. Why are blister beetles harmful?

Cantharidin is classified as an extremely hazardous substance and can cause severe damage to the lining of the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts. It may also cause permanent renal damage if consumed.

The cantharidin concentration will vary by species, size and sex of the blister beetle. Male blister beetles will have more cantharidin concentration in their bodies than females.

3. What do blister beetles do to the human body?

The health condition caused by the toxin is called Paederus dermatitis or blister beetle dermatitis that can even burn off human skin in some conditions. Cantharidin causes bubbles and itching on the skin. It has the potential to cause severe damage to human skin if left unattended.

4. Where are blister beetles found?

The insects are commonly found in buildings located close to forested areas and plantations where fallen leaves were left to decay. Thick bushes and the growth of grass following the arrival of the monsoon attract the beetles who later mate and lay eggs. Wooden roofs of the building are also preferred by the insects, especially in old houses.

5. What do blister beetles look like?

They have moderately long antennae and legs while colour and size vary by species. The commonly found acid flies in Kerala are around 8mm in height and 1.2 to 2 mm in width. The beetles have long, cylindrical, soft bodies with heads wider than the pronotum -- the plate-like structure that covers part of its thorax.

6. Why the menace now?

It is on the surface layer of soil where the leaves decay during the rainy season, the months of June and July in particular, that the beetles like to breed.

7. What can be done to avoid blister beetles?

Since blister beetles are aggressive in behaviour and are attracted by light, it is advised to shut windows and doors by sunset. If the insect is spotted in your locality, using mobile phones after dimming all lights around in a closed environment is risky as they might fly towards the active phone display and land on the user.

8. How is acid fly attack treated?

Clinical diagnosis is carried out to find out the cause of the blister. Topical steroids may be needed for some patients, while oral antibiotics along with creams are prescribed in other cases.

If the beetle touches a person's body, reports suggest he/she should not slam it dead or strike it in any manner. It is best to try and shake it off the body and immediately wash the affected area using soap and water. In case of contact in or around the eye(s), the person should wash his eyes and face in water multiple times and seek medical attention.

9. What else do we know about Cantharidin?

In countries like the US, acid flies cause constant trouble among farmers as cattle and horses are very sensitive towards their cantharidin secretion. During the breeding season, the beetles get trapped in heys and bushes cut to feed the animals. Dead or alive, cantharidin remains in the insect's body and contaminates the hay which is later consumed by the animals. While internal consumption is lethal, external exposure causes damage to body tissues.

10. What is the solution?

The identification of breeding spots is important to control the population of the insect.
Tuesdays Senate report recounts how the National Guard was delayed for hours on Jan. 6 as officials in multiple agencies jumped through bureaucratic hoops before releasing the troops. It details hours of calls between officials in the Capitol and the Pentagon, as the protesters marauded through the halls of the Capitol and police begged for help.
S Lalitha By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: Thanks to a band of volunteers from apartments in Whitefield, harried medical staffers of five government hospitals in the city are getting the comfort of a cup of coffee or tea, which they can enjoy round-the-clock for free.

What is heartwarming is that the volunteers have also donated three-month worth of supplies for the beverages along with the vending machines. While Victoria, Bowring, and Jayadeva hospitals got one dispenser each, St Johns Hospital received two. Each machine with the 90 days of supplies works out to Rs 1.25 lakh.

The initiative was started by volunteers of Prestige Ozone apartment, Prestige Shanti Niketan and Chaitanya Samarpana and their friends while coffee giants -- Nestle and Georgia -- offered to sponsor it in two hospitals. The feedback has been extremely good and the medical staff are extremely thankful to us.

Interactions with the healthcare workers revealed that they wanted this simple, basic necessity to refresh themselves as they could not step out of their wards due to Covid restrictions, said Dr K Shashi Karthikeyan, a Whitefield resident involved in the efforts.

Another volunteer said, Four more dispensers are in the pipeline and will be installed at the KG General Hospital in Kolar and Mysore Medical College. The volunteers are looking for financial support to increase the number of hospitals they can cover in future. Those interested can reach them at www.e-sevahub.com
By Express News Service

MUMBAI: As many as 18 people, including 15 women died and many are missing after a major fire at a chemical and sanitiser manufacturing plant in Pune on Monday. The fire broke out after a machine exploded at the plant operated by SVS Aqua Technologies. At least 37 people, mostly local residents, were working at the facility when the incident happened.

The fire trapped the workers inside the unit, killing 18. The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporations (MIDC) fire forces quickly reached the spot. However, with the blaze blocking out the exits, the authorities had to break a wall to gain access to the building. Though the blaze, which started around 4.00 pm, has been fully doused, a search was continuing as of Monday night, to locate the workers who have gone missing.

The plant is located in Urawade, near Pirangut in Mulshi tehsil on the outskirts of Pune. It is engaged in producing chlorine dioxide for water purification. Chlorine dioxide is a chemical compound that has a variety of antimicrobial uses, including the disinfection of drinking water. The thick plume of smoke emanating from the factory caused panic in the area. Pune rural police reached the spot to control the crowd around the factory.

Earlier in the day, another fire broke out in the National Chemical Laboratory in Pune. No casualties were reported and the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, officials told journalists.The employees used the fire extinguisher to douse the fire immediately. Explosive items that were housed in the laboratory were moved to safe locations, which helped avert a major causality. A major accident was averted by quickly shifting flammable organic solvents kept in the lab with the help of staff, fire officials said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Ministers Relief Fund to the next of kin of those who lost their lives to the fire at the SVS Aqua Technologies. Those injured would be given Rs 50,000. Pained by the loss of lives due to a fire at a factory in Pune, Maharashtra. Condolences to the bereaved families, the Prime Minister tweeted. Union Home Minister Amit Shah Monday also expressed condolences to the family members of those who lost their lives.

I am deeply saddened by the heart-wrenching news of the fire at a chemical factory in Pune. I express my condolences to those who lost their loved ones in this accident and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured, Shah tweeted. Union minister of railways Piyush Goyal tweeted saying, Deeply saddened to learn about the loss of lives due to a tragic fire accident at a factory in Pune. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. May the injured recover soon.
Sumi Sukanaya Dutta By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Starting June 21, when the revised Covid vaccination policy comes into effect, all adults in India will be entitled for walk-in inoculations against coronavirus at vaccination centres in both the government and private sectors.

As of now, people in 1844-year age group can receive jabs only after booking appointments in advance through the CoWIN portal, except for some rural pockets where on site registration for this population group has been permitted.

A day after announcing a significant change in Covid vaccination policy under which 75% of the total vaccines in India will now be directly procured by the Centre and supplied to states, the Union government on Tuesday also said that it will, however, continue to prefer high priority population groups for inoculations.

But states, as per the latest guidelines, will be free to decide their own prioritisation within 1844-year age group, factoring in the vaccine supply schedule.

The revised policy says that while all citizens irrespective of their income status are entitled to free vaccination, those who have the ability to pay are encouraged to use private hospitals vaccination centres.

The guidelines say that to promote the spirit of Lok Kalyan, use of non-transferable electronic vouchers which can be redeemed at private vaccination centers, will be encouraged.

This would enable people to financially support vaccination of economically weaker sections at private vaccination centres, the government said.

For the Centre, the priority population groups include healthcare and front-line workers, those above 45 years and those whose second dose is due.

ALSO READ | Jab allocation based on population, disease burden, progress of vaccination and wastage: Centre on new guidelines

Also, coronavirus vaccine doses provided by the Centre to states will be based on criteria such as population, disease burden and the progress of vaccination with a warning that wastage of vaccine will affect the allocation negatively.

Some experts, while pointing out that the document by the Union Health Ministry, without explicitly saying it, hints that vaccines in government hospitals should continue to be given to the high priority population till their full vaccination coverage is achieved.

And that I think is a pragmatic thing to do, said health systems specialist Chandrakant Lahariya.

In fact I would have preferred it if the vaccination for the 18-44 age group would have been put on hold till vaccination for the rest of the adult population is completed and vaccine supply issue is fixed. That would have really streamlined the Covid inoculation process.

Meanwhile, the Centre also defended its decision to allow private hospitals to keep procuring 25% of the total Covid vaccines available in the country.

In order to incentivize production by vaccine manufacturers and encourage new vaccines, domestic vaccine manufacturers are given the option to also provide vaccines directly to private hospitals, it said.

It added that states would aggregate the demand of private hospitals keeping in view equitable distribution between large and small private hospitals and regional balance, based on which the Union government will facilitate supply of these vaccines to the private hospitals and their payment through the National Health Authoritys electronic platform.

This would enable the smaller and remote private hospitals to obtain timely supply of vaccines, and further equitable access and regional balance, the government said.
By Express News Service

BHOPAL: In a dramatic development, Mumbai-based poll and communication strategist Tushar Panchal took to Twitter on Tuesday, saying he wasn't joining the team of Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as an officer on special duty (OSD).

Panchal's announcement on Tuesday afternoon came in less than 24 hours of him having taken to the same micro blogging site to announce his joining in Team Shivraj as communication advisor.

I have decided to not accept the responsibility offered to me by @chouhanshivraj ji and have communicated my inability to the CM.  Tushar (@tushar) June 8, 2021

The dramatic development of Tushar not accepting the responsibility as OSD to the MP CM reportedly happened, owing to his old tweets which were dubbed by BJP and RSS cadres as "anti-Hindu" and critical of PM Narendra Modi.

On Monday afternoon, Tushar had tweeted, "Today, my destiny has placed me inside the office of MP Chief Minister @ChouhanShivraj as his communication advisor. Please wish me luck. More details later."

The MP government too had issued an order on Monday, appointing Tushar as OSD in the CM Office.

Today, my destiny has placed me inside the office of MP Chief Minister @ChouhanShivraj as his communication advisor.



Please wish me luck. More details later.  Tushar (@tushar) June 7, 2021

However, less than 24 hours later, the Mumbai based poll-communication strategist again took to Twitter, saying, " I have decided to not accept the responsibility offered to me by @chouhanshivraj ji and have communicated my inability to the CM."

The dramatic development was the fallout of BJP and RSS leaders and sympathisers, including Delhi BJP spokesperson Tajindar Bagga and RSS Delhi State Executive member Rajiv Tuli sharing screenshots of Tushar's old "anti-Hindu" and "anti-Modi" tweets and questioning the MP CM about the need to appoint such a man in his team.

Not only the BJP, RSS and other right wing Hindu leaders and sympathizers took to the Twitter on Monday and Tuesday questioning Tushar's appointment as OSD in MP CM's office, but the opposition Congress too used it as an opportunity to pit the MP CM against the country's PM.

As per informed sources in MP BJP, Tushar's company had managed the social media war room of the MP CM and government during the 2018 Assembly polls in the central Indian state. With the COVID-19 pandemic's second wave denting the MP government's image, the MP CM decided to make Tushar his communication advisor with OSD designation to spruce up his and government's image.
C Shivakumar By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: On June 12, 2019, veteran Deck Officer Antony* reached an Iranian port to board ship MV ULA, which was carrying cargo to Bangladesh. He was on a two-month contract and believed it would end in no time. But it was not to be. He would spend the next 23 months stranded on board a stateless vessel, helpless and unable to support his family in Kanniyakumari throughout the worst of the pandemic.

According to Antony, the cargo was loaded in Iran, but the vessels cranes needed some repairs. Trouble began after the Qatari owner of the vessel refused to pay Iranians employed to repair the ship, claiming they did not do the job properly. This resulted in a three-month stand-off between the workers and the owner at the port. The issue was resolved after the payment was made. By this time, however, the Bangadeshi client cancelled the order citing delay in delivery. Subsequently, the vessel was asked to proceed to Oman.

Six of the crew disembarked in Oman. I could have been one of them, but I was held back, Antony recalls. The next opportunity to disembark came in Sharjah in the UAE when the vessel was at outer port line. He, however, could not do so since a visa was required. The ship proceeded further.The ordeal began for the crew at the Port of Shuaiba in Kuwait in March 2020. Denied salary and running out of fresh water, he, along with 15 other Indian crew, started demanding their immediate release from the vessel. The onset of the pandemic and the global crisis that ensued, however, exacerbated their situation.

A ray of hope

On January 17 this year, the crew went on a hunger strike, and their plight caught the attention of social activist Shaheen Sayyed, Kuwait Ministry of Communication, Kuwait Port Authorities and Harbour Master. Shaheen said that she helped supply the crew with food and fresh water. The official allowed a few of the crew to leave but asked the others to stay as the ship had to be maintained. The period between March 2020 till date is one of the most difficult phases in my life. I had never experienced such an issue during my two-decade long service in various vessels, Antony said. He said that the vessel soon became flagless after its registration was cancelled by Palau, a Pacific-ocean country. Subsequently, the Kuwait Port Authority took over the vessel and the cargo was later sold, resulting in the crews release from the vessel. We will be paid our salaries once the vessel is sold, Antony said.

Help from Indian embassy

He said the International Transport Workers Federation helped the 16 Indian crew members with a lawyer and also paid them $500 along with Indian embassys $50. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait also provided us with flight tickets to return home, he added.It was inhuman of them (authorities) to hold us (the ULA crew) on board for 23 months without salary. The seafarers were mentally traumatised and feared for the safety of their families back home. During the pandemic they could not support their families. Also, there are Indian seafarers imprisoned in Iran, said Manoj Joy, Community Development Manager, Sailors Society.

(*Name changed)
By PTI

KOLKATA: Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday held a meeting with party functionaries over the post-poll scenario in the state, as he claimed that workers were being attacked and forced out of their homes across districts by goons bearing allegiance to the ruling TMC.

Several senior leaders, during the discussion, talked about ways to deal with the current situation, and activists shared their woes, sources in the party said.

"Violence continues unabated in the state even after the formation of the government; the ruling party is unwilling to acknowledge the incidents," Ghosh told reporters ahead of the meeting.

Claiming that the "state government does not want peace to prevail", Ghosh said that the BJP has moved various commissions and courts seeking protection for its workers.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari wasn't present at the session as he is away in Delhi to meet Home Minister Amit Shah and party's national president J P Nadda.

Party national vice-president Mukul Roy also skipped the meeting, amid speculation about a possible change in political equation after TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee visited his ailing wife in hospital on June 2.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called Roy on June 3 to enquire about his wife's condition, and Ghosh, too, had visited the hospital to meet her.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: With J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and more paramilitary troops being rushed to Kashmir, speculation has been rife that the Centre is about to make some major decisions on Jammu and Kashmir.

This has prompted Jammu-based parties to come forward demanding that Jammu be made a separate state.

Sinha met Shah and Home Secretary A K Bhalla in New Delhi for a security review meeting. Soon after the meeting, rumours have surfaced that the Centre is planning to give statehood to Jammu and may bifurcate Kashmir into two Union Territories.

Chairman of Ikkjut Jammu, advocate Akur Sharma told this newspaper that the Centre should give statehood to Jammu, alleging that the region has been discriminated against by the Valley-based leadership of J&K.

He said Kashmir should be further bifurcated into two UTs with one specially carved out for the Kashmiri Pandits, who migrated en-masse from the Valley after eruption of militancy in 1990.

Chairman of Duggar Saddar Sabha Gurchain Singh Charak said if the Centre feels Jammu should be granted statehood to improve the situation in the Valley, then they would welcome it.

Jammu is a peaceful region and has rejected militancy. The centre should separate it from Kashmir and grant it statehood.
Pranab Mondal By

Express News Service

KOLKATA: Five Trinamool Congress (TMC) turncoats who joined the BJP ahead of the recent Assembly elections have snapped all contacts with the saffron camp, a BJP functionary said on Monday.

Since the elections results were announced, five former TMC MLAs, whom the BJP had fielded, but could not win, have snapped all contacts with the party. We tried to contact them, but we couldnt. They are not reachable on the contact numbers available with the party, said the functionary in Kolkata.

Another functionary said many others are maintaining a distance from the party since the election results came out.

They may quit the BJP in the near future. It seems they are in touch with the TMC, but the ruling party has not yet decided its stand on those who are willing to come back, he said.

Before the Assembly elections, 33 turncoat MLAsmost of them from the TMCjoined the BJP. The saffron camp fielded 18 of them. But, only five managed to win a seat.

The five MLAs are former minister Rajib Banerjee, Sabyasachi Dutta, Prabir Ghoshal, Wilson Champramary, and Shukra Munda.

Five other TMC turncoats, who had earlier joined the BJP, had also left the saffron camp.They are Sovan Chatterjee, Sonali Guha, Dipendu Biswas, Amal Acharya and Bachhu Hansda.

Meanwhile, TMC MP and spokesperson Saugata Roy said a final decision on whether to accept returning turncoats will be made by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The exodus from the Trinamool Congress to the BJP began after the latter made deep inroads into the formers turf in 2019 by winning 18 of Bengals 42 Lok Sabha seats.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Centre should clarify in Parliament its policy and roadmap for providing COVID vaccines to all by December, the Congress said on Tuesday, as it alleged that the government was driven by headlines and not deadlines and asked why people still have to pay for the jabs at private hospitals.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said all Indians should get free vaccination for COVID-19 and there should be no mandatory registration on the CoWIN app as there are many who do not have digital access.

The party also demanded transparency in the allocation of vaccines to the states and a Parliament session for discussing the policy and approval to fresh budgets required for vaccinating all.

Ramesh said there should be no discrimination in vaccine distribution and the government should follow the principle of cooperative federalism.

"This government is headline-driven and not deadline-driven," Ramesh said at an online press conference, asking the government to come forth with its policy and roadmap towards increasing inoculations and achieving the objective of providing vaccines to all by December 2021.

Training his guns on the prime minister, he alleged, "The PM was sleeping and woke up from 'kumbhakaran ki neend' (deep slumber) after the Supreme Court intervened and reprimanded the government".

"It is a collective crisis brought about by the failures and ego of only one person and the entire country is suffering because of that," Ramesh alleged.

He said 30 lakh doses of vaccine were administered every day in April 2021, but in May only 16 lakh doses per day were given.

ALSO READ | Jab allocation based on population, disease burden, progress of vaccination and wastage: Centre in new guidelines

Expressing satisfaction that in June, 30 lakh doses per day were administered, he, however, added that "if we have to vaccinate 100 crore people by December this year, then we need to administer a minimum of 80 lakh doses of the vaccine every day".

"What is the roadmap and policy in achieving this, and how will the vaccines come and from where. The prime minister has not said anything about this.

"We want that the central government, the prime minister and the health minister should take the public in confidence about increasing the vaccinations from the present to 80 lakh doses a day," he said.

Questioning the government's policy, he said it is not clear on what basis and at what price will the private hospitals deliver the vaccine.

"We have demanded that vaccination must be free to all citizens at both government and private hospitals and centres," the Congress leader said alleging that 50 percent of vaccines meant for private hospitals have been monopolised by nine private hospitals and termed it as a "very dangerous situation".

People across the world, be it the US or the UK, are not made to pay for the vaccines, he noted.

ALSO READ | Hopeful of holding Monsoon Session of Parliament on schedule in July: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi

Ramesh claimed that the mandatory registration on the CoWIN website would exclude a large number of people who do not have digital access in remote centres.

"We want non-mandatory Cowin registration for vaccinations, which should be walk-in," he said.

"The government must work out a transparent allocation formula in consultation with states for providing vaccines to states, as we have seen that BJP-ruled states have been favoured by the central government in the past in allocation of vaccines and medicines," he alleged.

The Congress leader said the government has earmarked Rs 35,000 crore for vaccines in the country and the same was passed in Parliament.

Citing a news report, he said a total of Rs 50,000 crore would be spent on vaccination as per the latest announcement of free inoculations to all Indians in government hospitals.

"If you need Rs 50,000 crore, call a Parliament session soon and get its nod after discussing the vaccination policy," the Congress leader said, alleging that there is no shortage of money with the government but it has different priorities.

He alleged that the government is "already spending Rs 20,000 crore on central vista project".

Responding to criticism by the BJP that it was the states who first wanted a greater role for them, Ramesh said that no state government would have objected to the union government procuring vaccines.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Monday that the Centre will provide free vaccines to states for inoculation of all above 18 years of age, the Congress had said that the government was only acting on what the party had been insisting on.

The BJP has accused the Congress and other opposition parties of "flip-flops" on the vaccine issue while failing to properly conduct the vaccination exercise in the states ruled by them.

Ramesh said on April 18, former prime minister Manmohan Singh had given suggestions for changing vaccine strategy and he had made a demand for "one nation, once vaccine price", after which on May 12 leaders of various parties raised the demand for free universal vaccination.
By Associated Press

EL-ARISH: At least five Egyptians were abducted by Islamic State militants on Tuesday in the restive northern part of the Sinai Peninsula, security officials said.

The five were driving to their workplace in the small town of Bir al-Abed when the militants from the Islamic State group stopped their vehicle and took them to an unknown place.

The five include three engineers, a labourer and their driver, said the officials.

They all work at the el-Salam canal project that moves the Nile Delta drainage water to be reused in agriculture in the peninsula.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

The two security officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Egypt has been battling militants, now led by the Islamic State group, in the northern part of Sinai for years.

Violence and instability there intensified after the 2013 military's ouster of Egypt's elected but divisive Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi, amid nationwide protests against his year in power.

IS has carried out numerous attacks, mainly targeting Egyptian security forces, the country's minority Christians and those whom the militants accuse of collaborating with the military and police.

They have also kidnapped people, mostly Christians and Bedouins, sometimes for ransom.

Though the pace of IS attacks in Sinai has slowed to a trickle since February 2018, when the military launched a massive operation in Sinai that also encompassed parts of the Nile Delta and the desert along the country's western border with Libya, abductions, and kidnappings still occasionally happen.
FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies generally tell companies not to pay ransoms in cyberattacks for fear that the criminals may not provide the keys to unscramble stolen data. Authorities warn that cash prizes could encourage future hacks and help bankroll criminal networks, many of which are based in Russia and Eastern Europe.
By PTI

INDORE: The state-run Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital (MYH) in Indore in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday said it had discontinued use of Amphotericin-B manufactured at a plant in Himachal Pradesh as a precautionary measure after 40 per cent of black fungus patients admitted in the facility complained of shivering on being administered the injections.

Some 220 black fungus patients admitted to MYH, which is associated with Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, were given one dose each of Lyophilized Amphotericin-B injection on Saturday and about 80 of these patients developed a severe cold, the college's dean Dr Sanjay Dixit told reporters.

"After this side effect of Amphotericin-B injections manufactured at a pharmaceutical plant in Himachal Pradesh, we have stopped administering it to patients as a precaution. We have received 3,000 vials of Amphotericin-B injection prepared at this plant," he said.

However, Dixit said Amphotericin injections causing side effects like fever, shivering and stiffness in 30 to 70 per cent of patients was well known.

Officials said 27 patients admitted in Government Bundelkhand Medical College hospital in Sagar had also complained of mild fever, shivering and vomiting after being administered this injection.

Officials said a consignment of 12,240 Amphotericin-B vials for black fungus had reached Indore by special aircraft on Friday.

These injections were procured from a pharmaceutical unit in Baddi in Himachal Pradesh and were sent to different hospitals across MP, they added.

Meanwhile, the opposition Congress demanded a high-level probe into the issue, with its state spokesperson Neelabh Shukla saying fresh purchases must not be made from the Himachal Pradesh-based pharmaceutical unit in question till the end of the probe.
By PTI

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government on Tuesday launched a web portal and a mobile application to facilitate online registration of workers from the unorganised sector to give them smart cards for availing various welfare schemes.

The 'e-Nirman' portal and its mobile App were launched by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, a government release said, adding that 9.20 lakh workers from the unorganised sector were already registered and given U-WIN cards in the state.

Since workers have to forgo their day's work to get themselves registered after visiting the designated office, the state government decided to launch this online platform, Rupani said at the launch event held via video conference.

He said workers now have the option to either use these online platforms or personally visit the common service centre to get themselves registered.

Workers having the U-WIN cards are entitled to get benefits of several government schemes, such as insurance, 'Ma Amrutam' scheme for hospitalisation, and affordable meals under the 'Shramik Annapurna Yojna', the release said.

So far, workers were required to visit the designated offices in 33 districts to get themselves registered.

Now, over 21,000 common service centres are authorised to carry out the registration work and issue the smart cards, the release said.

With the e-Nirman portal and mobile App, the government can monitor a worker's data in real-time and it will be directly linked to the 'CM Dashboard' application, it added.
By PTI

CHANDIGARH: The second dose of the Covishield vaccine will now be administered after 28 days to people who have to travel abroad for specific purposes, Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said on Tuesday.

He said a competent authority designated by the district administration shall check before giving permission for the administration of the second dose before the stipulated period of 84 days.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued recommendations to provide vaccines to such people who have completed 28 days of their first dose, said Sidhu.

Students who have to undertake foreign travel for the purpose of education, persons who have to take up jobs in foreign countries, athletes, sportspersons and accompanying staff of Indian contingent attending the Olympic games to be held in Tokyo will be considered as eligible beneficiaries.

In a statement here, Sidhu said these instructions have been issued to all the Deputy Commissioners for further action so that the maximum number of eligible beneficiaries are vaccinated.

The minister said that the Punjab government had taken up the issue of reducing the prescribed time for the second dose of Covishield vaccine with the Centre several times to help international travellers, especially students who are not covered in priority groups.

Sidhu said that it was unfortunate that because of being unable to get full coverage of vaccination, students could not go abroad for their studies even after paying hefty fees.

The students and their parents have repeatedly urged the Punjab government to reduce the gap for the second dose of Covishield from 84 days.

On the supply of vaccine doses for the 18-44 age group, Sidhu said the Centre will deliver 1,56,720 Covishield doses on June 11; 1,30,160 on June 17; 1,56,720 on June 19; and 1,32,150 doses on July 1.

The state will receive 25,000 doses of Covaxin on June 20; 12,000 doses on June 23; and 19,370 doses on June 28. He said that 50,000 doses of Covaxin were received from the Centre on Tuesday.
By PTI

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said views expressed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on various issues carry weight and that most of his demands were implemented by the Union government.

Speaking to reporters here, Raut said, "Many things said by Rahul Gandhi in the past were factually correct. Not just that, several of his demands were later implemented by the Union government".

Raut was responding to a question over whether Rahul Gandhi's comments are factual. "Whether he was speaking about vaccination or coronavirus, his comments are true. His words carry weight," he added.

The Congress is one of the constituents in the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

Rahul Gandhi has been attacking the Central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the vaccination policy and handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He had said India would not have been in such a painful situation due to the coronavirus pandemic today had the government ensured easy access to vaccines.

He also said that a coronavirus vaccine-treatment protocol should already have been in place for children in the country.

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Centre will provide free COVID-19 vaccines for states and take care of their procurement.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Amid debate whether the Centre's decision to provided free COVID-19 vaccine to all above 18 years was triggered by the Supreme Court's recent remarks on the jab policy, a class Vth student of Kerala, Lidwina Joseph, has written to Chief Justice N V Ramana lauding the top court for its effective intervention and saving lives in the fight against pandemic.

Joseph, a student of Kendriya Vidyalaya at Thrissur, also enclosed in her letter a drawing depicting discharge of duties by the apex court where a judge is seen hammering down coronavirus and has the tricolour, lion capital and smiling portrait of father of the nation.

"I was much worried about the deaths in Delhi and other parts of the country due to Corona. From the newspaper I understood that your honourable court has intervened effectively at the sufferings and death of ordinary people in the fight against Covid-19.

"I am happy and feel proud that your honourable court has moved orders for supply of oxygen and saved many lives. I understood your honourable court has initiated effective steps in bringing down Covid-19 and the death rate in our country especially in Delhi. I thank you, your Honour for this. Now I feel very proud and happy," Joseph wrote to CJI Ramana towards the end of May when Delhiites were facing tough times due to the deadly second corona wave.

The lucky girl got Chief Justice of India's response and best wishes as well for her "beautiful letter" and "heart-warming illustration of a judge at work" in her drawing accompanying the letter.

"I have received your beautiful letter along with a heart-warming illustration of the Judge at work. I am really impressed with the way you kept track of happenings in the country and the concern that you have displayed for the well-being of people in the wake of the pandemic.

"I am sure you will grow-up into an alert, informed and responsible citizen who will contribute immensely towards nation building," the CJI wrote back wishing the best and all round success to the little girl.

CJI responds to the letter with a signed copy of the Indian constitution @NewIndianXpress pic.twitter.com/dpE40IIUBT  kanupsarda (@sardakanu_TNIE) June 8, 2021

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Monday that the central government will provide free coronavirus vaccine to states for inoculation of all above the age of 18 from June 21 and this led to an intense debate in the media as to who and what triggered the decision.

As per news reports, while Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan thanked the Centre for the decision, the Delhi government credited the Supreme Court for the decision announced by the Prime Minister in his address to the nation.

Some reports also said the Centre had initiated the decision making process and the ground work before the apex court's remarks.

Few days before the Prime Minister announced free COVID inoculation for those above 18 years of age from June 21, the Supreme Court, in its May 31 order which was uploaded two day after the hearing, had asked the Centre to review its vaccination policy saying it was "prima facie arbitrary and irrational" for allowing states and private hospitals to charge people of 18-44 age group for the jabs.
By PTI

KOLKATA: The TMC on Tuesday made light of the meeting between Leader of Opposition in Bengal Suvendu Adhikari and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and said that the BJP MLA rushed to Delhi to "save his skin" from CBI prosecution in the Narada sting tapes case.

TMC state general secretary and party spokesman Kunal Ghosh, while talking to reporters, said Adhikari's meeting with Shah over the post-poll situation in Bengal was nothing short of a "drama", and people would continue to support Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, notwithstanding the allegations levelled by the saffron camp against the ruling party.

Adhikari, a former minister in the last Mamata Banerjee-led government, had joined the BJP just before the 2021 assembly elections.

The state unit of the BJP had been claiming that its workers, across the state, were being attacked and forced out of their homes by "goons bearing allegiance to the TMC", post the declaration of assembly poll results in the state.

"Adhikari is staging a drama before public; he will have to parrot what his party is saying. He met Shah as he wanted to save his skin from prosecution in the Narada sting case, Ghosh claimed.

Echoing him, TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said BJP leaders such as Adhikari are yet to come to terms with their party's drubbing in the hustings.

"We don't attach much importance to these meetings. People of this state happen to stand firmly behind the TMC. They will not take it lying down if there is any attempt to disturb the government," Ghosh Dastidar added.

Adhikari had defeated Banerjee in a closely fought battle in Nandigram during the assembly polls held in March- April this year.

Shah's office tweeted his picture with the BJP MLA earlier in the day, and said "Shri @SuvenduWB ji called on Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah ji."

Adhikari also met Union minister Mansukh Mandviya during the dat.

He is scheduled to meet BJP national president J P Nadda, party sources said.

The BJP MLA may also have a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a source said.

"Discussed on several matters and seeked (sought) blessings for Bengal. Honourable HM assured, he was and he will be there for Bengal always," Adhikari tweeted, following his meeting with Shah.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday invited leading Swedish defence majors to set up manufacturing bases in India as he showcased the country as an attractive destination for investment to produce military equipment and platforms.

In an address at a conference on India-Sweden defence industry cooperation, he said the government has rolled out a series of reforms to help the defence industries serve not only Indian requirements but also meet global demands.

The defence minister also mentioned allowing up to 74 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) through automatic route and up to 100 per cent through government route in the defence manufacturing sector.

He said the technology-centric FDI policy will enable Indian industries to collaborate with Swedish industries in the field of niche and proven military technologies.

"Over the past few years, the Indian defence industry has been galvanised through progressive policy and procedural reforms which have catapulted the industry to serve not only Indian requirements but also meet global demand," Singh said at the virtual conference.

He said that the foreign OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) can set up manufacturing facilities individually or in partnership with Indian companies through joint ventures or technology agreement to capitalise on the 'Make in India' initiative.

"Swedish firms such as SAAB already have a major presence in India and I am confident that other Swedish firms will find India as a major investment destination for defence manufacturing," he said.

"There is a lot of scope for Sweden and Indian defence Industries for co-production and co-development. Indian industry can also supply components to Swedish industries," he added.

Singh said India has a vast defence industrial base with 41 ordnance factories and nine defence public sector undertakings and expanding private industries supported by an eco-system of over 12,000 micro, small and medium enterprises.

"The Mission - 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' or 'Self-Reliant India' of Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi is about producing cost-effective quality products and in its core has the motto - 'Make in India' and 'Make for the World'," he said.

In his address, the defence minister also mentioned that India has a robust shipbuilding industry with an ecosystem of world-class public and private ship building companies.

He said the ships constructed by Indian shipyards are of global standards and extremely cost-effective.

"I take this opportunity to invite Swedish firms to invest in the dedicated defence corridors of Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu where they can benefit greatly from the unique incentives being offered by the state governments and the availability of a highly skilled workforce in India," he said.
Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: Students going abroad for studies will now get priority in the vaccination of the 18-44 age group in Punjab. At a high-level virtual Covid review meeting, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh directed the health and medical education departments to allow districts to use up to 10 per cent of the doses allocated for the 18-45 group for priority categories other than those approved at state level.

Besides students seeking to go abroad, caregivers of elderly persons and other urgent priority groups may be included in this list, he added. Punjabs Covid Expert Group chief Dr KK Talwar said almost 30 per cent patients are having post Covid complications and continue to be symptomatic.

Patients are taking almost three months to get back to normal, and thus need to be strictly monitored, he added.

Restrictions extended

Meanwhile, the Punjab government ordered extension of Covid restrictions till June 15 with certain relaxations. Entry restrictions (negative Covid test or vaccination) for arrivals have been done away with. Shops can open till 6.00 pm and private offices can function at 50 per cent strength.

Night curfew will remain in force from 7.00 pm to 6.00 am on weekdays, including Saturdays, but regular weekend curfew will continue on Sundays.

The CM said DMs may determine opening of non-essential shops on the basis of situation. Gyms and restaurants could be opened after a week with 50 per cent capacity and other conditions, if the situation improves. Gym and restaurant owners and staff should get themselves vaccinated first, he added.
By Express News Service

VARANASI: The Varanasi district administration has formed a committee to probe into the algal spread in Ganga, which has turned green due to the invasion. What is surprising about the panel is that there is not even one river engineering, environmental or phycology (algae related science) expert on it. This despite the fact that Varanasi is home to the premier Banaras Hindu University, whose Department of Botany and School of Biotechnology for years have pioneered phycology research globally.

Varanasi district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma had constituted a committee comprising five administrative, police and pollution control board officers. On Tuesday, the committee voyaged from Varanasi to Mirzapur, collecting samples of the green algae infested water. The committee has been asked by the Varanasi district magistrate to submit its report by June 10.

The algae infestation of the rivers water is not only noticeable in the ancient city, but also upstream in Mirzapur and Prayagraj districts.

I have been bathing in Ganga since childhood, but do not remember such algae invasion. This is serious and should be probed by scientists and not police or administrative officials, said 46-year-old Dinesh Shankar Dubey, whose organisation Gangotri Seva Samiti holds the world famous Ganga Arti on Dashwashamedh Ghat.

According to Prof Ashok Kumar, senior phycologist and emeritus professor at the School of Biotechnology, BHU, This is the first time this is happening. It could be due to Microcystis, but it needs to be probed. The development assumes significance as such algae never bloom in running water. Not only does the origin of the algae need to be studied, but the samples also need to be tested for possible toxicity.

Importantly, a team of researchers led by Kumar has spent three decades researching algae in the waterbodies of Varanasi, which is also famous for its kunds (ponds). It was a team of researchers led by Kumar that had traced presence of toxic compounds in microcystis algae in two major ponds  Laxmi Kund and Durga Kund  which was poisonous for human and animals. The findings were published in reputable international journals. Meanwhile, a city-based advocate has moved the National Green Tribunal over the issue.
Harish Bijoor By

India is one among a total of 195 nations in the world today. The second biggest in terms of population, a country that occupies various positions on multiple sets of global lists that measure nations on metrics of their own making.

Therefore, even as you read this, India is the sixth largest economy in terms of nominal GDP (USD 2.6 trillion) and the third largest in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP). And equally India ranks 139 out of 149 nations on the UN World Happiness Report 2021. Win some. Lose some.

Those who build country brands try to latch on to numbers that glaze the eye with pride. As someone who has participated in building some six country brands to date, I worry for nations that pick the anecdotal to showcase their image.

Imagine the nation that positions itself as one that makes the best butter-chicken. Or a nation that says that it has the most handsome men in the world. Believe it or not, both are options that some countries have considered in their journey of 'nation branding' to date.

A nation brand is therefore an important imperative to address amidst a clutter of countries with an even bigger clutter of positioning options ahead, each vying to make it to the top rung of recognition and impact. Some therefore use the anecdotal and others the solid, in their journey to immortality and recognition. Israel is therefore "The Promised Land", and India is "Incredible India". And who is to say what is anecdotal, and what is real?

Nation branding, however, is big business today. Every nation wants to have a dominant image that will get it the attention of the rest of the world. It is B2B (business to business) in terms of country-to-country recognition, and becomes an intricate and complex B2C (business to consumer) activity, as nations begin vying for the attention of the people who live in these countries. To many a country, its image among the people who live in that country is more important than what governments of other nations think of them.

In the very early days, both the Soviet Union of yore and the US understood B2C nation branding well. In India for one, both nations had a very aggressive focus on building their brand image. Their respective consulates did yeoman work. If the US had its SPAN magazine, Russia had its Sputnik. Today, in a seamlessly connected world with its digital outreach mechanisms, you dont need a SPAN or a Sputnik anymore.

Lets look at Brand India. It is a nation for a start. A robust nation that packs in the energies of a billion, plus a third of a billion people. Brands have two aspects to concern themselves with. One is an intrinsic one. What do people within the country think of Brand India? The second is an extrinsic one: What do countries outside India think of our nation? And more importantly from todays context, what do the 6.3 billion people who live in these countries think of India? Do they think differently from what their governments want them to think of India the nation?

As I research out thoughts expressed by many a nation, both at the B2B (sample size: 23 countries) and B2C level (sample size: 23,640 people from these countries), Brand India definitely needs a rejig. It needs a refresh. A refresh that is topical, timed to a post-pandemic world, and one that is as contemporary, real and futuristic as it can get.

The current theme "Incredible India" has served the nation long enough now, with its very visual emphasis on everything that is fantastic and nice in India. In many ways, India as a live phantasmagoria at play. It has done well to date, but I am not sure it will continue to serve the purpose of the nation into the immediate and distant future. My research probe tells me that the phrase does well for India Tourism, but not necessarily for Brand India.

"Incredible India" is a phrase that cuts both ways in positivity and negativity, depending on the experiences of people with the nation. I do believe we need to pave the way for a powerful, reliable, consistent and "Credible India" as opposed to an "Incredible India" as the current theme puts it.

The world is currently going through the throes of tumult that the pandemic has brought into our lives. People in every nation are going through uncertainty of every kind. Volatility is the norm, and the minds of people all across are grappling to clutch on to the rays of hope that emerge from anywhere and everywhere. Countries of every kind have gone through the phases of fear and panic. As the economy of hope emerges ahead, it just might be the right time for India to reposition itself correctly and strongly in the minds of the world at large. What the world thinks of India, and more importantly what the people who live in these many countries all across think of India is going to define our nation brand.

There are many issues to consider as we think about nation branding of India all over again. Do we want to be a "David" or a "Goliath" nation? Isnt small beautiful once again in the future, if not in the present? Do we want to be an "Insular India" or an "Open India"? A "Tech India" or a "Brick & Mortar India"? Many questions to sort.

And before I sign off, one last thought to think. Isnt it time we stopped saying "Made In India" on our products and services that find its way across the world? Time to do it the Swiss way. Why not use the "India Made" phrase all across?

"Made In India" means made in a geography that is India. It doesnt mean much. "India Made" on the other hand means made by the proud Indian with hard work, effort, and most importantly with India-passion poured into it!

(The writer is a Brand Guru and founder of Harish Bijoor Consults. He can be reached at harishbijoor@hotmail.com)
There is also continuing U.S-European friction over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline being built to bring gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. A persistent irritant between the U.S. and Germany during the Trump years, the pipeline still faces bipartisan U.S. opposition over concerns it makes Europe more dependent on Russia, though Biden has sought to take some of the heat out of the issue.
Pritam Datta and Chetana Chaudhuri By

Countries around the globe have rolled out large-scale vaccination programmes to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. India launched its vaccination programme on 16 January 2021, with two domestically manufactured vaccines: Covishield of the Serum Institute of India and Covaxin of Bharat Biotech. By the end of May, the country was in the third position in terms of the absolute number of vaccine doses administered, after China and the US. The Centre said that by the end of the year, the country would be in a position to vaccinate at least all of its adult population.

By the end of May, India could vaccinate 16.8 crore citizens with at least one dose; 4.3 crore people received both the doses. In other words, considering the projected population (136.3 crore) of the country for 2021, only 12% of the Indian population is vaccinated so far and only 3% of them have received both doses. Even if we do not consider the children and young adults below 18 (i.e., 34% of the Indian population, which amounts to 46.3 crore people), to achieve the goal of vaccinating all adults in the country by end of 2021, India needs to vaccinate not only 9% of its population (12.5 crore) with another dose but also 54 per cent (i.e., 73.1 crore) with both the doses in the next seven months.

India's journey towards universal vaccination by the end of 2021 will be an uphill battle and the government needs to ensure that the three As are in place, i.e. availability, affordability and accessibility of the vaccine. To vaccinate 12.5 crore people with the second dose and 73.1 crore people with both, India needs at least 159 crore doses of the vaccine in the coming seven months. Assuming a minimum of 3% wastage in transportation and storage, India needs to ensure availability of 164 crore doses during that time. Till May 2021, India had administered on an average five crore doses per month; it needs to accelerate the drive to administer an average of 23 crore doses per month for the next seven months. So, to ensure an uninterrupted supply of vaccines, production needs to be expanded along with their import. The Government of India took several steps to increase the domestic capacity of the production of the vaccines. This includes expansion of the production capacity of the domestic manufacturers as well as involving three PSUs under the Department of Biotechnology for production under the technology transfer arrangement with Bharat Biotech Ltd, Hyderabad. The government also approved the Russian vaccine to increase the availability of jabs to the citizens.

By April 2021, the Centre had provided 16.37 crore vaccine doses to states and UTs. They could administer 15.5 crore doses of vaccine by the end of April. For May, 7.9 crore vaccine doses were available but only 6.1 crore were administered; there is a sudden drop in the vaccination trend by 32% in this month.

In the third phase of vaccination in May, India initially adopted the "Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy", which was later termed as an experiment in the prime ministers speech on June 7. Under this mechanism, the Centre was supposed to directly procure only half of the monthly stock from manufacturers and supply it to the states and UTs free of cost. State governments as well as private hospitals were to procure the remaining 50% stock directly from manufacturers. However, manufacturers needed to make an advance declaration for this 50% of the stock available for open market procurement. In this strategy, only health workers, frontline workers and the population over the age of 45 were eligible for vaccination at Government of India vaccination centres; the ones between 18 and 45 would have depended on state governments or had to pay out of their own pockets. The Serum Institute of India had announced the price as Rs 400 and Rs 600 per dose for procurement by state governments and private hospitals respectively. Bharat Biotech declared that the price per dose for sub-national governments and private hospitals would be Rs 600 and Rs 1,200 respectively. Moreover, the Centre announced that it would purchase both vaccines manufactured at Rs 150 per dose directly from the manufacturers. Under this strategy, if state and UT governments collectively had to procure at least 50% of the total requirement directly from the manufacturer, it would cost Rs 32,800 crore (if state governments procured only Covishield) to Rs 49,200 crore (if they procured only Covaxin), other than the cost of administration for the programme. The sudden fall in the vaccines administered in the last month might have been caused by this extra financial burden. States needed to allocate funds for vaccination for their people through a supplementary Budget or through re-appropriation from other schemes.

On June 7, the PM announced that state governments need not spend on vaccines; the Centre would directly purchase 75% of the total production and distribute them free of cost to states. Moreover, the entire adult population will be eligible for getting free vaccines from government centres. Private hospitals are now allowed to purchase 25% of the domestic production to serve the section of people who might not be interested in getting free vaccines and can afford to pay. New guidelines will be prepared to allocate the responsibilities of the Central and state governments.

The new announcement would reduce the financial burden of states. Very few states like Andhra Pradesh and Delhi had allocated funds for vaccination in their Budget. A loss of revenue due to the lockdown coupled with higher expenditure to manage the pandemic already caused a budget crunch in most states. The additional pressure of financing a part of the vaccine drive would have posed a serious challenge for states as well as people between 18 and 45 years, many of whom are either students or in their early-to-mid-careers. Moreover, the total vaccination cost of around Rs 35,000 crore was already budgeted in the 2020-21 revised Union Budget and 2021-22 Budget together, which can be efficiently used for universal coverage. However, vaccine wastage is high in a few states. They need to reduce this as much as possible.

The new announcement is expected to put an end to the price differential of the vaccine. However, the Indian health system, which is quite concentrated in urban areas, needs to widen the access of the programme to ensure universal vaccination. The revised policy is addressing affordability and availability issues, but the actual outreach of the programme should touch all areas. Cooperation between the Centre and states is important to ensure access.

(Pritam Datta is Fellow, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, New Delhi and he can be reached at pritam.datta@nipfp.org.in)

(Chetana Chaudhuri is Senior Research Associate, PHFI, Gurugram, Haryana and can be reached at chetana.chaudhuri2@gmail.com)
Kaleeswaram Raj By

Crisis reveals the real capacity of the state and the quality of governance. The COVID-19 pandemic in India killed lakhs of people across the country. The corpses in the Ganges exposed the emptiness of our rhetoric on development and underlined the harsh Indian reality. Human dignity suffered in life as well as in death. Article 21 of the Constitution, talking about the right to life, appeared a dead letter to the citizens. More than a health crisis, we are in a political crisis, a civilisational crisis. Belatedly, the Centre has now come out with a new vaccination policy. The direction of the top court and the criticism from the public has had some impact. Better late than never.

Laws are devices to be used appropriately in critical situations as a means of social engineering. The state can use its laws for the betterment of the people or to their detriment. It can use or misuse its offices and choose to help or punish its citizens. Two aspects were notable in the conduct of the executive: a lack of accountability and a convenient misuse of the pandemic period.

Certain restrictions like enforced physical distancing might be valid and necessary in view of the health crisis. But the pandemic cannot give carte blanche to the government to do as it pleases without accountability or legitimacy. Literature on freedom during the time of COVID-19 makes for a wonderful read. Leslie Francis recently wrote an essay titled Negative freedom in crisis times. (Utah Law Digital Commons, 2021). She rightly says that the court is concerned with the question of whether "the public health interest is sufficiently strong to override presumed individual liberties". During an epidemic, the state can take away ones freedom to form a crowd. But it cannot book somebody for being a whistle-blower. It cannot shoot the messenger because the message is unpleasant to the government.

Throughout the pandemic, till the court actively intervened, the Centre showed little or no seriousness in the matter. A Bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud on April 30 asked if the Centre had ever considered invoking Sections 92 and 100 of the Patents Act and issuing compulsory licenses to the firms to ensure adequate production and supply of vaccines. These provisions are meant to be used during a health emergency. Also, these are provisions that work against monopolisation of production, which the country cannot afford right now. On May 31, the same Bench asked the Centre to place its vaccine policy before the Court. The Court also asked how the Budget allocation of Rs 35,000 crore has been spent so far and why it cannot be used for the vaccination programme. A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court asked why a part of the enormous surplus money that the Reserve Bank granted to the Centre cannot be utilised for vaccination. It required the court to tell the rulers as to how they should act and correct themselves. Democracy always needs judicial vigilance and executive sensitivity.

International media also questioned the nations policies relating to the pandemic. Economists, academics and writers have widely written about what could be done differently to improve lives in a health crisis. In a democracy, criticisms are measures to keep the executive under check. The announcement of the new vaccine policy demonstrates this principle.

One would expect the executive to be prepared with responses and expertise since they fall within the exclusive domain of its policy. The Centre's reaction, initially, was characterised by ill-equipped approaches and failure of governance. It was also intolerant towards any dissent and was more interested in suppressing criticism than assessing its merit.

The government also made use of the pandemic period to evade the consultative process and clamp down on civil liberties. The Centre's hurry in implementing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in an indirect way is an example. It issued a notification on May 28, inviting the minorities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan to seek Indian citizenship. This happened while the matter is pending before the Supreme Court and when the rules under the Act are yet to be framed. This also shows the priority of the executive when there is enormous suffering in a health emergency.

The administrators action in Lakshadweep, which curtails the freedom of the islanders, is yet another instance. Even before the enactment of draft regulations and laws, the protesters in the island were arrested and detained, though for a short while. The islanders say that they have not been consulted prior to the drastic changes about to be implemented, altering the future of the island dramatically.

All these and many other episodes displayed a spiteful state. A responsible government ought to have concentrated on the war against the virus rather than against the people. The Constitution, by way of Directive Principles, provides for a blueprint for governance with a sense of compassion and fraternity. Article 38 persuades the state to "eliminate inequalities in status, facilities, and opportunities". Article 39 dreams about equitable distribution of resources. It dislikes "concentration of wealth and means of production to the common detriment". This could presently mean encouraging a large number of firms to produce vaccines for a cheaper price and ensuring free access to it. Even Article 51A(h) incorporated during the Emergency has a contextual relevance. It appeals to develop the scientific temper, humanism and spirit of inquiry.

To overcome the pandemic, the government needs to prepare better with adequate health expenditure and a well-defined policy when it comes to health. It should also ensure just and equitable implementation of the revised vaccine policy.

(The writer is a lawyer, Supreme Court of India and can be reached at kaleeswaramraj@gmail.com. Twitter: @KaleeswaramR)
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: The State government has further extended partial curfew till June 20 to combat Covid-19. A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level review meeting on Covid chaired by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday. However, from June 11, the curfew relaxation timings will be 6 am to 2 pm instead of 6 am to 12 noon, while all other restrictions will be the same as that are in force now.

The Chief Minister directed officials to be on high alert though Covid cases in the State are on the decline. All precautionary measures should be taken till the positivity rate decreases further and the situation totally comes under control, he stressed. The review meeting laid emphasis on preparedness of the State to face the possible third wave of Covid-19. The officials explained to the Chief Minister various experts projections on the third wave.

Traffic police enforce partial curfew restrictions on Beach Road in Visakhapatnam on Monday | G satyanarayana

Jagan instructed the officials to strengthen pediatric wards right from teaching hospitals to Primary Health Centres to face the possible third wave of Covid, which is likely to impact children more. The officials should focus on strengthening infrastructure in pediatric wards of government hospitals. Already, we are revamping medical infrastructure under Naadu Nedu and this will be part of it. Even if the cost gets escalated a little more, it is not a problem. All the infrastructure should be of national standards. We should take it up now itself as it will not be possible at the last minute, Jagan observed.

Prepare to treat children in third Covid wave: Jagan

Adequate stock of medicines should be maintained in government hospitals to treat Covid cases and more doctors should be recruited if needed. The officials should lay emphasis on creating awareness among people about the likely impact of the third wave on children and its intensity. At the same time, ANMs, ASHA workers and other health staff should be trained in identifying Covid symptoms among children, he said.

The Chief Minister said in case there is a third wave and children are infected, there should be hospitals ready to treat them. We should be prepared and let there be no complaint that we do not have adequate facilities in the State to treat children, he said. He asked the officials to monitor the distribution of dry ration being given under the YSR Sampoorna Poshana and Goru Muddha schemes. They were asked to identify the hospitals to provide treatment to children, so they can be empanelled and at the same time private teaching hospitals should be provided necessary information to enable them get prepared to face the third wave.

Briefing mediapersons about the issues discussed at the Chief Ministers review meeting and the content of preliminary report submitted by the AP Pediatric Task Force Committee with regard to required infrastructure and other issues, Principal Secretary (Health) Anil Kumar Singhal said if age profile of Covid victims is taken into consideration, AP is more or less having the same statistics as that of national average.

At present, we have 11 per cent cases in below 20 years category and 2.72 per cent in 0-10 years category. The task force committee had studied the existing infrastructure with regard to pediatric wards, including ICU beds, ventilators, and medicines and assessed what are required in the worst case scenario and accordingly made recommendations, he said.

Apart from strengthening pediatric wards and infrastructure in government hospitals, private hospitals will also be roped in to combat the third wave. As children have to be accompanied by their mothers if they tested positive, it has been proposed that mothers of children aged below five years should be vaccinated. The government has decided to relax norms to enable the mothers of children aged below five years get vaccinated along with those aged above 45 years, he said.

According to the Women and Child Welfare Department, the number of such women who need vaccination are anywhere between 15 and 20 lakh in the State. Modalities and protocols to vaccinate them are being prepared, Singhal said. Pointing out that the only childrens hospital in the erstwhile undivided AP  Niloufer Hospital went to Telangana during bifurcation, a detailed project report to set up a 500-bed paediatric multispeciality hospital in Vizag with an outlay of `200 crore was prepared 18 months ago.

It was decided to clear the project, so works can be taken up immediately. In addition to that, it was decided to set up such hospitals in Vijayawada-Guntur for Coastal Andhra region and in Tirupati for Rayalaseema region. The Detailed Project Reports for the paediatric hospitals will be submitted to the government at the earliest, he explained.

3 major pediatric hosps to be set up

From June 11, the curfew relaxation timings will be 6 am to 2 pm, while all other curbs will be same as that are in force now

CM Jagan instructed officials to strengthen pediatric wards right from teaching hospitals to Primary Health Centres

It has been proposed to vaccinate mothers of children aged below five years as they need to accompany their kids

Plan to set up pediatric multispeciality hospitals in Vizag, Vijayawada-Guntur and Tirupati
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: PG doctors and house surgeons under the Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (APJUDA) on Monday served strike notice on the state government for boycotting duties from June 9, if their demands were not met. Their main demands are ex-gratia/health insurance for all frontline workers, Covid incentives for all the junior doctors including postgraduates and interns, increase security measures in hospitals to prevent untoward incidents and resolve TDS issue in stipend pay. APJUDA president Dr Rahul Roy told TNIE that they served the strike notice on the Director of Medical Education by e-mail as he as well as other authorities were not available to serve the strike notice in person.

According to him, they will intensify their agitation in a gradual manner and they will boycott non-Covid electives on the first day of the strike (June 9), Covid electives on the second day (June 10), non-Covid emergencies on the third day (June 11) and Covid emergencies on the fourth day (June 12). APJUDA state executive panel, in the strike notice served on the State government, said they are thankful to the government for the positive response towards some of the requests like stipend to senior residents and considering final year post graduate students as senior residents for equivalent stipend pay. However, they said some of their most important and genuine demands such as ex gratia/insurance and Covid incentives were not yet addressed, which is troubling them at this tough time.

They said prior intimation of strike notice has been informed to higher authorities. We do not want to cause suffering to the common man as we, as Covid warriors, know the pain of suffering. We want to avoid the boycott of duties, but we are forced to go for strike as our main demands, which are meant for the benefit of ground-level Covid warriors  post graduates and house surgeons  are not yet met, Rahul said.

Post graduate doctors and house surgeons are rendering services to combat the Covid pandemic since the first wave and extending services during the second wave without any additional benefits at the cost of their lives and precious academic career, which cant be compensated, he said. Several other states including neighbouring Telangana are taking initiatives to encourage Covid warriors by providing incentives, ex gratia and insurance to boost their morale, he pointed out.

APJUDA requested the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to consider their issues and resolve them at the earliest, so that they can join their duties. Meanwhile, the Senior Resident Doctors Association (SRDA) of Andhra Pradesh has decided to keep away from the strike for now, while extending moral support to it.
Iffath Fathima By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: While Bengaluru Urban district continues to have the highest Covid-19 active case load in the state, rural areas in many other districts are reporting a high number of active cases compared to the urban areas.According to the Covid-19 State War Room data, districts like Hassan, Tumakuru, Belagavi and Dakshina Kannada are seeing a high number of active cases in rural areas in the last 14 days compared to the urban areas in those districts.

According to the data, Tumakuru has 8,336 active cases in rural areas compared to 2,087 urban cases. Similarly, 7,567 active cases were reported in Hassan rural, compared to 2,452 in urban areas, while Belagavi reported 5,421 active cases in rural areas. Other districts like Dakshina Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Chamarajanagar, Chikkballapur, Udupi and Uttara Kannada too are seeing a similar trend.

However, districts like Dharwad, Ballari and Mysuru are reporting more active cases in the urban areas.

Hassan District Health Officer Dr Satish Kumar told The New Indian Express that most of the cases in rural areas are those who returned from Bengaluru due to the lockdown.As the cases started to increase, students and others working in Bengaluru returned to their villages in Hassan. However, they were not traced as the focus then was on urban areas.

By the time they developed symptoms and tested positive, their family members had already got infected, contributing to more cases. We set up 70 teams to conduct door-to-door surveys and identify, trace and isolate the patients. Those who had mild infection were moved to Covid Care Centres (CCC). Meanwhile, we also alerted the village panchayat task forces, who, along with their teams, visited villages, conducted tests and monitored Covid-positive patients.

Over 1,500-odd villages still have active cases. However, it is slowly declining.An official from Belagavi pointed out that it is difficult to convince people to get admitted in CCCs as they prefer home isolation. The guidelines clearly state that those infected in rural areas should be moved to CCCs. However, in the initial days, not many adhered to the rule. But now, the situation is improving, the official said.Meanwhile, Tumakuru District Health Officer Dr M B Nagendrappa said that the cases are declining in the district. We used to see over 2,000 cases each day. However, the number has now fallen to 400. Cases are decreasing even in rural areas. We have increased testing to over 8,000 people each day, he said.
Bosky Khanna By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: Learning from their experience in allocating beds for COVID-19 patients during the first and second wave, experts and officials working with the state and BBMP war room have come up with a new system.

In this, bed blocking will be similar to how hotel rooms are booked using the channel manager software. Officials are working full time to bring in the new system in 2-3 months, before a potential third wave.

Though the software will be on the same lines of hotel room booking, it will be different. Through channel manager, room availability is known in real time by customers and travel agents globally as check-in and check-out of each hotel is linked to it. The same is being planned for government and private hospitals for bed blocking now, a government official told The New Indian Express, on condition of anonymity.

ALSO READ: Its back to Bengaluru for many as Covid cases start to dip

Just like in hotels, the type of beds, rates and services available will be listed out. Through this, citizens will be able to check availability, compare and choose the best and nearest hospital for treatment. This will bring in healthy competition and transparency, the official added.

The need for this arose because despite government orders, many private hospitals did not reserve 50 per cent beds for government referred patients. There were also many cases where patients were charged exorbitantly for treatment.

Despite there being a state war room portal, BBMP portal and private hospitals management portal, all hospitals are still not on board. The health department and BBMP still does not have a list of all hospitals in Bengaluru or Karnataka and total beds for treatment. Same is the case with medical colleges. Through this new system, all portals and applications will be linked including the war rooms, CHBMS, SAST, Index and others. The plan is to complete development and trials within three months and make it operational before the third wave (likely in September), the official added.

The government has given in-principle approval for the new system. However, many hospitals are not convinced. Meetings are being held to bring them under one umbrella, explaining the gravity of the situation.

Dr Prasanna HM, PHANA President, said the new system will be helpful but there are instances of harassment from government officials so hospital managements were not keen.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The assembly witnessed a slanging match between the government and the Opposition over the handling of the Kodakara black money heist case and the alleged involvement of BJP in the episode. Demanding that the Kodakara case be discussed through an adjournment motion, the Opposition asked the government whether it would strike a deal with the BJP and wind up the investigation.

The government on its part assured the assembly that a serious investigation by a Special Investigation Team was progressing and various aspects of the case were being probed.Shafi Parambil of the Congress, who gave the notice for adjournment motion, demanded that a foolproof investigation should be carried out into the black money heist episode. In the backdrop of the gold smuggling case being investigated by Central agencies, Shafi wondered whether there would be a a quid pro quo arrangement vis-a-vis the Kodakara case, He warned the LDF government against compromising the ongoing investigation in the case which had very serious ramifications.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who replied to the notice for adjournment motion denied any sort of understanding as pointed out by Shafi. A very serious probe by a Special Investigation Team is underway in the case and the guilty will not go scot free. The probe will also bring to the fore whether attempts were made to sabotage the states democratic set up, he assured. Pinarayi added that details of the Kodakara case were also handed over to the Enforcement Directorate on June 1.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan alleged that the Chief Minister was silent on the role of BJP and Sangh Parivar in the Kodakara case. He added that Pinarayi was also careful not to utter the name of the BJP president in his reply. Our question is whether the government would utilise the opportunity to find out the real source of the black money that was used to influence voters and sabotage the election process?

Satheesan asked. The Opposition leader said the LDFs attempts to strike a compromise with the BJP on various issues would soon come to the fore. He also went on to allege that LDF had entered into a deal with the BJP to ensure the saffron partys win in seven seats in the recent assembly election.

The Chief Minister refuted the Opposition charge of compromise with the BJP. We all know who are the people who go for such compromises. We have not gone for any such deals, Pinarayi said. He reminded that a case against Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Praveen Togadia was withdrawn by the previous UDF government.

NO CENTRES ASSISTANCE FOR FREE FOOD KITS

TPuram: The state is solely bearing the responsibility of providing free food kits to the people in the wake of Covid, Food Minister G R Anil told the assembly. He said the state is utilising its allocated resources to distribute the free food kits. The reply assumes significance as there were allegations that kits were being provided using the Centres fund. He said the Centre did not give any consideration towards Kerala despite it being a food-deficit state.

Rs 5,712 cr spent from CMDRF

A sum of Rs 5,712 crore was spent from the CMs Distress Relief Fund in the last five years. CM Pinarayi Vijayan said Rs 88.78 crore was spent from the fund during 2011-15 period when the UDF was in power.

Rs 10.79cr spent on reforms committee

A sum of Rs 10.79 crore was spent on the Administrative Reforms Committee that was helmed by V S Achuthanandan. The CM said 13 reports were submitted by the commission and a committee has been formed with Chief Secretary as chairman to study them.

Opposition stages walkout

The Opposition members walked out of the assembly during the question hour in protest against the Speaker allowing a question that allegedly insulted the opposition parties. The question raised by one of the LDF members had a remark that said the Opposition parties tried to undermine the governments efforts in alleviating the difficulties the state had encountered during the back-to-back disasters.

This irked the Opposition and VD Satheesan, MLA, raised this as a point order and asked Speaker M B Rajesh not to allow the question. However, the speaker allowed the question citing the House rules and saying that only the member who moved the question can withdraw it. Following this, the

UDF staged a walkout.
By ANI

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:: Member of Parliament from Kerala's Kannur, K Sudhakaran has been appointed as the president of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, K Suresh, PT Thomas, and T Siddique have been appointed as working presidents of KPCC. K Sudhakaran, while accepting the post, said, "I got the information of my appointment from Rahul Gandhi (Congress leader). I am very happy to accept the post".

Talking about the stature of Congress at an organisational level, the newly appointed KPCC president said, "He (Rahul Gandhi) has entrusted me with the responsibility of strengthening the party, and I am sure that I can do it. For this, I will try to maintain a cordial relationship with all leaders to strengthen the party. I am hopeful of making Congress strong within six months. Our people here are ambitious, and are waiting for the same."

Congress and United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders have welcomed the appointment of the 73-year-old politician as KPCC President. Former opposition leaders, Ramesh Chennithala and Ommen Chandy, along with the former KPCC President Mullapally Ramachandran welcomed the All India Congress Committee's (AICC) decision.

Welcoming the decision, Muslim league leader PK Kunjalikutty said, "K Sudhakaran is capable to strengthen the party".
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has not been notified of the possibilities of a third wave of Covid-19 by the Centre, Health Minister Veena George on Monday informed the assembly. Veena said the government has taken measures to deal with an increase in number of patients. Reverse quarantine project will be implemented to keep away vulnerable communities including the senior citizens, pregnant women, children, cancer and kidney patients, differently-abled people and heart patients from the infected patients.

The minister also informed the house that the 63 people in the state have so far been affected by black fungus (mucormycosis). Of that 57 were Covid patients, while the remaining six were non-Covid patients. Of the total 63, six were Tamil Nadu natives. She said the possibilities of black fungus was high among Covid patients or post-Covid patients.

As many as give types of mucormycosis infection were spotted in the state, she said. The minister said the second wave of the pandemic mostly affected youngsters. But the mortality rate is high among elder population and those who fall in high-risk categories, she said.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: It has been a month since the government led by MK Stalin assumed office, and not a single day passed without his chairing meetings on various issues, but especially Covid-19.He visited the districts where the infection rate was high, expedited works, and reviewed the situation. The period saw the roll-out of several welfare schemes and a rapid resolution to the oxygen crisis.All these display the eagerness of this dispensation to earn the goodwill of the people. Here is a glimpse of Stalins one month in office as regards welfare schemes and announcements.

Key schemes, announcements, and demands made in 31 days

On May 7, Stalin made five announcements Rs 2,000 to over two crore rice-cardholders as Covid lockdown relief; reduction in the price of Aavin milk by Rs 3 a litre; free bus travel for women in government buses; addressing of petitions received during his election campaign within 100 days; and a decision to bear treatment expenses of Covid patients in private hospitals

Global tenders were invited to import 3.5 crore doses of Covid vaccines. As no company has responded, the government said it would refloat the tenders

Takes many initiatives for producing medical oxygen and vaccines within the State

Requests Centre to hand over the Integrated Vaccine Complex at Chengalpattu to Tamil Nadu government so that vaccine production could be started at the earliest

Seeks zero GST on Covid medicines, including vaccines

Announces complete lockdown to contain Covid infection, which was spreading at an insidious speed

Announces that those who hoard or sell Remdesivir injection would be booked under the Goondas Act

Announces establishment of a war-room for coordinating Covid works

Full State honours to the late Tamil writer Ki Rajanarayanan. Announces a memorial for him

Forms high-level committee headed by retired judge AK Rajan to study the impact of NEET on medical admissions in Tamil Nadu. Government announces cancellation of Class XII examinations in view of Covid developments and urges the prime minister to cancel all entrance examinations, including NEET

Announces setting up of a multi-super speciality hospital at a cost of Rs 250 crore at Guindys King Institute, a library in memory of M Karunanidhi in Madurai at a cost of Rs 70 crore, extension of free bus travel for differently abled persons and transpersons, institution of Ilakkiya Maamani award for those who contribute to Tamil literature in a significant way, and establishment of paddy godowns and drying yards in Thiruvarur district at a cost of Rs 30 crore

Declares journalists as frontline staff in the prevention of Covid infection; hikes solatium from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh in case of death, and announces Rs 5,000 as incentive

Commences distribution of Rs 4,000 as relief assistance and 15 grocery items free of cost to temple priests and other workers who are not getting monthly salaries

Announces withdrawal of cases pending against those involved in anti-Sterlite agitations and provides Rs 1 lakh each to the 94 individuals affected in the agitation. Besides, provides government jobs to the kin of those killed in the police firing and those who suffered serious injuries

Announces Rs 5,000 incentive to 1.17 lakh police personnel for working as frontline staff during Covid period

Commissions vaccination for people in the age group of 18 and 44 in Tirupur

Announces decision to open Mettur dam on June 12 for the second consecutive year

Writes a letter to the President of the country, requesting him to release the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. Grants 30 days ordinary leave to convict Perarivalan, son of Arputham Ammal, on medical grounds

Urges PM Modi to expedite construction works for AIIMS in Madurai district since it remains a non-starter for more than two and half years

Chairs a meeting of leaders of all legislative parties to decide about the future course of action to be taken to contain Covid infection.
Police said a 74-year-old woman died at the scene and a 44-year-old woman, 46-year-old man and 15-year-old girl were taken to a hospital where they died from their injuries. A 9-year-old boy related to the deceased was also hospitalized and is being treated for serious, but non-life-threatening injuries
Sinduja Jane By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Just a week after the state suspended  and restarted  its vaccination drive against COVID-19, Tamil Nadu's health minister Ma Subramanian on Tuesday said that 34 of the state's 38 districts had run out of vaccine doses. Experts feared that the disruption in drive would affect the disease control in the state.

According to the minister, as of Tuesday afternoon the State had only 23,000-odd doses left, of which 16,000 were in Chennai and 4,000 in Coimbatore. Yet, Coimbatore, as well as Tiruchy and Madurai, have suspended the vaccine drive for a few days now due to less stock. By Tuesday evening, the State still managed to vaccinate 14,928 people.

According to the schedule sent by the Central government, Tamil Nadu is expected to received 63,370 doses of Covaxin for the 18-44 age group on Wednesday, 40,000 doses of Covaxin for 45 and above age group on Thursday and 3,65,800 doses of Covishield for the 18-44 age group on Friday.

ALSO READ| Masks, sanitisers, PPE kits now essential articles, Tamil Nadu govt fixes MRP for them

An health department official said that supply would be dispatched to all districts once the doses arrive in Chennai. "We will restart the drive after the supply reaches the districts," the official said.

The Centre had released 4,20,570 doses of Covishield for Tamil Nadu on June 1, hours after the State announced it would suspend vaccination. It received 5 lakh doses of Covaxin on June 4 to vaccinate persons above the age of 45. The State's allocation for the month of June is 42 lakh doses, the minister said while speaking to reporters.

So far, Tamil Nadu has received 1.01 crore vaccine doses from the Centre, and vaccinated 97.5 lakh people. Subramanian said nearly 3.5 lakh doses  or about 3 percent  were wasted in the first phase of the vaccine drive.

Welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement that the Centre would provide States with vaccines free of cost to vaccinate the 18-44 age group as well, the minister urged the union government to allocate vaccine doses on the basis on State population and ensure timely supply.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, former Director of Public Health Dr K Kolandasamy expressed the concern that the disruption in the vaccination drive would delay disease control in the State. "Vaccination is the only weapon to control the disease. Of course, in times like this there might be delays in production, but once the supply resumes, the vaccination drive must pick up speed," he said.

ALSO READ| Covaxin less effective against B.1.617.2 variant responsible for second wave: Study

Meanwhile, the minister, earlier in the day, told reporters that vaccine production could be started at the Pasteur Institute of India at Coonoor if raw materials were supplied by the Centre. "One crore vaccines can be produced in a month at the Pasteur Institute if raw material is provided," he said.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday directed the State and Central governments to ensure students heading abroad to study are prioritised for Covid-19 vaccination.With several countries now opening up and allowing international travellers... this aspect of the matter gains even more significance, the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy observed.

The bench made the observation on a suo motu plea on the State governments management of the Covid-19 crisis. It was informed of the plight of students who wish to study abroad and of those who live abroad and had come to India for a short visit.The bench said both the Centre and State should look into such aspects so the aspirations and convenience of a number of citizens can be taken care of. It also suggested that passport numbers are mentioned on the vaccination certificates.

The bench then expressed its satisfaction with the preparedness of the Central and State governments. In view of the reports filed, which indicate the allocation of vaccines to the State and the Union Territory for June, the allocation of the cocktail of drugs necessary to treat Covid, and the allocation of drugs to deal with mucormycosis, the Centre appears to be on the right track, it said.
By PTI

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Health Minister M Subramanian on Tuesday warned of 'strict police action' against individuals who attacked doctors, nurses if a COVID-19 patient succumbed to the virus at a hospital.

He noted that doctors, nurses and the government were working on a 'war-footing' to save the lives of people amid the COVID-19 pandemic and said even doctors tried their best to save a life even at critical moments.

Briefing reporters after identifying land for setting up a multi-speciality hospital at the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research campus here, he said it has come to the notice of the government that relatives and some individuals of a patient who died due to COVID-19 attacked doctors, nurses and the staff of a hospital.

"Though the doctors take all possible measures to save the life, sometimes it is not possible to avoid deaths. In such a scenario attacking doctors and nurses will be a disgrace to the service they render particularly in this COVID-19 situation," he added.

"Such incidents have taken place in Tamil Nadu and the government will not allow it to happen at any cost. Strict police action will be taken against those individuals who indulge in such acts," he warned.

Subramanian also slammed 'some' private hospitals for collecting excessive fee for treating COVID-19 patients and said the government had taken action against 40 such healthcare service providers recently.

Considering the services of the doctors and nurses during this pandemic situation, 'some' private hospitals use the COVID-19 pandemic to collect excess fee from patients for treatment, he said.

"The government will not hesitate to take action against such hospitals. Already, we have initiated action against 40 such hospitals. The licenses of the hospitals will be cancelled under the Tamil Nadu Clinical Establishment Act," he warned.

Earlier in the day, Subramanian along with senior government officials including health secretary J Radhakrishnan visited the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research and said 12.6 acres of land has been identified for setting up the proposed multi-specialty hospital in its campus at a cost of Rs 250 crore.

"We identified the land for the multi-specialty hospital. It measures about 12.6 acres and is located adjacent to the existing structure. Once it becomes operational it will also facilitate the King Institute. Chief Minister (M K Stalin) will formally announce the project plan," he said.

On the vaccination details, he said till date 1.16 crore doses have been received from the Centre and 97 lakh people were vaccinated so far.

"We are expecting an additional 42 lakh doses to be distributed to the state and today the Centre has shared the schedule of doses that will be arriving to the state. We are expecting to receive some more doses from June 9," he said.

To a query on whether the government would re-float the global tender to procure vaccines since there were no bidders in the past, he said such a situation (to refloat a tender) has not arisen in the wake of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing the Centre's decision to procure 75 per cent of the vaccines produced in the country and provide them to the states 'free of cost'.

"Already, the chief minister has extended his gratitude to the Prime Minister's announcement. Since we will be receiving more doses from June 21, there is no question of floating the tenders once again," he said.

Stalin on Monday appreciated Modi for reversing the Centre's position on COVID-19 vaccines. "I welcome the @PMOIndia's statement indicating that the Union Government will procure 75 per cent of the vaccines produced in the country and provide them to the states free of cost. I also appreciate the Prime Minister for reversing his government's previous position", Stalin had said in a tweet.

The Tamil Nadu government on May 15 floated a global tender to procure 3.5 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines to administer to those in the 18 to 44 years age group. Since it did not elicit any bidder, the government had planned for re-floating the tender.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Lockdown in Telangana has been extended by 10 days till June 20.

Meanwhile, lockdown relaxation has been increased by an extra hour (now 6 am to 6 pm) for the commuters to return home conveniently.

The two decisions were taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at Pragati Bhavan here on Tuesday.

The cabinet directed the police department to strictly implement lockdown at night from 6 pm to 6 am the following day.

In Sattupalli, Madhira, Nalgonda, Nagarjuna Sagar, Devarakonda, Munugodu, Miryalaguda, lockdown will be in force like the ongoing one without any further relaxation because the incidence of Covid in these Assembly segments has not come down yet.

The cabinet also approved a proposal to issue new ration cards to 4.46 lakh people whose applications have been pending. The cabinet asked the officials to complete the exercise of issuing ration cards within a fortnight.
MOSCOW: Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has been transferred from a prison hospital back to his penal colony after receiving treatment following a hunger strike, his allies said Monday. Navalny was jailed for two and a half years in February on old embezzlement charges he and his supporters say are politically motivated.

He was sentenced shortly after returning to Russia from Germany, where he was receiving treatment for a near-fatal poisoning attack with a nerve agent.

President Vladimir Putin's most outspoken domestic critic declared a hunger strike in March to demand proper medical treatment for a growing list of health complaints, including back pain and numbness in his limbs.

Navalny in April was transferred to a prison hospital in another penal colony as the West warned it would hold the Kremlin responsible for the state of his health. The opposition politician called off the strike 24 days later. "Navalny has been transferred back to the Penal Colony No. 2," Navalny's team said on Twitter on Monday.

The prison is located in the town of Pokrov 100 kilometres (60 miles) east of Moscow. A court in Moscow is considering whether to designate Navalny's political network as an "extremist" organisation, which would remove potential challengers to the ruling United Russia party ahead of parliamentary elections in September. A decision is expected as early as this week.

Last Friday, Putin approved an anti-extremism law expected to be used to ban his allies from running in elections. The Kremlin chief signed off on the legislation the day Navalny marked his 45th birthday behind bars. Many of his close allies are either outside Russia or under arrest.

On Sunday, prominent Kremlin critic and former opposition lawmaker Dmitry Gudkov said he had left Russia for Ukraine due to pressure from authorities ahead of the elections. Citing sources close to the Kremlin, Gudkov, 41, said that if he did not leave he would be arrested over a "fake" criminal case against him.
By PTI

LONDON: Over 200 world leaders, including former presidents, prime ministers and ministers have backed a campaign urging the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations to help vaccinate the world's poorest from low-income economies against COVID-19 by paying two-thirds of an estimated USD 66 billion required.

A letter, seen by the 'Guardian' newspaper ahead of the G7 summit to be hosted by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Cornwall from this Friday, warns that the leaders of the UK, US, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada must make 2021 "a turning point in global cooperation" because fewer than 2 per cent of people in sub-Saharan Africa have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

It is the first time the G7 leaders are meeting since the start of the pandemic. The three-day summit will cover a range of issues, with a particular focus on how the group can lead the global recovery from coronavirus.

The letter, whose signatories include former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, argues the investment needed is affordable for the world's richest economies and vital to stopping the spread of new coronavirus variants that could undermine current vaccines.

"The year 2020 witnessed a failure of global cooperation, but 2021 can usher in a new era. No one anywhere is safe from COVID-19 until everyone is safe everywhere. Support from the G7 and G20 that makes vaccines readily accessible to low and middle-income countries is not an act of charity, but rather is in every country's strategic interest, and as described by the IMF [International Monetary Fund] is the best public investment in history'," reads the letter.

According to the British newspaper, prominent figures who have signed the letter include former UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon, former Irish President Mary Robinson and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and 15 former African leaders.

Other signatories include the UK's former overseas development minister Lynda Chalker, Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, and the economist Lord O'Neill.

They say that polling suggests the public backs the concept, with a survey commissioned by Save the Children revealing that 79 per cent of people in the UK who have a view think the G7 should pay to make the world safe.

An estimated USD 66 billion over two years is needed for the global vaccine effort. The former leaders say the G7 should pay two-thirds of the cost, according to the size of their economies. "For the G7 to pay is not charity, it is self-protection to stop the disease spreading, mutating and returning to threaten all of us. Costing just 30p (pence) per person per week in the UK, is a small price to pay for the best insurance policy in the world. Savings from vaccination are set to reach around USD 9 trillion by 2025," said Gordon Brown.

Over the weekend, Boris Johnson said he would ask his G7 counterparts at the G7 summit to 'rise to the greatest challenge of the post-war era' by "vaccinating the world by the end of next year". While there are no details on funding or dose-sharing yet, Downing Street said the UK will be laying out details of its contribution to global vaccination as part of its presidency of the G7 Summit.

India has been invited as a guest country to the three-day event, scheduled between Friday and Sunday, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to join discussions on health and climate change virtually. The coronavirus has claimed over 3,730,500 lives, along with more than 173,360,900 cases of confirmed infections across the world, according to Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 tracker.
By AFP

COLOMBO: Army relief workers in aluminium dinghies handed out rice and other food to residents in submerged parts of the Sri Lankan capital as the death toll from monsoon floods across the country rose to 17 Monday.

The monsoon hits the South Asian country twice a year, bringing vital rain for irrigation and hydro-power generation, but it can be deadly and destructive.

At least 17 people have died since Friday, after heavy downpours inundated 10 of the country's 25 districts.

"Our kitchen is still flooded and we managed thanks to cooked food distributed by the military," Kusuma Dahanayake told AFP by telephone from Gampaha, the worst-affected district, just outside Colombo.

The 73-year-old said it was the worst flooding she had experienced at her home since she moved there in 1995.

Officials said floodwaters in the area were receding, but about 161,000 people were still unable to return to their homes.

The flooding in the area was exacerbated by the illegal filling of low-lying lands reserved for stormwater retention, they added.

Residents of Kelaniya, on the outskirts of Colombo, waded through waist-deep waters, while some used makeshift rafts and oars to get around on streets which now resembled canals.

In Malwana, just northeast of Colombo, Hassen Maulavi told AFP he had to negotiate flooded streets for an urgent medical appointment on Monday, from his partially submerged two-storey home.

Soldiers on Monday rescued 27 people marooned in a region north of Colombo, after earlier operations to pluck hundreds of people from their flooded homes over the weekend.

The Disaster Management Centre said conditions overall appeared to be improving Monday, although a mudslide warning remained for the 10 districts.

In the central Kegalle district, rescuers said they were guided by a pet dog to a home where four members of a family had been buried by a mudslide on Sunday.

All four -- aged between 23 and 57 -- had died, the officials added.

While Sri Lanka's monsoon is seasonal, the nation -- a member of the 48-country Climate Vulnerable Forum -- faces more frequent floods as a result of global warming, experts have warned.
By PTI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday denounced the killing of four members of a Pakistani-origin Canadian family in Canada, saying this "act of terrorism" reveals the growing "Islamophobia" in Western countries.

On Sunday, a 20-year-old man, wearing a vest like body armour, slammed a pickup truck into a Pakistani family of five, killing four of them, in what police allege was "a planned, premeditated act motivated by hate", according to media reports from Canada.

The incident happened near the intersection of Hyde Park Road and South Carriage Road when the Muslim family was out for a walk in the evening, the Toronto Star reported.

A black pickup truck driven by Nathaniel Veltman mounted the curb of a busy London intersection and struck a family of five as they waited to cross the street.

The driver sped off, leaving a scene of chaos and tragedy, the report said.

Veltman was arrested five minutes later, seven kilometres away from the scene.

Reacting to the incident, Prime Minister Khan tweeted, "Saddened to learn of the killing of a Muslim Pakistani-origin Canadian family in London, Ontario. This condemnable act of terrorism reveals the growing Islamophobia in Western countries. Islamophobia needs to be countered holistically by the international community."

Saddened to learn of the killing of a Muslim Pakistani-origin Canadian family in London, Ontario. This condemnable act of terrorism reveals the growing Islamophobia in Western countries. Islamophonia needs to be countered holistically by the international community.  Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) June 8, 2021

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also took to Twitter to condemn the incident, saying three generations of Pakistani-Canadians had been killed for their faith.

"3 generations of Pakistani-Canadians were killed in a brutal act of mass murder for their Muslim faith. This is an act of terror rooted in unspeakable hatred & Islamophobia. Extend our deepest sympathy to the family members & pray for the recovery of the only survivor; a little boy," he tweeted.

3 generations of Pakistani-Canadians were killed in a brutal act of mass murder for their Muslim faith. This is an act of terror rooted in unspeakable hatred & Islamophobia.

Extend our deepest sympathy to the family members & pray for recovery of the only survivor; a little boy.  Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) June 8, 2021

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that he was "horrified" by the attack.

"To the loved ones of those who were terrorised by yesterday's act of hatred, we are here for you," he said, singling out the nine-year-old in hospital.

"To the Muslim community in London and to Muslims across the country, know that we stand with you. Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities. This hate is insidious and despicable, and it must stop," he added.

Detective Superintendent at London Police Service Paul Waight said that the "investigators believe that this was an intentional act and that the victims were targeted because of their Islamic faith.

There is evidence that this was a planned, premeditated act, motivated by hate."

Just hours into the investigation, police called the deaths both horrific and "intentional" Waight also said that the suspect wore a vest similar to body armour during the incident on Sunday and that potential terrorism charges are being considered, the CTV News reported.

London police will be working with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on possible terrorism charges, Waight told reporters.
By PTI

KATHMANDU: Nepal's government has not issued any formal ban order against Patanjali's Ayurveda-based Coronil in the country, a health ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Yoga Guru Ramdev had introduced Ayurveda-based Coronil tablets on June 23 last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak in India.

Health Ministry Spokesperson Dr. Krishna Prasad Poudyal refuted media reports that the Nepal government has banned Coronil in the country.

"The government has not issued any formal ban order against the medicine," he said.

He said that any type of medicines which are supposed to be distributed to the general public needs to be registered at the Department of Drug Administration under the Ministry of Health and Population first.

ALSO READ | Nepal resumes COVID-19 vaccination campaign with doses given by China

A packet of Coronil was gifted to Nepal's then Health Minister Hridayesh Tripathi some time ago, Poudyal said.

"Other than that I have no information regarding the matter," he added.

There is no proof that Coronil can cure corona disease, said a Health Ministry official on condition of anonymity.

There are many Ayurvedic medicines available in Nepal, which can boost immunity of individuals and may also help to get rid of corona infection.

However, the World Health Organisation has not yet approved any medicine that can cure corona, he added.

Last month, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) asked The Haridwar-based Patanjali Yogpeeth to withdraw a "misleading" advertisement from all platforms endorsing "Coronil kit", a product of his firm, as an effective medicine for COVID-19, failing which it said an FIR and a criminal case will be lodged against Ramdev.

Nepal on Tuesday reported 3,870 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of cases to 5,95,364.

The Health Ministry also said 108 new deaths were reported, including figures from the past few days based on the statistics from the Nepal Army.
By AFP

THE HAGUE: Police arrested more than 800 people worldwide in a huge global sting involving encrypted phones that were secretly planted by the FBI, law enforcement agencies said Tuesday.

Cops in 16 countries were able to read the messages of global underworld figures as they plotted drug deals, arms transfers and gangland hits on the compromised ANOM devices.

Mafia groups, Asian crime syndicates, motorcycle gangs and other organised crime syndicates around the world were all monitored using the spiked phones as part of Operation "Trojan Shield".

The sting, jointly conceived by Australia and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, prevented around 100 murders, foiled several large-scale narcotics shipments and led to seizures of weapons and cash, they added.

"The results are staggering," FBI Assistant Director Calvin Shivers told reporters at the headquarters of the EU's police agency Europol HQ in The Netherlands.

Shivers said the FBI had provided criminal syndicates in over 100 countries with the devices over the last 18 months "that allowed us to monitor their communications".

Europol hailed the "exceptional" operation, which saw around 12,000 of the ANOM devices distributed worldwide to criminals who thought they were chatting in secret.

"This information led over the last week to hundreds of law enforcement operations on a global scale from New Zealand to Australia to Europe and the USA, with impressive results," said Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, Deputy Director Operations at Europol.

"More than 800 arrests, more than 700 locations searched, more than eight tonnes of cocaine."

Police also seized 22 tonnes of cannabis, two tonnes of methamphetamine, 250 firearms, 55 luxury vehicles and over $48 million (39 million euros) in various currencies and cryptocurrencies, Europol said.

- 'Heavy blow' -

Australian police said the supposedly hardened encrypted devices were handed out to operatives within the mafia, Asian crime syndicates, drug cartels and outlaw motorcycle gangs as part of the elaborate FBI-led plot.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Tuesday had "struck a heavy blow against organised crime -- not just in this country, but one that will echo around organised crime around the world".

The operation began after global police work in the past two years disrupted two other major encrypted phone networks used by criminals, Encrochat and SkyGlobal.

"The closure of those two encrypted communication platforms created a significant void in the encrypted communication market," said New Zealand police.

To fill the void, "the FBI operated its own encrypted device company, called 'ANOM'", the New Zealand police added.

The FBI's Shivers said this enabled them to "turn the tables" on criminals.

"We were actually able to see photographs of hundreds of tonnes of cocaine that were concealed in shipments of fruit, we were able to see hundreds of kilos of cocaine that were concealed in canned goods," Shivers said.

Showing the massive global scale of the sting, Australia said more than 200 people had been charged already.

Sweden said it had arrested 155 people, Germany detained 70 suspects, the Netherlands 49, and New Zealand 35 as a result of the operation.

Most of the 27 million ANOM messages obtained by the sting were in Dutch, German and Swedish, Dutch police said.

"Criminals assumed that the service was safe and touted it among themselves as the platform you should use, because it would be absolutely reliable. Nothing could have been further from the truth," Dutch police said in a statement.

- 'They came to us' -

According to unsealed court documents, the FBI worked with insiders to develop and distribute ANOM devices through the Phantom Secure network of existing criminal customers, unloading 50 -- mostly to Australia -- as a "beta test".

The devices are said to have had no email, call or GPS services and could only message other ANOM phones.

They could only be bought on the black market -- for around $2,000 -- and required a code from an existing user to access.

"We didn't hand them out, people actually came to us seeking those devices," Shivers said.

Australian agencies helped get the phones in the hands of underworld "influencers" -- including an Australian fugitive drug boss on the run in Turkey -- in a bid to gain trust.

The cover appeared to be blown in March 2021 when a blogger detailed ANOM security flaws and claimed it was a scam linked to Australia, the United States and other members of the FiveEyes intelligence sharing network. The post was later deleted.

ANOM's website -- which once offered "military grade" encryption services and devices with special features like "light and dark" display themes -- was unavailable Tuesday, with a message from authorities that the "domain has been seized".
New York Citys Campaign Finance Board requires that qualified participants for city offices take part in televised debates. But the lions share of the attention is on the Democratic side of the ledger. NY1 hosted one debate between Curtis Sliwa and Fernando Mateo, the Republicans running for mayor, and televised a debate among the three Republican candidates for Staten Island borough president. But what about the other boroughs? I see Democratic debates for various offices, but virtually no coverage of Republican candidates or ideas.
By PTI

ISLAMABAD: All 17 people on a van, including 16 members of a family, were killed when their vehicle plunged into the Indus River in Pakistan's mountainous Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, according to a media report on Tuesday.

The vehicle was heading from Chilas to Rawalpindi when it fell into the Indus River in the Paniba area of Kohistan district on Monday, Dawn News reported.

The van was privately hired by the family for a visit.

Dasu-Kohistan Control Room officials said besides a driver, the van had 16 passengers from the same family, including women and children, the report said, adding that the driver also died in the accident.

The accident took place when the driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a sharp turn.

It veered off into the Indus River and got submerged soon after, the police said, adding that 17 people have died in the incident.

Rescue teams were trying to locate the missing passengers but faced hurdles due to the difficult terrain and depth of the river.

Professional divers along with local volunteers have been called for carrying out the rescue operation.

Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid expressed deep sorrow over the incident and directed the administration officials to mobilise all resources in search of the victims.

Just a week ago, at least nine people had drowned when a jeep plunged into the Yarkhoon River after hitting the safety railing of a suspension bridge in the Yarkhoon Valley.

The roads linking the northern regions of the country run through some of the most treacherous mountains, causing frequent mishaps.
By PTI

SINGAPORE: A Singapore polytechnic lecturer of Chinese-origin has been suspended from teaching duties for allegedly making racist remarks towards an interracial couple of a half-India and a half-Chinese descent, local media reported on Tuesday.

The incident was captured on a video that was widely circulated online over the weekend.

A spokesperson for Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) said the Chinese-origin lecturer has been suspended.

The polytechnic is aware of the video, the Channel News Asia quoted an NP spokesperson on Monday.

"We regret that the individual in question is a member of our staff. We take a very serious view of the matter as the remarks made by the individual are highly offensive, disrespectful and goes against our staff Code of Conduct and values as a community," said the spokesperson.

"We are investigating this matter internally, including considering the appropriate disciplinary action to be taken. Meanwhile, the staff in question has been suspended from his teaching duties."

The polytechnic cannot comment further as police investigations are ongoing, said the spokesperson.

The police said on Sunday night that a 60-year-old man was assisting with investigations, after confirming that reports had been lodged and investigations were ongoing.

In the video uploaded by Dave Parkash, a man in a red polo shirt with the word "Singapore" across it can be heard telling Parkash and his girlfriend to date people of their "own race".

The man in red, who acknowledged he is a "Chinese Singaporean", then added: "I've got nothing against you personally, but I think it's racist that the Indian prey on a Chinese girl."

When Parkash, 26, called him a racist, the man in red agreed that he was.

In the video, Parkash said he is "half Indian, half Filipino", while his girlfriend is "half Singaporean Chinese, half Thai".

Parkash was with his girlfriend, Jacqueline Ho, 27, on Saturday night in Orchard Road when they were approached by the Chinese man, who said that it was a disgrace for a Chinese girl and an Indian man to be together, among other disparaging remarks.

Shocked at the remark, Parkash confronted the man, while Ho began recording the nine-minute-long video.

Parkash said that by posting the video online, he hoped that people will know it is "not okay to shame others based on their race and skin colour".

Sharing the video on Facebook on Sunday, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam wrote: "I used to believe that Singapore was moving in the right direction on racial tolerance and harmony.

Based on recent events, I am not so sure anymore.

"If it's accurate - then it's horrible. It seems like more people are finding it acceptable, to make 'in your face' racist statements - openly. And some try to explain away, each time something like this happens," he continued, adding that this is "quite unacceptable" and "very worrying".
By PTI

JOHANNESBURG: A 56-year-old great-granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, who was an accused in a six-million rand fraud and forgery case, has been sentenced to seven years in jail by a Durban court.

Ashish Lata Ramgobin was found guilty by the court on Monday.

She was accused of defrauding businessman SR Maharaj after he advanced R6.2 million to her for allegedly clearing import and Customs duties for a non-existent consignment from India. He was promised a share of profits.

Lata Ramgobin, who is the daughter of noted rights activists Ela Gandhi and late Mewa Ramgobind, was also refused leave to appeal both the conviction and the sentence by the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court.

When trial in the case against Lata Ramgobin started in 2015, Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had said that she allegedly provided forged invoices and documents to convince potential investors that three containers of linen were being shipped in from India.

At that time, Lata Ramgobin was released on a bail of 50,000 rand.

On Monday, the court during the hearing was informed that Lata Ramgobin had met Maharaj, director of the New Africa Alliance Footwear Distributors, in August 2015. The company imports and manufactures and sells clothing, linen and footwear. Maharaj's company also provides finance to other companies on a profit-share basis.

Lata Ramgobin had told Maharaj that she had imported three containers of linen for the South African Hospital Group NetCare.

"She said she was experiencing financial difficulties to pay for import costs and customs and she needed the money to clear the goods at the harbour," NPA spokesperson Natasha Kara said on Monday.

"She advised him (Maharaj) that she needed R6.2 million. To convince him, she showed him what she claimed was a signed purchase order for the goods. Later that month, she sent him what seemed to be a NetCare invoice and delivery note as proof that the goods were delivered and payment was imminent," she said.

Lata Ramgobin further sent him confirmation from NetCare's bank account that payment had been made, Kara said.

Because of Ramgobin's family credentials and NetCare documents, Maharaj had entered into a written agreement with her for the loan.

However, after Maharaj found out that the documents were forged and NetCare had no arrangements with Lata Ramgobin, he laid criminal charges.

Ramgobin was founder and executive director of the Participative Development Initiative at the NGO International Centre for Non-Violence, where she described herself as "an activist with focus on environmental, societal and political interests."

A number of other descendants of Mahatma Gandhi are human rights activists and among them are Lata Ramgobin's cousins Kirti Menon, the late Satish Dhupelia, and Uma Dhupelia-Mesthrie.

Ramgobin's mother Ela Gandhi in particular has been internationally recognised for her efforts, including national honours from both India and South Africa.
By PTI

UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is all set to be re-elected as chief of the world body after the powerful Security Council adopted by acclamation a resolution recommending his name to the General Assembly for a second five-year term beginning January 1, 2022.

The 15-nation Council held a closed meeting on Tuesday where it adopted the resolution recommending Guterres' name to the 193-member General Assembly for a second term as Secretary General.

Estonia's Ambassador to the UN Sven Jurgenson, President of the Council for month of June, told reporters after the meeting that the Council has recommended to the General Assembly that Guterres be appointed as the Secretary General for a second term of office from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2026.

"Even though we had only one official candidate, the process of the selection has not changed since last time. Now we pass on the torch to the UN General Assembly," he said.

Jurgenson said the vote in the General Assembly to re-elect Guterres could take place on June 18. "We have all seen actually the Secretary General in action. I think he has been an excellent Secretary General. He's a bridge builder, his views on the conflict zones in the world and he's able to speak to everybody. And I think this is something that is expected from the Secretary General and he has proven worthy of the post already with the five years that he has been in office," he said.

India had expressed its support for re-election of Guterres as UN Chief and welcomed the adoption of the resolution recommending his name. "India welcomes the adoption of @UN #SecurityCouncil resolution recommending a second term to #UnitedNations Secretary-General @antonioguterres," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador TS Tirumurti tweeted.

Last month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had met Guterres at the United Nations headquarters and expressed New Delhi's support to him for his second term as the world's top diplomat. "India values UNSG's leadership of the UN, especially in these challenging times. Conveyed our support for his candidature for a second term," Jaishankar had said in a tweet after the meeting.

Later a press release issued by the Permanent Mission of the India to the UN also stated that Jaishankar "conveyed that India values Secretary General's leadership of the United Nations, especially in these challenging times. He conveyed India's support for his candidature for re-election for a second term".

Under the UN Charter, the Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. Each Secretary-General has the option of a second term if they can garner enough support from Member States.

Guterres, the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations, took oath of office on January 1, 2017 and his first term ends on December 31 this year. Former Prime Minister of Portugal, Guterres served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from a decade from June 2005 to December 2015.

Guterres, nominated by the Government of Portugal, has been the only official candidate for the position of Secretary General and his re-election was a given. There has been no woman Secretary General in the UN's 75-year history and Guterres' re-election will mean that any possibility of having a female lead the world organisation can come only after 2026.

In response to a question on there being only one candidate for Secretary General and no woman being considered for the post, Jurgenson said while there were other "self-proclaimed" candidates who were not official candidates, according to the rules and procedures, only Member States can nominate candidates for the Secretary General.

Fortunately or unfortunately, "beauty is in the eyes of the looker, like they say," Jurgenson said, adding that he is "particularly glad" that the same transparent and democratic process is still applied for the election this time like last time.

"And even though there was only one candidate, but the candidate presented his vision statement. We had hearings also at the General Assembly and the Security Council. So, this procedure is democratic," he said.

A 34-year old Indian-origin employee at the United Nations Arora Akanksha had announced her candidacy for Secretary General, throwing her hat in the ring against Guterres, saying she refuses to be a by-stander and it is now time for a new UN.

In March, Guterres had circulated his vision statement and earlier in May, laid out his case for a second term to UN Member States during an informal interactive dialogue convened in the General Assembly Hall.

Guterres was elected after a reformed selection process that included a public informal dialogue session in the General Assembly, involving civil society representatives, aimed at ensuring transparency and inclusivity.

In his vision statement 'Restoring trust and inspiring hope', Guterres said that the imperatives for the next five years include mounting a massive and enduring response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences in the short-term, leaving no stone unturned in the search for peace and security, making peace with nature and climate action, turbocharging the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and advocating for a more equitable world among other issues.

"As we emerge from the pandemic, the UN is more relevant than ever - We must act as a catalyst and a platform for more inclusive, networked and effective forms of multilateralism. Our direction of travel is clear on peace and security, climate action, sustainable development, human rights and the humanitarian imperative," Guterres said in his vision statement.

"Our power to transform the current situation into a better world and future for all depends on everyone everywhere and can only be done successfully if we are resolute and resolved to combine our efforts towards our common agenda for the benefit of humanity and the planet," he added.
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Whippany, NJ (07981)

Today

Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
A former Republican congressional operative I spoke to was pointed: What a load of bulls--t. We lost the House because of our fealty to Trump, and the committee whose sole job is to try to win back the majority in Congress is pushing further allegiance to the guy who not only cost us Congress in the first place, but sent a mob to attack Congress on Jan. 6. Have they no shame?
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Monday's vaccination updates: 3 men in 50s  2 in Champaign County, 1 in Vermilion  lose lives to COVID; 5 of 25 hospitalized at Carle Urbana in ICU
Off-screen, in 2018, she said diving into the political pool would be part of her 10-year plan, according to ITK, and protested Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaughs confirmation. The following year, the Sorry not Sorry podcast host and author said that joining politics is something that I think about, and testified at a shadow hearing supporting the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, the column reports.
A steady stream of well-wishers dropped off cards and offered words of encouragement to Champaign police Officer Jeffrey Creel on a Saturday outside Grace Church in Mahomet.
One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021
The Euclid Police Department recently completed its second year of running a "golden ticket campaign" to encourage residents to wear their sea
Then-Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner answers a question during a 2010 debate at the City Club of Cleveland in Cleveland. Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner entered the race for chief justice on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, touching off likely bipartisan competition for the state judiciary's top job next year. Brunner, 64, is a former common pleas and appellate judge who also served one term as Ohio secretary of state.
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Travelers abroad may pick up bacteria and other vectors containing genes conferring antimicrobial resistance which remain in the gut when returning to their home country, according to a study published in Genome Medicine.

A team of researchers at Washington University, USA and Maastricht University, Netherlands investigated the presence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes in the human gut microbiome by analyzing the fecal samples of 190 Dutch travelers before and after travel to destinations in Northern Africa, Eastern Africa, Southern Asia and Southeastern Asia.

The gut microbiome includes bacteria and other organisms that live in the digestive tracts of humans. The participants and their samples were taken from a subset of data from the larger COMBAT study also investigating AMR. AMR genes have naturally developed in bacteria over millennia when they were exposed to antibiotics naturally produced by a few environmental bacteria, but overuse and misuse of antibiotics in human medicine and animal agriculture is accelerating the process. Antimicrobial resistant bacteria do not respond to treatment with antibiotics to which they have developed resistance.

The authors found an increase in the amount and diversity of AMR genes in fecal samples from travelers who had returned from abroad, including high-risk AMR genes that are resistant to common and last resort antibiotics (antibiotics which are used when other antibiotics do not work).

The authors used metagenome sequencing of the fecal microbiomes to identify AMR genes in the samples by matching them to a database of known AMR genes. They also identified new AMR genes by testing whether genes from the samples, when added to an E. coli host, would allow those E. coli to gain new resistance to antibiotics.

Diversity of AMR genes in the microbiome significantly increased in individuals travelling back from all destinations, with evidence for 56 different AMR genes acquired during travel. This diversity was highest in those who went to Southeastern Asia. AMR genetic diversity was lower between travelers who went to the same destination, meaning they had more AMR genes in common with each other than with travelers from different destinations. This indicates that travelers picked up destination-specific AMR genes.

An in-depth genetic analysis identified high-risk AMR genes which are resistant to common and last resort antibiotics. Six of the ten high-risk genes identified were present after travel but not before, which indicates that they were acquired during travel. For example, the mcr-1 gene, which confers resistance to colistin, a last resort treatment for infections such as pneumonia and meningitis, was found only in samples after travel. The gene was found predominantly in the microbiome of travelers to Southeastern Asia; 18 of 52 (34.6%) travelers included in the study who travelled to destinations in the region carried the gene upon returning. The finding indicates that travelers may have acquired the gene at their destinations.

Fecal samples of the microbiome taken before travel also contained some AMR genes and the authors acknowledge that it is possible that the travelers also spread AMR genes to the destinations they visited. The authors lacked samples from the contacts travelers interacted with, so cannot be certain how the travelers acquired the AMR genes.

These findings provide strong support that international travel risks spreading antimicrobial resistance globally. Upon returning, travelers' microbiomes had acquired a significant amount of AMR genes. Many of these genes were high-risk AMR genes, since they confer resistance to commonly used antibiotics." Alaric D'Souza, Lead Author

The authors conclude that understanding how AMR genes spread from country to country will help target public health measures to prevent further spread. Future research could investigate the contacts travelers interact with during their visits to understand how AMR genes are transmitted.

D'Souza said: "It is vital that we address AMR in lower income countries with high resistance rates and low public health funds. This global approach may not only help the respective countries, but it could also benefit others by reducing the international spread of resistance genes."
Im not going to tell him that its OK to read books about all the wonderful little farm animals, and they say oink oink oink and moo moo moo, and not tell him that thats what a hamburger is, he noted. So Im not going to perpetuate the lie, but Im also not going to force him to be vegan. Ill support him. Thats my plan.
More strategic and coordinated travel restrictions likely could have reduced the spread of COVID-19 in the early stages of the pandemic. That's according to new research published in Communications Physics. This finding stems from new modeling conducted by a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

The researchers evaluated the distance between countries in terms of air travel, a more complex measurement than simply mapping physical distance. For instance, while China and Thailand may be geographically more proximate to one another, if there are significantly more flights between China and the United States, the chance of disease spread may be higher.

"This is considered a global problem," said Mamadou Diagne, an assistant professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering at Rensselaer, "so we wanted to know if coordinated action could be taken to mitigate contamination rates all across the world."

By mapping and analyzing the global mobility network through air traffic patterns, the researchers were able to determine the level of connection between various nations and develop a model that can predict which countries are closer to one another in terms of disease spread. The model was able to successfully predict when the virus arrived in the United States.

Using this approach, the team examined the effectiveness of various travel restrictions countries implemented in an effort to slow the transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19.

For example, we found that the Chinese lockdown reduced the arrival time of the virus in uninfected countries by about 10 days. And, it reduced the number of infections by 6 million globally." Jianxi Gao, assistant professor of computer science at Rensselaer

Travel restrictions enacted by other nations, including entry bans, global travel bans, and lockdowns, also helped to reduce the global spread. However, the Rensselaer team found that these actions could have been significantly more effective had countries worked in concert with one another.

"According to the data we collected, about 63.2% percent of travel restrictions were ineffective," said Lu Zhong, a postdoctoral researcher in mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering. "Because the travel restrictions were done in an uncoordinated way, they failed to contribute to the global good."

Diagne, Gao, and Zhong found that redundant or unnecessary travel restrictions also affected the global economy. A more efficient approach, they said, could mitigate economic harm.

Researchers started this work before the COVID-19 pandemic began, though they were focused on a different disease at that time. They believe the model could be applied to future pandemics in addition to alleviating some of the ongoing effects of the current one.

These findings were initially published in preprint on MedRxiv, an online repository of papers that have been screened but not peer-reviewed.
Emerging variants of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are causing a third wave in Europe, and an interesting development has been observed.

As transmissible variants and vaccinations have increased, several European countries have experienced a second and third wave of the pandemic without a proportional increase in disease severity and mortality.

A promising development has prompted a study premised on an additional factor that can influence how the virus affects the population.

The concept of having a higher immune defense against the virus is predicated on SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells, which progressively develop based on natural exposure to low viral doses.

Recent studies have suggested that low-dose viral particles enter the respiratory and intestinal tract and can induce the T cell memory response without inflammation occurring, resulting in varying degrees of immunization. This lack of inflammatory response could be the cause of a disproportionate level of COVID-19 rates and disease severity and mortality in the population.

A recent analysis of German data found a decline in fatality rates from COVID-19 in all age groups, including older age groups. This can also be confirmed by the surveillance reports by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), who have relayed that a majority of European countries have experienced high rates of COVID-19 in 2021 without a proportional increase in mortality rates.

The hypothesis of low-virus doses leaking from masks which may reduce disease severity in those who are subsequently infected, has been proposed to explain the possible increase in the rates of asymptomatic infections.

The Italian authors of this paper, published in the journal Viruses, have taken this hypothesis and expanded it to include viral particles suspended in the air or on inanimate objects as a possible source of T cell immunity due to the repeated low-dose exposure, potentially explaining virus immunity found in non-infected individuals.

Disease severity trends

COVID-19 distribution in Italy from February 2020 to April 2021 illustrates an increase in asymptomatic and paucisymptomatic cases, whereby more individuals with the infection either presented with no symptoms or a few symptoms such as malaise (seen in Figure 1).

Epidemiological data of the Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome, Italy) showing the clinical status of COVID-19 patients from January 2020 to April 2021. Colored bars represent the percentage of cases, respectively, with critical clinical conditions (top bars, dark red, clinical manifestations affecting the respiratory tract and/or other organ systems that require hospitalization in intensive care), with severe disease (orange bars, clinical manifestations affecting the respiratory tract and/or other organ systems that require hospitalization, not in intensive care), with mild disease (yellow bars, clinical manifestations affecting the respiratory tract and/or other organ systems that would not normally require hospitalization), with paucisymptomatic disease (blue bars, mild and general symptoms e.g., general malaise, fever, fatigue, etc.), and with asymptomatic disease (green bars, no apparent signs or symptoms of disease). Raw data in the xlsx format are publicly available at the Istituto Superiore di Sanita website www.epicentro.iss.it/coronavirus/sars-cov-2-dashboard (accessed on 23 April 2021).

The development of natural immunity in the population can explain the rise in SARS-CoV-2 infections with new variants being transmitted easily, but resulting in low numbers of severe diseases and larger numbers of mild infections.

This result can cause the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic to transition into an endemic, similar to common cold coronaviruses, with the possibility that the virus can lose its potency. The low-dose exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in the environment may therefore help to reduce the severity of the infection.

How low virus doses help with immunity

With studies suggesting that a higher T cell response can be achieved by low levels of antigenic stimulation, the concept of low antigen doses has gained interest in vaccine development. Mouse-adapted models of MERS and SARS have confirmed that low virus doses result in milder disease manifestations, and this was also seen in hamster models and ferrets infected with SARS-CoV-2.

The Italian study proposes this immunity increase through low virus doses entering via the lungs and respiratory tract or the gastrointestinal system through touching food with contaminated hands.

Due to hand-washing not being a total sterilization method to eliminate viral particles, this can contribute to the small doses being introduced into the system and into the gut, whereby epithelial cells expressing angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) can be infected by SARS-CoV-2.

In contrast to the respiratory tract, intestinal exposure has been shown to be less pathogenic, which may explain the asymptomatic cases of COVID-19.

T cell responses have been shown to be polyfunctional, stable, and can last for six months after infection. SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells with a stem-like memory phenotype have been identified in recovered COVID-19 patients, highlighting the long-lasting impact of memory T cells in the immune response after the viral infection.

A key study of Swedish subjects found that these SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were found in 67% of exposed family members who had shared a household with the infected individual, which further adds to the theory of immunity after repeated exposure to low viral doses.

While high doses of the virus reaching the pulmonary alveoli can result in the death of airway epithelial cells and trigger the production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which recruit immune cells to the lungs, low doses that reach the same area are less likely to trigger this massive response.

The absent inflammatory response associated with low doses allows the viral antigens to be processed and presented to CD4+ or CD8+ T cells through the major histocompatibility complex, which can result in the development of an adaptive immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The future of COVID-19

With surgical masks being more prominently worn by the public, the low doses which can leak out can act as a virolation process that can increase asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 cases and impact overall immunity.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that the relative risk of viral transmission from inanimate objects from SARS-CoV-2 is low compared to direct contact, including droplet and air transmission.

Additionally, a systematic analysis on virus stability has also indicated the concentration of the virus on plastic and steel decreases to a greater extent after 72 hours.

The future of the pandemic may lie in easing into an endemic whereby the virus may still be true and well with variants emerging, but the low doses from infectious individuals and from inanimate objects may help with asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic presentations of the infection.

This may work similar to the common cold and enable a more progressive future with an increase in natural immunity for populations worldwide.
The spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) across the United States during 2020 has been said to have occurred in three waves or phases, characterized by spikes in the number of reported new cases and a roving geographical distribution.

A number of SARS-CoV-2 lineages with higher transmissibility compared to wildtype were identified during this time, known as variants of concern, raising concerns about the rate of virus mutation and what this means for acquired and engineered immunity.

In a research paper recently uploaded to the preprint server medRxiv* by Capoferri et al. (June 4th, 2021), the genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 through each phase is examined in detail using publicly available genomic data available from before 2021, highlighting the need to continuously track and assess the evolution of the virus to ensure the future efficacy of the currently available vaccines.

The phases of COVID-19 spread

SARS-CoV-2 was introduced to the US from Europe and Asia in winter 2019, with cases rising rapidly until spring 2020, referred to as phase 1.

The northeast was affected particularly, with many community transmissions occurring in this short space of time. Phase 2 began in summer 2020, this time with the south-western USA bearing a greater burden of cases as non-pharmaceutical interventions were beginning to be relaxed.

The mid-west saw the earliest surge in cases at the beginning of phase 3 in fall 2020, though cases were on the rise nationwide before widespread vaccine distribution began in early 2021.

The authors note some discrepancies in the distribution of cases across the USA and the available SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences. For example, while the south bore the majority of cases overall, most genomic sequences were obtained from the west.

In total, only 1.2% of all reported cases in the country throughout 2020 had a corresponding viral sequence, compared with 8.1% in the UK and 6.2% in Australia. The median time from sample collection to full genomic sequence acquisition is around 100 days. Thus many samples from the latter stages of phase 3 were unavailable to the group at the time of writing, though they note that the overall sequencing rate has improved in 2021 from the 2020 levels.

Tracking SARS-CoV-2 clades

GISAID is an international organization that monitors influenza and now SARS-CoV-2, providing open access genomic data on the viruses. They categorize SARS-CoV-2 clades and lineages based on differences in genetic sequence, assigning them letter symbols for easy identification. The earliest GISAID-assigned clades were: G, GH, GR, S, L, and V, each of which was identified in the USA during phase 1.

SARS-CoV-2 Epidemic in the U.S. in 2020 (A) Daily COVID-19 cases in the U.S. in 2020 (B) Daily COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. in 2020 (C) U.S. regional map colored by region (D) Number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. in 2020 by region: Northeast, South, West, Midwest, respectively. (E) Number of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. in 2020 by region. (A-B & D-E) Separation of Phases is denoted by vertical dotted red lines. Data were smoothed by a moving 3-day average. (F) Proportion of COVID-19 cases by region during each phase and the overall contribution to the U.S. total in 2020. (G) Proportion of SARS-CoV-2 sequences accessed (submission as of December 15th, 2020) by region during each phase and the overall contribution to the U.S. total in 2020 (H) The number of sequneces per case were obtained by each region during each phase and the U.S. total in 2020. (F-H) Highlights Phase 1, 2, and 3, followed with U.S. total of 2020. (I) Total number of sequences submitted to GISAID from the U.K., Australia, and the U.S. by December 15th, 2020. (J) Submitted SARS-CoV-2 genomes normalized to the number of COVID-19 cases from the U.K., Australia, and the U.S.

G-based clades are defined by the D614G mutation to the spike protein, being more infectious and expressing better resistance to some monoclonal antibodies than wildtype, though convalescent serum remains effective at neutralization, and clinical outcomes are similar to or even lesser than wildtype SARS-CoV-2.

Over 99% of sequences collected during phase 2 were of a G-based clade, demonstrating the rapid rise to dominance of this highly transmissible strain.

The average pair-wise distance among G-based clades rose from 0.02% in phase 1 to 0.06% in phase 3, with an approximate rate of change of 1.95 nucleotides per month.

Clades GH and GR emerged from this clade, and show even higher average mutation rates at 2.85 and 2.22 nucleotides per month, respectively.

In total, there was an increase of 14% in the number of unique variants of the G-clade throughout 2020 and an increase of 17% in the GR clade specifically.

Interestingly, the GH clade had an 11% decrease in the number of variants while the difference between variants increased.

The measure of the degree to which random populations of the virus remain non-divergent over time was also calculated for each clade, finding that G and S-based clades diverged heavily during phases 1 and 2, suggesting that viral evolution was directional. Had a great deal of unstructured mixing of differing clades taken place, divergence would be lesser, demonstrating that SARS-CoV-2 had fully pervaded the human population.

The authors state that around half of new mutations arising in the US and persisting at a frequency of over 5% were unique. The clade G nucleocapsid mutation S194L and clade GH mutations L3352F, N1653D and R2613C to ORF1a and ORF1b, respectively, increased drastically by more than 40% in representation from phase 1 to 3, and phase 3 saw the most unique mutations overall, even given the smaller available sample pool. Many of the defining mutations of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern were identified by the group throughout 2020 before they had officially been recognized as distinct lineages. These mutations were present at a frequency of only around 1% in phase 1, rising to almost 5% in phase 3.

Future SARS-CoV-2 evolution

While SARS-CoV-2 demonstrates high replication fidelity compared with many other RNA viruses, the wide global spread of the virus has allowed ample opportunity for mutation.

The authors characterize the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 as slow but inexorable, being mainly driven by genetic drift, with some mild selection pressures towards high transmissibility and immune escape by competition with other strains.

Chronically infected immunosuppressed individuals that receive treatment with neutralizing antibodies are thought to be an ideal environment for more significant mutations to occur, proving an isolated container with more intense selection pressures, and many of the more concerning variants may have come about in this way.

Similarly, the general genetic diversity in SARS-CoV-2 has been promoted by low adherence to non-pharmaceutical measures in the community, with some adhering populations providing isolated conditions suitable for mutation before then being spread by the non-adherent.

As more of the community is vaccinated, selective pressure towards strains that better escape immune capture will be promoted. Thus continuous monitoring of the genome of the virus is essential.

*Important Notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
A study published in the journal Pediatrics shows the combination of two early reading programs had positive effects on preschool students entering kindergarten in Cincinnati Public Schools over a three-year period.

The two early reading programs are: Reach Out and Read, through which children receive a new book and guidance about reading at home during well-visits from newborn through age 5; and Dolly Partons Imagination Library, which mails new books to the childs home once a month from birth through age 5. Each of these is well-established at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center and across the nation.

With this early study, we suggest that when combined and sustained, these two programs have the potential for effectively supporting the development of preliteracy skills of large populations of at-risk children, improving kindergarten readiness, and, ultimately, success in school and life." Greg Szumlas, MD, Division of General and Community Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's

"I can't stress enough to parents the importance of reading with your child, starting at birth," Szumlas added. "Just a few minutes a day, reading aloud, and interacting with your child over books can make a huge difference in helping them prepare and be ready for kindergarten."

Cincinnati Children's initiated the unique combination of the two programs in July 2015 with the participation of 23 health clinics throughout the city and funding from Every Child Capital. Researchers analyzed the results of the kindergarten readiness assessment (KRA), a standardized state test for all children entering kindergarten at a public school, of program participants over the course of three school years  2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019.

Over 3200 children participated in the combined program during the three-year period. For a sample of participants, scores on the kindergarten readiness assessment were analyzed and compared to the school district average. Results showed an increase of 15.4 percentage points between the 2016-2017 school year and the 2018-2019 school year for students participating in the program, while the school district average increased by only 3.8 percent during this same time period.

"Even though the percentages for the entire district were higher than our program participants, the increase in percentage points over that three-year period represents significant progress and improvement," Szumlas said. "This early study suggests that pediatric health care providers are positioned to influence the literacy developmental trajectory of children long before they start school and that literacy promotion should be considered a routine part of primary care."

Lisha Lungelow, a Cincinnati Children's social worker in the Pediatric Primary Care Clinic, enrolled her son, Jordan, in the Reach Out and Read/Imagination Library program when he was 13 months old back in 2016.

"When he came to me, he didn't really have any exposure to books," Lungelow said. "Reading was a way for us to connect and bond. He loved getting the books in the mail and seeing his name on them."

When Jordan entered kindergarten last year, Lungelow believed he was ready and credits his exposure to books through the combination program.

"When he was in kindergarten, I went to grab a book for us to read," Lungelow said. "Jordan took it from me, and he read the book to me. I can't even explain the joy that brought me. It was really great."
An article written almost 30 years ago helps frame social constructs around the COVID-19 pandemic. By reviewing the essay, an historian of nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) extends that construct to include nurses and patients, delivering a local and personal meaning to the epidemic experience.

In an essay in the Bulletin of the History of Medicine, Julie A. Fairman, PhD, RN, FAAN, Endowed Chair, the Nightingale Professor in Honor of Nursing Veterans, and Professor of Nursing at Penn Nursing, reviews Charles Rosenberg's 1992 article about the AIDS epidemic. Using Rosenberg's theme, she further develops the meaning of an epidemic from the nursing perspective.

"Even as we have experienced different kinds of infectious epidemics over the last century (Ebola, AIDS), Rosenberg's three interrelated stages still help us understand, from a sociological perspective, how society constructs the meaning of epidemics and manages policies, structures, and post-epidemic explanations," says Fairman.

"Asking the question 'What is an epidemic?' from the perspective of nurses illustrates how a different cast of expert actors generate meanings that can then be part of a broader understanding of epidemics in general."

Fairman argues that the meaning of epidemics from the perspective of nurses, their patients, and their history injects a more layered approach to the question. Where Rosenberg wrote from the perspective of the history of medicine with the intent to understand the relationship between social structure, meaning and ideology, Fairman writes from the perspective of nurses and patients.
The new drug sotorasib reduces tumor size and shows promise in improving survival among patients with lung tumors caused by a specific DNA mutation, according to results of a global phase 2 clinical trial. The drug is designed to shut down the effects of the mutation, which is found in about 13% of patients with lung adenocarcinoma, a common type of non-small-cell lung cancer.

The Food and Drug Administration approved sotorasib May 28 as a targeted therapy for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer whose tumors express a specific mutation -; called G12C -; in the KRAS gene and who have undergone at least one previous therapy for their cancer.

Non-small-cell lung cancer makes up over 80% of all lung cancers. More than 200,000 new cases of non-small-cell lung cancer are diagnosed annually in the United States.

The study, led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health in New York, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, will be presented June 4 at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and published the same day in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Sotorasib, also known by the brand name Lumakras, is made by Amgen, which funded the trial.

This is a group of patients whose tumors have been difficult to treat and for whom we did not have targeted therapies. The new drug is addressing an unmet need for these patients, targeting the most common mutation that we can go after. We're also continuing to investigate this drug in combination with other experimental drugs to see if we can further improve responses and survival." Ramaswamy Govindan, MD, Study Co-Senior Author, Medical Oncologis, and Anheuser Busch Endowed Chair, Medical Oncology, Washington University

The study involved 126 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer that had a specific mutation in the KRAS gene. A single DNA error swaps out an important protein building block, placing a cysteine where a glycine should be. Tumors with the mutation manufacture a version of the KRAS protein that is almost constantly active, driving tumor growth. Sotorasib, taken daily by mouth, blocks tumor growth by trapping the KRAS protein in its inactive form.

Most patients in the trial previously had been treated with standard chemotherapy along with an immunotherapy drug that targets a protein called PD-1. To evaluate this new therapy, all patients enrolled in the study were treated with sotorasib; phase 2 trials evaluating safety and effectiveness often do not include a placebo group.

The drug caused at least some tumor shrinkage in 102 out of 126 patients (82%). About 37% of the patients' tumors reduced in size at least 30%. In contrast, response rates to standard therapy in these patients range from 6% to 20%.

Forty-two patients' tumors (34%) showed a partial response to the therapy, meaning the tumor shrank substantially and its growth was controlled for a period of time; and four patients (3%) showed a complete response that left no evidence of disease. For tumors that shrank, the tumor size was reduced by about 60%, on average.

The effects of sotorasib lasted an average of 11 months, and the drug also showed progression-free survival -; meaning the tumor did not continue growing during this time -; of almost seven months. In contrast, patients with this lung cancer who receive standard therapy have an average progression-free survival of two to four months. The average overall survival for all patients in the trial was 12  months.

"We are hopeful that this approach will be a new option for patients with lung cancer driven by this specific type of KRAS gene alteration," said Govindan, who treats patients at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. "KRAS gene alterations have long been considered not amenable for targeted therapies. A number of combination regimens are being tested here at the Siteman Cancer Center and at other leading cancer centers around the world. This highlights work that Washington University has excelled at over the past few decades -; studying the genomic alterations in tumors with the goal of identifying treatment targets. This early cancer genome research is now coming full circle to help our patients."

Govindan and his team have led pioneering studies to define genomic alterations in lung cancer, including making key contributions to The Cancer Genome Atlas, a national effort supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"The excitement surrounding this trial result is that sotorasib is now the first targeted therapy for lung cancer patients with KRASmutations," said co-corresponding author Vamsidhar Velcheti, MD, of NYU Langone Health. "KRAS-targeted treatments, decades in the making, are urgently needed for these patients with limited treatment options."

About 7% of patients stopped sotorasib treatment because of severe side effects, but no side effects were life-threatening, and no patient died as a result of the treatment. The drug caused adverse events severe enough to require a reduced dose of the drug in about 22% of patients. Almost 70% of patients experienced side effects of some kind related to the drug; the most common were diarrhea, fatigue, nausea and increased liver enzyme levels, the latter an indicator of liver damage.

"Sotorasib showed clinically significant benefit without any new safety concerns in patients with this specific form of KRAS mutant lung cancer," Govindan said. "Moving forward, our team will seek to inform the development of combination therapies featuring sotorasib and other emerging drugs, and to determine which best fit the mix of mutations in each patient's cancer cells."

The researchers currently are conducting a phase 3 clinical trial comparing the effectiveness of sotorasib with a chemotherapy drug called docetaxel in 345 patients who have non-small-cell lung cancer and this specific KRAS mutation.
Liang Zhan, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Pitt's Swanson School of Engineering, received a $500,000 CAREER award from the National Science Foundation to develop computational tools that improve our understanding of the human brain.

In this project, he will leverage brain modular structure to study brain imaging genetics and develop new computational tools to illuminate how genetic factors impact brain structure and function. Researchers can use this technology to examine how specific genes, or their variants, affect neural systems and contribute to brain disorders. This work could ultimately advance the fields of biomedical informatics, neuroscience, and data science.

Zhan's team will specifically study Alzheimer's disease - a condition that currently affects 5.8 million Americans and is projected to nearly triple to 14 million people by 2060.

There is no clear evidence to show how Alzheimer's disease develops. Researchers are developing a variety of methods to uncover the mechanisms behind Alzheimer's onset and progression, but there is a lack of effective computational tools to study this disease." Liang Zhan, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh

Though this work focuses on Alzheimer's disease, the proposed tools can be applied to other brain research as well.

"Current brain imaging genetics studies assume a one-to-one linear relationship between genes and imaging features, but linearity is too simplistic and does not allow researchers to identify high-level patterns," explained Zhan. "Additionally, MRI research often focuses on small regions of the brain, which reduces the complexity of the imaging down to one-dimension and discards important information on brain dynamics. Instead, my group will focus on characterizing higher-level brain network features."

Connecting the dots with the human connectome

In collaboration with the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), he will couple this CAREER award with two R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health to further investigate brain function in neurological disorders.

Maintaining essential brain function, such as learning and memory, requires synapses to pass electrical and chemical signals between neurons. Synaptic dysfunction is a hallmark of many neurological disorders - including Alzheimer's disease - and leads to hyperexcitation in neuronal circuits. However, neural network changes related to normal aging make it difficult for researchers to distinguish disease-specific alterations from normal changes.

Zhan and collaborators will develop innovative computational tools to characterize hyperexcitation patterns in aging and Alzheimer's Disease and validate their framework with longitudinal mouse models and human data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and the Human Connectome Project.

"The brain needs to have a balance between neural excitation and inhibition," said Zhan. "The synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease leads to hyperexcitation in neuronal circuits, and this abnormal balance may contribute to disease onset and progression. The hyperexcitation indicator (HI), defined using multimodal MRI data, will signal an imbalance between neural excitation and inhibition."

Adding to the complexity of this research, other psychiatric conditions may be significant contributors to accelerated cognitive decline and progression to dementia. Zhan will collaborate on another R01 at UIC to examine late-life depression and uncover its impact on neurodegeneration. They will apply a similar approach to this study and clarify the relationship between depression and neurodegenerative processes in late life.

A preliminary study demonstrated the effectiveness of the group's hyperexcitation.

"We matched cognitively normal individuals with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease with a group of individuals without a genetic predisposition, based on age and sex," said Zhan. "The results supported the idea that genetically predisposed women, who are four-times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than men, exhibited hyperexcitation at age 50, and our method was more sensitive at of detecting this difference."

The goal of this work is to accelerate the discovery of more robust, non-invasive imaging biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders.
A team of scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA, has recently identified six novel small molecule inhibitors of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its variants. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

Background

Since its emergence in late December 2019 in China, SARS-CoV-2, the causative pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has undergone more than 12,000 mutations. The majority of these mutations have appeared in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, leading to the emergence of viral variants with significantly increased infectivity and immune evasion potency.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, a total of 13 variants of SARS-CoV-2 have emerged globally; of which five have been designated as Variants of Concern (VOCs).

At the initial phase of the pandemic, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), USA, started screening several antiviral medicines to identify potential repurposed anti-COVID-19 therapeutics. They created the OpenData portal to make drug-related information publicly available.

Recently, scientists from the NCATS, NIH, conducted a hybrid virtual screening of two libraries of more than 120k compounds to identify potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors with limited cytotoxicity.

The hybrid in silico approach includes quantitative structure-function relationship and ligand-based pharmacophore modeling. The scientists further evaluated the identified compounds for anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity using cytopathic effect and cytotoxicity assays.

Screening of compounds

The scientists conducted two rounds of in silico screening. From the 1st and 2nd rounds of screening, they identified a total of 640 compounds.

By analyzing SARS-CoV-2 cytopathic effect inhibiting activity and toxicity profile, they further selected 42 and 58 compounds from the 1st and 2nd rounds of screening, respectively, which showed significant antiviral activity and minimal or no cytotoxicity.

Structure-function relationships of selected compounds

The scientists identified three potential chemotypes (A, B, and C) with three or more active structural analogs by conducting hierarchical cluster analysis.

Within chemotype A, three analogs were identified with more than 83% efficacy. Within chemotype B, eight potential analogs were identified with efficacy ranging from 66% to 100%. Within quinazoline-containing chemotype C, ten potential analogs were identified, including three with the highest antiviral activity.

All analogs belonging to the three chemotypes showed acceptable solubility and permeability. However, the analogs exhibited a poor metabolic half-life. To obtain a halt-life of more than 30 min, the scientists added an N-aminoethyl group of the piperazine ring.

Mode of action of selected compounds

The scientists further evaluated the compounds identified in the hybrid screening for their activity against viral entry and replication.

Since inhibition of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease impairs the functional maturation of viral proteins, the scientists initially screened the active compounds in the SARS-CoV-2 main protease enzymatic assay. However, they could not detect any activity.

Furthermore, they tested the ability of these compounds in preventing the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) and human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). However, they failed to obtain conclusive results.

To overcome these shortcomings, they conducted microscale thermophoresis to test whether the compounds bind to ACE2. Moreover, they conducted a SARS-CoV-2 pseudoparticle entry assay to investigate if the compounds can interfere with SARS-CoV-2 host cell entry by binding to the viral receptor ACE2. From these analyses, they identified six compounds that bind to ACE2 with high affinity and subsequently prevent viral entry into host cells.

Five most potent and efficacious compounds identified, along with in vitro/physico-chemical ADME data. aIC50: half-maximal inhibitory concentration value obtained from the CPE assay in 8-point dose-response, measured in duplicate. b. Efficacy: maximum inhibitory effect observed in CPE assay. cT1/2: metabolic half-life measured in rat liver microsome lysates reported in minutes, with a minimum detectable half-life of 1 minute. dPAMPA (parallel artificial membrane permeation assay) is reported as a metric of the passive permeability of the compounds (1106 cm/s). e Solubility  pION SOL assay for kinetic aqueous solubility determination, pH 7.4. b. Three chemotypes (A-C) identified as active in the CPE assay.

Since none of the compounds showed a binding affinity for the viral spike protein, the scientists hypothesized that the antiviral activity of the compounds does not depend on the spike sequence. Thus, the compounds are expected to be effective against newly emerged viral variants with multiple spike mutations.

Dose-response curves of the six ACE2 binding compounds in PP and cytotoxicity assays. a, compound 1; b, compound 2; c, compound 5; d, compound 24; e, compound 25; f, compound 19. WT  wild type SARS-CoV-2 variant assay; SA  South African B.1.351 variant assay; UK  UK B.1.1.7 variant assay; VSV-G  PP assay containing the G protein of vesicular stomatitis virus; Tox  cytotoxicity assay.

To prove the hypothesis, they tested the compounds against different viral variants. They observed that the compounds have comparable or higher antiviral efficacy against the B.1.351 (first detected in South Africa) and B.1.1.7 (first detected in the UK) variants compared to that against the wildtype SARS-CoV-2.

Study significance

The study identifies six novel antiviral compounds that significantly inhibit SARS-CoV-2 host cell entry by binding to ACE2. Since the compounds do not alter the ACE2 enzymatic activity, the scientists suggest that the compounds allosterically bind to ACE2.

Importantly, the compounds are unlikely to lose their antiviral efficacy due to spike mutations as they do not directly interact with SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins.

*Important Notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Microgravity in space perturbs human physiology and is detrimental for astronaut health, a fact first realized during early Apollo missions when astronauts experienced inner ear disturbances, heart arrhythmia, low blood pressure, dehydration, and loss of calcium from their bones after their missions.

One of the most striking observations from Apollo missions was that just over half of astronauts became sick with colds or other infections within a week of returning to Earth. Some astronauts have even experienced re-activation of dormant viruses, such as the chickenpox virus.

These findings stimulated studies on the effects of weak gravity, or "microgravity," on the immune system, which scientists have been exploring for decades of manned rockets launches, shuttle travel and space station stints, or sometimes by simulating space gravity in earthbound labs.

In the last study led by one of the first women astronauts, Millie Hughes-Fulford, PhD, researchers at UCSF and Stanford University now have shown that the weakening of an astronaut's immune system during space travel is likely due in part to abnormal activation of immune cells called T regulator cells (Tregs).

Tregs normally are triggered to ramp down immune responses when infection no longer threatens and are important regulators of immune responses in diseases ranging from cancer to COVID-19. In microgravity conditions, however, the researchers found changes in Tregs that prepared them to go to work even before the immune system was challenged. When they stimulated an immune response in human immune cells from blood samples in microgravity, with a chemical often used in research to mimic a disease pathogen, they found that Tregs helped suppress the immune response that was triggered. This unanticipated discovery is published online June 7 in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.

Hughes-Fulford became the first female payload specialist to orbit Earth with her experiments in 1991, and for decades, until her death due to leukemia in February, she studied the effects of microgravity on health, first with an emphasis on osteoporosis and later with a focus on the immune system. As a researcher at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and a UCSF faculty member long affiliated with the Department of Medicine, Hughes-Fulford mentored aspiring space scientists, including the co-principal investigators of this latest immunology study.

Jordan Spatz, PhD, a space scientist and UCSF medical student who became co-PI of the study after Hughes-Fulford's death, noted that as space travel becomes increasingly commercialized and more common, concerns over the health status of space travelers are likely to grow.

Early in the space program, most astronauts were young and extremely healthy, but now they tend to have much more training and are older. In addition, apart from astronauts, with the commercialization of space flight there will be many more older and less healthy individuals experiencing microgravity. From a space medical perspective, we see that microgravity does a lot of bad things to the human body, and we are hoping to gain the ability to mitigate some of the effects of microgravity during space travel." Jordan Spatz, PhD, Space Scientist and Medical Student, University of California - San Francisco

The new study advanced earlier research led by Hughes-Fulford, confirming some of her previous findings from experiments in space and in simulated microgravity, while contributing additional molecular discoveries. Hughes-Fulford earlier had found weaker responses from T lymphocytes of the immune system, some of which attack specific pathogens directly and some of which help orchestrate the immune response.

"It's a double whammy," said co-PI Brice Gaudilliere, MD, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Anesthesia at Stanford University School of Medicine. "There is a dampening of T lymphocyte immune activation responses, but also an exacerbation of immunosuppressive responses by Tregs." The researchers also found that "natural killer" lymphocytes were less active under simulated microgravity, while antibody-producing B cells appeared to be unaffected.

The researchers simulated microgravity in blood samples with a specialized, cylindrical, cell-culture vessel with motor-driven rotation, a long established microgravity research tool, but the method of single-cell analysis was unique. The scientists identified individual immune cells by specific type and used metal tags and mass spectroscopy to simultaneously detect and quantify dozens of proteins that play a role in immune function, in addition to confirming previously identified patterns of altered gene activation.
When we inhale isolated coronavirus particles, more than 65% reach the deepest region of our lungs where damage to cells can lead to low blood oxygen levels, new research has discovered, and more of these aerosols reach the right lung than the left.

Lead author of the study Dr Saidul Islam, from the University of Technology Sydney, said while previous research has revealed how virus aerosols travel through the upper airways including the nose, mouth and throat - this study was the first to examine how they flow through the lower lungs.

Our lungs resemble tree branches that divide up to 23 times into smaller and smaller branches. Due to the complexity of this geometry it is difficult to develop a computer simulation, however we were able to model what happens in the first 17 generations, or branches, of the airways." Dr Saidul Islam, University of Technology Sydney

"Depending on our breathing rate, between 32% and 35% of viral particles are deposited in these first 17 branches. This means around 65% of virus particles escape to the deepest regions of our lungs, which includes the alveoli or air sacs," he said.

The alveolar system is critical to our ability to absorb oxygen, so significant amounts of virus in this region, along with inflammation caused by our body's immune response, can cause severe damage, reducing the amount of oxygen in the blood and increasing the risk of death.

The study also revealed that more virus particles are deposited in the right lung, especially the right upper lobe and the right lower lobe, than in the left lung. This is due to the highly asymmetrical anatomical structure of the lungs and the way air flows through the different lobes.

The research is backed up by a recent study of chest CT scans of COVID-19 patients showing greater infection and disease in the regions predicted by the model.

The researchers modelled three different flow rates - 7.5, 15 and 30 litres per minute. The model showed greater virus deposition at lower flow rates.

As well as improving our understanding of coronavirus transmission, the findings have implications for the development of targeted drug delivery devices that can deliver medicine to the areas of the respiratory system most affected by the virus.

"Normally when we inhale drugs from a drug delivery device most of it is deposited in the upper airways, and only a minimum amount of drugs can reach the targeted position of the lower airways. However, with diseases like COVID-19 we need to target the areas most affected," said Dr Islam.

"We are working to develop devices that can target specific regions, and we also hope to build age and patient specific whole lung models to increase understanding of how SARS CoV-2 aerosols affect individual patients," said co-author and group leader of the UTS Computer Simulations and Modelling group, Dr Suvash Saha.

The World Health Organisation recently updated its advice about the importance of aerosol transmission, warning that because aerosols can remain suspended in the air, crowded indoor settings and areas with poor ventilation pose a significant risk for transmission of Covid-19.

"When we use an aerosol deodorant, the smallest particles of that liquid fall on us under extreme pressure in the form of gas. Similarly, when an infected person speaks, sings, sneezes or coughs, the virus is spread through the air and can infect those nearby," said Dr Saha.

The study has further applications, with researchers using portable devices to examine air quality - including PM2.5 and PM10 concentration and gasses such as carbon dioxide, formaldehyde and sulphur dioxide - in spaces such as train carriages. The researchers can then use this data to model the impact on our lungs.

The study, SARS CoV-2 aerosol: How far it can travel to the lower airways, was recently published in the journal Physics of Fluids.
Growth of foreign trade expected to remain strong

China Daily) 09:21, June 08, 2021

Aerial photo shows a cargo ship pulling out at the Qianwan Container Terminal in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's foreign trade will continue its upward trend this year, though it is vital for the government and exporters to curb the pressure brought by high commodity prices and shipping container costs, experts and business leaders said on Monday.

They commented after the General Administration of Customs announced that China's foreign trade soared 28.2 percent year-on-year to 14.76 trillion yuan ($2.31 trillion) in the first five months of this year, reflecting that China's exports and imports are picking up growth momentum that is increasingly driven by domestic demand as well as booming overseas orders.

Chen Bin, executive vice-president of the Beijing-based China Machinery Industry Federation, predicted that second-quarter results will show that China's export growth remained strong in that period, as the COVID-19 pandemic saw a resurgence in export-oriented countries such as India and Vietnam.

Ding Yifan, a senior research fellow at the Institute of World Development at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said, "If both foreign and domestic manufacturers in these countries are severely disrupted by the pandemic and stop working, it will generate an impact on the global supply chain, and many orders may continue to return to China."

Stimulus measures in developed economies also brought sustained demand for products manufactured in China, said Lu Ting, chief China economist at Japanese bank Nomura.

From January to May, China's exports soared 30.1 percent year-on-year to 8.04 trillion yuan, while its imports jumped 25.9 percent to 6.72 trillion yuan. Its trade surplus surged 56.2 percent year-on-year to1.32 trillion yuan, according to Customs data.

The country's total foreign trade expanded 26.9 percent year-on-year to 3.14 trillion yuan in May, while it imported 1.42 trillion yuan of goods from global markets, up 39.5 percent.

The monthly import growth in May underscores that domestic demand has increased amid the construction and investment revival, even though the surging price of raw materials and a low base effect also count, said Mei Xinyu, a researcher at the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

Despite growing trade volumes, Chinese companies face challenges in the foreign trade sector, including rising prices for materials, exchange rate fluctuations and difficult marine logistics, said Chen Zhongda, deputy head of Yinzhou Customs, a branch of Ningbo Customs in East China's Zhejiang province.

To ensure production, Chinese 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.

Strong ties

China's trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations reached 2.19 trillion yuan in the first five months of the year, an increase of 29.2 percent year-on-year, while trade with the European Union rose 28.7 percent to 2.06 trillion yuan.

The value of goods trade between China and the United States grew 41.3 percent year-on-year to 1.82 trillion yuan.

Liang Ming, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said: "We found that the structure of China's foreign trade is optimizing. For example, the contribution of processing trade is gradually increasing. China's high-tech companies from the private sector, State-owned enterprises and foreign-funded companies have all performed well to date this year."

With many countries setting goals to further cut carbon emissions, Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Nio Inc announced last month that it will start exporting vehicles to Norway in September as the first step of its globalization campaign.

William Li, Nio's CEO, said the company will start to take orders in July. The vehicles will be made at its plant in Hefei, Anhui province.

Li said the company's passenger vehicles will be available in five European countries by 2022. The company has also been discussing the possibility of entering the US market, he added.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Police said Williams pulled a gun while walking out and fired at the ground, according to TMZ. One security guard was hit in the right ankle and hospitalized, cops said.
Heart attacks and strokes -; the leading causes of death in human beings -; are fundamentally blood clots of the heart and brain. Better understanding how the blood-clotting process works and how to accelerate or slow down clotting, depending on the medical need, could save lives.

New research by the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University published in the journal Biomaterials sheds new light on the mechanics and physics of blood clotting through modeling the dynamics at play during a still poorly understood phase of blood clotting called clot contraction.

"Blood clotting is actually a physics-based phenomenon that must occur to stem bleeding after an injury," said Wilbur A. Lam, W. Paul Bowers Research Chair in the Department of Pediatrics and the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory. "The biology is known. The biochemistry is known. But how this ultimately translates into physics is an untapped area."

And that's a problem, argues Lam and his research colleagues, since blood clotting is ultimately about "how good of a seal can the body make on this damaged blood vessel to stop bleeding, or when this goes wrong, how does the body accidentally make clots in our heart vessels or in our brain?"

How blood clotting works

The workhorses to stem bleeding are platelets -; tiny 2-micrometer cells in the blood in charge of making the initial plug. The clot that forms is called fibrin, which acts as a glue scaffold that the platelets attach to and pull against. Blood clot contraction arises when these platelets interact with the fibrin scaffold. To demonstrate the contraction, researchers embedded a 3-millimeter Jell-O mold of a LEGO figure with millions of platelets and fibrin to recreate a simplified version of a blood clot.

"What we don't know is, 'How does that work?' 'What's the timing of it so all these cells work together -; do they all pull at the same time?' Those are the fundamental questions that we worked together to answer," Lam said.

Lam's lab collaborated with Georgia Tech's Complex Fluids Modeling and Simulation group headed by Alexander Alexeev, professor and Anderer Faculty Fellow in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, to create a computational model of a contracting clot. The model incorporates fibrin fibers forming a three-dimensional network and distributed platelets that can extend filopodia, or the tentacle-like structures that extend from cells so they can attach to specific surfaces, to pull the nearby fibers.

Model shows platelets dramatically reducing clot volume

When the researchers simulated a clot where a large group of platelets was activated at the same time, the tiny cells could only reach nearby fibrins because the platelets can extend filopodia that are rather short, less than 6 micrometers.

But in a trauma, some platelets contract first. They shrink the clot so the other platelets will see more fibrins nearby, and it effectively increases the clot force." Alexander Alexeev, Professor and Anderer Faculty Fellow in George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Due to the asynchronous platelet activity, the force enhancement can be as high as 70%, leading to a 90% decrease of the clot volume.

"The simulations showed that the platelets work best when they're not in total sync with each other," Lam said. "These platelets are actually pulling at different times and by doing that they're increasing the efficiency (of the clot)."

This phenomenon, dubbed by the team asynchronous mechanical amplification, is most pronounced "when we have the right concentration of the platelets corresponding to that of healthy patients," Alexeev said.

Research could lead to better ways to treat clotting, bleeding issues

The findings could open medical options for people with clotting issues, said Lam, who treats young patients with blood disorders as a pediatric hematologist in the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

"If we know why this happens, then we have a whole new potential avenue of treatments for diseases of blood clotting," he said, emphasizing that heart attacks and strokes occur when this biophysical process goes wrong.

Lam explained that fine tuning the contraction process to make it faster or more robust could help patients who are bleeding from a car accident or, in the case of a heart attack, make the clotting less intense and slow it down. "Understanding the physics of this clot contraction could potentially lead to new ways to treat bleeding problems and clotting problems."

Alexeev added that their research also could lead to new biomaterials such as a new type of Band-Aid that could help augment the clotting process.

First author and Georgia Tech Ph.D. candidate Yueyi Sun noted the simplicity of the model and the fact that the simulations allowed the team to understand how the platelets work together to contract the fibrin clot as they would in the body.

"When we started to include the heterogeneous activation, suddenly it gave us the correct volume contraction," she said. "Allowing the platelets to have some time delay so one can use what the previous ones did as a better starting point was really neat to see. I think our model can potentially be used to provide guidelines for designing novel active biological and synthetic materials."

Sun agreed with her research colleagues that this phenomenon might occur in other aspects of nature. For example, multiple asynchronous actuators can fold a large net more effectively to enhance packaging efficiency without the need of incorporating additional actuators.

"It theoretically could be an engineered principle," Lam said. "For a wound to shrink more, maybe we don't have the chemical reactions occur at the same time -; maybe we have different chemical reactions occur at different times. You gain better efficiency and contraction when one allows half or all of the platelets to do the work together."
Since the beginning of 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has taken an enormous toll on public health and the economy in many parts of the world. The causal agent of the pandemic is the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

A large amount of research has been conducted to understand the origins of SARS-CoV-2, its molecular structure, and the mechanism by which it infects humans. We have made a significant amount of progress but, unfortunately, we are still a long way from developing a holistic understanding of SARS-CoV-2.

One of the pressing questions scientists currently trying to answer is whether the current vaccines will remain effective against the emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. A new piece of research has been published in the journal Biomedicines, which discusses the knowledge we have gained thus far and the questions that researchers should address in future work.

Several studies have documented that bats act as natural reservoirs for coronaviruses, and this time is no different. It is possible that the infection first spread to an intermediate host before passing on to humans. Since the first outbreak of SARS in 2002, many similar viruses have been identified in bats. These viruses have the ability to infect humans, which means that future outbreaks are possible.

Through 2020, scientists also conducted extensive research to identify new SARS-CoV-2 variants that may bring about a spike in the number of cases. The English variant (B.1.1.7) and the South African variant (B1.351) are two such examples that have a mutation in the receptor-binding domain (RBD). B1.351 has two additional mutations (E484K and K417N) that enable the evasion of neutralizing antibodies. Several tests are currently being conducted to ensure that the current set of vaccines (e.g., Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna, and Oxford AstraZeneca) is effective against the existing and emerging variants.

The spike glycoprotein is formed by two subunits: S1 and S2. The S1 subunit further consists of an N terminal subunit (NTD) and the RBD. The S2 subunit is essential for the membrane fusion between the viruss envelope and the late endosome membrane. Scientists have demonstrated that the host cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is used by SARS-CoV-2 as the main gateway into cells.

After fusion with the lysosome, cathepsin-L brings about the proteolytic cleavage of the spike glycoprotein, which activates the S2 subunit. Subsequently, membrane fusion occurs, releasing the viral RNA into the cytoplasm of human cells. The viral RNA and structural proteins build a new virus that has the potential to infect other cells. Besides ACE2, other receptors could play a role in disease severity (e.g., Meplazumab and Neuropilin 1).

There are several laboratory abnormalities associated with COVID-19 patients, such as neutrophilia, lymphopenia, increased C- reactive protein, etc. The latest research suggests that the activation of the immune response starts with recognizing the viruss components and that MDA5 is the primary sensor that brings about the recognition of SARS-CoV-2.

The activation of the immune response is crucial to fight the infection. But, the overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, also known as a cytokine storm, has the potential to cause tissue damage. This phenomenon is often observed in critically ill patients.

However, what causes the overactivation of the immune system? Previous research has shown that, while IL-8 is constantly elevated in COVID-19 patients, the increase in IL-6 and IL-10 is correlated with the severity of the infection. The same holds true for the chemokine Interferon-y protein 10 (IP-10). Scientists have proposed a mechanism that could explain the overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines. This could be the dysregulation of the RAAS caused by SARS-CoV-2-dependent ACE2 internalization. More research is warranted in this area to understand the mechanism better, and that will enable us to devise new strategies to combat the current and future pandemics.

More research is needed to find multiple new therapeutic options to treat COVID-19. This is especially true in the case of individuals who have comorbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. Currently, there are no targeted treatments for COVID-19, and most strategies being used now are supportive. More than five thousand clinical trials are underway, and half of these focus on individuals older than 65 years. Some of the drugs being used in some parts of the world currently include Ivermectin, Doxycycline, Azithromycin, Favipavir, Remdesivir, etc.

The best long-term strategy to combat SARS-CoV2 infection is to attain herd immunity with the help of deploying a specific vaccine to the entire world population. Several approaches have been used to develop vaccines, such as non-replicating viral vectors, messenger RNA (mRNA), inactivated whole-virus, etc.

As mentioned earlier, concerns have been raised regarding the efficacy of the current vaccines against the newly identified SARS-CoV-2 variants. It is important to clearly understand the mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 infection, which will help us to develop more efficient vaccines as well as identify the most effective therapeutic approaches.
In the 1960s, health care across the Mississippi Delta was sparse and much of it was segregated. Some hospitals were dedicated to Black patients, but they often struggled to stay afloat. At the height of the civil rights movement, young Black doctors launched a movement of their own to address the care disparity.

Mississippi was third-world and was so bad and so separated, said Dr. Robert Smith. The community health center movement was the conduit for physicians all over this country who believed that all people have a right to health care.

In 1967, Smith helped start Delta Health Center, the countrys first rural community health center. They put the clinic in Mound Bayou, a small town in the heart of the Delta, in northwestern Mississippi. The center became a national model and is now one of nearly 1,400 such clinics across the country. These clinics, called federally qualified health centers, are a key resource in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama, where about 2 in 5 people live in rural areas. Throughout the U.S., about 1 in 5 people live in rural areas.

The covid-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the challenges facing rural health care, such as lack of broadband internet access and limited public transportation. For much of the vaccine rollout, those barriers have made it difficult for providers, like community health centers, to get shots into the arms of their patients.

I just assumed that [the vaccine] would flow like water, but we really had to pry open the door to get access to it, said Smith, who still practices family medicine in Mississippi.

Mound Bayou was founded by formerly enslaved people, many of whom became farmers.

The once-thriving downtown was home to some of the first Black-owned businesses in the state. Today the town is dotted with shuttered or rundown banks, hotels and gas stations.

Mitch Williams grew up on a Mound Bayou farm in the 1930s and '40s and spent long days working the soil.

If you would cut yourself, they wouldnt put no sutures in, no stitches in it. You wrapped it up and kept going, Williams said.

When Delta Health Center started operations in 1967, it was explicitly for all residents of all races  and free to those who needed financial help.

Williams, 85, was one of its first patients.

They were seeing patients in the local churches. They had mobile units. I had never seen that kind of comprehensive care, he said.

Residents really needed it. In the 1960s, many people in Mound Bayou and the surrounding area didnt have clean drinking water or indoor plumbing.

At the time, the 12,000 Black residents of northern Bolivar County, which includes Mound Bayou, faced unemployment rates as high as 75% and lived on a median annual income of just $900 (around $7,500 in todays dollars), according to a congressional report. The infant mortality rate was close to 60 for every 1,000 live births  four times the rate for affluent Americans.

Delta Health Center employees helped people insulate their homes. They built outhouses and provided food and sometimes even traveled to patients homes to offer care, if someone didnt have transportation. Staffers believed these factors affected health outcomes, too.

Williams, who later worked for Delta Health, said hes not sure where the community would be today if the center didnt exist.

Its frightening to think of it, he said.

Half a century later, the Delta Health Center continues to provide accessible and affordable care in and around Mound Bayou.

Black Southerners still face barriers to health. In April 2020, early in the pandemic, Black residents accounted for nearly half of covid deaths in Alabama and over 70% in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Public health data from last month shows that Black residents of those states have consistently been more likely to die of covid than residents of other races.

We have a lot of chronic health conditions here, particularly concentrated in the Mississippi Delta, that lead to higher rates of complications and death with covid, said Nadia Bethley, a clinical psychologist at the center. Its been tough.

Delta Health Center has grown over the decades, from a few trailers in Mound Bayou to a chain of 18 clinics across five counties. Its managed to vaccinate over 5,500 people against covid. The majority have been Black.

We dont have the National Guard, you know, lining up out here, running our site. Its the people who work here, Bethley said.

The Mississippi State Department of Health said it has prioritized health centers since the beginning of the rollout. But Delta Health CEO John Fairman said the center was receiving only a couple of hundred doses a week in January and February. The supply became more consistent around early March, center officials said.

Many states would be much further ahead had they utilized community health centers from the very beginning, Fairman said. Fairman said his center saw success with vaccinations because of its long-standing relationships with the local communities.

Use the infrastructure thats already in place, that has community trust, said Fairman.

That was the entire point of the health center movement in the first place, said Smith. He said states that were slow to use health centers in the vaccine rollout made a mistake that has made it difficult to get a handle on covid in the most vulnerable communities.

Smith called the slow dispersal of vaccines to rural health centers an example of systemic racism that continues.

A spokesperson for Mississippis health department said it is committed to providing vaccines to rural areas but, given the rurality of Mississippi, it is a real challenge.

Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, said the low dose allocation to rural health clinics and community health centers early on is going to cost lives.

With hospitalizations and mortality much higher in rural communities, these states need to focus on the hot spots, which in many cases are these small towns, Morgan said of the vaccine efforts in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama.

A report from KFF found that people of color made up the majority of people vaccinated at community health centers and that the centers seem to be vaccinating people at rates similar to or higher than their share of the population. (The KHN newsroom, which collaborated to produce this story, is an editorially independent program of KFF.)

The report added that ramping up health centers involvement in vaccination efforts at the federal, state and local levels could be a meaningful step in advancing equity on a larger scale.

Equal access to care in rural communities is necessary to reach the most vulnerable populations and is just as critical during this global health crisis as it was in the 1960s, according to Smith.

When health care improves for Blacks, it will improve for all Americans, Smith said.

This story is from a partnership that includes NPR, KHN and the three stations that make up the Gulf States Newsroom: Mississippi Public Broadcasting; WBHM in Birmingham, Alabama; and WWNO in New Orleans.
Jeffersonville, IN (47130)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 65F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 65F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
Jeffersonville, IN (47130)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
Donna M. Seifried, 78, passed away on Friday, June 11, 2021, at her home surrounded by family. She was a receptionist at Price Waterhouse Coopers, a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, and a native of Salina, KS. She is survived by her husband William "Bill" Seifried of Jeffersonville, I
Goldsboro, NC (27530)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low around 65F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low around 65F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
Last year, Rooftop Films was able to create drive-in venues across New York City and present more than 150 outdoor events  but nothing replaces the experience of being seated together in a crowd, watching a film that transports us to another place and reminds us that we are very much not alone, Rooftop Films President Dan Nuxoll said in a statement.
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(Newser)  The mayor of London, Ontario, says a vehicle attack Sunday night was "rooted in unspeakable hatred." Police in the Canadian city say a man deliberately drove his pickup truck into a Muslim family of five as they waited to cross a road, killing four of them and seriously injuring the only survivor, a 9-year-old boy. Police say the family members killed were a 74-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman, and a 15-year-old girl, the CBC reports. A 20-year-old man was arrested around four miles away. "This was an act of mass murder perpetuated against Muslims," Mayor Ed Holder said. "The magnitude of such hatred can make one question who we were as a city."

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"In one act of murder some individual has wiped out three generations of family. It's horrific," Holder tells the AP. Police say they believe the driver, Nathanial Veltman, targeted the victims in a premeditated act because of their Islamic faith, reports the London Free Press. He has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and authorities say terrorism charges are also possible. Police say Veltman, who was wearing body armor when he was arrested had no connection to the victims and it's not clear whether he belongs to any extremist groups. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was horrified by the attack. "To the Muslim community in London and to Muslims across the country, know that we stand with you," he tweeted. "Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities." (Read more Canada stories.)
(Newser)  The warnings were there, at least two weeks in advance. But they never made it to the officers on ground at the US Capitol on Jan. 6. That's one of the takeaways from a bipartisan Senate investigation of the intelligence and security failures surrounding the riots. The report, conducted by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Rules Committee, catalogs the missteps and suggests some fixes. It can be read in full here. Some highlights:

The attack was, quite frankly, planned in plain sight," Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, head of the homeland security panel, told reporters. There were significant, widespread and unacceptable breakdowns in the intelligence gathering," he said, per the Washington Post. "The failure to adequately assess the threat of violence on that day contributed significantly to the breach of the Capitol."

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In late December 2020, intelligence officers with the Capitol Police picked up messages from pro-Trump supporters saying things like, "Surround every building with a tunnel entrance/exit. They better dig a tunnel all the way to China if they want to escape, per Politico. Another wrote, "Bring guns. It's now or never."

The FBI and Homeland Security similarly picked up such threats, but no one agency seemed to coordinate the warnings. On Jan. 3, a Capitol Police intelligence assessment warned of the possibility of violence, but it wasn't repeated in subsequent reports. The FBI warned the Capitol Police of potential "war" the night before the rally in what the Post describes as a "casually worded" email. But that didn't translate into proper precautions.

One remedy suggested by the report is to make it easier for the head of the Capitol Police to summon the National Guard quickly, reports the Wall Street Journal. Another is to house the different intelligence-gathering units of the Capitol Police in a centralized location.

The AP notes this account from an anonymous Capitol Police officer: I was horrified that NO deputy chief or above was on the radio or helping us, the officer said. For hours the screams on the radio were horrific(,) the sights were unimaginable and there was a complete loss of control. ... For hours NO Chief or above took command and control. Officers were begging and pleading for help for medical triage.

This report does not dig into the causes of the riot, only the related security failures. It comes a few weeks after Senate Republicans blocked the creation of a bipartisan commission to conduct a broad overview of what led to the attack.

(Read more Capitol riot stories.)
The 25-year-old Turner has been through quite the hair journey over the years, as Teen Vogue noted. For the last couple of seasons she wore a wig, she once confessed, because an attempt to dye her hair back to blonde for an intervening, between-season role that wrecked it for a time.
(Newser)  Ratko Mladic, the military chief known as the "Butcher of Bosnia" for orchestrating genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in the Balkan nation's 1992-95 war, lost his final legal battle Tuesday when UN judges affirmed his life sentence, the AP reports. The rejection of Mladic's appeals of his 2017 convictions and sentence closed a grim chapter in European history that included the continent's first genocide since World War IIthe 1995 Srebrenica massacre of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys. The now-frail Mladic, often belligerent at his court appearances in The Hague, showed no reaction other than a scowl as Presiding Judge Prisca Matimba Nyambe of Zambia said the panel had dismissed his appeals by a vote of 4-1.

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Mladic, the 79-year-old former commander of the Bosnian Serb Army, was convicted of crimes including genocide, murder, extermination, and terror for atrocities throughout the war that killed more than 100,000 and left millions homeless. He is the last major figure to face justice from the conflict that ended more than a quarter-century ago. His former political chief, ex-Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, is serving a life sentence after being convicted for the same crimes. And former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic died in a UN cell in 2006 before judges could reach verdicts. Mladic's toxic legacy still divides Bosnia. To Serbs in Bosnia, he is a war hero who fought to protect his people. To Bosniaks, he will always be a villain responsible for their wartime suffering.

(Read more Ratko Mladic stories.)
Some of the country's growers and exporters are worried their produce will be wasted because of continued shipping delays.

Vessels are behind schedule and in some cases skipping New Zealand ports - meaning produce is stuck in warehouses and unable to get to market.

Seafood destined for overseas restaurants is languishing on the shelf in Nelson.

Doug Paulin from Sealord New Zealand says it's problematic.

"We, like a number of exporters, are having issues getting our frozen products off our boats and into cold stores and out of New Zealand."

Global supply chains are constrained, ports are congested and shipping companies are favouring more profitable routes in the northern hemisphere.
More than half of New Zealand's universities have fallen in the latest world rankings, largely due to a lack of teachers.

The University of Auckland remains our top-ranked university according to Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), dropping from 81st to 85th in the 2022 rankings, released on Wednesday.

Also dropping are the University of Otago (184th to 194th), Victoria University of Wellington (223rd to 236th), Massey University (272nd to 284th) and the Auckland University of Technology (437th to 451st).

Five of our eight universities have a worsening faculty/student ratio, which accounts for 20 percent of the QS score, driving the drop in the rankings. Six of our universities place outside the top 500 in this category.

"New Zealand is not alone in experiencing systemic teaching provision challenges," said Ben Sowter, QS director of research.

"Across the QS World University Rankings, we are seeing higher education systems struggle to increase teaching capacity at rates commensurate with rising student demand and the desire to attract international students.

"However, as extensive engagement with those students makes clear, the extent to which a university experience features personalised learning is an essential factor in choosing a study destination - so it is imperative that this challenge is acknowledged and combated."
Orange County Fire Rescue responded about 11 a.m. Tuesday to Consulate Drive off South John Young Parkway, where the two workers were trapped in the bucket touching electrical wires that are still charged, according to a tweet from the agency.
"The doses will arrive in weekly drops, ramping up in quantity from mid-July as we start to move to the wider population rollout," he said, adding that it gives "the certainty needed to start the general population rollout as planned".

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at her post-Cabinet press conference the doses will likely arrive near the end of July, but that DHBs won't run out before then.

Ardern said Cabinet will make decisions about the wider roll-out of vaccines next Monday and the outcome of those discussions, on things like the booking system, will be announced next week.

Ardern also confirmed she will get vaccinated before the end of June.

It comes amid criticism that the Government's vaccine roll-out has been too slow. Global vaccine data shows New Zealand sits well below the OECD average of doses administered so far.

Newshub revealed last week that just over 60 percent of a group labelled 'high-risk' by the Government was yet to receive their first vaccination, and only half of another group - also high-risk - had received their first shots.

And on Saturday the NZ Herald reported 3800 border workers were still yet to get their first jab, as were half of their 50,000 or so household contacts.

With confirmation of the 1 million additional doses, Hipkins said District Health Boards (DHBs) can keep delivering to their plans and start accelerating their way through Group 3 from mid-July, which is everyone over the age of 65 and people with disabilities and some underlying health conditions.

He said around 20,000 doses a day were currently being administered and the Pfizer deliveries throughout July will enable this to increase significantly. At the peak of the programme in August and September, the Government expects to be administering 50,000 doses per day.

"This will add to the significant momentum already being generated by New Zealand's vaccine programme."

To date, the Government has fully vaccinated more than a quarter of a million people, which Hipkins described as "a pleasing milestone".

"Our strategy has meant we've largely avoided having to stretch the time between first and second doses as many countries have," he said.

"Work is well advanced to set up more vaccination sites, deliver mass vaccination events, and bring more GPs and pharmacies on-board to help with the roll-out.

"While we know the ongoing pandemic can impact vaccine delivery schedules, Pfizer has given us further assurances that the remaining deliveries for 2021 are also on track, just as their deliveries to date have been."

Hipkins said the Government has vaccinated more people than planned for at this point in time and more than 6800 vaccinators have completed the necessary training to administer the Pfizer vaccine.

"We have at our disposal one of the best vaccines in the world and starting later next month we will start making it available, for free, to everyone in New Zealand over the age of 16."
Former Air New Zealand chief and MP for Botany, Christopher Luxon, also disagreed with Goldsmith.

"It wasn't good for Maori," he said. "There's no doubt about it - colonisation was not good for Maori as we saw with breaches in the Treaty and we saw with the New Zealand Land Wars.

"We've worked incredibly hard as the National Party to make sure we make those wrongs right and work hard on Treaty settlements and all of the other things we've done over the last 20 years.

"Colonisation was bad for Maori."

National MP Stuart Smith had a similar view.

"I don't think colonisation was very good for anyone."

Matt Doocey, National's mental health spokesperson, said Maori are overrepresented in mental health statistics and acknowledged there is a lot more work to do to level the playing field for Maori.

"On saying that, foreign investment flows as part of the Commonwealth when you look at times from the 1840s on, it has helped to build New Zealand as we know it today and that has improved the living standards of New Zealanders," he said.

"But I think we'd have to accept that colonisation has had some negative impact. I've got my views and I've said them today and Paul's got his as well and he's explained his and I respect his views."

National leader Judith Collins recognised how Maori might not see colonisation as a good thing.

"Most colonised people don't feel that colonisation works well for them. I certainly think the Irish don't and nor do many Indians," she said.

"But I think that when we look at the Treaty of Waitangi, it's a very unusual thing to have in terms of colonisation where there was actually an agreement between two peoples.

"When I think about it in context, am I proud of the work National has done in addressing the injustices? Yes I am. Am I proud of many of the achievements that New Zealand together has been able to achieve? Yes I am. But I'm also very aware that there were massive injustices, particularly breaches of the Treaty."

Former National leader Simon Bridges said it's not black and white.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for colonisation so it can't be all bad. I think that's actually the point - the reality is it's somewhat good, somewhat bad - it's all these things, but I don't know that trying to naval gaze and trying to feel guilty about that is going to make a blind bit of difference."

National MP Chris Bishop shared the sentiment that whether colonisation was a good thing is complex.

"It's very difficult to make a binary for or against assessment of these things. Our history is much more mixed than that and I think narrowing down the settlement of New Zealand and the effect of colonisation of Maori to a binary 'is it good or bad' question I think is actually disrespectful to the history of New Zealand."

National MP David Bennett said it's Maori who should be asked the question.

"I think we have to listen to what Maori have to say about the issue and I think there's important lessons for everyone in it."

National MP Michael Woodhouse said New Zealand is a good place to live today.

"I think diversity's a really important thing but it's also necessary to acknowledge the first people and the Treaty obligations the Crown has to them," he said.

"We're a modern country and looking back 200 years, and seeing how it's changed, I think is a measure of the fact that we are a first world country. We are one of the most modern countries in the world and I think overall, I'm very pleased I live here."

Labour digs at National

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern didn't have a lot to say about Goldsmith's comments.

"That's not an argument you'll hear me making."

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said he didn't think most New Zealanders would agree with Goldsmith.

"Maori unfortunately find themselves at the wrong end of most statistics socially and economically and we need to do better and that's what we're trying to do," he said.

"I just think it defies reality and it defies the experience that Maori have had in New Zealand and we can see that in housing and various other parts of the economy and social outcomes. So as a country, we know we've got to do better and we're committed to doing that."

Maori Development Minister Willie Jackson said he wasn't surprised.

"He's reflecting what too many people think that it was a good thing for us. It's just a load of nonsense. That's why I put an invitation out to Goldsmith to come to my marae and we'll tell him what colonisation has done to people in south Auckland."

Whanau Ora Minister Peeni Henare said Goldsmith's comments were "ignorant".

"They're just not helpful and they certainly don't align with the histories that I've learnt and others have learnt through their studies and I think it's really ignorant and it sets us back. It certainly is dismissive."

Housing Minister Megan Woods said Goldsmith's assessment was too simple.

"I think that's a far too simple way to view the world and I would expect someone who has training in history to have a more complex understanding."

Goldsmith is standing by his remarks.

"The fundamental point I'm trying to make is that when we stand back and look at New Zealand and what we've created, which is the result of colonisation, I think on balance, New Zealand is a good thing. I'm proud of New Zealand, I'm proud of what we've achieved, I'm proud to be a New Zealander.

"Now does that sort of say that bad things didn't happen? Of course not. And do we try to diminish the harsh experiences of many Maori? Of course not. I'm just saying, on balance, I'm positive about New Zealand and I'm proud to be a New Zealander."
Australian officials say he introduced encrypted communication platforms to Australia to facilitate drug imports and evade detection.

One of those was an application called AN0M - secretly developed by the FBI and the Australian Federal Police.

After Ayik was given the device by undercover agents he recommended the app to his criminal associates.

The app was sold on the black market and people could only gain access if they were referred through an existing criminal user, or had a distributor who could vouch for them, News Corp reports.

But unbeknownst to those using the app, police could see messages sent via the app and were storing them on their own servers. They could also undistort voice messages sent with AN0M.

Police say by monitoring the messages they uncovered 21 murder plots, evidence of gun distribution and mass drug trafficking.

When police launched their raids they arrested more than 220 people across Australia, and seized 3.7 tonnes of drugs, 104 weapons and AU$45 million in cash.

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw warns Ayik is now a marked man and needs to turn himself into Australian authorities.

"Given the threat he faces, he's best off handing himself into us as soon as he can," he says.

"He was one of the coordinators of this particular device, so he's essentially set up his own colleagues."

Ayik is currently believed to be living in luxury in Turkey since he evaded an Interpol arrest warrant in 2010.

An investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and 60 Minutes earlier in June tracked him down and found him owning a hotel in Istanbul and other high-end properties. He had reportedly changed his name and had plastic surgery to disguise himself.

"His Interpol red notice remains live," their report warns.

"Whatever his name, and regardless of his glamorous new life, Australian police are still pressing to arrest and extradite the man once known as the Facebook gangster."
Here's the latest on the pandemic from around the world overnight.



Europe

United Kingdom

Britain on Tuesday reported 6048 more COVID-19 cases and 13 further deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to official data. The UK reported 13 deaths.

Italy

Italy reported 102 coronavirus-related deaths on Tuesday against 65 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 1896 from 1273.

Denmark

Denmark researchers are using virtual reality to encourage more COVID-19 vaccinations, through a game of maneuvering through a virus-infected crowd in a city square.

Americas

United States

A report on the origins of COVID-19 by a US government national laboratory concluded that the hypothesis of a virus leak from a Chinese lab in Wuhan is plausible and deserves further investigation, the Wall Street Journal said on Monday, citing people familiar with the classified document.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has eased its travel recommendations for 61 countries including Japan from its highest 'Level 4' rating that had discouraged all travel to recommending travel for fully vaccinated individuals, the agency confirmed Tuesday.
A joke hashtag about Queen Elizabeth II dying has exploded on Chinese social media.

The hashtag, which translated reads, "the Queen died of illness" was born after the UK embassy in China attempted to commemorate the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre on Twitter-like app Weibo, ABC reports.

All references to the June 4 anniversary are censored on Chinese social media. In the week leading up to it, emojis that could be used to pay tribute such as the cake and candle were removed from the Weibo app.

Despite this, the UK embassy account, which has 1.8 million followers, posted an image of a single candle without context on the Tiananmen Square anniversary.

According to ABC, this photo prompted a flood of comments and posts with the hashtag "the Queen died of illness".
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Walter Harper, a Koyukon Athabaskan mountain climber, was the first person to summit Denali. A statue dedicated to Harper will be created by artist Gary Lee Price and placed in Doyon Plaza.
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Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High 71F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 52F. Winds light and variable.
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. High around 70F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 52F. Winds light and variable.
The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574.

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TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

With the national vaccination campaign proceeding at a fast pace, Bahrain is on the right track to achieve full community protection, or herd immunity, against the coronavirus (COVID-19).

More than 80% of the Kingdoms eligible population have already received the first dose of a vaccine and on its way to touching the one-million mark for those who have taken both jabs.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), herd immunity, also known as population immunity and community immunity, is achieved when a sufficient portion of a population is protected from infectious disease through vaccination to make its spread from person to person in the community unlikely.

When the majority of people are vaccinated and become immune, those who are not immune benefit from the limited spread of the disease.

In essence, those with immunity act as a barrier or buffer around those without immunity, so that the infection is less likely to reach them.

The percentage of people who need to be immune in order to achieve herd immunity varies with each disease. In the case of COVID-19, experts estimate that herd immunity would require around 80% to 90% of the population to have COVID-19 immunity and get back to normal lives.

The Kingdom offers citizens and residents six free vaccines to choose from, namely Sinopharm, Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZenecas Covishield, Johnson & Johnson, Sputnik V and Sputnik Light.

All these vaccines are safe and effective in boosting immunity and will help reduce the likelihood of infection and severity of symptoms.

The Kingdoms mass vaccination efforts aim to inoculate a total of 1.5 million residents, around 712,000 of them are Bahrainis and 679,000 expatriates and provide them with a high degree of protection against the deadly virus.

The Health Ministry has increased its daily vaccination capacity to 31,000 doses across 31 vaccination centres. It is also expanding the vaccination campaign to include adolescents aged 12 to 17.
The Andrew County Sheriffs Department is looking for two robbers who committed a brazen heist on the shoulder of Interstate 29 late last month.

According to an investigator with the sheriffs department, a man pulled over to help a seemingly stranded woman driving a white Ford F-150. He was later held at gunpoint and robbed, according to the report.

When the woman said her battery was dead, the victim went into his own vehicle to get jumper cables. Thats when a man stepped out of the shadows with a gun.

When he opened up his door to get the jumper cables, he (the alleged robber) held him at gunpoint and told the victim to walk away from the vehicle, Brandon Taylor, an investigator with the sheriffs department, said.

The robbery is believed to be an isolated incident. It occurred just after 9 p.m. on May 23 near mile-marker 63. No similar incidents have been reported since. Taylor told News-Press NOW hes researched other incidents but didnt find any reported in surrounding counties.

Its possible the duo are working up and down the interstate, he said.

It was a very planned crime, Taylor said. And he (the victim) said they (the robbers) had a Midwestern accent. So that could span four states around here, which doesnt really narrow it down for me.

The sheriffs department has received some tips, but the description from the victim is vague. The male robber is described as larger, and both he and the female were wearing COVID-19 style masks. Taylor said the robbers told the victim that they were concerned about COVID-19 when the victim first pulled over to help. That turned out to be a ruse.

Taylor said the victim probably felt safe as the highway was still populated at that hour, but it wasnt a passerby who called 911. The victim flagged down another person who stopped, borrowed a phone and then called 911. In addition to holding the victim at gunpoint, the robbers threw the victims keys and phone into a nearby ditch. Both were later recovered.

Thats not a good idea (to stop), Taylor said. You can call the sheriffs office or the Missouri State Highway Patrol, well check on those vehicles. So people need to be cautious with going and helping people, especially in remote areas.

Those with information are urged to call the Andrew County Sheriffs Department at 816-324-4114. Taylor said the sheriffs office has no suspects as of Monday.
The park sales tax citizens committee met for the first time Monday to discuss how to prioritize a list of projects that could receive revenue if the tax is approved by voters in August.

After the council approved the eight-member committee during their last meeting, they asked for a complete list of park projects by June 21. This would allow the city plenty of time to inform voters about where their money would go, but this is a tall task for the committee.

As we discussed in the meeting, a lot of these good things, people may or may not see every day or every other day, so thats something were gonna have to work on as far as getting the word out and making sure people, the public, truly understand where this money could go, said Chris Clark, the committee chairman.

And the money could go many places. The Parks, Recreation and Civic Facilities Department oversees numerous parks and buildings, including Civic Arena, the Missouri Theater and the Wyeth Tootle Mansion.

To help, Parks Director Chuck Kempf and his staff created an extensive list of projects that could use the money from the sales tax. The committees job is to narrow down that list.

Chuck (Kempf) and Jeff (Atkins) in the Parks Department have done an incredible job getting the list together and really being able to inventory the issues and the needs theyve got, Clark said. Were very lucky to have somebody like Chuck and his staff to put this together to really bring everything to the surface. The list is impressive. Its way bigger than I wish it were though.

Each committee member will rank five projects from the list before their next meeting Wednesday. They will then discuss their individual priorities to help with the final determination. Multiple members offered their priorities during the meeting, including restrooms and new parks.

For Clark, the entire department is a priority. Many parks arent receiving the necessary maintenance, and staff doesnt have proper equipment. Kempf said only six items have been replaced in the last four years.

The committee wants this process to look very similar to the Capital Improvements Program, which has significant support from the voters every time its on the ballot. The reason? People know exactly where their money is going thanks to an itemized list presented to the voters. The park sales tax citizens committee wants to have the same success.
A new Senate report reveals previously unknown details about the stunning security breakdowns ahead of the January 6 US Capitol attack, adding an authoritative emphasis to previous evidence that there were massive intelligence failures, critical miscommunications, and unheeded warnings that ultimately led to the chaotic response that day.

Among the failures was an inability by intelligence officials to tie together a swirl of troubling internet chatter leading up to the riot and a reliance on using past, non-violent Trump rallies in security planning. The report also found that while the Capitol Polices main intelligence unit was aware of the potential for violence, some officials were left in the dark in the run up to January 6.

There are also several glaring omissions in the report including any examination of Donald Trumps role in the riots, raising questions about whether lawmakers, in their quest for bipartisanship, exposed the limits of a Congress divided and unable to agree on certain truths, particularly those related to the former Presidents actions.

RELATED: Cheney: Trump inciting January 6 riot the most dangerous thing a president has done

Sources tell CNN that in order for this report, which was compiled by the Senate Homeland Security and Rules committees, to have support from both parties, the language had to be carefully crafted, and that included excluding the word insurrection, which notably does not appear outside of witness quotes and footnotes.

Did we look at Trumps role in the attack? The answer is no, a Senate committee aide told reporters.

The report did not attempt to look at the origins and development of the groups or individuals that participated in the attack on the Capitol, the aide said.

Still, it marks the most comprehensive government report on the security failures leading up to the Capitol insurrection. Congressional investigators pored through thousands of documents, received written statements from 50 police officers who defended the Capitol, and got testimony from a wide array of current and former officials who played a role in the security preparations and response.

Like previous witness testimony and independent reports on failures around the attack, the Senate report painted a damning portrait of security lapses on several levels both leading up to and on January 6.

Senate aides said the information from the report was pulled from a variety of sources  public hearings, private communications and five transcribed interviews, including with former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller and acting US Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman.

But there was clear frustration among the committees that not everyone cooperated fully with their information requests. The report gleaned heavily from information derived from the Capitol Police.

We did develop some information with respect to DHS and FBI. Its not that DHS and FBI withheld information. Its that their response so far has been very partial and frankly unsatisfactory, a Senate aide said.

Moreover, the Senate investigators ran into institutional hurdles  including from the House sergeant-at-arms, which did not provide information to the panels because the House is sort of responsible for its own affairs, and the Senate is responsible for its own affairs, an aide said.

New details about extent of communication among rioters

Trump supporters posted plenty of violent threats and dangerous assertions on the internet in the run-up to January 6. The report said these were found on message boards, social media, memes, or hashtags. But intelligence officials struggled with how to interpret warnings about those posts and how to differentiate between protected political speech and actual threats.

The aides said that the Senate probe did uncover new information about the extent of the communication beforehand among the rioters, including an increase in traffic to a website about Washingtons tunnels.

Aides were pressed on why, despite mounting evidence there were plans to attack the Capitol, law enforcement seemed to rely on past-MAGA marches that remained largely non-violent. The aides said the law enforcement intelligence focused on clashes between groups rather than violence toward a building.

The report also concluded that the Capitol Polices main intelligence unit was aware of the potential for violence in the days and weeks ahead of January 6. But not everyone was aware. The inquiry determined that USCPs decentralized intelligence operation meant some people saw these warnings while other officials were left in the dark.

Pittman provided significant testimony, both in an interview setting as well as in open hearings. However, the report notes apparent variations in her answers, something aides acknowledged but declined to explain further.

Youll see throughout the report significant quotes from acting Chief Pittman and we do point out places where there have been some perceived inconsistencies including with respect to the intelligence products, the aide said.

In a statement, the Capitol Police said the intelligence reflected a large demonstration attracting various groups, including some encouraging violence. However, the agency added, What it didnt know, as Acting Chief Pittman has noted, was the large-scale demonstration would become a large-scale attack on the Capitol Building  as there was no specific, credible intelligence about such an attack.

Neither the USCP, nor the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Metropolitan Police or our other law enforcement partners knew thousands of rioters were planning to attack the U.S. Capitol, the agency added. The known intelligence simply didnt support that conclusion.

Limits of a bipartisan congressional probe

The reports narrow scope underscores the limits of a bipartisan, congressional investigation. While the evidence and interviews were gathered over months from bipartisan staff and members on two committees, the information pertained almost entirely to the security and intelligence shortcomings that led to that day, not focusing on why individuals would have come to the Capitol in the first place and Trumps role.

Democratic Senate investigators took careful steps not to alienate their Republican counterparts in the process of the probe, which meant not taking a closer look at Trumps role in promoting the Jan. 6 rally and months-long attempt to pressure local officials, lawmakers in Congress and then-Vice President Mike Pence to subvert the will of the electorate.

Aides also steered clear of language that could turn off some Republicans, including not referring to the attack as an insurrection.

The language that was chosen was purposeful  and represents the consensus of the four members and their respective staffs, a Senate committee aide said. We did our very best to stick of the facts as we understood them and leave characterizations in quotes where there were characterizations.

In one clear example of that, the reports appendix includes Trumps full speech before the January 6 crowd  but does not go further into interpreting how that influenced the Capitol rioters. A Senate aide said that decision was made to avoid inserting our editorial judgment of the speech.

RELATED: Republicans have downplayed the US Capitol riot violence. The evidence paints a different picture.

While the report did nod to some of Trumps statements and tweets leading up to the events at the Capitol, the report did not fully explore the root causes of what led to an insurrection at the Capitol, nor did it lay blame on the former President directly for promoting a lie that the election was stolen that mobilized supporters to gather at the Capitol on January 6.

The conclusion of the congressional investigation comes weeks after the Senate rejected a bill from the House of Representatives that would have established a bipartisan commission to study the insurrection. That body would have been staffed by individuals outside of Congress and the administration. That investigation would have been far reaching and would have been tasked with exploring some of the events that may have been responsible for triggering the events of the insurrection. The bill, however, failed to gain traction in the Senate where just a handful of Republicans joined with Democrats to back it.

Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio and the ranking member on the Homeland Security Committee who authored the congressional report Tuesday, voted to advance legislation that would have established the commission. But, Sen. Roy Blunt, a Republican from Missouri who served as the top GOP member on Rules, did not.

Blunt argued that the congressional report went far enough and provided the framework for how to make fixes to Capitol Hill security, which could be delayed if a commission were established.

I think a commission would slow down the things we need to do, Blunt said last month. Frankly, I dont think there are that many gaps to be filled in what happened on January 6th as it pertains to building security.

RELATED: How a Capitol rioter cut his plea deal and what it means for others

Its unclear what the Senates bipartisan report will mean for House Democratic leaders, who could decide in upcoming days and weeks to launch their own investigation either through a new Select Committee or through already established committees, which have been working on investigating the incidents surrounding January 6th for months.

Now that the report is out, the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer could argue it does not go far enough and could force another vote to establish a commission. However, there still wouldnt be the Republican votes to pass it. Without 60 votes or a united Democratic caucus willing to blow up the filibuster, a commission couldnt be established.
Missouri Department of Conservation invites turkey hunters, landowners and managers interested in wild turkeys to join its webcast Wild Turkeys in Missouri: Population Trends and MDC Management at noon Tuesday, June 29.

MDC Wild Turkey Biologist Reina Tyl will discuss factors that have contributed to Missouri wild turkey numbers and MDC management efforts regarding wild turkeys.

The discussion will include information on wild turkey numbers over the years and why they are where they are today; how weather, predators and habitat impact turkey numbers; MDC turkey management and research efforts; and how harvest impacts turkey numbers. Webcast participants can also share their questions for Tyl to answer.

Register at short.mdc.mo.gov/ZHk. Participants will be emailed a registration confirmation and instructions for joining the live webcast.
Nims was charged with one count of video voyeurism by a person 18 or older, who is responsible for the welfare of a child younger than 16.
HARTFORD  The Republican House minority, seizing on a section of the recreational cannabis bill that was deleted before its narrow Senate vote early Tuesday, called the process tainted and vowed to make sure that if Democrats bring the bill to a debate, they could filibuster the issue for hours as the General Assembly closes in on its Wednesday midnight adjournment.

And if midnight ends without House action, the 19-17 Senate passage is erased, forcing marijuana proponents to push for a special session with a new debate and vote in the Senate and House. House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, backed by much of his caucus Tuesday morning, said a special legislative session would be a more-acceptable outcome.

Gov. Ned Lamont late Tuesday afternoon seemed not to care whether the cannabis bill is brought forth in the regular session or a special session later this month, as long as it gets done after his administration invested a lot of time and political capital on the issue.

If they want to talk for eight hours, talk for eight hours and go to a special session, Lamont told reporters outside his Capitol office around mid-afternoon. If you want to make up your mind and vote, do it on a timely basis. If it takes an extra couple of days, get the job done.

Lamont said he was glad the Senate vote was bipartisan, even if it was a lone Republican who first tried to legalize small amounts of marijuana in 2003.

I understand there had to be an amendment at the last moment, Lamont said. Something got into that bill was unaware to me and wrong. And we got that out of there. Ive got to make sure people have confidence in what this means. The cannabis bill has been contemplated here for a long time. I think its time for folks to vote. that,

Earlier, Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, said the cannabis bill that was finally released to his 54-member caucus over the weekend contained the glaring special-interest section that wasnt deleted until Capitol reporters, including the CT Mirror began looking into the issue.

The section was apparently promoted by Sen. Douglas McCrory, D-Hartford, for the benefit of a former financial backer or producer connected with the Theraplant growing operation for the medical marijuana industry in Watertown that is represented by the well-known Hartford lobbying firm of Sullivan & LeShane.

Its all about the process, Candelora said when asked why a piece of the bill that was removed was important to the current debate. We have a two-party system in the state of Connecticut for a reason. The fact that it was even written and filed on the system and almost passed into law tarnishes the whole bill and is reprehensible. Given the magnitude of money that were dealing with, I think we have always been concerned that greed is driving the bus on this issue.

Revenue projections indicate the state could make more than $73 million in sales taxes in the state budget year that starts on July 1, 2025. Retail sales could start as soon as next May, under an optimistic enactment scenario with the state Department of Consumer Protection administering the program.

Candelora criticized the bill for being the product negotiated between the Democratic governor and the Democratic House and Senate majorities. It is so tarnished that the House of Representatives should not be taking up this bill, Candelora said. He called for an investigation into the controversial deleted section. Lamont discounted Candeloras request.

Democrats, with a 97-54 majority, plan for no Republican votes for cannabis in the House, but Candelora said some of the more-Libertarian members of his caucus could support the home-grow provisions that would allow adult-use home grow starting July 1, 2023. There have always been Republicans who supported the notion of homegrown and people being able to smoke marijuana, he said. That is a debate we could have on the floor.

The narrow Senate vote, capping a five-hour debate, included six Democrats voting against the bill, but with Sen. Kevin Witkos, a Canton Republican, siding with the majority. The Hartford Courant reported Tuesday that Witkos wife, Esther Witkos is employed by Curaleaf, which operates one of the states four medical marijuana growers.

Witkos, a retired police office, said it just makes sense at a time when surrounding states are creating adult-use cannabis programs. He recalled that as a member of the House in 2003, he introduced legislation to legalize small amounts of the drug.

Back then, the Judiciary Committee wouldnt even give it a public hearing, Witkos said in an interview on the floor of an otherwise-empty Senate, recalling his former career as a police sergeant and detective.

What happens is arrests are made and folks that have the wherewithal dont even have to go to court and their stuff is thrown out, and the folks that are median-to-lower income have to fight, but eventually everything gets nolled anyway, Witkos said of cases that get dropped. So its a waste of time and money and embarrassment, and I think thats something we can move past, and we can fix it here in Connecticut. The fact that almost every New England state has recreational marijuana, why in the world would we not legalize it and tax it here?

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  Iran's seven presidential candidates on Tuesday put all the problems of the Islamic Republic squarely on the shoulders of the one man who wasn't there to defend himself: Outgoing President Hassan Rouhani.

After a raucous first debate, the aspirants in the three-hour televised debate focused their attention on Rouhani and mocked his administration's hope campaign that surrounded its now-tattered 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

That allowed candidates to link former Central Bank chief Abdolnasser Hemmati to Rouhani while allowing hard-line judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi, believed to be the race's front-runner, to largely escape criticism.

They have mobilized sun and moon and the heavens to make some particular individual become president," said Mohsen Mehralizadeh, the sole reformist approved for the election, referring to Raisi.

The looming June 18 election will see voters pick a candidate to replace Rouhani, who is term limited from running again.

The election comes amid tensions with the West as negotiations continue to try and resuscitate the nuclear deal that then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from in 2018. That accord saw Iran agree to limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.

Hemmati, clearly frustrated by constantly being linked to Rouhani, even brought up Trump himself in an attempt to defend himself.

"Some of you must send a letter to Trump and tell him, Mr. Trump, be happy, everything you did against the people of Iran, we blamed on Hemmati, he said.

The debate comes as Iranian authorities hope to boost turnout, held by officials as a sign of confidence in the theocracy since the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. The state-linked Iranian Student Polling Agency has projected a 38% turnout from the country's 59 million eligible voters, which would be a historic low amid a lack of enthusiasm by voters and the coronavirus pandemic.

Raisi, believed to be a favorite of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, brought up the deficit of trust by the public.

Peoples living conditions have been damaged badly. Peoples businesses have been damaged gravely," he said. Peoples trust in the government maybe is at the lowest level in years and has been damaged severely.

Raisi's comments on the need to remove oppressive sanctions suggested he'd back returning to the nuclear deal, despite hard-liner anger over the accord.

But criticism remained almost always focused on Rouhani. Hard-liner Mohsen Rezaei, ignoring a question posed to him by the moderator, cuttingly said you cannot eat hope in a swipe at the president. He put corruption concerns squarely on Rouhani's government as well.

Mafia kings are like vacuum cleaners and vacuuming up all the countrys resources," Rezaei said.

Even reformist Mehralizadeh criticized Rouhani's Health Ministry for being negligent in its response to the coronavirus.

For his part, Hemmati sought to distance himself from Rouhani, describing himself as being fired from the Central Bank in May after he declared his candidacy.

I am not Rouhanis representative," he insisted.

The structure of the debate  having candidates answer questions selected at random from large fish bowls  largely prevented aspirants from uniformly offering their opinions. It also limited debate between them, though by the end Hemmati's swings at Raisi saw the cleric raise his voice while defending himself in the last segment.

Hemmati criticized Raisi for allowing internet censorship in Iran to continue during his role as judiciary chief. He also seemingly backed Iran's underground rap scene in a nod to Iran's youth, which he described as mostly not wanting to vote.

Hemmati also criticized Iran's morality police for strictly enforcing the country's mandatory hijab, or hair covering for women. He described being warned by unnamed officials to stop criticizing the text messages authorities send to women over wearing loose hijabs or allowing it to fall to their shoulders.

Some want to turn the White House into a mosque instead of developing Iran, he said. Then they ask why development has not happened? Why job opportunities have not been created? I have come to change this trend.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP)  Alvaro Enciso plants three or four crosses each week in Arizonas desert borderlands, amid the yellow-blossomed prickly pear and whip-like ocotillo, in honor of migrants who died on the northbound trek.

Each colorful wooden memorial denotes where a set of bones or a decomposing body was found. Over eight years, the artist has marked more than 1,000 locations across public lands dotted with empty black plastic water jugs and camouflage backpacks beneath circling turkey vultures.

Anything out here can kill you, Enciso said. "A blister, a snake, not enough water.

Protecting migrants and honoring the humanity of those who died on the perilous trail is a kind of religion in southern Arizona where spiritual leaders four decades ago founded the Sanctuary Movement to shelter Central Americans fleeing civil war, and scores of volunteers carry on their legacy today.

Faith-based groups working in migrant activism run the gamut from the Tucson Samaritans, which leaves lifesaving caches of water, food and other provisions in the remote wilderness, to a migrant shelter operated by Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona.

Encisos art project, Where Dreams Die, fits squarely in that spiritual tradition, though he believes theres nothing overtly religious in memorializing the dead.

On a recent day he placed a golden cross where the bones of an unknown male were found Sept. 24, 2020. The cause and approximate year of the mans death remain undetermined.

Can you imagine what their families go through, not knowing what happened to them? Enciso said.

Such activism has roots in the 1981 founding of the Sanctuary Movement, which spread to a more than 500 U.S. Protestant, Catholic and Jewish congregations.

Now 81 and retired, the Rev. John Fife III was pastor at Tucsons Southside Presbyterian Church when his Quaker friend Jim Corbett told him Central Americans escaping violence were fleeing to the U.S.

Soon Fife and Corbett, who died in 2001, were smuggling Central Americans into the U.S. and sheltering them in their homes, despite their wives protests. The church hosted some 13,000 asylum seekers in the 80s, with up to 100 people sleeping on the floor on a given night.

I felt that if I didnt help, I would have to resign as pastor, Fife said recently.

Fife was convicted in 1986 of violating U.S. immigration laws and served five years probation, but that didnt deter him.

In 2000 he helped create Humane Borders, which maintains water stations with 55-gallon (208-liter) plastic blue barrels. Two years later he co-founded Tucson Samaritans, which sends volunteers into the wilderness to leave water and food. Fife also had a hand in the 2004 creation of No More Deaths, which staffs remote aid camps.

Many of those volunteering with the groups are of retirement age, like Gail Kocourek.

Every week the Tucson Samaritan volunteer drives donations of clothing and food to Casa de la Esperanza, a new center south of the border in the Mexican town of Sasabe where about 50 migrants a day can get a meal, a shower and clothes. They sleep at hotels or guest houses in town.

I dont think anyone deserves to die for trying to make a better life for their family, Kocourek said.

Often traveling there as well is Dora Rodriguez, who was among 13 Salvadorans who survived in 1980 when 13 others died in the broiling sun near Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Then 19, she remained in Tucson.

And now, 41 years later, people are still dying out here in the desert, said Rodriguez.

Groups that seek to restrict immigration, such as the Washington-based think tank Center for Immigration Studies, contend the border wall and other barriers are a better way to keep deaths down by keeping migrants out.

For its part, the Border Patrol, in a recent statement on the 20th anniversary of the deaths of 14 people in the Devils Highway region southeast of Yuma, noted the danger remains: Smugglers and guides regularly risk the lives of the migrants who pay them thousands of dollars for help to get to the United States.

Humane Borders, which works with Pima County chief medical examiner Dr. Greg Hess to map the discoveries of human remains, in 2020 documented 227 deaths, the highest in a decade after the hottest, driest summer in state history. Hess office this year received the remains of 79 apparent border crossers through May, and activists fear 2021 could prove especially treacherous with large numbers of people launching journeys.

Customs and Border Protection reports that apprehensions of migrants are way up, with 20,246 such encounters in the Tucson sector alone in April  a 674% increase over the same month last year  out of 178,622 along the entire four-state border. Rescues of migrants are also up.

Im not looking forward to this summer, said Douglas Ruopp, chairman of Humane Borders. No matter what we do, people keep dying.

Yet the danger doesnt dissuade people like Josue Hernandez Ruiz, a tour guide from the Mexican resort of Huatulco who was laid off during the coronavirus pandemic and ventured north seeking to support his wife and two children. After staying at a guest house in Sasabe, he and a friend planned to cross the desert without a guide.

Im going to use my phone, Hernandez Ruiz said. It has GPS.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through The Conversation U.S. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
OTTAWA, ON, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - As we continue to adapt to the new physical, social, and economic realities presented by COVID-19, all orders of government are working together to ensure the safety and well-being of Canadians. This includes providing local communities with tools and support for evidence-based decision-making that will help them plan a healthier, safer and more prosperous future for everyone.

This is why the Government of Canada is investing $288,240 in seven new projects in Manitoba communities through the Municipal Asset Management Program (MAMP), delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities on behalf of the federal government. The program helps municipalities strengthen local infrastructure planning and decision-making by increasing local asset management capacity through investments in activities such as asset management training, technology and software enhancements and information sharing.

With funding from MAMP:

The City of Dauphin will develop an asset management program including an asset management policy and a strategic asset management plan. It will also identify critical assets and their associated risks as well as partner with the Canadian Network of Asset Managers to provide basic asset management training to all staff. This project and its initiatives will allow the city to complete asset management plans for all its assets.

will develop an asset management program including an asset management policy and a strategic asset management plan. It will also identify critical assets and their associated risks as well as partner with the Canadian Network of Asset Managers to provide basic asset management training to all staff. This project and its initiatives will allow the city to complete asset management plans for all its assets. Gilbert Plains Municipality will build up an asset management policy, strategy, roadmap, and plan focusing on road, water and sewer networks, and building asset classes. These actions will allow Gilbert Plains to build a solid asset management base and to have a clear direction for the future.

will build up an asset management policy, strategy, roadmap, and plan focusing on road, water and sewer networks, and building asset classes. These actions will allow to build a solid asset management base and to have a clear direction for the future. The Town of Neepawa will implement an asset management plan and continue training and development for staff and council. The town will also update its data collection and reporting process.

Details of all seven projects are included in the backgrounder.

Quotes

"The seven projects announced today ensure Manitoba municipalities have the tools and technology necessary to make well-informed decisions for the long term. Infrastructure is essential to local economies and for residents' quality of life and these asset management projects will help communities plan for their needs today and tomorrow."

The Honourable Daniel Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, on behalf of the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"Rural communities are the backbone of the Canadian economy and among the best places in Canada to call home. Smart investments in infrastructure help smaller communities to grow, strengthen their economies and improve quality of life for their residents. Through projects like those announced today, our government is helping to ensure that local leaders, especially those in rural areas, have the tools they need to plan for the long-term and creating stronger rural communities now and for generations to come."

The Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development

"Through the Municipal Asset Management Program, FCM continues to help municipalities of all sizes, especially small and rural, manage municipal infrastructure and make stronger investment decisions based on reliable data. FCM supports communities from coast to coast to coast by providing funding, training, and resources to develop sustainable solutions that work and improve the quality of life for residents."

Joanne Vanderheyden, President, Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Quick facts

The $110-million Municipal Asset Management Program, delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and funded by the Government of Canada , has invested in more than 962 municipal asset management projects.

Municipal Asset Management Program, delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and funded by the Government of , has invested in more than 962 municipal asset management projects. MAMP offers funding, training, and resources to help municipalities strengthen their asset management practices thereby enabling them to make informed infrastructure investment decisions.

To support Canadians and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new stream has been added to the over $33-billion Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to help fund pandemic-resilient infrastructure. Existing program streams have also been adapted to include more eligible project categories.

Investing in Infrastructure Program to help fund pandemic-resilient infrastructure. Existing program streams have also been adapted to include more eligible project categories. The COVID-19 Resilience Stream will help other orders of governments whose finances have been significantly impacted by the pandemic by increasing the federal cost share for public infrastructure projects in a variety of areas including disaster mitigation and adaptation projects and pandemic-resilient infrastructure.

Furthermore, the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative will provide up to $31 million in existing federal funding to help communities adapt spaces and services in response to immediate and ongoing coronavirus-related needs over the next two years.

in existing federal funding to help communities adapt spaces and services in response to immediate and ongoing coronavirus-related needs over the next two years. Since 2016, the federal government has invested $28 billion in over 18,000 infrastructure projects in communities with populations under 100,000. More than 6,100 kilometres of highways and roads, and 103 bridges have been built, repaired or upgraded in rural communities, and more than 3,134 projects are providing rural communities with access to cleaner, more sustainable sources of drinking water.

in over 18,000 infrastructure projects in communities with populations under 100,000. More than 6,100 kilometres of highways and roads, and 103 bridges have been built, repaired or upgraded in rural communities, and more than 3,134 projects are providing rural communities with access to cleaner, more sustainable sources of drinking water. The federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF) is designed to provide municipalities with a stable and predictable source of funding. In 2020-21, Manitoba has received $72 .5 million through the federal GTF to fund their most pressing infrastructure needs.

Associated links

Municipal Asset Management Program

Infrastructure in your Community

Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan

Investing in Canada plan project map

Speech from the Throne: A stronger and more resilient Canada

Twitter: @INFC_eng

Web: Infrastructure Canada

SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

For further information: Michelle Johnston, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Cell: 613-298-7386, [email protected]; FCM Media Relations, 613-907-6395, [email protected]; Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]

Related Links

www.infrastructure.gc.ca


OTTAWA, ON, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - As we continue to adapt to the new physical, social, and economic realities presented by COVID-19, all orders of government are working together to ensure the safety and well-being of Canadians. This includes providing local communities with tools and support for evidence-based decision-making that will help them plan a healthier, safer and more prosperous future for everyone.

This is why the Government of Canada is investing $150,000 in three new projects in New Brunswick communities through the Municipal Asset Management Program (MAMP), delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities on behalf of the federal government. The program helps municipalities strengthen local infrastructure planning and decision-making by increasing local asset management capacity through investments in activities such as asset management training, technology and software enhancements and information sharing.

With funding from MAMP:

The Rural Community of Saint-Andre will develop a database of its infrastructure assets such as water, sanitary sewers, roads and buildings. They will analyze risks related to climate change and the state of its assets and set short-term priorities.

will develop a database of its infrastructure assets such as water, sanitary sewers, roads and buildings. They will analyze risks related to climate change and the state of its assets and set short-term priorities. The Village of Petit-Rocher will take inventory of its municipal assets, assess their condition and develop an asset management plan.

will take inventory of its municipal assets, assess their condition and develop an asset management plan. The Town of Saint-Leonard will improve its asset management plan by undertaking activities such as data collection, condition assessment of essential and valuable assets, and priority setting, planning and report preparation.

Quotes

"The three projects announced today ensure New Brunswick municipalities have the tools and technology necessary to make well-informed decisions for the long term. We're proud to invest in infrastructure asset management projects that will help communities grow their local economy and improve residents' quality of life."

The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"Rural communities are the backbone of the Canadian economy and among the best places in Canada to call home. Smart investments in infrastructure help smaller communities to grow, strengthen their economies and improve quality of life for their residents. Through projects like those announced today, our government is helping to ensure that local leaders, especially those in rural areas, have the tools they need to plan for the long-term and creating stronger rural communities now and for generations to come."

The Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development

"As the Member of Parliament for Madawaska-Restigouche, I am pleased to note the interest my municipalities have towards the Municipal Asset Management Program. Thanks to the FCM, funds will be distributed and accessible for all of our municipalities and specially, for our smaller ones. This program allows the analysis of assets and helps for the assessment of future needs; a management tool that will greatly facilitate the decision-making in future years. Congratulations to the municipalities benefiting the program."

Rene Arseneault, Member of Parliament for Madawaska-Restigouche

"I'm so pleased that our government is able to provide this important funding to the Village of Petit-Rocher in my riding of Acadie-Bathurst. Collaborations with the Federation for Canadian Municipalities (FCM) continue to be a successful and practical solution for providing much-needed support directly to our small and rural municipalities. Through the Municipal Asset Management Program, Petit-Rocher has been empowered to collect the necessary data and ensure their asset management capacity into the future."

Serge Cormier, Member of Parliament for Acadie-Bathurst

"Through the Municipal Asset Management Program, FCM continues to help municipalities of all sizes, especially small and rural, manage municipal infrastructure and make stronger investment decisions based on reliable data. FCM supports communities from coast to coast to coast by providing funding, training, and resources to develop sustainable solutions that work and improve the quality of life for residents."

Joanne Vanderheyden, President, Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Quick facts

The $110-million Municipal Asset Management Program, delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and funded by the Government of Canada , has invested in more than 962 municipal asset management projects.

Municipal Asset Management Program, delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and funded by the Government of , has invested in more than 962 municipal asset management projects. MAMP offers funding, training, and resources to help municipalities strengthen their asset management practices thereby enabling them to make informed infrastructure investment decisions.

To support Canadians and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new stream has been added to the over $33-billion Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to help fund pandemic-resilient infrastructure. Existing program streams have also been adapted to include more eligible project categories.

Investing in Infrastructure Program to help fund pandemic-resilient infrastructure. Existing program streams have also been adapted to include more eligible project categories. The COVID-19 Resilience Stream will help other orders of governments whose finances have been significantly impacted by the pandemic by increasing the federal cost share for public infrastructure projects in a variety of areas including disaster mitigation and adaptation projects and pandemic-resilient infrastructure.

Furthermore, the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative will provide up to $31 million in existing federal funding to help communities adapt spaces and services in response to immediate and ongoing coronavirus-related needs over the next two years.

in existing federal funding to help communities adapt spaces and services in response to immediate and ongoing coronavirus-related needs over the next two years. The Government of Canada has invested more than $557 million in 308 infrastructure projects across New Brunswick under the Investing in Canada plan.

has invested more than in 308 infrastructure projects across under the Investing in plan. Since 2016, the federal government has invested $28 billion in over 18,000 infrastructure projects in communities with populations under 100,000. More than 6,100 kilometres of highways and roads, and 103 bridges have been built, repaired or upgraded in rural communities, and more than 3,134 projects are providing rural communities with access to cleaner, more sustainable sources of drinking water.

in over 18,000 infrastructure projects in communities with populations under 100,000. More than 6,100 kilometres of highways and roads, and 103 bridges have been built, repaired or upgraded in rural communities, and more than 3,134 projects are providing rural communities with access to cleaner, more sustainable sources of drinking water. The federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF) is designed to provide municipalities with a stable and predictable source of funding. In 2020-21, New Brunswick has received more than $45 million through the federal GTF to fund its most pressing infrastructure needs.

Associated links

Municipal Asset Management Program

Infrastructure in your Community

Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan

Investing in Canada plan project map

Speech from the Throne: A stronger and more resilient Canada

Twitter: @INFC_eng

Web: Infrastructure Canada

SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

For further information: Michelle Johnston, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Cell: 613-298-7386, [email protected]; FCM Media Relations, 613-907-6395, [email protected]; Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]

Related Links

www.infrastructure.gc.ca


TORONTO, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - "Cheers! Spirits from the USA" campaign, sponsored by the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (DISCUS), is inviting restaurants, bars and American Whiskey fans across Canada to join them in celebrating National Bourbon Day on Monday, June 14th.

The campaign, supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was created by the U.S. distilled spirits industry to educate Canadian media, consumers and foodservice/hospitality industry members about the heritage, tastes, uses, styles and qualities of the wide variety of U.S. distilled spirits.

Through an interactive map, owners and operators can register their establishments providing an easy way for Canadian adult-consumers to find a location celebrating the distinctive American Whiskey near them. The aggregated list of local promotions toasting National Bourbon Day can also be a source of support after a long year of industry sales losses and restrictions throughout the region.

"One interesting phenomenon during the pandemic is that American Whiskey exports to Canada continued their pre-pandemic trends. Between 2017 and 2020 American Whiskey exports to Canada increased by nearly 15 percent, from approximately $49 million to $56 million. In the three months of 2021, American Whiskey exports to Canada are 39 percent as compared to the same period in 2020", says DISCUS Vice President of International Trade Rob Maron.

Additional promotions for registered bars and restaurants will include influencer support, social media amplification, custom content, additional mass media coverage and special events to be announced. Through these National Bourbon Day initiatives, spirit lovers and bourbon connoisseurs across the country will be introduced to a wide variety of bourbon cocktail options from kits to food bundles to interactive events with distillers and other beverage industry figures. Some highlights already on the schedule include a 200-person coast to coast virtual "Cheers" plus BBQ and cocktail picnic kits.

To register for National Bourbon Day, or uncover participating locations and promotions, visit cheersbourbon.com. Follow along on Facebook @CheersAmericanSpirits and Instagram @CheersAmericanSpirits and use the official #NationalBourbonDay.

For more information about the Distilled Spirits Council of the US visit

https://www.distilledspirits.org/ .

The U.S. distilled spirits industry is committed to social responsibility. For those adults who choose to drink, they should do so in moderation and responsibly at all times. For more information: www.drinkinmoderation.org.

The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Inc., prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, religion, national origin, age, gender, disability, or other protected status.

SOURCE Distilled Spirits Council of the United States

For further information: For all media inquiries: Eric Wood, Project Manager, Branding & Buzzing, [email protected]

Related Links

https://www.distilledspirits.org


OTTAWA, ON, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - As more and more Canadians get vaccinated against COVID-19, the Government of Canada is taking action to make sure every Canadian who wants a vaccine can get one, closing the gap among populations with lower vaccine uptake.

Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, announced five new projects receiving funding through the Immunization Partnership Fund (IPF) to support vaccination efforts across Canada. These projects will support COVID-19 vaccine uptake among populations disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 through targeted outreach to provide culturally relevant and tailored vaccination resources.

Four provincial and one national Community Health Centre (CHC) Associations will receive funding to increase COVID-19 vaccine knowledge and access for those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 within their communities. The four provincial organizationsBritish Columbia Association of Community Health Centres, Manitoba Association of Community Health, Ontario's Alliance for Healthier Communities, and the Nova Scotia Association of Community Health Centreswill assess the gaps in COVID-19 vaccine confidence and access within their provinces and implement tailored strategies to ensure their vaccination efforts meet these distinct needs.

At a national level, the Canadian Association of Community Health Centres (CACHC) will receive funding to support its work as a coordinating body to align and consolidate the vaccination strategies and best practices developed through the provincial projects. The CACHC will share project materials with community health centres in provinces without a CHC Association so that communities across Canada can benefit from equitable COVID-19 vaccination resources.

The Government of Canada is working closely with experts, provinces and territories, and other partners to encourage vaccine confidence and better understand what barriers people may face to getting vaccinated. The IPF is one tool to help people in Canada make informed vaccine choices through community mobilization and public outreach.

Quotes

"Vaccines are an important tool to protect Canadians against COVID-19. The Immunization Partnership Fund is one of the ways we're making sure all people in Canada have equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. This funding will use the expertise of trusted community leaders to share credible and culturally relevant information on vaccines and help address the unique community-based challenges people face to get vaccinated."

The Honourable Patty Hajdu

Minister of Health

"The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, more than ever, how critical it is to design and implement public health responses tailored to the diverse needs of marginalized individuals and groups, led by organizations with strong relationships of trust in local communities. Since early 2020, Community Health Centres (CHCs) across Canada have been on the frontlines of the pandemic, delivering a wide range of services, including primary care and illness prevention, infection protection supports, testing, food security supports, social supports, vaccination services and more. The federal government's boost of funding to efforts at CHCs across the country comes at a critical moment in Canada's COVID-19 efforts, particularly as we grapple with the evolving nature of the virus variants and the need for future community engagement and vaccination efforts."

Scott Wolfe

Executive Director, Canadian Association of Community Health Centres

Quick Facts

The Immunization Partnership Fund (IPF) supports projects that improve access to vaccines and encourage vaccine acceptance and uptake.





In 2020, as a response to Canada's COVID-19 vaccination efforts and building on the early momentum of the IPF, the Government of Canada invested an additional $64 million for projects to support vaccine uptake in Canada . This funding includes:

COVID-19 vaccination efforts and building on the early momentum of the IPF, the Government of invested an additional for projects to support vaccine uptake in . This funding includes: $30.25 million for community-led projects to develop tailored, targeted tools and educational resources to raise awareness of, and confidence in, COVID-19 vaccines.

for community-led projects to develop tailored, targeted tools and educational resources to raise awareness of, and confidence in, COVID-19 vaccines.

$32.5 million to support provincial and territorial governments in enhancing their electronic vaccination registries to help monitor vaccine uptake.

to support provincial and territorial governments in enhancing their electronic vaccination registries to help monitor vaccine uptake.

$1.3 million to amend existing funded projects to incorporate measures and activities to address COVID-19.



to amend existing funded projects to incorporate measures and activities to address COVID-19. Through the IPF:

The Canadian Association of Community Health Centres is receiving $598,915 for their project Community Vaccination Promotion  National Project.

for their project

The British Columbia Association of Community Health Centres is receiving $323,871 for their project Community Vaccination Promotion  British Columbia Project.

for their project

The Manitoba Association of Community Health is receiving $350,625 for their project Community Vaccination Promotion  Manitoba Project.

for their project

The Alliance for Healthier Communities is receiving $898,011 for their project Community Vaccination Promotion  Ontario .

for their project

The Nova Scotia Association of Community Health Centres is receiving $292,800 for their project Community Vaccination Promotion  Nova Scotia Project.

Associated Links

Backgrounder: New Projects Funded Under the Immunization Partnership Fund

Vaccination and Immunization

Immunization Partnership Fund

Canada.ca/Coronavirus

SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada

For further information: Thierry Belair, Office of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; Media Relations, Public Health Agency of Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]; Public Inquiries: 613-957-2991, 1-866-225-0709, COVID-19 public enquiries: 1-833-784-4397
OTTAWA, ON, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - As Canada makes progress in the fight against COVID-19, Canadians are eager to spend time outdoors. To keep residents safe and healthy, support economic recovery, create jobs and build vibrant, resilient communities, local governments and community partners across the country are enhancing outdoor spaces to safely enjoy nature.

Today, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, joined Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Member of Parliament for Hochelaga and Parliamentary Secretary for Transport, Marie-Andree Farmer, Director, COVID-19 and Federal Funds, Fondation du Grand Montreal, Helene McKoy, Executive Director, Corporation d'animation des places publiques, and Norma Drolet, Executive Director, Centre NAHA, to announce three projects benefitting the City of Montreal and the riding of Hochelaga that have received funds from the first round of funding under the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative. The projects being announced today are part of the over 250 projects receiving funding in the first round.

Federal funding of $25,000 will support the Conte en balade project of the Corporation d'animation des places publiques, which integrates art and urban design to encourage literacy among young children. A federal investment of more than $20,000 will support the work of a centre for women and their children as they develop solutions in support of people experiencing domestic or gender-based violence. More than $5,000 in federal funding will support the NAHA Centre in improving its residents' quality of life by enhancing outdoor spaces by installing a table, benches, awnings and various suspended potted plants. Federal funding for each of these projects comes from the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative.

The Canada Healthy Communities Initiative is a $31-million investment to build safer spaces and ensure a higher quality of life for people across the country, by helping communities adapt to the challenges presented by COVID-19.

The second round of funding for the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative is open, and the application period will close on June 25, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. PST. Applicants can apply for funding ranging from $5,000 to $250,000 for eligible projects, within an overall envelope of $31 million in federal government funding.

Quotes

"The pandemic has had a devastating impact on many communities and they have adapted by providing safe, inclusive spaces for their residents. Through the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative, we're funding important initiatives across Montreal, including support for la Corporation d'animation des places publiques and le Centre NAHA, to help residents through the pandemic and beyond. The Canada Healthy Communities Initiative is supporting projects across the country that build more inclusive communities and ensure a higher quality of life for Canadians."

The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"Access to Hochelaga's public spaces allows residents to fully enjoy community life and reinforces a sense of belonging. Funds obtained today by Centre NAHA and la Corporation d'animation des places publiques ensure that the spaces they will create meet the needs of Hochelaga's citizens. Thanks to their projects, our public spaces will become more welcoming and dynamic while still respecting public health measures."

Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Member of Parliament for Hochelaga and Parliamentary Secretary of Transport

"The Healthy Communities Initiative is supporting organizations in Montreal, Quebec to bring people together in our communities both in-person and digitally, while respecting public health measures. These projects show us the creativity and resourcefulness of communities as they create temporary and longer-lasting solutions that enable people to connect and access public spaces safely."

Andrea Dicks, President of Community Foundations of Canada

Quick facts

The Canada Healthy Communities Initiative was created to help communities adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic and create safe ways for residents to access services and enjoy the outdoors. The Initiative is designed to fund eligible projects between $5,000 and $250,000 that fall under three main themes: creating safe and vibrant public spaces, improving mobility options, and digital solutions.

and that fall under three main themes: creating safe and vibrant public spaces, improving mobility options, and digital solutions. Community Foundations of Canada was selected through an open call for applications to implement a national project. Together with its partners, including the Canadian Urban Institute , it is working with pan-Canadian networks to manage the funding process and serve the distinct needs of communities across Canada , including equity-seeking groups interested in applying.

was selected through an open call for applications to implement a national project. Together with its partners, including the Canadian , it is working with pan-Canadian networks to manage the funding process and serve the distinct needs of communities across , including equity-seeking groups interested in applying. The first intake for projects was launched on February 9, 2021 , and closed on March 9, 2021 .

, and closed on . The second intake is now open until June 25, 2021 . Applicants wishing to apply for the second round can access further details on the Community Foundations of Canada website. Local governments and a variety of community-led organizations are eligible to apply, including charities, Indigenous communities, and registered non-profit organizations.

Associated links

Canada Healthy Communities Initiative  Application Portal: healthycommunitiesinitiative.ca

Infrastructure Canada: Canada Healthy Communities Initiative: https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/chci-iccs/index-eng.html

Follow us on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram

Web: Infrastructure Canada

SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

For further information: Michelle Johnston, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, 613-298-7386, [email protected]; Jacqueline Reid, Communications Manager, Community Foundations of Canada, 647-901-5225, [email protected]; Media Relations: Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]

Related Links

www.infrastructure.gc.ca


But there are no solid plans for the road that is owned by Florida Department of Transportation, which would have to approve any street changes. Opposition has been strong to a takeover of the lot that houses Austins Coffee. Patrons have pleaded with commissioners at multiple meetings to scrap the deal.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - The Mastercard Foundation has announced that it will deploy $1.3 billion over the next three years in partnership with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to save the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in Africa and hasten the economic recovery of the continent.

The Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative will acquire vaccines for at least 50 million people, support the delivery of vaccinations to millions more across the continent, lay the groundwork for vaccine manufacturing in Africa through a focus on human capital development, and strengthen the Africa CDC.

"Ensuring equitable access and delivery of vaccines across Africa is urgent. This initiative is about valuing all lives and accelerating the economic recovery of the continent," said Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation. "In the process, this initiative will catalyze work opportunities in the health sector and beyond as part of our Young Africa Works strategy," she added.

The African Union's goal as set out in the African COVID-19 Vaccine Development and Access Strategy is to vaccinate at least 60 percent of its population  approximately 750 million people or the entire adult population of the continent  by the end of 2022. To date, less than two percent of Africans have received at least one vaccine dose.

The new partnership builds on the efforts of the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access facility (COVAX), the COVID-19 African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT), and the global community to expand access to vaccines across Africa. The number of vaccines available to Africa represents a small portion of the global supply and the financial costs to purchase, deliver, and administer vaccines remain significant. The Africa CDC is calling on governments, global funders, the private sector, and others to help meet this goal.

"Ensuring inclusivity in vaccine access, and building Africa's capacity to manufacture its own vaccines, is not just good for the continent, it's the only sustainable path out of the pandemic and into a health-secure future," said Dr. John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa CDC. "This partnership with the Mastercard Foundation is a bold step towards establishing a New Public Health Order for Africa, and we welcome other actors to join this historic journey."

In 2020, Africa faced its first economic recession in 25 years due to the pandemic. The African Development Bank has warned that COVID-19 could reverse hard-won gains in poverty reduction over the past two decades and drive 39 million people into extreme poverty in 2021. Widespread vaccination is recognized as being critical to the economic recovery of African countries.

The initiative builds on an earlier collaboration between the Mastercard Foundation and the Africa CDC to expand access to testing kits and enhance surveillance capacity in Africa. Through the Foundation's support, the Africa CDC's Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing (PACT) deployed nearly two million COVID-19 tests and more than 12,000 trained health care workers and rapid responders across Africa. In total, the PACT has enabled over 47 million COVID-19 tests across the continent.

About the Mastercard Foundation

The Mastercard Foundation is a Canadian foundation and one of the largest in the world with more than $39 billion in assets. The Foundation was created in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company. Since its inception, the Foundation has operated independently of the company. The Foundation's policies, operations, and program decisions are determined by its Board. For more information on the Foundation, please visit: www.mastercardfdn.org

About Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)

Africa CDC is a specialized technical institution of the African Union that strengthens the capacity and capability of Africa's public health institutions as well as partnerships to detect and respond quickly and effectively to disease threats and outbreaks, based on data-driven interventions and programs. For more information, please visit: http://www.africacdc.org



SOURCE Mastercard Foundation
OTTAWA, ON, June 7, 2021 /CNW/ - Members of the media are invited to an announcement with the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities regarding funding allocated through the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative.

Minister McKenna will be joined by the following speakers:

Soraya Martinez Ferrada , Member of Parliament for Hochelaga

, Member of Parliament for Hochelaga Norma Drolet , Executive Director, Centre NAHA

, Executive Director, Centre Helene McKoy, Executive Director, Corporation d'animation des places publiques

Date: Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Time: 12:00 p.m. EDT

Zoom event:

To attend the virtual event, members of the media are asked to register by sending an email to [email protected].

Members of the public are invited to view the live announcement on Infrastructure Canada's Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/InfrastructureCanadaENG/live

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn

Web: Infrastructure Canada

SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

For further information: Michelle Johnston, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, 613-298-7386, [email protected]; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, [email protected]

Related Links

www.infrastructure.gc.ca


OTTAWA, ON, June 4, 2021 /CNW/ - Please be advised that the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, and other federal Ministers, will hold a virtual press conference to speak to the Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two Spirit and LGBTQQIA+ People.

They will be available to answer questions from the media following statements.

Date: Friday, June 4, 2021

Time: 10:00 a.m. (ET)

Participation details:

Toll-free dial-in number (Canada/US): 1-877-413-4815

Local dial-in number: 613-960-7526

Participant passcode: 5436812#

(TECH BRIEF) In addition, journalists are also invited to participate in a technical briefing by phone with senior officials from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, Canadian Heritage, Indigenous Services Canada, Women and Gender Equality Canada, Public Safety Canada, and the Department of Justice.

Relevant documents will be sent by email to registered journalists prior to the technical briefing.

Journalists who would like to participate in the technical briefing should notify [email protected].

Date: Friday, June 4, 2021

Time:

Technical briefing: 1:30 p.m to 3:00 p.m. (ET)

Follow us on Twitter:

Minister Carolyn Bennett

GovCan  Indigenous

(https://twitter.com/GCIndigenous)

SOURCE Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

For further information: Ani Dergalstanian, Press Secretary and Communications Advisor, Office of the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, 647-232-7212; CIRNAC Media Relations, 819-934-2302, [email protected]
S.Pellegrino Chef Collective initiative, June 30  July 4, 2021, offers exclusive tasting menus at renowned Ontario, Montreal and Vancouver restaurants with S.Pellegrino donating up to $100,000 to nonprofit organizations supporting Canada's chefs and restaurants

NORTH YORK, ON, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - Today, S.Pellegrino, a proud partner of the culinary community, is pleased to launch the S.Pellegrino Chef Collective, a new initiative to rally together emerging and renowned chefs in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia in support of the future of dining. Over Canada Day Weekend, June 30 to July 4, a selection of restaurants will offer exclusive, curated tasting menus paired with complimentary 750ML bottles of S.Pellegrino sparkling water. All menu sales will go directly back to the participating restaurants, and in honour of this partnership, S.Pellegrino will donate up to $100,000 to the BC Hospitality Foundation, the Canadian Hospitality Foundation and Montreal Restaurant Workers Relief Fund to support the future of our culinary community.

In the past year, the Canadian restaurant industry has been profoundly impacted by the pandemic - more than 800,000 food service workers across the country have lost their jobs* and 10,000 restaurants in Canada have had to close.** Emerging chefs face more hurdles and roadblocks than ever before, making it critical to continue to support Canada's culinary talent with initiatives that can make a true impact.

Feeding the Future of Emerging Chefs

From June 30 to July 4, Canadians in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia can order delivery, takeout or safely dine where permitted at select local restaurants participating in the S.Pellegrino Chef Collective initiative.

Participating chefs and restaurants include:

David Hawksworth , Hawksworth Restaurant and Nightingale, Vancouver, British Columbia

, Hawksworth Restaurant and Nightingale, Yoann Therer , L'Abattoir, Vancouver, British Columbia

, L'Abattoir, Sean Reeve and Ralph Cravalho , The Mackenzie Room, Vancouver, British Columbia

and , The Mackenzie Room, Sean Reeve and Mathew Bishop , Say Mercy!, Vancouver, British Columbia

and , Say Mercy!, Jakob Kent , Como Taperia , Vancouver, British Columbia

, , Alex Chen and Roger Ma , Boulevard, Vancouver, British Columbia

and , Boulevard, Rafael Covarrubias , Hexagon, Oakville, Ontario

, Hexagon, Nick Liu , Dailo, Toronto, Ontario

, Dailo, Gabriele Paganelli , Speducci, Toronto, Ontario

, Speducci, John Sinopoli , Ascari King Street and Ascari Enoteca, Gare de l'Est, Toronto, Ontario

, Ascari King Street and Ascari Enoteca, Gare de l'Est, Sean MacDonald , est Restaurant, Toronto, Ontario

, est Restaurant, Daniel Duketovsky, Gusto 101, Toronto, Ontario

Jamie Hohls , Peter Pan Pantry, Toronto

, Peter Pan Pantry, Mitchell Gatchuff, Bon Temps, Hamilton, Ontario

Maria-Jose de Frias, Le Virunga, Montreal, Quebec

Yoann Van Den Berg , Pastel, Montreal, Quebec

, Pastel, Montreal, Liam Beckett , Impasto, Montreal, Quebec

, Impasto, Montreal, Anthony di Iorio , Vesta, Montreal, Quebec

, Vesta, Montreal, Philip Capozzi , Pizzeria Gema, Montreal, Quebec

, Pizzeria Gema, Montreal, Louis-Francois Marcotte, Chez Cheval, Montreal, Quebec

Michele Mercuri , Le Serpent, Montreal, Quebec

, Le Serpent, Montreal, Lawrence Tomlinson , Les Canailles, Montreal, Quebec

, Les Canailles, Montreal, With more participating chefs and restaurants to be announced in the days ahead.

Chefs and restaurants participating in the Chef Collective initiative will be updated on an ongoing basis. Please visit www.sanpellegrino.com/ca/en/news/chef-collective-4833 for a full list of Chef Collective partner restaurants.

"It's no secret that COVID-19 has taken a toll on the restaurant industry and, in particular, diminishing the opportunities available for emerging chefs to become the future of an industry for which they show so much passion," says Paul DeLarzac, President of Nestle Waters Canada "As a long-standing supporter of chefs and restaurants, S.Pellegrino developed the Chef Collective to support Canada's culinary community by raising awareness of the challenges the industry is facing and supporting the future of Canada's culinary talent with new opportunities to train and finesse their craft."

Chefs Supporting Chefs

The foundation of Canada's culinary community is its diverse, innovative and taste-making chefs. The S.Pellegrino Chef Collective unites a group of nationally renowned and emerging chefs to recognize the vital role they can play in raising awareness for their industry.

"I had wanted to become a chef since 12, and though the road hasn't always been smooth, the positive support and camaraderie I've experienced with the community and those chefs who have helped me along the way has been instrumental, especially over the last year," says Chef Rafael Covarrubias, Hexagon, Oakville, ON and winner of the North American S.Pellegrino Young Chef Competition. "I am so proud to take part in the S.Pellegrino Chef Collective and welcome back foodies to enjoy a restaurant-calibre tasting menu curated by me while making a fundamental difference in the lives of countless members of the culinary community."

Dining for a Good Cause

Through the S.Pellegrino Chef Collective, funds will be donated to the following local nonprofit organizations to help them continue extending support to Canada's culinary community:

The Canadian Hospitality Foundation: The Canadian Hospitality Foundation helps Canadians enter careers in the foodservice industry by allocating $200,000 in scholarships annually. These scholarships provide meaningful help that emerging chefs are looking for and positively impact Canadians' career prospects looking to enter the industry.

The BC Hospitality Foundation: The BC Hospitality Foundation offers scholarship programs to foster the development of the future of industry leaders in the culinary community. The foundation also supports those in the hospitality industry facing financial crises due to health conditions.

Montreal Restaurant Workers Relief Fund: The Montreal Restaurant Workers Relief Fund is an organization that supports restaurant workers financially and provides essential services, such as legal information and mental health support, to the culinary community at little or no cost. This organization is committed to advocating for anti-racism, diversity and inclusion in the culinary community, and is transparent in its ambition to reallocate funds to underprivileged members of the culinary community.

For more information on the S.Pellegrino Chef Collective and to find a participating restaurant in your area, please visit: www.sanpellegrino.com/ca/en/news/chef-collective-4833

About S.Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water

S.Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water is a premium sparkling mineral water that flows naturally from a thermal spring in San Pellegrino Terme, near Bergamo (Lombard), Italy. S.Pellegrino has a unique balance of effervescence and rich minerality which cleanse the palate and amplify subtle flavours, making it the perfect complement to fine food and wines. Its clean, refreshing taste has distinguished S.Pellegrino as a preferred sparkling water by leaders of the global culinary community.

S.Pellegrino is a proud supporter of premier culinary events, such as World's 50 Best Restaurants, Aspen Food and Wine Classic, Bocuse d'Or, and The James Beard Foundation Awards. For more information, visit www.sanpellegrino.com/ca/en or www.finedininglovers.com.

As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, S.Pellegrino is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2022. The S.Pellegrino bottles and cans are fully recyclable and made with 100% recycled materials. For more information about S.Pellegrino commitments please visit www.sanpellegrino.com/ca/en/our-caring-attitude

SOURCE S.Pellegrino

For further information: Nestle Media Line: 416-218-2688, [email protected]
Graduate and post-graduate student research interns will work on the National Research Council of Canada's (NRC) collaborative research and development programs.



OTTAWA, ON, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - Today, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and Mitacs announced they are investing $2.5 million over five years, to support 250 graduate and post-graduate student internships to support the NRC's Challenge and Supercluster support programs.

The funding will accelerate research and innovation by reducing the costs of collaborations between the public and private sectors and academia. It will also give graduate and post-graduate students the opportunity to accelerate their research careers while working on projects that address key Canadian priorities.

Canadian businesses and academic supervisors interested in participating are encouraged to contact Mitacs for more information.

Quick facts

The National Research Council of Canada is Canada's largest research and development organization.

of is largest research and development organization. The NRC employed 552 students, postdoctoral fellowships and research associates in 2020-21.

The NRC's funded collaborative R&D programs include 7 Challenge programs and 5 Supercluster support programs which bring together NRC researchers and facilities with collaborators from industry, academia, and governments to generate technological breakthroughs in a wide range of social and technological challenges facing Canadians  including environmental sustainability, health, advanced manufacturing, communication and artificial intelligence.

Mitacs is a not-for-profit organization that fosters growth and innovation in Canada by solving business challenges with research solutions from the best academic institutions at home and around the world.

by solving business challenges with research solutions from the best academic institutions at home and around the world. Mitacs is offering this funding through two of its programs:

The Accelerate program  Canadian graduate and post-graduate students involved in collaborative projects with Canadian private sector businesses or not-for-profit organizations can receive up to $15,000 per 4-month internship.

per 4-month internship.

The Globalink Research Award  international graduate students from RWTH Aachen University in Germany conducting research at Canadian universities can received up to $18,000 .

conducting research at Canadian universities can received up to . The Business Mitacs page provides opportunity for industry partners to connect.

Quotes

"Our Government is proud to help students, researchers, businesses, and universities work together to find innovative solutions to today's challenges. Over the past year alone, our Government has supported more than 17,000 internships through Mitacs. With this most recent partnership, Mitacs and the NRC are tapping into a strong network of researchers and innovators to help the next generation build their skills while helping to strengthen Canada's economy."

The Honourable FrancoisPhilippe Champagne

Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

"The NRC's partnership with Mitacs will enhance collaboration between industry and academia, while giving tomorrow's research and science leaders the opportunity to collaborate on R&D projects aimed at spearheading disruptive technology development in priority areas such as health, environmental sustainability, and artificial intelligence."

Mitch Davies

President, National Research Council of Canada



"Mitacs is proud to continue and expand our partnership with the NRC to drive Canadian innovation. Through this new partnership we will accelerate the flow and exchange of research expertise between academic institutions  both domestic and international  with industry, and not-for-profit partners."

John Hepburn

CEO and Scientific Director, Mitacs

"The Globalink Research Award will be a tremendous opportunity for our students and researchers and will trigger many points of collaboration between the NRC and RWTH Aachen University. This program is particularly exciting because the research goals of the NRC as laid out in programs such as the challenge program or the Supercluster support program align particularly well with RWTH's research strategy. Thus, we are thrilled to collaborate, build our partnership beyond the program and essentially contribute to solving the global challenges, which lie ahead together."

Prof. Dr. Ute Habel

Vice President International Affairs, RWTH Aachen University

Related links

Stay connected

Follow the National Research Council of Canada on social media

Twitter: @nrc_cnrc, Instagram: @nrc_cnrc and LinkedIn.

SOURCE National Research Council Canada

For further information: National Research Council, Media Relations, National Research Council of Canada, [email protected]; Mitacs, ErinRose Handy, Manager, Communications, 604-754-1440 | [email protected]

Related Links

www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca


Parliamentary Secretary Marie-France Lalonde provided an update on the impact of the Action Plan for Official Languages on Acadian and Francophone organizations in Prince Edward Island

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - For generations, official-language minority communities have been successful in keeping their language and culture alive and well. The Government of Canada supports these communities through funding to community partners who ensure their vitality and sustainability.

Marie-France Lalonde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (FedDev Ontario and Official Languages), announced that the Government of Canada is providing more than $1.5 million to 10 organizations in Prince Edward Island in 2020-2021. This represents a 36percent increase in funding since 2018. Ms. Lalonde made the announcement on behalf of the Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages.

She took the opportunity to announce that three new beneficiaries would receive core funding: the Comite regional des Jeux de l'Acadie, the Salon du livre de l'Ile-du-Prince-Edouard and the Association du musee acadien de l'Ile-du-Prince-Edouard.

These groups join a list of seven other organizations in Prince Edward Island that receive core funding from Canadian Heritage and have seen their contributions increase since the implementation of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2018-2023: Investing in Our Future.

The funding provided to these groups ensures that they can continue playing an active role in maintaining the vitality of Acadian and Francophone communities in the province.

Quotes

"Official-language minority communities in Canada are part of the very fabric of our country, made up of many small, passionate community organizations that work tirelessly to ensure the sustainability and vitality of our Francophone populations. The Government of Canada is proud to support their ongoing efforts and commitment to our bilingual future."

The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages

"In every part of Canada, official-language minority communities are working to keep their language and culture relevant, strong and thriving. Community organizations play a vital role in Canada's bilingual future by providing leadership and direction, and ensuring access to services, resources, and cultural and language activities."

Marie-France Lalonde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (FedDev Ontario and Official Languages)

"The Island's community network really needed the additional funding provided by the federal government with the launch of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2018-2023. As spokesperson organization for the Acadian and Francophone community of Prince Edward Island, SAF'Ile often talks about the importance of securing adequate and regular funding to achieve community development objectives, particularly in a minority situation. We are grateful for the government's attention to the need to increase the funding envelopes of community organizations, whose operational costs have a huge impact on the vitality and growth of our community. We will continue to work together to maintain a financial situation conducive to the proper degree of co-development of a strong community, and thus generate more impacts."

Edgar Arsenault, Chair, Societe acadienne et francophone de l'Ile-du-Prince-Edouard (SAF'Ile)

Quick Facts

The Action Plan for Official Languages 20182023: Investing in Our Future proposes an unprecedented investment of $2.7 billion over five years, including $500 million in new funding, to support minority communities and promote bilingualism across the country.

On February 19, in the document English and French: Towards a substantive equality of official languages in Canada, Minister Joly unveiled the Government of Canada's intentions to modernize and strengthen the Official Languages Act and related instruments. This document proposes a range of changes and new measures to achieve a new linguistic balance in the country.

Canadian Heritage's Official Languages Support Programs promote French and English in Canadian society and enhance the vitality of English- and French-speaking minority communities.

There are official-language minority communities in every province and territory, each with its own specific realities and needs.

In Budget 2021, the Government of Canada proposes $392 million to support official-language minority communities across the country. This funding aims to achieve greater levels of bilingualism; to make high-quality post-secondary minority-language education available across Canada; to support the construction, renovation and expansion of the educational and community spaces that serve official-language minority communities; and to move forward with modernizing the Official Languages Act.

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BACKGROUNDER

Client Name Approved Funding in 20182019 (before the Action Plan for Official Languages) Total Funding in 20202021 Association des francophones de l'age d'or de l'Ile-du-Prince-Edouard $10,000 $18,000 Federation culturelle de l'Ile-du-Prince-Edouard $49,000 $75,000 Federation des parents de l'Ile-du-Prince-Edouard $90,000 $108,000 Jeunesse acadienne et francophone de l'IPE $65,000 $92,000 Societe acadienne et francophone de l'Ile-du-Prince-Edouard (includes core funding for the six regional committees) $797,000 $997,400 Canadian Parents for French P.E.I. $112,000 $134,640 Actions Femmes IPE* N/A $30,500 Comite Regional des jeux de l'Acadie* N/A $30,000 Salon du livre IPE* N/A $12,000 Association du Musee Acadien de l'IPE* N/A $27,500 Total $1,123,000 $1,525,040

Note: Organizations with "N/A" in the 20182019 column did not receive programming funding in that period.

Associated Links

Action Plan for Official Languages 20182023: Investing in Our Future

English and French: Towards a substantive equality of official languages in Canada

Official Languages Support Programs

SOURCE Canadian Heritage

For further information: (media only), please contact: Catherine Mounier-Desrochers, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, [email protected], 613-295-3617; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]

Related Links

www.pch.gc.ca


Mike Ryan, director of the agency's emergencies programme, has said that WHO doesn't have the power to compel anyone in this regard. He added that WHO will propose studies needed to take understanding of where the virus emerged to the "next level".

A top World Health Organisation official said on Monday that the WHO cannot compel China to divulge more data on COVID-19s origins, while adding it will propose studies needed to take understanding of where the virus emerged to the next level. Pressed by a reporter on how the WHO will compel China into being more open, Mike Ryan, director of the agencys emergencies programme, said at a press conference that the WHO doesnt have the power to compel anyone in this regard.

Whereas India is fighting with the second wave of Covid-19, thousands of china based Indians have become grounded facing returning issues to China. Considering the outbreak of the second wave Covid 19, in March-2021, China has made Chinese vaccines mandatory for everyone.

For the purpose of resuming people-to-people exchanges in an orderly manner, starting from 15 March 2021, the Chinese Embassies and Consulates in India will provide the persons having taken Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccine and holding the Certificates of Vaccination, announced a notice posted by the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi.

The announcement put thousands of China-based Indians into a tricky position as India has no such policy of providing Chinese vaccines. Realising the ground reality, over 300 stranded Indians managed to be vaccinated with Chinese vaccines by travelling to some neighbouring countries like Bhutan, the Maldives besides Dubai.

But their entire effort has gone into vain as the Chinese embassy is still not issuing visas to them. Following this, a group of Indians vaccinated with Chinese vaccine has recently sent a written representation to the Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Weidong as to the Indian embassy in Beijing seeking help in their returning as soon as possible.

Respected H.E Sun Sir, now that we have been successfully vaccinated by the Chinese vaccine, kindly guide us with a way forward. We request you to start visa issuance to Indian nationals, which has been stopped since early November last year, written by the Indian community in China to the Chinese Ambassador.

In the letter, they attached the names of 202 Indians who have taken Chinese vaccines, but the community also added that over 300 Indians have already been vaccinated with Chinese vaccines. They also promised to follow all the protocols set by the Chinese governing body.

As a reaction to it, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin replied in a media briefing that they should approach the Chinese embassy in India. When pointed out that they have already approached the Chinese Embassy without any success, Wang said, I have already stated Chinas principled position on this issue. For the details, I would still refer you to the Chinese Embassy in India.

This position of China on the returning issue made thousands of Indians helpless. Currently, there is no flight service between India and China. Though some Indians could return via Bande Barat flights permitted by China till November last year, still a large number of China-based Indians are hoping for returning to China to join their jobs, business, to meet their families or for continuing their studies.
Wang Yi, Chinas foreign minister, will also conduct several bilateral meetings with visiting ministers and chair a Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) meeting with Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. The panel also included discussions around a vaccine passport valid in China and the ASEAN countries.

China hosted an online event for foreign ministers from ten ASEAN (The Association of South-East Nations) countries, which ends today. According to Wang Wenbin, Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesperson, the held meeting marks the 30th anniversary of the relation between China and the ASEAN nations.

The event aimed at deepening economic cooperation through the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RECP) deal. As announced in the meeting, Wang Yi, Chinas foreign minister, will also conduct several bilateral meetings with visiting ministers and chair a Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) meeting with Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. The panel also included discussions around a vaccine passport valid in China and the ASEAN countries.

The meeting held in Beijing focused on aligning COVID-19 recovery efforts and promoting economic recovery, intending to push back against QUADs recent regional outreach. The meet was also an attempt at nullifying the US efforts to dilute Chinas influence over the South-Asian regions.

Also Read: Jaishankar to visit Kuwait on June 9: Strengthening bilateral ties on agenda

Many Chinese analysts believe that the meeting with the ASEAN nations is a crucial event for China. After the QUAD leaders summit in March, China was riveted by the possibility of QUAD influencing the Southeast Asia region since it holds importance in the US Indo-Pacific Strategy. Another aspect of substantial significance was the ongoing disputes between China and the Philippines regarding the presence of Chinese vessels near a disputed reef. Through the meeting, China addressed the issue and sought solutions.

Beijing recently termed the QUAD as an Asian NATO, which was criticized by the members of the group, including Indias External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. He termed the move as a mind game which people are playing. Chinas defence minister termed QUAD a military alliance and urged Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to reject them.
Using the visa, Ranawaka entered the US on March 23, 2021. After publishing those research papers and receiving immense backlash from the scientific community, Dr Li-Meng Yan fled to the US in April 2020.

Dr Li-Meng Yan, a Chinese virologist, was in the news in February 2020 when she co-authored a series of four research papers about the origins of SARS-CoV-2. In those research papers, she argued that the virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic did not originate from an animal spillover. She stated evidence of genetic engineering that proved that SARS-CoV-2 is not zoonotic but a lab development.

Recently, Dr Lawrence Sellin, a retired US Army colonel and an expert of COVID-19, tweeted a picture of a visa allocated to Ranawaka Arachchige Prasad Parera. Ranawaka is Dr Li-Meng Yans husband. The visa is an H1B visa valid for two years. Using the visa, Ranawaka entered the US on March 23, 2021. After publishing those research papers and receiving immense backlash from the scientific community, Dr Li-Meng Yan fled to the US in April 2020.

Dr. Li-Meng Yan's husband quietly entered the U.S. on 23 March 2021 using an H1B visa for 2 years. Why is he in the U.S.? Who arranged it? Is he acting as a CCP agent? Is his presence in the U.S. a danger to Dr. Yan? Where are U.S. authorities? Let's find out where he is. pic.twitter.com/gCEI8A7vvi  Dr. Lawrence Sellin (@LawrenceSellin) June 7, 2021

Like the pieces of a puzzle falling into place, Yans husband entering the US with an H1B visa has raised several allegations. Dr Lawrence, in his tweet, solicited the whereabouts of Ranawaka Parera and alleged if he is acting as a CCP agent. He also shows concern about Dr Li-Meng Yan and asks if his presence in the US is a danger to Dr Yan.

What was brushed off as controversy in the previous year is now slowly taking the shape of an unfortunate hidden truth. If it is true that the coronavirus was developed in a lab in Wuhan, is the CCP trying to cover its track? Is CCP trying to find all loose ends? If so, Dr Li-Meng Yan is one such loose end and might be under threat.

Also Read: Wuhan lab leak: Know all about Chinas Bat lady, her role and work
External affairs minister S Jaishankar will be visiting Kuwait on Wednesday. He will be carrying a message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Kuwaiti emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah on matters relating to bilateral ties. Following the death of Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Sheikh Nawaf became the new ruler last September. This will be the first visit from Indias side since then.

Kuwaits foreign minister Ahmed Nasser al-Mohammed al-Sabah visited India in the month of March. During this time, the two countries have announced the setting up of a joint commission. This was planned to be chaired by the foreign ministers. In addition to this, a number of joint working groups would be established under the commission to boost cooperation in several fields such as trade, investment, economic affairs, petrochemicals, defence and culture.

When the second wave of Coronavirus infection affected India, two of the foreign Ministers exchanged a couple of telephone calls, that too in a short period of time. The Kuwaiti minister agreed upon his countrys decision to stand with India in these tough times. They have also decided to provide relief materials including oxygen, which India was struggling to get.

Indias External Affairs Minister appreciated Kuwaits support in this regard. The relief materials and oxygen are supplied through ships. This process continues till date. The process is conducted under an air and sea bridge arrangement, by which Indian Navy ships carry oxygen tanks from Kuwait to Indian ports. Indian Air Force aircraft, then, will be transporting the empty tank bank to Kuwait for refilling. However, the Indian government had supplied 200,000 doses of Covishield vaccines to Kuwait in the month of February. This emphasis on the bilateral relation between the two countries.

A Joint Commission was set up this year, which focused at institutionalising bilateral ties in certain fields including energy, defence and to build up a framework for future cooperation. This will be an umbrella term for all the bilateral institutional engagements like foreign office consultations and joint working groups. The existing working groups are on hydrocarbons, manpower and mobility, and healthcare. Apart from this, new groups would be created on trade and investment, defence and security, and maritime cooperation.

India is considered to be one of the largest trading partners of Kuwait. In 2019-20 bilateral trade was worth $10.86 billion. Indias imports, mainly focused on oil, were worth $9.6 billion during this period. Along with this, most of the oil supplies to India came from Kuwait at that point as it was the 10th largest oil supplier to India during the year 2019-20 . This met nearly 3.8% of the countrys energy needs. Apart from this, Kuwait is home to nearly 900,000 Indian expatriates.
In the five years before Pulse, the numbers were significant, but still lower than the five years since. 2013 still had 15 shootings which claimed 72 victims. 2012 had the most victims in that five-year span during which 12 shootings took the lives of 90 people, including 27 dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
STAMFORD  The attorneys general of Massachusetts and Idaho and many Congress members condemned in a hearing Tuesday the owners of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma for their alleged role in fueling the opioid crisis, a hearing that also focused on their concerns that the owners might evade accountability through the firms bankruptcy.

Tuesdays nearly three-and-a-half-hour meeting of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform followed an acrimonious hearing last December that featured testimony from two of the Sackler family members who own Purdue and the companys CEO. This time, none of the companys owners or executives testified  but the proceedings again generated vociferous criticism of the firm and also cast attention on legislation seeking to curb the Sacklers legal protections.

Over and over, the people closest to this crisis have said what must be done. They want a commitment to treatment and prevention, they want the whole truth exposed, and they want the perpetrators to be held accountable, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, a Democrat, said during remote testimony to the committee, which simultaneously convened in person in Washington, D.C.. Thats why my team investigated the Sackler family members who controlled Purdue Pharma. Thats why Massachusetts was the first state to sue the Sackler family. And its why Ive rejected the Sacklers repeated attempts to cover up, to conceal, to buy off their misconduct, avoid accountability and walk away billionaires richer today than they were yesterday.

Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden also accused Purdue of contributing to his states opioid crisis. Healey and Wasden belong to a group of 24 non-consenting state attorneys general who have not agreed to settle their states lawsuits against Purdue. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong is also a member of that coalition.

Beginning in the 1990s, Purdue and the Sackler family executed one of the deadliest marketing campaigns in history, Wasden, a Republican, said during remote testimony. Tragically, this campaign resulted in a dramatic rise in opioid abuse, addiction, overdoses and death. The Sackler family bears substantial responsibility for the opioid crisis ravaging our country.

In response to an inquiry from Hearst Connecticut Media, Purdue provided a statement that did not directly address the hearing, but instead reiterated the main points of the settlement plan that the company values at more than $10 billion. It is aiming to get the proposal approved in bankruptcy court.

We are focused on advancing our proposed plan of reorganization, which would transfer billions of dollars of value into trusts for the benefit of the American people and direct critically needed resources to communities and individuals nationwide who have been affected by the opioid crisis, the company said in the statement. Our broadly supported plan will deliver funds and resources that are needed now and would have a profoundly positive impact on public health.

Through a statement from late Purdue founders Mortimer and Raymond Sacklers sides of the family, which was provided by a spokesperson, the Sacklers who own Purdue reiterated their support for the companys settlement plan.

It will ensure the timely deployment of resources for their intended purposes in ways that could never be achieved in fractured litigation that would face strong defenses and consume enormous sums on years of legal proceedings, the statement said. Were litigation to resume, we are confident the evidence would show that members of the Sackler family who served on Purdues board alongside respected outside directors acted ethically and lawfully.

Purdue and the Sacklers have repeatedly denied the allegations of the approximately 3,000 pending lawsuits consolidated in its bankruptcy that the company stoked the opioid crisis with deceptive marketing of OxyContin.

The Sacklers did not file for bankruptcy. But the implementation of Purdues settlement plan would release the company and its owners from the pending lawsuits  as well as potential claims related to Purdues opioids or any other claims in connection with opioid-related activities.

In a related move, House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, D-New York, and Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-California, introduced in March the Stop Shielding Assets from Corporate Known Liability by Eliminating Non-Debtor Releases Act, or SACKLER Act. It aims to close a loophole by preventing those who have not filed for bankruptcy from obtaining releases from lawsuits brought by government bodies.

Your work can be a turning point towards justice. I applaud you all. I applaud Chairwoman Maloney and Rep. DeSaulnier for introducing the SACKLER Act, Healey said. We need common-sense legislation to prevent billionaires who arent bankrupt from abusing the bankruptcy code to avoid accountability.

Patrick Radden Keefe, a New Yorker writer and author of the recently published Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty, said in his testimony that he thought that the judge overseeing Purdues bankruptcy was inclined to overrule the intentions of the chief law enforcement officers of two-dozen states and give the Sacklers permanent immunity despite the fact that the Sacklers themselves have not declared bankruptcy. If this happens, it will be a colossal miscarriage of justice.

Disagreements between Democrats and Republicans

Dreamstime / TNS

As they did in last Decembers hearing, Democratic and Republican committee members united in denouncing the Sacklers and highlighting their concerns about the opioid crisis. Opioids were involved in 49,860 overdose deaths in 2019, accounting for about 70 percent of all U.S. drug overdose deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Republican committee members complained, however, that the hearing was too narrowly focused and accused their Democratic counterparts of failing to respond adequately to other drivers of the epidemic such as the flow of illicit opioids including fentanyl across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Purdue and the Sacklers undoubtedly must be held to account for their contribution to the growing opioid epidemic, said Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, the committees ranking member. He added, though, that at this point, we should be focused on other aspects of the opioid epidemic. We have a growing number of illicit opioids streaming across our southern border.

About two hours into the hearing, another of the witnesses, Alexis Pleus, founder and executive director of Truth Pharm, a Binghamton, N.Y.-based nonprofit focused on reducing the harms caused by substance use, chastised the legislators.

Its stunning to me that this committee has an opportunity to hold the greatest family cartel in the history of the United States  and possibly the world  responsible for what theyve done. And yet here you are distracting from your opportunity by focusing on the southern border  which is a waste of time, money and resources, said Pleus, who also told the committee that her oldest son had died of a heroin overdose in 2014 after being prescribed OxyContin a number of years earlier. The other countries who have lower overdose fatality rates do not have walls built around their country.

Maloney closed the hearing by indicating that she was still hopeful that Republicans would support the SACKLER Act.

It is a good-faith proposal, Maloney said. Im serious about working in a bipartisan manner on this issue.

pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; Twitter: @paulschott
Hearst Connecticut Media file

BETHANY  Just when the education world was taking a breather from COVID-19 interference, the eighth-grade promotion ceremony Monday at Amity Middle School in Bethany was changed to a drive-through event because of a case of the virus.

Details about the COVID-19 case were not available, but Amity Superintendent of Schools Jennifer Byars confirmed the promotion ceremony change in an email.
MIDDLETOWN  The strength Alicia Medina showed when she drove herself to a local fire station to seek help while suffering from 10 stab wounds epitomizes the mother of six and grandmother of seven in her final moments, her daughter said.

The family of the 53-year-old who police say was stabbed to death during a domestic violence incident last month is recalling its matriarch as a beautiful, nurturing woman.

Medina, who died May 20, was a professional caregiver who loved telenovelas, and the freedom that comes with dancing to Spanish music, according to her daughter, Jennifer Madden.

She was funny. We were always so tickled by her conversations, Madden said last Wednesday, the day of her mothers funeral. The small things made her laugh.

Medinas son, Eugenio Vela III, 18, has been charged with murder, first-degree assault and violation of a protective order in connection with the case. Middlesex Judicial District Public Defender Angela C. Anastasi, who is representing the Middletown High School student, declined to comment. Vela is scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Middletown on Tuesday.

While suffering from 10 stab wounds, police said, Medina drove herself to the Westfield Fire Department for aid, with her last strength, her daughter wrote on the Memorial for Mom Alicia killed by DV GoFundMe account thats been set up for funeral expenses.

She was taken too soon, Madden wrote in her crowdfunding appeal, which has raised more than $4,000.

Medinas daughter flew from her home in Georgia to attend the services in New Britain. She had already been planning a trip, having resolved to spend more time with her mother and older sister to make up for their inability to gather as often in person because of the pandemic, Madden said.

This time is very hard, because I should be spending time with my mother  and Im not, she said.

Medina was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. She lived in many states, but called Middletown her home, Madden said.

She graduated from New Britain High School and earned associates degrees from Tunxis Community College and Goodwin College.

Medina worked as a certified nursing assistant at Apple Rehab in Middletown, but recently retired early due to her own medical issues.

She had a loving rapport with these elderly patients. She wanted to care for people and be there for them, Madden said.

Madden, who works with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, said there are not enough resources for victims or those with mental health issues.

Sometimes, within certain cultures, weve normalized abuse. You dont talk about it, Madden said. Thats not something that you share. What happens at home, stays at home.

Often, victims are expected to suck it up, Madden said. Thats a very challenging part. If thats what youre being taught as youre younger, you grow up with that. That becomes your mentality.

Its not uncommon for those who experience domestic violence to be afraid to speak up or seek help, Madden said. Even when a no-contact order is put into place, she said, victims dont necessarily feel protected because its just a piece of paper.

Ive had people come back and be more combative, and abusive, all because the abuser is not intimidated by it, she said.

These days, Madden draws great strength from her belief in God, she said. I have a lot of peace within me.

I remember the joy I had with my mom, and I know the enemy will expect you to remember all the negative stuff at a time where youre mourning, and youre not happy  just to magnify it, Madden said.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  A judge didn't step over the line when she refused to let North Carolina's legislative leaders formally defend the state's latest photo identification voting law with other state government attorneys, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

A majority of the 15 judges on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld 2019 decisions by District Judge Loretta Biggs preventing House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger from becoming defendants in a race-bias lawsuit filed by the state NAACP and several local chapters. Barring a reversal by the U.S. Supreme Court, lawyers for legislative leaders who helped pass the 2018 law won't be able to argue for it at a trial set to begin next January.

Nine of the judges agreed that Biggs didnt abuse her discretion with her decision. Biggs found no evidence that lawyers from Attorney General Josh Steins office  representing State Board of Elections members, the named defendants in the lawsuit  were inadequately defending the law on their own.

Writing the majority opinion, Circuit Judge Pamela Harris said that the lower court properly followed federal rules in determining whether Berger and Moore should be allowed to intervene.

The legislators' purported interest in defending (the law) on behalf of the state of North Carolina was adequately represented already by the State Board of Elections and attorney general, Harris wrote.

Republicans have said they should be allowed to defend a law they approved. They've also pointed to Stein's previous opposition to a voter ID law and his office's defense of the current law in a similar state court lawsuit in April as proof GOP legislative leaders need to get involved. There's been no verdict in the state lawsuit.

Harris wrote that Stein, a Democrat, expressing views at odds with the law in the past is no ground for a federal court to infer that he would abdicate his official duty to the state by subterfuge, mounting a sham defense of the statute.

The entire appeals court, based in Richmond, Virginia, agreed to hear the arguments after a majority on a three-judge panel declared last summer that Biggs hadn't scrutinized the matter properly and told her to try again. The NAACP's lawyers asked that the full appeals court weigh in.

The civil rights group is pleased with Mondays decision, state NAACP president the Rev. Anthony Spearman said in an emailed statement. In such legal matters, there is an attorney general elected by the people and assigned by the constitution to perform this duty, he added.

The six dissenting appeals court judges wrote three opinions among them. Biggs failed to consider a North Carolina law that requests a federal court allow both the legislative and executive branches to participate in lawsuits challenging a state law, Circuit Judge Marvin Quattlebaum wrote.

Although federal courts need not completely defer to that public policy decision, the district court cannot fail to give the states choice any weight, Quattlebaum wrote, adding that Biggs also set the bar to intervene too high.

GOP Sen. Danny Britt of Robeson County said in a news release that the legislature has zero confidence in Stein to defend the law in court and that Republicans will monitor closely Stein's actions in the case going forward. Stein spokesperson Nazneen Ahmed said the attorney general's office will continue to vigorously defend the state in every matter we handle in accordance with the law.

Quattlebaum and Harris were on another three-judge panel that declared unanimously last December that Biggs wrongly blocked the 2018 voter ID law from being carried out before the trial because she said there was a strong likelihood that the NAACP's lawsuit would be successful. Those appeals judges decided Biggs erred when declaring the photo ID mandate was tainted by racial bias largely because a 2013 voter ID law had been struck down on similar grounds. The 2018 law was enacted a month after voters agreed to add a voter ID provision to the state constitution.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  Republican Louisiana lawmakers have taken aim at the coronavirus vaccine, sending Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards two bills that would keep state and local government agencies from mandating the immunization in order to receive certain services.

Separate votes Monday gave final passage to the the anti-vaccine proposals from Republican Reps. Danny McCormick and Kathy Edmonston. Edwards  who has championed the vaccine and is regularly urging his state's residents to get the shot  hasn't taken a position on the legislation, and no agency in his administration has publicly proposed requiring the immunization for services.

He will review the bills when they reach his desk and see how they conform with recommendations from doctors and public health experts as well with current Louisiana law relating to vaccines, which does allow for certain exemptions, Edwards spokesperson Christina Stephens said in a statement.

But Stephens' statement also defended the coronavirus vaccines as safe and effective and said they have already saved lives and are our way out of this pandemic.

McCormick's proposal would ban agencies from refusing to give a permit, business license or professional license to someone based solely on a business decision that it wont require the coronavirus vaccine for employees or customers. It also would give employers a broad exemption from civil lawsuits if they dont require workers or customers to get the coronavirus vaccine and someone contracts COVID-19.

A 23-12 Senate vote Monday sent the bill by the Oil City Republican to the governor's desk. The House earlier had backed the legislation in a 65-27 vote.

Edmonston's proposal would prohibit the state Office of Motor Vehicles from requiring someone to be vaccinated to get a drivers license or state-issued identification cards or to put immunization information on that license or ID card. It would cover all vaccinations, not just the coronavirus vaccine.

The House voted 71-18 for the bill by the Gonzales Republican. A 33-3 vote of the Senate on Monday gave the measure final passage.

Edmonston's proposal appears to be largely moot. Staci Hoyt, deputy commissioner with the Office of Motor Vehicles, testified during committee debate that the agency cant add anything to the license or a state-issued ID card or add requirements for getting one without lawmakers authorizing it.

Also nearing final passage is a second Edmonston bill that would prohibit state and local government agencies from refusing to issue licenses, permits and degrees or barring access to public facilities  such as college campuses or state office buildings  to someone who isnt vaccinated against COVID-19. The ban would only remain in place until the vaccination has full authorization from the U.S. Federal Drug Administration. Current coronavirus vaccines are authorized under an emergency use regulation from the FDA.

___

The bills are filed as House Bills 103, 349 and 498.

___

Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte.
NEW HAVEN - Critically injured firefighter Lt. Samod Nuke Rankins is scheduled to be released today from Yale-New Haven Hospital and his family is thanking all for the well-wishes and prayers.

Rankins, 29, was admitted to Yale New Haven Hospital earlier this week for tests after experiencing pain at home.
Hector Ocegueda-Rivera wanted to head to an interview in Los Angeles with immigration officers so he could become a U.S. citizen  but since he was deported to Mexico, he couldn't get back in the country to do so.

Now, the 53-year-old U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was deported after a conviction for driving under the influence is suing to demand the U.S. government let him in to attend the interview or send an immigration officer to the border to speak with him so he can meet the requirements of becoming an American.

Its absurd that we have to sue them but it is the only way to get them to do it, said Talia Inlender, a supervising senior staff attorney at Public Counsel and one of his lawyers.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it would not comment on pending litigation.

The issue arose after Ocegueda-Rivera learned he could apply to become an American citizen on account of his military service after he was already deported from the United States. One of the requirements for naturalization is undergoing an interview with U.S. immigration officers but he cant get into the country to do it.

Under U.S. law, veterans who serve honorably during a period of hostilities are eligible to become American citizens if they meet a series of requirements, including undergoing the interview.

In some cases, U.S. veterans were deported after committing crimes. For example, a former army paratrooper who founded a deported veterans support group in the Mexican border city of Tijuana later naturalized after he was given a pardon for a prior conviction. In another case, a veteran who traveled overseas was barred from returning to the United States because he didn't know he had an old deportation order on his record, Inlender said.

The suit filed in federal court in California on Monday comes a little more than a week after the Biden administration issued policy guidanc e detailing how veterans outside the United States can seek to naturalize. The guidance says interviews for non-current members of the military must take place in the United States  with veterans seeking visas or parole to enter the country  or officials can conduct these interviews on the border.

Inlender said her client applied for a visa and parole to attend his interview and was denied both.

Ocegueda-Rivera was brought to the United States from Mexico by his parents and grew up in the Southern California community of Artesia, his sister said.

He served in the Marine Corps from 1987 to 1991 and spent another four years in the reserves before he was honorably discharged. During this time, he got married and had two daughters and got a green card through his wife. But he also had a drug problem and racked up a series of related convictions including driving under the influence, which prompted U.S. immigration officials to deport him in 2000, his lawyers said in court filings.

Ocegueda-Rivera returned to be with family, despite the deportation order, and he participated in a drug treatment program through a local veterans hospital. He was deported twice and has been living since 2012 in Mexico, where he connected with the veterans support group, the filings said.

In 2019, he applied to naturalize and was scheduled for an interview in Los Angeles in February 2020. Once he was denied permission to enter the country, he asked for U.S. immigration officials to schedule him for a border interview but they haven't, the filings said.

Ocegueda-Rivera declined to be interviewed for this story. His sister, Alma Ocegueda, said she drives down to visit him twice a month in Mexico, bringing him groceries and his favorite fast food burger. He's been working as a hotel security guard and wants to go back to school in nursing in the United States and spend time with family, she said.

This is the only place that we've grown, she said. This is home for him.
LA GRANGE, N.C. (AP)  A man who escaped from police officers trying to serve a warrant stemming from a shooting last month has been arrested in Lenoir County, a North Carolina sheriff's office said Tuesday.

Greene County Sheriff Lemmie Smith said Ronald Sauls, Jr., 23, was arrested during an operation in La Grange which involved multiple law enforcement agencies, news outlets reported. Sauls, along with his cousin Bobby Sauls, was arrested around 9:15 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  Forecasters with the National Weather Service said Tuesday that New Mexico is in for a stretch of hot weather.

They warned that a heat advisory may be needed for parts of eastern New Mexico from Roswell up to Clovis and Tucumcari later this week. Temperatures across the plains are expected to reach the triple digits while parts of the Rio Grande Valley will see highs well into the 90s.
HAMDEN  After shootings left two people dead and one injured over the course of one week, Mayor Curt Balzano Leng said town government is doing everything it can to address the violence.

But while he and Chief of Police John Sullivan cite numerous initiatives aimed at reducing violence, two council members whose districts have been affected by the violence expressed skepticism over whether the towns response to crime has been adequate.

To truly stop the violence, according to Councilwoman Athena Gary, D-3, the town needs to address its economic disparities.

Garys district includes the home of Semaj Reddick-Streater, an 18-year-old who was shot and killed on Memorial Day weekend, just weeks before his high school graduation.

Meghan Friedmann / Hearst Connecticut Media

A week later, early Sunday, police found a 29-year-old man injured at 940 Dixwell Ave., where a motor vehicle also had been struck by bullets. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, according to police Capt. Ronald Smith.

While at the Dixwell crime scene, police heard gunshots from Hamden Park Drive, where they found a man with multiple gunshot wounds, Smith said, adding that he did not believe the two incidents were related. The victim, Jonquay Morrison, 38, was a town resident, Smith said in an email.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

Sullivan declined to discuss details of individual cases but said the department has been working with New Haven, the FBI and the district attorneys office to create a shooting task force he hopes will help address violent crime.

He also pointed out that around the beginning of the year, the Police Department created two new units aimed at deterring crime: an intelligence unit and a crime deterrence unit.

In a statement, Leng said the units have been working hard and with success.

Leng also said the town strategically has increased police presence, expanded bike and foot patrols, completed the Strengthening Police and Community Partnerships program and brought in street outreach workers from the Connecticut Violence Intervention Program.

Hamden has taken serious steps to make our community safer and prevent violence; implementing meaningful changes that I know are the right things to do but they arent enough when gun violence is still occurring at this frequency in our community, he said in the statement.

Clare Dignan / Hearst Connecticut Media

We are all in on violence reduction, Leng said. Saving the lives of our young people, all of our people, is the most important work we could accomplish. This is all hands on deck.

But Gary was skeptical about the towns approach, contending that it has not done enough to invest in infrastructure in southern Hamden.

To Gary, Hamden often feels like two separate towns: the impoverished southern end and the wealthier northern end.

Its not getting more police officers thats gonna change the face of Hamden, it is everybody coming together and making it one Hamden, she said, later adding. Im frustrated about (the violence) because I do understand that its not gonna stop. Its not gonna stop unless Hamden really addresses the real issues.

During budget deliberations this year, some council members pointed to public concern over crime as a reason to hire more officers. But Gary did not think having more police would deter crime.

If (people are) hungry, they gonna eat, she said. Theyre not gonna care about how many police officers are on the force.

Councilman Justin Farmer, D-5, said he also sees a need to address public safety with specific programs.

Most of these issues existed before and they will continue to exist until we actually get to the root of these issues, he said, suggesting the towns approach to public safety should be holistic, including investment in youth programming, jobs programs and addressing blight.

Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media

Farmer also was concerned about communication from the Police Department, contending that after each violent crime, detectives should contact and hold discussions with council members whose districts are affected.

If the Police Department cant do that, then I dont know how theyre doing community policing, he said. A professional police department should be reaching out to community leaders, especially in a time of heightened violence.

After a shooting at Villano Park left a 21-year-old injured, Farmer spoke with a detective about how steps such as improved lighting could make the area safer, he said.

But as of Monday, Farmer had not spoken with anybody regarding the Hamden Park Drive shooting, he said, noting that he was seeking more than just a press release.

When asked for comment, Sullivan said he often reaches out to Farmer to let him know when crimes occur, but sometimes he only has time to do so after the press release goes out.

Im always open to the courtesy of letting council members know when we do have crimes, he said, adding that he could not give out certain information about pending investigations.

Meanwhile, Leng has put out a plea to the community.

I want to ask everyone, if you know or know of anyone who may be slipping to the dangerous side, please reach out - there are so many people who want to do their part to help bring everyone back into positive spaces of our shared community, his statement said.

Call the Hamden Police or our Keefe Center or our Faith Leaders, Leng said.

Councilman Jeron Alston, D-2, said he expected to get more information about recent incidents in meetings this week. The shooting of Reddick-Streater took place in his district, he said.

The council and the town police are committed to quell these things, Alston said. We have to work with the police department and community action groups.

meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com
Witnesses said they heard glass breaking at a home on Enterprise Osteen Road and when deputies contacted the homeowner, he told them no one should be in the house.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  Resuming a long fight over local gun laws, Pennsylvania's House of Representatives on Tuesday approved veto-destined legislation that is designed to help gun owners and gun-rights organizations force cities to repeal firearms restrictions.

The bill passed the Republican-controlled chamber, 124-79, but Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, has promised to veto it. Wolf also issued a veto threat in 2016 to a similar bill that passed the state Senate.
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Marquette University will require students to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by August to attend classes this fall.

The Wisconsin State Journal reported the university made the announcement Monday.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine tried to persuade residents to get vaccinated as the state rushes to administer around 200,000 doses of the Johnson&Johnson vaccine that is set to expire in two weeks.

DeWine on Monday attempted to appeal to the millions of unvaccinated state residents.

For Ohioans who have been waiting to get their vaccine, I urge you to take action now," he said in a statement. There are many opportunities throughout the state to get a vaccine.

The Republican governor, like his counterparts across the country, is facing a roadblock in vaccination rates as health officials say the majority of individuals who wanted the vaccine have already received it and the rest are either vaccine-hesitant or unwilling to receive it.

The state is also working against the clock to push the one-shot Johnson & Johnson to vaccine providers and asking them to distribute as many doses as possible, as quickly as possible. The doses are set to expire on June 23.

While Biden pledged in May to send 20 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine overseas this month, DeWine said Ohio and other states do not have legal options for sending the vaccine elsewhere, either to other states or other countries.

As of Tuesday, more than 5.4 million Ohioans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and more than 4.8 million are fully vaccinated. The state reached its goal benchmark last week when the health department reported there were fewer than 50 cases per 100,000 residents.

Getting vaccinated is the quickest way out of the pandemic and the fastest way for us to return to the lives we remember, DeWine said.
GALESBURG, Mich. (AP)  A man accused of killing two neighbors in southwestern Michigan told police that he shot them because they were too loud, according to a court document.

William Wolfe knocked at the apartment door and shot Virgil Walker, 49, and his wife, Kailey Walker, 30, without warning, a Kalamazoo County sheriff's investigator said in an affidavit supporting murder charges last week.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Mayor London Breed married four couples inside San Francisco's City Hall Monday, to mark the reopening of the storied building after it shut down in March 2020 as part of a regional lockdown.

Madelyn Peterson and Indira Carmona were the first couple to wed on the grand staircase of the buildings rotunda. They had three witnesses, each sitting in chairs spaced 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart at the bottom of the steps.

The building's doors opened at 8 a.m. for those looking to get marriage license applications, business registrations, birth and death certificates, and other documents. Visitors are still required to wear a mask and socially distance.

San Francisco has had some of the strictest pandemic-related restrictions in the country and the compact city of nearly 900,000 has reported 36,766 COVID-19 cases and 546 deaths. To compare, Long Beach in Southern California has about 467,000 residents but more than 53,000 cases and more than 900 deaths.

Vaccination rates in San Francisco are also high, with 80% of residents having received at least one dose.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Moments before Breed officiated the weddings, she raised the Pride flag outside the building's main entrance to officially kick off the annual LGBTQ Pride Month celebrations.

"Were going to celebrate, were going to have a good time, were going to keep smiles on our faces because we survived a pandemic, yall," Breed told a small, cheerful crowd gathered for the flag-raising ceremony, which also included music from the San Francisco Lesbian and Gay Freedom Band.

I am looking forward to making sure that San Francisco comes back alive," Breed added.

The mayor announced several investments and programs for the LGBTQ community, including $2 million for a guaranteed income program for trans people and $12 million to buy a site for "the countrys first full-scale LGBTQ Museum."

Last week, a massive pink triangle was illuminated on the city's Twin Peaks with Breed and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in attendance of the annual tradition started in 1995. The pink triangle was used by Nazis during the Holocaust to identify LGBT prisoners. Now, the LGBT community uses it as a symbol of pride.
CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. (AP)  Bedding manufacturer Tempur Sealy International Inc. said Tuesday it will build a foam-pouring plant in western Indiana that will employ about 300 workers by the end of 2025.

Construction of the Crawfordsville plant is expected to begin in the third quarter of this year, the company said.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Despite experts who say Texas' power grid remains vulnerable, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott declared Tuesday that new reforms fix all of the flaws that caused February's deadly winter blackout that left more than 4 million people without power in subfreezing weather.

He was joined by Republicans who defended it as a good deal for consumers, even though they gave no direct financial relief to families who were stuck with high energy bills or lost income as the lights and heat stayed off for days.

Signing into law two sweeping overhauls in response to one of the largest power outages in U.S. history, Abbott asserted that he and the GOP-controlled Texas Legislature had delivered following one of the worst crises in his six years as governor. But even members of his own party say there is work still to be done.

More than 4 million people lost power when temperatures plunged into single digits over Valentine Day's weekend, icing power generators and buckling the state's electric grid. State officials say they have confirmed at least 151 deaths blamed on the freeze and resulting outages, but the real toll is believed to be higher.

The legislature passed comprehensive reforms to fix all of the flaws that led to the power failure, Abbott said. He went on to add, Bottom line is that everything that needed to be done was done to fix the power grid in Texas.

Energy experts disagree, saying that although lawmakers made significant changes that include mandates to weatherize power plants for extreme temperatures and new processes to avert communication failures, the reforms do not go far enough to assure a similar catastrophe won't happen again in one of America's most booming states.

Among the criticisms are Texas leaving enforcement and key decisions over which parts of the state's oil and gas industry must now weatherize  and which don't  to regulators who have long been accused of being too lax with operators. And last week, five former Texas regulators issued a report that said safeguarding the grid requires going beyond the bills signed by Abbott, including acknowledging the realities of climate change  a topic GOP lawmakers didn't dwell on.

The reforms also provide no direct financial relief to consumers. One proposal that called for giving residents a one-time credit of $350 did not make it into the final bill.

Some residents saw huge electric bills as wholesale prices soared during the blackout - $9,000 per megawatt hour  and others lost income because they couldn't get to their job or their work was shut down due to no power. Asked why there was no direct financial assistance in the reforms, Republican state Rep. Kelly Hancock said there was in the form of sparing residents from high charges to their electric bills to pay off debts by utilities, spreading it over decades instead.

Hancock also said 98% of Texas customers were on fixed-rate plans that didn't see prices go up during the storm and that they could shop for cheaper plans once their contracts are up. But Doug Lewin, an energy consultant in Austin, said there is no guarantee electric rates offered to consumers will be cheaper going forward.

If I tell you, 'Here's a car for $20,000 but you can spread the payments over six years,' that's not the same as the car dealer saying I'll take $3,000 off the cost," Lewin said.

Other changes include an overhaul of the governing board of Texas' power grid and a new emergency alert system.

Republican state Rep. Chris Paddie, a chief architect of the reforms, said he was confident gas suppliers would comply with new weatherization mandates. He also pushed back on criticism that lawmakers went easy on Texas' powerful oil and gas industry, which he said pushed back on the requirements.

I wish you would go tell them that, Paddie said.
NORTH HAVEN  After initially declining to deliver mail directly to Mikeys Way homes in North Haven, the United States Postal Service has reversed the decision that caused exasperation among residents.

First Selectman Michael Freda, who had pushed for the residents to receive curbside delivery, said the change came after North Havens federal delegation got involved, including the offices of Rep. Rosa DeLauro. D-3, and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.

I am thrilled I was able to help First Selectman Mike Freda reach the USPS and ultimately help the residents of Mikeys Way start receiving their mail, DeLauro said in a statement to the Register. Access to reliable mail service is a lifeline to many who rely on the USPS for medications, paychecks, and other critical communication. Mikeys Way is a town-owned road, and the residents should have never faced this roadblock.

Meghan Friedmann / Hearst Connecticut Media

A message was left with a staffer in Murphys office.

I really tried to work this out with the local postmaster, but when it became apparent to me that we were at an impasse, I had to utilize the many contacts I have at the state and federal level, and Im delighted that the residents are finally going to receive their mail, Freda said, adding that he appreciated the work of USPS delivery drivers.

Construction of Mikeys Way, a street with 10 houses on it that are just a few years old, began in 2016 under a different postmaster. Residents said they had expected USPS would deliver to the mailboxes in front of their homes as soon as the road became public.

In the meantime, they either visited the post office to obtain mail or placed their mailbox at the beginning of the road.

After the town incorporated Mikeys Way in April, the new postmaster declined to allow curbside delivery, according to Freda and residents. Freda said during his time leading the town, there had never been any such issue with new developments.

A statement from USPS spokeswoman Amy Gibbs suggested a centralized delivery point was the norm for new developments, citing a USPS operations manual.

But, residents recently began to learn that they would in fact receive curbside delivery.

After careful consideration, the Postal Service agreed to let a former Postmasters decision to allow curbside delivery move forward in this specific area, Gibbs said Monday in a written statement. Postmasters will continue to retain their discretion to establish Cluster Box Units (CBUs) in new areas going forward.

Meghan Friedmann / Hearst Connecticut Media

Charlotte Cusano, a resident who was frustrated with the post offices refusal to deliver, said her husband received a phone call with the news.

Im happy, she said. I think by escalating it the way that we did (USPS management) finally got word of whats happening and now the right thing is happening.

According to Cusano and her neighbor, Lori Kowaleski, residents were told they would receive a letter this week explaining the situation and that curbside delivery would begin thereafter.

Both women felt a little bit of trepidation, however, with Cusano saying she would not quite believe it until she started receiving mail.

Were very happy and satisfied, Kowaleski said. I believe its gonna happen, but Im just a little bit worried.

meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com
Lets be very clear: Florida itself pays some of the lowest weekly benefit amounts and imposes some of the sharpest eligibility restrictions in the country. Before the pandemic, only about 9 percent of unemployed Floridians were receiving unemployment and those that managed to qualify received an average payment of only about $250 a week. If you are self-employed, you do not even qualify for unemployment insurance in Florida and are reliant on another temporary federal program that for some only provides $125 a week.
I am the proud father of three daughters who have attended several public schools in New Haven. My youngest is now preparing for graduation from Common Ground High School. My family has had the privilege of enrolling our daughters in the schools that work best for each of them, a rare privilege for our states children. For my youngest, Common Ground has been the best fit.

Most people dont know Common Ground is a public charter school; I didnt. I assumed Common Ground was a part of the New Haven Public Schools System. I became aware of the difference when I learned the Common Ground students were treated and funded differently. These students, including my daughter, arent being provided with an equal opportunity for success. These students are receiving significantly less funding than their peers in New Haven. Every education is equally important, no matter where students are receiving it. Unfortunately, this is not the case for charter schools across the state.
Niagara Falls, NY (14301)

Today

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 59F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 59F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 176 concerned Nigerians have filed a lawsuit against the President Muhammad...





The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 176 concerned Nigerians have filed a lawsuit against the President Muhammadu Buhari administration over the unlawful suspension of Twitter in Nigeria.

The applicants are against the criminalization of Nigerians using Twitter, and the escalating repression of human rights, rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom.

Following the deletion of Buharis tweet, Information Minister, Lai Mohammed last week announced the ban of Twitter operations.

The government has threatened to arrest and prosecute anyone using Twitter, while the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) asked all broadcast stations to suspend the use of the social media platform.

The suit No ECW/CCJ/APP/23/21 was filed today before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja.

SERAP and the concerned Nigerians are seeking: An order of interim injunction restraining the Federal Government from implementing its suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, and subjecting anyone including media houses, broadcast stations using Twitter in Nigeria, to harassing, intimidating, arrest and criminal prosecution, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

In the suit filed by Solicitor to SERAP, Femi Falana (SAN), the plaintiffs contended that if the application is not urgently granted, federal authorities will continue to arbitrarily suspend Twitter.

They said the Buhari government was on the verge of slamming criminal charges and fines against telecommunication companies, media houses, broadcast stations and others.

The suit read in part: The suspension of Twitter is aimed at stopping Nigerians from using Twitter and other social media platforms to assess government policies, expose corruption, and criticize acts of official impunity.

The free communication of information and ideas about public and political issues between citizens and elected representatives is essential.

This implies a free press and other media able to comment on public issues without censor or restraints, and to inform public opinion. The public also has a corresponding right to receive media output.

Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and the full enjoyment is central to achieving individual freedom and to developing democracy. It is not only the cornerstone of democracy, but indispensable to a thriving civil society.
The Nigerian Police have dislodged the camp of Eastern Security Network, ESN, in Akabo, Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State. ...

The Nigerian Police have dislodged the camp of Eastern Security Network, ESN, in Akabo, Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State.

The operation was carried out on Tuesday by the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team led by DCP Abba Kyari and other security forces.

A police woman who was allegedly kidnapped and held captive was also freed during the operation.

IPOB reacts to allegations ESN attacked Imo prison

ESN is a security outfit established by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, a leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

Recall that the security outfit had been accused of attacking security operatives and formations in the Southeast.

However, the IPOB leader had insisted that ESN was established to fight insecurity in the region.
The Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria has rescinded its decision on the suspension of one of its membe...

The Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria has rescinded its decision on the suspension of one of its members, Adams Kehinde, as it reinstated the actor.

However, the guild has kept mum on its action towards Kehindes cohort, Nkechi Blessing.

TAMPAN had suspended both Nkechi Blessing Sunday and Kehinde Adams for fighting dirty on social media over the arrest of their colleague, Baba Ijesha, who was accused of sexually assaulting a minor.

Making a U-turn on Kehindes suspension, the chairman of TAMPAN Guild of Directors, Damola Olatunji, noted that Kehinde had apologised with a promise to be at his best behaviour.

The statement read, We hereby write a rejoinder on the earlier directive given concerning Mr Adam Kehinde aka Lege on the 23rd May, 2021 with the permission of the national body of our dear association, Theatre and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria, that no Director from our Guild must work with him.

Mr Adams Kehinde  a member of TAMPAN  has presented his letter of apology, duly signed by him, with a promise to be at his best behaviour and uphold the name and glory of the association.

With the intervention of some elders in the industry and the magnanimity of the leaders of the association and guild, we hereby accept his apology and hope this will serve as a deterrent to others planning to launder negatively the image of our beloved association, TAMPAN.

On this note, we charge Directors to henceforth work with him and continue to provide him with the platforms that our association provides for actors and all practitioners  both veteran and budding.

Meanwhile, in an interview with The PUNCH, Nkechi Blessing, while speaking on the suspension by TAMPAN, noted that she was unbothered by the guilds decision. The thespian described the guilds action as the joke of the century.

She said, Firstly, an organised association should use proper measures to address a person they describe as their member. Since the letter was delivered through a mere Instagram post without calling my phone or sending me an email, I consider it to be the joke of the century.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low around 60F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Low around 60F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
China approves COVID-19 vaccines for children above 3 years old

(Global Times) 09:26, June 08, 2021

Medical workers administer COVID-19 vaccines to college students in Nanchang, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province, June 4, 2021. A temporary vaccination site is newly set at a stadium, with daily inoculation capacity of about 5,000. Photo: Xinhua

China has begun to allow those aged between three and 17 years old to get shots of COVID-19 vaccines, making it the first country to approve these vaccines for such a young age group. Chinese observers said the country will follow the plan step-by-step out of safety concerns and based on production capacity.

An official from the vaccine research and development group led by the State Council, the cabinet, confirmed with China Central Television (CCTV) on Sunday that China has approved the emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines for those aged between three and 17 years. CCTV did not reveal the official's name.

The official said that experts have confirmed the safety and efficacy of giving COVID-19 vaccines to that age group. After relevant approval, the vaccination will start for the age group as the country shifts from vaccinating older people to younger ones.

On the same day, Zeng Yixin, deputy director of the National Health Commission (NHC), confirmed in an interview with the Xinhua News Agency that China aims to give COVID-19 shots to at least 70 percent of its population by year-end.

Chinese vaccine experts reached by the Global Times on Monday said vaccinating children above three years old is key for the country to reach herd immunity. But to address safety concerns, the country will cautiously use the vaccines among this age group, by distinguishing them into different groups by age or by initially vaccinating minors living in regions more susceptible to the virus, such as Guangzhou.

Apart from some concerns about giving vaccines to minors, restrictions for the large-scale vaccination of children mainly come from the tight supply of COVID-19 vaccines in China, which are being pressured by increasing domestic and foreign demand, as well as the possible mass adoption of booster shots, experts said.

The approval fits the world trend of lowering the vaccination age to teenagers, and it makes China the first country in the world to give COVID-19 shots to children as young as three years old, an immunologist based in Beijing told the Global Times on condition of anonymity on Monday.

China authorized the emergency use of CoronaVac, the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Chinese firm Sinovac, for children aged between three and 17, Sinovac Chairman Yin Weidong told the media on Friday.

Feng Duojia, president of the China Vaccine Industry Association, told the Global Times on Monday that approval for Sinopharm's vaccine is also on the way.

Following China, Thailand is considering whether to lower the age for Sinovac vaccines to three years old. The Southeast Asian country launched a mass vaccination plan on Monday.

Canada was the first country to approve vaccines for children aged 12 and above on May 5. Since then, countries including the US, the UK and Singapore approved the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for use in children aged 12 to 15, after a review of safety and effectiveness, reports said.

Besides Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna is also actively studying the use of the vaccine in younger children. Young children, even toddlers, could also be eligible by the end of the year, Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the US, was quoted as saying by US media.

"Children aged three to 17 are part of the target group of the national vaccination plan, and a key group for the country to reach herd immunity. I believe children should receive doses the same as adults, as no solid evidence demonstrates the risk for children is any higher than for adults," Tao Lina, a vaccine expert based in Shanghai, told the Global Times on Monday.

The use of COVID-19 vaccines on children remains controversial since there has yet to be any open and solid data in clinical trials on children. Some questions also linger, such as whether it is necessary to make children take the risk, as some argue this age group is not susceptible to COVID-19 to the same degree as adults.

An immunologist based in Beijing told the Global Times that the possible risks to children cannot be denied, but they are still a key group for the country to reach herd immunity. Thus, to ease public concerns, China is expected to roll out the program among children step-by-step, either distinguishing them by ages or by grades, or by giving relatively smaller doses of vaccines designated for children.

"As China starts vaccination among children, vaccines and the vaccination plan can always be optimized and adjusted, to fix emerging problems, including security concerns," he said.

The immunologist said China is more likely to start giving shots for the young when Sinopharm also gets the go-ahead for child recipients by authorities, because the priority for the current phase is to further expand inoculations among adults, due to tight vaccine production capacity.

Feng said that China will gradually prompt vaccinations of children, but not all at once, because there is huge demand from both overseas and domestic, as well as preparations for a booster shot.

"China's total vaccine production basically meets the daily administered doses across the nation, about 20 million doses. In some places, vaccines are immediately out of stock on the same day of distribution," Feng said.

China had administered 777 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of Sunday, according to the NHC.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
But how do you spot one? Lets see. Switching from one party to the other might strike some as a red flag. Bad-mouthing senators who were war heroes from your own party? Not good. Playing fast and loose with the U.S. Constitution might be another relevant issue. Oh, and ignoring the wishes of other Republicans is likely high on the list. Now, if I could just think of a real-life example of such a remarkable creature.
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Are you a Nogales resident whos been affected by the illness? Send us an email: editorial@nogalesinternational.com.
Another step toward wind projects aimed at generating energy off the coast of Louisiana and other Gulf states is being taken by the Biden administration.

The U.S. Department of the Interior is set to release what's known as a "request for interest" to private companies later this week as a way to gauge the market's appetite and feasibility for offshore wind projects in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Biden administration is pushing for 30 gigawatts of wind power to be built offshore by the private sector by 2030.

"This is an important first step to see what role the Gulf may play," said Deb Haaland, Secretary for the Department of the Interior.

The request seeks businesses interested in developing projects off the coasts of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama. The federal government is primarily interested in wind power projects, but is also seeking information on any other renewable energy technologies available in the market.

After the request for information is published on June 11, there will be a 45-day window for public comment that will be used to determine the appetite for those projects among private firms.

But a long, difficult road lies ahead before turbine blades will be spinning in the distance from Gulf Coast beaches. Upfront costs for offshore wind farms and transmission infrastructure are still higher than solar power. And there's been tepid demand from regional utilities, including Entergy, which has rebuffed requests in the past to invest in offshore wind, citing poor economics.

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In general, wind power can cost utilities roughly five times for the same megawatt.

Still, there are reasons for renewable-energy firms to be hopeful. Two years ago, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management told the New Orleans City Council that the Gulf Coast  particularly, Texas, Louisiana and Florida  have some of the highest wind capacity in the nation. The water is also shallow enough in many areas to build vast wind farms anchored to the ocean floor, the federal regulator said.

+9 Wind farms could one day power New Orleans, but high cost, other issues cause for concern For years, solar power has been the rallying cry of New Orleans City Council members aiming to chart a more sustainable energy future for New 

At the time, the BOEM had sold leases worth nearly $500 million for wind projects off the East Coast, but had not awarded any leases in the Gulf. A massive 800-megawatt wind turbine project near Martha's Vineyard was expected to be connected to the grid this year.

Louisiana businesses were tapped for expertise for the Block Island Wind Farm, a 30-megawatt project constructed off the coast of Rhode Island in 2016.

New Orleans BOEM regional director Mike Celata called the move a "first step" in the federal government's ability to harness the expertise of those who have built the entire offshore oil industry.

The federal government has already leased 1.7 million acres for offshore wind and has 17 active commercial leases with businesses  mostly along the Atlantic seaboard from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras.
Aldi, the German discount food retailer, is set to expand in the New Orleans metro area, part of the company's large-scale push into several areas in Louisiana and along the Gulf Coast.

The company has posted positions for trainee managers for four new stores in the New Orleans area, where the food retailer has been buying properties and going through the local permitting process for several years.

+2 ALDI seeks to build new grocery store in Marrero The ALDI grocery proposed for Marrero would be a new-build store to take shape on the old Belle Promenade Mall site near Lapalco and Barataria

The new locations that are hiring include one on the West Bank, at 1849 Barataria Boulevard in Marrerro, according to the company's job advertisements. Also, a supermarket will be opening in Metairie, at 8855 Veterans Memorial Blvd. in the former Dress Barn location.

On the North Shore, stores are planned for 137 Northshore Blvd. in Slidell and at 525 U.S. 190 in Covington.

Aldi is also hiring for stores at 2122 West Airline Highway in LaPlace; for two stores in Lafayette, at 3200 Louisiana Ave. and at 4510 Ambassador Caffery Parkway; and for New Iberia at 1102 East Admiral Doyle Drive.

Aldi also has been scouting site locations in Baton Rouge. In January, the chain paid $1.4 million for a 3.5-acre property in the Settlement at Shoe Creek, east of the city. Last spring, the company purchased an 11.1-acre site on ONeal Lane in Baton Rouge for $1.35 million.

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Discount supermarket chain Aldi buys vacant Toys 'R' Us property in Slidell The discount supermarket chain Aldi has purchased a vacant Toys "R" Us store in Slidell, but it's not clear what plans the company has for the

Aldi officials weren't available for comment Monday.

The move into Louisiana is part of a five-year U.S. expansion started in 2017 that aims to take the group to 2,500 stores by next year.

That expansion has included a push into the Gulf Coast region, including a $100 million, 564,000-square-foot regional headquarters and Aldi distribution center in Loxley, Alabama, which the company started building and is expected to be completed in late 2022.

The retailer has built a reputation since it was founded in Essen, Germany, in the late 1940s for high-quality commoditized food items at deeply-discounted prices.

Store sizes are typically fairly small compared to other suburban-situated food retail supermarkets, at about 17,000 square feet. They also generally operate with a fairly small number of workers.
A New Jersey medical supply company has filed a civil suit against a lawyer in the Louisiana Attorney Generals Office, alleging the lawyer didnt properly manage a $3.2 million escrow account and has been unable to return $1 million that the company is owed.

The suit, filed May 13 in Jefferson Parish, says that Med 18 Supplies LLC, the plaintiff, signed a deal in January to buy 250,000 boxes of nitrile gloves at a cost of $3.2 million from Banton International, a New Orleans firm.

Banton proposed, and Med 18 agreed, that Frank LaBruzzo, a lawyer who lives in Jefferson Parish, would serve as escrow agent. Under such an arrangement, common in major transactions, he would hold the money in a trust account until the product was delivered. Med 18 deposited the money into the account on Feb. 4, the suit says.

But the product never came, Med 18s suit says, and so the company in late February demanded its money back, something it was entitled to do under the terms of its deal. However, LaBruzzo has so far only been able to return $2 million of the money, the suit says.

Thats because LaBruzzo improperly diverted the funds, or allowed them to be diverted at Bantons request, to purchase some other equipment, the suit charges.

The suit says Med 18 agreed to use LaBruzzos services in part because he held himself out as an employee of the Louisiana Attorney Generals Office, the office entrusted with protecting consumers and upholding fair business practices.

Jeff Landry's office can redact parts of report on aide's sex harassment claims, judge rules An East Baton Rouge Parish judge ruled Friday that Attorney General Jeff Landry acted within his discretion in redacting a large portion of a 

The suit includes a screenshot of LaBruzzos LinkedIn profile, in which he describes himself as an assistant state attorney general. The suits also says that in conversations with Med 18s CEO, Mr. LaBruzzo assured her that, as an affiliate of the Attorney Generals Office, he could be entrusted with safeguarding the funds in escrow.

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The defendants in the suit are LaBruzzo, Banton and Cinzia Caronna, whom the suit identifies as a director of Banton.

LaBruzzo, a brother of former state Rep. John LaBruzzo, R-Metairie, was hired by the Attorney Generals Office in April 2016, a few months after Landry took office, and he initially worked as an assistant attorney general.

But since 2017, he has been employed as an investigator, according to Louisiana State Civil Service, a post that pays him $78,021 a year.

Reached at the Attorney Generals Office, LaBruzzo hung up as soon as a reporter identified himself.

Caronna, reached by phone, said she had not seen the lawsuit. She declined comment on its allegations.

Leon Cannizzaro is back: Former New Orleans DA now has top role under Attorney General Jeff Landry Former Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro kept a low profile after bowing out of last years election amid growing voter discont

Cory Dennis, a spokesman for Attorney General Jeff Landry, said Tuesday that the suit did not concern Landry's office. "As far as we are concerned this was a private transaction in which our office was not involved in any way," Dennis said.

Under a rule imposed by Landry, lawyers at the Attorney Generals Office may not take on outside law work. But its unclear whether the rule applies to LaBruzzo.

Dennis said officials "reviewed this matter and there was no violation of our policy," but he did not elaborate.
A physical therapist was stabbed to death during a carjacking outside of her 7th Ward home on Tuesday, according to a law enforcement source and a relative.

LATEST: 'That could've been my mother': NOPD chief reacts to brutal stabbing of physical therapist in 7th Ward

Portia Pollock, 60, was stabbed in the chest by a man who drove off with her car in the 1500 block of North Dorgenois Street about 7:30 a.m., the source said. Paramedics brought Pollock to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Publicly, authorities havent identified a suspect in the slaying or officially released Pollocks name. However, a niece of Pollock confirmed her identity, saying her aunt spent her life traveling all over southeastern Louisiana to provide physical therapy to her mostly geriatric patients.

"It's a huge loss for the city," said Fatima Muse, who lived for a time with Pollock. "Anyone who knows her knows she rarely said no  there was no place she wouldn't go to help a patient."

Later Tuesday, the New Orleans Police Department released a picture of a man whom investigators wanted to question in Pollock's killing, though officers stopped short of calling him a suspect.

They also acknowledged Pollock's car  a 2016 Honda HRV with a Louisiana license plate reading 323ADB  was missing after the slaying, suggesting she had been carjacked.

Pollocks killing is certain to reignite discussions about city leaders' strategy to address a surge in violent crime over the last year, unfolding as New Orleans steadily lifted pandemic restrictions in response to waning coronavirus cases.

Two key violent crime categories which have seen major increases year-to-date are homicides and carjackings, which were up more than 20% and 100% as of this week, respectively, according to data compiled by the New Orleans City Council.

Neighbors of Pollock said her death hit them particularly hard.

The block was still on edge from a Nov. 3 shooting that left a 20-year-old man wounded. And Pollock lived alone and was unable to work remotely like many others have done during the pandemic.

According to Muse, Pollock grew up in Atlanta but fell in love with New Orleans while completing her undergraduate studies at Xavier University. She went to Georgia State University to study physical therapy but then immediately returned to the Crescent City to pursue her career.

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She obtained a license to practice physical therapy from the state of Louisiana in 1988, and she had renewed it through late April 2023, records show. Records also show that she purchased her home on North Dorgenois about the time she became licensed in her profession.

Muse said she primarily dedicated her life to her PT patients, generally going into their homes to help them. Though she was 60, Pollock was skilled in various martial arts and was an active musician, Muse said.

According to Muse, her aunt played drums at Congo Square each Sunday.

Pollock was also a performing member of a group called Proud Mary's or Mary's Ex, playing at two Jazz Fests with the group.

Yet, despite how busy Pollock could get, Muse said she was always hospitable to her niece. Muse said Pollock allowed her to live at the home on North Dorgenois while Muse attended Dillard University some years ago. And Muse said she was treated like a daughter by Pollock, who never married or had children.

"My aunt was an all-around beautiful person," Muse said. "She gave so much more than she took."

Pollock's drumming background drew out at least two young drummers to her home on Tuesday afternoon. They played the instruments as a tribute to Pollock while someone else set up a table nearby with fresh fruit, drinks and other refreshments as a crowd of mourners began gathering on the block.

One of the mourners was wearing a nurse's uniform. Another was a man burning sage and waving an ornate feather around, as if he were warding off bad spirits.

Police asked anyone with information about Pollock's killing to call Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward.

Max Becherer contributed to this report.
New Orleans police released videos Tuesday of people they are looking for in connection with a weekend shooting that injured nine people.

The shooting happened around 10:30 p.m. Saturday at a pool party at an event hall in the 10100 block of South I-10 Service Road (map) in New Orleans East, police said.

One victim, a woman, was shot in the face and remains in critical condition Tuesday, police said. There was no immediate information about the condition of the other victims. In total, two teenage boys, four women and three men were either hit or grazed by bullets at a party venue called Da Perfect Spot.

On Tuesday, police said detectives are looking for several people that appear to be armed with handguns in a surveillance video.

See the videos below (Can't see the videos? Watch here and here.):

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Shooting happened at a gathering

Da Perfect Spots listed owner, Leo Bryant, initially denied that the shooting involved his business. But, in a later interview with WDSU-TV, he acknowledged organizing the gathering at the center of the shooting and described feeling betrayed by the violence.

Ive tried my best to give the city  something different and bring family fun back without having to travel to another city to do so without help from anyone and this is how you repay me? read a separate statement posted on a Facebook page under Bryants name.

+3 Nine people, not eight, shot at New Orleans East gathering, police say; other crime briefs Authorities on Monday raised the number of people shot outside a gathering in New Orleans East two days earlier from eight to nine.

The event was a block party marketed toward teens, WDSU said.

Police havent detailed exactly how the shooting took place or why it may have occurred.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact NOPD Seventh District detectives at 504-658-6070 or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.
Authorities on Monday raised the number of people shot outside a gathering in New Orleans East two days earlier from eight to nine.

Update: Videos of suspects in New Orleans East shooting released by police

A statement from the New Orleans Police Department said the ninth victim from the gunfire that erupted in the 10100 block of South Interstate 10 Service Road about 10:30 p.m. Saturday was a teenaged boy who went to the hospital on his own on Sunday seeking treatment for a bullet wound.

Previously, police had said there were four adult women, three men and one other teenaged boy who had either been struck or grazed by bullets during the shooting, which erupted outside a party venue called Da Perfect Spot.

One of the women was shot in the face and remained hospitalized in critical condition as of Monday, the NOPDs statement said. She and the other prior victims had either been brought to the hospital by paramedics or showed up there for help on their own.

Da Perfect Spots listed owner, Leo Bryant, initially denied that the shooting involved his business. But, in a later interview with WDSU-TV, he acknowledged organizing the gathering at the center of the shooting and described feeling betrayed by the violence.

Ive tried my best to give the city  something different and bring family fun back without having to travel to another city to do so without help from anyone and this is how you repay me? read a separate statement posted on a Facebook page under Bryants name.

Police havent detailed exactly how the shooting took place or why it may have occurred. They also havent publicly named any suspects in the case.

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+2 11 people shot over 13-hour span in New Orleans: What we know from police Dozens of people marched through the rain in New Orleans East on Saturday morning to protest against gun violence.

There were at least 12 people shot across New Orleans during a 13-hour period from Saturday night to Sunday morning. The spasm of violence continued local and national post-pandemic trends that have seen many crime categories drop, though shootings and homicides have soared.

In other matters recently handled by local authorities:

 At least two more shootings were reported in New Orleans on Monday afternoon.

In one, about 3:35 p.m., police said a man who was shot in the 1900 block of Annunciation Street near the old St. Thomas housing development showed up at the hospital on his own. In the other case, about 3:20 p.m., paramedics took a man who was shot in the 7600 block of Kingsport Boulevard in New Orleans East to the hospital.

 New Orleans police on Monday released the description of a pickup truck that was apparently involved in a fatal hit-and-run crash on Hayne Boulevard near Unity Street about 10:05 p.m. Friday. It was a red Dodge Ram, with significant front-end damage as well as a missing grill.

 Mervin Bailey, 18, was booked in connection with a carjacking at gunpoint that was reported Thursday in the 1600 block of Burbank Drive in Gentilly, New Orleans police said Monday.
You dont mess with public libraries, and the people who love them, without facing severe repercussions.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell should know that. A onetime library champion who worked to rebuild and reopen the branch in her neighborhood after Hurricane Katrina, Cantrell  for reasons that were never entirely clear  targeted the citys libraries for deep cuts in a complicated millage renewal reconfiguration last year, which aimed to redirect tax revenue currently going to the system towards things like infrastructure and economic development. Thanks largely to the proposed 40% cut to New Orleans libraries for 20 years, voters decisively defeated the idea.

Cantrells immediate reaction was to double down, suggesting that if voters werent going to approve the 40% cut, then theyd have to learn to live with slashing the budget a full 50%, the practical effect of simply letting an expiring millage expire rather than renewing it under the unfavorable terms shed proposed. Time passed and cooler heads prevailed, though; the City Council is planning to schedule a straight-up renewal election this fall, and Cantrell isnt expected to oppose it, anyway.

If a second vote might start the healing process, then a video of Cantrell attending a recent musical performance  and offering kind words about the marquee performer  reopened the wound.

The musician in question was the infamous Irvin Mayfield, the celebrated trumpeter who was put in charge of the public library foundation under Mayor Ray Nagin  and who, along with his business partner at the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra Ronald Markham, proceeded to loot it for personal gain. The details were spectacular  money for their own six figure NOJO salaries, a custom trumpet, a NOJO performance at Carnegie Hall and luxury food and lodging in New York that included $1,435 breakfast at the Ritz, all with donations meant to help the library system get back on its feet after Katrina and provide services for New Orleanians. Mayfield and Markham first proclaimed their innocence, but they eventually pleaded guilty to defrauding the foundation of $1.3 million and await sentencing.

That should be enough to land anyone in the mayoral doghouse, particularly someone who has not yet paid his debt to society.

Still, Cantrell appears to be in a forgiving mood. In a cell phone video obtained by WWL-TVs David Hammer, Cantrell urged fellow fans to continue to support a true son of the city of New Orleans, Irvin Mayfield.

Public library supporters may not feel quite so forgiving toward her.

I don't understand, Dixon Stetler, executive director of the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library, told Hammer. (Mayfield) pled guilty to taking $1.3 million and I don't understand why we have to support him. There are so many culture bearers in this city who deserve our support who aren't stealing from the library.
But the plaintiffs in the lawsuit are challenging the contribution limit as an undue burden on their speech and associational rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the motion for a preliminary injunction said. The motion also quoted legal precedent that said the First Amendment protects a marketplace for the clash of different views and conflicting ideas.
The official start of summer isnt until June 20, the years midpoint is June 30  and our state and nation are going bonkers with shootings. Its tough watching reports about shootings, especially mass shootings, across the nation. Its even tougher when we see a mass shooting along a service road in New Orleans.

I hope this is the mass shooting that makes a difference, the one that makes enough of us pay enough attention that we demand that more be done. Unfortunately, not a single mass shooting has triggered enough anger and emotion to bring about the change we need. Shootings are happening so regularly we know were going to hear about them on local and national radio and television news, we know there will be reports in newspapers and online. If were honest, some of us even guess how many shootings were likely to have any given weekend.

Were so numb to shootings and related injuries and deaths that we come to expect media to give us the latest details. We expect that as a part of our content feed.

Earlier this year, there were enough mass shootings making national and local news that it was hard to keep up with how many people were shot and injured or died in which communities. Those ugly, high-profile incidents included Atlanta and Boulder, and also Allen, Texas; Essex, Maryland and Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Our national gun violence rates are higher than most of our comparable national peers around the world. Thats not anything that should make us proud. Louisiana has had about 15 mass shootings just this year. More than 70 have been victims. Nine of those shot have died.

East Baton Rouge Parish had more than 100 murders, mostly shootings, in 2017. There was a record 114 murders in 2020. If things dont change, Baton Rouge is going to end 2021 with more than 150 murders.

New Orleans had a rough 2019, and 2020 was not good. Homicides rose 62% between 2019 and 2020. As of a few weeks ago, the city is on track to record more than 190 killings, just like last year.

Just this past weekend, there were about 12 people shot in New Orleans, nine of them shot at a single event outside of Da Perfect Spot in the 10100 block of South I-10 Service Road. Operator Leo Bryant told WDSU that he organized the activity to do something nice for the neighborhood. I feel like they let me down, he said.

I doubt this mass shooting was planned. Some are well-planned. Some include legal guns with owners who have permits. Some involve guns illegally obtained from wherever.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit that collects and confirms gun violence data, more than 19,300 people died as a result of nonsuicide gun violence in 2020, a 25% increase in such deaths over 2019. Weve had more than 5,500 such deaths already this year, putting us on track to have an equally violent year, if not more so in terms of deaths.

The truth is that most of us are law-abiding citizens. That includes responsible gun owners who go through the official, required steps to purchase firearms and to get permits. The truth is that some people can go about their lives without ever seeing a gun except in movies or on television shows. Sometimes they might see them on television news.

We dont like this truth, and people get blasted for saying it, but were not going to legislate our way out of this mess, at least not by picking at it around the edges. The big issue is the number of guns. There are regular reports about the rise in gun sales. With the election of a president. After some U.S. Congress outrage and promises to take action. When one state legislature or another makes gun control noise. Definitely when gun rights advocates post on social media to scare people, essentially saying they should stock up before theres a government shutdown of sales.

Though there is no one cause of gun violence, significantly limiting the number of guns and who has them legally would go a long way to preventing some of these horrors. We can do this with legislation.

Theres one other thing that would go a long way in dealing with shootings and mass shootings: telling law enforcement when we see someone shooting someone else. Its about making the right choice, making a public health decision, choosing life over death.
Norman, OK (73070)

Today

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 69F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Harrisburg, Pa. - Financial aid experts Linda Pacewicz and Dan Wray of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) and PA 529 expert Kelly Davis of the Pennsylvania Treasury will host multiple sessions of an informative webinar on how to maximize savings for college education on June 10, 24, and 29 at 1 p.m. The webinar will be an hour long.

The webinar will cover filing FAFSA, finding grant and scholarship opportunities, saving for education in advance, tuition payment plans, and choosing education loans. Davis will also discuss PA 529, what it is, and how a 529 savings plan can help.

To register or join a PHEAA webinar, please click here.
Harrisburg, Pa. - In 2019, Pennsylvania had the fourth most criminal human trafficking cases among U.S. states. In response to this pressing issue, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed a bill package to provide additional protections to victims and to make it easier to prosecute traffickers.

Human trafficking refers to the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of people through force, fraud, or deception for forced labor or sexual exploitation.

The crime frequently targets women and children and is the world's second largest criminal enterprise.

The bill package approved by the House includes:

House Bill 231: Places human trafficking of minors for sexual servitude or abuse under the crime of unlawful contact with a minor

House Bill 246: Bans defendants in trafficking cases from using a victim's past sexual victimization or allegations as evidence

House Bill 580: Experts may testify about the dynamics of sexual servitude and other child sexual abuse offenses in court

House Bill 753: The classification of trafficking infants will change from a misdemeanor to a first degree felony

House Bill 843: Human trafficking offenses will join the list of convictions that influence child custody determination

House Bill 1096: Flexibility for victims to file lawsuits where they reside or where violations occurred

House Bill 1130: Traffickers affiliated with sexual servitude will need to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act

House Bill 1147: Those convicted of human trafficking involving sexual servitude or sexual abuse of a minor will require Department of Corrections counseling or therapy

The bills will go to the Senate for further consideration.

If you or someone you know is the victim of human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733.
Rome, GA (30161)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low near 70F. Winds light and variable.
The maps drawn by the GOP Legislature 10 years ago were ultimately rejected by the courts for violating the two Fair Districts amendments passed by 63% of voters in 2010. The current maps in use since 2016 were drawn by the League of Women Voters and other groups when the Legislature failed to come up with their own.
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Im a firm believer that until it happens to you, you remain as callous as you are, Jones said. And thats exactly where the Republicans are at right now, [unlike] the Pulse parents and family members, or the parents of the kids from Parkland, or the mothers in Miami  So the only way change will happen is that, unfortunately, it will have to hit home.
I agree with Leavelle that single rider line should be your bestie. But dont be dismayed if youre shipped to the extended queue. It winds over to the lagoon-front plaza, an underused, underappreciated part of IOA. And from there, you get fresh viewing angles of the big drop and the overwater finale. (Mosa!) Plus, youll still have your phones/cameras because the lockers are well inside the building.
After what has been a challenging period, were thrilled to say its finally time to cruise again. We are excited to be officially announcing our restart this summer from the U.S., and Florida in particular, as excitement is building for vacationers to get back to traveling and plan a much-deserved getaway, said Gianni Onorato, CEO of MSC Cruises in a press release.
New York, US (PANA) - From David Beckham to Whoopi Goldberg and Angelique Kidjo, ambassadors for the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF), and other agencies have signed an open letter to the upcoming G7 Summit of world leaders, underscoring the urgency of suppling vaccine donations now
Roseburg, OR (97470)

Today

Periods of rain. High 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has strongly condemned the latest attack by armed groups that killed at least 138 civilians in Burkina Faso, the deadliest attack since 2015
Ball State University Professor Michael Hicks will give a talk to Northwest Indiana small business owners via the latest NWI Small Business Task Force webinar.

Hicks, a professor of economics and the director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State University, will give a virtual talk at 2 p.m. Tuesday about the effect of low taxes on economic growth.

Hicks, who served on the faculty of the Air Force Institute of Technologys Graduate School of Engineering and Management and at research centers at Marshall University and the University of Tennessee, will give a presentation entitled "Surprise Lessons About Low Taxes and Economic Growth."

"Professor Hicks research interest is in state and local public finance and the effect of public policy on the location, composition, and size of economic activity. He has authored three books and more than 50 scholarly papers and is best known for his work on tax incentives and the impact of Walmart," organizer Lisa Beck said in a news release.
"There is a lot of ambiguity," Rongerude said. "People have a lot of fatigue. That is when tempers flare."

The Open to All coalition is made up of about 600,000 businesses, mostly retail establishments, that have collaborated on training and hiring practices. It launched in 2018 with companies like Levi Strauss & Co. and Gap pledging not to discriminate against employees or customers based on race, sexual orientation, or other characteristics. The movement was spurred by controversies such as florists refusing to provide flowers for gay weddings and stores turning away Muslim customers.

The pandemic has since exposed the vulnerabilities of front-line workers. Last September, a group of retailers felt they needed to do something more to protect their employees against discriminatory and racist behavior, Rongerude said. Although these abusive customers are a minority, she said they still have damaging effects on shoppers and workers alike.

Emily May, founder of Hollaback, says she has seen a spike in interest among average citizens as well as corporations wanting bystander training from her organization. Last year, she had 25,000 people sign up for a free one-hour Zoom training, up from 5,000 in 2019. So far this year, 130,000 people have registered.
FTAI Chairman and CEO Joe Adams said the new partnership allows us to significantly increase our rail business by providing essential rail services to one of the preeminent integrated steel producers in North America under a long-term contractual arrangement.

FTAI invests in four market sectors, according to its website: aviation, energy, intermodal transport and rail.

Adams said the company expects to grow profits after the Transtar purchase through improved operations, new revenues for storage services to third-parties, new switching and repair services and new developments at four other rail properties included in the transaction.

Citi acted as U. S. Steels financial adviser on the transaction, with Jones Day and Baker & Miller acting as U. S. Steels legal advisers. Morgan Stanley and Barclays acted as financial advisers to FTAI and Sidley Austin acted as legal advisers.

Gary Railway Co.

The railroad operates on 63 miles of yard track in Gary, according to the companys website. In addition to U.S. Steel, it provides services to four other companies located in the Gary Works complex: Tube City IMS, Brandenburg Industrial Service Co., South Shore Slag, and Cleveland-Cliffs steel plate mill.
Santelik said she knew while taking the portrait that it might be "the" one to be selected.

"It was a surreal moment. We were going for something emotional. It was so fantastic and we knew it. ... It came from my heart," Santelik said.

Santelik, who resides in Crown Point with her husband and son, has lived in the area her whole her life. She grew up in Cedar Lake and graduated from Crown Point High School.

Her interest in Vogue magazine, considered to be the top fashion magazine in the world, started when as a young girl she and her sister taped, floor to ceiling, American Vogue photos on their bedroom walls.

Santelik knew even as a youngster she wanted to be the photographer and not the model in the photos.

"I wanted to be the person creating the work," Santelik said. "My parents always encouraged us to do what we wanted, but to just work for it."

Santelik got her first job working for Ted Wahlberg Photography in Cedar Lake.

"When I started, it was on a film in a straight-out camera," Santelik said.

She later worked for Ray Price and Legends Photography in Crown Point.
SCHERERVILLE  Albert's Diamond Jewelers in Schererville recently honored more than 40 students from Lake County at its annual Most Improved Student Awards.

The long-running family-owned jewelry store at 711 Main St. in Schererville recognized the students' hard work on their studies during an unusually difficult year marred by the coronavirus pandemic and also honored 18 of Lake County's leading educators.

"At the ceremony, educators and students talked to the store owners, Fred and Josh Halpern, about their school and what the last year has been like with e-learning, and what lessons they've learned," Albert's Diamond Jewelers said in a news release.

"The Halpern family has a strong appreciation for teachers, and this last year has put them to the test. As a way to honor them for going the extra mile, educators were honored with an award, candy, and an apple pendant created by Matchers designer, Tory Halpern."

Students got awards, treats and watches furnished by Fossil, Michael Kors and Guess.

The jewelry store has been celebrating the academic achievements of local high school students from across Northwest Indiana for decades.
Before the Council put Pinnacle's variance request to a vote, council members heard from Kristine Mendoza, one of the former homeowners of the residence.

"Obviously, the neighborhood has been negatively affected. The thing is, this company didn't announce their intentions. We were completely misled about their plans," Mendoza said through tears. "The Realtor told us it would be a rental. He stated that she, the owner, had multiple properties and rents homes all over the U.S."

Mendoza said she and her husband Fred's real estate agent later inquired further when a corporate name was on the contract, adding the buying agent for the home said the buyer "was an investor who purchases high-end homes to rent out."

"Never, ever, did he mention that they would be leasing to other companies, let alone a rehab facility," Mendoza said. "We assumed it would be families enjoying the home, getting to know CP, maybe eventually buy a property in our town. Never in a million years did we think this would occur  a rehab facility in our neighborhood. No one did. Not us or our Realtor."

CapGrow, the company that purchased the home in early 2020, according to records from the Lake County recorder's office, "pulled a sleight of hand, plain and simple," Mendoza said.
"While you go on living your life, I've been living in a prison in my head," the girl wrote.

She said she now understands the sexual abuse Thomas inflicted on her was not her fault, because he was an adult and she was a child.

"We both know the things you did to a child," she wrote. "I'm passing the shame and pain back to you. I have nothing more to hide."

The girl's mother said she wanted to die when she first learned Thomas had been sexually abusing her daughter.

She thought of herself as her child's first line of defense, and she felt like she had dropped the ball, she said. She was not aware of the abuse until she caught Thomas in the act, she said.

"I had this despicable, nasty person around my daughter," she said. "Who would do something like this to a child?"

Despite the trauma, her daughter is strong, she said.

"My heart still breaks when I think of all the suffering my daughter went through because of you," she said.

Defense attorney Ben Murphy asked Vasquez to accept Thomas' plea agreement. In addition allowing the victim to avoid testifying, the defense never took her deposition, he said.
Gauler initially told police she saw a confrontation but later recanted. She testified at Thomas' bail hearings in April she was too intoxicated to recall what happened before Lile was shot dead.

Thomas has been indefinitely suspended from his job at VA Northern Indiana Health Care System pending the disposition of his criminal case, a spokeswoman said.

Thomas' attorney, Ben Murphy, said the defense wanted phone call records for Nicholas Lile, Jessika Lile and Gauler because Jessika Lile secretly recorded two calls with Gauler before Gauler recanted her statement about seeing a confrontation.

The state provided copies of Facebook and text messages between Jessika Lile and Gauler, but the defense wanted phone records to make sure that all available information is handed over, Murphy said.

Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Jennie Bell said the defense's request was overly broad and amounted to "a fishing expedition." Allowing Thomas' attorneys to review all of the women's call records from January until present day would violate their privacy, she said.

"This is a grieving window," Bell said.
At the news conference, Hammond police said DNA evidence had linked Wilbourn to the rapes.

Police declined to comment on whether there was DNA evidence in the homicide of Lucia Gonzalez, a 25-year-old mother who was found stabbed and beaten to death Aug. 21, 2017, in her home in the 7500 block of Alexander Avenue.

Lake County Supervisory Deputy Prosecutor Michelle Jatkiewicz said at a previous hearing that Wilbourn had been offered a plea agreement in all three cases with a total sentence of 60 years. The state took that plea offer off the table in April.

If Wilbourn is convicted of murder in Gonzalez's homicide, he could face at least another 45 years in prison.

In the plea agreement filed Monday, Wilbourn admitted to raping a 14-year-old girl July 16, 2017, after grabbing her from behind, threatening her with a hammer and forcing her into an alley in the 6700 block of Nebraska Street.

He also admitted he raped a 25-year-old woman Aug. 8, 2017, while threatening her with a hammer in an alley in the 7400 block of Arkansas Street.

DNA analysis in both cases matched Wilbourn, the plea states.
Momeni Foundation is accepting applications for the year 2021 Academic Scholarships

06/08/21

Source: Momeni Foundation

Momeni Foundation is dedicated to providing scholarships to graduating high school students and full time college students of Iranian descent anywhere in the world.







"Digaraan kaashtand o maa khordeem ---- Maa bekaareem o digaraan bokhorand"

Scholastic Achievement Scholarship: At least ten (10 ea.) scholarships for an amount of $1,000.00 dollars each will be awarded to students that are graduating from high school and plan to attend college in Fall of 2021. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents of United States .

Financial Assistance Scholarship: At least forty (40 ea.) scholarships for an amount of $1,000.00 US dollars will be awarded.

The Financial Assistance Scholarship is available to all college students of Iranian descent regardless of citizenship or country of residency. Students must attend college as a full time student in Fall of 2021. Deadline for receiving the application material is June 30th, 2021 .

Dedicated Financial Assistance Scholarship for Florida Students:

One scholarship for an amount of $1,000.00 dollars will be awarded to a student applying from the State of Florida and preferably from Tampa Bay Area.

Application deadline for this SPECIAL scholarship is May 15, 2021. The award will be presented at the Graduation Ceremony of Persian American Society of Tampa Bay.

Please visit our web site at: www.momenifoundation.org for the application forms.

Please mail your complete application package to:

Momeni Foundation

P.O. Box 322 Clearwater, FL 33757

Contact information:

Web site: www.momenifoundation.org

Email: momenifoundation@aol.com

Phone: 727-433-2133
LAPORTE  A Michigan City man turned himself in to police Monday on charges alleging he caused the death of a LaPorte man in March while driving drunk.

Eric A. Adair, 24, was being held on a $20,005 cash bond on felony charges of operating while intoxicated and reckless homicide and a misdemeanor count of never receiving a valid driver's license.

He has not yet entered a plea to the charges, online LaPorte Superior Court records showed. He has an initial hearing scheduled for Friday.

Nathan Blount, 32, died as a result of a crash about 3:20 p.m. March 12 on U.S. 35 at Nicomas Path, southeast of Michigan City.

Adair was driving a green 2003 Honda Accord northwest on U.S. 35 when he crossed left of center and hit Blount's silver 2007 Toyota Camry head-on, LaPorte County sheriff's police said.

After the collision, the Honda traveled back across both lanes and rolled over on the driver's side along the northbound shoulder. The Toyota spun off the west side of the road into a ditch and struck a tree.

Both Blount and Adair were extricated from their cars, police said.

Blount was flown by helicopter to a hospital with lower body injuries and died early March 13.
CROWN POINT  A 43-year-old man pleaded guilty Friday to attacking another man with a sledgehammer in 2018 outside a Hammond middle school.

Patrick Ross, of Hammond, admitted to criminal confinement and battery resulting in serious bodily injury, level 3 and 5 felonies, respectively, in the attack Jan. 25, 2018, outside Scott Middle School.

If Lake Criminal Court Judge Diane Boswell accepts Ross' plea agreement, she would sentence him to 20 years, with 10 years in prison and 10 suspended in favor of probation.

Ross was convicted in February 2020 of attempted murder, criminal confinement and two counts of battery following a trial before Boswell.

The judge later agreed to set aside the convictions and granted Ross a new trial after Jamise Perkins, his attorney at the time, argued he never clearly said he wanted to represent himself.

Ross' original public defender, Casey McCloskey, withdrew from the case days after his trial opened because Ross repeatedly accused him of colluding with prosecutors. Boswell granted McCloskey's motion to withdraw, but initially denied a motion for a mistrial.
An Indiana Court of Appeals judge originally from Porter County was seriously injured Sunday during a recreational outing with her family.

Judge Nancy Vaidik is hospitalized in stable condition following the incident, according to Larry Morris, the Court of Appeals administrator.

Morris declined to provide any additional information about the nature of Vaidik's injuries, how she sustained them, or where they occurred "out of respect for Judge Vaidik, her family and their privacy."

He said Vaidik's work schedule and duties will be adjusted as needed while she recovers.

Vaidik, a Portage native, is a 1980 graduate of Valparaiso University Law School.

Her legal career began in the Porter County prosecutor's office. She served as Porter Superior Court judge from 1992 until 2000, when Democratic Gov. Frank O'Bannon appointed Vaidik to the Indiana Court of Appeals.

Hoosier voters retained Vaidik in 2002 and 2012 for 10-year terms on the 15-judge appellate panel that's one level below the Indiana Supreme Court. She'll again be eligible for retention on the 2022 general election ballot.
VALPARAISO  A 36-year-old man told police he led them on a high speed chase Monday afternoon against the flow of traffic on U.S. 30 because he hoped it would cause them to stop chasing him, according to the incident report.

John Schrader, of Osceola, Indiana, who was taken into custody at gunpoint after driving his vehicle off the roadway into mud, faces two felony counts of resisting law enforcement, and misdemeanor charges of driving while suspended with a prior conviction and reckless driving, Porter County police said.

A county officer said he saw the vehicle enter westbound U.S. 30 from Strongbow Centre Drive around 1 p.m. Monday after hearing Valparaiso police respond to a suspicious vehicle at the nearby Menards store.

The driver, later identified as Schrader, fled at 80 mph and after attempting to turn south at Horse Prairie Avenue, continued to flee west on U.S. 30 but in the eastbound lanes, police said. He nearly struck several other vehicles head-on, police said, until turning south on County Road 600 West.

Schrader fled south at speeds exceeding 90 mph and passed several vehicles in no-passing zones before driving off the roadway after County Road 50 North, according to police.
ST. JOHN  A man died and two others, including a Lake County sheriff's officer, were injured in a multi-car crash early Tuesday on U.S. 41 after a pursuit that began in Dyer, police said.

Jason Mitchell, 35, of Steger, fled from Dyer police about 3:30 a.m., led officers on a chase through Schererville and rear-ended a blue car in the 9700 block of U.S. 41 in St. John, according to police and the Lake County coroner's office.

The impact caused the white Chevrolet Mitchell was driving to travel into oncoming traffic and roll up and over a Lake County patrol car, sheriff's spokeswoman Pam Jones said.

The officer in the patrol car, a 36-year-old woman and five-year veteran of the force, and the driver of the blue car were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Mitchell was pronounced dead at the scene, a coroner's release stated.

Dyer Police Chief David Hein said the pursuit began when an officer noticed a man traveling east on U.S. 30 from Illinois in a white Chevrolet with no license plates.

The driver disregarded officers' commands to pull over and fled east on U.S. 30 and south on U.S. 41 through Schererville and into St. John, Hein said.
No additional deaths from COVID-19 were reported across Northwest Indiana's five-county area, updated data provided Monday showed.

Two more deaths were recorded statewide, which brought to 13,269 the number of Hoosiers to die from the respiratory disease to date, according to statistics from the Indiana State Department of Health.

New deaths were reported between Friday and Saturday.

Local death totals include 1,002 in Lake County, 296 in Porter County, 219 in LaPorte County, 53 in Jasper County and 35 in Newton County, statistics from ISDH and the Porter County Health Department showed.

Porter County does not update case and deaths totals on the weekend.

ISDH did not update its tallies Sunday due to technical maintenance on the site.

Positive case totals included 55,161 in Lake County, up 36; 19,049 in Porter County, up 19; 12,355 in LaPorte County, up four; 3,844 in Jasper County, up five; and 1,119 in Newton County, up one.

A total of 91,528 Northwest Indiana residents have tested positive for the respiratory disease to date.

Across Indiana there were 275 new cases, pushing the state's overall total to 747,083. New cases were reported Sunday.
Dr. John Nkengasong, the director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a Tuesday press conference that he remains positive and optimistic that the findings from the manufacturing site in the U.S. will be resolved soon, and there will be more clarity by the end of this week.

The doses bought by the foundation, which has operated independently from Mastercard since its launch in 2006, will begin to be available in August, in progressively larger quantities, said Julie Waiganjo, a spokesperson for the foundation.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is partnering with the foundation on the initiative, and will be consulting African government agencies and other institutions on how to best deploy the shots.

It is actually a huge moment, and a moment that I characterize as transformational in our ability to fight the war against this pandemic," Nkengasong told The Associated Press.

We will engage the countries to understand their vaccination plans, and see exactly where to fit in," he said, adding the partnership with the foundation will also help deploy the 220 million J&J doses that are slated to arrive.
Using perfectly legal tax strategies, many of the uber-rich are able to shrink their federal tax bills to nothing or close to it.

A spokesman for Soros, who has supported higher taxes on the rich, told ProPublica that the billionaire had lost money on his investments from 2016 to 2018 and so did not owe federal income tax for those years. Musk responded to ProPublica's initial request for comment with a punctuation mark  ?''  and did not answer detailed follow-up questions.

The federal tax code is meant to be progressive  that is, the rich pay a steadily higher tax rate on their income as it rises. And ProPublica found, in fact, that people earning between $2 million and $5 million a year paid an average of 27.5%, the highest of any group of taxpayers.

Above $5 million in income, though, tax rates fell: The top .001% of taxpayers  1,400 people who reported income above $69 million  paid 23%. And the 25 very richest people paid still less.

The wealthy can reduce their tax bills through the use of charitable donations or by avoiding wage income (which can be taxed at up to 37%) and benefiting instead mainly from investment income (usually taxed at 20%).
Welcome back pirates! As you make your return to campus The East Carolinian has created a forum that centers around topics within the community where readers can express their experiences and concerns. With the new guidelines set in place by East Carolina University do you feel as these precautions will keep you safe?

Survey
Some may be structured and tannic enough to wait a few years before drinking. Others are easygoing and ready to drink upon release. The best are fine and transparently express their origins, often with sweet, earthy and bitter flavors of cherries and flowers.

Long gone are the days in the 1960s when the local wine authorities mandated a maximum of 70 percent sangiovese in Chiantis and required that white grapes be blended in. Nowadays, Chianti Classico must be 80 percent to 100 percent sangiovese, with the rest made up of local grapes like canaiolo, colorino or malvasia nera; international grapes like merlot, cabernet sauvignon and syrah; or a combination.

With rare exceptions, sangiovese works best with the local grapes. Too often, the international grapes insert a discordant note  the chocolate of merlot, for example, that can seem out of tune. Yet one of my recommended bottles does have some merlot in its blend, and I was not able to notice it.

What accounts for the differences in the wines? The region is a complicated jumble of soils, vineyards, elevations and microclimates, which can make wines grown in neighboring towns remarkably dissimilar. The differing intentions of the farmers and winemakers is also a crucial factor.

Chianti Classico is divided into eight subzones (it used to be nine, but in 2019 Barberino Val dElsa and Tavarnelle Val di Pesa merged and is now referred to as Barberino Tavarnelle), and a debate has long raged whether to permit producers to use these subzones on their labels. Proponents argue it will help consumers gain a sense of the character of a wine, while opponents say the variables are too many and that geographical divisions are too simple.

Its possible both sides are correct. But I believe more information is better, and I have certainly noticed some correlation between subzones and styles. The wines from Radda in Chianti, for example, seem to be elegant, with great finesse, while those from Castelnuovo Berardenga are often richer and weightier.

The other five subzones are Greve in Chianti, San Casciano in Val di Pesa, Castellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti and Poggibonsi.
OTTAWA  The driver of a pickup truck in London, Ontario, who ran down five pedestrians, killing four of them, chose his victims because they were Muslim, the police said on Monday.

There is evidence that this was a planned, premeditated act and that the family was targeted because of their Muslim faith, said Detective Superintendent Paul Waight of the London Police at a news conference.

Mayor Ed Holder of London, which is midway between Detroit and Toronto, called it an act of mass murder perpetrated against Muslims, against Londoners and rooted in unspeakable hatred.

The killings happened on one of the first summerlike weekends of the year in London. The police told reporters that a man in a black pickup drove up on a curb and mowed down a family standing on the sidewalk and waiting to cross a busy suburban road.
Well have more to say as we get more information, he said. So far we believe the defenses have held and the Law Departments information was not compromised.

The hack was first reported by The Daily News.

It remained unclear on Monday who was behind it or what the hackers goal was, according to a city official briefed on the incident. The official said that the type of ransomware used is commonly deployed by criminal groups and hackers associated with foreign governments. .

City officials said they had disconnected the Law Department computers from the citys larger network on Sunday afternoon.

The attack comes as the United States government and businesses have raised alarm about recent ransomware attacks on such targets as a critical gas pipeline, the worlds largest meat processor and the police department in Washington, D.C. The White House warned American businesses last week to take urgent security steps to guard against ransomware attacks, and in a published interview, Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. director, likened the ransomware threat to that posed by global terrorism after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Hackers use ransomware to break into government and private computer networks. Once inside, they can lock out the owners or steal data that is used to demand a ransom. The frequency of attacks has risen over the last several years.
For several months, the defamation suit wound its way through a state court in New York. But then last September, one month after a state judge issued a ruling that potentially opened the door to Mr. Trump sitting for a deposition before the election, the attorney general, William P. Barr, stepped into the case. In a highly unusual move, Mr. Barr transferred the case to federal court and substituted the federal government for Mr. Trump as the defendant.

Federal law forbids government employees from being sued for defamation, meaning that if the move was successful, Ms. Carrolls claim would be dismissed.

Mr. Barrs move raised the question of whether Mr. Trump had in fact made his comments about Ms. Carroll as a government employee  a position that Ms. Carrolls lawyers roundly rejected. There is not a single person in the United States  not the president and not anyone else  whose job description includes slandering women they sexually assaulted, the lawyers said in a filing last year.

In October, the first federal judge to consider the case, Lewis A. Kaplan of Federal District Court in Manhattan, agreed with Ms. Carroll, blocking Mr. Barrs move and deciding that the suit could continue against Mr. Trump in his private capacity. Mr. Trumps comments concerned events that had occurred several decades before he took office, Judge Kaplan ruled, and had no relationship to the official business of the United States.

Before Mr. Trump left office, the Justice Department appealed Judge Kaplans ruling, and many legal observers predicted that a new attorney general, under Mr. Biden, would drop the Trump-era claims.

The brief filed on Monday night was the first time the Biden administrations Justice Department, now led by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, weighed in on the issue. In the brief, department lawyers said that when Mr. Trump had denied raping Ms. Carroll, through the White House press office or in statements to reporters in the Oval Office and on the White House lawn, he was acting within the scope of his office.

Elected public officials can  and often must  address allegations regarding personal wrongdoing that inspire doubt about their suitability for office, the department lawyers argued, adding, Officials do not step outside the bounds of their office simply because they are addressing questions regarding allegations about their personal lives.
Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Guatemala on Monday to kick off a two-day tour aimed at trying to strengthen ties with the country and tackle corruption, violence and poverty  the core issues behind the record number of migrants from Central America seeking entry into the United States. During a news conference in Guatemala City with President Alejandro Giammattei, Ms. Harris warned people not to come to the United States, adding that the goal of our work is to help Guatemalans find hope at home.

Ms. Harris has her work cut out for her. While Guatemalas civil war officially ended with the signing of the Peace Accords on Dec. 29, 1996, the country is still sharply divided along racial and class lines. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated an already dire economic situation. Over the past few months a growing number of Guatemalan migrants have left for the United States, lured by smugglers promises of safe passage and access to coronavirus vaccines.

But for all its enormous challenges, Guatemala also offers the Biden administration an opportunity to rethink its approach to migration from the region. For too long, U.S. policy has been guided by the assumption that everyone south of the border aspires to make a new life in the United States, and that tackling undocumented immigration requires a unified regional approach. But this approach has done little to stem the myriad drivers of migration from the region. The Biden administration would do well to take a closer look at why so many Guatemalans are leaving and determine what it would take for them to stay.

A 2018 survey of more than 1,800 immigrants from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, carried out by the regions central development bank, tracked a steady growth in irregular migration from Central America since 1990. It highlighted the mix of push and pull factors, namely poverty, violence and family reunification, that drive people to leave. It also underscored the critical role remittances play in sustaining economies, communities and families.
BOSTON  Kim Janey, Bostons acting mayor, announced on Monday that she had terminated the citys police commissioner, Dennis White, over allegations of domestic abuse that emerged in February, shortly after he was appointed to the job.

Ms. Janey has been trying to remove Mr. White since May, when an independent investigation detailed accusations by his former wife that he had hit and threatened to shoot her in 1999 when they were married. Another woman alleged that he had hit her.

Mr. White, who was placed on leave when the allegations emerged, has denied wrongdoing and vigorously fought his removal in court.

The standoff has pitted Ms. Janey, Bostons first Black and female mayor, against its second Black police commissioner, who dismissed the allegations against him as false and tainted by racism.
Nearly 200 staff members at a Houston-area hospital were suspended for not following a policy that requires employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Their suspensions followed a protest by dozens of workers on Monday night against the policy.

The hospital, Houston Methodist, had told employees that they had to be vaccinated by Monday or face suspension. Last month, 117 Houston Methodist employees filed a lawsuit against their employer over the vaccine policy.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends health care workers get a flu shot, and some hospital systems require it, few companies have required Covid-19 shots, despite federal government guidance that says employers can mandate vaccines for on-site workers.

Executives, lawyers and consultants who advise companies say that many of them remain hesitant because of a long list of legal considerations the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says must be followed before mandating vaccinations. Some companies say they are wary of setting mandates until the vaccines have received full approval by the Food and Drug Administration, which so far has granted emergency use authorization.
WASHINGTON  President Biden and Senate Democrats confronted a narrowing set of options on Monday for moving ahead with their ambitious agenda, as the reality set in that they would not be able to maneuver past rules that empower Republicans to block most of their legislative proposals.

Unequivocal statements from Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia on Sunday that he would oppose a broad voting rights bill and never vote to end the legislative filibuster cast a cloud over a Washington tenuously controlled by Mr. Manchins party. They forced Democrats to weigh a two-track strategy in which they would be reduced to holding symbolic votes to spotlight Republican intransigence on their highest priorities and limiting their legislative hopes to whatever could be muscled through under fast-track budget reconciliation rules.

Publicly, Democrats said they were not giving up on the voting rights legislation, nor would they confine their legislative agenda to measures that had significant numbers of Republican supporters. But they conceded that they were rethinking how to move forward in a 50-50 Senate where their most important swing vote had effectively declared that he would not support any measure that lacked Republican support.

Right now we should assume that H.R. 1 is not going to pass the Senate, so we need to figure out what can, Senator Brian Schatz, Democrat of Hawaii, said of the voting rights measure, also known as the For the People Act.
When Gary Mitschke, the chief of the Marfa Volunteer Fire Department, arrived at the Judd Foundation offices in Marfa, Texas, shortly after 12:30 a.m. on Friday, smoke at one building was coming out of anywhere it could escape from, he said.

The fire was in Donald Judds office, in a two-story red brick building in this small desert city where Judd, a pioneer of Minimalism, had lived and worked after leaving the New York art scene in the 1970s. He died in 1994. Luckily, the office was empty: Judds architectural models, drawings, furniture and other design objects had been relocated as part of a three-year renovation of the space that was scheduled to conclude on July 3.

Its in a sad state, Mitschke said, noting that the roof had pretty much collapsed and that large parts of the second floor had been burned through.

The fire blazed for more than 12 hours before a team of about a dozen volunteer firefighters finally got it under control around 1:30 p.m. No injuries were reported, and no artworks or objects were damaged. The cause remains unknown, Mitschke said, and an investigation is underway. The building had a state-of-the-art sprinkler system that was a week away from being hooked up.
China urges U.S. to view China's development in objective, rational manner

CGTN) 09:28, June 08, 2021

China on Monday urged the United States to view China's development in an objective and rational manner and stop hyping up the so-called China threat theory.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks when asked to comment on U.S. President Joe Biden's China-related remarks.

Biden, in an opinion piece published by The Washington Post last Saturday, said he would take the Group of Seven (G7) summit as an opportunity to strengthen ties with U.S. allies to counter China and Russia.

Wang, at a regular press conference, responded that China has always believed that peaceful development and win-win cooperation are the trends of the times and the common aspiration of all countries.

"Every member of the international community should abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, maintain the international system with the UN at its core, and promote the democratization of international relations," he added.

Stressing intentional affairs should be addressed through consultation by all countries rather than be dictated by a few countries, the spokesperson called for staying committed to openness and inclusiveness instead of closeness and exclusion and sticking to consultation and cooperation instead of seeking one's own supremacy.

Drawing lines according to ideology, seeking to form small circles targeted at other countries and promoting pseudo-multilateralism are all moves against the trend of the times, which will be detested and are doomed to fail, Wang noted.

He also urged the U.S. side to make efforts to promote mutual trust and bilateral cooperation as well as contributing more to world peace and stability.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
He has discussed the case with the Bavarian culture minister in recent months and brought it to the attention of the states premier, Markus Soder. But the state government stands firm. Bavaria believes that the advisory commission is not an appropriate means to achieve final legal peace in the dispute with the heirs because the painting was not lost because of Nazi persecution, the states Culture Ministry said in an email.

Paul von Mendelssohn-Bartholdy was a relative of the famous composer Felix Mendelssohn and the Enlightenment philosopher Moses Mendelssohn. The heirs say he had suffered extensive financial damage at the hands of the Nazis by the time he sold the paintings to Thannhauser. He was ousted from the Central Association of German Banks and Bankers in 1933 and from the board of the Reich Insurance Office in 1934. He died in 1935.

The heirs, who include the German historian and political scientist Julius H. Schoeps, first asked Bavaria to refer the case to the advisory commission in 2010. When Bavaria refused, they filed a lawsuit in the United States. The case was eventually rejected by the Supreme Court in 2016, which upheld the District Court for the Southern District of New Yorks ruling that Bavaria was entitled to sovereign immunity and there was no basis for a trial in the United States.

But over the past 12 years, other institutions have agreed to either return or pay compensation for the four other Picassos the Mendelssohn-Bartholdy family sold to Thannhauser under identical circumstances. In 2009, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation settled the claim for Le Moulin de la Galette and the Museum of Modern Art in New York settled for Boy Leading a Horse. The museums had previously attempted to fend off the claims, which they said had no basis, by requesting a court declaration confirming their ownership. The final terms of the settlements were not disclosed, though both artworks remained in the museum collections.

Later that year, the heirs reached agreement with the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation on the 1903 Portrait of Angel Fernandez de Soto, also known as The Absinthe Drinker, which the foundation had acquired at auction in 1995 and sold in 2010 for $51.8 million with commission at Christies in London.

And just last year, the National Gallery in Washington said it would return a pastel, Head of a Woman, to Mendelssohn-Bartholdys heirs. The museums reasoning for transferring ownership of the artwork was to avoid the heavy toll of litigation. The decision, it said, does not constitute an acknowledgment of the merit or validity of the asserted claims.
Sothebys said the Inverted Jenny plate block was bought by David M. Rubenstein, a co-founder of the private-equity firm the Carlyle Group. He bought a copy of Magna Carta in 2007, and sent it to the National Archives on a permanent loan. He has also bought copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Sothebys said the buyer of the double eagle coin did not want to be identified. The buyer paid more than twice what Weitzman paid  $7.6 million in 2002. The double eagle is unique: No other double eagles can be privately owned. More than 445,000 were minted. They were supposed to be destroyed, but 20, including Weitzmans, were stolen from the mint. Some ended up in the hands of a Philadelphia jeweler and coin dealer whose daughter discovered 10 of them in his safe deposit box in 2004. They government challenged her claim of ownership, and won. The 10 were sent to Fort Knox, leaving Weitzmans double eagle the only one from 1933 that can legally be sold.

Like the double eagle, the One-Cent Magenta is not just rare, it is unique: There is only one One-Cent Magenta in all the world. Its selling price on Tuesday was about $1.2 million less than Weitzman paid for it in 2014. The London stamp dealer Stanley Gibbons said it was the buyer. It said it intended to democratize access to the most elite club in collecting history and offer fractional ownership of the tiny stamp.

The prices indicated that there wasnt another Stuart Weitzman in the wings waiting to buy it, said Robert G. Rose, the chairman of the Philatelic Foundation, which authenticates stamps. Pure philatelists apparently were not. Its like the double eagle. I dont know who would have purchased the double eagle. It may not have been a dyed-in-the-wool numismatist.
In two years as commissioner, Bratton went on to produce results similar to those he had achieved in the transit system. Bratton implemented an accountability system that focused on numbers of offenses precinct by precinct and held commanders responsible for reducing them.

His achievements were bound to attract national attention, and they ended up getting him in trouble. When he made it to the cover of Time magazine, he alienated Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who had been his ally. One reads through this section of Brattons book seeking a more complex reason for their feud than sheer jealousy on Giulianis part, but there is none to be found, in the pages of The Profession or elsewhere. New Yorks triumphant police commissioner had to find another city. It turned out to be Los Angeles, where he became police chief.

Bratton moved west at a moment of crisis. The Los Angeles Police Department had not really recovered from disclosures of brutality, and its racial antagonisms had been worsened by labor disputes and divisions over the previous Black chief, Bernard Parks.

Bratton reiterated his conviction that we could not only reduce crime but at the same time improve relations with the minority community. He surprised an antibrutality demonstration by telling the crowd that Ill control my cops if you control your kids! He also offered his cops the three-day, 12-hour workweek they had been lobbying for. Once again violent crime declined sharply; once again there were debates over whether the improvement was a result of Brattons quality of life law enforcement or a demographic phenomenon largely unrelated to police strategies.

Bratton retired as Los Angeles chief in 2009, and spent the next four years as a consultant. Then Bill de Blasio won election as mayor of New York in 2013, and decided to bring Bratton back.

He returned to confront a raging controversy over the stop-and-frisk tactics that he had done a great deal to instigate. His message was genuinely Brattonesque: Stop-and-frisk had been instrumental in cleaning up crime in the 1990s, but by 2013 the streets were demonstrably safer  the tactic was being overused. The numbers, Bratton writes, ceased to be a means to an end and became an end in and of themselves. During his second tenure as commissioner, stop-and-frisk policing became much less frequent. There had been nearly 700,000 stops in 2011 under Brattons predecessor, Ray Kelly. In the first year of Brattons return, he reports, there were 22,939. Still, he defends the fundamental idea of quality of life policing. We were accused of targeting minorities, instructing the N.Y.P.D. to go after Black and brown people, he writes. Thats nonsense. We targeted criminals.
DA VINCIS CAT

Written by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

On any normal pre-Covid summer day, as many as 30,000 visitors craned their necks to see Michelangelos Sistine Chapel ceiling, one of the greatest achievements of Western art. I was not among them when I visited Rome a few years ago with my parents, who had already seen the ceiling and were not enthusiastic about waiting hours in line. I wasnt among them the time before, with my toddlers, who were even less enthusiastic about lines. Nor did I see it as a backpacker in the late 1980s, when restorers were injecting polyvinylacetate resin into its cracks. From 1710 to 1713 the frescoes were cleaned with sponges dipped in Greek wine. In 1625 a dark patina was removed with damp bread. In 1511 the plaster was still wet and Michelangelo was standing on his scaffolding, painting, which is when Da Vincis Cat, by the Newbery honoree Catherine Gilbert Murdock (The Book of Boy), begins.

Sir Federico Gonzaga, son of Duke Francesco II of Mantua, is vain, arrogant and snooty. To be fair, though, hes only 11. He is also far from home and friendless. A political hostage of Pope Julius II in 16th-century Rome, Federico is confined to the Vatican, but he is not exactly suffering. He eats sugared almonds and wears rings on his fingers and pearls on his cap. He plays backgammon with the pope, is fawned over by the artist Raphael  who paints his portrait  and is tolerated by the latters rival, the great and apparently stinky Michelangelo, who is halfway through painting his masterpiece. Federico is, however, achingly lonely. So when he finds a kitten in a fancy carved closet, he is delighted. When the kitten toddles back into the closet and vanishes into thin air, he is crushed. And when she reappears, seconds later, full-grown, he is dumbfounded.

It is not long before the closet produces Herbert Bother, an amiable art dealer from 1920s New Jersey, who explains that it is, in fact, a time machine designed by Leonardo da Vinci, and the grown-up kitten is Leonardos cat. Bother has traveled back to 1511 to procure sketches by Renaissance masters for resale. He enlists Federico with the promise of friendship and futuristic chocolate-coated peanut candy. So begins a chain of events that sends us, and the cat, forward through time and space to contemporary New Jersey, where we meet 11-year-old Bee from Brooklyn. Curious, empathetic and adventurous, Bee becomes embroiled in an elderly neighbors problem and, before she knows it, is transported back to 16th-century Rome to solve the mystery of a drawing that may or may not be by Raphael and may or may not be of Bee herself. The likeness is uncanny.

In the Vatican, Bee and Federico become tentative, then firm friends and together set about making everything right, but not before they wreak havoc on history, almost erasing the Sistine ceiling, and Bee herself.
Recent visual books of interest:

KAWS: What Party, by Brooklyn Museum. (Phaidon, $59.95.) With essays by the critic Daniel Birnbaum and the Brooklyn Museum curator Eugenie Tsai, this monograph provides a comprehensive overview of the artists genre-crossing, Pop Art-inspired work.

QUEER LOVE IN COLOR, by Jamal Jordan. (Ten Speed Press, $28.) Growing out of the author and journalists work at The Times, this project combines photographs and stories of queer families and partners around the world, contributing new, diverse faces to the public image of love.

BLUE VIOLET, by Cig Harvey. (Monacelli, $60.) A British fine art photographer, Harvey celebrates the natural world through images, poems, diagrams  even recipes. This collection of her work is accompanied by text from Jacoba Urist, a journalist who covers art and architecture.

THE SOUL OF A NATION READER: Writings by and About Black American Artists, 1960-1980, by Mark Godfrey and Allie Biswas. (Gregory R. Miller, $39.95.) Revisiting an earlier era of unrest, this book gathers texts from Amiri Baraka, Toni Morrison and more on Black art.
The couple brought complementary strengths to the project. Ms. Hollander, the author of five books of poetry, attended to the music of the language. Professor Hollander ensured the translations accuracy and wrote introductions to each volume, along with notes to the text.

Ms. Acocella estimated that the notes amounted to 30 times the length of The Divine Comedy itself. That was Professor Hollanders style. He interpreted moralistically and theologically passages usually appreciated for their beauty. His erudition wore down fellow scholars. He reported that A.B. Giamatti, the Renaissance expert and former president of Yale University, once asked him, Are you going to try to ruin this scene for me too, Hollander?

Yet Professor Hollander inspired generations of students by treating them with the same seriousness that he brought to the literary canon. Starting in 1977, alums made it an annual tradition to return to the site of Professor Hollanders lectures and read Dante together. Former students once accompanied the professor on trips to an 11th-century Italian castle to study Dante in an authentic setting.

Robert B. Hollander Jr. was born on July 31, 1933, in Manhattan. His father, Robert Sr., was a financier with a seat on the New York Stock Exchange. His mother, Laurene (McGookey) Hollander, was a nurse and then a homemaker.

Robert Jr. received a bachelors degree from Princeton in French and English literature in 1955, and he earned a Ph.D. from the English and comparative literature department of Columbia University in 1962. While there, his head was turned one day by a young woman he spotted on campus. It turned out to be a fellow graduate student interested in literature, Jean Haberman. They married in 1964.

It was Ms. Hollander who provided the spark for the translation project. One day in February 1997 she looked over her husbands shoulder as he studied a translation of The Divine Comedy from 1939.

It was awful, she recalled several years later in an interview with The New York Times.

Professor Hollander challenged her: Can you do better?
A tense summer looms for Northern Ireland

More than two decades after Northern Irelands bloody 30-year guerrilla war, Brexit has inflamed sectarian passions to a degree unseen in years, posing a threat to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that ended decades of sectarian strife.

Two months ago, a loyalist stronghold in Belfast exploded in flames as masked demonstrators hurled stones and gasoline bombs at the police to protest what they called the Brexit betrayal. With the loyalist marching season kicking off next month, there are fears that the eruption of violence was only a warm-up act.

Those passions could flare still further next year if, as polls currently suggest, the main Irish nationalist party, Sinn Fein, becomes the biggest party in a field of divided, demoralized unionists.

Context: The post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol has left the North awkwardly straddling the trading systems of Britain and the European Union. It has hit the community here like a ton of bricks that this is a separation of Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom, said David Campbell, chairman of the Loyalist Communities Council.
The Food and Drug Administrations decision on Monday to approve a new Alzheimers medication over the fierce objections of its scientific advisers sets into motion one of the most controversial drug introductions in years.

For its manufacturer, Biogen, the new drug is poised to be a blockbuster. For just about everyone else, it is likely to further inflate high U.S. health care costs.

And that is despite the fact that there is not much evidence the drug actually works.

More than six million Americans have Alzheimers and will be eligible to take the drug, which will be sold under the brand name Aduhelm and must be given as a monthly intravenous infusion. Biogen said it would charge an average of $56,000 a year per patient. There will probably be tens of thousands of dollars in additional costs for screening and monitoring patients.

The drug is all but certain to unleash a gusher of profits for Biogen  the drug is expected to become one of the best-selling pharmaceutical products in the world within a few years  as well as for the hundreds of clinics expected to administer the drug.
Like-kind exchanges and related consumer spending could generate $7.8 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2021, according to a study by Ernst & Young. All told, the accounting and consulting firm concluded that Section 1031 could support as many as 710,000 jobs that generate labor income of up to $34.4 billion this year.

I find it ironic that we would constrain capital when were looking for ways to invest in affordable housing, to reconfigure office space and to repurpose shopping centers, said Hessam Nadji, president and chief executive of Marcus & Millichap, a commercial real estate brokerage that has a robust like-kind exchange business. Thats the opposite of what we should be doing coming out of a pandemic.

But opponents of Section 1031 maintain that it is obsolete. The government enacted the deferral mechanism in 1921 to fuel real estate transactions after tax rates had risen to 77 percent from 7 percent for top earners following World War I, said Steven M. Rosenthal, a senior fellow with the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, a nonprofit research organization in Washington.

At the time, capital gains were taxed as ordinary income, and the high rates had created a lock in effect that discouraged investors from selling assets, said Mr. Rosenthal, who would prefer to see a full repeal of Section 1031 versus mere adjustments.

President Biden wants to roughly double todays capital gains tax rate of 20 percent for earners of more than $1 million, but Mr. Rosenthal argues that a severe lock-in effect comparable to the one decades ago is unlikely. In fact, another Biden proposal that would affect the value and taxation of inherited property would most likely encourage more transactions, he added.

If I want to sell my IBM stock and buy AT&T stock, I have to pay taxes on that sale, even though Im swapping one stock for another, Mr. Rosenthal said. Why do we favor real estate over other like-kind investments? At the end of the day, like-kind exchanges are disproportionately benefiting the wealthy versus the wage earner.
When an executive warned that the practice would catch the attention of federal regulators and state attorneys general, Mr. Lowe responded in writing OK I get it, suggesting the company try it with 2 percent of our highest volume users, the F.T.C. said.

In a separate effort, the company required the 20 percent of subscribers who used the service most often, about 450,000 people, to submit photos of their physical movie tickets for approval through the app, telling them they had been randomly selected for the program, the F.T.C. said. Those who failed to properly submit the tickets more than once would have their accounts canceled, the F.T.C. said.

The automated verification system often did not work on common mobile operating systems, and the software failed to recognize many user-submitted photos, the F.T.C. said. The program blocked thousands of people from using the service, the F.T.C. said.

Mr. Lowe personally chose how many people would be required to submit photos, the F.T.C. said.

In a third effort described by the commission, the company created a trip wire by imposing a limit on how often certain users could use the service, but did not disclose the limit in its advertising or terms of use. The company grouped subscribers based on how often they used the service, then, once the group hit an unannounced limit, the people in the group would be unable to use the service, regulators said. The users often did not know they had been cut off until they arrived at the theater, expecting to use their subscriptions, they said.

The trip wire was typically set on users who went to more than three movies per month, the F.T.C. said. Mr. Lowe set the thresholds, it said.

In addition, a data breach in 2019, which was previously reported, exposed the personal and financial information, including credit card numbers, of more than 28,000 customers, the F.T.C. said.

After three million people signed up  many more than executives had expected  the company perpetually struggled to bring in enough cash to offset costs. In April 2018, the company disclosed to regulators that it had been losing about $20 million a month for several months. In July 2018, it borrowed $5 million after it said it could not pay its bills and experienced a service interruption, but the company insisted its service remained stable.
Kathleen Ehl had always thought of her business as a niche affair  an online store called North Georgia Outdoors Supply that she and her husband run out of their home in Gainesville, selling Meals, Ready-to-Eat.

M.R.E.s, as they are widely known, are thick pouches of shelf-stable rations created for the United States military. Theyre not particularly fancy or appetizing, and theyre technically not allowed to be sold commercially if they are made under a government contract, as most are. Ms. Ehl and her husband, Oliver Walker, scour online auctions and salvage stores for the meals, and sell most of them to collectors and survivalists.

But last February, when pandemic-induced panic buying kicked into high gear, their orders jumped from 100 a week to 100 a day. There were some nights my husband and I packed M.R.E.s from after the kids went to bed to 2 in the morning, said Ms. Ehl, 37.

Early 2020 was a boom time for M.R.E. distributors across the country, from the major military suppliers to Army surplus stores. Yet today, as purchases of other pandemic fixations have flagged, the civilian fascination with the meals has persisted  driven by caution (stocking up for the next potential pandemic or natural disaster) and curiosity.
Headliner

Carne Mare

This Italian chophouse from Andrew Carmellini is the latest in the collection of high-profile dining rooms on the South Street Seaport districts renovated Pier 17. Its on two floors with views of tall ships and done in butterscotch leather, polished wood and brass to give it a nautical feel, with terra cotta on the walls. Mr. Carmellini said hed been working on the restaurant for more than three years. Usually youre rushing to get ready to open up; we were done last year, he said. Then the pandemic, of course. Central to the menu are 10 assorted steak cuts, including a Wagyu strip loin cured with Gorgonzola to ramp up the umami. Filling out the choices are a Sicilian Caesar salad with mimosa egg; mozzarella sticks dressed with caviar; a finite list of pastas, including lobster spaghetti; roast duck with mustard fruits thats a homage to Hosteria dIvan near Parma, Italy; a whole salt-baked black sea bass wrapped in fig leaves; and a cowboy veal chop done Milanese-style. His chef de cuisine is Brendan Scott. The wine list concentrates on Italy, France and the United States, with a nice bubbly section to pair with raw bar specialties. There will be outdoor seating on the plaza. (Opens Thursday)

Pier 17, 89 South Street (Fulton Street), 212-280-4600, www.carnemare.com.

Opening

Contento

The sommeliers Yannick Benjamin and Mara Rudzinski, and the Peruvian-born chef, Oscar Lorenzzi, along with other partners, are opening this new restaurant in East Harlem. The interior includes a bar at a level low enough to accommodate wheelchair users. Mr. Benjamin said their goal was to create a restaurant to be a model where there should not be any barriers. Some of the food has unmistakable Peruvian flavors with dishes like deviled eggs with aji amarillo, ceviche with sweet potato and leche de tigre, and a creamy quinoa risotto. The wine list is organized with categories like East Coast terroir and wines of the ancient world as well as what Mr. Benjamin and Ms. Rudzinski call wines of impact, made by Black and Indigenous people, people of color and women. (Thursday)

88 East 111th Street, 646-410-0111, contentonyc.com.

Casa Limone

Southern Italy, comprising Basilicata, Apulia, Campania, Calabria and Sicily, is the inspiration for the food at this restaurant from Monte Carlo Hospitality Group. The new company has brought on the chef, Antonio Salvatore, who is from Basilicata and has restaurants in Monte Carlo. (Mr. Salvatore is also a partner.) Burrata, Neapolitan-style pizzas and pasta alla Norma are on the menu, served in a colorful two-story space with an open kitchen on the ground floor and another dining room with a pergola and greenery upstairs. The group has also taken over Atlantic Grill near Lincoln Center for a complete overhaul.

20 East 49th Street, 646-370-6282, casalimonerestaurant.com.

Tacos Guey

The chef Henry Zamora, who is Mexican-American and from Salinas Valley in Northern California, offers a modern take on Mexican cooking by adding some uncommon ingredients. Prawn ceviche with tomatillos and a splash of yuzu, sea bass ceviche in which tart gooseberries play a role, a vegetarian maitake mushroom taco with salsa macha, pork belly sopes, and grilled whole fish with marinated cabbage and tortillas give you some idea.

37 West 19th Street, 212-991-8222, tacosgueynyc.com.
The United Nations on Tuesday adopted new targets for ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, seemingly a goal most countries could easily have agreed to. But consensus had been elusive.

In early negotiations over the agreement, called a political declaration, the United States and the European Union fought to ban policies and laws that stigmatize, or even criminalize, high-risk groups  and drastically scaled back moves to relax patent protections for H.I.V. drugs.

The U.N. declaration sets priorities for the global AIDS response and guides policies at a national level. It also gives global health groups and civil society organizations leverage to pressure governments to honor their commitments.

After several days of heavy edits by delegates from some countries and deft negotiations by others, member countries accepted a final version of the declaration on Tuesday morning. Included in the final draft is an important new goal of having most nations reform discriminatory laws, so that less than 10 percent of the worlds countries would have measures that unfairly target people at risk of, or living with, H.I.V.
The incident

Videos taken at the park before the officers cleared it showed dozens of people milling around in what appeared to be a relatively calm scene. Some people, upon seeing the officers, started chanting abolish the police.

After officers declared the park closed, people started yelling and saying they would not leave, videos showed. But as officers moved in, videos showed them wrestling people to the ground and making arrests, and chasing after people down the street, as some people threw bottles at officers.

The police said 23 people were arrested and eight officers injured during the altercation.

On Sunday evening, people gathering at the park braced for a similar encounter, but the police appeared to avoid conflict, and a dance party broke out.

The reaction

People living near the park have complained for years about noise, skateboarders and drug use, but the images from Saturday raised criticism from some on social media that wealthy New Yorkers living in Greenwich Village were having undue influence over public space and city policy.

Some mayoral candidates criticized the officers actions as emblematic of overaggressive policing.

Sending officers in riot gear and militarizing a public park should never be the answer, said Andrew Yang, the former presidential candidate who is running for mayor. Residents issues can be addressed without making the situation more dangerous.

Dianne Morales, a former nonprofit executive and mayoral candidate, said Mr. de Blasio must act immediately to stop this violent abuse of power and provide services to those in the park who are in need.

In defending the officers on Monday, Mr. de Blasio said that he believed the curfew was the right thing to do for this moment. He said the officers wore riot gear for their protection.
I wrote my weekend column about three ways that Donald Trump might be prevented from plunging the country into crisis in 2024, should he reproduce both his 2020 defeat and his quest to overturn the outcome: first, through the dramatic electoral overhauls favored by progressives; second, through a Bidenist politics of normalcy that prevents the G.O.P. from capturing the House or Senate; or third, through the actions of Republican officials who keep their heads down and dont break with Trump but, as in 2020, refuse to go along if he turns another loss into an attempted putsch.

Because the big electoral overhauls arent happening, I noted, the progressive attitude risks becoming a counsel of despair. But that note didnt adequately convey just how despairing a lot of progressives have become, treating the hypothetical where Trump (or, for that matter, some other Republican nominee) actually succeeds in overturning an election defeat not just as a possibility but as a likely outcome in 2024, the destination to which were probably headed absent some unexpected change.

This is where its going, the press critic Jay Rosen of New York University tweeted recently, about a scenario in which state legislatures, the House and the Senate would simply hand the presidency to the G.O.P. nominee, and there is presently nothing on the horizon that would stop it. In response to my column, the Nation columnist and Substacker Jeet Heer suggested that none of the three approaches to forestalling a crisis seem plausible. In sum, we can all see the disaster that is coming, he wrote. But there is no clear way to stop it.

This pessimism is, in a way, an extension of the arguments that went on throughout the Trump presidency, about how great a threat to democracy his authoritarian posturing really posed. As a voice on the less-alarmist side, I dont think I was wrong about the practical limits on Trumps power seeking: For all his postelection madness, he never came close to getting the institutional support, from the courts or Republican governors or, for that matter, Mitch McConnell, that he would have needed to even begin a process that could have overturned the result. Jan. 6 was a travesty and tragedy, but its deadly futility illustrated Trumpian weakness more than illiberal strength.
This really is a global human phenomenon, Mr. Ebeyer said. Ive heard from people from Madagascar to South Korea to California.

His survey has revealed how aphantasia can spread beyond vision to other senses. If I asked you to imagine your favorite song, most people can hear the music in their mind, whereas I cant do that. Mr. Ebeyer said. But some people who have come to Mr. Ebeyers site say that they can do just that. And some cant hear imagined sounds, but their minds eye works well.

While such surveys can be informative, Dr. Pearson said that they could offer only a rough, subjective look at peoples minds because they depended on volunteers giving themselves scores. Your three and my four might be the same, he said.

Dr. Pearson has developed ways to study aphantasia and hyperphantasia without relying solely on surveys. In one experiment, he took advantage of the fact that our pupils automatically constrict when we look at bright objects. When Dr. Pearson and his colleagues asked most people to picture a white triangle, their pupils also shrank.

But most people with aphantasia whom they studied didnt have that response. Their pupils stayed open, no matter how hard they tried to imagine the white triangle.

In another experiment, Dr. Pearson took advantage of the fact that peoples skin becomes more conductive when they see frightening scenes. He and his colleagues monitored the skin of volunteers as they read scary stories that were projected on a screen in front of them. When most people read about frightening experiences such as being attacked by a shark, they experienced a spike in skin conductance. But people with aphantasia did not.

The study suggests that the minds eye acts as an emotional amplifier, strengthening both the positive and negative feelings produced by our experiences. People with aphantasia can have those same feelings from their experiences, but they dont amplify them later through mental imagery.
A few years ago, while on a work trip in Los Angeles, I hailed an Uber for a crosstown ride during rush hour. I knew it would be a long trip, and I steeled myself to fork over $60 or $70.

Instead, the app spit out a price that made my jaw drop: $16.

Experiences like these were common during the golden era of the Millennial Lifestyle Subsidy, which is what I like to call the period from roughly 2012 through early 2020, when many of the daily activities of big-city 20- and 30-somethings were being quietly underwritten by Silicon Valley venture capitalists.

For years, these subsidies allowed us to live Balenciaga lifestyles on Banana Republic budgets. Collectively, we took millions of cheap Uber and Lyft rides, shuttling ourselves around like bourgeois royalty while splitting the bill with those companies investors. We plunged MoviePass into bankruptcy by taking advantage of its $9.95-a-month, all-you-can-watch movie ticket deal, and took so many subsidized spin classes that ClassPass was forced to cancel its $99-a-month unlimited plan. We filled graveyards with the carcasses of food delivery start-ups  Maple, Sprig, SpoonRocket, Munchery  just by accepting their offers of underpriced gourmet meals.
Yet the Senate investigation found that the department had ample warning weeks earlier that violent extremists, including members of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, were planning such action, and failed to share it widely or incorporate the warnings into its operational plan for Jan. 6.

Several comments promote confronting members of Congress and carrying firearms during the protest, a Capitol Police intelligence analyst wrote in a threat report on Dec. 21, which included a map of the Capitol complex that had been posted on the pro-Trump blog thedonald.win. Among the posts cited in the threat report: Bring guns. Its now or never, and, We cant give them a choice. Overwhelming armed numbers is our only chance.

The Senates investigative report is the product of a collaboration among Mr. Peters, Ms. Klobuchar and the top Republicans on the two committees they lead: Senator Rob Portman of Ohio on the Homeland Security Committee and Roy Blunt of Missouri on the Rules Committee. It is limited by its bipartisan nature, given that Republicans have refused to ask questions about the riot that could turn up unflattering information about Mr. Trump or members of their party, as they try to put its political implications behind them before the 2022 midterm elections.

Though the report states flatly that Mr. Trump continued to assert that the election was stolen from him and promoted the Stop the Steal gathering in Washington before the riot, it does not chart his actions or motivations, state that his election claims were false or explore the implications of a president and elected leaders in his party stoking outrage among millions of supporters.

The inquiry does not describe the events of Jan. 6 as an insurrection, a term many Republicans had joined Democrats in embracing immediately after the attack. Aides involved in its drafting said they had refrained from trying to summarize or contextualize Mr. Trumps false claims just before the riot took place. They opted instead to include the full text of his speech in an appendix.

Many of the findings in the report were culled from public testimony from committee hearings, though five people sat for detailed interviews with the committee: Christopher C. Miller, who was the acting defense secretary; Ryan D. McCarthy, the Army secretary; Gen. James C. McConville, the Army chief of staff; Yogananda D. Pittman, the acting chief of the Capitol Police; and J. Brett Blanton, the architect of the Capitol.

The committee staff solicited more than 50 statements from Capitol Police officers that painted a vivid portrayal of the rioters, some of whom gave Nazi salutes and hurled racist slurs at them. One officer described being crushed by the mob. Another told the committee that she still suffered from chemical burns she experienced that day.
Biden Cuts Off Stalled Infrastructure Talks With Leading Republicans The president is turning to a bipartisan group of centrist senators to try to salvage an infrastructure bill. The Senate, in a 68-32 vote, passed a landmark industrial policy bill meant to bolster U.S. competitiveness against China. Follow the latest news on President Biden.

Biden pulls the plug on infrastructure talks with Capito, shifting focus to centrist senators for a bipartisan deal. A bipartisan group of senators meet in a Capitol office Tuesday evening to discuss a new infrastructure package. Credit... Stefani Reynolds for The New York Times President Biden on Tuesday ended a weekslong effort to reach a deal with Senate Republicans on an expansive infrastructure plan, cutting off negotiations that had failed to persuade them to embrace his bid to pour $1 trillion into the nations aging public works system and safety-net programs. It was a major setback to Mr. Bidens effort to attract Republican support for his top domestic priority, which had always faced long odds over the size, scope and financing of the package. Most Republicans have made it clear they are willing to spend only a fraction of what Democrats want on a much narrower initiative, and balked at any tax increases to pay for it. In a final telephone call on Tuesday with Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, the leading Republican negotiator, after days of back-and-forth discussions, Mr. Biden made clear that the divide was too large to bridge. The breakdown did not close off the possibility of a bipartisan compromise entirely, and the White House signaled that the president would continue seeking one. He shifted his focus to a bipartisan group of centrist senators who have been working separately on an alternative, calling three of them personally to cheer on their efforts and encourage them to work with top White House officials to hammer out a deal. Ms. Capito said it had been Mr. Biden who had been unwilling to compromise. While I appreciate President Bidens willingness to devote so much time and effort to these negotiations, he ultimately chose not to accept the very robust and targeted infrastructure package, and instead, end our discussions, Ms. Capito said in a statement. While administration officials went to great lengths to emphasize Mr. Bidens respect for Ms. Capito as a negotiator and her efforts to reach a compromise, it was clear he had already moved on, placing his hopes for a deal on the bipartisan Senate group. He spoke on Tuesday with Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, and Senators Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, both Democrats. Any infrastructure package should and must be bipartisan, Mr. Cassidy said on Twitter, adding that he had raised flood resiliency and energy provisions with Mr. Biden during their conversation. .@POTUS just called to discuss infrastructure. I brought up flood resiliency and energy provisions that would benefit Louisiana as well as the rest of our nation. Strongly support @SenCapito's efforts. Any infrastructure package should and must be bipartisan.  U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) June 8, 2021 Mr. Cassidy and the other members of the bipartisan group were to huddle Tuesday evening on Capitol Hill to discuss their ideas for an infrastructure plan. I dont know that its something weve signed off on, but we do have a tentative figure at this point, said Senator Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah. He would not disclose that figure, but said he had spoken to administration officials about it. Democrats could also move infrastructure legislation on their own through the fast-track budget process known as reconciliation, which would allow them to avoid a filibuster, though that would require all 50 Democrats in the Senate and near unanimity among House Democrats. We all know as a caucus we will not be able to do all the things that the country needs in a totally bipartisan  a bipartisan way, said Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader.

A landmark industrial policy bill aimed at countering China easily clears the Senate in a bipartisan vote. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:20 - 0:00 transcript Senate Passes Bipartisan Technology Bill to Compete With China The Senate on Tuesday voted 68-32 to approve legislation that would spend a quarter-trillion dollars over the next five years on scientific research and development aimed at boosting the United States ability to compete with Chinese technology. We rely on foreign nations to supply supply critical technologies that we invented like semiconductors. That sunny American optimism has flickered as well. The world is more competitive now than at any time since the end of the Second World War. If we do nothing our days as the dominant superpower may be ending. Passing this bill, now called the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, is the moment when the Senate lays the foundation for another century of American leadership. I believe that this legislation will enable the United States to out-innovate, outproduce and outcompete the world in the industries of the future. And I believe that the strongly bipartisan work on this bill has revealed that in this chamber, we all believe that another American century lies on the horizon. I urge my colleagues to vote yes. On this vote, the yeas are 68, the nays are 32. The 60-vote threshold having been achieved, the bill is passed. The Senate on Tuesday voted 68-32 to approve legislation that would spend a quarter-trillion dollars over the next five years on scientific research and development aimed at boosting the United States ability to compete with Chinese technology. Credit Credit... Stefani Reynolds for The New York Times The Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation on Tuesday that would pour nearly a quarter-trillion dollars over the next five years into scientific research and development to bolster competitiveness against China. Republicans and Democrats  overcoming their traditional partisan differences over economic policy  banded together to endorse what would be the most significant government intervention in industrial policy in decades. It includes federal investments in a slew of emerging technologies as well as the semiconductor industry. The 68-32 vote reflected the sense of urgency about the need to counter Beijing and other authoritarian governments that have poured substantial resources into bolstering their industrial and technological strength. The bill is likely to face stiffer headwinds in the House, where top lawmakers have expressed skepticism about its focus on bolstering emerging technologies. That debate played out in the Senate, which ultimately watered down the original concept of the legislation. Still, the Senates lopsided margin of support for the more than 2,400-page bill highlights a series of political shifts. Jolted to action by the coronavirus pandemic, which prompted shortages of crucial goods that highlighted the countrys dependence on its biggest geopolitical adversary, policymakers in Washington have moved to try to increase domestic production capacity. Passage of the legislation came hours after the Biden administration announced new steps to strengthen U.S. supply chains. Whoever harnesses the technologies like A.I. and quantum computing and innovations yet unseen will shape the world in their image, said Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic majority leader and a longtime China hawk who helped spearhead the bill. Do we want that image to be a democratic image? Or do we want it to be an authoritarian image like President Xi would like to impose on the world? Either we can concede the mantle of global leadership to our adversaries or we can pave the way for another generation of American leadership. The legislation, the core of which was a collaboration between Mr. Schumer and Senator Todd Young, Republican of Indiana, would prop up semiconductor makers by providing an emergency injection of funding for a $52 billion subsidy program with few restrictions, sending a lifeline to the industry during a global chip shortage that shut auto plants and rippled through the global supply chain. It would sink hundreds of billions more into scientific research and development pipelines in the United States, creating grants and fostering agreements between private companies and research universities across the country to encourage breakthroughs in new technology. When future generations of Americans cast their gaze toward new frontiers, will they see a red flag planted on those new frontiers that is not our own? Mr. Young said during a speech on the Senate floor. Today, we answer unequivocally, No. Today we declare our intention to win this century, and those that follow it as well. While the centerpiece of the legislation is focused on bolstering research and development in emerging technologies, it also includes a major trade measure that would allow the temporary suspension of tariffs on specific U.S. imports and would call on the Biden administration to impose sanctions on those responsible for forced labor practices and human rights abuses in and around Chinas Xinjiang region.

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Kamala Harris concludes meeting with Mexicos president, capping her high-stakes trip to the region. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 0:56 - 0:00 transcript Harris Meets With Mexicos President Vice President Kamala Harris met with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico on Tuesday to discuss migration, human trafficking and economic cooperation. Reporter: Will you increase your assistance in immigration enforcement? Translator: We will be speaking to the vice president, and we are very pleased to have her here. Translator: And we will touch on that subject. Translator: But always addressing the fundamental root causes. Vice President Kamala Harris met with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico on Tuesday to discuss migration, human trafficking and economic cooperation. Credit Credit... Erin Schaff/The New York Times MEXICO CITY  Vice President Kamala Harris met with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday, capping her first foreign trip with a discussion on economic cooperation, as well as joint efforts to combat human trafficking and manage migration to their shared border. Mr. Lopez Obrador and I spent a significant amount of time together one on one, and had very directed candid conversations as well as a very productive bilateral meeting, Ms. Harris said afterward, noting that they discussed the pandemic, vaccines, migration and border security. According to a statement from Symone Sanders, a top adviser and spokeswoman for Ms. Harris, the Biden administration would issue loans for affordable housing, efforts to grow cacao and coffee and infrastructure project development. The U.S. will also invest $130 million over three years to support labor protections for Mexican workers and will also provide forensic training to Mexican officials seeking to find tens of thousands of missing people. The two leaders also agreed to increase cooperation to further secure our borders and ensure orderly immigration, Ms. Sanders said. Ms. Harris and Mr. Lopez Obrador signed an agreement in Mexicos national palace reiterating their governments commitment to deter migration north by addressing its root causes: poverty, persecution and corruption in Central America. The meeting concludes a high-stakes visit for Ms. Harris to Mexico and Guatemala, where she was on Monday. She has been tapped by President Biden to be the administrations emissary for one of its more complex and politically volatile issues: improving conditions in Central America and deterring migration to the U.S.-Mexico border. For weeks, Ms. Harris has faced criticism from Republicans for not visiting the United States southwest border, where an increasing number of lone migrant children and teenagers are arriving, and she has also tried to manage the expectations of Democrats for Mr. Biden to fulfill his campaign promise of taking a compassionate approach to asylum-seekers at the border. The trip has shown that her approach in the short-term prioritizes a moderate approach to migration and projecting a perception that the border is under control, even if it means turning away the very asylum-seekers she has said the United States is committed to helping in the long term. On Monday, Ms. Harris sparked criticism from immigration advocates and Democrats when she delivered a blunt message to potential migrants. I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come. Do not come, Ms. Harris said in Guatemala City, standing feet away from the Guatemalan president, Alejandro Giammattei. This is disappointing to see, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York, said on Twitter. First, seeking asylum at any US border is a 100% legal method of arrival. The Biden administration has continued to embrace an emergency rule put in place under the presidency of Donald J. Trump after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The rule empowered border agents to rapidly turn away migrants without providing them a chance to apply for asylum, justifying the expulsions as necessary to stop the virus from spreading. Under U.S. immigration law, migrants are entitled to ask for protection once they step on American soil. The continued use of the rule, known as Title 42, has prompted criticism from immigration lawyers, former officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the administrations own medical consultants.

Bidens first two judicial nominees are confirmed with modest Republican support. The Senate voted 66-33 to confirm Julien Neals as a U.S. district court judge on Tuesday. Credit... Pool photo by Kevin Lamarque The Senate confirmed President Bidens first two judicial nominees on Tuesday with modest Republican support, the start of what Democrats intend to be a sprint to fill scores of federal vacancies and rebalance the ideological makeup of the courts after the Trump era. In a lopsided 66-to-33 vote, the chamber approved Julien Xavier Neals to serve as a district court judge in New Jersey, where a spate of vacancies have contributed to a significant backlog of cases. A few hours later, Democrats mustered even more Republican support, voting 72 to 28 to confirm Regina M. Rodriguez as the first Asian American judge to serve on the Federal District Court bench in Colorado. Image Regina M. Rodriguez, nominated to be a U.S. District Judge for Colorado, was confirmed by the Senate on Tuesday. Credit... Pool photo by Tom Williams This is the first, certainly not the last  not even close, Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, boasted between the votes. Were going to be able to restore a lot of balance to the courts because there are a lot of vacancies we are going to fill. Democrats plan to move as soon as this week to confirm Mr. Bidens first appeals court pick, Ketanji Brown Jackson, to serve on the powerful D.C. Circuit. They have roughly a dozen other nominees winding their way through the approval process, and more than 100 seats on the federal bench are expected to become vacant in the coming months. But they are starting from a deep hole. When they controlled the Senate under the presidency of Donald J. Trump, Republicans, led by Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, used their majority to confirm more than 220 federal judges over four years, including more than 50 to influential appeals court posts and three to the Supreme Court. The Biden White House moved swiftly to begin naming nominees for many of the most important posts this spring, far earlier than the historic norm, and Mr. Bidens liberal allies on Capitol Hill have made the approval of those nominees a top priority.

New York passes a first-of-its-kind bill intended to allow civil lawsuits against gun makers and dealers. A Ruger pistol at a buyback event held by the New York Police Department and the office of the state attorney general in Brooklyn last month. Credit... Ed Jones/Agence France-Presse  Getty Images ALBANY, N.Y.  New York State lawmakers passed legislation on Tuesday intended to allow civil lawsuits to be brought against firearm manufacturers and dealers, an attempt to circumvent the broad immunity gun companies currently enjoy under federal law. The bill, passed by the Democratic-controlled State Legislature, is the first of its kind in the nation to specifically classify the illegal or improper marketing or sale of guns as a nuisance  a technical classification that state lawmakers say would open the gun industry to civil liability suits in New York. The approach, if successful, could prompt other states to follow suit as many cities grapple with rising gun violence. Indeed, Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey has already indicated he supports a similar proposal. The move comes a few months after President Biden reiterated his support of repealing a 2005 federal statute that gave gun manufacturers far-reaching immunity from being sued by victims of gun violence and their relatives. The 2005 law, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, protects gun producers and firearm dealers from being held liable when crimes are carried out with their products. The federal statute, however, did not shield manufacturers in some cases, such as when they break state laws in their sales and marketing practices  an exception that the New York bill seeks to exploit. Supporters of the bill framed the legislation as a way to hold manufacturers accountable for the smuggling of illegal weapons into New York, which already has some of the strictest gun control laws in the country. Between 2010 and 2015, 86 percent of handguns recovered from crimes in New York were originally purchased out of state, most from neighboring states with weak gun laws along Interstate 95, or the so-called Iron Pipeline, according to the state attorney general. This bill stands for a pretty simple proposition, said State Senator Zellnor Myrie, a Democrat from Brooklyn who introduced the legislation. If you are a member of the gun industry and you are conducting business in a reckless or unsafe way, that has consequences for the kids in Brownsville, in Crown Heights, in Rochester. The legislation was forcefully opposed by the gun industry, as well as Republican lawmakers, who said it would not solve the root cause of gun violence.

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Republicans filibustered a pay equity bill introduced to fail. Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the minority leader, with other Republican senators at the Capitol on Tuesday. Credit... Stefani Reynolds for The New York Times Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked debate on a bill to combat pay discrimination against women and L.G.B.T.Q. workers, the first in a series of votes set up by Democratic leaders this month to highlight the power of the filibuster to stop even the consideration of legislation. The Paycheck Fairness Act, which failed, 49 to 50, was never going to get the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster and bring it to the Senate floor under existing rules. The bill, which passed the House in April, has been on the Democratic wish list since 1997. Republicans have long said it was an unnecessary measure that would primarily benefit trial lawyers, while Democrats point to pervasive disparities in pay between women and men that other laws have not remedied. But the bills fast-track introduction by Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, had a broader purpose: to build support for changing Senate rules to modify or end the legislative filibuster.

Fallout from a Dec. 21 breach of Oregons Capitol: G.O.P. lawmakers call for a colleagues resignation. Protesters smashing the door to the Oregon State Capitol on Dec. 21. Credit... Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Reuters A little more than two weeks before a mob of supporters of Donald J. Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, falsely claiming that he had won the election, a strikingly similar event unfolded at the Oregon State Capitol. On Dec. 21, a crowd breached the exterior doors and battled law enforcement officers. The agitators, waving Trump flags and clad in body armor, wielded pepper spray and smashed windows. Arrest Kate Brown! the crowd chanted, referring to the states Democratic governor. Republicans in Congress have resisted a full, formal investigation into the much larger attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, but in Oregon, lawmakers facing new evidence about the Dec. 21 siege are taking a different approach. On Monday, the states House Republican caucus signed a letter encouraging the resignation of a colleague, Representative Mike Nearman, who in a newly discovered video reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting appeared to be coaching protesters on how they might gain access to the building. That video added to the concerns raised by security footage made public days after the Salem attack, which showed Mr. Nearman opening a door at the State Capitol in a way that allowed protesters inside as he left the building. The House Republican leader, Christine Drazan, said on Tuesday that she believed there was enough support in her caucus to expel Mr. Nearman from the Legislature if he did not resign. State legislators have never before expelled one of their own. I would hope that Representative Nearman would make the decision to not be the first, Ms. Drazan said in an interview. After the first video emerged, Mr. Nearman said he did not condone violence but also said he believed that legislative proceedings should be open to the public. Mr. Nearman did not respond to messages seeking comment about the video that surfaced last week, which shows him coyly giving out his cellphone number and suggesting that anyone who might need to enter the Capitol building could text the number if they needed a way inside. But in an interview with the conservative radio host Lars Larson, Mr. Nearman said he had been clowning around in the video and setting up for what he had assumed would be a peaceful protest. He said he had been speaking in the video to a group that was not known to be violent. Im willing to have some consequences for what I did, or whatever, but this is super extreme, Mr. Nearman said.

Stacey Abrams and her group will try to rally young voters of color behind the For the People Act. Stacey Abrams and the voting organization she leads, Fair Fight Action, are using a vast texting campaign, virtual events and a paid media campaign to rally support for an expansive federal elections bill. Credit... Diwang Valdez for The New York Times Stacey Abrams, the former Georgia Democratic candidate for governor, and the voting organization she leads are beginning a monthlong advocacy campaign to rally young voters of color to support the For the People Act, an expansive federal elections bill. The effort, called Hot Call Summer, will be anchored in a texting campaign, in which the group aims to reach at least 10 million voters in battleground states that have either passed new laws with restrictions on voting or are advancing such bills. Ms. Abramss group, Fair Fight Action, will also host virtual events and fund a paid media campaign to support the push. With voting rights under attack in 48 out of 50 state legislatures across the country, the moment has never been more urgent, and it will take all of us to ensure that Congress passes the voting rights protections our country and democracy desperately need, Ms. Abrams said in an email to supporters that was obtained earlier by CBS News. She called on supporters in every state to make sure that EVERY U.S. Senator is hearing from their constituents about the urgent need to pass the legislation. The campaign kicks off just days after Senator Joe Manchin III, a moderate Democratic senator from West Virginia, announced that he would not support the federal voting legislation, making passage extremely unlikely in the evenly divided Senate. Republican-led states across the country are continuing to introduce and pass laws that would erect new barriers to voting. Republicans in Texas have vowed to pass a voting bill in a special session this summer, and voting bills are progressing through the Republican-controlled legislatures in New Hampshire and Michigan. Ms. Abrams has made voting rights one of her central platforms. In Georgia in 2018, she came within 55,000 votes of being elected the first Black governor in the United States, and within 18,000 votes of forcing a runoff with her Republican rival, Brian Kemp, in an election that drew almost four million ballots. When she ceded to Mr. Kemp, she maintained her allegations that he had used his position as Georgias secretary of state to engage in voter suppression. Ms. Abrams is seen as a likely Democratic candidate for governor in Georgia in 2022. She is scheduled to participate in three virtual town hall events, including one with Katie Hobbs, the Arizona secretary of state and candidate for governor, and Jason Frierson, the Nevada Assembly speaker. Both are Democrats. The Fair Fight campaign joins other national and state organizational efforts in trying to combat the new voting laws being passed by Republican-controlled legislatures. In Texas, the state Democratic Party announced a program aiming to use at least $13 million to register at least one million new voters. And later this month, a coalition of voting rights groups organized by Black Voters Matter will embark on a bus stop tour from New Orleans to Washington, D.C., whose name harks back to its inspiration, the integrated bus trips of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s: the Freedom Ride for Voting Rights.

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White House officials unveil measures to address threats to the countrys supply chains. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:08 - 0:00 transcript White House Announces New Supply-Chain Task Force The White House on Tuesday unveiled measures aimed at addressing threats to critical supply chains and reducing reliance on foreign countries for goods. Our approach to supply-chain resilience needs to look forward to emerging threats, from cyber- security to climate issues, and so we are future-proofing and building back better. Second, its clear from these reports that we need to take action. And today we made a series of announcements to that effect, including on pharmaceuticals. The Department of Health and Human Services is going to be using its Defense Production Act authority and funding appropriated under the presidents American recovery plan to invest $60 million in advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and R. & D. We need to be nimble and be able to address emerging supply-chain issues at the same time as were continuing this work on these longer supply-chain resiliency strategies. And that is why today we are launching a new supply-chain disruptions task force to tackle near-term bottlenecks in the semiconductor, home building and construction, transportation, and agriculture and food industries. This task force is going to be led by three cabinet secretaries, Secretaries Buttigieg, Raimando and Vilsack, and will bring in all of government approach to addressing the near-term supply-demand mismatches we are seeing in these sectors as the economy reignites. The White House on Tuesday unveiled measures aimed at addressing threats to critical supply chains and reducing reliance on foreign countries for goods. Credit Credit... Doug Mills/The New York Times The Biden administration on Tuesday announced several actions aimed at addressing supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic and reducing reliance on foreign countries for crucial goods by increasing domestic production capacity. Strengthening supply chains  the interconnected global manufacturing and transportation systems needed to distribute essential goods  was a growing concern even before the spread of the coronavirus, as policymakers grappled with interruptions caused by economic crises, natural disasters and malevolent international actors. But the pandemic bared major flaws, leading to shortages and price increases that cascaded from factories to ports to retail stores to consumers, and President Biden identified the issue as a major focus shortly after taking office. On Tuesday, White House officials announced the creation of an effort to tackle near-term bottlenecks in construction, transportation, semiconductor production and agriculture. At this time last year we had bare grocery shelves, Sameera Fazili, a National Economic Council official who is working on the plan, said at the White House. We have people finally able to be out there moving again, visiting families this summer, and going out to eat. Ms. Fazili said that cabinet departments had embarked on a governmentwide effort to really diagnose the problems, understand whats going on out there in these markets, and see what actions can be taken to close those vulnerabilities. As part of the initiative, the Department of Agriculture has allocated more than $4 billion to bolster a resilient food supply chain that would prevent or lessen shortages, she added. The initiative was bundled with the creation of trade strike force targeting China and other countries to push back on unfair foreign competition, unfair foreign subsidies and other trade practices that have adversely impacted U.S. manufacturing. In February, Mr. Biden signed an executive order that required a review of critical supply chains in product areas where the United States relies on imports: semiconductors, high-capacity batteries, pharmaceuticals and their active ingredients, and critical minerals and strategic materials, like rare earths. This is about making sure the United States can meet every challenge we face in the new era, Mr. Biden said in February, when he signed the order. The Department of Health and Human Services, for instance, will use $60 million from the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill to develop technologies to increase domestic production of active ingredients in key pharmaceuticals. The Interior Department will work to identify sites where critical minerals could be produced in the United States. And several agencies will work on creating supply chains for new technologies that will reduce reliance on imports of key materials. Katie Rogers, Brad Plumer and

The first congressional report on the Capitol riot examines the security failures on Jan. 6. A new report by two Senate committees concluded that a dysfunctional police force at the Capitol lacked the capacity to respond effectively during the Jan. 6 riot. Credit... Erin Schaff/The New York Times Top federal intelligence agencies failed to adequately warn law enforcement officials before the Jan. 6 riot that pro-Trump extremists were threatening violence, including plans to storm the Capitol, infiltrate its tunnel system and bring guns, according to a new report by two Senate committees that outlines large-scale failures that contributed to the deadly assault. An F.B.I. memo on Jan. 5 warning of people traveling to Washington for war at the Capitol never made its way to top law enforcement officials. The Capitol Police failed to widely circulate information its own intelligence unit had collected as early as mid-December about the threat of violence on Jan. 6, including a report that said right-wing extremist groups and supporters of President Donald J. Trump had been posting online and in far-right chat groups about gathering at the Capitol, armed with weapons, to pressure lawmakers to overturn his election loss. If they dont show up, we enter the Capitol as the Third Continental Congress and certify the Trump Electors, one post said. Bring guns. Its now or never, said another. The first congressional report on the Capitol riot is the most comprehensive and detailed account to date of the dozens of intelligence failures, miscommunications and security lapses that led to what the bipartisan team of senators that assembled it concluded was an unprecedented attack on American democracy and the most significant assault on the Capitol in more than 200 years. The failure to adequately assess the threat of violence on that day contributed significantly to the breach of the Capitol, said Senator Gary Peters, Democrat of Michigan and the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The attack was quite frankly planned in plain sight. The 127-page joint report, a product of more than three months of hearings and interviews and reviews of thousands of pages of documents, presents a damning portrait of the preparations and response at multiple levels. Law enforcement officials did not take seriously threats of violence, it found, and a dysfunctional police force at the Capitol lacked the capacity to respond effectively when those threats materialized. The failures are obvious, said Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota and the chairwoman of the Rules and Administration Committee. To me, it was all summed up by one of the officers who was heard on the radio that day asking a tragically simple question: Does anybody have a plan? Sadly, no one did. There was much information the panel was unable to learn. The senators secured only limited cooperation from key agencies, including the F.B.I., the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and the House sergeant-at-arms. Other agencies failed to meet deadlines to hand over documents. The findings  and their limitations  are likely to fuel renewed calls for an independent commission like the one created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, populated by experts and armed with subpoena power to investigate what happened that day and why. Senate Republicans blocked the creation of such a body late last month, arguing in part that it would duplicate the work already underway by the Senate committees and prosecutors at the Justice Department. Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, praised the committees work on Tuesday, but said he reserved the right to bring up the commission for another vote in the future. Luke Broadwater and

Civil rights leaders press Manchin for a path forward on voting rights, but he remains unmoved on a broad bill. Derrick Johnson, the N.A.A.C.P.s president and chief executive, in Detroit in 2019. Credit... Jeff Kowalsky/Agence France-Presse  Getty Images Prominent civil rights leaders implored Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia on Tuesday to help find a path forward in Congress for legislation to protect voting rights, making a case to the measures most vocal Democratic opponent that enacting it was an existential imperative. The virtual meeting between Mr. Manchin and the leaders of the N.A.A.C.P., the National Urban League and the National Action Network had been scheduled for weeks, and it yielded no breakthroughs. But it was particularly timely, coming two days after the West Virginian made his most unequivocal statement yet in opposition to the Democrats landmark elections bill, the For the People Act, and to gutting the legislative filibuster. The statements appeared to close off the only viable pathway for broad legislation that would counter a wave of Republican state laws restricting access to the ballot. Attendees said their goal had been to begin building a relationship with Mr. Manchin, a centrist from a deep red state, and appealing to him for action  not to stoke a confrontation. The conversation was scant on policy details, though Mr. Manchin told the leaders that he planned to continue a long-shot attempt to build Republican support for a narrower voting bill that would beef up the Voting Rights Act of 1965. At the N.A.A.C.P., we understand the sausage-making of public policy and because of that, we appreciate Senator Manchin and the pivotal role he plays, said Derrick Johnson, the groups president and chief executive. So this was an opportunity to work toward a solution, not complain about a problem. But Mr. Johnson did suggest that Mr. Manchins stated position that he could not support partisan voting legislation  meaning any bill that lacked the support of at least some Republicans  was untenable. Others were blunter. Let me be clear here. We opened by asking him to reconsider his position, said Marc H. Morial, president and chief executive of the National Urban League. He did not say he is going to reconsider his position. But were not giving up. Speaking with reporters afterward, Mr. Manchin praised the civil rights leaders as the most powerful, informative and respectful group Ive spoken to in a long time. He said he intended to talk with the group again, though the discussion had not prompted him to reconsider his views. I dont think anybody changed positions on that; were just learning where everyones coming from, Mr. Manchin said. Mr. Manchin had previously said he was opposed to changing the filibuster rule, and did not support the For the People Act, also known as Senate Bill 1. But on Sunday, he made those hypothetical positions more concrete, in an op-ed in the Charleston Gazette Mail that stated plainly that he planned to would vote no later this month when Democratic leaders hold a vote on Senate Bill 1. He also said he would never support changing the rules which require proponents of legislation to muster 60 votes to move past a filibuster, dashing the hopes of many of his colleagues that he could eventually be persuaded to do so. Party leaders were unbowed on Tuesday. Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, said he would plow ahead with a vote on the bill later this month and was engaged in private talks with Mr. Manchin about changing the bill to win his vote to advance debate. Is it possible we might change a few things here and there? Mr. Schumer said. Were going to do it. The Rev. Al Sharpton, the president and founder of the National Action Network, said that he and other civil rights leaders could not get a clear answer from Mr. Manchin on substantive concerns he had with the voting measure, other than to say he wanted to find Republicans who would support such a bill. I think we made it clear that it was unlikely, Rev. Sharpton said in an interview. Im a minister, but theres a difference between faith and fantasy. Nicholas Fandos, Katie Rogers and

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The Senate approves a bill to compensate victims of mysterious health incidents. The United States Embassy in Havana. Staff at the embassy suffered unexplained health incidents that many officials believe are attacks. Credit... Meridith Kohut for The New York Times The Senate passed a bill Monday evening designed to provide financial support for government employees injured in a series of mysterious health incidents. The bill, drafted by Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, would give the C.I.A. director and Secretary of State additional powers to provide assistance to government officials who have suffered brain injuries as a part of an unexplained series of health incidents that many officials believe are attacks. The bill broadens the requirement to report incidents to Congress and also allows the officials to extend the benefits to people who have been injured in the United States. While the majority of the more than 130 cases being investigated by the government happened abroad, there are at least two in the United States that are being examined as possible examples of domestic incidents. Senator Collins said that many of the victims had undergone brain imaging and had their damage verified. Initially, however, several victims of the incidents were treated with great skepticism, she said. They should be treated the same way we treat a soldier who has suffered a traumatic brain injury on the battlefield, Ms. Collins said in a recent interview. It is unacceptable and appalling that these individuals  in some cases  were denied medical care that they needed. Ms. Collins praised William J. Burns, the director of the C.I.A., for believing the victims and speeding up the process to get agency officers affected by a health incident into the militarys Walter Reed National Medical Facility. But some victims continue to be frustrated with how the State Department has handled the incidents. A group of injured government employees have demanded more support and financial compensation for themselves and injured family members  something the Senate bill would give them. State Department officials have said they have made the health and safety of their diplomats and other workers the top priority. While some former officials believe the attacks could go back several decades, the most recent series of incidents began in 2016, when diplomats and C.I.A. officers working in Havana reported feeling dizzy and nauseous. Many developed chronic headaches. For some the health effects have lasted years and could be permanent disabilities. After the Havana incidents, Americans serving in China reported similar episodes. There have also been Pentagon and C.I.A. officers affected in a variety of places in Europe and Asia. A National Academy of Sciences report concluded a microwave weapon was the most likely cause of the injuries, but the U.S. government has not yet made any final conclusions. Some officials believe that Russia is responsible for at least some of the attacks, a charge the Russian government has dismissed. The intelligence community has not concluded if all or some of the health incidents were the result of a deliberate attack and what country might be responsible. Ms. Collins said she has concluded that the incidents are deliberate attacks but that she does not know what country might be responsible. The bill will now need to go to the House, for that chambers approval. The bill is expected to get a vote in the coming weeks, according to a congressional official. While the House is often divided over intelligence issues, Representative Adam B. Schiff, the California Democrat who leads the House Intelligence Committee, and Representative Devin Nunes, the California Republican who is the ranking member, together introduced a bill similar to Ms. Collinss in the House.
A look at the major movers on the London market on Tuesday

Shares in property portal ( ) are being snapped up like a bargain in a des res area.

The company saw full year revenue jump 22% to 23mln and it made its first profit, reporting earnings of 5mln compared to a 7.1mln loss.

It has of course benefited from the booming housing market, and current trading is also strong due to - among other things - pent up demand and the stamp duty holiday which does not completely end until September.

House broker Shore Capital said: "We like OnTheMarket's commitment to innovation and fair pricing, ability to offer equity to agents and potential in the new homes market and we see considerable scope for its experienced, entrepreneurial, and ambitious management to drive average revenue per advertiser."

The company's shares have climbed 4.76% to 110p.

2.50pm: US demand helps leak detection group

Leak detection specialist PLC ( ) has seen its shares bubble up after a positive update.

Its figures for the calendar year 2020 showed a 17% rise in revenue and a 78% jump in pretax profits to US$4.2mln.

It also released a trading update for the period to the end of April which showed an even better performance. Revenues grew by 47% and profits by 154% to US$2.2mln.

It benefited from providing solutions for failing water infrastructure as an "essential service provider" during the pandemic.

Chairman Dr Patrick DeSouza said: "Despite COVID-19 disruptions, we delivered a breakthrough 2020 and an even more remarkable first third of 2021 with strong advances in every part of our business: financial results, operating key performance indicators, technology reinvestment to keep differentiating our brand, new business lines to address market demand and experienced leaders to strengthen both board and management as we move to the next level of corporate development.

"Ironically, the pandemic only served to reaffirm our sense of mission and the value of our enterprise. Our team worked very hard to deliver for our customers as an "essential service" provider for water and wastewater infrastructure needs while communities had to "shelter in place"...

"With the public visibility of $100 billion in investment in water infrastructure sought by the American Jobs Plan, market demand for our technology-based solutions will continue to grow rapidly."

Its shares have added 6.43% to 910p.

12.56pm: Miner sees feasibility study accepted

( ) has jumped by nearly a quarter after developments regarding its Bougouni lithium project in southern Mali.

The mineral exploration and development company said the project had moved a step closer after the Direction Nationale de la Geologie et des Mines wrote to accept the feasibility study for its mining licence application.

Kodal now has to pay the 135,000 application fee, which it plans to do promptly.

Chief executive Bernard Aylward said: "Our Mining Licence application is progressing through the final regulatory stages and the receipt of this letter confirming the Feasibility Study for the development of the Bougouni Lithium Project and the request to pay the Mining Licence application fee is a very positive development and brings us significantly closer to a fully permitted project."

Kodal has climbed 23.97% to 0.3p.

11.27am: Mortgage lender in demand

( ) is one of the day's big risers.

Its shares have climbed 8.11% to 553.5p after the buy-to-let specialist saw its pre-tax profits jumped 69% to 96.4ml and it announced a 40mln share buy-back.

New mortgage loans jumped 45% in the half-year to end-March 2021 to 1.13bn with demand back to just below the pre-pandemic rate.

Buy-to-let advances rose 58% on the previous six months to 715mln with the portfolio worth 10.9bn.

10.30am: Kitchen specialist upbeat

( ), which provides services to commercial kitchens, is seeing increased demand as lockdown measures ease around the world.

Its shares are up 4.53% or 7p at 161.5p after it said the US hospitality and leisure sectors were opening faster than anticipated, with its franchisees delivering a record $4.6mln of revenue in April, up from $3.1mln in January and well ahead of April 2019 ($4.3m), when $52m was achieved in the full year.

In the UK the reopening has been more cautious but it said: "The company's decision to focus on supermarkets and fast food chains has been a major factor in driving revenues whilst the hospitality venues have been closed, resulting in an increase in equipment installations and a robust sales pipeline."

Europe has also started to reopen and the company sees good growth opportunities there.

Chief executive Jason Sayers said: "The success of the vaccine rollouts is certainly helping to drive the reopening of our markets and to instil greater confidence in the restaurant and hospitality sector. In the US, our revenue run-rate is now ahead of pre-COVID-19 levels and we were delighted to deliver record network revenue in April. With a majority of our largest customers expected to have reopened during the third quarter, we expect further revenue growth in the second half of the year."

The company is taking part in today's Cenkos and Proactive Investors' Virtual Growth & Innovation Forum at 13:30pm.

9.33am: Intellectual property group climbs ahead of presentation

Investors in ( ) are a hopeful bunch.

The UK intellectual property group, which invests in university technologies, has climbed 1.5p or 10.17% to 16.25p on no news apart from the announcement of a webcast to investors this evening.

The event will be hosted by chief executive Clifford Gross, but the company made a point of saying: "No new material information will be disclosed during the event."

8.33am: Energy company unveils partnership in Paraguay

President Energy ( ) has seen its shares surge after unveiling an agreement for its its Pirity concession in Paraguay.

The South America-focused company said that after 20 months of negotiations during the pandemic, it has signed a deal for a "substantial" Northern Hemisphere state-owned energy and petrochemicals company to take a 50% participating interest in the concession.

The state-owned business - whose name is not revealed at the moment - will pay 60% of the costs of an exploration well currently scheduled to commence during the second half of 2022 and will also pay President US$4mln for agreeing certain performance obligations.

The costs of the exploration well are put at US$10-15mln with an estimated chance of success of 30%.

Chairman Peter Levine said: "With the recent robust oil prices and demand increases, the timing is perfect especially when taking into account in a success case the end market opportunities provided in a country that currently imports all its oil in refined form by barge all the way from the River Plate.

"We have in this regard a significant joker in our pack of cards through the possibilities which will be no doubt available through our second largest shareholder Trafigura, one of the World's leading commodity traders whose associated company in Paraguay, Puma, is an important importer of fuel into the country and has there an extensive and significant network of retail filling stations."

President has put on 11.63% or 0.25p to 2.4p.

Also heading higher is cybersecurity company Intercede PLC ( ).

Its shares are up 6.22% or 6p at 102.5p after it reported a 6% rise in full year revenues to 11mln and a 52% rise in profits to 1.5mln.

It said the pandemic had adversely affected key markets in Europe and the Middle East, but US revenues increased by 14%, including a major contract to provide an Identity Management System for the US Department of State and its customers.

Chairman Chuck Pol said: "During the COVID-19 pandemic, Intercede has maintained solid revenue growth at 6% and delivered a substantial increase in profitability with the levels of cash generated being well ahead of market forecasts.

"I remain confident of the group's future prospects as we emerge from the pandemic and governments and commercial enterprises are able to take the necessary steps to further improve their security environments when taking increased remote working into consideration."

Proactive news headlines

( ) said it expects to benefit from increasing demand for its software solutions going forward, allowing it to grow repeating revenues and increase product visibility through its software-as-a-service (SaaS) model.

Mineral and Financial Investments Ltd ( ), an investor in junior mining companies, saw its net asset value rise 13% in the third quarter to end March 2021 as it increased its precious metals weighting.

Holdings PLC ( ) said revenues in the year to the end of May were eight times higher year-on-year, in line with expectations. Revenue growth in the current fiscal year is expected to be predominantly driven by the continued strength of the ImmunoINSIGHTS services business.

( ) said it is well placed to exceed market forecasts for its current financial year as the company said demand for its transport and logistics services has remained strong.

( ) said a soil survey will start next week on the Dotted Lake property in Ontario, Canada that it hopes will build out and in-fill the westerly strike extensions of high-grade gold mineralisation intersected by historical trenching.

PLC ( ) said trading volumes have increased this year and the group has continued to expand its customer base.

( ) said assay results from recent drilling at the Paimasa gold project in central Nigeria will be delayed while some samples are subject to re-assay by accelerated cyanide leach.

( ) has moved a step closer to being granted a mining licence for its flagship Bougouni lithium project in southern Mali.

(ASX:BSE, ) advised investors that has been appointed as the companys joint UK broker.

PLC ( ) said it is sending out documents ahead of its annual general meeting on 30 June.
The measure, the core of which was a collaboration between Mr. Schumer and Senator Todd Young, Republican of Indiana, would prop up semiconductor makers by providing $52 billion in emergency subsidies with few restrictions. That subsidy program will send a lifeline to the industry during a global chip shortage that shut auto plants and rippled through the global supply chain.

The bill would sink hundreds of billions more into scientific research and development pipelines in the United States, create grants and foster agreements between private companies and research universities to encourage breakthroughs in new technology.

When future generations of Americans cast their gaze toward new frontiers, will they see a red flag planted on those new frontiers that is not our own? Mr. Young said during a speech on the Senate floor. Today, we answer unequivocally, No.

Today we declare our intention to win this century, and those that follow it as well, he added.

President Biden hailed the passage of the legislation on Tuesday shortly after the Senate approved it, adding that he hoped to sign it into law as soon as possible.

We are in a competition to win the 21st century, and the starting gun has gone off, he said in a statement. As other countries continue to invest in their own research and development, we cannot risk falling behind.

While the legislations centerpiece is focused on bolstering research and development in emerging technologies, it also includes major trade and foreign policy measures. Those would again allow for the temporary suspension of tariffs on specific imports and would call on the Biden administration to impose sanctions on those responsible for forced labor practices and human rights abuses in and around the Xinjiang region of China.

With Mr. Schumer intent on using his power as majority leader to push the legislation through and lawmakers eager to attach personal priorities to the bill, the package moved swiftly through the Senate, picking up provisions as diverse as a fresh round of funding for NASA and a ban on the sale of shark fins.
Emma Coronel Aispuro, the wife of the notorious Mexican drug lord known as El Chapo, is set to plead guilty this week to charges of helping her husband run his multibillion-dollar empire and then, after one of his arrests, escape in dramatic fashion from a high-security Mexican prison, according to a person familiar with the case.

Ms. Coronel, 31, is expected to appear on Thursday morning in Federal District Court in Washington to enter her plea. She was taken into custody in February at Dulles International Airport, near Washington, after a nearly two-year investigation by U.S. law enforcement officials into her role as an accomplice to her husband, whose real name is Joaquin Guzman Loera.

Mr. Guzman, a onetime co-leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, was convicted in 2019 at a federal trial in Brooklyn and is now serving life sentence in the so-called Supermax in Colorado, the most secure federal prison in the United States. Ms. Coronel, his third  or possibly fourth  wife, had remained free even after a jury found him guilty, traveling between the United States and Mexico until her own arrest.

When she taken into the custody by the F.B.I., there was intense speculation over whether Ms. Coronel, a dual U.S.-Mexican citizen, would seek to offer the government information on her husbands allies, relatives and business partners in exchange for a lighter sentence. But her plea agreement with prosecutors in Washington does not require her to cooperate with the U.S. authorities, the person familiar with the case said.
WASHINGTON  A funny thing keeps happening in federal court. An arm of the government has not been showing up to defend itself against lawsuits. Some judges appear confused, and less than amused, by the unusual absences.

It is necessary for the agency to pay attention to this case, one exasperated district court judge wrote in March. Yet when the judge set another court date, in May, the agency in question, the Federal Election Commission, didnt show up again.

It was not an accident.

For more than a decade, Democrats seeking more robust enforcement of election laws and transparency measures have been routinely routed at the F.E.C., the nations top campaign watchdog agency. They have complained bitterly that Republicans have weaponized the commissions bipartisan structure  there are three commissioners allied with each party  to turn it into a toothless, do-nothing bureau.

Now, the Democratic commissioners have stealthily begun to strike back by leveraging some of the same arcane rules that have stymied enforcement efforts for years  namely, that a bipartisan vote is necessary to do almost anything  to make the agency do even less. The goal appears to be to take a commission widely seen as dysfunctional and create further deadlock, compelling federal courts to fill the breach when it comes to policing federal election law.
State health officials are growing increasingly concerned about whether doses of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine may expire this month, warning they could go to waste if they go unused in the coming weeks or are not sent elsewhere.

Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio has pleaded with health providers in his state to use about 200,000 doses of the vaccine that he said on Monday were set to expire on June 23. The states health department directed providers to adopt a first-in, first-out process for the shot to ensure doses with earlier expiration dates were used first. Arkansas state epidemiologist said last week that as many as 60,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson may not be used there in time.

Dr. Marcus Plescia, who represents state health agencies as the chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said he believed the expiration risk for Johnson & Johnson was a problem in every state. Over 10 million doses of the vaccine have been delivered to states but not administered, according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Andy Slavitt, a White House pandemic adviser, said on Tuesday at a news conference that the federal government was encouraging governors to consult with the Food and Drug Administration on storage procedures as the agency examines how to possibly extend the shelf life of the vaccine. He said the agency was looking at opportunities for continued storage.
WASHINGTON  The Senate confirmed President Bidens first two judicial nominees on Tuesday with modest Republican support, touching off a liberal sprint to fill scores of federal vacancies, aimed at ideologically rebalancing and diversifying the courts after the Trump era.

In a lopsided 66-to-33 vote, the chamber approved Julien Xavier Neals to serve as a district court judge in New Jersey, where a spate of vacancies has contributed to a significant backlog of cases.

A few hours later, senators voted 72 to 28 to confirm Regina Rodriguez as the first Asian American judge to serve on the Federal District Court bench in Colorado.

This is the first, certainly not the last  not even close, Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, boasted between the votes. Were going to be able to restore a lot of balance to the courts because there are a lot of vacancies we are going to fill.
WASHINGTON  Virginia Democrats go to the polls on Tuesday to determine their candidates in races ranging from governor to the State House, but the onset of summer isnt the only reason this years primary season has been sleepy.

Taking place just months after a presidential election, nominating contests in Virginia often reflect the mood of the electorate. And if this years primary never seemed to get off the ground, it was in part because many voters are burned out on politics after four convulsive years of the Trump administration, a bitter 2020 campaign and a coronavirus pandemic that is only now receding.

The most dedicated political aficionados have still followed the 2021 races in Virginia. However, former President Donald J. Trumps ongoing refusal to acknowledge defeat, the storming of the Capitol and the subsequent impeachment inquiry diverted attention from state politics in a way that effectively delayed the start of the primary and starved former Gov. Terry McAuliffes opponents in the governors race of political oxygen.

This was all manna from heaven for the once and potentially future governor, Mr. McAuliffe, who was succeeded by Gov. Ralph Northam in 2018 because Virginia is the last state in America to bar governors from serving for consecutive terms.
Republican-led states across the country are continuing to introduce and pass laws that would erect new barriers to voting. Republicans in Texas have vowed to pass a voting bill in a special session this summer, and voting bills are progressing through the Republican-controlled legislatures in New Hampshire and Michigan.

Ms. Abrams has made voting rights one of her central platforms. In Georgia in 2018, she came within 55,000 votes of being elected the first Black governor in the United States, and within 18,000 votes of forcing a runoff with her Republican rival, Brian Kemp, in an election that drew almost four million ballots. When she ceded to Mr. Kemp, she maintained her allegations that he had used his position as Georgias secretary of state to engage in voter suppression.

Ms. Abrams is seen as a likely Democratic candidate for governor in Georgia in 2022. She is scheduled to participate in three virtual town hall events, including one with Katie Hobbs, the Arizona secretary of state and candidate for governor, and Jason Frierson, the Nevada Assembly speaker. Both are Democrats.

The Fair Fight campaign joins other national and state organizational efforts in trying to combat the new voting laws being passed by Republican-controlled legislatures. In Texas, the state Democratic Party announced a program aiming to use at least $13 million to register at least one million new voters.

And later this month, a coalition of voting rights groups organized by Black Voters Matter will embark on a bus stop tour from New Orleans to Washington, D.C., whose name harks back to its inspiration, the integrated bus trips of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s: the Freedom Ride for Voting Rights.
Chinas top diplomats have castigated their American counterparts for hypocrisy and condescension. They icily reminded Europeans of the continents experience with genocide. They just accused New Zealand, a country that had been careful not to cause offense, of gross interference in Chinas affairs.

So when Chinas top leader, Xi Jinping, told senior Communist Party officials early last week that they should improve their communications with the rest of the world, some analysts and news reports suggested he was acknowledging that Chinas increasingly pugnacious approach to diplomacy in recent months had not been warmly received.

We must focus on setting the tone right, be open and confident but also modest and humble, and strive to create a credible, lovable and respectable image of China, Mr. Xi said, according to an account by Xinhua, the state-run news service, of a collective study session at the partys compound in Beijing.

Mr. Xis remarks followed a series of diplomatic setbacks that diplomats and analysts said had seized the leaderships attention. China is engaged in a public opinion struggle, Mr. Xi told members of the partys governing Politburo, who studiously took notes as he spoke.
The F.B.I.s operation, according to court documents that the Justice Department unsealed on Monday, had its origins in early 2018 after the bureau dismantled a Canadian-based encryption service called Phantom Secure. That company, officials said, supplied encrypted cellphones to drug gangs, like Mexicos Sinaloa cartel, and other criminal groups.

Seeing a void in the underground market, the F.B.I. recruited a former Phantom Secure distributor who had been developing a new encrypted communications system called Anom. The informant agreed to work for the F.B.I. and let the bureau control the network for the possibility of a reduced prison sentence, according to the court documents. The F.B.I. paid the informant $120,000, the documents said.

Anom devices were cellphones that had been stripped of all normal functions. Their only working app was disguised as the calculator function: After entering a code, users could send messages and photos with end-to-end encryption.

Over three years, more than 12,000 Anom devices were sold to over 300 criminal syndicates operating in more than 100 countries, according to Europol. The devices cost varied by location but were generally sold, court papers say, on six-month subscriptions available for $1,700 in the United States.

Working with the Australian authorities, the F.B.I. and the informant developed a master key that allowed them to reroute the messages to a third country and decrypt them, ultimately intercepting more than 27 million messages.

The authorities also relied on the informant to get the devices into the highly insular criminal networks. The informant started in October 2018 by offering the devices to three other distributors with connections to organized crime in Australia.
Aviva has sold eight businesses to raise 7.5bn but has not yet given a figure on how much of that will be handed back

Cevian Capital has told insurer ( ) to return 5bn to shareholders following the recent sales of the majority of its overseas operations.

The activist investor has taken a near 5% stake in the group and said it wants a big improvement in the performance of the FTSE 100 member.

"Aviva has been poorly managed for many years, and its high-quality core businesses have been held back by high costs and a series of bad strategic decisions," Christer Gardell, managing partner and co-founder of Cevian said in a statement.

Gardell added that within three years Aviva should have a share price of more than 8 per share and be paying a dividend of 45p or double the current payout while its cost-cutting plans should be raised to at least 500mln by 2023.

Aviva has proposed savings of 300mln by 2022 as part of a widespread restructuring undertaken by new chief executive Amanda Blanc that has seen it retrench back to its operations in the UK, Ireland and Canada.

Blanc has sold eight businesses to raise 7.5bn but has not yet given a figure on how much of that will be handed back other than to say it plans a return to shareholders.

Shares in Aviva rose by 3.4% to 425p

"Aviva has made significant strategic progress over the past 11 months and we remain sharply focused on further improving our performance," an Aviva spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
Nearly three decades after the outbreak of war in the Balkans, which saw some of the most shocking atrocities in Europe since the end of World War II, the conviction of the chief military commander of the bloodletting was upheld on Tuesday by an international tribunal.

The commander, the Bosnian Serb former general Ratko Mladic, was convicted in 2017 of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. He was sentenced to life in prison.

On Tuesday, that verdict was upheld by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague, drawing a close to one of the darkest chapters in modern European history and ending a legal struggle that stretched back to 1995, when Mr. Mladic was first indicted.

Now 79, Mr. Mladic has always maintained that he was just fulfilling his military duties and was defiantly unapologetic throughout the course of the proceedings.
As parts of Japan endure a prolonged state of emergency to battle the latest coronavirus surge, one restaurant chain came up with a way to replicate the sushi bar experience at home: renting out conveyor belts.

Kappa Sushi, which operates more than 300 sushi bars across Japan, is offering takeout customers a mini version of the conveyor belts that run through their restaurants and ferry little plates of nigiri and rolls to diners at their tables. For an additional 3,300 yen, or about $30, customers can pick up a 49-inch oval belt, about the size of a toy train set, that sits atop a table and moves the takeout dishes around and around.

Momoko Okamura, a spokeswoman for the Kappa chain, said the company came up with the idea in 2019, before the pandemic. But with Tokyo, Osaka and several other cities under a state of emergency that curtails restaurants operating hours, Kappa unveiled the rental service last month at five of its locations. About 75 customers have signed up so far, Ms. Okamura said.

Most customers are families with small children, who feel reluctant to eat out and feel safer eating at home, she said. They want to have a bit of fun at home, or when they have some events at kindergartens or school. We also target corporate customers but the service is popular among families.
[Follow our live coverage of Israels vote on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.]

JERUSALEM  The immediate political future of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is set to be decided on Sunday, after the speaker of Israels Parliament said that lawmakers would hold a vote of confidence in a new coalition government that afternoon.

If the fragile coalition can hold together until then, it will be the first time in 12 years that the country will be led by someone other than Mr. Netanyahu, Israels longest-serving prime minister.

The announcement, by the Parliament speaker, Yariv Levin, on Tuesday, clears the way for Mr. Netanyahu to be replaced by Naftali Bennett, a former high-tech entrepreneur and settler leader who opposes a Palestinian state and believes Israel should annex much of the occupied West Bank.

If confirmed by Parliament, Mr. Bennett will lead an ideologically varied alliance that ranges from the far left to the hard right and includes  for the first time in Israeli history  an independent Arab party.
The union said Air India was paying about 500,000 to 1 million rupees ($6,800 to $13,700) as compensation to the family if a pilot died of Covid-19 while performing their duties. The number, it said, was a fraction of what other airlines paid and might be just enough to take care of a deceased colleagues hospital bills. Indigo, a private airline, was paying 50 million rupees or more than $680,000, the union said in one of its letters.

The union said that it had sent repeated requests to the government asking that flight crews be prioritized for vaccinations. In a letter addressed to Indias health minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, on April 16, the union urged the government to recognize crew members as essential workers.

We urge you to vaccinate all aircrew at the earliest, it said.

Two Air India pilots who requested anonymity fearing reprisals from the government said they were frustrated by the way their calls for better compensation and protesting salary cuts had fallen on deaf ears. They also said they feared being exposed to new variants of the virus circulating in other countries while doing their jobs.

Despite all of that, the pilots said they were being paid salaries that were nearly 40 to 70 percent less than what they received before the pandemic. The pay cuts came into effect in April last year as global travel came to a halt.

Hardeep Singh Puri, Indias civil aviation minister, has said that the countrys Vande Bharat Mission to evacuate Indians was the worlds largest repatriation drive, transporting more than 9 million people so far. India did not cower in the face of this health crisis of the century, he said in a tweet on Tuesday.

But neither Mr. Puri nor Air India have responded to their pilots requests. The Ministry of Civil Aviation in New Delhi didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

In May, the union wrote a letter to Air India, asking company executives to show a similar kindness to what it showed when it asked its pilots to show up for duty when it needed to rescue Indians from some of the worst-affected regions in the world, including the United States, China and Italy.
The four-way Republican primary to run against New Jerseys Democratic governor in November has become a test of former President Donald J. Trumps brand of conservative politics. Jack Ciattarelli, a former state lawmaker making his second bid for governor, has been forced to defend his moderate views by his chief rival, Hirsh Singh, a self-described Trump Republican.
U.S. PR agencies managed to remain profitable in 2020 despite the severe economic damage wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an annual industry survey conducted by PR merger and acquisition consultancy Gould+Partners.

Gould+Partners latest Benchmarking report, which analyzes key factors affecting PR firm profitability, found that PR agencies in 2020 saw, on average, profitability reach 18.2 percent of firms net revenues (calculated as fee billings + markups), up from 17.4 percent in pre-pandemic 2019.

The surveys findings discovered that profitability last year was particularly high at the largest firms: PR agencies with revenues in excess of $25 million netted average operating profits of 20.2 percent in 2020. Firms accounting for between $3 million and $10 million in revenues netted profitability of 18.1 percent, while firms with between $10 million and $25 million in revenues netted 17 percent. The smallest firmsthose with under $3 million in revenuesnetted the smallest profitability, 15.8 percent.

Gould+Partners managing partner Rick Gould told ODwyers that there were three main reasons that the PR sector was able to weather the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

First, Gould cited economic recovery grants and loans such as the Small Business Administrations Paycheck Protection Program, which offered billions in small business relief and provided a lifeline to retain staff that would have been laid off or furloughed. Second, many agencies in 2020 were able to get rent abated or deferred. Finally, Gould said that many firmsdriven either by careful planning or a mere state of panicmade a series of line-by-line cuts in their overhead, to everything from travel and expenses to freezing salaries, pay cuts and bonuses. Indeed, the Gould+Partners report found that total overhead in 2020 averaged 23.6 percent, down from 24.8 percent in 2019.

All of these moves went directly to the bottom line, Gould said. By watching the numbers monthly, by managing by best practices benchmarks, [agency owners] were able to squeeze out additional profitability and move into 2021 much leaner and positioned for an even better 2021. It truly showed the resilience of the well-managed PR agencies.

When broken out by region, the report found that PR firms located in the U.S. Northeast boasted the highest average operating profits in 2020 (25.4 percent), followed by firms in Canada (22.5 percent), northern California (20.1 percent) and the U.S. Southeast (18.2 percent). Among the least profitable were firms located in the Midwest (16.9 percent), firms located in the New York City metro area (15.8 percent) and firms in the Southwest (13.8 percent).

The study also found that revenue per professional staff member averaged $256,667 in 2020, up from $244,840 in 2019; and staff turnover for the year averaged 18 percent, compared to 2019s 16.7 percent.

Gould+Partners latest Benchmarking Survey was based on responses from 37 prominent, best of class North American PR agencies. Responses were collected in May.
8/06/2021 - Upon entering the European ERM-II Exchange Rate Mechanism on 10 July 2020, Croatia has committed to improve the governance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) by revising and aligning national legislation with the OECD Guidelines on Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises (the SOE Guidelines). While Croatia has already taken steps in this direction in recent years, there is room for improvement according to the OECD Review of the Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises in Croatia. The Review was launched during an official virtual release event on 8 June 2021, involving representatives from the Croatian Government, the OECD and the European Commission, which financially supports the project under which the Review was developed.

The OECD Review of Croatia describes and evaluates the corporate governance framework of the Croatian state-owned enterprise sector relative to the SOE Guidelines. The Review recognizes the importance of recent reforms to improve corporate governance of SOEs, many of which have been financed by EU funds, and developed and implemented with technical support provided by the European Commission in cooperation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). However, more would be required to ensure a sustainable reform process in line with international standards.

The Review identifies 11 recommendations or priority areas for reform that should contribute to improve Croatian ownership and corporate governance practices relative to SOEs. Key recommendations include strengthening the state ownership function (notably through the establishment of an ownership coordination entity); improving transparency and disclosure practices as well as strengthening board autonomy and independence, amongst other aspects. Due to the current fragmented state of the legal and regulatory framework governing SOEs in Croatia, the OECD also recommends consolidating existing and relevant rules into one comprehensive law on SOEs.

According to the Croatian authorities, the Review is the most comprehensive and therefore the most valuable overview of the current corporate governance framework. In regard to the Reviews recommendations, Croatia is committed to carry out further reforms as indicated in the Review. As the current ownership rights are exercised among many ownership entities, comprehensive reforms will be needed (including through the development of a new Law) that should have an impact on the entire state administration. The new comprehensive law on SOE will be drafted in cooperation and with the technical support of the OECD, which should ensure that the law is drafted according to best international practices. On this basis, the Croatian authorities intend to develop an Ownership Policy and reform the institutional framework in order to achieve a greater centralization of the ownership function, in line with the first recommendation in the Review.

From the EU perspective, better management of state-owned enterprises is important to support a resilient recovery of the economy and to provide public services to citizens. DG REFORM is glad to continue its long-standing partnership on this key reform with the Croatian Authorities.

For further information, journalists can contact Arijete Idrizi (Arijete.Idrizi@oecd.org) and Alison McMeekin (Alison.McMeekin@oecd.org).

Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.
Paediatric nurse Deirdre Morley, who smothered her three young children at their family home and was found not guilty of their murders by reason of insanity, has been committed to the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) today.

A Central Criminal Court judge made the order this morning, nearly three weeks after a jury returned the special verdicts following the trial of the 44-year-old highly trained clinical nurse.

Mr Justice Paul Coffey said today that he was satisfied that Ms Morley continues to suffer from a mental disorder under the meaning of the legislation and is in need of inpatient care at a designated centre.

Ms Morley, of Parson's Court, Newcastle, Co Dublin, had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of her sons Conor McGinley (9) and Darragh McGinley (7) and her daughter Carla McGinley (3). The children's bodies were discovered at the family home just before 8pm on January 24 last year.

On May 20, Ms Morley was found not (NOT) guilty by reason of insanity after a jury accepted the evidence given by two psychiatrists that the accused, who specialised in renal care at Our Lady's Hospital in Crumlin, was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the three killings and fulfilled the criteria for the special verdicts.

The two consultant forensic psychiatrists called as expert witnesses were both in agreement that the accused was unable to appreciate what she had done was morally wrong and was unable to refrain from her actions.

Following the verdicts, trial judge Mr Justice Coffey made an order committing Ms Morley to the CMH in Dundrum until May 31 so that an approved medical officer could prepare a psychiatric assessment.

The case was adjourned on that date to allow time for lawyers to consider the psychiatric report.

The matter was back before the court today, where defence counsel Michael Bowman SC told Mr Justice Coffey that the court had the report and both sides had read it.

Ms Morley, who did not speak during the hearing, appeared via video-link from the CMH.

Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Ronan Mullaney from the CMH, who conducted the examination on Ms Morley, also appeared on the video-link for the brief hearing at the Central Criminal Court.

Mr Justice Coffey said that Ms Morley had been found not guilty by reason of insanity on the three counts and he had previously directed that she be assessed by an approved medical officer.

"I've received and considered the report of approved medical officer Dr Ronan Mullaney including his findings," he said.

The judge said he was satisfied that Ms Morley continues to suffer from a mental disorder under the meaning of the legislation and is in need of impatient care at a designated centre.

He then made an order committing her to the CMH for further inpatient care under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act.

Under the Act, Ms Morley's condition will be reviewed every six months by the Mental Health Review Board.

Prosecution counsel Anne-Marie Lawlor SC said that today's order now disposed of the case.

Ms Morley's three-day trial at the Central Criminal Court, which the State called "a desperately sad case", heard that the accused had unsuccessfully attempted to drug her three children on the day before they were killed, having formulated a plan to then suffocate them in their sleep.

On the evening of January 23 last year, Ms Morley crushed between six and eight morphine tablets to put in the boys cereal and put a Tylex tablet containing codeine in her daughter's drink. However, the accused "abandoned any further actions" to harm the children that evening as the two boys "spat out" their bedtime snack when they tasted it and her daughter did not consume much of the drink.

The case, Ms Morley's defence counsel had told the jury, was a "tragedy of enormous proportions", with the "tragic irony" of the accused being someone who had committed her entire professional life to the care of children as a paediatric nurse.

In his closing speech, defence counsel Mr Bowman said the tragic loss of three children was at the core of the case and their parents had been left in a set of circumstances where their offspring were no longer with them. It was clear, he said, that his client was labouring under a mental illness which was defined within the Criminal Law Insanity Act 2006.

Mr Bowman suggested that one of "the tragic ironies" in the case was that the accused had committed her entire professional life to the care of children as a paediatric nurse and bore that responsibility heavily on her own shoulders but had suffered from depression and anxiety since the late 1990's. "Despite the best efforts of those around her and the level of support they offered, it was not enough to prevent her slipping into a state of delusion and psychosis from which she could not return," he remarked.

The trial was told that Darragh was the first child to be killed and there had been a disagreement that morning over the amount of "screen time" he was watching on his iPad and the television. After midday, Ms Morley said she "just had to end" their suffering, looked at the clock and remembered thinking "I could smother him now. I could kill him now". She got some "brown thick tape" from the utility room and took plastic bags from under the sink. She put some tape over Darragh's mouth, a bag over his head and a cushion on top of the bag inside the play tent. She said she "didn't want to do it but had to do it". He asked her "what are you doing mammy" and struggled under her for a few minutes before passing out. After he was dead, the accused carried his body to the master bedroom upstairs and put him on the bed.

After killing Darragh the accused said she felt she "couldn't leave any of them behind" and put a plastic bag over Carla's head and used a cushion to smother her. After bringing her body upstairs, she realised her daughter was still breathing and held her nose until this was no longer the case.

After collecting her eldest child Conor from school and bringing him to Tesco to buy a roll for lunch, she brought him home where they watched "Jurassic World" in the front room. She suggested playing a game where they first put tape over their mouths to see if he could talk through it and she then put a plastic bag over his head. The boy told her "Stop Mammy" but she said she did not feel that she could stop herself from suffocating him and pulled the bag tighter by twisting it. She told her son: "I'm sorry Conor". She left him inside the play tent and was unable to carry him upstairs to his siblings bodies.

Ms Morley was recorded as telling psychiatrists from Tallaght Hospital in the days after the event that Conor was "more difficult" to kill and she had considered dropping him off at a friend's instead so he would be safe. However, she said "things had gone too far" so she smothered him also.

Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster found the children had died by asphyxia from compressions of the chest area and airways.

Ms Morley had made "crystal clear" to gardai in her interviews that she wanted to make sure that she "was gone" after she killed her children and before her husband arrived home that evening. She left her home after 4pm with a bottle of wine and a variety of medication, including Xanax, intending to jump off the bridge between Newcastle and Rathcoole before the N7 flyover. However, she crashed her car in a grassy area and lost consciousness. She left the house again on foot at 6.30pm but was found by a taxi driver, who gave her a lift back to the estate.

Evidence was given that the accused had done Google searches for a "noose", "how to make a noose" and "the N7 flyover" on January 22. She had also purchased a rope from a hardware shop the next day.

After returning from an overnight work trip in Cork, the accused's husband Andrew McGinley found his wife unconscious and being cared for by paramedics in the estate. He then discovered the bodies of his three children in the house. Darragh and Carla were found upstairs in the master bedroom and Conor was downstairs with his feet protruding from the play tent.

Two notes written by the accused had been left in the house, with one placed at the bottom of the stairs, to urge whoever came through the door of the family home not to go into the front room or upstairs and to phone 911 instead.

Dr Brenda Wright, called by the defence, gave a detailed description of the accused's mental state deteriorating in the weeks before the killing and said she was suffering with bipolar affective disorder at the time. The witness said the defendant believed it was morally right to smother her three children as she thought she had "irreparably damaged" them and "had to put an end to their suffering".

Dr Mary Davoren, for the prosecution, testified that the accused was suffering at a minimum from recurrent depressive disorder and experienced a severe depressive episode on the day.

Ms Morley told gardai that she was feeling "overwhelmed" at the time, her thoughts had been "getting darker" that week and she wanted to save her children from the pain and suffering she felt lay before them because of her shortcomings as a parent. She believed she had to take their lives as they were "more damaged" by her parenting skills and they "had to go together".

The defendant, the court heard, had previously found it difficult to cope with stress at work and had taken the loss of a child in her ward particularly badly.

In his charge to the jury, Mr Justice Coffey said there was "no contest in this sad and tragic case" about what the correct verdict should be. He said the evidence was all one way and both the prosecution and defence agreed that the defence of insanity applied.

One hour and 28 minutes into their deliberations, the jury asked Mr Justice Coffey for clarity on the special verdict of insanity. He told them that the case is "unusually free from controversy of any kind" and was one in which it is agreed that the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity should be returned on all counts.

The jury of ten men and two women spent four hours and 23 minutes deliberating over two days before bringing in three verdicts of not guilty by reason of insanity.

In her opening address, Ms Lawlor said the jury's primary concern would be the accused's mental state on January 24 and there was no issue in the case as to what happened to the children and how they died.

The accused's mental health had deteriorated very significantly and she suffered a breakdown in July 2019. She was admitted to St Patrick's Hospital in Dublin as an inpatient for four weeks. Those closest to Ms Morley had sought to manage her problems as best they could but didn't realise the gravity of the situation. "In the days before the children's deaths, there was a belief that her mental health had improved significantly and psychiatrists will assist you in that was not the case," indicated Ms Lawlor.

The court heard that both Clondalkin Mental Health Services and the Swiftbrook Medical Centre had written to St Patrick's Hospital requesting that Ms Morley be readmitted due to concerns about her mental health.
The latest hilarious video from Offaly's Aisling Kearns will bring memories back for anyone who was 'the chatty one' in primary school.

She is continuing to rack up views, likes and followers across her social media platforms with her hilarious sketches on Irish life and this one is sure to strike a chord.

The hugely talented performer has just short of 200,000 fans on Tik Tok and has had 3.7 million likes of her videos.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aisling Kearns (@aislingkearns)

You can see all Aisling's brilliant videos on Instagram by CLICKING HERE
Killeigh Community Centre Development Association have ambitious plans to commence the planned build by the end of this year.

To raise finance to ensure the project can be completed, a massive fundraiser was launched on Monday June 7th last.

'Win a house in Enfield' has been organised by the committee and a draw for a newly built A rated 3-bedroom house in Enfield to the value of 355,000 will be won by one lucky winner.

Enfield is an excellent location in the commuter belt around Dublin and was selected as it is attractive to a wider population in hoping to maximise sales of tickets.

The large A rated 3-bedroom house is situated within walking distance of the village of Enfield, Co. Meath. Royal Oaks Estate delivers the very best of both worlds.

A host of village amenities, the peace of the breath-taking Co. Meath countryside, community life which is at the heart of the thriving village of Enfield, alongside the convenience of being so close to Dublin which will appeal to many commuters. So the winner will truly win an exceptional prize.

Tickets are priced at 100 and open to all to enter. The draw will run until January 3, 2022. Tickets sale are limited to 15,000.

All details can be found on www.winahouseinenfield.com or @facebook Win a house in Enfield. Also visit their own page www.killeighcommunitycentre.com or @facebook Killeigh Community Centre Development Association for regular updates.

There will also be an opportunity to purchase a ticket in Gormans Shop Killeigh, Co. Offaly, should anyone wish to do so.

This 13 person committee first came together in November 2017 with the main aim to provide a community centre for the village.

In addition, the committee conducted a local needs survey within the community and listened to the community and local businesses, realising the need of a community centre in order to enhance economic and social life in Killeigh and its surrounding area.

The committee has worked hard over the last 4 years to make this project a reality. They have put a formal structure in place for the committee by setting up as a Company Limited by Guarantee and obtained Charitable Status.

They have successfully put all the legal and statutory requirements in place regarding ownership of the site and building, planning permission, fire safety and disabled accessible certificates. The design is finalised, the drawing and specifications are completed and the project is shovel ready once the funding is secured.

With regard financing the project, this will be in the region of 850,000 to complete phase 1. They were delighted to be approved for Leader Funding and with monies already raised had plans to continue fundraising in 2020/2021 to start the build his year.

However Covid put these plans on hold. Also having been unsuccessful in securing monies under the 2020 Rural and Community Development programme (which they are revisiting this year), the committee were then faced with a shortfall of funding. Sometimes when one door closes one looks at other avenues and thats exactly what this committee did and they went back to the drawing board.

They have spent the first quarter of 2021 planning this large-scale fundraiser and it is likely to be the biggest fundraiser any of this 13 person volunteer committee will ever likely to be involved with. The ultimate goal if all goes well is to commence Phase 1 build in later this year.

Their vision is to see the Community Centre come alive to serve Killeigh and beyond for many years to come. Post Covid-19, it is predicted that there will be a move back towards community and local engagement, this is supported by the recent announcement by Government that they will be making available state funded relocation grants and tax incentives for remote working to attract people back to rural towns and villages.

When this project is completed, it will have a vibrant community focal point with meeting rooms, workspaces and a large hall which can be used for multiple different purposes. This will ensure that the community centre is fully functioning at all times and will be economically viable.

The Community Centre development is in 2 phases; this is to ensure they can get a fully-functioning multi space centre open first.

They see this as a realistic goal, and feel if the project were to drag on for longer, they would lose peoples confidence in being able to deliver what they promised. Once Phase 1 is completed and the centre is open, they will then reflect again on what the community needs, what is economically viable and what is happening in the wider community.

As a committee, they are all passionate about bringing life back to the community, now more than ever.

If you would like to learn more about the development of the proposed Killeigh Community Centre and how you may be able to assist please visit our website www.killeighcommunitycentre.com
The Vietnamese stock market shrugged off concerns over rising COVID-19 cases

Vietnam focused investment trusts dominated the list of best-performing funds last month, while technology trusts continued to take a hit.

Vietnam Holding Ltd ( ) was the best-performing investment company in NAV terms in May, up 12.8%, and second-best performing in price terms, up 19%, according to analysis by QuotedData.

This came as the Vietnamese market shrugged off concerns over rising COVID-19 cases.

Vietnam Enterprise Investments Ltd ( ) and VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Ltd ( ) also did well.

Domestic investors are driving the market higher, encouraged by good earnings data for the first quarter of 2021, QuotedData said.

Mays median total share price return across the investment trust universe was 0.5%, with a mean average of 0.9%. This compares with a median of 4.4% in April.

Technology & Media was the worst performing sector in May by total price return, with the three-company sector down by a median 6.5%, below the next-worst performance of Japanese Smaller Company, which was down 6.2%.

The worst performing individual trusts were smaller companies focused Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust PLC (LON:EWI), Ltd ( ) in the hedge funds sector, and Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon PLC (LON:BGS) in terms of NAV, and Standard Life Investments Property Income Trust Ltd (LON:SLI), Syncona Ltd ( ) and ( ).

The rally in commodities appears to have gained momentum, QuotedData observed, with Ltd ( ) and CQS Natural Resources Growth Income PLC ( ) in the top ten NAV performers for a second consecutive month.

They were helped by the further strengthening in the gold price, while Geiger Counter Ltd ( ), the uranium investor, had benefited from the price of the nuclear metal benefiting from constrained supply, and World Mining ( ).

The rally in value stocks is benefitting Scottish Investment Trust PLC ( ), QuotedData said, while shares in Symphony International Holdings PLC (LON:SIHL) rose after AVI, managers of AVI Global Trust, called for a shake-up of its board in a bid to narrow its discount.
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Boeing Tested Air Purifiers Like Those Widely Used in Schools. It Decided Not to Use Them in Planes.
With Roots in Civil Rights, Community Health Centers Push for Equity in the Pandemic
National Indigenous leaders are planning a visit to the Vatican this November to seek a papal apology for the Catholic Churchs role in running residential schools and other Canadian institutions that Indigenous students were forced to attend.
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Market Update: Tuesday 8 June 2021 Petroneft Resources (AIM:PTR): Another production uplift at C-4, Cheremshanskoye field, Russia President Energy (AIM:PPC): Farm out agreed - Pirity Concession, Paraguay Zephyr Energy (LON:ZPHR): Plans to achieve carbon-neutrality across operational footprint by 30 September 2021

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Non-Independent Research; Marketing & Sales Commentary - MiFID II exempt information  see disclaimer below

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Market Update: Tuesday 8 June 2021

Petroneft Resources (AIM:PTR): Another production uplift at C-4, Cheremshanskoye field, Russia

President Energy (AIM:PPC): Farm out agreed - Pirity Concession, Paraguay

Zephyr Energy (LON:ZPHR): Plans to achieve carbon-neutrality across operational footprint by 30 September 2021

Energy Prices

Brent Oil US$70.1/bbl vs US$71.5/bbl yesterday

WTI Oil US$68.8/bbl vs US$69.3/bbl yesterday

Natural Gas US$3.11/mmbtu vs US$3.10/mmbtu yesterday

Oil Price News

Oil prices pulled back yesterday after touching two-year highs on expectations of improved demand and OPEC producers keeping supply curbs in place

Prices retreated on Chinese data showing crude oil imports fell to a year's low in May

Crude has risen for two weeks, with Brent up by 38% this year and WTI rising 43%, helped by nascent recovery from pandemic-related demand disruptions and supply curbs by OPEC+

The core reason for the slight drop stems from provisional crude oil import data for Asias top markets signal that physical demand is softer than what investors forecast in the paper market

The COVID crisis in India, which peaked in early May, and the return of restrictions in several south Asian countries such as Malaysia, which is now in a third lockdown have been depressing fuel demand in many parts of Asia in recent weeks, bloating the fuel inventory glut further and hitting refining margins

In addition, some refineries, including in the worlds top importer China, have entered planned seasonal maintenance this spring and have reduced their crude intake in the second quarter

As a result of all those factors, imports into the Asian region are estimated to have dropped in May to the lowest monthly level so far this year

Asia imported 23.07MMbopd of crude oil last month, down from more than 24MMbopd in each of April and March, and from 25.2MMbopd in February, according to data from Refinitiv Oil

The Indian health crisis resulted in reduced refinery run rates, and crude oil imports likely fell to 3.9MMbopd in May, compared to 4.46MMbopd in April

Gas Price News

After maintaining the US$3/mmbtu mark last week in the face of moderate temperatures, weather models that showed much hotter conditions in key US regions this week helped lift the July Nymex futures contract even higher, to around US$3.1/mmbtu

However, weather data in recent runs has backed off some of the hot weather, both in terms of intensity and location.

Yesterday, the forecast shifted a little further cooler for the next couple of weeks but maintained the impressive heat for this week, according to Bespoke Weather Services

Currently, there are no tropical cyclones expected to form in the Atlantic for the next 48-hours, according to NOAA

Natural gas production was also flat week on week

Company News

Petroneft Resources (AIM:PTR): Another production uplift at C-4, Cheremshanskoye field, Russia

Share Price: 2.8p, Market Cap: 30m

Petronefts latest operations update confirms that production from the C-4 well on the Cheremshanskoye field remains strong with virtually no decline.

The rate has also been increased from 300bopd to 320bopd by increasing the choke size to 10mm.

Since bringing the field on stream at the end of February it has produced a total of over 27,000bbls from the C-4 well through May, whilst production in May was over 9,000bbls.

The oil produced from this field benefits from a partial exemption of the Mineral Extraction Tax, with the continued improvement in oil price, this reduction in Mineral Extraction tax is estimated to now be over US$4/bbl in May alone.

The forward plan is to continue to monitor reservoir performance and at an appropriate time install a pump to optimise production and further increase revenue.

The C-4 well, which is located on the northern margin of the Cheremshanskoye field, was drilled during 2018 and tested oil at a combined 179bopd from Upper Jurassic J1-1 and J1-3 clastic reservoirs from 2,630m to 2,633m and 2,644m to 2,655m.

The well was re-entered in Q1 2020 to perform an extended well test.

During this test, the well flowed at various choke sizes from the same Upper Jurassic J1-1 & J1-3 clastic reservoirs and flowed naturally at up to a maximum 476bopd on a 10mm choke size.

Elsewhere, the L-2a well is located along the northern margin of the licence at the Ledovoye field.

The L-2a well was drilled by the Company in 2011 and was designed to twin the successful L-2 well which was drilled in 1973 and flowed oil to surface during a short open hole test recovering 34.5bbls of oil in 40 minutes, equivalent to more than 1,000bopd.

The L-2 well suffered from operational problems that prevented a cased hole test.

At the time of drilling of the L-2a well (2011), 5m of net oil pay was identified within the Upper Jurassic J1-1 and J1-2 reservoir intervals.

Management has confirmed that the well was re-entered in recent weeks and a liner cemented in place.

During several swabbing cycles the well started to flow a mixture of oil and water.

A total of approximately 132bbls of oil was recovered with a gravity of 33 API along with 306bbls of water from 4 swab cycles.

Inflow from the formation ranged from 100bopd to 300bopd.

The high-water content currently precludes oil from being produced at this field as there are no separation facilities on site.

A decision was therefore made to suspend the well until separation facilities are in place.

In December 2020, an offtake contract was signed with the Alexandrovskoye Oil Refinery (AOR) that included a c.US$1m advance payment against future oil shipment from the C-4 well on the Cheremshanskoye field to cover infrastructure development on Licence 67.

In 2020 AOR purchased all the oil produced from the C-4 well during the extended well test at competitive market rates.

Due to a combination of strong performance from the C-4 well at Cheremshanskoye combined with the improving oil price, the Company did not need to call the advance payment for the Offtake Contract thereby saving financing charges.

Nevertheless, the US$1m advance payment under the Offtake Contract remains in place should the Company decide to utilise this capital.

Our take: Another positive update from Petroneft, underlining that the ongoing rebuilding of the business is well underway. Performance at Cheremshanskoye is particularly encouraging with another production uplift from the 243bopd reported in March. Strong operational performance, combined with the improving oil price, has significantly improved the finances of the Company which has enabled it to fund construction of the road and re-entry of the Ledovoye L-2a well without the need to call down agreed financing arrangements which now remain in place should it need the capital in the future.

President Energy (AIM:PPC): Farm out agreed - Pirity Concession, Paraguay

Share Price: 2.1p, Market Cap: 42.6m

In a positive update, President has confirmed the signing of the agreement for the farm-out of its Pirity Concession, Paraguay.

The agreement has been signed with a substantial Northern Hemisphere state-owned energy company to farm in for a 50% participating interest in Pirity.

In return, the Farminee will pay 60% of the costs of an exploration well currently scheduled to commence during H1 2022 and will also pay President US$4m in consideration of the Company agreeing to enter into its performance obligations.

Agreement subject only to regulatory approval and prolongation of the licence for a defined period.

The exploration well will target the Delray complex of prospects, estimated by the Company to contain in aggregate over 260MMbo of Pmean Unrisked Resources.

Costs of the well are estimated at between US$10-15. with an estimated chance of success of 30%

President will continue as the operator of Pirity.

Our take: A very positive update for President, adding further validation of the Companys Paraguayan acreage position despite a frustrating historical drilling campaign. The potential cash injection of US$4m suggests that the Company could be fully carried on next years exploration well in the country on a low CAPEX case. Following a challenging FY20, shareholders will be encouraged by Presidents ongoing prudent approach to capital discipline, achieving material cost savings and entering into several agreements with local partners. Operationally in Argentina, it is encouraging that the LB-1001 gas well has been placed into production which is currently ahead of expectations. As no reserves had previously been logged at this interval it is positive news for the Company, more importantly it could be a sign there may be greater untapped resource potential at the field. It is further incremental improvement following similar news at EVN-x1, in the Estancia Vieja North structure where hydrocarbons have also been produced for the first time.

Zephyr Energy (LON:ZPHR): Plans to achieve carbon-neutrality across operational footprint by 30 September 2021

Share price: 3.6p, Market Cap: 44m

Zephyr has confirmed today that the Company intends to achieve carbon-neutrality across its operational footprint by 30 September 2021.

This is the first step towards near-term delivery of hydrocarbons produced with an operational "net-zero" carbon impact, with the Company leadership committed to this initiative.

As part of this undertaking, Zephyr has agreed to collaborate with the Prax Group, a British multinational independent oil refining, trading, storage, distribution and retail conglomerate dealing in crude oil, petroleum products and biofuels.

The Prax Group will work with Zephyr to measure, reduce and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its businesses, with mitigation efforts primarily focused on the purchase of sustainability/decarbonisation offsets (called Verified Emission Reductions or VER) from reputable pre-vetted developers of sustainable projects.

This exercise will include Zephyr's current corporate activity, its non-operated production assets in the Williston Basin, North Dakota, US, and its upcoming appraisal drilling project in the Paradox Basin, Utah, US.

The cost to purchase the appropriate number of VERs to offset Zephyr's growing operational footprint is expected to average well under US$1/bbl of oil equivalent produced, although the net cost to Zephyr may be considerably less given the potential to sell oil volumes at a premium as a result of the anticipated "net-zero" operational carbon status of those volumes.

Purchases of VERs will be staged in increments matching Zephyr's forecast production profile to facilitate effective cash management.

Recent market-based evidence suggests that purchasers and supply chain partners of "net-zero" operated volumes are willing to absorb costs associated with the purchase of VER offsets related to oil and gas production.

Zephyr's initial efforts will be focused on its Scope 1 GHG impacts, which cover all direct emissions from Zephyr-owned or controlled sources - from the drilling and production of operated and non-operated hydrocarbons through to transport to the refinery, as well as all other corporate emissions.

Over the next few months, Zephyr and the Prax Group will focus on measuring, reducing and mitigating operational GHG emissions across the Company, and Zephyr's pledge to achieve carbon-neutral operations in a rapid manner is demonstrative of Zephyr's commitment to achieving sector-leading environmental standards.

Our take: In addition to the environmental benefits that will result from Zephyr's efforts to reach carbon-neutrality, it will potentially also yield economic benefits, including expanded access to a wider group of potential institutional investors given accelerating ESG requirements of public companies. Zephyr recently entered a new phase of growth and are now a cash-generating oil producer with plans for near-term development on its flagship Paradox Basin appraisal project. On this basis the Company is looking to capitalise on its high IRR potential, satisfying several ESG factors and therefore overall attractiveness of the investment opportunity to equity funds.

Research  Oil & Gas

Sam Wahab - 0203 470 0473 / 0784 385 5037

sam.wahab@spangel.co.uk

Sales

Richard Parlons  020 3470 0472

Abigail Wayne  020 3470 0534

Rob Rees  020 3470 0535

Grant Barker  020 3470 0471

SP Angel

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+SP Angel employees may have previously held, or currently hold, shares in the companies mentioned in this note.

Sources of commodity prices

Oil Brent, WTI - ICE

Natural Gas - NYMEX

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Recommendations are based on a 12-month time horizon as follows:

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Sky News 10 Jun 2021

The UK will donate at least 100 million surplus COVID vaccines to other countries within the next year, Boris Johnson has pledged.
The operation was built on law enforcement accessing the supposedly secure "ANoM" messaging platform. Hundreds were arrested in Australia and New Zealand; more information is expected from Europol and the FBI later.
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Politicians are calling on executives and management at Nav Canada to pay back $7 million in bonuses they received last year during the pandemic, while the private non-profit was tapping into government aid and warning of possible layoffs.
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Al Jazeera STUDIO 09 Jun 2021

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Deutsche GigaNetz is a highly innovative next generation fiber network operator that brings lightspeed performance broadband to customers across Germany.

Klicken Sie hier fur die deutsche Version dieser Pressemitteilung.

Cambridge, 08 June 2021 - IQGeo (AIM: IQG), a developer of geospatial productivity and collaboration software for the telecoms and utility industries, today announced that Deutsche GigaNetz GmbH selected IQGeo as its strategic supplier of fiber network management and workflow software. As a rapidly growing fiber network provider in Germany, Deutsche GigaNetz chose a cloud deployment of IQGeos Network Manager software as its dedicated System of Record (SoR) and will also be using its Workflow Manager software to optimize mobile field construction processes.

Deutsche GigaNetz is a highly innovative next generation fiber network operator that brings lightspeed performance broadband to customers across Germany. Its business model is focused on delivering an unrivalled fiber-to-the-home service and support experience for its customers using industry-leading technology. To meet this ambition, Deutsche GigaNetz selected the IQGeo software in a highly competitive tender process, recognizing both the innovation of the IQGeo geospatial technology and the shared vision of creating an end-to-end, optimized network management solution that is accessible across the entire enterprise.





Based on IQGeos cloud-native architecture, Deutsche GigaNetz has selected a Microsoft Azure cloud deployment to support its aggressive network growth targets, providing a highly scalable, resilient, and secure enterprise solution that reduces long-term total cost of ownership. IQGeos mobile-first Workflow Manager software will underpin construction ticketing for Deutsche GigaNetzs field crews and 3rd party contractors, optimizing processes and accelerating time-to-revenue.



The selection of the IQGeo software is based on the open flexibility of its platform and the usability of its mobile applications says Michael Kaufer, Manager of Planning, Construction and Documentation at Deutsche GigaNetz. As a rapidly growing network provider, agility and innovation are fundamental to all aspects of our business and IQGeo offers us the ability to support our entire operational lifecycle with a single geospatial solution.



We are very impressed with the vision of the Deutsche GigaNetz team and pleased to be selected as the strategic supplier of choice for their partner ecosystem says Christian Wirth, General Manager for EMEA and Asia at IQGeo. With initial deployments scheduled for late summer we will begin by documenting their data model, defining construction workflows and integrating a number of applications and data sources to create a single geospatial network view for all stake holders. Our Network Manager SoR will provide both performance and functional scalability as Deutsche GigaNetzs market share and network grows. We look forward to building a long-term partnership.

Klicken Sie hier fur die deutsche Version dieser Pressemitteilung.

About Deutsche GigaNetz GmbH

Within the framework of the digitalization of Germany, Deutsche GigaNetz GmbH, with its headquarters in Hamburg, is focusing on creating fiber-optic infrastructure that reaches out to its customers, allowing people, communities, and companies to move forward. As telecommunications experts, we are a reliable local partner with combined Internet, telephony, and TV offers. The company maintains supports its customers with first-class fiber-optic networks, open access solutions and regional marketing. Deutsche GigaNetz GmbH is financed and strategically supported through funds managed by InfraRed Capital Partners Limited (InfraRed). InfraRed is a large global investor with more than 20 years of expertise in establishing long-term infrastructure projects.



www.deutsche-giganetz.de
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The vice president traveled to the Central American country on Monday to meet with the Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei in her first trip after being appointed by President Biden to lead diplomatic efforts in the region amid the border crisis.
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Upworthy 08 Jun 2021

Carroll has accused the former president of sexual assault and defaming her by saying it "never happened."
Zephyr Energy (LON:ZPHR) Zephyr has announced that it intends to achieve carbon-neutrality across its operational footprint by 30 September 2021. This industry-leading pledge is a major first step towards near-term delivery of hydrocarbons produced with an operational net-zero carbon impact, and the Companys Board members are unanimously committed to this initiative.

Oil price, Zephyr, President. And finally

WTI $69.23 -39c, Brent $71.49 -40c, Diff -$2.26 -1c, NG $3.07 -3c, UKNG 67.31p +4.71p

Oil price

A mixed bag which after last weeks rise is keeping the oil price under a little pressure. Chinese imports have fallen but against a quarter in which they hoovered a lot of very cheap barrels for the SPD is hardly a good comparison. Reuters are reporting a speech by the Opec Secretary General in Nigeria where he expects inventories to fall further in coming months after a drop of 6.9m barrels in April.

Its retail gasoline day and a gallon overall will cost you $3.035 which is up 0.8 cents w/w. M/M is also up, by 7.4c and y/y is up 99.9 cents. This week sees the monthly reports coming out, lets see what the IEA say after being ridiculed at the Opec+ meeting.

Zephyr Energy ( )

Zephyr has announced that it intends to achieve carbon-neutrality across its operational footprint by 30 September 2021. This industry-leading pledge is a major first step towards near-term delivery of hydrocarbons produced with an operational net-zero carbon impact, and the Companys Board members are unanimously committed to this initiative.

As an integral part of this undertaking, Zephyr has agreed to collaborate with the Prax Group, a British multinational independent oil refining, trading, storage, distribution and retail conglomerate dealing in crude oil, petroleum products and bio-fuels, headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The Prax Group, which has trading offices in London, Singapore and the United States of America, will work with Zephyr to measure, reduce and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across Zephyrs businesses, with mitigation efforts primarily focused on the purchase of sustainability/decarbonisation offsets (called Verified Emission Reductions or VER) from reputable pre-vetted developers of sustainable projects. This exercise will include Zephyrs current corporate activity, its non-operated production assets in the Williston Basin, North Dakota, US, and its upcoming appraisal drilling project in the Paradox Basin, Utah, US.

The cost to purchase the appropriate number of VERs to offset Zephyrs growing operational footprint is expected to average well under $1 per barrel of oil equivalent produced, although the net cost to Zephyr may be considerably less given the potential to sell oil volumes at a premium as a result of the anticipated net-zero operational carbon status of those volumes. Purchases of VERs will be staged in increments matching Zephyrs forecast production profile to facilitate effective cash management. Recent market-based evidence suggests that purchasers and supply chain partners of net-zero operated volumes are willing to absorb costs associated with the purchase of VER offsets related to oil and gas production.

Zephyrs initial efforts will be focused on its Scope 1 GHG impacts1, which cover all direct emissions from Zephyr-owned or controlled sources  from the drilling and production of operated and non-operated hydrocarbons through to transport to the refinery, as well as all other corporate emissions. Over the next few months, Zephyr and the Prax Group will focus on measuring, reducing and mitigating operational GHG emissions across the Company, and Zephyrs pledge to achieve carbon-neutral operations in a rapid manner is demonstrative of Zephyrs commitment to achieving sector-leading environmental standards.

Zephyrs Board also understands that mitigating the Companys operational CO2 impact is only a first step  emissions from the ultimate end-use of produced volumes have a significant CO2 impact as well. Going forward, Zephyr pledges to work with potential end-users of its products to explore routes to more fully offset its product CO2 (Scope 3 Emissions1) to the greatest extent possible.

In addition to the environmental benefits that will result from Zephyrs efforts to reach carbon-neutrality, the Company anticipates that this approach will also yield economic benefits  including expanded access to a wider group of potential institutional investors, as total ESG-focused assets under management are currently estimated to be over US$30 trillion globally. Moreover, the average cost of capital for companies with committed ESG and decarbonisation initiatives has been shown to be demonstrably less than that of traditional resource companies. The Board believes that incremental regulatory benefits may also materialise from Zephyrs actions.

Colin Harrington, Chief Executive of Zephyr, said:

When we relaunched the Company as Zephyr almost a year ago, the Board unanimously agreed a policy to always operate with two core values in mind: to be responsible stewards of our investors capital and to be responsible stewards of the environment in which we work.

These values are straightforward, fundamental, and at the forefront of every decision we make. Its why Im excited that todays announcement, a pledge to offset 100% of carbon emissions from our operations starting this September, is both a ground-breaking initiative for Zephyr and a major step towards a tangible demonstration of our commitments.

Zephyr recently entered a new phase of growth  we are now a cash-generating oil producer with plans for near-term development on our flagship Paradox Basin appraisal project. This new phase comes with a corresponding new carbon impact, which is why the timing is right to launch what we believe is an industry-leading environmental commitment. As our existing asset portfolio consists of light, high-quality, low-GHG intensity resource developments, we have confidence that Zephyr is an ideal platform from which to launch this initiative.

The path forward, albeit nascent and experimental, is grounded in the sentiment that good environmental & operational performance + good governance = superior investor returns. Todays announcement is illustrative of this thesis. We believe that eliminating our operational carbon footprint is important from an environmental perspective  and we also feel that our shareholders will benefit from the potential for premium commodity pricing, access to a wider pool of institutional investors and cheaper cost of capital, as well as enhanced relations with our regulatory partners.

Weve set ourselves an ambitious target to reach carbon neutrality for all operations by the end of September, and I am thankful for our collaboration with Christopher Dillman and his team at the Prax Group for assisting us with this endeavour. Their capabilities in structuring and executing bespoke actionable decarbonisation strategies makes them an excellent fit for Zephyr.

We look forward to working with the Prax Group team to deliver on this commitment to improve Zephyrs environmental performance and minimise the impacts of our corporate activity and hydrocarbon production.

Yet again Zephyr are amongst industry leaders as they commit to environmental performance tied in with state of the art governance to eliminate their carbon footprint. Here it is being done at what seems like an attractive price and having done it they become part of the industry bar.

I am interviewing Colin this week and Im sure that he will be able to add significant detail to the programme.

President Energy ( )

President has announced that the farm-out agreement, in partnership with a state-owned energy company for the purpose of drilling an exploration well at the Pirity Concession, Paraguay, has now been signed. Drilling is projected to commence in H1 2022.

President has announced an agreement signed with a substantial Northern Hemisphere state-owned energy company, to farm in for a 50% participating interest in the Pirity Concession, Paraguay. In return, the Farminee will pay 60% of the costs of an exploration well currently scheduled to commence during H1 2022 and will also pay President US$4m in consideration of the Company agreeing to enter into its performance obligations under the Agreement.

The agreement is subject only to regulatory approval and prolongation of the licence for a defined period. The exploration well will target the Delray complex of prospects, estimated by the Company to contain in aggregate over 260 MMbo of Pmean Unrisked Resources and the costs of the well are estimated at between US$10-15 million with an estimated chance of success of 30%. President will continue as the operator of Pirity.

Peter Levine, Chairman, commented:

I am very pleased that President is entering into a partnership with this substantial state-owned energy company whose name will remain confidential until the conditions attaching to the farm-out agreement are completed.

Having in the course of negotiations visited the Farminee in its home country, I have been impressed by the professionalism of its workforce, the country and its people. I am sure that the Farminee will be an excellent and supportive partner as together we embark with enthusiasm and the appropriate level of optimism on an unfinished journey President started but never completed in the quest to create history and be the first to find oil in Paraguay.

President itself is a transformed company since our previous Paraguayan drilling campaign. With lessons learnt, we have mobilised our significant in depth management, operational and technical expertise, leveraging on our extensive production and exploration assets in neighbouring Argentina combined with our financial strength to maximise the potential of success for the upcoming drilling in 2022.

With the recent robust oil prices and demand increases, the timing is perfect especially when taking into account in a success case the end market opportunities provided in a country that currently imports all its oil in refined form by barge all the way from the River Plate. We have in this regard a significant joker in our pack of cards through the possibilities which will be no doubt available through our second largest shareholder Trafigura, one of the Worlds leading commodity traders whose associated company in Paraguay, Puma, is an important importer of fuel into the Country and has there an extensive and significant network of retail filling stations.

Finally, I would like to extend my thanks to the Farminee for their friendship and hard work to get us to this point. In particular, I would also like to extend my personal gratitude to the President, Government and regulatory authorities of Paraguay for their help and understanding in our work. It is a country and people I hold dear to my heart. Together with the Farminee we will do what we can within our powers to make this well as successful as possible.

At long last it seems that President are finally going to spin the drill bit in Paraguay, there are people who said it wouldnt happen but they clearly didnt know Peter Levine, who has had a determination to drill in this country ever since I have known him. It goes without saying that any success here would not only be incredibly profitable, but given its strategic importance to Paraguay and the PPC relationship with Trafigura tick a lot of economic boxes too. I agree that having listened to the message from Peter that it is too early to get excited ahead of drilling next Spring but investors are entitled to have a small smile today.

And finally

Lorenzo Musetti playing in his first ever Grand Slam nearly beat Djoko, taking him nearly to 5 sets before collapsing in a heap, losing 13 games on the trot and withdrawing from the match.

After yesterdays revelations about Ollie Robinson and his teenage texts it looks like Wisden has been busy digging trying to find more. I am amazed that there are so many people able to cast the stones given the glass houses that they live in.
Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday was meeting with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador as part of a two-day tour to the region to tackle what the Biden administration describes as the "root causes" of the crisis at the southern border -- as she faces criticism for failing to visit the border and remarks a day earlier on illegal migration.
Newsy 07 Jun 2021

Watch VideoPeru is also in the middle of elections and we're learning this morning the presidential race may be too close to..
Taipei (AFP) June 6, 2021



A bipartisan delegation of three United States senators landed in Taiwan on Sunday and announced that Washington would donate 750,000 coronavirus vaccine doses to its ally. The high profile delegation and gift comes as Taiwan accuses China of hampering its efforts to secure enough doses as part of Beijing's ongoing campaign to keep the island isolated. Senators Tammy Duckworth, Christoph
Vietnam, once a model for its successful handling of the pandemic, has started asking for public donations to buy vaccines as it struggles to contain a new coronavirus wave. The Southeast Asian country has vaccinated only about one percent of its population of nearly 100 million, and authorities have become increasingly alarmed by a recent []
US Vice President Kamala Harris said she held candid and productive talks with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on migration Tuesday, hailing a new era in relations. The two leaders witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between their countries on cooperation in aid and development in Central America, including youth empowerment programs. []
Newsy 10 Jun 2021

Watch VideoJohnson & Johnson said Thursday that U.S. regulators extended the expiration date on millions of doses of its COVID-19..
PA - Press Association STUDIO 08 Jun 2021

A passenger who boarded the MSC Virtuosa in Liverpool has expressed her disappointment at not being allowed in to Greenock,..
President Joe Biden supported strengthening NATO during talks with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. In preparation for the June 14 summit in Brussels, Stoltenberg said "biggest challenge is that we live in a much more unpredictable world." (June 7)


Joe Biden is heading to Europe for his first international trip as president to strategize with G7 democracies and other NATO allies before confronting Russian President Vladimir Putin about global issues during a meeting in Geneva. (June 7)


Dr. Anthony Fauci is warning about a COVID-19 variant, "Delta," that has become the dominant strain in the United Kingdom. "We cannot let is happen here," he said, as U.S. health officials reported overall positive trends. (June 8)


As well as an inhaled respiratory treatment with blockbuster potential, the group has a commercial product that looks set to generate significant near-term revenues

The respiratory product is believed to be effective across a broad range of infections from pneumonia and flu to the common cold, which opens up a huge potential marketplace.

is developing an inhaled respiratory treatment with blockbuster potential and has a commercial product that looks set to generate significant near-term revenues.

It plans is to raise 6mln in pre-IPO and IPO funding and is expected to list on the London Stock Exchange in the third quarter at what it believes is a conservative valuation of 50mln.

Cash raised will kick-start the commercial roll-out of Spectricept, the active ingredient of the firm's non-alcohol-based hand sanitiser which is 300-times stronger than bleach.

It will also be put to use developing SPC-069, shortly to be trialled on COVID-19 patients, but which could also be used to treat a range of viral, bacterial, and fungal infections. In this era of antibiotic resistance, this broad-based potential is bound to attract a lot of industry interest.

Both innovations harness the antimicrobial qualities of a chemical known as hypochlorous acid (HOCl), which is produced as a vital component of our bodies immune system to destroy unwanted bacteria and viruses.

The formulation mimics how humans make HOCl, which in turn provides resilience to contaminants.

The use of HOCl as both a hand sanitiser and combatant for infection emanates from the work of Hoji Alimi, the chairman and chief executive of Collidion Inc. SpectrumX holds licences over the technology granted to the company by Alimis Spectrum Antimicrobials, a subsidiary of Collidion.

The imminent UK roll-out of the hand sanitiser could quickly transform the business, generating 9.4mln in revenues this year rising to 43mln next year, then 75mln and 99mln, before hitting 130mln by 2025. These are the companys own internal projections and may change as the group develops.

However, market testing has revealed there could be strong demand for this next-generation cleanser, which is kinder to the skin than but more effective as alcohol-based solutions.

Gary Davies, medical director of Chelsea & Westminster NHS Trust, said the feedback from his staff using SpectrumXs HOCl product had been overwhelmingly positive.

Once up and running, a manufacturing facility in the north-west of England means Spectrum can stop importing product from California, resulting in a sharp fall in costs. It also allows the company to rapidly increase and broaden its base of prospective customers.

The figures quoted earlier are "immediately projected revenues" from the hand sanitiser and ignore the significant potential of SPC-069, the respiratory candidate that will undergo phase II clinical trials in Austria shortly.

The 240 participants in the trial will be put on a 10-day course of the treatment, which means the top-line results from the study should be available reasonably quickly  perhaps six weeks from the start of the evaluation, says Damien Hancox, the chief executive of SpectrumX.

Anecdotally, we have seen excellent improvements in 72 hours, he adds.

With this last fact in mind, Hancox and his team are making a submission to the newly formed UK Antiviral Taskforce, which has been set up to find treatments that can be used at home to combat the more extreme effects of COVID-19.

They [the taskforce] are actively looking; at the moment they're looking for experimental ingestible treatments because our form of therapy is relatively unknown  and the chemistry completely novel  but we are in touch with the right people, the SpectrumX CEO adds.

The product has undergone delineation assessment by the HPRA in Europe and been assessed as a medical/pharmaceutical product. This was done via Spectrums Irish subsidiary.

Our ultimate aim is to have our product used as a preventative sold over the counter in a pharmacy, so if your son or your daughter starts getting a cold at school you go to Boots or Superdrug and you buy a nebuliser preloaded with capsules of our solution, explains Hancox.

As mentioned above, the respiratory product is believed to be effective across a broad range of infections from pneumonia and flu to the common cold, which opens up a huge potential marketplace.

Its any sort of viral or bacterial infection; anywhere in the airways (upper or lower, respiratory system) we have the same effective mode of action, Hancox explains. By being positively non-selective, it makes our respiratory treatment so unique.

There will be significant early milestones for SpectrumX, including the initial trial data from its phase II study of SPC-069 by the Innsbruck team assessing its potential to treat COVID-19 patients.

Assuming a positive read-out from the trial, it will submit the data in support of a European Medicines Agency emergency use authorisation for its respiratory technology.

At a practical level, we will also see the fit-out of the Spectricept manufacturing facilities that will quickly lead to the expansion of NHS contracts (and help SpectrumX achieve the sales numbers quoted above).

We have a rare opportunity to create a significant business very quickly from a standing start, says CEO Hancox. We couldnt be more excited.
PRESIDENT GIAMMATTEI: Im trying to express in English to give you the best reception here in Guatemala. Thank you very much for your visit.



For us, its very important to have you here because it means that Guatemala and the United States can work as partners with common goals. That kind of goals are  there are...
Former President Donald Trump called bitcoin a probable scam on Fox Business, Monday, complaining that its competing against the US dollar, which he wants to be the currency of the world.



During an interview on Fox Business, host Stuart Varney asked Trump for his thoughts on the popular cryptocurrency and...
Thousands of government, news and social media websites across the globe were coming back online Tuesday after being hit by a widespread hour-long outage linked to U.S.-based cloud company Fastly Inc.
A British woman who was traveling in Mexico is reportedly fighting to live after she and her twin sister were attacked by a crocodile over the weekend.
By: Joseph Fischetti, Peter Greene, Benjamin Kozinn

On June 3, the United States Supreme Court decided Van Buren v. United States, a Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) case with important implications for investment advisers and hedge funds that scrape web data as a source of research.

The facts of the case have nothing to do with the financial services industry. Rather, they involve a Georgia police officer found guilty of violating the CFAA for accepting a bribe to run a license plate number through a police database in order to determine whether the owner was an undercover police officer. The theory of his CFAA conviction was that he intentionally accessed a computer "without authorization or exceed[ing] authorized access." The officer had permission to access the database, but the Eleventh Circuit held that he violated the CFAA by exceeding the scope of his authorized access and using the database in a manner that his employer did not allow. Thus, although the officer had authority to access the license plate database, his improper use of the database's data was a criminal offense under the CFAA.

The Supreme Court reversed. In so doing, it rejected the Eleventh Circuit's aggressive reading of the CFAA, which the First, Fifth, and Seventh Circuits also had followed.

In her opinion for the 6-3 majority, Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote that when the CFAA refers to "information in the computer that the accesser is not entitled so to obtain," it refers only to......................

To view our full article Click here
Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia:

Global investment manager Schroders has combined all of its private markets capabilities under one banner as the newly formed Schroders Capital, which will have oversight for $65bn (45.9bn) worth of assets.

The British multinational asset management company said in a press release that new the unit will encompass the firm's existing range of private equity, securitized products, and asset-based finance, private debt, real estate, infrastructure, insurance-linked securities (ILS), and impact specialist BlueOrchard, which will maintain its independent brand identity.

Each asset class is set to maintain a "high level of autonomy" within Schroders Capital, but will also benefit from "enhanced knowledge-sharing and collaboration with other asset classes", said the release.

Peter Harrison, Schroders group chief executive, said: "Schroders is further delivering on its growth strategy with the launch of Schroders Capital, a new brand for all our private assets businesses.

"It will continue to provide clients with a local approach to investing across a diversified range of private asset strategies, supported by a global perspective and the long-established Schroders business," Peter added.

The unit will be led by Georg Wunderlin, who will serve as the global head of Schroders Capital.

He said: "This unification will promote knowledge sharing and innovation across Schroders private assets businesses and showcase our diversified r......................

To view our full article Click here
Opalesque Industry Update - In its decision of 28 May 2021, the Enforcement Committee imposed a fine of 1.2 million on each of the respondents, Global Derivative Trading GmbH and its CEO, Thorsten Wagner, for manipulating the price of a French sovereign bond futures contract. Between 1 July and 13 October 2015, the German company Global Derivative Trading GmbH issued orders on Eurex, the German derivatives regulated market, for futures contracts notably with French fungible Treasury bonds as the underlying asset (FOAT). The Committee first declared that it had jurisdiction to deal with the breaches of price manipulation alleged against the company and its CEO, on the grounds that the FOAT contracts in question were to be considered as financial instruments linked to the underlying French sovereign bond, traded on venues supervised by the AMF and with which these contracts were closely correlated. On the merits, the Committee found that during 303 sequences on the FOAT, the involved company had placed orders that gave misleading signals as to the supply of, demand for and price of the FOAT. In this respect, the Committee noted that the company had issued passive orders for significant and atypical quantities of contracts, which created strong pressure on one side of the order book at the three best limits, thus creating some doubt as to the reality of supply and demand, before the mass cancellation of these orders. The Committee also found that the investigation data established that the company's passive orders, described as decoy orders, had distorted the representation of supply, demand and price of the FOAT for all the sequences in question. The Committee considered that the company's interventions in 207 sequences on the FOAT constituted price manipulation, insofar as these interventions secured it a dominant position in the order book, resulting in the creation of unfair trading conditions. In assessing the sanctions, the Committee took into account, in particular, the seriousness of the breaches, the amount of profit made, estimated at almost 340,000 for 180 sequences on the FOAT, and the prejudice for other market participants who suffered from the unfair trading conditions on the FOAT. Between 1 July and 13 October 2015, the German company Global Derivative Trading GmbH issued orders on Eurex, the German derivatives regulated market, for futures contracts notably with French fungible Treasury bonds as the underlying asset (FOAT). The Committee first declared that it had jurisdiction to deal with the breaches of price manipulation alleged against the company and its CEO, on the grounds that the FOAT contracts in question were to be considered as financial instruments linked to the underlying French sovereign bond, traded on venues supervised by the AMF and with which these contracts were closely correlated. On the merits, the Committee found that during 303 sequences on the FOAT, the involved company had placed orders that gave misleading signals as to the supply of, demand for and price of the FOAT. In this respect, the Committee noted that the company had issued passive orders for significant and atypical quantities of contracts, which created strong pressure on one side of the order book at the three best limits, thus creating some doubt as to the reality of supply and demand, before the mass cancellation of these orders. The Committee also found that the investigation data established that the company's passive orders, described as decoy orders, had distorted the representation of supply, demand and price of the FOAT for all the sequences in question. The Committee considered that the company's interventions in 207 sequences on the FOAT constituted price manipulation, insofar as these interventions secured it a dominant position in the order book, resulting in the creation of unfair trading conditions. In assessing the sanctions, the Committee took into account, in particular, the seriousness of the breaches, the amount of profit made, estimated at almost 340,000 for 180 sequences on the FOAT, and the prejudice for other market participants who suffered from the unfair trading conditions on the FOAT. An appeal may be lodged against this decision.
An efficient and accessible charging infrastructure is a pre-requisite for uptake of electric vehicles as it reduces range anxiety and improves charging convenience. The US federal government has announced plans for a transformational $15 billion investment to build a national network of 500,000 charging stations by 2030. However, realizing this vision is not without challenges and demands unique solutions. In this context, Global Transmission is organizing its 3rd annual conference on 
UK SPAC (formerly Mountfield Group and now an AIM Rule 15 Shell) has applied for admission to the AQSE Growth Market. The Company recently raised 3.1m in a placing, giving the Company flexibility in pursuing a reverse take-over transaction. The Directors of the Company are currently in the process of identifying and assessing reverse takeover opportunities...

Our daily digest of news from UK listed Small and Mid caps

08 June 2021

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Whats cooking in the IPO kitchen?

Baltic Classifieds Group PLC, the leading online classifieds group in the Baltics, announced their intention to IPO and the intended publication of a registration document. Should BCG proceed with the IPO, the Company will apply for admission of its entire issued Ordinary Share Capital to the Premium Listing Segment of the LSE.

The UK Residential REIT, a proposed closed-ended real estate investment trust established to invest in a diversified portfolio of affordable, privately rented residential real estate assets in attractive locations outside of London, announces its intention to IPO onto the Premium Listing Segment of the LSE. URES is targeting Gross Issue Proceeds of 150m before expenses by means of a placing, offer for subscription and intermediaries offer of 150m Ordinary Shares plus an Issue of up to 50m Consideration Shares in connection with the acquisition of Seed Assets at an issue price of 1.00 per Ordinary Share. Expected market capitalisation following the completion of the acquisition of Seed Assets of 200m.

plc, the internationally diversified pure-play gold producer, announces the intended publication of a registration document and its potential intention to undertake an IPO. Should Nord Gold proceed with the Offer, the Group will apply for admission of its Shares to the Premium Listing Segment. The Company has also applied for admission of the Shares to trading on the Moscow Exchange.

Victorian Plumbing Group Limited the UK's leading online retailer of bathroom products and accessories, announces its intention to seek admission of its ordinary shares to trading on AIM. Group has grown rapidly in recent years and is now the UK's leading online specialist bathroom brand by revenue in 2020 and the second largest retailer of bathroom products in the UK with an estimated 14.2% of the bathroom market by revenue in 2020. The Companys growth trajectory was maintained in the current financial year, delivering results of 140.7m revenue, and 20.1m adjusted EBITDA for the six months ended 31 March 2021.

LionTrust ESG Trust PLC announces the publication of the Prospectus in connection with the IPO on the Premium Segment of the Main Market. The Company is targeting an initial issue of 150m by means of an Initial Placing, Offer for Subscription and Intermediaries Offer of Ordinary Shares at an issue price of 100 pence per Ordinary Share. In addition, pursuant to the Prospectus, a placing programme will allow the Company to issue up to an additional 250m Ordinary Shares and/or C shares, in the 12 months from the date of publication of the Prospectus and following Initial Admission.

UK SPAC (formerly Mountfield Group and now an AIM Rule 15 Shell) has applied for admission to the AQSE Growth Market. The Company recently raised 3.1m in a placing, giving the Company flexibility in pursuing a reverse take-over transaction. The Directors of the Company are currently in the process of identifying and assessing reverse takeover opportunities with a particular focus on the European medicinal cannabis sector. The Directors are working closely with specialists in this industry in order to evaluate opportunities. Due 11th June.

MADE, a digitally native lifestyle brand in home has announced its intention to IPO onto the Premium Listing Segment of the LSE. MADE's mission is to make high-end designer furniture and homeware products accessible to everyone. Their gross sales, net revenue and Adjusted EBITDA were 109.5m, 82.4m and 1.8m, respectively, for the three months ended 31 March 2021 and 315m, 247m and (5.1m), respectively, for the year ended 31 December 2020. The Offer would comprise a primary offer to raise proceeds to further develop growth in existing markets, improve service through reduction of lead-times offered to customers, scale its homeware range and give the Group increased working capital flexibility. MADE would seek to raise approximately 100m of primary proceeds. Expected June.

expected intention to float on the London Stock Exchange. Marex have a broad service offering, primarily across energy, commodity and financial markets through its Market Making, Commercial Hedging, Price Discovery and Data & Advisory businesses, and has strong positions across its core energy and commodities markets, executing around 35m trades and clearing over 175m contracts in 2020. Headquartered in London, the Group was formed in 2011 and currently has 19 offices worldwide with around 1,000 employees and more than 12,000 clients across Europe, Asia and America. In the year ended 31 December 2020, the Group's net revenue increased by 17.7% from $352.2m to $414.7m, and adjusted operating profit before tax increased by 15.2% from $53.4m to $61.5m. Should Marex proceed with an IPO, the current expectation is that the shares would be admitted to the Premium Listing Segment of the LSE and the offer would comprise of an offer of existing shares to be sold by certain existing shareholders of the Company.

Elcogen Group has announced its intention to IPO on AIM. They are a manufacturer of ceramic anode-supported, low temperature solid oxide cell technology. Elcogen has two core product lines, ElcoCell and ElcoStack. Both product lines are used by customers to integrate into their own end products or systems either for distributed power generation (fuel cells), green hydrogen production (electrolysers) or syngas production (co-electrolysis). The Group operates in Estonia and Finland with headquarters in Tallinn, Estonia. Company financials and deal details TBC. Due in June 2021.

Clarify Pharma, an investment vehicle specialising in biotech and life sciences companies seeking to prove the safety and efficacy of psychedelic-based substances, announced its intention to apply for admission of its Ordinary Shares to trading on the Access Segment of the AQSE Growth Market. The flotation is expected to value Clarify Pharma at approximately 10.5m. The Company plans to raise approximately 5m. Due 11th June.

Voyager Life, the health and wellness company established to supply high-quality Cannabidiol (CBD) and hemp seed oil products, announces the Company's intention to seek admission to trading on the Access Segment AQSE Growth Market. Admission is expected to occur before the end of June 2021. Voyager was incorporated in November 2020 as a health and wellness business focused on CBD and hemp seed oil products. The Company's directors believe that a significant opportunity exists in the CBD market due to the forecast growth and ongoing regulatory changes.

Thor Explorations (TSXV:THX) seeking a secondary listing on AIM. The Company is targeting Admission during Q2 21. Segun Lawson, President & CEO, stated: Thor Explorations has advanced significantly, in both project development and capitalisation since the acquisition of Segilola in 2016. This year, the Company is well positioned to achieve two major milestones with the commencement of gold production at Segilola in Nigeria and a maiden resource at Douta in Senegal, as well as continuing to progress our highly prospective Nigerian exploration portfolio on the Ilesha Schist belt.

Banquet Buffet

152.5p 127m ( )

The software-led global media technology company that delivers modern TV experiences, announces a trading update for the six months ended 31 May 2021. The Group has traded well during the period with revenue for the first half expected to be approximately $45.3m (H1 2020: $38.0m), 19% ahead of the prior year. Improving quality of earnings and enhancing visibility continues to be an area of focus and of progress with the Group expected to report higher margin software and services revenue of approximately $10.0m (H1 2020: $9.7m), and an exit run rate Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) of approximately $13.8m (H1 2020: $10.1m), 37% ahead of the prior year. The Group has also made strong progress against its 2025 strategy, capitalising on the convergence of streaming services and traditional Pay TV. In May 2021 the Group acquired Nordija, a Danish streaming and Pay TV platform specialist. Nordija, which will be integrated into the Group's 24i business, will enhance and scale the Group's end-to-end video streaming portfolio and is expected to be earnings enhancing in the first full financial year of ownership.

Itaconix 13.98p 60.7m ( )

The innovator in sustainable plant-based polymers used as essential ingredients in everyday consumer products, updated on its commercial progress and current trading. Strong revenue growth in odour control, continued growth in detergents, and a small decline in personal care combined for overall unaudited revenues to increase by 39% for the first five months of 2021 over the same period in 2020.

Kodal Minerals 0.305p 48.3m ( )

Kodal has received formal correspondence from the Direction Nationale de la Geologie et des Mines (DNGM) in Bamako providing notification of acceptance of the Feasibility Study for the Mining Licence application at the Bougouni Lithium Project and has received the request to pay the application fee for the delivery of the Mining Licence. Kodal will pay the 135k application fee promptly to continue to advance the application process and maintain communication with the DNGM to monitor progress.

MTI Wireless Edge 65p 57.5m ( )

Mottech Water Solutions Ltd, the Group's subsidiary in the wireless irrigation control solutions sector, has secured a three year service contract with a major Canadian City. The contract is estimated to be worth approximately CAD$ 300k. MTI's CEO, Moni Borovitz, commented: "Canada has historically been an important and profitable market for Mottech and, with the opening of our office, it has the potential to be more valuable to the Group. Our newly set up Canadian business has started well with recent equipment orders and this service contract is an important part of our strategy to increase recurring revenues from service and maintenance and be closer to our end customers. We believe we will see more business opportunities and increased revenue from equipment sales."

Nightcap 25p 46.4m ( )

Update on the Group's recent trading. All of the Group's 19 premium bars are open and trading across London, Bristol and Birmingham, in compliance with government guidelines for group sizes and social distancing. Unaudited Group revenues for the three full weeks since the reopening of indoor hospitality, being 17 May to 6 June 2021 inclusive, saw growth of 92% when compared to Group revenues recorded in the equivalent weeks in the calendar year 2019 (16 of the 19 premium bars had been established and were open at that time) and a 53% growth when compared to Group revenues on a like for like basis for the same time frame. The strong sales performance since re-opening is significantly ahead of the Board's expectations, given that the bars have restricted capacity due to social distancing requirements.

Omega Diagnostics 60.5p 110.5m ( )

Omega announces that it has begun the process of engagement with its European Notified Body seeking CE marking of the VISITECT COVID-19 Antigen test, a rapid point-of-care diagnostic test for the detection of active COVID-19 infections as a self-test. The Company is agreeing the protocols required for utilisation studies and will update shareholders as this process progresses. The test is already CE marked for professional-use and the Company is targeting approval by the end of July to allow the test to be sold in Europe for home-use as well. As the global market for Antigen testing develops the Company believes self-test approval will be a key product differentiator, as has already been seen in the UK. The Company also announces that its technology partner, Mologic Ltd ("has successfully completed the necessary performance studies required for regulatory approval in the US and is now in the final stages of preparing a submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its rapid point-of-care COVID-19 antigen test, for use under both the Omega's VISITECT brand and Global Access Diagnostics brand.

210p 145m ( )

Trading update from immunodiagnostics developer, primarily focused on the growing fields of immuno-oncology, autoimmune disease and infectious diseases. FY21 revenues in line with market expectations with capital available to increase capacity for future contracts. FY21 revenues of 5.6m (8x increase on FY20). Successful equity placing to deliver 4x scale up in ImmunoINSIGHTS business development and operating capacity. FY22 revenue growth expected to be predominantly driven by continued strength of ImmunoINSIGHTS services business. Strong start to FY22 anticipated from contracts signed in the final quarter of FY21 and contracts expected to be signed in Q1 FY22.

Panthera Resources 13.75p 12.5m ( )

The diversified gold exploration and development company with assets in West Africa and India, advises that the assay results for the recent drilling at Paimasa, Nigeria will be delayed while certain samples are subject to re-assay by accelerated cyanide leach (LeachWell). The decision to re-assay many of the samples reflect anomalies between the fire assays and certain check assays that were performed with Leachwell. The Leachwell sample size is considerably larger and should provide a more reliable assay where there is a coarse gold fraction.

Xpediator 66.5p 94.2m ( )

AGM update from the provider of freight management services across the UK and Central and Eastern on the Group's trading performance for the first five months of 2021. Demand for the Group's services across all three divisions has been strong, with those parts of the Transport and Logistics & Warehousing divisions that were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, now all trading positively. As with many logistics businesses, trading at Xpediator is seasonal with the majority of profit made in the second half of the year. That said, given current positive trading trends, the Board believes the business is well placed to exceed market forecasts for the financial year ending 31 December 2021.

Zephyr Energy 3.9p 44.8m ( )

The Rocky Mountain oil and gas company focused on responsible resource development, is pleased to announce that it intends to achieve carbon-neutrality across its operational footprint by 30 September 2021. This industry-leading pledge is a major first step towards near-term delivery of hydrocarbons produced with an operational "net-zero" carbon impact, and the Company's Board members are unanimously committed to this initiative. As an integral part of this undertaking, Zephyr has agreed to collaborate with the Prax Group, a British multinational independent oil refining, trading, storage, distribution and retail conglomerate dealing in crude oil, petroleum products and bio-fuels, headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The Prax Group, which has trading offices in London, Singapore and the United States of America , will work with Zephyr to measure, reduce and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions across Zephyr's businesses, with mitigation efforts primarily focused on the purchase of sustainability/decarbonisation offsets (called Verified Emission Reductions or "VER") from reputable pre-vetted developers of sustainable projects. This exercise will include Zephyr's current corporate activity, its non-operated production assets in the Williston Basin, North Dakota, US, and its upcoming appraisal drilling project in the Paradox Basin, Utah, US.

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If youve ever struggled to keep your yoga mat under control getting it to or from class. Yoga teacher and entrepreneur Jen Paynter of 108 Yoga Road has the solution for you. Her design the Feelix Yoga Strap is an elegant piece of craftsmanship that functions as a classic yoga stretching strap but also a carry strap. In a design first, it uses the mat stickiness to grip. Then held 
Pasig City, Philippines  Australian BPO Staff Domain Inc. announces that it is setting up a vaccination program for all its employees in the Philippines. Staff Domain will be offering COVID-19 vaccines to all its employees free of charge. Additionally, the company will also be offering a vaccination program for the staffs family and household members. Staff Domain is expected to acquire over 500 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccines are 
San Jose, California | 8 June 2021  Kanverse.ai, a cognitive automation company, has announced the global launch of the Emerald release of its patent-pending AI-powered Intelligent Document Processing Product for Enterprise. Kanverse IDP is a product offering built on Kanverse Cognitive Automation platform. It combines AI with Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Business rule framework and Automation to provide an end-to-end solution to digitize document processing for enterprises from ingestion, 
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey says she opposes the current plan by Purdue Pharma to settle thousands of lawsuits over the opioid epidemic in part because it would help preserve wealth for members of the Sackler family who own the company
AGENCY [mdash]MaryAnn Wanner, 75, of Agency, died at 4:45 a.m. June 9, 2021 at Ridgewood Specialty Care. She was born February 18, 1946 in Lake City, IA to Lubbert and Erma DeVries. She married Martin Joseph Wanner and he preceded her in death on March 18, 2021. MaryAnn had worked as a beaut
Vice President Kamala Harris has offered an optimistic outlook for improved cooperation with Guatemala on addressing the spike in migration to the U.S. But after her meeting with Guatemala's president Monday, Harris also delivered a direct warning to migrants considering making the trek: Do not come
Xi stresses strong primary-level Party organizations for communities

Xinhua) 10:07, June 08, 2021

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with local people while visiting a residential community in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

XINING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has stressed that strong primary-level Party organizations are needed to provide good services in communities for the public.

Xi made the remarks on Monday afternoon while visiting a residential community during his inspection tour of northwest China's Qinghai Province.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Zephyr Energy PLC ( ) has pledged to achieve 100% carbon-neutral operations by the end of September 2021.

CEO Colin Harrington tells Proactive Londons Stephen Gunnion how it aims to achieve this ambitious target, as well as the economic costs and potential benefits that can arise from going operationally net-zero.

Harrington also touching on Zephyrs just-released annual report, which outlines a fairly transformational year for the company.
The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) and Michigan 211 are partnering to make public comments more accessible for Michiganders trying to submit proposals on redistricting political lines.

The partnership will expand multi-language access for the commissions ongoing effort to collect statewide public feedback until July 1.

Goal to make it easier to provide feedback



Communications and Outreach Director Edward Woods III said the goal is to eliminate barriers that could potentially make it difficult for residents to submit feedback.



These barriers include lack of internet access and language differences. People without internet access can dial 211 or 844-875-9211 to submit a public comment.



Woods said Michigan 211 has access to more than 160 languages; people can call the hotline to register for a translator to assist people interested in providing feedback in their native language at the remaining public hearing events.



According to the commission, more than 130 people attended the May 25 public hearing in Midland. Out of the total attendees, more than 75 people provided feedback on how theyd like to see Michigans Congressional, House and Senate districts divided in the next election cycle.

Calls to give Great Lakes Bay Region its own district



A majority of the people providing public comments on May 25 supported the current political district boundaries.



Theres no reason to change it, said Amanda Oster of Sanford. All it would be doing is making things harder on pretty much everybody, Oster said.



Midland resident Erica Pina said her family moved back to the Midland area from Washington, D.C., to raise her kids. She relayed to the commission that she supports grouping rural mid-Michigan and northern Michigan communities in the same district.



However, while not in the majority at the Midland hearing, there were a number of individuals who voiced their preference to redraw the district lines. These comments included grouping the Great Lakes Bay region in its own district.



The Great Lakes Bay Region covers Midland, Saginaw, Bay and Isabella counties. According to the Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance, this region is home to more than 500,000 residents.



Retired professor at Delta College, Barb Miller is from Bay City. She told the redistricting commission that her community of interest aligns Bay County with Saginaw, Midland and Genesee counties in a Congressional District.



Miller said students who transfer from Delta College are most likely to go to four-year universities that are in proximity to the community college.



The strengths of our higher education system and the Michigan economy would be helped by representation in a consolidated urban Congressional District, she said to the commission at the Midland County public hearing. Please consider the effectiveness of aligning Midland Bay and Saginaw and Genesee Counties in Congressional District.



Karen Tighe is a retired probate Judge from Bay County. She said two decades ago, Bay County was gerrymandered away from Saginaw.



Tighe told the commission that she supports the political lines to be redrawn to reflect the relationship between the tri-counties. She said Bay County identifies itself as the tri-counties, Midland, Bay and Saginaw counties by sharing an international airport run by the three local governments and by sharing Delta College board members from each county.



We were placed with a rural State Senate District with Tuscola and Lapeer Counties, Tighe said. Our most recent two State Senators have both been family farmers whose interests are understandably centered on agriculture (while) the needs of an urban (and) suburban on the industrial corridor have not been their main focus.



Angela Madarang, president of the Associated Builders and Contractors Greater Michigan chapter, said she supports the political lines to be redrawn to reflect the Great Lakes Bay Region.



I'm here to emphasize that the Great Lakes Bay Region is a thriving economic force on its own and that the representation and leadership of our local, state and federal levels of government are partially responsible for our vision success, she said. We do not believe that our region and the communities that makeup the Fourth Congressional District should be sliced and diced.

Local Democratic party to help community members submit public comments



Midland County Democratic Party Chair Jennifer Austin said people have reached out to the local party seeking assistance in providing feedback after the Midland public hearing event that took place May 25.



To help, Austin said the local party will host a Zoom meeting Wednesday, June 9, to offer training to community members who are trying to submit testimonies to The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission by next month.



Midland resident Molly Morrissey said she plans on attending the local partys Zoom meeting to have assistance with writing a testimony in support of redrawing new political district boundaries.



I think its easy for Republicans to say we want things to say the same and thats a central message that they can give to everybody, Morrissey said. But, when youre looking for a change and more equity, then you have to give reasons for that.



Morrissey said her goal is to make sure the political lines are redrawn to reflect a balance in the two-party system. She doesn't want one party to have more power than the other.



Thats why we voted as a state to have this nonpartisan, citizen-run commission which I think is super important, she said.



Austin said while the local Democratic party supports changing the district lines, the group will not propose a testimony to the commission in charge of redistricting.

They (the current districts) very much go against some of the very basic principles of how to draw district lines, which are to make compact districts, Austin said. Also, to make districts that have communities of interest. The current lines are very much not reflecting that.

One idea for what new lines should like



Austin said the political districts should not be drawn to benefit any party, including the Democratic party. She said the lines are meant to reflect the people of the state, not the parties of the state.

"We haven't chosen to dictate what we think they should be," Austin said. "Our citizens (and) our members are intelligent and can come up with ideas of their own. We are giving some ideas, like they should be compact (and) they should reflect some communities of interest, like the tri-cities area."

People interested in attending the workshop hosted by the Midland County Democratic Party can email Austin at MidlandCountyDemChair@gmail.com.



Public comments are being collected, to submit a testimony visit https://www.michigan-mapping.org/#submit.



Eight out of 16 public hearing events have been completed. The commission will provide an update on the redistricting process on Wednesday.

See Thursdays Midland Daily News for coverage from that update.
What are some of the obstacles along the nearly 2,500-mile Tittabawassee River watershed that are contributing to Midlands flooding woes?

Its a big question, and theres a new group headed by engineers tackling this issue on a special committee that was founded this year by the Midland Business Alliance (MBA) Board of Directors.

The following is a deeper look into the MBAs newly-formed Advisory Committee on Infrastructure, and its work to fund a study that will be done in collaboration with Midland County and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to examine the existing watershed and identify long-term options that could lessen the frequency and severity of flooding in the area.

History of flooding

The city of Midland receives the waters from four river systems: the Tobacco River and Tittabawassee River to the north and the Pine River and Chippewa River to the west. The waters of these four rivers and their tributaries meet at the confluence of the Tittabawassee and Chippewa rivers in downtown Midland.

Significant rains and floods have occurred in the Midland area in 1986, 1996, 2013, 2017 and 2020. On May 19, 2020, the Edenville Dam and Sanford Dam were breached after days of heavy rains, causing catastrophic flooding in the village of Sanford, the city of Midland, and properties up and down the river system. Flash flood emergencies were issued; about 10,000 Edenville, Sanford and Midland residents were evacuated; and more than 2,500 homes were damaged or destroyed, with losses estimated at more than $200 million in this single flood event.

Time and again, these floods have negatively impacted individuals, jobs, economic growth, property values and tax revenues in Midland and across the Tittabawassee River Watershed.

The floods clearly have affected citizens again and again, with major flooding in 1986, 1996, 2013, 2017 and 2020. Added to this, there is the negative impact on jobs, economic growth, property values and tax revenues in Midland and surrounding areas, stated MBA President and CEO Tony Stamas. We dont want to promise that we can eliminate flooding completely, but the goal of the MBA Advisory Committee on Infrastructure and all of our collaborating partners is to find ways to help reduce the frequency and severity of flooding in Midland County and surrounding communities  and to make us more resilient.

First task: Reduce flood frequency and severity

The MBA Advisory Committee on Infrastructure has the goal of finding and developing innovative, long-term options that could lessen the frequency and reduce the severity of flooding in the Midland area.

While future flooding cannot be eliminated completely, the committee is focused on making lasting improvements and improving resilience by working with the City of Midland, Midland County and surrounding counties, area citizens, businesses and organizations, and other local, state and federal stakeholders, like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

By working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and with an engineering company consultant, Midland County can look forward to potentially finding some relief from flooding in the future, stated Mark Bone, Midland County Commissioner and member of the MBA Board of Directors.

The committee is focused on environment-based flood mitigation measures, which could include the creation of wetlands, natural floodplains, and eco-sensitive approaches to slow the flow rate of rivers, creeks and streams during significant rain events.

To begin an endeavor of this scale, with the long-term goal of flood mitigation and strengthening the resiliency of our area, we need to be clear on where we are today, stated J.W. Fisher, co-chair of the MBA Advisory Committee on Infrastructure. An engineering study of the current watershed will allow the experts to develop options for future improvements.

Key tasks and initiatives

Engineering services  The first step is to learn what we dont know and gain valuable insight from experts. Engineers and scientists will help with data accumulation, a review of past flood and hydrological studies, technical assistance, and development of sound concepts for potential flood mitigation and infrastructure improvements.

Community involvement  An important goal is to create broad and wide community engagement and participation from individuals, community groups and leaders, neighborhoods, businesses, and various organizations. This will include town hall meetings, community workshops, and regular communication.

Advocacy and partnerships  The committee will engage with federal, state, and local leaders, agencies and offices. This includes working closely with the City of Midland and Midland County officials, with surrounding counties, and with agencies and organizations such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), and the Four Lakes Task Force. The committee will also advocate for support from our state and federal representatives and senators.

Conservation  Collaboration with conservation and environmental organizations for floodlands is important to finding beneficial solutions.

Finance  The committee will advocate for governmental support and other innovative financing of future projects.

Funding and support

Many local foundations and businesses have already made donations to support the committees research, flood study, and initial planning efforts.

No local tax dollars will be used on the study, thanks to the support of the nonprofit and business communities, Stamas stated. We appreciate their shared commitment to reducing the frequency and severity of flooding in the Midland area.

The committee functions under the Midland Business Alliance Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. This allows the committee to gather donations and funding specifically to help support the research, planning, and execution of flood mitigation and resilience efforts.

The committee has a fiduciary role with any donations/funds, meaning that it must demonstrate the careful, responsible use of monies entrusted to the initiative. Committee expenditures follow normal budgetary protocols, with oversight from the MBA Board of Directors and Stamas.

Timeline

Solutions wont come overnight. In fact, mitigation efforts are likely to take years. But the first steps involve an engineering study.

As the committee is in the initial planning phase, it plans to select an engineering firm(s) to collaborate with the Corps of Engineers on a study and report on the existing watershed and potential flood mitigation projects. The start date and duration of the study are to be determined.

The study results may include potential projects like improvements to sanitary sewer systems, drain improvements, or the development of wetlands, natural floodplains, and conservation easements. But the recommendations from the experts  and the community  will drive the types of infrastructure improvements that are considered.

Throughout the process, area citizens and other local, state, and federal stakeholders will all play key roles in determining the best pathway forward. Eventually, the proposed solutions will need to successfully move through government funding processes. As you can see, this will be a long-term effort.

About the infrastructure advisory committee

The Advisory Committee on Infrastructure will report back regularly to Stamas, who will keep the MBA Board of Directors updated at regular intervals.

The committee consists of MBA board members; members of the community at large; representatives from Midland County and the City of Midland (ex officio); and an MBA staff representative.

The committee, in addition to co-chair Lee Ann Keller, Fisher, and Stamas, includes Noel Bush, former utilities director for the City of Midland; Mike Erickson, vice president of facilities and construction at MidMichigan Medical Center; Midland City Manager Brad Kaye; Midland County Administrator/Controller Bridgette Gransden; Dave Kepler, president of Four Lakes Task Force; Lee Johnston, president of Johnston Contracting; Sharon Mortensen, president and CEO of the Midland Area Community Foundation; and Bill Schuette, community volunteer.

For more information about the committee and progress updates, visit www.mbami.org/flood study.
Dow Chemical Employees Credit Union (DCECU) recently announced the selection of Elton Brooks as its new vice president of retail.

In this role, Brooks will lead DCECUs retail, credit and member solutions departments, working closely with the president and CEO to increase membership and provide world-class service. He will manage DCECUs loan default risk and provide strategic solutions for credit and underwriting that result in profitable growth and strong financial results. He also will oversee the retail delivery and sales culture, branch operations and profitability, member service policies and standards in all retail roles and member solutions to ensure satisfaction and retention.
BEIJING (AP)  China on Tuesday pledged further assistance to Southeast Asian nations in battling the coronavirus pandemic as it seeks to boost influence with the region where the United States is also looking to strengthen ties.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his counterparts from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations that China had already delivered 100 million vaccine doses to ASEAN nations along with other pandemic-fighting materials and technical help.

Wang likened the challenge to earlier economic crises, the 2003 SARS outbreak and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, saying all were faced with practical action arising from feelings of brotherly concern and the care of watchful neighbors.

In the process of jointly overcoming challenges, we have deepened friendship, mutual trust and common interests," Wang told the ministers, assembled in the southwestern Chinese megacity of Chongqing for meetings marking the 30th anniversary of formal relations between China and ASEAN.

Beijing has been building influence with ASEAN, despite frictions with some members of the bloc over competing territorial claims in the South China Sea. Chinas construction of islands and its military operations in the sea have brought complaints Beijing is militarizing the waterway.

Chinas economic and diplomatic heft has helped override such concerns, however, while the bloc has been unable to form a unified stand in the face of opposition from Chinese allies within it, primarily Cambodia.

Wang said Tuesday that the sides should explore establishing an expert panel to strengthen cooperation throughout the vaccine process, from research to use, and work to build production and distribution centers to help make vaccines affordable and accessible in the region.

He said China would urgently implement" the China-ASEAN Public Health Cooperation Initiative, continue to support the ASEAN Emergency Medical Materials Reserve and strengthen regional public health capacity-building.

China will work with ASEAN to overcome the outbreak as soon as possible," Wang said.

Though COVID-19 was first detected in China in late 2019, the nation has largely stamped out domestic transmission, although it has been accused of insufficient transparency or even seeking to conceal the origins of the pandemic.

Wang made no direct reference to Myanmar, an ASEAN member where the military seized power Feb. 1 and has cracked down on widespread opposition to the coup. On Monday, he said China supported ASEANs non-interventionist approach.

China has also been criticized for building dams upstream on the Mekong River, affecting water levels and fisheries downstream on a waterway that is crucial to the economies of several Southeast Asian nations.

Foreign Ministry Zhao Lijian defended China's policies on management of the river, known as the Lancang in China. Beijing attached great importance to the concerns of downstream countries," had released water to help countries dealing with drought and was willing to work with them on how best to promote sustainable use of water resources, Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing later Tuesday.

There are numerous hydraulic and hydropower facilities in various countries along the river. Its water volume is affected by multiple factors," Zhao said.
Dow Chemical Employees Credit Union (DCECU) recently welcomed LaShanta Green as its new director of marketing and community relations.

In this role, Green will oversee DCECUs marketing department, leading strategic initiatives for advertising and brand awareness as well as community engagement activities. She also will be responsible for creating marketing plans that help increase membership and meet the credit unions other strategic goals and objectives. She will oversee DCECUs website, social media and online branding, among many other external communications.

An integrated marketing communications leader, Green has more than 15 years of experience in leading and implementing strategic plans, projects and programming in the higher education, community and service industries. Prior to joining DCECU, she served as a consultant and contractor for diverse businesses and organizations in fractional chief marketing officer roles as an extension of executive-level teams, helping them meet their strategic goals and objectives through improved business models, management systems and inclusive mentoring programs, among many other initiatives.

LaShanta is a wonderful addition to our DCECU family, said Michael Goad, president and CEO. As a strategic thinker with a proven record of creating and implementing measurable and meaningful change, she will help us continue to strengthen our brand, grow our membership and enhance the member experience.

Green previously was the communications and program coordinator at Texas A&M University, where she led teams of employees across the organization who created, implemented and assessed integrated marketing, content, campaign strategies, projects and initiatives. She also oversaw and managed the redesign and relaunch of Texas A&M Today, the universitys online news hub, into a multifaceted, multimedia platform that showcases the stories and successes of the school. Additionally, she served as project manager for Inclusion at Texas A&M University, a semester-long series of programming that commemorated and celebrated the contributions of Texas A&Ms increasingly diverse student body, faculty and staff.

Earlier in her career, Green was a universal banker with Amegy Bank in Houston, Texas, supporting branch leadership in achieving its customer retention, acquisition and growth goals.

Green earned a bachelors degree in business administration from Texas A&M University and a masters degree in business administration from the University of Houston-Victoria.

Active in the community, she founded Resident Responders in 2017 in response to the devastating impact Hurricane Harvey had on Houston. The community-led organization is dedicated to offering aid and assistance to residents in response to crises.

A Texas native, Green looks forward to calling Midland home.
The Midland Business Alliance issued the following FAQ pertaining to its Advisory Committee on Infrastructure and the planning for flood mitigation and improved resiliency.

Q: When you say infrastructure, does that mean you plan to build bridges and roads?

A: There are many kinds of infrastructure that arent the traditional bridges and roads we tend to think of first. When it comes to flood events, infrastructure improvements might include the development of natural wetlands and floodplains that could allow floodwater to spread out in a controlled manner. (These potentially could be used for recreation at other times.) It might be improving a county drain, for example. Or it could include ways to make communities more resilient to flooding, such as sanitary sewer system upgrades, new building designs, zoning and planning with flood mitigation in mind, and so on. The results of the flood study and expert recommendations will point us in the direction of infrastructure ideas that could make a positive difference in Midland County and the region.

Q: Is this the same thing as the Four Lakes Task Force or the City of Midlands 2017 Storm & Sanitary Sewer Study?

A. While there are several initiatives and projects underway, the MBA Advisory Committee on Infrastructure mission is broader and covers more ground. First, the MBA Board of Directors gave us a broad mandate to examine any infrastructure issue that impacts the quality of life and economic vitality of the Midland area. As our first task, we are focusing on reducing the frequency and severity of flooding across Midland County, building resiliency, and providing solutions to the sanitary storm water problems that Midland residents have experienced all too often.

The FLTF is focused on rebuilding the dams and restoring the lakes. While we are supportive of their efforts to repair the dams, we have a different mission. However, we will benefit from the data that the FLTF engineers have already generated about the Tittabawassee River Watershed. We appreciate this data and knowledge sharing.

Midlands study on the citys storm and sanitary sewer situation is an ongoing project. The purpose is to reduce the risk of basement backups by improving the overall sanitary sewer collection system in the city. This Concept 5 draft sewer improvement plan was recently approved by the Midland City Council. We are encouraged by the efforts of the City of Midland, and we will all work together to find common solutions to the historical storm and sanitary sewer problems.

There are also many dedicated groups working to help people and businesses rebuild the communities affected by the 2020 flood. We support these heroes  individuals, businesses and organizations  who have made a difference to so many.

Q: Why would the Midland Business Alliance be interested in getting involved with flood mitigation?

A: The MBA is an organization that includes several functions, including the chamber of commerce and the economic development arm. We live and work in mid-Michigan and want to see the region get the upper hand on these unrelenting floods. Flooding hurts citizens, businesses, jobs, tourism, agriculture, property values and overall economic development. We certainly have interest in this topic, like many others do.

We also have some unique attributes. We are able to advocate for the Great Lakes Bay Region with state and federal government officials, agencies and legislators. We can help make sure that our region is not forgotten for project funding and other resources. The volunteers who make up this advisory committee have experience in infrastructure, construction, engineering, health systems, community service, as well as local, state and national government. These committee members have networks to leverage when information and support are needed.

We also know this could be a large project that crosses not just one but many county lines. We are prepared to collaborate outside of the lines.

Q: What does the Tittabawassee River Watershed mean?

A: A watershed is an area of land that contains a group of rivers and streams that all drain into a specific larger body. In this case, it would be the streams, creeks and tributaries of the Pine River, Chippewa River and Tobacco River that drain into the Tittabawassee River. (In turn, the Tittabawassee flows into the Saginaw River and then the Saginaw Bay.)

According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Tittabawassee River Assessment, the watershed covers 2,471 square miles, including all or even small parts of the following counties: Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm, Ogemaw, Osceola, Roscommon and Saginaw. The main stem of the Tittabawassee River is more than 90 miles long, with more than 600 miles of contributing tributaries. Located in the center part of Michigans Lower Peninsula, this watershed is the fifth largest in the state.

Q: Some of the committee members are listed as ex officio. What does that mean?

A: Several committee members, including ones from Midland County, the City of Midland and the FLTF, are described as ex officio. In our case, that term means that they are part of the committee in their official roles, but they are not voting members. They are recognized as critical stakeholders, with knowledge and expertise that is invaluable. In some cases, recommendations from our committee may need to be considered by those members' respective governmental organizations.

Q: Are you collecting money?

A: Multiple local foundations and businesses have already made donations to the Midland Business Alliance Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. This means that we have the necessary funds should state or federal agencies require local support for certain projects.

The committee has a fiduciary role with any donations/funds, meaning that it must demonstrate the careful, responsible use of monies entrusted to the initiative. Committee expenditures follow normal budgetary protocols, with oversight from the MBA Board of Directors and the MBA President and CEO.

Q: How long will this take?

A: We are in the very earliest stages. At this time, we are discussing pre-study steps with City of Midland and Midland County officials, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other federal and state agencies. There will be many steps before the study, including hiring an engineering firm(s) to collaborate with the Corps of Engineers. Because government budgeting processes are involved, there will be different dates when funding windows open and close. We will have more information soon about when the study may begin. One thing is for sure: the study, planning, funding and execution of potential projects will be a long-term process.

Q: Where can I get more information?

A: We will share information with the local news media, and this information will be included on the advisory committees webpage: www.MBAmi.org/FloodStudy. Plus, you can find the Midland Business Alliance on Facebook and LinkedIn.
One of the world's largest foundations will spend $1.3 billion over the next three years to acquire and deliver COVID-19 vaccines for more than 50 million people in Africa. Its a first-of-its-kind effort for a Western nonprofit to bolster Africas lagging vaccination campaign amid widespread fears of a third wave of infections on the continent.

The Tuesday announcement from the Toronto-based Mastercard Foundation, which has more than $39 billion in assets, comes days after the World Health Organization said Africa was encountering an alarming mix of a spike in virus cases and a near halt of vaccine shipments. The delays have been tied to Indias halt on vaccine exports, among other things.

The foundation will purchase single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines at the discounted rate negotiated by the African Union during its 220 million dose deal with the vaccine manufacturer. Those vaccines will begin to be delivered to the AU's 55 member states from July to September, with an option to purchase an additional 180 million doses through next year.

But some countries have been experiencing issues with the J&J vaccine. In South Africa, the first batch of 1.1 million doses, which should have already been put to use, remain on hold at a plant because of contamination concerns at a factory in Baltimore. Another batch of 900,000 doses was meant to be released in June.

Dr. John Nkengasong, the director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a Tuesday press conference that he remains positive and optimistic that the findings from the manufacturing site in the U.S. will be resolved soon, and there will be more clarity by the end of this week.

The doses bought by the foundation, which has operated independently from Mastercard since its launch in 2006, will begin to be available in August, in progressively larger quantities, said Julie Waiganjo, a spokesperson for the foundation.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is partnering with the foundation on the initiative, and will be consulting African government agencies and other institutions on how to best deploy the shots.

It is actually a huge moment, and a moment that I characterize as transformational in our ability to fight the war against this pandemic," Nkengasong told The Associated Press.

We will engage the countries to understand their vaccination plans, and see exactly where to fit in," he said, adding the partnership with the foundation will also help deploy the 220 million J&J doses that are slated to arrive.

The foundation says the money will be used, in part, to help transport the vaccines, hold community engagement activities that address vaccine hesitancy, identify potential virus variants, train workers to improve the speed of vaccine deployments and help develop a skilled workforce that could expand vaccine manufacturing in Africa.

We should expect good things out of this, but its going to take time, said Lawrence O. Gostin, a professor of global health law at Georgetown University. Its not going to solve all the problems.

Africa will soon become the epicenter for the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. Its going to reverse many of the gains that Africa made in a whole range of areas... It will devastate the African economy."

Africa has administered vaccine doses to 31 million people out of its population of 1.3 billion. But only 7 million have received both doses, the WHOs Regional Office for Africa said last week.

Health officials have been raising alarms about the dire situation, and urging richer countries to share their remaining vaccines. The White House said last week the U.S. would allocate 5 million doses to Africa through the United Nations-backed COVAX program as part of a plan to share 25 million doses worldwide.

I do hope other foundations, and more governments, step up to help the continent, said Gostin.

___

The Associated Press receives support from the Lilly Endowment for coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.
In a year often defined by uncertainty, Christian Scientists gathered at their online annual meeting, including from Midland and all of the 36 congregations throughout Michigan, to acknowledge the ways in which Gods love and mercy have opened paths of progress and joy in individual lives and collective church experience.

The meeting was live-streamed to members around the globe on June 7 from The First Church of Christ, Scientist, the churchs headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts.

The theme of the meeting, Grace to go forward, is from a well-loved hymn, and was sung to one of H. Walford Davies Hymns of the Kingdom.

Acknowledging the challenges of the past year, Keith Wommack, a member of the Christian Science Board of Directors, said: Trials cause us to be transformed. As the New Testament teaches, it is Christ that does the transforming, and we gain each step forward through Christly self-surrender.

In video reports from Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, members shared that for them the heart of church is about learning to respond more fully to Gods love  a living faith that reaches beyond the walls of any brick and mortar building.

A congregation in Washington D.C. shared how they found new ways to carry out their activities and care for one another in the midst of lockdown restrictions.

A teen Sunday School class in Switzerland spoke about the value they found in continuing class online as they navigated changes to work and school life, and considered the role of faith as a practical help. A member from Sao Paulo, Brazil shared how his prayers for his church and the world brought him full healing in the face of severe COVID-19 symptoms. Christian Scientists typically endeavor to turn to God in prayer for healing, though the decision is always made by the individual, not the church.

Meeting participants also previewed a new exhibit titled How do you see the world? that is set to open at the churchs headquarters in Boston in late summer. The exhibit will explore progress in the world and connect visitors with the vision and ideals of the churchs founder, Mary Baker Eddy.
The development of a new processing facility will position the company as the first producer of commercial levels of expandable graphite listed on ASX.

Expandable graphite can be pressed into sheets and used for heat and fire protection in applications ranging from building materials to consumer electronics and fuel cells.

( ) has signed a non-binding MOU with Indian-based company Metachem Manufacturing Company Pvt Ltd to begin plant construction and the production of expandable graphite.

The demand for expandable graphite continues to grow with current and future pricing projections in the range of US$2,800-US$3,500.

BlackEarth and Metachem are investing in a new processing facility to meet demand from European based groups with LuxCarbon to assist with product sales to Tier 1 buyers in Europe.

The companies are working toward executing the JV agreement, following a period of due diligence and discussions, within 90 days and will fast track development to commence production within 9-10 months.

Groundbreaking agreement for high-value commodity

BlackEarth managing director Tom Revy said: This is a groundbreaking agreement between two companies committed to the growth and development of this important high-value commodity to fuel the worldwide demand for downstream graphite products.

The BEM executive team has been in discussions with the directors of Metachem for some time now and we are impressed with their professionalism, technical expertise and market presence in the worlds largest democracy.

This planned production site complements our other interests in the USA and Europe, and further positions BlackEarth as a leading provider of graphite concentrate and a range of downstream graphite products over the forthcoming decades.

Our partner in Europe (LuxCarbon) will play an instrumental role in this development as we, with their support, plan to sell this highly valued product to a range of existing and new buyers in developing and growth markets throughout Europe.

Both companies are already working toward concluding an operational joint venture agreement within the next few months.

MOU terms

Metachem is a prominent and leading producer of expandable graphite and other downstream products with 20 years of production experience and sales into Europe, Asia and the USA.

Key elements of the MOU include:

BlackEarth is to source, in conjunction with their sales and marketing partner LuxCarbon, high-quality graphite concentrate for treatment for the new expandable graphite plant; Following completion of its own plant, BlackEarth will provide large and jumbo flake graphite to the JV; Each JV partner proposes a 50/50 equity and profit share arrangement with capex estimated to be US$3.5 million in total; BlackEarth and LuxCarbon to provide end-user and product technical advice to the Metachem operational team; BlackEarth and LuxCarbon will manage sales, marketing and the growth of sales worldwide; Estimated initial production to be 2,000 tonnes per annum growing to 4,000 tonnes per annum, with plans to develop other plants in Europe and other strategic locations; BlackEarth estimates Gross JV Revenue of US$6.25 million initially, growing to over US$13 million upon production ramp-up to 4,000 tonnes per annum; Production sites have been identified and appropriate economic, social and environmental conditions have initially been assessed as highly favourable; and The production site is within the Indian Special Economic Zone (SEZ) which offers a range of economic, taxation and other concessions which adds substantially to the project's valuation.

The companies are also committed to additional plant developments in the high growth markets of Europe and Asia.

Expandable graphite demand and growth. Source: Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

Expandable graphite demand

The global expandable graphite market is expected to grow from US$202.8 million in 2020 to around US$351.9 million by 2027 (according to globalnewswire.com) and this growth and demand for a range of products and applications provide BlackEarth with an enormous opportunity.

Development of a new processing facility will position the company as the first producer of commercial levels of Expandable Graphite listed on ASX.

Expandable graphite is a form of intercalated graphite and is produced by a process in which an intercalant material is inserted in between graphene layers of generally coarse flake graphite in a process referred to as exfoliation.

Subsequent heating of the intercalated material causes the intercalant material (expandable graphite) to expand and drive the graphene layers of the graphite apart and thus create expanded graphite.

When treated, graphite flakes split apart and increase in volume by up to 300 times, and this expanded graphite can be pressed into sheets and used for heat and fire protection in applications ranging from building materials to consumer electronics and fuel cells.

Consequently, expandable graphite has many applications in the construction industry, and also in furniture and textiles, and anywhere where there is a pronounced fire risk.

Rapid demand growth is also forecast due to the increasing use of high energy density batteries in mobile devices.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  A jury trial began Monday in the case of a University of Tennessee professor charged with hiding his relationship with a Chinese university while receiving research grants from the federal government.

The trial in Knoxville federal court is scheduled to continue Tuesday.

Anming Hu, an associate professor in the department of mechanical, aerospace and biomedical engineering at the universitys flagship Knoxville campus, was charged in February 2020 with three counts of wire fraud and three counts of making false statements.

After the indictment was announced, the university said Hu had been suspended and that school officials had cooperated with authorities.

Hu has pleaded not guilty. In a court filing, Hus attorney, Philip Lomonaco, said the Department of Justice wanted a feather in its cap with an economic espionage case, so they ignored the facts and the law, destroyed the career of a professor with three PhDs in nanotechnology and now expects the court to follow their narrative.

The charges are part of a broader Justice Department crackdown against university researchers who conceal their ties to Chinese institutions, with a Harvard chemistry professor arrested in the past on similar charges. Federal officials have also asserted that Beijing is intent on stealing intellectual property from Americas colleges and universities, and have actively been warning schools to be on alert against espionage attempts.

Prosecutors say Hu defrauded the National Aeronautics and Space Administration by failing to disclose the fact that he was also a professor at the Beijing University of Technology in China. Under federal law, NASA cannot fund or give grant money to Chinese-owned companies or universities.

According to the indictment, as the University of Tennessee was preparing a proposal on Hus behalf for a NASA-funded project, Hu provided false assurances to the school that he was not part of any business collaboration involving China.

In addition, prosecutors say, a curriculum vitae that Hu submitted when he applied for a tenured faculty position with the university omitted any affiliation with the Beijing university.

The indictment said Hu sent emails stating he was a professor at the Beijing school and taught special seminars for graduate students in laser engineering. Hu knowingly caused the Tennessee university to falsely certify to NASA and the agencys contractors that the university was complying with the funding restriction, the indictment said.

NASA would not have awarded NASA-funded projects to Hu, the indictment said.

NASA wired UT nearly $60,000 in 2016 and 2017 for a project involving the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology, the indictment said. NASA would pay another $50,000 in 2019 for a project involving the Marshall Space Flight Center, the indictment said.

___

News researcher Monika Mathur in New York contributed to this report.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich is weighing in on a long-running dispute in New Mexico over public access to rivers and streams that flow through private property.

The Democratic lawmaker is taking aim at a rule adopted by the state Game Commission in 2018 that gives landowners the ability to petition state wildlife officials to certify waters on private property as non-navigable and prohibit public access without written permission.

The commission is scheduled to consider a handful of landowner applications at a special meeting June 18. Heinrich is asking that those applications be denied.

In a letter sent to the commission, Heinrich said that the New Mexico Supreme Court decades ago ruled that small streams in the state are fishing streams to which the public has access as long as people do not trespass on private property along the banks of those waterways.

This rule leaves no room for the commission to give wealthy landowners control over every stream, river and watercourse in New Mexico, he wrote.

In a petition filed with the state Supreme Court last year, a coalition of outdoor groups argued that it's not up to the commission to determine whether waterways should be classified as non-navigable because water policy and law are beyond its scope.

The groups maintain that the New Mexico Constitution specifies that the unappropriated water of every stream in the state belongs to the public and whether a river or stream is navigable makes no difference.

The court has not yet ruled on the groups request to invalidate the commissions non-navigable rule.

Public access laws vary widely across the western U.S. states. In Montana, courts over the years have expanded the publics right to use steams that cross private land. But access is prohibited in Colorado without the landowners' permission.

Next week's special meeting in New Mexico was prompted by a federal court ruling that called for the commission to take action on the applications. The court noted that the commission has the discretion to accept, reject or take any other action to resolve the applications.

Heinrich said if the applications are denied, landowners or the commission would not be prohibited from trying to force a change in law to restrict access.

Several of the state's attorneys general also have issued opinions on the matter over the years.

Most recently, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas office sent a letter to the commission in 2019 that concluded any language in the rule that attempted to prohibit access to the public waters was unconstitutional and unenforceable.
Six years ago, shortly after a major remodel, our basement flooded because of a downpour and a drainage tile issue. Most everything was destroyed. Never would I have imagined having to wade through water again a year later after torrential downpours and a countywide flood destroyed our downstairs once again. As if that was not enough, another year later, the dams broke.

I was working from home and anxiously watching the water rise on Sanford Lake. When the final call to evacuate came, we loaded up our pets, grabbed a few things and hopped into our vehicles. Shortly after we crossed U.S. 10, it was closed. We would not make it back to our house for over a week due to all of the road closures.

We watched in shock as friends and neighbors posted photos and videos of houses and debris floating down the river and the indescribable damage piling up in neighborhoods. The cleanup in our neighborhood began immediately. Although things are looking quite a bit more normal today, despite the missing lake, I will never forget both the chaos and the blessings of the aftermath: neighbors relentlessly helping until all hours of the night, piles and piles of rubbish that were once someones belongings, the incredible heat and humidity, the desperation and frustration evident on peoples faces, and the gawkers and looters (all balanced by the kindness of strangers showing up to help or bring food, supplies, and equipment).

Fast forward to today. As a longtime resident of Midland  for almost 35 years  and a business owner, I have seen the devastating effect that flooding has had on our family, our neighborhood, our employees, our work building, our friends/peers and our tenants at work. As an engineer, my problem-solving mind always asks, Isnt there something we can do to prevent this from happening again? Our past mantras of this will not happen again in our lifetime have been replaced with I cant believe this has happened again.

As we emerge from yet another devastating flooding crisis, we now have an opportunity (and, quite frankly, a responsibility) to do everything in our power to try to mitigate the effect that mass flooding has on our community and surrounding area. I could not be happier to be part of that process.

As a member of the board of directors for the Midland Business Alliance, we chartered an Advisory Committee on Infrastructure to begin developing the framework for recommendations that could remedy the Midland area sanitary sewer/drainage problems and other flood mitigation issues. I could not be happier to be co-chair of this committee and work with an amazing group of other community members to lead this work.

This important work will be to identify solutions that can reduce the frequency and severity of flooding. We are in good company. The advisory committee will be working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and/or other engineering experts in a collaborative fashion to review the flow of water that converges on Midland and the region. We hope to have a full set of recommendations built on best practices and solutions that have been successfully implemented in other geographical locations. We will be environmentally sensitive to the solutions recommended and will seek to have an open and transparent process for all to comment. We will coordinate with state and federal officials to maximize resources.

As I drive to and from work every day, I see firsthand the many efforts to accelerate the rebuilding of our community. It brings hope to see restaurants and businesses reopen. People are moving back into their homes. Plans are underway to rebuild the dams and progress continues. As both a resident and business owner, I care deeply about this community and want to make sure that we leave the very best footprint for our next generation. Please join me in supporting this progress.

Lee Ann Keller is owner and CEO of Omni Tech, a consulting company in Midland, MI. She and her company have been actively involved in the Midland community for over 30 years. She and her family reside on Sanford Lake, and she is co-chair of MBA Advisory Committee on Infrastructure.
Livingston, TN (38570)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
Gaborone, Botswana (PANA) - Severe cold fronts being experienced in Botswana has promoted government to urge parents and teachers to keep learners warm
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - Communities in rural Burkina Faso urgently need greater protection from violent extremists, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Monday in a tweet, in response to a deadly assault at the weekend that claimed the lives of at least 132 innocent people
The offtake agreements are conditional upon the equity investment by LGES and POSCO being approved by shareholders and the TECH Project achieving commercial production.

Shares have been as much as 24% higher to 18.5 cents intra-day, a new high of almost 13 years.

( ) (FRA:4EA) has entered into a binding agreement with LG Energy Solution (LGES) and POSCO GEM 1ST FUND for a combined equity investment of US$15 million with shares up as much as 24%.

The company has also entered into binding offtake agreements for the sale of 10,000 tonnes contained nickel and 1,000 tonnes contained cobalt from its TECH Project with LGES and POSCO.

QPM managing director Stephen Grocott said: We warmly welcome LG Energy Solution and POSCO as shareholders to Queensland Pacific Metals and look forward to the day where the TECH Project becomes a significant supplier of nickel and cobalt to each company.

The ability for QPM to attract and establish business relationships with companies of the calibre of LG Energy Solution and POSCO is validation for our company and what we are trying to achieve with the TECH Project.

We have developed excellent relationships with LG Energy Solution and POSCO and look forward to building on these for years to come.

Investors have responded positively with shares as much as 24% higher to 18.5 cents, a new high of almost 13 years while QPM's market cap was approximately $171.5 million at the start of trading.

Equity investment

LGES will invest US$10.5 million (99,235,889 QPM shares) and POSCO will invest US$4.5 million (42,529,667 shares) and shares will be issued at a price of A$0.1364 - a premium of 16.8% to the 1-month VWAP of QPM shares.

Post completion of the transaction, the ownership interest of LGES and POSCO in the company will be 7.5% and 3.2%, respectively  while LGES and POSCO will be subject to a 12-month escrow on their shares.

Funds received from the equity investment will be used to advance the TECH Project, including bringing forward detailed design work which will facilitate earlier placement of long-lead time plant and equipment.

POSCO head of LiB Materials Business Office Seokmo Chung said: We are delighted to co-invest with LG Energy Solution in Queensland Pacific Metals.

We look forward to building our relationship with QPM and assess other business opportunities that may arise between QPM and POSCO.

The equity investment is conditional upon QPM shareholder approval with a notice of meeting for an Extraordinary General Meeting to be sent out shortly.

The key terms of the offtake agreements.

Offtake agreement

The execution of the offtake agreements is a major milestone with LGES and POSCO both highly credible and bankable counterparties, which will significantly assist QPMs ability to fund the TECH Project.

Their combined offtake quantities will account for the majority of production at the TECH Project, giving QPM the baseload customers it needs to underpin development.

Initially, nickel and cobalt will be supplied to LGES and POSCO in the form of mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP), until QPM completes a commercial production certification process for the TECH Project.

This certification process is expected to take 9 to 12 months and once completed, all sales will be in the form of nickel sulphate and cobalt sulphate.

LGES Global SCM Center leader Dongsoo Kim said: This is the most meaningful investment in our supply chain for LG Energy Solution since the company spun out from LG Chem.

We believe the TECH Project will deliver sustainable nickel and cobalt production that is in line with LGES operating philosophy.

And our proactive investments in the supply chain such as this will ultimately play a role in further satisfying our customers.
NORMAL  Conceptual designs for a $22.69 million pedestrian underpass through uptown Normal focus on increasing accessibility and pedestrian safety.

"Any at-grade crossing there is a threat, folks trespassing and doing other things that they shouldn't be doing," Normal Public Works Director Wayne Aldrich said Monday during a presentation to the Town Council. "That's been a big concern of ours."

The long-anticipated underpass would run under the Union Pacific tracks next to Uptown Station. The first phase of engineering is nearing completion.

Town officials have said a driving factor behind constructing the passage is to help Amtrak passengers exiting on the south side of the tracks easily cross, as well as allow safe passage for pedestrians and cyclists.

Passengers exiting on the south side of the tracks now have to walk down toward Linden Street and back up Beaufort Street toward Uptown Station to reach the north platform.

"Those folks have a limited amount of time to get to the south platform," said Aldrich, later adding that the tracks are a "perceived barrier" through uptown.

The Monday night presentation focused on updating Town Council members about the project since it first began in 2016. Pending council approval, the project could enter the second phase as early as October.

A rough timeline would have construction beginning in December 2022 with completion in September 2024, but is dependent on council approval.

Several state and federal partners are invested in the project, including the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois Commerce Commission, Union Pacific Railroad Co. and Amtrak.

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Normal has received a $13 million federal grant awarded by the Federal Railroad Administration for the project. The town also expects to utilize $3 million in federal Section 13-Railway-Highway Crossings Program funds, and a $5 million in state Rebuild Illinois Capital Program grant.

If approved, Normal would spend $1.69 million for the project.

Following the presentation councilmembers asked several questions about the project, including funding and the grants awarded for the project.

Councilman Stan Nord questioned how the town would budget for the $1.69 million contribution.

Normal City Manager Pam Reece said the money would be transferred from the general fund to the capital fund with council approval.

Following the work session, the project received praise from the Livingston and McLean County Building Trades association for its expected job creation. Aldrich has said the project would generate around 400 direct and indirect construction and consulting jobs.

"This uptown project, this underpass, it would be beneficial for all trades," said Mike Raikes, president of the Livingston and McLean County Building Trades association. "It's going to create hundreds of good paying construction jobs, and with a long term outlook, it will open up opportunities to create new businesses and other opportunities."

The council meeting had not yet concluded as of press time. Visit pantagraph.com and come back to Wednesday's print edition for full coverage.

Contact Sierra Henry at 309-820-3234. Follow her on Twitter: @pg_sierrahenry.

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NORMAL  Wilbert Ferguson was known around Illinois Wesleyan University's campus as the "Grand Old Man," largely because of his quiet, unassuming manner and 50-year tenure that started in 1894.

The former professor, dean, vice president and member of a committee that formed when the university was without a president was also notorious for reading in and giving advice to students from the library of his Normal home.

According to an account of his life published by the Pantagraph in May 1944, Ferguson was also known to have preserved classroom records on a special bookcase in the library at his home, located on the town's south side.

The library, along with the other rooms and unique features of Ferguson's residence, will be showcased as part of this year's Old House Society Tour of Homes. The tour, which will be held virtually at 6:30 p.m. on June 10 and June 17, will feature three other historic homes.

Thirty-minute, prerecorded tours of the homes led by their respective owners will be aired over Zoom, across the two days. Each session will be followed by a question and answer session with the owners.

Tickets are $20 per household and can be purchased at oldhousesociety.org.

OHS Vice President Deanna Stockweather said this year's tour is virtual because coronavirus mitigations in place at the time of planning prevented large groups from gathering in indoor spaces.

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Nonetheless, the adapted tour means patrons will get the "intimate, personal view" of the homes straight from their current owners, Stockweather said.

"Since the walking tour is manned by volunteers, you're not hearing all the history and stories that you get when owners give the personal tour." Stockweather said. "This year you'll just feel like you went into house with a friend."

The first leg of the tour features Ferguson's former residence  a 1913 Craftsman-style home located in the Highland Historic District  and a 19th century Queen Anne Victorian home in Bloomington's Founders' Grove neighborhood.

The second leg showcases a 1955 Mid-Century Modern home in Normal that was designed by local architect Gene Asbury, and a Founders' Grove Tudor-style home that was designed by local architect Charles E. Hall.

Ferguson's former home was conceived by renowned American architect Aaron T. Simmons, who also designed 71 Carnegie libraries, and a range of courthouses, schools and churches across the Midwest.

Simmons also created Cedar Crest, the Town of Normal's first comprehensively planned subdivision, and designed a majority of its 60 homes.

"Bloomington-Normal has seen quite a few famous architects, and we should celebrate that," Stockweather said. "We should also celebrate these houses and tell their stories, because they represent where we've been and our local history."

Proceeds from the home tour are used to fund awards, grants and provide resources to make easier owning and preserving older homes and buildings across McLean County.

The money also helps the Architectural Salvage Warehouse, 214 E. Douglas St., Bloomington.

Contact Timothy Eggert at (309) 820-3276. Follow him on Twitter: @TimothyMEggert

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The Democratic-led Senate is heading toward showdowns on two critical pieces of legislation: President Joe Biden's ambitious infrastructure plan and a bill to stop state legislatures from making it harder to vote.

But there's a roadblock in the Democrats' way, and it's not Republican leader Mitch McConnell. It's Joe Manchin III, the maverick Democrat from West Virginia, who insists that laws must be the product of bipartisan compromise, even when bipartisanship is in painfully short supply.

It's an understandable stance for a politician whose positions are often midway between the two parties' and whose state has turned thoroughly Republican.

But in a polarized 50-50 Senate, where almost every issue has become a zero-sum battle, his old-fashioned appeals to comity sound increasingly anachronistic  and they're driving other Democrats to distraction.

Even Biden, who once believed bipartisanship would blossom as soon as Donald Trump left town, flashed a little frustration last week.

"I hear all the folks on TV saying, 'Why doesn't Biden get this done?' Well, because Biden only has a majority of effectively four votes in the House and a tie in the Senate, with two members of the Senate who vote more with my Republican friends," he said, referring to Manchin and another centrist Democrat, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

Biden has been trying to negotiate a deal with Republicans on infrastructure, but after weeks of meetings the two sides are still far apart. The president has cut his initial request by more than half and is asking for about $1 trillion in new spending; GOP leaders have countered with an offer of $307 billion, less than one-third as much.

Democratic political strategists are beginning to sound desperate; they want to pass big legislation now, so they can campaign on it for next year's congressional election. But Manchin, who isn't up for reelection until 2024, is unhurried.

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If progressives want to change these outcomes, criticizing Manchin won't help; they need to go out and elect more Democrats. And that actually might be possible  at least in the Senate.

The main reason is the peculiar arithmetic of the 2022 congressional election: Twenty Senate seats currently held by Republicans will be on the ballot, compared with only 10 held by Democrats.

The Democrats' best opportunities appear to be in two states Biden took last year: Pennsylvania, where Republican Sen. Patrick J. Toomey isn't running again, and Wisconsin, where Trumpite Sen. Ron Johnson has hinted he may retire.

Of course, Democrats will have challenges, too, including in Ohio, where Rep. Tim Ryan, a moderate with union backing, may face Republican J.D. Vance, author of "Hillbilly Elegy" and a protege of Silicon Valley's Peter Thiel. Democratic Sens. Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Mark Kelly of Arizona will also face tough battles in states Biden won by a whisker.

Even if Democrats increase their margin in the Senate, they face a bigger challenge holding on to their majority in the House of Representatives. A GOP gain of only five seats would oust Nancy Pelosi as speaker and put a Republican, possibly Kevin McCarthy of California, in her seat.

In both chambers, Democrats face a headwind: In a midterm election, the party of the incumbent president usually loses seats. That's because a congressional election is partly a referendum on the president, and critics normally turn out more readily than fans.

Democratic strategists are hoping to turn that factor upside down next year by making the election a replay of the 2020 presidential election  in effect, a referendum on both Biden and Trump.

Plus a wild card: If the Supreme Court strikes down the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision that established a nationwide right to abortion, that could send Democratic voters flooding to the polls.

It's far too early to forecast the outcome of a congressional election 17 months away. But it's not too early to note how big the stakes are. Biden's prospects of enacting most of his ambitious agenda depend almost entirely on the choices voters will make in 2022.

Doyle McManus is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times. Email doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com.

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Photo: (Photo : Nancy Etz Shares 7 Ways To Ensure Your Child Is Ready For College)

Getting into the best college has been the goal of high school students for decades and remains so. The parents play an important role in getting their children ready for college by working with them to ensure they are ready.

Knowing your child is ready for college can be difficult, with the statistics showing most parents send their students to college unprepared. Only 58-percent of students return for a second year at the same college. Getting prepared for college can start as far back as middle school, with some help in high school important to each student.

1. Visit a College

The college experience can seem a world away from the life of a high school student. To get a student excited about moving on to higher education, the first step can be a trip to a local college. Traveling to a college will make it easy for your student to understand why moving on with education is so important, with a local college providing an excellent springboard for success. Super College reports the first trip to a local college should be followed by trips to colleges in and out of state. Planning your trip to a college with your child will help build their excitement about their academic career.

2. Look into Scholarships

Millions of students are racking up large debts as they try to further their academic careers. The financial burden of school is a large one for those studying in and out of state. By researching and applying for scholarships, a student has the ability to reduce their financial burden. The Nancy Etz Scholarship offers a $1,000 financial prize to the winner of an annual essay-writing contest. The Nancy Etz Scholarship is one of many on offer to students across the U.S. who fit into the academic guidelines of the award.

3. Get Involved in Activities

Way back in middle school, your student should start to get involved in extracurricular activities. As a parent or caregiver, your job is to encourage your child to become a well-rounded individual capable of adding to the campus experience of their peers. Great Schools explains an impressive academic record is a good starting point for college readiness but not the basis for the final decision. Colleges are looking for students who are capable of getting involved in sports, the arts, and other activities that enrich the lives of others.

4. Make Sure Your Teen Wants to Attend

Who is applying for college? This is the question many parents fail to ask themselves when their child is considering their future. Parents will push their children to a school that appeals to them instead of considering the feelings of their child. Talking with your child about the choice they believe is best for them can open up a world of opportunities for a family. Parents will learn more about their children by talking to them than judging their abilities by grades alone.

5. Identify Problem Areas

There is rarely a child who does not have some form of a problem at high school. When a student arrives at college the problems they have will be magnified by the independence they achieve. Problems with late assignments and poor attendance will be evident in high school if a parent takes the time to look for them. Several problems can be identified when you are preparing your children for college. By working with high school teachers and guidance counselors to address these challenges, your child will arrive at college prepared for their future.

6. Teach Children About Self-Care

Is your child ready to take care of themselves? This question needs addressing long before any college applications are submitted. Teenagers can struggle with the basic needs of life, including the need to get enough sleep and to eat nutritionally balanced meals. High school is a difficult time as teenagers become aware of drugs and alcohol. While attending college, the number of temptations will be increased as drugs and alcohol are readily available. Talking with your children to prepare them for these temptations is important to keep them safe.

7. Encourage Reading

College prep tends to focus on the need to pass certain exams and tests. Parents will focus on passing the correct exams and not look to the future studies of their children. To prepare your child for college, you should encourage your children to read for 30 minutes each day. Regular reading habits will make it easier for your children to perform to their best when attending college.

There are many ways to prepare your children for college and help them achieve success. Open lines of communication will make it easier for you and your children to work with you to achieve their best. The high school and college experiences are very different and need personal and financial preparation for you to feel confident in their academic abilities.
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The company in a joint bid with Sayona, aims to acquire the NAL facilities in La Corne in AbitibiTemiscamingue and to restart production as soon as possible.

The offer would allow for the development of a lithium hub in the region of Quebec.

( ) ( ) (OTCMKTS:PDDTF) has completed the final leg in the strategic partnership with ( ) (OTCMKTS: DMNXF) and its investment in Sayona Quebec Inc.

Piedmont has subscribed for US$5 million worth of shares in Sayona Quebec Inc to acquire a 25% interest in Sayonas Canadian subsidiary.

The funding will help advance Sayonas growth plans in Quebec, including the companys flagship Authier Lithium Project, the emerging Tansim Lithium Project and creation of a lithium hub in Quebecs Abitibi region as well as Sayonas joint bid with Piedmont for North American Lithium (NAL).

This partnership with Sayona will also enhance Piedmont's strong position in the burgeoning US lithium industry.

Support of growth plans

Sayona managing director Brett Lynch said: We welcome Piedmonts investment in Sayona Quebec and its support of our growth plans in Canada, including our joint bid for NAL.

This partnership is advancing the development plans for both companies, as we work to develop an Abitibi lithium hub in Quebec supplying the fast-growing North American battery market.

Aim to resume production imminently

Sayona Mining is an emerging lithium miner with projects in Quebec, Canada, and in Western Australia.

As announced on May 28, following an agreement with Investissement Quebec, one of the secured creditors, and subject to the conclusion of definitive agreements, Sayona Quebecs proposal to acquire lithium production operations at the NAL site in La Corne in AbitibiTemiscamingue will be presented to the Superior Court of Quebec for approval.

The offer would allow for the development of a lithium hub in the region and if approved and the other conditions at the closing of the transaction are completed, including the conclusion of definitive agreements, approval of Sayona shareholders and obtaining of regulatory approvals, Sayona Quebec aims to resume production as soon as possible.

If approved, the transaction would be entirely carried out and completed thanks to the contribution of private capital.
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The ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 1 is is Lenovos answer to the very good Microsoft Surface Pro 7+. Both are tablets with detachable keyboards and a business bent. While the Surface Pro 7+ has high-end cachet, however, the ThinkPad X12 is more about value.

This review is part of our ongoing roundup of the best laptops. Go there for information on competing products and how we tested them.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 1 (20UW0012US) basic features

Of the seven different configuration options of the ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 1 on Lenovos website, our review unit (the 20UW0012US, $2,229 on Lenovo.com) seems to be popular, going in and out of stock as we wrote this review. The tablet sold out on Amazon, as well. Lenovo offers other basic configurations of the X12 Detachable that start with 8GB of RAM, which wed consider a bit skimpy if other options are available.

Its very much worth noting that unlike the rival Microsoft Surface Pro 7+, Lenovo bundles a keyboard rather than making you pay extra for it. A pen is extra-cost (the keyboard comes with a pen loop). A Lenovo pen with 2,048 levels of ink sensitivity is the cheaper option; a separate Lenovo pen with 4,096 levels of ink sensitivity is about the double the price.

Here are the rest of the main specifications. Where there are many options (such as with CPU, RAM, etc.), the features on our specific model are indicated by the words as tested in parentheses after the item.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Processor: Intel Core i3-1110G4, Core i5-1130G7 (as tested), Core i5-1140G7, Core i7-1160G7, Core i7-1180G7

Intel Core i3-1110G4, Core i5-1130G7 (as tested), Core i5-1140G7, Core i7-1160G7, Core i7-1180G7 Display: 12.3-inch (1920x1280 touch, anti-reflective)

12.3-inch (1920x1280 touch, anti-reflective) Memory: 8GB-16GB LPDDR4x 4267MHz (soldered) (16GB as tested)

8GB-16GB LPDDR4x 4267MHz (soldered) (16GB as tested) Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB PCIe SSD

256GB/512GB/1TB PCIe SSD Graphics: Intel UHD (Core i3), Iris Xe

Intel UHD (Core i3), Iris Xe Ports: USB-C (Thunderbolt 4/USB4, DisplayPort, Power Delivery, Data Transfer, 40 Gbps), USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps), 3.5mm jack, optional nanoSIM

USB-C (Thunderbolt 4/USB4, DisplayPort, Power Delivery, Data Transfer, 40 Gbps), USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps), 3.5mm jack, optional nanoSIM Security: Windows Hello depth camera / fingerprint reader

Windows Hello depth camera / fingerprint reader Camera: 5MP (user-facing) / 8MP (rear facing)

5MP (user-facing) / 8MP (rear facing) Battery: 42.2Wh (design), 41.9Wh (full)

42.2Wh (design), 41.9Wh (full) Wireless: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax 2x2), Bluetooth 5.1

Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax 2x2), Bluetooth 5.1 Operating system: Windows 10 Pro

Windows 10 Pro Dimensions: 11.15 x 8.01 x 0.34 inches

11.15 x 8.01 x 0.34 inches Weight: 1.67 pounds, 2.4 pounds with keyboard (measured)

1.67 pounds, 2.4 pounds with keyboard (measured) Colors: Black

Black Prices: Starting at $1,829 (less with discounts, if active) at Lenovo and Amazon ($2,229 as tested)

Design

While Microsofts Surface tablets have always been aimed at a broad market of creators, consumers, and professionals, Lenovo has aimed its ThinkPad purely at professionalsand it shows in the design.

Mark Hachman / IDG Your fingers will have to find the small lip to pull out the kickstand, a solution which I found somewhat annoying. Unlike the competing Microsoft Surface Pro tablets, theres no microSD card slot hiding underneath.

The ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 1 maintains the boxy, black ThinkPad aesthetic, using a magnesium alloy for the chassis material. Though just a smidgen thicker than the Surface Pro 7+, the squared lines really contribute to the idea that this is indeed a detachable, which favors keyboard use, rather than a traditional tablet that could take it or leave it.

A wedge kickstand reclines almost flat, to about 10 degrees off the horizontal. Youll have to do some fumbling about to find the small tab that folds it out, though. The kickstand supports the ThinkPad X12 Detachable firmly until its point of greatest recline, where it becomes somewhat springy.

Mark Hachman / IDG The right side of the Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 1 hides a volume rocker and a Kensington lock slot.

If theres anything I truly hate about the ThinkPad X12 Detachable, though, its the anemic grip that the keyboard has on the tablet itself. With the keyboard unfolded, moving the Detachable around the house usually means grabbing the tablet itself...and off pops the keyboard, time and again. Even worse, the tablet doesnt always electrically reconnect to the keyboard when reattached, meaning that I had to fiddle with itdisconnect, reconnectuntil it finally worked. Its not a great look when you have to pop the keyboard on and off to allow a product like the ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 1 to work out of the box.

Thats before the ThinkPad X12 Detachable went overboard. As I was finishing the review, I put the attached tablet and keyboard on my lap. The keyboard released its grip, and the tablet tumbled backward, landing on my toe. The display bowed out from the frame. I was able to snap it back in with no apparent loss of performance, but stillLenovo needs to fix this. The combination of the weak magnetic grip and the thin, narrow edge of the kickstand means that the ThinkPad X12 Detachable should be left on a desk, not your lap. We informed Lenovo of our experiences, and the company did not comment.

Mark Hachman / IDG On the left, the Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 1 includes a 3.5mm jack, a Thunderbolt port, the optional SIM slot and a second USB-C port for charging. The charging port lacks Thunderbolt capabilities.

The ThinkPad X12 Detachable includes venting in the side and top of the tablet, and it emits an occasional faint hiss while under normal use. Its generally almost quiet during normal use. However, the tablet seemed particularly sensitive to the ambient temperature of the room. Well explore this further later on in the review.

For connectivity Lenovo has gone wholly USB-C, with a pair of ports on the left-hand side. Look closely: A faint glyph next to the upper port indicates the presence of Thunderbolt 4/USB 4. You could also use a USB-C dock with the lower port. Though the tiny 65W USB-C power brick could be used in either port, the small plug symbol tells you it should be used on the plain USB-C one. I was worried that the Thunderbolt cables that come with some portable Thunderbolt docks like our Editors Choice-winning pick, the IOgear Thunderbolt 3 Travel Dock, might be too short to connect to the tablet without dangling the dock in the air. After trying a few, though, that doesnt seem to be the case.

The optional SIM slot on the side of the tablet pops out with a standard SIM tool. Lenovo also splurged for a backplate for the SIM caddy, lessening the chance that your SIM card will slip through and onto the ground.

Lenovos display isnt anything to write home about, but the matte screen puts out a comfortable 398 nits max, enough for a well-lit room. According to our colorimeter tests, the display covers 98 percent of the sRGB color gamut, but just 73 percent of AdobeRGB and 74 percent of the P3 gamut. That might not be color-accurate enough for content creation, but fine for everything else.

Keyboard, audio and webcam

Lenovo has always had an elite reputation for its keyboards, and the ThinkPad X12 Detachables is pretty good. Naturally, the key travel (1.3mm, according to a Lenovo representative) isnt quite as deep as a traditional notebook would allow, but theres smooth, consistently firm resistance, and the keys are large enough (about 1.5mm square) to be comfortable. My fingers initially felt cramped, but my typing improved over time. The two levels of keyboard backlighting can be controlled via the keyboard itself (Fn + Space), and also via an excellent commercial version of the Vantage system utility.

The iconic red TrackPoint remains in the center, with a touchpad below. The ThinkPad X12 Detachables touchpad is small, and constrained somewhat by the discrete buttons at the topa legacy feature from earlier ThinkPads. Theyre dependable, though. Lenovos touchpad is otherwise smooth and clickable most of the way up and down its length. Gestures worked as expected.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 1s audio is subpar. Lenovo includes Dolby Audio Premium enhancement. When the Dolby feature is disabled, music sounded vaguely underwater, jumbled together unpleasantly. Enabling Dolbys technology couldnt entirely save it. While the volume is sufficient, make sure to pack headphones or earbuds for a decent aural experience.

The tablets user-facing webcam offers 1080p resolution, rather than the more typical 720p cameras that accompany most laptops and tablets. This makes for a sharper image. On the other hand, I was disappointed by the washed-out color and lighting, which feels like it falls short of what we should expect in 2021, post-pandemic. A second, front-facing 8MP camera can be used to take photos or videos of things taking place in front of you.

Mark Hachman / IDG Though the image is fairly sharp, my navy sweatshirt and kelly green T-shirt fade into a uniform blah. Hopefully this is a last hurrah for pandemic hair, though.

Lenovo also includes a tiny, manual lens shutter for the webcam. Once closed, a small red dot covers the camera lens, and a white LED lights up next to the lens to confirm. The camera lens is completely blocked, and apps that use it (such as the Windows Camera app) will simply report that no camera is present. My only criticism is that you may need a spare fingernail, nail file, car key or something to catch the tiny slide and slide it over; a fingertip doesnt always work.

The webcam works in conjunction with the in-keyboard fingerprint reader to provide one of the most convenient biometric experiences in computing today. (Both are Windows Hello-certified, and both ship standard with the tablet.) In fact, I had to do a lot of ducking just to allow my finger time to be read before the wide-angle depth camera picked up my face.

Apps: Glance is a cool privacy utility

Lenovo kept the ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 1 relatively bloatware-free, but there are two apps that stand out. First, there's a commercial version of the Lenovo Vantage app, Lenovos superior system utility which can be used to control a number of aspects of your PC. Its well-organized and powerful.

Glance by Mirametrix is also intriguing. Its a bit like the Tobii eye-tracking technology that we first wrote about several years ago, but with a privacy bent. The app offers several components, many predicated upon what the depth camera can see of your face. If enabled, presence detection looks to see if youre at the helm. Look away for too long, and the app blurs your display for privacys sake. If it can see another person behind you, it will do the same. Leaning too close? A warning will pop up for you to adjust your posture. The app will even smartly remind you to look away from the screen every twenty minutes or so to relieve your eyesight.

Mark Hachman / IDG This may look like a blurry photo, but its actually the Mirametrix Glance technology blurring and obfuscating the display when it thinks youre not paying attention.

Glance struggles with external displays, though. The smart pointer component also supposedly teleports your mouse cursor to an external display, but it never worked. The app required a bit of fiddling to blur my external monitor, too.

Performance

Lenovos ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 1s sober black design communicates that its designed for productivity first and foremost. Our real-world tests showed that it handles the demands of the work-from-home office fairly well, although I had to train myself to move the X12 Detachable with one hand on the keyboard and the other on the tablet...or simply fold it up.

Real-world performance tests were satisfactory. The tablets 16GB of memory is more than enough for web browsing and Microsoft 365 office apps, and the tablet dropped only 8 frames out of 10,000 when tested against a 4K/60Hz YouTube video. I actually noticed the YouTube skip a time or two, but it happened so infrequently that it never became irritating in the slightest.

While we eventually expect a competing tablet from Dells Latitude line, it's currently a two-horse race between it and the Microsoft Surface Pro 7+. (In the graphs following, the Surface Pro 7+ is highlighted in yellow.) The race is close, though the differences arent profound. Weve also included the older Surface Pro 7.

Remember that Microsoft dials down the Windows power/performance slider to minimal levels, while Lenovo maxes it out. We show the Surface Pro 7+ results at both that default, and dialed up to prioritize performance, to compare with the Lenovo. The yellow bar surrounded by black is what we recorded with the power/performance slider dialed up to Best performance.

Our performance evaluations begin with ULs PCMark 10 suite, which has replaced the older PCMark 8 suite in our testing. PCMark 10 measures everything from videoconferencing apps to web browsing to office apps to CAD renders, using real-world apps when it can. Here, the ThinkPad X12 does better than the Surface Pro 7+ in either performance mode.

Mark Hachman / IDG What this test shows is that Lenovos ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 1 will do just fine in everyday office tasks.

Weve also compared the tablet using the older PCMark 8 suite for backward compatibility. Both are still relevant, though PCMark 10s tests are more taxing. The Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable again comes out a little ahead of the Surface Pro 7+.

Mark Hachman / IDG

Our Cinebench CPU test uses Maxons rendering tool to stress-test the CPU in short bursts, as most tasks do. We use the older R15 test for compatibilitys sake. Cinebench measures how powerfully the ThinkPad X12 will run under most loads, not really factoring cooling into the equation. Here, the Surface Pro 7+ in performance mode takes the lead.
The Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has called on the youth who are the countrys resource envelop to take advantage of government initiatives and programmes such as the Ghana CARES Obaatanpa programme and that of the NBSSI and NIEP.



These initiatives are designed to provide the youth with access to finance and skills in entrepreneurship, agriculture, small-scale industries, tourism, trade among others. In addition, government is also establishing the Development Bank to provide funds for industries and manufacturing sectors.



These initiatives together with the technological advancement available, provide the youth with abundant opportunities to nurture and grow their businesses.



Ofori-Atta said: The robust implementation of the aforementioned interventions, particularly the Ghana CARES programme will allow us to create a conducive, compelling and ultimately resilient economic environment fit for business, enterprise and innovation.



Ofori-Atta was speaking at the Springboard Youth Dialogues, an initiative of the springboard Road Show Foundation, a youth mentoring platform focused on entrepreneurship, investment, career and talent development for the young people across Ghana since 2007. Participants at the event were drawn from tertiary institutions, young entrepreneurs, start-up business owners and prominent youth in the Bono Region.



On Ghana CARES, the minister said, the programme has been designed to stimulate economic growth through increased investment in selected sectors including agriculture, trade and industry, tourism, housing, science and technology and the financial sector. Specific efforts will be made towards providing the youth with access to finance and skills in these areas to expand the production and capacity in the selected areas, he said.



Ofori-Atta also underscored the need for the youth to grab opportunities in technology as the world has now become more advanced technologically.



He noted that the rise of mobile money and efficient payment systems meant that anyone can get paid in real time right where they are for any job done.



And to crown it all, with digital address systems and the multiplicity of delivery services, the product can be delivered to a client you may never meet in your entire life, he said.



Resource persons for the various sessions include officials from the Ministry of Finance, Ghana Enterprises Agencies, National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) and the Springboard Road Show Foundation.



Telling them about how he and his friends started Databank, he asked them not to despise small beginnings but be persistent and have faith and confidence in themselves to do what they have to do.



Again, if youve failed in an exam or business venture, youre not alone. I know how it feels. The lesson here is clearly to have a deep belief in oneself that it is possible. You just have to have faith in yourself and the confidence to do what you want to do, Ofori-Atta said.













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

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Learning Skills International School held its Sixth annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Fair to share their learners projects and experiments with the wider school community.



Learning and Living in the New Normal was the theme of the event that was dedicated to Dr. Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu, Robotics Engineer at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Dr. Trebi- Ollenu is also the chief engineer and technical group leader for the mobility and manipulation group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Dr. Trebi-Ollenu has, by his work, deeply inspired the next generation of STEM thought leaders.



At LSIS, educating for the future means learners must be able to create, problem solve, think critically, produce things that improve the quality of life. The Annual Science and Technology Fair provides an authentic platform for learners to showcase their solutions to everyday problems.



As an IB World School, the annual Learning Skills Science and Technology Fair supports the children in developing a strong foundation and passion for STEM learning while molding learners to be: Inquirers. Knowledgeable. Thinkers. Communicators. Principled. Open-Minded. Caring. Risk-takers. Balanced. Reflective.



Over thirty years ago, the founder Mrs. Sophia Duker decided to build a school that allowed children to follow their passion and develop a love of learning. It was important to Mrs. Duker that her school had strong links to the community and church such that the community as a whole exhibits pride in the school and its achievements. She believed that knowledge called for responsibility to yourself and that it is always a privilege to serve. She said Knowing calls for You to Do.



In line with the founding principles of the school, the young scientists had to dig even deeper into the enriched curriculum that Learning Skills provides design projects that not only showed their mastery of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics concepts, but were also environmentally sustainable. The projects had strong links to our shared responsibility towards caring for the planet. As responsible citizens, we should all play our part in building our communities, our nation and the world, said Miss Eyram, a grade 4 student.



Two locations, enthusiastic presenters and a plethora of science experiments and robotics projects on display! It was impressive to see young scientists, confidently explaining with great depth, the science behind their experiments.

There were a variety of STEM projects on display, from underwater fireworks, testing for carbohydrates in everyday food items, investigating the influence of measurements through slime making, to jump rope engineering. Attendants were thrilled by the depth of students understanding and the amount of work the young scientists had invested.



Speaking on the impact of the annual fair, the Principal of the Adjiringanor campus, Dr. Young said, For a school that firmly believes in the IBs philosophy of inquiry as the means of instruction, what better way to trigger the childrens natural curiosity than by providing these authentic experiences? For our young global citizens, these skills are invaluable, no matter what career path they will choose in the future. Whether here in Ghana, or beyond our shores, our learners will always appreciate the value of lifelong learning.



Nana Semuah Bressey, a parent and first time participant said, I was impressed by the creativity and depth of knowledge the students applied to their projects. The fair exposed us to intriguing projects in STEM and Robotics and showed that our children are learning a lot of relevant things in school, another parent said.



According to the Osu Campus Principal and board member, Mrs. Amarteifio, events such as the Learning Skills Science and Technology (STEM) Fair are an excellent way for children and their families to experience real-world applications of STEM concepts. Learning Skills International School organizes virtual and physical events throughout the year that build up the children, the teachers, the school and the community. There is so much value in such events. They bring together all key stakeholders in the learning community: learners, teachers, parents, staff and friends of the school to exchange knowledge and build on learning in a real world environment.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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

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A former Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh has denied allegations of seizing the mining license of Kingston Okomeng Kissi, a former Board Chairman of the Precious Minerals and Marketing Company (PMMC).

Okomeng Kissi is alleged to have accused the former Lands Minister of cancelling his mining license whilst speaking on Accra-based radio station, Oman FM, aired on Net2 TV on May 5, 2021.



Asomah-Kyeremeh, however, says he has never cancelled nor taken away Okomeng Kissis mining license as he (Kissi) alleges and will not be distracted by such baseless allegations with intentions to tarnish his hard-earned reputation.



For him, the allegation is politically motivated, to demonise his tenure in office as the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.



Asomah-Kyeremeh through his counsel, Kwabena Asare Atuah in a statement dated May 28, 2021, said the allegations and The actions of Kingston Okomeng Kissi is just to paint my client black before government and the party.



He added, This story is one of the unfortunate stories to tarnish the image of my client in the public domain. Kingston Okomeng Kissis claims are untrue and a total fabrication coming at a time my client is no longer in office.



Mr Atuah explained that the facts are rather that my client met with Kingston Okomeng Kissi at the office of the Chief of Staff once to discuss Kingston Okomeng Kissis claim of ownership of that site and that after the said meeting, Mr Asomah-Kyeremeh tasked the Minerals Commission to look into the matter.



That, he noted, The report from the Minerals Commission indicated that the area was encumbered and belonged to someone else who had secured all documentation.



For Atuah, the former Lands and Natural Resources Minister did not play any role to take Okomeng Kissis mining licence, challenging him to produce any documentation contrary to the report of the Minerals Commission.

We, therefore, ask Kingston Okomeng Kissi to produce whatever documents he (Kingston Okomeng Kiss) has showing that the area belonged to him (Kingston Okomeng Kissi) for which he (Kingston Okomeng Kissi) claims my client took away, he stated.



He further added, As a miner, Kingston Okomeng Kissi has to know that a legitimate claim to a lease of the license can only be proved by a valid mining lease.

Mr Atuah said any interested party in the case can seek further details on the issues from the Minerals Commission, which is the custodian of all leases and documents relating to mining.



Read below the statement by the Counsel for Lawyer Asomah-Cheremeh



SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT



Respectfully, I act as Counsel for Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh (hereinafter referred to as my client) upon whose instructions I write this statement.



My clients attention has been drawn to an audio circulating on social media and other media platforms where the former Board Chair of Precious Minerals and Marketing Company (PMMC) and the Eastern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Mr. Kingston Okomeng Kissi in an interview on Oman Fm and aired on Net2 TV on the 5th day of May, 2021 where he (Kingston Okomeng Kissi) stated that, my client Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh then Minsiter for Lands and Natural Resources cancelled and took away the renewal of the mining lease of Kingston Okomeng Kissi and gave it out to other persons/entities.



Kingston Okomeng Kissi further claimed that when the documents were done, it was posted or pasted on the Nkawkaw Municipal Assemblys notice board. The MCE wrote to the Minerals Commission that the said particular area on the documents belonged to someone so it cannot be given to another person. Kingston Okomeng Kissi further stated that he (Kingston Okomeng Kissi) went to the office of my client with a petition and documents purporting that he (Kingston Okomeng Kissi) owns the said area. The NDC could not take that particular area from him (Kingston Okomeng Kissi) but rather my client has taken away his (Kingston Okomeng Kissi) mining lease.



Kingston Okomeng Kissi further stated that the matter appeared before the Chief of Staff and same was deliberated upon for about ten (10) times and the Chief of Staff asked my client to give back the licence to Kingston Okomeng Kissi but my client refused.



My client wants to state emphatically that he has never cancelled nor taken away Kingston Okomeng Kissis licence as he (Kingston Okomeng Kissi) claims.



The true facts are rather that my client met with Kingston Okomeng Kissi at the office of the Chief of Staff once to discuss Kingston Okomeng Kissis claim of ownership of that site.

My client tasked the Minerals Commission to look into the matter. The report from the Minerals Commission revealed that the area was encumbered and belonged to someone else who had already secured all necessary documentations.



We therefore ask Kingston Okomeng Kissi to produce whatever documents he (Kingston Okomeng Kiss) has showing that the area belonged to him (Kingston Okomeng Kissi) for which he (Kingston Okomeng Kissi) claims my client took away. As a miner, Kingston Okomeng Kissi has to know that a legitimate claim to a lease of licence can only be proved by a valid mining lease. Also the law enjoins the regulatory body to ensure that mining is done in accordance with the terms of the lease or licence.



My client has not done what Kingston Okomeng Kissi is imputing to him as my client was very much aware it was unlawful and illegal to do that. This story is one of the unfortunate stories to tarnish the image of my client in the public domain. Kingston Okomeng Kissis claims are untrue and a total fabrication coming at a time my client is no longer in office.



The actions of Kingston Okomeng Kissi is just to paint my client black before government and the party. Kingston Okomeng Kissi should not forget thay it took the collective responsibilities of party officers like Regional Chairmen to work tirelessly to bring the party into power. My client as a former Regional Chairman for the then Brong Ahafo Region cannot ans will not treat Kingston Okomeng Kissi the manner he Kingston Okomeng Kissi is claiming against my client.



Thank you.









.

KWABENA ASARE ATUAH

COUNSEL FOR KWAKU ASOMAH-CHEREMEH





Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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

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The traditional leaders of Ga-Dangme Lands Administration on last Monday, 30th May 2021 installed Nii Amarh Owaamo I as Noya Mantse with the responsibility to spearhead the development of Ga-Dangme people.



Nii Amarh Owaamo who is now North American Ambassador for the Ga-Dangme Lands Administration at the traditional ceremony held at a palace at Tse Addo, a suburb of Accra has been crowned to ensure development come to the land.



Addressing the media after his inauguration, Nii Amarh Owaamo I noted that the responsibility charged him by the Traditional Leaders of Ga-Dangme Lands Administration will be delivered as such.



He however assured that he will work assiduously to attract investors to the community, but he quickly added that people who are interested in acquiring lands should reach out to the appropriate authority in order to avoid land litigation.



As a development chief, I am going to try and woo investors to Accra and Ga-Dangme lands and ensure that the lands are free from chaos and litigation. I will make sure that Accra is more developed. My role will be in North America and my duty will be to woo them to Accra to invest in the lands, he explained.



Explaining his staple mandate, Nii Amarh Owaamo I stated that his major objective is to persuade foreign investors into the capital and created job avenues with investment in lands.



Nii Amarh Owaamo I in his private life is called Ahmed Mohammed Alhassan, a nurse and a businessman based in North America.

Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com









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

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Ethiopias Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, on Tuesday, witnessed the official awarding of a telecommunications license to a consortium of private companies in Addis Ababa.



The consortium will be the only privately owned mobile services provider, as Ethiopia seeks to liberalize the economy.



The issuance of an operating license is the first step in a journey expected to give Ethiopians an alternative to state-owned monopoly Ethiotelecom.



The two leaders termed the event monumental for Ethiopia.



The consortium is led by Kenya's Safaricom which will own a 52% stake in the new business.



Safaricoms parent company Vodacom, plus Vodafone, Sumitomo Corporation from Japan and CDC Group also form part of the consortium.



The companies won the bidding process in May, edging out a rival consortium led by South Africa's MTN Group, with the backing of Chinese investors.



The deal opens up more than $8bn (5bn) worth of investment in 4G and 5G network across the country.



The Global Partnership for Ethiopia further projects that up to 1.5 million jobs will be created.

Source: BBC









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The United Nations' refugee agency says thousands of villagers in Burkina Faso urgently need water, sanitation, shelter and medical care having fled their homes after Saturday's massacre by Islamist militants.



A UNHCR spokesman praised the generosity of people in other villages in welcoming and sharing what little they had with more than 3,300 who fled Solhan.



He said the agency was working with the Burkinabe government to build shelters and help the displaced - but more resources were needed.



Up to 160 people were killed in the attack on Solhan - the UN says nearly 40 are seriously injured and in hospital.



The UNHCR says it's received only a quarter of the money it needs for its aid response to the current violence in the central Sahel.

Source: BBC









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The United Nations (UN) is warning of a repeat of Ethiopias devastating 1984 famine, and is calling for an immediate ceasefire in the northern region of Tigray.



Mark Lowcock, the world bodys humanitarian chief, told the BBC that hundreds of thousands of people were already experiencing famine conditions in Tigray after months of conflict.



Mr Lowcock called on the men with guns and their political masters to allow full access for aid workers.



And he said more money was urgently needed to support a massive expansion of humanitarian assistance.



But the Ethiopian government has brushed aside talk of a ceasefire.



And those in most urgent need appear to be trapped behind the frontlines  isolated and increasingly desperate, their homes and crops and clinics destroyed.



The patriarch of Ethiopias Orthodox Church recently ignited controversy when he said that genocide was being committed in the northern Tigray region.



His Holiness Abune Matthias  an ethnic Tigrayan himself  explained that since the outbreak of conflict in November between the Ethiopian military and the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF), his mouth had been sealed, unable to speak from fear.



Abune Matthias emotional statement resonated with many Tigrayans, who are deeply traumatised by the violence in their region. More than two million people have been displaced in the conflict.



Through protests in capitals around the world and via social media, members of the diaspora have united to campaign against what they insist is genocide.



The Ethiopian government rejects reports of mass atrocities as exaggerated and politically motivated. Breaking with the traditional hierarchy of the Ethiopian church, the Orthodox Synod distanced itself from the patriarchs statement.



In popular parlance, genocide is the crime of crimes  the very worst on the books. It evokes a special outrage  campaigners against genocide call for exceptional international responses, including military intervention, to stop it.



The term was invented by Rafael Lemkin, a Polish lawyer of Jewish descent, to describe the uniquely terrible crimes perpetrated by the Nazis against entire peoples.



It won a special place in the international statute books when the United Nations formalised the Genocide Convention in 1948.



In the trials of high-ranking Nazi officials at Nuremberg, prosecutors had brought charges of crimes against humanity  defined as widespread and systematic violations perpetrated by a state or a state-like entity.

Source: bbc









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A share purchase plan will now be offered to eligible shareholders aiming to raise a further $4 million.

With three mines online by the end of June, the company has a solid and flexible production base as processing ramps up to nameplate capacity.

( ) (FRA:M6N) has received firm commitments from new and existing professional, and sophisticated investors to raise $21 million at 17 cents per share.

The placement was strongly supported by new and existing shareholders, with several Australian and international institutional investors introduced to the register.

Ora Banda has also launched a share purchase plan (SPP) to existing eligible shareholders, to raise a further $4 million at 17 cents per share.

The placement and SPP proceeds, together with the companys existing cash balance, will be used to fund resource definition and reserve replacement, maiden reserves work, regional exploration, ramp-up costs and working capital for the Davyhurst Gold Project.

Highly credentialed Australian and offshore investors

Ora Banda managing director David Quinlivan said: We are very pleased with the support the placement received, and welcome a number of highly credentialed Australian and offshore investors to the register.

On behalf of the Board, I would also like to thank our existing shareholders for their strong support.

Three mines online by the end of June

Quinlivan added: FY 2021 has been an incredibly busy time for Ora Banda.

It was the year in which the company started three new mines, installed and commissioned a range of significant infrastructure on-site including a new LNG power station, built a new camp, completed the planned process plant remedial works program on time and within budget and then recommissioned this plant.

All of this achieved during a year of significant global Covid-19 disruptions.

With three mines online by the end of June, the company has a solid and flexible production base as processing ramps up to nameplate capacity.

Funding to progress resource and reserve definition and advance high priority exploration targets ahead of when previously planned will further underpin the companys long-term future.

Share purchase plan

Existing eligible shareholders are invited to participate in the SPP which is being undertaken at the same issue price as the placement, aiming to raise about $4 million.

The new shares issued pursuant to the SPP will rank pari passu with the companys existing fully paid ordinary shares.

The SPP will provide eligible shareholders with the opportunity to increase their holding by up to A$30,000 without incurring any brokerage or transaction costs.
Management of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) says the senior staff strike is taking a serious toll on work at the university.



According to University Relations Officer Dr Norris Bekoe, over 70 percent of the universitys internal and external operations are handled by the senior staff, hence their strike is a big blow to the school and other affected institutions.



Senior staff association of all public universities embarked on an industrial strike over governments non-payment of their pension schemes and adjustments of their conditions of service.



Two weeks into the strike, management of KNUST is already feeling the pinch.



Speaking on Akoma FM Monday, June 7, Dr. Norris recounted dire effects the absence of the senior staff have been on the day-to-day administration of the institution.



He said critical operations like cash and cheque transactions which are led by senior staff are now vacant and you know National Service personnel cant sign cheques and perform other direct management roles.



Meanwhile, President of the KNUST chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSAUoG) George Anson while reiterating their core reasons for the strike, lamented that government has decided to sideline parts of our pension packages.



We are in the second week since we laid down our tools and we are not resuming until our petitions are sorted out.







Source: 3news.com









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Weeks after the promulgation of the Green Ghana programme yet to be launched nationally, the agenda is spreading like wildfire across the country.



While, Mr Henry Quartey , Greater Accra Regional Minister during the launch in Tema last week said it was a wake up call, First Lady Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo in a programme launched on her behalf and the Rebecca Foundation at Aburi on Monday described it as the programme to restore the beautiful vegetation of Ghana.



At Tema, the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Felix Mensah Nii Anang-La, gave the assurance that President Akufo-Addos agenda to ensure the preservation of Ghanas vegetative cover and natural eco-system was on course.



Similar programmes are on-going in all regions as an apt response to the Presidential call.



Nii Anang- La gave the assurance at a short ceremony at the Tema General Hospital ahead of the international commemoration of the need to plant trees to sustain the natural environment.



As the saying goes, the last man dies when the last tree dies and this is why the President has put in place a comprehensive plan to make Ghana green again and I can assure you that the plan is unwaveringly on course, .



The ceremony had been a tree of life planting exercise at the Tema General Hospital with the MCE, the MP for Tema Central, Hanson Nii Noi Nortey, the Tema East MP, Isaac Ashai Odamtten, and the Co-ordinator of Civil Society Organizations in Tema, Mr. Robert Bob Amiteye, as well as the Medical Director of the Tema General Hospital, Dr. Richard Anthony, planting symbolically trees on the theme: Ecosystem Restoration  Restart, Reimagine, Recreate and Restore.



According to the MCE, government had earmarked 11th June for a national launch of the 2021 tree planting exercise but that Tema had taken the lead because the need for new trees that especially resonates with Tema.



He said most trees in the Metropolis were over 60 years old and that they had developed such deep muscled roots that were destroying utility lines and encumbering sewers among others and should therefore be replaced.



He said the Tema General Hospital had been chosen as the place for the exercise as it needed vegetative cover.



Many of the illnesses reported at the Hospital are respiratory infections which are resultant from the continually degrading ecosystem in the Metropolis and so symbolically, planting trees at the General Hospital, is a way of showing the multitudinous benefits of trees.



Others who planted trees at the ceremony were the Presiding Member of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly, who doubles as the National Dean of Presiding Members, Mr. Joseph Korto, the Gender Desk Officer of TMA, Mrs. Priscilla Obeng Gyabaa and the Assembly member of the Valco Electoral Area, Mrs. Adwoa Brago Asare.



Nii Anang-La, emphasised that greening the environment was an important priority to President Akufo-Addo, calling on all including; journalists, to join in the campaign to plant trees around the country.



He also said there was the need to treat the countrys oceans with care, bemoaning plastic pollution as dangerous.



The Member of Parliament for Tema East, Isaac Ashai Odamtten, who was also in attendance as a guest of honour, revealed that the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, had enjoined all MPs to join in the national tree planting agenda and they were all ready to lead their constituencies in the greening agenda.



He praised the Speakers Sense of responsibility for the Environment saying that it added to the maturity and leadership he brought to Parliament.



He was grateful to the leadership of the Tema General Hospital and encouraged them to take good care of the trees planted.



Coordinator of the Programme, Robert Bob Amiteye, who is also the head of the Abibinsroma Foundation, also highlighted the need for the country to take good care of its oceans

Source: GNA









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Screenshots making the rounds online, purportedly taken from the WhatsApp group of a church, show a sex tape mistakenly sent by a member to the group.



Members of the church in Ghana were shocked when the explicit media was delivered to their phones.



It was sent by a member called Brother Rudolph with the caption, "Mood."



Members quickly expressed their shock, asking Brother Rudolph what he had sent to the group.



Apostle Walter, the Head Pastor of the church, also expressed his displeasure.



The member quickly apologized and blamed it on his friend before deleting it. However, it had been captured by members and is now making the rounds online.



















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Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has paid a glowing tribute to the late Islamic cleric, Sheikh Salisu Shaban.



The revered Sheikh passed away in April, this year and his 40th-day funeral was held on Sunday, June 6, at the forecourt of the State House in Accra.



At the funeral attended by the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, and dignitaries from neighbouring West African countries, Vice President Bawumia eulogised Sheikh Shaban for his service to humanity and the country.



"It is only after the death of a man that you realise how much he was held in regard. Judging from the gathering that we have today, not only in the numbers but how far people have come; from Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Senegal, etc so that we can pay our respect to our spiritual man of God, Sheikh Salisu Shaban," Dr Bawumia said in his tribute.



"He was a man of peace, a man who cared for the environment by collaborating with the Environmental Protection Agency to protect the environment."



"He was also a champion of healthcare by organising free health screening for people," he added.



Dr Bawumia noted that the late Sheikh Shaban was a man who did so much for the country, hence the decision by President Akufo-Addo to honour his memory by allowing his funeral to be held at the forecourt of the State House.



"He was a man who did so much for our country and our community so the President decided that, considering what he had done for the country, his 40th day Adua should be held at the forecourt of the State House. I thank the President for this."



Dr Bawumia also recalled with nostalgia, his relationship with the departed Cleric.



"I am not here because I am the Vice President of Ghana. I am here because Sheikh Salisu Shaban was a father to me. Even if I wasn't Vice President, I would have been here to pay my respect and say my prayers to him because he was like a father to me," the Vice President said.



The Vice President said he visited Sheikh Shaban shortly before he fell ill, and also reached out to him during his stay at the hospital and when he was discharged.



Dr Bawumia urged the Muslim Community and Ghanaians, in general, to continue to honour Sheikh Salisu Shaban by emulating his peaceful and humanitarian traits.

Source: GNA









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Ghana Care Continuum Project of the USAID, is encouraging persons living with HIV and AIDs and have defaulted to access healthcare.



Such defaulters who might have stopped treatment for months and years would be lured under the project to as a matter of intervention visit health facilities or even health Personnel visiting their homes to supply medication under the 95-95-95 fast track goal.



The goal, which was previously 90-90-90 had been increased to ensure epidemic control by 2030 with the aim of having 95 percent of people living with the condition knowing their positive status, 95 percent have sustained treatment and 95 percent on treatment had suppressed viral loads to a point that they could not transmit the virus.



Dr. Henry Nagai, the Chief of Party said this at a training workshop for selected journalists with support from the US embassy and the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, (PEPFAR).



The Chief of Party said many who shun quality health care over the period had suffered needless deaths, "since the launch of epidemic control in the Region in 2019, many have been out of the intervention to care for such defaulters to suppress their viral load".



"We have trained our health care professionals to assist to achieve good health", he indicated.



Dr. Nagai added that data quality and accountability have been key on the agenda with the introduction of index testing for partners, HIV and AIDs self-testing kits, linking infected persons to treatment, multi months dispensing and the PrEP programme.



The Western and Western North Regions have made significant gains in epidemic control with a high score of between 86 percent and 94 percent on all the indicators.



Dr. Nagai said the project was working hard on reducing stigma and discrimination.



Ms. Virginia Elliot, Counsellor for Public Affairs of the US Embassy said countries around the world have greatly benefitted from long term US partnership in strengthening health systems through PEPFAR.



The PEPFAR sought to achieve HIV and AIDS epidemic control in more than 50 countries around the world, ' this intervention had swiftly addressed other outbreaks and strengthen platforms for global health security.



Ms. Elliot said, the training of the journalists was to contribute to the over self-development of such persons and their ability to spearhead HIV AIDS education.



Ms. Elliot said the seven weeks designated for the training of the 120 journalists across Ghana would build their capacity to achieve awareness especially among higher risks of HIV infection.

Source: GNA









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On Wednesday, 22 April 2021, HBC Promised Ghana, LBG (HBCPG) a registered non-governmental organization in Ghana with a specific mission to develop programs and services responsive to the educational and capacity building needs of individuals, communities and organizations in Ghana made the first ever donation to the 31st December Kindergarten and Primary School in the Salaga Municipality of the East Gonja District (Savannah Region).



The school was one of the 870 pre-schools established by Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, wife of His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings, President of the Republic of Ghana to stir up interest for the accomplishment of child development and family planning.



HBC Promised Ghana, LBGs visit was based on an Internet search and data provided by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), which captured the East Gonja District to be one of the poorest districts in Ghana, in which the Salaga community is located.



Leadership of HBCPG embarked on a three-day tour to the East Gonja District, precisely Salaga to learn more about the community and see how to help in one way or the other. Salaga served as a key market town for the busy regional kola trade during the 18th and 19th Centuries, and due to its busy nature was overturned to a market where slaves were transported to the coast for export during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.



It was revealed that students and teachers from 31st December Kindergarten and Primary School have to sit under trees for shelter and study due to the deficiency of classroom space that is not enough to accommodate all the students. Classes and schools are forced to close whenever rain or the heat from the sun becomes overwhelming. There are instances when downpours come suddenly, which at times can destroy materials (i.e., books, writing utensils, etc.) thus interrupting education.



Observation highly noted the community has the zeal and understand the value and importance of education, however necessities as simple as classroom facilities are missing. A high level of excitement was evident in the actions and on the faces of the teachers and students when receiving the donated materials from HBCPG. The donated materials will help make learning and teaching easy and smooth for those in the Salaga Community.



In this view, HBC Promised Ghana LBG through its iPromisedGhana Initiative, as part of the great works the organization does in different Regions of the country, has decided to adopt 31st December Kindergarten and Primary School as one of its 2021/2022 projects. One of its main goals will be to complete a 12-year abandoned classroom facility and dig a bore hole for clean water to be accessed by students, teachers and staff. Currently, estimates and architectural plans are being identified and developed by the Municipality for presentation to HBCPG.



Key Leaders from the Ghana Education Service were present at the school to receive donations on behalf of the staff and students of the 31st December Kindergarten and Primary School. In particular, Mrs. Christiana Maabo Donzun (Municipal Director); Mr. Braimah Mahama(Assistant Director, Financial and Administration); Mr. Kawuribi Adams (Assistant Director,

Supervision); Mr. Ebenezer Bonzali (Public Relations Officer); Mr. Mahama (Headmaster) and the staff of the school including as well as Mr. Alhaji Digi (P.T.A Chairman) were all there to receive the donated materials. HBC Promised Ghana, LBG officials present were Mr. LaMont Montee Evans (President/Chief Executive Officer) and Mr. Francis Osei Sarpong (Ghana Country Director).



According to the Schools PTA Chairman, this was a historical quest as no entity had ever made a contribution or donation of its kind according to Mr. Alhaji Digi  PTA Chairman. I believe we have a responsibility as members of the Diaspora who have set up NGOs within Ghana to bring education materials and resources that will help repair some of the damage caused by poverty. Salaga, which is a part of the East Gonja District in the Savannah Region is documented as the poorest village in Ghana. We have to help restore hope and resilience where there seems to be little or none.  says LaMont Montee Evans, HBCPG President/CEO.



For more information about HBCPG, please visit www.HBCPromisedGhana.org and to learn about the Salaga Initiaitve, visit www.iPromisedGhana.org

You can contact HBCPG via phone (024-711-0492) or email ([email protected]) for questions on how you can help make Salaga better or general inquiries.









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Old Mutual Ghana, arguably the Nation's most innovative Insurance Company, has launched a brand campaign - Be Inspired by The Future. This campaign seeks to encourage Ghanaians to have an optimistic outlook and be motivated in all ways by the future.



As an Insurance Company noted for doing great things, Old Mutual Ghana has taken up the mandate to motivate its stakeholders and Ghanaians at large, to not let events of recent times shudder their hope for the future. Ghanaians should instead be firm and embrace the future, which Old Mutual Ghana is very much inspired by.



Commenting on the launch of Inspired by The Future, Rita Boateng, Head of Marketing and Operations at Old Mutual Ghana, said:



"Since its inception, Old Mutual has supported individuals, businesses and communities in many diverse ways across the continent. At Old Mutual, we believe in the dreams of the Ghanaian. We believe in their quest for a better tomorrow. We want to grow with them in this critical time. We are asking Ghanaians not to lose hope but rather be inspired by the Future, as they have a partner who genuinely cares and wants to be by their side  Old Mutual Ghana.''



''Whether you have been putting off buying insurance for years or it has suddenly hit your radar, there is never a bad time to make a financial plan. We are readily available to partner with you to give you a purposeful life and future. We will achieve this feat by repeatedly demonstrating our over 175-year-old purpose  to be a certain friend in uncertain times. Our commitment to supporting customers and stakeholders across Africa remains unshaken. We want to be your partner for a better future, Mrs Boateng added.



Sharing your hopes with Old Mutual Ghana means you are supported not only to dream of exciting things but also to make these things happen. We will help you grow your wealth, manage risks, and keep your family at ease with our range of policies. Enrolling on our pension scheme is a sure way to ensure your future is compact and stress-free.



For more information kindly call 0501579204/ 050599073 or simply say Hi to us on

0242077100 on WhatsApp and we shall enrol you on a policy that works for you now and tomorrow.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The Nigerian government has reached out to China to seek support for the development of an internet firewall.

Accordingly, the firewall is to give the President Buhari administration the power to block or restrict VPN.



VPN is what many Nigerians reportedly use to access Twitter.

The Government, according to local media reports, has held engagement with the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) to discuss plans to build the internet firewall.



The government officials present at the meeting, according to reports, included Ibrahim Gambari, the Chief of Staff to the President, and Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, according to a report by FIJ.

The firewall is to provide a separate network for the Nigerian Internet that will give the government control over social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.



It is similar to the internet filtering system China operates, called the Great Firewall.















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A National Security Strategy aimed at preserving the freedom, sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of the country has been launched.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who launched the document in Accra, said it is consistent with Ghanas security architecture which will maintain Ghana as open, tolerant, socially cohesive, peace loving that uphold the rule of law and positions the country as a land of opportunities.



This is a strategy seek to ensure the self preservation of Ghana as a prosperous, stable and sovereign state that is able to provide for the safety and well-being of its citizens and inhabitants.



The National Security Strategy will serve as the blueprint for the coordination of national response effort to protect and safeguard the nation from threats, risks, challenges to its security and stability from both the domestic and international environments. Minister of National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah , said the Strategy will mitigate new threats and respect freedom its citizens.



President Akufo-Addo commended the Ministry and its partners for the putting together the Strategy. He said government will provide the resources for a successful implementation of the Plan. The Ministry of National Security will serve as the lead government ministry for the implementation of this strategy.



In executing this mandate the Minister for National Security shall, in addition to coordinating the activities of all stakeholders in the implementation of the national security implementation strategy, issue periodic notices and coordinating instructions for a successful implementation, he said.



One of the highlights of National Security Strategy is the establishment of Security fund to support the implementation of the strategy.



The President also launched the New National Security Ministry office complex.



The building located at the Blue gate was named after former National Security advisor, Joshua Kyeremeh who passed on recently.

Source: 3news.com









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The Minority in Parliament have accused the government of deliberately frustrating the work of Members of Parliament (MPs) and the growth and development of the country.



They stated that the President and his Cabinet had failed to present major bills to the House for consideration and constitution of boards of statutory bodies was a deliberate act to sabotage the growth of the country.



Ahmed Ibrahim, the First Deputy Minority Whip, alleged that the conduct of the President and his government was a clear indication of bad governance because before Parliament resumed from recess, the Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu indicated that they were bringing a number of bills for them to be passed.



We came to parliament with the intention to pass bills, but we are in the third week and none of those bills is ready for parliament to work on and failure to present major bills to the House for consideration and constitution of boards of statutory bodies is a deliberate act to sabotage the development of the country.



Mr Ibrahim, who is the MP for Banda in the Oti Region, quizzed where the bills were, what cabinet was doing and cabinet not approved them to come to the House for MPs to work on and cautioned that delayed constitution of statutory bodies would breed corruption in public institutions.



We are in the sixth month and the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his government are reluctantly and unwilling to form the boards of Corporations, Agencies and Departments to bring checks and balances and without them, it will fundamentally cause corruption, he decried.



But in a rebuttal, Sylvester Tetteh, MP for Bortianor-Ngleshie-Amanfro in the Greater Accra Region, debunked claims by Mr Ibrahim that delay in the constitution of major boards would breed corruption and insisted that the President was in the process of forming his government.

Source: The Ghanaian Times









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Infill and extension drilling are ongoing at Korbel Main with the goal of increasing the 4.7-million-ounce resource and upgrading the resource confidence to expedite project feasibility studies.

The company is on track to deliver the interim scoping study for the Korbel Main deposits at its Estelle Project in July.

(OTCMKTS:NVAAF) ( ) (FRA:QM3) has reported strong early results from infill drilling at Korbel Main, within its flagship Estelle Gold Project in the prolific Tintina Gold Belt in Alaska.

Wide zones of mineralized intrusive containing internal higher grade blow out zones continue to be intersected in infill drilling South East of the Korbel Main deposit.

One drill hole returned an overall average grade of 0.4 g/t gold over 314 metres from 15 metres within the Korbel mineralised intrusive containing multiple high-grade zones.

Notable results include:

67 metres at 1.0 g/t gold;

44 metres at 1.5 g/t;

13 metres at 3.9 g/t;

6 metres at 8.0 g/t;

3 metres at 12.3 g/t;

27 metres at 0.6 g/t;

6 metres at 1.4 g/t; and

3 metres at 2.3 g/t.

Infill and extension drilling are ongoing (almost 10,000 metres drilled to date) with the goal of increasing the 4.7-million-ounce resource and upgrading the resource confidence to expedite project feasibility studies.

Drilling confirms a higher-grade feeder zone

NVA chief executive officer Christopher Gerteisen said: The significance of these grades obtained this early in the infill program further confirms a higher-grade feeder zone within the SE Block B area of the Korbel Main deposit.

Our expectation is that we will start to consistently intersect internal high-grade blow-out zones, and that is exactly what these results show.

This could mean a significant upgrade to the resource, with the next update to be released later this year.

It will also have a major impact on our pit optimizations moving forward.

Korbel Main plan view

Interim scoping study pending

The company is on track to deliver the interim scoping study for the Korbel Main deposits at its Estelle Project in July.

Trade-off studies considering a range of potential processing options are progressing, with the aim to determine capital and operating costs, whilst allowing the greatest operational flexibility as part of the upcoming interim scoping study.

Gerteisen said: We see this upcoming interim scoping study as a snap-shot in time, a starting point, one which we are only set to grow from.

The South East high-grade zone still remains wide open with drilling to continue on infill as well as extensional drilling stepping out further along strike, potentially extending the strike of Korbel Main an additional 500 metres further South of the South-East Zone.

We are starting to get a clearer structure of the deposit, which bodes for our move into PFS after this interim scoping study, where we will continue to hone and improve our capital expenditure (CAPEX) and operating expenditure (OPEX) estimates.

These results and further from the ongoing drilling since April 2021 resource update will be included in the next resource update due for delivery later this year.

RPM drilling planned

Gerteisen said: In addition to the exciting things happening at Korbel, another major milestone is in the crosshairs.

The third diamond drill rig will be mobilised to the RPM prospect within days, commencing a drilling program which has the potential to add significant ounces to the Estelle Project resource inventory.

We have a plan to release a maiden resource estimate for this program later this year.

These results are just the beginning of drilling-related news flow for 2021.

A consistent stream drilling samples are now coming through and will continue to be fed to the lab with results to follow in due course.

The company is currently establishing an on-site sample prep-lab facility which is expected to result in reduced cost per assay and faster turnaround.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has said the government cannot be blamed for the large public gathering at the funeral of the late CEO of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John.



Speaking in an interview with Asaase Radio, the national chairman of the NPP, said the main organiser of the funeral was Sir Johns family, adding the NPP and government were just invited.



However, he admitted the size of the gathering was unfortunate although measures were put in place to observe COVID-19 protocols.



The pressure group, OccupyGhana and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), have both condemned the governing NPP for disregarding COVID protocols at the funeral despite the huge numbers of mourners.



The GMA condemns such activities that violate our protocols and has the tendency to reverse all gains made in our fight against COVID-19.



We call on the law enforcement agencies to investigate and deal with the organisers of this and any similar events to serve as a deterrent to others who intend to endanger the public health of our nation. We call on the Inspector General of Police to act without fear or favour in this regard, the medical association said in a statement.



Reacting to the condemnation, Blay said: The arrangement was such that most of the people were going to be in mask. Be it as it may, the gathering was something else I take into consideration the expression of the GMA and OccupyGhana.



However, it was the family that organised the funeral and we were invited. It was not a funeral that was officially organised by the government or the party. Its unfortunate that most of the people were NPP activists. It wasnt a government or party event. We were not expecting the numbers that were there.



If you want to condemn the government because many officials were there then I think youre wrong The numbers were huge and I think its quite regrettable irrespective of the protocols that were put in place, Blay said.



Touching on calls on the Inspector General of Police for the arrest and prosecution of the organisers of the funeral, Blay indicated that, all aggrieved groups are entitled to report the case to the relevant authorities.



I wouldnt respond to that, that is their opinion and if they are calling on the IGP to arrest the organizers, the law makes provision for that, he said.

Source: asaaseradio.com









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VIDEO ABOVE-

After the announcement of the death of the televangelist and founder of Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Temitope Balogun Joshua, thousands of his followers gathered at the premises of Synagogue Church awash with expression of shock and surprise.

Describing as a black and bleak Sunday, some of his church members mourned and prayed for miracles to bring back the mortal cops of T.B. Joshua into being.



A woman who could not hold back her emotions, described T.B. Joshuas demise as a blow on the face. For her, the death of the man of God has brought her world to a standstill.



Who is going to help us, who is going to help the widows. T.B. Joshua dont go, come back.



According to one of his followers, the famous Nigerian Preacher prior to his demise kept encouraging them to watch and pray. For him, he believes the preacher man foresaw his death.

He came here yesterday, he was at the prayer mounting yesterday and he told us to pray and that there is no time. He kept on saying it as if he knew he was going to die.

But in a sharp contrast, others are of the view that, the man of God is alive. For them the news circulating around is nothing but fake news.



People called me to tell me J.B. Joshua is dead and I said please take the news to whoever brought this news to you that the devils has failed because the man of God I Know is not dead and he cannot die now.



Meanwhile, the Church confirmed the news of his passing in a statement on Sunday morning, six days to the birthday of the pastor born in 1963.



According to the SCOAN, On Saturday 5th June 2021, Prophet TB Joshua spoke during the Emmanuel TV Partners Meeting: Time for everything  time to come here for prayer and time to return home after the service.



It regrettably announced that God has taken His servant Prophet TB Joshua home  as it should be by divine will. His last moments on earth were spent in the service of God. This is what he was born for, lived for and died for.



Nonetheless, the cause of death of the 57-year-old was not disclosed.









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Pretoria - A Gauteng woman has given birth to 10 babies, breaking the Guinness World Record held by Malian Halima Cisse who gave birth to nine children in Morocco last month.



Gosiame Thamara Sithole, 37, gave birth to her decuplets  two more than doctors had earlier detected during the medical scans  at a hospital in Pretoria last night, said her husband Teboho Tsotetsi.



He said Sithole, who hails from Tembisa Township in Ekurhuleni, delivered her seven boys and three girls by Caesarean section.



Sithole, who has six-year-old twins, previously told the Pretoria News that her pregnancy was natural as she was not on fertility treatment.



Speaking to the Pretoria News last night, Tsotetsi said Sithole gave birth to their bundles of joy 29 weeks into her pregnancy. Its seven boys and three girls. She was seven months and seven days pregnant. I am happy. I am emotional. I cant talk much. Lets talk again in the morning please, Tsotetsi said.



In an interview at their family home in Tembisa last month and the publication of which was delayed at the request of the couple for safety and cultural reasons, Sithole said she was shocked and fascinated by the pregnancy.



She said she had been in a state of disbelief when the doctors told her earlier this year that she was expecting six children (sextuplets) before further scans showed that it was in fact octuplets.

Two others could not be detected initially because they were inside the wrong tube, Sithole said.



I am shocked by my pregnancy. It was tough at the beginning. I was sick. It was hard for me. Its still tough but I am used to it now. I dont feel the pain anymore, but its still a bit tough. I just pray for God to help me deliver all my children in a healthy condition, and for me and my children to come out alive. I would be pleased about it, Sithole said.



The retail store manager said she was initially dubious when the doctors told her she was pregnant with octuplets.



I didnt believe it. I doubted it. I was convinced that if it was more, it would be twins or triplets, not more than that. When the doctor told me, I took time to believe it. Even when I saw the scans I didn't believe it. But, as time went by, I realised it was indeed true. I battled to sleep at night though.



Sithole had sleepless nights worrying about her unborn children.



How would they fit in the womb? Would they survive? What if they came out conjoined at the head, in the stomachs or hands? Like, what would happen? I asked myself all these questions until the doctor assured me that my womb was starting to expand inside. God made a miracle and my children stayed in the womb without any complications.



Sithole said that even if it wasnt an easy journey, she was over the moon and looking forward to her children.



Initially there were six children. Only to find that the other two were in the wrong tube. My legs were painful. The doctors did further scans and they found the children were in the wrong tube. That was sorted and I have been okay since then. I cant wait for my children. We have already given them names.



Tsotetsi, who is unemployed, said he was also overwhelmed by shock when he was told about the pregnancy.



I could not believe it. I felt like one of Gods chosen children. I felt blessed to be given these kinds of blessings when many people out there need children. Its a miracle which I appreciate. I had to go do my own research on whether a person could really conceive eight children. It was a new thing. I knew about twins, triplets and even quadruplets, Tsotetsi said.



But after I found out that these things do happen, and saw my wifes medical records, I got even more excited. I cant wait to have them in my arms.



He said Sithole went through a lot because she experienced leg pains eight weeks into her pregnancy, followed by heartburn.



Professor Dini Mawela, the deputy head of the school of medicine at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, said Sitholes case was rare and usually caused by fertility treatments.



The children would spend the next few months in the incubator because it was a high risk pregnancy, Mawela said.



Its quite a unique situation. I dont know how often it happens. Its extremely high risk (pregnancy). Its a highly complex and high-risk situation. The danger is that, because there is not enough space in the womb for the children, the tendency is that they will be small. What would happen is that they would take them out pre-term because there is a risk if they keep them longer in there. The babies will come out small, chances of survival compromised. But all this depends on how long she carried them for.



She said that the causes of such pregnancies were either nature, or somebody who was having fertility treatment.



Remember, when they do fertility treatment, they inject as many eggs as possible to increase the chances of conception because the assumption is that some of them would die. But they might all survive. So, I don't know whether she conceived this naturally, which is possible, or whether this is a product of fertility treatment, Mawela added.



Sithole has broken the record of the most children born at the same birth held by Cisse, who gave birth to nine children (nonuplets) at a hospital in Morocco last month.



Before Cisse, the record holder of the most children delivered at a single birth to survive was reportedly American Nadya Suleman, who gave birth to eight children in 2009. Her octuplets were conceived through in vitro fertilisation.















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FILE - Food blogger and cookbook author Molly Yeh poses in Miami Beach, Fla, on May 22, 2021, during the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. Yeh is the author of Molly on the Range and the star of Food Network's Girl Meets Farm." (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP)
Jewel Sauter, pictured with her mom Sharon (left) and son, Rylend, outside Westview Place long-term care residence in Penticton. Sauter is worried shell be turfed out of the facility this month before she has a permanent home.
A line of police officers look for evidence at the scene of a car crash in London, Ont., Monday, June 7, 2021. The National Council of Canadian Muslims says it is beyond horrified by the vehicle attack, which killed four members of a family in London, Ont., Sunday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Geoff Robins
9Spokes International Ltd ( ) is well-positioned for growth as it takes advantage of the new opportunities arising with financial institutions becoming more receptive to products based on permissioned open data platforms.

The company has taken steps to grasp these new opportunities by deploying additional business development resources in Europe and North America.

Its team has been extremely busy over the year, refining its technology and products to enhance how it collects, connects and interprets business and financial data.

9Spokes has built robust data models, which can help to solve the challenges faced by financial institutions (FIs) and businesses alike.

It noted how COVID-19 has accelerated an existing trend towards digitisation, as businesses find more connected ways of working in line with a new normal  the connected consumer expects personalisation, speed, convenience, and value-added services.

Data infrastructure to build digital future

9Spokes chief executive officer Adrian Grant said: Within the next three years, we believe all credit origination and loan management will be assessed, approved, and managed with the benefit of historical and predictive data.

9Spokes has spent five years establishing a data infrastructure  based on data, knowledge, and information  on which to build a digital future.

What weve created can play a vital role in supporting businesses seeking credit and banks providing it.

Grant added: The need for business data is rapidly evolving, accelerated by the disruption caused by COVID-19.

Businesses and organisations are hungry for data-insight driven solutions that can accommodate new ways of working.

As this market evolves, and the pace of challenger fintechs entering the financial services market quickens, FIs are increasingly receptive to conversations regarding our open data platform and the benefits this can provide in meeting changed expectation.

Flexible delivery models

9Spokes chief technology officer Jesper Petersen added: The connected consumer is reshaping the technology landscape.

They expect personalised experiences and for their data to be surfaced in different places  in ways that answer their specific pains, situation and needs.

At 9Spokes, weve built a powerful open data platform based on three insights layers; data, information, and knowledge.

Using APIs for permissioned data collection and distribution, were powering flexible delivery models to meet those expectations and support businesses.

Three-year deal with Virgin Money UK

In June 2021, the company signed a three-year contract with ( ) (FRA:42YA) to deliver a VMUK instance of the 9Spokes platform comprising Track, Connect and Explore for the banks small and medium-sized (SMB) customers, and bank serving products Engage and Monitor.

The platform will form a core part of VMUKs working capital health proposition and will transform VMUKs digital banking proposition - providing SMB customers with the digital tools to monitor and sustain their business health.

Over the term of the contract, 9Spokes expects to receive one-off revenue attached to build and implementation and annual access licence fees of around US$2.85 million.

The three-year term commences when the platform launches in September 2021.

Just the start 

The initial launch will be followed by ongoing platform and marketing innovations, which will be incorporated over time as part of a shared roadmap to enhance VMUKs ambitious vision for its business customers.

Grant said The work undertaken to date has enabled us to highlight how were building on our robust data infrastructure  propositions such as Monitor, which enter that core banking segment.

But this is simply the beginning.

Were committed to ongoing platform and marketing innovations, and the long-term roadmap is exciting, to say the least.

Were looking forward to developing the partnership and, together, our proposition over the coming years.

Small businesses are at the heart of what we do and why we do it.

Open banking  where things stand globally

The democratisation of data is transforming the business and financial sectors.

While open banking unlocks permissioned access to financial data, open data goes beyond  adding all business data.

The UK is a leader in open banking with a regulatory-driven approach, requiring its biggest banks to build the infrastructure needed.

The EUs approach is similar, with its Revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2) dictating banks must create the APIs (Application Programming Interface) to interact with third parties, but there is no specific guidance on how.

In North America, many US banks collaborate with fintechs like Plaid, , and Intuit, with regulators taking a relatively hands-off approach, allowing the industry to make its own way forward.

In Australia, the Consumer Data Right (CDR) provides a framework under which consumers consent to a transfer of their data from a data holder, such as a bank, to an accredited data recipient.

After banking, the CDR will be implemented in other sectors to establish the open data economy.

Open banking in the Asia Pacific is at an earlier stage and has, so far, been driven by market forces, with Singapore and Hong Kong now prioritizing open banking.

Busy year

The financial year ended March 31, 2021, has been a year of uncertainty and change but recently the financial sector has entered a phase of cautious optimism.

While the impact of COVID-19 made business planning difficult, especially in meeting its targets, 9Spokes recorded a number of successes during the year. They include:

 Entered a five-year global strategic partnership with USA Inc.;

 Entered a distribution agreement with Linear Financial Technologies (formerly Fundation Group LLC);

 Re-signed its contract with BNZ for a further two years;

 Deal with Virgin Money UK;

 Certified by the UKs Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), enabling 9Spokes to support open banking in the UK;

Delivered its V2 platform, enhancing its technical capability; and

 Completed a NZ$10.8 million capital raise.

Financial performance

In the 2021 financial year, the company saw total operating revenue of $5.7 million, with one-off implementation/development accounting for 26% and recurring licence fees (up 6%) making up the 74%.

9Spokes managed to cut costs, with a $381,000 drop in payments to suppliers and employers.

Platform development

9Spoke continued to invest in R&D, focusing on enhancing its data platforms and building great apps for business customers and banking partners, which includes improving the business user experience and meeting the core banking needs of its financial institution partners.

In the last financial year, it released:

 Banker Access - a new FI product providing bank relationship managers with direct access to permissioned client data;

 An auto-provisioning tool to provide a seamless integration between bank customer records and 9Spokes;

 Data integration with the Visa Network was completed to provide card spend information for Visa card customers in participating banks;

 Progressive Web App was launched and is now available across its platform. It is now progressively working to integrate a native app/PWA framework to expand capability;

 Introduced multiple boards within Track enabling users to set up personalized boards by business function or preference. This is part of a bigger initiative extending the Track use case, where different departments can see data relevant to their role;

 Revenue Forecasting feature using the data on the platform and machine learning, which predicts customers revenue in the coming months; and

 New Data Source: Extended the data connections available with 14 new connections across accounting, expense management, HR and payroll, and company information.

Strategic pillars going forward

The company has continued to evolve its priorities and has entered financial year 2022 with distinct areas of focus.

They include:

 Partner: It will continue to form partnerships to support its open data platform and to provide usable insights to businesses through its own apps  delivered directly or through its financial institution partners.

 Grow: With its six key hubs and global distribution partners, it is poised for growth.

 Innovate: To support businesses, it will continue to focus on bringing permissioned data into its platform, transforming that data into useable information, and providing depth of insight to turn that information into knowledge.

 Perform: A strong focus on fiscal management and bottom-line growth drives the company towards breakeven and pursuing investments that meet ROI and NPS criteria.

While its strategic pillars act as guiding principles as to how it operates, 9Spokes focus is on how it defines its market proposition aligned with the entrance of competitors and emerging market trends.

The company believes it has the technical and leadership structures required to execute on market opportunities.
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Drilling at the project has upgraded almost all prospects by either extending mineralisation down-dip or confirming grade continuity.

( ) has intersected high-grade gold of up to 5 metres at 18 g/t while drilling at the Island Gold Project (IGP) in the Murchison region of Western Australia.

The company completed 4,575 metres of reverse circulation (RC) drilling at the project in the March quarter.

This program tested for extensions and grade continuity at several prospects and returned multiple strong intercepts, enhancing the prospectivity of most areas tested.

These results build on Caprices maiden drilling campaign from late 2020 after acquiring the IGP in October 2020.

Future exploration will focus on testing new exploration targets on the eastern side of the IGP as well as extending existing mineralisation.

Upgraded almost all prospects

Caprice managing director Andrew Muir said: These results continue to highlight the high-grade nature of the gold mineralisation at the IGP.

This drilling has upgraded almost all the prospects by either extending the mineralisation down-dip or confirming grade continuity.

The Murchison region is highly prospective with multiple significant deposits, yet the vast majority of the IGP is unexplored due to being under lake cover.

We look forward to more expansionary drill campaigns commencing next quarter which will focus on previously untested areas, as well as drilling to extend known mineralisation.

March quarter drilling

All drilling and historical workings have been limited to the Island area of the IGP, which covers around 25% of the project.

The remaining 75% is covered by Lake Austin. which will be a future focus for the company given the prospective geology and structures, and the fact it is unexplored.

A 35-hole RC program was completed in the previous quarter to test six prospects across the IGP and all holes were targeting BIF hosted mineralisation.

Baxters/Golconda

The Baxters and Golconda prospects are two separate parallel BIF packages separated by a 30-60 metres wide sequence of basalt and dolerite.

Mineralisation is associated with a north plunging fold where extensional veins occur within or proximal to the fold hinge.

Drilling across both the prospects consisted of 16 holes for 2,254 metres and the program was designed to confirm the geometry and continuity of mineralisation.

Results confirmed the interpreted shallow north plunge as well as the cyclical frequency of high-grade shoot.

Best results include:

5 metres at 18 g/t gold from 78 metres including 1-metre at 85.1 g/t from 78 metres;

2 metres at 13.5 g/t from 70 metres; and

1-metre at 5 g/t from 91 metres.

New Orient

Drilling at the New Orient prospect aimed at confirming the geometry of mineralisation and testing for down-plunge continuity with 12 RC holes for a total of 1,727 metres.

Results indicated that the mineralisation has two different geometries, evidenced by narrow south plunging high-grade trend, and a broader more steeply dipping south plunging trend.

Best results:

9 metres at 9.6 g/t from 97 metres including 6 metres at 14 g/t from 97 metres;

2 metres at 7.8 g/t from145 metres; and

4 metres at 3.1 g/t from 111 metres.

Other prospects

Mineralisation at the Iron Clad prospect is hosted within the same BIF package as New Orient.

Two RC holes for 228 metres were completed on a single line at the prospect with best results of:

3 metres at 3.1 g/t from 70 metres; and

2 metres at 2.3 g/t from 88 metres in ISO119.

Two RC holes for 126 metres were completed at Vadrians Hill targeting BIF hosted mineralisation in the same package as the New Orient prospect.

The drilling confirmed grade continuity around the previous drilling including 2 metres at 1.7g/t gold and the results to date indicate grade continuity over more than 50 metres of strike.

Best result was 8 metres at 1.8 g/t from 36 metres.

Next steps

Recent and historic drilling at the IGP has only focused on delineating localised mineralisation associated with historical mining on the Island area.

Going forward, Caprice will undertake a more expansive exploration strategy including:

The identification of new gold mineralisation in previously untested areas, both on the Island, as well as underneath Lake Austin;

Drill testing the New Orient BIF package to understand the potential scale of mineralisation; and

Testing for down-plunge extensions to known minimisation at the New Orient, Baxters, Golconda, Vadrians Hill and Iron Clad prospects.

Early in the next quarter, the company will start RC drilling on the eastern side of the Island targeting a combination of favourable structural sites and BIF horizons.

A detailed ground gravity survey is to start shortly and this survey will give comprehensive coverage across the entire IGP and provide insight into the structures and geology, particularly under Lake Austin.

Following this, a large-scale aircore program is scheduled for late in the September quarter to test for mineralisation under the cover of Lake Austin and pave the way for new discoveries across the under-explored Lake Austin area.
TUCSON (AP)  The U.S. Border Patrol in southern Arizona is warning of the dangers that border crossers face as summer temperatures soar into 
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PHOENIX  Gov. Doug Ducey Wednesday issued two Declarations of Emergency in response to the Telegraph and Mescal fires in Pinal and Gila count
The Mid-Stakes Poker Tour (MSPT) Venetian $1,100 Main Event drew 2,790 entries over four starting days, resulting in a $2,692,350 prize pool. After nearly a week of poker, it was 63-year-old Harlen Miller of Bismarck, North Dakota who emerged victorious to take down the title and $367,801 grand prize.

Miller claims to have only started playing poker a few years ago. Since then, he had managed to rack up nearly $200,000 in live-career earnings before the MSPT victory, which included a $75k score from a Venetian Deepstack Senior Event in 2018.

"I skipped my niece's wedding to come play this event," Miller said. "I just had a feeling. At least now I can get her a better wedding present."

Miller, who also said his birthday was last week, now has a meaty six-figure score to his name along with an MSPT Venetian trophy to help celebrate any occasion.

MSPT Venetian $1,100 Main Event Final Table Results

Place Player Prize MSPT POY Points 1 Harlen Miller $367,801 2,000 2 Ryan Dodd $236,927 1,800 3 Albert Knafo $177,695 1,700 4 Matthew Elsby $140,002 1,600 5 Jonathan Tamayo $107,694 1,500 6 Thong Tran $86,166 1,400 7 Bobby Noel $67,309 1,300 8 Jimmy Lujan $50,885 1,200 9 Aaron Massey $40,385 1,100

Day 2 started with plenty of notables among the 396 hopefuls looking to make a deep run in the event. Joe Cada and Faraz Jaka were among those who fell short of the money, with Nick Pupillo being the one to burst the money bubble soon after play began. The field continued to decrease at a rapid rate and among those to cash were Shannon Shorr, Mike Dentale, Nadya Magnus, Mike Shin, Michael Rocco, and Catherine Dever  who was the last woman standing in the event.

Day 3 began with just 15 players still in contention and whittled down to a final table shortly after the second level of the day. Aaron Massey was the first to fall after getting all in preflop with queens and losing to the ace-queen of Jimmy Lujan. Lujan, who led the final eight in chips, ended up being the next one out after clashing with Ryan Dodd on a couple of different occasions and losing each time.

Bobby Noel, Thong Tran, and Jonathan Tamayo were all short-stacked heading into the final table and were eliminated in rapid succession soon after.

Matthew Elsby was knocked out after flopping a set and losing to a runner-runner straight of Albert Knafo.

Knafo, who started the day with the chip lead, couldn't hang on and was eliminated in third place by a runner-runner straight after getting all-in preflop with queens against the pocket tens of Dodd.

Heads-up play began with Dodd having a massive chip advantage over Miller. However, after doubling through Dodd on two separate all-in preflop occasions, Miller found himself overtaking the chip lead.

Miller got the job done after getting all in preflop with queens and holding up against Dodd's ace-jack to pull off the improbable comeback.

The MSPT continues later this week with a MSPT Venetian $1,600 Main Event ($2 Million GTD). For more information, click here.

PokerNews will be on-site to continue to bring you MSPT action, so stay tuned!
Critical race theory, or CRT, has become a hot topic of discussion among politicians locally and nationally, prompting South Carolinas top-ranking education official to weigh in last week.

In April, the U.S. Department of Education proposed using federal grants for two programs, American History and Civics Education, both of which are integrated into Academies: Presidential Academies for teachers and Congressional Academies for students. A National Activities program would promote "...strategies to encourage innovative American history, civics and government, and geography instruction, learning strategies, and professional development activities and programs for teachers, principals, or other school leaders," according to the proposed rule published by the Department of Education on April 19.

"We propose these priorities to support the development of culturally responsive teaching and learning and the promotion of information literacy skills in grants under these programs," according to the proposed rule's summary.

Also according to the document, "It is critical that the teaching of American history and civics creates learning experiences that validate and reflect the diversity, identities, histories, contributions, and experiences of all students. In turn, racially, ethnically, culturally, and linguistically responsive teaching and learning practices contribute to what has been called an 'identity-safe' learning environment."

The federal government's proposal has placed the concept of CRT in the spotlight across the nation.

According to Dictionary.com, CRT is "a conceptual framework that considers the impact of historical laws and social structures on the present-day perpetuation of racial inequality: first used in legal analyses, and now applied in education, communication studies and sociology."

Molly Spearman, the South Carolina superintendent of education, tweeted Thursday, Now more than ever, we must remain focused on our mission to ensure every graduate is prepared for success and not be hindered by any ideologies or agendas that seek to distract us.

Spearman believes CRT has no place in South Carolina schools.

The South Carolina Department of Education has no current or proposed standards that include CRT concepts and will not be adopting any CRT standards nor applying for or accepting any funding that requires incentivizes the adoption of these concepts in our classrooms, Spearman said in the tweet.

The Aiken County Board of Education has already taken measures regarding CRT's implementation.

At the last Aiken County school board meeting May 25, the board tabled three elective courses that were set to be approved for further review to see how and if they relate to CRT. The courses in question were Modern Cultural Events, APEX Learning and Schofield Middle School African American Studies.

King Laurence, superintendent of Aiken County's public schools, explained during the meeting that South Carolina has curriculum standards to follow.

He said he wants to make sure the public understands that any discussion of curriculum begins with those standards; it would not exclusively be an Aiken County discussion  it would be a statewide discussion, were it to happen.

The topic of adding the curriculum was brought up by members of the community during the school board's recent town hall meeting on May 18.

The process of adding new curriculum to schools in Aiken County is not decided by a simple "yes" or "no" vote.

The way we usually add things to the curriculum is that the administration puts together a group to study the proposal or grants that are available and then they make a recommendation to the board as to what the board should do, and the board considers that and then decides by vote whether or not to undertake that particular thing, said Dr. John Bradley, the Aiken County school board chairman.

Bradley explained there are many opportunities for the public to come and speak to the board about any concerns and questions they may have. He also mentioned that if this curriculum makes its way to Aiken, it will go through the same process as any other curriculum under review to be added.

Something as potentially controversial as this will certainly be studied in great detail. There will be public presentations and opportunities for the publics input before the board adopts any kind of curriculum, in particular something as sensitive as this one, Bradley said.

Jeanie Glover, the chief officer of instruction for the Aiken County Public School District, said comments from the public are important when it comes to possibly adding new curriculum.

Our board members certainly accept input from all of our stakeholders, which includes our parents," Glover said. "They come to our meetings or send their input to the board members because, ultimately, the board members represent their constituents; so for this particular issue, I do think the board members would want to know what our community at-large thinks about it.

At the town hall meeting, Bradley said the board has had no discussions or presentations up to this point about CRT, though he did receive several letters opposing it, but nothing in favor of it."

Jack Borders, an instructor of sociology at Aiken Technical College, spoke at the town hall meeting explaining his concerns about CRT.

One of the theory's aspects that he believes should not find its way into Aiken Countys curriculum is that an individual  by virtue of his or her race or sex  is inherently racist, sexists or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously.

Borders noted there would be use of materials like Ibram X. Kendis How to be an Antiracist and The New York Times 1619 Project as incentives to be able to create diversity and equity.

According to board members, there have been many Aiken County residents opposed to adding the curriculum.

If it werent for a number of emails that Ive received asking us not to consider these things, I dont think I would have any information at all because no one anywhere has approached me about including any of these things in our curriculum, ever, Laurence said at the town hall meeting.

An Aiken County resident did speak up that evening in favor of the curriculum being added. The Rev. Wesley Guyton said he thinks the curriculum is going to be important and hopes that the Aiken County school board members do not turn their heads to it when it does come Aikens way.

Im concerned about it because, if its not approved, its kind of like our history will be taken away from us because thats what its about. Its about teaching the history of African Americans and their stance and what theyve done, Guyton said.

South Carolina State Rep. Bill Taylor posted his opinion on CRT on his website on May 7, calling it dangerous education.

Taylor proposed Bill H.4343, The South Carolina Academic Integrity Act, to prohibit items related to CRT and using the 1619 Project.

He is not the only person to think of the theory as a threat to students.

According to Taylor, Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Iowa, Missouri, Texas, South Dakota, Arizona and West Virginia are some of the other states considering bans on this type of curriculum.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson joined 20 other attorneys general in writing a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to urge the department to reconsider educational proposals aimed at the teaching of CRT, the 1619 Project and related curriculum.

We dont want more federal control over South Carolina schools, especially if that includes distorting our childrens understanding of our nations history and its government, Wilson said in a news release May 20. Our schools should be locally controlled first, last and always.

As of today, the Aiken County school board has not received any official statement regarding CRT being added to the curriculum.

Glover said typically the time frame for approving standards takes place over the course of a year or more and then moves down to the local level.
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GREENVILLE  U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said he supports sanctions against China if the country is not cooperative in investigations into whether the coronavirus was released from a virology lab in Wuhan.

He also said he will push for hearings in the Senate to determine whether theories that the infectious respiratory disease originated in a lab were suppressed for political reasons.

Graham's comments came after a June 7 tour of Premier Medical Laboratories in Greenville, where researchers are studying variants of the coronavirus.

Speaking to reporters following the tour, Graham referenced recently released emails to U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci in which senders discredited the theory that the virus originated in, or was released by, a Wuhan lab.

He also pointed to a February 2020 statement in Lancet by 27 scientists that denounced the possibility that the coronavirus was manmade as conspiracy theories.

"Is there a deep state science department?" Graham said of the statement. "It seems to me that people at (National Institutes of Health) had curiosity and their curiosity was stopped."

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevailing theory was that the virus originated naturally and was transmitted from an animal to a human, specifically at a wet market that sits near the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Early proponents of the idea that the lab was responsible for the release of the virus included Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, and then-President Donald Trump and gained momentum in conservative circles.

By late 2020, prominent researchers began publishing papers indicating the structure of the virus did not rule out the possibility that it was created in a lab. And in January, days before Trump left office, the State Department announced it had reason to believe that researchers with the Wuhan lab experienced COVID-19-like symptoms as early as fall of 2019.

President Joe Biden recently ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to bolster investigations into the possibility of a lab release as speculation has increased and calls for a more extensive probe have grown.

Graham told reporters following the June 7 tour that he believed theories of a lab release were originally downplayed to politically hurt Trump and to protect the WIV.

"I've always listened to Dr. Fauci and I know these things change. The data changes so people change their opinions," he said. "But if there was an effort early on to shoot down a theory because of politics, that's dangerous."
The Center for African American History, Art and Culture in Aiken will host its grand reopening while also celebrating Juneteenth.

The Juneteenth celebration will be from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 19, and admission to the center is free. Parking will be across the street at Aiken's First Baptist Church, 120 Chesterfield St. N..

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, but it wasnt until June 19, 1865, that the slaves in Texas learned they were free. That day is now known as Juneteenth, a holiday celebrated by many African Americans.

Black folks have been celebrating Juneteenth since the early days in the early 1900s and prior to that; and I think this is a great time in Aiken. Juneteenth has been celebrated here in Aiken by the center since about 2006, Johnson said.

The Juneteenth celebration will feature live music, vendors, line dancing, artistic activities for children, a space for learning African dances and more. A large tent will be available for people to sit under with lawn chairs.

The building will be open for tours," said Dr. Melencia Johnson, a board member with the CAAHAC. "We'll have some exhibits that are put on by art students from USC Aiken; we're going to have some exhibits that are on loan from the Aiken County Historical Museum, detailing the founders of Aiken County and some other history of Aiken County here in the building.

Johnson said they are giving the children a hands-on opportunity to learn about African American history, art and culture, as well.

This event will be full of food, fun, information and education, Johnson said.

Johnson mentioned that two key sponsors, Savannah River Site and Aiken Regional Medical Centers, provided funding and Dominion Energy provided the center with a grant to get them off the ground for this celebration and to move forward.

Since the early 2000s, the center has held a Juneteenth celebration, but due to the pandemic last year, it was not able to have one. Now that all renovations are complete, the center is ready to reopen.

Once open, the center will focus on African American history and how it relates to Aiken County and South Carolina. There will be different exhibits on display moving forward.

Masks will not be required for the outside activities but must be worn when inside the center on the tours.

For more information, visit caahac.org.
WASHINGTON  A Senate investigation of the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol found a broad intelligence breakdown across multiple agencies, along with widespread law enforcement and military failures that led to the violence.

There were clear warnings and tips that supporters of former President Donald Trump, including right-wing extremist groups, were planning to "storm the Capitol" with weapons and possibly infiltrate the tunnel system underneath the building. But that intelligence never made it up to top leadership.

The result was chaos. A Senate report released Tuesday details how officers on the front lines suffered chemical burns, brain injuries and broken bones, among other injuries, after fighting the attackers, who quickly overwhelmed them and broke into the building. Officers told the Senate investigators they were left with no leadership or direction when command systems broke down.

The Senate report is the first  and could be the last  bipartisan review of how hundreds of Trump supporters were able to push violently past security lines and break into the Capitol that day, interrupting the certification of Joe Biden's presidential election victory. It recommends immediate changes to give the Capitol Police chief more authority, to provide better planning and equipment for law enforcement and to streamline intelligence gathering among federal agencies.

As a bipartisan effort, the report does not delve into the root causes of the attack, including Trump's role as he called for his supporters to "fight like hell" to overturn his election defeat that day. And it comes two weeks after Republicans blocked a bipartisan, independent commission that would investigate the incident more broadly.

"This report is important in the fact that it allows us to make some immediate improvements to the security situation here in the Capitol," said Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which conducted the probe along with the Senate Rules Committee. "But it does not answer some of the bigger questions that we need to face, quite frankly, as a country and as a democracy."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday the findings show even greater need for a bipartisan commission to investigate the root causes of the attack, referring to Trump's unfounded claims about the 2020 election.

"As the 'big lie' continues to spread, as faith in our elections continues to decline, it is crucial  crucial  that we establish a trusted, independent record of what transpired," Schumer said.

But Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who led the blockade against such a commission, said he's confident the ongoing reviews by lawmakers and law enforcement will be sufficient.

The House in May passed legislation to create a commission that would be modeled after a panel that investigated the Sept. 11 terrorist attack two decades ago.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told colleagues in a letter Tuesday that if the Senate fails to approve the commission, her chamber will launch its own investigations.

The top Republican on the rules panel, Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, has opposed the commission, arguing that investigation would take too long. He said the recommendations made in the Senate can be implemented faster, such as legislation that he and Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the rules committee chair, intend to introduce soon that would give the chief of Capitol Police more authority to request assistance from the National Guard.

The Senate report recounts how the Guard was delayed for hours Jan. 6 as officials in multiple agencies took bureaucratic steps to release the troops. It details hours of calls between officials in the Capitol and the Pentagon and as the then-chief of the Capitol Police, Steven Sund, desperately begged for help.

It finds that the Pentagon spent hours "mission planning" and seeking multiple layers of approvals as Capitol Police were being overwhelmed and brutally beaten by the attackers. It also says the Defense Department's hesitant response was influenced by criticism of its heavy-handed response to protests in the summer of 2020 after the death of George Floyd in police custody.

The senators are heavily critical of the Capitol Police Board, a three-member panel made up of the heads of security for the House and Senate and the Architect of the Capitol. The board now is required to approve requests by the police chief, even in urgent situations. The report recommends that its members "regularly review the policies and procedures" after senators found that the three board members on Jan. 6 did not understand their own authority and could not detail the statutory requirements for requesting National Guard assistance.

Two of the three board members, the House and Senate sergeants at arms, were pushed out in the days after the attack. Sund, the Capitol Police chief, resigned under pressure.

The report recommends a consolidated intelligence unit within the Capitol Police after widespread failures from multiple agencies that did not predict the attack even though those involved were planning it openly on the internet.

The police intelligence unit "knew about social media posts calling for violence at the Capitol on January 6, including a plot to breach the Capitol, the online sharing of maps of the Capitol Complex's tunnel systems, and other specific threats of violence," the report says, but agents did not properly inform leaders of everything they had found.

On Dec. 28, for example, the report notes that someone emailed a public Capitol Police account and warned about "countless tweets from Trump supporters saying they will be armed on January 6th" and "tweets from people organizing to 'storm the Capitol.'" There were also internal warnings of an uptick in posts on various sites that showed maps of the Capitol, including its underground tunnels. But those specifics were never disseminated widely.

In a response to the report, the Capitol Police acknowledged the need for improvements and said some are already being made. "Law enforcement agencies across the country rely on intelligence, and the quality of that intelligence can mean the difference between life and death," the statement said.

During the attack, the report says, Capitol Police were compromised by bad intelligence, poor planning, faulty equipment and a lack of leadership. The force's incident command system "broke down during the attack," leaving officers on the front lines without orders. There were no functional incident commanders, and some senior officers were fighting instead of giving orders. Capitol Police "leadership never took control of the radio system to communicate orders to front-line officers," the investigation found.

"I was horrified that NO deputy chief or above was on the radio or helping us," one officer told the committee in an anonymous statement. "For hours the screams on the radio were horrific(,) the sights were unimaginable and there was a complete loss of control. ... For hours NO Chief or above took command and control. Officers were begging and pleading for help for medical triage."

The acting chief, Yogananda Pittman, who replaced Sund after his resignation, told the committees that the lack of communication resulted from "incident commanders being overwhelmed and engaging with rioters, rather than issuing orders over the radio."

The committee's interviews with police officers detail "absolutely brutal" abuse from Trump's supporters as they ran over them and broke into the building. The officers described hearing racial slurs and seeing Nazi salutes. One officer trying to evacuate the Senate said he had stopped several men in full tactical gear, one of whom said "You better get out of our way, boy, or we'll go through you to get (the senators).'"

The attackers told police officers they would kill them, then members of Congress.

At the same time, the senators acknowledge the officers' bravery, noting that one officer told them, "The officers inside all behaved admirably and heroically and, even outnumbered, went on the offensive and took the Capitol back."

___

Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo contributed to this report.
Boeing Co. handed over two more 787 Dreamliners to customers last month before again shutting down all deliveries for the South Carolina-based program.

That brought the total for Dreamliner deliveries so far this year to 13, still far from the company's goal of unloading the more than 100 jets that piled up in inventory during a nearly five-month delivery pause for the widebody jet.

The delivery delays stem from ongoing quality issues with the Dreamliner that prompted extensive inspections of completed airplanes.

Boeing had started handing over 787s again in late March but confirmed in May that it had stopped deliveries for a second time. The reason was that the Federal Aviation Administration was seeking more information from Boeing before approving a different inspection method that the planemaker has proposed.

Before that stoppage, Uzbekistan Airways received a 787-8 and Atlantis Aviation Corp. got a 787-9, according to new delivery information Boeing posted June 8.

In total, the company handed over 17 jets of all makes last month, bringing the total to 111 so far this year. The vast majority of them were 737 Max planes, despite a brief pause on deliveries for that program in April while Boeing was working with the FAA to resolve an electrical issue that affected dozens of those aircraft. The agency OK'd Boeing's fix for the problem in mid-May, and 11 of the jets were delivered before the end of the month.

May was the fourth month in a row that Boeing logged a positive net order total. It booked 73 gross orders offset by 53 cancellations. New orders included a previously announced commitment by German airline group Lufthansa to bump an existing order for 20 Dreamliners up to 25.

But the month was a wash for Dreamliner orders, since five 787-9 sales were canceled. The customer's identity was not disclosed.

Most orders and debookings were for the 737 Max. Seven orders were also made for 777 freighter aircraft.

Boeing's backlog stands at 4,121 aircraft as of May, up from 4,045 a month before.

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During a June 3 conference, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said that, despite the second 787 delivery shutdown, he expects that the "lion's share" of the about 100 Dreamliners that are awaiting delivery will be picked up this year.

"I hope it's all of it," Calhoun said, adding that he didn't "want to get too predictive about that."

Dreamliner deliveries are being handled both at Boeing's North Charleston site and in Everett, Wash., for 787s built at the Seattle-area factory.

The South Carolina campus is handling 787 deliveries and inspections and is continuing to build new Dreamliners at a reduced rate of five planes per month.

Calhoun expressed confidence during last week's Bernstein conference that the 787 program will eventually get back to pre-pandemic production rates, though that will take time. Right now, the challenge is getting that program to a stable delivery rate, he said.

While nothing has changed between the first and second delivery pause when it comes to the Dreamliner's quality issues, the FAA "rightfully wants to know" more about the processes Boeing has proposed, which Calhoun said are different than the ones they had before.

Last month, the FAA had said in a statement that it was waiting on "additional data" from Boeing to determine "whether the companys solution meets safety regulations.

"I don't want to ever repeat the mistake of us trying to pressure them to do things faster than they would otherwise do them and as diligently as they would otherwise do them," Calhoun said of the agency.

The planemaker was accused of pressuring regulators when it came to the 737 Max jet which was grounded for more than 20 months after two deadly crashes.

Taking their time with the 787 issues, Calhoun said, is "in the best interest" of the "long-term stability" of the North Charleston Dreamliner plant.
The company is in the final stages of project land acquisition after which it can receive the Installation Licence which gives the right to begin mine construction.

The company has sufficient capital to fund capex for the construction of the Tres Estradas Phosphate Project.

Limited ( ) has secured a A$3.75 million loan from the Board of the Development Bank of Southern Brazil (BRDE) to help fund capex for the Tres Estradas Phosphate Project (TEPP) in Brazil.

This approval follows a letter of support received from BRDE in December 2020 after an extensive review of the TEPP which confirmed that the project meets its investment criteria.

Combined with cash at a bank of A$4.48 million as of May 31, 2021, the approval of this loan gives Aguia sufficient capital to fund the A$7.37 million capex for the construction of the TEPP.

Land acquisition

Aguia is in the final stages of project land acquisition.

Receipt of an Installation Licence (LI) will provide the right to commence mine construction and this is dependent upon completion of the land acquisition

The company anticipates being able to provide a comprehensive update on land acquisition shortly with the majority of land purchases completed.

Following receipt of the LI, construction is expected to take 6-8 months followed by the first production which is anticipated to occur during the first quarter of 2022 based on receiving the necessary approvals and the timeframe to order long lead time items.

Additional financial capacity

Aguia managing director Fernando Tallarico said: BRDEs funding support is a major vote of confidence in Tres Estradas and a key milestone that we have met to deliver the project into production.

This is a straightforward loan that gives Aguia additional financial capacity to fund the capex for the TEPP.

I commend the whole Aguia team on the work undertaken to receive approval and look forward to working further with BRDE as a key stakeholder that clearly recognises the value that Aguia can deliver by bringing into production Southern Brazils phosphate mining and processing operation.

Excellent support

Tallarico added: We reiterate that we have excellent support for the project from within RS State, Federally and of course amongst the local community where we are operating.

Finalisation of the necessary land acquisition continues, and we look forward to providing shareholders with an update regarding this in the near future as well as news of the LI granting which will allow us to move the project into the construction phase.
A North Charleston pizzeria announced June 8 it is closing permanently because of "the ongoing staffing shortage."

Community Pizza House at 2400 Gap Road near Tanger Outlets thanked customers and workers in a Facebook posting for their support since the restaurant opened in 2016.

The owners say they will continue to operate Steel City Pizza Company locations in Mount Pleasant, North Charleston and Summerville.

The building housing the pizza shop has been listed for sale since at least October 2019 with National Restaurant Properties before recently being transferred to commercial real estate firm CBRE.

Restaurant co-owner Adam Carb said the closing was coincidental to the listing changing hands. He also said some of the 20-plus workers at Community Pizza House are now working at Steel City Pizza locations. He owns the Community Pizza property as well as Steel City Pizza with Gavin McCulley.

Carb said the Community Pizza site held its own against Mellow Mushroom down the street, but he wonders if a different concept might work better at the location. Nothing new is planned for the site at this time as it remains for sale.

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The National Restaurant ad called the Community Pizza House site a "turn-key, 4,200-square-foot restaurant with additional 1,000 square feet of covered outdoor patio space and 861-square-foot rooftop bar. Plenty of parking and surrounded by hotels and national retailers."

It went on to say, "Floor plan and infrastructure should easily accommodate many other concepts. Currently operating as Community Pizza. Please do not contact employees of the business regarding this sale. Asking $2,399,000 for real property and considering leasing scenarios."

Tim Hagar with National Restaurant Properties said several prospective buyers looked at the site, but the coronavirus disrupted offers.

The CBRE listing does not include a price but details many of the same attributes as the previous listing and points out the property is close to Tanger Outlets, Boeing South Carolina, Walmart, Sam's Club, North Charleston Coliseum and the Charleston Area Convention Center.

A representative of CBRE did not immediately respond for further comment.
COLUMBIA  South Carolina lawmakers on June 8 finalized sweeping changes at Santee Cooper, hoping to correct systemic flaws that were discovered within the state-owned electric and water utility after it wasted $4 billion on the failed construction of a nuclear power plant.

Both the S.C. House and Senate unanimously passed the so-called Santee Cooper reform bill Tuesday, wrapping up a debate that raged for nearly four years and exposed significant problems in the Palmetto States utility sector.

At times in that debate, Santee Coopers very existence was threatened as top lawmakers and Gov. Henry McMaster called on the Legislature to sell off the 87-year-old utility to a private company.

The final version of the proposal emerged from "everybody trying in good faith to make Santee Cooper what it should be and to move past the decisions that it made, that we as a state made ... to go nuclear and go V.C. Summer," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Luke Rankin, R-Myrtle Beach, said.

"We are looking forward with checks and balances and with guardrails," he added.

The new law, H. 3194, keeps Santee Cooper under state ownership even after its role in the failed expansion of the V.C. Summer nuclear power plant in Fairfield County.

But the law gives the 2 million South Carolinians who rely on Santee Coopers power more of a say in its major decisions, including electric rate hikes. It gives state utility regulators and watchdogs more power over the embattled utility, which previously operated with almost absolute autonomy.

The law calls for the removal and replacement of Santee Coopers entire 12-member board by the end of 2024. Lawmakers, including House Speaker Jay Lucas, R-Hartsville, said they had lost faith in the board and needed new leadership atop the Moncks Corner-based agency.

The law also requires more scrutiny of Santee Cooper's debt and executive compensation plans by state lawmakers.

"Santee Cooper will be subject to the same scrutiny and accountability that every other state agency is subject to," Lucas said during a speech on the House floor June 8. He called the bill "the most dramatic shift" in policy and oversight at Santee Cooper since its creation in 1934.

Lawmakers hope the bills passage closes the book on an ugly and embarrassing chapter of South Carolinas energy history.

More than a decade ago, Santee Cooper and its investor-owned majority partner on the project, South Carolina Electric and Gas, persuaded state lawmakers and utility regulators to green light a major expansion of the V.C. Summer nuclear power plant in Fairfield County.

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The $9 billion project was supposed to supply clean nuclear power to millions of South Carolinians for decades to come. Instead, the project was fraught with reactor design issues, supply chain problems, construction delays and missed deadlines.

Executives from Santee Cooper and SCE&G knew of many of those problems but publicly boasted about the projects progress, right up until they abruptly abandoned construction of the twin nuclear reactors in July 2017. SCE&Gs top two executives have since pleaded guilty to defrauding ratepayers in connection with the project.

The V.C. Summer expansion quickly became the worst business failure in state history, leaving customers to pay off the $9 billion construction debt on their future power bills.

Its reputation in tatters, SCE&G and its Cayce-based parent company were sold to Virginia-based Dominion Energy in January 2019.

Lawmakers spent nearly four years debating Santee Coopers fate. McMaster and some top legislators suggested selling it to a private company that would pay off the utilitys $4 billion share of the debt. But many others, especially in the Senate, resisted efforts to sell, warning that a for-profit power company would only raise Santee Coopers electric rates in the future.

Ultimately, lawmakers decided against a sale. The highest bidder, NextEra Energy, withdrew its offer in late April.

Until last week, House leaders had fought to continue exploring the possibility of a sale. Their version of H. 3194 would have established a committee of legislators to accept and evaluate offers from interested buyers.

But senators nixed that idea in behind-the-scenes negotiations with House leaders last week.

The bill now heads to the governor's desk. McMaster hasnt committed to signing the bill, but Tuesdays votes  43-0 in the Senate, 111-0 in the House  showed legislators could easily override his veto.

The Columbia Republican noted the bill doesnt stop the Legislature from selling Santee Cooper in the future. And he repeated his stance that selling Santee Cooper and letting a private company absorb its nuclear debt is the only way to protect customers from paying for a power plant that was never finished.

Time will tell how this is going to work, McMaster said.
The increasing popularity of electric cars combined with growth in traditional gas-powered vehicles has the Robert Bosch plant in Dorchester County adding production lines and spending $80 million on a two-year expansion program that will create hundreds of jobs.

The growth plan was outlined during a company-wide event to announce fiscal year-end earnings and the near-term outlook for The Bosch Group's global operations, which include the vehicle mobility, industrial technology, consumer goods and energy sectors.

"The market for electric vehicles is growing in the United States, and with the investment we are doing in our e-motor line we are fulfilling the demands that we see for the future," Gitta Unger, vice president of the North Charleston plant, said of the new production line that will be added to build electrified powertrains for passenger cars and commercial vehicles.

At the same time, internal combustion engines aren't going away any time soon and Unger said the plant also will add capacity for those powertrains.

Both the electrified and traditional powertrain expansions will take place within the plant's existing footprint, Unger said. She declined to give details about annual capacity for the new lines or which customers are driving the expansion.

Hiring is already underway and Unger said the expansions will help the Dorchester Road plant replace all or more of the 430 full- and part-time positions that were cut last year when the site eliminated production of diesel powertrain components.

All told, Bosch plans to spend $250 million this year on vehicle mobility expansions at its North American sites. Bosch also plans to spend $110 million at its North American sites on technology featuring electromobility and artificial intelligence, such as a transparent liquid-crystal display sun visor that uses a camera, facial detection and tracking software to darken the area where light hits the driver's eyes without obstructing the view of the road.

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Bosch also has focused on environmental issues, ensuring that all of its plants, including its Dorchester County site, are climate-neutral  a feat achieved about a year ago. The local factory also features a cloud-based platform that uses algorithms to reduce the energy consumption of machines and increase production efficiency.

Company officials also pointed to its Rexroth mobile hydraulics facility in Fountain Inn as a leader in the switch to clean energy. In November, the Upstate plant started producing energy from 3,300 solar panels spread out over five acres of adjacent land  the first large-scale solar array for Bosch in North America.

Between now and 2024, the company plans to invest $1.2 billion in fuel-cell technology for heavy-duty trucks to produce clean power and on July 7 announced another $1.2 billion investment in a computer chip factory in Germany to produce semiconductors for Bosch parts and serve as a hedge against future chip shortages.

The spending follows a year in which Bosch companies were heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, which forced the Lowcountry plant to close for a couple of weeks about a year ago because the customers it served weren't producing vehicles.

"We managed to get out of it, I would say overall, even stronger," Unger said. "We managed in a very short time to turn the facility into a very safe environment, which allowed us to get out from the crisis."

Mike Mansuetti, president of Bosch in North America, said the pandemic's biggest impact was felt during the second quarter of 2020, but "we were able to rebound successfully in the second half of the year."

Because of the health crisis, overall sales in North America were 15 percent below the previous years level, with the vehicle parts side of the business hardest hit. That was offset by a boom in the company's consumer power tools and appliances businesses, which experienced a 12 percent increase in sales to $2.9 billion for the year.

For the current year, we are optimistic about building upon the results of the second half of 2020 and the start of 2021, but also expect ongoing challenges due to industry-wide headwinds such as the semiconductor shortage," Mansuetti said.
Kingstree, SC (29556)

Today

Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable.
ISLANDTON  After a late-night shooting that left two members of one of South Carolina's most prominent families dead, authorities have been tight-lipped about details surrounding the case.

Paul Murdaugh, 22, and his mother, Margaret, 52, were found shot the night of June 7, said Colleton County Coroner Richard Harvey. Autopsies are scheduled for June 10.

Authorities did not say whether they were found inside or outside their home, which sits on a sprawling tract along the Colleton-Hampton County border.

The State Law Enforcement Division is leading the investigation.

Deputies responded to a 911 call shortly after 10 p.m. stating there were two people dead at 4147 Moselle Road, according to the Colleton County Sheriff's Office.

Upon arrival, deputies saw two people "sustaining at least one gunshot wound," the Sheriff's Office said.

The Sheriff's Office and SLED did not provide more information about the shooting and details remained scant. Questions about whether they are searching for suspects went unanswered.

"At this time, there is no danger to the public," the Sheriff's Office said. "If information is received that dictates otherwise, we will immediately notify the public."

Sheriff's spokeswoman Shalane Lowes referred questions regarding the incident to SLED and the County Coroner's Office. A request for 911 audio recordings was denied due to the ongoing investigation.

Law enforcement personnel could be seen at the Murdaughs' property into the afternoon hours.

According to county property records, Alex Murdaugh sold the tract to his wife, Margaret, for $5 in December 2016.

The unincorporated community of Islandton is about 4 miles down Moselle Road. Varnville, the nearest incorporated town, is about 10 miles away across the Hampton County line.

Pockets of modest homes and businesses dot the surrounding countryside  a few churches, a recycling center, a community center.

Locals gathered along Moselle Road in the morning hours to get a glimpse of law enforcement and to glean what details they could about the scene hidden far up the property line.

Not much was visible; the Murdaughs' home is set back far from the street.

Several members of the Murdaugh family, including Paul's father and Margaret's husband Alex, work for the law firm Peters, Murdaugh, Parker, Eltzroth and Detrick.

"We ask for your continued patience and prayers through this tragic time," said a Facebook post by the firm. "Please contact law enforcement should you have any information that may be important."

The firm was founded in 1910 by Randolph Murdaugh. The family has long been prominent in South Carolina's legal community, including three former 14th Circuit solicitors.

"This is a heinous crime," said Michael Gunn, a family friend who serves as executive director of the S.C. Association for Justice, which represents trial lawyers around the Palmetto State.

Alex Murdaugh previously served as the organization's president, he said.

"On behalf of the association and the board of governors, we extend our deepest sympathies," Gunn said. "This is an extremely difficult time they're going through."

State Sen. Margie Bright Matthews, D-Walterboro, asked her colleagues in the Senate to keep the Murdaugh family in their prayers "as we try to figure out what happened."

She declined to comment further on the incident.

The double homicide comes more than two years after Paul became embroiled in a criminal case of his own.

Then 19 years old, the Murdaugh family scion was accused of being drunk while piloting a boat on Feb. 24, 2019, that crashed into Archer's Creek Bridge in Beaufort County.

All of the boat's occupants were ejected.

Five people resurfaced but a sixth, 19-year-old Mallory Beach, did not.

Her body was found seven days later near the Broad River boat landing, about 5 miles from the site of the crash.

Murdaugh was charged that April with one count of boating under the influence causing death and two counts of boating under the influence causing great bodily injury.

His case was still listed as pending in Beaufort County court.

Robert Kittle, spokesman for the S.C. Attorney General's Office, said once his office receives official documentation proving that Murdaugh is deceased, prosecutors will motion to dismiss the case.

Beach's estate has also filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Hampton County against several members of the Murdaugh family, among other parties, for their alleged role in the girl's death.

The Beach family said in a statement released by their law firm, Gooding and Gooding, on June 8 that their thoughts and prayers were with the Murdaugh family.

"Having suffered the devastating loss of their own daughter, the family prays that the Murdaughs can find some level of peace from this tragic loss," the family said.

Jamie Lovegrove contributed from Columbia. Olivia Diaz, Mary Steurer and Steve Garrison contributed from Charleston.
COLUMBIA  More than 100 nonpublic schools in South Carolina received $39 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding this week.

The schools, including several in the tri-county area, were able to apply to receive the money as part of the federal Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools program.

In total, the program, which was created as part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, provided $2.75 billion to nonpublic schools nationwide.

The S.C. Department of Education split the $39 million between 111 schools. The department gave priority to schools that had seen the most impact from COVID-19 and enroll low-income students, according to a S.C. Department of Education news release.

The money ranges from just over $1,000 for Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic School in Greenville to nearly $1.7 million at Carolina Christian Academy in Lancaster.

In order to qualify, the schools had to be nonprofit, are approved to operate under state law, existed and operated before March 13, 2020, and had not applied to or received a loan under the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program on or after Dec. 27, 2020.

The money works very similarly to the federal COVID-19 aid directed to public schools throughout the state. The nonpublic schools are able to use the money for operations to help with their safe reopening, as well as addressing learning loss and supporting educational technology brought on by the pandemic.

The schools are also able to use the funds as reimbursement for coronavirus-related costs dating back to March 13, 2020.

These funds were appropriated by Congress specifically to address the needs of our private and parochial schools who have faced similar challenges to our public education system," state education Superintendent Molly Spearman said in the news release.

At $1.23 million, Pinewood Preparatory School in Summerville received the most funding in the tri-county area. It was followed by Charleston Catholic School with $971,791 and Bishop England High School on Daniel Island with $666,456.

Other area schools to receive funding include:

Blessed Sacrament Catholic School in Charleston, $603,472

Charleston Day School, $79,778

Christ Our King - Stella Maris School in Mount Pleasant, $583,240

Coastal Christian Preparatory School in Mount Pleasant, $4,846

Colleton Prep Academy in Walterboro, $780,869

Crown Leadership Academy in Mount Pleasant, $24,581

Divine Redeemer School in Hanahan, $335,880

Dorchester Academy in St. George, $303,860

Faith Christian School in Summerville, $91,595

Harvest Time International Academy in Charleston, $24,060

Little School at Grace Church in Charleston, $6,644

Nativity School in Charleston, $515,123

Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, $418,922

Saint John Catholic School in North Charleston, $472,630

Summerville Catholic School, $280,069

Trident Academy in Mount Pleasant, $86,674

University School of the Lowcountry in Mount Pleasant, $72,068

The federal COVID-19 aid was well received by private education leaders, including the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, who have are involved in a lawsuit against the state for not allowing private schools to access public funds.

"Our nonpublic schools were integral to our continued recovery as a state and worked to meet the needs of their students to the best of their ability," diocese Director Michael Acquilano said. "We hope to continue this working relationship with the Department as we all toil in the service of our beloved students.

The state is hoping to receive another package of funding for nonpublic schools that would amount to $41.75 million for South Carolina. The U.S. Department of Education is still finalizing how those funds will be allocated to states.

Clarification: This story has been updated to clarify that the schools were able to apply for federal relief as long as they did not apply for or receive loans from the Paycheck Protection Program on or after Dec. 27, 2020.
North Augustas first Public Power Hour allowed residents to voice their concerns directly to city council.

I think it went fantastic. I could not be more pleased. The public brought in great questions, they educated us on some things I dont think we knew of, so we can now go back and work on those, Mayor Briton Williams said.

The Public Power Hour was one of Williams' key initiatives when running for mayor.

There were a couple of residents who showed up to the meeting to voice their opinions about topics like the Greeneway Trail, parking in  and the cleanliness of  Riverside Village, streetlights, sidewalks and crosswalks.

Residents had five minutes each to voice their concerns or opinions directly to council members. The council then had a chance to respond to those concerns.

Williams hopes the residents who did not get a chance to come know the council is there to listen, and they can come before the council in a formal setting to voice their concerns.

Williams described the setting as "very positive.

North Augusta resident Dianne Lheureux voiced her concerns about Riverside Village's cleanliness and parking, bringing specific attention to cigarette butts and tow-away zones where no cars are being towed. When discussing cleanliness, she mentioned that the current state of certain parts is not up to the standards of operating principles in North Augusta.

I really rely on all of the good work that you all do, so I dont stay on top of your business because I feel like youre doing a good job, but when I see something repeatedly, I know thats not the way North Augusta operates, so Im bringing it to your attention today, Lheureux said.

Council members took note of what she and the other residents were saying as each person spoke. Williams said they have the contact information of everyone who participated and will be responding to every individual.

I was very pleased with the citizens that showed up and I thought it accomplished exactly what we wanted. We want be able to listen and (have) better communication, Williams said.

The Public Power Hour will be held before the first city council meeting every month.

The next Public Power Hour is set for July 19 at 5 p.m.
The children of Virginia Rose Peredo Laguana, 39, tried to stop their mother from suffering more knife wounds and one of them ended up getting wounded on Sunday afternoon in their Tamuning apartment.

According to the prosecution in court documents, which charged John Richard Bass III with murder, the oldest of the children, 19, was cradling her bleeding mother when police arrived at their Tamuning apartment.

When an officer asked who attacked Virginia, the teen replied: "John Bass," according to the court documents.

Virginia Laguana had multiple, deep stab wounds all over her body.

An officer helped the 19-year-old daughter who had a laceration to the inner part of her left thigh, which continuously bled.

The mother did not have a pulse. One officer applied pressure to the stab wounds and another performed chest compressions.

The mother was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival at Guam Memorial Hospital.

The stab wounds on the slain mother were on her chest, abdomen, left upper thigh, right elbow, right wrist, left upper arm left arm, right side of the left hand, and left backhand by the wrist, according to court documents.

On Sunday afternoon, the 19-year-old told police, she and her siblings heard their mother screaming.

They then saw Bass stabbing their mother. The children tried to pull Bass off of their mother. One punched Bass. Another child of the victim grabbed a picture frame and started hitting Bass.

They were initially successful defending their mother but Bass began stabbing Virginia again, according to the prosecution in court documents.

Bass would later drop the chef's knife. He ran from the apartment.

Before fleeing, Bass threatened the witnesses, "I swear if you call the cops," according to court documents.

A chef's knife with a bladed tip that appeared bent, and covered in blood, was found in the area where Virginia's body was first observed by the responding officers.

One day after the killing, Bass was captured in Yigo.

"He admitted to being involved in a relationship with Virginia. He admitted to being in the residence with Virginia on June 6, 2021. He refused to answer any questions about what happened to either Virginia or to (the victim's 19-year-old daughter). He admitted to repeatedly running from officers that were trying to apprehend him. When asked why he ran, he told the interviewing officer that he has a habit of running from the police," according to court documents.

This is developing.
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Peng Liyuan addresses opening of WHO meeting on TB, AIDS

Xinhua) 10:52, June 08, 2021

BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping and a goodwill ambassador of the World Health Organization (WHO) for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, on Monday addressed via video link the opening of a WHO meeting on "Ending TB deaths among people with HIV: Step up the momentum."

Peng said with joint efforts made by the international community, global prevention and treatment of AIDS and tuberculosis has achieved remarkable results over recent years.

China has, step by step, established a cooperative mechanism between prevention and treatment institutions of tuberculosis and AIDS, said Peng. She said that China has consistently controlled AIDS at a low epidemic level, and the incidence rate and mortality rate of tuberculosis have respectively dropped by more than 40 percent and 70 percent in the past 20 years.

These achievements have benefited from the great attention of the Chinese government, the unremitting efforts by medical staff and the endeavors of volunteers, she said.

Peng shared with the participants some touching stories she witnessed during this process.

Peng said major infectious diseases are common challenges faced by the humanity, and it is people's common wish to eliminate the threat of AIDS and tuberculosis.

Peng noted COVID-19 brought more challenges to the prevention and treatment of AIDS and tuberculosis. She called for united efforts from the international community to protect lives and strive forward.

She also called on people from all walks of life to join hands to enhance the prevention and treatment of AIDS and tuberculosis, and make efforts to build a global community of health for all.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
The SaaS firm helps brick-and-mortar retailers manage online sales without major upfront costs

itim Group PLC is seeking to float on Londons AIM market as it bids to capitalise on the structural shifts in the retail sector amidst the pandemic.

The company, a software as a service (SaaS) business that claims to enable store-based retail to compete with online rivals, is seeking to raise 10mln to 12mln in an initial public offering.

It offers customers an omni-channel (a mix of online and offline) retail solution to more than sixty brands in the UK and worldwide. The software for example allows for both home delivery and in-store click-and-collect and also supports in-store returns for online purchases.

The company highlighted that it has grown its annual recurring revenue by 55% since the start of 2018 and its forward growth strategy will seek to expand its client base and expand into new territories, along with acquisitions to enhance product and it portfolio of customers.

We are delighted to announce our intention to float on AIM, representing an exciting new chapter in the company's history, said Ali Athar, itim chief executive.

Our firm belief is that if bricks-and-mortar retailers are to compete in a post-COVID world, they will need to operate a best-in-class omni-channel service.

It is the only way they will be able to withstand the domination of pure online retailers and regain market share through using their store estates to their competitive advantage and improving profitability.

WH Ireland will be the sole broker for the IPO and it will be the companys nominated adviser.
@PottstownNews on Twitter

Evan Brandt has been a staff reporter for The Mercury for more than 20 years. He covers municipal, school district, political, state government, federal government and environmental news.
Several West Chester residents and officials are working to re-establish SEPTA rail service to Philadelphia. Above, a train at the Westtown Station.
French regulators had a problem with Google Ad Manager and the AdX advertising exchange

s Google ( ) said it will shake up its advertising business practices in the wake of a competition dispute with the French government.

In a deal with Frances competition watchdog, the tech giant agreed to pay a 220mln fine and said it would make changes to its algorithm-based auction processes.

Tech industry commentators believe the landmark case may rebalance power towards the content publishers that host ad placements, albeit as a precedent that may inspire anti-trust action in other jurisdictions.

The claim was specifically focused on the interactions between the Google Ad Manager and Google AdX  the former being the platform that website owners use to auction ad placements and the later being the system through which brands run programmatic ad campaigns.

It is somewhat notable that the case was limited in scope and did not include Googles dominance in search or Youtubes position as the primary platform for video.
On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Roger Benitez ruled that the State of Californias ban on assault weapons, which dates to 1989 and basically refers to AR-15 style modern rifles, is unconstitutional. Benitezs ruling was clearly correct under controlling Supreme Court precedent, in my opinion.

Under District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), as Benitez wrote, the Second Amendment protects guns commonly owned by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes. Semi-automatic rifles based on the AR-15 platform obviously meet that test. Judge Benitezs opinion is unusually well-informed and bears reading in its entirety.

While semi-automatic rifles are highly useful for self-defensethe opinion documents a number of such casesthe idea that they play a particularly large role in violent crime is ridiculous, as Judge Benitez writes:

One is to be forgiven if one is persuaded by news media and others that the nation is awash with murderous AR-15 assault rifles. The facts, however, do not support this hyperbole, and facts matter. Federal Bureau of Investigation murder statistics do not track assault rifles, but they do show that killing by knife attack is far more common than murder by any kind of rifle. In California, murder by knife occurs seven times more often than murder by rifle. For example, according to F.B.I. statistics for 2019, California saw 252 people murdered with a knife, while 34 people were killed with some type of rifle  not necessarily an AR-15. A Californian is three times more likely to be murdered by an attackers bare hands, fists, or feet, than by his rifle. In 2018, the statistics were even more lopsided as California saw only 24 murders by some type of rifle.

Tellingly, Judge Benitez documents the fact that Californias legislature in 1989 failed even to consider the utility of semi-automatic rifles in self-defense, the core purpose of the Second Amendment. Californias anti-AR-15 statute was a relic of an earlier, and more benighted, era of constitutional jurisprudence.

While Judge Benitezs opinion did not come as a surprise to anyone who has followed legal developments in this field, it nevertheless prompted howls of execration from the Left. Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statement:

The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, slammed a federal judges decision to overturn his states three-decade-old ban on assault weapons as a direct threat to public safety and the lives of innocent Californians. In a strongly worded attack, the Democrat added: Comparing an AR-15 to a Swiss army knife is a disgusting slap in the face to those who have lost loved ones to gun violence.

Newsom referred to the first sentence of Judge Benitezs opinion, which noted the versatility of the AR-15 platform: Like the Swiss Army Knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment. I doubt that Newsom read much farther than that. He should have. He might have learned something from Judge Benitezs 94-page opinion.

These days, Democrats demand that Republican Supreme Court nominees pledge loyalty to the doctrine of stare decisis, interpreting that concept to mean that no precedent should ever be overruled. They are thinking of Roe v. Wade. On the other hand, they are perfectly happy to see precedents that dont suit their agenda overturned. Like, say, Bowers v. Hardwick.

But that is not what we are dealing with here. District Court judges like Roger Benitez are bound to follow precedents from the Supreme Court and their own Court of Appeals whether they agree with them or not. The relevant issue here is whether Judge Benitez correctly applied the principles that have been laid down by the Supreme Court in Heller and other cases. In my opinion, he plainly did.

But the liberals dont care about such elementary legal rules. They evidently wanted Benitez to disregard existing law and, instead, rule consistent with their own policy preferences. To anyone who cares about the rule of law, this is an outrage. But I am afraid the Democrats have been spoiled by a number of their own appointees who have been willing to do exactly that.

President Biden, or whoever is governing in his name, will likely have the opportunity to nominate at least one Supreme Court justice. If that day comes, I hope Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee will demand that Bidens nominee pledge to adhere to the sacred doctrine of stare decisis by upholding the Courts existing Second Amendment jurisprudence.
Last week I noted Robert Satloffs analysis of the May 26 New York Times page-one feature on the Gaza war  They were only children As Satloff explained, the Times spread displayed thumbnail photos of 69 youths under 18 years old  67 Palestinians and two Israelis, one Arab and one Jewish  killed in the 11 days of conflict between Israel and Gaza-based Palestinian terrorist groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Satloff exposed a basic problem with the page-one Times feature.

Following up on Satloffs analysis, I want to note Jake Wallis Simonss Spectator article The problem with the New York Timess Gaza coverage. Subhead: Every Israel-Gaza conflict sees fake images repackaged as Israeli aggression and circulated online. Simons itemizes the post-publication disclosures regarding certain of the child victims depicted in the photo lineup on page one of the Times:

The first disclosure was that a charming photograph of a girl wrapped in a keffiyeh and smiling confidently in the first row of the collage was not, as the paper had claimed, 10-year-old Rahaf al-Masri. It was an unidentified picture from 2015.

How had the error occurred? Well, the fake image had simply been circulating on Twitter. This had apparently been enough for the New York Times to run with it  though it was not, of course, enough for the sleuths who followed their tracks, nor, one would have thought, for the public.

The unraveling gathered pace. It soon emerged that 17-year-old Khaled al-Qanoi, pictured in the fourth row of the Timess heartrending montage, was in fact a fighter in the al-Mujahedeen Brigades, a terror group in Gaza.

A straightforward Facebook search brought up multiple images of al-Qanoi aiming rocket-propelled grenades, and posing in front of the militant groups flag wearing a headband and brandishing an automatic weapon.

Had the Times journalists thought of checking Facebook, they may have found al-Qanois eulogistic martyr video, put together by his terrorist comrades. Some social media posts carry more weight than others, it seems, where a certain 130 Pulitzer Prize-winning title is concerned.

Things were not looking good for the ill-fated front page. And they were only getting worse. It emerged that 15-year-old Mohammed Suleiman, on the second row of the montage, was the son of Saber Suleiman, a prominent Hamas commander.

Once again, it was unclear why the Times journalists had neglected to look at Facebook. If they had, they would have unearthed a video of Suleiman pere et fils in matching combat fatigues, firing a heavy weapon together.

They would also have found photographs of young Mohammed brandishing an assault rifle at home, in the woods and while astride a horse, clad in a military uniform.

Initial reports claimed that father and son had been killed by an Israeli drone strike while on their agricultural land outside the city of Jabalia. Tending their crops, no doubt.

As the days ticked past, more holes began to appear in the already threadbare New York Times splash. There were suggestions that at least ten of the children pictured may have been killed by some of the 600-odd Hamas rockets that mistakenly landed in Gaza.
Kamala Harris is visiting Guatemala carrying this message from Joe Biden: Guatemalans stay home. Indeed, according to this New York Post report, Harris pleaded with potential migrants not to come to U.S.

Begging people not to do what they clearly believe is in their interests isnt much of a strategy for dealing with the border crisis. Thus, its not surprising that Harris isnt being well received.

Protesters greeted Harris with such signs as Trump won, Kamala, Go home, Kamala, Mind Your Own Business, Guatemala is pro-life, and Kamala Stop Funding Criminals.

Its not clear from any report Ive seen how many people participated in the anti-Harris protests. Its possible that the numbers were small.

But Harris also received disapproval from Guatemalas president, Alejandro Giammattei. He told CBS News that the Biden administration is to blame for sparking the migration crisis.

Thats certainly true. As Giammattei says, when Biden took office, the U.S. message changed to: Were going to reunite families, were going to reunite children. The very next day, the coyotes were here organizing groups of children to take them to the United States.

Giammattei concluded by stating that he and Harris are not on the same side of the coin on migration. Ill say.

I doubt that Benjamin Franklin could have made much headway selling Bidens positions on migration to Guatemala. I also doubt that Kamala Harris is taken seriously by officials in that country. Beyond the office she holds, theres no reason why she should be.

Finally, isnt it interesting that Biden made Harris his point person for border issues? Clearly, he did her no favor. It seems likely that Biden, or whoever decided to give her this thankless task, did not intend one.
One of the many things the Biden Administration wants to do is increase the enforcement budget of the IRS, so it can hound tens or hundreds of thousands more taxpayers every year in their rapacious desire to punish the prosperous. (Remember: According to the new liberal dogma of Modern Monetary Theory, we can borrow and spend all we want without consequence, so there is no reason to raise any tax on anybody. Punitive liberalismJames Pieresons great phraseis the only explanation for this.)

Hence ProPublicas blockbuster story out today on the taxes of the super rich ought to be raising not just eyebrows (for its economic illiteracy), but a major Department of Justice investigation as to how ProPublica came into possession of supposedly private and confidential IRS data on individual taxpayers.

Lets review briefly what ProPublica is reporting:

ProPublica has obtained a vast trove of Internal Revenue Service data on the tax returns of thousands of the nations wealthiest people, covering more than 15 years. The data provides an unprecedented look inside the financial lives of Americas titans, including Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch and Mark Zuckerberg. It shows not just their income and taxes, but also their investments, stock trades, gambling winnings and even the results of audits. . . The confidential tax records obtained by ProPublica show that the ultrarich effectively sidestep this system. [Boldface added.]

Just how did ProPublica obtain this data? The only hint it this:

ProPublica is not disclosing how it obtained the data, which was given to us in raw form, with no conditions or conclusions.

The passive voice is telling here. There are two possibilities: someone in the IRS leaked the data (a felony), or the IRS was hacked (which is less than reassuring) and then the data was passed on to ProPublica. I go with possibility Number One. Will there be an investigation into who leaked it? Will anyone in the White House press corps ask Jen Psaki about it today (or tomorrow)? Will Democrats on Capitol Hill hold hearings and get IRS staff to testify about this breach of privacy? Im not holding my breath for any of these outcomes.

Now on to the substance of the story. ProPublica confuses income with wealth in order to come up with this supposedly shocking table of the real tax rate, based on the risible premise that someones total wealth should be taxed every year, and not just their income:

Question: Any readers out there looking forward to paying taxes on the increased value of your home and other fixed assets? Because if you think any wealth tax would be limited to just the super rich, I have a history of the income tax Id like to show you from back when it was first instituted, and estimated to affect only a tiny percentage of Americans (ProPublica actually reports this: In 1918, only 15% of American families owed any tax), and then at a rate that would never exceed 10 percent.

P.S. Also this from the story:

One of the billionaires mentioned in this article objected, arguing that publishing personal tax information is a violation of privacy. We have concluded that the public interest in knowing this information at this pivotal moment outweighs that legitimate concern.

I believe the public interest in knowing how private and confidential individual tax data was obtained by leftist hyenas outweighs the sensationalist and retributive motives of ProPublica.
Dunmola Sodeke, the Chief Executive Officer of Omodun farms holds a Masters in Business Administration from University of Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom. A widow and mother of two, she owns farmlands in Lagos, Kwara, Abeokuta and Ibadan. She cultivates vegetables, soy beans and maize and runs a snail and fish farm.

In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, she explained how she manages her farmland through which she employed 25 staff.

PT: Can you put us through your journey in agriculture?

Ms Sodeke: My journey started in 2016. Before then, I worked as a contract staff in Exxon Mobil so, I had a small issue, my contract term expired and I didnt have a job. I lost my husband in 2015. So after I lost the job, knowing my husband was dead, I asked myself: how will I feed my children? I had always had a passion for farming because my father had hectares of land. I remembered when we went for Christmas; we played with some of the trees. So I just said the best way to get around this is to either open a supermarket or start agriculture.

I went to some supermarkets for an internship, but I discovered it wasnt my thing, like I had no future in it. Then one of my uncles advised me to start a poultry farm. So, I went to a poultry farm and I learned. Then I went to Songhai, spent about three months, went round the departments and that was where I found my strength. I took interest in poultry, vegetable farming and aquaculture.

So I started with vegetables and gradually, I moved into snails and then aquaculture. The fear of hunger pushed me into agriculture.

PT: You found your strength in Songhai during your internship. Was it based on advice or an inner conviction?

Ms Sodeke: Yes, I spoke to my uncle about my drive. My parents never believed in farming because they were not exposed as at that time. My uncle told me to check them (the farmlands) out and know the basic requirements. I was prompted to go because my uncle was sure that nobody was going to teach me properly. When I got there, I was taught how to do some things, but some were not indepth. They didnt teach me the technicalities of some crops. For example Ugwu, I had to call a market woman who then showed me how to do it like cutting it after every two weeks for six months and using organic fertilizer for it. I kept making mistakes at the beginning. Ugwu now is my bestseller.

PT: Women whose husbands are alive dont easily have access to land. Considering your status as a widow, how did you get the land?

Ms Sodeke: The thing is, even looking for a house is an issue. My uncle and dad stood as frontiers for me, then I have a business partner who stood as a frontier for me in Ibadan and Abeokuta. Its very difficult for them to sell or lease lands to women. Even if they want to give a woman land, they will give her the problematic land because there was one I got by myself in Epe, I had to abandon it. I planted plantain, I didnt know it was a flare land. At the end of the day, I lost about three million naira.

I did lease it for a period of five years then. So, when it happened, I called my uncle to tell him he got me a better land. I dont know how we can combat this issue in this part of the world. You just have to get a man in front of you. When people come to me and ask for farm lands, I tell them, I dont know how to give. There was one my uncle got for me, when they discovered it was a woman that owned it, the Omo Oniles raised the alarm, even after all my pleading and rolling on the floor, they did not listen to me. They rubbished me. It was really not easy, getting land for women is not easy.

PT: Do you export some of your products?

Ms Sodeke: Im still trying to put things in place so I dont get bottlenecks. Indirectly, a lot of people order for our product. We dont export directly.

PT: Fertilizers, herbicides and seeds are important farm inputs, how are you able to handle the challenges that come with them?

Ms Sodeke: I buy seeds from Calabar and Ekiti. I dont use fertilizer and herbicides. I do the organic method for both but it is very expensive. Im not claiming 100 percent organic, Im still doing my research. During the pandemic, we suffered, nothing was coming. Another thing is there is always a flood and scarcity time. So, when the seeds are flooding the market, you buy and keep.

Seeds that we were buying for N 3500, now we are buying for N30,000, imagine the margin. Thats one thing I dont like about agriculture. Seed is a problem.

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PT: You went for an internship in a farm, after which you proceeded to establish your own, how were you able to raise capital?

Ms Sodeke: I had some personal funds and Im a very strategic person. I dont put all my eggs in one basket. What gave me the breakthrough was getting land in Epe. I cultivated cucumbers on about 20 plots and I got over N2 million and that was how I used the whole money to buy another land.

My dad supported me too, I didnt start big. I started gradually and it has been an amazing journey. I have not been able to get grants or loans. We leverage on farmers who dont have the market that we have so we buy from them, give them their money and still get profits.

PT: Governments have rolled out policies to improve the sector. Have you benefited from any of them? Do you think they are gender-friendly?

Ms Sodeke: I was close to benefitting from FADAMA but I missed the opportunity. Since then I have not been able to access any one. I dont belong to any cooperative, so I dont know how it works. I dont know much about the Anchor Borrowers Programme , but the FADAMA had interest in women farmers.

PT: How would you assess the often criticized Bank of Agriculture, as a farmer and a woman?

Ms Sodeke: They are nor easily accessible. We were five women but (we werent) a cooperative (society), so we were not given attention. I dont know anyone in BOA or BOI. It has to be who is who. I have not benefited from it. I heard a lot of people have benefited from NISARL.

PT: Storage and preservation are important segments in the value chain. Aside price destabilization, are there other unseen values this has caused in the sector?

Ms Sodeke: This is the reason why I went to drying of goods. I remembered delivering an order to Lagos but the car was stuck and the goods went bad. My expectations were not met. We need cold rooms, transportation and light is the main issue. I wish we had storage for farmers. We can do it. If Ghana and Tanzania can do it, why cant we? Because of bad road network, I lost my produce.

PT: Insecurity is the big elephant in the room, how has it affected you ?

Ms Sodeke: Thats the major talk right now. I have been pursued out of my plantain farm. Herders would say: If you do not allow our cow chop, na your head we go chop. So I had to run from the farm. I went to the police to complain and they said that they (the herders) are no longer a case. If the government could not look into it, how do they look into it? My security has this ancient gun (Shakabula) but how many can he use on these people when they attack? In fact insecurity is a big issue.

Previously, we would travel at night but now, we cant. We will be robbed in that ikorodu region. One night like that, the whole gang entered our vehicle and there was nothing we could do. For me I just resort to prayer. Ive been robbed so many times that Ive lost count. They steal birds, fishes and at a time they stole over 300 birds and fishes. When I go to the police, theyll say: theres no food in the land and these village boys will have to eat. How do you combat these as a single person since the government is not doing anything. Many farmers have left farming because of insecurity. If you are to ask me what needs to be done, I push it to the public. I can try to protect myself but I dont know about those who cant.

PT: Climate change is a global issue and it has really affected farmers and at some point people say its part of the causes of the farmers-herders clash in the country. Do you think theres anything the Nigerian government can do as regards climate change?

Ms Sodeke: I dont really know at the moment. Rain will fall today and tomorrow heavy sun will follow. Late rainfall delays planting which in turn delays harvest.

PT: What does it mean for a woman to make a significant difference in agriculture considering its a man thing as people say?

Ms Sodeke: Women have experience and women are more dedicated, women are natural nurturers, a woman is patient. We have a natural advantage over men. The only thing men have is power. Women dont have the power but have the patience for agriculture. Women are more calculated, they take risks but calculated risks. Ive had quite a number of men who took risks, carelessly. But a woman will look at the pros and cons. Im not condemning men but in this business, Ive seen that women are more calculative than men. Very careful, calculated risk takers. Before a woman invests 20 million, she has seen the 100 million ahead but a man will go like they said theres 100 million there, let us just enter. For me, women are going to rule agriculture; we are owning it; we are taking it. Even in the rural areas, women are really into farming too. Ask someone in the rural areas what his parents do, youll hear my mum is a farmer and my dad is a carpenter. But hey, going to the farm to plant and harvest, when it comes to sales, women have the marketing skills.

PT: Do you think that women need to make extra efforts to get to this point to gain the heart of men that they can actually do it?

Ms Sodeke: Yes, we need to come together, we need to work harder. We need to make extra efforts in agriculture. Reduce shyness and eventually stop it. You come to a gathering and its until you hear someone speak of farming before youll be like, Im a farmer too. I love this hashtag #Im-a-lady-farmer. I think we are doing it already. Theres a lot of collaboration going on on social media. If youre planting cucumbers and someone else is planting carrots and you have a middle woman who is a grocery shopper and they come together. Men have to learn from us as women are pulling it. We need to work in unity. You cant work in isolation. A lot of people who come to make enquiries are men. They have trouble in their farm and come to seek opinions on how to solve them. A woman would hardly call you because she has done her homework. To help the women, Ill suggest we have more open seminars on agriculture.
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Amidst the public outrage trailing the ban on Twitter in Nigeria, a Nigerian actor, Yemi Solade, has said the social media platform deserved to be debarred for insulting the President of Nigeria.

The actor said this in an interview with GoldmyneTv at the second edition of Social Media Hangout, tagged Digital media: Freedom of internet use and the rights of citizens, which was held in Lagos on Sunday.

Mr Solade said that while he agrees that the ban is an infringement on human rights, Twitters deletion of President Muhammadu Buharis tweet is malicious.

I think Twitter went too far insulting the president of Nigeria and by extension insulting all of us. Some 200 million people of Nigeria, the most populous black nation on earth, I think about 45 per cent of subscribers more or less are Nigerians who make Twitter very thick, he said.

The movie star also said Twitters white supremacist imperialist tendencies should be curbed sometimes.

When a platform is used to project anarchy, hate comment, to foment trouble there is a need to regularise such mediums, said Mr sholade.

The actor said Nigeria has a myriad of problems to contend with, and Twitter was always criticising the Nigerian government.

Im not really a Twitter fan, I do little on Twitter but most times one comes across some very volatile moment, you know the situation of things in this country.

I will want to align with that school of thought that Twitter wasnt really helping. Nigeria has so many problems to contend with and Twitter wasnt really helping the country, most of the posts were far far too negative, you know hitting the government of Nigeria, he said.

However, the filmmaker who described the ban as the best the president could do noted that the platform will be missed by entrepreneurs who use the platform as a medium to reach their customers.

Mr solade, who was born in Lagos in the 1960s, is popular for his roles in movies like Voiceless scream, Widow, Elevator Baby, Shadows and Madam Dearest.

PREMUM TIMES reported that Seyilaw, Ruggedman and Basketmouth have spoken against the ban.
In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, discusses his relationship with the late Prophet T.B. Joshua, who died on Saturday at 57. He also provided insights about Mr Joshuas persona and why he was not liked by some Nigerian pastors.

EXCERPT:

PT: You seem to be close to late Prophet T.B. Joshua. What kind of man was he?

Femi Fani-Kayode: He was my friend and brother and a great man of God whom I had the utmost respect for and who I hold in high esteem. He was deeply courageous, kind, compassionate, gentle, faithful to his own, intelligent, humble, selfless, generous and enlightened. He was also very accommodating of contrary views. I learnt a lot from him and we spent many hours discussing current affairs and the state of our nation. He was a profoundly good man. He was one in a million.

PT: When was the last time you spoke to him and what did he tell you?

Femi Fani-Kayode: Two weeks before he passed. He told me that we should pray for Nigeria.

PT: What were his fears? Why did he ask you to pray for Nigeria?

Femi Fani-Kayode: He was a man of faith and he always prayed for our country even at the best of times.

PT: How did you guys become friends?

Femi Fani-Kayode: It was in 2016. I was in detention. In an underground cell and all alone. I had been detained for the second time and it was quite an ordeal. I had been in for 3 months and was later transferred to a facility in Kuje prison where they keep only Boko Haram terrorists. It is like Guantanamo Bay and I was there with only Boko Haram suspects and convicts.

The place was built by the British Government and it is almost like a secret facility away from the main prison. It was terrifying and a clear attempt to intimidate me and endanger my life. I was sure that they would either maim or kill me in that place because the people there were all Boko Haram except one Okah who was also accused of terrorism.

I prayed to God to give me strength and courage because I would rather die than bow or break before my enemies. I also asked Him to watch over my family in case anything happened to me. The following day one of the wardens came and told me someone wanted to talk to me on the phone. He gave me his cell phone. I asked who it was and he said Prophet T.B. Joshua.

I said but I have never met him and I dont know him. I thought it was another set-up or that the man was lying. He said that it was really him and that even though we had never met he insisted on speaking to me. I took the call and we spoke. He encouraged me and assured me that all would be well. That I would come out soon and even stronger. That even though we had never met he had been following my ordeal in the hands of the Government and that he was inspired by my defiance and courage. He said he knew that I was innocent of what I had been accused of and that it was nothing but persecution because of my strong stance against the tyranny of the government. He said that he wanted me to know that he was praying for me and that he loved me with the love of God.

He was humble, compassionate and kind and he showed me so much love in those few minutes on the phone. Before he dropped the phone he also told me that he would reach my family and keep an eye on them for me so I should not worry about that. That really moved me because that was my greatest concern. I didnt really care what happened to me but was worried about how my two wives and children were coping. At such times everyone usually abandons you and yours. People you thought you could rely on and trust will stop taking calls from your wife and family members and shun you out of fear of the Government. You know I have been detained several times over the years by different Governments and this is what always happens. Mostly we were abandoned by friends. However, TB, who I didnt know, reached out to me and my family and stood by us throughout.

I was really moved by his call and though we never spoke again whilst I was in detention he honoured his word, kept in touch with my loved ones and encouraged and stood by them too. The day I was released I called to thank him and that is how we became friends. From that time our friendship and love for one another grew from strength to strength until we became almost inseparable. I spoke with him on the phone virtually every day and I saw him at least once a month from 2016 until 2021.

T.B. Joshua was my brother and virtually everything he told me concerning my future and life has come to pass. Do you know that he actually told me the day I would eventually get bail and be released and he was right. It blew my mind. He was more than a friend: he was a brother. I learnt a lot from him and I will never forget him.

I will do all I can to honour his memory. Most people live for their pockets and their stomachs but T.B. Joshua lived for God and humanity. He was very different to most. He was a great man who always looked out for the weak, the despised, the vulnerable and the oppressed. It was an honour for me to be considered as one of his friends.

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PT: Can we say he was your spiritual mentor?

Femi Fani-Kayode: He was my brother, my friend and my confidante. There was nothing we did not discuss. Our relationship was not really based on spiritual matters. We were simply brothers and that is worth more than anything else.

PT: A lot of people consider his death to be sudden. Did he struggle with any ailment?

Femi Fani-Kayode: I spoke to him two weeks before he passed on and he appeared to be fine. I was in Enugu at the time. I wanted to see him in Lagos but needed to pop up to Arewa first before coming back South. My plan was to go and see him after my visit to Bauchi state after stopping in Abuja to see my children. Alas in the early hours of the morning on the day that I left Bauchi I confirmed that he had passed on. The rumours started from 1.00 am and I could not sleep. Even though a relative of his lied to me that he was still alive at 3.00 am and claimed that he was just feeling a little unwell. By 5.00 am, it was confirmed to me that he was dead and that was it.

I left Bauchi later that day and went home to my children in Abuja. I have been in shock ever since but I will see his wife and children. I will always be there for them because he was always there for me and mine. I do not know whether he was ill or not but his passing really was strange, sudden and devastating to millions of his friends and followers all over the world. Many still cannot believe it. I have had calls from virtually every continent in the world over this issue. Everyone is so sad. I guess it was just his time to go and when God calls you home there is nothing anyone can do about it.

He was only 57 and would have been 58 a few days later on June 12th. For goodness sake that was too young. He was three years younger than me! It is very sad indeed because he still had so much to offer the Church, Christendom, Nigeria, Africa and indeed the world. I just give God thanks for giving me the privilege of knowing this extraordinary man who did such great exploits in the name of the Lord, who put so many smiles on so many faces and who did so much for Gods kingdom.

PT: You have painted the departed clergy in beautiful colours. Then why was it that some Christian leaders were sceptical of his ways and methods?

Femi Fani-Kayode: If that is so then it is misplaced. There is no big man of God in this country that I do not know and respect. Like all human beings they all have their weaknesses and strengths. If they were sceptical about T.B. Joshua, that is their choice and view. That is merely their opinion of him and they are entitled to it. I do not share that view. More importantly, I do not need anyones validation to make me feel good about myself and neither did T.B. Joshua. Let God judge us all. He alone sees our hearts and knows what we do behind closed doors. He alone knows whether we are truly good or evil.

All I know is that, from all I saw and witnessed, this man Prophet T.B. Joshua was a good man who served a mighty God to the best of his abilities and he did so well. He shook the world for Jesus and he won many souls for Christ. He was a star in Christendom and like all stars, he was bound to attract a bit of envy and jealousy from his peers. I am not sure any Nigerian living or dead has had as much of an impact on the gospel worldwide as T.B. Joshua did. Go to places like South America and South-East Asia or Israel and you will be shocked by his following and the impact he had on the lives of ordinary people.

He was also close to many world leaders but kept it close to his chest. He never flaunted his connections or his relationships. His legacy is outstanding and many of his peers cannot handle that because they felt that his humble beginnings did not warrant or deserve it. On his part T.B. Joshua did not give a damn, he never defended himself publicly and he just kept looking to God and doing his work. And he did all this with the greatest humility, always being polite and kind even to his greatest detractors. He was much misunderstood, often misrepresented, often falsely accused and often maligned but the truth is that he was a very good man that was totally dedicated to his flock, his family and to his work.

The same way in which the Jews hated Jesus is the way many in the Kingdom hated T.B. Joshua. Even in death, some have insulted him. I do not see or know the basis or justification for such hate and I believe it is evil and divisive.

It is actually a shame and a disgrace for any Man of God to hate another. The Bible says who is he that lays a charge before elect? It says it is Christ that justifies. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ Himself said, let he who is free of sin cast the first stone. Who are these people that speak ill of T.B. Joshua and judge him? Are they God? Are they angels? Are they infallible? Are they perfect?

Unlike many others, T.B. Joshua did not judge others and he did not think only of his pocket. He thought of humanity. And I do not know any man of God in this country or outside this country that cared and catered for the poor and needy like him.

Maybe that is why a few of them hated him. He reminded them of what they ought to be doing but are not doing. I do not know and I do not care. I respected him, I loved him, I admired him and I always will.

PT: Do you have insight into how the work he started will continue now that hes gone? Whos likely to step into his shoes in the ministry?

Femi Fani-Kayode: I have no idea because I only ever worshipped in his Church once. Our relationship was one of friendship and brotherhood rather than me being a member of his Church. I watched Emmanuel TV from time to time but I know little about how his Church is run or who is in charge now. What I know is that he has built a great Church, a great legacy with a great and loyal congregation and I have no doubt that his many disciples and excellent team of Pastors will keep the flag flying.

PT: Thank you very much, chief.

Fem-Fani-Kayode: My pleasure.
To many Nigerians, Dino Melaye is a man of several talents  a vocal politician, activist in early years and author of a book. Outside politics, the former senators skills in singing and dancing, which he deploys in his political battles, arguably endear him to Nigerians the most.

In one of his hit songs popularly titled ajekun iya, Mr Melaye was seen dancing and singing after a senate committee acquitted him in an alleged case of certificate forgery. In several others, he would mock his political opponents, and sometimes praise God for victories.

With this mix of talent and a political career constantly laced with controversies, the former lawmaker, who represented his people at both the House of Representatives and the Senate, constantly engages his millions of followers on social media, especially on Twitter.

This engagement took a new life in 2020 when Mr Melaye started tweeting on the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning from late 2020, he has released a series of tweets on vaccination against the novel coronavirus, mostly untrue.

Using the tweet content feature on Tweet Deck and a key word search of COVID-19 and vaccine, over a dozen tweets, containing purported factual information on vaccination, were traced to Mr Melaye.

An analysis of the reach and effect of some of his tweets shows that through millions of primary reach and thousands of reproduction, Mr Melayes conjectural tweets on vaccination have real-life effect.

With over two million Twitter followers, even at the time the virus was detected, Mr Melayes words were words of authority to many. Only a few Nigerian politicians have more followers.

First, we take a look at the tweets and their metrics.

Fact-checkers treasure trove

On December 31, 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for emergency use against the virus. Two weeks earlier, Mr Melaye had put out a video on Twitter to advise his followers on the expected vaccine.

Way Back Machine only crawled on Mr Melayes Twitter page once in 2020. By then (December 16, 2020), he had about 2.55 million followers.

The video, titled Say no to Covid 19 Vaccine, lasted about one minute 50 seconds. He started by calling on Africans, particularly Nigerians, not to accept the use of any vaccine.

He said further, For 100 years now, we could not find a vaccine for cancer, for over 40 years we are yet to find a vaccine for HIV/AIDS, for over another 100 years research is still going on to find a vaccine for diabetes. How is it possible on earth is it possible that in one year, you find a vaccine for COVID-19?

I am calling on African leaders not to allow Africans to be used as guinea pigs by developed nations for their satanic reasons.

We say no to the application of any vaccine in Africa. We call on the Minister of Health of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to immediately discontinue the interaction with those who want to give us vaccine.

Without presenting any evidence, he claimed that intelligence gathering had shown that some people who took the vaccine died in just three days.

As of Friday, June 4, Twitter data shows that the video had garnered 75 thousand views, over 3000 likes and over 1, 800 retweets.

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The tweet did not stop on Mr Melayes page. It was retweeted close to over 2000 times across the platform. Twitter Advanced search returned the top five associates who interacted with the tweet. These associates, who retweeted Mr Malayes tweet also enmeshed considerable interaction.

With a combined over 100 thousand followership FS Yusuf (@_Yusuf, Dr. Ben Gbenro (@bengbenro), Bruce Batemen Esq (@demigodgeous), Nwankpa (@Nwankpa_A) and Daddy G.O (oboy_jay) all retweeted the video without captions.

The video was more redistributed and viewed on YouTube. The top five pages who shared it on the platform amassed over 700, 000 views. Other blogs and websites also shared both Mr Malayes narrative alongside the video.

The majority of comments on this tweet were dismissive, in fact some fact-checks were published to debunk it, but this came expectedly late and a good number of his followers took the message in. While some vowed never to take the vaccine, some others urged people to take the words of the politician serious.

Its amazing how quickly people on this TL dismiss this very important message. It, rather, needs to be amplified, a user replied.

For some who came across the tweet but decided not to interact, it is never vaccination. How this played out will be examined later in this piece but let us first take a look at some other bogus claims on the inefficiency of the COVID-19 vaccine by Mr Melaye.

Early 2021, an image of Remdesivir, a drug considered for the treatment of hepatitis and Ebola virus, surfaced on social media. On the pack, it was indicated that the drug was for use in 47 African countries and not for sale in the US, Canada or EU.

Mr Melaye picked it up and shared with the caption what is the meaning of this biko? Despite fact-checking efforts, many of his followers who had assumed the drug to be a vaccine replied in the affirmative of his insinuation. At least over 1, 000 reactions were tracked across several platforms.

My God, the (they) want to kill us since covid-19 could not do it, one replied. Another wrote, Who else observed Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya were exempted? Sudan was the only country amongst the North African countries that was included. Maybe the black skinned nation is their major target.

Close observation of replies on the tweet shows that over half of the 538 commenters (as of June 6) believe the insinuation. The tweet further reinforced an earlier conspiracy theory of African countries being targeted and marked for a wipe out. But Mr Melaye was not done.

On January 21, he tweeted a video where he gave an over 2-minute warning to the federal government on planned vaccination, stating that vaccines are developed to suit country-type COVID-19 variant.

He then went ahead two months after to disparage the AstraZeneca vaccine received by the federal government.

In an interview with Roots TV, with thousands of views on other pages, Mr Melaye claimed that the AstraZeneca vaccine is the least potent of vaccines. This time, he appeared to have reneged on his total intolerance for the vaccine.

Im not saying Nigerians should not take COVID-19 vaccine, but what I am saying, in essence, is that -there are four notable vaccines approved by WHO- AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnsons single-shot COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, and the one by Moderna. The least most potent of the four is AstraZeneca and the one with greater side effects.

He later shared an image on Twitter comparing these vaccines with a similar disparaging caption. His claims, mostly inaccurate, were fact-checked here.

Again, a majority of the commenters agreed but what happened offline?

Fuel for confirmation bias

In a popular Redeemed Church in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, it was time for another Sunday sermon in January 2021. The lead pastor, whose name is excluded from this story for privacy reasons, had decided to teach on the end time.

The pastor told us he was not going to discourage you but he wont advise you to take it. He said he wont take the vaccine. For me, he was just saying dont take it, Milon, a member of the church recounts.

At that time, the vaccine was yet to arrive in the country but it was expected to come soon through the COVAX facility. On March 2, four million doses of the vaccine arrived in Nigeria and weeks later, the administration commenced.

Against the popular mindset of church members and authority, a civil servant member of the church took the vaccine early in April, she died one week after.

Most people believed it was the vaccine that killed her. Dino Melayes comments were used as (a) point of reference whenever my church members talk about the vaccine.

After her death, youll hear people saying we were told not to take it and she (the deceased) acted otherwise. The death really reinforced his comments. I dont think up to one per cent of members have taken the vaccine, Milon said.

Especially, the youth in my church, they believe Dino Melaye was formerly in the APC (ruling party) before, so if hes saying this there must be an iota of truth. My sister is not taking this and I know its due to these tweets. She follows him and loves him so much, Milon said.

Milon took his first jab in March and is due for the second but he dares not inform his family or any of his church members.

While vaccination is understood to be an individuals decision, the influence of public figures like Mr Melaye cannot be overlooked. This was confirmed in interaction and interviews with some youth members of the church.

Many prominent people in the country such as Dino Melaye, Pastor Chris (being) against this vaccine is enough reason to convince someone not to (take the vaccine), a female member of the church said, adding that the way the country is, its actually hard for someone to trust government officials, you feel like how sure am I that something is not behind this thing.

Mr Melaye did not respond to a request for an interview sent to him via messaging app as his known lines were switched off.

Back to the church, five other youth members who spoke on record would not take vaccines. They alluded; their faith leaders have warned against it, their political leaders are not ready to be vaccinated, why should they?

This publication was produced as part of IWPRs Africa Resilience Network (ARN) programme, administered in partnership with the Centre for Information Resilience(CIR), the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) and Africa Uncensored.
Other pages caught up in the shutdown included the website of the UK government as well as craft shopping site Etsy

Several major websites, including some of the worlds largest news organisations, were briefly knocked offline on Tuesday morning in a major internet outage caused by a fault at a San Francisco-based cloud computing firm.

Amazon Inc ( ), social network and video game streaming site Twitch were all left disconnected on Tuesday morning in addition to websites for major press outlets such as The Guardian, The Independent and CNN.

Other outlets affected included the Financial Times, The New York Times, the Evening Standard and Bloomberg, while other websites including craft shopping site Inc ( ) and even the website of the UK Government were disrupted

The source of the outage appears to have been a technical fault at Fastly Inc (NYSE:FSLY), a cloud content delivery network that says it speeds up the passage of data around the internet.

The "edge cloud" company said earlier that it was investigating the incident, with many of the downed websites returning to service at around midday.

While shares in the company were down in pre-market trading in New York, Fastly recovered in mid-morning deals to rise 6.7% to US$54.12, possibly due to trader's realisation that a company capable of shutting down a large portion fo the internet at the flick of a switch may be more valuable than initially thought.

While the panic among internet users was brief, the incident is likely to raise further questions around the reliance of most websites on a handful of content delivery firms and hosting networks that have the power to shut down vast swaths of the web.

--Updates Fastly share price--
In a moment of anger and lack of critical reflection unbecoming of a democratically elected government, and with complete disregard to our rights, the Buhari Administration on June 4 announced an indefinite ban on the operations of the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter in Nigeria.

Segun Adeyemi, Special Assistant To The President (Media) in the office of the Minister of Information and Culture, Abuja, claimed in a terse press release that the Minister, Lai Mohammed, attributed the ban to: The persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigerias corporate existence.

Mr Adeyemi stated further that the Federal Government has also directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria.

Taking a cue from the Information and Culture Minister, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, also threatened that Nigerians who defy the Twitter ban would be prosecuted.

The argument advanced in Adeyemis press release notwithstanding, Nigerians are not oblivious of the real reason why the rash decision was taken  the taking down of President Muhammadu Buharis Twitter handle for tweeting what was interpreted as a threat of genocide or bloody suppression against a section of the Nigerian populace.

The president had tweeted: Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.

It is common knowledge that social media service providers like Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, among others, have well defined and widely disseminated industry standards that frown at the use of words and expressions that convey hateful messages or thoughts. Thus, with one of his tweets deleted, President Buhari has company in former President of the United States, Donald Trump, who received a similar knock when he repeatedly tweeted venomous messages against American citizens opposed to his indecorous approach to addressing governance and political issues.

Of poetic irony is the fact that one issue over which the Buhari Administration has repeatedly waxed lyrical is that of hate speech; so much that the National Assembly, controlled by his All Progressives Peoples Congress (APC), has introduced a bill to establish the National Hate Speech Commission and another one to regulate the social media. Both bills have rightly been opposed by Nigerians who feared that they would serve as witch-hunt apparatuses against those who exercise the right of dissent. Events around the Twitter ban have confirmed the fear of the civil society, media outlets and groups, professional bodies, etc., in this regard.

We condemn the ban on Twitter in Nigeria on a number of fundamental grounds.

First, the ban constitutes a gross abuse of office, as it elevates the personal interest of the President above that of the country and her citizens. The President is indeed NOT the state and disagreements over the personal terms he voluntarily entered with Twitter should not be allowed to threaten the public and national interest. Moreover, we are not aware of any law of the federation that allows the President or a Minister to whimsically deny Nigerians access to social media services of their choice.

Secondly, the ban is a grave violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which the trio of the President, the Minister of Information and the Minister of Justice swore to uphold. By infringing citizens fundamental right to the freedom of expression and association, it violates section 39 of the Constitution, while undermining the social and economic rights guaranteed Nigerian citizens by Chapter 11 of the Constitution.

Thirdly, the ban is a violation of and assault on a number of international, continental and regional instruments that Nigeria willingly subscribes to. Indeed, the ban clearly falls below their expectations of the realm of the rights and freedom that citizens should freely enjoy.

Among these are the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and the Universal Declaration of Peoples and Human Rights. Pursuant to the provisions of the African Charter, Resolution 362 of 2016 of the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights expressed concern at the practice by State Parties to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, of interrupting or limiting access to telecommunication services such as the Internet, social media and messaging services.

In specific terms, the African Commission adopted the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, Principle 38 (1) and (2) of which states that, States shall not interfere with the right of individuals to seek, receive and impart information through any means of communication and digital technologies, through measures such as the removal, blocking or filtering of content, unless such interference is justifiable and compatible with international human rights law and standards. And that States shall not engage in or condone any disruption of access to the internet and other digital technologies for segments of the public or an entire population.

The UN Human Rights Council also has a subsisting resolution of July 2018 that demands the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet.

Fourthly, the ban constitutes an unwarranted attack on the corporate, business and professional interests of organisations and individuals legitimately managing their affairs on Twitter, including but not limited to the media, entrepreneurs, researchers, educational institutions, NGOs and CCSOs. As at the third quarter of 2020, Twitter accounted for 61.4 per cent of Internet users in Nigeria, coming after WhatsApp and Facebook messenger, according to Statista, while Quora estimates the number to be about seven million. Even if the number of users is considerably less, it still does not justify a ban that is jeopardising the means of business and social communication of citizens.

Fifthly, the ban further underscores the investor communitys growing concern over the unpredictability of the domestic policy environment. The consequences of a subsequent attenuation of investment for an economy whose recovery from the initial stages of the pandemic has been described as fragile are better imagined.

In general, only a government that wants to shut itself from its own citizens would take the kind of bizarre step of banning a social media platform. If anything, Minister Malamis added threat of prosecuting those who circumvent or defy the ban would only invite more opprobrium for the government, both at home and abroad. This is why it is necessary to remind the Minister that the laws of the Federation do not give him such powers.

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This riot of contradictions suggest that the directive to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria, is nothing but an attempt to smuggle in through the backdoor, the Social Media Bill, which Nigerians have roundly rejected. Unsurprisingly, many believe that the present Twitter ban by the government is a poorly concealed dress rehearsal for the full censorship of all OTTs (including YouTube, Facebook, etc.) and social media operations in Nigeria. It is in this context that we draw attention to recent reports that the Federal Government is engaged with the Chinese authorities to build an internet firewall in Nigeria so the government can easily block any organ they want.

While we have no doubt that Nigerians will struggle and stop this creeping dictatorship, PREMIUM TIMES calls on Nigerians to rise up, contest and stop this blatant attack on our rights. No regime has succeeded in silencing the voices of Nigerians because we have not allowed it. This regime too will fail in this scandalous attempt to deprive us of our rights.
Since June 4 when the Federal Government suspended the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter, from operating in Nigeria, reactions have continued to trail the decision.

Many Nigerians and foreign establishments have condemned the decision.

However, there has not been an official statement from the representatives of the people, the National Assembly.

Today, the House of Representatives will be resuming from its two weeks break, while the Senate will also be sitting today.

There is a strong possibility that the main opposition party in the lower chamber may put up a strong protest.

A lawmaker from Benue State, Mark Gbillah (PDP, Benue), had told PREMIUM TIMES that he will be ready to ground the proceedings of the House if the presiding officer attempts to gag the minority party.

The leader of the PDP caucus, Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers) also said the PDP is willing to sue the government over the ban.

There may also be an attempt by the Speaker to call for an executive session to douse tension.

The two chambers are in the firm control of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and there has been silence from its caucus and individual lawmakers.

PREMIUM TIMES will be bringing live updates from the Senate and the House of Representatives, to see how the lawmakers react to the ban.

LIVE UPDATE

The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, to appear before it over the controversial suspension of Twitter.

Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House, in his speech on Tuesday, directed the House committees on Justice, Commerce and Information to investigate the process that led to the suspension of the platform.

Mr Gbajabiamila said the House will have to listen to the government before taking any action.

The Committees have 10 days to conduct the investigation and report to the House.

REMARKS BY THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, REP. FEMI GBAJABIAMAILA AT THE RESUMPTION OF THE PLENARY SESSION OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON TUESDAY, 8TH JUNE 2021.

PROTOCOLS

Good morning honourable colleagues. I welcome you all back to the chamber of the House of Representatives.

1. Over the last couple of weeks, across our country, there has been a marked increase in the incidents and severity of violent outbreaks, kidnapping, banditry, and murder in broad daylight. From Owerri in Imo State to Igangan in Oyo State. From Niger to Kaduna, and across the states of the Northeast, we are witnessing bloodshed and violence of the sort usually associated with war. These are trying times for all our nations people. Families are in mourning; communities are under siege and even those who have thus far escaped the direct impact of the escalating violence cannot help but feel as if they are living on borrowed time. We are reminded of the urgent need for coordinated and targeted action by all governments at all levels to address this menace and save our nation.

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2. Two weeks ago, the House of Representatives hosted a Special Summit on National Security to harness the views of citizens and stakeholders, experts from within and outside, to define a new strategy for combating the different manifestations of insecurity in our country. The contributions we received from across the country and the recommendations made therein have already begun to inform legislative action in the House of Representatives. Tomorrow, the House will begin consideration of a slate of Bills intended to reform our national security statutory framework. We are seeking through legislation to address the issues of overlapping mandates resulting in inter-agency rivalry and lack of cooperation amongst the security agencies. We are seeking to make community policing operational so that communities and the police can work together to protect our people across the country.

3. We intend to change the way the Armed Forces conduct operations so that the three arms of our military can work more effectively together to overcome shared challenges. And we want to change the nature of interactions between the civilian population and the military so that the conflicts that breed resentment and undermine national security can be eliminated once and forevermore. These Bills are only the first of the legislative interventions relating to national security that we will be considering. Also, the final report of the Summit, including the recommendations for legislative action will shortly be presented to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR. I have his assurance that the painstaking recommendations made by the House will receive his full attention and accelerated action.

4. Last week the Special House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution held a series of public hearings across the country to allow citizens to contribute their voices to the ongoing efforts to reform the constitution of our country. At the public hearing in Lagos, I assured Nigerians that for us in the House of Representatives, this ongoing constitutional review presents a generational opportunity to devise a constitution that resolves the issues of identity and political structure, of human rights and the administration of government, resource control, national security and so much else, that have fractured our nation and hindered our progress and prosperity.

5. Let me re-emphasise that we will not restrict ourselves to tinkering around the edges of the constitution or be subject to redlines that mitigate against optimal outcomes. We have it now in our power to deliver a truly democratic constitution that allows us to overcome the challenges of today and puts us in good stead for the future. Honourable colleagues, bearing in mind our history, and cognisant of our present circumstances, it is all too clear that the future is all we have. Let us do the work necessary to ensure that our tomorrow is better than all our yesterdays.

6. On Friday the 4th of June 2021, the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture announced the immediate suspension of the operations of the social media network, Twitter in Nigeria. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in his statement announcing the suspension, cited the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigerias corporate existence as the reason for the decision to suspend the operations of Twitter in Nigeria.

7. The suspension on Twitter in Nigeria has generated fierce debate. The House of Representatives has since the announcement been inundated with comments about the decision, requests for intervention and criticism. The House of Representatives recognises that Twitter, like other social media networks, is an important tool for communication and commerce in Nigeria, particularly amongst the younger generation who have used these networks for enterprise and innovation with great success. The House also recognises that as social media has been a tool for good, it can also be a tool for bad actors. As such, the government has a legitimate interest in ensuring that these platforms are not used to commit vile actions against individuals and the State.

8. The proper role of the legislature in circumstances like this is first to peel back the layers of the decision-making process to unravel the issues until we develop an understanding of the why and the how of executive decisions. Following that, the legislature must make sure that regulatory and enforcement actions by the government are in accordance with the laws of the land, that due process of law has been followed to the latter and that the outcomes of regulatory decisions do not result in adverse consequences for the country and all our people. Fidelity to our responsibilities in situations like this requires the legislature and legislators to as in the words of Rudyard Kipling, keep your head when all about you are losing theirs. We listen to the agitation of the people, but we also hear from the government so that from the abundance of information, we reach the level of awareness that allows us to discharge our role dispassionately.

9. It is in service of our obligations under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and our moral duty to the Nigerian people, that the leadership of the House has decided to mandate the House Committees on Communication, Justice, Information and Culture, and National Security and Intelligence to immediately commence an investigation to determine:

a. The circumstances of the decision by the Federal Government of Nigeria to suspend the operations of Twitter in Nigeria; and

b. The legal authority for the ban on the operations of Twitter in Nigeria.

10. The Committees are additionally mandated to Invite the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed to brief the House of Representatives on the objectives, intent, and duration of the suspension on the operations of Twitter in Nigeria, and to report to the House within ten (10) days. The report of the Committees will guide further action by the House of Representatives on this matter. Therefore, I urge the Committees to act with speed and sound judgment to address this issue that has animated our national conversations over the last few days.

11. As we approach the halfway mark of our term in the House of Representatives, we must present a record of our activities over the last two years to the Nigerian people. As part of those efforts, I have requested the House Committee on Monitoring and Implementation of the Legislative Agenda to work with all the standing committees of the House of Representatives to assemble a record of the oversight activities of the House Committees. The Chairman of the Committee on Monitoring and Implementation of the Legislative Agenda will share a reporting template that has been developed in collaboration with the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies for this purpose. I ask all the Chairmen of Committees to see to it that these reports are produced in good time and are of the highest quality.

12. Honourable colleagues, I look forward to the important work that we will be doing over the rest of this session. I welcome you back to the House of Representatives and I thank you all once more for your presence here this morning.

Kingsley Chinda (PDP Caucus leader) said, In the interim, the House should tell the government to suspend the ban, while the committees investigate the motion.

Mr Gbajabiamila said, You are ruled out of order.

Some PDP Reps walked out of the session after a minor altercation between some APC members and Mr Chinda.

PDP members briefing journalists after staging a walkout

Mr Chinda, the leader of the PDP Caucus, said, The decision on Twitter was a speech by the Speaker. A resolution must be by a vote of the majority. It was a decision by our leaders. We agree with the resolution, but we wanted to add a prayer.

Even if we should bring a motion tomorrow, the House will still not take it, but we will bring the motion.

On unity among the PDP members, he said Some of us will continue to Tweet, some may decide to stay with the majority but we will continue to tweet.

A member of the House, Yusuf Gagdi, moved a motion for some members to be sanctioned for a report by PREMIUMTIMES.

Mr Gagdi said the report by PREMIUMTIMES predicted what happened on the floor of the House.

He added that some lawmakers should be referred to the Committee on Ethics for appropriate action.

However, the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, ruled that the House will not consider more motions on the Twitter ban.

After a closed-door meeting which lasted for over half an hour, the Senate carried on with other activities for the day and made no mention of the ban. The senators adjourned plenary around 2:00 p.m.
The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, to appear before it over the controversial suspension of Twitter.

Mr Mohammed is to appear before a joint committee on Justice, Commerce and Information.

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, announced this in his speech during the plenary on Tuesday.

He said the joint committee will investigate the process that led to the suspension of the platform.

Mr Gbajabiamila said the House will have to listen to the government before taking any action.

The joint committee has 10 days to conduct the investigation and report back to the House.

Read the full remarks by Mr Gbajabiamila below:

REMARKS BY THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, REP. FEMI GBAJABIAMAILA AT THE RESUMPTION OF THE PLENARY SESSION OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON TUESDAY, 8TH JUNE 2021.

PROTOCOLS

Good morning honourable colleagues. I welcome you all back to the chamber of the House of Representatives.

1. Over the last couple of weeks, across our country, there has been a marked increase in the incidents and severity of violent outbreaks, kidnapping, banditry, and murder in broad daylight.

From Owerri in Imo State to Igangan in Oyo State. From Niger to Kaduna, and across the states of the Northeast, we are witnessing bloodshed and violence of the sort usually associated with war. These are trying times for all our nations people. Families are in mourning; communities are under siege and even those who have thus far escaped the direct impact of the escalating violence cannot help but feel as if they are living on borrowed time.

We are reminded of the urgent need for coordinated and targeted action by all governments at all levels to address this menace and save our nation.

2. Two weeks ago, the House of Representatives hosted a Special Summit on National Security to harness the views of citizens and stakeholders, experts from within and outside, to define a new strategy for combating the different manifestations of insecurity in our country.

The contributions we received from across the country and the recommendations made therein have already begun to inform legislative action in the House of Representatives. Tomorrow, the House will begin consideration of a slate of Bills intended to reform our national security statutory framework. We are seeking through legislation to address the issues of overlapping mandates resulting in inter-agency rivalry and lack of cooperation amongst the security agencies.

We are seeking to make community policing operational so that communities and the police can work together to protect our people across the country.

3. We intend to change the way the Armed Forces conduct operations so that the three arms of our military can work more effectively together to overcome shared challenges. And we want to change the nature of interactions between the civilian population and the military so that the conflicts that breed resentment and undermine national security can be eliminated once and forevermore.

These Bills are only the first of the legislative interventions relating to national security that we will be considering. Also, the final report of the Summit, including the recommendations for legislative action will shortly be presented to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR.

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I have his assurance that the painstaking recommendations made by the House will receive his full attention and accelerated action.

4. Last week the Special House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution held a series of public hearings across the country to allow citizens to contribute their voices to the ongoing efforts to reform the constitution of our country.

At the public hearing in Lagos, I assured Nigerians that for us in the House of Representatives, this ongoing constitutional review presents a generational opportunity to devise a constitution that resolves the issues of identity and political structure, of human rights and the administration of government, resource control, national security and so much else, that have fractured our nation and hindered our progress and prosperity.

5. Let me re-emphasise that we will not restrict ourselves to tinkering around the edges of the constitution or be subject to redlines that mitigate against optimal outcomes. We have it now in our power to deliver a truly democratic constitution that allows us to overcome the challenges of today and puts us in good stead for the future.

Honourable colleagues, bearing in mind our history, and cognisant of our present circumstances, it is all too clear that the future is all we have. Let us do the work necessary to ensure that our tomorrow is better than all our yesterdays.

6. On Friday the 4th of June 2021, the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture announced the immediate suspension of the operations of the social media network, Twitter in Nigeria.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in his statement announcing the suspension, cited the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigerias corporate existence as the reason for the decision to suspend the operations of Twitter in Nigeria.

7. The suspension of Twitter in Nigeria has generated fierce debate. The House of Representatives has, since the announcement, been inundated with comments about the decision, requests for intervention and criticism.

The House of Representatives recognises that Twitter, like other social media networks, is an important tool for communication and commerce in Nigeria, particularly amongst the younger generation who have used these networks for enterprise and innovation with great success.

The House also recognises that as social media has been a tool for good, it can also be a tool for bad actors. As such, the government has a legitimate interest in ensuring that these platforms are not used to commit vile actions against individuals and the State.

8. The proper role of the legislature in circumstances like this is first to peel back the layers of the decision-making process to unravel the issues until we develop an understanding of the why and the how of executive decisions.

Following that, the legislature must make sure that regulatory and enforcement actions by the government are in accordance with the laws of the land, that due process of law has been followed to the latter and that the outcomes of regulatory decisions do not result in adverse consequences for the country and all our people.

Fidelity to our responsibilities in situations like this requires the legislature and legislators to as in the words of Rudyard Kipling, keep your head when all about you are losing theirs. We listen to the agitation of the people, but we also hear from the government so that from the abundance of information, we reach the level of awareness that allows us to discharge our role dispassionately.

9. It is in service of our obligations under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and our moral duty to the Nigerian people, that the leadership of the House has decided to mandate the House Committees on Communication, Justice, Information and Culture, and National Security and Intelligence to immediately commence an investigation to determine:

a. The circumstances of the decision by the Federal Government of Nigeria to suspend the operations of Twitter in Nigeria; and

b. The legal authority for the ban on the operations of Twitter in Nigeria.

10. The Committees are additionally mandated to Invite the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed to brief the House of Representatives on the objectives, intent, and duration of the suspension on the operations of Twitter in Nigeria, and to report to the House within ten (10) days.

The report of the Committees will guide further action by the House of Representatives on this matter. Therefore, I urge the Committees to act with speed and sound judgment to address this issue that has animated our national conversations over the last few days.

11. As we approach the halfway mark of our term in the House of Representatives, we must present a record of our activities over the last two years to the Nigerian people. As part of those efforts, I have requested the House Committee on Monitoring and Implementation of the Legislative Agenda to work with all the standing committees of the House of Representatives to assemble a record of the oversight activities of the House Committees.

The Chairman of the Committee on Monitoring and Implementation of the Legislative Agenda will share a reporting template that has been developed in collaboration with the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies for this purpose. I ask all the Chairmen of Committees to see to it that these reports are produced in good time and are of the highest quality.

12. Honourable colleagues, I look forward to the important work that we will be doing over the rest of this session. I welcome you back to the House of Representatives and I thank you all once more for your presence here this morning.

Good morning.
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The Nigerian Senate, on Tuesday, maintained silence over the federal governments decision to ban popular microblogging site, Twitter, from operating in the country.

This is in contrast to the decision of their counterparts at the House of Representatives to summon the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed over the #TwitterBan.

Members of the main opposition party, PDP, in the House also walked out of plenary after the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, turned down an attempt to ask the federal government to review the #TwitterBan.

The federal government had, on Saturday, announced the indefinite suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria  two days after the site took down a controversial tweet by the president. Twitter had said the tweet violated its rules and many Nigerians viewed it as a threat of violence against the Igbo ethnic group.

The announcement has generated outrage and condemnation from within and outside Nigeria. Many have described the ban as an attempt to gag the media, an attack on press freedom, freedom of expression and an attempt to pass the controversial Social Media Bill.

Many Nigerians have been using various Virtual Private Network (VPN) applications to remain active on the microblogging site and Nigerias Attorney General, in reaction, ordered the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Umar Muhammed, to begin the prosecution of those bypassing the ban.

Although political parties have reacted to the #TwitterBan, many lawmakers  especially of the APC, have been quiet.

Nigerians had expected the Senate to highlight the issue during plenary on Tuesday but mum was the word. Nothing of the sort was listed for discussion on the Order Paper neither was a motion or Point of Order raised in that regard.

The lawmakers, who began plenary at 11:02 a.m., went into a closed-door meeting shortly after opening prayer. The executive session lasted for over half an hour and the Senate President thereafter announced that the discussions behind closed doors bordered on the workings of the Senate.

They proceeded with plenary and nothing was said concerning the #TwitterBan.

Although the Senate, as a body, has failed to react, some PDP senators have aligned themselves with the statement of the party  which also condemned the ban on Twitter activities.
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Nigerian soldiers successfully repelled an attack on Dikwa, a community in Borno State, on Tuesday evening, PRNigeria, a news agency close to the military authorities is reporting.

The agency reports that scores of armed terrorists, suspected to be members of the Boko Haram faction, ISWAP, stormed the Borno State town in a convoy of gun trucks.

The terrorists were, however, successfully repelled by troops of the Nigerian Army and Air Task Force foiled their plan, the news agency reports, quoting a security source.

The source said there was a fierce gun battle between the Nigerian troops and terrorists with many of the attackers killed.

The terrorists were pounded severely. Those who survive the troops onslaught fled, abandoning their evil mission, the security source was quoted as saying.

Dikwa is one of the Borno communities that has suffered repeated attacks by Boko Haram, which has since split into at least two factions.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how ISWAP recently defeated the main Boko Haram in a battle and killed the latters leader, Abubakar Shekau. ISWAP is now believed to control a large part of Sambisa forest in Borno, which was hitherto in the control of Mr Shekaus Boko Haram.

PREMIUM TIMES will provide updates of the Dikwa attack in subsequent reports.
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The governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, said the security situation in his state is better when compared with what is going on in other parts of Nigeria.

I can even tell you that the Imo case is better, apart from one or two cases that involved very important personalities. There has never been a time that 20 persons died (were killed) at a time or school children were kidnapped, and all that, Mr Uzodinma told reporters at the Presidential Villa after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

It is not clear which state(s) the governor was specifically referring to as there have been several killings across the nation in recent months including high profile cases of school children being kidnapped especially in parts of the north.

Epicentre of violence

IPOB, a pro-Biafra group, which has been proscribed by the Nigerian government, has a high concentration of its members and supporters in Imo State which appears to be the epicentre of the groups activities in the countrys South-east region.

Apart from the frequent deadly attacks on security officials, there have been reports of police, including the Nigerian military, carrying out indiscriminate killings and arrests of civilians in the state.

The recent killing of Ahmed Gulak, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and a former political adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, in Owerri highlighted the level of insecurity in the state.

Governor Uzodinmas country home in the state was attacked in April by gunmen who set ablaze part of the building.

Security breaches

We have been doing our best to see that cases of security breaches are reduced to the barest minimum if not eliminated, said Governor Uzodinma while speaking with the reporters at the Presidential Villa.

The governor said insecurity is a nationwide challenge. He, however, said Imo was relatively safe now for people to visit and also do business.

We are doing our best. So far, the situation is relatively okay in Imo State than it was. Imo is okay now, people can come around and do their businesses. The normal life and activities have resumed in Imo State, security agencies are on top of their situation.

The governor said he was open to suggestions from people on how to improve upon the security situation in the state.

I did not closed no door (sic), he said when asked if he had shut the door against negotiation with people he thought were causing trouble in the state.

In Imo State, as I speak to you, only me cannot restore security. Only me cannot guarantee security. I have to work with traditional rulers, I have to work with opinion leaders, I have to work with the youth leaders to be able to deploy a community kind of security programme, to be able to resist what is going on today.

But you have heard how people will come from outside the state in the name of unknown gunmen. I dont know when we will begin to know these people and they will commit atrocities, and they will now flee, Mr Uzodinma said.

I want to use this opportunity to invite all leaders, religious leaders, political leaders, community leaders, and traditional institutions to join hands, because the only country we have is Nigeria, we dont have another country. And if were not united, we will achieve nothing.

We must contribute our quota, however it is, to ensure that Nigeria remains strong, united, a place that we will go about our businesses, equity and justice is guaranteed, he added.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has donated 100 mattresses worth over N1 million to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Abuja.

Ikechukwu Adinde, director of public affair, NCC, donated the items during a visit to the NYSC camp, Kubwa, Abuja on Friday.

He said the visit was in solidarity with the NYSC over its losses during the #EndSARS protest and that the items were donated to replace those carted away at the camp by hoodlums.

We are here today to share in your loss and to support the replacement of some of the items carted away by hoodlums during the EndSARS protests of October 27, 2020.

The commission is here to present you with a hundred pieces of mattresses for the use of the corps members.

This act is one out of the commissions numerous Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes, he said.

Mr Adinde said the commission had also supported the youth through various projects, programmes and activities aimed at making them self-reliant and enhancing their contributions to the economy.

He described the youth as the future of the country, saying they play a key role in nation- building and national development.

The youth, as we know, play a great role in nation building. They contribute to national development and are responsible for bringing social reforms.

As the saying goes, the youth of a country is the future of a country, he said.

The NCC official said that the commission had utilised every opportunity to educate and enlighten teeming telecom consumers on the programmes and activities of the commission.

He noted that businesses had particularly taken advantage of sophisticated telecom systems such as video conferencing, video calling and on-line marketing to improve productivity, especially during the critical period of COVID -19 pandemic.

It is a well-known fact that telecommunication services are critical to the overall socio-economic well-being of every economy.

It provides a technological foundation for societal communications and plays a critical role in the fundamental operations of a society-from business to government to families.

It has become the centre of our everyday life. Telecommunication has opened up opportunities for businesses to thrive.

These telecom services have enabled online learning for students, video conferencing, mobile communications and meetings for businesses, conferences, seminars and much more, thereby making social distancing more tolerable.

According to him, new types of risks have equally emerged such as issues affecting telecoms consumers like cybercrime and e-fraud.

He, however, said that the NCC was proffering concrete solutions to the issues.

Mr Adinde advised all consumers not to open unfamiliar emails and never to post personal identification information online or save password online.

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The commission has embarked on different initiatives to reach out to our valued consumers.

It is important to note that technological advancements have contributed immensely in making our lives easier in many ways.

The commission also notes that your bank will never ask you your personal detail via the internet.

In the event of any unfortunate circumstance leading to infiltration of your personal platforms, please contact your bankers immediately to freeze your account and also inform your mobile service provider for further actions, he said.

He said a `Toll-free Number, 622 was created by NCC as a second-level complaint redress mechanism.

He explained that the number allowed consumers to channel unresolved issues by their service providers to the commission for effective resolutions.

Mr Adinde urged the youth to be ambassadors of NCC by sharing information received for the benefit of other telecom consumers, urging them to be disciplined as they go to their various places of primary assignments.

Suleiman Abdul, FCT NYSC Coordinator, thanked the NCC for supporting the corps.

Mr Abdul, who spoke on behalf of the NYSC Director-General, Shuaibu Ibrahim, a brigadier-general, said that the commission had lived up to expectations and had delivered.

He said that the NYSC made efforts to reach out to corporate organisations for support after the #EndSars protesters invaded, destroyed and looted valuable facilities in the camp.

The miscreant left us devastated but undaunted as we pick up the pieces and commence the process of replacing some of the stolen items.

I am happy to receive 100 mattresses donated by NCC to alleviate the gaps created by the miscreants.

The generosity of the NCC is coming at a time it is needed most especially with the Orientation Camp on session, he said.

Oluchukwu Okafor, a corps member, said that the gesture was a welcome development and that the donated items would help to fill the needs of the camp.

The NCC conducted a raffle draw, where 10 corps members won smart phones to themselves.

Some corps members also won recharge cards after winning in fast fingers a game organised by the NCC during the visit.

(NAN)
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Two non-governmental organisations, Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and the International Press Centre (IPC) today condemned the Federal Governments indefinite suspension of Twitter in Nigeria and threatened to lodge a formal complaint before the appropriate agencies of the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN) if the government does not immediately rescind the ban, arguing that the action is an unjustifiable violation of the rights of all Nigerians to freedom of expression and access to information, while also contravening the relevant instruments of both bodies.

In a statement issued in Lagos, the organisations condemned the governments action as a violation of international norms and standards, citing the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights Resolution 362 on the Right to Freedom of Information and Expression on the Internet in Africa, adopted on November 4, 2016 at its 59th Ordinary Session; the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, adopted by the Commission in November 2019, at its 65th Ordinary Session; and recent UN Human Rights Council resolutions touching on the matter.

In the statement signed by MRAs Executive Director, Edetaen Ojo, and the Executive Director of IPC, Lanre Arogundade, the organisations noted that in its Resolution 362 of 2016, the African Commission has expressed concern at the practice by African States of interrupting or limiting access to telecommunication services such as the Internet, social media and messaging services.

Besides, they said, the Declaration of Principles also provides in Principle 38 (1) and (2) that States shall not interfere with the right of individuals to seek, receive and impart information through any means of communication and digital technologies, through measures such as the removal, blocking or filtering of content, unless such interference is justifiable and compatible with international human rights law and standards and that States shall not engage in or condone any disruption of access to the internet and other digital technologies for segments of the public or an entire population.

The organisations also cited the UN Human Rights Council resolution on the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet, adopted at its 38th Session in July 2018, which asked all States to address security concerns on the Internet in accordance with their international human rights obligations to ensure the protection of all human rights online, in particular freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of association, and privacy, including through democratic and transparent national institutions, based on the rule of law, in a way that ensures freedom and security on the Internet so that it can continue to be a vibrant force that generates economic, social and cultural development.

In addition, they noted that in its latest resolution related to the matter, which was adopted at its 45th Session in October 2020, the Council has also unequivocally condemned measures in violation of international human rights law aiming to or that intentionally prevent or disrupt access to or dissemination of information online and offline, which undermine the work of journalists in informing the public, including through practices such as Internet shutdowns or measures to unlawfully or arbitrarily block or take down media websites, such as denial of service attacks and called on all States to cease and refrain from these measures, which cause irreparable harm to efforts at building inclusive and peaceful knowledge societies and democracies.

The organisations called on the Federal Government to urgently take steps to comply with these internationally agreed norms and standards and retrace its steps from its current path, which puts Nigeria in danger of becoming a rogue nation that is constantly violating international human rights law as well as the principles of international law.

Mr Ojo, said: The Governments claim on the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigerias corporate existence is not only unsubstantiated, but is clearly bogus and illogical. The pertinent questions here are: who is the government accusing of using the platform for activities capable of undermining Nigerias corporate existence? Is it the owners of Twitter that are posting such tweets? Is it foreigners using the platform for such activities? Or is it all Nigerians who are on Twitter or some of those Nigerians who use Twitter? The Government needs to be specific on this.

According to him, If some Nigerians on Twitter are using it in a manner that displeases the government, how is banning Twitter for all Nigerians, in contravention of international norms an appropriate response? And if the government is convinced that people should not be allowed to post whatever they like on Twitter, no matter how divisive, hateful or inciting, why was the government itself so angry when Twitter deleted a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari, which it adjudged to be in violation of this same principle? Why did the government opt to embark on this highhanded response which violates the rights of all Nigerians to freedom of expression and access to information instead of appealing Twitters decision on Presidents Buharis post or challenging it in a judicial forum?

Similarly, Mr Arogundade said: On the surface the government claims it is fighting Twitter but in reality what it is doing is waging war against its own citizens by infringing on their fundamental and socio-economic rights despite their being constitutionally guaranteed. If anything, the threat by the Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), to prosecute anyone that disobeys the ban is indicative of the fact that if this government has its way all social media platforms would be shut down because they have become veritable avenues for citizens to express their disaffection with its acts of mis-governance.

Mr Arogundade added that, the ban does not show that the government is serious about the welfare or economic well-being of the citizens otherwise it would have given due consideration to how the decision would disrupt businesses that are transacted by many individuals and corporate bodies on Twitter and affect investor confidence in the Nigerian economy before rushing to make the announcement.

For further information, please contact:

Stella Nwofia

Programme Manager, International Press Centre

Tel: +234 802 035 9629

E-mail: stellanwofia@ipcng.org

Ayode Longe

Director of Programmes, Media Rights Agenda
The UN General Assembly, on Monday voted to elect the Foreign Minister of the Maldives, Abdallah Shahid, as President of the 76th session.

In what was a contested election, featuring former Afghan Foreign Minister, Zalmai Rassoul, Shahid garnered 143 votes while Rassoul got 48 votes.

On May 6, President of the UN General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir had convened informal interactive dialogues in the General Assembly Hall  as mandated by resolution 71/323  in which the candidates responded to the questions submitted earlier by civil society and other representatives.

I wholeheartedly congratulate Honourable Abdulla Shahid on his election as the next President of the UN General Assembly, said the incumbent President, reminding that the President-elect had been a strong voice for the small island developing states.

The outgoing President also recognised the strong candidacy of Zalmai Rassoul, saying that his extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy and comprehensive vision had earned the respect of member states.

At this important time in his countrys history, the international communitys support for Afghanistans long journey toward democracy is as essential as ever, he said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, welcomed the election of Abdulla Shahid, Foreign Minister of the Maldives, as President-elect of the 76th session of the General Assembly.

Mr Guterres said Shahids longstanding diplomatic experience, including in his current role as Minister of Foreign Affairs had given him a deep understanding of the importance of multilateralism in addressing todays global challenges.

The UN chief commended the President-elect for his selection of hope as the central theme in his vision statement.

He noted that coming from a small island developing state, Shahid would bring unique insights to the assembly as the world prepares for the UN climate conference, COP26, in Glasgow in November.

I also want to express my deep appreciation to His Excellency Dr. Zalmai Rassoul and thank him for contributing to this dynamic process, the UN chief said.

The top UN official also expressed his deep appreciation to Bozkir for his exceptional leadership as Assembly President during the 75th anniversary session.

As our most representative organ, the General Assembly is the foundation of all our work at the UN, and essential to our effectiveness as an organisation.

In 2021, the world needs that effectiveness more than ever, he said.

The UN chief added that millions of people were mourning the losses of loved ones to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in a crisis that has dealt a body blow to communities, societies, and economies.

Until everyone, everywhere has access to vaccines, it continues to pose an enormous threat, he stressed.

The 76th Assembly will grapple with the impact of the pandemic across the three pillars of our work: peace, sustainable development, and human rights, said Guterres, wishing Shahid every success in his task.

The UN chief assured the President-elect of his support and that of the entire Secretariat in reaching shared goals and upholding universal values.

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(NAN)
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The Yobe State Police Command says it has picked up an abandoned boy of about one-year old in Nyanya Ward, Damaturu Local Government Area.

The commands spokesman, Dungus Abdulkarim, disclosed this on Monday in a statement in Damaturu.

Mr Abdulkarim stated: the boy was recovered by the Police Divisional Headquarters at about 1800hrs on June 6.

An unknown woman handed over the boy to a passerby Almajiri to take him to one Maman Faruk at a particular house.

It turned out to be false and the woman got missing immediately, he added.

Mr Abdulkarim explained that the boy was presently in the custody of the state social welfare department, while the command had commenced investigation on the matter.

He, therefore, appealed to the public to assist the command to identify the parents of the child in order to reunite them with the boy.

He further urged residents to be vigilant and report any suspicious movement or person around their neighbourhood to security agents.

(NAN)
The ad will play three times a day, seven days a week starting July 15 and running for an entire year

NTD began its TV broadcasts in the US on Verizon/Frontier FiOS channel 158 in July 2020, the company said, and has since become a nationwide over-the-air network

Ltd ( ) ( ) (FRA:GDT) announced plans to launch a 60-second commercial spot focused on its Sekur privacy focused messaging solution that will be broadcast to more than 50 million US households on the NTD (New Tang Dynasty) television network.

The ad will play three times a day, seven days a week starting July 15 and running for an entire year. It will describe Sekur's attributes as the leading Swiss-hosted privacy and security communications application, such as encrypted email and secure messaging, including a unique proprietary feature called Chats-by-invites, which lets a Sekur user message a non-Sekur user without requiring the recipient to download the app.

NTD began its TV broadcasts in the US on Verizon/Frontier FiOS channel 158 in July 2020, the company said, and has since become a nationwide over-the-air network, with cable distribution in New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago.

'We are very happy to be launching our Sekur commercial in the United States with NTD, CEO Alain Ghiai said in a statement. NTD is a fast-growing network and understands the value of privacy we offer through our communications solutions. NTD's target audience is a perfect match for Sekur and we look forward to a long and fruitful mutually beneficial business relationship.

NTD's audience will come to know the many critical features provided by Globex Data's Sekur, such as Swiss-hosted data privacy and security and the right for consumers and businesses not to have their data mined by third-party service providers. As we are not connected, and never have been connected, to AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud platforms, commonly referred to as Big Tech, we can offer a truly independent, private and secure means of communications through secure messaging, secure voice record transfer and secure email and secure video conferencing, through our proprietary technology and our secure servers based in Switzerland. We are looking forward to offer true data privacy and no data mining to all Americans, and we are looking forward to tell our story through NTD's network."

Under Swiss federal law, it is a crime to publish information based on leaked "secret official discussions." In 2010 the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland found that IP addresses are personal information and that under Swiss privacy laws they may not be used to track Internet usage without the knowledge of the individuals involved.

Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow him on Twitter @andrew_kessel
The Minister of State Industry Trade & Investment, Marian Katagum, has advised coconut farmers to harness the global potential market for coconut in the country, which she said is in excess of $6 billion.

Mrs Katagum said this while delivering her keynote address at the 2021 Coconut planting season flag off tagged Actualizing Coconut Sufficiency in Nigeria, held in Abuja on Tuesday.

She said coconut is a commodity with lots of economic, medicinal and nutritional value and the market for it in Nigeria is huge.

Unfortunately, the local supply can only meet about 20 per cent of the demand, hence the need to urgently address the supply side constraints, she said.

The global market for the coconut is more than $6 billion, which means that the opportunities are huge.

Therefore, as the 18th largest world producer of coconuts, we must work harder to increase our market share, and the best strategy is to start cultivation of the commodity for improved yield.

Our campaign, One Family, Three Coconut Trees is strategic, and you must sustain the vision, Mrs Katagum said.

According to her, Nigeria needs more coconut plantation and industries to support the already existing ones in the country.

Without doubt, we need more coconut plantations and industries to support the few that are already existing in states like Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Rivers and so on.

The Nigerian Coconut Industry can be given a boost with more investment, so that it can provide jobs to thousands of unemployed youths, through its numerous value chains, she added.

She stressed that the government is committed to the development of the coconut sub-sector and would work to create effective support systems for the growth of the commodity.

As a Ministry, we are committed to supporting activities that will help harness the immense benefits of the coconut to the economy, which is why the Ministry nurtured and formed the National Coconut Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NACOPPMAN).

This was done to create a value chain for both local and international consumption of the commodity, especially now that the export market is growing appreciably, she said.

At this juncture, I wish to call on the private sector to key into the opportunity of developing the coconut value chain in Nigeria.

As I said earlier, we are presently producing just 20 per cent of the coconut we consume.

We cannot continue to import what we can produce locally.

To achieve this, it is imperative to build the capacity of the National Coconut Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, to scale up their capacity to efficiently manage the coconut business in Nigeria, she said.

Also speaking at the event, the president, National Coconut Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Nma Okoroji, said the Nigerian coconut industry is 80 per cent untapped with massive importation, whereas the industry has the potential to generate foreign exchange even greater than the current crude oil earnings and boost Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

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Currently, the production output of de-husked nuts in Nigeria is 257,520 metric tonnes which are used in the production of fewer than 1,500 tonnes of coconut oil.

That is the critical point why the 2021 coconut planting season flag-off is aimed to achieve the actualisation of coconut sufficiency in Nigeria (COSIN) through the establishment of coconut tree planting the establishment of 10,000 square meters of coconut farms in all coconut viable states and 1 family 3 coconut tree initiative, Mr Okoroji said.

According to her, the largest producers in the world are Indonesia and the Philippines while Tanzania ranks the highest in Africa.

The coconut industry has an inelastic value chain that transcends health benefits, employment generation for youth and women, family economic empowerment, medical industry, furniture, domestic kits and National income to boost our Gross Domestic Product, the need for a healthy and wealthy living has increased the consciousness of the economic potentials of and the demand is multiplying annually, she added.

The crop can play a significant role in the economic development of the states of our dear country, Nigeria.

The good news here remains, Nigeria wakes up to the major coconut producer in Africa and challenges both Indonesia and the Philippines on the global coconut production scale.

We also cannot continue to import what we can produce locally, she added.
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Kidnappers are demanding a N10 million ransom after abducting a tailor, Mary Adi, in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Ms Adi, a native of Cross River, left home on Sunday afternoon for a friends place but could not be located afterward until the kidnappers called to demand the ransom.

Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, a boss to Ms Adi relation, Cherish Ogenyi, confirmed the incident. Mr Ogenyi said he had the privilege to speak with the kidnappers because he could communicate in Hausa.

She is a tailor, she left the house at 3 p.m. yesterday (Sunday). The mother called her at 7 p.m. to buy sugar for house use on her way back home. Later that night, all efforts to reach her mobile number failed until this morning that the number started going through.

So, early this morning, the kidnappers called and demanded N10 million.

When my staff got the phone, she pleaded with me to speak to them since I can speak Hausa. It was the Fulani accent that I was hearing. They refused to tell me their location. I pretended to be a relative of the lady. They said any further delay, they would kill her and sell her body parts.

Mr Ogenyi said he pleaded with the abductors to review the amount downward but all his entreaties fell on deaf ears.

When they asked me how much we had, I told them N200,000. They were furious with me.

Meanwhile, on Monday evening, a relation to the victim, Janet Odule, said the case had been reported to the police. She said the kidnappers made further contact and announced their readiness to accept the N200,000 offer.

Her brother just told me now that they (abductors) are ready to collect the N200,000 but they (family) do not have it. I dont even know what to do now, she lamented.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the FCT police command, Mariam Yusuf, asked if the matter had been reported to the police, which our reporter affirmed.

She was, however, yet to respond to subsequent enquiries as of the time of filing this report.

Kidnapping for ransom has become rampant in many parts of the country, worsening the security situation of the country.

A report published in May by SB Morgen (SBM) Intelligence said between 2011 and 2020, Nigerians paid at least $18.34 million (7 billion) as ransom to kidnappers.

Across the six geopolitical zones, armed bandits kill and kidnap at will despite the efforts of security agencies.

This newspaper had reported that no fewer than 201 were killed and 137 abducted in violent attacks across Nigeria last week.
The founder of the Household of God Church, Chris Okotie, on Tuesday , shared a cryptic post wherein he referenced a certain wizard of Endor who assumed the title of Emmanuel.

Although Mr Okotie did not mention any name or person in particular in his message, it has been inferred on social media that the wizard at Endor who assumed the title Emmanuel was a reference to the late TB Joshua and his churchs slogan-Emmanuel.

Mr Okoties statement comes three days after the founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Prophet Temitope Joshua, popularly called TB Joshua, passed on.

History

Mr Okotie has been a long-standing critic of his late colleague and once described the late prophet as the vicar of the devil on earth.

In 2017, Mr Okotie described him as an impostor ,accused him of shamanist practices and alleged that his miracles were fake.

No doubt, Mr Okotie has also been outspoken about his thoughts on his late colleague and has never minced words when it comes to matters that pertain to Mr Joshua.

He once infamously said that Mr Joshua is in partnership with Satan to subjugate the church to the will of the devil.

In his latest statement, Mr Okotie noted that the day of Gods vengeance has fully come to Nigeria though it wasnt clear who he was directly referencing in his post.

His statement partly read, Hebrews 1:13 says Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.

No marvel, one-third of Gods angels followed the disgraced anointed cherub Lucifer!!

Jesus our mighty gladiator has broken the head of the dragon with his mighty blows.

He has descended from the mountain of spices with the fiery sword of his indignation. Glorious in his apparel and traveling in the greatness of his strength, he goes conquering and to conquer the adversaries of his church.

Let those who swear by the Lord and by Malcham and the descendants of Haman, now tremble in fear.

The day of the vengeance of our God has fully come to Nigeria. And they shall not escape, he wrote.

Cold War

For years, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) never accepted the late preacher and philanthropist into their fold.

In 2009, Ayo Oritsejafor, the then PFN president and CAN chairman, infamously said the body would not admit Mr Joshua into its fold because they were not convinced that he was a child of God.

Mr Oritsejafor was quoted as saying, Jesus did not say by their words you will know them; he said by the fruit you shall know them. If T.B. Joshua can show me his pastor who pastored him before he said he was called into the ministry; if T.B. Joshua can tell me when he got converted and how he got converted, then we would consider him. Anybody who is a Christian is a Christian because he received Jesus Christ at a point.

I gather he said he was converted in his mothers womb and I dont see anybody like that in the Bible. It is a conscious decision you make and it doesnt happen in your mothers womb.

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He also said healing and miracles were not criteria for admitting anyone into the PFN fold or CAN.

It is, therefore, not surprising that both umbrella bodies of Christians in Nigeria have refused to send their condolence messages to the family of their late colleague.

This is because they never believed in his ministry.

Their actions have sparked outrage from observers on social media .

Reacting to the Christian communitys refusal to send condolence messages to Mr Joshuas family, Ovation magazine publisher , Dele Momodu, expressed his disappointment in an Instagram post.

Seriously no word from the Christian community in Nigeria regarding the death of TB Joshua. Even in death he is still hated. Does he really need any validation All souls will die.

The popular televangelist passed on Saturday, June 5, 2021 at the age of 57.

The actual cause of death had yet to be made known.
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The House of Representatives has asked the federal government to work out modalities for providing basic security in schools across the country.

The call followed a motion moved by Benjamin Mzondu (PDP, Benue) and Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo) on Tuesday during plenary.

Mass abductions in schools

The country has witnessed alarming rate of mass abductions in schools.

Some days ago, over 200 children of an Islamiya School were kidnapped in Niger State.

Moving the motion, Mr Ihonvbere said the mass abduction of students and teachers in schools points to a troubling security situation in the country.

He noted that the weak security setup in those schools could be blamed for situation.

The lawmaker said, Since December 2020, hundreds of teachers, students and pupils have been abducted from schools across the country, further highlighting a troubling development.

The abduction of nearly 300 students from Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangegbe in Zamfara State on 26 February 2021 and 27 boys and their teachers from a school in Kagara, Niger State which happened in the space of 10 days point to a troubling situation.

The weak or non-existent security infrastructure in most schools across the country leaves the children vulnerable to attacks and other negative influences, hence the need to provide primary resistance against intruders, and protect the school facilities.

After deliberation on the motion, the House resolved that the Federal Ministry of Education should work out the modalities for the provision of basic security.

It also mandated the Committees on Basic Education and Services, Tertiary Education and Services and Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance.
A cultural library to promote Nigerias rich cultural heritage and arts in the U.S. has opened at the Nigeria House in New York.

The Consul-General of Nigeria in New York, Lot Egopija, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the 12th Annual New York City Multicultural Festival.

The festival is organised annually by African Chorus Ensemble, founded by a U.S.-based Nigerian art and culture proprietress, Joyce Adewumi who is also the librarys Cultural Ambassador.

Mr Egopija said the library was opened for people to be better informed about aspects of Nigerias culture such as music, dress, food, artifacts, respect and ability to co-exist in spite of the countrys multi-ethnic nature.

The library is opened for Nigerians and other interested nationals; we want the second and third generations of American-Nigerians to come over and use the cultural artifacts in the library.

We want them to know the historical background of Nigeria for them to appreciate their country, Egopija said.

The envoy thanked the festival organisers for allowing groups from different countries and organisations to showcase their culture.

According to him, understanding culture is a basis for peaceful and harmonious existence in a given area, society and country.

Egopija said the festival was one of the tools for reducing crimes in the New York City, noting that the presence of police and their band at the festival was highly commendable.

This shows the role of police in making sure that there is peaceful co-existence among the various groups in the city.

This will make them understand the psyche of the people to help them in community policing.

The festival is a laudable initiative; we are looking forward to another edition of the festival to enjoy the environment of warmth, he said.

Ms Adewumi, President and Founder of African Chorus Ensemble, said the festival had been a unifying force in the past 12 years.

She also said the festival had been a source of wealth generation for food vendors, noting that as people buy food, they contact one another for more business opportunities.

Ms Adewumi said tourism could also generate revenue for Nigeria if funded by the government, noting that she was in partnership with the New York administration while organising the festival.

I believe if Nigeria can focus on its arts, it is a great source of income-earning for the county. Not only that, it could be a tool of goodwill to improve the image of Nigeria.

African-Americans and Whites hold everything about Nigeria in high esteem, so I promote it here so that they can continue to benefit and enjoy it.

New York Multicultural Festival is something we need to do in Nigeria; it will bring us close together because there was a lot of hate crimes in New York City before.

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Different races and groups were killing one another; African- Americans against continental Africans, Dominicans against Puerto Ricans; it was getting too much and also the police were not having good relationship with the civilians, she said.

The U.S.-based Nigerian said the festival had been a unifying force to bring different races, groups and culture together.

(NAN)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says even though COVID-19 cases and deaths have declined in recent weeks, the world is facing a two-track pandemic.

WHO Director General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said this on Monday at a media briefing at WHO headquarters in Geneva while campaigning to get more vaccines to developing countries.

Mr Ghebreyesus said unequal distribution of vaccines had allowed COVID-19 to continue spreading, thus increasing odds of a variant emerging that could render these treatments ineffective.

Inequitable vaccination is a threat to all nations, not just those with the fewest vaccines, he warned.

As of Monday, there were more than 173 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally, including 3.7 million deaths.

The director-general reported that new cases had dropped for six weeks and deaths for five weeks.

Despite these encouraging signs, he said progress remains a mixed picture as last week, deaths rose in Africa, the Americas and the Western Pacific.

Increasingly, we see a two-track pandemic: many countries still face an extremely dangerous situation, while some of those with the highest vaccination rates are starting to talk about ending restrictions.

The UNs top health official advised caution in lifting restrictions, given the increased global transmission of variants of concern, as consequences could be disastrous for those not yet inoculated.

Meanwhile, many countries still lack sufficient vaccines; so far, nearly 44 per cent of doses have been administered in richer countries while in poorer nations, the figure is just 0.4 per cent.

The UN has been pressing governments to share their excess doses to the global vaccine equity initiative -COVAX while several countries have pledged donations, which Ghebreyesus hoped will soon be fulfilled.

The WHO chief recently called for a global push to vaccinate at least 10 per cent of the worlds population by September, and 30 per cent by December.

Reaching the September target will require an additional 250 million doses, with 100 million needed in June and July alone.

Appeal

With the G7 summit taking place this weekend, the director-general issued an appeal to leaders.

These seven nations have the power to meet these targets. I am calling on the G7 not just to commit to sharing doses, but to commit to sharing them in June and July.

I also call on all manufacturers to give COVAX first right of refusal on new volume of vaccines, or to commit 50 per cent of their volumes to COVAX this year.

The director-general also highlighted the importance of investing in vaccine production in low income countries, including for routine immunisations.

He noted that several nations were making progress in this area, following the launch of an African Union partnership for vaccine manufacturing.

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Relatedly, several companies and countries have expressed interest in participating in a WHO plan to establish a technology transfer hub to facilitate global production of mRNA vaccines.

The biggest barrier to ending the pandemic remains sharing: of doses, of resources, of technology, he said.

(NAN)
Claim: A viral Twitter screenshot with the inscription of the Twitter Public Policy claims Twitter is apologetic for the recent action it took against President Buharis tweet.

The viral screenshot of a tweet alleged to have been tweeted by Twitter Public Policy is false. The screenshot of the tweet and others alike were created using an online tool.

Full Text

It is no more news that the Nigerian government has banned Twitters operations in the country. While this decision taken by the government was not unexpected, the action seems to have aroused diverse debates from members of the public.

After the EndSARS protest in the last quarter of 2020, the Nigerian government accused Twitter of arousing tension in the country  launching what appeared to be a subtle feud between Twitter and the Nigerian government.

The climax of the situation unfolded when Twitter deleted President Buharis recent tweet in what it described as a breach of its policy. However, days after Twitters action on the president, the Nigerian government banned Twitters operations in Nigeria in what many saw as Mr Buharis response to Twitters action.

In response to the now popular topic in the Nigerian public sphere, Twitter shared on its public policy handle its concerns over open internet in Nigeria; apparently standing by its actions with no apologies directed to the Nigerian government.

Nonetheless, a viral screenshot of a tweet bearing the inscription of the Twitter Public Policy handle, appeared online with a rather new narrative that seems to suggest Twitters desire to apologise and mend things with the Nigerian government.

With no date stamps, the acclaimed tweet appeared on June 5, 2021, and was widely shared on WhatsApp and across different social media platforms. Some users who came across the alleged tweet expressed disbelief and stressed that Twitter will not share such a tweet, while others felt it was Twitters way of making amends with the Nigerian government. On Nairaland, a popular interactive site in Nigeria with over 3 million active users, the alleged tweet was shared alongside the narrative Twitter bows to Nigerian Government.

Whatever the case may be, confirming the originality and validity of such a tweet is vital, especially at a time many Nigerians are trying to wrap their hands around the novel action taken by the government.

READ ALSO:

Verification

DUBAWA first launched a timeline search on all the recent posts made by the Twitter Public Policy handle. The alleged tweet, circulating as a screenshot, was not found anywhere on the Twitter Public Policy handle. This finding, however, led DUBAWA to uncover an online tool that allows users to create fake screenshots while posing as anyone they deem fit.

The Tweet Generator

The Tweet generator is a website based application that allows online users to create fake tweets. The application can be used to create a tweet template of choice, with a date of choice and all other things that a real tweet embodies. This same tool was also used to create a fake narrative referenced to Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook.

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Disclaimer : the above tweet is not real.

It was only created for the purpose of illustration and clarity.

Evenmore, other red flags uncovered by DUBAWA from the acclaimed tweet shows that it is entirely fake.

Dubawa also conducted image forensics of the fake tweet in comparison to the real one taken from Twitter Public Policy page. We conducted an error level analysis on the two images, checking the authenticity of opacity (0.95), error scale (94), JPEG Quality (94) on the same scale.

Image 1

Image 2

Conclusion

The tweet under scrutiny is confirmed to be fake. It was not from Twitter nor was it ever tweeted. The manipulation of Twitter screenshots is now a common phenomenon used to mislead unsuspecting members of the public. This claim is false.
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Assimi Goita, the Malian colonel who ousted civilian President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane on May 24, has been sworn into office as the new interim president despite facing a diplomatic backlash over his second power grab in nine months.

Mr Goita ousted the civilian president and prime minister last month after accusing them of failing to consult him about a cabinet reshuffle.

I swear before God and the Malian people to preserve the republican regime  to preserve democratic gains, Al Jazeera reported the 37-year-old military leader as saying on Monday after being inaugurated at a security-tight ceremony in the capital, Bamako.

Regaled in full military attire at the ceremony, Mr Goita later named opposition leader and former minister, Choguel Maiga, as prime minister of the transitional government, according to a decree read on state television.

In the wake of last months coup led by Mr Goita, former colonial power France suspended its cooperation with the Malian military while the African Union and West African regional bloc ECOWAS suspended Mali from the pan-African bodies.

Mr Goita served as Malis vice president under the transitional government formed in September to oversee a return to civilian rule by February next year.

But a second coup over dissatisfaction in Mr Goitas camp knifed that.

The military seized the president, prime minister and defence minister of the transitional government, forcing them to resign before they were released.

Mr Goita later installed himself as president, promising to move on with the transition programme as planned. Days later, a constitutional court affirmed his declaration.

Mr Goita and several other young colonels had staged a coup in August that overthrew democratically elected President Ibrahim Keita following protests over perceived corruption and fighting with armed groups.

Mali has been battling to starve off armed militias. Its stability is seen as key to the stability of the Sahel region.
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The ECOWAS Court of Justice has awarded $80,000 in favour of a former police officer as compensation for his undue retirement in1990, about 31 years ago.

The award is to be paid to the ex-police officer, Evaristus Egbebu, by the Nigerian government, which was the respondent in the case instituted by him.

At the official exchange rate of N410 to $1, the $80,000 award amounts to about N32.7 million. But at the parallel markets exchange rate of N502 to $1, the money translates to about N39.8million.

The court, in its Friday judgement, read by a member of the panel of judges, Gberi-be Ouattara, ordered that Mr Egbebu be awarded the monetary compensation for the moral prejudice and all other losses suffered as a result of the violation of his rights related to his compulsory retirement in 1990.

According to the regional court, Mr Egbebus rights were established to have been violated under Articles 3(2) of the International Covenant on Civil Political Rights (ICCPR) and 7(1) (d) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and denied the applicant the right to be tried in due time.

Having established this, the ECOWAS court declined the applicants request to enforce the 2009 judgement of a Nigerian High Court which ordered his reinstatement to his appropriate rank in force without loss of seniority, the payment of his salary and emoluments from November 27, 1990 date of the compulsory retirement until February 19, 2009.

A press release received by PREMIUM TIMES from the information unit of the ECOWAS Court Monday night, did not state if the panel of judges gave what Mr Egbebus rank was at the time of his forceful retirement in their judgment.

But the statement said the court established that the officer joined the force in August 1978 but was compulsorily retired from service on November 27, 1990.

Applicant frustrated by Nigerian authorities

The panel, which has Dupe Atoki (Nigeria) and Edward Asante (presiding) as members, noted that the applicants efforts to secure compliance with his judgment by recourse to the domestic mechanisms have been frustrated by the respondent when his contempt application, which sought to compel the relevant agents of the respondent to execute the judgment, was held in abeyance.

It is unambiguously clear, contrary to what the respondent wants the Court to believe, that the appropriate measures were not taken by the competent Authorities of the Respondent to give effect to the judgment of 19 February 2009.

When the applicant initiated the proceedings to compel them to do the needful, his efforts have been unreasonably and unjustifiably frustrated by the Respondents judicial officers, Mr Ouattara noted.

He held that the relevant authorities of the Nigerian government, tasked to effect the earlier High Court judgement in favour of Mr Egbebu, refused to comply. This made the applicant serve five (5) written reminders, demanding compliance, to no avail.

The officer was also compelled to petition the National Human Rights Commission which also wrote in support of the enforcement of the decision.

Nigerian governments preliminary objection dismissed

However, the Nigeria governments defence team, in its preliminary objections, argued that the Protocol that established the ECOWAS Court and the rules of the court could not be applied retroactively  to events that happened previously.

It also argued that human rights, whose protection is sought, are raised as incidental and not as the main issue.

Dismissing the objections raised by the Nigeria government, however, the ECOWAS Court noted that it draws its jurisdiction to examine human rights violation cases in ECOWAS Member States from the 2005 Supplementary Protocol A/SP.1/01/05 of 19th January 2005, which came into force on the same date, as well as from its Rules adopted on 3rd June 2002.
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Officials of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) are in a crucial meeting with the National Judicial Council (NJC) in Abuja, PREMIUM TIMES can report.

The meeting was convened in the hope of finding a solution to the unions strike which has crippled court activities across Nigeria for over two months.

The striking workers are demanding financial autonomy for the judicial arm of government.

In a telephone interview with our correspondent on Tuesday, the National Treasurer of JUSUN, Jimoh Musa, told PREMIUM TIMES earlier that the meeting was at the behest of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad.

He revealed that Chief Judges of various states would participate in the meeting.

We are meeting with the NJC. The Chief Judges of states have been invited over the strike matter. Some of them have arrived while others will be on Zoom. We are to appear before them, he said.

Governors yet to implement agreement

Mr Musa said the state governors were yet to commence direct payment of monthly allocations from the federation account to the judiciary, as agreed in the series of reconciliatory meetings convened by the Labour Minister, Chris Ngige.

They (governors) have not started paying (the funds directly to the NJC). We are waiting for the state governors to commence payment so that we can inform our workers.

They have not started, so the NJC felt we should meet today (Tuesday).

But we dont know what the agenda of the meeting is, he said.

READ ALSO: Reps ask FG to ensure speedy resolution of JUSUN strike

However, the labour minister, Mr Ngige, had assured Nigerians that the strike would be called off this week.

Mr Ngige said the implementation of the financial autonomy of the judiciary and the legislature at the state level would begin this week.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported how the minister said the Nigerian state governors had reached an agreement with the striking judiciary and parliamentary workers on the autonomy of the arms of government.
An induced polarization survey revealed the anomaly is open at depth and directly below the mapped and sampled mineralized intrusive that contains gold

The Mutum target on the Apiacas project (pictured) is located 50km west of Altamira's Cajueiro gold project

Altamira Gold Corp ( ) (OTCPINK:EQTRF) said it had pinpointed a new anomaly underneath a mineralized intrusive body at the Mutum target on its Apiacas project in Brazil.

The Vancouver-based company ran an induced polarization (IP) survey on the property where four lines covering the central portion of the target area revealed a consistent 500-650 metre-wide chargeability anomaly visible below a depth of 70 metres.

According to Altamira, the anomaly is open at depth and directly below the mapped and sampled mineralized intrusive that contains gold.

Whats more, resistivity data for the lines showed a distinct horizontal change in resistivity readings between 50-60 metres vertical depth, which Altamira interpreted as the oxide-sulphide interface between the weathered surface intrusive rock, where the pyrite has been oxidized and the fresh pyrite-bearing intrusive rock below 70 metres depth.

And two channel samples from the area returned 0.41 grams per ton (g/t) gold over 12 metres and 0.9 g/t gold over six metres.

Altamira said it expects to have all of the lines processed from the western extension of the Mutum target processed within the next two weeks ahead of a planned stage one drilling program.

Altamira CEO Michael Bennett told invsetors that the company was extremely excited by the initial survey results.

The possibility of a wide sulphide-rich body underling the area mapped as a syenogranite intrusive containing disseminated pyrite and gold mineralisation on surface, is a really positive indication for the presence of deeper-seated mineralisation and demonstrates that this work will be invaluable in assisting the company in siting the initial drillholes, Bennett said in a statement.

The very wide, high chargeability anomalies that we have encountered at depth on the four initial IP lines are interpreted as the sulphide bearing intrusives, vertically below the areas which have been mapped on surface with disseminated sulphide and gold mineralization, Matt Cooper, consultant to Altamira added.

Altamiras portfolio includes eight projects spanning approximately 190,000 hectares within the prolific Juruena gold belt in Brazil, which historically produced an estimated 7 to 10 million ounces of placer gold.

Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas
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President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday presided over the meeting of the National Security Council at the State House, Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was attended by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari.

Others in attendance at the meeting included Ministers of Defence, Bashir Magashi, Foreign Affairs, Geoffery Onyeama and the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor; Chief of Army Staff, Farouk Yahaya; Chief of Naval Staff, Awwal Zubairu and the Chief of Air Staff, Isiaka Amao, were also in attendance at the meeting.

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali, the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai, the Director-General of the State Security Services, Yusuf Bichi and other presidential aides also attended the meeting.

NAN learnt that the meeting would review the current security developments occasioned by the activities of insurgents, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), bandits and kidnappers in the country.

(NAN)
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About 24 hours after suspected bandits attacked some residents of Igangan community in Oyo State, the House of Representatives has asked residents to calm down and report any suspicious person to the relevant law enforcement agencies.

This was one of the six resolutions adopted after the lawmakers deliberated a motion on the Igangan attack which they described as a threat to national security.

The motion was sponsored by Muraina Ajibola and 23 other lawmakers.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the community came under attack in the early hours of Sunday as gunmen suspected to be herdsmen set houses, a filling station and the kings palace ablaze.

The attack left about 11 persons, including some of the assailants, dead.

Residents said the gunmen stormed the community with over 20 motorcycles. They said they believe the attack was a reprisal for the recent controversial expulsion of a Fulani leader from the community.

Leading the debate, Mr Ajibola reminded the House that several resolutions have been passed urging the federal government and relevant security agencies to turn the Igangan police station to a Divisional Police Headquarters and improve security architecture.

He said residents of the community are relocating from the town  an act he said will likely paralyse the economic and social activities of the town.

This last attack is capable of escalating the already tense security situation in Igangan town and all the states in the South west of Nigeria, if the assailants are not apprehended and brought to justice, he warned.

Apart from condemning the attack, the lawmakers directed the National Emergency Management Agency and other relevant agencies to provide relief materials to assist all those whose properties or businesses were destroyed as a result of the invasion.

They also urged the police to intensify their efforts with a view to arresting the assailants, prosecuting them and preventing recurrence.

Briefing journalists after plenary, Olufemi Fakeye, the chairman of the South-west caucus, warned invaders to stop the attacks.

We want them to know that when you come to somebodys home and attack him, you are asking for trouble. They need to stop these henceforth. We want action from the executive. They have to arrest and prosecute all the perpetrators of this incident.

We urge all the security apparatus to do more by obtaining intelligence reports and get one step ahead. We dont want war in this country and for that to happen, people in charge of governance need to do the needful, he said.

The Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has since condemned the attack.

Mr Akeredolu, who released a statement on behalf of the six South-west governors, described it as one too many.

We on our part are resolved to defend our people, their property, and all legitimate means of livelihood against both internal and external aggression. On this, there will be no compromise. We call on our people to remain vigilant and report any suspicious movement in their communities. In addition, they must be united in the task of defending our lives and properties. We cannot afford to fail, he said.
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A man slapped French President Emmanuel Macrons face on Tuesday during a tour in southern France, footage of the incident circulating on social media showed.

Mr Macron was seen in the footage stretching his hands to greet a man in a small crowd of onlookers.

Rather than receive the handshake, the man, who was dressed in a green T-shirt, glasses and a face mask, held Mr Macrons outstretched hand before slapping the left side of the presidents face, shouting A Bas La Macronie, meaning Down with Macronia.

He could also be heard shouting Montjoie Saint Denis, the battle cry of the French army when the country was still a monarchy, Reuters reported.

Two of Mr Macrons security details charged at the unnamed white man, held him to the ground as another ushered the president away. Local mayor, Xavier Angeli, told franceinfo radio that the president urged his orderly to leave him, leave him.

While the identity of the man or his intent remains unclear, BFM TV and RMC radio reported that two people have been arrested.

The man who tried to slap the president and another individual are currently being questioned by the gendarmerie, the regional office said in a statement, according to AFP.

Around 1:15 p.m., the president got back into his car after visiting a high school and came back out because onlookers were calling out to him, it said.

Dressed in his trademark white sleeved shirt, Mr Macron was on a walkabout in the village of Tain-lHermitage in the Drome region to meet restaurateurs and students in order to feel the countrys pulse before next years presidential election.

He would later continue his tour in the region.

The incident was condemned by Prime Minister Jean Castex, saying it was an affront to democracy.

Democracy can never be about violence, verbal aggression, and even less about physical aggression. I call for a republican awakening, we are all concerned, the foundations of our democracy are at stake, Reuters reported Mr Castex as telling the parliament.

Far-right leader and the presidents critic Marine Le Pen, seen as Mr Macrons main challenger in 2022, also criticised the attack

I am Emmanuel Macrons No. 1 opponent, but he is the president. We can fight him politically but we cannot allow the slightest violence towards him, she wrote on Twitter.

"Il est inadmissible de sattaquer physiquement au president de la Republique. Je suis la 1ere opposante a Emmanuel #Macron, mais il est le president : on peut le combattre politiquement, mais on ne peut pas se permettre a son egard la moindre violence." pic.twitter.com/AtUfpK4Uy2  Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) June 8, 2021

In 2016, Mr Macron, then economy minister at the time, was pelted with eggs by hard-left trade unionists during a strike against labour reforms, according to Reuters. Two years later, anti-government yellow vest protesters heckled and booed him in an incident that government allies said left the president shaken.
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The Federal Government has directed members of the striking Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) and the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria(PASAN) to urgently call off their over-two-month-old strike.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, gave the directive in a statement on Tuesday, threatening that the government might be forced to invoke sections of the Trade Disputes Acts if the strike persisted longer.

The threat is a governments familiar warning of possible introduction of no-work-no-pay policy to break adamant striking workers.

The ministry will not be happy to be pushed into invoking sections of the Trade Disputes Acts capable of eroding all the gains made so far in the negotiations since May 6, 2021, the statement signed by the ministry of Labour and Employments Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations, Charles Akpan, on Tuesday.

Strike

Members of the two unions have been on strike for over two months in agitation for the financial independence of the various state judiciaries and Houses of Assembly.

Specifically, JUSUN members began their strike on April 6, and since then, courts at both the state and federal levels have been shut across the country.

Honour agreement

The labour minister, who leads the negotiation team regarding the industrial crisis, urged members of the two unions to immediately return to work in honour of the May 20, 2021 Memorandum of Action (MoA), signed by all parties.

Mr Ngige decried the situation where the courts and the state Houses of Assembly were still shut down across the federation for no cogent reasons of non-adherence to the provisions of the May 20 Memorandum of Action which has 45 days implementation window.

The Federal Government has sadly noted that the MOA between all the stakeholders involved in the JUSUN/ PASAN strike, mainly JUSUN/PASAN, governors forum and the Presidential Implementation Committee is yet to take effect because of non-compliance by parties.

We note that the strike has not been called off as of noon, today, June 8, 2021, leading to courts and various State Houses of Assembly still remaining under lock and key contrary to the promise made by the two unions at a further dialogue which was attended by the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress.

Unfortunately, all federal courts have remained closed notwithstanding the fact that the Federal level of Government operates a financial autonomy of the judiciary through the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the National Assembly through the statutory transfer lines, the statement quoted Mr Ngige as saying.

Appeal for reopening

The minister added that state governors are desirous that the State Assemblies be opened so that they can enact the laws meant to give effect to the autonomy as enshrined in the MOA.

He added, But we have advised all state governors that have consulted with their heads of judiciary and legislature to go ahead and credit the accounts of the judiciary and legislature before fine-tuning the laws.

We are worried and therefore wish to appeal for the last time to all parties involved in the signed agreement to abide by its spirit and letters, by firstly re-opening all the courts and the State Houses of Assembly so that all other ingredients in the MOA can be given full compliance by all parties concerned.

This much was agreed to between JUSUN/ PASSAN and the Governors Forum at the last meeting on Friday, June 4, 2021.

The minister also noted that with the courts closed , the police and other security agencies cannot prosecute criminals, hoodlums and bandits even as the nation is faced with heightened insecurity.
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The Attorney-General and the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on Monday, announced the deactivation of his Twitter account.

My Twitter account deactivated, the minister captioned a screenshot of his Twitter deactivation page in a Facebook post.

Commentators under the post questioned the minister how he accessed his Twitter page despite the ban. Others criticised Mr Malami for alleged violation of their constitutional rights.

His action followed the indefinite suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria by the federal government last week over allegations that the company was a threat to Nigerias corporate existence.

The government ordered telecommunication companies to block their subscribers from accessing the site, an order the internet service providers complied with shortly after.

Pressed by the urge to bypass the governments controversial order, Nigerians began to download Virtual Private Network, a software that allows internet users to change their browsing location.

Mr Malami thereafter released a statement saying defaulters would be charged to court, an argument lawyers faulted, saying unless the directive was codified, it was flat before the law.

When asked what law violators would be charged with, Mr Malamis office said federal government law.

Critics have said the order was not well thought out and was unconstitutional, but the government has insisted that it was doing so for public good.

The Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has also ordered broadcast stations to deactivate their Twitter accounts, an order that has been heavily criticised.

Despite public outcry, the Nigerian government has doubled down on its order and it insisted that the ban will be lifted only when responsible communication was guaranteed on the platform.

Mr Malami has now joined First Lady Aisha Buhari as few government officials that have obeyed their own directive.

President Muhammadu Buharis four million followers page as well as Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo are among those whose accounts have not been deactivated.
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The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria has asked its area councils, branches, and professional fora in local governments, schools, and higher institutions across Lagos State to suspend the use of Twitter for publicity and other operations.

The societys president in Lagos, Miftahudeen Thanni, made this known in a press statement on Tuesday.

The organisations directive comes after the Federal Government of Nigeria suspended the operations of Twitter in the country on June 4 and a subsequent directive by the National Broadcasting Commission to television and radio stations.

In a notice to its organs, the MSSNLagos said, Kindly suspend the addition of Twitter handles/addresses and icon(s) on MSSNLagos publicity materials (texts, electronic or printed).

This notice is hereby directed to the leadership of all organs and hierarchies in the Area Unit. This takes immediate effect.

Mr Thanni explained that while the Federal Government may not be doing enough in other areas, such as security, the MSSNLagos is convinced that defying the governments directive suspending Twitter is unnecessary.

He explained that though Muslim students have been victims of human rights violations and harassment through the denial of their rights to wear hijab, the recent moves by the Federal Government are needed.

No sane organisation would support actions against freedom of expression and association and the Federal Government must avoid policies and actions against press freedom. This is despite that the unity of Nigeria is paramount and must be defended.

While we believe that social media, including Twitter, can be better regulated beyond suspension, we will defend the sovereignty of Nigeria which should not be toyed with. The double standards employed by Twitter on sensitive happenings of #EndSARS and destruction by IPOB members cannot be ignored.

As much as we hope that the president acts swiftly on issues of insecurity and shows leadership, Twitter must ensure that its platform is not used to escalate crisis and mobilise attackers of the nations infrastructure. We appeal to the Federal Government and Twitter to find a common ground. Until this is done, we will obey the suspension order.

The Federal Government has to look into restoring orderliness beyond suspension and address other sundry issues affecting Nigeria.

Like many Nigerians, we are unhappy with happenings in the country. For some time, security challenges have risen at an alarming rate. The countrys education and judicial sectors have been consistently hit by strikes. There are other issues that the FG should consider paying greater attention to.

Mr Thanni, who reiterated that MSSNLagos is against calls for secession, condemned the killings of people in Igangan area of Oyo State and abduction of students in different parts of the country.

We are for one Nigeria, he said.

The call for secession will further compound the problems of Nigeria and it is not in any way the solution to the challenges facing the country. We are against the removal of any leader through undemocratic means.

It is high time we all helped the government to tackle some of the challenges it is facing. Things have gone beyond being partisan or excessively regional or religious.

The killings of people in Igangan is not only senseless but wicked. Rather than join the blame game, we will continue to pray to God to heal our nation and expose those behind the evil deeds. We pray to Him to give us leaders that have the love of the people.
The Nigerians in the Diaspora Organization, Americas (NIDOA), USA, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to be more proactive in addressing the challenges facing the country.

The group noted that Nigerias diversity in religion and culture should be leveraged as a positive force for development.

It added that the president needed to correct the prevailing perception that terrorists of Fulani stock are treated with kid-gloves, while Indigenous Peoples of Biafra and Eastern Security Network members are being eliminated extra-judicially in the ongoing aerial and ground bombardment of parts of South-Eastern Nigeria by the Nigerian security forces.

The group also said that the 1999 constitution was enacted by the decree of former military head of state, Abdulsalami Abubakar, so it had no recourse to the Nigerian people whatsoever.

It, therefore, advocated for restructuring through community policing, allowing states control of their resources as well as decentralisation of federal powers.

Read the full statement by NIDOA below

June 6, 2021

H.E. Muhammadu Buhari

President of The Federal Republic of Nigeria

Aso Villa, Abuja

Nigeria

Dear President Buhari,

As a non-partisan group of incurable patriots fully invested in the continuing corporate existence of our dear nation as an indivisible entity based on equity, justice, harmony, and progress, Nigerians in Diaspora Organization, Americas (NIDOA), USA, wishes to share with you our thoughts on the future of our dear nation.

We are reaching out earnestly to you in view of the recent resurgence in separatist agitations in various parts of the country where tensions have boiled over partly because persistent calls for reconfiguration of our nation as a truly Federal entity has been punted by succeeding administrations.

We note that Decree No. 24 of 1999 enacted by the former military head of state, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar and his Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (APRC) was the basis for the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria. There was no recourse to the Nigerian people whatsoever. That regime essentially bequeathed a unitary constitution that discountenanced the nations diversity in concentrating virtually all powers in the Federal Government which was awarded 68 items under the Exclusive Legislative List, including power, policing, aviation, banking, insurance, incorporation of companies, shipping, ports, railways, telephones, broadcasting and water resources. With states having no control over their resources, there is no incentive to create wealth. Instead, corruption is incentivized amid an endless competition among the states and federating units for power. With the level of poverty in the country and the absence of productive outlets for our teeming youth, non-state actors engaged in banditry, terrorism, and ethnic cleansing have prospered.

Mr. President, as you mark your sixth year in office, please permit us to address you on two important areas of concern to our members: National Security and True Federalism.

National Security

Nigeria has been scourged with multiple security challenges including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, internecine ethnic skirmishes. These phenomena did not sprout up overnight. Causes range from lack of planning, communal distrust, corruption and incompetence to high youth unemployment, poverty, greed, nepotism, and compromised/ill-equipped security agencies. Experts have noted that Nigeria has not conducted a strategic analysis of its security systems and infrastructures since attainment of political independence in 1960. The result is that practices that even the British have jettisoned such as a centralized police force under the command of an Inspector General remain entrenched in Nigeria. Most advanced societies including the UK and the US have police at city, county and state levels so that they can effectively fight crime at local level with local personnel and command structure. Sadly, the systemic failures of our moribund policing and security architecture have enabled Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorist networks to run rampant.

NIDO Americas USA notes that growth cannot occur without security. Insecurity, and the instability it breeds, will continue to scare away potential investors while making it nigh impossible to guarantee the basic rights of Nigerians to life and liberty. We urge you to take immediate action as follows:

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1. Move Nigeria swiftly in the direction of graduated level of jurisdictional policing authority predicated on community police philosophy which the Federal Government has sought to introduce since 2016. This is universal best practice. Police officers should be recruited and trained to serve in the localities/communities in which they have vested interest. Security officials should live in their jurisdiction and every local and state government should have a public registry of repeat violent offenders. Customs and Border patrols must be sanitized and overhauled to secure Nigerias porous borders and restore some modicum of geographical integrity. The mismanagement of the National Identification Number (NIN) scheme has, unfortunately, not helped in this regard.

2. Corruption continues to have a deleterious effect on our national security from misappropriation of funds budgeted for purchase of weapons to the institutionalization of nativism as a cardinal principle for appointment to sensitive, command positions. The campaign against corruption should be ongoing, total, non-discriminatory, and non-partisan. It should become ingrained in our national consciousness as a people.

3. Poverty and ignorance is another contributor to our national menace of insecurity to our large population of poor and uneducated citizens. Government must move swiftly to reduce and ultimately eliminate the number of out-of-school children by guaranteeing access to education which should be compulsory up to JSS level. Ditto for the unemployment situation in Nigeria which is a ticking time bomb. Government must implement policies that have direct impact on job creation and entrepreneurship development.

4. The diversity of Nigeria in religion and culture should not be viewed negatively but leveraged as a positive force for development. Secularity of the Nigerian state should be protected. Government should not be involved in proselytizing, funding pilgrimages and other acts that could be construed as favoring one faith over the other. Similarly, the federal government must  in addition to merit  always consider the multifaceted structure of the country, ethnically, religiously, and culturally in the appointment of security chiefs and the siting of security establishments, which appear lopsided at this time.

5. A lack of mentorship for the youths coupled with a tendency towards criminality, cultism and the greed for fast money-making by all means has been detrimental to national security: There is a need to mentor our youths and engage them positively in nation building. The government should provide skills acquisition training for our youth and ensure that they are gainfully employed or can start their own businesses after completing their training. Diligent effort should be made to identify and deploy simple inventions by local youth that could be deployed to improve the security situation in Nigerian.

6. Government should be even-handed in handling the multifarious security challenges confronting the nation. The prevailing perception is that terrorists of Fulani stock are being treated with kid-gloves

while suspected Indigenous Peoples of Biafra and Eastern Security Network members are being eliminated extra-judicially in the ongoing aerial and ground bombardment of parts of South-Eastern Nigeria by the Nigerian security forces. Such perceived inequitable treatment also ignited strong protests in the South-Western and Middle Belt regions of the country with Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State alleging that Nigerian security forces are complicit in an ethnic cleansing agenda.

Mr. President, Nigerians in Diaspora Organization, Americas, USA, will continue to play a constructive role in national development. We are mobilizing support of Nigerian-American owned/managed businesses and not-for-profit organizations to invest in scholarships, skills acquisition, entrepreneurship and career development opportunities for Nigerian youth. The Federal Government is welcome to collaborate with us in this respect. We are available to meet with you and designated officials to address the root causes of ignorance, joblessness, and insecurity. We must properly educate our youth and get them engaged in productive work, realizing that an idle youth is the anarchists raw material for mischief.

Restructuring Towards True Federalism

No less a personality than Itse Sagay (SAN), the Chairman of your Presidential Advisory Committee on Corruption (PACAC), recently called for the re-adoption of Nigerias 1963 Republican Constitution, with slight amendments, to devolve more powers to the states. The solution proposed by Professor Sagay is, incidentally, the same as that of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) which demanded in 1994 that the nation reverts to its 1963 constitution which emerged from direct negotiations between Nigerias ethnic nationalities.

A brief recap of Nigerias post-1963 constitution-making efforts reveals that much effort and treasure has been invested, by successive governments and civil society organizations, with mixed success. Most of those efforts had been marred by the military domination of Nigerias civic space and lingering bitterness from the Nigerian Civil War which followed on the heels of the botched Aburi Accords.

Following sustained agitations for a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) which he resisted, President Olusegun Obasanjo convened the National Political Reform Conference (NPRC) in February 2005. Unlike the 1978 Constituent Assembly which preceded the first republic, none of the members were elected.

Out of 354, the president directly nominated 50 with 218 nominated by state governors and the FCT minister. The remaining 86 members were drawn from various groups, including 12 from the presidents political party. Even though one billion naira was budgeted for the 3-month exercise, there was no enabling law establishing the NPRC. Its work was essentially advisory in nature.

Then in 2014, President Goodluck Jonathan assembled 492 Nigerian delegates organized into 20 committees to deliberate for five months about the future of the country amid a backdrop of Boko Haram terrorist campaign and the restlessness of the people in the Niger Delta area who insisted on resource control. Under the chairmanship of retired Chief Justice Idris Kutigi, that national conference passed more than 600 resolutions and produced a 10,335-page report, at a princely cost of N7 billion. As was the case with the 1994/1995 Constitutional Conference convoked by late head of state, General Sani Abacha, those recommendations have never been implemented.

Mr. President, your party  the All Progressives Conference (APC)  raised hopes that this cycle would be broken when, in August 2017, it set up a 23-person committee headed by Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State to review the 2014 Confab report and articulate the partys position on true federalism.

APC, in 2015 promised to initiate action to amend the Nigerian constitution with a view to devolving powers, duties and responsibilities to states in order to entrench true federalism and the federal spirit.

Moreover, Section 7 (2) of the APC constitution had provides for restructuring and fiscal federalism. The El-Rufai Committee recommended state police and devolution of powers to the component units. The Committee recommended that states control natural resources within their respective regions and then, pay taxes and royalties to the Federal Government. The committee also recommended that the 1999 Constitution should be amended to transfer some items such as food and drugs, fingerprint identification of criminals, registration of business names, labor matters, mines and minerals, the Police, prisons, public holiday, and stamp duties should from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List to enable both states and the federal government to legislate on them.

While noting that the national assembly has set up another committee to review all previous reports and make fresh recommendations, NIDO Americas USA emphasizes the need for Nigeria to adopt a real Federal constitution before the 2023 elections with the 1963 Constitution and the report of the 2014 Constitutional Conference as basis. Such a new constitution should emerge from negotiations and resolutions of Nigerias constituent parts and must be subjected to referendum. In the meantime, we advise that steps be taken to assure Nigerians that they are valued stakeholders in the nation-building.

We urge you to play the statesman in promoting constructive engagement and dialogue across ethnicities, creed and class. We believe in the promise of a unified Nigeria where every citizen is treated with dignity and respect. Justice and fair play for all Nigerias constituents is an imperative. Let this be your legacy so that future generations of Nigerians will remember you as the president who reinvented Nigeria at its time of greatest vulnerabilities.

Thank you for the audience.

Sincerely yours,

Dr. Eromonsele Idahosa (Edo State)

Chairman

Dr. Jane Ekwonye (Abia State)

Vice Chairman

Dr. Yinka Tella (Oyo State)

Public Relations Officer

Dr. Moses Timta (Borno State)

Secretary-General

Mr. Norris Giwa-Salvador (Lagos State)

Treasurer

Dr. Raymond Sowemimo (Ogun State)

Assistant Secretary General

Cc: Mr. Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation

Dr. Ahmad Lawan, President of the Senate

Hon Femi Gbajamiala, Speaker, House of Representatives

H.E. Dr Mrs. Uzoma E. Emenike, Ambassador/ Head of US Mission

Hon (Mrs) Abike Dabiri, CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM)
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But because he was bold and courageous, with a special dedication to his beliefs, Professor Atanda was able to make himself the Iroko tree of Yoruba knowledge systems, so that others would draw inspiration and motivations from him. It is on this basis that he remains a celebrated individual, while his records speak volumes of him.

Many Africans have shown pioneering integrity in enhancing the formidable intellectual image that has come to be associated with the black race. Specifically, Nigerias intellectual network has become so important to this movement that it is inescapable and impractical to dismiss the contributions of academics and thinkers from the country to human intellectual advancement when discussing knowledge production and intimation, as related to Africa and the world generally.

The Nigerian intellectual mission produced outstanding historians such as Kenneth Dike, and J.F. Ade Ajayi, among others, who did exceptionally well in restoring African dignity through their expansive African history research that not only challenged the body of unsubstantiated assertions about the African past but also about its essentialism. Similar feats by many other scholars and writers such as Bolanle Awe, Adeboye Babalola, Amos Tutu, D.O. Fagunwa, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, J.P. Clark, and hundreds of others, effectively discountenanced the widely held misconception that the history of Africa was devoid of a literary history or tradition, through their literary knowledge and styles. J.A. Atanda, however, constitutes another significant bulk in this intellectual tradition as a member of the generation of African historians who have extensively expanded the intellectual coast of the people by expanding upon the work of his predecessors.

Born in 1932 to Eruwa parents, a community in the Yoruba society that falls under the current Oyo State of Nigerian, Dr Joseph Adebowale Atanda enjoyed first-hand the cultural traditions of the Yoruba people, which exposed him to Yoruba knowledge and understanding. People who often make landmark impacts in their respective fields, such as J.A. Atanda, are habitually seen not as the product of their formative experiences but as individuals who struggle to improve themselves in the course of their journeys. However, while success, brilliance, quality delivery, and impact are not impossible to court in adulthood, the general truth is that formative education and exposure usually dictate peoples eventual dispositions as adults. Following this idea, the overwhelming success of Atanda as a public figure and intellectual maestro are attributed to the experiences that shaped his knowledge as a child raised in the Yoruba society, consolidating, in effect, a common assumption that there cannot be a river without a source. For this, the source and the product have proven to be significantly symbolic; while celebrating Atanda, the Yoruba must also be granted the necessary accolades they deserve.

It was through the pioneering works of Atanda that we are now aware of the immeasurable achievements of the Yorubas past, and through his analytical ability, we have come to know how substantial growth, culturally, politically, and economically are achievable when the materials of the past are used appropriately.

After obtaining his B.A. (Hons) degree in History at the University of London in 1964, he received a Ph.D. in 1967 from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Without doubt, the exposure to different cultural and academic climates contributed immensely to the facilitation of his knowledge, which would later be useful in driving African knowledge systems and productions to a greater height. Dr. Atanda took a keen interest in African history, believing that the degenerating and anti-intellectual generalisations of the Eurocentric knowledge episteme against the knowledge production of Africans are either motivated by a raging desire to undermine an otherwise vibrant and impressive intellectual system or to silence the body of works of prehistoric Africans. However, to accept these generalisations without making sufficient efforts at the interrogation of facts and the cross-examination of evidence is unbefitting of a reasonable scholar. This dictated the almost overzealous dedication to exploring the African past, particularly that of the Yoruba of the Western part of Nigeria and the Buganda in East Africa. With great determination he pursued this agenda, resulting in his success and those of other committed individuals.

It was through the pioneering works of Atanda that we are now aware of the immeasurable achievements of the Yorubas past, and through his analytical ability, we have come to know how substantial growth, culturally, politically, and economically are achievable when the materials of the past are used appropriately. He joined others to open a line of intellectual discussion about the Yoruba, to the extent that their prehistoric history and the histories of their exchanges with external civilisations are generally considered epochs in the evolution of the peoples cultural genealogy. Although a historian is expected to present the chronology of past events, so that people understand and learn of their past and thus find a great way to their future, Dr. Atanda did more than that. Atanda, in presenting his work, remained cognisant that the projection of a peoples image, especially negatively, can affect how they react and respond to their surrounding activities and be very intrusive in the way they perceive themselves. To internalise the story that the Yoruba, for example, sold their people into slavery, engaged in paganism, and paraded outrageous customs, can be devastating on the people who carry that identity around, for they would believe that their past histories are predominantly malevolent. This would potentially impact their claiming and representation of the Yoruba identity, continentally and internationally.

Meanwhile, through replicable research, Atanda was able to bring to the fore the knowledge of the Yoruba people that has always been marred by the narrative of darkness. The reconstruction of Yoruba history through generally accepted methodologies substantially helped to restore peoples cultural confidence and reclaim aspects of their identity. Atanda challenged, among other things, the revisionist history that Yoruba people clung to their traditional thinking. For example, in one of his academic engagements, he submits that marriage, contrary to the views of outsiders, was used to expand the socialisation network of the families involved, so that bonding was possible, while simultaneously increasing the dependency of individuals on one another. In viewing the way that the Yoruba family is structured, controversy to this idea is somewhat difficult, as many are interconnected in the society. Additionally, Atanda challenged the dismissal of the Yoruba religious systems from the misguided generalisation that they are particularly primitive and uncivilised. Atanda contested that the Yoruba moral, political and cultural systems should be viewed, not as separate entities. For example, the discouragement of stealing that is inherent in the invocation of the spirit is meant to prevent people from mismanaging opportunities when given. In this manner, these systems are not dispassionately disjointed but are complementary systems seeking a common purpose.

a seventh lecture and conference will be held in his honour at Babcock University from June 21 to 23, where The J. A. Atanda Distinguished Award for Yoruba Studies will be launched, to acclaim a scholar who is prominent in the field of Yoruba studies in Africa and the Diaspora.

Professor Atanda remains a shining armour whose accomplishments cannot be overshadowed by mere wishful thinking in academics. He continuously demonstrated a similar capacity at different leadership levels. He was a Representative of the Faculty of Arts on the Board of Studies and the Faculty Board of Education at the University of Ibadan. During his service in these highlighted capacities, he ensured that African knowledge productions are not relegated because their social and cultural traditions are of immeasurable importance. Besides his agitation and actualisation of the native education agenda, especially in fighting for the domestication of the education system to accommodate several ideas, he also ensured that the administration of the people was discharged diligently. Professor Atanda also functioned at the school in a management capacity. He served as a Senate member and was an integral part of the Senate Committee for the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan. Throughout his time in all these capacities, the achievements he earned continue to speak for him even decades after his departure.

To have a grasp of the depth of Atandas contributions to knowledge production in the field, one can begin by examining his academic achievements. Apart from serving as the arrowhead for the promulgation of African knowledge epistemology, at a time when the general cultural and political traditions were circumscribed, he raised the bar for the enhancement of African knowledge essentialism. Dr. Atanda also became a compass for navigating the past of the Yoruba and Buganda peoples in many respects. The majority of the knowledge ideas associated with these groups today has been cast away with mindless abandon as something not worthy of human consideration, over the assumption that it was of low-quality intellection. But because he was bold and courageous, with a special dedication to his beliefs, Professor Atanda was able to make himself the Iroko tree of Yoruba knowledge systems, so that others would draw inspiration and motivations from him. It is on this basis that he remains a celebrated individual, while his records speak volumes of him.

These testaments validate the assumption that the organisation of conferences in his name is just a minor part of the celebration of his unusual ingenuity. While he was alive, Professor Atanda was offered several awards to recognise his invaluable contributions to humankind generally. The Rockefeller Foundation gave him a Travel Grant as visiting Lecturer at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, in January to August 1969. He also received the Life Honorary membership of the Frank London Brown Historical Association, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. These international awards are indubitable evidence that he achieved beyond the borders of his home country, Nigeria. Professor Atanda remains valuable to us all, as even the Yoruba Studies Review names its annual best paper award after him. Furthermore, a seventh lecture and conference will be held in his honour at Babcock University from June 21 to 23, where The J. A. Atanda Distinguished Award for Yoruba Studies will be launched, to acclaim a scholar who is prominent in the field of Yoruba studies in Africa and the Diaspora.

Toyin Falola, a professor of History and University Distinguished Teaching Professor, is Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at The University of Texas at Austin.
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Going forward, the following considerations must be taken into account The first is to ensure that the provisions of the agreement are implemented in an effective and business-friendly manner private-sector operators need to be afforded ample policy maneuvering space in making the provisions of the agreement meaningful in an African context and for their day-to-day transactions.

On January 1, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) became operational, creating a new trade dynamic on the continent of Africa with a single market of 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of approximately US$3.4 trillion. The AfCFTA is a rare exemplar of consensus building among African states of all sizes on the idea that Africas development is primarily based on the development of trade between African countries. This unprecedented achievement is attributable, for the most part, to the commitment of the institutional bureaucracy within the African Union (AU) and the cooperation amongst individual national governments. However, the promise of the AfCFTA in engendering shared prosperity will remain illusory in the absence of the full participation of African economic operators  the private-sector players, who have to operationalise the agreement.

It is the expectation that upon full implementation, the AfCFTA will contribute to reinvigorating Africas structural transformation and will reshape markets and economies across the region. However, no matter how well-intentioned the AfCFTA objectives are, they will remain elusive if African businesses are unable to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the AfCFTA in terms of trade and investment. Therefore, it is critical that the private sector is effectively engaged in the implementation process, with the active support of governments, the African Union (AU), and development partners.

Thus far, there is a general apprehension that the private sector has not been adequately engaged, with three wide categories of private sector players broadly identified. The first is the AfCFTA enthusiasts who desperately want the single market to succeed and view its emergence as a tremendous opportunity for accelerated growth. The second belong to the category of pessimists who view the AfCFTA as anti-growth and believe that it seeks to circumscribe national regulatory competence. The third and perhaps largest group includes private sector actors that are indifferent about the agreements prospects or scope. A common thread in the conversation around the lack of eagerness to engage is the issue of confidence in the ability of the agreement to accelerate the continents economic transformation.

All things considered, there is the need to engender a more inclusive implementation process by stimulating further interrogation of the impediments to the private sectors participation in the AfCFTA and highlighting opportunities for accentuating the productive capacities of the private sector in deepening trade integration. Going forward, the following considerations must be taken into account:

The first is to ensure that the provisions of the agreement are implemented in an effective and business-friendly manner. Indeed, because the AfCFTA was inspired by similar agreements designed for more advanced markets, from an infrastructure and free-movement readiness perspective, the private-sector operators need to be afforded ample policy maneuvering space in making the provisions of the agreement meaningful in an African context and for their day-to-day transactions.

there must be deliberate consensus-building on the need for cross-border collaborations, as there is no dearth of skills or competencies in Africa. Thus, the real challenge lies in encouraging sustained cooperation between firms and constantly reminding African private sector operators that they must be more audacious in their aspirations.

Second, given the fact that the private sector did not fully participate in the negotiations of the AfCFTA, national governments must, in developing their Action Plans, mainstream the interests of domestic industries through extensive consultation with stakeholders. Thankfully, Phase II of the negotiations covering investment, intellectual property, competition policy, and e-commerce are ongoing and should be driven by the private sectors as the outcome of this Phase would directly impact the effective functioning of the single market and the operations of private businesses.

Third, while the free movement of goods, services, and capital are at the core of the agreements first focus, its real potential in triggering shared prosperity can only be fully achieved when key complementary policy enablers, such as the AUs Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and the Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons, Right of Residence, and Right of Establishment are fully institutionalised. On these fronts, the private sector must be fully involved and their interests taken into account in formulating national positions.

Fourth, the successful implementation of the AfCFTA is also dependent on a private sector-led logistics and connectivity framework that would facilitate the free movement of goods. Success on this score requires the involvement of transport operators, companies active in supply-chain traceability, and infrastructure developers. Power infrastructure, multimodal transport platforms, and digital connectivity are also key to translating the agreements promise to reality.

Fifth, there must be deliberate consensus-building on the need for cross-border collaborations, as there is no dearth of skills or competencies in Africa. Thus, the real challenge lies in encouraging sustained cooperation between firms and constantly reminding African private sector operators that they must be more audacious in their aspirations. Although operating in a bigger market inexorably brings increased competition, it provides opportunities for optimising revenues through the agglomeration of economies of scale.

Deepening private sector engagement and commitment to moving the AfCFTA from agreement to impact will not happen by default or chance. Investment decisions are typically based on clear information, a favourable business climate, and a clear articulation of investment opportunities. These three considerations underpin the AfroChampions Initiatives efforts, a public-private partnership designed to galvanise African resources and institutions to support the emergence and success of African private sector multinational champions in the regional and global spheres. The Initiative, driven by the AfroChampions Organisation, is co-chaired by former President Thabo Mbeki and Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of Dangote Group.

As part of its strategic engagement efforts, the AfroChampions Initiative has made a commitment to stimulate at least $1 trillion in the private sector-led AfCFTA certified investments by 2030. The AfroChampions framework is meant to allow project developers, investors, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and multinationals to take full advantage of the AfCFTA

Since coming into force of the agreement, the AfroChampions and its strategic partners have embarked on sensitisation campaigns on the agreements content and its potential impacts. Worth highlighting are engagements by the AU, the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA), national business groups such as the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), technical assistance programmes by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and related bodies.

As part of its strategic engagement efforts, the AfroChampions Initiative has made a commitment to stimulate at least $1 trillion in the private sector-led AfCFTA certified investments by 2030. The AfroChampions framework is meant to allow project developers, investors, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and multinationals to take full advantage of the AfCFTA to invest in major AfCFTA enabling projects. It is structured around:

A fund to be supported by private actors and financing institutions (banks, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, etc.);

Certification mechanism for AfCFTA certified investment projects;

A long-term project selection and impact evaluation process;

Regular assessment efforts to ensure regulatory convergence and transposition of AfCFTA provisions into national law, encouraging a climate conducive to investment.

Beyond the bold move by AfroChampions to build a private sector buy-in within the context of the AfCFTA, there remains the need for strategic communication on key AfCFTA provisions, the ramping up of deal structuring capabilities, expanding access to financing, reducing cost of credit and scaling up the manufacturing capacity of Africas private sector for the AfCFTA to achieve its objective of engendering shared prosperity. Private sector leaders across the continent can replicate the AfroChampions Investment Syndication Framework in their respective countries, as it speaks to the businesses in a language they can understand  and hopefully, this can elicit a more profound commitment to delivering on the promises of the AfCFTA.

Ese Owie, an international trade lawyer and trade policy expert, is President of the Cavendish Institute. He tweets @dreseowie
Altamira Gold (CVE: ALTA- OTC: EQTRF) CEO Michael Bennett joined Steve Darling from Proactive to shares news the company has completed IP work as the Mutum gold target at their Apiacas gold project in Brazil.

Bennett telling Proactive that 4 of the lines in the central portion revealed a consistent 500-650-metre-wide chargeability anomaly visible below a depth of about 70 metres. That anomaly is directly below the mapped and sampled mineralized gold intrusive.
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The trend of increasing censorship embraced by authoritarian regimes is not only dangerous, it can also lead to a future never before envisaged, where leaders of countries distort reality and determine what view of internet their citizens have. In the wake of looming social unrest, flares of insecurity, the ghost of Decree 4 appears with new laws in the making

An autocrat is an autocrat. There is nothing like a reformed autocrat or a recovering autocrat, after all, a leopard never changes its spots. We should have known it would come to this, Buharis #Twitterban. In 1984, Buhari passed the infamous Protection Against False Accusations Decree, dubbed Decree 4. Till date, it is still the most repressive press law ever enacted in Nigeria. Buhari has never hidden his disdain for freedom and contempt for those outside his clan. It beggars belief that an elected leader would make the kind of genocidal statement that earned him the Twitter censure. The signs were there from the beginning. Immediately Buhari was sworn in, we learnt about his digital foot soldiers called BMC  the Buhari Media Centre. The BMC is a loose federation of trolls, influencers and ready for hire near illiterates, whose low income and deft use of social media platforms make them generally well suited for professional trolling. They cheer every sentence from the administration, steal online pictures from other countries, pass it off as Buharis achievement, smear critics, spread disinformation and create barely sensible updates in support of government for monthly pocket money. The cascading insecurity and a gloomy economy has caused the governments manipulation of social media to wear thin. The BMC have met their match in frustrated Nigerians who take the battle to them and call them out.

Unfortunately, we are in for the long haul. It will get worse before it gets better. Why? We are saddled with a conduit House of Representatives, a mailbox Senate and a drunk Malami cabal. The secret memo that Malami wrote and feebly denied tells us to brace up for the last two years of Buhari. From now onwards, we should expect orchestrated actions from the Federal Government, which is designed to undermine democracy, the rule of law, and the protection of fundamental rights. Actually, with the exception of international disinformation campaigns, the four elements of the autocrats playbook has been unleashed. Announcing the #Twitterban, Lai Mohammed said that it was a reaction to the, persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigerias corporate existence. That is straight from the autocrats playbook. Autocratic governments often appeal to national sovereignty when confronted by the people. They make constitutional identity a fetish by taking it out of context, claiming the abuse of power as part of a constitutional identity. In addition, they plead national security in harassing the media and non-government organisations. We should ask Mr. Lai Mohammed if terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, killings by herdsmen, are not undermining Nigerias cooperate existence.

Buhari administrations recourse to digital authoritarianism of state-controlled Internet and unprecedented high-tech repression, reliance on China for loans and infrastructure, gives a peep into his stunted view of the future. Beyond the current noise, these convergence of Chinese interests in Nigeria should worry every Nigerian.

After the #Twitterban, it was reported that the Federal Government and Chinas Cyberspace Administration office discussed plans of building a Nigerian internet firewall. What that means is that the government is seeking to use digital information technology to surveil, repress, and manipulate us. Buharis plan is the textbook definition of Digital Authoritarianism, of which China and Russia are the gatekeepers. Hours after the Buhari #Twitterban, RT, the Russian state-controlled international television went agog. Writers for RT online praised Buhari. One of them wrote; Nigeria is a far more serious and based country than the US, at least if President Muhammadu Buharis response to Twitter censorship  compared to that of Donald Trumps  is anything to go by.The Nigerian government also missed an easy opportunity to clobber Twitter with its own wokeness cudgel and accuse CEO Jack Dorsey of being racist and Islamophobic  considering Buhari is both African and Muslim. How is that?

President Buharis mentors in digital authoritarianism have created, mastered and exported technology-driven playbooks for authoritarian rule. Moscow is adept at repressing opposition at home and undermining democracy abroad using digital disinformation tools. The world saw what they did in the United States, leading to the election of Donald Trump. China, who Lai Mohammed et al. are looking up to for salvation from prurient critics, is the pioneer of digital age censorship through their Great Firewall. They are the supplier of choice for budding autocratic regimes looking to deploy their own surveillance systems. So far, they have exported surveillance and monitoring systems to many countries. Nigeria is looking to be their biggest customer yet. Buhari administrations recourse to digital authoritarianism of state-controlled Internet and unprecedented high-tech repression, reliance on China for loans and infrastructure, gives a peep into his stunted view of the future. Beyond the current noise, these convergence of Chinese interests in Nigeria should worry every Nigerian.

The world is heading down a slippery slope if the free world is not united at sanctioning digital authoritarianism and companies that supply them with equipment. The time is ripe for the United Nations to develop a digital governance charter.

Those of us who have the unique privilege of being on the internet at its infancy in the mid-nineties are learning the real meaning of unintended consequences as the internet is being used to advance and undermine humanity simultaneously. The internet was imagined as a global web (World Wide Web) of communication where anyone can access any resource. Censorship was inadvertently aided by the United States government when the net neutrality law was repealed. It created an ecosystem of interference for the internet service providers to interfere or block internet traffic. The trend of increasing censorship embraced by authoritarian regimes is not only dangerous, it can also lead to a future never before envisaged, where leaders of countries distort reality and determine what view of internet their citizens have. In the wake of looming social unrest, flares of insecurity, the ghost of Decree 4 appears with new laws in the making, to gag Nigerians and prosecute them for exercising their rights to free speech and association.

It is not too late for the United States and other liberal democracies to tighten export controls on technologies that advance digital authoritarianism. The world is heading down a slippery slope if the free world is not united at sanctioning digital authoritarianism and companies that supply them with equipment. The time is ripe for the United Nations to develop a digital governance charter.

Bamidele Ademola-Olateju a farmer, youth advocate and political analyst writes this weekly column, Bamidele Upfront for PREMIUM TIMES. Follow me on Twitter @olufunmilayo
I am not the only one who thinks that democracy ought to be about institutions and the rule of law,...
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The Commissioner for Health in Plateau, Nimkong Ndam, has said that the state recorded 441 suspected cases of cholera and six deaths from the bacterial disease in the state.

Mr Ndam said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Jos.

He explained that the 441 suspected cases were line-listed, and four persons were confirmed to have cholera by the culture test, while the others were confirmed to have cholera by the rapid diagnostic test.

Mr Ndam said that the cases were recorded in seven Local Government Areas of the state.

The commissioner said that cholera is an acute diarrhoea infection, caused by a bacterium called Vibrio cholera, which is usually found in food or water contaminated by faeces (faecal) and when such is ingested, causes cholera.

Mr Ndam called on the public, who present symptoms of the disease such as copious vomiting and diarrhoea, to go to the nearest health facility.

He called on the public to ensure that they always wash their fruits and vegetables thoroughly and also boil their drinking water, to kill the organism that causes cholera.

The commissioner advised people to imbibe the act of hand washing and sanitising their hands where water is not available, to avoid the spread of the disease.

Mr Ndam appealed to the public to always maintain good sanitation.

(NAN)
The police in Lagos say they have devised means to decongest their cells amidst the prolonged strike by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

The police spokesperson in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday that the decongestion was carried out in collaboration with the office of the Chief Judge and Attorney-General of the state.

NAN reports that JUSUN, on April 6, directed its members to shut down all courts across the country, demanding the implementation of the law granting financial autonomy to the Judiciary.

The command had been managing the situation in collaboration with the office of the state chief judge, Mr Adejobi said.

He, however, did not give the number of suspects that had been granted bail.

We work with the office of the CJ and Attorney-General of Lagos State to decongest our cells.

The CJ has provided the services of some Magistrates and District Prosecutors to assess case files and grant bail to some suspects.

So, we are collaborating with them in this regard, Mr Adejobi said.

NAN reports that a verdict of the Federal High Court in Nigerias capital, Abuja, had in January 2014 held that financial autonomy for the judiciary is a constitutional provision that must be complied with by the executive branch of government.

NAN reports that on May 23, President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the Executive Order to grant financial autonomy to the legislature and the judiciary across the 36 states of the country.

The order also mandates the Accountant-General of the Federation to deduct from source amount due to state legislatures and judiciaries from the monthly allocation to each state for states that refuse to grant such autonomy.

The Attorney General of the Federation Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said Executive Order No. 10 of 2020 made it mandatory that all states of the federation should include the allocations of both the legislature and the judiciary in the first-line charge of their budgets.

According to the AGF: A Presidential Implementation Committee was constituted to fashion out strategies and modalities for the implementation of financial autonomy for the State Legislature and State Judiciary in compliance with section 121(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as Amended).

NAN reports that the Nigeria Governors Forum said it will start implementing financial autonomy for the judiciary latest by May ending, a pledge that indicated that an end to the ongoing strike that has crippled the nations judiciary may be in sight.

The governors also called on striking members of the JUSUN to call off their two weeks old strike then.

The Chairman of the NGF, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti,. gave this assurance in an interview with journalists after meeting with stakeholders from the state judiciary and legislature at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Mr Fayemi said the modalities for the implementation were worked out at the meeting held at the Presidential Villa.

According to him, the meeting, chaired by the Chief of Staff to President Buhari, Ibrahim Gambari, was attended by the Solicitor-General of the Federation, representatives of the judiciary, Conference of Speakers and House of Representatives.

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The first line charge status, which is being respected by the federal government in respect of the federal judiciary, entitles the state judiciaries to get funds due to them directly from the Federation Account.

(NAN)
Hundreds of mechanics and automobile technicians in Lagos defied Tuesdays rain to march to the Lagos State House of Assembly Tuesday to protest the demolition of their workshops by the state government.

The workers, members of the Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association (NATA), Lagos chapter, decried the forceful seizure of mechanic villages across the state and converting them for personal use or gain.

We want our mechanic villages back, Leave our mechanic village alone, COVID-19 is not killing us, Lagos government is killing us, the workers chanted as they marched to the House of Assembly.

The workers called on the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to save them from hardship and stop his cabinet members from selling their yards and workshops.

Lagos Lands Bureau, Lagos Ministry of Physical Planning, Stop this Inhumanity, Leave Owutu Mechanic Village Alone, Destroying Peoples Livelihoods Contribute to Crime and Insecurity, Stop It, some of the protesters placards read.

The protest

The protest kicked off around 10:30 a.m. after hundreds of the mechanics converged on Allen Bus-stop, Ikeja, with several others trickling in.

The mechanics took over the road from Allen to the state secretariat, a nearly five kilometres distance, grounding vehicular movement.

During the protest, the mechanics called for the removal of Toyin Fayinka, the special adviser to the state governor on transportation.

Fayinka must go! Fayinka is a thief, the workers kept chanting in their number.

Toyin Fayinka has turned his position as special adviser on transportation to the governor to that of land grabber and speculator; Fayinka must go, one of the placards reads.

The chairperson of NATA in Lagos, Jacob Fayeun, said the workers have suffered so much injustice in the hands of the present administration as many of their workshops are being taken from them.

It was during the Alhaji Lateef Jakandes administration in Lagos in 1981 that we were allotted mechanic clusters known as mechanic villages to curb the menace of the problematic roadside mechanics littering Lagos neighbourhoods before that time.

Unfortunately, since 1999, these public spaces, many of them in difficult marshy areas and canal setbacks redeveloped by the mechanics at great expense are being systematically stolen by government officials under various pretext.

Most of these places are swampy areas, after developing it, they will turn back and take it from us, Mr Fayeun said.

Allegations

Mr Fayeun alleged that the special adviser to the governor, Mr Fayinka, has taken six workshops from them at Ladipo and turned two of them to park and pay.

Fayinka took six in Ladipo alone, throughout Lagos, they demolished 11 mechanic villages. We want the Lagos state government to direct Fayinka to return all the demolished mechanic villages and lands.

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The said Fayinka took over a workshop belonging to a mechanic, Mr Adediran Ogunmuyiwa last September 2019. The forceful take-over led to a protracted illness and death of the poor man on May 25, 2020.

Fayinka also demolished the Ifelagba Mechanic Village through the Lagos State Land Bureau because we refused to pay an arbitrary levy of N57.5 million imposed on us, apart from the annual Ground Rent we pay to the Ministry of Transport.

He has also taken over our workshops in Ladipo, Mushin which he has turned to a Park n Pay lot from where he makes millions of naira daily, Mr Fayeun said.

He added that scores of mechanic villages, neighbourhood markets, saw-mills and other commercial places have been taken over by government officials and their big business friends without alternative provision leaving hundreds of thousands of Lagosians and their families jobless and destitute.

Unfortunately, the Lagos State government has shown utter disdain for the Nigerian Constitution which under Section 16 (2D) guarantees the right of all Nigerians to gainful employment.

The lawmakers who addressed the protesters outside the House of Assembly complex, Abiodun Tobun and Emeka Idimogu, assured them that their complaints would be resolved by the appropriate committees in the House.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how the state government through the ministry of physical planning demolished a mechanic workshop at the Opebi area and forcefully evicted scores of workers in the yard.

Also in 2019, a large part of the Babs Animashaun Mechanic Village in Surulere was demolished and the mechanics evicted.

Special Adviser responds

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mr Fayinka on the allegations against him by the mechanics, he said they are not true.

If you are a mechanic and you are given a letter of allocation, it is not permanent. That is why the Ministry of Transportation reviews the land and allows them to make a yearly payment to the government, Mr Fayinka said.

The official said most lands used as mechanic workshops in Lagos are given to the Ministry of Transportation to hold in trust and there are terms and conditions for the use of such lands.

You must not put a permanent structure on the place, you must not use it for any other purpose other than mechanic work, you must not sublet it. Most of these mechanics build renting shops on the land and abandon its primary responsibility of being able to mechanic workshop and covert it to shopping complex.

Mr Fayinka said mechanic yards that flout the rules are automatically revoked.

Speaking on the six workshops that he allegedly took over at Ladipo, the official said the issue has been existing before he assumed office.

It is an issue I met on ground before I assumed office in 2019. It has been on for years and because government is a continuum, I checked the file. The land was said to have been a property of LSDPC and they gave the Ministry of Transport to hold in trust.

Whenever they give lands to the ministry of transport in trust, we give it to the mechanics. That is why they wont get C of O, only a letter of allocation and yearly payment to the ministry, so that was the issue on the land at Ladipo, Mr Fayinka said.
The Professional E-Hailing Drivers and Private Owners Association (PEDPA) in Lagos on Tuesday said it had entered into a partnership with two indigenous App companies for its ride-sharing service.

Idris Shonuga, national president of PEDPA, told journalists in Lagos on Tuesday that it had partnered with Active Ride and My Cab App companies as replacements for Uber and Bolt.

These indigenous App companies would work with the templates and provide drivers with a good welfare package for riders satisfaction.

This will enable the union to protect the collective interests of the drivers as decisions can now be jointly taken and approved before it is binding on both parties, PEDPA said.

The move came weeks after members of the drivers union embarked on industrial action to force Uber and Bolt to increase their fares.

Mr Shonuga said that both drivers and riders endured the shortcomings in the e-hailing industry without any mutual written agreement between the owners of the cars and the foreign app companies.

As against the 20 per cent commission by the team giant App companies, Active Ride is charging 15 per cent commission on each trip.

And out of the 15 per cent, five per cent is dropped into the drivers cooperative wallet and can be accessed for a quick fix.

This means that with the 10 per cent commission taken by Active Ride, drivers can now earn more and even save.

They can now have a good maintenance routine which in turn translates to better customer service delivery, PEDPA said.

He said the new locally developed ride-sharing app would allow riders to be properly profiled as they would input their photographs at the point of registration which in turn will be displayed for riders to see.

This will improve the safety and security of both riders and drivers, he said.

The PEDPA president said that prices of goods and services had gone up by over 200 per cent and called for an upward review in fare to meet the current economic realities.

Most drivers are no longer able to maintain their cars and cannot manage the riders well as they most times transfer their aggression on the riders whom they felt are underpaying them, he said.

Mr Shonuga appealed to the general public to support the indigenous ride-sharing App companies for better working conditions and improved E-hailing services that would contribute greatly to the countrys GDP.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of the briefing, Managing Director, Active Ride, Ajayi Ayodeji, said proper profiling of drivers would help curtail insecurity in the industry,

Mr Ayodeji said the reduced commission of 15 per cent means that drivers can now earn more and even save.

They can now have a good maintenance routine which in turn translates to better customer service delivery, he said.

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(NAN)
The Lagos State Government on Tuesday unveiled a five-year Climate Action Plan (CAP) 2020-2025, towards combating the challenges of climate change.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu told the states eighth International Climate Change Summit in Victoria Island that the CAP was geared toward achieving the ultimate goal of a zero-carbon Lagos.

The governor noted that prior to the Paris Climate Change Conference of 2015, the state government set out to develop a Climate Change Policy and Action Plan.

He said the Climate Change Policy and Action Plan encapsulated the states vision for combating the challenge of climate change and achieving the ultimate goal of a zero-carbon Lagos.

According to him, the state government has successfully updated the document to reflect the targets and goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.

The product is the Lagos Climate Action Plan: Second Five-year Plan 2020- 2025.

I am delighted to let you know that Lagos is the first state in Nigeria to have developed a Climate Action Plan to help achieve an emission-neutral city by 2050. The emergence of this updated plan establishes Lagos as a national leader.

Our gratitude goes to the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, which Lagos State signed up for in 2018, and which has helped us update our Climate Action Plan in line with prevailing realities.

This years summit is for us an opportunity to present the new Lagos State Climate Action Plan to the world. Painstaking work has gone into it, and we are proud that we have been able to deliver a robust document, he said.

The governor said the updated CAP showed that the three main areas of threat to zero-carbon ambitions in Lagos State were energy, waste and transport.

He said that energy, waste and transport accounted for 90 per cent of the total greenhouse gas emission, hence the focus of the summit.

Mr Sanwo-Olu said the summit had, over the years, served as a catalyst for the Climate Action Plan: a choate and well researched document that encompassed what must be done to make the state less vulnerable to climate change, more carbon and climate resilient.

He acknowledged the foundation laid by his predecessors, under whom the work of developing a Climate Action Plan and launching a Climate Change Summit begun.

The governor said that successful projects arising from previous editions of the summit included an annual Tree Planting Exercise, the development of gas-powered Independent Power Plants, the deployment of a multi-modal transport system across the state, to mention a few.

We are now much more adept, as a government, at incorporating climate-friendly thinking into everything we do as a government in Lagos State.

Our goal now is to extend this awareness to the entire populace, to get Lagosians to imbibe the culture of climate awareness in their homes, workplaces and lifestyles.

We have a rich pipeline of projects being undertaken to address climate change and fast-track the attainment of our zero-carbon goal, across transportation, healthcare, energy, agriculture and waste management.

Multiple seemingly-modest interventions successfully implemented across a wide variety of sectors can and will add up to substantial positive impact in terms of climate change adaptation and mitigation, he said.

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The Consul General of Switzerland Embassy, Thomas Schneider, congratulated Lagos on the unveiling of the Climate Action Plan, noting that effects of environmental problems knew no borders.

Mr Schneider said the call for action must be reinforced, given the significant impacts which degradation of agricultural land had had on global food security.

He reiterated the commitment of Switzerland to international conventions and protocols on climate change in its bilateral dealings with Lagos. (NAN)
Sterling Heights, MI (48312)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 61F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 61F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Plattsburgh, NY (12901)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening with thunderstorms becoming likely overnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%..

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Partly cloudy this evening with thunderstorms becoming likely overnight. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Plattsburgh, NY (12901)

Today

Mostly cloudy with showers likely after midnight. Thunder is possible. Low around 60F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with showers likely after midnight. Thunder is possible. Low around 60F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
US Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas): I understand from whats been testified to the Forest Service and the BLM [Bureau of Land Management], you want very much to work on the issue of climate change. We know theres been significant solar flare activity, and so  is there anything that the National Forest Service or BLM can do to change the course of the moons orbit, or the Earths orbit around the sun? Obviously that would have profound effects on our climate.

Jennifer Eberlein, associate deputy chief for the National Forest System, responded that she would have to follow up with you on that one, after a brief pause.

Gohmert: Well, if you figure out a way that you in the Forest Service can make that change, Id like to know.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, June 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, United Arab Emirates Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, addressed today a worldwide audience participating in the 2021 American Jewish Committee Virtual Global Forum. The Global Forum is the leading global Jewish advocacy organization's premier annual event.

In a conversation with Jason Isaacson, AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, the foreign minister discussed the historic Abraham Accords, UAE-U.S. relations, prospects for advancing Arab-Israeli peace, and the threat of extremism. Isaacson has spearheaded the leading global Jewish advocacy organization's engagement with the UAE and other Gulf Arab states over the past 25 years. He has met with Sheikh Abdullah on multiple occasions.

The minister's remarks came shortly after AJC announced the opening of its first office in an Arab country, in Abu Dhabi. "We are thrilled to have you. We will do anything possible to make your presence here worthwhile," he said. "Hopefully, your presence in the UAE is part of our journey, part of changing mindsets."

"The welcome  in fact, the encouragement  given us to open an office in the UAE has been yet another example of Emirati leadership, its pursuit of regional peace, and its commitment to interfaith understanding and cooperation," Isaacson remarked.

Sheikh Abdullah stressed the pandemic created an opportunity for the breakthrough in UAE-Israel diplomatic relations. "There is recognition that science will play a much bigger role in our thinking going forward. It is only possible when you have successful technological countries, like the UAE and Israel, in the region come together. Such a partnership was due, but COVID has made us move in that direction much faster."

The foreign minister pointed out that the Abraham Accords also were made possible because "Israel made the right decision" on annexation.

And, as with the Egyptian and Jordanian peace treaties with Israel, he affirmed the Abraham Accords would not have been reached without the United States. "We should all be very grateful for the U.S. role."

Peace between the UAE and Israel will be "a people-to-people relationship," evidenced already in the visits of thousands of Israeli tourists and widening cooperation between university researchers in both countries. "Let's keep encouraging the people between our two nations because that's the only way we can show both Israelis and Palestinians this is a way forward where we can all live, not only in peace, but where we thrive," he said.

"I really hope the Abraham Accords can excite the people of the region. This goes beyond peace. It goes to a point where we are partners in seeing a better future for our kids," he declared. To advance Israeli-Palestinian peace "requires leadership and parties understanding what is valuable. This has been missing."

On U.S.-UAE relations, Sheikh Abdullah emphasized that "The U.S. is definitely a friend, a partner that we rely on, not only for security, but in science, technology."

He encouraged the U.S. to stay engaged with the Middle East, noting that Secretary of State Blinken is very active in the region. "I'm thrilled the U.S. still sees value in engaging Israelis and Palestinians, but it will require strategic thinking on both sides" for progress.

"This is a region of opportunity and hope," said Sheikh Abdullah. In October, the UAE will host Dubai Expo, with more than 190 countries participating, including Israel and the U.S. It will be the first time a Muslim-majority country hosts such an event.

On the issue of extremism, the foreign minister expressed concern about the threats posed by radical groups and ideologies, and the way governments across the region and around the world have been responding. "Our threshold in challenging extremism and radical ideas has not been appropriate," Sheikh Abdullah said. "Extremism cannot be acceptable. Hate cannot be acceptable. Making excuses for violence cannot be acceptable."

In a clear reference to Hezbollah and the European Union, he expressed concern that "countries don't talk about Hamas, Hezbollah, Muslim Brotherhood in a clearer matter," and that some governments designate a group's military, not political, wing while that "same entity doesn't make any distinction."

"The question we don't ask enough is how much are we doing in addressing extremism throughout the world," he said. Emiratis and others in the region are "concerned that our kids are radicalized in European capitals."

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


NEW YORK, June 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Project Interchange (PI), American Jewish Committee's signature educational institute introducing Israel to leaders from the United States and countries around the world, plans to host delegations of policymakers and opinion influencers from countries that signed the Abraham Accords last year.

The new initiative, announced today to a worldwide audience attending the 2021 AJC Virtual Global Forum is intended to support the growing foundation of peaceful cooperation in the region.

The first educational seminar in Israel for Arab Gulf leaders will take place in November, and a second group will come in January 2022. The expansion of AJC Project Interchange programming builds on the global Jewish advocacy organization's intensive engagement with Gulf Arab and North African governments and civil society, as well as regular visits to the region, over the past 30 years. AJC's new office in Abu Dhabi will be centrally involved in arranging the delegations.

Outreach to global Muslim leaders has been an important feature of Project Interchange's work for more than 15 years. To date, nine groups of U.S. Muslim leaders, nine from Germany and France, three from India and Indonesia, and one from North Africa have visited Israel with AJC's Project Interchange. Now that effort will expand to include new opportunities in the Arab world.

"Experiencing Israel with Project Interchange is transformative for many first-time visitors. They gain a greater understanding of the reality and complexity of Israeli democratic society, the nation's challenges and signature accomplishments," said Nisha Abkarian, Director of AJC Project Interchange. "The August 2020 signing of the Abraham Accords represented a seismic shift in global geopolitics, one which heralds new opportunities to broaden understanding of, and cooperation with, Israel."

In addition to hosting more delegations from the Arab and Muslim worlds in Israel, many groups from the U.S. and Europe will have the opportunity, after experiencing Israel with PI, to visit one of the Arab countries that signed normalization deals with Israel. This is another new initiative to contribute to deepened understanding of the dynamics of peaceful conflict resolution and the development of mutual understanding.

Since 1982, more than 6,000 leaders from over 115 countries and all 50 U.S. states have gained in-depth insights into Israel via direct, unfiltered engagement with Israeli Jewish and Arab leaders, business and civic executives, and academics, and visits to historic and strategic sites.

The collective experiences during the weeklong educational seminars build common ground and identify areas for potential collaboration and partnership. Meetings with Palestinian leaders provide additional insight into life in the West Bank and the complexities of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

"The groundbreaking expansion of AJC's Project Interchange to include visits from and to Arab countries is aimed at reinforcing regional collaboration and, as a consequence, the circle of peace," added AJC CEO David Harris.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


HONOLULU, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorneys Mark Davis, Michael Livingston, and Loretta Sheehan of Davis Levin Livingston, a Hawaii firm, have been selected for inclusion in 2021 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers for another consecutive year!

Each year, Lawdragon publishes the 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers register to showcase the "warriors who fight the good fight for consumers who have been injured or had family killed through accidents, medical malpractice, faulty products or toxic exposure."

A board of acclaimed attorneys is tasked with nominating, researching, and reviewing the candidates for Lawdragon 500. This adds the depth of peer regard to the legal media company's register. As a result, inclusion in Lawdragon 500 is among the legal profession's highest distinctions; to be recognized in this register is, essentially, to be recognized among the nation's top legal professionals.

Attorneys Davis, Livingston, and Sheehan were further honored for their contributions in creating today's legal landscape.

"This year seemed a fitting time as well to honor an amazing and historic class of plaintiff lawyers who truly created the world of personal injury and plaintiff consumer lawyering as we know it today," Lawdragon wrote.

At Davis Levin Livingston, Attorney Davis, Livingston, and Sheehan have been instrumental in recovering millions of dollars for the Hawaii firm's clients. They continue to provide premier, personalized counsel and representation to injured clients in complex cases. It is evident that their top priority is the well-being of their clients, as well as that of the community as a whole.

Located in downtown Honolulu, Davis Levin Livingston represents injured individuals in a range of personal injury cases, including medical negligence, auto accidents, health care fraud, consumer rights violations, and class action lawsuits. It accepts cases on a contingency fee basis. Visit davislevin.com to find out more about its legal services in Hawaii and throughout the United States. To learn more about Lawdragon, visit lawdragon.com.

SOURCE Davis Levin Livingston
EIGHTY FOUR, Pa., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 84 Lumber, the nation's largest privately held building materials supplier, is launching a recruitment effort to fill immediate openings at retail and door shop locations in the southeastern Florida region. The company will host a Hiring Event on June 15th from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the company's West Palm Beach location (5 Cheney Way, Riviera Beach, FL, 33404). At the event, job seekers will learn more about the company culture and get the opportunity to be interviewed for open positions in the area that include manager trainee (MT); lumber yard, warehouse, door shop, and production associate; door shop production manager; window sales specialist; and other technician, field support, and coordinator roles. Qualified job seekers may receive an offer of employment during the event. Recruits will also enjoy a complimentary lunch courtesy of Island Boyz Conch Shack and their food truck, which will be on location at the event.

"84 Lumber is seeking to fill nearly 15 positions at the West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale locations, one being a retail store and the other a retail and door shop combo," said Rob Woodrow, divisional vice president at 84 Lumber. "We're growing along with the growth in the construction industry  here in the southeast Florida region and across the nation. We're looking for people seeking a fresh start."

Woodrow went on to detail the openings in the region:

Manager trainees (MTs) hired by 84 Lumber enter an intensive, one-on-one, on-the-job training program that teaches them about the company's business and puts them on a path to become a future leader within the enterprise. Starting compensation for manager trainees is more than $40,000 per year.

hired by 84 Lumber enter an intensive, one-on-one, on-the-job training program that teaches them about the company's business and puts them on a path to become a future leader within the enterprise. Starting compensation for manager trainees is more than per year. Lumber yard, warehouse, door shop, and production associates need no prior experience and perform essential functions behind the scenes  from the management of supply shipments to the operation of equipment. Production associates work in the manufacturing processes related to engineered wood products, trusses, and components. These associates can expect a starting pay of between $13.50 and $17 per hour based on experience.

need no prior experience and perform essential functions behind the scenes  from the management of supply shipments to the operation of equipment. Production associates work in the manufacturing processes related to engineered wood products, trusses, and components. These associates can expect a starting pay of between and per hour based on experience. Door s hop p roduction m anagers are responsible for the scheduling of door shop employees, reviewing and teaching all safety procedures, managing inventory control, invoicing and receiving, assisting and teaching employees how to construct doors by hand and use machinery, and maintaining quality control of product. Production managers are also responsible for profit and loss. Starting salary for production managers is $45,000 per year plus incentives.

are responsible for the scheduling of door shop employees, reviewing and teaching all safety procedures, managing inventory control, invoicing and receiving, assisting and teaching employees how to construct doors by hand and use machinery, and maintaining quality control of product. Production managers are also responsible for profit and loss. Starting salary for production managers is per year plus incentives. Window s ales s pecialists work with area stores and outside sales reps to promote, quote, and sell premium windows and doors as well as working with local manufacturing reps, architects, and designers to help secure new business. Starting salary for this role is $60,000 per year plus incentives.

work with area stores and outside sales reps to promote, quote, and sell premium windows and doors as well as working with local manufacturing reps, architects, and designers to help secure new business. Starting salary for this role is per year plus incentives. Install f ield s upport roles assist installation managers in achieving 100% first pass yield results for installation, service, and warranty and earn between $17 and $19 per hour based on experience.

roles assist installation managers in achieving 100% first pass yield results for installation, service, and warranty and earn between and per hour based on experience. Installation t echnicians are responsible for staging orders, prepping openings, and complying with company installation methods. These technicians also provide truck maintenance, unload trucks, complete paperwork, and conduct job site cleanup. Starting pay for this position is between $16 and $18 per hour based on experience.

are responsible for staging orders, prepping openings, and complying with company installation methods. These technicians also provide truck maintenance, unload trucks, complete paperwork, and conduct job site cleanup. Starting pay for this position is between and per hour based on experience. Warranty coordinators are responsible for assisting salespeople with customer service activities which includes creating estimates, sourcing products, taking customer and vendor phone calls, and other invoicing tasks. Starting pay is between $16 and $17 per hour based on experience.

"We are a family-owned company, which means we are committed to helping our employees build and cultivate a career with us. In fact, 95% of our store managers started in our manager trainee program," Woodrow said. "As we see it, 84 Lumber recruits individuals with a can-do attitude, a willingness to work hard, and a desire to learn. Once we find these people and they join the company, we teach and train them and find ways for them to grow with us."

Woodrow added that 84 Lumber expects it might find the right fit from all types of candidates  an individual with no construction experience, military veterans ready to embark on their next career challenge, or people with some previous work experience who seek to redirect their career.

Candidates interested in participating in the Hiring Event are asked to pre-register. To sign up, go to our Hiring Page and complete the form. Once you are registered, you will receive an email from 84 Lumber with the link to apply for the desired position. To save time, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for positions online before they attend the event.

NOTE: 84 Lumber requires all attendees to wear a mask at the event. Recruits will also be asked to practice social distancing during the Hiring Event. In addition, candidates will be required to undergo a background check and drug screening prior to receiving an offer of employment.

To learn more about 84 Lumber, follow the company on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

ABOUT 84 LUMBER

Founded in 1956 and headquartered in Eighty Four, Pennsylvania, 84 Lumber Company is the nation's largest privately held supplier of building materials, manufactured components and industry-leading services for single- and multi-family residences and commercial buildings. The company operates nearly 250 stores, component manufacturing plants, custom door shops, custom millwork shops and engineered wood product centers in more than 30 states. 84 Lumber also offers turnkey installation services for a variety of products, including framing, insulation, siding, windows, roofing, decking and drywall. A certified national women's business enterprise owned by Maggie Hardy Knox, 84 Lumber was named by Forbes as one of America's Largest Private Companies in 2018 and one of America's Best Large Employers in 2019. For more information, visit 84lumber.com or join us at Facebook.com/84lumber and linkedin.com/company/84-lumber .

Contact: Jeff Donaldson, BLD Marketing

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (412) 347-8039

Photos: http://www.bldpressroom.com/84lumber/west-palm-beach-hiring-event

SOURCE 84 Lumber

Related Links

https://www.84lumber.com


WASHINGTON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) strongly condemns the dangerous decision by UnitedHealthcare to retroactively deny emergency care claims. ACEP firmly believes that the new policy is in direct violation of the federal Prudent Layperson Standard, which requires insurance companies to provide coverage of emergency care based on the presenting symptoms that brought the patient to the emergency department, not the final diagnosis.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 3 percent of emergency visits are "nonurgent." With 90 percent of symptoms overlapping between nonurgent and emergent conditions, in many instances, even physicians cannot know if a patient's symptoms require emergency treatment without conducting a comprehensive medical examination. The Prudent Layperson Standard exists to protect patients for this very reason.

"While we're dismayed by United's decision, we are not, unfortunately, surprised to see an insurance company once again try to cut its costs at the expense of necessary patient care," said Mark Rosenberg, DO, MBA, FACEP, president of ACEP. "UnitedHealthcare is expecting patients to self-diagnose a potential medical emergency before seeing a physician, and then punishing them financially if they are incorrect."

The timing of this new policy comes during a pivotal point in the nation's efforts to combat COVID-19 and encourage vaccination. Throughout the pandemic, ACEP and other medical societies have been encouraging the public to not delay medical care, especially in case of an emergency. Scare tactics like this from insurance companies could severely undermine our collective efforts to get the virus under control.

"Over the past year, we've seen the devastating impact of when patients avoid treatmentincluding worsening health conditions and even death. This new policy will leave millions fearful of seeking medical care, just as we're getting hold of the COVID-19 pandemic and trying to get as many people vaccinated as possible," said Dr. Rosenberg.

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is the national medical society representing emergency medicine. Through continuing education, research, public education and advocacy, ACEP advances emergency care on behalf of its 40,000 emergency physician members, and the more than 150 million Americans they treat on an annual basis. For more information, visit www.acep.org and www.emergencyphysicians.org.

SOURCE American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)

Related Links

www.acep.org


The Summer campaign was inspired by Bebe Rexha's honest journey to body positivity. Bebe has always been powerful in delivering a message of both inclusivity and vulnerability through her music and voice. Similarly, Adore Me continues to be outspoken about inclusivity in the fashion industry while serving millions of customers with its inclusive lingerie that delivers all styles to all body types. With their common goal of making the world a more inclusive place, Adore Me and Bebe created a three-part capsule collection that celebrates confidence, encourages a strong alliance with the LGBTQ+ community, makes sustainable fashion attainable for all, and ensures that this will be a summer to remember.

In order to drive conversations around inclusivity, Adore Me teamed up with global social impact platform Brut. to create video content featuring Bebe Rexha and the campaign as a whole. Brut. is a social media first, video publisher that drives conversations for brands, artists, and talent partners from a different perspective  through a meaningful, values-driven lens that focuses on the topics that matter most to Millennials and Gen-Z audiences.

"I'm proud to work with Adore Me on this campaign because they love me for who I am, curves and all," said Bebe Rexha. "As a woman who wasn't the cookie-cutter pop-star, I hope to inspire women to love their bodies and feel beautiful at any size. I've always admired Adore Me's dedication to making their customers feel more confident, comfortable and cute, so to be able to partner with the brand has been an incredible experience."

"This campaign is all about the confidence and energy that Bebe Rexha brings to the world through her music, style and voice," said Morgan Hermand-Waiche, Founder & CEO of Adore Me. "We're thrilled to be partnering with Bebe for a moment like this as she's complex, vulnerable, sexy, and unafraid to speak out  much like the Adore Me brand  which has made this partnership come about in a very authentic way."

The Adore Me x Bebe Rexha capsule collection, starting at $49.95, will include bras and lingerie in a variety of colors and styles, with a number of items that are made from sustainable materials, with sizes ranging from 30A to 46DDD and XS to 4X. Additional styles including the Alyshia Pride Bra will be available at a later date  with 100% of net proceeds to benefit the Ali Forney Center, an NYC-based nonprofit organization with a mission to protect LGBTQ youths from the harms of homelessness and empower them with the tools needed to live independently.

The first capsule from the Adore Me x Bebe Rexha three-part capsule collection is available today, June 8th, exclusively at AdoreMe.com/bebe-rexha-lingerie.

For press inquiries please contact:

Full Picture: Mateja Heinrich at [email protected]

ABOUT ADORE ME

Founded in 2011 as a disruptive online lingerie startup, Adore Me has evolved into a DTC womenswear brand spanning numerous categories serving women of all sizes and budgets at all phases of life. The firm is transforming the way we shop with a pioneering try-at-home commerce service, a series of innovation-driven satellite brands, and an affordable sustainability model that seeks to make sustainable clothing available to all consumers.

ABOUT BRUT.

Brut is the leading values-driven global media organization and community in the world. With 20 billion global views across all platforms in 2020, Brut. is the top publisher in Europe and India and the fastest-growing digital media brand in the U.S., currently averaging over 2 Billion monthly views on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok and Snapchat. As a social first, video publisher, Brut. creates short form video content that drive conversations for brands, artists, and partners through a meaningful lens that focuses on the topics that matter to Gen Z and Millenials across the globe. With a community of over 300 million monthly viewers Brut. bridges the gap between awareness and impact.

ABOUT BEBE REXHA

Diamond-selling and two-time Grammy-nominated New York City native Bebe Rexha is a musical force to be reckoned with. Her RIAA Platinum-certified debut album Expectations (released June 2018 on Warner Records) contained the Platinum single "I'm a Mess" and global chart-topping smash "Meant to Be" (featuring Florida Georgia Line), now RIAA Certified Diamond. "Meant to Be" held the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for a record-setting 50 straight weeks, the longest reign ever by a female lead artist, and won Top Country Song at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards and Best Collaboration at the 2018 iHeart Radio Music Awards. It was subsequently nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the 61st annual Grammy Awards in February 2019, where Bebe was also nominated for Best New Artist.

Early in her career, Bebe won the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences' Best Teen Songwriter Award, and then formally burst onto the scene when she wrote "The Monster," a worldwide hit for Eminem and Rihanna that was certified 6x Platinum by the RIAA. Bebe went on to co-write and carry the instantly recognizable hook for the 3x Platinum "Hey Mama," by David Guetta, which was nominated for a Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Song. Bebe also hit #1 on the Billboard Pop and Rap charts with her 5x Platinum "Me, Myself & I" with G-Eazy. In 2017, Bebe released the critically acclaimed EPs, All Your Fault: Part 1 (with the Platinum single "I Got You"), and All Your Fault: Part 2 (with "Meant to Be"). Now in 2020, Bebe has amassed almost 4 billion YouTube views and over 12 billion total global streams and counting. In conjunction with Grammy Week 2019, Bebe launched the GrammyMusic Education Coalition's (GMEC) national campaign on behalf of its new All-Star Ambassador program, whose members also include Luis Fonsi, Rita Ora, Kristin Chenoweth, Regina Spektor and others. In May 2021, Bebe released her sophomore studio album, Better Mistakes, fearing the rising single, "Sacrifice."

SOURCE Adore Me

Related Links

www.adoreme.com


NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Verbit , the world's largest AI-powered transcription and captioning platform, today announced it has secured $157 million in Series D funding, giving the company a unicorn valuation of over $1 billion only four years after its inception. The round was led by Sapphire Ventures, alongside new investors such as Third Point, More Capital, Omer Cygler, Azura, and ICON fund, as well as existing investors such as Stripes, Vertex Ventures and Vertex Growth, HV Capital, Oryzn Capital, Viola Ventures, and ClalTech. Verbit's total funding now exceeds $250 million, including debt financing from the Silicon Valley Bank.

Following its recent acquisition of VITAC , the largest provider of captioning products and solutions in the U.S., Verbit is the No. 1 player in the professional transcription and captioning market, supporting more than 1,500 customers across the legal, media, education, government, and corporate sectors, including CNBC, CNN, FOX, Harvard University, Stanford University, and Kaltura, among others.

With 6x year-over-year revenue growth and close to $100 million in annual recurring revenue, Verbit continues to expand into new verticals at a hyper-growth pace. This round of funding will be used to further improve and develop new products, add 200 new business and product roles, support research & development, and help prepare Verbit for a public offering.

"With their hybrid transcription platform bringing together innovative technology and a network of over 30,000 transcribers, Verbit has forged a winning combination of AI and human intelligence," said Jai Das, president and partner at Sapphire Ventures. "The company has had unparalleled growth akin to some big, well-known companies out there and we're very impressed by the team's ability to achieve a unicorn valuation in just four years. We're looking forward to continuing to be part of this exciting journey with Verbit."



Verbit aims to lead the $30 billion transcription industry and fulfill its mission to make all video and audio content accessible to everyone, everywhere, through its high-quality AI-powered captioning and transcription solutions.

"The transcription market has been ripe for innovation. That's the initial reason why I founded Verbit. The shift to remote work and accelerated digitization amid the pandemic has been a major catalyst for this $30 billion industry and has further driven Verbit's already-rapid development," said Tom Livne, CEO and Founder of Verbit. "Securing this new funding is yet another milestone that brings us closer to becoming a public company, which will further fuel our expansion through strategic acquisitions and investments."

About Verbit

Verbit provides the world's leading interactive transcription and captioning solution. It utilizes in-house, AI-based technology to transform both live and recorded video and audio into 99%+ accurate captions and transcripts for the education, legal, media, and enterprise industries. The combination of Verbit's in-house Automated Speech Recognition (ASR) technology and human transcribers offers high-quality, word-for-word, interactive and collaborative transcripts and captions. Verbit's customizable solution helps customers meet ADA, FCC, and privacy compliance requirements to increase operational capacity, accessibility and serve clients and students. The company is based in New York, San Francisco, Tel Aviv, and Kyiv and has more than 30,000 transcribers and over 350 employees globally. To learn more, visit: https://verbit.ai .

About Sapphire Ventures

Sapphire Ventures is a leading venture capital firm that partners with visionary teams and venture funds to build companies of consequence. For nearly two decades, Sapphire has been investing capital, resources and expertise in innovative startups and technology-focused venture funds around the world. With more than $6.8B in AUM across Sapphire Ventures, Sapphire Partners and Sapphire Sport, and with team members in Austin, London, Palo Alto and San Francisco, Sapphire is well-positioned to help scale companies and venture funds, elevating them to become global category leaders. To learn more about Sapphire Ventures, visit: https://sapphireventures.com.

Media Contact:

Gravitate PR for Verbit

[email protected]

SOURCE Verbit

Related Links

https://verbit.ai


PLANO, Texas, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aiden Technologies, a leading solutions provider of software deployment and patch management solutions for Microsoft Windows, today announced that the company has raised $2.9 million in its seed funding round. The round was fulfilled by a leading investment from Right Side Capital Management and a mix of experienced institutional and strategic individual investors. The investment will bolster Aiden's mission to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure every Windows endpoint is consistently kept up to date and secure, bridging the gap between IT and cybersecurity.

Richard Clarke said, "When I met the Aiden team, I immediately recognized that every Microsoft customer can benefit from Aiden's unique ability to fix systemic vulnerabilities that have plagued Windows environments for years. Aiden's proprietary technology, proven in some of America's leading private equity firms, is addressing the most fundamental IT security challenge of the modern enterprise."

Other notable investors in the round included Congress Avenue Ventures, Intercept Ventures, SAJE Investments, and the Gaingels. Additional capital was raised from key advisors and strategic individual investors who know the IT Security landscape exceptionally well. They include Alexsis de Raadt St James, Managing Partner at Merian Ventures; Chris Wysopal, Founder & CTO at Veracode, and Anthony Johnson, Managing Partner and CISO at Delve Risk.

Aiden plans to use the funds to fortify its recently unveiled automated endpoint management solution and fulfil the company's go-to-market strategy. The company's innovative technology makes it easier for organizations in highly regulated industries like financial services, life sciences, insurance, and healthcare, to achieve compliance with regulations, cybersecurity best practices, and organizational standards.

"Aiden is an ideal portfolio company to start-off our newest and largest fund to date," said David Lambert, Managing Director of Right Side Capital Management. "We invested in these founders because of their vast experience and credibility in cybersecurity, IT operations, and enterprise software. Aiden has a huge market opportunity and is now armed with the capital to reach escape velocity."

According to a study by Risk Based Security, 37 Billion records were stolen in 2020 due to a data breach. IBM & Ponemon Institute calculated that the average cost of a stolen record during that time was $146, and Dark Reading estimated that around 60% of those data breaches could be traced back to a missing patch. This means that at least $3.24 Trillion is lost annually due to the cost of poor patch management.

"Cybercriminals are using new technologies to exploit vulnerabilities faster than ever before and holding for ransom some of our nation's most critical infrastructure, while IT teams are outmatched with their current tools," said Joshua Aaron, CEO of Aiden. "With Aiden, IT teams can leverage AI to keep their systems updated and secure, increase their organization's cybersecurity posture, and free up critical resources from tedious maintenance to focus on high-profile, high-visibility projects and direct user support."

Building on the success of the recently launched thought-leadership series, "The IT-Security Paradigm Shift," Aiden is hosting the second installment on June 10th at 3 p.m. EDT. Aiden CEO Joshua Aaron will moderate the one-hour session with John Kindervag, Creator of Zero Trust and SVP, Cybersecurity Strategy for ON2IT, and Scott Scheferman, Principal Cyber Strategist for Eclypsium, as they examine "How to Achieve a Zero-Trust Framework Leveraging New Technologies like Artificial Intelligence."

Questions to be explored:

How can we leverage new technologies to get closer to achieving zero trust?

What new solutions are being considered and/or implemented to decrease the time it takes for humans to make better decisions?

AI has provided new capabilities. What matters most to IT-Security leaders when trying to enhance cybersecurity posture?

Those interested in attending this event can register at the following link: https://www.meetaiden.com/event/how-to-achieve-a-zero-trust-framework-leveraging-new-technologies-like-artificial-intelligence/.

Meet Aiden

Aiden is an autonomous patch management, software deployment, and endpoint security managed service enabling organizations to keep Windows networks secure at scale. Aiden works as an automated tactical layer with any deployment tool to ensure your computers are always up to date and safer from cyber-attacks. Now your IT team can cut down the time and resources needed to maintain every Windows computer (PC, server, or VDI) by 75% or more. For more information, go to www.meetaiden.com and follow us on social media via @meetaiden.

Media Contact:

Scott Montminy

MindLaunch Media

[email protected]

(617) 548-9141

SOURCE Aiden Technologies, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.meetaiden.com


NEW YORK, June 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- American Jewish Committee (AJC) is firmly denouncing Arizona's widely reported plan to use a Holocaust era poisonous gas to execute prisoners. No one in Arizona has been executed since 1999, but the state's attorney recently requested that two of the 115 inmates on death row be executed, and a chamber where Zyklon B will be used has been prepared.

The full AJC statement follows:

"Arizona's decision to employ Zyklon B gas as a means of execution defies belief. While there can be no doubt about its effectiveness  the Nazis used it to kill millions of innocent Jews  it is that very effectiveness as an instrument of genocide that makes it utterly inappropriate for use by a civilized state in a proceeding sanctioned by the state and its judiciary.

"So long as the death penalty is legally acceptable, one must be prepared to accept some level of cruelty in the process. But there is something profoundly wrong when a state is so anxious to execute people, who in any event can be incapacitated by incarcerating them forever, that it is prepared to resort to a method of execution that inevitably, inextricably, and forever is linked to the worst outrages of human history.

"Whether or not one supports the death penalty as a general matter, there is general agreement in American society that a gas devised as a pesticide, and used to eliminate Jews, has no place in the administration of criminal justice."

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


The digital museum and archives was launched in partnership with HistoryIT , which was responsible for creating the website and for the migration of some of the items, and was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences through a $50,000 grant.

"Because Muhammad meant so much to so many people around the world, it has been our dream to make available items in our collection to online audiences everywhere," said Laura Douglas, President and CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center. "Having HistoryIT as a partner in helping us achieve this goal will create an accessible, searchable, and meaningful experience for anyone interested in knowing more intimate details about Muhammad's life and legacy. Because LeRoy Neiman was part of Muhammad's legacy for decades, we are delighted to honor both of these greats through our first ever online exhibit. Our thanks go out to HistoryIT and the IMLS for their support, and the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation for donating the majority of the artwork to the Center."

Artist LeRoy Neiman is known for his brilliantly colored, expressionist paintings and screen prints of athletes, musicians, and sporting events, including official posters for the Kentucky Derby, Ryder Cup, and the Ali Center's grand opening. LeRoy and Muhammad met in 1962 while Ali was preparing for a match against Billy Daniels in Harlem, New York. The fight took place in Neiman's neighborhood, so he quickly found his way into the press section, and eventually into Ali's dressing room. This chance meeting in Harlem sparked a friendship that continued through the entirety of the two men' lives. Ali and Neiman remained friends until LeRoy's passing in 2012.

Kristen Gwinn-Becker, Founder and CEO of HistoryIT, said, "We are thrilled to partner with the Muhammad Ali Center and support their new digital museum on our Odyssey platform. Our mission is to save history. Digitally preserving and sharing Ali's legacy ensure that his life, achievements and core principles reach an even broader audience. Perhaps most importantly, the Ali Center's effort to digitally preserve their collections secures these lessons for future generations."

About the Muhammad Ali Center

The Muhammad Ali Center, a 501(c)3 corporation, was cofounded by Muhammad Ali and his wife Lonnie in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. The international cultural center promotes the Six Core Principles of Muhammad Ali (Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect, and Spirituality) in ways that inspire personal and global greatness and provides programming and events around the focus areas of education, racial and gender equity, and global citizenship. The Ali Center is formally associated with the United Nations Department of Global Communications, and in 2020, became one of the newest stops on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. The Center's headquarters also contains an award-winning museum experience. For more information, please visit www.alicenter.org

About HistoryIT

HistoryIT gives history a future. We offer a comprehensive set of services and software that transform archival materials, from whatever state they are in, into a 21st Century digital collection. Odyssey, our proprietary digital preservation software, enables any organization to not only manage their archival and collections assets, but also make their history easily accessible via a best-in-class digital museum. For more information, please visit historyit.com .

About IMLS

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America's museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter .

About the Ali Festival

The Ali Festival, a community-wide celebration that marks the anniversary of Muhammad Ali's passing and celebrates his legacy and love for Louisville, occurs annually in Ali's hometown of Louisville. Presented by the Muhammad Ali Center, and in collaboration with community partners, the Ali Festival features events and activities that highlight different facets of Muhammad's life in ways that unite and inspire the Louisville community and beyond. Ali passed away on June 3, 2016. The 2021 Ali Festival runs from June 3-13.

Contact:

Jeanie Kahnke

Muhammad Ali Center

(502) 992.5301 or (502) 640.6077

[email protected]

Tori Collins

Muhammad Ali Center

(502) 992.5338 or (502) 645.5929

[email protected]

HistoryIT

[email protected]

SOURCE HistoryIT

Related Links

https://www.historyit.com


SALT LAKE CITY, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Altitude Lab today announced the launch of its Investor Coalition, a partnered network of leading healthcare venture capitalists to fund, mentor, and provide resources for Altitude-incubated startups. Together, the Investor Coalition will support a diverse community of founders who are shaping Utah's rapidly growing healthcare innovation economy and aims to collectively invest $50 million in Altitude's startups over the next three years.

Founding investors in the Coalition include:

Alaa Halawa , Mubadala Capital

, Mubadala Capital Andrea Jackson , Northpond Ventures

, Northpond Ventures Austin Walters , SpringTide Capital

, SpringTide Capital Greg Yap , Menlo Ventures

, Menlo Ventures Jack Boren , Epic Ventures

, Epic Ventures Katelin Roberts and Branden Rosenhan MD, MedMountain Ventures

and MD, MedMountain Ventures Keith Marmer , University of Utah Innovation Fund

, Innovation Fund Michael Schmanske , AngelMD

, AngelMD Nan Li , Obvious Ventures

, Obvious Ventures Nathaniel Horwitz , RA Capital

, RA Capital Nickolas Mark , Intermountain Ventures

, Intermountain Ventures Zachary Bogue , JD, DCVC

, JD, DCVC Zavain Dar, Lux Capital

Altitude Lab, a healthcare and life sciences incubator founded in 2020 by Recursion and The University of Utah's PIVOT Center, fills the critical role of attracting and supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs. The incubator focuses on developing diverse and inclusive businesses to innovate lower cost, higher quality, and more accessible healthcare solutions. Altitude Lab's first cohort includes nine minority or women founders, who are tackling everything from personalized chemotherapy strategies and cancer therapeutics to developing novel platforms to diagnose and triage liver disease.

"Lack of access to top-tier investors is a crippling gap for founders in nontraditional geographies or of underrepresented backgrounds," explained Chandana Haque, executive director of Altitude Lab. "Support from experienced investors can completely change the trajectory of a startup. It's our mission to connect founders from all backgrounds to the capital and resources that will propel them to not only compete but excel in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape."

To help founders navigate the unique challenges they face when scaling healthcare companies, each participating investor will provide ongoing mentoring and advisory to Altitude Lab founders and participate in quarterly demo and pitch events. Members of the Investor Coalition are varied in specialization to help entrepreneurs build companies across the healthcare spectrum, including therapeutic, diagnostic, research tools, and health tech verticals.

"We have backed transformative companies around the world that are reimagining healthcare and drug discovery. From our long-standing work with Recursion, it's clear that something special is happening in Utah." Shared Nan Li, managing director at Obvious Ventures. "We are excited to deepen our involvement in the region and are looking forward to working with visionary companies coming out of Altitude Lab."

"Working with Altitude Lab allows us to build meaningful and consistent relationships with entrepreneurs in Utah. After seeing our investments excel in this geography, we're thrilled to be connected to Altitude Lab, where we can continue to connect with and support diverse founders and companies," said Zavain Dar, partner at Lux Capital.

In addition to connecting founders to critical professional networks, Altitude Lab provides a 14,500-square-foot facility equipped with the latest molecular and cell biology technologies. Resident startups also participate in healthcare-specific workshops, mentoring programs, and professional networking opportunities to help teams navigate the complex and highly regulated industry. Lastly, Altitude Lab offers grants to one-third of its companies, which covers the cost of residency, further lowering the barriers for nontraditional founders to succeed.

"As patient demographics evolve, so should healthcare solutions. By enabling diverse entrepreneurs with the resources, community, and capital they need to succeed, Altitude Lab is helping secure a healthier future for all. I am incredibly humbled and proud to be a founding member of the Coalition, and look forward to supporting the next generation of breakthrough companies," said Alaa Halawa, co-head of Mubadala Capital's US Ventures business.

Learn more about Altitude Lab and apply for residency at altitudelab.org

About Altitude Lab

Altitude Lab is building a new, representative generation of founders to seed the next cycle of healthcare innovation in Utah's BioHive. Located in University of Utah Research Park, Altitude Lab is an incubator focused on early-stage life science and healthcare companies. The initiative is part of a larger city plan and collaborative vision from Recursion and the University of Utah to foster socially-responsible entrepreneurship, job creation, and economic productivity. The Recursion Charitable Foundation, under which Altitude Lab operates, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Learn more at altitudelab.org or connect on Twitter.

About Recursion

Recursion is a clinical-stage biotechnology company decoding biology by integrating technological innovations across biology, chemistry, automation, machine learning, and engineering. Our goal is to radically improve the lives of patients and industrialize drug discovery. Central to our mission is the Recursion Operating System, which combines an advanced infrastructure layer to generate what we believe is one of the world's largest and fastest-growing proprietary biological and chemical datasets. We combine that with the Recursion Map, a suite of custom software, algorithms, and machine learning tools that we use to explore foundational biology unconstrained by human bias and navigate to new biological insights. We are a biotechnology company scaling more like a technology company and a proud founding member of BioHive, a thriving collective of more than 1,100 companies representing the life science and healthcare innovation ecosystem of Utah's economy. Learn more at www.recursion.com, or connect on Twitter and LinkedIn.

CONTACT:

Jenna Barbari

[email protected]

SOURCE Recursion Pharmaceuticals

Related Links

http://www.recursion.com


BOONE, N.C., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Author Kenneth Gottfried has released three new books  "Victim: How the American Psychological Association Kills Parents, Abuses Children & Grows Their Base;" "Killing Judges: The upcoming massacre of family court judges;" and "Child Abusers Wear Black Robes: Essential information when Judges abuse your children"  that examine how the American Psychological Association (APA) and family courts cause psychological abuse and trauma to children separated from their parents.

The American Psychological Association and judges cause and order childhood psychological abuse

"Victim: How the American Psychological Association Kills Parents, Abuses Children & Grows Their Base," published in April 2020, explains that the APA knows and understands that separating parents and children causes trauma. Gottfried reveals that the past four presidents of the American Psychological Association and board members have intentionally become an organization of child abusers and have encouraged suicide. Gottfried states that the APA made a deal with the devil.

"Killing Judges: The upcoming massacre of family court judges," published in May 2020, is an autobiographical book about the judicial system and judges who order child abuse and domestic violence. It is the vision of the author that child-abusive judges will be murdered. The pieces of the judicial system that protect those judges will find they are also targets for being accomplices. The book also lays out Gottfried's explanation of how the judicial system profits from destroying families.

"Child Abusers Wear Black Robes: Essential information when Judges abuse your children," published in April 2021, claims that the largest child trafficking ring is run by the U.S. government and its judicial system. It explains why "Victim" and "Killing Judges" were written with rage. Gottfried says the book was written to help parents and children of the corrupt and abusive legal systems fight back.

Gottfried's books are currently available on Amazon. For more information about childhood psychological abuse, visit https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/10/psychological-abuse.

Media Contact

Gottfried Marketing Kenneth Gottfried

828-406-8760 [email protected]

SOURCE Kenneth Gottfried
VANCOUVER, Wash., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Banfield Foundation, a public charity within Mars Veterinary Health, along with IDEXX Foundation, today announced a multi-year initiative to bring financially sustainable, tribally directed preventive care and critical veterinary resources to the 20 communities that comprise the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Reservation in South Central South Dakota.

Dr. Shane Dennis, a volunteer with ViDAS, provides care to an animal on the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Reservation at a spay and neuter clinic on June 5, 2021. (Photo credit: ViDAS / H. Navarro). Terri Joe Stone, a resident of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Reservation, volunteers at the ViDAS clinic located in the new Wamakanskan Wawokiye Oti veterinary hospital. (Photo credit: ViDAS / H. Navarro).

Working with Tribal leadership, Banfield Foundation in partnership with Sovereign Nations Veterinary, a nonprofit providing training and care to animals on Tribal Nations, is leveraging grant dollars, resources and veterinary teams to build and operate a veterinary hospital named Wamakanskan (all animal nations) Wawokiye (helping) Oti (center), which translates Helping Animal Center.

"Among Tribal Nations, access to veterinary care is often beyond reach due to financial, socioeconomic, and geographic barriers that not only impact the pet but also pet owners," said Kim Van Syoc, Executive Director, Banfield Foundation. "We are committed to helping remove barriers and bring much needed veterinary care and veterinary careers to the pets and people of the Rosebud Sioux Tribal communities."

Wamakanskan Wawokiye Oti will be utilized to provide both small and large animal veterinary care on an economically sustainable level. Services include preventive and emergency care, spay/neuter services, injured wildlife care, Tribal buffalo herd care, as well as animal population control and Tribal regulation enforcement ensuring Tribal members and non-members have access to veterinary care for their animals.

Currently, there is an animal population of nearly 22,000 residents and 200,000 owned or community dogs and cats, and 5,000 owned horses. To fill the gap in access to care, the Lakota Sioux Nation has relied on local and out-of-state partners and volunteers to provide intermittent care including ongoing support from Sovereign Nations Veterinary, who will ultimately oversee the medical operations and education programs moving forward.

"This collaborative effort will expand access to high-quality veterinary care for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Reservation, as well as provide educational training and career opportunities for its Tribal members," said Jay Mazelsky, IDEXX President and Chief Executive Officer. "Altogether, this is a holistic initiative that reflects the IDEXX Foundation's mission to make a long-lasting, positive and economically sustainable difference for people, animals, and the environment in communities around the world."

In addition to the bricks-and-mortar clinic, this initiative is providing education opportunities that support veterinary care on the reservation including full scholarships to Tribal members who have an interest in being trained as veterinary technicians and to working at the new clinic.

Hospital renovations began in May and are slated to be completed in late June. As part of the larger Rosebud Sioux Tribe Initiative, community based spay/neuter and wellness clinics are currently underway and will take place throughout the summer leading up to the official hospital opening in September 2021. Clinics will provide free spay/neuter services and preventive care for up to 5,000 pets belonging to the members of the 20 Communities on the Rosebud Sioux Tribe reservation through Sovereign Nations Veterinary and ViDAS, a group of veterinary spay and neuter experts dedicated to providing pet sterilization to underserved areas.

"In the Lakota culture, animals are considered sacredthis requires respect for animals, manifested by providing for their health and well-being. When animals are healthy it ultimately impacts the health and spirit of the Tribal community," said Kathleen Wooden Knife, a former six-year Tribal leader with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. "I have dreamed of a clinic for many yearsfor a place where the Tribal communities can access affordable pet health care. Today my dream is becoming a reality. On behalf of the entire Rosebud Sioux Tribe  "Wopila"  thank you."

About the Banfield Foundation

At the core of the Banfield Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the belief that all pets deserve access to veterinary care. In support of this belief, the foundation funds programs that enable veterinary care, elevate the power of the human-animal bond, provide disaster relief for pets, and advance the science of veterinary medicine through fostering innovation and education. It also leverages the expertise and passion of Banfield Pet Hospital, part of Mars Veterinary Health, and its Associates to care for pets in need. At the Banfield Foundation, we are committed to making A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS because they make a better world for us. For more information, visit BanfieldFoundation.org.

About the IDEXX Foundation

The IDEXX Foundation is a donor-advised fund administered by a national donor-advised fund sponsoring program. The IDEXX Foundation's mission is to create positive and lasting impacts for people, animals, and the environment through inclusive and outcomes-focused initiatives in communities around the world. In addition to creating opportunities for the diverse leaders of tomorrow, the IDEXX Foundation also prioritizes projects that improve access to veterinary care for underserved communities, disaster relief, and animal-assisted therapy, and cultivates community-focused solutions to the global challenges of access to safe water, impacts of climate change, and food security. For more information, visit www.idexx.com/en/about-idexx/idexx-foundation/

SOURCE Banfield Foundation

Related Links

http://www.banfieldfoundation.org


NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BBH Capital Partners (BBHCP), the private equity arm of Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (BBH), is pleased to announce the addition of two new Business Development Officers, Elena L. Tuttle, based in Charlotte, and Karima Ali-Ahmad, based in Chicago. Elena and Karima are joining as Vice Presidents and will focus on investment sourcing and business development reporting to Alice M. Birnbaum, BBHCP's Head of Business Development.

"We are excited about the expansion of the business development team," said Bradley M. Langer, Co-Manager of BBH Capital Partners VI, L.P. (CP VI) and Managing Director of BBH. "With the successful recent fundraise of CP VI and the continued momentum of CP Opportunities Fund, it was an opportune time for us to add additional business development executives in new geographies to source high quality investment opportunities."

Prior to joining BBHCP, Elena was a Business Development Officer with PNC Business Credit in their Charlotte office, where she sourced and structured senior secured lending solutions for middle-market businesses pursuing management buyouts, recapitalizations, acquisitions, refinances, growth capital and turnarounds. Earlier in her career, she held various sales roles within PNC's Corporate & Institutional Bank in its Atlanta, Cleveland and Pittsburgh offices. Elena is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh.

Karima came to BBHCP from Guggenheim Partners, where she led business development and origination efforts specific to founder-, family- and entrepreneur-owned companies, with an emphasis on non-control investment opportunities. She began her career at Goldman Sachs, where she held various roles across the Operations and Investment Management divisions in New York and Chicago. Karima is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College.

"BBHCP strives to be the partner of choice for closely held businesses. We remain focused on providing patient, flexible capital to founder-, family-, and management-owned businesses across industries," said Alice Birnbaum. "Elena and Karima's prior experience working directly with business owners will enable us to extend our reach and continue our momentum of capital deployment."

About BBH Capital Partners

BBH Capital Partners (BBHCP), a private equity strategy of Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., provides friendly capital solutions to growth-oriented middle-market companies. Our flexible investment mandate gives us the ability to act as a control or non-control investor and to structure our investments as a combination of equity and subordinated debt securities as needed. BBHCP is currently investing through two funds, BBH Capital Partners VI, L.P. (CP VI) and CP Opportunities Fund, L.P. (CP Opportunities). CP VI, a $1.215 billion fund, targets platform investments between $40 million and $150 million and CP Opportunities, a $250 million fund, targets platform investments up to $30 million. Our capital is used to support a variety of transactions, including management or leveraged buyouts, growth financings, recapitalizations, buy-and-build strategies and acquisitions.

Contact:

Laine Funkhouser

571-205-2492

[email protected]

Weber Shandwick

SOURCE Brown Brothers Harriman
HANGZHOU, China, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BEST Inc. (NYSE: BEST) ("BEST" or the "Company"), a leading integrated smart supply chain solutions and logistics services provider in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2021.

Johnny Chou, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BEST, commented, "Our first quarter results reflected a mix of both the progress brought about by our November 2020 strategic refocusing plan and the ongoing challenges we are still facing. Our execution of the strategic refocusing plan delivered substantial improvement in Freight, Supply Chain Management and Global, as reflected in their top line growth along with strong gross margin expansion. We continued to solidify our leading position in the freight market, while refocusing our efforts on high-margin accounts for Supply Chain Management. We also gained ground in the Southeast Asian market through Global despite the COVID-19 pandemic."

"For Express, our strategies are on the right track, and the rapidly evolving competitive landscape requires us to quicken the pace of our action. Our accelerated measures will focus on networking stability and service quality by optimizing the structure of products, customers and franchisee partners, in order to create a clear path to sustainable profitability."

"Although we expect the turnaround of Express to take approximately 6 to 9 months, we have a solid, clear strategic direction targeting sustainable development, supported by the attractive growth prospects of e-commerce and the unique value proposition of our integrated smart supply chain solutions and logistics services. We are fully dedicated to positioning our company for long-term success."

Gloria Fan, BEST's Chief Financial Officer, commented, "In the first quarter of 2021, our revenue reached RMB6.5 billion, increasing 29.9% year-over-year while our net loss was RMB604 million as our initiatives for Express need time to materialize at the bottom line. Our focus today continues to be on cost reduction across the entire organization, including unit cost structure optimization for Express and Freight, as well as the streamlining of SG&A expenses. As we navigate through the current environment, we are making various strategic evaluations and are prepared to take appropriate actions to strengthen our balance sheet and liquidity to support our strategic refocusing plan. In particular, we are looking at financing options in relation to certain of our business units, and we will provide details as necessary or appropriate if any definitive step is taken."

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS([1])

For the Quarter Ended March 31, 2021:

Revenue was RMB6,496.6 million ( US$991.6 million ), an increase of 29.9% year-over-year ("YoY"). The increase was primarily due to a strong increase in Express and Freight volume, partially offset by a decrease in average selling price ("ASP") in Express and Freight business segments.

was ( ), an increase of 29.9% year-over-year ("YoY"). The increase was primarily due to a strong increase in Express and Freight volume, partially offset by a decrease in average selling price ("ASP") in Express and Freight business segments. Gross Loss was RMB193.4 million ( US$29.5 million ), compared to gross loss of RMB238.0 million in the same period of 2020. Gross Loss Margin was 3.0%, an improvement of 1.8 percentage points ("ppts") YoY.

was ( ), compared to gross loss of in the same period of 2020. was 3.0%, an improvement of 1.8 percentage points ("ppts") YoY. Net Loss was RMB604.5 million ( US$92.3 million ), compared to a net loss of RMB666.9 million in the same period of 2020. Non-GAAP Net Loss ([2])([3]) was RMB581.1 million ( US$88.7 million ), compared to non-GAAP net loss of RMB632.3 million in the same period of 2020.

was ( ), compared to a net loss of in the same period of 2020. was ( ), compared to non-GAAP net loss of in the same period of 2020. Diluted EPS ([4]) was negative RMB1.55 (US$0.24) , compared to negative RMB1.69 in the same period of 2020. Non-GAAP Diluted EPS (3)(4) was negative RMB1.49 (US$0.23) , compared to negative RMB1.60 in the same period of 2020.

was negative , compared to negative in the same period of 2020. (3)(4) was negative , compared to negative in the same period of 2020. EBITDA([5]) was negative RMB420.3 million ( US$64.2 million ), compared to negative RMB536.2 million in the same period of 2020. Adjusted EBITDA(3)(5) was negative RMB396.9 million ( US$60.6 million ), compared to negative RMB502.6 million in the same period of 2020.

BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS([6])

BEST Express  We continued to focus on optimizing product structure, improving network stability and flexibility, as well as enhancing service quality and customer experience during the first quarter. While the results from these actions are not fully visible from our financial results, we believe they have improved the underlying fundamentals of our network and we will further accelerate our actions to target a return to profitability later in the year.

During the quarter, parcel volume increased by 33.6% YoY. Gross margin contracted by 3.2 ppts due to a decline in ASP per parcel of 17.6% YoY, partially offset by a decrease in average cost per parcel of 15.1% YoY.

BEST Freight  Freight once again delivered a strong quarter with a higher-than-industry-average growth rate and improving profitability. The Company continued to emphasize the e-commerce aspect of its freight services, solidify its leadership position and brand recognition, and improve operating efficiency. Freight volume increased by 81.0% YoY in the first quarter of 2021. Average cost per tonne and ASP per tonne decreased by 20.6% YoY and 5.4% YoY respectively.

BEST Supply Chain Management  The total number of orders fulfilled by Cloud OFCs increased by 20.6% YoY to 100.8 million in the first quarter of 2021 and the total number of orders fulfilled by franchised Cloud OFCs increased by 30.6% YoY to 52.8 million. The number of franchised OFCs increased by 15.2% YoY to 348 in the first quarter of 2021. In the first quarter of 2021, gross margin for Supply Chain Management was 5.4%, compared with 0.8% in the first quarter of 2020, benefitting from cost reduction efforts and discontinuation of legacy low-margin accounts.

BEST Global  Global continued to expand both cross-border and in Southeast Asia with strong margin improvement. In the first quarter of 2021, parcel volume in Southeast Asia increased by 249% YoY to 30.8 million. Global's gross margin improved significantly by 22.2 ppts YoY due to better economies of scale.

Others  In respect of UCargo, as of March 31, 2021, the number of registered drivers on the UCargo mobile app increased by 66.2% YoY to 347,854. In the first quarter of 2021, the total number of transactions on the trucking brokerage platform increased by 65.4% YoY to 185,676.

([1]) All numbers presented have been rounded to the nearest integer, tenth, or hundredth, and year-over-year comparisons are based on figures before rounding. ([2]) Non-GAAP net income/loss represents net income/loss excluding share-based compensation expenses, amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisitions, and fair value change of equity investments (if any). ([3]) See the sections entitled "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and "Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Measures to the Nearest Comparable GAAP Measures" for more information about the non-GAAP measures referred to within this results announcement. ([4]) Diluted earnings per share, or Diluted EPS, is calculated by dividing net profit attributable to ordinary shareholders as adjusted for the effect of dilutive ordinary equivalent shares, if any, by the weighted average number of ordinary and dilutive ordinary equivalent shares outstanding during the period. ([5]) EBITDA represents net loss excluding depreciation, amortization, interest expense and income tax expense and minus interest income. Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA excluding share-based compensation expenses and fair value change of equity investments (if any). ([6]) All numbers presented have been rounded to the nearest integer, tenth, or hundredth, and year-over-year comparisons are based on figures before rounding.



Key Operational Metrics



Three Months Ended % Change YoY Express Parcel Volume (in '000) March 31,

2019

March 31, 2020

March 31, 2021

2020 vs

2019

2021 vs

2020 1,340,540 1,315,525 1,756,957 (1.9%) 33.6% Freight Volume (Tonne in '000) 1,268 1,074 1,945

(15.3%) 81.0% Supply Chain Management

Orders Fulfilled (in '000) 61,964 83,596 100,784

34.9% 20.6% Global Parcel Volume in

Southeast Asia (in '000) 237

8,840

30,841

3,624%

249% UCargo Number of

Transactions (in '000) 120

112

186

(6.4%)

65.4%

Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) Report

On June 8, 2021, the Company released its third ESG report, which can be accessed via the following link: http://www.best-inc.com/2020ESGReportIIvPUB.pdf

FINANCIAL RESULTS

For the Quarter Ended March 31, 2021:

Revenue

The following table sets forth a breakdown of revenue by business segment for the periods indicated.

Table 1  Breakdown of Revenue by Business Segment





Three Months Ended



March 31, 2020

March 31, 2021



(In '000, except for %) RMB % of

Revenue

RMB US$ % of

Revenue

% Change

YoY Express 3,375,612 67.6%

3,713,080 566,727 57.1%

10.0% Freight 687,247 13.7%

1,174,493 179,263 18.1%

70.9% Supply Chain

Management 407,592 8.1%

447,661 68,326 6.9%

9.8% Global 115,788 2.3%

250,422 38,222 3.9%

116.3% Others([7]) 416,382 8.3%

910,983 139,043 14.0%

118.8% Total Revenue 5,002,621 100.0%

6,496,639 991,581 100.0%

29.9%

Express Service Revenue increased by 10.0% YoY to RMB3,713.1 million ( US$566.7 million ) from RMB3,375.6 million , primarily due to a 33.6% YoY increase in parcel volume, partially offset by a 17.6% YoY decrease in ASP per parcel. The decrease in ASP per parcel is primarily attributable to competitive market dynamics.

( ) from , primarily due to a 33.6% YoY increase in parcel volume, partially offset by a 17.6% YoY decrease in ASP per parcel. The decrease in ASP per parcel is primarily attributable to competitive market dynamics. Freight Service Revenue increased by 70.9% YoY to RMB1,174.5 million ( US$179.3 million ) from RMB687.2 million , primarily due to an 81.0% YoY increase in freight volume, partially offset by a 5.4% YoY decrease in ASP per tonne.

( ) from , primarily due to an 81.0% YoY increase in freight volume, partially offset by a 5.4% YoY decrease in ASP per tonne. Supply Chain Management Service Revenue increased by 9.8% YoY to RMB447.7 million ( US$68.3 million ) from RMB407.6 million , primarily due to a 20.6% YoY increase in the total number of orders fulfilled by Cloud OFCs.

( ) from , primarily due to a 20.6% YoY increase in the total number of orders fulfilled by Cloud OFCs. Global Service Revenue increased by 116.3% YoY to RMB250.4 million ( US$38.2 million ) from RMB115.8 million , primarily due to strong growth in parcel volumes in Southeast Asia .

( ) from , primarily due to strong growth in parcel volumes in . Others Services Revenue increased by 118.8% YoY to RMB911.0 million ( US$139.0 million ) from RMB416.4 million , primarily due to a strong increase in total number of transactions of UCargo business.

([7]) "Others" Segment represents UCargo and Capital business units.

Cost of Revenue

The following table sets forth a breakdown of cost of revenue by business segment for the periods indicated.

Table 2  Breakdown of Cost of Revenue by Business Segment





Three Months Ended

% of

Revenue

Change YoY

March 31, 2020

March 31, 2021

(In '000, except for %) RMB % of

Revenue

RMB US$ % of

Revenue

Express (3,491,321) 103.4%

(3,958,127) (604,128) 106.6%

3.2ppts Freight (816,435) 118.8%

(1,173,930) (179,177) 100.0%

(18.8ppts) Supply Chain Management (404,446) 99.2%

(423,506) (64,640) 94.6%

(4.6ppts) Global (148,318) 128.1%

(265,102) (40,462) 105.9%

(22.2ppts) Others (380,096) 91.3%

(869,329) (132,686) 95.4%

4.1ppts Total Cost of Revenue (5,240,616) 104.8%

(6,689,994) (1,021,093) 103.0%

(1.8ppts)

Cost of Revenue was RMB6,690.0 million (US$1,021.1 million) or 103.0% of revenue in the first quarter of 2021, compared to RMB5,240.6 million or 104.8% of revenue in the same quarter of 2021. The decrease of 1.8 ppts in cost of revenue as a percentage of revenue was primarily attributable to a steeper decrease in unit cost than ASP for Freight and Global business units and discontinuation of certain low-margin accounts for Supply Chain business unit.

Table 3  Breakdown of Average Cost Per Parcel and Average Cost Per Tonne







Three Months Ended

% Change (in RMB) March 31, 2020 March 31, 2021

YoY Express:







Average Cost Per Parcel 2.65 2.25

(15.1%) Average Transportation Cost Per Parcel 0.69 0.63

(8.7%) Average Labor Cost Per Parcel 0.26 0.23

(11.5%) Average Lease Cost Per Parcel 0.15 0.13

(13.3%) Average Other Cost Per Parcel 0.15 0.09

(40.0%) Average Last-mile Cost Per Parcel 1.40 1.17

(16.4%) Freight:







Average Cost Per Tonne 759.9 603.6

(20.6%)

Gross Loss was RMB193.4 million (US$29.5 million) in the first quarter of 2021, compared to gross loss of RMB238.0 million in the same period of 2020. Gross Loss Margin was 3.0%, an improvement of 1.8 percentage points ("ppts") YoY.

Operating Expenses

The following table sets forth a breakdown of operating expenses and adjusted operating expenses by category for the periods indicated.

Table 4  Breakdown of Operating Expenses and Adjusted Operating Expenses by Category







Three Months Ended





March 31, 2020

March 31, 2021

(In '000, except for %) RMB % of

Revenue

RMB US$ % of

Revenue

% of Revenue

Change

YoY Selling, General and

Administrative Expenses (384,107) 7.7%

(416,435) (63,561) 6.4%

(1.3ppts) Adjusted for

SBC Expenses (31,614) 0.7%

(26,761) (4,085) 0.4%

(0.3ppts) Adjusted Selling, General

and

Administrative Expenses (352,493) 7.0%

(389,674) (59,476) 6.0%

(1.0ppts) Research and

Development Expenses (50,692) 1.0%

(53,687) (8,194) 0.8%

(0.2ppts) Adjusted for

SBC Expenses (1,354) 0.0%

(1,939) (296) 0.0%

0.0ppts Adjusted Research and

Development Expenses (49,338) 1.0%

(51,748) (7,898) 0.8%

(0.2ppts) Total Operating Expenses (434,799) 8.7%

(470,122) (71,755) 7.2%

(1.5ppts) Adjusted for

SBC Expenses (32,968) 0.7%

(28,700) (4,381) 0.4%

(0.3ppts) Adjusted Total

Operating Expenses (401,831) 8.0%

(441,422) (67,374) 6.8%

(1.2ppts)





















Selling, General and Administrative Expenses were RMB416.4 million (US$63.6 million) or 6.4% of revenue in the first quarter of 2021, compared to RMB384.1 million or 7.7% of revenue in the same quarter of 2020. The decrease in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenue was primarily attributable to improved operating efficiencies.

Research and Development Expenses were RMB53.7 million (US$8.2 million) or 0.8% of revenue in the first quarter of 2021, compared to RMB50.7 million, or 1.0% of revenue in the same quarter of 2020.

Share-based Compensation ("SBC") Expenses included in the cost and expense items above in the first quarter of 2021 were RMB29.0 million (US$4.4 million), compared to RMB33.6 million in the same quarter of 2020. In the first quarter of 2021, RMB0.3 million (US$0.04 million) was allocated to cost of revenue, RMB1.5 million (US$0.2 million) was allocated to selling expenses, RMB25.3 million (US$3.9 million) was allocated to general and administrative expenses, and RMB1.9 million (US$0.3 million) was allocated to research and development expenses.

Net Loss and Non-GAAP Net Loss

Net Loss in the first quarter of 2021 was RMB604.5 million (US$92.3 million), compared to a net loss of RMB666.9 million in the same period of 2020. Excluding SBC expenses, amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisitions and gain from appreciation of investment (if any for a given period), Non-GAAP Net Loss in the first quarter of 2021 was RMB581.1 million (US$88.7 million), compared to non-GAAP net loss of RMB632.3 million in the same quarter of 2020.

The following table sets forth a breakdown of non-GAAP net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2021 by segment.

Table 5  Breakdown of non-GAAP Net Loss by Segment







Three Months Ended March 31, 2021

(In RMB'000) Express Freight Supply Chain Global Others Unallocated([8]) Total

Non-GAAP Net Loss (419,035) (44,144) (10,069) (56,094) (4,881) (46,843) (581,066)



Diluted EPS and Non-GAAP Diluted EPS

Diluted EPS in the first quarter of 2021 was negative RMB1.55 (US$0.24), based on a weighted average of 386.8 million diluted shares outstanding during the quarter. This is compared to negative RMB1.69 on a weighted average of 389.8 million diluted shares outstanding in the same period of 2020. Excluding SBC expenses, amortization of intangible assets resulting from business acquisitions and gain from appreciation of investment (if any for a given period), Non-GAAP Diluted EPS in the first quarter of 2021 was negative RMB1.49 (US$0.23), compared to negative RMB1.60 in the same period of 2020. A reconciliation of non-GAAP diluted EPS to diluted EPS is included at the end of this results announcement.

Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin

Adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter of 2021 was negative RMB396.9 million (US$60.6 million), compared to negative RMB502.6 million in same quarter of 2020. Adjusted EBITDA Margin was negative 6.1% in the first quarter of 2021, compared to negative 10.0% in the same quarter of 2020.

Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin by Segment

The following table sets forth a breakdown of adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin for the three months ended March 31, 2021 by segment.

Table 6  Breakdown of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin by Segment







Three Months Ended March 31, 2021

(In RMB'000) Express Freight Supply Chain Global Others Unallocated([9]) Total

Adjusted EBITDA (311,398) (25,887) 167 (51,920) 3,083 (10,947) (396,902)

Adjusted EBITDA

Margin (8.4%) (2.2%) 0.0% (20.7%) 0.3% - (6.1%)



([8]) Unallocated expenses are primarily related to corporate administrative expenses and other miscellaneous items that are not allocated to individual segments. ([9]) Unallocated expenses are primarily related to corporate administrative expenses and other miscellaneous items that are not allocated to individual segments.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Short-term Investments

As of March 31, 2021, cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments were RMB3,976.8 million (US$607.0 million), compared to RMB4,464.2 million as of December 31, 2020. The decrease in cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments was primarily due to net cash used in operating activities.

Net Cash Used in Operating Activities

Net cash used in continuing operating activities was RMB563.6 million (US$86.0 million), compared to RMB1,230.9 million in the same period of 2020. The improvement in net cash used in continuing operating activities was mainly due to increased volume for the Express and Freight business segments.

Capital Expenditures ("CAPEX")

CAPEX was RMB254.3 million (US$38.8 million), or 3.9% of total revenue in the first quarter ended March 31, 2021, compared to CAPEX of RMB345.9 million, or 6.9% of total revenue, in the same period of 2020.

SHARES OUTSTANDING

As of the date of this press release, the Company had approximately 388.2 million ordinary shares outstanding([10]). Each American Depositary Share represents one Class A ordinary share.

FINANCIAL GUIDANCE

Based on current market conditions and current operations, the Company expects its revenue for the full fiscal year of 2021 to be between RMB34 billion and RMB36 billion. This forecast reflects management's current and preliminary expectation, which is subject to change.

RESIGNATION OF INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR

Ms. Quan Hao, an independent director and chairman of the audit committee of the Company, has resigned from these positions due to personal reasons, effective July 31, 2021. Ms. Hao's resignation is not a result of any disagreement with the Company, its board of directors or its management.

Mr. Mark Qiu, an independent director and a member of the Company's audit committee, will be appointed as the chairman of the audit committee. Meanwhile, the Company will search for a candidate to succeed Ms. Hao's position as an independent director and a member of the audit committee.

([10]) The total number of shares outstanding excludes shares reserved for future issuances upon exercise or vesting of awards granted under the Company's share incentive plans.

WEBCAST AND CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION

The Company will hold a conference call at 9:00 pm U.S. Eastern Time on June 8, 2021 (9:00 am Beijing Time on June 9, 2021), to discuss its financial results and operating performance for the first quarter of 2021.

Participants may access the call by dialing the following numbers:

United States : +1-888-317-6003 Hong Kong : 800-963976 or +852-5808-1995 Mainland China : 4001-206115 International : +1-412-317-6061 Participant Elite Entry Number : 0305868

A replay of the conference call will be accessible through June 15, 2021 by dialing the following numbers:

United States : +1-877-344-7529 International : +1-412-317-0088 Replay Access Code : 10156760

Please visit the Company's investor relations website, located at http://ir.best-inc.com/, to view the earnings release prior to the conference call. A live and archived webcast of the conference call and a corporate presentation will be available at the same site.

ABOUT BEST INC.

BEST Inc. (NYSE: BEST) is a leading integrated smart supply chain solutions and logistics services provider in China. Through its proprietary technology platform and extensive networks, BEST offers a comprehensive set of logistics and value-add services, including express and freight delivery, supply chain management and last-mile services, truckload service brokerage, international logistics and financial services. BEST's mission is to empower business and enrich life by leveraging technology and business model innovation to create a smarter, more efficient supply chain. For more information, please visit: http://www.best-inc.com/en/.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

BEST Inc.

Investor relations team

[email protected]

The Piacente Group, Inc.

Yang Song

Tel: +86-10-6508-0677

E-mail: [email protected]

The Piacente Group, Inc.

Brandi Piacente

Tel: +1-212-481-2050

E-mail: [email protected]

SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as BEST's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. BEST may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about BEST's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: BEST's goals and strategies; BEST's future business development, results of operations and financial condition; BEST 's ability to maintain and enhance its ecosystem; BEST 's ability to compete effectively; BEST 's ability to continue to innovate, meet evolving market trends, adapt to changing customer demands and maintain its culture of innovation; fluctuations in general economic and business conditions in China and other countries in which BEST operates, and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in BEST's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and BEST does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

USE OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

In evaluating its business, BEST considers and uses non-GAAP measures, such as non-GAAP net loss/income, non-GAAP net loss/profit margin, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA margin, EBITDA, adjusted selling expenses, adjusted general and administrative expenses, adjusted research and development expenses, and non-GAAP diluted EPS, as supplemental measures in the evaluation of the Company's operating results and in the Company's financial and operational decision-making. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures that help identify underlying trends in the Company's business that could otherwise be distorted by the effect of the expenses and gains that the Company includes in loss from operations and net loss. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information about its operating results, enhance the overall understanding of its past performance and future prospects and allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by the Company's management in its financial and operational decision-making. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned "Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Measures to the Nearest Comparable GAAP Measures" in the results announcement.

The non-GAAP financial measures are provided as additional information to help investors compare business trends among different reporting periods on a consistent basis and to enhance investors' overall understanding of the Company's current financial performance and prospects for the future. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, U.S. GAAP results. In addition, the Company's calculation of the non-GAAP financial measures may be different from the calculation used by other companies, and therefore comparability may be limited.

Summary of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Income Statements (In Thousands)



Three Months Ended March 31,

2020 2021

RMB RMB US$ Revenue





Express 3,375,612 3,713,080 566,727 Freight 687,247 1,174,493 179,263 Supply Chain Management 407,592 447,661 68,326 Global 115,788 250,422 38,222 Others 416,382 910,983 139,043 Total Revenue 5,002,621 6,496,639 991,581 Cost of Revenue





Express (3,491,321) (3,958,127) (604,128) Freight (816,435) (1,173,930) (179,177) Supply Chain Management (404,446) (423,506) (64,640) Global (148,318) (265,102) (40,462) Others (380,096) (869,329) (132,686) Total Cost of Revenue (5,240,616) (6,689,994) (1,021,093) Gross Loss (237,995) (193,355) (29,512) Selling Expenses (118,115) (107,205) (16,363) General and Administrative Expenses (265,992) (309,230) (47,198) Research and Development Expenses (50,692) (53,687) (8,194) Total Operating Expenses (434,799) (470,122) (71,755) Loss from Operations (672,794) (663,477) (101,267) Interest Income 21,585 16,878 2,576 Interest Expense (33,172) (46,007) (7,022) Foreign Exchange Gain 390 800 122 Other Income 32,793 109,444 16,704 Other Expense (11,110) (17,817) (2,719) Loss before Income Tax and Share of

Net Loss of Equity Investees (662,308) (600,179) (91,606) Income Tax Expense (4,535) (4,290) (655) Loss before Share of Net loss of Equity

Investees (666,843) (604,469) (92,261) Share of Net Loss of Equity Investees (30) - - Net Loss from continuing operations (666,873) (604,469) (92,261) Net loss from discontinued operations (83,879) (13,836) (2,113) Net Loss (750,752) (618,305) (94,374) Net Loss from continuing operations

attributable to non-controlling interests (7,860) (5,410) (826) Net Loss attributable to Best Inc. (742,892) (612,895) (93,548)

Summary of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands)



As of December 31, 2020

As of March 31, 2021

RMB

RMB US$ Assets







Current Assets







Cash and Cash Equivalents 1,383,317

1,011,247 154,347 Restricted Cash 2,102,426

2,136,791 326,138 Accounts and Notes Receivables 983,601

885,032 135,082 Inventories 44,133

34,434 5,256 Prepayments and Other Current Assets 3,304,670

3,258,700 497,378 Shortterm Investments 268,647

296,612 45,272 Amounts Due from Related Parties 274,395

153,502 23,429 Lease Rental Receivables 497,127

479,123 73,128 Assets held for sale 509,395

481,893 73,551 Total Current Assets 9,367,711

8,737,334 1,333,581 Noncurrent Assets







Property and Equipment, Net 4,079,235

4,131,122 630,532 Intangible Assets, Net 12,198

12,980 1,981 Longterm Investments 221,426

202,645 30,930 Goodwill 295,758

295,758 45,141 Noncurrent Deposits 129,645

127,901 19,522 Other Noncurrent Assets 543,949

423,971 64,711 Restricted Cash 709,848

532,136 81,220 Lease Rental Receivables 647,678

556,003 84,863 Operating Lease Right-of-use Assets 3,863,375

3,724,220 568,427 Total noncurrent Assets 10,503,112

10,006,736 1,527,327 Total Assets 19,870,823

18,744,070 2,860,908 Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity







Current Liabilities







Securitization Debt 95,149

382,917 58,445 Shortterm Bank Loans 3,082,537

2,806,006 428,280 Accounts and Notes Payable 4,144,948

3,902,061 595,571 Income Tax Payable 14,550

11,677 1,782 Customer Advances and Deposits and

Deferred Revenue 1,526,051

1,354,629 206,757 Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities 2,507,917

2,392,147 365,113 Financing Lease Liabilities 1,581

1,462 223 Operating Lease Liabilities 1,032,461

1,099,371 167,797 Amounts Due to Related Parties 35,623

12,865 1,964 Liabilities held for sale 193,432

176,298 26,908 Total Current Liabilities 12,634,249

12,139,433 1,852,840

Summary of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Cont'd)

(In Thousands)



As of December 31, 2020

As of March 31, 2021

RMB

RMB US$ Non-current Liabilities







Convertible senior notes held by

related parties 1,617,846

1,631,167 248,965 Securitization Debt -

10,085 1,539 Secured Borrowings -

110,179 16,817 Convertible Senior Notes held by third

parties 642,121

648,241 98,941 Operating Lease Liabilities 2,995,173

2,845,499 434,308 Financing Lease Liabilities 2,698

2,396 366 Other Noncurrent Liabilities 175,584

151,540 23,130 Long-term Bank Loans 78,548

78,587 11,995 Total Noncurrent Liabilities 5,511,970

5,477,694 836,061 Total Liabilities 18,146,219

17,617,127 2,688,901 Shareholders' Equity







Ordinary Shares 25,988

25,988 3,967 Treasury Shares (211,352)

(152,377) (23,257) Additional PaidIn Capital 19,487,232

19,458,353 2,969,925 Statutory reserves 8,038

8,334 1,272 Accumulated Deficit (17,710,964)

(18,324,155) ([11]) (2,796,812) Accumulated Other

Comprehensive Income 151,677

142,225 21,708 BEST Inc. Shareholders' Equity 1,750,619

1,158,368 176,803 Non-controlling Interests (26,015)

(31,425) (4,796) Total Shareholders' Equity 1,724,604

1,126,943 172,007 Total Liabilities and

Shareholders' Equity 19,870,823

18,744,070 2,860,908

([11]) Including accumulated accretion to redemption value and deemed dividend in relation to redeemable convertible preferred shares of RMB9,493,807, and accumulated loss from operations of RMB8,830,348

Summary of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(In Thousands)



Three Months Ended March 31,

2020 2021

RMB RMB US$ Net cash used in continuing

operating activities (1,230,925) (563,648) (86,029) Net cash used in discontinued

operating activities (62,588) (94,303) (14,393) Net cash used in operating activities (1,293,513) (657,951) (100,422) Net cash generated from continuing

investing activities 114,157 22,829 3,484 Net cash used in discontinued Investing

activities (240) (33) (5) Net cash generated from investing

activities 113,917 22,796 3,479 Net cash generated from continuing

financing activities 754,985 193,947 29,602 Net cash used in discontinued

financing activities (150,000) (92,500) (14,118) Net cash generated from financing

activities 604,985 101,447 15,484 Exchange Rate Effect on Cash, Cash

Equivalents, and Restricted Cash 24,166 6,716 1,025 Net Decrease in Cash and Cash

Equivalents, and Restricted Cash (550,445) (526,992) (80,434) Cash and Cash Equivalents, and Restricted

Cash at Beginning of Period 3,957,215 4,209,121 642,437 Cash and Cash Equivalents, and Restricted

Cash at End of Period 3,406,770 3,682,129 562,003 Less: Cash and Cash Equivalents, and

Restricted Cash held for sales at end of the

Period 3,413 1,955 298 Cash and Cash Equivalents, and Restricted

Cash from continuing operations at End

of Period 3,403,357 3,680,174 561,705

RECONCILIATIONS OF NON-GAAP MEASURES TO THE NEAREST COMPARABLE GAAP MEASURES

The table below sets forth a reconciliation of the Company's net loss to EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin for the periods indicated:

Table 7  Reconciliation of EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin







Three Months Ended March 31, 2021

(In RMB'000) Express Freight Supply Chain Global Others Unallocated([12]) Total

Net Loss (420,942) (46,808) (11,965) (58,244) (5,525) (60,985) (604,469)

Add:















Depreciation &

Amortization 107,637 18,257 10,227 4,174 3,683 6,767 150,745

Interest Expense - - - - - 46,007 46,007

Income Tax Expense - - 9 - 4,281 - 4,290

Subtract:















Interest Income - - - - - (16,878) (16,878)

EBITDA (313,305) (28,551) (1,729) (54,070) 2,439 (25,089) (420,305)

Add:















Share-based

Compensation

Expenses 1,907 2,664 1,896 2,150 644 19,704 28,965

Subtract:















Gain from

appreciation of

investments - - - - - (5,562) (5,562)

Adjusted EBITDA (311,398) (25,887) 167 (51,920) 3,083 (10,947) (396,902)

Adjusted EBITDA

Margin (8.4%) (2.2%) 0.0% (20.7%) 0.3% - (6.1%)





Three Months Ended March 31, 2020

(In RMB'000) Express Freight Supply Chain Global Others Unallocated([13]) Total

Net Loss (272,316) (203,042) (48,350) (69,940) (20,358) (52,867) (666,873)

Add:















Depreciation &

Amortization 77,217 15,030 10,970 3,731 618 6,973 114,539

Interest Expense - - - - - 33,172 33,172

Income Tax

Expense/(Benefit) 484 - 138 (276) 4,189 - 4,535

Subtract:















Interest Income - - - - - (21,585) (21,585)

EBITDA (194,615) (188,012) (37,242) (66,485) (15,551) (34,307) (536,212)

Add:















Share-based

Compensation

Expenses 4,371 3,327 3,394 2,086 1,002 19,419 33,599

Adjusted EBITDA (190,244) (184,685) (33,848) (64,399) (14,549) (14,888) (502,613)

Adjusted EBITDA

Margin (5.6%) (26.9%) (8.3%) (55.6%) (3.5%) - (10.0%)



([12]) Unallocated expenses are primarily related to corporate administrative expenses and other miscellaneous items that are not allocated to individual segments. ([13]) Unallocated expenses are primarily related to corporate administrative expenses and other miscellaneous items that are not allocated to individual segments.

The table below sets forth a reconciliation of the Company's net loss to non-GAAP net loss, non-GAAP net loss margin for the periods indicated:

Table 8  Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Net Loss and Non-GAAP Net Loss Margin







Three Months Ended March 31, 2021

(In RMB'000) Express Freight Supply Chain Global Others Unallocated([14]) Total

Net Loss (420,942) (46,808) (11,965) (58,244) (5,525) (60,985) (604,469)

Add:















Share-based

Compensation

Expenses 1,907 2,664 1,896 2,150 644 19,704 28,965

Subtract:















Gain from

appreciation of

investments - - - - - (5,562) (5,562)

Non-GAAP Net Loss (419,035) (44,144) (10,069) (56,094) (4,881) (46,843) (581,066)

Non-GAAP Net Loss Margin (11.3%) (3.8%) (2.2%) (22.4%) (0.5%) - (8.9%)





Three Months Ended March 31, 2020

(In RMB'000) Express Freight Supply Chain Global Others Unallocated([15]) Total

Net Loss (272,316) (203,042) (48,350) (69,940) (20,358) (52,867) (666,873)

Add:















Share-based

Compensation

Expenses 4,371 3,327 3,394 2,086 1,002 19,419 33,599

Amortization of

Intangible Assets

Resulting from

Business - - - 926 - - 926

Non-GAAP Net Loss (267,945) (199,715) (44,956) (66,928) (19,356) (33,448) 632,348

Non-GAAP Net Loss Margin (7.9%) (29.1%) (11.0%) (57.8%) (4.6%) - (12.6%)



([14]) Unallocated expenses are primarily related to corporate administrative expenses and other miscellaneous items that are not allocated to individual segments. ([15]) Unallocated expenses are primarily related to corporate administrative expenses and other miscellaneous items that are not allocated to individual segments.

The table below sets forth a reconciliation of the Company's Diluted EPS to non-GAAP Diluted EPS for the periods indicated:

Table 9  Reconciliation of Diluted EPS and Non-GAAP Diluted EPS







Three Months Ended March 31, 2021 (In '000) RMB US$ Net Loss Attributable to Ordinary Shareholders (599,059) (91,435) Add:



Share-based Compensation Expenses 28,965 4,422 Subtract:



Gain from appreciation of investments (5,562) (849) Non-GAAP Net Loss Attributable to Ordinary

Shareholders for Computing Non-GAAP Diluted EPS (575,656) (87,862) Weighted Average Diluted Shares Outstanding

During the Period



Diluted 386,809,534 386,809,534 Diluted (Non-GAAP) 386,809,534 386,809,534 Diluted EPS (1.55) (0.24) Add:



Non-GAAP adjustment to net loss per share 0.06 0.01 Non-GAAP Diluted EPS (1.49) (0.23)

SOURCE BEST Inc.

Related Links

https://www.best-inc.com/


TUCSON, Ariz., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- After the post-vaccination death of a 56-year-old Florida physician from a brain hemorrhage, and reports of clotting problems worldwide after the Astra-Zeneca jab, Lee Merritt, M.D., undertook a review of reports in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) of reactions to Pfizer and Moderna products that possibly were related to platelet problems. Her article in the summer issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons describes various ways that problems can present.

"Physicians are cautioned to be aware of this potential problem, to check blood counts in any bleeding issue, however minor, in conjunction with this vaccination, and to carefully document in VAERS any bleeding problem occurring within a few weeks of vaccination."

Initially, the keyword search for platelet or bleeding disorders occurring from Dec 15, 2020, to Mar 12, 2021, yielded 370 entries, 94 of them of serious events. Prior to submission, an effort was made to update the numbers in the report. By May, searching the VAERS database, using the identical 19 keywords for the same date range, 6290 entries were retrieved, including 291 deaths. Numbers were increasing daily, reflecting the backlog in data entry.

"Thalidomide is perhaps the most famous example of a pharmacologic disaster," Dr. Merritt notes. When first was released in 1957, the drug was touted as being safe for everyone including pregnant women and children. It took time for the severe and unusual birth defects to be noticed. By 1962, the drug was taken off the market.

"VAERS has the potential to shorten recognition time by trying to spot 'unusual patterns,'" Dr. Merritt writes. "But this requires that physicians be aware of the system and take the time to enter any suspected side effectnot just the worst cases." A report submitted to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality revealed that fewer than 1% of adverse events get reported to VAERS.

"It is incumbent upon physicians who recommend these experimental agents to follow their patients, become familiar with VAERS, and employ the precautionary principle," Dr. Merritt concludes.

The Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons is published by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), a national organization representing physicians in all specialties since 1943.

SOURCE Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS)
Son of ex-Prime Minister of Russias Dagestan acquitted of student murder

 Moscow's Nikulinsky District Court

11:37 08/06/2021

MOSCOW, June 8 (RAPSI)  Moscows Nikulinsky District Court on Tuesday basing on the jurors verdict acquitted Murtuzali Medzhidov, the son of ex-head of Dagestans government Mukhtar Medzhidov, of murder of a female student of Moscow State University of Foreign Affairs, the courts press service told RAPSI.

A 30 million-ruble (over $410,000) claim filed by the injured party against the defendant was dismissed.

On Monday, jurors found Medzhidov not guilty of murder.

Investigators claimed that the man beat the young woman and then forced her out of a fourth-story window.




LOS ANGELES, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CannabisJobs.net is the fastest-growing cannabis jobs board in the cannabis industry. Although it caters to jobs primarily in the US and Canadian markets, it also has advertised listings from all over the world. That includes the Caribbean, Germany, Columbia, Portugal, and many other countries. It currently has hundreds of active vacancies, with cannabis employers desperate to fill skills gaps and meet the ever-increasing demand.

cannabis jobs

The cannabis industry in the US is booming. Medical cannabis is now legal in 36 US states and counting, while recreational users can consume the drug legally in 16 states. Every year, the growth of the US cannabis market exceeds expectations. The cannabis industry is predicted to be worth $100 billion dollars by 2030.

While this burgeoning industry brings tremendous opportunities, it also presents unique challenges. One of which is finding individuals with the necessary skills to fill thousands of cannabis jobs. The US legal cannabis industry now employs 340,000 full-time workers, adding 77,300 jobs in 2020 alone. The sector is currently creating jobs at a faster rate than any other industry.

To support the demand for cannabis workers, CannabisJobs.net allows employers to advertise their positions complimentary for the time being. The jobs board gives employers an unrivaled platform for filling open cannabis positions. Posted jobs will be pushed to several other job platforms and be featured on Google for maximum exposure.

Those interested in finding a cannabis job can sign-up, create a profile, upload a resume, and search for cannabis jobs free of charge. The operators will never charge job seekers to use the site now or in the future.

Traffic to CannabisJobs.net has been doubling month-on-month, with candidates seeking a diverse range of cannabis jobs in this lucrative and growing industry.

The founder of CannabisJobs.net, said: "At a time when unemployment levels in the US are high, we are delighted to operate in an industry that is creating so many well-paid, full-time cannabis jobs for candidates at every professional level. From drivers and security staff to lab directors, executive positions, and more, the cannabis industry has something for everyone.

"Despite what some people might think, specific experience of working in the cannabis industry is not required for 75% of our job postings. Given the impressive year-on-year growth of the market, cannabis careers are also very secure and offer plenty of scope for professional development and career advancement. That makes cannabis one of the most exciting industries to work in right now."

Media Contact

For media enquiries please contact:

Jordan Weber

Business Development Manager

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (877)-436-7562

SOURCE Cannabis Jobs
Helping to increase efficiency and produce accurate color, the imagePRESS C10010VP's new optional Sensing Unit Module will monitor and adjust front-to-back registration and color tone before and during production. This module helps eliminate manual involvement by measuring and adjusting prints on the fly, helping to maintain tight registration while producing dependable and vibrant color. This elevated level of automation helps saves time and effort on routine, but necessary adjustments helping to ensure production environments produce stunning output  all while their operators attend to other key areas of business. The Sensing Unit adds to the existing innovative color control technologies on the imagePRESS C10010VP Series, which come standard with the Inline Spectrophotometric Sensors (ILS) and Multi D.A.T technology that helps contribute to producing consistent and accurate color output.

Designed to help eliminate manual inspection on high value printed products and communications , as well as minimize reprints, the new optional Inspection Unit Module delivers a significant automation through its ability to monitor prints for issues and identify unwanted artifacts. Through this module, operators can also have the flexibility to have affected sheets diverted to an escape tray and automatically reprint pages for high-quality output without requiring operator involvement during production.

"The new quality control options for the Canon imagePRESS C10010VP series help alleviate some of the most pressing issues in print production. Canon is building intelligence into the equipment to assist operators so they can focus on other tasks. Automation of quality control processes and task is critical to maintain productivity and to help consistently meet customer requirements." German Sacristan, director, production services, Keypoint Intelligence

Providing users with advanced, consistent printing to help increase efficiency and quality within production environments, the Inspection Unit can be optimized for the specific needs of each job. The system can spot defects as small as 0.2 mm diameter without impacting productivity. As an added convenience, users can define up to 64 zones on each page to be checked against the inspection criteria, each with nine possible levels of sensitivity.

A mandatory module when connecting the Inspection or Sensing Units, the Cooling Unit removes the residual heat from a sheet which helps contribute to a stable internal environment, allowing each unit's sensors to measure patches reliably and consistently. By rapidly cooling the sheet, the media integrity is further preserved, helping to maintain image quality, minimize paper curl, as well as helping to prevent jamming in inline and offline finishing solutions.

"At Canon U.S.A., we are committed to innovation and advancing our solutions to meet our customers' needs, and these new enhancements developed for the imagePRESS C10010VP Series further showcase our dedication to helping users meet the highest standards of quality and printing," said Shinichi Yoshida, executive vice president and general manager, Canon U.S.A., Inc. "These new automation features are designed to help our customers remain efficient, shorten turnaround times, automate routine color checks and inspection, and increase overall value."

These new automation modules will be available for existing imagePRESS C10010VP Series engines and can be driven by the PRISMAsync Print Server or Fiery powered imagePRESS Server B7000/B6000 V2.

Availability:

The Cooling Unit and Sensing Units are currently scheduled to be available through Canon authorized dealers for purchase in July 2021.

The Inspection Unit is currently scheduled to be available through Canon authorized dealers for purchase in August 2021.

For more information on Canon U.S.A. and its production printing solutions, please visit www.usa.canon.com .

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $30.4 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents granted in 2020 and is one of Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies in 2020. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA.

Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Specifications and availability dates subject to change without notice.

Editorial Contact :

Kaitlin Boyle

Canon U.S.A., Inc.

631-330-4614

[email protected]

SOURCE Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Related Links

http://www.usa.canon.com


What has made these endangered animals leave their habitat and march north remains uncertain. According to some experts, the reason is probably that the environmental protection process in the area has provided a good habitat for the Asian elephants, which enables them to breed more. The march might be a dispersion of the population, with conditions allowing the group of elephants to leave and look for new habitats.

Local authorities in the places that the elephants visited have all carried out comprehensive response plans to ensure the safety of both humans and the elephants. In both Yuxi City and Kunming City, contingency plans have been launched with equipment including unmanned aircraft that were used to continuously monitor the elephants' activities and emergency mucking trucks that were sent to block surrounding roads into the village. People were quickly organized to evacuate where necessary and food was also used to guide elephants away from urban areas.

Asian elephants are under first-class state protection in China and are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. The population of wild Asian elephants has been increasing in China, from 180 in 1980s to about 300 now.

The migration of the wild elephants in China has already stepped into international spotlight. Media outlets including TV Asahi, the BBC and the New York Times reported the animals' ongoing journey, analyzing the possible reasons behind the migration.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-06-08/Herd-of-wild-Asian-elephants-in-SW-China-s-Yunnan-takes-a-break-10VugLV1sli/index.html

SOURCE CGTN

Related Links

www.cgtn.com


NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Claroty , the industrial cybersecurity company, today announced Claroty Edge, a new, patent-pending addition to The Claroty Platform that delivers 100% visibility into industrial networks in minutes without requiring network changes, utilizing sensors, or having any physical footprint. Combined with enhancements to its Continuous Threat Detection (CTD) solution  including CTD.Live, a SaaS-based deployment option, and new features for scalable deployments  Claroty now offers a complete portfolio of solutions that meet enterprises wherever they are on their industrial cybersecurity journey.

"Network security in operational technology (OT) and industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) environments means security products that can speak and understand the many proprietary industrial protocols, and provide both security operations center staff with increased visibility of the full operations and OT personnel with actionable information," said Romain Fouchereau, research manager, European Security at IDC. "The ability to perform comprehensive network monitoring without needing to invest in extra sensors or other supporting components can help maintain system resiliency, especially in large, highly distributed organizations."

As there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all industrial network, organizations require cybersecurity solutions that can evolve with their objectives, without burdening their infrastructure or personnel with unnecessary hardware, complex configurations, lengthy deployments, or steep learning curves. The new and enhanced Claroty Platform achieves this by giving customers faster, easier, more-flexible paths to achieve the industrial cybersecurity objectives that are most important to them.

"The recent cyber incidents with Colonial Pipeline and the Oldsmar, Florida water supply have underscored the need for asset owners and operators to mature their cybersecurity programs and make 'eyes wide open' decisions about the risks to their critical and vulnerable assets," said Grant Geyer, chief product officer of Claroty. "Cyber risks to industrial control systems have consequences not only for the organization, but also for public safety and the global supply chain, so every industrial enterprise has an obligation to start their cybersecurity journey. With Claroty's enhanced platform, organizations can take advantage of the capabilities that are right for their needs today, and can evolve as the threat landscape changes and their cybersecurity programs mature."

Key Features and Functions

With these new additions and enhancements, The Claroty Platform has evolved to reveal, detect, protect, and connect any deployment structure, at any scale, in rapid time:

Claroty Edge is the industry's first zero-infrastructure industrial cybersecurity solution, functioning as a highly flexible edge-data collector to deliver 100% visibility in minutes, with a simple, easy setup and absolutely no network footprint. It equips customers to discover a complete OT, IoT, and IIoT global asset inventory, as well as identify and manage the vulnerabilities and risks affecting those assets.

Claroty Edge is an optimal entry-point for those who are just beginning their industrial cybersecurity journey, as well as an exemplary scalable solution for those expanding their existing coverage to air-gapped, remote, smaller, or differently prioritized sites.

Beyond this, customers can leverage it to conduct audit requests and report compliance for industrial networks, M&A due diligence on target third-party environments, and faster and more effective incident response.

is the industry's first zero-infrastructure industrial cybersecurity solution, functioning as a highly flexible edge-data collector to deliver 100% visibility in minutes, with a simple, easy setup and absolutely no network footprint. It equips customers to discover a complete OT, IoT, and IIoT global asset inventory, as well as identify and manage the vulnerabilities and risks affecting those assets. Claroty Edge is an optimal entry-point for those who are just beginning their industrial cybersecurity journey, as well as an exemplary scalable solution for those expanding their existing coverage to air-gapped, remote, smaller, or differently prioritized sites. Beyond this, customers can leverage it to conduct audit requests and report compliance for industrial networks, M&A due diligence on target third-party environments, and faster and more effective incident response. CTD.Live is a SaaS-based deployment option for enterprises embracing the cloud as a core component of their industrial cybersecurity strategy. It is uniquely suited to support robust digital transformation initiatives because it is fast, scalable, and ensures CTD's visibility and threat detection capabilities are always up to date. CTD.Live also reduces total cost of ownership by eliminating certain hardware requirements and extending inventory, risk and vulnerability, and monitoring coverage to newly added assets automatically as customer networks expand.

is a SaaS-based deployment option for enterprises embracing the cloud as a core component of their industrial cybersecurity strategy. It is uniquely suited to support robust digital transformation initiatives because it is fast, scalable, and ensures CTD's visibility and threat detection capabilities are always up to date. CTD.Live also reduces total cost of ownership by eliminating certain hardware requirements and extending inventory, risk and vulnerability, and monitoring coverage to newly added assets automatically as customer networks expand. CTD version 4.3 provides greater flexibility in how critical asset, alert, and risk data can be accessed, managed, and manipulated, both directly within CTD and via integrations with third-party SIEM providers. It includes new options for segmentation via Virtual Zones, enabling customers to further customize and fine-tune their segmentation and alerting policies for stronger, more accurate detection of risky communications and other indicators of malicious activity.

provides greater flexibility in how critical asset, alert, and risk data can be accessed, managed, and manipulated, both directly within CTD and via integrations with third-party SIEM providers. It includes new options for segmentation via Virtual Zones, enabling customers to further customize and fine-tune their segmentation and alerting policies for stronger, more accurate detection of risky communications and other indicators of malicious activity. Secure Remote Access (SRA): The scalability of all of these capabilities increases by combining CTD.Live with Claroty's SRA solution, which provides internal and third-party personnel with frictionless, reliable, and highly secure access to industrial networks. Customers can also use Claroty Edge to blueprint and optimize SRA deployments, thereby reducing the time and resources required for full implementation.

"We needed an OT tool that complements Claroty CTD's real-time monitoring to reveal the unreachable blind spots in Pfizer's main manufacturing environments. With Claroty Edge, we attained this faster than ever imagined," said Jim LaBonty, head of global automation engineering at Pfizer. "Its unique offering and approach deliver a complete, detailed inventory of all OT and IoT assets in both integrated and standalone networks, in a matter of minutes and with a few clicks. This would have otherwise taken several weeks. Claroty Edge takes the heavy lifting out of managing the plethora of OT assets in production and empowers us to better secure our production environments."

Claroty Edge is generally available now, while CTD.Live and CTD 4.3 will be available in July 2021. To learn more about The Claroty Platform, please request a demo .

About Claroty

Claroty is the industrial cybersecurity company. Trusted by the world's largest enterprises, Claroty helps customers reveal, protect, and manage their OT, IoT, and IIoT assets. The company's comprehensive platform connects seamlessly with customers' existing infrastructure and programs while providing a full range of industrial cybersecurity controls for visibility, threat detection, risk and vulnerability management, and secure remote accessall with a significantly reduced total cost of ownership. Claroty is backed and adopted by leading industrial automation vendors, with an expansive partner ecosystem and award-winning research team. The company is headquartered in New York City and has a presence in Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America, and deployments on all seven continents.

To learn more, visit www.claroty.com .

SOURCE Claroty
RADNOR, Pa., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP reminds investors that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has been filed against Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE: CS) ("Credit Suisse") 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").

Investor 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 [email protected]; 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. Archegos' investment holdings are primarily in the form of total return swaps, a financial instrument where the underlying securities are held by the banks that broker the investments.

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. According to the Financial Times, more than 1,000 investors in the Greensill funds marketed were unable to exit their positions. 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%.

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 Wall Street Journal reported on March 31, 2021 that Credit Suisse "had a core capital buffer of 12.9% at year-end" and "[i]f the Archegos hit is $4 billion, that ratio could fall by roughly 1 percentage point to well below the 12.5% minimum targeted by the lender." 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)

[email protected]

SOURCE Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP
RADNOR, Pa., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP announces that the firm has filed a securities fraud class action against Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE: EBS) ("Emergent") on behalf investors who purchased or acquired Emergent common stock between April 24, 2020, and April 16, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action, captioned Roth v. Emergent BioSolutions Inc., et al., Case No. 1:21-cv-01189-PX (the "Roth Action"), was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland (Southern Division). To view a copy of the Roth Action complaint, please click here.

Investor Deadline Reminder: 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 [email protected]; or visit: https://www.ktmc.com/emergent-biosolutions-class-action-lawsuit?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=Link&utm_campaign=emergent.

Emergent is a specialty biopharmaceutical company that develops vaccines and antibody therapeutics for infectious diseases. Emergent signed a series of deals with Johnson & Johnson ("J&J") and AstraZeneca worth a combined $876 million to provide contract development and manufacturing organization services to produce the companies' COVID-19 vaccine candidates.

The Class Period begins on April 24, 2020, the day after Emergent announced that it had entered into an agreement with J&J to manufacture J&J's COVID-19 vaccine candidate at Emergent's Baltimore facility. Under the deal, Emergent would provide drug substance manufacturing services and reserve large-scale manufacturing capacity for J&J.

On April 19, 2021, Emergent revealed that, "at the request of the FDA, Emergent agreed not to initiate the manufacturing of any new material at its Bayview facility and to quarantine existing material manufactured at the Bayview facility pending completion of the [FDA's] inspection and remediation of any resulting findings." Following this news, the price of Emergent's common stock declined $9.77 per share, or more than 12%, from a close of $77.64 per share on April 16, 2021, to close at $67.87 per share on April 19, 2021.

The Roth Action alleges that, throughout the Class Period, the defendants failed to disclose that: (1) Emergent's Baltimore facility had a history of manufacturing issues increasing the likelihood for massive contaminations; (2) the Baltimore facility had received a series of FDA citations as a result of these contamination risks and quality control issues; (3) Emergent had been forced to discard millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines after workers at the facility deviated from manufacturing standards; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, the defendants' public statements about Emergent's ability and capacity to mass manufacture multiple COVID-19 vaccines at its Baltimore facility were materially false and/or misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

Emergent investors may, no later than June 18, 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). 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

[email protected]

SOURCE Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP
BOCA RATON, Fla., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CP Group, a full-service commercial real estate investment firm, announced today that they have appointed Elena Villarreal Daniel as the company's first Director of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). Daniel will spearhead ESG initiatives throughout the organization, working closely with regional teams across the 12-million-square-foot portfolio.

Daniel joins the firm with over 19 years of real estate experience. Prior to joining CP Group, Daniel served as Vice President of ESG & Corporate Affairs for CenterPoint Properties, where she successfully positioned the company as an industry leader in sustainability.

She will report directly to the firm's two partners, Angelo Bianco and Chris Eachus.

Growing Interest

The decision to hire a director focused on ESG issues stemmed from the recent success of CP Group's Environmental Health & Wellness program, which launched last year at the onset of the pandemic. Based on feedback from tenants, employees, and partners, the company decided to expand the initiative and begin a formal focus on social and governance issues.

"While environmental, social, and governance issues have been central to our investment decisions for many years, the success of our environmental health and wellness program validated those efforts and encouraged us to broaden them even further," said Managing Partner Angelo Bianco. "Elena brings a unique combination of experience and dedication to this new position, and we look forward to leveraging her skills as we strengthen our impact on the community."

ESG Roadmap

Daniel will be responsible for overseeing all internal and external environmental health and safety initiatives and providing innovative solutions to ensure CP Group buildings are on the leading edge of safety and sustainability. These initiatives include the implementation of protocols and property upgrades designed to limit transmission of disease, decrease carbon footprint, increase sustainability, and oversee compliance with all OSHA standards.

"I am excited to join CP Group in this newly created role," Daniel said. "Along with the forward-thinking leadership across the organization, I will be focused on integrating ESG factors across the operations and investment procedures, which will provide valuable, sustainable solutions for the benefit of its rapidly expanding portfolio."

New Name, Same Team

CP Group announced its name change from Crocker Partners last month to be more representative of the firm's growth into one of the country's premier owner-operators and developers of commercial real estate. The organization now employs nearly 200 people and owns and manages a portfolio in excess of 12 million square feet. CP Group is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, and has regional offices in Atlanta, Dallas, Jacksonville, Miami, and Washington, D.C.

ABOUT CP GROUP

Active in the commercial real estate business for over 35 years, CP Group - formerly Crocker Partners - has established a reputation as a premier owner, operator, and developer of office and mixed-use projects throughout the Southeast and Southwest United States. Since 1986, CP Group has acquired and managed over 157 properties, totaling 48 million square feet and representing $6 billion invested. They are currently Florida's largest and Atlanta's third-largest office landlord and rank 39th largest in the United States. Headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, they have regional offices in Atlanta, Miami, Jacksonville, Dallas, and Washington DC. To learn more about the company, visit CPGcre.com.

Media contact: Giana Pacinelli, [email protected]

SOURCE CP Group

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SAN FRANCISCO, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Crosschq , the HR technology leader that is reinventing hiring by helping companies optimize Quality of Hire with its Talent Intelligence Cloud, announced today the hiring of Lance Dai as Head of Sales for Crosschq.

Lance Dai, Head of Sales, Crosschq

A seasoned sales executive in both health and HR tech, Dai will focus on leading Crosschq's sales organization, scaling revenue, and architecting a sales strategy across enterprise and mid-market sales. Prior to joining Crosschq, Dai led strategic sales at HireVue, where he drove critical wins in the Fortune 200 large enterprise segment to firmly establish market leadership through a period of rapid growth. Earlier, he was with GE Healthcare managing their medical device sales across several business lines.

"We are thrilled to have Lance on our team," said Michael Fitzsimmons, CEO & Co-Founder of Crosschq. "He's an A player with the experience we need to take Crosschq to the next level."

In addition to Dai, Crosschq has doubled its Go-To-Market team since closing its Tiger Global Management led Series A round in March. New team members include Senior Account Executive Natalie Cooper, Senior Account Executive Amber West and Senior Manager for Account Development Reese Hughes.

"I'm incredibly excited to be joining Crosschq at this new phase of growth," added Dai. "Crosschq is taking its market-leading talent intelligence to the next level and transforming the way companies quantify Quality of Hire. It's a mission I feel privileged to be a part of."

To learn more about Crosschq or to request a demo, visit https://crosschq.com/ .

About Crosschq Crosschq is the HR technology leader that is reinventing hiring by helping companies optimize Quality of Hire with its Talent Intelligence Cloud. Crosschq gathers people-driven insights from job seekers and those who know them best and converts those insights into predictive data through proprietary software and science. Crosschq data can be used to ensure people and businesses are well-matched, creating long-term, successful employees and winning workplace cultures. The company's cloud-based SaaS solutions were built with a talent-first approach that prioritizes trust and transparency, minimizes bias, and protects privacy. Founded in 2018, Crosschq is backed by Tiger Global Management, GGV Capital, Bessemer Ventures Partners, SAP, Slack Fund, Intersect Capital, Rocketship.VC and other well-known Silicon Valley investors. To learn more, visit crosschq.com .

Media contact:

Elena Arney

[email protected]

415-361-0001

SOURCE Crosschq
LOS ANGELES, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Winc , Inc. ("Winc"), a leading omni-channel portfolio of wine brands announced today its purchase of substantially all the assets of Natural Merchants, Inc. ("Natural Merchants"), a leading purveyor of natural, organic, biodynamic and vegan wines from around the world. Natural Merchants was founded in 2004 by husband-and-wife duo Edward Field and Pilar Merono to help U.S. consumers enjoy the best natural wines the globe has to offer and increase awareness in the organic wine sector. The acquisition reinforces Winc's dedication to sustainability and organics and enhances the company's ability to offer natural wines as part of the Winc portfolio.

"Winc is extremely excited to strengthen our commitment to sustainability and organics through our partnership with Ed and Pilar of Natural Merchants," said Brian Smith, Co-Founder, President, & Chairman of the Board, Winc. "Over the past year, we have launched several initiatives focused on bettering our planet and adapting to the evolving lifestyle choices of our customers. Natural Merchants is a pioneer in the category, and we are thrilled to welcome them to the Winc family as we endeavor together to become the market leader and go-to source for organic wine in the U.S.''

76% of Winc's customer base falls into the 21 - 44 age group, a consumer segment that is expected to drive disproportionate industry growth and one that is increasingly demanding organic products from companies that prioritize sustainability. Organic wine is growing at a 12% CAGR in North America and is projected to be a $17B category globally by 2027.

"We have a high degree of conviction that the suppliers comprising Natural Merchants' portfolio can unlock additional value for Winc going forward," said Alex Goodwin, VP of Corporate Development & Innovation, Winc. "The integration of Natural Merchants' assets and supplier relationships will leverage our DTC platform to enable newfound digital capabilities and customer exposure, while providing existing Winc customers with an enhanced breadth of products in the desirable natural and organic category."

Over its 17-year history, Natural Merchants has developed a reputation for excellence and is widely recognized as a market leader in the category. The company was awarded the Whole Foods Market 2014 Outstanding Organic Wine and Beer 'Supplier Award' and named to the Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Wines for Biokult as well as having numerous Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Best Buys over the years for Pizzolato and Les Hauts de Lagarde wines. The Natural Merchants portfolio is carefully curated from a select group of top quality, family-run certified organic vineyards across Europe and South America.

"The partnership with Winc will bring significant resources to our current business model," said Edward Field, Natural Merchants Co-Founder. "We are eager to tap into Winc's digital reach through what we contend is the most scaled DTC platform in our industry. The combination of our category-leading portfolio with Winc's infrastructure and leadership will position us for continued growth and success into the future."

Following the transaction, Natural Merchants' founders Ed and Pilar, along with their team, will continue to manage the supplier relationships responsible for the Natural Merchant wine portfolio, with support from the Winc platform. Natural Merchants' portfolio of wines can be found at fine retailers and restaurants nationwide including Whole Foods Market stores across the country.

ABOUT WINC

Winc is an emerging consumer products company in the wine and spirits industry focused on building brands for the next generation of consumers. Winc's digitally native, omni-channel platform is recognized and trusted by a growing number of consumers seeking unique and relevant brands.

ABOUT NATURAL MERCHANTS

Founded in 2004, Natural Merchants is one of North America's leading importers of the finest natural organic and biodynamic wines from leading family produced wineries across the globe. Natural Merchants' portfolio consists of products sourced from Europe and South America.

SOURCE Winc
BELMAR, N.J., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ellavoz Impact Capital has named David Kaye to their Advisory Board. "I'm looking forward to joining the Ellavoz team and am excited to be a part of the Ellavoz commitment to community development," said Mr. Kaye.

Ellavoz

David Kaye is currently a senior executive of BioFortis, LLC., a Q2 Solutions software company that addresses challenges in today's data-driven environments. He has been with the company since 2012. Biofortis now serves top 10 pharma companies, Fortune 500 companies, major government organizations and research organizations. Among Mr. Kaye's areas of specialty include; management of legal affairs, business development, corporate finance, due diligence, fund management, and private equity & venture capital investing. Mr. Kaye received both his B.B.A. in Finance and his J.D. in Law at George Washington University.

Robert Hutchins, CEO and President of Ellavoz Impact Capital, said, "Mr. Kaye brings private equity, venture capital and Angel investor due diligence skill sets, which will increase our Ellavoz Impact Angel Network deal flow. I worked with Dave at BioFortis and he is a great asset for our team."

About Ellavoz Impact Capital

Ellavoz Impact Capital, in partnership with New Jersey Community Capital, is the management company for the 3 Ellavoz Shared Values Opportunity Funds, Ellavoz Neighborhood Homes Fund and the Ellavoz Impact Angel Network. The Angel Network represents high net worth individuals, family offices, and businesses that believe innovative investing in underserved communities will result in positive financial and social impact returns.

To learn more about the Ellavoz family of funds, visit us at www.ellavoz.com or contact the following members of our team below.

Robert Hutchins 908.330.2029

[email protected]

Christopher Ferry 732.616.8847

[email protected]

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SOURCE Ellavoz
Sentence of opposition activist Sobol for illegal entry into dwelling upheld

 Moscow's Perovsky District Court

13:53 08/06/2021

MOSCOW, June 8 (RAPSI)  Moscows Perovsky District Court on Tuesday dismissed an appeal lodged against sentence given to opposition figure Lyubov Sobol for forcible violation of inviolability of dwelling, the courts press service told RAPSI.

In mid-April, Sobol was sentenced to one-year suspended community service with 10% monthly pay deduction. She was also ordered to come to a specialized community service body every month and banned from changing her place of work and residence without notification.

Prosecution demanded one-year community service for Sobol with the 20% pay deduction in favor of the state.

Investigators claimed that on December 21 a group of persons, among them Lyubov Sobol, repeatedly attempted to entry into an apartment, where an old woman resided, of a house situated in the Eastern District of Moscow. Those involved illegally used uniforms of Russias consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor.

After two attempts to enter the house had failed, Sobol deceived a delivery man saying she was a abandoned wife with a baby, could enter the building and as the old woman opened the door of her apartment Sobol pushed her back, entered the apartment, took a video of the premises on her phone, and left the place, according to the Investigative Committee.

The legislation sets the punishment for such a crime as imprisonment for up to 2 years.
DENVER, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Engage Mobilize, Inc. (ENGAGE), an advanced fintech for industrial workflows, and the Department of Defense (DoD) have officially moved into Phase I contract. The initial efforts will focus on discovery and technical feasibility of ENGAGE's software solution to the Department of Air Force (DAF), specifically with their predictive scheduling and dispatching, real-time tracking, automated data validation and approval, and inventory management.

The Phase I contract will open many opportunities for ENGAGE to work with different aspects of the DoD. "This is a very exciting step for ENGAGE to support our troops. As a disabled vet myself, I look forward to getting our boots on the ground, deploying our software, and improving our Armed Forces Service Members' way of life," quotes Jeremiah Henson, VP of Product and Co-founder of ENGAGE.

Through working directly with the DoD, ENGAGE seeks to identify, develop, and deploy solutions to a multitude of operations under the DoD umbrella, with the end goal of cascading fundamental change throughout the organizations and laying the groundwork for digital transformation that will enable long-term organizational health and sustainability.

About ENGAGE:

ENGAGE synchronizes complex field workflows with authenticated business logic and financial processes, closing the data loop for supply chain, operations, and accounting teams in real-time. Their proprietary business automation processes predictively schedules work orders and tasks with embedded validation algorithms triggered by captured edge data points. By operationalizing predefined business rules, ENGAGE eliminates redundant approval and dispute processes, automating each transaction seamlessly through invoicing and payment processing.

Venture Capital Fund of the Air Force

The Small Business Innovation Research program was established by Congress in the 1980's with the goal of identifying small businesses that could provide a solution to the warfighter in a faster, more efficient manner than was presently available. Fast forward almost 50 years, and the program is reducing barriers and accelerating processes, seeding the future of the U.S. Air Force through innovation and forward-thinking technology. Learn more about the program here.

Follow Engage:

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Media Contact :



Ross Miller, VP of Marketing at ENGAGE

[email protected]

(303) 957-8288 Mobile

SOURCE Engage Mobilize, Inc.
SCHLIEREN-ZURICH, Switzerland, June 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Neurimmune welcomes the news that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Biogen's regulatory application for the use of aducanumab in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease - the leading cause of dementia in elderly people - is characterized by a decade-long build-up of a protein in brain known as amyloid. It can damage the brain's nerve cells resulting in progressing deficits in memory, learning, orientation in space and time, language, and thoughtful planning. Amyloid is readily detectable in affected brains and its removal is a therapeutic objective in Alzheimer's disease.

Aducanumab removes amyloid from brains1. It is a human monoclonal antibody discovered with Neurimmune's Reverse Translational MedicineTM technology and licensed to Biogen who co-developed it with Eisai.

Research at Neurimmune, in collaboration with the University of Zurich, led to the identification of protective anti-amyloid antibodies in healthy elderly people and patients with slowly progressing dementia. These antibodies bound brain amyloid in patient tissues. Study of the antibodies resulted in the discovery of aducanumab. Following intravenous administration, aducanumab crosses the blood-brain-barrier, binds to brain amyloid, and removes it with the help of the immune system.

"The data of three separate clinical studies unequivocally show that aducanumab's biological activity removed amyloid from brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Based on our understanding of the disease, substantial amyloid removal is required to slow disease progression," said Roger Nitsch, CEO of Neurimmune. "Our outstanding 14-year collaboration with Biogen succeeded in bringing this new treatment option to patients and their physicians."

In clinical trials Biogen has demonstrated that aducanumab reduced brain amyloid in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Amyloid was reduced by 59 to 71 percent at 18 months of treatment. Accelerated approval has been granted based on aducanumab's reduction of amyloid, an effect that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, in this case to slow disease progression.

"The discovery and development of aducanumab has been a fascinating journey, from a small team of scientists experimenting in a university lab, to the creation of a startup biotech company, to global collaborations with passionate pharmaceutical partners and clinical investigators," said John Growdon, Professor of Neurology at the Harvard Medical School and senior clinical advisor of Neurimmune. "Today's approval of aducanumab for Alzheimer's disease is a historic breakthrough for patients, families and society."

1 Sevigny et al., Nature, 537, 50-56 (2016)

About Aducanumab:

Aducanumab (ADUHELM), a human monoclonal antibody, is the first and only Alzheimer's disease treatment to address a defining pathology of the disease by reducing amyloid beta plaques in the brain. Aducanumab is indicated for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. This indication is granted under accelerated approval based on reduction in amyloid beta plaques in patients treated with aducanumab. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification of clinical benefit in confirmatory trial(s).

Biogen licensed aducanumab from Neurimmune in 2007 under a collaborative development and license agreement. Since October 2017, Biogen and Eisai have collaborated on the development and commercialization of aducanumab globally.

About Neurimmune:

Neurimmune is a biopharmaceutical company translating human immune memory into transformative antibody therapeutics. Neurimmune develops drug candidates for CNS and related protein aggregation diseases including Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies and ATTR cardiomyopathy. Neurimmune discovered aducanumab, a human monoclonal antibody targeting aggregated amyloid beta, together with a team of researchers at the University of Zurich and licensed it to Biogen. With its Reverse Translational Medicine technology, Neurimmune also discovered the anti-tau antibody BIIB076 for Alzheimer's disease, the anti-miSOD1 antibody AP-101 for ALS and the anti-ATTR antibody NI006 for ATTR cardiomyopathy, programs being currently evaluated in clinical trials. Neurimmune has three additional antibody programs in preclinical development and has recently expanded the spectrum of its treatment modalities by adding a small molecule program and programs involving vectorized expression of human antibody genes.

Contact for Media:

Martin Meier-Pfister

+41 43 244 8140

[email protected]

SOURCE Neurimmune
NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The number of Fortune 500 companies with over 40% diversity on their boards is nearly four times higher than it was in 2010, according to the sixth edition of the "Missing Pieces Report: A Board Diversity Census of Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards," a multiyear study published by the Alliance for Board Diversity (ABD), in collaboration with Deloitte.

It will take until 2074  when the U.S. celebrates its tricentennial, before the number of Fortune 500 board seats held by minorities reaches the ABD's aspirational 40% board representation rate. And while women and minorities have made more progress in board representation for the Fortune 500 between 2016 and 2020 than between 2010 and 2016, the average growth for minority representation on boards since 2004 (the first year this data was collected) is less than 0.5% per year. Fortune 500 board representation for women and minorities continues to climb, up from 34% (1,929 board seats) in 2018 to 38.3% (2,253 board seats) in 2020. Since 2010, the number of companies with greater than 40% diversity has nearly quadrupled.

The social justice movements of 2020 served as a wake-up call for many in corporate America, accelerating the focus for greater gender, ethnic, and racial diversity in the boardroom. As many stakeholders around the country have demanded change, businesses are increasingly expected to serve the workforce and community, as well their bottom line. The business case and benefits of diversity  of background, experience, and thought  are evident, and many companies have listened.

Additional key findings for the Fortune 500 include:

African American/Black women gained 29 seats in 2020, an increase of 18.8% from 2018. Surprisingly, African American/Black men lost 5 seats in 2020, a decrease of 1.5% from 2018. African American/Black board members hold 8.7% (510 seats) as of June 30, 2020 per the report's methodology.



per the report's methodology. Hispanic/Latino men gained 13 seats in 2020, an increase of 7.7% from 2018. Hispanic/Latina women gained 14 seats in 2020, an increase of 31.1% from 2018. Hispanic/Latino(a) board members hold 4.1% (240 seats).



Asian/Pacific Islander men gained 33 seats in 2020, an increase of 22.3%from 2018. Asian/Pacific Islander women gained 28 seats, an increase of 45.9% from 2018. Asian/Pacific Islander board members hold 4.6% (270 seats).



White women made the largest strides, gaining 209 board seats in 2020 for an increase of 20.6% from 2018.



After a further analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the data from 2016, 2018, and 2020, the impact of placing women and minorities into the positions of board chair and nominating or governance chair can pay immediate and future dividends for the promotion of board diversity.



While 29 companies demonstrate 60% or greater women and minority representation, no companies in the Fortune 500 are representative of the demographics of the United States , with the benchmarks of 50% women, 13% African American/Black, 18% Hispanic/Latino(a), and 6% Asian/Pacific Islander per the most recent ( July 2019 ) United States Census Bureau, "Population Estimates Quick Facts."



500 are representative of the demographics of , with the benchmarks of 50% women, 13% African American/Black, 18% Hispanic/Latino(a), and 6% Asian/Pacific Islander per the most recent ( ) United States Census Bureau, "Population Estimates Quick Facts." The study also showed that boards more frequently will pull from a pool of existing minority board members instead of bringing in new directors. Two out of every five African American/Black board members serve on multiple Fortune 500 boards.

"While we applaud the progress that businesses have made in increasing board diversity, we need to ensure representation is holistic and inclusive for all  not just for one segment of an underrepresented population," said Linda Akutagawa, chair for the Alliance for Board Diversity and president and CEO, LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics)."Despite heightened focus on board diversity the past year, not a single Fortune 500 boardroom is representative of the population of the US."

Once again, as documented in previous Missing Pieces reports, the Fortune 100 lead the way, exceeding the rate of board seats held by minorities in the Fortune 500, which was close to 18%. The Alliance for Board Diversity initial goal for 40% of all board seats in the Fortune 500 occupied by women and minorities has now been met in the Fortune 100.

Other key findings for the Fortune 100 include:

In 2020, slightly more than 20% of board seats in the Fortune 100 were held by African American/Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic/Latino(a) members.



100 were held by African American/Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic/Latino(a) members. The total number of companies with greater than 40% diversity increased from 46 companies in 2018 to 53 companies in 2020. In other words, over half of companies have 40% of their boards composed of women and minorities.



The total number of companies with over 50% diversity on their boards has nearly doubled in two years  from 10 in 2018 to 19 in 2020.



Hispanic/Latino(a) women and Asian/Pacific Islander men achieved the largest percent increase in board seats: 27.3% (three seats) and 20.7 % (six seats), respectively. African American/Black women gained six seats as well, for an increase of 14.3%.

"The Missing Pieces report shows that while considerable progress has been made, and that companies are moving in the right direction in terms of equal representation on boards, there is still work to be done," said Carey Oven, national managing partner, Center for Board Effectiveness and chief talent officer, Deloitte Risk & Financial Advisory, Deloitte & Touche LLP. "We hope, and encouragingly, are starting to see boardrooms reflect on this information and apply it to ensure a more inclusive process for recruiting not just future board members, but influencing management as well."

To download the full report, "The Missing Pieces Report: The Board Diversity Census of Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards, 6th edition," which includes additional data on board diversity in the Fortune 100, Fortune 500 and a list of companies with the broadest diversity on their boards, please visit https://theabd.org/ and www.deloitte.com.



Research Methodology

The Alliance for Board Diversity (ABD) and Deloitte used a census methodology for the 2020 Board Diversity Census. The Board Diversity Census counts Fortune 500 board directors to provide a measurement of the representation and progress of women and minorities in business leadership and to allow for comparable statistics based not on a discrete list of identical companies from year to year, but on the Fortune-listed companies in the given years for which the census was conducted.

Board Diversity Census analyses are based on companies on the Fortune 500 list published in 2020. ABD examined Fortune 500 companies because they are recognized as some of the most influential businesses in the United States. Fortune selects companies for inclusion in or exclusion from the Fortune 500 based on the annual revenue of a company. The companies with the largest 500 annual revenues comprise the Fortune 500.

For the 2020 Board Diversity Census, to confirm individual board members' gender, race, and ethnicity, Deloitte leveraged a combination of independently verified insight from the Alliance for Board Diversity, third-party data obtained from ESG MSCI, an independent provider of research-driven insights and tools for institutional investors, and ISS Corporate Solutions. To ascertain each company's total number of directors and board composition, Deloitte reviewed Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) annual filings submitted as of June 30, 2020, where the annual meeting was also held by June 30, 2020. If these statements were not available or did not list the board of directors, Deloitte leveraged other financial statements, such as S-4/A and S1/A. For insurance companies that do not submit annual filings to the SEC, Deloitte obtained information from the National Association of Insurance Companies (NAIC) regulatory database of annual statements submitted as of June 30, 2020.[1] Certain data fields (e.g., board chair, lead director, and committee chairs) are not typically identifiable in filings from insurance companies. Additionally, the annual shareholder meeting had to have occurred by June 30, 2020. If these two conditions were not met, Deloitte referred back to the most recent filing that satisfied those parameters. For additional information on the research methodology, please reference the report's appendix.

Additional quotes from members of the Alliance for Board Diversity: Catalyst, Deloitte, Diversified Search Group, HACR, LEAP, The ELC

"We recognize the pool of new board directors is more diverse than ever, but progress is slow and will only improve when companies set intentional targets for gender and underrepresented groups on boards," said Lorraine Hariton, Catalyst president and CEO. "A diverse and inclusive board comes from breaking the habit of relying on the usual candidates, and tapping into various networks to identify board-ready candidates. Without this effort, companies risk falling behind in having a board positioned to address complex challenges."

"To build sustained long-term change for the better, it will take leadership accountability to achieve equitable outcomes for all identities. One of the best ways to do that is through measurement. That starts with disaggregating diversity data at all levels and assessing equity across all systems. With this data in hand, boards have a critical role to play in holding management accountable."  Janet Foutty, executive chair of the board, Deloitte US

"Representation matters, and companies that are intentional in their selection of board leadership have proven successful in recruiting other strong diverse candidates. Diversified Search Group recognizes that opportunity begets opportunity, and that leading by example is often the most effective way to bring about real and substantial progress."  Dale E. Jones, CEO, Diversified Search Group

"The 2021 Missing Pieces Report reveals some progress in overall corporate board diversity. However, the results make clear the necessity of advocacy work from groups like the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility. The report shows that representation for Hispanics and Latinos on corporate boards remains consistently low since 2004, when the Missing Pieces census began. Despite corporate America's slow progress, I'm encouraged to see that, while still underrepresented, Latinas were the demographic with the second-highest increase in board seats of those surveyed. Our research with ABD will help guide HACR's initiatives to achieve equity for Hispanics at the highest levels of corporate America."  Cid Wilson, president and CEO, Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR)

"Anti-Asian hate and systemic racism against communities of color are direct attacks on our core belief that the strength of America lies in our diversity. It is not only urgent for the API community to mobilize the nation to #StopAAPIHate; it is just as important to challenge the corporate community to fill their open board seats to ensure an equitable representation of Asian and Pacific Islanders and other diverse directors. Advancing racial equity and economic inclusion for people of all races, ethnicities, genders and sexual orientation is crucial to ensuring the sustainability of corporate America's creativity and innovation."  Linda Akutagawa, president and CEO, Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP)

"Board diversity in the Fortune 500 is growing at a rate of 2% which is not quickly enough. On top of that, the recycle rate among Black directors remains high. If corporations are serious about achieving true board diversity, they must be intentional about reaching outside of their traditional networks to tap the plethora of qualified, Black board-ready executives who bring proven talent, innovation, and leadership to the boardroom."  Michael C. Hyter, president and CEO of The Executive Leadership Council

About the Alliance for Board Diversity

Founded in 2004, the Alliance for Board Diversity (ABD) is a collaboration of four leadership organizations: Catalyst, The Executive Leadership Council (ELC), the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR), and LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics). Diversified Search, an executive search firm, is a founding partner of the alliance and serves as an advisor and facilitator. The ABD's mission is to enhance shareholder value in Fortune 500 companies by promoting inclusion of women and minorities on corporate boards. More information about ABD is available at https://theabd.org/.

About Catalyst

Catalyst is a global nonprofit working with some of the world's most powerful CEOs and leading companies to help build workplaces that work for women. Founded in 1962, Catalyst drives change with pioneering research, practical tools, and proven solutions to accelerate and advance women into leadership  because progress for women is progress for everyone. For more information, please visit https://www.catalyst.org/.

About Deloitte

Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world's most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500 and more than 7,000 private companies. Our people come together for the greater good and work across the industry sectors that drive and shape today's marketplace  delivering measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in our capital markets, inspire clients to see challenges as opportunities to transform and thrive, and help lead the way toward a stronger economy and a healthier society. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Building on more than 175 years of service, our network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte's more than 330,000 people worldwide connect for impact at www.deloitte.com.

About Diversified Search

Diversified Search Group (DSG) is the largest woman-founded executive search firm in the world and comprises a combination of specialty firms: Diversified Search, BioQuest, Koya Partners, Grant Cooper, and Storbeck Search. With their collective resources and expertise, the firms collaborate across sectors to access diverse talent whose values align with their clients' purpose, producing among the best rates in the industry for placements of women and people of color, repeat clients, and candidate retention. Headquartered in Philadelphia, DSG operates in over a dozen cities across the country and worldwide as the official U.S. partner of AltoPartners, the international alliance of executive search firms with 63 offices in 36 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.diversifiedsearch.com/.

About HACR

Founded in 1986, the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) is one of the most influential advocacy organizations in the nation representing 14 national Hispanic organizations in the United States and Puerto Rico. Our mission is to advance the inclusion of Hispanics in Corporate America at a level commensurate with our economic contributions. To that end, HACR focuses on four areas of corporate social responsibility and market reciprocity: Employment, Procurement, Philanthropy, and Governance. For more information, please visit www.hacr.org.

About LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics)

Founded in 1982, LEAP's mission is to achieve full participation and equality for Asian and Pacific Islanders through leadership, empowerment, and policy. LEAP works to meet its mission by: Developing people, Informing society and Empowering communities. LEAP is the only Asian and Pacific Islander organization dedicated to cultivating a robust pipeline of leaders by encouraging individuals to assume leadership positions at work and in the community, and ultimately, to become role models for future leaders.

About The Executive Leadership Council

The Executive Leadership Council, an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation founded in 1986, is the pre-eminent membership organization committed to increasing the number of global black executives in C-suites, on corporate boards and in global enterprises. Comprised of more than 800 current and former black CEOs, board members and senior executives at Fortune 1000 and Global 500 companies, and entrepreneurs at top-tier firms, its members work to build an inclusive business leadership pipeline that empowers global black leaders to make impactful contributions to the marketplace and the global communities they serve. For more information, please visit www.elcinfo.com.

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee ("DTTL"), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as "Deloitte Global") does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the "Deloitte" name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.

[1] Information submitted to the SEC and NAIC complies with federal or state law. Requirements ensure proper governance, restricting companies to specific content and timing of the filings. SEC filings require companies to list directors serving on the board up to the annual meeting of shareholders and those listed in NAIC filings as directors.

SOURCE Deloitte

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AUSTIN, Texas, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of World Ocean Day, Gathered Foods, makers of Good Catch plant-based seafood, today announced a new partnership with Mission Blue , an organization led by oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, that inspires action to explore and protect our ocean. With a common goal of protecting the world's waters, Good Catch will become a corporate sponsor of Mission Blue to bring awareness and support for ocean conservation to the forefront. Together, Good Catch and Mission Blue will be initiating consumer campaigns to call for greater protection of Mission Blue Hope Spots, which are designated conservation areas protected by Mission Blue programs and government partnerships.

Good Catch is on a mission to propel positive environmental change while providing plant-based protein options for delicious meals that are good for you and good for the planet. This aligns with Mission Blue's commitment to restore the ocean's health by creating Hope Spots and driving ongoing education and advocacy through its founder, Sylvia Earle. Through this partnership, Good Catch and Mission Blue will work hand-in-hand to help preserve important ocean ecosystems and encourage consumers to seek alternate, conscious and culinary solutions that foster a more sustainable future. Good Catch and Mission Blue will also address overfishing and bycatch, both of which are serious marine threats that cause the unnecessary loss of billions of fish, along with hundreds of thousands of sea turtles and cetaceans.

"We created Good Catch to offer plant-based seafood products that are part of the solution to overfishing, polluted oceans and animal welfare concerns," said Chad Sarno, Co-Founder & Chief Culinary Officer at Gathered Foods, makers of Good Catch. "Our new collaboration with Mission Blue is a testament to that dedication. We look forward to providing deeper education for consumers about the importance of protecting our precious oceans  and the beautiful wildlife that calls them home  for future generations."

Mission Blue's Hope Spot Initiative now encompasses 140 key areas of need around the globe that have been scientifically identified as critical to the health of the ocean, like the Galapagos Islands, the Salish Sea and the Balearic Islands, to name a few. Through this partnership, Good Catch and Mission Blue will invite consumers to take part in helping our oceans reach a healthier and more sustainable future. The initiative supports reduced industrial fishing activities and joins the call to create a first-ever, binational Marine Protected Area between two Mission Blue Hope Spots, Ecuador's Galapagos Islands and Costa Rica's Cocos Island. This protected binational waterway would help both countries achieve their goal of protecting 30% of their marine environment by 2030 while allowing safe passage for migratory species, like the critically endangered scalloped hammerhead shark, that travel between the islands.

"There is a strong alliance between Good Catch's mission to provide a healthy alternative to wildlife extracted from the ocean and Mission Blue's efforts to restore the ocean, the blue heart of the planet," said Dr. Sylvia Earle, Founder and Chairman of Mission Blue.

The number of overfished stocks has tripled in half a century and today fully one-third of the world's assessed fisheries are pushed beyond their biological limits.* By positively disrupting the seafood category, Good Catch offers a delicious plant-based solution to bycatch, mercury contamination and overfishing by delivering comparable protein with the same taste and texture as their animal-based counterparts.

For more information on Good Catch, please visit goodcatchfoods.com and follow @goodcatchfoods on Instagram , Facebook and Twitter . For more information on Mission Blue, please visit mission-blue.org and follow @mission_blue on Instagram .

*According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

About Gathered Foods

Gathered Foods, makers of Good Catch plant-based seafood, is an innovative food company focused on propelling change through plant-based alternatives. United by a love of good food, plant-based eating and animal welfare, Gathered Foods is on a mission to raise consciousness, reduce harm and preserve environmental resources, all while delivering a great culinary experience. The team is dedicated to creating craveworthy plant-based foods for everyone, from vegan to omnivore and everybody in between. Visit GatheredFoods.com for more information.

About Good Catch

Good Catch is a chef-driven brand developing flavorful, plant-based seafood alternatives. Founded by pioneering chefs Derek and Chad Sarno, Good Catch products offer the taste, texture and eating experience of seafood without harming the environment. Good Catch products include single-serve, ready-to-eat pouches of Plant-Based Tuna and frozen Plant-Based Fish Burgers, Plant-Based Crab Cakes, Plant-Based Thai Fish Cakes available in retailers across the US and Canada, with growing foodservice partners and wider distribution planned. Stay tuned for more retail and foodservice news on Plant-Based Breaded Fish Sticks, Plant-Based Breaded Fish Fillets, Plant-Based Breaded Crab Cakes, plus more exciting product launches soon! Visit GoodCatchFoods.com and follow @goodcatchfoods on Facebook and Instagram.

About Mission Blue

Led by legendary oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue is uniting a global coalition to inspire an upwelling of public awareness, access and support for a worldwide network of marine protected areas  Hope Spots. Under Dr. Earle's leadership, the Mission Blue team implements communications campaigns that elevates Hope Spots to the world stage through documentaries, social media, traditional media and innovative tools like Google Earth. Mission Blue also embarks on regular oceanic expeditions that shed light on these vital ecosystems and build support for their protection. Currently, the Mission Blue alliance includes more than 180 respected ocean conservation groups and like-minded organizations, from large multinational companies to individual scientific teams doing important research. Additionally, Mission Blue supports the work of conservation NGOs around the world that share the mission of building public support for ocean protection. With the concerted effort and passion of people and organizations around the world, Hope Spots can become a reality and form a global network of marine protected areas large enough to restore the ocean, the blue heart of the planet.

SOURCE Gathered Foods

Related Links

www.goodcatchfoods.com


DUBLIN, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Branded Jewellery Market - Analysis By Material (Diamond, Gold, Silver, Platinum), Product Type, Distribution Channel, By Region, By Country (2021 Edition): Market Insights, Covid-19 Impact, Competition and Forecast (2021-2026)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Branded Jewellery Market was valued at USD 284.23 Billion in the year 2020.

With the increased disposable income in highly populated countries such as China and India, the growth rate of Branded Jewellery market is increasing and is expected to grow further in upcoming years.

There is a major preference towards high-end jewellery, which gives a sense of perceived status, sense of trust and upgraded lifestyle. The market is expected to witness strong demand, particularly from developing countries of Asia Pacific as a result of increased purchasing power in the urban class population.



The jewellery market is highly fragmented with the leading five to six companies accounting for around 20% of the market share. LVMH with iconic brands like LV and Dior, along with the high profile acquisition of Tiffany leads the market. For the LV brand, the company is developing fine jewellery and are sourcing precious stones.

Similarly, for the Dior brand, it is expanding its offerings with key strategies to get a share of the fine jewellery as well as high jewellery markets. Other key player like Van Cleef has increased its focus on its collection, Alhambra, and introducing innovative ideas and creativity to further this brand and generate more sales.



Ring segment is expected to be holding the largest share in the Global Branded Jewellery Market because there are so many health benefits associated with wearing a ring. Moreover, the manufacturers are introducing new products of different shapes and colors to fulfill the changing consumer demand.



Further, there has been an evident growth in the online sales of apparels and jewellery which is propelling the market growth rate. One of the major impact of Covid-19 pandemic is the increasing usage of online as an important sales channel. Mostly, all the major jewellery brands are leveraging the online sales channel barring few players like Boucheron and Bucellati.



Asia pacific region is anticipated to hold a noteworthy share in the market on account of increasing middle income group and traditional value and beliefs. Furthermore, the presence of key market players in the region also supports the market growth in this region during the forecast period.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Report Scope and Methodology



2. Strategic Recommendations



3. Global Branded Jewellery Market: Product Overview



4. Global Branded Jewellery Market: An Analysis

4.1 Market Size, By Value, 2016-2020

4.2 Market Size, By Value, 2021-2026

4.3 Impact of COVID-19 on Global Branded Jewellery Market

4.4 Global Economic & Industrial Outlook



5. Global Branded Jewellery Market: Segment Analysis

5.1 Global Branded Jewellery Market by Product Type

5.2 Competitive Scenario of Global Branded Jewellery Market- By Product Type

5.3 By Necklace, By Value (USD Billion), 2016-2026

5.4 By Ring, By Value (USD Billion), 2016-2026

5.5 By Earring, By Value (USD Billion), 2016-2026

5.6 By Other, By Value (USD Billion), 2016-2026



6. Global Branded Jewellery Market: Analysis By Material

6.1 Global Branded Jewellery Market: Segment Analysis

6.2 Competitive Scenario of Global Branded Jewellery Market- By Material

6.3 By Diamond, By value (USD Billion), 2016-2026

6.4 By Gold, By Value (USD Billion), 2016-2026

6.5 By Silver, By Value (USD Billion), 2016-2026

6.6 By Platinum, By Value (USD Billion), 2016-2026



7. Global Branded Jewellery Market: Analysis By Distribution Channel

7.1 Global Branded Jewellery Market: By Distribution Channel

7.2 Competitive Scenario of Global Branded Jewellery Market- By Distribution Channel

7.3 By Offline Stores, By value (USD Billion) 2016-2026

7.4 By Online Store, By value (USD Billion) 2016-2026



8. North America Branded Jewellery Market: An Analysis (2016-2026)



9. Europe Branded Jewellery Market: An Analysis (2016-2026)



10. Asia Pacific Branded Jewellery Market: An Analysis (2016-2026)



11. LAMEA Branded Jewellery Market: An Analysis (2016-2026)



12. Global Branded Jewellery Market Dynamics



13. Market Attractiveness and Strategic Analysis



14. Competitive Landscape



15. Company Profiles (Business Description, Financial Analysis, Business Strategy)

15.1 Richemont

15.2 LVMH

15.3 Pandora

15.4 Chow Toi Fook

15.5 Signet Jewelers

15.6 Titan Company

15.7 Emperor Watch & Jewellery

15.8 Chanel

15.9 Malabar Gold & Diamonds

15.10 Chopard

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/uewqyf

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

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DRESDEN, N.Y., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study released today outlines the significant positive economic impact on the Finger Lakes Region and New York State being made by Greenidge Generation. The study, conducted over the last several weeks by Appleseed, a highly regarded economic consulting firm, included a detailed analysis of Greenidge's impact on job creation, state and local taxes, and support for New York State and local businesses. It details the company's considerable private investment to transform its facility into a clean, reliable source of power for thousands of homes and businesses in New York State and innovative data processing center mining cryptocurrency.

Greenidge's favorable impact on families across the Finger Lakes is profound, the study concluded. The company has already added dozens of new jobs at its Dresden location, and expects to add at least 10 more full-time positions in the next 12 months.

Appleseed conclusions included the following:

"Statewide (including Yates County), we estimate that Greenidge's combined spending on ongoing operations and capital investments in 2020 directly and indirectly supported 108 jobs in New York, with earnings totaling nearly $8.4 million [and] nearly $16.8 million in statewide economic output.

"Greenidge is  and will continue to be  a vital part of the County's and Region's economic future."

The Study's key findings included :

From 2014 through 2020, Greenidge Generation's capital investments directly and indirectly supported 183 jobs in New York State in construction and related industries, with nearly $13.4 million in employee earnings.

in construction and related industries, with nearly in employee earnings. Without Greenidge's annual tax payments, maintaining the level of spending authorized in the Town of Torrey's 2020 budget would have required an increase of approximately 6.84 percent in real property taxes paid by the Town's other taxpayers.

The annual salaries and wages of full-time employees at Greenidge in 2020 averaged $77,565  more than double the average earnings of all wage-and-salary workers in Yates County in 2019.

In 2020 alone, during the most difficult months of COVID-19 pandemic, spending by Greenidge supported over 80 businesses in Upstate New York.

"This study is clear and convincing evidence; Greenidge is making an enormous contribution to our state and local economy, and to people's quality of life here in the Finger Lakes," said Dale Irwin, CEO of Greenidge Generation LLC. "Our operation is generating millions in economic activity, benefitting local and statewide businesses, and we are creating new high-tech jobs right here in New York State, the financial capital of the world. That is why we have overwhelming support  from local government, many civic organizations, our neighbors and the awesome IBEW workers that are helping to create our amazing data center project."

"We certainly knew up here the positive impact of Greenidge's transformation but to see the analysis from a reputable New York-based firm like Appleseed really reinforces the reason why we're all so excited about the future here," added Tim Dennis, Chair of the Greenidge Community Advisory Board and former Yates County Legislative Chairman. "The impact Greenidge is having is both positive and profound."

Founded in 1993, Appleseed provides economic impact analysis studies, economic development planning, social research and analysis, and strategic planning and program development services to government, non-profit and corporate clients. The firm has extensive experience in providing economic and community impact analyses for institutions spanning major U.S. colleges and universities, multinational corporations, city and state agencies and cultural institutions. These entities have included organizations such as Cornell University, Ithaca College, Empire State Development Corporation, Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Con Edison.

About Greenidge Generation LLC

Greenidge Generation LLC is a vertically integrated bitcoin mining and power generation facility in Upstate New York. Boasting an environmentally-sound operation that has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years, Greenidge employs dozens of skilled associates, creating attractive new blockchain jobs and serving as an anchor for the Upstate New York economy.

Link to Appleseed Economic Impact study: https://greenidgellc.com/static/pdf/Greenidge-Economic-Study-Appleseed.pdf

SOURCE Greenidge Generation LLC

Related Links

https://greenidgellc.com


The Tula factory is the first overseas vehicle manufacturing plant of a Chinese automobile enterprise, covering four major production processes: stamping, welding, painting and final assembly. At the early stage of construction, for the purpose of accelerating localization, GWM specially built a special railroad to connect the factory to Russia's road network and introduced international manufacturing processes and quality management and environmental protection measures to boost the creation of a local automobile manufacturing industry cluster. Currently, the factory boasts an annual production capacity of 150,000 units and ensures smart, safe and efficient production. The parts of stamping equipment are transported using linear seven-axis robots produced by ABB in Sweden, and continuous mode presses by FAGOR in Spain. The welding workshop is equipped with ABB's robots and EMS's automatic distribution system, with the automation rate of the main welding line reaching 100%. The inspection line of the final assembly workshop conducts vehicle testing with the comprehensive test benches of Durr in Germany. They fully manifest the new height of China's automobile manufacturing. Moreover, to build a global supply chain, GWM has established an engine factory in the Tula factory and plans to provide and install engines for this factory on more than 90% of HAVAL automobiles by 2022.

Based on superior geographical location, the Tula factory can reach out to neighboring countries in Central Asia, Eastern Europe and Northern Europe, which is significant for GWM's globalization strategy and will be an important node to connect the Asian and European markets. In addition, GWM's Rayong factory in Thailand has recently announced a plan to launch 9 new vehicles in the next 3 years, including the two hot-selling models HAVAL H6 and ORA Good Cat, and is committed to promote Thailand as a new generation of automobile manufacturing center in the ASEAN region, and provide GWM with a strong guarantee to enter the world's major automobile market.

The completion and operation of the three overseas vehicle plants have laid a solid foundation for GWM to further expand its global business. In the future, while accelerating its globalization, GWM will make more efforts to build a new image of "Created in China" on behalf of Chinese automobile brands.

SOURCE GWM
DETROIT, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Alliance Plan (HAP) ranked highest in member satisfaction among commercial health plans in the Michigan region, according to the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Commercial Member Health Plan StudySM. This marks two out of the last three years that HAP has been ranked #1 according to this study by J.D. Power.

The study measures satisfaction based on six key factors: billing and payment; cost; coverage and benefits; customer service; information and communication; and provider choice, as well as other key aspects of member engagement. HAP received the highest regional score among eligible health plans and excelled in overall customer satisfaction. HAP was the top regional performer on coverage and benefits, information and communication, billing and payment, and cost.

The Member Health Plan Study is the result of responses from 32,066 members of 150 health plans in 22 regions throughout the U.S. The study is based on member responses between January and March 2021, with respondents being asked to evaluate their experience over the past 12 months.

"We are thrilled with HAP's most recent J.D. Power honor," said Dr. Michael Genord, president and CEO, HAP. "One of the most gratifying things about this award is that it measures member satisfaction. HAP's primary goal is to put the member at the center of everything we do, so it's encouraging to know our members are pleased enough to rank us highly. Equally gratifying is the fact that we achieved such high scores during a year that saw Michigan hit especially hard by COVID-19. Recognition during such difficult times is a testament to the hard work, dedication and creativity shown by the HAP team in supporting our members when they need us the most."

About J.D. Power

J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies.

J.D. Power is headquartered in Troy, Mich., and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company's business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The J.D. Power auto shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com.

About Health Alliance Plan

Health Alliance Plan (HAP) is a Michigan-based, nonprofit health plan that provides health coverage to individuals and companies of all sizes. For 60 years, HAP has partnered with leading doctors and hospitals, employers and community organizations to enhance the health and well-being of the lives it touches. HAP offers a product portfolio with six distinct product lines: Group Insured Commercial, Individual, Medicare, Medicaid (using the HAP Empowered name), Self-Funded and Network Leasing. HAP excels in delivering award-winning preventive services, disease management and wellness programs, as well as personalized customer service. For more information, visit www.hap.org.

SOURCE Health Alliance Plan
"Hattie B's has built an iconic brand around the best fried chicken in America, so the ability to combine the signature flavors of this legendary establishment with our innovative product delivers a home run snack experience. Not to mention, it's my favorite restaurant in the country," Harrison Fugman, Flock Foods CEO, said. "After growing 3,300 percent during our first year operating Flock, we couldn't be happier to bring our customers their most requested flavor with this best-in-class partner," Jake Drwal, Flock Foods VP of operations added.

Hattie B's Hot Chicken and Flock Chicken Chips first connected through Instagram during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic and spent six months crafting this new offering. The partnership represents Hattie B's first foray into packaged goods and Flock's first external collaboration.

"We're both crazy about Southern fried chicken. I can't believe how much flavor and punch we packed into this healthy snack, and I'm thrilled to welcome folks from around the country to the Hattie B's family  cheat day or not," Brian Morris, Hattie B's executive chef and vice president of culinary, learning and development, said.

While the Nashville-based restaurant is located in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Nevada, the new Hattie B's Flock Chips are available nationwide on flockfoods.com .

ABOUT FLOCK CHICKEN CHIPS: Flock Chicken Chips , named the #1 snack by Men's Health in 2020, are crispy chips made from chicken skin. With 13g of protein and 0-1 carbs, the premium and flavorful chips deliver a delicious crunch and are a great healthy on-the-go snack.

ABOUT THE NAKED MARKET: The Naked Market , founded in 2018, is a food and beverage company that owns a portfolio of highly-innovative snack brands, including: Flock Chicken Chips , AvoCrazy and Project Breakfast .

ABOUT HATTIE B'S HOT CHICKEN: With an emphasis on quality, flavor and Southern hospitality, Hattie B's Hot Chicken is renowned nationally for its hot chicken served with varying levels of heat from Southern (no heat), mild, medium, hot, damn hot to the daredevil's dream, Shut the Cluck Up. Operated by father-and-son team Nick Bishop and Nick Bishop Jr., the fast casual eatery is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., with locations in Birmingham, Ala., Memphis, Tenn., Atlanta, Ga. and Las Vegas.

PRESS INQUIRIES, CONTACT: Leila Belcher / LJB Public Relations / 303-345-1805 / [email protected]

SOURCE The Naked Market

Related Links

thenakedmarket.com


CARLSBAD, Calif., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hollywood Piano headquartered in Burbank, CA has been named a Top 100 Dealer by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), the global association of music instruments and pro audio products. The award honors retail music dealers who demonstrate exceptional commitment to their stores, neighborhoods, and customers and share in a vision to create a more musical world through their local communities. Hollywood Piano will be presented with the award on Thursday, June 15 at Summer NAMM, the industry's annual mid-year gathering, in Nashville, Tennessee.

NAMM Top100 Hollywood Piano headquarters with the historic original neon sign.

"I'm honored and humbled by this immense honor for an unprecedented 7th time. It's gratifying to be recognized for our outstanding customer experience, paired with our passionate support of music and the arts in the community," said Glenn Treibitz Hollywood Piano President & CEO.

NAMM's Top 100 Dealer Awards spotlight the industry's very best music product retailers. To determine the list, an independent panel of judges reviewed hundreds of submissions that are rated across categories that include customer service, innovation, music advocacy, store design, marketing, and sales promotions and are scored in accordance to determine the Top 100 list.

On Thursday, July 15 at the Awards,Hollywood Piano's entry will be evaluated for one of several awards, including the "Innovation Award," "Best Community Retail Store," and the coveted "Dealer of the Year" Award.

To learn more about Hollywood Piano please visit www.hollywoodpiano.com or visit 323 South Front Street, Burbank, CA 91502. Or the location in Santa Ana and the Outlet Center in Pasadena.

To learn more about NAMM and the Top 100 Dealer Awards, please visit https://www.namm.org/summer/2021/top-dealer-awards/winners.

Registration is now open for Summer NAMM. Visit https://www.namm.org/summer/2021/attend to learn more about the industry gathering and to register.

Media Contact:

George Morales

818-954-8400 ext 7002

[email protected]

About NAMM

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) is the not-for-profit association with a mission to strengthen the $17 billion music products industry and promote the pleasures and benefits of making music. NAMM's activities and programs are designed to promote music-making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of approximately 10,400 Member companies located in more than 104 countries. For more information about NAMM or the proven benefits of making music, interested parties can visit www.namm.org, call 800-767-NAMM (6266) or follow the organization on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

SOURCE NAMM
China urges U.S. to sever official, military ties with Taiwan

Xinhua) 10:57, June 08, 2021

BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Monday urged the United States to cut off any form of official exchanges and military contact with China's Taiwan.

"We urge the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques and appropriately handle Taiwan-related issues," said Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. Ma was commenting on the recent visit of three U.S. senators to Taiwan.

In the face of a worsening COVID-19 epidemic, Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority has ignored the health and safety of people in Taiwan and stirred up trouble across the Taiwan Strait, Ma said.

The DPP authority's indifference to Taiwan people's lives and wellbeing and its shameless political manipulation have again exposed its nature of seeking "Taiwan independence," he added.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Moscow Business Ombudsman to follow up cases of detained entrepreneurs

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

16:25 08/06/2021

MOSCOW, June 8 (RAPSI)  Moscow Business Rights Commissioner Tatiana Mineyeva and Deputy Moscow Prosecutor Sergey Savenkov are planning to visit businessmen awaiting trial in pretrial detention during the year, the press service of the Business Ombudsman informs on Tuesday.

Mineyeva, together with Savenkov, head of the Moscow Directorate of the Federal Penitentiary Service Sergey Moroz, chairman of the Moscow Public Supervisory Board Georgy Volkov and Public Commissioner for Interaction with Law Enforcement and Oversight Bodies Yevgeny Korchago hosted a meeting with entrepreneurs who are in custody in Moscow Pretrial Detention Center No. 5.

According to the press service of the Business Ombudsman, ten persons under investigation on charges of serious fraud or fraud committed by an organized group filed complaints about unjustified criminal prosecution. Some of them, during the reception, complained about frequent red tape instances in the course of investigation of their criminal cases, about the exceeding of the established investigation timelines and about the absence of investigative actions during the year. As a result of the meeting, four persons under investigation filed petitions for mitigation of the restraint measures undertaken with respect to them. Most of the appeals were taken under the control of the Business Ombudsman.

It is not the first time that the businessmen under investigation are appealing to the Business Rights Commissioner to find a solution to the red tape problem. However, there were no complaints about the conditions of detention, the statement reads. After the meeting had been over, Mineyeva and Savenkov discussed systemic problems and agreed to cooperate in monitoring how the situation unfolds throughout the year.
DALLAS, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hospice Source, the leading provider of durable medical equipment dedicated to the hospice market, has acquired Respiratory Therapy Home Care (RTHC) of Bellflower, California. This acquisition expands Hospice Source's position as the largest provider of durable medical equipment to hospice patients in the state of California. This acquisition represents the 14th acquisition completed by Hospice Source in the last 5 years.

Jeff West, CEO of Hospice Source, stated "Hospice Source is committed to providing exceptional patient care to all its hospice partners. The acquisition of RTHC allows us to extend that passion for service to a greater number of Southern California hospice patients and hospice partners. We welcome our new team members, hospice partners and patients to the Hospice Source family."

Tim Hansen, President of RTHC added "In contemplating the sale of our business after nearly 25 years, it was critically important that we found a buyer who has the same focus on excellent patient care. Jeff and his team at Hospice Source fit that description to a T. I'm thrilled to be staying on with the Hospice Source team, with the goal of expanding our reach in the Eastern United States and beyond."

About Hospice Source

Based in Carrollton, TX, Hospice Source is the premier national provider of home medical equipment ("HME") exclusively to the hospice market. Hospice Source currently provides service to patients and hospice providers in multiple states from 62 locations.

To learn more: www.hospicesource.net

About TCP

Hospice Source is a portfolio company of Transition Capital Partners. Transition Capital Partners ("TCP") is a Dallas, TX based, family office funded, private investment firm. Founded in 1993, TCP has successfully invested in over 45 lower middle market companies spanning a diverse array of industries. TCP is affiliated with the Patterson Thomas Family Office.

TCP partners with management teams to build sustainable value in businesses over the long-term, without the artificial constraints fundraising cycles create for traditional private equity funds. With more than twenty years of proven success, we have a long track record of collaborating with our partners to accelerate the growth of lower middle market companies.

To learn more: www.tcplp.com

Contact: Clay Hooten, Director of Marketing and Communications

214.572.0520 | [email protected]

SOURCE Hospice Source

Related Links

hospicesource.net


JERSEY CITY, N.J., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Verified Market Research recently published a report, "Immuno Oncology Assays Market" By Product (Consumables, Software and Services, and Instruments), By Technology (PCR, Flow Cytometry, Immunoassay, Next-Generation Sequencing and In Situ Hybridization), By Indication (Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Bladder Cancer, Melanoma and Other Cancers), By Application (Research Applications and Clinical Diagnostics), and By Geography. According to Verified Market Research, the Global Immuno Oncology Assays Market was valued at USD 181.68 Billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 281.90 Billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 5.65% from 2021 to 2028.

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/download-sample/?rid=7664

Browse in-depth TOC on "Immuno Oncology Assays Market"

202 - Pages

126  Tables

37  Figures

Global Immuno Oncology Assays Market Overview

An important driver for growth of the Immuno Oncology Assays market is the rise in the incidences of Cancer. According to the data released by IARC on 14th December, the updated Globocan 2020, with new estimates on the global cancer burden, indicating that it has risen to 19.3 million cases and 10 million cancer deaths in 2020. These new estimates suggest that more than 50 million people are living within five years of a past cancer diagnosis. Cancer is a type of disease which proliferates through multiple molecular processes and has multiple stages. Therefore, it is difficult to find out a cure for cancer that works for all kinds. Immuno Oncology Assays, are therefore important to understand the interactions of the immune system and these cancer cells to develop various cancer therapies.

Technological advancements in Immuno Oncology Assays have also contributed to the growth of the market. The interaction of the immune system doesn't happen with only one kind of cell, it interacts with several different kinds of cells, and in a very complicated manner. Therefore, single-cell technologies have emerged as powerful tools to get useful information about the Tumor Microenvironment (TME). Although tremendous efforts have been devoted to T-cell characterizations, other immune cells of the innate and adaptive immune systems, including DCs, macrophages, NK cells, and B cells, have also been shown to contribute to tumor progression and immunotherapy responses.

Key Developments in Immuno Oncology Assays Market

In July 2018 , Thermo Fisher Scientific today announced the launch of its Oncomine TCR Beta-SR Assay, a new next-generation sequencing (NGS) solution for immuno-oncology research designed to characterize T-cell clonality in the tumor microenvironment  a key approach to identify potential biomarkers associated with immune response.

, Thermo Fisher Scientific today announced the launch of its Oncomine TCR Beta-SR Assay, a new next-generation sequencing (NGS) solution for immuno-oncology research designed to characterize T-cell clonality in the tumor microenvironment  a key approach to identify potential biomarkers associated with immune response. Thermo Fisher Scientific has formed a strategic partnership with PharmAbcine in June 2020 . The partnership was aimed to develop and manufacture PMC-309, a next-generation immune checkpoint blockade to treat cancer.

The major players in the market are Agilent Technologies, Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., PerkinElmer, Inc., Illumina, Inc., PerkinElmer, Inc., Crown Bioscience Inc., InSphero Inc., Merck & Company, Inc., F.Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., HTG Molecular Diagnostics, Inc., among others.

Verified Market Research has segmented the Global Immuno Oncology Assays Market On the basis of Product, Application, Indication, Technology and Geography.

Immuno Oncology Assays Market by Product

Consumables



Software and Services



Instrument

Immuno Oncology Assays Market by Application

Research Applications



Clinical Diagnostic

Immuno Oncology Assays Market by Indication

Lung Cancer



Breast Cancer



Colorectal Cancer



Bladder Cancer



Melanoma



Other Cancers

Immuno Oncology Assays Market by Technology

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)



Flow Cytometry



Immunoassay



Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)



In Situ Hybridization (IS

Immuno Oncology Assays Market by Geography

North America



U.S





Canada





Mexico



Europe



Germany





France





U.K





Rest of Europe



Asia Pacific



China





Japan





India





Rest of Asia Pacific



ROW



Middle East & Africa

&



Latin America

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Top 5 mantle cell lymphoma hospitals knocking down the malignant tumours

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FELTON, Calif., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --The global Integrated Workplace Management System Market size is estimated to arrive at USD 7.85 billion by 2027. It is projected to develop by 12.8% CAGR from 2021 to 2027.

What are Key Factors Driving the Integrated Workplace Management System Market?

Increasing demand for the resolution, which can assist in making better the performance of the business, strengthen progress of the company, abridge workload, enhance customer service, and decrease running capital, is anticipated to impel the market growth.

Moreover, the global business organizations are concentrating on decreasing the operational expenses and increase the efficiency of their administrative procedure. This is expected to propel the demand for integrated workplace management system, for the period of the forecast.

Rising technologies, similar to the Internet of Things (IoT), are expected to offer important development opening to the market. Since, the data can be automatically composed and later on can be scrutinize for safeguarding reason, the implementation of IoT can considerably make things easier of the business process. The acceptance of IoT in the enterprises is capable of considerably reduce the stress on the workplace management tools and furthermore facilitate businesses to create superior decisions.

The integrated workplace management system software is also used for tracing the usage of utility as well as spending, such as the measurement of the efforts to decrease operating overheads. Moreover, the superior flexibility of a number of integrated workplace management system solutions and their ability to adjust to the altering and increasing requirements of the businesses are expected to steer the expansion of the integrated workplace management system (IWMS) market, for the period of the forecast.

Please click here to get the sample pdf and find more details on "Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS) Market" Report 2027.

Further key findings from the report suggest:

The regional market of Asia Pacific is expected to record a major expansion rate, during the period of the forecast. This can be accredited to the increasing acceptance of the different workplace management functions, on the cloud, within the region. It comprises employee management, project management, asset management, and floor space management, for superior management.

is expected to record a major expansion rate, during the period of the forecast. This can be accredited to the increasing acceptance of the different workplace management functions, on the cloud, within the region. It comprises employee management, project management, asset management, and floor space management, for superior management. The Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector is estimated to record considerable enlargement, during the forecast period, in terms of enterprise size. Due to the progression in SaaS tools, Small & Medium Enterprises are able to make use of reasonably priced software solutions and contend with bigger companies by equivalent efficiencies. This is estimated to power the demand for integrated workplace management system, in Small & Medium Enterprises.

The managed services section is likely to show momentous enlargement, during the forecast period, in terms of service. This can be credited to the increasing reliance of the businesses on IT resources, to enhance their efficiency.

The IT & Telecom sector is projected to record, sizeable expansion, all through the forecast period, in terms of end use. This can be credited to the increasing demand from IT & Telecom companies for re-assess operational policies and use sophisticated technologies through the business procedure, to retain a viable place.

The cloud section is anticipated to record the major expansion, for the period of the forecast, in terms of deployment, due to the reality that cloud deployment facilitates consumers to get in touch with records, from several locations in a comfortable manner, abolishing the necessity to physically and frequently improve the solutions.

Due to the increasing necessity for improvement and repairs of existing resolution for superior administration, the real estate & lease management section is expected to record momentous augmentation throughout the forecast period, in terms of the solution.

Browse 120 page research report with TOC on "Global Integrated Workplace Management System Market" at: https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/global-integrated-workplace-management-system-iwms-market

Million Insights segmented the global integrated workplace management system market based on End Use, Enterprise Size, Deployment, Service, Solution, and Region:

Integrated Workplace Management System Solution Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

Real Estate & Lease Management



Facilities & Space Management



Asset & Maintenance Management



Project Management



Environment Management

Integrated Workplace Management System Service Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

Professional Services



Managed Services

Integrated Workplace Management System Deployment Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

On-premise



Cloud

Integrated Workplace Management System Enterprise Size Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

Large Enterprises



Small & Medium Enterprises

Integrated Workplace Management System End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

Public Sector



IT & Telecom



Manufacturing



BFSI



Real Estate & Construction



Retail



Healthcare



Other

Integrated Workplace Management System Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

North America



U.S.





Canada



Europe



U.K.





Germany



Asia Pacific



China





India





Japan



Latin America



Brazil



Middle East & Africa

& Companies

SAP SE



Nemetschek Group (Space well)



International Business Machines Corporation



FM: Systems



Accruent



Trimble Inc.



Plan on



MRI Software LLC



FSI (FM Solutions) Limited



ARCHIBUS, Inc.

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HOUSTON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hitch is the Texas-grown, affordable alternative to long-haul ride share and same-day courier service, growing 50% month over month this year. The company is giving not only Uber and Lyft a run for their money, but UPS and FedEx as well.

With Hitch, same-day deliveries between 11 of the most populous Texas cities is (on average) 10 times less the price of UPS, FedEx and other courier services. Ride share with Hitch for trips over 50 miles is also typically five times less expensive than Uber and Lyft, while simultaneously providing more revenue for the drivers.

Until now there has not been much of a shakeup in the 50  350 mile transportation space, which is what attracted investment for expansion from the founders of uShip, the world's largest freight transportation marketplace.

"Affordable, emergency shipping is a game changer. Hitch is bringing people together in really meaningful ways after a tough year of isolation. The stories are heartwarming - from vital medications delivered that were accidentally left behind, to perishable care packages couriered between shut-in family and friends. We constantly hear from our customers that they didn't think they could afford to send what they needed to or get to where they wanted to go until they discovered us," said Hitch investor Jay Manickam, whom also co-founded uShip, Everfest and several other well-known Texas startups.

College students in particular are the main drivers flocking to Hitch to make money by simply driving between school and other Texas cities they visit anyway, and only Hitch offers the option to see if your friends are headed to where you are, before you book a ride  something the company calls hacking serendipity.

The interesting backstory on how a college student started a viable company

Hitch was founded out of the desire to affordably connect. When the pandemic first began,Singh's mother wanted to send him some homemade Indian food from Dallas to UT Austin, but same-day shipping would have cost hundreds of dollars. That's when the light bulb went off and he developed the company with zero capital, logging over 25,000 miles behind the wheel to prove his model worthy of investment.

Singh, now 22, was not even old enough to rent a car to test out his model  he had to borrow his friend's car to drive people and items between Texas cities. He did this for free for over a year, never telling passengers he was the CEO, and even wrecked his friend's car in the process. The end result was all worth it: a viable company that is successfully filling the 50 - 350 mile ride share gap that no company has been able to quite master yet.

"No one wants to take a crowded bus, plane or Uber to get between Texas cities when you can have a private car for way less money. Ride share services such as Uber and Lyft are made for short distances, not puddle-jumping between cities. Car ownership has been on the decline for years, and is still trending that way. With business and student traveling heavily resuming, Hitch is filling a huge gap in the market for affordable, convenient, comfortable transportation," said Singh.

Media Contact:

Jennifer R. Gooding

Narwhal Media Group

[email protected]

Cell: 310.927.1829

SOURCE Hitch

Related Links

https://www.ridehitch.com


DALLAS, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobs (NYSE:J) was selected by Health Infrastructure to deliver architectural services for the New South Wales (NSW) government's $582 million (AU $750 million) Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) Hospital Stage 1 Redevelopment project to redevelop and expand the existing facility to meet growing demand for healthcare services within the community.

The RPA redevelopment will deliver a new hospital building and refurbishment of existing spaces, including more adult inpatient beds and expanded emergency department, intensive care unit, medical imaging services, operating theaters, and maternity, birthing and neonatal services. Jacobs' architects will deliver interior and exterior design and health planning services.

"We've worked collaboratively with Health Infrastructure for more than 10 years to design world-leading, technology-forward, award winning healthcare facilities for local communities and our appointment on this project is testament to this successful partnership," said Jacobs Executive Vice President Patrick Hill. "Thoughtful and tactical staging of the work is critical to this project and we'll draw on our strong relationship with key stakeholders and working knowledge of hospital operations to reduce the impacts on hospital staff, patients and the delivery of patient care."

Jacobs was previously engaged to develop the precinct plan which included developing a sustainability strategy for a new, world-class, sustainable, integrated health and education precinct centered around the existing RPA Hospital. Taking its cue from the broader precinct development sustainability strategy, the hospital redevelopment project will take a circular economy/adaptive reuse approach, with existing buildings to be repurposed and retrofitted to integrate new technologies and support modern models of care.

The project is commencing one year earlier than originally planned, fast tracked by the NSW government as part of its COVID-19 Recovery Plan to create new jobs, improve resilience and build a future-proof economy.

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $14 billion in revenue and a talent force of approximately 55,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. Visit jacobs.com and connect with Jacobs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related reaction of governments on global and regional market conditions and the company's business. For a description of some additional factors that may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements, see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 2, 2020, and in particular the discussions contained under Item 1 - Business; Item 1A - Risk Factors; Item 3 - Legal Proceedings; and Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 2, 2021, and in particular the discussions contained under Part I, Item 2 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations; Part II, Item 1 - Legal Proceedings; and Part II, Item 1A - Risk Factors, as well as the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company is not under any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results, except as required by applicable law.

For press/media inquiries:

Kerrie Sparks

214.583.8433

SOURCE Jacobs

Related Links

http://www.jacobs.com


Khiron's largest shipment to date of EU-GMP certified medical cannabis product arrives in Germany

Khiron 20/1, a THC-dominant Cannabis flower, becomes second Khiron-branded product to launch in Germany , having been prescribed in the UK

, having been prescribed in the UK 36.6kg shipment expected to have positive impact on Q2 2021 medical cannabis sales in Europe

German medical cannabis market positioned for significant growth with national insurance coverage and an estimated patient base of over 100,000

TORONTO, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Khiron Life Sciences Corp. ("Khiron" or the "Company") (TSXV: KHRN) (OTCQX: KHRNF) (Frankfurt: A2JMZC), a vertically integrated medical cannabis leader with core operations in Latin America and Europe, is pleased to announce the receipt of the Company's largest ever shipment of EU-GMP certified medical cannabis product for distribution and sale into the German market.

Recently, Khiron's German distribution partner, Nimbus Health GmbH, received approximately 36kg of Khiron 20/1 medical cannabis product, a THC-dominant cannabis flower product which has been prescribed to patients in the UK since July 2020. The new product increases the Company's German medical cannabis offering, which now includes both THC-dominant and CBD-dominant Cannabis products. As a result of the shipment, the Company expects to increase its European medical cannabis sales in the second quarter of 2021.

"As we launch another new product into Germany and more than triple our shipment volumes, our European team continues to demonstrate strong execution and leadership. In line with our Mission of improving patients' lives through medical cannabis, we continue to expand our offering of EU-GMP cannabinoid-based medicines. Simultaneously, we are developing additional products based on our Colombian extracts, whose efficacy and safety are backed by real-world evidence from over 20,000 prescriptions," comments Alvaro Torres, CEO and Director.

Khiron's European product portfolio now includes both THC-dominant and CBD-dominant cannabis flower products available for sale in Germany and the UK, two of the largest chronic pain markets in Europe. Over the coming months, the Company plans to increase patient access by expanding its product offering and medical education initiatives.

About Khiron Life Sciences Corp.

Khiron is a leading vertically integrated medical cannabis company with core operations in Latin America and Europe. Leveraging wholly-owned medical health centres and proprietary telemedicine platforms, Khiron combines a patient-oriented approach, physician education programs, scientific expertise, product innovation, and agricultural infrastructure to drive prescriptions and brand loyalty with patients worldwide. The Company has a sales presence in Colombia, Peru, Germany and the UK, and is positioned to commence sales in Mexico and Brazil in 2021. The Company is led by Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Alvaro Torres, together with an experienced and diverse executive team and Board of Directors.

Visit Khiron online at investors.khiron.ca and on Instagram @khironlife.

Cautionary Notes

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Khiron undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third-parties in respect of Khiron, its securities, or financial or operating results (as applicable). Although Khiron believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements in this press release are reasonable, such forward-looking statement has been based on expectations, factors and assumptions concerning future events which may prove to be inaccurate and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond Khiron's control, including the risk factors discussed in Khiron's Annual Information Form which is available on Khiron's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and is made as of the date hereof. Khiron disclaims any intention and has no obligation or responsibility, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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

Investor Contact:

Paola Ricardo

E: [email protected]

T: +1 (647) 556-5750

Media Contact:

Peter Leis

Europe Communications

E: [email protected]

SOURCE Khiron Life Sciences Corp.

Related Links

https://khiron.ca/


MIAMI and LONDON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Landry & Kling Global Cruise Services, leaders in sourcing and logistics for vessel charters, floating accommodations and cruise events worldwide, has brokered the cruise vessel MS Silja Europa, in partnership with Bibby Marine UK, to serve as housing for 1,000 of the estimated 6,500 police officers tasked with providing security for the high-profile leaders attending the 2021 G7 Summit scheduled for June 11-13 in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, England.

Joyce Landry, CEO, Landry & Kling Global Cruise Events (PRNewsfoto/Landry & Kling Global Cruise Services)

This is the first in person meeting of the G7 in two years and is the largest police operation in England this year. Cornwall is a small coastal County known for its natural beauty.

"Bringing in an accommodation ship is an ideal option for solving the additional housing needs of this summit," said Joyce Landry, CEO Landry & Kling. "We can provide large scale accommodations and critically needed facilities, cost effectively, and with little to no impact on the environment or the local infrastructure. The vessel offers hotel grade accommodations and food service and will keep the security services nearby and in close communication."

During the G7 event, the vessel's bars, nightclub, spa and hairdressers will be closed, and no alcohol will be served or sold onboard.

The 60,000-gross ton Silja Europa, which is operated by Estonia-based Tallink Grupp, will reposition from Estonia in advance of the summit to be docked in Falmouth. For ten days, the ship, one of the largest and most popular passenger ferries sailing the Baltic region, will serve as a floating hotel and meeting space for the policing operation.

Landry & Kling is involved with logistics for the project, including coordination with Falmouth Port, the ship, port agent, and UK Port Health. The myriad details for this large-scale project were executed within a compressed timeline of less than four weeks. "Preparations, negotiations and arrangements that normally take a year or longer to complete were handled in 28 days," says Landry. "A record for a project of this size."

Silja Europa is one of the first ships to operate in the UK since the pandemic and Landry stresses that all parties are working closely with Port Health and Public Health UK to ensure compliance with Covid protocols, including social distancing. "The ship has space for more than 3,000 guests, but we are housing around 1,000 police officers and staff."

Passenger ships, accommodation barges and other seagoing vessels present a turnkey solution to the challenge of housing workers and teams of people. They have been especially useful during the Covid pandemic for projects such as mining, construction, offshore oil & gas, windfarms, film production, floating hospitals, dormitories, and more. They are easily mobilized, can be docked or anchored offshore in most coastal areas and are quickly scalable. With everything, including dining and meeting facilities, housekeeping services and other amenities in place, floating accommodations can be fully functional almost immediately. Barges can also be anchored in major inland waterways. For more information, visit landrykling.com or call +1 786 594 0732.

About Landry & Kling

Since 1982, Miami-based Landry & Kling Global Cruise Services has provided ship solutions and custom logistics for cruise meetings and incentives, ship buy-outs, offshore vessel projects, and dockside ship charters for global government and sporting events. The company is an approved vendor with FEMA and has assisted with numerous government contracts. Landry & Kling is an approved minority women-owned business, certified by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council. (WBENC).

Media Contact:

Clarice MacGarvey

[email protected]

Mobile: +1 757-651-8260

Office: +1-786-594-0732

SOURCE Landry & Kling Global Cruise Services
AUSTIN, Texas, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Legacy Collective, a giving community dedicated to funding nonprofits addressing systemic issues with sustainable solutions, today announces Corporate Giving Circles, an initiative to bring community and philanthropy into the workplace. Legacy Collective offers three options for Corporate Giving Circles depending on how hands-on the employer and employees want to be. The goal is to allow employers to build community and camaraderie within their organization, while helping employees give with confidence to nonprofits they care about. Employees can sign up for monthly giving or give one time, and the employer can choose to match at any level.

"Statistics show that $4-$7 billion in matching gift funds go unused annually. Having experience in a corporate setting with colleagues not knowing where to give, I know this is part of the challenge. We developed a solution that solves the issues of unused matching gifts and employees not knowing where to give," says Erin Arnheim, Legacy Collective CEO. "Our Corporate Giving Circles streamline the giving process for employees and make the entire process simple for employers. This works for companies without corporate giving programs in place, as well as for companies looking to complement their current programs."

Legacy Collective Corporate Giving Circles offers three options for setup:

Community Member: This option allows employees to donate directly to existing Legacy Collective Giving Circles. Employees vote along with other Legacy Collective Giving Circle members on fully-vetted nonprofits, choosing where the combined donations will be given. The benefit of this option is that it gives a simple way to give with confidence with a more hands-off approach. Employer Managed: This option lets the employer create a portfolio of vetted nonprofits based on their preferred cause areas. The benefit for this option is that the nonprofit organizations receiving employees' combined resources align with the employer's passion and mission. Employee Empowered: This option allows employees to nominate nonprofits to receive their combined donations. Legacy vets the organizations and then employees vote. The benefit of this option is that it really creates community within an organization, allowing employees to learn what causes their colleagues are passionate about and fund them together.

Any company that would like to discuss setting up a Corporate Giving Circle for their employees should visit this website and either complete the information request form or book a meeting directly with the Legacy team.

About Legacy Collective

Legacy Collective works to engage systemic problems related to social issues by resourcing what we believe to be the most innovative efforts and funding the most critical projects. Follow Legacy Collective online:

Contact: Whitney Otstott, 512-699-7730, [email protected]

SOURCE Legacy Collective
After a preview at the 2020 LA Art Fair, Los Angeles is now hosting a full exhibition celebrating the artistic journey of the founder of the "TypeArt" movement that finally set letters free. "For Lorenzo Marini, art is a voyage of catharsis in search of the 'Word'. So, for Marini, art represents that meaning, that word, that has filled and continues to fill every day with the "silence" of daily life." said Peter Frank, the exhibition's curator.

Lorenzo Marini explains his bond with Los Angeles and the importance of this exhibition: "Los Angeles is the only city where I can talk about my artistic development and feel utterly at home. Here in Los Angeles, color, vibrant energy, open-mindedness, and the quest for innovation are part of everyday life. Over the last few years, I've succeeded in rebuilding the dialog between form and content, exploring cartoons, advertising, and the silence of white. I reached the finish by combining my love for futurism with studying Asian calligraphy. I believe that letters are born free and like people, are social creatures but they are also individuals. It's time we celebrated the beauty of the geometry that underlies them and leave the herd of alphabetic type behind. They are not just necessary for reading and writing, but also for feeding our imagination."

The 14 artworks on show retrace the journey begun with Marini's manifesto for the liberation of letters. The exhibition will include two "Alphatype" works and two "Snowtype" works. At the center of the exhibition space, the artist has created a dynamic installation: a homage to the fountains of Italy, in which the gush of water is replaced by the gush of letters.

The virtual exhibit will be available through August, 29th 2021, and can be accessed here.

Italian Cultural Institute Los Angeles, www.iiclosangeles.esteri.it. Free admission.

About Lorenzo Marini An Italian artist who lives and works in Milan, Italy, Los Angeles and New York. Marini attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, where he was mentored by Emilio Vedova. After obtaining his degree in architecture, he spent the next thirty years building a successful career in advertising.

In 2016 Marini had an artistic epiphany that led him to celebrate the beauty of letters. In 2017, fresh from this success, he published his manifesto for the liberation of Type, in so doing becoming the founder of a new art form: that of devoting an artwork to each individual letter of the alphabet, liberating letters from their duty of function in order to celebrate their pure intrinsic beauty. In Visual, his first phase, Marini's paintings can be read as the translation of advertising campaigns into contemporary art, with a rigorous logic of spaces and equilibria. But in this second artistic phase, they can also be read as a revolutionary interpretation of the pop beauty of the contemporary alphabet.

About the Italian Cultural Institute Los Angeles The ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI CULTURA, LOS ANGELES - Where ITALY comes to you is an office of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation founded in 1984 to promote Italian Culture in Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.

Directed by Valeria Rumori since 2015, the Institute promotes Italian language and culture through courses and events organized in collaboration with numerous local institutions and Italian American organizations, with the goal of presenting Italy's cultural richness and contributions in architecture, cinema, design literature, music, science, technology, theater and the visual arts.

Since the start of the international health emergency, the Institute has offered a rich online Italian language program and events including webinars, exhibitions, concerts, film screenings and original content videos published on its YouTube channel. In addition, the IIC has been publishing daily thematic posts on its social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).

www.iiclosangeles.esteri.it

Press Inquiries:

Tribe Builder Media

Kristen Shea

929-367-8993

[email protected]

SOURCE Lorenzo Marini

Related Links

https://lorenzomariniarte.com/en/


McKim & Creed has acquired Louisiana-based GSA Consulting Engineers, Inc. and expanded services along the Gulf Coast.

"This is an important acquisition for McKim & Creed," said McKim & Creed CEO Steve Smith, PE. "GSA's long-standing, excellent reputation will allow us to grow our business along the Gulf Coast."

"Expanding our services into Louisiana has long been a vital part of our strategic growth plan," added John Lucey, PE, McKim & Creed board chair. "We have found a company that meshes well with our culture of creativity, innovation, dependability and responsiveness."

GSA has provided engineering services for such projects as:

Water System Upgrades including the 1-Million-Gallon Pedesphere Elevated Storage Tank, Transmission Mains and SCADA for the City of Gonzales ;

; West Lac Des Allemands Shoreline Protection project for St. John the Baptist Parish ;

; Regional Sewer System for Ascension Parish ;

; Wastewater System Expansion/Upgrade for the City of Gonzales and the City of Donaldsonville ;

In addition, GSA recently secured funding for projects through the Louisiana Watershed Initiative, including $42 million for the Louisiana Highway 22 Bridge Construction and Drainage Improvements Project.

"This is a great opportunity for GSA to merge with the dynamic, technologically advanced and diverse company that is McKim & Creed. This will allow us to expand the services we offer to our existing clients and grow our customer base, while providing opportunities for growth of our staff," said Mr. Shaheen, former GSA president and now McKim & Creed vice president and regional manager.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. In the future, GSA will provide services as McKim & Creed, Inc.

About McKim & Creed: McKim & Creed is an employee-owned ENR top 148 engineering and survyeing firm with 600 staff members operating throughout the US. www.mckimcreed.com.

About GSA, Inc.: GSA Consulting Engineers, Inc. provides professional engineering consulting services to federal, state and local governments and the private sector.

SOURCE McKim & Creed

Related Links

www.mckimcreed.com


Charges brought against former director of undesirable NGO

 submitted by Andrey Pivovarov

17:27 08/06/2021

MOSCOW, June 8 (RAPSI)  Investigators have brought charges against Andrey Pivovarov, a former director of Otkrytaya Rossia (OR), an organization registered in Great Britain and recognized in Russia as undesirable, the Investigative Committees press service reports.

He is charged with participation in the activity of a foreign organization declared undesirable in the Russian Federation.

On June 2, the Pervomaisky District Court of Krasnodar ordered detention of Pivovarov until July 31.

According to investigators, in August 2020, Pivovarov being a member of the foreign NGO labeled as undesirable put out in the open agitation information in support of the organization. However, the man has been repeatedly brought to administrative liability for engagement in the activity of the organization declared undesirable in the Russian Federation.

Pivovarov was arrested by law enforcement when attempting to escape from investigators abroad on May 31.
LOGAN, Utah, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Growth and Opportunity at Utah State University (CGO) is excited to welcome Mia Love, former U.S. Representative (R-UT04), as National Outreach Director. Elected in 2014, serving two terms, she was the first Republican black woman to serve in The United States Congress, and beginning in June, she will drive the CGO's national coalition-building efforts in immigration, the environment, and technology & innovation.

"I'm excited to be joining such a great group of people," said Mia Love. "The CGO's data-driven, non-partisan approach to research is a breath of fresh air and exactly what we need in DC right now. I'm excited to get the data from the research out there and work with students to give them a unique perspective of how policymaking works."

During her time in office, Mia was a champion for reducing burdensome regulations and a steadfast leader in the push for immigration reform. Prior to her time in Congress, Mia served on the city council and was elected mayor in her hometown of Saratoga Springs, Utah.

"We're lucky to partner with Mia," said CGO President Blake Dursteler. "She will be a huge asset for the center as we continue to grow as an organization. She brings not only experience and knowledge but commitment to principles, and the CGO will be the better with her here."

Mia is currently a CNN correspondent, has been serving as a non-resident senior fellow at The United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, and is a fellow of the Institute of Politics and Public Service at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. The daughter of Haitian immigrants, Mia is also a wife and mother of three.

Executive Director, Chris Koopman, added that "I am delighted that Mia will be joining the CGO. Throughout her career in public policy, she has remained committed to principle regardless of where the politics were headed. It is this commitment that makes us so excited to have her working with our researchers, students, and the broader CGO community."

The Center for Growth and Opportunity at Utah State University is an economic research center focused on immigration, technology, and the environment with an emphasis on innovation and collaboration. We fund world-class scholars and students to help answer some of today's most pressing problems. Find more information at www.thecgo.org

CONTACT: Marc Morris, [email protected]

SOURCE The Center for Growth and Opportunity at Utah State University

Related Links

thecgo.org


NEW YORK and SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) and 23andMe, Inc. (23andMe) today announce sharing of robust genetic data from the largest cohort in Parkinson's disease (PD) research. De-identified data on approximately 650,000 unique genetic markers from more than 10,000 people with PD joins an open-access set of patient-reported outcomes data to form an enriched resource ripe for exploration into the intersection of genetics and clinical disease experience.

The Foundation and 23andMe have collaborated through MJFF's online clinical study Fox Insight , which gathers data on disease experience and perspective from more than 52,000 volunteers around the world with and without PD. Fox Insight participants with Parkinson's in the United States were able to contribute their de-identified genetic data via their consent and participation in the genetic part of the study powered by 23andMe. That data is now available through the Fox Insight Data Exploration Network ( Fox DEN ), a data access and analytics platform.

"Findings from genetics research have revolutionized understanding of Parkinson's and development of new therapeutic approaches, but there is much more to uncover," said Brian Fiske, PhD, chief science officer of research programs at MJFF. "The availability of this rich data set enables further discovery around modifiers of disease risk and experience that may transform how we treat and care for Parkinson's. We are grateful for the contributions of study participants, the collaboration of 23andMe, and the efforts of the scientific community toward this shared goal."

Fox Insight and 23andMe first shared data in Fox DEN in April 2019, including data on 17 unique genetic markers from about 2,000 Fox Insight participants. These markers are called single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)  single-letter changes in the DNA sequence that contribute to the normal and abnormal variations seen between individuals.

"Genetics, along with environmental data, can inform many facets of disease including: risk, progression and response to medication," said Paul Cannon, PhD, 23andMe's Parkinson's disease principal program manager. "It is our mission to uncover those connections to improve health and quality of life of individuals living with Parkinson's, and this partnership and the availability of data accelerates the pace of those breakthroughs."

Fox DEN holds de-identified genetic data and information from patient-reported surveys on health and disease, symptoms, daily activities, and other factors relevant to Parkinson's, such as environmental exposures. Fox DEN authorized researchers can create and analyze cohorts with specific variables, such as particular genetic mutations, which could deepen understanding of biological and clinical Parkinson's subtypes. More than 600 researchers have registered to use Fox DEN, with nearly 1.5 million variables downloaded.

"I hope that by working in collaboration with Fox Insight and 23andMe, scientists will gain a better understanding of what causes Parkinson's and how the disease progresses to develop tests for early detection; to develop more effective treatments; and, ultimately, to find a cure," said Natasha Kane, 36, Fox Insight participant with PD who contributed de-identified genetic data via her consent and participation in the genetic part of the study powered by 23andMe.

The Laboratory of Neuro Imaging at the University of Southern California maintains and operates the Fox DEN platform. The platform is updated monthly with new data from Fox Insight. All contributed data from Fox Insight and 23andMe is de-identified and participant-consented to maximize privacy and protection of individual-level information. Qualified researchers worldwide can register for access to Fox DEN at foxden.michaeljfox.org .

About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

As the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to funding $1 billion in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson's research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson's disease clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson's awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world.

For more information, visit us on the Web , Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn and Pinterest .

About 23andMe

23andMe, Inc., headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, is a leading consumer genetics and research company. Founded in 2006, the company's mission is to help people access, understand, and benefit from the human genome. 23andMe has pioneered direct access to genetic information as the only company with multiple FDA clearances for genetic health reports. The company has created the world's largest crowdsourced platform for genetic research, with 80 percent of its customers electing to participate. The 23andMe research platform has generated more than 180 publications on the genetic underpinnings of a wide range of diseases, conditions and traits. The platform also powers the 23andMe Therapeutics group, currently pursuing drug discovery programs rooted in human genetics across a spectrum of disease areas, including oncology, respiratory, and cardiovascular diseases, in addition to other therapeutic areas. More information is available at www.23andMe.com .

SOURCE The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

Related Links

https://www.michaeljfox.org/


NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nephron Research LLC ("Nephron Research"), an independent research provider with leading products in healthcare, is pleased to announce that the Health Policy team from Heldman Simpson Partners LLC will join the firm on July 1st. This best-in-class product franchise is led by Paul Heldman and Sasha Simpson, who will join as partners.

Nephron Research was founded in 2017 with a simple mission to be essential to clients' investment processes. The addition of Paul and Sasha adds like-minded partners whose product is already essential to its subscribers. The Health Policy expansion creates synergy given Nephron's integrated approach, strengthens its sector-based products, and adds to Nephron's industry thought leadership.

"We're elated to be joining the best-in-class research analysts at Nephron and know the combination will enhance our health policy work through collaborations that will provide new depth in our analysis and generate more value for our clients," noted Paul Heldman.

Added Nephron Founding Partner Joshua Raskin: "Health policy has always been an integral part of the broader healthcare research process, and Paul and Sasha will allow Nephron to further differentiate its research in this key area. Their unparalleled experience and knowledge will enhance firm offerings at a critical juncture for healthcare policy and the new administration."

Along with their strong client franchise, Paul and Sasha bring a wealth of experience to Nephron Research:

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in health policy, Paul Heldman specializes in translating legislative developments and policy changes  specifically for government health insurance programs, the FDA, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, US health spending, healthcare legislation, and national elections for the investment community. Prior to forming Heldman Simpson Partners LLC, Paul ran the healthcare team at Potomac Research Group. Paul previously spent a combined eight years at Citigroup Investment Research and Schwab Soundview Washington Research Group. Mr. Heldman honed his information-gathering skills early in his career as a reporter for Bloomberg Business News. He holds a BA from Clark University .

specializes in translating legislative developments and policy changes  specifically for government health insurance programs, the FDA, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, US health spending, healthcare legislation, and national elections for the investment community. Prior to forming Heldman Simpson Partners LLC, Paul ran the healthcare team at Potomac Research Group. Paul previously spent a combined eight years at Citigroup Investment Research and Schwab Soundview Washington Research Group. Mr. Heldman honed his information-gathering skills early in his career as a reporter for Bloomberg Business News. He holds a BA from . A co-founder of Heldman Simpson Partners LLC, Sasha Simpson was a health policy analyst at Potomac Research Group LLC specializing in medical device and drug reimbursement and coverage issues, as well as tax policy. Her work includes analysis for institutional investors and for private equity. Sasha previously served as a health policy consultant for Healthsperien LLC, a health-care consulting and legal services firm located in Washington, D.C. She also previously served as senior government relations associate for Urban Swirski LLC, a government relations and consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. Sasha received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the School of Public Affairs at American University .

Adding Heldman Simpson Partners' formidable Health Policy product to Nephron creates the industry's deepest coverage of healthcare, including:

Health Policy

Managed Care

Healthcare Facilities

Physician Enablement

Drug Supply Chain

Digital Health

Life Science Tools

Diagnostics

National Labs

CROs/CDMOs

Clients can access Nephron Research via www.nephronresearch.com. For additional information on subscription plans, please contact:

Tim Biggins

646-876-0109

[email protected]

SOURCE Nephron Research LLC
BEND, Ore., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Resonate IP assists brand owners with protecting business and product names to ensure that each has a broad scope of protection against competitors. "The Covid-19 pandemic has emphasized the importance of having a strong brand, with successful businesses leveraging their consumer goodwill to expand into new markets," states Resonate IP principal Drew Smith. "Resonate IP bridges the divide between simply doing business and having a strong, enforceable brand that is a business asset."

Launching a new commercial airline during a global pandemic is not without its challenges. "We needed a strategy to search, clear, and protect our intellectual property," states Daniel Camejo, vice president and general counsel at Avelo Airlines. "Drew has been quick to identify and implement procedures to secure our brand and has been an invaluable asset to Avelo Airlines."

Firm services:

Brand Clearance: Resonate IP offers a suite of trademark services to determine whether a preferred company or product name is available to use. From preliminary searching to deep-dive investigations, we ascertain the risk that a potential conflict may present to your long-term business goals.



Resonate IP offers a suite of trademark services to determine whether a preferred company or product name is available to use. From preliminary searching to deep-dive investigations, we ascertain the risk that a potential conflict may present to your long-term business goals. Brand Protection: Resonate IP assists brand owners in navigating and obtaining enforceable trademark rights in the United States . Trademark registration is imperative to any business, whether large or small, to secure consumer goodwill and build brand equity.



Resonate IP assists brand owners in navigating and obtaining enforceable trademark rights in . Trademark registration is imperative to any business, whether large or small, to secure consumer goodwill and build brand equity. Brand Enforcement: Resonate IP offers a suite of monitoring and investigative services that provide brand owners insight into marketplace developments and third-party trademark filings, both at the USPTO and globally.



Resonate IP offers a suite of monitoring and investigative services that provide brand owners insight into marketplace developments and third-party trademark filings, both at the USPTO and globally. Transactional: Resonate IP helps businesses leverage their IP assets to increase valuation, drive revenue, and enter new markets.



Resonate IP helps businesses leverage their IP assets to increase valuation, drive revenue, and enter new markets. International Trademarks: Resonate IP has a trusted network of firms worldwide to secure trademark registration globally and prevent the production, sale, and importation of counterfeit products.

About Resonate IP:

Resonate IP is a full-service intellectual property law firm specializing in all aspects of trademarks and brand protection. Resonate IP blends the swagger of big law with the soul of a mountain town to provide each client with personal and cost-effective IP representation. Whether you are a startup or a multinational company, we have your back and won't quit until your business goals are achieved. Resonate IP is headquartered in Bend, Oregon. Learn more at www.resonateip.com.

Media Contacts

Drew Smith

Resonate IP

(541) 240-8020

[email protected]

SOURCE Resonate IP

Related Links

www.resonateip.com


PORTLAND, Ore. and WASHINGTON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NWEA, a not-for-profit, research-based provider of assessment solutions and learning services, announced today groundbreaking research on the learning patterns of students with disabilities, titled: Understanding differential growth during school years and summers for students in special education. Using a five-year cohort of 4,228 students (kindergarten through fourth grade) in 109 U.S. public schools that voluntarily provided student-level special education program information, the research study examined how academic achievement and growth in achievement compared between students with and without disabilities*.

"To the best of our knowledge, no study has examined within-year growth (fall to spring) and summer learning for students with disabilities, and how these differences in learning during the school year versus summer may shape disparities for students with and without disabilities," said Elizabeth Barker, research scientist at NWEA, "We wanted to challenge former research that only looked at one snapshot in time and see what trends in learning we can note and provide a better picture of the learning patterns of students with disabilities."

The study found three main insights:

Students with disabilities entered kindergarten with lower test scores in both reading and math than students without disabilities. In addition, while students with disabilities did score similar to the national mean in the fall of kindergarten, their academic growth was slower than their peers' in the kindergarten year, so that they fell behind. This suggests that providing supports during early childhood and preschool grades can help ensure SWDs begin on track with their peers. During some years, students with disabilities grew academically at higher rates in reading and math during the school year compared to students without disabilities. In reading, first, third and fourth grades were higher-rate growth years, and in math, growth was higher in first and second grade. This result challenges deficit narratives about the academic potential of students with disabilities and shows that, with appropriate support, students with disabilities can grow as much or more than their peers without disabilities. Students with disabilities showed greater academic losses over the summer than students without disabilities across all grades. While they often showed high growth rates during the school year, greater losses in reading and math for students with disabilities over the summer accumulated to shape the expanding disparities between students with and without disabilities. This suggests that students with disabilities are forced to make up for more lost time than other students and our schools should consider providing additional supports and services.

While this initial look did not include data from this past year, its findings raise important questions about how students with disabilities fared through the immense disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the last year, some students received instruction online, some in hybrid models, while others received no instruction for months. Students with disabilities are likely to be disproportionately impacted because the support they need can be more difficult to provide or less effective in a remote setting. If they tend to lose more ground than students without disabilities when outside of formal instruction, we can anticipate uneven impacts and differential unfinished learning from this past year.

As education and policy leaders look at ways to respond to the needs generated after a year of learning during a pandemic and set a path to support all students, NWEA, along with the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) recommends these actions:

Invest in lasting change: States and districts must invest recovery funds specifically for students with disabilities. To ensure students succeed in the long term, NCLD says states and district should focus funding on high-quality, accessible and inclusive academic instruction, inclusive and culturally responsive social-emotional learning, effective progress monitoring and accurate evaluations for specialized instruction, and meaningful family support and engagement. Read more about the specific recommendations for recovery funds: http://ncld.co/RSLF Kindergarten matters: Educators and research must identify and provide effective support for struggling students earlier to foster their academic growth in kindergarten. The lower growth seen in our study for students with disabilities suggests missed learning opportunities during this critical kindergarten year and may indicate a need for better identification of students who are struggling and supporting them through a holistic approach that includes (for example) specialists like speech language pathologists, learning specialists, or behavioral specialists. Extend the school year: Educators, policy makers and researchers must explore how extended school year services may support learning for students with disabilities. Summer learning losses were substantially higher for students with disabilities than those without. This calls for more research to address extended school year services and the potential impact of increasing access to learning programs over the summer.

"This research validates what we know about students with disabilities: they are just as capable as students without disabilities and have been trapped in a system that makes it hard to achieve at high levels. The COVID-19 pandemic and emergency funds given to schools present an incredible moment to rethink how we support students early and design learning pathways for all students. It is time to change the system for good so that it finally fits students, rather than forcing students to fit within the system," said Meghan Whittaker, Director of Policy & Advocacy at NCLD.

View the full research brief on this study at https://www.nwea.org/research/publication/understanding-differential-growth-during-school-years-and-summers-for-students-in-special-education/

* Disability category was not available at the student-level. The study used "ever being in special education services" as a proxy for students with a disability.

About NCLD

The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) is a Washington, DC-based national policy, advocacy, and research organization that works to improve the lives of the 1 in 5 children and adults nationwide with learning and attention issues  by empowering parents and young adults, transforming schools, and advocating for equal rights and opportunities." Learn more at ncld.org.

Contact: Grace Aiyedogbon, Communications & Advocacy Specialist, [email protected] or 240.360.1007

About NWEA

NWEA (formerly known as Northwest Evaluation Association) is a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization that supports students and educators worldwide by creating assessment solutions that precisely measure growth and proficiencyand provide insights to help tailor instruction. Educators in more than 10,000 schools, districts, and education agencies in 146 countries rely on our flagship interim assessment, MAP Growth; our reading fluency and comprehension assessment, MAP Reading Fluency ; our personalized learning tool powered by Khan Academy, MAP Accelerator ; and our state solutions that combine growth and proficiency measurement. Visit NWEA.org to find out how NWEA can partner with you to help all kids learn.

Contact: Simona Beattie, Sr. Manager, Public Relations, [email protected] or 971.361.9526

SOURCE NWEA

Related Links

www.nwea.org


TAMPA, Fla., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of South Florida today broke ground on a three-story, 47,000-square-foot Student Wellness Center on the Tampa campus, a reflection of the university's deep commitment to health and wellness as a foundation for student success. The new facility will be nearly four times larger than the current Student Health Services building and will allow USF to provide better care for students by bringing more services together under one roof.

"The University of South Florida has long recognized that health and wellness are integral to the success of our students. The global pandemic of this past year has only heightened that awareness," USF President Steve Currall said. "This Student Government-supported project will greatly benefit our students by providing enhanced health and wellness services on our campus and significantly increasing USF's capacity to provide such services."

Located next to the Recreation & Wellness Center on USF Genshaft Drive, the new facility will deliver general medical, urgent care and specialty services, including sexual health and gynecology, physical therapy, dermatology, immunizations, psychiatry and behavioral health, nutrition and travel medicine. Ancillary services will include phlebotomy, point-of-collection laboratory services and a pharmacy. Student Health Services' business operations and case managers will also be housed in the new building.

The Agency for Healthcare Administration recommends an average of one square foot per student for a health care facility. The current Student Health Services building, occupied since 1980, is only 12,500 square feet. USF is home to more than 50,000 students.

"Our student population has outgrown the existing Student Health Services building, limiting our ability to adequately serve our students," said Dr. Joseph Puccio, executive and medical director of USF Student Health Services. "By moving forward with a significantly larger, modern, one-stop health care facility, our professional staff will be better equipped to serve our student population, ultimately helping them to remain focused on their academics."

The approximate cost of the project is $27.4 million and it's fully funded by the Capital Improvement Trust Fund (CITF) fee, which is a student fee collected over time that state law requires to be used for constructing a facility or acquiring real property on a one-time funding basis. Projects are recommended through collaboration between student leadership and the USF CITF Advisory Committee. In addition to having the support of students, the project had to be approved by the USF president, the USF Board of Trustees and the Florida Board of Governors prior to construction. Funding was authorized by the Florida Legislature and the governor. USF Tampa campus students have been contributing their CITF fee revenues toward the construction costs of the new Student Wellness Center since 2015 when the plan was first introduced and approved by the CITF Advisory Committee and the student body.

"As the voice of our students, Student Government is thrilled to support the university's upward trajectory by focusing on student needs and well-being," said Spencer McCloskey, USF Tampa campus governor for Student Government in the 2020-21 term. "Today's groundbreaking symbolizes the culmination of years of effort from many parties, as well as Student Government administrations, to make this idea a reality."

The building design has been modified to take into consideration lessons learned during COVID-19. For example, to reduce the risk of cross contamination, the air handling unit will have upgraded filters to help mitigate the airborne spread of a virus. In addition, the urgent care suite will be 100 percent exhausted so that no used or expelled air recirculates and mixes with the rest of the building. An exterior overhang was also added to provide additional space for potential outdoor clinical operations or activity.

Cannon Design and Barr&Barr/Horus were selected as the design and construction team for the project, based on qualification reviews and interviews completed with 14 interested teams. Construction is expected to be complete in fall 2022.

About the University of South Florida

The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News and World Report's national university rankings than USF. Serving more than 50,000 students on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee, USF is designated as a Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of Governors, placing it in the most elite category among the state's 12 public universities. USF has earned widespread national recognition for its success graduating under-represented minority and limited-income students at rates equal to or higher than white and higher income students. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at usf.edu .

SOURCE University of South Florida

Related Links

https://www.usf.edu


AUSTIN, Texas, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Oracle has further expanded its commitment to the UK Government with the update of an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Crown Commercial Service (CCS) and Oracle, as well as a new commitment to enhance Oracle's Government Centre of Excellence. The updated arrangement is expected to foster an even stronger working relationship between Oracle and the UK public sector, enabling better use of secure cloud technologies. The Oracle Centre of Excellence will provide additional support and technical capabilities to help the UK Government make better use of Oracle Cloud.

CCS  the UK's largest public procurement organisation  supports the UK public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. Last year, CCS helped the UK public sector achieve commercial benefits worth more than 1 billion  supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers.

Oracle and the UK Government first signed an MOU in 2012, paving the way for a long-term partnership. The updated MOU will ensure that central, local and devolved governments, as well as all public service departments and agencies, such as NHS Trusts, are able to make continued use of Oracle Cloud. Critical public services will have access to the full suite of Oracle Cloud applications, secure infrastructure services and autonomous technology. The Oracle Cloud can help customers like the UK Government to drive greater efficiencies, automation and productivity, all of which could support the UK economic recovery.

The enhanced Oracle Centre of Excellence will provide the UK Government with even more support for its use of Oracle Cloud, enabling better use of secure cloud technologies to support long term innovation and transformation of public services. It will provide public sector organisations with additional support in moving workloads to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure or expanding their use of the Oracle Cloud Applications Suite.

"This enhanced Memorandum of Understanding will continue to deliver savings and benefits for new and existing public sector customers using Oracle's cloud based technologies. It will continue delivering value for money whilst supporting public sector customers' journey to the cloud", said Philip Orumwense, Commercial Director and Chief Technology Procurement Officer, Crown Commercial Service.

Gareth Rhys Williams, the Government Chief Commercial Officer, said "The UK Government is focused on its Build Back Better growth plan, part of which is ensuring we make the best use of modern cloud based technologies. By extending our relationship with Oracle through this Memorandum of Understanding, we will continue to drive excellent commercial value, improve services delivery to citizens, and support the UK Government's wider transformation agenda."

"Today's announcement is a commitment to a long-standing relationship," said Richard Petley, Managing Director & Senior Vice President, Technology & Cloud, Western Europe, Oracle. "We are collaborating with the UK Government to unlock the potential that cloud offers and help the UK lead the way in the adoption of digital technologies."

Oracle provides the only dual-region sovereign cloud for use by UK public sector customers and works with hundreds of public sector customers, such as the Home Office, Office for National Statistics, the NHS NEP, Birmingham City Council, the Ministry of Defence and West Midlands Police. The updated MOU expands on these relationships and will allow more public sector organisations to use cloud technologies for their efforts to deliver the best possible public services and greater value for the taxpayer.

About Oracle

Oracle offers integrated suites of applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit us at www.oracle.com.

Trademarks

Oracle, Java, and MySQL are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation.

SOURCE Oracle

Related Links

www.oracle.com


ATLANTA, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- otto [formerly DEVCON Detect Inc.], a B2B security software startup innovating JavaScript vulnerability testing, monitoring and protection, has tapped Deborah Dreyfuss-Tuchman to lead the launch of its enterprise solution, ottoBox.

otto Names Deborah Dreyfuss-Tuchman, New VP of Business Development

After spending nearly 20-years growing tech startup Adpay and playing a crucial role in shepherding the company through two venture-funded acquisitions first by Ancestry in 2016 and again in May of this year by Legacy.com, Dreyfuss-Tuchman leaves to join the early-stage startup, otto, as it expands into enterprise security with the launch of its patented JavaScript security software, ottoBox.

Based in Chicago, Dreyfuss-Tuchman will lead otto's omnichannel distribution strategy through partnership development and integrations with some of the world's most trusted OEMs and MSSPs. Over her 30-year-long career in tech, Dreyfuss-Tuchman led sales and business development at four successful startups; all focused on providing third-party platforms to legacy media companies. With tech disrupters Craigslist and eBay decimating the print classifieds business, Deb played a seminal role in the transition for thousands of media companies, from print-centric classified ads, job listings and obituaries to tech-centric e-commerce marketplaces. Her efforts catapulted the Memoriams obituary placement network into a national brand now used by countless publications and more than half of the funeral homes across America.

"Deb was at the forefront of one of the first waves of digital transformation back when classifieds business went from static print and digitized PDFs to online e-commerce marketplaces. Adpay was a vital third-party platform for publishers at that time and allowed traditional low-tech companies to transition quickly. Deb knows firsthand the challenges involved with monitoring and mitigating shared security risks related to third-party JavaScript, user-generated content, forms, shopping carts, checkout pages, and even advertising JavaScript," said Maggie Louie, co-founder & CEO at otto.

"Joining otto at this exciting growth stage was an obvious evolution in my entrepreneurial journey. My experience has taught me the risks associated with e-commerce and the importance of having sophisticated technology with incredibly simple setup. This is what companies need. I am proud to join this exceptional team of innovators dedicated to protecting consumer safety and brand trust," said Dreyfuss-Tuchman.

Deb's years of experience as a provider of third-party integrated platforms and recent data and privacy certification has given her an incredible lens into the existing and future challenges between third-party partners and OOSs (owned & operated sites) related to the shared security responsibilities of data privacy and client-side security.

"I'm excited that, in Deb, we have a business/sales leader who understands why the growing third-party code dependencies and vulnerabilities are widening the security gaps and a big part of what's driving the increase in Magecart attacks, ad threat and DOM-based XSS," said Josh Summitt, co-founder & CTO at otto.

About Deborah Dreyfuss-Tuchman

Deborah Dreyfuss-Tuchman, VP of Business Development at otto, is a leader in forging strategic partnerships and a serial entrepreneur with more than two decades of experience growing revenue through relationships and sales helping build early-stage startup into mature successful companies. Her accumulated knowledge and experience have transformed eCommerce for standout media companies, including The Chicago Tribune, Tribune Media Services, Thomson Newspapers, Travidia, and Adpay. Deb holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Michigan and a Gold-Level certification in data privacy from IAPP.

About otto

otto [formerly DEVCON Detect, Inc.] is a security SaaS startup innovating and automating JavaScript vulnerability testing, detection and protection. The company's patented technology, ottoBox, provides advanced, continuous JavaScript testing, monitoring & protection. Trusted by Fortune 500 companies, otto protects some of the world's most popular websites.

Impact

In addition to the company's enterprise business, otto also offers affordable no-code solutions for SMBs and free access for consumers as part of its mission to democratize security. Otto is a female-founded company with a commitment to advancing opportunities for women in tech.

Contact info, press only: [email protected]

Related Images

image1.jpg

otto-logo.png

otto logo

otto by DEVCON, new mascot created by Simon Oxley

SOURCE otto by DEVCON
DUBLIN, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Disposable Cups Market By Product (Foam, Plastic and Paper), By End Use (Commercial, Institutional and Household), By Regional Outlook, Industry Analysis Report and Forecast, 2020 - 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Disposable Cups Market size is expected to reach $3.8 billion by 2026, rising at a market growth of 9.5% CAGR during the forecast period. A disposable cup is a substitute for the utensils like glasses, steins, and mugs, which a customer cannot carry with them. There is rising usage of disposable cups in parties, social gatherings, and celebrations, which will contribute to the surging growth of the market in the future.



These cups have a wide range of uses in households. Many households keep some stock of small disposable cups as they use them to serve child-friendly portions to kids and serve adult refreshments like cappuccino and espresso. In addition, disposable cups are also used to prevent the spread of infections and diseases in households when a person is ill. Moreover, these cups are handy which is why they are used in mixing paints, stains, or adhesives for any kind of home-improvement or craft projects. All these aspects are fueling the growth of the global disposable cups market in the forecast years.



Though, there are certain types of disposable cups that are manufactured by using plastic and cause harm to the environment when discarded. In addition to this, the rising concerns of people about environmental issues are estimated to hinder the growth of the market in the future years. There are many benefits offered by disposable cups but they are also harmful to the environment as they are made up of plastic and foam. Plastic takes many years to break down, thus it pollutes the environment, and also harms wildlife. There are several countries around the world, which are framing rules to reduce the usage of single-use plastics and even putting a ban on these kinds of plastics. For example, France formulated a new policy, which had banned disposable, single-use cups, utensils, and plates by the end of August 2019. The substitutes available for reusability of such wasteful single-use plastics are increasing around the world.



Product Outlook



Based on Product, the market is segmented into Foam, Plastic and Paper. Based on product, paper disposable cups garnered the maximum share in the market in 2019. This segment is also projected to record the highest growth rate during the forecast period. It is credited to their nature to handle both hot and cold beverages to on-the-go consumers. Paper cups are eco-friendly and usually made up of natural materials that can be recycled, which further decreases the carbon footprint.



End Use Outlook



Based on End Use, the market is segmented into Commercial, Institutional and Household. On the basis of end-use, the commercial end-use market segment garnered the largest share in the market in 2019. It is expected that this trend is expected to remain the same even during the forecast years. It is due to the increasing penetration of numerous quick-service restaurants and coffee chains that are raising the demand for disposable cups in the market.



Regional Outlook



Based on Regions, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, Middle East & Africa. North America is estimated to acquire a prominent growth rate during the forecast period. The increasing number of cafes & food chain outlets in the region is encouraging many consumers to have coffee & other beverages. The inaugural of various restaurants and coffee shops after some relief on lockdown restriction and their expansion in future years are projected to create demand for disposable cups.



The major strategies followed by the market participants are Acquisition. Based on the Analysis presented in the Cardinal matrix; Berry Global Group, Inc. is the major forerunner in the Disposable Cups Market. Companies such as Huhtamaki Oyj, WestRock Company, Duni AB, Bender, Inc. are some of the key innovators in the market.



The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include Berry Global Group, Inc., WestRock Company, Huhtamaki Oyj, Dart Container Corporation (Aprinta Group), Eco-Products, Inc. (The Waddington Group, Inc.), Duni AB, Genpak, LLC (Great Pacific Enterprises, Inc.), SCG Packaging Public Company Limited (Siam Cement Group), ConverPack, Inc., and Bender, Inc.

Unique Offerings from the Publisher

Exhaustive coverage

Highest number of market tables and figures

Subscription based model available

Guaranteed best price

Assured post sales research support with 10% customization free

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1. Market Scope & Methodology



Chapter 2. Market Overview

2.1 Introduction

2.1.1 Overview

2.1.2 Market Composition & Scenario

2.2 Key Factors Impacting the Market

2.2.1 Market Drivers

2.2.2 Market Restraints



Chapter 3. Global Disposable Cups Market by End Use

3.1 Global Foam Market by Region

3.2 Global Plastic Market by Region

3.3 Global Paper Market by Region



Chapter 4. Global Disposable Cups Market by Product

4.1 Global Commercial Market by Region

4.2 Global Institutional Market by Region

4.3 Global Household Market by Region



Chapter 5. Global Disposable Cups Market by Region

Chapter 6. Company Profiles

6.1 Berry Global Group, Inc.

6.1.1 Company Overview

6.1.2 Financial Analysis

6.1.1 Segmental and Regional Analysis

6.1.2 Research & Development Expense

6.1.3 Recent strategies and developments

6.1.3.1 Acquisition and Mergers

6.2 WestRock Company

6.2.1 Company Overview

6.2.2 Financial Analysis

6.2.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

6.2.4 Recent strategies and developments

6.2.4.1 Acquisition and Mergers

6.3 Huhtamaki Oyj

6.3.1 Company Overview

6.3.2 Financial Analysis

6.3.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

6.3.4 Research & Development Expense

6.3.5 Recent strategies and developments

6.3.5.1 Acquisition and Mergers

6.3.5.2 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements

6.3.5.3 Product Launches and Product Expansions

6.4 Dart Container Corporation (Aprinta Group)

6.4.1 Company Overview

6.5 Eco-Products, Inc. (The Waddington Group, Inc.)

6.5.1 Company Overview

6.5.2 Recent strategies and developments

6.5.2.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements

6.6 Duni AB

6.6.1 Company Overview

6.6.2 Financial Analysis

6.6.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

6.6.4 Research & Development Expense

6.6.5 Recent strategies and developments

6.6.5.1 Acquisition and Mergers

6.7 Genpak, LLC (Great Pacific Enterprises, Inc.)

6.7.1 Company Overview

6.7.2 Recent strategies and developments

6.7.2.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements

6.8 SCG Packaging Public Company Limited (Siam Cement Group)

6.8.1 Company Overview

6.8.2 Financial Analysis

6.8.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

6.8.4 Research & Development Expense

6.9 ConverPack, Inc.

6.9.1 Company Overview

6.10. Bender, Inc.

6.10.1 Company Overview

6.10.2 Recent strategies and developments

6.10.2.1 Product Launches and Product Expansions

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/j236bh

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

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SOURCE Research and Markets

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ProductHub provides as much as a 30% reduction in time to market, and as much as a 25% reduction in carrier product development costs.

ProductHub is an industry first, cloud-based solution that simplifies the product development process and ongoing product management cycle for life and annuity carriers through enhanced digital architecture. With improved transparency and the ability to connect information across disparate sources and cross-functional teams, the platform provides as much as a 30% reduction in time to market, and a 25% reduction in product development costs.

The implementation of a reinsurance addition to the platform creates a simple and secure system that saves valuable time and resources for both the carrier and reinsurer alike. Insurance carriers will have the ability to initiate requests for new proposals or request updates for reinsurance directly from the ProductHub platform. They can also easily load their data, share documentation with Hannover Re US, as well as track statuses clearly and transparently, significantly streamlining the entire process.

Tiffany Norman, SVP and Head of Annuity Solutions at Hannover Re US, comments: "Hannover Re has a track record of championing innovative solutions that bring value to all aspects of the life and annuity market, and we're delighted to be able to help companies launch products more efficiently. It is evident that those who evaluate reinsurance during the product development process, or during rate updates, see the significant benefit. By integrating a reinsurance addition into ProductHub, we're able to efficiently support existing and prospective clients on their timelines."

David Shaw, Co-Founder and CEO of Penn River, adds: "We're excited to partner with Hannover Re US to expand ProductHub's offerings to include reinsurance evaluations for our clients. This is a great example of how ProductHub can serve as a central hub for product launch and management, with powerful and secure workflow capabilities."

About Penn River

Penn River is a Native Cloud Life and Annuity software company offering ProductHub as well as a new Policy Administration System (PAS) for the US Life and Annuities Insurance Company marketplace. Their leadership team and key employees had previously contributed to the development of other platforms in the Life PAS space.

ProductHub is an industry first solution that provides as much as a 30% reduction in time to market, and as much as a 25% reduction in carrier product development costs by streamlining redundancies and connecting information across disparate sources; including eApp, product rules, testing and reinsurance.

For more information, please contact Penn River at [email protected]

About Hannover Re

Hannover Life Reassurance Company of America (Hannover Re US), which is licensed and/or accredited in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, is one of the North American life and health reinsurance subsidiaries of Hannover Re. Hannover Re, with gross premium of more than EUR 24 billion, is the third-largest reinsurer in the world. It transacts all lines of property & casualty and life & health reinsurance and is present on all continents with more than 3,000 staff and a network of more than 170 subsidiaries, branches and representative offices. The rating agencies most relevant to the insurance industry have awarded Hannover Re very strong insurer financial strength ratings (Standard & Poor's AA- "Very Strong" and A.M. Best A+ "Superior"). For more information, visit www.hannover-re.com.

SOURCE Penn River

Related Links

www.pennriver.com


A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix American, a leading transfer agent and fund administrator for alternative investment sponsors, and Forge Trust, a leading provider of custody services for alternative investments, have announced a partnership to make it easier to invest in alternative assets for IRA account holders.

Phoenix American Forge Trust

Forge Trust provides custody services with preferred pricing and a streamlined integrated experience to clients of Phoenix American. The partnership will enable Phoenix American client sponsors/issuers to offer their investors access to custody services for their qualified investment funds at rates that greatly reduce the typical effect custody costs have on net investment returns. Investors will also benefit from Forge Trust's advanced integrated investor platform and streamlined data exchange between Phoenix American and Forge Trust providing continually updated investor information.

Reducing the Costs and Frustrations of IRA Investing

The partnership between Phoenix American and Forge Trust addresses a key challenge in the alternative investment industry. IRA investors in alternative funds account for a large portion of a typical capital raise for sponsors. These investors are typically required to establish a dedicated custodian account with a provider that has an existing relationship with the sponsor. The paper-intensive process of establishing the new account, then initiating a transfer of qualified funds from another custodian, and then making the investment is often time-consuming and frustrating. In addition, annual fees charged by alternative investment custodians can dig deeply into investment returns. These can be significant obstacles for IRA investors. The combination of reduced custody rates and a facilitated integration between the two companies improves the overall investor experience and can effectively enhance investment returns.

"This partnership not only saves real money for IRA investors, it streamlines the process of making the investment," said Patrick Hughes, President of Forge Trust. "Our easy-to-navigate, transparent and secure platform guides investors through the process. White glove customer service provides any additional support they may need to complete the investment."

A More Mainstream Investor Experience

The partnership between Phoenix American and Forge Trust will also feature a technical integration to modernize the investor's day-to-day experience. Automated position files from Phoenix American will ensure that investor accounts at Forge Trust are always up to date with the latest changes. Phoenix American and Forge Trust will work together to support the customer service needs of client investors.

"Part of our mission at Phoenix American is to help our clients make their products as accessible to investors as mutual funds," said Andrew Constantin, Senior Vice President, Operations at Phoenix American. "Our partnership with Forge Trust helps move the industry in that direction and helps continue bringing alternative investments into the mainstream."

About Phoenix American

Phoenix American provides full-service fund administration, fund accounting, transfer agent and investor services as well as sales and marketing reporting to fund sponsors in the alternative investment industry. The Phoenix American aviation ABS group provides managing agent and accounting services for asset-backed securitizations in the commercial aviation leasing industry. The company was founded in 1972, has six offices worldwide and is headquartered in San Rafael, CA.

About Forge Trust

Forge Trust Co. is a non-depository trust company with $13.2 billion in assets under custody (as of 12/31/2020), with offices in San Carlos, California and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Chartered in 2008, the firm is regulated by the State of South Dakota's Division of Banking and acts as a custodian of retirement accounts across a wide range of private investments.

Forge Trust provides administrative and custodial services to investors through our self-directed retirement accounts. Through advanced technology, we dedicate ourselves to providing the proper diligence and care, across a wide range of private investments.

Forge Trust is a wholly owned subsidiary of Forge Global, Inc., a premier trading, settlement and custody partner providing liquidity solutions to private companies and investments into the private markets.

Contact:

David Fisher

3106217822

[email protected]

SOURCE Phoenix American
BRENTWOOD, Tenn., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Premise Health, the largest direct health care provider and an OMERS portfolio company, revealed a bold new brand identity to reflect its fully connected health care model and commitment to redefine how people access and experience health care. The company, which serves many of the world's leading organizations, has become one of the largest digital providers in the country in the past year, bringing intelligent, high-quality care and more than 30 products to 11 million eligible members.

"The coronavirus pandemic fundamentally changed how companies think about health care and the workplace," said Jami Doucette, president, Premise Health. "There is growing recognition that organizations need to improve the total health of their populations, and that volume-based healthcare models cannot support the innovation needed to succeed long term."

He added, "Premise is at the forefront of a movement to reimagine not only how people access primary care, but the ways in which they engage with the entire healthcare ecosystem."

The need to focus on our health is more apparent now than ever. More than 20% of adults in the U.S. experienced mental illness in 20191, and these numbers have continued to grow over the past year. Nearly half of U.S. adults suffer from hypertension2, and more than 26 million were diagnosed with diabetes in 20183. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rise in people delaying important and necessary medical care, with 40% of people surveyed saying they canceled upcoming health care appointments.4

Premise has taken the lead in changing this narrative, partnering with its clients to pioneer a digital-first, value-based approach to primary care. The company accelerated its digital road map to meet the needs of members during the coronavirus pandemic, expanding to offer members nearly 20 digital products through onsite and nearsite wellness centers, in addition to in-person care.

Premise also expanded the Digital Wellness Center to deliver high-quality care to client populations across the U.S. through a centralized care team and a single, cloud-based portal. Launched in January 2020, the Digital Wellness Center brings together virtual primary care, behavioral health, occupational health, pharmacy, and the family of Connected Care+ products under one virtual roof. Connected Care+ is an integrated population health and care navigation solution that uses data-driven insights to enhance the overall value of care by identifying members who would benefit from additional support and helping them navigate to high-value specialty care  locally and nationally.

"Our brand evolution brings to life all the ways we are shattering the status quo and delivering healthcare differently," said Doucette. "We see being different as a choice, and it is one we are making every day as we improve quality, access, experience, and overall value on behalf of clients and members."

ABOUT PREMISE HEALTH

Premise Health is the world's leading direct healthcare provider and one of the largest digital providers in the country, serving over 11 million eligible lives across more than 2,500 of the largest commercial and municipal employers in the U.S. Premise partners with its clients to offer fully connected care  in-person and in the digital environment. It operates more than 800 onsite and nearsite wellness centers in 45 states and Guam, delivering care through the Digital Wellness Center and onsite, nearsite, mobile, and event solutions.

Premise delivers value by simplifying complexity and breaking down barriers to give diverse member populations access to convenient, integrated, high-quality care. It offers more than 30 products, delivering the breadth and depth of care required to serve organizations' total populations. The result is healthcare that meets the needs of members and their families, helping them live healthier while lowering costs for organizations. For more information on Premise Health, visit www.premisehealth.com.

Media Contact:

Lacey Hunter

615-419-7722

[email protected]



1 National Alliance on Mental Illness website

2 CDC data, 2017

3 National Diabetes Statistic Report 2020

4 McKinsey Study

SOURCE Premise Health

Related Links

http://www.premisehealth.com


MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Prometeo, the largest Open Banking API platform in Latin America (LATAM), today announces the launch of its Payment API for the LATAM market, a purpose-built solution that addresses the lack of automated and standardized infrastructure for payments and money management in LATAM.

Prometeo is on a mission to create an open and connected financial market in LATAM. The launch of its Payment API enables transparent and efficient exchanges using banking infrastructure and API connectivity. The service is a "pay-per-bank" facilitator allowing digital money transfers and automated payments between financial institutions in LATAM, without credit card fees, delays, and complicated manual intervention.

"The financial sector and the array of payment options in LATAM must be modernized as cash is still king. Prometeo tackles these issues and provides key infrastructure for financial companies operating across the financially underserved region," stated Ximena Aleman, co-founder and co-CEO at Prometeo.

Prometeo's Payment API is already connected with banks that represent 80% of the market share in Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador.

With the increased demand for fintech products due to the pandemic, Prometeo is committed to building a huge highway of financial information and payment initiation across financial institutions and LATAM countries to standardize and facilitate payment processes, transactions, and access to information.

By empowering companies through banking API, third-party financial service providers will accelerate their digital transformation strategies while consumers will receive better financial products, too: credit analysis development, bank account validation, centralized bill payments, financial education tools, electronic wallets, and payment tracking.

This product will be developed and the service will extend its reach throughout 2021, with new payment connections, to benefit many LATAM companies. For more information, see the Prometeo website.

About the company

Prometeo is the largest Open Banking API platform in Latin America. It provides a single point of access to information, transactions, and payments across more than 33 financial institutions and 54 APIs in nine countries in LATAM, disrupting the financial sector. Prometeo helps companies access users' key information to help make better decisions and create 100% digital products.

CONTACT

Name: Ximena Aleman, Co-founder and Co-CEO

Phone: +598 98 219 339

Email: [email protected]

Links

LinkedIn

Medium

Twitter

SOURCE Prometeo
NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global health crisis may have contributed to a decline in the demand for silver, but 2021 has reignited optimism with experts predicting that the demand for the white metal will rise to 1.025 billion ounces, the highest level in eight years. Silver will continue being valuable and in demand thanks to the current economic conditions in developed countries, its role as a safe haven investment and its function in the development of manufactured products. With silver prices continuing to stay elevated, countries like Mexico have experienced a boom in the exploration of silver and the development of mining projects. Some of the active mining stocks include Minaurum Gold Inc. (TSXV:MGG) (OTCQX:MMRGF), Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL), Fortuna Silver Mines (NYSE:FSM), First Majestic Silver (TSX:FRI) (NYSE:AG), and Blackrock Silver (TSXV:BRC) (OTC:BKRRF).

Leading Mexican silver and gold exploration company Minaurum Gold Inc. (TSXV:MGG) (OTCQX:MMRGF) is focused on building an exploration portfolio with the potential for district-scale gold, silver and copper discoveries in three key regions: Southern Sonora State (SSS), Oaxaca Region (OXR) and the Guerrero Gold Belt (GGB). On May 18, Minaurum Gold released a corporate update on its exploration activities. Among the projects currently underway since the beginning of 2021 is the Alamos Silver project and the Santa Marta copper-gold volcanogenic massive sulfide project.

Minaurum's Alamos silver project is located in the silver-mining region of Alamos Mining District in southern Senora state. Minaurum has completed 30,000 m of drilling in Alamos' high-grade epithermal vein system and has discovered 26 separate vein zones in Phase I of the project. Phase II of the Alamos silver project will focus on systematically expanding the silver veins discovered in the first phase and progress with exploratory drilling to discover new silver shoots.

The 6,410 hectare Santa Marta project hosts a major copper-gold VMS exploration target traced over a 900 metres with historical and Minaurum sampling returning copper values ranging from 1.0 to 11% copper. As one of the foremost VMS experts with over 40 years in the study of VMS deposits, Dr. Jim Franklin's opinion is that "Santa Marta appears to have all of the classic features of highly productive VMS systems, such as the semi-continuous deposit set at Flin Flon comprised of the Main Mine, Calinan, and Triple 7." Minaurum has designed an initial drill program and submitted a drill permit for environmental approval.

Minaurum has also entered into joint ventures with other silver miners in projects such as the Taviche silver-gold project in collaboration with Fortuna Silver. In the project, Fortuna can obtain an 80% interest by completing cash payments totaling $1,450,000 and incurring USD 4M in work expenditures over three years. Drilling at the Taviche project is expected to commence in late 2021. Taviche is located next door to Fortuna's largest silver mine, the San Jose mine.

Other mining projects the company is working on include:

The Aurena project

The Biricu and Vuelcos del Destino projects

The Adelita copper-gold project being advanced by Infinitum Copper Corp

Minaurum intends to commercialize its district-scale projects due to the growing demand for precious metals. The company has already signed two Option agreements and is in negotiations to complete more agreements. Minaurum announced this year's first Option agreement with Fortuna Silver Mines for the Taviche mining project on January 7. The company announced the second option agreement with Infinitum Copper Corp for a joint venture on the Adelita Copper-gold project on March 9.

Exploration Activity on the Rise

Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) also released its exploration report for the first quarter. According to the report, the company's exploration efforts at Green Racer Sinter resulted in the discovery of high-grade gold and silver mineralization in the Sinter Vein making it "one of the best exploration drill holes in North America in the past year". The increased activity in exploration led to expenditures of $6.0 million in the first quarter and the company plans to increase its 2021 exploration expenditure following an increase in drilling activities at the Hecla mines. In addition to the company's exploration efforts at Midas, Hecla also focused its exploration efforts on two core rigs at San Sebastian through its Short Vertical Reverse Circulation drilling program. You can read more on the exploration results here .

Fortuna Silver Mines (NYSE:FSM) and Roxgold Inc. have begun filing and mailing the management circulars and meeting materials for their shareholder meetings to approve the proposed business combination between the two companies. Fortuna and Roxgold announced the proposed business combination to create a low-cost intermediate global producer of precious metals. The meetings will be held on June 28, 2021, through a virtual-only format to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 to the stakeholders. All shareholders will have an equal opportunity to participate in their respective shareholder meetings. Anticipating the completion of the transaction, Fortuna has announced that Kate Harcourt, the current director of Roxgold will be appointed as a member of the Board of directors.

First Majestic Silver (NYSE:AG) (TSX:FRI) has announced a C$ 1.3 million investment in Blackrock Silver, an exploration company with a portfolio of gold and silver properties in Nevada. First Majestic currently has three silver mines in Mexico and a recently acquired goldmine in Nevada. The investment agreement involves the private placement of 2,666,666 units. The offering is scheduled for closing on June 8, 2021, subject to conditions such as receipt of the necessary approvals including the approval of the TSX venture exchange. The offering will be subject to a hold of four months and a day from the date of closing.

Blackrock Silver (TSXV:BRC) (OTC:BKRRF) announced more high-grade gold and silver intercepts from its core and RC drilling program on its Tonopah West project in Nevada. The company has completed 53,000 meters of drilling in less than a year and identified ten high-grade veins of between 400 meters and up to 1.5 kilometers in the strike. On the Merton vein, the company has discovered two distinct high-grade zones. This vein is part of the company's DPB target that forms the basis of the company's maiden resource estimate planned for delivery by the end of the year. The company's impressive exploration results give investors "a lot to look forward to in the near term."

As the demand for silver and other precious metals increases, companies like Minaurum Gold Inc. (TSXV:MGG) (OTCQX:MMRGF) are taking steps towards exploring mineral veins and forming key partnerships to facilitate their exploration and mining activities.

To learn more about Minaurum Gold Inc, click here .

Disclaimer: Microsmallcap.com (MSC) is the source of the Article and content set forth above. References to any issuer other than the profiled issuer are intended solely to identify industry participants and do not constitute an endorsement of any issuer and do not constitute a comparison to the profiled issuer. FN Media Group (FNM) is a third-party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated with MSC or any company mentioned herein. The commentary, views and opinions expressed in this release by MSC are solely those of MSC and are not shared by and do not reflect in any manner the views or opinions of FNM. Readers of this Article and content agree that they cannot and will not seek to hold liable MSC and FNM for any investment decisions by their readers or subscribers. MSC and FNM and their respective affiliated companies are a news dissemination and financial marketing solutions provider and are NOT registered broker-dealers/analysts/investment advisers, hold no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security.

The Article and content related to the profiled company represent the personal and subjective views of the Author (MSC), and are subject to change at any time without notice. The information provided in the Article and the content has been obtained from sources which the Author believes to be reliable. However, the Author (MSC) has not independently verified or otherwise investigated all such information. None of the Author, MSC, FNM, or any of their respective affiliates, guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any such information. This Article and content are not, and should not be regarded as investment advice or as a recommendation regarding any particular security or course of action; readers are strongly urged to speak with their own investment advisor and review all of the profiled issuer's filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission before making any investment decisions and should understand the risks associated with an investment in the profiled issuer's securities, including, but not limited to, the complete loss of your investment. FNM was not compensated by any public company mentioned herein to disseminate this press release but was compensated twenty five hundred dollars by MSC, a non-affiliated third party to distribute this release on behalf of Minaurum Gold Inc.

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SOURCE Microsmallcap.com
PHILADELPHIA, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Risk Management Association (RMA) today launched its new "Women in Risk" community with a special panel discussion at its GCOR XV Virtual Conference.

Women in Risk will be an RMA community that provides peer sharing, inspiration, events, and resources to help women advance and thrive in their financial industry careers. Events will include Women in Risk forums, affinity groups, and an annual themed issue of The RMA Journal.

At today's Women in Risk panel at RMA's Governance, Compliance, and Operational Risk Conference, leading risk managers spoke of the experiences, roles, and mentors that shaped their paths to becoming chief risk officers. The session, moderated by RMA Enterprise Risk Management Associate Director Elena Noverola, featured:

Amanda Norton of Wells Fargo.

of Wells Fargo. Jodi Richard of U.S. Bank.

of U.S. Bank. Helga Houston of Huntington Bank.

"Barron's reported this year that women hold only 11% of the executive positions at publicly traded U.S. financial institutions," said RMA President and CEO Nancy Foster. "While that is actually a slight increase from five years ago, there is clearly much room for improvement. I am excited about the launch of Women in Risk, and proud of the role it and RMA's other DEI efforts will have in expanding opportunities in the financial services industry."

GCOR XV is preparing risk managers for the challenges of a new economic landscapea world that will feel the effects of COVID-19 long after the end of the pandemic, yet which also confronts rapid and massive change unlike any time in history.

Centered on the theme of "Navigating the New Normal," the conference is a must for anyone desiring to learn more about managing operational risk at this pivotal time, when emerging issues related to cybersecurity, climate, AI and machine learning, and ESG are reaching critical mass and demanding attention.

The conference runs through June 10 and is available for on-demand viewing through August 9. Click here for more information and to register.

About RMA

Founded in 1914, The Risk Management Association is a not-for-profit, member-driven professional association whose sole purpose is to advance the use of sound risk management principles in the financial services industry. RMA promotes an enterprise approach to risk management that focuses on credit risk, market risk, and operational risk. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, RMA has 1,900 institutional members that include banks of all sizes as well as nonbank financial institutions. They are represented in the Association by 18,500 individuals located throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia/Pacific.

SOURCE The Risk Management Association

Related Links

http://www.rmahq.org


With a shared mission to spread and foster joy, Joy Bites is proud to announce a partnership with Step Up - a non-profit organization aimed at helping girls and young women achieve professional success through mentorship. Celebrating this joy of mentorship - the partnership between Joy Bites and Step Up will kick-off with a special virtual event hosted by Daphne Oz on June 16th.

Joy Bites chocolate bars come in the following filled and solid varieties:

Caramel in Chocolate

Peanut Butter in Chocolate

Smooth Creamy Chocolate

Sea Salt Caramel in Dark Chocolate

Roasted Almonds in Dark Chocolate

The Joy Bites collection highlights a significant innovation for Russell Stover. Nearly 100 years after the company was founded, the launch of the Joy Bites assortment marks the company's first-ever product line that is crafted with no added sugar. Plus, with decades of experience in perfecting candy fillings enrobed in chocolate, Russell Stover was the ideal confectioner to develop no added sugar chocolate bars with fillings. Three of the five Joy Bites assortment include delicious caramel, peanut butter or salted caramel fillings. Russell Stover Joy Bites cater to chocolate lovers everywhere, including those who may be following a keto-friendly lifestyle.

"With 100 years of experience making high quality chocolate, we are better equipped than most to deliver great tasting chocolate without all of the added sugar," said Jill Beveridge, VP of Innovation & Development at Russell Stover. "We have received an extremely positive response to the Joy Bites collection from our customers and from consumers. Joy Bites highlight Russell Stover's consumer-focused commitment to innovation and creativity, and we look forward to continuing to introduce new and exciting products to this collection."

Joy Bites can be found, or will be coming soon, at leading retailers including Albertson's, Safeway, Kroger, Meijer, Winn Dixie (Fall), Walmart (Fall) and many other major retailers or visit RussellStover.com.

About Russell Stover Candies

Russell Stover has been an American classic since 1923. Crafting delicious treats, made from scratch with the finest ingredients, Russell Stover Chocolates has been known for its gifting chocolates for generations. Founded in Denver by Clara and Russell Stover, the company moved its headquarters to Kansas City in 1932. With factories in Kansas and Texas, Russell Stover Chocolates includes the Russell Stover, Whitman's, and Pangburn's brands. The company was acquired by Swiss chocolatier Lindt in 2014 and is now part of the Lindt & Sprungli family of companies. To learn more about Russell Stover Chocolates visit RussellStover.com.

For more information about Joy Bites, please visit https://www.russellstover.com/joybites, and join Russell Stover on Instagram.

SOURCE Russell Stover Candies
LAS VEGAS, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --

"My goals when declaring my candidacy for the non-partisan Las Vegas City Council was to bring back civility, debate, and democracy to the council chambers, while focusing on economic prosperity, and equitable progress for my fellow city residents. This current state of the Nevada GOP and their circus act will not stop me from working toward making Las Vegas a shining example of what a dynamic, world class city can and should be."

Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, Candidate Las Vegas City Council. "Sarah Ashton-Cirillo. For You. For Us. Together."

-- Sarah Ashton-Cirillo

The Sarah Ashton-Cirillo campaign for Las Vegas City Council received unprecedented national attention recently in outlets such as The Daily Beast, The Washington Post, and Las Vegas Review-Journal due to Ms. Ashton-Cirillo's undercover infiltration of the Republican party in Nevada. In response, the Nevada GOP Chairman, Michael J. McDonald, has gone on the defensive in a recent radio interview, on America Matters Media, casting aspersion on the well-vetted, and truthful claims brought forward by Sarah's actions and against Sarah herself.

Chairman McDonald's reported attempts to evade responsibility for mobilizing Proud Boys to do the bidding of the state party cannot be ignored. Neither can the questions raised in the media over his questionable financial ties to the Take Back the West PAC be spun away in a furious attempt to obfuscate the truth.

As such, Ms. Ashton-Cirillo challenges Chairman Michael J. McDonald to a live debate in relation to his involvement with the Proud Boys, Take Back the West PAC, and any connection to the Nevada GOP and Arizona Congressman Paul Gosar. This extraordinary step is necessary in order to stop the embarrassment being wrought on our city and state in the eyes of the nation and restore confidence in the political system.

With these issues having been covered in multiple media stories over the last month, Sarah Ashton-Cirillo will fully defend the factual basis of the previously reported events, knowing full well that facts are irrefutable and welcomes this opportunity to prove, again, any pushback against the truth is simply a feeble attempt to make fake news real.

Furthermore, Ms. Ashton-Cirillo is in possession of a significant number of unreleased text messages from consultants, candidates, and elected officials in the Republican party and will be making them available to further expose the full extent of GOP malfeasance.

Contact:

Brian DiFatta

443.791.5926

[email protected]

SOURCE Campaign to Elect Sarah Ashton
The relationship with Sam's Club comes as Americans continue to invest in home renovation and improvement projects. Sam's Club Home Install Experts by Service Finance takes the guesswork out of finding and securing a home improvement contractor with its simple online platform  giving Sam's Club members the additional benefit of 10% Discount Off Everyday Dealer Pricing * with promotional financing available through Service Finance Dealers.

"It's a privilege to work with Sam's Club and help its members make intelligent decisions about investments in their homes," said Mark Berch, President of Service Finance. "We take pride in doing the heavy lifting so that Sam's Club members can take care of their home improvements with trusted Service Finance Dealers who can provide a financing option that works for them."

Sam's Club members can access Sam's Club Home Install Experts by Service Finance through HomeInstallExperts.com or by calling 844-Savings. The program is available for Sam's Club members in all states where Sam's Clubs are located (excluding Hawaii and Puerto Rico). The process begins with the Sam's Club member selecting the desired product and service and scheduling a free, no obligation consultation with the recommended Service Finance Dealer.

"We're always looking for ways to deliver value, convenience and special experiences to our members, and our relationship with Service Finance will be a gamechanger," said Kevin O'Connor, Senior Vice President and General Merchandising Manager, Sam's Club. "With access to Service Finance's network of reputable dealers, our members can have confidence knowing they're not only getting additional value from their membership, but they're also getting the reassurance of a trusted provider."

About Service Finance Company

Service Finance Company, LLC ("SFC") is a subsidiary of ECN Capital Corp. (TSX: ECN), a publicly traded vendor and finance company. SFC provides financing solutions which include promotional and standard installment terms for home improvement contractors enrolled in the SFC Financing Program. SFC is an FHA Title I Lender and is authorized to conduct business as a sales finance company and third-party servicer in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.

About Sam's Club

Sam's Club, a division of Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT), is a leading membership warehouse club offering superior products, savings and services to millions of members in nearly 600 clubs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Now in its 39th year, Sam's Club continues to redefine warehouse shopping with its highly curated assortment of high-quality fresh food and Member's Mark items, in addition to market leading technologies and services like Scan & Go, Curbside Pickup and home delivery service in select markets. To learn more about Sam's Club, visit the Sam's Club Newsroom, shop at SamsClub.com, and interact with Sam's Club on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Caroline Crosthwait, Mitchell

901-326-2587

MARKETING CONTACT:

Jeff Wisot, ECN Direct Marketing Solutions

561-569-8230

MARKETING CONTACT:

James Cadena, Service Finance Company

866-254-0497

SOURCE Service Finance Company, LLC
The 2021 Virtual Summit, themed "Professional Learning that Sticks," comes after an unprecedented inaugural conference in June of 2020. As Dave Wakefield, CEO of Sibme, explains, "When the COVID-19 pandemic caused many national education conferences to shutter, we decided we could easily provide a virtual space for educators to gather and learn from one another." While the team at Sibme thought some customers would be interested in gathering together to share ideas on how to facilitate learning in a remote environment, "We had no idea how enthusiastic the response would be," Wakefield explains. The 2020 conference had nearly 3000 live and asynchronous attendees. Since the 2020 event, attendees have returned to sessions to interact with the 2020 learning content 2875 times.

TJ Hoffman, COO of Sibme, is confident that quality will be the most important aspect of this conference. "We're not interested in being just another virtual webinar. We're confident that we've recruited some of the best thinkers in education to share thoughts on how to help teachers adapt for the challenges to come. This year, more than ever, educators' time is precious, and we want to make sure that time is well spent." Sessions will be connected to themes of improving teacher collaboration, building collective teacher efficacy, and developing innovative teaching models to help address learning loss brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event also promises to be fun, with many opportunities to interact with other educators informally, including "edcamp" style sessions throughout the day, and "reflection casts" on social media (@sibmeapp) to share the most important lessons learned. Additionally, Sibme will give away prizes to the most engaged conference participants throughout the two-day event, including a trip for 2 to Tulum, Mexico, an Apple Watch, and an iPad, among other prizes. "We think the event should reward people for being actively engaged in learning," says Wakefield.

The Better Together Summit is being offered completely free of charge to schools. Educators interested in registering for the event should visit info.sibme.com/better-together to learn more and sign up. After the live conference on June 21-22, 2021, session recordings and accompanying materials will be available to all registrants for free for one year. Education companies HMH, Scholastic, Fullbloom, CirQlive, and the Principal Center are partnering with Sibme to host the event.

About Sibme

Sibme's mission is to impact student success by combining innovative, user-friendly technology solutions, implementation expertise, and ongoing support and partnership to connect educators and transform the way they learn and grow professionally. Sibme was founded in 2013 by David Wakefield, a Houston-area teacher. Since then, Sibme has helped thousands of current and future teachers in schools throughout the world. Sibme is proud to support the work of schools in major school districts and charter networks around the country. http://sibme.com/

Media Contacts

TJ Hoffman for Sibme

[email protected]

+1-214-673-8616

SOURCE Sibme

Related Links

https://sibme.com/


MADRID, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The CEO and principal shareholder of Lleida.net (BME: LLN) (EPA: ALLLN) (OTCQX: LLEIF), Sisco Sapena, acquired yesterday 12,000 new shares of the company, at a value of 6.14 euros per share.

The purchase, communicated today via a regulatory filing, amounts to a total of 73,680 euros, increasing Sapena's shareholding in the company to 36.66 per cent.

With this acquisition, Sapena has chosen to reinvest in the company he founded in 1995, equivalent to the dividends he is entitled to receive on June 17th.

"More than 3,000 shareholders already have confidence in Lleida.net, but as the creator of the company when it was just a project, 26 years ago, I am still betting with it, and I am proud to continue doing it," explained Sapena.

Since the beginning of the year, Sapena has acquired 47,800 shares in the company, always at market price, for a value of approximately 270,000 euros.

At the company's General Shareholders' Meeting, held yesterday by telematic means, it was unanimously approved to distribute 25 per cent more dividends than last year.

The meeting voted in favour of the Board of Directors' proposal to distribute a dividend of 1.25 euro cents per share, which will be paid out on June 17th.

Thus, the company will pay its shareholders more than 245,000 euros gross, with which it wishes to thank them for their support in what has been the best year in its history.

In 2020, the company increased its sales by 20 per cent to 16.42 million euros.

During the year, the Spanish company consolidated its position as one of the leading players in the e-signature, e-notification and e-procurement market in Europe.

It already has 200 patents awarded in some 60 countries and assets worth more than 13.2 million.

Contact:

The Paloma Project

Media, [email protected]

+356-7946-7486

SOURCE Lleida.net
ATHENS, Greece, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- One more baby has been born using the maternal spindle transfer method, as part of the clinical study conducted by the scientific team of the Institute of Life  IASO and Embryotools in Greece. This method has already led to the birth of 5 babies by women experiencing serious infertility problems and a significant history of multiple IVF failures.

The 6th child was born on 24 May by a Greek woman, 39, who had undergone multiple unsuccessful IVF attempts in the past. Due to the poor quality of her eggs, none of this woman's fertilized eggs had previously made it to the blastocyst stage.

Attending physician and obstetrician/gynecology surgeon Mr. Stelios Grigorakis, stated, "This woman had already experienced many failed IVF attempts in her medical history. Note that none of her fertilized eggs in the previous assisted reproduction attempts had developed into an embryo. I am extremely pleased to be participating in a leading scientific team, which is promoting IVF with its work and is demonstrating that Greece is paving the way globally."

In a joint statement, Dr. Nuno Costa-Borges, Co-Founder of Embryotools, and Mr. Eros Nikitos, Director of the IASO Institute of Life Embryology Lab, said: "As our clinical research is concluding, yet another woman with a complex history of failed IVF attempts brought to the world a healthy baby from her own genetic material. Meanwhile, the other 5 babies born to date are also extremely healthy and are being monitored based on a special pediatric protocol."

About the Maternal Spindle Transfer Pilot Trial

The maternal spindle transfer pilot trial involves mitochondrial replacement in human oocytes, fully preserving the genetic material of the woman who wants to reproduce. In this way, in the context of the clinical study being carried out by the Institute of Life and Embryotools, the scientific team is researching the potential of addressing the problems of women with fertility issues and multiple IVF failures caused by cytoplasmic dysfunctions of their oocytes, and the potential of addressing serious mitochondrial diseases.

Important Note:

Births of children using the maternal spindle transfer method are performed in the context of an ongoing research protocol concerning a clinical study that leads to pregnancy, which is conducted in accordance with the terms and conditions of Law 3305/2005. Based on current scientific findings, the maternal spindle transfer method is not an established infertility treatment, nor a recognized method of medically assisted reproduction.

SOURCE Institute of Life
LONDON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Global Platts ("Platts"), the leading independent provider of information, analytics and benchmark prices for the commodities and energy markets, today announced that Platts has become a data and insight provider to the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), building on a long-term relationship.

Saugata Saha, President, S&P Global Platts, said: "We are pleased that OPEC recognises the value of Platts' independent price reporting and world-class analytics insight. We welcome this opportunity to deepen our longstanding relationship at this critical juncture when OPEC and energy ecosystem participants around the world are actively working to secure a sustainable future for generations to come."

Platts will supply the Vienna-based OPEC Secretariat team and the OPEC Research Division with Platts oil price data, news, fundamental data, insight and analytics, aimed at complementing OPEC's work in evaluating and analysing global oil markets. Platts will continue to support OPEC's industry leading lecture series, technical meetings, workshops and other market discussions.

OPEC is a permanent intergovernmental organization representing 13 oil-exporting nations that coordinates and unifies the petroleum policies of its Member Countries. The OPEC Secretariat is the executive organ of OPEC, and is responsible for the implementation of all resolutions passed by the Conference and carries out all decisions made by the Board of Governors. It also conducts research, the findings of which constitute key inputs in decision-making.

Media Contacts:

Americas: Kathleen Tanzy, +1 917 331 4607, [email protected]

About S&P Global Platts

At S&P Global Platts, we provide the insights; you make better informed trading and business decisions with confidence. We're the leading independent provider of information and benchmark prices for the commodities and energy markets. Customers in over 150 countries look to our expertise in news, pricing and analytics to deliver greater transparency and efficiency to markets. S&P Global Platts coverage includes oil and gas, power, petrochemicals, metals, agriculture and shipping.

S&P Global Platts is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en

SOURCE S&P Global Platts

Related Links

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BEAVERTON, Ore., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Industry-leading test and measurement company Tektronix, Inc. has announced its global 2021 Tektronix Innovation Forum will feature NASA astronaut Daniel Tani along with some 50 experts across 40 sessions providing exclusive insights into the future of technology.

The 2021 Tektronix Innovation Forum features 40 sessions with more than 50 tech experts from around the world.

The annual event kicks off in China with subsequent sessions to be held in Europe, the Americas, Taiwan, India, ASEAN, Japan and Korea. The mostly online forum will run June 16 through July 16, 2021, offering attendees the opportunity to learn about industry developments, trends and innovations across the test and measurement industry. Attendees will have the chance to hear from Tektronix executives including President Tami Newcombe, senior engineers and industry leaders during in-depth discussions all under the theme of "Engineering the Future."

NASA astronaut and engineer Dan Tani will start off the conference sharing his insights from two space shuttle missions and 120 days as a flight engineer on the International Space Station. His lessons of global teamwork, overcoming surprise challenges while traveling 17,500 miles per hour, and inspiring a next generation of problem-solving engineers can help any engineering team looking to strengthen their work in the year ahead.

Other panels will focus on pressing topics ranging from power, high speed serial communications, IoT and 5G. Registration is free and open to the public with content specifically geared toward engineers worldwide in the private sector, public sector, and education setting.

"This year marks an important moment to examine the global trends impacting engineering and innovation across our industry," says Chris Witt, vice president and general manager for Tektronix portfolio solutions. "This year's theme of Engineering the Future is the perfect lens for us to discuss the most pressing issues in our field today and directly influence the innovative solutions that Tektronix is known for supporting throughout the world."

The 2021 Tektronix Innovation Forum takes place during the company's milestone 75th anniversary year, making it a fitting time to acknowledge the rich legacy and history of Tektronix, while looking toward its future of driving cutting-edge innovation. Tektronix president and Fortive group president for India, Tami Newcombe, will open the conference speaking to industry challenges and growth opportunities.

"The Tektronix Innovation Forum is a chance to reunite with engineers around the world, to look anew at the state of our industry and the innovations we can drive forward together to address the challenges of the future," says Kristi Flores, Tektronix vice president of global marketing. "From faster and smaller computing to using less energy to protect our planet, all our solutions depend on collaboration and curiosity. I look forward to seeing what creative ideas emerge from this year's global conference."

The 2021 Tektronix Innovation Forum will roll out regionally from June 16 through July 16, with content specially created to address the current market, challenges and successes of each global region.

Conference dates are:

China : June 16-18

: Europe , the Middle East , and Africa : June 22-23

, the , and : North America and South America : June 23-24

and : Southeast Asia and Australasia: June 29-30

and Australasia: Taiwan : July 1-2

: India : July 7

: Japan : July 14-15

: Korea: July 16

Over 40 sessions, including:

Wide Bandgap Applications and Validation Test Challenges

Introduction to BioFETs

Diagnosing Jitter Caused by Power Integrity Problems in a PDN

5G mmWave Architecture and Phase Array Beamforming Technology

Getting the Most Out of Your Oscilloscope

Digitizers and Acquisition Software for High Energy Physics

New Characterization Techniques for DDR5 Memory Generation and Beyond

To learn more and reserve your seat for the 2021 Tektronix Innovation Forum, visit https://go2.tek.com/tektronix-innovation-forum/ .

About Tektronix

Tektronix, Inc., headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, delivers innovative, precise and easy-to-operate test, measurement and monitoring solutions that solve problems, unlock insights and drive discovery globally. Tektronix has been at the forefront of the digital age for the past 75 years. More information on our products and solutions is available at Tek.com .

Follow us on LinkedIn , Facebook , Twitter , YouTube and Instagram , and to stay connected. Learn more from our engineers on the Tektronix blog and read our latest announcements in our Newsroom .

Tektronix is a registered trademark of Tektronix, Inc. All other trade names referenced are the service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.



SOURCE Tektronix, Inc.

SOURCE Tektronix, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.tektronix.com


LOS ANGELES, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center by Lendistry today announced the launch of the Los Angeles County Small Business Resiliency Program. The initiative is an advisory and education program for minority-owned small businesses in Los Angeles County based in low- to moderate-income census tracts areas.

The Center by Lendistry

"Despite being a major hub for diverse small business growth and entrepreneurship, the legacy of institutionalized racism and discrimination still plagues the Los Angeles County small business economy. The Los Angeles County Small Business Resiliency Program brings together a coalition of business support organizations that will leverage each other's collective strengths to reach underserved businesses and level the playing field for businesses owned by people of color, creating a small business ecosystem that works for everyone," said Constance Anderson, President of The Center by Lendistry.

The Program offers small businesses the following:

On-demand webinars serve as a guided prerequisite curriculum for one-on-one advising, which helps business owners to begin thinking critically about how their businesses have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and how they may need to pivot.

One-on-one technical assistance (TA) helps businesses address their unique needs, including acquiring new capital and customers, understanding financial, change and risk management, adjusting business models, and operating under new safety regulations.

Complementary recovery funds to compensate small business owners for the time they spend accessing support through the program. To receive a grant, businesses must first complete the on-demand courses and complete one-on-one business advising services.



Small business owners located in Los Angeles County who are interested in receiving support can click here to find more information about eligibility and program requirements.

The program is part of the Los Angeles County Initiative for Inclusive Small Business (IISB), a collective of over 40 economic development organizations, capital and service providers, and local business owners who are working to address the historical barriers that have limited access to entrepreneurial opportunities for business owners of color. IISB was formed following the release of the December 2020 report, Los Angeles County Small Business Ecosystem Assessment by Lendistry, The Center by Lendistry, Next Street and Community Allies, and with financial support from JPMorgan Chase & Co and Banner Bank . The assessment highlighted a shocking discovery that local small business owners face a historic capital gap of $60 billion annually, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic and the resulting financial crisis.

"As leaders of the community, we have learned over the last year that none of us can succeed alone," said Sarah Bowles, Vice President of Global Philanthropy with JPMorgan Chase. "Many small businesses in Los Angeles still require technical assistance to navigate this next stage of the recovery. So as we emerge from this economic uncertainty, it is critical for us to provide resources that support minority small business owners who continue to be disproportionately impacted by the pandemic."

"Small businesses are the backbone of the local, regional and national economy, and ensuring they have access to financing and financial assistance has been a priority throughout our 130-year history. Helping create this program is one more way we can bring about positive change while helping businesses thrive," said Mark J. Grescovich, Banner Bank President and Chief Executive Officer. "In addition to this program focused on LA County, Lendistry is assisting us in getting similar assistance to other small businesses in need throughout the California markets we serve."

Participating business support organizations include: The Center by Lendistry, Asian Pacific Islander Small Business Program, CDC Small Business Finance, Inclusive Action for the City, Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center Network, and Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation.

About The Center by Lendistry

The Center by Lendistry provides education and resources to small businesses located in underserved small businesses. The Center is the non-profit affiliate of Lendistry, a minority-owned, technology-enabled CDFI and CDE small business and commercial real estate lender providing economic opportunities and progressive growth for underserved small business borrowers and their communities.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

Related Images

image1.jpg

SOURCE The Center by Lendistry
Taking place virtually at 16:00 GST, the Summit will host a mix of CEOs, government ministers and representatives of leading international trade bodies to further international cooperation, offering businesses the right conditions, information and incentives to unlock the full potential of global trade. It will culminate in the unveiling of ten new countries which are joining the program, and with a declaration for adoption by all WLP countries in attendance.

As the world's first global freight loyalty scheme, WLP offers members access to three tiers of benefits  silver, gold and platinum  provided by a range of WLP partners including airport authorities, port operators, customs services and others that help to make supply chains more efficient. Once the WLP is fully operational in a country, members of the WLP, including traders and freight forwarders, can anticipate an annual increase in trade on average of up to 5-10%. The WLP is free to join and open to all countries that meet the entry requirements.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DP World, said: "Today's Summit marks an exceptional year for the World Logistics Passport, with the number of countries in this club of trading nations having risen to 23 across the world in just twelve months. The WLP is helping countries grow their economies and create jobs, facilitating access to new markets and increasing the resilience of the global supply chain in the process."

The WLP broadens its reach in Africa

The decision of the Kenyan International Freight and Warehousing Association (KIFWA) to join the WLP as the first Partner in Kenya lays the foundations for the launch of Kenya as a hub for East Africa. With improving infrastructure networks and close trade ties across East and Central Africa, Kenya is well placed to support the engagement of companies across the region; and the WLP continues to work with other potential partners in Kenya as well as freight forwarder associations and chambers of commerce in neighboring countries to bring them into the network.

The South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) has also joined the WLP as a partner. It will help to expedite the full operationalization of South Africa as a Hub country through the SAAFF's ability to mobilize leading South African freight forwarders and logistics companies to join as Members.

These two developments follow the news earlier in June that Ethiopia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Burkina Faso and Guinea have all joined the WLP. With these new entrants to the program, African and global traders will have easier east-west access to trade routes, while also capitalizing on key trading centers across Southern and Eastern Africa.

The WLP expands in Latin America

In Latin America, both Paraguay and Ecuador will now be able to further diversify their exports, adding new international destinations for traders. The WLP opens new routes for Paraguay's exports that currently go mainly to neighboring countries and will help it grow as a key industrial provider for the region. Besides adding new destinations for the country's food commodities, the WLP will also help Paraguay lower its imported energy and labor costs.

Being part of the WLP will help Ecuador meet the logistics potential of the country, accelerate export programs in place, increase the global presence of its main export products related to food, vegetable and fish products and also increase trade links with main hubs in the region.

Malaysia's Johor Port and India's Delhi International Airport have joined the WLP as new strategic partners in Asia

The WLP is strengthening its presence in Asia through the addition of new partners in India and the creation of a WLP Hub in Malaysia.

The registration of Delhi International Airport, India's leading air freight destination, will enable traders in India to accelerate exports to various parts of the world. New Delhi remains a key station along major trans-Asia air cargo routes with over one million metric tonnes of goods transported to over 77 international destinations.

The addition of Johor Port as a partner, makes Malaysia one of the latest hubs to join the WLP. Johor Port remains a core part of the Johor Strait shipping infrastructure, and with a distance-to-air of 45 kilometers to the nearest cargo airport, the port has the potential to grow into a hub for global logistics.

The introduction of these two new partners within the WLP will enable increased access to trade routes in Latin America, Africa and Asia, shape resilient and substantial trade flows, while driving the shift toward high-value manufactured goods and seamless multi-modal trade.

WLP partners adopt a declaration on the role of the WLP in building a resilient and inclusive trading ecosystem with the support of public and private partners

The declaration, adopted by those countries and members present at the WLP Global Summit, commits to supporting businesses globally through complementary efforts to those already undertaken by other international organizations. The declaration states that the parties:

Agree on the importance of global trade for economic growth, resilience and bilateral cooperation

Acknowledge the benefits of the WLP as a private sector-led initiative helping businesses reduce costs and time in doing international trade

Proclaim the WLP to be inclusive and open to all countries and firms that fulfil minimum requirements

Acknowledge that the WLP is an integral part of the global economic response to boost international trade in the face of the COVID-19 crisis

Declare that WLP complements initiatives of other international organizations, such as the WCO and FIATA

Chaired by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum, Chairman and CEO of the Emirates Group, the Summit will be attended by a global roster of speakers and panelists representing private and public sector leaders including:

H.E. Amadou Hott , Minister in charge of Economy, Planning and International Cooperation, Senegal

, Minister in charge of Economy, Planning and International Cooperation, H.E. Marcelo Sampaio , Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Brazil

, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, H.E. Bakhyt Sultanov , Minister of Trade and Integration, Kazakhstan

, Minister of Trade and Integration, H.E. Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi , Minister of State for Foreign Trade and Minister in charge of Talent Attraction and Retention at Ministry of Economy, United Arab Emirates

Minister of State for Foreign Trade and Minister in charge of Talent Attraction and Retention at Ministry of Economy, Pranab Kumar Das , Director of Compliance and Facilitation, World Customs Organization

, Director of Compliance and Facilitation, World Customs Organization Sanjiv Edward , Chief Commercial Officer, Delhi International Airport (DIAL)

Chief Commercial Officer, International Airport (DIAL) Elizabeth Getahun , CEO of Panafric Global and President of the Ethiopian Freight Forwarding and Shipping Agents Association

, CEO of Panafric Global and President of the Ethiopian Freight Forwarding and Shipping Agents Association Bruno Guella , Managing Director, Montevideo Free Airport, Uruguay

, Managing Director, Montevideo Free Airport, Basil Pietersen , President, International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA)

, President, International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem , Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DP World

, Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DP World Nabil Sultan , Divisional Senior Vice President, Emirates SkyCargo

Discussion leaders at the Summit will also be presenting new, proprietary data from the Global Freight Resilience Index. The analysis, developed by Whiteshield Partners, ranks countries based on their Policy Opportunity and Freight Performance.

Singapore tops the GFRI 2021 rankings, as it has done over the last five years, and it is followed by the Netherlands and Denmark in second and third place respectively. The top 10 countries in the GFRI are again dominated by European countries highlighting the need for programs such as the WLP to upgrade capabilities and accelerate the long-term resilience of logistics and trading capabilities nations in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

The 2021 Index comes at a time when we are learning lessons from COVID-19 which tested logistics systems in 2020. To respond to trends and prepare for disruptions, policy makers can enhance freight resilience by investing in technological innovation, implementing sustainable policies and promote quality engagement with the private sector.

To find out more please visit https://www.worldlogisticspassport.com/wlp-global-summit

Follow the WLP's social channels:

Twitter: @WLP_Logistics

LinkedIn: World Logistics Passport

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1527721/World_Logistics_Passport.jpg

SOURCE World Logistics Passport
Cannabis multi-state operator announces new partnerships and introduces exclusive product strains in celebration and support of the LGBTQ+ community

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (CSE: TRUL) (OTCQX: TCNNF), a leading and top-performing cannabis company in the United States and the largest cannabis company in Florida, today announced its Pride Month initiatives, which directly support LGBTQ+ communities and families throughout the month of June.

"Trulieve encourages and celebrates those who come from all walks of life," said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve. "We are proud of our efforts to create a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment for members of the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. Ensuring that our patients and customers feel seen and heard when they walk into one of our stores is paramount to us as a company."

In Massachusetts, during the opening of Trulieve's first adult-use and medical dispensary in Northampton, a percentage of sales were earmarked for MassEquality. MassEquality is the leading statewide grassroots advocacy organization working to ensure that everyone across Massachusetts can thrive without discrimination and oppression based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

At Florida's 82 dispensaries, in addition to bringing back its Pride Month exclusive TruPod in the strain Rainbow Sherbet, Trulieve will also offer new products, including TruFlower strain Love is Love and two new pre-roll strains, Mary & Jane and Mr. Fahrenheit. A portion of the proceeds from Pride Month product sales in Florida dispensaries will benefit several local organizations working to support LGBTQ+ people, groups, and communities:

26Health : An organization that offers quality care and services for all Central Floridians regardless of their ability to pay. 26Health is a comprehensive wellness community that includes affordable healthcare, mental health care, a drug discount program, adoption services, aesthetic services, and more.

: An organization that offers quality care and services for all Central Floridians regardless of their ability to pay. 26Health is a comprehensive wellness community that includes affordable healthcare, mental health care, a drug discount program, adoption services, aesthetic services, and more. Equality FL : Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for Florida's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. Through lobbying, grassroots organizing, education, and coalition building, this organization is working to change Florida so that no one suffers harassment or discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

: Equality Florida is the largest civil rights organization dedicated to securing full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. Through lobbying, grassroots organizing, education, and coalition building, this organization is working to change so that no one suffers harassment or discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. Metro Inclusive Health : Metro Inclusive Health is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides quality health and wellness services that are inclusive, relevant, and supportive. With active community center locations throughout the Tampa Bay area, the centers provide premier comprehensive medical and social services. This includes HIV services and medical care, social activities, classes, support groups, counseling, health and fitness programs, behavioral health services, and more.

: Metro Inclusive Health is a 501(c)(3) organization that provides quality health and wellness services that are inclusive, relevant, and supportive. With active community center locations throughout the Tampa Bay area, the centers provide premier comprehensive medical and social services. This includes HIV services and medical care, social activities, classes, support groups, counseling, health and fitness programs, behavioral health services, and more. National Center for Transgender Equality : The National Center for Transgender Equality advocates to change policies and society to increase understanding and acceptance of transgender people. In the nation's capital and throughout the country, NCTE works to replace disrespect, discrimination, and violence with empathy, opportunity, and justice.

In 2020, Trulieve was able to donate a total of over $50,000 in support of LGBTQ+ communities through the sale of its Pride Month products. In addition to financial donations, Trulieve will also host Pride TruTalksvideo conversations broadcast on Trulieve's Facebook page and social platforms hosted by company leadership with expert guests from the cannabis space. Topics will include the history of Pride, and how to support the LGBTQ+ community during Pride and throughout the year.

Additional details about Trulieve's Pride Month events can be found on Trulieve's website.

About Trulieve

Trulieve is primarily a vertically integrated "seed-to-sale" company in the U.S. and is the first and largest fully licensed medical cannabis company in the State of Florida. Trulieve cultivates and produces all of its products in-house and distributes those products to Trulieve-branded stores (dispensaries) throughout the State of Florida, as well as directly to patients via home delivery. Trulieve also holds licenses to operate in California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and West Virginia. Trulieve is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol TRUL and trades on the OTCQX market under the symbol TCNNF.

To learn more about Trulieve, visit www.Trulieve.com .

SOURCE Trulieve Cannabis Corp.

Related Links

https://www.trulieve.com/


"David comes to Umoja with a wealth of leadership experience in drug development and business strategy," said Andrew Scharenberg, M.D., co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Umoja Biopharma. "His extensive expertise in the biotech and biopharma sectors and proven track record of bringing novel oncology drugs from development all the way through to commercialization will be invaluable as we advance our in vivo cell therapies into the clinic."

Fontana joins Umoja from Bristol Myers Squibb, where he was an executive in the Cell Therapy Franchise and part of the Lymphoma Disease Strategy Team. There, he led the development of CD19 CAR T cell therapy BREYANZI from clinical evaluation to commercialization. Prior to this role, he led the advancement of late-stage immuno-oncology assets and translational medicine as Vice President of Immuno-Oncology at Pfizer. Fontana has successfully guided multiple drug candidates to significant milestones throughout his career, including ADCETRIS (CD30 antibody-drug conjugate, Brentuximab vedotin), BAVENCIO (avelumab, anti PD-L1), and relatlimab, (anti-LAG-3 antibody). Fontana received a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Wayne State University and holds a PMP certification from the Project Management Institute.

"Umoja's integrated in vivo platform approach to immunotherapy holds great potential to transform the current standard of cancer care by generating safe, broadly accessible immunotherapies that build off of the learnings of existing cell and gene therapy technologies," said David Fontana, Ph.D., Chief Business and Strategy Officer of Umoja Biopharma. "I'm excited to join this forward-thinking team and help Umoja deliver on the promise of our unique technologies to bring effective cancer treatments to patients in need."

About Umoja Biopharma

Umoja Biopharma, Inc. is a pre-clinical stage company headquartered in Seattle, WA. Founded based on pioneering work performed at Seattle Children's Research Institute and Purdue University, Umoja is advancing an entirely new approach to immunotherapy designed to retool a patient's immune system in vivo. Umoja's novel approach is powered by integrated cellular immunotherapy technologies comprising VivoVec in vivo delivery platform, the RACR in vivo cell expansion platform, and the TumorTag targeting platform. Designed from the ground up to work together, these platforms create and harness a powerful immune response in the body to directly, safely and controllably attack cancer. Umoja believes that its approach can provide broader access to the most advanced immunotherapies and enable more patients to live better, fuller lives. To learn more, visit http://umoja-biopharma.com/.

SOURCE Umoja Biopharma

Related Links

http://umoja-biopharma.com


FREIENBACH, Switzerland, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- UROS Group today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Intent with Integrated Projects in Ecology and Energy LLC ("KPE").



The signing ceremony took place at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in the presence of Mr. Denis Manturov, the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation and Mr. Ville Skinnari, the Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade for Finland.



"We are very excited about bringing our innovative technologies to the Russian Federation. It is a great honor to be a part of a project that benefits the environment, communities and citizens. This is a major step in our strategy to deploy Smart City vertical solutions in Russia. We have been working with KPE already for two years and are impressed by their capabilities", comments Mr. Jyrki Hallikainen, the Chairman of the Board of UROS Group.



UROS Group and KPE will establish a Russian joint venture company which will serve local water and wastewater utilities with the state-of-the-art UROS Sense and UROS Flow solutions.



UROS Group and KPE will together attend Russian Water Congress between 28-30 June to meet Russian water utilities.

CONTACT:

For more information:

[email protected]

+358 50 5951242

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/uros-ltd/r/uros-group-and-kpe-to-implement-nationwide-real-time-water-quality-monitoring-system-in-the-russian-,c3363255

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/6166/3363255/1429277.pdf UROS Group and KPE to implement nationwide real-time water quality monitoring system in the Russian Federation https://news.cision.com/uros-ltd/i/uros-group-and-kpe-to-implement-nationwide-real-time-water-quality-monitoring-system-in-the-russian-,c2923041 UROS Group and KPE to implement nationwide real-time water quality monitoring system in the Russian Federation

SOURCE UROS Ltd
WASHINGTON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, and Pharmacy Times, the leading multimedia resource for pharmacy professionals, today released the top-recommended health products for 2021. Tylenol came in as the No. 1 pick among the surveyed pharmacists for treating headaches, and Claritin products topped the list for allergy relief in adults and children.

Now in its 25th year, the OTC Guide, published by Pharmacy Times, provides recommendations from pharmacists for more than 1,000 over-the-counter (OTC) brands across 152 product categories, 133 of which U.S. News also publishes. These results give pharmacists, patients and other health care professionals a trusted resource to promote wellness, prevent and treat acute ailments and illnesses and manage more complex conditions, leading to improved patient outcomes.

Pharmacies are not only accessible and conveniently located, but also are a trusted resource for patients suffering from both common and comorbid conditions. By providing critical services such as patient education, medication dispensing, vaccinations, recommendations for OTC medications and medication management, pharmacy teams continue to be essential. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 90% of Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy, and patients visit their community pharmacy an average of 12 times more per year than their primary care physician.

As preventive care remains a high priority and COVID-19 vaccinations and CDC guidelines allow more Americans to begin traveling again, the top products can help consumers and their families stay healthy all year long. The No. 1 pharmacist-recommended brands include:

To keep children healthy year-round, the 2021 top-recommended health products for common ailments such as allergies, sore throat and cough include:

This year's picks feature at-home testing products, including Braun ThermoScan digital thermometer , OneTouch blood glucose monitors , Omron blood pressure monitors and First Check drug tests.

"As more Americans roll up their sleeves to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and people begin to travel and return to the office, they're looking for easily accessible information about over-the-counter allergy, headache and pain medicine," said Kim Castro, editor and chief content officer at U.S. News. "The expertise of Pharmacy Times combined with the in-depth journalism and analysis from U.S. News empowers consumers to research products for their affliction and, along with input from a physician or general practitioner, know that they made the most informed decision for their health."

Ed Cohen, Pharm.D., FAPhA, executive vice president of pharmacy advocacy for Pharmacy Times added, "The OTC Guide gives consumers everywhere insight into which over-the-counter products pharmacists know and recommend. Patients continue to turn to OTC products to treat their conditions and pharmacists continue to counsel and recommend appropriate OTC products. We are proud to be working with U.S. News once again to put together this comprehensive guide of pharmacist recommendations, and we are thankful for the time and effort pharmacists put into taking the survey, especially this year balancing their time with COVID-19 priorities."

U.S. News and Pharmacy Times began collaborating in 2012 to bring pharmacist recommendations to consumers nationwide. Pharmacy Times evaluates pharmacists' insights and preferences through an annual research program conducted by HRA  Healthcare Research and Analytics , a consultative health care market research practice. Through U.S. News' Drugs & Treatments section , consumers have an easy and searchable way to access the information produced by pharmacists' recommendations. U.S. News displays brands that received at least 1% of pharmacists' votes but awards a No. 1 Pharmacist Recommended Brand designation only to the top-ranked product in each category.

For more information, visit Facebook or Twitter using #OTCGuide or go to otcguide.net to access the rankings and search pharmacist recommendations by symptom, product or category.

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower citizens, consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

About Pharmacy Times

Pharmacy Times  is the industry-leading multimedia pharmacy network of community, health system, oncology, and specialty pharmacy platforms, providing practical clinical and professional information pharmacists can use in their everyday practices when counseling patients and interacting with other health care providers. Each issue and the website contain articles and features covering industry trends, drug interactions, patient education, disease state management, patient counseling, product news, pharmacy law, and more. Additionally, Pharmacy Times Continuing Education  is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. Pharmacy Times is a brand of MJH Life Sciences , the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical media company in North America dedicated to delivering trusted health care news across multiple channels.

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report
EXTON, Pa., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A few months after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved Takeda's subcutaneous formulation of Entyvio, known as Entyvio SC, Spherix captured the initial impact of the launch on the EU5 Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) markets through their RealTime Dynamix services. The latest UC and CD reports, sampling ~250 EU5 gastroenterologists each in April and May of 2021, revealed that after a strong market entry, growth of Entyvio SC has remained flat from the prior wave of research.

While not overt, there are several data points that suggest efficacy concerns for Entyvio SC have increased among EU5 gastroenterologists in the past six months.

While not unusual for a newly-launched therapy, the discontinuation rate for Entyvio SC increased in both UC and CD as compared to the previous wave.

In a comparison to Q4 2020, "lack of efficacy" as a primary reason for discontinuation of Entyvio SC increased by ten percentage points in UC and by seven points in CD.

Similarly, "concerns about efficacy" increased as a barrier to Entyvio SC prescribing in UC and CD.

The percentage of severe UC patients who are considered candidates for Entyvio SC in UC decreased by eleven points since the last wave.

Despite the stoppage in growth and weakened perceptions of efficacy, EU5 gastroenterologists state that they expect to resume prescribing Entyvio SC, increasing the therapy's share in both UC and CD over the next six months.

Efficacy is critical to EU5 gastroenterologists' perceptions of therapies to treat UC and CD. The Q2 RealTime Dynamix reports include comparisons of stated importance for several clinical attributes versus the leading attributes driving overall therapy perceptions from a derived analysis perspective. For both UC and CD, the results were clear that efficacy as measured by "sustained remission, symptom improvement, induction of remission, and mucosal healing" is the top driver to therapy decision-making compared to safety and other features.

Aside from concerns regarding efficacy, setbacks for Entyvio SC echo the overall lack of change in prescribing that took place in UC and CD in the EU5 markets since the middle of last year. During this time, Entyvio IV experienced a decrease in UC prescribing, while Janssen's Remicade saw a slight increase. Similarly, CD brand share changes did not measure more than one percentage point up or down over the past six months.

The lack of therapy switching may be a result of the anticipation for the potential EMA approvals of new UC therapies by the end of this year; both Gilead/Galapagos' filgotinib and BMS' ozanimod are currently under review. EU5 gastroenterologists' unaided awareness of both pipeline agents increased notably compared to last year.

Being slightly closer to an EMA approval, filgotinib stands out from the pipeline pack, with more than one-half of EU5 gastroenterologists rating the agent as an "expected first-line treatment" or a "treatment they expect to use routinely." When asked to select their most preferred UC agent in development, more than one-quarter of respondents selected filgotinib, followed by AbbVie's JAK inhibitor, upadacitinib.

Physicians supported their first-choice selection of filgotinib with specific remarks about the therapy in terms of clinical trials, oral administration, mechanism of action, and efficacy. Respondents were also asked to estimate their potential share for filgotinib if approved by the EMA and were profiled by the level of their responses.

Spherix will continue to monitor the impact of new clinical data and new formulations on EU5 IBD prescribing as 2021 progresses. Another round of analysis included in the UC and CD RealTime Dynamix (EU) services are scheduled for publication later this year, as well as patient audit data included in the RealWorld Dynamix: Biologic/Small Molecule Switching in IBD (EU) service.

About RealTime Dynamix

RealTime Dynamix is an independent service providing strategic guidance through rapid and comprehensive twice-yearly reports, which include IBD market trending, launch tracking, and a fresh infusion of unique content with each wave. The report captures responses from ~250 EU5 (France, Italy, Germany, Spain UK) gastroenterologists.

Spherix's companion services, RealTime Dynamix: Crohn's Disease (US) and RealTime Dynamix: Ulcerative Colitis (US) track the evolution of the IBD market in the US through a quarterly report series.

Learn more about our services here.

About Spherix Global Insights

Spherix Global Insights is a hyper-focused market intelligence firm that leverages our own independent data and expertise to provide strategic guidance, so biopharma stakeholders make decisions with confidence. We specialize in select immunology, nephrology, and neurology markets.

All company, brand or product names in this document are trademarks of their respective holders.

For more information contact:

Kristen Henn, Business Development Manager

Email: [email protected]

www.spherixglobalinsights.com

SOURCE Spherix Global Insights

Related Links

http://www.spherixglobalinsights.com


LYNBROOK, N.Y., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vanessa Gibson, MD is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Top Thoracic Surgery Specialist for her exemplary service to the healthcare community.

As a Thoracic Surgery Specialist at Long Island Thoracic Surgery PC, Dr. Gibson provides personalized care to patients with chest and lung issues. With 22 years of experience guiding her, she has performed countless thoracic surgeries with great success.

Vanessa Gibson

Dr. Gibson operates mainly in Lynbrook, NY, and operates in Syracuse, NY, and Louisville, KY. She has operated at her current position for 15 years, with admitting privileges at Mount Sinai South Nassau, Mercy Hospital Rockville Centre, and Norton Children's Hospital.

An active member of her field, Dr. Gibson is a member of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. She is also affiliated with Upstate University Hospital Community Campus.

Among her academic achievements, Dr. Gibson received her M.D. with honors from the University of Louisville School of Medicine in 1999. She obtained an internship and a residency at the University of Missouri in 2004. Then she completed a residency at the University of Kentucky in 2007. The Kentucky College of Medicine awarded her a Fellowship.

Dr. Gibson has been in her current position as a Thoracic Surgery Specialist for 15 years. Her areas of expertise involve the lungs, esophagus, heart, and other chest organs during lung cancer treatment or emphysema. Dr. Gibson is passionate about her line of work and caring for her patients and represents herself with excellence and integrity. Other areas of expertise include aneurysms, vascular malformations, and diabetes complications.

Patients have praised Dr. Gibson's work rebuilding diaphragms, removing portions of the lungs, and operating on the esophagus. She is revered for her straightforward and amiable approach, telling patients precisely what to expect during and after their procedures.

As a testament to her professional excellence, Dr. Gibson was recognized as a CMS Stage 1 EHR in 2012. Awards for her work include the Compassionate Doctor Recognition in 2015, the Patients' Choice Award in 2015-2016, and the On-Time Doctor Award in 2015-2016.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE Continental Who's Who
NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SaaS solutions provider Wedia has announced plans to partner with software company NAPC to reinforce its business activity in the U.S. mid-market segment.



NAPC is Wedia's new U.S. partner with enormous experience in deploying and supporting Digital Asset Management (DAM) and Brand Management Systems. The company has decades of experience in the Brand and DAM arena, making NAPC uniquely capable in helping Wedia clients get the most from their DAM deployment.



"We believe our services and expertise will help Wedia customers get up and running quickly, with a tailored approach just right for their needs" says Robert Pelmas, CTO at NAPC. "Not only are we integrators, but also a partner of proximity - our highly skilled development group ensures users of Wedia's DAM will keep their brand and marketing assets on-brand and integrated to their ecosystem, as well as support them on an ongoing basis."



Wedia provides marketing solutions to enterprise organizations in sectors as varied as retail, financial services, consumer product goods, automotive or industry. This partnership will enable Wedia to play a bigger role in the mid-market segment, where there is a strong need for DAM solutions to help companies promote their brands and products, boost sales and stay competitive.



"We're really excited about this partnership because it will help us better address mid-sized clients and prospects in the U.S., where we operate from our office in NYC, says Sebastien Bardoz, VP of Sales and Operations, North America at Wedia. "It will allow us to collaborate more closely and directly with clients, while relying on a partner with 20+ years of experience as a DAM reseller. I'm confident that NAPC will help Wedia accelerate, leverage and multiply our business in the U.S."



About Wedia

With offices in NYC, Paris and Frankfurt, and recognized by industry analysts Gartner and Forrester, Wedia is one of the world's "Top 10" DAM players. The company provides marketing solutions designed to help organizations efficiently manage, customize and deliver marketing assets for more relevance, impact and overall business success.



About NAPC

NAPC provides technical support services to businesses, including graphics production, digital asset management, efficient collaboration and customized campaigns.



Contact

Name: Julien Fauvel - CMO

Email: [email protected]

Address: 12 East 49th Street, New York, NY 10017, USA

Website: www.wedia-group.com/

SOURCE Wedia

Related Links

https://www.wedia-group.com/


NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- David Bartolone, Vice President and General Manager for the International Group at Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S., will lead a virtual lightning talk at the British and Irish Association of Law Librarians Annual Conference (BIALL) on Thursday, June 10 from 15:11 to 15:25 UTC. Mr. Bartolone's presentation will focus on the future ready lawyer in the COVID-19 era. In addition to this session, Wolters Kluwer will host a virtual booth where staff members will be available to answer questions about the portfolio.

David Bartolone, Vice President and General Manager for the International Group at Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S., will lead a virtual lightning talk at the British and Irish Association of Law Librarians Annual Conference (BIALL) on Thursday, June 10 from 15:11 to 15:25 UTC.

With more than 25 years' experience in professional information services, Mr. Bartolone oversees Wolters Kluwer's International Group while leading the overall strategy and vision for the international business. The International Group is known globally for producing products and services that cross boundaries and jurisdictions, with information, insights and tools that enable professionals to navigate the increasingly global aspect of law. At this year's Annual Conference, he will give a presentation on the Wolters Kluwer Future Ready Lawyer Survey performance drivers. He will also discuss trends affecting the future of law as the industry undergoes a significant transformation, and how well prepared legal organizations can deliver higher performance.

"I am looking forward to discussing the performance drivers noted in the Future Ready Lawyer Survey at this year's annual conference," said David Bartolone, general manager at Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. "I will focus on how client expectations, technology and other factors are affecting the future of law across core areas and how legal organizations can be prepared to address these changes."

The British and Irish Association of Law Librarians 51st Annual Conference will be held virtually on Wednesday, June 9, through Friday, June 11. The theme of this year's conference will be Bodies in the Library: Sleuthing, Plotting and Making the Case. This conference brings together leading professionals working with legal information in the UK and Ireland. The conference provides an opportunity to learn about and discuss, formally and informally, the key issues affecting the legal information profession.

To learn more about the conference, visit: https://biall.org.uk/annual-conference/conference-2021/

To learn more about Kluwer Law International's portfolio, visit www.KluwerLaw.com

About Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S.

Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the healthcare; tax and accounting; governance, risk and compliance; and legal and regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with technology and services.

Wolters Kluwer reported 2020 annual revenues of 4.6 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,200 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands.

For more information about Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S., visit www.WoltersKluwerLR.com, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Linda Gharib

Director, Brand & Communications

Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S.

Tel: +1 (646) 887-7962

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S.
DULUTH, Minn., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WorkWell, the experts in preventing and treating sprains, strains, and back pain, today announced that they were chosen as a collaborator on the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation's Building Trust initiative, a multi-faceted effort to increase conversation, thought leadership, research, and best practices to elevate trust as an essential organizing principle for improving healthcare. These are the same principles that are critical for creating a world-class workplace safety program.

WorkWell was one of just three American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) practices selected to collaborate with ABIM.

"We are proud to be recognized by the ABIM Foundation and APTA for our work in building trust in workplace safety," said Karil Reibold, Acting Chief Executive Officer at WorkWell. "Onsite physical therapists focus on preventing work-limiting problems, helping people who often have chronic conditions stay at work, many of whom work long shifts and reside in areas that don't have readily accessible healthcare. Being onsite enables therapists to take proactive measures to identify injury risks and treat work-related injuries before impacting people's economic livelihood."

WorkWell Trust Practice

The WorkWell Trust Practice bridges the gap between employees and employers and furthers a culture of workplace safety. By providing care at employers' offices and front-line workspaces, WorkWell physical and occupational therapists break down mistrust in the potentially adversarial relationship between employers (who want their workers to return to work) and employees seeking health services. Having onsite therapists reduces access barriers, familiarizes workers with the services offered, and demonstrates employers' concern for their employees. The therapist-employee interactions establish relationships and produce increased levels of trust. Putting patient welfare first and providing access delivers a message of caring and compassion to employees and builds trustworthiness.

Managed Onsite Physical Therapy

WorkWell managed onsite physical therapy clinics reduce musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries and related costs and shorten injured workers' recovery time. These onsite services can improve worker productivity, reduce absenteeism/presenteeism, boost employee trust and workplace safety.

Representatives from each of the three APTA practices WorkWell, Kessler Rehab Center, and Johns Hopkins, participated in an informative Q&Avideo panel discussion on their highly regarded trust practices to promote exemplary practices that foster trust and trustworthiness in physical therapy.

About WorkWell

WorkWell helps organizations prevent and treat sprains, strains, and back pain by delivering comprehensive and scalable musculoskeletal health programs as part of their overall safety and wellness programs. We partner with employers to keep employees safe, healthy, and productive by identifying workplace risks, implementing early intervention and proactive ergonomics, providing employee testing and treatment, and ensuring safety compliance. Our prevention, treatment and training programs are delivered by our network of 10,000 credentialed physical therapists who are experts at delivering all aspects of a comprehensive musculoskeletal wellness program. To learn more, visit us at www.workwell.com or follow us on Twitter at @WorkWellPandC and LinkedIn.

Contact

Laura MacSweeney

Red Javelin Communications

[email protected]

339-221-0614

SOURCE WorkWell Prevention and Care

Related Links

www.workwell.com


VANCOUVER, BC, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - B2Gold Corp. (TSX: BTO) (NYSE AMERICAN: BTG) (NSX: B2G) ("B2Gold" or the "Company") will host its 2021 Annual General and Special Meeting of the Shareholders (the "Meeting") on Friday, June 11, 2021, at 2pm PDT/5pm EDT. Out of an abundance of caution, to proactively deal with potential issues arising from the public health impact of COVID-19, the Meeting will take place in a virtual-only format conducted via live video webcast online.

As the Meeting will be in a virtual-only format, registered and non-registered shareholders of B2Gold will not be able to attend in person. The Meeting will be available to registered and non-registered shareholders and guests, and accessible via live webcast by clicking here: https://web.lumiagm.com/431696046.

B2Gold strongly encourages all registered shareholders who would like to attend, participate and/or vote virtually online via live webcast to carefully follow the procedures outlined in the Company's Management Information Circular and the Meeting's User Guide (both filed on SEDAR on May 10, 2021).

If you are a non-registered shareholder, you will be able to attend, participate and/or vote at the Meeting online via live webcast only if you duly appoint yourself as proxyholder through the method specified by your intermediary and comply with all of the requirements set out in the Management Information Circular relating to that appointment and registration.

How to attend and vote at the virtual Meeting as a registered shareholder or duly appointed proxyholder:

Registered shareholders and duly appointed proxyholders may virtually attend the Meeting using an internet connected device such as a laptop, computer, tablet or mobile phone. The meeting platform will be supported across browsers and devices that are running the most updated version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge or Internet Explorer. Registered shareholders and duly appointed proxyholders attending the Meeting online must remain connected to the internet at all times during the Meeting in order to vote when balloting commences. It is your responsibility to ensure that you remain connected to the internet for the duration of the Meeting.

Registered shareholders and duly appointed proxyholders wishing to attend and vote virtually at the Meeting should not complete or return the proxy form and should instead follow these steps:

Log into https://web.lumiagm.com/431696046 on the Meeting date at least 15 minutes before the start of the Meeting. You should allow ample time to check into the virtual Meeting and to complete the related procedures.



Click on "I have a login".



Enter your 15-digit control number as your username (located on the form of proxy or in the email notification you received).



Enter the Password: "b2gold2021" (case sensitive).

Shareholders who have duly appointed a proxyholder or themselves to attend and vote at the Meeting online MUST register the appointed proxyholder or themselves with Computershare by visiting http://www.computershare.com/B2Gold by no later than 2pm PDT/5pm EDT on Wednesday, June 9, 2021. Computershare will ask for the appointed proxyholder's contact information and will send such appointed proxyholder a user ID number or username via email shortly after this deadline and then may proceed with the steps above to log into the virtual Meeting. Shareholders should note that if they participate and vote on any matter at the virtual Meeting, they will revoke any previously submitted proxy.

How to ask questions at the virtual Meeting:

Registered shareholders and duly appointed proxyholders will have substantially the same opportunity to ask questions on matters of business before the Meeting as in past years when the annual meeting of shareholders was held in person. Upon shareholders logging into the virtual meeting platform, they will have the opportunity to start submitting questions prior to the Meeting and will continue to have the opportunity to submit questions during the Meeting. Questions may be sent to the Chair of the Meeting using the online Q&A tool on the meeting portal.

To ask a question, please follow the steps outlined below:

Tap on the icon and then type your question. Compose your question and then press the send to deliver your question to the Chair. Once you have pressed the send icon in step 2, confirmation that your question has been received by the Chair will appear.

Questions will be read by the Chair of the Meeting or a designee of the Chair and responded to by a representative of the Company as they would be at a shareholders meeting that was being held in person. As at an in-person meeting, to ensure fairness for all attendees, the Chair of the Meeting will decide on the amount of time allocated to each question and will have the right to limit or consolidate questions and to reject questions that do not relate to the business of the Meeting or which are determined to be inappropriate or otherwise out of order.

As part of the Meeting, the Company will hold a Q&A session during which the Chair and the Company's senior management intend to answer questions submitted during the Meeting.

How to attend the virtual Meeting as a guest:

Log into https://web.lumiagm.com/431696046 on the Meeting date at least 15 minutes before the start of the Meeting. You should allow ample time to check into the virtual Meeting and to complete the related procedures.



Click on "I am a guest".



Enter the password: "b2gold2021" (case sensitive).

How to vote in advance of the Meeting:

If you are a shareholder and are unable to participate in the Meeting online via live webcast, in order for your proxy to be valid you must submit your vote by no later than 2pm PDT/5pm EDT on Wednesday, June 9, 2021.

Shareholders are encouraged to vote today via the internet or telephone using the control number found on the proxy or voting instruction form that was mailed out to you to ensure your vote is received in a timely manner.

Registered shareholders may vote by : shares held in own name and represented by a physical certificate

Beneficial shareholders may vote by : shares held with a broker, bank or other intermediary

Internet: www.proxyvote.com

Telephone: Call the number(s) listed on the voting instruction form and vote using the control number provided therein

Shareholder questions:

Shareholders who have questions, including with respect to Notice and Access, or need assistance with voting their shares, should contact Laurel Hill Advisory Group, the proxy solicitation agent, by telephone at +1 877-452-7184 (North America  toll free) or +1 416-304-0211 (outside North America), or by email at [email protected].

Dial-in and playback details:

In the unlikely event that your internet connection to the webcast is lost or interrupted, or as an alternative method to access the webcast, the Meeting will also be accessible by dialing +1 647-427-7450 (local  Toronto), +1 778-371-9827 (local  Vancouver) or +1 888-231-8191 (toll free  North America). However, participation through the conference line during the Meeting will only allow the attendees to listen in and you will not be able to vote or ask questions.

A playback of the Meeting will be available until Friday, June 25, 2021, on B2Gold's events page or by dialing +1 416-849-0833 (local  Toronto) or +1 855-859-2056 (toll free  North America) (passcode 8154257).

Presentation:

Once the Meeting is adjourned, there will be presentations from Clive Johnson, President & CEO, and other B2Gold senior executives. The presentations will provide a review of B2Gold's performance in 2020, a general corporate update of the first half of 2021, and will conclude with a Q&A session.

About B2Gold Corp.

B2Gold is a low-cost international senior gold producer headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Founded in 2007, today, B2Gold has operating gold mines in Mali, Namibia and the Philippines and numerous exploration and development projects in various countries including Mali, Colombia, Burkina Faso, Finland and Uzbekistan. B2Gold forecasts total consolidated gold production of between 970,000 and 1,030,000 ounces in 2021.

On Behalf of B2GOLD CORP.

"Clive T. Johnson"

President & Chief Executive Officer

For more information on B2Gold, please visit the Company's website at www.b2gold.com or contact:

Ian MacLean Katie Bromley VP, Investor Relations Manager, Investor Relations & Public Relations +1 604-681-8371 +1 604-681-8371 [email protected] [email protected]

The Toronto Stock Exchange and NYSE American LLC neither approve nor disapprove the information contained in this news release.

Production results and production guidance presented in this news release reflect total production at the mines B2Gold operates on a 100% project basis. Please see our Annual Information Form dated March 30, 2021 for a discussion of our ownership interest in the mines B2Gold operates.

This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation, including: projections; outlook; guidance; forecasts; estimates; and other statements regarding future or estimated financial and operational performance, gold production and sales, revenues and cash flows, and capital costs (sustaining and non-sustaining) and operating costs, including projected cash operating costs and AISC, and budgets

on a consolidated and mine by mine basis; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on B2Gold's operations, including any restrictions or suspensions with respect to our operations and the effect of any such restrictions or suspensions on our financial and operational results; future or estimated mine life, metal price assumptions, ore grades or sources, gold recovery rates, stripping ratios, throughput, ore processing; statements regarding anticipated exploration, drilling, development, construction, permitting and other activities or achievements of B2Gold; and including, without limitation: total consolidated gold production of between 970,000 and 1,030,000 ounces in 2021. All statements in this news release that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, although not always, identified by words such as "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "project", "target", "potential", "schedule", "forecast", "budget", "estimate", "intend" or "believe" and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could", "should" or "might" occur. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made.

Forward-looking statements necessarily involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond B2Gold's control, including risks associated with or related to: the duration and extent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the effectiveness of preventative measures and contingency plans put in place by the Company to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including, but not limited to, social distancing, a non-essential travel ban, business continuity plans, and efforts to mitigate supply chain disruptions; escalation of travel restrictions on people or products and reductions in the ability of the Company to transport and refine dore; the volatility of metal prices and B2Gold's common shares; changes in tax laws; the dangers inherent in exploration, development and mining activities; the uncertainty of reserve and resource estimates; not achieving production, cost or other estimates; actual production, development plans and costs differing materially from the estimates in B2Gold's feasibility and other studies; the ability to obtain and maintain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for mining activities; environmental regulations or hazards and compliance with complex regulations associated with mining activities; climate change and climate change regulations; the ability to replace mineral reserves and identify acquisition opportunities; the unknown liabilities of companies acquired by B2Gold; the ability to successfully integrate new acquisitions; fluctuations in exchange rates; the availability of financing; financing and debt activities, including potential restrictions imposed on B2Gold's operations as a result thereof and the ability to generate sufficient cash flows; operations in foreign and developing countries and the compliance with foreign laws, including those associated with operations in Mali, Namibia, the Philippines, Colombia and Burkina Faso and including risks related to changes in foreign laws and changing policies related to mining and local ownership requirements or resource nationalization generally, including in response to the COVID-19 outbreak; remote operations and the availability of adequate infrastructure; fluctuations in price and availability of energy and other inputs necessary for mining operations; shortages or cost increases in necessary equipment, supplies and labour; regulatory, political and country risks, including local instability or acts of terrorism and the effects thereof; the reliance upon contractors, third parties and joint venture partners; the lack of sole decision-making authority related to Filminera Resources Corporation, which owns the Masbate Project; challenges to title or surface rights; the dependence on key personnel and the ability to attract and retain skilled personnel; the risk of an uninsurable or uninsured loss; adverse climate and weather conditions; litigation risk; competition with other mining companies; community support for B2Gold's operations, including risks related to strikes and the halting of such operations from time to time; conflicts with small scale miners; failures of information systems or information security threats; the ability to maintain adequate internal controls over financial reporting as required by law, including Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act; compliance with anti-corruption laws, and sanctions or other similar measures; social media and B2Gold's reputation; risks affecting Calibre having an impact on the value of the Company's investment in Calibre, and potential dilution of our equity interest in Calibre; as well as other factors identified and as described in more detail under the heading "Risk Factors" in B2Gold's most recent Annual Information Form, B2Gold's current Form 40-F Annual Report and B2Gold's other filings with Canadian securities regulators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which may be viewed at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, respectively (the "Websites"). The list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect B2Gold's forward-looking statements

B2Gold's forward-looking statements are based on the applicable assumptions and factors management considers reasonable as of the date hereof, based on the information available to management at such time. These assumptions and factors include, but are not limited to, assumptions and factors related to B2Gold's ability to carry on current and future operations, including: the duration and effects of COVID-19 on our operations and workforce; development and exploration activities; the timing, extent, duration and economic viability of such operations, including any mineral resources or reserves identified thereby; the accuracy and reliability of estimates, projections, forecasts, studies and assessments; B2Gold's ability to meet or achieve estimates, projections and forecasts; the availability and cost of inputs; the price and market for outputs, including gold; foreign exchange rates; taxation levels; the timely receipt of necessary approvals or permits; the ability to meet current and future obligations; the ability to obtain timely financing on reasonable terms when required; the current and future social, economic and political conditions; and other assumptions and factors generally associated with the mining industry.

B2Gold's forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management and reflect their current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof. B2Gold does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable law. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what benefits or liabilities B2Gold will derive therefrom. For the reasons set forth above, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements.

SOURCE B2Gold Corp.
NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Latinas in Business has announced the names of the 2021 Small Business Champion and 11 Latina Leaders to be recognized at the 2021 Women Entrepreneur Empowerment Summit (2021 WEES), a unique conference that takes place on June 10, 2021 from 1:30pm to 6:30pm. The ceremony will be broadcasted LIVE from Berkeley College, Mid-Manhattan Campus starting at 6:00pm.

2021 Small Business Champion and Latina Leaders Awardees

"These 12 fantastic community leaders and entrepreneurs are being recognized not only because they have shown incredible resilience and a unique vision, but also great support to Latinas in Business mission. For that, we will always be grateful!" said Susana G. Baumann, President and CEO, Latinas in Business Inc.

The principal award, the 2021 Small Business Champion has been awarded to Wendy Garcia, Chief Diversity Officer for the NYC Office of the Comptroller Scott Stringer. Wendy Garcia is a skilled leader and champion for small businesses. As Chief Diversity Officer, Wendy Garcia is responsible for increasing contracting opportunities for Women- and Minority-owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) and managing the Comptroller Office's internal supplier diversity initiative, as well as other diversity related projects across all bureaus of the agency. Wendy also leads the Comptroller's Advisory Council on Economic Growth through Diversity and Inclusion  a group of national, local, corporate, and government experts seeking to increase supplier diversity in the public and private sectors.

Each one of the other awardees were selected to appear on the cover of 2020 LatinasinBusiness.us magazine, and they are: Leader of May: Alicia Puig, PXP Contemporary; Leader of June: Albania Rosario, Fashion Designers of Latin America; Leader of July: Veronica Sosa, SHEmprendedoras; Leader of September: Beth Marmolejos, community leader; Leader of October: Maria Elena Salinas, TV Personality; Leader of November: Maria Piastre, Metallix Refining; Leader of December: Mariela Dabbah, Red Shoe Movement.

For 2021, they are Leader of January: Claudia Vazquez, Prudential Financial; Leader of February: Maria Noel Vaeza, Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean ONU Mujeres; and Leader of March: Damaris Diaz, TV Personality, Univision.

A special recognition In Memoriam will be bestowed on Latina Leader Jessica Asencio, whose tireless leadership at Latino Networks Coalition gathered the power of ERGs to elevate the Latino community.

Baumann continued"Latinas and other women entrepreneurs are a striking force in the US economy; and a powerful market. They cannot be left behind. Recognizing that power and their constant efforts to build businesses and community around them is our mission," said Susana G Baumann, President and CEO, Latinas in Business Inc.

For registration: https://2021wees.eventbrite.com/

For media inquiries: Ashley Hayes, [email protected] or 848-238-6090

latinasinbusiness.us

SOURCE Latinas in Business Inc
BEIJING, June 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The below news release is from DINGKEJI.COM about BOE Technology Group:

In order to move forward, you have to leave where you are now -- this is an inspirational quote from bestseller Under the Tuscan Sun. With the rapid advancement of display technology, the global display industry is tapping into ever-growing new demands and heading towards a brighter future with countless scenarios and applications. As the burgeoning intelligent IoT stimulates people's desire for optimal interactive experiences, displays are finding their way into almost all electronic and non-electronic devices, which has become an overwhelming trend. As observed from SID Display Week 2021, China's display industry is leading the world in terms of industry size, development quality, application innovation and ecosystem building, among others. BOE, a global innovative IoT company, is the spearhead of China's booming display industry.

A new era of value transition for the display industry

The 2021 World UHD Video industrial Conference (WUVIC) recently concluded in China and Display Week 2021 both signal a definite trend: displays are ubiquitous, so are services.

As the "first touchpoint" and a "key interface" of information interaction in the era of the IoT, displays will come standard on a multitude of IoT interface devices. Displays and services will be omnipresent in every corner of our life.

In addition to end devices like TVs, phones, PCs, laptops and tablets, the display industry also produces displays to meet the needs of a wide array of application scenarios such as transportation, finance, retail and mobility. This also raises higher requirements for display makers.

Emerging display technologies such as OLED and Mini/Micro LED are racing ahead, and users always desire more amazing visual experiences and more efficient entries and interactions in the era of the IoT, bringing the display sector to a new stage of value transition.

Iterative innovation in display technologies and ecosystems should keep up with the era of the IoT. BOE, a global leader in the display industry, is ramping up its IoT transformation and application through innovation in basic capabilities, product forms and application ecosystems. All these are clearly manifested at Display Week 2021.

Now is "China's moment"

With the advent of the Internet of Displays (IoD), China's display industry is getting on the fast track. Take a glance of Display Week 2021 or the changes in our daily life, and it is easy to see that China's display industry has come under the spotlight. Thanks to its advantages in industry size, development quality, application innovation and IoT ecosystem building, "China's moment" has arrived.

In 2020, China held a worldwide market share of over 50% in the LCD segment, which still rules supreme. Notably, in 2020, BOE saw its shipment and shipment area of innovative products surge by over 60% and 70% year on year. It enjoyed the largest global market share in wearable displays, electronic labels, split screens and IoT applications in finance, and commanded the largest share of the flexible display market in China and second in the world.

BOE is also a global leader in Mini/Micro LED fused into a glass substrate. At Display Week 2021, the display giant showcased a next-generation LED display system-level solution backed by its proprietary active drive architecture and high-speed transfer printing technology. In the field of OLED, BOE has rolled out a wealth of world-leading flexible in-folding and out-folding products.

At Display Week 2021, BOE stood out from its peers with a total of 47 papers at the forefront of display technology innovation, R&D and applications. These papers give a glimpse of BOE's cutting-edge solutions and share its insights on how to promote high-quality development of the display industry.

For example, BOE's flexible OLED scroll-like display for smartphones can sustain up to 200,000 folds. Based on this technology, BOE has optimized the multi-neutral layer model design and developed an out-folding flexible display with a bend radium of 5mm, diversifying the forms of flexible displays. This state-of-the-art display illustrates how flexible OLED can be used on end products in the best way possible.

Using films made from organic luminescent materials, BOE's 27-inch UHD OQD display can achieve 100% coverage of both DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, delivering stunning true-to-life display effects. Compatibility with different color spaces makes the display suitable for more application scenarios. For example, a display device can support the dual features of digital cinema and professional photo editing, allowing users to switch between different modes as needed. Additionally, organic luminescent materials are eco-friendly and do no harm to humans, enjoying prominent advantages over cadmium selenide quantum dots.

BOE has independently developed a brand-new 12.3-inch top-emitting transparent AMOLED display with up to 50% light transmittance. More importantly, the design and process schemes hold great significance to the development of transparent OLED. This technology will be applied to in-car products, head-up displays, smart car windows and other fields.

As for small-sized products, BOE unveiled a new 1.57-inch LTPO+COE AMOLED display for wearables. Using the CIE 1976 L*a*b* color space system, BOE calculates the L, a and b values of the reflected light on COE display surface in hemispherical space and finally achieves systematic and objective assessment of color separation. Color separation standards are also formulated in this process, which are of great significance to the promotion and application of COE.

Evidently, displays are ubiquitous and applications are fully empowered, which holds the key to future value transition.

What makes BOE a shining "calling card" of China

China's display industry is having its moment, and Chinese enterprises are at the forefront of the global industry market. Among them, BOE is undoubtedly the one and only enterprise well poised to take China's display industry to a new level and lead the world. At Display Week 2021, BOE offered a holistic picture of its strategic arrangements and technological innovation.

On the basis of in-depth analysis of the semiconductor display and IoT market trends, BOE has developed a multi-tier strategy based on core capabilities and the extension of the industry value chain. It has established the "1+4+N" business structure centered on semiconductor display and composed of four business groups, namely Mini LED, Sensors and Solutions, Smart System Innovation and Smart Healthcare, consolidating its presence in various IoT segments. The four business groups constitute the fulcrum for follow-up endeavors; in particular, Sensors and Solutions, Smart System Innovation and Smart Healthcare are on track to create sustainable value.

"N" denotes numerous known and emerging demand scenarios and segments which enjoy broad prospects.

Behind BOE's enterprising strategy is technological innovation, with display still in the centerpiece.

The cutting-edge technologies presented by BOE at the show reflect its endless pursuit of technological innovation, which will ultimately make displays omnipresent.

Extraordinary technological expertise constitutes core competitiveness. BOE has secured its global leadership in technological innovation and applications of ADS Pro, flexible OLED and Mini/Micro LED, giving a strong boost to the core competitiveness in related fields.

ADS Pro, a high-end LCD display system and solution armed with BOE's proprietary ADSDS technology, can deliver higher transmittance and brightness as well as higher contrast ratio. It boasts a host of strengths such as UHD image quality, an ultra-high refresh rate and fast response, making it an ideal for trend-setting high-end 8K TVs with 5G support that feature real-time shooting, transmission and display.

BOE has continued to expand the application scenarios of flexible OLEDs and brought them to a wide variety of fields including foldable laptops, smart wearables and smart cabins equipped with transparent A-pillar, flexible in-car three-in-one display and flexible taillight. Its flexible display shipments have maintained rapid growth.

In terms of Mini/Micro LED, BOE's 75-inch 8K Mini LED backlit display has more than 5,000 zones and a million-level contrast ratio, achieving delicate and true-to-life display effects.

Technological innovation is an endless pursuit. Despite its unassailable lead in ADS Pro, flexible OLED and Mini/Micro LED, BOE has spared no effort in deploying more forward-looking technology.

BOE's AMQLED displays require no backlight and boast a variety of advantages such as self-luminescence, a wide color gamut and a long service life, representing the direction of quantum dot display and major breakthroughs it has made in homogeneity and stability of large-size quantum dot printing technology. BOE's reflective LCDs feature higher brightness and a higher contrast ratio and can deliver reading effects on par with physical books, making them an ideal for educational tablets and outdoor advertising. Its frontlit displays are also suitable for a wide range of application scenarios. BOE also offers custom OLEDs in various shapes tailored for diverse scenarios in a cost-effective manner, with manufacturing lead times significantly reduced.

Displays will be omnipresent. AR/VR devices and smart in-car products are just a small portion of the scenarios where BOE's innovative display technologies are applied. By 2030, there will be 40 to 50 device sensors in every household in China, predicts IDC. From the perspective of interaction, more and more IoT devices will be equipped with displays, large or small. In alignment with BOE's vision of "N" for display application scenarios, the "Internet of Displays" is precisely what BOE's grand display strategy aspires for.

From display technology to applications and services and to the smart industry ecosystem, China has gained growing traction from the whole world. BOE, a pacesetter in the display industry, is definitely a shining "calling card" of China.

Original release link: http://www.dingkeji.com/post/lp/140137.html

SOURCE BOE Technology Group
The Global Brand Awards is an annual event held by Global Brands Magazine (GBM), an international publication headquartered in the UK. The award aims to recognise global brands achieving excellence in performance across a broad range of sectors while keeping its readers updated on key trends surrounding the branding world. Access Bank was evaluated based on customer service, satisfaction, digital innovation, strategic relationships and new business development.

Commenting on Access Bank winning the awards, Shiv Kumar (CEO) of Global Brands magazine said, "Access Bank Ghana has been judged the best CSR Bank in Ghana for its commitment to the community in terms of providing financial services to the less privileged and also the Bank's corporate social responsibility initiative. It also won the retail award for its continued excellence in service delivery as well as its digital innovation in the retail banking sector."

Commenting on winning the award s, Mr. Olumide Olatunji (MD) of Access Bank said, "Retail Banking has been a key strategic focus for the Bank, informing its financial inclusion activities, and is proud the efforts are having an impact and duly recognised. As a truly African bank, we appreciate the rapidly evolving and increasingly complex business environment in which we operate. To take the lead, anticipate and solve problems of our customers and stakeholders, we have embraced a culture of innovation, and through an enterprise-wide approach, we are able to channel resources towards developing promising ideas that translate into prot and sustainable business growth."

This award relates to the Bank's corporate social responsibility and retail prowess and its positioning within the global financial community. This defines the future of banking and its commitment to delivering the purpose beyond banking to create a more sustainable future.

Though the year faced a worldwide pandemic that has upended commerce and made forecasting even more complicated, yet business must continue. Access Bank exemplifies a bank ready for the sharp rise in demand for alternative channels for banking services during the pandemic.

Access Bank is committed to leveraging technology to ensure convenience for clients. In addition, the Bank is committed to building lasting relationships by ensuring transparency in dealings and winning trust from clients.

With its selective network of operations in Ghana and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, Access Bank presents exciting career opportunities. The Bank acknowledges the passion, commitment, and can-do spirit.

About Access Bank

Access Bank Ghana commenced operations in 2009 as one of the most capitalised banks in the industry. With the mandate to provide Universal Banking Services, the Bank has been catering to Ghanaian corporate, commercial, retail and international business communities.

The Bank is a member of the Access Bank Group, a financial services conglomerate, with presence across eight African countries, China, India, Dubai, Lebanon and the United Kingdom, with a total asset base of more than US$18 billion.

The Bank's corporate social responsibility (CSR) philosophy is anchored on the Bank's core belief in the critical role those financial institutions play in the economic development of their countries. Accordingly, the Bank is a catalytic agent for socio-economic development in Ghana and actively seeks to boost the Ghanaian economy's growth.

About Global Brands Magazine (England)

Global Brands Magazine (GBM) has been at the forefront, bringing news, views and opinions on brands shaping the future of their industry. The UK-based magazine provides its readers with the latest news and information on 'best-in-class brands across the globe. Each year, GBM develops a series of awards for companies that stood out, having a unique vision, exceptional service, innovative solutions and consumer-centric products among their industry leaders.

About Global Brand Awards

Global Brand Awards honours brands for their excellence in performance and rewards companies across different sectors for the quality of their services. The Brand Awards highlight accomplishments of organisations that have performed remarkably well in finance, education, hospitality, automotive, lifestyle, education, real estate, technology and several more. Global Brand Awards recognise vital players who progress towards excellence by providing a platform to acknowledge their efforts. In addition, GBM strives to create awareness concerning the significance of such organisations and rewards them for their notable efforts with the ultimate global recognition.

Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/globalbrandsmagazine and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-brands-magazine or hashtag us on Twitter @globalbrandsmag #globalbrandsmag

SOURCE Global Brands Publications Limited
LONDON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Global Ratings said today that it has assigned Acciona Energia an ESG Evaluation score of 86. The company's ESG Evaluation score is the result of an ESG profile of 80 combined with strong preparedness. Higher numbers indicate stronger sustainability in our evaluations. The report is available here.

Acciona Energia's ESG Evaluation of 86 primarily reflects its stronger-than-peers environmental and social performance, as well as our view that it is well-equipped to execute its long-term strategy and capitalize on opportunities stemming from the low carbon economy. Acciona Energia is enabling the transition to a low carbon economy by generating clean energy. It is also decreasing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by applying efficiency measures and using shadow carbon pricing. It mitigates land use risks arising from renewable energy expansion by taking preventative and enhancement measures. The company also has comprehensive policies and strategies for a gender-balanced workforce, fair remuneration, and community engagement. Assuming a successful IPO and a governance structure as described in the prospectus, we understand that Acciona Energia's newly created board will be very diverse in terms of skills, experience, and gender, with a high proportion of independent directors.

Acciona Energia is an integrated renewable energy operator, headquartered in Spain. It is a fully-owned subsidiary of Spanish energy and infrastructure company Acciona S.A., which has more than 30 years' experience in renewables. Acciona S.A. has just launched a partial initial public offering (IPO) of Acciona Energia. Assuming a successful IPO completion, Acciona S.A. will remain the majority shareholder of Acciona Energia with about 75% of the capital, with the remaining 25% being free float. Acciona Energia operates a large fleet of 10.7 gigawatts (GW), mainly wind onshore (8.8 GW), with 57% of its revenues generated in Spain.

Our ESG Evaluation on Acciona Energia assumes the successful completion of the planned partial IPO of the company, which was announced in February 2021 and launched on June 7, 2021. We could revise or withdraw our ESG Evaluation if we deem appropriate, including upon failure or delay of the IPO, or if the governance structure or executive remuneration were to differ from the structure and remuneration terms described in the IPO prospectus.

What Is An ESG Evaluation?

S&P Global Ratings' ESG evaluation is a cross-sector, relative analysis of an entity's capacity to continue to operate successfully. It is grounded in how ESG factors could affect stakeholders, potentially leading to a material direct or indirect financial impact on the entity.

Our definition of stakeholders for a particular entity goes beyond shareholders to include employees, the local community, government, regulators, customers, lenders, borrowers, policyholders, voters, members, and suppliers. A high ESG evaluation score indicates an entity is relatively less prone to experiencing material ESG-related events, and is relatively better positioned to capitalize on ESG-related growth opportunities than entities with lower ESG evaluation scores.

First, we establish an ESG profile for a given entity, which assesses the exposure of the entity's operations to observable ESG risks and opportunities, and how the entity is mitigating these risks and capitalizing on these opportunities.

Second, we assess the entity's long-term preparedness, namely its capacity to anticipate and adapt to a variety of long-term plausible disruptions.

S&P Global Ratings currently evaluates over 70 entities across the globe; they have an average score of 67. Since the first ESG evaluation, published in June 2019, we have finalized ESG Evaluations across 21 sectors globally. By region, the highest average score is 72, for companies headquartered in Europe.

Visit spglobal.com/ratings for our latest sustainable finance research and all of our publicly available ESG Evaluations.

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Copyright 2021 by Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC. All rights reserved.

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S&P Global Ratings is the world's leading provider of independent credit ratings. Our ratings are essential to driving growth, providing transparency and helping educate market participants so they can make decisions with confidence. We have more than 1 million credit ratings outstanding on government, corporate, financial sector and structured finance entities and securities. We offer an independent view of the market built on a unique combination of broad perspective and local insight. We provide our opinions and research about relative credit risk; market participants gain independent information to help support the growth of transparent, liquid debt markets worldwide.



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STOCKHOLM, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Adverty AB (publ) announces today that the Company has been named as one of the top 50 rising stars in the Nordics in the competition Techarenan Challenge 2021. Companies from across the Nordics have applied to the competition, with finalists operating within a wide array of industries, including cleantech, mobility, e-health, edtech, spacetech and foodtech. Amongst other awards, the companies are competing for the titles "Startup of the year", "Growth company of the year" and "Social Impact Award".

The Techarenan Challenge, now arranged for the eighth consecutive year, is aimed at Swedish and Nordic companies in the startup and growth phases that are based on a unique innovation or business model with potential for global commercialization.

The companies have been evaluated by an expert jury where great focus has been on scalability, sustainability and well-defined growth opportunities.

"This year's final field is one of the most interesting in the history of the competition, in terms of the major global challenges the companies are addressing and the values they create. Moreover, it is impressive to see how many companies have reached the market and been able to attract major customers in a short period of time; it is obvious that Sweden and the Nordic countries are a breeding ground for exceptional entrepreneurs and companies. Many of the companies have already gained international traction and have ensured a strong position for further expansion, " says Omid Ekhlasi, Founder and Competition Manager Techarenan.

The 2021 finals will take place in Stockholm on June 16 and in November. During the finals, companies will be present to pitch for this year's jury, and panels and news broadcasts will be arranged on the topics of innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability and future. The finals will be streamed live at Techarenan.se.

"The finals will showcase companies operating in completely different industries, with products and services that have the potential to transform our everyday lives for the better by creating whole new values and behaviors. Many companies already have changed or are about to change their respective industries as they create new standards and improve both everyday life and society as a whole. I really look forward to following their journey over the years to come", says Omid Ekhlasi.

The list of the 50 most innovative companies in the Nordic countries was published here at 8:30 a.m. today:

www.techarenan.se/challenge

The Techarenan Challenge winners will join the winners' delegation, which in previous years has visited New York, San Fransisco, Seoul, Tokyo and Sao Paulo.

Awards: Growth Company of the Year, Startup Company of the Year, the Audience Award, the Social Impact Award, the Industry Award, the Business Award and the AI & Technical Edge Award.

About the competition:

Techarenan Challenge is an annual entrepreneurship competition open to all Swedish and Nordic entrepreneurial startups and growth companies, regardless of industry. The competition aims to highlight the Nordic region as a breeding ground for innovative future companies that change, improve, and develop their industries globally while providing an interconnection point between entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, politicians, and experts.

For further information, please contact:

Anders Rossel, CFO

Phone: +46 70 867 00 20

E-mail: [email protected]

Corpura Fondkommission AB, phone +46 (0)722 52 34 51, act as certified advisor/mentor for the company at NGM Nordic SME.

About Adverty

Adverty, the leading in-game platform, delivers seamless advertising to connect brands and people through its revolutionary display advertising technology built for games. The platform offers true in-game ad inventory at scale and allows content creators to monetise the complete experience with unobtrusive, easy-to-integrate, immersive ads. Founded in 2016, Adverty has offices in Stockholm, London, New York, Madrid, Helsinki, St Petersburg and Lviv and works with advertisers, agencies and developers to unlock audiences and gaming revenue streams. More information at www.adverty.com.

About Techarenan

Techarenan was founded in 2014 with the purpose of acknowledging entrepreneurship and innovation while inspiring more people to take part in the development of new companies with global potential. Today, Techarenan is a platform and arena where entrepreneurs, industry stakeholders, investors, policy makers and opinion leaders can meet, establish cooperation, do business and build networks. The ambition is to continue to develop the platform with a focus on generating value for Nordic startups and growth companies that change, improve, and develop their industries on a global scale.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/adverty-ab/r/adverty-announced-as-finalist-in-techarenan-challenge-2021,c3362380

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/17527/3362380/1428618.pdf Adverty AB (publ) - TA_ENG

SOURCE Adverty AB
Protests surrounding the "The Family Man 2" continued in Tamil Nadu with MDMK leader and Member of Parliament, Vaiko demanding Amazon Prime to stop screening of the web series, starring Manoj Bajpai, Priyamani and Samantha in the leading roles.

The MDMK leader said that several scenes in the series are portraying Tamils in poor light, and sought immediate ban on the series.

Tamil Nadu Minister for Information Technology, Mano Thangaraj had written a letter to Union minister for Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javedkar on May 24 calling for the banning of the web series from the OTT platform. However the producers of the web series, Amazon Prime had commenced streaming the series from June 4.

In the letter, the Tamil Nadu Minister Mano Thangaraj had said, "the series had depicted the Eelam Tamil's in a highly objectionable manner and that if allowed to stream it would be prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony in the state".

One of the most popular filmmakers of Tamil Nadu, Bharathi Raja in a tweet on Monday called upon the producers of the web series, 'The Family Man 2' to ban it.

He said, "the visuals in the show reveal that the series has been made by the people who don't know the history of Tamil Eelam fighters. I condemn the show that insults the rebellion, which was filled with good intentions, valor as well as sacrifices."

Bharathi Raja has also urged the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javedkar immediately stops the streaming of the show.

He had also warned Amazon that if they continue streaming the series, Tamilian's across the world will be forced to stop supporting Amazon and stop other businesses and services that are associated with it.

Earlier Naam Tamil Katchi's (NTK) leader and actor Seeman had issued a letter to Aparna Purohit, Head of India Originals, Amazon Prime Video to stop streaming the series. He said," Stop Streaming the Family Man 2 web series which misrepresents the Tamizhs and the valourous Eelam Liberation struggle of Tamizhs". He also said that if the web series continues to stream, then Tamil people would be forced to boycott Amazon and its products globally.

With Amazon Prime Video's continuing to stream the web series, protests are bound to increase in the state and it is to be seen as to how other mainstream political parties will act in the matter.
The 8th Edition can be purchased exclusively through RQI Partners, a partnership between and service provider for the American Heart Association, the leading voluntary health organization devoted to a world of longer, healthier lives, and Laerdal Medical, the world leader in medical simulation and resuscitation training.

For the first time, the AAP's Neonatal Resuscitation Program combines with the American Heart Association and Laerdal Medical's co-developed Resuscitation Quality Improvement Program (RQI) to create RQI for NRP  a new and innovative quality improvement solution. Quarterly, self-directed instruction leads to mastery, maintenance and verified competence on a neonatal simulator for the single most, impactful intervention for newborns needing resuscitation: positive pressure ventilation.

"We're thrilled to collaborate with RQI Partners to introduce RQI for NRP as part of our Neonatal Resuscitation Program, 8th Edition," said Janna Patterson, MD, MPH, FAAP, senior vice president, Global Child Health and Life Support at the American Academy of Pediatrics. "This groundbreaking program makes low-dose, high-frequency practice of positive pressure ventilation skills easy and accessible for the first time. The innovations included in the 8th Edition will enhance the NRP experience for learners as well as educators and administrators, ultimately improving patient care and outcomes."

Developed in 1987 by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association, the Neonatal Resuscitation Program teaches an evidence-based approach to newborn resuscitation and facilitates effective team-based care for providers who attend to newborns at the time of delivery. Currently, there are more than 400,000 NRP providers and 20,000 instructors in the U.S. alone. RQI, launched in 2015, is a self-directed, simulation-based performance, mastery learning and quality improvement program for healthcare professionals that offers "low-dose, high-frequency" hands-on learning sessions through quarterly CPR skills practice coupled with real-time feedback, debriefing and analytics. The RQI program is currently used by more than 1,000 hospitals nationwide and outside the country.

"Leveraging science from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Heart Association's leadership in resuscitation education and Laerdal Medical's expertise in neonatal simulation solutions, we have developed another lifesaving resource," said Clive Patrickson, RQI Partners' chief executive officer. "RQI for NRP and the complete Neonatal Resuscitation Program, 8th Edition have taken neonatal resuscitation education to a higher plane, positioning clinical providers to set a new standard in emergency care. Together, we are transforming resuscitation for life."

In addition to influencing neonatal resuscitation educational solutions in U.S. hospitals, the AAP and RQI Partners will maximize novel programs and international collaboration to reach and engage new audiences and customers, further extending the availability of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program around the globe.

For more information about RQI for NRP, visit www.rqipartners.com/nrp. To learn more about the NRP, visit the AAP website.

Additional Resource:

- RQI for NRP Launch B-roll

About the American Academy of Pediatrics

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org.

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public's health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

About Laerdal Medical

Laerdal is dedicated to our mission of helping save lives. For more than 60 years, Laerdal has remained a world leader in healthcare education, training and therapy solutions. Laerdal develops products, programs and digital solutions designed to increase survival and improve patient outcomes. By implementing evidence-based solutions within the areas of resuscitation, patient safety and global health, we address the changing needs of healthcare organizations and help build competence of healthcare providers, educators and lay rescuers. Together with our partners, we believe we can help save one million more lives, every year. Laerdal is a global company in 25 countries worldwide with the head office located in Stavanger, Norway. For more information, visit www.laerdal.com.

About RQI Partners LLC

RQI Partners LLC is a partnership between the American Heart Association and Laerdal Medical, positioning the organizations to deliver innovative solutions that accelerate the impact of their lifesaving mission. The company blends the Association's leadership in science and resuscitation education with Laerdal's expertise in technology and implementation to deliver impactful and innovative resuscitation quality improvement programs. For more information, visit www.rqipartners.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE RQI Partners, LLC

Related Links

https://rqipartners.com/


LITTLE ROCK, Ark., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the nationwide decline in postsecondary student enrollment, Rhys Branman, MD of Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center has decided to extend the Arkansas Rural Health Scholarship application deadline through Fall of 2021.

Earlier this spring, Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center announced the launch of their inaugural Arkansas Rural Health Scholarship, a $2,500 award which assists first-year medical and nursing students committed to practicing in underserved rural areas of Arkansas.

Dr. Branman is passionate about this cause in his home state. "There is a shortage of primary care practitioners in rural Arkansas, and this problem has been compounded by the pandemic. COVID-19 has not only brought this lack of care to light but also shown how it is worsened by glaring socioeconomic disparities in the region," says Dr. Branman.

The Arkansas Rural Health Scholarship deadline was extended through October 29, 2021 in response to the decline in both undergraduate and graduate enrollment in Arkansas since the beginning of the pandemic.

Estimates from recent U.S. Census Bureau surveys indicate that nearly 10 million adults canceled their plans to take postsecondary courses because of financial constraints related to the pandemic. Experts speculate that the transition to all-virtual classrooms has dampened some students' desire to learn altogether.

"It is my sincere hope that the pandemic has not permanently altered the career ambitions of those who have healthcare in their hearts, those who have an innate passion and natural talent for learning and helping others. This scholarship is intended to reaffirm the dreams of these students by alleviating some of the costs associated with their education and training to allow them to continue their commitment to serving communities in need."

While the national CARES ACT has provided temporary relief to millions of students who receive federal student loans, there are millions of students who rely on private scholarships and microgrant initiatives, such as the award offered by Dr. Branman's Arkansas Rural Health Scholarship.

Dr. Branman speculates how the trickle-down effect of COVID-19 could impact vulnerable student populations, likely limiting their long-term career options and earning potential. As more people lose access to higher education, the country may witness a less-educated workforce, and potentially less economic recovery overalla stress which is already occurring disproportionately in rural communities.

While the Arkansas Rural Health Scholarship is focused more on student merit than financial need, it stands out from other scholarship programs because of its flexible award terms. Funds from the scholarship can be applied to any costs associated with education, ranging from tuition to supplies, textbooks, computers, transportation, housing, and more. The scholarship also has a very simple application process intended to reduce communication and logistical barriers for its applicants.

According to Dr. Branman, "Our actions today will have a large impact on the status of healthcare in rural Arkansas tomorrow. We have a collective responsibility to contribute to the recovery of these fragile communities, and I am proud to help bring more medical professionals to our region. I believe that together we cannot just get through this pandemic, but come out more resilient."

Eligible degrees for the Arkansas Rural Health Scholarship include: Doctorate (MD, DO, DPM, DDS, DMD, DPM, DMD, OD, PsyD, PharmD, DCM, DS, DPT, DSN, PhD, DNP), Nursing (RN, NP, CNM, CRNA, LPN), Master's (MPH, MM, MMS, MN, MNA, MPharm, MPAS, MSN, MSM), and Physician's Assistant (PA, PAC).

About Dr. Rhys Branman: Dr. Branman is a board-certified cosmetic surgeon in Little Rock, Arkansas, and a member of the Arkansas State Medical Board. Dr. Branman is certified by both the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery and the American Board of Maxillofacial Surgery, and serves as a Board Examiner for the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. Dr. Branman is beloved by his patients for his caring bedside manner, surgical skill, and commitment to safety. His practice, Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center, is located at 10809 Executive Center Drive, Searcy Building Suite 100, Little Rock, Arkansas 72211; (501) 227-0707. For more information, visit www.littlerockcosmeticsurgery.com/ .

Media Contact: Dr. Rhys L. Branman, Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center, (501) 227-0707 [email protected]

SOURCE Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center
AALBORG, Denmark, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Asetek, the creator of the all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooler and the global leader in liquid cooling solutions for gaming PCs and DIY enthusiasts, announced that that its high performance liquid cooling technology is powering the new liquid cooled NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics card introduced by ASUS. The ROG Strix LC GeForce RTX 3080 Ti enables higher overclocking frequencies, silent operation and flawless frame pacing for extreme performance and killer game play in today's most demanding AAA titles.

Top end NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti solutions require considerable power, with a new 400W thermal design power (TDP). Increased power means increased heat, so ASUS and Asetek worked together to develop a purpose-built liquid cooling solution specifically designed to manage this added thermal load and enable peak performance for prolonged binge-gaming sessions.

The ROG Strix LC 240mm radiator GPU cooler incorporates a newly designed cold plate with an optimized fin area for NVIDIA Ampere architecture cards, plus an enlarged area to cool the surrounding VRAM. The durable tube structure offers ample flexibility for easy tube routing to enable a sleek build, and the aluminum radiator provides peak heat dissipation and includes two 120mm ARGB fans. Built for the long haul, the AIO keeps the card operating well below the thermal threshold while under load, to sustain smooth operation, and extends the life of the GPU components due to the reduced thermal stress.

"When designing the ROG Strix LC GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics card, the decision to partner with Asetek was an obvious one given their expertise. Flawless system operation helps drive game immersion and proper thermal management is at the heart of that," said David Yang, Senior Director at ASUS. "Our ROG Strix LC 240mm radiator GPU cooler does just that, while being virtually silent and enabling personalization with ARGB lighting on the fans."

"Thermal management is key to get the most out of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics cards," said John Hamill, Chief Operating Officer at Asetek. "We are thrilled that once again ASUS turned to Asetek for the liquid cooling expertise and innovation that ASUS's customers have come to expect for the ROG line of products."

For more information about ROG Strix LC GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics card with Strix LC 240mm GPU cooler, visit https://rog.asus.com/graphics-cards/graphics-cards/rog-strix/rog-strix-lc-rtx3080ti-o12g-gaming-model/. To learn more about Asetek liquid cooling, please visit www.asetek.com.

About Asetek

Asetek (ASTK.OL), a global leader in mechatronic innovation, is a Danish garage-to-stock-exchange success story. Founded in 2000, Asetek established its innovative position as the leading OEM developer and producer of the all-in-one liquid cooler for all major PC & Enthusiast gaming brands. In 2013, Asetek went public while expanding into energy efficient and environmentally friendly cooling solutions for data centers. In 2021, Asetek is introducing its line of products for next-level immersive SimSports gaming experiences. Asetek is headquartered in Denmark and has operations in China, Taiwan and the United States.

www.asetek.com

Media contact

Margo Westfall

Asetek Sr. Marketing Manager

+1 408 644.5616

[email protected]

 2021 NVIDIA, the NVIDIA logo, and RTX are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/asetek/r/asetek-liquid-cooling-technology-powers-nvidia--geforce-rtx--3080-ti-gpu-cooler-from-asus-rog,c3362737

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/6758/3362737/1428901.pdf ASUS GPU Cooler_Final _20210607 https://news.cision.com/asetek/i/big-rog-strix-lc,c2922711 big-ROG Strix LC

SOURCE Asetek
NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Atento S.A. (NYSE: ATTO, "Atento" or the "Company"), the leading company in customer relationship services and business process outsourcing (CRM / BPO) in Latin America and one of the five largest providers worldwide, announced today the appointment of Kiomara Hidalgo as the new Global Chief People Officer. Hidalgo will focus on standardizing Atento's human resources department in all the countries in which the company is present, improving the processes for welcoming, attracting and retaining talent.

Kiomara Hidalgo has more than 20 years of experience in human resources in different sectors such as healthcare, retail, technology and education, and also in international environments in companies included in the Fortune 500 list. Previously, Hidalgo was Vice President of Human Resources at Eulen America, a position where she worked with a strategic vision in business development, implementing human capital management strategies, from talent acquisition to retention, through organizational development.

Kiomara Hidalgo holds a Human Resources Management Bachelor's Degree from Florida International University (FIU) and a Master in the same discipline from FIU Business College. Throughout her career she has led human capital management and organizational projects for companies such as Alorica, United Data Technologies and Bupa Global. Kiomara will promote teamwork and collaboration through leadership management models to improve performance, technological advancement and strategic direction of the Organization.

"With her experience and management style, Kiomara will be a key asset to further integrate our Human Resources area and improve standardization among countries, transforming the organizational culture and providing clients with greater agility and quality," says Carlos Lopez-Abadia, Atento's CEO. "As Atento's Global CPO, Kiomara will be in charge of improving the quality of leadership and supporting our agents, accelerating the Companys transformation process through technology and human talent, with innovation as a key pillar to a continuous successful journey."

With this appointment, Atento continues to reinforce its transformation strategy with a global point of view, combining in-depth knowledge of customer relationship services operations with the importance of fostering talent to develop a much friendlier work environment where the company values are shared internationally.

"It is an honor to accept this new professional challenge and contribute my vision of Human Resources management to reinforce the One Atento and One Team initiatives already launched with quality leadership, continuous training and optimization in the processes of attracting and retaining talent. These actions will undoubtedly result in further improvement of our innovative services," states Kiomara Hidalgo. "The goal is to keep promoting the development of our Next Generation Services through technology, with the essential human touch. Empathy and closeness with employees are essential to continue learning, growing and improving."

About Atento

Atento is the largest provider of customer relationship management and business process outsourcing ("CRM BPO") services in Latin America, and among the top five providers globally. Atento is also a leading provider of nearshoring CRM BPO services to companies that carry out their activities in the United States. Since 1999, the company has developed its business model in 13 countries where it employs approximately 140,000 people. Atento has over 400 clients to whom it offers a wide range of CRM BPO services through multiple channels. Atento's clients are mostly leading multinational corporations in sectors such as telecommunications, banking and financial services, health, retail and public administrations, among others. Atento's shares trade under the symbol ATTO on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). In 2019, Atento was named one of the World's 25 Best Multinational Workplaces and one of the Best Multinationals to Work for in Latin America by Great Place to Work. Also, in 2021 Everest named Atento as a star performer Gartner named the company as a leader in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant. For more information visit www.atento.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "intends," "continue" or similar terminology. These statements reflect only Atento's current expectations and are not guarantees of future performance or results. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic, and governments' extraordinary measures to limit the spread of the virus, are disrupting the global economy and Atento's industry, and consequently adversely affecting the Company's business, results of operation and cash flows and, as conditions are recent, uncertain and changing rapidly, it is difficult to predict the full extent of the impact that the pandemic will have. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, competition in Atento's highly competitive industries; increases in the cost of voice and data services or significant interruptions in these services; Atento's ability to keep pace with its clients' needs for rapid technological change and systems availability; the continued deployment and adoption of emerging technologies; the loss, financial difficulties or bankruptcy of any key clients; the effects of global economic trends on the businesses of Atento's clients; the non-exclusive nature of Atento's client contracts and the absence of revenue commitments; security and privacy breaches of the systems Atento uses to protect personal data; the cost of pending and future litigation; the cost of defending Atento against intellectual property infringement claims; extensive regulation affecting many of Atento's businesses; Atento's ability to protect its proprietary information or technology; service interruptions to Atento's data and operation centers; Atento's ability to retain key personnel and attract a sufficient number of qualified employees; increases in labor costs and turnover rates; the political, economic and other conditions in the countries where Atento operates; changes in foreign exchange rates; Atento's ability to complete future acquisitions and integrate or achieve the objectives of its recent and future acquisitions; future impairments of our substantial goodwill, intangible assets, or other long-lived assets; and Atento's ability to recover consumer receivables on behalf of its clients. In addition, Atento is subject to risks related to its level of indebtedness. Such risks include Atento's ability to generate sufficient cash to service its indebtedness and fund its other liquidity needs; Atento's ability to comply with covenants contained in its debt instruments; the ability to obtain additional financing; the incurrence of significant additional indebtedness by Atento and its subsidiaries; and the ability of Atento's lenders to fulfill their lending commitments. Atento is also subject to other risk factors described in documents filed by the comp any with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which the statements were made. Atento undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Atento S.A.

Related Links

http://www.atento.com


LOS ANGELES, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Biren Law Group is celebrating the latest accolade achieved by Attorney Andrew "Drew" G.O. Biren: selection to Super Lawyers Rising Stars for a second consecutive year! In the 2021 edition, Rising Stars listed Attorney Biren in the category of "Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff" in Los Angeles, CA.

A Thomson Reuters company, Super Lawyers curates Rising Stars on an annual basis to showcase premier attorneys in their first 10 years of practice or no older than age 40. Through a rigorous selection process  comprising third party nomination, independent research conducted by Super Lawyers, and a Blue Ribbon review carried out by top-rated Super Lawyers candidates  the organization's research department determines whether an attorney's practice is up to par with its notably high standards. Each year, no more than 2.5% of all early career attorneys in the nation appear in the Rising Stars register. Therefore, it is remarkable to be listed two years in a row, as Attorney Biren.

When he was just 5 years old, Attorney Biren attended his first jury trial to see his father, Attorney Matthew B.F. Biren, in action. It was at this moment he knew he wanted to become a lawyer who, like his father, helps injured accident victims. His repeated selection to Rising Stars is only the latest way in which he is continuing the Biren family legacy of legal success.

To date, Attorney Andrew Biren has recovered millions of dollars for his clients in favorable settlements and verdicts. At Biren Law Group, he focuses his practice on insurance bad faith, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, auto accident, and premises and product liability law in Los Angeles. If you are seeking legal representation, kindly visit biren.com to learn how Attorney Biren and the qualified legal staff at Biren Law Group can help you. For more information on Super Lawyers Rising Stars, please visit superlawyers.com.

SOURCE Biren Law Group

Related Links

https://www.biren.com/


Automotive Ventures announces the final closing of its inaugural venture fund, Automotive Ventures Fund I. Tweet this

Greenfield says that even though Automotive Ventures officially announced the launch of its fund today, the company has been actively investing since its first close in December 2020 and is honored to name the following companies within its current portfolio: Algodriven, Car Capital, HopDrive, Lender Compliance Technologies, RoboTire, SparkCharge, and WarrCloud.

"It's an interesting time to be in the automotive space, to say the least," said Justin Charbonneau, Automotive Ventures Senior Venture Associate. "We believe the industry is at an inflection point and on the cusp of massive change. We are excited and humbled to play a small part to help usher in the next wave of technological innovation in the industry by funding the founders who are building transformational automotive technology companies."

"We're proudly located in Atlanta, Georgia and love meeting founders in our backyard," said Greenfield. "That said, in terms of our investment strategy, we plan to be geographically agnostic and will look at deals worldwide, although we anticipate that most of our investments will be made in U.S.-based companies."

About Automotive Ventures

Automotive Ventures was founded in 2014 by Steve Greenfield, an industry expert on mergers, acquisitions, strategy, and capital raises.

Created to provide the trusted resource Steve wished he had as an entrepreneur and investor, Automotive Ventures harnesses the knowledge and intuition that comes from Steve's 20+ years of automotive experience with roles at Manheim, AutoTrader.com, CarLingo, and TrueCar; oversight of more than $1 billion in acquisitions; and negotiation of hundreds of automotive software and data agreements.

Automotive Ventures engages a team of industry experts as employees, advisors, and investors.

About Automotive Ventures Fund I

Automotive Ventures Fund I focuses on areas across automotive  and mobility more broadly  including the digitalization of dealerships, electrification, car connectivity, autonomy, and shared mobility. Additionally, it funds startups with a wide array of different business models, from B2B SaaS and data companies, to marketplaces and even hardware businesses.

Automotive Ventures aims to invest in the very early stages of a company's journey, most typically in the seed or pre-seed round, but occasionally its first investment may be in the Series A. Automotive Ventures anticipates that it will often be the first "institutional" investor in a startup, with investments alongside angel investors and even "friends and family."

SOURCE Automotive Ventures
LONDON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AvePoint, Inc. ("AvePoint") the largest data management solutions provider for Microsoft 365, today announced the results of its Impact of COVID-19 on Workplace Collaboration Survey. The 2021 report, conducted in partnership with Exec Survey and iGov Survey, reveals how over 200 unique organisations in the U.K. enabled seamless business continuity amid rapid societal change, where they face security challenges today, and what policies and procedures they are prioritising in the next six months.

Despite a quick pivot to digital, most companies did not have a roll out plan: Since the speed of deployment was crucial to workplace productivity, three quarters (75%) of organsations deployed Microsoft Teams without proper governance or security in place, leaving them vulnerable to internal and external threats.



Since the speed of deployment was crucial to workplace productivity, three quarters (75%) of organsations deployed Microsoft Teams without proper governance or security in place, leaving them vulnerable to internal and external threats. IT teams express confidence in their collaboration security: Nearly all (95%) of companies believe they are compliant with internal and external regulations. Similarly, only 7% lacked confidence that their digital collaboration deployment was secure from data leaks and unauthorised access.



Nearly all (95%) of companies believe they are compliant with internal and external regulations. Similarly, only 7% lacked confidence that their digital collaboration deployment was secure from data leaks and unauthorised access. However, only about a quarter are currently doing routine governance, compliance, and security tasks: Annually, just 28% check the settings and membership of Microsoft Teams, to identify potential risks. Only 25% remove guest users, in addition to less than a quarter (22%) who can determine who has access to specific data for audits, and the mere 13% who can restore individual files deleted for a year or longer.

"While the speed at which many organisations pivoted to the cloud this year was nothing short of amazing, that may have come with major security trade-offs," said John Peluso, Chief Product Officer at AvePoint, and Microsoft Regional Director. "But I am optimistic because, as our survey revealed, many businesses now have an opportunity to reduce risk in the near and long-term with proper governance solutions in place."

Consistent with the over 145 million daily active Teams users Microsoft recently announced, AvePoint found that only 3% of companies do not leverage Teams today. Further, regular Office 365 usage jumped from nearly half (48%) pre-pandemic to now over three quarters (76%).

Increased Microsoft Teams usage is creating more demand for collaboration security, but blockers remain: Despite widespread adoption of new digital communications tools, 43% of companies believe making them compliant is challenging. In fact, 37% want to invest in Teams governance and management in the future to reduce the burden on IT and more confidently ensure they are compliant with regional and industry specific guidelines like records  which only 23% of companies capture across Teams.



Despite widespread adoption of new digital communications tools, 43% of companies believe making them compliant is challenging. In fact, 37% want to invest in Teams governance and management in the future to reduce the burden on IT and more confidently ensure they are compliant with regional and industry specific guidelines like records  which only 23% of companies capture across Teams. IT Teams experienced heightened demand: Nearly half (48%) of organisations' IT teams need hours or days to create digital workspaces like Microsoft Teams or SharePoint once requested by employees, which can lead to low adoption and shadow IT. As a result of increased responsibilities, the biggest challenge for 56% of organizations is the surging burden on IT when it comes to managing and servicing new collaboration tools.

"Our digital collaboration survey found that it is near impossible for employees to always comply with relevant policies, and for IT to monitor said activity, especially with the increased responsibilities they've taken on over the past year and a half," said John Hodges, SVP Product Strategy, AvePoint. "That's why there is a growing need for governance automation for any company leveraging tools like Microsoft Teams."

Earlier in the pandemic, AvePoint launched Policies and Insights (PI), the only solution that monitors sensitive content exposure across Microsoft 365 and proactively enforces policies to prevent data oversharing, after identified the need for more secure, compliant collaboration in Teams, AvePoint will continue to build upon its over two decades of innovation.

"As more companies adopt cloud-based tools for digital collaboration, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the data created, and who has access to it," said Nigel Kilpatrick, Country Manager, UK, Ireland and South Africa, AvePoint. "Even as companies return to hybrid work environments, scaling management, governance and compliance remains vital."

To learn more about AvePoint and its data management solutions like PI, visit https://www.avepoint.com/. See here for the full Impact of COVID-19 on Workplace Collaboration Survey.

About AvePoint

Collaborate with confidence. AvePoint is the largest Microsoft 365 data management solutions provider, offering a full suite of SaaS solutions to migrate, manage and protect data.

More than 7 million cloud users, including a quarter of the Fortune 500, rely on our solutions. Our SaaS solutions are also available to managed service providers via more than 100 cloud marketplaces, so they can better support and manage their small and mid-sized business customers.

Founded in 2001, AvePoint is a five-time Global Microsoft Partner of the Year and headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. For more information, visit https://www.avepoint.com

Methodology

The survey was conducted by Exec Survey and iGov Survey in partnership with AvePoint. A total of 222 individuals from 202 unique organisations participated in the survey, which concluded in 2021. All survey respondents will receive a complimentary copy of the findings report, but there was no inducement to take part in the survey, and AvePoint was not introduced as the survey partner.

The information presented herein is provided "as is" without representation or warranty of any kind -- as to suitability, reliability, applicability, merchantability, fitness, noninfringement, result, outcome, or any other matter. AvePoint does not represent or warrant that such information is or will be always up-to-date, complete, or accurate. Any representation or warranty that might be otherwise implied is expressly disclaimed.

This release contains links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user, or browser; AvePoint does not recommend or endorse the contents of the third-party sites, nor does it represent or warrant that any information provided by such third-party sites is up-to-date, complete, or accurate.

Contact Information

Nicole Caci, PR Manager

[email protected] // + 1 201-201-8143

SOURCE AvePoint, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.avepoint.com


MANAMA, Bahrain, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- His Excellency Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, addressed a worldwide audience of thousands participating in the 2021 American Jewish Committee Virtual Global Forum.

In a conversation with Jason Isaacson, AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, the foreign minister discussed the historic Abraham Accords, Bahrain-U.S. relations, and the Iranian threat. Isaacson has spearheaded the leading global Jewish advocacy organization's engagement with Bahrain and other Gulf Arab states over the past 25 years.

"Bahrain is a nation that believes in dialogue, that believes in respecting the other, that believes in coexistence, that believes in cooperation, and that's what His Majesty, the King, practices in his doctrine and his decision to pursue peace with Israel," Dr. Al Zayani declared.

"Hopefully, the people of the region can see the benefits, and, in particular, the Israelis and Palestinians can see the benefit of the peace," he said. For Bahrainis, "the most important benefit is that the values of the Bahrainis are being really recognized. We are sending the message from a small nation, saying that peace is the way forward."

Bahrain has sought privately and publicly over the years to help facilitate efforts to achieve Arab-Israeli peace and, notably, hosted the Peace to Prosperity Workshop in 2019.

"Bahrain's decision to sign the Abraham Accords is firmly based on our belief that they represent a step towards resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," said Dr. Al Zayani. "Our position is firm in supporting the Palestinians to reach a solution and cooperation with the Israelis. We hope that the path we have pursued will really help in achieving that."

"Through our long engagement with Bahrain, the only country on the Arabian Peninsula with an indigenous Jewish community, AJC has seen again and again the kingdom's commitment both to regional peace and to interfaith harmony," Isaacson noted. "Both of those commitments were evident in Dr. Al Zayani's remarks."

Bahrain's long history as a trading center, bringing together peoples of different faiths from around the world, underlies "why we believe in coexistence," he explained.

"Manama is the most religiously diverse city in the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council], perhaps in the world," said Dr. Al Zayani. Many places of worship -- synagogue, mosque, church, temple  are located together in an area of less than one square mile.

Interfaith cooperation "is one of the really defining characteristics of modern Bahrain and informs our approach to both national and international issues," he affirmed. This has been highlighted in recent years by the establishment in 2017 of the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence, which plays an important role in promoting interfaith dialogue.

On relations with Washington, the minister emphasized that "Bahrain and the United States have enjoyed a very healthy, long, close partnership that has proved its value in safeguarding the region." King Hamad "believes the men and women with the Fifth Fleet are here to support peace and stability in region." Bahrain is home base for the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet.

Bahrain was designated a major non-NATO ally of the U.S in 2009, and the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement dates to 2006. This year, Bahrain and the U.S. are marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

And last year, the minister noted, Bahrain became the first Arab country to accept the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, when it signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. State Department on combating antisemitism.

Discussing the "shared challenge from the Iranian regime," the minister stressed that "the totality of the Iranian challenge" must be addressed, not only the nuclear issues. The challenge includes, he pointed out, Iran's missile development and "support for proxies and militias that interfere with other countries."

"Bahrain has firsthand experience," he said, disclosing that his country's Coast Guard and law enforcement recently seized numerous stashes of weapons. In addition, "the Iranians use the media and NGOs" for a "wider international propaganda campaign" that threatens other nations in the region.

"We need the international community to convince Iran that it cannot prosper by trying to subvert and undermine other countries," he concluded. "The interests of Iran and its people are best served by being a responsible regional and global citizen."

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


BancTrust and Co. Investment Bank Announces New Hires to Reinforce London Global Markets Team Tweet this

Prior to joining BancTrust, Melton has been involved in Emerging Markets Sales for more than 20 years, most recently at BB Securities (part of Banco do Brasil), and beforehand at Otkritie Securities and Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein. Jeremy brings over 15 years of experience in EM Fixed Income, Private Credit and FinTech previously covering institutional clients within global emerging markets teams at UBS, Credit Suisse, and Standard Chartered Bank. Both will report to the Global Head of Markets, Dean Tyler.

"I am honoured to be joined by such an experienced group of professionals. We continue to enhance our EM platform, incorporating our solid LatAm Research and Capital Markets base," asserted Dean Tyler.

CEO Carlos Fuenmayor commented, "I am excited to see such expertise added to the team as we strengthen our coverage and execution capabilities across the EM spectrum. The team's extensive experience in dealing in frontier and emerging markets will be instrumental in delivering exceptional value to clients."

About BancTrust & Co.

BancTrust & Co. Investment Bank is a London-based investment bank specialised in high beta credit markets in Emerging Markets. The firm offers capital markets advisory, institutional sales & trading and investment research products and services to corporate clients and institutional investors.

For more information, please visit https://banctrust.com and follow us on Twitter at [twitter.com/BancTrustCo]

SOURCE BancTrust & Co. Investment Bank

Related Links

http://banctrust.com


NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors, L.P., a subsidiary of Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. providing investment and advisory solutions to global investors ("CFIA"), today announced the acquisition of the asset management business of Flippin, Bruce & Porter, Inc. ("FBP") a registered investment advisory firm with a strong track record in the industry.

The Lynchburg, Virginia based asset management platform will operate out of CFIA, with the same team that previously served at FBP, and will continue to be led by John Bruce, Founder & Portfolio Manager of FBP, in his role as Senior Managing Director of the newly formed Flippin, Bruce & Porter business of CFIA.

"Cantor Fitzgerald Asset Management continues to provide innovative solutions to the Broker Dealer and RIA community to help solve the challenges their clients face today. One of the biggest challenges facing individual investors is the ability to generate income," said Michael Millard, Cantor Fitzgerald Global Head of Asset Management. "Flippin, Bruce & Porter's experience and investment strategies are specifically designed to address this challenge."

"We are excited to be joining Cantor Fitzgerald's global brand and utilize CFIA's extensive experience running successful money management businesses by tapping into their distribution platform," added John Bruce, Founder & Portfolio Manager, Flippin, Bruce & Porter. "As we continued to think about expansion and how to give our clients, employees, and our management teams the best resources possible, this was a decision FBP will greatly benefit from."

Founded in 1985, Flippin, Bruce & Porter has established itself as a trusted partner to its clients, financial advisers, and investment management consultants. FBP specializes in managing equity-oriented portfolios which produce attractive income through a combination of above average dividends and then enhancing that income by opportunistically selling covered call options.

About Cantor Fitzgerald

Cantor Fitzgerald, with over 12,000 employees, is a leading global financial services group at the forefront of financial and technological innovation and has been a proven and resilient leader for over 75 years. Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. is a preeminent investment bank serving more than 5,000 institutional clients around the world, recognized for its strengths in fixed income and equity capital markets, investment banking, SPAC underwriting and PIPE placements, prime brokerage, and commercial real estate and for its global distribution platform. Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. is one of the 24 primary dealers authorized to transact business with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Cantor Fitzgerald is a leading SPAC sponsor, having completed multiple initial public offerings and announced multiple business combinations through its CF Acquisition platform. For more information, please visit: www.cantor.com.

About Flippin, Bruce & Porter

FBP is a registered investment advisor based in Lynchburg, Virginia. The firm specializes in large cap, value equity, equity income, and balanced portfolio management services for institutional and high net worth individuals. Our investment team has an average 39 years of investment experience. For more information about FBP, please visit www.fbpinc.com.

SOURCE Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.

Related Links

http://www.cantor.com


Upset over the 50-day closure in the coronavirus-induced curfew, traders in several markets have now started defying the restrictions and opening their shops.

In Rajajipuram, on Monday, traders opened their shops and when the police tried to force closure, they started protests by clanging on thalis.

As the news spread that shops in Rajajipuram were opening, traders in Yahiyaganj, Pandeyganj, Fatehganj and Rakabganj also opened their shops.

Traders in Chinhat and Dubagga said they would start opening their shops from Tuesday.

"How long can we sit at home? Our savings have finished and we cannot even pay salaries to the staff, most of whom, in any case, have returned to their villages. If liquor shops can remain open, why not other shops? This is the wedding season and people need to buy things," said Om Prakash Rastogi, a garment seller in Raja Bazaar.

Lucknow on Monday reported 777 active Covid cases and health officials said that if the cases drop below 600, restrictions would be lifted in the state capital.

Various trader leaders have already pleaded with Lucknow MP and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma for allowing their shops to open.

The traders told reporters that they have suffered a loss of more than Rs 4,000 crore in this Corona curfew in the state capital.
PHILADELPHIA, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CARISMA Therapeutics Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing innovative immunotherapies, announced today that Richard Morris has been appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Mr. Morris has more than 25 years of experience in building and growing successful biotech organizations with a track record of delivering corporate value through capital fundraising (including IPOs), financial strategy and operations execution, and business development efforts.

"Richard's extensive experience in driving companies' transformations through different stages of their life cycles will be critical as we progress as a clinical stage company and beyond," said Steven Kelly, Chief Executive Officer of CARISMA. "We are excited to welcome someone who has such a breadth of experience and is as committed to building CARISMA to impact patients' lives as much as the rest of our leadership team."

Mr. Morris joins CARISMA from Passage Bio where, as CFO, he was instrumental in transforming the genetic medicines company from a private start-up to a public development stage company. Before that, he was the Executive Vice President and CFO for Context Therapeutics; he also was CFO for Vitae Pharmaceuticals, acquired by Allergan in 2016, and held several senior financial roles at ViroPharma, acquired by Shire in 2013. Earlier in Mr. Morris' career, he worked in in the healthcare assurance practice at KPMG. He received his Bachelor of Science in accounting at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, PA and is a certified public accountant.

"CARISMA Therapeutics continues to prove itself as the leader in the immunotherapy space and I am thrilled to be joining the team during this pivotal moment as the Company advances its mission to becoming the first company to develop CAR-Macrophage-based treatments for patients with advanced solid tumors," said Mr. Morris. "I am looking forward to being a part of CARISMA's next chapter."

About CARISMA Therapeutics Inc.

CARISMA Therapeutics Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing a differentiated and proprietary cell therapy platform focused on engineered macrophages, cells that play a crucial role in both the innate and adaptive immune response. The first applications of the platform, developed in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania, are autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-macrophages for the treatment of solid tumors. CARISMA Therapeutics is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA.

For more information, please visit www.carismatx.com

Media Contact:

Christina Khoury-Folkens

(929) 299-5962

[email protected]

SOURCE CARISMA Therapeutics Inc.

Related Links

http://www.carismatx.com


IRVINE, Calif., June 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CDF Capital's President and CEO Dusty Rubeck recently announced his plan to retire from his current role. For a number of years, the CDF Capital Board and Rubeck have routinely discussed CEO succession planning as part of an ongoing readiness process. When Rubeck signaled his consideration of retiring by the end of 2021, the succession planning process picked up momentum and the board instituted a formal search process for a new President and CEO.

As a result of that search process, CDF Capital is pleased to announce that Eric R. Schroeder, a long-time member of the CDF Capital Board, has been appointed as the new President and CEO, effective July 1, 2021.

Schroeder has served as a member of the CDF Capital Board since March of 2010. He is bank founder and partner for CrossFirst Bank in Leawood, Kansas, one of the largest banks headquartered in the Kansas City region. He has held a broad range of roles at CrossFirst since he helped found the bank in 2006. His most recent position at CrossFirst was Managing Director of Institutional Banking. Schroeder has more than 33 years of bank-related experience, including positions at UMB Bank in Warrensburg, Missouri; Boatmen's First National Bank in Belton, Missouri; and as Community Bank President for Bank 10 in Belton, Missouri. He also served a term as a bank examiner for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Schroeder holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Central Missouri State University. He and his wife Julie share life-long involvement in the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ. He also continues in his role as part of a third-generation family farm in Missouri.

To ensure a smooth transition period, the board has appointed Rubeck to serve as Executive Advisor to the Board and CEO through the end of 2021.

In a statement related to this transition, CDF Capital's Board Chair Ken Thompson stated, "When Dusty Rubeck was recruited to be the President of CDF Capital nearly eight years ago, the board asked him to make broad changes in this ministry to prepare it for the future. He and his team have transformed CDF Capital, resulting in an energized culture, a strengthened financial condition, and an expanded ministry impact on churches beyond just financial lending. We are pleased he will be staying through the end of the year to help ensure a smooth transition."

Thompson goes on to express his excitement about the newly appointed CEO. "We are very fortunate that Eric Schroeder has accepted the call to serve as CDF Capital's new President and CEO. Eric's extensive banking experience, deep connection to the Christian Church, and long service to the CDF Capital Board uniquely position him to build on the current foundation while bringing growth and expansion to CDF Capital's work around the country. The board considered many factors when conducting this search and Eric met or exceeded every one of them. These are exciting days for the ministry of CDF Capital."

Incoming President and CEO Eric Schroeder shared, "Dusty and the CDF Capital team have built a great organization focused on Helping Churches Grow. I love the Church and hope to use my God-given strengths to assist in this mission. The Church plays a vital role in our communities, and pointing people to Jesus will continue to be our primary focus as we help churches with financial, leadership, and spiritual capital."

As part of his transition message, departing President Dusty Rubeck stated, "I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to lead CDF Capital through this past season of ministry expansion. The team I have been privileged to lead and the board I have been fortunate to serve have both shown outstanding commitment to the Kingdom and our unique role within churches across the nation. I am very excited Eric Schroeder has accepted the call to lead CDF Capital into the future. He and the rest of the board members have been true partners in the expansion of this ministry over the last decade, so he has an outstanding perspective on our needs for the future."

CDF Capital  Helping Churches Grow

We believe that every person is on a spiritual journey of transformation, and the best place for that journey to happen is in God's church. That is why, since 1953, we have helped Christians and churches embrace their part in this journey by providing the three kinds of capital to the churches we help  Financial Capital, Leadership Capital, and Spiritual Capital. Church growth is about more than just attendance  it requires all three forms of capital in whatever portions necessary. When a church is properly resourced financially, spiritually, and in leadership, lives are transformed. We call this Transformational Capital.

For more information about CDF Capital:

Nathan R. Elson

Executive Director of Marketing and Business Development

CDF Capital

[email protected]

619.838.0746

SOURCE CDF Capital
WASHINGTON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The new class of residents arriving at Children's National Hospital on June 9, will be the hospital's most diverse class ever. 51% of the incoming intern class identify with races and ethnicities underrepresented in medicine (UIM) including Black, Latino and Southeast Asian, a percentage that is more than three times the national average for diversity within residency programs.

"We have worked hard to make our residency class more diverse because we know that diversity among academic pediatricians helps dismantle systemic health care inequities faced by children," said Aisha Barber, M.D., M.Ed., director of the Pediatric Residency Program at Children's National. "Studies show that when patients see someone they identify with, it enhances patient trust and satisfaction. Diversity within medical ranks has also been associated with improved health care outcomes for patients from underrepresented backgrounds."

Children's National created outreach and pipeline programs designed to reach a larger more diverse group of medical students and to increase diverse students' interest in academic pediatrics at Children's National. Program leaders reach out through various student medical association meetings, nationally and regionally.

In 2015, the hospital developed Advancing Diversity in Academic Pediatrics, a scholarship program for senior medical students from backgrounds UIM to experience what a career in academic pediatrics might look like for them. Since the start of the scholarship program, the diversity of incoming resident classes has grown from 12% to the current 51%.

"This scholarship program changed my career trajectory as it introduced me to the field of pediatric academic medicine," said Jessica Hippolyte, M.D., M.P.H., pediatric chief resident at Children's National and graduate of the scholarship program. "I was paired with minority resident and faculty mentors, networked with senior program leadership, received guidance on the application process and gained tremendous insight on all the opportunities available to Children's National residents."

Under the scholarship program, fourth year medical students are invited for a month-long clinical rotation and given a stipend funded by the CEO's office at Children's National. The program's curriculum not only focuses on the clinical experience, but through relationships with mentors, focuses on the development of interview skills and the creation of a competitive curriculum vitae, or CV.

Since the program began, there have been over 70 participants and a 25% match rate to the pediatric residency program at Children's National. Four members of the 2021 class are graduates of the scholarship program.

Every March, medical students learn which residency programs they will train with on what is known as 'Match Day'. Children's National receives over 2,000 applications per year for 41 residency positions. That's more than half of medical student applications in the U.S. for pediatrics. Applicants were recruited from some of the top medical schools in the U.S. including the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, University of California, San Francisco and University of California, Los Angeles.

In addition to the increases in the racial and ethnic diversity of the incoming residents, at least 10% of the incoming class identify as LGBTQ, which mirrors the percentage of adults in D.C. who identify as LGBTQ.

"There are many factors that indicate to us that someone will make a great resident and a great doctor," said Dr. Barber. "At Children's National, we strive to be sure our residents understand that they're appreciated not for how they add to diversity statistics, but for who they are as a whole person and all they have to contribute to our community."

About Children's National Hospital

Children's National Hospital, based in Washington, D.C., celebrates 150 years of pediatric care, research and commitment to community. Volunteers opened the hospital in 1870 with 12 beds for children displaced after the Civil War. Today, 150 years stronger, it is among the nation's top 10 children's hospitals. It is ranked No. 1 for newborn care for the fourth straight year and ranked in all specialties evaluated by U.S. News & World Report. Children's National is transforming pediatric medicine for all children. In 2021, the Children's National Research & Innovation Campus opened, the first in the nation dedicated to pediatric research. Children's National has been designated three times in a row as a Magnet hospital, demonstrating the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty care locations in the D.C. metropolitan area, including the Maryland and Northern Virginia suburbs. Children's National is home to the Children's National Research Institute and Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation and is the nation's seventh-highest NIH-funded children's hospital. It is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels.

For more information, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Childrens National Hospital

Related Links

https://childrensnational.org


ZURICH, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb Limited (NYSE: CB) announced today that Mark Hammond, who currently serves as Treasurer of Chubb Group, has been appointed to the additional role of Deputy Chief Financial Officer, a new position. The appointment is effective July 1 when, as previously announced, Peter Enns, Executive Vice President, Finance, Chubb Group, will succeed Philip Bancroft as Chief Financial Officer upon his retirement. In his new role, Mr. Hammond will assist Mr. Enns on operational and strategic matters.

Mark Hammond

"Mark has been with the company for a dozen years, and is recognized for his technical proficiency, leadership and general management skills in both U.S. and international finance organizations," said Mr. Enns. "I look forward to working with Mark and benefiting from his experience and assistance as our global finance organization pursues its key priorities and strategies."

Mr. Hammond has more than 30 years of experience in insurance and public accounting. He has served as Treasurer since 2019. Previously, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the company's Europe and Eurasia & Africa regions. From 2012 to 2016, when the company was named ACE, he was Chief Financial Officer, European Group. Mr. Hammond joined the company's Combined Insurance business in Chicago in 2009, where he served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining ACE, Mr. Hammond held a series of leadership roles within the insurance industry and, before that, spent more than 15 years in the public accounting sector where he was an audit partner with Deloitte, serving clients in its insurance practice. Mr. Hammond is a CPA and has an Accounting degree from Kansas State University.

About Chubb

Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs approximately 31,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: www.chubb.com.

SOURCE Chubb Limited

Related Links

http://new.chubb.com


DENVER, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Clough Capital Partners L.P. ("Clough") will host a market update conference call for the Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund (GLV), the Clough Global Equity Fund (GLQ), and the Clough Global Opportunities Fund (GLO) on Thursday, June 10th at 2:30 PM EDT. The call will feature Chuck Clough, Chairman, Co-CIO, and Portfolio Manager, along with Rob Zdunczyk, Head of Fixed Income and Portfolio Manager.

When: Thursday, June 10th, 2:30 PM EDT Where: Dial in 888-632-3389

PW 61021

Each of the funds listed above (collectively, the "Funds" and each, a "Fund") are currently conducting a one for three transferrable rights offering. The rights offering will be made pursuant to each Fund's currently effective shelf registration statement on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. A final prospectus supplement has been filed with the SEC. Each Fund has mailed subscription certificates evidencing the subscription rights and a copy of the prospectus supplement for the rights offering.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or constitute a solicitation of an offer to buy.

An investor should consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. To obtain an annual report, semi-annual report, prospectus or prospectus supplement which contains this and other information visit www.cloughglobal.com or call 1-877-256-8445. Read them carefully before investing.

The Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund

The Fund is a closed-end fund with an investment objective of providing a high level of total return and current income. The Fund seeks to pursue this objective by applying a fundamental research-driven investment process and will invest in equity and equity-related securities as well as fixed income securities, including both corporate and sovereign debt, in both U.S. and non-U.S. markets. The Fund's portfolio managers are Chuck Clough and Rob Zdunczyk. As of May 31st 2021 the Fund had approximately $166 million in total assets.

The Clough Global Equity Fund

The Fund is a closed-end fund with an investment objective of providing a high level of total return. Having a global, flexible mandate, the Fund seeks to pursue this objective by applying a fundamental research-driven investment process and will invest at least 80% in equity and equity-related securities in both U.S. and non-U.S. markets, and the remainder in fixed income securities, including corporate and sovereign debt, in both U.S. and non-U.S. markets. The Fund's portfolio managers are Chuck Clough and Rob Zdunczyk. As of May 31st, 2021 the Fund had approximately $367 million in total assets.

The Clough Global Opportunities Fund

The Fund is a closed-end fund with an investment objective of providing a high level of total return. The Fund seeks to achieve this objective by applying a fundamental research-driven investment process and will invest in equity and equity-related securities as well as fixed income securities, including both corporate and sovereign debt, in both U.S. and non-U.S. markets. The Fund's portfolio managers are Chuck Clough and Rob Zdunczyk. As of May 31st, 2021 the Fund had approximately $720 million in total assets.

More information, including the Funds' dividend reinvestment plans, can be found at www.cloughglobal.com or by calling 877-256-8445

Clough Capital Partners L.P.

Clough Capital, a Boston-based investment advisory firm which manages approximately $2.2 billion in assets as of May 31st, 2021, serves as investment adviser to the Funds.

The Funds are closed-end funds and closed-end funds do not continuously issue shares for sale as open-end mutual funds do. Since their initial public offerings, the Funds now trade in the secondary market. Investors wishing to buy or sell shares need to place orders through an intermediary or broker. The share price of a closed-end fund is based on the market's value.

Forward-looking statements are based on information that is available on the date hereof, and neither the Funds' manager nor any other person affiliated with the Funds' manager has any duty to update any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could affect actual results to differ from these statements include, among other factors, material, negative changes to the asset class and the actual composition of the portfolio.

ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc., FINRA Member Firm.

1290 Broadway, Suite 1000

Denver, CO 80203

SOURCE Clough Global Dividend and Income Fund; Clough Global Equity Fund; Clough Global Opportunities Fund

Related Links

https://www.cloughglobal.com


NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, a coalition of private and public actors launched a new public education initiative entitled United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade (USA-IT) to combat black market trade. The campaign will run through 2021 and provide local officials, law enforcement, and thought leaders with information and training programs to help tackle illegal trade and raise public awareness of the depth of the problem as well as the severe consequences inflicted on states and municipalities by black market profiteers.

USA-IT is a coalition of national and state brand enforcement experts, law enforcement agencies, and leading business organizations, including:

American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA)

Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection Center at Michigan State University

Arizona Trucking Association (ATA)

BrandShield

Florida Petroleum Marketers Association (FPMA)

Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA)

Florida Retail Federation (FRF)

GrindStone Strategic Consulting

Illinois Fuel & Retail Association (IFRA)

Illinois Manufacturers' Association (IMA)

Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA)

International Coalition Against Illicit Economies (ICAIE)

Investigative Consultants

Levi Strauss & Co.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Merck & Co., Inc.

Michigan Chamber of Commerce

Chamber of Commerce Michigan Retailers Association (MRA)

Michigan Trucking Association (MTA)

National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)

National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center)

Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry

Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association (PFMA)

Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association (PMTA)

Police Officers Association of Michigan (POAM)

(POAM) Philip Morris International (PMI)

Procter & Gamble Company

Sanofi

SAS

Sayari

Tommy Hilfiger

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

United States Council for International Business (USCIB)

The coalition will operate in eight states facing critical illegal trade issues: Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

"Counterfeit and smuggled goods pose serious threats in many states, and the situation has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with criminals seizing on opportunities to traffic in counterfeit personal protective equipment (PPE) and medicationsincluding vaccines. Since January 2020, the sale of online counterfeit goods has jumped nearly 40 percent," said USA-IT spokesman and former director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Matt Albence.

"In today's hyper-connected worldwith growing worries about global security, the proliferation of criminal organizations, and a surge of new digital toolsconcerted efforts and broad public-private cooperation are vital for implementing meaningful, long-term solutions against illegal trade," added Albence.

The black market is a $509 billion a year business, and it's growing. Criminals get rich from illegal trade by robbing revenues meant to provide essential services to Americans. Instead of helping taxpayers, that money is used to fund those who illegally traffic in drugs, tobacco, wildlife, and even people. These groups exploit governments and citizens, manipulate financial systems, spur corruption, and cultivate instability and violence that threaten our communities.

No one government or single industry can address this complex problem on its own. Tackling illegal trade requires cooperation and public-private partnerships and fully utilizing existing expertise, information sharing, innovative solutions, and evolving technologies. Public actors, the private sector, and civil society alike all have a role to play.

For more information about USA-IT's efforts to combat illegal trade, and to get involved, visit USAIT.org.

About USA-IT

United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade (USA-IT) is a public and private sector partnership protecting Americans' security and prosperity from black market criminals.

SOURCE United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade (USA-IT)
"We are very excited about the opportunity to create a long-term partnership with the city of San Antonio," said Matt McWilliams, President and Managing Partner of CCS. "The San Antonio site sits at the intersection of I-10 E and loop 410, which puts it in a prime position to service the explosive growth in the Austin, San Antonio and surrounding south and central Texas markets while also providing easy access to the U.S./Mexico border and port cities like Houston."

With population growth in the state surging double-digit percentages, especially in cities like Austin and San Antonio, an abundance of new food production facilities have been built to meet unprecedented demand. As a result, there is a critical shortage of new cold storage to support these regions' continued growth and development.

McWilliams says, "Like our project up north in the DFW metroplex, we look forward to serving the central and southern half of the state with another exceptional cold storage facility that will support the continued economic boom throughout Texas."

CCS's first Texas project, a 374,560 SF cold storage facility in Denton, TX, is scheduled to be completed in June of 2022 and is already nearly 50% leased. McWilliams says, "The CCS team has proven we can move fast and get a large-scale project under construction in record time through our years of experience and extensive relationships, which will prove tremendously valuable to an underserved market like San Antonio."

This particular cold storage facility will be one of the newest and largest state-of-the-art facilities in San Antonio and surrounding areas. The roughly 305,000 SF facility will provide storage for 45,000 pallets of frozen or refrigerated products upon completion. Unlike existing vintage facilities and other new builds in the region, this new project, designed by ARCO National Construction, will allow for a large-scale or multi-operator build-out with tremendous efficiencies.

The project is immediately available for leasing opportunities.

In addition, CCS has also secured additional acreage within the San Antonio industrial corridor that will support a sizeable build-to-suit project.

CCS anticipates breaking ground this fall so that the facility will be ready for operation in late 2022.

Contact:

Matt McWilliams

Cold Creek Solutions, LP

Phone: 817-550-3363

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.coldcreeklp.com

SOURCE ARCO National Construction

Related Links

http://www.arconational.com/


PORTLAND, Ore., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ColumbiaSoft, a leading document control software company, today announced that it has successfully completed the Service Organization Control (SOC) 2 Type 1 audit. The audit, conducted by Control Logics, confirms that ColumbiaSoft's practices, policies, procedures, and operations meet the SOC 2 standards for security, availability, processing integrity, and confidentiality.

Document Locator offers trusted SOC 2-compliant document control software for businesses needing to manage information that is regulated or of critical importance.

"Companies are looking closely at the integrity of their technology supply chain as concerns over security grow," said Scott Zieg, head of ColumbiaSoft's compliance initiatives. "SOC 2 compliance is widely considered the leading benchmark of trust among providers of hosted services. Our successful completion of SOC 2 certification is a clear indication of ColumbiaSoft's commitment to the security and integrity of our solutions, giving our customers the greatest confidence that their information is properly handled."

ColumbiaSoft's SOC 2 report verifies that internal controls are in place that have been designed and implemented to meet the high standards of a SOC 2 service provider as set by the American Institute of CPA's (AICPA). This independent validation is crucial for customers in highly regulated industries and in businesses where information control and security are critically important.

Businesses turn to Document Locator to consistently manage information and procedures essential for quality and compliance. Specialized document control functions, including versioning, security, workflow, audit logging, and reporting, empower quality managers and document control professionals to advance their own compliance with programs for ISO, FDA, HIPAA, and more.

About ColumbiaSoft Corporation

ColumbiaSoft is a leading document control software company that helps businesses and government agencies enforce consistency and control in document processes. As a Microsoft Gold Cloud Platform partner, DocuSign integrator, and Adobe Solutions Network partner, the company's products fully integrate with familiar applications used by information workers every day. ColumbiaSoft is a privately held company based in Portland, Oregon, and was founded in 1998. For more information, visit www.documentlocator.com.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

Media contacts:

Jim Kemp

PR, ColumbiaSoft Corporation

(800) 298-1172 x268

[email protected]

Related Images

document-locator-soc-2.jpg

Document Locator SOC 2 Certification

Document Locator offers trusted SOC 2-compliant document control software for businesses needing to manage information that is regulated or of critical importance.

SOURCE ColumbiaSoft Corporation
" The establishment of our company in Puerto Rico has proven to provide favorable conditions for the expansion and growth of our business globally, " declared Stefania Triva, Copan Group's President. "W ith this investment, we aim to strengthen our presence in the US market: through a hub & spoke distribution strategy, we'll be able to offer a competitive service with unprecedented efficiency and rapidity throughout all the American territory, " she continues.

Puerto Rico's Economic Development and Commerce Department supported the operation by approving $23 million of incentives, seeing in the project  which brings Copan's technological know-how, quality, and work welfare attitude across the ocean  an excellent opportunity for the whole US. According to Puerto Rican Governor Pedro Pierluisi, "manufacturing companies as Copan represent an important component of the economy, as they contribute to creating and retaining jobs. We are proud of the talent that exists in Puerto Rico, and we are confident in the continued success and commitment of Copan Industries to the Island."

Copan's recent activity has been fervent in the US, with investments in Puerto Rico, California, and the successful clearance of products finally available in the US  as the eNAT nucleic acid storage and stabilization device FDA-cleared at the end of 2020. This project fits Copan's current strategy to bring production sites closer to the end markets, streamlining logistics and enabling an efficient and prompt service everywhere globally.

About Copan

Copan is dedicated to developing high-quality and cutting-edge sample collection products for infectious diseases, human genomics, environmental and forensic applications, along with automated workflow solutions. Our ideas drove 40 years of progress in the field of preanalytics, resulting in the development of meaningful products tailored to fit any need. Among them, our patented FLOQSwabs reinvented completely sample collection and transport, while the WASPLab automation ecosystem revolutionized laboratory workflow. Today, Copan is still eager to continue this innovation, providing quality products, customized services, and prime solutions to improve patients' health.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1527451/Copan_Puerto_Rico.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1484615/CopanHD_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Copan Italia SpA
CHICAGO, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As demand for end-to-end contract life management (CLM) solutions increase, Spaulding Ridge's DocuSign practice announced it has expanded its solutions and team of experts to meet growing demand. A top global cloud advisory firm, the Spaulding Ridge DocuSign team recently reached 70 dedicated DocuSign Agreement Cloud experts, positioning itself  and DocuSign  to deliver contract lifecycle management (CLM+) projects around the world. Additionally, the team has expanded its solutions to include eSign, guided forms, and Insight, providing end-to-end Agreement Cloud solutions for global clients.

"Our DocuSign team is positioned to serve global, enterprise clients. We have a deep knowledge set within our team, enabling us to solve complex integration challenges for our clients. As DocuSign's number one partner, we want to solidify our commitment to growing our DocuSign practice and capabilities," Jay Laabs , CEO, Spaulding Ridge, elaborated to the elevated status of Spaulding Ridge's DocuSign capabilities.

John Beringer , Partner in Spaulding Ridge's DocuSign practice commented, "Our leadership team recognized that we needed to diversify our DocuSign offerings. We want to not only be known for CLM work, but for eSign, guided forms and Insight." He continued, "In order to support these new offerings, we needed to scale to ensure we meet, and exceed expectations, of DocuSign and our clients."

To learn more, visit spauldingridge.com/docusign .

About Spaulding Ridge

Spaulding Ridge is a global advisory and cloud implementation firm. We help leading companies deploy Best-in-Cloud solutions on a global scale, providing our clients with a competitive edge.

Spaulding Ridge experts lead:

Finance to gain control: Increase top-line revenue, gross margins, and profits through better insight. Connect financial planning to strategy and automate financial close processes.

Sales to increase productivity: Manage quota and territories more consistently and effectively, automate customer contracts and onboarding.

Operations to drive efficiency: Improve supply chain agility, automate strategic sourcing and purchasing, deliver superior customer service experiences.

About DocuSign

DocuSign helps organizations connect and automate how they prepare, sign, act on, and manage agreements. As part of the DocuSign Agreement Cloud, DocuSign offers eSignature, the world's #1 way to sign electronically on practically any device, from almost anywhere, at any time. Today, more than 890,000 customers and hundreds of millions of users in over 180 countries use DocuSign to accelerate the process of doing business and to simplify people's lives.

SOURCE Spaulding Ridge, LLC

Related Links

spauldingridge.com


Former minister and Trinamool Congress MLA Madan Mitra suffered from breathing problems after a fire broke out at the ground floor of his Bhawanipur residence on Tuesday morning.

Mitra was rushed out of the house and was given oxygen support. Three fire tenders brought the blaze under control at the century-old building.

The incident happened at 10 a.m. on Tuesday morning when the members of the family noticed smoke from the ground floor of the building. All the members of the family rushed out of the house but Mitra who is a COPD patient suddenly started having breathing problems and he was immediately put on oxygen support.

"I am a patient of COPD and a huge amount of Carbon-dioxide entered me suddenly. I started having breathing problems. My family members gave oxygen and now I am feeling better," Madan Mitra said.

However, Mitra did not say anything regarding the cause of the fire. "This is an old building and I cannot really know what caused the fire," he added.

Presumably, the fire started from a short circuit, said a fire services official.

"Though we don't know exactly, as of now a purifier is suspected to be the cause of the short circuit. An investigation will be done," the official said.
LONDON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Irish headquartered global education technology company, Prodigy Learning, is proud to announce it has been named this afternoon as the winner of the e-Assessment Awards 2021 Best Formative Assessment category.

The international e-Assessment Awards seek to showcase globally the very best practice, research and innovation in testing and assessment, where the use of technology has enabled transformation, improved outcomes and enhanced learning and teaching.

Prodigy Learning wins e-Assessment Award 2021 in Best Formative Assessment category

Prodigy Learning secured this award with its revolutionary "Coding in Minecraft" computer science credential product. This innovative SaaS product leverages the power of Minecraft and Prodigy Learning's skillify online assessment platform to engage young and diverse learners (ages 7 to 16) to develop and prove their coding skills.

Minecraft is one of the most popular video games in history and promotes creativity, collaboration and problem-solving in an immersive environment. It transcends all platforms and appeals to players regardless of age, demographics, or geography.

Presenting the award at a virtual ceremony this afternoon, Dr. Desmond Bermingham (Chief Executive, ACER UK) commented that the judges found that Prodigy Learning's 'Coding in Minecraft' product "engages students in game-based learning in a very exciting way".

Launched in 2019 in the United States, Coding in Minecraft is transforming computer science assessment in US schools with many large States and Districts adopting the product to provide a standards-aligned computer science curriculum leading to industry-recognised credentials.

Commenting, Andrew Flood, CEO of Prodigy Learning, said:

"We are delighted to get this recognition from the e-Assessment Association for Coding in Minecraft which is realising our vision to democratise computer science instruction in schools across the world. Our team has done incredible work to provide an innovative assessment product that breaks down barriers for students and teachers. It is a privilege for us all to work with educators who are passionate about applying technology in education to assess and improve the learning outcomes of their students."

About Prodigy Learning

Prodigy Learning is an award-winning global EdTech business, providing innovative online platforms that enable learners to develop and prove their skills. The Company was established in 2000 and now has offices in Dublin, Ireland, London, UK, Sydney, Australia and New York, United States.

To learn more, visit www.prodigylearning.com

Press Contacts:

Aisling Ni Cheallaigh

[email protected]

+353 1 293 2924

Related Images

e-assessment-award-winner-2021.jpg

E-Assessment Award Winner 2021 Prodigy Learning

Prodigy Learning wins e-Assessment Award 2021 in Best Formative Assessment category

SOURCE Prodigy Learning
SHREVEPORT, La., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ECS / My IT, a leading provider of managed IT services to small and midsized organizations, completed the acquisition of Network Technologies ("Network Tech"), a Kansas City-based managed services provider.

Network Tech has over 25 years of experience providing best-in-class managed IT services, strategy and support to the small to medium sized business ("SMB") community across a range of industries throughout the Midwest. The company's robust client base and solid reputation, along with its leadership position within the financial services space, further strengthens and enhances the ECS / My IT platform.

Kevin Cook, CEO of ECS / My IT stated, "We are delighted to welcome the highly experienced and proven Network Tech team and their clients to the ECS / My IT family. Network Tech has an exceptional reputation built on providing a first class outsourced IT experience for their clients. Our two organizations are similar in so many ways, which makes this combination a perfect fit. Additionally, I'm humbled by the trust Tim Wayland and Tom Chisholm have placed in us to continue the legacy they have worked so hard these last 28 years to build."

The acquisition of Network Tech follows the acquisition of Kansas City based The Purple Guys completed earlier this year and establishes the combined company as a market leader in Kansas City for providing best-in-class managed IT services, strategy and support to the SMB community.

"It was important for us to find a partner that shares our vision, fits our culture, drives new opportunities for our employees and delivers additional support to our clients," stated Tim Wayland and Tom Chisholm, owners of Network Tech. "Our team is excited to join ECS / My IT and we are confident Network Tech will thrive in its next chapter as part of the ECS / My IT platform."

This marks the third acquisition for ECS since the formation of its partnership with Kian Capital and ParkSouth Ventures in January 2020.

About ECS / My IT

ECS / My IT is a leading provider of comprehensive managed IT services to small and mid-sized businesses. We focus on our clients' IT so they don't have to. As trusted members of our clients' teams, we work hard on their behalf to help their businesses grow and succeed by ensuring secure, reliable and cost-effective IT systems. ECS / My IT has offices in Shreveport, Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana and Kansas City, Kansas and employs more than 110 highly trained team members serving businesses throughout the Gulf South and Midwest regions. For more information, visit www.myitsupport.com or www.purpleguys.com.

About Network Technologies

Founded in 1993, Network Technologies is dedicated to providing best-in-class managed IT services, strategy and support that allow their clients to reach new levels of efficiency, take control of their IT spend and achieve greater success. Network Tech is headquarted in Olathe, Kansas and employs approximately 30 highly trained team members serving businesses throughout the Midwest region. For more information, visit www.networktech.com.

Contact:

Paige Lee

816-221-3900

[email protected]

SOURCE ECS / My IT
BERKELEY, Calif., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Elevate Security, a leader in human attack surface management, today announced that the company has been recognized as a CyberTech100 company for 2021. The CyberTech100, an annual list of the world's most innovative CyberTech organizations, recognizes the pioneering companies helping financial institutions combat cyber threats and fraud.

"According to the 2021 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 85% of cybersecurity breaches suffered by businesses involve human error," said Robert Fly, Elevate Security's CEO and founder. "Companies in the financial sector are no exception to this unsolved problem as 80% of breaches start with account compromise. Elevate Security addresses the issue of human error by enabling security teams to have complete visibility into the human attack surface, benchmark human risk, and establish appropriate controls and restrictions on high-risk individuals or groups. We are thrilled that our first-of-its-kind platform has been recognized by the CyberTech100."

The Elevate Security Platform was developed for enterprises to deliver unprecedented visibility and control into an organization's human attack surface. Human Attack Surface Management provides enterprises deep visibility into human risk and automates tailored security controls, personalized feedback, and policies to reduce incidents. The overwhelming majority of security incidents are caused by human error. Elevate Security Platform reduces the frequency & impact of these incidents, including addressing specific threats such as account compromise, data theft and ransomware with specific remediations.

Established by FinTech Global, a specialist research firm, the CyberTech100 selects the world's most innovative providers of digital solutions helping financial services firms fight off cyberattacks and protect their data. A panel of analysts and industry experts voted from a list of over 1,000 companies identified by FinTech Global. The finalists were recognized for their innovative use of technology to solve a significant industry problem, or to generate cost savings or efficiency improvements across the security value chain.

"Security executives working in financial services need to be aware of the latest innovation and threats in the market in order to protect client and company data as well as fend off cyber and financial criminals," said Richard Sachar, director at FinTech Global. "The CyberTech100 list helps them do just that and identify new technologies which will have lasting impact on the industry and attackers' behavior."

A full list of the CyberTech100 and detailed information for each company is available to download at www.CyberTech100.com .

About Elevate Security

Elevate Security, the leader in human attack surface management, was founded in 2017 by two former Salesforce security executives to address one of cybersecurity's biggest unsolved problems  human error. The Elevate Security Platform offers an intelligent, customized and automated platform that ingests the entirety of an organization's security data to gain benchmarked visibility into human risk, enabling customers to proactively tailor security controls and create 'safety nets' around the riskiest employees. Armed with the insights and controls from the Elevate Security platform, CISOs are in a much better position to support high-growth initiatives within the enterprise while securing and defending the human attack surface. Elevate Security counts leading enterprises in industries - from financial services to technology and healthcare - as customers. For more information, https://elevatesecurity.com/ .

SOURCE Elevate Security

Related Links

https://elevatesecurity.com


WALNUT CREEK, Calif., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Exadel (www.exadel.com), a software engineering company that delivers digital platforms, products and applications, today announced the availability of its AI Practice. The Exadel AI Practice is a business unit that creates Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) solutions to address the needs of today's digitally transformed enterprises. The practice examines existing products and approaches to discover how AI solutions can be applied to add value, and bring them to life through software development.

Learn more about Exadel's AI practice: https://exadel.com/services/ai-machine-learning/

"The AI Practice is the latest expansion of Exadel's growing services and solutions for digital companies," said Lev Shur, president of Exadel Solutions. "Today, organizations require advanced analytics and data-driven insights in order to thrive. With the AI Practice, we use our deep pool of engineering talent to offer expertise, consulting and best practices to build advanced AI solutions for our clients."

Exadel's AI Practice features the following capabilities:

Data Analysis - using ML, Exadel turns customer data into actionable insights that drive business.

- using ML, Exadel turns customer data into actionable insights that drive business. Automated Business Processes - Exadel customers can delegate manual work to state-of-the-art AI. This feature allows them to focus on strategically important tasks.

- Exadel customers can delegate manual work to state-of-the-art AI. This feature allows them to focus on strategically important tasks. Boosted Customer Satisfaction - AI designed to help understand what customers feel about products to maximize the purchasing process.

- AI designed to help understand what customers feel about products to maximize the purchasing process. Predictive Analytics - analytics that help Exadel customers move beyond simple reactive operations into proactive and predictive activities.

- analytics that help Exadel customers move beyond simple reactive operations into proactive and predictive activities. Intelligent Agents - automated 24/7 customer service addressing a broad and growing array of issues.

- automated 24/7 customer service addressing a broad and growing array of issues. AI Personalization - help clients perceive the needs of their customers and push sales efforts to the next level.

Clients can leverage AI Practice capabilities through several engagement models including, production-ready solutions that Exadel builds from scratch; improvement or expansion of an in-progress solution; optimization of an existing solution; and, PoC/research-based recommendations based on client data.

Exadel has extensive AI-development experience, with clients spanning many industries including, a leading North American FinServ organization, one of the largest HR consulting firms in the United States, a North American healthcare provider, information technology and services organizations, and an American Taxi App. Some of Exadel's most notable AI practice solutions to-date include:

CompreFace - Face Recognition Service : the face recognition solution can be integrated as a standalone server or deployed in the cloud. CompreFace can be set up and used without prior machine learning knowledge.

the face recognition solution can be integrated as a standalone server or deployed in the cloud. CompreFace can be set up and used without prior machine learning knowledge. ML1  Ticket Automation Software for Jira : A plugin solution for Jira that applies a machine learning algorithm to autocomplete specified fields based on collected data.

: A plugin solution for Jira that applies a machine learning algorithm to autocomplete specified fields based on collected data. BabyMatch : A free baby-parent look alike app processes family photos and detects who your child resembles. The app is integrated with CompreFace for better prediction accuracy.

A free baby-parent look alike app processes family photos and detects who your child resembles. The app is integrated with CompreFace for better prediction accuracy. Extractum: a machine-learning tool for reading, identifying and extracting data from documents into a unified format.

a machine-learning tool for reading, identifying and extracting data from documents into a unified format. Exadel Strangers Recognition (ESR) : a solution that helps IT Security Service to inspect surveillance records during non-working hours, detect unauthorized access and minimize Information Security Incidents.

: a solution that helps IT Security Service to inspect surveillance records during non-working hours, detect unauthorized access and minimize Information Security Incidents. The Appery.io Chatbot: a complete platform that supplies all the tools needed to quickly build, deploy, and manage production- grade bots.

About Exadel



Exadel is a software engineering company that delivers the digital platforms, products, and applications our clients need to run and grow their businesses. For more than 20 years we have developed solutions that accelerate the speed, quality, and efficiency of our delivery while adding value to our customers. Since the advent of the cloud, Exadel has helped companies get the most out of their data, reducing expenditure and increasing scalability and access. A Forrester-recognized market leader in distributed Agile, we are proud of our long history of partnering with the largest brands across all industries. For more information on Exadel services and areas of expertise, visit exadel.com and follow us on Linkedin and Twitter @exadel .

Media Contact:

Olivia Heel

Catapult PR-IR

303-581-7760

[email protected]

SOURCE Exadel
DALLAS, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) today announced that CRITICALSTART CEO, Rob Davis, was named a finalist for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021 Southwest Awards. Now in its 35th year, the Entrepreneur Of The Year program honors unstoppable business leaders whose ambition, ingenuity and courage in the face of adversity help catapult us from the now to next and beyond.

Entrepreneur Of The Year is one of the preeminent competitive award programs for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies. The nominees are evaluated based on six criteria: entrepreneurial leadership; talent management; degree of difficulty; financial performance; societal impact and building a values-based company; and originality, innovation and future plans. Since its launch, the program has expanded to recognize business leaders in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries around the world.

Davis founded CRITICALSTART in 2012 in response to nation-state attacks that occurred in 2011. Companies seeking solutions to cyberattacks were focused on products only, whereas he realized that they really needed to be focused on the people, process and configuration. Recognizing this void in the cybersecurity market, Davis developed a concept that emphasizes these three factors. This changed the conversation within the industry to consider how information technology (IT) impacts business, risk tolerance and specific threats of concern. Recent events, such as the JBS and Colonial Pipeline attacks, further underscore the vital need of CRITICALSTART.

"I am honored to be named to this prestigious group of professionals shaping today's world in the best ways possible so that we may continue to create a bright and better future," said Davis. "Our path to the future may be uncharted, but when change becomes a necessity, then ambition, courage and ingenuity remain our currency.

CRITICALSTART offers managed security services including Managed Detection and Response (MDR), incident response, professional services, and product fulfillment; helping organizations prepare for, respond to and resolve breaches. It has built an expansive channel program, becoming the "go to" MDR vendor for more than 50 partners supported by a robust team of alliance experts. CRITICALSTART is the only MDR provider committed to eliminating acceptable risk and leaving nothing to chance. Its award-winning portfolio includes end-to-end Professional Services, with its MDR strategies putting a stop to alert fatigue.

Davis was selected by a panel of independent judges and award winners will be announced during a special virtual celebration on August 4, 2021, where they will become lifetime members of an esteemed community of Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni from around the world.

Regional award winners are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, to be announced in November at the Strategic Growth Forum, one of the nation's most prestigious gatherings of high-growth, market-leading companies. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in June 2022.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America.

In the Southwest Region, sponsors also include Colliers International, Haynes and Boone LLP, PNC, Donnelley Financial Solutions, RHSB, Smith Frank & Partners and D CEO Magazine.

About Entrepreneur Of The Year

Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. National Overall winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year title. ey.com/us/eoy

About EY Private

As Advisors to the ambitious, EY Private professionals possess the experience and passion to support private businesses and their owners in unlocking the full potential of their ambitions. EY Private teams offer distinct insights born from the long EY history of working with business owners and entrepreneurs. These teams support the full spectrum of private enterprises including private capital managers and investors and the portfolio businesses they fund, business owners, family businesses, family offices and entrepreneurs. Visit ey.com/us/private

About EY

EY exists to build a better working world, helping create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets. Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.

Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com .

About CRITICALSTART

CRITICALSTART is the only MDR provider committed to eliminating acceptable risk and leaving nothing to chance. We believe that companies should never have to settle for "good enough." Our award-winning portfolio includes end-to-end Professional Services and Managed Detection and Response (MDR). Our MDR puts a stop to alert fatigue by leveraging our ZTAP platform plus industry-leading Trusted Behavior Registry, which eliminates false positives at scale by resolving known-good behaviors. Driven by 24x7x365 human-led, end-to-end monitoring, investigation and remediation of alerts, our on-the-go threat detection and response capabilities are enabled via a fully interactive MOBILESOC.

Follow CRITICALSTART: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

SOURCE CRITICALSTART
Last year, Henry Repeating Arms raised more than $175,000 for the families of four sick children, and the "Flex For Kalel" campaign will raise over $25,000 to secure Kalel's spot in line for the experimental treatment that could potentially save his life and others diagnosed with DMD.

Rick Hamilton, Kalel's father and U.S. military veteran says, "We are thankful for generous individuals and businesses such as Henry Repeating Arms." Hamilton continues, "Without them we would not have the ability to help advance science, save our son, and hopefully save others like him."

The "Flex For Kalel" edition rifles feature a superhero motif as a symbol of Kalel's endurance and a nod to his name, which is inspired by Kal-El, the birth name of Clark Kent, AKA Superman. Built on Henry's award-winning Golden Boy platform, the rifles are chambered in .22 S/L/LR and feature a Brasslite receiver cover, blued steel octagon barrel, and genuine American walnut furniture with laser engraving and hand painted accents that include a green muscular dystrophy awareness ribbon. The embellishment work for every rifle is a donation from Baron Engraving of Trumbull, Connecticut. Each rifle in the series is marked with a unique serial number ranging from "FLEXFORKAL01" through "FLEXFORKAL50."

Anthony Imperato, President and Owner of Henry Repeating Arms says, "For the first time in Guns For Great Causes history, we have the opportunity to assist a family with getting a potentially breakthrough treatment for a disease with no known cure." Imperato continues, "This could make a huge impact not just for Kalel and his family but thousands of others in a similar situation, and I will be cheering him on along with the rest of the Henry family."

To learn more about the "Flex For Kalel" Edition or to make a purchase, visit henryusa.com/flexforkal. The auction for serial number "FLEXFORKAL01" is available on Gunbroker.com, item # 902423919. The last rifle in the series, "FLEXFORKAL50," is also listed on Gunbroker.com, item #902425008. Both auctions end on June 22, 2021.

All firearms purchased through Henry Repeating Arms must be shipped to a licensed firearms dealer. For more information about Henry Repeating Arms and its products, visit henryusa.com or call 866-200-2354.

About Henry Repeating Arms:

Henry Repeating Arms is one of the leading rifle and shotgun manufacturers in the United States and a world leader in the lever action category. The company motto is "Made in America, Or Not Made At All," and its firearms come with a lifetime guarantee backed by award-winning customer service. The company is also known for its charitable endeavors under its Guns For Great Causes program, which focuses on sick children, both individual cases and children's hospitals, veteran organizations, and Second Amendment and wildlife conservation organizations. The company currently employs over 500 people and has 250,000 square-feet of manufacturing space between its headquarters in Rice Lake, Wisconsin and second facility in Bayonne, New Jersey. The company is named in honor of Benjamin Tyler Henry, who invented and patented the first successful lever action rifle in 1860, which is America's unique contribution to international firearms design and is one of the most legendary, respected and sought-after rifles in the history of firearms. Visit Henry Repeating Arms online at www.HenryUSA.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/henryrepeating, and Instagram @Henry_Rifles.

SOURCE Henry Repeating Arms

Related Links

www.henryusa.com


JACKSONVILLE, Fla., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Blue, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield plan of Florida, and New Directions Behavioral Health, a leading coordinated behavioral health care organization, announced a collaboration with Shatterproof, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the devastation addiction causes families. Through their collaboration, the companies will offer Floridians access to ATLAS, an easy-to-use database that highlights high-quality addiction treatment options available in the state.

ATLAS evaluates addiction treatment providers' use of evidence-based best practices, and publicly displays this information to support those in need and their loved ones in navigating to appropriate, quality care. Individuals can search for and compare treatment options using criteria that are important to them  such as location, particular services offered, and insurance accepted. ATLAS also allows patients to provide feedback on their treatment experience. The platform displays information on all treatment providers for any substance use disorder in a state, including opioid use disorder.

In addition to including a public search function, the platform also offers secure access to critical data for state policymakers, providers, and insurance payers to further drive improvements to the addiction treatment space, fueled by increased accountability and transparency.

Drug overdoses have reached an all-time high in the U.S. Provisional data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows overdose deaths rising during the pandemic. According to the data, 81,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the U.S. in the 12 months ending in May 2020, the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a 12-month period. These staggering statistics further emphasize why individuals and families need a trusted resource to locate quality addiction treatment and care.

"The overlap of the pandemic and the opioid crisis has caused unprecedented challenges for families and communities across our state," said Dr. Nick Dewan, vice president of behavioral health for Florida Blue. "We are committed to transforming the quality of addiction treatment, improving transparency for health care consumers and ensuring Floridians have access to the type of care they need."

"It is now more critical than ever, given the profound uptick in overdoses and the impact that COVID-19 has had on addiction and mental health, that people are able to access a trusted, free resource when in search of quality substance use disorder treatment for themselves or a loved one," says Jen Velez, Chief Impact Officer, Shatterproof. "Trust is everything. We know that it can be a confusing, scary time when someone is seeking help, and we want to ensure that the information available to find quality care is trusted, unbiased, and meets the person's needs."

Currently, ATLAS uses facility-level data. During the 12-month implementation period in Florida, Shatterproof will inform stakeholders and the general community of the ATLAS platform and will host workgroups to solicit feedback from providers and other interested parties. Shatterproof will also work with Florida Blue, New Directions, and other groups throughout the state to encourage treatment facilities to submit data to ATLAS.

"The addiction crisis isn't going away anytime soon without serious intervention," said Ann O'Grady, Chief Clinical Officer, New Directions. "One of the most significant roadblocks people struggling with substance use disorders are facing right now is simply access to quality care. If we can get an easy-to-use, trustworthy platform in front of people, we're taking a big step toward addressing that barrier and connecting people to the treatment they need."

The collaboration with Shatterproof is just one of many initiatives that demonstrates Florida Blue's commitment to fighting the opioid crisis. In 2017, Florida Blue became the first insurer in the state and one of only a few insurers nationwide to remove OxyContin from its formulary.

Florida Blue and its Foundation are among the largest financial contributors to the fight against the opioid crisis in Florida. Since 2018, the Florida Blue Foundation has provided nearly $7.5 million in funding to organizations on the front lines, working across the state to give aid and support to impacted individuals and families.

In addition, Florida Blue worked with several leaders and organizations to help launch and expand Project Opioid, a statewide effort to systematically confront the problem of opioid abuse.

Florida is one of four new states partnering with Shatterproof on the implementation of the addiction treatment quality measurement and locator platform, ATLAS. ATLAS is available in six states already and aims to expand nationwide in the coming years.

About Florida Blue

Florida Blue, the leading health insurer in Florida, has been providing health insurance to residents of Florida for nearly 75 years. Driven by its mission of helping people and communities achieve better health, the company serves more than 5 million health care members across the state. In total, Florida Blue and its affiliated companies serve 16 million people in 29 states. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., it is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About New Directions Behavioral Health

New Directions improves access to quality behavioral healthcare through a comprehensive suite of coordinated behavioral health services. The company reaches over 15 million individuals across the nation, in partnership with health plans, employers and higher education institutions. Leveraging more than 25 years of experience, New Directions delivers an integrated approach to whole-person care with a commitment to innovation that puts the member first. Learn more at ndbh.com.

About Shatterproof

Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the United States. Shatterproof harnesses the models of business, the rigor of science and the power of a national movement to create change and save lives through three pillars of work: revolutionizing the addiction treatment system, breaking down addiction-related stigmas and supporting and empowering our communities. To learn more visit www.Shatterproof.org

SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida

Related Links

http://www.bcbsfl.com


It is an unusually important summit. Following a year in which former US president Donald Trump cancelled the event owing to COVID-19, the Cornwall Summit marks the return to an in-person G7 and comes at a pertinent time for the UK's economy  having left the European Union this year and then launching "Global Britain". Another significant element is the attendance of the new US president, Joe Biden, who is committed to fostering international cooperation and has reinstated his country to the Paris Agreement.

It also comes at a critical time for myriad global issues, which the summit seeks to address. Policy priorities include confronting the persistent and unprecedented pandemic, while strengthening resilience against such future events. In the wake of extensive economic damage, the UK as host seeks to ensure future prosperity by propelling a stronger international trading system and championing free and fair trade.

Another policy priority is tackling climate change and protecting the world's biodiversity. As the climate emergency reaches a tipping point, the G7 will advance discussions on achieving a net-zero future and providing finance for developing countries, ahead of COP26 taking place in Glasgow later this year.

These issues constitute the key talking point in this year's edition of the summit briefing book, G7 UK: The Cornwall Summit, which features prominent voices from government and civil society. Exclusive commentary includes UK prime minister Boris Johnson, who sets the tone for the summit and outlines the international community's foremost challenges.

The title includes thought-leadership on sector-specific issues from a prestigious line-up of authors. Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, comments on COVAX, ensuring vaccine equity and removing bottlenecks. Francesco La Camera, director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency, discusses the path to a net zero future and how it can boost the economy. In addition, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN under-secretary-general and executive director, UN Women, calls for a global response to protecting women's rights. Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, highlights the importance of co-operation to suppress the virus and bring the pandemic to a close.

The publication also features voices from INTERPOL, UNICEF, UNWTO, UNDP and the WTO.

G7 UK: The Cornwall Summit is an official publication of The Global Governance Project, a joint initiative between GT Media Group Ltd, a London-based publishing company, and the G7 Research Group based at the University of Toronto.

View G7 UK: The Cornwall Summit online at https://bit.ly/ukg721

Twitter: @GloGovProj

Contact:

Khaled Algaay

[email protected]

Tel: +44 207 6085137

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1528242/G7_Cornwall_Book.jpg

SOURCE The Global Governance Project (GT Media Group Ltd)
Founder and CEO, Adam Caller, has been vocal about the importance of considering tutoring as a distinct practice in its own right rather than a tangential profession to mainstream teaching. Despite teaching and tutoring having a shared intersection of skills, requirements and experiences, aspects of tutoring demand separate recognition and approaches. Tutors International believes tutoring to be a pedagogical career in its own right that requires slightly different skills, qualifications and personality types to teaching. Mr. Short, a tutor in Luxembourg states that one of the things that set Tutors International apart is "the 'career' nature of the work and the long contracts".

As well as advocating for a specialist tutoring qualification and official tutoring Charter, TI also respects the work of superlative tutors by paying them some of the best salaries in the industry, compared to most other tutoring companies. Mr Caller has defended the so-called 'super tutor' salary and rejects the term 'super tutor' itself as it misunderstands the role of elite tutors.

Tutors International defends its salaries on two key accounts: the kind of tutor it attracts (i.e., the best in the world) and the unparalleled tailored service it provides.

Ms. Marie, a tutor on placement in Germany, says, "Tutors International offers very high pay for the tutors. Also, when relocating abroad, accommodation (and sometimes local transportation) is included, which makes the job very attractive."

Mr. Peak, who tutors in Italy, corroborates that the service justifies the tutor fees: "TI matches the perfect tutor to every student so that the background of the tutor can support the diverse interests and needs of each client. More than just subject support, we engage learners to achieve their very best and become a major part of our students lives as we support them full time in the pursuit of their goals." In other words, they are so much more than just a tutor, therefore they are worth so much more than a sub-par salary.

Attention to Detail

Garnering a thorough idea of the needs, values, requirements and circumstances of the Client is integral to providing the perfect tutor-student match. Along with academic excellence, it's the driving force behind delivering high-quality personalised education.

Miss Key, a tutor in London, states, "Tutors International has a tailor-made and holistic approach to education. There is an emphasis on learning through memorable experiences as opposed to tuition for the sole purpose of passing exams."

Client Experience

Ms. Jackson, a tutor on placement in Austria, succinctly summarised why Tutors International's superior Client experience goes hand in hand with supporting tutors:

"I would say the main aspect that makes Tutors International stand out against other tutoring companies would be the fact that it is catered to a very specific, premium market. As a result, they have a reduced clientele, so they are able to give a high-quality, personalised experience to all. There is continued communication and support throughout the whole contract period, for both the tutor and the client, not just in the hiring stages."

Mr. McGowan, who is tutoring in Hong Kong, corroborates, stating that the thing that makes Tutors International a cut above the rest is "the level of care and attention that goes into every aspect of the way the company is run from the application and matching process to the admin. There is so much support and advice from Adam in creating the best educational experiences and outcomes."

Tutors International's Clients are always delighted with how the tutors complement their lifestyle, no matter how unusual the circumstances. One Client, Mrs. Rogers, with two of TI's 'sea tutors' said:

"We are thrilled with J and R [the Tutors]. They arrived at the boat fully packed and prepped, with three different year levels organized. Amazing the diversity of stuff they brought - ready to cover all bases. They are very bright and great with the girls and good company for us."

Transforming Lives

The combination of superlative standards and tailored matches means the elite education provided by Tutors International's tutors extends far beyond the curriculum. A Client, Mrs Farrar, who is based in New York, details how Tutors International transformed her son:

"It's hard to imagine that W [the student] could have had a finer education last year. He learned so much, to write incisively and to think critically and creatively. He went way beyond completing his required senior courses (for example, reading sixteen books, which were not on the syllabus). Most important the experience with Tutors International turned him into a real student."

The benefits of full-time residential tutoring recalibrate the families' expectations about education. A Client in the UK, Mrs. Nile, explains: "Having a tutor was completely new to us and it has been a fantastic experience. The girls have just grown in their confidence and their abilities. They have experienced so much in this time that I wonder if school may be a bit boring for them."

Adam Caller

Founder and CEO, Adam Caller, is an educational consultant and private tutoring expert. With 22 years in the private tutoring sector, he has perfected the process for sourcing bespoke tutoring solutions for HNW and UHNW families, and delivering elite education solutions. Mr Caller offers comment on how Tutors International have remained a cut above the rest when it comes to global tutoring companies:

"The level of customised recruitment that Tutors International offers, combined with the ongoing support to both Tutors and Clients for the duration of their contracts, is what has always set us apart. As companies grow and globalise, it often comes at the expense of a personalised and exceptional service. We have always been determined not to let that happen. As a result, we have tutors and Clients from all over the world whilst also maintaining a world-class personalised service.

"Not only am I a former teacher but I am also a former full-time private tutor, so I have a thorough understanding of the industry and have exemplary education at the core of the Tutors International ethos. Understanding each child's individual talents and needs and subsequently catering for those is what makes full-time private tuition and homeschooling a superior and increasingly popular solution for many families with the means to use our service.

"With 22 years as industry leaders, we have an impeccable reputation that precedes us, but it is our ongoing commitment to be at the forefront of high-quality tailored tuition that maintains our position as world leaders in this field. We continue to be game-changers in elite education."

Private Tutoring Solutions

If you are seeking elite education solutions and are considering private tutoring for your family, you can make a preliminary enquiry and read our information brochure in full.

It takes a very capable, highly experienced and academically excellent tutor to be successful in applying for a Tutors International placement, but if you are that high-quality educator, you can apply for Tutors International's current vacancies here: www.tutors-international.net

About Tutors International

Tutors International provides an unparalleled tutoring service that matches the right tutor with the right child, in order for the student to fully reach their personal potential and academic excellence. Providing a service for children of all ages at different points in their educational journeys, Tutors International is a reputable tutoring company founded on a commitment to finding the perfect tutor to realise the specific goals and aspirations of each student. Tutors are available for residential full-time positions, after-school assistance, and homeschooling.

Founded in 1999 by Adam Caller, Tutors International is a private company based in Oxford, a city renowned for academic excellence. Our select clientele receives a personally tailored service, with discretion and confidentiality guaranteed.

Contact Details

Web: www.tutors-international.com

Email:[email protected]

Phone: +44 (0) 1865 435 135

Tutors International

Clarendon House

52 Cornmarket Street

Oxford

OX1 3HJ

UK

SOURCE Tutors International
NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Genpact (NYSE: G), a global professional services firm focused on delivering digital transformation, is a recipient of a 2021 CSO50 Award from IDG's CSO, a premier security media brand providing insight into business risk leadership. The award recognizes Genpact for its secure work-from-home initiatives, and this is the fifth consecutive year that Genpact has received a CSO50 Award for its best-in-class security practices.

CSO presents this prestigious honor to a select group of organizations that have led security projects and initiatives demonstrating outstanding business value and thought leadership. Genpact received this award in 2017 for its "Data Loss Prevention 2.0" program, and in 2018 and 2020 for its "Cyber Defense Center Transformation and Automation" initiatives, and in 2019 for its "Cloud Security Automation" initiative.

COVID-19 caused massive shifts in business models, client needs, organizational constructs, and even the very meaning of what an office is and how organizations deliver security. Leading companies around the world jumped into action to reimagine how employees could function remotely, but also seamlessly and securely. Genpact was able to mobilize its workforce of more than 90,000 to a fully remote environment in just weeks. Using its "Secure Work from Anywhere" model, Genpact ensured that system controls and hygiene were maintained, enhanced, and sustained using cloud centric technologies. As a result, while keeping employee safety a priority, Genpact continued to provide seamless client service and maintained the critical business operations that Genpact transforms and runs for hundreds of global businesses every day.

"The pandemic initiated the move from a traditional office environment to a fully-remote model, forcing organizations to implement unique strategies to keep up with evolving security and infrastructure requirements," said Vidya Srinivasan, global infrastructure and risk leader, Genpact. "This award is testament to Genpact's agility and its continued focus on cybersecurity at a time when traditional working models are changing."

"The disruptive events of 2020  combined with sophisticated and far-reaching attacks like SolarWinds  brought new challenges and costs to organizations, their security leaders, and business outcomes," said Amy Bennett, executive editor of CSO. "Our annual CSO50 Awards recognize security teams that bring innovation and thought leadership to solving for the many risks their organizations continue to face. This year's class of CSO50 winners represent an elite group of risk and security thought leaders, and we are pleased to give them the recognition they deserve."

The panel of judges included security leaders, industry experts, and academics. Genpact will accept its award at the CSO50 Conference to be held on November 16-18, 2021.

About Genpact

Genpact (NYSE: G) is a global professional services firm that makes business transformation real. Led by our purpose -- the relentless pursuit of a world that works better for people -- we drive digital-led innovation and digitally enabled intelligent operations for our clients. Guided by our experience reinventing and running thousands of processes for hundreds of clients, many of them Global Fortune 500 companies, we drive real-world transformation at scale. We think with design, dream in digital, and solve problems with data and analytics. Combining our expertise in end-to-end operations and our AI-based platform, Genpact Cora, we focus on the details  all 90,000+ of us. From New York to New Delhi, and more than 30 countries in between, we connect every dot, reimagine every process, and reinvent the ways companies work. We know that reimagining each step from start to finish creates better business outcomes. Whatever it is, we'll be there with you  accelerating digital transformation to create bold, lasting results  because transformation happens here. Get to know us at Genpact.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.

About the CSO50 Awards

The CSO50 Awards recognizes 50 organizations for security projects and initiatives that demonstrate outstanding business value and thought leadership. The CSO50 Awards are scored according to a uniform set of criteria by a panel of judges that includes security leaders, industry experts and academics. The 2021 awards will be presented at the CSO50 Conference + Awards.

Past winners include Adobe, Allstate, American Express, City of Raleigh, The Clorox Company, Comcast, Delta Dental, Genpact, HBO Latin America, Home Depot, Microsoft, University of Pennsylvania, Verizon and many more. A complete list of the 2020 winners can be viewed on www.idg.com.

About CSO

CSO is the premier content and community resource for security decision-makers leading business risk management efforts within their organizations. For more than a decade, CSO's award-winning website (CSOonline.com), executive conferences, strategic marketing services and research have equipped security decision-makers to mitigate both IT and corporate/physical risk for their organizations and provided opportunities for security vendors looking to reach this audience.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Danielle D'Angelo Genpact Media Relations  Americas +1 914-336-7951 [email protected]





Siya Belliappa Genpact Media Relations  India +91 9823133365 [email protected]







SOURCE Genpact

Related Links

http://www.genpact.com


Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday led a delegation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi to discuss around a dozen pending issues of the state, officials said here.

At the meeting, in which Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and PWD Minister Ashok Chavan were also present, Uddhav Thackeray took up issues of Maratha quotas, the GST dues to the state, Mumbai Metro carshed, damage due to the recent Cyclone Tauktae, crop insurance scheme for farmers, etc.

"We had a good discussion with the PM on various pending issues of the state The PM has given us a patient hearing. We are hopeful he will take a positive decision in the matter. I thank the PM," Thackeray later told mediapersons.

He added that the delegation came out satisfied with the outcome and are confident that the PM will take appropriate action on all the matters raised with him.
PALM BEACH, Fla., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- When the word 'Gold" comes up in discussions, it is usually about the metal's current price per ounce and whether is going up or down. What investors should be looking at is how much gold is being mined. It's the supply and demand aspect that is sometimes overlooked. In times like the pandemic, while demand soared so did the price and some industry insiders also believe that even with increased supply, the price will continue to hold firm if not continue to rise, albeit at a more moderate pace. A recent article in Reuters reporting that industry insider Metals Focus said that "Gold mines will produce more than ever in 2021. They said: "The world's mines will produce 3,368 tonnes of gold this year, down 4.6% from 2019 and the lowest in 5 years, but high bullion prices will help to push up output by 8.8% to a record 3,664 tonnes in 2021, consultancy Metals Focus said on Wednesday Demand for gold, meanwhile, will fall 25% this year to about 3,000 tonnes before recovering 17% in 2021, the consultant's head of mine supply, Adam Webb, said in a webinar." Active stocks in the mining markets this week include Calibre Mining Corp. (OTCQX: CXBMF) (TSX: CXB), GoldMining Inc. (NYSE: GLDG) (TSX: GOLD), Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE: SAND) (TSX: SSL), YAMANA GOLD INC. (NYSE: AUY) (TSX: YRI), Kinross Gold Corporation (NYSE: KGC) (TSX: K).

"The coronavirus pandemic forced many mines to close temporarily and curtailed sales of gold jewelry, but it also triggered a rush to buy gold for its perceived safe-haven status. These investors pushed prices above $2,000 an ounce earlier this year, the highest level on record, and Metals Focus said prices are likely to average more than $2,000 in 2021. It said mining companies' earnings per ounce in the second quarter of 2020 were on average $739 higher than their costs, up from about $350 in mid-2019. Production of gold by artisanal and small-scale (ASM) miners using basic technology will decline slightly this year before increasing 13% to more than 600 tonnes in 2021, the most on record, Metals Focus said."

Calibre Mining Corp. (OTCQX: CXBMF) (TSX: CXB) BREAKING NEWS: CALIBRE MINING INTERCEPTS 13.83 G/T GOLD OVER 4.4 METRES, 11.37 G/T GOLD OVER 5.4 METRES AND 16.78 G/T GOLD OVER 2.8 METRES WITHIN 10 KILOMETRES OF THE LIBERTAD MILL - Calibre Mining Corp. ("Calibre" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the Company's 80,000 metre, 2021 drilling program, highlighting results of exploration and resource expansion drilling at the Company's Libertad concessions.

Highlights

Volcan Vein

11.37 g/t Au over 5.4 metres ETW ("Estimated True Width") from 61.4 metres (VN-21-026)

9.26 g/t Au over 1.7 metres ETW from 76.9 metres (VN-21-030A)

2.37 g/t Au over 6.2 metres ETW from 67.2 metres (VN-21-032)

Tranca Vein

16.78 g/t Au over 2.8 metres ETW from 41.9 metres (TR-21-039)

13.83 g/t Au over 4.4 metres ETW from 127.7 metres (TR-21-052)

3.27 g/t Au over 4.1 metres ETW from 107.1 metres (TR-21-031)

2021 Calibre Drill Program

16 drill rigs currently active on Calibre's 100% owned properties

Calibre is guiding 170,000  180,000 ounces of gold production for the year, generating strong cash flows to self-fund new growth opportunities and an extensive 80,000 metre exploration and infill drilling program

Darren Hall, President & Chief Executive Officer of Calibre, stated: "We are excited to see some new high-grade zones emerging at Libertad. The district has produced over 1.9 million ounces of gold and we continue to identify opportunities for additional ore sources close to the to the Libertad mill. We are very encouraged by the initial results of our first pass drilling campaign along the Volcan trend where we've confirmed the presence of high-grade gold mineralization in at least two zones along a 1.5 kilometre vein system that to date remains largely unexplored".

"Drilling at Tranca continues to delineate a zone of near surface gold mineralization with good potential for an open pit mineral resource. At the Rosario step-out drilling is testing the potential to extend the current gold resource another 200 metres along strike to the southwest. Currently three rigs are operating at Libertad plus one at the Amalia satellite concession located 35 kilometres away."

"In addition to the drilling programs at our 100% owned properties, our partner Rio Tinto recently commenced its 2021 exploration drilling campaign targeting large porphyry style copper + gold targets as part of Borosi joint venture project in which Calibre is the current operator. Currently we have one drill operating at Borosi and plan to add a second drill within the coming weeks." CONTINUED. Read this entire release for the Calibre Mining Corp. news at: https://www.calibremining.com/news/2021

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE ALSO VISIT: https://www.equedia.com/calibre-mining-price-target-shows-170-upside/

Other recent developments in the mining markets include:

GoldMining Inc. (NYSE American: GLDG) (TSX: GOLD) recently announced that it is initiating a preliminary economic assessment on its 100% owned Sao Jorge Gold Project in Para State, Brazil and announces the results of an updated Mineral Resource Estimate.

Highlights were: Indicated Mineral Resources of 0.71 million ounces gold (14.27 million tonnes grading 1.55 g/t gold) (see Table 1); Inferred Mineral Resources of 0.72 million ounces gold (17.58 million tonnes grading 1.27 g/t gold) (see Table 1); The MRE utilizes an optimized pit shell to constrain resources, a database of 145 drill holes totaling more than 37,000 metres and uses modernized cost and pricing assumptions including a US$1,600/oz gold price; and GoldMining has initiated work on a PEA at Sao Jorge to further evaluate the economic potential of an open-pit operation and advance opportunities to upgrade and expand the current resource base.

Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE: SAND) (TSX: SSL) recently announced the release of the 2020 Sustainability Report, the acquisition of 21 royalties on properties primarily in Nevada, and provide an update of recent developments from the Company's royalty portfolio.

Sandstorm is pleased to announce the release of its 2020 Sustainability Report. The Company is committed to the responsible development of mineral projects and the sustainable extraction of metals and recognizes its influence on projects through its financial investments. This report is designed to provide shareholders and interested parties with a clear understanding of Sandstorm's corporate responsibility practices and educate stakeholders in the Company's approach to investment due diligence, mining partnerships, and employee engagement.

YAMANA GOLD INC. (NYSE: AUY) (TSX: YRI) recently reported its financial and operational results for the first quarter of 2021.

FIRST QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS WERE: Net earnings of $54.7 million or $0.06 per share basic and diluted compares well to net earnings of $45.0 million or $0.05 per share basic and diluted a year earlier; Adjusted net earnings were $67.2 million or $0.07 per share basic and diluted compared to adjusted net earnings of $47.2 million or $0.05 per share basic and diluted a year earlier; Cash flows from operating activities were $160.2 million and net free cash flow was $123.5 million, in line or above the averages of the preceding three quarters, further demonstrating the strength and resilience of the cash flow generation capacity of the Company; Cash flows from operating activities before net change in working capital were $183.4 million, and free cash flow before dividends and debt repayments was $76.0 million; As at March 31, 2021, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $678.1 million, and available credit of $750.0 million, for total available liquidity of approximately $1.4 billion. Cash balances include $222.8 million available for utilization by the MARA Project. The remainder of cash and cash equivalents of $455.3 million, along with further liquidity and incoming cash flows, is more than sufficient to fully manage the Company's business and available for the Company's capital allocation objectives; and The Company's quarterly dividend rate of $0.02625 per share (annual $0.105 per share) is 110% higher than the same quarter in 2020 and 425% than the same quarter in 2019.

Kinross Gold Corporation (TSX: K) (NYSE: KGC) recently announced its results for the first-quarter ended March 31, 2021.

2021 first-quarter highlights were: The Company is on track to meet 2021 annual guidance; Production1 of 558,777 attributable gold equivalent ounces (Au eq. oz.); Production cost of sales was $756 per Au eq. oz. and largely in line with Q1 2020, while all-in sustaining cost decreased to $975 per Au eq. oz. sold year-over-year; Attributable margins3 increased 25% to $1,031 per Au eq. oz. sold compared with Q1 2020, and outpaced the rise in average realized gold price; Adjusted operating cash flow2 of $399.6 million, operating cash flow of $279.8 million and free cash flow of $75.6 million; Reported net earnings increased 22% to $149.5 million, or $0.12 per share, with adjusted net earnings increasing 51% to $192.8 million, or $0.15 per share, compared with Q1 2020; Cash and cash equivalents of $1,056.1 million, and total liquidity of $2.6 billion at March 31, 2021; and Kinross' Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.03 per common share payable on June 17, 2021 to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 3, 2021.

DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates Financialnewsmedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated twenty five hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by Calibre Mining Corp. by a non-affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

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DUBLIN, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "In Vitro Diagnostics Market by Product & Service, Technique, Application, and End User: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020 - 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

At an estimated value of over USD 72.02 billion in 2019, the Global In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) Market is predicted to thrive at a CAGR of 4.1% and valued at over USD 112.05 billion over the forecast year 2020-2030.

In vitro diagnostics is experiencing a significant popularity in healthcare sector due to its efficacy in diagnosing numerous medical conditions such as infectious diseases, cardiac disorders, cancer, and nephrological disorders.



Market Dynamics and Trends:



Upsurge in number of in vitro diagnostic tests across the globe owing to the increased incidences of infectious and chronic diseases drives the growth of IVD market. In addition, rise in geriatric population, which is vulnerable to immunological disorders have been pushing the growth of the market globally.

However, strict government regulations related to the in-vitro diagnostics along with unfavorable compensation policies hamper the growth of the market. On the other hand, high growth shown by the developing countries in terms of population & proliferation of in vitro diagnostic tests is expected to create lucrative opportunities to further propel market growth throughout the forecast period.



Geographical Analysis:



In terms of geography, North America held major share of the market in 2019. This is attributed to the well-established healthcare system and the healthcare related awareness among people across the region. However, Asia-pacific is expected to witness highest growth rate during the forecast period, due to the surge in healthcare expenditure and rise in prevalence of diabetes in the region.

Moreover, massively growing patient base of chronic diseases in the region that require IVD testing is projected to be opportunistic for the market growth.



Competitive Landscape:



Lucrative growth opportunities make the In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) market highly competitive.

A number of developmental strategies have been adopted by companies in the past few years. For instance, in October 2020, Quanterix Corporation entered into a non-exclusive royalty-bearing license agreement with Abbott Laboratories.

This agreement grants Abbott an access to Quanterix' portfolio of bead-based technology patents for the use in in vitro diagnostic (IVD) applications.



Moreover, in March 2019, Becton, Dickinson and Company announced the CE-IVD certification for the BD FACSDuet automated flow cytometry system. This will enable clinical laboratories to enhance their efficiency by reducing errors as well as limiting the manual user interactions that are required to run assays on the BD FACSLyric clinical flow cytometer.

KEY MARKET SEGMENTS:



Global In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) Market- By Product & Service

Instruments

Reagents

Software & Services

Global In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) Market - By Technique

Immunodiagnostics

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

Rapid Tests

Enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT)

Radioimmunoassay (RIA)

Western blot

Hematology

Molecular Diagnostics

Polymerize chain reaction (PCR)

Isothermal Nucleic acid amplification technology (INAAT)

Hybridization

DNA diagnostics

Microarray

Others

Clinical Chemistry

Basic metabolic panel

Liver panel

Renal profile

.Lipid profile

Thyroid function panel

Electrolyte panel

Specialty chemicals

Tissue Diagnostics

Others

Global In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) Market - By Application

Infectious Diseases

Cancer

Immune System Disorders

Cardiac Diseases

Nephrological Diseases

Gastrointestinal Diseases

Global In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) Market - By End User

Standalone Laboratory

Academic & Medical Schools

Hospitals

Point of Care

Companies Mentioned

Abbott Laboratories

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

Becton, Dickinson and Company

bioMerieux SA

Sysmex Corporation

Danaher Corporation ( Beckman Coulter , Inc.)

, Inc.) F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG

Siemens AG

QIAGEN N.V.

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/4jlxba

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

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[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

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DUBLIN, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Salmon Market & Volume Forecast by Production, Exporting, Importing Countries, Species, Price Analysis, Companies" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Global Salmon Market is expected to reach US$ 46.8 Billion by 2026, from US$ 30.5 Billion in 2020 growing with a healthy CAGR of 7.40% during 2020 to 2026

Salmon is a fish variety belonging to the family of salmonoid. Globally, this fish variety is highly rich in protein and provides some of the essential nutrients associated with a nutritional profile in customers and, therefore, considered functional foods.

Its routine consumption aids in calming inflammation, lowering blood pressure, minimizing the risk of developing cancer, and improving the cells' function that are padding the arteries. Additionally, it is used for grilling, broiling, poaching, pickling and roasting, and preparing a wide variety of dishes.



Salmon continues to consolidate its spot as the top seafood choice amongst global consumers. The global demand for salmon and its species has remained solid across both traditional and emerging markets. The market's growth is boosted by factors such as growing population, increasing fast-casual restaurants, escalating smolt releases, growing tourism industry, and rising healthcare awareness.

A few striking trends like emerging salmon fish harvesting projects, accelerating demand for smoked salmon, increasing per capita consumption of fish, and technological progression are being introduced to overcome the market's challenges.



Key Market Trends:



Globally, Atlantic salmon leads the Salmon Market as the most commonly cultured species of salmon: Atlantic salmon currently represents the most widely consumed salmon species. It is a rich source of proteins, vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids. The production of Atlantic salmon had experienced a steep drop in prices in both Norway and Chile in the first half of 2019.

Subsequently, this declining price trend was sharply reversed, and prices soared to near-record heights, primarily attributing to the ever-strengthening demand in traditional and emerging markets such as China read our report for detailed analysis on Salmon Industry Growth Trends.



COVID-19 Impact on Salmon Production



The COVID-19 pandemic has done partial damage to the global salmon fish market. The production volume has declined a bit in the year 2020, compared to 2019. In Chile, the salmon sector had to encounter various challenges correlated with social unrest in the last quarter of 2019; the COVID-19 outbreak has affected foreign trade.



The Market for Global Salmon Fish is moderately competitive, and major players are actively present globally. The industry's competitive landscape has also been examined, with some of the key players like Sea trade, Atlantic Capes Fisheries, Inc, Atalanta Corporation, Ideal Foods Ltd, Sea Delights.



Species Production - Global Salmon Production have been covered from 5 viewpoints:



1. Atlantic salmon

2. Pink Salmon

3. Sockeye Salmon

4. Coho Salmon

5. Others



Exporting Countries - Global Salmon Fish Market, Volume, Price Analysis and Export by Countries and Product have been covered from 7 viewpoints:



1. Norway

2. Chile

3. Sweden

4. United States of America

5. Denmark

6. Poland

7. Other countries



Importing Countries - Global Salmon Fish Market, Volume, Price Analysis and Import by Countries and Product have been covered from 7 viewpoints:



1. Sweden

2. United States of America

3. China

4. Germany

5. Japan

6. Denmark

7. Other countries



All companies have been covered from 2 viewpoints

Overviews

Recent Developments

Company Analysis



1. Seatrade

2. Atlantic Capes Fisheries, Inc

3. Atalanta Corporation

4. Ideal Foods Ltd

5. Sea Delights



Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Research & Methodology



3. Executive Summary



4. Salmon Value Chain Analysis



5. Market Dynamics



6. Global Salmon Production



7. Share Analysis



8. Species Salmon Production



9. Exporting Countries



10. Importing Countries



11. Company Analysis

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/awzgw2

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

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ABSTRACT-



Global Web Hosting Services Market to Reach $152.7 Billion by 2026

Web hosting is a kind of service in which companies acting as web hosts provide individuals and companies the means to make their websites available in the World Wide Web. Websites are almost a sacrosanct need in the emerging on-demand era and have become the new battleground for companies to stay competitive and increase revenues. Key factors driving the on-demand era include growing consumer demand for higher levels of customization of products and services, and rising preference for prompt and rapid delivery of services. The on-demand economy, where goods and services are immediately provisioned, is creating a paradigm change in consumer behavior. The Internet, supported by the cloud, is additionally influencing this change by offering convenience, speed and instant gratification. Anytime, anywhere access to messaging, email and media is generating consumer demand for immediate entitlement. Until the emergence of the pandemic digital services were only optional for retailers but ecommerce is now common. Over the coming years, there would be drastic decline in the number of department stores in developed countries and ecommerce would grow significantly. Against this backdrop, demand for web technologies including website design and architecture, is growing as companies scramble to expand and strengthen their online presence.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Web Hosting Services estimated at US$71.1 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$152.7 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 13.2% over the analysis period. Shared Hosting, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to grow at a 15% CAGR to reach US$72.2 Billion by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Dedicated Hosting segment is readjusted to a revised 11.1% CAGR for the next 7-year period. This segment currently accounts for a 25.5% share of the global Web Hosting Services market. In a shared hosting environment, a website is located on the same server as other websites. Some shared servers host up to several thousands of websites. In this hosting type, the domain names share a number of resources including CPU, and RAM. Since cost of shared hosting is relatively low, this type of hosting is ideal for websites experiencing moderate flow of traffic and running on standard software. A Dedicated hosting service ensures maximum control of the server a website is hosted on since each server is rented by a single user. However, dedicated hosting in expensive and therefore is ideal for large businesses with high traffic websites.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at $30 Billion in 2021, While China is Forecast to Reach $16.9 Billion by 2026

The Web Hosting Services market in the U.S. is estimated at US$30 Billion in the year 2021. The country currently accounts for a 37.35% share in the global market. China, the world's second largest economy, is forecast to reach an estimated market size of US$16.9 Billion in the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 15.6% through the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 10.9% and 11.7% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 13.9% CAGR while Rest of European market (as defined in the study) will reach US$19.1 Billion by the end of the analysis period.

Collected Hosting Segment to Reach $20.7 Billion by 2026

In the global Collected Hosting segment, USA, Canada, Japan, China and Europe will drive the 11.6% CAGR estimated for this segment. These regional markets accounting for a combined market size of US$8.5 Billion in the year 2020 will reach a projected size of US$18.3 Billion by the close of the analysis period. China will remain among the fastest growing in this cluster of regional markets. Led by countries such as Australia, India, and South Korea, the market in Asia-Pacific is forecast to reach US$2.5 Billion by the year 2026.We bring years of research experience to this 17th edition of our report. The 293-page report presents concise insights into how the pandemic has impacted production and the buy side for 2020 and 2021. A short-term phased recovery by key geography is also addressed. More



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HOUSTON, Texas, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Golden Section Technology and Golden Section Ventures together announce the launch of Golden Section Studios, GSS. Golden Section Technology, an expert in software development has been an active player in building and optimizing software technology since founding in 2011. Golden Section Ventures, an early-stage Venture Fund started in 2019 with over $20M under management and 8 current portfolio companies.

Launching June 8th Golden Section Studios, the third concept under the Golden Section brand is an Investor Studio dedicated to building and growing B2B software ideas. Created specifically to support companies from an even earlier stage, GSS guides mistake avoidance, ensures efficient capital use, and builds sustainable, scalable technologies.

"GSS is the growth partner many companies wish they had when launching and scaling their businesses. Through the team's deep expertise in building technologies, successful track record selling software companies, and hands on guidance to help founders avoid common and nuanced mistakes, the Studios provides a holistic ecosystem to support accelerated efficient growth into the market." Kristen Phillips, Studios Director.

"At Golden Section, we are good at learning from our mistakes and the list is 121 and counting. These mistakes are core to our value add and enable us to transport founders through decades of experience. They come from our own experience as founders and of selling more than $350M in B2B software and partnering with more than 400 software founders at all stages. The result is less risk and less capital consumed, and a better outcome for founders, customers, employees, and investors." Dougal Cameron, Co-Founder, Golden Section

Golden Section Studios is focused on Business-2-Business technologies and looks to come alongside founders with in-depth experience in the problem/solution field. The Studios provides upfront investment, leads technology development, and guides Startups in Residence through a proprietary playbook surrounded by an expert partner network. To apply to Golden Section Studios, please visit https://www.gs-studios.com.

First Studios Startup in Residence, Swoovy is a volunteer platform that matches nonprofits, companies, and volunteers. Swoovy is launching in the Studios on June 14 and will be focused on the buildout of their enterprise level software. For more information, please visit https://www.swoovy.com.

For more information on Golden Section Technology and Golden Section Ventures, please visit https://www.gstvc.com and https://www.gstdev.com.

Golden Section Studios

808 Travis Street, Suite 1406

Houston, Texas 77002

[email protected]

SOURCE Golden Section Studios
SAN FRANCISCO, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Heffernan Insurance Brokers, one of the largest full-service, independent insurance brokerage firms in the United States, announces the formation of a new private equity and M&A insurance practice, led by practice leader, Tom Kashickey and director of operations, Rob Jevens.

The practice was formed to provide risk and insurance services to private equity firms and their portfolio companies nationwide. "This is a practice area that requires unique talents and insurance skill-sets," said Benjamin Stern, Managing Senior Vice President at Heffernan Insurance Brokers. "With Tom's legal and environmental insurance experience, combined with Rob's M&A insurance experience, we feel that we are building an exceptional team."

"It is an exciting time to launch and be a part of the private equity and M&A practice at Heffernan," said Tom Kashickey, private equity and M&A practice leader. "Unprecedented times often give rise to ample new opportunities. All the factors, not the least of which include abundant capital from private equity and SPACs, are in place for continued robust M&A activity moving forward."

About Heffernan Insurance Brokers

Heffernan Insurance Brokers, formed in 1988, is one of the largest independent insurance brokerage firms in the United States. Heffernan provides insurance and financial services products to a range of businesses and individuals. Headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif., Heffernan has offices in San Francisco, Petaluma, Menlo Park, Truckee, Bakersfield, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles and Irvine, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Portland, OR; Seattle and Olympia, WA; St. Louis, MO; Philadelphia, PA; and London UK.

Employee-owned, Heffernan Insurance Brokers was named the Top Mid-Sized Broker in the United States to work for in 2009 by Business Insurance Magazine. The firm has been among the Top Greater Bay Area Philanthropists since 2003.

For more information, visit www.heffins.com. License #0564249

SOURCE Heffernan Insurance Brokers

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HAMILTON, Bermuda, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hoegh LNG Partners LP (the "Partnership") (NYSE: HMLP) advises that its 2021 Annual Meeting was held on June 8, 2021 at 2 P.M. Bermuda time at Appleby, Canon's Court, 22 Victoria Street, Hamilton, HM 12 Bermuda. At the 2021 Annual Meeting, a resolution was passed to re-elect David Spivak as a Class III Director of the Partnership whose term will expire at the 2025 Annual Meeting of Limited Partners.

The Partnership also advises that each of Steven Rees Davies, Sveinung J. S. Sthle, Andrew Jamieson and Morten W. Hegh has resigned as a director of the Board of Directors of the Partnership (the "Board"), effective as of 11:30 A.M. Bermuda time on June 8, 2021 (the "Effective Time").

Each of Tonesan Amissah and John V. Veech have been appointed by the general partner of the Partnership to fill the vacancies created by the resignation of Mr. Davies and Mr. Sthle as appointed directors of the Board, such appointments to be effective as of the Effective Time. Additionally, Alberto Donzelli has been appointed by the remaining elected directors of the Board to succeed Mr. Jamieson as the Class I elected director of the Partnership, and Carlo Ravizza has been appointed by the remaining elected directors of the Board to succeed Mr. Hegh as the Class IV elected director of the Partnership, each effective as of the Effective Time.

Mr. Sthle will continue in his role as Chief Executive Officer of the Partnership after the Effective Time.

John V. Veech, as of June 1, 2021, became a Senior Advisor for Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners ("MSIP"). From February 2009 until May of 2021, he was a Managing Director and Head/Chairman of the Americas Region for MSIP. With over 30 years of principal investing, advisory, and project finance experience, Mr. Veech has extensive knowledge in acquisitions, financings and management of Infrastructure Assets. Prior to joining MSIP, Mr. Veech was a Managing Director in Lehman Brothers' Private Equity Division, and prior to that, was Global Head of Project Finance. Prior to joining Lehman Brothers, Mr. Veech was a Vice President at Salomon Brothers and an attorney with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He holds a J.D., cum laude, from Boston University School of Law, where he was an editor of the Annual Review of Banking Law, and a B.S. magna cum laude, from Lehigh University. Mr. Veech currently serves on the boards of directors of Brazos Midstream, Bayonne Energy Center, LLC and Red Oak Power LLC, all of which are MSIP portfolio companies.

Alberto Donzelli is a Managing Director and co-head of Europe for MSIP. Prior to joining MSIP in 2009, Mr. Donzelli worked in the investment banking businesses of UBS and Credit Suisse. He also serves as a director of Hoegh LNG Holdings Ltd. ("Hoegh LNG"). Mr. Donzelli holds a degree in Business Administration from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy.

Carlo Ravizza is an Investment Director at Hoegh Capital Partners ("HPC"). Prior to joining HCP in 2010, Mr. Ravizza worked at McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, JP Morgan, Alvarez & Marsal and AlixPartners, advising a number of European institutions on strategy engagements, restructuring and corporate finance transactions. He also serves as an alternate director of Hoegh LNG, and a director of Rift Valley Corporation, Cicada Holdings Limited and Rift Valley Energy. He received his MBA from London Business School and graduated with a BA (Honours) in Business Administration from University of Turin.

Tonesan Amissah is the Managing Director of Appleby Global Services Bermuda ("AGS"), where she oversees all aspects of client service and is a former partner of Appleby (Bermuda) Limited ("Appleby"), where she practiced within the corporate department as a member of the corporate finance and funds & investment services teams, having joined Appleby in 1989. She also serves as a director of Hoegh LNG and a number of other companies, the majority of which are clients of AGS. Ms. Amissah holds a law degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science and qualified as a Barrister at Holborn Law Tutors in 1988. She is a member of the Bermuda Bar Association, the Institute of Directors and has been an accredited speaker for the Regulatory and Compliance Association since 2015.

Mr. Sthle, Chief Executive Officer of the Partnership, commented "On behalf of the Partnership, I would like to thank the resigning directors for their excellent service over the years and at the same time a very warm welcome to the new directors of the Board of the Partnership".

About Hoegh LNG Partners LP

Hoegh LNG Partners LP is a growth-oriented limited partnership formed by Hoegh LNG Holdings Ltd., a leading floating LNG service provider. The Partnership's strategy is to own, operate and acquire floating storage and regasification units ("FSRUs") and associated LNG infrastructure assets under long-term charters. It has interests in five FSRUs that have an industry leading average remaining firm contract duration of 8.3 years plus options as of March 31, 2021.

Media:

The IGB Group, Bryan Degnan, +1 (646) 673-9701 / Leon Berman, +1 (212) 477-8438

Knut Johan Arnholdt, VP IR and Strategy, +47 922 59 131

www.hoeghlngpartners.com

Source: Hoegh LNG Partners LP

SOURCE Hoegh LNG Partners LP

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THE WOODLANDS, Texas, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Huntsman Corporation (NYSE: HUN) today announced that its Performance Products division is planning to significantly increase its existing capacity for ULTRAPURE Ethylene Carbonate at its Conroe, Texas facility by mid-2023. ULTRAPURE Ethylene Carbonate is critical to the reliable operation and long working life of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and electronics.

In recent years, Huntsman has seen strong growth in ULTRAPURE Ethylene Carbonate tied to the evolution of EVs and the localization of lithium-ion battery production. To meet this increased demand, Huntsman has added a range of new high-purity grades of Ethylene Carbonate for EV battery applications.

"This capacity expansion will leverage our position as the only US producer of cyclic carbonates and support the rapid growth of the US and European lithium-ion battery markets for EVs," said Chuck Hirsch, Senior Vice President of Huntsman's Performance Products division. "We are committed to providing excellent service to our customers and are well positioned to grow with this sustainable industry, helping to reduce emissions in the transportation sector," he added.

ULTRAPURETM is a trademark of Huntsman Corporation or an affiliate thereof.

About Huntsman:

Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and specialty chemicals with 2020 revenues of approximately $6 billion. Our chemical products number in the thousands and are sold worldwide to manufacturers serving a broad and diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets. We operate more than 70 manufacturing, R&D and operations facilities in approximately 30 countries and employ approximately 9,000 associates within our four distinct business divisions. For more information about Huntsman, please visit the company's website at www.huntsman.com .

Social Media:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/Huntsman_Corp

Facebook: www.facebook.com/huntsmancorp

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/huntsman

Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain information in this release constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations. The forward-looking statements in this release are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances and involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the company's operations, markets, products, services, prices and other factors as discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Huntsman companies' filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Significant risks and uncertainties may relate to, but are not limited to, volatile global economic conditions, cyclical and volatile product markets, disruptions in production at manufacturing facilities, reorganization or restructuring of Huntsman's operations, including any delay of, or other negative developments affecting the ability to implement cost reductions, timing of proposed transactions, and manufacturing optimization improvements in Huntsman businesses and realize anticipated cost savings, and other financial, economic, competitive, environmental, political, legal, regulatory and technological factors. The company assumes no obligation to provide revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by applicable laws.

SOURCE Huntsman Corporation

Related Links

http://www.huntsman.com


CORONA, Calif., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Ikanik Farms, Inc. (CSE: IKNK.U) (FSE: DFMA) (the "Company" or "Ikanik Farms") announces that the Ontario Securities Commission (the "OSC") has revoked the FailuretoFile Cease Trade Order issued against the Company (the "FFCTO") on May 6, 2021.

Trading of Ikanik Farms, subordinated voting shares recommenced on June 8, 2021.

"We are excited to be back trading and remain focused on all revenue generating projects in our vertical ecosystem across California and our medicinal cannabis operations in Colombia." said Brian Baca, CEO of Ikanik Farms

About Ikanik Farms

Ikanik Farms is a California based, Multi-National Operator (MNO) who is building a dynamic portfolio of brands, inspired by its passion for health and wellness, action sports, and supported by its vertically integrated retail, distribution and cultivation in CA and its medical grade cultivation and laboratory in Colombia. The Company's leadership brings decades of expertise in R&D, cultivation, retail, branding, and corporate finance. Ikanik Farms' operation in Colombia, through its pharma division Pideka, holds both GMP-PHARMA and (GACP) Good Agricultural and Collection Practice certifications for its Casa Flores operating facility.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release includes "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws and United States securities laws (together, "forward-looking information). All information, other than statements of historical facts included in this news release that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future is forward-looking information. When used in this news release, words such as "will", "could", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "potential", "believe", "should", and similar expressions, are forward-looking information, including, but not limited to: statements in the "Looking Forward" section of this news release.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including, but not limited to: changes in laws, a change in management, the inability to obtain additional financing, increased competition, hindering market growth and state adoption due to inconsistent public opinion and perception of the medical-use and adult-use marijuana industry and, regulatory or political change.

There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, the results or events predicted in the forward-looking information may differ materially from actual results or events.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information in this news release is made as of the date of this release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law, and the Company does not assume any liability for disclosure relating to any other company mentioned herein.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Ikanik Farms Inc.

SOURCE Ikanik Farms Inc.

Related Links

https://ikanikfarms.com/


HANGZHOU, China and ROCKVILLE, Md., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Innoforce Pharmaceuticals ("Innoforce"), an innovation and partnership-focused biopharmaceutical company, today announces that the company is participating in the BIO International Digital Convention (BIO Digital) being held from June 10-18, 2021. BIO Digital is the largest life science partnering event globally, drawing over 7,000 attendees from over 4,000 companies.

During the conference, Innoforce will be meeting with executives to explore partnership opportunities, including global manufacturing services or APAC regional-focused licensing, JVs, and equity investments, where Innoforce can leverage its core capabilities to develop advanced therapies and technology platforms. Innoforce will also introduce its end-to-end CDMO services for cell & gene therapy products. Through its announced joint venture with ThermoFisher Scientific, it will provide CDMO services for antibody and protein drugs.

Dr. Yuling Li, Innoforce's CEO, said, "We are excited to attend our first BIO Digital Partnering Conference. As we continue establishing world-class biologics development and manufacturing capabilities to serve global markets at our campus in Hangzhou, China, and offices in Rockville, Maryland, we expect to have a productive conference. Innoforce looks forward to enabling and accelerating innovation of breakthrough medicines, including advanced cell & gene therapies."

Conference attendees may schedule a meeting with Innoforce's corporate development team through the conference's partnering system https://tinyurl.com/INFBIO2021 or by contacting Ken Carter, Head of Corporate Development [email protected].

About BIO Digital

BIO Digital is a virtual gathering of the global biotech industry which provides access to partners via BIO One-on-One Partnering and educational resources. For more information, please visit https://www.bio.org/events/bio-digital.

About Innoforce

Innoforce's main operation in China is located within the Hangzhou Airport Economic Zone and is the Hangzhou Bay Biotech Valley's core enterprise. Innoforce's U.S. office is located at 2277 Research Boulevard, Suite 250, Rockville, MD 20850. The core team, led by Dr. Guo-Liang Yu, Chairman, and Dr. Yuling Li, CEO, has extensive experience in technology innovation, product development, business operations, and commercial development from Fortune 500 pharmaceutical companies. Innoforce establishes global product development and biomanufacturing capabilities to facilitate the development and commercialization of innovative medicines and provide venture management expertise, product development guidance, manufacturing capabilities, R&D capabilities, and equity investment to select partners. The first phase of the Innoforce campus in Hangzhou will cover 21 acres. Its facilities meet international GMP standards for monoclonal antibodies, recombinant proteins, plasmid DNA, viral vectors, cell and gene therapy manufacturing, and bioprocess development.

Innoforce Contact:

Ken Carter

Phone: +1 240-421-3838

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.innoforcepharma.com

SOURCE Innoforce Pharmaceuticals

Related Links

https://www.innoforcepharma.com/


In a huge jolt to Amravati Lok Sabha MP and ex-filmstar Navneet Kaur Rana, the Bombay High Court's Nagpur Bench on Tuesday struck down the caste certificate issued to her on grounds that it was obtained fraudulently using fabricated documents.

A division bench of Justice R.D. Dhanuka and Justice V.G. Bisht, while cancelling and confiscating the caste certificate, has ordered her to a pay a fine of Rs 2 lakh to the Maharashtra Legal Services Authority within a fortnight.

Navneet Kaur Rana is the wife of independent MLA from Badnera, Ravi Rana, the founder of Yuva Swabhiman Party (YSP) and is a relative of yoga guru Ramdev Baba.

The court noted that Rana's claims of belonging to the 'Mochi' caste' for obtaining a Scheduled Caste certificate itself was fraudulent and made with the intention to obtain various benefits available to a candidate from such a category despite knowing she does not belong to that caste.

"The application (for caste certificate) was made intentionally to make a fraudulent claim to enable the respondent no 3 (Rana) to contest the election for the post of Member of Parliament on a seat reserved for a Scheduled Caste candidate," it said, adding that "all consequences of law" would follow.

Navneet Kaur is a former model and actress who fought the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amravati (reserved for SC) constituency defeating veteran Shiv Sena leader and former Union Minister Anandrao Adsul.

The caste certificate was issued by the Deputy Collector of Mumbai in August 2013 and validated by the District Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee (DCCSC), Mumbai Suburban, in November 2017, which was challenged by Adsul and social worker Raju S. Mankar of Amravati.

Adsul contended that Navneet Kaur hails from Punjab and belongs to the Labana caste, which does not fall in the SC category in Maharashtra.

"The application thus itself was made intentionally to make a fraudulent claim to enable Rana to contest an election for the post of Member of Parliament on a seat reserved for a Scheduled Caste candidate," the high court said in the verdict.

Justice Dhanuka and Justice Bisht further said that Rana intentionally made a false claim for the SC certificate and then got it validated fraudulently from the DCCSC and continue to avail benefits fraudulently, though Rana's original birth certificate did not mention her caste as 'Mochi'.

The judges also frowned on the DCCSC for doing its job "rather sloppily" and shirking its obligations and said that the terms 'Chamar' and 'Mochi' are not synonymous but are different identities.

Rana had claimed that she belonged to the 'Sikh Chamar' and the 'Ravidasiya Mochi' caste, which the high court found 'contradictory' to each other.
The STEM/STEAM program is a virtual platform that includes Smart Learning Solutions, a national independent education provider, volunteers and a community-based project engagement team from The APEX Museum, including a diverse recent college graduate from High Point University. The virtual program is designed utilizing EDISON Robots and access to cutting-edge coding technology to promote STEM/STEAM education for motivated, underrepresented students.

The new virtual curriculum launched during a time when academically gifted students of color searched for summer development programs in a global pandemic with historic demands for virtual enrichment.

"When the academic year comes to a close, and the summer begins, the hard work of connecting students to virtual enrichment opportunities begins. It is up to the civic community to stand up and provide valuable summer enrichment opportunities to families who want to further their students' abilities, and do so via a well-designed virtual platform," says Forest T. Harper, Jr., president and CEO, INROADS, Inc.

APEX Museum  a Black history museum that connects communities to international history through the lens of the Black experience  began pioneering this new virtual STEM/STEAM curriculum for high school students in 2017. Later, in 2020, the 2017 hands-on program was re-designed to a virtual classroom, a unique "Fast Start" pilot for middle school students. The project is planned for expansion with The APEX Museum and INROADS. The program is a critical virtual offering in a time when digital classrooms are needed most.

"Underrepresented communities are facing unprecedented times as a result of the global pandemic. One of the most significant challenges facing communities of color is the disruption to in-person learning and the abrupt transition many families had to make to digital learning. Our partnership with INROADS helps us to meet a community need for access to high-quality and accessible virtual learning," says Dan Moore, president, APEX Museum.

With this partnership, INROADS advances its commitment to address community disparities regarding access to technology. In February of this year, INROADS was named as a partner to P&G's Take on Race initiative  a collective of industries committed to addressing digital access and technological disparities in communities of color. With INROADS, Take on Race Coalition announced a $25 million investment to provide one million connected devices to students to help close the digital divide.

About The APEX Museum

The APEX (African American Panoramic Experience) Museum is Atlanta's first Black History Museum, established in 1978. It sits at the Gateway to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic District in Atlanta, Georgia. The outreach programming includes an extensive award-winning STEM/STEAM program that transforms young minds into brilliant ideas that capture the imagination and create new and innovative inventions and products. To learn more, contact Janet Hill, Director Phase II Expansion, [email protected].

About INROADS

INROADS was founded more than 50 years ago. Inspired by the famed I Have a Dream speech, Frank Carr founded INROADS to remove career barriers to corporate opportunities for people of color. It is the largest nonprofit organization committed to leadership and career development for underrepresented talent in the world. INROADS has prepared more than 154,000 diverse leaders with pre-employment skills and graduated more than 30,000 alumni into full-time professional positions with more than 1,000 corporate partners. Currently, INROADS serves 800-1,300 interns and 200 corporate clients. Learn more at INROADS.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn: @INROADSInc.

SOURCE INROADS, Inc.
OMAHA, Neb., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jet Linx , the only locally-focused, global private aviation company providing aircraft management, joint ownership and jet card membership services through its 20 private terminal locations in the U.S., today hosted its fifth annual Safety Summit for all of its 560 team members nationwide as part of the Company's continued dedication to delivering the highest standard of safety in the world for private aviation. For the fifth consecutive year, Jet Linx has voluntarily grounded its fleet of 120 aircraft to bring all of its employees together to discuss and advance new safety practices and standards for the Company and the private aviation industry.

"To truly advance new safety practices, it requires an all-Company, forward together approach. Without everyone participating and involved in the discussion, you're going to miss a perspective from the field that maybe crucial to the advancement of that next big thing that further mitigates risk for the operation," said Jamie Walker, President and CEO. "We are proud to implement Summit-driven initiatives and ideas that strengthen the safety of our operations."

Jet Linx voluntarily ceases flight operations to spotlight importance of "forward together" safety culture Tweet this

"The impacts of the pandemic in 2020 served as an important reminder that safety is paramount and cannot be prioritized enough, and this has been the cornerstone of Jet Linx since 1999, for both their clients and team members," said Sheryl Clarke, Safety & Security Advisor to Jet Linx. "Jet Linx continues to be the only aircraft operator in the United States to cease its flight operations in order to advance safety standards, together as an entire team."

This year's summit, under the banner "Forward Together for a Safer Future," focused on safety risk management, fatigue and critical human factors, and safety performance indicators. The event featured special keynotes from William B. Johnson, PhD, Ret. Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor for Human Factors in Aircraft Maintenance Systems for the FAA; D Smith, Aviation Division Manager, U.S. DOT  Transportation Safety Institute; Roger Hood, Senior Air Safety Investigator, U.S. DOT  Transportation Safety Institute; and Sharon Grey, President and CEO, Grey Aviation Services.

"Our Safety Summit continues to shine a spotlight on the significance of proactively advancing safety culture and the value of investing in collaborative educational efforts that will better inform our decision making and create the safest flight experience possible. Each and every member of our team plays a critical role in developing practices that further our standards and the standards of the industry," said Walker.

The Company's ongoing dedication to safety also earned Jet Linx renewal of their accreditation as a WYVERN Wingman Certified Operator for the fourth consecutive certification cycle in 2020, among numerous other standing third-party accolades, including ARGUS (Aviation Research Group United States) Platinum Designation and the international IS-BAO (International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations) Stage 3 rating. Jet Linx also implemented additional advanced safety measures to its existing protocols throughout 2020 in response to the growing concerns due to the pandemic, including becoming the first aviation company to treat its fleet of aircraft and private terminals with the BIOPROTECTUs System from ViaClean Technologies, a revolutionary system that disinfects and provides long term antimicrobial protection for up to 90 days. Studies by two Centers of Excellence of the Global Virus Network (GVN) have proven the product's efficacy against SARS-COV-2 for more than six weeks.

For more information, please visit www.jetlinx.com .

About Jet Linx Aviation

Jet Linx Aviation is a locally-focused private jet company founded in Omaha, NE in 1999 as a more personalized approach to national private jet companies. Jet Linx offers three different ways to experience private aviation  a guaranteed jet card, joint ownership, and private jet management program  providing its clients with an all-encompassing, local solution to all of their private jet travel needs. Jet Linx is an IS-BAO Stage 3, ARGUS Platinum and Wyvern Wingman safety rated operator, an accomplishment earned by less than one percent of all aircraft operators in the world. In 2019, Jet Linx became the only Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star trained and accredited private aviation company in the world. In addition to establishing the independent global rating system's preeminent and unparalleled service standards for the in-flight experience, Jet Linx also collaborated with Forbes Travel Guide to develop their own customized, proprietary Jet Linx standards of service excellence. Jet Linx is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska and has base locations in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Ft. Worth, Houston, Indianapolis, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York, Omaha, San Antonio, Scottsdale, St. Louis, Tulsa and Washington D.C. For additional information, please visit the Jet Linx website ( www.jetlinx.com ).

SOURCE Jet Linx

Related Links

www.jetlinx.com


JetClub CEO & Founder, Vishal Hiremath commented: "Over the past 12 months, we have been building processes that satisfy stringent safety standards of a commercial Air Operating Certificate (AOC) holder. Receiving an AOC is a testament that we as an operator have met and exceeded the exceptionally high operating standards of the Maltese and EU Authorities. This makes receiving an AOC an important milestone for JetClub."

Charles Pace, Director General for Civil Aviation at Transport Malta CAD added: "To obtain an AOC, an operator must meet high regulatory, safety and operational standards. Applicants go through a rigorous process to demonstrate that they will be able to carry out safe operation of commercial aviation services. We are proud to have JetClub as part of the Maltese and European aviation ecosystem."

While issuing an AOC, TM-CAD looks for qualified, experienced personnel holding key positions in the company along with evidence of operational capability, safety standards, maintenance oversight and proper documentation. Malta is highly regarded as having stringent safety standards and a professional transport authority, and competent staff with an aviation friendly environment.

JetClub, along with its sister company in the US, Jet It, are the world's largest operators of the HondaJet. The company launched in Europe after two years of rapid expansion in the US. JetClub seeks to meet the needs of businesses and individuals that are looking for a more efficient, lower cost, and transparent approach to owning an aircraft.

Having successfully established a presence in the US and Europe, JetClub plans to expand further as the company looks to offer the same level of accessibility and superior service worldwide.

About JetClub:

JetClub is an innovative fractional ownership business aviation company that offers its members with an affordable and transparent private travel solution. Members have the flexibility and convenience of owning a business jet without undergoing the traditional hassle and expense related to jet administration and operations. JetClub has a dedicated flight operations team to take care of pilot training, maintenance, logistics, and international operations. A world class concierge team manages all travel details and provides best in class service. JetClub plans to serve in Europe, Asia, South Asia, and South America.

SOURCE JetClub

Related Links

https://jetclubgroup.com


Because Kellogg's Special K believes doing what feels good shouldn't have a limit, the Special 5Ks don't have to stop at one. No matter how you crush 'em, for every 5K you complete starting today through June 30, 2021, Special K will help provide 100 meals to Feeding America with a goal of providing 2.5 million meals, the monetary equivalent of $250,000*. Even more good news: The virtual race is free to all , making it easy for everyone from newcomers to marathoners to lace up, complete a 5K (or three, or four, or five ...), log Ks at RunSignUp.com/Special5K and turn those simple steps into hard-working donations for Feeding America.

The Special 5K has even inspired La La Anthony to step up and lace up. Today, Anthony helps launch The Special 5K, encouraging women and men across the country to join in and crush the 2.5 million meals goal. She's a longtime fan of Kellogg's Special K and knows that healthy living is a priority  it's especially important to be able to lean on an inspiring community to reach your goals.

"I am constantly inspired by the strong women I surround myself with, and the empowering members of Black Girls RUN! are no exception," said Anthony. "I'm so honored to join this team and launch the Special 5K, because with the support of friends and an impactful goal to motivate us, we can do even more good in the world. Let's reach that goal together  we got this!"

La La will be racking up Ks, checking in on social and encouraging fans to join the race to do something good for themselves and others. Follow her journey @lala on Instagram and Facebook .

ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP

In early 2021, Special K and Black Girls RUN! kicked off an ongoing partnership to make enjoyable wellness more accessible and attainable for women and men nationwide. The collaboration unites experts in physical wellness and fit motivation with experts in nutritious, delicious food to create unique offerings for the Black Girls RUN! community members. Today marks the extension beyond just the Black Girls RUN! members and our collective goal to further the message that simple steps can lead to big changes.

"Special K has been inspired by the members of the Black Girls RUN! community in cities nationwide, so we wanted to create something together that would further encourage feeling good while doing good via The Special 5K," said Cindy Huntington, Brand Director at Kellogg. "In doing so, we are thrilled to continue to partner with Black Girls RUN! and celebrate their mission of helping more people make healthy living a priority."

Established in 2009, Black Girls RUN! serves as everything from a fitness community to a resource of tips on staying active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

"Black Girls RUN! was founded to encourage and motivate Black women to practice a healthy lifestyle, but we also aim to inspire all women to prioritize getting active," said Jay Ell Alexander, owner and CEO of Black Girls RUN!. "The Special 5K is so important because it not only carries out our mission to get more people moving, but also, provides extra motivation by helping out communities facing hunger across America."

HOW TO REGISTER

Visit RunSignUp.com/Special5K today to sign up for free, start tracking your Ks and turn your hard work into hardworking donations to Feeding America. Be sure to check out specialk.com/en_US/black-girls-run-5k and follow the hashtag #Special5K on social for more updates on how Special K and Black Girls RUN! are working together.

For more information on all things Special K, visit SpecialK.com and follow Special K on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter . For more information on Black Girls RUN!, check out BlackGirlsRun.com and follow along on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter .

*$1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local member food banks. Kellogg's Special K will donate $10 for every 5k completed on Run Sign Up from June 8, 2021 to June 30, 2021, with a minimum donation of $125,000 and a maximum donation of $250,000.

1Feeding America, " The Impact of the Coronavirus on Food Insecurity in 2020 & 2021 ."

Disclaimer: Check with your doctor before starting any fitness regimen. If you have any questions about your ability to participate in The Special 5K, please contact your physician.

About Kellogg Company

At Kellogg Company (NYSE: K), our vision is a good and just world where people are not just fed but fulfilled. We are creating better days and a place at the table for everyone through our trusted food brands. Our beloved brands include Pringles, Cheez-It, Special K, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, Pop-Tarts, Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, Eggo, Mini-Wheats, Kashi, RXBAR, MorningStar Farms and more. Net sales in 2020 were approximately $13.8 billion, comprised principally of snacks and convenience foods like cereal, frozen foods, and noodles. As part of our Kellogg's Better Days purpose platform, we're helping to end hunger and are committed to creating Better Days for 3 billion people by the end of 2030. Visit www.KelloggCompany.com or www.OpenforBreakfast.com .

About the Black Girls RUN! Foundation

Black Girls RUN! is a national running community, launched in 2009. The organization has grown to include more than 75 running groups across the nation with more than 250,000 members. The group was created to combat the obesity epidemic among women in the African American community and dispel the myth that Black women do not run. The groups include beginner and experienced runners and provide a support system and resources to help members reach their fitness goals. For more information about Black Girls RUN!, visit www.BlackGirlsRUN.com .

About Feeding America

Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, we provide meals to more than 40 million people each year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit www.feedingamerica.org , find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter .

SOURCE Kellogg Company

Related Links

https://www.kelloggcompany.com/en_US/home.html


HOUSTON and BALTIMORE, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Legacy Community Health, the largest Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Texas, and Canton & Company, a leading healthcare growth and innovation firm, today announced the launch of Monarch Health Solutions (Monarch). Monarch will focus exclusively on Community Health Centers (CHCs), including the nation's nearly 1,400 FQHCs, to deliver purpose-built solutions to help these mission-critical organizations succeed in today's evolving healthcare landscape while also enabling them to reach more of the underserved and increase their collective impact.

Monarch Health Solutions

The launch of Monarch comes at a time when CHCs face the dual pressures of recovering from COVID-19 and adapting to the reality of value-based care. Those pressures are compounded by the increase in patients who need their services, as CHCs represent an incredibly large proportion of America's healthcare system. In 2019, there were more than 252,000 full-time CHC providers and staff serving nearly 30 million patients. According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, 1 in 12 people across the United States rely on CHCs for care including 3.5 million low-income patients living in public housing, 1.4 million homeless patients, 1 million agricultural workers, and more than 355,000 veterans.

"We are excited for Monarch to provide much needed support to Community Health Centers. Monarch will provide business solutions to help relieve administrative burdens and allow them to focus on what they do best  providing necessary healthcare to underserved populations," said Katy Caldwell, CEO, Legacy Community Health Services.

"We've worked with Community Health Centers for years and have been amazed at their passion and commitment to serving their neighbors in need  especially through the most dire and difficult of circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic," said Don McDaniel, CEO, Canton & Company. "These individuals are heroes hidden within our healthcare system who have had a life-changing impact on millions of patients and families. Monarch is dedicated to empowering them to strengthen their operational and financial capabilities while remaining laser-focused on delivering top-quality care and ensuring equitable access to health for future generations of Americans."

Monarch Health Solutions simplifies the business of healthcare for CHCs by providing access to:

Comprehensive business strategy and planning services to improve performance and drive growth

Revenue cycle management (RCM) services to optimize coding, clinical documentation, charge capture, payer contracting and more

Actionable analytics and insights to support new patient acquisition, labor productivity, network decision-making, population health strategies, and more

Managed services including outsourced RCM, virtual care management, IT management and departmental support for marketing, finance, recruiting and human resources

Technology tools, experts, and resources to improve workflows and transform business delivery

About Legacy Community Health

Legacy Community Health Services is a full-service network of community health clinics offering primary and specialty care in the Texas Gulf Coast region. Services include adult primary care, behavioral health services, community outreach, dental care, endocrinology, gender health, geriatrics, comprehensive HIV/AIDS care, nutrition and wellness, OB/GYN and maternity care, pediatrics, pharmacy, public health, school-based health, social services, and vision care. With more than 40 locations across Houston, Baytown, Deer Park, and Beaumont, Legacy is the largest Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Texas. Legacy has been a United Way affiliated agency since 1990. To learn more, visit www.legacycommunityhealth.org.

About Canton & Company

Canton & Company is a growth and innovation services firm focused exclusively on the healthcare industry. Guided by a dual commitment to accelerating the industry transition to a market-based health economy and creating sustainable success for its clients, Canton & Company inspires change through innovation, with particular emphasis on consumer-centric, smart health markets. We do this by fast-tracking client growth through a diversified suite of offerings that includes strategy, go-to-market, and performance services, along with innovation and venture solutions, using our powerful network of industry change-makers to connect clients with the right tools, partners, talent, and capital for sustainable success. To learn more, visit http://www.cantoncompany.com/.

About Monarch Health Solutions

Monarch Health Solutions is a strategic solutions firm owned by Canton & Company and Legacy Community Health Holdings, an affiliate of Legacy Community Health Services, serving the needs of Community Health Centers/Federally Qualified Health Centers. With a mission to help Health Centers advance community health for underserved populations and succeed in the evolving value-based care landscape, Monarch offers a suite of services purpose-built for their unique needs. Solutions include analytics and insights, managed services (such as marketing, managed pharmacy, and IT outsourcing), performance and growth (like value-based readiness, strategy, and future planning), and revenue cycle management. To learn more, visit www.monarchhealthsolutions.com.

Media Contacts:

Legacy Community Health

Jessica Michan

[email protected]

(832) 548-5136

Canton & Company

Lisa Chernikoff

[email protected]

(734) 678-5513

Monarch Health Solutions

Kathleen Hertzog

[email protected]

(763) 213-9565

SOURCE Canton & Company
MIAMI, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty different flavors, three different sizes. Quore experience is much more than the finest gelato infused with liquor in South Florida. The Miami-based brand is the perfect match between the smooth taste of world-class liquors and the most delicate gelato. The perfect love story, mixed with tradition and romance. So is its packaging. The ideal middle ground between traditional bars serving the best liquors and all the necessary features protects the pleasant gelato experience.

Quore Gelato

Dieline agreed with this vision and decided to award Quore Gelato as "The Best Luxury Packaging of 2021," selecting its work among hundreds of luxury brands from around the world and the stories they have to tell.

Why is this recognition so important to Miami's community? Because Quore manufactures its gelato locally, bringing a history of passion for preparations and ingredients, with the quality that this magical city encourages and deserves.

"Being recognized for the best luxury packaging in 2021 is an honor and an immense joy. Packaging is one more element within the Quore experience that we want to provide to those who visit us and choose our gelato. Every detail builds the essence of this brand with the spirit of traditional Italian quality and the trend and freshness of our flavors," expressed Daniel Kwon Jin Lee, CEO of Quore Gelato.

About Dieline and The Best Luxury Packaging of 2021

Since its founding in 2007, it continues to be one of the world's leading packaging design competitions. The best luxury brands from around the world and the most demanding packaging designers compete in this event, and, this time, Quore Gelato was privileged to stand out and be the winners.

The design process required trips to those hidden places in the heart of Italy. First, to experience the story in the first person and then transfer it to the perfect packaging, which preserves the conditions of a product as delicate as the one Quore offers and transports the consumer to their own romance story.

Quore worked together with Jastor, a branding consultancy firm that helped them discover gelato lovers' insights and experiences that fit their lifestyles.

The packaging tells a story. Still, it also preserves the optimal qualities of the product, such as its temperature or the best color scale to identify the premium flavors inside.

Fall in Love with Quore Gelato Premium Experience

Discover Quore in any of its exclusive Miami locations specially set to enjoy the superior taste of liquor and the pleasure of Italian gelato:

Costa Hollywood : 777 Ocean Drive, Hollywood, FL 33019

: 777 Ocean Drive, 33019 Aventura Mall: 19501 Biscayne Blvd., Aventura, FL 33180

Quore invites everyone to live their own world-class gelato experience. Ready to have a crush on Miami's best liquor-infused gelato?

For more information, visit QuoreGelato.com.

Press Inquiries: Alejandro Donzis | [email protected]

Related Images

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SOURCE Quore Gelato
BRENTWOOD, Tenn., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Odyssey Behavioral Healthcare ("Odyssey") is pleased to announce the addition of the eating disorder residential treatment program for adolescents at Magnolia Creek. Developed to meet market demand, this expansion will provide evidence-based clinical treatment for females aged 12 to 17 years old with specialized, credentialed staff and an extensive family therapy program set within a serene and expansive campus.

Magnolia Creek

Odyssey, headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee, has a diverse network of services treating adults and adolescents for eating disorders, psychiatric, dual diagnosis, and addictive disorders. Odyssey provides a continuum of care including inpatient, intensive residential, partial hospitalization, outpatient services, and transitional living through its operations in over 20 behavioral health locations and affiliated outpatient services in eight states with over 300 total beds.

Magnolia Creek, located near Birmingham, Alabama, offers comprehensive treatment to women struggling with eating disorders in an environment iconic for its home, grounds, and industrial kitchen. They also provide clinical care for clients experiencing secondary co-occurring mental health disorders including anxiety, depression, self-harm, substance use, trauma, and more.

The clinical treatment expansion to include adolescents brings additional teen-specific components such as separate cottage for living and treatment, a robust family therapy program, licensed teachers with local school system interactions, specialized staff, and menu modifications. Magnolia Creek also offers outdoor features, such as walking paths and a private lake, that allow every person to interact with the healing elements of nature, cooking and baking groups, and Executive Chef Mark Monroe's "approachable gourmet" menus which focus on fresh ingredients.

"The addition of an adolescent program represents a significant undertaking by the entire Magnolia Creek team and allows us to support an underserved population," said Amos Taylor, CEO of Magnolia Creek. "Extending clinically excellent care to adolescents showcases Magnolia Creek's dedication to helping women of all ages in their treatment and recovery."

"Eating disorders are life-threatening, and we're seeing more and more adolescents struggling with these disorders and additional co-occurring conditions," said Richard Clark, CEO at Odyssey. "The addition of the Magnolia Creek teen program furthers our mission of providing evidence-based clinical care to as many people as possible."

About Odyssey Behavioral Healthcare

Odyssey Behavioral Healthcare, formed in 2015, has a growing diversified platform of behavioral health facilities across the treatment spectrum in eating disorder, psychiatric, dual diagnosis, autism spectrum, and addictive disorders. Odyssey's treatment centers include Pasadena Villa Psychiatric Treatment Network, Lifeskills South Florida, Magnolia Creek Treatment Center for Eating Disorders, Selah House, Toledo Center for Eating Disorders, Shoreline Center for Eating Disorder Treatment, Clearview Treatment Programs, Lifeskills South Florida Outpatient Center, Selah House Outpatient Centers, and Pasadena Villa Outpatient Centers, providing inpatient, intensive residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and other continuum services for adults and adolescents. Odyssey extends respect, compassion, and quality individualized treatment paired with concierge-quality amenities at over 20 unique locations in Alabama, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and California.

Related Images

magnolia-creek.jpg

Magnolia Creek

Magnolia Creek

SOURCE Odyssey Behavioral Healthcare
SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MalwarebytesTM, a global leader in real-time cyberprotection for people and organizations, announced Malwarebytes Privacy for mobile devices, a next-generation virtual private network (VPN) providing a safer, more secure internet experience at speeds up to four times faster than traditional VPNs.

Individuals and small businesses are increasingly concerned about the security of their sensitive information on mobile devices. Whether they are shopping, banking, streaming videos, or browsing the Internet, people feel as though they are being watched by governments, hackers, companies, and advertisers. In fact, according to a Malwarebytes survey of 600 U.S. adults, 60% strongly agree that "with so much personal information available online, it's more important than ever to know how to protect and take control of your privacy."

"Our online privacy is constantly being invaded, and the threat of leaked credentials and exposed personal information is more real than ever before," said Mark Strassman, chief product officer at Malwarebytes. "We believe your online life belongs to you and you alone. Malwarebytes VPN for Mobile means that you don't have to compromise speed to experience your own personal, private Internet connection on your mobile device, enabling you to browse worry-free from any location without leaving a trail of personal information behind."

Among the features now available with Malwarebytes Privacy for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS:

Anonymous browsing. Malwarebytes Privacy helps mask the IP address for private browsing and better security online.

Malwarebytes Privacy helps mask the IP address for private browsing and better security online. No log VPN. When using Malwarebytes Privacy, online activity is never logged or sold, keeping people safe from advertisements that can feel intrusive.

When using Malwarebytes Privacy, online activity is never logged or sold, keeping people safe from advertisements that can feel intrusive. Modern encryption. Malwarebytes Privacy protects with state-of-the-art 256-bit encryption, providing IT-approved security.

Malwarebytes Privacy protects with state-of-the-art 256-bit encryption, providing IT-approved security. Global online freedom. Your online experience can be tailored to enable you to find the fastest server near you and access geographically specific content in more than 32 countries across the world.

Your online experience can be tailored to enable you to find the fastest server near you and access geographically specific content in more than 32 countries across the world. Powered by WireGuard. The solution leverages the fastest and most efficient VPN protocol available.

The solution leverages the fastest and most efficient VPN protocol available. 7-day free trial and 60-day money-back guarantee. Try Malwarebytes Privacy completely FREE for 7 days, with all the premium features, no data limits, and the ability to cancel your subscription within the first 60 days for a full refund.

Any hardware capable of running the supported OS version will be able to run the new Malwarebytes software.

Windows: Windows 7 (or higher)

Windows 7 (or higher) Mac: macOS 10.15.4 (or higher)

macOS 10.15.4 (or higher) Android: Android version 7 (or higher)

Android version 7 (or higher) iOS: iOS version 13 (or higher)

To purchase Malwarebytes Privacy, visit: https://www.malwarebytes.com/vpn/

To read more about Malwarebytes visit our blog, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Twitter.

About Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes believes that when people and organizations are free from threats, they are free to thrive. Founded in 2008, Malwarebytes CEO Marcin Kleczynski had one mission: to rid the world of malware. Today, that mission has expanded to provide cyberprotection for every one. Malwarebytes provides consumers and organizations with device protection, privacy, and prevention through effective, intuitive, and inclusive solutions in the home, on-the-go, at work, or on campus. A world-class team of threat researchers and security experts enable Malwarebytes to protect millions of customers and combat existing and never-before-seen threats using artificial intelligence and machine learning to catch new threats rapidly. With threat hunters and innovators across the world, the company is headquartered in California with offices in Europe and Asia. For more information, visit https://www.malwarebytes.com/.

MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACTS:

Lisette Rauwendaal, Director, Corporate Communications & Social Impact

Malwarebytes

[email protected]

SOURCE Malwarebytes

Related Links

www.malwarebytes.org


Industrial 3D camera has become an essential partner for pick-and-place robotics. Yet, when it comes to densely packed, randomly placed, and highly detailed objects, limitation in terms of resolution, precision, and speed restricts their performance and potential.

With advances in resolution and precision, Mech-Eye Pro Enhanced 3D industrial camera can generate complete, detailed, and accurate point cloud with native and perfectly aligned color for a wide variety of objects, including plastic, ceramic, metal, cardboard, and wood.

In addition, Mech-Eye Pro Enhanced's notable features include:

Extra field-of-view w ith 3D imaging time shortened to 0.5 second possible. This enables Mech-Eye Pro Enhanced to meet a wide variety of typical applications, including bin picking, inspecting, measuring, and academic research.

This enables Mech-Eye Pro Enhanced to meet a wide variety of typical applications, including bin picking, inspecting, measuring, and academic research. Compact Aluminium housing with flexible mounting options. This minimizes the impact on maneuverability and enables robot cells to maintain reliable operation in demanding applications.

This minimizes the impact on maneuverability and enables robot cells to maintain reliable operation in demanding applications. Cost efficiency. Mech-Eye Pro Enhanced is competitive in terms of pricing. Moreover, it helps customers boost efficiency and productivity.

Mech-Eye Pro Enhanced is competitive in terms of pricing. Moreover, it helps customers boost efficiency and productivity. Industrial suitability with IP65, vibration resistant, EMC/EMI proved, obtaining CE, FCC, VCCI, and RoHS certifications.

Mech-Mind has developed a full infrastructure and industrial 3D cameras portfolio including:

Mech-Eye Laser : Equipped with fast structured light, Mech-Eye Laser boasts ambient light resistance, significantly reducing shading facility requirements even under sunlight exceeds 10000 lux.

Equipped with fast structured light, boasts ambient light resistance, significantly reducing shading facility requirements even under sunlight exceeds 10000 lux. Mech-Eye Nano : Combining small size with high-quality imaging processing, Mech-Eye Nano helps robotic arms to better understand and interact with their surroundings.

Combining small size with high-quality imaging processing, helps robotic arms to better understand and interact with their surroundings. Mech-Eye Deep : With a large field of view and extra depth accuracy, Mech-Eye Deep can well recognize tightly-packed wrinkled sacks of different sizes.

With a multi-language SDK for platforms, end-users can integrate Mech-Eye 3D Camera with Mech-Vision graphical vision software and Mech-Viz intelligent robot programming environment to develop customized applications.

With such features and potential, Mech-Eye 3D industrial cameras have been deployed in over 1000 applications across wide-ranging industries including manufacturing, steel, food, logistics, finance, and healthcare since 2016.

"Mech-Mind is driven by the philosophy to empower partners and integrators with competitive products and comprehensive service." says Tianlan Shao, Founder & CEO of Mech-Mind.

"Our products are designed to fundamentally reframe the manufacturing pain points by utilizing the practice of AI and human-robotics interaction. Moving forward, we will focus on leveraging technical strength to pioneer the next frontier of manufacturing."

For more information, please visit https://en.mech-mind.net/.

About Mech-Mind Robotics

Mech-Mind was founded in 2016 to put intelligence into industrial robots. Integrating advanced technologies including deep learning, 3D Vision, and motion planning, Mech-Mind offers cost-effective solutions to palletizing and depalletizing, bin picking, order sorting, machine tending and assembly/gluing/locating in logistics and manufacturing.

Mech-Mind's intelligent industrial robot solutions are used in automotive OEM plants, appliance plants, steel plants, food plants, logistics warehouses, banks, and hospitals in countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, and the U.S.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

+86 156-0056-6154

SOURCE Mech-Mind Robotics

Related Links

www.mech-mind.net


China's top legislature starts standing committee session

Xinhua) 11:00, June 08, 2021

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the first plenary meeting of the 29th session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee in Beijing, capital of China, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, started its 29th session on Monday in Beijing.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the session's first plenary meeting.

Lawmakers reviewed draft laws on data security, the Hainan free trade port, and the protection of status, rights, and interests of military personnel. They also reviewed a draft revision to the Law on Military Facilities Protection, a draft amendment to the Law on Workplace Safety, and draft laws on stamp tax and opposing foreign sanctions.

In reports submitted to the session, the NPC Constitution and Law Committee said that the seven drafts are mature enough and suggested they pass at the session.

The NPC Constitution and Law Committee also submitted to the session draft laws on legal aid and physicians. Both the drafts returned to the legislature for a second reading.

Lawmakers deliberated for the first time a draft revision to the Vocational Education Law, a draft amendment to the Audit Law, and a draft decision to authorize the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress and its standing committee to formulate regulations concerning the Pudong New Area.

The session also deliberated a report on the central government's 2020 final accounts, an audit report on the execution of the central government's 2020 budget and other fiscal revenue and expenditure, and a report on the examination results of the draft 2020 central final accounts.

Other documents reviewed at the session include a report on the development of a modern comprehensive transportation system and a report on the ecological protection of the Yangtze River basin.

Lawmakers were also briefed by Wang Chen, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, on a report on the enforcement of the Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
The US government's national laboratory had in a 2020 report on the origins of Covid-19 concluded that the virus leaked from a Chinese lab in Wuhan, the Wall Street Journal said on Monday citing people familiar with the classified document.

The study prepared in May 2020 by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California said that "the hypothesis claiming the virus leaked from a Chinese lab in Wuhan is plausible and deserves further investigation", WSJ reported.

The study, dated May 27 was also used by the State Department in its own inquiry into the pandemic's origins in October last year, during the Trump administration.

Lawrence Livermore's "Z Division" drew its assessment based on genomic analysis of the SARS-COV-2 virus, which causes Covid19, the WSJ report said, adding that the national laboratory has declined to comment on the study.

The virus was initially thought to have first transmitted to humans via an infected animal, but the study differed from the dominant view.

The findings of the US State Department's probe into the pandemic's origins were made public in a January 15 fact sheet. It listed a series of circumstantial reasons why the Covid-19 outbreak might have originated as a result of a lab accident.

They include the assertion that "the US government has reason to believe that several researchers inside the WIV (Wuhan Institute of Virology) became sick in autumn 2019" with symptoms that were consistent with Covid-19 or a seasonal flu, the report said.

The assertion is partly based on a US intelligence report that three WIV researchers became sick enough in November 2019 that they sought hospital care.

The Lawrence Livermore's study is attracting fresh interest after US President Joe Biden, last month, ordered the intelligent community to re-double efforts to examine how the virus originated, including the lab accident theory. He has asked the agencies to report to him within 90 days on how the virus emerged.

China has, on the other hand, dismissed the Wuhan lab leak theory as "extremely impossible" and has accused the US of "political manipulation".
Screen legend Sophia Loren plays her own mother in biopic "My House is Full of Mirrors".

JULY 6

HIDDEN: FIRST BORN, SWEDEN, BANIJAY, NEW SERIES

A uniquely Nordic fantasy drama starring Izabella Scorupco (Goldeneye) in a tale of secret identities and supernatural powers.

ARLETTY: A GUILTY PASSION, FRANCE, FILM & PICTURE, NEW FEATURE FILM

In occupied Paris during the filming of 'Les Enfants du Paradis', nonconformist actress Arletty falls in love with a German officer and faces the consequences of her actions.

JULY 13

THE ART OF CRIME: SEASON 4, FRANCE, GAUMONT, NEW SEASON

Addictive mysteries with Nicolas Gob (A French Village) and Eleonore Bernheim (Murder In) as mismatched investigators chasing down missing paintings and solving murders in Paris.

THE KING, THE SQUIRREL AND THE GRASS SNAKE: PART 1, FRANCE, FILM & PICTURE, NEW FEATURE FILM

First part of a two-part feature on the life of 17th century French nobleman Nicolas Fouquet, who had a glittering career before he fell out with King Louis XIV.

JULY 20

MY HOUSE IS FULL OF MIRRORS, ITALY, RAI, NEW LIMITED SERIES

Screen legend Sophia Loren stars as her own mother in this spellbinding biopic based on her sister's memoir.

THE KING, THE SQUIRREL AND THE GRASS SNAKE: PART 2, FRANCE, FILM & PICTURE, NEW FEATURE FILM

The second and final chapter tells the tragic story of the downfall of 17th century French nobleman Nicolas Fouquet.

JULY 27

BLOOD ON THE DOCKS: SEASON 2, FRANCE, BANIJAY, NEW SEASON

Adapted from Graham Hurley's bestselling novels, Blood on the Docks is a gritty French crime drama about the war on the streets in the port city of Le Havre. The two cops on the front lines of the brutal turf battles are the police department's odd couple, inspectors Richard Faraday and Paul Winckler.

STROKE OF LUCK, FRANCE, FILM & PICTURE, NEW FEATURE FILM

Family drama about a young widow raising two children, whose lives are irrevocably changed after a sudden accident.

About MHz Networks

MHz Networks offers viewers access to a library of the best television mysteries, dramas, comedies and documentaries subtitled in English through its subscription streaming service, MHz Choice. Select MHz Networks content is also available on DVD and on its free ad-supported service MHz Now, available on Samsung TV Plus. New MHz Choice customers receive a free 7-Day Trial. For more information, go to mhzchoice.com.

SOURCE MHz Choice
HOUSTON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MRC Global Inc. (NYSE: MRC) will release its second quarter 2021 results on July 29, 2021 after the market closes. In conjunction with the release, the Company will host a conference call, which will be webcast, on Friday, July 30, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern / 9:00 a.m. Central.

What: MRC Global Second Quarter 2021 Earnings Conference Call



When: Friday, July 30, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern / 9:00 a.m. Central



How: Via phone -- Dial 412-902-0003 and ask for the MRC Global call at least 10 minutes prior to the start time, or webcast -- at http://www.mrcglobal.com

A replay will be available through August 13, 2021 by dialing 201-612-7415 using passcode 13720269#. An archive of the webcast will be available shortly after the call at www.mrcglobal.com for 90 days.

About MRC Global Inc.

MRC Global is the largest distributor of pipe, valves and fittings (PVF) and other infrastructure products and services to the energy industry, based on sales. Through approximately 230 service locations worldwide, approximately 2,600 employees and with 100 years of history, MRC Global provides innovative supply chain solutions and technical product expertise to customers globally across diversified end-markets including the upstream production, midstream pipeline, gas utility and downstream and industrial. MRC Global manages a complex network of over 200,000 SKUs and 10,000 suppliers simplifying the supply chain for its over 12,000 customers. With a focus on technical products, value-added services, a global network of valve and engineering centers and an unmatched quality assurance program, MRC Global is the trusted PVF expert. Find out more at www.mrcglobal.com .

Contact:

Monica Broughton

Investor Relations

MRC Global Inc.

[email protected]

832-308-2847

SOURCE MRC Global Inc.

Related Links

https://www.mrcglobal.com/


NEW YORK, June 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Acclaimed Icelandic music producer and beats maestro, Arni Larusson p/k/a Ice Starr, filed legal action this week against several of music's top artists and music labels. The complaint filed by Werge Law Group on behalf of Mr. Larusson in the Southern District of New York, cites multiple copyright infringements and piracy claims of original compositions protected under the U.S Copyright Act. At the core of the complaint is Jeremy Biddle's a/k/a Yung Bleu breakout album "Investments 5", the "Bleu Money" EP release, and also includes mega hits "Miss It" and "Ice On My Baby". The "Investments 5" album consists of unauthorized use of six original compositions by Mr. Larusson. The infringing works listed in the filing all retain Mr. Larusson's specific watermark under his Ice Starr brand. The watermark is repeated throughout all the cited tracks, further supporting Mr. Larusson's claims. The filing goes on to list over ten infringing works distributed by the defendants with no authorization. According to industry practice and legal standards, had Mr. Larusson's work been properly licensed, these watermarks would have been removed from the underlying sound recordings and compositions upon the execution of a standard production agreement and prior to distribution.

"It is our understanding that the infringing tracks were most likely ripped by Yung Bleu's team from YouTube using a .mp3 converter, and Yung Bleu simply rapped over Mr. Larusson's sound recordings and compositions." - Tom Werge, Werge Law Group

Since news of this filing broke, Yung Bleu himself reached out to Ice Starr and Yung Bleu spoke directly with Gregory Hirschhorn, the CEO of Too Lost, Ice Starr's publishing and management company, and acknowledged he had been made aware of the pending litigation. Florida News Times reported late Thursday evening that Yung Bleu is denying any copyright infringement, stating that Taquari Hatch/a/k/a RSRVE bought all the rights from Mr. Larusson for $1,500.

"This is a gross misrepresentation of the facts considering there is no publishing agreement in place for any of Mr. Larusson's infringed works."  Gregory Hirschhorn, Too Lost

To put this in context, in October 2020, Yung Bleu hit 1 Billion streams  a large percentage of which were derivative works of Mr. Larusson's sound recordings and underlying compositions. According to the lawsuit, Yung Bleu and his team have since earned millions of dollars benefiting from the original work of Mr. Larusson, for which he was never compensated.

"This lawsuit is an unfortunate but inevitable result of the current ecosystem of the industry, where consequences for this type of infringement are rarely enforced outside of the legal system. For me, this not personal against any of my industry peers, this is about respect for my livelihood and the value of my brand."  Arni Larusson p/k/a Ice Starr.

For more information  [email protected]

SOURCE Too Lost
BEIJING, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nadula is an international human hair brand that hasn't changed its commitment as a beauty ambassador that brings luxurious, natural, and durable beauty to women across the world. Also, it is one of the best hair stores that use quadpay.

Being amongst the best suppliers of Remy and Virgin human hair wigs and weave hair bundles having closures, Nadula provides the finest quality hair weaves, human hair wigs, hair bundles having closures, as well as lace closures at the best prices. Nadula has got a lot of positive reviews from its new as well as regular customers.

Nadula's 2021 mid-of Year Promotion is coming between 7-13 June and the company is offering great discounts like:

$5 off for orders amount $99 Code: MY5 $15 off for orders amount $169 Code: MY15 $25 off for orders amount $269 Code: MY25

At Nadula, you can also check our new arrivals on the New In page. You can choose Blonde or Brown Balayage Highlights Wigs from Nadula by considering the points like Lace Size, Cap Type, Hair Density, Hair Texture, Hair Color, and Hair Length.

A lot of people like Nadula due to its extensive wig selection having a different texture, length, and style including blonde wig, curly wigs, ombre wig, brown wig, half wigs, straight wig, etc. In addition, all their wigs are of the highest quality and easily manageable, which makes them perfect for all women having different preferences. Also, they offer tips as well as hair tutorials on different social media channels.

Customers may also choose other hot-selling products from the list given below:

About Nadula

Nadula is an international human hair brand that hasn't changed its commitment as a beauty ambassador that brings luxurious, natural, and durable beauty to women across the world. Being a leading Virgin hair websites, Nadula provides the best quality hair weaves, human hair wigs, hair bundles having closures as well as lace closures at the best prices. Nadula has got a lot of positive reviews from its new as well as regular customers.

Contact Details

8400 Edinger Ave H 203, Huntington Beach, CA 92647

PHONE: 17698011015 (wholesale only)

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.nadula.com

SOURCE nadula.com
WOBURN, Mass., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Neurogastrx, Inc., a privately held specialty pharmaceutical company developing transformative therapies for gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, announced today that it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., of Seoul, South Korea, for the development and commercialization of fexuprazan, an investigational novel potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB) for the treatment of erosive esophagitis (EE) and other acid-related conditions.

"This agreement bolsters our mission to advance transformative therapeutics for GI disorders with significant unmet need and disease burden. The addition of fexuprazan to our pipeline, which already includes a late-stage investigational treatment for gastroparesis, further strengthens our potential to bring benefit to millions of patients with chronic and debilitating GI disorders," said James O'Mara, Chief Executive Officer, Neurogastrx. "Fexuprazan has an opportunity to provide significant improvement over the current standard of care in treating erosive esophagitis, as well as other serious acid-related GI disorders. We look forward to working with Daewoong Pharmaceutical as we develop fexuprazan for the U.S. and Canada."

"We are excited about fexuprazan and its potential to become an improved treatment option for patients with acid-related diseases," said Seng-Ho Jeon, Chief Executive Officer & President, Daewoong Pharmaceutical. "We are delighted to enter into this strategic alliance with Neurogastrx as part of our plan to develop fexuprazan into a global product."

Under the terms of this agreement, Daewoong Pharmaceutical will take a significant equity stake in Neurogastrx, ramping to 13.5% ownership upon an initial public offering (IPO). Neurogastrx has the exclusive right to develop and commercialize fexuprazan in the U.S. and Canada. Other financial terms of the agreement are not being disclosed.

Daewoong Pharmaceutical successfully completed a Phase 3 trial with fexuprazan for the treatment of EE in South Korea and will seek marketing approval in that country. Neurogastrx plans to initiate pivotal clinical development for fexuprazan in the U.S. in 2022.

About Fexuprazan

Fexuprazan is an investigational P-CAB for the treatment of EE, a chronic and progressive condition that impacts millions of patients in the U.S. It is designed to block proton pumps from secreting gastric acid in the stomach. P-CABs have been shown to act more rapidly and suppress the secretion of acid more effectively and more durably than proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which are the current standard of care for EE.

About Erosive Esophagitis (EE)

It is estimated that 65 million people in the U.S. have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and that 20% of GERD sufferers have EE. Of those patients with EE who are currently on treatment (most commonly PPIs), as many as 10 million have persistent GERD and other acid-related GI disorders that are not adequately managed with existing treatments.

EE is a condition characterized by breaks (irritation and damage) in the inner lining of the esophagus (tube that runs from the throat to the stomach) caused by a recurring reflux of acidic stomach contents over time. Symptoms of EE and GERD may include heartburn (a rising, burning sensation behind the breastbone) and regurgitation (sensation of backward flow of liquid content up into the chest or throat). EE is also a risk factor for developing Barrett's esophagus, an adaptation to chronic reflux resulting in formation of a new (different) type of inner lining of the esophagus that is associated with an increased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma, a serious and potentially fatal cancer of the esophagus.

About Neurogastrx, Inc.

Neurogastrx, Inc. is a privately held specialty pharmaceutical company developing transformative therapies to advance the treatment of GI disorders for which meaningful therapeutic innovation is required to satisfy unmet patient need and disease burden. In addition to fexuprazan, Neurogastrx is developing NG101, a dopamine D 2 receptor antagonist that is currently in Phase 2 development for the treatment of gastroparesis, a debilitating GI disorder affecting the lives of about 10 million people in the U.S. For more information, visit the company's website at www.neurogastrx.com.

About Daewoong Pharmaceutical. Co., Ltd.

Established in 1945, Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a leading South Korean pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, and commercializes pharmaceuticals for both domestic and international markets. With its strong and competent in-house R&D and qualified manufacturing facilities, Daewoong provides a total healthcare solution to customers across the globe. Aiming to become a global healthcare company, Daewoong has broadened international operations by establishing branch offices and research centers throughout Asia and the United States. Also, Daewoong has established strategic partnerships in more than 100 countries worldwide. For further information, visit https://www.daewoong.co.kr/en

Forward Looking Statements

This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Certain of these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "believes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "assumes," "may," "should," "will," "seeks," or other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, Neurogastrx, Inc.'s expectations regarding the timing or occurrence of clinical trials or equity offerings. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside the Neurogastrx, Inc.'s control and are difficult to predict. Neurogastrx, Inc. cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Neurogastrx, Inc. does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Media Contact

Eliza Schleifstein

917-763-8106

[email protected]

SOURCE Neurogastrx

Related Links

http://www.neurogastrx.com/


ATLANTA, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Arthritis Foundation has released a mobile app to serve as a new tool for people living with pervasive, chronic pain. Named Vim, a word defined by "energy" and "enthusiasm," the app is a direct response to the chronic pain reported by patients in the Arthritis Foundation's ongoing Live Yes! INSIGHTS study.

Vim arms users with personalized pain management strategies and serves as a pocket-friendly way of tracking pain to help facilitate conversations with their doctor. The all-in-one app is also a master motivator  encouraging people to set attainable movement goals and rewarding them for their wins. And Vim thrives on community: users are supported by a network of other people facing similar challenges.

According to Steven Taylor, Executive Vice President of Mission & Strategic Initiatives for the Arthritis Foundation, Vim was created as a holistic approach to managing pain  putting an emphasis on how pain can severely impact a person's mental and emotional health.

"Our research shows that chronic pain is pervasive  affecting every aspect of a patient's life," said Taylor. "By providing a community of motivators, Vim supports the mental and emotional health of patients  which is the first step in managing chronic pain and living a fuller life."

Each component of the app is inspired by patient experiences highlighted in the Arthritis Foundation's How it Hurts report:

Educational Resources

Seventy-seven percent of arthritis patients with limited education levels face extra challenges in their fight against arthritis. With Vim, users have access to a free library of expert content in a variety of forms, from podcasts, recipes, exercises, videos and more  spanning topics including sleep, healthy eating and stress and emotional wellbeing.

But no matter their education level, arthritis patients say the more resources they have, the better  especially early in their diagnosis.

For Travis Salmon, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic osteoarthritis nearly 20 years ago, Vim especially would have made the earlier years of his arthritis journey much easier to process. "I spent many years looking for solutions to minimize pain and educate myself about this disease," said Salmon, 47, who resides in Kansas. "This would have been incredible on my journey to find information I needed to fight my arthritis  but now, with the app, I love that I have all of these resources and support groups right at my fingertips."

Community Support

Two-thirds of people with arthritis say pain interferes with their ability to socialize. To combat this, Vim serves as a constant source of companionship and helps people make friends who understand what they're going through  a critical component of a patient's social and emotional wellbeing.

"I like this app because it not only focuses on my physical pain, but allows me to assess my mental health, as well. They are interconnected, but often addressed separately," said Tonya Horton, 51, of New Jersey, who was diagnosed with osteoarthritis five years ago. "This helps extend the conversation about mental health."

Improved quality of life

Seventy-five percent of arthritis patients say that pain interferes somewhat, quite a bit or very much with their day-to-day activities. The app not only provides users with motivation to achieve their goals but also makes it convenient to track pain.

"Living with psoriatic arthritis for nearly all my life, I've had to get creative with how I journal my pain. Sometimes I find it difficult to go to my doctor and talk about my arthritis because I can't remember the past two days, let alone the past three months," said Katie Roberts, 45, who is based in Maryland. "I love how Vim prompts me to check-in with my pain every day. And now I have a tool to take to my physician to help update my treatment plan."

Roberts added, "Even for someone like me who has a good handle on their pain, this app is a game-changer."

Vim is a living, learning ecosystem  and patient voices help inform how the app is used to respond to a person's unique needs. People living with arthritis are encouraged to participate in the Arthritis Foundation's Live Yes! INSIGHTS study to share their experience. For more information about the inspiration behind Vim, download the How it Hurts report.

Vim is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store; search "Vim Arthritis" or "Vim Pain" to find and download the app. The Arthritis Foundation would like to thank its inaugural Vim app sponsors, Flexion and Tylenol, and would also like to thank HurtSkurt for their support of the Vim app.

About the Arthritis Foundation:

The Arthritis Foundation is fighting for all people who live with arthritis. As a Champion of Yes, it's the Arthritis Foundation's mission to turn the obstacles arthritis causes into opportunities. The Arthritis Foundation champions life-changing solutions and medical advancements, and it also provides ways for people to connect, break down barriers in health care and join the fight for a cure  uniting hearts, minds and resources to change the future of arthritis. To join the fight to cure arthritis, visit arthritis.org.

CONTACT:

Margo Fischgrund

412-414-9960

[email protected]

SOURCE The Arthritis Foundation
SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new California Voter Foundation report sheds light on the threats and attacks U.S. election officials have endured in the wake of the 2020 election.

"Documenting and Addressing Harassment of Election Officials" features findings gathered through interviews with eleven election officials from six states along with eight of the nation's leading election experts.

New California Voter Foundaiton report on harassment of U.S. election officials (PRNewsfoto/California Voter Foundation) CVF's June 9th webinar features election expert panelists Tiana Epps-Johnson, Matt Masterson and Amber McReynolds - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Cuc0HhSCQ2qdSBYPm0Habw (PRNewsfoto/California Voter Foundation)

The report finds that ten of the eleven officials interviewed endured death threats, other threats or abusive language. The report is available online at www.calvoter.org/harassment .

"While many have put the last election in the rear-view mirror, election officials are still being attacked," said Kim Alexander, California Voter Foundation (CVF) president and founder. "These attacks are driving a disturbingly high number of our democracy's frontline workers to leave their positions. In California, 15 percent of election officials have already resigned and more may follow."

Officials interviewed for the report are not identified and were selected for their perspective and experiences of harassment. The report is authored by Grace Gordon, a UC Berkeley Master of Development Practice graduate who conducted her research under the guidance of Alexander and Cathy Darling Allen, CVF's board chair and County Clerk and Registrar of Voters for Shasta County, CA.

Four of the eleven officials interviewed reported receiving explicit death threats. Some election officials described attackers threatening to inflict harm upon their family members. Election staff members have also been harassed and threatened. The report includes direct quotes from election officials and contains a trigger warning for readers that the content is violent and may be disturbing. Nearly all threats were received by phone calls or voicemail.

With women accounting for over 75 percent of local election officials, the report also explores the relationship between misogyny and harassment in the threats and abuse of election officials.

Several officials reported an insufficient response from law enforcement to death threats and other threats they received. Most of the election officials and experts interviewed cited lack of funding for election offices as a major concern.

"Election administration is chronically underfunded and under-resourced, which contributes to election officials feeling at risk and undervalued," said Darling Allen.

Several recommendations for addressing harassment are detailed in the report and include decreasing the impact of mis- and disinformation by strengthening public education, increasing funding to support election administration and expanding legal and law enforcement protections for election officials.

"We are at risk of losing the vast institutional knowledge required to conduct free and fair elections in the U.S.," Alexander warned. "By shining a light on the suffering and pain inflicted upon our election officials, we hope to motivate lawmakers, law enforcement, philanthropists, and the nonprofit and academic sectors to work together to safeguard this mission critical role in U.S. elections."

The California Voter Foundation will host a June 9th webinar to share the report findings and will provide a recording of the event on its web site. CVF is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization working to improve the voting process to better serve voters. Release and distribution of this report is supported by a generous contribution from Craig Newmark Philanthropies.

Media Contact:

Kim Alexander

916-441-2494

[email protected]

SOURCE California Voter Foundation
WASHINGTON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new survey by John Zogby Strategies on behalf of the Employee-Owned S Corporations of America (ESCA) tells "a tale of two economies" during the pandemic, during which workers at employee-owned S corporations (S ESOPs) report being on significantly more stable financial ground than other U.S. workers. During the COVID emergency, ESOP employees have experienced dramatically less financial adversity, have had more stable jobs and better housing security and retirement savings than their non-ESOP counterparts.

Zogby surveyed a sample of mid- and lower-level employees at employee-owned private companies and a sample of other non-ESOP employees and "found a world of difference between the two groups" in key measures, including:

JOB RETENTION :

Non-ESOP employees reported experiencing job losses or downsizing at six times the rate of their peers at employee-owned companies.

FINANCIAL SECURITY:

Non-ESOP workers have been adversely affected by the pandemic economy at more than three times the rate of employees at ESOP companies.

of employees at ESOP companies. Twice as many non-ESOP respondents as ESOP respondents are concerned about their ability to pay down debt.

non-ESOP respondents as ESOP respondents are concerned about their ability to pay down debt. Three times as many ESOP employees say they are able to cover an emergency $500 expense, compared with their non-ESOP counterparts.

ESOP employees say they are able to cover an emergency expense, compared with their non-ESOP counterparts. Twice as many ESOP workers expect to retire by the age of 60 compared with workers at non-ESOP companies.

HOUSING SECURITY:

No ESOP respondents reported being behind on their rent or mortgage, compared to more than 25 percent of their non-ESOP peers.

The findings support decades of research showing that working for a private ESOP company helps American workers be better equipped to weather financial challenges or economic downturns, and that ESOP companies tend to weather economic storms better than other businesses. "Policy-makers would be wise to incentivize the ESOP structure for as many working Americans as possible so that financial strength and independence may be fostered and achieved," Zogby writes in their report. "With a debt crisis looming, the ESOP path may provide a lodestar for weathering such a potential storm."

The findings follow a study released earlier in the year by economist Jared Bernstein, who is now a member of President Biden's White House Council of Economic Advisers, which affirmed the worker benefits of ESOPs. In that study, Dr. Bernstein urged lawmakers to explore ways to encourage the formation of more employee-owned businesses. In a previous study, Bernstein demonstrated that employee ownership helps to close the wage and wealth gap between managers and workers in ESOP-owned companies. And, at a time when many Americans are struggling with job losses, research reveals that job growth among employee-owned S corporations has historically outpaced that of the private sector as a whole.

Demonstrating the continued broad, bipartisan support for employee ownership, Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio), along with 25 original Senate co-sponsors, recently introduced the "Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act of 2021" in the U.S. Senate. The Senate legislation would help extend the substantial benefits of employee ownership to more Americans.

Since Congress created the S corporation ESOP structure through bipartisan legislation over 20 years ago, more than 3,000 private U.S. companies have become S corporation ESOPs, enabling one million workers to have an ownership stake in the businesses where they work.

To read the full survey findings by John Zogby Strategies, CLICK HERE.

To learn more about the Employee-Owned S Corporations of America (ESCA), CLICK HERE.

SOURCE Employee-Owned S Corporations of America
AVON, Conn., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Total voluntary/worksite sales in 2020 for all product lines totaled $7.463 billion, according to Eastbridge's annual U.S. Voluntary/Worksite Sales Report. This represented a decrease of 15.5% compared to 2019.

While all product line sales were down in 2020, life insurance continued to account for the largest percentage of sales29% of all voluntary sales. Term life sales were down 12% compared to 2019, totaling just over $1.6 billion. UL/WL sales were down 14% this year, totaling $507 million.

Hospital indemnity/supplemental medical and critical illness posted the most modest decreases amongst the top selling voluntary products at -6% and -7% respectively. Hospital indemnity/supplemental medical sales totaled $716 million while critical illness sales totaled $789 million. Accident sales declined by 23% compared to 2019, totaling $906 million, and cancer sales declined by 37% compared to 2019, totaling $215 million.

Total disability sales declined by 20% compared to 2019 and totaled $1.3 billion. Short- term disability sales declined by 23% compared to 2019 and long-term disability sales declined by 13%.

The annual U.S. Voluntary/Worksite Sales Report estimates sales for the entire voluntary industry, with detailed data on the performance of 69 carriers, both group and individual, and represents the largest number of carriers included in any sales report for the industry.

Carriers interested in participating in next year's study should email Eastbridge at [email protected]. All participants receive a free copy of the complete findings, including company-specific results.

Eastbridge Consulting Group, Inc. is a marketing advisory firm serving companies focused on the voluntary/worksite benefits market in the United States and Canada.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Erin Marino ([email protected])

SOURCE Eastbridge Consulting Group

Related Links

eastbridge.com


EPALINGES, Switzerland, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Onward Therapeutics (Onward) and Institut du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM) announced today the execution of an exclusive collaboration and worldwide option and license agreement based on a research program in onco-metabolism being conducted by ICM, Montpellier, France. Onward will fund this collaboration and will be able to exercise its option for multiple development candidates. ICM is eligible to receive option fees, milestones, and royalty payments. The detailed financial terms are undisclosed.

Onco-metabolism is recognized as a major axis for novel potential therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. ICM's team has already evaluated several prototypes of inhibitors in various diseases, including proof-of-principle in cancer.

"We are honored to work with ICM, a renowned French not-for-profit private health institute, in this research program which encompasses the discovery of both small molecules and biologics targeting this metabolic pathway. Based on our business model, this deal strengthens our development pipeline including a bispecific antibody (OT-A201) and a NK cell therapy platform (NK-001)," said Dr. C. Grace Yeh, Chairman and CEO of Onward. "This collaboration agreement with ICM clearly illustrates our commitment to identify innovative approaches which can truly lead to breakthrough medicines for the treatment of cancer," commented Dr. Alain Herrera, President of Onward Therapeutics France SAS.

"We are more than happy to have the privilege that our world-class translational project, co-managed with our strategic partners Inserm and Universite de Montpellier in the Institut de Recherche en Cancerologie de Montpellier (IRCM), is in the scope of interest to our partner Onward Therapeutics," said Prof. Marc Ychou, Directeur General of ICM.

Onward was represented by Jonathan Burnham at HBC Avocats. ICM was represented by MCE Carrel, Alexandra Carrel and Camille Lefert.

About Onward Therapeutics

Onward Therapeutics SA is a development stage oncology company, focusing on the identification of innovative technologies and the development of truly breakthrough medicines for the treatment of cancer. The company, led by an experienced team in translational science and drug development, acquires licenses for potential development candidates and invests in partners with transformative technology platforms. Onward recently licensed a preclinical stage, bispecific antibody (OT-A201) targeting two immune checkpoints and invested in the Series A financing round in Biomunex Pharmaceuticals SAS, Paris, France, and made a strategic equity investment into EMERCell SAS, Montpellier, France, a company developing a preclinical stage, NK cell technology (NK-001).

The company is based at Biopole (a life sciences campus in Epalinges), near Lausanne, Switzerland, it has an affiliate in Paris, France, and also operates from Taipei, Taiwan. For more information: http://www.onward-therapeutics.com.

About Institut du Cancer Montpellier (ICM)

Created in 1923 by a French authorities' ordinance, the ICM is one of the 18 French Comprehensive Cancer Centres, all non-for-profit private establishments entirely committed to fighting cancer. Directed by Prof. Marc Ychou, the ICM is a member of the Unicancer group gathering all cancer centres in France. The ICM missions focus on a personalized and innovative global patient management (medical, psychological and social) from cancer detection to post-treatment follow-up. Over the years, the ICM rose at the forefront of the top-performing Comprehensive Cancer Centres.

Research is a major founding mission of the Institute. A better understanding of the causes and mechanisms of cancer development will contribute improving disease prevention and screening, overall cancer management and patients' care and quality of life. Indeed, the ICM develops a research focused on the patient, spanning from fundamental biology to clinical applications. Research at ICM is organized in six areas: prevention, fundamental , translational, clinical and methodological research, and human and social sciences. IRCM (Institut de Recherche en Cancerologie de Montpellier), co-managed with Inserm and Universite de Montpellier, is a major research asset on the ICM campus.

Over 200 researchers are working side-by-side, and with the medical teams, to progress in the fight against cancer. ICM obtained the SIRIC label (Integrated Cancer Research Center) in 2017, for the second time, from the National Cancer Institute (INCa).

SOURCE Onward Therapeutics SA

Related Links

http://www.onward-therapeutics.com


Coronil, the so-called immunity booster kit manufactured by yoga guru Ramdevs' Patanjali group in India, has landed in a controversy in Nepal after the Himalayan nations Department of Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine imposed a ban on its distribution.

The Health Ministry of Nepal, however, has remained silent over the ongoing controversy regarding the distribution of Coronil kits, which have also landed in controversy in India and Bhutan.

The controversy erupted in Nepal after the Patanjai Yoghpeeth on last Thursday handed over Coronil kits, sanitisers, masks and other immunity booster medicines worth crores of rupees to outgoing Health Minister, Hrydesh Tripathi.

The day after he received the support from local officials of the Patanjali Yogpeeth Nepal, Tripathi was removed as the Health Minister.

"The Coronil kits provided by the Patanjali Yogpeeth did not receive permission from the Department of Drug Administration, so we have decided not to distribute it," Basudev Upadhyay, the Director General of the Department of Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine, said in a press conference.

"The Coronil kit could be beneficial for the treatment of respiratory disorders, but it has not taken permission from the Department of Drug Administration, so we cannot distribute it," Upadhyay added.

As per the Nepali law, any drug can be imported only after obtaining permission from the DDA.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson at Nepal's Health Ministry, Krishna Poudel, told IANS that he is not aware about the distribution of Coronil kits in Nepal.

"We do not know if the outgoing Health Minister Tripathi accepted the support. We have heard that it is yet to get permission from the DDA," said Poudel.

"Coronil is not registered with the DDA and it cannot be distributed or sold out without registration," DDA spokesperson Santosh K.C. told IANS.

"We have not received any document for its registration as well as seeking permission for selling out in Nepal. We do not know how the former Health Minister accepted the donation. We have not received any letter from the Health Ministry to grant permission for its distribution," he said.

Meanwhile, Patanjai Yogpeeth said that the consignment of 1,500 Coronil kits was provided upon the request from the government of Nepal.

Officials at Nepal's Health Ministry said that officials from Patanjali Yogpeeth in Nepal and India had approached former Health Minister Tripathi directly, handing over some documents that received permission from the government of India for its distribution and provision of selling for the general public as an immunity booster.

The Bhutan government had already rejected the support provided by Patanjali.
BOSTON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Orbita, an award-winning provider of conversational AI solutions for healthcare and life science organizations, has announced the appointment of Patty Riskind as the company's new CEO.

"I am thrilled to be joining Orbita at this pivotal stage in the business," said Riskind. "The healthcare industry is at an inflection point regarding use of AI to automate workflows and enhance virtual consumer engagement and management of health." Riskind added, "Orbita is uniquely positioned to improve virtual interactions using intelligent voice and chatbots and contextual SMS and email messages - meeting patients and providers where they are - to better navigate and manage encounters across an entire healthcare journey."

Prior to Orbita, Patty was Head of Global Healthcare at Qualtrics, providing experience management (XM) solutions to healthcare providers, payers, and life sciences organizations. She grew the division 435% over 2 years. Prior to Qualtrics, Patty was the Chief Experience Officer at Press Ganey Associates, the largest patient experience and regulatory survey (CAHPS) vendor in the healthcare industry. Patty came to Press Ganey through the acquisition of PatientImpact, the industry's first healthcare eSurvey company, which Patty founded in 2004.

"I'm very proud of what we've built here at Orbita," said Bill Rogers, Orbita's Founder and President. "With our talented team, a powerful platform, and an amazing community of innovative customers and partners, we are extremely well poised to achieve our mission to transform digital healthcare through conversational AI." Rogers added, "We are excited for Patty to leverage her healthcare industry experience to accelerate the impact we know we will have on the future of virtual healthcare worldwide."

About Orbita: Automation with Empathy

Innovative healthcare, life sciences, and medical technology organizations rely on Orbita to power high-value virtual assistants for digital front door applications, remote patient support, pre and post-visit outreach, and other critical interactions throughout the care journey. Orbita's robust conversational platform is designed for both developers and business users to quickly build, deploy, and easily manage virtual assistants for smart speakers, web and mobile chat apps, text messaging applications, interactive voice systems, and custom devices. Orbita's platform is HIPAA compliant and SOC2 certified. Orbita customers and partners include Medstar Health, Mayo Clinic, Philips Healthcare, Amwell, Janssen, Medtronic, Yale New Haven Hospital, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, and others.

CONTACT: Chad Van Alstin, [email protected]

SOURCE Orbita, Inc.

Related Links

orbita.ai


NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of financial markets for 11,000 U.S. and global securities, today announced CNB Community Bancorp, Inc. (OTCQX: CNBB), the bank holding company of County National Bank headquartered in Hillsdale, MI, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. CNB Community Bancorp, Inc. upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink market.

CNB Community Bancorp, Inc. begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol "CNBB." U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.

Graduating to the OTCQX Market marks an important milestone for community banks in the U.S. public markets. The OTCQX Market enables banks to maximize the value of being a public company by providing transparent trading and easy access to company information for shareholders. To qualify for OTCQX, community banks must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.

"The move from the Pink market to OTCQX Premier was part of the natural evolution for our company. Growth in shareholder value and accessibility to our shares have been a dual focus of CNB Community Bancorp, Inc. since we began trading on the Pink market in late 2017," stated President and Chief Executive Officer of CNB Community Bancorp Inc., John R. Waldron.

Boenning & Scattergood acted as the company's OTCQX sponsor.

About CNB Community Bancorp Inc.

CNB Community Bancorp, Inc. (OTCQX:CNBB) is a one-bank holding company formed in 2005. Its subsidiary bank, County National Bank, is a nationally chartered full-service bank, which has served its local communities since its founding in 1934. CNB Community Bancorp, Inc. is headquartered in Hillsdale, Michigan and through its subsidiary bank offers banking products along with investment management and trust services to communities located throughout South Central Michigan.

About OTC Markets Group Inc.

OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates the OTCQX Best Market, the OTCQB Venture Market and the Pink Open Market for 11,000 U.S. and global securities. Through OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN, we connect a diverse network of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. We enable investors to easily trade through the broker of their choice and empower companies to improve the quality of information available for investors.

To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.

OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN are SEC regulated ATSs, operated by OTC Link LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.

Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed

Media Contact:

OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, [email protected]

SOURCE OTC Markets Group Inc.

Related Links

http://www.otcmarkets.com


BOSTON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Amid growing demand from dental payers for its powerful dental artificial intelligence (AI) software, venture-backed dental AI company Overjet today announced it had acquired American Dental Examiners (ADE). The union brings together Overjet's industry-leading dental AI technology with a storied dental claims review firm that built and defined the claim review category over the last four decades. With today's acquisition, Overjet will be the first company in the dental industry to offer under one roof a fully integrated solution for dental payers that combines AI and a licensed, nationwide network of dental claims reviewers.

The ADE acquisition brings to Overjet the ability to provide nationwide, fully licensed utilization review, a broad network of dentists to support claims review, and a leadership team with decades of dental claims review and benefits consulting experience. Founded in 1980, American Dental Examiners pioneered third-party dental claims review and along the way has served some of the country's largest payers.

"The uptake of Overjet's dental AI by payers has been swift and surpassed our expectations," said Dr. Wardah Inam, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Overjet. "As we built these relationships, multiple customers approached us about offering an even broader set of services powered by AI to support the full lifecycle of claim processing. Our partners are rethinking processes, platforms, and technology to speed review and improve consistency for their provider networks and members."

For payers, the ADE acquisition bolsters Overjet's suite of offerings to now include nationwide, fully licensed dental claims decisioning in addition to Overjet's industry-leading dental AI tools for claim review selection and payment integrity. Dental payers can now rely on Overjet to supplement internal clinical staff in order to boost the volume of claims reviewed, handle seasonal variations, and ensure compliance with state utilization review laws. Overjet already has several payers working to integrate licensed clinical review, supported by AI, into their operations. ADE's existing clients will benefit from Overjet's deep technology capabilities and ability to leverage dental AI seamlessly with existing claims review services.

"Through multiple claims review tests, we found that dentists using Overjet's platform and AI technology could work substantially faster and more accurately than many other systems out there," said Dr. Robert Faiella, DMD, chief dental officer of Overjet. "With this insight, we realized that Full Clinical Review as a Service made sense as an offering and could help lower costs, boost quality, and simplify operations for payers."

"When I first saw Overjet's technology, I knew this was the future of dental claims review," said Dr. Robert Leaf, founder of American Dental Examiners and 40-year veteran of the dental claims review industry. "Bringing ADE and Overjet together just made sense. It's top-notch clinical reviewers using best-in-class artificial intelligence. This will redefine the industry."

Today's acquisition follows a year of rapid growth for Overjet since the company came out of stealth in 2020 with the launch of powerful dental AI software and financing from VCs that included Crosslink Capital and the MIT-affiliated E14 Fund. Built upon multiple cutting-edge computational dentistry and AI techniques pioneered and patented by Overjet over two years of extensive R&D, Overjet's clinical and claim intelligence platforms are already being used by some of the largest dental customers in the nation. In a dental AI first, Overjet announced in May 2021 FDA clearance for its Dental Assist product designed for dentists and hygienists at dental clinics. The firm was also named to CB Insights' 2021 AI 100 list, recognizing AI companies that are redefining categories globally.

Founded by PhDs and leading experts from MIT and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Overjet has assembled the largest and most seasoned team of technologists and domain experts with deep AI, dental, and insurance experience. Overjet's leadership team includes Dr. Wardah Inam, PhD, CEO and cofounder; Dr. Robert Faiella, DMD, chief dental officer and former president of the American Dental Association; Deepak Ramaswamy, PhD, CTO and former Amazon executive; Dr. Chris Balaban, DMD, clinical director; and Shaju Puthussery, COO and former chief analytics officer at DentaQuest, the largest Medicaid dental benefits provider.

About Overjet

Overjet is the global leader in dental artificial intelligence, helping both payers and providers improve patient care. The company's technology encodes dentist-level understanding into scalable software products. Follow us at www.overjet.ai and on Twitter @overjetdental.

About American Dental Examiners

Founded in 1980, American Dental Examiners pioneered third-party dental claims review and has served some of the largest payers in the country. The firm holds utilization review licenses nationwide, has a broad network of trained dentist and specialist claims reviewers, and provides benefits design advisement. Find us at www.americandentalexaminers.com .

SOURCE Overjet

Related Links

www.overjet.ai


The school will host several commencement ceremonies this week, both in-person and virtual, after last year's graduation celebrations were restricted to virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ceremonies for the school's 21st graduating class will be held geographically. Students in the eastern portion of the state will attend in-person ceremonies on June 9 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Kutztown University, while those in the western portion of Pennsylvania will attend ceremonies at noon and 3 p.m. on June 11 at Robert Morris University. Virtual commencement ceremonies will be held for students on both sides of the state on June 8, with eastern students graduating at 7:30 p.m. and western students graduating at 5:30 p.m.

"We are excited to be able to return to an in-person graduation," said Brian Hayden, CEO of PA Cyber. "Our kids have worked so hard over the last 15 months of the pandemic to achieve their high school diplomas. We look forward to seeing them walk across the stage and celebrating with them."

Student representatives Sarah Seader (western) and Aliza Rivera (eastern) will speak during the ceremonies. The class of 2021's diplomas will be the first to feature the school's new seal, which represents the organization's ethics, history, and future of its educational offerings. The seal is based on the cornerstone and foundation of the school. The seal's story reads:

Featuring an illuminated torch, the seal's flames represent enlightenment, tolerance, and hope, imparted by the institution's drive to spark coherent and ongoing enrichment. The unwavering flame starts small but grows as the learning never stops. The grasping hand shows that within reach are vast resources and connectivity provided by our core foundation in cyber education. The shield represents strength and longevity, and the symmetrical line upon it draws equal balance to tradition and endless possibilities. The Latin phrase "libertas aditum" means access to freedom. Since 2000, the school's students have been free to choose how they learn best. Olive branches flank the shield signifying our school, which was born of necessity and openly embraces diverse students from every county and every school district within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Deep navy blue stands as the seal's primary color, characterizing the school's strength and reliability. Gold, black, platinum, and bronze represent the precious elements of wisdom, tradition, truth, and determination.

"This seal represents where we are going as an educational institution," Hayden said. "After 20 years and a pandemic, PA Cyber is no longer just challenging the status quowe are the status quo."

Following the 2021 commencement, a total of 18,843 students will have graduated from the school since its inception in 2000. PA Cyber alumni have attended some of the top universities and trade schools in the country and have made their mark in a wide range of professions, ranging from attorneys to teachers to engineers.

Media Contact: Casie Colalella / [email protected]

About PA Cyber

Serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade, the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School (PA Cyber) is one of the largest, most experienced, and most successful online public schools in the nation. PA Cyber's online learning environments, personalized instructional methods, and choices of curricula connect Pennsylvania students and their families with state-certified and highly qualified teachers and rich academic content that is aligned to state standards. Founded in 2000, PA Cyber is headquartered in Midland, Beaver County, and maintains a network of support offices throughout the state. As a public school, PA Cyber is open for enrollment by any school-age child residing in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and does not charge tuition to students or families.

SOURCE The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School (PA Cyber)
CHICAGO, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cook County  Property owners for the first time can find out what portion of local government debt falls on them, thanks to a new, groundbreaking online tool created by Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas.

"Most reports identify government debt as an amount per person," Pappas said. "My latest study takes a more targeted approach by showing debt in relation to each property in Cook County."

The new, unique tool reveals that Willis Tower carries local government debt of nearly $289 million, equal to 41.5% of the iconic skyscraper's $697 million value. A Riverdale house carries $31,800 in local debt, equal to 48% of its $67,000 value. And the debt on a house on Hodgkins has $127,400 in debt, equal to 25.7% of its $496,000 value.

By contrast, the debt on properties in more affluent, lower-tax areas, like Barrington Hills and Winnetka, falls below 10% of the value of the properties in those locations.

These new calculations are available at cookcountytreasurer.com, where property owners can click the purple box on the homepage and search their address to see their local debt burden compared to the value of their home in both dollar and percentage amounts.

The new methodology also allowed Pappas to better compare the overall debt burdens borne by residents of any Cook County city or village. That exercise revealed the burden of local government debt varies greatly throughout the county, with generally heavier burdens in less-affluent suburbs where the populations are more than 50% Black or Latino. The taxes tend to be much higher in many of those minority areas, an indication that more debt leads to higher property taxes.

"Property purchases in Cook County come with a hidden credit card balance, in the form of local government debt," Pappas said. "Property owners end up paying down that debt, on top of also covering their mortgage, utility and maintenance costs."

Contact: Hal Dardick

(312) 603-4995  OFC

(312) 758-4266 - MBL

SOURCE Cook County Treasurer's Office

Related Links

http://www.cookcountytreasurer.com


Now in its second century of business, the report notes progress made in the key target areas and reinforces the company's stewardship platform: We believe in responsible food and agriculture. The report also highlights how the company's sustainability efforts align with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

"As we reflect on the past year, one of uncertainty, unprecedented challenges and hope amid a global pandemic, it reminds us of what's most important  the health and safety of our associates, our family and friends, and the strength of our communities. We also completed our 100th year in business as a family-owned American company," said Jim Perdue, Perdue Farms Chairman. "As this report was being compiled, hope was on the horizon for individuals and families as COVID-19 vaccines rolled out across the country, enabling millions of people to be vaccinated. We continued to partner with local health departments and hospitals to provide vaccine access to our associates and their family members."

The report is available at www.responsiblefoodandagriculture.com formatted as highlights for convenient web access and in an e-book format.

Report highlights include:

People and Partners : Built on progress in being a responsible employer, investing in associates' safety, growth, and well-being.

: Recognized by the CDC for a "best-in-class" COVID-19 response to ensure safety of associates and keep America fed

to ensure safety of associates and keep America fed

Named " America's Best In-State Employer 2020 " by Forbes in Delaware and Virginia

" by Forbes in and

Received 18 safety awards from Joint Industry Safety and Health Council

from Joint Industry Safety and Health Council

Perdue truck driver achieved 4M safe driving miles



Perdue AgriBusiness Plenish high-oleic soybean oil certified Heart Healthy



Provided more than $1.5M in grants through the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation

through the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation

Progressed toward company commitment to donate a minimum of 20 million pounds of protein by 2025; donated more than 4M pounds of protein to support families struggling with food insecurity in FY21

to support families struggling with food insecurity in FY21 Food : Furthered a legacy of product quality and innovation with the introduction of new products from its portfolio of brands.

: PERDUE celebrated Thanksgiving with special limited-edition turkey ThanksNuggets

celebrated Thanksgiving with special limited-edition turkey

Niman Ranch launched new bacon breakfast sausage



Panorama Meats launched shelf-stable beef bone broth



Spot Farms became one of first major pet treat brands to join 1% For The Planet



100% of products meet the requirements of the Global Food Safety Initiative



Zero product recalls in 2020

in 2020 Environment : Progressed toward achieving environmental sustainability goals and being good stewards of the environment :

: : Reduced greenhouse gas intensity by 10.5% and water usage intensity by 8.9% ; improved solid waste diversion from landfills by 10.6%

and water usage intensity by ; improved solid waste diversion from landfills by

Became first U.S. company to create pollinator-friendly habitat throughout solar installation

throughout solar installation

Niman Ranch awarded first Sustainable Farmer of the Year recognition

recognition Animal Care : Continued industry-leading animal care initiatives, commitment to transparency, and hosted fifth annual Animal Care Summit.

: Announced nine new animal-husbandry initiatives planned for 2021 implementation

planned for 2021 implementation

Hosted farmer contest to gain learnings on how to increase the number of birds utilizing free-range pasture

to gain learnings on how to increase the number of birds utilizing free-range pasture

Opened third on-farm poultry learning center focused on education for community and classrooms

focused on education for community and classrooms

Continued leadership as the number-one producer of USDA Organic chicken, raising chickens with outdoor access, and raising animals with no antibiotics ever

About Perdue Farms

We're a fourth-generation, family owned, U.S. food and agriculture company. Through our belief in responsible food and agriculture, we are empowering consumers, customers, and farmers through trusted choices in products and services.

The premium protein portfolio within our Perdue Foods business, including our flagship PERDUE brand, Niman Ranch, Panorama Organic Grass-Fed Meats, Coleman Natural, and Yummy, as well as our pet brands, Spot Farms and Full Moon, is available through various channels including retail, foodservice, club stores, and our direct-to-consumer website, PerdueFarms.com.

Perdue AgriBusiness is an international agricultural products and services company.

Now in our company's second century, our path forward is about getting better, not just bigger. We never use drugs for growth promotion in raising poultry and livestock, and we are actively advancing our animal welfare programs. Our brands are leaders in no-antibiotics-ever chicken, turkey, pork, beef and lamb, and in USDA-certified organic chicken and beef. Learn more at Corporate.PerdueFarms.com.

SOURCE Perdue Farms
"We are excited to be collaborating with NASA in pushing the frontier of manipulator robotics beyond factories and warehouses, and into the most difficult domains," commented Dr. Dave Coleman, PickNik founder and CEO.

"PickNik's aim is to make robotics easier to use so that more people can operate them in complex environments. We believe integrating this automation while enabling human-in-the-loop intervention makes for the simplest teleop solution," Dr. Mark Moll, Director of Research at PickNik, added.

PickNik's technology addresses a common gap in deploying robotic arms into environments, where full autonomy is still too difficult. Instead, a human operator is able to supervise and quickly intervene when the robot gets stuck. PickNik plans to widely release the system terrestrially in Fall 2021 under the name MoveIt Studio.



MoveIt Studio gives technicians access to the advanced algorithmic capabilities provided by MoveIt within an accessible user interface. MoveIt Studio enables operators to specify complex sequences of motions for robots (such as Robonaut 2) in unstructured environments, including the International Space Station and the future Lunar Gateway. This allows the operator to think in terms of what the robot needs to do next, rather than how.

PickNik is currently seeking reference customers for Summer 2021 and beyond. For more information, contact [email protected] .

Accelerate Your Robotics Development | PickNik's mission is to address technical challenges while dramatically reducing development time for advanced robotic applications. PickNik supports and collaborates with the open-source robotics movement, providing companies with cutting-edge capabilities.

SOURCE PickNik Robotics

Related Links

https://picknik.ai


LONDON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shoppers looking for the best deals on millions of products can rejoice thanks to the launch of PriceDrone's newest website (Pricedrone.com). With the launch of its popular price comparison platform in North America, PriceDrone has made it easier than ever for shoppers to find exciting new shops and products while giving them access to the best prices on a wide variety of goods on the web.

Pricedrone Organic Apple Juice results

PriceDrone is on a mission to revolutionize the online shopping experience by giving consumers access to millions of products at the best possible prices on the web. PriceDrone uses proprietary search engine technology that sets it apart from the competition, which translates to more product options and lower prices for millions of online shoppers across North America.

Leveraging cutting-edge search technology and a commitment to equity for small businesses, PriceDrone can identify thousands of online shops that are normally not visible in other similar search engines. The result is access to millions of products in thousands of consumer categories offered by over 100,000 online shops serving the USA and Canada.

"With over 100,000 online stores already featured on Pricedrone.com, users can discover new shops they wouldn't necessarily find on other search engines or price comparison websites," said Kevin Allman, spokesperson at Pricedrone.com. "This, along with several new features we've introduced, will provide even more choice to consumers when shopping online."

In addition to price comparison features for shoppers, PriceDrone also offers retailers the opportunity to be listed in their search engine results if they are not already listed, widening their potential customer basesan especially attractive feature for smaller businesses looking to gain exposure.



To learn more or to shop using PriceDrone's search engine, visit https://www.pricedrone.com/

About PriceDrone

PriceDrone is a product search engine giving online shoppers access to millions of products from over 100,000 online shops. PriceDrone seeks to feature shops of all sizes, helping them meet their business growth and profit goals while giving consumers access to exciting new products. Visit https://www.pricedrone.com/ (US) and https://www.pricedrone.co.uk (UK) to learn more.

For more information about PriceDrone or media inquiries, please contact Kevin Allman at +44 07534 327932 or [email protected].

SOURCE Pricedrone.com
BROOKFIELD, Wis. and MONTEBELLO, N.Y., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Procurement Partners, a leading provider of procure-to-pay (P2P) solutions for post-acute care and senior living communities, today announced it has acquired New York-based On.Care, a leading e-procurement solution provider to skilled nursing and assisted living facilities nationwide. The combination of the two companies yields one of the largest Procure-to-Pay organizations in healthcare.

Procurement Partners drives meaningful procurement savings for its customers through its proprietary e-procurement platform, which provides an automated end-to-end purchasing solution, encompassing the full purchasing cycle - from product selection to vendor payment. Joining forces with On.Care unlocks additional cross-sell opportunities while expanding the combined companies' robust vendor base and tech expertise.

"We are incredibly excited to bring On.Care into the Procurement Partners family and leverage their expertise and success as a highly-respected procure-to-pay provider," said Rusty Zosel, CEO of Procurement Partners. "Our aligned values of listening to our customers and developing best-in-class technology solutions are very important to us and we look forward to building upon their impressive record of customer satisfaction, and creating an even stronger story together," he added.

The Procurement Partners platform improves savings through its 100% invoice digitization, removing the need for manual and paper keying. The platform also offers a compliance audit feature, which can help reduce bottom-line vendor spend for its customers. The combined company plans to continue to support and invest in both e-procurement platforms while identifying additional synergies to maximize growth.

"We built On.Care from literally the ground up, and we are thrilled that our two decades of hard work and focus have attracted such a reputable partner," said Sam Schwartz, CEO of On.Care. "We are confident that our future with Procurement Partners will help take what my brother and I envisioned for the company to the next level and I am excited to start building that future now," he added.

The acquisition is backed by Serent Capital, a growth-focused firm that invests in technology and tech-enabled services companies. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

About Procurement Partners

Since 2010, Procurement Partners has been leading the business commerce evolution with its procure-to-pay (P2P) solution. The complete procurement and transaction automation portal, built and supported by Procurement Partners, reduces off-contract spending, and drives efficiency to purchase processes while automatically auditing every invoice. The significant amount of flexibility of the Portal, the ability to capture 100% of invoices, and the capability to service customers and vendors of all sizes have made Procurement Partners one of the fastest-growing P2P solutions in multiple markets. Learn more at http://www.procurementpartners.com .

About On.Care

Founded in 2004 in Montebello, New York, On.Care provides Skilled Nursing Facilities a comprehensive and user-friendly purchasing and invoicing system, making the process of purchasing products for all categories needed by SNFs easy and accessible. On.Care provides full-service customer support at every step, from implementation of the software to helping with daily tasks. On.Care's goal is to help all SNFs reach their budget, productivity and efficiency peak, ultimately allowing them to offer the best service they can to their patients.

About Serent Capital

Serent Capital invests in growing businesses that have developed compelling solutions that address their customers' needs. As those businesses grow and evolve, the opportunities and challenges that they face change with them. At Serent Capital, principals have firsthand experience capturing those opportunities and navigating these difficulties through their experiences as CEOs, strategic advisors, and board members to successful growing businesses. By bringing its expertise and capital to bear, Serent seeks to help growing businesses thrive. For more information on Serent Capital, visit www.serentcapital.com .

SOURCE Procurement Partners

Related Links

www.procurementpartners.com


LONDON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- QS Quacquarelli Symonds, global higher education analysts, have today released the eighteenth edition of the QS World University Rankings. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) celebrates an unprecedented, unbroken decade as the world's best university.

L. Rafael Reif, President of MIT, said: "We deeply appreciate the recognition of our institution and the faculty, staff, alumni, and students that make MIT what it is  and we also tremendously admire the achievements of academic institutions around the globe. The world benefits from a strong higher education network that delivers countless benefits for humanity, from fundamental discoveries to novel solutions to pressing challenges in climate and health, to the education of the next generation of talent. We are proud and grateful to belong to this great human community of scholars, researchers and educators, striving together to make a better world."

The top five also experiences its most significant reconfiguration for half a decade: Harvard University (5th) falls out of the top three  its lowest-ever rank - to be replaced by the University of Oxford (2nd, up from 5th) and the University of Cambridge (joint-3rd, shared with Stanford University).

Caltech (6 th ) drops out of the top five for the first time since 2015.

) drops out of the top five for the first time since 2015. ETH Zurich remains continental Europe's best university for a fourteenth consecutive year.

best university for a fourteenth consecutive year. In a major milestone, Mainland China is home to two of the world's top twenty universities for the first time ever.

Asia's two top universities are National University of Singapore (11 th ) and Nanyang Technological University (12 th ).

two top universities are (11 ) and (12 ). Australia's four top universities rise, with Australian National University re-entering the top 30.

four top universities rise, with re-entering the top 30. The progress of Malaysia and Russia slows after years of improvement, but both are home to one of the world's top 100 universities each.

and slows after years of improvement, but both are home to one of the world's top 100 universities each. 48% of Japan's universities decline.

universities decline. Latin America's best university is Universidad de Buenos Aires (69 th ). Hampered by low research impact scores, more of the continent's universities fall than rise.

best university is Universidad de (69 ). Hampered by low research impact scores, more of the continent's universities fall than rise. Saudi Arabia's top university  King Abdulaziz University, 109th - reaches a record high.

QS World University Rankings 2022: Global Top 20 2022 2021 Institution Location 1 1 MIT USA 2 5 University of Oxford UK 3= 7 University of Cambridge UK 3= 2 Stanford University USA 5 3 Harvard University USA 6 4 California Institute of Technology USA 7 8 Imperial College London UK 8= 6 ETH Zurich Switzerland 8= 10 UCL UK 10 9 University of Chicago USA 11 11 National University of Singapore Singapore 12 13 Nanyang Technological University Singapore 13 16 University of Pennsylvania USA 14= 14 Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne Switzerland 14= 17 Yale University USA 16 20 University of Edinburgh UK 17 15 Tsinghua University Mainland China 18 23 Peking University Mainland China 19 19 Columbia University USA 20 12 Princeton University USA  QS Quacquarelli Symonds 2004-2021 https://www.TopUniversities.com/.

Ranking's methodology

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SOURCE QS Quacquarelli Symonds

Related Links

http://www.qs.com/


Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a 2,000-year-old Roman basilica complex in the Tel Ashkelon National Park, Israel.

During the Roman period, the public life of Ashkelon revolved around its basilica (a Roman public building), where its citizens transacted business, met for social and legal matters, and held performances and religious ceremonies, said Dr. Rachel Bar-Natan, Dr. Saar Ganor and Dr. Fredrico Kobrin, excavation directors from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).

The basilica was founded by Herod the Great, and one historical source suggests that his family came from the city of Ashkelon.

During the Roman Severan Dynasty, in the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE, the building was renovated, marble architectural features were brought to the site and a small theater was added.

Herodian coins discovered in the bedding of the structures ancient floors show that it was built at the time of one of the greatest builders ever to have lived in the country.

The writings of the historian Josephus mention Herods construction in Ashkelon and list fountains, a bathhouse and colonnaded halls.

Today, based on the new archaeological evidence, we can understand the origins of the historical record.

The ancient basilica was covered with a roof and divided into three parts  a central hall and two side halls

The hall was surrounded with rows of marble columns and capitals, which rose to an estimated height of 13 m (43 feet) and supported the buildings roof. The floor and walls were built of marble.

The marble was imported from Asia Minor in merchant ships that reached the shores of Ashkelon.

The archaeologists found dozens of column capitals with plant motifs, some bearing an eagle  the symbol of the Roman Empire. Pillars and heart-shaped capitals stood in the corners of the building.

The basilica was devastated in the earthquake that struck the country in 363 CE, they said.

The effects of the seismic waves are clearly visible on the buildings floor, providing tangible evidence of the events of that year in Ashkelon. After its destruction, the building was abandoned.

During the Abbasid and Fatimid periods, the site of the basilica was transformed into an industrial area and several installations were built in it.

In one of these, marble pillars and capitals from the basilica were incorporated in secondary use in the buildings walls.

There is evidence from the Ottoman period that marble items were cut up for use as paving stones and some of the beautiful architectural features were taken for building construction.

The IAAs Conservation Department is conducting complex preservation and restoration work on the basilica and the odeon, led by Israels Nature and Parks Authority and generously funded by the Leon Levy Foundation.
PORTLAND, Ore., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Radar Market by Offering (Hardware, Software, and Services), Product Type (Continuous Wave Radar, Pulse Radar, and Others), Platform (Marine, Air, Ground, and Space), Application (Air Traffic Control, Remote Sensing, Ground Traffic Control, and Space Navigation & Control), and End User (Automotive, Aviation, Industrial, Weather Monitoring, Military & Defense, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212028". As per the report, the global RADAR industry was accounted for $32.56 billion in 2019, and is estimated to reach $44.35 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 4.7% from 2021 to 2028.

Drivers, restraints, and opportunities

Rise in demand for radar systems in automotive and defense industries, surge in territorial battles, and advancements in radar technology drive the growth of the global radar market. However, high cost of radar system hinders the market growth. On the contrary, high investment from the developed countries in the military sector is expected to create lucrative opportunities for the market players in the future.

Download Report Sample (372+ Pages PDF with Insights) @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/1930

Covid-19 scenario:

The Covid-19 outbreak severely affected the production process of several industries. Moreover, the prolonged lockdown resulted in temporary or complete shutdown of a number of industries.

The pandemic affected the supply chain and gave way to uncertainty in the stock market. Moreover, falling business confidence and increased panic among customers hampered the market.

The Covid-19 outbreak severely affected the automotive and industrial sectors as production facilities were closed. The large-scale manufacturing interruptions across Europe and disruptions in Chinese exports hampered the global radar market.

The air traffic control segment held the lion's share

By application, the air traffic control segment held the largest share in 2019, accounting for more than one-fourth of the global radar market, due to rise in number of airports and air travel in developing countries and the need for efficient airspace management system. However, the ground traffic control segment is estimated to register the highest CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period, owing to growing opportunities for the airports to integrate advanced taxing guidance systems based on the existing international standards and integrated technologies.

Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the Radar Market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/1930?reqfor=covid

The military and defense segment dominated the market

By end user, the military and defense segment held the largest share in 2019, contributing to around two-fifths of the global radar market, due to rise in usage of electronic warfare systems and UAVs and advancement in radar technologies and adaptabilities of new missions, platforms, and surroundings. However, the automotive segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 6.7% during the forecast period, owing to surge in demand for safety features in automobiles and rise in demand for comfortable driving.

North America held the largest share

By region, the market across North America held the largest share in 2019, accounting for nearly one-third of the market, due to surge in road victims, rapidly increasing urbanization, changing consumer lifestyles, and stimulating demand for radar in a luxury vehicle. However, the global radar market across Asia-Pacific is expected to portray the highest CAGR of 6.4% during the forecast period, owing to rise in the defense budget of India and China, along with increasing demand for the radar systems.

Schedule a FREE Consultation Call with Our Analysts/Industry Experts to Find Solution for Your Business @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/1930

Major market players

Northrop Grumman Corporation

SAAB AB

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Thales Group

Rockwell Collins Inc.

Honeywell International Inc.

General Dynamics Corporation

Dassault Aviation

BAE Systems

L-3 Communications Holdings

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Related Reports:

Global & Asia-Pacific Radar Market by Product Type (Continuous Wave Radar, Pulse Radar, and Others), Platform (Marine, Air, Ground, and Space), Application (Air Traffic Control, Remote Sensing, Ground Traffic Control, and Space Navigation & Control), and End User (Automotive, Aviation, Industrial, Weather Monitoring, Military & Defense, and Others): Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027

LiDAR Market By Type (Terrestrial, Aerial, Mobile, and Short Range), Component (LASER, Inertial Navigation System, Camera, GPS GNSS Receiver, and MEMS), Application (Corridor Mapping, Seismology, Exploration & Detection, and Others), and End User (Defense & Aerospace, Civil Engineering, Archaeology, Forestry and Agriculture, Mining, and Transportation): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2027

Airborne LiDAR Market by Component (Lasers, Inertial Navigation Systems, Cameras, GPS/GNSS Receivers, and Micro-electromechanical Systems), Application (Corridor Mapping, Seismology, Exploration & Detection, and Others), and End User (Aerospace & Defense, Civil Engineering, Archaeology, Forestry & Agriculture, Mining Industry, and Transportation & Logistics): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20182025

LiDAR Sensor For Environmental Market By Technology (2D LiDAR, 3D LiDAR, and 4D LiDAR), Installation Type (Airborne LiDAR and Ground-Based LiDAR), Service (Aerial Surveying and Ground-Based Surveying), and Application (Forest Management, Coastline Management, Air Pollution, Water Pollution, Agriculture, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027

LiDAR Market By Type (Terrestrial, Aerial, Mobile, and Short Range), Component (LASER, Inertial Navigation System, Camera, GPS GNSS Receiver, and MEMS), Application (Corridor Mapping, Seismology, Exploration & Detection, and Others), and End User (Defense & Aerospace, Civil Engineering, Archaeology, Forestry and Agriculture, Mining, and Transportation): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2027

Prebook These Reports:

Ground Penetrating Radar Market By Type (Handheld Systems, Cart-Based Systems, and Vehicle-Mounted Systems), Application (Utility Detection, Concrete Investigation, Transportation Infrastructure, Archaeology, and Others), and Offering (Equipment and Services): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027

Marine Radar Market By Product Type (S-Band, X-Band, and Others), Application (Fishing Vessel, Recreational Boat, Merchant Marine, and Others), and Industry Vertical (Naval): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027

About us:

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We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
Marella Rossi has chosen Rare Champagne to sublimate the decor of her exhibition "Les Petits Plats dans les Grands" in tribute to the 280 th anniversary of the Manufacture de Sevres. For its part, the Manufacture de Sevres has chosen the Aveline Gallery to create an event outside the walls and to promote the French Gastronomic Meal, which has been classified as an intangible heritage site by UNESCO for a decade.

"The exhibition directed by Camille Leprince and Marella herself allows us to inscribe the fundamentals of our history. We are delighted to be at the heart of it. It's like a gift." explains Maud Rabin, in charge of Rare Champagne.

Rare Champagne has declared only twelve exceptional vintages of Rare Millesimes Brut & Rose since its inception in 1976: Rare Millesime 1976, 1979, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006 and 2008 and Rare Rose Millesimes 2007 and 2008.

Each vintage is nothing less than a work of art. Even more so, each vintage is a labour of love for Cellar Master, Regis Camus and the Rare Millesime 2008 embodies the harmony between Regis Camus's state of mind and the gifts offered by Nature. The pure, linear precision of Rare Millesime 2008 is true to the Rare Champagne signature, holding unlimited potential for growth, youth and complexity. All the sensations of an infinite springtime.

Of the new release, Camus stated:

"For me, Rare Millesime 2008 embodies the infinite, with its unlimited, rich, constantly present youth and freshness. These sensations intertwine on the palate in a constant cycle of flavours, each more precise and harmonious than the one before. While already a pleasure to drink, this vintage has now acquired an exceptional complexity and mineral character, punctuated with Oriental notes that promise infinite longevity."

While most Champagne houses released their 2008 vintage Tete de Cuvees Brut Champagne in 2018, Regis Camus did not, tasting and reviewing the wine in the cellar until his "labour of love" was ready to be released to wine lovers around the world in 2021.

[email protected]

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1527505/Rare_Champagne.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1527504/Rare_Champagne_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Rare Champagne
The "RESCU Program" launched this week at RCA. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a spike in alcohol and drug usage nationwide and has been extremely challenging for our first responders, who we have heavily leaned on during this time. The RESCU Program will provide a specialized therapy curriculum, counselors, and residential beds within a completely separate unit at RCA at Raritan Bay to help first responders, correctional officers, and military service members, both active and retired, to overcome addiction to drugs and alcohol.

Patients admitted to RESCU will be part of an intimate RCA community of fellow military service personnel and first responders who are experiencing similar challenges due to the nature of their work. Treatment includes private group therapy sessions, peer support groups, specific programming for first responder families, and individualized treatment led by a specially trained clinical team. The RESCU unit which RCA refers to as a "neighborhood," includes a separate lounge, separate group rooms, separate bedrooms, meals, as well as a clinical schedule that maintains physical separation from non-first responder patients.

Support and encouragement from within the field to seek treatment is important. That is why the RCA RESCU Advisory Board was created utilizing the expertise of leaders in New Jersey's first responder community. The Advisory Board includes representatives from diverse first responder organizations within the state.

Atlantic County Sheriff Eric Scheffler said he was honored to be invited to join the RESCU First Responder Advisory Board. "RCA's leadership has been very receptive to the board's opinions and ideas for the RESCU program. For first responders, it is not easy to seek help and find a comfortable setting where they can be surrounded by professionals that understand their careers, stresses, and mind sets. Resources dedicated to them specifically has not been the norm in terms of programs for recovery from addiction. RCA has a true holistic program to address the specific needs of our first responders. A healthy first responder correlates directly to safer communities," said Sheriff Scheffler.

"This is a giant step forward in the treatment of our first responder, law enforcement, and military service community in the state," said David Dorschu, CEO of RCA at Raritan Bay. "The RESCU Advisory Board's support for the program is essential and will include supporting critically needed infrastructure such as the implementation of Cop2Cop, a 24-Hour Hotline available to law enforcement and their families. Plans are also in development for mobile crisis teams and first responder-specific intervention services for the entire state."

Firefighter from Cumberland County, Robert C. Curry, is an Advisory Board member. "As an active-duty firefighter and EMT for over 30 years, and with 20 years of experience in law enforcement, I am proud to sit on the First Responders Advisory Board for the RESCU Program at RCA Raritan Bay. Our board brings together both the unique perspective of first responders and the first-hand experience of these critical public servants. This ensures that the needs of this valued group of men and women are addressed during treatment, to help ensure the success of long-lasting recovery."

RCA will also offer first responder-specific AA and NA meetings and special targeted family programming for RESCU patients and families called "Badges to Recovery."

About Recovery Centers of America

Recovery Centers of America (1-800-Recovery) is based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania and provides evidence-based addiction care at 10 inpatient centers, 8 outpatient facilities, and 5 opioid treatment programs spanning Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Illinois and Indiana. RCA at Raritan Bay is located at 901 Ernston Road, South Amboy, NJ 08879. RCA substance use disorder treatment facilities were recently named as 2020 best U.S. treatment facilities that focus on addiction by a leading national statistics firm and media outlet. RCA has also pioneered a successful comprehensive telehealth addiction treatment program to expand services to patients.

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For media interviews, please contact [email protected]

SOURCE Recovery Centers of America

Related Links

recoverycentersofamerica.com


"Learning about people of color, learning about marginalized people, learning the whole of American history is as important as learning quantum physics or English literature," said Malveaux, who is president emerita of Bennett College in North Carolina.

As a feminist and labor economist, Malveaux has focused on issues such as women in the workforce, the impact of racial wealth inequities on economic productivity and the implications of government policies on workers' health on the job.

Cal State LA President William A. Covino said Malveaux's long and accomplished record in academia and her history of advocacy will serve her well in her new role as dean of the college.

"I look forward to the work that the college will do and the collaborations that will emerge under Dr. Malveaux's leadership," Covino said. "This is a significant appointment for the college, but also for the city and the nation."

The College of Ethnic Studies is home to the Department of Asian and Asian American Studies, the Department of Chicana(o) and Latina(o) Studies and the Department of Pan-African Studies. The college's inaugural year coincided with a global pandemic that shone a light on racial disparities; the murder of George Floyd, which pushed the nation's history of racial injustices to the forefront; police shootings of Black people; violence against members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community; and the humanitarian crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The college aims to develop leaders "who will engage in rigorous, self-reflexive study that motivates critical engagement, self-determination and decolonial understandings of the world."



"Like my ethnic studies colleagues, I feel that we are really fortunate to have recruited such a distinguished leader as our inaugural dean," said Professor Jun Xing, who serves as chair of the Department of Asian and Asian American Studies. "Dr. Malveaux's rich experience, national stature and leadership vision will for sure help raise the new college's profile and make it into a local, national and international center of excellence in the field of ethnic studies."

Malveaux brings a wealth of knowledge and skills honed during decades in academia and as a columnist, author and activist.

She has taught at several colleges and universities, including Meharry Medical College, Michigan State, UC Davis, UC Berkeley and San Francisco State. From 2007 to 2012, Malveaux served as president of Bennett College, which is a historically Black liberal arts college for women.

For many years, Malveaux wrote a nationally syndicated column that explored economics, policy and race. She also served as a television and radio commentator and was a contributing columnist for the publication that is now known as Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, and is a contributing writer for Essence magazine.

Malveaux is president of PUSH Excel, the independent education policy and scholarship arm of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

She holds a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and master's and bachelor's degrees in economics from Boston College. She holds four honorary degrees.

Malveaux will begin as dean on July 1, 2021.

Contact: Cal State LA Communications and Public Affairs, 323-343-3050, [email protected]

SOURCE Cal State LA
ALBANY, N.Y., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical education is one of the key fundamental fields that are highly practical and need extreme level of on-job training. The medical education is considered a vast subject. Some of the key training types in the medical education include neurology training, cardiothoracic training, oral and maxillofacial training, orthopedic training, radiology training, pediatric training, laboratory training, and so on. Increase in number of various diseases is foreseen to help in bringing extensive expansion avenues in the global medical education market in the years to come.

According to a new research report by Transparency Market Research, the global medical education market is likely to show expansion at a promising CAGR of ~5% during the assessment period 20202030. The total valuation of the market in 2019 was US$ 32 Bn and is expected to reach US$ 56.9 Bn by 2030.

Request for Analysis of COVID-19 Impact on Medical Education Market  https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/covid19.php

Medical Education Market: Key Findings

COVID-19 Pandemic Boosts Market Demand

The pandemic situation occurred due to COVID-19 has resulted into rising number of patients in all worldwide locations. Moreover, the world is witnessing whooping requirement for trained medical professionals in order to serve the medical needs of these patients. This scenario highlights that the global medical education market will observe stupendous expansion avenues in the years ahead.

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Industry Leaders Focused on Technological Advancements

Major enterprises operating in the global medical education market are increasing focus toward the incorporation of advanced technologies and artificial intelligence (AI). Moving forward, they are growing participation in various partnerships, collaboration, and new research activities. All these activities are helping enterprises to remain competitive and maintain leading position in the market for medical education.

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Need to Redesign Curriculum Structure to Achieve Improved Patient Services

While the medical education market is at its peak of growth, the enterprises in the market need to focus on various key aspects including different challenges experienced by medical educators. Moving forward, the players should concentrate on the development of patient-centric medical training activities into the medical school curriculums. This strategy will help healthcare professionals to gain clinical exposure as well as patient learning.

Explore 228 pages of superlative research, current market scenario, and extensive geographical projections. Gain insights into Medical Education Market (Type of Training: Cardiothoracic Training, Neurology Training, Orthopedic Training, Oral and Maxillofacial Training, Pediatric Training, Radiology Training, Laboratory Training, and Others; Mode of Training: On-campus, Distance, and Online; Education Providers: School of Medicine, Government/Military Organization, Hospitals, Insurance & Co., Non-profit Organization, Publishing or Education Company, Molecular Genetic Methods, and Others; and Delivery Method: Internet Enduring Materials, Courses, and Regularly Scheduled Series and Other Enduring Materials)  Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2020-2030 at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/517

Medical Education Market: Growth Boosters

Medical education offers support for continuous improvement and learning. In addition to this, the concept of medical education assists medical professionals including nurses and physicians to manage the gaps in their professional practice including license renewal and board certification/society. Moving forward, the medical education also offers study of technological developments and allows for improving certain skills in the sector.

The global medical education market is estimated to experience magnificent expansion avenues in the assessment period 20202030. One of the key factors bringing extensive market growth avenues include rising need for interactive media in order to offer quality education and growth in demand for online assessment and testing in all worldwide locations.

In today's technologically advanced world, the Internet is considered the major source of information including audio, eBooks, and videos. On the back of increased Internet penetration and growing use of advanced technologies, the concept of online medical education is gathering exceptional traction.

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Medical Education Market: Well-Established Participants

The report provides all important data pertaining to key participants of the medical education market. This data includes many aspects such as company overview, product portfolio, financial overview, recent developments, and business strategies of market enterprises.

Some of the key players in the market are:

Gundersen Health System

Apollo Hospitals

Tact Academy for Clinical Training

Olympus Corporation

GE Healthcare

Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.

Healthcare Training Institute, New Jersey

American College of Radiology

Harvard Medical School

Stanford University

Johns Hopkins University

Siemens Healthineers AG

CAE Healthcare

Explore Transparency Market Research's award-winning coverage of the global Healthcare Industry:

Clinical Laboratory Services Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/clinical-laboratory-services-market.html

Blood Purification Equipment Market: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/blood-purification-equipment-market.html

About Us

Transparency Market Research is a next-generation market intelligence provider, offering fact-based solutions to business leaders, consultants, and strategy professionals.

Our reports are single-point solutions for businesses to grow, evolve, and mature. Our real-time data collection methods along with ability to track more than one million high growth niche products are aligned with your aims. The detailed and proprietary statistical models used by our analysts offer insights for making right decision in the shortest span of time. For organizations that require specific but comprehensive information we offer customized solutions through adhoc reports. These requests are delivered with the perfect combination of right sense of fact-oriented problem solving methodologies and leveraging existing data repositories.

TMR believes that unison of solutions for clients-specific problems with right methodology of research is the key to help enterprises reach right decision."

Browse More Upcoming Reports by Transparency Market Research: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/upcoming.htm

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Transparency Market Research

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Press Release Source: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/medical-education-market.htm

Website: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/

SOURCE Transparency Market Research
"Amid the pandemic, employers have been navigating a public health crisis, a turbulent economy, financial woes, and difficult business decisions. However, they are also finding ways to support their employees during this challenging time," said Catherine Collinson , CEO and president of Transamerica Institute and TCRS.

Nine in 10 employers (90 percent) implemented one or more types of support for their employees during the pandemic, according to the survey findings.

"As employers recover and envision the post-pandemic workplace, they have the opportunity to enhance their benefit offerings. The benefits marketplace is highly competitive, and employers may find new solutions within their reach. As a specific example, recent legislation has made it easier and more affordable for small businesses to start offering a retirement plan," said Collinson.

Employee Benefits: A Win-Win for Employers and Employees

A competitive employee benefits package is often a win-win situation in the workplace. It can help employers attract and retain talent while providing their employees with the ability to save for retirement and protect their health and financial well-being.

Larger companies are more likely to have robust benefits than small companies, but there is ample room for growth among companies of all sizes. According to the survey findings:

Retirement benefits. Fifty-two percent of employers offer a 401(k) or similar employee-funded retirement plan to their employees. These plans are much more commonly offered by large (90 percent) and medium companies (83 percent), compared with fewer than half of small companies (44 percent) that do so.

Fifty-two percent of employers offer a 401(k) or similar employee-funded retirement plan to their employees. These plans are much more commonly offered by large (90 percent) and medium companies (83 percent), compared with fewer than half of small companies (44 percent) that do so. Health insurance and other benefits. Health insurance (57 percent) is an often-cited benefit, followed by life insurance (33 percent), employee assistance program (29 percent), and disability insurance (27 percent). Larger companies are more likely to offer these benefits. For example, more than eight in 10 large (82 percent) and medium companies (84 percent) offer health insurance, compared with about half of small companies (51 percent).

Health insurance (57 percent) is an often-cited benefit, followed by life insurance (33 percent), employee assistance program (29 percent), and disability insurance (27 percent). Larger companies are more likely to offer these benefits. For example, more than eight in 10 large (82 percent) and medium companies (84 percent) offer health insurance, compared with about half of small companies (51 percent). Workplace wellness programs. Employees can get support in maintaining good health, while employers can potentially lower health insurance costs. Twenty-four percent of employers offer a program, including large (55 percent), medium (39 percent), and small companies (18 percent).

Employees can get support in maintaining good health, while employers can potentially lower health insurance costs. Twenty-four percent of employers offer a program, including large (55 percent), medium (39 percent), and small companies (18 percent). Caregiver support. Many employees are likely to face the need to balance their work responsibilities with caregiving for an aging parent or loved one. Six in 10 employers (60 percent) offer one or more programs to support caregiving employees, including large (95 percent), medium (87 percent), and small companies (52 percent). However, much more can be done by employers of all sizes. Only about one in five employers offer online resources and/or tools to support caregivers (23 percent), an employee assistance program (22 percent), training for managers (20 percent), and/or a benefit that offers referrals to backup care (18 percent).

A Call to Action

"Employers play a vital societal role by providing employment, employee benefits, and the ability for workers to save and invest for a secure retirement. Especially now, as our nation emerges from the pandemic, employers need support from policymakers to continue paving the way for their recovery and to make it as easy as possible to modernize their business practices and expand their benefits offerings," said Collinson.

Navigating the Pandemic: A Survey of U.S. Employers includes a survey report with in-depth findings about health and welfare, workplace wellness, and retirement benefits, as well as a shorter fact sheet. Transamerica Institute has also done extensive work on age-friendly workplaces. Recently, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Transamerica Institute published Workplace Wellness: What is the Value on Investment for Diabetes and Hypertension Programs at the Workplace?, including a white paper and an employer guide. Visit www.transamericainstitute.org. Follow on Twitter @TI_insights.

About Transamerica Institute

Transamerica Institute is a nonprofit, private foundation dedicated to identifying, researching, and educating the public about retirement security and the intersections of health and financial well-being. It is the parent organization of Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies which conducts one of the largest and longest-running annual retirement surveys of its kind. Transamerica Institute is funded by contributions from Transamerica Life Insurance Company and its affiliates and may receive funds from unaffiliated third parties. The information provided here is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as insurance, securities, ERISA, tax, investment, legal, medical, or financial advice or guidance. Please consult independent professionals for answers to your specific questions. www.transamericainstitute.org

About the Survey

The analysis contained in Navigating the Pandemic: A Survey of U.S. Employers was prepared internally by the research team at Transamerica Institute. A 25-minute, online survey was conducted from November 18 to December 20, 2020 among a nationally representative sample of 1,903 employers by The Harris Poll on behalf of nonprofit Transamerica Institute. Potential respondents were targeted based on job title at for-profit companies and met the following criteria: Business executives with specific titles who make decisions about employee benefits at their company, and the company employs at least one full-time employee across all locations. Quotas were set by company size and results were statistically weighted as needed by using targets from the Dun & Bradstreet database to ensure the results are representative. In order to ensure that this sample is fully representative of the targeted universe of employers, results were weighted by company size, annual revenue, industry and region.

Media Contact:

Andrew Cook

[email protected]

614-330-5898

SOURCE Transamerica Institute

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ST. LOUIS, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- RoseHosting, an accomplished pioneer in the hosting industry and the first-ever provider to offer commercial Linux VPS Hosting, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. These past 20 years have been a great opportunity to grow and work on their mission to provide excellent user experience and reliable hosting to many businesses and individuals around the world.

Things were very different 20 years ago when we introduced the Linux VPS to the world. Almost none of our current competitors existed back then, or they were just selling shared hosting. Our all-inclusive technical support has always done and still does for our customers what other providers would never consider doing, and because of this there are a lot of smiling happy faces among our customer base. - Bobi Rose R., Founder and CEO of RoseHosting said.

RoseHosting caters to the end-user with their hand-holding technical support, intuitive systems and simplified developer features to reduce the need for advanced server admin knowledge. Additionally, all their Linux servers are fully managed, so their technical support is responsible for all server-side configuration and maintenance and provides 24/7 support to the customers. This setup makes tasks such as resource-scaling, load-balancing, clustering, and other Linux server administration available at a click of a button or a simple request to the ever-ready technical support staff. Due to the unlimited fully-managed technical support included with all hosting plans, businesses with no in-house IT staff can run their online systems and web presence with the efficiency of a dedicated IT department, all at a fraction of the cost.

RoseHosting is proud to say that during these 20 years in business they managed to perfect the art of reliability. They maintain top performance with the use of latest technology hardware, including enterprise-grade NVMe storage. They also utilize 10Gbit Networking or better, for improved speed and lower latency. To top it off, RoseHosting makes a promise of 99.99% uptime and delivers on it without exception.

With their users at the center of their attention, RoseHosting adopted a pricing model which is both affordable and fair. They offer very competitive, but at the same time sustainable deals.

And finally, RoseHosting wants to celebrate their 20th anniversary by offering something special. Their 20th anniversary sale offers 20% off all hosting services, both monthly and yearly, during the first year of service. Simply use the RH20YEARS coupon at checkout and claim 20% off on your chosen hosting service.

About RoseHosting

Based in St. Louis, Missouri, RoseHosting is a premium hosting provider specializing in a wide variety of high-performance hosting solutions for small and medium companies as well as individuals around the world. Their US-based technical support team enjoys challenges and is specialized and trained to assist you with any server issues you may be facing, effectively replacing the need for in-house IT staff.

Media Contact

Jeff Wilson

2977 Hwy K, STE 252

O'Fallon, MO 63368

[email protected]

888-767-3467 Ext: 0

https://www.rosehosting.com

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Company Leadership Revising Targets to Spur Accelerated Growth Trajectory and Timeline, Aiming for 6000 Stores & 20,000 Points of Distribution

VANCOUVER, BC, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Rritual Superfoods Inc. ("Rritual" or the "Company") (CSE: RSF) (FSE: 0RW) (OTC: RRSFF) is excited to announce that the Company has surpassed its retail distribution targets for the end of 2021, exceeding 2400 retail locations and 10,000 points of distribution within the first half of the year.

"We set aggressive targets coming into this year, and I am extremely proud of our team and highly encouraged by the commitment we have seen from retailers to the Rritual Superfoods brand and product line as we have surpassed those targets in a matter of months," said Rritual CEO, Mr. David Kerbel. "We are revising our targets based on the current lineup of sku's to reach 6000 stores and 20,000 points of distribution this year, delivering on our brand promise to bring Rritual within arm's length of consumer desire."

These revisions are based on retailer commitments to carrying the Rritual brand. For example, Rite Aid has indicated 20% more stores than anticipated will carry Reishi Relax, Chaga Immune, and Lion's Mane Focus as well as 100% more Rite Aid locations will carry the Variety Pack. The Company's product line is being embraced by consumers, with initial sell through with key retail partners triggering new purchase orders and expansion of retail locations.

By the first week of July, Ritual will be available in 3000 retail locations with over 10,000 points of distribution. In addition, as the Company's innovation pipeline delivers new product offerings there will be further growth in terms of points of distribution.

Rritual product offerings are all USDA-certified organic and are a caffeine-free option that can be mixed with other beverages or enjoyed by itself. Rritual's proprietary Immune-Synergy Six Mushroom Blend is the only functional health product on the market that contains a daily prebiotic blend which nourishes a healthy gut microbiome and facilitates balanced digestive function.

About Rritual

Rritual is a functional superfood company that creates plant-based elixirs, which support immunity, focus and relaxation. The company is poised to dominate a segment where demand and sales are growing exponentially. Under the executive leadership with over 100 years of CPG pedigree, Rritual is launching in North America in Q2 2021 as the company positions itself as a leader in the functional health and wellness industry. Rritual's superfood elixirs can be found online at www.rritual.com.

Follow Rritual on Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook , and Instagram .

Functional Foods Market

According to Grandview Research*, it is estimated that the global functional food market is projected to reach $275 billion by 2025, growing at 7.9% each year with consumers putting more emphasis on health and wellness.



*https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-functional-foods-market



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

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements") that relate to Rritual's current expectations and views of future events. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, through the use of words or phrases such as "will likely result", "are expected to", "expects", "will continue", "is anticipated", "anticipates", "believes", "estimated", "intends", "plans", "forecast", "projection", "strategy", "objective" and "outlook") are not historical facts and may be forward-looking statements and may involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. In particular and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the Company's plans to leverage third party manufacturing and logistics, the Company's broader retail distribution plans and the Company's other plans, focus and objectives.

Forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Rritual's control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the impact and progression of the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors set forth under "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the final long form prospectus of the Company dated February 26, 2021 and available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Rritual undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Rritual to predict all of them or assess the impact of each such factor or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

SOURCE Rritual Superfoods Inc.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Safelite Group, the nation's leading vehicle glass services and recalibration company and owner of Safelite AutoGlass, announced today an agreement to acquire the assets of Breaker Glass Co. in Placerville, California. The transaction was completed on Friday, June 4, 2021.

"We're pleased to welcome Breaker Glass associates to the Safelite family," said Tom Feeney, president and CEO of Safelite Group. "Over the last 40 years they have built strong community involvement and a reputation providing outstanding customer service through an honest, straightforward and friendly approach. Their mission and values nicely align with ours, making this acquisition a terrific addition to our business."

Safelite is known for its excellence with vehicle glass repair, replacement and recalibration services. "This is a fantastic opportunity to leverage the skills and talents of their team while honoring their legacy," said Feeney. "Together, we will deliver the value of personal care and memorable customer service we provide through the Safelite AutoGlass brand in every community."

Breaker Glass Co. will leverage Safelite's excellent operational systems, advanced safety system expertise (recalibrations), world-class distribution network, global purchasing power and strong insurance and commercial relationships.

About Safelite Group

Safelite Group is a multi-faceted vehicle glass and claims management service organization based in Columbus, Ohio, and operating company-owned facilities in 50 states. The company, which has been in business since 1947, is comprised of two major business operations: Safelite AutoGlass, a vehicle glass repair, replacement and recalibration services provider and Safelite Solutions, which offers fleet and insurance claims management services for vehicle glass and other claims. The company employs nearly 16,000 people throughout the United States. Safelite is a subsidiary of Belron. Safelite AutoGlass is the largest vehicle glass repair, replacement and recalibration company under one brand in the world.

Media Contact: To connect with a Safelite spokesperson email [email protected].

SOURCE Safelite Group

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NETANYA, Israel, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sensible Medical Innovations, the market leader in medical radar monitoring and imaging technology (ReDS) has signed a partnership with Heart Beat Medical, Dubai, UAE - a leading medical device distributor. This agreement will enable hundreds of thousands of patients, suffering from heart failure, to benefit from our unique technology in Dubai and the Arab Gulf States.

Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of mortality and hospital readmissions in the Arab Gulf states, with almost 1.5 million patients treated for HF. Estimated heart failure costs are nearly US$ 2 billion  US$ 600 million in the UAE alone. Inpatient admission costs are a major cost driver, reaching 56% of total HF costs. This emphasizes the necessity for a non-invasive, fast and accurate tool to assess and monitor pulmonary congestion, essential to manage and keep heart failure under control.

Sensible Medical is the first and only, to measure pulmonary congestion accurately. ReDS innovative technology enables assessment of heart failure status, significantly reducing up to 79% in patient hospital re-admissions, according to a recent study from Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, USA

"The UAE's vision is to be a leader in healthcare. We are excited to partner with Heart Beat Medical, and to showcase ReDS at the Arab Health Exhibition. We look forward to meeting and demonstrating our technology at our booth (SA.E30), 21-24 June 2021 in Dubai.

Introducing ReDS technology to the UAE, Arab Gulf States and South Asia is another milestone in our global partner expansion plan," said Guy Frak, VP International Business, Sensible Medical.

Sensible Medical Innovations

Sensible Medical is the market leader in medical radar (ReDS) monitoring and imaging technology. Adapted for medical use from military 'see-through-wall' functions, this innovative technology is a game-changer in a wide range of applications. ReDS technology enables non-invasive pulmonary congestion monitoring for patients with lung fluid management issues.

Sensible Medical strives to lead the way towards the new standard of care for heart failure.

ReDS is used in hundreds of care centers around the world, providing healthcare professionals and patients a credible tool for measurement of lung fluid, within and outside hospital settings.

FDA cleared, CE marked with additional regulatory approvals in dozens of countries, ReDS products are currently sold and available around the globe.

Join us on LinkedIn and Facebook

SOURCE Sensible Medical
Homestead, FL (33030)

Today

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low around 75F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Partial cloudiness early, with scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low around 75F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
NEW YORK, June 8, 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 Live Oak Acquisition Corp. II ("LOKB" or the "Company") (LOKB) relating to its proposed merger with Navitas Semiconductor. Under the terms of the agreement, LOKB will acquire Navitas through a reverse-merger, with Navitas emerging as a publicly traded company.

The investigation focuses on whether Live Oak Acquisition Corp. II 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/live-oak-acquisition-corp-ii. 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, June 8, 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 QTS Realty Trust ("QTS" or the "Company") (QTS) relating to its proposed acquisition by Blackstone Group. Under the terms of the agreement, QTS shareholders will receive $78.00 in cash per share they own.

The investigation focuses on whether QTS Realty Trust 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/qts-realty-trust. 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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SAN FRANCISCO, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP is investigating potential securities fraud and derivative claims on behalf of shareholders of RenovaCare, Inc. (RCAR) relating to an alleged fraudulent promotional scheme.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently filed a civil lawsuit against RenovaCare and its chairman and controlling shareholder, Harmel S. Rayat, for an alleged scheme to generate interest in the company's stock through the placement of paid promotional materials designed to look like independent analyst reports. The SEC alleged that RenovaCare and Rayat assisted in developing the promotional materials, which allegedly included false and misleading statements, and paid for them through intermediaries to conceal the source of funds. The promotional materials ran between October 2017 and at least January 2018 and were correlated with a sharp rise in the price of RenovaCare stock. When confronted by OTC Markets in January 2018 to explain their promotional activities, RenovaCare and Rayat issued what the SEC described as a "materially false" press release denying any involvement in the scheme.

The Schubert Firm is investigating potential securities fraud and breaches of fiduciary duty by the company's officers and directors in connection with these allegations.

If you own or purchased stock in RenovaCare and wish to obtain additional information about your legal rights, please contact us today or visit our website at https://www.classactionlawyers.com/blog/renovacare.

About Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP

Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe represents shareholders, employees, and consumers in class actions against corporate defendants, as well as shareholders in derivative actions against their officers and directors. The firm is based in San Francisco, and with the help of co-counsel, litigates cases nationwide.

Contact

Alexandra K. Green

Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP

[email protected]

Tel: 415-788-4220

SOURCE Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP

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SAN FRANCISCO and SAN BRUNO, Calif., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SocialChorus and Dynamic Signal, two high-growth SaaS leaders in the digital employee experience (DEX) space, announced today that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement. Sumeru Equity Partners (SEP) will make a significant new growth investment in SocialChorus and subsequently fund the combination with Dynamic Signal. In addition, senior management and existing investors of both companies will invest a meaningful stake into the transaction. Additional terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

SocialChorus and Dynamic Signal joining forces is a leap forward in the mission to transform how companies connect every worker with the right information at the right time. This combination will accelerate the move away from destination site delivery models to an orchestrated digital employee experience that fosters employee productivity and well-being.

SocialChorus and Dynamic Signal announced today that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement. Tweet this

"The digital employee experience of an organization is not a destination, it's an expectation and experience that meets the needs of a distributed and diverse workforce," said Gary Nakamura, CEO of SocialChorus. "To truly solve the problem, meeting workers where they are with personalized information and resources is critical. The combination of SocialChorus and Dynamic Signal presents a huge opportunity for growth and innovation on the journey to give customers what they need to create an unparalleled digital employee experience."

SocialChorus and Dynamic Signal will unite under the leadership of Gary Nakamura, CEO of SocialChorus, and an executive team comprised of Dynamic Signal and SocialChorus team members. Three representatives from the Dynamic Signal board of directors, including Eric Brown, CEO of Dynamic Signal, will join the current SocialChorus board of directors to form the board of the combined company.

SEP, majority investor in SocialChorus, has experienced strong success in driving growth and scaling operations. Mark Haller, Principal of SEP stated, "The digital employee experience space is fast-growing and dynamic, and we believe the combination of talent and product innovation will significantly enhance our offerings for customers. We are excited to bring SEP's operational expertise to create a world-class organization to lead a new chapter of continued growth."

After closing, the combined organization is expected to scale rapidly with additional resources to accelerate investments in product development and customer service innovation. The combined organization will continue to support solutions across their respective platforms and will serve more than 500 customers and reach over 15 million employees globally.

"I am incredibly excited that Dynamic Signal and SocialChorus are combining to create the best platform in the industry," added Brown. "Together, we will build on the shared belief that organizations must create a digital employee experience that lifts all workers, giving them equitable access to information and a voice in the conversations that move their company and cultures."

J.P. Morgan is serving as exclusive financial advisor to Dynamic Signal and Fenwick & West is serving as legal counsel. GCA Advisors is serving as exclusive financial advisor to SocialChorus and Weil, Gotshal & Manges is serving as legal counsel. The closing of the merger is expected in Q3 and remains subject to customary regulatory and other approvals.

About SocialChorus

SocialChorus is the creator of FirstUp, the platform that makes the digital employee experience work for every worker. Using our powerful orchestration engine, we bring personalized information and systems access to every employee where they areon any endpoint or device, in any language, anywhere in the world. Whether they're wired, mobile, frontline, distributed or essential, FirstUp gives employees what they need to do their jobs efficiently, and companies what they need to achieve agility. That's how we help enterprise customers like Amazon, ABInBev, Ford and GSK continue to transform their businesses. Learn more at www.socialchorus.com .

About Dynamic Signal

Dynamic Signal is a leading Employee Communication and Engagement Platform, committed to creating a connected, inclusive, and engaged workforce where people feel valued and empowered to be their best. From factory workers and field employees, to knowledge workers in any time zone, hundreds of companies across every industry depend on Dynamic Signal's award-winning mobile, desktop, and web applications to reach each employee and build aligned, productive, actively engaged communities and employee advocates. Founded in 2010, and based in Silicon Valley, Dynamic Signal integrates with leading enterprise systems and works with organizations around the globe, who trust Dynamic Signal's technology, services, support, and education to elevate the employee experience and drive transformative business results. www.dynamicsignal.com .

About Sumeru Equity Partners

Sumeru Equity Partners (SEP) provides growth capital, strategic insight, and operating expertise to enterprise technology companies in North America and Europe. Our experienced team partners with founders and company management to grow their business, build innovative products that delight customers, and hire great people. For more information, please visit www.sumeruequity.com .

SOURCE SocialChorus and Dynamic Signal

Related Links

https://dynamicsignal.com

https://socialchorus.com


The partnership will accelerate global growth plans for SSENSE, the leading platform for fashion and Everything ElseTM.

MONTREAL, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - SSENSE, the global technology platform for fashion and Everything ElseTM, announced today it has received a minority investment from leading investment firm Sequoia Capital, giving the company a post-money enterprise value of over CAD 5 billion.

This is the first round of external funding in the company's 18-year history. Proceeds from the transaction will be used to further accelerate the company's global growth strategy. Following the transaction, Angelica Cheung, Venture Partner for Sequoia Capital China, will join the SSENSE Board of Directors.

Rami Atallah, Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer of SSENSE said: "SSENSE was founded on the principles of challenging convention and using our platform to amplify the voices that are changing the way we see the world. I'm grateful to be surrounded by a diverse, world-class team who continues to contribute to the ongoing success of SSENSE. We've found a like-minded partner who shares our belief in pushing boundaries as we advance in our next stages of growth. Together, I'm confident we'll strengthen the strategic, operational, and technological foundations to achieve our bold aspirations."

Neil Shen, Steward of Sequoia Capital, Founding and Managing Partner of Sequoia Capital China said: "We are thrilled to become the first outside investor and partner with SSENSE. Under the leadership of brothers Rami, Firas, and Bassel Atallah, SSENSE has emerged as one of the leading online fashion platforms connecting brands with Millennials and Gen Z consumers around the world. Sequoia is excited to support SSENSE in its continued global expansion and China acceleration. The partnership represents another solid step in our efforts in supporting the fashion industry's digitalization, backing visionary founders to transform and elevate the global fashion e-commerce experience to a new level."

Rothschild & Co served as the exclusive financial advisor to SSENSE in the transaction. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as the legal advisor to SSENSE.

ABOUT SSENSE

SSENSE (pronounced [es-uhns]) is a global technology platform operating at the intersection of culture, community, and commerce. Co-founded in 2003 by brothers Rami, Firas, and Bassel Atallah, and headquartered in Montreal, it features a mix of established and emerging luxury brands across womenswear, menswear, kidswear, and Everything ElseTM .

SSENSE has garnered critical acclaim as both an e-commerce engine and a producer of cultural content. SSENSE generates an average of 100 million monthly page views. Approximately 80% of its audience is between the ages of 18 to 40. It is privately held and has achieved high double digit annual growth and profitability since its inception.

ABOUT SEQUOIA CHINA

The Sequoia team helps daring founders build legendary companies. In partnering with Sequoia, companies benefit from our unmatched community and the lessons we've learned over 49 years. As "The Entrepreneurs Behind the Entrepreneurs," Sequoia China focuses on three sectors: TMT, consumer/services and healthcare. Over the past 16 years we've had the privilege of working with approximately 600 companies in China.

SOURCE SSENSE

Related Links

www.ssense.com


NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Stoli Group, the leading global ultra-premium spirits and wines company, celebrated World Ocean Day today with the announcement of a collaboration with ReSea Project to fight ocean plastic pollution. Recognizing that the ocean is our most important eco-system which produces over 50% of the air we breathe, and home to an abundance of life and biodiversity, Stoli is committed to turn the tide by actively removing plastic waste from oceans and rivers through its ocean mission with ReSea Project. Stoli's sustainability efforts have also led to the first accreditation of a distillery with the "Green-Leaf-Compromiso Ambiental" by the Mexican Ministry of Environmental Protection.

ReSea Project at work

"We, at Stoli, are keenly aware that immediate action must be taken to ensure we have a sustainable planet for future generations," commented Damian McKinney, Global CEO of Stoli Group. "With the recent addition of our Global Sustainability Leader, ReSea Project and recognition of our fully green operations in Mexico, we are making critical progress. As is the Stoli nature, we have aggressive goals to establish the most powerful and sustainable ultra-premium spirits-portfolio. These actions move us closer to the goal line. We believe in building Sustainable Partnership Development Programs to empower the right people to do not only what is right, but what is necessary."

Specifically, every time a consumer buys one bottle of Stoli at a participating retailer, Stoli funds the removal of 200g (the equivalent of 10 plastic bottles 500ml) from oceans and rivers through the support and collaboration with ReSea Project. The initiative has received support around the world and is kicking off in a first phase partnering with Global Travel Retail. Market activations are also taking shape across North America, Western Europe and Asia with more countries expected to join. Furthermore, using a QR code consumers can access collection data and learn more about the cleanup process and witness the difference made together with ReSea Project.

The "Green-Leaf-Compromiso Ambiental" accreditation of Finos can be attributed to eco-conscious distilling practices. These include 100% of wastewater is treated; 80% of energy supply for operations is sourced from Solar energy; 100% agave remnants, cartons and bottles are recycled; and no toxic Waste (waste separation guarantees adequate disposal of toxic waste). Finos is the 1st distillery to receive the "Green Leaf" Compromiso Ambiental certificate from the Mexican Ministry of Environmental Protection.

To achieve environmental sustainability by 2025, Stoli is reducing carbon emissions across the entire value chain by switching to 100% Electric Vehicle fleets, producing all secondary packaging from renewable materials, ensuring Eco Design Standards are built into every innovation and design, and promoting sustainable agriculture from grain to bottle. At the same time, commitment to gender equality, diversity and inclusion will ensure Stoli maximizes social sustainability performance.

About Stoli  Group

Stoli Group was established in 2013 and is responsible for the production, management, and distribution of SPI's global spirits portfolio. Mainly known for the Stolichnaya Vodka brand, Stoli Group has expanded its portfolio in recent years to appeal to premium on-premise and more sophisticated global consumers. Signature brands are: Stoli Vodka, Elit Vodka, Bayou Rum, Kentucky Owl, Villa One, Gator Bite Rum Liquers, CenoteTequila, Kah Tequila and Se Busca Mezcal. With a presence across a network of more than 176 markets, Stoli Group works with a passionate team of 200 distributors around the world. Headquartered in Luxembourg, Stoli has production facilities in Russia, Latvia, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Argentina, and the United States some of which are steeped in history as early as the 1900s. For more information, visit stoli-group.com.

About ReSea Project

ReSea Project is on a mission to put an end to the ocean plastic crisis and make waves beyond the sea we operate in. Our cleanup solution is community-driven, meaning we employ people in local communities suffering from low-income and plastic mismanagement to recover the plastic that's polluting oceans and rivers. The solution contributes to the circular economy, and contributes to better living conditions the cleanup team and their families, and it helps to raise awareness to stop plastic pollution at its source. For more information, visit www.reseaproject.com.

Contact

Machie Madden/Maureen Landers

[email protected]

[email protected]

917/886-4901

SOURCE Stoli Group

Related Links

http://stoli-group.com


IRVINE, Calif., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorney William Collins of the Law Office of Marshall Silberberg has earned his first Rising Stars recognition from Super Lawyers in the 2021 edition. With only 2.5% of all early career attorneys earning this designation throughout the United States, Attorney Collins has met another milestone in his already impressive legal career.

In 2021 Rising Stars, Attorney Collins was recognized for his work in Irvine, California as follows:

Civil Litigation: Plaintiff

Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff

Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff

Personal Injury - Products: Plaintiff

To obtain a spot in the Rising Stars list, Attorney Collins was put to a meticulous, multiphase review along with other first-time candidates and veteran listees. After being nominated by a third party or identified by the Super Lawyers research department, all candidates underwent an intense 12-category review of their legal careers. Then, they were subjected to a Blue Ribbon Review in which top-rated attorneys reexamined and reevaluated their professional, community, and scholarly work thus far. It is a great accomplishment to pass this multiphase review, particularly for the first time.

Born and raised in Orange County, Attorney Collins cares deeply about winning his neighbors and fellow community members the justice they deserve through civil litigation. He has become known for providing clients with compassionate, comprehensive counsel during some of the hardest times of their lives. If you are seeking the assistance of a caring attorney with proven trial skills, reach out to Attorney Collins at {F:P:Sub:Phone}.

Since 2004, the Law Office of Marshall Silberberg has provided premier legal representation to Orange County residents after another party's negligence leads to injury. Its acclaimed attorney team accepts cases involving medical malpractice, birth and child injury, aviation accidents, motor vehicle crashes, nursing home abuse, wrongful death, and more. To get in touch with the Law Office of Marshall Silberberg, kindly visit silberberglaw.com. More information about Super Lawyers Rising Stars can be found at superlawyers.com.

SOURCE Law Office of Marshall Silberberg

Related Links

https://www.silberberglaw.com


ALISO VIEJO, Calif., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Syxsense, a global leader in IT and security management solutions, announced today the release of a powerful remote monitoring and management solution. Syxsense increases recurring revenue for MSP and MSSPs by automating IT management, offering comprehensive patch management, and full security vulnerability scanning and remediation. Enhance your managed service without incurring the cost of building a solution from scratch.

Securely Manage Customers : Syxsense Security Contexts allow MSPs to instantly move between multiple customers in a single console, see and act on exactly the customer and devices they want

: Syxsense Security Contexts allow MSPs to instantly move between multiple customers in a single console, see and act on exactly the customer and devices they want Efficiently distribute workloads amongst your staff : Grant various levels of security access to best leverage your staff. Each user may have multiple Roles (what you can do) and Scopes (where you can do it)

: Grant various levels of security access to best leverage your staff. Each user may have multiple Roles (what you can do) and Scopes (where you can do it) Onboard with ease: Quickly, within minutes, add and immediately begin managing new nodes and new customers

Quickly, within minutes, add and immediately begin managing new nodes and new customers Full-service IT professional: White Label branding adds the full management suite of functionality with your own logos and branding. Syxsense is polished and presented as a natural extension of your current offering

White Label branding adds the full management suite of functionality with your own logos and branding. Syxsense is polished and presented as a natural extension of your current offering Quantify your customers ROI : Custom dashboards and a full suite of automated reports show exactly where your customers were without you, how many security issues you have solved and their current risk of exposure

: Custom dashboards and a full suite of automated reports show exactly where your customers were without you, how many security issues you have solved and their current risk of exposure Reuse Work: Syxsense objects like Cortex Workflows, Policies, Maintenance Windows, queries, tasks and more can be reused across multiple customers to reduce risk, increase efficiency and secure your clients infrastructure

Syxsense's robust feature set delivers MSPs the most comprehensive solution to manage and secure clients: automated policies, full RMM, OS and 3rd party patching, security scans, remote access, alert triggers with automated response, software deployment, and more.



A globally available and cloud native solution, Syxsense gives complete visibility of your client assets from a single secure console. Syxsense Security Contexts combine a lock down of both access rights (roles) and device visibility (scope). With an unlimited combination of security contexts, employees who have been granted access move swiftly between customers, sharing and reusing work while customer data remains completely siloed. Rest assured your staff will only act how and where you want them to, and that management's overall picture of the business is complete.



Other solutions give you a snapshot of how devices (laptops, desktops and servers) were, not a real time connection to evaluate and respond immediately. Use Syxsense Cortex to vigilantly watch, alert and repair. By combining and reusing the intelligent, real-time response of Syxsense Cortex and routine Maintenance Windows, MSPs save 80% of the time it takes to manage clients. RMM may demand 24x7 availability, but the proactive automation and responsiveness of Syxsense reduces the grueling demands on MSPs, freeing their time to manage more customers.



Syxsense is offering free, full-featured trials for up to 100 devices for 14 days. More information on the software and trial can be found here.



About Syxsense



Syxsense is the leading provider of innovative, intuitive technology that sees all and knows everything about every endpoint, in every location, everywhere inside and outside the network, as well as in the cloud. It combines the power of artificial intelligence with industry expertise to manage and secure endpoints by stopping threats before they occur and neutralizing threats when they happen. The Syxsense Endpoint Security Cloud always-on technology performs in real-time so businesses can operate free of disruption from security breaches that cripple productivity and expose them to financial risk and reputational harm. www.syxsense.com



Photo(s):

https://www.prlog.org/12872695



Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE Syxsense

Related Links

http://www.syxsense.com


From February to March 2021, telehealth utilization continued a national decrease that began the previous month. Tweet this

In another change from February to March 2021, nationally and in several regions, psychotherapeutic/psychiatric codes replaced or outranked evaluation and management (E&M) codes in the list of top five telehealth procedure codes.2 For example, in the South, 60-minute psychotherapy (CPT3 90837) rose from the number three to the number one position in the top five list, supplanting two E&M codes: 30-39-minute established patient outpatient visit (CPT 99214) and 20-29-minute established patient outpatient visit (CPT 99213). This trend was consistent with a continuing rise, nationally and in every region, in the percentage of telehealth claim lines associated with mental health conditions, the number one telehealth diagnosis.

From February to March 2021, hypertension, as well as joint and soft tissue diseases, dropped in the rankings of telehealth diagnoses nationally and in some regions, while developmental disorders remained steady or rose in the rankings. Hypertension and joint and soft tissue diseases are largely adult conditions that were moving back to the office as COVID-19 vaccinations increased. Developmental disorders are more often seen in children, most of whom were not yet eligible for vaccination.

About the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker

Launched in May 2020 as a free service, the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker uses FAIR Health data to track how telehealth is evolving from month to month. An interactive map of the four US census regions allows the user to view an infographic on telehealth in a specific month in the nation as a whole or in individual regions. Each infographic shows month-to-month changes in volume of telehealth claim lines, top five telehealth procedure codes, top five telehealth diagnoses (or diagnostic categories) and top five granular diagnoses within the most common diagnostic category.

FAIR Health President Robin Gelburd stated: "As the COVID-19 pandemic proceeds to a new stage marked by widespread vaccination, FAIR Health's Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker continues to monitor the evolution of telehealth in that context. This is one of many ways we pursue our mission of bringing transparency to healthcare information."

For the Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker, click here.

Follow us on Twitter @FAIRHealth

About FAIR Health

FAIR Health is a national, independent nonprofit organization that qualifies as a public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code. It is dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information through data products, consumer resources and health systems research support. FAIR Health possesses the nation's largest collection of private healthcare claims data, which includes over 34 billion claim records and is growing at a rate of over 2 billion claim records a year. FAIR Health licenses its privately billed data and data productsincluding benchmark modules, data visualizations, custom analytics and market indicesto commercial insurers and self-insurers, employers, providers, hospitals and healthcare systems, government agencies, researchers and others. Certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a national Qualified Entity, FAIR Health also receives data representing the experience of all individuals enrolled in traditional Medicare Parts A, B and D; FAIR Health includes among the private claims data in its database, data on Medicare Advantage enrollees. FAIR Health can produce insightful analytic reports and data products based on combined Medicare and commercial claims data for government, providers, payors and other authorized users. FAIR Health's systems for processing and storing protected health information have earned HITRUST CSF certification and achieved AICPA SOC 2 compliance by meeting the rigorous data security requirements of these standards. As a testament to the reliability and objectivity of FAIR Health data, the data have been incorporated in statutes and regulations around the country and designated as the official, neutral data source for a variety of state health programs, including workers' compensation and personal injury protection (PIP) programs. FAIR Health data serve as an official reference point in support of certain state balance billing laws that protect consumers against bills for surprise out-of-network and emergency services. FAIR Health also uses its database to power a free consumer website available in English and Spanish, which enables consumers to estimate and plan for their healthcare expenditures and offers a rich educational platform on health insurance. An English/Spanish mobile app offers the same educational platform in a concise format and links to the cost estimation tools. The website has been honored by the White House Summit on Smart Disclosure, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), URAC, the eHealthcare Leadership Awards, appPicker, Employee Benefit News and Kiplinger's Personal Finance. FAIR Health also is named a top resource for patients in Dr. Marty Makary's book The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Careand How to Fix It and Elisabeth Rosenthal's book An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back. For more information on FAIR Health, visit fairhealth.org.

Contact:

Rachel Kent

Senior Director, Marketing, Outreach and Communications

FAIR Health

646-396-0795

[email protected]

1 A claim line is an individual serv ice or procedure listed on an insurance claim.

2 An E&M is a patient-provider visit, such as for an examination, to diagnose illness or to determine or manage treatment.

3 CPT  2020 American Medical Association (AMA). All rights reserved.

SOURCE FAIR Health

Related Links

www.fairhealth.org


MARSHALL, Texas, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A North Texas plastics company has filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy Services, alleging the electricity supplier passed through unauthorized fees to commercial customers with contracts marketed as fixed-rate plans. MidAmerican is an affiliate of Berkshire Hathaway Energy and supplies electricity to approximately 60,000 customers nationwide, including about 15,000 in Texas.

According to the filing in federal district court in Marshall, lead plaintiff J&M Plastics, located in Royse City northeast of Dallas, received a statement from MidAmerican in April that included eight line-item charges for "Supplemental Ancillary Services." Those charges, assessed during the week of the February 2021 winter storm, totaled almost $54,000, more than three times the amount of the company's typical monthly bill.

The MidAmerican contract states that the fixed-price plan includes "costs associated with line lossall charges assessed by ERCOTand other costs required to facilitate delivery of electricity to Customer's Delivery Points."

But according to the lawsuit, MidAmerican ignored the terms of its fixed-price agreement and informed customers that "MidAmerican Energy Services will not increase the energy component of your bill, however, non-energy costs such as ancillary charges biloled by ERCOT and your local utility, are not fixed and are passed through on your bill."

J&M management kept the 55,000 square foot facility heated during the storm to keep pipes from freezing but did not operate. The company employs more than 40 full-time workers and manufactures a variety of consumer products from recycled plastic.

"MidAmerican has already acknowledged that it can't pass through these same costs to their residential and small business customers, because of the Public Utility Commission's consumer protection regulations," says Derek Potts of the Potts Law Firm in Houston. "But the company's still trying to unlawfully use a statewide disaster to take advantage of and price-gouge thousands of larger commercial customers."

"They can't justify passing through these costs when J&M and other customers agreed to a fixed-price electricity plan, which specifically includes any ancillary and ERCOT-assessed charges," says Potts.

The lawsuit alleges violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, among other claims for breach of contract, negligence and misrepresentation.

The lawsuit is J&M Plastics, Inc. v. MidAmerican Energy Services, Case No.2:21-cv-00206, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Marshall.

Media Contact:

Barry Pound

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Potts Law Firm

Related Links

https://www.potts-law.com


Update on Community Radio Fund Panel

Ofcom has today announced changes to its Terms of Reference for the Community Radio Fund Panel.

The Community Radio Fund is managed by Ofcom with funding from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It helps Ofcom-licensed community radio stations to meet their core running costs.

Following an administrative review, we are making changes to the requirements in the Terms of Reference relating to the make-up of the panel responsible for awarding the grants.

More information is available.
PHILADELPHIA, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/  The American Youth Literacy Foundation (AYLF), a nationwide, charitable non-profit, 501 c 3, today announced the official launch of its 100% free, "Learn-to-Read" app, called The FUNetix 12 Hour Reading App, available in the App Store and Google Play.

FUNetix is a patented, breakthrough reading application designed for children ages 5 to 9, but it can also be instrumental in teaching literacy to children and adults of all ages.

The US Department of Education released data in 2020 showing that a shocking 54% of adults ages 16-74 lack proficiency in literacy. More than half of people over age 16 in the US cannot read above a sixth grade level, and tens of millions cannot read at all.

"We are at a critical point in human history where illiteracy has become an unnecessary anchor on human progress. Its downstream effects on individuals, and society, in our high tech world, are devastating," said Mr. R. Kali Woodward, Founding Executive Director of AYLF. "Our vision is of a world in which every child becomes literate by the end of third grade, transforming every classroom in America into a sanctuary for learning and the development of critical thinking skills, while simultaneously strengthening the teacher, student, parent relationship, and bringing a lifetime of opportunity to EVERY child."

FUNetix offers parents a lifeline for "academic recovery" in the wake of the pandemic, which has delayed learning among children who were just beginning to learn how to read and write.

The result of 17 years of development and field testing with thousands of diverse students across America, the app incorporates a game-changing, patented decoding technology, known generally as "the diacritic method," that teaches children how to read with virtually no help required from a parent or teacher.

Designed as a simulated, 1-on-1 tutoring experience, the 40 module curriculum (which is consumed in about 12 hours) takes children on a "Wonderful Journey to learn a Magic Code and find Hidden Treasure!" Along the way, they learn the ABC's, as well as ALL 44 sounds of the English language (phonemic awareness), and the fundamental skills of phonics, blending, segmentation and reading comprehension, up to a second grade level.

See how the FUNetix app works!

About the American Youth Literacy Foundation:

The American Youth Literacy Foundation is an all-volunteer, 501 c 3 charitable, non-profit founded in 2008 and dedicated to ensuring that every American child learns how to read before they finish 3rd grade. Mr. Woodward, is a former English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor, a former Spanish and Arabic linguist for the 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army, a graduate of UCLA Law and a published author.

SOURCE Funetix
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dominican Republic (the " Republic ") announced today the aggregate principal amount of each series of outstanding DOP-denominated, Dominican law-governed notes listed in the table below (collectively, the " Existing Local Notes " and each, a " series " of Existing Local Notes), including Existing Local Notes in the form of Global Depositary Notes (the " Existing GDNs " and, together with the Existing Local Notes, the " Existing Notes " and each, a " series " of Existing GDNs or Existing Notes, as applicable), issued by Citibank, N.A., as GDN Depositary (the " GDN Depositary ") that have been validly tendered pursuant to its previously announced offer to purchase for cash (the " Offer ") the Existing Notes from each holder or beneficial owner (each, a " Holder " and, collectively, the " Holders "), subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the offer document dated May 26, 2021 (the " Offer Document "). The Offer expired as scheduled at 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on June 7, 2021. The aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes tendered was DOP92,426,400,000. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this announcement have the meanings specified in the Offer Document.

Title of Existing Notes ISIN / CUSIP Aggregate Principal

Amount Tendered (1) Percentage of

Aggregate Principal

Amount Tendered (2) Purchase Price (3) 16.950% DOP-Denominated Notes

due February 2022 DO1005241125 / N/A DOP6,927,300,000 57.73% DOP1,082.44 GDNs representing 16.950% DOP-Denominated Notes due February 2022(4) 144A: US25714PBN78 / 25714PBN7 Reg S: US25714PBP27 / 25714PBP2 10.375% DOP-Denominated Notes due March 2022 DO1005204719 / N/A DOP7,294,500,000 54.03% DOP1,042.08 GDNs representing 10.375% DOP-Denominated Notes due March 2022(4) 144A: US25714WAE30 / 25714WAE3 Reg S: XS1203837528 / N/A 14.500% DOP-Denominated Notes due February 2023 DO1005250928 / N/A DOP6,558,600,000 67.98% DOP1,127.94 GDNs representing14.500% DOP-Denominated Notes due February 2023(4) 144A: US25714PBW77 / 25714PBW7 Reg S: XS0900687681 / N/A 10.500% DOP-Denominated Notes due April 2023 DO1005205914 / N/A DOP8,666,300,000 27.19% DOP1,079.48 GDNs representing 10.500% DOP-Denominated Notes due April 2023(4) 144A: US25714WBB81 / 144A: 25714WBB8 Reg S: XS1597325098 / N/A 10.250% DOP-Denominated Notes due January 2024 DO1005206623 / N/A DOP2,975,700,000 27.30% DOP1,088.64 GDNs representing 10.250% DOP-Denominated Notes due January 2024(3) 144A: US25714WBF95 / 25714WBF9 Reg S: XS1936097911 / N/A 11.500% DOP-Denominated Notes due May 2024 DO1005204214 / N/A DOP5,729,000,000 27.79% DOP1,133.86 GDNs representing 11.500% DOP-Denominated Notes due May 2024(4) 144A: US25714PCM86 / 25714PCM8 Reg S: XS1084826483 / N/A 10.875% DOP-Denominated Notes due January 2026 DO1005205112 / N/A DOP10,761,900,000 53.81% DOP1,169.87 GDNs representing 10.875% DOP-Denominated Notes due January 2026(4) 144A: US25714PDK12 / 25714PDK1 Reg S: XS1355504181 / N/A 10.375% DOP-Denominated Notes due March 2026 DO1005205013 / N/A DOP4,763,600,000 39.70% DOP1,132.45 GDNs representing 10.375% DOP-Denominated Notes due March 2026(4) 144A: US25714WAF05 / 25714WAF0 Reg S: XS1243876551 / N/A 11.000% DOP-Denominated Notes due November 2026 DO1005205310 / N/A DOP12,242,400,000 61.21% DOP1,182.63 GDNs representing 11.000% DOP-Denominated Notes due November 2026(4) 144A: US25714WAG87 / 25714WAG8 Reg S: XS1410454406 / N/A 11.000% DOP-Denominated Notes due December 2026 DO1005205419 / N/A DOP8,837,800,000 55.24% DOP1,176.84 GDNs representing 11.000% DOP-Denominated Notes due December 2026(4) 144A: US25714WAL72 / 25714WAL7 Reg S: XS1433115893 / N/A 11.250% DOP-Denominated Notes due February 2027 DO1005205617 / N/A DOP17,669,300,000 63.78% DOP1,184.23 GDNs representing 11.250% DOP-Denominated Notes due February 2027(4) 144A: US25714PDR64 / 25714PDR6 Reg S: XS1514991048 / N/A







___________________

(1) Information regarding the aggregate principle amount of Existing Local Notes and Existing GDNs tendered is based on information received from CEVALDOM, Deposito Centralizado de Valores, S.A. and the Tender and Information Agent, as applicable.

(2) Principal amount of each series of Existing Notes tendered pursuant to the Offer expressed as an approximate percentage of the aggregate principal amount of Existing Notes outstanding of such series.

(3) Per DOP1,000 principal amount of the Existing Local Notes and Existing GDNs, in each case, validly tendered and accepted for purchase. Holders whose Existing Notes were validly tendered and are accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer will also receive Accrued Interest (as defined herein). Holders whose Existing Local Notes were validly tendered and are accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer will be paid in Dominican pesos and Holders whose Existing GDNs were validly tendered and are accepted for purchase pursuant to the Offer will be paid in U.S. dollars as described in the Offer Document.

(4) Issued by the GDN Depositary and payable in U.S. dollars as described in the Offer Document. Each Existing GDN represents DOP100,000 nominal amount of the corresponding Existing Local Notes.

The Offer is conditioned, among other things, on the concurrent (or earlier) closing of an issuance by the Republic of a new series of DOP-denominated, Dominican law-governed notes, in an aggregate principal amount, with pricing and on terms and conditions acceptable to the Republic in its sole discretion (the " New Notes Offering "). The Republic intends to use the net proceeds from the New Notes Offering to purchase the Existing Notes accepted for purchase. The New Notes Offering has been made solely by means of an offering memorandum relating to the New Notes Offering, and neither this announcement nor the Offer Document constitutes an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy such new notes.

The Republic reserves the right, in its sole discretion, not to accept any valid orders to tender Existing Notes in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Offer or to terminate the Offer with respect to one or more series for any reason. In the event of a termination of the Offer with respect to a series, the tendered Existing Notes of such series will be returned to the tendering Holder.

Holders of Existing Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase by the Republic will received the total of the fixed price per DOP1,000 principal amount indicated in the rightmost column in the table above (the " Purchase Price ") plus accrued and unpaid interest on such Existing Notes up to, but excluding, the Existing Local Notes Settlement Date or Existing GDNs Settlement Date (in each case, as defined below), as applicable (" Accrued Interest "). If the Purchase Price for all validly tendered Existing Notes (the " Tendered Aggregate Purchase Price ") would exceed the Maximum Purchase Price determined by the Republic, then the Republic will, in its sole discretion, select one or more series of Existing Notes to be prorated on the basis of the same or different proration factors.

The Purchase Price applicable for each series of Existing GDNs will be payable in U.S. dollars by converting the applicable DOP amounts to U.S. dollars based on an exchange rate of Ps.56.996 per US$1.00, which corresponds to the Representative Market Rate (as described in the Offer Document) at 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on Monday, June 7, 2021.

The settlement of validly tendered and accepted Existing Local Notes is expected to occur on Friday, June 11, 2021, subject to change without notice (the " Existing Local Notes Settlement Date "). The settlement of validly tendered and accepted Existing GDNs is expected to occur on Monday, June 14, 2021, subject to change without notice (the " Existing GDNs Settlement Date ").

If the Republic accepts all or a portion of a Holder's tender of Existing Notes of any series, the Holder will be entitled to receive for such Existing Notes the applicable Purchase Price plus Accrued Interest, which will be paid on the Existing Local Notes Settlement Date or Existing GDNs Settlement Date, as applicable, if the conditions of the Offer are met.

On June 9, 2021, at or about 9:00 a.m. (New York City time), subject to change without notice, the Republic expects to announce: (i) the Maximum Purchase Price; (ii) the Tendered Aggregate Purchase Price; (iii) the aggregate principal amount of Tenders of each series of Existing Notes that has been accepted; and (iv) any proration of tenders of any series of Existing Notes.

The Offer Document may be downloaded from the website of Global Bondholder Services Corporation (the " Tender and Information Agent ") at https://www.gbsc-usa.com/dominican/ or obtained from the Tender and Information Agent or from any of the Dealer Managers at the contact information below. Questions regarding the Offer may be directed to the Dealer Managers at the below contact information.

The Dealer Managers for the Offer are:

Citigroup Global Markets Inc. 388 Greenwich Street, Floor 7 New York, New York 10013 United States of America Attn: Liability Management Group Collect: +1 (212) 723-6106 Toll-Free: +1 (800) 558-3745 In the Dominican Republic: +1-809-473-2428 Email: [email protected] J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

383 Madison Avenue New York, New York 10179

United States of America

Attn: Latin America Debt Capital Markets Collect: +1 (212) 834-7279

Toll-Free: +1 (866) 846-2874

The Tender and Information Agent for the Existing GDNs is:

Global Bondholder Services Corporation

65 Broadway  Suite 404

New York, New York 10006

United States of America

Attn: Corporate Actions

Banks and Brokers call: +1 (212) 430-3774

Toll free +1 (866) 470-3900

Email: [email protected]

Offer Website: https://www.gbsc-usa.com/dominican/

By facsimile:

(For Eligible Institutions only):

+1 (212) 430-3775/3779

Confirmation:

+1 (212) 430-3774

By Mail: By Overnight Courier: By Hand: 65 Broadway  Suite 404 New York, New York 10006 United States of America 65 Broadway  Suite 404 New York, New York 10006 United States of America 65 Broadway  Suite 404 New York, New York 10006 United States of America

Important Notice

This announcement is for informational purposes only. It is not complete and may not contain all the information that you should consider before tendering Existing Notes. You should read the entire Offer Document.

This announcement is not an offer to purchase for cash or a solicitation of invitations for offers to purchase for cash any Existing Notes. The distribution of materials relating to the Offer and the transactions contemplated thereby may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. The Offer is being made only by the Offer Document and in those jurisdictions where it is legal to do so. The Offer is void in all jurisdictions where it is prohibited. If materials relating to the Offer come into your possession, you are required to inform yourself of and to observe all of these restrictions. Each person accepting the Offer shall be deemed to have represented, warranted and agreed (in respect of itself and any person for whom it is acting) that it is not a person to whom it is unlawful to make the Offer pursuant to the Offer Document, it has not distributed or forwarded the Offer Document or any other documents or materials relating to the Offer to any such person, and that it has complied with all laws and regulations applicable to it for purposes of participating in the Offer. Neither the Republic nor the Dealer Managers accepts any responsibility for any violation by any person of the restrictions applicable in any jurisdiction.

The materials relating to the Offer, including this announcement, do not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation in any place where offers or solicitations are not permitted by law. This announcement and the Offer Document do not constitute an offer to buy or a solicitation of an offer to sell any securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. In any jurisdiction in which the Offer is required to be made by a licensed broker or dealer and in which any Dealer Manager or any of its affiliates is so licensed, it shall be deemed to be made by the Dealer Managers or such affiliates on behalf of the Republic.

SOURCE The Dominican Republic
NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, The New York Women's Foundation , PowHer New York and The League of Women Voters of NYC launched A Mayor for NYC Women initiative with the release of responses to their newly created 2021 NYC Mayoral Questionnaire, a non-partisan project ensuring issues and solutions critical to women* and girls are addressed as part of the primary and general election dialogues.

To help inform voters, the three organizations distributed the questionnaire to all 2021 New York City mayoral candidates. The questions covered eight issues outlined in the nonprofit community's collective response to the pandemic, A Roadmap to Create Inclusive Gender Justice in New York . The Roadmap, a project of PowHerNY, was authored by more than 50 organizations. It calls on leaders to take an anti-racist, gender focus lens to decision-making to create a transformational shift in policies, priorities, and perspectives to create a fairer and more inclusive society.

The questionnaire reveals candidates' specific plans for addressing women's essential rights, employment, education, and reproductive rights, and explores how their policies will create urgent change in the critical realm of caregiving and amid the uptick in gender-based violence within NYC in both the private and public sectors.

Democratic candidates Eric Adams, Art Chang, Kathryn Garcia, Ray McGuire, Diane Morales, Scott Stringer, Maya Wiley, and Andrew Yang and Republican candidate Fernando Mateo submitted responses to the questionnaire. Their answers have been made publicly available online through the organizations' social media channels by following #MayorForNYCWomen, their respective websites and can be viewed at: www.amayorfornycwomen.org.

"We're incredibly proud of this inclusive and collaborative initiative, because while everyone's talking about the issues, many are not specifically discussing them from a woman's perspective," reflects Ana L. Oliveira, President & CEO of The New York Women's Foundation. "All of these issues are uniquely women-oriented, and it's our job to make sure that women are prioritized and involved in local and national political campaigns from top to bottom. We want people to be informed about the issues and know where their mayoral candidates stand on each. We ask our partners to follow our lead in encouraging our candidates to engage in honest and solutions-oriented conversations."

"It is vital that the next NYC Mayor address the deep inequities historically faced by women which were exacerbated by the pandemic," said Beverly Neufeld, President of PowHer New York. "With so much at stake, our organizations came together to give candidates the opportunity to share their views and solutions. In addition to providing voters with information to inform their decisions, we hope A Mayor for NYC Women initiative will ramp up the public dialogue about the critical needs of NYC women. We have an unprecedented opportunity to reach for real and lasting systemic change, and we need a Mayor to lead that charge."

"We can march, lobby and advocate for change, but when we vote, our voices are amplified even more," said Diane Burrows, Co-President of League of Women Voters of NYC. "Ranked Choice Voting makes our voices even louder because our vote stays in play as we rank the candidates who could represent us."

A Mayor for NYC Women voter guide is a non-partisan project created by 501c3 organizations. These organizations do not support or oppose any candidate for public office. This guide is for informational purposes. A candidates' fitness for office should be judged on a variety of qualifications that go beyond their responses to the questions contained in the guide. All voters are encouraged to find out where their candidates stand on issues that matter in their lives and make their voices heard.

Primary Election day in New York City is Tuesday, June 22, 2021. The Primary Election early voting period is June 12, 2021  June 20, 2021.

About The New York Women's Foundation

The New York Women's Foundation is a voice for women and a force for change. The Foundation's mission is to create an equitable and just future for women and families. It achieves this goal by uniting cross-cultural and community alliances that ignite action. The Foundation invests in women-led, innovative, and bold community-based solutions that promote the economic security, safety, and health of the most vulnerable women. By the end of 2021, The Foundation will have distributed more than $100 million in its 34-year existence to over 500 organizations, impacting millions of women and girls across New York City and beyond. To learn more about The New York Women's Foundation's work to transform lives, families, and communities, please visit www.nywf.org .

About PowHerNew York

PowHer New York is an inclusive statewide network of individuals and organizations committed to attain economic equality for New York women and their families. Through the collective action of over 100 network partners we build intersectional collaborations, educate the public about combating gender inequality, convene innovators and advocates to explore and develop new approaches and strategies, and work with legislators and business leaders on solutions. Working together with advocates from diverse racial and gender backgrounds across multiple sectors, PowHerNY has been successful in catalyzing culture and policy change and promoting inclusive gender justice. The Equal Pay Campaign, a signature project, has advanced pay equity in New York through groundbreaking legislation and education.

About The League of Women Voters of NYC

The League of Women Voters of the City of New York is a non-partisan organization whose purpose is to promote informed and active citizen participation in government. Our mission is to expand our outreach and increase all New Yorkers' participation in local communities and government through civics education, the "vote", and issue advocacy. Founded in 1919, the League of Women Voters of the City of New York was an offshoot of the Women's Suffrage movement. While the League's legislative priorities change to reflect the needs of society, our organization remains true to its basic purpose: to make democracy work for all citizens. Membership is open to all people who support our causes. The League is supported by membership dues and contributions from public-spirited individuals, businesses and organizations. The League's enduring vitality comes from its unique decentralized structure; working at the national, state, and local levels.

*We define the term woman to refer to anyone who identifies as a woman, including but not limited to cisgender, trans and nonbinary women.

SOURCE The New York Women's Foundation
DUBLIN, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Logistics Automation Market By Function, By Component, By Enterprise Size, By End User, By Region, Industry Analysis and Forecast, 2020 - 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Logistics Automation Market size is expected to reach $82.3 billion by 2026, rising at a market growth of 12.4% CAGR during the forecast period. Logistics Automation is considered as the application of machinery and automation software to enhance the effectiveness of logistics operations. The Logistics Automation system consists of tools such as software (integration software, business control software and operation control software, etc.) and tools such as automated guided vehicles, automated storage, and retrieval systems, conveyors, vertical lift modules, robots, and related services.



The thriving e-commerce sector has influenced the retail, manufacturing, and logistics sectors substantially. In the past few years, the retail sector has switched from conventional physical stores to online stores. Such a change is placing a massive burden on the supply chains and warehousing systems, which is further expanded by the labor limitations. Logistics Automation is considered as the solution for these limitations and is being deployed around the world to streamline the operating processes. Therefore, the booming e-commerce industry is boosting the Logistics Automation Market. Developments in technologies like robotics and automation is expected to support the growth of the Logistics Automation market in the next few years. Though, the global logistics automation market faces some obstacles such as huge installation costs, and safety & security concerns.



As the world continues to face the severe effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, logistics and supply chain operations are influenced majorly, particularly in the North American region. Few major sectors that are majorly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic are consumer goods, retail and industrial goods. Supportive government initiatives and lockdown restrictions could it tedious for freight service vendors to keep running their services in a smooth manner for the near future. This has forced organizations in the logistics sector to realize the particular demand effects of their business, develop a brief demand synchronization strategy, and being flexible for probable channel shifts.



Function Outlook



Based on Function, the market is segmented into Warehouse & Storage Management and Transportation Management. The warehouse & storage management segment procured the maximum revenue share of the logistics automation market in 2019. The massive share of the warehouse & storage management segment is due to smart technology like IoT and robotics, to fuel warehouse activities. Warehouse activities are responsible for the major resource consumption. As several companies want new solutions to enhance the productivity of warehouses and cut-down the price, the adoption of warehouse robots is expected to surely increase in the next few years.



Component Outlook



Based on Component, the market is segmented into Hardware, Software and Services. Software segment is further categorized across Warehouse Management System (WMS) Software and Transportation Management System (TMS) Software. The warehouse management and transport management are actively deploying logistics automation robots, which bring automation in the process of transferring goods and storing them across the supply chain procedures. The logistics automation robots are incorporated across storage and warehouse units for the purpose of arranging and transporting the products. These robots also provide a superior degree of uptime in comparison to manual labor, which contributes to the development of profitability and productivity of the industry.



Enterprise Size Outlook



Based on Enterprise Size, the market is segmented into Large Enterprises and Small & Medium Enterprises. small & medium enterprises is expected to exhibit a higher growth rate during the forecast years owing to various technological developments and massive competition among the leading payers, and decreases the price of automated warehouses. These aspects are hence motivating small and medium enterprises to deploy these systems, which as a result, is driving the growth of the market around the world.



End User Outlook



Based on End User, the market is segmented into Third Party Logistics (3PL), FMCG, Retail & eCommerce, Manufacturing, Oil, Gas & Energy, Aerospace & Defense, Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals and Others. Massive competition in the automotive sector has boosted the demand for automated production systems and flexible logistics systems to improve the design and supply of vehicles. The automotive industry utilizes logistics & fleet management solutions to handle, monitor, and track the shipment of goods and vehicle fleet.



Regional Outlook



Based on Regions, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, Middle East & Africa. On the basis of region, North America procured the maximum revenue share of the logistics automation market in 2019. Logistics automation technologies are being adopted by companies in the North American region to facilitate the supply chain processes, such as producing, packaging, and transporting goods. In North American, the US, Canada, and Mexico are the major economies for the regional market. The economic developments of these countries have brought massive funding for logistics automation.



The major strategies followed by the market participants are Partnerships. Based on the Analysis presented in the Cardinal matrix; Honeywell International, Inc. and Oracle Corporation are the forerunners in the Logistics Automation Market. Companies such as Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., BEUMER Group GmbH &Co. KG, Daifuku Co., Limited, and Kion Group are some of the key innovators in the market.



The market research report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the market. Key companies profiled in the report include Kion Group, Honeywell International, Inc., Daifuku Co., Limited, Knapp AG, Kuka AG, Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Oracle Corporation, BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG, Manhattan Associates, Inc., and SSI Schaefer Group.



Unique Offerings from the Publisher

Exhaustive coverage

Highest number of market tables and figures

Subscription based model available

Guaranteed best price

Assured post sales research support with 10% customization free

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1. Market Scope & Methodology



Chapter 2. Market Overview

2.1 Introduction

2.1.1 Overview

2.1.2 Market Composition and Scenario

2.2 Key Factors Impacting the Market

2.2.1 Market Drivers

2.2.2 Market Restraints



Chapter 3. Competition Analysis - Global

3.1 Cardinal Matrix

3.2 Recent Industry Wide Strategic Developments

3.2.1 Partnerships, Collaborations and Agreements

3.2.2 Product Launches and Product Expansions

3.2.3 Geographical Expansions

3.2.4 Acquisition and Mergers

3.3 Top Winning Strategies

3.3.1 Key Leading Strategies: Percentage Distribution (2016-2020)

3.3.2 Key Strategic Move: (Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements : 2016, Apr - 2020, Sep) Leading Players



Chapter 4. Global Logistics Automation Market by Function

4.1 Global Logistics Automation Warehouse & Storage Management Market by Region

4.2 Global Logistics Automation Transportation Management Market by Region



Chapter 5. Global Logistics Automation Market by Component

5.1 Global Logistics Automation Hardware Market by Region

5.2 Global Logistics Automation Software Market by Region

5.3 Global Logistics Automation Market by Software Type

5.3.1 Global Warehouse Management System (WMS) Software Logistics Automation Market by Region

5.3.2 Global Transportation Management System (TMS) Software Logistics Automation Market by Region

5.4 Global Logistics Automation Services Market by Region



Chapter 6. Global Logistics Automation Market by Enterprise Size

6.1 Global Large Enterprises Logistics Automation Market by Region

6.2 Global Small & Medium Enterprises Logistics Automation Market by Region



Chapter 7. Global Logistics Automation Market by End User

7.1 Global Third Party Logistics (3PL) Logistics Automation Market by Region

7.2 Global FMCG, Retail & eCommerce Logistics Automation Market by Region

7.3 Global Manufacturing Logistics Automation Market by Region

7.4 Global Oil, Gas & Energy Logistics Automation Market by Region

7.5 Global Aerospace & Defense Logistics Automation Market by Region

7.6 Global Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Logistics Automation Market by Region

7.7 Global Others Logistics Automation Market by Region



Chapter 8. Global Logistics Automation Market by Region



Chapter 9. Company Profiles

9.1 Kion Group

9.1.1 Company Overview

9.1.2 Financial Analysis

9.1.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

9.1.4 Research & Development Expense

9.1.5 Recent strategies and developments

9.1.5.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements

9.1.5.2 Acquisition and Mergers

9.1.5.3 Product Launches and Product Expansions

9.1.5.4 Geographical Expansions

9.1.6 SWOT Analysis

9.2 Honeywell International, Inc.

9.2.1 Company Overview

9.2.2 Financial Analysis

9.2.3 Regional & Segmental Analysis

9.2.4 Research & Development Expenses

9.2.5 Recent strategies and developments

9.2.5.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements

9.2.5.2 Acquisition and Mergers

9.2.5.3 Geographical Expansions

9.2.6 SWOT Analysis

9.3 Daifuku Co., Limited

9.3.1 Company Overview

9.3.2 Financial Analysis

9.3.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

9.3.4 Research & Development Expense

9.3.5 Recent strategies and developments

9.3.5.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements

9.3.5.2 Acquisition and Mergers

9.4 Knapp AG

9.4.1 Company Overview

9.4.2 Recent strategies and developments

9.4.2.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements

9.4.2.2 Product Launches and Product Expansions

9.5 Kuka AG

9.5.1 Company Overview

9.5.2 Financial Analysis

9.5.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

9.5.4 Research & Development Expense

9.5.5 Recent strategies and developments

9.5.5.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements

9.5.5.2 Product Launches and Product Expansions

9.6 Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

9.6.1 Company Overview

9.6.2 Financial Analysis

9.6.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

9.6.4 Research & Development Expense

9.6.5 Recent strategies and developments

9.6.5.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements

9.6.5.2 Acquisition and Mergers

9.7 Oracle Corporation

9.7.1 Company Overview

9.7.2 Financial Analysis

9.7.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

9.7.4 Research & Development Expense

9.7.5 Recent strategies and developments

9.7.5.1 Product Launches and Product Expansions

9.7.5.2 Acquisition and Mergers

9.7.6 SWOT Analysis

9.8 BEUMER Group GmbH & Co. KG

9.8.1 Company Overview

9.8.2 Recent strategies and developments

9.8.2.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements

9.8.2.2 Product Launches and Product Expansions

9.9 Manhattan Associates, Inc.

9.9.1 Company Overview

9.9.2 Financial Analysis

9.9.3 Segmental and Regional Analysis

9.9.4 Research & Development Expense

9.9.5 Recent strategies and developments

9.9.5.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements

9.9.5.2 Product Launches and Product Expansions

9.10. SSI Schaefer Group

9.10.1 Company Overview

9.10.2 Recent strategies and developments

9.10.2.1 Partnerships, Collaborations, and Agreements

9.10.2.2 Acquisition and Mergers

9.10.2.3 Geographical Expansions

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ea20mw

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

http://www.researchandmarkets.com


WALTHAM, Mass., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), the world leader in serving science, announced that Marc N. Casper, chairman, president and chief executive officer, will present virtually at the Goldman Sachs 42nd Annual Global Healthcare Conference on Thursday, June 10, 2021 at 9:40 a.m. (EDT).

You can access the webcast of the presentation via the Investors section of our website, www.thermofisher.com.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue exceeding $30 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies or increasing productivity in their laboratories, we are here to support them. Our global team of more than 80,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services and Patheon. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.

Media Contact Information:

Ron O'Brien

Phone: 781-622-1242

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.thermofisher.com



Investor Contact Information:

Rafael Tejada

Phone: 781-622-1356

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific

Related Links

http://www.thermofisher.com


"Only 2% of venture capital leaders are Black...We want to change that." - Peter Harris, founding partner, UGF Tweet this

The Atlanta Expansion

A hub of higher education and top location for VC deals, Atlanta is a natural choice for UGF's expansion. The city is home to 57 colleges and universities, including four historically black colleges and universities. With dozens of funds and accelerators, Atlanta provides a rich environment for career exploration. The new UGF office opened recently in downtown Atlanta.

"The goal of our work with UGF is to open many more doors to high-earning opportunities for Black and Brown students," said Di Morais, president of consumer and commercial banking products, Ally Bank. "UGF has a strong track record of changing lives by providing students with the experience needed to join the world of high finance. Our team at Ally is excited to work beside them to offer that crucial experience to young talent in the Atlanta area."

The UGF Difference

UGF offers college students in San Diego, Salt Lake City and Atlanta the opportunity to manage a fund and garner real-world experience. Students receive comprehensive training over the course of the multi-year program, executing investment projects from start to finish. Participants gain invaluable access to professional mentors and networking in a prestigious field.

Ally's history with UGF

Ally, which has supported UGF from its inception, was the lead investor in the original Fund (2014) and second Fund (2020) with $25 million in total investment. Ally has also funded scholarships and other grants.

"Without Ally's staunch support, we wouldn't be where we are today," Harris continued. "It's more of a partnership than a funding relationship. Di Morais, Jan Bergeson and their team at Ally are involved and invested in our success. Committed partners like this make the work we do and the impact we have on these students' lives possible."

Supporting UGF's Atlanta expansion aligns with Ally's commitment to invest in Black futures, particularly in underrepresented yet high-paying career fields such as VC and private equity. Today's news builds on Ally's recent announcement of more than $1.3 million in scholarships and programs for Black students and candidates in a variety of professions, including legal, public policy, insurance and other roles within financial services.

1Founder Institute. (2020, February 22). Data Shows Black Entrepreneurship Growing Across the United States: Investors Should Take Note. https://fi.co/insight/black-entrepreneurship-is-growing-in-strength

About UGF

University Growth Fund is the largest education-based private equity fund in the country, with over $65 million in assets under management from several institutional investors. UGF gives university students the opportunity to gain real-world experience as they invest alongside top-tier investors in many of the best companies in the country. UGF typically has about 40 student associates from twelve universities in the program each semester. Learn more at www.ugrowthfund.com .

About Ally Financial

Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a digital financial services company committed to its promise to "Do It Right" for its consumer, commercial and corporate customers. Ally is composed of an industry-leading independent auto finance and insurance operation, an award-winning digital direct bank (Ally Bank, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender, which offers mortgage lending, point-of-sale personal lending, and a variety of deposit and other banking products), a corporate finance business for equity sponsors and middle-market companies, and securities brokerage and investment advisory services. A relentless ally for all things money, Ally helps people save well and earn well, so they can spend for what matters. For more information, please visit www.ally.com and follow @allyfinancial.

For more information and disclosures about Ally, visit https://www.ally.com/#disclosures.

For further images and news on Ally, please visit http://media.ally.com.

Contact:

Brenda Rios

Ally Financial

[email protected]

SOURCE Ally Financial

Related Links

http://www.ally.com


ST. PAUL, Minn, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Students from fifteen countries and 28 universities will compete this week for a chance to win a share of more than $60,000 in seed funding at the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge. The Fowler GSIC is for the trailblazers, the doers, and the dreamers. Never has this mindset been more relevant than in these current times. Powered by the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship at the University of St. Thomas and the Center for Peace and Commerce at the University of San Diego, the Fowler GSIC invites students to engage with one or more of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals by developing an innovation that responds to an environmental or social problem.

At over 2,500 innovators strong, our network represents a diverse community of students and entrepreneurs connected by a passion for tackling the world's most complex problems. The program provides an unparalleled opportunity for student social entrepreneurs to join a network of global innovators while competing for vital seed funding. Students will not only be able to showcase their own outstanding ideas, but they can also listen and learn from peers from every corner of the globe. In addition to pitching to industry leaders and receiving valuable feedback, participating teams will take part in panel discussions and workshops on topics ranging from building a board of advisors to the role social businesses can play in DEI.

To date, more than $500,000 in seed funding has been awarded to winning teams. The Schulze School of Entrepreneurship is especially honored to host this year's virtual Global Finals where teams will convene virtually to push boundaries, build bonds and inspire change. Which teams will win a share of $61,500 in seed funding? Join us at the Awards Ceremony on Saturday, June 12th to find out. Panel discussions are open to the public. Register today to tune in for the discussions on June 9th and 10th.

ABOUT THE FOWLER GLOBAL SOCIAL INNOVATION CHALLENGE

The Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge is a social venture pitch competition hosted by the University of St. Thomas and the University of San Diego (USD) that recognizes, resources, and rewards student-led social ventures focused on sustainable change. It started in 2011 at USD's Center for Peace and Commerce  a partnership between the USD School of Business and the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies  and expanded into a global pitch contest in 2018, with the global finals hosted in alternating years by USD and St. Thomas. Since the program's inception, winning teams have received more than $500,000 in seed funding for social ventures in over 25 countries.

Media Contact:

Vineeta Sawkar

[email protected]

SOURCE University of St. Thomas
LAS VEGAS, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With 46 percent of U.S. adults now fully vaccinated and 59 percent having received at least one dose, the accelerated vaccine rollout is sparking a vacation-booking surge. However, many vaccinated Americans eager to plan their summer vacations are hitting roadblocks due to highly sought-after destinations being sold out or having extremely limited availability. With vacation packages, hotels, event tickets, and attraction tickets available in the most popular destinations in the United States, trusted online travel agency VacationOffer.com is stepping up to save the summers of many vacationers.

From bright and bustling cities and white, sandy beaches to naturally beautiful landscapes and vast wineries, VacationOffer.com has expertly curated trips to various destinations. Some of the destinations they work in include Orlando, Miami, Virginia Beach, San Antonio, Hilton Head, and Zion National Park, amongst other highly desired travel locales . One of the company's most popular packages at this time is a full four-day, three-night stay at the famous Las Vegas Strip, which also includes a $50 Visa Gift Card for each client.

In addition to vacation packages and hotels, the company also offers show and attraction tickets at exclusive member-only prices. Additionally, as a bonus, many of the package deals by VacationOffer.com come with travel perks, such as gift cards or vouchers that customers can use while on their trip or back at home.

VacationOffer.com works with some of the top brands in travel and hospitality from around the world. The best hotels, ticket providers, and other travel industry specialists are contracted by the company to provide their customers with the most memorable vacation experiences.

Additionally, for a hassle-free booking experience, VacationOffer.com has its signature Flexible Rescheduling Policy. This allows customers to modify their travel package free of charge up to six business days from their travel date. To utilize this policy, customers just need to contact VacationOffer.com's 24/7 customer care team for assistance. The VacationOffer.com team is composed of travel agents and engineers who are knowledgeable, friendly, and always available to help.

To also make sure that travelers remain safe during these uncertain times, VacationOffer.com and its suppliers adhere to all guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as those of local government agencies.

For a full list of VacationOffer.com's travel package deals, visit VacationOffer.com/Packages .

About VacationOffer.com

A trusted online travel agency, VacationOffer.com provides vacation packages, hotels, event tickets, and attraction tickets in the most popular travel destinations in the United States. The company serves both consumer travelers and businesses, providing high-quality trips and tours with full transparency. Additionally, to ensure the safety of clients, VacationOffer.com and its suppliers adhere to all COVID-19 guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local government agencies. For more information, please visit VacationOffer.com .

Media Contact

VacationOffer.com

+1 (877) 218-8232

[email protected]

SOURCE VacationOffer.com
HAMILTON, Bermuda, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Valaris Limited (NYSE: VAL) announced today that it has been awarded a three-year contract with Chevron in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico for drillship, VALARIS DS-18 (Relentless). The contract is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2022 in direct continuation of the current contract.

About Valaris Limited

Valaris Limited (NYSE: VAL) is the industry leader in offshore drilling services across all water depths and geographies. Operating a high-quality rig fleet of ultra-deepwater drillships, versatile semisubmersibles and modern shallow-water jackups, Valaris has experience operating in nearly every major offshore basin. Valaris maintains an unwavering commitment to safety, operational excellence, and customer satisfaction, with a focus on technology and innovation. Valaris Limited is a Bermuda exempted company (Bermuda No. 56245). To learn more, visit our website at www.valaris.com.

Cautionary Statements

Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include words or phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "could," "may," "might," "should," "will" and similar words. Such statements are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results to vary materially from those indicated, including the Company's liquidity and ability to access financing sources, debt restrictions that may limit our liquidity and flexibility, the COVID-19 outbreak and global pandemic, the related public health measures implemented by governments worldwide, the volatility in oil prices caused in part by the COVID-19 pandemic and the decisions by certain oil producers to reduce export prices and increase oil production, and cancellation, suspension, renegotiation or termination of drilling contracts and programs. In particular, the unprecedented nature of the current economic downturn, pandemic, and industry decline may make it particularly difficult to identify risks or predict the degree to which identified risks will impact the Company's business and financial condition. In addition to the numerous factors described above, you should also carefully read and consider "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in Part I and "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Part II of our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, as updated in our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10- Q, which are available on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov or on the Investor Relations section of our website at www.valaris.com. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Investor & Media Contact: Darin Gibbins

Vice President - Investor Relations and Treasurer

+1-713-979-4623

SOURCE Valaris Limited

Related Links

http://www.valaris.com


SAN DIEGO, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ViaCyte, Inc., a clinical-stage regenerative medicine company focused on developing cell therapies that provide a functional cure for patients with diabetes, announced today the appointment of ViaCyte's current Vice President of Translation Research Evert Kroon, PhD, to serve as interim Chief Scientific Officer following the departure of CSO Kevin D'Amour, PhD. Dr. D'Amour will resign effective June 25, 2021, to pursue other opportunities. The Company has already initiated a search for a successor.

Serving as interim CSO, Dr. Kroon brings 18 years of experience at the Company in scientific and leadership roles with deep expertise in ViaCyte's technologies. Most recently as Vice President of Translation Research, he has been a key part of progressing ViaCyte's cell replacement therapies from discovery through pre-clinical studies and into the clinic. With two phase II clinical programs and a third program entering the clinic late this year, ViaCyte continues to advance its clinical programs for type 1 diabetes, as well as its innovative science to optimize its medicines and progress into new disease areas.

"Kevin's commitment and leadership in advancing the best science have helped us build the broadest, most advanced cell replacement portfolio for type 1 diabetes and position ViaCyte as the first company to apply this stem cell-based approach in human clinical trials," said Michael Yang, President and Chief Executive Officer of ViaCyte. "We sincerely thank Kevin for playing an integral role in helping the team achieve our scientific goals and wish him the very best in his new endeavors."

Dr. D'Amour will continue to consult with the Company as a special advisor. The Company remains on track to meet its operational milestones and focused on executing its mission of achieving a functional cure for type 1 diabetes.

About ViaCyte

ViaCyte is a privately held regenerative medicine company developing novel cell replacement therapies based on two major technological advances: cell replacement therapies derived from pluripotent stem cells and medical device systems for cell encapsulation and implantation. ViaCyte has the opportunity to use these technologies to address critical human diseases and disorders that can potentially be treated by replacing lost or malfunctioning cells or proteins. The Company's first product candidates are being developed as potential long-term treatments for patients with type 1 diabetes to achieve glucose control targets and reduce the risk of hypoglycemia and diabetes-related complications. To accelerate and expand the Company's efforts, ViaCyte has established collaborative partnerships with leading companies, including CRISPR Therapeutics and W.L. Gore & Associates. ViaCyte is headquartered in San Diego, California. For more information, please visit www.viacyte.com and connect with ViaCyte on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

SOURCE ViaCyte, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.viacyte.com


As the attorney general and lawyers for plaintiffs in the Medicaid coverage lawsuit prepare for trial, Dr. Dwayne Proctor, Missouri Foundation for Health president and CEO, said Tuesday Missourians who qualify under expansion have a constitutional right to Medicaid. Every day this process is delayed is another day nearly 250,000 Missourians go without the access to health care they need.
NORTH CANTON, Ohio, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, Visual Edge Technology welcomed the Jillian Fund Riders, The Patriot Pack, to XMC, a Visual Edge Technology Company in Memphis, Tennessee.

"This wonderful Jillian event brought such fine people together for a few hours of fellowship and goodwill to drive awareness for a great cause - helping children and their families who are fighting cancer," applauded Michael Cozzens, Sr. Vice President of Sales, U.S. "Visual Edge has been working with Michael Stramaglio on participation, and we've finally seen that happen!"

Visual Edge, Inc.

The Jillian Fund provides financial supportincluding rent, car payments, insurance, utility bills and childcare expensesto families of children with life-threatening illnesses. Our objective is simple: provide support during a time of crisis to allow family members to better focus on their sick child.

The Patriot Pack makes stops at businesses across the country and garners support for Jillian's Fund. Visual Edge provided one of the stops on the rider's route as well as some food, music, camaraderie and, of course, a donation to this worthy cause.

"I was honored to be a part of the Jillian Fund as the team passed through Memphis," shared Bob Hamilton, Founder, XMC, Inc., who matched the Visual Edge 2021 donation. "The Jillian fund supports families who have children fighting cancer. This is a very near and dear organization for me for a couple of reasons. One, I just spent the last 18-months battling cancer, but most importantly, the leader of XMC, Sean Seward, lost his brother, Brian, to cancer when he was a little boy. In his memory, we made the donation," said Hamilton. "This is such a worthy cause and the great men and women who are riding across America to raise funds need to be supported and thanked."

The Ride kicked off in Chandler, Arizona, this year. Along the way, the Pack stopped at imaging dealers and visited with West Virginia's last surviving Tuskegee airman. The Pack traveled to Richmond, Virginia, before heading home. In total, the Ride was almost 5,000 miles round-trip!

"The event was inspiring, and our team was privileged to be a part of it. We look forward to hosting the pack at another Visual Edge location next year," said Michael Cozzens. "We salute the members of The Patriot Pack and the dealers and companies who support the fund and the two-week ride across our beautiful country."

There are many ways to support Jillian's Fund and The Ride; more details can be found at https://thejillianfund.org/ and http://patriotspacks.com/.

Visual Edge Technology will continue to support the Jillian Fund and encourages all dealers to join them.

For more information, press only:

Jen Arthur, National Director of Marketing, Visual Edge IT

Related Images

visual-edge-it-and-patriot-pack.png

Visual Edge IT and Patriot Pack Riders

SOURCE Visual Edge, Inc.
MIAMI, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- VXPASS, a blockchain-based platform built to manage, store and verify records for global COVID-19 vaccination programs, has today announced that it is opening its Digital Covid Card replacement to licensed medical practitioners and their patients all around the world. By opening the service to medical professionals directly, licensed practitioners can now offer patients the ability to record their vaccination records to a shared database on-chain, enabling them to hold and securely share their vaccination records digitally as needed, such as via a smartphone, without exposing their personally identity.

VXPASS as a platform allows medical professionals to securely document a patient's status during the course of their personal COVID-19 vaccination program by creating a digitally signed version of the COVID-19 vaccination cards. Without storing any personally identifiable information, VXPass creates a record of all relevant vaccine data (including the type of vaccine given, the time each dose was administered) on the BSV blockchain, using techniques that protect patient privacy. The data application enables government bodies and health organizations to better monitor their vaccination programs in real-time while also giving control over access to

The process of writing the vaccination details to the blockchain using VXPASS can be undertaken by the medical practice as part of the service they offer to their patients, meaning that patients will not need to interact directly with the blockchain. With today's new service offering, medical practitioners can now use the service to create digital records of new vaccinations as they occur, as well as digitizing existing vaccination records.

VXPASS will offer tokens (built using RelayX and available for pre-sale immediately on both RelayX and VXPass.com) which will entitle users to have their vaccination records written to the blockchain using the VXPASS platform at participating medical practices starting at $4.99. Participating medical practitioners may offer this service directly within their practices also. In the future, VXPASS will begin rolling out virtual visits with local doctors for those patients whose doctors are not currently enrolled.

Speaking on today's announcement, Zachary Weiner, founder of VXPASS, said:

"At present, paper cards are the only way that most people are able to keep a record of their vaccinations. They're not only inconvenient and unreliable, but in many places, not acceptable as a valid proof of vaccination. With VXPASS, we solve that issue by digitizing vaccination records and placing them in the patient's custody, on the blockchain. This creates an immutable and verifiable signed record of a patient's vaccination which can be accessed and securely shared by them, anywhere at any time. Initially, VXPASS focused on creating secure patient owned records at the time of vaccination, but with today's announcement, our platform is now able to offer that same simplicity and security to all patients holding a valid record of vaccination record  something we see as a crucial step to putting the pandemic in the past and moving forward with our collective futures."

Also speaking, Jimmy Nguyen, Founding President of Bitcoin Association  the global industry organization that works to advance business with the BSV blockchain, said:

"The team at VXPASS have built an effective tool which leverages the power of the BSV blockchain to track vaccination records in a way which is more accurate and more efficient, without sacrificing patient privacy  demonstrating the tangible benefits that blockchain technology can offer today to empower personal health care data."

About VXPASS

VXPASS offers a blockchain-based vaccine administration and verification platform with the digital infrastructure necessary to manage the administration of COVID-19 vaccination programs, as well as verification of a completed vaccine course, including the vaccine type and date, or dates, of administration. All data is stored on the public Bitcoin SV blockchain, enabling authorized users to access and monitor vaccination programs in real-time, while ensuring personal control for the public at large  who retain access and ultimate control of their personal vaccination record.

About Bitcoin Association

Bitcoin Association is the Switzerland-based global industry organization that works to advance business on the Bitcoin SV blockchain. It brings together essential components of the Bitcoin SV ecosystem  enterprises, start-up ventures, developers, merchants, exchanges, service providers, blockchain transaction processors (miners), and others  working alongside them, as well as in a representative capacity, to drive further use of the Bitcoin SV blockchain and uptake of the BSV digital currency.

The Association's Blockchain for Government Initiative provides education and drives global adoption of blockchain technology by government bodies, NGOs and public sector agencies in order to accelerate digital transformation and ignite economic growth. It seeks to advance large-scale implementation of blockchain technology for the benefit of citizens, including through the delivery of e-government services, the provision of tools for greater financial inclusion and improved transparency, as well as applications that foster public good for municipalities and entire countries.

SOURCE VXPass
NEW YORK, June 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- W. P. Carey Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE: WPC) announced today the pricing of an underwritten public offering of an aggregate of 5,250,000 shares of common stock, offered on a forward basis in connection with the forward sale agreements described below, for gross proceeds of approximately $395.3 million. The underwriters of the offering have been granted a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 787,500 shares of common stock.

W. P. Carey Inc. intends to use the proceeds, if any, received upon the settlement of the forward sale agreements (and from the sale of any shares of its common stock that it may sell to the underwriters in lieu of the forward purchasers (or their affiliates) selling its common stock to the underwriters) to fund potential future investments (including acquisitions and development and redevelopment activities), to repay certain indebtedness, including amounts outstanding under its $1.8 billion unsecured revolving credit facility, and for general corporate purposes.

BofA Securities, J.P. Morgan and Wells Fargo Securities acted as joint book-running managers for the offering.

In connection with the offering of shares of its common stock, the Company entered into forward sale agreements with BofA Securities, J.P. Morgan and Wells Fargo Securities (or their respective affiliates), referred to in such capacities as the forward purchasers. In connection with such forward sale agreements, the forward purchasers (or their respective affiliates) are expected to borrow from third parties and to sell to the underwriters an aggregate of 5,250,000 shares of the Company's common stock (or 6,037,500 shares if the underwriters' option is exercised in full).

Pursuant to the terms of the forward sale agreements, and subject to its right to elect cash or net share settlement, the Company is obligated to issue and deliver, upon physical settlement of such forward sale agreements on one or more dates specified by the Company occurring no later than approximately 18 months from the date of the prospectus supplement relating to the offering, the number of shares of the Company's common stock underlying the forward sale agreements in exchange for a cash payment per share equal to the forward sale price under the forward sale agreements. The Company expects to physically settle the forward sale agreements and receive proceeds, subject to certain adjustments, from the sale of its shares of common stock upon one or more such physical settlements within approximately 18 months from the date of the prospectus supplement relating to the offering.

A registration statement relating to these securities has become effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The offering is being made by means of a prospectus supplement and related base prospectus. Before making an investment in these securities, potential investors should read the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus for more complete information about W. P. Carey Inc. and the offering. Potential investors may obtain these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, potential investors may contact any underwriter or dealer participating in the offering, who will arrange to send them these documents: BofA Securities, Attention: Prospectus Department, NC1-004-03-43, 200 North College Street, 3rd Floor, Charlotte, NC 28255-0001 (email: [email protected]); J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Attention: Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, telephone: 1-866-803-9204; and Wells Fargo Securities, Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, 500 West 33rd Street, New York, New York, 10001, telephone: 1-800-326-5897 or email a request to [email protected].

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities, in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction. Any offer or sale of these securities will be made only by means of a prospectus supplement relating to the offering and the accompanying prospectus.

W. P. Carey Inc.

W. P. Carey Inc. is a diversified real estate investment trust and a leading owner of commercial real estate, net leased to companies located primarily in North America and Europe on a long-term basis.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain of the matters discussed in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, both as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding the intent, belief or expectations of W. P. Carey Inc., and may be identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "should," "would," "assume," "outlook," "seek," "plan," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "forecast" and other comparable terms. These forward-looking statements represent W. P. Carey Inc.'s expectations and beliefs concerning future events, and no assurance can be given that the future results described in this press release will be achieved. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Other unknown or unpredictable factors could also have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the companies. The factors and assumptions upon which any forward-looking statements herein are based are subject to risks and uncertainties which include, among others, risks associated with the offering of common stock, including whether such offering of common stock will be successful and on what terms it may be completed; the risk factors set forth in W. P. Carey Inc.'s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in subsequent reports filed with the SEC; and other factors over which it has little or no control. In light of these risks, uncertainties, assumptions and factors, the forward-looking events discussed in this communication may not occur. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this communication, unless noted otherwise. Except as required under the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations of the SEC, W. P. Carey Inc. does not undertake any obligation to publicly release any revisions to the forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this communication or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Institutional Investors:

Peter Sands

W. P. Carey Inc.

212-492-1110

[email protected]

Press Contact:

Anna McGrath

W. P. Carey Inc.

212-492-1166

[email protected]

SOURCE W. P. Carey Inc.

Related Links

http://www.wpcarey.com


DUBLIN, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Submarines Global Market Report 2021: COVID-19 Impact and Recovery to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This report provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the global submarines market as it emerges from the COVID-19 shut down.

The global submarines (including nuclear submarines) market is expected to grow from $23.35 billion in 2020 to $23.61 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.1%. The growth is mainly due to the companies rearranging their operations and recovering from the COVID-19 impact, which had earlier led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of commercial activities that resulted in operational challenges. The market is expected to reach $29.44 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 5.7%.



Reasons to Purchase

Gain a truly global perspective with the most comprehensive report available on this market covering 12+ geographies.

Understand how the market is being affected by the coronavirus and how it is likely to emerge and grow as the impact of the virus abates.

Create regional and country strategies on the basis of local data and analysis.

Identify growth segments for investment.

Outperform competitors using forecast data and the drivers and trends shaping the market.

Understand customers based on the latest market research findings.

Benchmark performance against key competitors.

Utilize the relationships between key data sets for superior strategizing.

Suitable for supporting your internal and external presentations with reliable high quality data and analysis

Where is the largest and fastest growing market for the submarines ? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward? The Submarines market global report answers all these questions and many more.



The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography. It places the market within the context of the wider submarines market, and compares it with other markets.

The market characteristics section of the report defines and explains the market.

The market size section gives the market size ($b) covering both the historic growth of the market, the impact of the COVID-19 virus and forecasting its recovery.

Market segmentations break down market into sub markets.

The regional and country breakdowns section gives an analysis of the market in each geography and the size of the market by geography and compares their historic and forecast growth. It covers the impact and recovery trajectory of COVID-19 for all regions, key developed countries and major emerging markets.

Competitive landscape gives a description of the competitive nature of the market, market shares, and a description of the leading companies. Key financial deals which have shaped the market in recent years are identified.

The trends and strategies section analyses the shape of the market as it emerges from the crisis and suggests how companies can grow as the market recovers.

The submarines market section of the report gives context. It compares the submarines market with other segments of the submarines market by size and growth, historic and forecast.

Major players in the submarines market are General Dynamics; Huntington Ingalls Industries; Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited; ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS); Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.; Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd.; FINCANTIERI S.p.A; Lockheed Martin Corporation; BAE Systems; and Saab AB.



The submarines market consists of sales of submarines by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that manufacture submarines. The nuclear submarines are also included in the market.



The integration of 3D printing or additive manufacturing in the submarines is a key trend gaining popularity in the submarines market. Major companies operating in the submarines sector are using 3D printing to build optimized submersible components and to improve performance by reducing essential properties such as weight. For instance, in February 2020, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, a Germany based company that provides naval vessels, surface ships, and submarines has announced the plans to expand the use of 3D printing for the production of submarine components. Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems has announced that the hydraulic block has been revamped by additive manufacturing for a submarine that has traditionally weighed 14 kg and now weighs only 2.1 kg.



The submarines (including nuclear submarines) market is segmented by type into nuclear powered submarine; diesel electric submarine; ballistic missile submarine, by platform into commercial; military and by application into surveillance; combat; marine environmental monitoring; others.



In March 2020, Huntington Ingalls Industries, an America based military shipbuilding company acquired Hydroid Inc., for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition is expected to enhance Huntington Ingalls Industries capabilities in technical solutions unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) business, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) or marine robots. Hydroid Inc., an America based company that manufactures underwater vehicles (UUVs).



The rising investment for submarines is expected to propel the growth of the submarines market in the coming years. A submarine is a type of vessel that can move both above and below sea level. Governments across the world are investing in submarines to improve local shipyard capacities and fill holes in the Navy's underwater war force. For instance, the Indian government released a specific expression of interest in June 2019 for an Indian shipyard to develop the submarines at a budget of $6.6 billion. According to the services new annual report to Congress, the U.S. Navy aims to increase investment on its next generation nuclear missile submarine project by $2 billion in the fiscal year 2021 and continue to drive towards $5 billion in 2024. Therefore, the rising investment for submarines drives the growth of the submarines market.



The high cost of submarines is expected to hamper the growth of the submarines market over the forecast period. A submarine is a type of vessel that can move both above and below sea level. The cost of the submarines depends on the size, design, and capabilities of the vessel. In 2019, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that the total cost per submarine for the Submersible Ship Nuclear (SSN) (a nuclear-powered general-purpose attack submarine) would be $5.5 billion, while the Navy predicts that the budget per submarine would be $3.4 billion. Therefore, the high cost of submarines restraints the growth of the submarines market.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Executive Summary



2. Submarines Market Characteristics



3. Submarines Market Trends and Strategies



4. Impact of COVID-19 on Submarines



5. Submarines Market Size and Growth

5.1. Global Submarines Historic Market, 2015-2020, $ Billion

5.1.1. Drivers of the Market

5.1.2. Restraints on the Market

5.2. Global Submarines Forecast Market, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

5.2.1. Drivers of the Market

5.2.2. Restraints on the Market



6. Submarines Market Segmentation

7. Submarines Market Regional and Country Analysis

7.1. Global Submarines Market, Split by Region, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

7.2. Global Submarines Market, Split by Country, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion

8. Asia-Pacific Submarines Market

9. China Submarines Market

10. India Submarines Market

11. Japan Submarines Market

12. Australia Submarines Market

13. Indonesia Submarines Market

14. South Korea Submarines Market

15. Western Europe Submarines Market

16. UK Submarines Market

17. Germany Submarines Market

18. France Submarines Market

19. Eastern Europe Submarines Market

20. Russia Submarines Market

21. North America Submarines Market

22. USA Submarines Market

23. South America Submarines Market

24. Brazil Submarines Market

25. Middle East Submarines Market

26. Africa Submarines Market

27. Submarines Market Competitive Landscape and Company Profiles

27.1. Submarines Market Competitive Landscape

27.2. Submarines Market Company Profiles

27.2.1. General Dynamics

27.2.1.1. Overview

27.2.1.2. Products and Services

27.2.1.3. Strategy

27.2.1.4. Financial Performance

27.2.2. Huntington Ingalls Industries

27.2.2.1. Overview

27.2.2.2. Products and Services

27.2.2.3. Strategy

27.2.2.4. Financial Performance

27.2.3. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited

27.2.3.1. Overview

27.2.3.2. Products and Services

27.2.3.3. Strategy

27.2.3.4. Financial Performance

27.2.4. ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS)

27.2.4.1. Overview

27.2.4.2. Products and Services

27.2.4.3. Strategy

27.2.4.4. Financial Performance

27.2.5. Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.

27.2.5.1. Overview

27.2.5.2. Products and Services

27.2.5.3. Strategy

27.2.5.4. Financial Performance



29. Key Mergers and Acquisitions in the Submarines Market



29. Submarines Market Future Outlook and Potential Analysis



30. Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qjtkh7

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets

Related Links

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SHANGHAI, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Zhangmen Education Inc. ("Zhangmen" or the "Company") (NYSE: ZME), a leading online education company in China focused on providing personalized online courses to K-12 students, today announced the pricing of its initial public offering (the "IPO") of 3,623,000 American Depositary Shares ("ADSs"), at US$11.50 per ADS, for a total offering size of US$41.7 million, assuming the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional ADSs. Each ADS represents nine Class A ordinary shares of the Company. The ADSs have been approved for listing and are expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange today under the ticker symbol "ZME." The offering is expected to close on June 10, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions.

The Company has granted the underwriters an option, exercisable within 30 days from the date of the final prospectus, to purchase up to an aggregate of 543,450 additional ADSs at the IPO price.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC are acting as active joint bookrunners and representatives of the underwriters for the offering. Citigroup Global Markets Inc., China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited and Macquarie Capital (USA) Inc. are acting as joint bookrunners for this offering. Futu Inc., Tiger Brokers (NZ) Limited and SNB Finance Holdings Limited are acting as co-managers for this offering.

A registration statement related to the ADSs being sold in this offering has been filed with, and declared effective by, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described therein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

This offering is being made only by means of a prospectus forming part of the effective registration statement. A copy of the final prospectus relating to this offering may be obtained, when available, by contacting the following underwriters: (i) Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014, United States, or by telephone at +1-917-606-8487, or by email at [email protected]; (ii) Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Eleven Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010, United States, or by telephone at +1-800-221-1037, or by email at [email protected]; (iii) Citigroup Global Markets Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, New York 11717, or by telephone at +1-800-831-9146, or by email at [email protected]; (iv) China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited, 29th Floor, One International Finance Centre, 1 Harbour View Street, Central, Hong Kong, or by telephone at +852-2872-2000, or by email at [email protected]; (v) Macquarie Capital (USA) Inc., 125 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019, United States, or by telephone at +1-212-231-1000, or by email at [email protected].

About Zhangmen Education Inc.

Zhangmen Education Inc. (NYSE: ZME) is a leading online education company in China focused on providing personalized online courses to K-12 students. The Company's core course offerings encompass one-on-one and small-class after-school tutoring services covering all core K-12 academic subjects, with an established portfolio of well-recognized online education brands including Zhangmen one-on-one, Zhangmen Small Class, Zhangmen Kids and Xiaoli. Leveraging its high-quality teaching talents with localized insights, data-driven localized educational content and powerful technology infrastructure, the Company provides a personalized and results-driven learning experience to students across different regions. Over the years, the Company has successfully garnered wide recognition in the industry and established "Zhangmen" as a trusted online education brand. For more information, please visit ir.zhangmenedu.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements which are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "aims," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "likely to," and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs, plans, and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

In China:

Zhangmen Education Inc.

Investor Relations

E-mail: [email protected]

The Piacente Group, Inc.

Emilie Wu

Tel: +86-21-6039-8363

E-mail: [email protected]

In the United States:

The Piacente Group, Inc.

Brandi Piacente

Tel: +1-212-481-2050

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Zhangmen Education Inc.

Related Links

https://www.zhangmen.com/


Just five FTSE 100 companies have paid special divis this year: Admiral, B&M, Fergison, Rio Tinto, St James's and Tesco. Companies that would like their special divis back? IHG and IAG for two.

Cevian Capital has called on Avian PLC ( ) to return 5bn to shareholders but for obvious reasons, special dividends are out of fashion this year.

The corporate knee-capper, which has built up a near 5% stake in the insurance giant, is following a well-used script of using that stake to agitate for a quick return on its investment.

To be fair to the activist investor, it is not unusual for a company to shell out a special dividend after it has sold off parts of the business for tidy sums, and Aviva has certainly done that; eight businesses have been lobbed out for 7.5bn but the insurance giant has yet to reveal what it will do with the money.

In contrast, ( ), for example, returned 5bn to shareholders via a special dividend following the 8.2bn sale of its Thailand and Malaysia businesses at the end of 2019 and made a one-off 2.5bn contribution to the company pension scheme to boot.

Similarly, ( ), the cut-price retailer, paid 450mln in special dividends in fiscal 2021, having paid 150mln in special divis in fiscal 2020 following the sale and leaseback of its Bedford facility.

( ), meanwhile, gave US$400mln to its shareholders via a special dividend following the disposal of Wolseley UK, its plumbing and heating distribution business in February 2021.

Not all of the special dividends have come in the wake of a disposal. The term usually used by companies when announcing special dividends is returning surplus cash, and in the case of ( ), which paid out US$1.5bn in special dividends this year, this surplus came about after the company tightened its belt dramatically during pandemic-hit 2020 only to see commodity prices rebound strongly.

Admiral PLC ( ), the car insurer, has paid out special dividends every year since 2004, suggesting that surplus cash is built into the business model.

If Admirals management seems prone to hedging its bets when it comes to determining how much working capital it needs to have, spare a thought for Holiday Inn hotels group InterContinental Hotels Group PLC ( ), which cheerfully paid out special dividends in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

What could possibly go wrong?

In 2020, the year of the pandemic, the company binned its final dividend altogether in respect of 2019 and paid no dividends at all in 2020. By the end of 2020, it was negotiating with its bankers for waivers and relaxation of its banking covenants.

British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines SA ( ) is another that is perhaps regretting paying out a special dividend, in its case a special that cost it roughly 700mln in 2019.

So, there are examples Aviva can point to of companies that were maybe too hasty to splash the cash.

In Avivas case, the boards stated intention is to deliver a sustainable pay-out ratio and grow dividend per share by low to mid-single digits.

Under our capital framework, we expect to return to shareholders excess capital above 180% Solvency II shareholder cover ratio after allowing for investment in the business and once our Solvency II debt leverage ratio has been reduced below 30% and we have completed our major divestments, the company said in its March full-year results statement.

If that all sounds a bit think of a number and halve it then Cevian Capital would probably agree. It believes that within three years Aviva should have a share price of more than 8 per share and be paying a dividend of 45p or double the current payout.

The stock is currently yielding 5.11% but in the last 10 years yields of 7.5% or even higher have not been unheard of, suggesting that generous dividends do not always bring about the sort of share price re-rating Cevian appears to be banking on.
The company has obtained encouraging anomalous molybdenum results in additional rock chip samples from Loreto porphyry copper target area and plans to conduct a short diamond drilling program.

( ) has released additional geochemical sample results from Loreto copper target at its Paguanta Project in northern Chile, which indicate the porphyry centre, a highly prospective copper target, is around 2.3 kilometres x 1 kilometres - or double the area suggested by previous sampling.

Notably, Loretos interpreted porphyry centre lies within an even larger 3.5-kilometre x 3.5-kilometre leached cap (intense hydrothermal alteration zone) and geochemical sampling has not yet been conducted over the entire alteration zone.

The company is preparing access agreements with landowners with plans to construct an access road and conduct exploration including additional geochemical sampling and geophysical surveys to define targets for drilling.

Potential for Tier 1 discovery

Golden Rim managing director Craig Mackay said: Golden Rim believes that Loreto could well represent the last unexplored outcropping Oligocene-Eocene porphyry system in northern Chile and it has potential for the discovery of a Tier 1, world-class, Collahausi-type porphyry copper deposit.

Not surprisingly, Loreto is surrounded and over-pegged by BHP Group Ltd (ASX:BHP) (NYSE:BHP) and Codelco, two of the largest copper companies in the world.

Golden Rims initial exploration at Loreto continues to highlight the exciting potential for the large and growing porphyry centre at Loreto to host a deeper porphyry copper deposit.

The company looks forward to finalising access agreements with the landowners so that systematic geochemical and geophysical exploration can commence to generate drill targets.

Porphyry pathfinder

The assay results from 12 rock chip samples returned anomalous molybdenum results (up to 25 parts per million molybdenum) in samples located northwest (on the other side of a major drainage with recent sediment cover) and south of previous samples with anomalous molybdenum.

As molybdenum is a geochemically immobile element, it is an excellent porphyry pathfinder, highlighting the centre of the porphyry cell.

The company is confident further exploration could extend the area of the porphyry centre.

Importantly, the low silver results in rock chip samples from Loreto clearly differentiate the geochemical assemblage at Loretos porphyry hydrothermal cell, with potential for a copper deposit, from the polymetallic geochemical assemblage (silver-lead-zinc) at the epithermal Patricia cell, 3.5 kilometres northeast.

This geochemical difference also coincides with the identification of higher temperature alteration minerals at Loreto (pyrophyllite, phlogopite), compared to lower temperature alteration minerals evident at Patricia.

The 3.5km x 3.5km alteration zone (colour anomaly) is within the green circle (parts of which have shallow recent alluvial cover) and the interpreted 2.3km x 1km porphyry centre is indicated by the blue outline and includes the area of anomalous molybdenum.

Regional prospectivity

Whilst the Loreto porphyry target has not previously been explored, the area has been on the radar of the major companies which tightly hold the area surrounding Paguanta and are all looking for another Collahausi-style copper deposit in the northern extension of the Oligocene-Eocene Porphyry Belt.

Based on the field observations, Golden Rim believes that Loreto corresponds spatially to the upper portion of a porphyry system and that it corresponds in time to the most productive copper mineralising age in northern Chile (Late Oligocene  Early Eocene).

In addition, Loreto shows good evidence to suggest a telescoped system (hydrothermal alteration overprinting) - meaning that economic mineralisation might be in a range of hundreds of metres below surface, within the zone of phyllic and potassic porphyry alteration.

Evidence for this deeper alteration includes the clasts with potassic altered porphyries plus sulphides from the igneous breccia and the pyrophyllite hyperspectral finding.

Remnant copper oxides at surface, chalcopyrite in the igneous breccia clasts and traces of chalcopyrite in late multiphase porphyry dykes show evidence of copper fertility at Loreto.

Planned exploration

Golden Rim is preparing access agreements with landowners before constructing an access road and commencing exploration at Loreto.

Proposed initial work includes geological mapping (1: 5,000 scale), geochemical sampling, clay hyperspectral analysis, ground magnetics and 3D Induced Polarisation (IP)/Resistivity geophysical surveys.

The company then plans to commence a short program of diamond drilling on priority targets identified in the earlier work.
The defendants have consented to settlements that will bar them from future violations of the offenses charged in the complaint. Brodman and his companies have also agreed to allow a receiver to take control of nine properties purchased with investor funds and to pay costs that will be determined by the court.
Kabul, June 8 : At least 50 militants loyal to the Taliban outfit were killed and dozens more injured in a series of air raids by government forces in Afghanistan's Paktia province, a top official has confirmed.

Addressing reporters on Monday, provincial governor Mohammad Halim Fedai said that many of the dead militants were foreign fighters, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Governor confirmed that the Afghan air force launched a spate of airstrikes against pro-Taliban militants in Zarmat, Mirzaka and Ahmadabad districts late on Sunday night.

In addition, he said five pro-government militiamen had gone missing after some Taliban fighters stormed a checkpoint in the Kalkin area of Mirzaka district on Sunday.

In the meantime, another official said that in the fighting in the Kalkin area, more than a dozen security personnel were killed, and the militants also captured a few pro-government militiamen.

Fedai howeverm rejected the official's account.

The Taliban outfit is yet to make a comment on the reports.

Since the official withdrawal of the US and other NATO troops in Afghanistan on May 1, the Taliban have intensified attacks on provincial capitals, districts, bases and checkpoints.

Tens of thousands of Afghans have been displaced in the past few weeks.

The withdrawal of international troops is due to be completed by September 11 at the latest.
Dhaka, June 8 : A massive fire ripped through one of the largest slums in Dhaka, destroying at least 100 shanties, authorities said.

A total of 18 fire units were dispatched to extinguish the blaze at about 9.15 a.m., on Monday, Fire Service Headquarters Duty Officer Lima Khanom told Xinhua news agency.

No casualty has been reported so far.

The Saat Tola slum in Dhaka's Mohakhali area, a densely populated residential complex, is home to many poor residents.

Deputy Director of Fire Service and Civil Defence Debashish Bardhan told Xinhua that they have not yet determined the exact cause of the blaze.

He said the fire erupted at around 3.59 a.m., on Monday and it soon engulfed an area with some 2,000 shanties in the slum.

"At least 100 of the shanties made of scrap sheet iron, plastic and cardboard were destroyed fully in the devastating fire," said the senior official.

Local media reports put the number of shanties destroyed fully or partially in the fire at 500.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
London, June 8 : A former chief scientific adviser to the UK government has warned that the current Covid-19 figures were "evidence of another wave appearing".

David King, who was the government's chief scientific adviser from 2000 to 2007, told Sky News on Monday: "Now we've been discussing whether or not we're going into a serious third wave and I don't think we can possibly wait any longer. This is the evidence of another wave appearing." The UK reported another 5,341 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 4,538,399, while the death toll stood at 128,841.

More than 40.3 million people, or more than three-quarters of adults in the UK, have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine while more than 27.6 million people have been fully vaccinated with a second dose, according to the latest official figures, Xinhua news agency.

"We know that anyone vaccinated twice is relatively safe against the virus," said King, who is the incumbent chair of the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE).

"But let's not forget one in 25 new cases are people who have been vaccinated twice -- that means 400 new cases a day are people who had the vaccine twice." King also called on the government to delay the proposed easing of lockdown in England on June 21.

"I'm very reluctant to say that we should not go out of lockdown on June 21, but I think the figures are in now, and it will be wise for the government to announce right away a delay in opening, just so that we can all plan for the post-June 21 period." When asked for how long, he replied: "I would give a few weeks' delay and see how the figures are emerging." The government is facing increasing pressure to delay the final step of unlocking restrictions in England on June 21 due to concerns over the spread of the B.1.6172 or the Delta variant.

Public Health England (PHE) has said that the Delta variant is now the "dominant" strain in Britain.

The government's roadmap is expected to see all legal limits on social contact to be removed on June 21.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Lucknow, June 8 : The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh will now make the liquor mafia give financial assistance to families of those who die due to consumption of spurious liquor.

The decision comes after spurious liquor claimed three dozen lives in Aligarh last week.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered that all illegal liquor outlets would be destroyed.

Additional chief secretary (ACS), home, Avanish Awasthi has asked ADG (prosecution) to submit a list of matters linked with excise within three days, along with directions to take strict action against the culprits in cases of manufacture and sale of illicit liquor.

Awasthi said that action against the culprits must be taken under Section 60 of the UP Excise Act and the Gangsters Act.

The details of such persons against whom FIR is registered under the two Acts will be uploaded on the e-prosecution portal and provided separately to the government.

According to Section 60, a person selling or making available an intoxicating substance or adding something to a substance to make it intoxicating which leads to the death of a person, will be punishable by death or life sentence.

In cases where such substance causes disability, the culprit will be sentenced to six to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and can be fined between Rs 5-10 lakh.

Meanwhile, provisions have been made to issue licenses and permits for the possession and sale of methyl alcohol, a key ingredient of spurious liquor, and district magistrates have been authorized as the licensing authority.

ACS excise Sanjay Bhoosreddy said that methyl alcohol is a poison, declared under the Poison Act.

After having issued directions about safe transport of methyl alcohol to prevent its misuse, the government has now said that permits for the possession and sale of methyl alcohol can only be licensed by district magistrates.

"Under the rules, in addition to the magistrate, officers of the police, revenue, health, excise and industry, not below the rank of inspector, have been empowered to inspect these licenses. A three-member nodal committee will be set up at the district level for implementation of the rules," Bhoosreddy said.

He added that orders have been issued to keep vigil on the use of methyl alcohol and action will be taken if an unlicensed unit is caught producing methyl alcohol.

Tanks and containers of methyl alcohol have to be clearly marked and a poison sign has to be inscribed compulsorily on both sides of the tanker.

Strict action will be taken against a person found indulging in illegal trade of methyl alcohol. In case of death due to consumption of illicit liquor made from methyl alcohol or the seizure of illicit liquor in large quantities, accountability of the local excise and police officers will be fixed.

"Gangster Act and NSA shall be invoked against those found involved in the activities of illicit liquor and action will be taken to confiscate their property," Bhoosreddy said.
Baghdad, June 8 : Unidentified gunmen assassinated a senior officer of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) in capital Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said.

The office, identified as Nibras Farman, was killed on Monday after the gunmen shot him with their silenced weapons in front of his house in al-Baladiyat neighbourhood, the source told Xinhua news agency on the condition of anonymity.

The source added that the security forces launched an investigation into the incident.

In March, unidentified gunmen assassinated Mohammed Laith, another officer of the INIS, in Baghdad's Mansour neighbourhood.

The repeated assassination of security officers and some civil activists comes despite repeated calls by the Iraqi government and political parties to contain the uncontrolled weapons of some armed groups in the country.
Cairo, June 8 : Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, Secretary-General of the Cairo-based Arab League (AL), has warned against any Israeli attempt that seeks to inflame the situation in Jerusalem for domestic and political reasons.

In a statement on Monday, Aboul-Gheit also warned against "the ongoing mobilisation in lines of the extreme right-wing and the settlers that clearly attempt to provoke confrontations with the Palestinians via organising protests that will inevitably lead to growing tensions", reports Xinhua news agency.

"The current situation requires showing responsibility and practicing self-control for fixing the truce instead of provoking acts of violence and oppressive measures," he added.

Conflict over the possible evictions of Palestinian families in the Arab neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem have exacerbated tensions recently.

It has been the focus of attention for decades because of property disputes.

Both Israeli settlers and Palestinians claim ownership.

Protests continue in Sheikh Jarrah even after a May 21 ceasefire was reached between Israel and the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip.

A court decision on the forced evictions had been postponed.
Male, June 8 : The Maldives Food and Drug Administration (MFDA) has given emergency approval to the Covid-19 vaccines by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson as the island nation continues to battle the third wave of the pandemic.

In a statement, the MFDA said that both vaccines could be used for individuals above the age of 18, reports Xinhua news agency.

Maintaining cold chain storage was a crucial condition of approval and doses must be stored in temperatures between -25 degrees Celsius and -15 degrees Celsius, the MFDA said.

The MFDA has previously granted emergency approval to several other vaccines including Covishield, Pfizer, Sinopharm, and Sputnik V.

Covishield, Sinopharm and Pfizer have been administered under the country's free vaccination program which began on February 1.

According to data from the Health Protection Agency, a total of 311,740 individuals have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 172,263 have received two doses.
Thiruvananthapuram, June 8 : Barring any last minute hiccups, decks have been cleared for Kannur Congress veteran K. Sudhakaran to be appointed as the new party president of Kerala.

Mullapally Ramachandran has put in his papers after the April 6 assembly polls debacle.

The 73-year-old Sudhakaran is a four time legislator and is presently in his second term as Lok Sabha member from Kannur -- the citadel of the CPI-M.

Known for his tirades against the CPI-M, if there is any Congress leader that the CPI-M dreads, it is Sudhakaran.

The battle between the two has now become a legend in Kannur and there is never a dull moment, when the tall, well built Sudhakaran with his chest out arrives at any place where there is a commotion between the CPI-M and the Congress cadres and videos, in the manner in which he takes on the police force, are there in plenty.

Known for his upkeep of his body, Sudhakaran daily spends more than an hour at his personal gym for workout.

A media critic on condition of anonymity said under normal circumstances, Sudhakaran might be a wrong choice to lead the otherwise sober grand old party.

Today the situation is different, as the party is at its lowest ebb and when Congressmen across the state were expecting to ride to victory in the April 6 assembly polls, it ended at the receiving end and was humbled by Pinarayi Vijayan, who wrote himself into record books and retained power.

"The party is passing through its worst times and the grassroots of the party appears to have vanished. If the party has to at least put up a fight, then there is none better than Sudhakaran, who can really pump in the much needed adrenalin to motivate the cadres. He is the one person who has taken the battle into the CPI-M camp for long and that in itself is his advantage and disadvantage because, if he does not maintain calm at crucial situations, he might be a liability more than an asset," said the critic.

One reason why the party high command, despite knowing what stuff Sudhakaran is made of, decided to go for him is, they have realised that the formidable factions in the party led by Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala have to be reigned in and even after the latter was the first choice for a second term as Leader of Opposition, the leadership brought in V.D. Satheesan and hence, it was more or less clear that Sudhakaran might get the nod.

If Sudhakaran's battle field was hitherto Kannur, the scene is all set for a change as he moves to the state capital to take on his arch Kannur rival, the all powerful Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who very well knows that Sudhakaran is no push over and people can now get ready for a tit for tat between the two old Kannur foes.
Aligarh : , June 8 (IANS) The Aligarh unit of the BJP has expelled Rishi Sharma, the alleged kingpin of the hooch tragedy, from the party.

District president of BJP, Rishipal Pal Singh, has cancelled Rishi Sharma's primary membership, a party press release said.

The Aligarh Police have started the process of charging all the five main accused including Sharma, who was arrested on Sunday, under the stringent National Security Act and the Gangster Act.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kalanidhi Naithani said, "The accused are being interrogated and are expected to reveal the entire network of the liquor mafia." Rishi Sharma was in disguise and was hiding among a group of sadhus at an ashram at Garhmukteshwar near Hapur to evade the police. After the hooch tragedy claimed three dozen lives in Aligarh last month.

Police had managed to trace his whereabouts from the video footage of one of his close associates with whom he was last seen when the news of the liquor tragedy came in.

The police raided the premises of several of Sharma's associates in different states including Himachal Pradesh.

After they traced him to Garhmukteshwar Ashram on Saturday evening, a police party rushed there only to find that he had escaped.

He was finally tracked down at the Aligarh-Bulandshahr border where he was ultimately arrested on Sunday.
Lucknow, June 8 : When Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav took the Covid vaccine in a hospital in Gurugram on Monday, little did he foresee that it would unleash vaccine politics in Uttar Pradesh.

Mulayam Singh Yadav got himself vaccinated against Covid in Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. As soon as a photograph of the SP founder taking the jab went viral on the social media the ruling BJP got busy.

Party state president, Swatantra Dev Singh, tweeted the photograph expressing hope that taking inspiration from the SP founder, the party's national president and cadres would also get themselves vaccinated.

Deputy chief minister Keshav Maurya said, "It is now up to the people to decide whether Mulayam had provided BJP publicity or put an end to the confusion spread by his son." It may be recalled that SP president Akhilesh Yadav had commented that the vaccine was a 'BJP vaccine' and he would not get himself vaccinated.

"How can I trust the vaccine which will be used for vaccination by the BJP? We cannot get inoculated by the BJP's vaccine," Akhilesh had said at a press conference in Lucknow, some months ago.

The BJP had described Akhilesh's statement as an attempt to spread confusion among the people about the efficacy of the vaccine.

Maurya asked him to apologize now that his father had got himself vaccinated.

Mulayam Singh Yadav's younger daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav, had also got herself vaccinated.

Majority of the SP leaders have not taken the vaccine and those who have, have done it secretly.

Akhilesh had later clarified that he had full faith in the country's doctors and scientists and that he was in no confusion about their ability to make the vaccine.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Why: Do we start with the dead cockroaches in a container of spring rolls or the rodent droppings near the cake mixer? Both happened during the state inspectors FIRST visit (of six visits and counting) to Susie Lai, when they spotted 44 dead roaches on the dining-room and kitchen floors, near a rice cooker filled with cooked white rice, inside a chest freezer, inside a container of fortune cookies and a container of 16 uncovered spring rolls in a chest freezer that has 9 dead roaches inside of it. Inspectors ordered the restaurant to stop selling the spring rolls due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. Inspectors also spotted 65 live roaches on the kitchen floor, in the dry-storage area, crawling on a shelf that has cups and lids and unprotected napkins, next to the kitchen bathroom and crawling out of a box of cling wrap. There were at least 82 rodent droppings underneath a table in the kitchen, on the kitchen floor next to cake mixer, on a shelf that stores flour, rice and canned products and in the rear storage room. Finally, inspectors found objectionable odors in the kitchen.
Nay Pyi Taw, June 8 : The trials of Myanmar's ousted de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and former President U Win Myint will begin next week following their detention by the military on February 1, according to a lawyer.

"The cases of Aung San Suu Kyi were classified as simple cases at the court today, so the trials for those cases need to finish within 180 days," Xinhua news agency quoted Khin Maung Zaw, the lawyer for the two former leaders, told reporters on Monday.

"We will hear testimonies from plaintiffs for the cases of the two leaders starting next week scheduled to be held on June 14," the lawyer said, adding that Suu Kyi's trial is expected to end on July 26.

U Win Myint is facing two court charges, while six cases have been filed against Suu Kyi.

On May 24, Suu Kyi appeared in court which marked her first in-person appearance since the February 1 coup, to face a charge of "incitement to sedition".

The sedition charge is the most serious she faces, but she is also accused of violating a state secrets law and breaking coronavirus containment measures.

While Suu Kyi has answered questions in court via video link in recent weeks, her lawyers have been unable to meet her in person.

The military seized power after alleging massive voting fraud in the country's November 2020 general elections, which saw Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy win a majority of seats in both houses of parliament.

After the coup, the State Administration Council reformed the Union Election Commission, taking steps to review the general elections process.

Since the takeover, power has been transferred to Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing.

Meanwhile, nationwide protests against the coup have been met with fierce army reprisals that left hundreds of people dead.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners monitoring group, at least 845 people have been killed so far, while 5,708 have been arrested.

On June 4, junta forces killed at least 20 civilians in the Kyonpaw Township, 150 km northwest of Yangon, in what was the largest mass killing in nearly two months.

Local residents only had catapults and crossbows to defend themselves against guns and grenades.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
June 08 : Actor Saira Banu took to social media and shared a health update about her husband and legendary actor Dilip Kumar. She also urged fans not to believe in rumours surrounding the health of the actor.

The official handle of Dilip Kumar shared two updates, yesterday late evening. The first one was a picture of Saira Banu and Dilip Saab from the hospital.

The second one is a Message from Saira Banu, which read, Past few days my beloved husband, Yousuf Khan, has been unwell and recuperating at a hospital in Mumbai. Through this note, I want to thank all of you for keeping him in your prayers and for all the love and affection. My husband, my Kohinoor, our Dilip Kumar Sahabs health is stable and doctors have assured me that he should be discharged soon

Message from Saira Banu pic.twitter.com/TDQzXDAigs  Dilip Kumar (@TheDilipKumar) June 7, 2021

I urge you to not believe in rumors. While I ask you to pray for Sahabs health, I am praying that the Almighty keep all of you safe and healthy during this pandemic. Sincerely Saira Banu Khan

Dilip Kumar was admitted on Sunday morning to Hinduja Hospital in Khar after complaining of breathing issues.
June 08 : Actor Pearl V Puri was arrested on June 5, 2021 on the charges of sexually assaulting a 5 year old girl on the sets of Bepanaah Pyaar two years ago. Since then the whole of tv industry is standing in solidarity with Pearl. Producer Ekta Kapoor had shared some audio recording tapes earlier and now Divya Khosla Kumar has come ahead in support of the actor and has made some shocking revelations with regards to the case.

Divya shared the photo of the accused with her parents and wrote a long note, "Let me introduce them to you ... this man is Anil Donde & this woman is an actress, Ekta Sharma. Anil Donde is the man who has put the charge on Pearl V Puri that he molested his 5-year-old daughter on the sets of the serial, Bepanah Pyaar produced by Balaji Telefilms 2 years ago. Anil & Ekta have been undergoing a custody battle for their daughter ... & since the last 2 years the daughter has been with Anil coz he has put a charge on Ekta claiming that since she is an actress & she took the daughter on her sets where the lead actor molested her, the daughter is unsafe with her own mother... I feel Anil Donde should be given the Filmfare best screenplay award for this plot.

She further wrote,"Now the police have arrested Pearl ... I want to know why the police did not arrest him in 2019 when this case was filed ... the reason is that In the FIR filed it was mentioned that the child was molested when she was with the mother. Pearl's name was nowhere in the FIR. (Ive read the FIR myself when Pearls mother forwarded it to me yesterday when she called me for help) Ekta Sharma in her calls with Ekta Kapoor clearly says that her husband is a psychotic person, who has mentally & physically abused her, shes got several proofs for the same, she clears the case by saying that Pearl is innocent & nothing like this happened on the sets.

Divya then added, The childs maid who went with her on the set has also said the same to the police. The child was happy & playing ... Ekta also took her to some friends house post the shoot there too she was happy. Please note The child is 5 Yrs old ... 10days later the father abducted the child after school & filed a case of physical abuse. Still, neither the child nor the father mentioned Pearl's name ... fast forward to 2yrs later today in 2021 when the child is now 7yrs old - She recognises the accused. For a second if we assume that such a thing happened with the poor baby ... I want to know at such a tender age will the baby remember the persons name & recognise him. Its sad for this little girl for the kind of parents shes been blessed with I only want to send love her way. Ekta Sharma in her phone call with Ekta Kapoor further says that the child has been tutored by the father. What is extremely disturbing is that a movement like Me Too is so badly being misused ... the poor child who is being mentally played with by her own father. It is a sad state of affairs for Pearl who had a bright future ahead of him. Even before starting his career properly, his reputation has got a big blow. will anyone in the industry give him work."

Divya called the whole incident shameful and further wrote , "Shameful!!!!! #ShameonAnil Donde for using his own child for his gains & finishing off another person's life & career. #ShameonEktaSharma for not coming in the media & speaking the truth ... do u think there exists no Karma. Shame on the so-called media handles who only run for their own sake & laugh at other people miseries. Shame on Humanity !!!!!! I request all to come forward & support Pearl with the hashtag #istandwithpearl & not let this case die down till the father or the mother themselves dont come in media & tell the truth ... how can we let a Mans life & future get spoiled like this ???? The reason why so many of @Pearlvpuri co-stars and actresses are supporting him .... Im supporting him is because I myself have worked with him and Ive seen it at close quarters on how this young man respects women ... there were women on the sets in all departments- costumes, choreography, assistants .. even our director was a woman ... did any one ever feel this guy is a pervert.... NO ... hez a man with good moral values ... May the truth win & may #PearlvPuri not lose his precious years in proving himself .

Many tv celebrities including Nia Sharma, Ishita Dutta, Sharad Malhotra, Surbhi Jyoti, Karishma Tanna and many others have come out in full support of the actor. Meanwhile, Pearl will be shifted to Tihar Jail soon.
Lucknow, June 8 : The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has started special 'pink booths' for encouraging women to get themselves vaccinated against the Coronavirus.

Around 150 'special pink booths' have so far been set up in the state -- two in each district.

The state government has given instructions to set up these camps in district women hospitals or district joint hospital. As per need, such camps will be set up in tehsils as well.

According to the government spokesman, the chief minister said that the government is starting 'women special' vaccination booths in all districts and all women should get the vaccine as soon as possible.

Earlier, the state government had set up two-storied pink police booths, exclusively for the women. These pink police booths are administered by female police officers. The booths are secured with CCTV cameras and connected to the 1090 Women Powerline for grievance redressals. This is all a part of the 'Safe City' project, undertaken as a part of the 'Smart City' banner.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Tel Aviv, June 8 : The Israeli Parliament will vote on approving a new government that could oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by June 14.

Parliament Speaker Yariv Levin, a lawmaker with Netanyahu's Likud party and his close associate, declined to set a specific date for the vote, reports Xinhua news agency.

Levin made the formal announcement to Parliament on Monday, noting that opposition leader Yair Lapid informed the President last week that a coalition deal had been agreed.

Hesaid a vote to approve the new government will be held within a week, in accordance with the Israeli law.

"An announcement regarding a date for the session to establish the 36th government will be conveyed down the line to MPs," the Speaker said during the session.

Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, announced last week that he reached a deal to form a coalition government with nationalist Naftali Bennett, leader of the pro-settler party of Yamina, and six additional small parties.

The coalition has a slim majority of 61 out of 120 seats in the Knesset.

It also includes Ra'am, an Islamist party headed by Mansour Abbas, marking the first time for an Arab party to be part of a coalition in Israel.

According to a rotation agreement, Bennett will initially become premier and be replaced by Lapid two years later.

This would be the first time in 12 years that a government has been formed without the right-wing conservative head of government Netanyahu.

For the unusual coalition to begin its work, a simple majority of the 120 legislators must vote in favour of it.

The coalition paves the way to the end of the rule of Netanyahu, the longest-serving Israeli Prime Minister who has been facing a criminal trial over corruption charges in three separate cases.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Lucknow, June 8 : Upset over the 50-day closure in the coronavirus-induced curfew, traders in several markets have now started defying the restrictions and opening their shops.

In Rajajipuram, on Monday, traders opened their shops and when the police tried to force closure, they started protests by clanging on thalis.

As the news spread that shops in Rajajipuram were opening, traders in Yahiyaganj, Pandeyganj, Fatehganj and Rakabganj also opened their shops.

Traders in Chinhat and Dubagga said they would start opening their shops from Tuesday.

"How long can we sit at home? Our savings have finished and we cannot even pay salaries to the staff, most of whom, in any case, have returned to their villages. If liquor shops can remain open, why not other shops? This is the wedding season and people need to buy things," said Om Prakash Rastogi, a garment seller in Raja Bazaar.

Lucknow on Monday reported 777 active Covid cases and health officials said that if the cases drop below 600, restrictions would be lifted in the state capital.

Various trader leaders have already pleaded with Lucknow MP and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma for allowing their shops to open.

The traders told reporters that they have suffered a loss of more than Rs 4,000 crore in this Corona curfew in the state capital.

Sandeep Bansal, president of the Akhil Bhartiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal, said, "The small traders are facing a question of survival and even the big traders are suffering huge losses because the is no relief on power bill and taxes."
Lucknow, June 8 : The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has completely lifted the day curfew in all the 75 districts.

According to a statement issued by Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Information, Navneet Sehgal on Tuesday morning, curfew restrictions will remain in place in all districts form 7 pm to 7 am.

"There are now less than 600 active cases in all the districts and hence the day curfew is being lifted. Only 797 new cases have been reported in the past 24 hours," he said.

Uttar Pradesh now has 14,000 active cases and 2.85 lakh tests were carried out in the past 24 hours.
Amaravati, June 8 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has expressed happiness over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to provide free Covid vaccines to all aged above 18 years.

On Monday, in his address to the nation, the Prime Minister announced that the Centre is taking responsibility of supplying Covid vaccines to all the states, for administering them free of cost to all those who are 18-years-old and above.

Late Monday night, Reddy took to Twitter to welcome the Prime Minister's announcement. "Vaccination is the only weapon in this battle against Covid-19. Sincere thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for clearing this uncertainty and making vaccination a national agenda of utmost priority. #FreeVaccineForAll," Reddy tweeted.

Reaching out to his counterparts across the country, the Andhra Pradesh chief minister had on Thursday called for collectively urging the central government "to take charge and responsibility" for the vaccination drive, as was being done earlier.

In a letter addressed to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday, Reddy pointed out that the global tender floated by Andhra Pradesh government, has not received bids. He noted that several other state governments have reported similar experiences.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Khartoum, June 8 : Sudan has renewed its rejection to unilateral filling of the disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Nile River without reaching a legal and binding agreement Chairing a meeting on Monday of the Higher Committee for the GERD, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok noted the direct threat the unilateral filling and operating of the GERD poses to the country's Roseires Dam, irrigation projects, power generating systems and citizens on the banks of the Nile, reports Xinhua news agency.

The meeting also renewed Sudan's adherence to and belief in the principle of "African solutions to African problems".

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.

Sudan proposed a mediation quartet of the UN, the European Union, the US and the African Union regarding the GERD issue.

Ethiopia, however, has announced its rejection to this formula.

In February, Ethiopia said it would carry on with the second-phase 13.5-billion-cubic-metre filling of the GERD in June.

The volume of the first-phase filling last year was 4.9 billion cubic metres.

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.
Chennai, June 8 : Vaccination for Covid-19 has been temporarily suspended in Madurai district due to the shortage of doses. The Tamil Nadu Health Department has not received any information regarding the arrival of new stock of vaccines and the resumption of inoculation in the district.

Dhinesh, a doctor with Madurai District Public health department told IANS: "We have a shortage of vaccines and hence we have temporarily stopped the inoculation. However, we are expecting fresh arrivals in a couple of days and may resume either on June 9 or June 10." The Madurai District Vaccine store received 15,000 doses of Covishield and 2,500 doses of Covaxin on June 2. While Covishield vaccines were exhausted within two days, Covaxin was injected till Monday, according to Madurai district health officials.

According to the state Department of Health, 3,73,079 people were vaccinated in the district till Monday. While there has been no official confirmation on the arrival of vaccines to the district, health officials are expecting that the stock might reach the district vaccine office by Wednesday and the inoculation would resume by Thursday.

The Madurai Corporation along with several NGO's and the District police had undertaken an awareness campaign drive on Covid-19 vaccination leading to heavy rush.

Dinesh said, "People from all walks of life were getting their inoculation done after the awareness campaign and this was a welcome sign on the success of the drive. However the shortage has put a brake on the drive but after it is resumed, we are expecting a huge turnout again."

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Joining other leading library systems across the nation, the Boca Raton Public Library implemented the interactive software called BiblioCore, which provides guests the opportunity to experience intuitive, plain-language searching that delivers precise results. Along with providing more accurate searches, the software will allow patrons to see all format options in a single record such as book, large print, audio, digital, CD and DVD.
Ramallah, June 8 : Palestinian factions have announced that their representative will soon head to Egypt's capital Cairo for a new round of intra-national dialogue aimed at resolving internal division.

They confirmed in separate statements on Monday that Egypt sent official invitations to the factions' leaders to join the dialogue, reports Xinhua news agency.

Fatah party led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the Islamic Hamas movement and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) are among the factions that will join the dialogue in Cairo.

"The dialogue will focus on ending the internal division by forming an agreed-upon unity government to start the process of reconstruction in the Gaza Strip," Sabri Saidam, deputy secretary-general of Fatah's central committee, told Xinhua.

Palestinian sources said the sessions of the intra-national dialogue will start on Saturday.

Hamas' spokesman in Gaza Abdulatif al-Qanou'a said in a statement that the movement's chief Ismail Haniyeh will chair a delegation to the dialogue that will arrive in Cairo in the coming days.

"The dialogue will also focus on discussing the cease-fire between the Israeli occupier and the Palestinian factions," Khaled al-Batsh, a senior PIJ leader, told reporters, referring to the Egypt-brokered ceasefire that ended last month's 11-day bloodshed in the Gaza Strip.
Damascus, June 8 : The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) that more than 90 per cent of the 3.4 million people in northwest Syria are in extreme or catastrophic circumstances amidst a deteriorating humanitarian situation.

In a statement on Monday, the OCHA said there are 13.4 million people in need throughout Syria, who have suffered from a decade of conflict, economic crisis and now Covid-19, reports Xinhua news agency.

Some of the most vulnerable Syrians are those who are in the northwest.

Of the 3.4 million people in need, more than 90 per cent are assessed to be in extreme or catastrophic need -- particularly the 2.7 million internally displaced.

Most of the displaced are pressed against the border with Turkey in over 1,000 camps and informal settlements.

The only access for the world body to these millions of people in northwest Syria is through the UN Security Council-authorized cross-border operation at Bab al-Hawa, the humanitarian office said.

It is the last remaining UN entry point for transporting assistance to northwest Syria.

"Bab al-Hawa is a last lifeline preventing a humanitarian catastrophe for millions of people in Syria," OCHA said in the statement.

"Despite ongoing efforts to deliver a small number of trucks cross-line from Damascus, there remains no alternative to delivering aid at this scale and with this scope." About 1,000 UN aid trucks cross from Turkey into northwest Syria to reach 2.4 million people monthly, the humanitarian office said.

Only 979 trucks travelled into Syria from Turkey in May. But they carried critical support for food needs, livelihoods, nutrition and health.

The first batch of more than 53,000 COVAX vaccines for northwest Syria from Turkey arrived in April, and the vaccination program began on May 1, OCHA said.

Other vaccines and health items regularly cross to support hospitals and primary health centres in the area.
Kochi, June 8 : A Kerala lady has complained to the local police here of being brutally assaulted by her live-in partner for several days at a flat in which they were living, police said.

A police official who is in the know of things told IANS that the man, Martin Joseph, accused of atrocities is on the run.

"The case came before us in March this year and the moment he knew that a case has been registered, he applied for anticipatory bail. We had begun the probe and soon the district came under the grip of Covid and hence it got diverted. The probe is still going on and we are in the lookout for the accused," said the police.

"They have been live-in partners for a year now. We have come to know that the person has a case registered against him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, some time back. The lady is in her late 20s and has been previously married," said the police official and we have come to know that she had walked out earlier from this man, but returned later.

Joseph hails from Thrissur and on Tuesday he has moved an anticipatory bail application in which he has said, the lady had originally claimed that she was a fashion designer but later it turned out that she has studied only up to Class 12 and they had decided to separate.
June 08 : One of the leading female casting directors and producer Seher Aly Latif passed away due to a cardiac arrest. She was in her early 40s, breathed her last at Mumbais Lilavati hospital, where she was admitted for renal failure.

Celebrities such as Nimrat Kaur, Shreya Dhawanthary, filmmaker Ritesh Batra and more took to their social media profiles and expressed their grief and shock.

Actor Nimrat Kaur took to her social media profile and shared, One of the kindest, most loving people Mumbai gifted my life with. Still trying to process this unreal news...Travel on into the light my dearest, sweetest Seher. The unpredictable, ghastly shortness of life remains baffling...Await to meet you on the other side

One of the kindest, most loving people Mumbai gifted my life with. Still trying to process this unreal news....

Travel on into the light my dearest, sweetest Seher. The unpredictable, ghastly shortness of life remains baffling...

Await to meet you on the other side. pic.twitter.com/18jnHvytTL  Nimrat Kaur (@NimratOfficial) June 7, 2021

The Family Man 2 actor Shreya Dhanwanthary wrote, Seher. You were the nicest kindest guiding light in my life. I cannot believe youre not around

Seher. 

You were the nicest kindest guiding light in my life. I cannot believe youre not around.  Shreya Dhanwanthary (@shreya_dhan13) June 7, 2021

Filmmaker Ritesh Batra who has worked with Seher on The Lunchbox wrote, I dont believe it, unfair parting with a kind soul and real friend. Goodbye Seher, I hope there is another side

I dont believe it, unfair parting with a kind soul and real friend. Goodbye Seher, I hope there is another side. https://t.co/S93m6wXQu5  riteshbatra (@riteshbatra) June 7, 2021

Seher Aly Latif began her career as a casting director. She not only cast for Indian films, like Lunchbox, Shakuntala Devi and Bhaag Beanie Bhaag, but also worked on international projects, such as Eat Pray Love, Furious 7, Viceroys House, McMafia and Sense 8.

She was also the executive producer on movies like Akshay Kumars Gold, Vidya Balan-led Shakuntala Devi and Noblemen.

Her first production was the short film Masterchef helmed by Lunchbox director Ritesh Batra for the Sundance Institute. In 2016, she and producer Shivani Saran founded Mutant Films, which has so far produced Netflix film Maska and Bhaag Beani Bhaag.
Gaza, June 8 : The Islamic Hamas movement has warned Israel not to renew tension in the Palestinian territories although a Jerusalem flag march scheduled for Thursday is reported to have been called off.

"Hamas warns the occupier (Israel), the mediators and the entire world against the flag march through the Old City and al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem," Khalil al-Hayya, a senior leader in Gaza, told reporters on Monday.

"Hamas' message is clear: we don't want the Thursday event to be like what happened after May 10," he added, referring to the latest round of the 11-day fierce fighting between Israel and Hamas in the besieged enclave.

The fighting in and around Gaza broke out on May 10 following clashes between the Israeli police and Palestinian worshipers in East Jerusalem during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan An Israeli court's decision to evict Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem was also behind the clashes and ensuing fighting.

"Jerusalem for us is a red line. We are not fond of wars, but our resistance is ready to defend the holy city," al-Hayya said.

Meanwhile, the chamber of the joint military operations in Gaza, which comprises Palestinian armed wings, also warned Israel not to escalate tension in East Jerusalem.

"We are closely monitoring the behaviour of the enemy (Israel) in the holy city (Jerusalem), and we will have our word if the enemy decides to bring the situation back to what was before May 11," the Chamber said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli media reported that the Jerusalem flag march on Thursday had been called off after the police rejected the organisers' request for a march through the Old City's Damascus Gate.
Mumbai, June 8 : A day after SEBI ordered a one-year ban on Vivek Kudva, the Head of Asia Pacific Distribution for Franklin Templeton, and his wife Roopa Kudva, from trading in the securities market, over insider trading, the key official of the fund house has said that he is considering approaching the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) against the order.

In a statement, Kudva said that his personal transactions in the two shut schemes were conducted in good faith and with no intent to gain unfair benefit.

"I have the highest regard for SEBI. However, I am reviewing the order and considering appropriate next steps which may include filing an appeal before the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT)," he said.

Stressing that he has always acted in accordance with SEBI norms, the Franklin Templeton Director said: "As stated in the SEBI order, I had already placed myself in a similar position as investors in April 2020 and the proceeds of the redemptions were voluntarily set aside such that I and my family will ultimately receive no more than the investors remaining in the schemes." He said that his interests therefore remain fully aligned with outcomes that investors in the two schemes under winding up will have.

The Franklin Templeton spokesperson said that as Kudva has issued a statement the company has nothing further to add at this time.

"At Franklin Templeton, we place great emphasis on compliance, and have policies in place to cover a variety of matters including personal transactions of employees and managing conflicts of interest, consistent with applicable regulations and global best practices," as per the company.

The company spokesperson added that the schemes under winding up continue to have significant investments from employees and management, as well as from the asset management company and other group companies of Franklin Templeton.

The SEBI order on Monday restrained both the notices from "accessing the securities market and further prohibited from buying, selling or otherwise dealing in securities, directly or indirectly, or being associated with the securities market in any manner, whatsoever, for a period of one year from the date of this order." The inspection found that during April 1, 2019, to April 23, 2020, Vivek Kudva (Director of FT-AMC), his wife Roopa Kudva and mother Vasanthi Kudva had redeemed units in the Impugned Debt Schemes during the period.

Vivek Kudva, allegedly, in his capacity as a Director of FT-AMC, was privy to information such as concerns of redemption, concentration and liquidity risk pertaining to the stress in the Impugned Debt Schemes, most of which was not in public domain.

The order said that the noticees had cumulatively redeemed units amounting to over Rs 30.70 crore while in possession of material non-public information.

Vivek had redeemed units worth over Rs 11.62 crore on his own behalf and units amounting to over Rs 85.15 lakh on behalf of his mother. Further, his wife Roopa redeemed units on her own account amounting to over Rs 18.22 crore, found the SEBI probe.

The regulator directed that both Vivek and Roopa should jointly and severally transfer the redeemed amount within a period of 45 days, from the date of receipt of this order. In case of failure to do so, simple interest at the rate of 12 per cent per annum shall be applicable from the expiry of the said 45 days till the date of actual transfer.

Further, the FT official would be liable to pay a monetary penalty of Rs 4 crore for the redemptions undertaken on his own behalf and on behalf of his mother, and his Roopa would have to a fine of Rs 3 crore for the redemptions from her account.

Franklin Templeton India on April 23, 2020, informed the unit holders of certain schemes of FT-MF that it was winding up the schemes in conformity with the provisions of SEBI regulations.
Kolkata, June 8 : The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) has denied media reports sourced to security officials saying its cadres continued to engage in massive extortion despite an unilateral declaration of ceasefire last month.

A statement by ULFA spokesperson "Lieutenant" Rumel Asom on Tuesday said: "On behalf of ULFA, I emphatically contradict media reports blaming us for extortion.

"Since we declared an unilateral ceasefire on 15th May this year, none of our units have collected any money from businessmen, citizens or anybody else. All allegations to this effect are false and malicious." Rumel Asom said that the Indian Army and Assam Police were responsible for spreading such rumours.

"Our leadership unilaterally declared the ceasefire because they wanted to create a climate of peace and trust.

"Without such an atmosphere, no meaningful discussions for resolving the conflict will be possible. But the Army and state police have vested interest in perpetuating the conflict, so they are spreading rumours and creating confusion," Rumel Asom said.

Asom said that the security establishment may be under the impression that a financially weakened ULFA will sit for talks and accept "anything offered to them by Delhi" .

"The ULFA will never bargain with the interests of Assam. It will rather fight on but it wanted to give peace a chance. That should not be read as weakness," he said, adding, "whether we are financially weak or not, it has nothing to do with our political stance." The ULFA supremo Paresh Barua declared an unilateral ceasefire on May 15.

The security establishment, both army and Assam police, expressed reservations about the offer with some officers saying that the rebel group was trying to wriggle out of a difficult situation caused by deaths, desertions and decimations in the ULFA ranks.

"Many senior ULFA leaders have surrendered or died in encounters. Paresh Barua has spoken peace in such circumstances before to take the heat off," said a senior Assam police officer.
Toronto, June 8 : The Canadian government has condemned the "targeted" killing of four members of a Muslim family by a pick-up driver in the city of London in Ontario province.

Two women, one man and a teenager were killed when they were out for a walk when the pick-up truck hit them. A nine-year-old boy is in hospital with serious injuries.

Police said the killings were premeditated as the 20-year-old driver, identified as Nathaniel Veltman, was wearing a vest that looked like body armour.

Veltman could face terrorism charges even though he has already been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one attempted murder.

"We believe this was an intentional act. The victims were targeted because of their Islamic faith," said the city's police chief.

In a statement, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday: "I'm horrified by the news from London, Ontario. To the loved ones of those who were terrorised by yesterday's act of hatred, we are here for you. We are also here for the child who remains in hospital, our hearts go out to you, and you will be in our thoughts as you recover." Sympathising with the Muslim community of Canada, he said: "We stand with you. Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities. This hate is insidious and despicable and it must stop." London city Mayor Ed Holder called the incident "an act of mass murder, perpetrated against Muslims - against Londoners - and rooted in unspeakable hatred".

Meanwhile, Toronto Mayor John Tory announced to dim the Toronto Sign on Monday night "to mourn the London family - three generations of one family - targeted and murdered because of their Islamic faith and to stand in solidarity with our Muslim community".

He added that the city stands "with the Muslim community in London and here in Toronto in the face of this tragedy. And we absolutely reject the hatred and Islamophobia that led to this deadly violence".
New Delhi, June 8 : Smartphone brand iQOO on Tuesday unveiled the Z3 5G smartphone in India that is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 768G 5G mobile platform, 55W FlashCharge and 64MP auto focus main camera.

The iQOO Z3 5G is priced at Rs 19,990 for the 6GB+128GB variant, Rs 20,990 for the 8GB+128 GB variant and Rs 22,990 for the 8GB+256GB variant.

In iQOO Z3, the company used the technology of "Extended RAM" which can extend a part of the memory to be used as an extra RAM.

Simply put, with added 3GB RAM, the performance of an 8GB RAM is equivalent to that of a 11GB RAM.

The device will be available on Amazon.in and iQOO.com in two colour options -- Ace Black andCyber Blue from June 8, the company said in a statement.

"Being the first smartphone to be launched in India with Snapdragon 768G processor, iQOO Z3 is a fully loaded performance pioneer, designed to deliver unrestricted gaming experience as well as novel photography and video shooting capabilities to Gen-Z customers," said Gagan Arora, Director-Marketing, iQOO.

The Z3 is equipped with 120Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate for a smooth experience.

To prevent the phone from overheating, the Z3 has a five-layer Liquid Cooling System for high-load operations and gaming.

The iQOO Z3 is packed with a 4,400mAh battery combined with 55W FlashCharge technology.

According to the company, the device can charge up to 50 per cent in just 19 minutes and get full charge in 50 minutes.

The Z3 is equipped with 64MP main camera supported by GW3 sensor and f/1.79 aperture. iQOO Z3 also has an 8MP lense for a 120 degree wider view and a super macro lens to capture 4cm closeup shots.

The device offers a 16MP front camera for selfies.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, June 8 : Expanding its C series smartphones, smartphone brand realme on Tuesday launched the latest entry-level addition -- realme C25s -- for gaming enthusiasts.

The smartphone will be available in two storage variants -- 4GB+64GB priced at Rs 9,999 and 4GB+128GB for Rs 10,999.

It will be available in two colours -- watery grey and watery blue -- on realme.com, Flipkart.com and mainline channels from June 9.

"Our entry-level C series has seen a tremendous response from our customers in India and globally," Madhav Sheth, Vice President, realme and CEO, realme India and Europe, said in a statement.

The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Helio G85 gaming processor with a 6000mAh battery, which can be charged with an 18W Type-C Quick Charge.

The smartphone is equipped with a 6.5-inches screen and features a 13MP Triple AI camera setup and 8MP selfie camera.

The back cover is processed with a texture produced by an industry-leading German five-axis precise radium engraving machine and more than 450 curves are engraved to produce a unique reflective light effect, the company said.

realme C25s also comes with an instant fingerprint sensor and a superpower-saving mode, enabling an amazing experience for the young gamers.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Since last year, Fort Lauderdale has spent at least $1.4 million on hotel rooms for dozens of homeless people to get them off the streets and stop the spread of COVID-19. The money  $500,000 last summer and $900,000 so far this year  also went toward food, case workers and hotel security.
New Delhi, June 8 : The Border Security Force (BSF) has unearthed a gang operating from both sides of India-Bangladesh border by nabbing two of their members while smuggling Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) into Indian territory.

The racket was busted after the troops of 67 Battalion of BSF Guwahati Frontier apprehended the smugglers with FICN having face value of Rs 2 lakh.

The smugglers were held in a special operation conducted by the BSF troops along the border on Monday, the BSF said in a statement, adding the two smugglers are Indians.

"The consignment was being smuggled from Bangladesh to India border under Dhubri region." The smugglers have been reportedly handed over to the state police to inquire about their other gang members and find out the details about their operations, hideouts, the suppliers in Bangladesh and many other things related to the case.

Smuggling at 4,096 km India-Bangladesh border has been a common phenomenon and the BSF, which is responsible to guard the border between the two countries, tries to curb the menace with the help of Border Guard Bangladesh.

The racket was busted when a four-day Inspectors General BSF-Region Commanders BGB level Border coordination conference began on Monday.

Smuggling of FICN along with border issues of bilateral interest, trans-border crimes, smuggling of contraband articles and cattle, Indian Insurgent Groups activities from Bangladesh side were discussed at length in the meeting.
Washington, June 8 : The US government's national laboratory had in a 2020 report on the origins of Covid-19 concluded that the virus leaked from a Chinese lab in Wuhan, the Wall Street Journal said on Monday citing people familiar with the classified document.

The study prepared in May 2020 by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California said that "the hypothesis claiming the virus leaked from a Chinese lab in Wuhan is plausible and deserves further investigation", WSJ reported.

The study, dated May 27 was also used by the State Department in its own inquiry into the pandemic's origins in October last year, during the Trump administration.

Lawrence Livermore's "Z Division" drew its assessment based on genomic analysis of the SARS-COV-2 virus, which causes Covid19, the WSJ report said, adding that the national laboratory has declined to comment on the study.

The virus was initially thought to have first transmitted to humans via an infected animal, but the study differed from the dominant view.

The findings of the US State Department's probe into the pandemic's origins were made public in a January 15 fact sheet. It listed a series of circumstantial reasons why the Covid-19 outbreak might have originated as a result of a lab accident.

They include the assertion that "the US government has reason to believe that several researchers inside the WIV (Wuhan Institute of Virology) became sick in autumn 2019" with symptoms that were consistent with Covid-19 or a seasonal flu, the report said.

The assertion is partly based on a US intelligence report that three WIV researchers became sick enough in November 2019 that they sought hospital care.

The Lawrence Livermore's study is attracting fresh interest after US President Joe Biden, last month, ordered the intelligent community to re-double efforts to examine how the virus originated, including the lab accident theory. He has asked the agencies to report to him within 90 days on how the virus emerged.

China has, on the other hand, dismissed the Wuhan lab leak theory as "extremely impossible" and has accused the US of "political manipulation".

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Toronto, June 8 : Canada's Ryerson University said that it will not restore or replace the toppled statue of Egerton Ryerson outside the varsity that bears his name after students and professors demanded to rename it to"X University" instead of Ryerson.

Ryerson, a Methodist minister, was believed to be one of the key designers of the notorious indigenous residential school system in Canada, reports Xinhua news agency.

In a statement issued Monday, Ryerson University President Mohamed Lachemi said the statue "will not be restored or replaced".

The statue was toppled on Sunday evening after hundreds of people rallied in Toronto in honour of the 215 children buried at the Kamloops Indian Residential School site in Kamloops city, British Columbia province.

A video posted on Twitter showed what appeared to be a rope tied to the statue and people cheering as it came tumbling down.

Last week, the statue was reportedly splattered with red paint.

In a statement posted on Twitter before the statue was pulled down, the University said: "We share in the grief and sorrow of our community at the discovery of the remains of 215 Indigenous children, and acknowledge that further and ongoing reconciliation is of vital importance." "It's important this statue has come down so we can raise awareness to what has been going on since the 1800s and the incorporation of the residential school system," Craig St. Denis, a Cree whose grandfather was a survivor of the residential school system, told CBC News on Monday.

Distance Fernando, a student at Sheridan College in Toronto, said the statue should have come down a long time ago.

"The statue represents racism, the statue represents oppression. It should have been taken down a long time ago voluntarily by the Ryerson University. " Some students, professors and university groups have already demanded to rename the university from Ryerson to X University and to stop using the name in their email signatures, correspondence and on their resumes.

Last week, Ontario provincial legislature opted to move a painting and bust of Ryerson.
Panaji, June 8 : The Opposition in Goa has demanded a probe into late reporting of 67 Covid deaths by private hospitals in the state.

The demand follows a revelation by the state Health Ministry, which in its daily communique of Covid-related updates said that 67 Covid-19 deaths which occurred in private hospitals between August last year and May this year, were reported late to the authorities.

"A total of 67 additional death cases are added to the cumulative deaths, which were of the period August 5, 2020 to May 22, 2021 and have been reported late from private hospitals. Appropriate action of public health act will be initiated against these hospitals," the communique has said.

State Aam Aadmi Party convenor Rahul Mahambre said that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane should order a judicial enquiry into the late reporting of Covid deaths and also demanded a white paper on the 67 deaths within the next 24 hours.

"@DrPramodPSawant @visrane why are the 67 deaths from Aug 20 to May 21 in fine print as footnote. We demand a judicial inquiry why 67 deaths from Aug 20 were not reported.

This govt knows only to betray people of Goa," Mahambre tweeted on Tuesday.

Opposition MLA Rohan Khaunte has also demanded a probe into the late revelation.

"The very fact that 67 Covid deaths in private hospitals went unreported, adds fuel to the already existing allegations that daily Covid figures are diluted as per government's necessity. A thorough Inquiry and action is a must," Khaunte said in a statement.

Since last year, Goa has reported a cumulative tally of 1,59,811 positive cases, while 2,840 persons have died in the state due to Covid-related complications.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Kolkata, June 8 : The National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) has asked the Centre and the Assam government to protect 'Naga interests' when it creates the Karbi-Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council (KAATC) in Assam's Karbi Anglong district.

"The government of India and state government of Assam are finalising a proposal to create the KAATC in Karbi Anglong through an agreement. This is to appease the six rebel outfits -- Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF), People's Democratic Council of Karbi Longri (PDCKL), United People's Liberation Army (UPLA) and three factions of Karbi People's Liberation Tiger (KPLT)," an NSCN statement said on Tuesday.

The statement pitched for protecting the interests of the Rengma Nagas, the original inhabitants of the Karbi Anglong area.

"No authority should go far enough to override the interests of the Rengma Nagas who are the legitimate owner of the land under the questionable proposition.

"No wonder, taking cognizance of this historical status, the Rengma issue in Assam constitutes one of the important agendas of Indo-Naga political talks pending final decision," the statement added

The NSCN statement said that land alienation was a major point of conflict in the Northeast, particularly Assam and Nagaland.

"There can be little doubt that this is the creation of history under the colonial rule. The issue in focus is Karbi Anglong, erstwhile known as Rengma Hills. Rengma Nagas are made the victims of aggressive influx of outsiders for vested interests. Nonetheless, their historical status as the true sons of the soil cannot be questioned." It added that the Naga political movement is all about land and people because land represents economic, political and social power and identity of the people.

"Given the sensitive situation in the light of the proposed KAATC, NSCN put on record that it would not accept alienation of Nagas' ancestral land which is tantamount to undermining the

spirit of the Indo-Naga political talks. The Rengmas are not lost people or immigrants like others in Karbi Anglong. The NSCN, therefore, would not allow the Rengma Nagas to be driven to the edge without considering their historical factual status.

"Any agreement that victimise the Rengma Nagas would not be acceptable to the Nagas in general and to the NSCN in particular," the statement added.

The NSCN has been on the table with the Central government since it signed a ceasefire agreement in 1997.

But the two sides are yet to arrive at a final settlement of the six-decade old Naga imbroglio, though the Modi government signed a "Framework Agreement' with the NSCN in August 2015.

The NSCN says that the 'Framework Agreement' agreed to find a final solution on the basis of the concept of 'shared sovereignty', adding that the Centre seems to be now having second thoughts about it .

Its demand for a separate flag and a separate constitution for Nagaland has been turned down by Modi government and the NSCN has refused to sign a final agreement unless that is done.

With smaller rebel factions, originating from the NSCN also on the table and apparently willing to sign up without a separate flag or constitution, the Naga rebel group, easily the strongest in the Northeast with close to 8000 fighters under its command, has blamed Delhi for 'backtracking on its commitments' and 'playing divide and rule'.

Much of the NSCN's ire is targeted at Delhi's Naga interlocutor and Nagaland governor R.N. Ravi, a former Intelligence Bureau officer.
Chennai, June 8 : In a setback for the Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd, the Madras High Court on Tuesday said it cannot alter the agreement reached earlier between the management and the workmen in the presence of an official from the Directorate of Industrial Safety at the unilateral insistence of the management.

The court also ordered a senior official of Directorate of Industrial Safety to visit the Renault Nissan Automotive factory and also other comparable passenger vehicle makers located near here so as to arrive at a uniform guideline on maintenance of social distancing at the shopfloors of all automobile factories.

Renault Nissan Automotive is a Franco-Japanese car making joint venture near here rolling out Renault and Nissan badged vehicles.

The worker's union Renault Nissan India Thozhilalar Sangam (RNITS) had approached the Madras High Court citing non-adherence to the Covid-19 safety protocol while operating the plant.

Early this month, the company and the worker's union Renault Nissan India Thozhilalar Sangam (RNITS) had signed an agreement on maintaining the social distance at the shopfloor level.

As per the agreement, the two parties had agreed for the empty pitch ratio of 3:1 in the trim and chassis and body shop.

"Simply put, after three cars in the conveyor belt, one slot will be empty so that a worker need not move to the next workstation to complete his work," RNITS President K. Balaji Krishnan had told IANS.

When the case came up for hearing on Tuesday the counsel for Renault Nissan Automotive said none of the other automotive units -- Hyundai Motor, Ford India, BMW, Daimler and others- located near here or in the country like Maruti are maintaining the 3:1 empty pitch.

Stating that Renault Nissan Automotive should not be singled out and added thatA the company has taken sufficient measures to maintain social distance at its plant.

Pointing out the Tamil Nadu government's notification, he said, there should be adequate social distancing and it depends on the industry.

He also wondered why Renault Nissan Automotive workers are complaining when the workers of Hyundai Motor don't.

According to him, if all others (other automotive units) are doing marvelously during Covid then what is the issue with Renault Nissan Automotive and one has to keep in mind the industry practice.

The court observed that it has genuine fears and there cannot be compromise on the health of the workers while production has to go on.

On his part the counsel for RNITS said as per the National Directive for Covid safety, individuals should maintain six feet social distance at public places.

He said there was no application of mind by the state government while allowing the automotive units to carry on production.

Pointing out that the official of the Directorate of Industrial Safety suggested the 3:1 empty pitch while the management wants full production as if there is no lockdown.

He said during the last one week 21 more Renault Nissan Automotive workers/employees got infected with Covid-19.

Recalling the Charlie Chaplin movie Modern Times the Union's counsel said a car production line is similar to that.

Observing that the conditions prevailing in other factories may not be identical with each other, the court said oranges and apples may not be compared by the number of units produced.

The court directed the Directorate of Industrial Safety to depute its representative to visit Renault Nissan Automotive factory and also other comparable passenger vehicle makers to ensure uniform guidelines are maintained.

The court also ordered Renault Nissan Automotive to follow the present arrangement and not to tweak the production norms agreed earlier with the workers' union.

The court also asked the Tamil Nadu government to file its counter affidavit on the matter.

The Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health had issued a show cause notice to Renault Nissan Automotive for contraventions noticed under the Factories Act and other labour laws.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)

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Washington, June 8 : US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said hat it remained unclear if Iran is willing to take steps to return to compliance with the 2015 landmark nuclear deal.

"We've been engaged in indirect conversations for the last couple of months, and it remains unclear whether Iran is willing and prepared to do what it needs to do to come back into compliance," Blinken told a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Monday.

"We're not even at the stage of returning to compliance for compliance," he said.

"We don't know if that's actually going to happen." Blinken made similar comments in an interview in late May, reports Xinhua news agency.

The US and Iran have held five rounds of indirect negotiations in the Austrian capital of Vienna since April 6 aimed at reviving the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Blinken's words were met with an immediate response from Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

In a tweet, Zarif said that "it remains unclear whether @POTUS (President Joe Biden) and @SecBlinken are ready to bury the failed 'maximum pressure' policy of Trump and cease using economic terrorism as bargaining 'leverage'".

The US government 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.
Lucknow, June 8 : Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh has ordered a probe into allegations that a private hospital in Agra turned off oxygen supply during an alleged mock drill, leading to the deaths of 22 patients.

The minister said that the private hospital has been mired in controversy in the past too.

"If any truth is found in the allegations, strict action will be taken against the hospital," he said.

When asked if such mock drill were a part of the medical system, the minister said that such drills were held only to check the fire fighting system and not in patient care.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had tweeted about the incident earlier in the day.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Puducherry, June 8 : Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) - the CPI(M)'s youth wing - has urged the Puducherry government to provide monthly remuneration to the final-year MBBS students, who are engaged in Covid-related works.

The DYFI in a statement on Tuesday said that there are around 100 final-year medical students of government and private medical colleges, who are working in 33 Triage centres of the Union Territory.

DYFI state president A. Anand and Secretary P. Saravanan said that when the second Covid wave hit the territory, final year MBBS students were deployed to serve the Covid-19 patients.

The students, according to the DYFI were involved in visiting Covid-19 patients who were in home isolation and had treated around 13,000 patients.

The organization in the statement said that of these patients, 20 per cent were under treatment for comorbidities and had to be admitted to hospitals or Covid care centres.

The DYFI leaders said that the students had to shell out from their own pockets to buy PPE kits, oxymeters and other necessary equipment for the Covid treatment.

The CPI(M) youth wing has urged the government to provide medical insurance of Rs 50 lakh and basic equipment like pulse oximeter, gloves, N95 masks and PPE kits, to the final-year MBBS students

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Beijing, June 8 : China's Guangdong province have registered 19 locally transmitted Covid-19 cases amid an ongoing resurgence, health authorities said on Tuesday.

Fourteen of the confirmed cases were reported in the provincial capital Guangzhou, three in Shenzhen, one each in Foshan and Zhanjiang, Xinhua news agency quoted the authorities as saying.

The province also reported three imported confirmed cases and nine imported asymptomatic ones.

The latest Covid resurgence in the southern manufacturing heartland of Guangdong started in May, with most cases reported in cities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Foshan.

Since the pandemic originated in Wuhan city of Hubei province in December 2019, China has so far reported 91,267 confirmed coronavirus cases and 4,636 deaths.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
China releases work plan to spur industrial internet development

Xinhua) 11:01, June 08, 2021

BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Monday released a work plan to spur the development of the industrial internet as the country pursues economic upgrading and transformation.

The plan listed specific tasks for 2021, including deepening "5G + industrial internet," pushing the upgrading of the business network and accelerating the network renovation of industrial equipment.

By December, China aims to categorize 10 key fields for "5G + industrial internet," list 20 application scenarios and formulate a development index for the industry.

China has attached great importance to the development of its "5G + industrial internet" strategy.

This year's government work report has pledged efforts to develop the industrial internet to help medium-sized, small and micro enterprises improve their capacity to innovate.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
According to court records, Moss girlfriend had tracked his phone to the Ghost Bar just before midnight on Jan. 18. When she pulled up to the bar to confront him, she told police he took off speeding north on State Road 7. She then tracked the phone to site of the crash about eight blocks away.
Banda, June 8 : A prisoner, who was said to have escaped from the high security Banda district jail in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday evening, was finally tracked down in the fields of the jail campus.

The prisoner, Vijay Arakh, tried to escape but was badly injured after jumping from the jail's inner boundary wall and so he was unable to scale the outer wall.

Fearing that he would be thrashed by the jail officials, he hid in the thick bushes in the fields of the jail campus.

Surprisingly, it took about 24 hours to search the missing jail inmate when he was hiding inside the prison itself and the entire jail campus was equipped with close circuit televisions (CCTV) directly monitored by DG (Jail) Anand Kumar since Mukhtar Ansari has been lodged there.

The prisoner was said to be engaged for agriculture work and on Sunday, he arranged a big wooden log and with its help he climbed the main security wall and jumped from there in the hope of escaping after scaling the outer wall. But as he jumped, he injured his back which foiled his attempt. He was tracked down on Monday evening.

Vijay, a resident of Girwa area of Banda district was lodged in the prison in February this year in a case related to theft and house trespass.
Ottawa, June 8 : Calls to cancel the 2021 Canada Day holiday is gaining momentum after the discovery of the remains of 215 indigenous children at the site of a former residential school in British Colombia province.

The hashtag #CancelCanadaDay is also gaining increased support on social media platforms, reports Xinhua news agency.

Many argue that it should be a day to reflect on the injustices inflicted on indigenous people, including the lives lost at residential schools.

"The recent discovery at Kamloops residential school has reminded us that Canada remains a country that has built its foundation on the erasure and genocide of Indigenous nations, including children. We refuse to sit idle while Canada's violent history is celebrated," indigenous rights group Idle No More posted on Facebook on Monday.

It was announced last month that the remains of 215 children were discovered at the site of the Kamloops school formerly run by the Catholic Church.

Since then, there have been calls from indigenous leaders, human rights advocates and opposition politicians for accountability and support at all levels of government, as well as cooperation by the church to find answers.

Between 1831 and 1996, Canada's residential school system forcibly separated about 150,000 children from their homes, with many subjected to abuse, rape, and malnutrition.

Most schools were run by the Catholic Church and the Canadian government.

Last week, former Senator and former Truth and Reconciliation Commission Chair Murray Sinclair warned that there will likely be similar discoveries as searches continue at other former school sites.

An event page titled "#HaltTransCanada for our stolen and murdered children" asked people to join a five-hour protest on July 1 to block the TransCanada highway.

"One hour for every hundred years of occupation, colonization and resistance from our people," it said.

"I believe every single day that we need to focus on reconciliation, that reconciliation has to be a priority," opposition New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh said.

"The Liberal government has said a lot, has not followed those words up with action and in doing so has hurt the Indigenous community," he added.

On Sunday, the statue of Egerton Ryerson, who was one of the key designers of Canada's residential school system, was toppled by demonstrators outside Ryerson University in downtown Toronto.

The University that bears his name said on Monday that it will not restore or replace the toppled statue.

Last week, more than a dozen lawyers from across Canada formally requested that the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigate the government and the Vatican for crimes against humanity, according to the CBC.

The lawyers said the deaths, graves and treatment of children who were under government and church care is evidence of crimes against humanity, and they want the ICC to do whatever it takes to unearth the facts.
Kolkata, June 8 : With the Covid infection rate coming down below 10 per cent and the number of daily cases hovering around 5,000, the Mamata Banerjee government is mulling lifting of restrictions imposed on in West Bengal in phases.

State government officials have already started communication with the transport authorities and different business chambers to formulate a strategy so that the relaxations do not give fresh stimulus to the disease.

The government imposed the restrictions on May 16 when the number of daily cases was 19,117 and the rate of infection was 29.7 per cent but according to the data uploaded by the state health department the daily number of cases have come down to 5,886 on June 7 and infection rate plummeted to 9.7 per cent providing scope to the state officials to lift the relaxations in phases.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already partially lifted the restrictions on bars and restaurants and allowed them to function for three hours -- from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the evening provided they have their employees vaccinated.

Banerjee also promised to allow the shopping malls to function from June 15 with some restrictions. These are broadly indicative enough that the government is ready to lift restrictions from June 15 onwards.

According to state government officials the most challenging part will be to allow the transportation system to function normally.

"The state government has kept the operation of buses, metros and suburban trains suspended and this is creating hindrance for the people to reach their workplaces. It is true that opening up of the transport system in an unplanned way would lead to spreading of the disease again so it has been our foremost challenge to allow the transport system to function but to restrict people from coming in close contact with others," a senior official of the state government said.

According to sources in the state secretariat the state government officials are negotiating with the train and metro officials and the bus operators' authorities to formulate a mechanism to open up the transport system in the state.

"The train and bus services will have to resume but we are not going to do it hastily. We will consider all the aspects carefully before taking any kind of final decision," a senior official said.

The officials are sure that "the restrictions will not be lifted all together but it will be done in phases and at the same time make extensive awareness campaigns so that the people behave responsibly and help the government to check the spread of the disease".

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, June 8: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan cancelled his scheduled phone call to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, indicating a further downturn in relations between Islamabad and Kabul.

There is no word in the media about the cancellation of the phone call, according to Pakistani sources. There are two reasons for this. First, GhaAni's remarks against PakAiAsAAtan in an interview with Der Spiegel and his natAioAnal security adviser, Hamdullah Mohib's incAendAiary comments calling Pakistan a "brothel house" - just days after Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa's visit to Kabul on May 10, have angered Pakistan.

Interestingly, just before the cancellation of the phone call, on Saturday June 5, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi harshly reacted to recent remarks by Afghan National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib. He said Afghan NSA's utterance will harm the efforts to forge peace talks with the Taliban, though he added that such statements will not impact Kabul-Islamabad ties.

"Listen to me closely," he said, calling out the Afghan official. "Pakistan has played an important role in helping achieve stability in Afghanistan. Afghanistan's national security advisor should review his statement. He is creating obstacles in the road towards peace," a furious foreign minister said. He added: "Pakistan has paid a high price, we have transferred coffins on our shoulders. We are talking about peace, we are talking about stability, but the words that you are using--you are putting the blame on Pakistan, I, as the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, am telling you that if you do not stop such remarks, no conscientious Pakistani will shake hands with you or talk with you." Qureshi said that Pakistani officials from the prime minister to the army chief to the foreign minister had visited Kabul for peace. Yet, the NSA had still likened Pakistan to a "brothel" house. You should be ashamed and you should be guilty of your words and my blood is boiling ever since your speech in Nangarhar." On May 13, the Afghan NSA, Mohib during a trip to the eastern province of Kandahar criticised Pakistan, saying that Islamabad--by supporting a power-mongering group--is expanding its territory in Afghanistan.

"If Pakistan wants to improve its relations with Afghanistan, the neighbouring country should cut ties with terrorists in Pakistan. Instead of focusing on terrorist groups, it should focus on good relations with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan," Mohib said in his speech.

Quereshi reminded the Afghan government that Pakistan had suffered a "huge cost" in terms of lives lost and financial consequences from terrorism, adding that Pakistan was only concerned with peace and stability in the region.

Yet, it is evident that the Afghan government deeply distrusts Pakistan. Unsurprisingly, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and other Afghan leaders have on various occasions asserted that it's time that Pakistan chose its path when it comes to its relations with Afghanistan. On May 14, Ghani in his interview with the German Magazine, Der Spiegel, stressed that the question of peace or hostility is now in Pakistani hands. "Pakistan operates an organized system of support. The Taliban receive logistics there, their finances are there and recruitment is there. The names of the various decision-making bodies of the Taliban are Quetta Shura, Miramshah Shura and Peshawar Shura - named after the Pakistani cities where they are located. There is a deep relationship with the state." A top Pakistani official has been in Doha to persuade the Taliban to show flexibility and resume the intra-Afghan dialogue and reduce violence. But the Taliban don't seem to be in a mood to listen at a time when Pakistan's leverage has been diminishing. The US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad is in Kabul and expected to visit Pakistan for another round of shuttle diplomacy in a last-ditch effort to achieve these goals.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/
Melbourne, June 8 : Health authorities in the Australian state of Victoria, which is battling to contain the highly contagious B.1.6172 or the Delta Covid-19 variant, have found a genomic link to one of the positive cases.

The health authorities, who have been investigating the Delta cases in Victoria since last week, have yet to find a link with any other cases across Australia, reports Xinhua news agency.

Victoria's Acting Premier James Merlino said on Tuesday that a match had been made with a returned traveller who had entered hotel quarantine in the state capital of Melbourne on May 8.

"While we have a genomic link, we do not currently have an epidemiological link," Merlino said.

"There's currently no definitive understanding of where a transmission event may have occurred." Investigations are continuing as to whether there was any contact between the returned traveller and those other Delta cases.

As of Tuesday, the state recorded two locally-acquired Covid cases of from 22,814 test results in the past 24 hours, both of which were linked to existing outbreaks, according to Merlino.

Overall there are now 92 active cases in the state, with 83 are locally acquired.

Merlino said the tracking down and isolating of cases meant that the lockdown was likely to be lifted on Thursday.

"We remain on track to later in this week announce further easing of restrictions in regional Victoria and careful easing of restrictions in Melbourne," he said.

Greater Melbourne's lockdown, which began on May 27, was extended for another seven days last Thursday, while regional Victoria's restrictions were eased.

"This cluster was discovered after the lockdown was in place and nothing about today changes our plan," Merlino said.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Sydney, June 8 : When we inhale isolated coronavirus particles, more than 65 per cent reach the deepest region of our lungs where damage to cells can lead to low blood oxygen levels, new research has discovered.

The study, led by the University of Technology Sydney researchers, found that more of these aerosols reach the right lung than the left.

While previous research has revealed how virus aerosols travel through the upper airways including the nose, mouth and throat, the study published in the journal Physics of Fluids was the first to examine how they flow through the lower lungs.

"Our lungs resemble tree branches that divide up to 23 times into smaller and smaller branches. Due to the complexity of this geometry it is difficult to develop a computer simulation, however we were able to model what happens in the first 17 generations, or branches, of the airways," said lead author Saidul Islam, from the varsity.

"Depending on our breathing rate, between 32 per cent and 35 per cent of viral particles are deposited in these first 17 branches. This means around 65 per cent of virus particles escape to the deepest regions of our lungs, which includes the alveoli or air sacs," he added.

The study also revealed that more virus particles are deposited in the right lung, especially the right upper lobe and the right lower lobe, than in the left lung. This is due to the highly asymmetrical anatomical structure of the lungs and the way air flows through the different lobes.

The research is backed up by a recent study of chest CT scans of Covid-19 patients showing greater infection and disease in the regions predicted by the model.

The team modelled three different flow rates -- 7.5, 15 and 30 litres per minute. The model showed greater virus deposition at lower flow rates.

The findings also have implications for the development of targeted drug delivery devices that can deliver medicine to the areas of the respiratory system most affected by the virus.

The World Health Organisation recently updated its advice about the importance of aerosol transmission, warning that because aerosols can remain suspended in the air, crowded indoor settings and areas with poor ventilation pose a significant risk for transmission of Covid-19.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, June 8 : The Centre on Tuesday approved the release of the guidelines for development of e-content for children with disabilities.

Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' gave the approval to the move by taking forward a comprehensive initiative taken by the government on May 17 last year by launching PM e-VIDYA with an aim to unify all efforts related to online education.

The programme inter alia envisages development of special e-content for the Divyang (Children with Disabilities-CwDs), stated an Education Ministry statement.

In pursuance of this vision, the department of school education and literacy, Ministry of Education had constituted a committee of experts for recommending guidelines to develop e-content for these children.

For the first time, an attempt was made to prepare guidelines for CwDs also referred to as Children with Special Needs (CWSN) so that the goal of inclusive education is fulfilled.

The Committee submitted a report titled "Guidelines for the Development of e-Content for Children with Disabilities" comprising of eleven sections and two appendices. The report was shared, presented, discussed and accepted by the Ministry of Education.

The e-content guidelines in the report highlights development of e-content for CwDs based on the four principles namely: perceivable, operable, understandable and robust.

Besides, the guidelines mention that e-content including text, tables, diagrams, visuals, audios and videos should comply with accessibility standards.

Distribution platforms on which content is uploaded and reading platforms or devices on which content is accessed and interacted must comply with technical standards.

Reasonable pedagogical accommodations have been recommended to meet specific needs of CwDs. The technical standards and guidelines have been detailed out in Section 4 of the report.

The committee has also recommended that in a phased manner textbooks may be adapted into Accessible Digital Textbooks (ADTs). The content of ADTs should be provided in multiple formats (text, audio, video, sign language etc) with turn-on and turn-off features.

Further, ADTs should provide flexibility to CwDs to respond to its content or exercises in multiple ways.

These guidelines will initiate the creation of high quality content for digital education to children with special needs. They are dynamic by nature, to be improved based on experience and advent of better technology.
Mumbai, June 8 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday led a delegation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi to discuss around a dozen pending issues of the state, officials said here.

At the meeting, in which Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and PWD Minister Ashok Chavan were also present, Thackeray took up issues of Maratha quotas, the GST dues to the state, Mumbai Metro carshed, damage due to the recent Cyclone Tauktae, crop insurance scheme for farmers, etc.

"We had a good discussion with the PM on various pending issues of the state The PM has given us a patient hearing. We are hopeful he will take a positive decision in the matter. I thank the PM," Thackeray later told mediapersons.

He added that the delegation came out satisfied with the outcome and are confident that the PM will take appropriate action on all the matters raised with him.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Jaipur, June 8 : The pandemic blues have failed to stop Rajasthan prisoners from meeting their families as the jail administration arranged the highest number of video conferences for them to ensure that they can e-meet their families.

Rajasthan is on top in arranging these e-meetings of prisoners with 1,00,746 meets while the second state is Bihar which arranged 58,891 virtual meetings for prisoners.

The third in the list is Delhi which arranged 34,368 video conferences for prisoners and their families while Gujarat has 33,821 meetings and Madhya Pradesh had 19,132 meetings.

This is the data collected from April 1 to June 5 this year when the second wave started making an impact and different states were in lockdown for different periods.

Director General prisons, Rajasthan, Rajiv Dasot, said the initiative was taken following the guidelines and advisory issued by the apex court which said depression in prisoners can increase if they stay away from their family members.

Hence we launched the initiative of arranging video conferencing with families and ensured that a prisoner e-meets with his family members once in a week. Earlier, the jail inmate was allowed to talk to his/her family members on phone, he added.

Sources said the prisoners in states like Assam, Manipur, Maharashtra, Haryana, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands stayed away from their families in totality while in states like Punjab, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Goa they could not cross the benchmark of 50 with respect to these e-meetings.

The Tata Trust Justice report had adjudged Rajasthan as the number one state in terms of prison arrangements this year while the state ranked 12th last year.
Canberra, June 8 : The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have used a smartphone app to pull off its biggest-ever organised crime sting operation.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), AFP officers around the world on Monday carried out hundreds of search warrants, arresting and charging more than 200 alleged criminal underworld figures and seized more than 3,000 kg of illicit drugs and A$45 million ($34 million) in cash and assets.

It marked the culmination of a three-year surveillance operation, dubbed Operation Ironside, whereby AFP agents secretly monitored criminal activities on AN0M, a messaging app that users thought was encrypted.

"This is a watershed moment in Australian law enforcement history," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters on Tuesday.

"Our investments to back in our law enforcement agencies, in particular the Australian Federal Police, has enabled them to work as part of major partnerships all around the world and take a leading role to spearhead this assault against organized crime." The AFP alleged that criminal syndicates in Australia, Europe, Asia, South America and the Middle East have been exposed by the sting operation.

Reece Kershaw, Commissioner of the AFP, said 21 murder plots and the trafficking of billions of dollars of illegal drugs and firearms were disrupted by Operation Ironside.

"Today, Australia is a safer country because of this unprecedented AFP-led operation," he said.

Raids on AN0M users were carried out across Australia as well as in the US and Europe.
The Broward Medical Examiner wants our medical examiner to come to their office to view remaining items we need to complete our report, said McLymont, whose doctor lives and works in the Tampa area. Hes not going to drive from Tampa to Broward without getting paid to do so, and its just not economical for him to do so at the moment.
San Francisco, June 8 : After default and custom wallpapers, Google Meet is now rolling out support for video backgrounds that are first coming to the web this month and then to mobile "in the coming months".

This capability was first announced with the revamped Google Meet web UI that's now widely rolled out, 9To5Google reported.

In addition to static backgrounds, you can now select videos -- custom backgrounds can help you show more of your personality, as well help hide your surroundings to maintain privacy.

With the option of replacing your background with video, we hope this makes your video calls more fun.

There are three options at launch -- a classroom, party and forest. The company said that more Meet video backgrounds are coming.

In terms of availability, it will first launch on the web starting June 7.

From June 30, both video and image backgrounds will require at least version 87 (released in November 2020) of Google Chrome.
Tel Aviv, June 8 : The new Israeli government is set to be sworn in on Sunday after days of negotiations on how to move ahead on forming an eight-way coalition that would unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first time in more than a decade.

Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin announced the date for the ceremony on Tuesday, reports dpa news agency.

Members of the new coalition, which will initially be headed by far-right politician Naftali Bennett, had agreed on their partnership last week and had, at one point, been expected to be sworn in this week already.

Members of the coalition had reportedly been pushing for a Wednesday ceremony.

The Sunday session will also see the Knesset vote for a new speaker.

The eight members of the new coalition only have the barest of a majority: 61 of 120 Knesset seats.

Additionally, the members come from a variety of political walks that would not normally align with one another.

However, the parties are united in their dislike of Netanyahu.

Should the formation of the new government go ahead, it would be the first Israeli government without Netanyahu in 12 years.

However, Netanyahu is still doing his utmost to hold onto power and is trying to see if he can shake loose any coalition member, which would end the political experiment before it can start.

Netanyahu has called the new coalition the "fraud of the century".

Demonstrators supporting the long-time premier have lashed out at Bennett, who has served in past Netanyahu cabinets.

There have been warnings that the protests could turn violent in the coming days.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Washington, June 8 : Next week's NATO summit will send a strong signal of trans-Atlantic unity, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House.

"This summit will be a strong demonstration of trans-Atlantic unity of Europe and North America, because we are stronger and safer together in the more unpredictable world," dpa news agency quoted Stoltenberg as saying on Monday.

Among the range of different challenges and threats to prepare for, Stoltenberg cited Russia, with its growing aggression toward its neighbours, and China as it invests in new military capabilities.

Biden is due to attend the June 14 meeting of leaders of NATO member states as part of his first foreign trip as President.

Stoltenberg said he was pleased to receive Biden in Brussels.

"A strong NATO is good for Europe, but it's also good for the US, no other major power has so many friends and allies as the US has in NATO." White House Spokesperson Jen Psaki said that, during the meeting, Biden "expressed his strong commitment to working closely with Allies to build on NATO's seven decades of success safeguarding trans-Atlantic security and democratic values".

"The two leaders agreed on the importance of the NATO 2030 initiative to adapt the Alliance to meet the challenges of strategic competition and transnational threats, including climate change and cyberattacks." Under former President Donald Trump, relations between the US and many of its allies became strained.

Biden has pledged to address this.

Stoltenberg also met US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday.

The issues they discussed included Afghanistan, where the official withdrawal of international troops has been underway for just over a month.
Washington, June 8 : The White House considers the planned meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on June 16 Geneva both necessary and important.

Biden's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in Washington on Monday that the US President was meeting his Russian counterpart not "despite" but precisely because of the two countries' differences, reports dpa news agency.

"We do not regard a meeting with the Russian president as a reward. We regard it as a vital part of defending America's interests and America's values," Sullivan said.

The meeting will be taking place after Biden will have consulted with the heads of state and government of the G7 countries, NATO and the EU in the days before.

The timing for the summit with Putin could therefore hardly be better.

"When President Biden returns to Washington next week, we believe that we will be in a materially stronger position to manage the major threats and challenges this country faces," Sullivan said.

The Adviser also stressed that nothing can replace a face-to-face meeting between heads of government.

This is especially true for Putin, who has a "highly personalized style of decision making".

Therefore, he said, it was important for Biden "to sit down with (Putin) face to face" and be clear about US expectations. Talking directly to Putin is also "the most effective way to understand what Russia intends and plans".

On June 16, the US and Russian Presidents are scheduled to meet in Geneva.

It is the first meeting since Biden took office in January and comes at a time of great tension between Washington and Moscow.

Biden will begin the first foreign trip of his presidency later this week.

He will visit the UK from Wednesday to June 13 to attend the G7 Summit and hold bilateral meetings with the group's leaders.

The President will then travel to Brussels, Belgium to participate in the NATO Summit, and then to Geneva for his meeting with Putin.

Relations between Washington and Moscow have been adversarial in recent years.

The two sides have obvious differences on issues related to Ukraine, cybersecurity, human rights, and US election interference.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Kabul, June 8 : For a third consecutive day, Taliban insurgents have captured yet another district in Afghanistan on Tuesday, officials said.

Government forces abandoned the Dawlat Abad district centre in Faryab province before dawn and fled to neighbouring Andkhoi district without engaging the militants, dpa news agency reported citing the local officials as saying.

The fate of more than a dozen members of the security forces in the district remained unclear because the telecommunications system was down, provincial councillor Abdul Ahad Alibek said.

Dawlat Abad was under siege for three years. Forces could only receive logistical support by air, ground support was impossible because the militants controlled all routes leading to the district, Alibek added.

In Ghazni province, the militants overran two security checkpoints in Ab Band district.

Officials said on Monday that heavy clashes were ongoing in at least three districts of the province.

The districts could collapse if the government fails to send air support, warned Arif Rahmani, an MP representing Ghazni.

It is the third straight day of the insurgents overrunning districts.

On Monday, government forces abandoned Qaysar district in Faryab after days of heavy fighting.

In addition, the insurgents took control of Shahrak district in Ghor province.

The militants have made a string of gains in the country.

Since the beginning of the official withdrawal of the United States and other NATO troops in Afghanistan on May 1, at least 10 districts have fallen to the Taliban.

Afghanistan has 34 provinces and around 400 districts.

District centres serve as secondary-level administrative units, one level below the provinces.

According to a UN report, in the past year the Taliban were able to capture five districts, four of which were recaptured by the government within several days.
New Delhi, June 8 : Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora (GKPD) in collaboration with I Am Buddha Foundation and Anupam Kher Foundation hosted a mega online Covid relief fundraising concert on June 5 'Ek Saath India Will Rise Again'.

The event was supported by Sewa International Foundation, Kashyap Seva Foundation, the US India Pragati Foundation and Federation of Indian Physician Associations. The concert was in aid of thousands of victims of the recent Covid pandemic that has struck India. Widows and orphans have been left behind to fend for themselves and the refugees, migrants, indigenous people, artists and minorities have borne the brunt of having lost their livelihood and earnings.

Anupam Kher stated, "Inspite of being refugees in their own country, the compassionate Kashmiri Pandits heard the cry of agony of those orphaned or widowed, those migrants and refugees, those who have lost all hope. They rose to meet the challenge and demonstrated by their actions that India will rise again." Lata Mangeshkar stated, "Covid has hurt everyone physically and economically. Covid came to India and the second way has traumatized India for which I am filled with sorrow. Anupamji is working with organizations which is extremely beneficial. I pray to God that the world is freed from this disease, and we can once again lead our normal lives. Everyone should do good works and inspire others to do good".

Utpal Kaul GKPD India coordinator stated, "We are immensely grateful to all of the legendary artists including Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle who supported the event and gave us the honour of listening to their melodious voices, poem renditions that uplifted our spirits with their encouraging words." Director and Producer Vivek Agnihotri stated, "It was an honor for Pallavi Joshi to anchor the program and for I Am Buddha to produce it on behalf of Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora. We are filled with gratitude at how the artist community responded to the call. We are deeply appreciative to the audience from across the world who joined live in thousands on all online platforms. It continues to be watched across the world." There has been an outpouring of emotion for the concert and viewers from across the globe including U.S.A, U.K, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and South Africa have contributed to the fundraising effort. All of the moneys raised from the public will go to the end beneficiaries or reputed organizations serving them.
New Delhi, June 8 : In a significant direction, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a crackdown on NGOs or individuals involved in illegal adoption of children orphaned amid the Covid pandemic.

A bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao and Aniruddha Bose said: "The state governments/Union Territories are directed to take action against those NGOs/ individuals who are indulging in illegal adoptions." Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj, appearing for the National Commission for Protection of Children Rights (NCPCR), had expressed his anguish about certain NGOs collecting funds in the names of the affected children.

"It has come to the notice of the NCPCR that the identity of the affected children is being disclosed in public announcements by certain unscrupulous agencies and individuals who are inviting interested persons to adopt the affected children," he submitted.

The NCPCR and some women and child welfare NGOs had informed the bench that there are several advertisements in the public domain, including on social media, inviting people to adopt orphans.They submitted that many of them are fake and no adoption is permissible without the involvement of the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA).

The top court specified that no adoption can be allowed in violation of the Juvenile Justice Act and also without the involvement of the CARA.

"We share the concern of the Additional Solicitor General and Shobha Gupta about the illegal adoption of affected children. The state governments/Union Territories are directed to prevent any NGO from collecting funds in the names of the affected children by disclosing their identity and inviting interested persons to adopt them. No adoption of affected children should be permitted contrary to the provisions of the JJ Act, 2015," it said in its order.

The bench, in a detailed order in a suo moto matter, added that invitation to persons for adoption of orphans is contrary to law as no adoption of a child can be permitted without the involvement of the CARA, and emphasised on stringent action against those involved in illegal adoption.

The top court passed a slew of direction to ensure children, who have been orphaned amid the pandemic, should get access to basic needs, including continuance of education in government or private schools. It also stressed that states should continue identifying children orphaned during Covid-19 pandemic.

The bench said there should be continuous monitoring regarding the welfare of the child by the District Child Protection Units (DCPUs) even after the financial order is passed by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), which should be done periodically every three to six months.

"After the identification of the children who have become orphans or lost one parent, prompt action has to be taken to provide the basic needs of the children. The District Child Protection Officer should act swiftly to contact the child. The DCPUs shall ensure that adequate provision is made for the ration, food, medicines, clothing etc to the child," it said.

The bench also accepted a suggestion by amicus curiae Gaurav Agrawal, and directed states/UTs to make provisions for continuance of education of the children both in government as well as in private schools.

It said the identification of the affected children can be done through Childline (1098), health officials, Panchayati Raj Institutions, police authorities, NGOs etc.

The NCPCR has informed the top court that as many as 3621 children were orphaned, 274 were found abandoned and 26,176 lost either parent since April 1, last year and June 5, 2021, amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The commission said there are 30,071 children, who need care and protection, after collecting data from the states and UTs, on its Bal Swaraj portal.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Chennai, June 8 : The worker unions in two major foreign automobile makers have welcomed the Madras High Court's order to the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health to inspect auto units and arrive at a uniform guideline on maintenance of social distancing at the shop floors.

"We welcome the High Court's order. There could be only two reasons for the Covid-19 infection to spread amongst factory workers viz the safety guideline of the state government is insufficient or the safety guidelines are not implemented by the companies," a union official in Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) told IANS preferring anonymity.

"The inspection will also bring out the unlawful labour practices followed by companies. Other automobile units may be upset with Renault Nissan Automotive for linking them in this case," Moorthy, General Secretary, Renault Nissan India Thozhilalar Sangam (RNITS) told IANS.

The court made the order while hearing the case of Renault Nissan India Thozhilalar Sangam versus Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd.

The company had submitted to the court that it is being singled out to follow the 3:1 empty pitch at its assembly lines while none of the other automobile makers near here or in India follow that.

"Simply put, after three cars in the conveyor belt, one slot will be empty so that a worker need not move to the next workstation to complete his work," RNITS President K. Balaji Krishnan had told IANS.

When the case came up for hearing on Tuesday, the counsel for Renault Nissan Automotive said none of the other automotive units -- Hyundai Motor, Ford India, BMW, Daimler and others -- located near here or in the country like Maruti are maintaining the 3:1 empty pitch.

This resulted in the court ordering the visit of a senior official of Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health to the automobile plants and come out with a uniform guideline for maintenance of social distance in factories.

At Hyundai Motor, the night shift has been stopped and to that extent about 4,000 workers will not be attending work that shift. Other than that, there is no change in the production/conveyor line, the union official said.

According to him, the Hyundai Motor factory near here rolls out about 55 cars per hour.

Twelve Hyundai Motor workers have died due to Covid-19 and over 800 were infected with coronavirus, the official added.

He hoped the inspection by the state government would result in maintenance of social distancing at the factory level.

"If the production level per hour is reduced by 50 per cent, then social distancing could be maintained at the shopfloor level," said.

Worker union officials told IANS that it is only they who know how to manage the production by maintaining social distance and not the management.

An active dialogue between the two would result in smooth operations.

The Ford India union official said many of the issues raised by RNITS were flagged at his company a year back and were sorted out.

"May be one or two aspects that may be very difficult to address at the production line are pending," the official added.

Further compared to Hyundai Motor production volumes, the number of cars rolled out by Ford India is far low.

The per hour production at Ford India plant is about 30 units down from 36 units earlier.

According to him, the company has provided goggles in addition to masks so that two workers can work safely in close proximity in some stations.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Bengaluru, June 8 : Bharatiya Janata Party's senior Karnataka legislator and former minister C.M. Udasi passed away at a private hospital here due to age-related issues, a party official said on Tuesday. He was 85.

"Udasi died around 2.50 p.m. at Narayana Health hospital where he was under treatment for age-related symptoms over the last 15 days," his secretary Govinda Raju told IANS.

He is survived by wife Neelambika, son and sitting MP Shivakumar Chanabasappa and daughter Jayashree.

Udasi was an 8-time legislator from Hangal Assembly constituency in Haveri district. He was a cabinet minister in the BJP's 2008-13 government.

Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa mourned Udasi's death and expressed condolences to his bereaved family.

"Udasi was a gentleman and a dynamic politician. The works he undertook as a PWD Minister is noteworthy. He was always committed to solving people's problems and worked for the betterment of society," he said in a statement here.
New Delhi, June 8 : Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has announced free distribution of rice from July to November to all the BPL ration card holders in the state.

Besides, the chief minister also announced that the ration card holders will be provided additional quantity of rice under State Food Security Act, equivalent to PM Poor Welfare Scheme. This announcement of Chief Minister would benefit nearly 2,51,46,424 beneficiaries of 67,90,987 ration cards.

The Chhattisgarh Government had distributed rice free of cost to the poor and needy families under PDS in the months of May and June as well. As per the announcement of Chief Minister Baghel, BPL families will now be provided rice free of cost from the month of July to the month of November this year.

This decision would greatly benefit ration card holders of 'antyoday', 'priority', 'annapoorna', 'destitute', 'disabled' categories. Moreover, all the beneficiaries of State Food Security Act would be provided rice in quantity equivalent to Prime Minister Poor Welfare Scheme.
New Delhi, June 8 : Moving ahead with its sustainability goals, McCain (India) increased the share of renewable energy in its overall energy consumption and in terms of food quality has lowered the sodium content in its products.

As per the '2020 Global Sustainability Report - Together, Towards Planet-Friendly Food', the company purchased electricity from wind turbines in 2020 and securing the environmental certificates to be able to claim 20 per cent renewable electricity in 2021.

It has also reduced sodium content by 13 per cent in its 'Veggie Nuggets' and 10 per cent in the product 'Smiles'.

The report also noted that preparations are underway to move from palm oil to alternative oils by 2025.

It also noted that 3 per cent improvement in carbon dioxide emission intensity (Scope 1 & 2) during 2017-20. However, there was 6 per cent increase in absolute CO2 emissions during 2017-20, with Covid impact on volume.

In another major achievement, the report showed 100 per cent recovery of B2C plastic materials from April 2020.

"Our corrugated packaging has 99.7 per cent recycled content, up from 98.2 per cent in 2019. 99.7 per cent FSC certified paper sourced materials," it said.

Speaking to IANS, Vikas Mittal, Managing Director - South Asia, ASEAN, South Korea, Taiwan at McCain Foods, said that the company is committed to sustainable operations in India and across the globe.

He also stressed that the company that also supports the farmers in sustainable agriculture in terms of skills, technology and infrastructure.

On the company's operations in India, he said that the company has plans to expand the existing capacity, which has been delayed due to the pandemic, but the plans are on. Mittal said that McCain remains committed to India.

Globally, as per the report, McCain has decreased its absolute carbon dioxide emission by 6 per cent since 2017 and use of renewable energy has increased to 4 per cent from 1 per cent in 2020.
New Delhi, June 8 : To enhance bilateral trades in the defence sector between India and Sweden, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday invited Swedish firms to invest in the defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and also to collaborate in ship building.

Stressing that there is a huge potential for more India-Sweden partnerships, Singh highlighted the strong capabilities of the Indian defence industry in various fields and its willingness to collaborate with the Swedish companies for co-development and co-production in areas of mutual interest.

Addressing a webinar on India-Sweden defence industry cooperation, Singh said that bilateral trades and investment between India and Sweden have increased tremendously in recent years, with trades increasing from $3 billion in 2016 to $4.6 billion in 2019.

"This growth is spectacular and can be attributed to the increase in the number of Swedish companies in India, as well as Indian companies in Sweden. India is also the third largest trading partner of Sweden in Asia. This shows our robust business ties," Singh said.

The Defence Minister said that historically, the two countries have had a great relationship, which reflects not only common values but also commitment to global peace and security.

"Our strong bilateral relationship is also based on strong business and R&D linkages. Our Embassy in Sweden, as well as the Swedish Embassy in India, is actively engaged in promoting these economic linkages through the organisation of events in the host countries," he said.

Mechanisms like India-Sweden Business Round Table and Sweden India Business Council are contributing tremendously to this development. Besides, there exists a range of MoUs and agreements for bilateral cooperation in the fields of science and technology, healthcare, urban development, renewable energy, railways, polar science and defence, Singh said.

"Our bilateral business and government-to-government relations are on a strong institutional footing," he said.

The India-Sweden defence cooperation MoU, which was signed during the EU-India Summit (under the Presidency of Sweden) in November 2009, has the scope for exchange of expertise, training, logistic and maintenance, military technical cooperation, defence industrial and R&D cooperation and exchange on UN Peace Keeping missions.

The joint working group on defence cooperation, envisioned in the MoU, had also met in Delhi in December 2018. India and Sweden have also signed a General Security Agreement in 2019 on the exchange and mutual protection of classified information, enabling a comprehensive partnership in all defence sectors.

Singh mentioned that over the past few years, the Indian defence industry has been galvanised through progressive policies and procedural reforms, which have catapulted the industry to serve not only Indian requirements, but also meet global demands.

"These initiatives pave the way for more Swedish-Indian partnerships for the 'Make in India' and 'Make for the World' initiatives under various categories of the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020.

"Such a partnership model shall also lead to increased participation of Indian vendors in the global supply chain through impetus on indigenisation," the Defence Minister said.

The easing of FDI regulations and introduction of Buy (Global - Manufacture in India) in DAP 2020 are invitations for the foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to participate in the opportunities offered by the Indian defence industry, Singh said.

The foreign OEMs can set up manufacturing facilities individually or partner with Indian companies through joint ventures or technology agreements to capitalise on the 'Make in India' opportunity, the Defence Minister noted.

There is a lot of scope for Swedish and Indian defence industries for co-production and co-development, while the Indian industry can also supply components to the Swedish industries, he said.

"Swedish firms such as SAAB already have a major presence in India and I am confident that other Swedish firms will also find India as a major investment destination for defence manufacturing," the minister said.

Singh mentioned that India has a robust ship building industry with an ecosystem of world class public and private ship building companies. He pointed out that both the countries may collaborate in the ship building industry for mutual benefit.

He also took an opportunity to invite Swedish firms to invest in the dedicated Defence Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, where they can benefit greatly from the unique incentives being offered by the state governments and the availability of a highly-skilled workforce in India.

The Defnce Minister also extended an invitation to a delegation at highest level from Sweden to India and have a glimpse of the Indian defence industries.

"I am sure that a delegation from Sweden would find many areas of interest for further cooperation," he said.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, June 8: The re-organisation of Bangladeshs militant outfit Hefazat-e-Islam (HeI) -- as it announced a new 33-member committee under 'Ameer Junaid Babunagari -- could lead to a fresh headache for Dhaka and New Delhi.

Though the new organisational restructure has been seen as a desperate attempt by HeI to keep itself afloat after most of its leaders were arrested, analysts told India Narrative that both India and Bangladesh must keep a close watch on the new leaders of the militant outfit especially since the development has been "directly aided and supported by groups in Pakistan." However, they hoped that Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's focus on rooting out extremism will help in keeping the organisation's activities in control, even as the leader followed a live and let live philosophy with the HeI till recently.

While the Chittagong headquartered militant outfit follows the Taliban ethos without the large scale violence, it is essentially controls the Qawmi Madrassas in the country. That gives the organisation a huge and a ready cadre base.

"The new appointments have been done out of turn to pass on a message that the organisation, which has been made rudderless and leaderless by several arrests in the last few months, is in place," Subir Bhaumik, senior journalist and an expert on South and Southeast Asia told India Narrative.

A report by Dhaka Tribune said that former joint secretary general of Hefazat Mamunul Haque and organising secretary Azizul Haque Islamabadi and other controversial leaders have been excluded from the new committee.

Bhaumik added that with the country's economic rise driven by a large women workforce, the HeI ethos, considered anti-woman is also getting marginalised.

"PM Hasina's government will surely be keeping a watchful eye on them and their activities. Reorganization of their leadership will not change their Islamist outlook but they will have to be far less provocative in pursuit of their objectives, lest they fall foul of again of Hasina's government," Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, visiting fellow at ORF and a former ambassador told India Narrative.

In recent times, several HeI leaders including Mamunul Haque, Rafiqul Islam Madani, also known as "shishu bokta" and Junaid Al Habib among others have been arrested in connection of violence.

Earlier, Dhaka based newspaper the Daily Star said that Haque, who had been collecting money from Pakistan, Dubai and Qatar in the name of Babri Masjid, had links with a Pakistani militant group.

According to the DT report at least 77 cases have been filed against HeI leaders and activists across the country over the clashes and vandalism. "More than 69,000 people were accused in the cases," the report said.

"Despite Bangladesh being a Muslim-majority country where Muslims are free to practice, and Islam is the state religion, Hefazat feels the need to protect Islam," Mahir Abrar, lecturer at American International University -Bangladesh wrote earlier in his column in Dhaka Tribune.

"They feel that Islam is in danger but from what? The Islamic Golden Age was an open civilization that encouraged and supported the study of medicine, science, philosophy, and mathematics. People of many faiths and beliefs lived freely in the Islamic word," Abrar noted.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/
New Delhi, June 8: The election of Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid as the President of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) has major implications for India.

Shahid got a massive backing by bagging 143 votes out of the 191 ballots cast while the former foreign minister of Afghanistan, Dr Zalmai Rassoul got 48 votes. Shahid will now preside over the 76th session of the UN body that will commence in September 2021. He will take over from Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir.

The President of the UNGA is elected through a secret ballot by a simple majority for a one-year term. India had openly and vociferously supported Shahid's candidature, despite the fact that the opposing candidate too came from a friendly country.

For India, Shahid's election is a big win and makes a global statement as China was backing the other candidate.

In New York, India's Permanent Mission to the UN tweeted: "Hearty congratulations to Maldives Foreign Minister @abdulla_shahid for the robust victory and for being elected as the 76th President of the UN General Assembly".

Speaking exclusively with India Narrative, an Indian diplomat who had served at the UN, said: "It makes us look good. The President of the UNGA has an important role to play in international diplomacy. He is like the speaker in a parliament, a neutral head but one who gets things done in your favour." For India there are a number of issues close to the heart which lie unresolved at the UN.

The first is the issue of reforms in the UN Security Council (UNSC), which have been debated for long but have not moved. India is peeved and has shown its annoyance at many international fora at the highest level.

In fact Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the General Assembly in September 2020 had said: "Till when do we have to wait? Till when will India be kept away from the UN's decision-making process?" He strongly urged the comity of nations that the UN has to move with changing times. "Reform is needed at the UN and India is waiting for that reform to happen", Modi said last year.

The diplomat told India Narrative: "The proposed changes to the UNSC, which is the most powerful among the UN bodies, remains stuck with the UNGA. If the President shows interest in the matter, he can reinvigorate the process of reforms to the UNSC. He can push matters forward and then it depends on how India plays its cards".

In February this year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in joint remarks in Maldivian capital Male had praised Shahid's rich diplomatic experience for the UNGA presidency and hinted that India would collaborate with him on UNSC reforms. India is currently a non-permanent member of the UNSC for two years.

Jaishankar had said: "Foreign Minister Shahid, with his vast diplomatic experience and his leadership qualities is, in our view, the best equipped to preside over the General Assembly of 193 nations of the world. ... We would really like to work with you during our membership of the United Nations Security Council for 2021-22".

Despite a India-friendly UNGA head and capacity to nudge decisions, analysts point out that it would be too much to expect a UNGA head to swing India's entry as a permanent entry into the UNSC core. That decision will essentially rest on a consensus within the permanent 5 veto-wielding members of the UNSC, who, so far, do not see eye-to-eye on India's presence in an expanded Security Council.

Another area in which India would like the UNGA to push harder is fighting international terrorism, terror financing, radicalisation and cyber-recruitment. India also wants the global fora to hold countries accountable for aiding and supporting terrorists. India's various foreign ministers have been raising the issue relentlessly on global platforms for over two decades.

India has been raising the issue of ratification of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) at the UN to combat terror and make sure that countries are brought to justice for aiding terrorists.

For the moment, Shahid's election as the UNGA President is a big win for India. It presents the country with an opportunity to take up once again certain key issues pending for long.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative/
Nagpur, June 8 : In a huge jolt, the Bombay High Court, Nagpur Bench on Tuesday struck down the caste certificate issued to Amravati Lok Sabha MP and ex-filmstar Navneet Kaur Rana on the grounds that it was obtained fraudulently using fabricated documents.

A division bench comprising Justice R. D. Dhanuka and Justice V. G. Bisht ordered her to surrender it within 6 weeks and imposed a fine of Rs 200,000 to be paid to the Maharashtra Legal Services Authority within a fortnight.

Rana is the wife of independent MLA from Badnera, Ravi Rana, the founder of the Yuva Swabhiman Party (YSP) and is a relative of yoga guru Baba Ramdev.

The judges noted that Rana's claims of belonging to the 'Mochi' caste' for obtaining a Scheduled Caste certificate itself was fraudulent and made with the intention to obtain various benefits available to a candidate from such a category despite knowing that she does not belong to that caste.

Navneet Kaur is a former model and actress who fought the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amravati (SC-reserved) constituency defeating veteran Shiv Sena leader Anandrao Adsul.
Puducherry, June 8 : Liquor shops in Puducherry witnessed a heavy rush after the Union Territory relaxed lockdown norms and allowed opening of these outlets from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Arrack shops are also open in the Union Territory. The liquor shops and arrack shops were closed after the government announced a partial lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Even though the government has announced doorstep delivery of liquor to reduce the footfalls in outlets, districts like Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam and Mahe witnessed heavy rush in the liquor shops.

Palaniswamy, a plumbing worker, told IANS, "The opening of liquor shops is a big relief. There is a heavy rush here since morning and I purchased a bottle after standing in a queue for a long time. Anyway the government has opened the liquor shops taking into consideration the fall in tax revenues as well as the requests from a cross-section of people." Heavy rush was witnessed in shops at Mahe, bordering Kannur and Kozhikode districts of Kerala. In the 5-km town of Mahe, there are 64 liquor shops, and the heavy rush was witnessed with people from Kerala also thronging the liquor outlets of Mahe, Paloor and Pandakkal.

Dhanraj, a businessman-based at Paloor, speaking to IANS said, "Shutting down liquor shops was a good proposition. Mahe and the surrounding areas are surviving due to the liquor business and the government, including Health, Police, and Excise departments, must coordinate and allow liquor shops to conduct business while abiding by Covid protocols." While the Puducherry government has allowed doorstep delivery of liquor, including arrack, the takers for this are less.

Sujith Gangadharan, a government employee at Mahe, told IANS, "After a lull of one month, when the liquor shops opened here in Mahe it was a mad rush and we could witness this from my office which is adjacent to two liquor shops. People had come from Vadakara and Thalassery in Kerala to buy liquor since morning." Murugesan, a liquor shop employee at Karaikal town, told IANS, "There was heavy rush since morning as it has been a month since liquor outlets were shut down. People from Tamil Nadu have also come in large number to buy liquor from here as the state has not yet opened liquor outlets."

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San Francisco/New Delhi, June 8 : After a huge global web outage caused by a "service configuration" took popular websites, including leading news portals, off the grid on Tuesday, the services resumed for some websites although it was a slow process.

The technical glitch happened at the end of Fastly, a popular content delivery network (CDN) provider. The Cloud computing services provider said that the issue has been identified.

"The issue has been identified and a fix has been applied. Customers may experience increased origin load as global services return," Fastly said in an update.

"We identified a service configuration that triggered disruptions across our POPs [points of presence] globally and have disabled that configuration. Our global network is coming back online," a Fastly spokesperson was quoted as saying in media reports.

A CDN refers to a geographically distributed group of servers that work together to provide fast delivery of internet content.

Several popular websites were down, including Reddit, Spotify, Twitch, GitHub, Hulu, HBO Max, CNN, the Guardian, the New York Times, BBC, Financial Times and many more.

"Error 503 Service Unavailable," was the message that appeared on the affected websites earlier.

Other popular websites affected were gov.uk, Quora, PayPal, Shopify and others.

The issues affected the UK government websites as British citizens were unable to renew passports, apply for tax allowances, or obtain driving licence during the outage.

The Guardian newspaper said its website and app were affected by a wider internet outage.

"Outages were reported in locations as varied as London, Texas and New Zealand," the report noted.

Last year, a problem with Cloudflare, another CDN company, led to a half-hour outage for most of the internet in major cities across Europe and the Americas.
Chandigarh, June 8 : The Chandigarh administration on Tuesday ordered extension of Covid-19 restrictions with major relaxations, including allowing functioning of bars, restaurants, gyms and spas with 50 per cent capacity for the first time after over a month of closure.

All shops will open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. by ensuring Covid protocol. The shopkeepers can be penalised for any violation of the protocol.

The restaurants and bars were allowed to operate with 50 per cent capacity from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. However, the night curfew in the city will be from 10 p.m. to 5 a,m.

At the high-level Covid review meeting here chaired by Chandigarh Administrator V.P. Singh Badnore, it was decided to continue with a total weekend closure on every Sunday. Only the essential shops will be allowed to open but the movement of vehicles be restricted.

The shopping malls can remain open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. However, the eating outlets inside the malls will close by 8 p.m. The malls must ensure that there is no crowding within the shops or in the open areas.

The gyms, wellness centres, clubs and spas will be allowed to open with 50 per cent capacity. But the cinema halls and theatres will remain closed. The museums and libraries will remain open.

The gathering for marriage and cremation will be restricted to the maximum of 30 persons.

The famed rain-fed Sukhna Lake will be open for visitors from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, except Sunday. However, no boating will be allowed.

At present, Chandigarh has 833 active cases and the positivity rate was 3.9 per cent.

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New Delhi, June 8 : The Delhi Police's Special Cell on Tuesday said that it has arrested a sharp shooter of the notorious gangster Ashok Pradhan gang wanted in the murder of a member of the Kala Jathedi gang.

He was having a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Special Cell Pramod Kumar Kushwah said sharp shooter Prince involved in a sensational murder of Rohit was absconding. He said that Prince was arrested at about 10 p.m. on June 4 near Navodaya Vidyalaya in Qutab Garh Road of Delhi and one semi-automatic pistol of .32 with three live cartridges has been recovered from him.

Kushwah said that Prince is a sharp shooter of Pradhan, a notorious gangster and was wanted in a number of cases including a sensational shootout which took place on December 26 last year in Delhi's Bawana in which Rohit died.

The DCP said that the police had got the information of Prince's movement and it learnt that he would come near Navodaya School on the night of June 4. Once he arrived, he was surrounded by the team and eventually nabbed. One semi automatic pistol with three live cartridges was recovered from him, he said.

Kushwah said, "During interrogation, Prince disclosed that he and his associates namely Abhisek and Rajesh belong to Ashok Pradhan gang and their gang has rivalry with members of Sandeep a.k.a. Jathedi gang in the area." He further disclosed that Abhishek was having a fierce rivalry with Priyavart, an active associate of Sandeep. Abhishek, Rajesh of Pradhan gang and their associates had fired at the house of Priyavart in January 2020 to threaten him. Prince has further said that they had suspected that Rohit, a member of rival gang used to pass the information about movements of their gang to Sandeep. He said that Prince further disclosed that he along with his three associates namely Abhishek, Sanjay and Andha, all fully armed went on two bikes, waylaid Rohit and shot him dead during the night of December 26 last year. Kushwah said that murder of Rohit provoked Priyavart and other members of Sandeep gang.

"To avenge the murder of Rohit, Priyavart along with members of his gang shot dead one Shashi Kadyan on March 6 this year. Kadyan was a close associate of Abhishek and Rajesh, both active members of Pradhan gang." "In another case, Priyavart with his associates had shot dead Dhole in Haryana's Sonipat last year on the directions of Sandeep and Lawrence Bishnoi in their gang rivalry," the DCP said.
New Delhi, June 8 : The Supreme Court Bar Association on Tuesday said the Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana "has agreed" to its request to consider elevating Supreme Court lawyers as High Court judges.

SCBA President and senior advocate Vikas Singh, in a communication to its members, said: "The undersigned is pleased to inform you that the CJI has agreed to the request made by SCBA and has requested the Chief Justices of the High Courts to consider lawyers practicing in the Supreme Court for elevation to their High Courts." He added that the executive committee of SCBA has constituted a "search committee" comprising the President, Vice President and senior member, Mahalakshmi Pavani, and four eminent members of the Bar, namely: Rakesh Dwivedi, Shekhar Naphade, Vijay Hansaria and V. Giri, to facilitate the process of elevation by identifying deserving and meritorious Supreme Court practitioners.

"The High Court Collegium may then consider such names along with the lawyers from the High Court Bar in order to choose the most deserving candidate amongst those available for elevation," the communication added.

The top court lawyers' body said the elevation of the lawyers practicing in the Supreme Court has always been its concern. "In spite of having vast experience and exposure in dealing with all kinds of issues relating to civil, criminal, constitutional, commercial law, etc., the lawyers practicing in the Supreme Court are rarely considered for elevation by the High Court collegium as they do not regularly practice before the High Court and while being professionally more meritorious than their colleagues at the High Court, loose the opportunity for being considered as such," it said.

On May 31, Singh, on behalf of the executive committee of SCBA, made a representation to the Chief Justice, putting across the concern of its members with regard to their elevation to the High Courts. He had suggested a transparent mechanism to institutionalise the appointment which will also help in filling up of large number of vacancies in the High Courts.

"It was also emphasised that there are large number of lady advocates practicing in Supreme Court who are to be considered for elevation and the High Courts do not recommend lady advocates on the plea that there are not enough lady lawyers fit for elevation," the SCBA told its members.
The three staff members of the Democratic Voice of Burma, better known as DVB, were arrested on May 9 in the northern Thai province of Chiang Mai along with two other people from Myanmar described as activists. On May 28, they were each sentenced to a 4,000 baht ($128) fine and seven months imprisonment, suspended for a year.
New Delhi, June 8 : A Class 5 student from Kerala has written to the Chief Justice of India, Justice N. V. Ramana, saying she is happy that the Supreme Court has intervened effectively in the sufferings and death of ordinary people in the fight against Covid-19.

The 10-year-old Lidwina Joseph from Kerala's Thrissur district, wrote in the letter, "I am happy and feel proud your honourable court has moved orders for supply of oxygen and saved many lives. I understood your honourable court has initiated effective steps in bringing down Covid-19 infection and death rate in our country, especially in Delhi. I thank your honour for this. Now I feel very proud and happy." Joseph in her hand-written letter said she was very worried about deaths in Delhi and other parts of the country due to coronavirus, and felt happy to see the top court making vital interventions to alleviate the suffering of the people in the unprecedented health crisis unleashed by the pandemic.

The letter was accompanied by a colourful illustration showing a bespectacled judge using his gavel to deliver a blow on the head of coronavirus. Joseph also drew a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, which was hung on the wall behind the judge.

Chief Justice Ramana replied to Joseph, saying, "I have received your beautiful letter along with a heart-warming illustration of the judge at work." The Chief Justice said he was very impressed with the way Joseph kept track of the happenings in the country and also appreciated the concern she has displayed for the well-being of people in the wake of the pandemic.

Chief Justice Ramana wrote, "I am sure you will grow up into an alert, informed and responsible citizen who will contribute immensely towards nation-building." He also sent her a signed copy of the Indian Constitution.

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New Delhi, June 8 : Digital adoption solutions (DAS) provider Whatfix on Tuesday said it has raised $90 million in Series D funding led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2.

The company said it plans to use the funds to continue growing its stronghold in the US market while accelerating global expansion into new markets such as Asia Pacific and Europe.

Whatfix has now raised $139.8 million to date, increasing its valuation three times in the past 15 months.

The latest funding round also saw participation from Eight Roads Ventures, Sequoia Capital India, Dragoneer Investment Group, F-Prime Capital and Cisco Investments, the company said in a statement.

"This latest round of funding strengthens our position as market leaders as we plan to expand our offerings globally and continue to provide excellent customer service to businesses who look to us to guide them through their digital transformation initiatives," said Khadim Batti, CEO and co-founder, Whatfix.

Whatfix said it will invest the funds in product innovation focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), enterprise solutions, and providing personalised experiences.

The company currently has 500 employees across six global offices.

"Whatfix makes it easier for companies to use SaaS products, which increases productivity. Whatfix, with its roster of global clients, is well placed to become a DAS leader, and we are excited to be part of their journey," said Munish Varma, Managing Partner, SoftBank Investment Advisers.

"Enterprises spend billions on applications across multiple functions and yet employee adoption is low. Quick adoption ensures payback on software investments. Whatfix's solutions will be a key driver for enterprises to achieve this goal, which is reflected in their growth," added Sumer Juneja, Partner, SoftBank Investment Advisers.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that Pakistan intends to call a conference of foreign ministers of Islamic countries in Islamabad to discuss the so-called Kashmir issue.

This is a breach of the spirit and apparent willingness of peaceful relations between India and Pakistan that was initiated by the Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa when on February 25 a cease fire on the Line of Control was agreed during the meeting of director generals of Military Operations of both countries.

With Shah's announcement it seems that the Imran Khan government of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf and the military establishment are no more on the 'same page', a claim made by Imran Khan during his address to the nation on July 27, a day after he had won the controversial election of 2018.

Ever since the abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A of the Indian constitution Imran Khan has been making suggesting that peace dialogue between India and Pakistan shall not resume unless the status of Jammu Kashmir is reversed.

Khan has been flying across the Middle East to garner support against India and force the Muslim states to issue condemnation of the Modi government's decision to free Jammu Kashmir from the shackles of an Article that was instrumental in blocking direct national or international investment in the Vale of Kashmir.

The Articles were also discriminatory against the women of the valley since it did not give automatic civil and property inheritance rights to them if the married someone from outside the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A also abolished the existence of a state in a state situation which had been a hurdle in India's attempts to contain jihadi terrorism. Imran Khan's attempts to acquire support against India back fired in the most humiliating way. On August 24, 2019, less than two weeks after the Articles 370 and 35-Awere, United Arab Emirates awarded 'Order of Zayed', her highest civilian award, to Prime minister Narendra Modi.

Requests to the chairman of the OIC to hold an emergency session on Jammu Kashmir were turned down and Pakistan's threat to convene a conference of brotherly Islamic countries was taken as an attempt to split the OIC. Hence, Saudi Arabia cancelled the US $3 billion credit line offered to Imran Khan in 2018 and not only that, the Royal Kingdom demanded that Pakistan repay US $1 billion of oil credit money that Pakistan already owed her.

Pakistan had to beg China to lend her the money in order to repay Saudi Arabia. The list of further humiliations that Pakistan has faced since are far too many to be included in this short piece, but you get the idea.

Shah intends to call the aforesaid meeting of foreign ministers of the Islamic states in March 2022. However, it remains to be seen if this adventure succeeds in gaining the approval of two most important entities when it comes to taking decisions of such nature by Pakistan: Saudi Arabia and Pakistani military establishment; both of which do not seem to be on good terms with the pauper government of Imran Khan.

Pakistan has nothing to offer to the Middle East in return for such a favour especially when it involves the risk of losing great business relations with a booming $3 trillion Indian economy. Besides, India is the one of the largest exporter of Basmati rice and meat to the Middle East.

According to information available on the Indian Embassy website in Riyadh, during the Fiscal Year '2019-20, bilateral trade {between India and Saudi Arabia} was valued at $33.09 billion. During this period, India's imports from Saudi Arabia reached $26.84 billion'.

And according to information available on Trading Economics, a resource that provides economic information for 196 countries and more than 20 million economic indicators and much more, revealed that 'Saudi Arabia's exports to Pakistan was US$ 745.52 million during 2019'.

I leave it to you to do your own research on search engines to examine the extent of monetary benefit the Middle East earns by trading with India. No sane mind would risk to lose the foreign exchange and hard cash that the Middle East earns by way of exports to India just for the sake of pleasing a conniving manoeuvre by the state of Pakistan that survives on borrowed money and perhaps borrowed time.

Hence, in my opinion, it could prove be yet another of Pakistan's desired conferences that might never take place.

(Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza is an author and human rights activist from Mirpur in PoJK. He currently lives in exile in the UK. The views expressed are personal)
New Delhi, June 8 : Digital transformation solutions company UST is extending support towards Covid-19 relief in India by working with governments, hospitals, relief workers, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across the country along with its commitment of at least Rs 10 crore towards the relief work.

A company statement said that it also encourages employee contributions to meet the increased demand for medical supplies and support the communities. In addition, UST will also equally match the contribution of its associates.

In 2021, UST's Covid-19 relief work is focused on medical supplies and equipment for First-level Treatment Centres, dedicated Covid treatment centres, and hospitals.

UST also makes available oxygen supply equipment (oxygen concentrators, cylinders, ventilators), oxygen beds, ICU beds, N95 masks, PPE kits, face shields, and sanitisers among other requirements for hospitals. The company is also providing food and ration support for the vulnerable communities, among other steps in several states, said the statement.

Sunil Balakrishnan, Chief Values Officer and Global Head for Development Centers, UST said: "India is fighting the pandemic in all ways it can, and we are sure to win. UST is lending support and contributing to relief efforts across India." "At UST, we are committed to transforming lives, and the safety of everyone is our utmost priority. We hope that these efforts undertaken by UST would add muscle to the unprecedented war against the pandemic."

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New Delhi, June 8 : The last two months in the second wave of pandemic, which crippled an already overburdened healthcare system, has gravely affected Indians suffering from non-Covid chronic ailments like cancer, heart and kidney diseases, health experts said on Tuesday.

Essential health services were disrupted during the last two months because of the exponential rise in the number of Covid cases, which also led to the exhaustion of health care infrastructure, along with the diversion of health services to Covid care.

Other major reasons include fear of contracting Covid, misinformation and limitations on movement due to lockdowns, according to experts.

"Covid-19 pandemic affected non-Covid care at all levels of health care from community to tertiary level. Services of chronic diseases care such as cancer care, hypertension, and diabetes management got affected the most due to diversion of health services to Covid care and people were not able to seek healthcare due to restrictions and fear due to pandemic," Dr Harshal R. Salve, Associate Professor at Centre for Community Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi, told IANS.

Last month, a plea was filed in the Supreme Court claiming that in the second wave, most of the state governments have put restrictions and protocols, which resulted into denial of regular treatment and check-up of patients with heart, kidney, liver and lung ailments.

"Non-Covid-19 patients are facing a lot of difficulties. Major surgeries are postponed in all the hospitals as doctors are fully busy with Covid-19 patients... for heart patients or pregnant women, it is very difficult to get admission," the petitioner said.

Due to Covid pandemic, many "treatable diseases" have shifted to the stage of being "untreatable", Dr Ashish Rai, Director, Department of Plastic, Aesthetic & Reconstructive Surgery, Jaypee Hospital, Noida, told IANS.

According to Rai, patients with cancer, particularly the elderly, have been the most affected. "Elderly cancer patients often delay their hospital visits, thinking that it may increase the risk of Covid infection to their children," he said.

"Cancer patients have borne the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic. Overall, early diagnosis, check-ups and treatment was delayed for people suffering from cancer. And those infected with Covid were at higher risk of mortality," added Dr Rahul Bhargava, Cancer Expert, Director, Department of Clinical Hematology & Bone Marrow Transplant, Fortis Hospital, Gurugram.

Cancer treatment can be successful during its early days but can become untreatable in the advanced stage of the disease. Covid also increased mortality among patients with an active cancer or who had a history of cancer in the past five years, the experts noted.

"Several patients also suffered delay in treatment because in most of the cases family members or the patient themselves were afflicted with Covid. Almost 90 per cent were postponed who had no choice but to remain bedridden or in disabling conditions," said Dr L. Tomar, Director, Department of Orthopaedics, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Further, children suffering from congenital anomalies/deformities were also affected due to the pandemic.

"For example, cleft lip surgery must be done between three to six months of birth. But many such kids could not be operated upon due to Covid restrictions imposed last year, and which continued this year," Rai said. While it may not turn fatal as cancer, yet it affects the treatment.

"People must understand that Covid is here to stay, and vaccinations can safeguard them. Get vaccinated. Do not delay treatment against other diseases. Since most healthcare workers including doctors, nurses and staff have been vaccinated, there is no fear of further infections, unlike last year," Rai advised.

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New Delhi, June 8 : The Delhi Police's Crime Branch on Tuesday said that it has busted an interstate illegal arms syndicate and arrested one arms supplier Sajid. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) crime branch Monika Bhardwaj said that the police also recovered 12 sophisticated semi-automatic pistols, which were being supplied to the Shahrukh and Hasim Baba Gang.

Bhardwaj said that a team of STF Crime Branch arrested Sajid, a resident of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. She said that a tip off was received through a secret informer on June 7 that delivery of a huge consignment of illegal arms will be done near Chattarpur Pahari Bus Stop, 100 'Foota' Road in South Delhi's Chattarpur where someone from the gang of Shahrukh or Hasim Baba would come to collect the consignment of illegal arms from Sajid.

She said that it was further learnt that Sajid supplied illegal weapons in Delhi and NCR. "After the arrival of the arms supplier, the team waited for the receiver but nobody turned up. When the supplier started to move from the spot, he was nabbed by the members of the Police team. On searching his bag, 12 sophisticated semi-automatic pistols were recovered," the DCP said.

"During interrogation, Sajid disclosed that he belongs to a poor family. Many people from his village were in the business of arms supply and were earning good money. He came in touch with these people of his village, who used to buy the pistols from the remote areas of Madhya Pradesh and sold them in Delhi and NCR," she said.

Sajid started the work as a carrier and used to take the pistols from Khargone and Sendhwa in Madhya Pradesh and supplied them to the gangsters or criminals on the direction of the main arms dealer of his village. The DCP said that in lieu of supplying weapons Sajid used to get Rs 15,000 and in the past he has supplied illegal arms several times.

"This time, he got the illegal consignment from Azad, a resident of Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district, and came to Delhi for further supply. After receiving the consignment of illegal weapons, Sajid would not use mobile phones. If required, they would borrow the mobile from any passerby and convey the message to the main dealer. The gang bought pistols from the remote areas -- Khargone, Dhulkot and Sendhwa of Madhya Pradesh -- at a low price and sold them at a higher price to the gangsters of Delhi and NCR," she added.
Islamabad, June 8 : Amid reports circulating that India may be looking into bringing about more bifurcation and demographic changes in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has warned New Delhi against any attempt to further make demographic changes in what it calls Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) to "perpetuate its illegal occupation".

"No new instrument of occupation shall have any legal effect. India cannot change the disputed status of IIOJK, as enshrined in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, nor can it force Kashmiris and Pakistan to accept illegal outcomes," the Pakistan foreign office said.

While the Pakistan foreign office did not mention what new changes are being brought into Jammu and Kashmir by the Indian government, the statement certainly has faded the hopes of a dialogue, which were recently shared by Prime Minister Imran Khan, who said that Islamabad could resume talks with New Delhi if India gives a roadmap to reverse the changes it brought almost two years ago to the 'disputed' region.

The recent restoration of ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) eased tensions between the two nuclear powered archrivals, which had been eyeball to eyeball against each other for some time.

And the recent statement of Khan also seemed to move the hopes forward towards a dialogue between the two countries. However, the foreign office statement has made it clear that hopes of any positive forward movement in Indo-Pak relations may just remain as hopes.

"We urge India to reverse its unlawful and destabilising actions, ensure full compliance with the UN Security Council resolutions, and refrain from any further steps that might imperil regional peace and security in South Asia," the statement from Pakistan foreign office maintained.

"We call upon the international community, including the United Nations, world parliaments, international human rights and humanitarian organisations and the global media to take immediate cognizance of the situation. India must be stopped from any further illegal action in the occupied territory," the statement added.

Pakistan had banked its relations with India over the August 5, 2019 decision by the Narendra Modi-led government, which abrogated Article 370 and 35A, changing the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, bifurcating it into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Pakistan has made it clear that there can be no talks until India reviews and reverses its decision of August 5, 2019.
Mumbai, June 8 : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked banks to continue preserving the CCTV recordings of operations at their branches and currency chests for the period from November 8, 2016, to December 30, 2016, in view of the pending investigations and legal proceedings in matters related to illegal accumulation of new currency notes.

On December 13, 2016, the central bank had first asked the banks to preserve the recordings to facilitate coordinated and effective action by the enforcement agencies.

In a notification on Tuesday, the RBI said: "In continuation to the above, keeping in view the investigations pending with law enforcement agencies, proceedings pending at various courts, you are advised to preserve the CCTV recordings of operations at bank branches and currency chests for the period from November 08, 2016, to December 30, 2016, in a proper way, till further orders." On November 8, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made the surprise announcement of demonetising the then circulating Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, thereby rendering them invalid from midnight.

Citizens were given around 50 days to exchange the notes for the new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes.

The Prime Minister and the government had then said that the move was primarily aimed at wiping out black money.

Commenting on the RBI's extension of the directive, KS Legal & Associates Managing Partner Sonam Chandwani said: "Post the infamous demonetisation, several cases of new currency notes hoarding by unscrupulous elements at various bank branches across the country have been reported. In light of this, RBI, vide its recent circular, ordered for preservation of CCTV recordings to spot such currency hoarders." "This move facilitates coordinated and effective action by law enforcement agencies while dealing with cases of illegal accumulation of new currency notes and also help in identifying people abetting circulation of counterfeit notes," she said.
Lahore, June 8 : In a shocking incident, an elderly woman died at a hospital in Lahore after a former security guard reportedly posed as a doctor and performed a surgery on her.

The incident occurred at Lahore's Mayo Hospital where Shameema Begum, 80, lost her life on Sunday, two weeks after Muhammad Waheed Butt, a former security guard at the hospital, attempted to treat her.

After the surgery was done in Mayo Hospital, which is a public hospital, its administration blatantly ignored its responsibility, stating that it cannot keep up with what every doctor or anyone else is doing in the hospital.

"We can't keep up with what every doctor and what everyone is doing at all times. It's a large hospital," said an official from the hospital administration.

Interestingly, before the surgery was performed, Begum's family was also paying the security guard Butt for home visits to dress her wound.

However, when the wound condition worsened and the bleeding and pain increased, her family returned her to the hospital, where they discovered what had happened.

As per reports, Begum's body has been kept for an autopsy to ascertain if her cause of death was due to complications from the botched surgery.

The police authorities have arrested the security guard and taken him into custody.

"The guard has been charged and is in police custody," said Lahore police spokesperson Ali Safdar.

It was also revealed that Begum was not the only patient, who was paying for home visits to Butt.

"Butt had posed as a doctor and made home visits to other patients in the past also," stated a staff member of Mayo Hospital, adding that Butt was fired two years ago for trying to extort money from patients.

Similar stories of security guards working at public hospitals posing as doctors and medical experts have also surfaced from others parts of the country, especially from the Punjab province.

In May this year, a man was arrested for posing as a doctor at Lahore's General Hospital and extorting money from patients.

In 2016, a woman was arrested for posing to be a neurosurgeon. The woman had been conducting operations for at least eight months alongside qualified doctors at Lahore's Services Hospital, the country's second largest health facility.
Mumbai, June 8 : Actress Shubhangi Atre, who returned to Mumbai after wrapping up the first schedule of the sitcom "Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai" a while back, is now all set to resume shooting for its second schedule.

"I'm traveling back to Surat to complete my second schedule of the show. I'm waiting for the time when we can resume shoots in Mumbai. Travelling for outdoor shoot is fun but time and again travelling and shooting turns to be little hectic," she tells IANS.

The actress reveals how several fans from Surat message her on social media, asking her to meet them once while she is in town.

"Surat is very beautiful place. But we are taking extra precautions and following Covid guidelines. So, we are missing the chance to meet our fans. Many of them message me on social media asking to see them. I feel blessed. Whatever, I am today is all because of their love, " she says.
Like so many key Biden appointees, Spinrad must rebuild credibility and confidence after the last four years. Weather prediction services lag those in Europe. The previous president infamously doctored a map to claim that Hurricane Dorian, which devastated the Bahamas in 2019, had been on track to hit Alabama. NOAA administrators criticized National Weather Service forecasters for telling the truth.
Paris, June 8 : A man slapped French President Emmanuel Macron full in the face on Tuesday as the French leader was greeting people behind a fence during a visit to the Drome region in southeast France to discuss reopening of restaurants as the country eases out of lockdown measures.

The Elysee Palace confirmed the authenticity of a video circulating online in which Macron can be seen approaching a line of people, preparing to shake hands, when one person behind the barrier reaches out and slaps him, the dpa news agency reported.

The palace called it "an attempted slap". According to media reports, two people were detained in connection with the incident.

As the president is slapped, the words "Down with Macron-ism" are shouted, the BBC reported.

In the video, Macron is swarmed by security personnel after the assault. It is not clear whether he was injured or what happened to the people behind the fence.

The palace said Macron continued with his visit after the incident.

Prime Minister Jean Castex told the National Assembly shortly afterwards that while democracy meant debate and legitimate disagreement, "it must never in any case mean violence, verbal aggression and even less physical attack", the BBC reported.

Far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon tweeted his "solidarity with the President" immediately after the incident.
New Delhi, June 8 : Millions of Covid vaccines could be wasted if rich countries send large amounts of leftover doses to poorer nations in one go, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday.

The organisation said a steady supply is needed throughout the year as the poor countries do not have resources to use them all at once, the BBC reported.

UNICEF's vaccine lead Lily Caprani told BBC Newsnight that countries needed to vaccinate their own populations at the same time as the rest of the world.

"At some point, no doubt, we will need to vaccinate under-18s. But the priority at this moment has to be making sure that all of the vulnerable and priority groups around the world get vaccines.

"So we're saying countries like the UK and the G7 need to donate their doses to those low income countries now, while still vaccinating their populations at home," Caprani said.

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors Priyanka Chopra Jonas, David Beckham, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Whoopi Goldberg, Angelique Kidjo and Liam Neeson have joined an extraordinary call by 28 high-profile UNICEF Ambassadors and Supporters demanding that G7 leaders commit to donating doses of Covid-19 vaccines to poorer countries now.

The open letter was published on Tuesday ahead of the three-day G7 Leaders' Summit (June 11-13) in Cornwall, the UK.

COVAX, the global initiative supporting poorer countries in gaining access to vaccines, is facing a shortfall of 190 million doses.

The letter urges the G7 leaders -- the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US -- to commit to sharing a minimum of 20 per cent of Covid-19 vaccine dose supply between June and August, which would provide more than 150 million doses to COVAX.

"The world has spent a year and a half battling the Covid-19 pandemic, but the virus is still spreading in many countries and producing new variants with the potential to put us all back where we started," the letter read.

"This means more school closures, more healthcare disruptions, and greater economic fallout -- threatening the futures of families and children everywhere," it read.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Amaravati, June 8 : The CBI, which resumed its investigation into the murder of former Andhra Pradesh minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, the uncle of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, continued its probe for a second consecutive day on Tuesday in the state's Kadapa.

The Central Bureau of Investigation sleuths on Tuesday questioned Hidayatullah, who worked as computer operator at Vivekananda Reddy's house. The investigating officials also questioned Vivekananda Reddy's driver Dastagiri for a second consecutive day.

The CBI officials questioned the duo at the central prison guest house. Dastagiri was grilled for seven hours on Monday.

The driver was also questioned in Delhi by the CBI officials last month. He was again called for interrogation. They are believed to have questioned him on why he stopped working with Vivekananda Reddy six months before the murder. He was also reportedly grilled on his financial dealings and other matters.

With the questioning of the driver and the computer operator, the CBI has resumed investigations which had been put on hold due to the pandemic situation.

Vivekananda Reddy was found murdered at his home in Pulivendula in Kadapa district on March 15, 2019.

The 68-year-old former minister and former MP was alone at his house when unidentified persons barged in and killed him. He was killed hours before he was to launch the YSR Congress Party's election campaign in Kadapa.

Though three Special Investigation Teams (SITs) conducted the probe, they failed to solve the mystery.

It was in July last year that the CBI began its probe into the case. This came four months after the Andhra Pradesh High Court ordered a probe by the central agency, following petitions filed by Vivekananda Reddy's daughter Suneetha Reddy, her husband and others.

In April this year, Suneetha Reddy found fault with the delay in the probe by the CBI.

Claiming that it was a political murder, she visited CBI headquarters in Delhi to enquire about the delay in the probe by the central agency.

She reiterated that she has doubts about some of her family members. She said though it has been more than two years since the murder of her father, those involved have not been arrested.
New Delhi, June 8 : Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday once again took a pot shot at the Central government over the deficit in the data of the people who died due to Covid during the second wave of the pandemic.

Priyanka Gandhi in a tweet in Hindi said, "Why there is so much difference in the government's figures on deaths due to Covid and the figures of the crematoriums and cemeteries? Why did the (Narendra) Modi government make the data a tool of propaganda instead of spreading awareness to stop the pandemic?" She tweeted with the hash tag of #ZimmedarKaun (who is responsible).

The Congress in-charge for Uttar Pradesh also attached a video of her targeting the government over the difference in the data and said, "Why there is massive deficit between the official death data of Covid and official data gathered from crematoriums and graveyards and other sources? Why did the government use the data as propaganda rather than using it for what it's meant to be used to stop the spread of Covid?" Slamming the government, she said, "Experts around the world have said make data public and transparent that is the only way we can win the battle against Covid. Why has government not done so?" she questioned.

Priyanka Gandhi has been firing salvoes at the government under her "who is responsible" campaign. She is questioning the government everyday over its arrangements and claims to control the Covid pandemic, which hit India hard in April this year.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Panaji, June 8 : Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane should resign from their posts, in wake of 72 previously unreported Covid-related deaths in the state in private hospitals from August 2020 to May this year, the main opposition party in Goa, the Congress, demanded on Tuesday.

The demand follows a revelation by the state Health Ministry, which in its daily communique of Covid-related updates said that so far 72 Covid-19 deaths, which occurred in private hospitals between August last year and May this year, were reported late to the authorities.

A Health Ministry statement late on Monday had said that 67 deaths had been unreported in the stated period and on Tuesday added five more deaths to the total tally of previously unreported Covid deaths.

"The government was trying to hide these deaths. This must be probed and to ensure a fair probe, both Sawant and Rane need to resign," Goa Congress spokesperson Amarnath Panjikar demanded at a press conference in Panaji.

A similar demand has been made by other opposition parties including the Aam Aadmi Party, which has now sought a judicial enquiry into the alleged "fudging" of death tally.

State Aam Aadmi Party convenor Rahul Mahambre said that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane should order a judicial enquiry into the late reporting of Covid deaths and also demanded a white paper on the unreported deaths within the next 24 hours.

"@DrPramodPSawant @visrane why are the 67 deaths from Aug 20 to May 21 in fine print as footnote. We demand a judicial enquiry why 67 deaths from Aug 20 were not reported. This govt. knows only to betray people of Goa," Mahambre tweeted earlier on Tuesday.

Opposition MLA Rohan Khaunte has also demanded a probe into the late revelation.

"The very fact that 67 Covid deaths in private hospitals went unreported, adds fuel to the already existing allegations that daily Covid figures are diluted as per government's necessity. A thorough enquiry and action is a must," Khaunte said in a statement.

Since last year, Goa has reported a cumulative tally of 1,60,284 positive cases, while 2,859 persons have died in the state due to Covid-related complications.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
San Francisco, June 8 : The seventh season of Fortnite's chapter 2 is now live with the ability to play as Superman or Rick & Morty's Rick Sanchez and fly in a UFO.

The latest chapter also comes with a revamped Battle Pass system that uses battle stars, reducing the level grind and making individual items easier to nab.

The story trailer shows Fortnite's denizens reacting to the arrival of a huge UFO that hovers ominously over the island and consumes the Zero Point energy source, Engadget reported.

That, in turn, destroys the spire and primal ruins, effectively wiping out the remains of season 6, it added.

Instead, there is a mysterious character called the Foundation, rumoured to be voiced by The Rock. Then, Agent Jonesy's former boss Doctor Sloane appears, calling on the island's inhabitants to take on the alien invaders.

Other new headline characters include horror bunny Guggimon, along with the aforementioned Dr. Sloan and plenty of alien characters.

One, called Kymera, can be customised with "different head shapes, eye colors, skin patterns and more," Epic notes.

Users will also get new sci-fi weapons including a rail gun, flexible pulse rifle and more, the report said.
Guwahati/Agartala, June 8 : Unlike many other states in the country, the Assam government on Tuesday announced that it would hold the secondary (Class X) and higher secondary (Class XII) board examinations with reduced number of subjects in August.

After holding meetings with all the stakeholders, including students' bodies and teachers, on Tuesday, Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu told the media that before holding the High School Leaving Certification (HSLC or Class X) and higher secondary (Class XII) examinations, all the invigilators and staff involved in the entire process would be vaccinated.

Around seven lakh students, who are scheduled to appear for the board exams this year, would be given the choice of papers and they would not have to appear for all the subjects.

The exams are likely to be held between August 1 and August 15.

Pegu said the exams would be conducted by strictly following all the Covid-19 protocols.

The HSLC exams are conducted by the Board of Secondary Education Assam (SEBA), while the higher secondary exams are held by the Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC).

The minister said that the number of Covid positive cases is gradually coming down in the state, and if this trend continues, it would give a good window to hold both the examinations before August 15.

He also said that the government would consider the ensuing monsoon flood situation in Assam and would choose the examination centres accordingly.

The opposition Congress, however, has demanded the cancelation of both the examinations.

In a letter to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Congress President Ripun Bora urged him to formulate a mechanism or an evaluation system in order to cope up with CBSE's internal assessment after the cancellation of the examinations by the central board.

"Several hundreds of students and their parents are not only battling with their lives every day, but are also under a great amount of trauma of losing their loved ones. Under such circumstances, it is not feasible to hold SEBA and AHSEC examinations in Assam," Bora said in the letter.

Thousands of students from Assam through various social media platforms have also been demanding that the state government must cancel the board exams in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Tripura Education and Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath said that he has convened a meeting of all the stakeholders on June 14 to decide on holding the secondary (Madhyamik) and higher secondary examinations in the state.

On June, the Centre had cancelled the Class XII exams of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for 2021.

After the government's decision, the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) also scrapped the ISC Class XII exams for this year, saying that a scheme for evaluating the students will be announced soon.

The decision to cancel the CBSE Class XII board exams was taken in a review meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In view of the pandemic situation, various state governments in the country had already cancelled the board examinations in their respective states.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, June 8 : While 80 per cent of Class XII students are relieved and pleased that the board examinations have been cancelled, nearly two-third of them are concerned about the use of internal school assessments to calculate results, a survey revealed on Tuesday.

The online survey, led by the study abroad platform The WorldGrad, was conducted among more than 4,000 users who registered on the platform in the last two months.

It showed that 60 per cent of the students do not think that it is a good idea to use pre-boards and internal school marks to calculate their Calss XII results.

On June 1, the Centre had decided to cancel the CBSE Class XII board exams for 2021 in view of the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the country.

The Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) has also scrapped the ISC (Class XII) exams for this year, saying that a scheme for evaluating the students will be announced soon.

Many state boards have also cancelled the Class XII board exams in their respective states.

Following the cancellation, speculation is rife on what would be the methodology to calculate the Class XII board scores.

"CBSE and CISCE may ask the schools to submit their internal scores and most likely combine them with class X and XI results. This process is likely to take another month, maybe more, which means the results will be announced by July or August," Abhinav Mital, Co-Founder, The WorldGrad, said in a statement.

"However, based on the survey, it is likely that the students will not be happy with this methodology. There are two reasons for it. Firstly, this year all the internal examinations have been conducted online with most schools struggling with the modality. Students and parents have little confidence in the internal assessments conducted.

"Secondly, the students always use the final examinations to prepare and improve their performance and maximise their results, which will not happen this time," he added.

The survey also showed that 80 per cent of the students have given a pre-board exams, but only 55 per cent have received the results. However, regardless of whether they have received the results, 60 per cent of the students are not in favour of using these for their final scores.

"Nearly half the students haven't even gotten formal results from the schools, which suggests that schools haven't really formalised anything. We have heard from some of our students that schools have just 'shown' them marks online during Zoom calls," Mital said.

Meanwhile, the Education Ministry has constituted a 12-member committee which will decide the basis of evaluation for declaring the results of Class XII students. But the process could take over two months.

Mital noted that if the students' feedbacks are considered, the boards may face a more complicated situation than expected where many schools may not be in a position to produce bankable scores, and some may even have to conduct fresh exams to produce them. This could very well see results being pushed to the end of August.

"For study abroad aspirants, this could be a major blow. Any delay beyond July means they may miss out the September intake cycle. To streamline this, the study abroad platforms like The WorldGrad have introduced pre-enrolments to undergraduate courses on their respective platforms for the students who are awaiting their Class XII results," Mital said.
Patna, June 8 : Seven persons escaped from police custody after an appearance in a court in Bihar's Patna district on Tuesday, police said.

The accused were involved in firing and physical assault in Narauli village under Sigori police station, and an FIR was registered in this connection on Sunday.

According to the police, the accused persons surrendered before the Danapur district court on Tuesday and were sent to judicial custody.

"When the accused were on the way to jail, they saw less security personnel in and around the prison van. They utilised the opportunity and escaped," an official of the Danapur police station, who did not want to be identified, said.

Sources have said that the accused were expecting bail but it was not the case.

"We have mounted surveillance on the family members and relatives of all accused to nab them. Besides, we also have an option of property attachment of the accused," the officer said.
Hyderabad, June 8 : The Telangana government on Tuesday decided to extend the lockdown for another 10 days but with an increased daily relaxation time.

The decision was taken at the state Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

The lockdown, which was to end on June 9, has been extended for 10 days from June 10.

The cabinet, however, decided to increase the relaxation from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. from present 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. According to a statement from Chief Minister's Office, a grace period of an hour will be given to enable people to return home.

The Chief Minister directed the administration to ensure strict implementation of the lockdown from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day.

However, the Cabinet decided that the lockdown with existing relaxation timing will continue in seven Assembly constituencies as the Covid situation there has not yet come totally under control. These constituencies are Sattupalli, Madhira, Nalgonda, Nagarjuna Sagar, Devarkonda, Munugode, and Miryalguda.

The decision has been taken as per the recommendation of officials of Medical and Health Department who had visited these constituencies to review the situation. Following the decision taken by the Cabinet at its previous meeting on May 30, senior officials had visited the constituencies and they recommended that the lockdown be continued for another 10 days with relaxation only from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. with one hour grace period.

The state government had announced a 10-day lockdown from May 12 to rein in the surge in coronavirus cases. This was later extended twice.
Are you that insensitive? Do you lack empathy? If you or a loved one was awaiting that help, would you care? Please pay more attention and give all our loved ones a fighting chance to have the best possible outcome when an emergency arises. In my nursing career, I have seen the worst of the worst with heartbreaking sadness. Please be a more respectful driver, because all life is precious.
Kathmandu, June 8 : Coronil, the so-called immunity booster kit manufactured by yoga guru Ramdevs Patanjali group in India, has landed in a controversy in Nepal after the Himalayan nations Department of Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine imposed a ban on its distribution.

The Health Ministry of Nepal, however, has remained silent over the ongoing controversy regarding the distribution of Coronil kits, which have also landed in controversy in India and Bhutan.

The controversy erupted in Nepal after the Patanjai Yoghpeeth on last Thursday handed over Coronil kits, sanitisers, masks and other immunity booster medicines worth crores of rupees to outgoing Health Minister, Hrydesh Tripathi.

The day after he received the support from local officials of the Patanjali Yogpeeth Nepal, Tripathi was removed as the Health Minister.

"The Coronil kits provided by the Patanjali Yogpeeth did not receive permission from the Department of Drug Administration, so we have decided not to distribute it," Basudev Upadhyay, the Director General of the Department of Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine, said in a press conference.

"The Coronil kit could be beneficial for the treatment of respiratory disorders, but it has not taken permission from the Department of Drug Administration, so we cannot distribute it," Upadhyay added.

As per the Nepali law, any drug can be imported only after obtaining permission from the DDA.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson at Nepal's Health Ministry, Krishna Poudel, told IANS that he is not aware about the distribution of Coronil kits in Nepal.

"We do not know if the outgoing Health Minister Tripathi accepted the support. We have heard that it is yet to get permission from the DDA," said Poudel.

"Coronil is not registered with the DDA and it cannot be distributed or sold out without registration," DDA spokesperson Santosh K.C. told IANS.

"We have not received any document for its registration as well as seeking permission for selling out in Nepal. We do not know how the former Health Minister accepted the donation. We have not received any letter from the Health Ministry to grant permission for its distribution," he said.

Meanwhile, Patanjai Yogpeeth said that the consignment of 1,500 Coronil kits was provided upon the request from the government of Nepal.

Officials at Nepal's Health Ministry said that officials from Patanjali Yogpeeth in Nepal and India had approached former Health Minister Tripathi directly, handing over some documents that received permission from the government of India for its distribution and provision of selling for the general public as an immunity booster.

The Bhutan government had already rejected the support provided by Patanjali.
Chennai, June 8 : Protests surrounding the "The Family Man 2" continued in Tamil Nadu with MDMK leader and Member of Parliament, Vaiko demanding Amazon Prime to stop screening of the web series, starring Manoj Bajpai, Priyamani and Samantha in the leading roles.

The MDMK leader said that several scenes in the series are portraying Tamils in poor light, and sought immediate ban on the series.

Tamil Nadu Minister for Information Technology, Mano Thangaraj had written a letter to Union minister for Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javedkar on May 24 calling for the banning of the web series from the OTT platform. However the producers of the web series, Amazon Prime had commenced streaming the series from June 4.

In the letter, the Tamil Nadu Minister Mano Thangaraj had said, "the series had depicted the Eelam Tamil's in a highly objectionable manner and that if allowed to stream it would be prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony in the state".

One of the most popular filmmakers of Tamil Nadu, Bharathi Raja in a tweet on Monday called upon the producers of the web series, 'The Family Man 2' to ban it.

He said, "the visuals in the show reveal that the series has been made by the people who don't know the history of Tamil Eelam fighters. I condemn the show that insults the rebellion, which was filled with good intentions, valor as well as sacrifices." Bharathi Raja has also urged the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javedkar immediately stops the streaming of the show.

He had also warned Amazon that if they continue streaming the series, Tamilian's across the world will be forced to stop supporting Amazon and stop other businesses and services that are associated with it.

Earlier Naam Tamil Katchi's (NTK) leader and actor Seeman had issued a letter to Aparna Purohit, Head of India Originals, Amazon Prime Video to stop streaming the series. He said," Stop Streaming the Family Man 2 web series which misrepresents the Tamizhs and the valourous Eelam Liberation struggle of Tamizhs". He also said that if the web series continues to stream, then Tamil people would be forced to boycott Amazon and its products globally.

With Amazon Prime Video's continuing to stream the web series, protests are bound to increase in the state and it is to be seen as to how other mainstream political parties will act in the matter.
United Nations, June 8 : The UN Security Council on Tuesday recommended Antonio Guterres, who is running unopposed, for a second term as the Secretary General, ensuring his re-election.

"He has proven worthy of the post," Council President Sven Jurgenson said while announcing the decision after a brief closed-door meeting of the UN body which effectively has the final say on the appointment.

The recommendation for another five-year term will now go to the 193-member General Assembly for a formal vote.

India, which is a non-permanent member of the Security Council, supports Guterres's re-election.

After a meeting with Guterres last month, India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar tweeted that New Delhi "values" his leadership and would back his re-election.

India's Permanent Represenative T. S. Tirumurti tweeted that "India welcomes" the Security Council resolution recommending a second term for Guterres.

Re-election of Guterres, who has not antagonised the permanent members of the Security Council, is seen only as a formality as seven of his predecessors sailed through to further terms in office.

Only Boutros Boutros Ghali, an Egyptian, did not get re-elected because of Washington's opposition.

Guterres was able to navigate the shoals of UN polarisation that has sharpened during his term, managing even the reflexive opposition of then US President Donald Trump to the UN and China's aggressive diplomacy.

Jurgenson, who is from Estonia, described Guterres as a "bridge-builder".

"He's able to speak to everybody, and I think this is something that is expected from the secretary-general," he said.

India's former Permanent Representative Syed Akabaruddin tweeted: "It augurs well for diplomacy, when the world's top diplomat is amongst the most affable too." Guterres's main achievement is his leadership of the world body during the Covid-19 crisis, pleading for equitable distribution of vaccines and other resources, and promoting an agenda for post-pandemic rebuilding while fighting disinformation.

The top item on his agenda has been global warming, which he has called an existential threat to humanity.

Guterres, a former Prime Minister of Portugal and a UN High Commissioner for Refugees, was the surprise consensus candidate in 2016. It had been expected that a woman, likely from East Europe, would get the job that had been held only by men and never by a East European.

He received the essential approval of the Security Council after six straw polls in which he outlasted 12 candidates, seven of them women.

But this time he had no official rivals as the Security Council did not recognise at least seven other self-nominated candidates -- including Arora Akanksha, a Canadian of Indian descent -- because they did not have the backing of any member states.

The only one of them with a shred of credibility was Rosalia Arteaga, a former President of Ecuador.

Akanksha, 34, is an employee of the UN Development Programme who made a splashy campaign video pitching her youth and the need for change at a UN weighed down by a sclerotic bureaucracy.

Although she received media coverage, she could not get the support of even her country, Canada, or of India and Saudi Arabia, where she had lived earlier.

The election of the Secretary General had been an opaque process of backroom bargaining by the permanent members of the Security Council till 2016 when sunshine was let in.

The rules and procedures are not quite clear, though.

There is no definitive requirement in the UN Charter or in resolutions by the General Assembly for a candidate to be formally nominated by a member country, which probably wasn't done in the case of many Secretaries General.

But both Jugenson and General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir have maintained that a nomination by a member state is necessary -- a requirement that would prevent a stampede of self-nominated candidates demanding equal time with the officially nominated candidates at the General Assembly.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis)
Kolkata, June 8 : On a day when BJPs leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party President J.P. Nadda in the national capital, and the partys state leaders met to discuss the post-election strategy, the absence of Mukul Roy from the meeting increased the uneasiness in the saffron camp on Tuesday.

What has added fuel to the fire is a post by Rajib Banerjee, a former Trinamool Congress minister who had jumped ship to the BJP just before the Assembly elections held in March-April this year.

Banerjee, who flew to Delhi on a chartered flight and joined the BJP before the elections, said in a recent Facebook post in Bengali headlined 'There has been enough criticism': "To criticise a government which came to power with a massive public mandate and to oppose its Chief Minister, the repeated reference to Delhi (Centre) and Article 356 will not go down well with the people of Bengal. It is our duty to rise above politics and fight together for the people of the state in the hard times of Covid and Yaas." The post has created ripples in the political circles, forcing the BJP disciplinary committee to take it seriously.

Banerjee, who was defeated from the Domjur Assembly constituency in the recently concluded elections, said in his close circles that he had repeatedly warned the central party leadership against hardline 'Hindutva' campaign in Bengal, but it didn't pay any heed.

Trinamool Congress General Secretary Kunal Ghosh said, "It is nice to see that he has realised finally, but the realisation came too late. He should have realised this before going to Delhi and joining the BJP." However, state BJP President Dilip Ghosh is not ready to give too much importance to the post. "It is a personal opinion and we are looking into it," he said.

While the state BJP leaders might chose to ignore Banerjee's post, the absence of another senior leader and former Trinamool man Mukul Roy from the first meeting of the state BJP leaders on Tuesday might become a matter of concern for the saffron camp.

When asked about it, Ghosh said, "His wife is not well, so he has skipped the meeting. But most of the other party leaders were present in the meeting." This is not the first time that Roy has skipped the meeting of the party's legislative committee.

The situation became even more embarrassing when Trinamool's national General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, recently went to a private hospital where Roy's wife was undergoing treatment and met his son Subhranshu Roy and enquired about her health.

The meeting was immediately followed by Ghosh's visit to the hospital and a phone call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Subhrangshu Roy was all-praise for Abhishek Banerjee, which left the BJP leadership even more red-faced.

Though the Trinamool-turned-BJP leaders seem to be giving some embarrassment to the saffron brigade, Adhikari after his meeting with Shah put up a brave face.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Adhikari said, "Last time the Trinamool Congress did the same thing with 20/22 MLAs but they should remember that Suvendu Adhikari is there and there is something called anti-defection law. So nothing will be so easy."
Bengaluru, June 8 : Congress' Karnataka unit President D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday expressed confidence that his party would triumph in the 2023 Assembly elections.

"Everyone in the party is working in tandem and giving his/her best to ensure our victory in the Assembly elections," he said at a party event here.

Denying any rift in the party, Shivakumar said joining together was the beginning, thinking together was progress and working together was the key to success.

"As one person fighting alone cannot succeed, party's state leaders and cadres should work in coordination to win in the next state elections. As people are fed up with the BJP government in the state, they have served an ultimatum to the ruling party," he said.

Noting that the party's victory in the April 17 by-election in the Maski (reserved) assembly seat sent a strong message to the ruling BJP, Shivakumar also said that its candidate (Satish Jarkiholi) lost in the Belagavi Lok Sabha by-election by a slender margin of 5,240 votes to BJP's Mangala.

Death of Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi in September 2020 due to Covid, necessitated the Belagavi bypoll on April 17 and its result was declared on May 2.

The opposition party, however, failed to retain the Basavakalyan assembly seat in Bidar district in the same by-election, as BJP's nominee Sharanu Salagar wrested it by 20,629 votes, defeating Congress candidate Mala, widow of former party legislator B. Narayanrao, whose death in September 2020 caused the by-poll.

The Congress, however, retained the Maski (ST) assembly seat with its candidate Basanagouda Turuvihal defeating BJP's Pratapgouda Patil by a margin of 30,606 votes.

Shivakumar also said: "We have formed dedicated teams in all the 31 districts across the state and 224 Assembly seats to win people's confidence with a vaccination drive for inoculating maximum number of citizens and helping Covid-affected families across the state." Advising party leaders and cadres not to lose heart if defeated in elections, he advised them to serve people, which will pay off.

The party felicitated Turuvihal after he took oath as lawmaker in the Speaker's office at Vidhana Soudha
New Delhi, June 8 : Oxfam India and Microsoft joined hands on Tuesday to help strengthen the healthcare ecosystem to address the challenges that have come up with the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India and also to prepare for a possible third wave.

The partnership will enable access to critical Covid care health services for 1.5 million people in nine severely affected states -- Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

"India is facing an unprecedented crisis as the pandemic is leaving a trail of devastation and tragedy of unimaginable proportion. Though the health system is overwhelmed, the medical community (including doctors, nurses, paramedics, hospital support staff) continues to play a stellar role," said Amitabh Behar, CEO, Oxfam India.

"We as citizens of this country must come forward to support the battle against Covid-19 in whatever way we can. Oxfam India is happy to partner with Microsoft to provide relief to the most marginalised people during this crisis," Behar added.

As part of the initiative, Oxfam India will set up three pressure swing adsorption (PSA) technology-based oxygen plants at district and block level hospitals in rural Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh.

The organisation will also strengthen the existing capacities of 12 hospitals with O2/ICU beds and essential life-saving medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators, patient monitoring units, BiPAP machines and nasal masks in Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

Essential Covid care medical equipment will be provided to 200 government hospitals, primary healthcare centres, and charitable hospitals in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

The initiative will also train 10,000 frontline health workers on Covid protocols and equip them with essential Covid care kits, enabling them to serve their communities in Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

"Through our partnership with Oxfam India, we are focused on using our technology, skills, resources, and voice to intensify support for severely affected rural parts. We believe a collaborative approach is the best way and will continue to work closely with government and nonprofit partners to accelerate response," said Manju Dhasmana, Director, Corporate Affairs (CSR/Philanthropies), Microsoft India.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, June 8 : The Central government on Tuesday fixed the maximum price that private hospitals can charge for Covid vaccines, amid sharp allegations that people are being forced to pay a heavy amount to get a jab at private hospitals.

As per the notification issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) on Tuesday, the price of Covishield has been fixed at Rs 780 per dose, Covaxin at Rs 1,410 and Russian vaccine Sputnik V at Rs 1,145 per dose.

This also includes taxes as well as a Rs 150 service charge for the hospitals.

Meanwhile, the Centre has also asked the state government to ensure that private hospitals don't levy more than Rs 150 as service charge. The state governments have been asked to monitor the private hospitals regularly and take strict action against any private vaccination centre charging more.

"The price of vaccine doses for private hospitals would be declared by each manufacturer, and any subsequent changes would be notified in advance. The private hospitals may charge up to a maximum of Rs 150 per dose as service charges. State government may monitor the price being charged," according to a ministry circular.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Hyderabad, June 8 : Nine special food processing zones will come up in Telangana, the state Cabinet decided at its meeting on Tuesday.

The zones will come up in old districts, except in Hyderabad.

Rice mills and other food processing industries will be set up in not less than 250 acres in each zone.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said that so far 84 lakh tonnes of paddy has been procured. He instructed Chief secretary Somesh Kumar and the District Collectors to complete the procurement of the remaining paddy immediately.

The Cabinet also decided to sanction 4,46,169 pending ration card applications. It instructed the officials concerned to issue the ration cards within 15 days.

The Cabinet has taken a decision to constitute a Sub Committee to deal with ration dealers' commission and other issues in the public distribution system.

Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar will be the Chairman and ministers T. Harish Rao, T. Srinivas Yadav, Sabita Indra Reddy, and Indrakaran Reddy would be the members.

The state cabinet has also decided to appoint a sub committee to review the situation in government hospitals, staff and other infrastructure facilities.A Finance minister Harish Rao would be the Chairman of the committee and other members include ministers Jagadeeshwar Reddy, Srinivas Yadav, Vemula Prashanth Reddy, Srinivas Goud, Sabita Indra Reddy, and Satyavathi Rathod.

The Cabinet has asked the Sub Committee to tour Kerala, and Tamil Nadu where better medical treatment is given as well as Sri Lanka, to study the situation and submit a report.
Bengaluru, June 8 : With Karnataka cancelling the second-year pre-university course (PUC) board exams due to the pandemic's second wave, the state education department on Tuesday waived minimum marks for the common entrance test (CET) to get admission in engineering and medical colleges across the state.

"PUC students don't need minimum marks for the CET on August 28-30 to get a seat in engineering and medical colleges in 2021-22 academic year," state deputy chief minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan told reporters here.

Narayan is also in-charge of the state higher education department.

CET will be held at designated centres across the state under the Covid-induced guidelines in maths and biology on August 28 and physics and chemistry on August 29 across the state, with 60 marks for each paper.

A separate test will be held on August 30 in Kannada language for Kannadiga candidates living in inter-state border areas and other states.

Registration process to appear for the CET-2021 will begin on June 15.

"Though minimum marks have been the norm for writing CET, we are relaxing the eligibility this time due to the cancellation of PUC board exams," said Narayan.

Minimum eligibility marks are 45 per cent for general candidates and 40 per cent for SC, ST and OBC candidates in physics, chemistry and mathematics, scored in the PUC board exams.

"We are considering making CET a common base for admission into all science courses in professional colleges across the state," said Narayan.

Admission to professional courses in the pre-Covid era was based on 50 per cent marks secured in the PUC board exam and 50 per cent in the CET.

"Admission to engineering, medical, pharmacy, agricultural science and veterinary courses in professional colleges across the state will be based on the ranking secured in the CET," reiterated Narayan.

Cancelling PUC board exams on June 4, state primary and secondary education minster S. Suresh Kumar said grading results of students would be declared by this month-end.

"PUC results of second-year students will be based on internal assessment and marks obtained in the first-year exams held last year," Kumar said.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Dhaka, June 8 : The Supreme Court of Bangladesh has ordered the release of Minu Akter, the woman who had agreed to serve jail sentence in place of actual convict Kulsumi Akter, after the latter urged her to go behind the bars in her place, and assured her that in turn she would look after Minu's children.

Minu had already spent three years in the jail in a case that pertains to murder.

On Monday, the court, besides ordering Kulsumi's arrest, also summoned three lawyers involved with the case, along with the assistant of one la lawyer.

Minu's two sons live in an orphanage in Chattogram's Sitakunda while her daughter lives with another family. Minu, a resident of Cumilla's Moynamati, had lost her husband -- who was a cart-puller -- five years ago.

In the court, advocate Md. Shishir Monir argued on behalf of Minu, while Attorney General A.M. Amin Uddin and Deputy Attorney General Md. Bashir Ullah represented the state.

The convict, Kulsumi, had challenged in the high court a lower court verdict that sentenced her to life in prison. She had to show that "she had surrendered" before making the appeal.

In the case in which Kulsumi was convicted, a readymade garment worker named Kohinur Begum was murdered in Rahmatganj on July 9, 2006 following a dispute over a mobile phone.

Kulsumi was freed on bail one-and-a-half years after the police had arrested her in 2007. Besides sentencing her to life imprisonment, the court on November 30, 2017 also fined her of 50,000 Bangladeshi taka.

Later, Marzina Akter, known to both Kulsumi and Minu, approached Minu, who has two sons and a daughter, with a proposal to look after her children in exchange for serving the jail term for Kusumi until bail. Minu had agreed to the proposal, Minu's brother Rubel Hossain said.

"But later, Marzina did not contact us, let alone giving the money. Three years have passed, but they have not got my sister bailed," Rubel said.

Nurul Anwar, a public prosecutor at Chattogram's Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-2, lawyers MA Naser and Vivekananda, and a lawyer's assistant, Sourav, will have to appear and explain the incident on June 28.

The bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim also ordered the authorities to investigate whether any fraudulent act took place during the filing of an appeal against Kulsumi's life sentence, a process which requires the convict to surrender first.

Chattogram Fourth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Shariful Alam Bhuiyan forwarded the case to the Supreme Court after he was convinced that Minu is not the convict. He had spoken to Minu and checked the register of Chattogram Central Jail.

Md Shafiqul Islam, senior superintendent of Chattogram Central Jail, said they had checked the register after Minu claimed that she was not Kulsumi.

Minu had surrendered in the court on June 12, 2018. She informed the jail authorities on March 18 this year that she is not Kulsumi after Marzina broke all hers previous promises to help, said Golam Mawla, Minu's lawyer.

The authorities informed the matter to the court after finding that Kulsumi's height and photo did not match with that of Minu.
More than one million Covid-19 jabs have been administered in Malaga province and the success of the campaign has seen a reduction in the number of hospital admissions and deaths.

This Tuesday (8 June), Junta de Andalucias Ministry of Health has reported 206 new infections in the province, one death and 201 patients who have overcome the disease.

The cumulative incidence remains unchanged since Monday at 160.7 cases per 100,000 in the last 14 days. On the other hand, the rate of the last seven days has fallen 2.5 points, from 78.2 to 75.7 positives per 100,000 in Malaga province.

In Andalucia, the cumulative incidence rate has risen two points and has reached 189.3 infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days. However, there has been a reduction of six tenths in the seven-day rate which is 85.9.

The vaccination campaign continues to advance at a high rate, and the Andalusian government expects that by the end of June or the beginning of July some 70 per cent of the target population will be vaccinated.

In the case of the province of Malaga, some 1,010,321 vaccines have already been given. There are 685,344 people who have received one dose and 368,282 who are fully vaccinated.

The number of confirmed Covid deaths in Malaga province since the start of the health crisis amounts to 1,653 after adding one more death to the official statistics, a figure that in Andalucia is 10,087 after adding the 14 deaths in the last 24 hours.

In Malaga hospitals there are 109 patients admitted with an infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 (five more than the day before), of which 17 are in intensive care units (one more than the previous day). The number of people being treated for coronavirus in Andalusian hospitals totals 791, which represents an increase of 45 compared to Monday.

The Juntas spokesman, Elias Bendodo, said the regional government is concerned that the rate of infections is not being reduced. We ask the population to make one last effort to save the summer. We do not want infections to skyrocket. Lives must be saved, but the economy must also be saved, he said, referring to the tourism sector that has been badly hit by the pandemic.
New Delhi, June 8 : The Delhi Police said on Tuesday that they have busted a racket of inter-state drug smugglers by arresting two drug peddlers with 32.5 kg of cannabis (ganja) worth Rs 32.5 lakh.

Anto Alphonse, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), North Delhi, said that the police have arrested Kadir Ansari, 27, and Mohammad Arif, 37, both members of an inter-state drug smuggling racket active in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh with 32.5 Kg of cannabis.

The DCP said that a secret information was received on Monday that Kadir and Arif, both residents of Badaun district in Uttar Pradesh, were coming on a train from Andhra Pradesh to Delhi and would reach the Old Rohtak Road near Railway Colony to supply huge quantity of ganja to the local distributors.

"A team of police immediately swung into action and laid a trap near the place of information and at about 11.25 a.m., both were found on the spot with two plastic bags. After waiting for some time, they were intercepted by the team and 32.5 kg of cannabis was recovered from their possession," he said.

The officer said that during interrogation, Ansari disclosed that he often bought cannabis from two persons -- Shekhar and Ranjeet -- in Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. This time, he bought the consignment from Shekhar.

Arif disclosed that he came in contact with his neighbour Ansari, who asked him to get into the supply of drugs with him. Seeing quick money, he agreed to do so, Arif said.

The DCP said that further investigation is in progress to identify the entire chain of inter-state drug peddlers and local distributors.
New Delhi, June 8 : Hyundai Motor India's philanthropic arm, Hyundai Motor India Foundation (HMIF), on Tuesday handed over critical oxygen products to the Delhi government for further distribution to hospitals in the national capital.

HMIF handed over 40 high-flow nasal oxygen machines, 40 BiPaP machines and 10 ventilators to the Delhi government.

"Under the Hyundai Cares 3.0 initiative, project 'Back to Life' ensures the expedited procurement and delivery of critical oxygen products to help provide immediate relief across most affected states and cities in India," HMIF said in a statement.

According to the statement, under the relief initiative, HMIF has expedited purchase and supply of critical medical equipment.

At present, HMIF has been dispatching relief materials to hospitals across most affected states of Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Haryana and New Delhi, the company said.
Kanpur, June 8 : At least 16 people were killed and five others injured when a speeding bus collided with a passenger vehicle near Kanpur on Tuesday, police said.

According to Inspector General of Police, Kanpur Range, Mohit Agarwal, the accident occurred in Sachendi police station area of outer Kanpur when the private bus, going from Lucknow to Delhi, collided head on with the other vehicle, in which employees of a local biscuit factory, were travelling.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has condoled the loss of life and directed compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased. He also wished speedy recovery to the injured and directed officials to ensure they get proper treatment. He also asked the district administration to submit a report on the causes of the accident.

According to eye-witnesses, there were heart-rendering scenes at the accident site as the passenger vehicles had overturned following the collision. Local residents reached the spot to render help and extricate those trapped. They also informed the police following which ambulances and rescuers rushed to the area.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, June 8 : Clean energy company Convergence Energy Services has tied up with the Ladakh administration to make the Union Territory carbon neutral.

Under an MoU signed between the two, various clean energy and energy efficiency programmes will be implemented.

"Beginning with a pilot in the Zanskar valley area, CESL will take up solar mini and micro grid solutions, energy efficient lighting, energy storage-based solutions, efficient cooking stoves and electric mobility solutions in the UT.

"CESL will build the EV ecosystem for the UT, focusing on EV charging infrastructure which will utilise renewable sources of power, and electric vehicles that are being tested for high altitudes," the company said.

According to CESL, the programme will be based on innovative business models, using carbon credits.

"The Administration of UT of Ladakh will support CESL with investment in projects, including the pilot, and will also assist in business development of various clean energy and sustainability programmes of Convergence.

"Based on the feasibility and outcomes of the programme in Zanskar, other areas will be assigned to CESL. The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil or Leh, will provide the requisite land in respective council areas, for the implementation of the clean energy projects," the company added.
In recent years, Affinity has set a new standard for relationship management in relationship driven sales industries.

Affinity (http://www.affinity.co), the leading relationship intelligence CRM platform, announced today it has bolstered its executive ranks with the hiring of Michael Montesano as vice president of engineering and Paul Ross as vice president of marketing. Both executives are veterans of scaling enterprise software companies and will play vital roles in the companys growth as it continues to expand its leadership position as the relationship intelligence CRM platform of choice for relationship driven industries.

We have seen significant adoption of Affinity in the past year as relationship driven deal makers look to make the most of their networks and better manage their opportunities, said Shubham Goel, co-founder of Affinity. Adding Michael and Paul to our leadership team allows us to rapidly scale up our engineering and marketing functions to meet the demand and opportunity we are seeing.

Mr. Montesano has more than two decades of experience leading consumer and enterprise engineering teams. During his tenure as vice president of engineering at Yahoo, Mr. Montesano led a ground-up relaunch of Yahoos Homepage, News, Finance, and media properties. As vice president of engineering and head of west coast at Machine Learning innovator ASAPP, Mr. Montesano established a Silicon Valley presence and scaled its data infrastructure to support the needs of Fortune 50 customers. Most recently, as vice president of engineering at EarnUp, Mr. Montesano led development of fintech products and infrastructure to enable billions of dollars in transactions.

Mr. Ross joins Affinity after serving in a number of marketing and product leadership roles, most recently as the senior vice president of marketing at Sentieo, a financial and corporate research platform. Previously he led multiple marketing functions at Alteryx in its journey from Series A to pre-IPO. He also served as vice president for technology companies such as Kespry and Bugcrowd, and in marketing leadership roles at Microsoft and Business Objects. Mr. Ross graduated with honours from University of Stirling in Scotland.

In recent years, Affinity has set a new standard for relationship management in relationship driven sales industries. In 2020, Affinity automatically processed almost 600 million emails and calendar events to help build clients relationship networks, while enabling warm introductions to drive deals forward by assessing the strength of 35 million relationships.

Earlier this year, Affinity was included in the Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America. It ranked eighth among the fastest growing private companies in California as part of the Inc. 5000 Regionals. Inc. also named Affinity one of the countrys Best Workplaces for both 2020 and 2021, while the San Francisco Business Times included it among the 25 Best Places to Work in the Bay Area and Fortune named it one of the Best Small and Medium Workplaces in the Bay Area as well as one of the 100 Best Small Workplaces nationwide.

About Affinity

Affinitys patented technology structures and analyzes millions of data points across emails, calendars, and third-party sources to offer users the tools they need to automatically manage their most valuable relationships, prioritize important connections, and discover untapped opportunities. Affinity uses artificial intelligence to analyze relationship strength and illuminate the best paths to warm introductions. The Affinity CRM platform also offers a holistic view of users networks in a centralized, automatically updated database without any manual upkeep. Founded in 2014, Affinity is headquartered in San Francisco and backed by leading investors including Advance Venture Partners, 8VC, MassMutual Ventures, Sway Ventures, Pear Ventures, Great Oaks Venture Capital and Western Technology Investment. For more information, visit http://www.affinity.co.

# # #

Media Contact:

Lauren Tascan

Fluid Group

lauren @ fluidprgroup.com

Company Contact:

Paul Ross

Affinity

paul @ affinity.co
The Fisherman's Daughter: an exciting tale of adventure and faith. The Fisherman's Daughter is the creation of published author, Georgia Albert, a native of Alaska and devoted Christian.

Ms. Albert shares, When you live in Alaska, you have gotta be tough! The Fishermans Daughter is the life and adventures of a young Alaskan native girl growing up in Alaska, having encounters with our great Alaskan bears and a huge monster octopus. Fishermen shooting at one another, hitting a reef and sinking into the frigid Alaskan waters, surviving the fire and the dangers of the many predators to the incredible encounter of meeting a man called Jesus!

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Georgia Alberts new book is an enjoyable journey through the Alaskan wilderness.

Readers will enjoy a unique tale of one womans life growing up in one of the final frontiers in America. Pairing life stories with an abiding faith, Ms. Albert welcomes readers to enjoy personal tales from a life of love and faith.

View a synopsis of The Fisherman's Daughter on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase The Fisherman's Daughter at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about The Fisherman's Daughter, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Jason Gray Jr, who has served in executive positions in the newspaper, broadcasting, commercial printing, and lodging industries, including twenty years as president and publisher of the Courier-Express Publishing Company, a daily newspaper, and president of Tri-County Broadcasting Company, and an AM/FM radio broadcasting combination, has completed his new book Accalia's Children: a gripping and potent story about the search for a brutal murderer in 1950s Utah.

Jason writes, These few came to understand that Accalia and her children possessed an intelligence which could produce extraordinary outcomes, ranging from profound to profane, from beautiful to ugly, from good to evil. Humans seeking alliance with the gifted ones thought they had a choice. In reality, the gifted ones made the choices and decided the outcomes.

The authors exciting tale, published by Page Publishing, takes place in the 1950s in northeastern Utah. Despite the humble appearance of the humble mining town of Park City, it holds a dark secret. Before the townspeople realized, brutalized bodies began piling up in the dozens.

Two newspaper reporters, Jamie Lamb and Beverly Aaron, begin investigating, and uncover a secret stranger and truths more terrifying than either of them could have imagined. With the help of a peculiar Husky, it's up to them to save Park City from ruthless creatures lurking just out of sight.

Readers who wish to experience this gripping work can purchase Accalia's Children at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
Jeremy Smith, an American writer who was born in Germany, raised in the US, and presently resides in Garfield, Arkansas with his wife and three dogs, has completed his new book Toxin: a riveting thriller he began writing at the age of thirteen.

Smith writes, Chriss final winter break before graduating high school began like any other, with him and his family packing and getting ready to spend the holidays with loved ones. Little did he know his trip would come to an end before it even began when life for not only him but for everyone in the country is shattered after the release of the deadliest weapon ever created by man, the toxin. Created by the one person meant to lead and protect, and designed for one sole purpose, this toxin was only phase one in a plan known as rebirth.

When introduced to a group of people willing to fight this sinister plot, Chris ends up on a long painful road of loss and tragedy where nothing is as it seems, and where the lives of not just his loved ones but of all life on earth lies in his hands.

Published by Page Publishing, Jeremy Smiths engrossing book is an excellent choice for avid fiction readers.

Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase Toxin at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing understands that authors should be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
Life Lyrics: Poetry From a Christian Heart: an emotional tribute to Gods grace. Life Lyrics: Poetry From a Christian Heart is the creation of published author, Susanna R. Dobson, a writer and church pianist who suffers from epilepsy and hypopituitarism. The authors handicaps are the result of brain surgery endured at age eleven. Living with these handicaps has made it impossible for the author to live independently so home is with loving parents in Jay, Florida.

Dobson shares, Life Lyrics is a collection of heartfelt poetry that is sure to inspire the Christian in their daily walk. Written from true, trying experiences, author Susanna Dobson shares her faith through uplifting, lyrical lines.

It is with a humble heart that she publishes her collection of thoughts and prayers gathered from years of suffering yet blessing amidst it all. Jesus Christ is Susannas strength and psalm as is evident in this poetic book, Life Lyrics.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Susanna R. Dobsons new book is an inspirational arrangement of lyrical verses meant to encourage others in their faith.

Taking inspiration from both the joys and woes of life, Dobson writes with an open heart and inspired soul.

View a synopsis of Life Lyrics: Poetry From a Christian Heart on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase Life Lyrics: Poetry From a Christian Heart at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Life Lyrics: Poetry From a Christian Heart, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Leticia Contreras Hinojosa, who earned a Ph.D. in educational administration at The University of Texas at Austin, and Gloria Contreras, a retired professor of teacher education, have completed their new book The Life of Reilly: a photographed story about the adoption and life of a feral kitten named Reilly.

The sisters recount their experience with the main character, Reilly, over the first year of the perilous pandemic. Reilly says, My family takes good care of me. The vet gave me a rabies shot and medicine for an ear infection. I have a yellow collar with my name on it. I eat food thats good for me. Im almost a year old. Now my bed is too small for me.

Published by Page Publishing, Leticia Contreras Hinojosa and Gloria Contrerass heartwarming tale follows the antics of a kitten who was born in a barn to a feral mother cat that avoided people. Reilly was quickly discovered by his new family and driven back to the city, where he will live happily for the rest of his days. Teaching tips are added at the end of Reillys tale.

Readers who wish to experience this adorable real story can purchase The Life of Reilly at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
Spain welcomed more flights on Monday, 7 June, after opening its borders to travellers who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus - although the decision did bring some confusion about requirements too.

Passengers must be vaccinated with one of the formulas recognised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or by the World Health Organization (WHO). Minors who accompany them may also enter.

However, in this effort to boost worldwide tourism, passengers from India, Brazil and South Africa are currently excluded from the new easing of entry requirements.

Many travellers who arrived at the Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport this Monday had information about the new measures, but they were not very clear about how they were being applied. Hence, on one of the flights that arrived from Paris, a passenger said, "I am vaccinated but I have come with a PCR, just in case."

Some passengers on domestic flights were showing their vaccination records although they are exempt from this requirement.

Despite some of the confusion, the number of flights arriving on the Costa del Sol made it clear that the recovery of air connectivity has begun, although the data shows that it still only half compared to pandemic levels.

The airport operator, Aena, said that on Monday a total of 213 flights were scheduled of which 149 were international and 64 national - an increase of 61 movements compared to Monday the previous week.

On Monday Spains Ministry of Tourism also clarified that regardless of your country of origin, all passengers arriving in Spain by air or sea, including those in transit and those under six years of age, must fill in a health control form through the website www.spth.gob.es or on the Spain Travel Health app.

The form will generate an individual QR code that the traveller must show to the transport operator before boarding, as well as presenting it at the health checks at the point of entry into the country.
Prime Rib Beef Roast Stroganoff, one of five liquid nitrogen flash-frozen dishes from Cadence Kitchen now available online and in-store from Cuisinery Food Market. As one of the only brands in the United States using a high-tech liquid nitrogen flash-freezing technique for convenient, chef-quality home dining, Cadence Kitchen entrees and sides are now shipping from Cuisinery throughout the continental U.S.

Today, foodtech innovator Cadence Kitchen announces its first-ever online availability in partnership with Cuisinery Food Market, a distributor of European specialty food items and ingredients. As one of the only brands in the United States using a high-tech liquid nitrogen flash-freezing technique for convenient, chef-quality home dining, Cadence Kitchen entrees and sides are now shipping from Cuisinery throughout the continental U.S.

An array of Cadence Kitchen menu items are now available for online ordering from Cuisinery, bringing the brands chef-made meals that cook from flash-frozen to ready-to-eat in about 10 minutes or less to consumers doorsteps. With intricate flavor profiles, premium ingredients and a globally-inspired menu, Cadence Kitchen dishes are a natural fit alongside Cuisinerys existing offering of specialty, chef-quality ingredients not typically found in the U.S.

The addition of Cuisinery as a distribution partner compliments our core value of revolutionizing the way people access and prepare their meals, said Cadence Kitchen President Alex Klein. We are thrilled to launch with Cuisinery and expand the reach of our brand to consumers across the country.

A curated selection of Cadence Kitchen dishes is now available on the Cuisinery Food Market website for online ordering and delivery within 24 to 72 hours, as well as at two brick-and-mortar Cuisinery locations in New Jersey and Florida.

Adding Cadence Kitchens products to our offering seemed natural for us as their concept of chef-quality ready-made meals is exactly what we are offering to our customers, said Guillemette Manes, Project Manager at Cuisinery Food Market. Cuisinery comes from the foodservice industry, where we have been providing quality food ingredient to chefs for years. We are now offering the same quality products to the customers those chefs have been using for long time in their kitchen for a good reason: they are convenient, cost effective and high quality.

The Cadence Kitchen dishes offered by Cuisinery include:

Entrees



Prime Rib Beef Roast Stroganoff

Chicken Tikka Masala

Scallops Carbonara

Sides



Lemon Risotto

Mexican Style Street Corn

Cadence Kitchens launch with Cuisinery adds to its existing availability at more than 250 supermarket locations with partners in California, the Midwest and North Carolina including Bristol Farms, Gelsons Markets, Food Lion, Fresh Thyme, Save Mart & Lucky Supermarkets, Meijer, New Pioneer and Schnucks.

To see store locations, browse the Cadence Kitchen menu, learn more about the companys nitrogen flash-freezing technology and more, please visit http://www.cadencekitchen.com/.

About Cadence Kitchen

Creators of delicious, convenient and sustainable meal solutions, Cadence Kitchen is a foodtech company that uses flash-freezing technology to create a new way to sustainably enjoy chef-quality food at home. With a wide range of international menu items, creative flavor profiles and thoughtfully sourced ingredients, Cadence Kitchen meals go from flash-frozen to ready-to-eat in 15 minutes or less.

Please visit http://cadencekitchen.com/ to learn more about our menu, technology, culinary process and to see a store locator.

About Cuisinery Food Market

With a strong experience in the professional kitchens for decades, purveying fine ingredients for renowned chefs across the country, Cuisinery Food Market now offers chef-inspired cuisine to home cooks and food enthusiasts across the country. From exclusive and carefully selected meat and seafood, to authentic French and European specialty food, the company strives to delivering the best-tasting and highest quality products to your doorstep.

To learn more about Cuisinery, visit https://www.cuisineryfoodmarket.com

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We wanted to help K-12 schools unlock the full potential of digital learning, said Chris Balcik, VP Regulated Sales & Alliance, Samsung Electronics America.

CatchOn, an award-winning data analytics solution, and Samsung Electronics America, Inc. are working together to help school districts create and maintain better learning environments for students.

CatchOn and Samsung will now provide school districts with a solution that pairs CatchOns robust data analytics platform with Samsung Chromebooks, which are designed to offer schools a way to embrace digital learning even with a limited budget.

Leveraging CatchOns data analytics platform, which compiles real-time student-level data both on and off campus, education leaders will be able to address the key challenges they face - tracking student engagement, determining the efficacy of EdTech investments, and ensuring students are using apps that comply with all local and federal data privacy policies.

CatchOn is delighted to partner with Samsung to promote student learning and data privacy, said Lillian Kellogg, Senior Vice President at CatchOn and ENA. Combining the impressive power of Samsungs technology with CatchOns data analytics will enable districts to fuel and elevate their learning technology programs using real-time actionable data. Equipped with insights into their application usage and engagement data, districts leaders will be able to implement data-backed change management strategies, strengthen their data privacy compliance efforts, and effectively track student engagement to the minute.

We wanted to help K-12 schools unlock the full potential of digital learning, said Chris Balcik, VP Regulated Sales & Alliance, Samsung Electronics America. By combining Samsungs Chromebooks with CatchOns data analytics solution, district leaders will have the innovative technology needed to create experiences that engage young minds and achieve education goals.

To learn more about this exciting partnership and see the full offer, visit http://www.catchon.com/samsung.

CatchOn and Samsung will be joining The Grants Office and Dr. Kecia Ray of K20 Connect on June 10 at 2:00 p.m. EDT for the Funding and Solutions for Digital Education Today and in the Future webinar. Industry experts will be answering questions regarding federal funding opportunities, implementing effective EdTech strategies, and tracking student engagement and monitoring student data privacy compliance in the digital landscape. Register here to attend.

About CatchOn

CatchOn is an expansive data analytics tool that compiles real-time data on every school device, enabling school districts to make data-informed decisions about the apps and online tools their educators and students are using. In 2018, CatchOn joined forces with ENA, a leading provider of comprehensive technology solutions to education institutions and libraries across the nation. Collectively, CatchOn and ENA leverage their respective resources and expertise to deliver critical services and solutions that help school districts produce positive outcomes in the communities they serve. For more information, please visit http://www.catchon.com, call 866-615-1101, or email solutions@catchon.com
Platform for forex brokers Digital currency of all assets offers opportunities like no other. Derivatives brokers from Forex trade have found their relevance in crypto.

Security brokers and traders are perpetually vigilant about new instruments to trade. One such alternative instrument or derivative completely avoids the underlying asset; focussing rather, on the possibility of future growth of the asset in question. By definition, derivatives are financial agreements that gain or lose value based on the possibility of growth, sales, or some other profit-garnering event later on in time.

PayBito, a digital asset trading exchange, joins forces with alternative or derivatives brokers in Singapore to devise CFD trading in terms of crypto. Contract For Difference or CFD is traditionally used by investors to make price bets as to whether the price of the underlying asset or security will rise or fall.



Contracts For Difference (CFD) in Crypto

A CFD represents a contract between a trader and a brokerage company. Such a contract enables the trader to take advantage of a cryptocurrencys price fluctuations, totally dismissing the need to own or buy the digital currency itself. Such instruments allow traders to speculate and earn from the difference between their entry price and exit price levels without heeding the guidelines of acquiring and securely storing cryptocurrency.

Digital currency of all assets offers opportunities like no other. Derivatives brokers from Forex trade have found their relevance in crypto, says Raj Chowdhury, Founder, and CEO of PayBito.

PayBito has recently reported the rush of Forex brokers into the crypto realm recognizing the potential for gain. Indeed a multitude of Forex broking agencies has integrated the digital currency exchange as a payment option for sovereign currency.

However, a venture of this scale comes with its share of technical disadvantages. PayBito team is currently working on the regulations to put the system in order assuming all precautions to protect the clients account from loss and invasion.

The team behind PayBito strives to provide indemnity to the client accounts against the crises of market volatility. Our expertise is dedicated to maximizing gains for the client while buffering against market-slides, adds Chowdhury.

A lot depends on correctly deciphering the potential market risks. Further, crypto has time and again demonstrated extreme unpredictability. Amid such circumstances, it is only appropriate to practice cautious investment moves.

Company Overview:

PayBito is a leading cryptocurrency asset trading platform operating in the USA and India. The platform is designed and operated by a team with rich experience in Banking security systems, Cryptocurrency trading, and Blockchain technology. Available in iOS and Android stores, PayBito offers some of the best rates and top-notch security on the planet.
Residents in Tulsa recalls the history of the Black Wall Street, and they say the pains and deep-rooted racism remain a century after the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Activist Nick Bezel told our reporter Liu, So they always want to have the image that everything is great. Everything is perfect, and its not. And they dont want the outside world to see that.

This material is distributed by MediaLinks TV, LLC on behalf of CCTV. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.

CGTN America releases The Impact of Deep-rooted Racism in Tulsa

CGTN America continues to track an issue that polls show many in America would rather not.

Forget all men are created equal or even forgive and forget - the saying in Tulsa for nearly a century has been sweeping it under the rug.

CGTN America reporter Liu Xiaqian has been speaking to Tulsa resident including Tiffany Crutcher. She remember going off to college where kids from other cities knew more about her cities history than she did.

I was embarrassed and I went home and said, Dad, what are they talking about?

These days they might be talking about a new museum in town.

The community is putting the final touches on a new Greenwood Rising Museum. Theyre hoping it will make it impossible to hide the truth of what happened to Greenwood and the Black Wall Street ever again. Some not there were 30 other massacres in those years.

Activist Nick Bezel told our reporter Liu, So they always want to have the image that everything is great. Everything is perfect, and its not. And they dont want the outside world to see that.

Community members spoke openly with our CGTN America crews as hate crimes started to raise concerns in the Asian community in this country yet again.

Tulsa is not the only place people are talking. Last week one of the biggest names in Hollywood, Tom Hanks, wrote an editorial decrying how many US schools still dont teach much about Tulsa have been placing White feelings over Black lives.

Black community leaders tell our reporters that nationwide protests didnt translate into new racial policy. Meanwhile, in Tulsa our reporter heard how quickly authorities white washed all Black Lives Matter themed slogans and murals on walls. But with the new museum about to open next month, the truth will be on display.

Reported by Liu Xiaoqian

Click here for more about all The Impact of Deep-rooted Racism in Tulsa and to view the report: https://newsus.cgtn.com/news/2021-06-07/The-impact-of-deep-rooted-racism-in-Tulsa-10TrlYSIfYY/index.html
Lena Shapiro

Chapman Spingola, LLP announces that Lena Shapiro has joined the firm as an associate. She joins Chapman Spingola with years of commercial, intellectual property and information privacy experience. At Chapman Spingola, she will continue to concentrate in these practice areas as well as guide clients through active litigation. Shapiro attended the University of Illinois College of Law from which she graduated magna cum laude.

We are thrilled to have Lena join our team. Her depth of experience and track record make her a valuable addition to our firm, said Robert Chapman, co-founder and partner of Chapman Spingola. We look forward to Lena providing smart and creative business advice to our clients.

Headquartered in Chicago with a national presence, Chapman Spingola attorneys provide sophisticated legal services in the areas of commercial litigation, intellectual property litigation, technology & IP transactions, cybersecurity & information privacy, and business counseling & transactions.

About Chapman Spingola:

Founded in 2004, Chapman Spingola provides top-notch legal services expected of the nations largest firms, but with a small-firm attitude and approach. The attorney roster brings best-in-class experience gained from top law schools, premier law firms, and serving as in-house counsel. Learn more about the firm at http://www.chapmanspingola.com.


Using the latest technology available, we help small business owners target specific geographic areas, interests, or even income levels.

Our Town America, the nations premier New Mover Marketing franchise, is celebrating its 49th year of helping local businesses create and maintain relationships with customers who are new to the area.

Since 1972, Our Town America has been welcoming new movers with one-time gifts, inviting them to sample neighborhood businesses upon move in. This unique model has helped local establishments across the nation grow loyal customer bases while allowing Our Town America to thrive for nearly five decades.

My Dad started the company while running his retail business, said Michael Plummer Jr., Our Town Americas President/CEO. He had a simple idea, and it worked really well. We are still using that simple, yet powerful idea today  with some added bells & whistles to tie-in technology, which has only made our program that much stronger. Even with all of the marketing options available in 2021, welcoming new residents with a kind gesture continues to be extremely effective.

Over the years, Our Town America evolved into a data-driven company using the latest technology available to help small business owners target specific geographic areas, interests, or even income levels. This creates a high return on investment for local shops, restaurants and other businesses looking to maximize their budgets. And for those small businesses who just dont have a large marketing budget, Our Town America built their Budget Billing program to allow them to spend within their means by capping their monthly invoice.

The company has also integrated multiple smartphone apps, such as TruTrak, which gives partnered businesses access to data showing just how effective the marketing campaign is in real-time and even provides the ability to trigger a second mailing to really seal the deal. Their other mobile apps cater to the consumer and the Our Town America franchise owner. Really, the franchise has thought of each person the brand works with on a daily basis and has made life simpler through technology.

That being said, its not surprising that Our Town America is a recession-resistant company thats weathered two major economic downturns in the last 15 years. The companys recent success earned it recognition from Franchise Business Review as a Top Recession-Proof Franchise, and as the #1 Advertising & Sales Franchise in the U.S. Our Town America is also consistently honored as a Top Low-Cost Franchise, Top Franchise for Women, and a Top Culture Franchise.

Im proud of this company weve not only built  but enhanced, over the last 49 years, said Plummer. This is a strong and resilient model, and our franchisees benefit from a proven system that generates results.

Our Town America is excited about the future and the chance to continue to innovate and take advantage of new technologies while staying true to the model thats led to decades of success.

For more information on Our Town America, please visit https://www.ourtownamerica.com/.

For more information on the Our Town America franchise opportunity, please visit https://www.newmoverfranchise.com/.

About Our Town America

For 49 years, Our Town America has been providing new movers with traditional hospitality by mailing warm housewarming gifts from local neighborhood businesses in a premium welcome package. Since the company started franchising in 2005, Our Town America has consistently been placed in the Franchise Top 50, ranking top in their category for franchisee satisfaction. The franchise is also the #1 Advertising & Sales Franchise as ranked by the Franchise Business Review.

Our Town Americas dedication to the sponsor exclusivity concept, meaning Our Town America will only recommend one of each business type in any specific zip code within its welcome packages, has been one of the key catalysts for the companys long-term success. In addition, sponsors consistently rave about other unique aspects of the new mover marketing program  such as their ability to reach a brand-new audience of impressionable new movers each month and the insightful data/metrics delivered by Our Town Americas innovative pinpoint tracking system.

Due in large part to Our Town Americas devotion to those concepts, thousands of satisfied business owners throughout the United States attest to the success and effectiveness of the program. Additionally, dozens of locally owned franchisees validate Our Town Americas concept as a viable business opportunity.

It is Our Town Americas mission to assist new movers adjusting to their community, help businesses gain new and loyal customers, and provide franchisees with an excellent opportunity. The eight million households who receive Our Town Americas welcome packages each year prove that Our Town America is committed to following through on that mission statement.
Prayer, a Way of Life: an encouraging narrative for a prayerful life. Prayer, a Way of Life is the creation of published author, Elder Larry Young, a native of Mississippi and devoted Christian who found God later in life.

Young shares, Prayer should definitely be a way of life for the child of God, for prayer is a way of communicating daily with God. It is a way of developing and maintaining a close relationship with the Lord. Prayer can be a beneficial and effective means of gaining Gods attention and immediate response to our problems. This book was written to encourage all believers to exercise the power of prayer by seeking God on a regular basis. Ive learned and experienced over the last few years that prayer really changes things and circumstances. Please consider daily prayer to God. It works! Have you prayed today?

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Elder Larry Youngs new book is a faith-based argument for the positivity of prayer.

Young appeals to readers that may be seeking some direction in their lives by preaching the positive value behind investing in daily prayer.

View a synopsis of Prayer, a Way of Life on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase Prayer, a Way of Life at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Prayer, a Way of Life, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Esper, the industrys leading DevOps platform for devices, today announced they are an ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified provider whose Information Security Management System (ISMS) has received third-party accreditation from the International Standards Organization. This certification marks Espers third successful audit this year, following a PCI DSS SAQ-D and SOC 2, Type 1 report. Espers certification was issued by A-lign, an independent and accredited certification body based in the United States, on successful completion of a formal audit process.

Espers customers trust us with mission-critical fleets of Android edge devices. ISO/IEC 27001 certification validates Espers longstanding commitment to protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our customers devices and apps, said Yadhu Gopalan, CEO and Co-Founder of Esper. Achieving the ISO/IEC 27001 is an external signal of Espers commitment to being a security leader for Android deployment and management, as well as the cloud service provider space.

ISO/IEC 27001 is a globally recognized standard for a comprehensive information security management system, published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Espers successful audit and certification validates the security of their SaaS platform, custom Android OS, and the company's operational facilities in Bellevue, Washington and Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Esper is deeply committed to protecting the assets and data of our customers, partners, and employees, said Jasmine Henry, Director of Cybersecurity, Esper. ISO/IEC 27001 certification signals Espers commitment to continuously improving our security and privacy practices in all areas as our hyper-growth continues.

About Esper

As the industrys leading DevOps platform for devices, Esper is on a mission to let software teams ship without worrying about the hardware. Espers device infrastructure enables developers, mid-market orgs, and enterprise fleets of 100,000+ devices to deliver their software as a service to intelligent edge devices. Esper has rapidly-growing global customer adoption among the worlds most innovative major brands in retail, hospitality, logistics, healthcare, education, and more. Learn more at esper.io.
Florida Polytechnic University is experiencing a substantial increase in applications and deposits among first-year college students and transfer students for the second consecutive year. Florida Polys job placement rate, high average salary, and required internships draw students who are focused on designing careers in an almost completely digital economy.

Defying national trends in higher education, Florida Polytechnic University is enjoying a significant increase in the number of students applying to and committing to attend the University.

Applications at Florida Poly are up 17% over fall 2020 and new student deposits for fall 2021 have increased by a hefty 48%. In addition to a spike in interest from first-year college students, Florida Poly also is experiencing an increase in applications and deposits among transfer students. Transfer student applications have increased by 19% and the number of transfer deposits is up by 46% for the fall 2021 semester.

Florida Polys enrollment success marks the second consecutive year of gains at a time when many institutions have struggled in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are excited to see that, once again, new applications are up at Florida Poly, said Dr. Ben Matthew Corpus, vice provost for enrollment at the University. In addition to the selectivity and quality of this STEM-only University, Florida Poly meets a statewide demand for top-notch and affordable engineering and computer science programs.

According to a new report by the College Board, colleges and universities nationally have experienced enrollment challenges in the last year and a half. Four-year public colleges saw a 3% decrease in enrollment in fall 2020 while two-year colleges faced a nearly 12% decline.

Corpus said the increased interest in the Florida Poly can be attributed to its growing track record of success and its commitment to creating industry-relevant programs with real benefit to students. These include a new bachelors degree in cybersecurity engineering in addition to the institutions cybersecurity track in computer science. The University also added a new coding certificate for select incoming freshmen, providing a stackable credential on the path to a bachelors degree. This will improve their tech marketability while competing for prestigious internships.

Florida Polys job placement rate, high average salary, and required internships draw students who are focused on designing careers in an almost completely digital economy, Corpus said. We have become the place that Floridas brightest students strive to attend to get quality, industry-driven education in a small, supportive setting.

The increased enthusiasm for Florida Poly also comes amid a landscape in which about 1,400 universities opted to not require prospective students to submit ACT or SAT scores. In contrast to the states private institutions, Florida Poly and the entire State University System continued to require the assessment tests. Florida Poly prepared for a drop in test scores due to the pandemic. However, the admitted SAT and ACT scores remained steady at 1322 and 29, respectively.

The high interest in our University from first-time students and transfer students shows that Florida Poly is delivering on the states faith and investment in STEM education, said Dr. Randy K. Avent, the Universitys president. As these talented students join us on campus, we look forward to providing them with the world-class opportunities and education that will make the difference in their future careers and impact wide-ranging communities.
Frontiers agreement with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will provide high-quality jobs for exceptional students while bolstering the aviation industry workforce in service to air travelers, said Dr. Alan Stolzer, dean of the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach, Florida campus

Frontier Airlines, Inc. has teamed up with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University  the worlds largest, most comprehensive aviation and aerospace institution  to identify and cultivate the next generation of highly skilled commercial airline pilots.

The new Frontier/Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Pilot Hiring Program will tap top-performing flight students who consistently demonstrate the work ethic, flying skill, aviation knowledge, professional attitude and demeanor to eventually become successful crew members for Frontier Airlines, said Frontiers Vice President of Flight Operations Brad Lambert.

As many pilots across the aviation industry approach retirement age and we grow our airline, Frontier expects to hire hundreds if not thousands of pilots during the next decade to staff its 500 and growing number of daily flights. The new hiring program with Embry-Riddle represents an important component of Frontiers broader pilot recruiting and hiring strategy, Lambert said.

Frontiers agreement with Embry-Riddle will provide high-quality jobs for exceptional students while bolstering the aviation industry workforce in service to air travelers, said Dr. Alan Stolzer, dean of the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddles Daytona Beach, Florida campus. Embry-Riddle is honored to partner with Frontier Airlines to enhance the aviation talent pool.

As part of the Frontier/Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Pilot Hiring Program, representatives from Frontier Airlines will visit the Daytona Beach Campus twice annually to meet with students and faculty.

To be considered for this program with Frontier Airlines, Embry-Riddle students must have a letter of recommendation from a Flight Department manager that supports a stellar history of flight performance, attendance and professional conduct throughout their aviation education. Candidates must also be enrolled in the Aeronautical Science degree program, have a minimum class status of senior, maintain a Grade Point Average above 3.2, and have the ability to hold a First Class medical certificate. Prior to employment with Frontier Airlines, program participants will also need to be employed by Embry-Riddle as a flight instructor and must obtain the R-ATP required experience.

Interested flight students should consult with their Flight Department supervisors for a letter of recommendation and then apply at https://www.airlineapps.com/jobs/details.aspx?emp=Frontier-Airlines&job=Embry-Riddle-Pilot-Cadet

About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Reporters worldwide contact Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for content experts in all aspects of aviation, aviation business, aerospace, engineering and STEM-related fields. Our faculty experts specialize in unmanned and autonomous systems, security and intelligence, air traffic and airport management, astronomy, human factors psychology, meteorology, spaceflight operations, urban air mobility and much more. Visit the Embry-Riddle Newsroom for story ideas.

Embry-Riddle educates 33,500+ students at its residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Florida and Prescott, Arizona, at approximately 125 Worldwide Campus locations and through online degree programs. In 2021, U.S. News & World Report named Embry-Riddle Worldwide the nations No. 1 provider of online bachelors degree programs.

About Frontier Airlines, Inc.

Frontier Airlines is committed to Low Fares Done Right. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, the company operates more than 100 A320 family aircraft and has the largest A320neo fleet in the U.S. The use of these aircraft, Frontiers seating configuration, weight-saving tactics and baggage process have all contributed to the airlines average of 43 percent fuel savings compared to other U.S. airlines (fuel savings is based on Frontier Airlines 2019 fuel consumption per seat-mile compared to the weighted average of major U.S. airlines), which makes Frontier the most fuel-efficient U.S. airline. Frontier is also committed to families enabling children 14 years and younger to fly free through the airlines Discount Den travel club on qualifying flights. With approximately 150 new Airbus planes on order, Frontier will continue to grow to deliver on the mission of providing affordable travel across America.
The Guardia Civil in Mijas have arrested a wanted 32-year-old Romanian man who was hiding in the town under a false identity. The man was wanted by Polish authorities - and by Interpol - after being sentenced to four years in prison for drug trafficking.

The suspect was identified a month ago, when Local Police in Benalmadena found him and six other people, also of Romanian nationality, squatting in a house in the town.

According to SUR sources, the officers realised that the man was using false documentation, but he managed to escape arrest by jumping out of a window.

This Sunday (6 June), a month after the first sighting, the Mijas Guardia Civil located him on a residential development in the town. After being identified, the international search warrant was served and he was arrested. He will now be handed over to the National Court, which will process his extradition to Poland.
Moving to GCP has enabled Aperian Global to utilize a variety of GCP options to expand the capability of their CMS.

Today, Google Cloud partner WALT Labs announces the successful migration of global consulting firm Aperian Global to Google Cloud Platform (GCP). With the move, the companys single instance content management system (CMS) can now scale to multiple instances, offering failover protection and high availability.

Moving to GCP has enabled Aperian Global to utilize a variety of cloud options to expand the capability of their CMS, including load balancing and multiple application instances. Additionally, CloudSQL provides a centralized database solution for reliability across all instances.

WALT Labs Chief Technology Officer, Stewart Smith, commented on the migration, Moving to GCP has enabled Aperian Global to utilize a variety of GCP options to expand the capability of their CMS. Now, Aperian is better prepared to bridge teams across boundaries on a global scale.

As a Google Cloud partner, WALT Labs offers its customers unmatched expertise in cloud migration and application modernization. The companys areas of focus include:



Cloud migrations

Big data pipelines

Kubernetes deployments

24/7 Cloud support (managed services)

Professional services

Google Workspace support

WALT Labs (previously Root Level Technology) is a leading Google Partner serving businesses in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Since 2012, the company has focused on cloud migration and application modernization. Our expert professional services and managed services teams have helped businesses of all sizes scale to meet customer needs and optimize IT operations, creating greater efficiencies.

Find us on:

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/waltlabs

Twitter - https://twitter.com/waltlabs

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/WALTLabs/
Greenberg Traurigs Government Law & Policy Group Named to City & States 2021 Top 50 NYC Lobbyists Greenberg Traurig has held a number of virtual meet and greets with candidates for the various city races. Its provided the opportunity for clients to get to know each candidate, ask questions, and learn about their campaign priorities and plans for New York City.

The global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP New York City Government Law & Policy Practice has been named in the top ten on City & States 2021 Top 50 NYC Lobbyists list.

According to City & State, the list is made up of the citys top 50 lobbying firms, as measured by 2020 lobbying compensation figures compiled by the Office of the New York City Clerk.

In City & States Top 50 NYC Lobbyists list profile of Greenberg Traurigs New York City Government Law & Policy Practice, the team shed light on the firms adaptability during the pandemic: We maintained our focus on federal legislative proposals for economic stimulus packages directed at states and localities. They also noted the benefit of daily videoconferencing and innovated a program hosting more than 15 meet and greets with mayoral and other high-profile candidates for clients, colleagues, and friends of the firm.

Greenberg Traurig has held a number of virtual meet and greets with candidates for the various city races. Its provided the opportunity for clients to get to know each candidate, ask questions, and learn about their campaign priorities and plans for New York City.

Greenberg Traurigs New York Government Law & Policy Practice based in New York City and Albany, is one of the leading government relations teams in both the City and the State. The New York City team includes:



Ed Wallace, New York Co-Chair and founder of the New York City Government Law & Policy Practice; previously served as City Council Member-at-Large (Manhattan) and then Chief of Staff to the New York City Council President.

John Mascialino, Chair of the New York City Government Law & Policy Practice; former First Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services . He was also Counsel/Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Operations.

Bob Harding, Shareholder; former NYC Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Finance and Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Jonathan Bing, Shareholder; former New York State Assemblyman, elected to five terms representing the East Side of Manhattan.

Larry Levy, Shareholder; served three New York City Mayors as Special Counsel and Inspector General of the Citys Law Department and Office of the Mayor.

William Mack, Shareholder; former Director of the Executive Secretariat in the office of the U.S. Trade Representative and served as a Deputy Associate Counsel at the White House.

Samir NeJame, Chair of the New York State Government Law & Policy Practice; former corporation counsel for one of New Yorks big five cities.

Mark Weprin, Shareholder; former New York City Council Member where he chaired the sub-committee on Zoning and Franchises of the Land Use Committee and former New York State Assemblyman.

Julia Rogawski, Of Counsel who focuses her practice on major government contracts, government affairs and administrative law

India Sneed, Associate; former Chief of Staff to the 41st District Council Member; former Assistant District Attorney for Kings County.



Roy Mogilanski, Director; former Executive Director of the Financial Information Services Agency and the Office of Payroll Administration.

Ellen Gustafson, Assistant Director; served as Director of Operations for former New York City Council Member Dan Garodnicks office.

Farley Pierre-Louis, Paralegal; former Peer Educator, Mayors Office to Combat Domestic Violence.

The team is also comprised of lawyers from other disciplines including:

Glenn Newman, Tax Shareholder; Previous chair of the State and Local Tax Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.

Steve Russo, Chair of the Greenberg Traurigs New York Environmental Practice; former Chief Legal Officer of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Michael Berlin, head of Greenberg Traurigs State Attorneys General Practice; Served former New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo as Deputy Attorney General for Economic Justice and as Special Counsel to the Attorney General.

Jay Segal, Chair of Greenberg Traurigs Land Use Practice.

Deirdre Carson, Shareholder; represents developers, real estate investors and educational institutions in land use zoning matters. He has wide-ranging knowledge of all aspects of New York City land use law.

Nick Hockens; Shareholder, Land Use Practice. He represents developers, institutions and non-profit organizations before the New York City Planning Commission, Board of Standards and Appeals, and Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Dan Egers, Of Counsel, Land Use Practice.

Allison Curreri, Associate, Land Use Practice.

Jessica Rubenstein, Associate, Land Use Practice.

Greenberg Traurigs Government Law & Policy Practice combines the capabilities of our Federal Practice in Washington D.C. with our state and local practices across the country. This integrated team works together to provide clients with seamless representation in any forum  before the U.S. Congress and executive agencies, as well as state and local government entities.

About Greenberg Traurig's Government Law & Policy Practice: Greenberg Traurigs Government Law & Policy Practice combines the capabilities of its federal team in Washington, D.C., with the firm's state and local practices across the country to advocate for the interests of our clients at various levels of government. Our national network of government relations professionals covers more than 9 offices in major political and commercial capitals throughout the United States, including: Albany, Austin, Denver, Las Vegas, New York City, Philadelphia, Sacramento, Tallahassee, and Washington, D.C.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT), has approximately 2200 attorneys in 40 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. The firm is net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage and Mansfield Rule 3.0 Certified. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com
Tanya L. Boyle, of counsel at global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLPs Investment Management Practice, will speak on a panel at the Women In Law Summit SeriesDriving Diversity in Law & Leadership Virtual Summit on June 8.

The full day summit will include a line-up of women from the Dallas business community. Boyle will participate in the session titled The Time for Change is NOW: Attracting, Promoting, & Retaining Leaders of Color at 1:15 p.m. CDT. This panel will include discussions on challenges that minority leaders face, retaining and advancing people of color, performative versus substantive change, available resources, and success stories. Additional panelists include Meyling Ly Ortiz of Toyota Motor North America; Lenore Diamond of American Airlines; and Yesenia Cardenas of Bowman and Brooke LLP.

Participating in the Driving Diversity in Law & Leadership Summit is very important to me, as we will address several key issues impacting the success of minority leaders, Boyle said. I look forward to joining my fellow panelists to share knowledge and experiences with the summits attendees.

Boyle, who works in Greenberg Traurigs Dallas office, advises investment companies, including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), interval funds, closed-end funds, and other financial services industry clients on the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and FINRA regulations.

To learn more about the conference, click here.

About Greenberg Traurigs Womens Initiative: Greenberg Traurig is committed to its women lawyers success, which includes a firmwide womens affinity group encompassing recruiting, retention, and business development. The firm regularly collaborates with like-minded organizations to address these issues on a broader scale in a variety of industries and communities. Greenberg Traurig also takes thoughtful action to address issues such as maintaining a healthy work-life balance, breaking the glass ceiling, mentoring, creating and maintaining healthy lifestyles, and giving back to the community. Twitter: @GTLawWomen

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP  Texas: Texas is important to Greenberg Traurig, LLP and part of its history. With approximately 130 Texas lawyers in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, Greenberg Traurig has deep roots in the Texas business, legal, and governmental communities. Greenberg Traurig Texas works with clients to address their interdisciplinary legal needs across the state utilizing the firms global platform. The Texas attorneys are experienced in industries key to the states future, including: aviation, chemicals, construction, education, energy and natural resources, financial institutions, health care, hedge funds, hospitality, infrastructure, insurance, media, medical devices, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, real estate, retail, sports, technology and software, telecommunications, transportation, and video games and esports.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has approximately 2200 attorneys in 40 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. The firm is net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage and Mansfield Rule 3.0 Certified. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com
Healthfuse, the industry leader in vendor management and performance for hospitals and health systems, announced today that they have generated significant revenue savings for Avita Health System, a leading health system in North Central Ohio operating three not-for-profit hospitals and over 30 supporting medical clinics.

About 64 percent of health systems in our country are dissatisfied with their vendors performance. It is our goal to make every organization we partner with not only satisfied with their vendors, but also see significant revenue improvement, said Nick Fricano, president and chief executive officer of Healthfuse. We are thrilled to be working with Avita Health System. With our high-trust partnership we have been able to work together to secure significant and recurring financial gains for their organization.

Healthfuse combines technology, analytics and research to improve vendor performance and help healthcare organizations establish revenue cycle best practices. Avita Health System selected Healthfuse after an in-depth review of ten vendors. Healthfuse identified a recurring $1.1M, with a total three-year project impact of $2.2M.

Avita Health System is committed to providing high quality health care in a cost-effective manner. Our leadership made the strategic decision to take a closer look at our revenue cycle programs in an on-going effort to ensure we are being financially responsible for our organization, said Rhonda Ridenour, revenue cycle director, Avita Health System. We chose Healthfuse because we trust that they are the best partner to help us reach our cost-saving goals and will ultimately allow us to focus more on what is important: to improve the health and well-being of those we serve.

About Healthfuse

Healthfuse drives revenue cycle vendor performance by building, operating, and optimizing hospital vendor management offices. Working with 200 + hospitals and health systems, the Healthfuse VMO platform is a comprehensive suite of HIPAA-compliant, customizable applications fully supported by a dedicated execution team, accelerating cost savings and collections improvement. Healthfuse ensures hospitals and their revenue cycle vendors operate in full transparency, delivering accountability, efficiency, and bottom-line results. Healthfuse is a New Capital Partners portfolio company. Find us here: https://healthfuse.com Follow us here: LinkedIn, Twitter.

About Avita Health System

Avita Health System operates three not-for-profit hospitals (Galion Hospital, Bucyrus Hospital and Ontario Hospital), and over 30 supporting medical clinics. Approximately 1,700 employees serve Avita and share the ultimate goal of providing the best healthcare to North Central Ohio. Avita Health System's board is made up of residents who live in Crawford and Richland Counties. Avita feels it is very important to have local residents making the strategic decisions for Avita because these individuals live in the area and are impacted by the decisions that are made. Avita currently has locations in the following nine Ohio areas: Galion, Bucyrus, Ontario, Mansfield, Crestline, Shelby, Marion, New Washington, and Delaware.
Accurate coding will be critical for appropriate reimbursement, sustained profitability and provable care quality in this new era of pay-for-performance care,

Homecare Homebase, the countrys leading home health and hospice software provider has announced a new exclusive partnership with Corridor to offer specialized coding and documentation review services for HCHBs agency customers. Founded in 1989, Corridor is the nations largest provider of outsourced coding and clinical documentation improvement services to home health and hospice providers.

In this new partnership, Corridor will deliver its capabilities as part of HCHB Services. HCHB Services customers are paired with a Corridor team of certified experts who understand the best practices when working with HCHB coding workflows.

Although the two companies have been working closely for years, the new arrangement is designed to help tackle the complex coding requirements  and increased impact coding has on reimbursement and quality reporting  created by the regulatory shift from pay for service to pay for performance models in home-based care.

Scott Decker addressed the value of the new partnership for HCHB customers. With the constant regulatory changes in our industry, we want our customers to have the best tools and resources to capture all essential data for optimal reimbursements. Corridors deep expertise not only with complex coding, but with our systems and software will help agencies to survive and thrive under the staffing, timing and financial challenges of todays regulatory environment.

Corridor is excited to further the partnership with Homecare Homebase as well. The prevalence of HCHB among home health and hospice providers and the solutions scalable, intuitive, workflow-based technology make HCHB a preferred software for Corridor experts.

Accurate coding will be critical for appropriate reimbursement, sustained profitability and provable care quality in this new era of pay-for-performance care, said Corridor CEO Des Varady. Were the perfect partner to further strengthen HCHBs robust technology and services offerings, and jointly empower exceptional patient care and results for our mutual customers.

Coding quality and clinical documentation accuracy are increasing in importance under value-based payment models. Accurate coding and well-vetted clinical documentation are the foundation for creating the necessary data to prove quality to both payers and referral partners. By combining HCHBs technology with Corridors expertise, agencies will be in an excellent position to retain, compete for and win patient referrals and obtain fair, full reimbursement.

Brandy Sparkman-Beierle, SVP of tech-enabled services has seen ROI from the right combination of coding and software resources first-hand during her time working as a care provider. The shortage of expert staff and the quickly changing regulatory landscape will continue to show the value of outsourcing administrative work so agencies can focus on care. Partnerships like this between Homecare Homebase and Corridor will only increase in importance.

About Corridor

Corridor is the nation's leading provider of tech-enabled coding and documentation compliance services for providers delivering patient care in the home. For more than 30 years, Corridors team of operating executives, clinicians and industry experts have partnered with provider organizations to resolve the unique challenges of home-based care. Corridor is a portfolio company of HealthEdge Investment Partners. For more information on Corridor, please visit http://www.corridorgroup.com.

About HealthEdge Investment Partners

HealthEdge Investment Partners, LLC is an operating-oriented private equity firm founded in 2005 that focuses exclusively on the healthcare industry. HealthEdge seeks to achieve superior returns by investing in businesses that benefit from the knowledge, experience, and network of relationships of its partners. HealthEdge's partners have more than 100 years of combined operating experience in healthcare as CEOs and investors. For more information on HealthEdge, please visit healthedgepartners.com.

About Homecare Homebase, LLC

Homecare Homebase is a Dallas-based software leader offering hosted, cloud-based solutions to streamline operations, simplify compliance and boost clinical and financial outcomes for home-based care agencies. Our customized mobile solutions enable real-time, wireless data exchange and communication between field clinicians, physicians and office staff for better care, more accurate reporting and improved revenue cycle management. Founded by industry veterans in 1999, the company is now part of the Hearst Health network. For more information visit http://www.hchb.com or call us toll-free at 1- 866-535-HCHB (4242).

About Hearst Health

The mission of Hearst Health is to help guide the most important care moments by delivering vital information into the hands of everyone who touches a persons health journey. Each year in the U.S., care guidance from Hearst Health reaches 85 percent of discharged patients, 205 million insured individuals, 103 million home health visits and 3.2 billion dispensed prescriptions. The Hearst Health network includes FDB (First Databank), Zynx Health, MCG, Homecare Homebase and MHK (formerly MedHOK). Hearst also holds a minority interest in the precision medicine and oncology analytics company M2Gen. Follow Hearst Health on Twitter @HearstHealth and LinkedIn @Hearst-Health.


Ibbaka Powers Growth This is a great example of the future of competency models and applications with a more open and collaborative approach, adds Chuck Hamilton, CLO at MeetAmi and former Global Mentoring Leader at IBM.

Companies are struggling to adopt Design Thinking. Ibbaka has designed an open competency model for design thinking to help companies understand the skills and capabilities that they need. Competency models accelerate and give direction to efforts to build and apply the new capabilities needed to drive growth.

With a competency model, organizations can answer critical business questions around skill gaps, says Steven Forth, co-founder at Ibbaka. Open competency models provide a quick way for organizations to adopt and customize a competency model for their needs.

Design thinking has emerged as a standard process for innovation and solving customer problems. It has been adopted by leading brands across the globe.

Ibbaka has brought together expertise from this community and its own experience applying design thinking with its customers to develop an Open Competency Model for Design Thinking. This model is offered under a Creative Commons license lowers barriers to adoption for organizations applying design thinking.

By offering its competency models in an open format, Ibbaka is showing its leadership and commitment to the building of a larger community of expertise. I like how this allows organizations to innovate around skills and competencies. says Jennifer Rogers, a well-known advisor on advanced talent and learning technology applications.

This is a great example of the future of competency models and applications with a more open and collaborative approach. adds Chuck Hamilton, CLO at MeetAmi and former Global Mentoring Leader at IBM. Design thinking is a good example of an area in need of this open approach, especially as companies consider their future of work initiatives.

Available Now

The Open Competency Model for Design Thinking is available from the Ibbaka website. (https://www.ibbaka.com/why-open-competency-models).

About Ibbaka Performance

Ibbaka (https://www.ibbaka.com) provides software platforms and expertise to help companies power growth. Ibbaka connects insight to value. Ibbaka customers benefit from better strategic decisions to accelerate growth. Ibbaka gives deep insight into the skills and competencies needed to deliver growth.

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If you have any questions regarding information in these press releases, please contact the company listed in the press release.

Our complete disclaimer appears here. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective Owners.

For more information, press only:

PR Contact: Liam Hannaford

email: lhannaford@ibbaka.com

For more information on Product:

Steven Forth, Managing Partner

email: steven@ibbaka.com

https://www.ibbaka.com/why-open-competency-models
Weve become prisoners to our business and our overlords would be state and federal regulators who micro-manage our world with endless overlapping rules and regulations that sometimes contradict one another and make little or no sense for the consumer.

Jon Henschen had a conversation with an advisor that he has friended and conversed with since 2005 who saw the article, Regulation Throws Sand in the Gears of Business and e-mailed a letter explaining why the article was an understatement.

The advisor wrote:

We spend more of our time doing more and more ridiculous compliance activities and reports that make no sense other than to protect the broker dealer from the regulators. Theres not enough time in the day to do it all. Many of the reps in our group find working in the current atmosphere to be in overkill mode and doing business has become drudgery. Applications are increasingly lengthy and take forever to complete; are highly scrutinized making advisors feel they have to be on the defensive all the time, even years after the sale was completed.

The NYDFS (NY Department of Financial Services) and all the other agencies are making it impossible to do business in our state. It has gotten so bad that insurers like John Hancock are pulling products off the shelves, effectively leaving the state after several others called it quits in the last two years (i.e., MetLife, among others). Advisors are confused by all the regulations and the new regulations on the horizon. Its just too daunting. The worst for me was when my son said after a year at the firm, Ive had enough, this industry is too stifling for me. My son is actively looking for other opportunities elsewhere and it breaks my heart because hell never know how great a business it used to be."

The advisors letter stuck with Henschen for days compelling him to make the advisors thoughts heard. The last article published on regulation was from a broker dealer and macro-regulation perspective so seeing regulation from the perspective of a seasoned top tier advisor would carry weight and bring greater depth of outlook.

After asking the Advisor if he could elaborate on some of his points in order that we could learn from the details of his experiences. The Advisor agreed but asked to remain anonymous. The following are some of the concerns that Advisors face.

"Most of us were drawn to financial services because we wanted to be in charge of our own lives and destinies. We wanted to be our own bosses, build our own businesses, and have the opportunity for unlimited earnings potential that few callings offered. We had complete control to choose the hours we wanted, choose the clients we wanted to work with and learned to specialize into lucrative niches which reduced my workload while my income climbed.

When my business peaked, I loved every minute of it, being the first person in the office and the last to leave. Loving what I was doing never felt like work and I felt I was making a real difference in peoples lives. Not being a salesman hawking a product but rather a problem solver earning the respect of peers, the community and other professionals."

Now broker dealers standing behind advisors through difficult times has largely been replaced with throwing advisors under the bus to save the broker dealer, even when they had followed all the company rules and did nothing wrong. "Things have been in such a state of flux that we feel like weve become prisoners to our business and our overlords would be state and federal regulators who micro-manage our world with endless overlapping rules and regulations that sometimes contradict one another and make little or no sense for the consumer."

"Weekly, monthly and annual reports now take up 65% of my time, leaving me very little time to add new clients and grow my business. income. After factoring my loss of time into the equation, my real payout has shrunken drastically over the last 10 years while the cost of doing business has continued to rise.

Generating reports, filings, storing, and completing annual compliance reviews at the office is a drudgery that makes me and everyone at the office cringe."

The financial services industry has regulations heaped upon them, yet advisors determined to do Ponzi schemes, steal from clients, commit fraud etc., dont follow rules but rather, bypass the rules, while the advisors that walk the straight and narrow path have to operate their business through a mountain of rules, policies, procedures and most of all excessive paperwork that does little to protect the public. The greatest challenge to attracting people to our industry isnt identity politics issues like equality or diversity, it is candidates having to contend with being in one of the most regulated industries in the country. As the number of broker dealers and advisors continues to shrink, will we have a viable future as President Biden follows the advice of former Senator Ted Kaufman, whos a champion for more severe financial regulation asking for even more stringent requirements on disclosures and reporting? Financial Services Institute (FSI) will certainly have a busy docket.

Jon Henschen is founder of http://www.henschenassoc.com, an independent broker-dealer recruiting firm located in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota. With more than 20 years of industry experience, Jon is a staunch advocate for independent financial advisors, and is widely sought after by both reps and broker dealers for his expertise and advice on independent broker dealer topics. He is frequently published and quoted in a variety of industry sources, including WealthManagement.com, ThinkAdvisor, Investment Advisor Magazine, Wealth Management Magazine, Financial Advisor IQ, Financial Advisor Magazine, Investment News and others.
We are excited to welcome the good people of DH Wireless into our organization. DH Wireless customers should rest assured they will quickly realize benefits as we combine the two businesses impressive product offerings and engineering services capabilities.

Ergotech Controls, Inc. dba Industrial Networking Solutions (INS) announced today the acquisition of DH Wireless Solutions, Inc. (DH Wireless), a value-add reseller and systems integrator for wireless Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity applications.

Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, DH Wireless offers products from the leading technology vendors in the Wireless IoT marketplace. This also includes DH Wireless's proprietary line of DH Portable and Custom Solutions. Rugged and secure closed-case solutions that are designed and built for mobile and fixed applications. DH Wireless provides planning, provisioning, deployment, and support services to its customers to ensure the benefits of IoT technology are fully realized.

Stephen Woram, Chief Executive Officer for INS, said, We are excited to welcome the good people of DH Wireless into our organization. DH Wireless customers should rest assured they will quickly realize benefits as we combine the two businesses impressive product offerings and engineering services capabilities. INS will continue to grow through organic and acquisition-based growth to better serve the rapidly expanding IoT market.

Mary Mellema, CEO along with founder and President Bob Mellema, said, INS and DH Wireless were already well-established players in the IoT marketplace. The two companies combined form an industry leader with greater operational scale and a broader set of products and services to offer its customers throughout the United States. We are excited to work with the INS team and look forward to great success together."

About INS: INS is a pioneer in the Industrial IoT market and is one of the largest VARs in the country solely focused on this rapidly growing market. In addition to stocking and selling the leading Industrial and Enterprise IoT products, INS also has an engineering team that assists its customers with troubleshooting, designing and implementing new industrial IT infrastructure.

Cowen served as the exclusive financial advisor to INS. Wick Philips provided legal representation to INS in the transaction.
InstallAware Software, the technology leader in software installation, repackaging, and virtualization solutions for application builders and enterprises, has updated InstallAware X13 with groundbreaking blockchain and cryptocurrency functionality. Together with its unique decentralization capabilities, InstallAware becomes the first and only application deployment technology to offer 21st century packaging and ecommerce capabilities for software developers and publishers:

InstallAware X13 now automatically optimizes gas consumption, helping customers using ETH wallets with just enough crypto balances to cover the purchases they are making, to successfully buy their software. Transactions are approved (or declined) instantly, together with lightning-fast funds transfer.

InstallAware X13 also updates its price oracle, pulling instantaneous, live price quotes for the ETHUSD currency pair; ensuring software sales are always transacted at the right dollar amount, despite the endless 24-hour, 7 days-a-week market volatility that is by now a customary feature of the crypto space.

InstallAware X13 empowers software publishers to be as liberal  or as strict  with their software reactivation policy as they like. End-users reinstalling past purchases may be permitted unlimited activations, or limited as determined by changes (or lack thereof) to the underlying hardware and software.

In the best tradition of InstallAware, the entire process is script-driven and fully customizable to meet business requirements. This flexibility does not come at the cost of a steep learning curve, as a helpful wizard creates all of the necessary code to add sales capability to any setup, instantly. This wizard supports both the Ethereum mainnet and the Ropsten testnet, facilitating a robust development and testing process.

InstallAware X13 built setups may be immortalized as non-fungible tokens on the blockchain. Most NFT stores allow up to 40 MB of data to be uploaded, which is often enough to store apps thanks to the incredibly advanced compression InstallAware is known for. For extra data requirements, InstallAware supports decentralized hosting via Bittorrent/Magnet links, becoming the first (and only) installer in the market to offer both cryptocurrency transactions, and fully decentralized hosting for the actual setup bits.

Finally, InstallAware X13 adds support for the newly released Windows 10 21H1 and Windows Server 2022 operating system versions; including one-click, visual configuration of inbuilt Windows Features and Server Roles. InstallAware setups continue to support old versions down to Windows XP with a single setup binary; enabling the ultimate convenience during distribution, for a minimum of cost and complexity.

About InstallAware Software

InstallAware Software, founded in 2003, is the leading Cloud Infrastructure Company with its laser sharp focus on bullet-proof enterprise software deployment. InstallAware has been recognized by multiple awards coming from Microsoft, SDTimes "Leader of the Software Development Industry", Visual Studio Magazine Reader's Choice, ComponentSource, WindowsITPro, among other recognition. InstallAware X13 is available in a free edition for all Visual Studio users and paid editions with prices starting at $329. For a fully functional 14-day trial and more information, visit http://www.installaware.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Jason Strathmore

InstallAware Software

336 Guerrero

San Francisco, CA 94103

415 358 4094

jase@installaware.com

http://www.installaware.com/

All product and company names herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
"As a Michigan native, contributing to the growth of Detroit and bringing jobs to the local market is a personal goal fulfilled," said Centric Consulting CEO Dave Rosevelt. "Centric looks forward to serving Detroit enterprise and the evolution of its workplaces."

Centric Consulting, an international business and technology consulting services firm known for guiding companies through transformation, has announced its arrival to the Detroit market this spring. Dave Rosevelt, Centric Consulting CEO and Dexter, Michigan native, made the announcement.

The Centric team selected Detroit for this expansion as a result of the companys strong midwestern presence and southeast Michigans heavy concentration of industries on the brink or in the midst of transformation, including automotive, manufacturing and technology.

The company, which brings 20-plus years of experience operating largely without direct office space to help companies with the transition to hybrid and virtual workplaces, projects hiring 100 professionals locally in the next three to five years.

Not only are we rooted in the Midwest  making Detroit a natural fit for our organization  but were also committed to supporting Detroit businesses through the disruption, Ed Heberlein, Centric Vice President and Detroit Practice Lead, said. We hire with intent and choose people who are dedicated to serving our communities. By combining outstanding team members on the ground here in Detroit with our deep well of subject matter experts nationally, we offer business leaders and decision makers the ideal mix of talent and expertise to tackle any challenge head-on.

Today, Centric employs six consultants at the Detroit practice, and the team is looking to hire two to three more professionals in the short term. The company was established in 1999, and since its inception, has grown to more than 1,000 employees in 13 cities in the U.S. and India.

Centrics consultants lead large-scale business transformation efforts, develop and execute on comprehensive digital strategies and help clients prepare for whats next in technology, while streamlining and improving their today.

"As a Michigan native, contributing to the growth of Detroit and bringing jobs to the local market is a personal goal fulfilled," said Rosevelt. "As in all markets we serve, we adopt our client's challenges as our own and work together to overcome them. Centric looks forward to serving Detroit enterprise and the evolution of its workplaces."

For more information about Centric Consulting, visit the company website at https://centricconsulting.com/.

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About Centric Consulting

Centric Consulting, a management consulting firm founded as a largely virtual company in 1999, guides companies in the search for answers to complex digital, business and technology problems by asking tough questions, leading crucial conversations and blending its experts with yours. As your business navigates whats next, Centric can help you conquer change, optimize processes, elevate your technology, and compete in a digital world. Headquartered in Ohio, with locations across the country and India, Centric has been honored over the years with awards for its commitment to employees, clients and communities. Most recently, the firm was recognized as one of Fast Companys 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators.

Connect with Centric Consulting: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Morocco's suspension, for the second consecutive year, of Operacion Paso del Estrecho, the organised summer holiday migration involving millions of Moroccans returning to their home country from working in Europe, will hit Andalucia's ports hard.

The ports that will be most affected are those of Algeciras and Tarifa, in Cadiz, which are the closest to Morocco and those with the highest number of ship movements, followed by the ports of Almeria, Motril and Ceuta, since all will see a dramatic decrease in their activity this summer with the announced suspension.

The organised migration has not happened since 2019, when ships from Andalusian ports carried some 3,340,045 passengers and 760,215 vehicles, according to Spains Ministry of the Interior.

Pre-Covid Algeciras and Tarifa would see around 50 daily crossing in the summer period.

The president of the Junta Juanma Moreno, said that it is "evident that Andalucia is going to suffer a significant economic impact" and that he regretted that the suspension of the operation that makes Andalucia the "one who's paying" for the "conflicts" that Spains central government has with the Kingdom of Morocco.

Moreno added that he hoped that, as soon as possible, the diplomatic problems between the two countries will be solved in the "best way".

The mayor of Algeciras, Jose Ignacio Landaluce, expressed his concern with this suspension, which he considered bad news for Spain and for Algeciras.

"It is the largest controlled migration in the world, which generates a significant number of jobs. We do want the crossing of the Strait to happen, but always with proper health guarantees, since the pandemic has not disappeared, far from it," said the mayor of Algeciras.

Moroccos decision was also regretted by the president of the Almeria Port Authority, Jesus Caicedo, who hoped "for the return" passengers from North Africa to use their facilities, which have been improved and renovated.
Prevail: The Healing Journey Begins: Volume One: a valuable series of exercises for those working to heal. Prevail: The Healing Journey Begins: Volume One is the creation of published author Janette Sams Gleaton, an advocate for those suffering from abuse who has developed Prevail: Abuse Recovery Ministry for Denton Bible Church in Denton, Texas. The author and her late husband, Robert, have four children, two informally adopted daughters, sixteen grandchildren, and twenty-two great-grandchildren.

Gleaton shares, When experiencing abuse the victim's whole world seems to collapse and time stands still! Victims did not expect hostile treatment; the trauma of abuse leaves them in a state of shock, guilt, and shame. They are trapped in a world not of their choosing. The hard issues of life are often unbearable and seen as being impossible to overcome. This defeated mentality becomes normal because victims have come to believe the lies or negative ideas and thoughts which were planted by their abusers. Victims cannot see God and spiritual truths correctly because they put the face of their abuser on the face of God. As wounded people they must find a safe place or source where they can heal emotionally and spiritually.

Prevail: The Healing Journey Begins identifies abuse, addresses the various issues of abuse, and guides victims to the source of truth as found in Scripture. This healing journey encourages victims to go to the source of truthGods Word.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you will abound in hope and overflow with confidence in His promises. (Romans 15:13, AMP)

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Janette Sams Gleatons new book is a comprehensive approach to examining abuse and learning how to successfully cope.

With a long-standing vocation in counseling through ministry, Gleaton hopes to encourage those who have suffered any level of abuse to overcome the negative and move forward with faith.

View a synopsis of Prevail: The Healing Journey Begins: Volume One on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase Prevail: The Healing Journey Begins: Volume One at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Prevail: The Healing Journey Begins: Volume One, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
"After a challenging past year, we are thrilled to be able to provide these free resources to parents and families, so they can help set their children up for success in the year ahead."

As the school year comes to an end, many families are already thinking about what activities and resources will keep their children engaged and learning throughout the summer. The good news is there are great free resources available just a few clicks away.

MetaMetrics, an educational measurement and research organization, has developed free and easy-to-use tools to encourage and support summer learning. Families can use these tools to help their children find reading materials and math activities that match their current level of content knowledge and skills. And after an unusually disruptive school year, these tools can help students make the most of summer months to keep up with their learning. In fact, some research has shown that giving students access to books over the summer can be even more effective than summer school at boosting reading achievement levels. But in order to make the most of summer learning time, it is critical to ensure students are reading books at their level and doing math concepts at their level.

Students staying engaged in reading and math over the summer is incredibly beneficial to both their short-term and long-term learning development, said Malbert Smith, the Chief Executive Officer of MetaMetrics, which is based in Durham, NC. We are proud to be able to take the mystery out of what will help students thrive while they are out of school.

Families can use MetaMetrics Lexile Find a Book to help their child pick out books that are both at the appropriate reading level and focused on topics that they enjoy. Find a Book organizes books by reading ability level, personal interests, and by genres, such as graphic novels or books for beginning readers. The Find a Book tool includes books for Spanish-language readers.

Parents can search both by grade level as well as by Lexile score. A Lexile score describes a students current reading ability, on a scale ranging from a beginning level of 190L in first grade, to the most advanced level of 1385L by the end of high school. Students Lexile reading measures are often included in year-end assessment reports as well as from other classroom tests.

Quantile Summer Math Challenge is a free, six-week program for students to practice math skills taught during the school year. Students receive access to daily fun activities and resources designed for each childs grade and ability level and a variety of learning activities such as math games, instructional videos, and worksheets to provide support as they practice concepts such as X or Y.

"After a challenging past year, we are thrilled to be able to provide these free resources to parents and families, so they can help set their children up for success in the year ahead, Smith said.

About MetaMetrics

MetaMetrics is an award-winning education technology organization that offers the only scientifically valid, universal scales for measuring silent and oral reading and listening (Lexile) and math (Quantile) with plans to develop measures for writing. The Lexile and Quantile Frameworks measure student ability and the complexity of the content they encounter. Lexile and Quantile measures and related technologies link assessment to instruction and provide next steps for students of all ages and abilities. The measures also provide valuable insights about students potential for growth. MetaMetrics measures, products and services are licensed to dozens of education product companies to help achieve that growth. For 35 years, MetaMetrics work has been increasingly recognized for its research-based approach to improving learning. For more information, visit metametricsinc.com.
T-damper installed as part of an industrial oxidizer system. Special configurations and material construction available upon request.

Kono Kogs has decades of experience fabricating the components required to rebuild and refurbish thermal oxidizer systems. Recently, they decided to begin fabricating and selling tee dampers to meet the needs of various industries looking for custom-built, cost-effective process air diverters.

Kono Kogs also provides comprehensive tee damper repair, rebuild & maintenance services. Every tee damper is thoroughly tested, calibrated and set up before leaving their Green Bay facility.

Kono Kogs has taken the approach to leverage their experience and resources to offer high-quality tee dampers with extremely competitive price points.

Kono Kogs also sells used (as-is or fully refurbished) tee dampers, which can cost up to 40-60% less than new units.

Standard tee damper specifications:



Sizes from 10 to 44

Horizontal (thru to oxidizer) or vertical (thru to atmosphere) orientations

Carbon steel wall body thickness up to .19 with flanged connections

Process air temps up to 750F standard

Pressure up to 1PSI & 4000 FPM process air standard (higher available)

99% shut-off @5 W.C.

Three 1 diameter C-1018 thru shafts

2000+ inch-lb. torque actuator for powerful sealing

Carbon steel slave linkage

Metal-to-metal blade seats (no gasket) for precise air control and less leakage

Manual balancing damper for oxidizer-connected ducting

Actuator mounting bracket with heavy-duty Triac electric direct-drive actuator with internal limit switches

Grease-lubricated ball bearings mounted on stand-offs over adjustable packing glands (bearing stand-offs accept optional 3 insulation and cladding)

Fully configured with end-of-travel limit switches, two auxiliary limit switches & manual (locking) trim damper

Optional features:

Weatherproof tie-off/setup enclosure mounted to tee damper for ease of installation

and local actuator setup



3 insulation and cladding

Tadpole seat seal option

Round (standard), square, or rectangular ducting

Manual, or pneumatic actuation with spring return and failsafe

Special configurations and material construction available upon request.

Kono Kogs has been helping companies of all sizes solve emission control problems since 1996. Theyve earned a reputation as a trustworthy and reliable supplier, and have a 100% success rate in meeting performance guarantees.

They apply the same attention to detail and flawless execution to tee damper fabrication, and welcome complex equipment requirements  in fact, they look forward to the challenge. For more information, please visit konokogs.com
"For remote and implant device manufacturers, this study reinforces how theres an opportunity for further growth in this arena. The data also shows that there is a need to educate consumers on the security and reliability of these devices," said Paul Strasser, President of MSI International.

MSI International, a leading global strategic market research firm, today issued the results of its Americans Perceptions of Remote Monitoring in Health study, which shows a majority of Americans view Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) favorably.

The study found that 4 out of 5 of Americans are in favor of Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), and nearly one-half are very favorable towards incorporating it into medical care.

RPM is a subset of telehealth that uses technology tools to track patient data outside the standard healthcare settings. Being able to observe, report, and analyze patients acute or chronic conditions  from home, school, or the office  provides a significant advantage for both providers and patients.

According to the study, the areas of health where Americans are most receptive to allowing physicians to remotely monitor their health are:



70% for blood pressure

68% for heart rate

66% for blood sugar

65% for blood oxygen

There are many benefits to RPM for patients. According to the study, 43% of those surveyed said that greater convenience is a major benefit. In addition, 39% said more efficiency is a benefit, 37% said more control over personal health is a benefit, 36% said more accuracy is a benefit and 36% said peace of mind is a benefit.

When it comes to remote devices, people prefer wearables to implants, with 2/3 of American adults preferring to wear remote health monitoring devices. Among those preferring wearables, 38% would switch to implant if the accuracy of remote monitoring increased.

In addition, 17% of American adults prefer implants. Those age 18-34 (27%) and with HH Income $100K or higher (28%) are most likely to prefer implants.

We knew that remote patient monitoring was growing, and the COVID-19 pandemic really jump started the remote monitoring of health, said Paul Strasser, President of MSI International. For remote and implant device manufacturers, this study reinforces how theres an opportunity for further growth in this arena. However, the data also shows that there is a need to educate consumers on the security and reliability of these devices.

Below are additional key highlights from MSIs survey:

Who are those that are most favorable towards remote health monitoring:



88% among those who had health care performed remotely in the past 12 months

85% among those age 18-34

84% among households with income above was $50k

Mentions of potential benefits associated with remote devices were generally similar regardless of device type. Those preferring wearables, however, were somewhat more likely to mention convenience, control over personal health care and less time as potential benefits.

What were peoples overall perceived concerns?



Nearly half are concerned about accuracy of monitoring, complications caused by the device, reliability of the device and higher cost of care.

Those preferring wearables are more likely to have concerns with remote monitoring devices.

Those preferring implants are less likely to be concerned about accuracy, complications, reliability and maintenance.

Those preferring implants are slightly more likely to worry about lower quality of care.

The survey of 300 Americans adults was conducted in May 2021, and asked questions about their willingness to have their health monitored remotely, and their preferences of whether its a wearable or implanted device. The MSI team also asked which health indicators they would allow their physicians to monitor, and perceived benefits of remote monitoring devices.

Click here to download the report.

About MSI International

MSI International is a leading global strategic market research firm that is committed to helping our clients meet their business and marketing objectives. Combining our marketing intelligence expertise with leading-edge technology, we provide innovative strategic insights on markets, products, services and brands that enable our clients to more effectively compete and optimize their marketing assets for achieving real business growth. To learn more, please click https://here.
Receiving appropriate care from clinicians who are familiar with the unique needs of those with IDD can be extraordinarily difficult. Its true that all physicians study the human body, but, for most, an essential part of medical training is all but ignored. Most doctors have little to no experience working with and caring for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

Its no secret that the road to earning the title of medical doctor is an arduous oneon average, prospective doctors must complete a four-year undergraduate degree, followed by four years in medical school and three to seven years of residency training.(1) Its true that all physicians study the human body, but, for most, an essential part of medical training is all but ignored. Most doctors have little to no experience working with and caring for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). And its this lack of experience that may result in harm, however unintentional, to people with IDD.

People with IDD have complex medical needs just like other patients do. Unfortunately, receiving appropriate care from clinicians who are familiar with the unique needs of those with IDD can be extraordinarily difficult. But many doctors still oversee and provide care to people with IDD, regardless of their lack of experience. Dr. Craig Escude, president of IntellectAbility, says, In medical school, even though I studied the heart, cardiac surgery isnt my field. If I attempted to perform open-heart surgery, I would most likely fail as I dont have the necessary preparation in that area. The same goes for people with IDD. Most doctors lack the expertise necessary to effectively treat this population and would treat the overlying condition rather than seeking out the underlying cause.

Because many physicians lack appropriate training in the care of this particular patient population, its less common for them to work as diligently to help people with IDD. Many clinicians dont recognize the behaviors people with IDD may displayespecially with individuals who do not communicate using wordsand this can lead to misdiagnosis, undertreatment, and inappropriate medical care. Some clinicians treat the behavior instead of taking the time to explore potential underlying causes. In worst case scenarios, doctors may believe that people with IDD have no quality of life and arent meant to live that long, recommending hospice instead of treatment due to the persons poor quality of life.(2)

A recent survey found that only 40% of doctors were very confident in their abilities to provide high quality medical care to people with IDD. A full 82% of physicians thought people with significant IDD have a worse quality of life compared to people without IDD, and only 56% of those surveyed said that they welcomed people with IDD into their practice(2). These factors point to increased risk of harm to people with IDD, even if doctors believe theyre treating this patient population to the best of their ability.

Medical Schools Incorporate IDD Training

IntellectAbility, a leading authority in educating and empowering doctors, nurses, and others about caring for people with IDD, is committed to reducing risk for people with IDD by providing better training opportunities to recognize and mitigate risk before any harm comes to the patient. There is a growing call for medical schools to require all students to receive training on caring for people with IDD.(3) In fact, some medical schools, including one on the East Coast, now offer classes designed to teach medical students about how people with IDD live and communicate.

Other healthcare organizations, including some major medical centers, have incorporated IntellectAbilitys Curriculum in IDD Healthcare into required training for all clinicians. Dr. Melissa Stephens, Associate Dean of Graduate Medical Education and Population Health at William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, describes why they became the first medical school to incorporate this training. A part of our mission at WCUCOM is to educate and train graduates who are committed to serving the healthcare needs of all individuals with special attention directed to the medically underserved and diverse populations of the state, region, nation, and across the globe. As a part of this mission, we are committed to preparing our graduates to meet the healthcare needs of individuals with IDD living in the communities in which they serve.

While not a total solution to the problem, this is the first step in the right direction and is exactly what people with IDD need to receive better quality healthcare. The investment in education and training can help drastically improve outcomes for people with IDD, especially since clinicians will be more likely to treat underlying disease processes instead of symptoms.

Dr. Escude says, People with IDD deserve access to the same quality of healthcare services as people without IDD. That starts with relevant IDD training opportunities for doctors and other clinicians who can then carry those lessons into their own daily practice.

About IntellectAbility:

IntellectAbility provides tools and training to agencies, governmental entities and supporters of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to foster early recognition and mitigation of health risks thereby improving health and wellness. One such tool is the Health Risk Screening Tool (HRST), of which they are the sole developer, producer, and distributor. The web based HRST is the most widely used and validated health risk screening instrument for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. IntellectAbility also provides numerous health-related and person-centered service trainings for supporters of people with IDD. With unrelenting focus, IntellectAbility works to fulfill its mission of improving health and quality of life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and other vulnerabilities. For more information, visit ReplacingRisk.com.

Sources

1. Becoming a Doctor in the US: Medical School, Residency & Licensing Requirements. Study.com, 11 Jan. 2021, study.com/requirements_to_become_a_doctor.html.

2. Disturbing Personal Stories from Nurses About Doctors' Treatment of People with IDD Just Released in a New Study. IntellectAbility, 1 Apr. 2021, replacingrisk.com/disturbing-personal-stories-from-nurses-about-clinicians-treatment-of-people-with-idd-just-released-in-a-new-study/.

3. Perkes, Courtney. Push To Require Disability Training For Doctors Meets Resistance. Disability Scoop, 6 Nov. 2020, disabilityscoop.com/2019/06/13/push-disability-training-doctors-resistance/26782/.
This book is different inasmuch it has been produced by a little-known member of society and not a Professional of world renown

New release Sixty Years in Sixty Minutes (published by AuthorHouse UK) from Don Jacklin is a photographic documentation of a 60-year period of life which has passed by his lens.

The book represents a 60-year span of recording everyday things, most of which are unrepeatable and must be of historic interest. Each photograph allows readers to imagine the goings on around each scenario, giving them the pleasure of seeing a varied slice of past life in North Britain. With it, Jacklin hopes to persuade the new generation to record life for themselves and put together their own photo collection that may be a future minor legacy.

This book is different inasmuch it has been produced by a little-known member of society and not a Professional of world renown, the author states. I would like to think that British Amateur Photojournalism never dies and ordinary people such as myself can and will make the effort to continue recording for posterity.

To purchase a copy, visit https://www.authorhouse.com/en-gb/bookstore/bookdetails/822808-sixty-years-in-sixty-minutes.

Sixty Years in Sixty Minutes

By Don Jacklin

Softcover | 8.25 x 11in | 110 pages | ISBN 9781665588430

E-Book | 110 pages | ISBN 9781665588423

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Born in May 1940 to the crashing accompaniment of Nazi bombers during their Blitz on Sheffield Steel City, Don Jacklin survived and was brought up by loving parents and grandparents who formed his character and shaped his life. Luckily, he attended the Rowlinson Secondary Technical School in its heyday with a leaning towards engineering. His regular full time occupation was as a professional design engineer of heating and building services based in North England and traveling to numerous sites in the course of his career. For many of my active years, he was a member of the Phoenix Mountaineering Club, including a term as president, and underwent many treks and climbs across the Himalaya. He has also traveled to seek out wild landscapes in Patagonia, Australia, Kyrgyzstan, the USA, India and Tibet. He has been a long-time member of Dronfield Camera Club, The Leica Society and the Photographic Association of Great Britain as photography has been a big part of his life. Since his teen years, he has continually tried to catch photo glimpses of people and things he found interesting. In his 80th. Year, he looks back on these with fondness.

AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, Inc. self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industrys only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse celebrates over 23 years of service to authors. For more information or to publish a book visit authorhouse.co.uk or call 0-800-014-8641.
We're excited to share these incredible stories and to give our audience the opportunity to create the family of their dreams with 'A Lifetime of Pride and Joy' campaign giveaway.

In celebration of Pride Month and family equality for all, pregnantish  the first media platform exclusively dedicated to helping all people navigate fertility  is proud to feature three incredible stories of modern family building, and raise awareness of the accessibility of fertility care for the LGBTQ+ community by joining the A Lifetime of Pride and Joy campaign.

Throughout the month of June, pregnantish will be amplifying voices from the community in support of Pride and will be highlighting for members of the queer community, single or partnered, the chance to win a free customized fertility journey gifted by A Lifetime of Pride & Joy.

"When pregnantish went live in early 2017," founder and relationship expert Andrea Syrtash says, "we made it clear that all who were building modern families or pursuing non-traditional paths to parenthood, including the LGBTQ+ community, were represented and welcome on our platform. It is our mission to break the taboo of infertility and elevate the conversation of how so many families are created today."

As part of pregnantishs annual Pride programming, pregnantish has curated a series of inspiring modern family success stories.

Syrtash adds, "We're excited to share these incredible stories and to give our audience the opportunity to create the family of their dreams with 'A Lifetime of Pride and Joy' campaign giveaway." The campaign is sponsored by four premiere fertility services providers: The Prelude Network, MyEggBank, Bundl Fertility, and Circle Surrogacy.

One of the campaign partners Travis Lairson, head of Bundl Fertility, a fertility financing assistance company, agrees. He says, We are proud todo our part to spread the message of accessibility, inclusivity, and most importantly, that everyone deserves to build their families the way they want to, regardless of their sexual orientation.

The pregnantish podcast, social media platforms, and website always amplify the paths people take to create their families  often against the odds. The featured Pride Month profiles on pregnantish media channels are:



The Durt Family

For Matt and Elliot Durt, having a daughter was truly a family affair. Matt's mom was the gestational surrogate and Elliot's sister was the egg donor. But their family story doesn't end there! Matt is now the sperm donor for his childhood best friend and her partner, who recently transitioned from female to a non-binary male.

Their family story is on this weeks pregnantish podcast episode, My Big Happy Queer Family.

Matt Durt: "This misconception that queer couples can't, or even worse, shouldn't, have children is so dangerous and such a disservice to our societyThe more we can teach people that they are worthy of giving and receiving love, the better our world will become. What is 'Pride and Joy' to us? The fact that we live in a time where science can help us create children and to live in a society that not only tolerates us, but celebrates us. It has given me the greatest joy of my entire life."

Genavieve Jaffe

Genavieve Jaffe is married to Jordana, with whom she has two children. Genavieve recently founded connecting rainbows, which offers legal and fertility resources to the LGBTQ+ community to help them start, grow and protect their families. Helping the community navigate the complexities of the process of modern family building is close to her heart.

Genavieve Jaffe: "We had both of our kids through reciprocal IVF  we used my wife's eggs and I carried. I am so proud of how we created our family. Our two children are truly a piece of both of us. While they are not my biological children, I carried them. I can't think of anything more beautiful. My family is everything.

Dr. Deidre Downs Gunn

Dr. Deidre Downs Gunn, Miss America 2005, is the first title winner who is in a same-sex marriage. She now practices as a fertility specialist and performed her wife's IVF embryo transfer. The couple is expecting their first child together later this summer. The experience of going through IVF and fertility treatments with her wife, while practicing as a fertility specialist at the same clinic, gave her a whole new perspective and appreciation for the patient experience.

Dr. Deidre Downs Gunn: I never really imagined getting married again or having a child once I came out. Im here in Birmingham, Alabama, and I have this background as Miss America. Once Miss America, always a Miss America. I knew when I came out it wouldnt be a quiet thingprobably at least a headline, right? And that was really, really scary. I thought the possibility of meeting someone that I would want to spend my life with and publicly come out for in Birmingham, Alabama was probably unlikely.

But Deidre fell in love with Abbott and knew early on that she wanted to marry and build a family with her.

For these Pride spotlights in June, follow pregnantish.com, pregnantish social, and the pregnantish podcast.

The Giveaway:

There is no purchase necessary to enter the A Lifetime of Pride and Joy giveaway, a national sweepstakes campaign sponsored by Bundl, MyEggBank, The Prelude Network, and Circle Surrogacy. The campaign will give one winner a customized package that includes IVF and surrogacy services by these four nationally recognized fertility service providers, with a retail value of up to $75,000. Winners will be announced in early July. To learn more about the campaign and how to enter the free fertility journey giveaway, please visit pridejoybaby.com.

About pregnantish:

Pregnantish is a patient advocacy and media site dedicated to helping people dealing with infertility and fertility treatments navigate the emotional, personal, and practical realities of an often-overwhelming process. Its mission is to inspire, educate, and connect the millions of people who are starting their familieswith a little help. Focused on modern family building and infertility, diversity and inclusion has always been central to the pregnantish mission. Through high-quality content, resources and storytelling, pregnantish's aim is to break the taboo of infertility and elevate the conversation of how many families are created today.
Dr. Tom Biernacki discusses advanced heel pain treatment options and biomechanical analysis in Berkley Michigan. Dr. Tom Biernacki states We believe advanced heel pain diagnosis and advanced heel pain treatment options can significantly improve their mobility and decrease pain while standing. We believe that getting people moving again is one of the single most important things we can do as podiatrists!

Prime Foot & Ankle Specialists including Dr. Tomasz Biernacki DPM announce Advanced Heel Pain & Plantar Fasciitis Treatment Options in Berkley Michigan. There are many different causes of heel pain. Advanced diagnostic modalities like X-ray, Ultrasound or MRI may be needed to differentiate this heel pain if it is not improving after many months.

Prime Foot & Ankle Specialists offers advanced treatment options such as minimally invasive plantar fasciitis surgery, shockwave therapy and advanced injection options as well as biomechanical analysis in the office. The benefits of a modern diagnostic techniques, a biomechanical exam and advanced heel pain treatment options program can help athletes and people who stand on their feet potentially walk and stand with less pain and for longer periods of time.

Dr. Tom Biernacki states We believe advanced heel pain diagnosis and advanced heel pain treatment options can significantly improve their mobility and decrease pain while standing. We know that once people stop walking, then this is one of the single biggest risk factors for a shorter and less healthy life span. We believe that getting people moving again is one of the single most important things we can do as podiatrists and foot doctors!

Prime Foot & Ankle Specialists of Michigan strive to provide modern podiatrist and foot doctor care to their patients through offering biomechanical gait analysis, minimally invasive surgery office visits, telehealth, and home care options. Prime Foot & Ankle Specialists include Dr. Tomasz Biernacki DPM, Dr. Jeffrey Klein DPM, Dr. Robert Strasberger DPM, Dr. Andrew Thompson DPM, Dr. Herbert Bircoll DPM, Dr. Gerald Gold DPM & Dr. Leslie Joseph DPM. The team offers over 100+ years of foot and ankle care experience!

A unique feature of Prime Foot & Ankle Specialists of Michigan is that they are one of the leaders in southeast Michigan in both podiatrist telemedicine and home care visits. The foot doctors and podiatrists at this clinic have been providing podiatrist home care visits, podiatrist house call visits and telehealth options for numerous years.

Prime Foot & Ankle Specialists have been providing care to the Metro Detroit Area for over 30 years. The headquarters are in Berkley Michigan.
Whether youre joining us in-person or attending the event online, COMVEC allows attendees to engage in powerful discussions around the latest technologies designed to overcome supply chain challenges in todays environment. Frank Bokulich, manager of engineering events, SAE International

SAE International announced today that COMVEC 2021 will take place both in-person in Rosemont, Ill., and virtually on September 14-16, 2021. The in-person portion of the event will afford attendees the opportunity to convene and discuss critical topics facing the commercial vehicle industry, including energy, sustainability, and the future of commercial vehicle transportation.

Whether youre joining us in-person or attending the event online, COMVEC allows attendees to engage in powerful discussions around the latest technologies designed to overcome supply chain challenges in todays environment, said Frank Bokulich, manager of engineering events at SAE International. It also provides the opportunity to meet the experts driving research and innovations in new powertrain options, autonomous vehicles, braking, platooning and more.

Spanning the on-highway, agricultural, construction, industrial, military and mining sectors, COMVEC 2021 is the convening point for engineering professionals around the world who are seeking new solutions for energy balance and transportation. In-person attendees will be able to meet industry leaders showcasing new technologies advancing commercial vehicles and participate in four keynote presentations and 28 technical sessions and panel discussions.

SAE is proud to announce the COMVEC 2021 keynote speakers include:



Deanna Kovar, vice president of production & precision ag production systems at Deere & Company. Kovar leads a global team of experts focused on unlocking value for the agriculture industry through equipment and technology solutions.

Philip Stephenson, general manager at PACCAR Technical Center. Dr. Stephenson leads teams responsible for product validation of Peterbilt and Kenworth trucks and for the development, calibration testing and customer support of PACCAR powertrains for North America.

Michael Berube, acting deputy assistant secretary for transportation at the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy. Berube has more than 25 years of experience in the automotive industry, specifically focusing on the areas of environmental compliance, energy and safety policy, product development and marketing.

Chris Atkinson, Sc.D., director of the Smart Mobility Initiative and professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at The Ohio State University. Prior to his time at Ohio State, Dr. Atkinson served as program director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Those who attend the event online will have similar experiences to those in-person by livestreaming keynote presentations, participating in technical sessions, engaging in chat rooms, and networking with technical leaders in government, academia and R&D during designated online networking events. Additionally, online attendees will be able to replay presentations and access to technical papers following the event.

To register for the COMVEC event, please visit: https://www.sae.org/attend/comvec/registration.

To learn more about the program, please visit: https://www.sae.org/attend/comvec.

Members of the media seeking credentials can email pr@sae.org or call 1-724-772-7562.

About SAE International

SAE International is a global association committed to advancing mobility knowledge and solutions for the benefit of humanity. By engaging nearly 200,000 engineers, technical experts and volunteers, we connect and educate mobility professionals to enable safe, clean, and accessible mobility solutions. We act on two priorities: encouraging a lifetime of learning for mobility engineering professionals and setting the standards for industry engineering. We strive for a better world through the work of our philanthropic SAE Foundation, including award-winning programs like A World In Motion and the Collegiate Design Series. More at http://www.sae.org.

###
Interview: Expectations high for ASEAN, China to achieve post COVID-19 economic recovery: Malaysian analysts

Xinhua) 11:21, June 08, 2021

KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian analysts said that expectations are high for ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and China to strengthen efforts to achieve post COVID-19 economic recovery and further economic cooperation as the region seeks to move past the pandemic.

The comments came ahead of a Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Dialogue Relations held on Monday in southwest China's Chongqing.

In a phone interview with Xinhua on Sunday, Malaysian political observer Azmi Hassan said "I do believe that when they meet, the pandemic, economic issues, will be at the top of the agenda, since it is very critical that China and ASEAN work together to navigate the pandemic's economic impact."

"Since in terms of how to push the economy, the two (sides) will be able to find a lot of common ground," he added.

Pointing to China's effective containment of the COVID-19 and its economic recovery, which has allowed it to fully push forward its economic activities, Azmi said "This is the best time to strengthen the bond between China and us, not just in economic matters but also pandemic control."

He noted that ASEAN and China are aware of "the importance of needing to work together to realize the development of the post-pandemic economy."

Oh Ei Sun, principal advisor for Malaysia's Pacific Research Center, said Malaysia has played an important role in facilitation of relations between ASEAN and China.

Trade and investment between both sides have deepened and broadened, with the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area becoming the hallmark of the ASEAN-China relations, he said.

Oh noted that ASEAN as a whole became China's largest trading partner in 2020, and China has long been the largest trading partner both for ASEAN as a whole as well as for most ASEAN member states.

The trade relationship has benefitted ASEAN countries like Malaysia greatly, he said.

"Much can be done in promoting cooperation in entrepreneurship and innovation between the younger generations of China and ASEAN countries, he said, calling for business and talent matching of young entrepreneurs and innovators to be regularly and systematically conducted to meet mutual needs.

Oh also said that ASEAN would continue to play a key role in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and could partner well with its northern neighbor in jointly developing new opportunities in areas such as environmental sustainability.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
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Skyllful, a leading provider of a mobile digital adoption platform that helps workers on the front lines use mobile apps and devices more efficiently and effectively, today announced it has won the 2021 Peoples Choice Stevie Award for Favorite Corporate Learning/Workforce Development Solution at the 19th Annual American Business Awards, an annual U.S. business awards program. It adds to Skyllfuls earlier Gold 2021 Stevie Award for Best Corporate Learning/Workforce Development Solution and its 2021 BIG Innovation Award from Business Intelligence Group.

The American Business Awards are nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word meaning crown. The worldwide online public vote for the Peoples Choice Stevie Awards was conducted last month, with the highest number of votes deciding the winners in a variety of product categories. More than 92,000 total votes were cast.

Skyllfuls comprehensive, SaaS-based mobile digital adoption platform (MDAP) helps field operations leaders and professionals in change management and training & development drive faster adoption of mobile technology by its frontline workers. Proven to increase productivity and maximize investments in technology, it is the only digital adoption platform designed and built for training frontline mobile workers

Skyllfuls MDAP delivers ongoing education and real-time support to workers on the front lines. Providing scenario-based simulation training that helps workers retain knowledge better, it supports new digital deployments and onboarding of new hires. Skyllfuls MDAP supports all mobile applications, including custom-built solutions, runs natively on mobile devices including industrial-grade and ruggedized handhelds and tablets, and can access native device peripherals and sensors  such as barcode scanners and printers  that are part of a digital solution. For compliance purposes, it provides the ability to see and measure mobile technology training in real-time by tracking and documenting usage and adoption by frontline mobile workers.

For more information, go to: https://www.skyllful.com/.

About Skyllful

Skyllful is a leading provider of a mobile digital adoption platform that helps workers on the front lines use enterprise mobile apps more efficiently and effectively in their delivery of essential products and services. With deep expertise in leading mobile technology and best practice field deployments as well as a leadership team with decades of experience working with large mobile workforces and applications, Skyllful provides on-device, on-demand training through scenario-based simulations. Whether a company is deploying a new mission-critical workforce app or seeking to improve its workforce engagement with existing apps, the Skyllful platform is easy to use, intuitively designed and proven to increase productivity and deliver greater returns on investment in technology. Skyllful is based in the greater Dallas/Ft. Worth area of Texas. For more information, visit https://www.skyllful.com and follow on Twitter @Skyllfulco.
The Marble Falls / Lake LBJ Chamber of Commerce and CVB today announced the return of Slide into Marble Falls. The event will take place June 19 and 20, allowing riders to coast down tubes through the middle of Downtown Marble Falls. The 1,000-foot padded inflatable slip-n-slide will have three lanes running down the middle of the Downtown shops and restaurants from Third & Main to Third & Ave. L.

This is our second year doing Slide into Marble Falls and after missing last year, were excited for the events return to Downtown. This time, we added an extra day to enjoy the festivities, said Jarrod Metzgar, Executive Director of the Marble Falls Chamber of Commerce and CVB. Marble Falls remains a popular destination for locals and visitors looking to enjoy time together outdoors, and we want to build on the fun activities happening Downtown. Our summer programming got off to a great start with Mayfest and Summer Market on Main, and Slide into Marble Falls will continue that momentum by helping riders cool off and beat the Texas summer heat.

Taking place over Fathers Day weekend, the family-friendly event starts Saturday, June 19 at 10:00 a.m. and runs until 10:00 p.m. that same day. On Sunday, June 20, riders will be able to take part in the fun from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The assorted shops Downtown will also be open to patrons looking for food, drinks and shopping, with plenty of restaurants located within viewing distance of the slide.

An all-day pass for either day can be purchased for $40, or riders can save $5 with a two-day pass. Riders can also register for two-hour wave time slots for $20, or cut lines with a Slide Fast Pass for an additional $10 (quantities limited). Riders must be at least five years old and 46 inches tall to make it onto the padded slide.

Visitors should not attend the event if experiencing a fever or any other symptoms associated with Covid-19, or if they have been exposed to anyone who tested positive for Covid-19 leading up to the event.

Tickets can be purchased at SlideIntoMarbleFalls.com.

About Marble Falls Chamber of Commerce

The Marble Falls Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit that makes much of its funding from large events. Our mission at the Marble Falls Chamber of Commerce is to support local businesses through education, networking, and tourism promotion through citywide events. For information on alternative events and future fundraising efforts, please visit https://www.marblefalls.org/.

About Marble Falls

Marble Falls is a small Texas town in the Highland Lakes region of the Texas Hill Country. Founded in 1887, its first settlers took advantage of nearby Granite Mountain and the Colorado River to build an economy at the turn of the century, with the towns population exploding in the decade after its founding. In 1917, Marble Falls became the first Texas town to elect a woman as Mayor, and Ophelia Crosby "Birdie" Harwood took office 3 years before womens suffrage was established in the United States. The town remained relatively sleepy until the end of World War II, when a boom in population doubled the towns size. Growth continued at a steady clip until the present, when Marble Falls retains its small town status without sacrificing the amenities and luxuries of a larger, more cosmopolitan city.

Links:

http://www.Marblefalls.org

https://www.facebook.com/MarbleFallsCoC

https://fb.me/e/2byD48slw

http://www.SlideintoMarbleFalls.com
Its an honor to do our small part to support this work, and elevate the discussion about autism in our community and beyond.

STA Jets has announced that it will be donating an all-expenses-paid jet charter to the Irvine-based nonprofit TACA (The Autism Community in Action). The luxury transportation will be included in TACAs 15th annual fundraising gala, Ante Up for Autism, as part of a silent auction package including a 3-night Napa getaway.

STA Jets and its Founder and CEO Kurt Belcher have consistently supported TACA and other local nonprofits from the very beginning in 2009. This will be the second such donation of a private jet charter, in addition to other sponsorships for the organization.

TACAs Ante Up for Autism is held annually, and has become a Southern California tradition. This years gala and casino event will be held September 25, 2021 at the Waterfront Beach Resort, 21100 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach, CA 92648.

Today, the CDC estimates that 1 in 54 children in the United States has autism, a 178% increase since 2000. Its now more important than ever for families and communities to have increased access to support.

Belcher, whose connection to the autism community is personal, explained his support for TACA. On a personal level, I sympathize with TACAs ongoing vision of helping every individual diagnosed with autism to lead an independent life. When my own daughter was diagnosed with autism, resources and support were the main things we were seeking. Its an honor to do our small part to support this work, and elevate the discussion about autism in our community and beyond.

About STA Jets

STA Jets is the ultimate in private travel. Offering a unique combination of executive charters, aircraft management, and aircraft sales and acquisitions, STA's diverse fleet of aircraft, its superior flight and maintenance crews, and topflight customer support and service provide the best possible travel experience. Headquartered at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Santa Ana, California, the company has operations based in Van Nuys, San Jose, New York, and Fort Lauderdale.

To learn more or reserve a charter, visit http://www.stajets.com or call 1.844.FLY.STA1.

About The Autism Community in Action (TACA)

The Autism Community in Action (TACA) is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2000 with the mission to provide education, support and hope to families living with autism. Headquartered in Irvine, CA with staff and volunteers working across the country, TACA offers: Coffee Talks  free educational meetings, webinars, a parent mentor program, an online Hope and Help support group, an annual National Autism Conference, and a free Autism Journey Guide given to newly diagnosed families. For more information visit http://www.tacanow.org


StruXures Pergola X helps businesses expand by optimizing the property they already own.

For the past 15 months, StruXure has helped many restaurants create new outdoor seating configurations, as well as to cover existing open-air seating, so that eateries could continue serving their customers. It wasnt a new idea, but the pandemic certainly motivated restauranteurs to find an outdoor seating solution in a hurry, and StruXure was ready.

According to the National Restaurant Associations (NRA) 2021 State of the Restaurant Industry Report, 62% of fine dining and 56% of casual dining operators dedicated more resources to developing and expanding outdoor dining since the start of the pandemic.

Weve been installing our Pergola X product at restaurants, country clubs, and other commercial properties for years, said StruXures CEO, Scott Selzer, but when restaurants were forced to close their indoor dining due to COVID-19 restrictions, it became critical for them to create comfortable outdoor spaces in which to serve their patrons in order to stay in business.

The Pergola X is made of strong, ultra-durable powder-coated extruded aluminum. With automated louvers that pivot 170-degrees, it offers versatile weather protection. The system can also accommodate lights, fans, heaters, and screens. An integrated 360 patented gutter system collects rainwater from the closed louvers and sends it to concealed downspouts for the most water-tight system on the market, offering one more way to keep customers comfortable while dining outdoors. The automation is provided using top-of-the-line Somfy motors and the MyLink app, providing confidence and ease when adjusting the louvers, and any add-ons, at the touch of a button.

StruXures Pergola X helps businesses expand by optimizing the property they already own. Its a relatively quick install yet a long-term solution, added Selzer, for an investment that produces big dividends. And, based on the NRA Report that also shows 85% of consumers who are planning to return to on-premise dining would consider choosing at an outdoor table, there is evidence that concerns about health and dining out will linger. However, there is also evidence that people want their dine-out options back (restaurant sales rose sharply in March 2021 according to the U.S. Census Bureau). For more information on Pergola X for restaurants, go to https://struxure.com/products/pergola-x/commercial/.

For testimonial video, please visit: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l9C0JVR7zywxpFG5bAOmbarqKZTzkvJ3/view?usp=sharing

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About StruXure:

Founded in 2011, CEO and Chief Product Architect Scott Selzer had simply set out to design a better pergola to improve the outdoor living space for one of his clients. Scott was a middle-school teacher at the time, with a part-time remodeling business, and when he couldnt find the product he needed, a pivoting louvered-roof structure that the user could control, he designed his own. Little did he know hed begun a journey that would lead to one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the United States.

Steady growth attracted top talent and led the company to open a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and corporate headquarters just north of Atlanta, GA in 2016. A West Coast Fulfillment Center and Showroom, located just outside of Las Vegas, NV, was added in the Fall of 2017. With StruXure dealers from Canada to the Caribbean, the company is poised and ready to lead the way to more innovative outdoor living across North America and beyond. StruXure celebrated its 10-year anniversary in April 2021.


The Kings Watchman: a captivating redemption story. The Kings Watchman is the creation of published author Susannah Raye, a loving wife who enjoys playing piano, creating written works, and coffee.

Susannah shares, There once was a beautiful village in a valley between two great mountains. The village was full of all different types of people. The King, who created the village, wanted his people to love each other just as he loved them. He was a good and kind King, but the people did not know him. They disobeyed his rules, hurt their friends, and hated the village he had created for them to enjoy. Loving them, even though they rejected him, the King did not want to punish them for their disobedience. When he sacrificed his innocent Son to pay for their wrong deeds, they hated him even more and insisted that they could find happiness and contentment outside of the Kings love. They ignored the very words that gave them life.

Who would tell the broken people that the King had made a way for them to be healed?

Who would tell the wandering villagers that the King had made a way for them to be saved?

Who would be the Kings watchman?

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Susannah Rayes new book is a powerful tool for assisting young children in understanding Gods sacrifice and the path to salvation.

With an enjoyable narrative and illustrations, young readers will be able to consider the salvation construct and how it relates to their faith.

View a synopsis of The Kings Watchman on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase The Kings Watchman at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about The Kings Watchman, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
The Sunrock Group, a privately held construction materials provider headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, announced the acquisition of an asphalt plant located in Ivor, Virginia from Curtis Contracting, Inc. The acquisition allows Sunrock to expand asphalt production and aggregate distribution into the Suffolk, Virginia region.

Curtis Contracting Inc. has been owned and operated by the Curtis family since its inception in 1985 and focuses on general contracting projects for civil, highway/road, bridge and infrastructure improvements. Sunrock looks forward to working with Curtis Contracting Inc. on future projects in the region.

The Sunrock Group has been in the construction materials business for more than 70 years, beginning with operations in the Buffalo, New York area and expanding to the Raleigh Durham, North Carolina market in the mid-1980s as a vertically integrated construction and construction materials supplier.

Bryan Pfohl, The Sunrock Groups Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, is looking forward to building a strong Virginia business that continues the companys focus on Safety, Environmental Stewardship and Community Relations.

For more information about The Sunrock Group, please visit http://www.thesunrockgroup.com. For questions about The Sunrock Group or its Virginia operations, please contact Gregg Bowler by phone (919) 747-6358 or via e-mail gbowler@thesunrockgroup.com or Zach Satterwhite (919) 697-2535 or e-mail zsatterwhite@thesunrockgroup.com.

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About The Sunrock Group

The Sunrock Group is a privately held, family-owned construction materials supplier and highway contractor offering customers a one-stop-shopping experience by producing aggregates, recycled aggregates, hot mix asphalt, ready mixed concrete, and contracting services at conveniently located quarries and production facilities in both the Southeastern United States and Ontario, Canada. A 70 plus year legacy has positioned the company as a leading privately held producer of construction materials and industrial minerals, as well as providing contracting services in the markets it serves.
Tiffs Treats Delivers Strong Fathers Day Gift: a Superpower-Themed YETI Rambler Tumbler with Warm Cookies to Treat Dad As a dad, quality time with family is just about the best Fathers Day gift I can receive. We kept that in mind designing the tumbler from YETI, another Austin-based company, offering a premium gift that will make any dad smile, along with warm cookies the whole family can enjoy, said Leon Chen.

The gifting pros at Tiffs Treats, the Austin, Texas-based original warm cookie delivery company, have released their first Fathers Day limited edition item with a 20-ounce YETI Rambler tumbler in Tiffs Treats signature blue. Featuring the phrase My superpower is making cookies disappear along with the Tiffs Treats logo, the tumbler is available for delivery with warm cookies baked to order, now through Fathers Day.

Customers should act fast to scoop up a limited-edition YETI tumbler. They are available in Tiffs Treats stores and at http://www.cookiedelivery.com and can be purchased a la carte for $40 or with warm cookies and treats as an easy, memorable Fathers Day gift. The Dad Jokes gift package is sure to bring laughs, featuring a YETI tumbler, a dozen warm cookies, a Frost Ems pack and YOU SMELL! (like warm cookies) packaging, for $65. Celebrating with a group? The Fathers Day Deluxe gift package includes a YETI tumbler, 2 dozen warm cookies, Fathers Day packaging with a balloon and two drinks, for $87.

As a dad, quality time with family is just about the best Fathers Day gift I can receive. We kept that in mind designing the tumbler from YETI, another Austin-based company, offering a premium gift that will make any dad smile, along with warm cookies the whole family can enjoy, said Leon Chen, co-founder of Tiffs Treats and father of 6-year-old twins.

Schedule a Fathers Day delivery now while supplies last!

Tiffs Treats founders Tiffany and Leon Chen signed a book publishing deal with Harper Horizon earlier this year to tell the unlikely story of how they took the business from $20 and a college apartment kitchen to a rapidly growing brand with millions of customers and $85 million in funding. The book will be available in February 2022 and will include homemade versions of some of their favorite cookie recipes.

About Tiffs Treats

In 1999, Tiffany Taylor accidentally stood up Leon Chen for a date. As an apology, she baked and delivered a batch of warm cookies, and the concept of warm cookie delivery was born. Tiff and Leon, just 19-year-old sophomores at The University of Texas at Austin at the time, opened Tiffs Treats with $20, a cell phone and a dream. Since then, the business has grown to 65 stores in Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Oklahoma, with more than 1,500 employees, baking more than 200 million cookies since the company started. The founders are now married and the business continues to grow, but Tiffs Treats has the same core mission: creating memorable moments through cookies and treats, baked to order and delivered warm. Customers can order online, with the Tiffs Treats app or by phone, all supported by industry-leading technology and top-notch customer service. The charitably-minded company has donated well over $1 million in products and funds to charitable organizations to date. To learn more, please visit https://www.cookiedelivery.com.


Canada-based manufacturer uFluidix has doubled its manufacturing capacity to meet the increased demands for Microfluidics triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. This surge in demand is based on two factors; the need for volume manufacturing of Covid-19 test cartridges and the influx of new clients who had received government funding to develop novel tests.

During the first half of 2020, there was an explosion of government funding for developers or manufacturers of Covid-19 diagnostics. Consequently, Microfluidics manufacturers faced not only an increase in demand but also an increase in rush delivery timelines that were often unrealistic. Manufacturers, like uFluidix, had to decide whether they should either increase capacity to meet new demands, drop some existing clients to open up capacity, or opt-out of Covid-19 related projects and continue with business as usual. CEO of uFluidix, Aarash Sofla says uFluidix has been at the center of efforts for developers of point-of-care systems to detect Covid-19. The multi-million dollar question facing uFluidix during 2020 has been what is the post-pandemic outlook once we invest capital to meet the current unusual demand?

The problem is one of business growth, projections, and ethics. uFluidix is a custom manufacturer of Microfluidics. About half of its business comes from growing startups, small ventures or academic institutions. Their clients rely on the continuous and reliable delivery of Microfluidic devices and chips for a multitude of medical applications, including cancer treatment, cell studies, fundamental biological research, or rare disease testing and therapies. Any interruption of uFluidix services could seriously damage their clients research, medical developments and overall business.

Aarash Sofla continues, We had to make a choice between lucrative orders for cartridge manufacturing to fight the pandemic or continue to serve our long-term clients. Instead, we found a compromise. Some of our existing clients had paused their orders due to work-from-home circumstances which decreased the strain on our resources. We also decided to double our manufacturing capacity. As a result, we have been able to assist in several pandemic-related projects.

Consequently, uFluidix has not only been able to support its long-term clients and meet the demands of Covid-19 related projects, but also continued its philanthropic programs. These programs support the Microfluidics community, including academic collaborations, the Microfluidic Circle and their annual prototyping grant competition. Every year uFluidix offers a prototyping grant to winners of the Microfluidic Circle Prototyping Grant. The international grant competition showcases the latest developments in the Microfluidics field, fosters collaboration, and offers an opportunity for the winner to receive $50,000 USD worth of production and development services from uFluidix.

The latest winners of the Microfluidic Circle Prototyping Grant, Phytoform Labs, received its grant support during the pandemic. Phytoform Labs is a startup aiming to utilize Artificial Intelligence and gene editing for the sustainable production of safe and new traits of crops. William Pelton, CEO of Phytoform Labs, says The grant allowed us to prototype a large number of new chip designs which rapidly improved on our original chip design to move beyond the prototype phase and into the final development phase. The device will provide us with the confidence and ability to significantly expand our range of projects and the species of crops we work on.

Clearly, uFluidix is on the cutting edge of the Microfluidics industry. This success is largely due to its valuable expertise, high standards of professionalism, superior quality control, thoughtful and proactive business expansion, and dedication to supporting research and development in the field.

More About uFluidix:

Leaders in the custom fabrication of Microfluidic devices made of PDMS and thermoplastics, uFluidix has confidential cleanroom production facilities, fully equipped with state-of-the-art, custom-made manufacturing equipment, and uses proprietary processes to produce affordable and high-fidelity Microfluidic chips. In addition to providing fabrication services, uFluidix has proven its value as a full-service development partner to the creators of Microfluidic solutions.
UMHS Celebrates Match Day 2021 To medical students, Match Day is more important than anything, even more important than actual graduation. Its a moment in time where everything they have worked so hard for, have sacrificed so much for, comes together in an ultimate revealthe stakes of the answer couldnt be any higher.

The University of Medicine and Health Sciences, (UMHS), a small, mission-driven medical school with a commitment to student support and a legacy of successful residency placements in the United States and Canada, honored the climactic culmination of four years of medical school with a video production celebrating Match Day 2021. Since the UMHS campus is operating at a limited capacity as a result of the pandemic, the heartwarming video provides an occasion to collectively celebrate the significant milestone and captures the dramatic moment that many of the 137 UMHS med students and graduates learned where they will begin their careers as working physicians and the specialty they will practice. The spontaneous reactions of joy as students logged on to discover their Match results were captured by a support network of parents, friends, children, and spouses and featured in the video - offering an intimate look into the end of a long and unexpected journey and the beginning of a new adventure.

Professionally produced by an Emmy-winning production company, the UMHS Virtual Match Day 2021 celebration features congratulatory remarks from President Warren Ross, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. Edwin Purcell, Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Prakash Mungli, and words of encouragement from Dr. George Shade, Dean of Clinical Science at UMHS.

If nothing else, weve learned over the past four years that medical school is extremely difficult; some might say its like trying to climb Mount Everest, Dr. Shade told the new residents. For the rest of your professional career keep in mind this old Latin saying: Per Ardua ad Astra, [meaning] Through struggle to the stars. Itll carry you through some of the toughest moments of your life.

Many of the students from UMHS have followed a non-traditional path on their journey to becoming a doctor and have overcome significant obstacles on their way to becoming practicing physicians. Brandy Admendares, Assistant Director of Clinical Placement noted that this years students faced unprecedented hurdles in getting through clinical rotations during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the students matched into specialties spanning anesthesiology, emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, radiology and surgery, many in the video can be heard exclaiming that their match is what they always wanted.

To medical students, Match Day is more important than anything, even more important than actual graduation, said Patrick McCormick, Associate Dean of Academic and Student Affairs at UMHS. Its a moment in time where everything they have worked so hard for, have sacrificed so much for, comes together in an ultimate revealthe stakes of the answer couldnt be any higher. Match Day answers the life-changing questions of, Where will I be picking up and moving in order to redefine myself as a professional in the most noble field there is? Where will I be privileged to begin my career as a resident physician? Quite simply, its the day a medical students dream comes true.

UMHS explored the history and significance of Match Day for future physicians in its blog, The UMHS Endeavour. While the process has evolved since the first Match Day in 1952, the importance of the occasion endures as an iconic event for all past, current and future physicians.

To see the full virtual Match Day 2021 celebration, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO-oqSlwEsI

About UMHS

The University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UMHS), is a small, mission-driven medical school with a commitment to student support and a legacy of successful residency placements in the United States and Canada. UMHS was founded in 2007 by medical education pioneers Warren and Robert Ross to deliver a highly personalized school experience. Graduates of UMHS earn a Doctor of Medicine degree (MD) and qualify to practice medicine throughout the United States and Canada. Students begin their Basic Science studies in St. Kitts, West Indies, and complete their clinical training in the United States. With an unprecedented 96% student retention rate, the vast majority of students that begin their medical studies at UMHS go on to obtain residencies. For more information visit https://www.umhs-sk.org/.


Water Walkers: From Secular Careers to Sacred Service: 39 Stories of Faith: a heartfelt collection of journeys of people leaving their initial chosen path and entering the sacred service to walk Gods provided path. Water Walkers: From Secular Careers to Sacred Service: 39 Stories of Faith is the creation of published author Vince Clews, a writer with extensive experience in broadcast and non-broadcast video and film. Before becoming an author, he was a freelance writer.

Clews shares, As I was finalizing this book, I struggled with a title for the collection of stories I was telling. The common thread was, of course, the story told in Matthew 14:2229 when Jesus, standing on the Sea of Galilee, called Peter to come to him. Peter heard the Masters voice and stepped out of the safety of the boat. And, for his faith, Peter walked on water. It is important to remember that the sea at the time of the walk was rough and the winds were strong. The walk was hard.

Water Walkers, is about contemporary Christian men and women who were immersed in careers when they were called to leave what they were doing and become messengers of the good news of Jesus Christ. Their stories of calling and discernment, of walking on rough seas, are worthy of understanding.

The stories in this book demonstrate that Gods call to fulltime Christian service comes at many times, in many ways, some subtle, some not so subtle. But all, at some point, are clear and irrefutable. The stories of the servants profiled here are provided in short, informal and easy-to-read chapters that are engaging and inspiring. Cover to cover the book is a study in discernment through the lives of 39 water walkers.

Water Walkers, may raise the question for you: Am I called?

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Vince Clewss new book holds different journeys of water walkersChristian men and women who bravely heed to the call of the Father.

Through this book, one will realize that God calls His children in different ways and at different points in their lives, and the people in these tales have managed to step onto the water.

View a synopsis of Water Walkers: From Secular Careers to Sacred Service: 39 Stories of Faith on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase Water Walkers: From Secular Careers to Sacred Service: 39 Stories of Faith at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Water Walkers: From Secular Careers to Sacred Service: 39 Stories of Faith, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Virginias economy has begun to improve as Covid-19 cases have decreased and vaccinations have increased, but there are still many Virginians trying to reenter the workforce or reskill into an entirely new industry where good, family sustaining jobs are open."- Caren Merrick, CEO of VA Ready

The Virginia Ready Initiative (VA Ready), a 501(c)(3) public-private partnership dedicated to reskilling Virginians and helping them secure in-demand positions, today celebrates the enrollment of 2,000 Scholars across the state.

The state of Virginias economy has begun to improve as Covid-19 cases have decreased and vaccinations have increased, but there are still many Virginians trying to reenter the workforce or reskill into an entirely new industry where good, family sustaining jobs are open, said Caren Merrick, chief executive officer of VA Ready. Weve reached 2,000 of them within the past year alone and we plan to keep forging ahead until every Virginian who wants to learn a new skill and advance their career has been given the opportunity to reskill and reenvision their path toward success.

VA Ready was founded with a mission of helping VA residents gain new skills and find careers for in-demand industries like healthcare, technology, cybersecurity, manufacturing, and skilled trades.

The initiative provides many incentives for people to gain new skills in accelerated training courses when they enroll in any VA Ready-approved FastForward course with the Virginia Community College System. After completing their course and their credential, Scholars will receive a $1,000 Credential Achievement Award. And, due to a variety of funding opportunities through the FastForward program, the courses are often entirely free of charge.

VA Ready Scholars are motivated, passionate, and bold, and they are challenging outdated notions that assume a college degree is a necessary key to success. VA Ready Scholars have the grit and work ethic to complete rigorous, accelerated training.

Once they complete their credentials, Scholars have the unique opportunity to interview with VA Readys 24 business partners, including EY, Bank of America, Genworth Financial, Dominion Energy, Sentara, PwC, Huntington Ingalls, Booz Allen Hamilton, SAIC, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems and many others.

Reaching an enrollment threshold of 2,000 Scholars has been the highlight of VA Readys work so far. Of those Scholars currently enrolled, 44% are Black, and 55% are women, and there are many more Virginians ready to reskill and qualify for in-demand jobs. With that in mind, VA Ready is happy to announce that the eligibility criteria for credentialing programs has expanded to include any Virginian willing and ready to make a change and reskill into an in-demand industry, regardless of employment status. VA Ready is also expanding eligibility to transitioning veterans and their spouses.

When we first started, our goal was to help all those impacted by the pandemic improve their economic situation and get back to work, added Merrick. But we believe that every motivated Virginian should have the opportunity to take charge of their life, learn a new skill and strengthen the Commonwealth's workforce for the future.

For more information about the VA Ready Initiative, to apply for the program, and companies looking for skilled, credentialed workers in healthcare, manufacturing and skilled trades, and IT and cybersecurity, visit https://vaready.org/

About the Virginia Ready Initiative (VA Ready)

VA Ready is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that launched in June 2020 with a mission to help thousands ofVirginians access the short-term training needed to find jobs in todays most in-demand industries. With its Public-Private-Partnership design, VA Ready brings together the Virginia Community College System's (VCCS) 23 colleges, the Commonwealth's FastForward program, and more than 20 business partners who employ millions of Virginians. VA Ready Scholars have access to 34 healthcare, technology and other skilled training programs; learn the skills needed to secure one of today's most in-demand positions; receive $1,000 upon credential completion; and are connected to VA Ready's business partners for employment opportunities. Learn more at http://www.vaready.org
Yello, the leader in early talent acquisition software, today announced the winners of the Early Talent Recruiting Excellence Awards, created to honor the most innovative campus recruiting programs within its client base. The winners, Ernst & Young LLP (EY US), NCR Corporation, and Credit Suisse were honored at Yellos annual client conference, STRIVE, in a special virtual session.

Award winners were recognized for their success in overcoming challenges to their campus strategies caused by the disruptions of COVID-19 in 2020. These teams had to pivot quickly, transform traditional programs, and still meet hiring goals to fulfill their missions.

Yello is proud to recognize client excellence in campus recruiting innovation, transformation and leadership, said Corey Ferengul, Chief Executive Officer of Yello. We have been proud to help our clients transform in this time of change - from adding tech to do virtual recruiting to solving time intensive problems like interview scheduling with automation.

The following organizations were honored for excellence in innovation, virtual transformation, candidate engagement, and community service on campus.

Winner Excellence in Innovation Award: EY US

EY US earned honors for its Expedition EY program, an on-demand, interactive, gamified experience that brings students together virtually with a diverse group of their peers from across the US to explore career opportunities in professional services. The program incorporated student feedback to provide a wide selection of content on demand. Expedition EY has been able to significantly bolster diversity recruiting into EY USs Launch and Client serving internship programs.

Winner Excellence in Virtual Transformation Award: NCR Corporation

NCR Corporation was honored for its innovative use of technology to transform its internship program in 2020. The NCR Campus Relations team created a unique technology process for each university and then optimized that process through Yello technology. The team mapped out unique technology solutions for each campus to handle engagement, recruitment and interviewing in August prior to the recruitment cycle. To do this, they analyzed more than 20 different virtual technologies used across targeted campuses and designed the best candidate engagement process to deliver the quickest access, review and interaction with the most candidates. The team was also able to analyze each event to continuously improve its processes.

Winner Excellence in Engagement Award: Credit Suisse

Credit Suisse Americas took its traditional 10-week internship program and recreated it into a 57-week 100% virtual program in 2020. Designed to deliver a substantial learning experience through a remote setting, the program served 375 Summer Analyst and Associate interns from around the world with virtual experience across the bank, including interactive simulated sessions in the Investment Bank and Technology organizations. This series of virtual events included virtual orientation, training, networking, high-impact projects, ongoing education and access to weekly one-on-one office hours with 1-2 mentors and recruiters.

About Yellos Annual Conference:

Yello holds an annual client conference to explore campus recruiting and early talent acquisition topics. This years them focused on re-thinking campus recruitment, offering four days of virtual sessions on ideas, best practices and technologies to help organizations re-assess and renew their campus recruiting strategies.

About Yello:

Yellos early talent acquisition platform allows the worlds leading brands to deliver personalized candidate experiences to every job seeker, resulting in quality hires and faster fills. The centralized platform is easy to use, enabling recruiters to collaborate with one another to attract and engage top talent. Key hiring statistics provide meaningful insights that lead to more accurate, data-driven decisions while staying on budget. For more information about Yello, visit http://www.yello.co.
Zenoti, a leading enterprise cloud platform for the beauty, wellness, and fitness industries, announced today it has raised an additional $80 million as an extension to its Series D funding round. The additional investment was led by TPG, a global alternative asset firm that has invested in leading technology companies such as Airbnb, Kajabi, Toast, and Uber. The investment increases Zenotis valuation to almost $1.5 billion.

Powering more than 12,000 businesses in over 50 countries, Zenoti is a leading software for salon and spa businesses. The company has recently expanded into the fitness industry through partnerships with CorePower Yoga and other fitness leaders. Zenotis touchless and mobile solutions serve all aspects of consumer engagement, allowing for easy appointment scheduling, self-check-ins, automatic payments, and more.

We are privileged to have the trust, confidence and support of TPG as we continue our growth journey, said Sudheer Koneru, CEO and Founder at Zenoti. Zenoti remains committed to helping beauty, wellness, and fitness businesses reach their full potential and set the standard for the customer experience.

The additional investment builds on a time of significant momentum for Zenoti, having achieved 100 percent year-over-year growth in 2020. The additional capital will enable the company to continue to expand its platform through forthcoming M&A, while also providing some liquidity to its employees for their commitment and hard work to the organization over the last decade.

Zenoti has created the go-to cloud-based platform for leading beauty and wellness brands looking to grow their businesses and create better experiences for their customers, said Arun Agarwal, Managing Director at TPG. As consumers across the globe continue to prioritize self-care, we believe the company is well-positioned for strong growth.

The Zenoti leadership teams firsthand experience with industry challenges, combined with their deep fluency in enterprise software, has resulted in a powerful, cloud-based solution engineered for reliability and scale that harnesses the power of enterprise-level technology for the benefit of beauty and wellness businesses of all sizes. Zenoti is proud to serve the growing needs of the industry and support a successful portfolio of global brands including European Wax Center, Hand & Stone, Massage Heights, Rush Hair & Beauty, Sono Bello, Hair Cuttery, Profile by Sanford and, most recently, Toni&Guy.

To learn more about Zenoti visit https://www.zenoti.com.

ABOUT ZENOTI

Zenoti provides an all-in-one, cloud-based software solution for the beauty, wellness, and fitness industries. The Zenoti platform is engineered for reliability and scale, harnessing the power of enterprise-level technology for businesses of all sizes.

Zenoti powers thousands of spas and salons in more than 50 countries. Zenoti allows users to seamlessly manage every aspect of the business in a comprehensive mobile solution: online appointment bookings, POS, CRM, employee management, inventory management, built-in marketing programs and more. Zenoti helps clients streamline their systems and reduce costs, while simultaneously improving customer retention and spending. To learn more about Zenoti visit us online at https://www.zenoti.com.

About TPG

TPG is a leading global alternative asset firm founded in 1992 with more than $91 billion of assets under management and offices in Beijing, Fort Worth, Hong Kong, London, Luxembourg, Melbourne, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, Seoul, Singapore, and Washington D.C. TPG's investment platforms are across a wide range of asset classes, including private equity, growth equity, impact investing, real estate, secondaries, and public equity. TPG aims to build dynamic products and options for its investors while also instituting discipline and operational excellence across the investment strategy and performance of its portfolio. For more information, visit http://www.tpg.com or @TPG on Twitter.
Having a Blockchain Center of Excellence for the federal government is a critical step forward in terms of ensuring that every federal agency continues to upgrade and improve the security and efficiency of its IT systems.

Shamsh Hadi, CEO of ZorroSign, Inc.  a technology company based in Phoenix, AZ  today formally endorsed legislation introduced last month in the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. 3543, the Blockchain Technology Coordination Act of 2021. The bill establishes a Blockchain Center of Excellence within the U.S. Department of Commerce. The office would oversee all non-defense related deployment and activities related to blockchain technology within the federal government.

In endorsing this important legislation, Hadi noted throughout my career in the high-tech industry, and especially through my work as CEO of a technology company that lives and breathes consumer data privacy and security, I have come to learn that blockchain has a critical role to play in helping the federal government to maximize its ability to have a high level of security and ensure the integrity of the vast amounts of data stored and used by federal agencies.

According to Hadi, establishing a Blockchain Center of Excellence within the federal government will put the U.S. government at the forefront globally in ensuring that the full potential of blockchain technology is properly harnessed and developed. The stakes could not be higher, noted Hadi. Establishing a Blockchain Center of Excellence is essential to Americas ability to compete globally with China and others.

Hadi is grateful that key leaders in Congress such as Congressman Soto recognize the vital importance of blockchain technology to the future growth of the American economy. Blockchain is important because it has unique qualities that set it apart from other transaction database management systems, said Hadi. Specifically, blockchain is being used today in private, permissions-based decentralized systems that are secure, trusted and automated with bank-grade security. Ultimately, blockchain technology helps make digital transactions more secure, faster and less expensive.

Legislation such as the Blockchain Technology Coordination Act must be passed this year to ensure that America remains the leader when it comes to the effective employment of cutting edge technologies like blockchain, added Hadi, who is also a founding member of the Association for Data and Cyber Governance (ADCG). Hadi then explained, having a Blockchain Center of Excellence for the federal government is a critical step forward in terms of ensuring that every federal agency continues to upgrade and improve the security and efficiency of its IT systems. And the best way to maximize the effectiveness of blockchain technology is to employ blockchain as part of the long-term transition to modern and secure IT systems that employ redundancy and the latest advances in cyber technology.

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Jesse Thistles memoir From the Ashes was the bestselling Canadian-authored book in Canada last year, selling over 100,000 copies, and the U.S. edition is being published today by Atria. The book tells of Thistles family falling apart, his fathers disappearance, and story of growing up Metis in Brampton, Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver. It is plainspoken about Thistle's own decent into addiction and homelessness, recovery, and, ultimately, reunion with his family.

Thistle didnt re-learn to read and write until he was 32. Today, at 43, he is a professor of Canadian history at York University in Toronto and writing a PhD thesis on the history of Metis trauma. He spoke with PW via Zoom from his home in Hamilton, Ont.

From the Ashes is often compared with Tara Westovers Educated and J.D. Vances HIillbilly Elegy but unlike those books, you make it clear that yours is not a bootstrap narrative or a redemption story. Instead, you say it is a quest. How so?

In summary, the book is the journal of an adoptee who has been disconnected from their community, in this case the Metis Cree, and the lifelong effects of trauma, both intergenerational and personal, as well as the effects of childhood trauma and the effects of that through life. My book is a quest back to myself, back to my family, but its also to show the effects of colonization on this generation. The end result in this generation has been homelessness, addiction and cultural confusion. But it is also about showing how through human connection and love, I was given a pathway off the streets and into wellness. If you look at the whole book, it is actually a quest for love.

A quest for love?

I had it early on with my mother and father, but then my father went missing in 1982 he was an addict, homeless and an outlaw. All the things that I became. Subconsciously I was looking for him on the streets, living his life to give back my grandparents their missing son.

You say robbing a 7-Eleven saved your life.

I robbed that 7-Eleven because I needed healthcare that I wasnt getting from the government  and I nearly lost my leg. But when I was arrested, I was court ordered to go to rehab, which saved my life. I dont want to give the plot of the book away, but I will say when I found out my father was gone, I was also freed to live my own life for the first time in my adulthood and that is when I started to get better.

The book has resonated with readers over the world, but how is it they can relate to your very specific experience of Canadian indigeneity?

I do get emails from all over the world now. It might be someone from Haiti, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, or Turkey, or even a Black person from New York or a middle-aged white dude from Mississippi, all who tell me that they can relate to my story because they see the story of their own family in my own. It resonates with so many other different people because they've experienced adoption, they've experienced the destruction of their kin networks, the loss of their land, not knowing who they are in the world. And those things are all covered in the story, as is love and trust and, you know, trying to be our best. Thats what the last bit of the book is about.

At one point you assert the trouble you experienced was a natural outgrowth of colonialism.

Yes, it is about the consequence of the colonial history of North America. I didn't know that until much later and when I started actually looking at the history and understanding. We, the Indigenous, have the weight of history on us. It's not our fault that we're so dysfunctional. I believe the true front lines of colonialism are on the streets. The homeless are the ones suffering the most from colonial trauma. Then the prisoners in prisons, which also shows the way the state has treated our people.

Canadian multiculturalism also interacts with Indigenous cultures as well.

In the book I show how I experience modernity. In Canada we have a multicultural society -- Toronto is said to be the most diverse city in the world -- and the book includes my interactions with people who are Somalian, Cantonese, Rastafarian... I don't think another Indigenous book addresses this.

The U.S. publication of the book brings some interesting challenges, not the least of which is that the U.S. is far less engaged with its indigenous history than is Canada. How do you advise Americans to begin understanding their own history?

Look at the maps that show the progression of the state that you live in as it concerns the land occupied by Indigenous people. You will see something shocking. Start with the year 1763 and go forward. What you will see is a disease that spreads and consumes families. That history has not yet been heard and America has not even begun reckoning with it yet.
Childrens book publishing continues to be inspired by the inauguration of President Joe Biden on January 20, 2021. Later this month, Penguin Young Readers Philomel imprint is crashing a picture book that came about because Biden recited the lyrics of a song written in 1998 during his inaugural address, introducing it by explaining that the next chapter in the America story might sound like one verse in a song that means a lot to me. He then recited the words:

The work and prayers

of centuries

have brought us to this day

What shall be our legacy?

What will our children say?

Let me know in my heart

When my days are through

America

America

I gave my best to you.

American Anthem, a picture book with the same title as the song that Biden referenced in his speech, by songwriter and librettist Gene Scheer, will be published on June 29; Scheers lyrics are illustrated by 13 visual artists from a variety of backgrounds, each depicting through images what America means to them: Jacqueline Alcantara, Christine Almeda, Fahmida Azim, Elizabeth Baddeley, Matt Faulkner, Veronica Jamison, London Ladd, Michelle Lee, Rafael Lopez, Laura McGee Kvasnosky with Kate Harvey McGee, James McMullan, and Edel Rodriguez.

Philomel associate publisher Jill Santopolo, who was on maternity leave during the inauguration, recalled being moved by the power of Scheers lyrics. Noting that she was texting during the inauguration ceremony with Philomel publisher Ken Wright and Penguin Young Readers president Jen Loja, Santopolo said, When President Biden started speaking and recited these lyrics, I texted Jen and Ken and said this should be a picture book. I think Ken is the one who wrote me back and said, You are on maternity leave, and I texted back, I dont care, I need to make this picture book. And he said, Tell me more, whats your vision for it? 

Santopolo explained, I thought about the history in my family and in my husbands family. My grandfathers father came here from Italy, hed not been educated at all, he was a shoemaker. His son ended up with a PhD, and worked as a superintendent in schools helping to raise children up through education to find better lives. My husbands family came from Eastern Europe because they were religiously persecuted. His father ended up participating in the civil rights movement because he thought everyone should be free to pursue their lives how they want to. That tradition in America of raising other people up is a very special one, and its one that I wanted this book to capture.

Her reflections upon her husbands and her familys different life trajectories after immigrating to the U.S. prompted Santopolo to envision a different illustrator for every page spread, who could create an image that expresses their own feeling, and their own familys feeling about America, so that we can encapsulate in this book the diversity of this country.

Selecting the illustrators was a group decision, she explained. We all put our heads together and thought about people we worked with, people we would love to work with, and people whose art styles would work together.

Laughing at the thought that her colleagues may have thought that she was bananas for wanting to take the lead in producing a picture book during her maternity leavein the midst of the pandemic, no lessSantopolo said that despite the obstacles, It was a book that I felt I had to do, especially with a baby at home. I want her to see the positive pieces about America. Theres a lot we need to work on in this country, but theres also some wonderful things too. I think that this book celebrates that.

Songwriter Was Gobsmacked

Scheer told PW that he had no clue that Biden would recite on his inauguration day the lyrics to a song that Scheer had written more than 20 years before. Scheer wrote American Anthem after reading in 1998 the book Miracle at Philadelphia by Catherine Drinker Bowen, an account of how the U.S. Constitution came to be written by the men known to history as the Founding Fathers.

I was watching television, with my computer in my lap, pretending to work, but really watching the inauguration, Scheer said. I thought he was doing a good job with the speech, and then lo and behold, he starts reciting the lyrics of my song, and said it meant so much to him. I just could not believe it; I was gobsmacked.

It was a very surreal experience, he added. My phone exploded. All my friends and family were trying to contact me to congratulate me and to just share in the moment.

Reflecting on how words hed written were used as a kicker to a presidential inauguration speech, Scheer noted, Bidens values are the values that I share, and that I was trying to advance when I wrote the song. The notion of collective responsibility that I think is at the core of Bidens efforts at the moment are woven into the fabric of the song. I think thats why he responded to itbecause it seems to align with how he sees the world, in terms of how we all share responsibility for one another.

Scheer praised the book for being a beautiful visual tapestry of the American story, and reserved special praise for the illustrations for weaving different viewpoints, different stories togetherwhich is kind of what I was doing with the song when I wrote it. Having these 13 diverse people, each with a different story to tell, create an illustration, was a great idea.

The book also contains a lead sheet Scheer said hed prepared that contained the music notations for those who want to perform the song themselves, with their kids as well.

American Anthem has been performed by opera star Denyce Graves in front of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Graves also sang the song at the memorial service in the U.S. Capitol rotunda for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A version of the song, sung by Norah Jones, was featured in Ken Burnss 2007 PBS documentary on World War II, The War.

The books publication date is no accident: it was timed to land in bookstores a few days before the Fourth of July holiday celebrating our nations founding in Philadelphia 245 years ago.
Ruta Rimas at Razorbill has acquired North American and audio rights for All My Rage by bestselling author Sabaa Tahir (An Ember in the Ashes). This contemporary YA novel set in California's Mojave Desert crosses generations and continents and addresses themes of cultural identity, family, forgiveness, love, and loss through the eyes of two best friends growing up as outcasts and trying to find a way out of a world set on destroying them. Publication is scheduled for March 2022; Alexandra Machinist at ICM Partners brokered the deal.



Krista Marino at Delacorte has bought, in an exclusive submission, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amelie Wen Zhao (the Blood Heir series), first in a YA xianxia Chinese fantasy series, and a second, untitled sequel. The story follows a song girl in a conquered land whose last remnant of her motherand the fallen Hin dynasty of her ancestorsis the symbol seared onto her hand, which, if the mysterious boy she encounters is to be trusted, may be the key to freeing her people by mastering the ancient, forgotten magic of practitioning. Publication is set for spring 2023; Pete Knapp at Park & Fine Literary and Media did the deal for North American rights.



Sarah Barley at Flatiron has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Our Crooked Hearts, from bestselling author Melissa Albert (The Hazel Wood). This YA contemporary fantasy centers on a teen whose summer break kicks off with an unsettling series of events, and on her mother, whose own 16th year included a descent into increasingly lawless witchcraft and magic. As the summer stretches on, their stories are set on a collision course. Publication is slated for summer 2022; Faye Bender at the Book Group negotiated the deal for North American rights.



Stacey Barney at Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books has bought world rights to Gita Desai Is Not Here to Shut Up by Sonia Patel (Rani Patel in Full Effect), about a Gujarati Indian American young woman's tumultuous first semester at Stanford, when she finds herself propelled in unexpected ways to discover and overcome shocking childhood betrayal and years of being silenced by her immigrant family in order to find her own truth and voice. Publication is planned for spring 2023; Victoria Wells Arms at Wells Arms Literary/HG Literary handled the deal.



Jody Corbett at Scholastic has acquired At the Speed of Lies, a YA novel by Cindy L. Otis, former CIA analyst and author of the nonfiction book True or False. A high school Instagrammer in a wheelchair is caught up in the world of disinformation when her social media posts about an alleged local child kidnapping turn out to be linked to a QAnon-like cult. The conspiracy theory group takes over not just her social media account, but her entire school as she races to figure out how to stop the viral spread of lies. Publication is set for summer 2023; Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary brokered the deal for world rights.



Stephanie Pitts at Putnam has bought world English rights for Melt with You by Jennifer Dugan, a sweet and salty queer YA rom-com about two girls on a summer road trip in an ice cream truck. Publication is scheduled for summer 2022. Rights were sold by Brooks Sherman, formerly at Janklow & Nesbit Associates; Dugan is now represented by Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties.



Connolly Bottum at Inkyard Press has acquired, at auction, a YA contemporary novel by Abigail Johnson. In Every Time You Go Away, so much happened in the three years since childhood best friends Rebecca and Ethan last saw one another. Rebecca learned to navigate life from a wheelchair, and Ethan became caregiver to his addicted mother. But in rediscovering one another, they risk losing an enduring friendship on a love that neither feels they deserve. Publication is slated for winter 2023; Kim Lionetti at BookEnds Literary did the two-book deal for world rights.



Mari Kesselring at Flux has bought Goth Girl, Queen of the Universe by Lindsay S. Zrull, a YA debut pitched as Geekerella meets Far from the Tree. Sixteen-year-old foster kid Jessica joins a cosplay team working their way to a huge competition in NYC, in a scheme to reunite with her mentally ill mother, but learns along the way the value of the family you choose for yourself. Publication is planned for fall 2022; Jon Cobb at Hannigan Getzler Literary brokered the deal for North American rights.



Daniel Ehrenhaft, in his first acquisition at Blackstone Publishing, has bought North American English-language rights to two debut middle grade novels by bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon (l.), and Hinako Hishinuma (c.) and Madaug Hishinuma (r.). The series begins with The Secret War, about a boy with a destiny he doesn't understand or even know about, who must master not only his combat skills, but his magical ones, too, as he learns just how many people are playing him for a pawn. Publication is scheduled for September 2022; Mark Gottlieb at Trident Media Group negotiated the deal on behalf of Trident Media Group chairman Robert Gottlieb.



Andrea Tompa at Candlewick Press has acquired middle grade adventure The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat, Newbery Honoree for All Thirteen and A Wish in the Dark. A seafaring mystery and a critique of colonialism set in a Thai-inspired world, The Last Mapmaker follows 12-year-old Sai, who is an assistant to Mangkon's most celebrated mapmaker, and whose facade as a well-bred young lady disguises a darker past that, if revealed, could ruin her life in Mangkons ancestry-obsessed society. Publication is set for spring 2022; Stephanie Fretwell-Hill at Red Fox Literary did the deal for world rights.



Megan Peace at Scholastic/Graphix has bought, in an exclusive submission, world rights to Mixed Up, Mixed Bag, and Mixed & Matched, in a debut middle grade graphic novel series by Sara Amini (l.), illustrated by Shadia Amin. Set in the 9/11 era, the semi-autobiographical stories follow Amini's humorous yet humiliating middle school years in Alief, a Houston suburb thatdespite having one of the most diverse school districts in the countrydidn't have one person exactly like Sara: first-generation Iranian and Colombian, living in a hybrid household where Navidad and Norooz are celebrated, empanadas and kabobs are eaten, and Farglish (English, Spanish, and Farsi) is spoken. The first book is tentatively slated for fall 2024; Gillian MacKenzie of MacKenzie Wolf represented Amini, and Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary represented Amin.



Alyson Day at HarperCollins has acquired North American rights to Anisa's International Day by Reem Faruqi. This younger middle grade novel tells the story of Pakistani American girl Anisa, who can't decide what special activity or food to bring to school that best represents her culture. But when another girl from her class decides to bring samosasthe same food she wanted to bringAnisa has to learn a hard lesson about friendship. Publication is planned for fall 2022; Rena Rossner at the Deborah Harris Agency represented the author.



Patricia Stockland at Kind World Publishing has bought world rights to Maddie & Mabel by Kari Allen (l.) (The Boy Who Loved Maps) illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss (Bunny's Book Club), a chapter book about two spunky sisters who discover through four short stories that being in charge might not be as important as the girls think. Publication is scheduled for spring 2022; Erzsi Deak of Hen&ink Literary Studio represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.



Luana Kay Horry at HarperCollins has acquired, in a preempt, the early reader graphic novel series Super Serious Mysteries by Josh Crute (l.), illustrated by James Rey Sanchez, in a two-book deal. In the first book, The Untimely Passing of Nicholas Fart: A Who-Dealt-It Mystery, detective-in-training Penelope Whiff must catch the culprit of a very mysterious and stinky crime. The first book is set for summer 2023, and the second for summer 2024; Claire Easton at Painted Words represented the author, and Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.



Liza Baker at Orchard has bought North American English rights to Love You By Heart by bestselling author-illustrator Peter H. Reynolds, a look at how unconditional love comes straight from the heart, and how lucky we are to love and be loved, on good days, blue days, funny days, and grumpy days, for everything we are. Publication is slated for December 2021; Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties negotiated the deal for North American English rights.



Sophia Jimenez at Atheneum has acquired world rights to Veo, Veo, I See You, a picture book by Pura Belpre Award Honoree Lulu Delacre. While out running errands with their mami during the Covid-19 pandemic, Marisol and Pepito play a game of Veo, Veo (I Spy) that helps them see how the workers in their neighborhood are, and will always be, essential. Publication is planned for fall 2023; the author-illustrator represented herself in the deal.

Nancy Siscoe at Knopf has bought world rights to Gravity Is Bringing Me Down and I Like Pi, the first picture books by Wendelin Van Draanen (l.), illustrated by Cornelia Li. Each book takes a funny look at how science and math concepts become very personal for two kids in the same classroom. Publication is scheduled for spring 2023 and fall 2023, respectively; Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown represented the author, and Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary represented the illustrator.



Michelle Frey at Knopf has acquired world rights to debut picture book Step on Board: Sculpting a Memorial of Harriet Tubman by Autumn Allen (l.), illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Ekua Holmes. The daughter of a sculptor puzzles through a memorial's design: how does one capture the whole of a person in a single work of art? A biography of Harriet Tubman and the story of an artist's journey, the book is inspired by Autumn's mother, the late sculptor Fern Cunningham-Terry, best known for her sculpture of Harriet Tubman located in Harriet Tubman Park in Boston's South End, the first memorial of a woman erected by the city. Publication is set for 2025; Tina Dubois at ICM Partners represented Allen, and Rubin Pfeffer at Rubin Pfeffer Content represented Holmes.



Jessica Echeverria at Lee & Low Books has bought world rights to Still Dreaming/Seguimos sonando by Claudia Guadalupe Martinez (l.) (Not a Bean), illustrated by Magdalena Mora. This bilingual picture book tells the story of a child wishing for a life without borders after he and his parents are forced to leave their home during the Mexican Repatriation. Along their journey they meet others with similar stories. Publications is slated for fall 2022; Adriana Dominguez at Full Circle Literary represented the author, and Steven Malk at Writers House represented the illustrator.



Wendy McClure at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky has acquired world rights to Maya Glows by recent Yale graduate Gwendolyn Wallace (l.), illustrated by Olivia Duchess. In this picture book debut, a Black girl struggling to hold feelings both of love and anger at the world learns that these emotions are a glowing, important part of her, and that Black women in history and her family have been guided by their glowing to make a difference. Publication is planned for fall 2022; Wendi Gu at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates represented the author, and Gary Swift at Lemonade Illustration Agency represented the illustrator.

Barbara Herndon at Zonderkidz has bought world rights to This Farm Is a Family by Dan McKernan. In this picture book based on the real-life rescued farm animals at Barn Sanctuary, a new arrival named Buttercup learns she has a forever family to call home. Denise Hughes will illustrate. Publication is scheduled for spring 2022; the author represented himself, and Robbin Brosterman at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.

Courtney Fahy at Little Bee Books has acquired world rights to Black Beach: How the 1969 Santa Barbara Oil Spill Fueled the First Earth Day, a picture book about a girl, her community, and the events that led to the first celebration of Earth Day, written by John Stith and Shaunna Stith (c.), and illustrated by Maribel Lechuga. Publication is set for spring 2023; Clelia Gore at Martin Literary & Media Management represented the authors, and Aurora Barlam at Astound US represented the illustrator.



Sarah Rockett at Sleeping Bear has bought world rights to Splash: A Swimming Legend Sends Out Ripples of Change, written by Elisa Boxer (l.), illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley. Ethelda Bleibtrey took up swimming to recover from polio, and went on to be the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in swimming. Publication is planned for fall 2023; Steven Chudney at the Chudney Agency represented the author, and Alexandra Penfold at Upstart Crow represented the illustrator.



Holly West at Feiwel and Friends has acquired the next four YA fantasy novels by Tricia Levenseller. The Chromamancer Chronicles, a trilogy in which an orphan, princess, and ranger must stop a magical serial killer from destroying their world, will follow an expedited schedule with titles releasing six months apart in 2024 and 2025. The Darkness Within Us will be a companion novel to the author's bestselling The Shadows Between Us focusing on Alessandra's sister, and is slated for 2023. Rachel Brooks at BookEnds Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.



Alexandra Hightower at Little, Brown has bought, in a preempt, Property of No State, a YA narrative nonfiction project by George M. Johnson (All Boys Arent Blue) written as a series of letters from Johnson to Black historical figures who were enslaved. It will relate America's history of enslavement with the present, the strides made since, and the power of Black creativity and imagination in the journey towards equity and freedom. Publication is tentatively set for fall 2022; Patrice Caldwell at New Leaf Literary & Media did the two-book, six-figure deal for North American rights.



Krista Marino at Delacorte has acquired, in an exclusive submission, The New Friends by Kara Thomas (The Cheerleaders and That Weekend), a YA thriller pitched as The Stepford Wives meets Dare Me. When Hadley moves to an idyllic college town, she befriends the popular crowd, but rumors about something terrifying buried in the forest, and a series of strange disappearances, have her questioning whether her new friends are who they say they are. Publication is planned for spring 2023; Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media sold world rights; Sarah Landis at Sterling Lord Literistic now represents the author.



Daniel Ehrenhaft at Blackstone has bought Hurt You by Marie Myung-Ok Lee (Finding My Voice). A contemporary YA retelling of John Steinbeck's classic Of Mice and Men, Lee's novel is a portrait of a pair of Korean American siblings17-year-old Georgia and her neuro-atypical older brother, Leonardoand the threats to their bond in a new hometown that becomes a crucible of rage over class, race, and disability. Publication is scheduled for spring 2023; Kim Witherspoon and Jessica Mileo at Inkwell Management brokered the deal for world English print and audio rights.



Eileen Rothschild at Wednesday Books has acquired, in an exclusive submission, Tilly's Great Escape, a YA debut by romance author Mazey Eddings. Recent high school graduate Tilly (who has masked her ADHD for years) is spending the summer touring Europe where she meets an attractive stranger on the plane in a series of opposites-attract in-flight disasters, in a story that celebrates neurodivergent love and making your own space in a world that wasn't built for you. Publication is slated for summer 2023; Kelli Martin at Wendy Sherman Associates negotiated the deal for world rights.



Kelsey Murphy at Viking has bought, in a six-figure preempt, TJ Powar Has Something to Prove by debut author Jesmeen Kaur Deo. This YA rom-com pitched for fans of Netflix's Never Have I Ever is about high school debater TJ Powar who, after becoming the subject of an ugly meme, makes a resolution to stop shaving, plucking, and waxing, all to prove she can be her hairy self and still be beautiful, but finds this may be her most difficult debate yet. Publication is set for summer 2022; Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary handled the two-book deal for North American rights.



Tiffany Colon at Scholastic has acquired contemporary YA romance You, Me, and Our Heartstrings by debut author Melissa See. The novel follows Daisy, a violinist with cerebral palsy, and Noah, a cellist navigating a need for perfection. The two find one another through their shared love of music, while their talent takes them to stages that offer both opportunities and unwanted viral fame for all the wrong reasons. Publication is scheduled for summer 2022; Emily Forney at BookEnds Literary brokered the deal for world English rights.



Alice Jerman at HarperCollins has bought, in an exclusive submission, middle grade debut Rayleigh Mann in the Company of Monsters by Ciannon Smart (Witches Steeped in Gold), and a sequel. On his 11th Halloween, Rayleigh Mann is visited by a horned monster who tells him that not only is Rayleigh part monster himself, but his father is the Supreme Scarer for an entire world of them and he's missing. Rayleigh is drawn into a parallel city of monsters and mayhem where he must fight the most frightening, decide what sort of monster he is at heart, and find his father. Publication is planned for fall 2022. Taylor Haggerty at Root Literary did the two-book deal for North American rights; Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media now represents the author.



Caroline Abbey at Random House has preempted world rights to debut middle grade novel Back to the Bright Before by Iowa MFA graduate Katherin Nolte. The book follows 11-year-old Pet Martin's quest to help her woodcutter father after he's seriously injured. Pet and her mute little brother Simonalong with a borrowed chicken and a stolen ponyset off to an enchanted abbey in search of a lost coin that promises to save their family. The first book is slated for early 2023; Kerry Sparks at Levine Greenberg Rostan negotiated the two-book deal.



Alyson Heller at Aladdin has acquired debut middle grade graphic novel The Story Spinners: Princess Sparklepuff and Her Crew of Lady Pirates by author-illustrator Cassandra Federman (This Is a Seahorse), in which two polar opposite sisters must come together to tell an epic bedtime story that will calm their crying baby sister, so they can finally all get some sleep. Publication is set for 2024; Jennifer March Soloway at Andrea Brown Literary did the deal for world rights.



Ann Kelley at Random House Studio has bought Little Cap and Gustuv by Andrea Zuill (Sweety), a picture book about a mushroom boy named Little Cap and his best friend, a slug named Gustav. When Gustav goes missing, it's Little Cap's job to find him because that's what friends dono matter how scary and chaotic the world might be. Publication is scheduled for spring 2023; Erzsi Deak at Hen&Ink brokered the deal for world rights.



Mary Cash at Holiday House has acquired Every Body by author-photographer Shelley Rotner, a photo essay picture book about inclusivity, tentatively planned for spring 2023. Liz Nealon at Great Dog Literary negotiated the deal for world rights.



Julie Matysik at Running Press Kids has bought world rights to If Youre a Drag Queen and You Know It by Lil Miss Hot Mess (l.), author of The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish and a founding member of Drag Queen Story Hour, again illustrated by Olga de Dios Ruiz. A celebration of both drag culture and embracing your uniqueness, this sing-along book invites kids and adults to blow a kiss, shake their bum, twirl around, and more. Publication is set for May 2022; Lindsay Edgecombe at Levine Greenberg Rostin Literary represented the author, and the illustrator represented herself.



Elizabeth Lee at FSG has acquired world English rights to Sister Day, written by Jyoti Rajan Gopal (l.) and illustrated by Fanny Liem. This picture book follows two sisters and the rhythms of sisterhoodhow despite their inevitable fights and disagreements, sisters will always find their way back to each other. Publication is slated for winter 2024; Wendi Gu at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.



Neal Porter at Holiday House/Neal Porter Books has bought world rights to Climbing the Volcano by Curtis Manley (l.) (The Rescuer of Tiny Creatures), illustrated by Jennifer K. Mann (The Camping Trip). A family's hike up the dormant South Sister Volcano is told through a series of kid-friendly haikus; publication is planned for spring 2024. Ammi-Joan Paquette at Erin Murphy Literary represented the author, and Holly McGhee at Pippin Properties represented the illustrator.



Catherine Laudone at Simon & Schuster has acquired world rights to Bravo, Little Bird! by Annie Silvestro (l.) (Bunny's Book Club). The picture book, illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki, tells the story of a friendship between an old man and a bird who bond over their shared love of musicuntil the day the old man's music stops, and Little Bird finds a special way to honor his memory. Publication is scheduled for spring 2023; Jemiscoe Chambers-Black at Andrea Brown Literary represented the author, and Anne Moore Armstrong at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.



Karen Chaplin at Quill Tree has bought world rights to the nonfiction picture book The Greatest Song of All, written by Megan Hoyt (l.) and illustrated by Katie Hickey. When a powerful city planner is determined to demolish Carnegie Hall to eliminate competition for his new Lincoln Center, renowned concert violinist Isaac Stern rolls up his sleeves and unites music lovers and activists around the world to save his beloved music hall. Publication is set for summer 2022; Deborah Warren at East West Literary represented the author, and Helen Boyle at Pickled Ink represented the illustrator.



Ellen Cormier at Dial has acquired world rights to Hope Is a Hop by Katrina Moore (l.), about a child trying to grow a garden to bring hope to their struggling family, and the bothersome bunny that's in their way, illustrated by Melissa Iwai. Publication is slated for spring 2023; Andrea Morrison at Writers House represented the author, and Christy Ewers at the CAT Agency represented the illustrator.



Sonali Fry at Rodale Kids has bought world rights to Black-Eyed Peas and Hoghead Cheese: A Story of Food, Family, and Freedom, written by Glenda Armand (l.) and illustrated by Steffi Walthall. Inspired by the author's childhood, this picture book traces the origins of African American foodways from the point of view of one family preparing a holiday dinner. Publication is planned for fall 2022; Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary represented the author, and James Burns at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.



Jen Adams at Sounds True has acquired world rights to Sylvie and the Wolf by Andrea Debbink (l.) (The Wild World Handbook), illustrated by Merce Lopez. The picture book follows a girl who, with the encouragement of her loving aunt, summons the courage to meet a wolfwhos been following her everywhere she goesface to face, with surprising results. Publication is set for fall 2022; Reiko Davis at DeFiore and Company represented the author, and Mela Bolinao at MB Artists represented the illustrator.



Sue Tarsky at Albert Whitman has bought world rights to Remembering Mom's Kubbat Haleb by Medeia Sharif (l.), illustrated by Paran Kim, a story with Kurdish words and cultural references about a girl who, with her family's help, finds a way to celebrate her mother. Publication is scheduled for October 2022; Lynnette Novak at the Seymour Agency represented the author, and Tina Doffing at Astound US represented the illustrator.



Zhiqiao Wang at Yeehoo Press has acquired world rights to The Return of the Teddy by Marcia Choo (l.), a picture book about a chivalrous teddy bear guarding a girl's childlike innocence with courage and love. It was inspired by the news that a father tried his best to make up for the loss of his daughter's beloved toy. Yao Daxin will illustrate. Publication is slated for fall 2022 in the U.S. and mainland China; the author and the illustrator represented themselves.


The news of Dick Robinsons death came as a great shock to the publishing industry, the thousands of Scholastic employees, as well as to the many authors and illustrators who had been published by his company for years, if not decades. A number of Scholastics writers paid tribute to him in statements, lauding his vision, his passion, and his unwavering support for childrens books and authors, including Jim Benton, Ruby Bridges, Suzanne Collins, Alan Gratz, Varian Johnson, Sonia Manzano, Ann M. Martin, Alyssa Milano, Jon J Muth, Jennifer A. Nielsen, Peter Reynolds, J.K. Rowling, David Shannon, Maggie Stiefvater, Francisco X. Stork, and Raina Telgemeier.

Dick Robinson created a family at Scholastic, and Im proud to say Ive been a part of that family for almost 30 years, said Brian Selznick. Kazu Kibuishi praised him as a phenomenal leader; his steadying presence was felt throughout the entire organization. Tami Charles said, A legend may have left us, but his legacy is everlasting. Im so grateful for the impact that Scholastic has had on my life... as a parent, as a teacher, and now, author. Dav Pilkey said, Dick Robinson was more than just a visionary and a publisher. He was a brave explorer who didnt worry about risks. He opened the door for us to dream big.

Like so many, I am heartbroken to lose Dick Robinson, said Pam Munoz Ryan, someone who has been an ardent champion for educators, children, book creators, and the Scholastic family. He left his gifts on our doorstep: his enthusiasm, his commitment to the power of every story, his generous and kind spirit, and his stalwart presence which became for many of us, a reassuring mooring.

Dick Robinson was a true visionary, Kelly Yang said. He pictured a world where every child could see themselves represented in a book. I am so grateful to Dick for bringing so many wonderful books into the world, getting them in the hands of children, and in the process helping to change the world. We are honored to continue his work and mission at Scholastic.

So many of us owe our early love of literature to Scholastic, but more specifically, Dick Robinsons Scholastic, said Leah Johnson. What an honorable legacy he leaves behind in each of us, and in the work were able to do because of his singular vision. Gordon Korman said, For more than three quarters of my life, it has been my honor and privilege to know his friendship and support. I am devastated and deeply saddened to hear of his passing. And Kacen Callender said, Im grateful for the passion and dedication he showed to creating pathways for writers and illustrators. The ripple effects of his work and his passion and his love of childrens storytelling have touched countless lives, my own included. I celebrate the life he lived with awe and gratitude.
Manhattans Books of Wonder childrens bookstore will close its Upper West Side location when its building is handed off to new owners at the end of June. Owner Peter Glassman announced the impending store closure in a June 4 e-mail to customers, and wrote that he is actively looking at new potential locations nearby. Operations at the childrens bookstores flagship location on West 17th Street will be unaffected by the closing.

The bookstores second location opened in 2017 and has steadily become a mainstay for families, according to Glassman, who said that changing work patterns during the pandemic seem to be holding as the city emerges from more than a year of lockdowns. Weve seen a bit of a surge recently on the Upper West Side, because people are working from home still, but now theyre willing to go out, Glassman told PW.

Yet there were also challenges caused by the constantly changing real estate environment around the store. Multiple buildings on Broadway adjacent to the store were demolished nine months before the pandemic, and the absence of neighboring retail impacted business. The nearby Childrens Museum is also slated to move to a new location soon.

While closing a location and finding a new one is challenging, none of the changes in the neighborhood has diminished Glassmans sense that the Upper West Side is the right place for a childrens bookstore. Meanwhile, the stores flagship location in Chelsea continues to thrive, four decades after its founding in the West Village.

On June 5, Google, which has just opened a store nearby, partnered with the store to give a free book to the stores first 200 customers. A newly designed website, launched just before the pandemic, has also boosted sales and Glassman is planning a slate of events for the fall.

Until it closes at the end of this month, the Upper West Side location will be offering books at a 20% discount, and Glassman told customers he hopes to have a new location secured by early fall at the latest. In his e-mail to readers, he wrote, We love the Upper West Side and hope to continue being a part of the supportive and welcoming community that has been so wonderful over the past years.
Clearfield, PA (16830)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 59F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 59F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
'When we pick up the brush, we just know what to do'
ZDF Enterprises has sold a range of scripted titles to Australias national broadcaster SBS Australia including first sales of its two new dramas Before We Die and ANA. all in.

The deal will see the relicence of crime series The Team (S1-2) and the family saga Kudamm 56 and 59 as well as the new sequel Kudamm 63. The English version of the Nordic noir drama Before We Die (6x52), commissioned by the UKs Channel 4 and produced by Eagle Eye Drama, stars Lesley Sharp as a police detective who discovers her estranged son is an undercover informant in a brutal murder investigation. Set in the gambling world and inspired by real events, the thriller ANA. all in. (6x48, pictured) is based on the book by Roberto Santiago.

Im delighted that European drama has proven to be popular with Australian audiences," commented Robert Franke, vice president ZDFE.drama, ZDF Enterprises. "With Kudamm 63, Before We Die and ANA.all in. they can look forward to even more exciting, emotional and action-packed storytelling.

Peter Andrews, head of network programming - SBS TV & online content, added: ZDF Enterprises have been a trusted partner in supplying us with an engaging array of world class dramas to entertain our viewers, so Im pleased SBS has secured these titles which will be a great addition to our schedule.
Today

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.

Tomorrow

Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High 87F. Winds light and variable.
Health

Reading Hospital  Tower Health looking for participation in research survey
Biden Needs to Make China Pay for Actions Over Covid

President Joe Biden flies across the pond Wednesday to meet European leaders. He says the goal is to deliver real results on critical issues such as climate change and cybersecurity.
"All of us as citizens have to recognize that the path towards an undemocratic America is not gonna happen in just one bang," Barack Obama said in an arresting interview with Anderson Cooper on Monday night. It happens "in a series of steps," Obama said, citing the devolution of places like Hungary and Poland.
The two-minute warning had just been given when a voice came over the intercom in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, requesting that reporters please not stand in the aisles. No one listened, and no one left.

For the first time since March 16, 2020, all of the 49 blue theater seats were filled. The aisles to the left and the right, the ones that the disembodied voice wanted cleared, remained crowded. The briefing room was back to capacity on Monday afternoon, a pandemic mile marker for the capital city.

Looking out at all the faces, hardly any of them masked, White Press Secretary Jen Psaki noted that she was very thrown off to where everyone is seated. A year and a half ago, so was the former president.

While the rest of the country went through lockdowns, the White House press corps never did, at least not fully. They went on rotation. To keep the briefings from being shut down, the White House Correspondents Association agreed to limit the number of reporters in the room.

Social distancing was the initial prescription for the press during the early days of the pandemic when little was known about the virus coming out of China. Mask mandates from the WHCA came later but some reporters opted on their own to wear nose and mouth coverings. Others even wore rubber gloves until that went out of fashion with updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control.

But looking out at fewer faces than normal in March 2020, then-President Trump liked what he saw. Youre actually sitting too close, he joked during one of the earliest COVID briefings -- events that would come to define the early weeks and months of the pandemic. We should get rid of another 75 to 80% of you, he added. There were, he admitted, only two or three reporters there that he actually liked.

The vacant seats, in and of themselves, were unusual. So was the fact that the WHCA, the organization that represents journalists in behind-the-scenes negotiations with the administration, usually over securing more, not less, access, was instrumental in ensuring that social distance guidelines were followed. Its a huge story, then-WHCA President Jonathan Karl told the Washington Post at the time. Its important for us to be there. But we have to be smart about it.

Its a strange, eerie time to be at the White House, the ABC News correspondent added, citing the temperature checks, the empty seats in the briefing, the fear of the unseen. Empty seats in the briefing room for a presidential press conference? When has that ever happened? But nobody can argue it is unnecessary.

But those changes also brought opportunities. Fewer reporters in the room meant more questions for those lucky enough to be in the rotation on any given day, and even correspondents from smaller news outlets became as prominent at the briefings as their typically more favored network colleagues, asking two or three or sometimes even four questions. Things have been similar in the new administration. Biden is less accessible than his predecessor, but Psaki holds daily briefings and worked her way around the room to ensure that most, if not all, reporters in attendance got to pose a question.

A briefing room at full capacity may have ended that little luxury. It was more of a scrum Monday with reporters shouting over each other at Jake Sullivan, calling that White House national security adviser by his first name, like an old friend, to get his attention. And while the Biden administration is normally more scripted, Sullivan did not call on reporters from a list. It was a free-for-all.

Psaki eventually took over after Sullivan had fielded about a dozen questions, taking care to give extra consideration to some of the new people. Psaki bombed at her one attempt at humor before the packed house. Her joke about former President Obama and his vice president being reunited at last and it feels so good fell flat. Even a full room, she said, taking a shot at herself, and no laughs.

After more than an hour of questions and answers, the briefing ended. A Playboy reporter shouted about deadlines for infrastructure as the press secretary walked out of the room, Psaki barely pausing to say over her shoulder that a similar question was asked. And then it was over.

All of it was a return to a kind of normal, albeit three weeks after the CDC announced that it was safe for vaccinated people not to wear masks indoors or outdoors anymore.

According to the WHCA, more than 97% of its members report being fully vaccinated, numbers that put an end to required COVID procedures: There were temperature checks in the early days and then the nasal swabs until last week. Now, nothing. Fully vaccinated journalists dont need to get tested anymore. The White House wont be asking for proof of vaccination.

Since the onset of the pandemic, our priority has been to keep journalists safe, while ensuring that the critical work of informing the public could continue uninterrupted, WHCA President Zeke Miller wrote in a letter announcing the new policy. We appreciate the sacrifices made by every member of the press corps and we thank you all for your cooperation over the last 15 months.

The rituals that defined that time period -- the masks, then the multiple masks, the social distancing, the Q-tips shoved too far up noses for anyones comfort -- are done with. The strange, eerie time is over. The new ritual for reporters is the selfie in the briefing room, a picture for social media to mark the end of pandemic restrictions.
Good morning, its Tuesday, June 8, 2021. The Federal Drug Administration has granted tentative approval to a new Alzheimers medicine, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld a federal statute making it difficult for immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally to obtain a green card, Vice President Kamala Harris took both a carrot and a stick to Central America, and billionaire entrepreneur Jeff Bezos apparently really is preparing for space travel.

A puckish critic of Amazon (or the Washington Post) might recall the words of former California Congressman John G. Schmitz. When asked what he thought of Richard Nixons historic visit to China, the immortal right-winger quipped, I have no objection to President Nixon going to China. I just object to his coming back.

Jeff Bezos and his fellow passenger -- his brother Mark -- must come back to Earth, however: Theyre planning on going into suborbital space aboard one of Bezos private Blue Origin rockets -- with no destination in mind other than the journey. To that, I say, Godspeed, gentlemen.

With that, Id steer to your RealClearPolitics front page, which aggregates, as it does each day, an array of columns and stories spanning the political spectrum. Todays lineup includes Betsy McCaughey dunning China for the COVID pandemic (New York Post); Hayes Brown on Joe Manchins decision not to back the Democrats election reform legislation (MSNBC); and George Packer on Americas increasing Balkanization (The Atlantic). We also offer a complement of original material from RCP reporters and contributors, including the following:

* * *

At Long Last, a Full House in the White House Briefing Room. Phil Wegmann captures the scene yesterday when pandemic restrictions were lifted and mask-less reporters filled every seat for the first time in 15 months.

Who Loses When the China Bat Cave Implodes? Charles Lipson assesses the changing narrative regarding the pandemics origin now that the long-accepted Wuhan wet market theory appear far less certain.

Pristine Ballots Put Georgia Vote Fraud on Judges Mind. Amid Democratic and media scoffing at vote fraud conspiracy theories, a test of Election 2020 integrity is unfolding in Fulton County, Paul Sperry reports for RealClearInvestigations.

Immigration Not a Simple Solution to Population Woes. At RealClearPolicy, Steven Camerota argues that boosting inflow doesnt automatically counterbalance the needs of an aging demographic.

School Accreditors Exert Ideological Influence. At RealClearEducation, Peter Wood assails the latest example of accreditors surrendering politically neutrality and interfering in the search process for higher-ed administrators.

ExxonMobils Neglected Shareholders. At RealClearEnergy, Bruce Everett questions the priorities of new board members at the oil company.

Why the Early Progressives Rejected American Founding Principles. At RealClears American Civics portal, read an excerpt from Ronald J. Pestrittos newly published book.

* * *

Carl M. Cannon

Washington Bureau chief, RealClearPolitics

@CarlCannon (Twitter)

ccannon@realclearpolitics.com
The story about Wuhans wet market is taking on water. Weve moved well past the trust but verify stage. Were now in the dont trust a damn thing they say stage. In this case, they refers mostly to the Chinese Communist Party. But the publics mistrust has spread to our own governments public health experts, and to much of the Western media, as well.

We still dont know where the COVID-19 pandemic originated, but the more we learn, the less Chinas official story sounds right. The World Health Organizations year-long endorsement of Beijing means nothing. At this point, even the WHO is starting to say we need a more thorough investigation. Good luck with that. China has prevented independent scientists from conducting any serious, open inquiry of the pandemics origins. That wont change.

Chinas secrecy tells us sometimes, but we cant be sure what. Remember, U.S. intelligence agencies and the George W. Bush administration made the wrong inference from Saddam Husseins secrecy about weapons of mass destruction. Saddam impeded international inspectors to search freely for WMDs, which he possessed previously. There was no proof he had destroyed them. Yet he blocked unannounced international inspections of Iraqi sites that might contain WMDs. The natural inference was that he still had those weapons and was hiding them. American and British intelligence researched that conclusion. The CIA director famously told President Bush it was a slam dunk.

It wasnt. What Saddam was actually hiding was that he didnt have WMDs. He was hiding that less from his Western enemies and more from his dangerous neighbor, Iran, and possibly from internal enemies in Iraq itself. That mistaken inference is worth remembering as we ponder the still-murky origins of the Wuhan virus. We know China is hiding something. What we dont know is what it is hiding and why.

Beijing could be hiding that a natural virus escaped from the lab.

Beijing could be hiding that the escaped virus was artificially enhanced, made more contagious and lethal (called gain of function).

Beijing could be hiding the fact that Chinas military was involved in this gain-of-function project, or at least in some aspects of the labs research.

Beijing could be hiding that Chinese political leaders knew, early on, that the virus spread from human to human and that it kept this crucial finding secret for months. During that period, Beijing and the WHO were falsely telling the world that the virus could not spread from human to human.

Beijing could be hiding that Chinese leaders not only knew the virus was contagious, but that they acted on that knowledge by allowing Chinese nationals to travel freely around the world, spreading the disease, while sharply restricting travel within China from Wuhan. And, finally,

Beijing could be hiding anything and everything simply because thats how totalitarian regimes operate. They always hide information, control the flow, and prevent outside inspections.

Whatever theyre hiding, they have powerful reasons. The Chinese Communist Party knows how high the stakes are if it is found responsible for a deadly lab leak and for keeping that information secret when others could have acted promptly and saved countless lives. Americans will be outraged, as they should be, and Washington will be forced to take serious action.

That action will begin with a reconsideration of bilateral trade relations, Chinese investments in the U.S., and Chinese students at U.S. universities. Our Asian allies, Japan, Australia, and India are likely to follow suit. Britain may well do the same; South Korea is more uncertain. Europeans will be reluctant since they have strong trade ties and few security interests in the Pacific. If the U.S. relationship with China deteriorates like this, Biden may be forced to bolster the military budget, something he has avoided so far.

Who loses in this shifting environment? Heres a preliminary assessment of the biggest losers.

1) U.S. firms with large economic stakes in China, everything from factories to consumer sales. Beijing will threaten to retaliate against them if Washington applies sanctions. The same will apply to international companies from any other countries that apply sanctions.

2) The feckless news media -- including the social media giants -- that considered the mere suggestion that the pandemic might have begun with a lab leak an outrageous conspiracy theory. They damned Sen. Tom Cotton and then President Trump for even suggesting it.

3) U.S. public health experts, particularly Dr. Anthony Fauci. Hes spinning as fast as he can, but hes facing big trouble on multiple fronts. He was already hurt by his fibs about masks. Initially, he told the public they werent helpful, even though he privately believed they were, because he didnt want public demand to crowd out health-care workers who needed the masks. His priorities were right, but he was wrong to mislead the public.

Lying about masks is not Faucis biggest problem, however. His biggest problems are his possible connections to the Wuhan Institute of Virology and his unwillingness to entertain the lab leak conjecture a year ago, when the investigation should have been ramped up. He helped quash that conjecture and now admits he didnt really have strong evidence to do so. His recently released emails also show he had a close working relationship with scientists at the Wuhan lab and that he trusted their reassuring statements. By then, however, the virus was spreading outside China and everybody at the lab was under close control of Chinese political authorities. Those authorities had one overriding goal: avoid any responsibility for this global health catastrophe.

4) Democrats lose because they are both the party of government and the party of science. If Donald Trump was the bullhorn for federalism and deregulation, Biden and his party are Mr. Microphone of centralized government and Washington experts. Their reliance on Washington is baked into Democrats DNA and has been since Franklin Delano Roosevelt. So its not a good look when experts are wrong, as they have been so often during the pandemic.

The key point is that the experts have been confused about technical questions of public health, not general political issues. Nothing could be more technical than questions about whats safe to do during a pandemic and whats unsafe. Which precautions really work? Which ones dont? Do we really need to sit six feet from each other? Did we really need to cancel all those outdoor sporting events? We still dont know the answers to even the most basic questions like Do face masks help? and Why have blue states with stringent lockdowns fared no better than red states with much looser restrictions? We still dont know when it was safe for kids to return to school  private schools have been operating all year with few problems  but we do know now that the Centers for Disease Control was collaborating with the teacher unions on that question.

The less confidence we have in public health bureaucrats and the federal government on the pandemic issue, the worse it is for the party of Washington experts. And that party is the Democrats.

5) Joe Biden is at least slightly damaged because hes made partisan statements about local decisions on reopening the economy. He has defended restrictions by Democratic governors and called some Republican state elected officials Neanderthals because they reopened their economies before he wanted them to do so. Turns out the Neanderthals were right: There dont appear to have been net negative health effects from doing so -- and there were very positive economic ones. It also turns out that Bidens aides were smart to advise him never to say anything that they havent written down for him. Republicans may use Neanderthals like they did Deplorables, as a way to rally their voters against condescending elites.

And, most of all,

6) China. The only question is How big will their loss be and what global repercussions will it have?
Traverse City, MI (49684)

Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 56F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low 56F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
Traverse City, MI (49684)

Today

Periods of rain. Low 56F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Periods of rain. Low 56F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
Greenville, NC (27833)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 64F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 64F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.
CRT, 1619 Project background

Critical race theory

According to an Encyclopedia Britannica article, updated in April, critical race theory is an intellectual movement that suggests that the law and legal institutions in the United States are inherently racist and that they function to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between whites and nonwhites.

The 1619 Project

The 1619 Project is an ongoing initiative that began in August 2019, the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. According to the website for New York Times Magazine, which initiated the project, It aims to reframe the countrys history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.
MBABANE  Dispense Logic from Mauritius is one of four companies that have taken the Eswatini Competition Commission (ECC) to court over a refund, among other prayers.

Dispense Logic is a holding company incorporated in Mauritius and holds subsidiaries with operations in African countries other than South Africa. EOEC Group (Proprietary) Limited, which is a holding company incorporated in South Africa is also an applicant in the matter alongside a private company in Manzini-based Liquid Logic Eswatini and Pape Fund 3 General Partner (Proprietary) Limited. The latter is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

approves

The commission, which is a statutory body which assesses and approves mergers in the country, among other duties, is the only respondent in the matter. In his founding affidavit, Travers Shaw, who is a director at Dispense Logic and EOEC Group (Proprietary) Limited, alleged that all four applicants were part of a transaction implementation agreement which was signed on March 16 last year. Pursuant to the agreement, Shaw averred that they were advised by their attorneys that, following the sale of the entire share capital of Liquid Logic Eswatini by Dispense Logic to EOEC and a subsequent acquisition by Pape Fund 3 GP of the controlling interests in Dispense Logic and EOEC; the transaction had to be notified with the commission. This was because Liquid Logic Eswatini was to become a subsidiary of Pape Fund 3 G. As a result of the above, a merger filing involving all the applicants was reportedly prepared and accordingly filed with the commission on June 4 last year.

derived

In both the covering letter and in Form 3, the applicants made mention of the fact that since the fourth applicant (Pape Fund 3) neither had assets nor any turnover derived from here in Eswatini, the relevant party for purposes of the merger filing was Liquid Logic Eswatini. In this regard, the relevant financials of Liquid Logic Eswatini were furnished to the commission, averred Shaw. Shaw further stated that in light of the fact that Liquid Logic Eswatini did not hold assets or generated revenue exceeding E8 million, they were advised by their attorneys that this constituted a small merger in terms of the Competition Commission Regulations Notice, 2010, hence no merger fee was payable.


Weather Alert

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in North Carolina... Contentnea Creek Near Hookerton affecting Greene, Pitt and Lenoir Counties. For the Contentnea Creek...including Hookerton...Minor flooding is forecast. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Additional information is available at water.weather.gov/ahps. ...The Flood Warning is now in effect until early Thursday afternoon... The Flood Warning continues for the Contentnea Creek Near Hookerton. * Until early Thursday afternoon. * At 10:00 AM EDT Sunday the stage was 13.2 feet. * Flood stage is 13.0 feet. * Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast. * Recent Activity...The maximum river stage in the 24 hours ending at 10:00 AM EDT Sunday was 13.2 feet. * Forecast...The river is expected to rise to a crest of 13.3 feet this evening. It will then fall below flood stage Thursday morning. * Impact...At 13.0 feet, Minor flooding of low lying areas adjacent to creek can be expected. Several homes threatened by water in northwest Greene County near HWY 58. &&
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies and rain overnight. Low 58F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies and rain overnight. Low 58F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Low 58F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Low 58F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Beckley, WV (25801)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 63F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 63F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
WINCHESTER  The body of a person reported missing Monday night was recovered from Winchester Lake on Tuesday morning, according to state officials.

Environmental Conservation Police with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection responded to Winchester Lake after fire officials alerted the agency that crews recovered a male body near an overturned canoe, according to Will Healey, a spokesman for DEEP.

The persons name has not yet been released, pending notification of next of kin, Healey said.

He said the person had been reported missing to Winchester police on Monday night. His vehicle was found near the Winchester Lake boat launch.

Winsted Fire Department Chief James Lagassie said Tuesday that police were initially investigating a report of a lost person.

He was expected to be home at a certain time, and he wasnt, Lagassie said. Police looked for him last night, until it got dark, and when day broke and they could see, thats when they found him. We were called to the lake at that point to help.

Firefighters helped remove the body from the water, Lagassie said. State police investigators and EnCon officers also were at the scene Tuesday morning.

As far as the fire departments concerned, were done, and the only ones that might still be at the scene are the state police and DEEP, Lagassie said.

The fire chief said he did not know the victim, and said he was awaiting a followup report from Winchester Police Chief William Fitzgerald Jr. for more information.

The states chief medical examiner will determine the individuals cause and manner of death, Healey said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
AS we enter into Pride month marking exactly 52 years since the Stonewall Inn riots, it is, therefore, fitting that we dedicate this weeks column to the economics of diversity and the economic price of freedom of being and the freedom of expression.

Gender equality, economic development

An increasing number of economists and policy makers across the world have explicitly embraced the idea that inclusion of all groups in a population, particularly women and other marginalised persons, promote shared prosperity and economic development. This perspective is the key motivation behind the idea that social inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTIQ) people positively affects economic development. LGBTIQ people are limited in their human rights in ways that create economic inefficiencies including reduced productivity, under-investment in human capital and suboptimal allocation of human resources. Diminishing investment in human capital and use of human resources may inhibit growth at the broader level of the macro economy. In principle, when LGBTIQ people are deprived full participation in the society due to their identities, their human rights are violated.

Inclusion

Although no research examining the broader concept of LGBTIQ inclusion and the lived experiences of LGBTIQ persons in a macro-economic framework, has been conducted in the kingdom, we can confidently say that exclusions and violations of LGBTIQ human rights have adverse effects on the countrys level of economic development. Inclusion of LGBTIQ persons has the potential to lead to more efficient utilisation of existing human capital, which maximises overall productivity and economic output. In the perspective of human capital theory, greater inclusion of LGBTIQ people could expand the economys human capital by generating opportunities for LGBTIQ people to enhance human capital through more education, better health outcomes and job-related trainings. On the flip side, exclusion of LGBTIQ people in economic settings and health related contexts will diminish their human capital. With a diminished stock of human capital or inefficient use of existing human capital, the economy is not operating at its optimal capacity.

Economics of inclusion and entitlements

In the eloquent words of Amartyasens; in every society each person can be thought of as having an entitlement to all possible combinations of the goods and services to which he has access.The fundamental idea behind this eloquent piece of work in development economics is that people die of famine not because there is an overall shortage in food production, but rather because there is a shortfall in their entitlement bundle. In short, you are just not entitled to certain commodities and services. A persons entitlements may change for a varying number of reasons including, but not limited to social perceptions and cultural distribution of entitlements. This brings to mind the registration case of Eswatini Sexual Gender Minorities, a scoping of the laws of the land shows no cause why the entity should not be registered. However, it is my strong belief that the registrar of companies saw it fit not to register the entity, because it is their perception that the LGBTIQ community in Eswatini is not entitled to freedom of association and the freedom to exist and register companies. This type of thinking tends to stifle economic growth and distorts economic outcomes, as it results in adverse selection of the labour force and economic ideas.

One cannot help but wonder if the registrar of companies would not register any company that seeks to target the LGBTIQ community, regardless of the freedom of association. If the company sought to serve and target the LGBTIQ community and has a potential to make millions, do we then leave it to the registrar of companies to decide whether that is permissible or not in the kingdom. This effectively means that we leave the economic success of the kingdom to the vices of one man. If that human being does not subscribe to certain views, then they will never see the light of day. In my view, the registrar is becoming a gate keeper and the office needs to be called to order, we cannot have entitlements decided by the sentiments of one human being.

Economic contribution of LGBTIQ organisations

LGBTIQ-led organisations contribute to the economic growth of the country, they contribute to employment creation, contribute to the government tax base and provide services to underserved communities that the state does not adequately cover. LGBTIQ persons contribute to economic growth through taxes and also through productivity in industry. The annual Eswatini pride hosted by The Rock of Hope contributes to tourism and local economic development. An event that can be expanded to a big tourism event, celebrating pride Eswatini Style. Is it not fair for the government to look the other way when it comes to revenue mobilisation? Yet vehemently fail to acknowledge the existence of LGBTIQ persons when it comes to the registration of ESGM? Its only through understanding the strength in our diversity that we will reach our full economic potential as a country. Embracing diversity is a key step towards inclusive growth and development in the kingdom, it is through including everyone that we ensure we leave no one behind.
John Locher/AP

LAS VEGAS (AP)  Republicans in the four early presidential nominating states on Tuesday jointly opposed a Democratic push in Nevada to make the Western state the first to hold a primary.

GOP chairs Jeff Kaufmann of Iowa, Stephen Stepanek of New Hampshire, Michael McDonald of Nevada and Drew McKissick of South Carolina said in a statement they want to preserve the historic schedule, which has led off with Iowa's caucus followed by New Hampshire's primary.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  Continuing efforts to boost South Carolina's economy following pandemic-related hardships, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster on Tuesday announced a cash infusion for the state's technical colleges, aimed at training the jobless in new skills as they reenter the workforce.

During a news conference in Anderson, the Republican said he's allocating $8 million in federal coronavirus relief aid to a partnership between the state's 16 tech schools and the Department of Employment and Workforce.

Starting this week, the agency will contact the 87,000 South Carolinians already eligible for jobless benefits to advise them of tuition-free, short-term training classes designed to quickly prepare them for jobs like welding and truck driving, according to Tim Hardee, president of the states technical college system.

The funds come from a total of more than $48 million provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, to be used at the governor's discretion. In other allocations, McMaster has directed funds to the Department of Social Services, the Department of Education and the Department of Commerce.

He tried to direct $32 million to provide tuition grants for private schools, saying he wanted to give more families the option  especially if their own schools would not reopen for in-person instruction because of the pandemic but the state Supreme Court ruled that allocation unconstitutional.

All they have to do is apply, McMaster said Tuesday, of the training for in-demand technical jobs. If this works as well as we are confident it will, we are hopeful this will be a permanent part of our career process in South Carolina.

McMaster was one of the last governors in the country to issue a statewide stay-at-home order last year, and among the first to begin reopening the economy. He's frequently highlighted his view of the parallel needs to get South Carolina's businesses back on track, while still reining in the pandemic.

We cannot keep businesses closed forever, McMaster said during a June 2020 briefing, as cases in the state hit a new record high. Even in this situation, when we are still faced with a deadly virus, we must accelerate our economy.

At that same briefing, the state public health official overseeing pandemic response said she was more concerned about COVID-19 in South Carolina than I have ever been before.

But the governor has also been adamant that individual South Carolinians must do what he believes is their part to shore up the economy. Last month, he announced that, starting June 30, South Carolina will opt out of the federal unemployment programs that have been providing extra money to jobless residents. He claimed that unprecedented workforce shortages were created in part by the extra money.

We had to end the benefits, state Rep. Brian White said Tuesday. But you don't just cut people off without giving them a hand up.

___

Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com.MegKinnardAP.
We would love for you to join us to share your memories of Daryl with family and friends. Daryls full obituary can be view at http://www.myersmortuary.com/ A celebration of life will be held from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM on 2021-06-27 at Fraternal Order of Eagles , 2140 N Lebanon St, Lebanon, IN 4
Not that long ago, American shoppers cleaned store shelves of toilet paper. Pandemic panic had fueled the run on toilet paper, the point of it never clear.

The bicycle shortage, on the other hand, made some sense. With the lockdown forcing millions to stay at home, bikes offered exercise, safe outdoor activity. Many stores used to display every bicycle size, color, use and price range right on the sales floor. That wide practice has disappeared.

Pandemic disruptions made Americans question whether this is truly the Land of Plenty. I, for one, was amazed to learn that I couldnt easily obtain toner for my Brother printer  not at the office supply store, not online. I thought these cartridges flowed like water.

Theres apparently a shortage of ketchup packages. The reason is the surge in demand, as traditional restaurants started doing more takeout and delivery business during the pandemic. Heinz is increasing ketchup packet production by 25%, so the crisis should soon end.

Its interesting that though COVID-19 is in retreat, shortages continue. The virus is only partly at fault. Barrons laid blame on decades of companies fetishizing efficiency.

Supply chain managers had moved to just-in-time buying of things needed to make their products, preserving cash that otherwise would have been spent on inventory kept in warehouses. Their land-of-plenty assumption was that what they wanted or needed could be easily and quickly obtained.

Similarly, retailers no longer stocked merchandise in the back. They put it all on the floor in the belief that should they need, say, more La-Z-Boy recliners, they could get them shipped right over the next day or so.

There are ordinary supply chain disruptions not directly tied to the pandemic. Swimming pool chlorine tablets are in short supply because Hurricane Laura set off a devastating fire at BioLab, the Louisiana maker of them.

Burger King has had problems providing the expected pickles, not because theres any shortage of cucumbers but because the pickle jars have been tied up in the supply chain.

A cyberattack against JBS, the worlds largest meat supplier, has disrupted the meat supply chains. A similar attack on the Colonial Pipeline led to temporary gasoline shortages in several states.

Then there are just spikes in consumer desires. Chicken breast prices have doubled this year. The reason is high demand relative to chicken supply.

Homebuilders are now furiously trying to meet high demand, at least in part pandemic-related. As a result, they are struggling to find appliances, which are also in demand. Thus, there are shortages of mass-market Whirlpool and Frigidaire ranges and refrigerators  but also super expensive Wolf ranges and Sub-Zero refrigerators.

You want a Sub-Zero? You demand a Sub-Zero? Well, you can roll on the floor kicking your feet and wave a wad of cash and you still just may have to wait awhile.

A post-pandemic surge in demand for products with a computerized component has worsened an ongoing shortage of computer chips. Apple, for example, says the scarcity of semiconductors could cost it as much as $4 billion in revenues this quarter.

There is never a shortage of wacky right-wing explanations for ordinary economic phenomena. When Chick-fil-A had trouble obtaining enough of its sauce, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt blamed Joe Bidens radical liberal policies for the deficit. Asked where the connection was, Stitt came up short, but he did use the occasion to ask people to send him money.

By the way, theres no shortage of toilet paper rolls at the moment. But a shortage of shipping containers could very well disrupt the flow of wood pulp needed to make them.

We who got comfortable in the Land of Plenty may have to change our assumptions.

(Harrop is a writer for

Creators Syndicate)
Englewood

The Friendship Fire Company, near Frackville, will have an advance-order unbaked cheese pizza sale on Saturday, June 26, with pick-ups between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. To order, or for more information, call or text Dorene at 570-590-5150. Orders are due by Sunday, June 20.

Port Carbon

The townwide yard sale has been changed to 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 12 with maps available at the Janet Eich Library. A variety of sellers will be at 124 Canal St. from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to a release from Deniece Krater. For more information, call 570-573-1946.

Pottsville

Learning about Lithuanian traditions is the focus of a program set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 23, at the Schuylkill County Historical Society, 305 N. Centre St. Meredith Domalakes, according to a release, will show slides and artifacts in anticipation of the Lithuanian Days celebration in August at Catalpa Grove, formerly Lakewood Park, Barnesville. Admission is free for society members and $5 for the general public. For more information, call the society at 570-622-7540 or email sch.hist@comcast.net.

Mahanoy City

The Mahanoy City Public Library recently acknowledged the following memorials: For Robert Ben Blue by George and Janet Cunningham; for Bernard Marchalonis by Gerald and Irene Acalin, Class of 1971, Rod and Janet Shaker, Kathleen Davidock, Joe and Rosalie Taris; for Gladys Syzdek by Gerald and Irene Acalin; for Evelyn Sluzis by Gerald and Irene Acalin.

Schuylkill Haven

A car show, open to all collectible vehicles, will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 13 at Island Park, Fritz Reed Avenue. Admission is free for the public; the cost per show vehicle is $10. A 50/50 raffle will be drawn at 1:30 p.m.; food and beverages will be on sale. Proceeds benefit the continued development of Island Park. For more information, call 570-385-2841.
GSHBA geared for WW&W

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN  The Greater Schuylkill Haven Business Association has announced its Wine, Walk & Wander street fair will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. June 17.

In a release, Jacqueline Engel, executive director of the Walk In Art Center, said Main Street from Dock Street to Parkway will be filled with six wineries, nearly 30 artists and craft vendors and four live music acts. Several downtown businesses will be open and bringing their wares on the sidewalk.

Mainstreet Moonshine, according to the release, will have musician J.T. Thomas playing inside with Stonekeep Meadery and Willow Creek Brewing outside.

The Fluffy Bottom BBQ food truck will be near the railroad tracks, Suglias will be open uptown and the Uptown Tavern will have food inside and out, Engel said, adding Beer Haven and Little Dipper will also participate, and other downtown businesses will have discounts and specials that evening.

Other wineries doing tastings include Fieldwood, Red Shale, Bouchette and King Cole.

Vendors will have handmade crafts, edibles, and art for wanderers.

Engel said the business association still has openings for vendor spots. Interested vendors can go online to Facebook.com/theGSHABA. For more information, people may call 570-732-3728.

Chamber uplifts CEBA initiative

SHENANDOAH  Directors of the Greater Shenandoah Area Chamber of Commerce recently gave a boost to the ongoing effort to make a business innovation and arts/education center a reality in the 100 block of North Main Street.

According to minutes of the chambers May 20 meeting in the Vernalis Restaurant, prepared by director Betty Ann Bugden, chamber directors approved a motion to donate $5,000 to the Center for Education, Business and Arts for which the revitalization group Downtown Shenandoah Inc. is planning to break ground in early 2022.

The CEBA will be built at the downtown site that once had a JCPenney store, Karvois Cleaners and Davisons Furniture.

DSI has been approved for grants for the project and is working to raise necessary local funds toward a matching grant.

According to a report made during the chamber meeting, the CEBA project is moving closer to reality. DSI stressed that all donations are helpful and the project is getting close to meeting its goal.

Regarding other downtown developments discussed during the meeting, directors noted that Expressions, on the west side of the 100 block of North Main, is reorganizing its store and is accepting donations of items. Expressions is operated by Avenues, formerly United Cerebral Palsy.

Northeast Physical Therapy, East Centre Street across the street from C&R Emporium, has hired a new physical therapist to serve its Shenandoah and Tamaqua offices.

Directors also heard a report about the joint networking mixer sponsored by the Shenandoah and Mahanoy City chambers set for 6 to 8 p.m. June 23 at the Kaier Mansion Bed and Breakfast, 729 E. Centre St., Mahanoy City.

Several businesses, according to Bugdens minutes, have offered to donate food and beverages, and directors are urged to bring prospective members to the event and to let Dr. Sasha Sherry, of Sherry Dental, know if they will be attending. Tickets are $10 and must be bought in advance. Members can reach Sherry via email to sherrydentalpc@gmail.com.

LVHN adds to exec leadership

ALLENTOWN  Lehigh Valley Health Network has welcomed two new members to its executive leadership team, according to an LVHN release.

John Pierro is the networks new executive vice president and chief operating officer as of May 31 and Liv Vesely is the new senior vice president and chief philanthropy officer as of June 7.

Dr. Brian A. Nester, LVHN president and chief executive officer, said in the release the network conducted a national search to fill the positions, seeking health care leaders with the knowledge to further the work we have been doing to give people convenient access to care, an unsurpassed experience when they are at LVHN, and health care value.

LVHN has hospitals and other medical services in Pottsville and Hazleton.

Pierro comes from Steward Health Care System, an $8 billion health care network with 35 hospitals in 10 states. He served as regional chief operating officer of the organizations north division, which includes two academic medical centers and 10 community hospitals. At LVHN, he oversees operations at the health networks hospitals and ambulatory locations and leads the facilities and construction team.

Vesely is from Jupiter Medical Center Foundation, Florida, where she served as president and chief advancement officer who developed a $300 million comprehensive campaign strategy and operational development plan to support the long-term vision for the center, securing more than $230 million in five years. At LVHN, she designs and implements a comprehensive fundraising strategy and expands philanthropic efforts into more markets.

For more on LVHN, go online to LVHN.org or following on Facebook and Twitter.

Spotts Insurance receives award

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN  Jeffrey Spotts, president of Spotts Insurance Group, has announced his agency has earned the Personal Lines All-Star Award from Nationwide Insurance.

The award, according to a press release, is given to the top producing agencies in the United States during the past year.

Spotts agency is a leader in providing insurance protection for individuals and businesses, according to the release.

Nationwide Insurance, a provider of property-casualty insurance, awards Personal Lines All-Star status annually to just 25 agencies nationwide. All-Star agencies outpace their peers in annual performance with Nationwide.

Spotts said in the release his agency was ranked 14 out of some 10,000 agencies in the nation.

Outdoor market gears for 2021 run

SHENANDOAH  Schuylkill Countys longest running seasonal open-air downtown farm market tentatively will begin its 2021 run on Friday, July 2.

The market will then go from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Fridays through November along the first block of South Main Street, east side, near the more than century-old former Bolich & Burke building, Main and Centre streets, and the Rite Aid center.

Mark Bernardyn is the long-time market committee chairman for the Greater Shenandoah Area Chamber of Commerce, market sponsor.

Additional growers are always welcome.

The annual outdoor market began in the 1970s, brainchild of the late Samuel Schutawie, a North Main Street luncheonette/ice cream parlor owner and chamber director. It features locally grown fruits and vegetables as well as other plants.

For more information, call Bernardyn at 570-462-2734.

MAEA offers myriad trainings

POTTSVILLE  The locally based Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association offers myriad training and other sessions for regional employers.

To register for programs, or for more information about programs and pricing, call 570-622-0992 or email to Christine Robbins at crobbins@nepamaea.com. More information also is available at www.nepmaea.com.

The MAEA 2021 training catalog is available online at https://nepamaea.com/training-and-development/training-catalog. Darlene J. Robbins, MAEA president, can be reached by calling the aforementioned phone number or via email drobbins@nepamaea.com.
POTTSVILLE  Schuylkill County Sheriff Joseph Groody said Monday that the countys Central Booking office has expanded, adding a fingerprint/photograph machine to operate inside the Schuylkill County Prison.

The new fingerprint processing station purchased from DataWorks Plus LLC of North Carolina for $39,000 is identical to the station in use at Central Booking in the county courthouse, he said.

It has been the intent of the sheriff for the past two years to put in a fingerprinting station there (the prison) for anyone incarcerated, said Chief Deputy Sheriff Brian Tobin, so instead of dragging them out of the building we do all that fingerprinting over there, providing a safer environment.

Groody said security and safety were his main concerns.

For years weve been bringing prisoners over here (the courthouse), which poses a threat not only to deputies but to the general public, he said.

There is also a chance a prisoner could try to escape.

When youre incarcerated, you have two options  either serve your time or escape; there was always a flight risk, Groody said. There have been a couple of times we had people try and get away.

Unlike neighboring Berks County, where anyone arrested has his or her fingerprints taken and is photographed immediately at the time of arraignment, Schuylkill does not have a 24-hour central booking office.

Groody hopes to have a deputy sheriff work an alternate shift, possibly 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., to fingerprint anyone incarcerated during those hours.

If anyone is arrested during the night, that deputy is there to fingerprint them right away, Groody said.

Were (the sheriffs office) in charge of fingerprinting everyone in this county, all the way from shoplifting to homicide, he added.

Groody said there are times when someone is arrested during the night and, if they are able to make bail, they may never return to be fingerprinted as required by law.

Some people just go and you cant find them, he said. With this station, no prisoner will ever leave the prison without being fingerprinted.

He said Elizabeth Bush, who attended West Virginia University and graduated with a degree in forensic science, supervises Central Booking. Five deputies are qualified to operate the fingerprinting station, too, he said.

Groody said the purchase and installation of the station has been two years in the making and suffered several delays.

He said prison Warden David Wapinsky and Capt. Jon Bowman, as well as Scott Lipsett, a supervisor at the Schuylkill County 911 Center, were invaluable in making it happen.

This was a team effort, Groody said.

He said the machine was paid for out of the prison commissary fund.

There is no charge to the taxpayer, Groody said. The commissary money is used for the prisoners, and this machine is for the prisoners.
Man arrested for Rush Twp. burglary

GRIER CITY  A Barnesville man was jailed after being arrested by Rush Township police for a burglary that happened around 9:40 a.m. Friday.

Police said David Merenda Jr., 37, was taken into custody in the 100 block of Grier Avenue after he was found inside an unoccupied home he illegally entered.

At the time of his arrest, police said, Merenda was in possession of items that were from the victims residence.

Police said Merenda was charged with burglary, criminal trespass, theft and possession of a controlled substance.

He was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge David Rossi, Tremont, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $25,000 straight cash bail, police said.

Police investigate theft by deception

AUBURN  State police at Schuylkill Haven are investigating a theft by deception involving a 25-year-old Auburn woman that happened between May 25 and Thursday.

Police said someone sent fraudulent checks to the woman who then cashed them at BB&T Bank using her mobile app.

The woman then purchased three Coinme vouchers totaling $3,180 for Bitcoin Kypto and forwarded the vouchers to the unidentified person.

Police: Man backed into mailbox, fled

SAINT CLAIR  A crash that happened on Ann Street in Norwegian Township around 7:55 a.m. Thursday is being investigated by state police at Schuylkill Haven.

Police said Charles S. Brilla, 51, of Saint Clair, was driving a 2005 Dodge Ram and was parked on the shoulder of the southbound lane when he backed into a mailbox at 891 Ann St., knocked it over and then fled.

As a result, police said, Brilla was charged with accidents involving damage to unattended vehicles or property as well as other offenses.

Suspicions lead to warrant arrest

TREMONT  One person was taken into custody and another person charged by state police at Schuylkill Haven after an incident at 211 Molleystown Road in Tremont Township around 5:10 p.m. June 1.

Police said they were called to Suedberg Gamelands for a report of two suspicious people around a vehicle and as a result took one of the two into custody on an outstanding warrant.

The other person was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia and was charged.

Police did not release the identities of the two people involved.
A letter from the attorney representing former county sheriff candidate Douglas Litwhiler to the creator of a Facebook page warns that if defamatory and libelous posts are not removed by Wednesday, legal action will be pursued.

The letter from Joseph F. Orso III was hand delivered on Monday to Anthony Kodack, of Ashland, who created the Schuylkill County Sheriff Candidate Doug Litwhiler likes young girls Facebook page on May 19 after Kodack began hearing about alleged predatory behavior by Litwhiler involving teens and young women. He was also accused of doing so while serving in uniform at various local police departments.

Litwhiler denies the allegations, but took down his sheriff campaign Facebook page and said he would drop out of the race because his family was being harassed. He said he would wait until the results were official so as to not jeopardize the county Republican partys chance to name a new candidate. Results just became official on Tuesday. Litwhiler would have to complete paperwork to that effect with the election bureau.

The Facebook page was posted the day after the primary election, where Litwhiler won the vote in an unchallenged bid as a Republican. Winning on the Democrat side was incumbent Sheriff Joseph Groody, who also was unopposed.

Orso, a member of the law firm of Rudinski, Orso and Lynch P.C., Williamsport, tells Kodack in the letter, It is my understanding that you are the admitted administrator of a Facebook page directed to Mr. Litwhiler. I have reviewed the posts on your Facebook page and have determined that the posts are defamatory and libelous per se under Pennsylvania Law.

Kindly consider this letter a cease and desist to immediately remove the inaccurate and defamatory information. I am also demanding that you post an immediate retraction ... appropriate legal action will be taken against you and your fellow co-conspirators.

Kodack said he was expecting to hear from an attorney, but that he wont remove the content.

Im not taking it down at all. These women deserve to have their voices heard. Im keeping this page up, he said. There are six or seven women who have identified themselves.

Kodack, who said he last heard from Litwhiler on May 25, said he has been offered free help from an attorney.

I have forwarded a copy of the letter. Ill be talking with him (the attorney) today, Kodack said Tuesday. He said he didnt want to yet identify the attorney.

Litwhiler referred a reporter to Orso for comment.

The attorney confirmed his letter was hand delivered to assure that Kodack received it quickly in consideration of the deadline.

If the deadline is not met, Orso said, There will be a slander and defamation and conspiracy lawsuit filed. There will be multiple defendants in that litigation. We hope he takes the page down and makes the retraction.

He asked, where do you draw the line? in accusing someone in a public forum. There is no way to defend themselves, and thats why there needs to be responsibility on the people posting.

He said Kodack must write that the posts are false and theyre under the direction of the sheriff.

Orso was referring to Groody.

This Facebook page does not exist without the sheriff, Orso said.

Groody, as he has before, denied any connection when contacted Tuesday.

That is absolutely false information, Groody said about any connection. I said from the get-go that I dont know Kodack personally and never talked to, texted or emailed him, he said. I can 100% honestly say to you I never talked to Kodack in my life.

Last week, screenshots of text messages, showing one of the participants to be Joe Groody, discussing the situation were sent to local media via email.

Somebody is making these up and putting my name on them, Groody said. Thats all false, too. I saw them and I couldnt understand them myself.

Hugh Reiley, chairman of the Schuylkill County Democratic Committee, said nobody from the committee sent any such email, and the web address they used, schuylkilldemocrats@yahoo.com, is not correct.

He said the committee is considering legal action if they can determine who is responsible.
MBABANE  Eswatini Dairy Board (EDB) Acting Dairy Development Manager Bandile Mdluli says the country imported a decreased E499 million worth of milk last year.

This is because local production of raw milk has slightly increased from 16.65 million litres in 2016 to only 20.68 million litres in 2020. This growth is against an exponential growth of milk demand and increase of retail outlets selling dairy products. This transpired last week during a business seminar hosted by MTN Eswatinis Enterprise Business Unit targeting Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) by outlining opportunities in dairy, goat and indigenous chicken value chains worth billions of Emalangeni in total.

seminar

Guest speakers for this seminar included Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Director Meluleki Dlamini, Eswatini Dairy Board (EDB) Acting Dairy Development Manager Bandile Mdluli, and Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (ESWADE) National Project Director-Smallholder Market-led Project Lynn Kota, one of the guest speakers during the seminar.

Mdluli said the demand for milk is rapidly increasing as people consume milk and high-value milk products like yoghurt and cheese. He clarified that when converted to milk equivalents, these products translate to high amounts of raw milk. Eswatini currently has 679 small-scale dairy farmers: 47 medium-scale farmers and 10 large-scale farmers. Jointly, they have a herd of 5 543 dairy cows. The local dairy industry value chain includes milk producers, processors, retailers and consumers.

increase

For the country to limit the number of milk imports, we have to increase local production and also establish more processing facilities to produce most of the products that we import like cheese and yoghurt, he said.

Advising participants in the seminar, Mdluli highlighted numerous opportunities for SMEs throughout this value chain. There are opportunities for distribution of milk from producers to processors. In addition, there are opportunities for distribution of milk products from processors to retailers, he said. Mdluli said one of the key opportunities is within the industry is dairy processing.

Dairy processing could be split into two as follows; there is major dairy processing like what is done by Parmalat (Lactalis) and small-scale dairy processing whereby you do not need any of the big machinery. You can process soft cheeses, emasi, drinking yoghurt and fresh milk, he explained.
Methane is one of the most problematic greenhouse gases because it is more efficient than most others in trapping heat in the atmosphere, thus driving global warming.

Reducing methane emissions around the world is a principal objective in the global effort to diminish harmful climate change.

Now, in an extraordinary effort, researchers from NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the University of Arizona and Arizona State University have discovered that 5.5% of the atmospheric methane generated by the oil and gas industry comes from just 123 wells in the sprawling Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico.

According to the analysis, published recently in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, the wells in question leak 55 tons of methane per hour.

And they are just the most prolific of the methane-spewing wells in the basin.

Using airborne instruments, researchers identified 1,756 super-emitters across a 22,000-square mile area of the basin that includes 60,000 wells and thousands of compressor stations and thousands of miles of pipelines that also emit methane.

The super-emitters were responsible for 29% of all the methane generated from the basin.

These emissions are the low-hanging fruit in the fight to mitigate global warming.

Technology to stop the leaks readily is available but it is not uniformly deployed due to differences in state-by-state regulation.

Best practices to stop methane leaks should be a national standard regulated and enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Bollywood actor Disha Patani had jetted off to the Maldives earlier this year for a holiday with beau Tiger Shroff but had to cut back her vacation and come back to India due to the lockdown rules that were imposed by the government then. While the actor has been making headlines for breaking the law yet again, with an FIR being filed against her and Tiger Shroff lately for breaking the curfew rules, Disha is keeping her social media page sunny by posting throwback pictures from her vacationing days.

Disha Patani shares throwback pic from her holidays

Taking to Instagram, Disha Patani recently shared a picture from one of her previous holidays at the beach. In the picture shared, one can see a silhouette of the Malang actor standing in water with the ocean and the clear blue sky stretching in the background as far as the eyes can see.

Netizens are in awe of Disha Patani's photo

As soon as the picture was posted on Instagram, Disha's fans were quick to shower her praises and compliments. The netizens flooded her comment section with heart and fire emojis along with compliments like "beauty" and "mermaid." Disha's elder sister Khushboo Patani also commented on her picture with a comment that read, "So serene water and you damn beautiful." Take a look.

A look into Disha Patani's Instagram

Earlier, the actor had posted a picture of herself in a cow shed interacting with and kissing the calves there. The adorable picture received a lot of love on the Internet.

Prior to that, Disha had posted yet another throwback picture from her Maldives vacations taking a dip in the ocean and enjoying her sunset by the beach.

Disha Patani and Tiger Shroff booked by Mumbai Police

On June 3, news broke out that an FIR has been filed against Disha Patani and Tiger Shroff for breaking the lockdown curfew rules as the duo were spotted roaming in a public place without any valid reason. The Mumbai Police had also posted a tweet regarding the same and asked the citizens to adhere to the rules imposed by the government.

In the ongoing War against the virus, going Malang on the streets of Bandra cost dearly to two actors who have been booked under sections 188, 34 IPC by

Bandra PStn . We request all Mumbaikars to avoid unnecessary Heropanti which can compromise on safety against #COVID19  Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) June 3, 2021

On the work front, Disha Patani was last seen in the movie Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai which released on May 13 on Zee5. The actor now has KTina and Mohit Suri's Ek Villian Returns in the pipeline.

IMAGE: DISHA PATANI'S INSTAGRAM

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An amputee woman in Venezuela and her long-term supportive male dance partner has challenged the conceptions of the disabled body as they participated in a Social Dance Competition at a local Salsa casino. The specially-abled female dance artist left her audience thrilled with her performance full of aesthetic virtuosity and talent despite able-bodied. Andreyna Hernandez had lost her one leg in a tragic accident over 5 years ago, but she had managed to overcome the disability barriers by channeling her inner driving force, inspiring, motivating, and encouraging those around her to pursue their passion, earnestly. Footage of Hernandez and her male dancing partner, also her husband Robert Teran performing a salsa routine, was shared on her official Instagram handle.

The Venezuelan woman can be seen acing the dance moves as she gracefully pulls the twirls, rocks back and forth spins, and rolls with Teran in her vibrant performance costume. This activity was carried out in my community and I feel very very happy to have participated, and even more so knowing that many people like our work, what we do, and project as an academy, the amputee dancer wrote in a post.

She continued, Observing the happiness and motivation of people when seeing a person in my condition dance, and much more considering that just in that area was where that tree was that was the one that caused the loss of my lower left limb.

The Venezuelan woman informed that it was the same spot where she had met with the mishap that she had now decided to give her mind-blowing performance at. She shared an uplifting message for those who are specially-abled saying that the loss was not an impediment at all and that nothing stopped her. I'll keep doing what I like until the end of time, Hernandez said, inspiring both her viewers and her followers on Instagram. The specially-abled Venezuelan woman is a die-hard dance lover. I am inspired by dancing, and by dancing, I inspire others ... I love what I do. I love dancing, she explained in one of her posts, adding that her condition did not deter her from participating in the dance contest or pursuing her dreams.

Internet in awe at woman's mindblowing dance moves

The internet was left in total awe and admiration at Hernandezs zeal as one wrote, You do not lack anything rather you have plenty of it. Another said, You are a warrior. Meanwhile one other admired the womans talent saying, An honour to share with you. They have excellent talent and above all an excellent heart, God bless them.

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Pune, Jun 7 (PTI) Mangal Akhade had joined SVS Aqua Technologies just two months ago to support her family and for a better future, but the fate had something else for her in store as she was among 18 workers who perished in a massive fire at the company's plant near here on Monday.I The air was thick with grief in areas surrounding the chemical company's fire-ravaged premises near Uravade village, around 40km from Pune city, as residents struggled to come to term with the loss of so many workers from the locality.

The deceased, mostly women, were residents of villages near the Pirangut MIDC area of Mulshi tehsil of Pune district, where SVS Aqua Technologies, which manufactures chlorine dioxide among other chemicals, is located.

Mangal Akhade, 24, had workedin the private firm for just two months, said her uncle.

"My niece used to work in the firm. I rushed to the firm after I heard about the fire incident. For last two months, she was working in the firm and she has two small children," said Bhau Akhade, her uncle.

Her husband works on farms and the family is very poor, he said.

The local administration should give adequate compensation to the family members of the workers who died in the inferno, Bhau Akhade said.

Some locals rushed to the spot after the fire broke out and anticipating that workers may have been trapped inside, they immediately arranged two backhoe loaders (heavy equipment vehicles) and broke the walls of the firm, and arranged a water tanker to douse the flames.

"The intensity of the fire was so high that it was difficult to go near the building. However, our drivers on backhoe loaders went ahead and broke the walls so that the people could come out," said a local resident.

Devendra Potphode, chief fire officer, PMRDA (Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority), Fire Services, said as per company officials, 37 workers were at the plant when the tragedy occurred.

"As soon as the fire broke out, several of them managed to escape and came out of the company's premises.

However, as per the firm, 17 workers were trapped inside," he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Abhinav Deshmukh, Superintendent of Police, Pune district, said an accidental death case has been registered in connection with the incident. PTI SPK RSY RSY

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External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar will visit Kuwait from June 9 to 11 and he will also carry a letter by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Kuwaiti counterpart Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah. Jaishankar's three-day visit to Kuwait is also the first as Union Minister since he took over the office in 2019. Indian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on June 8, "During the visit, he will hold high-level meetings and also address the Indian community in Kuwait. He will also carry a personal letter from Honble Prime Minister of India to the Amir of Kuwait."

"The year 2021-22 marks the 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Kuwait. Traditionally warm and close bilateral relationship between India and Kuwait is characterized by strong people-to-people connect. There are around one million Indians residing in Kuwait. India is amongst the largest trading partners of Kuwait and Kuwait is a major supplier of oil for India," the MEA said.

EAM @DrSJaishankar will be visiting Kuwait on June 9-11, 2021.



Press Release: https://t.co/8wkC345lXk  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) June 8, 2021

India and Kuwait have also set a maritime bridge for the convenient transport of medical oxygen as well as oxygen-carrying equipment. With this bridge, Indian Navy ships brought essential medical supplies under its Operation Samudra Setu II as the nation was tackling a dramatic surge of coronavirus infections. MEA confirmed Jaishankar's Kuwait visit after on May 12 he spoke with Kuwait Foreign Minister Dr. Ahmed Nasser Mohammed Al Sabah.

During the phone call earlier this month, Jaishankar thanked Kuwait FM for the much-needed assistance. EAM had tweeted saying that the call between both the diplomats was warm with India conveying its appreciation for the maritime bridge with Kuwait that facilitated smooth oxygen flow. On May 27, Indian Navy Ship INS Shardul arrived at Kochi with 270 Metric Tonnes (MT) of liquid oxygen from Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates ((UAE) including 11 International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) containers, two semi-trailers, and 1200 oxygen cylinders.

A warm call today with FM @anmas71 of Kuwait. Conveyed our appreciation for the maritime bridge with Kuwait that is enabling smooth oxygen flow.  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 12, 2021

The first consignment had arrived in a Kuwaiti Ship at Nhava Sheva Mumbai which included 3 semi-trailers of Liquid Medical Oxygen (25 Metric Tonnes each) and 1000 Oxygen cylinders onboard. Official Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi acknowledged the reception of that life-saving medical equipment and extended his gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah the Amir of the State of Kuwait & the government of Kuwait too.



Taking forward historical ties of friendship. Kuwaiti ship arrives at Nhava Sheva Mumbai (India). 3 semi-trailers of LMO (25 MT each) & 1000 O2 cylinders onboard. Grateful to H.H. Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah the Amir of the State of Kuwait & government of Kuwait. pic.twitter.com/NdiJef9Qn9  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) May 15, 2021

Kuwaiti FMs India visit

Kuwaiti FM Dr. Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah met with EAM on March 18 after he landed in India for a two-day visit on March 17 this year. During the in-person meet, both sides reviewed all aspects of India-Kuwait ties and also discussed regional, international developments. Jaishankar and Al-Sabah agreed to coordinate closely on issues of mutual interest in multilateral forums while exploring fresh ways to further elevate the bilateral relationship between both countries. At the time, Kuwaiti FM also expressed gratitude for India for supplying 200,000 doses of India-made COVID-19 vaccines, Covishield in February 2021.

IMAGE: PTI
Barbara Jarabica, the 'Mystery Woman' in the Mehul Choksi matter, has claimed that she had no role in the abduction of the fugitive diamantaire, as alleged in his complaint to the Dominica police. In an exclusive interview with Republic Media Network, Barbara revealed that Choksi approached her during her visit to Antigua last year and introduced himself as "Raj".

"I was a friend of Choksi. After I returned to Europe in August last year, he kept on texting or contacting me using different numbers or apps. Everyone knew him as Raj, said Barbara. He became friendly and later started flirting. He also gifted me diamond rings and bracelets that turned out to be fake," she told Republic TVs Niranjan Narayanaswamy.

Barbara Jarabica said her name was dragged into the fiasco by Mehul Choksi's team and that she had nothing to do with his alleged abduction from Antigua. Responding to the relationship rumours, Barbara Jarabica said that Mehul Choksi was initially friendly but later began to flirt and kept insisting she return to Antigua.

After I returned to Europe in August 2020 he (Mehul Choksi) kept on messaging or contacting me every month from different numbers or apps; everyone knew him as 'Raj': Barbara Jarabica, Choksi-linked 'mystery woman' #LIVE to Republic, here - https://t.co/RZHKU3fdmK pic.twitter.com/wypSsC7CTR  Republic (@republic) June 8, 2021

Raj (Choksi) wanted me to return to Antigua. He told me that age shouldnt be a barrier in a relationship. Raj said he respects his wife but called me his soulmate and offered to buy me a yacht in Cuba. We talked more in the month of May and the last time we met was May 23, Sunday, Barbara said. She claimed to have messages to contradict Choksis complaint about her alleged role in his abduction.

In a complaint to Antiguan Police, the 62-year-old Choksi claimed Barbara Jarabica was part of an elaborate abduction plan in which he was transported from Antigua and Barbuda islands to Dominica. The accused in the PNB scam claimed that he was on friendly terms with Jabarica over the past year as she lived opposite to his residential complex in Jolly Harbour but later shifted to Coco Bay Hotel.

Mehul Choksi kidnapped?

While reports stated that Mehul Choksi allegedly escaped Antigua & Barbuda fearing revocation of his citizenship, his lawyer Vijay Aggarwal has maintained that the fugitive was kidnapped by sub-contractors of an agency, with the involvement of a woman 'well-known to the family' who reportedly 'honey-trapped him. Dominican police however strongly refuted the version that Choksi was abducted from Antigua and Barbuda, tortured by some persons and forcefully brought to Dominica on May 23.

While the hearing on the habeas corpus petition has been put off till the beginning of July, Magistrate Candia Carrette-George of the Rousseau Magistrate court denied Mehul Choksi bail. The fugitive businessman is likely to be deported to India very soon.
New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) India on Monday congratulated Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid on his election as the President of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, saying it looked forward to working with him to strengthen multilateralism.

"Heartiest felicitations to Foreign Minister of Maldives @abdulla_shahid on his election as President for 76th UN General Assembly," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted.

India supported foreign minister Shahid's candidature to the prestigious post.

"This is a testimony as much to his own stature as to the standing of Maldives. We look forward to working with him to strengthen multilateralism and its much needed reforms," Jaishankar said in another tweet.

Shahid has been elected the President of the 76th United Nations General Assembly (PGA) with an overwhelming majority.

It is a post held on an annual basis, rotated amongst various regional groupings. The 76th session (2021-22) is the turn of the Asia-Pacific group.

The Maldives had announced Shahid's candidature in December 2018. At that time, no other candidate was in the fray.

India announced its support for Shahid during the visit of Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla to the Maldives in November 2020.

Even at that time, he was the only candidate in the fray, sources said.

In mid-January 2021, in a surprising development and less than six months before the elections, Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul entered the fray.

While Rassoul also has strong credentials, by the time his candidature was announced, the Maldives had already garnered extensive support, the sources said.

"Moreover, Maldives has never held the office of PGA, while Afghanistan has held this post during the 21st GA session in 1966-67," said a source.

"Both Maldives and Afghanistan have excellent relations with India, and both candidates are friends of India. However, since India had already committed its support to the Maldives at a time when no other candidate was in the fray, India voted in favour of Maldives," the source said.

The PGA's office is the highest office in the UN System, and reflects the collective goodwill of the 193 member states of the UN.

The sources said India remained committed to supporting the office of the PGA, as it has consistently done in previous years. PTI MPB TIR TIR

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Even as India continues to grapple with the novel coronavirus crisis, the National Institute of Virology, Pune, has detected a new COVID-19 variant in India- B.1.1.28.2. This was revealed in a study conducted by 13 scientists including ICMR Director-General Dr Balram Bhargava which is yet to be published and peer-reviewed. Isolated from the nasal/throat swabs of international travellers returning to India from the United Kingdom and Brazil, the strain's pathogenicity was demonstrated in the Syrian hamster model and compared with the B.1 variant. The clinical samples of two COVID-19 patients who do not have any co-morbidities and remained asymptomatic until their recovery were used for this purpose.

The experiment was performed with the approval of the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee and as per the guidelines of the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals. The B.1 and B.1.1.28.2 variants were injected into two separate groups of 9 Syrian hamsters who were observed for 7 days. Thereafter, three hamsters each were sacrificed on day 3, 5 and 7 to study the viral load, antibody response and lung pathology.

The study revealed that the new variant induced body weight loss, viral replication in the respiratory tract and severe lung pathology in infected Syrian hamsters. Found more pathogenic than B.1, the B.1.1.28.2 strain is likely to cause severe symptoms. Observing that increased disease severity and neutralization reduction are of great concern, the scientists highlighted the need for screening the COVID-19 vaccines for efficacy against this variant.

Stressing on the importance of genome sequencing, the study stated, "This would help in implementation of various control measures to curb the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 variants in the country. It would also allow quick assessment of their prevalence across the globe. With the research underway to determine the neutralization potential of currently available COVID-19 vaccine, we still need to continue to follow the non-pharmaceutical interventions such as use of masks, physical distancing, hand hygiene and avoiding the public gatherings which would check the transmission of these new variants to a great extent."

Coronavirus situation in India

At present, there are 14,01,609 active novel coronavirus cases in India while 2,71,59,180 patients have been discharged and 3,49,186 deaths have been reported. While the country has shown a considerable dip in daily cases indicating that the second wave is on the wane, the vaccination drive was adversely affected since May 1 owing to a shortage of doses and the decentralized vaccine procurement policy. Addressing the nation on Monday, PM Modi rolled back this policy and announced that the Centre will procure 75% of the vaccine stock and distribute it to the states for free from June 21.

Most importantly, this stock can now be used for all adults and not just those aged above 45. With the Union government predicting that 216 crore vaccine doses are in the pipeline, the inoculation drive is expected to get a huge impetus. A total of 18,69,92,631 persons have been inoculated in India whereas 4,51,35,641 of them have received the second dose of the vaccine too.
A day after Mehul Choksi in his bail hearing detailed his relationship with the 'mystery woman', who he has claimed was behind his 'abduction', Barbara Jarabica on Tuesday spoke exclusively to Republic Media Network. While detailing the incidents of May 23, when Choksi went missing, Barbara Jarabica said that she had last met him on that day. Speaking further, the mystery woman said that on the morning of May 23, she had breakfast with Choksi, who had booked a table for them at a hotel.

Barbara Jarabica speaks to Republic TV

Barbara Jarabica told Republic TV, "On May 23, Mehul Choksi had booked a breakfast table. He was always the one coming up with plans. That was the last time I met him. We left after 9 o'clock and he was driving, which was unusual as most of the times I used to drive. We spent around 2-3 hours together and then headed back."

During her conversation with Republic TV's Executive Editor Niranjan Narayanaswamy, Barabara claimed that she had no role in the abduction of the fugitive businessman. Stating that Mehul Choksi always approached her during her visit to Antigua last year, she said that the businessman had introduced himself as "Raj". "I was a friend of Choksi. Choksi introduced himself as Raj and approached me last year during my visit. He became friendly and later started flirting. He also gifted me diamond rings and bracelets that turned out to be fake," the mystery woman added.

Barbara Jarabica said her name was dragged into the fiasco by Choksi's lawyers and family members and she has nothing to do with his kidnapping. Alleging that her name is being dragged by Choksi's lawyers and family members, she said that her entire family is currently under deep stress.

Responding to the allegations, Barbara Jarabica said on Tuesday that Mehul Choksi was initially friendly and did not flirt with her, but that changed later. "He started to like me and in April, he gave me a diamond bracelet and he told me that he likes me a lot and that I was his soulmate," she said. Jarabica also mentioned that she recently discovered that the bracelet gifted to her had "very good fake diamonds".

According to Barbara, she entered into an agreement with Mehul Choksi to do business together in May of this year. He even asked her to settle on the Caribbean island. However, Choksi later became "obsessive". She said, "We had a bit of an argument when he tried to kiss me at his office."

In WhatsApp chats between Barbara Jarabica and Mehul Choksi, he [as Raj] can be seen asking her to return to Antigua. "Pls pls comeback. for me you are the most fun to have on this beautiful island," a message sent to Barbara on April 21 reads. Barbara Jarabica says the charges of abduction may have come from Choksi's family and lawyers. "If I had to do an abduction why would I use my name," she added.

Mehul Choksi admits 'friendship' with 'mystery woman' Barbara in complaint copy

Contrary to this, Republic TV has also accessed Mehul Choksi's complaint to the Dominica Police where the fugitive has detailed his relationship with 'mystery woman' Barbara who he has claimed was behind his 'abduction.' In the complaint, Mehul Choksi has officially admitted to his friendship with Barbara, and has acknowledged that he had known her for close to a year.

The diamantaire has stated that Barbara resided opposite his residence in Jolly Harbour since 2020. He has also shared that she was friendly with his staff, met and interacted with him regularly, and the two would often go on walks together in the evening.

This had come after Mehul Choksi's wife Priti Choksi's previous statements to Republic TV. Last week, Mehul Choksi's wife said that she did not know 'Barbara' personally and that Mehul Choksi had first met her in August 2020 after she occupied a home opposite them. Priti Choksi had also revealed that the 'mystery woman' would go on walks with Mehul Choksi to public beaches and claimed that she had once insisted on going to a secluded place to which her husband had denied and had suggested going to dinner instead. Barbara has contradicted this completely.

"The authorities are looking into that (mystery woman leaving Antigua) and they believe that she left the island very soon after this happened. I believe the investigations are on & I wouldn't know more than that,' Priti Choksi told Republic TV in an exclusive interview.

Mehul Choksi claimed abduction

While reports stated that Mehul Choksi allegedly escaped Antigua & Barbuda fearing revocation of his citizenship, his lawyer maintained that the fugitive was kidnapped by sub-contractors of an agency, with the involvement of a woman 'well-known to the family' who reportedly 'honey-trapped him. Speaking to Republic TV Mehul Choksi's lawyer Vijay Aggarwal had said, "Everything was going perfect for Mehul Choksi in Antigua. I see no reason, why he would decide to escape from there."

Republic TV accessed footage of a middle-aged man who is perceived to be the 'mastermind' behind Mehul Choksi's escape plan. It is being stated that Choksi before entering Dominica had first made a failed bid to escape from Antigua and Barbuda to Cuba. He later landed up in Dominica as he failed in his plan which entailed the use of the sea route. This comes in complete contrast to the 'kidnapping' and 'honey trapping' claims made by Choksi's lawyer.

(Image: Republicworld.com)
As part of the ongoing Operation 'Samudra Setu II' to support the nation's fight against coronavirus, the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Tarkash on Tuesday arrived in Mumbai with critical medical supplies from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. In continuation of the Oxygen Solidarity Bridge to support India's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian Naval ships have been playing a crucial role in the transhipment of oxygen and other medical supplies from various countries amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Samudra Setu-II: INS Tarkash brings critical medical supplies

"INS Tarkash entered Al Shuwaikh Harbour in Kuwait on May 31 and embarked 785 oxygen cylinders. Later on, the ship embarked 300 oxygen cylinders from Ad Dammam Port in Saudi Arabia on June 1. She entered Mumbai Harbour with medical consignment on June 8," the Indian Navy said in a statement. Earlier on May 24, under Operation Samudra Setu II, INS Tarkash had brought two Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) containers of 20 MT each (from Qatar), 760 oxygen cylinders, and 10 oxygen concentrators (from Bahrain). The Navy had launched Operation Samudra Setu-II to augment the ongoing national mission for meeting oxygen requirements in view of the surge in cases of COVID-19.

Samudra Setu-II: INS Tarkash brings 20 MT medical O2 consignment from Qatar

Earlier on May 12, the Indian Naval Ship Tarkash had brought 2 containers with 20 metric tonnes of liquid medical oxygen each and 230 oxygen cylinders to Mumbai from Qatar.

The Indian Navy has deployed its various ships to import oxygen and other medical equipment to the country under operation 'Samudra Setu II'. The oxygen containers were provided by France under its mission 'Oxygen Solidarity Bridge' and the cylinders were gifted by the Indian diaspora in Qatar. The consignment was handed over to Maharashtra's civil administration for further action, the Navy said.

The Ministry of External Affairs had also hailed the Indian Navys tireless efforts to augment oxygen availability in the country as it delivered 2 cryogenic tankers with 20 MT liquid medical oxygen through INS Tarkash. The MEA had also expressed gratitude for the support from France and Qatar for the prompt facilitation of medical equipment to the country.



Operation Setu-II - a sea bridge that continues to deliver. INS Tarkash arrives in Mumbai (India) carrying 2 cryogenic tankers with 20 MT liquid medical O2 each. A tireless effort to augment our O2 availability. pic.twitter.com/SWwrlzc1oA  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) May 12, 2021

(Image: ANI)
MAYIWANE  The youth of Mayiwane has given reasons why they do not go to their various chiefdoms to seek funding for their businesses.

This is because they are asked where they pay allegiance to through kuhlela, which they said must come to an end. This was one of the concerns of the youth from Mayiwane Inkhundla who expressed this yesterday when delivering a petition to their Member of Parliament (MP) Gcina Shebeleza Dlamini. The youth who had gathered at Mayiwane Inkhundla Centre said they felt being forced to kuhlehla was a form of violation of their rights.

concerned

This was after the MP told the youth that he was concerned that they were no longer applying for available funding through the inkhundla. Gcina said funding was available but that the problem was that the youth shunned going to their respective chiefdoms to seek funds to start businesses. It was then that the youth responded that they were willing to apply for funding on condition that they were not forced to perform kuhlehla. They said an identity document was enough to validate a person as a liswati. The youth said even acquiring scholarships was challenging because one had to perform kuhlehla. They mentioned that whenever they tried to get a scholarship, the first thing they were asked was where they performed kuhlehla. They said other than this being a violation of their rights, it was a form of bribery because it required that you performed certain activities at the umphakatsi or to give some offering.

performing

Kuhlehla is a customary practice which shows that you pay allegiance to the chief. This could be through giving money or performing certain functions such as weeding the fields, among many others. Mirriam Mkhonta, who is the bucopho for Mfasini umphakatsi said kuhlehla was a prerequisite for funding because this acted as a form of security. She said kuhlehla was one way of being able to identify a person that he or she was from a specific umphakatsi.

Mkhonta said just like in a bank, when you need a loan, the bank may require a payslip if you were employed. She said this was a way of determining whether you will be able to repay the money. Speaking figuratively, she said just like in the case of a child, a parent could pay school fees and provide all the necessities but that the parent could not then write his or her childs exams.
New Delhi, Jun 7 (PTI) Calling for universal free vaccination against COVID-19, the Congress Monday said this goal has not been achieved as people would still have to pay for jabs at private hospitals despite the Centre changing its the immunisation policy on Monday.

The opposition party's statement came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Centre will provide free coronavirus vaccines to states and union territories for inoculation of all above 18 from June 21.

In an address to the nation, Modi also announced that the Centre has decided to buy 75 per cent of jabs from vaccine makers, including 25 per cent of the state quota, and give it for free to state governments, while private sector hospitals can continue to procure the remaining 25 per cent but cannot charge more than Rs 150 per dose over the pre-fixed price.

"One simple question - If vaccines are free for all, why should private hospitals charge for them?" Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asked.

The Congress also sought to credit the Supreme Court for the change in the Centre's vaccination policy and said the announcement came after the apex court reprimanded it and sought an affidavit on the inoculation drive.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "The prime minister is guilty of endangering the lives of Indians by repeatedly changing the (vaccination) policy and instead of accusing the states, he should be tendering an apology for endangering people's lives." He alleged that the government has brought these changes in its vaccination policy after it was reprimanded by the Supreme Court.

He alleged that the PM is "Pulling the wool over someone's eyes", as his government has ignored and rejected the demand made by several Congress leaders for universal free vaccination.

"The policy is also flawed even now," he alleged, asking why a middle class person, a salaried employee or a small trader or shopkeeper has to still pay for vaccines in private hospitals.

Some states had gone to the apex court against the Centre's vaccination policy alleging that it was not uniform.

Surjewala said the Modi government has changed its vaccine policy thrice -- on January 16, May 1 and now on Monday.

Accusing the prime minister of endangering the lives of Indians, he asked if he would take responsibility. "Why burden the middle class and the salaried people with payments in private hospitals," he asked.

"Why not transfer Rs 6,000 in the accounts of every poor considering there have been two crore job losses in the second wave of coronavirus," he asked.

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge claimed, "PM Narendra Modi has been forced to change the vaccination policy of procurement after the intervention of the opposition and SC." "The question still remains if the Government has enough doses to vaccinate the most vulnerable people by July as it plans. Where is the blueprint for it," he asked.

Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that the government has changed its policy under pressure from the Supreme Court and not on its own.

Surjewala claimed that at the current vaccination rate with the average between January 16 and June 7 being only 15.46 lakh jabs per day, it will take 1,091 days, or till May 2024, to inoculate all.

"Then, how will you vaccinate 100 crore people by December 2021, as promised," he asked, alleging that only 4.61 crore have been fully vaccinated in last six months, which is 3.28 per cent of the population.

He cited the example of America which has vaccinated about 41-42 percent of its population with both doses, England 35-36 percent, Brazil 9.5-10 percent, but India is still standing at 3.28 percent, asking who is responsible.

The Congress has been demanding free vaccination for all and has urged the Centre to procure the jabs and provide them to states.

The Congress on its official Twitter handle said, "Modi ji - stop with the tokenism, it will not heal the deep wounds you've inflicted on our nation. Instead - apologise and not give lectures".

A Congress Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan, said PM Modi should inform which states had demanded that vaccines should be procured and provided for 18-44 years age group.

Gehlot also said that many states, including Rajasthan, had moved the Supreme Court against the Centre's vaccination policy and the result of which is that the prime minister had to change it.

Some Congress leaders like Anand Sharma and Shashi Tharoor welcomed the PM's decision to give coronavirus vaccine free to all above 18, but slammed the government for sticking to a "flawed" vaccination policy for long which the party alleged led to "tens of thousands of deaths".

"Prime Minister's announcement on 'free vaccines for all' is a welcome change of policy. Finally a realisation of a flawed policy that led to the collapse of the national vaccination, after the govt resisted for months appeals for equitable and universal vaccination.

"This is time for honest reflection. I wish this announcement was made in January. The cost of the delay has been unbearable for India as it resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. There can be no compensation for the human suffering," Sharma said.

Jairam Ramesh said, 'The Prime Minister inflicted a huge cost on the people of India before accepting the Opposition's demand for centralised procurement and free vaccination for 18-44 year olds.' "Humility and reaching out will not hurt him," Ramesh said. PTI SKC TIR TIR

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Before the congress panel concluded the report on the Punjab internal tussle, hoardings backing state Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singhs leadership were spotted in different parts of Punjab, including Amritsar, which is the home turf of Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu. Hoardings indicated Captain Amrinder Singh to lead for the 2022 state assembly elections.

This came after a section of Congress ministers, including Sidhu have been questioning the Punjab CMs performance, prompting the party high command to intervene. The hoardings were put up by the Congress student wing reportedly backed by Amritsar mayor and Captain loyalist Karamjit Singh Rintu. It was first witnessed at different sites by Youth Congress Leaders.

Sidhu VS Punjab CM

After winning the Amritsar East seat on a Congress ticket in the 2017 Punjab Assembly polls by a margin of 42,809 votes, Sidhu was inducted into the Cabinet. However, a series of events led to the ex-swashbuckling batsman tendering his resignation from the Cabinet in July 2019. These include the Punjab CM openly slamming Sidhu for his 2018 visit to Pakistan where he hugged Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa, losing key portfolios, and denial of ticket to Navjot Kaur Sidhu in the 2019 General Election.

On Friday, CM Amarinder Singh met with the 3-member panel in Delhi and held a virtual meeting with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. After the meeting, the CM refused to divulge details of the meeting, but said, "We all are getting ready to face state polls". Meanwhile, Sidhu who had earlier met with the same panel said, "I came here to convey the voice of the people from the grassroots in Punjab. My stance has been, is, and will remain that the democratic power which goes to the government and financial power which goes to the government in the form of taxes should go back to the people. Truth can be suppressed but not defeated."
Burkina Faso's prime minister on Monday visited an area in the country's north where at least 132 people were killed in an Islamist attack last week.

"This is the first time in our country that we have had an attack with such massive devastation of the population of our country," said Christophe Dabire, on a visit to the town of Sebba, some 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from Solhan village where the attack occurred.

The jihadis struck Solhan on Friday night, shooting civilians and burning down their homes, the government said.

Video released by authorities showed the aftermath of the attack, including wrecked buildings and burned-out motorcycles.

A doctor working at Sebba's health unit said that 40 injured people were being treated at his medical center, while others who were in a serious condition had been transferred to other hospitals.

For five years, Burkina Faso's ill-equipped and undertrained army has been struggling to stem a jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, often arriving late or not at all to attacks.

While no group has claimed responsibility, Sahel analysts say this attack was likely carried out by the al-Qaida linked group JNIM, which has recently strengthened its position in the area.

Dabire said that the attack had struck despite major efforts to combat terrorism.

He urged people to work with authorities to stop young people from joining terrorist groups, and instead engage them in the "economic and social development" of Burkina Faso.

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Nigeria's government-enforced Twitter ban took affect on Monday, leaving millions in Africas most populous nation unable to access the microblogging platform.

The Nigerian government said on Friday it was indefinitely suspending Twitter after the company deleted a controversial tweet President Muhammadu Buhari made about a secessionist movement.

On Monday Nigeria's foreign minister met with ambassadors and diplomats in Abuja to discuss the ban, which has been criticised by the international community and human rights groups.

Representatives of the European Union, UK, the US, China and others attended the meeting in the capital.

Onyeama said they are in conversations with partners and with social media platforms.

"We want to use social media for good," he said, and denied that the government does not accept criticism.

Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed said on Friday that government officials decided to suspend Twitter because the platform was being used "for activities that are capable of undermining Nigerias corporate existence."

Mohammed criticised Twitter for deleting the post, saying, "The mission of Twitter in Nigeria is very suspicious," and that Twitter had in the past ignored inciting tweets against the Nigerian government.

In recent months, pro-Biafra separatists have been accused of attacking police and government buildings.

In his tweet, Buhari vowed to treat them in the language they understand.

Twitter had deleted Buharis post on Wednesday, calling it abusive.

More than 1 million people died during the 1967-1970 civil war that erupted when secessionists from the southeast sought to create an independent Biafra for the ethnic Igbo people.

Buhari, an ethnic Fulani, was on the opposing side in the war against the Igbos.

The governments decision to suspend Twitter is being widely condemned.

Amnesty International said it condemns the Nigerian governments suspension of a social media widely used by Nigerians to exercise their human rights including their rights to freedom of expression and access to information.

The US mission in Nigeria said that Nigerias constitution provides for freedom of expression.

In its reaction, Twitter said it is deeply concerned by the governments action saying free and open internet is an essential human right in modern society.

There are an estimated 40 million Twitter users in Nigeria.

Many them young people who have been finding a way around the ban by turning to virtual private network (VPN) apps to access the social media platform.

But the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has warned that those defying the governments ban on Twitter will be prosecuted.

The government has in the meantime ordered that all over-the-top streaming services and social media operations in the country be licensed, an indication that it wants to restrict the use of media and communications services like WhatsApp, Netflix, and Facebook that use data provided by internet service providers.

Many Nigerians fear President Buhari is planning another aggressive attack on free speech as he did in 1984 when he was head of a military government.

At the time, he promulgated a military decree that gave him power to shut down media houses and to jail journalists for stories the government consider unfavorable.

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Bones discovered in Australia 15 years ago belong to the largest dinosaur ever found in the country, Australian officials announced.

Queensland Museum's Scott Hocknull said on Monday that he estimated the dinosaur, named Cooper, to measure nearly 30 meters long and weigh more than 60 tons.

"I equate it to something like 1,400 red kangaroos, something ridiculous like that, huge, huge animal," he said.

Tourists gathered in Eromanga to see the dinosaur bones on display at the museum.

Hocknull said it is the first time researchers can verify that Cooper, short for Australotitan Cooperensis, is in fact Australia's largest dinosaur.

He added that the research is a long process of preparing the fossils and comparing them to other species of dinosaurs from around the world.

The bones were found by Robyn Mackenzie and her husband Stuart while they were mustering cattle on their property near the south western Queensland state town of Eromanga in 2006.

"It wouldn't have entered our mind that we were about to deal with an animal that was the largest in Australia and one of the largest in the world, so that was not even in our thinking," she said.

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Beijing, Jun 7 (PTI) China on Monday lodged a diplomatic protest with the United States after three US senators visited Taiwan, saying America should cease all forms of official contact with Taipei.

Much to the chagrin of Beijing, the US senators took a military aircraft to Taiwan to announce vaccine donation.

China has lodged solemn representations with the United States over their visit, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a press briefing that the visit of the US senators has gravely violated the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques that the United States once stated it would uphold.

Wang urged the US to immediately stop any form of official exchanges with Taiwan, handle the Taiwan question cautiously, and refrain from sending any wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" forces to avoid further serious damage to China-US ties and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

US Senators Tammy Duckworth, Dan Sullivan and Christopher Coons made a rare visit to Taiwan, which China claims as part of it.

During their visit, Senator Duckworth said that the US will donate 750,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan as part of the countrys plan to share shots globally.

"It was critical to the United States that Taiwan be included in the first group to receive vaccines because we recognise your urgent need and we value this partnership," Duckworth said.

Taiwan, which recently witnessed sudden spurt of COVID-19 cases, has spurned Chinas offer to supply its vaccines.

More than the vaccines, the biggest provocation for China is the US military aircraft parked on the runway, the CNN reported.

US senators are seen in front of the US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III freighter upon their arrival at Taipei's Songshan Airport.

The American delegation arrived at Taiwan's Songshan Airport on a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III freighter - a primary strategic lift aircraft for the US military.

China opposes US arms sales to Taiwan.

On May 19, US navys guided-missile destroyer sailed through the Taiwan Strait, challenging Chinas claims over the area as Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its mainland.

The US Navys 7th Fleet said in a statement "the ships transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific." China is increasingly getting concerned over the US policy towards Taiwan.

China, for its part, vows to integrate the island with the Chinese mainland and it has stepped up military manoeuvres in the area. Beijing also firmly opposes the present Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who is a strong advocate of Taiwans independence. PTI KJV ZH ZH

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Lithuania has detained nine Iraqi asylum-seekers who entered the Baltic country from Belarus, officials said on Monday, pointing a finger at Belarus for allegedly being involved in sending repeated groups of immigrants into Lithuania.

The two countries - both formerly part of the Soviet sphere - share a nearly 680-kilometre-long (420-mile) frontier that serves as the European Unions external border.

On Monday, a member of the Seimas, Lithuanias Parliament, travelled to the Belarus border.

Lawmaker Laurynas Kasciunas said there is a direct link between certain international flights to Minsk and groups of immigrants trying to come to Lithuania.

Lithuania said Belarus border guards have been covering the tracks of the migrants, and its state border guard service on Monday released footage it claimed showed guards doing this.

The latest group that entered Lithuania came on Sunday.

Last week, 52 migrants were detained by Lithuanian border officials.

They are citizens of Iraq, Syria, Belarus and Russia and most sought asylum in the Baltic country.

So far in 2021, about 160 people, mostly Iraqis, have entered Lithuania from Belarus - three times more than in all of 2020.

Lithuanias support for the Belarus opposition is longstanding, and its capital, Vilnius, has become a center for Belarusians in exile.

In 2020, the Baltic nation gave shelter to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main opposition challenger in Belaruss disputed election that President Alexander Lukashenko won after 26 years of authoritarian rule.

A number of Belarusian nongovernmental organizations also have relocated to Vilnius, which hosts a university that Lukashenko banned.

In recent weeks, the two countries have expelled a number of diplomats.

Last month, the EU imposed sanctions on Belarus, including banning its airlines from using the airspace and airports of the 27-nation bloc, amid fury over the forced diversion of a passenger jet en route to Vilnius to arrest Raman Pratasevich, an opponent to Lukashenko.

Lukashenko has warned that Belarus could retaliate against the latest EU sanctions by loosening border controls against Western-bound illegal migration and drug trafficking.

In Brussels, the European Commission said the situation in Lithuania "shows the need for a European system to manage migration and asylum. Irregular migration as well as people arriving to Europe to flee war or persecution can happen at any of the EUs external borders.

The bloc's executive body added that it stands ready to offer operational support to Lithuania through the EUs agencies.

But a structural response is needed, the European Commission said.

The 27-nation bloc wants to reform its asylum system, hoping that its countries will finally share responsibility for people seeking sanctuary or better lives.

The move comes after years of chaos and disputes among its members over the handling of migrants and refugees amid a recognition that the current EU system for deciding whether they should receive protection or be sent home has failed.

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Nearly seven years after Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, the trial in a Dutch court of three Russians and a Ukrainian accused of involvement in the downing moved Monday to the crucial merits phase, when evidence will be discussed by lawyers and judges.

Meanwhile, locals in the Ukrainian village of Hrabove remembered the day.

"The plane fell and things were strewn everywhere, children's toys and laptops," recalled local Valentina Dzhigiris, who was in the village when the plane fell in the afternoon on 17 July 2014.

"The people's dead bodies were later picked up in the field. It was really horrible."

All 298 passengers and crew on board the Boeing 777 were killed in the crash, which has been blamed on a surface-to-air missile of Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

A small memorial stone surrounded by children's toys now lies near the site of the plane crash. A cross nearby commemorates the victims.

An international investigation into the downing has dragged on for years, though on Monday, a court in the Hague began a substantive hearing.

Families of some of the victims were present in court to watch the latest hearing in the long-running case.

The four individuals are accused of transporting the missile system to rebels in eastern Ukraine that is believed to have shot down the plane.

Locals in Hrabove are unsure if the trial will be able to find those responsible for the downing.

"I'm not sure that they will search (for who's responsible)," said local resident Valery.

The town, which had a population of several hundred people, now lies in territory controlled by the Russia-backed Donetsk People's Republic separatist forces.

Locals say life has slowly returned back to normal after the plane crash.

"Hardly anything has changed, though there are less people now in the village," said local Alexei Romantsov.

"But we live as we always lived, slow and steady."

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UN appeals judges on Tuesday upheld the convictions of former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic for genocide and other offenses during Bosnias 1992-95 war and confirmed his life sentence.

The ruling means the 79-year-old former general who terrorized Bosnia throughout the war will spend the rest of his life in prison. He is the last major figure from the conflict that ended more than a quarter century ago to face justice.

Presiding Judge Prisca Matimba Nyambe of Zambia said the court dismissed Mladics appeal in its entirety and affirmed his life sentence.

It also rejected an appeal by prosecutors of Mladics acquittal on one other count of genocide linked to ethnic purges early in the war.

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Update:

Nearly 20 months after the first case of COVID-19 was reported in China, as the probe into the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus widens, all fingers of suspicion and evidence seem to be pointing towards the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and Shi Zhengli's virus research that had entailed gain-of-function experiments since at least 2015. However, now Republic has ascertained that just a few days after the first case of COVID-19 was reported in China and even before it was declared as a pandemic, research had begun in India on the SARS-CoV-2 virus which caused COVID-19.

While the clamor seeking an investigative probe into the origins continues to grow, Republic has uncovered that an Indian group of IIT-Delhi researchers and professors, and also researchers from KSBS and Acharya Narendra Dev College. Those studies had raised doubts over the 'uncanny and unnatural' behavior of the COVID-19 virus. The study conducted genome sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to understand the peculiarity of the virus and compared it to - SARS-CoV-1 - the cause of the first SARS outbreak in the early 2000s. Further, two things are of note - that a link was drawn to the extremely dangerous HIV-1 virus, and the researchers also faced enormous cyber-bullying, following which they withdrew their research from the prestigious journal in which they'd published, and then struggled to re-publish it over the next 4 months.

SARS-CoV-2 insertions similar to HIV-1 virus: IIT Delhi team

During the course of the research, the IIT-Delhi associates found four small but unique insertions in the spike protein of the virus. On further analyses, these unique short inserts were similar to the proteins of similar function in some strains of the HIV-1 virus that causes AIDS. Moreover, the molecular modeling of the spike protein indicated that these four regions occupied positions formed possible interaction interfaces, which could possibly explain human receptor specificity.

To simplify, the insertions made the virus capable of attaching itself to the human cell. Moreover, the fourth insertion in the spike protein of the virus enhanced its efficiency and pathogenicity as well. It is important to recollect here that the gain of function research specifically deals with the introduction of changes into the spike protein of a virus to enhance its transmission into humans, often rationalized as an attempt to gain a headstart in the race against future pandemics. While the lab leak theory advocates that there might be a change in the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus which led to the human transmission, the natural leak theory cites zoonotic transmission i.e. the virus jumped from bat to pangolins and then to humans.

Concluding the analyses, the IIT-Delhi researchers claimed that the four unique inserts were unique to SARS-CoV-2 and not any other human or animal coronavirus whose sequences were available until December 2019, thereby ringing the alarm bells as the SARS-CoV-2 virus genome was similar to the AIDS virus, which has been declared a global epidemic, and a cure for the HIV-1 virus is yet to be found.

In a bid to bring the same to the attention of the global community, the researchers shared their findings as a 'pre-print' on a notable digital journal BioRxiv in January 2020. In a matter of hours, the research paper had drawn the attention of the scientists and virologists, who ridiculed the paper terming it as a 'conspiracy theory'. The researchers faced unprecedented cyberbullying, harassment, with many of the emails received from unidentified sources. Despite having incorporated all constrictive criticisms of their findings, the research paper by IIT-Delhi students and professors was ignored by global journals while the negative publicity forced researchers to only post their findings in bits and pieces making their hypothesis redundant. The research paper had to eventually taken down due to the intense bullying and flak.

Pune scientist couple trace COVID origin

Earlier, two scientists from Pune, Dr Manali Rahalkar and Dr Rahul Bahulikar came forth with a 'Master Thesis' which they say sheds light on what might be going on at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and why the 'lab-leak theory' might be real. Dr Manali Rahalkar, a scientist at the BioEnergy Group at Agarkar Research Institute of Pune, and Dr Rahul Bahulikar, a scientist at BAIF Development Foundation in Pune, spoke to Republic's Sanika Kanekar and elucidated the finer points of what the world is currently talking about, including the fact that RaTG13 was found by Shi Zhengli to be over 96% similar to SARS-CoV-2 days after the latter virus was first discovered.

Tracing the possible origins of COVID-19 back to 2012, Dr Rahalkar while speaking to Republic Media Network on Saturday, recollected that during her research she found that in 2012, 6 miners had fallen sick while working in a bat cave in the Mojiang province of China. The miners, out of which three died, showed symptoms of COVID-19 including cough, pneumonia and blood clotting. It was this incident, which led to Zhengli's research that concluded with the identification of RaTG13 - which subsequently emerged as the closest known relative of SARS-CoV-2.

Republic has independently explored the origin of SARS-CoV-2 in the context of all of Shi Zhengli's works and statements. That may be read here: The Frightening COVID Origin Charge Against China's Shi Zhengli, Wuhan's Bat Virologist
MBABANE - The long wait for the second batch of COVID-19 vaccine is over as the country is expecting delivery today.

The kingdom will receive 14 400 more doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the COVAX Facility dose sharing mechanism. The doses will be received by Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi, this morning at the King Mswati III International Airport. The minister said these doses will be used to provide second doses for all the healthcare workers who received their first doses and were now due to receive their second doses. Our surveillance data indicates that there are about 9 400 healthcare workers who received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, said the minister in a statement released last night.

Opportunity

Nkosi said an opportunity will also be given to those healthcare workers who had opted out of the vaccine during the first phase but would now like to receive their first dose of the vaccine. The minister said a vaccination schedule was being prepared by the ministry for the healthcare workers who were due to receive their second dose and will be communicated with the healthcare workers through the short-message system (SMSes) using their contact numbers they provided during registration. She said those who would like to receive their first dose were encouraged to register to enable the ministry to quantify the doses that will be required for their vaccination. The minister added that the remaining doses will then be prioritised to the members of the public who are due to receive their second doses. She said the ministry will be continuing to work on bringing the 500 000 doses from AstraZeneca.

Received

The kingdom last received vaccine doses in March and the total number of doses received was 32 000. A sum of 12 000 doses were received from the COVAX Facility, while the 24 000 doses were donated by the Republic of India. As of Monday, June 7, 35 227 people had received their first jabs. The vaccination campaign was launched by the Acting Prime Minister, Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku, on March 24, in the presence of the United Nations Resident Coordinator, European Union Ambassador, United States of America Ambassador and other officials. Masuku assured the nation that the vaccines that government was providing were safe. Currently the country has recorded over 18 000 cumulative cases and 17 906 people have recuperated from the virus as of June 7.
An Omani delegation met on Monday with the head of the Houthi's supreme political council Mahdi al-Mashat in Sanaa.

The delegation arrived in Sanaa on Saturday for talks with rebel leaders that aim to advance the peace process.

A Houthi official said the delegation arrived on an Omani military plane and would try to convince Houthi leaders to halt their offensive on Marib and return to the negotiating table in Oman's capital of Muscat.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.

The visit came after Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke over the phone on Friday with Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud al-Busaidi.

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Gao (Mali), Jun 7 (AP) The death toll from the deadliest attack in Burkina Faso in years has risen to at least 132 people and countless others wounded, security officials said Monday.

Jihadis on Friday night launched an assault on civilians in Solhan village in the Sahel's Yagha province, shooting people and burning down homes and the market, the government said.

Many of the wounded were taken to hospitals in Dori town and the country's capital, Ouagadougou. Nearly 800 people have fled to the nearby town of Sebba, according to an internal report for aid workers seen by The Associated Press.

An aid worker in Sebba said there were more than 40 people with bullet wounds and burns from fleeing the attack.

The aid worker spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't permitted to speak to the media.

A local journalist, who also didn't want to be named for fear of his safety, told the AP he saw wounded people in Dori's hospital lying all over the floor.

For five years, Burkina Faso's ill-equipped and undertrained army has been struggling to stem a jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, often arriving late or not at all to attacks.

While no group has claimed responsibility, Sahel analysts say this attack was likely carried out by the al-Qaida linked group JNIM, which has recently strengthened its position in the area and is the most influential group in the province, said Heni Nsaibia, senior researcher at the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project.

After the attack in Solhan, the assailants withdrew and also planted explosives to prevent army access, both the geographic aspect and the use of explosives in this manner is not typical for Islamic State, but rather JNIM modus operandi, he said.

The attacks were a response to the presence of volunteer fighters in the area, community volunteers fighting alongside the army.

Since the program started last year, volunteers have become both perpetrators of violence against civilians as well as targets for the jihadis who accuse them of supporting the army, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence.

The militarisation of the war against terrorism has created more insecurity than benefits, and both sides, jihadis and pro-state militias are targeting civilians, said Tanguy Quidelleur a Ph.D. candidate at the Institute of social sciences and politics who has researched self-defense groups in the Sahel.

The West African country had seen a relative calm in recent months, after a secret cease-fire between JNIM and the government was reached. Earlier this year, jihadis told the AP they were instructed to lay down their guns and don't understand the recent surge in fighting.

I think there are attacks again because there are new people recruited by the group (and)...not everyone who laid down his gun returned to the community, a former jihadi who left the group in October told the AP by phone.

The fighting has created the world's fastest growing displacement crisis, more than 1.2 million people are internally displaced in the country.

The slaughter of over 100 civilians, the highest number of casualties from a single attack in recent years in Burkina Faso, marks a shocking escalation in the violence that has engulfed the country since 2015. Killed in the middle of the night by armed assailants, the victims include women and children who were given no choice to flee, no chance to live, said Manenji Mangundu, country director for the Norwegian Refugee Council in Burkina Faso. (AP) IND

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Vice President Kamala Harris is closing out her first foreign trip Tuesday with a visit to Mexico and a meeting with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a key but complicated ally in the Biden administration's efforts to curb the spike in migration at the U.S. border.

On Monday, Henry Armando Rodriguez, 27, from El Paraiso in south-central Honduras, rested outside the migrant shelter in Tecun Uman at the Guatemala-Mexico border on his journey toward the United States.

He didn't know about Harris' visit, but described reasons for leaving that touched on the hopelessness the vice president wants to address. " There is quite a lot of poverty in our country," he said.

It was his first time ever attempting to migrate, but he decided to leave for the sake of his mother and his seven siblings. His father had died. There was no work, because they lived from agriculture, but drought has made it impossible to grow crops.

When he could find work, he couldn't make enough to pay for a decent home. They scraped along on the food they could afford, but "unfortunately, we have to flee from there to be able to look for new opportunities. Sometimes economic needs force you to take these decisions."

His view of politicians is cynical, but well founded. They appear at election time, beg for your support and then forget the people. "They promise you the sun and the moon and then in the end they forgot all of that," he said.

"What interests them is only themselves, how they live, and the life of the poor is of little importance to them."

22-year-old Francio Otoniel Guerra Sagastume made it to the United States but was not able to find regular work.

Defeated and with only the clothes he wears, he is now trying to make his way to his native Honduras to reunite with his two young children.

Illegal border crossings have increased steadily since April 2020, after Trump introduced pandemic-related powers to deny migrants the opportunity to seek asylum, but further accelerated under Biden, who quickly scrapped many of Trump's hardline border policies, most notably the "Remain in Mexico" program to make asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for court dates in U.S. immigration court.

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Indian Ambassador to United Nations TS Tirumurti on Tuesday thanked member states as the nation got elected in the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. The Ambassador took it on Twitter thanking members for showing confidence in India and casting their vote. Titumurti will be the official Permanent Representative (PR)/ambassador of India at the UN.

T S Tirumurti shared his gratitude to the UN members on his Twitter handle.

I thank all Member States of the @UN for their vote of confidence in India for #ECOSOC https://t.co/vIDILvt1I0  PR/Amb T S Tirumurti (@ambtstirumurti) June 8, 2021

The official Twitter handle of 'India at UN' also highlighted the importance of ECOSOC for a sustainable world.

India  today has been elected to the @UN Economic & Social Council (#ECOSOC) for the term 2022-24.



The ECOSOC is at the centre of the UN development system and brings together people and issues to promote collective action for a sustainable world. pic.twitter.com/KNnxdVBGVF  India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) June 7, 2021

The results for the voting done in a secret ballot in the assembly were announced by President of the General Assembly Volkan Bozkir According to a report by Xinhua, 18 states were also elected on Monday into the ECOSOC for UN agencies and funds, for a three-year term. Othe countries include Cote d'Ivoire, Eswatini, Mauritius, Tanzania, Tunisia from African states; Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Oman from the Asia-Pacific States; Croatia, the Czech Republic from Eastern European states; Belize, Chile, Peru from Latin America and Caribbean states; Belgium, Canada, Italy, the United States from Western European and other states. The term for the elected countries began on January 1, 2021, and the countries are under a three-year term.

India at UN

India is currently serving the 2021-22 term as a non-permanent member of the powerful UN Security Council and in August, the country will assume the Presidency of the 15-nation UN organ. The council is also responsible for the follow-up to major UN conferences and summits. Earlier in April India was elected in three UN ECOSOC bodies including the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the Executive Board of UN woman, and the Executive Board of the World Food Programme.

ECOSOC

One of the 6 principal organs of the United Nations System, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) was first established in 1945. The council consists of 54 members that are elected by General Assembly. ECOSOC looks after the economic, social, and related work of the fourteen United Nations specialized agencies, functional commissions and five regional commissions. It operates as the main forum for discussing international economic and social issues, and for formulating policy recommendations addressed to the Member States and the United Nations system.
United Nations, Jun 7 (PTI) Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid was on Monday overwhelmingly elected as President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, garnering 143 votes out of the 191 ballots cast.

India had already voiced its strong support for Shahid's candidature as President of the 76th session of the UNGA, saying he is best equipped to preside over the General Assembly of 193 nations of the world.

The General Assembly voted on Monday to elect the President, who will preside over the upcoming session of the UN body that will commence in September.

In the fray for the election was Shahid as well as former foreign minister of Afghanistan Dr Zalmai Rassoul, who got 48 votes.

"Hearty congratulations to Maldives Foreign Minister @abdulla_shahid for the robust victory and for being elected as the 76th President of the UN General Assembly," Indias Permanent Mission to the UN tweeted. This is a crucial time for the United Nations and for the world. There's very little time to spare, so I intend to get to work right away.I intend to hit the ground running on day one in September as soon as I take my oath of office, Shahid, 59, said in his remarks to the press following his election.

The Maldivian minister said his "immediate priority" will be recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and working to ensure "vaccine equity" to restore hope from a year characterised by "disease, despair and devastation." "We approach the 76th session in challenging times. Disease, despair and devastation have characterised the past year. Inequality, injustice and instability have increased. The environment, the ocean, our planet is suffering. But we need to get moving again, rebuild communities, rescue the planet, recover economies and above all restore hope," Shahid said in his remarks to the General Assembly after his election.

He underlined that "we need to move to a different normal" and said that his "five rays of hope, my five priorities are geared towards that.

The "first priority is recovering from COVID-19, especially ensuring equitable access to vaccines; then rebuilding sustainably so that we build back better, stronger, greener and bluer; next is responding to the needs of the planet.

Humanity must be at the centre of all our efforts so my fourth priority is respecting the rights of all. And because a stronger United Nations is necessary to implement this vision, revitalising the United Nations is my fifth priority. This includes bringing the United Nations close to the people, Shahid said.

"I will be looking to address the health of our people and our economies and work to ensure vaccine equity. We need to vaccinate the entire world. No one is safe until everyone is safe, he said.

Congratulating Shahid on his election, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres commended him for his selection of hope as the central theme in his vision statement.

The UN Chief said Shahids longstanding diplomatic experience, including in his current role as Minister of Foreign Affairs, has given him a deep understanding of the importance of multilateralism in addressing todays global challenges. Coming from a small island developing state, Shahid will bring unique insights to the 76th session of the General Assembly, ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow in November, Guterres said.

The UN Chief noted that as the UNs most representative organ, the General Assembly is the foundation of all our work at the United Nations, and essential to our effectiveness as an Organization.

In his remarks to the press, Shahid added that his ultimate objective is to strengthen multilateralism, enhance cooperation, make the United Nations deliver, reign in a presidency of hope.

In response to a question on whether in-person meetings will resume in the General Assembly session in September after the pandemic forced over year of virtual meetings, he said "we have started with one plus one formula, which seems to be functioning so far so good. It would be prudent for us to make sure that we maintain our cautious approach to this so that we will be able to continue the function of the United Nations in the new normal." "But as soon as possible, yes it should be in our interest, in the interest of this organisation to come back into the normalcy, if at all possible, he said.

Under a pilot project implemented in the UN from June 1, delegations would commit to have only fully vaccinated delegates accessing meetings of the General Assembly and its subsidiary bodies in the General Assembly Hall.

According to the established rules of regional rotation, the President of the 76th session of the General Assembly was to be elected from the Group of Asia-Pacific States.

Shahid will succeed Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir who was UNGA President for the 75th session that came amid the unprecedented COVID19 pandemic.

Bozkir wholeheartedly congratulated Shahid on his election as the next president of the General Assembly, saying he brings to the position extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy. He said as the COVID 19 pandemic continues to devastate communities around the world and climate change threatens people's lives and livelihoods, Shahid has been a strong voice in calling attention to the impact on small island developing states.

I have no doubt that he will lead the General Assembly in a dedicated, transparent and inclusive manner, Bozkir said.

The President of the General Assembly is elected every year by a secret ballot and requires a simple majority vote of the General Assembly.

The Presidency of the General Assembly rotates among the five regional groups - the Group of Asian States, the Group of Eastern European States, the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Group of African States, the Western European and other States Group.

Traditionally, a regional group agrees on one candidate and presents his or her candidature for election as President of the General Assembly, paving the way for election by acclamation. But this year the two candidates in fray were from the Maldives and Afghanistan, with both of whom India shares close ties.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in his remarks at a joint press conference with his Maldivian counterpart in Male in February this year, had praised Shahid's vast diplomatic experience and leadership qualities.

"In this context, I reiterate today India's strong support to the candidature of Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid for President of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly next year.

"Foreign Minister Shahid, with his vast diplomatic experience and his leadership qualities is, in our view, the best equipped to preside over the General Assembly of 193 nations of the world. We will work together to make this a reality. We would really like to work with you during our membership of the United Nations Security Council for 2021-22, Jaishankar had said.

Shahid is the first President-elect of the General Assembly from the Maldives in the 75 year-old history of the UN and in the 55 years since the Maldives became a United Nations member. He is the sixth president from the small island developing states, "a step that I believe brings us closer to true representation." Shahid said that the international community needs to rebuild sustainably and the decade of action will now also have to be a decade of recovery, "focusing on building back better, building back stronger and building back greener and bluer." "Targeted interventions will be needed to ensure that no one, no country is left behind," he said, adding that the 76th session can be a super session for nature.

"There is momentum on responding to the needs of our planet. Addressing the needs of our people is equally important, ensuring that we respect the rights of all, mobilizing the collective will, and conscience of humanity is a process requiring constant work." He added that he will ensure more voice and space for youth in the General Assembly and he will raise his voice against gender discrimination, advocate for gender equality. "I reiterate my pledgeas President of the General Assembly, I will not participate in any panels that are not gender-balanced." He further asserted that addressing the demands of the day will most definitely require a stronger United Nations, "a transparent, efficient, effective and an accountable United Nations, coordination, coherence and cooperation within the United Nations system and between its organs.

"So we will need to continue working on revitalizing the United Nations, building on gains, exploring new avenues." He expressed gratitude to Rassoul "for your dignified conduct through this campaign." India, currently serving the 2021-22 term as non-permanent member of the powerful UN Security Council, will assume the Presidency of the 15-nation UN organ in August.

In November last year, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, on a visit to Male, had said that the Maldives should play a more prominent role in the United Nations and had reiterated Indias support to Shahid's candidature for the presidency of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. PTI YAS ZH AKJ IND

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
The United Kingdom government has expanded its COVID-19 vaccination for all adults above the age of 25. Matt Hancock, UK Health Secretary in the House of Commons announced that from June 8, the vaccination will open up for people aged 25 to 29. The decision comes after NHS announced that half of UK adults have been inoculated with a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccination expands for adults aged between 25 to 29

The UK Health Secretary informed the parliament that the vaccination of people under 30 would get underway on June 8. He said that anyone invited to receive the vaccine should come forward, with widespread vaccination being "critical to ending the COVID-19 pandemic". Hancock said the vaccine rollout had prevented over 39,000 hospitalisations and more than 13,000 deaths, according to the most recent data. Hancock said that 76 per cent of UK adults have been vaccinated at least once and 52 per cent of adults have been inoculated with both doses of vaccine. NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens hailed the announcement of vaccination for the adults aged 25 to 29 as a "watershed moment" and said the health service's vaccination programme was entering the "home straight".

From tomorrow, we will open up vaccination to people aged 25 to 29.



The latest estimates indicate that the vaccination programme has averted over 39,000 hospitalisations & over 13,000 deaths.



The vaccination brings us hope, so when it's your turn, get the jab. pic.twitter.com/OOgIOLSaff  Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) June 7, 2021

Around three million people aged between 25 and 29 will start receiving invites for the #NHSCOVIDVaccine from tomorrow.



This incredible step forward also marks six months since the NHS administered the world's first approved jab.  https://t.co/x5owMp4Z9M pic.twitter.com/3MDi7hMLWw  NHS England and NHS Improvement (@NHSEngland) June 7, 2021

Hancock warned that the Delta variant of the coronavirus first identified in India now makes up "the vast majority of new infections". He said that the Delta variant has a 40 per cent more transmission rate than the previously dominant Alpha variant. Hancock added that It is too early to make decisions on step four". He said that the road map will be decided based on data. Hancock also informed Parliament that he has asked the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to provide clinical advice on the vaccination of 12 years to 17-year-olds.

IMAGE: AP
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Police in Shanghai are investigating the murder of a ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official at the city's prestigious Fudan University, as he was firing a colleague in the School of Mathematics.



Fudan's School of Mathematical Sciences confirmed on the death of Wang Yongzhen, who was party secretary for the School, official media reported.



Shanghai police said they had arrested a lecturer surnamed Jiang for allegedly stabbing a colleague, surnamed Wang, who died at the scene.



The School posted condolences for Wang on its website, saying his death was a great loss to the school, with the website using black and white color scheme in mourning, the Global Times newspaper reported.



The university said it would fully cooperate with the police investigation.



The victim, Wang Yongzhen, 49, was stabbed on the afternoon of , as he was in the process of firing lecturer Jiang Wenhua from his teaching post, reports said.



Huge pressure on academics

A science professor who gave only the surname Luo blamed a recruitment policy among top Chinese universities, which try to attract overseas academics with jobs back home in China, but then fire them if they don't attract enough research funding.



"These universities, especially the lower-ranking ones in the western part of the country, will hire new PhDs as adjuncts on the basis that they will be demoted to lecturer if they fail to get promoted to associate professor level within four years," Luo said.



"[Some schools] will fire them if they can't attract National Science Foundation funding within six years of starting in post, because that effectively means they won't make associate professor," he said.



A lecturer surnamed Liu said the policies were putting huge pressure on academic staff, which in turn encourages plagiarism.



"It's all about how many journal articles you can get published, and how much of your research is a national priority topic," Liu said.



"But in China, scholar without sufficient clout or resources find it very hard to get published or to attract funding," he said. "It's pretty impossible to achieve without those things."



Repeated calls to the Fudan University propaganda department and CCP organization department rang unanswered during office hours on .



Hungary campus protest

An official who answered the phone at the personnel department in the Shanghai municipal education bureau declined to comment when contacted by RFA.



"I can't answer that," the official said. "[Wang] wasn't appointed by officials here; he is under the management of the school party committee."



The murder came after protesters in the Hungarian capital took to the streets dressed as Winnie the Pooh -- a satirical reference to CCP general secretary Xi Jinping -- in protest over plans to open a branch of Fudan University in Budapest.



Holding banners and chanting "No to Fudan!", the protesters took to the streets after the Hungarian government announced plans for the Fudan campus, which is slated to provide 12,000 dorm beds and 5,800 social housing places for students.



"This will pave the way for Fudan University [to set up shop in Hungary]," protest organizer Zhan Bai told RFA. "We think this is totally unacceptable."



Public opinion polls have shown that around two-thirds of Hungarians oppose the idea, not least because it will be funded by the Hungarian government with loans provided by China, using Chinese designers, contractors and suppliers.



Budapest mayor Karacsony Gergely, who looks set to challenge prime minister Viktor Orban in next year's general election, has spoken out against the Fudan proposals, reminding Hungarians that the students who turned out in Tiananmen Square in the spring and summer of 1989 were standing up against a dictatorial regime.



"This Fudan plan shows the moral bankruptcy of the ruling party, and we will continue to take action ... to stop it," he told protesters in Budapest on .



The Orban government and Fudan University signed a strategic cooperation agreement on , including plans for a Fudan branch campus in Budapest to start construction work in 2024.



The Budapest City Council opposes the central governments plan because of China's human rights record, and also the huge U.S.$1.9 billion price tag, which exceeds Hungary's total annual higher education budget.



Reported by Xiaoshan Huang, Chingman and Cai Ling for RFA's Cantonese and Mandarin Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
All land is owned by the state, and compensation is determined by the government and developers, with no input from the people.

Photo taken by affected landowner and used with permission

Photo taken by affected landowner and used with permission

This undated photo shows an active dispute between residents of a Vientiane suburb and the developers of a highway that will displace them from their homes.

Villagers who lived near an under-construction hydropower project in Laos are unhappy with the compensation they have received for vacating homes and farmland when construction began three years ago, the villagers told RFA.

The 240-megawatt Nam Ngum 4 Dam has displaced residents in two districts of northern Laos Xieng Khouang province. In addition to claiming 18 homes, a livestock farm, three tourist sites, and 11 resort hotels, the project when complete will flood the rice fields of 199 families.

The compensation is low, too low. We lost all of our homes and farmland for only 84 million kip [1 million kip = U.S. $100] per hectare [2.5 acres], a landowner in the provinces Phoukout district told RFAs Lao Service June 2.

We inherited the rice field from our ancestors. We demanded at least 100 million kip, well below the market price of 200 million kip per hectare for our farmland, said the landowner, who requested anonymity for security reasons.

Another landowner, from Pek district, told RFA that villagers there had asked for the same amount per hectare.

But the provincial authorities said that the amount set by the committee for compensation and resettlement had been fair and appropriate, the Pek landowner said.

Another Pek villager told RFA, With the compensation we received, we cant afford to buy land anywhere, so now most of us dont have land to farm."

Laos is home to dozens of hydropower projects in various stages of completion on the Mekong River and its tributaries in a bid to become the Battery of Southeast Asia, by selling the generated power to neighboring countries.

Though the Lao government sees power generation as a way to boost the countrys economy, the projects are controversial because of their environmental impact, questionable financial and power demand arrangements, and displacement of villagers without adequate compensation.

An official from Xieng Khouang Province, who worked with the Nam Ngum 4 Dams developer, told RFA that nearly all the affected villagers have accepted the offered compensation.

Only one resort hotel owner refused to accept a two billion kip offer, demanding five billion. That demand is too high, so we are still in negotiation, the official said.

People displaced by development projects in Laos have almost no choice but to accept whatever the government decides is fair compensation because all land is owned by the state.

Laos land law states that citizens can have land use rights, but these can be revoked by the state for reasons of national interest, including development projects.

Another law on compensation states that developers along with local committees for compensation and resettlement must determine fair compensation, leaving no window for input from the affected villagers themselves. Refusal to vacate can even lead to arrest.

Authorities arrested a young woman named Keo from a suburb of the capital Vientiane in April last year, detaining her for one month.

She was held for rejecting compensation, protesting against a land grab, and posting videos pertaining to her land dispute online, a family member told RFA June 3.

They finally released her after we agreed to accept the compensation and give up our land to the investor, and she had to promise not to protest again, her family member said.

Authorities arrested a man from the same village at the same time and held him until February 2021, his family member told RFA.

Inadequate compensation for people displaced by development projects is very common in Laos.

In Sept. 2020, RFA reported that all families affected by the construction of the Nam Theun 1 Dam in Laos central Bolikhamxay province had accepted compensation, with 125 of the 624 affected families initially refusing compensation in March 2019, but relenting more than a year later.

In August 2020, villagers in Xayaburi province, in the countrys northwest told RFA they were unhappy with compensation they received after being displaced by the Nam Hung 1 Dam project.

People living along the route for an expressway in Vientiane told RFA in July 2020 that they felt the compensation paid for losing their homes was too low at one sixth the market value. The same month, people displaced by the Lao-China Railway in the northwestern province of Luang Namtha told RFA they were hesitant to accept compensation because they were unsure how much they could expect and when they would receive payment.

In every case, local government officials told RFA that the compensation was fair according to the governments assessment.

Reported by RFAs Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Legal experts say such tactics are in violation of domestic and international human rights laws.

Security personnel loyal to Myanmars military regime who fail to detain anti-coup activists in raids are increasingly arresting their family members, apparently to use them as leverage, sources say, with the move prompting the condemnation of watchdogs who call the practice a violation of law and human rights.

Last week, security forces in Bago regions Okshitpin township raided the home of Min Min Oo, who has helped to organize protests against the junta for its Feb. 1 overthrow of Myanmars democratically elected government. A source close to the family told RFAs Myanmar Service that when they were unable to find him, they arrested his 60-year-old mother and wife, who is in her 40s.

Min Min Oo is an active youth leader here, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity fearing reprisal. They have been looking for him since he became prominent.

The two women were not released  I don't know where they were taken.

On May 2, around 200 troops raided the home of political activist Tin Htut Paing in North Okkalapa township, in Myanmars largest city Yangon.

The activist told RFA that when they were unable to find him, they beat up his 90-year-old grandmother and 64-year-old mother, who was later arrested and sentenced to three years in prison on May 28 for violating Section 505(a) of the Penal Code for circulating statements, rumors, or reports with the intent to cause military officers to disregard or fail in their duties.

I never thought they could be that evilnot in the city, he said.

I had thought there might be some interrogations. But now they have raided the house, smashed everything, and beaten old women  They beat [my grandmother] with their fists and with a gun. This is just another example of how the minions of a military dictatorship oppress the people.

Tin Htut Paing said he had been away from home for a long time due to work and had no contact with his family as popular resistance grew against the junta in the months since the coup.

He said his mother suffers from several medical conditions and that she prison authorities are no longer keeping her isolated from the general population of inmates as a political prisoner.

Myanmars military says that its government takeover was justified, claiming the landslide victory of Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) party in the countrys November 2020 elections was the result of voter fraud, although it has produced no evidence to support its allegations.

In the time since the takeover, authorities have responded to widespread protests and a growing Civil Disobedience Movement with violent crackdowns that have killed more than 850 people.

Cruel new tactics

Legal experts told RFA that junta troops under Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing have acted with a malevolence far surpassing that of the countrys prior military regime.

Min Aung Hlaing should be crowned as the cruelestnot even [former junta prime minister] Khin Nyunt was that evil, said veteran lawyer Kyee Myint of the raids that have arrested the elderly female family members of political activists.

Theyre doing things any way they want. So, its meaningless to suggest that our country is ruled by law. There is no pity for the elderly. There is no humanity.

Myanmar has ratified the International Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1979. The country also enacted the Law on the Elderly in December 2016, which states that men and women over the age of 60 have the right to protection from physical harm, as well as verbal and psychological abuse.

Nickey Diamond, Myanmar specialist at Fortify Rights, told RFA that the beating, arrest, and imprisonment of innocent family membersincluding elderly womennot only violates domestic laws, but is in violation of international human rights provisions.

It seems they are trying hard to prove that they are more of a terrorist group, according to domestic and global standards, she said of the junta.

Under international human rights laws, there is a law called CEDAW that protects women. There are codes of conduct to follow. Under human rights laws, arresting and imprisoning people who are not involved in any crime goes beyond human rights. It is a blatant act of terrorism.

According to the Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), nearly 4,700 political prisoners have been arrested, charged, or sentenced since the coup, while some 1,940 have been charged with a warrant and are evading arrest.

Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Bahrain Financial Harbour, an entity which manages the landmark Harbour Towers offices, Harbour Gate commercial and social hub and Bahrain Financial Harbour district, has appointed Alex Craine as its new CEO.

He will also be the new Chairman of EFS Facilities Services Bahrain.

A real estate industry veteran, Craine has over 30 years experience, of which the last 11 years were spent in the Middle East after starting his career in the UK.

Craine has a proven record of delivering high quality and dynamic operations with a customer service focus.

He brings a broad experience and understanding to his role having worked as a real estate consultant across the GCC at CBRE. During the tenure there, he had run a 25,000-unit mixed portfolio at Dubai Asset Management and managed in-house corporate real estate at Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.

On his new role, Craine said: "I am excited to join such a vibrant community and to drive our focus on quality services and customer experience. Harbour Towers is at the heart of business life in Bahrain with over 100 occupiers in 25 different industries ranging from the media and technology sector through to banking and finance."

Harbour Towers is a national landmark and Bahrains most prestigious business address at the heart of Bahrain Financial Harbour on the King Faisal Highway.

With over 100,000 sq m of Grade-A office space in two 52-storey towers and 4,400 car parking spaces it is Bahrains largest, and tallest, office complex.

"New enquiries for space are at a three-year high driven by significant investment in brand new fit-out of the office space enhancing the appeal of the efficient floor plates and world-class infrastructure," he stated.

Bahrain Financial Harbour, he said, was not just Bahrains best business address but "we are also becoming a premier lifestyle destination in a new phase of growth with the delivery of 1,000 residential units, two hotels, and new food and beverage concepts due to open in the next 12 months."

"I look forward to leading Bahrain Financial Harbour through the next stage of its evolution," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Aung Myo Min, human rights minister in the parallel government, says at least 73 children have died since the Feb. 1 coup.

Onlookers flash a three-finger salute of defience against Myanmar's military as a vehicle transports the coffin of teenager Htoo Myat Win, who was shot dead by soldiers, in Shwebo, northwestern Myanmar's Sagaing region, Mach 2021.

Myanmar military forces have killed at least 73 children nationwide in the four months following the February coup that overthrew the elected government, a minister in the parallel government formed by ousted civilian leaders told RFA on Tuesday.

Aung Myo Min, human rights minister under the 10-week-old National Unity Government (NUG), said the figure was based on credible reports from local sources and witness accounts on social media.

Some minors have been killed inside their homes when police and soldiers fired at anti-coup protesters in residential areas, he said.

Everyone knows that children, no matter how much violence is going around, need to be protected at all times, Aung Myo Min said. Children should be protected in accordance with well-accepted childrens rights.

Deaths of children are unacceptable, but now, some of them have been intentionally killed, and these are not just violations of human rights but serious crimes, said the minister, a human rights advocate who is the founder of Equality Myanmar, a top human rights organization in Myanmar.

Htoo Myat Win, 13 was shot in the abdomen by soldiers on March 27 in his home in Shwebo, Sagaing region. His father said he was devastated that he had to use hard-earned savings for the boys shinbyu, the Buddhist ceremony which celebrates boys joining a Buddhist monastery as a novice monk, to pay for his funeral.

I had been saving up for two years for that donation, the father said. Last year we couldnt hold the event because of COVID-19, and now this year he was killed because of the military. I used all the savings for his funeral.

Another teenager, Sunday Aye, was shot dead by soldiers in Kayan Tharyar village near the town of Loikaw in Kayah state, the same day, said a resident who declined to be named for safety reasons.

The local said the 14-year-old was shot while fleeing from soldiers stationed in the village after his father asked him to buy some food.

Aung Myo Min said the NUG is trying to tell the world stories like that of Sunday Aye.

We are gathering information on human rights violations, he said. We want to let the world know about incidents like the death of Sunday Aye, who was killed in Kayah state.

The NUG was launched on April 16 by National League for Democracy (NLD) legislators who won seats in the 2020 election that the military overturned, citing unsupported charges of electoral fraud. Joining the veteran politicians are representatives of the countrys major ethnic groups.

On Tuesday, the United Nations issued a statement expressing concern over the rapidly deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Kayah state in southeastern Myanmar, and called for all parties to take measures to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Recent indiscriminate attacks by security forces against civilian areas has resulted in the displacement of about 100,000 men, women, and children, many of whom have sought safety in host communities and forests in Kayah and in southern parts of neighboring Shan state, the statement said.

A tally by UNICEF puts the total number of children killed by military shootings since the Feb. 1 coup at 55, including 48 boys and seven girls.

The use of force against children and arrests of children, resulting in deaths of children, is unacceptable, UNICEF said in an email. At the same time, children should be protected from violence and should not be put in danger.

The U.N.s childrens agency also said that it is concerned about the humanitarian situation in Myanmar and is working to provide legal assistance to children and the public.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a Thailand-based rights and monitoring group, reported that 857 people have been killed in Myanmar since Feb. 1, and more than 4,700 others are being detained by the military regime.

Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Fresh fighting in the countrys remote regions is exacerbating an already dire refugee situation.

A PDF member fires at government troops during an operation to capture the Moebye Police Station in southern Shan states Phekone township, May 23, 2021.

Fighting in Myanmars Chin, Sagaing, and Shan regions has displaced thousands of new villagers since the beginning of the month, sources said Monday, as clashes between military troops, militia groups, and ethnic armies continues to intensify amid the turmoil of a junta coup in February.

A source told RFAs Myanmar Service that nearly 6,000 residents from seven villages along the Hakha-Matupi Road in Chin states Hakha township have been evacuated since June 1, when soldiers hunting for members of the Chinland Defense Force (CDF) militia began threatening residents.

Hakha is about nine miles away and the military wanted to clear the entire route in the area, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

More than 100 troops are looking for CDF members. The villagers fled to safety before they arrived.

A network of volunteers formed in April, the CDF are taking on Myanmars armythe second largest in Southeast Asiawith slingshots and the same crude flintlock Tumee rifles their forefathers used to fight off British colonizers in the 1880s. The CDF said it had killed some 100 junta troops between March and May.

Following the Feb. 1 coup, most Chins joined compatriots across Myanmar in daily street protests, only to be met by deadly military violence that has killed more than 850 civilians nationwide. In the three months to May 1 alone, 28 civilians in Chin state were killed and more than 200 were arrested, according to the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO).

The CHRO estimates that some 40,000 civilians have fled their homes in Chin state since May.

Fighters of the CDF were engaged in daily battles from May 12 until May 15, when the junta occupied the town of Mindat with 1,000 fully armed troops who used civilians as human shields and sprayed gunfire indiscriminately, the CHRO said recently. The CDF pulled out May 16 to protect civilians from further artillery attacks and fire from helicopter gunships, one Chin fighter said.

But a CDF source told RFA that over the past five days, fighting had resumed in Mindat, leaving three militiamen killed and seven others injured.

A military jet came by and dropped four bombs and then there was artillery fired from the Kyaukhtu township area, he said. Motorcycles and other things left behind by the refugees were torched.

Refugees from fighting between Myanmar's military and Chinland Defense Force gather in a remote area of the western state which borders India and Bangladesh. Chinland Defense Force via Facebook

Sagaing refugees

A clash between the military and members of the Peoples Defense Force (PDF) militia in neighboring Sagaing region also took place on Sunday near Yinmabin townships Si Hlaung village, according to residents, forcing more than 1,000 people to flee.

A member of the PDF in Si Hlaung said the military entered the village around 9:00 a.m. after shelling the area.

Our people dont have enough strength and had to retreat. We have no weapons to match theirs, the PDF member said, adding that militia reinforcements arrived later, but the military had set up a strategic position in the nearby mountains that prevented a counterattack before troops left in the evening.

The fleeing villagers are in serious trouble and are searching for places to stay where they have access to water.

A resident of Si Hlaung said an 18-year-old PDF member was killed in Sundays clash and that his body had yet to be retrieved, adding that it is unclear whether the military suffered any casualties.

The people will continue to fight no matter whatwe will not give up, said the resident, who also declined to be named.

People dare not sleep at night, wondering when [military troops] might appear or where they might come from. We are worried they might show up in civilian clothes.

RFAs calls to Myanmars Deputy Information Minister Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun seeking confirmation of recent clashes went unanswered Monday.

Myanmars internal refugee crisis is dire and getting worse. Internally Displaced Persons in the countrys remote regions are crowded in makeshift camps that lack basic necessities, including food and water and medical supplies.

In addition to the reports from Chin state and Sagaing region, aid workers in neighboring Kayah state estimate that clashes between the military and local militias there prompted some 100,000 people to flee their homes in May alone.

In addition to clashes with the military regime, Myanmars myriad ethnic armies have continued to fight amongst themselves in the pursuit of new territory, further exacerbating the countrys refugee crisis.

Clashes between the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) and the combined forces of the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army-North (SSPP/SSA-N) and Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) broke out near Manli village in northern Shan states Namtu township in April.

More than 3,000 residents of Namtu and nearby Hsipaw township had fled the fighting as of mid-May, but new clashes between the two sides near Kyethi townships Mong Kaung village in southern Shan state have prompted around 1,000 additional people from five villages to seek refuge since June 1, a source told RFA.

We have refugees at four monasteries already and as there were more clashes today near Mong Kong village, the numbers will rise, said the source.

They did not want to comenobody wants to leave their home. Only the elderly and children who cannot run in an emergency, as well as the young people who could be taken away [by the military and made to work] as porters are here taking shelter.

The source said that residents had received no assistance from civil society organizations, which have had tremendous difficulty providing aid due to the fighting.

Fighting between the RCSS and the TNLA intensified between 2015 and the end of 2017 in northern Shan state and in April 2018, the TNLA began joint operations with the SSPP/SSA-N in Namtu township. According to the SSPP/SSA-N, talks between the two Shan ethnic armies have yielded little progress.

Myanmar anti-junta protesters disply signs calling for the release of deposed State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders as they march along a street in Yangon, April 24, 2021. AP

State Counselor trial

Meanwhile, the junta plans to begin hearings against Aung San Suu Kyi for violating Myanmars Official Secrets Act next week, Khin Maung Zaw, the lawyer for the deposed State Counselor said Monday.

Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other leaders of Myanmars democratically elected government were arrested shortly after the military coup and have been held in pre-trial detention on various charges.

Aung San Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of the country, has been indicted by the junta in six cases and faces charges that include spreading information that could cause public unrest, violating COVID-19 restrictions under the National Disaster Management Law, illegally importing two-way radios, and the unlicensed use of radios. The most serious of the charges she facesviolating the Official Secrets Actcarries a punishment of up to 14 years in prison.

Speaking to journalists after a procedural hearing on Monday for Aung San Suu Kyi and co-defendants President Win Myint and former mayor of the capital Naypyitaw Myo Aung, Khin Maung Zaw said that government prosecutors will have until June 28 to finish their presentation in the court in Naypyitaw, where she is being tried on five charges. Aung San Suu Kyis lawyers will have until July 26 to present their case, he said, adding that court sessions will be held on Mondays and Tuesdays each week.

As the cases are simple cases, the judge agreed to complete the hearings within 180 days ... [beginning] from the day the charges were made, Feb. 16, 2021, he said.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will take the stand herself on June 23, he added.

Min Min Soe, another member of the defense team, said that Aung San Suu Kyi is in good health, but running out of medication. He said that she had requested money for the welfare of her nine household staff members and her dog, Taichido.

Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
More than 30 witnesses and experts testified during the four-day session in London.

Members of the 'Uyghur Tribunal' view images of what witnesses say are re-education camps in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, on the first day of hearings investigating alleged abuses against Uyghurs in China, in London, June 4, 2021.

Witnesses and experts testified about enforced disappearances, the compulsory sterilization of women and forced contraception, organ harvesting, and torture by Chinese authorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) on the final day of a tribunal in London investigating whether Chinas treatment of its ethnic Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims constitutes genocide.

The nine-member tribunal chaired by prominent British lawyer Geoffrey Nice conducted the first set of hearings known as the Uyghur Tribunal on June 4-7 at the headquarters of the Church of England. A second round of hearings will be held on Sept. 10-13.

On Monday, eight voluntary witnesses and experts appeared before the tribunal and its counsel to answer questions based on earlier submitted written testimony and reports.

In all, more than 30 witnesses and experts have provided testimony and appeared before the tribunal, which has no state backing or powers of sanction or enforcement. Any judgments issued are nonbinding on any government.

Wang Leizhang, a Chinese police officer who served in the XUAR in 2018, told the panel that he came to realize that he was serving the interests not of the people but of Beijing in the XUAR.

In his written testimony, Wang said his job duties focused on maintaining social order and national security by investigating anti-separatist movements in the XUAR, where he learned from other police officers about the existence of a committee organized by local authorities that decided who would be sent to the re-education camps. The committee also was responsible for the surveillance and monitoring of citizens as well as arrests and detentions of individuals.

Gradually though my experience, I realized seeing through how the system worked that I wasnt serving the people, he said through a translator via videoconference on Monday as he wore his former policemans uniform. I was actually serving the emperor and protecting their power.

Therefore, I can say that Im a patriot to my people, not to the regime  the fascist regime  and how they were ruling the country in a most cruel way, he added.

Wang left China in 2020 and was granted asylum in Germany, where he now lives.

China has held up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in a network of detention camps since 2017. Beijing has said that the camps are vocational training centers or re-education centers and has denied widespread and documented allegations that it has subjected Muslims living in the XUAR to severe rights abuses.

The Uyghurs are a predominantly Muslim group estimated at more than 12 million people in the XUAR. Smaller numbers of Kazakhs and Kyrgyz, fellow Turkic speaking people, have also been incarcerated in the camp system.

Put on the tiger chair

Nurisman Abdureshid, a 33-year-old Uyghur who has lived in Turkey since 2015 when she went there to study, told the panel that she had normal contact with her family until June 2017, and later found out that her family members had been disappeared or detained.

Authorities handed down long prison sentences to her mother, father, and young brother for preparatory terrorist offences and her mother underwent forced sterilization, she said.

Nurisman went on to say that authorities forced all Uyghur women in her village in Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) to undergo pregnancy tests and intrauterine device (IUD) checks, and that her sister-in-law aborted twins out of fear of repercussion from authorities for violating the birth policy.

Mehmut Tevekkul, a 51-year-old Uyghur from the XUAR who fled illegally to Turkey where he now lives, recounted how he had been detained twice in 2009 and 2010 because close relatives had been detained in 1996 for being religious.

I was put on the tiger chair and they whipped my feet with iron wire, he said in written testimony, describing how he was tortured while in detention. There [was] a bolt directly above the tiger chair, and the heat from that bolt [was] unbearable Tiger chairs are metal chairs that immobilize suspects during interrogations.

Mehmut told how a Chinese official had confiscated farmland from 70-80 Uyghur families in his town in Kargilik (Yecheng) county in Kashgar prefecture for not following orders, and had given the land to Chinese migrants.

The official, Zhu Hailun, murdered so many people in our county, he took around 50 to 60, and in some villages 70 Uyghurs, he said. Very few were released. A large number of them were returned dead.

In September 2008, a neighbor and his uncles eldest son were taken away in a group of 11 Uyghurs, and both later turned up dead, Mehmut said.

Ethan Gutmann of the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China, discussed findings from his December 2020 report alleging that China has forced organ harvesting in the XUAR from political and religious prisoners beginning with the Uyghurs in the 1990s and satellite images of crematoriums built close to re-education camps where bodies could be burned after operations to remove organs.

He testified that about 20 witnesses all from different camps in the XUAR told him that Uyghurs from whom organs were harvested were all approximately 28 years old, and that the financial return on a body with usable organs totaled U.S. $500,000-750,000.

Birth prevention policies

Adrian Zenz, an independent researcher with the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, testified Monday about Chinas policy to reduce the natural population growth in southern XUAR.

His latest report, issued Monday, indicates that Chinese policies could result in a large drop in births among Uyghurs of 2.6 million to 4.5 million by 2040, based on population projections by Chinese researchers.

The analysis by the German researcher, who has published a number of reports on forced labor and abortion in the XUAR, may meet the test for genocide by presenting empirical evidence that the Uyghurs are being destroyed as a people.

It is unlikely that the Chinese will eliminate all the Uyghurs through birth prevention policies, though, Zenz told the panel.

The goal is to cut them drastically, substantially, especially in order to manage their identity and who they are for assimilation, he said.

Beijing has denounced the tribunal and smeared its participants, saying it is being funded by the World Uyghur Congress, an organization dedicated to separating Xinjiang from China. The WUC is an international organization based in Munich, Germany, that represents the collective interests of Uyghurs in the XUAR and abroad.

A statement issued by the Chinese Embassy in the UK on Saturday said that the tribunal was neither legal nor credible, repeating a statement made Thursday by Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin in Beijing.

It is just another anti-China farce concocted by a few individuals with the end goal of using Xinjiang to contain China. The Chinese side is firmly opposed to it, the statement said.

When asked about Zenzs finding in his latest report, Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Monday that China had debunked how Adrian Zenz spread lies and rumors on Xinjiang to smear and attack China in various despicable ways.

People with vision and media agencies and experts across the world have all pointed out that the reports by Zenz, filled with bias and smears against China, have zero academic value, said Wang. Hes nothing but a fake academic with a bankrupt reputation who is being sued by relevant companies in Xinjiang. His so-called reports are by no means to be trusted.

The U.S. State Department  as well as parliaments in Canada, the Netherlands, the UK, and Lithuania  have described Chinas actions in the region as genocide, while the New York-based group Human Rights Watch says they constitute crimes against humanity. The Italian parliament voted unanimously last week to condemn Chinese atrocities against Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples.

The Uyghur Tribunal is expected to issue a final verdict in December on whether China is committing genocide or crimes against humanity in the XUAR.
A United Nations court in The Hague has rejected an appeal by former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic against his life sentence for his role in Europe's worst atrocities since the end of World War II.

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) handed down the verdict during a court session on June 8 that was closed to journalists due to coronavirus restrictions.

"The Appeals Chamber dismissed the Prosecution's appeal in its entirety," a written summary of the appeals judgment said, adding, "The Appeals Chamber affirmed the sentence of life imprisonment imposed on Mr. Mladic by the Trial Chamber."

The judgment means the 79-year-old former general who terrorized Bosnia throughout the war will spend the rest of his life in prison. He is the last major figure from the conflict that ended more than a quarter century ago to face justice.

The ruling ends the case against the man dubbed the Butcher of Bosnia who had challenged his 2017 conviction for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed during Bosnia-Herzegovina's 1992-95 war.

These atrocities included the massacre in and around the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica in mid-1995 when some 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered by Bosnian Serb forces.

Mladic has maintained his innocence throughout the legal process.

The appeal case has been repeatedly delayed by his ill health and, more recently, by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The international community and Bosnian Muslims hailed the verdict as a victory for international justice.

"This historic judgment shows that those who commit horrific crimes will be held accountable," U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement. "It also reinforces our shared resolve to prevent future atrocities from occurring anywhere in the world."



UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres thanked the judges and those involved in the trial for their commitment and hard work.

UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said the ruling "highlights the determination of the international justice system to ensure accountability no matter how long it may take -- in Mladic's case, nearly three decades after he committed his appalling crimes."

European Council President Charles Michel said the verdict is another important step to provide justice to the victims.

"It will help us all put the painful past behind us and to put the future first," Michel tweeted.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell welcomed the verdict as an opportunity for leaders in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the region to back an environment of reconciliation to leave the legacy of war behind and build a lasting peace.

"Domestic and international courts in Bosnia and Herzegovina and neighboring countries should continue their mission of ensuring justice for victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, and their families. Crime should not go unpunished," Borrell said in a statement.

The Croat representative in Bosnia's tripartite presidency, Zeljko Komsic, said it is clear that the political and military leadership of the Republika Srpska at that time had a goal to create an ethnically cleansed Bosnia and Herzegovina."

Bosnian Foreign Minister Bisera Turkovic welcomed the verdict.

I believe this will be an opportunity for the Republika Srpska representatives who deny genocide to accept the truth, to reject criminal ideologies, symbols, and politics, and turn to a European future.

Nationalist Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, who is the Serb member of Bosnias tripartite presidency, blasted the ruling as an impediment to reconciliation.

"This goal to reconcile people is a delusion," Dodik said, adding, "By making this decision, The Hague tribunal has contributed even more to mistrust among [Bosnia's] nations."

His opinion was echoed by Republika Srpska President Zeljko Cvijanovic, who called the international tribunal "The Hague Inquisition" and said the ruling confirmed the role of an anti-Serb court which does not establish responsibility for war crimes based on evidence, but on the nationality of the acused.

Mladic's son, Darko, said his father didnt have a chance for a fair trial."

Relatives of the Srebrenica massacre victims acknowledged the court's ruling, but didn't voice satisfaction.

"When we look at the white tombstones, mothers who have lost their children can never be satisfied," Sahida Abdurahmanovic, who lost her husband in the massacre," told RFE/RL.

"Thank God that this moment occurred," Emina Pasic, who lost her father and two brothers at Srebrenica, told RFE/RL. "Justice was not served, but thank you to everyone who was with us."

Mladic's political chief during the Bosnian War, Radovan Karadzic, is serving a life sentence for genocide.

Serbian strongman President Slobodan Milosevic died of a heart attack in his cell in The Hague in 2006 before his trial had finished.

The IRMCT deals with cases left over from now disbanded international war crimes tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

With reporting by AFP and AP
Azerbaijan says its military has detained an Armenian soldier who it claims is a member of an Armenian Army sabotage unit, an accusation that Armenia rejected, saying one of its soldiers wandered by mistake into Azerbaijani-controlled territory because of fog.

In a June 8 statement, Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry said an Armenian soldier, identified as Artur Kartanian, was detained in the Lacin district while he and other alleged members of a group of Armenian military were trying to plant mines on Azerbaijani territory near the border with Armenia.

The statement said the other members of the group managed to flee.

The Armenian Defense Ministry rejected the Azerbaijani statement, saying the soldier -- whom they identified as Artur Katanian --"lost his way due to the fog and ended up in the territory controlled by the Azerbaijani armed forces."

"The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry statement saying that Katanian is a saboteur is not true," the Armenian Defense Ministry statement said.

Lacin is one of the districts that Azerbaijan managed to retake following last year's military conflict over the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent districts.

Six weeks of fighting ended with a Moscow-brokered cease-fire in November as Baku regained control over some parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and all seven adjacent districts.

In recent weeks, the two sides have blamed each other for a number of incidents along their border, putting pressure on the cease-fire in the run-up to Armenias snap parliamentary elections on June 20.

Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but the ethnic Armenians who make up most of the region's population reject Azerbaijani rule.

Ethnic Armenian troops forced some 750,000 ethnic Azerbaijanis from areas in and around Nagorno-Karabakh in a 1990s war, which claimed the lives of some 30,000 people, and ended in a cease-fire in 1994.
MINSK -- Authoritarian Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka has signed into law amendments to the Criminal Code that further restrict civil rights and the free flow of information amid a crackdown on the countrys pro-democracy movement.

Lukashenka, a 66-year-old former Soviet collective-farm manager who has ruled Belarus since 1994, has pushed a series of changes through in his rubber-stamp parliament that criminalize criticizing the government or taking part in unsanctioned demonstrations that were sparked by a disputed presidential election last year.

The results of the August 2020 vote handed him a sixth consecutive term but have been rejected by the West.

The amendments, signed by Lukashenka on June 8, toughen the punishment for the "distribution of false information" on the Internet, the participation in and collaboration with "extremist" groups, failure to stop the operations of an organization found by a court to be an extremist group, or the violation of the law on the organization of public gatherings and demonstrations.

They also increase punishments for libel, calls for actions deemed to be aimed at damaging national security, resisting law enforcement officers, attacking or threatening to attack law enforcement officers, and attacking or damaging property belonging to law enforcement officers, judges, jurors and their relatives.

The amendments criminalize verbal insult of law enforcement officers or other official representatives, premeditated blockage of public transportation, discrediting the Republic of Belarus, desecration of national symbols, or calls for illegal public gatherings that led to human deaths.

Crisis In Belarus Read our coverage as Belarusians continue to demand the resignation of Alyaksandr Lukashenka amid a brutal crackdown on protesters. The West refuses to recognize him as the country's legitimate leader after an August 9 election considered fraudulent.

Last month, Lukashenka enforced several other amendments to legislation severely restricting civil rights and the free flow of information amid what has become the largest and most persistent show of opposition to his rule. More than 33,000 people have been arrested in a crackdown that has left much of the opposition leadership in exile or prison.

Several protesters have been killed in the violence and some rights organizations say there is credible evidence of torture being used by security officials against some of those detained.

Lukashenka has denied any wrongdoing with regard to the election and refuses to negotiate with the opposition on stepping down or holding a fresh vote.

The European Union, the United States, Canada, and other countries have refused to recognize Lukashenka as the legitimate leader of Belarus and have imposed sanctions on him and several senior Belarusian officials in response to the "falsification" of the vote and the postelection crackdown.
PRAGUE -- Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya has called for tougher Western sanctions to be imposed on the government of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, saying they are the only way to hurt the authoritarian ruler's regime.

Speaking at RFE/RL's headquarters in Prague on June 8, the former English teacher turned politician said the world needs to understand the pain Belarusians are going through during the current political crisis "because when you feel it, you want to do more."

We all understand that we can block the regime economically so that it wont be possible to pay the police and the military, Tsikhanouskaya said in an exclusive interview with Current Time, the Russian-language channel led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA.

Fearing for her and her family's security, Tsikhanouskaya left Belarus for Lithuania a day after a presidential election on August 9 that supporters say she won. Protests erupted after a landslide victory was handed to the 66-year-old Lukashenka, who has ruled the country since 1994, amid charges of widespread voter fraud.

A subsequent crackdown by security officials on any dissent has seen tens of thousands of Belarusians detained. Several protesters have been killed in the violence and some rights organizations say there is credible evidence of torture being used by security officials against some of those detained.

WATCH: Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya Answers 10 Quick Questions From Current Time Viewers

In reaction to the situation, the European Union, the United States, Canada, and other countries have refused to recognize Lukashenka as the legitimate leader of Belarus and have imposed sanctions on him and several senior Belarusian officials.

Calls have grown for even tougher measures to be adopted after Lukashenka last month scrambled a military jet to force a Ryanair passenger plane passing through its airspace to land in Minsk, where law enforcement immediately arrested social-media activist Raman Pratasevich.

UN independent human rights experts have called for the immediate release of Pratasevich amid what they described as a black hole for media freedoms in the country, according to a statement issued on June 7.

The European Union has imposed three rounds of sanctions on Belarus, applying asset freezes and visa bans on 88 individuals and seven entities, including Lukashenka himself. Even before the Ryanair incident, the bloc had been working on a fourth round of sanctions targeting more senior officials. Washington's response has largely mirrored that of Brussels.

Tsikhanouskaya expressed optimism that democratic change will come soon to her homeland, despite a ratcheting up of repressive measures by the Lukashenka government.

Belarusians are fighting both inside Belarus and in the international arena. A lot of work is being done by the Belarusians themselves: underground, secretly. But people are so creative that they come up with new and new ways to shake up the regime, Tsikhanouskaya said on the same day that Lukashenka signed into law amendments to the Criminal Code that further restrict civil rights and the free flow of information amid the crackdown on the countrys pro-democracy movement.

She also vowed to continue her efforts to keep Belarus in the international spotlight.

Tsikhanouskaya arrived in the Czech capital on June 6 on a four-day visit at the invitation of Czech Senate speaker Milos Vystrcil.

On June 7, Tsikhanouskaya met with the Czech Senate and addressed a crowd of several hundred people in Old Town Square, thanking the Czech Republic and Belarusians living there for their support.

Earlier on June 8, Tsikhanouskaya met with Czech President Milos Zeman, who expressed his support and admiration for her bravery, wishing the Belarusian opposition leader victory over Europes last dictator, according to a tweet by the presidents spokesman.

Tsikhanouskaya told Current Time, the Russian-language channel led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, that the only way to end the current political turmoil in Belarus would be through a national dialogue between civil society and the regime.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been pushing Lukashenka in recent years to take steps toward the integration of their economies in order to cement a 20-year-old agreement to form a union state.

Lukashenka has rebuffed the pressure, but the unprecedented street protests and subsequent Western sanctions have weakened his negotiating position with the Russian president.

Tsikhanouskaya said that while Russia, which has backed Lukashenka through the crisis, could play a constructive role as a mediator, any solution must be left for Belarusians to decide.

But again, what is happening in Belarus is an internal issue. This is a struggle against the regime; this is not about geopolitics. But the regime is becoming a problem for the Kremlin as well, Tsikhanouskaya said, adding she and the opposition have had no official contacts from Moscow.

In a separate interview on the same day with RFE/RL's Belarus Service, Tsikhanouskaya said she had met with many Belarusians who were victims of the crackdown and had fled to the Czech Republic for medical treatment.

"In the Czech Republic, I met the first victims of that hell that Lukashenka unleashed in Belarus. The Czech Republic took them in to help them recover. And you know, [these] people told me their stories. And although so many months have passed by, they still couldn't help crying. It means that the things that happened to them can never be erased from their memories. They relive them over and over again," Tsikhanouskaya explained.

"It hurts to see it and then you understand once again why you are doing all of this, what you are fighting for, why it is against the regime," she added.

Tsikhanouskaya, 38, was a last-minute presidential candidate, filling in for her husband, Syarhey Tsikhanouski, whose own bid for the presidency was derailed by his arrest and jailing last May on charges that supporters say were trumped up to keep the popular vlogger off the ballot. He faces up to 15 years in prison for organizing mass disorder, among other charges that he and supporters say are absurd.

Tsikhanouskaya, however, was allowed on the ballot in a move that seemed to show that Lukashenka didn't take her seriously.

However, she drew crowds that grew bigger as the August 9 election neared, presenting arguably the greatest challenge to the decades-long rule of Lukashenka, who was faulted for refusing to institute any restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which he dismissed as a "mass psychosis."

The Criminal Code amendments signed by Lukashenka on June 8 threaten demonstrators with years in prison for speaking out against the regime.

The law envisages a prison sentence of up to three years for participants in unsanctioned protests who have already been caught twice at similar events in the previous 12 months. Previously, taking part in unauthorized demonstrations was punishable by fines or brief jail terms ranging from several days to two weeks.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Washington is working with Germany to try to mitigate any adverse effects of the completion of the Russian Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline.

Blinken also indicated that more penalties could be forthcoming on those involved with the project, telling the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 8 that the United States has opportunities to deal with those who provide insurance or other permits for the pipeline to become operational."

In addition, the waivers granted to the company overseeing the pipeline and its CEO can be rescinded at any time, Blinken said.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the Baltic Sea will bring Russian gas directly to Germany, bypassing land routes through Ukraine, Belarus, and other countries. It will also deprive Ukraine and other countries of billions of dollars in transit fees.

Critics said it will increase German dependence on Russian energy supplies and make Berlin more susceptible to Russian influence.

The State Department last month announced it would not sanction the pipeline's Russian-owned operator, Nord Stream 2 AG, or its CEO, Matthias Warnig, who is an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Blinken said the main question for the State Department now is what would be most effective to support the interests of Ukraine and other affected countries.

He said the worst possible thing in his judgment would be to poison the well with Germany through sanctions and to remove any incentives for Germany to work with the United States to try to mitigate any damage done by the pipeline going into operation.

Blinken told the committee that working with Germany, which has refused to halt the project, arguing that it is a commercial venture and a sovereign issue, was a productive approach.

"We want to make sure that Europeans take the necessary steps to protect, to mitigate, to deal with any of the adverse consequences of gas going through this pipeline," he said.

The United States is also working with Germany to make sure that we are making Ukraine whole for the loss of transit fees and to make sure Russia cannot use gas as a coercive tool when it comes to Ukraine or anyone else.

He said the Biden administration continues to believe that the pipeline is a bad idea but has to deal with the reality that the pipeline is now about 95 percent complete.

He also noted that last month the administration sanctioned 13 Russian ships and four companies involved in the construction of the pipeline and said there is a difference between "the physical completion of the pipeline and it becoming operational."

With reporting by Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said hundreds of U.S. sanctions on Tehran likely would remain in place even if Iran and the United States return to compliance with the nuclear deal with world powers.

Blinken was asked on June 8 during a hearing before a U.S. Senate committee about progress on indirect talks with Iran aimed at returning the United States to the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and bringing Iran back into compliance with it.

He said he would anticipate some sanctions would remain in place, including ones imposed by the Trump administration.

If they are not inconsistent with the JCPOA, they will remain unless and until Iran's behavior changes," Blinken told the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Discussions on reviving the deal are taking place in Vienna, brokered by European diplomats. The fifth round of talks ended on June 2 and diplomats have said a sixth may begin on June 10.

Negotiators from Britain, France, and Germany, known as the E3, and the other major powers that struck the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran have been meeting in working groups in the Austrian capital since early April, with the EU team overseeing indirect talks between Iran and the United States.

Iran has insisted on a removal of all sanctions, while the Biden administration has said that some will remain if they were imposed over concerns such as human rights and Iran's support for extremist movements.

Blinken sounded pessimistic about progress at the talks, telling lawmakers on June 7 that it remains unclear whether Iran is willing and prepared to do what it needs to do come back into compliance."

He said if Tehran continues to violate the pact, the "breakout time" it needs to amass enough fissile material for a single nuclear weapon will shrink to weeks.

The program is "galloping forward, Blinken said, adding that the longer this goes on, the more the breakout time shrinks.

The JCPOA has been on hold since 2018 when then-President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the pact and reimposed crippling sanctions on Irans economy.

In response, Tehran steadily has overstepped the agreements limits on its nuclear program designed to make it harder for the Islamic republic to develop an atomic bomb -- an ambition Tehran denies.

The negotiators are under pressure to reach a renewal of the pact before Iran's June 18 presidential election, which is likely to usher in a hard-line president.

An Iranian government spokesman said on June 8 that Iran's policy in the talks will remain unchanged after the election because the issue is decided by its highest leadership.

Cabinet spokesman Ali Rabiei told a weekly news conference that Iran's nuclear policy, set by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is not linked to internal developments and that the new government would maintain the same policies as those followed in the Vienna talks.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP
A man has died while serving a five-year jail sentence in Iran, with activists accusing the authorities of contributing to his death by neglecting his medical condition.

Sasan Niknafs had been serving a sentence since July 2020 on charges including disseminating "propaganda" against the state and Iran's leadership, the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) and the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) said in separate statements late on June 7.

The groups held the head of the judiciary, Ebrahim Raisi, responsible, saying he is ultimately in charge of the care of prisoners.

The ultraconservative Raisi is expected to win the June 18 presidential election.

Niknafs was imprisoned "despite displaying multiple physical and mental health issues," including a history of attempted suicide, according to the CHRI.

The IHR said he had been suffering from diabetes, epilepsy, and depression but that the authorities "refused his release despite numerous requests."

The Mizan Online judiciary news agency quoted the Tehran prison service as saying it had provided Niknafs with medical treatment after being informed of his suicidal tendencies.

Niknafs said he had taken pills supplied by another prisoner and subsequently fell ill, according to the prison service.

It said he was transferred on June 5 to a hospital in Tehran, where he died.

CHRI Executive Director Hadi Ghaemi denounced "a decades-long policy of treating critics of the state as less than human, and the judiciary chief's [Raisi's] refusal to protect prisoners."

In February, Iranian authorities said Behnam Mahjubi, a jailed activist from the Sufi Gonabadi dervish religious minority, died after being hospitalized for what they say was poisoning caused by the consumption of medication.

There has also been alarm over the fate of imprisoned dissident filmmaker Mohammad Nourizad, with United Nations rights experts warning early last month he was reportedly so ill he risks "serious complications and possible death."

With reporting by AFP
South Africa: More underperforming councils likely to be dissolved

The events that led to the recent dissolving of the Lekwa Municipality in Mpumalanga is likely to blaze a trail for other councils that have experienced severe poor service delivery and general municipal ineptness, says Finance Deputy Minister David Masondo.

The dissolution of the municipality came after a High Court ruling that ordered government to intervene in the affairs of town, which was at the time plagued by ongoing financial and service delivery crisis. The order of the court was the first of its kind in the country.

Addressing the ex-council on Monday, the Deputy Minister said Lekwa was not the only municipality to have failed in terms of the constitutional and developmental mandate assigned to local government.

Regrettably, 25 years into a new local government dispensation, after the introduction of progressive and enabling municipal legislation, extensive capacity-building efforts and increased grant allocations, there are 39 other municipalities in a situation as critical as Lekwa, he said.

He said there were 163 municipalities in financial distress and 108 councils that have passed an unfunded budget in the 2020/21 financial year.

He said it was vital that national government acts on leadership that undermines the proper functioning of municipalities.

Too many people suffer when municipalities cannot function as envisaged and provide the basic services that impact on day to day lives and livelihoods.

The crisis at Lekwa is unfortunate. Even more unfortunate, is that being ordered by the High Court to intervene goes against the very essence of our cooperative intergovernmental system, said the Deputy Minister.

However, he emphasised that in any crisis, there were also opportunities.

Opportunities to redefine what is acceptable and what is not, opportunities to remind ourselves of our duty to serve, opportunities that force us to rethink our approach.

Several valuable lessons for all three spheres of government will no doubt emerge from this experience, said Masondo.

Perhaps the most explicit lesson to emerge right from the outset, is that where municipalities fail to heed the call of their communities, and provinces fail to act in addressing municipal dysfunctionality timeously and appropriately, the courts will provide recourse if approached.

He said a further lesson to emerge from this experience was that political and administrative leadership is fundamental to creating a viable municipal sector.

In our experience, we can confidently say, that a financial and service delivery crisis starts with a crisis in management and leadership.

It is also perpetuated by a failure to deal decisively with disruptive management and leadership issues. If we are serious about fixing a financial and service delivery crisis, we need to first fix the political and administrative leadership crisis.

Last month, Cabinet took a decision to dissolve the municipal council in Lekwa. Furthermore, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has ordered a stand-over of the bi-elections pending the local government elections later this year.

Masondo said while the rights, responsibilities and power of councillors were officially revoked on 12 May by virtue of the Cabinet decision, salaries for councillors were until the end of May 2021.

However, as of 1 June, Johann Mettler, would be responsible for operations  legislative and executive functions  after he was appointed administrator. Mettler, a lawyer by profession, has extensive local government policy and regulatory experience.

He is the former Municipal Manager of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro and played an instrumental role as the administrator in the intervention at Msunduzi Municipality in 2009. Masondo said it was hoped Mettler would ensure a smooth and swift recovery in Lekwa.

We hope that full cooperation will be given to Mr Mettler in this assignment, he said. - SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
China tests new parachute system for rocket boosters

Xinhua) 13:44, June 08, 2021

This photo shows the 300-square-meter booster parachute in the test. (Photo provided to Xinhua)

BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- China tested a new rocket-booster parachute system during a recent launch from the southwest of the country, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said on Monday.

The system was tested on June 3 when the meteorological satellite Fengyun-4B was sent into a geostationary orbit via a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province.

Developed by an institute under the corporation, a 300-square-meter parachute helped the rocket boosters to land in a predetermined location, narrowing the range of the landing area by 70 percent.

Unlike many countries' launch pads, which are typically located along coastlines, China's major launch sites are deep inland, which means the heavy boosters, once separated from the rockets, fly directly over densely populated areas. Therefore, after liftoff, rocket boosters and other debris threaten the safety of local communities as they fall back to the ground.

Preventing rocket boosters from landing unpredictably, in areas with human activity, has become an urgent task of Chinese scientists, bearing in mind the several space launches that the country plans for this year.

According to Zhang Yipu, a senior Long March-3 rocket designer, the new parachute system can adjust the posture and reduce the speed of falling boosters when en route to the ground, finally leading them to a targeted area.

The system will provide an efficient and low-cost recovery system to make rocket debris recovery more precise and controllable, said Teng Haishan, technical lead of the parachute project.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Driver Trett, a global construction consultancy, has appointed Julian Haslam-Jones as its new UAE country manager.

Haslam-Jones has 20 years industry experience working for major clients, contractors and consulting organisations in the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

During his tenure, Haslam-Jones held commercial and contract positions with operators, contractors and consultants in the UK, Netherlands, Italy, Iraq, Qatar, India, Algeria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and UAE where he has been a resident for over seven years.

This experience has enabled Julian to become a specialist in contractual claims for time and cost, employing various forms of contracts, resulting in the successful conclusion of large value and/or complicated accounts on a wide variety of projects, said the company in a statement.

Haslam-Jones' experience portfolio includes many major EPC oil and gas projects in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. Other project experience includes UK Ministry of Defence projects, schools, offices, airports, independent water and power plants.

He has an LLM in Construction Law and Arbitration, an LLB (Hons) in Law and is a Fellow of the Chartered institute of Arbitrators.

On the new role appointment, Haslam-Jones said: "I am delighted to be joining Driver Trett. I am looking forward to this next chapter of my career, and to working with many world-class consultants, experts and thought leaders in our industry."

Haslam-Jones is a great addition to the Driver Trett team, stated David Merritt, Managing Director, and Head of Middle East & Asia Pacific.

"I am delighted to welcome him to Driver Tretts growing team in the Middle East. He has an outstanding reputation, and a successful track record of consistently delivering for clients across the Middle East and Africa, particularly in the oil and gas sector," he stated.

"I am excited to have him on board and heading up our operations in the UAE," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
A recent study of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Pakistan suggests Beijing has less control over its massive development projects as was first thought and often has to alter its plans to accommodate Pakistani officials.

Since it was launched six years ago, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has become the centerpiece of the BRI, which aims to build infrastructure, expand trade links, and deepen ties across Eurasia and Africa.

Over the years, CPEC has morphed in size and scope, with Beijing already investing $25 billion and some estimates saying the bundle of energy and development projects could reach $62 billion once completed.

The far-reaching project has come to represent Beijings wider geopolitical ambitions, with CPEC forming the backbone of China's presence in Pakistan and symbolizing the all-weather friendship between the two countries.

But a study by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace digs deeper into the internal machinery of how CPEC is unfolding on the ground, looking at negotiations between Beijing and Islamabad and how China has adapted its plans to suit the domestic situation within Pakistan.

There is often an impression that the BRI happens with China parachuting its projects and plans into recipient countries that have very little say over how things happen on the ground, Filippo Boni, one of the reports authors and a lecturer at The Open University in Britain, told RFE/RL. Whereas what we observed in Pakistan is that its much more complicated and the agenda and priorities of the recipient countries have huge sway over how things unfold.

Beijings growing footprint in Pakistan through CPEC has made it one of the most visible case studies of Chinas growing presence abroad and has led to accusations by critics that the grouping of projects is a tool for Chinese expansion and a way to impose its will on Islamabad.

But Boni and co-author Katharine Adeneys research on CPEC highlights how Chinese actors have adapted the project to suit the evolving needs and desires of Pakistans political leadership and how Islamabad has shaped what kind of projects have been pursued over the years.

China cant just get its way through the local context as easily as some might suggest, said Boni. Its about negotiations and mutual interest. Chinas power has its limits, and it needs to adapt.

Shaping CPEC

Plans for CPEC were first discussed in 2013. It officially launched two years later and has come to form a bundle of energy, infrastructure, and industrial projects in Pakistan.

According to Adeney and Boni, partisan politics in Pakistan have played a key role in forming CPEC, both in terms of its route and the types of projects that have been pursued.

In particular, they point to how former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif prioritized directing CPEC toward the Sindh and Punjab provinces in order to boost his partys prospects during elections by providing investment to the politically important regions.

Similarly, Sharif pushed for CPECs early investments to go toward energy projects in the hope that ending the countrys electricity shortages could improve his reelection bid in 2018.

Pakistani politics have continued to play a role in forming CPEC under Prime Minister Imran Khan, who succeeded Sharif in 2018.

While Khans government expressed initial suspicion toward BRI and continues to worry about the long-term implications of becoming too dependent on China, CPEC has since been embraced as a much-needed boost to kick-start Pakistans economy at a time when Islamabad is struggling to attract international investors.

Khans government has also harnessed CPEC to shore up its own political base, choosing to establish a special economic zone in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province despite Beijing preferring different locations and feasibility studies showing other areas would perform better.

Each government has used the CPEC in different ways for their own ends, said Boni. But both have seen it as a way to showcase and deliver on promises of development to the population.

Perhaps the project within CPEC that has received the most notice is the Gwadar Port in southern Pakistan. The port has received much international attention because of its strategic location close to the Strait of Hormuz -- the world's most vital route for shipping oil -- and providing access for China to the Indian Ocean.

But as Adeney and Boni highlight, the port in Gwadar has been a priority for Pakistani governments for nearly two decades and predates the launch of the BRI.

Its not only about Chinas strategic interests and geopolitical priorities, but Pakistans as well, said Boni.

Rhetoric vs. Reality

While CPEC is a priority for both Beijing and Islamabad, the project continues to face numerous obstacles as it moves forward.

Many projects have fallen behind schedule or so far failed to deliver on the promised results. This has led to the Pakistani military taking greater control through the 2019 creation of the CPEC Authority -- a government body authorized to oversee BRI projects in Pakistan -- and Islamabad is looking to cede further authority to the military to implement CPEC.

But this too has brought blowback.

In August 2020, a report that Asim Saleem Bajwa, the retired general who heads the CPEC Authority and also serves as special assistant to Khan, sparked controversy after it alleged he used his influential position to help his family amass huge wealth.

Separatist and extremist groups in the country have likewise launched plans aimed at attacking CPEC and Chinese interests in Pakistan.

Baluch insurgents claiming to be aided by Sindhi separatists attacked Pakistan's stock exchange in June, and in 2018 three gunmen tried to enter the Chinese Consulate in Karachi before being killed in a shoot-out. The attack was later claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist group.

Despite these mounting obstacles, Boni says both Beijing and Islamabad have invested too much money and political capital to turn away from the CPEC.

[CPEC] has many problems, but it is still going ahead, said Boni. China has invested money and credibility in Pakistan and progress on [CPEC] sends an important message about the wider state of the BRI.
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia -- Although the protagonist died one year ago, the strange saga of Russia's so-called accidental dissident continues to play out in a courtroom in the northern city of Arkhangelsk.



On May 31 and June 1, a court heard testimony in the case of Sergei Mokhnatkin, who died in Moscow on May 28, 2020, at the age of 66 after a long illness brought on, his family says, by abuse he received while in prison in the Arkhangelsk region in 2016. That incident left him with a fractured spine.



Mokhnatkin is charged posthumously with "disrupting prison routine," but his defense attorneys say the case remains crucially important because, bit by bit, detailed information about the dark side of Russian prison life is emerging.

"For years we have been told that there is no evidence, that there are no documents to request, that surveillance video recordings have not been preserved," said Grigory Mikhov-Vaitenko, a human rights activist and bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church in Arkhangelsk, who is assisting the defense team.

"But now we know that everything has been preserved and is in their archives and can be produced when needed. And everyone who has broken the law must be held to account while those who are innocent must have their names cleared."



"In the end, people must be held accountable," he added. "Everyone has to understand that."



In comments to the media outlet Meduza, Mokhnatkin's widow, Anna Krechetova, said that, as soon as her husband died last year, she began getting phone calls and visits from prosecutors urging her to let them drop the case against him. When one prosecutor came to her home to make his case, he made the mistake of showing her a video of Mokhnatkin in prison.



"I broke down crying," Krechetova said. "And he was shocked. It occurred to me that people in the Investigative Committee, in the prosecutor's office, and in the prisons really don't understand that they are dealing with living people. They are amazed by the most ordinary emotions."



"It is as if they don't fully understand that in this system, every day and every hour, real human fates are being crippled," she added. "Often the fates of innocent people."



After consulting with Mokhnatkin's friends and supporters, Krechetova declined to cooperate in closing the case against her husband. The trial would become the second posthumous prosecution in Russia following the 2013 conviction on tax-fraud charges of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.



Mokhnatkin came to national prominence when he was arrested in Moscow on December 31, 2009, at the scene of an illegal protest to defend the constitutional right to protest. Mokhnatkin said he was just passing by when he saw a woman being roughly detained by police and came to her defense. He was later convicted of assaulting a police officer in connection with the incident and sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison. He was 55 years old.



Back Behind Bars



During his imprisonment, he became aware of regular violations of the rights of prisoners and began speaking out against them. He launched repeated hunger strikes. He was once thrown into solitary confinement for purportedly not making his bed properly. His letters of complaint to his lawyers and rights activists were routinely confiscated and not delivered.



In April 2012, then-President Dmitry Medvedev pardoned Mokhnatkin. According to opposition activist Boris Nemtsov, who had campaigned for the pardon, Mokhnatkin was the first person in modern Russian history to be pardoned without conceding his guilt.



Mokhnatkin also did not renounce his activism. On December 31, 2013, he was again arrested at a demonstration in Moscow. He was roughly detained and after a year in the court system, he was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison for purportedly assaulting a police officer.

While he was in prison, he was convicted of insulting corrections officers (adding 11 months to his sentence) and disrupting prison routines (giving him another two years). He was released in December 2018, but not before the current charge, also of disrupting prison routines, was filed against him.



While he was in custody in 2016, guards fractured his spine. According to records released during the current trial, guards again fractured his spine on September 12, 2018, when they threw him to floor while bringing him to a court appearance via videolink.



The trial in the Isakogorsk District Court in Arkhangelsk is formally open, but the judge has severely restricted attendance, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. Photography and audio recording has been banned.



On May 31, the court heard the testimony of convict Aleksandr Martynov, who told how the conflict between Mokhnatkin and authorities at prison IK-4 in the Arkhangelsk region city of Kotlas began in 2015, said defense attorney Leonid Krikun.

"He was already a retiree, so he was placed in a ward for prisoners with special needs," Krikun told RFE/RL. "There he met a prisoner who had had both legs amputated. He was unable to go to the dining area and no one brough him any food. He was living off whatever food the other prisoners might give him.



"Sergei voluntarily began bringing him food from the dining area. This went on for two or three months before someone decided to make an issue of it," he said.



'Imaginary Infractions'



After he was disciplined for violating the rule against removing food from the dining area, Mokhnatkin filed a complaint against the prison authorities.



"And then it began," Krikun said. "They started writing him up for imaginary infractions. They put him in solitary. When he continued complaining, his sentence was extended two times During this conflict period, they fractured his spine."



Krikun said Martynov was an eyewitness to many of these events.



The second witness was former prisoner Andrei Krekov, who met Mokhnatkin several times in the prison hospital, Krikun said. Krekov testified that Mokhnatkin told him he had been subjected to tear gas in his prison ward at least four times. The first such occasion reportedly happened after Mokhnatkin refused his exercise period because guards gave him a cigarette but no matches.



"They forced him to the exercise area and gassed him," Krikun said, citing Krekov's testimony. "The exercise area is just a cement room with an open mesh ceiling. A few days later, they sprayed gas into his cell through the food slot. It wasn't clear why -- maybe just for fun."



Rights activist Mikhnov-Vaitenko said Mokhnatkin told him about the gas several times. He said that Mokhnatkin spent almost his entire sentence in solitary confinement.



"Apparently, they didn't want him in contact with other prisoners because they needed to cover up crimes committed by the Kotlas prison guards," he told RFE/RL.



Krikun added that it was a big victory for the defense that it managed to force the authorities to hand over Mokhnatkin's entire case file, which is a rarity for such a politically charged case.



"We read through all 10 volumes of his file, which included 53 violations for which he was punished or placed in solitary," Kirkun said. "And it was apparent that the pattern of these punishments was absolutely random. In the file, there was also a report of a psychological evaluation in which prison psychologists wrote that the proper response to protest behavior is persuasion rather than punishment."



Sparrow And Snake



The court also heard from the prison medical attendant, who testified that Mokhnatkin was brought to her on a stretcher on September 12, 2018, defense lawyer Ilya Sidorov told RFE/RL. She said that two days later, Mokhnatkin was taken to a regional hospital for an X-ray of his back. The deputy director of the hospital, Andrei Sysoyev, was not able to explain to the court why the X-ray in Mokhnatkin's file not only did not show a new fracture, but also did not show the fracture he'd been treated for since 2016, Sidorov said.



"Sysoyev managed to say that doctors did not do their duty by failing to describe all of Mokhnatkin's spinal injuries" before prosecutors were able to object," Sidorov added.



Defense attorneys asked the court to order the hospital management to explain the discrepancies, and the court is expected to rule on that request at a future hearing.



Even in death, Mokhnatkin continues to live, in the words of one social-media obituary posted the day after his death last year, "like a little sparrow stuck in the throat of a snake."

Written by RFE/RL senior correspondent Robert Coalson based on reporting from St. Petersburg by correspondent Tatyana Voltskaya of the North.Realities Desk of RFE/RL's Russian Service.
MOSCOW -- A court in Moscow has upheld a one-year correctional-labor sentence for Lyubov Sobol, a lawyer for jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), on trespassing charges that she has described as a move to silence her.

Before the Perovsky district court announced its decision to uphold the sentence on June 8, Sobol reiterated in the courtroom that the case against her was politically motivated, as she had not committed any crime.

According to Russian law, those handed a suspended sentence of correctional labor must pay the State Treasury a certain amount of their salary if they are employed. If they are unemployed, they must work at jobs defined by the Federal Penitentiary Service during the term of their sentence.

But the suspended sentence can also be turned into real prison time if she violates the terms of the court.

The Magistrate Court of Moscow on April 15 found Sobol guilty of illegally forcing her way into the apartment of Federal Security Service (FSB) officer Konstantin Kudryavtsev in December 2020, hours after Navalny had published a recording of what he said was a phone conversation with Kudryavtsev.

During the 49-minute phone call, in which Navalny posed as an FSB official conducting an internal review, described the details of an operation to poison the Kremlin critic in August.

Investigators say Sobol pushed Kudryavtsev's mother-in-law, who opened the door and forcefully entered the apartment.

Sobol rejected the charge, saying she had not pushed Kudryavtsev's mother-in-law, but went to the apartment to meet Kudryavtsev to ask him about his conversation with Navalny.

Her team has described the case as political "revenge" for a lawyer not being afraid to ask questions of an alleged assassin.

Navalny was arrested on January 17 upon his return to Russia from Germany, where he received life-saving treatment for the poisoning attack in Siberia in August.

Navalny has insisted that his poisoning with a Soviet-style chemical nerve agent was ordered directly by the Russian President Vladimir Putin. The FSB and the Kremlin have denied any role in the poisoning.

In February, a Moscow court ruled that while in Germany, Navalny had violated the terms of parole from an old embezzlement case that is widely considered as being politically motivated.

His 3 1/2-year suspended sentence from the case was converted to a jail term, though the court said he will serve just over 2 1/2 years in prison given time already served in detention.

The United States and European Union have imposed sanctions on Russia over the Navalny affair and crackdown on protesters.

In March, Sobol said she plans to run for parliament's lower chamber, the State Duma, in September elections.

On June 7, a Moscow court prolonged the curfew for Sobol imposed on her and several other Navalny associates and supporters in another case, potentially undermining her campaign for parliament.

The curfew bars Sobol from leaving her home between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. It was imposed after she helped lead unsanctioned rallies on January 21 to protest Navalnys incarceration.
Russia is building its first naval ship to be fully equipped with stealth technology to make it very difficult to detect, the RIA Novosti state news agency reported, quoting two separate sources in the country's military shipbuilding sector.

According to a report from the agency on June 8, the Mercury naval corvette is expected to be ready to be handed to the navy in 2022 as the hull of the vessel dubbed Project 20386 has already been built.

The report also said the vessel will be equipped with cruise missiles, antiaircraft missiles, and artillery, and will be capable of locating and destroying submarines.

It added that although some Russian warships have carried stealth technology, such as a radar-absorbing coating, none of the previous vessels has had full stealth technology.

Russia has increased investment in its navy as part of President Vladimir Putin's move to revamp the military.

But with ties with the West at their worst since the end of the Cold War, the process has been complicated by Western sanctions over Moscow's seizure of Ukraine's Crimea in 2014 and its ongoing support of separatists in eastern Ukraine, where more than 13,200 people have been killed in fighting since April 2014.

Based on reporting on RIA Novosti and Reuters
KHATLON, Tajikistan -- Jailed Tajik lawyer Saidnuriddin Shamsiddinov, a government critic imprisoned on fraud charges he says were politically motivated, faces new charges of having links with an extremist group.

Relatives told RFE/RL that Shamsiddinov, who once worked as a bailiff, is charged with having ties to the banned political organization Group 24, which has been declared an extremist group.

An investigator with the Khatlon regional prosecutor's office told RFE/RL on June 7 that a new probe had been launched against Shamsiddinov in mid-April but he did not provide any details.

If convicted of the charge, Shamsiddinov faces up to 10 years in prison.

In December 2020, Shamsiddinov was sentenced to 8 1/2 years in prison after a court in Khatlon found him guilty of fraud, illegal land sales, and spreading false information.

Shamsiddinov and his relatives have said that the case was politically motivated as retaliation for Shamsiddinov's open criticism of officials.

Shamsiddinov's lawyer, Faizi Oli, told RFE/RL that his client had nothing to do with Group 24 and had never had any contact with the banned organization.

Group 24 was founded by well-known businessman and opposition politician Umarali Quvatov in 2012.

In 2014, Tajikistan's Supreme Court declared the group extremist and banned it from the Central Asian country. Dozens of the group's members and supporters have been arrested and many of them sentenced to lengthy prison terms.

In March 2015, Quvatov was assassinated in Istanbul, Turkey.
An American imprisoned in Russia has been hospitalized with COVID-19 for two weeks without U.S. consular access or contact with his family.



The U.S. Embassy in Moscow said on June 8 that it was past time the Russian Foreign Ministry meet its international obligations and provide access to former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed in order to ensure his health and safety.



Weve had no consular access for two weeks and zero updates on his condition despite constant calls and requests to the Russian Foreign Ministry, an embassy spokesperson quoted Charge d'Affaires Bart Gorman as saying.



Reed began experiencing COVID-19 symptoms on May 17 and his condition worsened, his family said at the time. He later tested positive for the virus.



His family said that the U.S. Embassy had previously requested permission to vaccinate the 29-year-old and Russian officials refused.



Reed is serving a nine-year prison sentence after being convicted in July 2020 for assaulting two police officers. The U.S. government and Reed deny the allegations and questioned the fairness of the judicial proceedings.



Reed is one of several American citizens to face trial in Russia in recent years on charges that their families, supporters, and, in some cases, the U.S. government, have said appear trumped up.



Another former U.S. Marine, 50-year-old Paul Whelan, was sentenced by a court in Moscow to 16 years in prison in May 2020 on espionage charges condemned by the United States as a "mockery of justice.



The United States has been pushing Russia to release Whelan and Reed. The issue is likely to come up when U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold their first bilateral summit in Geneva on June 16.



A chorus of U.S. lawmakers are also demanding the prisoners' release, with a top Republican suggesting this week that the freedom of the two Americans be a precondition for Bidens meeting with Putin.



Trevor Reed and Paul Whelan are being unlawfully held in Russia as political hostages. The immediate release of Trevor and Paul should be among the preconditions of President Bidens summit with Putin, said Representative Michael McCaul (Republican-Texas), the ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

In late May, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov suggested Moscow was not in talks with Washington over a possible prisoner swap.
TASHKENT -- Uzbekistan's Association of Journalists has condemned an attack on reporters from the Effect.uz website in the eastern city of Andijon.

Several journalists from Effect.uz said they were beaten on June 7 by a son of the city-council chairman.

The incident occurred as three journalists from the website are on trial on charges of libel and insulting and resisting authorities over their attempt earlier this year to cover the trial of blogger Otabek Sattoriy.

In a statement on Telegram on June 8, the association called on the authorities in Andijon to "properly assess" the attack and said the Prosecutor-General's Office should take the investigation under its control.

"Uzbekistan's laws guarantee journalists' rights and the protection of the mass media, and a violation of those laws is punishable," the statement said, adding that the attack on the journalists in Andijon contradicted the declared policies of the democratization and liberalization of the Central Asian state's government.

The Prosecutor-General's Office has said that the case is under investigation by Andijon regional prosecutors.

Last month, a court in the southern Surxondaryo region sentenced Sattoriy, who is known for reports critical of local government, to 6 1/2 years in prison on what he and rights groups called "trumped-up" extortion and slander charges.

Uzbekistan is ranked 157th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' 2020 World Press Freedom Index.
PERRYSVILLE -- The Mohican area has been called home by number of politicians and military officers. But perhaps the most high ranking was a Perrysville native born on Nov. 18, 1835.

His name was Americus Vespucius Rice, the son of Clark Hammond Rice and Catherine Mowers Rice of Perrysville. Little is known of his early childhood, until he left Perrysville to study the classics at Antioch and then law at Union College.

When the Civil War broke out, he was commissioned as a Captain in the 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry on April 27, 1861. When his enlistment with the 21st expired he remustered as a Colonel in the 57th OVI.

Rice had a distinguished record as an officer and was wounded six times, first at Shiloh, then Vicksburg and other engagements.

At Shiloh, Rice led his illness-depleted troops to the defense of the Little Meetinghouse, sustaining 187 casualties.

He was commended for gallantry at Arkansas Post, and lost his leg as a result of wounds sustained at the battle of Kennesaw Mountain, June 27, 1864.

As soon as he was able to be on crutches, he returned to the field, serving as commander of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division of the XV Corps. By the end of the war he had attained the rank of Brigadier General.

Following the war he went into banking, before being elected to to the United States House of Representatives in 1874 and serving until 1897.

Following his stint as a politician he returned to banking, forming the A.V. Rice & Company banking enterprise in Ottawa, Ohio. Eventually he moved to Washington D.C. and became an agent with the United States Census Bureau until his death on April 4, 1904.

His pallbearers included two Generals, a US Congressman, U.S. Senator, two Colonels, and a Judge. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

More information on the Cleo Redd Fisher Museum can be found at this link.
MADISON TOWNSHIP -- Phyllis Stanfield, a 2021 graduate of Madison Comprehensive High School, was recently awarded a $10,000 scholarship from Medical Mutual for her academic achievements.

Stanfield plans on attending Ashland University and majoring in biology with a focus on pre-med. She was among six regional winners of $10,000 scholarships based on academic achievement and financial need.

Those scholarships, as well as 140 scholarships of $1,000 each, went to students in school districts across Ohio that are also customers of Cleveland-based Medical Mutual. The Columbus Foundation administers the program and received more than 550 applications for the scholarships.

Phyllis clearly was a high achiever at Madison Comprehensive High School and is a deserving recipient of the scholarship, said Amber Hulme, Regional Vice President, Central Ohio. Medical Mutual is pleased to support her desire to make an impact in the medical field.

About Medical Mutual

Founded in 1934, Medical Mutual is the oldest and one of the largest insurers based in Ohio. We provide peace of mind to more than 1.6 million Ohioans through our high-quality health, life, disability, dental, vision, indemnity, wellness and employee assistance plans. We offer fully insured and self-funded group coverage, including stop loss, as well as Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and individual plans.

Medical Mutuals status as a mutual company means we operate for the benefit of our members without needing to meet the demands of stockholders or Wall Street analysts. Instead, we focus on developing products and services that allow us to better serve our customers and the communities around us and help our members achieve their best possible health and quality of life. For more information, visit the companys website at MedMutual.com.
DP World, UAE Region, a leading enabler of smart trade, highlighted its strategic support and partnership to Chinese companies with the aim of boosting trade between the UAE and China. The smart trade enabler hosted a webinar in partnership with the Chinese Business Council in the UAE to discuss business opportunities for Chinese companies in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region under the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI).

In his opening speech Abdulla Bin Damithan, CEO & Managing Director, DP World - UAE Region and Jafza shed light on how Dubai is a gateway for Chinese exporters, allowing access to four billion customers. H.E. Li Xuhang, Consul General of the Peoples Republic of China in Dubai gave insights on bilateral strategic relations, while Zhenwei He, Secretary General of China Overseas Development Association highlighted the China-UAE economic and trade outlook.

In alignment with their goal of augmenting UAE-China trade, DP World in partnership with Zhejiang China Commodity City Group (CCC) recently launched the Yiwu Market as part of the first phase of Dubai Traders Market, located in the heart of Jafza. Dubai Traders Market will span approximately 800,000 square metres, with Yiwu Market covering about 200,000 square metres. The market will give traders and businesses from across the globe access to wholesale discounts with minimised supply chain costs and turnaround times by leveraging DP Worlds logistical expertise.

A thriving business hub

As one of the biggest trade partners of the UAE, Chinas non-oil trade in 2019, valued at over $49 billion, while imports stood at 15 per cent of total UAE imports of non-oil trade, valued at $33 billion. Contributing to this burgeoning growth in the UAE, DP World, UAE Regions Jebel Ali hub in Dubai, consisting of Jebel Ali Port and Jafza creates the most strategic multimodal trade hub of the region.

For over 40 years, Jebel Ali Port has been the premier trading port for the Gulf economies to the international trade routes with exceptional efficiency. Jafza accounts for almost 24 per cent of total FDI flow into the country and contributes 23.8 per cent of Dubais GDP with over 8,000 companies.

Abdulla Bin Damithan, CEO & Managing Director, DP World - UAE Region and Jafza said: Bilateral trade between the UAE and China has surged over the years due to factors like strong trade relations and people-to-people synergies. Considering these factors, the UAE is a strategic partner of the Belt and Road Initiative that brings in a whopping 34 per cent of the global GDP. In alignment with the goals of our wise leadership and as a driver for economic growth in the UAE, we, have always been welcoming of Chinese companies from an array of sectors. Owing to our incentives and initiatives, we have seen an increasing interest from Chinese companies to invest in Dubai and strengthen their presence in Jebel Ali. With Operation 300bn', a national industrial strategy, we aim at raising the manufacturing sectors contribution from Dh133 to Dh300 billion over the next 10 years, and support Dubais leadership vision to increase its foreign trade from Dh1.4 trillion to Dh2 trillion.

Strategic location and tremendous potential

The UAEs geographical location and the dynamic market have proved as key differentiators that have captured the attention of the Chinese business community. This has given the country a vital status in the BRI, which attempts to link China by both sea and land to markets in Asia and Europe.

H.E. Li Xuhang, Consul General of the Peoples Republic of China in Dubai explained: 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. China has won a complete victory in the fight against poverty. China has entered a new stage of development and embarked on a new journey towards fully building a modern socialist country. Under the guidance of the new development philosophy of innovation, coordination, environmental friendliness, openness, and sharing, China will speed up the construction of a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other, which will bring more extensive cooperation between China and the UAE. China will uphold the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, so that the "Belt and Road" Initiative will better benefit the people of all countries and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

With China as the key contributor to the success of Jebel Ali, the hub consists of companies from sectors like oil and gas, metal, steel and construction, electronics and electrical goods, machinery and equipment, auto and ecommerce among others. China is not only the top country by trade value at Jafza, but it is also the 4th in terms of trade volume.-TradeArabia News Service
MANSFIELD -- Eighteen residents along seven miles of Bellville-Johnsville and Lexington-Ontario roads must remove right-of-way obstructions before a street resurfacing project later this year.

That was the message Tuesday from Richland County Engineer Adam Gove, who met with county commissioners to discuss a project that will be 80 percent funded by the Ohio Department of Transportation.

The project, estimated at about $900,000, will be bid in July and the work will be done late summer or early fall, Gove said.

Another 14 residents must obtain revocable use permits which will allow obstructions to remain, providing they do not pose a hazard to motorists, according to Gove.

"Anytime we have federal grant money involved, ODOT requires the right-of-way to be free of major obstructions," Gove said, adding letters have been sent to affected property owners.

The engineer said some property owners have complied and have already removed items such as stones, timber and fences.

With commissioners' approval, a second round of letters will be sent. After that, the engineer's office has the right to remove the obstructions.

Gove said the county has the right to assess the property owner for the costs of the work if his office has to move the obstruction, but he said there are no plans to do so.

Gove said the revocable use permits typically cover fences, signs and mailboxes, "items that easy to move if needed."

Addresses for those who must remove obstructions are located at:

-- 4990 Algire Road.

-- 2800, 2707, 2520, 2345 and 2481 Bellville-Johnsville Road.

-- 1459, 1235, 1025, 777, 776, 579, 474, 972, 990, 1014, 1459 and 1800 Lexington-Ontario Road.

Addresses that required a revocable use permit are located at:

-- 3100, 2900, 2970, 2800, 2707, 2520 and 2481 Bellville-Johnsville Road.

-- 1175, 611, 460 and 1516 Lexington-Ontario Road.

-- Perry Township Cemetery fence on Bellville-Johnsville Road.

-- Clearfork Reservoir post on Lexington-Ontario Road.

-- a post at Lakeside Drive and Bell Road along Lexington-Ontario Road.

Also on Tuesday, commissioners approved the hiring of John Hamilton as a part-time deputy dog warden at $15 per hour for 20 to 25 hours per week.

With the hire, county Dog Warden Missy Houghton will be at full staff when her full-time deputy returns from military duty in July.
MADISON TOWNSHIP  After months of seeking ways and a grant to help clean up a contaminated demolition site, Madison Township decided to encapsulate the area on Monday night, citing the financial concern.

The decision came after a 2-1 vote at the trustees meeting.

About 28.4 ppm polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) concentration was found in January at the site next to the fire station on Expressview Drive, according to Certified Environmental, Inc. (CEI).

The amount of PCB was higher than the standard. The township owns the property and hired CEI to sample the soil and assess it. The trustees allowed H&T Demolition, who demolished a building on that property, to cover the contaminated area with heavy-duty plastic while the township tried to secure a state grant with Richland County Land Banks assistance.

Chairman Trustee Jim Houser on Monday shared an email with the board from Brownfield Restoration Group, LLC (BRG), who outlined two options for mitigating the contaminants impact. The company provided the information at Ohio Environmental Protection Agencys request.

Houser said the first option is removing all 434 tons of contaminated materials. The estimated cost for excavation, transport, disposal of the substance and a post-remediation analysis is close to $49,000.

Option two is encapsulating the impacted area. Houser said BRG informed him that the township has to put at least a two-foot depth of dirt on top of the contaminated materials before grade and seed and straw the site.

If the township were to build a new fire station there in the future, Houser said the area must be further encapsulated with either asphalt or concrete.

The chairman trustee said he reached out to H&T and was told the company can encapsulate the area at the cost of about $6,000.

Six thousand dollars compared to the $49,000 that the other option is  I think it is more than reasonable, he said.

Trustee Dan Fletcher, who opposed to the motion, said the townships road department has a mountain of dirt which could be used by the contractor. Houser said he will talk to H&T about it but was unsure if that will bring down the cost.

The board later approved sealing the contaminated site. Trustee Catherine Swank said the trustees will look further into how the encapsulation could be done.

Residents raised concern about the higher ground level after the encapsulation causing water to run off on the neighboring property. Houser said the trustees will make sure the work is done correctly so that issue would not happen.

A resident said encapsulating the area is like putting a band-aid on the problem instead of fixing it permanently. He said the township might only need to spend the same as the encapsulation would cost to remove the materials with help from the grant.

Houser said the expense would depend on what type of grant the township could receive. The EPA might not approve the funding since there is a more affordable option.
MADISON TOWNSHIP  Eleven roads in Madison Township will be paved this year.

The township trustees approved to bid out the 2021 road resurfacing projects at its regular meeting on Monday evening, with Trustee Dan Fletchers objection.

According to the bid document, the roads that will be paved are as follows:

Martha Avenue: from State Route 430 South to Erhart Drive Bahl Avenue: south to Hickory Lane Erhart Drive: between Martha Avenue and Bahl Avenue Mayer Drive: from Mansfield Lucas Road to the dead end Lee Lane: from State Route 430 to Grace Street Vernon Road: from State Route 430 to Grace Street Bonnie Drive: from State Route 39 to Ridge Road Evergreen Avenue: east from McElroy Road to Burgraff Drive Evergreen Avenue: west from McElroy Road to Madison Trailer park All parts of Burgraff Road Yale Avenue: from Stewart Road to the Trailer Park

Trustee Catherine Swank, who prepared the bid document, originally set the bid opening date on June 24. Fletcher said the schedule might be too tight, considering the township has to advertise the project in the local newspaper for at least 14 days.

Swank said she had gone over the document with Richland County engineer Adam Gove, who had no issue with it. But Chairman Trustee Jim Houser said he agreed with Fletchers point and suggested moving the opening date to June 28. The board later voted to bid out the paving project.

The trustees also approved two detour route maintenance agreements with the Ohio Department of Transportation. ODOT is conducting a culvert replacement project on State Route 545 and a major reconstruction project on U.S. Route 30.

Fletcher said both projects began on June 1.

Due to the construction, State Route 545 between Hoover Road and Crall Road will be closed for 30 days, according to the agreement. Drivers traveling northbound on State Route 545 can turn east onto Hoover Road, taking Stewart Road, Crall Road and return to the state route. The reverse of this detour route is also included.

The reconstruction project will make the exit ramp from westbound U.S. 30 to Fifth Avenue close for 21 days. According to the agreement, drivers traveling west on U.S. Route 30 will have to take the U.S. 42 south exit toward Mansfield, turning north onto Stewart Road and take Fleming Falls Road to return to Fifth Avenue.
MANSFIELD  April Luedy is intimately familiar with the impact Alzheimer's disease can have on a family.

In 2018, her parents Robert and Charlene moved into Wedgewood Estates in Mansfield due to her father aging physically, and her mother aging mentally. Charlene had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

And then the pandemic hit.

"Mom's Alzheimer's came on dramatically in the last couple months," Luedy said. "She declined because she had no one around her. She went through probably the most traumatic experience anyone should have to go through in those end stages."

Luedy proactively moved her parents from Wedgewood into her Mansfield home in July 2020, with the support of her siblings. Both she and her husband Dennis contracted the COVID-19 virus because of the move. She lost her father in September, and her mother followed in December.

Then, in January 2021, Dennis was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease at the age of 65.

"There's been lots of crying, lots of reading, prayers, walks, deep breaths," April Luedy said. "Plus a little bit of yoga and a lot of wine."

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive disorder that destroys memory and other important mental functions. Right now, more than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, including 220,000 Ohioans; it is the sixth-leading cause of death nationally.

But for families like the Luedys, there is a glimmer of hope.

On Monday, the FDA approved a new treatment for Alzheimer's disease in the form of a medication called aducanumab. This is the first drug cleared that is designed to slow the deterioration of brain function, not just ease symptoms. It's also the first Alzheimer's treatment that has been approved since 2003.

"We believe this is the start of a new era for people with Alzheimer's and the ability to get treatment for Alzheimer's," said Julia Pechlivanos, executive director at the Alzheimer's Association, Northwest Ohio Chapter, which serves 24 counties including Richland, Ashland, Crawford and Knox.

"This gives people time to live independently and enjoy their family and friends."

HOW IT HELPS

According to Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the aducanumab medication is the first treatment directed at the physical cause of Alzheimer's disease: The presence of amyloid beta plaques in the brain.

Scientists believe these sticky plaques damage communication between brain cells, and eventually kill them. The new treatment is designed to trigger an immune response that removes the plaques -- it can't revive destroyed neurons, but clearing the plaque slows the progression of killing more neurons.

The medication would be administered monthly through an infusion. Patients must have an affirmative diagnosis before they are qualified.

The intravenous treatment does not cure Alzheimers disease or reverse it. But it could give Alzheimer's patients more good days; Pechlivanos said patients who have been receiving the aducanumab treatment for 18 months have seen a 22-percent slowing of the progress of their dementia symptoms.

"A few drugs have been available to the public for 15-20 years that treat the behaviors associated with dementia. This treats the underlying cause of the disease," Pechlivanos said. "The brain is so complex, so we have a long way to go, but this is exciting news."

Pechlivanos said the aducanumab medication will be effective for people with mild cognitive impairment or early-stage dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease. As the system currently stands, most people will be diagnosed with Alzheimer's too late to receive this treatment -- Pechlivanos aims to change that.

"A lot of us have Alzheimer's 10 to 20 years before we even start experiencing the mild cognitive impairment of this disease," she said. "With early diagnosis, it could be treated before you even have any effects of this disease -- and this is the first step in making this a treatable disease that can have minimal effect on somebody's life, as opposed to what it is now, which is devastating."

CONTROVERSY

Nationally, the reaction to the approval of the aducanumab medication by the FDA has been mixed.

Pechlivanos first heard about the drug two years ago, at an Alzheimer's Association conference in Los Angeles that convened the world's largest gathering of dementia researchers.

"At one point the clinical trial was paused and restarted after a review of the data, so this has been a bumpy ride," she said. "This drug was up for review in November 2020 and the FDA chose to extend the review period for six months. So we've been expecting this day since November."

The drug was released under the FDA's Accelerated Approval pathway, intended to provide earlier access to potentially valuable therapies for patients with serious diseases where there is an unmet need.

"The Agency concluded that the benefits of (aducanumab) for patients with Alzheimers disease outweighed the risks of the therapy," Cavazzoni said.

"In clinical trials, (aducanumab) consistently and very convincingly reduced the level of amyloid plaques in the brain in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. It is expected that the reduction in amyloid plaque will result in a reduction in clinical decline."

Under the accelerated approval program, the FDA clears a drug but grants full approval only after a post-marketing study by the manufacturer Biogen confirms the medication works. If a trial does not confirm effectiveness, the FDA can withdraw the approval or change the label on how the drug should be used.

The treatment is also not cheap -- although Biogen CEO Michael Vounatsos defended the $56,000-a-year price tag as "really reasonable."

"We're reorienting ourselves and working with health systems in Ohio and across the country to make sure it's accessible to people," Pechlivanos said. "It's expensive and it has to be given in an infusion center once a month, and we want to make sure people have access and there are systems in place to administer it."

And sure, the FDA's accelerated approval is based on an expectation of clinical benefit despite some residual uncertainty regarding that benefit. But for April Luedy, this isn't enough.

"This drug -- at first it sounds great, but there's a lot of questioning I feel like I'm getting," Luedy said. "There's the guinea-pig feeling. You just have to pray and trust your physicians."

FINALLY HOPE

Dennis Luedy still has many good days.

After retiring from Mansfield City Schools, he spends his days swimming, going to the Y, reading -- anything that stimulates the mind. His neurologist has also prescribed a medication for severe confusion, and he's responding great.

But it's taken a while to get to this point.

"We've experimented with a few different drugs, and we hate it," April Luedy said. "I'm excited (about the new drug) but because we've been dealing with trying drugs for so many years, I'm always apprehensive about a new drug."

As an elementary teacher in Mansfield, Luedy is no stranger to educating herself. She said she is anxious to learn more, continue to research the disease and become more involved with the Alzheimer's Association.

Pechlivanos said volunteering is the best way to keep progress moving forward.

"There is now hope for the first time -- there is something that can help people," she said. "Now, maybe there is something we can do for you. And if you're a candidate, it's worth knowing early.

"This unlocks so much potential in all areas of understanding about our brain."

In the meantime, Luedy plans to start writing a book about her experience caring for her mother, and continue leaning on the slew of support from family and friends. She remains cautiously optimistic about the future.

"I know it's not going to happen next month, but for those people down the road, it would be great if this (drug) was fully approved," she said. "I'm hopeful that we have some intelligent, great people out there that will do the right studies and the things that need to happen."
DELAWARE  Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Delaware County Court asking to declare Google a public utility.

Yost stated his reasoning was to rein in the ways the powerful search engine provides search results to Ohioans.

Google uses its dominance of internet search to steer Ohioans to Googles own products -- that's discriminatory and anti-competitive, Ohio's attorney general said. When you own the railroad or the electric company or the cellphone tower, you have to treat everyone the same and give everybody access."

Ohio is the first state in the country to bring such a lawsuit.

The lawsuit asserts two causes of action against Google:

It seeks a legal declaration that Google is a common carrier (or public utility) subject to proper government regulation.

It says Google has a duty to offer sources or competitors rights equal to its own, meaning it should not prioritize the placement of its own products, services and websites on search results pages.

Those equal rights should extend to advertisements, enhancements, knowledge boxes, integrated specialized searches, direct answers and other features.

The lawsuit does not seek money damages.

In plain terms, Yost argues Ohioans are harmed by Google because they cannot make the best choices if they dont get all of the information.

For example, if someone searches for a flight and Google returns its own presentation of search results to steer the person to Google Flights, the person doesnt see offers from competitors such as Orbitz and Travelocity.

This is the second anti-competition lawsuit Yost has filed against Google. In December, he joined 37 other attorneys general in a federal lawsuit against Google for conduct that violates Section 2 of the Sherman Act.

The Sherman Act is a federal law meant to curtail groups of businesses that collude to form a monopoly in an effort to reduce economic competition.

That lawsuit alleges that more competition in the general search engine market would benefit consumers, for example, through improved privacy protections and more targeted results and opportunities for consumers.

The multi-state suit also alleges that competitive general search engines also could offer better quality advertising and lower prices to advertisers.
COLUMBUS -- Convicted serial killer Shawn Grate will not get another new day before the Ohio Supreme Court.

The state's highest court, without comment, on Tuesday denied Grate's application to reopen his case.

Grate, 44, sentenced to death for the murders of five women in Ashland, Richland and Marion counties, obtained a new attorney earlier this year.

That attorney, Elizabeth Arrick of Lexington, Ky., asked for the case to be reopened. She alleged lawyers who represented Grate in his initial, and unsuccessful direct appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court, failed to point out mistakes made by the defendant's trial attorneys.

Ashland County Common Pleas Judge Ronald P. Forsthoefel sentenced Grate in 2018 to death and a minimum of 90 years to life in prison for the murders of Stacey Stanley and Elizabeth Griffith. The death sentence was recommended by an Ashland County jury.

Grate, an Ashland resident at the time, was later additionally sentenced to life in prison without parole in Richland County for the murders of two Mansfield women and again in Marion County for the murder of a Louisiana woman.

In December 2020, the Ohio Supreme Court unanimously upheld Grates conviction and death sentence for the murder of the two Ashland women. The court ruled there were no errors in proceedings denying Grate a fair trial.

In his appeal, Grate argued there were errors in his trial and that his defense counsel was ineffective.

Though all the Ohio Supreme Court Justices ultimately upheld Grate's conviction and sentencing, Justice Michael P. Donnelly did issue an opinion, in which he called "very concerning" the actions of Grate's trial defense lawyers.

"The ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claims that I find to be particularly significant are related to counsels failure to present adequate psychiatric and neurological evidence in the mitigation phase of Grates capital proceedings," Donnelly said.

He went on to say the "overwhelming evidence of Grates guilt" would negate any possibility of prejudice in an ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claim.

According to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction website, Grate remains incarcerated at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution.
MANSFIELD  Richland Public Health will be conducting mosquito spraying, weather permitting, at the following locations June 7 through 11, 2021:

Straub Rd. W., North of W. Hanley Rd., East of Sandy Hill Ln., West of Nottingham Ct., Mansfield City. Rain date June 10, 2021.

Sherwood Dr., North of W. Hanley Rd., East of Middle Bellville Rd., West of Cloverdale Dr., Washington township. Rain date June 10, 2021.

Straub Rd. W., North of W. Hanley Rd., East of Red Oak Dr., West of Ranchwood Dr., Mansfield City. Rain date June 10, 2021.

Sherwood Dr., North of W. Hanley Rd., East of Middle Bellville Rd., West of Cloverdale Dr., Washington township. Rain date June 10, 2021.

Pearce Dr., North of Marion Avenue Rd., East of S. Home Rd. West of S. Trimble Rd., Mansfield City. Rain date June 11, 2021.

Eisenhower Ave., North of Orchard Park Rd., East of Lexington Ave., West of Bella Vista Ave., Washington Township. Rain date June 11, 2021.

All spraying will be conducted before dawn. This schedule is subject to change. Any schedule changes will be posted on the Richland Public Health social media and/or website at www.richlandhealth.org.

Preventing Mosquito Bites

Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, which includes puddles, stagnant ditches, and containers such as old tires, buckets, cans, neglected swimming pools and flower pots. Mosquitoes can carry diseases, including West Nile Virus, which can cause serious illness. It is important to apply mosquito repellent when participating in any outdoor activity when mosquitoes are active.

Richland Public Health recommends following these tips to help avoid mosquito bites:

Make sure that doors and windows have tight-fitting screens.

Repair or replace all torn screens in your home.

Remove all discarded tires from your property.

Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots, or similar water-holding containers.

Make sure roof gutters drain properly. Clean clogged gutters in the spring and fall.

Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas and hot tubs. If not in use keep empty and covered.

Drain water from pool covers.

Change the water in bird baths at least once a week.

Turn over plastic wading pools, and wheelbarrows, etc. when not in use.

Clean ditches of obstructions so they drain properly.

Eliminate any standing water that collects on your property.

Check trees for cavities that hold water and fill them with soil, gravel, or sand.

Remind or help neighbors to eliminate breeding sites on their properties.

Use insect repellent and follow the label directions.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was written in response to reader-submitted questions through Open Source, a platform where readers can ask Richland Sources newsroom to investigate a question.

FREDERICKTOWN  Good news for is on the horizon for those who enjoy the recreation opportunities of Knox Lake.

The water level of Knox Lake has been rising since mid-May after being lowered a year ago for dam construction -- which is now complete.

Austin Levering, Ohio Department of Natural Resources wildlife officer for Knox County, expects the lake to be fully accessible to the public by the end of June.

The dam itself is complete, Levering said. Theyre just putting the finishing touches on it right now.

ODNR began rehabilitating Knox Lakes 60-year-old dam last June to adhere to safety standards and lowered the water level of the lake approximately six feet during construction. ODNR scheduled construction to be completed by June 2021.

It took about a year; they were right on schedule, Levering said.

Patrons of the lake have been allowed to use small watercraft, such as kayaks, during construction, but large watercraft have not been permitted throughout the low-level period. Once the lake returns to normal pool level, it will be accessible to large boats, Levering said.

ODNR shut off the siphons  pipes that bring water from the reservoir over a dam  on May 24. On May 25, the siphons were removed, said Marty Lundquist, fish management supervisor at ODNR.

The water level has been rising since then, he said.

The water level will be brought up to within 6 inches of normal level until June 30, when it is slated to reach normal level. Lundquist noted that rainfall could speed up the process.

The more rain the better, he said.

ODNRs goal for the construction was to stabilize the spillway in case of a maximum flood, Levering said.

This entailed drilling holes in the spillway walls and floor down into the bedrock and then using hundreds of stabilizing rods to pour the concrete into, he said.

Other additions made during the past year include the installation of new gates to control lake levels and riprap to prevent erosion, smoothing out the back side of the dam for easier walking and mowing accessibility and the installation of new boat ramps.

The boat ramp located on Armentrout Road near Grandpas Tackle Box has been renovated and the courtesy docks in that area have been replaced.

Lundquist said it was not yet clear if fish in Knox Lake had died because of low-oxygen in low water levels, which had been a concern when construction began. ODNR fish biologists will assess the fish populations in fall 2021 and spring 2022, during typical sampling seasons, to determine whether fish should be restocked, he said.

The project, funded by the motor gasoline tax received by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, cost $4.6 million, Lundquist said.

The remaining construction is minimal, he said, and includes finishing the toe drain, putting down additional grass seed, adding more riprap and sealing and striping the parking lots.
While EU governments are still debating whether they need new pipelines or can get off the natural gas tap, Lithuania has been transforming its heat supply at record speed to be able to use domestic biomass. Leaving the era of its energy dependence on Russia behind, the country is upgrading its networks and eying new possibilities with solar and heat pumps.

Stelmuze is all about wood. This little village in the forests of northeastern Lithuania is known for its wooden chapel built without saws or iron nails. And for the famous Stelmuze oak - the oldest oak tree in Europe, 23 meters high, and more than 1,500 years old. Embracing its trunk requires no less than 9 people holding hands.

The old and vast Lithuanian forests are also the scene for one of Europes fastest and most extensive energy transitions from fossil fuels to renewables. The story of this transition is a dramatic condensation of international politics, climate action, and technological progress.

When Lithuania regained its independency from Russia in 1990 and joined the European Union in 2004, it had to break free from its energy dependency. Being part of the Soviet Union, Lithuania not only hosted the Tjernobyl type nuclear power plant Ignalina. Like most Eastern European countries, Lithuanias highly developed district heating grid was fueled almost entirely with Russian natural gas or heavy oil. In 2013, we still produced most of our district heat with natural gas imported from Russia, says Dr Sigitas Rimkevicius, Director of Lithuanian Energy Institute. Since then, our energy transition from gas to renewable energy sources has set a world record both in speed and dimension. As a matter of fact, only three years later, the share of renewable energy had grown to almost 70%, which makes it one of the highest shares of renewable energy in Europe. We call it a European record, adds Dr Rimkevicius.

While the concept of district heating is still new to some Western European countries like the UK with a modest share of 2%, literally all Lithuanian towns have a heat grid. More than half of Lithuanian households are connected to district heating, explains Dr Rimkevicius. And the numbers keep increasing.

The outstanding pace of the Lithuanian energy transition becomes even more evident when compared with the EUs largest and most powerful economy. While Germany plans on importing even more natural gas from Russia via the world-famous Nord Stream pipeline that is currently under construction, Lithuania has taken advantage of support from the EU Structural Funds to get off the gas tap.

Lithuanian forests are not only big, says Dr Valdas Lukosevicius, President of the Lithuanian District Heating Asscoiation. They are also among the most fit for wood production in the world. So, being able to use excess biomass from the lumber industry is not only cheaper and climate friendly, its also an act of national liberation!

Keeping energy affordable is an important challenge for energy transition processes all over the world. Lithuania has proven to be a role model with prices actually decreasing since 2011  mostly thanks to local biomass and technological progress. As a matter of fact, the average price of local biomass used for district heating corresponds to roughly a third of the price of natural gas.

But despite these huge successes, the fast transformation of Lithuanias district heating sector is far from over. We can see new challenges looming, as biomass is increasingly under scrutiny for its actual climate impact. And while the biomass used in our networks is a sustainably sourced by-product of the lumber industry, global competition creates more and more pressure, making it an increasingly scarce resource, says Dr Lukosevicius.

This is why the country is already looking into the next phase of the transition. In the coming months, more efficient CHP plants that combine heat and electricity production will come online to replace simple biomass boilers. Dr Lukosevicius adds: And, what is even more important, we are exploring solutions beyond biomass.

Lithuanian winters are cold and covering those high heat demands will be impossible with other renewable energy sources. Dr Lukosevicius says: But using solar instead of biomass for hot water production during the summer months is a first possibility that we are now looking into. It is not an easy switch, though. An important precondition for phasing in solar is to reduce the operating temperature in the grid to 60C. That in turn will require reducing heat losses both in the building stock and in the grid.

With its almost 7,000 inhabitants, Salcininkai is a small town in a small country. It is also one of Lithuanias newest towns developed as the centre of the surrounding district in 1972. Not only the generous ground plan of Salcininkai with the spacious and precisely calculated grid shows its Soviet heritage. Schools and dormitories, a new nursery, cinema and a local government building all display the finely detailed and clean lines that are emblematic for the architecture and city planning of the late Soviet Union.

However, the more than 30-year-old district heating network in the Salcininkai district also inherited the disadvantages of this legacy: significant heat losses due to both a poorly insulated building stock and over-dimensioned heat generation and transmission installations. Dr Lukosevicius says: In Lithuanian buildings heat consumption is twice as high as in western Europe countries.

Salcininkai has therefore been selected as a pilot in the Upgrade DH project funded by the European Unions Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program. Both the Salcininkai district heating company and the Lithuanian district heating association are partners. Insights and learnings from the small town in southeastern Lithuania are expected to be replicated all over Europe.

In Salcininkai we are replacing the old Soviet steel pipes with pre-insulated pipes with significantly better insulation. Partly, we will even be using flexible pre-insulated plastic pipes, which despite limited operating temperatures, are starting to become very popular due to their improved flow characteristics. They are easy to install and reduce heat losses to a minimum, says Artur Danulevic, CEO of Salcininkai district heating company. A network optimization plan will further decrease heat losses - and bring Lithuania closer to a future where heat will be produced by even smarter renewable technologies, including solar thermal and heat pumps.

For the near future, all state support to biomass is cancelled. New subsidies for smart solutions in combination with solar and heat pumps are in the pipeline. Says Dr Lukosevicius: We need all support we can get for the transformation. Our government in Vilnius is ready, but the EU needs to give green light. Then, the Lithuanian energy transformation record challenge can continue.-- TradeArabia News Service
Richmond, KY (40475)

Today

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.
Written By

Joe Schulz served as the reporter of the Green Laker in 2019 and 2020, before being hired as a reporter for the Commonwealth in October 2020. He is from Oshkosh and graduated from UW-Oshkosh in December with a bachelor's degree in journalism.

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Bill Crane is a syndicated columnist based in Decatur. He has worked in politics for Democrats and Republicans, respects the process and will try and give you some things to think about. Your thoughts and responses to his opinions are also welcome, bill.csicrane@gmail.com.
Rocky Mount, NC (27804)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable..

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Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable.
The hotly anticipated Business Traveller Middle East Awards 2021 took place on May 25, recognising Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya as the "Best Business Hotel in Kuwait".

Held virtually due to regional and international travel restrictions, the prestigious ceremony bestowed reader-voted awards in 19 different hotel categories, as well as recognising luxury airlines and airport operators.

I am thrilled with this award, which has given me a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding work of my colleagues, said Didier Jardin, General Manager of the property since it opened in 2017, giving praise to his team at the 284-key property in the heart of Kuwait City. Without their dedication to delivering the highest standards of guest experience, we would not have awards such as these to celebrate, he added.

The appeal of Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya as a destination to do business, as well as enjoy a stay for leisure, comes as no surprise to those who have already visited the property. A stunning example of architectural and design mastery, the hotel is in one of two towers within the Burj Alshaya complex, a mixed-use development presenting a modern glass exterior laid out with mashrabiya latticework, an Arabic pattern dating from the Middle Ages.

Rising 21 storeys, the property presents a spacious setting for international travellers and locals alike, with 284 guest rooms including 67 suites, multiple restaurants and lounges, nearly 3,000-sq-m of function space, a luxury spa with indoor pool and guests-only fitness centre, an outdoor pool, as well as renowned Four Seasons service.

The Business Traveller Middle East Awards 2021 celebrated the companies at the forefront of business travel and luxury hospitality, with Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre and Four Seasons Hotel Amman also being awarded Best Business Hotel recognition in their respective cities. - TradeArabia News Service
Bridge to Rutland helps asylum seekers

By today, members of a new organization, Bridge to Rutland, are expected to have helped a family and one individual reach the city, where they are seeking asylum, from Central America, according to Bridge to Rutland Executive Director Ellen Green.

The family flew into the Albany, New York, airport on Sunday and the individual was expected to arrive on Monday night.

In 2016, then-mayor of Rutland Chris Louras announced plans to open Rutland to 100 refugees from Syria.

The announcement was highly controversial, with one group, Rutland Welcomes, forming in support of the idea but others, including members of a group called Rutland First, complained that Louras was moving too fast and hadnt allowed citizens to discuss the proposal before he made it public.

Green said what B2R was doing was very different from refugee resettlement.

She said refugees are given that status by the United Nations and sent to countries that welcomed them. In the United States, the process is handled by the U.S. State Department.

Asylum seekers are fleeing from dangers that might be similar to those faced by refugees, but without the designation from the United Nations, they must request asylum from a country like the United States once they get there.

Asylum seekers turn themselves over to immigration authorities and make a request for asylum, making their case that they fear for their lives. The request may be rejected or the requester may be granted asylum.

B2Rs role is to be a resource for the asylum seekers while they pursue asylum.

Green said the family and the individual entered the U.S. With nothing but information about B2R, whose organizers promised to be their sponsors.

Sponsorship includes having a safe place for them to live, meeting all their physical, mental, medical, emotional needs and helping them through the legal process, she said.

For the near future, the asylum seekers will be waiting. They were vaccinated at a shelter, or refuge, after entering the United States but they must quarantine for two weeks because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Volunteers who already have been vaccinated are providing the quarantine site and a host family will then provide a place for the asylum seekers to live for at least three and up to six months.

Theyre living with a family at that point which is really good for acclimating them to Vermonts culture and helping them to learn English. We have volunteers who will do everything from driving them to appointments to taking them shopping  to translation, teaching them English, to getting them a cell phone to socialization, Green said.

Green pointed out that B2R was a small organization, and that the help for all the asylum seekers, including plane tickets and a place to live, was accomplished by the work of volunteers.

The volunteers must be trained in trauma-based accompaniment because of the backgrounds that caused the families to seek asylum.

Green said she was impressed when they met the family on Sunday night; they were so gracious to their hosts and grateful to be in America despite days of exhausting travel to get to their destination, she said.

Green said B2R grew out of an adult class at Grace Congregational Church.

We started learning about what was happening on the border and it was about the time there was so much in the news about families being separated. Out of this study came the desire to do something about it, she said.

Green acknowledged it took a little while to get organized, but said eventually they were ready for some members of the Grace congregation to reach out to other faith-based organizations.

We recognized, this is a huge task. It requires a community of support, she said.

As of Monday morning, the volunteers working with B2R represented nine faith-based communities and four different social justice groups. Green said the volunteers included some who worked with Rutland Welcomes.

Green pointed out the assistance theyre providing is costly. She said theyre still fundraising to support the asylum seekers in the program and said there were no immediate plants to bring more asylum seekers to the area.

At this point, were kind of maxed out, she said.

Those who want to volunteer or otherwise help B2R can visit bridgetorutland.wordpress.com to get more information.

patrick.mcardle

@rutlandherald.com
Rutland, VT (05701)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Low around 60F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Low around 60F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Danvers, MA (01923)

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A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 59F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

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A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 59F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Sanford, NC (27330)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 63F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 63F. Winds light and variable.
Wyoming-WWAMI Graduates Receive Medical Degrees

Twenty-one students from the Wyoming-WWAMI Medical Education Program on the University of Wyoming campus received their medical degrees in a part virtual, part in-person ceremony May 22 in the Wyoming Union Yellowstone Ballroom.

Members of the entering 2017 (E17) class of medical students, along with two students from the E16 class, were joined by WWAMI faculty and staff members, as well as over 80 friends and family, to celebrate this milestone on the pathway to becoming fully licensed physicians.

Their degrees reflect two years of the foundations phase of their education in the University of Wyoming College of Health Sciences, followed by two years of clinical work throughout the WWAMI region (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho). The degrees are awarded through the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Typically, the University of Washington School of Medicine has a graduation ceremony at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Wash., each year, but the in-person ceremony was canceled for the second year in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Drs. Heidi Hanekamp (E17 class president) and Sarah Maze contacted the Wyoming-WWAMI office when the University of Washington School of Medicine announced that its annual ceremony was canceled and requested that the ceremony for Wyoming-WWAMI graduates be done in person on the campus of the University of Wyoming. Tim Robinson, director of Wyoming-WWAMI, was happy to oblige.

We were able to secure the University of Wyoming Union Yellowstone Ballroom, where we could socially distance, so we felt comfortable holding the event in person, Robinson says. Our faculty and staff worked hard to pull the event off. It was wonderful having the opportunity to get these excellent students back together as a class, and every one of our graduates this year was able to participate in the ceremony.

Dr. Paul Johnson, Wyoming-WWAMI alumnus and otolaryngologist with the Ivinson Medical Group, served as the keynote speaker for the graduation ceremony and began by noting the challenges these students had overcome.

Id like to start by saying these past 14 months of the COVID-19 pandemic brought incredible challenges to our lives while trying to learn and provide medical care to our patients, Johnson said. I congratulate all of you for coming through these unique challenges and know you will be better physicians for it.

Each year, the Wyoming Medical Society (WMS) awards the Centennial Scholarship to an outstanding medical school graduate. Award recipients are chosen based on commitment to service and dedication to learning. This years recipient is Maze, of Ranchester. She attended the University of Wyoming and graduated with degrees in physiology and Spanish. In addition to her studies, Maze demonstrated her commitment to service through numerous endeavors in medical school, including teaching about gestational diabetes on the Wind River Indian Reservation and in Nepal. She will continue her training at the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho in Boise.

In addition to the WMS scholarship, the Wyoming Academy of Family Physicians (WAFP) Scholarship is awarded to graduating medical school students for their outstanding performance and dedication to family medicine, and who are matching into a family medicine residency. Dr. John Haeberle, a family medicine physician in Laramie and medical school mentor, presented this years WAFP Scholarship to two graduates: Maze and Hanekamp, who is from Laramie.

Dr. Yvette Haeberle, WWAMI clinical curriculum director, led students in reciting the Physicians Oath, formally referred to as the Hippocratic Oath. The oath represents a binding agreement that physicians conduct themselves properly and in the care of their patients.

In a special recognition honoring Robinson for his service, John Willford, a clinical assistant professor, presented Robinson with gifts from students, staff, faculty and friends, which included messages thanking him for his service, which began in 2013.

Following their graduation, the medical students will begin their residencies at university teaching hospitals throughout the United States.

Wyomings newest physicians, listed here by hometown and name, are:

Cheyenne -- Dillon Brown, Trevor Mordhorst and Sabrina Wilcox.

Cody -- Madeleine Birch, Jackson Schmidt and Ethan Slight.

Douglas -- Aaron Robertson.

Gillette -- Spencer Pecha, Jordan Reed and Mason Stillman.

Green River -- Michael Robison.

Laramie -- Lingga Adidharma, Tappy Gish, Heidi Hanekamp and Joshua Henry.

Powell -- Olivia Rogers and Giandor Saltz.

Ranchester -- Sarah Maze.

Rock Springs -- Cody Hansen, Austin Lever and Kelsey Tuttle.
If youre thinking about relocating to the Hawkeye State, you may be wondering, what is the minimum wage in Iowa? Is it enough to live on, or are you going to have to pick up side jobs to make ends meet? To address your concerns, weve covered everything you need to know about Iowas minimum wage below.

What Is a Minimum Wage?

The minimum wage is the lowest amount a company can pay a covered nonexempt employee for an hour of labor.

The federal government has set the minimum wage at $7.25 per hour, but states are also allowed to create their own minimum wage requirements. Nearly 30 states have a higher minimum wage than the federal standard. So is Iowa one of those states, or is their minimum wage the same as the federal standard?

What Is the Minimum Wage in Iowa?

The minimum wage in Iowa is $7.25 per hour for covered nonexempt employees, which is the same as the federal minimum wage. However, employers may be able to pay their workers less than that in certain situations.

Employers can pay workers under 20 years of age a training wage of $4.25 per hour during their first 90 days on the job. This helps make up for the loss of revenue and productivity that may happen when a business trains a new worker.

Students who have certain work-study jobs can also be paid at a lower rate of $6.16 an hour for up to 20 hours of work per week.

If youre a tipped employee like a server or bartender, your employer can pay you as little as $4.35 per hour. But your tips must bring you up to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Otherwise, your employer has to make up the difference so youre paid a fair wage.

Do Any Cities Have a Different Pay Rate?

Just like states, cities and counties are usually allowed to set their own minimum wage laws. This helps make up for differences in cost of living between areas and ensure workers are being paid a fair, living wage. But in 2017, Governor Terry Branstad signed off on legislation that made county and city minimum wages unenforceable.

Counties and cities are still allowed to set a minimum wage, but it isnt legally binding anymore. Here are some of the areas that have symbolic minimum wages that are higher than the state standard:

Wapello  $10.10 per hour

Johnson County  $10.25 per hour

Linn City  $10.25 per hour

Polk City  $10.75 per hour

However, keep in mind that moving to one of these areas doesnt guarantee you higher pay. The minimum wages listed above arent legally binding. Employers in the area are only required to pay their workers the state minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

Is the Minimum Wage in Iowa Livable?

Although the minimum wage was designed to be a living wage when it was passed, it often falls short of todays cost of living. In Iowa, a single person with no children would need to earn $13.62 an hour to afford their bills. Thats $6.37 per hour more than the current minimum wage in Iowa.

If you have kids, you need to earn even more to make ends meet. Two working adults with one child need to make at least $16.04 per hour to support themselves. Its even harder for single parents, who need to earn a minimum of $29.18 to be self-sufficient.

Thats why many Iowans are hoping that Joe Biden will raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. But in the meantime, youll need to make up for the shortfall between your wages and the cost of living. You can do that by living with roommates or getting a side hustle like dog walking or freelance writing. Its also a good idea to work on improving your skills so you can get a higher paying job in the future.

Is the minimum wage in Iowa sufficient, or do you think it needs to be raised? Let us know in the comments section below.

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BILLINGS, Mont. (AP)  President Joe Biden's nominee to oversee vast expanses of U.S. public lands was criticized Tuesday by Republicans over her past involvement in partisan politics as a longtime Democratic aide and environmentalist, underscoring the importance lawmakers assign to a relatively small agency with broad influence over energy development and agriculture in western states.

Senate confirmation of Tracy Stone-Manning to direct the U.S. Bureau of Land Management would mark a stark change from the government's catering to oil and gas interests under former President Donald Trump.

It would take every Senate Republican plus at least one Democratic lawmaker to block her nomination. So far no Democratic defectors have emerged.

The land bureau has been in staffing turmoil after four years without a confirmed director and losing nearly 300 employees to retirement or resignation when its headquarters was relocated from Washington, D.C., to Grand Junction, Colorado.

Interior Department officials confirmed Tuesday that only three workers ultimately relocated to Grand Junction. The revelation, first reported by the media outlet Colorado Newsline, marks the latest example of the heavy toll on the federal workforce from a broad reorganization of government under Trump, which left agencies hobbled as they regulated industry and conducted climate research.

With roughly 9,000 employees, the land bureau has jurisdiction over 245 million acres (100 million hectares) of federally owned land in Western states, managing them for uses ranging from fossil fuel extraction, renewable power development and grazing, to recreation and wilderness.

Before joining the National Wildlife Federation four years ago, Stone-Manning worked as chief of staff to former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock and supported him through his failed attempt to unseat Montana Sen. Steve Daines.

During a hearing Tuesday of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Republicans lambasted her role as treasurer and board member of the environmental group Montana Conservation Voters, which ran ads against Daines. The Republicans also raised concerns she would impede energy development.

You've been incredibly partisan in your past, said Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. It seems like from your heart, you really don't care for Republicans.

Stone-Manning, from Missoula, Montana, said her deceased Republican parents would be rolling in their graves over the allegation of partisanship. She indicated she wanted to move on from the 2020 election and said working in a collaborative manner was the only way to make progress in the Wests contentious public lands debates.

Elections can be tough. I was supporting my former boss, Gov. Bullock. But the election is over, and I will honor the outcome of that election, she said.

Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper asked Stone-Manning about the headquarters relocation, saying the move was done in haste and let down employees of the land bureau and the city of Grand Junction, which hoped for an economic boost.

Stone-Manning said the Interior Department was reviewing the headquarters move but gave no further details.

The director's post and 327 other positions were moved out of Washington under Trump, to Grand Junction and other western cities, bureau spokesperson Jeff Krauss said. The upheaval triggered the resignation or retirement of 278 people.

Of 41 positions created at the new Colorado headquarters, 11 career positions and two political positions including the director's office remain vacant, Krauss said.

Interior officials were unable to immediately say how many positions at the Grand Junction office remain unfilled.

At the National Wildlife Federation Stone-Manning led the group's efforts to preserve public lands in the West for wildlife, hiking, hunting and other nonindustrial uses.

She was previously an aide to Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and worked for a nonprofit group that pushed the clean up one of the countrys largest contaminated Superfund sites, Montanas Clark Fork River.

Tester introduced Stone-Manning at Tuesday's hearing and rejected the GOP description of her as an ideologue.

She is a good person with a good heart who understands the value of our public lands, Tester said.

Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall questioned Stone-Manning on whether she had a conflict of interest in receiving a personal loan of $50,000 to $100,000 in 2008 while working on Tester's staff. Financial disclosure filings showed she received the 12-year loan from Missoula developer Stuart Goldberg at a 6% interest rate, which Marshall said was below the 11 % going rate for consumer loans at that time.

Stone-Manning responded that she had been smacked by the recession and a friend loaned us some money to make sure we could get through.

We honored the loan, she added.

The land management bureaus director post went unfilled for four years under Trump, who instead relied on a string of acting directors to execute a loosening of restrictions on industry. Chief among them was conservative lawyer William Perry Pendley, who before he took the position advocated for selling off federal lands.

Pendley was ordered removed by a federal judge after leading the bureau for more than year without required Senate confirmation and getting sued by Bullock.

Stone-Manning backed the effort to oust Pendley and said he was an illegal appointee.

She would serve under Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a former Democratic congresswoman from New Mexico who was confirmed over opposition from Republicans citing her criticisms of the oil and gas industry.
LONDON (AP)  When U.S. President Joe Biden flies to Europe this week, he will find his hosts welcoming but wary. His predecessor Donald Trump may be gone, but he leaves a long shadow.

Bidens first foreign trip as president starts Wednesday and includes a gathering of the Group of Seven wealthy nations by the seaside in southwest England, a NATO summit, a meeting with European Union chiefs, and then a tete-a-tete in Geneva with his Russian counterpart and adversary, Vladimir Putin.

For most of Americas allies, Biden is a relief. Trump often sowed chaos, accusing the NATO military alliance of leeching off the United States, insulting the European Union and storming out of a G-7 summit in Canada in 2018. In contrast, Biden has stressed his support for international diplomacy and emphasized Americas renewed commitment to our allies and partners in a recent Washington Post article.

I think we can expect to see lots of rhetoric and lots of good-vibe messages in this first visit of Biden to Europe, said Renata Dwan, deputy director of international affairs think tank Chatham House.

But she added that five months into Bidens term, its time to be more than not Donald Trump.

Biden has already mended some fences with Americas allies. The U.S. has rejoined the Paris climate accord that Trump renounced, ended a minor trade war with the EU over aviation rivalry and is backing attempts to revive a deal meant to limit Iran's nuclear ambitions that Trump abandoned.

America is back. And we are happy you are back, European Council President Charles Michel told Biden in March, when the president joined a video summit of EU leaders.

Yet its not all smooth sailing, especially for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is hosting the first G-7 summit in two years this weekend at the Carbis Bay resort in Cornwall.

Johnson wants to use the U.K.s G-7 presidency to inject new purpose into the wealthy nations club  undermined by Trumps unilateralism and sideswiped by the coronavirus pandemic  and to burnish the international image of a post-Brexit Global Britain.

Hes happy with Bidens commitment to fighting climate change that should help give momentum to Novembers COP26 global climate summit in Scotland. And Bidens promise to start sharing coronavirus vaccines with poorer countries  something aid agencies say should have happened sooner  chimes with Johnsons call for G-7 leaders to ensure the whole world is vaccinated by the end of 2022.

Closer to home, the British leader hopes Biden will agree to a trans-Atlantic travel corridor to help business and tourism recover from the pandemic. And he is seeking a U.K.-U.S. trade deal, touted by the British government as a plum post-Brexit economic prize.

But he has hurdles to overcome. A trade deal is not a Biden priority, and Johnson will have to work hard to charm a president who once called the prime minister a physical and emotional clone of Trump.

Biden has criticized Brexit, and is particularly concerned about its impact on Northern Ireland. Because of its land border with EU member Ireland, Northern Ireland has been given a special economic status that is causing friction between the U.K. and the bloc and heightening political tensions within Northern Ireland.

Biden, keenly aware of the key role the U.S. played in bringing about the Good Friday peace accord that ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland, has warned there will be no trade deal with Britain if Brexit undermines the peace deal.

There are tensions and divergences among U.S. and its other the allies, too. Biden has begun to rebuild ties with NATO, left angry and bewildered by Trumps unilateralism and his ambiguous relationship with Russias Putin. Biden reassured the alliance that the U.S. backed NATOs doctrine of collective defense and would come to the rescue in the face of Russian aggression.

Britain and EU politicians generally support Biden's call for a stable and predictable relationship with Russia, but have low expectations of a breakthrough from his meeting with Putin.

But the U.S. still wants NATOs European members and Canada to spend more on defense  a constant Trump refrain, now taken up by Biden, if in a more muted way.

And while Washington informed its allies about its decision to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, the news came late in the day, said Dwan, the analyst from Chatham House.

There is also continuing U.S-European friction over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline being built to bring gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. A persistent irritant between the U.S. and Germany during the Trump years, the pipeline still faces bipartisan U.S. opposition over concerns it makes Europe more dependent on Russia, though Biden has sought to take some of the heat out of the issue.

And European nations are more cautious than the U.S. about confronting and curbing an increasingly assertive, economically surging China.

Dwan said European nations are eager not to be caught in the middle of a of a bipolar tension. Europe knows how that looks and feels.

Even Britain, which has excluded Chinese firms from its 5G network and opened its doors to thousands of people from Hong Kong as Beijing squeezes the territorys freedoms, is cautious about the tough U.S. approach. Johnson has stressed that he is not a knee-jerk Sinophobe and wants to engage with China.

Thomas Gift, director of the Center on U.S. Politics at University College London, says that for all Bidens warm words for allies, his priorities remain at home: vaccinating the U.S. out of the pandemic, reviving the COVID-battered economy and renewing the United States aging infrastructure.

"Hes largely governing as a domestic president, Gift said.

And he said the discord of the Trump years have made Americas allies look differently at the United States.

I think public opinion in Europe has soured to an extent on the United States, Gift said, including concern about whether it's a reliable partner. But I think European leaders, by and large, are eager to work with the U.S. They still understand that it is the most important global superpower  even if some of that power is getting eaten up by a rising China.

___

Associated Press writers Lorne Cook in Brussels, Angela Charlton in Paris and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this story.
SAN DIEGO (AP)  When the FBI dismantled an encrypted messaging service based in Canada in 2018, agents noticed users moving to other networks. Instead of following their tracks to rivals, investigators decided on a new tactic: creating their own service.

ANOM, a secure-messaging service built by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, launched in October 2019 and solidified its following after authorities took down another rival. Popularity spread by word of mouth.

When ANOM was taken down Monday, authorities had collected more than 27 million messages from about 12,000 devices in 45 languages  a vast body of evidence that fueled a global sting operation. Authorities on Tuesday revealed the operation known as Trojan Shield and announced that it had dealt an unprecedented blow to organized crime around the world.

Each and every device in this case was used to further criminal activity, said Suzanne Turner, the agent in charge of the FBI in San Diego, where the investigation began in 2016. Users were upper-echelon, command-and-control figures in more than 300 criminal organizations.

Unbeknown to criminals, authorities were copied on every message sent on the FBI devices, much like blind recipients of an email.

"The very devices that criminals use to hide their crimes were actually a beacon for law enforcement, Randy Grossman, the acting U.S. attorney in San Diego, said at a news conference.

More than 800 suspects were arrested and more than 32 tons of drugs seized, including cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines and methamphetamines. Police also seized 250 guns, 55 luxury cars and more than $148 million in cash and cryptocurrencies. An indictment unsealed Tuesday in San Diego named 17 foreign distributors charged with racketeering conspiracy.

The seeds of the sting were sown when law enforcement agencies took down a company called Phantom Secure that provided customized end-to-end encrypted devices to criminals, according to court papers.

Unlike typical cellphones, the devices do not make phone calls or browse the internet  but allow for secure messaging. As an outgrowth of the operation, the FBI recruited a collaborator who was developing a next-generation secure-messaging platform for the criminal underworld called ANOM. The collaborator engineered the system to give the agency access to any messages being sent.

ANOM didn't take off immediately. But then other secure platforms used by criminals to organize drug-trafficking hits and money laundering were taken down by police, chiefly EncroChat and Sky ECC. That put gangs in the market for a new app, and the FBI's platform was ready. Over the past 18 months, the agency provided phones via unsuspecting middlemen to gangs in more than 100 countries.

The flow of intelligence enabled us to prevent murders. It led to the seizure of drugs that led to the seizure of weapons. And it helped prevent a number of crimes, Calvin Shivers, assistant director of the FBIs criminal investigative division, told a news conference in The Hague, Netherlands.

The operation was led by the FBI with the involvement of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the European Union police agency Europol and law enforcement agencies in several countries, said Dutch National Police Chief Constable Jannine van den Berg.

Australian Federal Police Commander Jennifer Hearst called it a watershed moment in global law enforcement history.

The ANOM app became popular in criminal circles as users told one another it was a safe platform. All the time, police were looking over their shoulders as they discussed hits, drug shipments and other crimes.

Since October 2019, the FBI cataloged more than 20 million messages from a total of 11,800 devices  with about 9,000 currently active, according to documents, which cited Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Australia and Serbia as the most active countries.

They say the number of active ANOM users was only 3,000 until Sky, one of the platforms previously used by criminal gangs, was dismantled in March.

While primarily focused on drug trafficking and money-laundering, the investigation also resulted in high-level public corruption cases, an FBI agent quoted in the documents said. A goal of Trojan Shield was to shake the confidence in this entire industry because the FBI is willing and able to enter this space and monitor messages, the agent said.

Swedish police prevented a dozen planned killings and believe that they arrested several leading actors in criminal networks, according to a statement from Linda Staaf, the head of Swedens national criminal intelligence unit.

Finnish police said Tuesday that nearly 100 people have been detained and more than 500 kilograms (half a ton) of drugs confiscated, along with dozens of guns and cash worth hundreds of thousands of euros (dollars). In Germany, the general prosecutors office in Frankfurt said that more than 70 people were arrested Monday and drugs, cash and weapons were also seized.

In Australia, authorities said they arrested 224 people and seized more than four tons of drugs and $35 million. New Zealand police said they had arrested 35 people and seized drugs and assets worth millions of dollars.

As part of a global operation, the Australian government "struck a heavy blow against organized crime, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters. Not just in this country, but one that will echo around organized crime around the world.

European police last year delivered a major blow to organized crime after cracking an encrypted communications network known as EncroChat, which was used by criminal gangs across the continent.

In March, Belgian police arrested dozens of people after cracking another encrypted chat system and seizing more than 17 tons of cocaine.

The latest effort went even further before authorities decided to take down the service.

The operation will likely lead criminals to wonder whether services they use are run by a government, Turner said, and it has shown that authorities have abundant technical knowledge and international cooperation.

Nick Merrill, a cybersecurity researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, said the investigation offers a pretty good recipe" for law enforcement agencies to compromise an existing service or build one and wait for the right time to strike.

"Either way, these centralized services provide a central point of weakness, Merrill said.

____

Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands, and Perry reported from Wellington, New Zealand. Associated Press writers Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, Jari Tanner in Helsinki, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, Frank Bajak in Boston and Terry Chea in San Francisco contributed to this report.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  About 100 supporters of a Louisiana minister gathered outside a federal appeals court in New Orleans on Monday to show support as his lawyers asked to revive a lawsuit he filed last year challenging the state's coronavirus restrictions.

Tony Spell repeatedly flouted the public health restrictions at his Life Tabernacle Church in the Baton Rouge suburb of Central, and faces six state criminal counts as a result. His supporters assembled at a public park across from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where they prayed, listened to speeches and waved flags reading An Appeal to Heaven. Spell then walked into the courthouse, escorted across the street by one man carrying a pole with a large cross affixed at the top, while a man nearby waved an American flag.
MOSCOW (AP)  Russia on Monday targeted nine Canadian officials with sanctions in retaliation to Canada's restrictions against Russian officials accused of involvement in the imprisonment of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the Canadian officials indefinitely barred from entering Russia include David Lametti, Canada's justice minister and attorney general, Brenda Lucki, the Canadian police commissioner and Anne Kelly, the commissioner of the country's Correctional Service.

The Russian sanctions also targeted Dominic LeBlanc, minister for intergovernmental affairs, Marci Surkes, the policy director for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Jody Thomas, deputy minister of the national defense department. Also hit with Russian sanctions were Lt. Gen. Mike Rouleau of the Canadian armed forces and Rear Adm. Scott Bishop, the head of the military intelligence command, and Brian Brennan. a deputy police commissioner.

The Russian travel ban on Canadian officials follows similar sanctions previously imposed by Moscow against U.S. and European officials in response to their restrictions against Russian officials.

Navalny, the most determined political foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin, 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 handed a 2 1/2-year prison term 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 condemned as politically motivated.

Russia has rejected the U.S. and the EU criticism of Navalnys imprisonment and of Russias crackdown on protests demanding his release as meddling in its internal affairs.

The tensions over Navalny further exacerbated Russias relations with the West, which sank to post-Cold War lows over Russias 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula, the accusations of Moscow's interference in elections and hacking attacks.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement that Moscow remains open for the development of our ties on the basis of mutual respect and with the emphasis on cooperation in areas such as the Arctic issues, relations between regions and business ties where our interests objectively converge.
Keene, NH (03431)

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Courtesy Danielle Echeverria

From Director of Audience Jess Marmor Shaw and Engagement Editor Anna Buchmann:



Danielle Echeverria has joined The Chronicle as a reporter on its Engagement and Breaking News team.

Danielle has just completed her master's degree in journalism at Stanford University, where she won the Nicholas Roosevelt Environmental Journalism Award for her reporting this year. At Stanford, she covered agriculture and climate change, and worker safety.
Easyjet Starts Services from Edinburgh

EasyJet operated their inaugural service from Edinburgh, Scotland to Gibraltar on Saturday 5th June.

The new service is operating twice weekly until the end of October, on Tuesdays and Saturdays and flown with Airbus A319s and A320 aircraft.

The Hon Vijay Daryanani MP Minister for Business, Tourism, Transport and the Port was at the airport to welcome the flight, along with teams from Gibraltar International Airport and the Gibraltar Tourist Board. Arriving passengers were presented with Visit Gibraltar branded gifts.

Minister Daryanani said, Im very pleased to finally see this service start. This was the first route that I secured to Gibraltar in December 2019. Edinburgh is the first ever direct link with Scotland from our airport, so this gives me even more satisfaction. It was due to operate last year but the pandemic delayed this. When the route was originally on sale it showed excellent forward demand and I have no doubt that it will be a great success. This is yet another example of this Governments efforts to improve air connections with the UK, our strongest market. I enjoy an excellent personal working relationship with EasyJet and I look forward to building on this and exploring further possibilities with the airline.
San Francisco officials voted Monday to advance legislation making parklets, the infrastructure behind pandemic outdoor dining, a permanent part of the citys streetscape.

The Board of Supervisors Land Use and Transportation Committee voted in favor of the program following a two-week delay that led to modifications to the program.

The three-member committee adopted amendments proposed by Supervisor Aaron Peskin, including delaying permit fees and requiring accessibility for disabled people.

Supervisors Peskin and Dean Preston voted in favor of the amendments. Supervisor Myrna Melgar opposed some, such as shifting permit oversight from the Planning Department to the Department of Public Works and requiring spaces be accessible to the public when not being used by businesses customers, including at night. Mayor London Breeds office also said she was opposed to those two changes.

Peskin said at the hearing that having the Planning Department as the coordinating agency creates redundancies and delays and that the department was already struggling to handle other permit processing work.

More than 2,200 businesses have received approval to set up parklets in the past year, and a permanent expansion of outdoor dining could be one of the pandemics lasting legacies.

The program requires a full vote by the Board of Supervisors, scheduled for June 22, and could be subject to further changes. Another hearing on the program with public comment is being held on June 18 because of the amendments that were adopted.

Dozens of speakers were overwhelmingly in favor of the parklets program, with business owners urging the supervisors to act quickly and give them clarity.

A representative from Waterbar and Epic Steak, two restaurants on the Embarcadero, said that the businesses lost over $1 million last year, but that outdoor dining in parklets is helping them recover.

They want to eat outside. They want to enjoy the vitality of San Francisco, he said.

Breed, who sponsored the legislation, had threatened to propose a ballot measure if supervisors didnt move to pass the bill. The mayors office supports the vast majority of amendments but opposes any that detracted from the program, said Jeff Cretan, Breeds spokesman.

The mayor has been clear that we need a permanent Shared Spaces program that works for our businesses and our city. Weve been focused on getting this passed in a timely manner to provide certainty for our small businesses, who have really struggled during this pandemic, he said.

Supervisor Peskin denied that he was trying to obstruct the program.

Im coming from a position of collaboration, he said at Mondays hearing, describing the mayors approach as my way or the highway.

There was much to be desired in Mayor Breeds first draft of this permanent legislation. Our collective job as policy makers is to take feedback from the public and particularly from underrepresented communities and craft policy that will address stakeholder concerns and make our streets more livable, Peskin said in a statement after the vote.

Interactive Vaccine Tracker: Latest developments Detailed information about the coronavirus vaccines as it becomes available.

Proposed permit fees for parklets of up to $6,000 per business were set to begin in March 2022, but the supervisors delayed that until at least March 2023.

Preston wants chain stores, which the city defines as those with 11 or more locations globally, to be excluded from any fee waivers, arguing that major companies dont need financial assistance from the city. He later said that the city attorney must review any potential amendment.

Speakers raised concerns over the amendments, such as requiring 8 feet of access on sidewalks that are more than 12 feet wide.

Laurie Thomas, executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association and owner of two restaurants, said that large of a gap would block some restaurants from having outdoor setting. She called on supervisors to base the new legislation on regulations for outside tables and chairs, which existed before the pandemic.

Brian Cassanego, owner of Noir Lounge in Hayes Valley, said he supported some public access to parklets when customers werent using them but said they should be closed at night to prevent drug use and other activities.

Sharky Laguana, president of the San Francisco Small Business Commission, said Type 48 liquor licenses for bars and nightclubs forbid any minors from being in areas where alcohol is served, which could complicate efforts to open public spaces to everyone.

Roland Li is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: roland.li@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rolandlisf
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

The mother of a missing 7-year-old San Jose boy whose slain body was found last month outside Las Vegas has been arrested in Denver, police said.

Samantha Moreno Rodriguez, 35 was arrested on a murder warrant and jailed by the Denver Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force led by the FBI, in connection with the death of Liam Husted, according to a statement Tuesday from Las Vegas police.
2 1 of 2 National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Associated Press Show More Show Less



A childs body was found last week near Las Vegas, and police on Monday identified the remains as a 7-year old San Jose boy whose mother is wanted in connection to the homicide.

Hikers found the childs remains and called police to Nevadas State Route 160 near Mountain Springs, southwest of Las Vegas, around 7:45 a.m. on May 28, Las Vegas police said in a statement. The child, found in a forested area near a hiking trail, was the victim of an obvious homicide, police said.
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Chris Bertish didnt know when he woke up Tuesday morning that it would be the day hed finally set sail across the Pacific.

The 46-year-old South Africa-born surfer, who lives in El Granada, has been keeping a close eye on the ocean for weeks, waiting for the right moment to launch a solo journey to Hawaii that could keep him at sea more than two months. Then on Tuesday, his weather adviser informed him that the blustery winds that have been blowing across Californias coast were finally changing direction.

The message was clear: Its now or never.

Were threading the needle, said Mark Sponsler, surf forecaster at StormSurf.com who is serving as Bertishs adviser for his trans-Pacific journey. Were trying to shoot him out between two competing weather systems. Its a bit of a gamble. But when we woke up this morning and the winds were northwest, we were like, This is your shot. Go.

By 11 a.m., Bertish had hustled his one-of-a-kind rig, a 19-foot-long hydrofoil boat, down to Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay and was swiftly gearing up for an afternoon launch into the open ocean.

The first three days are always the most difficult, Bertish said by phone from the harbor, the excitement coursing through his voice. If you can get through those, theres no reason you cant get to the finish.

Bertish would know.

In 2017, he crossed the Atlantic Ocean in sensational fashion, alone on the back of a custom-made stand-up paddleboard. Setting out from Morocco, he stroked 4,000 miles over 93 days until he arrived in Antigua, shirtless and weather-beaten with a scraggly beard and a world record to his name.

Courtesy Brian Overfelt

Bertish is a waterman at heart, content to chase surf up and down the coast. He made a name for himself after winning the 2010 Mavericks big-wave surfing contest with a borrowed board during one of the heaviest swells in memory.

But the attention he received for his Atlantic crossing, which he used to raise money to provide food and health care to vulnerable children in his home country of South Africa, set him on his current course.

Suddenly, life became really simple for me, Bertish said. I became laser-focused and realized what Im here to do.

He has spent the past four years recounting his experience  books, documentaries, TED talks and public speaking events  and plotting his next adventure.

You see that your story has this massive impact on people, that it inspires people and makes them rethink whats possible for themselves, Bertish said. It makes them believe they can do more and be more.

This time, Bertish is raising money for ocean research and preservation nonprofits including Conservation International and Sea Shepherd.

Bertishs craft for his Pacific crossing is unlike any other. Its the same shell from his Atlantic adventure but outfitted with twin hydrofoils jutting down from the hull. The only source of propulsion is a handheld inflatable sail Bertish will have to shoulder from the small deck of the craft, making his upright body, in effect, the main mast of his vessel. He has packed eight different Kevlar-reinforced sails, ranging from 8 feet to 21 feet in width.

Once he gets going at about 2 knots, the foils will lift the craft out of the water, allowing Bertish to cruise over the oceans surface. Its a more stable ride than a rowboat. Bertish calls it the Flying Fish.

Quin OHara

Its a novel  and extremely challenging  means of approaching an ocean crossing.

From the time I met him 20 years ago, I knew he was one of those special people, said Jeff Clark, the big-wave surfer from Half Moon Bay who pioneered Mavericks. No mountain is too big for him to climb. Hes got the vision and preparation to do pretty much anything.

Clark is pacing Bertish in a motorboat for the first 10 miles of his journey to make sure Bertishs onboard navigation and communication systems are working properly. Bertish is planning for between 50 and 65 days on the ocean and aims to make land somewhere in Oahu.

I dont focus on the end, he said.

Its an interesting year to venture into the Pacific. The La Nina weather pattern has decreased the chances of hurricanes forming in the tropics, which removes a major threat to a voyage like Bertishs. However, weeks of unceasing northerly winds along the coast have stirred up the conditions that hamstrung solo kayaker Cyril Derreumaux, who was rescued off the coast of Santa Cruz on Saturday night during his ill-fated bid to paddle to Hawaii.

With Bertish at the harbor on Tuesday morning was his fiancee, Rebecca Cully of El Granada. She said she felt inspired by his voyage as a person who loves the outdoors and feels a deep commitment to nature.

Hes going to go chase his dreams no matter what, Cully said. It is quite a gift to be aligned with someone who reminds you every day of who you are and how big of a game you can play in life, if you choose to.

Gregory Thomas is The Chronicles editor of lifestyle & outdoors. Email: gthomas@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @GregRThomas
The Biden administration, in response to a suit by California, other states and environmental advocates, has agreed to collect and disclose information from companies whose products contain the cancer-causing mineral asbestos.

Asbestos is found in items ranging from brake linings to clothing fabrics. Since 2016, federal law has required the Environmental Protection Agency to obtain information from large-scale importers and producers of products containing potentially hazardous chemicals, including asbestos. The agency then is supposed to evaluate the risks and adopt rules that, based on its findings, could prohibit U.S. manufacture and distribution of the chemical and products that contain it.

In July 2017, however, the EPA under President Donald Trump told a company that imports asbestos-laden products that they were naturally occurring chemical substances that did not have to be reported. When environmental and health advocacy groups challenged the action in 2018, the EPA said it had all the information it needed.

The organizations then filed suit in federal court in San Francisco, followed by 10 states, led by California and Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia. The settlement announced this week followed a ruling in the plaintiffs favor by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen.

Despite the strong enforcement powers at its disposal and the importance of complete and adequate information, the EPA ... has declined to collect all reasonably available information concerning the risks posed by asbestos conditions of use, Chen said in a Dec. 22 decision. He said the agencys decision not to collect further information on asbestos was not an informed one and violated its duty under the law.

In the settlement, the EPA under President Biden agreed not to appeal Chens ruling and said it would resume collecting information from companies on the amounts and uses of their asbestos products. The EPA said it would propose a rule on the use of asbestos within nine months and adopt a final rule within 18 months.

The settlement did not require the agency to say whether the rule would contain new restrictions. But California Attorney General Rob Bonta said it was still an important step toward ensuring all Americans live in a community that is healthy and safe.

The long-time failure of the EPA to regulate asbestos is an environmental injustice and public health tragedy, Bonta said in a statement.

He said studies show that asbestos exposure kills 15,000 Americans per year.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, an arm of the World Health Organization, classifies asbestos as a cause of mesothelioma and other types of cancer. It is also linked to the noncancerous lung disease called asbestosis.

Federal law classified asbestos as an air pollutant in 1970, allowing regulation of its use, and the EPA has since prohibited its use in a few products, such as corrugated paper and floor mats made of felt. But Congress has rejected legislation that would have banned all asbestos-containing products.

Chen said in his ruling that one scientist has estimated at least 900,000 mechanics in the U.S. are exposed to asbestos each year as they work on brake linings.

He said U.S. Geological Survey reports in 2015 and 2017 had long lists of products that may contain asbestos fibers, including cement products, wallboard, floor tiles, yarn, thread, some woven or knitted fabric and talc used in some childrens toys. By refusing to require disclosure of asbestos uses, Chen said, the EPA under the Trump administration was relying on whatever information the companies chose to provide.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
San Francisco officials are battling over bathrooms.

Early in the pandemic, the city filled the streets with nearly three dozen portable toilets, mostly to serve the increase in the homeless population as shelters emptied out, but the number of toilets has dropped by two-thirds since last summer.

As San Francisco cleared tent encampments and housed thousands of homeless people, the head of the citys homelessness emergency response has pushed the Department of Public Works to remove toilets at some sites to avoid re-encampment, emails show.

City leaders said more public bathrooms in general are needed, but the removal policy was driven by scarce resources and the desire not to have people come back to the streets as the Mayor wants the city to be tent free, according to the emails. Officials instead asked Public Works to pursue making restrooms in shelters or other city facilities available.

Supervisor Matt Haney, who pushed to get the toilets there in the first place, is furious and is holding a hearing Thursday to demand answers.

The fight over toilets gets at the bigger question of how the city with the most expensive housing in the country should respond to the issues of visible homelessness and soiled sidewalks. Some argue providing amenities like toilets encourages sleeping on the streets if and when other options are available, while others say a place to relieve oneself is a basic human dignity required to keep the streets clean when affordable housing isnt yet accessible.

Haney, who also argued the toilets serve the community beyond the homeless, wants to see what it would take to continue funding the program. He has accused department heads of trying to pull away bathrooms because of the visibility of people who might use them.

How about the visibility of people defecating in the streets and pooping all over our sidewalks and the inhumanity of it? he said. Its beneath a city as wealthy as ours to make people go on the streets.

Two years ago, Haney used budget money for his district to fund most of the cost for three 24/7 bathrooms in a pilot program. It was praised as a success and led to a drop in the number of 311 reports for feces removal. During the pandemic, he authored an emergency ordinance to expand the number to put at least one toilet for every 50 homeless people near encampments. The ordinance expired in September and hes working on a law to make it permanent.

It costs from just over $100,000 to nearly $632,000 a year to staff and rent a toilet, depending on the kind of bathroom and how many hours its open a day. The total program price tag for toilets set up for COVID relief was $10.5 million last year, with $2.5 million reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

Public Works still runs 25 permanent bathrooms and 11 temporary toilets. Of those, 14 are open 24/7. The number of temporary ones, all but one of which are portable toilets, is down from a peak of 33 last August. That change was meant to reflect that people had been moved off the streets: Over the past year, the city moved thousands of homeless people into hotel rooms and the number of tents lining the sidewalks dropped 65%.

With the city getting people off the streets, the citys emergency response team put pressure on Public Works to remove toilets, as revealed by emails first released by an anonymous account on Twitter and available via public records request. Jeff Kositsky, head of the Healthy Streets Operation Center  a multi-department effort tasked with responding to homelessness  emailed Alaric Degrafinried, acting director of Public Works, on Jan. 28 about four toilets he was concerned about and asked for their removal.

While I do not believe that the porta potties cause homelessness, I think that San Francisco attracts unsheltered people to our City due to a lack of real enforcement and the many amenities we provide to folks, Kositsky wrote. I also think some of the porta potties do lead to encampment. That said, plenty of them do not have encampment issues so I know we can have them in the City without large tent encampments.

Kositsky asked Degrafinried to consider whether portable toilets can be moved when encampments are resolved, staff can ensure there are no tents on blocks with toilets, and shelters could make restrooms available as an alternative.

Kositsky was not made available for an interview Monday. His boss, Mary Ellen Carroll, head of the Department of Emergency Management, said the city moved toilets from cleared encampments to other sites when necessary.

The issue of having publicly available bathrooms and sanitation is incredibly important. Do we have enough of them? I would say no, she said. The main driver is scarcity, because we did not have enough of these for all of the areas in the city.

She added, Its certainly our intention, once we resolve large encampments, once we find alternatives and safer solutions for folks to stay, that we do not want them to come back, especially in the middle of a pandemic.

A Friday Chronicle visit to three locations where Kositsky wanted them removed found no bathrooms.

Julio Mendez, who sat in a chair outside Jose Coronado Park on Folsom Street, said a 24/7 portable toilet, placed on the corner at the start of the pandemic, was removed about three weeks ago when the park reopened its restrooms. But the park toilets stay open only until 6 p.m., which was a problem even before the pandemic for around 10 homeless people in tents and others who came to the park in the evening and had nowhere to go.

They do it over here, Mendez said, motioning to the curb. Thats why it stinks.

The stretch outside the park was clear of tents Friday. Alberto Soledad and his partner, Jaime Castillo, who lived on the sidewalk for five years and were back visiting, were grateful to get moved into a hotel room at the start of the pandemic and now are in a permanent supportive housing unit.

Soledad said an around-the-clock toilet was critical for those still on the streets.

Others pushed back at different sites. A letter from the Latino Task Force to Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton on Jan. 13 protested that a toilet and drinking water were removed from San Bruno and Alameda streets when an encampment was cleared. The letter demanded the permanent restoration of the facilities, since the area has many homeless people who continue to need access to hygiene and life-sustaining water.

Walton didnt respond to immediate request for comment.

More emails reveal that Public Works at times has declined to remove toilets. Darlene Frohm, Public Works division manager for operations, wrote to Kositsky on Jan. 19 that the department would keep the toilet at Fifth and Bryant streets near the citys largest homeless shelter despite a request for removal. Kositsky asked for reconsideration in his email 10 days later.

Julia Dawson, the former head of finance for Public Works, wrote to the mayors budget director, Ashley Groffenberger, earlier this year that the Healthy Streets Operations Center made it extremely clear Public Works should be removing or relocating bathrooms so that encampments dont reestablish after being cleared. Dawson wanted guidance about future funding for the program.

Moses Clark, who works for nonprofit Hunters Point Family, has manned and cleaned portable toilets at the corner of Jones and Turk streets outside a city-run encampment for three months.

If we didnt have this, itd be terrible. Thered be feces everywhere, Clark said Friday as he stood on the corner and surveyed a stretch of people camped on the sidewalk. They should have more.

Removing a toilet hasnt eliminated tents at other sites. Outside Jose Coronado Park, some people didnt take the offer of housing, Mendez said. They simply moved around the corner, where The Chronicle observed a cluster of tents Friday.

Carroll said around 10% of people moved into hotels at the start of the pandemic are back on the streets and her team continually returns to offer options.

Does it make sense to put out porta-potties to encourage that or figure out what we can do as a city to support these people to be able to stay inside where theyre safer potentially? Carroll said.

Ultimately, she said more help  and housing  is needed.

Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mallorymoench
A popular Mission District cafe, bookstore and political gathering space owned by a self-described liberal American Jew has again been targeted with offensive graffiti.

Racist Pigz ... Zionist Pigz ... Free Palestine, were scrawled in blue spray paint on the front walls of Mannys at 16th and Valencia streets.

The graffiti, left over the weekend, drew heated criticism from fans of the cafe and from public officials, including Mayor London Breed.

San Francisco will not accept antisemitic attacks against anyone, the mayor said Tuesday. This kind of hate has no place in our city.

State senator Scott Wiener said the targeting of Jewish businesses is straight up antisemitic.

We must speak out and condemn this hate, Wiener said. San Francisco isnt immune to antisemitism. We must push back.

Mannys, a gathering spot and site for lectures and public speaking, has been repeatedly targeted by graffiti and protest since it opened in 2018. In September, the front wall was covered with a giant blue F You.

The cafe is owned by Manny Yekutiel, a Los Angeles native and member of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency board, who has defended Israels right to exist while criticizing many actions of the Israeli government and who has said he has complicated feelings about Israel. He has said the complex issue of Israeli-Palestinian relations is a perfect example of the need for high-quality discourse.

The far right has attacked me when theyve disapproved of a guest speaker, he wrote in a 2019 essay in the Chronicle. The alt-left has pushed vitriolic lies and hatred on social media (with) claims such as the space is a Zionist takeover of the Mission.

San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who represents the Mission where Mannys is located, said it was outrageous he has to go through the constant vandalization of his building...its not easy or cheap to constantly cover up vandalism.

Ronen said Yekutiel is always willing and ready to engage in tough dialogue and urged the restaurateurs opponents to do what hes willing to do  sit down and have a debate. She called on police to investigate the constant attacks on the cafe.

The cafe has been the target of grafitti at least a dozen times, said the cafes spokesman, David Perry. This is antisemitism to the core.

Supervisor Rafael Mandelman agreed, calling the attacks one long, ugly reawakening of one of historys oldest prejudices.

There is something plainly wrong with people who believe this is OK or righteous, Mandelman said.

A ceasefire took effect last month between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas after 11 days of combat that left 256 Palestianians dead, including at least 66 children, and killed at least 13 in Israel, two of them children.

Thousands rallied in the U.S., including in the Bay Area, for the Palestinian cause. The Anti Defamation League warned that it was monitoring a rise in antisemitism tied to the conflict.

According to the ADL, antisemitism is a form of prejudice against Jews based on age-old stereotypes and myths, anti-Zionism is a prejudice against the Jewish movement for the right of a homeland in Israel and anti-Israel bias is extreme criticism of Israel often with the aim of delegitimizing the country  but does not include legitimate criticism of the Israeli government and policies.

Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF
Eight domesticated baby king pigeons were rescued last week on Bay Farm Island in Alameda, and animal advocates think they might have been improperly released as part of a ceremony.

The pigeons were taken to the Alameda Animal Shelter last week and were picked up by volunteers from Palomacy, a nonprofit pigeon and dove rescue. One of the pigeons was injured after a run-in with someones dog.

They are now up for adoption at the Oakland Animal Shelter.

Elizabeth Young, director of Palomacy, said Monday that at least three more white king pigeons were discovered in the same area where the eight were rescued.

Releasing birds has long been a popular ritual at weddings, graduations and funerals. When done professionally, homing pigeons, which are bred to be small and all-white, are ceremoniously released and most are expected to survive the flight home, according to the American Dove Association.

However, some people who release the birds themselves, mistakenly buy white ringneck doves and king pigeons from pet stores or live poultry markets to release during their ceremonies. Store-bought birds cannot survive in the wild and nearly all of them die, according to Palomacy. Those that are rescued arrive sick, injured or traumatized to the shelters.

Homing pigeons have a much better chance of making it home, but unfortunately it creates this notion that you can release white birds and it's lovely and they fly away and go home, Young said. But people don't realize the truth of the matter, so it encourages these kinds of releases.

Alameda Animal Shelter spokesperson Carla Thornton said white pigeons have turned up with increasing frequency in recent years.

Thornton said they are not sure where the birds come from, but they are usually released as part of a ceremony or rescued from meat markets and released into the wild by people with good intentions.

Palomacy has found homes for more than 1,000 birds since it was created 14 years ago.

The organization currently has more than 190 pigeons and doves in their care and has adopted out more than 200 birds this year, Young said.

Vanessa Arredondo is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vanessa.arredondo@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @v_anana
2 1 of 2 San Francisco Fire Department Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Steve Rubenstein Show More Show Less



San Francisco firefighters responded to a fire at the 400 block of Monterey Boulevard on Monday afternoon that sent one person to the hospital in critical condition.

At 4:10 p.m., the first crews arrived to a multi-family unit building at 407 Monterey Boulevard where smoke and flames were visible from the top floor, said San Francisco Fire Department spokesperson Lt. Jonathan Baxter. A rescue crew found one victim on the second floor, who was taken to a local trauma center and is in critical condition, according to Baxter.
San Francisco and PG&E are at it again, this time with city officials pushing back against what they say are expensive changes in the way their infrastructure connects to the utilitys poles and wires.

City leaders say the alterations Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is seeking are far too costly and may force the government to install unnecessary equipment, such as meters on streetlights that currently lack them.

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission estimates that the upgrade costs could exceed $1 billion and that the citys monthly electric bill from PG&E could ultimately rise by several million dollars.

But PG&E says it is merely updating certain electricity rates and service terms and bringing the way it treats San Francisco more in line with utility industry standards. The company denies that the changes would mandate needless and high-priced infrastructure improvements, including meters on streetlights.

Still, the dispute, which is playing out before federal energy regulators, is fueling renewed cries by some San Francisco leaders to take over PG&Es local power lines  the city tried that in 2019 and failed.

The utility is trying to push the city out of the power business by imposing extreme charges and technical requirements, said City Attorney Dennis Herrera, whom Mayor London Breed recently nominated to lead the SFPUC. Thats just an illustration that the current relationship with PG&E is increasingly untenable.

San Francisco owns tens of thousands of streetlights, traffic signals and other small electricity users that are connected without meters to the PG&E system. City officials say PG&Es wholesale power term revisions could require them to add meters to each pole, an unnecessary  and at some places unfeasible  requirement that could, along with other infrastructure work, cost more than $1 billion.

The city currently buys electricity for many of its residents through a community power program called CleanPowerSF that distributes energy through PG&Es poles and wires. But the city also generates and provides electricity to city-owned buildings and infrastructure, including streetlamps and traffic signals that would be affected by PG&Es revisions to wholesale power rates and terms. City officials are concerned that such connections could become PG&E retail accounts as a result of the changes.

We wont be able to serve the streetlights we own with our own electricity, said Barbara Hale, the SFPUCs assistant general manager for power enterprise. Its a ridiculous amount of equipment thats not needed for safety or reliability. Its just a manufactured economic barrier to the city cost-effectively providing street lighting services.

PG&E spokeswoman Jennifer Robison said in an email that the company was putting an end to the anachronistic concept of unmetered load service between two utilities.

Unmetered service was originally offered as an accommodation to San Francisco by PG&E decades ago because San Francisco did not own any utility facilities and it was prohibitively expensive to meter very small loads, Robison said. Times have changed, and it is no longer good practice not to meter loads, which can create operational blind spots and administrative challenges.

However, she said San Francisco wont have to install a meter on every streetlight. Rather, the city will transition next year to the same kind of wholesale rate plan as other jurisdictions  and it can continue powering streetlights without meters through CleanPowerSF, Robison said.

Still, San Francisco officials contend the change would be far less beneficial than the current arrangement. In a statement, the SFPUC said PG&E appeared to be trying to make its wholesale power terms so uneconomic, or physically infeasible, that customers will be forced to take PG&E retail service.

Even if CleanPowerSF supplies energy to streetlights, much of the electric bill revenue would go to PG&E  unlike the current setup, in which the city controls that infrastructure and reinvests the bill proceeds back into the system, the SFPUC said.

The dispute started in September, when PG&E filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to revise rates and terms for wholesale electricity distribution services that San Francisco and other public utility customers receive from the company.

In accordance with the regulatory agencys process, PG&Es proposed changes went into effect immediately, subject to refunds later if regulators overrule the company. San Francisco and some other wholesale power customers have protested the changes before the FERC, but the issues could take a year or more to resolve, the city says.

PG&E says the changes its seeking are the first revisions to wholesale distribution rates since 2013. It contends that San Francisco and other customers subject to those rates havent been paying their fair share, forcing other customers, including homes and businesses that receive retail electricity from PG&E, to make up the difference. PG&Es plan brings wholesale customers in line with current costs and sets up a formula for changes going forward, according to the company.

San Francisco officials say one of the most significant changes could force city facilities to connect to the companys infrastructure at the costlier primary voltage level instead of the less-expensive secondary voltage level, which the city now has in place at more than 2,000 locations.

The change would apply to all new projects when the city connects its equipment with PG&Es, as well as existing city infrastructure whenever it undergoes an upgrade. City officials say that, compared with secondary connections, primary connections require much more electrical equipment, which can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to the price tag and take up significantly more space.

Robison, the PG&E spokeswoman, said the switch to primary voltage service at all locations is appropriate for utility-to-utility interconnections. San Francisco is one of only two government agencies that receive secondary-voltage service from PG&E, and the other one, the Western Area Power Administration, has an agreement with the company that allows secondary service to persist through 2024, Robison said.

I think its also important to keep in mind that with the move to primary voltage interconnections, PG&E is moving toward industry standards followed by utilities nationwide, Robison said in her email. Interconnections at primary enhance the safe and reliable operation of each utilitys systems and facilities by making it easier to track ownership of equipment and isolate it for emergency repairs and other maintenance and service issues.

San Francisco has viewed PG&Es arguments about ditching secondary voltage service skeptically, in part because the city thinks PG&E hasnt fully justified the changes and their potentially dramatic impacts.

In any case, both Hale and Herrera said the revisions from PG&E underscore the need for the city to buy PG&Es local electric infrastructure. But its a challenging option to pursue. San Francisco made a $2.5 billion offer to take over PG&Es poles and wires serving the city in 2019, but the proposal was promptly rejected by the company, which said that its assets in the city were not for sale and that the offer was too low anyway. San Francisco renewed its offer last year, also to no avail.

Herrera said he hopes PG&E leaders come back to the table to discuss a San Francisco purchase but noted that the city has other legal options  he said it was premature to discuss them  if they dont.

Michael Wara, director of Stanford Universitys climate and energy policy program, said the city could always try to exercise its eminent domain powers to force PG&E to sell its local electric system. But it would be a costly endeavor that could drag on for more than a decade, especially if PG&E puts up resistance.

This would be a huge undertaking, Wara said. If the city really wants to do this, they can. But its not a quick process.

J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris
China-donated COVID-19 vaccines handed over to Vanuatu

Xinhua) 13:52, June 08, 2021

Vanuatu Prime Minister Bob Loughman (4th,R) and Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu Zhou Haicheng (3rd,R) attend the handover ceremony of the first batch of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines at the National Convention Center in Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu, on June 7, 2021. (Str/Xinhua)

Chinese Ambassador Zhou Haicheng said the arrival of the vaccines is a great achievement of China and Vanuatu in joint anti-pandemic fight, and a proof that China has been delivering the commitment of making COVID-19 vaccines a global public good.

SYDNEY, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of COVID-19 vaccines donated by the Chinese government arrived in Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu on Monday.

The Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines, transported via Air Vanuatu's charter flight, are the first bilateral vaccine donation the pacific island country has received.

A handover ceremony was held at the country's National Convention Centre, which was attended by Vanuatu Prime Minister Bob Loughman, Deputy Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau, Minister of Health Silas Bule, other senior officials from the Vanuatu government, Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu Zhou Haicheng and World Health Organization (WHO) officers, among others.

Loughman said the arrival of the Sinopharm vaccines is a fruit of the Vanuatu-China comprehensive strategic partnership, which marks another milestone in Vanuatu's fight to keep itself free from the coronavirus.

The Vanuatu prime minister expressed sincere appreciation to the Chinese government for the assistance.

Speaking highly of the development of the bilateral relations and China's assistance to Vanuatu over the years, Loughman said Vanuatu will continue to work with the Chinese side to promote the bilateral cooperation to achieve more fruitful outcomes.

Chinese Ambassador Zhou Haicheng said the arrival of the vaccines is a great achievement of China and Vanuatu in joint anti-pandemic fight, and a proof that China has been delivering the commitment of making COVID-19 vaccines a global public good. He believed these vaccines would contribute to Vanuatu's plan for completing the first vaccination rollout by the end of this year.

He said China and Vanuatu have worked hand in hand and set a model for joint pandemic response. China will continue to work with global partners to support Vanuatu's efforts to roll out the vaccination, and enhance its preparedness and capability to cope with major public health emergencies.

As a major effort to facilitate personnel exchanges between the two countries and resumption of work and production, the flight also brought around 80 Chinese engineers and technicians to Vanuatu. They will participate in the construction of key bilateral cooperation projects.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
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A technical glitch at San Francisco cloud computing company Fastly caused countless websites across the globe to flicker out early Tuesday morning.

Heres a look at the company and how it triggered the massive outage.

What does Fastly do?

Fastly, which was founded in 2011 and went public in 2019, offers a range of services meant to cut down the time it takes for internet content to load on phones and desktops  an alluring prospect for businesses looking to draw in and retain potential customers.

To do this, Fastly offers businesses the chance to host their content on a widely distributed network of servers. That network helps websites load faster, since they can be placed closer to users across the globe.

Why was the Fastly outage felt so widely?

Cloud services are essential for many online publishers and services, but the number of providers is relatively small  so an outage by a single company can have huge consequences. Major retailers like Amazon and Target, sites like Reddit, Hulu and Twitch, and news outlets like CNN and The Chronicle rely on Fastly to quickly connect with their customers and audiences online.

What happened on Tuesday?

So far, the company has said little publicly about the error, which Fastly reported just before 3 a.m. PST. What the company has said has been couched in deeply technical jargon.

We identified a service configuration that triggered disruptions across our points of presence globally and have disabled that configuration, said a Fastly spokesperson when asked for an explanation of the issue.

In other words, it appeared as though an issue within Fastlys network blocked the ability of anyone to access websites hosted on the companys servers.

The issues were resolved later Tuesday morning.

Could this happen again?

The outage that occurred Tuesday was by no means unique  for example, as CNET reported, one involving infrastructure giant Cloudflare caused disruptions in July, and an extended outage in November of Amazon Web Services affected news outlets and major web players like Flickr and Roku.

And such short-lived outages are an unfortunate ongoing reality of the internet.

There is no error-free internet, it doesnt exist, Doug Madory, director of internet analysis for network analytics company Kentik, told the New York Times. This is unavoidable because of the complexity.

Markets seemed to shrug off the glitch. After dipping slightly in pre-market trading, Fastlys stock was up 3.5% on the New York Stock Exchange by midday Tuesday.

Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa
Californias ban on the sale of guns it defines as assault weapons, including many semiautomatic rifles, remains in effect despite a federal judges ruling that it is unconstitutional. It seems likely, though not certain, to remain in force for the next year or two, until the Supreme Court is asked to review it.

At that point, all bets are off. The high court has stayed silent while similar laws in other states were upheld by lower courts. But the justices are preparing to review their first gun case in more than a decade, on the authority of California and other states to require permits to carry handguns outside the home. And there may be a new pro-gun majority on the court with the addition of three appointees by former President Donald Trump:

 Justice Brett Kavanaugh cast a dissenting vote in 2011, as a federal appeals court judge, to overturn a ban on assault weapons in Washington, D.C., that the Supreme Court later left intact.

 Justice Amy Coney Barrett, as a federal appeals court judge in 2019, cast a dissenting vote to overturn a state law banning all convicted felons from owning firearms.

 Justice Neil Gorsuch, at his confirmation hearing in 2017, refused to say whether civilians could be legally prohibited from owning military-style weapons, but said the Constitution allows possession of guns that are in common use for self-defense.

Justice Clarence Thomas, meanwhile, has repeatedly criticized his colleagues for refusing to consider challenges to state firearms laws. When the court left intact Californias 10-day waiting period for gun purchases in 2018, Thomas said his colleagues had turned the right to bear arms into a constitutional orphan. And Justice Samuel Alito expressed similar views in a speech to the conservative Federalist Society last November.

Although last weeks ruling by U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez of San Diego on assault weapons contradicts decisions by other federal courts, it seems likely to find majority support in the Supreme Court, said Adam Winkler, a UCLA law professor who has written extensively on gun-related issues.

He said the future is also uncertain for states laws against high-capacity gun magazines, limits on who can buy guns, and perhaps the red flag laws that allow police, family members and others to seek court orders removing firearms from mentally disturbed owners.

California does not outlaw the sale of all semiautomatic weapons  such as the handguns used by a San Jose rail yard employee to kill nine coworkers and himself May 26. A semiautomatic gun is one that, when fired, loads the next round of ammunition automatically, but requires a squeeze of the trigger for each shot.

But a 1989 law prohibits the sale of AR-15-style rifles and other semiautomatic rifles and pistols that have detachable ammunition magazines and certain features, such as forward pistol grips.

Such rifles were used in half the nations 10 deadliest mass shootings in modern times, including the slayings of 26 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012 and the deaths of 16, including the two shooters, at a San Bernardino regional center in 2015.

Benitez put his ruling on hold for 30 days while the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco considers the states request for a stay that would leave the law in effect until it rules on the issue, probably sometime next year.

The outcome is far from certain on an appeals court that now has 13 appointees by Republican presidents  10 of them by Trump  among its 29 active judges. But the Ninth Circuit has upheld other California gun-control laws, and voted recently to reconsider Benitezs 2017 ruling that would strike down a voter-approved ban on possessing gun magazines that hold more than 10 cartridges.

The National Rifle Association and affiliated groups regularly file challenges to the states gun laws in the San Diego federal court, where they are transferred to Benitez as related cases to one of his earlier firearms rulings.

His 94-page assault weapons ruling, issued Friday evening, was provocatively worded, with an opening sentence that compared the rifle to to a Swiss Army Knife ... good for both home and battle. Later, Benitez likened the firearms to seat belts and smoke detectors, essential in emergencies. He also said the semiautomatics were ideal for militia readiness, apparently finding constitutional protection for armed militias of private citizens.

But the ruling also delved into a subject that the Supreme Court left unresolved in 2008, when it declared that the Constitution protects the right to possess handguns at home for self-defense. The opinion by Justice Antonin Scalia said the Second Amendment covers weapons that were in common use at the time but allows the government to prohibit dangerous and unusual weapons, citing military rifles as an example.

Benitez said AR-15-style rifles, like all firearms, can be considered dangerous but are not unusual  Californians may own as many as 1 million of them, he said, and they are legal in 45 other states. In 2019, he said, according to FBI statistics, 252 Californians were murdered with knives, 102 by hands, fists or feet, and only 34 by rifles of any type.

Californias experiment is a failure, Benitez said, rejecting state reports that concluded the ban had saved lives. He said the state law violates the freedom to protect oneself, family, home and homeland.

The ruling takes a very extreme, gun-rights view of the Second Amendment, said Erwin Chemerinsky, the law school dean at UC Berkeley who has argued cases in the Supreme Court. He said the outcome of this case is impossible to predict.

UCLAs Winkler questioned the classification of AR-15-style rifles as self-defense weapons, as they are bulkier than handguns and their high-velocity cartridges are more likely to penetrate walls and enter the next room or household. But he said it would not be far-fetched, or surprising, if the Supreme Court ultimately found that the rifle was in common use and its ownership was constitutionally protected.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
Should an unelected judge be able to exploit a legal loophole to invalidate every gun control law in California?

The question is not as absurd as it sounds.

Last Friday, Judge Roger Benitez struck down Californias three-decade-old ban on assault weapons. The ruling was one of many sweeping and strident pro-gun decisions authored by Benitez, a federal judge based in San Diego. In the past two years, he has struck down California laws that prohibited high-capacity magazines and required background checks for ammunition purchases. And there may be more to come, with additional weapons cases on Judge Benitezs docket.

These rulings will make it harder for California lawmakers to address gun violence. More subtly, they also undermine the legitimacy of the judiciary. Thats because Judge Benitez and the gun lobby are defying foundational procedural rules and principles in their rush to weaken Californias gun control laws.

Heres how:

Under standard legal procedures, an individual federal judge does not decide the lions share of controversial cases in a particular subject area. Cases are randomly assigned across the judges in a district. And for good reason. Random assignment protects the integrity and impartiality of the legal process.

Occasionally, parties can petition for related cases that present the same or substantially identical questions of law to be transferred to a specific judge. This related cases exception to the principle of random assignment is narrow. It is generally reserved for cases where consolidation promotes economy in adjudication and litigation. Think complicated cases with shared facts. If a San Francisco tech company filed two cases involving a particular securities transaction, for example, it would be inefficient for two judges to review the same factual record.

This rule, however, is not a license for litigants to partner with a handpicked judge to rewrite entire bodies of law. And thats whats happening with Judge Benitez and the gun industry.

Like most jurisdictions, the federal court in San Diego has a related cases exception. Unlike other federal courts, however, the local rules make it hard for opposing parties to object to a judicial transfer. The result? The gun lobby has funneled a slew of gun cases to Judge Benitez, who dependably invalidates gun control laws enacted by Californians and their representatives. Existing local rules dont allow gun control supporters to stop Judge Benitez from agreeing to hear these cases.

In short, the NRA and its allies are manipulating arcane procedural rules to steer their cases to a cherry-picked judge. And theyve picked well.

In Fridays 94-page ruling, Judge Benitez compared the AR-15 (a favorite weapon of mass shooters, including the perpetrators of the massacres in Sandy Hook and San Bernardino) to a Swiss Army knife. He repeatedly criticized the news media for its anti-gun press coverage and urged the public to imagine the terror of a wife watching her husband being murdered, her daughter being raped or murdered, and enraged men coming for her.

These are not the words of a neutral, passive adjudicator. But they embody the hyperbolic rhetoric that has made Judge Benitez a folk hero to gun activists, who call him St. Benitez and sell T-shirts and bumper stickers with the judges likeness.

Our legal system is designed to decentralize adjudicatory power, not concentrate it in the hands of saints.

Through legal rules and structure, judicial decision-making authority vests in numerous actors. Juries take power from judges; appellate courts review lower courts; appellate panels and the Supreme Court have multiple members; tribal, state, and federal courts create jurisdictional redundancies; random assignment prevents one district judge from amassing undue power; and so on.

By embracing the gun lobbys procedural machinations, Judge Benitez is taking aim not just at gun control, but also at the very essence of a dispassionate and fair judiciary of diffused power.

Regrettably, Judge Benitez is not the only judge willing to defy procedural rules to ram through a right-wing agenda. It starts at the top. In April, the United States Supreme Court flouted its standards governing the shadow docket to invalidate Californias COVID-19 restrictions on at-home gatherings. In January, the Supreme Court also defied its own rules to bless the Trump administrations grisly expedited spree of executions, to quote from Justice Sotomayors dissent.

Procedural violations may not generate headlines, but they are pernicious.

Justice Sotomayor recently noted that the procedures by which legal claims are formed, channeled and decided can matter as much as the substance of the claims themselves.

The substance of Judge Benitezs gun rulings is devastating. Equally corrosive are the procedural breaches that made them possible.

Duncan Hosie, a Bay Area native, is a writer and graduate of Yale Law School.
On June 6, exactly five months after the Capitol riots, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia all but torpedoed the nations best chance of slowing the voter suppression laws sweeping Republican-controlled state legislatures across the country. Writing in the Charleston Gazette-Mail, Manchin announced that he would be voting against the For the People Act, S1, arguing no Republicans support it, and that bipartisanship is more important than any single bill. Besides, he said, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act has some Republican Senate support and is enough.

Manchins choice is false, his explanation for Republican non-support for the For the People Act is wrong, and his attempt to preserve bipartisanship, however desirable in theory, overlooks the ever-accelerating threat to democracy mounted nationally by the GOP. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, between January and mid-May of this year, at least 14 states enacted 22 new laws that restrict access to the vote. Propelled by Donald Trumps Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen, dozens of other restrictive bills are being considered in states across the country.

Moreover, while the John Lewis Voting Rights Act is important, its far from sufficient to curtail the GOPs anti-democratic ambitions.

The bill aims to restore what a 5-4 Supreme Court majority took away in the Shelby County vs. Holder case in 2013: effective enforcement of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The courts decision declared unconstitutional the preclearance requirement that compelled states with long histories of established voter suppression to get either a courts or the Justice Departments approval of any new voting measure. Under the law, nine states, almost all in the South, and many cities had to get permission before changing their election systems.

But the current deluge of voting rights bills is far from limited to those states. To cite a few examples, Iowa, Montana and Wyoming already have such bills adopted or in process. Moreover, the Lewis Act would only apply going forward; it would not reverse the voter suppression laws that Georgia, Texas and other states recently adopted.

The For the People Act, meanwhile, would go further than the Voting Rights Act ever did, setting national standards for voting in federal elections. It would expand the right to vote absentee, guarantee the right to vote early, and block voter purges that Republican states have used to eliminate registered voters who dont vote consistently. The act would also create independent voting commissions to fight partisan gerrymandering by either party controlling a state legislature.

Manchin argues that unlike the John Lewis Act, S1 does not yet have announced support from any Republican Senator. But only Sen. Lisa Murkowski has said she supports the John Lewis Act, far from the 10 Republicans needed to end a Senate filibuster. Moreover, Manchins argument completely ignores Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnells realpolitik.

McConnell has focused mightily on defeating S1, and his reasons undoubtedly go beyond an ordinary Republicans understanding that without voter suppression, the party risks its power shrinking.

The key is that McConnells power hinges on his prolific fundraising from so-called dark money sources, who secretly donate millions of dollars without their names being revealed. S1 would require companies donating more than $10,000 to political campaigns to disclose, with limited exceptions, their contributors.

Sunlight, Justice Louis Brandeis famously wrote, is said to be the best disinfectant.

McConnell and his donors prefer the dark.

Finally, its easy to miss that many of S1s provisions have nonpartisan and bipartisan roots. The Ford-Carter Commission on elections, for example, urged expansion of voting by mail in 2001, following the Supreme Courts controversial resolution in Bush vs. Gore of the 2000 election.

It is not clear whether Sen. Manchin believes the reasons hes put forward for opposing S1, or whether they are a fig-leaf on his own quest to remain the power center in the ongoing partisan tug of war over his critical vote on multiple measures.

Lets hope hes open to persuasion, if not from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, then from organized West Virginia voters committed maintaining to our democracy.

Erwin Chemerinsky is dean and Jesse H. Choper distinguished professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. Dennis Aftergut is a former Supreme Court advocate and federal prosecutor in San Francisco.
Northern California's Lake Oroville is becoming the poster child of drought in the Golden State.

The state's second-largest reservoir, in Butte County, was at 37% of capacity as of Monday. Photos taken over the Memorial Day weekend show dozens of houseboats sitting on cinder blocks because there wasn't enough water to hold them.

Blackened trees lined the reservoir's steep, parched banks.

Each year, Lake Oroville helps water a quarter of the nations crops, sustains endangered salmon beneath its massive earthen dam and anchors the tourism economy of a Northern California county that must rebuild seemingly every year after unrelenting wildfires.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

But the mighty lake  a linchpin in a system of aqueducts and reservoirs in the arid U.S. West  is shrinking with surprising speed amid a severe drought, with state officials predicting it will reach a record low later this summer.

Two of the four boat ramps  Lime Saddle and Loafer Point  that operate within the state recreation area closed June 3, and after this weekend, Spillway will likely also be inaccessible, with only the Bidwell Canyon ramp still in use.

Aaron Wright, public safety chief for California State Parks' Northern Buttes District, expects that all ramps could be closed for the first time ever in August.

The lake has the capacity to accommodate up to 1,200 houseboats. Over the weekend, the marinas pulled 80 houseboats from Bidwell Canyon Marina and 50 from Lime Saddle Marina, according to Wright.

In the most recent drought, from 2012 to 2016, boats were removed from the lake, but not as many as were pulled off this year, Wright said.

"Were at a point where we cant remove any more boats," he noted. "We are stuck with what we have. Just based on where the water is, weve reached the point where we cant safely pull houseboats off the lake unless theres a dire emergency. It can be done but it would be a tremendous amount of work."

The main boats will be utilized as long as the Bidwell Canyon Marina can safely get people on and off, and Wright hopes this will be possible at least into late summer. The only boat access to the lake would be an old dirt road that was built during the dams construction in the late 1960s.

"I've worked in the area since 2006," he said. "I was superintendent in the last drought. This is going to be worse than it was last time, but with that said, I think we fared OK. I think well get through it. I think its just going to be inconvenient. I feel for the marinas and the recreation users."

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Jared Rael, assistant general manager for the Bidwell Canyon Marina, said the low-water situation has resulted in a huge financial loss and Oroville Lake Marinas is trying to be fair to boat owners by reducing mooring to those who were pulled out of the marina system. He also had to build cribbing to set the boats on, purchasing materials and paying for labor.

"What has changed in recent months is that normally we have a more significant amount of rain, which we had hoped to receive in March, but unfortunately did not," Rael said. "The last couple years, we also had seen the water start dropping right after Fourth of July sometimes. This would have given the customers at least a little bit of a summer to enjoy on the lake. All in all, an unfortunate situation, but we are trying to adapt and overcome to navigate the situation as best we can on short notice of a low-water condition year."

The lake's water level stood at 706.81 feet as of Monday. It dipped down to 695 feet in January, its second-lowest point in recorded history. This isn't surprising, as winter 2020-21 was marked by weak storms and has gone down in the record books as the third-driest. The Sierra Nevada snowpack that helps feed the reservoir was at 0% of average as of Monday, according to the California Department of Water Resources.

"Currently, the snowpack in the Feather River watershed, whose snowmelt normally replenishes the reservoir during Californias summers, is currently at only 5% of average, so lower lake levels later this summer are anticipated," said Eric See, environmental program manager for the department.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The lake hit its lowest point ever in 1977 during a period of extreme drought, reaching 640 feet. In the most recent 2012-2016 drought, the lake dropped to as low as 660 feet in 2015.

Projections from the Department of Water Resources indicate the lake is likely to drop below its lowest-ever point in late summer or early fall.

If Lake Oroville falls below 640 feet, state officials would shut down a major power plant for only the second time ever because of low water levels, straining the electrical grid during the hottest part of the summer.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  The federal government filed a brief late Monday to the U.S. Supreme Court arguing Congress has the authority to withhold Supplemental Security Income benefits from U.S. citizens depending on where they live even as President Joe Biden promised to extend those benefits to Puerto Rico.

In its 57-page filing, the U.S. Department of Justice urged the Supreme Court to reverse a ruling last year by the U.S. Court of Appeals that stated anyone from the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico can apply for the supplemental benefits, which are meant to help elderly, blind and disabled people who struggle financially.

An estimated 700,000 people on the island would qualify for the benefits, attorney Hermann Ferre said.

The Justice Department argued in its filing that the proper venue for deciding the issue is Congress and not the courts. "It is to Congress that the Constitution has entrusted the power to govern territories and to spend money for the general welfare, it said.

The filing stems from the case of Jose Luis Vaello Madero, who lived in New York from 1985 until he moved to Puerto Rico in 2013 to care for his wife. He kept receiving the supplemental benefits until told in 2016 that he was ineligible. A year later, the Social Security Administration filed civil action against Vaello, demanding he return more than $28,000 he had received in the benefits while living in Puerto Rico.

The benefits are available to any U.S. citizen living in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the Mariana Islands, but are denied to those in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa.

Biden, however, said in a statement that the provision is inconsistent with his administrations policies and values. I call on Congress to amend the Social Security Act to extend these benefits to the residents of Puerto Rico. ... There can be no second-class citizens in the United States of America, he said.

Instead of supplemental benefits, Puerto Rico has a program called Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled. People can't make more than $65 a month to qualify, compared with $750 monthly for the Social Security supplemental benefit. The average benefit received under Puerto Ricos program is $77 a month, compared with $533 with the Social Security program.

More than 40% of the island's 3.3 million people live in poverty, a rate higher than any U.S. state.
NWB T. via Yelp

A winery in Lake County is suing a grape growing company for allegedly selling them smoke-tainted grapes, according to the North Bay Business Journal. Langtry Farms claims that grapes delivered to them by Santa Rosa-based Torick Farms (a company run by a former top executive with Jackson Family Wines) harvested during last year's wildfires ruined a number of tanks of wine.

At a court hearing on May 20, Langtry Farms filed receipts from third-party test results showing high levels of taint in grape samples (allegedly taken from tanks associated with Torick Farms' grapes). Torick Farms, however, presented evidence that the winery did not raise any concerns about the quality of their grapes at time of delivery.
Sea lions off the California coast are increasingly facing a terminal diagnosis, one potentially linked to toxic, human-made chemicals from generations ago.

A report from Reuters found that California sea lions are increasingly being diagnosed with urogenital carcinoma, a startlingly common form of vital cancer among these water mammals. These creatures have the highest rates of cancer among any mammal, including humans.

The finding is part of a study co-authored by researchers at the Marine Mammal Center and published in the peer-reviewed Frontiers in Marine Science journal.

An estimated 18 sea lions necropsied by the Marine Mammal Center between 1979, when the cancer was first discovered, and 1994 had that form of cancer. That rate has only grown in recent years. Almost a quarter of adult California sea lions, per a study published last December, were diagnosed with the cancer.

"This is extraordinary and really quite awful," Marine Mammal Center medical director Cara Field told Reuters. "This is an unprecedented rate of cancer in wildlife."

Many of these sea lions were found to have OtHV-1, or Otarine herpes virus  a virus detected in the genital tract. That could be a key factor in these sea lions diagnosis. A recent study published in the journal Animals noted that sea lions without cancer tested positive for the same virus, but in much lower rates than those diagnosed with cancer.

The virus is also likely linked to pesticides found in deceased sea lions blubber. The presence of products like DDT insecticides in their blubber was linked to a higher probability of cancer. DDTs were banned in the United States in 1972.

Padraig Duignan, a pathologist at the MMC, told Reuters that sea lions breed near a toxic waste site near the Channel Islands  an area in which nearly 25,000 barrels believed to be storing DDT were found in April.

Even though some of the pollutants were finding in the blubber have been out of use for years, these cancer-causing elements remain in the environment for a very long time and wreak havoc on opportunistic coastal feeders like sea lions," Duignan said in a statement. "It concerns me knowing that we consume very similar seafood as these cancer victims and that the ocean is raising a loud and clear alarm in the sick bodies of a sentinel species."
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  A $3.9 billion financing formula to pay for K-12 public schools and give those schools' workers a pay raise in the upcoming year received final legislative passage Tuesday with a unanimous vote from the House.

Teachers, principals and other certificated personnel will receive an $800 salary boost in the 2021-22 school year, while school support workers such as cafeteria staff and bus drivers will receive a $400 pay hike. Even with the raises, Louisiana's public school educators will remain below the Southern average in pay.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  The State of Oregon said this week it has fined four more businesses a combined $44,600 for what the state considers willful violations of regulations meant to protect workers from COVID-19.

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health administration has issued 159 citations to employers for violating COVID-19 safety requirements since the pandemic began, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

Cork Cellars Wine and Bistro in Sisters was fined $17,800 for willfully allowing indoor dining at a time when it was banned. The restaurant has appealed the fine. Owners Tom and Jeannie Buck told the newspaper they look forward to their day in court.

Last Stop Saloon in The Dalles was issued a $8,900 fine for willfully allowing indoor dining when it was banned. The bar didn't immediately respond to a request for comment but has appealed.

Country Bakery in Halsey was issued a $8,900 penalty for failing to ensure that face coverings were worn and not posting a COVID-19 Hazards Poster. Country Bakery has not yet appealed and declined to comment.

Portlands Creative Woodworking Northwest Inc. was issued a $8,900 fine for willfully failing to ensure that face coverings were worn, according to the state. It has hired a lawyer and appealed the fine.

Hope Redmond, executive administrator for Creative Woodworking Northwest, said some employees cited health concerns related to masks and the business opted to respect those concerns.

Oregon OSHA said Monday that it will lift face covering and distancing rules for businesses and other institutions when 70% of Oregon adults are at least partially vaccinated.
West Hartford (06107)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low 61F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low 61F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)  Officials are holding four virtual town halls this month in an effort to improve Kentucky's foster care system.

Anyone interested in making the system better is encouraged to attend one of the regional meetings, which are being hosted by Citizen Foster Care Review Boards, a statement from the Administrative Office of the Courts said. Attendance is open, but registration is required.
HUDSON, Ohio (AP)  Both organizers of a Memorial Day ceremony have now resigned under pressure after they silenced a retired U.S. Army officers microphone while he was talking about how freed Black slaves honored fallen soldiers just after the Civil War.

Cindy Suchan, chair of the Memorial Day parade committee and president of the Hudson American Legion Auxiliary, stepped down nearly a week after the ceremony, the Akron Beacon Journal reported Tuesday.

Suzette Heller, department adjutant for the American Legion Department of Ohio, said she was told Sunday that Suchan had resigned. Jim Garrison, adjutant of American Legion Post 464, resigned last Friday.

The American Legion Department of Ohio said censoring the speech about the role Blacks played in how Memorial Day was premeditated and planned by Garrison and Suchan.

They knew exactly when to turn the volume down and when to turn it back up, said Roger Friend, department commander for the Ohio American Legion.

The organizers of the ceremony in Hudson, Ohio, initially defended their decision, saying the section of the speech that was silenced was not relevant to the programs theme of honoring the citys veterans.

In the days before the ceremony, Suchan said she reviewed the speech and asked retired Army Lt. Col. Barnard Kemter to remove certain portions. Kemter said he did not see the suggested changes in time to rewrite the speech.

Kemter, who spent 30 years in the Army and served in the Persian Gulf War, said he was disappointed that his microphone was turned off for two minutes.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP)  Arkansas no longer requires students exposed to the coronavirus to quarantine so long as they're fully vaccinated against the virus, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Tuesday.

Hutchinson said the new quarantine policy aligns with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or their only shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  Authorities have identified a man who died after his jet ski tipped over on the Missouri River on Saturday.

The Morton County Sheriffs Department said in a news release Monday that the man was 30-year-old Rodrigo Soto-Garcia of Bismarck.
LANCASTER, Calif. (AP)  Authorities seized tens of millions of dollars worth of illegal marijuana grown in the high desert Tuesday as part of an effort to curtail the black market's grip on Southern California.

Twenty-three people were arrested in the crackdown Tuesday in the Antelope Valley, 70 miles (112.65 kilometers) north of Los Angeles, and officials planned to bulldoze 500 illegal grows in the area over the coming days.

So-called recreational marijuana became legal in California in 2018, but the black market continues to flourish.

The massive bust was partly in response to residents' complaints of water being stolen, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said during a news conference in Lancaster. The largest grow discovered Tuesday had more than 70 greenhouses over 10 acres (4.05 hectares), with an estimated marijuana crop worth $50 million.

Villanueva did not have an immediate count of the amount of marijuana seized Tuesday, but he said officials were measuring it by the tons. Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said Tuesday's operation had found $380 million worth of infrastructure and marijuana in the area.

Unspecified cartels operating the illegal marijuana grows were stealing millions of gallons of water, the sheriff said. Armed cartel members were taking from wells maintained by alfalfa, potato and carrot farmers in the middle of the night, as well as breaking fire hydrants and operating their own illegal wells.

Villanueva said the illegal grows breed violence, citing several murders related to the Antelope Valley's black market. In April, a robbery at a cultivation site resulted in a shootout.

The sheriff did not immediately have information regarding the charges anyone arrested would face. But he said they would likely be a mix of state misdemeanors and felony offenses, with the possibility of federal cases. Five firearms were seized.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)  The longtime state executive who inherited oversight of Kentucky's beleaguered unemployment insurance system during the COVID-19 pandemic is stepping down as labor secretary.

Labor Secretary Larry Roberts' retirement, effective at the end of June, was announced Monday by Gov. Andy Beshear. Roberts' career in state government stretches back to 1973.

The Democratic governor also said he selected another veteran state official, Jamie Link, to succeed Roberts in leading the state Labor Cabinet, beginning July 1.

In announcing the appointment, Beshear said Link is committed to standing with our labor unions, protecting our workers and helping Kentucky families climb out of this pandemic.

Link promised to continue efforts to resolve and remedy Kentuckys unemployment insurance challenges and to focus on the needs and well-being of all Kentucky workers.

Beshear decided about a year ago to shift the unemployment office into the Labor Cabinet. The unemployment office had been housed in the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.

Like other states, Kentucky was overwhelmed by record-setting waves of unemployment claims as the pandemic temporarily shuttered or scaled back many businesses.

Tens of thousands of Kentuckians found themselves in limbo for months as they waited for their jobless claims to be processed. Beshears administration eventually hired an outside company to help work through the claims backlog. The governor pointed to budget and staffing cuts that hobbled the unemployment insurance system well before he took office.

A blistering audit, however, revealed a systemic failure of leadership on all levels in the states response to the unemployment surge, Republican Auditor Mike Harmon said earlier this year.

On Monday, Beshear turned to another veteran of state government to assume the role as labor secretary.

Link most recently served as executive director of the Kentucky Communications Network Authority. He previously served as deputy secretary of the state tourism and finance cabinets, and was deputy chief of staff to then-Gov. Steve Beshear, the current governor's father.

Andy Beshear praised Roberts for a career dedicated to protecting our workers and their rights. He said Roberts is retiring to spend more time with his family. Roberts held various jobs in 33 years with the Labor Cabinet, including a previous stint as secretary in Steve Beshear's administration.

Roberts called it a privilege to serve with the current governor during this difficult time in our history.

I have always strived to make a positive difference in the labor-management community and I hope that is my legacy, Roberts said.
Dennis White had only been Boston's police commissioner for two days when he was suddenly suspended over decades-old allegations of domestic violence and threats against family members.

Those claims were made public last month in an independent investigation detailing accusations that White had threatened to shoot his ex-wife, slept with a gun under his pillow, and hit and pushed family members on several occasions.

On Monday, acting Democratic Mayor Kim Janey announced that the 32-year veteran of the Boston Police Department had been fired from his position as the civilian leader of the agency.

"The residents of Boston must have confidence that the officers charged with enforcing laws are themselves people of integrity," Janey said at a news conference on Monday, the Boston Globe reported.

White has denied the allegations of abuse, but also told independent investigators that he and his ex-wife had "pushed each other" and also admitted to hitting a niece in what he called self-defense.

"Commissioner White is deeply disappointed by Acting Mayor Janey's decision," Nick Carter, an attorney for White, said in a statement shared with The Washington Post. "He is a Black man, falsely accused of crimes, not given a fair trial or hearing, and then convicted, or terminated which is the equivalent here. This reflects an ugly pattern in our country."

Janey, who is the first Black woman to serve as mayor of Boston, rebutted the suggestion that race played a role in her decision to remove White from his position.

"I will not turn a blind eye to domestic violence against Black women, or any woman, for that matter," she said on Monday.

Janey said that the city would conduct a "national search" for a new commissioner, and that all future candidates for leadership positions in the Boston Police would have to undergo background checks and vetting, the Globe reported.

White, who was sworn into office in February, was suspended two days later after the Boston Globe sent inquiries about the past allegations of domestic abuse. An independent report on White, which was provided to the city on April 29, described allegations dating back to the 1990s from the police chief's ex-wife and other family members. Some incidents resulted in police reports at the time that they occurred, but White was never found to have violated the law.

Many of the allegations stemmed from White's self-described "difficult relationship" with his first wife, who was also a Boston police officer. The couple had been high school sweethearts, married in 1981 and had two daughters together. They separated in 1995, according to the report, and divorced in 1999.

Between 1998 and 1999, White's first wife alleged that he had threatened to shoot her, slept with a gun, physically abused her and made her "very scared." According to the investigation, White's ex-wife kept a journal during their marriage that she passed to a relative for safekeeping. That relative told investigators that White's ex-wife had said, "If anything happens to me, I want you to have this diary . . . If anything happens to me, it would be Dennis."

The independent investigation noted that internal affairs looked into some allegations of domestic violence in 1999, after White allegedly said he "could have shot" his ex-wife and told his daughter that he slept with a gun. Internal affairs sustained a finding for neglect of duty and unreasonable judgment, but determined that White had not broken any laws. The Boston Police Department's domestic violence unit had no records related to the allegations, according to the report.

In September 1993, the internal affairs division also investigated a dispute between White and his niece over $10 that allegedly led to a "physical confrontation," which White described as "heated fisticuffs." White told investigators that his niece began swearing, struck him, and kicked his knee, which was already injured after a recent surgery.

"White admitted that he pushed [his niece] and struck her with a full swing of his arm and an open hand, which he alleges was in self-defense," the report said.

His niece alleged that White shoved her down the stairs inside his house and forced her outside. White denied that allegation, and told investigators he had held her arm and walked her down five steps before releasing her at the front door.

Both White and his niece reported the incident to police, and the niece obtained a protection order against White for one year. The internal affairs division did not sustain a complaint over the incident.

White denied abusing members of his family to investigators this year and his lawyer repeated those denials in a statement shared with The Post, claiming that the independent investigation was "biased" and failed to include "witnesses with exculpatory information." White intends to sue the city for civil rights violations, his lawyer added.

"The Acting Mayor published the report and communicated that Dennis White was guilty of the allegations and needed to go, without pausing to evaluate the obvious flaws in the report," Carter said in a statement. "She destroyed a good man's name and livelihood in the process."

But Janey said on Monday that allowing White to remain in office after the investigation's findings "would send a chilling message to victims of domestic violence, and reinforce a culture of fear and a blue wall of silence in our Police Department."
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  Republican Katie Boyd Britt entered the race for Alabamas open U.S. Senate seat Tuesday promising to put Alabama first while stressing her experience as the former leader of a state business group and former chief of staff to retiring U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby.

Britt is expected to be a formidable entry into the GOP primary. Two Republicans are already in the race: Congressman Mo Brooks, who is armed with an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, and Lynda Blanchard, a businesswoman who was Trumps ambassador to Slovenia.

Shelby, one of the Senates most senior members, announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection in 2022, igniting what is expected to be a messy GOP primary at a time when the national Republican Party is trying to chart a direction following Trumps departure.

In what appeared to be a play on Trumps America First motto, Britt vowed to put Alabama First.

I will put Alabama First and never apologize for it, championing pro-jobs policies that increase opportunity for hardworking families in every corner of our state. Because we dont just need a senator from Alabama, we need a Senator for Alabama, Britt said in a statement.

Britt introduced herself to state voters with a three-minute video that hit conservative themes of faith, border security and pro-business policies.

She said she was proud of her work for Shelby, which included the confirmation of conservative judges and support for a border wall with Mexico. In her most recent role, Britt served as president of the Business Council of Alabama, an influential business lobby. She resigned the post last week ahead of her Senate run.

When I look at whats happening in Washington, I dont recognize our country," Britt said in the video. The leftists are attacking our religious freedoms and advancing a socialist agenda. In Joe Bidens America people can collect more money staying at home than they can earn on the job.

Its time for a new generation of conservative leaders to step up and fight for the next generation and preserve the American dream, she added.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  In what a district attorney called a dangerous combination, prosecutors say a gun bust has led investigators to uncover $600,000 in pandemic-related fraud from California's beleaguered unemployment agency.

Adrian Sykes, 24, was arrested Monday for the second time in the case, this time in Las Vegas.

He was initially arrested in February after a traffic stop in Sacramento, where prosecutors said he was found with an illegal fully automatic handgun.

A search of his home turned up drugs, body armor and five guns including an assault rifle and two loaded unregistered guns, one a Mac-9 and the other an assault pistol, prosecutors said.

Investigators said they also found six unemployment agency debit cards.

Sykes was initially charged with six counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one of possessing drugs with a firearm, and one of being a felon in possession of ammunition.

He posted bail and was released, but investigators followed up on the debit cards. Prosecutors allege that Sykes and his girlfriend, Brittney Murchison, 26, filed 35 fraudulent unemployment claims and obtained more than $600,000 using personal identifying information from victims nationwide.

Investigators say overall losses from widespread fraud in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and unemployment insurance benefits will top at least $11 billion.

Murchison was arrested in late May on 16 charges of unemployment fraud and one of identity theft.

Sykes is awaiting extradition to California to face another 35 counts of unemployment fraud and one of identity theft.

Sacramento County prosecutors said they don't know if either has an attorney who could comment on their behalf.

District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert, who is running for state attorney general, called the staggering amount of unemployment fraud and a rise in illegal guns a dangerous combination.
LOS ANGELES  California continues to record one of the lowest COVID-19 case rates in the nation, underscoring its sustained progress toward extinguishing the pandemic a week ahead of the states planned reopening.

As of Monday, Californias seven-day case rate per 100,000 people was 11, tied with Nebraska for the third-lowest among all states, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. California is behind only Vermont, with a 6.9 seven-day case rate, and South Dakota, with 9.2

The latest update knocked California just outside the threshold necessary to meet the CDCs definition of having a low level of community coronavirus transmission, an assessment based on the number of new cases confirmed statewide over the last week as well as the rate at which conducted tests were coming back positive.

Earlier in the day, California and Vermont were the only two states in that exclusive club  which requires a seven-day case rate under 10 per 100,000 residents and a rate of positive test results of less than 5%.

Now, Vermont stands alone in the low ranking, because South Dakotas test positivity rate is still too high.

Despite the slight back step into the CDCs much broader category of moderate transmission, which encompasses areas with rates of positive test results from 5% to 7.99% and case rates from 10 to 49.99, California continues to measure up well.

Its seven-day case rate is less than half the nationwide figure of 28, and also below those seen in Florida, 63.6; Pennsylvania, 29.9; Texas, 27.6; New York City, 18.7; and the rest of New York state, 20.7.

For more than a month, California has been among the states with the lowest coronavirus case rates  a dramatic turnaround from the fall and winter, when a viral tsunami overwhelmed the state and pushed hospitals close to the breaking point.

The progress California has made is particularly pronounced when looking at raw case counts.

During the height of the last surge, the state was recording, on average, more than 40,000 new cases per day. Over the last week, California has reported a daily average of about 900 new cases, data compiled by The Times show.

According to the CDC, transmission is considered moderate in the vast majority of the nation.

But five states  Colorado, Wyoming, Florida, Washington and Utah  are considered to have substantial transmission; all have seven-day case rates that are over 50 per 100,000 residents.

During a briefing last week, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the nationwide weekly average of newly confirmed coronavirus cases had fallen by 94% since its peak in January.

This is the type of news I like to deliver, she said Thursday, and certainly these data are encouraging and uplifting as we battle this pandemic.

Despite the states strides, however, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday the danger posed by COVID-19 had not evaporated.

This disease has not been extinguished, he said. Its not vanished. Its not taking the summer months off.

Newsom also said Californias state of emergency order  which gives him and health officials broad authority to temporarily impose new rules and restrictions  would remain in place beyond what had been billed as the states full reopening on June 15.

The governors office later said that preserving the emergency declaration ensures that the state can continue to respond quickly to evolving conditions as the pandemic persists and that Newsom would end it once conditions no longer warrant an emergency response.

The revelation drew swift condemnation from Republicans, who have long objected to the scope of Newsoms emergency powers.

State officials have said Californias progress, as well as its long-sought wide reopening, has been made possible through the continued rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.

California is one of 13 states where 70% or more adults have received at least one vaccine dose, a threshold the Biden administration is seeking to hit nationwide by July 4.

However, more work needs to be done. About 68% of eligible Californians 12 and older have gotten at least one shot, but only 52.7% are fully vaccinated  meaning they either received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or both required doses of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.

And with the inoculation campaign now more than 5 months old, experts and officials acknowledge that reaching those who have yet to roll up their sleeves will be challenging and entail both tearing down any remaining barriers to vaccine access and knocking down concerns or misinformation surrounding the shots efficacy or safety.

Getting from 30% to 40% of people vaccinated, thats an easy 10%, Newsom said recently. Moving from 70% of adults to 75% and beyond, thats stubborn. Thats difficult work.

State officials are hoping the chance for cash will be enough to tempt some of the remaining holdouts.

On Friday, the initial winners of the states vaccine lottery were drawn  with 15 Californians securing $50,000 prizes.

Another 15 $50,000 winners will be selected this Friday, and the drawings will conclude June 15, when 10 residents will win $1.5 million each.

As part of the $116.5 million incentive program, 2 million vaccine recipients (those with a first shot as of May 27 or later) will also be eligible for either a $50 prepaid gift card or a $50 grocery card.

Though its probably too soon to determine whether the 12-day-old program is having the desired effect  theres a delay in accounting for all the vaccines administered, and the recent Memorial Day holiday weekend may have skewed the data  California is not alone in turning to prizes in hopes of boosting flagging inoculation rates.

States and private companies across the country are offering a variety of items, including cash giveaways and free beer, in hopes of getting more Americans inoculated.

If youre on the fence, Newsom said, if youre just a little bit hesitant or you just were unwilling in the past but all of a sudden you think, Wait a second, I could really use $50,000, were doing all this to encourage that and to get you to think anew and, hopefully, act anew.

Perhaps the most powerful incentive of all, though, isnt a lottery ticket, but a ticket back to something more closely resembling prepandemic normality.

Given the protection afforded by the vaccines, officials are increasingly in agreement that those who are inoculated not only can resume more activities but can do so without having to abide by the strict masking and social distancing requirements that have long been a hallmark of the COVID-19 era.

The California Department of Public Health on Monday updated its guidance pertaining to testing, now stating that fully vaccinated individuals dont need to undergo diagnostic screenings in nonhealth-care workplace settings.

So long as theyre not showing symptoms, fully vaccinated people also largely dont need to be tested after being exposed to someone who has or is suspected of having COVID-19  unless they live or work in congregate settings or work in crowded environments such as food-processing plants  and dont need to be tested before entering venues, businesses or events, the guidance states.

As more Californians become vaccinated, adapting testing guidance to focus testing on high-risk populations and individuals who have not been vaccinated allows us to further mitigate the spread of the virus, the department explained in unveiling the changes.
With the Connecticut House of Representatives poised to take up a long-awaited bill that would legalize recreational marijuana for adults, the Republican leader on Tuesday called for an investigation into how language was tucked into the legislation that could have intentionally benefitted at least one individual.

House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, said the closed-door process that led to the massive, nearly 300-page bill is tainted, and the House should not proceed with a vote during the remaining hours of the regular General Assembly session, which adjourns at midnight on Wednesday. The bill narrowly passed the Senate early Tuesday after the contentious provision was stripped.

It is so tarnished that the House of Representatives should not be taking up this bill, Candelora said. And frankly, there should be an investigation in the governors office and in the Democrats offices on how this provision came to be.

Candelora said if the Democrats, who control the General Assembly, decide to bring out the cannabis bill, he predicted the debate could last 12 hours, eating up valuable time on the final day of the regular legislative session.

The bill passed the Democratic-controlled Senate just before 2 a.m. on a 19-17 vote, with six Democrats voting against the proposal and one Republican voting in favor of it. The bill originally included a provision which specified that an unnamed former backer of a (marijuana) producer may apply to the state Department of Consumer Protection for a provisional cultivator license and subsequently a final cultivator license without being subject to a lottery. That section was later removed at the behest of Gov. Ned Lamont, who supports legalization.

The Democrat told reporters he was unware of the language, which he called wrong.

We got that out of there, said Lamont, who said an investigation was not necessary and the House vote should be held. I've got to make sure that people have confidence in what this bill in particular means and what were trying to do in the Capitol.

Earlier in the day, Democratic leaders in the House said they hoped to see the bill pass before Wednesday's adjournment. However, they did not rule out a special legislative session if time runs out. The House was tied up Tuesday debating budget-related bills.

I think it will get done. I think the marijuana vote will happen, I do, Speaker of the House Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said Tuesday morning.

If the proposal ultimately becomes law, Connecticut will join 18 other states that already allow recreational marijuana possession and use, which federal law continues to ban.

Proponents of legalization have been working for years to come up with a compromise bill that not only lays the groundwork for a new, legal industry but also ensures it will benefit those residents adversely affected by the nation's war on drugs.

We've seen what's been wrought by having a war on drugs. Whole communities have been decimated, said state Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, co-chairman of the legislatures Judiciary Committee.

Critics of the bill included Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, the top Republican senator on the Judiciary Committee who supported Connecticut's existing medical marijuana program.

I think it's a big mistake, he said, arguing it sends a horrible message to young people. How many had parents who said, If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do that? No. All of a handful of other states are doing this. Why should we?

Under the bill, it would be legal for people 21 years and older to possess and use cannabis beginning July 1. A person would be allowed to have up to 1.5 ounces, with an additional five ounces secured in their home or vehicle. Homegrown cannabis, however, will not counted toward that allowed amount.

Beginning Oct. 1, 2022, the legislation makes it legal for medical marijuana patients in the state to have three mature and three immature plants, with a limit of 12 plants per household. By July 1, 2023, any adult in Connecticut will be allowed to have the same amount of plants.

Meanwhile, the retail sale of cannabis would begin in May 2022. Under the program, municipalities would receive new revenue generated by a 3% local sales tax on gross receipts based on retail cannabis sales within their borders. It would also be subject to the state's 6.35% sales tax.

The bill also would automatically erase certain drug possession convictions that occurred between Jan. 1, 2000, and Oct. 1, 2015. If someone's conviction falls outside that time period, they could petition to have it erased.

___

Associated Press writer Dave Collins contributed to this report.
BOISE, Idaho (AP)  The dream world for Idahos ascendant far right is one where state lawmakers run a sovereign nation-state free of federal oversight. It would be a place where they can outlaw all abortions, dictate what is taught in schools, have complete say over public health rules and gun laws, and take control of federal public lands, which make up more than 60% of the state.

And many believe they've never been closer to achieving their goals in what is already one of the most conservative states in the country.

Mainstream Idaho Republicans, who have dominated the state for three decades and would be considered far right in many states, have themselves become targets, including protests at lawmakers homes. They fear disinformation and intimidation is driving the changes in the rural Western state.

Its definitely conservatives who are battling against the farther right, said Jaclyn Kettler, a Boise State University political scientist. Mainstream traditional Republicans who have a preference for smaller government and right-wing Republicans who question whether government should even be involved.

Some half-dozen recently formed right-wing groups, including antigovernment activist Ammon Bundy's People's Rights, have used coronavirus restrictions as recruiting tools, organizing angry mask-burning protests in a push to disrupt institutional norms ahead of statewide elections next year. Other Republicans, including a former Idaho attorney general, have established groups to oppose them.

The atmosphere is so charged that lawmakers approved extra spending to bring more Idaho State Police troopers to the 100-year-old Statehouse  even when the Legislature isnt in session. A doorway pane shattered last year when Bundy and others pushed their way into the House gallery that had limited seating due to the pandemic.

The schism also played out dramatically late last month when far-right Republican Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin issued an executive order during a short stint as acting governor while Republican Gov. Brad Little was out of the state. She ordered a statewide ban on mask mandates, which were already in place in some cities and counties, without consulting them or Little.

Her action came about a week after she announced her run to unseat Little in 2022. She and Little were each elected in 2018. In Idaho, the governor and lieutenant governor don't run on a combined ticket.

The next day Little, who has never issued a statewide mask mandate, repealed McGeachin's order. The typically reserved first-term governor called McGeachin's action an irresponsible, self-serving political stunt.

Little touts his own conservative credentials by saying he's made Idaho the least regulated state following a pruning of administrative rules after he took office.

Bundy, who is best known for leading an armed standoff at a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon five years ago, has also filed paperwork in a long-shot run for governor. He is expected to officially announce his campaign this month.

Another far-right Republican, Rep. Priscilla Giddings, is looking to replace McGeachin as lieutenant governor.

Democratic lawmakers are too few to have much say in state government. They have not held the governors office since 1995 or statewide elected office since 2007. Only 12 of the 70 House members are Democrats, and Senate Democrats hold only seven of 35 seats. Democrats lost two House seats in the 2020 election. Far-right Republicans picked up two seats by unseating moderate Republicans in the primary. Several open seats were filled by Republicans considered more conservative than their Republican predecessors.

The main victories for Democratic lawmakers are supplying enough votes to approve legislation often opposed by far-right legislators, including must-pass appropriations bills. Among those earlier this year was the $3.7 billion Medicaid budget that cleared the House 36-34. Idaho Public Television's $9.5 million budget, a perennial target of the far right, also squeaked through 36-34.

That flank has never really had to come to terms with the fallout of the policies they have proposed, said Democratic House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel. If that wing keeps strengthening, people may experience a stark wakeup call of losing the vital services that everyone depends on.

McGeachin and other ultra-conservative lawmakers have a stated desire to end federal money coming to Idaho, part of a far-right belief involving state sovereignty.

Defending our state means making difficult decisions when the federal government tries to bribe us into compliance, she said in announcing her run for governor last month, citing Medicaid in particular. It means rejecting additional federal money when accepting it would mean we lose the right to manage our own Medicaid programs.

Idaho's $3.7 billion Medicaid budget includes $2.5 billion from the federal government.

A far-right lawmaker in the governor's office could veto narrowly passed appropriations bills that include federal money. Idaho's 2022 budget is more than $11.3 billion, with more than $5 billion of that coming from the federal government.

Federal money helps pay for schools, health care and roads.

Bills that far-right lawmakers were instrumental in killing this year included $40 million in federal money for coronavirus testing in schools and another $6 million in early childhood learning. Republican lawmakers also made a punitive $2.5 million cut to colleges and universities, citing the teaching of critical race theory, which seeks to highlight how historical inequities and racism continue to shape public policy and social conditions today.

Jim Jones, a former attorney general who also served as chief justice of Idaho's Supreme Court, founded the Committee to Protect and Preserve the Idaho Constitution in response to the recent political winds.

It's one of two groups that filed a lawsuit alleging a new law makes it impossible to get voter initiatives on the ballot and is unconstitutional. Republican lawmakers have been seeking to make the voter-backed initiative process more difficult following one several years ago that led to Medicaid expansion.

Jones said very conservative Republicans are focused on culture wars, trying to pick a fight with people on practically any issue that came down the pike.

Jones said he now considers himself an independent, but registers as a Republican to vote in the party's primary that was closed to outsiders in 2011.

I think the closed primary is the stupidest thing we've done because it helped to turn the Republican Party into a far-right ideological animal, he said.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner entered the race for chief justice Tuesday, touching off likely bipartisan competition next year for the state judiciary's top job.

Brunner, 64, is a former common pleas and appellate judge who also served one term as Ohio secretary of state. Her nearly 11-percentage-point victory over incumbent Justice Judi French last year gave Democrats three of seven seats on the state's high court, a high-water mark for the party in recent years.

Steady and principled leadership of the states highest court is essential to helping Ohioans realize justice in their everyday lives, Brunner said during a virtual news conference called to announce her bid. I know that courts can do good things for people  protect their health, safety, and welfare  with fairness, equality, and respect.

Brunner seeks a seat being vacated by Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor due to age limits. O'Connor will turn 70 in August, the age after which judges may not run. Two of OConnor's fellow Republicans, justices Sharon Kennedy, 59, and Pat DeWine, 53, son to Gov. Mike DeWine, are also expected to run.

Supreme Court justices serve six-year terms and run without party labels. A bill moving through the Republican-controlled Legislature would change that, requiring the party affiliation of chief justice and associate justice candidates to be listed. The measure cleared the Ohio Senate in April and awaits action in the Ohio House.

Brunner is able to run for chief justice without risking her current position on the court, which runs through 2026.

She has pursued her career in politics sometimes at odds with her own party.

In 2010, Brunner opted against running for a second term as secretary of state to run for a coveted open seat in the U.S. Senate created by Republican George Voinovich's retirement. Powerful party leaders had hoped to clear the Democratic primary for then-Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, but Brunner persisted. With their backing, Fisher defeated her in the primary then went on to lose the general election to Republican Rob Portman.

In a statement, Ohio Republican Chairman Bob Paduchik called Brunner singularly focused on self-serving promotions.

It is hard to fathom why a justice who was elected just over six months ago and has not yet written a majority opinion would ask to be promoted to chief justice," he said.
WASHINGTON - Democrats grappled Monday with the seeming decimation of their sweeping legislative ambitions at the hands of one of their own lawmakers, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who quashed prospects for the party's marquee voting rights bill over the weekend and cast a pall over other planks of President Joe Biden's agenda.

Manchin's blow came in an op-ed published Sunday by the Charleston Gazette-Mail, in which he declared his opposition to the For the People Act - a sweeping measure meant in part to override new voting restrictions passed by GOP legislatures - and reiterated his vow never to repeal or modify the Senate's 60-vote supermajority rule known as the filibuster.

Together, Manchin's statement was a bracing reminder of the precarious Democratic majority, guaranteed only by Vice President Kamala Harris's vote in a 50-50 Senate, where their entire governing agenda rides on the whims of any one senator - including one, in Manchin, who revels in his image as a party-bucking maverick who has made bipartisanship his political calling card.

Inside the Senate on Monday, Manchin's Democratic colleagues reacted with surprise and disappointment - largely keeping any personal frustrations in check, given the mutual acknowledgment that Manchin's vote is essential to success on infrastructure, confirming Biden's nominees and several other priorities.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said Democrats urgently need to find a way to move past their internal divides and make progress. "If we're going to shut down the Senate and not do anything big between now and next election, we might as well hand the election to the Republicans," he said Monday. "If we're not going to act in big and bold ways to protect our democracy and help our economy, then we're in power for another year and a half."

In the immediate term, Manchin's stance has given new urgency to bipartisan negotiations on infrastructure spending - Biden's top domestic priority - which have appeared to falter as the two parties confront a spending gap of hundreds of billions of dollars. But Manchin, in interviews with CNN and NBC last week, said he was not ready to abandon the talks and support using expedited budget procedures to pass legislation on a partisan basis.

Should Democrats and Republican fail to broker a deal, the White House will need every Democratic senator to rally behind the infrastructure bill on a party-line vote, making Manchin a pivotal figure capable of making or breaking a centerpiece of the Biden agenda.

"The president considers Senator Manchin a friend. He knows that they may disagree on some issues," said White House press secretary Jen Psaki, who argued that Manchin's opposition to Democratic priorities will not doom Biden's agenda. "He's going to continue to work with him, reach out to him, engage with him directly."

Her comments reflected the careful line the White House is walking as Manchin's vote appears increasingly crucial to the giant infrastructure package Biden has prioritized.

But the special budgetary procedure Democrats could use to pass an infrastructure bill with a simple majority is not an option for voting legislation - or for gun-control bills, gender pay equity legislation, a minimum-wage hike, union organizing protections and other major pieces of the Biden agenda.

On one hand, Manchin's weekend statement was not a complete surprise. He has long defended the filibuster as a bulwark of bipartisanship in the Senate and declared himself opposed to its elimination earlier this year, even as more and more of his colleagues have diagnosed it as cause of the chamber's dysfunction. And he shared misgivings about the voting bill as far back as March, expressing concerns about the lack of Republican support for the bill without challenging any of its specific provisions.

But his decision to openly oppose the bill dashed the hopes of Democratic senators who believed he could be cajoled into joining the rest of his party on a matter some lawmakers and activists have cast as an existential matter for American democracy - if nothing else, to show that Democrats were united against Republican attempts to narrow voting rights.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., did not mention Manchin in his floor remarks Monday and indicated that he will move forward with his plan to bring the voting bill to the Senate floor later this month for a test vote. Some Democratic aides said they still believed Manchin could be persuaded to vote to at least begin debating and amending the bill, though even that step would be subject to a GOP filibuster.

Manchin's logic for opposing to bill - that it simply is not sufficiently bipartisan - is alien to most of his colleagues, who have watched Republican legislatures in several states pass voting restrictions on straight party lines, over the fierce objections of Democrats in those states.

He had little comment Monday as he arrived at the Senate to vote, rushing quickly past reporters and brushing off the criticism he has gotten from fellow Democrats. "They're all my friends," he said.

Although Manchin was tight-lipped about his strategy on Monday, some Democrats said they interpreted his op-ed as a testament to the dueling pressures he faces to support Biden's proposals in Washington and demonstrate some independence from his party back home. Bucking his party on voting legislation could give him more flexibility to eventually fall in line with them on infrastructure, these Democrats said.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has rallied his members against the For the People Act, calling it an unwarranted federal intrusion on the right of states to determine their own voting laws anda "brazen political power grab" - as he put it Monday - by Democrats hoping to aggrandize their own power. No Republicans have joined the bill.

McConnell made a veiled reference to Manchin's opposition to the voting bill in floor remarks Monday.

"The question isn't even whether it could earn bipartisan support," he said. "The question is how wide the bipartisan opposition will be."

In a demonstration of how the filibuster threatens to block even minor pieces of the Democratic agenda, Senate Republicans are also expected to block consideration of a bill this week that aims to narrow the gender pay gap.

Democrats have tried to cast the stakes for Biden's agenda as higher than routine legislative disagreements when arguing why Manchin should drop his insistence for bipartisan compromises that don't seem likely.

"History will haunt members of the United States Senate who allow the franchise to be radically diminished and corruption to be even more prevalent," warned Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., on Monday. "People will be judged on their votes, not their party."

Among those taking a gentler tone Monday was Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.,, a freshman who has sought to rally his colleagues to combat the GOP-passed voting laws in his own state and others in increasingly urgent terms. Warnock said he had spoken with Manchin on Monday and remained "hopeful" he might ultimately support some type of voting legislation.

"I think that Joe Manchin understands that this is a defining moment in American history and that our children are going to judge us, our grandchildren are going to judge us, based on what we do right now to preserve our democracy," he said.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the party's top vote-counter, said he simply wanted to have a conversation with Manchin about his views on the voting bill.

"I just want to really understand what's at the heart of it," he said.

Durbin said a more aggressive approach at pressuring Manchin, who was reelected to a six-year term in 2018 in a state that twice voted overwhelmingly for former president Donald Trump, would not produce a different result.

The already tense talks among Senate Democrats about voting rights are expected to continue at a weekly caucus luncheon on Tuesday, said one Democrat planning to attend who was surprised by Manchin's op-ed.

Among a group of House liberals who had much stronger words for Manchin on Monday was Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y., who criticized Manchin's op-ed in an interview as "intellectually unserious and cynical" and accused him of "clinging to a bygone era" where bipartisanship on voting rights matters were routine.

Jones called on Biden to intervene and use whatever means he had available to persuade Manchin to back legislation and change the Senate rules to pass it.

"The president of the United States - the leader of the free world and the most powerful person on the planet - must use the resources available to him to negotiate a deal with a member of his own party to preserve the union and save our republic and American democracy," Jones said. "As yet, this president has not risen to the occasion."

Manchin on Tuesday is set to meet with a host of civil rights leaders,including the Rev. Al Sharpton andthe heads of the NAACP, the National Urban League, the National Council of Negro Women, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

Meanwhile, a prominent liberal activist said he would lead a "Moral March on Manchin" next week in the senator's home state and conduct a "nonviolent direct action" targeting Manchin in Washington.

The Rev. Dr. William Barber, leader of the Poor People's Campaign, tweeted Monday that Manchin had "abandoned" the poor residents of West Virginia and called his political positions "wrong, constitutionally inconsistent, historically inaccurate, morally indefensible, economically insane, and politically unacceptable."

The United Mine Workers of America, an influential group in Manchin's state, reiterated its support for voting rights legislation on Monday, citing restrictive laws being passed by Republican legislatures in some states. "It is wrong for these states to attack the basic rights of citizens to participate in our democracy," UMWA International President Cecil Roberts said in a statement. "Congress should be doing everything possible to not just maintain, but expand voting access and create freer and fairer elections. If only one party is interested in doing that, then so be it."

Psaki said that Biden continues to favor moving forward with the John Lewis Voting Rights Act as well as the For the People Act. She declined to say whether Manchin gave the White House a heads-up on his op-ed in advance of its publication.

Asked whether Biden and Manchin have an agreement for the West Virginia Democrat to support using reconciliation to support the infrastructure plan if the bipartisan negotiations fail, Psaki declined to say. "I'm certainly not going to speak on behalf of where Senator Manchin is," she said. But Psaki was quick to point out what she called "positive signs" about his position on some aspects of the plan.

White House officials have sought to underscore the steps they have taken through the executive branch to protect and expand voting rights. But those measures have not stopped Republican state governments from imposing new restrictions in recent months. Democrats have increasingly grown worried about the battle over voting rights, and one White House official said the issue could have global implications.

"I would say the basic notion of democratic reform and voting rights in the United States is a national security issue," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters. "We are in a competition of models with autocracies and we are trying to show the world that American democracy and democracy writ large can work."
SPRING LAKE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP)  A motorist failed to stop at a T-intersection in western Michigan, plowed through a cemeterys chain-link fence and struck about a dozen headstones.

The vehicle traveled more than 150 feet (45 meters) inside Spring Lake Cemetery before it came to a stop about 3:50 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Ottawa County sheriffs office.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Eritreas foreign minister blamed U.S. administrations that supported the Tigray Peoples Liberation Movement for the last 20 years for the current war in northern Ethiopia's Tigray region, saying that blaming Eritrea for the fighting was unfounded.

Osman Saleh, in a letter to the U.N. Security Council circulated Monday, accused President Joe Bidens administration of stoking further conflict and destabilization" through interference and intimidation in the region. The apparent objective of these acts is to resuscitate the remnants of the TPLF regime, he said.

The TPLF led the coalition that ruled Ethiopia for nearly three decades until Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed rose to power in 2018. Abiy alienated the TPLF in part by trying to make peace with its archenemy, Eritrea, then sent Ethiopian government troops into the region in November.

Thousands are estimated to have been killed in the war that has sent a third of the regions 6 million people fleeing. The government forces are now allied with soldiers from neighboring Eritrea, who are blamed for many atrocities.

Salehs letter makes no mention of Eritrean troops in Tigray, despite international calls for them to withdraw.

Multiple witnesses, survivors of rape, officials and aid workers said Eritrean soldiers have been spotted far from the border, sometimes clad in faded Ethiopian army fatigues, and controlling key roads and access to some communities.

The Ethiopian government considers TPLF fighters to be terrorists who have defied Abiy's authority. But recent atrocities appear to have increased support for the TPLF.

The Eritrean foreign minister accused the TPLF of conducting a disinformation campaign to camouflage its illicit schemes to arm itself and topple Abiys government and he urged the Security Council to take appropriate measures to redress the injustice.

Saleh also criticized the U.S. State Departments recent announcement on visa restrictions for current or former Eritrean and Ethiopian government and military officials, saying it was only the latest in a string of unilateral acts of intimidation and interference.
Robert Cohen/AP

CLAYTON, Mo. (AP)  A former Democratic St. Louis County executive has been released from prison after serving less than two years of a nearly four-year sentence on corruption charges.

A court official confirmed to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Steve Stenger is under house arrest after serving at a federal prison camp in Yankton, South Dakota, where he first reported in September 2019.
Caldwell Couple Jailed on Drug Charges

By West Kentucky Star Staff

CALDWELL COUNTY - A Princeton couple face drug charges following a traffic stop Monday night.The Caldwell County Sheriff's Office said a deputy was on routine patrol just after 6:00 pm when he witnessed a reckless driver on Highway 139 and conducted a traffic stop. The investigation led to the arrest of 34-year-old Michael Brewer and 30-year-old Amber Gillespie.Brewer was charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Gillespie was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.Both were lodged in the Caldwell County Jail.
DENVER (AP)  The Democratic Party's hopes of passing a massive overhaul of elections may have suffered a fatal blow when West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin became the first member of the party to say he wouldn't support it, ensuring the bill, known as HR1, would not pass the Senate.

Instead, Manchin prefers an update to the Voting Rights Act known as HR4, or the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, named after the late congressman and civil rights leader.

There's a big difference between the two bills. HR1 is an ambitious proposal that would transform every aspect of elections and campaigns across the country, including how they're financed. Written in 2017, when Democrats were out of power, it is what is often referred to as a messaging bill  a proposal for candidates to tout on the campaign trail and not crafted specifically to garner enough votes to pass a narrowly-divided Congress.

In contrast, the John Lewis Act is a comparatively narrow bill designed to fix a specific problem, in this case, addressing a 2013 Supreme Court ruling that made it harder for the federal government to block racially discriminatory voting laws and redistricting proposals.

Democrats will struggle to get either bill through Congress, as they look for a way to combat what they view as a Republican-assault on voting rights in state legislature. Here's a look at the differences between the bills:

WHAT'S IN THE BILLS?

HR1's number shows its importance to Democrats. Also known as the For the People Act, it became HR1 because it was the first bill on the House floor after Democrats retook the chamber in the 2018 elections. (The Senate version is known as S1.)

The bill does a little about a lot of topics. It changes the way people vote by automatically registering every eligible citizen, guaranteeing mail and early in-person voting options in every state and effectively neutering voter identification laws.

The legislation would also establish bipartisan commissions to draw the lines for legislative districts and require redistricting not favor either major party. The provision has the potential to create scores of newly competitive districts and, supporters say, would combat the partisan polarization in the House.

The bill would provide $6 in public money to campaigns for every $1 in small-dollar donations they raise. Finally, it'd require groups currently shielded from disclosing their donors to identify their funders. The last provision targets a 2010 Supreme Court ruling, known as the Citizens United decision, that lets dark money groups hide their contributors even while getting involved in elections.

The John Lewis Act was written in reaction to a different Supreme Court decision. It tries to effectively reverse the 2013 Shelby County case, in which the court's conservative majority threw out the formula the federal government used to determine which states had such a history of racial discrimination in elections and were, under the Voting Right Act, required to have Justice Department approval before implementing new voting laws or redrawing legislative districts.

HR4 would put in place an updated formula designed to meet the court's Shelby County test. That would once again require about a dozen, mostly Southern, states to get approval from the Justice Department's civil rights division before making those changes.

The bill would also make it easier for the department to send election observers and for courts to block election law changes for violating the constitutional protections guaranteeing voting rights for all U.S. citizens. And, of course, some of the elements from HR1 could always be added in if the John Lewis Act becomes Democrats' primary vehicle for an election overhaul.

HOW WOULD THE BILLS EFFECT THE NEW STATE LAWS ON VOTING?

The Democrats' voting push isn't happening in a vacuum. Republican-controlled states are passing new voting restrictions at a remarkable clip  the Brennan Center for Justice, a group that supports both HR1 and HR4 bills, tallied up 14 states that have passed 22 laws putting new restrictions on when and how Americans vote. The GOP push has been fueled by former President Donald Trump's lies that he lost the election due to fraud.

HR1 could neutralize some of these laws because it creates national standards for voting access. For example, new laws in Arizona and Florida that potentially remove from people from the states' mail voting lists could be moot, because all voters would now have a right to cast ballots by mail.

But the John Lewis Act would have no impact. The Justice Department would only be required to approve new laws, not ones that passed before the bill was approved. What's more, the bill's preclearance provision would only affect about a dozen states and some additional counties or cities that meet its standard. Manchin has talked about expanding preclearance nationwide, but that could run into problems with the Supreme Court.

Additionally, future laws could only be blocked under the bill's new legal formula if they were deemed to be racially discriminatory by making it harder for specific racial groups to vote. Laws that present new hurdles for other groups  such as no longer accepting student IDs as voting identification, as Montana as done  could still be allowed.

Most importantly, neither bill would stop a trend of Republicans making it easier for partisan political officials to interfere in elections. In Georgia, for example, the GOP-controlled state legislature now will appoint most members of a board that can replace local election officials. In Texas, Republicans are considering legislation that would make it easier for a judge to overturn an election.

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF EITHER BILL PASSING?

Not good. Democrats control the House and Senate, but only narrowly. HR1 has passed the House but is stuck in the Senate, where Manchin's opposition means the bill doesn't even get a majority and is nowhere near the 60 votes it needs to break a filibuster and pass. Currently, no Republican backs the bill.

The John Lewis Act hasn't even been introduced in this Congress because of a lengthy fact-gathering and hearing process required to meet the Supreme Court's new standard. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a letter to colleagues Tuesday predicted the bill won't be introduced until the fall.

Prior updates to the Voting Rights Act passed the Senate unanimously  98-0 as recently as 2006  but earlier versions of HR4 have only drawn one Republican sponsor, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. That's a testament to how partisan even the basic act of voting has become, a phenomenon that predates Trump.

Indeed, the Republican senate leader, Mitch McConnell, on Tuesday blasted the John Lewis Act. "Its against the law to discriminate in voting on the basis of race already, and so I think its unnecessary, McConnell said.

Time is not on Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's side, said Jessica Anderson, executive director of Heritage Action, a conservative group that opposes both bills. Every day we inch closer to 2022, the harder it is for Schumer to get this to the finish line."

WHAT'S MANCHIN'S PLAN?

It's unclear. He's the former West Virginia Secretary of State and warns that any voting reform that's too partisan will simply increase distrust in elections. On the other hand, he says there needs to be some new election overhaul to protect voting rights.

One of those principles may have to give.
NEW YORK (AP)  A Pennsylvania man was charged Tuesday with creating fake online identities for ex-President Donald Trump's brother and youngest son to dupe hundreds of people nationwide into donating thousands of dollars to what prosecutors described as a phony political organization.

Joshua Hall, 22, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was released on $25,000 bail after appearing in Harrisburg federal court to face charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he could face up to 22 years in prison.

Prosecutors said Hall spent contributions on personal expenses after soliciting donations to his non-existent political affinity organization.

A message seeking comment was sent to his lawyer.

According to court papers, Hall defrauded donors from September 2019 through last December by falsely claiming he was raising funds to support Trump's reelection.

Central to the scheme was Hall's impersonation of members of Trump's family, prosecutors said. They said he created social media accounts bearing the names and photographs of Trump's brother and son to convince over 100,000 online followers that he was close to Trump's family.

According to a criminal complaint in Manhattan federal court, Hall increased his efforts last July, soliciting contributions on a crowdfunding site for what he said would be field organizing, events, and merchandise by his political organization.

Hall created a social media account bearing the name and photograph of Trump's brother, Robert, and then made it appear that the brother was supporting his bogus organization until the brother's August death, the complaint said.

Three days after the death, Hall created an account that made it appear that Trump's then 14-year-old son, Barron, was supporting him, the complaint said.

The complaint said that in one social media post, Hall impersonated Barron Trump to make it seem that Trump's son called Hall a friend and partner and said: Josh is an amazing patriot who is doing tremendous things for our great country. He has my COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!

In August, Hall said in a private message on social media about the funds he had raised that he hadnt seen a dime of that money personally, court papers said.

The crowdfunding site closed the account after Hall failed last December to document how he used the funds he had raised, the complaint said.
NEW YORK (AP)  Sarah Feinberg has been nominated to chair New Yorks Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and if confirmed, would become the first woman to head North America's largest public transit system.

Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Feinberg's nomination Tuesday. Since last year, Feinberg has served since as interim head of New York City Transit, which operates the city's bus and subway systems.

She would replace Patrick Foye, the MTAs current chair and CEO. Foye on Tuesday was named interim president and CEO of Empire State Development, the states economic development arm. Janno Lieber, head of the MTAs construction and development, was appointed the MTAs CEO.

There should be no higher priority than ensuring we are doing all we can to bring ridership back  and as ridership comes back, so will the citys economic recovery, Feinberg said in a statement.

All three led the MTA through existential challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, which caused ridership to plummet more than 90% at its peak. They helped secure more than $14 billion in federal aid for the MTA as it sought to plug huge budget holes brought on by decreased activity on subways and buses and at bridges and tunnels.

The authority spent hundreds of millions of dollars on cleaning and disinfecting subway cars and stations, and took the rare step of closing down the subway system overnight to accommodate the additional cleaning.

Recently, Feinberg has clashed with Mayor Bill de Blasio's office and the NYPD over additional police staffing in the subways as assaults have spiked.

Prior to leading NYC Transit, Feinberg led the Federal Railroad Administration, which regulates U.S. railroads.

Lieber oversaw the approval of the MTA's $51.5 billion capital program and has been involved in numerous large-scale projects including the L Train tunnel rehabilitation, the second phase of the Second Avenue subway line and the connection of the Metro-North suburban rail line to Penn Station. Prior to joining the MTA he managed multibillion-dollar development projects at the World Trade Center on behalf of Silverstein Properties.
MILWAUKEE (AP)  A former worker at the Molson Coors brewery in Milwaukee has been charged with threatening to open fire at the facility after learning his termination had been upheld.

Online court records show 28-year-old Jamal Jury of Milwaukee was charged Saturday with making terrorist threats and sending threatening computer messages.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jury was suspended from his job in February 2020 for threatening to open fire during a workplace argument. Later that day another brewery worker, Anthony Ferrill, shot five of his co-workers before he killed himself in one of the worst mass shootings in Wisconsin history. Investigators later determined that Ferrill had been shown signs of paranoia and erratic behavior for three years before the shooting.

Jury was taken into custody shortly after that shooting but investigators concluded he wasnt involved. Molson Coors filed a restraining order against him, however.

According to the complaint, he got a call on Wednesday informing him that his termination had been upheld following an arbitration hearing and asked a union official on the phone What's to stop me from shooting up the place?

Another Molson Coors employee showed officials text messages Jury sent him in August saying he wanted to shoot the brewery up.

Jury's attorney, listed in online court records as public defender Brett Copeland, didn't immediately respond to a message Tuesday.

___

This story has been updated to correct the name of Jury's attorney to Brett Copeland.
PARIS (AP)  France has suspended military operations with Central African Republic, accusing its government of failing to respect political opposition and failing to stop a massive anti-French disinformation campaign.

The French government is also suspending about 10 million euros ($12.1 million) in budgetary support for CAR, two French officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The move comes amid high tensions and diplomatic wrangling over influence in the mineral-rich former French colony. Russia has business interests in the country and also sent military instructors there last year.

Central African Republic has faced deadly inter-religious and inter-communal fighting since 2013. After a 2019 peace deal, violence erupted anew after the constitutional court rejected former President Francois Bozizes effort to run for president again last year. President Faustin Archange Touadera won reelection in December, but continues to face opposition from forces linked to Bozize.

Rebels aligned with Bozize tried to attack the capital in January, underscoring how CAR's military faces serious security threats that they had looked to the French for help with.

About 160 French troops who were providing operational support in the capital Bangui and training Central African forces have suspended their mission and stopped cooperating with the countrys military, a French government official said.

The decision didn't affect the approximately 100 French troops involved in U.N. peacekeeping forces and EU training forces in the country, or French advisers helping CAR with domestic civil security, the official said.

The official said CAR failed to respect promises toward the political opposition, and failed to fight anti-French disinformation campaigns online, notably targeting the French ambassador and defense attache.

Facebook took down hundreds of accounts and groups linked to Russia and France that were accused of using fake Facebook and Instagram accounts to wage a covert disinformation campaign in CAR before the December election.

An official in French President Emmanuel Macrons office said that CAR President Touadera ignored pressure from his countrys neighbors and France to allow open up elections to opposition figures, but this didnt happen.

Both officials weren't authorized to be publicly named.

The French decision came after France suspended joint military operations last week with Malian forces until its coup leaders comply with international demands to restore civilian rule.

___

Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal, and Sylvie Corbet in Paris, contributed to this report.
OXFORD, Miss. (AP)  Actor Morgan Freeman and a criminal justice professor at the University of Mississippi are donating $1 million to the university to establish a Center for Evidence-Based Policing and Reform, the university announced Tuesday.

The center created with the donation from Freeman and Professor Linda Keena will be the only one of its kind in Mississippi and one of only a few in the nation, the university said in its news release.
BERLIN (AP)  An expert panel advising the German government has suggested the country's retirement age could be raised to 68, an idea that was swiftly rejected by senior officials on Tuesday as a national election nears.

The panel advising the Economy Ministry released a report Monday warning of abruptly increasing financing problems for Germany's public pension insurance system from 2025 onward. It suggested a dynamic coupling of the retirement age to life expectancy, a system under which  if current forecasts of life expectancy are correct  the retirement age could be raised to 68 in 2042.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Australias largest electricity generator on Tuesday largely lost its court case alleging that the environmental group Greenpeace had breached copyright and trademark laws by using its logo in a campaign that described the company as the nations biggest climate polluter.

Justice Stephen Burley ruled that AGL Energy had failed in its trademark infringement claim and failed in its copyright infringement claim for all of the uses of the logo except for three social media posts as well as some photographs and placards.

Burley denied AGL's request for damages.

Greenpeace had argued the Federal Court case had significant implications for charities and advocacy groups. Greenpeace also described AGL as the latest fossil fuel corporation to seek to stifle dissent through litigation.

In the online advertising campaign, Greenpeace Australia Pacific accused AGL, which predominantly generates coal-fired electricity, of greenwashing by promoting itself as a leading investor in renewable energy. The campaign used the AGL logo and featured the slogan, AGL  Australias Greatest Liability.

Greenpeace lawyer Katrina Bullock said Tuesday's decision was a win for freedom of expression and set an important legal precedent in copyright law.

Todays legal victory is good news for charities, advocacy organisations, satirists and anyone else who seeks to rely on the fair dealing freedom of speech safeguard in the Copyright Act to criticise, review, satirise or parody powerful corporations, Bullock said in a statement.

Greenpeace plans to continue its campaign to pressure AGL to close its three coal-burning power stations by 2030.

AGL released a statement welcoming the parts of the case decided in its favor.

As weve always made clear, this legal action was about the integrity of how our brand is used, AGL said.

AGL understands its role as Australias largest integrated energy generator to lead the energy transition while continuing to deliver reliable and affordable energy, AGL added.

AGL unsuccessfully applied for an interim court order in early May that would have forced Greenpeace to stop using the logo.

Greenpeace argued during a one-day hearing last week that Australian trademark law allows for the logo to be used for satire, parody and criticism.

AGL lawyer Megan Evetts told the court there was a clear intention to harm the brand through the Greenpeace campaign.

Greenpeace lawyer Neil Murray told the court the campaign did not breach the law because it did not use the AGL trademark in a trade context and its motives were pure.

AGL accepted in its latest annual report that it was Australias largest greenhouse gas emitter with plans to continue generating electricity by burning coal until 2048, Murray said.

The campaign was aimed at ending Australian reliance on coal-fired power by 2030 as recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Australias Clean Energy Regulator confirms that AGL is the nations largest greenhouse gas polluter, accounting for 8% of the nations total emissions.

Greenpeace and AGL must return to court on Wednesday to offer wording for orders to give the judges verdict effect.
BALTIMORE (AP)  Students at nearly three dozen Baltimore public schools without air conditioning are learning virtually for a second day Tuesday amid sweltering temperatures.

News outlets reported that about 30 city schools listed on the school district website sent students home around 10:30 a.m. on Monday to transition to virtual learning while staff also transitioned to teaching from home. Officials said several Baltimore City schools had air conditioning systems that were not working properly.
Men Found Unconscious in Vehicles at Gas Station

By West Kentucky Star Staff

BENTON - Benton Police responded to two different calls over the weekend about unconscious people in vehicles.Early Saturday morning, an officer went to a convenience store at the intersection of US 641 and Mayfield Highway, and found Brahm Riley of Mayfield in the driver's seat. After a window of the vehicle was broken to gain entry, paramedics administered Narcan and revived Riley. Police say numerous items of drug paraphernalia were found in the vehicle, along with a baggie containing suspected fentanyl. Riley was cited to court for possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.About 4:10 am Sunday an officer was dispatched for a similar complaint at the same location. When he arrived, Charles Breedlove of Princeton was unconscious in the driver's seat, and there were two children asleep in the vehicle. After further investigation, Breedlove was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was taken to Marshall County Detention Center.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  Republicans in the Pennsylvania House pushed through a bill Tuesday that would ban abortions that are prompted by a prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis, although the Democratic governor has vowed to veto it.

State representatives voted 120-83 for legislation that the prime sponsor, Republican Rep. Kate Klunk of York County, called the right thing to do.

I believe we truly have a responsibility to stand up for those who do not have a voice, Klunk said.

If it becomes law, the proposal will require a doctor who performs an abortion to provide a written statement that it was not motivated in any way by a prenatal diagnosis or test indicating Down syndrome.

This legislation could prevent patients from seeking the information they need to become the best parents possible, when they need it the most," said Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, who voted against it. He said the bill makes it a crime to think and consider options.

Rep. Kathy Rapp, R-Warren, compared abortion over a Down syndrome diagnosis to genocide.

People with Down syndrome are living longer than ever and theyre happier than most of us, Rapp said. So why are many of them being aborted, why? Its a curious and heart-wrenching question, because there never has been a better time in all of history for people with Down syndrome.

The bill would make it a third-degree felony for the doctor, who could lose his or her medical license. There is no criminal penalty for the expectant mother.

"It would actually put doctors in jail for performing this procedure, said Rep. Leanne Krueger, D-Delaware. She noted the bill has no exceptions for pregnancies that resulted from rape or incest, or when a mothers life is at risk.

Politicians should not make this decision for us, Krueger argued.

It was sent to the Republican-majority state Senate for its consideration. Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, vetoed similar legislation in 2019 and recently reiterated his intention to veto the new version.
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP)  Fifty-eight people have been killed during anti-government protests that began in Colombia five weeks ago and have also led to roadblocks and clashes with police, the countrys human rights ombudsman said Monday.

In a report presented to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the ombudsman office also said it had received more than 400 allegations of human rights violations during the protests that started April 28, including cases of police beatings, arbitrary detentions and sexual abuses of protesters in police custody.

Colombias police have come under scrutiny from human rights groups for their behavior during the protests, in which videos have shown police shooting at protesters or standing by while armed civilians fired at demonstrators.

The situation prompted a delegation from the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights to visit Colombia this week, where it will meet with government officials, protest victims and organizations that have accused the police of using excessive force during the protests.

The delegation said Monday that it will deliver recommendations for the government to follow up on at the end of its visit. It could also set up an independent commission of experts to track progress on human rights issues.

According to Temblores, a human rights group based in Bogota, police have been directly involved in 45 deaths during the protests.

Human Rights Watch says it has documented nine cases in which police killed protesters with gunfire and four other cases in which police officers killed protesters using tear gas canisters and other devices designed to control crowds. The watchdog group says it is looking into dozens more cases of alleged police killings.

Colombia's attorney general has said it is investigating police involvement in at least three deaths of protesters and has launched a probe into a recent incident in the city of Cali during which officers protected armed civilians that shot at demonstrators.

On Sunday, President Ivan Duque announced a proposal to reform Colombias police forces that includes putting body cameras on officers and creating a human rights directorate within the police to seek outside advice on policies. The government also said it will improve methods through which citizens can file complaints.

Protesters, however, have said they want police officers placed under the jurisdiction of civilian courts. Officers who commit crimes while on duty in Colombia are currently judged by military tribunals, which are often staffed by their own peers.

The current wave of protests started over a plan to increase taxes. The government withdrew the plan, but the protests have continued, fueled by growing inequality and unemployment during the pandemic.

Protest leaders are demanding a new set of social and economic policies that include a basic income plan for poor households and more spending on public education. They also want the police to be transferred from the Ministry of Defense to the Ministry of the Interior.

Negotiations between protest leaders and the government have been slow to get off the ground. On Sunday, a group of unions and associations that has spearheaded the protests walked away from talks with the government over Duques recent decision to send soldiers to 13 cities to remove roadblocks and control violent protests.

The government has asked the group to dismantle and reject roadblocks that have caused food shortages in some parts of the country and forced factories to stop working.
BOISE, Idaho (AP)  Eighteen-year-old Angie Dodge was raped and killed in her Idaho home a quarter-century ago and an innocent man wrongly served 20 years in prison for the crime. On Tuesday, the man authorities have said is the real killer was sentenced to life in prison.

Brian Leigh Dripps Sr., 55, must serve at least 20 years in prison before he will be eligible for parole, 7th District Judge Joel Tingey said.

Dripps' defense attorneys say his medical problems  including a history of heart issues and an autoimmune disease  makes it unlikely that he will live long enough to get parole.

Twenty-five years is a long time to wait for some type of closure on such a brutal crime, Tingey said.  ... It's impossible to quantify how much damage has been caused, and it's spread wide.

Angie Dodge had just moved into her own apartment in Idaho Falls in 1996 when she was killed. Prosecutors said Dodge was asleep when Dripps entered her apartment and that he raped her and cut her throat so severely that she was nearly decapitated.

Immediately after the killing, investigators zeroed in on another suspect  Christopher Tapp.

Officers with the Idaho Falls Police Department repeatedly questioned him for hours, feeding him details of the case and telling him he could face the death penalty unless he implicated himself and another suspect. Tapp eventually wrongfully confessed to the crime, though he later professed his innocence, and was convicted.

But Tapp had the support of the advocacy group the Idaho Innocence Project at Boise State University, and eventually Dodges mother, Carol Dodge, and the New York-based Innocence Project.

DNA evidence collected from the crime scene wasn't tested until 2016 and it showed that Tapp's genetic material wasn't present in the sample. He was released in 2017 after reaching a deal in which his murder sentence was reduced to time served and the rape conviction was vacated.

Meanwhile, investigators periodically worked the cold case, hoping to uncover what really happened the night Dodge was killed.

They began using DNA databases to try to find a suspect or someone likely to be related to the person who left the DNA.

After a few dead ends, in 2019 they discovered a possible suspect who had lived in Idaho Falls at the time of the murder and was now living across the state in Caldwell  Brian Dripps Sr.

Law enforcement officers tailed Dripps and scooped up a cigarette butt he'd thrown from a car window. It had enough DNA present to show it matched the sample left at the crime scene back in 1996.

When confronted by police, Dripps confessed, saying he was high on cocaine and alcohol and had planned to rape Dodge, not murder her. He claimed he did not remember cutting Dodge's throat. But he did not deny it.

Dripps' confession led to Tapp being formally exonerated of the crimes.

A young man spent a significant portion of his life in prison for no good reason. He was innocent. That falls on you, the judge told Dripps during the sentencing hearing.

Angie Dodge's brother, Todd Dodge, told the court that Dripps dropped an atomic bomb in the center of our family and our community and spoke of the guilt and frustration that he, jurors and others involved in the original trial against Tapp felt after learning Tapp was innocent.

He sentenced me to a lifetime of hell  so far I have served 9,126 days, Todd Dodge said of Dripps.

Another brother, Roger Dodge, said Angie Dodge's murder is the most devastating thing he's ever experienced.

Dripps also spoke, offering an apology.

I am sorry. I didn't intend for this to happen, he said. Wish we could have a chance at a do-over because I would do over that day ... I know you'll never forgive me but I am sorry.
CHICAGO (AP)  A suburban Chicago man was arrested Tuesday on federal charges that he took part in the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol.

Christian Kulas, 24, of Kenilworth became at least the ninth Illinois resident to face federal charges when he was arrested at home at about 6 a.m. on misdemeanor counts of unlawful entry of a restricted building and disorderly conduct on U.S. Capitol grounds, the Chicago Tribune reported.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  Indianapolis ended its mask mandate for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 on Tuesday, hours after the City-County Council approved a measure easing numerous pandemic restrictions.

The Democratic-majority council passed the new public health order Monday evening on a 19-5 party line vote, with Republicans opposed because the measure didnt fully lift all pandemic restrictions.

Despite lifting its mask order, Indianapolis businesses may choose to require masks on their property and masks are still required in hospitals and on public transportation in Indianas capital.

The change means residents who received their final vaccine shot at least two weeks ago are not required to wear masks in public areas.

Indianapolis is aiming for a 50% vaccination rate in order to fully reopen, Virginia Caine, director of the Marion County Public Health Department, told the council. Last week, the countys vaccination rate stood at about 36%.

Those of our residents who have chosen to receive the COVID-19 vaccine can now safely remove their masks in most public settings. This is truly a milestone for the Indianapolis community," Caine said.

Indianapolis' new order eases numerous pandemic restrictions, including allowing religious services and funerals, as well as community pools, to open to 100% capacity. Social gatherings increased from 50 to 500 people, and bars, restaurants and nightclubs can operate at 75% capacity indoors.

Gov. Eric Holcomb ended Indiana's statewide mask mandate in early April while keeping mask requirements in place for schools and state buildings.
LAS VEGAS (AP)  A judge said Monday that prosecutors in Las Vegas can set a date in late July for Nevada's first execution in 15 years, although an attorney for the convicted mass murderer who would be put to death said theyll appeal to the state Supreme Court.

A federal judge also could decide Thursday to block Zane Michael Floyds lethal injection to allow time to review the drugs and the procedure that would be used.

Prison officials have not disclosed drug names or the so-called injection protocol.

Judge Michael Villani's four-page order said Floyd had exhausted his legal remedies, but also acknowledged ongoing state and federal court challenges.

The judge said there was no reason for him to deny the warrant of execution Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson sought for Floyd killing four people and wounding a fifth in a shotgun attack at a Las Vegas grocery store in 1999.

The court is unpersuaded that the Nevada Department of Corrections must first prove that it can safely carry out an execution before the court can sign an order of execution, the judge said.

An exact date for Floyds lethal injection would be set during the week beginning July 26 once a death warrant is issued July 9.

Brad Levenson, a federal public defender representing Floyd, promised the state high court appeal and noted that U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware II has indicated a willingness to stay the execution to hold evidentiary hearings.

Prosecutor Alexander Chen also pointed to Thursdays potentially pivotal hearing.

Levenson submitted a written filing Monday asking Villani for a date after Oct. 1, to allow time for court challenges.

Floyd also is seeking a Sept. 21 clemency hearing before the state Board of Pardons made up of the governor, seven state Supreme Court justices and the state attorney general.

Floyd, 45, does not want to die. But after he lost federal appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take his case, Wolfson moved forward in March to have his sentence carried out.

At the time, a measure was pending in the state Legislature to abolish the death penalty. It failed.

Nevada requires executions to be by lethal injection, and state law requires prison officials to make public their execution protocol after a death warrant is issued.

Challenges of the drugs and the execution procedure that prisons officials drew up for the lethal injection of Scott Dozier stalled his execution twice, in 2017 and 2018.

Dozier, convicted of killings in Nevada and Arizona, pleaded to be put to death and expressed frustration at the delays. He killed himself in prison in January 2019.

The last person executed in Nevada was Daryl Mack in 2006 for a 1988 rape and murder in Reno. Mack had asked for his sentence to be carried out.
Richard Shotwell/Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

ST. LOUIS (AP)  Actress Ellie Kemper has apologized for participating in a debutante ball hosted by a St. Louis organization that she now says had an unquestionably racist, sexist and elitist past.

The 41-year-old St. Louis native and star of TV's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was criticized on Twitter after it was revealed that when she was 19, she was named Queen of Love and Beauty at St. Louis' Veiled Prophet Ball.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Seven-year-old Russell Bright squeezed his dads hand tightly as tests of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine started Monday in Louisiana for children ages 5 through 11.

Children held stuffed animals, played under chairs and a few cried at Ochsner Medical Center, just outside New Orleans. Their temperature and blood pressure were checked, their noses swabbed and their blood drawn for tests. Finally, they got a shot of either the vaccine or a placebo.

Ochsner is among 98 facilities in 26 states, the District of Columbia, Finland, Poland and Spain where the tests are taking place or planned.

Families wont know for six months whether their children actually were vaccinated. At that point, children who didn't get the vaccine will have the chance to do so.

The Pfizer vaccine was approved May 10 for children aged 12-15.

Adam Bright, whose younger son Tucker, 5, also is participating, said it was worth the chance to be a part of the trial.

I want to do my part and have my kids do their part, he said. Both me and my wife are already vaccinated, and so the sooner I can get them vaccinated and to feel comfortable being outside, not having to wear a mask, I thought the easiest way to get it is to go through the trial.

Russell, wearing a Spiderman mask, said he longs for a summer vacation that can include the water park or a longer trip  and then school without masks and social distancing.

Im looking forward to seeing my friends more and not wearing masks, he said. You cant see if Im making a frown or a smile. I dont like to wear them.

Five-year-old Kalil Chaudhry-Halperin held a stuffed toy Bruni  the lizard-like fire spirit in the movie Frozen 2  as he waited at Ochsner.

He was shy and a bit nervous, but his dad, Jason Halperin, says Kalil was excited, because he knows his parents and his 12-year-old sister have all been vaccinated.

You know how much weve all been through, our entire community, but now we have safe, effective, life-saving vaccines, and it not only helps him but the entire community and anyone vulnerable around our family, Jason Halperin said. Thats a great lesson to impart to our children.

Adam Bright said hes confident the Pfizer vaccine is safe, especially after seeing how smoothly vaccinations seem to be going for the next age group up.

Russell said he hopes that if and when the vaccine is cleared for emergency use for kids his age, they'll take advantage of the chance.

Be brave and do it, he said.

___

Associated Press reporter Janet McConnaughey contributed from New Orleans.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  The sheriff of Los Angeles County dispatched deputies Tuesday to Venice Beach to assess the homelessness problem, a day after he called out city officials for failing to adequately address the growing number of people sleeping outdoors along the famous strand.

Venice is the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles Police Department, not the Sheriff's Department. But Sheriff Alex Villanueva said he was moved to act because of the failures of local politicians in regard to the homelessness crisis.

Villanueva tweeted Monday that he was sending the Sheriff's Department's Homeless Outreach Services Team to the beach, where encampments have proliferated along the popular boardwalk and in surrounding neighborhoods.

The sheriff said the goal was to clear the area of homeless encampments by July 4.

News reports showed nearly two dozen sheriff's deputies along with social workers and volunteers talking to some of the dozens of people living in tents and makeshift shelters near the famous boardwalk.

What we saw was human misery, Lt. Geff Deedrick, head of the sheriff's team, told KNBC-TV.

This isnt a one-size-fits-all issue, he said. This is individual conversations. We need to know whos here and what their individual needs are.

Theyre going to start interfacing with the homeless, start doing their assessments and figuring out where everybody is in their transition from being homeless to being housed, he told CBS 2 News.

Villaneuva told CBS 2 News that he was not trying to start a turf battle with the Police Department, but instead was trying to help.

Im not going to blame LAPD whatsoever, he said. I think they can definitely do the job. Theyre more than capable, have good leadership. However, if theyre hamstrung by politicians that dont want them to do their job, well then theyre left in a very, very bad situation.

The Los Angeles Police Department is committed to working with all of our public safety partner agencies and elected officials to improve the safety of our communities," the LAPD said in a statement Tuesday. Including efforts to increase outreach and provide needed housing and supportive services in the Venice Beach community and elsewhere.

Police Chief Michel Moore also called on the City Council to end a moratorium that he said wouldn't allow his officers to enforce city no-camping laws, KNBC-TV reported.

The conditions in the encampments on the Venice boardwalk are not safe or healthy for anyone, Alex Comisar, spokesman for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, told the station.

But he added: The courts have been clear about how were allowed to enforce camping laws in public spaces, and the mayor is more interested in pressing ahead with the difficult work of ending homelessness than in political theater.

City Councilman Mike Bonin, who represents the district that includes the area, accused Villanueva of making political hay out of a serious problem.

He didnt call to offer services or housing, which would help," Bonin said in a tweet Tuesday. He went on a PR blitz, promising his own notorious brand of justice. To anyone familiar with Villanueva and LASD, thats incredibly ominous."

Villanueva's move comes as the county struggles with ways to deal with a homeless population estimated at more than 60,000.

On Tuesday, the county Board of Supervisors ordered homeless and public health agencies to look into a plan for providing housing to an estimated 600 women and 55 families now living on skid row in Los Angeles.

A lack of stable housing increases womens vulnerability to violence, exacerbating the trauma many unhoused women have already experienced," the motion said.
Lawsuit Challenges New Kentucky Education Law

By The Associated Press





FRANKFORT - Kentuckys new law offering tax credits to boost donations for private school scholarships has drawn a court challenge.An education group sued Monday claiming the enticements are unconstitutional. The showdown has been expected since the Republican-led legislature passed the measure over Democratic Gov. Andy Beshears veto.The suit focuses on a part of the law that creates a form of scholarship tax credits  referred to as education opportunity accounts. Private donors backing the accounts would be eligible for tax credits. The money could be used for various educational expenses  including private school tuition in states most populated counties.
LAS VEGAS (AP)  Las Vegas police are investigating a robbery at the cage inside The Cosmopolitan on Tuesday.

Police spokesman Misael Parra said police were called for a cage robbery at a Las Vegas Strip casino before 7 a.m. He says a suspect was in custody.

Police did not release more details but The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported multiple police cars as the casino at that time.

The Cosmopolitan confirmed in a statement that "an incident' occurred at its casino-resort Tuesday morning but there were no injuries involved.

The company said it is working with law enforcement and safety and security of guests are the upmost priority. The Cosmopolitan said it would not offer further comment until the investigation is finished.
BALTIMORE (AP)  A court filing shows Baltimore officials and the ACLU of Maryland have reached a settlement in a lawsuit over a six-day neighborhood lockdown in the wake of the 2017 shooting death of a detective.

News outlets report Tuesday that details of the settlement were not disclosed, but it includes monetary and non-monetary terms that include provisions the parties are asking the court to enforce. The suit filed in 2019 on behalf of four residents aimed to block the department from enacting future lockdowns.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Library of Congress has acquired a digital archive of the real-time impressions of more than 200 frontline health care workers documenting the countrys descent into the coronavirus pandemic.

Calvin Lambert, a fetal medicine fellow in a Bronx hospital, recalls how a Black pregnant woman who came in for a checkup became irate and became scared" even when he attempted to give her a COVID-19 test. She thought the nasal swab itself would give her the virus.

Lambert, who is Black, said he learned to understand the deep distrust that the patient had and that many patients who are Black have for the medical system.

The audio diaries from health care workers like Lambert were collected by The Nocturnists, a medical storytelling project, for its Stories from a Pandemic podcast series, which ran in spring 2020. The collection contains more than 700 audio clips documenting the chaotic conditions in overwhelmed hospitals as medical workers struggled with their own stress, exhaustion and grief.

The digital archive will be housed in the librarys American Folklife Center, which has been building up a collection of oral histories dating back to World War I, including testimonials from 9/11 first responders and survivors from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Folklife Center Director Elizabeth Peterson called the collection really a remarkable gift and said the audio medium and the intensity of the environment create a deeply intimate and sometimes exhausting portrait.

You hear the sounds of the workplace, the exhaustion in their voices, and the big and small ways they try to cope and contribute, she said.

Emily Silverman, a practicing internist and a founder of The Nocturnists, said in a statement that she couldnt imagine a better home for our audio library.

It captures the raw emotions of numerous health care workers in the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic and will serve as a historical document for future generations, Silverman said.

The Nocturnists, which produces live medical storytelling shows in addition to the podcasts, also plans to donate the recordings for its follow-up series, Stories from a Pandemic: Part 2," which launched Tuesday.

A sample of audio clips released by the Library of Congress contains a diverse array of medical professionals, from neurosurgeons in Los Angeles to medical students in Philadelphia.

Samuel Slavin, an internal medicine resident in Boston, reflected on the unpredictable way these patients go down fast and how this is weighing on us as doctors.

Sounding exhausted in his audio clip, Slavin recalled seeing a colleague struggle to finish a simple procedure, with shaking hands and frayed nerves. Slavin helped his colleague calm down, then stepped out to call his own parents, who he feared had started to display COVID symptoms.

That was when I started to feel crushed. I could feel myself shaking and trembling and futzing with my own phone, he said.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  Louisiana lawmakers gave final passage Tuesday to a proposal requiring doctors to suggest to women taking the abortion pill that the drug-induced effort to terminate a pregnancy could be stopped midway through the process, a scientifically questionable claim.

With a 69-25 vote, the House agreed to a heavy Senate rewrite of the proposal and sent it to the governor's desk. Passage came over objections from opponents who said the legislation pushed by anti-abortion organizations could provide inaccurate, possibly dangerous information to women.

The bill by Republican Rep. Beryl Amedee, of Houma, is the latest in a long string of anti-abortion measures passed by Louisiana lawmakers seeking to lessen access to the procedure and to try to discourage women from seeking it.

The nonsurgical medication abortion, which works during the first nine weeks of pregnancy, involves swallowing mifepristone, which causes an embryo to detach from the uterine wall. A second pill, misoprostol, is used two days later to cause contractions and push the embryo out of the uterus.

Amedees legislation would require a doctor dispensing the two pills to provide a statement to the woman seeking the drug-induced abortion.

The statement says: Research has indicated that the first pill provided, identified as mifepristone, is not always effective in ending a pregnancy. If after taking the first pill you regret your decision, please consult a physician or healthcare provider immediately to determine if there are options available to assist you in continuing your pregnancy.

The Senate backed the bill in a 31-7 vote Monday. While nearly all opposition to the measure came from Democrats, they didn't vote as a bloc. Several Democrats also voted with Republicans for the proposal. The legislation heads to Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat who opposes abortion and regularly signs anti-abortion measures into law.

Several Republican-led states have passed similar laws, though some of those laws are tied up in litigation.

Supporters of the bill said they were trying to give women who change their mind the possibility of reversing course on an abortion.

Chemical abortion takes the life of a human being. We should provide information that could save the life of a child, Amedee said during a committee debate on the proposal.

But opponents pointed to medical groups that say science does not support suggestions that a drug-induced abortion can be reversed or stopped after the first pill is taken, and they argued interrupting the two-pill process could harm a woman's health.

This bill is predicated on misinformation, said Sen. Jay Luneau, an Alexandria Democrat, during Senate debate. We need to make decisions not based on emotion, but based on medicine when were dealing with medical issues.

Amedee and other bill supporters claimed that if a woman takes the first pill and reconsiders her decision to end the pregnancy, she could seek to use the hormone progesterone to try to reverse the abortion. But the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says such claims about abortion reversal treatments are not based on science and do not meet clinical standards.

Sen. Beth Mizell, the Franklinton Republican who handled the legislation in the Senate, noted senators watered down the language to no longer make direct claims that women could avoid, cease or reverse the drug-induced abortion if they don't take the second pill.

We are asking a woman to consult her physician. We're not saying don't take the medicine, Mizell said.

___

The bill is filed as House Bill 578.

___

Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  Maine's largest city was scheduled to hold another local election with some coronavirus protocols in place on Tuesday.

Portland's municipal election included a crowded field for Charter Commission and a referendum on the school budget. City officials said polling places would be open and they would look the same as they did in November.

That meant booths were spread apart, election workers wore masks and sanitation measures were in effect. The city also encouraged residents to use absentee ballots if they preferred. The last day to request an absentee ballot was June 4 for most people.

Polling locations will look different in light of COVID-19 safety measures. This means that booths will be spread out, hand sanitizer and disinfectant spray will be plentiful, and election workers will have plexiglass barriers, face shields, and masks, the city said on its website.

City officials said voters were encouraged but not required to wear a mask. Polls were scheduled to close at 8 p.m. That's also when absentee ballots were due back.

In other pandemic news in Maine:

THE NUMBERS

It was another day of declining rates of infections and deaths from coronavirus in Maine.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Maine did not increase over the past two weeks, going from 166.14 new cases per day on May 23 to 67.86 new cases per day on June 6. The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Maine did not increase over the past two weeks, going from 2.71 deaths per day on May 23 to 2.00 deaths per day on June 6.

The AP is using data collected by Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering to measure outbreak caseloads and deaths across the United States.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said the state has been the site of 840 deaths and more than 68,000 infections since the start of the pandemic.

About 54% of the state's total population is fully vaccinated. That's one of the highest rates in the nation.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  A Maine legislator has revived a failed effort to get Maines secretary of state to split an upcoming ballot question opposing Central Maine Powers 145-mile (233-kilometer) transmission line project into three separate issues by filing a lawsuit in Cumberland County Superior Court.

Rep. Christopher Caiazzo, D-Scarborough, filed the suit last week arguing that the November referendum aimed at preventing construction of the New England Clean Energy Connect power line should be broken up to give voters the opportunity to vote on three separate issues, the Portland Press Herald reported.

Caiazzo, a supporter of the project, first made his argument in May in a letter to Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. It was rejected.

Aided by lawyers from the Pierce Atwood law firm, who represent Central Maine Power in various matters, Caiazzo asked the court to reverse Bellows decision.

In its current form, the approved question for voters to consider reads: Do you want to ban the construction of high-impact electric transmission lines in the Upper Kennebec Region and to require the Legislature to vote on other such projects in Maine retroactive to 2014, with a two-thirds vote required if a project uses public lands?

Caiazzo argues that in its current form the question raises separate and distinct issues that should be presented to the voters in separate questions 

Caiazzo suggests three separate questions to be considered by voters:

1. Do you want to require, retroactive to 2014, that the Legislature approve by a two-thirds vote any lease or conveyance of public reserved lands to be used for transmission lines and facilities, landing strips, pipelines, or railroad tracks?

2. Do you want to require, retroactive to 2020, the Legislature to approve the construction of any high-impact electric transmission lines in Maine, with a two-thirds vote required if a project crosses public lands?

3. Do you want to ban, retroactive to 2020, the construction of high-impact electric transmission lines in the Upper Kennebec Region?

Construction on the $1 billion New England Clean Energy Connect project to bring hydroelectric power from Quebec through Maine to Massachusetts has already begun.

A citizen group opposing the project, No CMP Corridor, said that such an effort was expected.

Theres never been a doubt that CMP would someday challenge our petition language, said Sandi Howard, the groups spokesperson, because from the start, CMP has been terrified of facing the will of Maine voters, its own customers.
GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (AP)  A man accused of killing two women and a child in a case that prompted a $1 million payment by the state was ruled mentally competent to stand trial on capital murder charges, news outlets reported Tuesday.

While the defense had raised questions about the mental health of Jimmy O'Neal Spencer, Marshall County Circuit Judge Tim Riley ordered his trial to begin Jan. 10.

Earlier, Riley had ordered a psychological screening for Spencer, 55, after his lawyers said they had reason to suspect he was mentally ill.

Spencer has pleaded not guilty in the July 2018 deaths of Marie Martin, 74; her 7-year-old great-grandson Colton Lee; and Martha Reliford, 65, a neighbor of Martin. Martin was stabbed and strangled and the child died from blunt force trauma; Reliford was struck with a hatchet and stabbed days earlier.

The state agreed to pay a $1 million settlement to the victims' families, who contended Spencer was wrongly released from prison before the killings.

Initially sent to prison in the 1980s on multiple convictions, Spencer was granted parole and released in January 2018, authorities said. He was supposed to say at a halfway house in Birmingham for six months but left after a few weeks.

Spencer wound up in the north Alabama city of Guntersville, where he had several run-ins with law enforcement before the slayings. Afterward, Gov. Kay Ivey temporarily suspended state paroles and replaced the parole board chairman, partly in response to the killings.

A steep decline in inmate releases followed Spencer's arrest once the parole process resumed, and lawmakers approved legislation that made the chair of the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles a gubernatorial appointee.
SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP)  A man has died in a shootout with police in western Nebraska following an hourslong standoff at a Scottsbluff home, authorities there said.

Officers were called to the home around noon Monday for reports of a man with a gun threatening to harm himself or others, Scottsbluff police said. There also were reports that shots had been fired at the home. No one else was inside the home, police said.
3 1 of 3 Courtesy photo /U.S. Border Patrol Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy photo /U.S. Border Patrol Show More Show Less 3 of 3





U.S. Border Patrol agents seized more than 600 pounds of marijuana in two separate smuggling attempts reported near the Rio Grande, authorities said.

Agents said the first case unfolded in the late afternoon of June 3, when agents spotted several people who had crossed the Rio Grande to load marijuana bundles into a waiting sport utility vehicle in west Laredo.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  Martha White, a Black woman whose actions helped launch the 1953 bus boycotts in Louisiana's capital city, has died. She was 99.

White died Saturday, her family and others confirmed.

White, then 31, was working as a housekeeper in the capital city of Baton Rouge in 1953 when she took action. After a long day of walking to and from work while seeking to reach her bus stop, she decided to sit in one of the only bus seats available  one designated for white passengers.

When the driver ordered her to get up, White refused and another Black woman sat beside her in solidarity. The bus driver threatened to have the women arrested. Ultimately police, the bus company manager and a civil rights activist, the Rev. T.J. Jemison, showed up. Jemison informed the driver of a recently passed ordinance to desegregate buses in the city, meaning White wasnt violating any rules.

In response to the ordinance, bus drivers began a strike and the ordinance was later overturned. That prompted a boycott by the Black community in Baton Rouge.

Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome issued a statement Monday recognizing Whites contribution to the citys civil rights movement.

Martha White undoubtedly shaped our community in Baton Rouge, and communities across our nation, Broome said. We honor her legacy today and every day.

That boycott later helped provide the framework for the famous effort sparked by Rosa Parks that led to a bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955.

Ted Jemison, the son of the Rev. T.J. Jemison, remembered White as being outspoken and unafraid to share her opinion. He told The Advocate of a conversation he had with her years ago about that day. He recalled her telling him she just wanted to sit in that bus seat because she was tired from being on her feet constantly that day.

Can you imagine working on your feet all day and just wanting to sit down? Jemison recalled White as saying. She was the same way from when she was young to when she was 90 years old. She knew that what she did was for the good of everyone in Baton Rouge.

We really lost a true pioneer for civil rights, said Jason Roberts, co-owner of the Baton Rouge African American Museum, speaking of Whites death, the newspaper reported.

___

This story has been edited to correct White's age at the time of the boycott. She was 31, not 23.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, greets employees of a company producing carpets in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. [Xinhua/Li Xueren]

XINING, June 7 (Xinhua)  Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Monday started an inspection tour of northwest China's Qinghai Province.

In Xining, the provincial capital, Xi visited a company producing carpets and learned about how it leveraged the advantages of local resources and used new design concepts to boost its products' competitiveness, create jobs and increase the income of locals.

Xi also visited a residential community in Xining to learn about its efforts to strengthen Party building, improve community-level governance and advance ethnic unity and progress.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with employees of a company producing carpets in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. [Xinhua/Li Xueren]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a company producing carpets to learn about how it leveraged the advantages of local resources and used new design concepts to boost its products' competitiveness, create jobs and increase the income of locals in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a company producing carpets to learn about how it leveraged the advantages of local resources and used new design concepts to boost its products' competitiveness, create jobs and increase the income of locals in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a company producing carpets to learn about how it leveraged the advantages of local resources and used new design concepts to boost its products' competitiveness, create jobs and increase the income of locals in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with employees of a company producing Tibetan carpets in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with local people while visiting a residential community in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a residential community to learn about its efforts to strengthen Party building, improve community-level governance and advance ethnic unity and progress in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. [Xinhua/Yan Yan]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a residential community to learn about its efforts to strengthen Party building, improve community-level governance and advance ethnic unity and progress in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a residential community to learn about its efforts to strengthen Party building, improve community-level governance and advance ethnic unity and progress in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. [Xinhua/Li Xueren]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a residential community to learn about its efforts to strengthen Party building, improve community-level governance and advance ethnic unity and progress in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. [Xinhua/Yan Yan]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a residential community to learn about its efforts to strengthen Party building, improve community-level governance and advance ethnic unity and progress in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a company producing Tibetan carpets to learn about how it leveraged the advantages of local resources and used new design concepts to boost its products' competitiveness, create jobs and increase the income of locals in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. [Xinhua/Xie Huanchi]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a company producing Tibetan carpets to learn about how it leveraged the advantages of local resources and used new design concepts to boost its products' competitiveness, create jobs and increase the income of locals in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. [Xinhua/Li Xueren]

(Source: Xinhua)
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Mexico announced Tuesday it has barred former Treasury and Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Videgaray from holding public office there for 10 years, after finding he failed to accurately report his holdings, income or properties between late 2012 and 2016.

The Department of Public Service said it was the maximum punishment allowed for the violation. Mexican government employees and elected officials above a certain level are required to file income disclosure forms.

Videgaray, currently a faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Sloan School of Management, is considered the political figure closest to former President Enrique Pena Nieto, in whose 2012-2018 administration he served.

Alleged misconduct by Videgaray has been a subject of accusations in recent years.

In November, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said federal prosecutors had tried to get an arrest warrant for Videgaray, but said a judge rejected the request.

Videgaray has denied accusations by the former head of the state-owned oil company that he engaged in bribery or illegal campaign financing. In a statement in August, Videgaray wrote that the accusations are false. Moreover, they are absurd, inconsistent and reckless.

Lopez Obrador said he did not know what the 2020 charges were because he maintains an arms-length relationship with the independent attorney generals office, though he said he had read they included a charge of treason.

The charges appear related to a formal legal complaint filed by Emilio Lozoya, the former head of Mexicos state-run oil company Petroleos Mexicanos. Lozoya alleged that Pena Nieto and Videgaray  then his treasury secretary  directed him to bribe lawmakers, including five senators, to support controversial energy and other structural reforms.

After months on the run, Lozoya was arrested in Spain in February and extradited to Mexico in July after agreeing to cooperate with investigators. He faces corruption charges related to Pemexs overvalued purchase of a fertilizer plant and to millions in dollars of bribes from Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht.

In addition to the alleged bribes for lawmakers, Lozoya has told prosecutors that Pena Nieto and Videgaray told him to use $4 million from Odebrecht to pay foreign campaign consultants for work on Pena Nietos 2012 election campaign. That campaign put his Institutional Revolutionary Party back in power after 12 years in the opposition.

Pena Nieto, who is reported to live abroad, hasn't spoken publicly since the allegations surfaced.
MISSOULA, Mont. (AP)  The Missoula Police Department and other area law enforcement agencies issued a warning Tuesday saying there are pills being sold on the street that appear similar to prescription oxycodone, but that actually contain fentanyl and are leading to overdoses, including the recent death of an 18-year-old in Missoula.

Police released an image of the round blue pills with a line across the middle and a capital M at the top and the number 30 at the bottom, which look like a prescription anti-anxiety drug called clorazepate dipotassium. Prescription oxycodone pills are also round and blue and have an M on one side and a 30 on the other.
BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP)  A Montana man has been given a six-month suspended jail sentence for submitting a voter registration application under the name Miguel Raton, a rough Spanish translation of Mickey Mouse.

Michael Winters of Gallatin County pleaded guilty Tuesday to falsifying information on voter registration application in early 2020, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported.

District Judge Peter Ohman also fined Winters $250 and ordered him to complete 100 hours of community service.

This was a serious offense and, obviously, with all thats going on with elections now and election integrity, this is something that is obviously front and center, Ohman said Tuesday. Based on the involvement of law enforcement and the County Attorneys office, really what happened here is, it demonstrated that the system does work.

Winters, who was initially charged with felony tampering with public records or information, acknowledged he combined his driver's license number and Mickey Mouse's birthday to submit a voter registration form in January 2020.

Someone filed a complaint against Winters with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission in June 2020, court records said. That person told investigators that Winters had talked about how easy it would be to commit voter fraud.

An FBI investigation found ballots that were issued to Miguel Raton were provisional because the driver's license number belonged to someone who lived in Missoula. Winters has said that was unintentional.

Winters received ballots for two elections under the name of Miguel Raton. Elections officials say he did not vote in either of them.

Winters told an FBI agent he pinned the ballots to the wall of his shop as trophies." The agent took the ballots.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP)  The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield will mark Juneteenth  the holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States  by displaying a rare signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation.

The copy of the proclamation that's signed by Lincoln and Secretary of State William Seward will be displayed between June 15 and July 6. The original document is kept in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed a lawsuit Tuesday asking a court to declare Google a public utility and to regulate it as one in the latest twist on the escalating legal efforts to rein in the company that runs the internet's dominant search engine.

The Republican official is alleging that Google has been abusing its power in a way that is discriminatory and anti-competitive to Ohio residents.

When you own the railroad or the electric company or the cellphone tower, you have to treat everyone the same and give everybody access, Yost said in a statement.

He added that Google's use of its internet search steers Ohioans to the company's own products.

Google skewered the lawsuit as a misguided attempt to force changes that would diminish the quality of its search results and hurt small businesses that might not otherwise be found by customers.

Ohioans simply dont want the government to run Google like a gas or electric company," Google said in a statement. This lawsuit has no basis in fact or law and well defend ourselves against it in court.

Yost said Ohio is the first state in the country to seek a court declaration that Google is a public utility that should be subject to government regulation.

While the lawsuit is not seeking monetary damages, it is asking the court to require Google to offer sources or competitors rights equal to its own, meaning the company should not prioritize the placement of Google-owned products, services and websites on its search results.

The complaint is just the latest in a series of legal threats the tech giant is facing both in the U.S. and abroad, including a multi-state antitrust lawsuit assailing Google's business practices, which Yost also joined in December.

That is just one of three major antitrust lawsuits filed against Google across the U.S. last autumn, including an attempted crackdown by the U.S. Justice Department. Google has vowed to fiercely contest the allegations in each of those lawsuits in a battle that is expected to take years to resolve.
CLEVELAND (AP)  The electric utility AEP Ohio said Tuesday that the Enforcement Division of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has subpoenaed documents related to subsidies it has received from a now-tainted energy bill for two aging coal plants partly owned by the company.

A document on the company's website says the SEC is seeking various documents, including those regarding the energy bill passed in July 2019 and those relating to our financial processes and controls.

As we have previously stated, we continue to have no reason to believe that AEP was involved in any wrongful conduct, the company said, adding that it is cooperating with the SEC.

Federal authorities last July accused Akron-based First Energy Corp. of secretly funding a $60 million bribery scheme to win legislative passage of a $1 billion subsidy for two Ohio nuclear power plants operated at the time by a wholly-owned FirstEnergy subsidiary.

A subsidy for the coal plants, which AEP has a 43% ownership stake in, was later added to the energy bill.

Two other Ohio investor-owned electric utilities, AES Ohio, formerly Dayton Power & Light, and Duke Energy have smaller ownership shares of the plants, one of which is in Indiana.

The energy bill required nearly all electric customers in the state to subsidize the coal plants. Previously, only Ohio customers of the AEP, Duke and AES paid the subsidy, which amounted to $114 million last year.

The plants owned by a consortium called the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation were built in the 1950s to provide power to a uranium enrichment facility in Piketon, Ohio. Government contracts with OVEC ended in 2003 but the plants continue to operate, typically selling electricity to the regional grid at a price less than what it costs to produce.

Critics have pointed out that AEP initially opposed the nuclear bailout but later gave its support when the coal plant subsidy was added to the legislation.

A spokesperson for Charlotte, North Carolina-based Duke Energy said on Tuesday the company has not been subpoenaed by the SEC. A request for comment was left Tuesday with AES officials.

FirstEnergy officials have said the company is cooperating with investigations by the SEC, the U.S. Justice Department and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regarding its role in the bribery scandal. The company has been accused by federal prosecutors of secretly funding a $60 million scheme to win legislative passage of the energy bill.

The Legislature repealed the nuclear bailout portion of the bill earlier this year when the new owners of the plant, Energy Harbor, indicated it did not want subsidy worth $150 million a year.

In a recent answer to a shareholder lawsuit filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, attorneys for FirstEnergy acknowledged the company paid large sums of money to a dark money group controlled by then-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder.

Federal authorities have said the money was used to get supporters of Householder elected, to win passage of the energy bill, and to prevent a referendum organized by bailout opponents from getting on the ballot.

Householder and four other men were arrested and subsequently indicted on federal racketeering charges last July. Householder has pleaded not guilty.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  Tualatin police have arrested a horse trainer and former Olympic equestrian on allegations of sexual abuse.

Oregon City resident Richard Rankin Fellers, 61, is facing four counts of second-degree sexual abuse involving a teenager, the Tualatin Police Department said in a news release Monday.

Police said theyve been investigating for months after receiving information from the United States Center for SafeSport, an organization focused on ending abuse in sports.

Police said they interviewed witnesses in multiple states and that investigators established that Fellers had a sexual relationship with a teen victim in Portland. He was the victim's horse trainer, police said.

It wasnt immediately known if Fellers has a lawyer to comment on his case.

According to the U.S. Center for SafeSport's disciplinary database, Fellers was temporarily suspended by the organization in February for alleged misconduct and was issued a no-contact directive. It wasn't immediately clear if the suspension is related to his arrest.

Feller competed in the 2012 U.S. Summer Olympics, and police said he is well-known in the equestrian industry. Feller is listed on the Team USA website as placing sixth in team show jumping and eighth in individual show jumping in the 2012 Olympics.
HONOLULU (AP)  The U.S. military gave an all-clear after an unspecified threat prompted an hours-long lockdown of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Tuesday.

A military news release didn't elaborate on the potential incident that required the base to close entrances to the base and to direct residents and employees to shelter in place at 9:39 a.m.
Coleg Cambria the first in Wales to launch Huawei ICT academy

A multinational technology leader will launch its first training academy in Wales this year.

Coleg Cambria has been approved as a Huawei ICT Academy and begins delivering a range of cutting-edge courses from September.

Huawei has rolled out free training programmes in more than 90 countries with 3,000 instructors and 60,000 learners worldwide.

Now Cambria is to be the first in Wales to host such programmes, a move welcomed by Nigel Holloway, Director of Business Solutions.





Based at the colleges Yale site in Wrexham, he said: This is a big honour for us and will enable Coleg Cambria to work in partnership with Huawei to equip people with the digital skills needed to meet demand, especially in the workplace.

The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated how vital technology is to our everyday lives, and that need is only going to increase in the future.

We have yet to finalise which courses we will be introducing for the next academic year, but the themes are around cloud computing, big data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), cyber security and 5G, among others.

Nigel added: As the relationship develops, Im sure interest will grow and grow; this is a fantastic opportunity for employees to upskill and for companies wanting to prepare their workers for further technological advances.

It is also another example of how Coleg Cambria is at the forefront of academia and industry in Wales  we cant wait to get started.

Bespoke courses of different lengths can be tailored to meet requirements and there will be evening classes available virtually and in person subject to Coronavirus restrictions, offering accessibility and flexibility for participants.

Huawei continues to build a global structure of learning, certification, and employment, and is focused on helping build a talent ecosystem to improve communication between industry and education and bring through the next generation of skilled IT workers.

Pallavi Malhotra, Director for the Huawei ICT Academy Programme in Western Europe, welcomed Coleg Cambria to the programme.

The Academy provides so many free opportunities for the ICT sector and is totally flexible, which is why we have had such a positive response worldwide and its popularity has grown and grown, she said.

We would encourage employers to explore the wide range of choices available for CPD (Continuing Professional Development) as there are options that would be beneficial for them.

We are providing the latest industry information, which is fantastic for their staff as well as the learners, so there will be a high level of upskilling as demand continues to rise.

Pallavi added: Im so pleased to have Coleg Cambria join us. It is one of the largest and most ambitious colleges in the country, so we are delighted they are our very first academy in Wales.

For more information visit Computing Courses for Adults  Coleg Cambria

Pictured: Pallavi Malhotra
CINCINNATI, Ohio (AP)  Authorities in Ohio say two sisters charged with shooting at homeless people with an air rifle from a car in Cincinnati are now in custody, and a third person is being sought.

Brittany Hopper, 29, and Kelsey Hopper, 28, have been charged with three counts of assault, accused of firing a BB gun at two people in the Over-The-Rhine neighborhood early in the morning on June 3, Cincinnati police said. Police said the sisters turned themselves in Tuesday.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP)  A man suspected of fatally shooting two people outside a convenience store over the weekend was charged with capital murder, authorities said Tuesday.

Antonio Shaw, 27, of Birmingham was charged in the killings of Joseph Demetrice Robinson, 25, and Rikki Dunri Christopher Bynum, 27, the Birmingham Police Department said in a statement.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)  Authorities are investigating two separate homicides and a double shooting that happened within about an hour Tuesday afternoon in Kansas City.

Police said the first deadly shooting happened around 1:30 p.m. Investigators said a male shooter approached the victim and opened fire before leaving. KMBC-TV reports that the victim was taken to a hospital, but died a short time later.
MIAMI (AP)  A man and woman were killed in a drive-by shooting near Miami early Tuesday morning, police said.

Miami-Dade police responded to the scene in Brownsville after receiving an alert from ShotSpotter  which alerts them to gunfire in the area  around 1 a.m. Tuesday, news outlets reported.

There, they found a car that had crashed against a fence. Inside the car, they found a woman dead from gunshot wounds and a man with critical injuries. He was taken to a hospital where he later died, police said.

Police told news outlets that a preliminary investigation indicated that someone in another car shot at them. That caused their car to crash.

Television video footage showed the crashed car, with dozens of evidence markers on the ground. WPLG reported that every marker had a bullet casing next to it. WFOR reported that police found more than 88 bullet casings in the area.

Investigators did not release the identities of the two victims. No additional details were available.

Police continue to investigate a number of shootings that have taken place in the county since Memorial Day weekend. It was not immediately known whether they think this shooting is connected to the others.
NEW YORK (AP)  When Rose Ingleton launched her own namesake skincare line two years ago, she couldn't break into the big chains and was forced to use her own funds and get financial help from family and friends.

But things changed after the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests last year. Ingleton, a Manhattan-based Black dermatologist with more than 20 years of experience, reconnected with beauty chain Sephora and now her products can be found on the retailers website as well as at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.

There was this sudden awareness," Ingleton said. I am now at the top food chain. I'm now getting ready to approach deeper pocket investors.

As corporations continue to face a racial reckoning, the beauty industry is trying to address the criticism that it centers too many of its products around whiteness by pushing more items onto store shelves that better represent the diverse women they serve.

Retailers from Sephora to Walmart and Target have focused on increasing their offerings of Black-owned brands across all categories as a key strategy to combat racial bias. They're also developing entrepreneurship programs and trying to create a pipeline of new talent.

More than 20 companies including Sephora and most recently Ulta Beauty have signed onto a nationwide campaign called 15 Percent Pledge, which aims to have companies from all industries commit to at least 15% of their products on their shelves to Black-owned businesses  in line with the U.S. Black population.

Plenty more have not yet signed it, but some are forging their own path. Target, for instance, said it currently has 50 Black-owned and Black-founded beauty brands, with plans to continue increasing that number as part of its broader commitment to add more than 500 Black-owned brands by the end of 2025.

Retailers cant afford to ignore this lucrative segment.

Last year, Hispanic consumers spent 6.1% more on beauty and other items compared with 2019, while Blacks spent 5.4% more, according to NielsenIQ. That pace exceeded the 3.5% increase for the total U.S. population.

And while NPD Group Inc. found that Black-owned brands represent just 4% of sales in prestige makeup, they performed 1.5 to 4 times better in May, June and July 2020  during the peak months of the Black Lives Matter movement  than the rest of the market, reversing their declines and reflecting a consumer appetite to support such businesses.

Still, overall progress has been slow. Ulta wants to double the number of Black-owned brands to 26 by year-end, but that will only get the penetration to 5%, says its chief merchandising officer Monica Arnaudo. Ulta and Sephora say they want to make sure the brands are financially successful.

Black entrepreneurs also argue they continue to be pigeon-holed by retailers and investors who think their products are only for women of color. And beauty brands catering to women of color continue in some cases to be locked up in stores  even after a number of stores including Walmart, CVS Health and Walgreens pledged last year they would end that practice.

Taydra Mitchell Jackson is the marketing director of The Lip Bar, a Black-owned brand based in Detroit, Michigan that's now in more than 1,200 stores including Target and Walmart. She says retailers have to be careful not to think of adding merchandise from Black owners as just a token gesture.

"Merchandising is critical, but messaging and how I feel when I walk in the store are just as important, Jackson said.

She noted some social media influencers complaining about Lip Bar items being locked up at Walmart, creating a feeling of being inferior. The brand is following up with the company.

Walmart responded that it does not tolerate discrimination of any kind at Walmart. We serve millions of customers weekly, crossing all demographics, and are focused on meeting their needs while providing the best shopping experience at each store."

The problems facing Black-owned brands are not new.

Beauty brands for Black women have been around for years, but theyve struggled to get shelf space in stores, says Tiffany Gill, an associate professor of history at Rutgers University who wrote a book called Beauty Shop Politics: African American Womens Activism in the Beauty Industry.

The fantasy of beauty has often been constructed around a celebration of white bodies, Gill said. And to even have makeup for darker skinned women or to put them in campaigns in visible ways means to completely undermine the whole foundation of the industry.

Even when brands did create makeup for darker skin shades, those products would be sold online instead of stores.

As a black consumer, you often do not have the opportunity to have the in-store retail experience, Gill said.

Things began to change in 2017, when pop superstar Rihanna launched her Fenty Beauty makeup line. In two years, it became one of the top 10 selling beauty brands, alongside decades-old brands such as Mary Kay and LOreal-owned Urban Decay, says market research firm Euromonitor. Other companies took notice, adding more shades for darker skin or promising to give more shelf space to Black-owned brands in stores.

Still, it wasn't until last summer's Black Lives Matter protests that Black-owned brands started to see more interest from investors and retailers.

As of mid-2020, a study by a resource called digitalundivided identified 183 Black and Hispanic women founders who had secured at least $1 million in investor backing for their businesses, more than double the number in 2018, says Lauren Maillian, CEO of digitalundivided, which has a data base of more than 800 Black and Hispanic-women-founded companies.

But it also found that these women received less than half of 1% of venture capital investment. That's even as their failure rate in its data base is 27%  lower than the 40% national fail rate for startups founded in 2017.

Black entrepreneur Monique Rodriguez, who co-founded natural hair care company Mielle Organics, saw her sales increase at a faster rate last year over previous years. And this year, she secured a big investment from Boston-based private equity firm Berkshire Partners.

I dont think it will fade," she said of the efforts to diversify beauty. It is here to stay, but we have to put forth an effort that our voices continue to be heard. 

___

AP Retail Writer Joseph Pisani in New York contributed to this report.

______

Follow Anne DInnocenzio: http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Tuesday that aims to boost U.S. semiconductor production and the development of artificial intelligence and other technology in the face of growing international competition, most notably from China.

The 68-32 vote for the bill demonstrates how confronting China economically is an issue that unites both parties in Congress. Thats a rarity in an era of division as pressure grows on Democrats to change Senate rules to push past Republican opposition and gridlock.

The centerpiece of the bill is a $50 billion emergency allotment to the Commerce Department to stand up semiconductor development and manufacturing through research and incentive programs previously authorized by Congress. The bills overall cost would increase spending by about $250 billion with most of the spending occurring in the first five years.

Supporters described it as the biggest investment in scientific research that the country has seen in decades. It comes as the nations share of semiconductor manufacturing globally has steadily eroded from 37% in 1990 to about 12% now, and as a chip shortage has exposed vulnerabilities in the U.S. supply chain.

The premise is simple, if we want American workers and American companies to keep leading the world, the federal government must invest in science, basic research and innovation, just as we did decades after the Second World War, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Whoever wins the race to the technologies of the future is going to be the global economic leader with profound consequences for foreign policy and national security as well.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the bill was incomplete because it did not incorporate more Republican-sponsored amendments. He nonetheless supported it.

Needless to say, final passage of this legislation cannot be the Senate's final word on our competition with China," he said. It certainly won't be mine.

President Joe Biden applauded the bill's passage in a statement Tuesday evening, saying: As other countries continue to invest in their own research and development, we cannot risk falling behind. America must maintain its position as the most innovative and productive nation on Earth.

Senators slogged through days of debates and amendments leading up to Tuesday's final vote. Schumer's office said 18 Republican amendments will have received votes as part of passage of the bill. It also said the Senate this year has already held as many roll call votes on amendments than it did in the last Congress, when the Senate was under Republican control.

While the bill enjoys bipartisan support, a core group of GOP senators has reservations about its costs.

One of the bills provisions would create a new directorate focused on artificial intelligence and quantum science with the National Science Foundation. The bill would authorize up to $29 billion over five years for the new branch within the foundation with an additional $52 billion for its programs.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said Congress should be cutting the foundation's budget, not increasing it. He called the agency the king of wasteful spending." The agency finances about a quarter of all federally supported research conducted by Americas colleges and universities.

The bill is nothing more than a big government response that will make our country weaker, not stronger," Paul said.

But Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., noted that a greater federal investment in the physical sciences had been called for during the administration of President George W. Bush to ensure U.S. economic competitiveness.

At the time, Im pretty sure we thought we were in a track meet where our competitor was, oh, I dont know, maybe half a lap behind us. Im pretty sure now as the decade has moved on, were looking over our shoulder and realizing that the competition is gaining, said Cantwell, the chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

The lead Republican on the committee also weighed in to support the bill.

This is an opportunity for the United States to strike a blow on behalf of answering the unfair competition that we are seeing from communist China, said Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.

Senators have tried to strike a balance when calling attention to Chinas growing influence. They want to avoid fanning divisive anti-Asian rhetoric when hate crimes against Asian Americans have spiked during the coronavirus pandemic.

Other measures spell out national security concerns and target money-laundering schemes or cyberattacks by entities on behalf of the Chinese government. There are also buy America provisions for infrastructure projects in the U.S.

Senators added provisions that reflect shifting attitudes toward Chinas handling of the COVID-19 outbreak. One would prevent federal money for the Wuhan Institute of Virology as fresh investigations proceed into the origins of the virus and possible connections to the labs research. The city registered some of the first coronavirus cases.

Its unclear whether the measure will find support in the Democratic-led House, where the Science Committee is expected to soon consider that chamber's version. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who has been working with Schumer for two years on legislation thats included in the bill, called it the biggest investment in science and technology since the Apollo spaceflight program a half century ago.

I'm quite certain we will get a really good product on the president's desk," Schumer said.

Biden said he looked forward to working with the House on the legislation, "and I look forward to signing it into law as soon as possible.

___

AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP)  A Senate committee on Wednesday rejected a rushed attempt to create a new system for the involuntary detainment of patients in emergency rooms.

The Department of Health and Human Services proposed the medical protective custody system in response to last months state Supreme Court ruling that psychiatric patients being held involuntarily in emergency rooms must be given a chance to contest their detention within three days of their arrival.

State law requires probable cause hearings for such patients within three days of an involuntary emergency admission, but the state had argued the clock does not start until someone is transferred to an inpatient facility. However, those facilities often have no available beds, leaving patients boarding in emergency departments for weeks at a time.

The state has temporarily reduced the number of adults waiting for beds in the last few weeks by offering financial incentives to long-term care facilities and local hospitals. But its longer term solution hit a roadblock when the Senate Health and Human Services Committee voted 4-0 against adding it as an amendment to an unrelated bill.

Theres no consensus that anybodys bought into, and I see no way this amendment can go forward without an awful lot of collaboration among the interested parties, said Sen. Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro.

Officials wanted to create a new system that that would allow hospitals to detain and assess patients who need help but not necessarily inpatient psychiatric care, such as elderly patients with dementia and those with substance abuse problems, said Commissioner Lori Shibinette.

We are not saying that these patients dont need care, but they certainly do not need an involuntary emergency admission, said Shibinette, who denied suggestions from critics that the proposal would end up extending the time spent in emergency departments.

It is meant as a tool for the provider to hold an unsafe person for up to three days whose condition is not related to a serious mental illness and get them on the right path, she said. That may be substance abuse rehab, that may be long-term care, or that may be a voluntary admission.

The proposal was opposed by the Disabilities Rights Center and the New Hampshire chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. They argued that it would weaken due process and result in patients spending more time detained.

Michael Skibbie, policy director for the Disabilities Rights Center, said the plan would be a step backward and compared it to the days when people with mental illness spent their lives in institutions.

We left behind a system of involuntary confinement of people on the decision of a medical provider half a century ago, when we realized that judges need to determine if the legal standard for confinement is met. We cant abandon that, he said. In criminal cases, the U.S. Supreme Court has said that judicial review of the basis for custody must occur within 48 hours, unless theres some extraordinary emergency circumstance. We shouldnt be providing more procedural protection to people who are accused of a serious crime than for people who as a result of illness find themselves in the emergency department.

Virginia Nossiff, of Conway, told the committee her 24-year-old son waited two and a half weeks in a windowless room at her local hospital earlier this year. She said she fears such waits would grow if the proposal goes forward.

He received no treatment whatsoever except food and water, she said. We need to treat all psychiatric patients in a timely, effective and respectful manner.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-07 21:47:10|Editor: huaxia

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People visit a boat show in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 3, 2021. Turkish sector representatives said there has been a growing interest in boat tours while the country's yacht industry has seen a surge in sales and production during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Osman Orsal/Xinhua)

ISTANBUL, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Turkish sector representatives said there has been a growing interest in boat tours while the country's yacht industry has seen a surge in sales and production during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Zeki Gurses, general manager of the Antalya Free Zone (ASBAS), said that 479 yachts, worth 1.27 billion U.S. dollars, were produced in the zone between 2000 and 2019.

But he said the yearly production has doubled due to the continuation of the pandemic, and the zone now aims to produce 49 yachts with a total value of 150 million dollars in 2021.

"By the end of this year, the total number of yachts produced will reach 528, and the total revenue will rise to 1.4 billion dollars," Gurses was quoted as saying by the Milliyet daily.

The country's marine importers and yacht manufacturers have recently come together with their potential consumers in a boat show in Istanbul.

"In all over the world, people with a certain amount of savings want to set sails into the sea from land and buy boats," Yavuz Sipahi, manager of Burla Machine, told Xinhua at the CNR Eurasia Boat Show On The Sea.

Sipahi noted that his company has been trying to meet the need with the products in its stock or through its partnerships abroad.

"We are having a good season," he added, highlighting the importance of the fair held under the COVID-19 related measures.

"These fairs are places where people and sea lovers meet," Sipahi said. "We are happy to meet with our customers face to face."

Safter Marine, a diversified boat building company, took its place at the fair with a series of models "suitable to every budget and need."

Mehmet Pamuk, sales manager of the company, said people tried to avoid crowded locations and hotels during their holidays amid the pandemic.

"There is a lot of interest," he told Xinhua, standing in front of the smallest boat of the fair, which is 2.6 meters in length and 1 meter in width, with a price of approximately 800 dollars.

"It is very affordable and mostly used in coastal fishing, in stagnant waters, or rivers," Pamuk said, noting that the most expensive boat of the company goes up to 40,500 dollars.

In Pamuk's view, people do not hesitate to spend money on boats and yachts, in which they can be alone without worrying about the pandemic.

According to Murat Saral, the owner of Venna Yacht, this interest will continue to expand during the coming five to six years.

His company has been developing new models, with prices varying between 5,500 and 73,000 dollars, to deal with the growing demand.

The boat show was previously scheduled between June 1-6. However, it was extended until June 7, when the interest became higher than expected.

Meanwhile, the interest in renting tour boats for the summer vacation this year increased by 280 percent among Turkish travelers, press reports recently revealed.

Baran Yildirim, CEO of viravira.co, a company that provides private yacht charters, bareboat rentals, and gulet holidays in almost a thousand destinations, said their reservations for June, July, and August were almost full. Enditem
A high school senior headed to Harvard asked that her school give the $40,000 college scholarship it had awarded her to someone going to a community college instead.

At the graduation ceremony at Fitchburg High School on Friday, Verda Tetteh returned to the stage to ask that the school give its General Excellence Award scholarship to another student or students going to a community college.
BARTOW, Fla. (AP)  A teenager was ambushed" and fatally shot in a central Florida park where he had apparently gone to sell some marijuana" to someone, sheriff's officials said.

Taigur Taguri, 17, and a 19-year-old woman went to Gordon Heights Park near Bartow on Monday night, where the teen had planned to meet up with someone to sell drugs, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said during a Tuesday morning news conference.
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP)  Syrian state media reported late Tuesday an Israeli aerial attack near the Syrian capital of Damascus and in the central province of Homs, prompting a response from national air defenses.

The target of the reported Israeli attacks were not immediately clear. The attacks are the first reported since the re-election of Syrian President Bashar Assad for a fourth seven-year term.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced Tuesday that the state will pour $52 million into building a complicated wastewater discharge pipeline into a sprawling site that has failed to land potential tenants due to a lack of infrastructure buildout.

The Memphis Regional Megasite, located about 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of downtown Memphis, has already received more than $170 million in state funding. However, state officials have long warned that more money is needed to make the nearly 6.5 square miles (17 square kilometers) attractive enough for prospective investors.

Officials say construction on the wastewater pipeline project likely won't start until next year.

I have directed the Department of Economic and Community Development to aggressively market the Megasite and offer enhanced incentives to companies demonstrating a long-term desire to call Haywood County home," Lee said in a statement.

Lee's administration had commissioned an independent review of the megasite. The report, released Tuesday, found that along with a lack of utility service, a lack of available workforce and a low quality of life have also hindered securing a tenant.

Key criteria are just that  they are key to the prospect and necessary for selection. Fixing one will not resolve the deficiency, the report stated.

Overcoming issues related to proximity and quality of life are more challenging areas to address, the report added. For this reason, economic development organizations typically assemble sites within driving distance of a major metropolitan areas with attractive quality of life scores.

According to economic development officials, the megasites 4,100 acres (1,660 hectares) would be enough to include the combined footprints of several of the states largest plants, including the 715-acre (290-hectare) Nissan complex in Smyrna, the 352-acre (140-hectare) Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga and the 469-acre (190-hectare) Hankook Tire plant in Clarksville.

In 2017, the site failed to land a new auto plant planned by a joint venture of Toyota and Mazda. A year prior, the Tennessee site was one of two finalists when Sentury Tire Americas was looking to build a $530 million plant. The company ultimately chose a site in Georgia.
BOISE, Idaho (AP)  A suction-dredge gold miner who operated in an Idaho river containing federally protected salmon and steelhead without required permits is facing what could be substantial fines.

A U.S. District Court judge last week ruled Shannon Poe of Concord, California, violated the Clean Water Act on the South Fork of the Clearwater River when he suction dredge-mined 42 days in 2014 and 2015.

Suction dredge miners use an underwater hose to suck up gravel and sort it for gold in a sluice box mounted on a watercraft. The sediment is discharged downstream.

The waterway where Poe operated is designated critical habitat for federally protected steelhead, salmon and bull trout. Critics say dredging can destroy fish spawning beds, and that discharged sediment can smother fish eggs.

Another miner who also operated a suction dredge on the South Fork of the Clearwater River for one day received a penalty of $6,600 in a separate case.

The penalty in Poe's case, if any, has yet to be determined and will be the subject of additional court hearings.

The Idaho Conservation League filed a citizen enforcement lawsuit in August 2018 against Poe, saying federal and state officials didn't act to make sure dozens of dredge miners followed the law.

I think this (ruling) will have some repercussions for any miners who are thinking about mining without the required permit, said the league's Jonathan Oppenheimer.

Federal and state agencies repeatedly notified Poe of the violations, but Poe denied being subject to the Clean Water Act, according to the lawsuit. The Idaho Conservation League also said Poe was encouraging unpermitted mining by other gold seekers in Idaho rivers.

Poe's defense in the lawsuit was to argue he didn't need any type of Clean Water Act permit because his suction dredge didn't add pollutants to the river. He said that even if his suction dredge did add pollutants, it would be considered dredged or fill material regulated under a different section of the Clean Water Act, also not requiring a specific type of permit.

But Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald E. Bush disagreed. He said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers agreed that the operation of a suction dredge resulted in discharge of processed waste, requiring the permit.

Poe's attorney, Constance Brooks, didn't return a call from The Associated press on Tuesday.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is more than half done, and U.S. officials say that while it could be completed by July 4, the final exit of equipment and troops more likely will be later in the summer.

As early as this week, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East, Gen. Frank McKenzie, will give Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin a range of military options for securing the U.S. embassy in Afghanistan and providing counterterrorism support from outside the country once the withdrawal is complete, officials said. The number of American troops needed for the overall security missions inside Afghanistan will depend on a variety of requirements, and could range from roughly a couple hundred to a bit less than 1,000, officials said.

McKenzies deliberations are a reminder that much about U.S. postwar support for Afghanistan remains uncertain, including how to protect Afghans who worked with the U.S. government from reprisals and how to avoid an intelligence void that could hamper U.S. early warning of extremist threats inside Afghanistan.

At stake is not just a political verdict on President Joe Bidens judgment about the risk posed by renewed instability in Afghanistan, but also the legacy of an American war that was launched 20 years ago in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and that imperceptibly morphed into what Biden calls this forever war.

McKenzie is expected to provide options on the amount of aerial surveillance and drones needed to keep an eye on any potential resurgence of al-Qaida, Islamic State or other militant groups. Those options will involve U.S. aircraft from ships at sea and air bases in the Gulf region, such as Al Dhafra air base in the United Arab Emirates. And they could range from persistent U.S. overwatch to a more minimal presence.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss planning details, said there are no options yet for basing U.S. troops or aircraft in nations neighboring Afghanistan, because those possibilities require diplomatic negotiations. Any agreements with countries such as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan or Uzbekistan would be difficult because there would be Russian opposition.

McKenzie told reporters Monday that the withdrawal from Afghanistan is on pace and continuing very smoothly. He said it was about halfway finished, but provided no details. Other officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the pullout was more than half completed but provided no specifics.

Officials acknowledge that the withdrawal so far has largely involved removing or otherwise disposing of the mountain of equipment, gadgetry, aircraft and other war materials that accumulated in Afghanistan over the years  not the departure of troops. Officials say the troops  who are needed to secure and execute the withdrawal  will be among the last to leave.

McKenzie will give Austin estimates on how many troops will be needed to secure the embassy and the airport. Turkish troops have provided security at part of the airport, and negotiations are underway to determine if that will continue. At least some American troops are likely to be needed  at least in the near term  to ensure that diplomats can come and go safely from the airport.

So far, the U.S. military has none of the Taliban interference that American officials had feared at the start. But there are widespread concerns about whether financial and diplomatic support alone will prevent the Kabul governments collapse after the international military support is gone.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Taliban said it would not attack Afghans who had worked with the U.S. military, calling on them to return to their homes and not flee the country.

The pullout officially began May 1, when the number of U.S. troops was between 2,500 and 3,500. When Biden announced the decision in April, he gave the military until Sept. 11 and promised there would be no hasty rush to the exit by the remaining U.S. and coalition troops.

Gathering, cataloguing and shipping out tons of equipment and weaponry, and turning over military posts to the Afghan government, is an unusually big logistical challenge. Adding to the difficulty is the need to coordinate the effort with the Biden administration's political, diplomatic and counterterrorism goals in a country whose government is fragile at best.

The Pentagon says it will do all it can to ensure that Afghanistan does not collapse as soon as its international military support is gone. But given the Taliban's interest in returning to power, and the lack of progress toward a political settlement between the Taliban and the U.S-supported Kabul government, skeptics say the outlook appears dim.

There is zero chance of a good outcome, says David Sedney, a deeply experienced Afghan policy hand who believes Washington is squandering American credibility by leaving before the country is capable of defending itself.

The al-Qaida extremist group led by Osama bin Laden was the immediate target of the U.S. invasion, and while bin Laden was killed 10 years ago and much of the group's capacity has withered, it remains a worry. A June 1 United Nations Security Council report said al-Qaida remains linked to the Taliban.

Large numbers of al-Qaida fighters and other foreign extremist elements aligned with the Taliban are located in various parts of Afghanistan, it said in a review of the political and security situation between May 2020 and April 2021. Al-Qaida continued to suffer attrition during the period under review, with a number of senior figures killed, often alongside Taliban associates while co-located with them.

Sedney, who spent much of the past two decades either in Afghanistan or at the Pentagon working on Afghanistan policy, said in an interview that a major flaw in the U.S. withdrawal plan is that it includes removing all U.S. civilian contractors, whose work is central to the proper functioning of Afghan military aircraft, radars, battlefield intelligence systems and other equipment.

The whole thing is chaotic, he said.

John Sopko, the U.S. special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, whose organization monitors U.S. efforts to rebuild and stabilize Afghanistan, said in March that the loss of contractor support is likely to be as devastating to Afghanistan as the departure of foreign troops.
The Biden administration threatened Monday to pursue legal action if Texas Gov. Greg Abbott doesn't rescind his order shutting down federally funded shelters that house migrant children who cross the U.S.-Mexico border without their parents.

In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, the deputy general counsel for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told the Republican governor that even though the state issues the licenses for the shelter, Congress has tasked his agency with caring for unaccompanied children.

He warned Abbott not to interfere with those operations and said HHS intends to pursue legal action if the state proceeds to close the shelters down.

(The Office of Refugee Resettlement) operates 52 state-licensed facilities in Texas, which comprise a significant portion of ORRs total operational footprint, and represent an indispensable component of the federal immigration system, Paul Rodriguez, HHS deputy general counsel, wrote in the letter two Abbott and two other Texas officials. The proclamation would be a direct attack on this system.

The letter urges Abbott to clarify by June 11 whether his proclamation last week applies to 52 shelters that are licensed by the state but funded with federal grants. It argues that federal law states these migrant children do not accrue unlawful presence while they are in the United States, challenging Abbotts labeling of these children as unlawful immigrants.

More than half of migrant children sheltered by the U.S. government in licensed facilities are in Texas. The last census taken on May 19 showed 4,223 children in the facilities of about 7,000 in the entire network of licensed shelters.

Experts and advocates say shutting down these shelters could seriously disrupt the program for unaccompanied children, which already faces capacity problems forcing the government to open up a dozen emergency sites to process thousands of children.

The Biden administration has worked to speed up the transfers from Border Patrol to HHS custody, and the releases of children to relatives in the U.S. In the past month, HHS has reduced the number of children in shelters or emergency sites by releasing more of them to their families.

However, as of Sunday, there are still about 16,000 children in HHS custody, and the federal government has struggled to increase the number of beds in licensed shelters, which are preferred by advocates.

The so-called emergency intake sites were opened beginning in March at convention centers, military bases and other large venues. They look like hurricane evacuation shelters, with little space to play and no privacy. Advocates and lawmakers who have visited have voiced concerns about the childrens mental health.

Abbott also has been critical of emergency facilities that lack state licenses, but advocates say his directive could transfer more children to the large-scale sites.

The letter says the state would be discriminating against providers who have federal government grants to run these shelters. That would violate the doctrine of intergovernmental immunity, which impedes state interfering with federal activity, and the Supremacy Clause, which says federal law takes precedence over state or local laws.

The order to strip away licenses from shelters is part of a disaster declaration Abbott issued last week, arguing the federal government cant force Texas to keep issuing state licenses in response to a federal problem. The proclamation was a highly unusual move by the governor that comes amid criticism of record numbers of border crossings in recent months.

More recently, Abbott is saying that state troopers will soon begin arresting migrants at the border, promising an announcement later this week.

The letter sent Monday was addressed to Abbott, Texas Deputy Secretary of State Jose Esparza and Executive Commissioner of Texas Health and Human Services Cecil Erwin Young.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)  Plenty of coronavirus vaccine doses are sitting unused in West Virginia as a vaccination lottery has yet to fuel a surge in people rolling up their arms.

Leaders on Tuesday pleaded for more residents to get vaccinated amid reports of the more contagious delta virus variant driving up cases in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Clay Marsh, the state's coronavirus czar, said testing has not yet detected the delta variant in the state. But as different forms of COVID-19 circulate around the world, it will come to West Virginia, he said at a governor's news conference. "So, this is really our time with all residents of West Virginia who are vaccine eligible to get the shot.

Republican Gov. Jim Justice has tried to boost a declining vaccination drive with offers of lottery prizes. The state has vaccinated 60% of all eligible residents aged 12 and over, far off its goal for 65% coverage by June 20, when the indoor mask mandate will be lifted. Data show that the state is less than half a percentage point away from its target of vaccinating 85% all senior citizens.

Demand for the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine for all practical purposes has almost dropped off completely," said James Hoyer, who leads the state's pandemic taskforce. Use of the vaccine resumed after an 11-day pause in April over rare cases of blood clotting. U.S. scientific advisers had decided its benefits outweigh risks.

People feel much more comfortable with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, which require two doses several weeks apart for full effectiveness, Hoyer said.

The state has administered nearly 84% of all vaccine doses in stock. Hoyer said there was a continued steady flow of people getting shots, but that plenty of doses were remaining on shelves.

West Virginia's vaccine sweepstakes includes prizes ranging from hunting rifles to $1 million. The first prizes are set to be announced June 20, which also marks West Virginias birthday and the end of the mask mandate. The giveaways, which also include Rocky Ridge version Ford F-150 trucks, weekend getaway packages, and college scholarships, will conclude on Aug. 4.

Justice pointed to the state's 2,822 coronavirus deaths to urge more young people to get their shots.

How many of your moms and dads, how many of your grandparents, how many of them are we going to have to lose in order to be able to just say ... Im going to step up. I'm going to get vaccinated.'
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  A Des Moines woman has pleaded guilty in the 2018 hit-and-run death of a 14-year-old boy.

Kelli Jo Michael, 27, pleaded guilty last week to vehicular homicide in the death of Kaiden Estling, the Des Moines Register reported. As part of the plea deal, another charge was dropped and Michael admitted to driving recklessly. Michael will also be required to pay the boy's family $150,000 in restitution.

Police have said she was texting and driving when she slammed into the back of Kaidens moped the night of June 28, 2018, along Iowa Highway 150 near Fayette. Michael fled the crash, police said, and Kaiden died at the scene.

Michael faces up to 10 years in prison when shes sentenced at a later date.

Kaiden's mother, April Estling, is suing Michael, asking for compensatory damages covering earnings during Kaiden's lifetime, damages for his familys pain and suffering and for the cost of the child's funeral expenses.

The trial in the lawsuit is scheduled to begin Sept. 29.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-07 23:15:20|Editor: huaxia

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Hua Dan, a student of traditional Tibetan medicine and pharmacy major in class 2020, learns to identify herbal medicines in a specimen gallery at the vocational technology school in Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Golog in northwest China's Qinghai Province, on March 16, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Long)

BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature began discussing a draft revision to the law on vocational education, in a bid to solve prominent problems in the field and train more high-caliber technical professionals.

The draft revision was presented for the legislators' deliberation for the first time on Monday at the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

Proposing that vocational education should enjoy equal importance to general education, the draft calls for leveraging the principal role of enterprises in vocational education and encouraging social participation.

It stipulates giving greater autonomy to vocational schools in their operations, thus promoting the quality and level of education.

The draft also defines further efforts to strengthen the teacher workforce and improve the mechanism for funding in vocational education.

The current Vocational Education Law was put into effect in September 1996. 
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Authorities said a homeless woman with a knife was arrested Monday morning at a campaign stop by a mayoral candidate, who was blasting the city for its response to the homeless crisis.

The LAPD said a police captain received a minor cut from a 6-inch hunting knife in making the arrest at Venice Beach boardwalk, where residents have complained about tents, trash, drug use and fighting.

The woman was spotted standing behind City Councilman Joe Buscaino, who had just urged a city crackdown on tents in parks, beaches and sidewalks.

Our city has devolved into a place where chaos is common ... people tell me every day that they no longer feel safe in our city, Buscaino said.

Bucaino finished a short speech and was shaking hands with people when Nico Ruderman, a Venice resident, said he saw a homeless woman standing behind Buscaino and holding a knife.

She said, Im gonna start killing people, and I jumped forward and grabbed Joe, Ruderman told the Los Angeles Times.

Private security guards drew guns and hustled Buscaino into an SUV and police officers detained the woman, the Times said. The woman yelled that she had the knife for protection and to cut fruit, the paper said.

The woman was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. Her name wasn't immediately released but several people at the event said she lived on the boardwalk and called herself Angel, the Times reported.

In a statement, Buscaino said: This is exactly why I was in Venice Beach today, charting a new course for our city, and I am convinced now, more than ever, that bold action is needed to make our city safer for everyone, regardless of housing status.

Buscaino represents the 15th Council District, which doesn't include Venice Beach. He is running for mayor next year when the term of Eric Garcetti expires. City Attorney Mike Feuer also has announced his candidacy.

Garcetti's tenure has been marred by a crisis of homelessness that became a national embarrassment despite a massive jump in government spending to fight it by providing temporary shelter and several high-profile cleanups of encampments.
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP)  U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona visited a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at a suburban Detroit community college Tuesday to highlight the White Houses efforts to encourage similar efforts across the country.

Weve been talking about how were going to recover as a country and all hands on deck, Cardona said at Henry Ford College in Dearborn.
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I have a confession. All my life I have loved grilled cheese but have always turned my nose up at tomato soup. Always. I remember my Grandma Deloris used to make tomato soup for my brother, Damon, all the time and put ice cubes in it to help cool it off and I would think it was just the most
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As India continues to battle a devastating second wave of COVID-19 infections, some organizations are seeking ways to provide emotional support to their employees. Many companies are turning to employee assistance programs (EAPs) for the first time, while those that already offer such programs are encouraging employees to give them a try.

"We're getting more demand than we can serve," said Meeta Gangrade, chief operating and digital officer of 1to1help.net, a Bengaluru-based EAP provider. Gangrade said companies are realizing that "people can't function if they're not emotionally secure, and we need to do something about it."

COVID-19 infections in India rose dramatically in the spring of 2021, crossing more than 350,000 daily cases in late April and May. The sharp rise overwhelmed the health care system even in such large cities as Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, leaving many patients struggling to find beds, medical oxygen and life-saving medicines. Many thousands of people died.

Although the number of daily infections has eased to around 100,000 a day, the emotional toll of prolonged illness and the death of loved ones lingers across the country.

"This time, the predominant emotions are those of grief, loss, panic, uncertainty and fear,  all of which can lead to long-term trauma," said Amber Alam, director of EAP & Wellness Services for Asia Pacific at Optum, a care services provider in the Bengaluru metropolitan area.

Getting Inventive to Meet Demand

EAP programs are designed to help employees resolve personal or work-based problems that may affect their performance, and these programs have existed in India for at least a decade. However, not many companies have offered EAPs in the past, citing cost as their main concern.

"The first wave of COVID changed that," said Sushil Eapen, CEO and co-founder of EAP firm Silver Oak Health in Bengaluru. He said many HR executives and leaders realized that mental health isn't something they can address on their own, so they've turned to professionals.

"Suddenly, with the latest wave of COVID cases, even small companieswith less than 100 employeesstarted calling," Eapen said.

To meet the greater demand for their services, many EAPs have beefed up their network of psychologists, counselors and trainers. "We've onboarded 20 to 25 clients in the last two months," Alam explained, and all of them are large Indian multinational companies with at least 5,000 employees each. That said, smaller companies are seeking help as well.

"We also have added an additional 20 percent manpower in the last 45 days," Alam said. His firm plans to further increase its team strength by 50 percent in the coming weeks.

In addition to providing one-on-one counseling to employees, EAP providers are offering webinars for employees on topics that include dealing with grief and loss, self-care, working from home, parenting, and sleep assistance. "Sometimes we get 3,000 to 4,000 people participating in a single webinar," Eapen said.

To reach a larger number of employees quickly, some EAPs have organized group grief therapy and listening sessions, especially for employees who have lost a colleague or family member. "Some of them are not truly counseling sessions, but [the employees] just need coping techniques to deal with what's happening," Gangrade said.

To support blue-collar and factory workers, companies such as YourDOST, an emotional wellness platform, are offering counseling and helplines in regional Indian languages.

"The kind of webinars we do for them are very different from what we'd do for white-collar workers," said Richa Singh, co-founder of YourDOST in Bengaluru.

In some cases, EAP counselors have proactively called employees who were infected with COVID-19 to ask how they're doing. Typically, counselors don't call employees to check on their mental health, as it could be seen as an intrusion.

"For COVID, it's a different thing because it's seen as a check-in call," Eapen said. Such calls go a long way toward building goodwill for HR. "It gives a signal to employees that someone cares," he said. In some of these calls, employees reveal underlying anxieties, like the stress of high health care costs and whether it might lead to bankruptcy, Eapen said.

Counseling the Caregivers

Some companies have also sought to provide emotional guidance to managers and HR officials, especially where they are the first point of contact with employees seeking medical or emotional help.

YourDOST has organized sessions for these first responders and trained them on how to support team members who are dealing with a health problem at home, Singh said. In cases where there is an adverse outcome, such as an employee losing a family member, some first responders end up taking it personally.

"There's a lot of guilt, and some people say, 'Oh, probably I should have made more calls; maybe I didn't do enough,' " Singh said. Even counselors need to be taken care of, as they too often have dealt with COVID-19-related issues.

Due to COVID-19, 40 percent of the counseling staff at 1to1help.net was not working in April and May, Gangrade said. The company added more than 40 counselors in May to bridge the gap. At the same time, Gangrade said, it has been conscious of not overloading its therapists with too many grief sessions, as those can be draining.

"There is a caregiving fatigue that is settling in," she said. To manage this, the company has been providing its counselors with a half day off between sessions. "We're giving them very specialized therapy around caregiver fatigue," Gangrade added.

It remains to be seen if the recent demand for EAP services in India augurs for a fundamental shift in the way companies view EAPs. Some wellness providers think so.

Singh said companies and HR are realizing that in order to be empathetic organizations and professionals, they must support employees' emotional wellness, and that support must come from senior leadership.

"In the last year, I've seen that shift where HR has really pushed [top management] to say it cannot be just my agenda, it needs to be your agenda as well," Singh said.



Companies also need to recognize that the benefits of these services come over the long haul. "EAPs are not a magic wand that you put in today and in one month's time you see a return on investment," Alam said. "It entails a shift in terms of your culture."

Shefali Anand is a New Delhi-based journalist and former correspondent for The Wall Street Journal. You can follow her on Twitter.
Xi's proposal on building maritime community with shared future receives recognition

Xinhua) 14:13, June 08, 2021

BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The world marks the 13th World Oceans Day on Tuesday. Chinese President Xi Jinping has, on various occasions, called for strengthening cooperation in protecting the oceans, and his proposal of building a maritime community with a shared future has gained worldwide resonance.

Oceans are of great significance to the survival and development of humanity as they breed life, connect the world and promote development, Xi said on April 23, 2019, when he met with the heads of foreign delegations invited to multinational naval events marking the 70th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy.

In his remarks, Xi called for joint efforts to address common threats and challenges at sea, and safeguard maritime peace and tranquility.

"The blue planet humans inhabit is not divided into islands by the oceans, but is connected by the oceans to form a community with a shared future, where people of all countries share weal and woe," Xi said.

At present, ocean-based cooperation in market, technology, information, culture, and other areas is steadily deepening, Xi said, noting that the reason for China to propose jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is to facilitate maritime connectivity, pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and the development of the "blue economy," as well as to promote the integration of maritime cultures and to improve maritime wellbeing.

Maritime peace and tranquility, Xi said, concern the security and interests of all countries and need to be jointly maintained and cherished.

"The peace-loving Chinese people long for peace and will unswervingly stay on the path of peaceful development," he said.

China pays great attention to the building of marine ecological civilization, persistently intensifies the prevention and treatment of marine pollution, protects marine biodiversity and orderly exploits the marine resources in order to leave a blue sky and clean ocean for future generations, he said.

Cavince Adhere, a Kenyan researcher of international relations, said that China is making a very meaningful contribution to Africa's quest for peace and security in the maritime sector.

China is fulfilling its proposals and commitments by repelling pirates off the coast of Somalia, and leveraging existing continental frameworks such as the African Union to counterterrorism in the continent, said the expert.

Meanwhile, healthcare provision by Chinese naval hospital ship to many countries around the world and African in particular, further exemplifies the decision by China to go beyond maritime security into softer yet complementary aspects such as human security through healthcare services, Adhere said.

The Port of Piraeus in Greece is part of the Belt and Road Initiative, and contributes to organic interconnectivity across the world, George Tzogopoulos, director of EU-China programmes and senior research fellow at the International Center for European Studies, told Xinhua.

China's vision about maritime development goes beyond this kind of connectivity into issues of cardinal significance that require international cooperation under the UN framework, which include regional peace, biodiversity, environmental protection, preservation of natural resources and safe transportation, the expert said.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-07 23:36:24|Editor: huaxia

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Assimi Goita (front) salutes the flag of Mali after being sworn in as Mali's transitional president in Bamako, Mali, on June 7, 2021. Colonel Assimi Goita was officially sworn in as Mali's transitional president by the Supreme Court on Monday. (Photo by Habib Kouyate/Xinhua)

BAMAKO, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Colonel Assimi Goita was officially sworn in as Mali's transitional president by the Supreme Court on Monday.

In a speech, the new Malian transitional president called for cohesion to meet all challenges, including the organization of fair, credible and transparent elections at the expected time.

He promised the reduction of state expenses and that the money saved will be invested in the realization and the improvement of basic social services.

According to him, one of the missions assigned to the future transitional government will be to initiate "a frank and sincere dialogue with all the unions to appease the social climate".

"I intend to give a new dynamic to the governance of the country. I declare my firm determination to meet the challenges," Goita said, stressing that his country will uphold its international commitments.

Appointed transitional vice-president after the mutiny in 2020 which forced the resignation of then president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Colonel Assimi Goita was proclaimed on May 28 as the transitional president by the Constitutional Court of Mali following the resignation of the former transitional president Bah N'Daw.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) have already taken sanctions against Mali.

These organizations demanded the immediate appointment of a civilian prime minister, the formation of an inclusive government, respect for the transition period set at eighteen months, and the organization of elections no later than February 27, 2022, in which the leaders of the current transition government will not be able to participate. Enditem
Other popular websites, services and intermediaries such as Amazon, Spotify, Twitch, Stack, Overflow, Github, HBO Max, Vimeo, Shopify, and Stripe were down too.

Reddit, the front page of the internet and the website of a dozen other news outlets -- majorly CNN, Guardian, Sydney Morning Herlad, Financial Times, and The Age were reportedly down.

The services were down briefly for at least an hour.

Most of the sites had resumed normalcy in services by the time Sify.com verified these sites.

An outage with Fastly, a Content Delivery Network (CDN) service provider was responsible for the issue.

Fastly confirmed on its website about the issue being monitored and a fix being applied. The CDN service provider had started investigating the issue at 9:58 UTC (3:28 PM IST) and confirmed within an hour that services had resumed.

"The issue has been identified and a fix has been applied. Customers may experience increased origin load as global services return," read the latest status update from Fastly.

The issue stoked fears of ransomware as some government linked websites such as that of the UK government's homepage remained unaccessible to netizens.

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) allows services to deliver information at a faster pace through an array of servers spread through geographies. CDN networks can improve loading time of a webpage, reduce bandwidth costs and even improve web security by thwarting denial of service attacks.

Twitter remained available (Thankfully!) despite half the internet going down. And, here are some responses:

Some of the world's most popular websites, including USA TODAY and many other national media sites, Amazon and Spotify, were offline or inoperable this morning due to an outage at at the cloud service Fastly. pic.twitter.com/OSG4vO7w3P  USA TODAY (@USATODAY) June 8, 2021

Thanks for linking an actual article. Fastly seems to be blamed for this, but I wonder if it's an attack response to the US crypto recovery from ransomware attackers.  snewzbutton (@snewzbutton) June 8, 2021

Vast chunks of the internet are offline, including The Verge. Until were back, were reporting to you live out of Google Docs. Heres what we know so far about the outage: https://t.co/4b1p2qhYif June 8, 2021

We identified a service configuration that triggered disruptions across our POPs globally and have disabled that configuration. Our global network is coming back online. Continued status is available at https://t.co/RIQWX0LWwl  Fastly (@fastly) June 8, 2021

(A 2020 problem with Cloudflare, another CDN company, led to a half-hour outage for most of the internet in major cities across Europe and the Americas.)  alex hern (@alexhern) June 8, 2021
That Naga Chaitanya is debuting in Bollywood in an Aamir Khans film is known to all. Aamir Khan is currently acting in Laal Singh Chaddha. The film has been in production for a long time and is facing delays due to the coronavirus pandemic. Aamir Khan is now planning to wrap the remaining portion in Ladakh and Kargil. Naga Chaitanya has been roped in for a crucial role.

The Akkineni star is making a calculated move. Actors like Madhavan and Siddharth have gained huge popularity in the North Indian market by playing in Aamir Khans movies.

But the films shoot has been postponed now. Earlier, the shoot was planned for late June or July 2021. The latest update is that the shooting plans have been put on hold.

Naga Chaitanya, on the other hand, is waiting for theaters to start the screenings again. He has Sekhar Kammulas Love Story for release.

For more stories click here: Kollywood l Malayalam l Bollywood l Telugu
"I have no background in the business of cinema, so for me there is no second thought on whether I should start with a South Indian film or wait for a Bollywood film to happen, whether my debut should be as a hero, a hero's friend or an antagonist. For me, it was only work will get me more work. Perhaps that is why I have equal respect for all kinds of film, regional, Bollywood or crossover," Kabir told IANS.

Actor Kabir Duhan Singh has essayed negative roles in many South Indian films and he recently played Raavan in the Hindi web series "Ramyug". He says he does not fear getting typecast.

He is happy to have worked with several celebrated stars in the South, including the Tamil actor Vijay Sethupati, as well as shooting with Nawazuddin Siddiqui for the upcoming film "Bole Chudiyaana."

"I think at the beginning of my career, working with two iconic actors as Vijay sir and Nawaz sir itself is a blessing and almost like attending acting class. Of course with every film we grow and learn from every senior actor. But when you observe someone whom you have grown admiring to become an actor, it works better," said Kabir, who has also shared screen space with South stars such as Kichcha Sudeep, Gopichand and Ajith Kumar among others.

He isn't worried about starting off as an antagonist in the South.

"We have so many examples of actors who started their career in the South like Sonu (Sood) bhaiya, and Vidyut Jammwal, and portrayed negative characters before entering Bollywood and made it big there. I think slowly but surely that attitude towards actors as 'he only plays villain' is changing. These days, thanks to OTT, cross-region casting is also happening. So the fear of getting tagged is not there anymore," said Kabir.

"Having said that, if anything needs to change, I think the media tags us as 'South Indian film ka villain' should be changed. If we don't say 'North Indian film', we should also stop saying 'South Indian film' with a negative attitude," said Kabir, who was born and brought up in Faridabad, Haryana.

(Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at arundhuti.b@ians.in)

For more stories click here: Kollywood l Malayalam l Bollywood l Telugu
Parliament Speaker Yariv Levin, a lawmaker with Netanyahu's Likud party and his close associate, declined to set a specific date for the vote, reports Xinhua news agency.

Tel Aviv, June 8 (IANS) The Israeli Parliament will vote on approving a new government that could oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by June 14.

Levin made the formal announcement to Parliament on Monday, noting that opposition leader Yair Lapid informed the President last week that a coalition deal had been agreed.

Hesaid a vote to approve the new government will be held within a week, in accordance with the Israeli law.

"An announcement regarding a date for the session to establish the 36th government will be conveyed down the line to MPs," the Speaker said during the session.

Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, announced last week that he reached a deal to form a coalition government with nationalist Naftali Bennett, leader of the pro-settler party of Yamina, and six additional small parties.

The coalition has a slim majority of 61 out of 120 seats in the Knesset.

It also includes Ra'am, an Islamist party headed by Mansour Abbas, marking the first time for an Arab party to be part of a coalition in Israel.

According to a rotation agreement, Bennett will initially become premier and be replaced by Lapid two years later.

This would be the first time in 12 years that a government has been formed without the right-wing conservative head of government Netanyahu.

For the unusual coalition to begin its work, a simple majority of the 120 legislators must vote in favour of it.

The coalition paves the way to the end of the rule of Netanyahu, the longest-serving Israeli Prime Minister who has been facing a criminal trial over corruption charges in three separate cases.

--IANS

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-07 23:46:09|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Telling lies will not help relieve Taiwan people's concerns about the COVID-19 outbreak, nor will lies exempt the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority from the blame for ignoring people's health and safety, a mainland spokesperson said on Monday.

Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks when responding to groundless accusations saying the mainland attempted to obstruct Japan's vaccine assistance to Taiwan.

The DPP authority told lies about the mainland preventing Taiwan from receiving vaccines, Ma said, adding that the authority also prevented Taiwan people from obtaining vaccines from the mainland.

However, such lies will not cover up the fact that the island has an extreme vaccine shortage, nor will they whitewash loopholes in the island's epidemic prevention measures or ease the epidemic situation, Ma said.

Increasing infections have occurred on the island since mid-May.

"From the very beginning of the recent COVID-19 outbreak on the island, we expressed our willingness to offer safe and effective vaccines," said Ma. "We are deeply concerned about the health of Taiwan people." Enditem
The Health Ministry of Nepal, however, has remained silent over the ongoing controversy regarding the distribution of Coronil kits, which have also landed in controversy in India and Bhutan.

Kathmandu, June 8 (IANS) Coronil, the so-called immunity booster kit manufactured by yoga guru Ramdevs Patanjali group in India, has landed in a controversy in Nepal after the Himalayan nations Department of Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine imposed a ban on its distribution.

The controversy erupted in Nepal after the Patanjai Yoghpeeth on last Thursday handed over Coronil kits, sanitisers, masks and other immunity booster medicines worth crores of rupees to outgoing Health Minister, Hrydesh Tripathi.

The day after he received the support from local officials of the Patanjali Yogpeeth Nepal, Tripathi was removed as the Health Minister.

"The Coronil kits provided by the Patanjali Yogpeeth did not receive permission from the Department of Drug Administration, so we have decided not to distribute it," Basudev Upadhyay, the Director General of the Department of Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine, said in a press conference.

"The Coronil kit could be beneficial for the treatment of respiratory disorders, but it has not taken permission from the Department of Drug Administration, so we cannot distribute it," Upadhyay added.

As per the Nepali law, any drug can be imported only after obtaining permission from the DDA.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson at Nepal's Health Ministry, Krishna Poudel, told IANS that he is not aware about the distribution of Coronil kits in Nepal.

"We do not know if the outgoing Health Minister Tripathi accepted the support. We have heard that it is yet to get permission from the DDA," said Poudel.

"Coronil is not registered with the DDA and it cannot be distributed or sold out without registration," DDA spokesperson Santosh K.C. told IANS.

"We have not received any document for its registration as well as seeking permission for selling out in Nepal. We do not know how the former Health Minister accepted the donation. We have not received any letter from the Health Ministry to grant permission for its distribution," he said.

Meanwhile, Patanjai Yogpeeth said that the consignment of 1,500 Coronil kits was provided upon the request from the government of Nepal.

Officials at Nepal's Health Ministry said that officials from Patanjali Yogpeeth in Nepal and India had approached former Health Minister Tripathi directly, handing over some documents that received permission from the government of India for its distribution and provision of selling for the general public as an immunity booster.

The Bhutan government had already rejected the support provided by Patanjali.

--IANS

str/arm
Chairing a meeting on Monday of the Higher Committee for the GERD, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok noted the direct threat the unilateral filling and operating of the GERD poses to the country's Roseires Dam, irrigation projects, power generating systems and citizens on the banks of the Nile, reports Xinhua news agency.

Khartoum, June 8 (IANS) Sudan has renewed its rejection to unilateral filling of the disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Nile River without reaching a legal and binding agreement

The meeting also renewed Sudan's adherence to and belief in the principle of "African solutions to African problems".

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.

Sudan proposed a mediation quartet of the UN, the European Union, the US and the African Union regarding the GERD issue.

Ethiopia, however, has announced its rejection to this formula.

In February, Ethiopia said it would carry on with the second-phase 13.5-billion-cubic-metre filling of the GERD in June.

The volume of the first-phase filling last year was 4.9 billion cubic metres.

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.

--IANS

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KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 (Sin Chew Daily) -- It is not a violation of the regulation if a person does not update his or her health status on MySejahtera app, according to the latest standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the National Security Council, says its director-general Datuk Mohd Rabin Basir.



Only Malaysians who have traveled overseas, who are COVID-positive or are close contacts of COVID-positive individuals are required to update their health status on MySejahtera app, said Mohd Rabin after verifying with health ministry officer Raja Zawawi.

Factory workers are required to update their health status on MySejahtera app on a daily basis if COVID-19 positive cases have been detected in their factories, he added.

29 factory workers were slapped with summonses of RM2,000 each for not updating their COVID-19 status on MySejahtera.

Manjung police issued the summonses during an inspection of a factory at Kampung Acheh Industrial Area in Sitiawan.

When asked about the case, Mohd Rabin said it could be classified as 'no further action.'



"The Manjung police was suggested to take the appropriate action of requesting the health office in the district to cancel the summons,' he said.

Mohd Rabin stressed that the employers are to ensure all staff update their COVID-19 status on MySejahtera app as it is the SOPs for factories found to have COVID-19 positive cases.

Manjung police chief Assistant Commissioner Nor Omar Sappi told Sin Chew Daily members of the public are not required to update their health status on a daily basis unless operators of a shopping mall or a building require visitors to update their health status before they are allowed to enter the premises.

SME Association of Malaysia president Datuk Michael Kang also stressed that only those who are infected from workplace, return from overseas or are close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases are required to update their health status on MySejahtera on a daily basis.

Kang said the government did not require everyone to update their COVID-19 status on MySejahtera on a daily basis.

"You are not violating the regulation for not updating your health status on a daily basis if you have no history of contact and no signs of being infected." he said.
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-07 23:57:06|Editor: huaxia

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HANGZHOU, June 7 (Xinhua) -- A new China-Europe freight-train route linking the city of Jinhua in east China's Zhejiang Province with Budapest in Hungary was launched on Monday.

The freight-train service was launched ahead of the 2nd China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair, which is to be held in the city of Ningbo, Zhejiang, from Tuesday to Friday.

The train carries about 21 million yuan (about 3.3 million U.S. dollars) worth of goods, including auto parts, electronic instruments and household items. It is expected to arrive in the Hungarian capital in 18 days.

The bilateral trade between China and Hungary grew 14.4 percent year on year in 2020, with China being Hungary's third-largest trading partner, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

The new China-Europe freight-train service offers a new efficient and convenient route for the Yangtze River Delta and even eastern Chinese coastal cities to export goods to Europe, said Hangzhou Customs.

In the January-May period, a total of 286 China-Europe freight trains departed or arrived in the city of Jinhua, carrying 23,700 TEUs of goods, with the two figures up 565 percent and 566 percent year on year, respectively.

Foreign trade between Zhejiang and the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) grew 33.2 percent year on year to 35.47 billion yuan in the first four months of this year, according to Hangzhou Customs. Enditem
In a naked short sale, the shares arent borrowed (to avoid the fee), which is akin to increasing the companys capital base without the company or its shareholders knowing or approving the increase. Its illegal in most jurisdictions, including the US, albeit difficult to police. The short-sellers in AMC have nothing like the positions hedge funds held in GameStop. While there might some naked shorts, the disclosed short position appears to have hovered around 20 per cent of AMCs capital, or just below. They might have a tight squeeze on the short-sellers but, equally, they have to keep buying AMC shares and at least maintain, indefinitely, a price that even AMC believes is unsupported by any fundamentals to avoid a crash that would wipe them out. Theres also enormous liquidity in the market for AMC shares  last week nearly 800 million shares changed hands in a single day  which ought to enable short sellers to cover their positions if they want to close them out. The key factor that differentiates AMC from GameStop, however, isnt to do with the short sellers (although it might impact them) but with the way AMCs management has responded to the Reddit crowds invasion of their register.

Theyve embraced them and taken advantage of them. So has Wall Street. As the retail shareholder invasion of the register got underway, a private equity firm, Silver Lake Investment Partners, switched a $US600 million convertible bond position into equity and sold that stake for $US713 million. AMCs debt was reduced significantly by the transaction and Silver Lake made a tidy profit from an investment that looked doomed late last year. Last month AMCs controlling shareholder, Chinas Dalian Wanda, claimed it had doubled its original investment when it sold almost all its AMC shareholding at $US14 a share, cashing out $US1.5 billion. AMCs board and management have also recognised the unique opportunity presented by a horde of investors unconcerned about the companys fundamentals and the uncertainty over the future of theatres in a post-pandemic, streaming world. Last Tuesday they placed $US230 million of stock with Mudrick Capital, a distressed debt and event-driven investor. Mudrick immediately dumped the stock into the market and walked away with a profit, telling its own investors AMC shares were overvalued.

On Thursday AMC announced plans to sell another 11.55 million shares  roughly $US5870 million of new capital  via on-market sales co-ordinated by its brokers, B.Riley and Citigroup. With the other equity raising and equity-for-debt swaps it has made, that would bring the total amount of new equity AMC has issued or is about to issue to close to $US2 billion. It has also said, having used up its current capacity to issue new shares without shareholder approval, it will seek permission to issue another 25 million more shares next year. AMC is the latest struggling business boosted by wild retail trading. Credit:AP In its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the latest share sale, AMC made some highly unusual statements.

It warned potential investors that its current share prices reflected market and trading dynamics unrelated to its underlying business or industry fundamentals and cautioned them against investing in its shares unless they were prepared to incur the risk of losing all, or a substantial proportion, of their investment. AMC has embraced its new shareholder base, communicating with them via the chatrooms and promising them free popcorn, exclusive screenings and other benefits. It isnt surprising that the company has welcomed the new shape of its register because those retail investors, by driving up the share price, have helped the company raise equity that would not have otherwise been available to a company as indebted, as loss-making and haemorrhaging cash as heavily as AMC. Its also enabled board members and some senior executives to raise $US8 million for their personal accounts by selling shares at prices that were inconceivable six months ago. The capital raisings that the retail investor interest has facilitated highlights the unusual dynamic at play in AMC.

By pushing the price up to squeeze the shorts those investors have awarded other big players, not just a way out of a previously-distressed investment, but big profits. They have also enabled AMC to raise a lot of capital that it couldnt have raised without them, reducing the acute risk in its balance sheet. Loading The capital raisings have been made possible by the retail investor base but dilute their interest in the company substantially. AMC had about 104 million shares outstanding at the end of last year. It will now have more than 400 million. That level of dilution would conventionally sink the share price. Instead, to maintain their short squeeze, the retail investors have to keep pushing the price up even in the face of the extra shares that AMC is creating and dumping as fast as it can to exploit the peculiar market in its shares. Thats why the position of the retail investors could be described as being trapped in a long squeeze.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will take several months of parental leave to spend time with their newborn daughter, The Telegraph, London understands.

Their decision was made in alignment with Archewells parental leave policy that allows staff 20 weeks of paid leave, a significantly more generous package than is normal in the US.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex pose with son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, earlier this year announcing they were expecting a girl. Credit:Misan Harriman/Getty

The couples daughter, Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, was born at a hospital in Santa Barbara, California, on Friday. Her brother Archie, two, was excited to welcome the new addition and very happy to have a little sister.

The choice of name is said to reflect how close the Sussexes have remained to the Queen, who coined the pet name as a little girl when she was unable to say Elizabeth, despite a wider family rift. Buckingham Palace aides confirmed that Her Majesty was aware the couple had chosen to replicate the name for their daughter before it was announced although refused to be drawn on the nature of such conversations.
Former special forces soldier Ben Roberts-Smith lost almost half a million dollars in earnings because of his smashed reputation, his barrister told his Federal Court defamation trial on Tuesday.

But with legal costs and aggravated damages, the total claim against The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald is likely to run into the millions if he wins the high-stakes case.

Ben Roberts-Smith arriving at the Federal Court in Sydney on Tuesday morning. Credit:Dylan Coker

In his opening address to the court, which continued on Tuesday, Mr Roberts-Smiths barrister, Bruce McClintock, SC, said his clients paid public speaking engagements evaporated after the news outlets published allegations in 2018 of war crimes and domestic violence against the Victoria Cross recipient.

Mr McClintock said an accountant would be called by Mr Roberts-Smiths legal team and would give evidence that the former soldier had lost an estimated $475,000 in work until the end of last year as a result of the articles. He had previously had a profitable career in public speaking, he said. Future losses would also be estimated.
The NSW government will create an anti-slavery commissioner more than three years after landmark legislation was first introduced to parliament requiring that the role be established.

However, the NSW opposition and advocacy groups fear the laws are about to be watered down, with the government signalling it will make several changes to the act this week.

Special Minister for State Don Harwin with Finance Minister Damien Tudehope in the Legislative Council. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Amendments to the Modern Slavery Act, which has been stalled for years due to legal and constitutional concerns within government, will likely be introduced to parliament on Thursday.

While it will still include the recommended creation of an anti-slavery commissioner with advisory and advocacy functions, the government will make some changes to the act to harmonise it with Commonwealth laws.
Thousands of older Australians are yet to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, but librarians, waste collectors and lifeguards at an eastern Sydney council have already had their jabs.

While rollout rules in NSW restrict vaccine bookings to people aged over 40, about 550 frontline staff and councillors at Waverley Council have been able to access Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines regardless of age at St Vincents Hospitals COVID-19 vaccination hub.

Eastern suburbs council staff who would otherwise be ineligible for a COVID-19 inoculation under the current rollout have been given access to vaccines in a partnership with an inner-city Sydney hospital. Credit:Eddie Jim

The hospital is now working to co-ordinate vaccinations for frontline workers at Woollahra Council and the City of Sydney. Waverley Councils website says it is the first time local government has provided a vaccine program for its frontline staff.

Waverley Council has an excellent partnership with St Vincents Hospital in helping keep our community safe during this pandemic, Mayor of Waverley, Paula Masselos, said.
Sydneysiders can soon enjoy a new harbour park after final design plans were released at a lower north shore site where locals had to fight off developers desperate to build more high-rise units.

The urban renewal project involves demolishing a World War II-era factory built in 1942 in North Sydney. The Torpedo Factory at Sub Base Platypus will be torn down within months and replaced by a park to open in 12 months.

An artists impression of the new park replacing the Torpedo Factory. Credit:Sydney Harbour Federation Trust

Local federal MP Trent Zimmerman said transforming the area into a great public asset has been a long-term priority of his.

The original plan was to sell it off to developers to build apartments, Mr Zimmerman said.
NSW farmers say the governments new $100 million support package for landowners to battle the mouse plague devastating the state is a welcome first step.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro on Wednesday announced farmers will be able to access a rebate of 50 per cent on zinc phosphide bait purchases, capped at $10,000.

It came after the governments original $50 million support package was labelled by farmers as an impractical and dysfunctional joke.

That package included free use of controversial mouse bait bromadiolone, which is yet to gain emergency approval from the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority.
Sydney Morning Herald Archive, Friday, June 10, 1966

RAN AT TROOPS

Paint protest girl is fined $6, gets bond



Twenty-one-year-old Nadine Jensen was fined $6 yesterday for dousing herself with a red paint mixture and running into Wednesdays parade troops.

A woman dripping with red paint breaks into the ranks of the 1st Battalion during their march today. June 8, 1966. Credit:Noel Stubbs

Miss Jensen, a typist, of Rudd Street, Campbelltown, pleaded guilty in Central Court of Petty Sessions to offensive behaviour outside the Town Hall.

She was also placed on a $100 bond to be of good behaviour for 12 months.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-07 23:57:47|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- China's economy improved and businesses gradually got back to normal in 2020 despite COVID-19 hits, Hou Kai, auditor general of the National Audit Office, said on Monday.

Entrusted by the State Council, Hou delivered an audit report on the enforcement of the central government's 2020 budget and other fiscal revenue and expenditure at the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

China reduced the burden on market entities by over 2.6 trillion yuan (about 406.48 billion U.S. dollars) in 2020, Hou said, adding that 11.86 million new urban jobs were created and more than 9.6 million people were relocated from inhospitable areas.

According to a random inspection of the over 231.43 billion yuan of fiscal funds of 43 central departments and their 439 subordinate units, the enforcement of the central government's 2020 budget and investment plans was good overall, said Hou.

In recent years, China has intensified its efforts to rectify problems pointed out by the audit, and this has produced notable results, Hou noted. Enditem
Uranium ban

The Prime Minister, Mr Hawke, moved today to quell a threatened revolt in the Labor Party by announcing a ban on exports of uranium to France, including a shipment due to be made soon. In talks in Paris tomorrow with President Mitterrand and other French leaders, Mr Hawke will use uranium exports as a lever to try to extract concessions on French testing in the Pacific. His tough new stand reverses the position he took before leaving Australia.

Test tube triplets

After eight years of wanting a baby, four years on an infertility program and one miscarriage, Mrs Elaine Guare gave birth yesterday to the worlds first test tube triplets. She looked up from her bed at the Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide and said: Arent they beautiful? The babies are Chenana Jade Elizabeth, Aaron Michael Anthony and Jessica Rae. The first born, Chenana, was named after the obstetrician, Dr Christopher Chen.

Hung up
While this government stubbornly adheres to its border protection policy, this family continues to suffer. Is it really worth the negative publicity and taxpayer dollars to continue the inhumane treatment of a family who just want to return to live and work in Biloela? Its time to use your ministerial discretion, Minister Andrews. Judith Reynolds, Leura Political games, poor government policy settings, demonising language ... all landing on the small shoulders of young Tharnicaa. Judith Fleming, Sawtell Purpose-built facilities would be safer than hotels The Berejiklian government is obviously held in thrall to the Australian Hotels Association NSW which is desperate to maintain its cash windfalls from COVID quarantine in Sydney (Alternative plans for quarantine are long overdue, June 8). By rejecting urgently needed purpose-built facilities, this government is not only risking peoples lives but financial disaster from the inevitable lockdowns caused by the much more infectious variants that are now endemic. The Premiers justification that no facilities can be completely safe conveniently misses the fact that the well-designed Howard Springs facility has had no escaped cases, while most hotels are completely unable to provide safe protection from aerosol transmission, and indeed are infecting otherwise healthy people. Berejiklians refusal to accept health advice is unconscionable. Darrall Cutting, Forestville On the same day its reported 51-year old Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was vaccinated with Pfizer after previously declining the AstraZeneca vaccine because she did not want to jump the queue, its reported Queensland Health is allowing age 50+ people to walk in to a vaccine clinic and get Pfizer (Jab delayed when dog bit the hand that feeds it, June 8). With Queensland complaining so much about leaks from hotel quarantine, surely they did not forget Australia is facing a public health emergency that requires vaccinating the country as quickly as possible, and there is a shortage of Pfizer? By all means, dont waste unused doses of Pfizer, but give them to younger people for whom AstraZeneca is not recommended. Nobody should be jumping the queue. David Hirsch, Killarney Heights

I dont give a tuppeny stuff if the Queensland Premier had an Astra-Pfizer or a Fizzy-Zeneca, as long as she was seen getting her jab. What are we, toddlers whingeing because a siblings slice of cake had more icing? Rosemary OBrien, Ashfield GPs and other community services have been vaccinating the community year-in and year-out for many years (Letters, June 7). Without fanfare without fuss and without headlines, including aged care facilities, group homes, isolated residents and Aboriginal communities. If only the government had stopped trying to get all the glory, butted out and given us the vaccines along our usual tried and tested pathways of supply, I am confident the vaccination task would be a lot further along the path than where it is now. Trevor Smith, Culburra Beach Anyone who thinks that Victoria should not have locked down, and that includes Scott Morrison, should be asked what would have happened if they hadnt. John Christie, Oatley Patience for patients benefits wellbeing of all It is good for all of us to be reminded how much our health professionals invest personally in the care of their patients (Going to my patients funeral honoured our bond, June 8). Not just the long years of training and their knowledge and skills, but also their empathy. So, on behalf of your patients families, thank you to Ian Kerridge and to all doctors. We travel the same journey with our loved ones and with you, and are indeed grateful. And we, in turn, invest as much of ourselves and our love as we can in the funerals we arrange. We are so very glad to share that time with the doctors who have played such an important role in our lives. Margaret Johnston, Paddington

Last year my father was cared for by Dr Ian Kerridge and his team at Royal North Shore Hospital. Over a period of nearly 12 months, his life was extended as a result of the generous and compassionate treatment he received and a strong mutual bond was developed with Dr Kerridge and the many nurses caring for him. Special mention was made of these wonderful and dedicated people at his funeral, but in hindsight this simple statement was not enough for a group of people who featured so significantly in the final chapter of his life. Every patients loss is felt keenly and a mechanism needs to be developed to offer the opportunity for all these carers to join with families as we celebrate the lives of our loved ones. Simon Ingham, Haberfield Dr Kerridge reminded me of an old GP who used to like discussing a wide range of subjects. On one occasion he described a painting of an old sailing vessel. Two weeks later he began the conversation where it had finished on the previous visit. He said, I think he painted the boom on the wrong side. For this GP, I was never defined by my ailment. He loved to share a joke and he was always behind schedule. His many patients kept coming to him for many years as he was well into his nineties when he retired. For him, medicine was not a mechanical, assembly-line process driven by financial gain. Mark Porter, New Lambton Bright idea The NSW Treasurer Perrottet says coal should not be demonised, as if the little black rock has feelings (Coal industry could die by 2047: report, June 8). It is the local communities devastated by climate changes bushfires, floods, and droughts that should drive NSW government policy, not coal. We need to get our skates on, creating new jobs as old jobs evaporate and investing in solar and wind power. Alison Orme, Marrickville With NSW coal jobs likely to disappear entirely within 20 years and only about 22,000 people employed in this fading industry, its unbelievable that the Labor Party  both state and federal  jeopardises its election chances by fence-sitting on this critical issue. Climate change action is what the majority want and its the ethical thing to do. Labors fence-sitting by-election disappointment in the Upper Hunter should be a sharp lesson. Stop second guessing the electorate and develop positive policies  and forward-thinking people will vote for you. Alison Stewart, Riverview

A place of ones own Falling homeownership is the direct result of unfair tax laws that favour home investors and exacerbate the wealth divide (Drop in homeownership to affect budget, June 8). As a result, many more people will need public housing, which will weigh on the state budget. People have low incomes or are welfare-dependent through lifes circumstances over which they have little control. In the future, they will be stigmatised as home bludgers as well as dole bludgers. Geoff Black, Caves Beach Following the trail The government is fighting an unwinnable battle despite its recourse to secrecy (Democracy dies in the darkness, June 8). Thanks to Bernard Collaerys courage, the incredible helium story is finally coming out. The definition of petroleum was changed in the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty between Australia and Timor-Leste, as mention of helium, so essential to medicine and defence, was omitted. Result? The oil companies get the lot, sell it to large trading partners such as China and Japan, and we Australians buy it back. Stupidity? Ineptitude? Carted around in the pockets of petroleum companies? Whatever the reason, it is clear why the government wants the Collaery prosecution to be secret. This omnishambles makes one wonder whether the government itself is a threat to national security. Susan Connelly, Lakemba

Dollars and sense It is surprising to see that the best paid people in the country are neurosurgeons (Entry fee to the 1% club starts at $350,000, June 8). When you read of the eye-watering dollar amounts arising from defamation cases, it is even more surprising to note the absence of barristers from the club.

Could it be that they are more au fait with the rules and regulations governing tax deductibility? Cornelius van der Weyden, Balmain East A two-way street While theres much debate about the access to the Harbour Bridge dedicated bike path at the north, little has been said about the south (Understandably concerned: Liberal MP sides with residents over Harbour Bridge cycleway plans, smh.com.au, June 7). At the southern end, it runs through the Fort Street Primary school zone then onto a shared path and bridge crossing over the Cahill Expressway. It is extremely narrow and has blind corners, all in breach of the Austroads guidelines. Unless otherwise sign-posted, the speed limit on a shared path is the same as the adjacent road. Children as young as five are required to share this footpath with cyclists travelling at very high speeds. The NSW Government must fix this issue (long before worrying about the northern access) before someone is killed or seriously injured. Harold Scruby, Pedestrian Council of Australia CEO

Eye on the prize? Yesterday I accidentally uncovered an ants nest and saw Sydneys future (Letters, June 8). Ken Pares, Forster Royal shuffle Californian residents Archie and Lilibet are seventh and eighth in line to become Australias Head of State (Lilibet eighth in line for throne, demotes uncle Andrew to ninth, June 8). Time for another look at our constitution? Rick Johnston, Potts Point Lilibet  despite the names royal connection, its so very La La Land. Helen Moran, Woollahra

In a word On the subject of Ulladulla, I once had a visitor from the UK who called it You-lad-you-la (Letters, June 8). Lorna Jones, Ryde Now that weve established that Jarvis is the preferred option, can we agree on clark when pronouncing clerk? Elizabeth Maher, Bangor Open and closed This year I think we can probably confidently call it the French Closed (Roger Federer pulls out of French Open before fourth round, June 8). Megan Heaney, Kincumber
Monday, May 24: Tharnicaa didnt go to kindergarten because she had a cold and fever. Her mother took her to the International Health and Medical Services where she was given Panadol and Nurofen after her temperature was 37.6.

Tuesday, May 25 until Thursday, May 27: She had Panadol and Nurofen and did not go to school.

Friday, May 28 and Saturday May 29: Both girls were unwell with a fever and Panadol and Nurofen were given from the IHMS.

Sunday, May 30: A doctor assured Priya that Tharnicaa, who had a runny nose, a fever and a sore ear, had a urinary tract infection that would go away in five days. Panadol and Nurofen given.

Monday, May 31: Priya took Tharnicaa to the IHMS doctor for stomach and ear pain. Priya was told it was a stomach bug and was given Panadol and Nurofen.

Tuesday, June 1: The doctor took a urine sample for testing, which they found to be normal. Panadol and Nurofen were given with the advice to keep her hydrated.

Priya had asked on Monday and Tuesday for antibiotics. None were given.

Wednesday, June 2: The doctor told Priya her daughter had a urine infection and the sample was sent to Perth for more testing.

Priya asked for antibiotics because Tharnicaa complained of stomach pain and had a high temperature. More Panadol and Nurofen were given.

Thursday, June 3: The doctor told Priya that their familys regular Phosphate Hill Facility doctor would arrive on Friday. Priya said he refused to prescribe antibiotics.

Panadol and Nurofen were given.

Friday, June 4: Tharnicaa vomited twice. The IHMS head office in Sydney was called because it was after hours and there was no staff.

Priya said they waited one hour to talk to someone and was given Panadol.

Saturday, June 5: The doctor gave Tharnicaa Nurofen but she vomited heavily straight afterwards. Priya told the doctor she had diarrhoea. They were given a factsheet on flu symptoms.

Priya called the IHMS and her daughter was given Panadol. By midnight, Tharnicaas temperature rose to 39.9 and she vomited twice.

Sunday, June 6: She was given a vomiting tablet and Nurofen by the doctor at 2am. Three hours later, the IHMS was called after Tharnicaas temperature reached 40.

The doctor arrived at 8.30am and Tharnicaa went to hospital by 9am.

Monday, June 7: Tharnicaa was medically evacuated to Perth Childrens Hospital, accompanied by Priya.
Australias top universities have risen in the latest international rankings, with the universities of Sydney and Melbourne breaking into the top 40 and the Australian National University declared the 27th-best institution in the world.

But the 2022 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) rankings, which are the worlds most widely read, let universities use pre-COVID international student data for one of its key measures, so they do not reflect the impact of the pandemic on student mobility, revenue or staffing.

Other pandemic consequences  such as curtailed research due to less funding from overseas student fees  may not be evident in the rankings for several years.

Australian universities have climbed in global rankings. Credit:Michele Mossop

The University of Sydney rose from 40th to 38th, and the University of New South Wales climbed one spot to 43rd. Macquarie University entered the top 200 for the first time since 2009 due to improvements in its reputation.
Authorities efforts to trace the source are being hampered by the fact that the states medical hotels, where the returned traveller moved to once he tested positive, do not use a QR check-in system, meaning it has taken more time to track the movements of people who interacted with the infected man. Two COVID-19 cases were recorded on Tuesday, including one linked to the Delta cluster and one to the Arcare aged care home in Maidstone, bringing the total number of active locally acquired cases to 77. There are about 5500 primary close contacts isolating. About 350 were released from their quarantine on Monday after returning negative COVID-19 test results. The government is set to ease lockdown restrictions as planned on Thursday, barring unexpected mystery cases with Melburnians to be restricted to travelling no more than 25 kilometres from their home.

A source close to the state government, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak publicly, confirmed the new bubble rule to The Age on Tuesday evening. The distance will prevent Melburnians from regional travel for the upcoming Queens Birthday long weekend. Government sources say metropolitan Melbourne will probably move to settings similar to those now applying in regional areas. It is likely masks will still be required indoors, density caps will apply at venues and limits will apply to household and outdoor gatherings. Students are expected to return to schools next week. Regional restrictions are also expected to ease. The Age has previously reported that many of the breaches at the Novotel related to the hotel lifts and stairwells, where red zones and green zones intertwined, putting employees in danger of contracting COVID-19.

Acting Premier James Merlino gives a coronavirus update on Tuesday. Credit:Joe Armao Two COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria employees, who were not authorised to speak publicly, said the hotel had suffered from severe staffing shortages in the weeks after opening in April. Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton and COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria Commissioner Emma Cassar were told of the Novotels problems in April. They gave repeated warnings to the two managers, who were eventually replaced less than a month after the hotel opened. Mr Merlino said on Tuesday that there had been 21 breaches in hotel quarantine nationally in the past month. We all know that hotel quarantine cannot be risk-free, he said.

Exactly how the Delta variant seeded itself in Melbourne is a mystery that has divided experts. All 12 residents who were on the same floor as the infected traveller at the Novotel hotel on May 8 had tested negative and at least 10 had returned negative tests after leaving quarantine. Ms Cassar said two who did not get their day-17 and 20 tests were now being followed up. The public health team was examining all close contacts the man had at the airport and as he entered hotel quarantine, including combing through hours of CCTV footage. Loading However, Professor Cheng said health authorities had also reviewed the mans swab and antibody blood test results and had determined he was correctly cleared to leave quarantine.

Ms Cassar said the only breach that authorities knew about was an instance when the man opened his hotel door at the Novotel. He would have had a very low level of infection at that point, but again theres a negative-pressured room, she told ABC Radio. The staff member in the hallway, who was wearing an N95 mask and face shield, had since tested negative, she said. Loading Epidemiologist Mike Toole, from the Burnet Institute, said the most likely scenario was that the man somehow transmitted the virus after he left hotel quarantine.

The thing is we dont yet know with certainty that there was a leak out of hotel quarantine, he said. We dont yet know if there was a crossover infection within the hotel or within transport, and I just dont find the other three scenarios particularly convincing. Separately, senior officials leading Victorias contact-tracing efforts say they believe Melbournes Kappa coronavirus outbreak would have been contained to just over a dozen people if there had not been a delay between people developing symptoms and getting tested. Health Department chief Euan Wallace said that after almost 90 days without a coronavirus case in Victoria, complacency had become a problem in the lead-up to the outbreak, first detected in May, and people were not seeking tests for a runny nose, sore throat or other symptoms. The Health Department has estimated that if one of the earlier cases in the cluster had been tested within 48 hours the outbreak would have spread to only 14 people, instead of 73, and the outbreak at Stratton Finance in Port Melbourne would not have occurred. With Rachael Dexter
West Australians aged over 30 will be able to get their COVID-19 vaccine from Thursday as the state government ramps up its rollout going further than last weeks national cabinet target.

The state and territories had agreed on Friday that people aged between 40 and 49 would be eligible for the jab from this week but WA has followed the Northern Territorys lead in expanding the cohorts who can get vaccinated to include younger demographics.

Premier Mark McGowan said on Tuesday the rollout was being opened up to a broader group of people to build momentum and get people vaccinated as soon as possible.

We are fast-tracking the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination program offering the vaccine to all eligible West Australians over the age of 30, he said.
Senior officials warned Defence Minister Peter Dutton that allowing special forces troops to keep their meritorious unit citation from Afghanistan despite credible allegations of war crimes against a small clique of soldiers posed a risk to Australias moral authority.

A Department of Defence briefing obtained by The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald told Mr Dutton that a failure to strip the unit of its citation would threaten the international and domestic reputation of the Australian Defence Force and cause further harm to Afghan victims.

Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton says some members of the ADF felt let down by the government. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

In April, Mr Dutton stepped in to stop the 3408 members of the Special Operations Task Group from being stripped of the military honours awarded for their service in Afghanistan. The move to revoke the unit citation was a key recommendation of the Brereton war crimes inquiry, which found credible allegations that special forces soldiers committed 39 murders in Afghanistan.

Mr Dutton defended his decision to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age on Tuesday, saying he did not want the actions of a rogue group of soldiers to tarnish the reputation of the vast majority of special forces soldiers.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison will seek a new commitment from Australias global allies to defend a world order that favours freedom over autocracy, warning of a strategic competition with China that parallels the uncertainties of the 1930s.

Naming threats such as military expansion and territorial disputes, Mr Morrison will cite the period of United States leadership after World War II as the inspiration for stronger alliances among liberal democracies on security, trade and the recovery from the pandemic.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will reject the idea that strategic competition between the US and China will inevitably lead to war, in a speech ahead of the G7 summit in Cornwall this weekend. Credit:Rhett Wyman

But he will reject the idea that strategic competition between the US and China will inevitably lead to war in a speech ahead of his first face-to-face meeting with US President Joe Biden at the G7 summit in Cornwall this weekend.

While G7 leaders are planning an ambitious pledge on climate change, Mr Morrison will stand apart from other advanced economies by noting the global push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but without going further on Australian commitments.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 00:07:20|Editor: huaxia

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BAGHDAD, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's Ministry of Health reported 4,129 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, raising the nationwide caseload to 1,229,121.

The ministry also confirmed 28 new deaths, bringing the death toll from the virus to 16,566, while the total recoveries in Iraq climbed by 4,652 to 1,146,745.

A total of 10,719,740 tests have been carried out in Iraq since the outbreak of the disease in February 2020, with 40,407 done during the day, the ministry said in a statement.

The statement also said 17,479 people were vaccinated against COVID-19 during the past 24 hours across the country, bringing the total number of doses administered to 650,556.

Iraq has been pushing forward its vaccination drive since the drug authority approved the emergency use of China's Sinopharm vaccine and other COVID-19 vaccines.

Since the early stage of the pandemic in 2020, the Chinese government has sent medical aid to Iraq and donated two shipments of Sinopharm vaccines to the country. Enditem
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro has been drafted to broker an urgent peace deal with church groups over the governments proposed overhaul of the states cemeteries as the issue threatened to divide Coalition MPs.

Mr Barilaro on Tuesday called for calm following a cabinet backlash over the policy to merge the five existing Crown cemetery operators in metropolitan Sydney, and in an effort to quell a Catholic Church revolt against the proposal.

The government last month announced plans to merge the five existing Crown cemetery operators in metropolitan Sydney into one. Credit:Louise Kennerley

The politics got ahead of us, Ill be honest. But it doesnt mean there is not an opportunity to find a middle ground, Mr Barilaro said. Emotions are at play and there are complex sensitivities. Im not sure you can ever do it without some political backlash, but Im confident we will resolve it.

The government last month announced plans to merge the five existing Crown cemetery operators in metropolitan Sydney into one and appoint an administrator. It followed a statutory review that warned the existing trusts had unfunded liabilities of more than $300 million, and that Sydney was running out of burial space.
The NSW floods in March that killed two people and forced 24,000 others to evacuate have sharpened differences over an expensive state government plan to protect Sydney from the next big wet.

State-owned Water NSW wants to raise the level of Warragamba Dam by 17 metres in order to protect the 134,000 people who live on the flood plain of the Hawkesbury-Nepean River from floods starting in the Blue Mountains. The number of residents at risk is expected to double in the next 30 years.

The Insurance Council of Australia has described the area as bearing the most significant and unmitigated community flood exposure in the country.

Conservationists have, however, objected to the $2 billion project which they say will cause catastrophic damage to the pristine, UNESCO World Heritage-listed mountain valleys and wild rivers above the dam. Indigenous groups say it will destroy traditional cultural sites of enormous significance.

Stuart Ayres, Minister for Western Sydney, counters that the Warragamba valleys will only be flooded during emergencies or much less than 1 per cent of the time. The water will be discharged when the risk of flooding abates. In ordinary times, the raised section of the dam will be unused and the water level will be unchanged.
Senior government ministers blasted the opposition for a disgraceful line of questioning, accused them of peddling QAnon craziness and claiming the matter was a test of the oppositions leadership on whether it plunged the Liberal Party brand into a Trump conspiracy theory wormhole. We are dealing with a global pandemic, for goodness sake, Mr Merlino said. I treat [the oppositions questions] with the contempt that it deserves. This is more about how the Liberal Party treat people. No decency, no respect, they should be ashamed of themselves. I am honestly not going to spend much time on this. I think it is a disgraceful act by the Liberal Party ... They should be ashamed of themselves, quite frankly. You cant put to bed conspiracy nutters and if the Liberal Party want to act disgracefully, that is a matter for them. In its statement, Ambulance Victoria said the Premier had asked to attend a local hospital in order for the attending crew to remain within the area once cleared from the case.

Paramedics, in consultation with Mr Andrews, determined Peninsula Private Hospitals emergency department was the most appropriate hospital to treat the Premiers injuries. Ambulance Victoria issued its statement less than 24 hours after Ms Staleys press release, in which she said the Premier owed Victorians answers about the circumstances of his injury. On Tuesday morning, she defended her questions and reiterated that the salaries of senior politicians who take extended leave should be cut to a basic MPs salary, about $200,000 a year. Shadow treasurer Louise Staley thinks its suspicious there is no footage of the stairs Daniel Andrews fell down. Credit: Jason South Its months since this happened and yet nobodys got footage of the stairs, nobodys got really any idea where it happened, Ms Staley said. And this is a very visual world these days where we seem to have everything out there on the media, but not this. Opposition Leader Michael OBrien backed his shadow treasurer.

Theres no reason to suspect that everything that has been said isnt true, he said. I think it is true, but its not necessarily the whole story, and its OK to ask questions. Loading The Coalition has not provided any evidence to suggest the Premier was engaged in any wrongdoing, and instead said answers were necessary to quell rumours. Treasurer Tim Pallas and Trade Minister Martin Pakula accused Ms Staley of peddling conspiracy theories fuelled by QAnon craziness. I think, quite frankly, its disgraceful, Mr Pallas said outside Parliament House on Tuesday morning.

I genuinely think in politics you get to fight for things you believe in, you get to stand for something, and ultimately the shadow treasurer, and by implication her party, think its an appropriate thing to trade in tinfoil-hat conspiracies. I dont think Dan Andrews drove the sub that took Harold Holt to China, he didnt recognise a fake moon landing  This is nonsense. We know its nonsense. Its QAnon craziness peddled around the community to create an atmosphere of uncertainty. Mr Pakula said Mr OBrien should slap down Ms Staleys comments, and not appear to be backing conspiracy theories. Its the sort of thing you expect to see from a QAnon, Trumpy, wing-nut ... not from someone who wants to be the shadow treasurer of Victoria, Mr Pakula said. Weve seen it in America  its not hard for a political party to go down a kind of Trump, conspiracy theory wormhole and get stuck there. And the only thing that stops it is leadership. These sorts of mad conspiracy theories are not worthy of a person who wants to be treasurer and a party that wants to be government.

Its a test for the opposition, and whether or not theyre going to be a fully-fledged conspiracy theorist party. Veterans Minister Shaun Leane said the Victorian opposition was the worst the state has ever had. Theyre driven by hate, he said. They obviously hate the government a lot  but they obviously hate each other more. The Age last month revealed the family of trucking magnate Lindsay Fox had sought legal advice over whether to sue an obscure Queensland website that posted rumours implicating the wealthy family in the Premiers fall. Mr Andrews has issued only a handful of statements since his fall on March 9, and pending advice from his medical team, he is scheduled to return to work sometime in June.
London: When the Australian borders were closed in March last year, Liberal voters Sikander Kang and his wife supported the decision, even though it kept them separated from their toddler son who was being cared for by his grandparents in Punjab, India.

At the time, they thought the separation would be short-term.

But 15 months later the Melbourne family says all their pleas for a repatriation flight for their son with their parents from India have been rejected. They are wondering if they should move to Canada in the hopes of reuniting with three-year-old Viraj.

Sikander Kang and his son in March 2020, the last time they were together.

When Kangs wife suffered a back injury after Virajs birth in 2018, his parents left their home in Punjab to help care for the baby and his older sister Sehar, then 7, in Melbourne.
At the end of October, 1964, a diplomatic cable was sent from Brussels to Canberra recording a meeting in Moscow between Australias foreign affairs minister, Paul Hasluck, and his Soviet counterpart, Andrei Gromyko.

The conversation was about China.

It was the height of the Cold War and eight years before Gough Whitlam established diplomatic relations with the Peoples Republic of China. At talks in the Soviet Foreign Ministry, Hasluck raised concerns about the future of Formosa (Taiwan) if Communist China was admitted to the United Nations.

Australian foreign affairs minister Paul Hasluck, left, meeting Soviet foreign minister Andrei Gromyko in Moscow in 1964 Credit:AP

Its population of 11 million wished to be separate from Mainland China and no one should compel them to be absorbed by another nation, the cable records Hasluck as saying. Australia happened also to be a country of 11 million and we would consider it an intolerable situation if our existence could be abolished by a United Nations resolution.
Amsterdam: A judge in the Dutch murder trial over the downing of a Malaysian airliner over rebel-held eastern Ukraine in 2014 says there is evidence the aeroplane was hit by an outside explosion caused by a Russian-made Buk missile.

Judges on Tuesday, local time, started reading out the evidence in the trial in the Netherlands against four fugitive suspects  three Russians and a Ukrainian citizen  accused of shooting down the plane on July 17, 2014 and killing all 298 people on board. Among those killed were 38 Australian citizens and residents.

Presiding judge Hendrik Steenhuis, centre, and other trial judges and lawyers view the reconstructed wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. Credit:AP

Flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed in a field in territory held by pro-Russian separatists fighting against Ukrainian forces after being shot down with what international investigators say was a Russian surface-to-air missile.

Experts have stated that the impact on the hull [of the plane] is compatible with a Buk missile system and a Buk warhead. No damage was found that would not be compatible with that scenario, or that would indicate another scenario, judge Hendrik Steenhuis said.
DECOLONIZATION AND THE POLITICAL FUTURE OF THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

INTRODUCTION

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.

Let me begin by thanking the Virgin Islands Studies Institute at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC), along with the Alliance of Talk Show Hosts, for the very kind invitation to participate in the Frederick Pickering Memorial lecture series.

I am very pleased to tag team today with international expert on governance and decolonization, Dr. Carlyle Corbin, who is a longtime friend and colleague. His presentation was thorough as usual.

Our lecture on decolonization picks up where part one of this series left off, which featured our very own internationally respected constitutional expert, Justice Gerard Ferrara QC, who made an excellent presentation on the recent constitutional history of the Territory.

Let me say at the outset that I am presenting in my personal capacity as a Virgin Islander who cares very deeply about the future of these Virgin Islands. My remarks today represent my own views and are not the official position of the Government. I also will not address the ongoing Commission of Inquiry as I believe it would be inappropriate for me to do so.

Ladies and gentleman, over the past seven months we have heard quite a bit about the next steps in the constitutional advancement of the Virgin Islands. Many good ideas have been shared about what additional provisions can be made to the existing constitution; what tweaks can be made to the Westminster model of Government to reduce friction in the political system; and how we can find a better constitutional balance between the Virgin Islands and the United Kingdom (UK). We have also heard the very serious concerns about Global Britain and what this very loose concept means for the Virgin Islands and other Overseas Territories (OTs).

All of these things are important and require our attention. However, I do not want us to get distracted from the one critical issue that must ultimately be addressed.

REFERENDUM ON POLITICAL STATUS

The single most important decision for the people of these Virgin Islands, is what year, at the very latest, a referendum on the future political status of the Territory will be held.

Let me repeat that. The single most important decision for the people of these Virgin Islands, is what year, at the very latest, a referendum will be held to decide the future political status of the Territory.

As Dr. Corbin has already mentioned, the full decolonization of the Virgin Islands requires us to go beyond our current political status as a Territory. We cannot remain an OT indefinitely. Our current status is a grey area in the international system in which we are not an integral part of UK, but still constitutionally linked to the UK. This leaves us in an awkward position of having a high degree of self-government, but a limited international legal personality in which to engage the outside world.

And let us not delude ourselves. There are colonial underpinnings to our constitutional relationship with the UK. The public registers issue is just one example of that. This is not to say that we have not made progress on decolonization, but that the process is incomplete. We should not continue to legitimize the status quo.

If we as a people are serious about the full decolonization of the Virgin Islands, we must debate and agree the latest year by which we will collectively make a decision on our political future.

I am not saying that we should have a referendum exclusively on independence, because that is not the only option sanctioned by the UN. There are also integration and free association options, which have been mentioned many times in recent months. The Virgin Islands Youth Parliament did a masterful job in debating the question of self-determination in which these options were considered.

However, ladies and gentleman, the immediate priority is not which option we choose. We will cross that bridge when we get to it. Rather, the question is: When will we choose?

This is where I believe we need to place much more emphasis at this stage in our growth and development as a Territory.

If we do not set a timeframe for a referendum, then there is no deadline to work toward. Without a deadline, there is no impetus to prepare for a referendum or to make the necessary adjustments for the potential outcome.

We cannot afford to avoid this issue any longer. The uncertainty is hindering our ability to prepare for our longer-term future.

GLOBAL BRITAIN

It is very apparent now, that if we do not make it clear that we intend to make a decision about our political status, the Virgin Islands will continue to be subject to whatever vision and plans the UK has for us.

The Foreign Affairs Select Committee in the House of Commons has already presented their own vision of Global Britain and the Overseas Territories, which in many ways disregards our uniqueness as a people and calls for measures that would undermine our economy.

CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW

We as a people must not allow ourselves to get stuck in a never-ending debate about our political future. Now is the time to cement the timing for this critical decision that must eventually be made.

The forthcoming Constitutional Review is our opportunity. By embedding the latest year for a referendum in our constitution, we escape the trap of putting off the decision for another time. A constitutionally based timeframe would bind our Government and the UK to preparing for such a referendum.

And the UK should agree, by the way. The British people were given a referendum vote on Brexit. The people of Scotland were given a vote on independence. A referendum is nothing out of the ordinary.

UN DECOLONISATION PROCESS

Let me just make one additional clarification here. A decision on our political future is not simply about whether we like the UK or not. The full decolonisation of the Virgin Islands is about completing the process that was previously sanctioned by the UN, including the UK as one of the most important members of the institution.

According to the UN, the Virgin Islands has not been fully decolonized. This is not simply my view or Dr. Corbins view. This is the UNs view. This is based on the UNs litmus test of self-government in these islands. And we are not alone.

There are 17 Overseas Territories under the remit of the UN Special Committee on Decolonisation (Committee of 24/C-24) that are in a similar position. Thus, the UN has called for the eradication of colonialism by the end of this decade.

Ladies and gentleman, the world has already agreed that colonialism in all forms must be a thing of the past. We must now determine when we will bring to an end the last vestiges of colonialism in the Virgin Islands.

Let us not forget that our forebearers initiated the decolonisation process. The Great March of 1949 was a turning point when the people of the Virgin Islands came together collectively for the first time to stand up for their dignity as human beings and to demand the right to have a say in their political and economic future.

It is important that we do not become complacent with the status quo and continue to forge ahead on the path of self-determination.

REFERENDUM DATE

Ladies and gentleman, in selecting the latest year by which to hold a referendum, we should consider a few things:

First, the UN has called for the complete eradication of colonialism by 2030. This decade is the window of time that has international legitimacy. The vast majority of countries in the world voted for the this at the UN General Assembly in 2020. The international community stands with us on choosing our political future.

Second, there are local public consultations under way on the preparation of a National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP) with the support of UN ECLAC. The overarching goal of the plan is to strengthen the economic, social, political and environmental viability of our society over the course of this decade. The measure of success will be the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. If we are successful in this endeavor, we will be well positioned to continue our sustainable development, regardless of what future political status the people of the Virgin Islands choose.

The final consideration is one of a moral nature. I personally believe that we have a moral obligation to agree a timeframe for a referendum that would at least give the baby boomer generation an opportunity to participate. I am talking about the people born as early as 1945. Essentially my mother and fathers generation and those who came of age in the period after the Second World War. They have seen a lot of change in these Virgin Islands and I believe they deserve a vote on our political future.

Based on these factors, ladies and gentleman, I believe that we must call for a referendum on the political status of the Territory to be held no later than 2030.

Such a provision should be embedded in our constitution to make it extremely difficult for anyone to reverse or derail it. It is the one thing at this stage that will make a substantive difference in our political advancement.

In addition, we should of course negotiate for as much autonomy as we can get in the upcoming Constitutional Review, supported by strong provisions to police ourselves. We should be under no illusions that the extent of any real change depends on how far the UK is willing to go.

CONCLUSION



Ladies and gentleman, these are very uncertain times and achieving the constitutional and political advancements we desire, will not be easy. The process requires political maturity, social cohesion and unity of purpose. It also requires a great deal of education and awareness by the public. Let us work together in this regard as we go forward.

As I close, I would like to take this opportunity as the final speaker in this lecture series, and this round of constitutional dialogues, to commend and thank the organizers for all their hard work in organizing these events:

 Mrs. Bernadine Louis and your team at HLSCC;

 Mrs. Shaina Smith-Archer, host of the Vigilate Dialogues;

 Mrs. Angelle Cameron, Co-Host of My BVI;

 Mr. Claude Skelton-Cline, Host of Honestly Speaking; and

 Mr. Edu Enka, Host of Umoja.

Thank you. You have done a great service to the community.

I do hope another series of lectures will be organized in due course. The previous presenters also deserve much credit for their contributions to the dialogue.



I thank you for your attention.

REMARKS BY BENITO WHEATLEY
PHILIPSBURG:--- This month the library will be hosting a poetry workshop and a poetry contest. Learn the magic of words, rhyme, and expression in the librarys educational workshop and/or compete for wonderful prizes by submitting your heartfelt poem or poetic song in the librarys poetry contest. In addition to the upcoming poetry activities, the library is also expanding its e-book collection with more books about poetry.

Be sure to sign up for the upcoming poetry workshop taking place on Saturday, June 12th with an expert university lecturer, educator, and poet Drs. Roberto Celestino Arrindell. You must register in advance, as space is limited. During this workshop, you will learn how to write, read and understand poetry and how it can allow you to use metaphor, imagery, and symbolic language to express yourself. Poetry can allow young as well as old to describe experiences or a side of themselves that they would otherwise not share with the world. Poetry takes on many forms; it can be a sonnet, a haiku, a rhyming play, or even dub, calypso, or rap, just to name a few examples. There are so many ways that you can use poetry as a creative outlet. Learn how to harness the incredible power of poetry in the upcoming workshop and register in advance with Ms. Richardson via email or phone at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or +1721 542-2970.

The second stage of the librarys poetry month will kick off with a poetry contest in which you can win wonderful prizes. How would you like to win a 3-night staycation at Belair Beach Hotel Oceanfront resort overlooking Little Bay Beach from your own private terrace?! Its yours if you submit your winning poem to the library via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or in person at the front desk at # 3 Walter Nisbeth Road, Philipsburg.

Dont miss out on these great opportunities for you or your children to express yourselves, grow intellectually and spiritually and show your talent to the world. Those 14 years and over can register for the poetry workshop before Friday, the 11th of June via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , and persons of all ages are invited to send in their poem for the poetry contest before the 14th of June to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Those who dont have an email address can also register in person or via telephone at 542-2970. Dont forget to mention your name, age, and contact information. Time is running out, so get in touch with your library soon.
EnWave Announces Appointment of Mr. Brad Lahrman as CEO of NutraDried

Posted by Publisher Internet

EnWave Corporation (TSX-V:ENW | FSE:E4U) (?EnWave?, or the \Company\  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/enwave-corp/), announced today that it has appointed Mr. Brad Lahrman as the new Chief Executive Officer (?CEO?) of NutraDried Food Company, LLC (?NutraDried?), EnWave?s wholly-owned operating subsidiary.

Mr. Lahrman brings fifteen years of leadership experience in mid-market consumer products companies, including most recently with Schouten USA, a major plant-based protein company, Lightlife? Foods, a leading plant-based protein company that was acquired by Maple Leaf Foods in 2017, and earlier with Campbell Soup Company. Mr. Lahrman advanced his career as a marketing executive, and most recently led all of Schouten?s USA operations as its General Manager.? In addition to Mr. Lahrman?s marketing expertise, his past responsibilities have included sales and innovation, including the product development ecosystem. He holds an MBA from Boston College?s Carrol Graduate School of Management, specializing in brand management and marketing analytics.

The Company and its Board of Directors is pleased to welcome Mr. Lahrman into the executive management team to lead the next phase of commercial growth at NutraDried. Working closely with EnWave?s management team, Mr. Lahrman will drive the development of a refined multi-channel sales strategy at NutraDried, including the development of new products for in-house brands, private-label and co-manufacturing, with products that leverage the use of EnWave?s Radiant Energy Vacuum (?REV??) dehydration technology. ?Mr. Lahrman will report directly to EnWave?s CEO, Mr. Brent Charleton. Additionally, EnWave?s Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Dan Henriques, will continue to serve in a dual-capacity as Chief Operating Officer at NutraDried.

Upon his appointment as CEO of NutraDried, the Company has granted Mr. Lahrman an aggregate of 800,000 incentive stock options, subject to the terms of the Company?s Stock Option Plan (the ?Plan?), that are exercisable at the last closing price of the Company?s common shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (?TSXV?) on June 7, 2021. The incentive stock options are exercisable for a term of five years expiring on June 7, 2026 and will vest in one-third increments over three years in accordance to the provisions set out in the Plan, or as otherwise required by the TSXV. The grant of the equity incentive stock options is subject to approval by the TSXV.

About EnWave

EnWave Corporation, a Vancouver-based advanced technology company, has developed Radiant Energy Vacuum (?REV??) ? an innovative, proprietary method for the precise dehydration of organic materials. EnWave has further developed patented methods for uniformly drying and decontaminating cannabis through the use of REV? technology, shortening the time from harvest to marketable cannabis products.?

REV? technology?s commercial viability has been demonstrated and is growing rapidly across several market verticals in the food, and pharmaceutical sectors, including legal cannabis. EnWave?s strategy is to sign royalty-bearing commercial licenses with innovative, disruptive companies in multiple verticals for the use of REV? technology. The company has signed over forty royalty-bearing licenses to date spanning twenty countries and five continents. In addition to these licenses, EnWave established a Limited Liability Corporation, NutraDried Food Company, LLC, to manufacture, market and sell all-natural dairy snack products in the United States, including the Moon Cheese? brand, as well as co-manufacture for third parties.?

EnWave has introduced REV? as a disruptive dehydration platform in the food and cannabis sectors: faster and cheaper than freeze drying, with better end product quality than air drying or spray drying. EnWave currently offers two distinct commercial REV? platforms:

nutraREV? which is a drum-based system that dehydrates organic materials quickly and at low-cost, while maintaining high levels of nutrition, taste, texture and colour; and,

quantaREV? which is a tray-based system used for continuous, high-volume low-temperature drying.

EnWave is also active in the pharmaceutical industry through a joint development agreement with GEA Lyophil, a leader in GMP drying machinery.

More information about EnWave is available at www.enwave.net.

EnWave Corporation

Mr. Brent Charleton, CFA

President and CEO

For further information:

Brent Charleton, CFA, President and CEO at +1 (778) 378-9616

E-mail: bcharleton@enwave.net ?????

Dan Henriques, CFO at +1 (604) 835-5212

E-mail: dhenriques@enwave.net ?

In Europe

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

Safe Harbour for Forward-Looking Information Statements: This press release may contain forward-looking information based on management\-\-s expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including statements about the Company\-\-s strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures, and the expected synergies following the closing are forward-looking statements. All third party claims referred to in this release are not guaranteed to be accurate. All third party references to market information in this release are not guaranteed to be accurate as the Company did not conduct the original primary research. These statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

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

Posted by Publisher Internet

Griffin Mining Ltd (\the Company\  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/griffin-mining-ltd/) announces that the Company has been notified of and subsequently authorised on? 3rd June 2021 the exercise of options (\the Options\) over 125,000 new ordinary shares in the Company granted to the directors and management in February 2015 at an exercise price of 30p per share.

The options are being exercised and shares allocated to a former employee of a subsidiary of the Company. Following the exercise of the Options there will be 174,642,894 Ordinary Shares in the Company in issue. There are 899,799 shares held in treasury.? ?

Application has been made to the London Stock Exchange for 125,000 new ordinary shares to be admitted to trading on AIM. These new ordinary shares will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing ordinary shares. It is expected that admission will become effective on or around 11th June 2021.

Griffin Mining Limited?s shares are quoted on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange (symbol GFM).

The Company?s news releases are available on the Company?s web site: www.griffinmining.com

The information contained within this announcement is deemed to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No.596/2014.

Griffin Mining Limited?s shares are quoted on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange (symbol GFM).

?
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 02:10:58|Editor: huaxia

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BEIRUT, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's Ministry of National Defense on Monday signed two mine action agreements with the UN Development Program (UNDP) and the Dutch Embassy in Lebanon separately, the National News Agency reported.

The agreement with the UNDP addresses the humanitarian and development impacts of mines, cluster munitions and explosive remnants of war, and will further empower the Lebanese Mine Action Centre, a part of the Lebanese Armed Forces.

As for the deal with the Netherlands, it is a donation one that covers all the expenses of the Lebanese National Mine Action Program for a period of three years.

Caretaker Defense Minister Zeina Akar said the signature of the two agreements come at a time when mines and explosive remnants of war are still causing innocent casualties and remain a threat to the safety of citizens.

UNDP resident representative in Lebanon Celine Moyroud highlighted the importance of long-term partnership between the Lebanese Defense Ministry, the Lebanese army, and the UNDP in the field of demining.

For his part, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Lebanon Hans Peter van der Woude affirmed his country's support for the demining project.

"The Netherlands is one of the first countries that supported and still supports the mine-clearing project, and it calls on Lebanon to join the Ottawa Convention for a mine-free world," the Dutch diplomat said. Enditem
Tier One Silver to Commence Trading on TSX Venture Under Symbol TSLV

Posted by Publisher Internet

Tier One Silver (?Tier One? or the ?Company?  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/tier-one-silver-inc/ ) is pleased to announce that common shares of the Company will begin trading on the TSX Venture Exchange on June 9, 2021 under the symbol TSLV.

Company Highlights:

Significant silver-gold target identified through extensive surface sampling and geophysics at the flagship Curibaya project.

Curibaya is in a world-class mining belt in southern Peru and is situated approximately 42 kilometres (km) from the Toquepala mine (Southern Copper Corp.) and 57 km from the Quellaveco mine (Anglo American).

Age of the mineralization at the Curibaya project has been identified as Paleocene, which is equivalent to multiple major deposits in Peru, including Quellaveco, Toquepala and Cuajone (Southern Copper Corp).

Fully permitted to commence inaugural drill program at Curibaya in June.

Diversified portfolio providing optionality, including the Hurricane Silver project, Emilia IOCG/porphyry project, the Coastal Batholith and Corisur projects.

C$13.45M financing closed in March 2021 at C$1.00 per common share with participation from high-net-worth investors and some of the highest regarded mining professionals globally.

Proven management team with two prior exploration successes in both bull and bear markets (Keegan Resources, now Galiano Gold, a producing gold company and Cayden Resources, sold for C$205M to Agnico Eagle in 2014).

High calibre technical team comprised primarily of former Newmont geologists who have contributed to the discovery of multi-million ounce deposits.

A Message from Peter Dembicki, President, CEO & Director:

?Tier One Silver represents multiple world-class exploration opportunities within a world-renowned geological belt. Our flagship project, Curibaya, has demonstrated remarkably high-grade samples on surface, with significant geophysical targets directly below. We look forward to being the first company to drill the project and plan to commence our inaugural program in June.?

A Message from Ivan Bebek, Co-Chair, Co-Founder, & Director:

?Tier One Silver is the second company created out of splitting Auryn in October 2020, and since its formation, the Company has added significant value through extensive exploration efforts and acquisitions to deliver a high calibre exploration company. The Curibaya project is an exceptionally unique opportunity due to the scale of the mineralized system on a world-class belt, the quality of the targets and the incredible high-grade sampled on surface.?

?A special thank you to our long-term supporters and stakeholders. Additionally, to our technical team, which has identified one of the best undrilled precious metals targets we are aware of globally.?

Tier One Silver is an exploration company focused on creating value for shareholders and stakeholders through the discovery of world-class silver, gold and base metal deposits in Peru. The Company?s management and technical teams have a strong track record in raising capital, discovery and monetization of exploration successes. The Company?s exploration assets in?Peru include: Hurricane Silver, Emilia, Coastal Batholith, Corisur and the flagship silver-gold project, Curibaya, which is rapidly advancing toward its first drill program.

Curibaya Project: Overview & Infrastructure:

The Curibaya property covers more than 11,000 hectares?and is situated in a copper porphyry belt that hosts some of Peru?s largest porphyry deposits, including Freeport McMoRan?s Cerro Verde deposit, Southern Copper?s Cuajone and Toquepala deposits as well as Anglo American?s Quellaveco deposit. The project is the first major epithermal occurrence in this belt,?which covers the regional Incapuquio fault zone and subsidiary structures. These are interpreted as one of the fundamental controls for both epithermal and porphyry styles of mineralization within the region. Importantly, the licenses host a number of cross structures to the?Incapuquio fault zone that are considered highly prospective. Initial surface sampling programs at Curibaya have returned numerous high-grade samples of silver, gold and copper over a 4 x 5 km?alteration system.

The Curibaya project is well situated from an infrastructure standpoint, approximately 48 km north-northeast of the provincial capital, Tacna, accessible by road in 1.5 hours.?

Drill Permit Received & Drilling Imminent:

The Company has received its FTA (Ficha Tecnica Ambiental), the necessary environmental permit, from the Peruvian Ministry of Energy and Mines for drilling at the Curibaya silver-gold project in Southern Peru. The FTA allows the Company to drill up to 40 holes from 20 platforms over a 473-hectare area, which is within the 20 square km mineralized alteration zone where high-grade vein corridors have sampled up to 298 kg/t silver and 934 g/t gold.

High-Grade Silver & Gold Mineralization on Surface:

Rock grab sampling at the Curibaya project has returned grades of up to 298,000 g/t silver and 934 g/t gold, with samples spread across a 4 x 5 km alteration system. Rock grab sample highlights are shown in Table 1 and Figure 1.

Geologic Context of Vein Mineralization:

The high-grade precious metal veins sampled to-date on the project range in width from five centimetres to one metre (m) and are situated in north ? south corridors radiating from?identified flow dome complexes. The sampled veins are primarily situated in the overlying volcanic sequence above the flow dome complexes and provide a good indication of the metal budget; however, they are not the target themselves. Tier One believes the veins represent a high-level dispersion of a robust precious metal system that is situated along the margins of the dome complexes at shallow depths. These flow dome complexes provide a geological mechanism to concentrate fluid flow where potential?geologic targets include high-grade veins, vein stockwork zones and silicified hydrothermal breccias?that would be situated along the margins of the domes.

Large-Scale Geophysical Anomalies Below High-Grade on Surface:

Tier One has identified a 2 km by 750 m chargeability anomaly near surface, which represents a precious metals target, and a magnetic anomaly located spatially below the chargeability anomaly (Figure 2). The technical team interprets the magnetic anomaly to be the intrusion responsible for driving the high-grade silver and gold mineralization sampled on surface and believes it may also represent a potential porphyry target beneath the precious metals system.

Paleocene Aged Mineralization:

Tier One has identified the age of the mineralization at the Curibaya project to be Paleocene, ranging from 55 to 61 million years. This is equivalent to several world-class deposits in the southern Peru porphyry belt, including Quellaveco, Toquepala and Cuajone (Figure 3). Tier One\-\-s technical team believes the Paleocene age of the mineralization, along with the large precious metal budget observed within high-grade veins over a 4 x 5 km alteration system, support the potential for a world-class discovery at the Curibaya project.?

Additional Corporate Highlights:

Tier One Silver completed its financing prior to filing a prospectus, supported by top investors and mining professionals, and did not raise funds concurrent with this go public event.

Tier One Silver is well-funded with over?C$13 million?in cash to carry out an extensive inaugural drill program at the Curibaya project in southern Peru.

As at listing, Tier One has 125,794,897 common shares issued and outstanding, no warrants and 7,915,000 incentive stock options.

Tier One is led by an experienced team of mining professionals including:

Ivan Bebek, Co-Founder, Co-Chair of the Board and Director

Shawn Wallace, Co-Founder, Co-Chair of the Board and Director

Peter Dembicki, President, CEO and Director

Elizabeth Senez, CFO (interim)

Michael Henrichsen, Chief Geologist

David Smithson, SVP, Exploration

Christian Rios, SVP of Operations, Peru

Michael Henrichsen (Chief Geologist), P.Geo is the QP who assumes responsibility for the technical contents of this press release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TIER ONE SILVER INC.

Peter Dembicki

President, CEO and Director

For further information on Tier One Silver Inc., visit www.tieronesilver.com or contact Natasha Frakes, Manager of Corporate Communications at (778) 729-0600 or?info@tieronesilver.com.

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

About Tier One

Tier One Silver is an exploration company focused on creating value for shareholders and stakeholders through the discovery of world-class silver, gold and base metal deposits in Peru. The Company?s management and technical teams have a strong track record in raising capital, discovery and monetization of exploration success. The Company?s exploration assets in Peru include: Hurricane Silver, Emilia, Coastal Batholith, Corisur and the flagship project, Curibaya, which is rapidly advancing toward its first drill program. Tier One is seeking a U.S. listing with a targeted completion in the second quarter of 2021. Visit www.tieronesilver.com for more information.

PERU Rocks Q4 2020 (Curibaya)

Approximately 2-3kg of material was collected for analysis and sent to ALS Lab in Arequipa, Peru for preparation and then to Lima, Peru for analysis. All samples are assayed using 30g nominal weight fire assay with ICP finish (Au-ICP21) and multi-element four acid digest ICP-AES/ICP-MS method (ME-MS61). Where ICP21 results were > 3 g/t Au the assay were repeated with 30g nominal weight fire assay with gravimetric finish (Au-GRA21). Where MS61 results were greater or near 10,000 ppm Cu, 10,000ppm Pb or 100ppm Ag the assay were repeated with ore grade four acid digest method (Cu,Pb,Ag-OG62). Where OG62 results were greater or near 1500ppm Ag the assay were repeated with 30g nominal weight fire assay with gravimetric finish (Ag-GRA21). Where Ag-GRA21 results were greater or near 10,000ppm Ag the assay were repeated with fire assay with gravimetric finish for concentrate (Ag-CON01). QA/QC programs for 2019/2020 rock samples using company and lab duplicates, standards and blanks indicate good accuracy and precision in a large majority of standards assayed.

Curibaya Age Dating, 2020

A total of four samples of altered volcanic rocks were collected for Ar-Ar geochronology analysis. Samples were sent to Pacific Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research, University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, Canada. They were analyzed through neutron irradiation at McMaster Nuclear Reactor in Hamilton, Ontario, and a VG5400 mass spectrometry. The best statistically justified plateau and plateau ages picked. Two out of four samples had isochrons sufficient for plateau age determination.

Forward Looking and General Cautionary

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation (collectively, ?forward-looking statements?) that relate to the Company?s current expectations and views of future events. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, and plans, which are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements and may involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should read accordingly. The contained statements speak only as of the date of this news release. In particular and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking statements in regards to the Company?s U.S. listing application being successful, which cannot be assured, and its exploration plans.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Tommy Ashley, 36, of Eubank, passed away Friday, June 11, 2021 at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington. Arrangements are pending and will be announced later by Morris & Hislope Funeral Home. Condolences may be expressed to the family at: www.morrisandhislope.com.
Secure access control is helping to shape the post-pandemic world

With the continued rolling back of COVID restrictions in the UK, there is a palpable sense of relief. A mixture of mass vaccinations, widespread testing, and track and tracing of the infection is helping to enable a healthy bounce back for businesses  with secure access control taking an important role in facilitating this. However, rather than just being a reaction to the wake of the pandemic, there is every sign that the economy, and consequently the security sector as well, are both rebuilding and reshaping for the long-term new normal. Prioritising Safety Already deemed an essential service even during the first wave of the pandemic, the security industry has of course taken a vital role in protecting people and property throughout the crisis. Now that venues in the UK are starting to reopen again, our services are key to occupancy management and ensuring that disease transmission is limited as far as possible. Access control is also key in reassuring people that their safety is a priority. Making the upgrade Its all been about choosing the most suitable components and technology that already existed with a few tweaks Businesses and organisations have a duty of care to their employees and the safety of visitors  so controlling access, employing lateral flow testing, and deploying suitable Track & Trace mechanisms are all key components. I think those outside our industry are surprised to learn that most of the technology being deployed and used hasnt just magically developed since COVID appeared  its all been about choosing the most suitable components and technology that already existed albeit with a few development tweaks or adjustments for the situation at hand. This includes using or installing facial recognition readers rather than using fingerprint or contact tokens, it is swapping to automatic request to exit sensors instead of buttons; it is using powered secure doors rather than having people all grab the same handle. Using mobile credentials is also a key technology choice  why not use the highly secure, easy to manage, cost-effective, and of course contact-free benefits of this approach? Touchless solutions We have seen a clear shift in organisations looking to protect their staff and visitors. For instance, we have a big utility customer in Southeast Asia that has just replaced close to 200 sites using fingerprint readers with an additional facial recognition capability. We have also seen a big rise in demand for touchless request to exit sensors and Bluetooth Low Energy Readers for use with smartphone authentication. Working together Integration of security systems is of course nothing new, but in the post-pandemic or endemic age, it has perhaps never been more important. Installations need to be simple, straightforward, and rapid to help maintain safe distancing but also to ensure systems can be deployed as soon as they are needed. The world is changing and developing rapidly and there is simply no place for systems that dont work with others or cause the end-user considerable cost and inconvenience to upgrade. This flexible delivery of security solutions perfectly matches the evolving and increasing demands of the market. Its clear that end-users want systems that work well and can easily integrate with their existing systems  not only security but all the other business components which work in unison with each other over a shared network. Great opportunities ahead The recent work-from-home trend is also clearly changing the way organisations and businesses interact with the built environment. Lots of companies are downsizing, offices are being split up, there is lots of revitalisation and reuse of existing office space  all of which creates considerable opportunities for security providers. UK inflation more than doubled in April 2021 with unemployment figures dropping and the Pound rising in value There are also, in the UK at least, clear signs that the construction industry is rapidly growing again -with a forecast of 8% rebound and growth this year. UK inflation more than doubled in April 2021 with unemployment figures dropping and the Pound rising in value  all positive signs for UK-based security providers. Undoubtedly the highly successful UK vaccination rollout has helped considerably, but there are signs that the Eurozone looks set to improve considerably over the next few months as well. Using integrated access control Undoubtedly the pandemic has made security markets around the world more aware of the benefits of integrated access control in managing the needs of the new normal COVID endemic environment. For example, as a business, we have always had keen interest from the UK healthcare sector, but over the last 12 months, we have seen a big growth in previously modest international markets including Morocco, Kuwait, Bahrain, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Thailand  all of which are very keen to adopt improved access control solutions. Learning the lessons Nobody would deny the last year or so has been unprecedentedly tough on everyone, as a society we have had to make huge changes and sacrifices. Governments, organisations, and businesses all need to be better prepared in the future, to understand the things that went wrong and those that were successful. However, there is a world beyond the immediate pandemic and its effects. Flexible working practices and the changes these will have to the way we live and work will undoubtedly present great opportunities for the security sector in helping the world evolve. The pandemic has been a wake-up call for many organisations with regards to their duty of care to employees  particularly when it comes to mental health and providing a sensible work/life balance. Where we work and the safety of these facilities has received far more scrutiny than before. Flexible security systems Integrated security solutions have a vital role to play in not only protecting the safety of people during the post-lockdown return to work but also in the evolution of the built environment and move towards smart cities - which inevitably will now need to consider greater flexibility in securing home working spaces rather than just traditional places of work. Importantly, powerful access control and integrated security systems need to be flexible to the uncertainties ahead. The COVID pandemic has shown that nothing can be considered certain, except the need for greater flexibility and resilience in the way we operate our professional and personal interactions.
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 02:27:16|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Dialogue Relations in Chongqing, southwest China, June 7, 2021. The foreign ministers of China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathered on Monday for the meeting, which was co-chaired by Wang Yi and Teodoro Locsin, foreign secretary of the Philippines that serves as the current country coordinator for ASEAN-China relations. Also in attendance was the ASEAN Secretary-General. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)

CHONGQING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday expounded China's stance on the current situation in Myanmar when meeting with foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Expressing China's willingness to continue to play a constructive role, Wang said China stands ready to cooperate with ASEAN on Myanmar issues.

China is willing to jointly promote all parties in Myanmar to take the interests of the people as their top priority, maintain calmness and restraint, and eliminate all types of violence.

To restart the process of democratic transformation, China is willing to jointly encourage all parties to conduct political dialogue under the constitution and legal framework, Wang said, adding that China stands ready to work with ASEAN to provide assistance to Myanmar in the face of COVID-19 pandemic.

China is also willing to jointly support Myanmar's economic recovery, improve people's livelihood, and ensure their rights and interests, Wang said.

To avoid unilateral sanctions and improper intervention, China stands ready to urge the other countries to abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, Wang added.

The foreign ministers of China and ASEAN gathered for a Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Dialogue Relations in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. Enditem
Medford, NJ (08055)

Today

Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low 62F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low 62F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
BBC One announces new regular cast member as filming commences on series 11 of Death in ParadiseRising star Shantol Jackson (Yardie, Sprinter) joins the cast of hit BBC One drama, Death in Paradise as cameras start rolling on the French Caribbean Island of GuadeloupeShantol will play ambitious young sergeant, Naomi Thomas, a gifted officer who has arrived from a neighbouring island to join the Saint Marie Police. But having come from a smaller police force, will her lack of experience get the better of her?Taking on the role, Shantol says: "I'm so grateful for this amazing opportunity to join the cast of this fun-filled, entertaining series. I used to watch Death in Paradise with my dad in Jamaica years ago when it just started and to now be in the show, knowing that he'll be watching me, it's truly a surreal moment. Looking forward to adding to the magic!"Shantol Jackson will play ambitious young sergeant, Naomi ThomasReprising their roles are series regulars Ralf Little as D.I. Neville Parker, Josephine Jobert as D.S Florence Cassell, Don Warrington as Commissioner Selwyn Patterson, Tahj Miles as Officer Marlon Pryce and Elizabeth Bourgine as Mayor Catherine Bordey. At the end of the tenth anniversary series, which averaged nearly nine million viewers, fans saw JP leave Saint Marie, trainee officer Marlon Pryce become a permanent member of the team, and Neville on the cusp of revealing his true feelings for Florence, leaving audiences on the edge of their seats.Series eleven will see even more mysterious murders, guest stars galore, huge surprises and plenty of twists. How will Marlon cope without JP? Will Neville disclose how he really feels about Florence and how will she respond to this bombshell? If thats not enough, could the return of familiar faces to the island cause trouble in paradise?Executive producer, Tim Key says: Were so excited to be back in Guadeloupe and calling action on our eleventh series - and also to welcome Shantol to the cast. Shes an amazing addition to the team and we cant wait for the audience to meet Naomi. We also cant wait to share some huge surprises weve got in store - after the success of our tenth anniversary weve set the bar pretty high, so were pulling out all the stops to make this our best series yet.Death in Paradise is commissioned for BBC One by Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer, and Piers Wenger, Director of BBC Drama. Tim Key will executive produce for Red Planet Pictures and Tommy Bulfin for the BBC. Death in Paradise is a Red Planet Pictures production and produced with the support of the region of Guadeloupe. BBC Studios will distribute the series internationally, and have so far brought the hugely successful previous ten series to audiences across the globe.All series of Death in Paradise are available to stream now on BBC iPlayer
SOUTHBURY  Shirley Lenhard is hoping her new business, The Cottage at Main, will have something for everyone in the community.

The Cottage at Main opened on May 1, but Lenhard will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon Friday, followed by a pop-up shop Saturday to make the community aware of its offerings.

The dual gift shop and artistic space was opened as a place to bolster the community.

Lenhard, the owner, always wanted a sort of arts and crafts space that also hosted local artists. After ending her 38-year career as a paralegal in March 2020, she thought it would be the prime time for her to find something to develop.

But with the pandemic and the opening of her husbands auto shop just before COVID-19 struck, she figured her time would just be later on down the road. But while she was visiting her mother in Georgia, her husband, Willie, took matters into his own hands.

Thinking it would be something to surprise her with, he secured the cottage for her. The shop is next door to his Willies Automotive. And as soon as she got back to Connecticut, she went to work on pulling her vision for the space together.

It seems like a dream now because it happened so quickly and everythings gone so smoothly, she said. The people of Southbury have had an outpouring of support.

While the cottage might appear to be just a cozy little gift shop, its easily more. Lenhard has made it a creative space for child and adult programming, such as painting or yoga classes.

The cottage also puts on a pop-up shop every second Saturday of the month as a way to support local businesses. While vendors are able to use the space, Lenhard sends the donations they give to the Southbury Food Bank for those in need.

That was my plan, to be able to support a community that supports me in return, and its been really great, she said. Its just a big circle of everyone supporting one another.

Kevin Bielmeier, Southburys director of economic development, said The Cottage at Main is a real hodgepodge, but just the out-of-the-box business the town needs.

This is exactly the kind of thing we need to spur economic growth, tap into the many home enterprises that exist in this town. This is the perfect way to grow home-grown businesses, he said, noting it can give these ventures more exposure.

Im hoping it spurs, in town, a growing sense of experimentation and trying things, he added.
PARIS (AP)  A replica of the Statue of Liberty, smaller but based on the original plaster cast of its big sister on Liberty Island, a gift from France, was given a sendoff Monday before a trip to the United States where it will be displayed for Independence Day.

The nearly 3-meter-high (nearly 10-foot high) bronze will make a nine-day trip across the Atlantic Ocean later this month, sailing out aboard a container ship from the French port of Le Havre to Baltimore. It will then be transported to the U.S., arriving in time for July 4 celebrations.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 02:32:22|Editor: huaxia

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BRUSSELS, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission is engaged in negotiations with third countries, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, on the mutual recognition of vaccine certificates, European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders said here on Monday.

At a press conference following a meeting for the justice ministers of the European Union (EU) member states, Reynders said that since the U.S. does not intend to issue a federal vaccination "passport," "we have to think about other kinds of proof for vaccination or recovery or tests, but it must be possible to solve the issue."

Reynders said the Commission was finalizing its new recommendations on free movement.

"I hope that this week we will make progress on new rules at EU level to lift the restrictions and to facilitate free movement," he said.

The EU's Digital COVID Certificate was proposed by the Commission to facilitate safe travel this summer. The system would allow the verification of national certificates in a secure and privacy-friendly way.

Available in digital format or on paper, it will provide proof that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, tested negative or recovered from an infection.

The regulation is scheduled to enter into force on July 1 with a phasing-in period of six weeks for any member state that needs additional time. Enditem
Connecticut restaurants  including three of New Havens most famous pizzerias  got a star turn on ABCs Good Morning America Tuesday, as anchor Lara Spencer spotlighted eateries and how they pulled through the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The segment featured restaurateur Devione Tanksley of My Wife Didnt Cook in New Britain, who shared his experience of giving back to the community. In the first few months of the COVID-19 shutdowns, Tanksley and his wife, Jaci, opened their soul-food eatery on a night off to feed hundreds of people in the area for free.

I know how it is to need a little bit of help, he said on the GMA segment. My wife and I were like, lets make some meals for the community. Once we did that, people started coming and supporting us.

The couple opened their second location in Manchester in February, within the Buckland Hills mall food court. The menu offers crave-worthy fare like barbecue ribs, wings, fried catfish and whiting and complementing sides: collard greens, mac and cheese, rice, cornbread and yams with banana pudding for dessert.

In Mystic, Spencer stopped by Mystic Pizza, immortalized in the 1988 film starring Julia Roberts. Steven Zelepos, kitchen manager and grandson of the original owners, told her that despite the pizzerias cinematic history, it too suffered from pandemic-related slowdown.

I dont even want to talk about it...thats how slow it was, he said. Im talking maybe 50 pizzas a day, if that. But Spencer noted that things have turned around, and the famous restaurant sold more than 1,500 pizzas in one day over the recent Memorial Day weekend.

A segment on New Haven pizza started with a quick vocabulary lesson (apizza, pronounced ah-BEETZ, and mootz) and closeups of the white clam pie at Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana; the revered sauce, dough and oven at Sallys Apizza and the Italian bomb pie at Modern Apizza on State Street, with bacon, sausage, pepperoni, mushroom, onion, pepper and garlic.

Visual essay: An inside look at some of New Haven's most famous apizza

If I was going to the electric chair tomorrow, thats my final meal, said Modern owner Bill Pustari.

The owners and operators of the Elm Citys big three pizzerias also shared their experiences adapting to the pandemic, including expanding their outdoor dining into the parking lot.

Pustari said hed often have a line of about 70 customers waiting for takeout, not wanting to get along. It turned me into a bouncer. But at the same time, customers were often generous with tips, he said, and that helped everyone.

Connecticut's lieutenant governor Susan Bysiewicz tweeted after the segment, tagging her counterparts, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul in New York and Lt. Gov. Sheila Murphy in New Jersey, along with @NJGov, the official Twitter account for the Garden State.

(Remember, Food & Wine magazine recently named Connecticut the #2 pizza state in America -- with New Jersey taking the crown.)

Lt. Hochul replied:

Pizza historians have long studied the origins and allure of New Haven apizza, including Scott Weiner, founder of Scotts Pizza Tours and columnist for Pizza Today Magazine.

New Haven certainly has a whole lot of amazing history for early pizza, he recently told Hearst Connecticut. Some of the earliest pizza makers in New Haven were there in the 19-teens  certainly early on  and there's a whole lot of information that proves that tons of Italian immigration landed in New Haven, and with Southern Italian immigration just naturally comes pizza.

Reporter Nicole Funaro contributed to this story.
STAMFORD  The Board of Representatives voted in James Fleischer as a representative of District 15 on Tuesday, following the resignation of Tom Pendell, who was elected in 2017.

Pendell told The Stamford Advocate that he stepped down in part because his mother, who lives in Arizona, is facing health issues. He recommended Fleischer, a Belltown resident, take his place on the board. Like Pendell, Fleischer is a Democrat.

When a member of the board resigns, the persons replacement must be affiliated with the same party that the member was affiliated with when he or she was elected, Board of Representatives President Matthew Quinones told The Advocate.

During Mondays meeting, Rep. Virgil de la Cruz, D-2, nominated Fleischer. The board approved his appointment by voice vote. Quinones abstained from the vote, citing a possible conflict of interest.

Id like to welcome Rep. Fleischer to the Board of Representatives, Quinones said during the meeting. Normally, we would ask that he be escorted to his seat, but it seems like hes found it for the purpose of our virtual meetings, so welcome.

Fleischer, who works for Heineken USA, joins Democratic Rep. Benjamin Lee in representing District 15, which includes parts of Glenbrook-Belltown and Springdale. Fleischer was assigned to the boards Personnel, Transportation and Fiscal committees, filling Pendells spot on each.

Fleischer will serve out Pendells term, which ends later this year. He said he doesnt intend to run for election.

I figured, for the six months, its a good way for me to continue to give back to our district and to the Stamford community  and also learn more about the Board of Reps, said Fleischer, who is also a member of the Democratic City Committee.

Pendell had written a letter to Mayor David Martin telling him he would be resigning as of May 14.

I hope that I will be remembered as one that put their best foot forward during the difficult times that COVID brought, Pendell wrote.

He wrote that he hoped to serve Stamford again one day, as either a member of the Board of Representatives or perhaps as a member of the Board of Finance.

But for today, I have decided that I need to spend this remaining time that I have been blessed with some ailing family, he wrote.

Pendell told The Advocate that his mother has Parkinsons disease, and he went to Arizona to take care of her last year, working remotely while he was there. He decided to move to Arizona permanently, which led to his resignation.

He said he is also making a career switch after working at Interactive Brokers in Greenwich for more than a decade.

I really enjoyed my time on the board, and I wish I could have finished my term, he said.

Pendell said when he joined the board three and a half years ago, he was part of a wave of new members who came in with the attitude of, Were going to make some changes and not listen to the groups that have been there for a long time.

I think overall  it was more about being part of the younger voice for Stamford in government, and I still think thats the most important thing going forward, he said.

He said he supported Fleischer as his replacement because Fleischer seemed open-minded.

I didnt want somebody that had an agenda going into the role, Pendell said. And I just wanted somebody with kind of a fresh set of eyes, and I think thats what I provided when I came in.
GREENWICH  Signs placed around town that say, Stand Up Greenwich: Unmask our children, ban critical race theory, protect medical freedom are drawing the notice of officials and residents alike.

First Selectman Fred Camillo said Monday he has received many calls in recent days about the signs, which also urge residents to attend the June 17 meeting of the Board of Education.

Camillo said he does not know where the signs came from and said there is no order to take them down from public sites.

On a GoGetFunding webpage, a group called Greenwich Patriots appears to take credit for the signs. The group asks on the website for donations to fund medical freedom-oriented yard signs, anti-CRT marketing materials, flyers and posters for rallies, flags and pocket Constitutions for giveaways at our Flag Day Rally, Greenwich Patriots Newsletter, (and) other projects coming soon. Two images of the Stand Up Greenwich sign are among their pictures on the site.

As of Monday afternoon, 12 donors had contributed about $900 to the group, which did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

The signs echo many points that have been made during public comment sessions at several recent Board of Education meetings. An increasingly vocal group of parents have decried what they say is the presence of critical race theory  a controversial academic ideology that seeks to change the ways in which race and history are taught  in the towns schools. Some of those same parents have been outspoken about students wearing masks and receiving vaccinations as well as about other curricular materials that they say are evidence of liberal bias in the classrooms.

Although the signs dont say vaccines, Camillo said he interpreted the line about protecting medical freedom as a reference to the ongoing debate about vaccine requirements in schools.

In April, Gov. Ned Lamont signed a bill ending religious exemptions for vaccines but broadening medical waivers. The COVID-19 vaccine is not mandatory, but the state has encouraged residents, including eligible school-age children, to get the shot.

Signs stay up, Camillo says

Many callers over the weekend told Camillo they are not happy about the signs, he said.

There is no language in the towns municipal code that bans the placement of political signs on public property, although Camillo considered making the change last October, when arguments erupted over the removal of signs in the lead-up to the fall election.

Ultimately, he said, a limit on signs was not codified.

Theres a balance between the First Amendment and the norms of our community, Camillo said. No one likes to see the sign pollution, no matter what it is. So we try to be really careful with placement and be respectful of the aesthetics to not overdo it.

Primarily, it has been Republicans locally, as well as nationally, who have protested mask mandates, vaccination efforts and critical race theory  the issues raised in the signs. But Republican Town Committee Chair Dan Quigley distanced his group from them.

The Stand Up Greenwich signs are not in any way affiliated with the Greenwich RTC, Quigley said. However, the issues they have tapped into are current and meaningful and have struck a chord with parents throughout our community.

Following state guidelines

Superintendent of Schools Toni Jones said Monday that she was aware of the signs, but noted that for vaccines and masks, the district is following state guidelines.

There continues to be a misinformation campaign on these topics, Board of Education Chair Peter Bernstein said Monday.

As has been communicated to parents by the superintendent, masks remain mandated in schools by the Connecticut Department of Education, Bernstein said. Jones has also communicated that critical race theory is not part of our curriculum. Finally, while information has been provided, decisions about whether to vaccinate children for COVID remain a family choice.

Peter Yazbak, a spokesman for the state Department of Education, confirmed Monday that an executive order from Lamont mandates the use of masks inside school buildings. Mask guidance from the state was recently updated to allow optional mask wearing in outdoors settings, but recommended the continued use of masks even in outdoor settings where students and staff are in close proximity.

Greenwich schools are bound by the state to continue requiring masks, though the district can make the decision to alter policy for outdoor end-of-year events such as commencement, he said.

As for COVID-19 vaccines, Yazbak said the state has shared information with districts about how to host successful vaccine clinics and how to disseminate information about the vaccine in the hopes of encouraging more people to get vaccinated.

The state also has provided ideas, suggesting that districts leverage school email lists to share information, send out informational flyers or videos, film a public service announcement about the importance of getting vaccinated, or engage in event marketing, in which districts could brand the clinic date as big/fun/important event: encourage school colors, play music, generate buzz, according to state materials shared by Yazbak.

According to state data, about 34 percent of children ages 12 to 15; 59 percent of those ages 16 to 17; and 52 percent of those ages 18 to 24 have received at least the first dose of the vaccine, as of June 1.

And according to Camillo, who has urged Greenwich residents to get vaccinated, nearly 70 percent of people in town have gotten at least one dose of the COVID vaccine.

This is a minority of people who are bringing up the vaccine and their opposition to it., he said. Its not mandatory, so they dont have to get (the vaccine). But its working.

justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586
STAMFORD  An updated crossing in the heart of Mill River Park has been on the docket for almost two decades.

The West Main Street bridge, which cuts across the citys growing crown jewel, has been closed off to cars for 19 years. A chain-link fence surrounds much of the walkway. Theres always a chance that a particularly gruesome storm could render it useless, despite the fact that about 1,400 people walk across the bridge every day.

And yet, it still stands.

When Stamfords Engineering Department in May attempted to provide a Board of Representatives committee with an update on where progress stood on the dilapidated bridge, old divisions bubbled up about what could come next when city engineer Lou Casolo laid out his departments planned course of action.

For the sake of giving pedestrians moving between Downtown and the West Side a safe walkway as soon as possible, Mayor David Martin wants to put a new structure down just north of the old bridge. The endeavor would cost between $185,500 and $300,000, based on proposals from three prefabricated bridge manufacturers.

Technically, the city already has a green light to put a pedestrian bridge in Mill River Park, according to Casolo. Following weeks of public discussion, political debate, and community forums, city representatives in September 2018 voted to move forward with a pedestrian-only bridge by a two-vote margin. And the mayoral administration contends that it doesnt need board permission to move forward on a publicly bid construction project. With $2 million in the bank from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Mill River Collaborative, Casolos engineering department can move forward.

Yet, the idea of putting down a prefabricated bridge without taking care of the 133-year-old structure its meant to replace perturbs some representatives.

The board has spent so much energy on a bridge replacement project, they argued, but the new bridge would not solve age-old structural problems.

In my mind, it would be totally unacceptable to leave a trashed, old bridge that is at risk for being washed away and taking away the new bridge with it, Rep. David Watkins, R-1, told Casolo. Rep. Virgil de la Cruz, D-2, echoed the same concerns.

Theres not enough money to both take down the existing bridge and put down a new one, according to Casolo. Disposing of the old bridge would cost about $500,000, he told de la Cruz.

Operations Committee Chairman Rep. Jonathan Jacobson, D-12, later told The Stamford Advocate that he plans to ask the citys law department for a legal opinion on whether the citys position is valid.

When the engineering department asked for bids on the bridge rehabilitation project, general contractors came back with hefty potential price tags. Engineering consultancy Wengell, McDonnell & Costello initially told the city that bridge rehabilitation would cost $1.58 million, well within the constraints of the DEEP grant. Putting the project out to bid cost just under $200,000, Casolo told The Advocate. But the two bids that came in were for $3.5 million and $5 million, respectively.

During the Board of Representatives committee meeting, de la Cruz insisted that $500,000 isnt a lot of money in the grand scheme of municipal projects and asked if getting additional funds was possible. Special Assistant to Mayor David Martin Robin Stein jumped in with concerns about the bridges historic status.

That doesnt mean it cannot come down, but that would be a long and onerous process, Stein said. That process involves potentially removing the West Main Street Bridge from the National Register of Historic Places  an arduous endeavor that requires approval from the State Historic Preservation Office. If the city demolishes the bridge despite the historic designation, Stein pointed out, the city could face legal challenges from preservationists.

The 1888 bridge, made by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company, was once one of multiple that stretched across the Rippowam River. Local historic preservationist Renee Kahn in 1987 helped put the bridge on the National Register after the others were lost to time and construction projects. In Connecticut, similar bridges are now few and far between.

Rep. Nina Sherwood, D-8, has pushed to save the bridge and restore its vehicular function over the last several years, even in the face of mounting concerns about its structural integrity. Even as Casolo emphasized that the Martin administration wants to move on the project fast, she pushed the engineering department to look to the board for guidance moving forward. Later in the meeting, Sherwood requested that Casolo return to the committees next meeting in June with cost estimates on how much every iteration of the bridge  vehicular or pedestrian, new or old  could cost.

This board has invested a lot of time, and theres a lot of very passionate feelings on this issue, Sherwood said. I think it would be a grave mistake for this administration, even if it doesnt have to come back to us ... not to come back to us, given the history of this item and how that $2 million was approved.

On top of the cost constraints associated with preserving the old bridge, Casolo clarified that utility cables also run over the bridge in question, which makes taking down the historic structure a little more precarious.

That road was the main road through Stanford at the time (it was built), Casolo said. Specifically, telecommunications wires run over the bridge. Its believed that those communication cables have great value, and if they were taken out of service, a lot of people would be impacted.

Casolo added that putting down a new pedestrian bridge keeps people safe without touching the utilities.

The citys explanation didnt satisfy Rep. Jeff Stella, D-9, who also opposes the pedestrian bridge proposal as-is. When the board voted in 2018 to approve a pedestrian-only walkway, the city thought it could preserve the old bridge, Stella said, calling the new solution a bait-and-switch.

We were promised a Mercedes, and now were (told) that were going to get a Hyundai, Stella said. Not that Im knocking on Hyundai, but at least be honest with it.

Like Sherwood, Stella has also argued that the bridge should be vehicular again if the mayor opts to restore the old structure.

With nothing new to vote on but discontent brewing among board members about what comes next, the Operations Committee decided to keep the bridge front and center in the committees future meetings. After almost four hours of discussion, the committee members voted unanimously to revisit the West Main Street Bridge at their June 29 meeting. Jacobson said hed try to keep the debate on the agenda for as long as the board saw fit.

veronica.delvalle@hearstmediact.com
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Virginia's Democratic voters will pick their party's nominees for this year's three statewide races in Tuesday's primary election, and both parties will settle on nominations for the House of Delegates and local seats.

The results, particularly in the marquee gubernatorial primary, will be closely watched around the nation. The Commonwealth's off-year elections typically draw outsized attention as a possible bellwether for national trends heading into next year's midterms.

Virginia Republicans, looking to break losing streak that has lasted more than decade statewide races, chose their nominees for the top of the ticket in a multi-site convention process in May. But most of the GOP nominations for House of Delegates seats will be settled Tuesday.

Voters in some localities will also choose their nominee for local races, like sheriff and commonwealth's attorney.

Early voting has been underway since late April. Would-be voters must already be registered to vote in order to cast a ballot.

Polling places will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and anyone in line at 7:00 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

Virginia's voter ID law was repealed last year, so people casting a ballot can sign an ID confirmation statement instead of providing ID.

Here is a look at what will be settled Tuesday:

GOVERNOR

Democratic voters will decide whether they want former Gov. Terry McAuliffe to return for another term or whether they think one of his four opponents is the best pick to take on GOP nominee Glenn Youngkin.

McAuliffe, a longtime fixture of Democratic politics and a prodigious fundraiser, has been seen as the heavy favorite in the race. Polling has generally shown him with a commanding lead, he's got a big money advantage, and he locked up endorsements from top officials around the state.

Two of his opponents, state Sen. Jennifer McClellan and former Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy, are running what could be history-making bids. If either wins the general election, they would be Virginia's first female governor and the nation's first Black female governor.

Also in the race are Del. Lee Carter, a self-described socialist who is well to the left of the pack, and Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, whose campaign momentum has been blunted by two unresolved allegations of sexual assault raised in 2019 that he strenuously denies.

Gov. Ralph Northam, like all Virginia governors, is prohibited from seeking a second consecutive term.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Six Democrats are hoping for a chance to serve as lieutenant governor, a mostly ceremonial job that pays about $36,000 a year but is often a steppingstone to higher office.

Sam Rasoul, who has represented Roanoke in the House of Delegates since 2014, has a fundraising lead and is seen in some corners as the frontrunner. Most of the Democratic establishment, though, has coalesced around two-term Del. Hala Ayala, who represents Prince William County.

Also running are: northern Virginia attorney and racial justice activist Sean Perryman; Norfolk City Council member Andria McClellan; businessman Xavier Warren; and Del. Mark Levine, who is simultaneously running for his House seat.

The winner will face GOP nominee and former Del. Winsome Sears, who 20 years ago became the first Black Republican woman elected to the Virginia General Assembly.

Sears, who came to the U.S. from Jamaica as a child and served in the Marines, served a single term representing parts of Hampton Roads in the House.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Incumbent Mark Herring is seeking a third term, looking to fend off a challenge from Jay Jones, who represents Norfolk in the House of Delegates.

A former state senator who became attorney general in 2014 and was reelected easily in 2017, Herring has pitched himself to voters as a progressive champion on abortion rights, gun control and immigrant-friendly policies and argued that his experience made him the best choice to keep the office in Democratic control.

Jones, a Black 32-year-old two-term delegate, has argued the office needs a fresh perspective and sought to cast Herring as slow to respond to the reckoning sparked by the police murder of George Floyd last summer.

Jones picked up Northams endorsement, but many other establishment Democratic figures, including two of the states most powerful Black lawmakers, have endorsed Herring.

The winner of the primary contest will face GOP nominee Jason Miyares, a former prosecutor and a member of the House of Delegates who so far has been campaigning with a focus on public safety.

HOUSE OF DELEGATES

Voters will choose nominees in dozens of House primaries, settling the field of candidates for a fall general election shaping up to be intensely contested. Democrats will be on defense in November, attempting to hang on to their majority.

In the primary, Democrats have an unusually high number of intra-party challengers  14  while only three Republicans incumbents have opponents.

Both parties say they are confident their incumbents will do well.
HOUSTON (AP)  A 5-year-old Houston boy whose body authorities say was kept hidden in a storage unit before being discovered in an East Texas motel has been officially identified and his cause of death has been ruled a homicide, authorities said Tuesday.

The identity of Samuel Olson was confirmed following an autopsy conducted by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences in Houston.

The cause of his death is homicidal violence with blunt head trauma, the institute, which conducts all autopsies in the county, said in an email. The institute did not provide additional details on the boys death and a spokeswoman didnt immediately return an email seeking comment.

Theresa Raye Balboa, 29, who was the girlfriend of Samuels father, has been charged with tampering with evidence, a human corpse.

Prosecutors have said they plan to file additional charges against Balboa. Andrea Beall with the Harris County District Attorneys Office said during a court hearing Monday that a murder investigation is pending.

Bob Scott, Balboas attorney, declined to comment Tuesday. Balboa is jailed on bonds totaling $600,000.

Samuels body was found June 1 inside a plastic tote in a motel in Jasper, about 135 miles (215 kilometers) northeast of Houston. Prosecutors have said Balboa was on her way to Louisiana.

Police believe Samuel died weeks before he was reported missing on May 27, according to an arrest affidavit. He would have turned 6 on May 29.

Balboa initially accused Samuels mother and a man who presented himself as a police officer of taking the boy. Samuel had been living with Balboa since April 30, which was the last day he was seen at school. Authorities have not said why Samuel was staying with Balboa. Samuels father, Dalton Olson, lived at a different address.

Samuels parents had been involved in a custody battle over the boy after filing for divorce in January 2020.

Balboas roommate told investigators that Balboa called him May 10 and said the boy was dead, according to the arrest affidavit. The boys body was kept in the bathtub of the suburban Houston apartment where Balboa lived until she and her roommate placed it in a plastic tote and hid it in a storage unit on May 13, police said.

A tip from a friend of Balboa led police to the motel room in Jasper, where officers found her and the plastic tote with the boys body.

___

Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70
BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP)  A national producer of baked goods has purchased the assets of the Burlington-based Koffee Kup Bakery, which shut its doors earlier this year.

On Monday, Flowers Foods, of Thomasville, Georgia, the producer of Natures Own, Daves Killer Bread, Wonder, Canyon Bakehouse and Tastykake, announced it had acquired Koffee Kup's assets.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 02:37:38|Editor: huaxia

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COPENHAGEN, June 7 (Xinhua) -- A total of 1,334 Danes were infected with COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated between the beginning of Denmark's vaccine rollout on Dec. 27, 2020, and June 1, 2021, said a report released by the Statens Serum Institut (SSI) on Monday.

In total,1,369,059 Danes, or 23.4 percent of the population, have now been fully vaccinated, and a further 2,391,327, or 40.9 percent of the population, have received at least one jab, according to the updated SSI figures.

"This equates to 0.1 percent being infected despite vaccination, which is a very low number," Camilla Foged, professor of vaccine design at the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Copenhagen, told the Danish news agency Ritzau.

"I would think it is because we have had a relatively strict shutdown, so the infection rate has been rather low. The vaccines have also brought the infection rate down," she said.

A total of 5,801 people have been confirmed infected with COVID-19 after receiving the first vaccine shot, and 3,838 of them, or 66 percent, contracted the virus within the first two weeks, according to the SSI study.

The figures indicate that people still need to be cautious even after the first vaccine shot, said Foged.

The COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna have mainly been administered in Denmark.

In the past 24 hours, the SSI registered 459 new COVID-19 infections and two more deaths, bringing the national totals to 286,948 cases and 2,520 deaths. Enditem
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Terry McAuliffe, the energetic former Virginia governor and longtime fixture of Democratic politics, won the partys nomination Tuesday in his quest for a second term in office.

McAuliffe will go on to face GOP nominee and political newcomer Glenn Youngkin in the November general election, when Republicans will be looking to break their more than decade-long losing streak in statewide races.

Folks, we launched this campaign about six months ago on the simple idea that Virginia has some very big challenges ahead," McAuliffe said in a speech Tuesday night. And I've said, we've got to go big, we've got to be bold, and we need seasoned leadership to move us forward and to lift up all Virginians."

Virginia is the only state in the nation with an open race for governor this year, and the contest is expected to be closely watched as a barometer of voter sentiment in each party heading into the midterm elections.

The race has also taken on heightened importance as Democrats aim to hold onto power after assuming full control of state government in 2020. Since then they have pushed through sweeping changes, from gun control and police reform to marijuana legalization and a higher minimum wage, transforming what was once a reliably red state into an outlier in the South.

We are a different state than we were eight years ago, and we are not going back," McAuliffe said.

A longtime Democratic Party fundraiser and a close friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton, McAuliffe held office from 2014 to 2018. Like all Virginia governors, he was prohibited from seeking a consecutive term. He jumped into the race in December after deciding in 2019 against a run for president.

McAuliffe, 64, focused his campaign on the need for bold action to address Virginias lagging teacher pay and inequities in education funding. Hes also pledged to work to accelerate Virginias minimum wage increase to $15 by 2024, protect abortion access, and ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

He earned the endorsement of Gov. Ralph Northam, who said McAuliffe was best suited to lead Virginia out of the economic recovery from the pandemic and cement the transformational changes Democrats have implemented since taking full control of state government in the 2019 elections.

McAuliffe also raised far more money than the other candidates: state Sen. Jennifer McClellan, former Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and Del. Lee Carter. From the jump, he had the backing of a substantial number of elected officials across the commonwealth, including many powerful Black lawmakers.

I liked what hes done and believe he can do what hes promised. And I think he can win, said Joe Glaze, a 70-year-old retired clergy member who voted for McAuliffe Tuesday afternoon in Richmond. Thats the main thing: I want someone who will win and beat Youngkin.

McAuliffe drew criticism from some more progressive voters who criticized his record on energy and criminal justice issues and who saw him as standing in the way of Carroll Foy and McClellan, who were each trying to become the nations first Black woman governor.

Either would have also been Virginias first female governor. The commonwealth has elected only one woman in its history to a statewide position and never to its highest office.

Del. Hala Ayala won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor Tuesday, all but ensuring that Virginia will soon elect its first female lieutenant governor  her Republican opponent is Winsome Sears, the first Black woman to receive a major partys endorsement for statewide office.

Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring meanwhile secured his party's nomination in his bid for a third term, staving off a strong challenge from Del. Jay Jones, who sought to cast Herring as insufficiently progressive. Herring will face Republican state Del. Jason Miyares in November.

Republicans picked their nominees for this years statewide races in a multisite convention process in May. Youngkin, a former executive at an investment fund with no voting record to be scrutinized, has pledged to use his personal wealth to power his campaign.

In a statement, Youngkin described Virginia as a state that over the past two Democratic governorships has gotten less safe, more expensive and has not offered enough economic opportunities.

We need a new kind of leader to bring a new day to Virginia, Youngkin said. Get ready, because Terry McAuliffe will default to the same political games hes played his entire life.

Bobbi Andrews, 85, said she voted for McAuliffe based on his past record as governor and, in part, because of his stance on education. But she said she's voted for Republicans before and considers Youngkin a strong candidate.

Im glad to see a strong Republican running because we need two parties, Andrews said. If we dont have two parties, neither one of them will be honest.

___

Associated Press writer Ben Finley contributed to this report from Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)  A Kentucky prosecutor who twice ran for statewide office was indicted on wire fraud charges stemming from an alleged scheme that funneled more than $365,000 from a delinquent tax fund into personal accounts, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

Lawrence County Attorney Michael Hogan and his wife, Joy Hogan, used the money to make home mortgage, credit card and auto loan payments as well as on household expenses and utilities, according to a newly unsealed indictment issued by a federal grand jury in Lexington, Kentucky. They also made cash withdrawals, the indictment said.

Michael Hogan also is accused of defrauding the Appalachian county's child support enforcement office by allegedly billing the program for far more hours than he worked.

The indictment charged Michael and Joy Hogan with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Michael Hogan also faces nine counts of wire fraud and five counts of federal program theft. His wife worked as a legal secretary in the county attorney's office.

Hogan, 53, ran for attorney general in 2015 and for lieutenant governor in 2019 on a ticket with gubernatorial candidate Robert Goforth. Hogan lost both times in the state's Republican primary.

Michael Hogan's attorney, David Cole Jr., said he's known Hogan for three decades and described him as a hard-working, honest lawyer. Cole said he's confident the Hogans did not commit any crimes.

"If mistakes were made, I do not think those mistakes involved dishonesty, and Im confident in the integrity of Michael Hogan, Cole said in a phone interview.

Cole said he is not representing Joy Hogan and did not know who is. It wasn't immediately clear who is representing her.

As county attorney, Hogan was responsible for collecting delinquent taxes in Lawrence County, which borders West Virginia. The delinquent tax funds should have been used on operating expenses in the county attorneys office, federal prosecutors said.

But for a seven-year span ending in April 2020, Hogan allegedly paid his wife more than $365,000 from a delinquent tax account, disguising the payments as bonuses, the indictment said.

The money was deposited into Joy Hogan's personal account and the couple's joint accounts and spent on personal expenses, the indictment said. Those bonuses were in addition to the salary and benefits she received as an employee in the county attorney's office, it said.

The alleged scheme was discovered during a review of the county attorney's office by Republican state Auditor Mike Harmon, and the findings were referred to the FBI and the IRS.

"Im proud our office always follows the data, and I want to recognize my team for their hard work in holding public officials accountable to the taxpayers we all serve, Harmon said Tuesday.

When the audit was released, Hogan said his wife's compensation from the delinquent tax fund was a salary supplement that amounted to honest pay for honest work that benefited the public.

The federal indictment also accuses Michael Hogan of defrauding the county's child support enforcement office by billing the program for far more hours than he actually worked. For a nearly five-year period ending in June 2020, Hogan billed, on average, more than 65 hours of child support collection work a month but worked only a small fraction of those hours, the indictment said.

He's also accused of paying employees in his private law firm with funds from the child support enforcement office.

Michael Hogan is scheduled to make an initial court appearance on Wednesday. Joy Hogan, 41, is set to appear in court on Friday.

They face up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud charges. Michael Hogan faces up to 10 years in prison on the federal program theft charges.
Milton, PA (17847)

Today

Thunderstorms likely. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 63F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 63F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Amy Goodman is the host of Democracy Now!, a daily international TV/radio news hour airing on more than 1,400 stations. She is the co-author, with Denis Moynihan and David Goodman, of the New York Times best-seller Democracy Now!: 20 Years Covering the Movements Changing America.
Milton, PA (17847)

Today

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 02:40:12|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian Health Ministry reported on Monday 4,907 new COVID-19 cases, taking the country's total infections to 2,971,270.

The pandemic has so far claimed 81,183 lives in Iran, up by 120 in the past 24 hours, the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education said in a written briefing published on its official website.

A total of 2,565,972 people have recovered from the disease or been discharged from hospitals across the country, while 3,687 remain in intensive care units, the ministry said.

It added that 20,812,819 tests have so far been carried out across the country.

By Monday, 4,230,484 people have received coronavirus vaccines in the country, while 658,285 have taken two doses.

Later in the day, Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said the health situation is improving in most of the country's provinces.

Iran expects to start using domestically developed vaccines against COVID-19 for the general population between June 11 and June 22 after the necessary authorization, Rahmani Fazli was quoted as saying by state TV.

Earlier in the day, Minoo Mohraz, chief supervisor for clinical trials of Iran's COV-Iran Barekat vaccine against COVID-19, voiced hope in an interview with official IRNA News Agency that the emergency permit for vaccination with COV-Iran Barekat will be issued "as soon as possible."

Iran reported first cases of COVID-19 in February 2020. Enditem
Technologies bring retail revolution in China

People's Daily Online) 14:13, June 08, 2021

Smart retail, partly represented by new advances such as unmanned supermarkets, mini-program shopping and virtual fitting rooms, are offering consumers a variety of personalized products and services.

E-commerce is a form of smart retail that requires a keen understanding of what consumers need. Driven by big data technology, e-commerce platforms can remember consumers habits. Based on this information, they can offer recommendations to them when they shop online, enabling them to directly come to the goods they are about to buy without having to search for them.

A POS (point-of-sale) kiosk by Hisense is seen at the Retail's Big Show 2020 in New York, the United States, on Jan. 12, 2020. Equipped with cutting-edge products and innovative services, a group of Chinese companies made their presence at the annual retail expo this week in New York, with ambitions to tap into the U.S. market with smart retail solutions. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

For instance, on opening a mini-program on the instant messaging app WeChat, a consumer surnamed Zhang from Shanghai was recommended a kind of fruit tea she often bought on the app. After placing an order, the drink arrived at her doorstep half an hour later.

There are three kinds of players providing smart retail solutions - internet companies, software and service providers, and traditional retail enterprises, according to Bai Feng, Vice President and CEO for Smart Retail at BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd., an IoT company that provides intelligent interface products and professional services for information interaction and human health.

Experts believe that the retail sector can provide personalized services for consumers through behavioral analysis with the use of big data. At the same time, by using the results of the behavioral analysis to improve procurement and delivery, the retail sector can achieve flexible and efficient production and supply at much lower cost.

Smart retail could not have been realized without the help of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies such as computing vision algorithm, big data analysis, robots, and voice recognition. Many department stores and supermarkets have realized digital intelligence with the help of such technologies.

A department store in Chengdu, southwest Chinas Sichuan province, has launched a smart parking app that efficiently guides vehicles to unoccupied spaces through a three-dimensional navigation system.

Technologies play a key role in realizing these scenarios, the first being the construction of internet infrastructure, including the popularization of 5G technology and the Internet of Things (IoT), said Bai. The processing ability of big data and algorithms for optimization, as well as the popularization of the hardware and software equipment are also important, he added.

Todays smart retail is no longer just about customer flow or sales volume, but has become highly intelligent both online and offline. When it comes to physical stores, smart retail boasts precise decision-making and higher operation efficiency.

Leading Chinese retail company Suning Holdings Group has been making constant efforts to achieve digitalization of the supply chain by accelerating technology-backed transformation and increasing technological investments.

Traditionally, it took us about three hours to distribute parcels from one warehouse, but now we spend only three to five minutes on average handling each parcel, and can handle 2,000 parcels an hour at full capacity. This optimizes inventory structure, accelerates circulation of parcels and lowers the incidence of goods being stuck, said Jing Wei, Suning Technology Groups vice president.

In smart retail, the business owners do not operate based on how they feel or according to their experience, said Lin Yuanqing, founder of Aibee, an AI company that focuses on applying digitalized and intelligent AI solutions to the physical world.

Lin further noted that intelligent technologies can help avoid inaccurate and inefficient data analysis, which means they no longer confuse salespersons with customers, but reflect the flow of customers in a more precise manner. In addition, all goods on the shelves become traceable, including their basic information and when they are sold.

An electronic price tag developed by BOE has been adopted by some supermarkets in China. By scanning the QR code on the price tag, consumers learn more about the product, and are guided to the stores online market.

Experts pointed out that the digitalization of every link in smart retail creates great value as it helps operators understand consumers behavior, manage their production according to demand, and adjust the supply chain and the manufacturing process.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 03:31:41|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations said Monday that more than 90 percent of the 3.4 million people needing aid in Northwest Syria are in extreme or catastrophic circumstances in a deteriorating humanitarian situation.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said there are 13.4 million people in need throughout Syria, who have suffered from a decade of conflict, economic crisis and now COVID-19.

Some of the most vulnerable Syrians are those who are in the Northwest. Of the 3.4 million people in need, more than 90 percent are assessed to be in extreme or catastrophic need -- particularly the 2.7 million internally displaced. Most of the displaced are pressed against the border with Turkey in over 1,000 camps and informal settlements.

The only access for the United Nations to these millions of people in Northwest Syria is through the UN Security Council-authorized cross-border operation at Bab al-Hawa, the humanitarian office said. It's the last remaining UN entry point for transporting assistance to Northwest Syria.

"Bab al-Hawa is a last lifeline preventing a humanitarian catastrophe for millions of people in Syria," OCHA said in a release. "Despite ongoing efforts to deliver a small number of trucks cross-line from Damascus, there remains no alternative to delivering aid at this scale and with this scope."

About 1,000 UN aid trucks cross from Turkey into Northwest Syria to reach 2.4 million people monthly, the humanitarian office said. Only 979 trucks traveled into Syria from Turkey in May. But they carried critical support for food needs, livelihoods, nutrition and health.

The first batch of more than 53,000 COVAX COVID-19 vaccines for Northwest Syria from Turkey arrived in April, and the vaccination program began on May 1, OCHA said. Other vaccines and health items regularly cross to support hospitals and primary health centers in the area. Enditem
Published: 8 June 2021

Intensified or special support for every fifth comprehensive school pupil

Intensified or special support was received by 21.3 per cent of comprehensive school pupils in autumn 2020. Intensified support was received by 69,300, or 12.2 per cent of comprehensive school pupils and special support by 51,100, or 9.0 per cent of comprehensive school pupils. The share of pupils receiving intensified support was 0.7 percentage points higher and that of pupils receiving special support 0.5 percentage points higher than in the previous year. These data derive from Statistics Finlands education statistics.

Share of comprehensive school pupils having received intensified or special support among all comprehensive school pupils 20002020, % 1)

1) Pupils accepted or transferred to special education before 2011 have been regarded as equal to pupils having received special support.

In autumn 2020, a total of 566,600 comprehensive school pupils were in pre-primary, basic and post-basic education of the comprehensive school, 51 per cent of whom were boys and 49 per cent girls.

The three levels of the support system for learning and schooling are general, intensified and special support. Of these, a pupil can receive only one level of support at a time. The statistics on special education in comprehensive schools contain data primarily on intensified and special support. In addition, the statistics include information on part-time special education arranged as general support.

Fewer pupils than before in special education groups in special schools

Among the recipients of special support, 6.5 per cent received all education in special education groups or classes in special schools in autumn 2020. The share of those receiving all education in a special education group or class in a special school has fallen yearly; its share was 6.8 percentage points lower in 2020 than in 2011. The share of those receiving all education in other than a special education group or class in a special school remained in 2020 on level with the previous year, at 27 per cent.

Among the recipients of special support, 34 per cent received all education in a special education group or class and for 32 per cent of the pupils 80 to 100 per cent of the education took place in a general education group. The remaining 34 per cent received part of the education in a general education group and part in a special education group.

Starting from autumn 2020, Statistics Finland has introduced new classifying groups in the statistics on the place of implementation of teaching. The categories describing a special school, class or group are the same as in previous years. All teaching is provided in a general education group has been replaced by the category 80 to 100 per cent of teaching is provided in a general education group, which contains the inclusion definition of 80 per cent or more in a general education group.

Of the pupils receiving special support, 22 per cent had extended duration of compulsory education in autumn 2020. The comparability of data for 2020 with data from earlier years may have been affected by the change in the data source.

Part-time special education and remedial teaching increased

Seventy-eight per cent of the pupils who received intensified support in autumn 2020 received part-time special education, 58 per cent remedial teaching, 37 per cent special needs assistance, three per cent interpretation services and five per cent special equipment. Forty-six per cent of the pupils who received special support received part-time special education, 42 per cent received remedial teaching, 57 per cent special needs assistance, six per cent interpretation services and 10 per cent special equipment.

In autumn 2020, the shares of part-time special education and remedial teaching grew in intensified and special support from the year before: in special support, part-time special education grew by five percentage points and remedial education by six percentage points, in intensified support both increased by around four percentage points.

Twenty-one per cent of comprehensive school pupils received part-time special education

In the school year 2019 to 2020, altogether 118,700 comprehensive school pupils received part-time special education, which was 21 per cent of comprehensive school pupils in autumn 2019. The share was 1.2 percentage points lower than in the previous school year.

Share of comprehensive school pupils having received part-time special education among all comprehensive school pupils in academic years 2002/2003 to 2019/2020, %

In autumn 2019, part-time special education was included in intensified support for 47,800 pupils and in special support for 19,800 pupils. By subtracting, we can conclude that around 51,100, or 43 per cent, of the 118,700 pupils having received part-time special education in the school year 2019 to 2020 received part-time special education as general support.

At least 29 per cent of comprehensive school pupils received some support for learning

According to the available statistics, at least 29.2 per cent of comprehensive school pupils in autumn 2019 received some kind of support in the school year 2019 to 2020. The share is 0.7 percentage points cent lower than in the previous year, but it is on the same level as two years earlier.

A total of 164,588 pupils received intensified support, special support or part-time special education as general support in the school year 2019 to 2020. In addition to part-time special education, general support could also be given in some other form, but these other general support forms are not included in Statistics Finlands statistics on special education.

Bigger share than before receive support in all Mainland Finland regions

In 2020, intensified support was arranged for more pupils than in the year before in all Mainland Finland regions. The development has been similar in all Mainland Finland regions since 2011, when the three-step support system was introduced. The share of pupils having received intensified support was highest in North Karelia and lowest in Lapland. The share of pupils having received intensified support of all pupils was 11 to 14 per cent in different regions.

The share of pupils having received special support of all comprehensive school pupils varied between 4 and 14 per cent by region. The share of pupils having received special support in Mainland Finland regions was lowest in Central and North Ostrobothnia and highest in Kymenlaakso. In Aland, the share of pupils receiving special support was four per cent.

Of the Mainland Finland regions, the combined share of those receiving intensified and special support was biggest in Kymenlaakso, where 27 per cent of comprehensive school pupils received intensified or special support. The combined share of those receiving support was lowest in North Ostrobothnia, 16 per cent.

Special support for 34,900 students in vocational education leading to a qualification in 2020

In 2020, a total of 34,900 students in vocational education leading to a qualification received special support, which is 11.2 per cent of the total number of students in vocational education. The majority, or 87 per cent, were studying in vocational education institutions. In all, 11.3 per cent of the recipients of special support attended special vocational education institutions.

In 2020, a total of 34,500 students in initial vocational education received special support. Their share is 15 per cent of all students attending initial vocational education. In further vocational education, 0.7 per cent of students received special support and in specialist vocational education, 0.1 per cent.

Fifty-three per cent of the recipients of special support were men and 47 per cent women in 2020. In 2020, a total of 49 per cent of vocational education students were men and 51 per cent women. In all, 12 per cent of male students and 10 per cent of female students received special support.

Statistics Finland has changed the compilation of statistics on special support for vocational education leading to a qualification starting from the statistical reference year 2019. Data on special support are now available for the whole calendar year on education and training for initial vocational qualifications, further vocational qualifications and specialist vocational qualifications.

Source: Education. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Heli Hiltunen 029 551 3314, koulutustilastot@stat.fi

Head of Department in charge: Hannele Orjala

Publication in pdf-format (268.6 kB)

Updated 08.06.2021

Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Special education [e-publication].

ISSN=1799-1617. 2020. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 14.6.2021].

Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/erop/2020/erop_2020_2021-06-08_tie_001_en.html
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Tuesday, 08 June 2021 13:37:11 (GMT+3) | Shanghai

In the January-May period of this year, China imported 111.166 million mt of coal and lignite, down 25.2 percent year on year, 3.6 percentage points slower compared to the year-on-year decline recorded in the first four months this year, as announced by the Chinese customs authorities on June 7.

In May alone, China imported 21.04 million mt of coal and lignite, down 4.6 percent year on year, while down 3.2 percent month on month.
Tuesday, 08 June 2021 16:03:07 (GMT+3) | Istanbul

In April this year, Turkey's total hot rolled coil (HRC) exports decreased by 13.3 percent to 186,273 metric tons compared to March and were up 3.6 percent year on year, according to the data provided by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK). These exports had a value of $143.38 million, up 0.3 percent month on month, while increasing by 59.0 percent compared to the same month of 2020.

In the January-April period of this year, Turkey's HRC exports amounted to 568,822 mt, down 29.2 percent, while the value of these exports increased by 1.9 percent to $383.87 million, both compared to the same period of 2020.

In the first four months of this year, Italy ranked first among Turkey's HRC export destinations, with its HRC imports from Turkey amounting to 163,313 mt, down 49.65 percent, followed by Spain which received 95,705 mt of HRC from Turkey in the given period.

Turkey's top HRC export destinations in January-April are as follows:

Country Amount (mt) January-April 2021 January-April 2020 Y-o-y change (%) April 2021 April 2020 Y-o-y change (%) Italy 163,313 324,363 -49.65 34,904 38,709 -9.83 Spain 95,705 149,960 -36.18 20,698 49,289 -58.01 USA 69,169 8,174 746.21 54,996 - - Tunisia 34,283 11,357 201.87 4,153 4,027 3.13 Belgium 28,365 8,916 218.14 28,365 - - Bulgaria 27,225 17,836 52.64 9,335 - - Greece 22,310 22,930 -2.70 12,515 1,867 570.33 South Africa 20,114 - - - - - Pakistan 18,068 - - - - - Algeria 17,744 8,287 114.12 - - -

Turkey's main HRC export destinations in January-April are as follows:
French ambassador to Romania, Laurence Auer, gave a speech today at the West University of Timisoara (UVT) on "France and Romania amid the European recovery drive", highlighting on this occasion the good relations of cooperation between the two countries, to which the academic community of the University of Timisoara makes a substantial contribution.

The French diplomat pointed out that the pandemic has affected European economic growth, but the European Union has shown solidarity in the face of this adversity which has affected the entire community. Laurence Auer said that on July 21, 2020 the EU leaders agreed on a ?750 billion recovery effort, "Next Generation EU", to help the community cope with the pandemic crisis.

There was no triumphant talk about the European relaunch. We were in the middle of the second pandemic wave [in summer 2020], coordinating cooperation efforts for the vaccination campaign, in order to design a Europe that takes into account health prevention (...) Today I can say that not only did the European Council unanimously approve a 750 billion euro package after four days and four nights of discussions, but this stimulus agreement builds on concrete priorities, and is closest to European citizens, said the French diplomat.

The speech delivered by the French ambassador is part of the "Ambassadors at UVT" series of events.

Ambassador Laurence Auer will attend on Wednesday, June 9, the start of revitalization works at the "Studio" Cinema in Timisoara, the most important cultural downtown hub built by the municipality in the perspective of Timisoara serving as European Capital of Culture in 2023. The French Institute in Romania is one of the project partners.
The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) rejected today several constitutional challenges to Law No. 304/2004 on judicial organization and also unanimously quashed challenges to several articles in OUG No. 90/2018 on specific measures for rendering operational the Section for the Investigation of Judicial Crimes (SIIJ).

In its statement, the Constitutional Court expresses its views on the ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on the Special Section.

"From the perspective of constitutional review, the CJEU ruling brings no novelty with regard to either the legal effects of Decision No. 2006/928 and the CVM reports drawn up by the Commission on the basis thereof - establishing, as Romania's Constitutional Court had already done, the binding nature of Decision No. 2006/928 and the recommendatory nature of the CVM reports - or the content of Decision No. 2006/928, determining that Romania is required to cooperate in good faith with the European Commission in order 'to overcome (...) the difficulties encountered in achieving the aforementioned benchmarks.' Therefore, the Court maintained its previous jurisprudence and found that the only act which, by virtue of its binding nature, could have constituted a norm interposed to the constitutionality control performed in reference to Art.148 of the Constitution - Decision 2006/928 -, by the provisions and objectives it imposes, has no constitutional relevance, as it does not fill a gap of the Fundamental Law nor does it set a higher standard of protection than the constitutional regulations in force," CCR argues.

The Constitutional Court recalls that the CJEU has established that the regulations on the establishment of the SIIJ must comply with the following:

* be justified by objective and verifiable requirements relating to the sound administration of justice;

* be accompanied by specific safeguards to remove any risk that would harm the independence of judges and prosecutors;

* during the investigation procedure, judges and prosecutors should have the right to an effective remedy and to a fair trial, the presumption of innocence and the right to defense.

"In view of the three aspects on which the CJEU delivered a ruling, and which arise from Union law and in particular from the value of the rule of law provided for in Article 2 TEU, the Constitutional Court has examined to what extent the principle of the rule of law, which is expressly enshrined in national law, in Art.1 paragraph (3) of the Constitution of Romania, is affected by the regulations governing the establishment of the Section for the Investigation of Judicial Crimes and found that they represent an option of the national legislator and meet the guarantees stipulated in the CJEU ruling, in agreement with the constitutional provisions contained in Article 1 paragraph (3) and in Article 21 paragraphs (1) and (3) regarding the free access to justice, the right to a fair trial and the settlement of cases within a reasonable time, and implicitly, in agreement with the provisions of Art.2 and Art.19 paragraph (1) TEU," CCR explains.

Regarding the court's jurisdiction in interpreting and enforcing the European law, CCR argues that, in the first place, a court is competent to analyze the conformity of a provision of "domestic law" with European law provisions in the light of Art.148 of the Constitution and, should it find non-compliance, it has the power to enforce with priority the provisions of European Union law in disputes that touch on the subjective rights of citizens.

"In all cases, by the notion of 'domestic laws', the Constitution envisages exclusively the infra-constitutional legislation. The Fundamental Law preserves its hierarchically superior position by virtue of Art.11 paragraph (3) of the Constitution, and Art.148 does not give Union law priority of application over the Romanian Constitution, so that a court does not have the power to analyze the conformity of a 'domestic law' provision that was found to be constitutional by the Constitutional Court with the provisions of European law in the light of Art.148 of the Constitution," the CCR goes on to say.

By declaring the binding nature of Decision No. 2006/928, the CJEU limited its effects from a dual perspective: on the one hand, it established that the obligations arising from the decision fall on the Romanian authorities competent to cooperate institutionally with the European Commission (para. 177 of the Decision), so this is the task of the political institutions, the Parliament and the Government of Romania, and, on the other hand, that the obligations are exercised based on the principle of loyal collaboration, provided for by Art.4 TEU.

"From both perspectives, the obligations cannot be incumbent on the courts, the state bodies that are not empowered to cooperate with a political institution of the European Union," the CCR concludes.

"In the third place, the Court found that the operative part of the CJEU ruling, according to which a court 'is authorized to leave unenforced of its own motion a national provision falling within the scope of Decision 2006/928 and which - in the light of a Court judgment - it considers to be contrary to this decision or the second subparagraph of Article 19 (1) TEU 'has no basis in the Romanian Constitution, as Article 148 of the Constitution enshrines the priority of applying Union law over contrary domestic law provisions. The CVM reports drawn up on the basis of Decision 2006/928, by their content and effects, as established by the CJEU ruling of May 18, 2021, do not constitute rules of European law which the court should apply as a matter of priority. Thus, the national judge cannot be put in a position to decide the priority enforcement of certain recommendations to the detriment of the national legislation, declared to be in accordance with the national Constitution by the Constitutional Court, since the CVM reports do not regulate, therefore they are not likely to enter into a conflict with the domestic legislation," the CCR adds.

In conclusion, the Constitutional Court considers that the CJEU ruling of May 18, 2021 cannot be considered an element that can determine a jurisprudential reversal in terms of the incidence of Decision 2006/928/EC in the constitutionality review and, implicitly, in the potential violation of Art. 148 of the Constitution.

On 18 May, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that it is for national courts to determine whether the establishment of the Special Section for the Investigation of Judicial Crimes, which had the exclusive power to investigate judges and prosecutors, complies with the requirements of the EU's Charter on Fundamental rights.
The French Institute in Timisoara is extending an invitation to "Philosophy Night," an international event that has been successful in Paris, London, Berlin and New York and that will arrive in Romania on June 25 in the city that will be a European Capital of Culture 2023.

The initiative belongs to the new director of the French Institute in Timisoara, Tilla Rudel, who has previously organised five editions of the event in Tel Aviv, Israel.

"The goal is to showcase philosophy in a different light: at night," Rudel is quoted as saying in a press statement released on Tuesday.

The entire event is conceived as a nocturnal, philosophical and festive journey that starts at the French Institute to three other locations in the city: Faber, La Doua Bufnite and the Faculty of Arts, where philosophers and intellectuals from Romania, France , Belgium and Germany will host debates, conferences, screenings, shows and performances.

Among more than 30 guests selected by the event's curators - Joseph Cohen, Raphael Zagury-Orly, and Cornel-Florin Moraru - will be Monique Canto-Sperber, Jean-Luc Marion, Barbara Cassin, Alain Fleischer, Gisele Sapiro, Edwige Chirouter, Nicolas de Warren, Manon Garcia, Emanuele Coccia, Jochen Horisch, Susan Neiman, Jochen Horisch, Susan Neiman, Ciprian Mihali, Cristian Iftode, Doru Castaian, Florin Lobont, Claudiu Mesaros, Oana Camelia Serban, and Ruxandra Demetrescu.

Curators Joseph Cohen and Raphael Zagury-Orly say "this first night of philosophy in Timisoara marks a real desire to think about the complexity of our present at present time and facing some crises. And not out of the desire to philosophise alone, but simply to propose different avenues for reflection, unexpected trajectories of thought for our time and future, so that together with our guests, many philosophers, scientists, artists, theorists, political scientists and sociologists of international renown, we will address hot topics that only need to be viewed from a different perspective, using different theoretical and practical methods."

The topics approached are diverse, ranging from art to ecology, from ethics to politics and religion, touching on the acute problems of today's society such as: the relationship with our natural and societal environment; the ethics of artificial intelligence; consent, ethics and sex; freedom of expression in the age of fake news, conspiracy and populism; the role of art in our societies; fashion philosophy; the status of religion in various political organisations; the relationship with our common history, with our European past and with our future in the world.

AGERPRES .
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will be paying a state visit to Romania this week, at the invitation of his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis.

Rivlin is scheduled today to meet Iohannis at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace for one-on-one talks followed by a joint news conference.

In the afternoon, Prime Minister Florin Citu will welcome the Israeli official at the Romanian Government House."The state visit of the Israeli president is part of the excellent dynamics of high-level bilateral contacts of late, with the most recent meeting between the two heads of state taking place as part of the Romanian president's participation in the World Holocaust Remembrance Forum in Jerusalem in January 2020, followed by telephone conversations in March and June 2020," according to the Romanian Presidential Administration.Rivlin's visit is also said to reflect the "solidity" of the bilateral relationship, as well as the fact that Israel remains Romania's key partner with strategic valences in the Middle East.Talks between the two presidents will focus on ways to develop and deepen bilateral relationships in all areas of common interest, with the visit starting ahead of the 73rd anniversary on June 11 of uninterrupted diplomatic ties between Romania and Israel.Economic and health co-operation will also be addressed, including the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as Holocaust education and other measures to combat anti-Semitism in Romania, alongside cultural and interpersonal exchanges between the two countries.Particular attention will be paid to the latest developments in the Middle East, including the developments in the Middle East Peace Process, with emphasis on security in the region following recent developments, and other current issues on the regional and international agenda will be addressed.
The support measures under Romania's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) cover just 0.04% of the total number of SMEs in the country, Chairman of the National Council of Romanian Privately-run Small and Medium-sized (CNIPMMR) Florin Jianu told a news conference on Tuesday.

"Regarding the measures to support the business community, we have identified eight programmes in PNRR worth 1.335 billion euros. They provide support for 3,246 companies. There are two more generous programms, each worth 300 million euros, two other programmes worth 200 million euros, three programmes worth 100 million euros and a programme worth 35 million euros. In all, there is 1.3 billion euros worth of aid for 3,246 companies, which represents 0.04% of the total number of SMEs in Romania. So, that is the main reform carried out by PNRR for just 3,200 companies, or 0.04% of the total number of SMEs in Romania," said Jianu.

He pointed out that 22% of the total value of business support measures do not even reach SMEs, as that is the value of commission fees to various entities.

The leader of the employers' organisation added that the measures under PNRR designed for the business community will not help a major reform in the field. AGERPRES
The opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) will lodge this week in Parliament a bill under which child allowances will be raised to the level adopted in 2020, namely from 214 lei to 300 lei for children aged 2 to 18, and from 427 lei to 600 lei for children under 2 years old or for those with disabilities, PSD Deputy Chair Gabriela Firea said Tuesday.

"We are lodging this week in Parliament a bill that would have the cynical government to immediately raise the allowances to the level adopted in 2020, namely from 214 lei to 300 lei for children aged 2 to 18 and from 427 to 600 lei for children under 2 years old or for those with disabilities. What more can be said about the decision of those in power to cancel the increases in child allowances? Sad! Citu and Orban promised before the elections that they will phase in in five installments the doubling of the allowances adopted by PSD, they are now announcing cancelling two of them, claiming that they do not have 2.1 billion lei for children, but they allocate under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) 2.9 billion lei for one of their party sponsors. Citu and Orban are stealing over 500 lei from the pocket of every child between 2 and 18 years old and over 1,000 lei from those under two years old or with disabilities," Firea wrote on Facebook.

She added that the Senate majority of the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Save Romania Union (USR) and the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) adopted with amendments a law approving Government Emergency Ordinance 123/2020 under which the Orban government, with then Finance Minister Florin Citu Minister of Finance decided to double child allowances but gradually.

"With the changes made, the governing coalition has cancelled the granting of installments three and four of the original timetable. Specifically, the raise installments provided for July 1, 2021 and January 1, 2022 no longer apply, but there is a promise that all overdue installments (three, four and five) will be awarded from July 1, 2022," wrote Firea.

She added that Labour Minister Raluca Turcan has just confirmed that the Citu Government has not included in the national budget the money for the second installment of the raise planned for July 1.

The next increase in child allowances will happen on January 1, 2022, as is the amendment to the law adopting the ordinance, PNL national leader Ludovic Orban said on Monday evening.

"The coalition remains committed to doubling the allowances according to the law. We have set to increase the allowances. The next increase will be on January 1, 2022, as is the amendment to the law passing the ordinance passed by the Senate and is being debated in the Chamber of Deputies. (...) If the law is challenged in court, the government must be prepared to issue an emergency ordinance," Orban said at the end of a meeting of the ruling coalition.

AGERPRES .
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 04:20:26|Editor: huaxia

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LIMA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Peruvians on Monday anxiously awaited the definitive results of Sunday's close presidential runoff between candidates Pedro Castillo, of the Free Peru (PL) party, and Keiko Fujimori, of the Popular Force (FP) party.

With 94.2 percent of the ballots tabulated as of 11:48 a.m. local time Monday, Castillo had won 8,418,299 votes (50.10 percent) and Fujimori had garnered 8,384,107 votes (49.89 percent), a difference of only 34,192 votes, according to the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE).

From their respective campaign headquarters, each of the candidates called on their supporters to remain calm and respect the final decision.

Fujimori, the 46-year-old daughter of ex-president Alberto Fujimori, pledged to abide by the will of the people.

Castillo, a 51-year-old rural teacher and activist, also urged his followers to respect the results whatever the outcome.

The ONPE has said the final result will be decided by votes cast abroad and votes cast in rural areas, both of which have yet to be counted.

More than 25.2 million Peruvians went to the polls Sunday to elect the successor to current President Francisco Sagasti for the 2021-2026 term.

The head of the ONPE, Piero Corvetto, said 77.92 percent of eligible voters participated in the elections. Enditem
Prime Minister Florin Citu maintains that the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) report published on Tuesday by the European Commission is a "positive" one for Romania, and the governing coalition must correct as rapidly as possible "the legislative errors knowingly committed by the PSD."

"The CVM report published today is a positive one for Romania. The European Commission appreciates the fact that in 2021 there was progress in what regards all remaining recommendations in the CVM. The great battle for an independent judiciary is, in fact, the battle for normality of a democratic society. Laws and institutions must guarantee the efficiency of the act of justice for citizens and the independence of the judiciary system. In the coming period, we must correct as fast as possible the legislative errors knowingly committed by the PSD! In an efficient government, good laws solve problems, they don't generate problems!," wrote Citu, on Tuesday, on Facebook.

The European Commission adopted the most recent report regarding the development of the situation in Romania in what regards reform of the judiciary system and the fight against corruption.

The Community executive hailed Romania's progress in regards to the recommendations assumed as part of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, but mentioned that it awaits for the Romanian authorities to transpose this commitment into concrete measures.

The report adopted on Tuesday takes stock of the progress recorded as part of the CVM since October 2019 and up to now and evaluates the progress recorded in view of fulfilling the 12 recommendations of January 2017 and the eight additional recommendations of November 2018.

Fulfilling all the recommendations which have not yet been applied is essential for the reform process and for Romania to conclude the CVM process, the European Commission said.
Romania's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIR) proposed on Tuesday, on the occasion of the Eurochambres General Assembly of member organizations' secretaries general, the conclusion of a cooperation agreement between the representative organization of the European Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Three Seas Initiative (3SI), as well as between the European entity and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization Business Council (BSEC BC), CCIR said in a release.

"CCIR, a co-organizer of the first 3SI Business Forum which took place in September 2018, proposed to Eurochambres members the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding with this organization, in order to boost cooperation between the member states' chambers of commerce. The goals of this partnership are: increasing the role of Eurochambres in Central and Eastern Europe and contributing to the implementation of priority cross-border and intraregional energy, digital and infrastructure projects proposed by 3SI member states. CCIR also suggested the signing of a cooperation agreement between BSEC BC and Eurochambres in order to stimulate cooperation between the two organizations and intensify cooperation in areas of interest to the European Union, with a focus on transport infrastructure, blue economy, circular economy, agriculture and green energy," said CCIR secretary-general Ovidiu Silaghi.

Eurochambres represents over 20 million businesses in Europe - of which 98 percent are SMEs, through 45 member national organizations and 1,700 regional and local chambers.

CCIR has been an Eurochambres member since 1993, having promoted from affiliate member to full member in 2007, after Romania's EU accession.

3SI is a political platform set up at presidential level and launched in 2015, which includes the 12 EU member states between the Adriatic, the Baltic and the Black Seas: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

The BSEC BC was established on August 30, 1992 and became operational on May 1, 1993. At the end of March 1995, CCIR was appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to act through its president as a representative of the Romanian business community in this Council and take part in the latter's activity.
Romania's Chief of Defence General Daniel Petrescu is attending, Monday to Wednesday in Sarajevo, the 14th edition of the Conference of Balkan chiefs of defence on defence co-operation.

NATO Military Committee Chairman Sir Stuart Peach and NATO Military Committee Chairman Claudio Graziano are invited to this year's meeting, according to a press statement issued by Romania's Defence Ministry (MApN).

The objective of the conference is to develop regional co-operation by strengthening security and ensuring a climate of stability in the Balkans, increasing the interoperability of the armed forces in the region to participate in joint exercises and missions, and identifying and developing regional crisis management mechanisms.On the sidelines of the conference in the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Petrescu is scheduled to meet EUFOR Commander in the ALTHEA Operation Alexander Platzer and soldiers of the Romanian detachment stationed in Camp Butmir.The conference of Balkan chiefs of defence on defence co-operation is held annually as a regional initiative designed to enhance co-operation among nine countries in South-Eastern Europe - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, and Turkey.This year, CHODs of Croatia and Slovenia are also invited to the conference.
The Social Democrat lawmakers will submit on Wednesday a simple motion against Minister of European Investments and Projects Cristian Ghinea, Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) Marcel Ciolacu announced.

"Tomorrow we will submit the simple motion against Minister Ghinea, on the National Resilience and Recovery Plan (PNRR) - for this to be very clear. We have some questions for Mr. Minister Ghinea. Why was a national program made by consulting companies in violation of Romanian laws? Why priority projects of hundreds of millions of euros go to handpicked destinations? Why are there zero euros for irrigations? Why is there no grant allocation for Romanian companies under the PNRR?," Ciolacu explained today during a press conference at the PSD headquarters, after the meeting of the party's National Political Council.

Ciolacu also pointed out that countries such as Bulgaria, Hungary and Poland have received funding for irrigation under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
MASCOUTAH  A St. Louis-made tanker drone just made history.

After taking off from MidAmerica Airport here Friday, a prototype Boeing MQ-25 Stingray linked up with a U.S. Navy Super Hornet and became the first craft with no crew to refuel a manned plane in the air.

Boeing and the Navy announced the news in a press release Monday, hailing the exercise as a big step for the program.

Officials said the flight proved that the Stingray can refuel planes using the same method as manned tankers and laid the foundation for more challenging future tests, at different speeds, altitudes and locations  including from aircraft carriers.

We took a big step last Friday, said David Bujold, Boeings program manager for the Stingray.

The company is counting on the Stingray to become a multi-billion dollar line of business in the coming decade. And at least a chunk of its regional workers, who number more than 15,000, are counting on the planes for years of work at facilities north of St. Louis Lambert International Airport.
Q  Howd you land on Tempe as the filming location?

A  We were trying to find someplace where with all the COVID restrictions we could get clearance. For the film crew that lives in LA, it was the closest thing for some that was open. Tempe was open at 50% at the time. A lot of them drove from LA to Tempe. I wanted to do it in Houston, where Im living, but Houston was too far for the LA crew, and flying was out of the question for the guys carrying the equipment. We were making the best of the situation.

Q  Whats your favorite thing about the special?

A  Of course my son bringing me up, but also just being able to get it done and able to come up with this material. I wrote all kinds of material while locked down, and people were laughing with me about the jokes I made up. I never came across like I was beating peoples heads over with it.

Q  How do you feel about your son wanting to be an entertainer?
But in recent weeks, as statewide case numbers and local hospitalizations have tumbled, the task force has trimmed its appearances to once weekly.

As of Monday, Missouris seven-day average of new confirmed COVID-19 cases was 263, almost the lowest its been in a year, according to a Post-Dispatch analysis. Illinois seven-day average of new cases was 472, falling below 500 for the first time since the spring of 2020.

The task force on Monday reported 17 new COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals in the area and a total of 108 virus patients  down from a peak of 962 in December. Task force data lags two days.

In general, the St. Louis region is doing really well, said Dr. Elvin Geng, a professor of infectious diseases at Washington University.

In the coming months, Geng said, the population will not be at such great risk of massive, epidemic spread, but there will still be outbreaks in communities with low uptake of vaccines.
Dr. Sonny Saggar is one of Bowlins constituents. (As am I.) Saggar owns and operates a 24-hour urgent care in downtown St. Louis, and used to have one on the citys north side. Hes not a fan of Bowlins attempt to disparage the city where he spends more time than he does at his home in Wildwood.

Ive been downtown at all hours of the day and night, Saggar says, so I think Im more familiar than most people when I say that downtown is safe and friendly. The people who live and work downtown are the salt of the earth.

In the city, Jones plan is to take money from the police budget that had been there for years under previous mayors to hire additional police officers that were never hired and spend it in the neighborhoods where crime is high, addressing the father of crime, poverty. Its an idea upon which Jones based her winning campaign for mayor. Its supported by police Chief John Hayden (#backtheblue), and the director of public safety, former police Chief Dan Isom (#backtheblue). Saggar doesnt have a particular opinion on the two mayors different approaches to crime, but he hopes Jones plan works.
ST. CHARLES COUNTY  A sex offender from Warren County is accused of picking up two underage girls from a park in OFallon, Missouri, and giving them marijuana while joy-riding around town in his Jeep Wrangler.

Todd M. Rogers, 40, of the 23400 block of Buck Rub Trail near Warrenton, was charged Thursday in St. Charles County Circuit Court with being a sex offender loitering within 500 feet of a playground and two counts of supplying drugs to minors.

On May 22, Rogers met two cousins, 14 and 15, at Westhoff Park in OFallon after responding on Snapchat to a girl wanting to hang out, charges say. Together, they rode around St. Charles County for about an hour while smoking marijuana and stopping at several gas stations.

One of the girls reported to a teacher May 28 that she and a cousin got high with Rogers after meeting him via Snapchat, charges say. Rogers has a daughter who attends the same school as one of the cousins.

Police obtained surveillance video from a QuikTrip that showed the girls sitting in Rogers Jeep as he went inside to buy something, charges say. Rogers license plate was recorded twice near Main and Cordes streets, corroborating the girls timeline of their ride with Rogers.
Feaman did not testify.

The video shows Feaman telling White he was under arrest, then striking White twice with a flashlight, charges said. A bystanders cellphone video of the arrest shows White trying to back away when Feaman strikes him. Whites jaw was broken. White was unarmed.

Feaman told White more than five times that he was under arrest as White ran from police, Hogan said.

He did not stop, until he turned and bladed his stance, Hogan said. Officer Feaman hit him once as Mr. White was moving, and the strike broke his jaw. The court has received no evidence that Officer Feaman aimed for his head, or intended to hit him in the head, or use deadly force.

The states decision to charge in this case was appropriate and supported by the evidence and the facts. However, this was a bench trial and we must respect the decision of the court, Allison Hawk, spokesperson for the Circuit Attorneys Office, said in a statement.

Millikan said Feaman was thrilled with the outcome of the case.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 04:45:24|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on March 30, 2021 shows an exterior view of the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland. (Xinhua/Chen Junxia)

The issue of the role of intermediates for buying vaccines was raised recently as a middleman, located in the United Arab Emirates, was caught selling Sputnik vaccines to Ghana and Pakistan at double the original price.

Countries should either buy directly from the manufacturer or "contact the manufacturer to make sure that the intermediate is legal," said the WHO.

GENEVA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) warned Monday of the danger of buying overpriced vaccines from intermediaries, reminding that countries should buy vaccines certified by the WHO and make sure to identify the origin of the product.

"We have received concerns regarding other vaccines ... with intermediates selling it (one vaccine) at a much higher price than what has been actually sold by the manufacturers," said Mariangela Batista Galvao Simao, WHO Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products, during a press conference.

The issue of the role of intermediates for buying vaccines was raised recently as a middleman, located in the United Arab Emirates, was caught selling Sputnik vaccines to Ghana and Pakistan at double the original price.

A staff worker prepares COVID-19 vaccine at the Porte de Versailles Exhibition Center in Paris, France, May 28, 2021. (Photo by Aurelien Morissard/Xinhua)

Simao said that countries should either buy directly from the manufacturer or "contact the manufacturer to make sure that the intermediate is legal."

"There is a lot of substandard and falsified COVID products being commercialized out there, so you need to know the provenance," she added.

Simao also said that it was important to vaccinate people with products "certified" by the WHO.

"The advice of the WHO is that the countries use vaccines that have received emergency listing," she said, referring to the Emergency Use Listing used by the organization to approve new vaccines.

So far, eight COVID-19 vaccines were approved by the WHO for emergency use, including two Chinese vaccines -- Sinopharm and Sinovac, both of which have been distributed in several countries across the world. 
UPDATED at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday with the victim's age and area where he lived.

ST. LOUIS  A 22-year-old St. Louis man was charged with murder Monday after a weekend shooting during a child's birthday party in the city's Mount Pleasant neighborhood, authorities said.

Police have identified the man who was shot and killed around 6:50 p.m. Saturday in the 3000 block of Mount Pleasant Street as William Kennedy, 27, of the 1600 block of Burd Avenue in the Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood of St. Louis.

A man suspected of fleeing from the scene, Michael G. Davis Jr. of the 1200 block of North 22nd Street, turned himself in at St. Louis police headquarters on Saturday and was charged two days later with first-degree murder and armed criminal action, authorities said.

Charges said Davis and Kennedy were guests at the child's birthday party when Davis pulled a gun, shot Kennedy several times and fled.

"Minutes later, (Davis) showed up at police headquarters where he surrendered himself, the murder weapon and an extra magazine," wrote Detective Michael Kegel in court documents. "An eyewitness told detectives that the victim did not provoke the defendant and that the victim was unarmed."
If we do not take advantage of this opportunity, with the amount of unprecedented funding coming to our state and region, it would only be an example of failed leadership, said Williams, a former staffer to former U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay. I think if we work together we can get a lot done.

Days, whose district includes Kinloch among a broad swath of north St. Louis County, said she wants action and that she is not opposed to using COVID-19 federal funds to help clean up Kinloch. But the money has to be well-spent, she said.

We really want to look at the whole situation and figure out what can we do to get it it right and sustain it, Days said. I think thats the most important part, to be able to sustain it.

Days and Proudie said they plan to meet with Kinloch Mayor Evelyn Carter this month. Carter, a former alderman, did not return multiple messages requesting comment.
Parker was one of roughly 79,000 Americans who remained unaccounted for after World War II. Some were buried as unknowns in cemeteries around the world, while others were lost at sea or deemed missing in action, according to the defense departments POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

Recent technological advancements, including DNA analysis, have helped speed up the process of identifying remains, but there are still roughly 72,000 servicemen unaccounted for.

On the ship where Parker worked, the Oklahoma, more than 400 people were killed. Parker was one of 2,008 sailors and 2,403 total people who died that day at Pearl Harbor. Its unclear how Parker was able to enlist at just 17  a year before he was technically eligible  but Curtis speculated a family member may have signed for him.

And his commitment to service went on to inspire other generations of his family. Parkers great-nephew, Air Force Brig. Gen. Brandon Parker, attended the ceremony via videoconference from deployment overseas.

Glenn Curtis, a military officer and relative of Isaac Parker by marriage, said it was important to the family for him to finally be honored and laid to rest.
Supporters of the measure said it would open new opportunities for parents now unable to afford other educational choices for their children.

Courts nationwide have repeatedly held that states can create alternatives to the public-school system. That is all the EOA (Education Opportunity Accounts) Program does: create alternatives, said Institute for Justice attorney Milad Emam. If this misguided lawsuit against the program succeeds, families around Kentucky will lose access to those alternatives."

The Council for Better Education said the tax credits would divert money from public schools.

Every student, no matter what he looks like or where she lives, deserves access to a high-quality public education," the group said in a news release. Spending money on voucher programs means denying students the opportunities they deserve in their neighborhood public schools because vouchers steal away scarce funding from public schools and give it to private schools that have no accountability or transparency."

Joining the CBE as plaintiffs in the suit are Frankfort Independent and Warren County schools, plus three individuals. The Kentucky Finance Cabinet and the Kentucky Department of Revenue are named as the defendants.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Colonial officials have said they took their pipeline system offline before the attack could spread to its operating system, and decided soon after to pay ransom of 75 bitcoin  then valued at roughly $4.4 million  in hopes of bringing itself back online as soon as it could. The company's president and chief executive, Joseph Blount, is set to testify before congressional panels this week.

In a statement Monday, Blount said he was grateful for the FBI's efforts and said holding hackers accountable and disrupting their activities "is the best way to deter and defend against future attacks of this nature.

The private sector also has an equally important role to play and we must continue to take cyber threats seriously and invest accordingly to harden our defenses, he added.

Cryptocurrency is favored by cybercriminals because it enables direct online payments regardless of geographical location, but in this case, the FBI was able to identify a virtual currency wallet used by the hackers and recovered the proceeds from there, said the FBIs Abbate. The Justice Department did not provide details about how the FBI had obtained a key for the specific bitcoin address, but said law enforcement had been able to track multiple transfers of the cryptocurrency.
His lack of availability when it would have mattered was just gutless.

Last Friday, the Senate batted down legislation that would have formed an independent commission. Blunt didnt vote at all, and wed love to know what was more important. His fellow Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley opposed the bill, of course.

Brian Sicknick died of a stroke hours after being attacked while defending you. And all because of the lie that the 2020 election had been stolen.

Sure, it would have been hard to tell Mrs. Sicknick why you not only see no reason to look into what happened on that day but why you couldnt be bothered to stand up and be counted either way.

Unfortunately, this came as no surprise. When you cant even crawl out from under the bed to meet with Mrs. Sicknick, it really is time to retire.



St. Louis Post-Dispatch. June 5, 2021.

Editorial: Missouris cowardly senators opt to hide from truth rather than learn from it
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 05:40:07|Editor: huaxia

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QUITO, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador reported on Monday 386 new COVID-19 infections and four more deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative tally to 432,739 cases and 15,293 deaths.

In its daily report, the Ministry of Public Health also reported another 5,521 deaths considered to be COVID-19 related, but not verified.

New infections in the last day were concentrated in the province of Guayas, which recorded 90 more cases, followed by Pichincha province, with 51 new infections.

Meanwhile, the new administration's vaccination plan, which seeks to inoculate 9 million people against COVID-19 in its first 100 days in office, has immunized over 560,000 people since May 31, Health Minister Ximena Garzon told local radio.

On Monday, the South American country began the gradual and voluntary return to in-person classes at many educational institutions and universities, after more than a year of forced closures due to the pandemic. Enditem
Americans these days are very concerned about freeloaders. Freeloaders, also known as free riders in economic parlance, enjoy the benefits of something without contributing to it. If fairness is the goal, then the thought that somebody, somewhere, is getting away with laziness and irresponsibility rubs many of us the wrong way. We work hard and deserve what we have, but some people are parasites and undeserving of the same things.

The debate over freeloading today divides us into two grossly oversimplified camps  makers and takers. But aside from the obvious candidates who are just plain sociopaths, (like Wimpy, the cartoon character who is always borrowing hamburger money but never paying it back), determining exactly who is a freeloader and who isnt is much more complicated than we all think.

Does a working mother who accepts free health care and food stamps qualify as a freeloader because she relies on government bailouts? And if were going to look at accepting government money as a red flag, then what about stimulus checks, farm subsidies and bank bailouts? Finding that one person who has never, ever, relied on others in any way is an impossible task. We all have debts in this life that we can never repay.
If you're one of the millions of frustrated travelers who had to cancel a trip because of COVID-19 and accept a voucher instead of a refund from your airline, help may be on the way. Two key senators are in your corner, as are most consumer advocates. And they're going to push the Department of Transportation to do something about it.

The situation arose because of the way airline contracts of carriage and DoT rules handle cancellations:

 When an airline cancels your flight, it owes you a cash refund no matter how "nonrefundable" the ticket you bought. Although few lines initially resisted cash refunds, DoT ruled firmly that they owed cash.

 But if you cancel before the airline cancels, even if it's clear you won't be able to travel, the airline owes you only what its contract says it will offer. Typically, at best, that means the airline gives you a voucher you can apply to a future flight within a year or so. In the case of COVID, airlines say their voucher offers were "generous" because they could have enforced their hefty ticket change fees, and in some cases, even offered bupkes: "nonrefundable means nonrefundable."
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Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists.
In 2021 it was confirmed that a year earlier Vietnam had backed away from a full T-54/55 tank upgrade offered by Israel. The issue was apparently the cost, which was not disclosed. It is known that these thorough Israeli upgrades can cost up to four million dollars. This is what Turkey paid per vehicle to have many of its older American M-60 tanks upgraded. Similar upgrades to T-55s apparently cost at least half that, or more if additional features are added. The proposed Israeli upgrade of the T-55 included a new fire control system for a larger 105mm cannon as well as several different protection upgrades plus a new engine and some mechanical improvements.

Vietnam is one of the few countries that still keeps a lot (about 1,200) T-55 tanks in active service. These include 350 Chinese Type 59s, an upgraded copy of the T-55. China produced about 10,000 of them between 1958 and 1985. The T-54/55/59 tanks account for over 80 percent of the Vietnam tank force, not counting some equally old Russian light tanks.

In 2009 Vietnam brought in Israel to help upgrade their T-55s. Israel has been upgrading Russia tanks for decades, first for itself, using Russian tanks captured from Arab armies defeated in several wars. Later Israel offered those upgrades to foreign users of older Russian tanks. When Vietnam approached Israel, it was on the basis of an upgrade Israel had done for Slovenia. This model, called the T-55S1 and Israel proposed a further upgrade of that for Vietnam called the T-54M3.

The 40-ton T-55 is a 1955 upgrade of the T-54, which entered service in 1947 as the ultimate development of the World War II T-34. This tank was armed with a 100mm gun, as well as a 14.5mm and two 7.62mm machine-guns. Over 90,000 were produced, which was even more than the T-34, before production ended in the 1980s. The crew of four is not well protected from anti-tank weapons, and the 100mm gun is largely useless against modern tanks. But against civilians, the T-55 has proved to be effective and upgraded T-55s can be effective against foes that do not have the most modern tanks.

Vietnam is proceeding with the T-55M3 effort, but doing it without all the proposed Israeli upgrade features. Vietnam has already procured ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor) for its T-54s as well as a Spanish fire control system. This includes a laser rangefinder and a thermal (senses heat) sight for the gunner along with upgrades to the engine controls and a powered turret. Vietnam is apparently not replacing the original 100mm gun or the engine. This is still a substantial upgrade as the Vietnamese have maintained their T-54/55/59 tanks well, acquired modern anti-tank ammo for the 100mm main gun, and provide their crews with lots of opportunities to develop their gunnery skills. Vietnams main potential foe is China which, like Russia, depends on upgraded Cold War T-72 tanks. These upgraded T-72s are formidable and the more Chinese models are considered superior to the best Russia or India (which buys modern Russian tanks) have.

Vietnam still buys a lot of military equipment from Israel, as does India. Israel is a reliable supplier of combat proven and world-class military equipment, but some of it, like T-55 upgrades, cost more than Vietnam can afford.
Issuance of Incentive Stock Options and Deferred Share Units

LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / June 7, 2021 / Gabriel Resources Ltd. ("Gabriel" or the "Company") announces that it has granted an aggregate of 160,392 incentive stock options under the Company's stock option plan (the "Option Plan") and 100,264 deferred share units under the Company's deferred share unit plan (the "DSU Plan") to certain directors of the Company as non-cash directors' fees for service during Q1 2021 (the "Director Grant"). All incentive stock options issued under the Director Grant are exercisable for a period of ten years at $0.30 per share and vest immediately from the date of grant.

The Director Grant was deferred pending re-financing of the Company and following the announcement of a non-brokered private placement on May 27, 2021, the Director Grant has now been effected.

The Option Plan allows for the issuance of up to 10% of the issued and outstanding share capital of the Company in the form of incentive stock options. As of the date hereof, a total of 32,125,105 common shares of the Company are allocated for issuance in respect of outstanding incentive stock options granted under the Option Plan, representing approximately 5.1% of the issued and outstanding share capital. 3,839,732 common shares of the Company are currently allocated for issuance in respect of outstanding deferred share units granted under the DSU Plan.

For information on this press release, please contact:

Dragos Tanase

President & CEO

Phone: +40 730 399 019

dt@gabrielresources.com

Richard Brown

Chief Financial Officer

Mobile: +44 7748 760276

richard.brown@gabrielresources.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.

About Gabriel

Gabriel is a Canadian resource company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company's principal focus has been the exploration and development of the Rosia Montana gold and silver project in Romania. The Rosia Montana Project, one of the largest undeveloped gold deposits in Europe, is situated in the South Apuseni Mountains of Transylvania, Romania, an historic and prolific mining district that since pre-Roman times has been mined intermittently for over 2,000 years. The exploitation license for the Rosia Montana Project is held by Rosia Montana Gold Corporation S.A., a Romanian company in which Gabriel owns an 80.69% equity interest, with the 19.31% balance held by Minvest Rosia Montana S.A., a Romanian state-owned mining company.

Upon obtaining the License in June 1999, the Group focused substantially all of their management and financial resources on the exploration, feasibility and subsequent development of the Rosia Montana Project. Despite the Company's fulfilment of its legal obligations and its development of the Rosia Montana Project as a high-quality, sustainable and environmentally-responsible mining project, using best available techniques, Romania has blocked and prevented implementation of the Rosia Montana Project without due process and without compensation. Accordingly, the Company's current core focus is the ICSID Arbitration. For more information please visit the Company's website at www.gabrielresources.com.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" (also referred to as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of the Company's operating environment. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements.

In this press release, forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies that may cause the Company's actual financial results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied herein. Some of the material factors or assumptions used to develop forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the uncertainties associated with: the ICSID Arbitration, actions by the Romanian Government, conditions or events impacting the Company's ability to fund its operations (including but not limited to the completion of further funding noted above) or service its debt, exploration, development and operation of mining properties and the overall impact of misjudgments made in good faith in the course of preparing forward-looking information.

Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors including those set out below, that may never materialize, prove incorrect or materialize other than as currently contemplated which could cause the Company's results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "expects", "is expected", "is of the view", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", "potential", "possible" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events, conditions or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of fact and may be forward-looking statements.

Numerous factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including without limitation:

the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID19) may affect the Company's operations and/or the anticipated timeline for the ICSID Arbitration;

the duration, required disclosure, costs, process and outcome of the ICSID Arbitration;

the advancement of Romania's nomination of the "Rosia Montana Mining Landscape" as a UNESCO World Heritage site;

changes in the liquidity and capital resources of Gabriel, and/or the group of companies of which it is directly or indirectly parent;

access to funding to support the Group's continued ICSID Arbitration and/or operating activities in the future;

equity dilution resulting from the conversion or exercise of new or existing securities in part or in whole to Common Shares;

the ability of the Company to maintain a continued listing on the TSX Venture Exchange or any regulated public market for trading securities;

the impact on business strategy and its implementation in Romania of: any allegations of historic acts of corruption, uncertain fiscal investigations; uncertain legal enforcement both for and against the Group and political and social instability;

regulatory, political and economic risks associated with operating in a foreign jurisdiction including changes in laws, governments and legal regimes and interpretation of existing and future fiscal and other legislation;

volatility of currency exchange rates; and

the availability and continued participation in operational or other matters pertaining to the Group of certain key employees and consultants.

This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements.

Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and investors should not infer that there has been no change in the Company's affairs since the date of this press release that would warrant any modification of any forward-looking statement made in this document, other documents periodically filed with or furnished to the relevant securities regulators or documents presented on the Company's website. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of assumptions or factors, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, subject to the Company's disclosure obligations under applicable Canadian securities regulations. Investors are urged to read the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulatory agencies which can be viewed online at www.sedar.com.

SOURCE: Gabriel Resources Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:
MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / June 7, 2021 / Quebec Precious Metals Corporation ("QPM" or the "Company") (TSXV:QPM)(OTCQB: CJCFF)(FSE:YXEP) is pleased to announce the appointments of Ms. Paola Farnesi and Ms. Julie Robertson to its Board of Directors as independent non-executive directors, effective immediately.

Paola Farnesi

Ms. Paola Farnesi is a senior financial professional with over 30 years of experience in corporate finance, financial reporting, M&A and risk management. She is currently a Vice President and Treasurer of Domtar Corporation, responsible for negotiating and arranging in excess of $1 billion in corporate financings, overseeing an insurance portfolio of over $20 billion in insurable values and managing the investments of pension fund assets in excess of $3 billion. From 1994 to 2008, Ms. Farnesi held several other leadership positions at Domtar Corporation, including Vice President, Internal Audit, where she was responsible for the implementation and subsequent compliance efforts related to Sarbanes-Oxley. Prior to joining Domtar Corporation, Ms. Farnesi worked at Ernst & Young for the assurance group in Montreal. She is an independent director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Falco Resources Ltd., and has served on the Board of the Centaur Theatre Company since 2010. Ms. Farnesi holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Graduate degree in Public Accountancy from McGill University, is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) of Quebec and obtained the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Julie Robertson

Ms. Julie Robertson is Vice-President Finance and Capital Projects at Centerra Gold Inc., a mining company listed on the TSX and NYSE, with annual Revenue of $2 billion. Prior to this position, she held a number of senior positions with Barrick Gold Corporation. She is a Canadian Certified Public Accountant with extensive experience in transformative leadership, external reporting, management reporting, planning and project management, and has an in depth understanding of IFRS and US GAAP. She is the Finance Committee Chair (Volunteer) of Boost Child & Youth Advocacy (CYAC), a registered charity committed to eliminating child abuse and violence in the lives of children, youth, and their families. Ms. Robertson is also the Chair of CPA Canada's Mining Industry Task Force on IFRS, created jointly with The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC). She holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Accounting and Finance from the University of Western Ontario and a diploma of Accounting and Finance from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Charles Main

Mr. Charles Main has informed the Company that he will retire as a director and not stand for re-election to the Board at the Annual Shareholders' Meeting (scheduled to be held on July 21, 2021) as he focuses on personal priorities and fewer board committments.

Chuck's retirement combined with the recent resignation of Jean-Sbastien Lavallee as a director in order to concentrate on his own developing mining company, has provided an opportunity to appoint two new independent directors.

"We are extremely pleased to welcome Paola Farnesi and Julie Robertson to our Board of Directors. The combination of their talent and vast experience in mining, financing and as directors and officers of publicly trading companies will further strengthen our Board. With their appointment, we are adding net one independent director and also improving the Board's diversity.", stated John Hick, Non- executive Chairman of QPM.

"We are most grateful for Chuck Main's commitment, professional acumen and expertise as a director and in particular as chair of QPM's Audit and Risk Management Committee, and wish him well in his future endeavours. The Committee and the Board will greatly benefit from the two new Board appointees.", said Normand Champigny, Chief Executive Officer of QPM.

About Quebec Precious Metals Corporation

QPM is a gold explorer with a large land position in the highly-prospective Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory, Quebec, near Newmont Corporation's Eleonore gold mine. QPM's flagship project is the Sakami project with significant grades and well-defined drill-ready targets. QPM's goal is to rapidly explore the project to advance it to the mineral resource estimate stage.

For more information, please contact:
Nations Leading School Nutrition Provider Will Serve School Districts Statewide Through Just-Opened Operations in Houston

ONTARIO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- GS Foods Group, Inc. (GS Foods), a leading specialized food distributor owned by affiliates of Highview Capital, LLC (Highview) and A&M Capital Partners (AMCP), today announced the opening of a new distribution center in Houston, Texas. The facility will serve school districts throughout the state  providing healthy, fresh meals to millions of students each week.

Headquartered in California, GS Foods encompasses a family of specialized foodservice distribution companies including Gold Star Foods, one of the nations largest school nutrition providers serving 2,040 K-12 school districts nationwide to provide meals to 8.7 million students per day  more than 25% of the school lunch population. Through its new facility in Houston, Gold Star Foods will leverage its industry expertise, diverse supplier relationships and deep understanding of the policies and programs that guide school nutrition to serve Texas school districts.

GS Foods continues to expand our operations to meet the needs of students and school districts  and we are proud to extend our footprint to Texas today, said Sean Leer, CEO, GS Foods. As one of the leading specialty distributors nationwide, we look forward to collaborating with the states school nutrition professionals and coordinators to provide millions of students with access to the fresh, healthy and reliable meals that they depend on each day.

The establishment of GS Foods Texas facility follows the opening of two distribution centers in Oregon and Colorado last year. GS Foods now has distribution centers in 10 states including California, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Maryland, Virginia, Louisiana and Colorado.

To learn more about GS Foods, visit: GSFoodsGroup.com

About GS Foods Group

GS Foods Group (GS Foods) is a family of specialized foodservice distribution companies. GS Foods uses its sophisticated network of facilities to provide trusted food distribution and product solutions to specialized foodservice segments, including education, corrections, non-profit, business & industry and healthcare. GS Foods independent subsidiaries, Good Source Solutions, Inc. and Gold Star Foods, Inc., collectively serve over 8,000 customers nationwide. GS Foods is owned by affiliates of Highview Capital, LLC and A&M Capital Partners.

About Highview Capital, LLC

Highview Capital, LLC is an opportunistic private equity investment vehicle headquartered in Los Angeles, CA with approximately $500 million in assets under management providing transformational equity. Highview leverages its creative vision and expertise to partner with management teams of leading middle-market businesses undergoing periods of transformation, including growth, expansion or performance improvement. For more information, visit www.highviewcp.com.

About A&M Capital Partners

A&M Capital Partners is Alvarez & Marsal Capitals flagship investment strategy focused on middle-market control transactions in North America with total assets under management of approximately $1.8 billion. AMCP partners with founders, corporates and management teams, providing the capital and strategic assistance that we believe is required to take businesses to the next level of success. AMCP invests in businesses across a wide range of sectors including Business Services, Industrials, Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, Consumer & Retail, Government Services, Financial Services and Energy Services. More broadly, Alvarez & Marsal Capital is a multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over $3.0 billion in total assets under management across three investment strategies, which maintains a strategic association with Alvarez & Marsal, one of the largest operationally-focused advisory firms in the world.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005346/en/

Sierra Layton

slayton@fionahuttonassoc.com

303-653-8191

Source: GS Foods Group, Inc.
FILE PHOTO: The moon rises behind the storage tanks of a local oil refinery in Omsk, Russia June 5, 2020. REUTERS/Alexey Malgavko

By Stephanie Kelly

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Oil prices rose on Tuesday, settling at the highest in more than two years after the top U.S. diplomat said that even if the United States were to reach a nuclear deal with Iran, hundreds of U.S. sanctions on Tehran would remain in place.

That could mean additional Iranian oil supply would not be re-introduced into the market soon.

"I would anticipate that even in the event of a return to compliance with the JCPOA (2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), hundreds of sanctions will remain in place, including sanctions imposed by the Trump administration," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Brent crude rose 73 cents, or 1%, to close at $72.22 a barrel, the highest it has settled since May 2019. U.S. West Texas Intermediate oil rose 82 cents, or 1.2%, to settle at $70.05 a barrel, highest since October 2018.

"Blinken is looking at the reality of the situation and saying even if we do get a deal, theres a long way to go," said Phil Flynn, senior analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago. "All those people expecting a flood of oil are going to be disappointed."

The United States told Iran on Tuesday that it must let the U.N. atomic agency continue to monitor its activities, as laid out in an agreement that has been extended until June 24, or put wider talks on reviving the Iran nuclear deal at risk.

Barriers to the revival of Iran's nuclear deal remain ahead of talks due to resume this week between Tehran and world powers, four diplomats, two Iranian officials and two analysts told Reuters.

Futures were pressured by data showing China's crude imports were down 14.6% in May from a year earlier.

Crude prices have risen in recent weeks, with Brent up by nearly 40% this year and WTI even more on expectations of demand returning as some countries vaccinate populations against COVID-19.

Restraint on supply by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies has also buttressed prices.

U.S. crude oil production is expected to fall by 230,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2021 to 11.08 million bpd, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said, a smaller decline than it forecast last month.

U.S. crude inventories fell by 2.1 million barrels last week, two market sources said after settlement, citing American Petroleum Institute figures. Gasoline inventories rose by 2 million barrels and distillate stocks climbed by 3.8 million barrels.

"The fundamental environment on the oil market remains favourable: fuel demand is recovering strongly not only in the United States, but also in Europe following the (partial) lifting of restrictions," Commerzbank said.

Some still question the demand recovery's trajectory. For instance, some doubt Britain, one of the most vaccinated countries in the world, will lift all restrictions as previously planned on June 21.

(Reporting by Stephanie Kelly in New York; additional reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar and Aaron Sheldrick; Editing by Jason Neely, Mark Heinrich and David Gregorio)
By Ankit Ajmera and Ben Klayman

(Reuters) -U.S. electric truck maker Lordstown Motors Corp said on Tuesday there was "substantial doubt" about its ability to continue as a going concern in the next year because of problems funding the production of its vehicle, causing its shares to plummet.

Lordstown, which went public last year through a reverse merger with a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), has struggled with the launch of its Endurance pickup truck. The truck is being built at a former General Motors Co plant in northeast Ohio.

Several electric vehicle makers over the past year have gone public via mergers with SPACs, bypassing the rigorous scrutiny of a traditional initial public offering process.

"The company believes that its current level of cash and cash equivalents are not sufficient to fund commercial scale production and the launch of sale of such vehicles," Lordstown said https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001759546/000155837021008107/ride-20201231x10ka.htm in a Tuesday quarterly filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

"These conditions raise substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least one year," the company added.

Lordstown's shares fell 16.3% in regular trading and were down 5.7% in after-hours trading.

A Lordstown spokesman declined further comment, pointing to statements made by the company during its earnings call last month.

Lordstown said on the call that its Endurance production this year would be half its prior expectations and it needed additional capital to execute its plans. It blamed COVID-19 and industry-wide related issues for higher spending on parts, shipping and third-party engineering resources.

In March, Lordstown's shares slumped after Hindenburg Research disclosed it had taken a short position on the stock, saying the company had misled consumers and investors.

Short sellers bet the price of a stock will fall by borrowing and selling shares in the hope of buying them back at a cheaper price and pocketing the difference.

Lordstown subsequently said the SEC had asked for information related to its merger with SPAC DiamondPeak Holdings and preorders of its vehicles. Chief Executive Steve Burns said Lordstown was cooperating with the agency's investigation.

GM, which is a minority shareholder in Lordstown, declined to comment on Lordstown's Tuesday filing.

During the May 24 earnings call, Lordstown said options to raise money could include asset-backed financing and investments from strategic partners like other automakers. However, Burns, the company's largest shareholder, said Lordstown was not for sale.

Burns said on the call that the launch of the Endurance, which is targeted at commercial customers, remained on track for September. On Tuesday, however, Lordstown said it had done "limited marketing activities" around the truck and had no binding purchase orders or commitments from customers.

Lordstown reported a first-quarter loss of $125 million, and said it had cash and cash equivalents of about $587 million.

At a June 2020 unveiling of the Endurance at its Ohio plant, then U.S. Vice President Mike Pence credited President Donald Trump with fighting for American jobs in the Mahoning Valley region where the plant is based.

"Today is a new beginning for Lordstown and it's a new day of leadership in electric vehicles in the United States," Pence said at the time. "Today is one more example of President Trump's commitment to make American manufacturing great again."

The plant's fate became a political lightning rod after GM announced its planned closure in November 2018, drawing condemnation from Trump and many U.S. lawmakers. Lordstown bought it and equipment for $20 million.

(Reporting by Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru and Ben Klayman in Detroit, additional reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Rosalba O'Brien)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 07:24:55|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, June 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that it remains unclear if Tehran is willing to take steps to return to compliance with the Iran nuclear deal.

"We've been engaged in indirect conversations ... for the last couple of months, and it remains unclear whether Iran is willing and prepared to do what it needs to do to come back into compliance," Blinken told a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

"We're not even at the stage of returning to compliance for compliance," he said. "We don't know if that's actually going to happen."

Blinken made similar comments in an interview in late May.

The United States and Iran have held five rounds of indirect negotiations in Austria's capital Vienna since April aimed at reviving the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Blinken's words were met with an immediate response from Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. He tweeted "it remains unclear whether @POTUS (President Joe Biden) and @SecBlinken are ready to bury the failed 'maximum pressure' policy of Trump ... and cease using #EconomicTerrorism as bargaining 'leverage.'"

The U.S. government 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. Enditem
Blagnac, 08 June 2021



Availability of the 2020 Universal Registration Document

including the Annual Financial Report

The SOGECLAIR Universal Registration Document for fiscal year ending December 31, 2020 has been filed with the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF) on April 16, 2021 under the number D.21-0314.

The Universal Registration Document including the 2020 Annual Financial Report also includes:

The annual management report,

The 2020 annual financial statements and the 2020 consolidated financial statements;

The statutory auditors' reports on the 2020 annual financial statements, on the 2020 consolidated financial statements and on regulated agreements;

The report on corporate governance;

The non-financial performance statement, as well as the related review report;

Information relating to the next Combined General Meeting of Shareholders on May 12, 2021.

The Universal Registration Document can be consulted on the following websites:

of the Company (www.sogeclair.com), under the heading "Finance / Regulated Information";

the AMF (www.amf-France.org).

It is also available to the public, free of charge and on request:

At the Company's registered office located at 07 avenue Albert Durand - 31703 BLAGNAC Cedex.





Next announcement: turnover for Q2 2021, on July 21st 2021 after closing of the Stock Market

About SOGECLAIR

Designer and manufacturer of innovative high added-value solutions, SOGECLAIR brings its skills in high-quality engineering and production to a broad range of cutting-edge sectors, notably aeronautics, space, vehicle, rail and defense. Supporting its customers and partners from the design and simulation stages through to the end of the products lifetime, all along the production chain through to entry into service, the collaborators are working worldwide to offer a high-quality, proximity support to all its customers.

SOGECLAIR is listed on Euronext Paris  Compartment C  Euronext Family Business Index -Code ISIN: FR0000065864  PEA PME 150 / (Reuters SCLR.PA  Bloomberg SOG.FP)

Contacts:

Philippe ROBARDEY, President & CEO of SOGECLAIR

Marc DAROLLES, Executive Vice President of SOGECLAIR

www.sogeclair.com - +33(0)5 61 71 70 33

Attachment
American Cannabis Partners (ACP) is a multi-state operating cannabis company headquartered in Trinity County of Northern Californias Emerald Triangle

ACP supplies multiple forms of raw product at wholesale prices for manufacturing, distribution and retail licensees

The companys wholly owned in-house brand, ZUK, is available through ACPs retail location in Michigan, as well as select California suppliers

Michigan cannabis industry sales reached $984.7 million in 2020, according to data from the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency, with recreational sales making up more than half of the total

California cannabis industry sales hit $4.4 billion in 2020, marking a year-over-year increase of 57%, according to MJBizDaily

The management team for ACP is comprised of industry leaders in organic farming, financial services and cultivation, with 30+ years of canna-business experience

American Cannabis Partners (ACP) is a multi-state cannabis company with 560,000 square feet of licensed canopy space for cultivation and one retail license. The company is nationally headquartered in Trinity County of Northern Californias Emerald Triangle.

ACP is focused on three complementary business segments: real estate, acquisition & development of proprietary assets, and ongoing cultivation operations. Led by a seasoned management team with 30+ years of canna-business experience, ACPs strategy is to capture opportunities in&

Read More>>

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to American Cannabis Partners are available in the companys newsroom at https://cnw.fm/ACP

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CannabisNewsWire (CNW) is an information service that provides (1) access to our news aggregation and syndication servers, (2) CannabisNewsBreaks that summarize corporate news and information, (3) enhanced press release services, (4) social media distribution and optimization services, and (5) a full array of corporate communication solutions. As a multifaceted financial news and content distribution company with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, CNW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. CNW has an ever-growing distribution network of more than 5,000 key syndication outlets across the country. By cutting through the overload of information in todays market, CNW brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. CNW is where news, content and information converge.

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Toyota City, Japan, Jun 8, 2021 - (JCN Newswire) - - Woven Alpha, Inc., a group company of Woven Planet Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation, Isuzu Motors Limited, and Hino Motors, Ltd. announced today an agreement to proceed with talks to utilize the Automated Mapping Platform (AMP) developed by Woven Alpha.

AMP is a connected crowdsourced software platform that supports the creation, development and distribution of high definition (HD) maps--a key enabler for smart and safe automated mobility. AMP provides high-precision data driven maps by utilizing vehicle fleet data and advanced satellite imagery technology. AMP HD map includes several layers of data rich information of road objects such as lanes, road signs, traffic lights, and other objects, as well as that of road curves and topography creating an accurate representation of the road while keeping it updated. The Woven Alpha team plans to develop AMP to become the most globally comprehensive road and lane network HD map platform enabling high-precision localization support to automated driving vehicles.

With the aim of realizing smarter and safer logistics through automated driving and Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) using HD maps, Isuzu and Hino will examine the potential application of AMP on the domain of small commercial-purpose trucks. The initiative aims to contribute to the dissemination of safer automated driving and ADAS with Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation that intends to accelerate CASE responses, which Toyota announced with Isuzu and Hino.

Copyright 2021 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the nationwide decline in postsecondary student enrollment, Rhys Branman, MD of Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center has decided to extend the Arkansas Rural Health Scholarship application deadline through Fall of 2021.

Earlier this spring, Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center announced the launch of their inaugural Arkansas Rural Health Scholarship, a $2,500 award which assists first-year medical and nursing students committed to practicing in underserved rural areas of Arkansas.

Dr. Branman is passionate about this cause in his home state. "There is a shortage of primary care practitioners in rural Arkansas, and this problem has been compounded by the pandemic. COVID-19 has not only brought this lack of care to light but also shown how it is worsened by glaring socioeconomic disparities in the region," says Dr. Branman.

The Arkansas Rural Health Scholarship deadline was extended through October 29, 2021 in response to the decline in both undergraduate and graduate enrollment in Arkansas since the beginning of the pandemic.

Estimates from recent U.S. Census Bureau surveys indicate that nearly 10 million adults canceled their plans to take postsecondary courses because of financial constraints related to the pandemic. Experts speculate that the transition to all-virtual classrooms has dampened some students' desire to learn altogether.

"It is my sincere hope that the pandemic has not permanently altered the career ambitions of those who have healthcare in their hearts, those who have an innate passion and natural talent for learning and helping others. This scholarship is intended to reaffirm the dreams of these students by alleviating some of the costs associated with their education and training to allow them to continue their commitment to serving communities in need."

While the national CARES ACT has provided temporary relief to millions of students who receive federal student loans, there are millions of students who rely on private scholarships and microgrant initiatives, such as the award offered by Dr. Branman's Arkansas Rural Health Scholarship.

Dr. Branman speculates how the trickle-down effect of COVID-19 could impact vulnerable student populations, likely limiting their long-term career options and earning potential. As more people lose access to higher education, the country may witness a less-educated workforce, and potentially less economic recovery overalla stress which is already occurring disproportionately in rural communities.

While the Arkansas Rural Health Scholarship is focused more on student merit than financial need, it stands out from other scholarship programs because of its flexible award terms. Funds from the scholarship can be applied to any costs associated with education, ranging from tuition to supplies, textbooks, computers, transportation, housing, and more. The scholarship also has a very simple application process intended to reduce communication and logistical barriers for its applicants.

According to Dr. Branman, "Our actions today will have a large impact on the status of healthcare in rural Arkansas tomorrow. We have a collective responsibility to contribute to the recovery of these fragile communities, and I am proud to help bring more medical professionals to our region. I believe that together we cannot just get through this pandemic, but come out more resilient."

Eligible degrees for the Arkansas Rural Health Scholarship include: Doctorate (MD, DO, DPM, DDS, DMD, DPM, DMD, OD, PsyD, PharmD, DCM, DS, DPT, DSN, PhD, DNP), Nursing (RN, NP, CNM, CRNA, LPN), Master's (MPH, MM, MMS, MN, MNA, MPharm, MPAS, MSN, MSM), and Physician's Assistant (PA, PAC).

About Dr. Rhys Branman: Dr. Branman is a board-certified cosmetic surgeon in Little Rock, Arkansas, and a member of the Arkansas State Medical Board. Dr. Branman is certified by both the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery and the American Board of Maxillofacial Surgery, and serves as a Board Examiner for the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. Dr. Branman is beloved by his patients for his caring bedside manner, surgical skill, and commitment to safety. His practice, Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center, is located at 10809 Executive Center Drive, Searcy Building Suite 100, Little Rock, Arkansas 72211; (501) 227-0707. For more information, visit www.littlerockcosmeticsurgery.com/.

Media Contact: Dr. Rhys L. Branman, Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center, (501) 227-0707 310523@email4pr.com

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SOURCE Little Rock Cosmetic Surgery Center
NEW YORK and LONDON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Utilizing distributed ledger technology (DLT) to better streamline and connect the private equity ecosystem and assets, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR) today released the latest evolution of its industry-leading Private Market Hub platform, using Amazon Managed Blockchain from Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS). The updated platform, the industry's first deployment of blockchain technology for the private equity market, now has added connectivity to existing industry tools and technologies to help further automate workflows between front-, middle- and back-office functions providing a consistent, secure, real-time view of the data.

"We are leveraging blockchain technology to drive further innovation, removing industry friction in workflows and delivering real savings in terms of cost and time, by offering seamless connectivity to critical applications and solutions that industry participants rely on," said Eric Bernstein, Broadridge's President of Asset Management Solutions. "The trends around digitization and data and analytics are only growing, and digital assets mark the start of an exciting new era for the private markets industry and fund managers and investors alike, accentuating the need to access best-in-class products to address the evolving landscape."

"We are excited to support Broadridge's Private Market Hub, which accelerates the digitization of a critical part of the financial services infrastructure," said Saman Michael Far, VP, Financial Services Technology, Amazon Web Services. "Private Market Hub's use of Amazon Managed Blockchain, a fully managed blockchain service, allows us to help Broadridge scale efficiently and more effectively serve its customers."

Bringing together private equity ecosystem participants, Private Market Hub not only reduces friction for fund managers, investors and administrators, but also allows for easier auditability. Funds can manage, communicate and engage with investors and other stakeholders with far greater efficiency. These innovations are enabled by distributed ledger technology, which streamlines traditionally disconnected and inefficient processes and facilitates visibility and trust.

Making private investments is a highly manual and time-intensive process for all parties involved, due to disconnected communication and data-sharing channels. For funds, managing investor communications and other documents is a burdensome task and functions for managing processes like capital calls are both time- and resource-intensive. Back-office reconciliation between systems often requires extensive manual steps and, as a result, there is no single view of fund performance and investor details.

The newest version of the Private Market Hub solves these challenges and extends the feature set available to platform participants, including independent auditor access, and adding connectivity to existing industry tools and technologies via Private Market Hub's open API architecture.

About Broadridge Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE: BR), a global Fintech leader with over $4.5 billion in revenues, provides the critical infrastructure that powers investing, corporate governance and communications to enable better financial lives. We deliver technology-driven solutions to banks, broker-dealers, asset and wealth managers and public companies. Broadridge's infrastructure serves as a global communications hub enabling corporate governance by linking thousands of public companies and mutual funds to tens of millions of individual and institutional investors around the world. In addition, Broadridge's technology and operations platforms underpin the daily trading of on average more than U.S. $10 trillion of equities, fixed income and other securities globally. A certified Great Place to Work, Broadridge is a part of the S&P 500 Index, employing over 12,000 associates in 17 countries. For more information about us and what we can do for you, please visit www.broadridge.com.

Media Contacts:

North AmericaMatthew LuongoProsek Partners+1 646-818-9279 mluongo@prosek.com

EuropeHannah PolsonCognito+44 (0) 7974244217BroadridgeEMEA@cognitomedia.com

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SOURCE Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.
LOS ANGELES, June 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A group convened by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to investigate insurance-related climate change solutions is recommending he let insurance companies insert secret models into ratemaking, a top deregulatory priority of the industry in California.

The 67-page draft report, made public late last week, explicitly excludes discussion of the major issues Californians are facing in the insurance marketplace. These include massive claims handling problems experienced by policyholders after the recent wildfires, most insurance companies' refusal to reduce premiums or restore coverage when homeowners and communities take steps to protect homes from wildfire risk, and insurance companies' nearly exclusive power to choose who may or may not buy home insurance coverage after a wildfire. It also deliberately ignores the insurance industry's own role in causing the severe climate events it insures against by underwriting and investing in polluting fossil fuel projects and infrastructure.

Consumer and policyholder advocates noted that the Commissioner's "Climate Insurance Working Group" contains two insurance industry executives and an industry lobbyist but not a single consumer representative.

"It's no surprise that a panel seeded with insurance industry representatives would come up with recommendations for ways that insurance companies can raise homeowners' rates and withdraw from communities, rather than investigate and address the insurance industry's role in creating climate change by continuing to insure fossil fuel projects, but it is surprising that the insurance commissioner would countenance those recommendations," said Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog. "This draft report places responsibility for addressing problems in the insurance marketplace on consumers, policyholders, taxpayers, local and state government  everywhere but on the insurance industry. It only raises climate solutions that the insurance industry can love."

Read the draft report http://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/180-climate-change/upload/Draft-Climate-Insurance-Recommendations.pdf

Insurance companies in California currently use decades of actual loss experience to predict what it will cost to insure homeowners, and must open their books and fully justify their projections under Proposition 103. Insurers seek to replace that data with private "catastrophe models," projections based on 3rd-party algorithms that they claim are proprietary and not disclosed to the public. The secrecy of such private models would prevent the Insurance Commissioner or the public from verifying the assumptions made in determining the appropriate rate.

For example, a recent rate filing by insurer Pacific Specialty sought to raise rates using a model's projections for fires that follow an earthquake. Consumer Watchdog uncovered that the company was using two different models  and that one model predicted nearly three times the losses as the other. The wildly different conclusions of the two different models makes clear that any catastrophe model used in rate-setting must be fully public and transparent to confirm their accuracy and prevent discrimination.

"Letting insurance companies exploit the climate crisis to get deregulation under the door would be a huge mistake," said Balber. "Consumers need more, not less, transparency about the price of home insurance in California."

A petition to Insurance Commissioner Lara by 60 environmental, consumer and social justice organizations sought emergency rules to require insurance companies disclose the fossil fuel projects they insure. Lara rejected that petition on Earth Day 2019 in favor of "collaboration" with the insurance industry, allowing insurers to keep their complicity in global warming secret.

Read the groups' petition https://www.consumerwatchdog.org/insurance/public-interest-groups-seek-nations-first-rule-mandating-insurance-companies-disclose and rejection https://www.consumerwatchdog.org/insurance/ricardo-lara-puts-brakes-californias-climate-leadership.

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SOURCE Consumer Watchdog
HOUSTON, June 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Flotek Industries, Inc. ("Flotek" or the "Company") (NYSE: FTK) welcomes Lisa Mayr to its Board of Directors ("Board"), increasing its directors from six to seven. Mayr was appointed a member of the audit committee and has been designated an "audit committee financial expert" by the Board as a result of her accounting and financial management experience. She will also serve as a member of the corporate governance and nominating committee.

Mayr brings more than 25 years of financial and accounting experience to the Board. She is currently the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of digital infrastructure provider Internap Holding LLC, a position she has held since July 2020. Prior to joining Internap, Mayr served as CFO of multiple software and technology companies, including MicroStrategy Incorporated, a data analytics software company, and educational technology companies Blackboard and EverFi. She has also held financial leadership roles at both public and private companies such as LivingSocial, GeoEye and Sunrise Senior Living. Early in her career, she served at Ernst & Young LLP in the transaction and advisory services practice.

John W. Gibson, Jr., Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Flotek stated: "After an extensive search prioritizing gender diversity, financial acumen, digital transformation and executive experience, we have found a highly qualified director in Lisa. She brings strong financial leadership from both public and private companies and a passion for maximizing her impact based on her experience. I know she will immediately and positively contribute to our board and Company."

Mayr said, "I am excited to join the Flotek team and be a part of a high-performing, high-quality board. I look forward to working with the team during such an important time in the Company's history."

Mayr currently serves as a board observer and on the audit committee of WorldStrides, an educational travel company, and is the board chair of STEM for Her, a non-profit that encourages girls and young women to pursue careers in STEM. She has a bachelor's degree in International Studies and Economics from American University and a Master of Business Administration from Georgetown University.

The Board search was conducted by Heidrick & Struggles.

Board Committee Assignments AnnouncedFollowing its Annual Meeting on June 3, 2021, the Company announces the following Board roles and Committee assignments.

Chairman of the BoardJohn W. Gibson, Jr.

Lead Independent DirectorDavid Nierenberg

Audit CommitteeDavid Nierenberg, Chair Harsha AgadiLisa Mayr

Compensation CommitteeHarsha Agadi, Chair Ted Brown Michael FucciPaul Hobby

Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee Paul Hobby, ChairTed Brown Lisa MayrDavid Nierenberg

Risk & Sustainability CommitteeMichael Fucci, Chair Harsha AgadiJohn W. Gibson, Jr.Paul HobbyDavid Nierenberg

About FlotekFlotek Industries, Inc. creates solutions to reduce the environmental impact of energy on air, water, land and people. A technology-driven, specialty chemistry and data company, Flotek helps customers across industrial, commercial and consumer markets improve their Environmental, Social and Governance performance. Flotek's Chemistry Technologies segment develops, manufactures, packages, distributes, delivers, and markets high-quality cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing products for commercial, governmental and personal consumer use. Additionally, Flotek empowers the energy industry to maximize the value of their hydrocarbon streams and improve return on invested capital through its real-time data platforms and green chemistry technologies. Flotek serves downstream, midstream and upstream customers, both domestic and international. Flotek is a publicly traded company headquartered in Houston, Texas, and its common shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "FTK." For additional information, please visit Flotek's web site at www.flotekind.com.

Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements set forth in this press release constitute forward-looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) regarding Flotek Industries, Inc.'s business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Words such as will, continue, expects, anticipates, intends, plans, believes, seeks, estimates and similar expressions or variations of such words are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying forward-looking statements in this press release. Although forward-looking statements in this press release reflect the good faith judgment of management, such statements can only be based on facts and factors currently known to management. Consequently, forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results and outcomes may differ materially from the results and outcomes discussed in the forward-looking statements. Further information about the risks and uncertainties that may impact the Company are set forth in the Company's most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 10-K (including, without limitation, in the "Risk Factors" section thereof), and in the Company's other SEC filings and publicly available documents. Readers are urged not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect any event or circumstance that may arise after the date of this press release.

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SOURCE Flotek Industries, Inc.
- G7 leaders gather this June for the Cornwall Summit

- The United Kingdom as host has prioritised spearheading the global coronavirus recovery and tackling climate change, among other areas

- The latest summit briefing book, G7 UK: The Cornwall Summit, features high-profile voices on the world's most pressing challenges

LONDON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt global activity, this year's G7 summit, taking place on 1113 June, will be hosted at Cornwall.

It is an unusually important summit. Following a year in which former US president Donald Trump cancelled the event owing to COVID-19, the Cornwall Summit marks the return to an in-person G7 and comes at a pertinent time for the UK's economy  having left the European Union this year and then launching "Global Britain". Another significant element is the attendance of the new US president, Joe Biden, who is committed to fostering international cooperation and has reinstated his country to the Paris Agreement.

It also comes at a critical time for myriad global issues, which the summit seeks to address. Policy priorities include confronting the persistent and unprecedented pandemic, while strengthening resilience against such future events. In the wake of extensive economic damage, the UK as host seeks to ensure future prosperity by propelling a stronger international trading system and championing free and fair trade.

Another policy priority is tackling climate change and protecting the world's biodiversity. As the climate emergency reaches a tipping point, the G7 will advance discussions on achieving a net-zero future and providing finance for developing countries, ahead of COP26 taking place in Glasgow later this year.

These issues constitute the key talking point in this year's edition of the summit briefing book, G7 UK: The Cornwall Summit, which features prominent voices from government and civil society. Exclusive commentary includes UK prime minister Boris Johnson, who sets the tone for the summit and outlines the international community's foremost challenges.

The title includes thought-leadership on sector-specific issues from a prestigious line-up of authors. Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, comments on COVAX, ensuring vaccine equity and removing bottlenecks. Francesco La Camera, director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency, discusses the path to a net zero future and how it can boost the economy. In addition, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN under-secretary-general and executive director, UN Women, calls for a global response to protecting women's rights. Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, highlights the importance of co-operation to suppress the virus and bring the pandemic to a close.

The publication also features voices from INTERPOL, UNICEF, UNWTO, UNDP and the WTO.

G7 UK: The Cornwall Summit is an official publication of The Global Governance Project, a joint initiative between GT Media Group Ltd, a London-based publishing company, and the G7 Research Group based at the University of Toronto.

View G7 UK: The Cornwall Summit online at https://bit.ly/ukg721

Twitter: @GloGovProj

Contact:Khaled Algaay connect@globalgovernanceproject.org Tel: +44 207 6085137

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1528242/G7_Cornwall_Book.jpg

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/g7-leaders-background-briefing-book-launches-ahead-of-cornwall-summit-301307412.html

SOURCE The Global Governance Project (GT Media Group Ltd)
CANYON, Texas, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- GoldStar Trust Company, one of America's largest custodians of self-directed IRAs specializing in precious metals, announces the addition of Texas Precious Metals Depository ("TPMD") as a secure storage location for customers. In conjunction with GoldStar's custodial services, TPMD will complement the retail services provided by Texas Precious Metals to provide turnkey solutions for precious metals IRA investors.

Per the Internal Revenue Code, retirement investors may incorporate physical bullion and coins meeting specific criteria into their portfolios while retaining the applicable tax benefits of their accounts. Any precious metals held in such accounts must be stored in a depository or other qualified third-party storage facility.

"We are excited to meet the growing needs of GoldStar Trust's precious metal investors by providing them with a secure storage option right here in Texas," said Jeff Kelley, president of GoldStar Trust Company. "Tarek and his team have been great partners for many years, and Texas Precious Metals was the clear choice."

"Having worked with GoldStar Trust for more than a decade, we believe them to be the premier IRA custodian in the United States. We are thrilled for the opportunity to expand our partnership and provide a Texas-based storage option for GoldStar clients," said Tarek Saab, President of Texas Precious Metals and TPMD.

Texas Precious Metals Depository is a private underground bullion depository. The facility is entombed in concrete with multiple layers of protection, bulletproof doors, biometric access, armed security and 24/7/365 interior and exterior surveillance. TPMD is fully insured by Lloyd's of London and monitored by county and city law enforcement.

About GoldStar Trust CompanyGoldStar Trust began serving customers in 1989 and is the leader in providing specialized services as a self-directed IRA custodian, trustee and escrow/paying agent. With over $2.5 billion in assets, GoldStar Trust is custodian for more than 37,000 self-directed IRAs and offers unique retirement solutions that allow investors across the nation to diversify their IRA portfolios with alternative investments to traditional stocks, bonds and mutual funds. GoldStar Trust is the trust branch of Happy State Bank.

About Texas Precious Metals DepositoryTPMD has been used as the main storage and logistics center for Texas Precious Metals since 2012, processing nearly $1 billion in precious metals transactions during that time while servicing private, commercial and institutional clients. Texas Precious Metals and TPMD are subsidiaries of Kaspar Companies, a fifth-generation Texas business founded in 1898.

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SOURCE GoldStar Trust Company
OMAHA, Neb., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jet Linx, the only locally-focused, global private aviation company providing aircraft management, joint ownership and jet card membership services through its 20 private terminal locations in the U.S., today hosted its fifth annual Safety Summit for all of its 560 team members nationwide as part of the Company's continued dedication to delivering the highest standard of safety in the world for private aviation. For the fifth consecutive year, Jet Linx has voluntarily grounded its fleet of 120 aircraft to bring all of its employees together to discuss and advance new safety practices and standards for the Company and the private aviation industry.

Jet Linx voluntarily ceases flight operations to spotlight importance of "forward together" safety culture

"To truly advance new safety practices, it requires an all-Company, forward together approach. Without everyone participating and involved in the discussion, you're going to miss a perspective from the field that maybe crucial to the advancement of that next big thing that further mitigates risk for the operation," said Jamie Walker, President and CEO. "We are proud to implement Summit-driven initiatives and ideas that strengthen the safety of our operations."

"The impacts of the pandemic in 2020 served as an important reminder that safety is paramount and cannot be prioritized enough, and this has been the cornerstone of Jet Linx since 1999, for both their clients and team members," said Sheryl Clarke, Safety & Security Advisor to Jet Linx. "Jet Linx continues to be the only aircraft operator in the United States to cease its flight operations in order to advance safety standards, together as an entire team."

This year's summit, under the banner "Forward Together for a Safer Future," focused on safety risk management, fatigue and critical human factors, and safety performance indicators. The event featured special keynotes from William B. Johnson, PhD, Ret. Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor for Human Factors in Aircraft Maintenance Systems for the FAA; D Smith, Aviation Division Manager, U.S. DOT  Transportation Safety Institute; Roger Hood, Senior Air Safety Investigator, U.S. DOT  Transportation Safety Institute; and Sharon Grey, President and CEO, Grey Aviation Services.

"Our Safety Summit continues to shine a spotlight on the significance of proactively advancing safety culture and the value of investing in collaborative educational efforts that will better inform our decision making and create the safest flight experience possible. Each and every member of our team plays a critical role in developing practices that further our standards and the standards of the industry," said Walker.

The Company's ongoing dedication to safety also earned Jet Linx renewal of their accreditation as a WYVERN Wingman Certified Operator for the fourth consecutive certification cycle in 2020, among numerous other standing third-party accolades, including ARGUS (Aviation Research Group United States) Platinum Designation and the international IS-BAO (International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations) Stage 3 rating. Jet Linx also implemented additional advanced safety measures to its existing protocols throughout 2020 in response to the growing concerns due to the pandemic, including becoming the first aviation company to treat its fleet of aircraft and private terminals with the BIOPROTECTUs System from ViaClean Technologies, a revolutionary system that disinfects and provides long term antimicrobial protection for up to 90 days. Studies by two Centers of Excellence of the Global Virus Network (GVN) have proven the product's efficacy against SARS-COV-2 for more than six weeks.

For more information, please visit www.jetlinx.com.

About Jet Linx AviationJet Linx Aviation is a locally-focused private jet company founded in Omaha, NE in 1999 as a more personalized approach to national private jet companies. Jet Linx offers three different ways to experience private aviation  a guaranteed jet card, joint ownership, and private jet management program  providing its clients with an all-encompassing, local solution to all of their private jet travel needs. Jet Linx is an IS-BAO Stage 3, ARGUS Platinum and Wyvern Wingman safety rated operator, an accomplishment earned by less than one percent of all aircraft operators in the world. In 2019, Jet Linx became the only Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star trained and accredited private aviation company in the world. In addition to establishing the independent global rating system's preeminent and unparalleled service standards for the in-flight experience, Jet Linx also collaborated with Forbes Travel Guide to develop their own customized, proprietary Jet Linx standards of service excellence. Jet Linx is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska and has base locations in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Ft. Worth, Houston, Indianapolis, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York, Omaha, San Antonio, Scottsdale, St. Louis, Tulsa and Washington D.C. For additional information, please visit the Jet Linx website (www.jetlinx.com).

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SOURCE Jet Linx
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 08:51:32|Editor: huaxia

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RIMINI, Italy, June 7 (Xinhua) -- China's women's volleyball team suffered its fourth straight loss after losing to Serbia 1-3 (22-25, 18-25, 25-19, 22-25) on Monday here in the 2021 Women's Volleyball Nations League.

Serbia's captain Lazovic Katarina scored a game-high 26 points and Caric Sara contributed 22 points while Li Yao and Yang Hanyu only pocketed 25 points together for China.

"I'm proud of my team because we showed again how we can play after a very difficult and bad game yesterday. We entered the court with totally different energy and we fought hard," said Serbia's Katarina Lazovic.

"For us, service is very important, when we serve well we can do big things, but when we have easy service we cannot play our game. Especially against China who had a perfect reception," she added.

Another tense game saw the Dominican Republic stun undefeated Turkey in four sets (25-22, 25-21, 23-25, 25-17).

Top scorer Pena Isabel Yonkaira Paola gained 20 points for the Dominican Republic and Senoglu Tugba had team-high 13 points for Turkey.

"We really fought today. We were sad after yesterday's defeat, but we knew that if we won today we would get our confidence back," said Niverka Marte from the Dominican Republic.

"When we play together and we play as happy as we are then our victory is almost a sure thing," she added.

In Monday's other matches, Thailand lost to Russia 3-1, Japan beat Canada 3-0, the United States swept South Korea 3-0, Italy saw off Germany 3-0, Brazil defeated Belgium 3-0 and the Netherlands outlasted Poland 3-2. Enditem
NEWTON SQ, Pa., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Penn River Inc, a leading life and annuity software company, today announces its partnership with top tier reinsurer Hannover Life Reassurance Company of America ("Hannover Re US"), to launch a reinsurance addition to its ProductHub platform.

ProductHub provides as much as a 30% reduction in time to market, and as much as a 25% reduction in carrier product development costs.

This addition to the platform gives Penn River's clients the ability to seamlessly integrate with Hannover Re US to evaluate new reinsurance solutions, as well as support existing reinsurance relationships, all through one central, digital hub.

ProductHub is an industry first, cloud-based solution that simplifies the product development process and ongoing product management cycle for life and annuity carriers through enhanced digital architecture. With improved transparency and the ability to connect information across disparate sources and cross-functional teams, the platform provides as much as a 30% reduction in time to market, and a 25% reduction in product development costs.

The implementation of a reinsurance addition to the platform creates a simple and secure system that saves valuable time and resources for both the carrier and reinsurer alike. Insurance carriers will have the ability to initiate requests for new proposals or request updates for reinsurance directly from the ProductHub platform. They can also easily load their data, share documentation with Hannover Re US, as well as track statuses clearly and transparently, significantly streamlining the entire process.

Tiffany Norman, SVP and Head of Annuity Solutions at Hannover Re US, comments: "Hannover Re has a track record of championing innovative solutions that bring value to all aspects of the life and annuity market, and we're delighted to be able to help companies launch products more efficiently. It is evident that those who evaluate reinsurance during the product development process, or during rate updates, see the significant benefit. By integrating a reinsurance addition into ProductHub, we're able to efficiently support existing and prospective clients on their timelines."

David Shaw, Co-Founder and CEO of Penn River, adds: "We're excited to partner with Hannover Re US to expand ProductHub's offerings to include reinsurance evaluations for our clients. This is a great example of how ProductHub can serve as a central hub for product launch and management, with powerful and secure workflow capabilities."

About Penn RiverPenn River is a Native Cloud Life and Annuity software company offering ProductHub as well as a new Policy Administration System (PAS) for the US Life and Annuities Insurance Company marketplace. Their leadership team and key employees had previously contributed to the development of other platforms in the Life PAS space.

ProductHub is an industry first solution that provides as much as a 30% reduction in time to market, and as much as a 25% reduction in carrier product development costs by streamlining redundancies and connecting information across disparate sources; including eApp, product rules, testing and reinsurance.

For more information, please contact Penn River at info@pennriver.com

About Hannover ReHannover Life Reassurance Company of America (Hannover Re US), which is licensed and/or accredited in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, is one of the North American life and health reinsurance subsidiaries of Hannover Re. Hannover Re, with gross premium of more than EUR 24 billion, is the third-largest reinsurer in the world. It transacts all lines of property & casualty and life & health reinsurance and is present on all continents with more than 3,000 staff and a network of more than 170 subsidiaries, branches and representative offices. The rating agencies most relevant to the insurance industry have awarded Hannover Re very strong insurer financial strength ratings (Standard & Poor's AA- "Very Strong" and A.M. Best A+ "Superior"). For more information, visit www.hannover-re.com.

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SOURCE Penn River
AUSTIN, Texas, June 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Summit Hotel Properties, Inc. (NYSE: INN) (the "Company") today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the 110-guestroom Residence Inn by Marriott Steamboat Springs for $33.0 million through its joint venture with GIC. Opened in December 2020, the newly built Residence Inn by Marriott Steamboat Springs is ideally located in close proximity to the base of Mount Werner and Gondola Square, biking and hiking trails, downtown Steamboat Springs, restaurants, shopping, and numerous other attractions.

The hotel is well-positioned to capture strong winter ski demand and summer leisure demand in what has been an extremely high barrier-to-entry market as only six other hotels have opened in the last 20 years, and there are none in any stage of development. In addition to robust peak winter and summer demand, the hotel is also expected to benefit from recurring special corporate and project business that will help balance demand patterns, particularly during shoulder seasons. As the newest hotel in Steamboat Springs and first Marriott-branded extended-stay hotel in the market, the hotel has been able to achieve a significant RevPAR premium of more than 30% compared to its competitive set in the first six months of operation.

Steamboat Springs Expansion

As a participant in the Ikon Pass ski program, Steamboat is one of the top five busiest ski resorts in the United States, hosting more than one million skier visits per year and is poised for meaningful growth in part driven by the significant capital investment planned to improve the mountain. Alterra Mountain Company is the current owner and operator of Steamboat Resort and acquired the mountain in 2017 with a goal of increasing airlift, enhancing summer demand, and building out the mountain base. In April 2021, Alterra announced updated plans to spend $135 million on base area improvements, ski acreage expansion and enhancement of the overall guest experience. Phase 1 of the improvement plan is currently underway which includes gondola upgrades that will improve skier circulation and enhance the overall guest experience by reducing ski lift wait times. In addition, the project investment will increase skiable terrain by approximately 20% to more than 3,600 acres, making Steamboat the second largest skiable area in Colorado. The project is expected to be completed by the start of the 2022/23 winter season.

The Steamboat market is serviced by the Yampa Valley Regional Airport which has recently seen incoming seats increase by 20% and continues to service flights from 15 airports in major markets across the country.

Acquisition Funding and Timing

The Company expects to fund its 51% interest in the joint venture acquisition using approximately $17 million of cash on-hand. After completion of the transaction, the Company expects to have over $425 million of total liquidity and over $150 million of current investment capacity permitted under recent credit facility amendments to pursue future investment opportunities. The transaction is expected to be completed late in the second quarter or early in the third quarter and remains subject to customary closing conditions.

About Summit Hotel Properties

Summit Hotel Properties, Inc. is a publicly traded real estate investment trust focused on owning premium-branded hotels with efficient operating models primarily in the Upscale segment of the lodging industry. As of June 7, 2021, the Company's portfolio consisted of 72 hotels, 61 of which are wholly owned, with a total of 11,288 guestrooms located in 23 states.

For additional information, please visit the Company's website, www.shpreit.com, and follow on Twitter at @SummitHotel_INN.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements that are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "potential," "intend," "expect," "seek," "anticipate," "estimate," "approximately," "believe," "could," "project," "predict," "forecast," "continue," "plan," "likely," "would" or other similar words or expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and can include future expectations, future plans and strategies, financial and operating projections or other forward-looking information. Examples of forward-looking statements include the following: the Company's ability to realize financial and operational synergies; projections of revenues and expenses or other financial items; descriptions of the Company's plans or objectives for future operations; forecasts of EBITDAre; and descriptions of assumptions underlying or relating to any of the foregoing expectations regarding the timing of their occurrence. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, not all of which are known to the Company and many of which are beyond the Company's control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the state of the U.S. economy, supply and demand in the hotel industry, and other factors as are described in greater detail in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Unless legally required, the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

For information about the Company's business and financial results, please refer to the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors" sections of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the SEC, and its quarterly and other periodic filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no duty to update the statements in this release to conform the statements to actual results or changes in the Company's expectations.

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SOURCE Summit Hotel Properties, Inc.
A KC-135 Aircraft arrives at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station on Feb. 2, 2017. (Stephanie Sawyer/U.S. Air Force)

WASHINGTON  The bid to bring a new mission and active-duty service members to the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station has some senatorial firepower behind it.

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Monday that he has been pushing for the new mission at the Niagara facility for weeks. In fact, in mid-May, Schumer called Frank Kendall, President Bidens nominee to be secretary of the Air Force, to argue that the new mission should come to the Niagara base.

If the Air Force chooses the local base for the new mission, the decision would bring an active-duty squadron of about 175 to work with the Air Force Reserves 914th Air Refueling Wing.

The Niagara facility has not had an active-duty squadron based there since 1971. If the Niagara base is selected, it would also get 12 KC-46A Pegasus air refueling tankers to replace the eight KC-135 tankers that the 914th currently flies.

The existing infrastructure at this first-rate facility, combined with the phenomenal service members of the 914th, ensure that NFARS would be more than capable of hosting a new active-duty squadron, Schumer said. I stressed this to Air Force secretary nominee Kendall in my call last month, and will continue to do everything in my power to bring the new 46A Pegasus to NFARS to create new jobs at the base and ensure that our troops have a reliable fuel source when training to protect our health and freedom.

The Air Force announced recently that the Niagara base is one of six that is being considered for the new mission. The others are Beale Air Force Base and March Air Reserve Base in California; Grissom Air Reserve Base in Indiana; Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma; and Joint Base Andrews-Naval Air Field in Maryland south of Washington, D.C.

Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station is the perfect location for the Air Forces new refueling tankers and deserves to be selected, Schumer said. NFARS has continuously delivered for New York over the last 50 years as a reserve base.

Air Force officials have said the Niagara base would need about $100 million in new construction to accommodate the new mission. New hangars would have to be constructed because the KC-46A  the Air Forces most modern refueling tanker  is larger than the KC-135.

The Niagara facility has been threatened with closure twice in the past 30 years. But John Cooper, president of the Niagara Military Affairs Council, said the bases selection for the new mission would ensure its future for years to come.

There would be additional investment and additional manpower, Cooper said.

Schumer is a longtime advocate of the Niagara base. He joined the rest of the Western New York congressional delegation to fight a proposal to shutter the base in 2005, and has been pushing for additional investment there ever since. He also advocated changing the 914ths mission so that it would fly refueling tankers rather than the aging cargo planes that the unit previously flew.

___

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WICHITA, Kan. (Tribune News Service)  Researchers at Wichita State University have been delivered a retired fuselage from an Air Force B-1B bomber to study the effects of 35 years of flight on wear-and-tear.

The university's National Institute for Aviation Research, or NIAR, will disassemble the aircraft fuselage to better inform maintenance of the aging supersonic jet. School officials announced the work with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center B-1 Division in a Monday news release.

"Wichita State's partnership with the B-1 Division supports sustainment efforts for legacy weapon systems, like the B-1, that will immediately impact the preparedness of the warfighter," said John Tomblin, Wichita State's senior vice president for industry and defense and NIAR's executive director, in a statement. "In addition, these programs provide applied learning opportunities for Wichita State graduate and undergraduate students, which, in turn, allows the military to grow its future workforce."

The WSU team will take apart the fuselage and perform inspections, looking for cracks and corrosion in areas that have been inaccessible since leaving the factory.

"A complete teardown and comprehensive inspection program will provide the B-1 Division a unique understanding of the current condition of the aging fleet," officials said in the news release. "The inspection results will allow the B-1 Division to proactively inspect the fleet, design repairs in advance of the fleet need, and more comprehensively manage the fleet of aging bombers."

NIAR is also continuing work on creating a "digital twin" of the plane by scanning dismantled pieces to create a three-dimensional virtual rendering. The university's digital twin program has also been used by the Army's Black Hawk helicopters as part of ongoing maintenance and sustainability efforts.

'The Bone'

The B-1B Lancer, nicknamed "The Bone," is a long-range heavy bomber that was originally intended for nuclear attacks on the Soviet Union. The aircraft have been stripped of the ability to carry nuclear weapons due to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties.

Wichita State is getting tail number 86-0101, which was known as "Heavy Metal," according to a Federation of American Scientists listing.

That unit was manufactured by Boeing in 1986. It was divested from service in April, with its final flight ending at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City. The fuselage was selected for the WSU research program because its high flight time compared to other airframes recently divested from the fleet.

"NIAR is excited to continue to support the B-1 Division's mission of keeping the aging bombers operating safely through 2040," said Melinda Laubach-Hock, NIAR's B-1 program manager and director of sustainment. "Advancements toward proactively managing the fleet with inspections, repairs and maintenance will directly improve mission readiness on this key military asset."

Extensive use, maintenance cost

Decades of service around the world  including extensive use in the Middle East  have taken their toll. Still, the Air Force continues to refer to the B-1B as "the backbone of America's long-range bomber force."

In February, four of the bombers were deployed to Norway to conduct missions in the Arctic Circle in international airspace near Russia.

Last month, a B-1B from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota became the first operational unit from the base to conduct a refueling mission with a KC-46A. The May 17 mission involved one of the Pegasus tankers from McConnell Air Force Base.

The newer KC-46 tankers are slowly replacing the aging fleet of KC-135 Stratotankers. McConnell received its first Pegasus tankers in January 2019 after years of delays.

Despite its continued service, fewer and fewer Lancers are in the fleet as maintenance issues catch up with the aging aircraft.

In February, the Air Force retired 17 of the bombers, leaving 45 in the active fleet. Four of the 17 retired aircraft are being kept in a reclaimable condition.

"Beginning to retire legacy bombers, to make way for the B-21 Raider, is something we have been working toward for some time," said Gen. Timothy Ray, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, in a statement. "Due to the wear and tear placed on the B-1 fleet over the past two decades, maintaining these bombers would cost tens of millions of dollars per aircraft to get back to status quo. And that's just to fix the problems we know about. We're just accelerating planned retirements."

The Raider remains under development by Northrop Grumman. The company has said first deliveries are expected in the mid-2020s.

"Retiring aircraft with the least amount of usable life allows us to prioritize the health of the fleet and crew training. ... The divestiture of the B-1 is necessary in order for the Air Force to create an even more lethal, agile and sustainable force with a greater competitive edge for tomorrow's fight," Ray said.

Opportunity for the Air Capital

In April, the Air Force temporarily grounded all B-1B bombers for inspection after an emergency incident at Ellsworth Air Force Base. The "safety stand-down" involved the aircraft's fuel pump filter housing, the Rapid City Journal reported.

But maintenance problems are not new.

In 2019, about 11% of the B-1B fleet was mission-ready, Business Insider reported at the time. The fleet was overextended and under-maintained, Gen. John Hyten said in a congressional hearing as he asked for additional maintenance funding.

"It's not a young airplane," Ray said at the time, according to Air Force Magazine. "Wear and tear is part of the things we find."

That's where Wichita State's aerospace research abilities bring opportunities to the Air Capital. Angie Tymofichuk, the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for logistics and product support, lauded NIAR when the digital twin program for the bomber was announced a year ago.

"As our fleets age, exceed design life, face obsolescence issues and more, we must be innovative in our response and NIAR's unique capabilities and experience provide us with just such groundbreaking opportunity," she said.

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Members of the Alaska's U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Kodiak rescued Nation Sega, left, Lepa Sega, middle, and Hollie Spence (and their pups) on Saturday after their pink flamingo raft was swept across Monashka Bay. (U.S. Coast Guard Alaska)

It was supposed to be the perfect day to celebrate Hollie Spence's 30th birthday. The sky on Saturday over Kodiak, Alaska, was clear and blue. The sun was shining. Temperatures climbed to a relatively warm 60 degrees. So it seemed like an ideal time to kick back with friends and float off a local beach on a 10-foot-long, bright pink flamingo raft.

But the day took a terrifying turn.

As Spence, her two friends and two small dogs got situated in the raft, the winds and currents picked up and swept the flamingo into the frigid waters of Monashka Bay - and toward the Gulf of Alaska.

"I panicked right away," Spence told The Washington Post on Monday night. "We didn't have anything to move ourselves and the wind was strong. My mind went to the worst place."

Over the next hour, the flamingo moved wherever the wind and current took it, eventually snagging against a cluster of rocks covered with sharp barnacles. It soon took on water and slowly began to deflate.

But a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter arrived just in time and Spence, along with her friends and the two dogs, were airlifted to safety.

The ordeal, first reported by the Alaska Landmine, made a stir among locals, many of whom watched from their porches after spotting the bright pink flamingo floating aimlessly. It was an odd sight given that Monashka Bay, which is off the northeast coast of Kodiak Island, is more often used for fishing or kayaking.

"We were outside on our porch, and I saw this giant pink flamingo floating across the bay," Katie Gray, a Kodiak resident, told the Landmine. "It's not a common occurrence. It gets really deep really quickly and it can get rough quickly. The current gets kind of crazy out there."

Although Spence noticed it was a "little windy" on Saturday, she said she wasn't worried because she and her friends had used the raft at the same beach last year with no issues.

"It was so fun," said Spence, a preschool teaching assistant who moved to Kodiak two years ago from Florence, Ore., after her brother, a fisherman, encouraged her to join him there. "So we went out and tried to do the same thing. We should have been more aware of the tides and the wind, but it was kind of like, 'What could go wrong?'"

Around 4 p.m., Spence inflated the raft near the northwest corner of the bay along with her roommate Lepa Sega, 23, and Lepa's brother, Nation Sega, 29. After loading the flamingo's built-in cooler with nonalcoholic drinks and throwing in snacks, blankets, towels and extra clothes in case they got cold, they pushed the raft into the shallow water just off the beach.

Then they joined the dogs, Dallas, a chihuahua, and Ping Ping, a pug, on board. But they soon noticed something was wrong.

"All of a sudden, 30 seconds later, I was like, 'Um, I don't see the bottom of the ocean any more,' " Spence recalled.

The oversized flamingo had been caught in a combination of wind and currents that were sweeping them away from shore. The friends tried and failed to paddle their way closer to shore. Spence said she is "terrified of the ocean" and began to panic, adding that her friends don't know how to swim. She told them to call 911.

By about 5:15 p.m., the raft began drifting toward the rocks farther out in the bay, where Lepa and Nation Sega attempted to pull the raft over to get closer to a resident who was trying throw them a rope. But they failed, and the situation only got worse.

"The flamingo started giving out," Spence said. "I'm not sure if it popped, but it was definitely deflating."

Soon the towels, blankets and clothes got wet, which only further weighed down the raft.

Minutes later, a state trooper's boat arrived, followed by a helicopter from the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Kodiak. The helicopter dropped down a rescue swimmer, who paddled over to the group and walked them through a rescue procedure.

"Alaska State Troopers and the [U.S. Coast Guard] worked together to determine that due to the treacherous circumstances, a helicopter hoist was the best option to bring these folks and their animals back to shore, safe and sound," U.S. Coast Guard Alaska wrote on Facebook.

In a video captured by an onlooker, the group was lifted one-by-one in a basket and brought onto the helicopter. They arrived at the Coast Guard's base by about 6:30 p.m., Spence said.

"We were not setting out to go out into the middle of the ocean by any means," Spence said. "We had no plans to be rescued by the Coast Guard. It was a freak accident."

The state troopers recovered the raft, according to KMXT, although Nation Sega told the station that he plans to get it back.

Spence, however, has no plans go on a raft in the ocean again.

"It very much so opened my eyes to how the ocean just doesn't care - it will take you wherever it wants," she said. "I'm just so thankful that the flamingo held up through that and that we are alive."

Despite the traumatic experience, Spence said she already sees the humor in the incident.

"While it was happening it was terrifying, but now I can look back on it and laugh about it just because it was a huge pink flamingo," she said. "Who has a huge pink flamingo? Let alone in Kodiak, Alaska?"

Spence added, "It was an experience I will never in my life forget, ever. Especially since it was my 30th birthday."
French President Emmanuel Macron visits an army base in Orleans, central France, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. France on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, suspended military operations with Central African Republic. (Gonzalo Fuentes, Pool /AP)

PARIS  France has suspended military operations with Central African Republic, accusing its government of failing to respect political opposition and failing to stop a "massive" anti-French disinformation campaign.

The French government is also suspending about $12.1 million in budgetary support for CAR, two French officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The move comes amid high tensions and diplomatic wrangling over influence in the mineral-rich former French colony. Russia has business interests in the country and also sent military instructors there last year.

Central African Republic has faced deadly inter-religious and inter-communal fighting since 2013. After a 2019 peace deal, violence erupted anew after the constitutional court rejected former President Francois Bozize's effort to run for president again last year. President Faustin Archange Touadera won reelection in December, but continues to face opposition from forces linked to Bozize.

Rebels aligned with Bozize tried to attack the capital in January, underscoring how CAR's military faces serious security threats that they had looked to the French for help with.

Guests leave the national assembly building following Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera's inaugural ceremony in Bangui on March 30, 2021. Touadera was sworn in for a second term amid mounting threats to his presidency. (Adrienne Surprenant/AP)

About 160 French troops who were providing operational support in the capital Bangui and training Central African forces have suspended their mission and stopped cooperating with the country's military, a French government official said.

The decision didn't affect the approximately 100 French troops involved in U.N. peacekeeping forces and EU training forces in the country, or French advisers helping CAR with domestic civil security, the official said.

The official said CAR failed to respect promises toward the political opposition, and failed to fight anti-French disinformation campaigns online, notably targeting the French ambassador and defense attache.

Facebook took down hundreds of accounts and groups linked to Russia and France that were accused of using fake Facebook and Instagram accounts to wage a covert disinformation campaign in CAR before the December election.

An official in French President Emmanuel Macron's office said that CAR President Touadera ignored pressure from his country's neighbors and France to allow open up elections to opposition figures, "but this didn't happen."

Both officials weren't authorized to be publicly named.

The French decision came after France suspended joint military operations last week with Malian forces until its coup leaders comply with international demands to restore civilian rule.

___

Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal, and Sylvie Corbet in Paris, contributed to this report.
(Google Maps)

CAIRO  Tribal clashes erupted over the weekend between Arabs and non-Arabs in Sudan's western Darfur region, killing at least 36 people, the state-run news agency reported.

The clashes broke out in South Darfur province between the Arab Taaisha and the non-Arab Falata tribes and also wounded at least 32, SUNA news agency said late Sunday.

More troops were deployed to contain the clashes in the area of Um Dafuk, west of the South Darfur's provincial capital of Nyala. The area is on the border with the Central African Republic. A statement later said the clashes subsided.

The violence grew out of a land dispute between the two tribes, according to an aid worker who spoke on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.

Such clashes pose a significant challenge to efforts by Sudan's transitional government to end decades-long rebellions in some areas like war-wrecked Darfur.

Sudan is on a fragile path to democracy after a popular uprising led the military to overthrow autocratic President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, after nearly three decades of rule.

Since then, the country has been led by a joint military-civilian government, which has been struggling to end Sudan's decades-long civil wars and overcome the country's dire economic conditions.

The Darfur conflict began in 2003 when ethnic Africans rebelled, accusing the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum of discrimination. The government has been accused of retaliating by arming local nomadic Arab tribes and unleashing the militias known as janjaweed on civilians  a charge it denies.

Al-Bashir faces international charges of genocide and crimes against humanity related to the Darfur conflict.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lowered Guams coronavirus travel-risk level from very high to moderate on Monday, June 7, 2021. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lowered Guams coronavirus travel-risk level from very high to moderate on Monday, meaning fully vaccinated people are now OK to fly to the U.S. island territory.

However, unvaccinated travelers who are apt to become severely ill from the coronavirus respiratory disease are encouraged to avoid all unnecessary travel there.

The CDCs moderate designation, also called level two, means Guam has tallied between 50 and 99 new COVID-19 cases over the past 28 days. The island had been at level four, which urges people to avoid all travel because of a high number of new infections, since May 17.

Since the pandemic began, Guam has confirmed 8,210 coronavirus cases, 59 of which were active as of Monday, and 139 deaths, according to the islands Joint Information Center. Six new patients were identified between Friday and Sunday.

We welcome CDCs downgrade in travel risk for Guam from very high to moderate, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said in a statement Tuesday. This complements our recently updated protocols that allow vaccinated travelers to enter our borders without quarantine.

The news comes a little more than a week after the CDC discovered a COVID-19 variant of interest  B.1.617.2, or the Indian variant  among samples collected on Guam this spring. Twenty-five samples taken in March and April underwent genome sequencing by the CDC, which returned the results to the islands Department of Public Health and Social Services on May 28.

Of those, 16 were identified as B.1.1.7, the United Kingdom variant, and one was B.1.341, the South African variant. Both are variants of concern, according to the CDC, meaning there is evidence of increased transmissibility, hospitalizations or deaths.

Another of the samples turned out to be the Indian variant, which the CDC and World Health Organization call a variant of interest because its potential risks warrant close monitoring.

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The Missile Defense Agency announced today that Kauai is the preferred  location in an ongoing environmental analysis for the $1.9 billion Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii, shown here in an artists conceptual rendering. (Missile Defense Agency)

HONOLULU (Tribune News Service) The Missile Defense Agency announced on Monday that Kauai is the "preferred" location in an ongoing environmental analysis for the $1.9 billion Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii  an all-but-dead project in the eyes of the Pentagon as it contends with maneuvering hypersonic threats.

Hawaii's congressional delegation wants the project to proceed for the defense of the Aloha State against North Korean ballistic missiles.

Last year, Congress pumped $133 million back into the Hawaii project to keep it going after the Pentagon zeroed out funding for the radar.

The fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act requires the Missile Defense Agency to develop a plan to construct and operate a "discrimination radar, " or equivalent sensor, that will improve homeland missile defense for Hawaii, according to the agency.

Agency spokeswoman Heather Cavaliere said the Pacific Missile Range Facility was identified as its preferred alternative. The Navy installation would provide "optimal " missile defense system performance and it "minimizes mission impacts to the host installation " she said.

The agency took into consideration "operational effectiveness, technical factors and environmental consideration " in selecting PMRF, Cavaliere said.

A Kahuku Training Area site on Oahu "will remain a reasonable alternative analyzed in the EIS, " she said. Identification of the Kauai alternative "provides ability for the MDA to better coordinate discussions and consultations with regulatory agencies."

Funding for the big Hawaii radar was again recently zeroed out in the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's 2022 proposed budget  a position that reflects evolving and competing defense priorities amid limited funding.

In 2019, the Hawaii radar was postponed, and in two subsequent budget years, no funding has been sought by the Pentagon.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, D- Hawaii, recently said the Department of Defense "previously identified the Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii (HDR-H ) as the capability it needed to protect Hawaii in response to an increasingly credible North Korean ballistic missile threat."

"Last year when this happened, DOD did not satisfactorily explain why it cut funding for HDR-H in its proposed budget, prompting Congress to reverse the Trump Administration's request and fund the project at $133 million, " Hirono said in a statement. "Once again, DOD has also yet to adequately explain how Hawaii will be protected without HDR-H and whether our state will have the same level of protection as the rest of the United States."

The Pentagon previously noted a radar coverage "gap " in the Pacific.

Hirono said U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the Missile Defense Agency and the incoming commander of U.S. Forces Korea "have all identified HDR-H as a priority for the protection of Hawaii."

"If DOD has new analysis and wants to propose a new system to achieve the same capability, I welcome the chance to hear about it, " the senator said. "However, in an increasingly unpredictable region, now is not the time to cut funding for missile detection technology without an assurance of enhanced protection from another source."

The Missile Defense Agency said the Hawaii radar, with an 85-foot face, would help track and discriminate (i.e., identify warheads among debris and decoys ) increasingly sophisticated long-range missile threats in the Pacific theater.

The agency said it is using the $133 million congressional "plus up " for production of "critical radar components " and studies "for the siting and development of the (radar )should a deployment decision be made and is funded."

Being considered is a site at the southern end of PMRF on Kauai facing North Korea. Restricted airspace arcs would fan out over the ocean to a distance of 9 miles.

Testifying last year before a congressional committee, Missile Defense Agency Director Vice Adm. Jon Hill said the U.S. was at an "inflection point " that was complicating missile defense.

"Ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missiles are becoming more capable of carrying conventional and mass destruction payloads farther, faster and with greater accuracy, " he said in prepared remarks.

Missile defense will "continue to leverage space-based, ground-based and maneuverable sea-based sensors, " Hill said. "Yet there will never be enough terrestrial-based sensors to track maneuvering missiles in large numbers. If we are to outpace the threat, we need a persistent space-based global sensor capability."

The Missile Defense Agency and Space Development Agency are developing space-based systems to defend against Russian and Chinese hypersonic weapons.

Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor, or HBTSS, satellites, are needed "since we cannot populate the earth and the oceans with terrestrial radars, " the agency said.

Hill recently noted that hypersonics are "a globally maneuvering kind of threat so you need to be up in space looking down." The space sensor program is on a path to launch two satellites built by two industry teams in the 2023 timeframe that would contribute to Pacific defense, Hill said.

"The 'birth to death' tracking that HBTSS can provide when integrated with terrestrial sensors will make it possible to maintain custody of missile threats from launch through intercept regardless of location, " the Missile Defense Agency said.

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Buy Photo A sailor receives the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine earleir this spring at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa  U.S. commands in Japan and South Korea reported 13 new cases of the coronavirus respiratory disease as of 6 p.m. Tuesday.

One of the new patients turned up at a Department of Defense Education Activity school at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, according to a message Tuesday to students families and school staff.

Contact tracing is underway, wrote Kadena Elementary School assistant principal Amanda McDonald, and students in Ms. Kupkas class were ordered to stay home Tuesday. Testing was offered at the U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa for students in the class and riders of Bus 42.

Kadena had four more people contract COVID-19, according to an official Facebook post Monday evening. Two self-isolated after developing symptoms and two were identified as close contacts of known positives.

Since Feb. 1, when vaccines became available on Okinawa, 96% of the on-base positive cases have involved those who were not fully vaccinated, the post said. Vaccines are voluntary for status of forces agreement members.

Due to the current state of emergency, which impacts 10 prefectures, including Okinawa, and lasts through June 20, the Army on the island placed some Japanese employees at Torii Station on telework, U.S. Army Garrison Okinawa wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday. This could lead to longer lines and delays for base service, the post said.

Yokosuka Naval Base, 35 miles south of central Tokyo, has had two base employees test positive since Friday, the Navy said in a statement Tuesday. Both displayed COVID-19 symptoms.

At Yokota Air Base, the home of U.S. Forces Japan in western Tokyo, five people tested positive between May 29 and June 8, the 374th Airlift Wing announced Tuesday afternoon.

One of the new patients was in quarantine after recently arriving in Japan from the United States; another was in quarantine as a close contact of a previously identified case; and the others were identified and quarantined by Public Health according to strict Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.

On the Korean peninsula, a South Korean contractor at Camp Humphreys tested positive June 4 after contact with an infected person, U.S. Forces Korea said in a statement Tuesday. The new patient last visited the Army base on June 3 and is in quarantine.

COVID-19 cases continued to fall across Japan this week. The country logged 2,078 new patients on Monday, 735 less than the same day last week, according to the World Health Organization. The current wave peaked with 7,017 new infections on May 10.

The government has counted 760,000 cases during the pandemic and more than 13,500 deaths, the organization reported.

Tokyo on Monday reported another 235 infections and three deaths, according to public broadcaster NHK. The number of new infections is 25 less than the same day last week, according to metro government data.

Osaka prefecture, the nations second-largest metro area, reported 72 new infections Monday, its lowest tally since it logged 67 infections on March 15, a prefectural website said. The prefecture experienced its highest number of new cases in April and May, peaking at 1,260 new infections on April 28 and March 1.

Osakas 15 deaths announced Monday was greater than the sum of Saturday and Sunday combined, NHK said.

Okinawa prefecture, now experiencing its worst phase of the pandemic, reported 104 new infections and one death Monday, according to NHK. The number of new infections is 38 fewer than the same day last week.

Japan has lagged other developed nations in vaccinating its population, and is ramping up those efforts ahead of the start of the Tokyo Olympics on July 23.

A mass inoculation center opened Tuesday at the now-closed Tsukiji fish market, Kyodo News reported. Companies and some universities also began applying for permission to perform on-site vaccinations beginning later this month.

burke.matt@stripes.com

Twitter: @MatthewMBurke1
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 09:15:21|Editor: huaxia

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The China-Europe freight train linking the city of Jinhua in east China's Zhejiang Province with Budapest in Hungary is launched on June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Hu Xiaofei)

HANGZHOU, June 8 (Xinhua) -- A new China-Europe freight-train route linking the city of Jinhua in east China's Zhejiang Province with Budapest in Hungary was launched on Monday.

The freight-train service was launched ahead of the 2nd China-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair, which is to be held in the city of Ningbo, Zhejiang, from Tuesday to Friday.

The train carries about 21 million yuan (about 3.3 million U.S. dollars) worth of goods, including auto parts, electronic instruments and household items. It is expected to arrive in the Hungarian capital in 18 days.

The bilateral trade between China and Hungary grew 14.4 percent year on year in 2020, with China being Hungary's third-largest trading partner, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

The new China-Europe freight-train service offers a new efficient and convenient route for the Yangtze River Delta and even eastern Chinese coastal cities to export goods to Europe, said Hangzhou Customs.

In the January-May period, a total of 286 China-Europe freight trains departed or arrived in the city of Jinhua, carrying 23,700 TEUs of goods, with the two figures up 565 percent and 566 percent year on year, respectively.

Foreign trade between Zhejiang and the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) grew 33.2 percent year on year to 35.47 billion yuan in the first four months of this year, according to Hangzhou Customs. 
President Joe Biden waves from the top of the steps of Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., on March 16, 2021. (Susan Walsh/AP)

LONDON  When U.S. President Joe Biden flies to Europe this week, he will find his hosts welcoming but wary. His predecessor Donald Trump may be gone, but he leaves a long shadow.

Biden's first foreign trip as president starts Wednesday and includes a gathering of the Group of Seven wealthy nations by the seaside in southwest England, a NATO summit, a meeting with European Union chiefs, and then a tete-a-tete in Geneva with his Russian counterpart and adversary, Vladimir Putin.

For most of America's allies, Biden is a relief. Trump often sowed chaos, accusing the NATO military alliance of leeching off the United States, insulting the European Union and storming out of a G-7 summit in Canada in 2018. In contrast, Biden has stressed his support for international diplomacy and emphasized "America's renewed commitment to our allies and partners" in a recent Washington Post article.

"I think we can expect to see lots of rhetoric and lots of good-vibe messages in this first visit of Biden to Europe," said Renata Dwan, deputy director of international affairs think tank Chatham House.

But she added that five months into Biden's term, "it's time to be more than 'not Donald Trump.'"

Biden has already mended some fences with America's allies. The U.S. has rejoined the Paris climate accord that Trump renounced, ended a minor trade war with the EU over aviation rivalry and is backing attempts to revive a deal meant to limit Iran's nuclear ambitions that Trump abandoned.

"America is back. And we are happy you are back," European Council President Charles Michel told Biden in March, when the president joined a video summit of EU leaders.

Yet it's not all smooth sailing, especially for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is hosting the first G-7 summit in two years this weekend at the Carbis Bay resort in Cornwall.

Johnson wants to use the U.K.'s G-7 presidency to inject new purpose into the wealthy nations' club  undermined by Trump's unilateralism and sideswiped by the coronavirus pandemic  and to burnish the international image of a post-Brexit "Global Britain."

He's happy with Biden's commitment to fighting climate change that should help give momentum to November's COP26 global climate summit in Scotland. And Biden's promise to start sharing coronavirus vaccines with poorer countries  something aid agencies say should have happened sooner  chimes with Johnson's call for G-7 leaders to ensure the whole world is vaccinated by the end of 2022.

Closer to home, the British leader hopes Biden will agree to a trans-Atlantic travel corridor to help business and tourism recover from the pandemic. And he is seeking a U.K.-U.S. trade deal, touted by the British government as a plum post-Brexit economic prize.

But he has hurdles to overcome. A trade deal is not a Biden priority, and Johnson will have to work hard to charm a president who once called the prime minister a "physical and emotional clone" of Trump.

Biden has criticized Brexit, and is particularly concerned about its impact on Northern Ireland. Because of its land border with EU member Ireland, Northern Ireland has been given a special economic status that is causing friction between the U.K. and the bloc and heightening political tensions within Northern Ireland.

Biden, keenly aware of the key role the U.S. played in bringing about the Good Friday peace accord that ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland, has warned there will be no trade deal with Britain if Brexit undermines the peace deal.

There are tensions and divergences among U.S. and its other the allies, too. Biden has begun to rebuild ties with NATO, left angry and bewildered by Trump's unilateralism and his ambiguous relationship with Russia's Putin. Biden reassured the alliance that the U.S. backed NATO's doctrine of collective defense and would come to the rescue in the face of Russian aggression.

Britain and EU politicians generally support Biden's call for a "stable and predictable" relationship with Russia, but have low expectations of a breakthrough from his meeting with Putin.

But the U.S. still wants NATO's European members and Canada to spend more on defense  a constant Trump refrain, now taken up by Biden, if in a more muted way.

And while Washington informed its allies about its decision to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, the news came "late in the day," said Dwan, the analyst from Chatham House.

There is also continuing U.S-European friction over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline being built to bring gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. A persistent irritant between the U.S. and Germany during the Trump years, the pipeline still faces bipartisan U.S. opposition over concerns it makes Europe more dependent on Russia, though Biden has sought to take some of the heat out of the issue.

And European nations are more cautious than the U.S. about confronting and curbing an increasingly assertive, economically surging China.

Dwan said European nations are eager "not to be caught in the middle of a of a bipolar tension. Europe knows how that looks and feels."

Even Britain, which has excluded Chinese firms from its 5G network and opened its doors to thousands of people from Hong Kong as Beijing squeezes the territory's freedoms, is cautious about the tough U.S. approach. Johnson has stressed that he is not a "knee-jerk Sinophobe" and wants to engage with China.

Thomas Gift, director of the Center on U.S. Politics at University College London, says that for all Biden's warm words for allies, his priorities remain at home: vaccinating the U.S. out of the pandemic, reviving the COVID-battered economy and renewing the United States' aging infrastructure.

"He's largely governing as a domestic president," Gift said.

And he said the discord of the Trump years have made America's allies look differently at the United States.

"I think public opinion in Europe has soured to an extent on the United States," Gift said, including concern about whether it's a reliable partner. "But I think European leaders, by and large, are eager to work with the U.S. They still understand that it is the most important global superpower  even if some of that power is getting eaten up by a rising China."
A video screen grab shows a person slapping French President Emmanuel Macron in the face as Macron was visiting a small town in France on Tuesday, June 8, 2021. (YouTube)

PARIS  French President Emmanuel Macron denounced "violence" and "stupidity" after he was slapped in the face Tuesday by a man during a visit to a small town in southeastern France.

The incident prompted a wide show of support for the head of state from politicians across the ideological spectrum.

Macron was greeting the public waiting for him behind barriers in the town of Tain-l'Hermitage after he visited a high school.

Twi videos show a man slapping Macron in the face and his bodyguards pushing the man away as the French leader is quickly rushed from the scene.

"I'm always going to meet people," Macron told reporters on Tuesday evening, as he was greeting a crowd in the nearby city of Valence, accompanied this time by his wife, Brigitte Macron.

"Some people express anger, sometimes disarray ... that's legitimate anger, and we will continue to respond. Stupidity and violence, no, not in democracy," he said.

A few hours earlier, Macron had taken another 25-minute walk in the narrow streets of the city, posing for selfies with a small crowd and chatting with many people in a laid-back atmosphere.

Macron described the incident as an "isolated act," in an interview with local newspaper Le Dauphine Libere.

"We must not let isolated acts, ultra-violent individuals, like there had been some also in (street) protests, dominate the public debate: they don't deserve it," he said.

Macron said he didn't have specific concerns after the assault.

"I greeted the people who were by the man's side and made pictures with them. I continued and will continue. Nothing will stop me," he said.

A bodyguard, who was standing right behind Macron, raised a hand in defense of the president, but was a fraction of a second too late to stop the slap. The bodyguard then put his arm around the president to protect him.

Macron just managed to turn his face away as the aggressor's right hand connected, making it appear that the president took more of a glancing blow than a direct slap.

The man, who was wearing a mask, appears to have cried out "Montjoie! Saint Denis!" a centuries-old royalist war cry, before finishing with "A bas la Macronie," or "Down with Macron."

Another video showed Macron immediately coming back after the incident, seemingly to face his assailant, and then to say hello to other members of the crowd.

Valence prosecutor Alex Perrin said in a statement that police have detained the man who slapped Macron and another man who was accompanying him. Their motives aren't known at this stage, he said.

They are both 28 and live in the region. They weren't armed and not previously known to police. They are being detained on suspicion of "violence on a person in a position of public authority," the statement said.

In 2018, "Montjoie! Saint Denis!" was cried out by someone who threw a cream pie at far-left French lawmaker Eric Coquerel. At the time, the extreme-right, monarchist group Action Francaise took responsibility. Coquerel on Tuesday expressed his solidarity with Macron.

Speaking at the National Assembly, the lower house of the French parliament, Prime Minister Jean Castex said "through the head of state, that's democracy that has been targeted." Lawmakers from across the political spectrum got to their feet and applauded loudly in a show of support.

"Democracy is about debate, dialogue, confrontation of ideas, expression of legitimate disagreements, of course, but in no case can it be violence, verbal assault and even less physical assault," Castex said.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen firmly condemned on Twitter "the intolerable physical aggression targeting the president of the Republic."

Visibly fuming, she said later that while Macron is her top political adversary, the assault was "deeply, deeply reprehensible."

Former President Francois Hollande of the Socialist Party tweeted that the slap was an "unbearable and intolerable blow against our institutions... The entire nation must show solidarity with the head of state."

Less than one year before France's next presidential election, centrist Macron embarked last week on a political "tour de France," saying he plans to visit French regions in the coming months to "feel the pulse of the country" as the government works to revive the nation's pandemic-hit economy.

Macron has said in an interview he wants to engage with people in a mass consultation with the French public aimed at "turning the page" of the pandemic  and preparing his possible campaign for a second term.

Mounting concerns about violence against elected officials and police have been aired in France, particularly after unruly members of "yellow vest" economic protest movement repeatedly clashed with riot-control officers in 2019.

Village mayors and lawmakers also have been targeted with physical assaults, death threats and harassment.

But France's well-protected head of state had been spared, which compounded the shockwaves that rippled through French politics in the wake of Tuesday's assault.

Macron, like his predecessors, enjoys spending time in meet-and-greets with members of the public. Called "crowd baths" in French, they have long been a staple of French politics and only very rarely produce shows of disrespect for the president.

A bystander yanked then-President Nicolas Sarkozy's suit during a crowd bath in 2011. His successor, Hollande, was showered with flour the next year, months before winning the presidential election.

___

Elaine Ganley in Paris, and John Leicester in Le Pecq, contributed to the story.
Former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic imitates taking pictures as he sits in the court room in The Hague, Netherlands, Tuesday, June 8, 2021, where the United Nations court delivers its verdict in the appeal of Mladic against his convictions for genocide and other crimes and his life sentence for masterminding atrocities throughout the Bosnian war. (Peter Dejong, Pool /AP)

THE HAGUE, Netherlands  Ratko Mladic, the military chief known as the "Butcher of Bosnia" for orchestrating genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Balkan nation's 1992-95 war, lost his final legal battle Tuesday when U.N. judges affirmed his life sentence.

The rejection of Mladic's appeals of his 2017 convictions and sentence closed a grim chapter in European history that included the continent's first genocide since World War II  the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys.

The now-frail Mladic, often belligerent at his court appearances in The Hague, showed no reaction other than a scowl as Presiding Judge Prisca Matimba Nyambe of Zambia said the panel had dismissed, by a vote of 4-1, his appeals of convictions for crimes including genocide, murder, extermination and terror for atrocities throughout the war that killed more than 100,000 and left millions homeless.

The 79-year-old former general is the last major figure to face justice from the conflict that ended more than a quarter century ago.

His former political chief, ex-Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, already is serving a life sentence after being convicted for the same crimes. Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who was accused of fomenting the ethnic conflicts that tore apart the Balkans in the 1990s, died in a U.N. cell in 2006 before judges at his trial could reach verdicts.

U.S. President Joe Biden said the "historic judgment shows that those who commit horrific crimes will be held accountable. It also reinforces our shared resolve to prevent future atrocities from occurring anywhere in the world."

Former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic sits in the court room in The Hague, Netherlands, Tuesday, June 8, 2021, where the United Nations court delivers its verdict in the appeal of Mladic against his convictions for genocide and other crimes and his life sentence for masterminding atrocities throughout the Bosnian war. (Jerry Lampen, Pool /AP)

"My thoughts today are with all the surviving families of the many victims of Mladic's atrocities. We can never erase the tragedy of their deaths, but I hope today's judgment provides some solace to all those who are grieving," a statement from Biden said.

The presiding judge said the court dismissed Mladic's appeal "in its entirety" and affirmed his life sentence. It also rejected an appeal by prosecutors of Mladic's acquittal on one other count of genocide linked to ethnic purges early in the war.

As commander of the Bosnian Serb Army, the once-swaggering Mladic led troops responsible for atrocities ranging from "ethnic cleansing" campaigns to the siege of Sarajevo and the war's bloody climax in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.

Mladic's toxic legacy continues to divide Bosnia and his dark shadow has spread far beyond the Balkans.

To Serbs in Bosnia, he is a war hero who fought to protect his people. To Bosniaks, mostly Muslims, he will always be a villain responsible for their wartime suffering and losses.

Nedziba Salihovic, who lost her son and husband in the bloodshed, watched the court hearing on a large screen in Srebrenica.

"This means a lot to me, my heart is racing," she said. "He was punished. It is not important where he'll end up (to serve his sentence). Like mothers of Srebrenica, he'll spend the rest of his life without his family."

Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik blasted the final verdict as "selective justice" and "satanization of Serbs" which will only deepen the existing ethnic divide in Bosnia so many years after the war.

"The court did not prove Mladic's direct guilt," Dodik said. "It is clear that genocide in Srebrenica never happened."

Mladic was first indicted in July 1995. After the war in Bosnia ended, he went into hiding and was finally arrested in 2011 and handed over to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia by the then-ruling pro-Western government of Serbia.

Bosnian Serb commander Gen. Ratko Mladic is pictured near a United Nations flag at Sarajevo Airport on May 17, 1993. (Jerome Delay/AP)

The judgement was welcomed as "an important affirmation of the rule of law" by Kathryne Bomberger, director-general of the International Commission on Missing Persons that helped to locate and identify victims of atrocities in Bosnia.

"Ramifications of the judgement in case of Mladic and in previous cases, such as that of Radovan Karadzic, go beyond the Western Balkans. This gives hope to survivors of atrocity, including families of the missing and disappeared persons around the world, that justice can be delivered," Bomberger said.

Amnesty International's Europe Director Nils Muizniek said the verdict "sends a powerful message around the world that impunity cannot, and will not, be tolerated."

"Whilst this sentence will bring some closure to the surviving victims and their relatives, the physical and psychological scars will remain," he said. "It is important to remember that thousands of cases of enforced disappearances remain unresolved, and many thousands of victims and their families continue to be denied access to justice, truth and reparation."

Nedzad Avdic, who survived a mass execution in Srebrenica, said he was satisfied "even though nothing can erase what we've been through nor bring back our dead."

The judgment "will make denying the crimes more difficult. This and other verdicts will be the starting point for anyone who cares about truth," he added.

In The Hague, another mother from Srebrenica, Munira Subasic echoed that sentiment.

"My message for all young people in Serbia and Republika Srpska is to take judgments and indictments and to study them, to stop hating and create a better future for themselves and our children," she said.

The shadow of Mladic and Karadzic has spread far beyond the Balkans. They have been revered by foreign far-right supporters for their bloody wartime campaigns.

The Australian who shot dead dozens of Muslim worshippers in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019 was believed to be inspired by the wartime Bosnian Serb leaders, as was Anders Breivik, the Norwegian white supremacist who killed 77 people in Norway in 2011.

The U.N. tribunal has since shut its doors. Mladic's appeal and other legal issues left over from the tribunal were being dealt with by the U.N.'s International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which is housed in the same building as the now-defunct court for the former Yugoslavia.

___

Associated Press writers Dusan Stojanovic in Belgrade, Serbia, Sabina Niksic in Srebrenica, Bosnia, and videographer Aleksandar Furtula in The Hague contributed.
Buy Photo Beer flows in the tents at the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. German troops will fly home more than 6,000 gallons of beer and other alcoholic beverages from Afghanistan as they withdraw from the country. (Stars and Stripes)

KABUL, Afghanistan  Germany is arranging for more than 6,000 gallons of beer and alcohol to be brought home from Afghanistan as it works to pull out of the country ahead of a September deadline, German officials have said.

While American troops for years have been prohibited from consuming alcohol in Afghanistan, Germans based at Camp Marmal, near the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, have traditionally been allowed two cans of beer, or the equivalent in other forms of alcoholic beverages, per day.

But recent security concerns prompted the German military to impose an alcohol ban, resulting in a surplus of booze.

More than 60,000 cans of beer and hundreds of bottles of wine and sparkling wine are at Camp Marmal, according to German news publication Der Spiegel, which first reported on the surplus.

Alcohol cant be sold in Afghanistan because of religious restrictions and destroying it would have environmental implications, the German military has said.

To get around the dilemma, the Bundeswehr hired a civilian contractor to take the booze out of Afghanistan, German Defense Ministry spokeswoman Christiane Routsi said Monday, The Associated Press reported.

The German contractor is expected to sell the alcohol once its out of Afghanistan. The proceeds from the sale should be enough to cover the cost of transporting it out of the country, the AP reported.

News of the alcohol airlift came as U.S. Central Command said Monday the United States was halfway through its withdrawal from Afghanistan.

While all coalition nations plan to withdraw their forces by Sept. 11, U.S. and NATO officials have said that the pullout could be complete as early as July.

Germany has just over 1,000 troops in Afghanistan, the second-highest number of any coalition country after the United States.

wellman.phillip@stripes.com

Twitter: @pwwellman
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EL-ARISH, Egypt  At least five Egyptians were abducted by Islamic State militants on Tuesday in the restive northern part of the Sinai Peninsula, security officials said.

The five were driving to their workplace in the small town of Bir al-Abed when the militants from the Islamic State group stopped their vehicle and took them to an unknown place.

The five include three engineers, a laborer and their driver, said the officials. They all work at the el-Salam canal project that moves the Nile Delta drainage water to be reused in agriculture in the peninsula.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. The two security officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Egypt has been battling militants, now led by the Islamic State group, in the northern part of Sinai for years. Violence and instability there intensified after the 2013 military's ouster of Egypt's elected but divisive Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi, amid nationwide protests against his year in power.

ISIS has carried out numerous attacks, mainly targeting Egyptian security forces, the country's minority Christians and those whom the militants accuse of collaborating with the military and police. They have also kidnapped people, mostly Christians and Bedouins, sometimes for ransom.

Though the pace of ISIS attacks in Sinai has slowed to a trickle since February 2018, when the military launched a massive operation in Sinai that also encompassed parts of the Nile Delta and the desert along the country's western border with Libya, abductions and kidnappings still occasionally happen.
Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour attends a meeting in Tehran, Iran, on Dec. 4, 2003. Mohtashamipour, a Shiite cleric who as Iran's ambassador to Syria helped found the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and lost his right hand to a book bombing reportedly carried out by Israel, died Monday, June 7, 2021, of the coronavirus. (Vahid Salemi/AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  Ali Akbar Mohtashamipour, a Shiite cleric who as Iran's ambassador to Syria helped found the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and lost his right hand to a book bombing reportedly carried out by Israel, died Monday of the coronavirus. He was 74.

A close ally of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Mohtashamipour in the 1970s formed alliances with Muslim militant groups across the Mideast. After the Islamic Revolution, he helped found the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in Iran and as ambassador to Syria brought the force into the region to help form Hezbollah.

In his later years, he slowly joined the cause of reformists in Iran, hoping to change the Islamic Republic's theocracy from the inside. He backed the opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karroubi in Iran's Green Movement protests that followed the disputed 2009 re-election of then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"If the whole people become aware, avoid violent measures and continue their civil confrontation with that, they will win," Mohtashamipour said at the time, though Ahmadinejad ultimately would remain in office. "No power can stand up to people's will."

Mohtashamipour died at a hospital in northern Tehran after contracting the virus, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. The cleric, who wore a black turban that identified him in Shiite tradition as a direct descendant of Islam's Prophet Muhammad, had been living in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, Iraq, over the last 10 years after the disputed election in Iran.

Iran's current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised Mohtashamipour for his "revolutionary services," while President Hassan Rouhani said the cleric "devoted his life to promote Islamic movement and realization of the revolution's ideals."

Hard-line judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi, now considered the leading candidate in Iran's presidential election next week, also offered condolences to Mohtashamipour's family.

"The deceased was one of the holy warriors on the way to the liberation of Jerusalem and one of the pioneers in the fight against the usurping Zionist regime," Raisi said, according to IRNA.

Born in Tehran in 1947, Mohtashamipour met Khomeini as the cleric remained in exile in Najaf after being expelled from Iran by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. In the 1970s, he crisscrossed the Mideast speaking to militants groups at the time, helping form an alliance between the future Islamic Republic and the Palestinian Liberation Organization as it battled Israel.

Once arrested by Iraq, Mohtashamipour found his way to Khomeini's residence in exile outside of Paris. They returned triumphant to Iran amid the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

In 1982, Khomeini deployed Mohtashamipour to Syria, then under the rule of dictator Hafez Assad. While ostensibly a diplomat, Mohtashamipour oversaw the millions that poured in to fund the Guard's operations in the region.

Lebanon, then dominated by Syria, which deployed tens of thousands of troops there, found itself invaded by Israel in 1982 as Israel pursued the PLO in Lebanon. Iranian support flowed into the Shiite communities occupied by Israel. That helped create a new militant group called Hezbollah, or "the Party of God."

The U.S. blames Hezbollah for the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut that killed 63 people, as well as the later bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in the Lebanese capital that killed 241 U.S. troops and another attack that killed 58 French paratroopers. Hezbollah and Iran have denied being involved.

"The court finds that it is beyond question that Hezbollah and its agents received massive material and technical support from the Iranian government," wrote U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth in 2003.

Lamberth's opinion, quoting a U.S. Navy intelligence official, directly named Mohtashamipour as being told by Tehran to reach out to the nascent Hezbollah to "instigate attacks against the multinational coalition in Lebanon, and 'to take a spectacular action against the United States Marines.'"

An IRNA obituary of Mohtashamipour only described him as "one of the founders of Hezbollah in Lebanon" and blamed Israel for the bombing that wounded him. It did not discuss the U.S. allegations about his involvement in the suicide bombings targeting Americans.

Hezbollah, in a statement issued in Beirut, extended its condolences, praising Mohtashamipour for his role "in the service of the revolution" and in providing all forms of support toward the launching of the Islamic resistance in Lebanon and the Palestinian cause.

"The bloody wounds on his hands, face and chest as a result of the assassination attempt are evidence of his great jihadi position, particularly at that stage of the conflict with the Zionist enemy," the statement said

At the time of the assassination attempt on him, Israel's Mossad intelligence agency had received approval from then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir to pursue Mohtashamipour, according to "Rise and Kill First," a book on Israeli assassinations by journalist Ronen Bergman. They chose to send a bomb hidden inside a book described as a "magnificent volume in English about Shiite holy places in Iran and Iraq" on Valentine's Day in 1984, Bergman wrote.

The bomb exploded when Mohtashamipour opened the book, tearing away his right hand and two fingers on his left hand. But he survived, later becoming Iran's interior minister and serving as a hard-line lawmaker in parliament before joining reformists in 2009.

___

Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, and Zeina Karam in Beirut contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON  The Pentagons annual report to Congress on civilian casualties drew fierce backlash from two lawmakers who slammed the militarys decision not to award condolence payments last year to families of civilians harmed by U.S. military operations throughout the world.

Despite congressional funding for ex gratia payments to those who have experienced property damage, personal injury, or death as a result of U.S. military activities, the Defense Department wrote in its report released last week that no such payments have been made.

The Defense Department recorded 23 civilian deaths and 10 injuries as a result of U.S. military action in Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia in 2020. However, human rights organizations, nongovernmental organizations and monitoring groups contend the number is likely much higher.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said the number of deaths from the military could be nearly five times higher, an estimate based on information from Airwars, a not-for-profit organization based in London that tracks civilian harm from international military action.

To make matters worse, the department has failed to get grieving families the condolence payments that Congress has authorized. This is unacceptable and not how we uphold our nation's values and advance our interests overseas, said Warren, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The Defense Department gives combatant commanders the authority to decide who is provided a condolence payment, so efforts to compensate civilians for damage in the post-9/11 wars have not be standardized.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, called the lack of condolence payments unconscionable.

Ending the forever wars starts with recognizing the humanity of the people who these wars have harmed. The Pentagon is always coming hat in hand begging for billions, yet last year they didnt spend a penny of this fund Congress established to help fulfill our moral responsibility and build goodwill around the world, the congressman said.

In the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress authorized $3 million for condolence payments to individuals affected by civilian loss or injury overseas, but DoD did not offer or make any such ex gratia payments during 2020, according to the report.

Numerous factors can affect a commanders decision to offer an ex gratia payments, Defense Department spokesman Michael Howard said.

Howard said the $3 million in funding will be returned to the Treasury Department because they are one-year Overseas Contingency Operations funds.

The Pentagon has made payments in previous years, meant to help express condolence, sympathy, or goodwill, though the payments are not an acknowledgment of fault, according to the Defense Department report.

The fiscal year 2012 National Defense Authorization Act authorized funds for ex gratia payments in Afghanistan, and those funds were later expanded to include civilians harmed in Iraq in 2016, Syria in 2017 and Somalia, Libya, and Yemen by 2018.

A department memo in June 2020 to clarify the purpose and nature of the payments said the goal is to help forces build relations with locals on the ground and gain support of the communities where the U.S. conducts operations.

The Defense Departments 2019 report to Congress on ex gratia payments said the Pentagon awarded more than $1.5 million in condolence fees. A Washington Post analysis from last year also revealed the military made about $2 million in condolence payments to civilians in Afghanistan from 2015 to 2020.

Khanna said he wants answers from the Pentagon on why they are thwarting the will of Congress on ex gratia payments, and why DoDs civilian casualty counts are far below those from on-the-ground human rights organizations, and lower than the United Nations civilian casualty count in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon reported 20 deaths and 5 injuries from U.S. military action in Afghanistan last year, while the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan  a U.N. mission created to assist the countrys government -- attributed 89 deaths and 31 injuries to international military forces in its annual 2020 report. Those forces are largely made up of U.S. military personnel, Airwars wrote in an article responding to the Pentagons report.

Warren mandated the Pentagon report on civilian casualties in the 2018 NDAA. Priyanka Motaparthy, an international lawyer who works at the Human Rights Institute of Columbia Universitys law school, said the report marks progress for transparency.

Directing the Pentagon to compile the report was an important step forward in terms of transparency, but as you can see from the report, there's still big differences in terms of how different operations and commands do the reporting, Motaparthy said.

For example, U.S. Central Commands section on Yemen is brief, whereas U.S. Africa Commands section is very detailed and the command even issues quarterly reports of civilian casualties.

Last year, Khanna and Warren introduced the Protection of Civilians in Military Operations Act in the House and Senate that would improve how the Pentagon reports and investigates civilian casualties and strengthen resources for the Defense Department to prevent, mitigate and respond to civilian deaths or injuries. However, the bill did not reach a full vote in either chamber.

Motaparthy said inconsistencies in how commands conduct investigations into civilian harm must be addressed to ensure thorough investigations. The military rarely talks to on-the-ground witnesses and relies heavily on internal military sources to confirm other organizations tallies, she said.

Each year, we see that the number of civilian casualties described in the report is significantly lower than what credible NGOs, human rights investigators describe in their own work, she said. Yet, the single thing that was the most shocking to me was that they had not made a single ex gratia payment.

Cammarata.Sarah@stripes.com

Twitter: @sarahjcamm
DETROIT (Tribune News Service)  The City Council on Tuesday reconsidered and voted again to approve the controversial sale of parkland, including an abandoned historic military site along the Detroit River, to the Parade Co.

This time, council Pro Tem Mary Sheffield voted against the $300,000 sale of city-owned land alongside council President Brenda Jones and Councilwoman Raquel Castaneda-Lopez. The council approved the vote 5-3.

The Parade Co., which puts on Detroit's annual Thanksgiving Day parade, submitted a plan in August to buy a portion of Gabriel Richard Park on Jefferson Avenue near Belle Isle. The land contains the historic Brodhead Naval Armory, which serves as a legacy of the Navy and Marine Corps in the city.

The council members previously raised concerns over finalizing the sale without an appraisal and disputes over the preservation of historic murals.

The city and Detroit Economic Growth Corp. have been negotiating with the Parade Co. to purchase and redevelop the site for the relocation of its entire Detroit operations on Mt. Elliott. The property, the Parade Co. said, will allow for easier access to the Detroit River for the annual Ford Fireworks and downtown for the Thanksgiving Day parade.

The company plans to rehabilitate the northern portion of the building to restore historical elements of the former Brodhead Armory, while modernizing the back half of the property to accommodate float construction and event operations.

A dozen residents and veterans called in advocating for the council to reconsider the sale.

"I cannot answer what can be done for the restoration," Jones responded to a resident. "I think it's ridiculous to just digitize what is there, saving it might be good but we went through a bankruptcy, with the grand bargain, to save the art in the city of Detroit and I think that should be something that should be saved as well."

Sheffield did not comment on the reason for casting the motion to reconsider and there was no further discussion by members.

The Parade Co. President and CEO Tony Michaels told The Detroit News last week the company will attempt to save the iconic artwork, and the new space will provide for an office for veterans and community event spaces to support veteran activities.

Michaels also said the company plans to offer summer camps and incorporation projects along the river with the Riverwalk and Gabriel Richard Park.

"Anything that can be, we are going to salvage," he said. "Anything that we can't keep there, we will get in the hands of pro-preservationists."

But retired U.S. Navy Commander Jim Semerad, who heads the Brodhead Association, a nonprofit that opposes the Parade Co.'s plan, argued during public comment that the Parade Co.'s proposal calls for the demolition of 70% of historically significant parts of the building.

"Everything in that building can be completely restored," Semerad told the council during Tuesday's public comment session.

After opening in 1930, the armory's indoor drill floor was rented to host dances, auto shows, political and sporting events. In 1932, future heavyweight champion Joe Louis fought his first amateur bout, a two-round loss, according to Historic Detroit archives.

The Works Progress Administration funded Depression-era art to the building including murals and plaster carvings by artist Gustave Hildebrand. It's officially named R. Thornton Brodhead Armory after its first naval leader.

The site later served as a schoolhouse for 1,200 sailors, and after World War II, it was used as a training center for reservists. The armory then became headquarters to the 1st Battalion of the 24th Marines.

The site was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1980 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. By the time the building closed in 2004, it was home to the largest collection of federally funded Depression-era artwork of any Michigan building; however, the abandoned building has been hit hard by vandals since then, according to Historic Detroit.

Janese Chapman, the city's historic specialist, said last week the armory's murals have deteriorated as they have been exposed to the elements. Most, she said, are located in a third of the building planned for demolition.

"We are very concerned about the murals; it is or was the largest group of (Works Progress Administration) murals in the state of Michigan and is known throughout the country, so we did want to protect one of the city's jewels," said Chapman, adding it's unclear if its historic status prevents demolition.

After the remodeling takes place, the city will reassess whether what is left is still considered historic, Chapman said.

"You're talking about taking maybe a third or maybe even a little more, demolishing it,and adding on new, so does it then continue to qualify as a historic site?" she said.

(c)2021 The Detroit News

Visit The Detroit News at www.detnews.com

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A video screen grab shows Virginia elementary teacher Tanner Cross speaking at a school board meeting. (YouTube)

FALLS CHURCH, Va.  A judge on Tuesday ordered a northern Virginia school system to reinstate a suspended gym teacher who spoke out at a school board meeting against a proposal requiring that transgender students be addressed by their preferred pronouns.

Loudoun County Circuit Court Judge James Plowman ruled that teacher Tanner Cross was exercising his right to free speech when he told the board he could not abide by the proposal based on his religious beliefs. His order requires Cross' immediate reinstatement until a full trial can be held.

Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal group, sued the county school board last week and filed for an emergency injunction on behalf of Cross, a teacher at Leesburg Elementary.

Cross was suspended after he said at a May 25 school board meeting that he could not abide by proposed rules that would require teachers to address transgender students by their chosen gender.

During the hearing, Cross said "I'm a teacher, but I serve God first. And I will not affirm that a biological boy can be a girl and vice versa because it is against my religion. It's lying to a child. It's abuse to a child."

The school board is considering the new regulations in conjunction with a state mandate requiring all school systems to update their policies on transgender students. The model regulations circulated by the state include a requirement that students be addressed by their preferred pronouns.

Stacy Haney, a lawyer representing the school system, said the state law gives the school board no leeway on implementing the policy and existing school board regulations already prohibit discrimination based on gender identity, which Haney said includes referring to transgender children by their preferred pronoun.

As a result, Haney said, Cross was articulating a defiance to follow existing school policies.

In addition, the school system argued Cross was not suspended for expressing his beliefs, but because his remarks caused a disruption at the school. Five parents contacted the principal after the school board meeting requesting their children have no interaction with Cross.

Cross' lawyer, Tyson Langhofer, said at a hearing Friday that complaints from a small number of parents are insufficient to show the level of disruption that would justify punishing a teacher for exercising his free speech rights.

Allowing teachers to be punished for speaking out on an issue of public debate "would cast a pall of orthodoxy over teachers, not just in the classroom, but everywhere," Langhofer said. "The school is essentially asking for compelled silence."

Plowman, a Republican who served as the county's top prosecutor before he became a judge, agreed that the parents' complaints fell far short of the disruption that would justify his suspension.

The school system declined comment Tuesday on the ruling.

The controversy has crept into Virginia politics. Glenn Youngkin, the Republican nominee for governor in this year's election, said he supports Cross. In a June 1 tweet, Youngkin called on the school board to reinstate Cross "because they have absolutely ignored his constitutional rights."
Colonial Pipeline CEO Joseph Blount testifies during a Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee hearing one day after the Justice Department revealed it had recovered the majority of the $4.4 million ransom payment the company made in hopes of getting its system back online, Tuesday, June 8, 2021, on Capitol Hill, in Washington. (Graeme Jennings, Pool /AP)

WASHINGTON  A pipeline company CEO made no apologies Tuesday for his decisions to abruptly halt fuel distribution for much of the East Coast and pay millions to a criminal gang in Russia as he faced down one of the most disruptive ransomware attacks in U.S. history.

Colonial Pipeline CEO Joseph Blount said he had no choice, telling senators uneasy with his actions that he feared far worse consequences given the uncertainty the company was confronting as the attack unfolded last month.

"I know how critical our pipeline is to the country," Blount said, "and I put the interests of the country first."

His testimony to the Senate Homeland Security Committee on the May 7 cyberattack provided a rare window into the dilemma faced by the private sector amid a storm of ransomware attacks in which overseas hackers breach a company's network and encrypt their data, demanding a ransom to release it back to them.

U.S. authorities tell companies not to pay the ransom, arguing the crooks may not provide the keys to unencrypt the data and that the payments will encourage future attacks and help sustain criminal networks typically based in Russia and Eastern Europe. Blount chose to disregard that advice within the first 24 hours of the attack and paid the equivalent of $4.4 million in bitcoin to retrieve the company's data. U.S. officials said Monday they had recovered much of the payment.

"I made the decision to pay, and I made the decision to keep the information about the payment as confidential as possible," Blount said. "It was the hardest decision I've made in my 39 years in the energy industry."

The company, he said, had to act fast as it worked feverishly to determine whether the criminal gang had compromised the operational systems or physical security of the 5,500-mile pipeline  and to try to avoid a more sustained shutdown.

Asked how much worse it would have been if the company hadn't paid to get its data back, Blount said, "That's an unknown we probably don't want to know. And it may be an unknown we probably don't want to play out in a public forum."

His appearance before the Senate comes as lawmakers consider possible measures to address the ransomware attacks that have been launched against thousands of businesses as well as state and local government agencies.

"We've got to recognize these ransomware attacks for what they are. It's a serious national security threat," said Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio. "Attacks against critical infrastructure are not just attacks on companies. They are attacks on our country itself."

Already, the Justice Department and FBI have established a task force to deal with ransomware with some success, including managing to seize 85% of the bitcoin that Colonial paid as ransom. But many of the criminals behind the attacks are beyond their reach in Russia or other countries that will not extradite suspects to the U.S.

The Biden administration has also made ransomware, and cybersecurity more broadly, a national priority in the wake of a series of high-profile intrusions.

Last month, the administration issued new regulations for the pipeline industry, requiring companies to conduct cybersecurity assessments and immediately report any breaches to the federal government. The industry has until now operated under voluntary guidelines.

Blount disputed a media report that his company had refused to participate in one of the voluntary assessments, conducted by the Transportation Security Administration, earlier this year, saying it had merely been delayed because of COVID-19 and other issues. "That was quite a shock to me," he said of the account.

The attack on Colonial Pipeline  which supplies roughly 45% of the fuel consumed on the East Coast  has been attributed to a Russia-based gang of cybercriminals using the DarkSide ransomware variant, one of more than 100 variants the FBI is currently investigating. The attack began after hackers used a company virtual private network that was no longer in active use, Blount said.

"The ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline affected millions of Americans, " said Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat. "The next time an incident like this happens, unfortunately, it could be even worse."

Blount said the Georgia-based company began negotiating with the hackers on the evening of the May 7 attack and paid a ransom of 75 bitcoin  then valued at roughly $4.4 million  the following day. The hack prompted the company to halt operations before the ransomware could spread to its operating systems.

The encryption tool the hackers provided the company in exchange for the payment helped "to some degree" but was not perfect, with Colonial still in the process of fully restoring its systems while working with consultants to assess the damage and improve cybersecurity, Blount said.

It took the company five days to resume pipeline operations. What took place in that time illustrated why they needed to quickly pay the ransom, he told the lawmakers.

"We already started to see pandemonium going on in the markets, people doing unsafe things like filling garbage bags full of gasoline or people fist-fighting in line at the fuel pump," he said. "The concern would be what would happen if it had stretched on beyond that amount of time."
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 09:22:10|Editor: huaxia

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LONDON, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Britain Zheng Zeguang on Monday called for sound and steady development of China-Britain relations, so as to benefit the peoples of the two countries and beyond.

In an online video remarks released on Monday after his arrival in London, Zheng said that it is essential that China and Britain respect each other's core interests and major concerns.

He noted that both sides should deepen cooperation in trade, finance, innovation, people-to-people exchanges and other fields, and step up coordination on global issues such as fighting against COVID-19, spurring global recovery and tackling climate change.

Both sides also need to address their differences properly and contribute to world peace and common development, he added.

In a welcoming message on the website of the Chinese embassy in Britain, Zheng said that Chinese and British peoples have a long history of extensive interactions.

Both countries are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, which have significant global influence, he said.

China stands ready to work with Britain to enhance their exchanges, expand cooperation and handle differences in "an appropriate manner under the principles of mutual respect, equality, inclusiveness and mutual learning," he said.

A sound China-Britain relationship is not only in the fundamental interests of both countries and peoples, but also conducive to world peace, stability and development, said Zheng.

China, he said, will continue to hold high the banner of peace, development and win-win cooperation, expand friendly cooperation with all countries on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and promote the building of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind.

A veteran diplomat with rich experience born in 1963, Zheng studied in Cardiff University from 1986 to 1987.

He recalled that as a student in Britain 35 years ago, he saw there were only several hundreds Chinese students here, while this figure has exceeded 200,000, which is yet another proof of the keen interest of the two peoples for closer exchanges and cooperation.

China and Britain, he observed, should make greater efforts to pave the way for more interactions, build stronger bridges of cooperation and lay a more solid foundation of friendship between the two peoples. Enditem
Capitol Police officers hold off rioters loyal to President Donald Trump at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Julio Cortez/AP)

WASHINGTON  A Senate investigation of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol found a broad intelligence breakdown across multiple agencies, along with widespread law enforcement and military failures that led to the violent attack.

There were clear warnings and tips that supporters of former President Donald Trump, including right-wing extremist groups, were planning to "storm the Capitol" with weapons and possibly infiltrate the tunnel system underneath the building. But that intelligence never made it up to top leadership.

The result was chaos. A Senate report released Tuesday details how officers on the front lines suffered chemical burns, brain injuries and broken bones, among other injuries, after fighting the attackers, who quickly overwhelmed them and broke into the building. Officers told the Senate investigators they were left with no leadership or direction when command systems broke down.

The Senate report is the first  and could be the last  bipartisan review of how hundreds of Trump supporters were able to push violently past security lines and break into the Capitol that day, interrupting the certification of Joe Biden's presidential election victory. The failures detailed in the report highlighted how, almost 20 years after the Sept. 11 attacks, U.S. intelligence agencies are still beset by a fundamental issue: a failure of imagination.

The report recommends immediate changes to give the Capitol Police chief more authority, to provide better planning and equipment for law enforcement and to streamline intelligence gathering among federal agencies.

But as a bipartisan effort, the report does not delve into the root causes of the attack, including Trump's role as he called for his supporters to "fight like hell" to overturn his election defeat that day. It does not call the attack an insurrection, even though it was. And it comes two weeks after Republicans blocked a bipartisan, independent commission that would investigate the insurrection more broadly.

"This report is important in the fact that it allows us to make some immediate improvements to the security situation here in the Capitol," said Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, the chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which conducted the probe along with the Senate Rules Committee. "But it does not answer some of the bigger questions that we need to face, quite frankly, as a country and as a democracy."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday that the findings show an even greater need for a bipartisan commission to investigate the root causes of the attack, referring to Trump's unfounded claims about the 2020 election.

"As the 'big lie' continues to spread, as faith in our elections continues to decline, it is crucial  crucial  that we establish a trusted, independent record of what transpired," said Schumer, D-N.Y.

But Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who led the blockade against such a commission, said he's confident the ongoing reviews by lawmakers and law enforcement will be sufficient.

The House in May passed legislation to create a commission that would be modeled after a panel that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told colleagues in a letter Tuesday that if the Senate fails to approve the commission, her chamber will launch its own investigations.

The top Republican on the rules panel, Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, has opposed the commission, arguing that investigation would take too long. He said the recommendations made in the Senate can be implemented faster, such as legislation that he and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, the rules committee chair, intend to introduce soon that would give the chief of Capitol Police more authority to request assistance from the National Guard.

The Senate report recounts how the Guard was delayed for hours Jan. 6 as officials in multiple agencies took bureaucratic steps to release the troops. It details hours of calls between officials in the Capitol and the Pentagon and as the then-chief of the Capitol Police, Steven Sund, begged for help.

It finds that the Pentagon spent hours "mission planning" and seeking multiple layers of approvals as Capitol Police were being overwhelmed and brutally beaten by the attackers. It also says the Defense Department's hesitant response was influenced by criticism of its heavy-handed response to protests in the summer of 2020 after the killing of George Floyd in police custody.

The senators are heavily critical of the Capitol Police Board, a three-member panel made up of the heads of security for the House and Senate and the Architect of the Capitol. The board now is required to approve requests by the police chief, even in urgent situations. The report recommends that its members "regularly review the policies and procedures" after senators found that the three board members on Jan. 6 did not understand their own authority and could not detail the statutory requirements for requesting National Guard assistance.

Two of the three board members, the House and Senate sergeants-at-arms, were pushed out in the days after the attack. Sund, the Capitol Police chief, resigned under pressure.

The report recommends a consolidated intelligence unit within the Capitol Police after widespread failures from multiple agencies that did not predict the attack even though insurrectionists were planning it openly on the internet.

The police intelligence unit "knew about social media posts calling for violence at the Capitol on January 6, including a plot to breach the Capitol, the online sharing of maps of the Capitol Complex's tunnel systems, and other specific threats of violence," the report says, but agents did not properly inform leaders of everything they had found.

On Dec. 28, for example, the report notes that someone emailed a public Capitol Police account and warned about "countless tweets from Trump supporters saying they will be armed on January 6th" and "tweets from people organizing to 'storm the Capitol.'" There were also internal warnings of an uptick in posts on various websites that showed maps of the Capitol, including its underground tunnels. But those specifics were never disseminated widely.

In a response to the report, the Capitol Police acknowledged the need for improvements and said some are already being made. "Law enforcement agencies across the country rely on intelligence, and the quality of that intelligence can mean the difference between life and death," the statement said.

During the attack, the report says, Capitol Police were compromised by bad intelligence, poor planning, faulty equipment and a lack of leadership. The force's incident command system "broke down during the attack," leaving officers on the front lines without orders. There were no functional incident commanders, and some senior officers were fighting instead of giving orders. Capitol Police "leadership never took control of the radio system to communicate orders to front-line officers," the investigation found.

"I was horrified that NO deputy chief or above was on the radio or helping us," one officer told the committee in an anonymous statement. "For hours the screams on the radio were horrific(,) the sights were unimaginable and there was a complete loss of control. ... For hours NO Chief or above took command and control. Officers were begging and pleading for help for medical triage."

The acting chief, Yogananda Pittman, who replaced Sund after his resignation, told the committees that the lack of communication resulted from "incident commanders being overwhelmed and engaging with rioters, rather than issuing orders over the radio."

The committee's interviews with police officers detail "absolutely brutal" abuse from Trump's supporters as they ran over them and broke into the building. The officers described hearing racial slurs and seeing Nazi salutes. One officer trying to evacuate the Senate said he had stopped several men in full tactical gear, one of whom said, "You better get out of our way, boy, or we'll go through you to get (the senators).'"

The insurrectionists told police officers they would kill them, then members of Congress.

At the same time, the senators acknowledge the officers' bravery, noting that one officer told them, "The officers inside all behaved admirably and heroically and, even outnumbered, went on the offensive and took the Capitol back."

Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo contributed to this report.
Army Sgt. Maggie Van Wagenen, a combat medic, writes a person's vaccination time on a car windshield June 4, 2021, at the Community Vaccination Center at the Colorado State Fairgrounds in Pueblo, Colo. The soldiers are a part of the federally supported vaccination mission that provides continued, flexible Department of Defense support to FEMA as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic. (Caitlin Wilkins/U.S. Army )

About 250 active-duty troops on Wednesday remained at coronavirus vaccination sites in Colorado, Kentucky, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Oregon, according to Army North, the military headquarters overseeing active-duty personnel working at sites throughout the country.

At the height of the military operation to help administer virus vaccines, 5,150 active-duty personnel were working at federal sites in 25 states, Army North said.

But thousands of active-duty service members began returning to their home duty-stations last month as coronavirus vaccination sites across the country reduced or ended operations because the demand for shots has slowed.

About 500 troops were expected to leave three of the remaining sites Tuesday, said John Kirby, the chief Pentagon spokesman. Earlier this year, service members administered vaccines at more than 30 sites across the country.

Overall, military members have been responsible for helping administer about 16 million shots to the American public, with about 4.9 million coming directly from active-duty soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen.

Several [Defense Department]-supported community vaccine centers will be mission complete or will begin reducing personnel as the site's reassess the size of the DOD vaccination support teams needed, Kirby said.

The National Guard still has nearly 13,000 troops at about 812 vaccine sites across 41 states and territories, according to the National Guard Bureau. Of those troops, about 2,200 are administering shots while the remaining service members are supporting operations.

The Defense Department supplied personnel to the sites through a partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency that began in February. American demand for coronavirus vaccines peaked in April, when the seven-day average for new doses administered hit 3.3 million a day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That average dropped below a million at the end of May.

About 63% of American adults have at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the CDC.

Thayer.rose@stipes.com

Twitter: @Rose_Lori
Flags line the rows of headstones for military service members on Memorial weekend at Lakewood Park cemetery. (Joshua Gunter)

HUDSON, Ohio (Tribune News Service)  Army Lt. Col. Barnard Kemter now has a chance to share his Memorial Day speech uninterrupted next week.

The American Legion Department of Ohios Buckeye Boys State program invited Kemter to give the speech at an event hosted by the organization which teaches young men about city, county and state government. The full text of Kemters speech has also been made available, and it can be read here.

Kemters microphone was turned off during a Memorial Day ceremony when he spoke of how freed Black slaves contributed to the origins of the holiday.

Cindy Suchan, chair of the Memorial Day parade committee and president of the Hudson American Legion Auxiliary, and Jim Garrison, former adjutant of the Hudson Lee-Bishop American Legion Post 464, participated in shutting off the sound during the speech. Its not clear who turned off the microphone, but one of them did it, Suchan told the Akron Beacon Journal, which first reported the incident.

Since the incident, the Hudson post has been temporarily suspended. Current members will discuss the future of the post at a meeting June 24. The meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Streetsboro American Legion Post 685.

The American Legion Department of Ohio understands the value and impact an American Legion Post brings to any community through its Pillars of Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation, Americanism, Children & Youth, and National Security programs, the American Legion Department of Ohio wrote in a release. A temporary suspension of charter does not mean a full cancellation of the Post. A suspension of charter will allow the Post to rally its members to make a decision about the future of the Post and to seek new leadership within the election process when the Post suspension is lifted.

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WASHINGTON  Republican lawmakers voiced concerns Tuesday about President Joe Bidens 10% budget boost for the Department of Veterans Affairs, and questioned whether the demand for VA services warranted billions of dollars more for the agency.

VA Secretary Denis McDonough testified before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs to defend Bidens fiscal 2022 budget proposal, which totals $296.9 billion for the VA  a 10% increase from 2021. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., the ranking Republican on the committee, said he was concerned about the national debt and the rate of growth of the VAs budget in recent years.

The time has come to ask when the VA will be adequately funded, Bost said. Congress must always prioritize veterans, but there is a natural limit to how big any budget can be.

In response, McDonough insisted that the department has experienced high demand for care during the last few months, and he believes the trend will continue.

Weve now seen in March, April and May a significant surge in demand for services in VA care and in community care, McDonough said. So much so that were watching very closely what that means for the overall budget numbers.  Were in the midst of a wave.

The $296.6 billion for the VA includes $152.7 billion in mandatory spending, which goes toward entitlement programs and does not go through the congressional appropriations process. The remaining $117.2 billion are discretionary funds, which must be considered by Congress.

Bidens discretionary budget request includes $18 billion to improve the infrastructure of VA hospitals and clinics, as well as $260 million to help provide childcare resources to veterans.

The plan also calls for a significant increase to the VAs suicide prevention efforts. The budget for these efforts would total $598 million, about $285 million more than in 2021. Some of that money would be used to expand the Veterans Crisis Line, a suicide hotline for veterans and their families.

The funding for suicide prevention would also go toward implementing a law Congress passed in 2020 that orders the department to provide free care to all veterans in a suicidal crisis. The measure also mandated that the VA create an education program for families and caregivers of veterans with mental health problems, and it requires the VA police force to undergo de-escalation and crisis-intervention training.

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, said Tuesday that he supported the budget increase for suicide prevention. However, he questioned other increases in Bidens proposal.

The government response to everything is to throw money at it, Nehls said. It has to be about efficiency, too. We have to see a more efficient VA.  We have to make sure if were going to increase spending that we see a good return on that investment.

McDonough also faced questions about why the VA needs another increase after receiving $17 billion from the American Rescue Plan earlier this year. About $14.5 billion of that money was planned for vaccine distribution, veterans health care, mental health care, staffing, suicide prevention, research and womens health, as well as expanding telehealth, serving homeless veterans and stocking personal protective equipment.

Bost noted that the $17 billion, as well as $20 billion the VA received from the CARES Act last year, added to the VAs largest-ever budget appropriation for fiscal 2021.

I will always act to make sure that veterans have what they need, Bost said in a statement after Tuesdays hearing. But veterans are taxpayers, too. They deserve to know that the massive funding increases VA is requesting are necessary, not wasteful.

Bidens proposal for the VA continues a pattern of increases for the department that lasted throughout the administrations of former President Barack Obama and former President Donald Trump. The agencys budget has increased consistently since the beginning of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in the early 2000s.

In 2009, the VA operated on a total budget of $90 billion. Under Trump, the agencys yearly budget surpassed $240 billion, including mandatory and discretionary spending.

Wentling.nikki@stripes.com

Twitter: @nikkiwentling
Stillwater, OK (74074)

Today

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Changes to the SunCommercial's back end processing means the e-edition is getting a facelift. The biggest change is the e-edition, by default, is now presented in Text view.
An experienced Bay of Plenty nurse says she fears for the future of the profession, as thousands of colleagues prepare to go on strike tomorrow.

Negotiations between the union, the New Zealand Nurses Organisation, and district health boards have stalled after nurses rejected the latest offer yesterday.

The DHBs say they were disappointed with the outcome of the ballot, but were assuring the public essential services would still be available on the day.

The discussions have been taking place for a number of months, and industrial action was initially settled on in mid-May.

That led to a revised offer from the DHBs, which offered a down payment of $4000 to all staff, ahead of their pay equity claim to be settled later on this year.

"We had thought that the improved offer that we gave, and the additional money around pay equity would enable a settlement to be reached, but that's proven to be not the case," says the DHBs spokesperson, Jim Green.

The union says the pay equity claim was just a lump sum, and would not address the longer term problems within the sector.

"They're tired, they're exhausted"

Cheryl Hammond, a nurse of 43 years, works in the Bay of Plenty. But she says she fears for the future of her profession.

"I want to make sure that anybody that comes is going to do their 43 years in nursing.

"But I can't see that happening because the people that are coming in at the moment aren't staying, because of the pressures, the workload, because of the shift work.

"They're tired, they're exhausted."

She says over the past six years in her job, her workload had doubled, as more demand was put on their services.

But over the same period, she says they had not recruited additional staff and pay has never been adequate.

"I worry about the new grads.

"They come in with $30,000-$40,000 debt, and only earn just between $50,000 and $60,000 when they start. And then they've got debts and families to support."

She will be involved in tomorrow's strike.

"It's one thing I really do not want to do, but if it's the only way we're going to get an improvement, it's the only thing we can do."

DHBs urged to go back to drawing board

The union says the new offer from the district health boards was substantially the same as it was previously.

One union member - a senior nurse at Canterbury DHB who wanted to remain anonymous - says the DHBs need to re-evaluate.

"They need to find the funds to come up with a fair and decent offer. The government and DHBs need to work together for that.

"Only then can we start actually retaining staff, and attracting staff."

She says the poor pay and poor working conditions are having an impact.

"We're losing so many nurses, not just to Australia, but we're losing them elsewhere.

"We're losing them to other occupations. They're going into teaching, they're going into trades. They're just leaving nursing full-stop."

The strike will go from 11am until 7pm tomorrow.

A number of picket lines and marches are scheduled for the day, across the country.

Urgent services still available - electives cancelled

Jim Green says the DHBs are all set up for the strike, and life-preserving services would stay running.

"At the same time, as DHBs, we plan by reducing the load on hospitals over this time, and where there are services we can delay or postpone, we can do that.

"That's mainly around people that need planned services or elective services as well call them."

He says anyone with an elective appointment should know by now whether it has been postponed, but if not, they should check with their DHB.

If people do need urgent care, they are being assured they will still be able to attend hospital, or dial 111. If you do not know whether it is urgent, you are being asked to call Healthline or your GP.

Both sides have agreed to meet after the strike, to continue the negotiations.

Harry Lock/RNZ.
Senior members of the Waikato Comancheros, the Waikato Mongrel Mob and the Head Hunters have been arrested as part of the New Zealand end of a massive international crime sting.

Police held a media conference regarding the operation.

Watch it here:

National Organised Crime Group director detective superintendent Greg Williams says at about 4pm yesterday police conducted 37 search warrants across the North Island.

The operation involved over 300 personnel including Armed Offenders Squad, Special Tactics Group, Asset Recovery and staff from the Bay of Plenty, Waikato Central and Wellington District.

Three major organised crime investigations, targeting the importation and the sale and supply of methamphetamine and money laundering activities were simultaneously terminated.

Thirty-five people were arrested and are facing around 900 charges relating to serious drug dealing and money laundering offences.

These people have appeared in the Auckland District Court and Hamilton District Court this morning and are considered to be among key leaders of organised crime groups in New Zealand, says Williams.

Police have also seized $3.7 million in assets as well as 20 ounces of methamphetamine, large bags of cannabis, multiple kilograms of iodine, four firearms, 14 vehicles including two marine vessels, a number of mobile phones, and more than $1 million in cash.

More warrants are being conducted today and police expect more arrests.

Police have been running multiple operations, under the umbrella Operation Spyglass, as part of an international effort with law enforcement agencies to investigate the sale and supply of methamphetamine and money laundering activities.

We believe the termination of these operations will have a significant impact on New Zealands organised crime scene, says Williams.

Todays announcement demonstrates how the FBI, led by its Legal Attache Offices around the world, and our multiple foreign law enforcement partners can come together to successfully combat transnational organised crime and drug trafficking activity."

Operation Trojan Shield

Operation Trojan Shield was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and co-ordinated with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Australian Federal Police, Europol and other law enforcement agencies from more than a dozen countries.

Police say organised crime groups were using encrypted platforms to communicate. In 2018 the FBI dismantled the encrypted platform service Phantom Secure. Another service, Sky Global, was dismantled in March 2021.

Items seized as part of operation Trojan shield. Images: NZ Police/supplied.

Operation Trojan Shield saw the FBI create a closed encrypted company, called ANOM to fill this void and target organised crime, drug trafficking and money laundering activities

New Zealand Police began working with the FBI on Operation Trojan Shield in January 2020 to monitor the communication of platform users in New Zealand

The network had 57 devices in New Zealand using it and all were being used for criminal activities, says Williams.

Police said they also observed significant money laundering by the groups involved.

"It's a key focus for us to disrupt those cash flows.

"We couldn't do this without our partners," Williams said. That included, for example, Customs.

"What we are actually talking about here is these transnational groups preying on our vulnerable communities."

Operation Van

It started with operation van back in 2018 that targeted a transnational organised crime group linked to the Comancheros

It involved numerous agencies New Zealand Customs, New Zealand Defence Force, National Maritime Coordination Centre.

As well as international partner agencies FBI, DEA and AFP.

The group allegedly planned to import huge quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine by way of small crafts into New Zealand but the shipment never made it into the country.

Around 136 kilograms of methamphetamine seized from a storage unit in Rotorua in August 2019 that was linked to this syndicate as part of this operation

One person has pleaded guilty and has been sentenced for possession for supply in relation to this matter.

Operation Equinox

Another operation, Equinox, targeted senior members of Waikato Comancheros and Waikato Mongrel Mob Kingdom

During the operation Police seized 8.6 kilograms of methamphetamine at the border.

Police allege members have worked with offshore entities to import large quantities of methamphetamine and MDMA which was distributed across New Zealand

Operation Seltos

Police allege a group of Head Hunters members primarily based in Auckland have been dealing large amounts of methamphetamine.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 09:34:05|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with local people while visiting a residential community in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

XINING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has stressed that strong primary-level Party organizations are needed to provide good services in communities for the public.

Xi made the remarks on Monday afternoon while visiting a residential community during his inspection tour of northwest China's Qinghai Province. Enditem
The Minister for Pacific Peoples has called Tauranga a special place and heaped praise on the next generation of Pasifika role models in the city.

Minister Aupito William Sio has visited Tauranga Boys College alongside Minister of Internal Affairs Jan Tinetti and is clearly impressed by what he has seen.

Sio says he told the boys at the college they belong to the six-Bs generation.

I said you are a new generation that are proudly brown, beautiful, brainy, bi-lingual, bi-cultural and bold.

A lot of those kids have multi-ethnic heritage. In many ways, their confidence and their youthfulness shows that they have a huge role to play as the future workforce, future business community.

Sio explains that appropriate education for young students of Pacific background is crucial, highlighting the youthful nature of the demographic.

The Pasifika population is one of the fastest growing in New Zealand and one of the youngest. The median age for Pasifika is around 23 whilst the rest of the population is around 32 or 34.

In order to fully engage with the Pasifika cohort, Minister Sio outlines his belief that language, culture and identity were fundamental principles to maximising potential in the demographic.

The international evidence shows that is the case, he says.

If you look to Europe, some European countries have policies where students have the right to be taught in the language of their choosing.

You look at Europe and the way they value languages. They are some of the wealthiest countries. In Asia, they recognise bilingualism and multilingualism as a competitive edge in the economy. So for us, this is so fundamental.

The Minister says he will now be hoping to use part of the money toward the Pacific package of the 2021 Budget toward supporting Pacific bilingual language immersion units.

We will now be asking the Ministry of Education to begin the consultation for establishing a policy to support that throughout the whole country.

I am asking some of these young people and the schools and the communities to participate and cement that policy so that we make sure that we get things right.

Minister Tinetti speaks from experience on the topic. She is a former Principal at Merivale School, before entering politics in 2017.

She admits that back in 2006, when she first joined the school, there was little being offered for young people who identified with Pacific backgrounds.

In the 15 years since she has seen a change.

When I see what is happening now, it is so heartening.

Tinetti highlights how seeing the progress of some of her former Merivale pupils reinforces her view that steps are being made in the right direction.

What really struck me was the boys there that are from Pacific Island background and the number of boys and young men there who were my ex-Merivale students was really heartening.

To see them really proud in who they are and proud of their achievements but to just see that, for some of them, they had remained at school and were achieving well at school.

That tells me that the schooling system is doing a really good job with them, and Tauranga Boys in particular.

The culture of teaching at Tauranga Boys College received praise from Sio, who was happy to see teachers and the principal championing that level of education.

He believes it is helping form a bright future for those students at the College and, he hopes, all of New Zealand.

Gosh, those boys at Tauranga Boys College, he states.

It is not just two languages, it is multiple languages. They are not only learning Samoan, but Fijian and Tongan.

They are also showing a glimpse of what the shape of New Zealand looks like in the years ahead. The good thing is they do not only seem to be confident in their own cultural heritage but they are also mixing and mingling with Maori and Pakeha students and others.

That is a beautiful thing because they are all quite comfortable with it.
The campaign that challenges Kiwis to give up alcohol for the month of July, while raising funds for people affected by cancer, is back for another year.

Going alcohol-free for a month is a small sacrifice to help improve the lives of people affected by cancer  but its a sacrifice that 44,000 Kiwis have been inspired to take since the Dry July campaign first arrived in New Zealand in 2012.

Since then, the campaign has raised over $6 million to support cancer patients, their families and carers.

Off the back of a challenging 12 months, we are once again asking all New Zealanders to raise money for our beneficiaries this Dry July, organisations who need our support now more than ever, says Katie Evans, CEO of Dry July NZ Trust.

Being dry for the month of July doesnt mean you have to miss out on social eventshence our 2021 catch phrase I wont drink to that!.

We want to highlight that people are allowed to not drink, while continuing to give them a way to celebrate and say cheers.

Now strongly solidified as a part of Kiwi culture, Dry July 2021 will continue to support cancer charities Prostate Cancer Foundation NZ, Bowel Cancer NZ and Look Good Feel Better in 2021, as well as newly recognised beneficiary PINC & STEEL, who have a focus on cancer rehab physiotherapy.

All funds raised from Dry July 2021 will go to these four beneficiaries, helping them to continue specific, targeted programmes within their organisations to improve the lives of those affected by cancer.

According to Clare OHiggins, general manager of Look Good Feel Better, thats what makes Dry July so special.

Each year, Dry July funds give us the ability to extend our services in new ways, she says.

In 2020, for example, the money Kiwis raised through Dry July allowed Look Good Feel Better to facilitate online classes for men, which is an entirely new audience for us. Men struggle with confidence during cancer treatment in many of the same ways women do, and Dry July funds allowed us to begin outreach to them.

Other targeted programmes made possible through Dry July funds include Prost-FIT, an exercise programme designed specifically for men who have had, or are having, ongoing treatment for prostate cancer, as well as a bowel cancer specialist nurse for those undergoing bowel cancer treatment.

Although Dry July participation is primarily about helping others, the individual health benefits cant be ignored. Increased energy levels, weight loss, a better nights sleep, more productivity, and a clearer head are just a few of the positive results you might see throughout the month.

Having a team to support you during Dry July makes all the difference, so reach out to your friends, family, colleagues and neighbours and join a Dry July team together, or fly solo with an individual campaign. Either way, every dollar you make will directly benefit the lives of those affected by cancer across the country - a disease that has touched all our lives in some way.

To sign up, sponsor a friend, join as a team or for more information, please visit www.dryjuly.co.nz. For updates, follow Dry July on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Primary and intermediate schools fear a government review is threatening foreign enrolments worth more than $20 million a year in fees.

Sector leaders say the review was a complete surprise and the government had not explained what it wanted to change.

Primary and intermediate schools are a small but growing part of New Zealand's international education sector.

In 2019, 324 primary and intermediate schools enrolled 5225 children whose families paid $24 million in tuition fees.

Some of the children came in school groups for a couple of weeks, others stayed all year with a parent or legal guardian while those over the age of 10 were allowed to live with local families.

The principal of Pillans Point School in Tauranga, Matt Simeon, says people are worried by the announcement of a review.

"It's come as a bit of a left-field shock. We'd heard murmurings probably four or five weeks ago but for it to actually come out in writing that we want to review the provision of international education in primaries and intermediates, it's got a lot of us wondering what is going on here and why," he says.

Matt says principals suspected the Ministry of Education did not like them enrolling such young children, but they did not know what changes it might want to make and it needed to tell them.

"Are you thinking of age changes or age restrictions or are you thinking of not having them at all because that would have huge impacts."

He says schools used any profit from their students to pay for extra teacher aides and a drop in enrolments would cause job losses.

Government rules required any foreign student under the age of 10 to live with a legal guardian or parent.

John van der Zwan from the Schools International Education Business Association says that ensured a good level of care for the children and it had helped the primary school part of the sector weather the pandemic better than others.

He says there is a global trend of families wanting an English-language education for their children and New Zealand was attracting children from China and Korea in particular.

Many of the children continued their studies into secondary school and on to university which represented good value for New Zealand, he says.

The government's review was a complete surprise, says John.

"This has come out of the blue for us, it is not something that we were expecting."

The principal of Whakarongo School in Palmerston North, Jaco Broodryk, says his school currently has three foreign students, but in a normal year would have as many as 10.

He says the enrolments help the school's students develop cultural competencies and the financial benefits of the scheme extended into the wider community.

Jaco says two of New Zealand's competitors for foreign enrolments, Australia and Canada, did not allow the enrolment of primary-aged foreign students, and that gave New Zealand an advantage.

He says international students who had spent time in primary schools were better prepared for study at secondary schools.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins. File image/SunLive.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins says the review was part of moves to improve New Zealand's international education sector.

"There is an opportunity to accelerate and embed the 'high quality, high value' strategic shift signalled in the International Education Strategy while border restrictions are in place," he said.

"This includes reviewing our current policy settings for primary and intermediate level international students to ensure they remain fit-for-purpose.

"The Ministry of Education is currently developing advice on this issue and expects to engage with the sector on potential options ahead of formal public consultation in late 2021.

"No decisions have been made yet about changes to policy that affect primary and intermediate level international students."

John Gerritsen/RNZ.
There is relief in Whakatane that the town's biggest employer has been thrown a lifeline - and the community isn't facing yet another economic hit.

The Whakatane Mill, which is Oceania's only folding box board manufacturer, was slated for closure at the end of June.

But last week its current owners announced it would be sold to the Smurfit Consortium, which includes a number of New Zealand investors.

Local woman Marie says everyone knows someone who has worked at the mill.

"My husband worked there, a long time ago, then he got his nephews in," she says.

The closure of the mill would have been devastating for the town, Marie says.

"Because without the mill, Whakatane would be really lost, we have got tourism, but we need more than tourism."

Jobs are not always easy to come by in Whakatane either, Marie states.

"I know after they said [the mill] was [closing], you could see jobs that were vacant in out of town areas, but they are stable here, they have got their homes, they have got everything here."

Colin who has worked at the mill for almost 27 years, says its closure would have been a huge blow.

"It is not just the mill workers, it is the families and the contractors and it just goes on from there," he says.

"Whakatane's only a small town, we all know everyone, look after each other."

Colin hopes the mill going into new ownership means more opportunities for locals.

"It is good for the young ones that are there just starting out their lives."

And it would keep people in the town.

"And the money stays in town."

Hine is a self-d scribed 'mill child'.

"My dad was employed at both mills, my dad bought our home, he educated us, I went to boarding school.

"I would say that I had a good upbringing, we never suffered hardships in our family and I would not be the person I am today had it not been for my dad working full-time at the mill."

Hine says certainty about the mill's future would be a relief for many whanau.

"I think it is going to bring employment back into the community and bring a lot more assurance to families that they have got income coming."

Hine says the double blow of the Whakaari/White Island eruption and Covid-19 have taken a toll.

"But I think that our people are resilient and this is going to bring some positivity back into the community."

Hine believes the consequences, had the mill closed, don't bear thinking about.

"I tell you who does not close: Work and Income. Is that really where we want to be?"

The mill employs over 200 staff and about 50 direct contractors.

It will keep producing folding box board, carrier board and food service board.

- RNZ/Sarah Robson
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Lawton, OK (73501)

Today

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 72F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 09:35:38|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, greets employees of a company producing carpets in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

XINING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has stressed developing more local specialty industries and achieving better development through innovation.

Xi made the remarks on Monday afternoon when visiting a company producing Tibetan carpets during an inspection tour of northwest China's Qinghai Province. Enditem
Dr. Emily Ikahihifo has had to apologize to her patients for pushing out their appointments because of the vaccine. She is grateful to be working with them again.
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Draft law aims to better protect Chinese physicians

Xinhua) 14:50, June 08, 2021

BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- A new draft law has proposed strengthened protection for practicing physicians in China.

The draft physicians law was submitted to the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, for a second reading.

The draft stipulates that physicians' dignity and safety are inviolable, and prohibits any organization or individual from interfering in their work and lives.

Violations of doctors' personal dignity, safety and freedom by insulting, slandering, threatening or assaulting are prohibited, said the draft.

It also defines promotion and training measures to encourage more high-caliber medical practitioners to serve at the grassroots level.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 10:43:58|Editor: huaxia

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File photo shows Khuon Sodary, second vice-president of the Cambodian National Assembly and a member of the standing committee of the Cambodian People's Party. (Xinhua)

by Mao Pengfei, Nguon Sovan

PHNOM PENH, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) has brought about China's enormous development and played a greater role in international arenas, said Khuon Sodary, second vice-president of the Cambodian National Assembly and a member of the standing committee of the Cambodian People's Party.

In a recent interview ahead of the CPC's centenary on July 1, Sodary said under the CPC's leadership, China has achieved great successes in such areas as economy, diplomacy, social security, science, technology and innovation.

She said the CPC has led China to become the world's second largest economy and during the COVID-19 pandemic last year, China's economy still achieved positive growth.

"Under the CPC's leadership, China has greatly contributed to socio-economic progress for all mankind," she said. "China will continue to play an important role in building global peace, promoting global development and maintaining international order."

Sodary noted that the CPC has gained strong support from the Chinese people thanks to its visionary leadership, a people-centered policy, governance, and successful fight against corruption and poverty.

Under the CPC's leadership, more than 700 million people have been lifted out of poverty, accounting for more than 70 percent of the global total poor population, which is one of the greatest achievements in the world's history, Sodary said.

China has achieved the goal of eliminating extreme poverty in February this year. Its success in poverty reduction is a "miracle" and its experience should serve as a model for other developing countries, said Sodary.

"This success has clearly reflected the CPC's goal that has prioritized the Chinese people's wellbeing and livelihoods," she said.

"This achievement has not only brought prosperity to the Chinese people but also benefited the people in the region and the world," she added.

Sodary also expressed appreciation of China's contribution to the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The Chinese government has provided medical equipment and vaccines in a timely way to many countries around the world, including Cambodia, to combat the COVID-19 pandemic," she said, praising China for offering its COVID-19 vaccines as a global public good.

As regards the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Sodary cited a World Bank's report, saying that the BRI would contribute to global economy recovery during and after the pandemic, and help lift tens of millions of people in the world out of poverty.

Moreover, China has actively participated in the United Nations peacekeeping operations, sending its peacekeepers to join operations in many war-torn countries, she said.

"These activities clearly underline the noble and historic role of China and its people in assisting countries around the world to achieve a long-term peace, stability and development," she said.

"In sum, China has played an active role in enhancing world order, promoting multilateralism, and tackling key global challenges," Sodary noted. Enditem
sayakc BHPian



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15th & 16th Mar, 2021: Safaris at Kanha 15th & 16th Mar, 2021: Safaris at Kanha



It was 15th March. Back in Calcutta, it was getting warmer and Kanha being at the same latitude, we had presumed that the weather would be warm here too. But here we were shivering in the early morning cold and hot water bags and blankets were being handed to us as we got on to the gypsy. And as we entered through the Mukki Gate (our first safari was in the Kanha zone) a sight, which I had read about in Corbetts books greeted us..mist filled grasslands with trees in the distance were teeming with game. Birds were singing. We then spotted a serpent eagle sitting on the branch of a tree with its back towards us. My hands were shivering and often a single, short press of the shutter was resulting in multiple shots in continuous high mode.



A few miles along the jungle track, the rays of the sun was filtering through the canopy of trees. Here, perched on the top of a dead tree was an Indian Roller: these were also my first lessons in bird photography. Next we came across a vast open ground, called the Maidaan. We saw langurs eating tree leaves, monkeys on branches. Spotted deers were grazing in the shadows. Langurs and deers have a unique relationship  whenever a carnivore is in the vicinity, the langurs warn the deers. Around 8.30 in the morning, we reached the breakfast point at Kanha.



Breakfast was being taken at a leisurely pace, when then guide announced that there had been a sighting of a tiger and her cubs. This was around 9ish and we wrapped up our breakfast and headed for the gypsy. The cold weather, which had forced us to purchase jackets, had suddenly disappeared and it had become quite hot. A run of around 15 mins at high speed  theres speed limit in Kanha but the GPS of our vehicle was disabled due to some reason  took us to the designated spot where a few more vehicles were waiting. A tiger had crossed the road with of her cubs and was resting under a tree. She had two more cubs waiting on the other side and hence the hopes that she will fetch those cubs too. So we continued waiting for some more time. And when the sun got intense, we too reversed our vehicle and exited and reached our resort around 1100 HRS. With five more safaris remaining, we were hopeful!





Lavender coloured tree. First time seeing such a lovely tree.





Tribal villages on exiting Kanha (Mukki Gate)





Resting under the shade of Palash.





Beautiful scenery on the way to Bandhavgarh.





A pic of the steed.









Smooth, black tar.

After a quick lunch and some rest we were back at 3 PM for our next safari in the Mukki zone. The sun at 3 PM was quite hot. During the first hour, beasts were hard to spot and apart from some of the deers  barking and spotted  that were resting under the tree shades we didnt spot any other animal. And then at a spot we saw the familiar sight of gypsys waiting in a line. We heard that there was a deer alarm call in the area which had prompted the wait. But after waiting for some time and receiving no further alarm calls, we were off exploring again.



As, narrated by the guide, tiger sighting chances are highest early in the morning and later in the evening. During the daytime, most of them sleep or rest. Tigers did give us a miss, but around 6 in the evening, as the sun had turned into an orange ball of fire, was a sight too good to miss.





Undulating lands, interspaced with Palash trees.





A closer look.





Bandhavgarh, Tala Gate entry.





Tracks of Bandhavgarh.



https://youtu.be/JUZcFxjq96I





Deers ambling towards a watering hole, as the sun gets stronger.





At Bandhavgarh Jungle lodge.









Candle lit dinner.

As evening descended and we returned to the resort, we were welcomed with drinks of lemon grass  a flavour which was invigorating too. As the others went off to take rest, I went on a short walk with a guide deputed by the resort. A thing or two about Kanha Jungle Lodge, the resort where we were staying: surrounded by a dense population of sals and with rooms built using traditional architecture the resort was very much a part of the buffer area of the jungle. Infact, the rooms does make one feel that the colonial age hasnt passed by many days ago. The Banjar river which flows behind the resort serves as the boundary with the core zone and tigers are often sighted in the sal trees of the resort. And at night, with the myriads of stars that shone above and the fireflies blinking in the forests, the place looked magical indeed.



The second night we wore jackets and pullovers as we dined under the stars  Orion, Cassiopeia, Leo  that we used to see in our childhood. But with both air and light pollution in the city, sightings of stars have become impossible.











Dessert: Gajar ka halwa.





Sambar Deer.





A Lesser Adjutant Stork (sorry about the image quality).





Kingfisher. Highly zoomed.



https://youtu.be/TncammnzOJ4





A colourful tree.

An element from my memory here..



One of my favourite movies of Satyajit Ray is the movie Aranyer Din Ratri. The movie depicts the camaraderie between four friends on a road trip trying to disconnect from the cacophony of the city and search lifes rhythms in the forests of Palamou. An honest, simple story with many happy accidents is how I would like to remember it. Long after having seen the movie and its imprint erased with time, a discussion around the hinterlands of Bengal, revived that movie during our Sunday adda.



Ullas-da, now retired, but who was during the 80s, an upright and dynamic police officer with a penchant for travel, music and gifted narration style had travelled to Betla. Of course they werent on a road trip, for, not many people during those days owned a car. Two of them, both police officers having secured leaves after a long struggle, right before the Durga pujas, took an overnight train that took them to Daltongunj. At Daltongunj, after having stayed the night at a relatives place bombarded by plates of luchi, begun bhaja and traditional Bengali meals they left for Betla the next day in a bus that was stuffed to the brim. People, luggage and livestock  bleating goats and caged cocks included and a smell of perspiring human beings and the animals which can only be described as an abominable cocktail.



As they alighted from the bus at Betla, a dhoti clad man, with a worn out unshaven face, came towards them and introduced himself as the chowkidaar of the Betla forest guest house. As evening fell, Rambilas, the chowkidaar set a table and chair out in the open and put a lantern on it. From the small thatched hut that served as Rambilas living quarters, a deep bowl of dhowa otha murgi(the Bengali used to emphasize smoking hot chicken curry) arrived. Of course, as young men, the icing of a wild side wasnt duly ruled out - for tea glasses were soon converted to liquor glasses and just like a proudly held trophy, the Rambilas thrust upon the table a tall drink of mohua. The rest can only be imagined: two friends without a care or worry in the world, under a star lit sky, in the gathering darkness of the forests filled with blinking fireflies, listening to crying insects and enjoying the hard country liquor.



Forests are romantic and abound with stories of forest rest houses and chowkidaars of bygone days ..forests for me means stories such as these and stories of Corbett which I so long to find!



This addendum is a long digression but how little stories build the travellers background brick by brick is essential to understand the travellers view point.





Gaurs, spotted deers and sambar deer moving to the shaded trees as the heat takes over.









A sambar deer,as we exit Bandhavgarh.





A consolation, that sums up our feeling as we end 5 safaris at Kanha and Bandhavgarh included without a single sighting of a tiger. In a recent post, BHPian, SVK Rider had mentioned, he is yet to meet some one who hadn't spotted a tiger at Bandhavgarh - that unfortunate crown comes to me!





Fixing a punctured tyre.

After dinner we went out on scorpion walk and under a UV touched saw glowing scorpions. We were discussing about the life of indigenous tribal of these parts  who, we came to know earn their living primarily through agricultural produce. Sometimes they are employed by the forest department. There are weekly bazaars where they sell goats and chicken and sometimes the village liquor from mohua flowers. Man animal conflict is a real threat in these parts and loosing cattle and livestock to a tiger can spell economic doom.



The next day we went on our third safari of Kanha. I saw my first sambar deer, green bee eaters, barasinghas, game tracks and fire tracks. We came to know that there are three things that Kanha embodies: Sal trees, Barasingha and Tigers. The first two we saw in abundance, as much as we enjoyed nature. But tigers, they gave us a royal miss!



As we returned around 1130 ish from the morning safari, we saw the sight of trees shedding leaves, a strong wind was blowing. And, after a warm send off, we passed by the tribal villages and rolling hillocks. The heat was fierce now and the AC was running at full blast but when we joined the National Highway, we saw dark clouds rumbling in the horizon.



On the outskirts of Mandla, we rolled the windows down and could feel a moist breeze and so we stopped under a tree to have our lunch. The road from Mandla climbs another hill. This was also the land of Palash trees. Being from Bengal, Palash holds a special place in our hearts. And finally around 6 in the evening reached our destination Bandhavgarh Jungle Lodge. It was 15th March. Back in Calcutta, it was getting warmer and Kanha being at the same latitude, we had presumed that the weather would be warm here too. But here we were shivering in the early morning cold and hot water bags and blankets were being handed to us as we got on to the gypsy. And as we entered through the Mukki Gate (our first safari was in the Kanha zone) a sight, which I had read about in Corbetts books greeted us..mist filled grasslands with trees in the distance were teeming with game. Birds were singing. We then spotted a serpent eagle sitting on the branch of a tree with its back towards us. My hands were shivering and often a single, short press of the shutter was resulting in multiple shots in continuous high mode.A few miles along the jungle track, the rays of the sun was filtering through the canopy of trees. Here, perched on the top of a dead tree was an Indian Roller: these were also my first lessons in bird photography. Next we came across a vast open ground, called the Maidaan. We saw langurs eating tree leaves, monkeys on branches. Spotted deers were grazing in the shadows. Langurs and deers have a unique relationship  whenever a carnivore is in the vicinity, the langurs warn the deers. Around 8.30 in the morning, we reached the breakfast point at Kanha.Breakfast was being taken at a leisurely pace, when then guide announced that there had been a sighting of a tiger and her cubs. This was around 9ish and we wrapped up our breakfast and headed for the gypsy. The cold weather, which had forced us to purchase jackets, had suddenly disappeared and it had become quite hot. A run of around 15 mins at high speed  theres speed limit in Kanha but the GPS of our vehicle was disabled due to some reason  took us to the designated spot where a few more vehicles were waiting. A tiger had crossed the road with of her cubs and was resting under a tree. She had two more cubs waiting on the other side and hence the hopes that she will fetch those cubs too. So we continued waiting for some more time. And when the sun got intense, we too reversed our vehicle and exited and reached our resort around 1100 HRS. With five more safaris remaining, we were hopeful!After a quick lunch and some rest we were back at 3 PM for our next safari in the Mukki zone. The sun at 3 PM was quite hot. During the first hour, beasts were hard to spot and apart from some of the deers  barking and spotted  that were resting under the tree shades we didnt spot any other animal. And then at a spot we saw the familiar sight of gypsys waiting in a line. We heard that there was a deer alarm call in the area which had prompted the wait. But after waiting for some time and receiving no further alarm calls, we were off exploring again.As, narrated by the guide, tiger sighting chances are highest early in the morning and later in the evening. During the daytime, most of them sleep or rest. Tigers did give us a miss, but around 6 in the evening, as the sun had turned into an orange ball of fire, was a sight too good to miss.As evening descended and we returned to the resort, we were welcomed with drinks of lemon grass  a flavour which was invigorating too. As the others went off to take rest, I went on a short walk with a guide deputed by the resort. A thing or two about Kanha Jungle Lodge, the resort where we were staying: surrounded by a dense population of sals and with rooms built using traditional architecture the resort was very much a part of the buffer area of the jungle. Infact, the rooms does make one feel that the colonial age hasnt passed by many days ago. The Banjar river which flows behind the resort serves as the boundary with the core zone and tigers are often sighted in the sal trees of the resort. And at night, with the myriads of stars that shone above and the fireflies blinking in the forests, the place looked magical indeed.The second night we wore jackets and pullovers as we dined under the stars  Orion, Cassiopeia, Leo  that we used to see in our childhood. But with both air and light pollution in the city, sightings of stars have become impossible.After dinner we went out on scorpion walk and under a UV touched saw glowing scorpions. We were discussing about the life of indigenous tribal of these parts  who, we came to know earn their living primarily through agricultural produce. Sometimes they are employed by the forest department. There are weekly bazaars where they sell goats and chicken and sometimes the village liquor from mohua flowers. Man animal conflict is a real threat in these parts and loosing cattle and livestock to a tiger can spell economic doom.The next day we went on our third safari of Kanha. I saw my first sambar deer, green bee eaters, barasinghas, game tracks and fire tracks. We came to know that there are three things that Kanha embodies: Sal trees, Barasingha and Tigers. The first two we saw in abundance, as much as we enjoyed nature. But tigers, they gave us a royal miss!As we returned around 1130 ish from the morning safari, we saw the sight of trees shedding leaves, a strong wind was blowing. And, after a warm send off, we passed by the tribal villages and rolling hillocks. The heat was fierce now and the AC was running at full blast but when we joined the National Highway, we saw dark clouds rumbling in the horizon.On the outskirts of Mandla, we rolled the windows down and could feel a moist breeze and so we stopped under a tree to have our lunch. The road from Mandla climbs another hill. This was also the land of Palash trees. Being from Bengal, Palash holds a special place in our hearts. And finally around 6 in the evening reached our destination Bandhavgarh Jungle Lodge. Last edited by sayakc : 5th June 2021 at 13:01 .
(Photo : Screenshot From Pexels Official Website) iOS 15 'Find My iPhone' Now Works Despite Device Being Turned Off

iOS 15 Find My iPhone feature can now work despite owners' devices being turned off. This could be a new way of tracking stolen phones when the thief turns them off. While this used to be a limitation, the new iOS 15 has found a way to get past it.

Apple iOS 15 Find My iPhone

According to 9to5Mac, with the new iOS 15, the iPhone will remain traceable through the Find My network despite the device being turned off. It now seems that with the new iOS 15, the phone is technically not really "powered off." The phone, however, stays in some sort of low-power state and acts like some sort of AirTag which would allow any particular nearby iOS device to be able to pick up Bluetooth signals and send the location back to the owner.

This would also mean that if the owners' iPhone runs out of battery during the day, they will still have a chance of finding where their iPhone might be for a few more hours. In fact, Apple even notes that the new location tracking will actually remain working while the phone would be reset to factory settings even with Activation Lock enabled.

How to Find a Stolen ihone

Apple now informs users about this brand new behavior along with a sort of alert dialog when the iPhone's newly-updated iOS 15 iPhone would suddenly run low on power for the very first time. Quite interestingly, the copy for the alert dialog references this particular feature in order to help recover stolen items.

Usually, Appl tries not to advocate using the Find My features to really help fight against theft. It was noted that for those that want to make the iPhone actually go off completely, this can be done by changing the behavior found in Settings and disabling the Find My low-power mode completely.

Find My Network and Activation Lock

According to this Apple page, there are a number of new Find My features that users will be experiencing. Technically, Find My can be used for finding live locations for friends and family. Users can get continuous streaming updates to help provide a sense of direction, speed, and even progress when looking at people's directions.

The page, however, says that users will be able to locate the device through the Find My network despite a thief turning off the device. Users will still be able to use the Find My network as well as the Activation Lock to find the users' device even after it has suddenly been erased.

Read Also: Apple iPhone 13 Pro Black Shows Darkest Phone Color Ever! Stainless Steel Coating

How to Locate iPhone

This feature is so that nobody would be tricked into buying a device owned by someone else. The Hello screen will then show that the users' device was locked, locatable, and is still owned by the owner.

Simply enable separation alerts when leaving the device, AirTag, or other compatible third-party items. The iPhone will alert the owner with notifications and Find My will give the owner directions on their item.

Related Article: Apple's New iOS 15 - Everything You Need to Know

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Written by Urian B.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Screenshot From Pexels Official Website) Uber PIN Code Feature is Latest Safety Solution to Prevent Riders from Getting Into the Wrong Car

Uber PIN code is the company's new way of stopping people from getting into the wrong car. This new safety solution was developed by the company to help minimize the risk of accidents where people step into cars they weren't meant to step on.

Uber Pin Code Feature

According to Engadget, Uber is currently taking additional steps to try and prevent riders from being able to get into wrong cars. As of this week, all of the passengers in the United States and Canada will have the option of supplying some sort of PIN code to their drivers in order to verify that the passengers indeed end up in the right vehicle.

The feature also comes in different options which would make everything more convenient for Uber users. Basically, users can enable this feature in their settings and require a PIN verification for every single ride. There is, however, an option to limit the rides that would require a PIN verification.

How to Use Uber PIN Code

Settings that can be enabled is to use the PIN feature for just night trips taking place from 9PM to 6AM. The trip will also not officially start until the driver would enter their code to make sure that they are the right driver after all. The frequency of PIN code requirements really depends on the user.

The company initially previewed the PIN code feature back in September and until now, it was only available as just a part of a seven-city pilot that had started in December. Although remaining unstated, the feature is quite clearly a response, according to Engadget, to the murder of a Samantha Josephson.

Death of Samantha Josepphson

Samatha Josephson was a student who had ended up entering the wrong car after hailing an Uber ride, as per CNN. Although Uber has long displayed the car model as well as license plate number of the drivers after users hail them (which only started sending push notifications to this particular effect in April) not everyone actually pays attention to them.

Those that might not be paying attention could end up hopping in the wrong car. PIN codes quite theoretically prevent similar tragedies. Although they remain voluntary in nature, it might still limit use to people who are already quite cautious about the particular cars that they choose to enter in.

Read Also: Uber Stock Forecast After Drizly Acquisition: Could the Stock Go Up? Is it a Good Buy?

Uber PIN Requirement

Generally, whenever getting an Uber ride, it is very important to check the model of the car as well as the plate number before getting into any particular car. With the additional PIN code requirements, users will have another feature that could help protect them from getting into the wrong car.

With a PIN code, users can verify if they are in the right car before actually getting in. This feature, although not perfect, provides an additional layer of security for the rider.

Related Article: Uber Willing to Follow UK's Minimum Wage Policy for Drivers with Holiday Pay and Pension

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 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
For Microsoft executive Brad Smith, an Orwellian future could possibly happen if Artificial Intelligence (AI) won't be controlled by the government--and if people do not receive necessary protection from these machine-manipulated robots.

The power of AI has been proven to be useful in humans. However, in times that its capabilities bypass what we can do, that's the only time that its usage should be limited.

Microsoft President Shares More About the Dangers of AI

While we are amazed by the breath-taking tasks that AI can do, there are also risks in permitting them to do tasks that are beyond our reach. For instance, Microsoft's technology executive, Brad Smith said that there are several dangers posed in creating more AI especially when we are talking about the competition between the US and China.

Smart technology has taken a considerable distance given its abilities. According to a press release by the European Union in April, there are existing draft regulations that would "set" some limitations on the usage of AI. The group warned the public about the continuous promotion of AI in the context of security purposes.

Smith shared what he learned from George Orwell's "1984" book. He said that the story revolved around the government that has full control over public surveillance using AI. The Microsoft official also alerted the people that if they are not careful enough about these changes, we could potentially see it coming by 2024.

Read Also: New Google AI Tool Can Assist Dermatologists in Detecting Skin Problems Among Patients

The Worsening Stage of Artificial Intelligence

For everyone, AI can be a know-it-all since it can do a lot of things as a regular human can demonstrate. Through its application, it can solve problems quickly and correctly, as well as make human-like actions like crying and starving. Several of them rely on the machine-learning, and experts dedicate a lot of time to developing them through trials and theories.

The fact that it could surpass humans one day in terms of mathematical intelligence sounds alarming. As experts claim, it could deliver a danger to the social data since there are cases that it implements social biases.

Back in April, there was a black man who was caught by policemen who used facial recognition. Later, the cops found out that it was the wrong man that had been caught. If we could imagine these things to take place, the damage that they could cause to humans could sometimes be irrevocable.

Serious cases like the faulty arrest of the real suspect could trigger a lot of mental impacts on the victims. Most importantly, some AI could not precisely detect a person's color or race. That's why there's a special treatment for others. The risk could be envisioned to stretch as far as we know, and maybe this is what Smith refers to as the Orwellian future.

Meanwhile, the EU's potential regulation on the AI ban could affect many sectors which depend on the systems. Mainly, this points to the military sector where national security is the priority. However, this won't still remove the fact that the government could be surveying us in front of the screen through AI.

"If we don't enact, now, the laws that will protect the public in the future, we're going to find the technology racing ahead," Smith said, "and it's going to be very difficult to catch up," Smith said through LiveScience on Tuesday, June 8.

Related Article: Facebook AI Invents Language That Humans Can't Understand: System Shut Down Before It Evolves Into Skynet

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Written by Joseph Henry

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Apple WWDC's keynote on Monday, June 7, disclosed the possible added feature for iOS 15. The Cupertino titan is set to launch a digital car keys support to Wallet which was previously announced by Google during the Google I/O 2021. Later this fall, we could expect that those Apple drivers could now meet the newest transition of the automotive system.

Support for Digital Car Keys On the Way to iOs 15

Apple's iOS 15 has been receiving a series of improvements as we head to another week from the onset of the developer's conference. Last 2020, the tech giant hinted that it would be releasing supplemental developments to address the need for digital car keys among users.

The new upgrades will be seen in the Apple Wallet's iOS 15 which would help the drivers to link their cars to their iPhones through the UWB. Similarly, the support has managed to come out in the previous Google I/O meeting that the California-based firm conducted last May, Mashable reported.

During the conference, Google said that the added support for digital car keys (through NFC or UWB) will be dependent on the particular car model in Android 12.

At the moment, the two companies have been reliant on the use of NFC and UWB, the two techniques which would enable the digital car keys support. However, both also have drawbacks that Google and Apple have considered.

For instance, NFC provides a shorter range compared to its counterpart. In short, the user should be nearby his/her car to activate the feature--or the driver should be situated on a specific spot before he/she unlocks the vehicle's door.

Read Also: Apple WWDC: tvOS 15 Developer Beta Updates to Run on Apple TV HD, 4K--How to Install it With Spatial Audio

NFC is still more viable in terms of usage since it is more budget-friendly for Android smartphone users compared to those who use UWB. People could quickly adopt the transition of changing their physical keys into digital car keys through this feature.

On the other hand, UWB has a longer reach (could reach over 100 feet) which means that users could immediately activate the feature even though he/she is far from the car given that there are no obstacles in the vehicle's sight. However, while it is more high-tech than Android's feature, people would first need to upgrade their old phones to utilize it.

What Devices Could Support UWB and NFC for Android and Apple Users?

According to Gizmodo's report, Android smartphone users could embrace the digital car key support when they are utilizing Galaxy S21 Ultra and Galaxy S21+. However, you cannot adopt the feature if you are only using the standard S21. The South Korean electronics company chose to exclude its UWB support to maintain the low price of its smartphone.

Furthermore, Google could also add the support for Pixel 6, while Apple will be transitioning its UWB adoption for iPhone 11. For those who have an outdated iPhone model like iPhone XS or older versions, you could not use the digital car key support in your vehicle.

What these companies did was a greater improvement in the field of car technology. Now that many people are purchasing electric vehicles from Tesla and other firms, the support for this feature could be amazingly recognized.

Modern technology has really brought convenience to our lives. The coming of digital car keys might be the next-gen solution to the hassle-full key sticking, however, there is still a disadvantage of using it.

If your smartphone is lost, you could not use it. It's even worse since you cannot contact someone who could help you with your problem. Your phone access is one of your necessities and when things do not go according to your plan, heavy consequences could potentially come next.

iOS 15 at first glance looks promising for a software update. Apple has been coordinating the automakers to expand its support for the digital car keys which would become a high leap for the 21st technology.

Related Article: Apple WWDC: iOS 15 FaceTime Features, Notifications, Privacy, Find My Update and MORE

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 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The FBI and Australian Federal Police (AFP) used an encrypted messaging app called "ANOM," garnering over 200 arrested criminals on their biggest sting yet.

For over three years, the FBI and AFP carefully strategized a power move to arrest over 200 criminals. They developed an encrypted messaging platform called "ANOM" that does not require users to have inserted sim cards to send messages to anyone.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that a vast international crime sting operation in partnership with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and thousands of Australian police officers have been in the works for three years, and it has been a success.

The sting operation, called "Operation Ironside," was able to trick hundreds of underworld figures into communicating with each other using "ANOM," an encrypted messaging system developed solely for the sting itself.

FBI, AFP: All about 'Operation Ironside'

On Monday, June 7, 2021, law enforcement agencies from Europe, Australia, and the U.S. organized in-house searches and arrested hundreds of criminal suspects. The crimes range from Australian biker gangs, drug cartels found in South America and Asia, weapons and human traffickers in Europe, and numerous murder cases from various areas.

According to The Record, the sting operation began in 2018 right after the FBI finally dismantled Phantom Secure, an encrypted chat platform that criminals of all types utilized.

With this information, they already had an idea that criminals would transfer to a new and more secured messaging platform. That's why both the U.S. and Australian officials came up with the decision to develop their version of a chat application - and they called it "ANOM."

Read Also: Verkada Breach [UPDATE]: FBI Tracks Hackers that Accessed 150,000 Company Security Cameras

Similar to Phantom Secure, "ANOM" consists of secure smartphones designed only to run the messaging app and nothing else.

Watch the press conference here:



"ANOM" spread through word of mouth and, of course, the anom.io website. As advertised, the messaging app allowed users to send encrypted voice messages and texts between devices, and the registered phone cannot have other installed applications to ensure security and utmost privacy.

The app does not require a phone number because each message runs via the "ANOM" central platform.

Because law enforcement agencies designed the app, they could intercept messages and decrypt each text. Messages found within the app included details of murder plots, drug movements, and human trafficking.

Over 200 Arrested Criminals

ABC Net reported the following statistical data on Operation Ironside from the Australian Federal Police Commissioner, Reece Kershaw:

525 total charges

224 charged criminals

Six illegal laboratories have already been shut down

104 weapons and firearms have been confiscated

Almost $45 million cash have been retrieved

21 death threats have been stopped

Commissioner Kershaw also stated that this is not the last of it. She added that the figures are more likely to increase over the next few days, and most of the arrested criminals will face multiple charges, which could result in life imprisonment.

Related Article: FBI Reclaims Colonial Pipeline Ransom Cryptocurrency Payment Worth $2.3M from DarkSide Hacker's Wallet

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Written by Fran Sanders

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Twitter account of the scientist who told Dr. Anthony Fauci in an email that COIVD "looks engineered" has disappeared from the platform.

Before the account of Kristian Andersen, a Virologist of Scripps Research Institute, completely vanished, his email thread with Fauci leaked on Twitter.

As per Newsweek, his account started to be inaccessible on June 6.

Andersen and Fauci

The exchanges between Andersen and Fauci started way back in January 2020 talked about the possibility that COVID-19 is potentially engineered.

The Washington Post first reported about the exchanges. Andersen wrote in his email: "I should mention that after discussions earlier today, Eddie, Bob, Mike, and myself all find the genome inconsistent with expectations from evolutionary theory."

But later, on March 17, 2020, Andersen, alongside a couple of other scientists, concluded that the COVID-19 virus was not "purposefully manipulated."

Furthermore, the virologist has been the talk of the town for his changing views, which suggests a possible cover-up.

Andersen Suggests a Fauci Cover-Up

According to Newsweek, after the account of Andersen was removed, he appeared on Sky News and claimed that Fauci is part of a cover-up.

"I know it's super mundane, but it isn't actually a 'massive cover-up.'" Andersen told Sharri Markson of Sky News.

Andersen Twitter Deactivation

According to Fox News, Andersen has not responded to the media company. So, it was unclear if he deleted his Twitter account.

However, a Twitter spokesperson cleared out that "the account was deactivated by the user. No action was taken on Twitter's part."

Read Also: [VIRAL] Undergrad Student Shares on Twitter Dr. Anthony Fauci's 'Overly Effusive' Review of His Thesis

Biden: 'Redouble Efforts'

The emails of Andersen and Fauci have come into the spotlight as President Joe Biden asked the United States intelligence agencies to ramp up their investigation for the COVID-19 origins.

Fauci also said that he is no longer convinced of the findings that the virus is a result of animal to human transmission. It further heightened what Dr. Li-Meng Yan, and even the former President Donald Trump believed -- that COVID-19 has engineered origins.

On June 3, Li-Meng Yan also voiced out that she had emailed Fauci last year that COVID-19 is not merely a natural occurrence; it is instead being used as a bioweapon. Additionally, she accused Fauci about being involved in a cover-up, which ended up not requiring Americans to use their mask as early as it was necessary.

Related Article: Dr. Fauci Advises Americans to Still Wear Mask Until 2023 as US Nears 500,000 COVID-19 Deaths

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 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 11:15:11|Editor: huaxia

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SANTIAGO, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Chile's foreign trade turnover grew 35 percent year-on-year to 71.04 billion U.S. dollars in the first five months of 2021, marking its best performance in three decades, the government said Monday.

According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry's Undersecretariat of International Economic Relations (Subrei), data from the Central Bank of Chile showed total exports over the period rose 31 percent year-on-year to 37.932 billion dollars.

Copper alone, the South American country's main export product, accounted for 56 percent of the total exports in the period, reaching 21.345 billion dollars, said the Subrei.

Meanwhile, Chile's total imports hit 33.105 billion dollars, up by 39 percent year-on-year, far exceeding pre-pandemic levels, it said.

Imports saw record shipments of mobile phones, meat, medicine, household appliances, computers, televisions, perfumes, trucks and cargo vehicles, among other products, it said.

Rodrigo Yanez, undersecretary of Subrei, said in a statement that Chile seeks to strengthen the role of foreign trade as "one of the fundamental pillars of our economic recovery."

"We are working on an intense agenda of market diversification, promoting the negotiation of new trade agreements and the deepening of treaties we already have in force, facilitating the internationalization of our goods and services, with an emphasis on the digital economy," he added. Enditem
(Photo : Getty Image)

Apple is now working on its electric car. They are negotiating with China's Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) and BYD Co. Limited for their vehicle's battery supplies.

Apple Inc. is a well-known tech giant with popular series such as the iPhones, iPads, iWatches, and iMacs. Now, the Cupertino-based company has set foot in the electric car industry with its version of the vehicle.

The company said to be "talking" with China's CATL and BYD for the company's planned electric vehicle. Its plan releasing an Apple car means that it will be competing with the industry's leading brands such as Tesla, Chevrolet, and Nissan.

Apple, CATL, BYD: Talking Stage

As of June 8, Reuters reported that it is not yet clear whether CATL or BYD will agree with Apple, and that discussions about the car's battery supplies are subject to change.

They also added that the iPad Pro manufacturer has already finished building several manufacturing facilities in the U.S. for their potential battery suppliers, according to two of their reliable sources.

CATL is a famous supplier for major car brands, including Tesla. However, it is said to be reluctant to build a U.S. factory because of the political tension between Beijing and Washington. On top of this, the supplier is also worried about the cost of supplying to the U.S.

The three companies involved, Apple, CATL, and BYD, declined to comment on the issue as it might be too premature to make a public announcement over something that has not yet been finalized.

Read Also: iPhone 13 Leak: A Glance Into the Possible Future

Apple seems to favor Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries, which utilize iron, making it more affordable to produce and sustain than nickel and cobalt.

Based on the report, people who know Apple's new electric car previously mentioned that according to the Apple's EV plan, the company would include its version of a breakthrough battery technology.

However, it is still unclear whether Apple's own design and technology made it to their meetings with BYD and CATL, which is known for creating the Million Mile Battery.

Because of the world's increasing hype for electric vehicles, numerous battery suppliers are also ramping up their production to accommodate the mass' demands. In 2021, carmakers are shifting to electric vehicles because they have to comply with stricter emission rules set to tackle global warming.

As a result, China's leading battery makers could grow faster than their foreign competitors as the world's largest EV market continues to expand, according to SNE Research.

Apple Car: All You Need to Know

MacRumors recently said that the Apple Car project had been tossed back and forth over a few years. Throughout planning for their EV, development issues, leadership conflicts, and internal strife all came in the way. As a result, the project has been pushed to the side.

But now, Apple is said to be preparing for its self-driving vehicle.

They also added that Apple is nearing the end of the tunnel as it are about to sign an agreement with Korea's LG Magna e-Powertrain. Based on this report, Apple might not be planning to produce its EV on a wide-scale basis, considering that LG Magna e-Powertrain has a smaller manufacturing capability than its competitors.

Related Article: This Tesla Version of Fitbit Can Show You if Your Electric Vehicle is Being Powered by Coal or Renewables

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The largest platforms filling up the internet, such as Amazon, Twitter, Spotify, Reddit, and other prominent news websites, including CNN, The Guardian, and The New York Times faced a massive content delivery network (CDN) network outage.

The culprit of the global disruption is the Fastly CDN. The popular network provider has confirmed that it experienced a global disruption.

The product manager of Financial Times, via TechCrunch, first speculated that the outage is from a glitch Fastly has been experiencing.

Engadget said that the issue has been traced and configured. On the other hand, TechCrunch reported that the outage got resolved swiftly -- after an hour.

Fastly's Response

The firm assured on its status website that they are investigating the global CDN disruption. It then updated that "the issue has been identified and a fix is being implemented." As such, it vowed that "customers may experience increased origin load as global services return."

The status page of Fastly also lists countries from North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and South Africa which experienced a "degraded performance."

What is CDN?

TechCrunch added that CDN is integral to the overall infrastructure of the internet. As seen on the recent outage that multiple websites have experienced. More specifically, while companies run their site on servers across the globe, CDN's role is to be the proxy server carrying cache data for larger media files.

Media content, such as video and photos, are loaded faster through the help of CDN. It is quicker when compared to fetching the data directly from the servers that the companies own.

As for Fastly, it precisely provided video streaming and image optimization for its clients.

Affected Websites

Aside from the websites mentioned above, HBO Max, PayPal, Vimeo, Shopify were also part of the outage. Other news sites such as the BBC, and Financial Times were likewise included, as per Engadget.

In addition, Bleeping Computer noticed that these websites were also affected: TechRadar, The Verge, GOV.UK and TomsGuide.

When users visited the websites, they were welcomed with a 503 error or "connection failure" message.

Meanwhile, Tech Times remains unaffected and is fully operational.

Read Also: Network Outage: Thousands Experience 'Three UK' Down System; Here's Why it Happened

Other Outage

The current outage that Fastly faced is similar to what CloudFare experienced on August 30, 2020. It has affected Hulu, Discord, Steam, Microsoft (Xbox Live), Blizzard, and EA. Moreover, sites from the Fastly disruption such as Twitter, Amazon, and Reddit also faced the previous outage.

Other widely-used CDN, aside from Fastly and Cloudflare, are Amazon Web Services, and CloudFront, TechCrunch also noted.

Elsewhere, Apple Card recently faced an outage too.

Read Also: Microsoft Outage Azure, Office 365, Teams, Xbox Live: Company Now Fixes Issues and Updates Every Hour

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Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A global internet glitch currently makes big websites inaccessible. Some reliable sources confirmed that this massive internet outage had affected hundreds of websites in various countries.

Since it is a serious connection issue, the United Kingdom government's official webpage, Spotify, Amazon, and other popular sites, are currently forced to go offline.

The global internet outage started on June 8, which affected millions of users across the globe. Aside from the mentioned websites, Twitch, Netflix, as well as new websites such as BBC, CNN, The Guardian, and The New York Times, are also down right now.

To give you more idea of how serious this connection outage is, here are other details of the latest massive internet glitch.

Global Internet Glitch Affects More People

According to The Daily Mail UK's latest report, the latest global internet glitch also affected some airline passengers. These people complained that they tried to fill out locator forms on UK.Gov to enter the U.K. from Portugal.

Also Read: Qualcomm Snapdragon 5G Modem Flaw Puts Hundreds of Thousands at Risk: Here's Why

On the other hand, some global flights were also affected since travelers could not access their preferred airline web pages. Aside from the United Kingdom, Asian countries were also hit by the massive internet issue.

ABC News reported that residents in Singapore and Hong Kong complained that they are having some trouble when accessing the official site of CNN.

However, some people said that they can now connect to Amazon, Reddit, Spotify, and other websites that were affected by the outage.

What Cause the Internet Outage?

The U.S. Firm, Fastly confirmed that it is the one behind the current internet outage. Experts and other critics said that the issue is a serious one since Fastly is a large CDN (content delivery network) company that allows users to access various websites smoothly and quickly.

"The issue has been identified and a fix has been applied. Customers may experience increased origin load as global services return," said Fastly.

"Looks like it is slowly coming back. It is serious because Fastly is one of the world's biggest CDNs and this was a global outage," added one of Kentik's internet infrastructure researchers, Doug Madory.

For more news updates about Fastly's internet outage and other global connection issues, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Google, Microsoft, and Apple To Make Browsing Smoother: What Is WebExtensions Community Group

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After some rumors, Samsung made a huge noise, and other reliable leakers claimed that its new virtual assistant called Sam will soon arrive. However, the speculations subsided after Lightfarm, the marketing company responsible for the leaked renders of Sam, confirmed that Sam is actually a chatbot.

And now, Samsung's fans are now focused on the upcoming Galaxy S21 FE. One of the popular smartphone leakers, Evan Blass, posted some leaked renders that show the actual variations of the new handset.

"Galaxy S21 FE w/ updated/additional colors/angles (clockwise from top left: green, white, blue, violet, grey," claimed Blass via his official Twitter account.

As of the moment, his latest post was only able to generate around 46 comments, 53 retweets, and almost 600 likes. Although it seems like Blass' tweet was not able to get enough attention, it is still an accurate physical representation of the upcoming Galaxy S21 FE.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE's Leaked Design

According to Toms Guide's latest report, the new Samsung Galaxy S21 FE could arrive this coming March. However, the giant tech manufacturer still hasn't confirmed this rumored release date as of the moment. On the other hand, Samsung also has a weird pattern when it comes to releasing new handsets.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE Renders Unveil in Four Beautiful Colour Option

   

Take a Look 



Renders by @evleaks #Samsung #GalaxyS21FE pic.twitter.com/PAK8USGRjV  Sam (@RahulP2021) June 5, 2021

Also Read: Samsung Announces Event on June 22 that will Center Around the Company's 5G Connectivity and the Future of Technology

This means that the speculated March release date has a small chance to happen. On the other hand, the new Samsung Galaxy S21 FE's renders revealed that this new device could have green, blue, white, violet, and gray variants.

Aside from this, the leaked photos also showed that the new Samsung smartphone could have a flat infinity-O display, a metallic edge, and a polycarbonate back panel.

When it comes to the actual shape or design, Blass' images revealed that the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE could have the same look as Galaxy S20 FE. Another reason behind this is that it might not have a 3.5mm headphone jack.

On the other hand, Samsung also confirmed that its smartphones can now use the popular FaceTime of Apple handsets. However, will the new Galaxy S21 FE have it?

Will Galaxy S21 FE Support Samsung's FaceTime Version?

Sam Mobile reported that Samsung users can now access Apple's popular FaceTime feature. The tech giant developer also confirmed that it will be available on Android and Windows Samsung devices via the web.

This means that the new Samsung Galaxy S21 FE can also access the new integrated feature. However, Apple still doesn't allow Samsung to have its own FaceTime app. This means that users can only join FaceTime calls in Apple's own ecosystem.

For more news updates about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S21 FE and other new smartphones, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Samsung Develops Stretchable Electronic Skin That Could Precisely Identify Your Heart Rate

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Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : GettlyImages/ Justin Sullivan ) Google Stadia AT&T

AT&T and Google struck a deal and created a new bundle for their subscribers. On June 7, Google's Stadia video game service was expanded to Google TV and Android TV, and now Google made another bold move.

On June 8, Google announced a new partnership that will offer six months of Google's Stadia Pro for free to Fiber users and AT&T wireless users.

AT&T Stadia Bundle

Stadia is Google's video game streaming service set to compete with Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox.

While the regular Stadia service is free for those with a Gmail address, the Stadia Pro subscription costs $10 a month, and it includes new free games every month and discounts when buying certain titles, and it allows for games to stream in 4K HDR. The free version comes in 1080p.

Also Read: Verizon Unlimited Plan: Here's How Much It Will Cost And Everything You Need To Know

Beyond the newly announced expansion to Google TV and Android TV devices, Stadia is playable on Android phones and through the Chrome browser as well as an iOS and iPadOS through a Safari web app, according to CNET.

The new promotion from AT&T will be available to all new home internet users who will sign up for the company's 300Mbps, 500Mbps or 1 Gig plans.

The new wireless users will be able to take advantage of the deal when signing up for an unlimited plan and getting a new 5G device.

For all existing AT&T users, you will need to upgrade to a 5G phone and be on an eligible unlimited plan, according to Engadget.

Compatible plans include the recent options like Extra, Elite, and Unlimited Starter, as well as the older legacy unlimited plans such as Unlimited Choice, Unlimited Choice II, AT&T's Unlimited Enhanced Choice, the Unlimited Plus plan, Unlimited Enhanced Plus plan, and Unlimited & More plan.

The existing AT&T internet users will need to upgrade to one of the company's 300Mbps, 500Mbps, or 1 Gig plans to be able to get the promotion.

Even though Stadia can be played with a variety of controllers, as part of this promotion, those who upgrade their plans and their devices will be able to buy a bundle including a Stadia Controller and Chromecast Ultra for $20, which is an $80 saving from the regular price of the bundle which is $100.

Wireless Carriers Gaming Expansion

The AT&T and Google partnership is the latest move from a carrier to expand into gaming to encourage subscribers to update their home internet plans or wireless plans.

In May, Verizon announced that it would be offering 12-month subscriptions to Apple's Arcade for iOS and Google's Pass for Android for free. This subscription is for those willing to switch to Verizon's higher-tiered Play More and Get More plans.

Verizon is giving away six months of either service for free to those on some of its other or older, unlimited plans.

In 2020, Verizon teamed up with Google's Stadia to offer three free months of Stadia Pro, a Chromecast Ultra, and a controller to new users who signed up for its Fios Gigabit home internet pans or its 5G Home service, according to The Verge.

The entire gaming kit usually costs $130; when the three free months expired, users were charged with Stadia's normal $10 a month subscription.

Related Article: AT&T Says 10 Mbps Upload Speed is Enough for Nationwide Broadband: Lawyer Accuses Company of Overcharging

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Written by Sophie Webster

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A new ransomware was able to hack several members of the United States Congress. Security experts confirmed that 60 of them were affected by the massive online attack.

Involved investigators and researchers announced that the new hack specifically breached iConstituent, which the tech vendor provides constituent outreach services to dozens of House offices. Its services offered include tracking constituent casework, newsletter communication service for lawmakers, and more.

As of the moment, it is the latest cyber breach after the series of hacks that targeted the U.S. executive branch and other United States-based firms. Like the recent, ransomware schemes, which left many companies and institutions vulnerable to hacks, the new iConstituent breach could also lead to the same scenario.

Ransomware Did Not Breach Entire House Data

Ransomware attacks are pretty dangerous right now. Some of them were able to breach the Massachusetts Ferry Service and Microsoft Exchange Email services.

On the other hand, the new iConstituent attack doesn't seem to be that serious since The Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, which handles IT security for the House of Representatives, confirmed that the new breach was not able to infiltrate the overall House data of the U.S. Congress.

Also Read: Cox Media Group's Ransomware Attack Disrupted Several TV and Radio Stations, Investigation is Ongoing

"At this time, the CAO is not aware of any impact to House data. The CAO is coordinating with the impacted offices supported by iConstituent and has taken measures to ensure that the attack does not affect the House network and offices' data," explained the government agency.

The U.S. Congress is still lucky since it didn't affect its entire system, especially since various lawmaker officials already sent some payments in thousands of dollars to iConstituent. According to The Daily Mail U.K.'s latest report, the U.S. Congress said that it is already working on the new ransomware attack so that the tech firm could solve it as soon as possible.

Should Companies Pay for Ransomware Attacks?

Some critics claimed that companies and government agencies should avoid paying hackers after ransomware breach their systems. However, Forbes reported that banning ransomware payments could lead to a bigger crisis.

Trend Micro's Chief Cybersecurity Officer Ed Cabrera explained that once the United States bans the payment demands of these hackers, various online attackers and other cybercriminals will use more efficient tools to breach their systems and publish sensitive user information.

For more news updates about other security threats, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: FBI Director Compares Threats of Ransomware Attacks to 9/11 Terrorism, Says Each of Them is Difficult to Combat and Prevent

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 11:19:07|Editor: huaxia

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The Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Dialogue Relations is held in Chongqing, southwest China, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

"The China-ASEAN dialogue relations have brought economic, social, technological, and infrastructural development to the region," Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said. "Chinese initiatives such as the Belt and Road, connectivity, inclusive development, and poverty alleviation programs in the region are directly connected to the three decades of partnerships."

by Mao Pengfei, Nguon Sovan

PHNOM PENH, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Three decades on, the relationship between China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has grown closer and stronger, bringing about numerous tangible benefits to both sides and their peoples, Cambodian academics said on Monday.

As 2021 marks the 30th anniversary of the dialogue relations between China and ASEAN, Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said over the past three decades, China-ASEAN relationship has become "closer and stronger."

"The China-ASEAN dialogue relations have brought economic, social, technological, and infrastructural development to the region," he told Xinhua. "Chinese initiatives such as the Belt and Road, connectivity, inclusive development, and poverty alleviation programs in the region are directly connected to the three decades of partnerships."

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Matthews said China's kind support for ASEAN to combat the COVID-19 pandemic is a new testament to the close and unbreakable friendship between China and ASEAN.

Aerial photo taken on Nov. 26, 2020 shows the view of Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center, the venue of the 17th China-ASEAN Expo, and its neighboring buildings in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)

"China has been the driving force in providing vaccines to the region."

Recently, the World Health Organization has approved Chinese-made vaccines, namely Sinopharm and Sinovac, for emergency use. Matthews said this approval would definitely accelerate vaccine drives in the region.

Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia, said China and ASEAN have achieved a number of key accomplishments in political and economic cooperation as well as in fight against COVID-19.

He said China-ASEAN ties have been witnessing constantly stable and progressive growth and that China has been ASEAN's largest trade partner for 12 consecutive years, while ASEAN became China's largest trade partner last year.

"Both sides have shared common development by promoting win-win cooperation, mutual assistance, mutual respect, commitment to multilateralism, openness, inclusiveness, and common value of peace and stability," he told Xinhua. "COVID-19 vaccine assistance testifies this."

Workers transport Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine at the Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 28, 2021. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

China has played an important role in the promotion of multilateralism in the global economy, he said, adding that China-ASEAN relations will continue to grow and be upgraded to the next level.

"Stable and progressive relations between China and ASEAN will not only bring about peace, stability, sustainable and inclusive development and prosperity for both sides but also for the region and the world."

Their comments come as the two-day Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting in celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Dialogue Relations and the sixth Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting kicked off on Monday in China's Chongqing.

Lim Menghour, deputy director of the Phnom Penh-based Asian Vision Institute's Mekong Centre for Strategic Studies, said China and ASEAN have been working closely to revitalize weakening international institutions and cooperation based on multilateral frameworks.

"Both sides have also been deepening engagement and regional connectivity by synergizing the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025 and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)," he told Xinhua.

Aerial photo taken on March 11, 2021 shows the eighth Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge across the Mekong River, connecting Kampong Cham province and Tboung Khmum province in southeastern Cambodia. (Shanghai Construction Group/Handout via Xinhua)

He said ASEAN and China should further strengthen the strategic partnership and enhance stronger relations and work together for the regional post-pandemic recovery and regional security.

"Under the spirit of openness, transparency and being responsible, China has provided tremendous support and assistance to ASEAN including the Mekong countries in the fight against COVID-19 by donating COVID-19 vaccines indiscriminately to the region, thus jointly safeguarding global public health and security," he said.

Speaking of the sixth LMC Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Menghour said the meeting is significant for the six LMC countries, namely China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.

"The meeting will provide opportunities for further development in the region, particularly through the LMC Special Funds," he said.

Uch Leang, acting director of the department of Asian, African and Middle East Studies of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia, said the sixth LMC Foreign Ministers' Meeting will further deepen the bonds of friendship among the LMC countries and will promote sustainable socio-economic development in the region. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 11:32:54|Editor: huaxia

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SUVA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Fiji's Ministry of Education in partnership with Telecom Fiji Limited launched the LearningHUB to provide access to supplementary learning resources for students as businesses and schools remain closed amid COVID-19.

The learning hub comes in handy after Permanent Secretary for Health James Fong confirmed another 64 COVID-19 cases stemmed from the existing clusters on Monday.

Around 20 patients have recovered, with 515 active cases currently in isolation in Fiji.

The island nation has recorded a total of 751 cases, with 230 recoveries and four deaths due to COVID-19 so far.

The LearningHUB hosted on Telecom's cloud platform allows students, parents and teachers to access educational materials, according to a press release from the Department of Information on Tuesday.

Permanent Secretary for Education Anjeela Jokhan said they cannot predict how the situation evolves over the coming days.

"Initiatives such as these are meant to ensure that all possible efforts are made to provide educational resources available to Fijian students. We believe that no student should be disadvantaged."

Telecom Fiji Limited Chief Executive Officer Charles Goundar said they share the Ministry of Education's mandate of keeping children safe and out of harm's way from the deadly COVID-19 virus during this time.

"We also believe that the education of our children must not fall on the wayside, which is why we were more than happy to work closely with the Ministry of Education in developing a portal through our cloud platform."

This platform basically provides a one-stop shop for the supplementary educational materials that have been prepared by the Ministry, including an archive of past lessons that have already been broadcasted and can be accessed at any time.

Currently, the Suva-Lami-Nausori containment zone in Suva still maintains a curfew from 6:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. every day while the western side of Viti Levu is under a curfew from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. local time. Enditem
Louisianas first taxpayer-funded adult psychiatric crisis facility, Bridge Center for Hope, will host a roadshow to raise awareness about mental health issues and resources in Baton Rouge.

The free-of-charge Bridging the Gap to Mental Health Awareness tour kicks off Thursday with two informational sessions  one from 9 to 11 a.m., the other from 1 to 3 p.m.  at the East Baton Rouge Main Library, 7711 Goodwood Blvd.

Schedules for subsequent events in the months-long educational series will be posted on brbridge.org.

+4 'We sure hope this place saves lives': Bridge Center for Hope opens amid soaring overdose deaths In late 2018, East Baton Rouge Parish voters approved a tax increase to pay for the Bridge Center for Hope  a new way of stopping overdoses, 

The roadshow comes amid a spike in overdose deaths and mental health crises in the wake of a particularly difficult year marked by the coronavirus pandemic and economic fallout, organizers noted.

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Bridge Center  which first opened its doors in February  was built to meet the needs of people struggling with those issues.

It was also pitched as an alternative to jail for people experiencing a psychiatric emergency.

As a short-term stabilization center opened round-the-clock to anyone 18 and over, the nonprofit clinic aims to treat people in crisis before connecting them to long-term care facilities.

In addition to treating people during times of crisis, the Bridge Center aims to educate the public about where to find mental health help to avoid having to go there in the first place.
Metro Councilwoman Chauna Banks says it might be time for East Baton Rouge Parish to hold a discussion on whether to halt new residential construction until the city-parish can upgrade its drainage system so it doesn't  as it seems  flash-flood every time there's heavy rain.

But she doesn't want East Baton Rouge to try a parishwide ban like one being discussed by its neighbors to the south.

While Ascension Parish leaders are considering a broad ban, Banks on Monday criticized the attempt. Instead, she says, East Baton Rouge should perhaps give neighborhoods and subdivisions the option to petition the Planning Commission to implement moratoriums on new construction. Doing so would help flood-prone areas while the city-parish grapples with underlying flooding issues, she said.

"I've always thought there should be a moratorium in much of the south/southeast area where there is a lot of new home construction but didn't believe it's something I should pursue because I don't represent those people," she said. "Other than Baker, my area does not flood often. A lot of our flooding issues are based in that (southeastern) area."

However, Banks said, she has received a few calls from residents in other parts of the parish wondering if the city-parish would also entertain the idea of a moratorium after hearing that Ascension leaders are considering it following the most recent flooding last month.

Parts of the region was hammered May 17-18 by more than 13 inches of rain, causing major street flooding throughout the parish  something that has become somewhat of a common occurrence any time there's torrential downpours within short time spans.

As of Monday, the Mayor's Office had verified reports that at least 1,202 homes and businesses took on water that week.

In Ascension Parish, leaders are poised this week to vote on a parishwide building moratorium while they mull over policy changes related to future growth, which include drainage fees, tighter construction standards and reducing housing density.

Banks called their response a "knee-jerk reaction" that wouldn't be as productive as leaders there might think.

"I think East Baton Rouge needs to avoid that," she said. "All of Ascension is not flooding. If you deal with it from a parishwide point of view, you're going to have a lot of hits and misses. You need to be strategic."

The Home Builders Association of Greater Baton Rouge recently posted a statement on its website regarding moratoriums, saying they shouldn't be considered as the solution to flooding issues.

"Sound infrastructure planning is not a short-term fix," the statement reads. "It is a long-term process that requires diligence, commitment, and professionalism on the part of professional planners and elected leaders."

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Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome has repeatedly said municipal drainage systems aren't designed to handle the amount of rain that storms of recent years are producing.

When residents in Woodland Ridge recently asked the city-parish officials about enacting a moratorium, Broome never hinted one way or the other whether she would support one. Only that she's willing to "keeping the lines of communication open" between her office and citizens.

She also pointed to the series of drainage projects the city-parish has on tap, which she said would likely address a lot of the flooding issues plaguing the parish right now.

Councilwoman Laura Adams says her constituents are pressing her for answers on their progress  one of them being the parish's Stormwater Master Plan.

The plan, which is only partially complete, will be a compilation of local hydrology data the city-parish will use to prioritize flood protection projects going forward.

When will those multi-million-dollar flood projects for Baton Rouge be finished? Not for years It will still be years before East Baton Rouge residents see any work completed on the multi-million dollar flood-prevention projects that wer

Adams will ask the Mayor's Office for that update on that work at Metro Council's June 23 meeting, the same day Banks is asking the council to discuss building moratoriums.

"We've been inundated with emails, phone calls, text messages, social media messages from people saying, 'It's been five years since 2016 floods, what are we doing?,'" Adams said. "I know that the city-parish is taking steps to make sure we do everything possible to mitigate this type of event. People need to start seeing progress."

Adams said her district was the city's hardest-hit during last month's flooding.

Her questions to the administration will revolve around what things can the city-parish do immediately to address the issue, what will get accomplished in the long term and when, and what expectations should the public hold regarding the current capacity of the parish's drainage system.

Discussions around moratoriums would likely coincide with some of that, she thinks.

"We know when you move to Louisiana high water and flooding is always something in the back of your mind," she said. "How to get the city-parish to a place where people feel confident that what needs to be done is getting done is what we need to know."
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 13:37:07|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The world marks the 13th World Oceans Day on Tuesday. Chinese President Xi Jinping has, on various occasions, called for strengthening cooperation in protecting the oceans, and his proposal of building a maritime community with a shared future has gained worldwide resonance.

Oceans are of great significance to the survival and development of humanity as they breed life, connect the world and promote development, Xi said on April 23, 2019, when he met with the heads of foreign delegations invited to multinational naval events marking the 70th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy.

In his remarks, Xi called for joint efforts to address common threats and challenges at sea, and safeguard maritime peace and tranquility.

"The blue planet humans inhabit is not divided into islands by the oceans, but is connected by the oceans to form a community with a shared future, where people of all countries share weal and woe," Xi said.

At present, ocean-based cooperation in market, technology, information, culture, and other areas is steadily deepening, Xi said, noting that the reason for China to propose jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is to facilitate maritime connectivity, pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and the development of the "blue economy," as well as to promote the integration of maritime cultures and to improve maritime wellbeing.

Maritime peace and tranquility, Xi said, concern the security and interests of all countries and need to be jointly maintained and cherished.

"The peace-loving Chinese people long for peace and will unswervingly stay on the path of peaceful development," he said.

China pays great attention to the building of marine ecological civilization, persistently intensifies the prevention and treatment of marine pollution, protects marine biodiversity and orderly exploits the marine resources in order to leave a blue sky and clean ocean for future generations, he said.

Cavince Adhere, a Kenyan researcher of international relations, said that China is making a very meaningful contribution to Africa's quest for peace and security in the maritime sector.

China is fulfilling its proposals and commitments by repelling pirates off the coast of Somalia, and leveraging existing continental frameworks such as the African Union to counterterrorism in the continent, said the expert.

Meanwhile, healthcare provision by Chinese naval hospital ship to many countries around the world and African in particular, further exemplifies the decision by China to go beyond maritime security into softer yet complementary aspects such as human security through healthcare services, Adhere said.

The Port of Piraeus in Greece is part of the Belt and Road Initiative, and contributes to organic interconnectivity across the world, George Tzogopoulos, director of EU-China programmes and senior research fellow at the International Center for European Studies, told Xinhua.

China's vision about maritime development goes beyond this kind of connectivity into issues of cardinal significance that require international cooperation under the UN framework, which include regional peace, biodiversity, environmental protection, preservation of natural resources and safe transportation, the expert said. Enditem
Attorneys for the Baton Rouge Police Department have asked a judge hold a lawyer in contempt, saying he improperly sent a press release that included edited bodycam footage showing officers searching a teenager  even looking in his underwear  then entering an apartment without permission and conducting a warrantless search.

An uncut version of the video had already been made public months earlier, however. Several videos were filed into the court record after the incident resulted in a federal gun charge against Clarence Green, the teen's older brother, though that charge was later dismissed.

Shortly after requesting sanctions for the lawyer, BRPD Chief Murphy Paul called a press conference last month where he released additional footage, saying he wanted the public to get a more complete picture of what happened. Paul said he first received permission from a juvenile court judge.

He also bemoaned the negative media attention his department received since the edited footage was released, most of it focusing on the moments when officers found Green with a loaded gun in his underwear and recovered a bag of marijuana from his brother.

BRPD officers who conducted warrantless search violated policy, police chief says Leaders of the Baton Rouge Police Department affirmed Friday that officers violated internal policies when they entered an apartment  uninvit

Court records obtained by The Advocate show that in addition to requesting permission to release more footage, BRPD attorneys asked for a contempt hearing.

East Baton Rouge Juvenile Court Judge Gail Grover granted the request and scheduled a hearing next month to consider whether the lawyer, Thomas Frampton, should be held in contempt for violating a state law sealing most juvenile court records from the public. A contempt finding could mean up to six months in jail and a $500 fine.

Frampton, who represents the Green family, argues his free speech rights are on the line.

He sent out the press release after securing a $35,000 settlement from Baton Rouge taxpayers after alleging BRPD officers violated the constitutional rights of both Green and his brother during a questionable traffic stop and warrantless search. In the release, Frampton called on BRPD leadership to hold the officers accountable.

That prompted additional scrutiny and national media coverage of the case, which first entered the public view after a federal judge agreed to dismiss the charge against Green  and issued his own scathing criticism of the officers involved.

Federal judge voids gun charge, calls bad BRPD bust a 'foul' against justice system Almost a year after the January 2020 traffic stop that landed Clarence Green in jail on a gun possession charge, federal prosecutors in Baton 

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In a December order, Chief District Judge Brian Jackson called the case "emblematic of precisely the type of foul blows universally condemned by our jurisprudence." He lambasted the officers for "initiating a traffic stop on the thinnest of pretext" and then "haphazardly invading Defendant's home (weapons drawn) to conduct an unjustified, warrantless search."

BRPD leaders opened an internal investigation in response to those remarks. Both officers shown on the bodycam footage entering the apartment without a warrant could face discipline as a result of the internal inquiry, officials confirmed this week.

The officers under investigation are BRPD veteran Sgt. Ken Camallo and Officer Troy Lawrence Jr., whose father was named deputy chief last year.

In his request for a contempt hearing, Parish Attorney Andy Dotson noted that the department received a "substantial amount of negative correspondence from the public" after Frampton's press release.

Dotson declined to comment on the case when reached this week, citing pending litigation. BRPD officials gave the same response.

After federal judge calls bad BRPD bust 'foul' against justice system, city pays $35,000 settlement After a federal judge excoriated a Baton Rouge police officer for conducting a questionable traffic stop and warrantless search, the East Bato

In a recent letter to Dotson, attorneys with the ACLU Louisiana, which is representing Frampton, said the edited footage was released with permission of the entire Green family, including the teen whose privacy rights are in question. The letter also notes how all bodycam videos pertaining to the case were filed into the court record last year and obtained by The Advocate via public records request in January.

Furthermore, the ACLU argued, the state law sealing juvenile court records specifically refers to "matters or proceedings before the juvenile court"  which does not apply here because the teenager shown in the footage never faced criminal charges after police found marijuana in his underwear and guns in his bedroom.

"By seeking to jail a law professor who lawfully shared video of police misconduct, your actions directly implicate the First Amendment," ACLU Legal Director Nora Ahmed wrote in the letter. "These circumstances  create an inescapable impression of retaliation for protected speech."

The letter, dated last Wednesday, asked attorneys for BRPD to give notice by Monday morning if they would agree to withdraw their request for contempt. A spokesperson for the ACLU said Tuesday they had not received a response.

The contempt hearing is scheduled for July 12 in juvenile court. It was not immediately clear whether the public will be allowed to attend.
A $3.9 billion funding plan for public schools has won final approval in the Legislature.

The measure, Senate Concurrent Resolution 2, won House approval 100-0 on Tuesday.

The Senate endorsed it 36-0 on May 24.

The legislation authorizes pay raises of $800 per year for public school teachers and $400 for support workers.

The funds to pay for those hikes, and the aid for public schools, is included in Louisiana's $37 billion operating budget, which won final approval earlier.

The pay raises cost about $80 million.

Public school enrollment is down about 15,000 students because of the coronavirus pandemic and multiple hurricanes that struck the state last year.

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Around 700,000 students attend public schools.

The legislation stems from a second request by the state Board of Elementary Education.

+2 Louisiana school board sends new funding request with teacher raises of at least $800 Under pressure from the Legislature, the state's top school board Wednesday approved a revised funding request that includes $800 pay raises f

The first one was informally rejected by the Senate Education Committee, and lawmakers asked BESE to submit a new plan with the $800 and $400 pay raises rather than the initial request for $400 and $200 boosts.

Louisiana school board seeks to double aid requested by governor; includes $400 teacher pay raises Louisiana's top school board Tuesday voted to ask the Legislature for an $80 million hike for public schools, double the amount sought by Gov.

The resolution is sponsored by Senate Education Committee Chairman Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge.
Louisiana lawmakers gave final passage Tuesday to a proposal requiring doctors to suggest to women taking the abortion pill that the drug-induced effort to terminate a pregnancy could be stopped midway through the process, a scientifically questionable claim.

With a 69-25 vote, the House agreed to a heavy Senate rewrite of the proposal and sent it to the governor's desk. Passage came over objections from opponents who said the legislation pushed by anti-abortion organizations could provide inaccurate, possibly dangerous information to women.

House Bill 578 by Republican Rep. Beryl Amedee, of Houma, is the latest in a long string of anti-abortion measures passed by Louisiana lawmakers seeking to lessen access to the procedure and to try to discourage women from seeking it.

'Abortion pill reversal?': Controversial treatment promoted as Louisiana lawmakers advance bill A woman who chooses to undergo a two-pill regime to trigger a chemically-induced abortion would have to be notified of options to reverse her 

The nonsurgical medication abortion, which works during the first nine weeks of pregnancy, involves swallowing mifepristone, which causes an embryo to detach from the uterine wall. A second pill, misoprostol, is used two days later to cause contractions and push the embryo out of the uterus.

Amedee's legislation would require a doctor dispensing the two pills to provide a statement to the woman seeking the drug-induced abortion.

The statement says: "Research has indicated that the first pill provided, identified as mifepristone, is not always effective in ending a pregnancy. If after taking the first pill you regret your decision, please consult a physician or healthcare provider immediately to determine if there are options available to assist you in continuing your pregnancy."

The Senate backed the bill in a 31-7 vote Monday. While nearly all opposition to the measure came from Democrats, they didn't vote as a bloc. Several Democrats also voted with Republicans for the proposal. The legislation heads to Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat who opposes abortion and regularly signs anti-abortion measures into law.

Several Republican-led states have passed similar laws, though some of those laws are tied up in litigation.

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Supporters of the bill said they were trying to give women who change their mind the possibility of reversing course on an abortion.

"Chemical abortion takes the life of a human being. We should provide information that could save the life of a child," Amedee said during a committee debate on the proposal.

But opponents pointed to medical groups that say science does not support suggestions that a drug-induced abortion can be reversed or stopped after the first pill is taken, and they argued interrupting the two-pill process could harm a woman's health.

How much could the anti-abortion law cost Louisiana taxpayers now? Its challengers want $9M more After months of talks behind closed doors trying to come to settlement with the state Attorney General, physicians who successfully challenged

"This bill is predicated on misinformation," said Sen. Jay Luneau, an Alexandria Democrat, during Senate debate. "We need to make decisions not based on emotion, but based on medicine when we're dealing with medical issues."

Amedee and other bill supporters claimed that if a woman takes the first pill and reconsiders her decision to end the pregnancy, she could seek to use the hormone progesterone to try to "reverse" the abortion. But the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says such claims about abortion reversal treatments "are not based on science and do not meet clinical standards."

Sen. Beth Mizell, the Franklinton Republican who handled the legislation in the Senate, noted senators watered down the language to no longer make direct claims that women could "avoid, cease or reverse" the drug-induced abortion if they don't take the second pill.

"We are asking a woman to consult her physician. We're not saying don't take the medicine," Mizell said.
Quincy Muse, foreground, and his cousin Jimmie Armstrong, background, wet their fishing lines on Corporation Canal, near the LSU Recreation Center, Wednesday, May 27, 2020. Muse had tried the canal previously, and come up with brim, catfish and sac-a-lait, but Armstrong hadn't fished there before. They're both from Baton Rouge.
Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, for a second year in a row, vetoed Tuesday legislation by the House Republican majority leader that would have forbidden private contributions from defraying election costs.

House Bill 20 is his first veto of the 2021 session. The governor has signed 117 bills into law, so far.

While in committee there was overheated rhetoric about the motivations of social media companies trying to influence elections, this bill would also likely prevent the local VFW from providing donuts for election workers on election day, Edwards wrote in his veto message.

House Republican Majority Leader Blake Miguez, who represents Erath and sponsors HB20, said: It is disappointing that the governor thinks its okay to let private funds, like Zuckerbucks, pay for state run elections ultimately influencing the outcome. He was referring to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who last year donated $250 million to the nonprofit Center for Tech and Civil Life, which offered grants to help pay increased election expenses for state and local jurisdictions.

The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

In addition to Facebook, the Chicago-based groups funders include Google, the Knight Foundation, the Voting Information Project, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The group helped state and local elections officials pay for ballot drop boxes to receive mail ballots, temporary staffing, supplies and personal protection equipment in what turned out to be a record turnout in November 2020 despite COVID-19.

Attorney General Jeff Landry, a Republican rumored to be interested in running for governor in 2023, joined other GOP lawmakers in branding Zuckerberg as a liberal, calling the contributions illegal and improper.

Studies show these dollars were used in other states as a get out the vote effort by special interest to support one particular candidate over another, Miguez said, adding that he is weighing his options on whether to seek an override to Edwardss veto in the remaining hours of the 2020 legislative session, which must adjourn by 6 p.m. Thursday.

Louisiana 2021 voting bills not as harsh as other states; here's why Spurred by Donald Trumps fallacious assertions of a stolen election, Republican-dominated statehouses around the country have passed into law

Edwards noted that Miguezs bill from last year, which he also vetoed, attempted to change emergency elections procedures necessary  and ordered by a federal court--- for holding the elections during the pandemic. This years version expanded the ban to all elections.

Miguez said Louisiana has a compelling interest in maintaining a free and fair election system. If outside interests want to provide money to the state to help pay for elections, it should be given to the state general fund and appropriated equitably across every parish, he said.
Two decades after it was recommended, LSU is launching a department devoted to African and African American studies.
Artist Nathan Henry secures the push cart he uses to bring his art to and from Jackson Square in the French Quarter of New Orleans on Friday, May 21, 2021. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 14:10:46|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- China has made continuous progress in the preservation, inheritance and innovation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), enabling it to play a unique role in safeguarding and promoting people's health, according to a report submitted to the country's top legislature.

From April to mid-May, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) sent inspection teams to check the enforcement of TCM law, which came into effect on July 1, 2017.

Wang Chen, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presented the report on the law's enforcement for deliberation on Monday.

With an annual growth rate of 17.3 percent, the central government has allocated 8.6 billion yuan (1.34 billion U.S. dollars) in subsidies for the inheritance and development of TCM during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), read the report.

Noting China's improved capacity for providing TCM services, the report said that the number of TCM medical institutions reached 66,000 by 2019, up by 67.4 percent from 2012.

The accessibility of TCM services has been improved, with 98.3 percent of the country's community health centers and 97.1 percent of its township clinics able to provide such services, said the report.

The report added that China had 767,000 TCM personnel by the end of 2020, and 0.45 TCM practitioners (or assistants) can be ensured for every 1,000 persons.

Highlighting TCM's vital role in China's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, the report said that 90 percent of the confirmed cases received TCM treatment.

China has also been pushing for the open development of TCM, said the report, adding that it has been introduced to 196 countries and regions, and 30 TCM centers have been established overseas. Enditem
The ASX touched fresh highs but only finished slightly higher on Tuesday as tech, healthcare and shopping centre owners gained and the banks and miners fell.

The S&P/ASX 200 touched 7315.6 points within the first hour before turning negative in the middle of the day.

It closed just 10.7 points, or 0.2 per cent higher at 7292.6 points.

The ASX 200 rose 0.2 per cent on tuesday. Credit:Louie Douvis

Volumes were thinner than usual, while investors received a mixed lead from Wall Street, where trading floors were waiting for Thursdays inflation data.

The spectre of inflation remains the biggest concern to traders, who fear central banks may move too slowly to keep it under control.

However, concerns have eased in recent days after a weaker-than-expected US jobs print late last week.

For some the most unsustainable price rises were on the equity market itself.

Senior client advisor at Novus Capital, Gary Glover, has been advising clients to be cautious because the market was in a pretty bubbly phase. A lot of stocks were high risk from a valuation point of view, he said.

I think it is pretty pricey here. If you look at multiples of some of the biggest companies most of them are trading well outside of what would be expensive. It is pretty hot to trot.

He had noticed some rotation into defensive stocks with electricity producer AGL up 14.3 per cent since 1 June and Origin energy up 22 per cent in the same period to $4.87. The S&P/ASX200 is up 2.8 per cent in the same period.

Oil companies, Reece, and real estate trusts have been among the biggest gainers since the start of the month, while gold miners, casinos, and some technology companies have seen the largest declines.

It is difficult to get clients to want to sell, because when things are great that is when you should be doing a bit of selling. And when they are horrible you should be doing a bit of buying. It goes against human nature, Mr Glover explained.

The materials sector was dragged down on Tuesday by a 1 per cent fall in BHP and Fortescue and a 0.9 per cent fall in Rio Tinto. Telstra dropped 0.3 per cent to $3.56 while TPG Telecom gained 3.9 per cent to $5.57.

MLC Asset management portfolio manager Anthony Golowenko said consumer price pressures would remain a factor for investors in the near term, though perhaps should be seen as part of a larger portrait.

The million-dollar question is, will (inflation) be sustained? he said.

You dont want to get too carried away - something that looks like it is roaring ahead, and you take a step back and it is just part of a trend.

Its about moderating some of these things, but certainly in 2021 this inflation and reflation theme is a key issue.

Mr Golowenko said heightened dealmaking activity in the tech sector this week - including for the likes of Altium and Hansen Technologies - was perhaps another source of pricing strength, as investors position themselves for the chance of further acquisitions.

Its obvious I think with todays market pricing weve seen some of those themes come through and some people positioning for whos next in that space, he said.

The local technology sector out-performed on Tuesday with gains of 5.8 per cent in Wisetech, 4.6 per cent in Nearmap, and 4.2 per cent in NextDC.

Healthcare advanced as Mesoblast jumped 8.8 per cent and CSL moved 0.9 per cent.

The big four banks were split with NAB up 0.5per cent and Westpac up 0.4 per cent, while Commonwealth Bank and ANZ finished the session lower.

Market operator ASX fell 1.2 per cent after two brokers lowered their ratings.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the interception of three Melbourne residents who attempted to travel to the country shows their system works.

Australia and NZ still have their travel bubble in place but travel from Melbourne has been paused during the current COVID-19 outbreak which is reportedly why the three people travelled to Sydney and flew to Auckland from there.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Credit:Joe Allison/Getty Images

The New Zealand Herald reported the family were trying to attend a funeral.

They were identified upon arrival and sent into 14-day quarantine with authorities reporting they had tested negative to COVID-19 on their first test.

Ms Ardern said the situations showed her countrys system worked and she hoped it would discourage others from trying to travel the same route.

For anyone considering breaching the rules that we have in place, you see in this case the family has been picked up and they have been put into a managed isolation facility, so there are consequences, Ms Ardern said.

As for fines, those decisions sit elsewhere.
Ask any 10-year-old what their favourite dinosaur is and I am certain they will rattle off a few big names like T. rex, Triceratops or Velociraptor  but Australia has its own plethora of dinosaur species, which often dont get a look in.

With the discovery of Australotitan, one of the worlds largest dinosaurs and an Australian one at that, perhaps we will soon see a change in that list.

Today marks the discovery of Australias newest dinosaur, Australotitan cooperensis. The species was named by a team of palaeontologists from the Queensland Museum and Eromanga Natural History Museum. The new species is estimated to have grown to up to 30 metres in length, about as long as a basketball court, making it the largest dinosaur to be discovered in Australia and among the 15 largest dinosaurs in the world. Such a large find represents an increase in our understanding of the world that existed about 95 million years ago, but it is also an opportunity to create a true Aussie legend.

Australotitan cooperensis roamed the shores of the inland sea of Australia 95 million years ago. Credit:Eromanga Natural History Museum

Uncovering what these past worlds were like, who were the legends (like Australotitan), how all of these species interacted, and how and why these ecosystems changed over time are just some of the questions palaeontologists ask. It is like trying to figure out the worlds hardest jigsaw puzzle  these ecosystems were very different to the world we are in today, and we dont fully understand what they looked like. However, each time we discover a new species we get closer to a complete picture. The hard part is that it can take years of work to discover each new species and there are many millions of pieces that we still need to find.
In all the books Ive ever written, or even read, these words from the great ABC war correspondent Chester Wilmot remain my favourite bit of prose about the Australian identity and how well our soldiers perform in times of war.

The spirit which has made Australia is the spirit which has held Tobruk, he wrote from the victorious battlefield in 1941, just after the Diggers handed General Rommel and his Afrika Korps their hats. The inspiring and binding force in Australian life isnt tradition or nationalism or social revolution. Its quite a simple thing. Henry Lawson called it MATESHIP . . . the spirit which makes men stick together.

Time is running out for the Afghan interpreters who helped Australian troops in Afghanistan.

In Australia by sticking together, men have defied drought, bushfire and flood. In Tobruk theyve scorned hardship, danger and death, because no Digger would ever let his cobbers down. In Tobruk for the first time in this war the Germans were thrust back by a spirit that even tanks and dive-bombers could not conquer.

And yes, thank you, I know. It is likely a little too hoary and hairy-chested to get too far these days, but bear with me. For not only does the broad concept still stand in the modern world, things have moved beyond hoary and hairy-chested!
Australian police want suspected drug kingpin Hakan Ayik to turn himself in and be extradited home from his Turkish base to face charges after an extraordinary law enforcement operation fooled global organised crime figures into using an app that was secretly controlled by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Mr Ayik, Australias most wanted man, was duped by police operatives into helping the complex operation. After covertly taking control of An0m when it was developed, agencies turned the Istanbul-based man into a top promoter and distributor of the platform that ultimately ensnared hundreds of alleged Australian criminals.

The app, installed on specially modified phones, was trusted as an encrypted platform by up to 12,500 crime figures globally, including 1100 in Australia, to manage illicit drug trafficking, money laundering and other serious and violent crimes. But it was a Trojan horse, covertly operated by the FBI and monitored by the Australian Federal Police who had real-time access to the millions of messages sent using the service.

The highly secretive three-year operation, codenamed Ironside in Australia and Trojan Shield in the US, has so far led to 224 arrests across Australia, while 3.7 tonnes of drugs, 104 weapons and $45 million in cash were allegedly seized. More than 4000 officers across the country were drawn into the operation.
In his award-winning book No Friend But the Mountains, about his detention on Manus Island, Behrouz Boochani tells of a man who learns his father is dying and asks if he can jump the queue for the phone at the islands processing centre. Despite the support of other detainees, some of whom offer to forfeit their places for the man, the Australian officer on the ground is adamant: I understand how you feel, but unfortunately this would be a violation of the rules.

In the locked-down world of COVID-19 it sometimes seems as if the authorities here, both state and federal, are trying to emulate this approach. The Queensland government recently denied Moe and Sarah Haider access to their newborn child without so much as an explanation, and Horsham woman Sandra Muller has been blocked from visiting her injured husband in intensive care in Townsville. Then theres the Victorian governments decision to ban any more than 10 people attending the funeral of eight-year-old drowning victim Cooper Onyett. The federal government has repeatedly blocked the return of three-year-old Viraj Kang from India after 15 months apart from his parents.

Sikander Kang with his then newborn son, Viraj, in Melbourne in April 2018, and daughter Sehar. Viraj is now three.

This approach has proved popular in COVID times as the image of our leaders as relentless guardians of our health and the borders has provided political rewards. The federal governments ham-fisted announcement of punishment for Australians attempting to return from India was testament to that. But as The Age argued at the time, this does not make it right.

In this exceptional public health emergency, politicians are fond of appealing to people to use common sense. But as some of the reactions to relatively minor restrictions such as mandating QR check-ins or wearing masks have shown, the idea of a broadly shared attitude to what is sensible presumes a great deal. The onus is upon our leaders to communicate better.
The users, who police say were exclusively using it for criminal activity, trusted the platform and did not use code in their communications. They were brazen and detailed about their activities, even sharing photos with drug shipments. From 2019 onwards, the Australian Federal Police discreetly used intelligence from the surveillance of millions of messages to help disrupt criminal activities and make about 100 arrests. State and territory police often carried out the arrests and raids, acting on the federal police tips, even if they did not know its origins in the highly sensitive An0m operation. FBIs representative Anthony Russo addresses the media on the raids and arrests on organised crime using compromised encypted communication apps. Credit:Rhett Wyman State police officers provided significant and long-term support to federal authorities during the operation and much of the activity on Monday and Tuesday, as the initiative came to a head, was in NSW. Australias contribution to the operation was enabled by the powerful TOLA Act introduced by the government in 2018, which targeted encrypted communications.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews called it the most significant policing operation in Australian history. Federal police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said it was an unprecedented operation that had netted some of Australias most dangerous criminals. An image showing messages on the encrypted Anom app, released by the US Department of Justice. We allege they are members of outlaw motorcycle gangs, Australian Mafia, Asian crime syndicates and serious and organised crime groups. We allege theyve been trafficking illicit drugs into Australia at an industrial scale, he said. Worldwide, 9000 law enforcement officials were involved in co-ordinated operations linked to the penetration of An0m.

Orchestrated by the FBI, An0m launched a few years ago and recently grew in popularity as an alternative to the Ciphr encrypted network, which has reportedly lost users because of fears among criminals it has also been compromised by authorities. Encrypted communications have become a pillar of organised crime activity and hampered investigations. A screenshot from a video showing one of the raids. Credit:Nine News You take that away, they cant do their business, a senior law enforcement officer told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Anthony Russo, the FBIs representative at the US embassy in Australia, said global co-operation was necessary to tackle modern organised crime.

In todays world, crime continues to traverse international borders. The threats we face are too diverse and too complex for any one organisation to tackle alone, he said. Australian fugitive Hakan Ayik, who has been living in Turkey and is suspected by authorities of being a major facilitator of drug imports into Australia, was viewed as one of the two most influential backers of An0m. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video Commissioner Kershaw publicly advised Ayik on Tuesday to turn himself in because he had inadvertently helped set up a vast number of criminal peers and was now in danger. Hes essentially set up his own colleagues, Commissioner Kershaw said.

Loading The Herald and Age revealed Ayiks location and new identity in Istanbul in recent days and exposed his suspected role as the founder of the Aussie Cartel of organised crime figures wielding major influence over drug importation into Australia. Rumours about the takedown of one of encrypted communication platforms were spreading in underworld circles on Monday, one source said. In recent days, An0ms Facebook, YouTube and Reddit accounts were deleted and key material on its website became unavailable. A chat feature allowing contact with the company had disappeared by Monday evening. The site previously boasted that An0m was hardened against surveillance and intrusion with military-grade encryption. People could send messages and share files contained entirely within the app.

Loading It also offered the ability to sanitise or wipe data if a device was seized by authorities. Deleted data cannot be recovered through forensic examination, the site said. The organisation said it was based in Panama and would only respond to law enforcement inquiries in that jurisdiction. But the network was being monitored by law enforcement the whole time even as it became more popular.
Killer foster father Rick Thorburn has recounted the night he killed Queensland schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer in 2015, before dumping her body on a river bank.

Thorburn, who was found guilty of murdering Tiahleigh, was the first witness to testify in Brisbane on Tuesday at a two-day coronial inquest examining the 12-year-olds death.

Rick Thorburn when he was arrested in September 2016. Credit:Fairfax Media

Thorburn said he wrote his statement four years ago while he was in jail.

He said it was an exercise with his psychologist in which he wrote down bad memories, then he was supposed to throw it away and create new ones.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 15:22:21|Editor: huaxia

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ROME, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) is evaluating evidence from Italy that the coronavirus or a similar virus may have been circulating in Italy months earlier than generally believed, a researcher told Xinhua on Monday.

Italy's National Cancer Institute (INT) reported in November last year that it found evidence of coronavirus antibodies in the blood of four Italian cancer test subjects in early October 2019, meaning they would have been infected by the virus in September, three months before China reported its first case of COVID-19, and five months before the first confirmed case in Italy.

Emanuele Montomoli, co-author of the original study and a professor of public health at the University of Siena, said the WHO was informed of the study's findings soon after they were revealed.

Soon after, researchers sent 30 biological samples -- all from the period between October and December in 2019 before the coronavirus was widely known -- to Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands which was selected by the WHO for further testing, according to Montomoli.

Though Erasmus University Rotterdam did not immediately reply to a request for comments, Montomoli told Xinhua the university lab's conclusions "were very similar to what (Italy's National Cancer Institute) discovered, though there were some small differences."

Montomoli said the combined results "made a very convincing case" that the coronavirus or a similar virus was in circulation in Italy months earlier than the country's first officially recorded COVID-19 case in February 2020.

"We did not find evidence of the virus but rather of the antibodies an infection leaves behind," Montomoli said. "The only way for that to be the case was for the coronavirus or something very similar to have infected these people in late 2019. It's possible it was the same virus that had been found in Wuhan in December (2019) or perhaps it was a less serious and less transmissible variant."

At the time the results of the study were released, Giovanni Apolone, scientific director of the institute, said the findings did not cast doubt on the origins of the virus but do call into question the timing.

Montomoli said the findings are important because they "help create a more accurate picture" of the virus' evolution, something he said both help confront the current pandemic and respond to a future pandemic more effectively.

"What we discovered does not prove anything on its own, but it is an important piece of a puzzle," he said.

A press official from the WHO only confirmed it was studying the findings from the INT when contacted by Xinhua.

There has been speculation in the Italian media that the presence of the coronavirus so much earlier could help explain reports of a particularly severe flu season in Milan between October and December 2019.

In a bulletin dated Dec. 24, 2019, Italy's Health Ministry reported high levels of "unusual" strains of flu and pneumonia concentrated in the area around Milan and appearing in 17 of Italy's 20 regions.

On Jan. 7, 2020, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera ran an article about inflammation in patients apparently caused by the "Pneumococcus bacterium," but noted that some cases seemed to be caused by a virus. The article said some hospitals in Milan had to use extra beds to accommodate the unusually high number of patients.

On Thursday, INT researchers said there was no possibility that antibodies present in patients due to infections from other COVID-type viruses were mistaken for the coronavirus. Enditem
Police expect to solve four homicides and say they have stopped 21 planned underworld killings in Melbourne as part of an international investigation using encrypted message technology.

The Australian Federal Police and the FBI joined forces for the three-year operation, dubbed the sting of the century, which culminated in the arrest of dozens of alleged bikie and mafia figures in raids this week.

The Australian Federal Police-led operation arrested hundreds of alleged organised crime members nationwide. Credit:AFP

Armed police raided 37 properties across Victoria, arresting 32 people on Monday and seizing more than a tonne of illicit drugs, as well as luxury cars, cash, guns and gold bullion, as part of Operation Ironside.

The ambitious operation used An0m  an encrypted app favoured by criminals worldwide  to covertly monitor a vast trove of communications about the global drug trade and other illegal activities.
The runaway British MP, John Stonehouse. Credit:The Age Archives Prison sources said he later refused his first meal. Yesterday, close friends and associates said Stonehouse had told them he would go on a hunger strike in gaol. The drama began in the City Court yesterday morning when Stonehouse dapper in a dark pin-stripe suit, blue-striped shirt and bright tie  argued with Mr. Thompson. He returned dishevelled five hours later  minus tie, belt and shoe-laces. In the meantime Stonehouse had gone to the international airport at Tullamatine where he checked his ticket and passed through customs surrounded by a bustling private army of newspaper, radio and television reporters and camera crews.

But seconds before he tried to board flight 931 with his daughter Jane and son, Matthew, Inspector Robert Gillespie of the Commonwealth Police stepped forward and arrested him. Shortly after Inspector Gillespie and two other detectives took Stonehouse into custody he was escorted along the passenger disembarkation corridor. Stonehouse was shouting and waving to watching journalists and appeared to be struggling with the policemen who had strong holds on his arms. He was not seen again until he appeared in the dock of the City Court. At his morning appearance in the court Stonehouse leapt to his feet and said loudly: Your Worship, may I plead your indulgence on a matter of extreme importance? He then asked Mr. Thompson to hear the extradition proceedings immediately so that he could be in London in time to attend the debate in the House of Commons.

Loading Mr. Thompson refused. He told Stonehouse he was not ready to proceed himself and could not proceed because there were no representatives of the Commonwealth in court. When Stonehouse continued to argue Mr. Thompson threatened to deal with him for contempt of court. Outside the court, Stonehouse said he had no alternative but to go to the airport to catch a plane to London so he could take his place in the House of Commons. Inspector Gillespie told the court he and two other policemen had approached Stonehouse in a holding room at Tullamarine.

He said Stonehouse had run up a flight of stairs. He had followed him and said: It is obvious you intend leaving Australia. Stonehouse had said: I intend to get this aircraft to London with my children. Inspector Gillespie said then when he put to Stonehouse that he was the subject of judicial proceedings at the Melbourne Magistrates Court, Stonehouse turned his back and refused to answer. Gillespie said Stonehouse had attempted to return down the stairs and spoke to his children. He said Jane Stonehouse had said: Daddy, youve gone as far as you can go, you might as well submit. In CANBERRA, Commissioner J. M. Davis, of the Australian Police, last night said his officers had acted after consultation with the Attorney-Generals Department. A spokesman for the Attorney-General (Mr. Enderby) said the incident was purely a department matter. Mr. Enderby had given no orders.
A Melbourne policeman has been charged with three counts of unauthorised disclosure of police information after allegedly sharing video footage of a friends former partner after he pulled her over for speeding.

Probationary Constable Nicholas Abeysekera, 25, will face Dandenong Magistrates Court in August, while his alleged misconduct is also expected to lead to civil court proceedings against Victoria Police.

Probationary Constable Nicholas Abeysekera will face Dandenong Magistrates Court in August over the alleged privacy breach.

A statement by Victoria Police detailed that the alleged incident, in which police assert a video was taken of an intercepted vehicle and shared to a closed group on social media, took place in Beaconsfield in April 2020, when the officer was working as a trainee.

The woman, aged in her early 20s, was pulled over on the Princes Highway for driving more than 20km/h over an 80km/h speed limit.
THE FORUM Check-in checkers

I was in Sydney recently and before entering a workplace, I was required to download the NSW government app and register my details. I then had to show the person at the entry a screen shot that my registration had been successful and then I had to check into this location and again show my successful check-in. It is ironic that we have issues with contact tracing when I consider that in Melbourne I have never been required to show whether I have in fact checked in via our multiple apps when entering any shop or workplace. Perhaps this may explain in part why we are under lockdown and Sydney is not.

Michael Loterzo, Kew Reputation at risk

Australia has cut and run from Afghanistan, after 20 years of supporting the US in a misguided foreign intervention. The people of that country who welcomed our involvement, and assisted our war effort, have been abandoned. Peter Dutton, the minister who could arrange for the interpreters, and the immediate families, to be on a plane tomorrow, suggests that these people should apply for a visa in the normal fashion. This attitude could condemn these people to death. The Australians caught overseas by COVID-19 restrictions risk getting very ill but they do not face almost certain execution as do our Afghan allies. The federal government needs to make a decision, and rescue these families. Or does Australia want to have the reputation of being an untrustworthy, gutless nation.

Mike Francis, Fitzroy Pfizer furore

The furore over Ms Palaszczuk, 51, receiving the Pfizer vaccine is rather noisy compared with the then 52-year-old Scott Morrison receiving the same vaccine three months ago. Or is there a different rule for the chaps?

Brian Kidd, Mount Waverley Tax cuts boost inequality

The latest tax statistics for individuals provide evidence of growing inequality, with the number of people being paid more than $1 million a year increasing by 3 per cent (Reliance on high-income earners to prop up budget, The Age, 8/6). The statistics also show the inequality is entrenched by location: the average income in Toorak is more than $200,000 a year compared with $33,300 in Lake Tyers. Our tax system plays a vital role in putting a break on growing inequality. Research has shown inequality makes communities poorer, with increased social problems and impacts on mental health. As wealth is linked to political influence, the OECD has identified that growing inequality undermines the proper functioning of a democracy where every person should have an equal say. We should not be making our tax system less progressive through the planned stage three tax cuts for the wealthy.

Mark Zirnsak, secretariat, Tax Justice Network Australia

Value reading

Peter Adams (To improve schools, cut-and-paste wont cut it, The Age, 7/6) has noted perceptively that education is a complex ecosystem where culture, environment and teaching practice are key to success. One of my most professionally rewarding teaching positions as primary teacher librarian was working in a school, where reading was highly valued. Parents were highly motivated to read with their child regularly and to model their own love of reading; and classroom teachers used best practices for teaching reading, including phonics. One of my roles there was immersing students in a variety of best-quality books, including First Nations myths, and developing their critical thinking skills. Students were encouraged to find the perfect book for them. They really wanted to read even during lunchtime and after school.

Their reading skills improved, and also importantly they were developing as lifelong readers. Choosing to regularly relax with great books likely also contributed to improving their mental health.

Caroline Rogers, Surrey Hills Education funding

Peter Adams, a former general manager at ACARA, should know better when he states that throwing more money at education  beyond the threshold that schools need  has not been shown to improve [student] performance and cites the UK as an example. Almost all public schools are underfunded by 20 per cent while all private schools are overfunded. Australia is the fourth most privatised education system in the world and according to the OECD one of the most unequal. UK governments do not fund private schools whereas our federal government spends about $24 billion a year on private education.

David Zyngier, Southern Cross University Credits should be optional

Retention of fares by airlines for cancelled COVID flights is an unjustifiable form of free working capital for airlines. Legislation needs to be introduced that requires refunds to be paid out. Travel credits for future flights should be optional only at the travellers request.

Martin Newington, Aspendale

Lockdown lessons

As a person with a parent in aged care, I find the indignation of Josh Frydenberg and other Victorian Liberals about the lockdown galling. While there is a degree of uncertainty about the best use of lockdowns, the lessons from last year arising from the devastating impact of COVID-19 on those living in residential aged care are beyond dispute. Perhaps the energies of Mr Frydenberg and his colleagues would be better directed at addressing the failure of the federal government to address the obvious and life-threatening vulnerability of residents and staff in aged care.

Brendan OHanlon, West Brunswick Cut NBN bonuses

As the end of financial year approaches, the board of NBN Co will no doubt be giving careful consideration to awarding bonuses. One hopes they will take into account the recent report of Scheduling blunder to cost NBN millions (The Age, 7/6) and ensure any bonuses are dramatically reduced to reflect this failure to achieve a satisfactory outcome. Looking for a scapegoat is not appropriate; this is an organisation-wide failure.

Russell Cocks, Williamstown Wrong message

I accept the AFL has its financial struggles as it navigates crowdless and reduced-capacity venues. But its recent move to engage Sportsbet as a sponsor of its family-friendly Fantasy game is yet another blurring of the lines between simple enjoyment of the sport and persuasion to have a financial stake in it. Undoubtedly, Sportsbet knows that a significant number of Fantasy participants are children. As a parent, I sometimes feel Im swimming against a king tide of negative and unhealthy influences. Ideally, the AFL would be a help in this space, not a hindrance. In the interests of allowing kids to grow up with a healthier relationship with gambling, I urge the AFL to reconsider this partnership.

Glenn Cartledge, Blackburn

Climate catastrophe

The words climate change are too weak and unalarming to describe the weather extremes the globe is experiencing. The phrase needs to be revved up, given more credibility and oomph, to convince the sceptics. Climate chaos or climate catastrophe sound more powerful, and communicate an urgency to act.

Charlotte Fanner, Toorak Lesson for Morrison

We all know the Prime Minister doesnt hold a hose and assume he doesnt hold a syringe. If he wants schools to reopen and stay open he should, however, make vaccination available immediately for all school teachers and ancillary staff. Perhaps he could devote as much time to working out the fastest and most efficient way of doing this as he devotes to denigrating his opponents and smirking at the camera. The vaccine rollout is his responsibility and its up to him to make it better.

Dr Juliet Flesch, Kew Prioritise teachers

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says getting children back into the classroom should be a particular priority. Therefore it should follow that making the vaccine available for all teachers should be a particular priority, for their safety and wellbeing, especially as two of the current virus cases are primary school children.

Joy Hayman, Blackburn North Heartfelt thanks

Thank you for the heart-warming and uplifting article by Ian Kerridge (Going to my patients funeral honoured our bond, The Age, 8/6). I have a rare leukaemia condition and underwent a bone marrow transplant in January last year.

I am continually astounded by the depth of excellent and genuine care I received from all the haematologists and nurses who have treated me over a period of more than two years. Mr Kerridge refers to some of his colleagues concern for threats to professional detachment or objectivity (albeit in the context of attending the funeral of a former patient). While there may be a place for that, it is also uplifting and inspiring to be treated by a doctor who shows genuine care, even when telling you of the risk of death. That level of care always suggested to me, that despite a bleak prognosis, I was in the hands of someone who would do their best.

Jim Rutherford, Ocean Grove EV incentive removed

Apparently the Victorian government is determined to undermine the take-up of hybrid and electric vehicles. Not only do they want to charge extra for road use for those of us with hybrid or electric vehicles, but yesterday I received an email from VicRoads announcing that my $100 vehicle registration concession will conclude on July 1, 2021. Seems like an excellent way to encourage the uptake of sustainable vehicles, NOT.

Helen Gardner, Caulfield South AND ANOTHER THING ...

Credit: Biloela family

What are you trying to prove, Karen Andrews? For pitys sake just let them go back to Biloela.

Ross Hudson, Mount Martha Dear Mr Morrison, imagine if it were your girls.

Dr Cheryl Day, Beaumaris Politics

Its winter. Richard Colbeck is hibernating. Dont disturb.

David Lyall, Mount Eliza Election campaigning is the wrong race, Mr Morrison. As the nations front runner, please move to the other track now for the bipartisan race against the pandemic.

Colleen Cousins, Alphington

Is that the Prime Minister of NSW I hear, dumping on Victoria again?

Eric Kopp, Flinders Coronavirus

Surely it is now clear that hotel quarantine is an oxymoron.

Priscilla Pyett, Fitzroy North Unleash those fabled market forces and charge baby boomers $50 for a Pfizer shot. There would be a stampede!

Moray Byrne, Edithvale Scott Morrison says Victoria should open up as soon as possible. Victorians say Scott Morrison should get vaccinations for aged care residents and workers ASAP.

Noel Turnbull, Port Melbourne Scott, Id feel more comfortable about ending lockdown sooner if you had ensured your promised vaccination programs met their deadlines.

Brian Williams, Vermont
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the Uluru Statement from the Heart will remain the centrepiece for any true form of recognition and believes there is a growing mood for change among the community.

Ms Berejiklian has backed a federal Coalition government to deliver constitutional recognition reminding colleagues on Monday that all but one of the nations successful referenda had been proposed by Liberal leaders.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has thrown her support behind enshrining a First Nations Voice into the constitution. Credit:Janie Barrett

Speaking at the launch of NSW senator Andrew Braggs book Buraadja: The Liberal Case For National Reconciliation, Ms Berejiklian said there was a very different discourse thats taking place surrounding reconciliation.

She said the Uluru statement, which won the Sydney Peace Prize 2021 last month, suggested that a First Nations Voice be enshrined into the constitution and that a Makarrata process be introduced to investigate treaty-making and truth-telling.
New Delhi: India has fast tracked COVID-19 vaccine procurement and will provide free shots to citizens above 18 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an address to the nation.

The South Asian nation faces the challenge of vaccinating its large adult population as it emerges from a devastating second coronavirus wave. The country has struggled to ramp up domestic production and procure doses internationally forcing some vaccination centres to close.

People wait at a bus stop as restrictions ease in Mumbai, India, on Monday. Credit:AP

Modis speech came against the backdrop of a near breakdown in health infrastructure over the last two months, with major Indian cities running out of oxygen and hospitals flooded with patients, while crematoriums struggled to keep pace with the number COVID-19 victims. His administration has come under intense criticism over its handling of the second wave and the vaccination rollout. Its popularity rating has fallen from 75 per cent in 2019 to 51 per cent this year, according to the Local Circle polling company.

While experts are worried about the slow vaccine rollout, state politicians have blamed the federal government for forcing them to compete against each other to procure vaccines, with the countrys top court criticising Modis policy as arbitrary and irrational.
Like Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan has the potential to become a crucible. For 17 years, the Rajabi and Tanami families have shared the house uneasily. The Rajabi family shares an Iftar meal, breaking the days Ramadan fast, on May 9. Credit:Dan Balilty/The New York Times The two families barely speak to each other, except when the Tanamis accidentally drop laundry or toys from their balcony onto the Rajabis downstairs terrace, forcing the families to negotiate an awkward handover. Tanami installed a giant neon-lit star of David on his balcony, just 10 metres above Rajabis terrace.

Rajabi responded by erecting his own neon Islamic crescent. On a recent night, Rajabi glanced up from his terrace to see Tanami on his balcony, texting on his phone, the screen illuminating his face. Nasser Rajabi and his mother, in the doorway below, share a house in East Jerusalem with Jewish settlers. Credit:Dan Balilty/The New York Times How should I talk to him? asked Rajabi, 48. Is he a neighbour? Or someone living in a house that is not his? Tanami declined several interview requests.

How the two families ended up in the same house is complicated. Rajabis relatives built the house and his family bought it from them in 1975, his lawyer said. In the 1980s, the family divided it into two parts and sold an apartment on the first and second floors to a Palestinian family. That family later sold it to a third Palestinian owner. That third owner sold the apartment to a settler organisation in 2000, the organisation said. But according to Rajabi, the third owner sold the apartment back to him in 2004. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video In March 2004, a few days before Rajabi planned to move some of his family into the apartment, the settler group took over the apartment late one night, locked out Rajabi, and allowed Tanami to take his place.

Israeli courts ruled that the settlers had bought the apartment legally. In a separate ruling, a court said a Jewish trust also has the right to the entire building because the land belonged to the trust before the foundation of the Israeli state in 1948. The trust was dormant for years. But in 2001 a court appointed three new trustees to manage its assets, essentially reviving the organisation. Claiming all the land held by the trust in the 19th century, the revived organisation wants to take over not just Rajabis property, but the whole neighbourhood. Jewish settlers have already moved into five other homes on or near Rajabis alley. Now they are pushing to evict more than 80 other families, numbering about 700 people, a move that would turn a Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwan into a Jewish one. The courts have already approved six other homes for eviction in cases that are also on appeal.

Ateret Cohanim, a settler group that spearheaded the revival of the trust and advocates for residents like Tanami, says Jews had the right to live on the property because they lived there not just during the 19th century, but also in antiquity. We were promised this land from God, we were kept in exile for 2000 years, and now were back home, said Australian-born Daniel Luria, a spokesperson for Ateret Cohanim. Theres never been a Palestinian people here. Theres never been a Palestinian state here. In the late 1930s, the site was abandoned. Documents show the British authorities, which then ruled Palestine, evacuated the Jewish residents, fearing they were vulnerable to an Arab insurrection. After the British left and Jordan occupied the West Bank in 1948, Palestinian families moved onto the uninhabited plot. Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan in 1967, and later annexed East Jerusalem, a claim not recognised by most countries, which consider it occupied territory like the rest of the West Bank. Across East Jerusalem, settler groups, often backed by Israeli law, are pursuing eviction battles in strategic areas.

About 3000 Palestinians in 200 East Jerusalem properties are living under threat of eviction, according to Peace Now, an anti-occupation advocacy group. It also estimates that about 20,000 Palestinian homes are under threat of demolition because their owners built them without obtaining planning permission, which is often denied to Palestinians. Israeli law also permits Jews to reclaim properties in East Jerusalem that were Jewish-owned before 1948. No equivalent right exists for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled their homes that year. Moving Jews in and Palestinians out also contravenes international law governing occupied territory, the United Nations rights office says. Israel says East Jerusalem is not occupied so that law does not apply. The goal, settler leaders say, is to establish a large enough Jewish presence in East Jerusalem to ensure that it can never become the capital of a future Palestinian state. The way to do it is to put layers around the Old City of Jerusalem, said Aryeh King, a deputy mayor of Jerusalem and a settler leader. Layers of what? Layers of Jews. Why? Because by putting the layers, we might avoid in the future any division of the city, any way of giving part of Jerusalem to our enemy.

One of those layers is in Silwan, a Palestinian neighbourhood south-east of the Old City that spans the sides of a steep valley. Rajabi and Tanami live on the valleys eastern slope, in a neighbourhood known to Palestinians as Batan al-Hawa and to some Israelis as the Yemenite Village. Loading From their windows you can see the glint of the Dome of the Rock, the shrine built where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. Near the shrine is al-Aqsa Mosque, also sacred to Muslims. And the compound is built on the ruins of the Second Temple, a site sacred to Jews, which has turned the surrounding areas like Silwan into ones coveted by Jewish settlers. The arrival of the settlers to the area has turned the narrow and once obscure alley into a low-level conflict zone. Riot police officers patrol, while private guards, funded by the state, escort settlers to and from their front doors.

The settlers say they are the victims of Palestinian violence, and that the police presence is necessary for their protection. Stones, Molotov cocktails, concrete blocks, said Luria, the spokesperson for Ateret Cohanim. Were talking about enormous amounts of aggression and hatred aimed towards the Jew because he is a Jew. Palestinians in the neighbourhood speak of frequent detentions, raids on their homes, and the police use of tear gas and stun grenades. During a recent confrontation, a tear-gas canister flew onto Rajabis terrace, damaging an armchair. Youre living in a constant state of fear, Rajabi said. A few weeks ago he sat on his terrace as Jews at a nearby property celebrated the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967, an annual commemoration offensive to Palestinians.

The more houses that we own in Jerusalem, a speaker said to a small crowd, the greater the connection we have with God. Loading Exasperated by the situation, Rajabi decided several years ago to move elsewhere in East Jerusalem. Since it is hard for Palestinians to obtain planning permission  a study by the United Nations office for humanitarian affairs described it as virtually impossible  he built a new home without obtaining the right permit. The authorities demolished it accordingly, he said, and when he rebuilt it, it was demolished again. This is the process of ethnic cleansing, he said. They are trying to push us, through legal means, out of Jerusalem.
Toronto: A driver ploughed a ute into a family of five, killing four of them and seriously injuring the other in a deliberate attack that targeted the victims because they were Muslims, Canadian police said on Tuesday (AEST).

Authorities said a young man was arrested in the parking lot of a nearby mall after the incident in the Ontario city of London on Sunday night local time. Police said a black ute mounted a curb and struck the victims at an intersection.

This was an act of mass murder perpetuated against Muslims, London Mayor Ed Holder said. It was rooted in unspeakable hatred.

Police say multiple people have died after several pedestrians were struck by a car Sunday night. Credit:AP

The extended family issued a statement identifying the dead as Salman Afzal, 46; his wife Madiha, 44; their daughter Yumna, 15; and a 74-year-old grandmother whose name was withheld. The hospitalised boy was identified as Fayez.
Everyone who has seen In the Heights remembers the experience. It was like a jolt of electricity exploding out of ancient confines, a game-changing, genre-defying musical that paid loving tribute to its forebears while introducing the world of theater to the new century. It taught Broadway the names of writers Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegria Hudes, two future Pulitzer Prize winners (he for Hamilton, she for Water by the Spoonful) and proved that the ever-evolving world of musical-theater was not only alive and well, but kicking.

In the ensuing years since In the Heights ran on Broadway, the Tony-winning musical has become a worldwide sensation. Since its humble beginnings, the history of the show has come full circle  originally a student project cooked up by Miranda at Wesleyan University, it has since become a staple of colleges and high schools, not to mention community groups, around the world.

On June 11, that scope will widen with the release of Jon M. Chu's film adaptation. With age and time comes new wisdom, and Hudes and Miranda teamed up once again to create a version of In the Heights that was reverential of their original stage edition, while speaking to the world of 2021. The result is an In the Heights that is much more mature, but beautifully familiar, and infused with the same vitality as their theatrical creation. Here, they discuss rebuilding their baby for the big screen.

Quiara Alegria Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda

( Tricia Baron

These conversations have been condensed and edited for clarity.

How does the medium of film open up the world of In the Heights, which on stage is sort of confined to one main location?

Quiara Alegria Hudes: On Broadway, and even in the 37 Arts workshop, there were little subway steps that went up, or, like, a little subway entrance off to the side. That's the subway. But on screen, we weren't confined to a unit set anymore. You can go into the station where the ascent or descent to the platform is so dizzyingly steep and long, and the escalator is broken half the time. If Abuela Claudia is trying to get somewhere, she's taking the stairs. What is it like for her, on the hottest day, as an elderly woman, to traverse 143 stairs? That opened up "Paciencia y Fe," when Abuela Claudia is remembering how punishing some of her early memories in New York were. To have a bigger ensemble, to be closer in on her, to see their facial expressions, and to be able to work more visually was super exciting.

Lin-Manuel Miranda: Full credit to Jon M. Chu, who was always reaching for the version of the song you couldn't do onstage. When we stumbled on the Highbridge Pool and I was like, "Oh yeah, that's where we swim in the summers," he was like "96,000." In the script, it's on a city block, but he dreams bigger for us. For "When the Sun Goes Down," he had the idea of this anti-gravity dance up the side of the building, complete with fire escapes and leaking air conditioners, and in an aside to me, he goes, "I just wish the song were longer, because this is really expensive." So I said, "Well, it can be longer." I already knew that "Sunrise" wasn't going to make sense in the new chronology, so what if the dance climax of "When the Sun Goes Down" is "Sunrise"? I ran to the piano and figured out how to make them sing the lyric "at the same time" and then go into the "Sunrise" motif. He was always pushing towards the more cinematic answer every time.

Lin-Manuel Miranda (as Piragua Guy) and Quiara Alegria Hudes on set

( Warner Bros. Entertainment)

What is it like to see In the Heights on the big screen, both in light of the pandemic-related delay, and the fact that this show has been in your lives for such a long time?

Quiara: It brings all the cliches of, like, "dream big," to life. My imagination physically takes up very little space. It's just me. But then you do it, and you follow through on the little details. Like Abuela Claudia says, "Detail by detail, you make a big story." And it's totally wild. I attribute it to Jon Chu, who said, "You did the detail work and now we're going to do the Hollywood work." Because it is a Hollywood story. This merits the big screen. This merits the notion that this is for everyone. He was very insistent on that, so I have to give him props for that.

Lin: I feel lighter. When the shutdown happened, and when we realized that we were not going to be able to release it in the summer of 2020, I felt like we were back at the O'Neill, and Kevin McCollum was telling us that it's not ready yet. It was that feeling of "We're sitting on this thing and we know how proud of it we are, and we just can't wait to get it out of our heads and onto a stage." It was a flashback of that. But I'm really glad we waited. Now, the movie has a double-poignancy, of "remember when we used to sing and dance and hug and kiss in the streets?" It's this love letter from the time before the year-and-a-half we've had.

Melissa Barrera, Leslie Grace, Quiara Alegria Hudes, and Daphne Rubin-Vega on set

( Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.)

How did looking at this material through the eyes of the older and wiser versions of yourselves impact the changes that you made in the process?

Lin: I just think that Quiara and I are better at this than we were when we were in our 20s. Quiara's screenplay is so smart. It updates the script without losing the essence of the 2008 version and it brings other issues to the floor that are really on the front pages of the Latinx community in the United States right now.

Quiara: I wanted to go even deeper into the character of Nina, for instance, and prop her up more. In the time since the stage play, the way financial aid works at colleges has changed. There's less of an emphasis on student loans and more emphasis on scholarships. That said, students still struggle financially, and there is still student-loss because of financial hardship. But that shift gave me an opportunity to look a little more closely at the cultural frictions that she experiences when she gets to Stanford. In some ways, she was raised very sheltered. She was raised around her community and people who understand the songs she sings, and she gets to Stanford and is sitting in that room and she's like, "Is this space made for me?" She is put into a position where she can build a new Stanford, as many first generations do. The opportunity to dig deeper into that cultural story was very exciting.

Lin: To revisit these characters again was really, really fun, and it's still from this perspective of joy. We wanted to write about our own community with a sense of joy, and that shines through. I'm really proud of these 20s us-es, but also really proud that we had another crack at it.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 15:47:36|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Passing through the U.S. government and mainstream media, there is a covert but efficient production line, along which raw materials of misinformation are processed into eye-popping headlines, and peddled to the public.

Now, the production line is rumbling again. On May 23, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published a story that cited a so-called "previously undisclosed U.S. intelligence report" to rekindle the already-debunked Wuhan lab leak conspiracy concerning COVID-19's origin. Three days later, U.S. President Joe Biden joined forces by asking the U.S. intelligence to draw "a definitive conclusion" on the virus' origin.

Such concerted steps taken by the U.S. government and media exemplify a notorious disinformation ploy frequently manipulated by the world's sole superpower to mislead the public or demonize its opponents, which, experts have warned, is poisonous to U.S. relations with other countries and the world.

A DISCREDITED REPORTER

The first writer of the WSJ story is Michael R. Gordon, a skillful worker on the U.S. production line of misinformation.

Working as a correspondent for The New York Times (NYT) before joining the WSJ in late 2017, Gordon's credibility as a reporter was drained for inaccurate coverage and relying on anonymous sources in multiple key reports.

On Sept. 8, 2002, Gordon and Judith Miller published a report titled "U.S. Says Hussein Intensifies Quest for A-Bomb Parts," which played a key role in raising public support for the unjustified war on Iraq. The only sources for his story were either "anonymous American officials" or "Intelligence experts."

Gordon, on his own, or with Miller, wrote some of the key and misleading articles about the fabricated Iraqi possession of weapons of mass destruction in the run-up to the 2003 invasion, including the infamous "aluminum tubes" story.

His allegations against Iraq were proved baseless after the invasion led to horrible civilian casualties in the Middle East country.

In February 2007, the NYT again carried a front page story by Gordon with the title of "Deadliest Bomb in Iraq is Made by Iran, U.S. Says." He wrote that "an increasing body of evidence" suggests "an Iranian role" in supplying the "deadliest weapon aimed at American troops in Iraq." All the sources cited in the story were unnamed, and the assertion of the story was untrue.

Now, Gordon played the old trick again. Quoting "a previously undisclosed U.S. intelligence report," the discredited reporter hinted at a far-fetched connection between the "sick staff" of China's Wuhan Institute of Virology and the COVID-19 outbreak, claiming the intelligence report "could add weight to growing calls for a fuller probe of whether the COVID-19 virus may have escaped from the laboratory."

As Matthias Glaubrecht, scientific director and professor from the Department of Animal Diversity at the University of Hamburg, noted, "Secret service reports usually have the property that they are secret and will remain secret. So we cannot check whether such a report actually exists, what is really there and what evidence is included, if any."

A CLASSIC PLOY

Gordon's WSJ story on the COVID-19 origin is repeating the classic U.S. tactics deployed in its previous disinformation campaigns, like those against Iraq and Iran, in which the U.S. government leaked some deceptive information and the media acted as an amplifier.

In the latest COVID-19 origin episode, Gordon obtained so-called "information" from "a previously undisclosed U.S. intelligence report," and recounted it with amplification. Other media followed up, widely citing the Gordon story to hype up the topic. A few days later, the White House called for an intelligence report on the origins of COVID-19 within 90 days.

"This is the usual trick used by the United States for its strategic needs," said Pu Ping, a professor on international relations at the Renmin University of China.

It is an obvious fact the United States has failed in its fight against COVID-19, so it is seeking to divert public attention away from its failure, Pu said, adding "no matter whether the evidence is true or not, the U.S. government is bound to do so from its own strategic considerations."

Meanwhile, "in terms of the U.S. media, they mistrust and ideologically reject China, which has compelled them to consciously report this kind of news in that direction. It is not only a strategic need, but also a result of ideological prejudice and hostility (against China)," Pu said.

As U.S. reporters Amy Goodman and David Goodman pointed out in 2004, this was the "classic disinformation two-step," in which the White House first leaks a lie to a U.S. media outlet, and the latter publishes it as a startling exposure; then, the White House conveniently masquerades behind the credibility of the media.

Under this pattern, the U.S. media have descended into Washington's accomplices in disseminating misinformation for political and economic purposes.

"Network newscasts, dominated by current and former U.S. officials, largely exclude Americans who are skeptical of or opposed to an invasion of Iraq," said U.S. media criticism organization Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) in 2003.

Examining 393 on-camera sources who appeared in nightly news stories about Iraq on ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS, FAIR found out that 267 of the guests were from the United States, of whom, a striking 75 percent (199) were either current or former government or military officials.

Only one of the official U.S. sources expressed skepticism or opposition to the war, according to FAIR.

The U.S. media are essentially the vanguard of the U.S. national interest in the global geopolitical game, said Hui Ching, research director at the Hong Kong Zhi Ming Institute.

"After World War II, the geopolitical conflicts provoked by the United States were basically driven by economic interests, through diplomatic and military means, among which the media war was the first to be launched," Hui added.

Michael Lueders, a well-known German writer, reveals the relationship between Western media, governments and capital in a recent book titled The Hypocritical Superpower.

Many Western media reports are somehow filtered by interest groups in the United States, Lueders noted in the book.

A DOOMED WAR

Actually, the Wuhan lab leak conspiracy is only one piece of the great variety of products that have been manufactured on the U.S. disinformation production line, which is busy cutting out facts and fabricating lies to demonize China.

From smearing China's policies in Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong and Taiwan to stigmatizing China's efforts for equitable vaccine sharing and a prosperous Belt and Road, Washington has ganged up with media outlets in waging a comprehensive disinformation war against China.

"A clear large-scale campaign is currently being carried out against China," Pavel Feldman, deputy director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, was quoted by Russian newspaper Saint-Petersburg Vedomosti as saying.

"Such accusations (against China) became part of a large political game on the international arena between the main power centers -- the West believes China challenges its own civilization," Feldman said.

Observers have warned against the destructive results of the U.S. disinformation campaign against China.

"It's very rare that you find an objective, analytical piece that describes in detail what's going on within domestic policies in China. We always have a certain framing," Lueders, the German writer, told Xinhua.

"This, in my view, is wrong thinking. It's dangerous thinking because it leads to a confrontational policy," said the author.

Noting his target readers are mostly Germans and Europeans, Lueders said he hopes that local media and audience can abandon such framing and "step out of the shadow of the USA."

"The stigmatization of China is a poison to China-U.S. relations. In the long run, it may aggravate ... the mutual mistrust and misunderstanding between the two peoples," warned Pu, the international relations professor.

Noting "China is a big country and our culture is relatively independent," Pu said China will stick to its own established development path, no matter how the United States will play its disinformation trick. Enditem
William Mattox is the director of the Marshall Center for Educational Options at the James Madison Institute. He served on the Tallahassee Civil Rights Landmark Committee and helped start the Village Squares Local Color project to bridge racial division.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 16:35:46|Editor: huaxia

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The Communist Party of China (CPC)'s governing ideology has won wide support from the Chinese people, a Uzbek political expert has explained.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
School choice advocates rally at the Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort, Ky., on Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. They are supporting legislation that would give tax credits to people who donate to scholarship funds for special-needs children or those in low-income homes to attend private schools.
Up for debate:

Live legislation tracker

Check out the latest developments on bills pending before state lawmakers in four key topics.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 17:09:13|Editor: huaxia

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MANILA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has named Rear Admiral Adeluis Bordado as the new flag officer in command of the Philippine Navy, the defense department said on Tuesday.

Bordado, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1988, replaced Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, who will retire on Wednesday. Bordado served as the vice commander of the Philippine Navy before his designation as the navy chief.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Cirilito Sobejana described Bordado as an "accomplished naval officer" with a background in "fields of operations, intelligence, information technology, budget, planning, and education and training."

Sobejana said Bordado's designation is timely, noting that the Navy is "vigorously pursuing its modernization program that includes acquisition programs for surface and sub-surface assets."

"The wealth of his experience, his well-rounded education and training locally and abroad and his personal attributes make him an excellent choice to lead the Philippine Navy at this time that the AFP faces various internal and external security challenges," Sobejana said. Enditem
This is How Many People Work for the Government in New Hampshire
People gather in front of a Staten Island tanning salon, Thursday, May 28, 2020, in New York. Owner Bobby Catone opened the salon briefly Thursday morning in defiance of a law requiring nonessential businesses to remain closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Staff Reporter

Nyamekye Daniel has been a journalist for five years. She was the managing editor for the South Florida Media Network and a staff writer for The Miami Times. Daniel's work has also appeared in the Sun-Sentinel, Miami Herald and The New York Times.
Tables are marked off for social distancing at Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries on Monday, April 27, 2020, in Nolensville, Tenn.
A state legislative committee voted Monday to pursue two bills that would significantly change the way Wyomings statewide elections are run as soon as next year.

One bill would create a ranked-choice system. The other would institute an open primary.

The Legislatures Joint Committee on Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivision voted to draft the bills after initially discussing legislation that would require a runoff if one candidate did not receive a certain portion of the vote. But doubts about the feasibility of implementing that approach by next years election led lawmakers to look elsewhere.

The effort to change Wyomings primary elections, which has been talked about for years, is gaining traction due to the increased desire to unseat Rep. Liz Cheney and the size of the field in the last gubernatorial election. During the 2018 election, for example, Gov. Mark Gordon received less than 50% of the vote but won after several far-right candidates split the electorate. Cheneys critics worry about a similar result in next years GOP House primary, which already features nine candidates.

Liz Cheneys vote to hold the president accountable for his actions has really been the catalyst for Wyoming to say, We need to address this issue as immediately as possible, said chairman of the committee, Rep. Dan Zwonitzer, R-Cheyenne. The governors race also added to it.

One of the bills would implement a ranked-choice voting system if passed in next years budget session. Right now, Maine is the only state that uses this system statewide.

Typically, a ranked-choice system requires voters to rank their candidates in order of preference, though no one is required to rank more than one. Under this system, the electorate would only have to make one trip to the polls.

Multiple people who spoke on ranked choice acknowledged that it would take a public education campaign.

The other approach would implement whats called a jungle primary, or an open primary where the top two vote-getters move to the general election regardless of party. Neither candidate would need a majority.

If the legislation passed, Wyoming would join three other states that use such a method: Washington, California and Alaska.

I am pleased that two separate bill drafts are moving forward, Zwonitzer said.

While more committee members voted to move forward with the ranked-choice bill, Zwonitzer believes that the jungle primary bill would find more success in the full Legislature next year.

One of the main reasons the corporations committee voted to pursue the ranked-choice and jungle primary systems is because neither would require a runoff election.

Runoffs are triggered if no one candidate gets a certain share of the vote. Enacting such a system would be expensive and wouldnt be ready until the 2024 elections.

Voting to draft the bills did not go by without some highly contentious moments, however.

Before the meeting, Rep. Chip Neiman, R-Hulett, was pushing lawmakers to sign a pledge to support some sort of election reform because Wyoming has struggled with primary election integrity, he wrote in an email to lawmakers. Neimans pledge prompted backlash from other lawmakers.

Lawmakers on the committee  none of whom are freshmen  said that his request was unfair and lacked an understanding for how complex the situation was. Rep. Shelly Duncan, R-Lingle, even described being under duress when being asked to sign it.

I think you made like a freshman error to call everybody out on this and cause dissension when theres not enough information on the table, said Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander.

Yeah, Ive made some freshman errors, I guess, Neiman later said.

Crook County Clerk Linda Fritz, who serves in Neimans district, told lawmakers that Wyomings elections system is already secure.

We have worked our tails off to make sure that you have good elections, and we have not heard one single, solitary substantiated complaint that we have done something wrong, Fritz said. So until we hear that, I think the legislative body really needs to consider what laws you pass to correct something that isnt wrong.
WHO studying evidence of coronavirus antibodies found in Italy dating back to late 2019

Xinhua) 16:17, June 08, 2021

A woman wearing a face mask walks past the Pantheon in Rome, Italy, April 21, 2021. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting)

The findings from Italy are important because they "help create a more accurate picture" of the virus' evolution, which will both help confront the current pandemic and respond to a future pandemic more effectively, said a professor of public health at the University of Siena.

ROME, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) is evaluating evidence from Italy that the coronavirus or a similar virus may have been circulating in Italy months earlier than generally believed, a researcher told Xinhua on Monday.

Italy's National Cancer Institute (INT) reported in November last year that it found evidence of coronavirus antibodies in the blood of four Italian cancer test subjects in early October 2019, meaning they would have been infected by the virus in September, three months before China reported its first case of COVID-19, and five months before the first confirmed case in Italy.

Emanuele Montomoli, co-author of the original study and a professor of public health at the University of Siena, said the WHO was informed of the study's findings soon after they were revealed.

Soon after, researchers sent 30 biological samples -- all from the period between October and December in 2019 before the coronavirus was widely known -- to Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands which was selected by the WHO for further testing, according to Montomoli.

(Web editor: Guo Wenrui, Liang Jun)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 17:27:17|Editor: huaxia

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Carrie Lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), meets the media ahead of the executive council meeting in south China's Hong Kong, June 8, 2021. Lam told the media that it was disappointing and worrying that local cases infected with mutant strain were reported in Hong Kong recently. Lam said that the HKSAR government will stay vigilant to cope with the epidemic, adding that it is not a suitable time to ease the social distancing measures but the HKSAR government will adjust them in an orderly manner. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai)

HONG KONG, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported three cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, all imported, taking the tally in Hong Kong to 11,868.

The three imported cases involved a man and two women who arrived from Colombia and Indonesia.

Carrie Lam, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), told the media ahead of the executive council meeting that it was disappointing and worrying that local cases infected with mutant strain were reported in Hong Kong recently.

Lam said that the HKSAR government will stay vigilant to cope with the epidemic, adding that it is not a suitable time to ease the social distancing measures but the HKSAR government will adjust them in an orderly manner.

Hong Kong launched a COVID-19 vaccination drive on Feb. 26 and more than 2.67 million doses have been administered so far. Some 1.55 million people, or about 23.7 percent of the eligible population, have taken at least one shot of the vaccine, including more than 1.12 million people fully vaccinated. Enditem
Batavia, NY (14020)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 59F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 59F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Towanda, PA (18848)

Today

Isolated thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Isolated thunderstorms early, then mainly cloudy overnight with thunderstorms likely. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Towanda, PA (18848)

Today

Isolated thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low 62F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Isolated thunderstorms this evening becoming more widespread overnight. Low 62F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Oneonta, NY (13820)

Today

Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. Low near 60F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely. Rainfall will be locally heavy at times. Low near 60F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 17:35:19|Editor: huaxia

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A worker transports a package of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines at the Phnom Penh International Airport in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, June 8, 2021. Cambodia's COVID-19 vaccination drive has received another boost after the country got a new batch of Chinese vaccines on Tuesday. Cambodian health ministry's secretary of state Yok Sambath said the new arrival included Sinopharm vaccine donated by the Chinese government and those purchased from Chinese biopharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's COVID-19 vaccination drive has received another boost after the country got a new batch of Chinese vaccines on Tuesday.

Cambodian health ministry's secretary of state Yok Sambath said the new arrival included Sinopharm vaccine donated by the Chinese government and those purchased from Chinese biopharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech.

Sambath said both Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines are very safe and effective, expressing her profound gratitude to China for subsequently providing vaccines to Cambodia.

The Southeast Asian nation has so far acquired more than 7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from China and the World Health Organization's COVAX Facility, she said.

Cambodia launched an anti-COVID-19 inoculation drive on Feb. 10.

So far, nearly 4.97 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the country, with 2.2 million people fully vaccinated, the health ministry said in a statement.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen has said that the country is targeting to inoculate at least 10 million out of its 16 million population by the end of this year or by early next year at the latest.

The country logged 678 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, pushing the national case tally to 35,511 with 278 deaths and 28,649 recoveries, the health ministry said. Enditem
RENSSELAER - Mary Ellen Murin, of Rensselaer, formerly of West Oneonta, passed away on Thursday, June 10, 2021. She was 88 years old. Mary Ellen was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She graduated from Linden High School, Linden, New Jersey in 1950. She attended Trenton State Teachers College i
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 18:06:15|Editor: huaxia

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KAMPALA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Uganda has suspended mass vaccination against COVID-19 as the country waits to receive more vaccines from different sources, an official said on Tuesday.

Emmanuel Ainebyoona, spokesperson of the ministry of health told Xinhua by telephone that the mass vaccination would resume when the new orders arrive.

"For now mass vaccination is suspended as we wait to receive more vaccines," Ainebyoona said.

He noted that there are few remaining doses that will continue to be used for priority groups like health workers, elderly and those with other conditions.

Ministry of health figures show that as of Monday, 748,676 people had been vaccinated out of the 964,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that the country received in March.

Last month the country recalled unused vaccines from upcountry and launched mass vaccination in the capital Kampala following an upsurge in the number of cases.

The country's president Yoweri Museveni on Sunday said Uganda would soon receive 175,000 vaccines of AstraZeneca and the 300,000 doses that were donated by China.

Museveni also said the country plans to buy vaccines from China, Russia, Cuba and the Unites States of America.

The latest ministry of health report indicates that by Monday, the country had registered 53,961 COVID-19 cases, with 383 deaths since the first case was reported in March last year. Enditem
Melanie joined The Daily Times in the early 90s and has served as the Life section editor since 1993. A William Blount and UT alum, Melanie is generally the early arriver who turns on the lights in the newsroom.

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10 Percent of Migrants Who Enter Darien Gap Dont Survive: War Correspondent

Roughly 10 percent of migrants who journey on the 7- to 10-day walk through the inhospitable Darien jungle, which extends into Panama from Colombia, dont survive, according to war correspondent Michael Yon.

Yon, an investigative journalist and war correspondent who has spent three months interviewing people whove made the perilous trek through the Darien Gap, says the journey is full of dangers, including being robbed, getting caught up in flash floods, muddy waters, falling off cliffs, and contracting yellow fever or cholera.

Aside from natural hazards, Yon said that based on his reporting, many women, particularly Haitians and Cubans, are raped and killed as they make the journey through the dense stretch of jungle to come north.

The Darien Gap has become one of the most important routes for illegally trafficking migrantsmainly Africans, Cubans, and Haitianswho try to reach the United States by passing through Central America.

Its very dangerous in there. I would say based on the many interviews over the last three, three and a half months, about 10 percent actually die, Yon told NTDs The Nation Speaks.

Ive heard other people say only 1 percent or whatever, theyre completely wrong, he continued. It depends on which route they take, and they take the hard route.

Based on interviews he has conducted in the past three months, Yon estimates that at least one in 10 people who enter, dont make it out, while the majority of those who do survive come out with some sort of injury, disease, and havent eaten for roughly a weekthe length of time it takes to complete the trek.

This is some of the wildest jungle in the world, Yon explained. This one is particularly bad  for many reasons. One is the mountains, another is its just so much rain. Yellow fever is endemic, and there are flash floods that kill tons of people. I dont mean every once in a while.

Yon said that last week, 10 out of a group of 20 people from Senegal died in the Darien Gap. At least one died in a flash flood, and at least one fell off a cliff. He said hes unsure exactly how the other eight people died.

What we do know from the many, many interviews, is that the people that we do find who come out, if we ask them, did you see anybody die or any dead people? Almost every one of them will say that they saw somebody die or dead, he said.

The number of illegal crossings at the southern border has spiked since President Joe Biden took office on Jan. 20. For the month of April, Border Patrol agents encountered over 178,000 illegal immigrants, according to the latest statistics. This is up from just over 173,000 individuals encountered in March.

Republican lawmakers have long argued that the burgeoning crisis is a result of Bidens move to overturn several Trump-era immigration policies that helped curbed the flow of illegal border crossings. This includes his predecessors cornerstone Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP), which effectively ended the problematic catch and release policy, significantly stemming the surge of illegal immigrants that were seen at the southern border in 2019. The MPP, which was on pause, was officially terminated on June 1.

In a return to the Obama-era policies that facilitate catch-and-release, the Biden administration is again releasing unaccompanied minors into the country. The lawmakers argue that Bidens act has been interpreted as a signal to prospective migrants to travel to the United States.

The Biden administration, on the other hand, has sought to shift the blame on former President Donald Trumps administration, with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas previously saying that the Trump administration had dismantled the orderly, humane, and efficient way of allowing children to make their claims under United States law in their own country.

Trump accused Biden of destroying the United States with his administrations failed border policies.

If he would have done nothing, we would have had right now the strongest border in history, Trump said in an interview with Dick Morris on Newsmax in May. All he had to do is nothing.

Janita Kan and Reuters contributed to this report.
Practitioners of the spiritual discipline Falun Gong hold a parade in New York to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day and to protest the ongoing persecution of the group by the Chinese Communist Party in China, on May 13, 2021. (Larry Dai/The Epoch Times)

After Nearly 22 Years, Brutal Persecution of Falun Gong Continues in China

Commentary

As I browsed through the past few days of reports on Minghui.org, a U.S.-based website that documents the persecution of Falun Gong, I saw that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is still relentlessly persecuting Falun Gong practitioners for their faith, continuing to perpetuate untold human suffering.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient Chinese spiritual practice consisting of slow-moving meditation exercises and moral teachings that incorporate the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance in everyday life. It grew in popularity during the 1990s, with 70 million to 100 million adherents in China by the end of the decade, according to official estimates at the time.

Feeling threatened by its popularity, the CCP launched a systematic elimination campaign in July 1999. Since then, millions have been detained inside prisons, labor camps, and other facilities, with hundreds of thousands tortured while incarcerated, according to the Falun Dafa Info Center.

Ill mention a few of the Falun Gong practitioners who were persecuted, as documented in Minghuis latest reports.

Li Shunjiang, an engineer in Qiqihar in northeastern Chinas Heilongjiang Province, died in his early 50s on May 20. He had been imprisoned twice since 2001 and spent a total of 12 years in Fengtun Prison and Tai Lai Prison, where he was tortured by prison guards. As a result, he suffered severe pleural effusion with excessive fluid buildup in his lungs and chest cavity. He died after his release in poor condition, while caring for his wife and mother-in-law, who were in dire states after also being persecutedhis wife had become mentally ill after three years in prison, and his mother-in-law was paralyzed and bedridden after four years in prison.

Yang Wanxin, a 65-year-old resident of Beijing, was abducted from her home in August 2020 and has since been illegally detained in the Shijingshan District Detention Center in Beijing. The police raid terrified her bedridden husband, and he fell into despair over her detention. His condition quickly deteriorated, and he died in December 2020.

Mo Liqiong, an accountant in Xiangtan city of Hunan Province, has been arrested and detained multiple times since 1999. On Aug. 25, 2003, she was arrested and later sentenced to nine years in the Hunan Province Womens Prison, where she was tortured by prison guards. During her imprisonment, she was fired by her employer and abandoned by her husband. She was abducted again by police on Feb. 5 and has been illegally detained in the Xiangtan Detention Center.

Lu Mengjun, 59, also a resident of Xiangtan city, has been illegally sentenced three times for her faith, for a total of 15 1/2 years. Her latest prison sentence of 7 1/2 years began on April 28 after she was once again arrested and her home ransacked on June 2, 2020.

While she survived torture by prison guards during her previous two prison terms, two fellow Falun Gong practitioners who were arrested along with her, Lu Songming and Liu Liyan, were persecuted to death, in 2021 and 2014, respectively.

Gu Xiaohua, a 72-year-old Beijing resident, was tried by the Chaoyang District Court in Beijing for her faith on April 19, following her arrest by police, who ransacked her home and confiscated her Falun Gong books and personal belongings, on April 17, 2019. While detained in the Chaoyang District Detention Center, she was denied her right to have her lawyer visit her and defend her in court.

Gu has been repeatedly targeted for her faith since the persecution began in 1999. She was subjected to 1 1/2 years of forced labor in January 2002, four years in November 2005, and 2 1/2 years in February 2009.

When the CCP launched a systematic persecution campaign in July 1999, it declared that it would eliminate Falun Gong within three months by defaming practitioners reputations, seizing their wealth, and attacking them physically. Practitioners murdered as a result of persecution would be declared victims of suicide and cremated immediately.

An increasing number of reports (pdf) and investigations (pdf) show that the CCP has been engaged in state-sponsored massive forced organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners and other victims, in what researchers David Matas and David Kilgour called an unprecedented evil on this planet.

Over the past 22 years, the persecution of Falun Gong has proven to be among historys most severe crimes against humanity. The actual number of deaths caused by the persecution is difficult to estimate, due to the strict censorship in mainland China. Minghui has confirmed and verified the deaths of 4,641 Falun Gong adherents at the hands of the CCP authorities for refusing to abandon their faith.

However, this incomplete statistic is just a fraction of a much higher death toll, as many deaths have gone unreportedincluding those who have been murdered for their organs.

Today, large numbers of innocent Falun Gong practitioners are still suffering in prisons and detention centers in China, where they face the threat of torture and forced organ harvesting.

The persecution must end, and every day it continues is a day that the CCPs tyranny continues to triumph over the human conscience.

Shi Ming is a freelance writer who has been covering Chinas affairs and human rights issues for many years. He has been contributing to the Chinese-language Epoch Times since 2011.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A group of illegal immigrants wait for Border Patrol after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in La Joya, Texas, on April 10, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Amid Federal Inaction, Texans Push for Control of Own Border

DEL RIO, TexasTexans living near the U.S.Mexico border are growing increasingly frustrated with the surge in illegal crossings, human smuggling, vehicle theft, property damage, and threats from illegal aliens trespassing on their property.

Ranchers are having to brandish firearms, or even fire warning shots, to chase groups of illegal aliens, usually young men, out of their homes. Parents are afraid to let their young children play outside, while sheriffs are resigned that someone is going to get shot sooner or later.

Expecting no help from the federal government, residents are pressing for state and local action.

At least 14 counties have declared local disasters, and some are starting to prosecute illegal aliens for trespassing and other crimes, although resources are so limited that the impact will likely be small.

The answer is send them back, Val Verde County Judge Lewis Owens said at a border town hall in Del Rio on June 4, referring to illegal border-crossers.

Fly them back to the point of origin. If we do that, thats a deterrent. But weve got to send them back.

Owens went on to say, however, that we dont have that power.

John Zadrozny, homeland security director at the America First Policy Institute, disagreed.

Texas is a sovereign state. Its not an appendage of Washington, D.C. It has the right to defend its people and its border without permission, he said.

Article 1, Section 10 of the Constitution states, in part: No State shall, without the Consent of Congress  engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.

Zadrozny said local law enforcement and state authorities can ship these people to the other side of the river.

Id actually encourage you to put a bunch of these guys in a boat, give them a couple sandwiches, and send them back across the river and see what happens. There will be no consequence, he said. If someone in Washington starts grumbling, dare them to come down here and have a conversation about it.

Border Patrol has apprehended more than 300,000 illegal aliens entering Texas from Mexico in the months of February, March, and April, according to Customs and Border Protection statistics. Thousands more have evaded capture.

Texas Autonomy

Lavaca County Judge Mark Myers suggested at a community meeting in Westache on April 22 that the governor should activate the National Guard, as well as a reserve militia.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott can enact a draft to raise up an army to quell this invasion, Myers said. This is an invasion. No matter what anyone tells you, this is a law enforcement emergency. And we have the right to do that under the Texas Constitution and under Texas Government Code.

Chapter 431 of the Texas Government Code states, in part, The reserve militia is not subject to active military duty, except that the governor may call into service the portion of the reserve militia needed for the period required in case of war, insurrection, invasion or prevention of invasion, suppression of riot, tumult, or breach of peace or to aid civil officers to execute law or serve process.

If we dont start doing something soon, its going to start costing a lot of lives, Myers said. I would like to see something done about this before we lose our nation.

Kinney County Attorney Brent Smith suggested that Abbott should pressure Mexico to stop the flood of illegal border crossings by threatening to close the Texas roadways to the ports of entry between Mexico and Texas.

He can punish them by depleting their legitimate income that they receive through the borders through trade. Punish them enough to where it exceeds the illegitimate income, Smith said in Del Rio on June 4. If you stop illegal immigration, Ill open up one. If it keeps going, Ill shut it back down. If it improves, open up another.

State Action

Abbott is hosting a border security summit in Del Rio on June 10, along with officials from the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the Texas Military Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The governor issued a state disaster declaration on June 1 to push more resources into controlling the border and the spillover crime, highlighting 34 highly affected counties.

He said the border surge poses an ongoing and imminent threat of widespread and severe damage, injury, and loss of life and property, including property damage, property crime, human trafficking, violent crime, threats to public health, and a violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity, in certain Texas counties and and for all state agencies affected by this disaster.

Abbott deployed extra state troopers to border areas in mid-March and reported that so far, theyve apprehended more than 35,000 illegal immigrants, seized more than 10,000 pounds of drugs, and more than 100 firearms.

In his latest declaration, Abbott criticized the Biden administration for failing Texans with its open border policies that have enabled escalating violence from the cartels.

Abbott directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to use available resources to enforce all applicable federal and state laws to prevent the criminal activity along the border, including criminal trespassing, smuggling, and human trafficking, and to assist Texas counties in their efforts to address those criminal activities.

Abbott and the Texas legislature have been criticized for not responding quickly enough or with enough resources. Texas state Rep. Bryan Slaton, who spoke at a border crisis meeting in Kinney County on May 22, said hes pushing for the governor to place border security on a special session agenda.

This is affecting everything, our families, our economy, the overall safety of our community, Slaton said. The Constitution is supreme, and we have every right to take care of our community.

If your elected officials are not going to stand up and fight for whats right, maybe God is paving the way for you to step in, and for you to do it.
Artist Paints Huge American Flag for High School Gym so Classmates Can Say Pledge

The son of two U.S. Air Force veterans has made his town proud by painting an American flag mural for his high schoola project that took a whole semester to complete.

Eighteen-year-old Hunter Delsite, from the military town of Mountain Home, Idaho, tackled the project with encouragement from his art teacher. The pair noticed that every classroom had a flag to say the pledge to, except the gymnasium.

The young artist was up for the task of painting one, though.

I started drawing it out and it took a while to get it done, the Mountain Home High senior told KTVB 7. Then it was figuring out how big to do it.

Delsite settled on a mammoth 8-by-16-foot composite mural, a surface that would take him over 3 months to cover and finish in full detail. Its the teens largest project, to date.

The artist drafted a flying flag, rippling in the wind, the colors bold and bright, with a pole and cable across an overcast sky, with a stark white background creating dramatic contrast.

The plan was to to have it mounted in the gymnasium, behind the bleachers.

The artist (L) posing with his finished American flag mural. (Courtesy of Brenda Raub)

Delsite has practiced art for years, but started taking it a lot more seriously when he landed Brenda Raub as his art teacherwho pushed him to take his work further.

She said shes lucky to have had Delsite as a student and was impressed with him from the start.

When you have a kid that you see for four years and teach, and they just keep doing amazing things, theres just not much you can ask for, she told the station.

Hunter Delsite and his huge American flag mural. (Courtesy of Brenda Raub)

It wasnt just for the school that Delsite took on the project, though; he also painted it for his parents who once served their country as Airmen.

While working, Delsite contemplated the flags significance, and what it mean to himunion, freedom, and being able to speak ones mind.

The flag to me really means coming together, that union of all of us  Americans are really from everywhere, he said.

Raub posted photos of her students finished work on Facebook; both teacher and student were blown away by the reception it garnered, as likes, comments, and shares amassed.

Delsites own father proudly commented, Thats my son!

Delsites American flag mural completed. (Courtesy of Brenda Raub)

Everybody loves it, Delsite told the station. I just thought I would put it on the wall and people would say the pledge to it. There has been a lot of love for it.

The painter graduated on May 28, and now plans to study architecture at the University of Idaholeaving the mural behind to inspire future classes of students.

Its really, really awesome to get to say that I left something that big here at the school, you know? Delsite exclaimed. Not a lot of students get to do something like that.

It makes me really happy.

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
Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar (C) and other members of the Taliban delegation arrive to attend an international conference on Afghanistan over the peaceful solution to the conflict in Moscow on March 18, 2021. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Australia Fast-Tracks Protection Visas for Afghan Interpreters Targeted by Taliban

Australia is urgently processing up to 300 protection visa applications for Afghan interpreters who have been told they are on a Taliban hit list as allied troops withdraw from Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the federal government is aware of the situation and currently going through the paperwork.

We have done this before safely, and we will be able to do it again, but it would be very unhelpful for me to elaborate any further on that issue, Morrison told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.

We are very aware of it, and we are working urgently and steadfastly and patiently to ensure that we do this in the appropriate way as we have done on earlier occasions.

Chris Barrie, a retired admiral, said Australia has a serious obligation to take care of the interpreters when withdrawing military later this year.

It would be unconscionable to leave these people to the mercy of the Taliban, Barrie told ABC radio. We must do something to help them.

Afghan security forces stand near an armoured vehicle during ongoing fighting between Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters in the Busharan area on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah, the capital city of Helmand province, on May 5, 2021. (Sifatullah Zahidi/AFP via Getty Images)

Documents obtained by the ABC show that the Taliban has attempted to kill these Afghan interpreters, who were accused of working for the infidel enemies.

We are honest in our words, and we will get you, be it day or night, and you will be punished, and we will reach our goal, a letter sent to one Afghan interpreter who worked with Australian Defence Force soldiers reads.

It tells the interpreter to await your death very soon.

The interpreter was targeted previously by a Taliban insurgent in November 2016, resulting in his leg being broken in three places.

About 60 percent of applications in the past eight years have been approved, Hugh Jeffrey from the Department of Defences International Policy Division told SBS. Figures after Australia announced its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan were not given.

Overall, since 2013around 1,000 applicationsweve certified around 600 of those, Jeffrey said. When you include the applicants and their families, about 1,200 Afghan nationals have been resettled in Australia.

Both the United States and the United Kingdom have agreed to urgently resettle thousands of Afghan interpreters and their families.

Priti Patel, the British Home Secretary, said this is a moral obligation, and the government will recognise the risks they faced in the fight against terrorism and reward their efforts.
Australian Police, FBI Take Down 220 Underworld Figures in Global Sting Using Encrypted App

Law enforcement has struck a heavy blow against industrial-scale organised crimenetting bikies, mafia members, and even reality TV starsin a globe-spanning sting operation involving 9,000 officers from Australia, Europe, and the United States.

Key to the operation was the deliberate rollout of an encrypted messaging app to the criminal underworld that gave police access to secret communications between syndicates.

Today, the Australian government, as part of a global operation, has struck a heavy blow against organised crimenot just in this country, but one that will echo around organised crime around the world, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters on Tuesday EST.

This is a watershed moment in Australian law enforcement history, he added.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw speak to the media in Sydney, Australia, on June 8, 2021. (Mark Evans/Getty Images)

Prime Minister Morrison, along with Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews, FBI Legal Attache at the U.S. Embassy Anthony Russo, and Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police Reece Kershaw, fronted a press conference to outline the details of Operation Ironside.

Established in 2018, the operation, which spans 18 different countries, netted 224 offenders over several years on 526 charges in Australia. More arrests are expected.

Subsequent press briefings will be delivered hours later by Europol and the FBI in San Diego, California.

Australian police meanwhile seized over 3.7 tonnes of drugs, 104 firearms and weapons, and around $45 million in cash.

Weapons seized as part of Operation Ironside (Supplied)

Cannabis seized during raids in Operation Ironside (Supplied)

Law enforcement was also able to foil 21 organised murder attempts. One contract involved a family of five and was to be committed with a machine gun while the family were visiting a cafe.

Over 4,000 law enforcement officers in Australia were involved, including Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers and state and territory police.

Ironside has arrested and charged, who we allege, are some of the most dangerous criminals to Australia, AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw told reporters. The sting saw officers apprehend members of outlaw motorcycle gangs, Australian-based Italian mafia, Asian crime syndicates, Albanian gangs, and even reality TV stars Sopiea Kong (Ninja Warrior) and Samuel Minkin (The Bachelorette)

We allege theyve been trafficking illicit drugs into Australia at an industrial scale, Kershaw said regarding the gangs.

Sadly, criminal gangs are targeting Australia because it is one of the most profitable countries in the world to sell drugs, and for three years, this operation has been covert.

A Crystal Ball into the Underworld

The key to the operation was the secret rollout of a new platform called ANoM to criminal syndicates by law enforcement. ANoM was developed by the FBI, while the AFP provided the technical ability to decrypt communications.

Australian drug kingpin Hakan Ayik was revealed to have unwittingly distributed the app to fellow criminal associates, including Mexican cartels, Asian triads, and outlaw motorcycle gangs.

According to an AFP statement, the app grew organically and became popular in the underworld because criminals were confident of the legitimacy of the app because high-profile individuals, such as Ayik, vouched for its integrity.

Underworld figure apprehended during Operation Ironside raid (Supplied)

Commissioner Kershaw conceded that Ayik was likely a marked man and urged him to turn himself in.

For years, ANoM provided law enforcement with insight into the wheeling and dealing of underworld figures.

New South Wales Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said the system was like peering through a crystal ball into the mindset of organised crime, he told reporters.

As of Tuesday, the app was shut down with Commissioner Kershaw citing a legal timeframe on this operation.

Let me be clear. When you get access, and it will come out in court, youll see that all they talk about is drugs, violence, hits on each other, innocent people who are going to be murdered, Kershaw said.

Car seized during Operation Ironside raid (Supplied)

It would be like, I need 1,000 kilos at this price. Very brazen. We havent seen it done like that. No attempt to hide behind any kind of codified kind of conversation, he added.

Criminal figures also turned on each other once arrests were made.

They actually do a lot of business behind each others backs, including the presidents of various groups and organisations for personal wealth, he said.

Because theres no doubt going to be some tension within the whole system about who owes what drug debt and so on. So that was pretty brazen to see that they were actually disloyal to their own groups.

The Commissioner conceded that this sting operation was just the beginning, revealing that the app allowed law enforcement to identify just 5 percent of encrypted communications used by underworld figures, around 1,600 to 1,700 in Australia and 9,000 globally.
Hotel quarantine workers in PPE are seen at the Intercontinental Hotel in Melbourne, Australia, on April 8, 2021. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)

Australias Delta Strain Outbreak Traced Back to Hotel Quarantine

The outbreak of the highly infectious Indian Delta strain of the CCP virus in the Australian state of Victoria has been traced back to a person who was in hotel quarantine in the state.

Acting Premier James Merlino said authorities genomically linked the west Melbourne Delta cluster to a man who arrived in Australia from Sri Lanka on May 8. The man tested positive on that same day and was later moved from the Novotel Ibis to the Holiday Inn health hotel on May 14 before being released on May 23.

Victorian health authorities are still unsure how the virus was transmitted from the returned traveller to the infected family. The states Deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng said there were four potential hypotheses around how the cluster occurred.

The most likely scenario is that the man transmitted the virus to a staff member en route to the health hotel or a fellow guest inside the facility before it spread.

At this stage, we have not identified any high-risk incidents or interactions with staff or residents that may provide a clue as to the link to this outbreak, Cheng told reporters on Tuesday.

Acting Police and Emergency Services Minister Danny Pearson said that all 24 flight passengers and a Skybus crew who came into contact with the returned traveller returned negative tests.

A further 268 COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria staff, who worked at the Novotel Ibis on May 8 and 9, 360 staff at the Holiday Inn, and 12 residents housed on the same floor of the Novotel Ibis have also all tested negative.

I can confirm that so far, there is no reported or obvious breach of infection prevention control protocols or anything else that would indicate a transmission has happened inside the hotel, Pearson said.

The acting premier noted that this second breach is potentially the 21st time Australias quarantine system has failed since the program began in 2020.

We all know that hotel quarantine cannot be made risk-free, Merlino said. Hotels are built for tourists, not for managing infectious diseases.

Despite all the protections we have appropriately put in place, vaccinations of staff, daily testing of staff, PPE, N95 masks, ventilation works, just to name a few, we cannot eliminate risk in this environment, he said. The fact that Howard Springs is the only system in the country that has seen no breaches really speaks for itself. Thats why we have pushed so hard to get a purposed built quarantine facility.

The federal government and Victoria have signed an agreement to construct a purpose-built quarantine facility on June 4.

The prime minister noted that he was very pleased with the Victorian governments proposal for the facility, which was in contrast to his comments about a similar proposal from the Queensland government, which he indicated had repeatedly said lacked crucial detail and proposed to replace rather than supplement hotel quarantine in the state.

Victoria recorded two new local COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, both of which were linked to the two existing outbreaks.

But the acting premier reassured Victorians that this would not delay the plan to ease restrictions in the state on Thursday.

Our contact tracing team has done exactly what we needed them to do, he said. They have found the cases, they have tracked them down, and they have isolated them.

AAP contributed to this article.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 18:06:46|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to Isaac Herzog over his election as Israeli president.

In the message, Xi pointed out that over recent years, China and Israel have maintained close exchanges at all levels, and their practical cooperation has continued to advance.

Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Israel relations, and is willing to work with Herzog to strengthen the two countries' political mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, and promote the China-Israel innovative comprehensive partnership to a new level, so as to benefit the two countries and their people. Enditem
Taiwanese sailors salute the island's flag on the deck of the Panshih supply ship after taking part in annual drills at the Tsoying naval base in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Jan. 31, 2018. (MANDY CHENG/AFP via Getty Images)

Beijing Complains US Congress Members Taiwan Trip Distorts Its Facts

The Chinese regime is complaining about a visit by three U.S. senators to Taiwan on a C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft. What the Americans said was a humanitarian visit to deliver COVID-19 vaccines, Beijings media mouthpiece portrayed to the Chinese-reading world as a provocation and a trick by Taipei to maintain its rule.

What [the Taipei authorities] want to do most is to divert peoples attention  from the conflict between DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) government and Taiwanese people to the conflict across the strait, Chinese state-run tabloid Global Times stated in commentary on June 6, without mentioning what is the publics dissatisfaction with the DPP.

Recent approval ratings for the Taiwanese president differ between Taiwans pro-Beijing and other press. Beijing-friendly Taiwanese broadcaster TVBS said on May 17 that President Tsai Ing-wen captured 41 percent support from the people, while progressive magazine Global Views reported that Tsai held 55.3 percent support on May 10.

On June 7, Wang Wenbin, spokesman for Chinas Foreign Affairs Ministry, asserted that the U.S. senators visit was sending the wrong signals to Taiwans separatist forces, while the Chinese Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council in Beijing said that the nature of the Taiwanese government is pursuing independence. Talk of separation and secession has been considered treasonous by the ruling communist party since Chiang Kai-sheks Nationalists fled to Taiwan as the communists took control of the mainland during the Chinese civil war.

The Chinese regime wants to claim the island as its own, despite the fact that Taiwan is a de facto independent country, with its own military, democratically-elected government, and constitution.

Voice from Free World

U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) wave next to Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu and Brent Christensen, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, after their arrival via a U.S. Air Force freighter at Taipei Songshan Airport in Taipei, Taiwan, on June 6, 2021. (Central News Agency/Pool via Reuters)

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Sen. Christopher Coons (D-Del.), and Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) visited Taiwan on June 6 and brought the news that the United States would give the democratic island 750,000 COVID-19 vaccine dosespart of President Joe Bidens move to share tens of millions of jabs globally.

Duckworth said the visit underscored bipartisan U.S. support for Taiwan against Beijings threats of invasion. The island has been suffering a COVID-19 outbreak in recent weeks and faces a vaccine shortage.

We will be by your side to make sure the people of Taiwan have what they need to get to the other side of the pandemic and beyond, Duckworth said at the airport after landing.

Su Tze-Yun, senior analyst at the Taiwan Institute of National Defense and Security Research, told The Epoch Times on June 6 that the main purpose of the senators visit was humanitarian assistance to Taiwan in its time of need.

He added that their arrival in a military transport aircraft was a signal of support Taiwans self-defense to deter the Chinese regimes military adventures, Su added.

An air-to-air left side view of a C-17 Globemaster III from the 17th Airlift Squadron, 437th Air Wing, Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., as it flies along the coast. (USAF)

Doong Sy-chi, deputy chief executive of Taipei-based Taiwan Thinktank, told The Epoch Times on June 7 that the senators visit was the United States giving back after Taiwan supported Americans by supplying facial masks and other medical materials when the U.S. suffered its outbreak and lacked these goods.

The allied countries who cherish democratic values will support each other when they see the other party suffering from the pandemic epidemic, Doong said. Not only the United States but Japan also sent COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan.

Furthermore, Doong pointed out that maintaining peace and safety in the Taiwan Strait is related to the security of Japan, South Korea, the United States, and other Indo-Pacific countries.

Read More Taiwan Says China Sending Planes Near Island Almost Daily

Prof. Feng Chongyi, a China expert at the University of Technology, Sydney, in Australia, told The Epoch Times on June 7 that the senators visit was a display of Washingtons determination to protect Taiwan from the communist aggression coming from Beijing.

China is accelerating its plan to unify Taiwan by force. The senators visit and the warplane are actions to contain Chinas ambition, Feng said.

Flags of Taiwan and U.S. are placed for a meeting in Taipei, Taiwan, on March 27, 2018. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

Regarding the allegation by Global Times, Doong pushed back against the Chinese Communist Partys rhetoric.

Nobody in Taiwan wants to use the pandemic to seek political targets. Its the Chinese regime trying to unify Taiwan by using the worsening outbreak, he said.

In the past weeks, Taiwan reported that the Beijing regime had blocked the islands attempt to purchase vaccines from Europe. The regime has also launched psychological warfare efforts to sow division in Taiwanese society during their COVID-19 outbreak, and sent warplanes and aircraft carriers to the sensitive areas to threaten Taiwan.

Luo Ya contributed to this report.
Biden Admin Threatens Lawsuit Against Texas Over Shelters for Unaccompanied Minors

The Biden administration on Monday said it may file a lawsuit against Texas after Gov. Greg Abbott recently signed an order to pull state licenses for shelters that house unaccompanied minors who recently crossed the U.S.-Mexico border.

Late last month, Abbott signed an order mandating that officials need to end state licenses for the shelters being used by the federal government within 90 days. The federal governmentand typically the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)is responsible for caring for and housing unaccompanied minors, according to immigration law.

HHS Deputy General Counsel Paul Rodriguez sent a letter (pdf) to Abbott, a Republican, and other Texas officials and warned them that Abbotts recent move to rescind state licenses from federal immigration facilities would lead to a lawsuit, arguing that it would violate immigration law.

Although we prefer to resolve this matter amicably, in light of the legal issues outlined above, HHS is consulting the U.S. Department of Justice and intends to pursue whatever appropriate legal action is necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of the vulnerable youth that Congress entrusted to [HHS], Rodriguez wrote.

The HHSs Office of Refugee Resettlement operates more than 50 state-licensed facilities in Texas, Rodriguez added in his letter. As those facilities comprise a significant portion of [the agencys] total operational footprint, and represent an indispensable component of the federal immigration system, Abbotts recent order is a direct attack on that system, he said.

The order, the letter added, facially discriminates against the federal government and its grantees in violation of the Supremacy Clause. As a result, it stated, Abbott and other Texas officials need to clarify by June 11 whether the proclamation applies to 52 state-licensed shelters.

Absent an understanding with Texas by June 11  HHS will be prepared to pursue all available relief, Rodriguez said.

Abbott responded to the HHS letter by saying its part of a pressure campaign on behalf of the White House to support its immigration policies. Abbott and other Republicans have been sharply critical of President Joe Bidens immigration mandates, alleging the president has issued directives designed to dismantle the immigration laws.

The Biden administration is yet again pressuring Texas to aid its illegal immigration program and force our state to do its job, the governor said. The federal government caused this problem and should be solely responsible for the care of these children. No child will be uncared for. Texas will remain focused on doing our jobprotecting Texans.

Biden and White House officials have claimed the administration was left a broken immigration system, although former President Donald Trump and former Trump-era officials have denied the claims.
Few rifles remained on the shelf at Caso's Gun-A-Rama store on March 25, 2021 in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Biden Administrations Proposed Gun Rule Would Impact Millions of Firearm Owners: Group

Gun-rights groups and firearms manufacturers decried a rule proposed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) at the request of President Joe Biden that would deem most firearms with stabilizing pistol braces illegal, saying that millions of lawfully abiding gun owners would be affected.

It will be the largest gun registration, destruction, and confiscation scheme in American history, Alex Bosco, who invented the stabilizing brace, told The Reload website of the rule unveiled on Monday.

And Aidan Johnston, the director of federal affairs of gun-rights group Gun Owners of America, wrote that the proposal is a gross abuse of executive authority.

Millions of otherwise law-abiding gun owners now will be forced to destroy, register, or surrender their lawfully acquired pistol-braced firearms, he wrote on Twitter.

Johnston, furthermore, asserted that his group will attempt to defeat these unlawful regulations during the comment period or, failing that, through legal action.

The ATFs proposed rule would define a handgun as a short-barreled rifle if it is equipped with a stabilizing pistol brace, which, according to the ATFs own estimate, is a popular accessory.

Between 3 million and 7 million braces that are already owned by Americans, the ATF noted, and approximately 1.9 million would be impacted by the rule. Meanwhile, the Congressional Research Service, a public policy research institute used by Congress, has estimated (pdf) that between 10 million and 40 million stabilizing braces are owned by American civilians as of April 2021.

Altering the classification of firearms equipped with stabilizing braces would likely affect millions of owners, the Congressional Research Service previously concluded.

The new proposed rule would also make most guns equipped with a stabilizing brace illegal under the National Firearms Act, and it would require firearms owners to forfeit, disassemble, or register their weaponsotherwise, they could potentially be charged with a felony.

When individuals use accessories to convert pistols into short-barreled rifles, they must comply with the heightened regulations on those dangerous and easily concealable weapons, the Department of Justice on Monday about the rules. The DOJ also argued that the braces allow people to easily convert pistols into these more dangerous weapons without going through a background check or meeting other requirements.

The proposed rule fulfills an executive order issued by President Biden in early April that directed the DOJ to propose a number of rule changes, including the braces and classifying unfinished gun parts as completed guns.

Biden said in April that recent mass shootings were part of an epidemic and has to stop.

At the time, a number of gun-rights and industry groups such as the National Rifle Association and Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition panned the executive order. Gun-control groups including Everytown for Gun Safety praised the move.
President Joe Biden arrives to board Marine One near the White House in Washington, on June 2, 2021. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

Biden Assures Zelensky He Will Stand Up Firmly for Ukraines Sovereignty During Putin Meeting

President Joe Biden assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday that he will stand up firmly for Ukraines sovereignty during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva on June 16.

Biden in a phone call with Zelensky on Monday afternoon affirmed the United States unwavering commitment to Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of ongoing Russian aggression in Donbas and Crimea, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.

National security advisor Jake Sullivan meanwhile told reporters that Biden told Zelensky he looks forward to welcoming him to the White House  this summer after he returns from Europe.

It comes days after Zelensky said that hes disappointed by Bidens decision to lift sanctions on Russias Nord Stream 2 pipeline, stating the shift in U.S. policy has essentially provided Russia with bullets in doing so.

We were very surprised, Zelensky told Axios of the Biden administrations decision to waive sanctions on the company and CEO overseeing the construction of Russias Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline project last month.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky holds a press conference at the Antonov aircraft manufacturing plant in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 20, 2021. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)

The pipeline, which is roughly 95 percent complete, would double the capacity of the existing Nord Stream duct to deliver gas to Europe from Russia through Germany under the Baltic Sea, weakening European energy security. Its expected to be completed this year, with Russian President Vladimir Putin announcing on June 3 that the first of the two lines is now complete and that Russias majority state energy company Gazprom is ready to start filling Nord Stream 2 with gas.

Nord Stream 2, according to our understandingaccording to the security understanding of not only Europe, I am sure, but also of the United States of America as our strategic partnerwe understand that this is a weapon, a real weapon  in the hands of the Russian Federation, Zelensky said.

It is not very understandable, I feel, and definitely not expected, that the bullets to this weapon can possibly be provided by such a great country as the United States.

In late 2019, Congress and the Trump administration sanctioned a number of entities tied to the construction of the $10.5 billion pipeline. The sanctions were part of the National Defense Authorization Act, which had a stated goal to minimize the ability of Russia to use Nord Stream 2 as a tool of coercion and political leverage and to stop Russia from shifting energy exports from Ukraine to other countries. Russia had vowed to continue the project in spite of the implementation of those sanctions.

Russia has previously cut fuel deliveries to Ukraine and parts of Europe in winter amid pricing disputes.

The Ukrainian president said Biden had offered him direct signals that the United States was prepared to block the pipeline. The White House said as recently as January that the president believes the pipeline is a bad deal for Europe.

Biden said although he opposed the project from the beginning, the pipeline is now nearly finished and cited the importance of good relations with Germany.

Zelensky said he understands the importance of the relationship between the United States and Germany, but stated: How many Ukrainian lives does the relationship between the U.S. and Germany cost?

Biden and Putin are expected to discuss the full range of pressing issues, as we seek to restore predictability and stability to the U.S.Russia relationship in person next week, Psaki said.

Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report.
British Author and Former Diplomat Predicts Great Leap to Freedom for China

Few individuals in the world can say theyve seen Mao Zedong in person or dined with Deng Xiaoping.

But Roger Garside has done both. In 1968, he captured a photograph of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Chairman Mao Zedong in Tiananmen Square at a time when very few Westerners had access to China, and in 1977, he dined with Chinas future paramount leader Deng Xiaoping.

In an exclusive interview with The Epoch Times, Garsidea former British diplomat and author of the newly published book China Coup: The Great Leap to Freedomlooked back on his more than six decades of following events in China, and looked forward to what he predicts will be momentous change there, including potential political change and a transition to democracy.

He described in detail the senseless violence that he and other diplomats witnessed in China in the late 1960s during the turbulent Cultural Revolution, telling The Epoch Times, We all saw terrible things.

Despite what he witnessed in China during Maos reign and the developments since then, Garside said he believesas explained in his new bookthat the one-party rule of the CCP, which he calls a totalitarian regime, can soon be ended. He noted that over the decades, hes seen evidence of aspiration among the Chinese people for political and social freedom, as well as political change, which he says the United States and its allies can help them achieve.

After attending boarding school at Eton College, Garside was conscripted into the British army at age 18 and was commissioned as an officer in the late 1950s, serving in British Hong Kong with the Brigade of Gurkhasa unit chiefly comprising soldiers recruited from the hills of Nepal.

I first watched China through a pair of army binoculars across the Hong KongChina border at the time of the Great Leap Forward, when at night, in the valley below, refugees from starvation and death in the mainland were trying to escape into the freedom of Hong Kong, Garside told The Epoch Times, referring to the disastrous period from 1958 to 1962, in which Mao made a radical attempt to reorganize Chinese society into communes and rapidly increase Chinas economic output through top-down centralized planning.

The Great Leap Forward resulted in widespread famine for the Chinese people and has been estimated to have caused tens of millions of deaths in China.

Garside said that, during his year and a half as a soldier in Hong Kong, he developed an admiration and respect for the people there.

I saw their entrepreneurship, I saw their family values  how they flourished in a small government regime, he said.

After graduating with a degree in English literature from the University of Cambridge following his military service, Garside decided to join Britains Diplomatic Service.

I had developed a great taste for faraway places with strange-sounding names, he said.

Returning to Hong Kong, where he completed two years of Mandarin Chinese language training, he was posted to the British diplomatic mission in Beijing from 1968 to 1970near the height of the hysteria witnessed during Chinas Cultural Revolution.

A photo of CCP Chairman Mao Zedong in Beijings Tiananmen Square, taken in 1968 by Roger Garside. (Courtesy of Roger Garside)

When I arrived [in China] in May of 68, the Cultural Revolution was still in full flood, Garside said. There was violence breaking out all over China, there was factional struggle at the ground level. Even the people who worked in the grocery store in our diplomatic compound, the Chinese employees there, would be dragooned into going out and marching in the streets or even around the compound, shouting angrily, denunciations of whatever the target of the week was: sometimes imperialism, sometimes Soviet revisionism, sometimes domestic targets.

He described some of the disturbing actions that the people of China were being goaded into carrying outin the name of party loyaltyby the CCP.

We were reading many horrible stories of violence within families, Garside said, as Red Guard children were psyched up, driven, forced, [for] whatever reason, to attack their grandmothers and smash their Buddhas, maybe even join their schoolmates in dragging their grandmothers through the streets behind carts or beating old people with belts in parks. We all saw terrible things.

Garside suggested that while the Chinese people were being whipped into a frenzy by the CCP, on many occasions, those participating in the mandatory demonstrations were feigning emotions that werent representative of their true character.

I saw these people taking part [in demonstrations].  And I contrasted the behavior of those people in publicthe show of anger, the show of outrageI contrasted that with the people who worked in our homes as domestic servants, who seemed so different. They were personally kind, considerate, hardworking, Garside said. And it was as if they had two faces, two lives, two personalities. And it taught me a lot about the skill as actors which the Chinese people have had to develop under communist rule. I think theyre the greatest nation of actors in a theatrical sense.

Their very lives, their freedom, depend upon their being able to put on a show, and they do so without a moments hesitation. Theyve been trained to it from elementary school upwards.

After finishing his first diplomatic posting in Beijing, Garside earned a masters degree in management science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and helped manage the program of lending to Thailand by the World Bank in Washington.

When I was working in the World Bank, I saw the Asian Tigers rising, he said, referring to the economies of South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong, which he noted were export-led and powered by dynamic private sectors.

The dynamism of the Four Asian Tigers, as these nations have often been collectively called, in the context of their rapid economic growth from the 60s through the 80s, was in sharp contrast to the economic paralysis that Garside observed during his second diplomatic posting to Beijing from 1976 to 1979, characterized by state-owned industry and collectivized agriculture.

Garside arrived for that second posting in January 1976, just one week after the death of Zhou Enlai, who served as premier under Mao. He saw that Chinas top leaders were engaged in a thinly veiled factional power struggle between pragmatists loyal to Zhou and leftist revolutionaries loyal to the ailing Mao, who would die in September that year.

Roger Garside and his daughters in China in 1976. (Courtesy of Roger Garside)

In late 1977, Garside had occasion to meet and dine with the future paramount leader of China, Deng Xiaoping, while managing former UK Prime Minister Edward Heaths visit to China. One memorable detail of the occasion was Dengs use of a spittoon, a habit for which he was well known.

There were these huge, white, enameled spittoons, and he would have one just in front of his armchair, Garside said. Id heard about him spitting, so I took note whenever he spat, and whenever he mentioned the Soviet Union, he spat.

Deng reached the top of the CCP in 1978, and Garside witnessed part of a brief period of nascent political liberalization, from late 1978 to 1979, known as the Beijing Spring. A key feature of the Beijing Spring was a Democracy Wall, upon which the Chinese people would openly post denunciations of injustice and calls for democracy that would be read, discussed, and debated. Deng initially supported the Democracy Wall but launched the first of multiple crackdowns in March 1979, shortly after telling high-ranking CCP members in a speech that the democracy movement had gone too far.

By the end of 1979, the Beijing Spring period was over.

Nonetheless, the short-lived Beijing Spring had provided Garside with clear evidence of a desire among the Chinese people for greater political freedom. Shortly after leaving Beijing in January 1979, Garside wrote his first book, the widely praised Coming Alive: China After Mao, which details this period.

His new book, published this year by the University of California Press, looks to Chinas future. In China Coup, Garside describes in detail his vision that soon, with the help of liberal democracies using economic tools to pressure the CCP, the Chinese people will be able to make a great leap to freedom and democracy.

We have great economic assets, which we can deploy in order to come together with those who want change in China. And by using them in an imaginative and bold way, both cumulatively over time and then, in a more focused, short-term way  we can create conditions in which those within China who want change can move, Garside said. This techno-totalitarian [CCP] has great instruments of control, and its going to be extremely hard for any movement within China to achieve Chinas liberation without outside assistance.

Garside emphasized that the CCP is now a major global threat to freedom. He added that the United States and its allies are experiencing a great awakening regarding the true nature of the CCP.

We have awoken to the threat from China late. But not too late. We are engaged in a fight for freedom, a global fight for freedom, Garside said. Its a complex task, more complex than the struggle against the Soviet Union was because China is so deeply interwoven with us noweconomically and socially. We cant just be defensive.  Weve got to be a lot more active in pursuing regime change in China.
Joseph Blount, Colonial Pipeline's president and CEO, testifies during a Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee hearing on the Colonial Pipeline cyber attack, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 8, 2021. (Graeme Jennings/Pool via Reuters)

Colonial Pipeline CEO Deeply Sorry for Impact of Pipeline Attack

Colonial Pipelines CEO on Tuesday apologized for the impact that a cyberattack had on the American public.

We are deeply sorry for the impact that this attack had but we were also heartened by the resilience of our country and of our company, Colonial Pipeline President and CEO Joseph Blount told members of a Senate panel in Washington.

Colonials approximately 5,500-mile pipeline, which runs from Texas to New Jersey and supplies major hubs across the southeastern United States, was taken offline last month by the company in response to a ransomware attack thats been pinned on a cybercriminal group called DarkSide.

After news of the situation broke, station outages climbed over 16,000, and gas prices surged.

Colonial eventually restored its systems and brought its fuel conduit back online. Most stations now have gas, according to GasBuddys last outage update on June 1.

DarkSide is a ransomware-for-hire service, which enables hackers to leverage a groups technology in exchange for a portion of the profit. Hackers locked portions of Colonials system on May 7 and demanded a ransom. Colonial the following day paid 75 bitcoins worth approximately $4.4 million.

I made the decision to pay and I made the decision to keep the information about the payment as confidential as possible. It was the hardest decision Ive made in my 39 years in the energy industry and I know how critical our pipeline is to the country and I put the interests of the country first, Blount told lawmakers on Tuesday.

Blount said he wanted the focus to remain on getting the pipeline back up and running and believes he made the right choice. He also said the decryption tool that Colonial received in exchange for the payment did work, rebutting an earlier Wall Street Journal story.

Senators expressed concern at how a single attack could have such dramatic consequences.

Im glad your company continues to recover from this malicious attack, and that the FBI was able to recover millions of dollars in ransom paid. But I am alarmed that this breach ever occurred in the first place, and that communities from Texas to New York suffered as a result, Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said during the hearing.

The Department of Justice announced Monday that it was able to seize most of the bitcoins.

A plastic bag covering a fuel pump to signal no gas is available is seen at a gas station in Lakeland, Fla., on May 14, 2021. (Octavio Jones/Reuters)

Peters wondered how the attacks were able to gain access to Colonials network in just two hours before locking parts of it until payment was rendered.

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), the top Republican on the panel, noted that news reports citing cybersecurity experts had described the hackers as getting into the network by compromising a virtual private network, or VPN, that did not use multi-factor authentication, considered a basic cyber defense.

Blount said a preliminary investigation indicates attackers did exploit what he said was a legacy VPN profile that was not intended to be in use.

The password was not a simple one like Colonial123, the CEO said.

We had cyber defenses in place, but the unfortunate reality is that those defenses were compromised, he added. The company is working on boosting its cyber defenses but still has a ways to go.

Lawmakers have introduced a flurry of bills in the wake of the attack and others like it, including one that crippled JBS, a major meat producer. One seeks to harden Americas critical systems while another would up the penalties that foreign actors face for attacking key infrastructure.

We are clearly experiencing relentless and unprecedented assaults against both our private and public sector information systems and were getting those assaults by both criminal organizations as well as foreign adversaries, and this is a grave national security concern, Peters said. And certainly from the questions that were posed today by all of my colleagues, I think its clear that my colleagues believe this is something that we need to address immediately and in a comprehensive fashion.
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) speaks to the media at the Bullet and Barrel gun range before formally announcing his candidacy to represent Alabama in the U.S. Senate in Huntsville, Alabama, on March 22, 2021. (Ivan Pentchoukov/The Epoch Times)

Congressman Claims House Reps Team Broke Into House, Accosted His Wife to Serve Lawsuit

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) alleged that Rep. Eric Swalwells (D-Calif.) subordinates broke into his house and accosted his wife while trying to serve him with a lawsuit.

Well, Swalwell FINALLY did his job, served complaint (on my WIFE). HORRIBLE Swalwells team committed a CRIME by unlawfully sneaking INTO MY HOUSE & accosting my wife! Brooks wrote on June 6. Alabama Code 13A-7-2: 1st degree criminal trespass. Year in jail. $6000 fine. More to come! he added.

Swalwells attorney, Philip Andonian, denied the GOP lawmakers allegations and claimed Brooks refused to be served with the lawsuit.

No one entered or even attempted to enter the Brooks house. That allegation is completely untrue. A process server lawfully served the papers on Mo Brooks wife, as the federal rules allow, Andonian said.

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) votes in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Dec. 13, 2019. (Patrick Semansky/Pool/Getty Images)

This was after her initial efforts to avoid service. Mo Brooks has no one but himself to blame for the fact that it came to this, the lawyer told CNN, adding that his team offered to meet Brooks at another location.

Instead of working things out like a civilized person, he engaged in a juvenile game of Twitter trolling over the past few days and continued to evade service, Andonian claimed. He demanded that we serve him. We did just that. The important thing is the complaint has been served and Mo Brooks can now be held accountable.

According to court filings, Swalwell hired a private investigator to serve Brooks with the lawsuit. Another one of his attorneys, Matthew Kaiser, told CNN that they left the court papers with Brooks wife at his Alabama home, although Brooks wrote on Twitter that the private investigator accosted her.

Swalwells lawsuit alleges that former President Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Rudy Giuliani, and Brooks incited a riot that led to the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. Lawyers for Trump and Giuliani have disputed the lawsuit, saying their words did not cause the incident.

The Epoch Times has contacted Swalwells office for comment.

Brooks last year became the first GOP lawmaker to say that he would challenge the certification of election results during the Jan. 6 Joint Session of Congress. Meanwhile, Trump recently endorsed Brooks after he announced his intention to run for Senate in Alabama.

Few Republicans have as much COURAGE and FIGHT as Alabama Congressman Mo Brooks, Trump said in April, adding the congressman will stand up for America First no matter what obstacles the Fake News Media, RINOs, or Socialist Democrats may place in his path.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau waits for a virtual meeting to begin with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Ottawa on Feb. 26, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

Dealing With Growing Chinese Authoritarianism a Challenge for Democracies, Says Canadian Foreign Minister

OTTAWAChinas growing authoritarianism and coercive diplomacy constitute a challenge to democratic countries around the world including Canada, Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau said on June 7.

Garneau told a parliamentary committee that Canada and other democracies are grappling with the question of how they reconcile their business, security, and humanrights objectives with China.

China of 2021 isnt the same China of 2016, and Canadas approach needs to evolve with an evolving China, he said, noting that China is rapidly gaining global influence and expanded clout with which all countries must learn to coexist.

Chinas economic might has emboldened its ambitions and interests beyond the Asia Pacific region, where it has enjoyed enormous clout for centuries, to span the entire globe, including here in Canada, he said.

Garneau said leaning to coexist with China means knowing when its necessary to cooperate with that country on global issues such as climate change, and when to challenge Beijing over humanrights violations.

It also implies challenging China when human rights are violated or Canadian citizens and interests are jeopardized, he said.

A path to any kind of longterm relationship with China requires the safe return of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor to Canada, Garneau added.

Bringing them home is and must remain our top priority in our dealings with China, he said.

The men, who have become known as the two Michaels, were detained in December 2018, days after Canadas arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on an extradition request from the United States.

Garneau said both men received virtual visits two weeks ago from consular officials, but China has not allowed consular access to other Canadian citizens held in that country.

He said China should allow consular officials access to Huseyin Celil so Canada can confirm his wellbeing.

Celil, who settled in southern Ontario after becoming a Canadian citizen, is a former Uyghur activist who has been imprisoned in China for 15 years.

Garneau said China should put an end to the systematic campaign of repression against Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities in light of mounting evidence of forced labour, political reeducation, torture and forced sterilization.

Growing competition with China and the pervasive use of digital technology forces Ottawa to work with other governments, businesses, and universities to protect intellectual property, digital infrastructure, protect its democratic institutions from foreign interference, and election meddling, he said.

Hostile activities by state actors pose strategic, longterm threats to Canada, Garneau said. They can undermine our nations economic, industrial, military and technological advantages.

Garneau said Canada is working with other G7 countries to counter foreign interference.

We must continue to work with our partners around the world to protect the rulesbased international order and defend human rights and freedoms.

By Maan Alhmidi
E. Jean Carroll attends the 2019 Glamour Women Of The Year Summit at Alice Tully Hall in New York City, N.Y., on Nov. 10, 2019. (Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Glamour)

DOJ Under Biden Keeps up Defense of Trump in Defamation Lawsuit

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday said it will keep trying to defend former President Donald Trump in a defamation lawsuit.

The government in a court filing asked an appeals court to overturn a decision by a lower court blocking the DOJ from defending Trump against the suit, which was filed by E. Jean Carroll after Trump accused her of spreading a sexual assault allegation against him to promote her book.

DOJ lawyers in September 2020 asked to take over Trumps defense.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, a Clinton nominee, ruled last year that Trump is not an employee of the government within the meaning of the relevant statutes, adding, Even if he were such an employee, President Trumps allegedly defamatory statements concerning Ms. Carroll would not have been within the scope of his employment.

That decision was erroneous, the new filing (pdf) asserts.

The Federal Tort Claims Act makes the U.S. government liable for torts committed by its employees within the scope of their employment. The Westfall Act, meanwhile, lets the United States sub in as the sole defendant in claims within the scope of the Federal Tort Claims Act, lawyers argued.

Those statutes apply broadly to all persons working for or on behalf of the United States, even when unsalaried. They extend not only to the Executive Branch, but to all employees of the Legislative and Judicial branches, including Members of Congress and Supreme Court Justices. Nothing in the text, purpose, or history of the statutes suggests that they exempt from their coverage the President of the United States, they said.

Carrolls lawyer, Robbie Kaplan, said in a statement that the DOJs position is not only legally wrong, it is morally wrong since it would give federal officials free license to cover up private sexual misconduct by publicly brutalizing any woman who has the courage to come forward.

President Joe Biden in a 2020 town hall accused Trump of using the DOJ as his own law firm, referencing the Carroll suit.

A White House spokesperson declined to comment on the filing in a statement.

The White House was not consulted by DOJ on the decision to file this brief or its contents, the spokesperson added. And while we are not going to comment on this ongoing litigation, the American people know well that President Biden and his team have utterly different standards from their predecessors for what qualify as acceptable statements.
The 1933 Double Eagle coin is seen encased during a media preview before the auction at Sotheby's in New York City, on June 4, 2021. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

Double Eagle Gold Coin Sells for Record-Setting $18.9 Million

A 1933 Double Eagle gold coin sold for a record-setting $18.9 million at auction in New York on Tuesday, and the worlds rarest stamp went for $8.3 million.

The coin, the only 1933 Double Eagle ever allowed to be privately owned, was expected to sell for between $10 million and $15 million at the Sothebys auction.

It was sold by shoe designer and collector Stuart Weitzman, who acquired it in 2002 for what was then a world record price of $7.6 million.

The coin, with a face value of $20 and the distinctive design of an American eagle in flight one side and Liberty striding forward on the other, was the last gold coin struck for circulation in the United States.

But it was never issued after President Franklin Roosevelt took the United States off the gold standard and all copies were ordered destroyed.

The 1933 Double Eagle coin is seen encased during a media preview before the auction at Sothebys in New York City, on June 4, 2021. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

Weitzman on Tuesday also sold a British Guiana One-Cent Magenta stamp, issued in 1856, for $8.3 million, confirming its place as the most valuable stamp in history.

The stamp is the only surviving one from a series that was printed by the South American nation because of a shortage of stamps sent over by its then British colonial rulers.

The designer had bought it in 2014 for $9.5 million and continued a tradition started by previous owners by adding his own flourisha line drawing of a stiletto shoe and his initialsto the back of the stamp.

The buyers of the two items wished to remain anonymous, Sothebys said.

In addition, a plate block of the 24 cent Inverted Jenny stamp, which was issued in 1918 for the first U.S. airmail letters, sold for $4.9 million. It is the most valuable U.S. stamp.

The Inverted Jenny, which was last sold at auction some 26 years ago for $2.9 million, is a collectors item because of a printing error in which its biplane design appears upside down.

Sothebys said the stamp block, which sold below its pre-auction estimate, was bought by David Rubenstein, a co-founder of private equity company The Carlyle Group.

Weitzman, who has been collecting stamps and coins since boyhood, has said he will use the money from Tuesdays sale to fund his charitable ventures including medical research, his design school, and a Jewish museum in Madrid.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 18:10:42|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe Tuesday spoke with Singapore's Minister for Defense Ng Eng Hen over a video call.

Wei said China and Singapore maintained sound ties since their establishment of diplomatic relations more than 30 years ago.

The two sides have worked together to help each other in times of difficulties and challenges since the start of the COVID-19 epidemic, said Wei.

The two sides should maintain high-level communication, advance pragmatic cooperation, and strengthen multilateral coordination to make greater contributions to the development of bilateral relations, Wei said.

Ng said that Singapore is ready to improve cooperation with China in defense and security and other areas to promote the development of relations between the two countries and their militaries.

The two sides also exchanged views on the international and regional situation and issues of common interests. Enditem
(L-R) Thea Fischer, Marion Koopmans, Peter Daszak and other members of the World Health Organization (WHO) team investigating the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, leave the Hilton Wuhan Optics Valley Hotel in Wuhan, on Jan. 29, 2021. (HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)

Emails Reveal How Influential Articles That Established COVID-19 Natural Origins Theory Were Formed

News Analysis

The two most significant articles promoting the natural origins theory for the COVID-19 outbreak originated from scientists who were part of a response team of experts brought in by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine (NASEM), in response to a request from a White House official.

These influential articles were used extensively by media organizations to push the natural origins theory, while simultaneously deriding alternative theoriesincluding that of a possible lab leakas conspiracy theories.

The articles appear to have been part of a coordinated effort originating from a Feb. 1, 2020, teleconference organized by Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and Dr. Jeremy Farrar, director of the British Wellcome Trust, which took place after a group of health officials scrambled in late January 2020 to respond to public reporting of a potential connection between COVID-19 and the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.

Following the officials conversations, public discussion of the source possibly being a lab leak was actively suppressed by social media platforms, health officials, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The first article, designed more as an open letter to the public, was published on Feb. 19, 2020, and signed by a number of scientists. An early-morning email on Feb. 6, 2020, (p. 251) obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by U.S. Right to Know, revealed that EcoHealth President Peter Daszak drafted the letter calling for solidarity with all scientists and health professionals in China.

Daszaks organization in the past had received $3.7 million in funding from Faucis NIAID, at least $600,000 of which was sent to the Wuhan Institute.

Daszaks letter notes that transparent sharing of data on this outbreak is now being threatened by rumours and misinformation around its origins.

We stand together to strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin, states the letter signed by 27 scientists.

The second article, The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2, published on Mar. 17, 2020, in the journal Nature, targeted the scientific community. This article was led by corresponding author Kristian Andersen, who recently deleted his entire Twitter profile, along with four other researchers.

Notably, of the five scientists credited with writing the article, four had directly participated in the FauciFarrar teleconferencewhich was described in an Feb. 1, 2020, email from Farrar (p. 3,197) as a discussion  shared in total confidence.

The one author not present on the Feb. 1, 2020 Teleconference has since recanted his position.

NASEM: Additional Data Needed to Determine the Origin and Evolution of the Virus

Immediately prior to Daszak circulating the draft of the Lancet letter, there was a meeting (p. 116) on Feb. 3, 2020, organized by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine (NASEM), that reportedly included officials from the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, along with the NIH and the Department of Health and Human Services.

The hastily assembled meeting came at the same-day request of White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director Kelvin Droegemeier, who asked the NASEM to help determine the origins of 2019-nCoV.

The NASEM meeting came two days after the FauciFarrar teleconference. Internal emails of Fauci released through open records requests reveal the teleconference was prompted by the publication of an article in Science that referenced a Nov. 9, 2015, article in Nature about gain-of-function experiments that were being conducted at the Wuhan lab using chimeric viruses in mice and funded by Faucis organization.

The NASEM meeting included a 10-minute presentation (p. 116) from Fauci during the one-hour gathering, and also included both Daszak and Andersen.

The internal emails suggest that there was significant internal debate following the formal meetingfrom both officials at NASEM and the experts called in by the organization for adviceon the official response to Droegemeiers request.

Andersen responded to the discussion by Daszak and the rest of the expert group by email (p. 125) on Feb. 4, 2020, writing: I do wonder if we need to be more firm on the question of engineering. The main crackpot theories going around at the moment relate to this virus being somehow engineered with intent and that is demonstrably not the case. Engineering can mean many things and could be done for either basic research or nefarious reasons, but the data conclusively show that neither was done.

However, just days prior, immediately preceding the Feb. 1, 2020, FauciFarrar teleconference, Andersen had sent Fauci an email that noted that one has to look really closely at all the sequences to see that some of the features (potentially) look engineered.

The NASEM response was also shaped by Trevor Bedford, a computational biologist who suggested: 1. I wouldnt mention binding sites here. If you start weighing the evidence theres a lot to consider for both scenarios. 2. I would say no evidence of genetic engineering full stop.

Events were moving rapidly. On Feb. 4, 2020, Andrew Pope of NASEM wrote to the participants, noting: Plans have changed in terms of our product. Instead of a Based on Science web posting, we are now developing a letter that will be signed by the 3 Presidents of our 3 Academies.

After much deliberation, a Feb. 6, 2020, response from NASEMs Marcia McNutt, John Anderson, and Victor Dzau was sent to the White Houses Droegemeier, which noted that the NASEM had consulted leading experts  that could help elucidate the origin and evolution of 2019-nCoV.

Contained within the letter was the official opinion from the NASEMs panel of experts, who informed us that additional genomic sequence data from geographically- and temporally-diverse viral samples are needed to determine the origin and evolution of the virus.

Drafts of Daszak and Andersen Letters are Circulated

One day prior to the official NASEM response, however, Daszak was already circulating his letter dismissing laboratory origins as a conspiracy theory. And according to Andersens co-author Robert Garry, a draft of Andersens March 17, 2020, The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2 article for Nature was also circulating by the time of NASEMs response.

Ralph Baric, a virologist who collaborated with Wuhan Institute of Virology director Shi Zheng-Li on gain-of-function experiments, was included in early drafts of Daszaks letter. In a Feb. 6, 2020, email Daszak wrote that there was no need for you to sign the Statement Ralph!! to which Baric responded: I also think this is a good decision. Otherwise it looks self-serving and we lose impact. Ralph

Notably, Baric was the corresponding author of the Nov. 9, 2015, Nature article that sparked the initial scramble leading to the Feb. 1, 2020, conference call initiated by Fauci and Farrar.

During the circulation of his drafts, Daszak told people (p. 273): Ive come up with an initial list below. Please suggest names of your colleagues that you think might also be willing to support this.

Daszak closed (p. 274) by telling those privy to the early draft, Please note that this statement will not have EcoHealth Alliance logo on it and will not be identifiable as coming from any one organization or person, the idea is to have this as a community supporting our colleagues.

Interestingly, a day earlier, when Dazsak first began the process of circulating his draft, he stated that he should not sign this statement, so it has some distance from us and therefore doesnt work in a counterproductive way. Daszak continued, Well then put it out in a way that doesnt link it back to our collaboration so we maximize an independent voice.

It is not clear why Daszak changed his mind, ultimately becoming a signatory to the letter.

The Feb. 19 Lancet article was signed by 27 scientists from around the world. Although only two signatories, Farrar and Christian Drosten, were actually present on the Feb. 1 teleconference, at least five were directly affiliated with EcoHealth Alliance. Additionally, two were partners of EcoHealth. These affiliations werent declared in the Lancet letter. Instead, the authors specifically declared that they had no competing interests.

Additionally, five of the signatories worked with or for the Wellcome Trust headed by Jeremy Farrar.

Some signatories unaffiliated with either the Feb. 1 teleconference or EcoHealth have recently changed their minds on the origins of the virus. Stanley Perlman now says that the lab leak theory is back on the table. And signatory Charles Calisher claims that it was over the top to call the lab leak a conspiracy theory.

Another signatory, Peter Palese, is now demanding a proper investigation. Most notably, University of Chicago professor Bernard Roizman has stated that the virus originated from the lab due to sloppiness, claiming that Wuhan lab personnel cant admit they did something so stupid.
Thousands of elegant tern eggs were abandoned after an errant drone crashed among their nesting field at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, frightening the birds away from their natural breeding ground. (Courtesy of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife)

Estuary Drone Crash Leaves Thousands of Eggs Abandoned

Thousands of elegant tern eggs were abandoned recently after an errant drone crashed among their nesting field at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, frightening the birds away from their natural breeding ground.

The 1,300-acre coastal estuary is a premier birding location in Southern California sought by many populations of migratory birds, including numerous tern species. Bolsa Chica is home to the largest colony of elegant terns in the United States.

Found strictly along coastal areas, the elegant tern is a medium-sized, slim, long-billed species that has been nesting in California since the late 1950s.

According to the Audubon Society, elegant terns usually lay one spotted egg each season, rarely two. After breeding, the terns move to Northern California or further north in late summer and early fall, moving south again in October.

With more people recreating outdoors due to COVID-19 restrictions, the ecological reserve has seen an increase in visitors, some of whom ignore posted signs restricting dogs, bikes, and aerial craft from entering sensitive zones such as where the elegant terns nest, thus wreaking havoc on their natural migration and breeding habits.

We understand there are lots of legit reasons for drones to be flown and for photos to be taken, California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Tim Daly told The Epoch Times.

We restrict drone use over ecological reserves. Its a regulation passed by the Fish and Game Commission for the benefit or safety of the wildlife at the reserves.

With more people recreating outdoors due to COVID-19 restrictions, the ecological reserve has seen an increase in visitors, some of whom ignore posted signs restricting aerial craft from entering sensitive zones. (Courtesy of California Department of Fish and Wildlife)

Daly said there have been several drone incidents in the recent past, and that while they are not looking to punish anyone, its vitally important that all visitors to the ecological reserve understand how their behavior can harm the sensitive ecosystem if visitor guidelines arent followed.

The rules are there for a reason; we are trying to educate people more about the importance of those rules and how delicate the balance is for the wildlife who live and migrate to Bolsa Chica, Daly said.

He said he doesnt expect the terns to return to their breeding area.

Due to their negative impact on park resources and public safety, an order was posted in May by California State Parks District Superintendent Todd Lewis, restricting the launch, landing, or operation of drones at lands and facilities located within the Orange Coast District, which includes Bolsa Chica State Beach.

Although no specific ordinance has been enacted in the city of Huntington Beach, the Association of California CitiesOrange County has a drone ordinance working group thats developing a model ordinance that can be used as a basis for all Orange County cities.

In 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that all drone units weighing between 0.55 pounds and 55 pounds must be registered with the FAA.

Civil penalties for anyone caught flying without proper registration could include a fine up to $27,500, with criminal penalties as high as $250,000 and up to three years in jail.

The FFA developed an educational campaign, Know Before You Fly, in conjunction with the Academy of Model Aeronautics, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, and the Consumer Technology Association, to help educate operators about the rules and regulations associated with drones and the areas in which they can be appropriately deployed.

We are heartbroken by this news, Amigos de Bolsa Chica, a conservation organization dedicated to the preservation of the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, posted on its Facebook page.

Please remember that drones, dogs, and bikes are prohibited on the reserve, and we urge you to always stay on official trails and pick up after yourself when you visit.
Family of Girl Killed by Vigilantes During BLM Protests Sues Atlanta Mayor

The family of an 8-year-old girl who was killed by armed individuals in the midst of Black Lives Matter protests in Atlanta last year sued the city, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and others; arguing that city leaders failed to protect the child.

Secoriea Turner, the girl, was shot and killed on July 4, 2020, while riding in a car with her mother before they encountered a group of armed vigilantes who, according to reports, appeared to be affiliated with Black Lives Matter protesters near a Wendys restaurant that was burned down during riots following the officer-involved death of Rayshard Brooks.

After Brookss death, demonstrators erected barriers and set up a camp near the Wendys, and police said last year that a group of armed men stopped the car Secoriea was riding in and opened fire. Similar autonomous zones were set up in Washington D.C., Seattle, and Portland last year following the officer-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked nationwide unrest, riots, and demonstrations.

Secorieas family, in a lawsuit filed in the Fulton County State Court, claimed that Bottoms, Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant, and Atlanta City Councilmember Joyce Sheperd allowed vigilantes to roam the streets and linked the young girls death to their alleged negligence, according to the familys lawyers. Wendys International was also named in the suit.

Secoriea should be here. None of what were doing will ever bring our baby back. Her life is priceless, Charmaine Turner, the mother of the child, said during a news conference this week. We deserve justice. Someone needs to be held accountable.

RIP Rayshard is spray-painted on a sign as flames engulf a Wendys restaurant during protests in Atlanta, Ga., on June 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

A man armed with a rifle stands guard at the memorial that has grown around the Wendys restaurant that was set on fire after Rayshard Brooks was killed, in Atlanta, Ga., on June 16, 2020. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A lawyer for the family, Harold Spence, alleged that Bottoms directed the police department to stand down in the face of armed vigilantes taking over the area where the child was shot. When the city decided to allow demonstrators to take control of the city street, it led to the girls shooting death, said lawyer Mawuli Davis.

They knew that there were armed vigilantes blockading a public street and they took no action to rid the citizens of Atlanta of this menace and of this dangerous circumstance and situation. Because of it, Secoriea Turner, an 8-year-old, was murdered, Davis said, reported WSB-TV. We have learned that there were memos sent to the police department, not to provide services in that area.

Julian Conley, 19, was charged with aggravated assault and felony murder in July in connection to the girls death. Conley has denied that he fired the shots but admitted he was armed.

Following the girls death last year, her parents delivered an impassioned rebuke against Black Lives Matter.

They say black lives matter, Secoriya Williamson, her father, said at the time. You killed your own this time  You killed a child. She didnt do nothing to nobody.

She was only 8 years old, her mother said. She would have been on TikTok dancing on her phone, just got done eating. We understand the frustration of Rayshard Brooks. We didnt have anything to do with that. Were innocent. My baby didnt mean no harm.

Bottoms office and Wendys have not responded to a request for comment.

The murder of Secoriea Turner, as a result of senseless gun violence, is a tragedy that no family should have to endure, a spokesperson for the city said in a statement to news outlets on Monday. Due to the anticipated litigation, the City will offer no further comment, at this time.

The officer involved in the shooting of Brooks, Garrett Rolfe, was reinstated earlier this year after he appealed his firing. Bodycamera footage showed Brooks struggling with officers who responded to a call about Brooks having parked his vehicle in the Wendys drive-thru. Brooks is then seen grabbing an officers Taser before firing it at Rolfe three timesprompting Rolfe to fire his service weapon three times, killing Brooks.
Family Proud of Twin Who Fought Off Crocodile Attacking Her Sister in Mexico

The sister of a woman who fought off a crocodile after it attacked her twin in Mexico has said she is so proud of her actions.

Melissa and Georgia Laurie, both 28, from Berkshire, were swimming in the daytime in a lagoon in Mexico, around 10 miles from Puerto Escondido, when Melissa was attacked by a crocodile. In a bid to save her, Georgia fought off the crocodile by punching it.

The pair are both recovering in hospital in Mexico, with Georgia suffering injuries to her hands while Melissa has been placed in a medically-induced coma to prevent any infection to her injuries.

The twins were volunteering with animals in the country and had been taking a break when the crocodile attacked.

The twins elder sister, Hana Laurie, 33, told the PA news agency Georgia fought off the crocodile three times.

I felt really proud of her, very proud of her, she said.

Georgias OK, shes tired, shes really stressed. I think shes really frightened but she is awake and has got some wounds on her hands. Melissas still in an induced coma.

Hana said the family were in disbelief when they found out what happened, adding that the event was so unusual, and so rare that they didnt believe it could happen to them.

The twins elder sister said the pair had booked a tour with a guide through their hostel and the women found out later their tour guide was not registered and had taken them to swimming spot which was not recommended.

Hes an unlicensed tour guide and according to someone on a Mexican Facebook page hes been doing it for a while, doing illegal tours in unsafe, unregistered areas, Hana said.

Hes gone to where the crocodiles live and not the location where all legal certified sanctioned tours take place. He has been called out locally before, apparently, but that wasnt for my sisters to know. They found out the information through their hospital.

The family are now trying to work out if they are able to fly over to Mexico to support the twins, but added it is more difficult due to the cost and Mexico being placed on Britains amber list.

A spokeswoman for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said: We are supporting the family of two British women who are in hospital in Mexico, and are in contact with the local authorities.
A statue of former Canadian Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada, on June 3, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

Federal Website Deletes Profile Page of Canadian Founding Prime Minister John A. Macdonald

The federal government has removed the biography page of Canadas founding Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald from the official government of Canada website.

According to The Toronto Star, Macdonalds page was pulled from the Library and Archives Canada website over the weekend, showing only an error 404 message on Monday. Currently, no search results for his name are available on the website.

The Star reported last October that Macdonalds biography page on the website did not mention his role in establishing the Canadian Indian residential school system.

The Library and Archives Canada website has removed the profile page of Canadas founding Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald. No search results for his name were available on the website as of June 8, 2021. (Screenshot)

Macdonalds removal comes after members of the Tkemlups te Secwepemc First Nation community last month released a statement (pdf) announcing the discovery of the remains of 215 indigenous children at the location of a former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia.

The discovery has added momentum to protests against Macdonald, whose statues have been repeatedly targeted for attacks and vandalism in recent years across a number of jurisdictions in Canada.

Most recently, the city council of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, voted on June 1 to permanently remove a statue of Macdonald.

Beside Macdonald, another Canadian historic figure has also become a rallying point for protestsEgerton Ryerson, a prominent contributor to the creation of the residential school system.

On Sunday, a statue of Ryerson statue at the Ryerson University in Toronto was toppled and beheaded by demonstrators an hour after the university announced its decision to keep Ryerson as its namesake. University President Mohamed Lachemi said the statue will not be replaced.

A number of voices go further to refresh calls to cancel Canada Day this year, with the hashtag #cancelcanadaday circulating on social media. Idle No More, an Indigenous rights advocacy group, have also called on Canadians to disrupt the celebration of Canada Day in a nation-wide social movement on July 1.

Canada Day is a federal holiday celebrating the anniversary of the Canadian confederation, which took place on July 1, 1867.

Some have rejected calls for the cancellation of the holiday, calling it cancel culture.

Albertas Premier Jason Kenney last week said Canadians should consider the complex social context those historical figures were under at the time when policies such as residential schools were introduced.

If we want to get into cancelling every figure in our history, who took positions on issues at the time that we now judge harshly, and rightly in historical retrospect, if thats the new standard, then I think almost the entire founding leadership of our country gets cancelled, he said.
Awaiting the members of the Collier County School Board to convene the hearing regarding textbooks being considered for adoption for use in the districts classrooms, on May 7, 2021. (Patricia Tolson/The Epoch Times)

Florida School Board Postpones Vote on Textbooks Until Publisher Addresses Pro-BLM and CRT Content

On June 7, the Collier County School Board (CCSB) convened a hearing to discuss the textbooks being considered for adoption for use in their school districts. However, when it was exposed that one of the publishers of the textbooks being consideredHoughton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH)had posted a commitment to Black Lives Matter (BLM) on their website, the board unanimously voted to postpone their decision until that revelation could be investigated.

Approximately 60 people attended the hearing. The vast majority being parents and other citizens who came to express their fierce opposition to the textbooks the board proposed to adopt, out of fear they contained principles of Critical Race Theory (CRT).

Ironically, it was CCSB Vice-Chair Jen Mitchellnot one of the hearings attendees nor the 15 citizens who registered to address the board directlywho exposed the incendiary content she found on the HMH website.

Mitchell said she learned of the content through an email she received from a concerned citizen. The citizen told her if you take a deeper dive on the HMH website, you will find a post declaring their commitment to Black Lives Matter (BLM). She further revealed to Mitchell that one of BLMs greatest advocates in the education fieldDr. Tyrone Howardhad been given a platform to promote the principles of CRT and his support for BLM through the HMH blog site.

Its also important that the teachers, schools, and readers we serve have no doubt about where we stand on the issue of racism and the ways we are using our platform to make much-needed change, Mitchell quoted directly from the HMH website. Thats why today we posted our commitment. Black Lives Matter.

We believe Black Lives Matter, the HMH declaration states further. We believe in social justice. We believe learning is a fundamental right. We believe the education system needs to change, and we will continue to use our platform to make that change.

Mitchell further noted that a week later, a blog by Dr. Tyrone Howardtitled Racial Literacy: A Call to Action for Teacherswas posted on the HMH blog page, paradoxically called, Shaped. One of the biggest challenges to discussions about race and racism in the classroom is that approximately 80 percent of teachers are white, Howard stated, opining further that many white teachers are uncomfortable talking about race due to what social justice educator and author Robin DiAngelo describes as white fragility.

White fragility makes many teachers afraid of discussing race, claiming they dont see color, Howard claimed.

The times demand that white teachers step up and increase their racial literacy, Howard demanded, insisting that racial literacy also requires teachers to engage in serious self-reflection about their feelings on race, diversity, and opportunity for students of color and suggesting that white teachers begin their self-reflection by considering the following questions:

Am I aware of the racial composition of my classrooms?

What is the racial make-up of staff at my school?

Am I familiar with racial microaggressions and do I commit them?

Do I acknowledge my own racial privilege? (Please know that you can work hard and still have white privilege.)

Do I discipline students of color more than white students?

What were the messages that I received growing up about people from different racial backgrounds?

Do I recognize the myth of meritocracy?

What is the racial make-up of my social circle of friends?

Who Is Howard?

According to his profile on the HMH website, Howard is a professor in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he also serves as Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

He is also the director and founder of the Black Male Institute at UCLA, and leads an interdisciplinary group of scholars, practitioners, community members, and policymakers dedicated to improving the educational experiences and life chances of males of color.

The HMH website is not the only platform through which Howard advocates his racially charged opinions.

In his June 21, 2020, op-ed for EdSource, Howard addressed educators who are on board for the fight for racial justice, saying we truly hope that you are here for the movement, and not just for the moment.

In his June 25, 2020, op-ed for UCLAs Ampersand blog, Howard credits BLM for the beginnings of change.

In his June 3, 2020, op-ed for Education WeekHow to Root Out Anti-Black Racism From Your SchoolHoward wrote: individual acts must transform into collective action, and educators can be part of that change.

Howards opinions and the principles of BLM have also been supported through the Pittsburgh Public Schools website, which states educators have a responsibility to validate and affirm the worth of Black students, families and colleagues by taking an antiracist stance.

CCSB hearing moderator Steven Blount also informed the board that the forward in a teachers guide currently used by teachers in Collier County was also written by Howard. For that reason, Blount strongly advised the board to table their vote on the adoption of any HMH textbooks until the matter of its commitment to BLM could be further investigated.

Considering the recent ban of CRT from public schools by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, The Epoch Times reached out to his office to see if he had been informed yet of this recent development. He had not.

We too are deeply concerned by the contents of Houghton Mifflin Harcourts website, DeSantiss press secretary Christina Pushaw told The Epoch Times. Their website is not part of state-approved materials, and the content you pointed out will not be taught in Florida schools, but it is still alarming for us to see these divisive political ideologies promoted on a textbook publishers website.

The bottom line and objective of education is not to introduce ideology and fight political battlesits to prepare our students to be great citizens, DeSantiss Communications Director Taryn Fenske told The Epoch Times. Its not telling you what to think, but how to think, and to think criticallywith the ultimate goal of ensuring Florida students become well-rounded, civically minded, productive members of society.

On March 29, HMH was purchased by Rupert Murdochs News Corp. for $349 million.

As Executive Chairman of News Corp. and Co-Chairman of Fox Corporation, Murdoch was touted as being in charge of two of the most recognized and influential media companies in the world on the News Corp. website.

According to its website, HMH is the largest learning technology company in the K12 market, serving 90% of the schools, teachers, and students in the U.S.
A girl in Beijing on Sept. 19, 2012. China's elderly face increasing uncertainty three decades after the one-child policy took hold, with no real social safety net, the law has left four grandparents and two parents with one caretaker in old age, and bereaved families with none. (Wang Zhao/AFP/GettyImages)

Frightening Facts Behind the Chinese Communist Regimes Three-Child Policy

Commentary

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) conducted its Seventh National Population Census (hereinafter referred to as the Census) using 00:00 hours of Nov. 1, 2020, as the reference time. Although an official government report of the census reveals an increase in Chinas population, the CCP hastily launched the three-child policy because its economic growth, which is stable with a growing momentum, as claimed by the state-owned Peoples Daily in May, is actually no match for the current fertility crisis in China.

An unnamed senior official from the CCP Health and Family Planning Commission revealed three sets of data during an interview with the CCP mouthpiece Xinhua news agency on May 31.

The first set of data shows that China has recorded consecutive decreases in the number of registered marriages. There has been a decrease of 40 percent from 13 million registered marriages in 2013 to 8.13 million in 2020, according to Xinhuas report. For example, if all the registered marriages were first marriages, the number of first newborns would be less than 8.13 million.

The second set of data shows a decrease in willingness to have babies. According to the report, the average number of children the post-90s couples intend to have is only 1.66. Even if this number is not embellished, statistics suggest that the actual number of children that can be born will be smaller than the number of children people intend to have.

These two groups of data coincide with a current social phenomenon in China called lying flat, which seems more popular among the majority of the post-90s than traditional marriage and children.

The third group of data shows that there has been a significant reduction in the number of child-bearing age women. From 2016 to 2020, the average annual number of women in their reproductive prime (a CCP term for women aged 20 to 34) decreased by 3.4 million, while the year 2020 alone saw a decline of 3.66 million. If calculated using the average annual decrease, the total reduction of women of child-bearing age during the past five years amounts to 17 million. Therefore, it can be ascertained, with reasonable doubt, the veracity of the birth rate disclosed in the seventh national census.

A Chinese one-child policy billboard saying, Have fewer children, have a better life greets residents on the main street of Shuangwang, in southern Chinas Guangxi region, 25 May 2007. Residents of this riot-hit area of southern China demanded 25 May 2007 that authorities make amends for a brutal three-month campaign to enforce family-planning rules as tension remained high, nearly a week after thousands clashed with police over an official campaign that residents say included forced abortions, property destruction, and arrests aimed at violators of the one-child policy. (Goh Chai Hin/AFP via Getty Images)

In addition, the official statistics show that since 2000, birth rates in China gradually declined, and the number of births since 2002 was down by several million compared to the number estimated in 1987. In other words, the number of women of reproductive age could continue to fall significantly every year in the following decade.

Thus, the primary cause of Chinas current fertility crisis is the reduction in the number of women of childbearing age. The situation will not see much improvement even if the Communist regime completely removes childbirth control measures and even pays for all childcare costs, education, and housing.

What is more astonishing is the data hidden behind the statistics, which shows the reason for the decline in the number of women of child-bearing age. The three-child policy set off a huge backlash on May 31 on social platforms such as Weibo, but the next day, thousands of the discussion posts were deleted.

The CCP propaganda authorities were extremely frightened by the fact that among the various sarcastic messages posted, some touched on sensitive topics and went from metaphorical to explicit.

One netizen asked: Why is there such a big reduction in women?

A billboard extolling couples to have only one child, along a road leading to a village in the suburb of Beijing. China has reaffirmed that it would continue enforcing its one-child policy to limit its huge population to 1.6 billion by 2050. (Goh Chai Hin/AFP/Getty Images)

Replies to the question include: Ask the female fetuses aborted back then. The women of childbearing age that should be there now were not born back then. Women of childbearing age who are missing now are those who were forcibly aborted because of the One Child policy.

If you google these posts now, search results will lead to a page with an exclamation mark, followed by this sentence: er  what you want is not here.

One post on the Douban group, a forum for young netizens, referred to the thirtieth anniversary of the Childless Hundred Days campaign in which the massive killing of babies and the abortion of fetuses by Guan County and Shen County in Shandong province occurred in 1991. Zeng Zhaoqi and Bai Zhigang, secretaries of the county committees, ordered a forcible abortion of every pregnancy in the 100 days from May 1 to August 10 that year. There were literally no newborns during this period, and even newlyweds having their first child were not spared. Any babies born alive during an induced abortion were simply strangled. A post in a Douban group says that the One Child policy is a history of the massacre of a generation of girls.

Various slogans extolling birth control were created back then. Some examples of these slogans include: Id rather die heirless than make the Party worry. Be it medical abortion, surgical abortion, or forced abortion, just dont give birth to a baby! Even if blood flows like a river, no one is allowed to have one extra child. Hang yourself? Youll get a rope [from the government]. Wanna take poison? Youll get a bottle!

In an article titled Make Social Maintenance Fee Public As Its Relevant to the Innocence of Family Planning Organizations, published in the Southern Weekly in 2013, Zhi Zhenfeng, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), disclosed that the total fees collected may have reached at least $234,627,945,000 over the past 30 years, including the predecessors of social maintenance fees such as fines for having more than one child or fines for unapproved births.

If we look solely at the social maintenance fee, it is estimated to be more than $3 billion each year. While the estimates are certainly inaccurate, there is no doubt that the amount of social maintenance fees collected is shockingly huge. That said, relevant authorities and organizations have not made public, in detail, the sum of the fees collected nor their ultimate use since August 2002.

In Asia alone, 18 countries and regions, including Japan, South Korea, and Israel are more densely populated than China. In Europe, one-third of the countries and regions are more densely populated than mainland China. This shows that population is not a burden, says Zhi in the article.

Zhi also points out that Yi Cheng, Shanxi province, started the pilot implementation of the second child in July 1985, and that, after 28 years of experimentation, until 2013, the local population didnt see any significant increase. On the contrary, its population growth was lower than the national average, and all population indicators, represented by the sex ratio, were better than the national level.

However, there is only one population special zone in China, and that is Yi Cheng.

The one-child policy, also known as family planning policy, originated from the Open Letter to All Communist Party Members and Youth League Members on Controlling the Countrys Population Growth issued by the CCP Central Committee on September 25, 1980. The letter clearly stated: In 30 years time, the current particularly tense population problem can be eased, and a different population policy can be adopted.

In other words, this political promise of the Chinese Communist regime was already bankrupt in 2010, the 30-year anniversary of the implementation of the policy. To date, the CCP has not acknowledged its mistakes, nor has it apologized to the huge number of mothers and children who were victims of the policy. Yet it still expects the Chinese public to be grateful for its three-child policy. Its level of shamelessness is just as shocking as the suffering of the victims of its one-child policy.

Chen Simin is a freelance writer who often analyzes Chinas current affairs. She has contributed to The Epoch Times since 2011.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Finance ministers pose for a "family photo" during the G-7 meeting at Lancaster House in London, on June 5, 2021. (Henry Nicholls /Reuters)

G-7 Agrees on Global Minimum Corporate Tax, but Details Need Working Out

The worlds leading industrial nations reached an accord on June 5 to set a global minimum tax rate, in an effort to discourage multinational corporations from shifting profits to low-tax countries. While the accord is a significant breakthrough for those seeking international agreement on corporate taxes, theres more work ahead.

The Group of Seven (G-7) nations agreed to commit to a global minimum tax of at least 15 percent on a country by country basis, according to a communique from G-7 finance ministers. The group is hoping to reach a similar agreement at the Group of 20 meetings next month, which may lead to a broader deal for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) this year.

For years, the OECD has been coordinating talks among 140 countries on cross-border tax reform and aims to reach a conclusion soon.

This agreement is subject to further agreements, theres a lot of work still to be done to ensure that the policy works well, Daniel Bunn, vice president of global projects at the Tax Foundation, told the Epoch Times.

Im concerned that if policymakers arent careful, they could impact global foreign direct investment flows and hurt business investments globally.

According to Bunn, this agreement doesnt end the race to the bottom, as U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has suggested. Countries will continue to find other ways to compete on tax policies, he argued.

Its interesting that countries that were agreeing to this tax policy have special provisions of their own that result in tax rates below 15 percent. You have countries with Patent Boxes like the UK that has a 10 percent rate on patent income, he said.

Its going to be curious to see whether the global minimum tax will continue to let those policies exist.

The G-7 countriesCanada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United Statesreached an agreement on two pillars.

The first pillar changes allocation of taxing rights. Under the proposal, companies wouldnt only owe taxes where theyre established and have assets and employees, but would also owe taxes where they have sales.

According to a proposal offered by Yellen, only the worlds 100 largest and most profitable companies would be subject to this new rule.

It is a whole new way of doing tax policy for multinationals. And one of the reasons I think that Treasury has tried to limit this to the 100 largest companies is because it has the potential to be really, really complex, Bunn said.

This new rule could potentially remove digital services taxes on big technology companies.

The second pillar of the G-7 agreement imposes a global minimum tax on potentially any company that has a low effective tax rate on foreign earnings. If companies pay lower rates in a particular country, their home countries could top-up their taxes on foreign earnings to the minimum rate, removing the benefits of shifting profits.

A worldwide minimum corporate tax rate would reduce the attractiveness of tax havens, which have increasingly become a common part of global business practice in the last three decades.

Corporate profit shifting into tax havens by U.S. multinationals has jumped from roughly 5 to 10 percent of gross profits in the 1990s to roughly 25 to 30 percent in 2019, according to a report by the International Monetary Fund.

And the use of tax havens costs governments $500 billion to $600 billion per year in lost corporate tax revenue, according to a study cited by the IMF.

Goldman Sachs estimated that a 15 percent global minimum tax rate would have a small impact on U.S. corporate earnings. The downside risk is just 1 to 2 percent, a report by Goldman Sachs said.

Within the U.S. equity market, industries with low current effective tax rates and high foreign income exposure face the greatest risk, the report said. At the sector level, Info Tech and Health Care would face the greatest earnings risk, but even those sectors appear to face aggregate downside of less than 5 percent relative to consensus estimates.

According to experts, the direct impact of a 15 percent global minimum tax on U.S. companies would also depend on other tax policies that would come from the U.S. Congress.

President Joe Biden proposes substantial tax increases on U.S. corporations to pay for his $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan. His proposal imposes a 15 percent minimum tax on large corporations book income, along with increases to the tax rates on both domestic and foreign income.
Gov. Abbott Signs 1836 Project to Promote Patriotic Education in Texas

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday signed into law a bill that promotes education focusing on the history and values of the Lone Star Republic.

The bill, HB 2497 (pdf), establishes the 1836 Project, an advisory committee designed to promote patriotic education and increase awareness of the Texas values that continue to stimulate boundless prosperity across this state.

To keep Texas the best state in the nation, we can never forget WHY our state is so exceptional. I signed a law establishing the 1836 project, which promotes patriotic education & ensures future generations understand TX values. Together, well keep our rich history alive, the Republican governor said in a statement on Twitter shortly after signing the measure into law.

Republican state lawmaker Tan Parker filed the legislation in March. The 1836 Project is titled after the year the state gained independence from neighboring Mexico.

The bills patriotic education includes the presentation of the history of the states founding and foundational principles, examination of how the state has grown closer to those principles throughout history, and an exploration of why commitment to those principles has been seen to provide benefit to Texan communities.

The nine-person advisory committee will also focus on raising awareness about major historical events that shaped the state, such as the Texas Revolution of 1836, the annexation of Texas by the United States, and Juneteenth, which marks the abolition of slavery across the state.

In addition, the 1836 Committee will be tasked to advise state agencies on how to ensure patriotic education is provided to the public at state parks, museums, historical landmarks, and other places important to the founding of Republic of Texas, and later, the U.S. state of Texas.

The committee will serve two-year terms.

President Joe Biden (R) greets Texas Governor Greg Abbott and his wife Cecilia Abbott (2nd L) at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston, Texas, on Feb. 26, 2021. Also welcoming the president is Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (L). (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

According to the language of the bill, three members are to be appointed by Abbott, the lieutenant governor, and the state House speaker. The governor will also be appointing a presiding officer to convene regular meetings, and coordinate and direct project activities, the bill states.

Any newcomer to Texas who obtains a drivers license will also receive a pamphlet that outlines all of Texas rich history as well as the principles that make Texas  Texas, Abbott said in a video message on Twitter.

Funding and administrative support for the 1836 Project will be provided by Texas Education Agency.

In total, it is expected to cost around $2.3 million, and will go into effect on Sept. 1.

GQ Pan contributed to this report.
Solar electric panel being installed for the first time in the village Dungti on the de facto India-China border by Global Himalayan Expedition on Feb. 14, 2021. (Pic courtesy GHE)

Engineers Reach Inaccessible Indian Villages to Provide Solar Electricity During Pandemic

NEW DELHIA group of seven engineers in India is working to solve a problem that people in the high-altitude, inaccessible Himalayan region of Ladakh encountered during the pandemicwashing ones hands frequently when every drop of water freezes.

More generally, the people of Ladakh have been confronted with the problem of managing life amid a pandemic without an electric power supply.

Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE), a social enterprise run by seven engineers, has set up 150 solar water heaters in 45 of Ladakhs villages and solar electricity in 13 villages in the past six months, after India reopened following the first wave of the pandemic. The group leverages tourism as a force for development.

The idea was to look at an area where we can do adventure and, at the same time, [make] an impact on the community, GHE founder Paras Loomba told The Epoch Times. Ninety percent of the villages they reached were inaccessible until 2019, he said, as people had to trek for days just to reach them.

Over the past 10 years, GHE has set up solar electricity in 105 villages in Ladakh, including eight secluded Buddhist monasteries that had witnessed many long years of historical change but had never had electricity until the GHE reached their door.

The area is a cold desertits very, very harsh, its minus 30 degrees. It even goes to minus 40 sometimes. People in the rural areas do not have heating systems as such, so you cant expect them to take baths every day. Its probably once in a week, once in a month, Loomba said.

Villagers gather as solar electric panels reach their village Dungti on the de facto IndiaChina border on Feb. 14, 2021. The panels were installed by the engineers of the Global Himalayan Expedition. (Pic courtesy GHE)

Theres also not enough water in the winters. The only water  [is] frozen, he said, adding that people also need to conserve water for summer.

Ladakh, which before 2019 was a province in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, became a federally governed area called a union territory (UT) after India approved a constitutional amendment. The trans-Himalayan region, where villages are located at elevations between 9,000 feet and 14,500 feet above sea level, has seen the least development, according to Loomba.

Now, of course, the schemes are coming and the government is trying to do their best, once it became a UT a few years back. But still, most of the rural areas, especially the area of Zanskar, which is sandwiched between Leh and Kargil, has hardly [seen] any development, he said.

The government of the UT of Ladakh signed a memo of understanding with Convergence Energy Services Ltd., a state-owned enterprise, on June 5 to set up a solar mini-grid.

A Ladakhi woman with her newly installed solar water heater in the village of Chalak in the Ladakh region of India in April 2021. The installation was done by the engineers of the Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE), an Indian social enterprise. (Picture courtesy GHE)

Tourism as a Force for Good

Loomba started GHE in 2013 as an enterprise that took travelers from around the globe to such remote places, and in the process, electrified those same villages.

A group of 40 people will come from all over the globe. Well use their money as part of the expedition, and part of the money will be used to electrify a remote village, he said, noting that in addition to individuals, many international development organizations have started to work with GHE.

The team of engineers, which doesnt have any background in tourism, relies on simple solutions to solve pressing problems.

The idea was if we can design a solution that is very simple to install by the travelers and also easy to maintain by the villagers, it should at least transform or transcend them from just using kerosene oil or small CFLs [compact fluorescent lights] to LED lighting and good television with communication, Loomba said.

When lockdowns were enforced around the world, travelers stopped coming to Ladakh, and GHE started to seek corporate social responsibility financing to help their work focused on improving health care systems and other critical infrastructure in the region.

Loomba said the infrastructure they are setting up during the lockdowns will be helpful for tourism once the pandemic stops.

So any village where there are people who want to set up homestays or guest houses, they should [be able to] use this water heater later on as part of the tourism facilities for the guests so that the guests feel safe and secure, that this area also has good hot water, they wash your hands and stuff like that, he said. He pointed out that setting up water heaters and solar electricity in remote villages will go a long way toward creating a sustainable income for the people.

The water heaters arent entirely donated; the families are required to contribute toward their installation.

Lets say it costs X amount of rupees, lets say $200 or 14,000 rupees, they would want to contribute 5,000 rupees for every water heater. That means they value the product, he said. So that becomes a very collaborative model.

Loomba has seen that the products can quickly make a difference in peoples lives, as they are able to use their solar water heaters, instead of firewood, to boil water for bathing, for tea, or for cooking.

Village ofDungti of Tibetan refugees on the de facto India-China border in Ladakh (Pic courtesy GHE)

Traveling to the Farthest Villages

GHE has electrified many Indian villages along the disputed border with China in Ladakh. These villages are of strategic significance for India.

In February this year, we electrified a village on the LAC [Line of Actual Control, the de facto border with China], Loomba said, referring to Dungti, a Tibetan refugee village that is home to 54 families and a monastery.

People in this village migrated there during the 1962 war between India and China and lived without electricity until this year. It took the team that consisted of two Ladakhi woman engineers three days of trekking in minus 25-degree temperatures to reach the village.

We went back in April, and we set up 15 water heaters for 28 families. So there are two families sharing one water heater, Loomba said.

Loombas father and most of his team members fathers served in the Indian army. As children, they traveled with their families to some of the most remote regions where the army was stationed. He said this helped them early on to develop the tenacity to do something for these areas.

The GHE team starts with identifying and locating the villages that need help and then mobilizes the community to support them with logistics.

Most of the villages are not on Google Maps, Id say 70 to 80 percent. Even the villages that are there are tagged wrong because theres no road. How would you know the exact location? Loomba said.

The team starts by talking with the councilors of the area, who connect them with local guides. With no roads, the team often must use horses provided by locals to transport materials. In this way, the team has been able to reach even the remotest health care centers on Indias de facto border with China.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 19:16:21|Editor: huaxia

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TRIPOLI, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Monday condemned the suicide car bomb attack on a security checkpoint in southern Libya, which killed and injured a number of security officers.

"The United Nations in Libya condemns the ISIL-claimed terrorist attack on 6 June in Sebha that killed a number of military officers and injured others, according to local authorities," UNSMIL said in a statement.

Jan Kubis, the special envoy of the secretary-general for and head of the UNSMIL, expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wishes the injured a speedy recovery, the statement said.

"This is a strong reminder that the high mobility of dangerous elements and terrorists only enhances risks of furthering instability and insecurity in Libya and the region," said Kubis.

The UN envoy reiterated his call for the urgent need to start a process to unify the military and security institutions in Libya in order to enhance the borders' security and address the threat of terrorism and criminal activities.

Two security officers were killed and four others wounded after a suicide bomber driving a tuk-tuk vehicle loaded with explosives attacked the checkpoint in the southern Libyan city of Sebha, according to local authorities. Enditem
Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Pennsylvania State Capitol for the 2021 Right to Keep and Bear Arms Rally in Harrisburg, Penn., on June 7, 2021. (Shenghua Song/NTD)

Hundreds Attend Right to Keep and Bear Arms Rally at Pennsylvania Capital

On June 7, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Pennsylvania State Capitol for the 2021 Right to Keep and Bear Arms Rally, including several dozens of pro-Second Amendment state lawmakers standing on the Capitol steps.

State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, a Republican, said: We will not allow any new federal dictates on gun control to be allowed in Pennsylvania. We will not allow any further congressional violations of our Second Amendment. We will not allow any executive orders that violate our Second Amendment. Nor will we allow any court decisions from the federal level that would violate our Second Amendment.

Metcalfe is the primary sponsor of House Bill 357, the Right to Bear Arms and Protection Act, which provides that any Federal law that attempts to register, restrict, or ban a firearm, or to limit the size of a magazine of a firearm in Pennsylvania shall be unenforceable in this Commonwealth.

The other two high-priority pieces of legislation receiving top billing are House Bill 659, which would make Pennsylvania the 22nd state in the nation to implement Constitutional Carry, and House Bill 979 which would prohibit and deter local government entities from illegally imposing their own ordinances or regulations on firearms and ammunition.

The keynote speaker, Rep. Scott Perry (R-Penn.) said this annual rally is important, All the people who across the country that believe in this effort, we are law-abiding people who follow the rules, who go & get a permit to exercise our rights, who support the law, and defend supporting and funding the police.

Perry shared three stories about people who used a gun to defend themselves as their last line of defense. He noted, Asian gun ownership rose by 46 [percent] in 2020.  Black American gun ownership rose by 60 [percent]. 8.4 million Americans bought a firearm to protect themselves last year alone.

State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe organized the 2021 Right to Keep and Bear Arms Rally in front of the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg, Penn., on June 7, 2021. (Shenghua Song/NTD)

President and chairman of firearm owners against crime Kim Stouffer held a long list of gun bills: Pennsylvania legislators are taking the lead from Washington radicals, and theyre trying to curtail our freedoms.

While these fine legislators work hard, anti-gun activists are working just as hard. More than 26 anti-gun bills have been introduced, said state Rep. Matt Dowling, a Republican and chairman of the Pennsylvania House Second Amendment Caucus, who is the primary sponsor of House Bill 979.

Perry said he believes that These [gun] rights are enshrined in law. These rights arent given to us by politicians. They are outlined in our Constitution.

Perry was the original Pennsylvania Castle Doctrine sponsor when he was a Pennsylvania house member. He is also a retired general from the Army National Guard.

While Pennsylvania is introducing more pro-gun bills, there is still a big difference from other states. Republican Pennsylvania House Majority Judiciary Chairman Rep. Rob Kauffman last week visited Arizona and talked to their legislators: They said, All of our Democrats out here are pro-gun. I was shocked.

Kauffman said at the rally, Those of you out there who have Democrat legislators that represent you, Im thinking you may need to start teaching them a thing or two because we need to see a little bit more of that here in the Pennsylvania State Capitol like I heard about in the Arizona Capitol.

Pro-Second Amendment state lawmakers joined the 2021 Right to Keep and Bear Arms Rally in front of the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg, Penn., on June 7, 2021. (Shenghua Song/NTD)

Besides Arizona, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected the Biden administration arguments in a case from Rhode Island that police should be allowed to enter homes without a warrant to seize handguns, on May 17.

Recently we just had a huge win in the Supreme Court. Nine to zero to protect the second amendment and the Fourth Amendment, said state Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, a Republican.

Metcalfe said the annual rally started 16 years ago, when the governor was prone to gun-grabbing, and it has worked over the years.

Law-abiding citizens are not the problem, the criminal element is the problem, he said. Law-abiding citizens need to be armed to protect themselves against attack.

But right now, I think its more important than ever, for states to push back with bills like House Bill 357, And that is the bill that would push back in any future federal attempts to criminalize law-abiding activity and to take away the firearms or the ammunition of law-abiding citizens.

That bill has over 70 co-sponsors and is currently in the Judiciary Committee.

I think its it comes down to so much distrust in government and all levels, state Rep. Dave Zimmerman, a Republican, told The Epoch Times after the rally. A lot of it comes from the whole election issue back in November, and then the COVID issue last year, has created so much distrust. Thats why were having all these rallies and it just really gets people fired up and concerned about preserving the Second Amendment.

Im always going to defend all the Constitution and one like the Second Amendment, as well, we need to we need to be standing out for it.
Judge Orders Virginia School to Reinstate Teacher Who Spoke Against Requirement to Use Transgender Pronouns

A Virginia state court judge on June 8 directed Loudoun County school system officials to withdraw their suspension of an elementary school teacher who spoke against a proposal that would require the use of students preferred pronouns.

Teacher Byron Tanner Cross was suspended on May 27 after briefly speaking against a proposal to require teachers in the Northern Virginia public school system to address students by their preferred pronouns, rather than only by those indicating male or female gender.

After Cross spoke out at the May 25 Loudoun County Board of Education public meeting, he was barred from being on the grounds of any of the school systems facilities without prior permission and told to be available on request to discuss the official investigation of whether his comments were disruptive.

Represented by attorneys from the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), an Arizona-based public interest law firm that specializes in civil and religious liberties litigation, Cross on June 1 asked the Virginia Circuit Court for Loudoun County to force the school system to withdraw its disciplinary actions via a Temporary Restraining Order while the case proceeds.

Cross claimed the suspension and related penalties were retaliation for his comments, which were protected by the First Amendments guarantee of freedom of speech.

Judge James E. Plowman of Virginias 20th Circuit, agreed, stating: Here, it is clear the plaintiff was speaking as a citizen, not in his official capacity. His speech was not conducted at his usual place of employment, occurred during non-working hours and at a forum where public comment was invited.

Plaintiff had to abide by the same process to speak as any other citizen. Although this was not formally conceded by the Defendants, analysis of this was not argued.

Plowman agreed that the weight of the evidence suggests that Cross is likely to prevail, as well as that he suffered irreparable harm in the violation of his First Amendment rights, and that he was suspended due to his speech, barred from further speech, and similarly situated employees have been chilled from speech because of Defendants actions.

As a result, the judge ruled that the plaintiffs request for a temporary injunction against the defendants is hereby granted. Defendants shall immediately reinstate the plaintiff to his position as it was prior to the issuance of his suspension and remove the ban that was placed upon him from all buildings and grounds of Loudoun County Public Schools.

Unless an out-of-court settlement is reached between the parties, the case will be heard later this year.

ADF President Mike Farris hailed the decision, saying in a statement on June 8: Nobody should be punished for expressing concern about a proposed government policy, especially when the government invites comment on that policy. For that reason, we are pleased at the courts decision to halt Loudoun County Public Schools retaliation against Tanner Cross while his lawsuit continues.

Farris, himself a long-time resident of Loudoun County and former president of Patrick Henry College located there, added: Educators are just like everybody elsethey have ideas and opinions that they should be free to express. Advocating for solutions they believe in should not cost them their jobs.

School officials singled out his speech, offered in his private capacity at a public meeting, as disruptive and then suspended him for speaking his mind. Thats neither legal nor constitutional. Dozens of other teachers have shared their beliefs on various policies without retaliation; Tanner deserves to be treated with the same respect.

The ADF has won a dozen cases before the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years, including the landmark Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission in 2018, which upheld decorator Jack Phillipss right to decline to include messages on cakes that violate his religious convictions.

Congressional correspondent Mark Tapscott may be contacted at mark.tapscott@epochtimes.nyc
Judge Orders Chicago Mayors Attorneys to Clarify Policy on Denying Interviews to White Reporters

Attorneys for Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on June 7 told a judge that they will file a sworn declaration clarifying the mayors policy on allowing interviews only to people of color, according to The Daily Caller.

Lightfoots office denied interview requests from at least two white reporters explaining that the mayor would only grant requests from black or brown journalists. There was no mention of the offices policy for Asian reporters. Lightfoot went on to explicitly state and defend the discriminatory policy on Twitter last month.

Diversity and inclusion is imperative across all institutions including media. In order to progress, we must change. This is exactly why Im being intentional about prioritizing media requests from POC reporters on the occasion of the two-year anniversary of my inauguration as mayor of this great city, Lightfoot said, using the acronym for people of color.

Daily Caller reporter Thomas Catenacci filed a lawsuit against Lightfoot on May 27 alleging that Lightfoot discriminated against him because he is white and violated his First Amendment rights. According to the complaint (pdf), Catenacci requested and was not granted one-on-one interviews with Lightfoot on May 20, 21, and 24.

During a court hearing on June 7, attorneys for Lightfoot argued that Catenacci has no evidence this policy is in effect, according to The Daily Caller. Attorneys for Catenacci countered that there is no evidence that this policy is not in effect and that Lightfoots office hasnt provided any non-racial reason as to why the interview has not been granted.

Lightfoots policy sparked backlash after she came to defend it, including from fellow reporters. Gregory Pratt, a Latino reporter with the Chicago Tribune, said Wednesday his interview request with Lightfoot was granted.

However, I asked the mayors office to lift its condition on others and when they said no, we respectfully canceled. Politicians dont get to choose who covers them, he said in a tweet.

According to a preliminary injunction (pdf) filed by Catenaccis lawyers on June 2, Lightfoot had at the time still not granted any interviews to white reporters.

The injunction request cites Charles Whitaker, dean at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, who said, We would never, ever in a million years allow that of a white politician. [I]ts dangerous now to say we are going to allow that of a Black politician simply to make a point about the historic inequities in media.

The injunction also cites The National Association of Hispanic Journalists, which said in a statement that it does not condone restricting press access based on a journalists race/ethnicity. Any action that threatens the cornerstone of our democracy and First Amendment rights is unacceptable.

Lightfoots office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Kroger Employee Walks 5 Miles Daily to Work, Until Kind Motorist Offers a Rideand a New Car

A young man, who works as a night stocker at a grocery store, used to walk 5 miles to work every dayuntil a strangers kind act recently turned that bitter situation around.

One day, Kroger employee John Brandeberry, from Toledo, Ohio, was walking to work during a snowstorm. Motorist Jimmy Preston happened to see him. He pulled over and offered Brandeberry a lift.

(Illustration  Ross Mahon/Shutterstock)

When I picked John up in the worst of conditions he said, I have to get there because a lot of people will call off, Preston stated on a crowdfunding page dedicated to helping Brandeberry.

John has never had a drivers license, Preston added. Nobody ever taught him how to drive and his family could not afford drivers ed.

After delivering Brandeberry to Kroger, Preston extended his kindness a step further, collaborating with local charity Blessing in Disguise to sponsor him for driving lessons.

And the kind gestures didnt end there.

After Brandeberry completed his driving course, the nonprofit paid for his license, and he became a fully accredited motorist.

In order to help Brandeberry resolve his transportation worries, Preston created a GoFundMe page to get him a car. He set a target of $5,000, but has raised an incredible $7,005, at the time of writing.

And the acts of good will continued.

Dealership Jim White Toyota set him up with a RAV4contributing over half the cost of the SUV, while the rest was covered by what Preston had already raised.

John Brandeberry with his new RAV4. (Courtesy of Blessings in Disguise)

The remainder of the funds went toward six months worth of insurance for Brandeberry.

To top it all off, he even got a bike rack with a bicycle for when the weather is favorable.

Overjoyed, Brandeberry asserted his belief that there are, in fact, still good people in the world. He also shared some advice, having been the recipient of so much generosity.

You should treat everyone how you want to be treated, he told ABC.

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
Canadian Government Refuses to Produce Unredacted Records on Scientists Fired From Infectious-Disease Lab

The federal government has refused to comply with an order the House passed last week that demands the release of all unredacted documents regarding the firing of two Chinese scientists from the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) in Winnipeg to the Commons Committee on Canada-China (CACN), instead sending the documents to the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP).

At a hearing before the CACN on Monday evening, Conservative MP John Williamson grilled Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau on why the government decided to ignore an order from Parliament to produce the documents, which required the government to provide them to the committee within 48 hours.

We have a responsibility as a government to ensure that we dont jeopardize certain information that touches on privacy, that touches on commercial privacy, and that also touches on possible security implications, Garneau said in response.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Patty Hajdu told the House earlier Monday that she had sent unredacted copies to the NSICOP for review instead of the CACN, because its the appropriate level of security.

Conservatives called the move a contempt of Parliament.

Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau speaks during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland, on May 19, 2021. (Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP)

This is not a game. It is about the fundamental and ancient powers of the House of Commons to act as the grand inquest of the nation. This is being openly defied, dismissed and mocked by the Liberal government. It is, in a word, treating the House with contempt, Conservative House Leader Gerard Deltell said in the House on Monday.

Conservative Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Michael Chong last week criticized the prime minister for saying the NSICOP is the right place to review the breaches of national security at the laboratory, saying the committee answers to the government, not the other way around, according to whats written in the Act.

When the govt fails to uphold national security, it must be held accountable. The govt is accountable to the House of Commons. Thats why these breaches must be investigated by the House, not NSICOP, Chong wrote in a Twitter thread on June 1.

The House order on June 2 came after the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) on two prior occasions failed to produce unredacted documents concerning the firing of the two federal scientists from NML and the transfer of deadly viruses to Chinas Wuhan Institute of Virology in March 2019.

The scientists, Xiangguo Qiu and Keding Cheng, and several Chinese students were stripped of their security access and escorted out of NML in July 2019 amid an RCMP investigation. Qiu, who sent the samples of deadly Ebola and Henipah viruses to China, had travelled several times in official capacity to the Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory, which is part of the Wuhan Institute of Virology. She had also trained scientists and technicians there to level 4 standard that allows them to handle the worlds deadliest viruses and pathogens.

The redacted version of the documents (pdf) were made public on Tuesday, coming after the CACN voted in favour of a motion that calls for its release on Monday night. The motion states it will continue to insist that the PHAC fully comply with the committees orders to produce the unredacted documents.
Lifting Nuclear Ban Could Boost NSW Economy: Commissioner

A report by the New South Wales (NSW) Commissioner for Productivity has suggested easing restrictions on nuclear energy in a bid to boost the states economic prosperity.

The May 31 white paper, titled Rebooting the Economy, provided a list of recommendations for the NSW government in improving the productivity growth of Australias largest state, which included lifting Australias nationwide nuclear energy ban to allow for the use of small-scale nuclear reactors.

Nuclear energy generation is prohibited under the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (ARPANS), and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC).

The technology proposed, known as the small modular reactor (SMR), is currently being developed in the United States, with NuScale at the forefront being the first to receive U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission design approval.

Large reactor normally sustain an output of around 1,000 megawatts (MW), whereas considerably smaller SMRs typically generate less than 300 MW.

Artist rendition of NuScale Powers small modular nuclear reactor plant. (NuScale)

The report suggested that small-scale nuclear reactors provided a safer and more economically feasible alternative to its traditional, larger counterpart, allowing for potential investment from the private sector.

High fixed costs and long delivery times mean [conventional] reactors tend not to be feasible for private investors, the report stated. Existing nuclear reactors have been delivered either by state-owned or regulated monopolies, with consumers and taxpayers shouldering some of the risk.

SMRs, on the other hand, promises a modular designmeaning every component of the facility can be pre-fabricated in specialist facilities and assembled onsite, greatly reducing construction cost.

The small size of the completed module permits component shipment via conventional large object transport such as truck, rail, and barge, NuScale says on their website.

Australia is also the worlds third largest uranium ore producer, with the nation holding on to around one third of the worlds uranium resources, reducing operational costs by circumventing the need to import the resource from overseas.

However, the suggestion has been met with criticism from anti-nuclear campaigning groups, including the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) who says SMR technology is unproven.

This isnt a new technology, small modular reactors have been around for many decades, ACFs Dave Sweeney told The Epoch Times. This technology has not been commercially applied or developed, despite existing for decades.

Currently, no private sector SMR projects have been completed, with many state-funded projects delayed or over-budget. NuScales first under-development project was also delayed by 3 years to 2030.

Capital cost estimates of SMR systems have varied greatly, with NuScale reporting an estimated cost to set up the system of $4,600 per kilowattcheaper than conventional nuclearversus CSIROs considerably more expensive estimate of over $16,000 per kilowatt.

Sweeney said that the focus and investments should instead be shifted to sources such as wind and solar, and not technology lacking a proven track record.

SMR is a dangerous distraction, Sweeney said. It would open the door for massive public subsidy to a technology that is unproven and has failed to deliver.

Concerns over nuclear energy have proliferated following the Chernobyl, and more recently Fukushima, nuclear power plant meltdowns.

SMR makes claims for increased safety, attributing the reduced likelihood of catastrophic failure to its fail-safe mechanisms.

NuScale Power operations supervisor Ryan Flamand (L) and Oregon State University (OSU) Radiation Center director Steve Reese (R) at the new E2 Center at OSU. (NuScale Power)

Should it become necessary, NuScales SMR shuts itself down and self-cools for an indefinite period of time, with no operator action required, no additional water, and no AC or DC power needed, NuScale says.

The report also stated that the reactors reduced size and water needs avoid the requirement for the facility to be built near large sources of water, mitigating the chance of floodinga critical factor resulting in the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear plant.

The NSW Government has considered nuclear as a pathway to reduce emissions, part of its plan to reach net zero by 2050.

While nuclear fission, the primary process behind nuclear energy generation, produces no carbon emissions, the issue of handling nuclear waste remains. Currently, Australia has no facilities in place to store the radioactive byproduct.

Concerns over NSW grid stability had also been raised after the nations largest aluminium smelter was forced to power down several times last month, following coal plant outages that saw energy prices skyrocket by 18,000 percent.
Many Hispanic Voters Now Voting Republican Due to Trump Values: Rubio

Hispanic voters shifting to the GOP stems from former President Donald Trumps values and the Republican Party can lock in the gains provided GOP officials remain focused on the same values, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) says.

Rubio, a Cuban-American, told Breitbart News that Hispanic voters in Miami swung to Trump in 2020 in part because theyre against socialism.

These are communities made up of people who value commonsense wisdom and working class values, Rubio said.

Thats what their life is built on. Those are two things the left has abandoned. You hear lots of people talk about whether its socialism. Socialism is a part of it. Socialism is a part of the commonsense part of it. In their mind, if I were to step in the shoes of someone who maybe voted for Obama in 2012, then voted for Donald Trump in 2020, they would say to you: Look, I came from a socialist country. I fled it. Why the hell would we do that here? It makes no sense to them.

According to exit polls, Trump saw more support from Hispanics in 2020 than 2016. In several key areas, Hispanic votes shifted significantly. For instance, in Florida, 35 percent of Hispanics voted for Trump in 2016; in 2020, that figure was close to 50 percent, according to a CNN exit poll. Overall, Democrat Joe Biden, who won the election, won 65 percent of the Hispanic/Latino vote.

The gain among Hispanics was further seen last week, when Republicans flipped a mayoral seat in McAllen, a border city thats approximately 85 percent Hispanic, held onto a mayoral seat in Fort Worth, and won the race for mayor in Arlington.

A poll conducted in April (pdf) on behalf of the National Republican Senatorial Committee found that a majority of Hispanic voters said they support capitalism over socialism and worry that America is declining so much that their children will not have the same opportunities that drew them to the country in the first place.

About 50 percent of respondents said that Democrat policies end up hurting Hispanic families and generally aligned with conservatives views on biological males playing in womens sports, cancel culture, and the power Big Tech holds.

If you look at these poll numbers, Hispanics across the country are Republicans, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) told reporters in Washington last month.

Latinos vote at a polling station in El Gallo Restaurant in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 8, 2016. (David McNew/Getty Images)

New Mexico Democratic political consultant Sisto Abeyta told Axios recently that Democrats need to turn their attention to areas previously believed to be solid blue.

Democrats need to change the narrative and start talking about jobs, Abeyta said. They need to invest and engage and not take these districts for granted. These voters are up for grabs now.

The shift toward the GOP among Hispanics will be permanent, Rubio told Breitbart, provided Republicans continue to focus on the values that Trump promoted.

I think President Trump was doing a lot of things based on common sense. In their mind, it made all the sense in the world. They dont understand why their side is against it. And then working class valuesmost of these people here dont care what you do with your life, they dont want to tell you how to live your life, who to marry, who to love, and so forthbut youre asking them to abandon three or four thousand years of accumulated human wisdom because a handful of crazy professors have convinced people everything we knew was true is no longer true on things like gender, on this or that, Rubio said.

These guys just got turned off by all that, and I think it accelerated through the summer on the pandemic and the rioting and all of that. I think that shift is permanent unless we as Republicans go back to being who we used to bethen we give these people no political home.
In this image from video, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) speaks after the Senate acquitted former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Feb. 13, 2021. (Senate Television via AP)

McConnell: Republicans Will Block Democrats Agenda This Month

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday said Republicans will attempt to block Democrats June agenda, including a House-passed voting bill.

Speaking on the Senate floor, McConnell said that the Democrat majority decided that June is kind of a check-the-box month with all of the extreme left-wing provisions that they support that have been coming out of the House.

Hopefully, well sober up after that and get back to doing work together, McConnell added, saying: Its pretty clear that bipartisanship is over.

We passed six bills so far this yearsignificant bills on a bipartisan basis. Bills that came out of committee that had buy-in from both sides, he said. But I think thats coming to a screeching halt.

McConnell said the Republicans in the Senate have the capability to halt the Democrats agenda. The Senate is tied 50-50 with Vice President Kamala Harris serving as a tie-breaker.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is seen in a file photo on Dec. 1, 2020. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Theyre ordering and including lots of things that are not what the traditional infrastructure ideas would include, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), a member of the Senate Republican leadership, said, according to the Washington Examiner. Theyre focused on climate change and social welfare. Those are the sorts of things that they want to have massive tax increases to pay for it.

Meanwhile, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has vowed to oppose legislation that would abolish the filibuster, which allows the minority party in the Senate to block legislation. To overcome any GOP filibuster, Democrats would need to get 60 votes.

The West Virginia senator, who met with civil rights leaders earlier in the day, said he had a constructive meeting with the leaders but said he wouldnt support the election-related For the People Act that is supported by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other top Democrats. No, I dont think anybody changed positions on that, Manchin said.

McConnell told reporters on Tuesday that there is no need to pass another bill to strengthen the 1965 Voting Rights Act named after the late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.).

Theres no threat to the voting rights law. Its against the law to discriminate in voting based on race already. And so I think its unnecessary, McConnell said, reported The Hill.

The comments came as Pelosi on Tuesday urged Congress to pass both the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the For the People Act.
11 Parliaments Move to Boycott Beijing Olympics

Eighteen million virus tests were administered in three days and supermarket shelves stood empty, as a new virus spike in a southern Chinese city makes officials nervous.

Lawmakers in the United States, the European Union, and nine other countries are urging their governments to boycott Beijings 2022 Winter Olympics.

Chinas censorship extends to the United States on the anniversary of a violent crackdown. Microsoft search engine Bing seemed to block an iconic image of Chinas Tiananmen massacre on June 4. Other countries report similar findings.

A popular Chinese blogger is sentenced to eight months in jail. His punishment comes after he questioned official Chinese data related to a recent border clash with Indian troops.

A giant U.S. military jet lands in Taiwan over the weekend. Contrary to the Chinese regimes so-called wolf warrior reputation, Beijing appeared oddly quiet following the American arrival.

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People gather in Central Park in New York City on May 22, 2021. (Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images)

New York City Plans Central Park Concert to Mark Pandemic Comeback

NEW YORKNew York will host a concert in Central Park featuring an undisclosed line-up of major musical artists in August to mark the citys comeback from the coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday.

The live music event is part of a week-long citywide celebration of the city, which was once the countrys epicenter of the pandemic.

This is going to be an amazing, memorable once-in-a-lifetime week in New York City, the mayor told a news conference.

De Blasio did not announce a line-up or a date for the concert, although the New York Times reported it is tentatively set for Aug. 21 in Central Parks Great Lawn.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio takes a facility tour before a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of a Nanotronics manufacturing center at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, on April 28, 2021. (John Minchillo/Pool via Reuters)

Clive Davis will pull together the huge event that will feature an all-star roster of artists, according to de Blasio.

The Times reported that the concert will have vaccinated and unvaccinated sections, with about 70 percent of tickets going to vaccinated individuals.

Encouraged by the warm weather, the citys streets, restaurants and parks are once again teeming with activity, a sight unseen during the long months when COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the metropolis.

On Monday, de Blasio said, New York City clocked the lowest positivity rate since the pandemic began at 0.71 percent.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a separate news conference on Monday that the state would lift most remaining COVID-19 restrictions when 70 percent of residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine, 1.4 percent away from the current rate.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 19:18:04|Editor: huaxia

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FAIZABAD, Afghanistan, June 8 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and 43 others wounded after a protest turned violent in Afghanistan's northern Badakhshan province on Tuesday, a local source confirmed.

The protesters started marching from Maidan-e-Buzkashi area toward the provincial governor office in Shahr-e-Kuhna Tuesday morning, but they clashed with police soon after reaching the office building, head of provincial council Ahmad Bashir Samim told Xinhua.

Poor security, drinking water shortage and failure of the local government to develop construction of ring roads in the mountainous province have reportedly been the main reasons behind the protest.

The angry protesters set on fire a local customs office and the demonstration continued till midday, according to the source.

The local government office has not commented on the incident so far. Enditem
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy holds a news conference regarding the COVID-19 cases at the War Memorial in Trenton, N.J. on April 11, 2020. (Chris Pedota/The Record via AP, Pool)

NJ Lawmakers, Residents Stand Against Extension of Governors Pandemic-Related Executive Powers

New Jerseys Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law on Friday a bill that would end the public health emergency declared 15 months ago due to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic but would also extend some of the governors pandemic-related powers until 2022.

This legislation ensures that the Administration has the tools and flexibility necessary to continue vaccination and testing efforts, ensure protections for vulnerable populations, and oversee and coordinate the health care system to address this ongoing threat, Murphy, New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D), and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D) said in a joint statement.

The bill was introduced by Coughlin and Sweeney in both Houses of the New Jersey Legislature after the Memorial Day long weekend, fast-tracked, and passed by both the New Jersey Assembly and Senate two days later with no Republican support.

The legislation received backlash from New Jerseyans opposed to the extension of executive powers for the governor. They protested outside the state House in Trenton, New Jersey, on June 3. Several New Jersey lawmakers spoke against the bill at a rally organized by the protesters.

New Jersey Assemblyman Jay Webber (R), who voted against the bill, said on Twitter, The bill was added to the agenda late Friday before a long weekend, and the text wasnt available until late Tuesday.

The fight never stops in the Trenton Swamp. Today, I will vote against a bill giving Governor Murphy intrusive & unilateral tools to manage pandemic policy. The bill was added to the agenda late Friday before a long weekend, and the text wasnt available until late Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/cghdEP5Xyq  Jay Webber (@JayWebberNJ) June 3, 2021

New Jersey Sen. Steven Oroho (R) proposed a hostile amendment to the bill to immediately end the public health emergency and to strip the governor of the power to spend federal relief funds without legislative oversight, according to a statement on his website.

The amendment, however, was blocked by the New Jersey Senates Democrat majority.

Oroho criticized the bill in his speech during a debate on the Senate floor, saying that the bill would end the public health emergency in name only.

He warned that the measure would allow Murphy to keep in place his executive orders and restrictions, such as a mandate for children to wear masks until next year although kids face very little risk of infection.

More than 10,000 New Jerseyans have signed a petition urging Murphy to unmask their children.

Oroho added that the mandates being kept in place by the governor are unnecessary because infection rates are plummeting and signs of the virus are rapidly disappearing.

Oroho also pointed out that the bill will adversely impact landlords by extending the moratorium on evictions until the next year. People who own rental properties, for example, would have to wait until next year to seek relief for tenants who havent paid rent.

However, landlords are still forced to pay their [property] tax bills every quarter with no relief, he said.

The legislation also does not address what critics say has been a lack of transparency by the Murphy administration in preventing residents from obtaining records and documents about the deaths of family members in nursing homes and veterans homes in the state, Oroho said.

If this bill becomes law, [thousands of families] may never get the answers they deserve.

Oroho demanded legislative oversight on the governors spending of the federal relief funds, claiming that $2.4 billion in CARES Act funds has already been misspent and not used to effectively help struggling New Jerseyans. More than a third of small businesses have disappeared and two million people have lost their jobs due to lockdowns in New Jersey, Oroho pointed out.

Without oversight, the new federal funds that have just been sent to New Jersey could be misspent, the Senator said.

New Jersey Assemblyman Nicholas Chiaravalloti (D), who also sponsored the bill, said in a statement to local media, The science and data show us that it is time to end the public health emergency. However, 13 out of 120 pandemic-related executive orders will remain in place under the new laws.

This bill offers a reasonable and pragmatic approach to ending the health emergency, Chiaravalloti said.

The new legislation requires any rules related to masks, social distancing, and gathering be no stronger than CDC guidance. However, if a substantial increase in hospitalizations, infections, or the rate of COVID-19 transmission occurs, the rules can be more restrictive, the bill stipulated.

New Jersey Sen. Kip Bateman (R) also criticized the bill, telling in the Senate: theres a reason why there are three equal branches of government and theres a reason why democracy works so well when the people are involved.

This bill was not properly vetted. This bill should have been in committee. It should have had an opportunity to hear from the public; these are very important issues, Bateman said, adding that his office has received hundreds of phone calls and emails from parents concerned that their children will have to continue to wear masks for seven to eight hours a day.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the Office of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy for comment.
A team of scientists and science students from Chulalongkorn University paint the toenails of a wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat after sampling as a way of tagging at an on site lab near the Khao Chong Pran Cave in Ratchaburi, Thailand on Sept. 12, 2020. (Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)

No Bats or Pangolins Sold in Wuhan Wet Market: Oxford Research

Neither bats nor pangolins were being sold in Wet Markets in Wuhan when the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic started, a study by Oxford University found.

Chinese officials have claimed the virus, which causes COVID-19, originated outside the country, but it is widely believed to have come from a top-level laboratory in Wuhan, where the initial cases were detected, or from a seafood market near the lab.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in March that the organization hadnt found the source of the virus, and that the report it had produced, which said the virus very likely had an animal host, didnt adequately analyze other theories.

According to the Oxford University, bats and pangolinsthe two main suspects in the natural development theoryhad an alibi.

The University said its Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WILDCRU) happened to have been working with its China-based colleagues in gathering data collected from across Wuhans wet markets through May 2017 and November 2019 to study a different disease.

The study put the team in the right place at the right time to document the wild animals sold in these markets in the lead up to the pandemic, Professor David Macdonald, director of WILDCRU said in a statement.

The study, published by Nature journal on Tuesday, said the team documented 47,381 individuals from 38 species sold as pets or for human consumption, including Badgers, raccoon dogs, hedgehogs, peacocks, and reptiles, but not bats or pangolins.

Bats are actually rarely consumed in Central China, where market photos generally depict Indonesia. Pangolin trade is still a significant issue in other Chinese cities and trading nodes, but not in Wuhan, Macdonald said.

Questions around the origin of the CCP virus have been growing recently, with a number of scientists who had dismissed the lab leak theory having now backtracked their statements.

U.S. President Joe Biden said on May 26 that he wanted the Intelligence Community to produce a report on the origin of the CCP virus in 90 days.

Downing Street has also said that the WHO needs to explore all possible theories, although an ex-intelligence chief said the organization is a lost cause in his estimation.

Last month, 18 international researchers signed a letter pushing for a proper investigation into the virus origin.

U.S. epidemiologist Ralph Baric is among the signatories.

Baric and Dr. Shi Zhenglia senior virologist at the Wuhan Institute of Virology nicknamed Bat Lady for her research on bat coronavirusesare both among the authors of a paper published in 2015 on bat coronaviruses. Baric is also one of the scientists that classified the CCP virus and named it SARS-CoV-2.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Three days after a Ukrainian airliner was shot down in Tehran, protesters attend a rally against the threat of war against Iran in Trafalgar Square, London, on Jan. 11, 2020. (Hollie Adams/Getty Images)

Notable Uplift in Iranian Interference in UK: Think Tank

Iran is increasingly interfering with the UK to achieve its objectives and must now be seen as a top-tier threat, British think tank the Henry Jackson Society (HJS) warned.

The activities include encouraging Scottish separatism and attacks against Israel, Saudi Arabia, and global counter-terrorism efforts, according to a 100-page report (pdf) published by the HJS on Monday.

The report, authored by the think tanks counter-terrorism and British jihadism expert Paul Stott, said the Iranian regime is a dictatorial regime that seeks to propagate its own interpretation of Islam globally in order to secure maximum politico-religious advantage.

The report said the regime has sought to interfere in the constitutional integrity of the UK with online disinformation and fake websites, as well as using physical means to achieve its objectives.

It also cited a few examples of Iranian activities in other countries, including Assadollah Assadi, an Iranian diplomat in Vienna who was convicted for planning to bomb a rally of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in France in June 2018, endangering thousands of attendees including a British delegation of 35 and senior U.S. politicians such as Rudy Giuliani and Newt Gingrich.

The Iranian government is a hostile one. It holds British citizens hostage, using them as bargaining chips, Stott said in a statement, referring to a number of British-Iranian nationals who are or have been imprisoned in Iran, including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who is arguably the most high-profile.

Richard Ratcliffe, husband of British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe jailed in Tehran since 2016, and his daughter Gabriella, attend a protest outside the Iranian Embassy in London on March 8, 2021. (Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran also seeks to interfere in the constitutional arrangements of the UK, via the tool of online disinformation, Stott said. Here Iran must now be seen as a top-tier threat, with similar intentions to Russia.

Regardless of the negotiations between the West and Iran over its nuclear ambitions, Iran also seeks to weaken our social cohesion, promoting its own stripe of Shia Islam at institutions in the UK, Stott added. More than three decades on from the fatwa against Salman Rushdie, little has changed.

Rushdie is a British-American writer, whose life has been endangered after the Iranian regime in 1989 issued a fatwaa legal opinion rendered by an Islamic scholaragainst him over his novel The Satanic Verses.

Stott called his report an investigation, audit, and analysis of Iranian influence networks in the United Kingdom.

It identified seven areas where Iran has or seeks to establish influence networks, including in politics, religion, the media, cultural networks, the Iranian diaspora, education and academia, and business and finance.

Stott cited examples of how Iran has put considerable effort into developing political relationships with pro-independence Scottish politicians, supported Irish republicanism in Northern Ireland, and manoeuvred its way into both the far left and the far right.
Which presidents literary legacy had the most impact? The Oval Office of the White House in 2010. (Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images)

Oval Office Authors: Presidents, Pens, and Paper

Many of our modern presidents have written books. When running for office, they frequently publish political manifestos outlining their vision for America or autobiographies describing obstacles theyve overcome to reach to the top. On leaving office, they reverse this process and write of their days in the White House, the crises they faced, the grace and courage with which they conquered adversity, the friends they made, and the foes they vanquished.

Only time will tell whether the books of these men will continue to draw readers in future years or will instead gather dust on library shelves, studied only by historians and biographers. Wheres The Rest of Me?: The Autobiography of Ronald Reagan, an account of his early life and his time in Hollywood is, for example, out of print. And though a bestseller now, Barack Obamas memoir of his presidency, A Promised Land, may find few fans 20 years from now.

Yet if we travel back in time a century or two, we discover several presidents whose prose had a profound effect on the country or whose literary talents still attract admirers today. Among these are Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Theodore Roosevelt.

Known as the Edgehill Portrait, this painting of President Thomas Jefferson by Gilbert Stuart was the result of two sittings: in 1805 and 1821. Purchased with funds provided by the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution; the Trustees of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc.; and the Enid and Crosby Kemper Foundation. The painting is owned jointly by Monticello, Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc., Charlottesville, Virginia and the National Portait Gallery. (Public Domain) (Public Domain)

The Virginian

Surrounded by a platoon of men who possessed a talent for oratory and persuasive writing, Thomas Jefferson nonetheless stands out as the most gifted man of letters among his contemporaries. In addition to the Declaration of Independence, which stands alongside the Constitution as Americas foundational document, Jeffersons work includes the book Notes on the State of Virginia, his draft of The Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, which he considered one of the great accomplishments of his lifetime, and numerous letters that historians now regard as minor masterpieces about democracy and America.

In his education and training, Jefferson accrued advantages that many of his presidential heirs lacked. He received the best available education of his time, undergoing rigorous instruction in the classics, law, and oratory. He studied at the College of William and Mary, and later read the law with the prominent attorney George Wythe. Moreover, he lived in the company of men and women who were attentive to speech and the written word, thereby further enhancing his talent for communication.

In 1776, Congress created a Committee of Five, which included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, to write a proposal for independence. Though many in the Continental Congress wanted Adams to write the first draft, he was so impressed with Jeffersons abilities with pen and paper that he urged him to become the chief architect of what would become the Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, a copy of the 1823 William Stone facsimile. (Public Domain)

That Jefferson was proud of his work as a writer may be seen from the inscriptions on his tombstone, which he wrote himself. He makes no mention of his presidency, but instead describes his accomplishments as the author of the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia.

Other than the Constitution, no other document has had so great an impact on the American people.

A portrait of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 by George Peter Alexander Healy, created in 1887 from other portraits. Gift of the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust; National Portrait Gallery. (Public Domain)

The Rail-Splitter

In regard to formal schooling, Abraham Lincoln stands as Jeffersons opposite. Largely self-educatedhe attended school for less than a year and later learned the law by borrowing books and studying informally with attorneys. Lincoln found his classroom for composition in the King James Bible and the plays and verse of William Shakespeare.

We see the rhythms and cadences of these two literary influences throughout Lincolns speeches, especially his Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address. Unlike so many of our 20th-century presidents, Lincoln wrote these speeches himself, revising them and occasionally reading them aloud to various companions and cabinet members.

On Sept. 22, 1862, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The five-page original document is held in the National Archives Building. (Public Domain)

Though ungainly and awkward, Lincoln conquered his audiences and readers through his words. His House Divided speechhis listeners well knew the biblical verse A house divided against itself cannot standmay have cost him his run for the Senate in 1858, but helped him later win the presidency. His Cooper Union Address of 1860 was made into a pamphlet and printed in many newspapers. In his First Inaugural Address, we hear the rich rhetoric supplied to him by his lifetime of reading and writing:

We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield, and every patriot grave, to every heart and hearth-stone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the betters angels of our nature.

The speech failed to dissuade the South from succession, but it is a masterpiece of style, thought, and persuasion.

A short time later, his Emancipation Proclamation, the document that he helped compose and that brought about the end of slavery, changed the course of American history.

A portrait of Ulysses S. Grant, circa 1880, by Thomas Le Clear. Gift of Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant Jr.; National Portrait Gallery. (Public Domain)

The General

Throughout my high school and college history coursesI majored in that subjectmy textbooks and teachers inevitably depicted Ulysses S. Grant as one of the worst U.S. presidents. He was weak, I was told, and misled by underlings, with the result that his presidency was rife with corruption.

Though there is truth in these charges, historians have since corrected some of those impressions. They acknowledge the bribery and corruption practiced by some associated with Grants administration, but also credit him with fighting the Ku Klux Klan in the South. He also attempted to resolve Western conflicts with Native Americanshe appointed Native American Ely Parker as Commissioner of Indian Affairsand strengthened ties with Great Britain, largely due to the diplomacy of his Secretary of State, Hamilton Fish.

Cheated by a business partner after hed left the White House, nearly broke, and then told by doctors that he was dying of throat cancer, Grant spent the final year of his life desperately writing his memoirs of the Civil War to provide for his family after his death. With the encouragement and backing of Mark Twain, he finished his two-volume work just days before he died. Again with Twains assistance and generous royalty payments, The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant became a bestseller and brought financial security to his wife, Julia.

President Grant working on his memoirs in June 1885, less than a month before his death . U.S. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs division. (Public Domain)

That autobiography, which focuses primarily on Grants military career, is today considered one of the finest nonfiction works in our literature. Grants spare writing, his ability to describe complicated battles, and his comments on various leaders remain valuable both as a guide to the Civil War and as a model for writing.

A first edition copy of Ulysses S. Grants personal memoirs from 1885. (David Newmann/National Park Service)

Though Mark Twain clearly had a vested interest in promoting Grants Personal Memoirs, many critics would agree with his evaluation of the book:

I had been comparing the memoirs with Caesars Commentaries.  I was able to say in all sincerity, that the same high merits distinguished both booksclarity of statement, directness, simplicity, unpretentiousness, manifest truthfulness, fairness and justice toward friend and foe alike, soldierly candor and frankness, and soldierly avoidance of flowery speech. I placed the two books side by side upon the same high level, and I still think that they belonged there.

Magnanimous praise indeed from a high priest of American literature.

A portrait of Theodore Roosevelt, 1967, by Adrian Lamb, after Philip Alexius de Laszlos 1908 original. Gift of the Theodore Roosevelt Association; National Portrait Gallery. (Public Domain)

The Dynamo

Of all our presidents, Theodore Roosevelt was as much a writer as a politician. Many today who know something of his life mark him as a bibliophile extraordinaire who often read two or three books a day and who consumed tens of thousands of books in his lifetime, surely making him the most well-read of our chief executives.

Besides reading a library of books, however, Roosevelt was also a prolific author.

In his lifetime, Roosevelt wrote and saw published over 30 books. The range of topics was vast, running from biographies of English Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell and the prominent American senator Thomas Hart Benton to works as diverse as The Naval War of 1812, The Wilderness Hunter, The Rough Riders, Progressive Principles, and A Booklovers Holidays in the Open.

Perhaps best-known of his works is Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography, published several years after hed left the White House. This memoir, which is still in print and which may be found online as well, weaves together incidents and major events of Roosevelts life along with his philosophy for living. At the end of Chapter II: The Vigor of Life, for instance, having addressed such topics as bodily vigor and courage, he writes these sentences about a man seeking to acquire fearlessness:

Let him dream about being a fearless man, and the more he dreams the better he will be, always provided he does his best to realize the dream in practice. He can do his part honorably and well provided only he sets fearlessness before him as an ideal, schools himself to think of danger merely as something to be faced and overcome, and regards life itself as he should regard it, not something to be thrown away, but as a pawn to be promptly hazarded whenever the hazard is warranted by the larger interests of the great game in which we are all engaged.

The first edition of Theodore Roosevelts autobiography.

Athlete, hunter, cowboy, soldier, husband, father, politician, president, and writerRoosevelt played the great game and played it exceptionally well.

Roosevelt dressed in his riding clothes. The image appeared on the cover of Harpers Weekly on July 2, 1904. Gift of Joanna Sturm; U.S. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs division. (Public Domain)

Words and Deeds

A famous Latin tag, Facta non verba, translates into English as Actions, not words. Generally, this adage holds true. We judge others more by what they do and less by what they say they will do.

These presidents were all men of action. The job demanded that of them. Fortunately for the rest of us, they also possessed the talent to set words and thoughts ablaze, and by those fires helped shine a light on the American Dream.

Give what you can, with what you have, where you are, Theodore Roosevelt once wrote.

By their example and by their words, these four presidents urge us to live by that axiom.

Jeff Minick has four children and a growing platoon of grandchildren. For 20 years, he taught history, literature, and Latin to seminars of homeschooling students in Asheville, N.C. He is the author of two novels, Amanda Bell and Dust On Their Wings, and two works of non-fiction, Learning As I Go and Movies Make The Man. Today, he lives and writes in Front Royal, Va. See JeffMinick.com to follow his blog.
The popular Rose Canyon flower field in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. Local residents are calling on the city to protect the field from state-mandating housing requirements. (Michelle Thompson/The Epoch Times)

Petition Calls on Rancho Santa Margarita to Protect Flower Field From Redevelopment

Hundreds of residents in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, say theyre worried that state housing mandates might cost the city a popular field known locally for its springtime burst of flowers.

Rose Canyon is a 3.5-acre, undeveloped site that was generally accepted by a city focus group to repurpose for housing, although further study is required to determine how many units the property can accommodate.

A petition from members of the Rancho Santa Margarita community, intended to protect the Rose Canyon as a community resource, is calling on the city to consider other options.

[Rose Canyon] serves as a direct walking path to the canyon, brings nature into the master planned community and is constantly used by the people who live here, the petition said.

This greenbelt space is not large enough to fulfill the states requirement, leaving additional land needed for development. Using this small parcel of land takes away an aesthetic that makes RSM so beautiful and such a desirable place to live.

The petition began gathering signatures on Change.org on June 1 and gathered 790 signatures as of deadline June 7.

The city was allocated 680 units as part of the states 20212029 Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA). It must demonstrate that it has enough land designated and made available for residential development, but its not responsible for building the units.

The city has to make sure that land is designated in the general plan and zoning to accommodate 680 units; the city does not build housing, Cheryl Kuta, development services director, told The Epoch Times.

Rancho Santa Margarita must update its General Plan Housing Elements data, including an eight-year plan for the RHNA allocation, by Oct. 15.

Its currently conducting a public outreach campaign and has undertaken several focus group studies to obtain input regarding how the community would prefer to plan for the allocated housing.

The Southern Orange County city doesnt need to own the space it intends to zone for residential purposes. In fact, it doesnt own enough land to meet the RHNA allocation, as most of the city is privately owned.

The city doesnt own enough land to accommodate the RHNA, but there is enough land within the city, and the city council will decide which sites are appropriate to be designated for housing that are not currently designated for housing, Kuta said.

The city isnt using eminent domain; rather its only zoning property to have the possibility of housing development.

The city will not be acquiring property for housing; the city will be zoning property for housing, Kuta said.

For example, an office space within the city can be zoned for housing. In this instance, the occupants would not need to do anything, and could maintain it as an office space. However, the property could be used for residential purposes if the owner chooses to do so.

The private owner would have to agree to a development, but the private owner doesnt have to agree to the city changing the zoning on the property.

Should a property that is not currently zoned for residential be rezoned by the city council in the future for residential, that wouldnt mean that anything would have to happen to the existing use. That use could stay there in perpetuity as a legal nonconforming use.

Once a property is designated by the city council to be zoned for residential development, it will be made available for development during the entire eight-year housing cycle.

During the last RHNA housing cycle, the city was allocated to zone just two units.

That housing element cycle was right at the end of the Great Recession, and there was a lot of vacancy, so a lot of cities got very low RHNA numbers, Kuta said. Nobody in the entire region got to zero. Everybody got at least two.

The city is currently in the process of evaluating the universe of sites, Kuta said, adding that there are a variety of options, ranging from office space to commercial sites, open space, workforce housing, and accessory dwelling units.

Councilman Jerry Holloway said that an added challenge to meet the required units is that the city is fairly new, and there are not that many areas for redevelopment.

Were not old enough, so you dont really have any redevelopment areas to speak of, Holloway told The Epoch Times.

Meeting the requirements is going to be a little trickier for us as it might be for some older cities.

To date, the city has hosted five focus group meetings with various stakeholders on various sites.

One key finding of the focus group was that repurposing office sites was a very acceptable option to meet the housing needs.

Kuta said the city is encouraging community members to contact council and staff to provide public input for the RHNA allocation decision-making process.

We want public input all along the way, and thats what weve been trying to get, she said.

The city council and planning commission will give direction in the coming months to narrow the options.

Kuta said the city will have a more difficult time finding residential units than other cities because were a built-out city. We are a masterplan community, and so finding space for additional residential units that werent planned for is a challenge.
Philadelphia Man Arrested for Raising Money While Claiming to Be Trump Family Member

A Philadelphia man has been charged with fraud for allegedly impersonating family members of former President Donald Trump to raise funds for a fake political group.

Joshua Hall, 22, was arrested on the morning of June 8 and will be subsequently presented on the same day in a Harrisburg federal court.

Joshua Hall allegedly impersonated family members of the then-President of the United States on social media to fraudulently induce hundreds of victims to donate to a political organization that did not exist, and then pocketed those funds for his own use, said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss.

We thank the FBI for their partnership in the investigation of this case, and we remain dedicated to rooting out and prosecuting fraud wherever we find it.

The complaint alleges that Hall victimized hundreds of people saying he was raising funds to support the reelection of Trump. He was able to gather more than 100,000 followers and was covered by media, however, the political organization he claimed to be representing was completely fictitious and he spent the money for himself.

He gathered thousands of dollars from hundreds of people throughout the United States.

Hall has been charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, facing a maximum sentence of twenty years.

Hall led hundreds of people to believe they were donating to an organization that didnt exist by pretending to be someone he wasnt, as alleged, said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William Sweeney.

As we continue to investigate fraud in all its many forms, we urge the public to remain aware of the prevalence of online scams and exercise due diligence when making donations online.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison arrives for a press conference in the Prime Minister's Courtyard at Parliament House on June 4, 2021, in Canberra, Australia. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

Previously Dropped IR Reform Is Back on the Table

The Morrison government plans to bring industrial relation reforms, which had been decimated, back on the table for negotiation as the next federal election approaches.

In March, the coalition government rushed to pass its controversial omnibus IR Bill and ended up stripping away every provision except changes surrounding casual workers and its definition.

In response, industry leaders welcomed the small change. They also urged the Prime Minister not to abandon the rest of the bill, which included changes to greenfield agreements, fast-tracking enterprise bargaining, and granting employers more rights to change employee conditions.

Industrial Relations Minister Michaelia Cash has confirmed that the government plans to repursue changes to greenfield agreements, which are workplace agreements for large scale construction projects. The plan is to double the length so that parties, such as builders, would not need to renegotiate new agreements in the middle of projects.

We [the coalition government] stand ready to provide the mining industry with greater investment certainty, but Labor need to get out of the way of blocking this legislation, Cash told The Australian Financial Review.

There are currently 108 minerals projects across Australia in the pre-feasibility or feasibility stage. Together, these projects are worth $47 billion and entail approximately 30,000 construction jobs and 21,000 ongoing jobs.

Anthony Albanese cannot say he supported the mining industry when Labor voted against legislation to reform greenfield agreements, Cash said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison made mention of greenfield agreement reform recently in a dinner speech to the Minerals Council of Australia on June 3.

We sought to have those greenfield arrangements legislated through the Parliament. Wed like to see them still legislated through the Parliament, Morrison said. Theyre important for investment; theyre important for jobs; theyre important for the resources sector. Were for it. Weve always been for it. Our opponents in this place are against it.

Industry leaders and several ministers, including the Prime Minister and the Treasurer, have said that the greenfield agreement reforms are modest and sensible.

Labor, the Greens, and the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) have strongly opposed the changes due to concerns that it would harm employees.

The ACTU were most concerned that the bill would make bargaining more difficult for workers, take rights off blue-collar workers on big projects, weaken wage theft punishments, and more. They called it a success when the government scrapped most of the provisions from the omnibus bill in March.
Republicans Infrastructure Negotiations With White House Hit Roadblock

Negotiations on a major infrastructure package have hit a snag, Republicans and Democrats said Tuesday.

The negotiations ongoing with the White House on infrastructure hit a significant roadblock, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the Senate Republican Conference chairman, told reporters on Capitol Hill.

The bargaining talks seem to be running into a brick wall, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) added in a separate briefing.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), the top Republican on the Senate Committee of Environment and Public Works, was tasked by top Senate Republicans to try to reach a deal with President Joe Biden on infrastructure after the White House unveiled a $2.3 trillion plan and Republicans countered with a $568 billion proposal.

The two sides have since inched closer but are still over $700 billion apart.

Capito and Biden planned to talk yet again later Tuesday, the White House said.

They will have a discussion about what more there is to discuss, I guess, and what the path looks like forward, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington.

President Joe Biden gestures toward Sen. Shelley Capito (R-W.Va.) during an infrastructure meeting at the White House in Washington on May 13, 2021. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Barrasso said the GOP wants to focus on actual infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and airports, while the Biden administration seems set on including items not traditionally included in infrastructure packages, such as money for elder care. The two sides also have differences over whether or not to include tax hikes.

Republicans have been very clear. Were not going to raise taxes, and the American people would agree that the last time you ever raise taxes is when youre coming out of, still trying to recover from a pandemic, he said.

As negotiations between Capito and Biden stall, a different group headed by Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) are working on a proposal, Schumer said.

Thats good, but thats not going to be the only answer. We all know as a caucus, we will not be able to do all the things that the country needs in a bipartisan way, and so at the same time we are pursuing the pursuit of reconciliation, he said.

Democrats used reconciliation, a budget tool, to ram through a COVID-19 relief package earlier this year with no Republican support. Democrats hold a slim majority in the 50-50 Senate through Vice President Kamala Harriss ability to cast tie-breaking votes in her capacity as president of the upper chamber.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has said he does not at this time support using reconciliation to push through infrastructure legislation. Unless a Republican switched sides, which is unlikely, Democrats need Manchins vote.

Portman told reporters in Washington that he was not able to put a price tag on the proposal hes working on.

Well see. Im still promoting the other talks, he said, referring to the Capito-Biden negotiations. Were working with Sen. Capito and exchanging information and trying to make that as successful as possible.

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) arrives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 27, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden planned to speak to other senators on Tuesday afternoon who are engaged in bipartisan talks on infrastructure, according to the White House.

We are encouraged by these discussions and see them as an additional viable path forward, Psaki said.

The president wouldnt be spending his time engaging in hours of discussions with Republicans if he didnt think something could come from it, she added later.

Bidens only remaining lines in the sand are inaction and raising taxes on Americans making $400,000 or more a year.

Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) are part of the Sinema-led group. Romney said theyre nailing down exactly where we are before taking a proposal to a wider, 20-member group that contains both Democrats and Republicans.

Weve been, at this stage, waiting in the wings, he told reporters on Capitol Hill. If theres interest in our proposal and how we might decide when to come forward is undecided at this point.
A group of protesters enter the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Security, Intelligence Failures Found in Days Before Jan. 6 Capitol Breach: Senate Report

U.S. Capitol Police intelligence officials failed to share information they received in the days and weeks leading up to Jan. 6, contributing to the agency being unprepared for what transpired that day, according to a new Senate report.

The federal intelligence community, led by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, did not issue a threat assessment warning of potential violence targeting the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, despite online calls for violence, the 128-page bipartisan report says.

The U.S. Capitol Polices (USCP) lead intelligence component, meanwhile, became aware of the potential for violence in the days preceding Jan. 6 but failed to fully incorporate this information into all of its internal assessments, the bipartisan group discovered.

The failure to warn of potential violence was combined with the USCP being ill-prepared to prevent or respond to security threats on Jan. 6, which contributed to the breach of the Capitol during a joint session of Congress, according to the report, an analysis previously offered by Steve Sund, the former chief of the Capitol Police.

The events of January 6th were horrific, and our bipartisan investigation identified many unacceptable, widespread breakdowns in security preparations and emergency response related to this attack, Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said in a statement. Our report offers critical recommendations to address these failures and strengthen security for the Capitol to prevent an attack of this nature from ever happening again.

Over the past five months, our committees have worked together in a bipartisan way to thoroughly investigate the intelligence and security failures prior to and on January 6, and to develop recommendations to address them, added Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), ranking member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee. These recommendations are based on an extensive fact-finding effort that included interviews with key decision makers, firsthand accounts from law enforcement personnel, and the review of thousands of documents. Our focus now should be on immediately implementing these recommendations.

Protesters clash with police at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Julio Cortez/AP Photo)

Peters and Blunt issued the report jointly with Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), the top Republican on the Homeland Security panel, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), chairwoman of the Rules Committee.

Members of Congress met on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol to certify electoral votes submitted by states. Protesters and rioters stormed the building in the early afternoon, angered by then-Vice President Mike Pences refusal to intervene in the certification process. People who breached the building have said they believe widespread fraud occurred in the election and did not like how officials in some states dramatically altered voting rules amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prosecutors have charged over 450 people in the breach and expect to charge at least 100 more, according to a recent court filing.

Once people entered the building, opaque processes and lack of emergency authority delayed USCP requests for National Guard assistance, the report found.

The intelligence failures, coupled with the Capitol Police Board not asking ahead of time for Guard assistance, meant Guardsmen were not activated, staged, and prepared to quickly respond to the Capitol breach.

It took over three hours following a request for help for Guardsmen to arrive on Capitol Hill, officials testified in March.

The senators issued a series of recommendations, including advising USCP to require a department-wide operational plan for special events and to make its Civil Disturbance Unit a permanent component to ensure the officers in the unit are properly trained and equipped at all times.

USCP said in a statement that it agrees improvements are needed in intelligence analysis and dissemination.

Law enforcement agencies across the country rely on intelligence, and the quality of that intelligence can mean the difference between life and death. The USCP also acknowledges it must improve how it collects and shares intelligence with its own officers and stakeholders and has made significant changes since the attack on January 6, it said. The Department has also made major changes to its now Department-wide operations planning processes, even recently bringing on a National Special Security Event planning and coordination expert from the United States Secret Service.

The Pentagon told The Epoch Times that it is aware of the report and reviewing its contents.

The National Guard referred comment to the secretary of the Army. The secretary, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Sen. Joe Manchin Issues Response After Constructive Meeting With Civil Rights Groups on Voting Law

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who has signaled opposition to several Democrat-proposed voting bills and ending the filibuster, said he wont budge on a sweeping bill to overhaul federal elections after he met with civil rights groups.

There was nothing basically for or against  basically everyones position was discussed, Manchin told reporters on Tuesday after meeting with NAACP President Derrick Johnson, Al Sharpton, National Urban League president Marc Morial, and others.

When asked about whether he would support the For the People Act bill, the Democrat senator said, No, I dont think anybody changed positions on that, according to The Hill.

The Democrat-backed For the People Act was passed in the House along party lines and would limit gerrymandering, change campaign finance rules, and would create new ethics rules for some federal officials. Republicans and conservative organizations such as the Heritage Foundation oppose the bill, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) describing the measure as a one-sided power grab when it was first introduced in 2019.

If Manchin opts to support the bill, Senate Republicans would very likely use the filibuster, which requires a 60-vote threshold to overcome, to block its passage. As a result, some congressional Democrats have called for the abolition of the Senate filibuster, a proposal that Manchin has said he would oppose. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) has also signaled opposition to ending the filibuster.

Im very honored that we all got the chance to speak, listen to each other. Thats really what its about. We learned and listened, Manchin also said of his meeting on Tuesday. We had a constructive conversation. I think everybody pretty much knows the importance of what were doing. And I think Im very much concerned about our democracy, protecting peoples voting rights, the senator continued.

Manchin previously said that he wont support the measure, saying its too broad and wont receive bipartisan support. A number of leftist Democrats in the House, including Squad member Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), have started to take an increasingly hard-line stance against Manchin.

Joe Manchin has become the new Mitch McConnell. Mitch McConnell during Obamas presidency said he would do everything in his power to stop (then-President Barack Obama), Bowman told CNN this week. Hes also repeated that now during the Biden presidency by saying he would do everything in his power to stop President Biden, and now Joe Manchin is doing everything in his power to stop democracy and to stop our work for the people, the work that the people sent us here to do.

It came after Manchin wrote an opinion article for the Charleston Gazette saying he wont back the bill because partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy.

For that, Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, praised the West Virginia Senator.

Hes doing the right thing and its a very important thing, Trump said of Manchin during a Fox News interview on Monday. Otherwise youre going to be packing the court. Youre going to be doing all sorts of very, very bad things that were unthinkable and were never even brought up during the election. Nobody brought this stuff up.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 19:31:04|Editor: huaxia

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MOGADISHU -- More than 60 Al-Shabab militants including foreign fighters were killed in an explosion at a village about 65 kilometers west of Qoryooley in southern Somalia, the army said in a brief statement on Tuesday.

The Somali National Army (SNA) said that the al-Qaida allied terrorists died in the blast which took place at their compound in Ala-Futow village in the Lower Shabelle region after the bomb which was being assembled exploded. (Somalia-Al-Shabab-Casualty)

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WINDHOEK -- Namibia on Monday launched the first ever space, science and technology policy which aims to guide the use of space resources and contribute towards the socio-economic growth and development of the country.

Speaking at the launch of the policy, Minister of Higher Education, Training and Innovation Itah Kandjii-Murangi said the country seeks to use the policy as a tool in strengthening capacity of both experts and institutions in space as well as to explore global partnerships to attract projects and promote innovation. (Namibia-Space Science)

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ISLAMABAD -- The death toll from the collision between two trains in Pakistan's southern Sindh province early Monday morning has risen to 62, a government official said on Tuesday.

The death toll rose after rescue teams pulled out more bodies from the damaged compartments of the trains, Commissioner of Sukkur Shafiq Ahmed Mahesar told Xinhua. (Pakistan-Train-Accident)

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MANILA -- The World Bank lowered the Philippines' gross domestic product growth forecast for 2021 to 4.7 percent from 5.5 percent in March, according to an updated report released by the bank on Tuesday.

Weighed down by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine Economic Update said the economy is forecast to grow at 4.7 percent this year before accelerating to 5.9 percent in 2022 and 6.0 percent in 2023. (Philippines-Economy Forecast) Enditem
Senate Passes Bill to Send Payments to Victims of Likely Directed Energy Attacks

The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill on June 7 which, if enacted, would provide payments to victims of likely directed energy attacks, also known as the Havana syndrome.

The syndrome surfaced among more than 40 U.S. embassy staff in Cuba in 2016 and has since been reported by American personnel around the world, including in China.

The bill, titled Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks (HAVANA) Act, would give the CIA director, the secretary of state, and other agency heads authority to provide medical and financial help to the victims who have suffered brain injuries as a result of the attacks.

American personnel who have undergone these attacks while serving our country should be treated the same way we would treat a soldier who suffered a traumatic injury on the battlefield, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) one of the co-authors of the bill, said in a statement. We also need a whole-of-government approach to determine what this weapon is and who is wielding it in order to prevent future attacks and protect Americans.

U.S. authorities have struggled to understand the mysterious attacks since they were first noted in 2016, when diplomatic and intelligence personnel in communist Cuba first began reporting disturbing symptoms, including head pressure or vibration, and dizziness, sometimes followed by visual problems and cognitive difficulties.

There is no doubt that the victims who have suffered brain injuries must be provided with adequate care and compensation. Further, it is critical that our government determine who is behind these attacks and that we respond, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said in a statement.

The bill also requires that the CIA and State Department report to Congress on how the funds are being used and if additional legislative or administrative action is required.

A State Department-sponsored study into the phenomenon by the National Academy of Sciences investigated whether chemical exposures, infectious diseases, and psychological issues could have been behind the symptoms but concluded that the most likely cause was directed microwave energy.

Overall, directed pulsed RF (radio frequency) energy, especially in those with the distinct early manifestations, appears to be the most plausible mechanism in explaining these cases among those that the committee considered, the report on the study stated.

CIA Director William Burns, during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in late February, committed to investigating the phenomenon. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines didnt deny the reports of the attacks but told the Senate Armed Services Committee she couldnt discuss the issue openly because it involved classified information.

Tom Ozimek contributed to this report.

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Seated from left: Associate Justice Samuel Alito, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John Roberts, Associate Justice Stephen Breyer and Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, standing from left: Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Associate Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch and Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett pose during a group photo of the Justices at the Supreme Court in Washington on April 23, 2021. (Erin Schaff/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Senators Ask US Marshals for All Documents Related to Supreme Court Justices Trips

Two senators have asked the U.S. Marshals Service for information on where U.S. Supreme Court justices might have traveled, saying that it would improve transparency.

The justices of our highest court are subject to the lowest standards of transparency of any senior officials across the federal government, wrote Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and John Kennedy (R-La.) in a letter dated June 4, which was made public on Tuesday, according to reports. They asked the Marshals Service for all documents related to trips taken by justices over the past decade.

The U.S. Marshals Service can be requested to provide security for justices for domestic travel outside of Washington. Normally, the Supreme Court Police handles their protection.

The documents, according to Kennedy and Whitehouse, will help us assess how disclosures by members of the Court accord with the judicial branchs disclosure standards, and to improve the consistency of disclosure standards across the three branches.

Whitehouse is the chair of Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, while Kennedy is the ranking Republican on the panel.

The senators noted that Congress is currently reevaluating financial disclosure standards for the receipt of gifts, travel, and other emoluments regarding senior federal government officials. Their letter was also sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland, whose agency oversees the U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Marshals Service Director Donald Washington.

Over the years, nongovernmental groups have sought travel records and other information from the Supreme Court, namely after the late Justice Antonin Scalia died at a Texas ranch in 2016. The ranch was owned by an attorney who had past business with the high court.

In February, Whitehouse and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) sent a letter to Supreme Court Justice John Roberts calling on the high court to bring judicial financial disclosure requirements in line with other branches of government, according to a news release.

Following passage of the Ethics Reform Act of 1989, the release noted, Congress and the executive branch implemented strong disclosure requirements for officials outside income, gifts, and reimbursements.

The release further noted that the judiciary, for its part, has adopted significantly less stringent guidelines, and has failed to make information on judicial branch disclosures readily available to the public.

A spokesperson for Whitehouse told RollCall that Roberts has not responded to their letter.

About a decade ago, Roberts asserted that Congress doesnt have the constitutional authority to impose an ethics code on the Supreme Court. The court, he said, has no reason to adopt the Code of Conduct as its definitive source of ethical guidance. It came after longtime Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and other Democrats sent a letter inquiring about a code of ethics.

The Epoch Times has contacted the Supreme Court for comment.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks alongside Democratic members of the House about H.R.1, the "For the People Act," at the US Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 4, 2019. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Pelosi Tells Democrats to Keep Pursuing HR1 Sweeping Election Reform Bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told Democrats that they must find a way to have H.R. 1/S. 1 become law in order to respect the sanctity of the vote.

The speaker sent a letter to House Democrats on Tuesday encouraging them to find a way to help pass the H.R. 1/S, For the People Act in the Senate. The bill seeks to have the federal government dictate how elections are run in the United States, taking much of the authority away from individual states.

Pelosi said the bill must pass in order to stop voter suppression, take special interest money out of politics, stop gerrymandering, and amplify the voices of the grassroots.

H.R. 1 passed in both the current House and the previous House, along party lines in the Democrat-controlled chamber, with Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) voting against the bill.

With a tied Senate, to pass the bill with a simple majority, Democrats need all 50 of their senators to vote in favor of For the People Act, but moderate Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has come out against the 791-page bill (pdf). He has also continually called for bipartisanship and working with the GOP to pass any major legislation.

Manchin recently said he will vote against S.1, For the People Act when it comes up for a vote, which Democrats are saying they will force through via the reconciliation process, which requires a simple majority.

Ranking Member Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) speaks during a hearing to examine the nomination of Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm to be Secretary of Energy, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 27, 2021. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

I believe that partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy, and for that reason, I will vote against the For the People Act, he wrote in home-state newspaper The Charleston Gazette-Mail.

Pelosi called GOP state efforts to secure election in their states by requiring ID, periodically cleaning up voter registration lists, and limiting mail-in ballots as an assault.

We are at an urgent moment because of the Republican assault on our Democracy, said Pelosi.

After the 2020 presidential elections, many state legislatures began to introduce bills that would address the lack of integrity in their respective voting systems and a return to pre-pandemic rules. Republicans saw and wanted many irregularities with mail-in ballots and voting machines addressed while Democrats dismissed any evidence of wrongdoing.

Georgia passed a series of election reforms that have been blasted by Democrats and used as an example Republican-led effort to suppress votes and make voting more difficult, while Republicans see them as bringing integrity to the system so, only legal votes are counted.

Senate Democrats are highlighting Georgias election changes as they build their case for a broad overhaul of U.S. election law. At an April Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Democrats attacked election reform efforts like Georgias, calling them Jim Crow 2021.

Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said that laws like Georgias remind us how much work remains to protect this precious, almost sacred right.

The law thats received the most attention in recent weeks is the one that Georgias governor signed last month. Itll make it harder for Georgians to vote early or by absentee ballot, and make it a crime, a crime to offer water to voters waiting in line, said Durbin.

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) speaks at a Senate hearing in Washington on April 11, 2019. (Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images)

According to fact checks, the Georgia voting law does not make it harder to vote early and does not make it a crime to offer water to those standing in line. It prevents political groups from soliciting votes by offer food or water.

Ranking Member Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), said the reference to Jim Crow-era laws was offensive and that Democrats were cheapening the very real challenges and unfairness that minorities endured in the Jim Crow South at the hands of Southern Democrats.

Grassley said that at a time when voters on both sides of the aisle have questions about the integrity of our elections, polarizing rhetoric that distorts history is not helpful.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), said the Senate will vote on For the Peoples Act, S.1 at the end of June, to combat the voter suppression happening in the states across the country in service of President Trumps Big Lie.

Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), one of the lead sponsors of the bill said in a statement Sunday that he is disappointed in Machins decision but refuses to do nothing about the states GOP election law changes.

As I have told all my colleagues many times, I am open to any conversation about the provisions of this bill, and will not give up on American democracy.
Olga, a 26-year-old going through her second surrogacy and expecting twins for a Chinese couple, holds her belly as she walks in the small town of Sophiya Borshchagivka, near Kiev on June 12, 2020. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)

Surrogacy Can Be an Orphan Maker

Commentary

I was away over the Memorial Day weekend, when I saw a GoFundMe notice posted on Instagram that tipped me off that another gestational surrogate mother had died in the United States.

The GoFundMe was set up by Ashlee Hammonds, the head of Family Makers Surrogacy, an agency in Atlanta, Georgia. Ms. Hammonds is trying to raise money for the children left behind since their mother is no longer alive to provide for them. She asks for privacy for the family and does not wish to divulge any identifying information.

Due to the scarce information, the details of this womans death are limited. We know that she was a 3-time gestational surrogate who was set to deliver the baby the day of her death. We are told in the GoFundMe notice that she died of an amniotic embolism, a complication in pregnancy.

We do not know if she was carrying one baby or more, or the outcome of the baby/babies born. It is reported that her daughter is about to turn 16, and that she had sons, though we are not told how many.

But, because no one else is reporting this death, I write this to chronicle her death along with other surrogate deaths I have reported on. Brooke Brown and the twins she carried. Crystal Wilhite. Michelle Reaves. These three women were wives and mothers. I wonder how many others have died that have gone unnoticed?

We now can no longer deny that a gestational surrogate pregnancy is a much riskier pregnancy than a spontaneous pregnancy where the woman carries her own baby.

One important study pointed out that when comparing a womans pregnancy with her own children with her surrogate pregnancies these women have higher rates of hypertension, gestational diabetes, and placenta previa. These put both the mother and baby into a high-risk category.

I am often asked, how many surrogates have died? and my response, always the same, is a so very sad, we just dont know, and we have no way of knowing, because there is no tracking or monitoring.

When this woman died, the cause of death recorded on her death certificate will likely be something tied to the pregnancy complication that took her life. It will not record anywhere that she was a surrogate.

The babys, (or babies, as we do not know if she was carrying one or twins or more) birth certificate will not record the fact that the birth mother died. Most likely, because of pre-birth orders, the birth mothers name will never even appear on the birth certificate.

The cover up of #BigFertility was fast and efficient. All my efforts to find out who the woman was and where this death took place came up empty. I sent a private message to Family Matters on Facebook that I was trying to reach Ms. Hammonds.

I received a message that said, Hello Jennifer, out of respect for the family we are honoring their wishes by not sharing any further details outside of what has already been shared on the Go Fund Me surrounding the tragedy. Thank you for understanding.

Funny, my query did not mention anything about the death, only that I wanted to speak with Ms. Hammond. As I was immediately blocked from sending more messages, that door was shut. I called their offices and was not able to speak with a live person.

Their Twitter Account doesnt exist as there was a flurry of tweets to them upon this breaking news, which I imagine prompted them to shut down their twitter account.

Here are the questions I pose to Ms. Hammonds. If you are reading this, I would welcome speaking with you.

Why when you set up the GoFundMe account were you trying to raise $45,000 and within a few hours, you dropped that amount to $25,000?

How do you set the price for your GoFundMe account, what exactly is the value of her life and how did you determine that?

What is your agencys policy around informing surrogates of the serious health risks, especially in the case of a woman who has had at least 3 of her own children and is embarking upon her third surrogacy pregnancy, compounding these risks to her poor body?

Does your agency or did the intended parents carry a life insurance policy and if not, why not. And if so, for how much?

What is your obligation to the orphans left behind?

GoFundMe allows you to sort the donors by highest donors and I did find it chilling that nearly all the highest donations ($2000 was the highest at the time of this writing) were given by those who make their livelihood and profit from #BigFertility: surrogacy Lawyers, agency owners, and fertility clinics. A quick google search of the names of these top donors proved that in a few clicks.

Family Makers Surrogacys tagline is, Changing Lives for Those we Serve. The family of the woman who died had their lives changed tragically in service of #BigFertility. I wonder and hope that this death will cause Ms. Hammonds to rethink her business of being Family Makers, when sometimes surrogacy results in making orphans.

An orphan maker, who at the time of this writing, has raised a little over $21,000. Is that what this womans life is worth?

Jennifer Lahl is the founder and president of the Center for Bioethics and Culture and producer of the documentary films, Eggsploitation, Anonymous Fathers Day, Breeders: A Subclass of Women? Maggies Story, and #BigFertility, which was an official selection in the Silicon Valley International Film Festival. Here new film, Trans Mission: Whats the Rush to Reassign Gender? will be released June 17.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Taming the Troublesome Radish

This time of year, the radishes stand out like bright bunches of candy. Sometimes at the farmers market, I ask the vendors what to do with their pretty orbs, because Im chronically at a loss for ideas. The most common guidance, by far, is to use radishes in salads and stir-fries. In other words, the farmers are just as clueless as I am.

Those sassy, juicy roots are tricky. Unadulterated, the feisty flavor of a radish is more difficult to appreciate than that of, say, an apple or carrot. And in the mixed company of a gentle bowl of leaves, that blast of mustard fire can stick out awkwardly.

In the case of a stir-fry, the task is to not overcook the radish to a catatonic state with nothing to offer but limp, bland remains. I can think of some great Thai stir-fries that begin with pickled radish, which has a unique and enduring flavor. But Ive yet to find a stir-fry that was improved by cooking fresh, non-pickled radish.

At least in a stir-fry, the overcooked radish wont drag the entire dish down. But when it comes to adding radish to salads, the possible downside is greater. A fresh radish in a salad can be like a drunk passenger on a plane to Vegas: Obnoxious, loud, and overpowering your bowl of leaves in its delicate vinaigrette, unless its applied perfectly, accompanied by just the right handlers.

The other day, the rowdy radish proved me wrong, by way of a salad from The Camino, a Mexican-esque restaurant in Missoula, Montana. The food is unique, well-researched, and as authentic as you can get without a green card, down to the house-nixtamalized corn in the the tortillas, tamales, and posole.

The Caminos owners, Phil Schaefer and Tad Hilton, were kind enough to share the recipe for their humbly-named Arugula Salad, created by their sous chef Rob Troiano.

We wanted to do a spring salad, and we wanted to use ingredients that we use in a lot of the dishes like the guajillo vinaigrette, which is mostly lime and guajillo powder with shallots and a little agave, Hilton explained. This citrus chile vinaigrette dresses the arugula and toppings, which include toasted almonds, shaved onion, diced avocado, roasted radishes, and raw chayote squasha pear-shaped unit with light green, ruddy skin thats ubiquitous in Mexico and Mexican food, according to Hilton.

The radishes are lightly roasted, which preserves their crunch while taking enough edge off their fiery essence that the chile, lime, arugula, and shallots can form a smooth transition, and help the radish blend in, rather than stick out. The avocado and chayote squash serve as refugecreamy, crunchy, and refreshingly bland.

Lightly roasting radishes preserves their crunch while taking some edge off their fiery essence. (Ina Ts/shutterstock)

Arugula Salad With Roasted Radishes, a la The Camino

The key to this salad is to not overwork the leaves, Hilton said. This isnt a tossed salad. Arugula is fragile. We build the salad on the arugula base and layer everything on, and drizzle the dressing over it, so it doesnt wilt the arugula, he said.

A guajillo pepper is by definition driedit goes by a different name, mirasol, when freshand anything guajillo touches is practically Mexican by definition. If you cant find guajillo, try your favorite dried chile. Itll be delicious, if less authentic. And if you cant get chayote squash, try using daikon radish, which brings similar qualities to the table.

Schaefer recommends pairing it with a chilled L.A. Cetto Chenin Blanc from Baja Mexicos Guadalupe Valley.

The arugula salad at The Camino in Missoula, Mont. (Ari LeVaux)

For the Guajillo Lime Vinaigrette

2 guajillo peppers (or a tablespoon of guajillo powder)

Juice of 2 limes (about 2 ounces)

Zest of 1 lime

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon agave nectar

1 small shallot, minced

1 cup oil (they use a neutral canola; I prefer the bitterness of olive oil here)

For the Salad

5 radishes, trimmed such that a little stem and the long taproot remain

Oil to coat the radishes

3 cups fresh arugula

1/4 cup shaved onions

3 tablespoons toasted almond slivers

1/2 cup diced chayote squash (or daikon radish)

1/2 cup diced avocado

Black pepper and salt to taste

1/2 cup chopped herb mix of chives, cilantro, and epazote (if available)

Make the Vinaigrette

Gently roast the guajillo peppers in a dry pan until crispy, but not burntI use the same pan to simultaneously toast the almonds for the salad, below. When cool, remove the stem and seeds from the toasted peppers and pulverize the remains in a blender or mortar and pestle. Omit this step if you are using guajillo powder.

Combine the lime juice and zest in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the salt, agave, shallots, and chile powder and stir it together. Whisk in the oil.

Make the Salad

Toss the radishes in oil, salt, and pepper, and roast whole at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 16 minutes. When cool, slice them in half along the stem-to-tail axis.

Add the arugula to a plate, topped with radish halves, shaved onions, toasted almond slivers, chayote or daikon pieces, and finally the herb mix. Grind black pepper over the whole thing, add a pinch of salt, and drizzle it with 3 tablespoons of the guajillo lime vinaigrette.

Ari LeVaux writes about food in Missoula, Montana.
Martin Lau, President of Tencent attends a press conference at the Finnish game company Supercell headquarters in Helsinki on June 21, 2016. (Seppo Samuli/AFP via Getty Images)

Tencent President Martin Lau Sells Another 300,000 Shares of the Company

Martin Lau Chi-ping, Tencent President, recently sold 300,000 shares of his company holdings, worth $24 million. Prior to this, Lau has repeatedly reduced his Tencent shares, and this year alone cashed out approximately $57 million.

According to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange data, on June 2, Lau sold 250,000 shares of Tencent holdings at an average price of $81 per share; on June 3, at an average price of $80, he sold 50,000 shares.

After the transaction was completed, Laus shareholding ratio dropped from 0.59 percent to 0.58 percent, leaving him with approximately 50,646,500 shares.

This January, Lau also reduced his holdings twice, by a total of 400,000 shares valued at approximately $33 million.

Since the beginning of this year, Lau has cashed out about $57 million in shares.

Last year, Lau successively reduced his holdings of Tencent shares on Jan. 3, April 1, May 29, June 1, June 30, July 3, Oct. 8, and Oct. 9. The total value was about $155 million.

Lau is a Hong Kong businessman born in Beijing. He joined Tencent in 2005, served as the president in Feb. 2006, and was appointed as an executive director in March 2007. In the China Richest Professional Managers 2021 List released by the Hurun Research institute on Jan. 19, Lau ranked second, with assets of $4.5 billion.

Tencent, the CCPs Next Financial Regulatory Target

Under supervision of the Beijing authorities, the share prices of well-known technology companies have fallen sharply in the past few months. As of May this year, the total market value of 10 Chinese high-tech companies, including Tencent and Alibaba, has fallen by more than $800 billion from the peak in February this year, a drop of nearly 30 percent.

On May 27, Caixin Media reported that several sources familiar with the matter indicated that to facilitate supervision, Beijings regulatory authorities have requested that Tencent integrate its financial-related businesses into a new financial holding company.

According to the report, the regulator did not specify which financial services Tencent needs to inject into the new company and details would not be provided until Tencent submits its plan.

On May 20, Tencent issued its financial report for the first quarter 2021. The net profit from January to March this year was $7.4 billion. However, as the CCP tightened its control over Tencent, Tencents share price remained weak. On May 25, Tencents stock price fell more than 20 percent from the record high set in February this year.

Alibabas co-founder Jack Ma (R) with Tencent Holdings CEO Pony Ma, applaud during a meeting marking the fortieth anniversary of Chinas reform and opening up policy at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Dec. 18, 2018. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images)

Tencent Fined for Monopoly

Earlier, the regime imposed fines on Tencent for violating the Anti-Monopoly Law. On April 30, Tencent was fined $70,000 by the State Administration of Market Supervision.

On April 13, the social media and corporate administrative guidance committee ordered 34 Internet platforms to rectify within a one-month period. Otherwise, heavy fines may be imposed. Tencent invested in 16 of those 34 companies, including Sogou, JD, Meituan, Kuaishou, Bilibili, and others involving online shopping, food delivery, and community group buying.

Prior to this, on April 10, Jack Mas Alibaba was fined $2.8 billion by the authorities on the grounds of running a monopoly.

On March 12, Tencent was fined $70,000 for the same reason.

Zang Qichao, a Chinese equity investment and financing expert, made a speech in early April in which he revealed how Tencent has monopolized, developed, and grown. He said that Jack Ma wont be able to compete with Ma Huateng, founder of Tencent, because Ma Huateng, also known as Pony Ma, aimed at a disorderly expansion of business.

Zang said that platforms such as Pinduoduo, JD, Meituan, BYD, Tesla, Xiaohongshu, and others are all invested by Pony Ma, making him the major, or at least the second, shareholder. He said: Actually, Tencent is not an Internet company at all. It is a typical investment company. What it holds is everything that you want.
Falun Gong practitioners take part in a parade in New York on April 18, 2021, to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the April 25 peaceful appeal of 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners in Beijing. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Texas Adopts Resolution Combating Communist Chinas Murder in the Form of Forced Organ Harvesting

Texas has officially adopted a resolution condemning the Chinese communist regimes systematic killing of prisoners of conscience for their organs.

Every year, thousands of individuals from around the world who are desperately ill fly to China, where they can get an organ transplant surgery in as little as two weeks.

In doing so, they may be unwittingly becoming involved in murder in the form of forced organ harvesting, reads the resolution, which aims to warn Texans against taking part in transplant tourism.

Known as TX SCR3, the resolution also urges Congress and the president to adopt measures prosecuting those responsible for the abuse, banning them from entering America, and barring U.S. medical and pharmaceutical companies from collaborating with any complicit Chinese counterparts.

The resolution unanimously passed through both chambers of the state legislature. Gov. Greg Abbott signed it on June 7.

Its a significant message on behalf of 29 million Texans, that we condemn in the highest terms the conduct of the Chinese government and their human trafficking, Texas state Rep. Matt Shaheen, the lead sponsor of the resolution, said in a recent interview with NTD, a sister media outlet of The Epoch Times.

In no way do the tax dollars of 29 million Texans go to support such atrocious behavior and terrible human rights violations.

Shaheen, a primary sponsor for the House version of the resolution, said he first became aware of the issue around three years ago, when Falun Gong practitionersa primary target for forced organ harvestingapproached him for help. Some of them hadnt heard from their detained family members in years, he said.

[Those were] some meetings Ill never forget, Shaheen said, adding that he was just horrified upon hearing about what the Chinese government was doing.

The meditation discipline Falun Gong was widely popular in China during the 1990s. By state estimates, 70 million to 100 million people were practicing it as of 1999. In July of that year, the Chinese regime, believing its power was threatened by such popularity, launched a nationwide persecution campaign designed to eradicate the faith. Practitioners of Falun Gong have since faced police harassment, detention, physical torture, and organ harvesting.

Shaheen wrote to the Chinese Embassy in Washington demanding to know the whereabouts of the detained families of Texas Falun Gong practitioners, but never heard back, he said.

Dr. Howard Monsour, a gastroenterologist in Granbury who testified to the state Senate on the resolution, said its a very important beginning in the process of shedding light on the organ harvesting issue and many other abuses.

Falun Gong practitioners take part in a parade in Flushing, New York, on April 18, 2021, to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the April 25th peaceful appeal of 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners in Beijing. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

I dont think that you can meet any of the people whove been tortured, imprisoned in China, and not start to have a feeling of human rights abuses that have occurred and the need to go out and make it public, Monsour told NTD in late April.

Monsour, who has decades of experience in liver transplantation, said the regimes organ harvesting practice was beyond belief.

This is something that goes back to Nazi Germany and things they did with the Jews, and the story needs to be told, he said. We need to get this out there, and we need to stop this practice.

About a decade ago, Monsour was the director of a liver cancer program where he met a patient, a Texas resident, whose condition had become too serious to be treated by a liver transplant.

After getting the same response from a number of hospitals, the man flew to China for a liver, priced at $88,000. The man passed away eight months later after his cancer metastasized.

Yes, we all like to think we are moral individuals. But when were faced with death, you know, well try anything, Monsour said.

We really have to protect our people from going over and doing this.

Monsour over the past year has talked with many medical professionals about the issue. Many couldnt believe it because it sounds like a horror movie, he said.

The look in peoples eyespeople cant believe it, he said. Thats going to be the challenge to get people to believe this, because it sounds so horrific.

At the state Senate hearing, a survivor of the persecution said he saw an ambulance arrive one night at the prison where he was held. The inmates lay on their beds facing the wall, waiting for their names to be called. Three people were taken from his cell that night and never returned.

Monsour was hopeful that the resolution would help get the word out.

I dont think youll see any American whowe believe in freedomwill not support to stop whats going on in China at this time, he said.

Brenda Chen contributed to this report.
Fountain Valley police released a video documenting the theft of a necklace from an elderly woman. (Courtesy of the Fountain Valley Police Department)

Thief Snatches Jewelry From Womens Necks, Prompting Arrest

A 56-year-old man is facing charges for allegedly tearing the necklaces off three elderly women and making off with the jewelry.

Fountain Valley police said the crime spree began May 27, when a thief ripped the necklace off a 68-year-old woman. A second woman was robbed 12 minutes later a few miles away, Fountain Valley Police Department spokesperson Donald Farmer told The Epoch Times.

The bandit struck again the morning of May 28 at 405 Brookhurst Street in Fountain Valley, police said.

Surveillance videos from surrounding businesses captured multiple images of the man, as well as his vehicle and license plate, police said.

We have some proactive police officers and patrols do some initial follow-up investigation regarding crimes, Farmer said. It started with identifying times and locations with the suspects known whereabouts and then following up with vehicles leaving from the vicinity at those timeframes.

Once the chief suspect was identified, police ordered a search warrant of his residence. At the scene of the arrest on June 4, the man allegedly fled and began running away, hopping multiple backyard fences.

Larry Tripp is being charged with three counts of robbery and elder abuse and was expected to appear in court on June 7.
TikTok logos are seen on smartphones in front of a displayed ByteDance logo in a file illustration picture. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters)

TikTok Sued in the Netherlands for $1.7 Billion Over Collecting Childrens Data

Meanwhile, TikTok is also collecting American biometric data

The Amsterdam-based Market Information Research Foundation (SOMI) sued the video-sharing platform TikTok on behalf of 64,000 Dutch parents, seeking 1.4 billion euros (about $1.7 billion) for allegedly collecting data from millions of children.

Meanwhile, TikTok has updated its privacy policy in the United States with regard to collecting personal data such as facial and voice recognition.

According to Dutch media, on June 2, SOMI filed the lawsuit in a court in Amsterdam against the Chinese social media app for violating the European Unions data protection law. The organization claims that TikTok is collecting the data of children without proper permission, that some videos on the platform can be harmful to children, and that the company neglects to ensure the safety and privacy of children.

In addition, SOMI pointed out that TikTok collects far more data than it needs for marketing.

About the decision to file a lawsuit, SOMI co-founder Cor Wijtvliet told Dutch media RTL Nieuws, A court decision can directly restrict the practices of TikTok and other social media platforms.  We have sent letters of complaints to TikTok and several European supervisory authorities in the past year, but have not seen any substantive results. That is why we have decided not to wait for the investigations by the authorities and to take legal action ourselves.

In response to Dutch media, a spokesperson for TikTok told RTL Nieuws that the privacy and safety of its users have the highest priority. According to the companys policy, TikTok can only be used by children who are at least 13 years old, and minors need parental consent. However, the policy hasnt been enforced.

TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is known in China as Douyin. The video-sharing app is very popular among youth all over the world.

The company was involved in a lawsuit earlier this year in Italy, when a 10-year-girl died during a video challenge on TikTok. The app has also been sued in the UK for billions of dollars over the use of the data of millions of children.

The logo of Chinese video app TikTok on the side of the companys new office space at the C3 campus in Los Angeles on Aug. 11, 2020. (Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, TikTok has updated its privacy policy in the United States. On June 2, the company notified users that the app might collect more biometric information, including faceprints and voiceprints. When American media The Verge reached out to TikTok for comment, TikTok didnt explain what these terms mean and why it needs access to the information.

Until now, only a few U.S. states have enacted biometric privacy laws, including Illinois, Washington, California, Texas, Arkansas, and New York. If TikTok only requires consent where required by law, this may mean the Chinese company can collect users data without needing to inform them.

Beijing passed the National Intelligence Law in 2017, which requires Chinese citizens and companies to collect intelligence for the communist regime.

In May, the U.S. Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved a measure to ban TikTok on government devices, due to concerns the Chinese app poses a threat to national security.

TikTok did not respond to a request for comment.
A pedestrian walks past a sign directing members of the public to a COVID-19 testing centre in Bolton, northwest England, on May 28, 2021. (Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)

UK Urges Millions in Indian COVID-19 Variant Hotspots to Minimise Travel

The UK government has urged a total of 5.7 million people, the equivalent of 10 percent of the population of England, to minimise travel and to meet outside rather than inside in order to curb the spread of the Indian CCP virus variant.

Addressing the House of Commons on Tuesday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that a strengthened package of support will be provided for Greater Manchester and Lancashire to tackle rising infections of the Indian variant, also known as the Delta variant, of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

As part of government recommendations, people in affected areas are being urged to meet outside rather than inside where possible, keep up social distancing, and minimise travel in and out of the areas where the variant is spreading rapidly.

The areas are the local authorities of Bedford, Blackburn with Darwen, Kirklees, Leicester, Hounslow, and North Tyneside, along with the 10 Metropolitan borough councils in Greater Manchester and the 12 local councils covered by Lancashire County Council.

Local directors of public health will also be able to reintroduce face coverings in communal areas in schools if they want to.

Hancock announced military support to help areas in the North West with testing, supervised in-school testing, and greater communication with disadvantaged groups.

He said the government faces a challenging decision over whether to lift remaining lockdown restrictions across England on June 21 as originally planned under Step 4 of the governments official roadmap out of the CCP virus lockdown.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told members of his Cabinet that the data needs to continue to be scrutinised ahead of any decision on lifting restrictions.

While the relationship between cases and hospitalisations has changed, we must continue to look at the data carefully ahead of making a decision on Step 4, he said.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said that it was very important to keep a sense of proportion about the government announcement.

This is guidance, it is advice to the public. It is not a lockdown. It is not a ban, he said. This is not about telling people to cancel their plans, it is about asking them to be careful in setting any new ones, to minimise non-essential travel.

He said it was a sensible approach given the rise in cases that weve seen and that he was grateful to the government for the joint approach that has been taken to date.

PA contributed to this report.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 19:50:35|Editor: huaxia

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-- Passing through the U.S. government and mainstream media, there is a covert but efficient production line, along which raw materials of misinformation are processed into eye-popping headlines, and peddled to the public.

-- Gordon's WSJ story on the COVID-19 origin is repeating the classic U.S. tactics deployed in its previous disinformation campaigns, like those against Iraq and Iran, in which the U.S. government leaked some deceptive information and the media acted as an amplifier.

-- From smearing China's policies in Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong and Taiwan to stigmatizing China's efforts for equitable vaccine sharing and a prosperous Belt and Road, Washington has ganged up with media outlets in waging a comprehensive disinformation war against China.





BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Passing through the U.S. government and mainstream media, there is a covert but efficient production line, along which raw materials of misinformation are processed into eye-popping headlines, and peddled to the public.

Now, the production line is rumbling again. On May 23, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published a story that cited a so-called "previously undisclosed U.S. intelligence report" to rekindle the already-debunked Wuhan lab leak conspiracy concerning COVID-19's origin. Three days later, U.S. President Joe Biden joined forces by asking the U.S. intelligence to draw "a definitive conclusion" on the virus' origin.

Such concerted steps taken by the U.S. government and media exemplify a notorious disinformation ploy frequently manipulated by the world's sole superpower to mislead the public or demonize its opponents, which, experts have warned, is poisonous to U.S. relations with other countries and the world.





A DISCREDITED REPORTER

The first writer of the WSJ story is Michael R. Gordon, a skillful worker on the U.S. production line of misinformation.

Working as a correspondent for The New York Times (NYT) before joining the WSJ in late 2017, Gordon's credibility as a reporter was drained for inaccurate coverage and relying on anonymous sources in multiple key reports.

Photo taken on April 20, 2021 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

On Sept. 8, 2002, Gordon and Judith Miller published a report titled "U.S. Says Hussein Intensifies Quest for A-Bomb Parts," which played a key role in raising public support for the unjustified war on Iraq. The only sources for his story were either "anonymous American officials" or "Intelligence experts."

Gordon, on his own, or with Miller, wrote some of the key and misleading articles about the fabricated Iraqi possession of weapons of mass destruction in the run-up to the 2003 invasion, including the infamous "aluminum tubes" story.

His allegations against Iraq were proved baseless after the invasion led to horrible civilian casualties in the Middle East country.

In February 2007, the NYT again carried a front page story by Gordon with the title of "Deadliest Bomb in Iraq is Made by Iran, U.S. Says." He wrote that "an increasing body of evidence" suggests "an Iranian role" in supplying the "deadliest weapon aimed at American troops in Iraq." All the sources cited in the story were unnamed, and the assertion of the story was untrue.

Now, Gordon played the old trick again. Quoting "a previously undisclosed U.S. intelligence report," the discredited reporter hinted at a far-fetched connection between the "sick staff" of China's Wuhan Institute of Virology and the COVID-19 outbreak, claiming the intelligence report "could add weight to growing calls for a fuller probe of whether the COVID-19 virus may have escaped from the laboratory."

As Matthias Glaubrecht, scientific director and professor from the Department of Animal Diversity at the University of Hamburg, noted, "Secret service reports usually have the property that they are secret and will remain secret. So we cannot check whether such a report actually exists, what is really there and what evidence is included, if any."





A CLASSIC PLOY

Gordon's WSJ story on the COVID-19 origin is repeating the classic U.S. tactics deployed in its previous disinformation campaigns, like those against Iraq and Iran, in which the U.S. government leaked some deceptive information and the media acted as an amplifier.

Photo taken on March 11, 2021 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

In the latest COVID-19 origin episode, Gordon obtained so-called "information" from "a previously undisclosed U.S. intelligence report," and recounted it with amplification. Other media followed up, widely citing the Gordon story to hype up the topic. A few days later, the White House called for an intelligence report on the origins of COVID-19 within 90 days.

"This is the usual trick used by the United States for its strategic needs," said Pu Ping, a professor on international relations at the Renmin University of China.

It is an obvious fact the United States has failed in its fight against COVID-19, so it is seeking to divert public attention away from its failure, Pu said, adding "no matter whether the evidence is true or not, the U.S. government is bound to do so from its own strategic considerations."

Images of New Yorkers lost to the COVID-19 pandemic are projected onto the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, the United States, March 14, 2021. (Xinhua/Michael Nagle)

Meanwhile, "in terms of the U.S. media, they mistrust and ideologically reject China, which has compelled them to consciously report this kind of news in that direction. It is not only a strategic need, but also a result of ideological prejudice and hostility (against China)," Pu said.

As U.S. reporters Amy Goodman and David Goodman pointed out in 2004, this was the "classic disinformation two-step," in which the White House first leaks a lie to a U.S. media outlet, and the latter publishes it as a startling exposure; then, the White House conveniently masquerades behind the credibility of the media.

Under this pattern, the U.S. media have descended into Washington's accomplices in disseminating misinformation for political and economic purposes.

"Network newscasts, dominated by current and former U.S. officials, largely exclude Americans who are skeptical of or opposed to an invasion of Iraq," said U.S. media criticism organization Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) in 2003.

Examining 393 on-camera sources who appeared in nightly news stories about Iraq on ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS, FAIR found out that 267 of the guests were from the United States, of whom, a striking 75 percent (199) were either current or former government or military officials.

Only one of the official U.S. sources expressed skepticism or opposition to the war, according to FAIR.

The U.S. media are essentially the vanguard of the U.S. national interest in the global geopolitical game, said Hui Ching, research director at the Hong Kong Zhi Ming Institute.

"After World War II, the geopolitical conflicts provoked by the United States were basically driven by economic interests, through diplomatic and military means, among which the media war was the first to be launched," Hui added.

Michael Lueders, a well-known German writer, reveals the relationship between Western media, governments and capital in a recent book titled The Hypocritical Superpower.

Many Western media reports are somehow filtered by interest groups in the United States, Lueders noted in the book.





A DOOMED WAR

Actually, the Wuhan lab leak conspiracy is only one piece of the great variety of products that have been manufactured on the U.S. disinformation production line, which is busy cutting out facts and fabricating lies to demonize China.

From smearing China's policies in Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong and Taiwan to stigmatizing China's efforts for equitable vaccine sharing and a prosperous Belt and Road, Washington has ganged up with media outlets in waging a comprehensive disinformation war against China.

"A clear large-scale campaign is currently being carried out against China," Pavel Feldman, deputy director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, was quoted by Russian newspaper Saint-Petersburg Vedomosti as saying.

"Such accusations (against China) became part of a large political game on the international arena between the main power centers -- the West believes China challenges its own civilization," Feldman said.

A donation of COVID-19 vaccine from Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm arrives at the N'Djamena International Airport in Chad, June 2, 2021. (Chinese Embassy in Chad/Handout via Xinhua)

Observers have warned against the destructive results of the U.S. disinformation campaign against China.

"It's very rare that you find an objective, analytical piece that describes in detail what's going on within domestic policies in China. We always have a certain framing," Lueders, the German writer, told Xinhua.

"This, in my view, is wrong thinking. It's dangerous thinking because it leads to a confrontational policy," said the author.

Noting his target readers are mostly Germans and Europeans, Lueders said he hopes that local media and audience can abandon such framing and "step out of the shadow of the USA."

"The stigmatization of China is a poison to China-U.S. relations. In the long run, it may aggravate ... the mutual mistrust and misunderstanding between the two peoples," warned Pu, the international relations professor.

Noting "China is a big country and our culture is relatively independent," Pu said China will stick to its own established development path, no matter how the United States will play its disinformation trick.

(Video reporters: Zhang Yue, Yang Yi and Liu Chang; video editor: Zhao Xiaoqing)
Former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic sits in the court room in The Hague, Netherlands, where the UN court delivers its verdict in the appeal of Mladic against his convictions for genocide and other crimes and his life sentence for masterminding atrocities throughout the Bosnian war, June 8, 2021. (Peter Dejong/AP Photo)

UN Judges Uphold Conviction of Serb Military Chief Ratko Mladic

THE HAGUE, NetherlandsUN appeals judges on Tuesday upheld the conviction of former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic for genocide and other offenses during Bosnias 199295 war and confirmed his life sentence.

The ruling means the 79-year-old former general who terrorized Bosnia throughout the war will spend the rest of his life in prison. He is the last major figure from the conflict that ended more than a quarter-century ago to face justice.

Presiding Judge Prisca Matimba Nyambe of Zambia said the court dismissed Mladics appeal in its entirety and affirmed his life sentence. It also rejected an appeal by prosecutors of Mladics acquittal on one other count of genocide linked to ethnic purges early in the war.

Djulija Jusic who lost her two sons and 33 relatives in the Srebrenica massacre, looks at names at the memorial cemetery in Potocari near Srebrenica, Bosnia, Friday, May 28, 2021. (Eldar Emric/AP Photo)

Mladic joins his former political master, ex-Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, in serving a life sentence for masterminding ethnic bloodshed in the Bosnian war that left more than 100,000 dead and millions homeless.

Once a swaggering military strongman known as the Butcher of Bosnia, Mladic appeared upbeat as he entered the courtroom, mimicking photographers as he sat down, but he scowled as the judgment was read and showed no emotion when he heard that his appeal had been rejected in its entirety.

Mladic commanded troops responsible for atrocities ranging from ethnic cleansing campaigns to the siege of Sarajevo and the wars bloody climax in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. Now, he is a frail elderly man whose ill health delayed this final judgment.

Bida Osmanovic, who lost her son and her mother in the Srebrenica massacre, prays at the memorial cemetery in Potocari near Srebrenica, Bosnia, Friday, May 28, 2021. (Eldar Emric/AP Photo)

His toxic legacy continues to divide Bosnia and his dark shadow has spread far beyond the Balkans.

To Serbs in Bosnia, he is a war hero who fought to protect his people.

I cannot accept any verdict, Serb war veteran Milije Radovic from the eastern Bosnian town of Foca told The Associated Press. For me, he is an icon. And for the Serb people, he is an icon.

To Bosniaks, mostly Muslims, he will always be a villain responsible for their terrible wartime suffering and losses.

Mladic was first indicted in July 1995. After the war in Bosnia ended, he went into hiding and was finally arrested in 2011 and handed over to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia by the then-ruling pro-Western government of Serbia.

A woman crouches among the graves of victims of the Srebrenica massacre, at the memorial cemetery in Potocari, near Srebrenica, eastern Bosnia, Tuesday, June 8, 2021. (Darko Bandic/AP Photo)

The judgment was welcomed as an important affirmation of the rule of law by Kathryne Bomberger, director-general of the International Commission on Missing Persons that helped to locate victims of atrocities in Bosnia.

An important chapter in the history of international justice and the history of the Western Balkans conflict closed today, Bomberger said. Ramifications of the judgment in case of Mladic and in previous cases, such as that of Radovan Karadzic, go beyond the Western Balkans. This gives hope to survivors of atrocity, including families of the missing and disappeared persons around the world, that justice can be delivered.

The shadow of Mladic and Karadzic spreads far beyond the Balkans. They have also been revered by foreign far-right supporters for their bloody wartime campaigns against Bosniaks.

The Australian who shot dead dozens of Muslim worshippers in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019 was believed to be inspired by the wartime Bosnian Serb leaders, as well as Anders Breivik, the Norwegian white supremacist who shot dead 77 people in Norway in 2011.

The UN tribunal has since shut its doors. Mladics appeal and other legal issues left over from the tribunal were being dealt with by the UNs International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which is housed in the same building as the now-defunct court for the former Yugoslavia.
A U.S. Marine looks on as Afghan National Army soldiers raise the Afghan National flag on an armed vehicle during a training exercise at the Shorab Military Camp in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on August 28, 2017. (Wakil/Koshar/AFP via Getty Images)

US Withdrawal From Afghanistan Estimated to Be More Than Half Done

The U.S. military estimates that it has pulled out more than 50 percent of its equipment and troops from Afghanistan.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) estimates that we have completed greater than 50% of the entire retrograde process, the command, which oversees operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, said in a press release on Tuesday.

CENTCOM also said the U.S. Department of Defense had retrograded about approximately 500 C-17 planeloads of material from Afghanistan and had turned over more than 13,000 pieces of equipment to the Defense Logistics Agency for disposition.

In addition, six U.S. facilities have been handed over to the Afghan Ministry of Defense.

On April 14, President Joe Biden ordered the U.S. forces to leave Afghanistan by Sept. 11, which marks the 20th anniversary of the most deadly terrorist attacks on American soil by terrorist group al-Qaeda, which openly operated in Afghanistan with the support of the Taliban, a terrorist group that ruled the Central Asian country.

With the terror threat now in many places, keeping thousands of troops grounded and concentrated in just one country and across the billions [of dollars spent] each year makes little sense to me and to our leaders, Biden said at the time. We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistanhoping to create ideal conditions for the withdrawal and expecting a different result.

At the time of Bidens announcement, at least 2,500 U.S. troops were serving in Afghanistan, the lowest level of American forces there since 2001. Under a conditional peace deal signed between the Trump administration and the Taliban in February 2020, the withdrawal of then-13,000 American forces in Afghanistan would have been completed by this May, if the Taliban upheld its promises, including severing ties with al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, and preventing any of its members from using Afghan soil to threaten the United States and its allies.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government is still negotiating with countries in the region for new locations to continue its counter-terrorism mission. According to national security adviser Jake Sullivan, the Pentagon has been exploring Pakistan, which shares a long southern border with Afghanistan, as an option for its bases.

We have had constructive discussions in the military, intelligence, and diplomatic channels with Pakistan about the future of Americas capabilities to ensure that Afghanistan never again becomes a base from which al Qaeda or ISIS or any other terrorist group can attack the United States, Sullivan said Monday during a White House press briefing, adding that he was not able to provide details about those negotiations.

What I will say is that we are talking to a wide range of countries about how we build effective, over-the-horizon capacity, both from an intelligence and from a defense perspective, to be able to suppress the terrorism threat in Afghanistan on a going-forward basis, Sullivan said.
Newly appointed Bishop of Hong Kong Rev. Stephen Chow (R) speaks at a press conference with Cardinal John Tong (L) in Hong Kong on May 18, 2021. (Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images)

Vaticans Choice of Hong Kong Bishop Charts Course Independent of Beijing

News Analysis

VATICANAfter two years of consultation, the Holy See announced on May 17 that Pope Francis has selected Jesuit Stephen Chow Sau-yan as the next Bishop of Hong Kong, passing over the individual said to be Beijings choice for the position.

Chow, 62, a native of Hong Kong, has been the Provincial (or head) of the Jesuit Order in China, along with having been a professor at a number of universities and educational institutions. Chow holds a number of licenses and advanced degrees, including a doctorate of Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University.

Speaking with The Epoch Times when the nomination was announced, Cardinal Joseph Zen, a former Bishop of Hong Kong, stated, I do not know him [Bishop elect, Father Chow] very well, but at least the Vatican did not choose the one blessed by BeijingFather Peter Choy Wai-man. For this alone, it is already a good thing.

In an exclusive 2-part interview with the National Catholic Register, while in Rome last year, Cardinal Zen expressed his concerns over machinations of the CCP to influence the next Bishop of Hong Kong.

To have the blessing of Beijing means, today, with the national security law, to support their goalwhich is to silence any voice claiming freedom and democracy, the Cardinal Emeritus of Hong Kong stated.

Cardinal Joseph Zen, former Bishop of Hong Kong, speaks during a press conference at the Salesian House of Studies in Hong Kong on Sept. 26, 2018. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)

Similar sentiments were echoed by lay faithful in China, some who took to social media to express their supportand their warnings.

A layman writing under the name Peter, who, sources say, works within the diocese of Hong Kong, wrote I am pleased to learn that Father Stephen Chow Sau-yan, the Provincial of the Chinese Province of the Society of Jesus, was appointed by Pope Francis as the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Hong Kong. Father Chow has talents and integrity, diligence, and rich spiritual knowledge, which I believe can bring to the Diocese a new vision!

Peter went on to express a warning, however, to the incoming Bishop. Father Choy has been called The dynasty son and courtier. As early as when Cardinal John Tong Hon was serving as Bishop of Hong Kong, Father Choy learned he had a good chance of succeeding him. He desperately placed his cronies to serve in different institutions in the diocese. The most obvious example is the individual he appointed as the editor-in-chief of the Kong Kao Po Weekly (the diocesan newspaper) last year.

Peter continued, This is like the old courtier in ancient times, even though he has abdicated, he still tries his best to place his confidant next to the emperor, desperately wanting to influence the emperors policies, and even dominate and control the emperor.

Peter concluded, I hope that diocesan councils will communicate with the new bishop as soon as possible to correct improper appointments by Father Choy. Any appointment of personnel that has not been approved and confirmed by the new bishop should be considered invalid.

The Epoch Times reached out to Fr. Peter Choy for comment, and received a response from the social communications director for the diocese, stating that Rev. Choy is not prepared to respond to unfounded allegations.

In a news conference on May 18, Chow addressed what seem to be serious fractures and disunity within his diocese. When asked what measure he would take to bring about new unity,

Chow commented he had no big plan, although he said he believes God wants unity in what has become an increasingly polarized church. Unity is not the same as uniformity, Chow continued. One thing Ive always mentioned recently in schools is unity is plurality. We need to respect plurality.

In an interview with South China Morning Post, dated Sept. 12, 2020, Chow echoed the desire to diplomatically engage, while promoting dialogue and debate in scholastic institutions over the newly enacted Hong Kong National Security Lawa move that reportedly displeased proponents of the Beijing law within the Education Bureau of Hong Kong.

To discuss the topic (of the National Security Law) does not mean we support the notion of Hong Kong independence. But students can understand what the idea is, what the pros and cons are, and discussions can happen only after they have an understanding, Chow stated.

When they have more understanding, they would probably know that under the broader reality, there is no way that the notion of [Hong Kong independence] can move forward. And we shall stop there  [It is important] we are not promoting the idea.

People hold candles as they walk near Victoria Park after police closed the venue where Hong Kong people traditionally gather annually to mourn the victims of Chinas Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, in the Causeway Bay district in Hong Kong on June 4, 2021. (Anthony Kwan/Getty Images)

Similarly, Chow stated in his May 18 press conference that although he intended to pray for victims of the Chinese Tiananmen Square Massacre on June 4, he would ensure that all Hong Kong city laws would be obeyed.

Reports from the eventwhich Hong Kong Police cancelled, reportedly due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and citing the National Security Lawsay that hundreds attended scheduled Masses throughout the cityto include a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Joseph Zen.

We refuse to be pessimistic, Cardinal Zen said during his homily. We will not be disappointed. In the remembrance of the dead  those killed 32 years ago, our prayer is also for the Lord to lead the rulers to walk on the path of justice and peace.

When asked if he had a message for Bishop elect Chow, Cardinal Joseph Zen replied, I promise to pray for your service to the Church of Hong Kong.

Chow has not responded to messages asking for comment.
Voters wait for checking in at a polling place to cast their votes at Saint Marks Youth Center in Burlington, Vt., on March 3, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Vermont Gov. Signs Election Bill Mandating Widespread Mail-In Ballots

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signed a bill on Monday that would change the way the state conducts elections, including a requirement that the state send out mail-in ballots to all registered voters.

Im signing this bill because I believe making sure voting is easy and accessible, and increasing voter participation, is important. Having said that, we should not limit this expansion of access to general elections alone, which already have the highest voter turnout, Scott, a Republican, said in a statement.

The bill Scott signed passed Vermonts Democrat-controlled legislature by a wide margin. Scott, meanwhile, said that the state should expand the law even more.

For greater consistency and to expand access further, I am asking the General Assembly to extend the provisions of this bill to primary elections, local elections, and school budget votes when they return to session in January, Scott, a frequent critic of former President Donald Trump, added in his statement.

The law signed by Scott on Monday essentially codifies the actions that Vermont officials in 2020 imposed to relax restrictions surrounding mail-in balloting amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Republicans, including Trump, have been largely critical of similar policies and have argued that they lead to fraud and errors during elections. Democrats, who support such measures, said they are intended to keep the public safe.

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condoss office told the New York Times that about 75 percent of Vermont residents cast their ballots via mail during the 2020 election.

The legislation represents the largest expansion of Vermont voter access in decades. This historic legislation will empower more Vermonters to vote, while preserving the integrity and security of the elections process, Condos wrote on Twitter of the bill.

President Joe Biden won Vermont with about 66 percent of the vote.

The new law will send general election ballots to all active voters ahead of the election, allow voters to cast ballots by mail, and allow voters to take ballots to polling places to vote early or cast their ballots in-person on election day. The law also provides a mechanism for correcting defective ballots and makes other changes to the states voting laws.

A number of GOP-led states in recent months have moved to reduce election officials capabilities to send out mail-in ballots, including imposing felonies for officials who violate certain rules.

Nationally, Republicans have pushed to limit mail-in voting, voter identification laws, limit ballot drop boxes, and end no-excuse absentee voting.

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Utah, and Washington state all conduct their elections entirely by mail. Nevada approved a measure similar to Vermonts earlier in June.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
Former Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones, during an interview for the "American Thought Leaders" program, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Fla. on Feb. 27, 2021. (The Epoch Times)

Vernon Jones, GOP Gubernatorial Candidate, Headed to Arizona to Observe Election Audit

Georgia gubernatorial candidate Vernon Jones is heading to Arizona this week to tour the 2020 election audit taking place there.

Jones, a Republican who is challenging Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, plans to touch down in Arizona late Tuesday. On Wednesday, he will visit with Arizona legislators and see firsthand the forensic audit at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix.

Well be doing a lot of high level meetings there with the people who have been the primary organizers of the audit, C.J. Pearson, Joness campaign manager, told The Epoch Times.

Jones, a former state representative who vocally supports former President Donald Trump, is traveling with Bernard Kerik, a onetime police commissioner of New York City. Kerik, a Republican, was pardoned by Trump in 2020 of felony charges including tax fraud. Kerik did not respond to an inquiry. A local sheriff will also join the group after they land, according to Joness team.

Auditors in Maricopa County are recounting the nearly 2.1 million ballots cast there in the presidential election last year. Theyve also been examining hundreds of tabulators and other election machines. An Arizona Senate panel authorized the audit in late 2020. It started in April after months of legal wrangling with county officials, who believed the subpoenas were too broad but largely complied when ordered to do so by a judge.

A delegation from Pennsylvania toured the Coliseum and met with Arizona lawmakers last week. Delegation members said afterwards that they support a similar audit in Pennsylvania. They soon received backing from a top state senator.

Jones wants an Arizona-style audit done in Georgia.

Thats exactly what the goal is, Pearson said.

Jones has called for an audit multiple times, dating back to November 2020.

The only people that fear transparency are people with something to hide, he wrote in a tweet last month.

Maricopa County ballots cast in the 2020 general election are examined and recounted by contractors working for Florida-based company, Cyber Ninjas, at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Ariz., on May 6, 2021. (Matt York/AP Photo/Pool)

Georgia officials conducted multiple recounts in the wake of the election because the margin of victory for Democrat Joe Biden over Trump was so slim. They also did signature audits in several counties. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, has said the reviews affirmed the election results. He has also said that fraud did occur but that the cases were not large enough to change the outcome of a statewide election.

Biden beat Trump by 0.26 percent, or 12,670, according to the official results. The results after the first recount, during which four counties found uncounted or unreported votes, showed nearly 900 fewer votes for Biden, and 17 more for Trump.

Jones and other Republicans in the state have tried pressuring Kemp, a Republican, to authorize an independent audit. Jones and hundreds of others from the GOP in a recent open letter calling for an audit referenced the Arizona effort.

We know for a fact that audits work in detecting discrepancies. In Arizona, elected officials began an audit of votes from the 2020 election in Maricopa Countya county that holds more than half of the states population, they wrote.

According to a letter from Arizona Senate President Karen Fann, there were several discrepancies between the actual number of ballots contained in [batches] and the total denoted on the pink report slip accompanying [batches]. She added that in most cases, the total on the pink report slip is greater than the number of ballots in the batch.

Fann in the May 12 letter conveyed concerns from auditors that a database was deleted and discrepancies were found in ballot counting. The county later attempted to rebut the claims.

Kemp has said he does not have the authority to order an audit. The Georgia Legislature has so far not ordered one.

Asked about Joness push for an audit, a Kemp spokeswoman told The Epoch Times in an email that the governor was the first to call on Secretary Raffensperger to complete an audit of signatures on the overwhelming number of absentee ballots that were cast during the election.

To ensure that it is easy to vote and hard to cheat in Georgia, Governor Kemp was proud to sign SB 202 into law. By requiring a photo ID to vote absentee, mandating drop boxes in all 159 counties, and preventing ballot harvesting, Governor Kemp took action to restore trust in Georgias election system, she also said. While Governor Kemp was disappointed with the outcome of the 2020 election, he is laser focused on ensuring that future Georgia elections are more accessible, safe, and secure.
People show up to the location where a family of five was hit by a driver, in London, Ont., on June 7, 2021. Four of the members of the family died and one is in critical condition. A 20 year old male has been charged with four counts of first degree murder and count of attempted murder in connection with the crime. (The Canadian Press/Brett Gundlock)

Vigil Planned for Family Killed in London, Ont., Vehicle Attack

LONDON, Ont.A vigil is scheduled for tonight at the mosque of five family members who police say were intentionally struck down by a driver in London, Ont.

The London Muslim Mosque said the city and the country are devastated in the aftermath of Sundays attack, which left four dead and sent a nine-year-old boy to hospital.

Police have said the family members were targeted because of their Muslim faith.

They say a pickup truck, driven by a 20-year-old London man, mounted a curb, struck them as they were out for an evening walk and then drove away.

Police have not released the names of the victims, but a statement released by the family late Monday identifies them as Salman Afzaal, 46, his 44-year-old wife Madiha Salman, their 15-year-old daughter Yumna Salman and Afzaals 74-year-old mother.

The couples nine-year-old son Fayez was seriously injured but is expected to survive.

Sana Yasir, a friend of the family who lived down the street, confirmed she had been in touch with Afzaals brother and sister-in-law and released the statement on their behalf.

We need to understand that the destruction of a family in the brutal and horrific manner like this is something we must all stand against, the statement reads. We need to stand against hate and Islamophobia and raise awareness in our communities and throughout all political spectrum.

Yasir said the family was well known within the local Pakistani-Muslim community.

They were the most loving, caring and genuine family and would always greet you with a smile, she said.

Dozens came out to the scene of the attack on Monday night to pay tribute.

People cried, hugged and placed flowers around a light pole and a nearby tree, a metre away from where the truck hopped the curb onto the sidewalk.

Rauf Ahmad and three of his friends watched the growing tribute on the corner. The group said they all had members who were killed in Pakistan over their Muslim faith.

I didnt think there was racism in Canada and I felt very safe when I came here two years ago, but I do not feel safe now, Ahmad said.

Humanity is first, we should not care about whether someone is a Muslim, a Jew or a Christian.

Politicians across Canada and beyond have also denounced the attack, with many calling it an act of terror.

Pakistans prime minister, Imran Khan, condemned the incident on Twitter, saying it reveals the growing Islamophobia in Western countries.

The countrys foreign affairs minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, expressed sympathy for the relatives of the victims and hope for the childs recovery.

Nathaniel Veltman has been arrested and charged with murder in the attack.
When It Comes to China, Western Media Often Sees Economic Strength When There Is Weakness

Commentary

Too frequently western media misses the weakness implicit in Chinas top-down centralized economic system. Indeed, reporters and commentators with a frustrating regularity describe those weakness as strengths. They will write with awe about Beijings grand projectsmiles of high-speed rail, for example, phalanxes or shinny locomotives staggered artfully for the photo opportunity, cities that have grown up whole seemingly overnight and replete with rows of high-rise apartment blocks and subway systems. The list goes on. These observers compare these huge projects with the seemingly chaotic and unfocused market-based system in the United States and either recommend that America mimic Beijings approach or fearfully forecast Chinas ultimate success in its competition with the United States. The fact is that Beijings grand designs, impressive as they can seem, reveal the centralized economic systems great tendency toward failure and waste. They are more a harbinger of the systems ultimate failure than its triumph.

The great irony in this adulatory and fearful coverage of China is that it has happened before with such systems, and history always tells a different story about the fate of centralized systems than the reporters did. Two prominent examples should suffice. In the 1950s and 1960s, many reporters and commentators from the United States and Western Europe, though they deplored the political and social repression practiced by that regime, admired and feared the Soviet Unions centrally planned system. Just as this newer generation of journalists does with Chinas approach, this earlier generation spoke of the Soviet system as much better thought out and efficient than the decentralized market-based systems on which their own economies relied and better still at marshaling national resources to a limited number of crucial economic goals. When in 1960 Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev announced at the United Nations we will bury you, these journalists knew he was speaking about economic production and not nuclear weapons, and many of them tended to agree with him. The general public, having read their peans to Soviet economics, did as well.

As the Soviet failure became apparent in the 1980s, a newer generation of journalists, undeterred by the evidence from Moscow, admired Japans version of centralized control and planning. Though far from communist, Japan ran its economy from the top-down guidance of its Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). As their elders had with the Soviet Union, this new generation of journalists expressed awe and fear of the efficiency and thoughtfulness of the METI-led system as well as its remarkable ability to marshal labor, capital, and intellectual resources to select, seemingly crucial purposes. So many thinkers in this country were so impressed by Japans system that President Bill Clinton on taking office, urged the nation to adopt the Japanese approach, replacing market direction of business with what he described as cooperation between government and industry but what would have amounted to top-down direction.

These systems, however, failed because planning requires knowledge of the future, and the future almost always turns out differently from its look to be when the plans are written. For the Soviet Unions effort to bury the United States and the rest of the West, it organized itself to produce steel and heavy equipment. Coming, as those times did, on the heels of the Second World War, this emphasis seemed entirely reasonable. These were the hot products of the day. Since they filled the headlines of the times, western journalists had little trouble agreeing with the targets chosen by the central planners. But by the time the Soviets managed to outpace the United States in the production of steel and heavy machinery, the world had moved on to plastics and more service-oriented economic structures. Japans planners did better. Their emphasis on autos paid off. But they also chose another hot product of the times. They sought dominance in straightforward chips and dedicated a good deal of Japans economic effort to that end. They achieved it, too, but the success meant little. By that time, the world had moved on to microprocessors. Both the Soviet and the Japanese efforts missed the mark and wasted much labor, time, money, and resources.

Vehicles along a highway in Beijing on March 17, 2012. Air pollution made travel difficult in China during the lunar new year holidays. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Market-based systems, of course, are no better at forecasting than are governments or journalists. Business planners are often wrong and there is great economic waste as a result. The markets superiority lies not in greater prescience but rather in its natural tendency to diversify effort. Some companies follow todays headlines, others refuse and stick with the past, while still others, following some particular insight, pursue something entirely different. Those that stay in the past lose. Those that follow todays headlines can win but only to the extent that those headlines capture the future. Those that go their own way may lose, but if they hit on a future need, they win big, for themselves and for the economy generally.

The mix of bets never creates the awesome sight of all the nations resources marshaled for one or two or a half dozen objectives, but that natural diversification of effort nonetheless relives the economy of the great waste incurred by an incorrect centralized decision, allows room for more experimentation, and makes it more likely that somewhere in the business mix, someone really will capture the future.

Seemingly oblivious to the virtues of the market-based system, China is applying centralized direction to target the hot objectives of today. Beijings Made in China 2025 plan seeks dominance in biotech, artificial intelligence, aerospace, and electric vehiclesall prominent in todays business headlines. Because of that prominence, journalists agree with the emphasis and fear the consequences of Chinese dominance. China may get lucky. The pace of change in fashion and technology may slow so that todays emphasis and all the resources dedicated to pursuing it will have a payoff. Then China may surpass the United States and its less centralized, less targeted approach. But if the world in the latter years of this decade has moved on to other products, the intense dedication to this particular group of products will have created great waste.

Some might point to the huge strides Chinas economy made in the past to argue that Beijing is better at planning than the Soviet Union or Japan or countless other, less prominent economies that have trod this path. Of course, anything is possible, but the past may be less applicable than it seems. When China began its decades-long growth surge, it was extremely underdeveloped. Planners had little trouble identifying what the economy needed. China lacked roads, ports, rail links, housing, and other such obvious essentials. It hardly took great insight or understanding to identify where the nations economic efforts needed to go. And these efforts had a great payoff. But as Chinas economy has developed and become more complex, future directions have become harder and harder to identify. Chinas planners have accordingly begun to make more and more mistakes. They have built empty cities and high-speed rail lines to nowhere. The waste imposed by these mistakes has become increasingly evident.

These failings show clearly in the legacy of debt overhanging Chinas economy. Every one of these grand and frequently misguided efforts required investment and so created a debt burden. The successful projects have returns sufficient to discharge the debt. For the failed projects, the debt obligation lingers. It is this debt load that gauges the waste of the recent past. To be sure, Beijing has kept a lid on government debt issuancemuch better than Washington has certainly. But government debt is inadequate as a measure of this effect. The financial legacy of failed projects lies with that countrys provincial and local governments and the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) that control the bulk of Chinas industry. To see the errors wrought by Chinas system and make a valid comparison to the United States, the debt to track is a combination of central government obligations, provincial (or state) and local obligations, and the debt of the corporate sector.

Chinese commuters walk past property development billboards in the Central Business District in Beijing on July 26, 2013. Local governments around China are worried about the investigation into their debt being organized now by central authorities. (Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images)

The calculations are compelling. During the ten years from 2009 to 2019, this debt aggregate in China grew at a 23 percent annual rate, far in excess of the nominal economys 8 percent growth rate. This difference offers a rough (admittedly very rough) estimate of the burden of waste left by the mistakes of the top-down planners. The equivalent debt aggregate for the United States shows how, if diverse economic decision makers have made mistakes, they have done so on a much less grand scale. In America, this measure of debt has grown at about 5.6 percent a year over the ten years ended in 2019, faster to be sure than the 4 percent average growth of the nominal economy, but a much narrower gap than in China. The relative burden of these legacies is apparent in debt levels relative to the overall economy. In the United States, this composite of debt outstanding amounts to just under 180 percent of the countrys gross domestic product (GDP). In China, that figure verges on 220 percent.

China has prospered despite all the errors and the waste they have created. Much of those gains arose because early on needed directions were obvious. Now that these directions are far less clear, the centralized system will become increasingly prone to mistakes and increasingly burden its economy. Those journalists and commentators who pin Chinese success on its ability to marshal resources have missed the point. As with Japan and the Soviet Union, that tendency is a Chinese weakness, not a strength.

Milton Ezrati is a contributing editor at The National Interest, an affiliate of the Center for the Study of Human Capital at the University at Buffalo (SUNY), and chief economist for Vested, the New York-based communications firm. His latest book is Thirty Tomorrows: The Next Three Decades of Globalization, Demographics, and How We Will Live.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The World Health Organization's Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan looks on during an interview with AFP in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 8, 2021. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

Indian Bar Association Threatens to Sue WHO Chief Scientist for Spreading COVID-19 Misinformation

The Indian Bar Association has taken legal action against the World Health Organizations (WHO) Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan for allegedly spreading disinformation on the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19.

The association (IBA) served a legal notice (pdf) on Swaminathan on May 25, claiming that she was spreading disinformation and misguiding the people of India, in order to fulfill her agenda and sought to prevent her from causing further damage.

They further stated that Swaminathan, in her statements against the use of ivermectin, ignored research and clinical trials from two organizationsthe Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care (FLCCC) Alliance and the British Ivermectin Recommendation Development (BIRD)who have presented solid data showing ivermectin prevents and treats COVID-19.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan has ignored these studies/reports and has deliberately suppressed the data regarding effectiveness of the drug Ivermectin, with an intent to dissuade the people of India from using Ivermectin, the IBA said in a statement (pdf).

In a May 10 Twitter post that was deleted after Swaminathan received the notice, she wrote, Safety and efficacy are important when using any drug for a new indication. WHO recommends against the use of ivermectin for COVID-19 except within clinical trials.

Swaminathan made the post soon after Goas health minister announced that every Goa resident 18 and older would be given ivermectin as prevention regardless of their COVID-19 status, as part of the Indian states effort to stop the transmission of the virus. India has been hit hard in the second wave of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic beginning in March 2021.

The legal notice calls for a clear response from Swaminathan on a number of key points, and the association said that in the case of a failure to provide a clear response, it reserves the right to initiate prosecution under sections of the Indian Penal Code and Disaster Management Act, 2005.

The WHOs chief scientist didnt reply to a request for comment by press time.

A health worker shows a box containing a bottle of Ivermectin, a medicine authorized by the National Institute for Food and Drug Surveillance (INVIMA) to treat patients with mild, asymptomatic, or suspicious COVID-19, as part of a study of the Center for Pediatric Infectious Diseases Studies, in Cali, Colombia, on July 21, 2020. (Luis Robayo/AFP via Getty Images)

A link to Mercks statement on ivermectin was also included in Swaminathans tweet. The pharmaceutical company, which developed the anti-parasitic drug in the 1980s and held a patent until 1996, said in February of this year that the available data didnt support the efficacy and safety of ivermectin beyond what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved it for.

Merck, in collaboration with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, is conducting a Phase 3 trial of the investigational anti-viral drug molnupiravir, which the company claims has shown to reduce infectious viruses quicker in COVID-19 outpatients. But unlike ivermectin, molnupiravir demonstrated no clinical benefit in hospitalized patients.

The trial is expected to complete later this October, and Merck said itll apply for an emergency authorization use for the drug if the results are favorable.

Researchers are hoping that molnupiravir will impair the CCP viruss ability to replicate, preventing severe illness and hospitalization, something that ivermectin has demonstrated to do in a meta-analysis of 57 clinical trials involving more than 18,000 patients, according to ivmmeta.com, a website that provides real-time meta-analysis of ivermectin studies.

In 23 early treatment studies, there was a 78 percent improvement in patients given ivermectin and in 14 preventative trials, an 85 percent improvement was shown. As for the studies involving late treatment, there was a 45 percent improvement in 20 studies.

Proponents of ivermectin claim the drug can treat all stages of COVID-19 and reduce hospitalization and mortality rates due to its anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties. But there has been pushback on approving the drug as a COVID-19 treatment by U.S. federal health authorities and the WHO.

The FDA said it hasnt approved ivermectin for COVID-19 and issued a warning in early March informing people to not take the drug, which is intended for use in animals, as the larger doses intended for animals may be harmful to humans.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), the largest medical research agency, is neither recommending for or against the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 in its updated guideline in February. This comes after members of the FLCCC Alliance presented their data to the agency at the beginning of the year.

In April, the NIH announced it would fund a large randomized, controlled study of seven repurposed drugs to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 patients. The research agency said it will begin enrolling for its Phase 3 trial on ivermectin this month.

Trial enrollment is expected to open this month, and the trial is expected to run for up to two years, an NIH spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email.

The WHO, in its Living Guideline, has advised against the use of ivermectin except in a clinical setting, citing inconclusive data similar to both the FDA and the NIH.

The current evidence on the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients is inconclusive, the WHO said in a statement. Until more data is available, WHO recommends that the drug only be used within clinical trials.

Dr. Pierre Kory, President and Chief Medical Officer of the FLCCC Alliance claims there is a concerted effort to censor information on the effectiveness of ivermectin against COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus.

There are forces that are seeking to make sure that ivermectin is not accepted widely as an effective therapy, Kory said in an interview on June 1.

We have randomized [trials], you have observational [studies], you have case series, you have epidemiologic analyses, and then the clinical experience of doctors. You cant find a doctor who has incorporated ivermectin into their treatments who will come back and say my patients didnt get better, you cant find that doctor.

A screenshot of the results of a meta-analysis of 57 clinical trials on the use of ivermectin in COVID-19 patients, from ivemmeta.com. (Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

While ivermectin is yet to be approved as a treatment for COVID-19, doctors around the world, including in the United States, are offering the drug to their patients. And for doctors who refuse to administer the drug to patients suffering severe cases of COVID-19, judges have had to order them to do so.

In their legal notice, the Indian Bar Association cited the case of 80-year-old Judith Smentkiewicz, who made a full recovery after being on a ventilator and told she only had a 20 percent chance of survival. Her family obtained a court order that allowed her to receive additional doses of ivermectin after doctors were hesitant to give her more than one dose, according to Buffalo News.

Smentkiewics family and attorneys say they believe that ivermectin saved her life.

Ivermectin is on the WHOs list of essential medicines and has a high safety profile with more than 3.7 billion doses having been distributed in more than 30 years.

Since the drug was first given to humans in 1987, there have only been 4,600 adverse events and 16 deaths reported on the pharmacovigilance database, according to Dr. Tess Lawrie in an interview on March 6. Lawrie is director of Evidence-Based Medicine Consultancy Ltd. and co-founder of the BIRD panel, which includes international expert scientists and doctors who are advocating for the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19.

Remdesivir, an anti-viral drug, is the only FDA-approved therapy for treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The drug has shown no effect on mortality and a minuscule benefit on time of recovery, with the WHO recommending against its use last November.

A treatment course of remdesivir is slightly more than $3,000, while ivermectin ranges between $3 to $12 per treatment, according to Kory.

He also said that places in India where ivermectin is used preventatively or as early treatment, such as Goa and Uttar Pradesh, are seeing COVID-19 cases declining versus states that have banned the drug.

Every one of those states, the curves are now precipitously declining, said Kory.

But theres a state in India called Tamil Nadu whose minister there basically effectively outlawed ivermectin and went all-in on remdesivir, bought a whole bunch of remdesivir, [and] the cases and deaths in that state are skyrocketing.

The chief minister in Tamil Nadu didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.

According to data by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, Tamil Nadu saw 20,421 new cases and 434 deaths on June 6, while Goa recorded 403 new cases and 16 deaths and Uttar Pradesh reported 1,037 cases and 85 deaths.

Uttar Pradesh, one of the most populous states in India with more than 200 million people, has been handing out free medical kits containing seven days worth of medication, one of which is ivermectin, for COVID-19 positive patients under home isolation.
Why a Judge Has Georgia Vote Fraud on His Mind: Pristine Biden Ballots That Looked Xeroxed

When Fulton County, Georgia, poll manager Suzi Voyles sorted through a large stack of mail-in ballots last November, she noticed an alarmingly odd pattern of uniformity in the markings for Joseph R. Biden. One after another, the absentee votes contained perfectly filled-in ovals for Bidenexcept that each of the darkened bubbles featured an identical white void inside them in the shape of a tiny crescent, indicating theyd been marked with toner ink instead of a pen or pencil.

Adding to suspicions, she noticed that all of the ballots were printed on different stock paper than the others she handled as part of a statewide hand recount of the razor-thin Nov. 3 presidential election. And none was folded or creased, as she typically observed in mail-in ballots that had been removed from envelopes.

In short, the Biden votes looked like theyd been duplicated by a copying machine.

All of them were strangely pristine, said Voyles, who said shed never seen anything like it in her 20 years monitoring elections in Fulton County, which includes much of Atlanta.

She wasnt alone. At least three other poll workers observed the same thing in stacks of absentee ballots for Biden processed by the county, and they have joined Voyles in swearing under penalty of perjury that they looked fake.

Now election watchdogs have used their affidavits to help convince a state judge to unseal all of the 147,000 mail-in ballots counted in Fulton and allow a closer inspection of the suspicious Biden ballots for evidence of counterfeiting. They argue that potentially tens of thousands may have been manufactured in a race that Biden won by just 12,000 votes thanks to a late surge of mail-in ballots counted after election monitors were shooed from State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

We have what is almost surely major absentee-ballot fraud in Fulton County involving 10,000 to 20,000 probably false ballots, said Garland Favorito, the lead petitioner in the case and a certified poll watcher who runs VoterGa.org, one of the leading advocates for election integrity in the state.

He said the suspect ballots remain in the custody of the election officials and inaccessible from public view.

We have confirmed that there are five pallets of shrink-wrapped ballots in a county warehouse, Favorito said in an interview with RealClearInvestigations.

He and other petitioners were ordered to meet at the warehouse May 28 to settle the terms of the inspection of the absentee ballots. But the day before the scheduled meeting, the county filed a flurry of motions to dismiss the case, delaying the inspection indefinitely.

We will be in court on June 21 to resolve these motions, said Favorito, calling them another roadblock the county has tried to throw in their way. He expects talks over the logistics of the inspection to resume after the Fourth of July holiday.

Fulton county workers continue to count absentee ballots at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 6, 2020. (Jessica McGowan/Getty Images)

As part of his May 21 order, Superior Court Judge Brian Amero requested officials guard the warehouse around the clock until an inspection date can be set. But just eight days later, a breach in security was reported after sheriffs deputies left their post for a couple of hours.

The front door was [found] unlocked and wide open in violation of the court order, Favorito said.

County officials confirmed that a motion-detection alarm was triggered Saturday, May 29, shortly after the deputies drove away from the building in their patrol cars around 4 p.m. But they said a locked room where the ballots are kept was never breached or compromised.

Favorito is not convinced, and his lawyer is seeking to obtain the video footage from building security cameras. How do we know for certain there was no tampering with the ballots? asked Favorito, who said he did not vote for Trump.

News of the security lapse caught the attention of former President Donald Trump, who has claimed his loss to Biden was marred by fraud. In a statement, he implied election officials in the Democratic-controlled county are trying to hide evidence of fraud. They are afraid of what might be found, he asserted.

Trump is also closely monitoring the ongoing election audit in Arizona, another red state that turned blue in 2020. If evidence of fraud is found in these key swing states, it might help confirm suspicions the election was stolen from Trump and the 74 million who voted for himas a recent poll found 61 percent of Republicans believeas well as provide the proof of voter fraud that Democrats and major media have long claimed doesnt exist.

The cases could potentially give other battleground states incentive to take steps to tighten election security and root out fraud, including passing legislation to limit the use of controversial mail-in drop boxes and require the verification of signatures on such ballots. In Georgia, relatively few mail-in ballots were rejected for invalid signatures in the November general election, even though several thousand had been disqualified for signature issues in the primary election.

In a move that inspired national boycotts alleging voter suppression, Georgia recently passed a law limiting, but not removing, the drop boxes. The state had installed them for the first time in 2020 under pressure from Democratic groups, who argued officials needed to make voting easier for minorities who didnt trust the mail and feared going to the polls during the COVID scare.

The 38 drop boxes Fulton distributed throughout the county in the November election will be cut to eight in the future. The boxes had been largely unregulated and unattendedlocated outdoors, open 24 hours a day and available for drop-offs until the evening of Election Day, prompting complaints of ballot stuffing and double voting. But now they have to be located inside election offices or early voting locations, and can only be available during the hours when early voting is permitted. The new law also requires ballots be printed on special security paper.

Voting by mail traditionally was limited to voters who had clearly defined and well-documented reasons to be absent from the polls. But Democrats in key swing states lobbied to relax the rules in the middle of the election and amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A ballot is dropped off at an official ballot drop box in Monterey Park, Calif., on Oct. 5, 2020. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Mail-in or drop-off ballots create opportunities for voter error and fraud. In a typical election, one in 20 mailed ballots are rejected, according to recent studies. More than 534,000 mail-in ballots were rejected during the 2020 Democratic primaries alone.

Still, both Republican and Democratic officials in Georgia say they have found no credible evidence of widespread fraud in the general election. Democrats, as well as many major media outlets, have written off Favoritos groups allegations of fraud as conspiracy theories.

This is nothing more than a circus thats being put on by those who promote the big lie that Trump won the election, said Robb Pitts, the Democratic chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. Where does it end? The votes have been counted. The elections have been certified. Its over.

Pitts effectively controls the county elections board through his Democratic appointee Mary Carole Cooney, who runs the board. They are in charge of securing the pallets of disputed Biden mail-in ballots awaiting inspection in the county warehouse.

But Judge Amero, who federal elections records show is a Democratic donor, felt compelled to unseal the ballots for a forensics review after reading the sworn affidavits submitted by election monitors. Here are key witnesses in the case:

Suzi Voyles, a veteran Fulton poll manager who audited the Nov. 14 recount at Georgia World Congress Center, testified she examined several stacks of ballots of about 100 ballots each from a cardboard box marked Box No. 5AbsenteeBatch Numbers 28-36. She said these ballots came from the ballot [drop] boxes that had been placed throughout Fulton County.

Most of the ballots had already been handled; they had been written on by people, and the edges were worn. They showed obvious use, she wrote in her Nov. 17 affidavit. However, one batch stood out. It was pristine. There was a difference in the texture of the paper, and these mail-in ballots hadnt been folded even though they ostensibly had been removed from envelopes.

All but three of the 110 ballots in the bundlewhich had been labeled State Farm Arenawere marked for Biden and appeared to be identical ballots.

The most alarming peculiarity was the identically marked ovals next to Bidens name. In every ballot, The bubble next to Joseph R. Biden had a slight white eclipse in the bubble, she said, leading her to believe that the batch of 107 Biden ballots had been copied from a single ballot.

Voyles speculated that additional absentee ballots had been added [for Biden] in a fraudulent manner at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta on election night.

Filing boxes sit off to the side at an absentee ballot processing room at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 2, 2020. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)

The void she and other auditors witnessed in the exact same spot of the oval filled in on 107 ballots for Biden was alarming to us, Voyles said in an RCI interview. Every single bubble was precisely alike. I had never seen that before in 20 years of election monitoring.

But when she and other recount workers raised concerns with county election officials, we were told not to worry about it, she said. They seemed uninterested in the [integrity of the] ballots.

After Voyles later blew the whistle in affidavits and state election hearings, she was fired as a poll manager by the Fulton County Department of Elections. I got the boot for speaking the truth, she told RCI.

Robin Hall, a certified Fulton County recount observer, also testified she witnessed a number of boxes of absentee ballots marked 100 percent for Biden that appeared to be perfectly filled out as if they were pre-printed with the presidential candidate selected. She stated: They did not look like a person had filled this out at home. All of them looked alike.

Judy Aube also worked at the World Congress Center on Nov. 14 where she observed the same thing: suspicious batches of mail-in ballots for Biden whose markings appeared identical, as if they had been duplicated by a machine and not filled out by a voter at home.

Barbara Hartman, another election official auditor, also doubted the authenticity of absentee ballots she handled that she said were never folded, as would normally be the case for ballots returned in an envelope by mail or dropped in a box. The absentee ballots looked as though they had just come from a fresh stack, she swore in her affidavit. I could not observe any creases in the ballots and [it] did not seem like they were folded and put into envelopes or mailed out. Also, The majority of the mail-in ballots that I reviewed contained suspicious black perfectly bubbled markings for Biden, Hartman stated, adding that they looked as if they were stamped.

The veteran poll watchers found no plausible explanation for the anomalies other than possible fraud.

However, election officials have offered an explanation for why the mail-in ballots examined in the stacks did not have folds or creases. They say ballots are sometimes copied onto other paper when they are too damaged to be fed through one of the scanning machines during tabulation. The mailed ballots can be torn or crumpled by postal workers during delivery or by poll workers while opening them and removing them from envelopes, which could prevent the machines from reading them.

But Favorito suspects the hundreds, if not thousands, of allegedly duplicate absentee ballots for Biden might be connected to spikes in votes for Biden he observed late on election night in Fulton County after election officials cleared monitors from State Farm Arena and pulled cases full of ballots out from under tables and began scanning them.

Theres always the chance it was an inside job, said Favorito, a career IT professional whos been a leading advocate for Georgia election integrity over the past two decades.

On Nov. 3, Fulton County elections officials informed monitors that they were shutting down the State Farm tabulation center before midnight, only to continue counting throughout the night while no one was watching.

Employees of the Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections process ballots in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 4, 2020. (Brandon Bell/Reuters)

Election workers dont bring ballots in after the supervisor has delayed processing until the morning, hide them under a table, and then bring them out for scanning and tabulation after the supervisor tells [monitors] they are done scanning for the evening and they go home, Favorito said.

Once scanning [was] completed, an election line feed showed an unprecedented vote spike that turned the election in favor of Biden, he added. In fact, just over a half hour after workers scanned the potentially fraudulent ballots, an election line feed showed a 100,000-plus vote spike for Biden.

Where did those ballots come from and why did they handle them so suspiciously? Favorito asked.

Voyles noted that the county elections supervisor who oversaw the secret scanning of the cases full of ballots also helps run the warehouse where the suspect ballots are being stored.

Phone calls and emails to Fulton County went unanswered.

Similar Anomalies, Other Counties

Favorito pointed out that the potential for counterfeit ballots exists in other Georgia counties, not just Fulton.

In fact, two Democrat poll workers blew the whistle on similar anomalies they witnessed in neighboring DeKalb and Cobb counties, where the election process also is controlled by Democrats.

Carlos E. Silva, for one, declared in a Nov. 17 affidavit that he observed a similar perfect black bubble in absentee ballots for Biden during the recount he worked in DeKalb County. And while overseeing the Cobb County recount, he swore he observed absentee ballots being reviewed with the same perfect bubble that I had seen the night before in DeKalb. All of these ballots had the same characteristics: they were all for Biden and had the same perfect bubble.

Added Silva, a registered Democrat, There were thousands of [mail-in] ballots that just had the perfect bubble marked for Biden and no other markings in the rest of the ballot.

Another registered Democrat, Mayra Romera, testified that while monitoring the Cobb County recount, she noticed that hundreds of these ballots seemed impeccable, with no folds or creases. The bubble selections were perfectly made  and all happened to be selections for Biden.

In a recent article pooh-poohing complaints of fraud in Georgia, as well as Arizona, The New York Times portrayed Favorito as a known conspiracy theorist and suggested he was a 9/11 truther. As evidence, it cited a 2002 book he published questioning the origin of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Asked about it, Favorito responded: My book did not propose any theories on what happened on 9/11. I dont mention anything about explosives planted in the World Trade Center, as truthers have speculated. Rather, he said, he questioned Bush family business connections with the bin Laden family and other wealthy Saudis, and argued that the war on terror benefited the Bushes. He also faulted the Bush administration for obstructing FBI investigations into the attacks.

Favorito says he is a constitutionalist and neither a Republican nor a Trump supporter.

This article was written by Paul Sperry for RealClearInvestigations
Australia to Construct World-First Solar Hydro Power Plant

The Australian government has announced funding to construct a $27 million (US$21 million) solar hydro power plant in north-western Victoria able to generate, store, and deliver electricity on demand.

The power plant will demonstrate RayGens patented solar-plus-storage technology which uses a photovoltaic (PV) module 4,000 times more powerful than standard solar panels. This module is mounted on a tower above an array of smart mirrors that concentrate sunlight on the module.

From this, the module produces 1MW of electricity and 2MW of heat in the form of hot water. The heat captured is stored in a large, covered, and insulated water pit which can store thousands of MWh of energy. Some of this electricity is used to power a cold water reservoir in a second storage pit, each roughly the size of four Olympic size swimming pools.

The two pits maintain a temperature difference of 90 degrees, representing potential energy, which is then converted back into electricity using an Organic Rankine Cycle turbine, which is typically used in geothermal applications. This then said to deliver stable, renewable, synchronous power on demand.

RayGens PV Ultra System (RayGen, supplied)

Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) CEO Darren Miller said the success of RayGens new technology provides an opportunity to address Australias growing need for longer duration storage to solve the limitation of current grid-scale renewable options.

Much like combining pumped hydro and a traditional solar farm, RayGens technology can provide longer duration firming for renewable energy generation, Miller said. We are particularly interested in the potential for RayGens technology to deliver firmed renewable energy at a very competitive cost.

Amid a global push to transition away from fossil fuel power to renewable energy, RayGens technology hopes to provide a commercially attractive solution to long-duration storage issues.

Current grid-scale renewable options that are commercially available have limiting characteristics. Pumped hydro storage is limited by geographical constraints while lithium-ion batteries are only commercially viable for short storage durations.

The project will also include the construction of other solar hydropower plants in the future, with Australias biggest power supplier, AGL, proposing to build a similar energy facility on the Liddell site in New South Wales, a coal-fired power station due to close in 2023.

Rendered image of RayGen Carwarp Power Plant (RayGen, supplied)

RayGen believes that the subsequent larger-scale projects will achieve a stretch target of providing a guaranteed energy supply at $100/MWh to the National Electricity Market. It also noted that additional grant support and/or concessional funding may be required for subsequent commercial-scale ventures of its technology.

According to the Australian Energy Regulator, electricity is currently wholesaled at prices ranging from $27/MWh to $53/MWh depending on the state.

Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said the government was focused on supporting the development of technology that would provide Australians with reliable and affordable power while reducing emissions.

With one in four Australian homes having solar, making sure our solar assets are backed up by dispatchable generation is vital for energy grid stability and shoring up our long-term supply, Taylor said. The Government is backing technology, not taxes, to meet our emissions reduction targets without compromising our energy affordability or security.

Minister Anne Webster for Mallee, Victoria called the new development by RayGen a fantastic step forward for the future of the renewable energy industry in Mallee.

The pilot plant that RayGen are developing is innovative and will provide a stable, dispatchable form of solar power to the grid, something that is needed for confidence in renewable supply, Webster said.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 20:17:39|Editor: huaxia

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BAGHDAD, June 8 (Xinhua) -- A member of a Kurdish security force known as Peshmerga was killed Tuesday in an attack by militants of the Turkish outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

"One of the Peshmerga members was shot dead by PKK militants at a border point with Turkey near the town of Derker in Duhok province," Adeeb Jaafar, mayor of the town of Derker, told the official Iraqi News Agency (INA).

The attack is the second that targeted Peshmerga members within three days, as PKK militants killed five Peshmerga members and wounded four others in an ambush on Saturday morning in Matin Mountain in Duhok province in northern Iraq.

The Turkish army launched a ground and air offensive against the PKK targets across its borders with Iraq on April 23.

Turkish forces regularly carry out ground operations, airstrikes, and artillery bombardments against the positions of PKK militants in northern Iraq, especially the Qandil mountain range, where the main PKK bases are stationed.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. Enditem
RANA E HEDHUN, Albania (AP)  The Albanian beach site had everything in one place: pine trees, sand, sea, nearby mountains and days of nonstop music.

Its very rare that you got all of those things together at one time, said the director of the open-air Unum music festival, Grego OHalloran. As an Englishman living in Ibiza, Spain  another magical beach music scene  he knows what he is talking about.

Albania is the hidden gem of Europe," he added. "(It's) an hour, two hours, from almost all of Europe and its so beautiful and undiscovered.

Organizers sold all 10,000 tickets for the June 3-7 festival featuring 50 international and local musicians, as people jumped at the chance to hear nonstop music for five days at Thrown Sand beach, 75 kilometers (45 miles) northwest of the capital, Tirana.

Organizers claimed that everyone at the festival was free of COVID-19 but offered no proof for those claims and no virus checks were apparent.

The main stage near the beach was on top of a sailboat, while another was under the pine trees close to the beach. Tattoos were not required for fans but many sported one or more. Fans came from all across Europe, even as far away as Uruguay.

Last year the festival was cancelled due to the pandemic. This year organizers found it difficult to get musicians from around the Europe due to virus restrictions, but they prevailed.

(It's) awesome ... crazy ... insane to see so many people in one place ... (after) sitting in one room in your apartment alone in lockdown, said German fan Katia Mueller.

The event was possible because of Albania's low contagion rate. It recorded only two new infections on Saturday. The Foreign Ministry noted there were no pandemic restrictions for anyone wanting to come to Albania.

Albania has many pristine beaches on its 480-kilometer (300-mile) coastline along the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, and during the last few years tourism has turned into a key industry for one of Europes poorest countries.

Neighboring Albanians from Kosovo remain the main source of tourists so far, often accompanied by Polish and Czech groups, Serbs and Belarussians.

Franco Rodrigues of Uruguay follows a lot of music and knew many of the musicians at the festival, which he hoped was the beginning of a worldwide return to live events.

"Its great that finally we can come back and play again, he said.

The motto of the festival was for people to become One and unite over music. Some said music was more important than most people realized.

It was necessary for our mental health, said Ron Kurtolli, a DJ from Kosovo. People dont pay much attention to mental health, but its really important for the well-being of everything.

Samela, a Serb living in Belgrade but born in Prizren, Kosovo, had no time to give her surname but loudly explained how the festival connected people across borders. Albanians and Serbs have been history-long foes.

I really had this genuine intention to break the prejudice, to break the stigma, to try to connect us about music ... I cannot do it the way the music is doing it. But OK, Im trying now, she said.

-

Semini reported from Tirana, Albania.

___

Follow all AP stories on the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic.

___

Follow Llazar Semini at https://twitter.com/lsemini
Bryan Cranston, the star of the beloved television series "Breaking Bad" and "Malcolm in the Middle," greeted fans and local residents on Monday, June 7, to celebrate the launch of his liquor brand in Connecticut.

Cranston spent the morning at Stew Leonard's Wines of Norwalk where he autographed bottles of his new mezcal, dubbed Dos Hombres. The award-winning spirit, which went on sale in the state for the first time Monday morning, was created with his "Breaking Bad" co-star, Aaron Paul.

Cranston's presence drew scores of fans to the Westport Avenue store. Meghan Bell, a Stew Leonard's spokesperson, said about 150 people waited in line to meet Cranston. All told, she said, the store sold about 120 bottles of Dos Hombres within an hour.

READ MORE.
Tara ONeill / Hearst Connecticut Media

BRIDGEPORT  Detectives are investigating after a man was shot at the Greene Homes apartment complex on Sunday afternoon, officials said.

Officers were dispatched around 2:40 p.m. to Greene Homes on Highland Avenue for a reported shooting, according to Scott Appleby, the citys director of emergency communications and emergency management.
NORWALK  Jimmy Johns, a popular national fast food chain known for its sandwiches, is eyeing an expansion into Connecticut, in particular Norwalk.

A local developer has asked city officials to sign off on plans to turn an old bank branch on Westport Avenue into the states first Jimmy Johns location, according to an application recently submitted to the Planning and Zoning Department.

The Illinois-based fast food chain, which was founded in 1983, has more than 2,700 locations across the country, but so far none in Connecticut. Virtually all of the stores are franchise-owned.

The fast-growing company has credited its relatively simple menu for its popularity. Jimmy Johns offers sandwiches made from just seven types of meat, three types of bread and only one type of cheese: Provolone.

After a renovation to the now vacant bank branch, the proposed 2,200 square foot restaurant would feature a walk-up pickup window, enough space for a handful of indoor dining tables and a deck oven to bake fresh bread, according to layout plans filed with the city.

(N)o changes are being made to the existing approved building, only interior, developers wrote in the application.

The developer behind the proposal  295 Westport Avenue, LLC  aims to repurpose the drive-thru window at the bank branch for the planned restaurant. The building previously housed a Wells Fargo.

The proposed sandwich shop is not expected to generate the traffic levels commonly found at traditional fast food restaurants with drive-thru windows, according to a traffic report submitted with the application.

Congestion at local fast food restaurants has caused headaches for commuters during the coronavirus pandemic. A popular Chick-fil-A location on Connecticut Avenue was forced to rework its drive-thru system this spring after long lines of cars backed up onto a main road.

It is important to note that a Jimmy Johns Store when compared to a Chick-fil-A or McDonalds-type fast-food restaurant generates significantly less trips based on average sales, traffic engineers wrote in the report, adding that traditional fast food restaurants generate 9.7 times more drive-thru transactions than the average Jimmy Johns location.

If approved, the restaurant would be the second fast food chain to get the green light to open a new store on Westport Avenue. Last month, the zoning commission approved plans to renovate an old Burger King at 480 Westport Ave. into a new Popeyes location.

It is unclear when the developer hopes to open the Jimmy Johns location. John Ryan, an attorney and the representative for 295 Westport Avenue, LLC, did not return a request for comment on Tuesday. A spokesperson for Jimmy Johns was not immediately available.

Steve Kleppin, the citys planning and zoning director, said it is not yet clear when the application will go before the citys zoning commission. Kleppin added that the proposal still needs to be reviewed by the Transportation, Mobility and Parking Department.

This story has been updated to reflect the Jimmy Johns proposed for Norwalk would be the first location in Connecticut. There are several locations in the Boston area.

richard.chumney@hearstmediact.com;
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid of the Maldives won election as the next president of the U.N. General Assembly on Monday, and pledged to push for equal access to coronavirus vaccines, a stronger and greener economic recovery, and stepped up efforts to tackle climate change.

He defeated a former Afghan foreign minister, Zalmai Rassoul, in a 143-48 vote by secret ballot, with two of the assemblys 193 member nations not voting. Diplomats from member nations, all wearing masks because of the pandemic, were called to the front of the assembly chamber one-by-one to deposit their ballot in a large wooden box.

Turkey's Volkan Bozkir, the current assembly president, said Shahid brings to the job extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy, serving his Indian Ocean island nation twice as foreign minister and for 10 years before that as chief of staff to the president.

Shahid has been a strong voice in calling attention to the impact on small island developing states by the pandemic and by climate change, which threatens peoples lives and livelihoods, Bozkir said.

Shahid, 59, said he was deeply humbled by the trust shown by the U.N. members and the honor given to his island nation of 26 atolls, population about 550,000, which lies in the Indian Ocean southwest of Sri Lanka and India.

Saying he has an undying belief in multilateralism with an ardent desire to serve the international community, Shahid said his aim is to launch a presidency of hope and to hit the ground running on day one in September as soon as I take my oath of office.

This is a crucial time for the United Nations and for the world, Shahid said. There is very little time to spare.

He pointed to the past years disease, despair and devastation as a result of the pandemic, along with increasing inequality, injustice and instability and the suffering of the planet from climate change.

Shahid said his priorities during his year-long presidency of the 76th session of the General Assembly are to recover from the pandemic, both by making vaccines available to all people everywhere, and rebuilding economies stronger and greener and and ensuring no country is left behind.

He said it can also be a super session for nature and to seize momentum on responding to the needs of our planet, citing upcoming conferences and meetings on climate change, the oceans, biodiversity, sustainable transport and food systems as examples. This is a major priority for the Maldives, whose leaders have warned that the country's existence is threatened by rising seas from climate change.

Shahid said he will also focus on respecting the rights of all, revitalizing the United Nations, and engaging the media and civil society. I will raise my voice against gender discrimination, advocate for gender equality ... (and) not participate in any panels that are not gender balanced, he said.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres congratulated Shahid, saying the General Assembly is the U.N.s most representative organ, the foundation of its work, and essential to our effectiveness as an organization.

In 2021, the world needs that effectiveness more than ever, Guterres said. We are a world in mourning for the millions of people we have lost to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Guterres said the 76th session will grapple with the impact of COVID-19 on peace, development and human rights., stressing that until everyone, everywhere, has access to vaccine it continues to pose an enormous threat.

While the presidency of the General Assembly is largely ceremonial, it is also prestigious.

The body controls the U.N. budget, adopts treaties, addresses global issues from poverty to corruption, and passes numerous resolutions that while not legally binding almost always reflect global opinion.

It is also the U.N. organ where countries large and small can speak -- and the scene of the only annual gathering of world leaders, historically in person. Last year, however, there were video speeches from leaders because of the pandemic, and no announcement has been made yet of this years arrangements. In recent months, the assembly has allowed in-person meetings with two representatives from each country allowed in the vast chamber, where social distancing is observed.

Shahid said in response to a question on future meetings that it would be prudent to maintain a cautious approach. But as soon as possible, yes, it should be in our interest and the interest of this organization to come back into the normalcy if at all possible.

The selection of the assembly president follows a regional rotation mandated by the world body, and it was the turn of Asia to preside over the next yearlong session.

By tradition, the U.N.s regional groups usually nominate a single candidate who is then rubber-stamped by the assembly. But this year the election was contested because Asian countries couldnt agree on a nominee.

Bozkir, Shahid and Guterres paid tribute to losing candidate Rassoul, who served as Afghanistans foreign minister in 2010-2013 and was one of the top three contenders to replace Hamid Karzai as president in 2014, losing out to Ashraf Ghani.
NORWALK  After nearly four months of back-and-forth, the city has agreed to rent fire hydrants from South Norwalk Electric and Water at a higher fee, and reached additional agreements with the first and second taxing districts regarding future fire hydrant rental prices.

The Board of Estimate and Taxation approved an agreement between the two districts and the city for the water companies to alert Norwalks Chief Financial Officer Henry Dachowitz if an increase in fees are expected, Fire Chief Gino Gatto said at Mondays meeting.

I know you were looking for some type of contract, but according to the corporation counsel, they feel that theyre going to give the chief financial officers six months notice of any price increase, Gatto said.

Along with the agreement for six months notice, the board approved the transfer of $71,278 to accommodate an increase in fire hydrant rental fees for SNEW and the first district water company.

In all, Norwalk rents about 1,600 hydrants between the two districts, with 884 hydrants under the first district and 581 under SNEW, according to Gatto.

Gatto and Assistant Chief Albert Bassett informed the BET at its March 1 meeting that SNEW was raising the cost of hydrant rentals from $84 to $200 per hydrant to match the cost of First District Water Department rentals.

In February, the fire department requested the transfer of more than $70,000 to accommodate the increase.

But after learning the city has no formal contract with the First District Water Department or SNEW, the BET insisted the city would not pay the bill until a contract is drawn up and called on the legal department and fire chief to put an end to the no-contract practice.

Everyone agreed the amount of the hydrant rental increase was not the major issue, rather the biggest issue was the unexpected timing of the increased fees during budget season, city spokesperson Josh Morgan said Monday. Because the rental fees will not necessarily change at regular intervals, and the fact that they may not change at all for extended periods of time, all the parties agreed giving advanced notice was the best course of action moving forward.

The funds were transferred from a contingency fund, despite the departments wages and salary account having more than $2 million remaining. However, the department cannot spend money not approved during the budget process, Dachowitz said.

We are not allowed to spend any money that had not been authorized by the council and the BET in the budget process, therefore this money comes out of contingency and then we replenish it, Dachowtiz said. If not, itll have to come with a separate resolution saying, may we spend this money in excess of the approved budget. Thats what contingency is for, thats why we draw down from there.

When asked by BET Chair Edwin Camacho what would happen should the districts fail to alert the CFO of a change in fees, Gatto said he was unsure what the next step is and assumed the citys lawyers would get involved.

In emails shared by the city, SNEW General Manager Alan Huth informed Norwalk Assistant Corporation Counsel Darin Callahan the agreement will not affect the recent cost hike.

The hydrant rental rates have not been increased since the 1980s and, compared to surrounding municipalities, are more than fair, Huth has said.

The First District Water Departments general manager Dominick M. Di Gangi also agreed to the terms but emphasized due to the fiscal year beginning each July, it is difficult for companies to give an exact cost increase by the date requested.

However, it is possible to provide the chief financial officer of the city of Norwalk a reasonable estimate of any public fire service rate changes on or about Jan. 1 of each calendar year for the upcoming fiscal year starting on July 1, with the understanding the actual rate increases are subject to the approval of the Board of Commissioners and the First Taxing District Electors, Gangi said.

The agreement for six months change notice and of the $71,278 transfer were approved by the BET Monday night with member James Frayer in opposition.

abigail.brone@hearstmediact.com
A Houston man was sentenced to life in prison for sex trafficking, the U.S. Attorneys Office announced Friday.

Jaimian Sims, 27, was convicted of conspiracy and sex trafficking after a five-day jury trial in May. On Friday, U.S. District Judge David Hittner called Sims, rapper in the group The Sauce Factory, a threat to society.

Sims trafficked multiple victims, according to prosecutors, and his music described the way he abused women and children for his own gain. They said Sims rap group was known to waive around firearms and large amounts of cash to glorify a lifestyle created by the sexual exploitation of women and girls.

In one instance, Sims directed La Grange resident Tabbetha Mangis, 22, to recruit a 17-year-old girl to be trafficked to a 23-year-old Houston man, Gary Shawn Haynes Jr., according to prosecutors.

The girl was taken to a large northwest Houston home briefly, investigators said, before she was taken to an Express Inn in the city, where she was given a false ID to rent a room.

Sims instructed an adult trafficking victim to give the card to the minor, prosecutors said, and told the woman to take photos of the girl to post online to solicit the sexual abuse of the 17-year-old.

The woman did what Sims told her to, she testified during the trial, because he always carried a gun and she has seen him assault other victims.

Defense attorneys argued that the victims were engaged in sex acts willingly, according the U.S. Attorneys Office statement.

Prosecutors showed the jury rap videos in which Sims refers to running a trafficking ring and Mangis and Haynes and their roles in it. He also rapped that he sells white women and bragged about his success as a pimp, prosecutors said.

Mangis and Haynes pleaded guilty to charges related to their roles in the sex trafficking Sims directed.

Sims was ordered to pay $1,575 in restitution to the minor he trafficked and will be required to register as a sex offender.
EDWARDSVILLE  A bill awaiting Gov. J.B. Pritzkers signature could delay debate on redistricting in Madison County for months.

Senate Bill 825, the Omnibus Election Bill, would delay the 2022 primary election to June. Candidates would not have to begin circulating nominating petitions until early January 2022, meaning the Madison County Board has additional time to consider redistricting and use actual census data rather than American Community Survey data available now.

County board changes have been a hot topic. Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler had proposed reducing the board from 29 to 25 seats, which was soundly shot down at a special meeting.

Alternative proposals would reduce the board by two members or leave it at 29c, as proposed by the Government Relations Committee and its chairman, Board Member Chris Guy, R-Maryville. Many board members have said they prefer to maintain the current number of members, the maximum allowed by the Illinois Constitution.

Redistricting occurs every 10 years after the decennial census.

There had been a sense of urgency in creating the new board districts because of an early July deadline that would allow candidates to know what district they would be in when they started seeking nominating petition signatures in September.

SB 825 would delay the petitions until early January, giving the board more time.

With the new election bill expected to be signed by the governor giving counties until Dec. 31 to pass a map, I think its best to wait another couple of months for census data, Guy said. He added he still needs to talk to other board members about the issue.

Prenzler echoed support to wait for actual census data. That data was supposed to have already been available, but is now expected to be delayed until late September.

In its place, all of the proposed redistricting maps have used data from the American Community Survey. Those numbers also are produced by the U.S. Census Bureau, but are not based on the actual decennial census figures.

The advantage to that is well have more accurate census numbers, Prenzler said.

When youre dealing with these numbers, those survey numbers are pretty good for comparing states, he said. But when you get down to precinct levels, there is the advantage (to census data).

Madison County Clerk Debra Ming-Mendoza said the delay is not a terrible imposition.

My state of mind right now is I want it to be over, she said.

It does allow me the opportunity for further recruitment of election judges, she said. The tax bills are going to be out next week early, and in the tax bill theres an insert for recruitment of election judges.
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Erin Hofmann, Utah State University and Guangqing Chi, Penn State

(THE CONVERSATION) There are many types of forced marriage in this world, but perhaps the most dramatic is marriage by abduction, or bride kidnapping.

Bride kidnapping is common in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, the Caucasus and Central Asia. In rural Kyrgyzstan, where over 60% of the countrys population lives, surveys suggests 1 in 3 marriages begins with a kidnapping.

There, bride kidnapping is known as ala kachuu, which translates as to take and run away. It became illegal in 1994, but the practice continues today, especially in rural areas.

And our research on labor migration in the country suggests bride kidnapping may push young women to leave their rural communities to avoid forced marriage.

What is bride kidnapping?

Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian country of 6.5 million, is one of the worlds epicenters of marriage by abduction.

A typical bride kidnapping occurs in a public place. A group of young men locates the young woman that one has chosen for his wife  whom he may know, but perhaps not well  and carries her, screaming and struggling, into a waiting car.

The kidnapping victim is taken to the grooms family home, where the women of the family attempt to talk her into consenting to the marriage. At this stage, some victims are rescued by their father or other male relatives. More often, though, having been kidnapped is so shameful that the victim or her family agrees to marriage rather than risk the stigma of being a used woman.

Sometimes, grooms use rape or other physical violence to coerce women to consent to marriage  though thats not the norm.

Many Kyrgyz people, especially those in older generations, still see bride kidnapping as a harmless tradition, according to our interviews.

Its a very old custom, a 60-year-old woman told us. Even I was married that way, and Im happy with my family life. My husband never beat me, and everything turned out well.

People younger than 50 are more likely to reject ala kachuu, our research shows, especially when the couple are complete strangers. But they also believe that bride kidnapping is a thing of the past, and that such events today are pretend  staged kidnappings.

Several Kyrgyz women confirmed for us that they had agreed to be kidnapped before marriage, to uphold a tradition they see as romantic.

But some kidnappings in Kyrgyzstan are clearly nonconsensual. Since 2018 at least two women, Aizada Kanatbekova and Burulai Turdaaly Kyzy, were killed by their kidnappers when they attempted to resist the marriage.

Both murders spawned protests nationally and in their hometowns, some of the largest rallies against bride kidnapping seen in Kyrgyzstan since visible public opposition began in the 1990s.

Migrating to escape

Kyrgyz womens rights groups say the line between pretend and real kidnappings is fuzzy, because a woman cant truly consent to a kidnapping if she knows her boyfriend can easily disregard her wishes.

The United Nations considers any kind of forced marriage to be a human rights violation. About 15.4 million people worldwide are wed without giving their free, full and informed consent, according to a 2016 International Labour Organization estimate.

A growing body of research supports the argument that ala kachuu is not a harmless national tradition in Kyrgyzstan.

For example, survey data from Kyrgyzstan finds that the birth weights of the first children born to mothers who married by kidnapping are significantly lower than those of other first-borns, likely because of higher stress levels among kidnapped mothers.

In Alay district, a rural region of southern Kyrgyzstan, we found that the young adult daughters of parents in a kidnapping-based marriage were 50% more likely to migrate for work, both within Kyrgyzstan and internationally. Our regression analysis controlled for other factors that could push young women to migrate, such as household size, education and wealth.

Survey questions generally cannot distinguish between pretend and real bride kidnappings, so these findings may understate the negative effects of forced marriage on infant health and migration.

Based on this research, we believe Kyrgyz women use migration to escape the possibility of being kidnapped themselves.

Why women leave Kyrgyzstan

In rural Kyrgyzstan, a young womans chances of avoiding a forced marriage depend largely on her parents willingness to intervene on her behalf after kidnapping. A girl from a family that began with a bride kidnapping can reasonably surmise that her parents are unlikely to help her.

And since Kyrgyzstan has Central Asias highest rates of womens labor emigration  women make up [40% of all Kyrgyz migrants in Russia], a much higher share than those from neighboring Tajikistan and Uzbekistan  migration would be a socially acceptable way to move somewhere where kidnapping is rare.

Other researchers have hypothesized that Kyrgyz women migrate at such high rates because of their Russian language proficiency and Kyrgyzstans less restrictive gender norms.

But bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan seems to play at least as critical a role in this trend. Living in a household headed by a kidnapping-based couple is one of the strongest predictors of womens migration, our research found. Household size and whether the family owns land are other main factors.

No one we interviewed in Kyrgyzstan mentioned that young women migrated to avoid a forced marriage, nor have we seen this argument made by other academics or the Kyrgyz media.

However, we did find that people commonly described womens migration in terms of escape.

Explaining why his daughter moved to Russia after separating from her abusive husband who married her through kidnapping, one father told us, A new place and a new life were what she needed.

Mens migration, in contrast, is usually spoken of in economic terms.

Womens migration plays an important economic role in Kyrgyzstan, and many other countries, too. But our research suggests it can be an escape route for women who dont want to follow their mothers into a forced marriage.

[Youre smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversations authors and editors. You can read us daily by subscribing to our newsletter.]

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/bride-kidnapping-haunts-rural-kyrgyzstan-causing-young-women-to-flee-their-homeland-158404.
The Maison and the artist best known for his artistic direction of The Lord of the Rings showcase a creation that gives pride of place to a mythical creature, micro-painted in two very limited series.

Petite Heure Minute Dragon  Jaquet Droz

What else spans continents, transcends cultures and religions, defies myths and legends, stretches from the Far East to the Alps, and soars over Babylon? There is no other. The Dragon is far more than just a mythical creature. It is something that has never existed, yet it has always been there. From the Big Bang to the end of time, it embodies perpetual renewal, both evil and redemption.



One man has become a leading specialist in them. John Howe is a legend of fantasy art, as well as the illustrator and conceptual artist of Peter Jacksons The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. He has shaped the Dragon in our collective imagination and placed the mythical creature in the context of its millennial history, revealing its past richness as well as its various contemporary dimensions. Jaquet Droz and John Howe revealed the first signs of this unique partnership in late 2020. On the one hand, an age-old Fine Watchmaking brand, which has become a master in artisanal techniques, with creations that have spanned the centuries while also embracing each of their changes. On the other, a versatile artist whose designs capture the essence of his time, conveying the myths and beliefs that have been nestled deep within peoples minds for thousands of years.

Petite Heure Minute Dragon  Jaquet Droz

The Petite Heure Minute Dragon is the fruit of this union. Jaquet Droz gave John Howe the wide-open dial of its model with off-centered hours for the artist to leave his own style, mark and inspiration. On a dark blue Grand Feu enamel backdrop, the Dragon comes to life as its body nestles into the hollow of the 41 mm case, which is available in red gold or white gold.



Born in Canada, 62-year-old John Howe has lived in Neuchatel for 30 years. His creation reveals a very simple Dragon that returns to the essence of his early designs. It has required the full range of Jaquet Droz decorative techniques to reproduce each relief, contour and volume  a true work of art with unique dimensions and a monochrome pictorial masterpiece, which emerges from a dial with shared dominant tones thanks to the finesse of its features.

John Howe  Jaquet Droz

The red-tongued Dragon holds a luminous pearl in its claws known as the Dragon Pearl. It is traditionally associated with happiness, abundance, wisdom and knowledge for its owner. In Chinese imperial symbolism, it represented the Emperors wisdom and the perfection of his mind. This is both the sacred essence of the Dragon as well as its power. Today, it enhances these two very limited series of 18 pieces, which are powered by a self-winding movement. The precise attention to detail, in keeping with the Art of Astonishment so cherished by Jaquet Droz, extends to the gold oscillating weight, which has been meticulously hand-engraved to depict the dragons tail with its countless scales.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 20:42:58|Editor: huaxia

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Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, holds talks with Natalia Kochanova, chairwoman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus, and Vladimir Andreichenko, chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus, via video link at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 8, 2021. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Li Zhanshu held talks with Natalia Kochanova, chairwoman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus, and Vladimir Andreichenko, chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus, via video link Tuesday.

Li, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, noted that next year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He said China and Belarus, as "good friends, good partners, and good brothers," should continue to support each other's core interests and major concerns.

He called on both sides to strengthen anti-epidemic cooperation, including vaccine cooperation, and promote the joint construction of the Belt and Road as well as pragmatic cooperation in various fields.

Li said both sides should unambiguously support multilateralism and firmly safeguard the UN-centered international system as well as the international order based on international law. The two sides should oppose unilateralism, bullying, interference, sanctions and containment, and jointly safeguard global fairness and justice, he added.

Noting that the long-term friendly exchanges between the NPC and the National Assembly of Belarus has played a significant role in the comprehensive strategic partnership of the two countries, Li said both sides should organize exchanges between special committees, friendly groups, and representatives through flexible means.

He also said the two sides should timely approve and revise legal documents conducive to the development of bilateral ties to provide legal guarantee for the joint construction of the Belt and Road and cooperation in various fields.

Kochanova and Andreichenko extended congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, saying Belarus firmly adheres to the one-China policy and opposes all external interference.

The Belarusian parliament is willing to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the NPC and make positive contributions to the Belarus-China comprehensive strategic partnership, they added. Enditem
Editors Note: This article, which originally ran in Mondays edition, has been re-written and run again to correct errors in the original text and expand upon the event.

EDWARDSVILLE  Charting a Course for Change: Representation Matters was the theme of 56th Annual NAACP Freedom Fund Gala, which took place Sunday via Zoom. Last year, the group had to cancel its annual gala due to the pandemic.

Dr. Earleen Patterson, director of Student Opportunities for Academic Results (SOAR) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. Jessica Harris, vice chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the university, nine years after joining as a history department faculty member.

Harris remarks referenced the events theme noted above as she quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and touched on events in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014, among others. Some keynote highlights:

In my remarks on the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, I wanted to highlight the importance and power of allyship in the ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality, through the example of the silver medalist in the 200-meter race, Australian Peter Norman, Harris said.

Many of you, I am sure, are very familiar with the now iconic photo of Tommie Smith and John Carlos giving what has been termed the Black Power Salute, while standing atop the medal podium.

The Black Power Salute, especially for African Americans, has become a popularized emblem of resistance to oppression and a symbol of racial solidarity. Standing next to Carlos and Smith on the podium was Peter Norman, a white Australian sprinter who had won the silver medal. As Norman stood with Carlos and Smith in a holding room awaiting their call to walk out for the medal ceremony, Smith and Carlos told Norman about their plans to protest. Norman looked at his fellow medalists and responded with these simple, yet affirming words, I believe in what you believe. I will stand with you. Normans presence and willingness to ally himself with Carlos and Smith makes that moment at the 1968 Olympic Games about more than blackness or Black people, it transformed that moment into one that centered the importance of waging battles against human indignity around the globe and that each of us has a role to play in that endeavor.

Every day that we are here on this earth presents an opportunity to persist in our efforts to make our communities more inclusive; to make manifest the freedom dreams of generations gone by. We cannot play ostrich. We cannot afford to ignore the disparities that continue to persist right before our eyes. Each of us are challenged to make our own imprints on society. No matter how big or small, no matter if someone sees you or if they dont, each of us can do something.

I felt that it was really important to offer words today that would not only speak to the fierce urgency of now but words that would also hearken back to history; to remind us of where we have come yet challenge us to be ever more vigilant in our efforts to upbuild a society free from racial violence, discrimination and injustice, she said.

Minister Traci Daniels recognized several new Silver Life Memberships:

 Judge Veronica Armouti

 Margie Huddleston

 Jennifer Jumper

 Judge Ryan Jumper

 Renee Perry

 Martha Spillers

 Donna Wilkerson

Next, the NAACP recognized nine college scholarship recipients this year, who each received $1,000:

 Canon Adams  he will attend Murray State University this fall, where he will study occupational safety and health.

 Olivia Gray  she will attend the University of Missouri  Kansas City this fall to study business and entrepreneurship.

 Jadynn Levels  she will attend West Virginia University, where she will study political science.

 Abby Liu  she will attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign this fall to major in chemical engineering.

 Olivia Melosci  she will attend Illinois State University in the fall to major in mathematics.

 Caleb Valentine  he will attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville this fall to major in finance.

Two additional students received the Ray and Mary Jones Grant  Jalil Roundtree, who will go to Clark Atlanta University in the fall, majoring in business and marketing, and Tyra King. Recipients Rachel Goebel and King were unable to attend.

Walter Williams, president of the Edwardsville NAACP, gave out two awards.

Each year, the NAACP Edwardsville branch recognizes outstanding contributions made by an organization, business or individual, in the civil rights or social justice arena, Williams said.

This year, the Collinsville School District (CSD) received the NAACPs Diversity and Inclusion Award.

The district is being lauded for is equity and diversity initiatives, Williams said. These initiatives improve the quality of professional and academic life for minorities in the district.

The NAACP recognized the districts drive to hire more teachers who resemble its diverse student body, particularly Hispanic students, which according to the 2010 U.S. Census, comprised 71% of Fairmont City, a village inside the district.

Their initiatives centered around how to recruit a more diverse set of educators, to looking at ways they could improve their curriculum, programs, as well as their professional development to improve cultural awareness, he said. The staff has also been recognized for community excellence.

Williams introduced CSD Superintendent Dr. Brad Skertich, who accepted the honor on behalf of the school district. Collinsville High Schools counseling co-department chair, TaRael Kee, also attended.

The second award went to Kathryn Carter, who received the Business of the Year Award. She began a social media show last May, called Friday Night Live. It is a positive platform designed to uplift, entertain and enlighten its viewers.

The pandemic has been a scary time for the world and many people have suffered a lot of losses, Carter said. At the beginning, the atmosphere was depressive; it was fearful of the known. I remember asking myself, What could I do to help? What could I do to encourage the people? and this is how this show was birthed.

Williams noted that the NAACP submitted 10 applications last week for African American military members to be displayed among the citys annual Veterans Day banners.

He delivered his closing remarks with two leading questions disguised as calls to action  What does justice look like? Who tells the story of African Americans? He mentioned the centennial of the Greenwood Massacre in the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the George Floyd case verdict.

Briefly, Glen Carbon Mayor Bob Marcus introduced himself and welcomed the group.

One of my very first actions as mayor this year was to appoint NAACP member Nekisha Omatola as trustee to the village board, Marcus said. She is the only woman board member and the second African American member, along with Victor Smith. I have known Nekisha for many years and her knowledge, background and experience will be an asset to the board.

Due to a technical issue at his end, Edwardsville Mayor Art Risavy was unable to extend his greetings to the group Sunday.

Daniels delivered the opening remarks and introduced the Mistress of Ceremonies, Minster Charlene Blair, of Mount Joy Missionary Baptist Church, in Edwardsville, and she is an Edwardsville NAACP Executive Board member. Minister Christopher Jackson of the Mount Hebron Fellowship Church of COGIC delivered the invocation and LaToya Wilson performed Lift Every Voice and Sing. To close the program, Rev. David Roderick of Immanuel United Methodist Church, delivered the benediction.

Reach reporter Charles Bolinger at 618-659-5735
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP)  Kentucky's new law allowing scholarship tax credits to support private school tuition drew a court challenge Monday from an education group, which argues that the program is unconstitutional and undermines support for public schools.

The legal showdown has been expected since the state's Republican-dominated legislature passed the measure  House Bill 563  over Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's veto in March.

The Institute for Justice, a national legal advocate for school choice, said Monday night that it's ready to help defend a law that it said many Kentucky families desperately need.

The lawsuit was filed in Franklin County Circuit Court by the Council for Better Education. The same group sued over inequities in Kentucky school funding more than 30 years ago. That case led to passage of the landmark Kentucky Education Reform Act.

The council's new legal action focuses on a key part of the new law creating a form of scholarship tax credits  referred to by advocates as education opportunity accounts. The lawsuit calls it a diversion of public revenues to private schools and asks that it be struck down.

To avoid the plain constitutional prohibition against the public funding of unaccountable private schools through direct expenditures, the General Assembly concocted a complicated tax credit scheme to move state revenue through a private grant program, the suit said.

But both the aim and the result are the same: Under the Voucher Program, state expenditures will impermissibly fund private schools, it added.

Under the new law, private donors backing the accounts would be eligible for tax credits. The grants, managed by third-party groups, could be used for an array of educational expenses  including private school tuition in several of the states most populated counties.

Opponents warn the tax credits will cost the state treasury up to $25 million a year  money they say could go for public education.

Supporters say the measure offers opportunities for parents who want new schooling options for their children but are unable to afford them.

This lawsuit is nothing more than an attempt to deprive Kentucky schoolchildren of much-needed educational opportunity," said Michael Bindas, senior attorney for the Institute for Justice.

The lawsuit asks that a judge block state revenue officials from implementing the program and to strike down those provisions.

Weeks ago, Beshear had predicted that an override of his veto would trigger a court challenge. Beshear, a former state attorney general, cited a constitutional provision that he said requires public dollars to be spent on public schools.

Supporters of the measure said it would open new opportunities for parents now unable to afford other educational choices for their children.

Courts nationwide have repeatedly held that states can create alternatives to the public-school system. That is all the EOA (Education Opportunity Accounts) Program does: create alternatives, said Institute for Justice attorney Milad Emam. If this misguided lawsuit against the program succeeds, families around Kentucky will lose access to those alternatives."

The Council for Better Education said the tax credits would divert money from public schools.

Every student, no matter what he looks like or where she lives, deserves access to a high-quality public education," the group said in a news release. Spending money on voucher programs means denying students the opportunities they deserve in their neighborhood public schools because vouchers steal away scarce funding from public schools and give it to private schools that have no accountability or transparency."

Joining the CBE as plaintiffs in the suit are Frankfort Independent and Warren County schools, plus three individuals. The Kentucky Finance Cabinet and the Kentucky Department of Revenue are named as the defendants.
A coalition representing groups that advocate for the homeless, labor unions and other progressive organizations marched from First Houses, the public housing development on East 3rd Street, to Delancey Street last Thursday evening.

The activists held a sleep out alongside a portion of Essex Crossing, the 1.9 million sq. ft. housing and retail complex now under construction. Their message to Mayor de Blasio: build new affordable housing in New York to help alleviate the homelessness crisis and do it with union labor.

The event was organized by the Homes for Every New Yorker campaign. The action came as the mayor faces a blizzard of negative press coverage about a record high homeless population. Just a few hours earlier, he was spotted in Tompkins Square Park, which the Post is now calling an encampment for the surging number of city vagrants.

Amid growing concern that homelessness is spiraling out of control, the coalition explained in a press release, 200 advocates and concerned New Yorkers gathered in the Lower East Side to demand that Mayor de Blasio take much bolder action on the crisis and dedicate 15,000 units of real affordable housing to homeless families.

Groups taking part included: VOCAL-NY, Real Affordability for All, District Council 9: Painters & Allied Trades, Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust, Laborers Local 79, the Coalition for the Homeless; Community Service Society, Met Council on Housing and Tenants & Neighbors. No local housing groups, such as GOLES, CAAAV or the Cooper Square Committee, were listed on the press release.

Essex Crossing, now rising on the former Seward Park urban renewal site, will include 1,000 new apartments, half of them set aside as affordable housing. Community Board 3 and city officials hammered out a compromise years ago, declaring that 300 of those affordable apartments should be for low-income residents and 200 for middle income families. If those apartments were available beginning today, the annual household income requirements for the rentals would range from $34,520-133,765. The activists taking part in last weeks protest argued that the project fails to accommodate the poorest city residents, let alone people who are homeless.

Jennifer Flynn, a leader of VOCAL-NY, said, We need to build our way our way of this (homeless) crisis, and do it with union labor. Like most affordable housing projects in New York City, Essex Crossing will not be built exclusively by union workers. Its an open shop site, which means that union and non-union laborers can be hired by contractors and sub-contractors. Union labor was used for demolition/prep work recently completed on several parcels.

At a recent community board meeting, project manager Isaac Henderson was asked whether the developers would be paying prevailing wage rates to construction workers. He noted that their contract with the city does not require it, but a spokesperson told us last week that a separate agreement guarantees all workers fair and competitive wages. Delancey Street Associates, the consortium building Essex Crossing, has designated general contractors for the first phase of construction. They are: Trident Construction (site 1), TG Nickel (site 2), BFC Partners (site 5) and L+M Builders (site 6). L+M and BFC, along with Taconic Investment Partners, are teaming up to develop the former Seward Park site.

When the development plan was unveiled in 2013, City Council member Margaret Chin called on the builders to use union labor. Her spokesperson, Paul Leonard, said last week that Chin stands behind that earlier statement, asserting that Delancey Street Associates should be paying union wages and that the Council member would do everything possible to make sure that occurs.

Earlier this year, the developers held workshops for qualified people interested in applying for construction jobs at Essex Crossing and for women and minority-owned firms who were thinking about bidding on portions of the project. In February, Delancey Street Associates, the building workers union, 32BJ SEIU, and the Lower East Side Employment Network reached an agreement for up to 80 union jobs within the complex once it is built.

The first phase of construction will include 556 apartments (311 affordable), a 14-screen movie theater, a new home for the Essex Street Market, a full-service grocery store and a cultural facility.
Its been a hotly debated question for years now: which grocery store chain is going to end up at Essex Crossing? This morning, the speculation has ended. Trader Joes is taking a corner space at 145 Clinton St., site 5 of the large residential and commercial project.

The announcement came a short time ago in separate news releases from the grocerys communications department and the citys Economic Development Corp. While the square footage was not announced (Trader Joes is notoriously secretive), developers had set aside 30,000 square feet for the grocery store. It will be located in the basement of the 15-story residential/commercial building.

If the quirky California-based chain takes all of that space, it will be one of the companys larger New York stores. Trader Joes currently has Manhattan locations near Union Square, in Chelsea, on the Upper West Side and on East 32nd Street. A second Upper West Side location is in-the-works. This past spring, there was talk of a Trader Joes coming to Extell Developments new 14th Street project, near Avenue B.

The building at the intersection of Grand and Clinton streets is also set to include a 22,000 square foot Planet Fitness on the second floor. Construction is expected to be finished in mid-2018. The first phase of Essex Crossing also includes a 14-screen Regal movie theater, a Splitsville Luxury Lanes bowling alley, a new home for the Essex Street Market, the Market Line shops and a medical center from NYU Langone.

During a community planning process several years ago, local residents said a full-service grocery store was a high priority on the former Seward Park urban renewal site.

Essex Crossing is being built by Delancey Street Associates, a joint venture of L+M Development Partners, BFC Partners, and Taconic Investment Partners. In a statement, Andrew Katz of the Prusik Group, part of the development team, noted that a commitment was made to fulfill the communitys desire for an affordable grocery. Katz said, Were thrilled to deliver on that promise today.

Figuring out the right mix in Essex Crossings commercial spaces is critical. There is some concern in the community that a conventional grocery store might hurt the vendors at the Essex Street Market. Trader Joes is less likely to compete with the specialty food purveyors in the historic market, which is moving to a new 30,000 square foot space on the southeastern corner of Essex and Delancey streets.

Trader Joes is known for its good prices on high quality gourmet items packaged under the stores own label. As the companys press materials boasted, every item in the store has its own virtues, like high quality ingredients, great flavor, or simply an extraordinary price. About a dozen new items are introduced each month.

EDC President Maria Torres-Springer said, Bringing Trader Joes to Essex Crossing will help provide families across the Lower East Side with quality, fresh food options in their neighborhood Increasing food access is yet another way the Essex Crossing project meets the needs of current and future residents, ensuring that this long-anticipated project strengthens the Lower East Side community as a whole.

The news release also included statements of support from Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, City Council member Margaret Chin and Community Board 3 Chair Jamie Rogers. Trader Joes will be a welcome amenity to Lower East Side residents, said Rogers. It is an affordable, high quality neighborhood grocery store that meets the CB3s Guiding Principles for Essex Crossing of providing a diversity of goods at diverse price points. Previous reports of attempts to have Trader Joes expand within Community Board 3 were met with enthusiasm by the community. They will be very happy to hear that we have a firm commitment of Trader Joes at Essex Crossing.

The neighborhood lost a Pathmark store on Cherry Street in 2012 when Extell Development bought the site for its 80-story mega tower. A grocery store is expected to be part of that project when it is finished in 2019. Theres a Fine Fare supermarket directly across the street from Essex Crossing site 5.

Trader Joes has more than 450 stores across the country.
For many months, local residents, elected officials and Community Board 3 have been pressuring the city to do something about the traffic bottleneck at Clinton Street and Grand Street. At a meeting of CB3s transportation committee this week, District Manager Susan Stetzer said she expects officials from the Department of Transportation (DOT) to present their plans in May. At the same meeting, the committee agreed that CB3 should take part in a broader planning process to deal with traffic congestion in the area.

The problems at Grand and Clinton streets are well documented. The community board expects DOTs proposal to be narrowly focused on this intersection. Theres a bigger picture, however. By the summer, the first four buildings in the big Essex Crossing development project will open, adding many new residents and retail businesses in the immediate area. At Tuesday evenings meeting, Tim Laughlin, president of the Lower East Side Partnership, suggested a community visioning process to address all of the traffic concerns.

The visioning would be a collaboration between the Partnership and Community Board 3. It would take into account the impact of Essex Crossing in the blocks between Essex Street and Clinton Street. It would also consider the potential impacts of two proposed projects in the same area: two new towers from the Grand Street Guild and a new residential complex on the former site of the Beth Hamedrash Hagadol Synagogue.

The committee voted in favor of participating in the visioning exercise. No date has been set as of yet. Reps from Delancey Street Associates, developers of Essex Crossing, have been meeting routinely with city agencies about traffic management. Were told they would be willing to participate in the partnership-CB3 visioning.
It was pretty much a washout Saturday at the Essex Street Markets annual Block Party, but merchants and customers alike braved the elements and made the best of it.

The Vendor Association also looked ahead to the future. In a few months, the 78-year-old public market will be moving across the street to an expanded facility in the Essex Crossing project. At this past weekends event, Vendor Association President Anne Saxelby dedicated this years block party to Delancey Street Associates, the consortium building Essex Crossing. Ron Moelis, CEO of L+M Development Partners; Charlie Bendit, co-CEO of Taconic Investment Partners; and Isaac Henderson, Essex Crossings project manager were on hand to accept awards.

As part of the developers agreement with the city, they are building the new market and paying moving expenses for all of the vendors. Saxelby thanked them, as well as the citys Economic Development Corp. (which runs the market) and Community Board 3 for working to make the new market happen. When we first learned of the Essex Crossing project back in 2013, said Saxelby, we as vendors were really concerned because we didnt know what our fate would be. Thanks to the work of the EDC, CB3 and Delancey Street Associates we have a beautiful new market, and all of the current vendors will be moving over, plus 14 new vendors.

Also attending Saturdays rainy party were Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Council member Margaret Chin.

At one point, Chin ducked inside the market to pick up a few items at one of the newer stalls, Essex Olive & Spice House. In her public remarks, she said, The new market will be gorgeous and wonderful, said Chin, but there are a lot of new vendors in the market right now, so please check it out. I did. Its just wonderful to celebrate the history of the market and also to celebrate the neighborhood.

The EDC, Vendor Association and Lower East Side Partnership have been sponsoring the block party during the past few years as a way to boost awareness of the market, which has struggled to attract foot traffic. The new market will be located at 115 Delancey St., just across from the current building.
More vendors announced for the Market Line, the underground food, retail and art complex coming to Essex Crossing next year.

Yudai Kanayama and Keisuke Kasagi will be opening a sake bar called Gouie New York when the first phase of the Market Line debuts at 115 Delancey St. Theyre the team behind Davelle, the Japanese cafe on Suffolk Street; Izakaya in the East Village; and Samurice in the Canal Street Market. According to a press release, the restaurant will include a chefs table serving Japanese-American and Japanese-European style small plates. There will be a line of sake specifically created for the Market Line.

We would like to establish a place in between a restaurant and a bar, Kanayama and Kasagi explained, where people can eat after dinner, but before going home. In Japan, there are many places where you can have a couple drinks paired with small delicious dishes. Here, we do not have many places where we can do that. They say the new spot will be, a sake bar with small but serious eats.

The Market Line also announced an agreement with Kevin Liang of the Brooklyn-based wholesaler Southeast Asian Market to open a Lower East Side retail outpost. S.E.A. Market will be a grocery store specializing in imported Southeast Asian products. Liang said, This is like going back to my roots. Not only did I grow up in the neighborhood, my parents owned a grocery store here where I worked starting at age 7 by packing shelves, tagging, etc. The business has grown and changed a lot since then and being able to come full circle is both exciting and nostalgic.

The Market Line previously announced its first 15 vendors, including Cafe Grumpy, Ends Meat, Essex Pearl, Kuro-Obi by Ippudo, Nom Wah, Pilot Kombucha, Schaller & Weber, Tortilleria Nixtamal, Veselka, The Pickle Guys, Doughnut Plant, Castania Nut Boutique, Substance Vitality Bar, Moon Man, Pho Grand, Rustic Table Shuk, the Tenement Museum, and Ample Hills.

The shopping pavilion will stretch for three blocks between Essex Street and Clinton Street. The first phase of the project, located beneath the new Essex Street Market will debut no earlier than the spring of next year. The Essex Market was supposed to be open in its new space already, but as we reported a few weeks ago, its been delayed due to construction complications.

The Market Line is a centerpiece of Essex Crossing, the large residential and commercial project in the former Seward Park Urban Renewal Area.
In case you missed the weekend social media buzz, the Lower East Sides new 14-screen multiplex is now open for business.

The Regal Essex Crossing made its debut on Saturday at 129 Delancey St. We checked it out on Saturday evening, and were not alone. In the theater showing Us, the new Jordan Peele film, the cinema was about one-quarter full. Tickets here will set you back $17.50. Current showings include big Hollywood releases like Captain Marvel, Pet Sematary, Shazam! and Avengers.

The theater is part of a 26-story rental tower on the southeast corner of Delancey and Essex streets. Its one of nine buildings being developed as part of the Essex Crossing project. A new Essex Street Market will be opening in this same building very soon.

In a press release, Regal notes that the theater includes luxury recliners, reserved seating and an expanded concessions menu. The Essex Crossing cinemas include about 1200 seats all together.

The neighborhood now has a big mainstream movie theater, something its been missing for decades. Landmark Theaters closed the Sunshine Cinemas on East Houston Street in January of last year (it was focused on indie films). That historic building is about to be demolished for a big office and retail complex. In addition to the Regal, the Lower East Side, fortunately, has the Metrograph, the art house cinema on Ludlow Street that just celebrated its third birthday.
The other day in The New York Times, architecture critic Michael Kimmelman called the Essex Crossing project, one of New Yorks most promising new mixed-use developments. He even dubbed it the anti-Hudson Yards. The Lower East Side mega-project, with its boxy, mostly bland exteriors, did not win him over for its aesthetics, but because it is the product of, long years of ground-up neighborhood consultation and holistic planning.

Kimmelman makes some legitimate points about Essex Crossing, but his review contains at least one major factual error and several mischaracterizations. Lets take a closer look.

In recounting the contentious history of the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area (SPURA), he noted that former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and his pal, William Rapfogel, successfully blocked affordable housing from being built on the sites for decades. Kimmelman wrote, Mayor after mayor failed to make headway. Ultimately, Mr. Silver was convicted on corruption charges, Mr. Rapfogel went to prison for a kickback scheme and a path cleared for Essex Crossing

Thats just not what happened. Silver was arrested in January of 2015, four years after a community task force agreed on development guidelines, a framework that Silver endorsed at the time (the project developers were named in September of 2013). His arrest and conviction have cast Silvers role in the Seward Park saga in a different and unsavory light, but its simply wrong to assert that Essex Crossing happened as a result of his downfall.

This may seem like a trivial matter, but it really isnt. The project is a reality today because a diverse collection of local activists came together to finally break an impasse that had vexed the community for four decades. They spent more than three years in often tense negotiations, collaborating with city planning and housing officials, to finally make a deal. After Community Board 3 approved the SPURA planning guidelines in January of 2011, there were still many hurdles to clear for the project to win final approval. But this was the most critical step. Federal prosecutors can obviously claim credit for taking Silver down. It was members of the Lower East Side community, however, who cleared the way for redevelopment of the Seward Park sites.

While Kimmelman wrote that, Essex Crossing results from long years of ground-up neighborhood consultation and holistic planning, he downplayed the role played by the community in shaping the project as it exists today. Its true that the development team  Delancey Street Associates  has worked collaboratively with neighborhood leaders and embraced the local vision for the Seward Park sites. But what gets lost in the Times piece is this unambiguous fact: the SPURA Task Force laid out in detail what the project would become.

The more-or-less 50/50 mix between market rate and below-market rate apartments? Protections for the Essex Street Market vendors? Assurances that former SPURA site tenants would have first dibs on affordable apartments? A publicly accessible park on Broome Street? A commitment to making sure theres no poor door at Essex Crossing and that market rate apartments and affordable apartments are integrated? Buildings that feature varied architectural styles and are contextual to the neighborhood? A new grocery store? All of these features were spelled out in excruciating detail in the communitys planning and design guidelines.

Now Delancey Street Associates has delivered on the plan and city officials from both the Bloomberg and de Blasio administrations deserve some credit for making sure of that. And the developers have added some of their own innovations. They were required to create a new, expanded home for the Essex Market. To their credit, they not only ensured that the market serves as a centerpiece of the whole project, but they also committed to creating the Market Line, a subterranean shopping pavilion under three Essex Crossing buildings that is meant to showcase unique, small-scale New York-centric businesses. Time will tell whether both the Market Line and the new Essex Market will be successful. Concerns have been raised lately about a glut of food halls across the city; theyre seemingly an amenity that every high-profile mega-project must have! But with vendors like the Pickle Guys, Nom Wah, Veselka and Essex Pearl, you cant say the developers are not making an effort to keep the Market Line local.

Kimmelman points out that the developers, in a savvy move, decided to deliver many of the community benefits (most of the affordable housing, a medical center, the Essex Market, etc.) in the early phases of construction. He also makes this point:

The projects developers expect to rake in plenty of cash from all the market-rate condos, apartment rentals and commercial office and retail spaces. Rising real estate values on the Lower East Side have accelerated neighborhood gentrification but also helped subsidize the projects abundance of affordable housing and community services. I was curious to learn that Mayor Bill de Blasio hasnt yet showed up for any of the official openings at Essex Crossing. Its profitability makes a good argument for demanding more in the way of public benefits from other large-scale private developments.

There may be some truth in this assertion, but here again Kimmelman is only telling part of the story. The city always envisioned the Seward Park project as a self-sustaining development which did not rely on a lot of city subsidies. The market rate apartments and commercial rents do help fund the affordable housing and community amenities. But heres a huge caveat. The developers purchased the SPURA land for around $500 million, perhaps half what it was worth at the time. City officials always said that this discounted price served as a kind of subsidy of its own in which the developers agreed to provide affordable housing and other goodies for the community in exchange for the bargain land deal. Could developers in projects across the city provide more benefits to local communities? Of course they could. But its deceptive to portray Essex Crossing as just another private development. It is being built on formerly public land.

One last point. Kimmelman wrote:

If you have been anywhere near the Lower East Side lately you could hardly have failed to notice the egregious new supertall that the opportunistic developer called Extell has imposed some blocks away along the waterfront around the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. Other developers are now bidding to erect more towers there. Taking advantage of anomalous zoning regulations, these projects have provoked some very loud, angry protests from residents who feel the buildings are being shoved down the throats of a largely poor, immigrant, low- and mid-rise community.

Really? Who are those other developers seeking to build more supertall towers on the waterfront? As many Lower East Siders know, the co-developer of one of these projects is L+M Development Partners, a lead partner in the Essex Crossing development consortium. Local activists and community groups are now in court trying to block the waterfront projects. Wasnt it kind of important to acknowledge this?

A lot of Lower East Side residents have mixed feelings about Essex Crossing. We can appreciate what has been brought to the neighborhood: more affordable housing, a sustainable Essex Market (we hope), Trader Joes! At the same time, everyone recognizes that the Lower East Side, one of New Yorks last authentic neighborhoods, will never be the same. The project is without question an engine of gentrification. Many locals would agree that Essex Crossing is a model development. We can acknowledge that without buying into faulty narratives about how the project came to fruition over the past decade.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 21:07:57|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory letter to the 2nd China-Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) Expo, expressing hope that all parties can take this opportunity to tap the potential for collaboration and open up broader space for cooperation.

Xi pointed out the China-CEEC cooperation mechanism is an important platform for China and the CEEC to enhance their friendship, expand cooperation and seek common development.

The China-CEEC Summit was successfully held in February this year. At the summit, Xi stressed that under the new situation, China and the CEEC should take a practical approach to cooperation and expand the outcomes of mutually beneficial cooperation. Also at the summit, Xi put forward a plan that China would import commodities with a cumulative value of over 170 billion U.S. dollars from the CEEC in the coming five years, and said that China would strive for doubling the import of agricultural products from the CEEC in the next five years, and continue to promote the construction of China-CEEC economic and trade cooperation demonstration zones in China's Ningbo and other places.

"With the joint efforts of all relevant parties, the results of the summit are being implemented," Xi said.

Xi said the 2nd China-CEEC Expo will help the Chinese market learn more about the commodities from the CEEC, expand CEEC's exports to China, and help all parties respond to the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and promote the economic recovery.

The 2nd China-CEEC Expo opened in Ningbo of east China's Zhejiang Province on Tuesday, with the theme of "Fostering a New Development Paradigm, Sharing a Win-Win Opportunity." The expo is jointly organized by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and the Zhejiang Provincial People's Government, attracting guests and companies from China and the CEEC. Enditem
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Alma

Proposal to convert former Alma nursing home into housing for young refugees moves forward
Lady Shug, queer, trans and two-spirit activist and drag performer from the Navajo Nation, lip syncs her way across the Salida Rotary Amphitheater in Riverside Park Saturday. The 2021 Ark Valley Pride events theme was Start Where You Are.
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Sterling Heights, MI (48312)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low 62F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to occasional showers overnight. Low 62F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 21:14:07|Editor: huaxia

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XINING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has stressed developing more local specialty industries and achieving better development through innovation.

Xi made the remarks on Monday afternoon when visiting a company producing Tibetan carpets during an inspection tour of northwest China's Qinghai Province.

Tibetan carpet is a traditional handicraft on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau with a history of more than 2,000 years. In 2006, the Jiaya Tibetan carpet weaving skills were inscribed in China's first group of national intangible cultural heritage items.

Yang Yongliang is an inheritor of Tibetan carpet weaving skills from Huangzhong District of Xining, the provincial capital. He started learning to make Tibetan carpets in childhood.

"I have been in the trade for over 40 years. Once I considered myself just an ordinary craftsman," said the 59-year-old. "But now, I am the inheritor of a national intangible cultural heritage. The country has put an important responsibility on us. I will work my best to preserve and pass on the craft."

In recent years, Yang has taught over 200 students from across the province.

Tibetan carpets were used by early herders in high-altitude regions to keep warm, but today, many people use them to decorate their houses.

"They are now not mere household items, but also art pieces with rich history and culture," said Xue Ting, chairperson of Shengyuan Carpet Group Co., Ltd. in Xining.

The firm has built on the traditional craftsmanship of the carpets and adopted new machine weaving techniques to create innovative, fine patterns at a fair price.

According to industrial statistics, the varieties of Tibetan carpets in Qinghai have increased from 26 to 130 over the years, with more than 1,000 patterns developed.

During a visit to the southern province of Guangdong in October 2020, Xi noted that proactive efforts should be made to train inheritors of the intangible cultural heritage.

The Chinese government has paid great importance to the preservation of cultural heritage and ethnic cultures.

China boasts 42 intangible cultural heritage items on the UNESCO's Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage as of late December 2020, ranking first in the world, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The country has established a tiered system of intangible cultural heritage, spanning the national, provincial, municipal and county levels.

More than 100,000 items have been registered in the system, including 1,372 at the national level. A total of 3,068 individuals are identified as representative trustees of national intangible cultural heritage, official statistics show.

In July 2019, after watching local artists perform the "Epic of King Gesar" during an inspection tour of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Xi stressed the importance of preserving and promoting the culture of ethnic minority groups.

Today, the government of Bairin Right Banner, known as the home of Gesar culture, in Inner Mongolia, organizes regular trips to bring the performance of "Epic of King Gesar" to local schools.

Otgenhuaar, who leads a performance team to the schools, said she started learning about Gesar in 2014 and has since then trained 34 Gesar performers.

From 2016 to 2019, the Bairin Right Banner has organized seven training sessions for inheritors of intangible cultural heritage like her, with more than 400 people participating.

"Through the campus trips, we learn not only about the performance, but also the stories behind it," said Suld, a 13-year-old student and one of the young fans of the traditional art. "We get to know more about the history and culture."

In recent years, Xue's company allows customers to customize their own carpets and see the final products in several hours thanks to smart manufacturing.

"So far, Tibetan carpets have been exported to over 40 countries," said Xue. "We hope to continue to pass on the ancient craft with technological and managerial innovations." Enditem
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Air Peaces personnel again foiled an attempt to traffick two babies by a man and a woman at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Terminal 2 (MMA2) Lagos.

Spokesperson of the airline, Stanley Olisa, in a statement, issued Tuesday, revealed that Air Peaces Passenger Service Executives and Security Personnel smelt a rat when the two adults, travelling to Asaba, were being checked-in at the counter.

The statement reads: On June 7, 2021, at MMA2, around 12:00 hours, a man and a woman, carrying two babies, approached our counter for check-in. Our Passenger Service Executive, being suspicious of the duos behaviour, questioned them about the babies. They said the babies belonged to them and were travelling to Asaba.

Olisa disclosed that as the suspicion intensified, the two adults, who hinted that the babies were three months old each, were further questioned by another counter attendant and a security personnel but they gave a different narrative.

The two adults gave conflicting explanations to different staff- that the babies were being taken to United Kingdom to unite them with their parents and later they said they were sending the babies to Zimbabwe for adoption, he added, while also commending the staff for preventing the crime.

Upon further questioning, the adults confessed that they were not the parents of the babies.

Consequently, Air Peaces Security Unit took both of them to the MMA2 Police Station where they admitted they were agents who trafficked children for adoption.

The police said they would transfer the case to the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation and action.

Air Peace crew prevented child trafficking schemes in June 2018 on a LagosBanjul flight and in January 2019 on a Lagos-Port Harcourt flight respectively.
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Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 176 concerned Nigerians have filed a lawsuit against the government of President Muhammadu Buhari over the unlawful suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, criminalization of Nigerians and other people using Twitter, and the escalating repression of human rights, particularly the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom in the country.

Following the deletion of President Muhammadu Buhari's tweet, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed last week announced the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria. The government has also threatened to arrest and prosecute anyone using Twitter in the country, while the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has asked all broadcast stations to suspend the patronage of Twitter.

In the suit No ECW/CCJ/APP/23/21 filed today before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja, SERAP and the concerned Nigerians are seeking: An order of interim injunction restraining the Federal Government from implementing its suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, and subjecting anyone including media houses, broadcast stations using Twitter in Nigeria, to harassment, intimidation, arrest and criminal prosecution, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

In the suit filed by Solicitor to SERAP, Femi Falana SAN, the Plaintiffs contend that if this application is not urgently granted, the Federal Government will continue to arbitrarily suspend Twitter and threaten to impose criminal and other sanctions on Nigerians, telecommunication companies, media houses, broadcast stations and other people using Twitter in Nigeria, the perpetual order sought in this suit might be rendered nugatory.

The suit, read in part: The suspension of Twitter is aimed at intimidating and stopping Nigerians from using Twitter and other social media platforms to assess government policies, expose corruption, and criticize acts of official impunity by the agents of the Federal Government.

The free communication of information and ideas about public and political issues between citizens and elected representatives is essential. This implies a free press and other media able to comment on public issues without censor or restraints, and to inform public opinion. The public also has a corresponding right to receive media output.

Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and the full enjoyment of this right is central to achieving individual freedom and to developing democracy. It is not only the cornerstone of democracy, but indispensable to a thriving civil society.

The arbitrary action by the Federal Government and its agents have negatively impacted millions of Nigerians who carry on their daily businesses and operational activities on Twitter. The suspension has also impeded the freedom of expression of millions of Nigerians, who criticize and influence government policies through the microblogging app.

The suspension of Twitter is arbitrary, and there is no law in Nigeria today permitting the prosecution of people simply for peacefully exercising their human rights through Twitter and other social media platforms.

The suspension and threat of prosecution by the Federal Government constitute a fundamental breach of the countrys international human rights obligations including under Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and Article 19 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.

The suspension has seriously undermined the ability of Nigerians and other people in the country to freely express themselves in a democracy, and undermined the ability of journalists, media houses, broadcast stations, and other people to freely carry out their professional duties.

A lot of Nigerians at home and abroad rely on Twitter coverage of topical issues of public interest to access impartial, objective and critical information about ideas and views on how the Nigerian government is performing its constitutional and international human rights obligations.

The implication of the decline in freedom of expression in Nigeria is that the country is today ranked alongside countries hostile to human rights and media freedom such as Afghanistan, Chad, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe and Colombia.

SERAP and the concerned Nigerians are therefore asking the ECOWAS Court of Justice for the following reliefs:

A DECLARATION that the action of the Defendant and its agents in suspending the operation of Twitter or any other social media and microblogging application without an order of a competent court of jurisdiction is unlawful, inconsistent and incompatible with Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and Article 19 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. A DECLARATION that the act of the Defendant in mandating its agent to commence and continue to regulate the social media in Nigeria amounts to restriction and censorship, thus violating Nigerias obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and Article 19 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. A DECLARATION that the act of the Defendant and its agents in suspending the operation of Twitter or any other social media and microblogging application in Nigeria without any offence known to law is incompatible with Nigerias international human rights obligations, and are therefore null and void to the extent of their inconsistency and incompatibility. A DECLARATION that the directive by the Defendant, through the National Broadcasting Commission, directing and advising broadcast stations to deactivate their Twitter accounts and discontinue its use is a breach of the citizens right to freedom of expression, access to information as well as media freedom, and therefore, null and void. A DECLARATION that the act of the Defendant to frequently threaten Nigerians and other people who use Twitter and/or other social microblogging applications in Nigeria with criminal prosecution and the actual act of suspending the operations of Twitter in Nigeria, violates the principle that there is no punishment without law, and the right to fair hearing, and therefore, null and void. AN ORDER setting aside the suspension, ban, sanction or other punishments whatsoever imposed on Twitter, Nigerians, media houses, broadcast stations and any social media service providers by the Defendant and its agents. AN ORDER directing the Defendant and its agents to immediately revoke, withdraw and/or rescind their suspension or ban of Twitter and/or any other social media service provider(s) in Nigeria in line with Nigerias obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Revised ECOWAS Treaty 1993. AN ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the Defendant and its agents from unlawfully imposing sanctions and other punishment including criminal prosecution or doing anything whatsoever to harass Twitter, broadcast stations, Nigerians and other people and any social media service provider(s), and media houses who are Twitter users. SUCH FURTHER orders the Honorable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this suit.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the interim application and the substantive suit.

Kolawole Oluwadare

SERAP Deputy Director

8/6/2021

Lagos, Nigeria

Emails: [email protected] ; [email protected]

Twitter: @SERAPNigeria

Website: www.serap-nigeria.org

For more information or to request an interview, please contact us on: +2348160537202
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The Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), a civil society organisation that monitors Hajj and Umrah activities in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, has commended Gov. Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi State for the completion and commissioning of an ultra modern Hajj Camp in the state.

The commendation is contained in a statement jointly signed by the group's National Coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammed, and Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Mahmoud, on Tuesday in Abuja.

"We are particularly pleased that Gov. Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed dream of erecting a state of the art Hajj camp in Bauchi State has manifested within two years of his administration. The ultra modern Hajj camp, designed to serve both Muslim and Christian pilgrims from Bauchi State, will allow pilgrims on transit to enjoy world class facilities before embarking on his/her spiritual/religious purification in the Holy lands," IHR said.

It noted that the Camp with a seating capacity of 1,000 and 750 hostel capacity, would serve 250 male and 500 female intending pilgrims from Bauchi state.

"However, while we commend the laudable efforts of His Excellency in seeing to completion of this project, we equally urge the Bauchi State Government to ensure that the Hajj camp is maintain properly and its standard sustained to meet the objective in which the Camp was built.

"Such steps will ensure structural stability, prevent unnecessary damage by weather or from general usage and safety," it stated.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III, inaugurated the complex, which named after him.
A Lapeer man charged last year in a 2014 hit-and-run that injured two bicyclists  one severely  has made a deal with the Oakland County Prosecutors Office and reinstated a plea he had withdrawn about a month after entering it.

Brent Addelia, 54, is charged with failure to stop at the scene of a serious personal injury accident and failure to stop at the scene of a personal injury accident that happened near the intersection of Rochester and Romeo roads in Oakland Township. Its alleged he was driving an SUV and hit the two bicyclists, both teenagers at the time, then fled the scene.

While one of the victims suffered somewhat superficial wounds, according to assistant prosecutor Lauren Benninger, the other was left with a closed head injury which continues to cause him difficulty.

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Addelia has been in the Oakland County Jail for just over 500 days. Hes tentatively scheduled to be sentenced Thursday by Judge Shalina Kumar of Oakland County Circuit Court who indicated on Tuesday that she will sentence him to time served.

Benninger said shed like to see Addelia put on probation due to the nature of the offense and the severity of the injuries the victim suffered, but Kumar has indicated that probation isnt likely to be ordered.

Addelia pleaded no contest to the charges last September, but in early October withdrew the plea. During a court hearing Tuesday held via Zoom, he gave the OK for his attorney, Michael McCarthy, to move forward with the no contest plea, anticipating release from jail. He also pleaded no contest to being a habitual offender.

At Tuesdays court hearing, Addelia spoke out of turn several times and was cautioned to stop by both Kumar and McCarthy. Addelia said he was frustrated about being jailed and said the only reason Im taking the deal is my mom is in the hospital.

He also said that the time hes spent in the Oakland County Jail is in violation of some of his constitutional rights.

Addelia reportedly plans to move to Florida after hes released from jail.

I am never coming back to Michigan, he told the court.

The case against Addelia was built over the course of several years based on evidence collected from the scene, tips and research from vehicle registration records, according to the Oakland County Sheriffs Office.

ALSO SEE:

+3 Southfield woman enters plea in shooting death of husband An Oakland County judge has accepted a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity from a Southfield woman charged in the fatal shooting of her husband.

+2 New date for fatal crash trial, Pontiac woman killed by alleged drunk driver Trial has been rescheduled for a man accused of killing one person and injuring two others in a drunken driving crash in Pontiac.
It took longer than expected, but renovation projects at Van Hoosen Farm are complete.
An Oakland County judge has accepted a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity from a Southfield woman charged in the fatal shooting of her husband.

Latina Hutton, 57, entered her plea Tuesday before Oakland County Circuit Judge Yasmine Poles via a Zoom hearing from the states Center for Forensic Psychiatry. She will remain at the facility for a period of time determined by Oakland Countys probate court following an evaluation period that could last up to 60 days.

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Hutton faced up to life in prison for counts of open murder, assault with intent to murder and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony for the July 21, 2019 death of Kevin Hutton, 60, at their home in the 2100 block of Winchester Street in Southfield.

As reviewed in court Tuesday by the judge, results of the psychiatric testing Hutton has undergone shows she was mentally ill as defined by statute at the time of the offense and that she was criminally insane. Poles also referenced a police report which stated Hutton had been acting strangely for a few days leading up to the murder, was suicidal and had attempted suicide the day of the shooting.

Hutton had barricaded herself inside the house after the killing and had a several-hour standoff with police prior to her arrest.

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+2 Facebook post blasts cops, police chief defends actions after man is mistaken for thief Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren is defending his officers actions after a man who was mistakenly thought to be a car thief was taken fro
The Rock 'n' Rides carnival and live music event is coming to Royal Oak's downtown from June 17 through June 20 with more attractions than when it started two years ago.
Drug raids net 10 suspects, firearms

PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police have arrested 10 people in a series of raids that seized in total more than 480 grammes of crystal meth (ya ice), 225 pills of methamphetamine (ya bah), firearms and 76 rounds of ammunition.

drugscrimepolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Tuesday 8 June 2021, 01:44PM

Photos: Phuket Provincial Police

The raids were led by Capt Chaiwat Chuwang of the Phuket Provincial Police, said a report of the operations issued yesterday (June 7).

According to the report, officers arrested Ariya Oh Promkhan, 26, who was found with 421g of ya ice and three pills of ya bah at a house in Moo 2, Chalong.

Officers also searched a house in Soi Patak 10, Karon, where they seized a mobile phone, a Honda Wave motorbike and five other unspecified items as items of evidence.

Ariya was taken to Chalong Police Station and charged with possession of a Category 1 drug with intent to sell.

Wannisa Meen Tatiyakornkul, 24, was arrested arrested at a house in Soi Hat Saensuk 2, off Lim Sui Ju Rd, in Rassada and found in possession of 49.4g of ya ice, 176 pills of ya bah, 41 .38-calibre bullets, 29 .22-calibre bullets as well as 12 other unspecified items. Officers also seized a white Honda Scoopy i motorbike.

Wannisa was taken to Phuket City Police Station and charged with possession of a Category 1 drug with intent to sell and illegal possession of ammunition.

Officers went to a house on Montri Rd, in Phuket Town where they arrested Thanya Kan Anujon, 29, who was found with 3.19g of ya ice, 30 pills of ya bah, a set of drug-taking equipment and six other items of evidence, and Khomsan Khom Chuechun, 52, who was found with 4.8g of ya ice, 16 pills of ya bah a set of drug-taking equipment and six other unspecified items.

In making the arrests police also seized two motorbikes: a white Honda Scoopy i and a Yamaha R3.

Thanya and Khomsan were taken to Phuket City Police Station and charged with possession of a Category 1 drug with intent to sell.

Pornchet Chet Iamla-or, 26, was arrested at a house in Moo 2, Chalong, where he was found with 2.35g of ya ice. Police also seized his purple Honda MSX125 motorbike.

Pornchet was taken to Chalong Police Station and charged with possession of a Category 1 drug with intent to sell.

Following searches at a house in Moo 3, Rassada, and a house in Moo 2, Chalong, officers arrested Arnon Non Lakthan, 26, after he was found with 2.98g of ya ice and a set of drug-taking equipment. Police also seized his yellow Honda Scoopy i motorbike as evidence.

Arnon was taken to Phuket City Police Station and charged with possession of a Category 1 drug with intent to sell.

Police also arrested three people at a house in Baan Pasak, Moo 4, Cherng Talay.

Officers arrested Krissada Kit Saepan, 40, for possession of 0.08g of ya ice, and Sirid Rid Konchan, 42, originally from Sakon Nakhon, for possession of 0.5g of ya ice.

Wisit Bao Khongsrisuwan, 24, originally from Nakhon Srithammarat, was arrested at the house after he was found with 230g of kratom leaves and 800ml of kratom juice.

Wisit was also found with a revolver handgun and six .38-calibre bullets.

Krissada, Sirid and Wisit were taken to Cherng Talay Police Station, where Krissada was charged with possession of a Category 1 drug, while Sirid was charged with possession with intent to sell.

Wisit was charged with possession of a Category 5 drug and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.

The report also marked the arrest of Manit Nit Promkaew, 31, who was found at a house in Moo 4, Thepkrasattri, with a 9mm pen gun with one bullet and a .22-calibre pen gun with one bullet.

Manit was taken to Thalang Police Station and charged with illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
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Southern Pines, NC (28387)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low near 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph..

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Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low near 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 21:39:59|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks to local Tibetan residents while visiting a village of Shaliuhe Township in Gangcha County of Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 8, 2021. Xi on Tuesday visited Gangcha County during his inspection tour of Qinghai Province. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

XINING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Tuesday visited Gangcha County in Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture during his inspection tour of northwest China's Qinghai Province.

Xi was briefed about the environmental protection efforts in the Qilian Mountains and Qinghai Lake. At the lake, he inspected achievements made in comprehensively addressing environmental problems and protecting biodiversity.

Xi also visited a village of Shaliuhe Township to learn about the lives of local Tibetan residents. Enditem
Man held for trial for alleged role in fatal shooting of woman in Lansdale
I sat down to write this pre-holidays column, but before I did, I went through my emails one last time before I entered writing mode. It doesnt pay to get too far behind when it comes to email. Anyway, one of the emails was about a recently released book that promises to explain how to thr
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 22:42:26|Editor: huaxia

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BEIRUT, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Central Bank of Lebanon issued on Tuesday a circular ordering all commercial banks to gradually unlock people's frozen deposits that were active before October 2019.

In a statement, the Banque Du Liban (BDL) said banks shall pay 800 U.S. dollars monthly to depositors from their accounts in banks.

The BDL said that 400 U.S. dollars shall be paid to depositors in cash or they can be withdrawn by depositors through their bank cards. The other 400 U.S. dollars should be given to depositors in Lebanese pounds (LBP) at the price of 12,000 LBP which is close to the U.S. dollar price in the black market.

According to the central bank's circular, banks are obliged to comply with the decision or they may face penalties in accordance to the Money and Credit Law.

Deposits in Lebanese banks have been frozen for over a year given the shortage in U.S. currency reserves in the country.

The inability of depositors to access their money in banks and the collapse of the Lebanese pound plunged thousands of people into poverty amid an unprecedented increase in prices and the rise in unemployment. Enditem
Kids who sleep with their pet still get a good nights rest, according to Concordia research
WEST ALTON  PaddleFest returns to Ellis Bay in the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary on June 12.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rivers Project Office, will partner with the Mississippi River Water Trail Association to host the annual event, the first since 2019 flooding and COVID-19 concerns last year.

The Paddle Festival is a great opportunity for all ages to experience kayaking in Ellis Bay, a back-water slough of the Mississippi River, says Josh Schulte, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Natural Resources Specialist and Recreation Team Lead for the Rivers Project.

This is all made possible through the great partnership with the Mississippi River Water Trail Association, he said. The Mississippi River Water Trail Association provides skillsets to teach everyone about paddle safety, how to use a paddle, proper lifejacket fitting, maneuvering a kayak, and much more related to paddling on the Mississippi River.

The MRWTA promotes the safe public use of the Mississippi River Water Trail developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in response to public requests for a water trail on the Mississippi River within the St. Louis District.

The water trail was designated as a National Water Trail in 2012. MRWTA works closely with USACE and other organizations to coordinate special events and volunteer opportunities that foster conservation efforts that will both further develop and support the trail.

A special location on the 121-mile trail is the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary. The 3,700-acre area of public land in West Alton, Missouri is managed by USACE and was designated as an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society in 2005.

The sanctuary is home to 1,200 acres of restored bottomland prairie and marsh. It has more than eight miles of hiking trails and more than 300 species of birds.

After a few years of encountering floods and a worldwide pandemic, this year we are very excited to bring PaddleFest back to Ellis Bay at the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, said Melissa Sauter, President of the Mississippi River Water Trail Association.

PaddleFest 2021 allows participants of all abilities the opportunity to safely experience paddling on the Mississippi River, she said. Get outside and get moving with our certified kayak instructors while enjoying a beautiful diversity of birds found within their natural habitat along the Mississippi River.

Experienced safety boaters will be on the water throughout the event, with additional activities available on land. Tickets are $10 for each individual over 14 and $5 for paddlers 13 and younger. Each ticket is for a one-hour time slot; kayaks, lifejackets, paddles and all necessary gear are provided.

A limited number of tandem kayaks will be available for adults paddling with minors under 13 years of age. Pre-registration is required.

The Audubon Center at Riverlands, another key partner of this event, is overseeing registration. For tickets visit riverlands.audubon.org.
SEATTLE (AP)  Leroy Pascubillo missed his daughters first step, her first word and countless other precious milestones. After being born addicted to heroin, she had been placed with a foster family, and he anxiously counted the days between their visits as he tried to regain custody. But because of the pandemic, the visits dwindled and went virtual, and all he could do was watch his daughter  too young to engage via computer  try to crawl through the screen.

They are among thousands of families across the country whose reunifications have been snarled in the foster care system as courts delayed cases, went virtual or temporarily shut down, according to an Associated Press analysis of child welfare data from 34 states.

The decrease in children leaving foster care means families are lingering longer in a system intended to be temporary, as critical services were shuttered or limited. Vulnerable families are suffering long-term and perhaps irreversible damage, experts say, which could leave parents with weakened bonds with their children.

The APs analysis found at least 8,700 fewer reunifications during the early months of the pandemic compared with the March-to-December period the year before -- a decrease of 16%. Adoptions, too, dropped  by 23%, according to the analysis. Overall, at least 22,600 fewer children left foster care compared with 2019.

Everybody needed extra help, and nobody was getting extra help, said Shawn Powell, a Parents for Parents advocacy program coordinator in King County, Washington.

For months, King County, like many parts of the country, suspended nearly all hearings except emergency orders, which led to prioritizing child removals -- sparked by child welfare reports or other red flags -- over family reunifications. Adoptions slowed to a trickle. Services needed for reunification  psychiatric evaluations, random drug testing, group therapy, mental health counseling, housing assistance, and the public transportation to access these services  also were limited.

For foster care children, even doctors appointments must be approved by a judge, and frustrated lawyers say matters as routine as that were affected.

During the period examined in APs analysis, the total foster care population dropped 2% overall -- likely a result of the significant decrease in child abuse and neglect reports, where the process to remove a child from a home typically begins.

National data show that the average stay in foster care is about 20 months, which means the children most affected during the early months of the pandemic were those in the foster care system long before the pandemic.

Those in foster care are disproportionately children of color and from poor families, national data also show. Those groups tend to have more contact with social service agencies that are mandated to report potential abuse and neglect, which means the pandemic has amplified not just the challenges of poor parenting but of parenting while poor.

The systemic problems around racism and poverty in COVID and how people are treated in the child welfare system may be compounding, said Sharon Vandivere of the national think tank group Child Trends, who noted that longer stays in foster care are inherently traumatic and make reunifications less likely. It was bad before, and its probably made it even worse.

For D.Y., a Black teenager living at a Seattle-area group home, the pandemic has magnified the loneliness and isolation of being in the care of child protective services. Hes been out of his mothers custody since 2016, after an abuse report found she physically disciplined her children. He had visits with her in the years following, and lawyers expected his mom would regain custody and D.Y. could go home in the fall of 2020. Then the pandemic rocked his case and life.

Because of new COVID-19 protocols and staffing shortages, already-limited privileges at the institutional group home were scaled back or revoked. In-person visits with his mom ended. Group activities all but disappeared. Inside, he resented wearing a mask and washing his hands constantly. With each exposure scare in the living facility, he and others had to quarantine.

When he resumed in-person school, he hoped officials would find it safe to see his mom again, too  but that didn't happen for months. He watched helplessly as his sister - who was placed with relatives and had a case further along in the system when the pandemic began - was returned home to their mom last summer. D.Y. was happy for them, but he wants the same: to taste his mom's cooking, to make eggs in his own kitchen, to sit on the couch with his family with no masks.

I still want her to baby me, the 13-year-old boy said of his mother, who declined to comment for this story while the cases of D.Y. and her third child remain active. I can tell she has high faith of when Ill come home. I dont know if its going to happen anymore.

The AP is not naming D.Y., instead referring to him by the initials used in his lawsuit against the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families. The lawsuit accuses the state of providing inadequate care as D.Y. was bounced through 50 placements before the pandemic, some days housing him in a motel or the agencys office building. The state declined to comment on his case and lawsuit.

But Frank Ordway, chief of staff at the state's child welfare agency, blamed the court system's closures for the drop in reunifications and implored those that still haven't fully reopened to prioritize cases like D.Y.'s.

When those systems arent working, those families and those children are left in limbo," Ordway said. Our job as an agency is to help keep those families together and to get them together. Not being able to do so because of the pandemic was a wrenching experience."

King County Superior Court Commissioner Nicole Wagner, a presiding judge in the family court system, said court staff, attorneys, social workers and counselors did their best, but that no one knew how to address unprecedented issues in the pandemic. For example, she said, she wanted in-person visits for children but couldn't order social workers with underlying conditions to monitor them when required by law.

Wagner said she hopes lessons from the pandemic will help redefine how the system supports already struggling families in the process of reunification.

It's scary, its overwhelming, its frightening. And its about the most important things in your life: your children, Wagner said. Theres no doubt in my mind that the pandemic absolutely, 100% has disproportionately impacted the more vulnerable populations.

Illinois was the only state that saw an increase in foster care exits. Others in AP's analysis acknowledged a significant drop but said that each foster care case has unique circumstances beneath the numbers.

Many states, for example, extended support to those on the cusp of aging out of state care during the pandemic. This policy change effectively protected foster care youths from being kicked out of their living arrangements if they still needed a place to stay, but it also affected the number of foster care exits.

Connecticut  which had one of the largest drops in exits, at 36%  waited until May 2021 to fully return to in-person visits, which serve as a key metric to judge whether parents are prepared to regain care and custody of their children.

The state "never stopped serving children and families, and we found that conducting some of our work virtually is both more efficient and, in some cases, preferred by our clients, a Connecticut Department of Children and Families spokesman said in a statement.

Leroy Pascubillo, now 51, had used drugs over the course of four decades, but said he started working toward sobriety immediately after his daughters birth in February 2019.

The court put him in the only drug rehab center in the Seattle area that allows children to stay on site with their fathers. He had a few in-person visits with his daughter each week, and he was told that if he got through the initial stages of the program, she could join him there in March 2020 while he completed treatment. The pandemic upended that plan.

You start building that relationship, and then its taken away and you try to start it all over again, he said. All the more painful was that he knew his daughter, now 2, also had no contact with her mother. Pascubillo said she hasnt participated in the custody case, and she couldn't be reached by the AP.

Once courts began to hear existing cases again, Pascubillo was able to reunite with his daughter, complete rehab and land a Seattle apartment with the help of state and nonprofit services. He wants to work as a parent advocate to help other fathers find their way back to their kids. He still weeps over the time he's lost and the four-month delay in reuniting with his daughter.

It felt like 40 years. I figured she would have forgotten me. But as soon as I looked at her and sang baby, baby, baby, she started kicking like she was in the womb," Pascubillo said. "We have this bond.

___

Fassett reported from Santa Cruz, California, and is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

____

Follow Sally Ho on Twitter at http://twitter.com/_sallyho and Camille Fassett at http://twitter.com/camfassett
ROCKBRIDGE  The Greene County states attorney will determine what charges will be filed against two pre-teen boys after fire caused $35,000 to $40,000 damage to the community park in Rockbridge.

Greenfield Fire Protection District firefighters were called to the park on Illinois 67 about 2 p.m. Sunday. Greenfield police and Greene County Sheriffs Department deputies also responded.
WOOD RIVER  U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, last week visited the Madison County Employment & Training Office in Wood River for an update on the jobs situation and how the office can help people.

Davis, who made other Metro East stops that same day, said he wanted to see how the office has been doing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The good news is they have professionals here that really want to help you get the job that you want, Davis said.

He said they can guide and assist people in all aspects of job searches. The job market, and how to look for a job, has changed dramatically in the past few years, he said.

Its completely different, Davis said. If you havent written a resume like me since 1997, if I suddenly needed to write a resume and apply for jobs online, I wouldnt know how to do it.

As a prospective employee, sometimes you get scared to death, he said. You dont know how to do Linked-In; you dont know what employers are going to want with on-line applications.

The issue of jobs is in the forefront because as COVID-19 becomes less of an issue the economy is opening up. While unemployment is relatively low, there are also a large number of employers practically begging people to apply for jobs.

MCET Director Tony Fuhrmann echoed Davis statements.

Its a whole different world, Fuhrmann said. A fair number of people who lost their jobs because of COVID were long-term employees who havent had to look to a job.

A major change is that almost everything is now online, and before a human actually looks at someones resume, computers have already weeded them out. Not having the right keywords, or any simple mistake, means a resume is never seen.

The days of walking in and filling out an application and getting a job right away are behind us, he said.

Fuhrmann said the office is not seeing a large number of clients and has a great deal of money available to provide services, ranging from resume advice to job training. Part of the reason is the extended unemployment benefits, which will continue in Illinois through September, but also because of childcare issues, according Fuhrmann.

Davis district includes only a small portion of Madison County. MCET also provides services in Jersey and Calhoun County.

In July 2019, Jersey and Calhoun counties became part of LWIA 22, one of the states economic development region, joining Madison and Bond counties. MCET provides services for the region.

You get to see whats happening in one of the more metro areas of my district, and you also get to see some of their outreach into the more rural areas of my district, Davis said.

After a short tour and a chance to talk to workers about current projects, Davis got a briefing from MCETs program managers.

I talked about how to we establish long-term workforce investment board districts, Davis said. I had some ideas in working with community colleges, and they gave me some ideas about how current workforce investment boards work.

Fuhrmann said giving federal elected officials a better idea about what the office does is very important, because all of their funding is federally-based.

Any time we can have a congressman in our office, to show them what we do, talk about what we do and explain some of the projects beyond the normal stuff we do, we take the opportunity, he said. The important thing for us to get across is this is a momentary blip in seeing a lack of customers. We feel that come the fall, when schools reopen and extra benefits stop, that were going to see a large increase in the number of individuals.
NEW YORK (AP)  Donald Trump cannot be held personally liable for crude and disrespectful remarks he made about a woman who accused him of rape because he made the comments while he was president, U.S. Justice Department lawyers told an appeals court late Monday.

Responding to misconduct allegations is part of the presidents job, the government's lawyers told the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. As such, it is the United States itself  and not Trump  who should be the defendant in a defamation lawsuit brought by columnist E. Jean Carroll, who says Trump raped her in the mid-1990s in an upscale Manhattan department store.

In defending Trump in its filing Monday, the Justice Department is carrying on an effort that began under former U.S. Attorney General William Barr while Trump was still in office.

Barr's intervention last October was criticized on the campaign trail by then-Democratic candidate Joe Biden, who said it was inappropriate for the Justice Department to attempt to intervene in a private legal battle over Trump's personal conduct.

The Justice Department's consistency in sticking with the case, even after Trump lost the election, has been cited by some as proof that Biden is keeping his word that he won't try to influence the department's moves.

Roberta Kaplan, Carroll's attorney, said in a statement that it was horrific that Trump raped her client but it was truly shocking that the current Department of Justice would allow Donald Trump to get away with lying about it, thereby depriving our client of her day in court.

The DOJs position is not only legally wrong, it is morally wrong since it would give federal officials free license to cover up private sexual misconduct by publicly brutalizing any woman who has the courage to come forward, she said. Calling a woman you sexually assaulted a liar, a slut, or not my type, as Donald Trump did here, is not the official act of an American president.

In a statement, Carroll said: As women across the country are standing up and holding men accountable for assault  the DOJ is trying to stop me from having that same right. I am angry! I am offended!

Washington Justice Department lawyers wrote that Trump was acting within the scope of his office" in denying wrongdoing after White House reporters asked him about Carroll's claims.

They said: Elected public officials can  and often must  address allegations regarding personal wrongdoing that inspire doubt about their suitability for office.

Even reprehensible conduct ... can fall within the scope of employment," the lawyers wrote, conceding that Trump used crude and disrespectful" language in questioning Carroll's credibility.

They said comments attacking her appearance, impugning her motives and implying she had made false accusations against others were without question unnecessary and inappropriate." But they said they all pertained to the denial of wrongdoing."

The papers were filed after the Justice Department appealed a decision by Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who ruled in October that Trump cannot use a law protecting federal employees from being sued individually for things they do within the scope of their employment.

Arguments supporting the Justice Department's position were also filed Monday by a personal lawyer for Trump.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Vice President Kamala Harris sought to assure poor and threatened populations of Latin America on Tuesday that the United States has "the capacity to give people a sense of hope in the region so they can make better lives without fleeing to the U.S. border.

Harris closed her first foreign trip as vice president unapologetic for her decision not to visit the U.S.-Mexico border as part of her mission to address migration to the United States.

If you want to address the needs of a people, you must meet those people, you must spend time with those people, because the only way you can actually fix the problem is to understand the problem, she told a news conference before the flight to Washington.

Earlier she brushed off questions about her decision not to go to the border as part of her work to address the spike in migration, saying that while it was legitimate to be concerned about the situation there, it wouldnt be addressed with a simple visit.

It must be priority for us to understand why people leave, she told the news conference. I cannot say it enough. Most people don't want to leave home.

Harris engaged in two days of diplomacy in Guatemala and Mexico as part of the Biden administration's effort to stem the flow of people into the U.S. She met with Guatemalas and Mexicos presidents to discuss economic investments and increased enforcement against trafficking, smuggling and corruption.

The increase in migration at the border has become one of the major challenges confronting Biden in the early months of his first term, with Republicans seizing on an issue they see as politically advantageous. Polls suggest Americans are less favorable toward Bidens approach to immigration than they are toward his policies on the economy and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Theyve tried to make Harris the face of that immigration policy, charging she and Biden are ignoring the issue because both have yet to visit the southern border. Harris told reporters she was focused on tangible results as opposed to grand gestures.

Harris and her aides have sought to make clear that her mission was narrowly focused on finding diplomatic solutions to the problem at the border.

Without being asked to judge the result, she told the news conference: Do I declare this trip a success? Yes I do. It is a success in terms of the pathway that is about progress. We have been successful in making progress."

After her meeting with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the administration announced a range of agreements brokered between the two governments, including a $130 million commitment over the next three years from the U.S. to support labor reforms in Mexico and loans to bolster southern Mexicos economy.

The administration said the meeting produced an agreement to have an economic dialogue in September on trade, telecommunications and supply chains. And the two countries will also partner on human trafficking and economic programs addressing why people leave El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras for the U.S.

Harris told Lopez Obrador at the start of their meeting that the two nations are embarking on a new era" and emphasized the longstanding interdependence and interconnection" of the two nations.

Harris also met female entrepreneurs and held a roundtable with labor leaders in Mexico before heading back to Washington.

Her brief foray brought her first to Guatemala on Monday. While in Guatemala, she met President Alejandro Giammattei. To coincide with their meeting, the Biden administration announced a number of new commitments to combat trafficking, smuggling, and corruption, as well as investments in economic development in the country.

But some Democrats criticized the vice president Monday when she delivered a direct message to those considering leaving their homes and making the often dangerous trek to the U.S. border: Do not come.

Her comments echoed those made by past U.S. officials as they've tried to dissuade migrants from seeking to cross the border, as the U.S. faces unprecedented numbers of attempted border crossings. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York called her comments disappointing and noted that it is legal to seek asylum.

Harris declined to respond directly to the criticism when reporters asked, saying only: Im really clear: we have to deal with the root causes and that is my hope. Period.

But the criticism from both Republicans and Democrats underscored the politically fraught nature of the assignment, and the difficulty Harris faces in finding success with an intractable challenge that's only grown in recent months.

Illegal border crossings have increased steadily since April 2020, after Trump introduced pandemic-related powers to deny migrants the opportunity to seek asylum, but further accelerated under Biden. The new president quickly scrapped many of Trumps hardline border policies  most notably the program that made asylum-seekers wait in Mexico, often in dangerous conditions, for court dates in U.S. immigration court.

U.S. border authorities encountered nearly 19,000 unaccompanied children in March, the highest on record. Overall, more than 170,000 encounters were reported on the border in April, the highest level in more than 20 years.

The numbers arent directly comparable because getting stopped under pandemic-related authorities carries no legal consequences, resulting in many repeat crossings.



Associated Press writer Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed reporting.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 22:44:19|Editor: huaxia

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KINSHASA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- At least 22 people have been killed in two attacks blamed on rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) on Monday in two villages in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to local authorities.

In the village of Chani-Chani in North-Kivu province, at least 15 bodies were discovered by the DRC armed forces (FARDC) on the spot after an attack by the ADF on Monday evening, said the local civil society on Tuesday.

In the village of Boga in neighboring Ituri province, at least seven civilians were killed in an armed attack on Monday, said the local civil society, who blamed the attack on the ADF.

The attack on Boga came after it was on May 31 invaded by members of the ADF, killing more than 50 civilians, according to the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), citing local authorities.

Since the beginning of this year, members of the ADF, originated in Uganda and active in this part of the country for decades, have increased their attacks in Ituri and North-Kivu provinces.

On April 30, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi declared a state of siege in the two provinces, which was extended by the National Assembly for another 15 days on June 3. Enditem
HARTFORD  Workers from Mammoet, a large scale moving company, were back on the job Tuesday finishing work to prepare for the moving of a large pipeline bridge across Illinois 3 at Rand Avenue in Hartford this weekend.

The work was previously scheduled for June 5-6 but was delayed by the rail cars venting spent sulfuric acid between Wood River and Roxana, not far away from the Hartford prep site.
WOOD RIVER  Progress continues in the hazardous materials response in Wood River.

Late Monday the unified command reported two of the four railcars venting spent sulfuric acid have been sealed and secured. The other two railcars had nearly reached that staged.

Ongoing air monitoring data on Tuesday morning continued to show no readings of concern for sulfuric dixoide, the gas being vented from the railcars. No shelter-in-place orders or road closures were in effect.

At about 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 2, a pressure relief disk on a railcar ruptured and sulfuric acid began venting to the atmosphere, according to the unified command established by Philliups 66, the railroad, and the Wood River Police and Fire Departments.

Later on June 2, two other railcars also began venting sulfuric acid, with a fourth railcar venting the morning of Thursday, June 3. For days a water curtain was applied over the cars to help dissipate the vapor.

Late Friday, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency announced it had referred an enforcement action to the Illinois Attorney Generals office against Phillips 66 Co. alleging violations of the state regulations related to the release of sulfuric acid to the atmosphere. Over the weekend company officials said they were working to respond to information requests from the state related to the incident.

On Monday, the unified command at the site said any remaining venting is captured by a scrubber system installed over the weekend.

At the end of shift Monday, support from area municipal fire departments was suspended, with exception to the Wood River Fire Department. Response resources will continue to be provided by Phillips 66 and contractor emergency response companies.
WASHINGTON (AP)  For months, President Joe Biden has laid out goal after goal for taming the coronavirus pandemic and then exceeded his own benchmarks. Now, though, the U.S. is unlikely to meet his target to have 70% of Americans at least partially vaccinated by July 4.

The White House has launched a month-long blitz to combat vaccine hesitancy and a lack of urgency to get shots, particularly in the South and Midwest, but it is increasingly resigned to missing the presidents vaccination target. The administration insists that even if the goal isn't reached, it will have little effect on the overall U.S. recovery, which is already ahead of where Biden said it would be months ago.

About 15.5 million unvaccinated adults need to receive at least one dose in the next four weeks for Biden to meet his goal. But the pace of new vaccinations in the U.S. has dropped below 400,000 people per day  down from a high of nearly 2 million per day two months ago.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday that he still hopes the goal will be met and if we dont, were going to continue to keep pushing.

So far 14 states have reached 70% coverage among adults, with about a dozen more on pace to reach the milestone by July 4. But the state-to-state variation is stark.

Fauci said the administration is pleading" with states, particularly those with low vaccination rates, to step up their efforts in the coming months, though some of the states trailing behind are hardly sharing the urgency.

On a conference call Tuesday, White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients delivered an impassioned call for governors to join the administration in pulling out all the stops on vaccinations this month. We need your leadership on the ground  which is where it matters the most  more than ever, he said.

In Mississippi, which trails the nation with only about 34% of its population vaccinated, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has called Bidens goal arbitrary, to say the least.

The vaccination rate in the state has dropped off so sharply that it would take the better part of a year for the state to reach the 70% target.

Speaking to CNN on Sunday, Reeves said he encouraged residents to get vaccinated, but that the more important marker was the decline in cases in the state.

That sentiment makes winning over people like University of Mississippi student Mary Crane all the more important to Biden meeting his goal. She hasnt felt much urgency to get the COVID-19 vaccine because shes already had the virus, and the family she's living with during the summer break has been vaccinated.

Initially, it was to wait on everyone else to get it and not take a vaccine, she said, explaining why she hasnt been vaccinated. But now that its available, theres really not a reason I havent gotten it, other than I just havent gotten it.

Crane, 20, said shes seen classmates who were eager to get the vaccine right away  there was a trend when the vaccine first came out of posting vaccination cards on social media sites like Instagram. But now that the vaccine has been available for a few months, Crane said she sees fewer young people talking about it.

Everythings pretty much back to normal now, she said.

Fauci on Tuesday emphasized that increased vaccination was essential to stamping out potentially dangerous variants, including the so-called Delta variant first identified in India that is now the dominant strain in the United Kingdom and is growing in the U.S. Vaccines have proven less effective against that variant when people are not fully immunized, and evidence points to it being more transmissible and more deadly.

In an attempt to drive up the vaccination rate, the White House has worked to encourage an array of incentives for people to get shots  from paid time off to the chance to win a million dollars. It's partnered with community groups, businesses and health providers to make it easier than ever to get a shot. Those efforts have helped sustain some of the interest, but the trends point to Biden missing the target by several percentage points.

In Ohio, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine created a lottery offering $1 million prizes for vaccinated adults and full-ride college scholarships for children. Ohios lottery kicked off a wave of similar incentive lotteries nationally.

DeWines May 12 announcement of the states Vax-a-Million program had the desired effect, leading to a 43% boost in state vaccination numbers over the previous week. But the impact was short-lived, with vaccinations falling again the following week.

For some, the chance of winning $1 million isnt enough to overcome skepticism about the need for the vaccine.

Joanna Lawrence of Bethel in southwestern Ohio says the COVID-19 survivability rate is so high, and the experiences of people she knows who took the vaccine are so bad, that she sees no need to risk a shot for herself. She made it through her own bout of the coronavirus in August.

My life is not worth money, said Lawrence, 51, who farms and works in commercial real estate. I can always get more money if I need to. I cannot get another life.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki declined to make a prediction on whether the goal would be met but said the administration was using  every tool at our disposal to get there,.

Regardless of where we are on July 4th, were not shutting down shop," she said. On July 5th, were going to continue to press to vaccinate more people across the country.

Husband and wife Keila Moore 41, and Willie Moore, 42, of Pearl, Mississippi, have disagreed on whether to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Willie said he knew he wanted to get it because he has high blood pressure and other preexisting conditions and is a frontline worker.

As soon as I had the chance to get it, I took it, said Willie, who was vaccinated in February.

But Keila, who doesnt have preexisting conditions and works from home, has so far chosen not to be vaccinated.

After her husband was vaccinated, she tested positive for the virus. She said it was a mild case, but that it was still a scary experience. She said shes feeling more open to getting the vaccine, and is considering getting it this fall, if reports of side effects continue to be minimal.

Im just still weighing the options and the time frame, she said. Im a little bit more confident in it now as the time is going by because the time is going by and Im not really seeing any side effects that are too worrisome.

___

Willingham reported from Jackson, Mississippi. AP writer Andrew Welsh-Huggins contributed from Columbus, Ohio.
A lack of accountability and transparency from the Scranton Single Tax Office warrants a state performance audit, Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti wrote in a May letter to the states top financial watchdog.

Cognettis May 28 letter to state Auditor General Timothy DeFoor requests on behalf of the city that he consider conducting a performance audit of the Single Tax Office, which collects city, Scranton School District and Lackawanna County property taxes and other levies. The school district supports Cognettis request, board President Katie Gilmartin wrote in her own letter to DeFoor.

Ultimately, such an audit would provide Scranton taxpayers with what we believe is long overdue accountability about the operations of and internal controls governing the STO, along with potential recommendations for improvements, Cognetti wrote.

Scranton Tax Collector Bill Fox, who oversees the Single Tax Office, said he learned of the letters Tuesday when contacted by The Times-Tribune.

If the state wants to come and audit me, theyre more than welcome to, Fox said. Im all about transparency. I have nothing to hide.

The mayor outlined numerous concerns in her letter to DeFoor, arguing the Single Tax Office provides no routine reporting on collections activity by account/property and has demonstrated a preference for individuals who pay real estate taxes by cash.

The offices continued collection of cash is concerning both because cash transactions inherently weaken internal accounting controls and because the office previously experienced employee theft of cash, Cognetti contends. The letter references the case of a former Single Tax Office employee charged with pocketing more than $1,850 in cash paid by a taxpayer for property taxes in 2011.

Recently, we have also learned the STO has established payment plans for certain individuals/businesses without notifying the city, Cognettis letter continues. This is not in accordance with any agreement the City has had with the STO. When we inquired about the methodology applied, we received no response.

Constituent calls also raised questions about whether payments are being applied correctly to taxpayers accounts, including whether any overpayments on taxes are being accounted for and refunded timely, per the letter.

Asked about several of the specific concerns Cognetti raised in the letter, Fox said he wanted to discuss them with an attorney before commenting. He emphasized he has nothing to hide.

At Tuesdays city council meeting, council President Bill Gaughan said Fox should have a chance to respond to the mayors charges, but said he supports a performance audit. Other members echoed that sentiment.

If there are issues there obviously a performance audit will bear that out, Gaughan said during councils pre-meeting caucus.

In her letter to the auditor general, Cognetti argued DeFoor has the purview to conduct the audit. City and Scranton School District funds, including pension funds, are used to fund the Single Tax Office, and these types of governmental organizations/funds fall within your (DeFoors) mandated audit scope, she wrote.

The mayor also sent council a memo Monday noting that  if the auditor generals office is unable to do the requested audit  her administration will likely propose to council, the school district administration and the school board that we prepare a Request for Qualifications and co-fund a performance audit of the Single Tax Office.

Whether the auditor generals office pursues the audit remains to be seen.
Super students

Marywood University students Katelyn Gjini, president, and Nicole Koestler, vice president of the universitys chapter of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association, recently organized a donation drive for the Marywood Pacer Pantry.

Food, snacks and personal hygiene/toiletry items were donated with the support from students and faculty in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. The Pacer Pantry opened in February 2020 to benefit students and staff who struggle with food insecurity. For more details, contact PacerPantry@marywood.edu ...

... Nicole Koestler, a junior in Marywood Universitys Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, was one of two recipients of a 2021 Northeastern Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Pennsylvania Scholarship. Koestler is majoring in speech-language pathology.

The $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a full-time matriculating student who demonstrates academic excellence and involvement in the field of speech-language pathology or audiology during undergraduate studies, according to the university ...

Cecilia Davidson of Lake Ariel was among more than 100 Baldwin Wallace University students whose exceptional academic work was showcased during the universitys Ovation 2021 Day of Excellence.

Davidson, a graduate of Ave Maria University majoring in nursing, presented a project titled Myra Estrin Levine: Use of the Conservation Theory in the Rehabilitation of Fracture Patients ...

... Penn State University student Samantha Bilardi of Newfoundland was initiated into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nations oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society.

Bilardi is among around 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year ...

... Paige Vennie of Hawley was recognized for academic achievement during Lebanon Valley Colleges Inquiry and spring awards celebration.

Vennie, a graduate of Wallenpaupack Area High School, is pursuing a bachelor of science in business administration and sociology at the college. She was awarded the Achievement Scholarship Award in Business Administration.
PARIS (AP)  French President Emmanuel Macron denounced violence and stupidity after he was slapped in the face Tuesday by a man during a visit to a small town in southeastern France.

The incident prompted a wide show of support for the head of state from politicians across the ideological spectrum.

Macron was greeting the public waiting for him behind barriers in the town of Tain-lHermitage after he visited a high school.

Two videos show a man slapping Macron in the face and his bodyguards pushing the assaulter away as the French leader is quickly rushed from the scene.

I'm always going to meet people," Macron told reporters on Tuesday evening, as he was greeting a crowd in the nearby city of Valence, accompanied this time by his wife, Brigitte Macron.

Some people express anger, sometimes disarray ... that's legitimate anger, and we will continue to respond. Stupidity and violence, no, not in democracy," he said.

A few hours earlier, Macron had taken another 25-minute walk in the narrow streets of the city, posing for selfies with a small crowd and chatting with many people in a laid-back atmosphere.

Macron described the incident as an isolated act, in an interview with local newspaper Le Dauphine Libere.

We must not let isolated acts, ultra-violent individuals, like there had been some also in (street) protests, dominate the public debate: they don't deserve it," he said.

Macron said he didn't have specific concerns after the assault.

I greeted the people who were by the man's side and made pictures with them. I continued and will continue. Nothing will stop me, he said.

A bodyguard, who was standing right behind Macron, raised a hand in defense of the president, but was a fraction of a second too late to stop the slap. The bodyguard then put his arm around the president to protect him.

Macron just managed to turn his face away as the aggressor's right hand connected, making it appear that the president took more of a glancing blow than a direct slap.

The man, who was wearing a mask, appears to have cried out Montjoie! Saint Denis! a centuries-old royalist war cry, before finishing with A bas la Macronie, or Down with Macron.

Another video showed Macron immediately coming back after the incident, seemingly to face his assailant, and then to say hello to other members of the crowd.

Valence prosecutor Alex Perrin said in a statement that police have detained the man who slapped Macron and another man who was accompanying him. Their motives aren't known at this stage, he said.

They are both 28 and live in the region. They weren't armed and not previously known to police. They are being detained on suspicion of violence on a person in a position of public authority," the statement said.

In 2018, Montjoie! Saint Denis! was cried out by someone who threw a cream pie at far-left French lawmaker Eric Coquerel. At the time, the extreme-right, monarchist group Action Francaise took responsibility. Coquerel on Tuesday expressed his solidarity with Macron.

Speaking at the National Assembly, the lower house of the French parliament, Prime Minister Jean Castex said through the head of state, thats democracy that has been targeted. Lawmakers from across the political spectrum got to their feet and applauded loudly in a show of support.

Democracy is about debate, dialogue, confrontation of ideas, expression of legitimate disagreements, of course, but in no case can it be violence, verbal assault and even less physical assault, Castex said.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen firmly condemned on Twitter the intolerable physical aggression targeting the president of the Republic.

Visibly fuming, she said later that while Macron is her top political adversary, the assault was deeply, deeply reprehensible.

Former President Francois Hollande of the Socialist Party tweeted that the slap was an unbearable and intolerable blow against our institutions... The entire nation must show solidarity with the head of state.

Less than one year before France's next presidential election, centrist Macron embarked last week on a political tour de France, saying he plans to visit French regions in the coming months to "feel the pulse of the country as the government works to revive the nation's pandemic-hit economy.

Macron has said in an interview he wants to engage with people in a mass consultation with the French public aimed at turning the page" of the pandemic  and preparing his possible campaign for a second term.

Mounting concerns about violence against elected officials and police have been aired in France, particularly after unruly members of yellow vest economic protest movement repeatedly clashed with riot-control officers in 2019.

Village mayors and lawmakers also have been targeted with physical assaults, death threats and harassment.

But Frances well-protected head of state had been spared, which compounded the shockwaves that rippled through French politics in the wake of Tuesday's assault.

Macron, like his predecessors, enjoys spending time in meet-and-greets with members of the public. Called crowd baths in French, they have long been a staple of French politics and only very rarely produce shows of disrespect for the president.

A bystander yanked then-President Nicolas Sarkozys suit during a crowd bath in 2011. His successor, Hollande, was showered with flour the next year, months before winning the presidential election.



Elaine Ganley in Paris, and John Leicester in Le Pecq, contributed to the story.
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Timothy Seth Bryant Pennington was born on January 30, 1988 in Corbin, Ky. He departed this life on June 3, 2021 to be with his Lord and Savior, whom he accepted as a young boy at his church, West Corbin Baptist. Seth was assured of his salvation and knew where he would spend his eternity. S
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 23:02:17|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Tuesday endorsed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a second term.

Estonia's UN Ambassador Sven Jurgenson, as Security Council president for the month of June, announced the endorsement after a private meeting of the council.

The Security Council recommends that the UN General Assembly appoint Guterres for a second five-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2022.

Jurgenson said the General Assembly is likely to hold a session on Guterres' appointment on June 18. Enditem
MARISSA BERGEL, Wheeler softball, senior: Bergel hit a two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning to lift Wheeler past Holy Cross, 9-7, in the Class S state tournament. The hit was part of a five-run rally in the inning.

JOEY GUARNIERI, Westerly track & field, senior: Guarnieri placed first in two sprints at the Southern Division championships. He won the 100 (11.19) and the 200 (22.73).

JOSH MOONEY, Stonington track & field, sophomore: Mooney placed first in the 110 hurdles at the Class M state meet in 14.65. He also finished second in the 300 hurdles (39.87) and second in the javelin (160-0).

MARGARET WEEDEN, Chariho track & field, junior: Weeden finished first in the high jump at the Southern Division championships. Weeden cleared 5-1 and also placed sixth in the triple jump at 31-5.

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Reckitt Benckiser has suffered a huge 2.5billion loss from the sale of its struggling Chinese baby milk arm to private equity firm Primavera.

The Slough consumer goods giant, which owns Lysol disinfectant and Dettol soap, took on the business when it bought Mead Johnson in 2017 for 13billion  at the time Reckitts largest-ever deal.

But Reckitt struggled against slowing birth rates and intense local competition, and yesterday it announced it is selling the Chinese division for 1.6billion to Beijing- based Primavera.

Sell-off: Reckitt Benckiser's Chinese baby milk arm struggled due to slowing birth rates and intense local competition

Reckitt expects a loss of about 2.5billion as a result of a goodwill writedown. Analyst Martin Deboo, from Jefferies, said Reckitts shareholders would be happy to be out at almost any price.

Reckitt had already written 5billion off the value of its baby milk business last year, around a third of its book value, before snipping another 985million off in February.

This means the decision to buy Mead Johnson four years ago has, so far, cost Reckitt a whopping 8.5billion.

Shares fell 0.7 per cent, or 47p, to 6400p yesterday  a market capitalisation of 46.3bn.

The loss adds another black mark against the name of former chief executive Rakesh Kapoor, 62, who raked in close to 100million of pay as boss from 2011 to 2019.

Kapoor wanted to refocus Reckitt towards higher-margin consumer healthcare products.

The board will be unable to claw back his massive bonuses as the rules only apply in cases such as gross misconduct and the complete failure of the business.

When he retired, his supporters pointed to an increase in the share price from 30 to around 60 during his eight-year tenure.

But critics said he left a legacy of sluggish growth, business disasters and unrest over his pay.

In the three years before he left, the firm was hit by disruption at its Dutch factory, product failures, an exodus of bosses and a cyber-attack costing 100million.

A scandal in South Korea saw one of its disinfectants blamed for the deaths of children.

Reckitts infant formula business in China represented 6 per cent of group sales of almost 14billion in 2020. It will retain an 8 per cent stake in the Chinese division after the sale.
The Hipgnosis portfolio contains close to 65,000 songs in his listed fund, by artists such as Rihanna (pictured)

The boss of a London-listed fund has declared part-victory in his battle to make music an investment asset.

Merck Mercuriadis said that he is 'well on the way' to achieving the targets he set when founding Hipgnosis Songs Fund in 2018.

His comments come despite repeated criticism from analysts over how much Hipgnosis pays for songs and how he values the company's assets.

In just three years he has built a portfolio of close to 65,000 songs in his listed fund, by artists such as Rihanna, including more than 3,700 that have been number one somewhere in the world.

It is a catalogue that Mercuriadis has built using his extensive connections within the music industry  he is a former manager of Beyonce and the Pet Shop Boys among others  backed up by the more than $1billion (700million) he was able to spend in the last year alone.

He has used this cash to bet that older songs have been undervalued for years, paying what critics have said is too much for portfolios of artists who were big years ago.

He said that revenue from 'sync'  music used alongside moving images such as ads, films and computer games  had exceeded expectations by increasing, despite studios being closed for much of the pandemic.

In the past year the songs Hipgnosis now owns have been used in films such as The Boss Baby 2 and Disney's Cruella as well as adverts by Go Compare and Arby's in the United States.

'This has highlighted not only that we have bought well but also how undervalued our iconic songs have been by traditional publishers and the massive opportunity this affords Hipgnosis,' he said.

Mercuriadis said that he had three goals for Hipgnosis.

The first was to establish songs as assets, the second was to change the industry in favour of songwriters, and the third was to replace 'the broken traditional publishing model'.

'I'm delighted to say we are well on our way to Hipgnosis achieving all,' he said.

In the last year Hipgnosis has bought 84 music catalogues for 780million. Its full portfolio is now worth around 1.6billion.

Mercuriadis raised money from shareholders, and 282million from loans taken out during the year.

Separately, One Media, which also buys digital music rights, announced it had bought 100 tracks by Steve Levine, including music performed by Louise and Culture Club.
HSBC has shaken up its team of top executives as the banking giant doubles down on China.

The lender announced that it will now have two chief executives focused on its key Asia Pacific region  veteran bankers David Liao, who is likely to zone in on HSBCs profit engine of Hong Kong and China, and Surendra Rosha, who will oversee the rest of the area.

They will replace Peter Wong, 69, who prompted a backlash from British and US politicians last year when he signed a petition backing Chinas draconian national security law in Hong Kong.

Protesters stage a demonstration outside an HSC branch in Hong Kongin 2019. The London-headquartered lender now makes the vast majority of its profits in Asia

The move was seen as a sign of HSBCs support for Beijing, and an abandonment of the former British territorys pro-democracy protesters who were threatened with imprisonment for speaking out.

But Wong, a member of a political advisory body to Chinas Communist party, will stay on as chairman of HSBC Asia Pacific  and will serve as an adviser to the banks group chairman Mark Tucker and chief executive Noel Quinn.

The promotion of Liao and Rosha, both of whom have been with the lender, which has its headquarters in London, for more than 20 years, show how much effort HSBC is putting into its Asia expansion.

In firing line: Peterr Wong has overseen a period of protest at HSBC

John Cronin, a banking analyst at Goodbody, said the appointment of two bosses for Asia Pacific was not a surprising move as the bank seeks to forge closer ties with China.

It already makes most of its profits in Asia, at 9.1billion compared to losses of 3billion in Europe last year, though most of this comes from Hong Kong, where HSBC was established by a Scottish trader in 1865.

China has a rapidly growing middle class, who are looking for wealth management advice and other banking services.

HSBC has more than 150 outlets in the country, employing more than 7,000 staff  the largest network of any foreign bank in mainland China. Despite being the epicentre of the pandemic, China was the first country to regain its pre-Covid levels of economic output.

Figures released yesterday showed its imports ballooned at their fastest pace for a decade in May, as manufacturing picked up further. HSBC is hoping to take a slice of this expanding economy, and Liao and Rosha bring a wealth of experience with them.

But by zoning in on China, HSBC is treading a fine line between East and West.

The bank has already drawn sharp criticism from US politicians for kowtowing to Beijing. Last year, then US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blasted the bank for its show of fealty in the face of coercive bullying tactics.

British MPs have been equally unimpressed  the Foreign Affairs Committee accused HSBC of aiding and abetting one of the biggest crackdowns on democracy in the world.

Quinn has insisted that the lender must follow the rules of the countries it operates in  even the controversial laws imposed on Hong Kong by China.

Yesterday, he said: I am very excited to have David and Rosha. Their collective experience of our markets across Asia Pacific, together with their combined knowledge of the bank and our customers mean they are ideally placed to grow the business.

'We are investing $6billion (4.2billion) in Asia in the next five years and David and Rosha will lead this next phase of our Asia strategy.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 23:44:27|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON -- The Chinese economy is on track to grow by 8.5 percent in 2021, up 0.6 percentage point from a previous projection, the World Bank Group said in its latest Global Economic Prospects released on Tuesday.

China's ability to contain the pandemic pretty quickly, its significant policy support, as well as the recent pickup in global trade, help support China's strong recovery, World Bank Prospects Group Director Ayhan Kose told reporters at a press call Tuesday morning. (World Bank-China-Economy-2021)

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BAGHDAD -- A member of a Kurdish security force known as Peshmerga was killed Tuesday in an attack by militants of the Turkish outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

"One of the Peshmerga members was shot dead by PKK militants at a border point with Turkey near the town of Derker in Duhok province," Adeeb Jaafar, mayor of the town of Derker, told the official Iraqi News Agency (INA). (Iraq-Attack)

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LAGOS -- At least eight people were killed and several others injured on Monday in a road accident in north-central Nigeria's Niger state, local police said on Tuesday.

State police chief Adamu Usman told reporters in a press conference in Minna, the state capital, that the accident occurred when an articulated vehicle lost control and somersault on a highway near Batati village in Lavun's local government area of the state. (Nigeria-Road Accident)

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KINSHASA -- At least 22 people have been killed in two attacks blamed on rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) on Monday in two villages in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to local authorities.

In the village of Chani-Chani in North-Kivu province, at least 15 bodies were discovered by the DRC armed forces (FARDC) on the spot after an attack by the ADF on Monday evening, said the local civil society on Tuesday. (DRC-ADF-Attack) Enditem
By Foo Yun Chee and John O'Donnell

BRUSSELS, June 8 (Reuters) - A global deal on corporate tax looks set to bring to a climax a deep-seated European Union battle, pitting large members Germany, France and Italy against Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Although the smaller EU partners at the centre of a years-long struggle over their favourable tax regimes, welcomed the Group of Seven deal on June 5. for a minimum corporate rate of at least 15%, some critics predict trouble implementing it.

The European Commission, the EU's executive, has long struggled to get agreement within the bloc on a common approach to taxation, a freedom which has been jealously guarded by all its 27 members, both large and small.

"The traditional EU tax holdouts are trying to keep the framework as flexible as possible so that they can continue to do business more or less as usual," Rebecca Christie of Brussels-based think tank Bruegel said.

Paschal Donohoe, Ireland's finance minister and president of the Eurogroup of his euro zone peers, gave the G7 wealthy countries' deal, which needs to be approved by a much wider group, a lukewarm welcome.

"Any agreement will have to meet the needs of small and large countries," he said on Twitter, pointing to the "139 countries" needed for a wider international accord.

And Hans Vijlbrief, deputy finance minister in the Netherlands, said on Twitter that his country supported the G7 plans and had already taken steps to stop tax avoidance.

Although EU officials have privately criticised countries such as Ireland or Cyprus, tackling them in public is politically charged and the bloc's blacklist of 'uncooperative' tax centres, due to its criteria, makes no mention of EU havens.

These have flourished by offering companies lower rates through so-called letter-box centres, where they can book profits without having a significant presence.

"European tax havens have no interest in giving in," Sven Giegold, a Green-party member of the European Parliament lobbying for fairer rules, said of the prospects for change.

Nevertheless, Luxembourg's finance minister Pierre Gramegna welcomed the G7 accord, adding that he would contribute to a wider discussion for a detailed international agreement.

Although Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands welcomed the long-fought for reform, Cyprus had a more guarded response.

"The small EU member states' should be acknowledged and taken into consideration," Cyprus's Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides told Reuters.

And even G7 member France may find it hard to completely adjust to the new international rules.

"Big countries like France and Italy also have tax strategies they are determined to keep," Christie said.

The Tax Justice Network ranks the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland and Cyprus among the most prominent global havens, but also includes France, Spain and Germany on its list.

FAIRNESS AND FINANCE

Europe's divisions flared up in 2015 after documents dubbed the 'LuxLeaks' showed how Luxembourg helped companies channel profits while paying little or no tax.

That prompted a clampdown by Margrethe Vestager, the EU's powerful antitrust chief, who employed rules that prevent illegal state support for companies, arguing that such tax deals amounted to unfair subsidies.

Vestager has opened investigations into Finnish paper packaging company Huhtamaki for back taxes to Luxembourg and investigating the Dutch tax treatment of InterIKEA and Nike.

The Netherlands and Luxembourg have denied the arrangements breach EU rules.

But she has had setbacks such as last year when the General Court threw out her order for iPhone maker Apple to pay 13 billion euros ($16 billion) in Irish back taxes, a ruling which is now being appealed.

Vestager's order for Starbucks to pay millions in Dutch back taxes was also rejected.

Despite these defeats, judges have agreed with her approach.

"Fair taxation is a top priority for the EU," a spokesperson for the European Commission said: "We remain committed to ensuring that all businesses ... pay their fair share of tax."

The Netherlands in particular has underscored a willingness to change after criticism of its role as a conduit for multinationals to move profits from one subsidiary to another while paying no or low taxes.

It introduced a rule in January taxing royalties and interest payments sent by Dutch companies to jurisdictions where the corporate tax rate is less than 9%.

"The demand for fairness has grown," said Paul Tang, a Dutch member of the European Parliament. "And now it is combined with a need to finance investment." ($1 = 0.8214 euros)

(Additional reporting by Toby Sterling in Amsterdam and Michele Kambas in Nicosia; Writing by John O'Donnell; Editing by Alexander Smith)
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 23:54:25|Editor: huaxia

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TRIPOLI -- The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Monday condemned the suicide car bomb attack on a security checkpoint in southern Libya, which killed and injured a number of security officers.

"The United Nations in Libya condemns the ISIL-claimed terrorist attack on 6 June in Sebha that killed a number of military officers and injured others, according to local authorities," UNSMIL said in a statement.

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NAIROBI -- Sub-Saharan African countries should prioritize action on the rising toll of road traffic deaths that have created a public health crisis while taking a heavy toll on the continent's economies, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Tuesday.

Meleckidzedeck Khayesi, technical officer, Department of Social Determinants of Health at WHO headquarters said that Africa is losing a productive segment of its population to road traffic collisions, hence undermining socio-economic progress.

"Road traffic crashes cost 0.54-3 percent of the gross domestic product of African countries. These vital financial resources would have been used for investment in agriculture, industry and education," Khayesi said during an online interview.

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LONDON -- Britons should "holiday at home" this year and not travel abroad unless absolutely necessary due to risks of the COVID-19 pandemic, British Environment Secretary George Eustice said Tuesday.

People must be aware of the "risks" in travelling outside of Britain at present, Eustice told Sky News.

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YAOUNDE -- Cameroon's House Speaker of National Assembly Cavaye Yeguie Djibril on Tuesday disclosed an urgent need to collect illicit weapons possessed by civilians in the central African nation amid rising insecurity.

Cavaye said, the circulation of illicit weapons was an "increasingly disturbing phenomenon" that poses a threat to the security of the country.

"Reports at our disposal talk of nearly seven thousand illegal weapons in circulation," Cavaye said during an opening plenary of the June session of the National Assembly. Enditem
Dorothy Eleanor Mercer passed away on June 9, 2021 at Archbold Memorial Hospital. She was born on December 18, 1932, in Pavo to the late Early Byrd Wood and to the late Nellie Deen Wood. She was married to Eugene Mercer who precedes her in death. Survivors include her children, Leon David Mc
NORRISTOWN

CONTEST TO SAVE LIVES

Montgomery County 'Battle of the Badges' comes down to final hours at Rec Center
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 23:56:28|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Tuesday endorsed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a second five-year term.

Estonia's UN Ambassador Sven Jurgenson, as Security Council president for the month of June, announced the endorsement after a private meeting of the council.

The Security Council, in its private meeting, adopted a resolution by acclamation, he said.

"The Security Council, having considered the question of the recommendation for the appointment of the secretary-general of the United Nations, recommends to the General Assembly that Mr. Antonio Guterres be appointed secretary-general of the United Nations for a second term of office from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2026," reads the one-sentence Resolution 2580.

Jurgenson said the General Assembly is likely to hold a session on June 18 on Guterres' appointment for a second term.

Guterres was the only official candidate as no state has nominated any contender, said Jurgenson.

Jurgenson said Guterres has proven worthy of the post of secretary-general with his performance in the almost five years in office.

"We all have seen, actually, the secretary-general in action. I think he has been an excellent secretary-general," he said in a press encounter.

Jurgenson lauded Guterres as a bridge-builder and commended him for his views on the conflict zones in the world.

"He is able to speak to everybody, I think this is something that is expected from a secretary-general," he said. Enditem
U.N. war crimes judges on Tuesday upheld a genocide conviction and life sentence against former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic, rejecting all grounds of his appeal against a lower tribunals verdict.

Mladic, 78, led Bosnian Serb forces during Bosnias 1992-95 war. He was convicted in 2017 on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes including terrorising the civilian population of the Bosnian capital Sarajevo during a 43-month siege, and the killing of more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica in 1995.

He had been convicted by trial and ordered to serve life in prison, but appealed against both the verdict and sentence.

The appeals chamber dismisses Mladic appeal in its entirety, dismisses the prosecutions appeal in its entirety, affirms the sentence of life imprisonment imposed on Mladic by the trial chamber, said a written summary of the appeals judgment.

The verdict caps 25 years of trials at the ad hoc International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, which convicted 90 people. The ICTY is one of the predecessors of the International Criminal Court, the worlds first permanent war crimes court, also seated in The Hague.

The appeals judges said Mladic would remain in custody in The Hague while arrangements were made for his transfer to a state where he will serve his sentence. It is not yet known which country will take him.

Fourteen European countries have taken in U.N. court convicts to serve out their sentences so far. Former Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic was transferred to a British prison in May this year.

Lawyers for Mladic had argued that the former general could not be held responsible for possible crimes committed by his subordinates. They sought an acquittal or a retrial.

Prosecutors had asked the appeals panel to uphold Mladics conviction and life sentence in full. They also wanted him to be found guilty of an additional charge of genocide for a campaign of ethnic cleansing in the early years of Bosnias war that included detention camps that shocked the world.

That prosecution appeal was also dismissed.

Mladic had been found by the lower ICTY court of playing a leading role in some of the most gruesome crimes on European soil since the Holocaust of World War Two.

For the Srebrenica genocide, the judges determined that Mladic had an absolutely pivotal role as he controlled both the military and police units involved in the round-up and massacre.

The accuseds acts were so instrumental to the commission of the crimes that without them, the crimes would not have been committed as they were, the court had found.

Bosnias Mladic, commander of Europes worst atrocities since World War Two

Ratko Mladic was dubbed the Butcher of Bosnia for terrorising the capital Sarajevo with a 43-month siege and presiding over the 1995 massacre of up to 8,000 Muslims in a U.N.-designated safe area, Europes worst atrocity since World War Two.

The Srebrenica slaughter was the grisly culmination of a 3-1/2-year war in which nationalist Bosnian Serb forces under Mladic pounded Sarajevo daily with artillery, tanks, mortars and heavy machine guns, killing 10,000.

The dead from Srebrenica were bulldozed into mass graves over four days in July 1995, some of which were dug up and relocated to remote mountains to hide evidence of the killings.

The goal, as determined by the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), was ethnic cleansing  the forcible expulsion of Bosnian Muslims, Croats and other non-Serbs to clear Bosnian lands for a Greater Serbia.

The tribunal, in a judgment upheld by appeals judges on Tuesday, found that Mladic together with late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic were part of a criminal conspiracy.

I do not recognise this court, Mladic said at a hearing in The Hague in 2018. When he was sentenced to life in prison in 2017 on charges if genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, he shouted: This is all lies, you are all liars!

Karadzic, also convicted of genocide in 2016, and Mladic topped the ICTY wanted list for years after Western powers ended the war in 1995. Mladic lived securely, if discreetly, in Belgrade until a popular uprising toppled Milosevic in 2000.

Milosevic died in detention on March 11, 2006, a few months before a verdict in his own four-year tribunal trial. Karadzic is serving out his life sentence in a British prison.

For me Mladic is a symbol of all the horrible crimes that happened during the war  our girls were raped, and boys killed, only because they were Muslim. Germans had Hitler, Serbs have Mladic, said Munira Subasic, whose son and husband were killed by Bosnian Serb forces that overran Srebrenica.

I watched him in the courtroom and he was proud of everything he had done, I saw no regrets on his face.

The army Mladic created to fight against Bosnias 1992 secession from Serbian-led Yugoslavia was a model of ruthlessness and brutality.

Some of its prisoners suffocated in the heat after being forced to eat salt and refused water. Others were starved and raped in prison camps, made to jump off a bridge and shot or gunned down at night by the hundreds after being driven out of detention with gas.

Mladic had a cameraman film his blitz on the encircled enclave of Srebrenica, to show him extolling his lads and haranguing Dutch U.N. peacekeepers who misguidedly accepted his solemn word that the inhabitants would be safe in his hands.

We give this town to the Serb people as a gift, he said to the camera, claiming the victory as revenge against Muslim Turks, who once held the area as part of the Ottoman Empire.

The next day, Mladics forces were filmed handing out sweets to children, promising their safe passage, while at the same time thousands of men and boys were being readied for execution.

When NATO tried in 1995 to rein in his forces with the threat of air strikes, his troops defiantly seized U.N. peacekeepers as human shields, chaining them to likely targets.

SON OF PARTISAN FIGHTER

The son of a World War Two Serb partisan fighter killed in 1945, Mladic was an officer in the old communist Yugoslav Federal Army (JNA) when the country began to break up in 1991.

When Bosnian Serbs rose in 1992 against Bosnias Muslim-led secession, Mladic was picked to command a new Bosnian Serb army that swiftly overran 70 percent of the country.

Towns were besieged with heavy weapons that once belonged to the JNA. Villages were burned as 22,000 troops of a U.N. Protection Force stood by, with orders not to take sides.

Some of his supporters say Mladic had become even more ruthless after his daughter Ana killed herself with Mladics trophy gun in 1994.

A combination of Western pressure and covert American arms and training for Bosnian Muslims and Croats gradually turned the tide against Mladics army. Precision NATO strikes did the rest.

Yet many nationalist Serbs still regard him as a hero for cutting casualties on their side and trying to unite their people in one country.

Ratko Mladic remains a legend for Serb people and a man who has put his professional and human capabilities in the service of the freedom of the Serb people, current Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said.

SICK AND FRAIL

When arrested in 2011, Mladic looked nothing like the burly general who ruffled the hair of a Srebrenica boy in July 1995.

He seemed older than his years. In his few court appearances, he wavered between maudlin self-pity, smiling defiance and vague distraction.

I am a very sick man, Mladic pleaded to the court.

In June 2019, Mladics lawyer said his client was suffering from deteriorating brain function and cardiovascular trouble after a heart attack in 2013. There is a great risk of a new stroke and a new heart attack, Branko Lukic said.

In convicting him for the siege of Sarajevo and Srebrenica, the 2,500-page war crimes verdict said Mladics acts were so instrumental to the commission of the crimes that without them, the crimes would not have been committed as they were.

SOURCE: REUTERS
A man accused of killing four members of a Canadian Muslim family by running them over in his pickup truck, targeted them in an attack motivated by hate, police said on Monday.

Police in London, Ontario, citing witnesses, said that 20-year-old Nathaniel Veltman, jumped the curb in his vehicle on Sunday, struck five members of the family, ranging in age from 9 to 74, and then drove off at high speed.

Veltman, a resident of London who was arrested after the incident, has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. He is due back in court on Thursday after being remanded to custody on Monday.

There is evidence that this was a planned, premeditated act, motivated by hate, Detective Superintendent Paul Waight of the London police department told reporters.

We believe the victims were targeted because of their Islamic faith, Waight said.

Police in London  200 km (120 miles) southwest of Toronto  were consulting the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and prosecutors about potentially filing terrorism charges, he said.

The suspect does not have a criminal record, and is not known to be a member of a hate group, police said. He was arrested in a mall parking lot without incident while wearing a body-armor-type vest, police said. There is no evidence he had any accomplices. It was not immediately known if the suspect had hired a lawyer.

Police have not released the victims names, but the London Free Press said that among the dead were Syed Afzaal, 46, his wife, Madiha Salman, 44, and their 15-year-old daughter, Yumnah Afzaal. Syed Afzaals 74-year-old mother, whose name has not been confirmed, also died. Their 9-year-old son, Faez Afzaal, is in the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The family immigrated from Pakistan about 14 years ago, according to media reports.

Witness Paige Martin told reporters a black truck blasted past her and ran a red light as she was walking, and then she came upon the scene and saw chaos: It was just absolutely like something that you never want to see.

The attack was the worst against Canadian Muslims since a man gunned down six members of a Quebec City mosque in 2017. London Mayor Ed Holder said it was the worst mass murder his city had ever seen.

We grieve for the family, three generations of whom are now deceased, Holder told reporters. This was an act of mass murder, perpetrated against Muslims, against Londoners, and rooted in unspeakable hatred.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter that he was horrified by the news, adding that Islamophobia has no place in any of our communities. This hate is insidious and despicable  and it must stop.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Twitter that justice must be served for the horrific act of hatred that took place.

TERRORIST ATTACK

By late evening on Monday, a steady stream of mourners was seen arriving near the scene of the attack, dropping off flowers and saying prayers. One placard read: When does it stop? Enough.

A GoFundMe campaign in support of members of the victims family had already raised almost C$120,000 ($99,000) in one hour.

A vigil has been organized at a local mosque on Tuesday night to remember the victims.

This is a terrorist attack on Canadian soil, and should be treated as such, said Mustafa Farooq, head of the National Council of Canadian Muslims.

London, which has about 400,000 residents, has a large Muslim community and Holder said Arabic is the second-most-spoken language after English in the city.

The teenage girl who was killed will be deeply missed by fellow students and staff at Oakridge Secondary School, the school said in a statement.

A man who described himself as a neighbor said in an interview with Global News he met with the family on holidays.

He was a family guy, very much involved in the community, a regular member of our mosque, a really, really great father, the neighbor, who was not identified, said of Syed Afzaal.

He loved to walk with his family. Almost every evening, they walked.

In Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attack, saying it indicated growing Islamophobia in Western countries.

Islamophobia needs to be countered holistically by the international community, Khan said on Twitter.

SOURCE: REUTERS
COLONIE  For dozens of passengers it was a vacation gone terribly awry. And it apparently started with a minor mechanical issue.

Allegiant Air Flight 2830 was preparing to leave Friday shortly after noon for a quick nonstop flight to Nashville. The carrier had launched the twice-weekly service just three weeks earlier, with fares as low as $61 one-way.

But the mechanical problem turned into a major headache when repairs couldn't immediately be made. Seven hours passed before the flight finally was canceled. Passengers on social media said there was just one gate attendant handling the flight, who was quickly overwhelmed.

After all, there was luggage to be retrieved, vouchers issued, and a need to find hotels for out-of-town passengers.

Sheriff's deputies, according to another person, pitched in along with airport personnel to unload luggage from the plane. In the meantime, one passenger who managed to slip out onto the airport apron ended up under arrest after she allegedly assaulted a deputy.

"This was way out of control," said Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple on Saturday.

Allegiant is one of a number of "ultra-low fare carriers," with prices that make quick weekend getaways affordable. Often, though, these carriers operate only two or three flights a week, scheduling them for the heaviest travel days.

Unlike so-called legacy carriers, which may operate several daily flights to the same destination, they don't have that backup.

Veteran Capital Region travel agent Jean Gagnon said passengers need to "accept the inevitable that stuff might happen" when they travel.

"If you're going to an important event, go even more than a day earlier," Gagnon said. And you should also buy travel insurance, even if it's only to cover an airline ticket.

"I will not fly an airline that only has one flight a day," she said, adding "it's a real good idea to call a travel agent. It will be worth the modest fee."

Allegiant's appeal, in addition to low fares, is its nonstop flights to popular destinations in Florida as well as to Myrtle Beach, S.C., and now, Nashville.

"We deeply regret the inconvenience to our passengers and stress, but unruly behavior or violence of any kind is never acceptable and endangers everyone," the airline said Saturday. "We appreciate law enforcement's steps to deescalate this incident and share their frustration."

On Monday, airport spokesman Doug Myers said airport officials had been in touch with Allegiant.

"They are forming an action plan," Myers said. "We will be discussing it further."

On Monday, Allegiant declined any further comment.
MALTA  It came out of the blue. After two and a half years of silence, IBM "sent us a god-awful letter" demanding $2.5 billion, said Saam Azar, a senior official at Malta-based semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries.

The deadline for payment was Monday, Azar added.

Instead, GlobalFoundries on Monday filed a complaint seeking to have IBM's claim, and the threat of legal action, dismissed.

IBM's claim grew out of a decision by GlobalFoundries to abandon its money-draining quest to produce a new generation of microprocessors on the "bleeding edge" of technology. IBM was the customer. But further investment likely would have threatened the very existence of the company, the complaint suggests.

The decision, back in 2018, was difficult, but ultimately the right one, according to Azar.

"There was a reason why we pivoted," he said. "Now, we are profitable."

And GlobalFoundries, in its complaint filed in state Supreme Court in New York County, claimed the move likely saved IBM money.

GlobalFoundries said it had already invested billions of dollars in its effort to produce 7-nanometer chips, and that it faced spending billions more.

The complaint suggests the prices it would have to charge wouldn't have been competitive with those charged by two other suppliers, TSMC and Samsung. The two companies had already developed the 7-nanometer chips, and IBM turned to Samsung to supply its needs.

But IBM, responding Tuesday afternoon, said GlobalFoundries' move was an attempt "to cover up its fraud and deliberate breaches of contract in failing to fulfill its legal obligations to IBM ..."

The tiff between the two U.S.-based manufacturers comes at an inopportune time. On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate was set to vote on the $52 billion CHIPS Act, an effort to shore up American semiconductor manufacturing as China and other Asian producers gain market share and more control of the supply chain.

GlobalFoundries has said it expects to expand manufacturing in Malta if the CHIPS measure is enacted. It already employs 3,000 people at the site.

IBM itself exited semiconductor manufacturing by 2015 with the sale of its money-losing chip fabrication facilities, or fabs, to GlobalFoundries. IBM paid GlobalFoundries $1.5 billion to take the fabs, which were losing $500 million a year, off its hands.

IBM, responding to GlobalFoundries' complaint, said the $1.5 billion was intended to support the development of the next generation of chips.

"This lawsuit is yet another attempt by GlobalFoundries to cover up its fraud and deliberate breaches of contract in failing to fulfill its legal obligations to IBM, including the development and supply of high performance semiconductor chips," the company said in a statement. "IBM contributed $1.5 billion to Global Foundries to supply the next generation of chips, and Global Foundries utterly abandoned IBM as soon as the final payment was received and sold off assets from the deal for its own enrichment.

"IBM welcomes the opportunity to seek the recovery of the substantial damages it is due," the statement added.

GlobalFoundries, meanwhile, says it has invested heavily in the fabs in East Fishkill and in Burlington, Vt. It continues to operate both.

GlobalFoundries is preparing to go public with an initial public offering that is expected to value the company at $30 billion.

IBMs timing is not only highly suspect as it comes on the heels of recently reported news of a potential initial public offering by GF that would value it at approximately $30 billion," the complaint reads, "but also incredibly inconsiderate of current events, namely a global chip shortage fueled by a pandemic that has impacted important domestic industries, including the automotive sector.
LAKE GEORGE  These bachelorettes are not getting voted off the island. At least not in Lake George.

As the COVID-19 pandemic eases and summer sets in, some tour boat operators say theyve been happily swamped with bachelorette wedding parties on the lake.

It may be the latest indication that last years staycation trend, in which people vacationed within driving distance rather than flying to distant spots, is continuing.

And it suggests that the wedding business, which suffered lots of cancellations and postponements last year, is starting to revive.

Many of the parties are for those who postponed weddings from last year and would normally go to places like Miami, New Orleans or the Caribbean but are staying closer to home.

These are all canceled weddings from last year, said Don Daley, who operates Lake George Island Boat Tours from Fischers Marina on the east side of the lake.

Normally, Daley says, functions like bachelorette parties start around Memorial Day and then run largely on weekends until the end of June, when school lets out.

But Daley said he started getting reservations in January and has been busy since late May. The partygoers typically stay in local hotels or Air Bnbs and take his three-hour tour, which includes stops for swimming, some tubing and even cliff jumping on Dollar Island.



Even with the water being fairly cool, Daley said his partygoers are swimming and tubing. From what he can see, many of these bachelorettes are either preparing for weddings that were postponed from 2020, or staying closer to home.

Thats what Francine Goutis, a New York City resident who is a maid of honor for an upcoming wedding, did. While they had originally planned a bachelorette gathering in Nashville, lingering pandemic concerns kept them in-state. Because of COVID, we decided to stay local, said Goutis, who said she has come to Lake George during the summer for most of her life. I would say its definitely a trend, she said.

The bachelorette boomlet also appears to have benefited from some TV exposure last winter. That's when the Real Housewives of New Jersey aired a segment that included a bachelorette party aboard The Tiki Tours boat, another operator that uses a tiki-style boat for their excursions.

After the segment aired in Mid-February, Tiki Tours owner Larry Davis said he got 280 calls in the space of a week asking about parties. The exposure, along with pent-up demand has also translated into heavy bookings for bachelorette parties through the summer, he said. "None of them wanted to get married during Covid," he said of the brides-to-be that he's spoken with.

It's busy enough that Davis said he is building a second tiki boat he hopes to get in the water by July. And Daley said he's seeing others get into the tour boat business due to the demand.

Others stress that they have long offered bachelorette parties on their boats.

Its been going on for years, said Mary Goutos, who with her family runs Bolton Boat Tours at Diamond Point.

But she added shes also seeing results of the staycation trend.

A lot of people are still not comfortable going other places, said Goutos. They are not quite sure about wanting to fly.

One thing that shes noticed this year is an increase in people looking to rent boats that they pilot themselves. Boat rentals are pre-booked. That is unusual, she said.

"We're getting a lot of groups," said Tom Wessling, who runs Tour Boat Lake George at Blue Lagoon Resort in Diamond Point. He's been getting bookings into July and August and has a bachelorette party coming up this weekend. "It looks like it's going to be busy" he said of the summer.

Nationally, there are indications that the wedding business is starting to revive after a year filled with cancellations and postponements.

The Knot, an online company that offers wedding-related items, in a recent video said they found about 15 percent of couples they reached last year had postponed their weddings and most were waiting until 2021.

Additionally, almost half postponed just the reception part of their wedding.

There is a lot of pent-up demand, said Amanda Metzger, marketing director for the Lake George Chamber of Commerce.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is "preparing to ease" border restrictions for fully vaccinated travelers, Bloomberg News reported late Monday. Citing unnamed sources, Bloomberg said travelers would still be tested for the virus, but that the current 14-day quarantine requirement likely would be eased.

U.S. officials embraced the news.

"The North Country Chamber of Commerce welcomes reports that the Canadian Government is actively considering interim reopening steps at the U.S.-Canadian border, including possible elimination of quarantine requirements for travelers who have been fully vaccinated," said Chamber President Garry Douglas. "Possible actions are also being actively considered by the U.S. government in the run-up to June 21 when current restrictions are up for extension or changes."

Pressure has been growing on the Trudeau administration to loosen restrictions, which included prohibiting leisure travelers from entering Canada. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer called on Canada to permit interim steps, including allowing in fully vaccinated persons with family or property on the other side of the border, letting boat owners operate on waterways separating the two countries as long as they don't dock on the other side, and providing customs and border patrol officers with COVID-19 testing, vaccinations, and protective equipment.

And U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik called on a unilateral opening of the U.S. border to Canadians.

"We also have seen stronger calls from U.S. and Canadian leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Northern Border Caucus Co-Chairs Stefanik and Higgins, and a growing chorus of calls within Canada for a plan with first steps soon," Douglas said. "We will continue to be part of these voices, openly and through all available private channels, while hoping we are seeing a first bit of light at the end of the tunnel."

Douglas noted that Trudeau and President Joe Biden would be meeting at the G-7 conference in the United Kingdom on Friday. "We hope the border will be a key subject, leading to some agreement, even if it involves differences at first," Douglas added.

The border has been closed to all but essential travelers since March 2020. Polls have found a large number of Canadians remain opposed to reopening the border, even as Americans push for an easing of border restrictions.

Also on Monday, Politico reported that Canada was looking to ease restrictions on June 22, when the latest extension of the closing expires, if its current progress in vaccinations continues.
ALBANY  Coeymans Hollow, a rural hamlet in southern Albany County, is one of 11 places the state will target with clinics to try to reach more people with COVID-19 vaccine.

On Thursday, the state said vaccine will be available at the Coeymans Hollow Volunteer Fire House, 1290 Route 143, from 4 to 6 p.m. Walk-ins will be welcomed.

Then on Wednesday, June 16, vaccines will be offered at Coeymans Landing Park, according to an Albany County spokesperson. The event is called "Vaccines on the Green" and it's being done in conjunction with Ravena Rescue Squad and the Albany County Sheriffs EMS Division.

A month ago, Albany County officials said only 19 percent of Coeymans Hollow residents had gotten the vaccine. Soon after, a pop-up clinic was held in Coeymans at the Church of Saint Patrick in the village of Ravena.

Statewide, 54.7 percent of residents have gotten at least a first dose of vaccine, according to New York's COVID-19 vaccine tracker Tuesday.

The other 10 sites that are being targeted with vaccine this week are in New York City's boroughs, Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Long Island, Windsor in the Southern Tier, and Spring Valley in the Hudson Valley.

The locations were chosen where ZIP code data shows the vaccination rate is significantly lower than the statewide average. The state said it will expand and open additional sites in the coming weeks.

Since Jan. 15, the state said more than 250 community-based pop-up sites have been held to target hard-to-reach communities, as well as vaccine-hesitate populations.
The second China-CEEC Expo and International Consumer Goods Fair is slated to be held in Ningbo, East Chinas Zhejiang province, from Tuesday to Friday.

Jointly launched by the Ministry of Commerce and the Zhejiang provincial government, the event aims to explore more opportunities to boost trade in consumer goods and services with Central and Eastern European countries.

Serbia and the Czech Republic will be the guest countries of honor and East Chinas Anhui will be the guest province of honor at the expo, Wang Jian, deputy head of the Department of Commerce of Zhejiang province, said at a press briefing on Monday.

More than 260 representatives from foreign governments, organizations and enterprises have confirmed their participation.

In addition, 27 domestic provinces will send delegations to the expo.

Covering an area of 20,000 square meters, the expo venue is divided into three parts - one for the CEEC exhibition, another for the international consumer goods exhibition and the third for the permanent exhibition of imported commodities. 3,003 booths were set up as of Sunday.

The event is expected to attract more than 7,000 buyers from across the country.

20 activities will be held at the expo, including the 6th meeting of China-CEEC Business Council and a conference on global health industry cooperation.




Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-09 00:06:00|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on Tuesday unveiled "Fintech 2025", the new strategy for driving fintech development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The new strategy aims to encourage the financial sector to adopt technology comprehensively by 2025, as well as to promote the provision of fair and efficient financial services for the benefit of Hong Kong people and the economy.

"Fintech is, without doubt, a key growth engine for the financial industry in the post-pandemic era, and now is the right time to double down on our efforts to grasp the opportunities," Eddie Yue, chief executive of the HKMA, said.

The focus areas of the strategy included promoting the all-round adoption of fintech by Hong Kong banks, encouraging them to fully digitalize their operations, and unleashing Hong Kong's potential for the next generation of banking by enhancing the financial hub's existing data infrastructure.

The other areas included expanding the fintech-savvy workforce and nurturing the ecosystem with funding and policies. Enditem
ALBANY  When U.S. Congress passed emergency legislation responding to COVID-19 last spring, one measure allocated $163.6 million in child care stimulus funds to New York.

Many children stayed at home during to the pandemic, leaving child care centers empty and suffering financially. At the same time, essential workers badly needed child care, but many had trouble affording it. The federal funds were meant to alleviate those problems.

But data from a 10-month window after New York received that infusion of relief in March 2020 indicates Gov. Andrew M. Cuomos administration had spent less than a quarter of the money, according to an advocacy group's findings.

Instead, some 1,500 programs have closed since April 2020, disrupting the child care arrangements of families and impeding economic recovery, according to those advocates and supportive lawmakers. Nearly all the closed businesses were owned by women or minorities.

They cant seem to figure out how to design a program that actually gets the funding out the door, said Pete Nabozny, director of policy at The Childrens Agenda, a Rochester-based nonprofit.

The data, showing only $31 million of the federal funds had been spent, was obtained by The Children's Agenda through an open records request submitted to the state Office of Children and Family Services, which is administering the spending. The data reflects the period between the passage of the federal CARES Act 15 months ago through the end of January.

New York is set to get an additional windfall of $2.3 billion in child care money because of two further pandemic relief bills passed by Congress since December. But child advocates are concerned that red tape, which prohibited timely spending of the initial $163 million, will continue as child care centers shutter due to financial hardships.

The legislative session is scheduled to end Thursday. Several Democratic lawmakers, including state Sen. Jabari Brisport of Brooklyn and Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi of Queens, have introduced a package of bills meant to more quickly get the money out the door. The legislation also would provide oversight of the Cuomo administrations spending of any remaining funds.

New York distribution of the $163 million was intended to be spent on daycare scholarships for children of essential workers, or cleaning supplies for the centers to counter COVID-19.

Spending on those initiatives was somewhat slow. Especially unhurried, however, has been the state's spending of grants meant to help centers reopen and expand, and to provide them rental assistance. Only about $12.1 million of an allocated $133.6 million had been spent from those funds, according to the data obtained by The Children's Agenda.

Nabozny said the application process for those grants was way too complicated

It was supposed to help businesses stay open, Nabozny said. Instead, weve added all these minute requirements to access the funds.

Other states took different, more successful tacks that emphasized getting money distributed more efficiently, Nabozny said. For instance, in Vermont and Delaware, nearly all the federal child care funds were spent by early last summer, he said.

Monica Mahaffey, a spokeswoman for the Office of Children and Family Services, contends the data from the open records request, running through January, reflects only a snapshot in time.



All of the child care funding from the CARES Act has been made available, providers have continued to draw down these funds as necessary to meet their needs in accordance with program eligibility, and, to date, the state has paid out about $75 million as we continue to prioritize these disbursements, she said Tuesday.

Even those updated numbers showing additional spending, however, would mean that less than half the $163 million allocated by Congress last March has been distributed.

In a joint statement, Brisport and Hevesi slammed the Cuomo administration for allegedly breaking promises to quickly disburse the money.

The battered child care sector has lost 1,500 programs since the beginning of the pandemic as a result of Gov. Cuomos failure to give out federal relief dollars, they said.

The lawmakers added that Cuomo had unveiled a number of plans, with promises to allocate large portions of the funds quickly. The data show that very few of these promises have been kept.

The lawmakers six-bill package would allow counties to expand child care subsidy eligibility to families; decouple receiving a subsidy from the exact hours a parent works; allow counties to remove a work requirement for parents attending college, and require that a model be developed to identify the true cost of providing high-quality child care.

A fifth bill would require counties to pay more to providers serving homeless families and to families requiring non-traditional care hours. The sixth would extend and expand the scope of the states Child Care Availability Task Force.

Mahaffey said that OCFS does not comment on pending legislation.
ALBANY  Steven M. Cohen, a longtime confidant and advisor to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, said he was working as an attorney for the governors administration during the time when there were internal discussions about leaking the personnel file of former staffer Lindsey Boylan, who accused the governor of sexual harassment in December.

Cohen avoided detailing the nature and scope of any legal advice he provided Cuomo during that time, but he told the state Senate Finance Committee this week that he was serving as an attorney for the governor on a voluntary basis.

I suspect that if I got into too much detail here, Id probably be waiving an attorney-client privilege, Cohen told the committee that was questioning him about his nomination by Cuomo to serve as a board member to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The committee later approved Cohen's nomination for the influential Port Authority position.

Cohen was questioned by Republican Ranking Member Sen. Thomas OMara, who has railed against Cuomo about his expansive executive powers granted during the coronavirus pandemic and the way the Senate has moved forward with the governors nominations to prominent boards.

The last-minute nominations by Cuomo have become too common and don't allow enough time to adequately screen candidates for many important roles, according to some lawmakers.

Nominations made by the governor to various positions can have a tremendous impact on the lives of everyday New Yorkers but they are traditionally rushed through, often in the dead of night, with little time and information for members of the Senate to review and properly vet the nominees, Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt said in a statement.

Republicans called for reforms to the nomination process on Tuesday, with two days left to the session. Traditionally, party leadership pushes through its nominations at the end of the legislative session, while lawmakers are busy being lobbied on what bills they should act on in the final stretch.

Cohen was one example of someone that Republicans had hoped to have more time to question in a public forum.

Complicating Cohens nomination, which was accepted by the committee with little Democratic pushback, was his relationship to the multiple scandals that have engulfed the governor.

Cohen authored a lengthy statement on behalf of the governor in February defending the administration's nursing home policies, including the withholding data from the public.

"I really had nothing to do related to the nursing home issues other than basically being brought in to take a look and make a statement and explain the administration's position," Cohen told legislators during his confirmation hearing on Monday. "I don't have first-hand knowledge with respect to what came before me and I leave it to others in the administration those issues."

When O'Mara shifted gears from nursing homes to Boylan's personnel file, Cohen immediately offered less information, citing attorney-client privilege. News reports have placed Cohen in the room during the decision process by the executive leadership to push out Boylans personnel record in the wake of her initial allegations at the governor.

Steve Cohen was in the room where Cuomo folks decided to leak a supposed personnel file on me when I spoke about abuse from our boss, Boylan tweeted earlier this week about the Port Authority nomination. This is all so monstrous and I know history will treat it this way. I will help make it so.

In a statement to the Times Union on Tuesday, she said: I wouldnt be surprised if Steve were part of the organized smear campaign against me because for so long hes done the governors dirty work."

The governors office did not respond to a request for comment.

Cohen said he provides legal consultation for the administration "from time to time." It was not immediately clear from Cohen's testimony whether he has been compensated for any legal work or consulting that he has provided to the governor.

OMara asked Cohen whether he was choosing to avoid talking about the Boylan situation to prevent self-incrimination. Cohen responded that he was just avoiding speaking out of turn before the governors administration. OMara pressed Cohen on whether he was an attorney for Cuomo during the Boylan personnel file discussions six months ago.

I was operating as an attorney, Cohen said, but I cant really characterize what I was or wasnt advising on.
SCHENECTADY  Ellis Medicine is increasing its capacity to care for children in need of mental health services with the opening next week of its newly expanded child, adolescent and family mental health clinic.

The clinic, previously located on the hospitals McClellan Street campus, now occupies the back half of the hospitals State Street Health Center, which opened four years ago at 1023 State St. in Schenectady. Its nearly double the space of the old clinic at 4,000 square feet, and puts the hospital one step closer to having all outpatient mental health services under one roof.

This is an exciting day for Ellis and for the whole community, Ellis Medicine President and CEO Paul Milton said at a ribbon-cutting held Tuesday.

The building on upper State Street already houses an adult mental health and primary care clinic, as well as a crisis diversion program called the Living Room where adults in crisis can speak with counselors and social workers.

The goal, Milton said, is to eventually add childrens primary care services so that mental health and primary care services are fully integrated within the building.

Really, primary care and mental health go together, he said.

The childrens mental health clinic will officially open Monday, June 14, to children age 4 and up. It features a bright lobby and a mural that doubles as a sensory wall, a play therapy room, and an interactive sensory projection system that kids can use to play games, music and educational programs.

The $1.5 million expansion was fully funded by donations, including a significant one from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. With the funds, the hospital was able to recruit four new mental health providers and a support staffer. Its also adding new services, including psychological testing.

Christina Moran, practice administrator of child and adolescent outpatient mental health at Ellis, said the need for more mental health staff and a larger space has been apparent at Ellis for years.

We continually have about 60 to 80 kids on a waitlist with only three providers, she said. So that means kids will sit on a wait list for six months to a year. So weve had the need, but obviously with the pandemic the need has just increased.

Lin Murray, administrative director of mental health services at Ellis, said getting children the mental health support they need early is critical to their wellbeing and success later in life.

Unfortunately there are not many mental health providers that treat children and adolescents, she said. Currently, hospital systems in the Capital Region and across New York state are reporting an increase in emergency department and inpatient hospital utilization for this population.

Indeed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last fall that the number of mental health-related visits to emergency departments between March and October 2020 increased 24 percent among children age 5 to 11 years old, and 31 percent among adolescents age 12 to 17 years old.

At Tuesdays ribbon-cutting, U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko pledged to address the issue of rising mental health needs among children. In March, he introduced bipartisan legislation that would fund research into the effects of the pandemic on the mental health of Americans, with a particular focus on children and front-line workers.
ALBANY  Elizabeth Brundage is enjoying the kind of watershed literary moment every writer secretly dreams about.

Her fifth novel, The Vanishing Point, a literary thriller, was published to strong reviews last month by Little, Brown. The Wall Street Journal praised the book as a gripping literary thriller and another critic called her one of the premiere authors of literary fiction working today.

Also last month, a film adaptation of her previous thriller, All Things Cease to Appear, premiered on Netflix, recast as a horror movie titled Things Heard & Seen. It stars Amanda Seyfried, James Norton and F. Murray Abraham and the buzz is bringing Brundage a new cohort of fans.

What might seem like an overnight success consumed decades of grinding toil and staring down the blank page day after day.

I dont take any of this for granted because you work so long and hard in solitude and obscurity, Brundage, 60, said one afternoon last week.

She mused on this burst of acclamation as she sipped chai tea at a kitchen table in a book-lined, art-filled Colonial home in Albanys Pine Hills, where she lives with her husband, Dr. Scott Morris, a cardiologist. They have three grown children.

Its a great honor to have a novel of yours made into a film, she said. Im grateful that the filmmakers found something meaningful in the story.

Brundage was approached by filmmakers Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini  best known for their Oscar-nominated film American Splendor. The couple loved the book and the fact that it was set in Chatham, Columbia County, where they have a home.

The novel is based upon the real-life case of James Krauseneck, Jr. who was charged with murdering his wife, Cathleen, with an ax in 1982 at their home near Rochester decades after the crime. The couples 3-year-old daughter slept nearby and spent many hours alone in the house before the body was discovered. Brundage became fascinated with the long-running case when her husband was completing a medical residency at Rochester's Strong Memorial Hospital in the early 1990s. Krauseneck, now 69, was indicted by a grand jury on a second-degree murder charge in 2019.

Brundage and her family later moved to Columbia County and rented a spooky old house in Malden Bridge, where she and her two young daughters experienced eerie, ghostly presences. Those elements formed the foundation of the novel and the Netflix film.

Brundage was invited to watch filming on a dairy farm in Millerton, Dutchess County, and at a Thanksgiving scene in New York City. I respected the fact that it was their film and a unique creation far different from my book, she said. She met with the actors and filmmakers, who invited her to lunch and made her feel welcome, although she did not have a formal role on the production.

The movie was a welcome diversion, but she is most excited about The Vanishing Point, her fifth novel in 20 years. Im a tough critic on myself, but its the best book Ive written, she said. I just kept pushing through and getting better with each novel.

Publishers Weekly described The Vanishing Point as a dark-toned mystery, an engrossing story about a love triangle involving three photographers. The novel is set in Albany, Hudson and New York City. It uses alternating chapters and shifting time frames to explore the intertwined lives of Rye Adler and Julian Ladd, who met at Philadelphias famed Brodsky Workshop for photography. They competed with each other as photographers and both fell in love with fellow photographer Magda Pasternak. The plot revolves around Magdas search for her wayward son, Theo, pulled down by the undertow of addiction.

Brundage drew heavily upon her own familys struggles with heroin and opioid addiction. This book felt different because I felt free to write about things Ive experienced and the difficult circumstances we all face, she said.

She and her older brother, who are both adopted, grew up in Maplewood, N.J. Their family ran a bottled water company that delivered to office buildings. Brundage worked there during summers, but her father eventually sold the three-generation family business. By then, her brother had spiraled into heroin addiction.

You think it cant happen to your family, but addiction can happen to anyone. Its horrible to see someone in the grip of it, said Brundage, whose brother, 63, now lives in a nursing home.

Brundage made photography central to the novel after she opened an Instagram account and began taking more pictures a few years ago. I became fascinated with how people were capturing their lives and curating them at the same time, she said.

She credited a high school photography teacher, George Chase, and poetry teacher, Rita Cohen, with her early interest in the visual and literary arts. Great teachers make such a huge difference, she said. She took a summer workshop at Harvard her senior year in high school from the poet Jane Shore and poetry became an obsession. She studied poetry at Hampshire College with the poet Barry Goldensohn, became interested in filmmaking and transferred to NYUs film school her junior year. I wanted to be the next John Cassavetes or Robert Altman, she said. She spent a year at the American Film Institute in L.A., focusing on writing screenplays.

It taught me how to tell a story with a strong narrative thread, she said. It was the early 1980s and she did not find much opportunity for women in the film industry. She worked for the producer Ray Stark, reading and assessing scripts. She remembers the day Joel and Ethan Coen came to the office. They were just kids, she recalled.

Brundage sent around her first script, Best Seller, but an agent advised her to stick to fiction. Your sentences are too nice for screenplays, he said.

Brundage is a graduate of the Iowa Writers Workshop, where her mentor was Frank Conroy and she received the James Michener Award. She published her first short story, Rural Parts, in the Berkeley Fiction Review in 1986.

Bundages novels explore the inner lives of her characters. Its not the what that interests me, its the why, she said.

She has begun research for a new novel, based on local historical characters. She also hopes to get an opportunity to adapt The Vanishing Point into a film.

Id like to realize my own vision for it, she said. I worked in film and can bring something fresh to it.

Paul Grondahl is director of the New York State Writers Institute at the University at Albany and a former Times Union reporter. He can be reached at grondahlpaul@gmail.com
TROY  An acting State Supreme Court justice tossed out Rensselaer Countys three early voting locations Monday as too remote and not providing equitable access for people of color, and ordered the county Board of Elections to have new polling places selected by Wednesday.

Republican Elections Commissioner Jason Schofield and Democratic Elections Commissioner Edward McDonough have 48 hours to pick new polling sites that will meet the demands of the voting rights lawsuit filed by state Attorney General Letitia James on May 27.

This is the first court case to challenge a countys early polling sites since the law took effect in 2019, the judge noted.

Early voting starts Saturday, June 12, and runs through Sunday, June 20. At this time, Rensselaer County is the only county in the state without early polling sites pending the submission of new locations and the courts approval.

The county elections commissioners shall select early voting poll site locations for the 2021 primary election that provide adequate and equitable access for all voters in Rensselaer County including voters in the city of Troy and otherwise comply with New Yorks Early Voting Law, Judge Adam W. Silverman said in his decision.

Silverman observed no other court of this state has reviewed the early voting statue and its requirement of adequate and equitable access to the polls. The judge noted that the state Legislature has amended the early voting laws several times to ensure county Boards of Elections ensure voters had equal access for casting their ballots.

Silvermans ruling came after a possible deal on adding a fourth site in either downtown or the North Central neighborhood - that would be easily reached by Black voters - fell apart Monday, according to court officials.

This decision is critical to our efforts to ensure that every New Yorker has fair access to the polls. As states around the country seek to infringe on this most basic right and make it harder to vote, our work to protect and expand voting rights in New York is more important than ever, James said.

In reviewing the history of the matter, Silverman said the election commissioners failed to provide a rational justification for how they made their selection of the three early polling sites.

The repeated conclusive assertion in their affidavits that they considered the relevant statutory factor by employing a 'rigorous process informed by their working knowledge of travel times, proximity, transportation routes, traffic patterns, population density and other factors' is insufficient. They provide no facts supporting this assertion and, more importantly, the basis of their 'working knowledge,' Silverman wrote.

McDonough and Schofield did not respond to requests for comment Monday.

The countys three early voting locations are the Holy Cross Armenian Church on Spring Avenue in South Troy, Brunswick Town Hall and Schodack Town Hall. The church site was only added last year to meet a change in state early voting law requiring the countys most populous municipality have an early polling site.

James argued the county board consistently picked spots for early voting that had minimal access to public transportation. James said this put a burden on voters in Troys poorest neighborhoods who rely on transit service and couldnt easily travel to any of the three polling sites.

Bethel Baptist Church at 2165 Fifth Ave. in downtown and Unity House at 2431 Sixth Ave. in North Central were proposed as alternative voting locations that would be more easily accessible, according to the lawsuit. The county elections commissioners had earlier rejected these sites citing parking concerns and accessibility.

Black leaders, civil rights groups and voting organizations supported the lawsuit filed by the Attorney Generals Office.

Renee Powell, president of the NAACP Troy Branch, said the judges decision is a voting rights victory after more than three years of fighting to get an early polling spot that was equitable.

Now, the voters of Rensselaer County will have an early voting site in the Troy downtown area where there is a higher concentration of voters than rural regions of Rensselaer County. This is one of many battles that we will fight to win the war to protect our voting rights, Powell said.

The effort to force voting into downtown Troy was the legislation introduced by State Assemblyman John T. McDonald III, D-Cohoes, and State Senator Neil Breslin, D-Bethlehem, to require a polling location in a countys most populous community. Breslin and McDonald each represent Troy.
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MENANDS  A truck flipped over on its side Tuesday morning on I-787 blocking part of the southbound lanes and delaying morning rush hour traffic on the highway, State Police said.

A crash involving the truck and an ambulance occurred at 7:46 a.m. just south of the Menands exit, troopers said.
Farmington, WV (26555)

Today

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
In this Nov. 6, 2015 file photo, an elderly couple walks down a hall of a nursing home in Easton, Pa.
A man accused of killing two women and a child in a case that prompted a $1 million payment by the state has been ruled mentally competent to stand trial on capital murder charges, A Marshall County judge issued the ruling Tuesday and set a Jan. 10 trial date for 55-year-old Jimmy Spencer
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-09 00:16:21|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, June 8 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday thanked the Security Council for endorsing him for a second term of office.

"The decision taken today by the Security Council to recommend to the General Assembly that I serve a second term as secretary-general of the United Nations is a great honor. I am very grateful to the members of the council for the trust they have placed in me. My gratitude also extends to Portugal for having nominated me again," he said in a statement.

"It has been an immense privilege to be at the service of 'we, the peoples' and at the helm of the amazing women and men of this organization for the past four and a half years, when we have been facing so many complex challenges," Guterres said.

"Pursuing, as secretary-general of the United Nations, the purposes and principles of the (UN) Charter is a most noble duty. I would be deeply humbled if the General Assembly were to entrust me with the responsibilities of a second mandate," he added.

Estonia's UN Ambassador Sven Jurgenson, as Security Council president for the month of June, announced the endorsement after a private meeting of the council.

The Security Council recommends that the UN General Assembly appoint Guterres for a second five-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2022. Jurgenson said the General Assembly is likely to hold a session on June 18 on Guterres' appointment for a second term. Enditem
A nationally known producer of baked goods has purchased the assets of the Burlington-based Koffee Kup Bakery, which shut its doors earlier this year
An independent forester hired to do a quick review of the states controversial hazard tree removal program has concluded that 96% of the 2,200 trees he recently examined were appropriately marked for removal
June 08, 2021





In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has set foot in every corner of our lives, whether it is space research, robotics in the medical sector and other industries, or our households. It has substantially influenced numerous economic sectors in the past decade, including online gambling.







Some of you might have read the story on The Guardian about an IBM (News - Alert) Deep Blue computer that beat chess master Garry Kasparov 20 years ago. In January 2017, another AI-based computer program named Libratus beat some of the best poker players in the world - Dong Kim, Daniel MacAulay, Jimmy Chou, and Jason Les in a 20-day No-Limit Hold'Em poker tournament.

Libratus broke into human territory, analysing mistakes of human players during the matches and using it to beat them. Like Libratus, today, numerous AI's play a critical role in online gambling and influencing the casino business.

Here Are Some Useful Ways AI Can Play A Role In Online Gambling

Identify Gambling Addicts

Gambling addicts portray a negative image of the casino industry. It can land a casino site in controversies on tabloid newspapers, affecting businesses. AI helps in early addiction detection and prevention of such behaviours.

According to Casinosites.org, many popular casino sites in the UK have AI monitoring the playing patterns already. It makes subtle interventions when players get lost in the excitement of playing online slot and table games. It keeps an eye on players playing for too long or have started to chase their bets and notify the online casino operators.

Data Collection and Analysis

AI's can gather customer-related information from club cards and loyalty programs. Using it, they can identify trends like game selection, game switching, game dropping or stop playing.

AI can help online casinos provide their customers with personalised gaming experiences, ads, and special offers. On the dark side, it can even help them with designing tailor-made content to lure gambling addicts.

Improved Customer Service

How many times have you felt like going nuts when you ask an online casino customer service for help, and the chatbot replies - I don't understand. Do you need help?

AI can process and use customer habits and communications to resolve problems efficiently compared to impersonal bots. It can provide intelligent concierge with personalised and logical answers.

Protect Casinos

In contrast to offline casinos, it is difficult for online casinos to watch player's every action. AI's analytical and self-learning skills can help casinos identify fraudsters. It can track down those players who cheat/hack and notify the casino. It can even deny access to the site for such players. It protects the casinos from hackers and gives a fair chance to honest players.

Capture Millennial Market

Currently, most gamblers age anywhere between 35-65 years. Millennials avoid entering a physical casino or playing casino games via desktop. AI with virtual reality (VR) technology can provide an engaging casino experience through mobile gambling games.

Conclusion

AI encourages responsible handling of gambling and customers. It plays a crucial role through personalised gambling experience and safe gameplay.
[June 08, 2021] The 4th OrigiMed International Summit Held in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hosted by OrigiMed, the 4th OrigiMed International Summit was held in Shanghai under the guidance of the Shanghai Science and Technology Exchange Center and the Shanghai Biomedical Technology Development Center. Committed to better healthcare and higher quality of life, the event had the theme Promote Precision Medicine, Embrace the Hope of Life. Many international experts in the precision medicine industry attended the summit online and shared their cutting-edge advances in the field. Among them were Professor Matthew Meyerson, a leader in cancer genomics and targeted therapy from Harvard Medical School and a founder of the cancer NGS company Foundation Medicine, Professor Gordon Freeman, a pioneer in immunotherapy from Harvard Medical School, Prof. Carlos L. Arteaga, Director of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Prof. Tony Mok, Lung Cancer expert from the Department of Clinical Oncology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Prof. Milind Javle, gastrointestinal oncologist from the MD Anderson Cancer Center. OrigiMed Signs Major Agreements with Partners >



The OrigiMed Internet Hospital and Fudan Telepath Cloud also announced their strategic collaboration, a move to chart the course of shared resources and services based on "Internet + healthcare platform". The package will cover pathological diagnosis, Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), examination and clinical treatment, and translate into a streamlined clinical process with higher transparency. It will satisfy the need for precision medicine resources in China and make precision medicine services available to a large patient population across the country.

Big Data Fuel New Drug Development During this Summit, OrigiMed launched four cutting edge NGS products, including OriMIRACLETMS (MRD Dynamic Monitoring), Hematologic cancer panel, OriHRD score (Homologous Recombination Deficiency score) and CUP AI Prediction (Cancer with Unknown Primary). OriMIRACLETMS makes OrigiMed step in a new era of cancer management by innovative technology. Meanwhile, OrigiMed has also introduced the OKAIN Knowledge Network and Genomic Data System which covers testing, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and clinical trial recruitment. "As a company driven by advanced NGS technology and genomic data, OrigiMed focuses on precision medicines and it is ready to build a health community for all through collaboration with government, associations, clinicians, pharmaceutical companies and industry partners," Dr. Kai Wang, Founder and CEO of OrigiMed said, "As always, the company will see the well-being of patients as its top priority, provide a one-stop solution for its clients by building a viable international exchange platform. Origimed will revolutionize precision medicine for cancer treatment in China, as its response to the Health China initiative." View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-4th-origimed-international-summit-held-in-shanghai-301307381.html SOURCE OrigiMed

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[June 08, 2021] Agora Cyber Charter School Class of 2021 To Be Celebrated with Online Graduation Ceremony

In a year where every school in America was affected by the pandemic, Agora Cyber Charter School (ACCS), an online public school serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade throughout Pennsylvania since 2005, will celebrate the Class of 2021 with a virtual commencement ceremony on Tuesday, June 8 beginning at 4:00 PM EDT. "Over the past year, we saw many families exercise their right to choose the school option they felt was best for their children and their family," said Dr. Richard Jensen, Chief Executive Officer at ACCS. "Many families have enrolled due to concerns about the adjustment to online learning during the pandemic. As the school year ends, we have heard from many parents that their children are exceling at Agora and that they have already registered for next year." This year, ACCS will graduate 600 students. Kethan Satterfield is ACCS's 2021 Valedictorian and plans to attend Penn Highlands Community College in the fall. The Salutatorian is Maximillian Catalano and will be attending Lycoming College. "Agora Cyber Charter School has taught me how to be a more independent learner while never being away from the support of my teachers," said Stterfield. "I will always cherish the lessons I learned at Agora, both academic and not, as they have shaped me into a more successful, intuitive person. I know that my time at Agora has prepared me for whatever the next chapter in my life may be."



Collectively, members of the graduating class report having been accepted to colleges and universities across Pennsylvania and beyond, including Delaware County Community College, East Stroudsburg University, Pennsylvania State University, Philadelphia Community College, Pittsburgh University, Shippensburg University, and the University of Northwestern Ohio, or will begin a career with the U.S. Military. Students enroll in virtual school for a number of reasons, including those looking to escape bullying, those who may have fallen academically off track, and others looking for an alternative to the traditional classroom setting. Agora staff have a passion to help all learners achieve their highest potential and take pride in providing multi-tiered and varied supports, interventions, and services. The school focuses on the whole child, making sure to address both the academic and the social and emotional needs of learners.

Information on the ceremony can be found at ACCS's Facebook (News - Alert) page https://www.facebook.com/agoracyber/ WHAT: Agora Cyber Charter School 2021 Graduation Ceremony

WHEN: Tuesday June 8th, 2021, 4:00 PM About Agora Cyber Charter School Agora Cyber Charter School established in 2005, has delivered an uninterrupted online continuity of education plan for the last 15 years to Pennsylvania students kindergarten through 12. Pennsylvania-certified teachers use advanced technology to deliver a stimulating curriculum and prepare all students to achieve their highest potential through actively engaging in their own learning. An extensive variety of extracurricular online and in-person activities guarantees an enriching assortment of social opportunities providing the student with a well-rounded Agora experience. Agora provides students with a computer, printer and all the recourse materials needed to be successful in their online model. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005387/en/

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[June 08, 2021] AM Best's Briefing: With Ransomware Threatening Profitability, How Will Cyber Insurers React?

AM Best has scheduled a briefing on the U.S. cyber insurance market, which is experiencing significant challenges due to an increasingly hazardous risk environment, for Tuesday, June 15, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). Sridhar Manyem and Fred Eslami of AM Best will join industry experts to discuss emerging trends in the cyber insurance market. Topics covered will include recent market conditions and profitability; high-profile cyber events; underwriting reactions to ransomware; reinsurance; a hardening pricing environment and aggregation risks. A recent Best's Market Segment Report, "Ransomware and Aggregation Issues Call for New Approaches to Cyber Risk," (http://www3.ambest.com/bestweek/purchase.asp?record_code=309212) stated that AM Best views cyber insurers' prospects in this market as grim due to the aforementioned issues and apparent shifts in hackers' motives, punctuated by the recent Colonial Pipeline hack. To view a video on this report with AM Best Senior Industry Analyst Chrisopher Graham, visit http://www.ambest.com/v.asp?v=ambcyberreport621.



To attend this complimentary briefing, please register at http://www.ambest.com/webinars/cyberbrief21/index.html. Panelists include:

Kelly Castriotta, managing director, global cyber underwriting, Markel;

Fred Eslami, associate director, AM Best;

Sridhar Manyem, director, industry research and analytics, AM Best; and

Catherine Mulligan, global head of cyber, AON. Attendees can submit questions during registration or by emailing conferenceinformation@ambest.com. The event will be streamed in video and audio formats, and playback will be available to registered viewers shortly after the event. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright  2021 by A.M. Best Company, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005796/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Americares, Xylem Partnership Delivers Clean Water And Sanitation To 3.5 Million People In 10 Countries In 2020, Aiding COVID-19 Response

Xylem Watermark, the corporate social responsibility program of global water technology company Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL), and health-focused relief and development organization, Americares, aim to reach 1 million people in 2021, through their collaboration to improve access to clean water and sanitation. The program builds on the first year of the partnership, which delivered clean water and sanitation services to over 3.5 million people, helping to slow the spread of COVID-19. In 2021, the partners will provide water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure repairs and education to frontline healthcare workers and communities across six countries including India and Bangladesh, currently experiencing COVID-19 spikes. In Mumbai, where informal, urban settlement communities are particularly impacted by the second wave of the pandemic, interventions will include rehabilitating WASH facilities at healthcare facilities, serving 70,000 people from the city's most low-income areas. The partners will also provide WASH assistance to disaster-prone coastal communities in Bangladesh, including those still recovering from Cyclone Amphan. "Washing hands with soap and water is one of the most effective measures in the fight against COVID-19. Through our partnership with Americares we aim to bring this message to life for communities around the world and to empower them through improved access to clean water and sanitation," said Austin Alexander, Vice President of Sustainability and Social Impact at Xylem. "We have a unique responsibility and opportunity to make water security a reality for the world's most impoverished communities, and we're united with Americares in this pursuit." "This partnership brings together Xylem's water technology expertise and commitment to increasing access to clean water with Americares work supporting under-resourced hospitals and health clinics worldwide," said Americares Senior Vice President and Chief Program Officer Dr. M. Rashad Massoud. "Clean water and sanitation in health facilities protects both patients and the health workers who make good health possible. Together, we are saving lives and improving health for millions of people in need." In 2020, the partnership's COVID-19 WASH interventions trained 1,600 health professionals across 60 countries in the delivery of WASH education, and constructed or restored 175 WASH facilities. These interventions delivered access o clean, safe water and sanitation for 3.5 million people.



About Xylem Xylem (XYL) is a leading global water technology company committed to solving critical water and infrastructure challenges with innovation. Our more than 16,000 diverse employees delivered revenue of $4.88 billion in 2020. We are creating a more sustainable world by enabling our customers to optimize water and resource management, and helping communities in more than 150 countries become water-secure. Join us at www.xylem.com.

About Xylem Watermark Xylem Watermark, the company's corporate citizenship program, was initiated in 2008, with a focus on protecting and providing safe water resources around the world and also educating people on water-related issues. The global initiative, which encompasses employee and stakeholder engagement, provides access to clean drinking water and sanitation, and humanitarian emergency response to help communities become more water-secure and sustainable through WASH and Value of Water Education programs. The program has logged over 230,000 employee volunteer hours over the past five years and engaged 58 percent of the company's global employee base. About Americares Americares is a health-focused relief and development organization that saves lives and improves health for people affected by poverty or disaster. Each year, Americares reaches 90 countries on average, including the United States, with life-changing health programs, medicine, medical supplies and emergency aid. Americares is the world's leading nonprofit provider of donated medicine and medical supplies. For more information, visit americares.org. Notes to Editor: Xylem Watermark and Americares 2021 WASH Interventions: 1. India; Rehabilitate handwashing stations, toilets and water treatment systems in healthcare facilities across Mumbai. The intervention aims to reduce the spread of infection in facilities serving slum communities, as the second wave of Covid-19 continues to impact India's healthcare system. 2. Malawi: Enhance access to water for handwashing by improving water systems at three health centers as well as constructing latrines in health centers. The partnership will also deliver WASH training for village health committees, school sanitation clubs and broader communities, with a focus on preventing Cholera. 3. Tanzania; The program aims to protect the safety of patients at a district hospital by upgrading the laundry facilities and enhancing access to water and IPC (News - Alert) -compliant handwashing stations at a nearby nursing school. Handwashing stations are not widely accessible at health facilities in the country and many of the ones in use are not hands-free. 4. Philippines: The pandemic has put extreme stress on a health system that was already under-resourced. The partnership will increase, upgrade or repair water and sanitation systems in health facilities in Cebu and Laguna and train community health workers in promoting safe water practices. 5. Honduras: Conduct critical WASH infrastructure repairs and upgrades at a major hospital in Tegucigalpa including rehabilitating and building new bathroom facilities. 6. Bangladesh: Conduct WASH interventions to address the needs of disaster-prone coastal communities, including those still recovering from Cyclone Amphan. Activities will include rehabilitating and building new latrines, installing handwashing stations and providing WASH training for health workers and community health promoters. 7. Emergency Programs: Americares and Xylem Watermark will train emergency responders in WASH and pre-position WASH kits and equipment for use by Americares response teams during emergencies. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005560/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Commits More Than $650,000 to Continue the Fight Against Food Insecurity in Indiana

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana announced today that it will commit $661,000 over the next three years to Community Harvest Food Bank, Food Bank of Northwest Indiana, Terre Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank, and Hoosier Hills Food Bank. This funding will help the food banks expand their ability to deliver healthy food to Hoosiers and host additional mobile food distribution events. Anthem's support of these food banks expands on the company's history of supporting Indiana's residents and communities in addressing the many factors that influence health, including access to healthy food. Nearly one in six Hoosiers lack reliable access to healthy food - according to data available at "Close to Home," a social driver of health information tool available through Anthem, Inc., the parent company of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. "We have been connected to Indiana communities for more than 75 years, dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of Hoosiers," said Neil Steffens, President of Anthem's Medicare Central Region. "We know that, working with Community Harvest Food Bank and Food Bank of Northwest Indiana, we will have a greater impact on the challenge of food insecurity than we would working as individual organizations." As the regional food bank of northeast Indiana, Community Harvest Food Bank distributes more than 14 million meals and helps more than 100,000 people annually. Through in-house hunger relief programs and member agency partnerships, the food bank serves individuals and families without access to affordable food in a nine-county service region. Mobile distributions and food transportation are a key part of Community Harvest's operations, with more than 1.5 million pounds of food transported throughout the region each month. The Anthem-funded truck will be used for the food bank's Farm Wagon program, which visits 44 locations per month throughout the region. "Even in the midst of increasing food insecurity due to the pandemic, Community Harvest Food Bank has remained focused on our mission - alleviating hunger through the full use of donated food and other resources," said John Wolf, CEO of Community Harvest Food Bank. "We are grateful to Anthem for its support of our efforts to put whole foods on the table for Indiana families in need. Through their sponsorship, we'll be able to bring more than 300,000 pounds of food every month to Indiana families in our area." Through this multi-year support from Anthem, Food Bank of Northwest Indiana will be able to secure more than 648,000 pounds of food, serve more than 540,000 meals, and better assist the community through initiatives or programs such as its Mobile Market food distributions. With each Mobile Market, the Food Bank serves approximately 250 to 500 households. "We have been a vital source of food assistance for Hoosiers in northwest Indiana for nearly 40 years and we will continue to work toward creating a community free of hunger," said Victor Garcia, CEO of The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana. "Our work with Anthem is part of our approach in collaborating with members of the community to help individuals in need. Ongoing financial support is critical to our success in meeting the ever-changing needs of our community. With this multi-year partnership, the Food Bank is better positioned to plan for and respond to the food insecurity needs of our friends and neighbors in Lake and Porter counties." Since 1982, Terre Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank has been providing relief to hungry people in the Wabash Valley, including older adults who often must decidebetween paying for food and purchasing other daily needs, children who go to school with empty stomachs, and adults who need food to sustain their families. With Anthem's support, Terre Haute Catholic Charities will be able to acquire enough food for as many as 430,000 meals that will help nearly 4,000 households in need over the next three years.



"We are blessed by the opportunity to partner with Anthem to support our efforts to provide nutritious food to families facing food insecurity," stated John C. Etling, director for Terre Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank. "Research shows that good nutrition and health go hand-in-hand. In addition to the financial support this partnership brings for continuing our Mobile Pantry distributions across our service area, Anthem will be providing families with resources to help them improve their overall health." Every year, Hoosier Hills Food Bank (HHFB) provides over five million pounds of food annually to nearly 100 other non-profits serving people with low incomes and personal challenges, children, and older adults. Since its founding in 1982, HHFB has been helping individuals in need across its six-county service area. Through the support provided by Anthem, HHFB will be able to procure significant amounts of additional food, which will result in serving over 1,200 people each month through a program that provides approximately 340,000 meals annually. Anthem's support will also enable the food bank to continue special summer food distributions established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that will likely serve another 6,000 households.

"Anthem's support through this multi-year partnership provides us with much needed stability. It will help ensure that we have a steady supply of nutritious food for our Families First mobile pantry program in four communities and enable us to continue our response to the pandemic by offering another summer of special food distributions in Monroe County," said HHFB Executive Director and CEO Julio Alonso. This latest financial support is part of Anthem's ongoing efforts to address food insecurity, which also includes support of food banks in Indianapolis, Evansville, and Lafayette. In addition, earlier this year, Anthem Foundation and LISC Indianapolis launched a three-year initiative to improve nutritious food access and help build a more equitable food system. About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc., an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Indiana is available at www.anthem.com. Also, follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) at www.twitter.com/anthemBCBS and on Facebook (News - Alert) at www.facebook.com/AnthemBlueCrossBlueShield. About Community Harvest Food Bank Established in 1983, Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana, Inc. feeds 21,100 people every week. Last year, CHFB distributed 17.1 million pounds of food to nearly 80,000 unique individuals. Donna VanVlerah serves as Board Chair, Carmen Cumberland serves as Executive President, and John Wolf serves as the Chief Executive Officer. Community Harvest is one of 200 Feeding America member food banks in the United States, and one of 11 regional members of Feeding Indiana's Hungry. Community Harvest feeds hungry people in the nine counties of northeast Indiana. For more information, please visit www.chfb.org. About Food Bank of Northwest Indiana The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana has the been leading the fight against hunger in the Region since 1982. The Food Bank distributes nearly 5 million meals annually to children, seniors, individuals, and families in Lake and Porter Counties through more than 116+ partner agencies, Mobile Market food distributions and other programs/services. To learn more about the fight against hunger in Northwest Indiana, please visit www.foodbanknwi.org. About Terre Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank Terre Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank collaborates with more than 85 nonprofit member agencies in Clay, Greene, Knox, Parke, Sullivan, Vermillion, and Vigo counties in Indiana to provide emergency food assistance to more than 32,000 individuals each year in west central Indiana. For more information, call (812)232-1447, Option 3 or visit www.ccthin.org. About Hoosier Hills Food Bank Hoosier Hills Food Bank has been rescuing and distributing food in south central Indiana since 1982. HHFB distributes the equivalent of over 4.2 million meals annually, a number that increased to nearly 6 million meals in 2020 due to the pandemic. The food bank supports nearly 100 partner agencies, provides multiple monthly direct service programs and engages in advocacy and education regarding hunger. For more information on HHFB and its programs visit www.hhfoodbank.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005026/en/

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-09 00:20:25|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, June 8 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for efforts to protect the oceans.

The recently issued Second World Ocean Assessment confirmed that many of the benefits that the global ocean provides to humankind are being undermined by human actions, he said in a message for World Oceans Day, which falls on June 8.

"Our seas are choking with plastic waste, which can be found from the remotest atolls to the deepest ocean trenches. Overfishing is causing an annual loss of almost 90 billion U.S. dollars in net benefits, which also heightens the vulnerability of women, who are vital to the survival of small-scale fishing businesses," he said.

Carbon emissions are driving ocean warming and acidification, destroying biodiversity and causing sea level rise that threatens heavily inhabited coastlines, he noted.

The theme of this year's observance, "The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods," underscores the importance of oceans for the cultural life and economic survival of communities around the world. More than 3 billion people rely on the ocean for their livelihoods, the vast majority in developing countries, said Guterres.

"As we strive to recover from COVID-19, let's end our war on nature. This will be critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, keeping within reach the 1.5-degree target of the Paris Agreement, and ensuring the health of our oceans for today's and future generations," he said. Enditem
[June 08, 2021] ARRAY Partners with IMC to Modernize REMIS Air Force Maintenance Enterprise System

FAIRFAX, Va., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ARRAY announced today that it has partnered with Innovative Management Concepts, Inc. (IMC) on a five-year task order to provide the Air Force's Reliability and Maintainability Information System (REMIS) Capability Support Services for the REMIS Program Management Office, a part of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) Logistics Legacy Systems Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. ARRAY brings significant Agile development experience to the REMIS Air Force Maintenance Enterprise system, providing organizational, intermediate, and depot-level operational authoritative information. ARRAY present and past supported systems represent one of the most extensive portfolios in the Air Force, both technologically and functionally. Technically, it covers everything from main frame, COBOL- based systems, to web services, to increasingly cloud hosted applications leveraging cloud-native services. Functionally, it sustains heavy transactional workflows and massive databases for hundreds of thousands of mission users in both unclassified and classiied environments, 24 hours a day, worldwide.



"We're excited to further extend ARRAY's capabilities by applying Agile principles to modernize the Air Force's REMIS support services," said David Joslin, Chief Growth Officer at ARRAY. "We are committed to providing the technology support to help the Air Force ensure continuous capability support for REMIS, providing vital information those who protect and serve our nation." REMIS is a critically important data system servicing as the "source of truth" repository for collecting, validating, editing, processing, integrating, standardizing, and reporting equipment maintenance data, including reliability and maintainability data, on a global, world-wide basis. REMIS is also the financial feeder system for cost accounting and depreciation of all Aircraft, Missiles, and other weapon systems.

About ARRAY

At ARRAY, mission needs drive everything. Our mission-obsessed culture, technical expertise and deep client intimacy allow us to achieve long-term success in the defense and public sector community. With expertise in the full spectrum of application solutions to include DevSecOps, Waterfall to Agile and full application modernization, ARRAY creates solutions that optimize performance. ARRAY is made up of a strong team of talented individuals and has been recognized for its employee-centric culture, being named a Washington Post 2020 Top Workplace. For more information, visit www.arrayinfotech.com. Media Contact

Danielle Scotto

Lumina Communications for ARRAY

array@luminapr.com

646-775-6303 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/array-partners-with-imc-to-modernize-remis-air-force-maintenance-enterprise-system-301307802.html SOURCE ARRAY Information Technology, Inc.

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[June 08, 2021] Ataviadaz Launches New Summer Collections

HANGZHOU, China, June 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ataviadaz, a plus-size fashion brand, today launches first summer 2021 collections, including women's tops, swimsuits and one-piece dresses. The collection, ranging from L to 5XL, has been designed to fit the full-figured women. Without any limitation, perfectly show off their charming and unique beauty, Ataviadaz wants to offer their customers with comfortable and fashionable outfits that will make them feel confident on any occasion. Ataviadaz new collection features ingenious colorful prints with more than 100 pieces across numerous clothing categories. Cut, shape and different body proportions were all taken into consideration while designing, which promises to 'fit and flatter' curvy women. The bold color emphasizes breaking the limitation of rules and encourages wmen to bravely endorse themselves.



Although this brand is new in Mexico, Ataviadaz is actively seeking collaboration with local influencers to increase its brand awareness. The collaboration has been recognized by some typical influencers. Janette Z., a content creator, supports the idea of Ataviadaz to provide a space where all women regardless of size can buy beautiful clothing. Ataviadaz new collections are what she is looking for. Talking about the Ataviadaz and its new collection, Jacky C., the Vice President of Ataviadaz said, "As a start-up company, the opportunities and challenges coexist. Since Ataviadaz orders increased rapidly during COVID 19, we are facing production and logistics pressure. Our customers take longer time to receive goods than our expectation. Recently we are working hard on resolving it and have confidence to perform beyond customers' expectations. For this new collection, I am looking forward to seeing how happy or surprised our customers are when they receive our products."

Now, the summer 2021 Ataviadaz collection is available at https://www.ataviadaz.com/ Customers purchasing items from the collection will enjoy special discounts up to 60%. About Ataviadaz: Established in 2020, Ataviadaz is a plus-size womenswear fashion brand focusing on Latin-American market. Ataviadaz's vision is "to break through the size limitation in fashion clothes for women by creating plus-size garments that are comfortable, fashionable, and suitable for different daily scenarios." Website:

https://www.ataviadaz.com/ Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/ataviadaz

https://www.instagram.com/ataviadaz/ SOURCE Ataviadaz

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[June 08, 2021] AVIO Consulting Ranks No. 206 on Inc. Magazine's List of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in Texas

DALLAS, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. magazine revealed that AVIO Consulting is No. 206 on its second annual Inc. 5000 Regionals: Texas list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing Texas-based private companies. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Texas economy's most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. "We are honored to be making the list of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in Texas because of our business growth," said Brandon Dean, AVIO Consulting's president. "We've invested heavily in our ability to recruit, train, and support best-in-class talent to meet growth in demand for AVIO's services." AVIO's business growth has centered around the increasing adoption of MuleSoft, the industry-leading integration platform as a service. As a two-time MuleSoft Partner of the Year and Salesforce Ventures portfolio company, AVIO is positioned as a thought-leading and highly trusted partner in the ecosystem. The companies on this list show stunning rates of growh across all industries in Texas. Between 2017 and 2019, these 250 private companies had an average growth rate of 210% and, in 2019 alone, they employed more than 44,000 people and added more than $9 billion to the Texas economy. Companies based in the largest metro areasDallas, Houston, and Austinbrought in the highest revenue overall.



A complete list of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in Texas can be found at https://www.inc.com/inc5000/regionals/texas. "This list proves the power of companies in Texas no matter the industry," says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. "The impressive revenues and growth rates prove the insight and diligence of CEOs and that these businesses are here to stay."

About AVIO CONSULTING

Founded in 2007, AVIO Consulting focuses on enabling clients to transform their businesses. AVIO'S singular focus on digital evolution has enabled the company to build an unmatched level of expertise. AVIO's client-first approach and deep technical knowledge have resulted in the firm being recognized as one of the most respected names in digital consulting. AVIO's reputation is built upon assisting clients in defining a vision, delivering innovative projects, and enabling business growth. Recent growth has led to recognition as one of the fastest-growing companies by the Inc. 5000 List, Consulting Magazine, and the SMU Cox Dallas 100, among others. The company currently has offices in Dallas, Oklahoma City, Denver, and Buenos Aires, to support customers in automotive, manufacturing, retail, oil and gas, software technology, and financial services around the globe. About Inc. Media

The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com. PRESS CONTACT

Mike Slack

Phone: 405-370-9318

mslack@avioconsulting.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/avio-consulting-ranks-no-206-on-inc-magazines-list-of-the-fastest-growing-private-companies-in-texas-301308399.html SOURCE AVIO Consulting

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[June 08, 2021] Bayat-MATTER Innovation Hub, Powered by Jamf, Opens in Afghanistan

MINNEAPOLIS, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today Jamf, in partnership with global nonprofit MATTER, announced the opening of the Bayat-MATTER Innovation Hub (MIH) in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Bayat-MATTER Innovation Hub aims to provide students with little access to educational opportunities a technology-enabled active learning environment that teaches them in-demand skills for their future. This stunning, state-of-the-art facility is the vision of the Bayat Foundation, Afghanistan's largest humanitarian organization working towards improving the lives of Afghan women, working in collaboration with Jamf and MATTER.

MATTER Innovation Hubs: Preparing Children for the 4th Industrial Revolution

The Kabul Hub joins twelve other MATTER Innovation Hubs in Haiti, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Senegal, and Minnesota  all areas with communities that lack access to education opportunities. The Hubs seek to engage students in technology-enabled active learning. This educational model encourages teachers to moderate and encourage student learning, discussion, and exploration to set students up with in-demand skills for future success. Sponsored by Jamf employees, the Jamf Nation Global Foundation and other partners, the Hubs are stocked with iPad, OSMO Learning manipulatives, Sphero education technology and dozens of educational apps to offer students the technology they need to expand their skills. The tools selected for use in the MIH program support physical-to-digital interaction and multiple input options such as touch, voice, and camera. Most facilities have more than 25 iPads for students and can support 300 to 600 learners. The primary curriculum is centered around Apples Everyone Can Code and Everyone Can Create programming. The use of these curricula is facilitated by Jamfs robust Apple device management to enable the sharing of devices with individual user accounts. Teachers can easily guide learning, minimize distraction and manage student devices with Jamf and Classroom, an Apple app that allows teachers to easily guide learning. The Hubs also utilize Apple Schol Manager, a web-based portal that provides a fast, streamlined way for IT to deploy Apple devices. Thanks to Jamf and MATTERs partnership, the MATTER Innovation Hubs are able to bring educational opportunity powered by technology to students around the globe.



The Newest Hub in Afghanistan Provides Young Women a New Path to Success

The Bayat Foundation is Afghanistan's largest humanitarian organization working to improve the lives of Afghan women of all ages. Foundation Director Mariam Bayat sees education as an essential tool to empower women to help in the rebuilding of their country. The opening of the Bayat-MATTER Innovation Hub will provide opportunities for young women in Afghanistan to receive an education beyond the government-mandated curriculum. MATTER is excited to collaborate with Jamf and Bayat Foundation to bring new opportunities in STEM/STEAM to the Michelle Bayat School at the Red Crescent Society campus in Kabul, Afghanistan, said Quenton Marty, President, MATTER. This Innovation Hub brings the latest technology and classroom management tools that enable a new learning methodology for children attending from the nearby community, as well as children who are refugees from the surrounding regions of Afghanistan. Through this partnership, we look forward to bringing new opportunities for Afghan girls to be leaders in their community and country."

The Innovation Hubs currently serve students in the lower elementary grades; however, the new MIH in Kabul will serve students through high school. The program's premise is that anyone with an iPad and internet can learn anything from any location. In a short period, a student could take an intensive coding course, learn to design apps, make music or art, and get a job, without needing to relocate. An enormous amount of work goes on behind the scenes to bring these Innovation Hubs to life. Partners like MATTER and the Bayat Foundation are essential in order to create new opportunities and get technology into the hands of students, said Dave Saltmarsh, Global Education Strategist, Jamf. These Hubs give students access to powerful Apple products and app-based STEM/STEAM curriculum to help them develop new skill sets in critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity. About MATTER

MATTER, a Minnesota-based global NGO, brings together the best companies, experts, problem solvers, dreamers and above all, doers, to kickstart big ideas that can change the world. This collaborative movement has inspired solutions in health access, activating healthy eating for children and families, regenerative agriculture, and student-centered education, collectively impacting more than 14 million lives. MATTER's guiding belief is encapsulated in the simple yet powerful expression, YOU MATTER. Learn more at www.matter.ngo. About Jamf

Jamf, the standard in Apple Enterprise Management, extends the legendary Apple experience people love to businesses, schools, and government organizations through its software and the world's largest online community of IT admins focused exclusively on Apple, Jamf Nation. To learn more, visit www.jamf.com. MATTER Media Contact:

Brian Numainville | brian@matter.ngo Jamf Media Contact:

Aleena Kaleem | media@jamf.com Jamf Investor Contact:

Jennifer Gaumond | ir@jamf.com



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[June 08, 2021] Blue Canyon Technologies Promotes Stephen Steg to Chief Executive Officer; Names New Senior Management Team

Small-satellite manufacturer and mission services provider Blue Canyon Technologies LLC ("BCT" or "Blue Canyon"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Raytheon (News - Alert) Technologies Corporation (NYSE: RTX), has promoted chief technical officer Stephen Steg to chief executive officer. Steg succeeds George Stafford, who will remain in an advisory capacity. A co-founder of Blue Canyon, Steg has served as chief technical officer since the company was founded in 2008. As CTO, Steg oversaw the development of BCT's spacecraft and component designs. He also guided BCT's vertical integration with in-house products for nearly all spacecraft subsystems. "Steve Steg brings the ideal combination of leadership, experience and vision as the new Blue Canyon CEO for this next chapter in the evolution and growth of the company," said Roy Azevedo, president, Raytheon Intelligence & Space. "His expertise in the business of small-satellite systems and technologies will be invaluable to the broad range of solutions we offer to support our customer's space missions. We thank George Stafford for his contributions as co-founder and CEO, and his legacy of leadership at Blue Canyon." Blue Canyon reports into the Raytheon Intelligence & Space business of Raytheon Technologies following the purchase of Blue Canyon by Raytheon Technologies last December. Joining Steg on the new Blue Canyon senior management team is Matt Magana, who continues to serve as BCT president following his appointment to the position upon the completion of the company purchase by Raytheon Technologies. BCT's current chief operating officer and co-founder Matthew Beckner has stepped into an advisory position for continuous improvement, opening and supporting the path for Steve Schneider to assume the role of COO, a promotion from his current role of executive director of Manufacturing, Test and Components. Matt Baumgart steps into Steg's previous position of chief technical officer following his promotion from executive director, Research & Development. "Blue Canyon is primed for growth and marketplace opportunity in the small-satellite systems sector of the new space economy," Steg said. "With a strong senior management team at my side and the resources, synergies and talents provided to us by the backing of Raytheon Technologies, I look forward to guiding Blue Canyon into its next phase as an industry leader during these exciting and competitive times for the business." Steg has nearly 25 years f experience in the space industry with the design and analysis of spacecraft, mechanisms, and instruments. Prior to co-founding Blue Canyon, Steg spent 18 years at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was responsible for the mechanical design and analysis for optical instruments and space mechanisms on NASA programs. His designs include over 75 space mechanisms on-orbit, and he holds three patents for BCT products. Steg holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder.



About Blue Canyon Technologies Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies, offers a diverse portfolio of innovative, reliable and affordable spacecraft that enable a broad range of missions and technological advancements for the new space economy, reducing the barriers of space entry. BCT is currently supporting nearly 50 unique missions with over 90 spacecraft, all in production at their newly developed 80,000-square-foot facility in Lafayette, Colorado.

BCT has supported missions for the U.S. Air Force, NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and provided the Attitude Control Systems for the first interplanetary CubeSats, which successfully traveled to Mars. The company has been recognized with awards from Inc. Magazine's 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies, the 2020 Best in Biz Award and the 2020 Tibbetts Award. For the latest news on Blue Canyon Technologies and for other company information, please visit www.bluecanyontech.com. You can follow the company on Instagram here or Twitter (News - Alert) here. About Raytheon Intelligence & Space Raytheon Intelligence & Space delivers the disruptive technologies our customers need to succeed in any domain, against any challenge. A developer of advanced sensors, training, and cyber and software solutions, Raytheon Intelligence & Space provides a decisive advantage to civil, military and commercial customers in more than 46 countries around the world. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the business generated $15 billion in pro forma annual revenue in 2020 and has 37,000 employees worldwide. Raytheon Intelligence & Space is one of four businesses that form Raytheon Technologies Corporation. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005442/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Bridge Learning Tech and Hyundai Motor America Launch First-Ever Virtual Competition for Hyundai Dealerships across the US

Hyundai Motor America has partnered with Bridge Learning Tech (bridgeLT.com) to develop a digital platform for its first Virtual Sales and Service Consultants National Competition in 2021. Building on the success of the AI-powered platform developed for a global event in 2018, Bridge Learning Tech has created a new platform to facilitate dealership, district, regional and national rounds of Hyundai's competition. Developed in the record time, the Hyundai Walkaround platform enables Hyundai dealer sales and service consultants to demonstrate the best of their sales and customer care skills using any digital device - mobile phone, tablet or a computer. Vlad Shishkaryov, Founder and CEO of Bridge Learning Tech, personally coordinated the project, "The last year has shown the importance of digital lteracy. The vehicle sales process has been turned on its head with customers now expecting to buy online. That's not going to change any time soon and this competition had to reflect that reality.



"Having worked closely on the original global event, and on digitalization of learning assets, collaborating with Hyundai on this project was a natural next step for Bridge Learning Tech. It demonstrates how the Hyundai team is always wanting to push the boundaries and find new ways to stimulate learning for their sales and service consultants. And that, in turn, excites and fulfils us." Bridge Learning Tech is a managed learning services company specializing in performance improvement sustained by technological solutions. Bridge Learning Tech is based in Walnut Creek, California and has offices in the UK, Europe and Korea.

Hyundai Motor America offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich line up of cars, SUVs and electric vehicles. Backed by Hyundai Assurance - our promise to deliver peace of mind to customers - Hyundai sold more than 620,000 vehicles in 2020 through approximately 820 U.S. dealerships. Nearly half of those vehicles are built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005542/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Bright Machines Welcomes Restronics as a Manufacturers' Representative

Today, Bright Machines, an industry leader in intelligent, software-defined manufacturing, announced a new partnership with Restronics, a leading consultive OEM Sales Rep Organization. Restronics will now offer Bright Machines Microfactories -- a combination of adaptive software with advanced digital manufacturing to automate assembly and inspection tasks -- to their customers in New York, New Jersey, Florida, and the Southeast region. "Bright Machines Microfactories represent the realization of Industry 4.0, giving manufacturers more dynamic, efficient operations through a powerful combination of software and robotics," said Steve Heinzen, Business Development Director, Bright Machines. "We're thrilled to have Restronics join our growing roster of manufacturers' representatives so that more manufacturers will be able to advance their operations through intelligent automation." "The Restronics team takes pride in representing brand leaders in each product ctegory and only selling highly differentiated products. We're excited to be able to include Bright Machines among those products and look forward to educating manufacturers about the huge potential of smart automation," said David Leventhal, President of Restronics.



About Bright Machines Headquartered in San Francisco, Bright Machines is an industry-leading technology company that offers a revolutionary approach to intelligent, software-defined manufacturing. It leverages computer vision, machine learning, 3D simulation, and adaptive robotics to fundamentally change the flexibility, scalability, and economics of production. With more than 500 employees worldwide, Bright Machines operates R&D centers in the U.S. and Israel, with additional field operations in the U.S., Mexico, China, and Poland. Bright Machines was named a "Technology Pioneer" by the World Economic Forum and one of "America's Most Promising Artificial Intelligence Companies" by Forbes.

Bright Machines is reimagining how products can be designed and produced to address the realities of today and the future ahead. Rethink everything you ever knew about manufacturing. Visit www.brightmachines.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005102/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Caliburn International Donates $250,000 to American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS)

Caliburn International announced today its intention to commit an initial $250,000 toward a new scholarship campaign with the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS). The campaign, called "We Share the Future," will raise money to provide students from diverse communities across Iraq with access to higher education. AUIS students majoring in Engineering and Medical Laboratory Sciences who have completed one to two years of undergraduate study will be eligible for scholarships. Caliburn, which has had a long-standing presence in Iraq with its subsidiaries Sallyport, Janus Global Operations, and Comprehensive Health Services, is the first company to fund the scholarship program with several companies in the region expected to follow its lead. Caliburn has previously donated to similar initiatives, including school supply drives and a school renovation project funded and managed by Sallyport. Caliburn CEO Bob Stalick said, "The new scholarship program is another way we can give back to the people of Iraq, where we have worked for many years and have established deep relationships and a respect for the people." He noted that to help build a secure and prosperous Iraq, it is critical for the next generation to have the academic and technological background, as well as the critical thinking skills and the collaborative mindset needed to grow. "Recipients of the scholarships not only have their lives change, but their families' lives change for the better," according to AUIS President, Bruce Walker Ferguson. "The investment in an educated workforce from corporate community support is key to enabling AUIS to attract students from diverse backgrounds and creates a powerful engine both for student success and for the country's economic growth, social benefit, and regional security," Ferguson said. He added that, "Having corporations working in Iraq, like Sallyport and Janus (part of the Caliburn family), partner with the University provides job prospects for AUIS students upon graduation." Caliburn recently announced its intention to break into two independent companies, Acuity International and Valiance Humanitarian. The company expects the separation into two companies to be completed by the fall of 2021.



Companies working in the Middle East region interested in supporting the education of Iraq's future leaders, can join Caliburn and help grow the AUIS scholarship campaign by contacting AUIS VP Advancement Liza O'Connor-Stroud (US) at liza.oconnor@auis.edu.krd. About Caliburn International

Caliburn International is a global company that provides Advanced Medical Solutions, Engineering and Technology Solutions (News - Alert) and Global Mission Services for commercial and government customers. Formed by five industry-leading businesses - Comprehensive Health Services, Janus Global Operations, Project Time & Cost, Sallyport, and Michael Baker Global Services - Caliburn provides solutions and services that support national defense, global diplomacy, homeland security, healthcare, and technology development. Formed in 2018, with headquarters outside of Washington, D.C., Caliburn has global reach with 7,000 employees across five continents. Visit www.caliburnintl.com, to learn more about Caliburn. About American University of Iraq, Sulaimani American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) is the first non-governmental, not-for-profit, American-style university in Iraq. Founded in 2007 and operated for the public benefit, it is also the first non-governmental university in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region to be accredited by both the federal Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government. The only certified member in Iraq of the Association of American International Colleges and Universities, (AAICU), the University welcomes students from diverse communities throughout Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. For more information, visit http://auis.edu.krd/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005978/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Cambridge Global Payments Announces New Partnership with Western Equipment Dealers Association

Cambridge Global Payments ("Cambridge"), a FLEETCOR company (NYSE: FLT) and a provider of integrated cross-border payments and currency risk management solutions, is pleased to announce they have been selected by the Western Equipment Dealers Association ("WEDA"), the largest equipment dealer association in North America, as the endorsed and preferred provider of foreign currency exchange and international payments solutions for WEDA members across North America. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005649/en/ Through this partnership, WEDA's 2,000+ members and their companies*, will be able to gain access to and utilize Cambridge's innovative solutions to help mitigate foreign exchange exposure for their day-to-day business needs in order to help them meet their stated financial goals. Additionally, Cambridge's award-winning trading platform will enable WEDA's members to manage their global payments from a single point of access. "Cambridge is honored to become an endorsed provider with WEDA, a highly regarded association that advocates for North American agriculture, industrial, forestry and outdoor equipment dealers. I am confident that their members located across Canada and the U.S. will benefit from access to our innovative cross-border payments and currency hedging solutions, along with our experience gained in this sector" said Mark Frey, President, Cambridge Global Payments. "Our team members across North America look forward to sharing our experience and helping WEDA members grow their businesses globally." "Currency transactions and working with foreign suppliers is regular occurrence for many of our equipment dealer members. But getting a competitive rate and a suitable product is perhaps overlooked at times. This partnership with Cambridge is another way dealers may benefit from their membership with potential savings on these common transactions" said John Schmeiser, CEO, Western Equipment Dealers Association. About Cambridge Global Payments Cambridge Global Payments1, a FLEETCOR company, is a provider of integrated cross-border payment services and currency risk management solutions. As a trusted partner for more than 25 years, Cambridge delivers innovative solutions designed to mitigate foreign exchange exposure and address unique business needs. Our award-winning capabilities and industry-leading technologies simplify the way businesses connect with the global marketplace. As one of the largest bank-independent providers globally, we are flexible and responsive, with offices and applicable licensing and regulatory approvals across North America, Europe, and Australia. Learn more at cambridgefx.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. About Western Equipment Dealers Association WEDA represents over 2,000 farm, industrial and outdoor power equipment dealers in every Canadian province with the exception of Quebec - as well as nine states in the U.S. - Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. WEDA also represents 1,250 U.S. hardware retailers in the same U.S. states plus Arkansas, Louisiana, and Nebraska. As the largest equipment dealer association in North America and the largest regional trade association of its kind in North America, WEDA offers members a comprehensive array of dealer-oriented legislative, educational, and communications services, ranging from lobbying to legal, and accounting and marketing support. WEDA also provides products and services that include industry and manufacturer relations, as well as industry information and intelligence. The Association's many programs are either available only to members or provided at a reduced cost for members. Visit www.westerneda.com for more information.







1Cambridge Global Payments is the trade name of various corporations in the Cambridge group of companies including Cambridge Mercantile Corp., Cambridge Mercantile Corp. (U.S.A.), Cambridge Mercantile Corp. (UK) Limited and Cambridge Mercantile (Australia) Pty. Ltd. *Subject to Cambridge Global Payments credit and compliance approval.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005649/en/

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[June 08, 2021] CENTEGIX Badge-Based Alerting Solution Selected by Florida Schools Preparing for Alyssa's Alert

ATLANTA, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CENTEGIX, an IoT company that innovates technology to save and enrich lives, has experienced a significant increase in demand for its CrisisAlert safety solution in Florida as school administrators prepare to meet Alyssa's Alert requirements for the upcoming school year. In February, the Florida Department of Education (DOE) recommended the CENTEGIX CrisisAlert solution for school districts to comply with Alyssa's Law. The law, named after Parkland shooting victim Alyssa Alhadeff, mandates Florida public and charter schools to install a panic alarm system activated by a mobile device. CrisisAlert is the only badge-based solution approved by the DOE and does not rely on a mobile phone application downloaded to a personal device. "I wanted something that was easy to use, something that was an immediate notification to our 911 center, and has an audible and visual notification on our campus," said Dave Vincent, Citrus County school district's police chief and school safety specialist. "This is setting us to the high standard of not just being compliant with Alyssa's law, but getting the best solution for the Citrus County School District." The Lee County School District also selected CrisisAlert . "We looked for a system that was not app-based and would be able to work with minimal dependence on additional infrastructure. This is cleverly designed to use minimal infrastructure," said Dwayne Alton, Technology Operations Executive Director at Lee County Schools.



CENTEGIX has also received awards recognizing its innovation, enhanced safety, and company growth, including: 2021 Pacesetters by Atlanta Business Chronicle that recognizes the fastest-growing companies in Atlanta

that recognizes the fastest-growing companies in Secure Campus 2021 Awards in the Emergency Notification/Mass Notification and Security & Personal Safety Devices categories from Campus Security & Life Safety

in the Emergency Notification/Mass Notification and Security & Personal Safety Devices categories from Campus Security & Life Safety One of Georgia's Top 40 Technology Companies by the Technology Association of Georgia "We are honored to be trusted by so many Florida school districts to not only ensure compliance with Alyssa's Law but to go far beyond the minimal protection afforded by mobile apps. Our experience with districts across the country confirms that a wearable solution like CrisisAlert is the best option to protect students, teachers, and staff. It ensures equitable protection, empowers everyone to activate an alert, is easy to use, and communicates life-saving information to everyone in an instant during an emergency," said CENTEGIX CEO Matthew Stevens. "We are humbled to play a part in honoring the legacy of Alyssa Alhadeff and to continue to innovate market-leading technology, like our CrisisAlert platform, which has saved lives."

CENTEGIX protects over 1.5 million students and staff in over 1200 locations nationwide. About CENTEGIX

CENTEGIX innovates technology to save and enrich lives. The CrisisAlert solution is an IoT incident alert platform that utilizes mobile and desktop applications along with a mesh network to provide property-wide protection. CrisisAlert is a force multiplier, allowing staff and security professionals to request assistance and implement emergency protocols from anywhere. CrisisAlert goes well beyond the limitations of legacy communications devices and single-dimensional apps because in a crisis: Every. Second. Matters. To learn more about CENTEGIX, please visit www.centegix.com . Contact:

Mary Ford

mford@centegix.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/centegix-badge-based-alerting-solution-selected-by-florida-schools-preparing-for-alyssas-alert-301307797.html SOURCE CENTEGIX

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-09 00:23:59|Editor: huaxia

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RABAT, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Morocco's COVID-19 tally rose to 522,003 on Tuesday as 473 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours.

The death toll rose to 9,187 with six new fatalities during the last 24 hours, while 214 people are in intensive care units, according to a statement by the Ministry of Health.

The total number of recoveries from COVID-19 in Morocco increased to 509,660 after 383 new ones were added, the statement said.

The COVID-19 fatality rate in Morocco stands at 1.8 percent while the recovery rate is 97.7 percent.

Meanwhile, 9,341,497 people have received so far the first vaccine shot against COVID-19 in the country, and 6,457,177 people have received the second dose.

The North African country launched a nationwide vaccination campaign on Jan. 28 after the arrival of the first shipment of China's Sinopharm vaccines. Enditem
[June 08, 2021] Chemetry announces new CEO and new Board Member

MOSS LANDING, Calif., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chemetry announced today that its Board of Directors has selected Robert Snyder to succeed Ryan Gilliam as Chief Executive Officer, reporting to Chemetry's Board of Directors. Dr. Gilliam will become the Chairman of the Board for Chemetry. Plastics sustainability

Reduced green house gases

Reduced power consumption

Safer process Mr. Snyder, who previously served as Chief Strategy Officer for Chemetry, joined the company in 2016 after serving as Vice President of Strategy and Vice President of Chlorovinyls at Axiall. Prior to Axiall, Mr. Snyder was an executive in the Styrenics businesses at Nova Chemicals and led the EPDM business for DuPont Dow Elastomers. Mr. Snyder has an MBA from Wharton and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the Univesity of Virginia.



Dr. Gilliam, who has been Chief Executive Officer of Chemetry since 2015, joined the parent company, Calera, in 2008 to lead the Chemicals R&D organization. Dr. Gilliam has a PhD in Materials Science from the University of Toronto and serves as the CEO of Fortera, a materials company focusing on reducing CO 2 emissions in the production of building materials. "Chemetry is now focused on constructing the eShuttle EDC demonstration plant in Brazil with our partners Braskem and Technip Energies," according to Mr. Snyder. "I am very excited to have the opportunity to lead this organization as we commercialize a new process that can lower the power consumption by up to 50%, while not producing chlorine gas. This inherently safer process offers the vinyls chain an economical path to greatly reduce its carbon footprint and improve the safety of its production plants with no changes to the PVC resins produced or the raw materials used in the process."

"Since its inception, Chemetry has been focused on redefining how chemicals are made. As the company enters its next stage, transitioning from piloting efforts to commercialization, Bob's experience and leadership in the chemical sector will be invaluable for Chemetry. I am excited to remain involved with Chemetry and its exciting future ahead." About Chemetry

Chemetry is focused on developing lower energy technologies in the chemical space. Supported by a diverse team of engineers, scientists and plant operators, the company maintains an active research and development program and holds over 100 patents in the chemical and building material space. Chemetry is part of Calera Corporation, a clean technology company based in Moss Landing, California. For more information, visit www.chemetrycorp.com. Contact: Robert Snyder, (404) 823-3902, rsnyder@chemetrycorp.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chemetry-announces-new-ceo-and-new-board-member-301307254.html SOURCE Chemetry

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[June 08, 2021] Come Together at the 2021 Alvaria Customer Experience Conference

Today, Alvaria, a global leader in customer experience and workforce engagement technology solutions, is delighted to announce that registration is open for ACE, Come Together, September 14 - 16, 2021. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005083/en/ "Whether you're joining us in-person or streaming live from wherever you are, you won't want to miss seeing the exciting Alvaria product roadmap that combines the best technology from Aspect and Noble," said Michael Harris (News - Alert) , Chief Product Officer & CMO at Alvaria. Aspect Software and Noble Systems have come together as Alvaria. Get to know the new company first-hand and learn how Alvaria is reshaping customer experience and workforce engagement. This event attracts customer experience executives, contact center and orkforce management leaders globally, across a wide range of industries, for three days of collaborative discussions, networking, keynote speakers and a deep dive into the Alvaria solutions powering many of the world's largest enterprise contact centers.



Colleen Sheley, Alvaria VP of Marketing said, "I'm looking forward to brand and loyalty expert, Alex Hunter, former head of digital for the Virgin Group sharing his insight with our customers. They'll come away with a better understanding of how to create enduring loyalty with their customers in our fast-paced, highly connected world." Register before July 7th to take advantage of the early bird price of $25.00 (regular price $99.00). Learn more about nominating your executive team to join us in-person at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada for the new ACE Executive Leadership Summit.

Reserve your spot. Register for ACE today. https://events.alvaria.com/ACE2021 About Alvaria: Alvaria was founded through the merger of Aspect Software and Noble Systems (News - Alert) , technology leaders in Customer Experience (CX) and Workforce Engagement solutions. Our name is derived from Latin for "hives" - nature's perfect form for millions of years - bringing you solutions that are scalable, resilient and secure, with efficiency, speed and pinpoint accuracy. ALVARIA TM. Reshaping Customer Experience TM. For more information, please visit www.alvaria.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005083/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Compass Expands To Kansas City And St. Louis

NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Compass, Inc. (NYSE: COMP), a leading real estate technology company, today announced its expansion to Missouri and Kansas with offices in Kansas City and St. Louis. The company welcomes more than 40 top agents representing over $520 million in 2020 sales volume across both markets. Principal agents joining Compass in Kansas City include: Kristin Malfer of Malfer & Associates, Nancy, Cory and John Ward of Ward Residential, and Shannon Brimacombe, Stacy Cohen, and Trent Gallagher of Brimacombe & Cohen. Principal agents joining Compass in St. Louis include: Lizzy Dooley and Megan Rowe of the Dooley Rowe Network, Susie O. Johnson and Lindsey Jacobs of the Susie O. Johnson Team, Katie Curran and Larry Levy. "It is with much excitement that we welcome such an esteemed group of agents in St. Louis and Kansas City to our Compass family," said Compass Central Division President Danielle Wilkie. "We look forward to advancing their businesses and complementing their talent with the Compass technology platform in our quest to innovate the real estate experience throughout both Kansas and Missouri." Compass helps agents grow their businesses, serve more clients, save time, and stand out as valued, trusted and professional advisors in their markets. During the first quarter of 2021 Compass had revenue of $1.1 billion, an 80% increase from Q1 2020. While the U.S. residential real estate market grew transactions by 14% in Q1, Compass grew Total Transactions by 67%.1 Malfer & Associates, led by Kristin Malfer, is one of the top-performing teams in Kansas City with more than 150 years of combined experience servicing home buyers and sellers at all price points in the Kansas City metro. "My mission is to provide the best possible experience for our buyers and sellers. Compass offers the tools, technology and marketing power to enhance our agents' ability to provide that outstanding quality and service," said Kristen Malfer, Compass Agent in Kansas City. "I am extremely proud to be a founding partner of Compass Realty Group in Kansas City. It is so exciting to help elevate the real estate market here in our community." Brimacombe and Cohen has sold more than $61 million in real estate sales, earning them a spot on the Kansas City Business Journal Top 25 for nine consecutive years. Ward Residential, led by Nancy, Cory, and John Ward, bring over five decades of combined experience and have consistently ranked in the top 25 of the Kansas City Business Journal's list of Top Residential Real Estate Agents and Teams. "Compass presented Brimacombe & Cohen with an incredible opportunity to join a world-class company that consistently strives to provide an elevated client service experience from start tofinish," said Shannon Brimacombe, Stacy Cohen and Trent Gallagher, Compass Agents in Kansas City. "This, combined with their unrivaled technology, empowers its agents to do and be their best every day. It was an easy choice."



The Dooley Rowe Network joins Compass in St. Louis, representing a collective 100 years of real estate experience and more than $1 billion in closed transactions. "We are excited to partner with Compass as we enter the next chapter of our team's growth," said Lizzy Dooley and Nancy Rowe, Compass Agents in St. Louis. "Compass offers us cutting-edge technology that has not been available in this market until now and unparalleled support, so we can continue to provide our clients with the highest level of service. We are honored to be a part of the founding group in St. Louis - we know this is just the beginning."

Other agents joining Compass released the following statements: "We are thrilled to be joining Compass. Their sophisticated technology and marketing platform will provide us the tools we need to be more efficient while providing excellent customer service. This move will enable us to take our business to the next level and achieve outstanding results for our clients."  Susie O. Johnson and Lindsey Jacobs , Compass Agents, St. Louis

and , Compass Agents, "Compass is re-imagining the real estate industry by accelerating next generation technology and methodologies. This aligns perfectly with my approach of leveraging modern tools to enhance my clients' buying or selling experience. Together, we will introduce St. Louis to what the future of real estate looks like."  Katie Curran , Compass Agent, St. Louis

to what the future of real estate looks like."  , Compass Agent, "I'm honored to be a part of the founding group of Compass St. Louis. My experienced buyers and sellers will be excited by Compass AI and marketing technology, which will make real estate searches and marketing seamless and fast. I'm most excited by Compass Concierge, which fronts the cost of prepping a seller's home for the market."  Larry Levy , Compass Agent, St. Louis The company has brought on local leading real estate professionals to support agents, including Jason Pashia as Managing Director of Missouri and Kansas, Lee Robertson as Broker of Record for Missouri and Kansas, and Annie Premis as Sales Manager of Kansas City. Collectively, they bring over 60 years of real estate experience to Compass. Compass is home to nearly 21,000 agents operating in over 50 markets in the U.S. In 2020, Compass agents assisted home sellers and buyers to transact approximately $152 billion in residential real estate. With 4% of the U.S. market, Compass is the largest independent real estate brokerage by Gross Transaction Value.2 About Compass

Founded in 2012, Compass is a leading real estate technology company, providing an end-to-end platform that empowers its residential real estate agents to deliver exceptional service to seller and buyer clients. The platform includes an integrated suite of cloud-based software for customer relationship management, marketing, client service, brokerage services and other critical functionality, all custom-built for the real estate industry. Compass agents utilize the platform to grow their business, save time and manage their business more effectively. For more information on how Compass empowers real estate agents, one of the largest groups of small business owners in the country, please visit www.Compass.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" including, among other things, our expansion into Missouri and Kansas, our operations in Missouri and Kansas, and our ability to successfully enter and grow in the Missouri and Kansas markets or other territories. Statements containing words such as "could," "believe," "expect," "intend," "will," or similar expressions constitute forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements reflect our current perspective on existing trends and information as of the date of this release. Actual results may differ materially from our current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting our business, including, but not limited to, expansion into new markets, prevailing market conditions, the impact of general economic, industry or political conditions in the United States or internationally, and risks related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The foregoing list of risks and uncertainties is illustrative, but is not exhaustive. For information about other potential factors that could affect our business and financial results, please review the "Risk Factors" described in our Prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on April 1, 2021, and our other filings with the SEC. Except as may be required by law, we undertake no obligation, and do not intend, to update these forward-looking statements after the date of this release. 1 We calculate Total Transactions by taking the sum of all transactions closed on the Compass platform in which our agent represented the buyer or seller in the purchase or sale of a home (excluding rental transactions). We include a single transaction twice when one or more Compass agents represent both the buyer and seller in any given transaction. 14% figure based on NAR data as of March 2021.

2 Gross Transaction Value is the sum of all closing sale prices for homes transacted by agents on the Compass platform (excluding rental transactions). We include the value of a single transaction twice when our agents serve both the home buyer and home seller in the transaction. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/compass-expands-to-kansas-city-and-st-louis-301307858.html SOURCE Compass

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[June 08, 2021] Does China have democracy?

BEIJING, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- An interview with Sun Wanlu, a commentator from China.org.cn on China's democracy: I don't quite get why people often ask us these kinds of questions. As an ordinary Chinese person born in the 1980s, what I want to say is that there are other things that concern me more: Like, how can I earn more money? What will my parents' future look like? And what kind of school will my kids go to? If your leaders are elected by a "one person, one vote" system, then cool! But when I looked into it, I found the numbers are staggering Is it really each person's vote that decides who gets elected? Isn't it money that decides? What exactly is democracy? The concept is based on majority rule, and rule by the people. For me, democracy is whether my concerns are heard by those making the decisions and whether my opinions are considered or adopted in the deciion-making process.



My parents are almost 60 and often struggle with new technology. This is a pretty common problem nowadays among older people. So, some deputies of the National People's Congress (NPC) conducted interviews, researched the issues, and then submitted proposals to the NPC. At the same time, a lot of people also called for social media platforms to provide solutions. In the end, China issued guidelines this year on the matter, with many websites, apps and smart devices starting to roll out special elderly-friendly designs. Of course, a transformation like this requires concerted efforts from enterprises, government departments and other sectors, and involves many processes. For that reason, various parties need to be consulted before policies are formulated. Everyone participates equally in the discussion process and has the chance to express their opinions. Only when a consensus is reached can a policy be finalized and implemented smoothly.

Just like this example shows, these systems allow people's wants and needs to be reflected in the country's policies and laws. Isn't that democracy? China Mosaic

http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm Does China have democracy?

http://www.china.org.cn/video/2021-06/08/content_77556179.htm View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/does-china-have-democracy-301307561.html SOURCE China.org.cn

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[June 08, 2021] EIG-Owned Cerro Dominador Inaugurates Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Plant in Chile

EIG, a leading institutional investor to the global energy sector and one of the world's leading infrastructure investors, today announced the inauguration of the Cerro Dominador solar complex following a successful synchronization with the Chilean National Electrical System. Cerro Dominador is wholly-owned by funds managed by EIG. Located in the heart of Chile's Atacama Desert, one of the best locations in the world for solar generation, the complex comprises a 110 MW CSP (News - Alert) plant and a contiguous 100 MW photovoltaic ("PV") plant that has been operational since 2017. The CSP plant runs on cutting-edge technology that uses solar energy to heat molten salt, which is then stored in large tanks to be used to generate electricity through a steam turbine. This technology provides up to 17.5 hours of energy storage thereby enabling the production of 100% renewable energy 24-hours a day, seven days a week. The complex can offset approximately 640,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year and generate enough energy to power approximately 380,000 homes. R. Blair Thomas, Chairman & CEO of EIG, said, "We are proud to support this groundbreaking project, which will provide the Chilean national grid with flexible, safe and reliable renewable energy and contribute meaningfully to reducing CO2 emissions in Chile. The project is fully aligned with ur ESG goals and priorities and is helping to lay the groundwork for a low carbon future through the production of clean, reliable and cost-effective energy. We are committed to continued investment in future CSP projects in Chile and other parts of the world."



To commemorate the inauguration of the solar complex, Cerro Dominador hosted a ceremony at the facility that was attended by President Sebastian Pinera of Chile, Juan Carlos Jobet, Chile's Minister of Energy and Mining, Carolina Schmidt, Chile's Minister of the Environment, and other leading government officials. Mr. Thomas and Fernando Gonzalez, Cerro Dominador's CEO, also participated. About EIG

EIG is a leading institutional investor to the global energy sector with $21.7 billion under management as of March 31, 2021. EIG specializes in private investments in energy and energy-related infrastructure on a global basis. During its 39-year history, EIG has committed over $37 billion to the energy sector through more than 370 projects or companies in 37 countries on six continents. EIG's clients include many of the leading pension plans, insurance companies, endowments, foundations and sovereign wealth funds in the U.S., Asia and Europe. EIG is headquartered in Washington, D.C. with offices in Houston, London, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong and Seoul. For additional information, please visit EIG's website at www.eigpartners.com.

About Cerro Dominador

Cerro Dominador owns the Cerro Dominador Solar complex, with 210 MW of capacity, combining a 100 MW photovoltaic plant, and the first solar thermal plant in Latin America with 110 MW of capacity and 17.5 hours of thermal storage. The company, owned by funds managed by EIG, seeks to contribute to the transformation of the energy matrix by developing renewable energy projects. With innovation, Cerro Dominador creates renewable energy projects that are flexible, manageable and sustainable. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005202/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Fetch Rewards Announces Partnership with Albertsons Companies

MADISON, Wis. and BOISE, Idaho, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fetch Rewards, the nation's No. 1 consumer-loyalty and shopper-rewards app, announced today its first-ever retail partnership with Albertsons Companies, one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States. The partnership between Fetch Rewards and Albertsons Cos. comes after a successful five-week pilot program aimed at driving Fetch users to shop at nearly 200 of the company's stores. Albertsons Cos. leveraged Fetch Rewards' direct, one-to-one consumer relationship and sent users personalized offers to drive market activations and customer acquisition. The campaign resulted in strong incremental sales from existing shoppers. It also drove a significant number of new and re-engaged users to the stores who were established Fetch Rewards fans. "We're constantly looking at innovative and relevant ways to engage with our customers, and after seeing such strong results, we decided to expand the Fetch Rewards pilot to additional stores," said Usman Humayun, VP of Digital Marketing for Albertsons Cos. "This relationship is a win-win for our company and for our customers who use Fetch to earn rewards on grocery, retail and restaurant purchases." With the nationwide rollout, Fetch Rewards shoppers will soon have access to exclusive offers at the Albertsons Companies' family of stores. This includes more than 2,200 supermarkets across 34 states and the Distict of Columbia operating under 20 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco and more.



"Expanding our business model to include retail partners is the next step in the evolution of Fetch Rewards as we work to maximize the value and savings we deliver for our shoppers," said Jason Marker, Chief Growth Officer of Fetch Rewards. "Albertsons Companies is an outstanding grocer, and we are so excited to be working with them to provide shoppers with even more ways to get rewarded for their purchases." About Fetch Rewards:

Headquartered in Madison, Wis. with offices in Chicago, New York City and San Francisco, Fetch Rewards is the fastest-growing consumer loyalty and shopper rewards app in the U.S. By working directly with hundreds of popular brands, Fetch Rewards gives shoppers access to savings on tens of thousands of products, whenever and wherever they are purchased. Since launching in 2017, the Fetch Rewards app has been downloaded nearly 19 million times and has nearly 7 million active users. To date, Fetch has processed nearly a billion receipts and has delivered more than $120 million in points to its shoppers. A top-ranked app in the App Store and Google Play Store, Fetch Rewards has more than one million five-star reviews from happy shoppers. Download the app, and visit https://www.fetchrewards.com for more information. About Albertsons Companies: Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. The company operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs. Albertsons Cos. is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2019 alone, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the company gave $225 million in food and financial support. In 2020, Albertsons Cos. made a $53 million commitment to community hunger relief efforts and a $5 million commitment to organizations supporting social justice. These efforts have helped millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, social justice and programs for people with disabilities and veterans' outreach. MEDIA CONTACT: Allison Geyer, a.geyer@fetchrewards.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fetch-rewards-announces-partnership-with-albertsons-companies-301307783.html SOURCE Fetch Rewards

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[June 08, 2021] GelSight Welcomes New CEO to Drive Market Adoption of Tactile Imaging and Sensing Technology

GelSight, a pioneer in industrial tactile imaging and sensing technology, today announced that experienced imaging technology executive Youssef Benmokhtar has joined the company as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005261/en/ Leading technology business development executive Youssef Benmokhtar joins GelSight as CEO to achieve broad adoption of its breakthrough elastomeric 3D imaging and metrology solutions (Photo: Business Wire) Benmokhtar joins GelSight from enterprise augmented reality leader Magic Leap, where he spearheaded the company's business development activities and formed major strategic partnerships with technology, media, and telecommunications firms. Prior to his tenure at Magic Leap, Mr. Benmokhtar held leadership positions for a number of imaging, optics and semiconductor companies, including FotoNation, OmniVison Technologies, DigitalOptics, and STMicroelectronics (News - Alert) .



With a B.S. Industrial Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a Master's in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (News - Alert) , Mr. Benmokhtar brings a unique blend of technical and engineering skills, deal-making experience, and talent for building top-performing teams. Specifically, at Magic Leap, he worked across several different business functions to close major partnerships, secure investments, and adjust product definitions to better define target audience and increase customer base across the globe. "I was drawn to GelSight, not just by the potential of the elastomeric technology, but by the highly-skilled team that Dr. Kimo Johnson and the other core executives have assembled to push the boundaries of 3D imaging," said Youssef Benmokhtar, CEO, GelSight. "I am looking forward to working with Kimo and the team to drive market adoption of this exceptional technology and to pursue new use cases in industries that could benefit from the ability to measure any solid surface, including highly reflective surfaces like glass and polished metal, unlike traditional tactile and vision measurement tools."

GelSight co-founder, Dr. Kimo Johnson will step into the role of Chief Product Officer to oversee the link between GelSight's technology and its customers' evolving needs. As the company enters new markets, Mr. Johnson will ensure that the product roadmap aligns with the unique trends and use cases for 3D imaging and tactile sensing within industries such as robotics, aerospace, automotive, forensics, and more. "This is an exciting time for GelSight as we prepare to further advance our technology and drive growth in new areas," said Dr. Kimo Johnson, Chief Product Officer, GelSight. "As a founding member of the company, I bring deep connectivity with our customers and partners into my new role, and I look forward to working alongside Youssef and the rest of the growing team to enhance our product offering." To learn more about GelSight's technology and team, please visit https://gelsight.com/. About GelSight

GelSight develops portable, non-destructive elastomeric 3D imaging systems used to improve quality control processes in aerospace, automotive and other high-value industries. The proprietary technology that was invented at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology provides extremely detailed and rapid surface measurements and robotic sensing capabilities. For more information, please visit https://gelsight.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005261/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Goodlife Pharmacy Gives East African Moms Peace of Mind with THINKMD's Technology That "Thinks" Like a Doctor

How do I give my child the best start in life? It is a question that mothers ask themselves in the first 1,000 days of a baby's life - an important window of opportunity for good nutrition and healthcare. Goodlife Pharmacy has partnered with THINKMD to help moms find the answers that they need. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005020/en/ Credit: Goodlife Pharmacy Supported by THINKMD's clinical intelligence technology, which helps a user identify how sick a person is, what illness they may have and what appropriate next steps to take, Goodlife Pharmacy will now offer moms and their babies in-house clinical assessments. This will give moms accurate and trusted guidance and information so that they know whether or not they or their baby is sick, what the risks are, what medication they may need, as well as if they should be referred to a doctor or a nurse for further assessment. Goodlife Pharmacy, which has over 70 stores in both Kenya and Uganda, will offer the service in 37 sores across the two countries. The Goodlife Pharmacy website will also allow moms to assess themselves or their babies remotely.



"Goodlife Pharmacy's vision is to be the first-choice primary healthcare and wellness provider in Eastern Africa. Moms and babies are top priority, with research showing that the first three years of life are critical for health," says Amaan Khalfan, CEO, Goodlife Pharmacy. "Our pharmacists will now have the skills and tools to support moms so that they can make informed healthcare decisions thereafter." THINKMD, a social impact company, founded by doctors, has partnered with NGOs across the globe for several years, such as Save The Children and Healthy Learners, to support access to health for moms, babies and school-aged children. The technology has been scientifically proven to produce clinical assessments and triage recommendations that correlate up to 95% to that of a physician's assessment.

"Goodlife Pharmacy has a track record of high quality service delivery, while upholding integrity and high ethical standards, which is exactly what THINKMD seeks out in partnerships. We firmly believe that they can accelerate access to healthcare across the region in an affordable and convenient way, alleviating some of the stress and worry that so many new moms face," says Barry Finette, CEO and co-founder, THINKMD. The integrated clinical assessments are available in select stores from 24 May 2021. About Goodlife Pharmacy Goodlife Pharmacy provides high-quality, individual customer care at an affordable price in convenient locations, reaching over 1.2 million people with 68 branches across the East African region. www.goodlife.co.ke About THINKMD THINKMD's mission is to make clinical intelligence technology universally accessible so that anyone, anywhere can make better healthcare decisions. www.thinkmd.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005020/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Green Circle Capital announces Plant-Based Dairy transaction

Green Circle Capital Advisors, is pleased to announce that on May 25, 2021 members of the firm (also registered reps with broker-dealer Dalmore Group LLC, member FINRA/SIPC) acted as the exclusive sell-side advisors in the sale of Bute Island Foods, Ltd., makers of award-winning vegan cheese brand Sheese and the leading private label manufacturer of non-dairy cheeses in the UK. The company was sold to Saputo Foods of Canada, a leading global dairy company. Bute Island Foods/Sheese is located on the Isle of Bute, off the West coast of Scotland (United Kingdom) and employs approximately 180 people, including its founders. "We are thrilled for our friends at Bute Island. The owners-like our own team at Green Circle-are very mission-driven, and were concerned bout choosing a partner that could provide the resources needed for them to jointly build the leading dairy alternative platform in the world," said Stu Strumwasser, Managing Director, Green Circle. "We see it as a great outcome for all."



About Green Circle Capital: Green Circle is a leading, boutique investment banking consulting firm focused on natural and plant-based products. Green Circle's Founder, Stu Strumwasser, became a vegetarian at the age of 14 in 1980, and an investment professional in 1990. Led by a team of experienced investment professionals and former operators that provide consulting services in raising capital and mergers & acquisitions the firm's focus is very specifically applied to middle market companies in certain segments of the health & wellness ecosystem where our experience, knowledge, and network are uniquely extensive. Green Circle's reach is global, as we have represented clients in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. Our client companies are typically led by bold entrepreneurs or family-owned.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005019/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Group 11 Technologies To Present at LD Micro Invitational XI

DALLAS, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Group 11 Technologies Inc. (Group 11) is pleased to announce the company will be hosting a corporate presentation at the LD Micro Invitational XI Event. Chief Technical Officer, Dennis Stover, and Janet Lee-Sheriff, President, will be presenting on Thursday, June 10th @ 5:30 PM ET. Register to watch the presentation here.

The 2021 LD Micro Invitational will be held on the Sequire Virtual Events platform from June 8th to June 10th, 2021. This three-day, virtual investor conference features approximately 180 companies plus several influential keynote speakers. About LD Micro

LD Micro aims to be the most crucial resource in the micro-cap world. Whether it is the index, comprehensive data, or hosting the most significant events on an annual basis, LD's sole mission to serve as an invaluable asset for all those interested in finding the next generation of great companies. For more information: http://www.ldmicro.com About Group 11 Technologies Inc.

Group 11 is a private US-based company committed to the development and application of environmentally and socially responsible precious metals mineral extraction. The combination of in-situ recovery extraction (ISR) technology and environmentally friendly water based chemistry to recover gold and other metals provides a promising alternate solution to conventional open pit and underground mineral extraction. The goal of advancing sustainable extraction considers growing concerns surrounding wateruse and discharge, carbon footprint, energy consumption, community stakeholders and workplace safety while addressing a growing global need for metals in our daily lives.



Group 11 Technologies Inc. is led by a group of technical pioneers and experts in the development and application of in-situ recovery (ISR) with significant experience operating in Wyoming. Group 11s goal is to combine ISR, a non-invasive extraction technology, with an environmentally friendly water-based chemistry to recover gold and other metals, providing an alternative development path to conventional open pit and underground mineral extraction. Group 11 was founded by Enviroleach Technologies Inc. (CSE: ETI; OTCQB: EVLLF), Encore Energy Corp. (TSXV: EU; OTCQB: ENCUF) and Golden Predator Mining Corp. (TSXV: GPY; OTCQB: NTGSF).

Group 11 is a group of elements in the periodic table, also known as the coinage metals, consisting of gold (Au), silver (Ag) and copper (Cu). For additional information:

Group 11 Technologies Inc.

Janet Sheriff, President

214-304-9552

info@gr11tech.com

www.gr11tech.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws including transactions and other properties, and the potential advancement thereof. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward- looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. Estimates of mineral resources and reserves are also forward looking statements because they constitute projections regarding the amount of minerals that may be encountered in the future. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation; statements about the terms and completion of the transaction are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the respective companies undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.



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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-09 00:44:08|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

HONG KONG -- The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) on Tuesday unveiled "Fintech 2025", the new strategy for driving fintech development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The new strategy aims to encourage the financial sector to adopt technology comprehensively by 2025, as well as to promote the provision of fair and efficient financial services for the benefit of Hong Kong people and the economy. (Hong Kong-Fintech)

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DHAKA -- Bangladesh reported 2,322 new COVID-19 cases, the highest since April 29, and 44 more deaths on Tuesday, taking the total to 815,282 and the death toll to 12,913, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said.

The official data showed that 19,165 samples were tested in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh.

The total number of recovered patients stood at 755,302 including 2,062 new recoveries on Tuesday, said the DGHS. (Bangladesh-COVID-19 cases)

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NEW DELHI -- Director of India's premier health institute, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Randeep Guleria said Tuesday he does not think that COVID-19 will have a serious impact on children.

The AIIMS chief said there was no evidence or data to support the claims of COVID-19 affecting children.

"No data, global or Indian, has had any observations of children being affected more. Even in the data from the second wave kids who were infected had mild illness or co-morbidities," Guleria said during a press briefing of the federal health ministry. (India-COVID-19-Children)

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JAKARTA -- The COVID-19 cases in Indonesia rose by 6,294 within one day to 1,869,325, with the death toll adding by 189 to 51,992, the health ministry said on Tuesday.

According to the ministry, 5,805 more people were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 1,717,370.

The virus has spread to all the country's 34 provinces. (Indonesia-COVID-19 cases)

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MAIMANA, Afghanistan -- Taliban militants took the control of a district in Afghanistan's northern province of Faryab after heavily clashes late Monday, local media Tolo News TV reported on Tuesday.

The center of Faryab province's Dawlat Abad district fell to the Taliban militants on Monday evening, a member of the provincial council, Abdul Ahad Elbek said, Tolo TV News reported. (Afghanistan-Taliban attack) Enditem
[June 08, 2021] GS Foods Group Opens First Texas Distribution Center

GS Foods Group, Inc. ("GS Foods"), a leading specialized food distributor owned by affiliates of Highview Capital, LLC ("Highview") and A&M Capital Partners ("AMCP"), today announced the opening of a new distribution center in Houston, Texas. The facility will serve school districts throughout the state - providing healthy, fresh meals to millions of students each week. Headquartered in California, GS Foods encompasses a family of specialized foodservice distribution companies including Gold Star Foods, one of the nation's largest school nutrition providers serving 2,040 K-12 school districts nationwide to provide meals to 8.7 million students per day - more than 25% of the school lunch population. Through its new facility in Houston, Gold Star Foods will leverage its industry expertise, diverse supplier relationships and deep understanding of the policies and programs that guide school nutrition to serve Texas school districts. "GS Foods continues to expand our operations to meet the needs of students and school districts - and we are proud to extend our footprint to Texas today," said Sean Leer, CEO, GS Foods. "As one of the leading specialty distributors nationwide, we look forward to collaborating with the state's school nutrition professionals and coordinators to provide millions of students with access to the fresh, healthy and reliable meals that they depend on each day." The establishment of GS Foods' Texas facility follows the opening of two distribution centers in Oregon and Colorado last year. GS Foods now has distribution centers in 10 states including California, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Maryland, Virginia, Louisiana and Colorado.



To learn more about GS Foods, visit: GSFoodsGroup.com About GS Foods Group

GS Foods Group ("GS Foods") is a family of specialized foodservice distribution companies. GS Foods uses its sophisticated network of facilities to provide trusted food distribution and product solutions to specialized foodservice segments, including education, corrections, non-profit, business & industry and healthcare. GS Foods' independent subsidiaries, Good Source (News - Alert) Solutions, Inc. and Gold Star Foods, Inc., collectively serve over 8,000 customers nationwide. GS Foods is owned by affiliates of Highview Capital, LLC and A&M Capital Partners. About Highview Capital, LLC Highview Capital, LLC is an opportunistic private equity investment vehicle headquartered in Los Angeles, CA (News - Alert) with approximately $500 million in assets under management providing transformational equity. Highview leverages its creative vision and expertise to partner with management teams of leading middle-market businesses undergoing periods of transformation, including growth, expansion or performance improvement. For more information, visit www.highviewcp.com. About A&M Capital Partners A&M Capital Partners is Alvarez & Marsal Capital's flagship investment strategy focused on middle-market control transactions in North America with total assets under management of approximately $1.8 billion. AMCP partners with founders, corporates and management teams, providing the capital and strategic assistance that we believe is required to take businesses to the next level of success. AMCP invests in businesses across a wide range of sectors including Business Services, Industrials, Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, Consumer & Retail, Government Services, Financial Services and Energy Services. More broadly, Alvarez & Marsal Capital is a multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over $3.0 billion in total assets under management across three investment strategies, which maintains a strategic association with Alvarez & Marsal, one of the largest operationally-focused advisory firms in the world. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005346/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Harrison Street Announces $1.6 Billion in Transformational Medical Office and Senior Housing Transactions

Harrison Street, one of the leading investment management firms exclusively focused on alternative real assets, today announced it has entered into a series of transactions under which Harrison Street agreed to purchase 24 senior housing assets and sell 14 medical office properties across eight states, multiples sellers and counterparties for a total transaction value of approximately $1.6 billion. Christopher Merrill, Harrison Street's Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said, "This highly complex series of transactions, which includes 40 properties, multiple closings, and numerous counterparties each with unique needs, reflects Harrison Street's sector expertise, deep relationships, and execution ability. We are excited by the opportunities that exist across each of our core sectors and to bring Harrison Street's substantial resources to bear to support vital sectors of the economy and to drive value for our investors and partners." Acquisition of Assisted Living and Memory Care Portfolio Harrison Street has agreed to acquire a portfolio of 24 Class A senior housing properties focused on assisted living and memory care consisting of 2,195 units across California and Nevada for approximately $1.2 billion. Twelve properties were acquired from Healthpeak Properties, Inc. ("Healthpeak") and are operated by Oakmont Management Group ("Oakmont"), and the remaining 12 properties are owned by Gallaher Companies ("Gallaher"), also operated by Oakmont, and many are either recently completed or currently under construction. The Healthpeak stabilized portfolio has averaged 96% occupancy from 2016-2019. The properties, which are on average four years old, are locted in premier senior housing markets supported by affluent and growing populations in Montecito, Escondido, Roseville, Alameda, Fair Oaks, Concord, Chino Hills, Whittier, Santa Clarita, San Jose, Valencia and Huntington Beach. The Gallaher properties are located in Camarillo, Oxnard, Stockton, Torrance, Sacramento, Novato, San Jose, Fullerton, Simi Valley, and Roseville, California as well as Las Vegas, Nevada.



Michael Gordon (News - Alert) , Global Chief Investment Officer at Harrison Street, added, "The senior housing sector remained resilient throughout the pandemic and is poised for growth. Specifically, the assets we are acquiring are managed by a leading operator in Oakmont and located in attractive markets backed by solid demographics, high barriers to entry and historically high occupancy rates. Further, we remain committed to the medical office sector and continue to evaluate and acquire attractive properties that meet our strict investment criteria." Sale of Medical Office Properties

Additionally, Harrison Street has agreed to sell to Healthpeak a 14-property medical office portfolio with 833,000 square feet across Virginia, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, and California for approximately $371 million. The properties are held across Harrison Street's Core Fund and U.S. Opportunity Funds. Harrison Street is one of the most active real estate investors in healthcare, continuing to expand activity in senior housing, medical office, behavioral health, life sciences and hospital infrastructure sectors. Since inception, the firm has closed 552 assets within the healthcare sector for a total cost of approximately $19.5 billion. About Harrison Street Harrison Street is one of the leading investment management firms exclusively focused on alternative real assets. Since inception in 2005, the firm has created a series of differentiated investment solutions focused on demographic-driven, needs-based assets. The firm has invested across senior housing, student housing, healthcare delivery, life sciences and storage real estate as well as social and utility infrastructure. Headquartered in Chicago with offices in London and Toronto, the firm has more than 190-employees and approximately $33 billion in assets under management. Clients of the firm include a global institutional investor base domiciled in North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Latin America. Harrison Street has been awarded Best Places to Work by Pensions & Investments for the last seven consecutive years and was named 2020 Global Alternatives Investor of the Year by PERE. For more information, please visit www.harrisonst.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005906/en/

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[June 08, 2021] HashiCorp Delivers Terraform 1.0 Milestone Release for Multi-Cloud Provisioning Product with 100 Million Downloads and Over 5,000 Ecosystem Add-Ons

SAN FRANCISCO, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HashiCorp , the leader in multi-cloud infrastructure automation software, today at HashiConf Europe announced the general availability of HashiCorp Terraform 1.0. HashiCorp Terraform is the standard for multi-cloud provisioning and automation. This announcement also includes enhancements to HashiCorp Terraform Cloud, which offers provisioning automation as a service.

With this milestone release, Terraform provides its infrastructure as code approach with new guarantees for scalability, ecosystem interoperability, and stability. In addition, Terraform Cloud adds enhancements to the Terraform Cloud workflow, including the ability to publish curated modules to a private registry, enhancements to workspace management, and a preview of the ability to check with third-party tools related to a Terraform run. Terraform is downloaded tens of millions of times each year, has been downloaded more than 100 million times since its inception, and is supported by a growing ecosystem of 100 technology partners, and more than 1,000 providers and 5,000 modules in the Terraform Registry that are designed to more easily manage diverse pieces of cloud and on-premises infrastructure. Terraform has emerged as the lingua franca for infrastructure automation, delivering a best-in-class experience for users, said Armon Dadgar, co-founder and CTO, HashiCorp. This milestone release includes major enhancements focused on many fronts, which is designed to deliver stability, scalability and interoperability guarantees to Terraform users. With Terraform 1.0, users can feel confident about standardizing on this release for years to come, while also knowing we will continue to add exciting new innovations. Todays announcement includes major milestones and enhancements for Terraform focused on three core pillars: automation, workflow, and ecosystem. Terraform 1.0  Since its initial release in 2014, there have been 15 major Terraform releases, which have included more than 1,500 contributors. Terraform 1.0 meets the high expectations that come with HashiCorp 1.0 releases: community confidence to build upon a stable API, ease of upgrades, and interoperability for all future 1.x releases. This release is now generally available.

Since its initial release in 2014, there have been 15 major Terraform releases, which have included more than 1,500 contributors. Terraform 1.0 meets the high expectations that come with HashiCorp 1.0 releases: community confidence to build upon a stable API, ease of upgrades, and interoperability for all future 1.x releases. This release is now generally available. Public Registry to Private Registry Publisher Workflow  Terraform Cloud and Enterprise offer capabilities to compose, collaborate, and reuse infrastructure as code using modules and the public and private registry options. The public registry has more than 5,000 community modules, and Terraform Cloud now offers a native workflow to publish modules from the public registry directly into an organization's private registry. This capability is now generally available.

Terraform Cloud and Enterprise offer capabilities to compose, collaborate, and reuse infrastructure as code using modules and the public and private registry options. The public registry has more than 5,000 community modules, and Terraform Cloud now offers a native workflow to publish modules from the public registry directly into an organization's private registry. This capability is now generally available. Workspace Management, Overview, and Insights  Standardization and inspection is a primary goal for IT operations teams as they oversee a self-service provisioning model in their organizations. With Terraform Cloud, users can more easily visualize workspaces, resources managed, outputs, and details of runs with the new Workspace Overview and enhanced run details. This capability is now generally available.

Standardization and inspection is a primary goal for IT operations teams as they oversee a self-service provisioning model in their organizations. With Terraform Cloud, users can more easily visualize workspaces, resources managed, outputs, and details of runs with the new Workspace Overview and enhanced run details. This capability is now generally available. Terraform Run Checks for third-party Integrations  Terraform Cloud now has the ability for partners to integrate into the Terraform workflow during a run and provide additional context to check against the Terraform plan. Today, Terraform Cloud has executed 1.6 million Sentinel policy checks. This capability is designed to deliver many more policy options for organizations using Terraform Cloud to enforce security, compliance, and cost management best practices. This capability will be available in public beta during summer 2021. Since its launch in 2014, Terraform has become a byword for infrastructure as code," said James Governor, co-founder of RedMonk, "With its 1.0 release ad new cloud managed offerings, it's set to become more widely adopted by enterprises and startups alike."



Terraform Customer Adoption

Organizations have standardized infrastructure provisioning and automation using Terraform. Today, Terraform Enterprise is used by more than 1,200 enterprises, and Terraform Cloud has more than 120,000 users that execute more than 30,000 runs per day. Terraform Cloud and Enterprise are used by more than 15% of the Fortune 500 and are deployed in 45 countries. Organizations using Terraform for cloud infrastructure automation include 3M, AGL Energy, AXA Schweiz, Barclays, Booking.com, Comcast, Cruise, Decathlon, Deutsche Boerse Group, Ellie Mae, Equifax, FIS, George Washington University, GitHub, Grab Taxi, H&R Block, Humana, JPMC, KPMG, National Australia Bank, PayPal, Pinterest, Progressive, Roblox, Samsung, Seatgeek, Softbank, TMX Group, and hundreds more.

Terraform Cloud helped us create a true self-service operation across our organization, said Ben Carter, vice president, enterprise architecture, Red Ventures. Modules that used to take us a week to set up internally can now be handled independently by teams in the different business units, which has improved our resource allocation, license management, and other cost factors that have cumulatively saved us tens of thousands of dollars per month. Because of Terraform and Terraform Enterprise, our cloud operations team has time to focus on high level tasks like system architecture and governance. In my opinion, thats the best thing about Terraform, it lets us focus on what matters  driving the business and supporting our community members, said Joe Brinkman, engineering manager, cloud operations, Earnin. With Terraform 1.0, HashiCorp is delivering stability and interoperability to provide us with an even better experience." About Terraform and Terraform Cloud

Terraform provides open source software for infrastructure automation using infrastructure as code for provisioning, compliance, and management of public cloud, private data centers, and services. Terraform helps practitioners, teams, and organizations with cloud adoption and digital transformation initiatives and business benefits that can include up to 75% reduction in provisioning time, provisioning standardizations to minimize risk to security, compliance, and cloud over-spending, and a 5X reduction in time to market. The Terraform ecosystem has over 125 integrations from 100+ technology partners, including: Cisco, CircleCI, Cloudflare, Datadog, GitHub, GitLab, Grafana Labs, MongoDB, PagerDuty, NewRelic, Okta, Rancher, Rollbar, ServiceNow, and Splunk, as well as Providers from all of the major public clouds: Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Alibaba Cloud, and VMware. "HashiCorp Terraform took the dream of infrastructure as code and made it an everyday reality. Now an integral part of DevOps and cloud workflows, it has enabled organizations to easily scale their services in a consistent manner, regardless of where they are deployed," said Ilan Rabinovitch, SVP of product at Datadog. "The 1.0 release offers our mutual customers the stability and usability guarantees they need to accelerate their cloud journeys with the powerful tag team of infrastructure and monitoring as code." "We're very excited about Terraform 1.0, both as a customer and partner to HashiCorp. We've worked with HashiCorp to offer several integrations for developers, including GitHub Actions for Terraform and Vault through the GitHub Marketplace," said Dana Lawson, VP of technology partnerships and engineering at GitHub. "Our partnership with HashiCorp has long worked to give developers a great multi-cloud experience, and we look forward to delivering more high-impact solutions for our customers." To learn more about HashiCorp Terraform 1.0, join us June 16 at 9am PDT for a webinar focused on the new capabilities in Terraform, including demos and a Q&A session: https://hashi.co/3z2AD6m Supporting Materials

Blog  Announcing HashiCorp Terraform 1.0 General Availability

Blog  Terraform Cloud Updates Improve Workflow Visibility

Infographic  The Path to Terraform 1.0

HashiCorp Learn  Terraform 1.0

Red Ventures customer story: Many media brands, one workflow About HashiCorp

HashiCorp is the leader in multi-cloud infrastructure automation software. The HashiCorp software suite enables organizations to adopt consistent workflows to provision, secure, connect, and run any infrastructure for any application. HashiCorps open source tools Vagrant, Packer, Terraform, Vault, Consul, Nomad, Boundary, and Waypoint are downloaded 100 million times each year and are broadly adopted by the Global 2000. Enterprise and managed service versions of these products enhance the open source tools with features that promote collaboration, operations, governance, and multi-datacenter functionality. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, though 85 percent of HashiCorp employees work remotely, strategically distributed around the globe. HashiCorp is backed by Bessemer Venture Partners, Franklin Templeton, Geodesic Capital, GGV Capital, IVP, Mayfield, Redpoint Ventures, T. Rowe Price funds and accounts, and True Ventures. For more information, visit hashicorp.com or follow HashiCorp on Twitter @HashiCorp . All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Media & Analyst Contact

Kate Lehman

media@hashicorp.com



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[June 08, 2021] Haulio deepens its roots in Thailand

SINGAPORE and BANGKOK, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Singapore logistics technology company Haulio announced today that it has made significant headway into Thailand by tying up with CMA CGM, a world leader in shipping and logistics. Haulio, using its digital haulage solutions, will move CMA CGM containers on the major inland corridor of Bangkok, Lat Krabang and Laem Chabang. Headquartered in Singapore since 2017, Haulio is Singapore's fastest growing container haulage platform in the country, with more than 90% of Singapore's hauliers onboard. The company has aspirations to complete the digitalisation of haulage in Southeast Asia by 2025. With some of Southeast Asia's busiest ports, Thailand has always been a pivotal market for Haulio. The country reported a total import-export CAGR of 2.2% between 2016 and 2018, with a forecasted CAGR of 2.8% from 2021 to 2025, according to IHS Markit's GTA Forecasting. Since commencing its early-stage pilot in 2020 Haulio has onboarded over 150 trucking companies with a network of more than 3000 container trucks in Thailand and transacted over 300 thousand TEUs on the platform with one of PSA's JV local partners - ESCO.



This contract win with CMA CGM thus represents yet another significant milestone for Haulio, demonstrating its ability for regional scalability of haulage fulfilment. Moving forward, the company is projecting a 200% quarter-on-quarter growth increase in transactions through this tie-up and an extension of the network effect of Haulio's presence in Thailand. The company aims to scale up to over 1,000 hauliers and 20,000 trucks in the next one year to provide 100% coverage within the country.

Mr Benoit de Quillacq, Managing Director of CMA CGM Thailand, said: "CMA CGM's priorities to provide its customers what they need and to ensure operations efficiency can be driven with Haulio's digital solutions and network of hauliers. Our shippers would benefit from streamlined and optimised haulage trips; this consequently reduces carbon emissions from trucking the containers." "We are delighted to become a haulage solutions provider of CMA CGM in Thailand after experiencing the benefits of our platform in Singapore. This serves as a huge validation to a young startup like us as we embark in our journey in solving real problems with an industry leader like CMA CGM. With container shipping volumes rising, it is imperative that greater efficiency and digitalization is achieved on the haulage end. While the importance of business margins cannot be overstated, it needs to be said that we owe it to ourselves to reduce the carbon footprint of this industry," said Alvin Ea, Co-Founder and CEO of Haulio. About Haulio Haulio is Singapore's fastest-growing container haulage platform, with the greater vision of connecting global trade to local first-mile transportation across ASEAN. The company believes in uplifting the industry by empowering its ecosystem of users with its technology. Through the optimisation of resources, Haulio aims to revolutionize international freight logistics towards a collaborative and sustainable future. For more information, visit https://www.haulio.io. SOURCE Haulio

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[June 08, 2021] INVESTOR ALERT: Law Offices of Howard G. Smith Announces Investigation of RenovaCare, Inc. (RCAR) on Behalf of Investors

Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces an investigation on behalf of RenovaCare, Inc. ("RenovaCare" or the "Company") (OTC: RCAR) investors concerning the Company's possible violations of federal securities laws. On May 28, 2021, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission issued a litigation release stating that RenovaCare was being charged with alleged securities fraud. According to the complaint, "Harmel S. Rayat, RenovaCare's controlling shareholder, arranged, and caused RenovaCare to pay for, a promotional campaign designed to increase the company's stock price." Specifically, "Rayat was closely involved in directing the promotion and editing promotional materials, and arranged to funnel paymets to the publisher through consultants to conceal RenovaCare's involvement in the campaign." When OTC Markets Group, Inc. requested RenovaCare to explain its relationship to the promotion, the complaint alleges that "Rayat and RenovaCare then drafted and issued a press release and a Form 8-K that contained material misrepresentations and omissions denying Rayat's and the company's involvement in the promotion."



On this news, RenovaCare's stock price fell $0.22, or 9.09%, to close at $2.20 per share on June 1, 2021. If you purchased RenovaCare securities, have information or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020 by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com, or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608006098/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Jeep Wrangler 4xe Hosts Network Takeover On Volta Charging Stations In Select Cities

SAN FRANCISCO, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Volta Industries, Inc. ("Volta Charging"), an industry leader in commerce-centric electric vehicle (EV) charging networks, is partnering with the Jeep brand as it introduces the all new Jeep Wrangler 4 xe to consumers. "As the new Jeep Wrangler 4xe becomes firmly established in the marketplace, this unique network takeover with Volta Industries allows the brand to reach drivers at key moments in their daily commutes as they charge their vehicles," said Marissa Hunter, Vice President, Marketing, North America  Stellantis. "And as the first brand, automotive or otherwise, to implement Volta's unique, dynamic weather-based technology capturing the local outdoor conditions on 55-inch screens, it also creates an authentic connection to our drivers and the Jeep brand's legendary status as the go-anywhere, do anything vehicle for any lifestyle." Volta's unique charging stations  which feature large, eye-catching digital displays  provide an optimal content viewing experience for drivers who plug in their vehicles when and where they shop. To raise awareness around the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, the Jeep brand creative will be seen in select markets on Volta's charging stations throughout July 2021. This campaign is unique in that it will use Volta Charging's dynamic weather-based ad capability to serve two different creative concepts from the Jeep brand. When it is sunny out, the creative will feature a Jeep Wrangler 4xe with the top down, going out and exploring, and the second creative emphasizes that even in the cloudiest of weather, the Jeep Wrangler is still your go-to vehicle. Created by Hug Inc., the ads feature the taglines "embracing nature has never felt more natural" for the sunny day version, and "charge ahead and take on the elements" for the bad weather version.



"Drivers nationwide are ready to make the change from gas to electric powered vehicles and supporting the Jeep brand in the launch of one of its new and highly anticipated electric vehicles is another example of the large infrastructural shift of electrification of mobility," said Scott Mercer, Founder and CEO of Volta Charging. "Partnering with the Jeep brand to promote the Jeep Wrangler 4xe on Volta Charging's network of stations and its media platform located where consumers already go, will help to prove the accessibility of EV adoption." Volta Charging's digital media network delivers a high value, diversified audience reach of more than 70 million consumers in 14 of the 15 largest designated market areas. Volta's media charging stations also offer brands a dynamic content experience, including activation and engagement opportunities. Brands running campaigns on Volta charging stations report experiencing positive results in brand awareness and increased purchase intent; in addition, Volta Charging's business partners who choose to have Volta charging stations installed report an increase in spend, dwell time and engagement on site.

Volta Charging

Volta Charging is an industry leader in commerce-centric EV charging networks. Volta Charging's vision is to build EV charging networks that capitalize on and catalyze the shift from combustion-powered miles to electric miles by placing stations where consumers live, work, shop and play. By leveraging a data-driven understanding of driver behavior to deliver EV charging solutions that fit seamlessly into drivers' daily routines, Volta Charging's goal is to benefit consumers, brands and real-estate locations while helping to build the infrastructure of the future. As part of Volta Charging's unique EV charging offering, its stations allow it to enhance its site hosts' and strategic partners' core commercial interests, creating a new means for them to benefit from the transformative shift to electric mobility. To learn more, visit www.voltacharging.com . In February 2021, Volta and Tortoise Acquisition Corp. II (NYSE: SNPR), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company with a strategic focus on energy sustainability and decarbonizing transportation, announced they entered into a business combination agreement. Upon the closing of the transaction, which remains subject to customary closing conditions, the combined entity will be named Volta Inc. and remain on the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbol "VLTA". Jeep

Built on 80 years of legendary heritage, Jeep is the authentic SUV with capability, craftsmanship and versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys. The Jeep brand delivers an open invitation to live life to the fullest by offering a full line of vehicles that continue to provide owners with a sense of security to handle any journey with confidence. To coincide with the launch of the all-new 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, the Jeep brand is launching the Jeep Wave premium owner loyalty program in Canada. Jeep Wave will provide benefits and exclusive perks to deliver owners the utmost care and dedicated support.

The Jeep vehicle lineup consists of the Cherokee, Compass, Gladiator, Grand Cherokee, Renegade and Wrangler. To meet consumer demand around the world, all Jeep models sold outside North America are available in both left- and right-hand drive configurations and with gasoline and diesel powertrain options. Jeep is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com. Jeep is a registered trademark of FCA US LLC. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jeep-wrangler-4xe-hosts-network-takeover-on-volta-charging-stations-in-select-cities-301307407.html SOURCE Volta Industries, Inc.

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[June 08, 2021] Leaf Home Solution Completes Fifth Acquisition with Quillen Brothers, Inc.

HUDSON, Ohio, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leaf Home Solutions, North America's leading direct-to-consumer provider of home solutions, today announced it has completed its acquisition of Northwest Ohio's Quillen Brothers, Inc. Living under its Leaf Home Enhancements subsidiary, this is the fifth direct-to-consumer business Leaf Home Solutions has acquired in the last year. In addition to its five Leaf Home Enhancements offices, the company currently operates more than 130 locations across North America through LeafFilter Gutter Protectin, Leaf Home Safety Solutions, and Leaf Home Water Solutions. In 2020, the company earned $1.1 billion in revenue.



Quillen Brothers, Inc. is a veteran-owned window and door replacement company based in Bryan, Ohio, serving homeowners throughout Northwest Ohio, Northeast Indiana, and across southern Michigan. The A+ rated Better Business Bureau accredited company is owned and operated by Bob Quillen and his two sons, who pride themselves in going above and beyond to provide customers with exceptional service and quality products for more than 20 years. "The mix of craftsmanship and homegrown customer service that Quillen Brothers offers their customers makes them the perfect addition to the Leaf Home Solutions family," said Jeff Beck, CEO and President at Leaf Home Solutions. "We're excited to continue to grow the business within LHS and look forward to bringing new opportunities to their incredible team through a smooth transition."

"We are extremely excited to be partnering with Leaf Home Solutions. Their core beliefs align with ours, and they're positioned to help us go to the next level," said Bob Quillen, President, Quillen Brothers. "They are light years ahead of us on the IT and technology side and have been proven to have the path blazed for scalability. Wanting to provide a secure future for our customers and employees, I feel Leaf has opened the door to unlimited possibilities." Leaf Home Solutions continues expanding its footprint in the home services industry and its overall growth trajectory through this acquisition. Angle Advisors acted as financial advisor to Quillen Brothers, Inc. About Leaf Home Solutions

Leaf Home Solutions is North America's leading tech-enabled direct-to-consumer provider of branded home solutions. Our innovative products enhance the safety, enjoyment, and comfort of homeowners and their families and protect the condition and enhance the appearance and value of their homes. Customers value our quality products and the exceptional service we deliver through our end-to-end DTC sales and service model. Our proprietary data-driven platforms for marketing, customer service, field services, and talent management driven by our "Today-Not-Tomorrow" culture underpin our competitive advantage and high, sustained growth. Learn more about Leaf Home Solutions at www.leafhomesolutions.com. For more information, contact: media@leafhome.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leaf-home-solution-completes-fifth-acquisition-with-quillen-brothers-inc-301307236.html SOURCE Leaf Home Solutions

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[June 08, 2021] Market-leading Mekonomen Group selects the CCH Tagetik expert solution from Wolters Kluwer to enable its long-term finance vision

STOCKHOLM, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Wolters Kluwer, a global leader in professional information, software solutions and services, announced that it has signed an agreement with Mekonomen Group to implement the CCH Tagetik Finance Transformation Platform expert solution to help the Mekonomen Group meet their goal of increasing capacity and support in Group Management Office of Finance. The initial scope includes Budgeting, Planning, Forecasting, and Actuals with the aim to expand the use of the platform to include Consolidation, IFRS 16, Collaborative Office, and iXBRL functionality. Mekonomen Group consists of the leading automotive spare-parts chains in Northern Europe, with proprietary wholesale operations, over 470 stores, and almost 3,600 workshops operating under the Group's brands. The Group offers workshops and car owners a wide and easily accessible range of inexpensive and innovative solutions and products. "We are delighted to provide a platform that can truly support Mekonomen Group's mission," said Jonas Qvarfordt, General Manager of CCH Tagetik Nordic at Wolters Kluwer. "Having systems spread across different platforms can inevitably cause challenges and the manual work quickly becomes tedious leading to little time for improvements, analysis, and follow-up. With CCH Tagetik , customers can achieve a faster close, more forward looking-planning, and i-depth analytics by connecting data, processes, and people with a single trusted source."



"Disparate systems caused us to lack the details of aggregated figures, making it hard to gain insight, to understand the results, and to report findings to our stakeholders," said Camilla Axelsson, Head of Group Business Controlling, Support & Financial Analysis, Mekonomen, "We started this initiative to make sure the Group has a corporate performance management solution that is flexible and scalable, one that enables us to have more efficient control and governance of the Group's business." About Wolters Kluwer

About Wolters Kluwer Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the healthcare; tax and accounting; governance, risk and compliance; and legal and regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2020 annual revenues of 4.6 billion. The Group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,200 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Wolters Kluwer shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY). For more information about our solutions and organization, visit www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Media Contacts: Beatriz Santin

CCH Tagetik

+1 339 229 2447 office

Beatriz.santin@wolterskluwer.com



Greta Bartoli

CCH Tagetik

+39 058396811 office

greta.bartoli@wolterskluwer.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/market-leading-mekonomen-group-selects-the-cch-tagetik-expert-solution-from-wolters-kluwer-to-enable-its-long-term-finance-vision-301307811.html SOURCE Wolters Kluwer

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[June 08, 2021] Newly Minted Unicorn, Urban Company's Quest for Tech Leaders is led by Purple Quarter

Rishabhdhwaj Singh joins Urban Company as VP of Engineering in Bangalore to fuel its tech-first growth journey! BANGALORE, India, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Urban Company is amongst the top growing startups in the country that recently acquired the unicorn status. It is the largest home service platform in India with a strong international presence in UAE, Singapore & Australia. The demand for home services has been further fuelled by the increase in safety and hygiene concerns. The company wishes to invest heavily in tech by expanding its team and opening up a tech centre in Bangalore. To help scale their marketplace and supply ecosystem, Urban Company partnered with Purple Quarter to lead their search for the VP of Engineering. An IIT Kharagpur graduate, Rishabhdhwaj Singh previously served as Head of Engineering at Ajio - Business, Catalog and Marketplace. He also brings with him an abundance of experience and technical skills through former stints as an Engineering Manager at Flipkart and Senior Applications Engineer at Oracle



At Urban Company, Rishabh will be leading the Supply vertical as VP Engineering - expand the team with capable new hires, advance their capabilities for warehousing and supply chain of important products for the service journey, and build a readymade supply engine that can be used to extract relevant leads. "Urban Company is witnessing a hyper-growth stage at the moment, and this is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to Urban Company's ambitious vision. I am looking forward to taking on this amazing role and appreciate Purple Quarter's organized efforts in making this possible," comments Rishabh.

Comments by Urban Company's Co-Founder & CPTO - Raghav Chandra: "I'm thrilled to welcome Rishabh to our team. We are on a fast track to growth, and this growth is backed by heavy investments in technology. Rishabh is an entrepreneur at heart, with a strong leadership journey having scaled up teams at Flipkart and Ajio. We look forward to him paving the way and scaling Urban Company's supply ecosystem to new heights! I'd also thank the Purple Quarter team for being our trusted partner for tech leadership hiring and hope to continue the relationship for further expansion of our team." With an expansive network among the new-age tech startups and technologists, Purple Quarter is a forerunner in the tech leadership hiring space. They have been associated with many other startups and unicorns such as Swiggy, Vedantu, Acko, and PharmEasy to name a few. About Purple Quarter Purple Quarter is a bespoke CTO search firm based out of Bangalore. In less than four years, we have mapped over 4000+ leaders across the globe. Our singular approach to tech leadership hiring has given us a detailed acumen into the Tech Leadership hiring space, especially in the startup ecosystem. Our robust clientele includes early stage to mature startups such as Inmobi, Swiggy, Acko, PharmEasy, hike, Urban Company and many more. For Tech Leadership requirements, write to us at interact@purplequarter.com or visit: https://purplequarter.com/

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[June 08, 2021] Nexxiot Announces $25M Funding Round Led by QVIDTVM

Swiss-based big data company Nexxiot, a pioneer in global supply chain digitization, announced it will receive a new $25M funding round led by U.S. investment firm QVIDTVM, signaling the company's continued expansion and accelerating its global growth agenda. An innovator in the IoT space, Nexxiot specializes in digitizing non-powered cargo transport assets, increasing their trackability, control, safety and security. The company's solutions are now deployed in more than 160 countries, making Nexxiot one of the most significant global Clouds in the logistics industry. Nexxiot's vision is to facilitate a five percent reduction in global supply chain CO2 emissions by increasing cargo transport efficiency and eliminating waste caused by empty runs and inefficient routes. "We are pleased to partner with QVIDTVM who bring great experience in tech, innovation and disruption. This financing will fuel our growth, further improve our technology to create client success and push ahead with our North America expansion. Through this partnership, we will maintain our lead and continue to offer our clients best-in-class technology, services and ideas," said Nexxiot CEO Stefan Kalmund. "We invest in companies with technologies and business models that have the potential to revolutionize markets. Nexxiot has created a unique solution to an important problem. We are convinced of the company's innovative strength and see the digitization of large logistics fleets as a powerful means of making supply chains more robust and efficient," added Max Raskin, a partner of QVIDTVM. Nexxiot took an early lead in the digitalization of the railcars and other non-powered industrial assets like intermodal and tank cotainers. Nexxiot is optimizing business processes in a $1 trillion industry and increasing transparency and accountability in international supply chains. The devices meet Switzerland's renowned quality and reliability standards in some of the most demanding operating environments and are maintenance-free for a minimum of six years. Both the hardware and intelligent cloud platform are accessible via a flexible subscription model. Critically, all Nexxiot devices are certified for dangerous industrial environments where explosions are a real risk and include the highest standards of HazLoc certification for the U.S. market.



Customers select Nexxiot because it has deep experience with hardware and data analytics and has been working with >1.2 billion Big Data points per month processed on its intelligent logistics Cloud. This track record is of particular importance as the process is now underway to evaluate and equip the best technology onto the North American rail fleets totaling around 1.8 million railcars. A strong client focus, high-quality standards, Swiss precision and secure, military-like data security standards have paved the way for Nexxiot's growth. In just five years, the company has transitioned to one of the largest rail freight and tank container IoT providers, operating in more than 160 countries. Nexxiot strongly believes in an open ecosystem with a background in cutting-edge technology where easy integration of sensors and third-party devices comes as standard. This open ecosystem means clients can be sure their choices are supported, and interoperability is guaranteed. Nexxiot has been working with many of the major U.S. rail clients for several years to integrate the market's unique technological and regulatory needs.

About Nexxiot Nexxiot AG from Zurich, Switzerland is a driver of the digital logistics of tomorrow. The company's goal is to enable a five percent reduction in global CO2 cargo emissions by increasing cargo transport efficiency and eliminating waste caused by empty runs and inefficient routes. To achieve this, the company empowers its clients to leverage the power of their data with cutting-edge technology. Therefore, Nexxiot provides an integrated solution to track, find and protect cargo from over 160 countries around the globe and across 450 network roaming partners to ensure trust, security, and efficiency. Data from more than 2.5 billion travelled miles is stored in Nexxiot's dedicated logistics Cloud. Employees from 20 countries contribute to the success of the company. In addition to its headquarters in Switzerland, Nexxiot operates in Germany, the USA and is pursuing a global growth strategy. For more information, visit www.nexxiot.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005351/en/

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-09 00:45:40|Editor: huaxia

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MALE, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Maldivian President Ibrahim Solih announced on Tuesday that his country's ongoing restrictions to contain the COVID-19 pandemic will be extended by one week.

Solih said that the anti-epidemic measures, such as a curfew between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m. local time and a ban on traveling outdoors without a police permit, will be extended by another week to reduce the country's infection rate.

Solih said that the situation would be reviewed again at the end of this period.

Infections and deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic reached a peak in the Maldives in mid-May, leading to the government to enforce stricter restrictions on May 26, initially for a two-week period. The restrictions have been successful in bringing down the daily case count from a high of over 2,000 in May to below 500 in the last week.

The Maldives began its vaccination program on Feb. 1 and has so far provided at least one dose to 312,133 people and two doses to 173,291 people. The country has so far recorded 68,502 cases of COVID-19 and 187 deaths from the virus. Enditem
[June 08, 2021] omniQ Receives Contract to Deploy AI Based Technology at Philadelphia International Airport

omniQs AI Based EZ Edge VRS (Vehicle Recognition System) automates and monitors entry and exits of vehicles to regulate and facilitate ride share traffic and ease congestion. EZ Edge will be deployed at Philadelphia International Airport for machine vision monitoring of Lanes for Transportation Network Companies (TNC) including Uber, Lyft and, Taxis, to help manage entrance to the TNC lot.





EZ Edge operates on edge-based processing using our proprietary deep learning convolutional neural network engine and is enhanced with omniQs virtual loop technology for easy installation.





omniQs AI based solutions are already deployed in over three dozen Airports in the United States including New York JFK, New York LaGuardia, Newark, Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth and others.





Contract follows recently announced new purchase agreements to deploy omniQs AI Based solutions at Georgia State University and in a Multi-Billion Dollar Medical Center.

SALT LAKE CITY, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- omniQ Corp (OTCQB: OMQS) (OMNIQ or the Company), a provider of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and IoT-based solutions, announced today that it has received a contract at Philadelphia International Airport, to deploy its AI Based, EZ Edge VRS Deployment Kit which automates and monitors entry and exits of vehicles at the TNC Lane. EZ Edge operates on edge-based processing using our deep learning convolutional neural network engine along with our latest virtual loop technology. EZ Edge will be deployed at Philadelphia International Airports TNC Lane for transportation network companies including Uber, Lyft and taxis, to help manage entrance to the TNC lot. Through a unique third party integration with omniQ, EZ Edge enables tracking of TNC vehicles on airport property as geofencing technology identifies the TNC vehicle and sends data, including the license plate number, on the approaching vehicle to omniQ. Third party partners incorporate reporting and payment portals to correctly charge the TNC vehicles. Upon EZ Edge detection & identification of the vehicle as it approaches the TNC holding lot, EZ Edge vends the gate and allows the driver to enter. omniQ Virtual Loop Technology is configured so that there are no physical ground loops needed to be cut into the pavement simplifying the installation and costs. The solution is AI Machine Vision based, and virtually detects objects and identifies the vehicles. The solution further assists in curb management, congestion, wait times, access control and correct billing for using the airport for pick-up and drop-off. omniQs CEO, Shai Lustgarten stated, Our AI based solution is proven to be effective in improving safety, traffic flow, parking management and law enforcement for Airports, Educational Campuses, Hospitals, Cities and Homeland Security Authrities. Our proprietary patented technology based on deep learning Neural Network models is our main marketing advantage. Following the recently announced new contracts with Georgia State University and the Medical Center, we are pleased to be working with our partners at the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) which serves more than 30 million passengers annually. PHL customers are eager to enter and exit the airport, often via TNC vehicles. EZ Edge AI-based technology enables more effective monitoring, security and management of the TNC lane, eases congestion and helps the airport, TNC drivers and passengers save time and money.



This is a new application for our AI based Vehicle Recognition technology and adds to our AI based machine vision leadership in airports joining many others like ATL, LAX, DFW, JFK, EWR, FLL and DTW that have experienced the incredible benefits in accuracy, speed and reliability of our solutions, concluded Mr. Lustgarten. About OMNIQ Corp.

OMNIQ Corp. (OTCQB: OMQS) provides computerized and machine vision image processing solutions that use patented and proprietary AI technology to deliver data collection, real-time surveillance and monitoring for supply chain management, homeland security, public safety, traffic & parking management and access control applications. The technology and services provided by the Company help clients move people, assets and data safely and securely through airports, warehouses, schools, national borders, and many other applications and environments.

OMNIQs customers include government agencies and leading Fortune 500 companies from several sectors, including manufacturing, retail, distribution, food and beverage, transportation and logistics, healthcare, and oil, gas, and chemicals. Since 2014, annual revenues have grown to more than $50 million from clients in the USA and abroad. The Company currently addresses several billion-dollar markets, including the Global Safe City market, forecast to grow to $29 billion by 2022, and the Ticketless Safe Parking market, forecast to grow to $5.2 billion by 2023. For more information, visit www.omniq.com. Information about Forward-Looking Statements Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in this press release relating to plans, strategies, economic performance and trends, projections of results of specific activities or investments, and other statements that are not descriptions of historical facts may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. This release contains forward-looking statements that include information relating to future events and future financial and operating performance. The words anticipate, may, would, will, expect, estimate, can, believe, potential and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which that performance or those results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time they are made and/or managements good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in demand for the Companys products particularly during the current health crisis , the introduction of new products, the Companys ability to maintain customer and strategic business relationships, the impact of competitive products and pricing, growth in targeted markets, the adequacy of the Companys liquidity and financial strength to support its growth, the Companys ability to manage credit and debt structures from vendors, debt holders and secured lenders, the Companys ability to successfully integrate its acquisitions, and other information that may be detailed from time-to-time in OMNIQ Corp.s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Examples of such forward looking statements in this release include, among others, statements regarding revenue growth, driving sales, operational and financial initiatives, cost reduction and profitability, and simplification of operations. For a more detailed description of the risk factors and uncertainties affecting OMNIQ Corp., please refer to the Companys recent Securities and Exchange Commission filings, which are available at https://www.sec.gov. OMNIQ Corp. undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless otherwise required by law. Investor Contacts: James Carbonara

Hayden IR

(646)-755-7412

james@haydenir.com Brett Maas

Hayden IR

(646) 536-7331

brett@haydenir.com



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[June 08, 2021] One Energy Awards More Than $400,000 in STEM Scholarships to High School Students

One Energy, an Industrial Power Company that serves large C&I customers, today announced the completion of its 2021 scholarship season. The $100,000 in scholarships awarded this year will go to graduating high school seniors across its projects as part of its sixth annual Megawatt Scholarship program. Since 2015, more than $400,000 has been awarded through the Megawatt Scholarship program. In collaboration with One Energy's customers, a $5,000 scholarship is awarded annually to local high school seniors pursuing two-year or four-year degrees in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) fields for every wind turbine the company installs and operates. Megawatt Scholarship partners establish their own criteria and selection process, and recipient names are permanently placed on the individual turbines, in honor of their achievements. "We understand the immense responsibility we have to our communities and we believe in practicing what we preach," said Jereme Kent, CEO of One Energy. "We are a company built on leading minds in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. Investing in students pursuing STEM careers and supporting those who live in the communities where we operate is our way of enabling the workforce of the future." Each turbine has a 20year initial contract term, making the scholarship program a long-term commitment to the community. Participating manufacturing facilities that enabled this year's Megawatt Scholarship program include: Ball Corporation in Findlay, Ohio; LafargeHolcim in Paulding, Ohio; Valfilm North America in Findlay, Ohio, and Whirlpool Corporation in Findlay, Marion, Ottawa, and Greenville, Ohio.



For more information on Megawatt Scholarships, visit www.megawattscholarships.org. ABOUT ONE ENERGY

One Energy is an industrial power company that helps large energy users build modern, tailored, on-site power grids for their facilities. In doing so, the company is decarbonizing manufacturing, enabling customer control, and building the customer-centric power grid of the future. As a vertically integrated enterprise, One Energy provides physical solutions including Wind for Industry and ManagedHV, as well as analytics and commercial offerings to enable end users to fully customize their energy experience. Everyday items are being produced cleaner and more sustainably thanks to One Energy's Wind for Industry projects - from dishwashers, sliced turkey products, and soda cans, to cement and renewable diesel. Founded in 2009, One Energy is the largest installer and owner of behind-the-meter wind energy in the United States. Learn more about the customer-centric power grid of the future at www.oneenergy.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005750/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Pensa's Adoption by Johnson & Johnson, General Mills and Circle K Points to Expanded Demand for Advanced Retail Shelf Intelligence

AUSTIN, Texas, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pensa Systems , a leading innovator in the automated use of computer vision and artificial intelligence for retail in-store data and analytics, announced today it has continued to expand its relationships with customers such as Johnson & Johnson, General Mills and Circle K, a further sign that demand for its breakthrough retail shelf intelligence data offering is surging. These major companies, along with long-time customer and investor Anheuser-Busch InBev, are among a fast-growing number of brands and retailers using Pensas highly accurate and actionable syndicated shelf intelligence data in an effort to minimize stockouts, optimize product planning and increase revenues. Pensas footprint has now expanded across multiple retail formats and regions, including leading grocery and drugstore channels, and is now expanding to convenience stores such as Circle K. In addition to customer expansion, Pensa announced it has raised $11 million in Series A venture capital funding in order to capitalize on this surging interest in the companys solution to the long-standing issue of retail shelf visibility and reduced stockouts. The funding is led by ATX Venture Partners and adds corporate investor Circle K Ventures, part of Alimentation Couche-Tard, a global operator of convenience stores with more than 14,000 stores across 26 countries and territories. This latest round brings Pensas total funding to $28 million, furthering its ability to help brands and stores use the companys advanced shelf intelligence data to help solve the $1 trillion-plus problem of stockouts in the retail sector. Major brands and retailers are realizing that Pensa has the best answer to the trillion-dollar problem of in-store visibility, which has only become more acute with the explosion of omnichannel, said Chris Shonk, managing director of ATX Venture Partners. Pensas patented and frankly groundbreaking AI approach and novel use of automation is generating at-scale primary data and analytics for the first time in this last true black box of our moern economy.



Pensa addresses the problem by providing syndicated shelf intelligence data which the company continuously collects, analyzes, and distributes using a fully automated, end-to-end system to interpret whats happening on the shelf. Using mobile phones and small self-flying drones to collect data, and a patented, cloud-based automated perception system that utilizes AI and computer vision to analyze data, it delivers extremely accurate real-time data and analytics. Syndicating the data makes it available for the retailer and their consumer goods manufacturing partners to continuously monitor performance of the actual store shelf to maximize revenue and improve customer satisfaction without expensive custom or long-lead-time efforts. Pensas visual processing system today has identified more than 2 billion product images on the retail shelf. The Pensa technology is already being piloted in a number of Circle K locations in Central Texas. Pensa expects to gain valuable insight and support for the convenience store sector and beyond by working with Circle K.

We look forward to working with Pensa as a way to improve the store experience for both our customers and team members, said Mike Bott, head of digital innovation at Circle K. Leveraging advanced technology to continuously improve in-store availability of key products is a top priority. Collaborating with Pensa as a customer and investor presents a promising opportunity for us to optimize store shelves and reduce stockouts. We are thrilled to see increased uptake of our approach to detecting stockouts and optimizing the store shelf in the new omni-channel world, and we are excited to leverage our latest funding round to scale our go-to-market efforts to meet rising global demand, said Pensa president and CEO Richard Schwartz. Pensa also announced that Jared Schrieber, data and analytics pioneer and co-founder of InfoScout (acquired by Kantar), has joined Pensas advisory board. Prior to InfoScout, Schrieber was with Retail Solutions Inc., which was acquired by IRI. Pensa investors also include James McCann, former CEO of Ahold USA, Carrefour and Tesco in Europe, via the Food Retail Ventures fund, as well as Commerce Ventures, Revtech Ventures, ZX Ventures, the corporate investment arm of Anheuser-Busch InBev, and other retail sector and technology funds and well-known industry leaders. About Pensa Systems

Pensa is a leading innovator in changing the way brands and retailers manage retail shelf inventory. Pensas data-as-a-service portfolio and use of advanced computer vision and artificial intelligence enable CPG brands and retailers to reduce stockouts and boost revenues by delivering highly accurate real-time visibility of the store shelf at a fraction of the cost of other solutions. Pensa partners with top CPG brands and retailers globally, including Johnson & Johnson, General Mills, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Circle K, and Unilever to address a trillion-dollar blind spot at a critical time in the industry. Please visit www.pensasystems.com to learn more, and stay connected via Twitter and LinkedIn. Pensa Systems Contact:

Marianna Vyridi

Email: mvyridi@bigvalley.co

Tel: + 1-650-468-3263 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6a3ab588-5fda-4649-86c8-bd04975b4647



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[June 08, 2021] Periscope Equity Makes Platform Investment in Leading Tech-Enabled Medical Staffing Agency

Periscope Equity, a lower middle-market private equity firm focused on investments in technology-enabled service and software companies, announced today that it has added MAS Medical Staffing LLC ("MAS" or the "Company") to its portfolio through a recapitalization in partnership with management. This is the first platform investment to be deployed from Periscope Equity II, L.P. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Londonderry, New Hampshire, MAS has grown rapidly to become the leading tech-enabled medical staffing agency primarily serving long-term care ("LTC") facilities in the Northeast region of the U.S. With a Nurse-First approach and innovative direct-to-clinician technology platform, MAS has amassed a community of over 3,400 active nurses that can be efficiently deployed within LTC, acute, and home-based care settings for per diem and travel nursing contracts. The Company's proprietary technology platform, MAESTRA, optimizes per diem shift fulfillment by directly linking facilities and their open shifts with nurses through a dynamic service marketplace application, streamlining credentialing, communication, and payroll, to provide the highest level of service for nurses and MAS' healthcare facilities and their patients. Through the partnership with Periscope, MAS is now positioned to further develop its Nurse-First approach by expanding its geographic footprint, accelerating its technology development, enhancing its go-to-market strategies, and executing strategic acquisitions. "We are thrilled to have selected Periscope as our new financial partner. As we leverage our MAESTRA platform to enter new geographies, our growth is accelerating. Having a partner that not only understands how to support a rapidly expanding business and technology platform but also has expertise in our specific sector is critical. The Periscope team has demonstrated that they understand our needs, employ a partnership approach, and have the capabilities, experience, and resources to help propel MAS to its fullest potential," said MAS' Founder and CEO, en Johnson.



The U.S. healthcare system is capacity constrained from a staffing perspective; the staffing market is expected to reach approximately $18.0B in 2021, up from $17.3B in 2020. With demand outpacing supply in most geographic markets and care settings, healthcare staffing firms have played a critical role in efficiently scaling acute and long-term care workforces. COVID-19 has placed a heightened focus on labor supply constraints in the healthcare industry as hospitals and LTC facilities struggle to meet the demand for care and legally required clinician-to-patient staffing ratios. "As a leading tech-enabled medical staffing agency, with a long history of serving long-term care, we believe MAS has a unique capability-and responsibility-to appropriately deploy innovative new technologies via its hybrid service model that ensures reliable, compliant, and efficient service is delivered," said Periscope Partner John Findlay. "Leveraging MAS' business, team, culture, technology, and brand recognition, we expect MAS to expand its geographic footprint to become the leading provider of these services to long-term care facilities throughout the country."

On speaking to the Company's success to date, Periscope Vice President Joe Mcilhattan said, "MAS' growth has been a direct result of its ability to recruit, retain, and match talented nurses to staffing needs through their Nurse-First approach. The culture of continuous improvement has developed high-performing, highly engaged, and motivated team members that are committed to serving the needs of the nurses and facilities by leveraging an innovative marketplace platform. We are excited to work with Ken and the management team on the next phase of the Company's growth and drive innovation." About MAS Medical Staffing Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Londonderry, New Hampshire, MAS is a leading tech-enabled medical staffing agency, primarily serving long-term care ("LTC") facilities in the Northeast region of the U.S. With a Nurse-First approach and innovative direct-to-clinician technology platform, MAS has amassed a community of over 3,400 active nurses that can be efficiently deployed within LTC, acute, and home-based care settings for per diem and travel nursing contracts. The company's proprietary technology platform, MAESTRA, optimizes per diem shift fulfillment by directly linking facilities and their open shifts with nurses through a dynamic service marketplace application, streamlining credentialing, communication, and payroll to provide the highest level of service for the nurses, healthcare facilities, and their patients. Learn more at www.masmedicalstaffing.com. About Periscope Equity Periscope Equity is a Chicago-based private equity firm focused on investments in technology-enabled service and software companies across - Digital Marketing, Healthcare Technology, Security Solutions, and Business Process Automation. ????Periscope specifically targets companies that are founder-owned, with mission-critical products and service offerings, a history of sustainable profitability and known avenues to accelerate growth. ???????????In alignment with proven management teams, Periscope provides strategic, operational, and commercial expertise to drive superior investment returns.?? Learn more at www.periscopeequity.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005224/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Pluralsight Promotes Will Clive to Chief People Officer

SILICON SLOPES, Utah, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pluralsight, Inc., the technology workforce development company, today announced the promotion of Will Clive to Chief People Officer (CPO). Reporting to Pluralsight co-founder and CEO Aaron Skonnard, Clive was promoted from his previous position as Vice President of People. "For over six years, Will has been a steadfast and committed member of the Pluralsight team who has embraced every opportunity to grow professionally while also helping to grow the business," said Skonnard. "From product to business strategy to people ops, Will's seen and touched it all at Pluralsight, making him uniquely suited to lead the people organization. His promotion is a demonstration of the strength of our intentional approach to career development and succession planning, and I'm excited to see what he builds next to create an environment where Pluralsight team members can do the best work of their lives." As a member of the executive team, Clive will lead all aspects of Pluralsight's people strategy and operations. Passionate abouttransforming HR into a true competitive differentiator, Clive will focus on recruiting and hiring world-class talent, actively developing that talent, and creating a culture of performance.



Since joining Pluralsight in 2015, Will has served in a number of strategy and operational roles across the company, contributing to a period of rapid growth for the company, which saw a 450% increase in headcount. In his most recent role as Vice President of People, he played a key role in helping Pluralsight land on the 2020 FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For list. Prior to joining Pluralsight, Clive spent a number of years working in the financial services industry across a variety of roles and firms including Goldman Sachs & Co. He holds a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Brigham Young University.

About Pluralsight Pluralsight is the leading technology workforce development company that helps companies and teams build better products by developing critical skills, improving processes and gaining insights through data, and providing strategic skills consulting. Trusted by forward-thinking companies of every size in every industry, Pluralsight helps individuals and businesses transform with technology. Pluralsight Skills helps enterprises build technology skills at scale with expert-authored courses on today's most important technologies, including cloud, artificial intelligence and machine learning, data science, and security, among others. Skills also includes tools to align skill development with business objectives, virtual instructor-led training, hands-on labs, skill assessments and one-of-a-kind analytics. Flow complements Skills by providing engineering teams with actionable data and visibility into workflow patterns to accelerate the delivery of products and services. For more information about Pluralsight, visit pluralsight.com. Media Contact Pluralsight PR

Ben Veghte

Senior Director, Communications

ben-veghte@pluralsight.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pluralsight-promotes-will-clive-to-chief-people-officer-301307567.html SOURCE Pluralsight

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[June 08, 2021] Prescryptive Health Welcomes Paige Clark as VP of Pharmacy Programs and Policy

REDMOND, Wash., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Prescryptive Health, a healthcare technology company empowering consumers by improving the way healthcare is delivered, announced today that Paige Clark, RPh., has joined the leadership team as VP of Pharmacy Programs and Policy. In this role, Clark will drive policy work to support the company's commitment to increasing the awareness, utilization, and scope of trusted independent pharmacists. Prescryptive Health Welcomes Paige Clark to Lead Pharmacy Programs and Policy Clark joins after 11 years at Oregon State University's College of Pharmacy, where as Director of Professional Development she was instrumental in driving policy initiatives for licensed pharmacists in Oregon, including the prescribing of birth control and tobacco cessation services. "aige brings with her multiple perspectives from the pharmacy world, including professional development, continuing education, and the regulatory and policy side," said Chris Blackley, Prescryptive Health CEO. "Her clear commitment to expanding the scope of the community pharmacist, and her dedication to supporting pharmacists in new roles, will help drive our mission to empower more consumers by connecting them with local pharmacists for services."



Some of Clark's most pertinent policy work has focused on expanding pharmacists' scope of practice. In 2016, Clark oversaw the implementation of a house bill that allowed Oregon licensed pharmacists to prescribe birth control and be reimbursed at the same rate as physicians and other health providers. More recently, Clark was instrumental in implementing a drug therapy management protocol in Oregon that allowed pharmacists to prescribe FDA-approved tobacco cessation products. "I'm thrilled to be part of the Prescryptive team," said Clark. "I've long been an advocate for expanding the pharmacist's scope of practice because it achieves tremendous public health outcomes. I'm looking forward to building solutions that help pharmacists work at the top of their license, at the highest standard of their abilities, every day."

Clark has been a pharmacist for more than 35 years, including stints in large chains and independent pharmacies. Before designing national educational programming at Oregon State University, she worked as the Staff Pharmacist Consultant for the Oregon Board of Pharmacy for four years, managing rule writing, legislative endeavors, and regional and national policy work. Clark is a frequent speaker and presenter at national industry conferences and a multi-award winner, including several Pharmacist of the Year recognitions. She is a graduate of Oregon State University College of Pharmacy. About Prescryptive Health

Founded in 2017, Prescryptive Health is a healthcare technology company delivering solutions that empower consumers with the information they need to make informed decisions and take control of their health. Prescryptive's mobile-based solutions are powered by blockchain and scaled through the cloud to provide consumers with the choice, transparency, and control they need in real-time. To learn more about Prescryptive Health, visit www.prescryptive.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/prescryptive-health-welcomes-paige-clark-as-vp-of-pharmacy-programs-and-policy-301307341.html SOURCE Prescryptive Health

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[June 08, 2021] Protective Life Launches Concourse Financial Group, Bringing Together ProEquities, First Protective and Protective Distributors

Protective Life Corporation (Protective), a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Dai-ichi Life Holdings, Inc. (TSE:8750), today announced the launch of Concourse Financial Group ("Concourse"). The move will create a unified organization consisting of Protective's insurance and financial planning affiliates - ProEquities, a leading independent broker-dealer and RIA; First Protective, a multi-faceted brokerage general agency that specializes in risk management; and Protective Distributors, a division that supports life insurance distribution. Protective expects to launch Concourse on July 19, 2021, and has appointed Doyle Williams CEO of Concourse. Mr. Williams, a financial services industry leader with 40 years of experience in building and growing business in both the insurance and wealth management segments, is currently Senior Vice President, Distribution Companies with Protective. Upon completion of its launch, Concourse will encompass an RIA, broker-dealer, brokerage general agency, and protection-focused point-of-solution organization. The following leaders will serve key positions in the organization: Libet Anderson - President, Investment Solutions. Currently, Ms. Anderson is President of ProEquities, having joined the firm in 2016 to serve as Vice President and Managing Director of Advisory and Planning. She has over 30 years of financial services experience and has held leadership roles at Edward Jones and Sterne Agee Asset Management. Brad Mendenhall - President, Insurance Solutions. Currently, Mr. Mendenhall is Vice President and Managing Director of Protective Distributors. He has over 30 years of financial services experience, specifically in the areas of sales, operations and distribution leadership. Prior to joining Protective Distributors, Brad was the Vice President and National Sales Director at Lincoln Financial Distributors. David Perry - Chief Operations Officer. Currently, Mr. Perry is Chief Operations Officer for the Protective Distribution Companies. Previously at Protective, he served first as Vice President of Operational Risk Management and then Vice President of Corporate Strategy. Prior to Protective, David was an attorney in private practice at Maynard Cooper & Gale, P.C., and laterserved as the Chief Financial Officer for the State of Alabama. Darren Guerrera - Chief Financial Officer. Currently, Mr. Guerrera is Chief Financial Officer for ProEquities. He has over 25 years of experience in financial management leadership roles in the financial services industry. Prior to joining ProEquities, Darren was Division Finance Manager at BBVA Securities.



Mr. Williams said, "We are incredibly excited to announce the launch of Concourse Financial Group, to serve as a well-resourced, reliable and stable destination for growth-minded financial professionals with a long-term vision of success. A unified organization positions us for growth and allows us to stay ahead of the curve in addressing the fast-changing dynamics of today's financial services environment. Most importantly, the shared strategic vision and service culture of the businesses that comprise Concourse underscore our ongoing commitment to deliver an extremely high-touch service experience for our financial and insurance professionals."

Concourse will offer integrated services, enhanced capabilities and valuable expertise in the following areas: insurance services, comprehensive financial planning, investment services and practice management. To support this effort, a centralized Concourse team will serve as an extension of a financial professional's practice, coordinating access to experts in those vital areas, allowing them to customize financial plans, deliver a complete wealth management and insurance offering, and serve clients more capably. Mr. Williams concluded, "Our team takes great pride in the relationships we have built with our community of incredible financial professionals and we are energized by the possibilities ahead. Ultimately, this endeavor is about meeting every financial professional where they are now in the evolution of their business and helping them get to where they want to go in the future." About Concourse Financial Group A division of the Protective Life Corporation, Concourse Financial Group offers financial professionals the tools needed to gather, grow and protect client assets through its affiliated entities. Comprised of investment management, financial planning, insurance services and practice management services, Concourse Financial Group is the destination for growth-oriented financial professionals. About Protective Life Corporation Protective Life Corporation (Protective) provides financial services through the production, distribution and administration of insurance and investment products throughout the U.S. Protective traces its roots to its flagship company, Protective Life Insurance Company - founded in 1907. Throughout its more than 110-year history, Protective's growth and success can be largely attributed to its ongoing commitment to serving people and doing the right thing - for its employees, distributors, and most importantly, its customers. Protective's home office is located in Birmingham, Alabama, and its 3,500+ employees work across the United States. As of December 31, 2020, Protective had assets of approximately $127 billion. Protective Life Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dai-ichi Life Holdings, Inc. (TSE:8750). For more information about Protective, please visit www.Protective.com. Securities offered through ProEquities, Inc, member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Investment Advisors, a DBA for ProEquities, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. On July 19, 2021, ProEquities, Inc. will become Concourse Financial Group Securities, Inc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005170/en/

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[June 08, 2021]

Raytheon Intelligence & Space expands logistics support under $495 million USMC contract

ARLINGTON, Va., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Intelligence & Space, a Raytheon Technologies (NYSE: RTX) business, will provide logistics and repair services for all U.S. Marine Corps ground equipment under a five-year, $495 million contract.

The company will deliver more than 10,000 repaired parts per year to sustain the Marines' combat and tactical ground equipment, ranging from armored vehicles to ground radars and communications systems.

"We provide logistics support for deployed systems around the globe," said Bob Williams, vice president of Global Training & Logistics for Raytheon Intelligence & Space. "Our job is to ensure no mission is ever delayed because of a needed repair or missing part."

This contract is an expansion of work the company has supported for 17 years, nearly doubling the anticipated amount of equipment being managed and expanding the company's support to every major Marine Corps installation in the world.

About Raytheon Intelligence & Space

Raytheon Intelligence & Space delivers the disruptive technologies our customers need to succeed in any domain, against any challenge. A developer of advanced sensors, training, and cyber and software solutions, Raytheon Intelligence & Space provides a decisive advantage to civil, military and commercial customers in more than 46 countries around the world. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the business generated $15 billion in pro forma annual revenue in 2020 and has 37,000 employees worldwide. Raytheon Intelligence & Space is one of four businesses that form Raytheon Technologies Corporation.







About Raytheon Technologies

Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. With four industry-leading businesses ? Collins Aerospace Systems, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Intelligence & Space and Raytheon Missiles & Defense ? the company delivers solutions that push the boundaries in avionics, cybersecurity, directed energy, electric propulsion, hypersonics, and quantum physics. The company, formed in 2020 through the combination of Raytheon Company and the United Technologies Corporation aerospace businesses, is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Media Contact

Laura Wright

Laura.Wright@rtx.com

407-414-6643

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/raytheon-intelligence--space-expands-logistics-support-under-495-million-usmc-contract-301307178.html

SOURCE Raytheon Technologies
[June 08, 2021] realme Announces Global Launch Date for realme GT and Latest AIoT Strategy

SHENZHEN, China, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- realme, the fastest-growing smartphone brand, will introduce its highly anticipated 2021 flagship killer phone  the realme GT during the company's first global launch event on Tuesday, June 15 at UTC+1 01:00 PM / HKT 08:00 PM. With "Sheer Speed Flagship" as its slogan, the realme GT exemplifies the company's "Dare to Leap" spirit by bringing cutting-edge design and technology capturing the original essence of the Grand Touring (GT) experience for young people. In conjunction with the realme GT global launch, the company will also announce its latest AIoT strategy with a slew of new products under realme TechLife. By further developing a wide-ranging AIoT ecosystem, realme aspires to enhance every aspect of young consumers' modern lifestyle, including their personal, family and travel technology needs. realme's CEO Sky Li will deliver an opening speech at the global launch event followed by an overview of realme's global business strategy by Madhav Sheth, VP and CEO of India and Europe, realme. In addition, Johnny Chen, realme's Global Head of Brand Marketing, will officially launch realme TechLife, the company's upgraded AIoT ecosystem, while Alessio Bradde, realme's Product Marketing Manager, ill introduce the realme GT to global audiences for the first time. Finally, Kwan Jun Jie, Senior Product Marketing Manager, realme, will conclude the event by unveiling realme's new line of AIoT products.





As realme's first flagship smartphone of 2021 The realme GT was met with great reception. By bringing realme GT to additional markets overseas, realme is determined to set new standards for flagship experiences for young consumers worldwide. About realme realme is a global emerging consumer technology company disrupting the smartphone and AIoT market by making cutting-edge technologies more accessible. It provides a range of smartphones and lifestyle technology devices with premium specs, quality, and trend-setting designs to young consumers at affordable prices. Established by Sky Li in 2018 and driven by its "Dare to Leap" spirit, realme is the world's 7th largest smartphone company and has become one of the top 5 smartphone players in 15 markets globally in just two years. As of Q1, 2021, realme has entered 61 markets worldwide, including China and in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Europe, Russia, Australia, the Middle East, and Africa and has a global user base of over 70 million. For more information, please visit www.realme.com . For more information, please contact

Michael Su

PR Manager

Michael.su@realme.com

+86 13212720091 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/realme-announces-global-launch-date-for-realme-gt-and-latest-aiot-strategy-301308182.html SOURCE realme

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[June 08, 2021] Redline Communications and Morcom International Provides Unprecedented Wireless Connectivity to Arlington County in Virginia

TORONTO and CHANTILLY, Va., June 8, 2021 /CNW/ -- Redline Communications Group Inc. ("Redline Communications") (TSX: RDL), a leading-edge provider of industrial wireless broadband network connectivity solutions for mission-critical applications, and Morcom International, Inc ., an industry leader in the design and implementation of broadband wireless infrastructure systems, announces today the installation of Redline's 3GPP iLTE network in Arlington County, Va. This industrial-grade broadband wireless solution utilizes the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum and provides improved broadband access, increased network stability and reliability, and minimal latency for real-time applications. Redline &; Morcom were able to complete the 1st phase of the project in 1/3 of the usual execution and deployment time. The initial goal of Arlington County was to offer remote connectivity to educators as they sought to provide broadband internet access for remote learning to teachers and students throughout the county's school system during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Arlington County has been impressed by Redline's and Morcom's responsiveness and overall support of the county to date," states Jack Belcher, Arlington County's chief information officer. "The throughput capacity has been most evident in the speed with which they installed critical internet connections for educators -- all under the CARES Act deadline." The CARES Act provides $31 billion in emergency fundin to students, schools, institutions, and states across the U.S. and gives states $13 billion to support school districts.



Redline and Morcom were able to complete the first phase of the project in one-third of the usual execution and deployment time. Morcom's system design and implementation, as well as the efficient architecture of the Redline solution enables easy expansion for the county as it brings on additional educators and students for remote learning. Arlington County has taken on operations and maintenance of the network itself minimizing OPEX spend on the network. This included acquiring its own private Redline FlexCore Evolved Packet Core (EPC) server via the infrastructure arrangement.

"The term 'mission-critical' really begins in the classroom, whether it's distance learning or on-site learning applications," comments Reno Moccia, Redline executive vice president of sales and marketing. "Redline is pleased to support Arlington County's overall dedication to shared broadband wireless access and to connectivity, indoors or outdoors -- and we look forward to our continued relationship." "Morcom is delighted to provide its expertise in Private LTE and 5G CBRS system design and implementation to solve a real-life challenge for Arlington County students and educators," adds Manuel Ojeda, Morcom founder and chief technology officer. "The Covid pandemic necessitated a great deal of agility in the design and implementation of this service. Thanks to the commitment and focus of the County's leadership, Morcom and Redline were able to execute this program in record time and within budget." About Redline Communications

Redline Communications (TSX: RDL) designs and manufactures powerful wide-area wireless networks for mission-critical applications in challenging locations. Redline networks are used by Oil & Gas companies onshore and offshore, Mining companies on surface and underground operations, by municipalities to remotely monitor infrastructure, and by specialized telecom service providers to deliver premium services. Hundreds of businesses worldwide rely on Redline to engineer, plan and deliver ruggedized, secure and reliable networks for their IoT, voice, data, and video communications needs. For more information visit www.rdlcom.com . About Morcom International

Morcom International, Inc. offers the highest degree of expertise in the design and implementation of critical wireless communications and weather information systems. Since 1984, Morcom has created leading edge, in-building wireless solutions and broadband wireless infrastructure systems globally. Hundreds of businesses rely on Morcom to design and implement secure networks for their communication systems demands. Morcom products and services are used by aviation companies, defense companies, government agencies, aerospace companies, security companies, and technology companies. Visit www.morcom.com for additional information. Redline Contact:

Reno Moccia

EVP Sales & Marketing

+1-403-461-5391

rmoccia@rdlcom.com Redline Media Contact:

Jaymie Scotto & Associates (JSA)

+1-866-695-3629 ext. 6

media@rdlcom.com Morcom Media Contact:

Erica Benson

+1-703-263-9305

ebenson@morcom.net View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/redline-communications-and-morcom-international-provides-unprecedented-wireless-connectivity-to-arlington-county-in-virginia-301307324.html SOURCE Redline Communications

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-09 01:36:24|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

TEHRAN, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The crisis in Yemen must be resolved peacefully through political dialogue, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday.

Iran's principled policy is to reject military ways as a solution to the crisis in Yemen, said Zarif during a meeting with visiting UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths.

The abhorrent situation and humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen after six years of war should be resolved by lifting the blockade on the Yemeni people and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to them, Zarif was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.

Griffiths briefed Zarif about the results of his talks with the parties involved in the Yemeni war, according to the report.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.

The Saudi Arabia-led Arab coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi's government.

The war has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis, displaced 4 million others, and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. Enditem
[June 08, 2021] SEON and Prodigy's IDVerifact team up to crack down on digital identity fraud

TORONTO, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - Prodigy Ventures Inc. (TSXV: PGV) ("Prodigy" or the "Company") today announced an agreement entered into between its wholly-owned subsidiary, IDVerifact Inc. and Seon, the fraud fighters. Last year it was reported that nearly half of companies experienced a fraud in the past 24 months. Recognising the increasing surge in fraud and digital identity theft, IDVerifact sought to strengthen its capabilities by partnering with SEON to extend its comprehensive suite of solutions. IDVerifact removes the challenges associated with a traditional approach to onboarding, maintaining and optimising multiple digital identity partners. It achieves this with a complete suite of continually evolving digital identity solutions, allowing organisations to rapidly capture the data attributes required to complete trusted business transactions with their clients. As part of the agreement, IDVerifact will integrate SEON's cloud-based machine learning platform, Intelligence Tool, into the IDVerifact platform to provide inputs for user profiling decisions on transactions, all in real-time. Built for data enrichment, SEON's Intelligence Tool scans open-source databases and gathers extra information about users based on an email address, phone number or IP address. In addition, it enables users to simply check if an email address is valid or not and instantly get background information to create a complete user profile, flag fraudsters, confirm suspicions or remove doubts. George Colwell, Sr. Vice President at IDVerifact, commented: "The issue we are seeing is that fraudulent activity is only increasing, yet there is no one size fits all standardised method for digital identity. But, no matter who you are or where you're transacting, it should be secure. That's why we developed a one stop shop for digital identity solutions, enabling customers to choose from a menu of data attributes that uniquely suit their organisation. We believe that SEON is an ideal partner to support us in reaching our goals. He added: "Not only was it a meeting of minds when it comes to approach and our complimentary offerings, but the team at SEON also understand that there is no space for standing still so we all must continually evolve. We know that as our partners grow, so too will we." Tamas Kadar, CEO and Co-Founder at SEON, said: "By integrating SEON's Intelligence Tool, IDVerifact has assembled a next-level toolbox for fraud protection, including digital identity verification, compliance, risk assessment, data apture, tokenisation and encryption. Together we are helping organisations to create safe environments to conduct transactions at the speed of today's business."



To learn more, visit our websites, https://prodigy.ventures/ and https://idverifact.com/ To learn more about SEON and the services it provides, visit: https://seon.io/

About Prodigy Ventures Inc. Prodigy delivers Fintech innovation. The Company provides leading edge platforms, including IDVerifact for digital identity , and new Fintech platforms for open banking and payments. Our services business, Prodigy Labs, integrates and customizes our platforms for unique enterprise customer requirements, and provides technology services for digital identity, payments, open banking and digital transformation. Digital transformation services include strategy, architecture, design, project management, agile development, quality engineering and staff augmentation. Prodigy has been recognized as one of Canada's fastest growing companies with multiple awards: Deloitte's Fast 50 Canada and Fast 500 North America (2016, 2017, 2018), Branham 300 (2017, 2018), Growth List (2018, 2019 and 2020), Canada's Top Growing Companies (2019 and 2020). About SEON

SEON helps online businesses of all sizes fight back against fraud. It was built out of necessity and aims to remove the barriers to fraud prevention that many companies face, with rapid integration times, rolling monthly contracts and a one-size-fits-all platform that is easy to operate and is accessible 24/7. Its technology draws on data from across the internet to establish customers' digital footprints to wean out false accounts and prevent fraudulent transactions from taking place and all of SEON's tools work in the back-end to remove any friction associated with fraud prevention. To learn more about the company, visit: https://seon.io/ Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements Certain information set out in this news release constitutes forward-looking information. Forward looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe" and similar expressions. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, and that information obtained from third party sources is reliable, they can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements included in this document, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which the forward-looking statements are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur, which may cause actual results in future periods to differ materially from any estimates or projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risk factors set forth in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the three months ended March 31, 2021, a copy of which is filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive. These statements are made as at the date hereof and unless otherwise required by law, the Company does not intend, or assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Prodigy Ventures Inc.

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[June 08, 2021] Sezzle Announces New $20,000 Scholarship Program

MINNEAPOLIS, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sezzle Inc. (ASX:SZL) (Sezzle or Company) // - Sezzle , the leader in the Buy Now, Pay Later industry, announces the launch of a new Scholarship Program for incoming college freshmen in the US & Canada. For the upcoming fall semester, Sezzle will provide a $10,000 scholarship to a deserving incoming college Freshman, as well as awarding $500 in Sezzle Spend (redeemable at the 34,000 brands where Sezzle can be used.) Recently named the best BNPL App for Students, Sezzle is determined to aid students in more ways than one. Sezzle is focused on enabling responsible purchasing for shoppers, while building credit status and future buying poweracting as a financial co-pilot for users, guiding them every step of the way on the path to healthy credit. The company's mission is to 'financially empower the next generation', and to go beyond finance by supporting empowerment across many facets of users' lives, and by creating a better world for the next generation through social, ethical, and educational initiatives. Rcently named the best BNPL App for Students by thebalance.com, Sezzle is determined to aid the students in more ways than one. The Sezzle National Scholarship is just one of the company's commitments to education fundingalongside Sezzle's core financing product. The adoption of Sezzle's interest-free solution skyrocketed in the past year as BNPL became the optimal solution for all shoppersespecially those hit by student loans and debt.



Did You Know? Student Loan Stats (Provided by the US Federal Reserve): $1.71 Trillion in US student loan debt

in US student loan debt 44.7 million Americans with student loan debt

Defaults were halted as part of the pandemic relief measures  prior to the pandemic, 11.1% of student loans were 90 days or more delinquent or are in default. "As student debt rises, younger generations face the challenge of building credit ratings without necessarily owning a credit card," commented Sezzle Chief Revenue Officer, Veronica Katz. "Our credit-building feature, Sezzle Up provides a solution; transforming the traditional landscape of credit. We hope that this new Sezzle Scholarship is another tool to directly alleviate student debt and financial hardship."

Learn more and apply here. About Sezzle Inc.

Sezzle is a rapidly growing fintech company on a mission to financially empower the next generation. Sezzle's payment platform increases the purchasing power for millions of Active Consumers by offering interest-free installment plans at over 34,000 retailers. When consumers apply, approval is instant, and their credit scores are not impacted, unless the consumer elects to opt-in to a credit building feature, called Sezzle Up. For additional assets and news on Sezzle please visit https://my.sezzle.com/news/ Sezzle US Media Contact:

Email: erin.foran@sezzle.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sezzle-announces-new-20-000-scholarship-program-301307669.html SOURCE Sezzle

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[June 08, 2021] Sidecar Health Announces Key New Hires to Support Accelerated Growth

Sidecar Health, the health insurtech company dedicated to providing simple and transparent insurance based on doctors' cash prices, today announced six key executive hires. The new executives previously held senior leadership roles in such companies as Health Care Service Corporation, Dollar Shave Club, Ticketmaster, LinkedIn and Henry Ford (News - Alert) Health System, and will bolster Sidecar Health's growth plans in key focus areas. The hires include tech veterans Rodney Barlow as CTO and Ashley Lewis as VP of Product Management, who will lead the technology and product teams to support the company's expansion into new categories and geographies. Doug Lynch joins as Chief Actuary to lead actuarial, underwriting and health care economics functions, and growth veteran Alex Coonce is joining as Chief People Officer to scale the team and people infrastructure. The company is also expanding its investment in compliance and government relations with the additions of Pamela Cleveland as Chief Compliance Officer and Emily Porter as VP of Government Affairs. "As we accelerate the rollout of our unique cash-powered insurance model, we're excited to welcome these senior leaders to the company," said Patrick Quigley, co-founder and CEO of Sidecar Health. "Their passion and breadth of experience will help Sidecar Health accomplish our mission to make healthcare affordable and accessible to everyone in the U.S." The new Sidecar Health team members are: Rodney Barlow, Chief Technology Officer Rodney (Rod) Barlow is responsible for ensuring Sidecar Health can deliver on its ambitious mission by growing and building out the tech and product side of the business. Rod has more than 20 years of experience leading world-class product and technology teams. Prior to joining Sidecar Health, Rodney was Chief Technology Officer at Beautycounter, where he increased product delivery and quality, driving significant revenue growth. Prior to that, Rod was Chief Technology Officer at Aspiration as well as Senior Vice President at Ticketmaster. Pamela Cleveland, Chief Compliance Officer Pamela Cleveland brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in healthcare, government and law to Sidecar Health. As Chief Compliance Officer, Pam is responsible for helping enter new marketsby ensuring that Sidecar Health is complying with all state and federal laws, regulatory requirements, policies and procedures. Pam formerly served as Chief Compliance Officer at Health Alliance Plan (a subsidiary of Henry Ford Health System), Chief Compliance Officer and Vice President of Strategy at Beacon Healthcare Systems, Director of Medicare Compliance at Medical Mutual of Ohio and Compliance Officer at Scott and White Health Plan.



Alex Coonce, Chief People Officer Alex is responsible for growing and fueling the Sidecar Health team in her role as Chief People Officer. Alex has deep experience building the employee infrastructure at companies across a variety of industries and in various roles, from strategy and business operations to people and places. Alex has led the development of the people function from the ground up at several fast-growing startups, shaping them into award-winning workplaces. Prior to Sidecar Health, Alex served as Head of People at Ike (now Nuro) and Vice President of People and Culture at Glint (now part of LinkedIn (News - Alert) ).

Douglas Lynch, Chief Actuary Doug Lynch has over 20 years of experience spanning actuarial, underwriting, data and analytical functions in the health insurance industry. In his role as Chief Actuary, he will be responsible for establishing appropriate rates, forecasting and analytics, valuing all actuarial assets and liabilities and assessing actuarial risks associated with all current and future Sidecar Health endeavors. Doug formerly served as Chief Actuary of Health Care Service Corporation (the parent company of the Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in IL, TX, OK, MT and NM) and as Chief Actuary of Florida Blue. Ashley Lewis, VP of Product Management Ashley Lewis leads the product management team at Sidecar Health. She is responsible for establishing and executing the company's product vision and ensuring the platform delivers on its promise to provide consumers with affordable and transparent health insurance. Ashley previously led the product management team at Dollar Shave Club which, under her leadership, won the Webby Award for Best Shopping App. Ashley was an early employee at DogVacay (acquired by Rover.com) where she oversaw the consumer booking experience and mobile app teams. She also has two patents for her innovative work in the early days of native mobile at eHarmony. Emily Porter, VP of Government Affairs Emily Porter has more than 20 years of government affairs experience navigating complex political environments with a deep focus on healthcare policy. She will help Sidecar Health expand into new product offerings and geographic markets by working with national and state governments. Emily was most recently a partner at the Washington D.C.-based consulting firm The Nickles Group, representing Sidecar Health among other clients. In addition, Emily spent a decade working on Capitol Hill in the House of Representatives, managing and messaging key issues within the House leadership related to healthcare reform, Medicare and Medicaid. About Sidecar Health Sidecar Health is changing health insurance. Unlike traditional insurance, which sits between the patient and the doctor, Sidecar Health members can pay for care directly when they get it using the Sidecar Health Visa card. As a result, members can see any doctor, all coverage is transparent and members save 40% compared to traditional insurance. We believe its health insurance the way it should be. Founded in 2018, Sidecar Health has raised more than $175 million to date from Drive Capital, BOND, Menlo Ventures (News - Alert) , Tiger Global, Cathay Innovation, GreatPoint Ventures and Morpheus Ventures. Sidecar Health is now available in 16 states and will begin marketing its first ACA and employer offerings in 2021. For more information visit: www.sidecarhealth.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005371/en/

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[June 08, 2021] SipRadius Transitions from OEM Software Vendor to Brand Offerings

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SipRadius LLC announced launch of its new Coral OS line of media hardware, operating system and cloud images targeted to the broadcast/cable industry for exclusive distribution by Denz.TV, based in Coral Springs, Florida. The product line provides scalable platforms for the routing, transcoding, encoding and decoding of SMPTE 2110, SDI, MPEG-TS and NDI media streams over public or private IP networks. The Coral OS can be deployed on customers' x64 hardware, large commercial clouds, VMWare or provisioned on Denz hardware to the customers' specification. The Coral OS and its applications encompass fifteen years of software development and experience. Customers seeking SipRadius' product line previously distributed by Computer Modules dba DVEO can now find it through DENZ. Recent development provides new features and greater support for cloud deployment. Distribution through Denz also provides new and greater "horsepower" options for pre-installed hardware. The Coral OS provides a familiar user experience for broadcast engineers accustomed to the old product line, while also providing a uniform interface for newly created features. A number of new options and variatons are to be found among the expanded product line. Rapid content delivery, as low as 300ms "glass-to-glass" via WebRTC or low latency HLS (CMAF) is the chief addition. The Coral OS WebRTC server has especially proved itself during the past year for major U.S. broadcasters responding to pandemic work-from-home requirements. Other additions include a DRM enabled IPTV system with universal web browser playback in mobile and desktop devices. Ground-to-Cloud-to-Cloud-to-Ground (GCCG) signal distribution for SDI, NDI and IP streams can be flexibly and rapidly designed. Specialized hardware products include network emulation for bench testing packet loss in 4-port, 6-port and 8-port configurations. A latency and integrity testing product analyzes and measures SDI and IP streams for latency as well as duplicate or dropped frames.



The Coral OS and its applications can also run on various hardware such as ARM processors. The customer receives an installer image appropriate for the processor family and/or cloud of their choice. The Coral OS line also features libRIST for error correcting transport. libRIST is a Free and Open Source Software project to which Sergio Ammirata, Chief Scientist of SipRadius, has donated his experience and time.

For information regarding pricing and ordering, Denz.TV can be contacted at 908-998-1080, or sales@dmcbroadcastgroup.com; Web: www.denz.tv. Media Contact:

Sergio Ammirata

954-290-2434

311430@email4pr.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sipradius-transitions-from-oem-software-vendor-to-brand-offerings-301307675.html SOURCE SipRadius LLC

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[June 08, 2021] Sustainability platform abillion announces the 5 Best Vegan Ice Creams loved by South Americans in 2021

SANTIAGO, Chile, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- abillion, a digital platform promoting sustainability and plant-based food, has released its awards for the World's Best Vegan Ice Creams 2021. The awards were determined by evaluating over 2,000 across 180 brands between 1 June 2020 to 31 May 2021 by members of abillion. abillion's awards are based on consumer ratings, number of reviews, and consumer sentiment score. In addition to the global ranking, abillion is also publishing regional awards. To see the World's 10 Best Vegan Ice Creams awards, visit here . Based on South American consumer's reviews, here are the 5 Best Vegan Ice Creams, South America, 2021:

Not Icecream Chocolate Chips (NotCo, Chile ) Not Icecream Dulce de Leche Tentacion (NotCo, Chile ) Helado de Agua sabor Chocolate (Felices Las Vacas, Argentina ) Helado de Agua sabor Dulce de Leche (Felices Las Vacas, Argentina ) Not Icecream Strawberries & Cream (NotCo, Chile ) NotCo, the brand of this year's first and second-best ice cream, is a Chilean food technology company producing plant-based alternatives to animal-based food products. NotCo was founded in 2015 and has become Latin America's fastest-growing food company. Felices Las Vacas, n Argentinian brand, is soon becoming a household name among conscious consumers in Latin America. Its cheese, chocolate and ice cream were some of the highest-ranked products in our awards last year.



This year, we also notice that small local brands like Sei Tu, Haulani and Grido have gained popularity on our platform. Notably, Sei Tu, an ice cream brand started in 1998, has begun offering vegan ice creams for its growing conscious consumers in Argentina. Vikas Garg, Founder and CEO, abillion said, "At abillion, we're working hard to improve the accessibility and discoverability of vegan products for consumers all around the world. We're excited that our awards can showcase brands that are doing great things and creating sustainable and delicious products. I also hope the recognition our platform provides brand owners with opens doors for greater regional and global distribution."

abillion dishes out several awards and publishes research papers throughout the year. For images of the products mentioned, visit here. For media enquiries, please contact:

pr@abillion.com About abillion At abillion, we're working to drive a global movement for plant-based food and earth-friendly products. abillion is a digital platform that assists people that want to make sustainable choices. Using the abillion app, members can discover vegan food and vegan and cruelty-free products. abillion, launched in 2018 by CEO Vikas Garg, is unique in harnessing social media for social good. Whenever a member chooses sustainably and shares a review, abillion donates $1 to a life-saving cause which the member can choose through the app. abillion has donated more than US $500,000 to life-saving causes around the world. abillion has over 300,000 members in over 130 countries and has contributed more than 700,000 reviews of vegan dishes and vegan and cruelty-free products. Consumer reviews, along with consumer insights, are shared with business owners, influencing nearly 100,000 brands worldwide to offer more sustainable options. Our mission is to guide a billion people to adopt a plant-based lifestyle in the next 10 years and to be a leading sponsor of animal welfare, rescue and advocacy work globally. Website: www.abillion.com SOURCE abillionveg Pte Ltd

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[June 08, 2021] University of Minnesota Supercomputing Institute Expands Research Capability, Adds 10 Petabytes of Panasas Storage

Panasas, a leader in high-performance computing (HPC) data storage solutions, announced an expansion of its 13-year relationship with the University of Minnesota's Supercomputing Institute (MSI) to supply a new generation of parallel storage systems. As its researchers push further into the fields of bioinformatics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, MSI (News - Alert) plans to upgrade both the capacity and the performance of its cluster storage systems. To achieve this goal, the university is starting by updating the existing Panasas parallel storage system to the next-generation Panasas Ultra hardware. This will deliver approximately 10 Petabytes of new capacity, representing a net increase of 5 PB that will better support a variety of data-intensive research initiatives. Alongside the Panasas storage upgrades, the capacity of MSI's ceph-based tier 2 sorage, built using HPE hardware, will also be increased by 5 PB.



"The Panasas partnership gives us access to the kind of high-performance computing technology that is critical to tackle an increasing variety of sophisticated use cases with MSI's `Agate' cluster," said Jim Wigenbusch, Director of Research Computing at UMN. "This long-term partnership has provided our researchers with the top-flight technology and technical support they need." "MSI/UMN has bought and installed every generation of Panasas ActveStor over the 13 years that we've worked together," said Panasas Chief Operating Officer Brian Peterson. "I'm very proud of this agreement -- a testament to our long-term partnership. We are fully committed to helping the university by supporting their efforts with the technology they need to advance research."

About Panasas Panasas delivers high-performance computing (HPC) data storage solutions that support industry and research innovation around the world. Whether it's building the next Dreamliner, winning a Formula One race, creating mind-bending visual effects, curing disease, or modeling climate change, the world's leading companies trust Panasas to support their most innovative HPC projects. For more information, visit www.panasas.com. Follow Panasas: Twitter and LinkedIn.  2021 Panasas, Inc. Panasas, the Panasas logo, PanFS and ActiveStor are trademarks or registered trademarks of Panasas, Inc., in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks, registered trademarks, trade names, company names and service marks are the property of their respective holders. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005483/en/

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[June 08, 2021] UWM Holdings Corporation Announces Contest to Bring Mortgage Brokers to Ring the Bell at New York Stock Exchange

UWM Holdings Corporation (NYSE:UWMC), the publicly traded indirect parent of United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), #1 wholesale and purchase mortgage lender in America, today announced it launched a contest to bring independent mortgage brokers to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange alongside UWM president and CEO, Mat Ishbia in celebration of National Mortgage Brokers Day. Independent mortgage brokers can enter by sharing stories about helping borrowers on the submission page at www.UWM.com/NMBD. Winners will be announced in early July 2021. "Independent mortgage brokers are easier, faster and less expensive than any alternative," said Ishbia. "We're bringing some great mortgage brokers to this iconic stage and sharing their stories to educate consumers that mortgage brokers are the best place to get a mortgage, period." This announcement follows multiple initiatives launched by UWM, all of which help support independent mortgage brokers and cost brokers nothing: FindAMortgageBroker.com , a wesite launched in 2016 to educate consumers and real estate professionals on the benefits of using a mortgage broker over large banks and retail lenders to purchase and refinance a home. The website hosts a nationwide database of brokers, searchable by city or zip code, to match borrowers and real estate agents with nearby independent mortgage brokers.

, a wesite launched in 2016 to educate consumers and real estate professionals on the benefits of using a mortgage broker over large banks and retail lenders to purchase and refinance a home. The website hosts a nationwide database of brokers, searchable by city or zip code, to match borrowers and real estate agents with nearby independent mortgage brokers. Super Bowl Commercial , for the past two years, UWM ran a commercial on the biggest stage to capture the hearts and minds of consumers focused on the benefits of working with an independent mortgage broker.

, for the past two years, UWM ran a commercial on the biggest stage to capture the hearts and minds of consumers focused on the benefits of working with an independent mortgage broker. Blink +, offers loan officers a point of sale, loan origination system and customer online application relationship manager all-in-one-package.

offers loan officers a point of sale, loan origination system and customer online application relationship manager all-in-one-package. UWM InTouch , a mobile app providing brokers access to manage almost every aspect of their pipeline from the palm of their hands.

, a mobile app providing brokers access to manage almost every aspect of their pipeline from the palm of their hands. Brand 360, customized marketing assets, CRM and social media calendar to further help brokers with marketing and client retention efforts.



th. Contest begins at or about 9:00 AM ET on 6/8/2021 and ends at 11:59 PM ET on 6/25/2021. Visit www.uwm.com/NMBD for more information.

About UWM Holdings Corporation and United Wholesale Mortgage Headquartered in Pontiac, Michigan, UWM Holdings Corporation is the publicly traded indirect parent of United Wholesale Mortgage ("UWM"). UWM is the #1 wholesale lender in the nation six years in a row, providing state-of-the-art technology and unrivaled client service. UWM underwrites and provides closing documentation for residential mortgage loans originated by independent mortgage brokers, correspondents, small banks and local credit unions. UWM focuses on providing highly efficient, accurate and expeditious lending support. UWM's exceptional teamwork and focus on technology result in the delivery of innovative mortgage solutions that drive the company's ongoing growth in market share and its leadership position as the foremost advocate for independent mortgage brokers. For more information, visit www.uwm.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005767/en/

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[June 08, 2021]

Vietnam X Victoria (V2): Virtual Trade Mission Leverages Future Trade, Education and Investment Opportunities

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Through Global Victoria's newly opened Trade and Investment (VGTI) Vietnam office, the Victorian Government will deliver the inaugural Vietnam x Victoria (V2): Virtual Trade Mission from 15 - 25 June 2021 in both Melbourne and Ho Chi Minh City.

The market-specific Virtual Trade Mission (VTM) will showcase Victoria's strengths and capabilities in three of the Vietnam Government's priority sectors -- technology, food and beverage and sustainability -- with 35 companies participating.

The multi-sector program will brig key Vietnamese leaders across government, industry and business together with established Victorian exporters, offering online and offline briefings as well as bespoke business matching services in Victoria and Vietnam.







The VTM Summit on 15 June is a half-day live streaming online event in Ho Chi Minh City and Melbourne, featuring two panel discussions with Victorian thought leaders highlighting the state's expertise and capability: Cities of the Future and Industries of the Future.

As Vietnam's major cities continue to experience rapid development and urbanisation, Cities of the Future is an opportunity to hear from leading Victorian experts on the role of new technologies, the importance of sustainable planning, and how to develop truly smart cities.

The Industries of the Future panel is a chance to embrace Victoria's champions of sustainable growth, as they tackle the importance of cleantech, STEM and business transformation for key future industries.

Business matching opportunities with Victorian exporters from the technology, food and beverage and sustainability sectors are available through the Victorian Government. Register your interest and find further information on the VTM: https://gener8.eventsair.com/vietnam-victoria-vtm/

Vietnam is Victoria's 13th largest two-way merchandise trade market, with significant links in food and beverage, education, and manufacturing. These links are supported by a vibrant Vietnamese diaspora community in Victoria, currently the State's 4th largest. The Victorian Government Trade and Investment Office, Ho Chi Minh City looks to build upon these significant links through initiatives such as this Virtual Trade Mission.

SOURCE Global Victoria
[June 08, 2021] Vision AI leader Neurala launches European Subsidiary

Today, Neurala, the leader in vision AI software, announced the launch of its European subsidiary, Neurala Europe, based in Italy. By establishing a presence in Europe, Neurala is advancing its efforts in the industrial space, bolstering on-the-ground expertise and support for its European partners, VARs and manufacturing customers as the industry increasingly prioritizes AI and automation as a part of Industry 4.0 initiatives. Backed by Friulia S.p.A., an investment firm based in Trieste, Italy, and AddValue, an investment firm based in Milan, Italy, the new subsidiary will solidify Neurala's global footprint and position the company as a catalyst for growth of industrial and manufacturing innovation outside of the United States. Neurala is already working with global strategic partners, including IMA Group, Antares Vision, FLIR Systems and IHI Logistics and Machinery, as well as several European systems integrators.



"As the world begins to reopen, manufacturers need cost-effective solutions that can be easily deployed and can scale to meet fluctuating consumer demands that have become the norm over the last year," said Max Versace, CEO and co-founder of Neurala. "This new venture will enable Neurala to address that need by working closely with local partners and our team on the ground to bring vision AI onto industrial machines, cameras, and production lines." "In many ways, this is a homecoming for me, and for Neurala," Versace continued. "I was born and raised in the Friuli region and have always had a connection to Italy. Naturally, I am thrilled to officially extend the bridge between Italy and the United States. With the launch of Neurala Europe, my hope is that we are able to marry Neurala's AI expertise with Europe's drive for industrial innovation."

"As one of Neurala's strategic partners, we have seen firsthand the impact of the company's vision AI software and innovation in the industrial space," said Dario Rea, Director of Corporate Research & Innovation, IMA Group. "The addition of a European subsidiary will put Neurala on the ground, in Europe, so that they can continue to develop relationships with local partners and distributors, making them even more competitive at a global scale, and increasing their ability to share this game-changing technology with key players in Europe and beyond." As part of the Neurala Europe launch, the company will hire sales, software engineering and research personnel based out of Italy, to help meet the growing demand for AI in manufacturing and visual inspections. Neurala Europe will be managed by Versace and by Daniel Glasser, Neurala's VP of Client Operations, who will join the Board of Neurala Europe and oversee day-to-day operations. About Neurala Neurala is a pioneer in vision AI software. On a mission to make AI more applicable and useful in real-world applications, Neurala helps industrial companies improve their quality inspection process, with technology that dramatically reduces the time, cost and skills required to build and maintain production-quality custom vision AI solutions. Founded in 2006, Neurala's research team invented Lifelong-DNN (L-DNN) technology, which lowers the data requirements for AI model development and enables continuous learning in the cloud or at the edge. Neurala is headquartered in Boston, MA with a European subsidiary in Trieste, Italy. Follow Neurala on Twitter (@Neurala) and on Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn. For more information about Neurala's AI software, request a demo. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005204/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Voiceitt Launches State-of-the-Art Speech Recognition App to Empower Communication for Individuals with Speech Impairments

TEL AVIV, Israel, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Voiceitt , a leading speech recognition company for non-standard speech, today announced the launch of its app, which is available here on the Apple Store. The Voiceitt app can be downloaded for free by individuals or in volume by institutions, nursing facilities and organizations. The assistive technology app, which will be offered for free at launch for a limited period, empowers individuals to navigate their environments and control smart home devices using their own voice commands. While a growing portion of the world's population now has access to the advantages of smart home devices that enable them to turn on the lights, listen to music, and more with their voice, millions of people who live with speech that is hard to understand often cannot use their own voices to utilize such widespread speech technology. Now, these individuals can reclaim their independence with Voiceitt's life-changing voice recognition technology. The launch comes at a pivotal time for many with atypical speech. Isolation and social distancing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic have left many individuals with speech and motor impairments either separated from loved ones or cut off from care facilities and other support often crucial to their wellbeing. By initially offering its app at no cost, Voiceitt aims to mitigate some of the hardships created by the pandemic and improve the quality of life for as many people affected as possible. "Everyone deserves to be able to express themselves and to be understood," said Danny Weissberg, Voiceitt CEO and Co-founder. "With this launch, countless people with non-standard speech will be able to use their own voice to easily communicate with caregivers, loved ones and even their smart home devies. I'm so proud to make our technology available to this wonderful community. Voice recognition technology is finally becoming accessible to everyone."



Voiceitt's app integrates with Amazon's Alexa to increase independence and quality of life for individuals with speech and motor disabilities. The Voiceitt experience begins with a simple training phase, allowing the software to better recognize an individual's speech. After the user repeats a set of words and phrases several times, the Voiceitt app builds an artificial intelligence-powered speech model that allows the individual to communicate specific commands. "In collaboration with Voiceitt, we have been able to bring Alexa to even more customers," said Peter Korn, Director of Accessibility at Amazon Lab126. "We strive to make all Amazon products and services as delightful and easy to use as possible for everyone. Voiceitt's integration with Alexa helps us do just that, enabling customers with speech impairments to enjoy all that Alexa has to offer and help them live more independently."

Voiceitt's proprietary automatic speech recognition engine  which combines machine learning with state-of-the-art speech analysis technology  can recognize not only atypical speech, but also speech patterns including utterances, cadence of speech, breathing pauses and non-verbal sounds, in any language. App users can build a personalized dictionary and train the app to recognize their unique pronunciation, a process which takes no more than five minutes on average per phrase. The app then recognizes a user's trained phrases in real-time and translates output into typical speech  enabling users to convey complex sentences that help them better navigate their daily lives. "The degree of independence our app helps give to members of our user community has inspired us to develop our technology even further and make it available to even more people. Our goal is to give voice to everyone," said Weissberg. About Voiceitt Voiceitt's mission is to increase independence and quality of life for people with speech and motor disabilities. Voiceitt has created a speech-to-speech application for individuals with speech and motor impairments using their own voice. The application uses proprietary automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology to translate unintelligible and atypical speech in real time, enabling people with severe to mild speech impairments to communicate by voice. Voiceitt was co-founded by Danny Weissberg and Stas Tiomkin in 2012, and Sara Smolley, who joined the company a few years later as Voiceitt's Co-founder and Head of Partnerships and Alliances. The company is backed by AARP, the Amazon Alexa Fund, Dreamit Ventures, M12 (Microsoft's venture capital fund), Quake Capital Partners, the Technion (Israel Institute of Technology) and Viking Maccabee Ventures. Voiceitt is based in Tel Aviv, Israel with a subsidiary in the U.S. Media Contact

Sarah Small

Headline Media

Sarah@headline.media

+1 929 255 1449 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/voiceitt-launches-state-of-the-art-speech-recognition-app-to-empower-communication-for-individuals-with-speech-impairments-301307887.html SOURCE Voiceitt

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-09 02:47:30|Editor: huaxia

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CAIRO, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Egypt on Tuesday warned of "catastrophic" effects of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) which might lead to an escalation of tensions in Africa that threatens international peace and security.

In a speech to a virtual conference of the International Labor Conference (ILO), Egyptian Manpower Minister Mohamed Saafan said that Ethiopia's unilateral measures regarding filling the dam without a prior agreement with Egypt and Sudan would significantly harm the agriculture sector in the two downstream countries.

Ethiopia plans to go ahead with the second filling of the GERD in July, as it unilaterally did last year. Egypt and Sudan are concerned about the move which they said would affect their shares of the Nile River water, while calling for reaching a prior tripartite agreement on the rules of filling and operating the controversial dam.

Saafan told the ILO conference that the anticipated Ethiopia measure would have "catastrophic social and economic effects on Egypt and Sudan in terms of desolation of agricultural lands and loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs in the agricultural sector, as well as endangering their water security."

Ethiopia started building the GERD in 2011, and the decade-long tripartite negotiations, including those hosted earlier by the United States and recently by the African Union (AU), have failed to reach an agreement on regulating the filling and operation of the dam,

Egypt and Sudan currently seek to form an international quartet, which includes the AU, the U.S., the European Union and the United Nations, to mediate in the tripartite GERD talks, but the proposal has been declined by Ethiopia. Enditem
WordPress Economy Drives More Than Half a Trillion in Revenue, New Global Study Shows

WP Engine, the world's most trusted WordPress technology company, announced the results of a new, first-of-its-kind research study examining the combined global economy for WordPress, which was estimated at $596.7 billion in 2020, and is expected to grow to $635.5 billion by the end of 2021. The study examined both the economic value of the WordPress ecosystem and the social impact of this ever-expanding community of open source developers, agencies and users.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210607005793/en/

"This groundbreaking research shows the definitive leadership role WordPress plays in the global digital economy," said Heather Brunner, Chairwoman and CEO of WP Engine. "A $596.7B economy is such a validation of the value that WordPress, its ecosystem and its robust community bring to the world. In the future, as WordPress looks to cross 50 percent of the web we see it playing an even larger role with individuals and businesses of all sizes as they connect, collaborate and accelerate their business growth through this incredible open source platform." (Photo: Business Wire)

To put the global WordPress economy in context, if WordPress were a country, its economy would rank 39th in the world according to an IMF list of countries by GDP. The estimated 2021 economy facilitated by WordPress is comparable to that generated by the Apple App Store at $643B, and if it were equivalent to the market cap of a company it would come in at no. 10 on the list of companies by market capitalization (as of May 13th), bigger than that of the world's most valuable automaker, Tesla at $550.72B.

The research, commissioned by WP Engine and carried out in the U.S., UK and Australia by Dr. Chris Brauer, Director of Innovation in the Institute of Management Studies (IMS) at Goldsmiths University of London and Vanson Bourne, was undertaken to assess the economic value and the social impact of WordPress. It included a comprehensive review of academic and industry literature, including adjusting OECD economic indicators for digital economies as well as complementary primary data and analysis of economic value through industry valuations and projections from surveys of WordPress Economy research group members, 400 businesses and 400 WordPress end users.

The study also brought together an incredible, broad group of more than 100 collaborators (listed below) representing a cross-section of the various, dynamic aspects of the WordPress ecosystem: hosts, agencies, publishers, plugin and theme providers-all businesses which derive revenue in some way from WordPress and helped provide guidance on the study.

"This groundbreaking research shows the definitive leadership role WordPress plays in the global digital economy," said Heather Brunner, Chairwoman and CEO of WP Engine. "A $596.7B economy is such a validation of the value that WordPress, its ecosystem and its robust community bring to the world. In the future, as WordPress looks to cross 50 percent of the web we see it playing an even larger role with individuals and businesses of all sizes as they connect, collaborate and accelerate their business growth through this incredible open source platform."

"As no reliable benchmark valuation of the WordPress economy currently exists, we needed to innovate a methodology and solution for arriving at a reliable valuation," said Dr. Chris Brauer Director of Innovation in the Institute of Management Studies (IMS) at Goldsmiths, University of London.

"In this process we created a model that not only accounted for WordPress' financial value, but also measured the intangible contribution from the open source community and external factors that are beyond the market's control such as the pandemic. Our interdisciplinary research team of social scientists, statistical modellers and economists used a mixed methods approach to analyse the value of WordPress resulting in an innovative socio-economic model that accounted for user-specific data that reflects WordPress' financial value, intangible contribution and the situational contexts of external factors."

To read the complete "The Economic Value of WordPress" study, please visit https://wpengine.com/wordpress-economy/, where you can learn more about the results.

WordPress and Digital Economy Growth

According to Accenture Research and Oxford Economics research, the Digital Economy makes up approximately 22.5% of the $87.74T global economy. It comprises software, devices & infrastructure, IT & business services, emerging technologies and Telecom services. This places the Digital Economy at approximately $19.73T.

Market data indicates that a tremendous share of the economic value generated in the digital economy comes from websites, which could be partially attributed to the foundational role of WordPress in enabling economic expressions and interactions. WordPress is the most dominant content management system (CMS) on the market, with a significant proportion of market share, averaging at 64.8 percent,1 much higher than all of its competitors combined. WordPress currently powers more than 41.4 percent of the Internet.2 As of December 2020, WordPress has become the primary type of site on the Internet.

"With open-source software, we can modify it, update it, reuse it; I think there is a lot of power there," said Juan Garcia, Head of Technology at whiteGREY in Australia. "That's something that has been very interesting coming from a services company-if you do things well, put a bit of time and contribute into the community, it can become a great source of revenue."

The Social Impact

Growth within the WordPress ecosystem is not only reliant on economic elements but is also driven by social contributors. Social factors increase the value of the ecosystem within the community and lead to higher levels of innovation. A combination of all these factors-economic, social and innovation-can allow businesses to achieve the full potential and benefits of WordPress.

Guy Martin, Executive Director, OASIS Open, suggests the WordPress ecosystem is reliant on the core concepts of, "consume, contribute, and build value." Built on these principles, WordPress pushes the boundaries of digital innovation toward an environment that understands how achieving economic value is crucially connected to building social impact.

Martin added "The secret sauce of open source is people-its community. And that to me has always been the most valuable piece of what open source is-building that community development model, building that ability to tap and harness people no matter where they are."

"WordPress is the commons of the web," said David Lockie, founder of Pragmatic. "It allows people to communicate with freedom. And that creates tangible value and wealth, but it also creates intangible value for our societies in this time of centralization of power. Two very different, but very critical values."

WP Engine Powers Your Freedom To Create With WordPress.

As the leader in Managed WordPress and WordPress technology, WP Engine is the driving force behind 1.5 million digital experiences for over 175,000 customers across 150 countries. In fact, WP Engine is the most popular platform for WordPress, according to W3Techs, managing more WordPress sites among the top 10 million than anyone else. It's also the fastest platform on desktop and mobile for WordPress.

The complete "The Economic Value of WordPress" study is available at https://wpengine.com/wordpress-economy/.

Research Methodology.

The research design used a mixed method approach to create a credible and empirically-driven assessment of the value of WordPress and resulted in our model and economic value equation. The methods used were:

A comprehensive review of academic and industry literature, including adjusting OECD economic indicators for digital economies

Complementary primary data and analysis of economic value through industry valuations and projections from survey of 28 WordPress Ecosystem consortium members, 400 businesses + 22 Consortium members and 400 end users

Five external SME interviews /contributions in economic impact of WordPress informing our model/equation

Four case studies from organizations profiling the role of WordPress on economic outcomes through the pandemic crisis (drawn from USA, UK, Europe and AUS)

All research methods were designed in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic crisis and rebound economy. Specific efforts were undertaken to assess economic change in relation to the crisis. The full research report is available here.

For more information about WP Engine, its products or services, go to www.wpengine.com

About WP Engine

WP Engine, the WordPress technology company, provides the most relied upon and trusted brands and developer-centric WordPress products for companies and agencies of all sizes, including managed WordPress hosting, enterprise WordPress, headless WordPress, Flywheel, Local and Genesis. WP Engine's tech innovation and award-winning WordPress experts help to power more than 1.5 million sites across 150 countries.







In addition to WP Engine, Goldsmiths, University of London and Vanson Bourne, collaborators on the WordPress Economy Study include:

We continue to seek more collaboration. Learn more about joining future WordPress Economy research here.

1Tech Data (May 2021) https://w3techs.com/technologies/overview/content_management

2Tech Data (May 2021) https://w3techs.com/technologies/overview/content_management

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210607005793/en/
[June 08, 2021] Yubico Research Reveals More Than Three Quarters of Enterprises in the UK, France and Germany Are Undervaluing Two-Factor Authentication

Yubico, the leading provider of hardware authentication security keys, today released the results of a comprehensive study into current attitudes and adaptability to at-home corporate cybersecurity, employee training, and support in the current global hybrid working era. The report surveyed 3,006 employees, business owners, and C-suite executives at large organisations (250+ employees), who have worked from home and use work issued devices in the UK, France and Germany. Download and read the full report here. Findings from the report offer insights into the use of work-issued devices for personal matters, sharing and remembering business passwords, the adoption of two-factor authentication (2FA), and other security measures, coupled with how enterprises are responding. Data shows that since the start of the pandemic employees have been engaging in poor cybersecurity practices on work-issued devices, with business owners and C-level executives proving to be the worst culprits. At the same time, enterprises are falling short on cybersecurity best practices that need to be implemented for out-of-office environments. Less than a quarter of respondents admit to even implementing 2FA since the start of the pandemic and even then, many are using less secure and less user-friendly forms of 2FA like mobile authentication apps and SMS one-time passcodes. "The research shows that many organizations are still finding their feet in these new, mostly virtual, work environments, and while this flexibility can deliver new opportunities for businesses and employees, they shouldn't ignore the growing cybersecurity risks that come with it," said Stina Ehrensvard, CEO and Founder, Yubico. "Threat actors are finding new and innovative ways to breach corporate defenses which require modern security solutions like the YubiKey. In fact, a user deployment study by Google highlights the remarkable benefits and ROI for YubiKey hardware-based authentication and the standards work we have spearheaded." Key findings from the survey include: 54% of all employees use the same passwords across multiple work accounts. 22% of respondents still keep track of passwords by writing them down, including 41% of business owners and 32% of C-level executives.

42% of respondents admit to using work-issued devices for personal reasons daily while working from home. Of these, 29% are using work devices for banking and shopping, and 7% admit to watching illegal streaming services. Senior workers are among the biggest offenders, as 44% of business owners and 39% of C-level executives admit to performing personal tasks on work-issued devices every day since working from home, with almost a quarter (23%) of business owners and 15% of C-level respondents using them for illegal streaming/watching TV.

A year after the pandemic began and work-from-home policies were implemented, 37% of all employees across all sectors are yet to receive cybersecurity training to work from home, leaving businesses largely exposed to evolving risks.

43% of all employees suggest that cybersecurity isn't the responsibility of the workforce, with nearly two thirds (60%) believing this should be handled by IT teams. However, data suggests that IT departments are not meeting employee expectations, with just 37% feeling more supported by IT than they did when working onsite with their firm's cybersecurity team close by.

Meanwhile, a supportive top-down security culture is lacking, causing employees to feel increased levels of anxiety or stress when dealing with IT or security problems. 51% often try to solve their own IT problems rather than contacting IT, and 40% who clicked on a suspicious link wouldn't immediately tell IT.

Despite 2FA technology being the best line of defense to protect against account takeovers, only 22% of respondents report their company has introduced it since the pandemic began.

Even among organizations who have implemented 2FA, only just above a quarter (27%) are rolling out FIDO-compliant hardware security keys, which offer the most advanced form of phishing protection, while others rely on more vulnerable and outdated solutions, such as mobile authenticaton apps (54%) and SMS one-time passcodes (47%).



Highlights by country: United Kingdom

UK business owners are stricter about their personal use on work devices than their counterparts in Germany and France. In contrast, UK-based employees have become more relaxed: 20% more of them admit to using work-issued devices for personal affairs since working from home.

Meanwhile, UK respondents feel less supported by IT than those in Europe - but they're also the most confident in their own ability to spot phishing attacks, with 80% of all employees indicating they could identify an attempted breach.

Key 2021 employee habits include: 73% of business owners and 71% of C-level execs allow third parties to use work devices 42% feel more vulnerable to cyber threats while working from home, with 39% feeling unsupported by IT 62% have not completed cybersecurity training for remote work When having clicked a suspicious link during work, 16% figure it out by themselves while 12% "ask Google (News - Alert) " 22% would use the same work email log-in again after a security breach, while 31% would share work email passwords 62% would rather have their work credentials than personal data stolen The main personal activities on work devices are: Article reading 36%; admin 36%; shopping 36%; banking 30%; social media 28%; gaming 15%

France A lax attitude to cybersecurity is not exclusive to French employees but some of their actions and beliefs are of concern. 26% of those who hope to continue working remote post-pandemic ignore software and operating system updates for their work-issued devices. These are vital to maintaining a barrier against cyber threats. While 59% of all respondents based in France believe IT should be solely responsible for cybersecurity, 63% believe employees that are working from home should take more ownership. Just 30% of all respondents say they have received security training, and 36% feel they are less supported by IT compared to when working in the office. This is likely prompting the 48% of all employees who attempt to fix IT issues on their own, rather than notifying IT, and this percentage rises to 69% for both business owners and the C-suite. As we have seen, this can be linked to over-confidence about spotting phishing attacks - with 67% of all employees feeling they can identify one. Among new cybersecurity policies which have been implemented since working from home, half of French businesses (50%) require a VPN to access the corporate network, 33% enforce the use of stronger passwords, while 30% request password updates more frequently, and only 19% require 2FA. 57% of French employees consider SSO requirements as being cumbersome or disruptive to their workflow, 54% for 2FA. Key employee habits include: Everyday personal use of work-issued devices: pre-Covid 41%; post-Covid 53%

Main personal use activities on work devices: admin 37%; article reading 35%; banking 27%; gaming 10%; illegal streaming 10%

Everyday work use of personal devices: pre-Covid 30%; post-Covid 42%

allow third parties to use device: business owner 78%; C-level 70%

allow third parties to use device: business owner 78%; C-level 70% Feeling more vulnerable to cyber threats since working from home: 40%

Feeling unsupported by IT: 36%

Completed cybersecurity training for remote work: 30% say yes

Remembering work passwords: 23% write them down; 14% use a password manager; 11% save to a document on the device; 11% use the same password for multiple accounts

Would use same work log-in again after breach: 23%

Share work email passwords: 28%

Confident about spotting phishing attempt: 67%

Would rather have work credentials than personal data stolen: 75% Germany In Germany, some employees have taken a stricter approach to cybersecurity during the pandemic. While everyday personal use of work-issued devices has risen overall, the proportion of people doing this, who already worked from home pre-pandemic, fell from 42% to 34% - suggesting they are more conscious of the increased risk. As with the overall responses, business owners fall short when it comes to security: a quarter of German based business owners admit to using work devices for illegal streaming. Only 35% say they have received cybersecurity training from their employer. This includes half of all C-level executives, but only a quarter of entry-level employees. Patching is patchy, too; important updates on work devices are strongly neglected, only 11% on average keep their work devices updated, along with a further 27% of home workers. Additionally, respondents based in Germany are overly confident in spotting a phishing attempt with 71% of all employees stating they are very or somewhat confident. Key employee habits include: Everyday personal use of work-issued devices: pre-Covid 21%; post-Covid 30%

Main personal use activities on work devices: article reading 48%; social media 40%; admin 34%; banking 31%; shopping 31%; gaming 19%

Everyday work use of personal devices: pre-Covid 19%; post-Covid 28%

Allow third parties to use device: business owner 90%; C-level 65%

Feeling more vulnerable to cyber threats working from home: 36%

Feeling unsupported by IT: 32%

Completed cybersecurity training for remote work: 35% say yes

Immediate reaction to clicking suspicious link during work: 59% tell IT ASAP; 18% "ask Google"

Remembering work passwords: 23% write them down; 21% use a password manager; 12% save to document on the device; 8% same password for multiple accounts

Would use same work log-in again after breach: 21%

Never share work email password: 69%

Confident about spotting phishing attempt: 71%

Would rather have work credentials than personal data stolen: 63% Download the complete report here, and for a deeper dive into the findings from this report, sign up for the upcoming Yubico webinar, State of cybersecurity in Europe during the Covid-19 crisis on June 29 at 11 am PST. Methodology The research was conducted by independent research company Censuswide, with 3,006 employees at large organisations (250+ employees), who have worked from home at some stage and have work issued devices in the UK, France and Germany between February 19, 2021 and March 3, 2021. Censuswide abide by and employ members of the Market Research Society which is based on the ESOMAR principles. About Yubico Yubico sets new global standards for simple and secure access to computers, mobile devices, servers, and internet accounts. The company's core invention, the YubiKey, delivers strong hardware protection, with a simple touch, across any number of IT systems and online services. The YubiHSM, Yubico's ultra-portable hardware security module, protects sensitive data stored in servers. Yubico is a leading contributor to the FIDO2, WebAuthn, and FIDO Universal 2nd Factor open authentication standards, and the company's technology is deployed and loved by 9 of the top 10 internet brands and by millions of users in 160 countries. Founded in 2007, Yubico is privately held, with offices in Sweden, UK, Germany, USA, Australia, and Singapore. For more information: www.yubico.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005131/en/

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[June 07, 2021]

To Reach Iranians Worldwide, American Jewish Committee Launches AJC Farsi Social Media

NEW YORK, June 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- To expand American Jewish Committee's (AJC's) reach to audiences in the Middle East, the global advocacy organization launched AJC Farsi today, with Persian-language social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

"The intersection of my Iranian, American, and Jewish identities makes me particularly proud to make this exciting announcement," Saba Soomekh, Associate Director of AJC Los Angeles, told the 2021 Virtual AJC Global Forum's worldwide audience. "AJC Farsi will bolster our efforts to reach Iranians in Iran and diaspora communities in the United States and around the world."

AJC Farsi builds on the enormous success of AJC Arabic's social media accounts and the An Al Yahud (About the Jews) video series, which are aied at increasing understanding of the Jewish people in the Arab world.







Now AJC is turning to online Persian communities. "The Iranian Jewish community is the oldest in the Diaspora, going back 2700 years," said Soomekh. Born in Tehran, her family fled Iran and came to the United States in 1978. "My family realized our modern and secular country was regressing back to persecuting religious minorities under what would become the Islamic revolution. We knew we had to leave Iran to live a life free of antisemitism."

While AJC is profoundly concerned about the Iranian regime's malign nuclear activities, suppression of human rights, and sponsorship of terror around the world, it recognizes that the Iranian people are not the regime. "We know the Jewish people and the Iranian people have much in common," added Soomekh.

Through new communications platforms, AJC is seeking to build greater mutual understanding and contribute to peacemaking efforts.

Visit AJC.org/Farsi to follow the AJC Farsi Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube accounts, and stay up to date on this pioneering initiative.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/to-reach-iranians-worldwide-american-jewish-committee-launches-ajc-farsi-social-media-301307232.html

SOURCE American Jewish Committee
[June 07, 2021] Global Treasury and Risk Management Software Market to observe $ 975.62 Million growth during 2020-2024 | Technavio

NEW YORK, June 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Set to grow by USD 975.62 million during 2020-2024, Technavio's latest market research report estimates the treasury and risk management software market to register a CAGR of almost 5%. With a focus on identifying dominant industry influencers, Technavio's reports present a detailed study by the way of synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. This report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. Request a Free Sample to understand the scope of the report! The market is concentrated, and the degree of concentration will accelerate during the forecast period. Calypso Technology Inc., EdgeVerve Systems Ltd., Fidelity National Information Services Inc., Finastra, ION Group, Kyriba Corp., Murex SAS, SAP SE, TreasuryXpress Inc., and Wolters Kluwer NV are some of the major market participants. The increasing focus on reducing capital risk will offer immense growth opportunities. To leverage the current opportunities, market vendors must strengthen their foothold in the fast-growing segments while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. Treasury and Risk Management Software Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Treasury and Risk Management Software Market is segmented as below: Deployment

Cloud-based



On-premise

Geographic Landscape

APAC



Europe



MEA



North America



South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR40117 Treasury and Risk Management Software Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis and Scope To help businesses improve their market position, the treasury and risk management software market provides a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the market. Some of these vendors include Calypso Technology Inc., EdgeVerve Systems Ltd., Fidelity National Information Services Inc., Finastra, ION Group, Kyriba Corp., Murex SAS, SAP SE, TreasuryXpress Inc., and Wolters Kluwer NV. The report also covers the following areas: Treasury and Risk Management Software Market size

Treasury and Risk Management Software Market trends

Treasury and Risk Management Software Market industry analysis The rising need for intelligent treasury management software is likely to emerge as one of the primary drivers of the market.



Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports.

Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Related Reports on Information Technology Include:

Global Governance Risk and Compliance Platform Market - Global governance risk and compliance platform market is segmented by deployment (on-premise and cloud-based) and geography (APAC, Europe, MEA, North America, and South America).

Request a Free Sample Report Global RegTech Market - Global RegTech market is segmented by end-user (large enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises) and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and MEA).

Request a Free Sample Report Treasury and Risk Management Software Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024

Detailed information on factors that will assist treasury and risk management software market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the treasury and risk management software market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the treasury and risk management software market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of treasury and risk management software market vendors Table of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT 2.1 Preface

2.2 Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market characteristics

Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition

Market sizing 2019

Market outlook

Market size and forecast 2019-2024 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY DEPLOYMENT Market segmentation by deployment

Comparison by deployment

On-premises - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Cloud-based - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by deployment PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

- Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

- Market size and forecast 2019-2024 APAC - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

South America - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

- Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA - Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Key leading countries

Market opportunity PART 09: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers

Market challenges PART 10: MARKET TRENDS Intelligent treasury management software

Blockchain in treasury operations

Growing number of acquisitions and partnerships PART 11: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview

Landscape disruption

Competitive scenario PART 12: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered

Vendor classification

Market positioning of vendors

Calypso Technology Inc.

EdgeVerve Systems Ltd.

Fidelity National Information Services Inc.

Finastra

ION Group

Kyriba Corp.

Murex SAS

SAP SE

TreasuryXpress Inc.

Wolters Kluwer NV PART 13: APPENDIX Research methodology

List of abbreviations

Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 14: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: media@technavio.com

Website: www.technavio.com/

Report: www.technavio.com/report/treasury-and-risk-management-software-market-industry-analysis View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-treasury-and-risk-management-software-market-to-observe--975-62-million-growth-during-2020-2024--technavio-301307216.html SOURCE Technavio

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[June 07, 2021] American Campus Communities Provides Interim Update in Advance of REITweek 2021

American Campus Communities, Inc. (NYSE: ACC), the nation's largest owner and manager of high-quality student housing properties, today provided an interim update in connection with REITweek 2021: Nareit's Investor Conference, which begins June 8, 2021. Flamingo Crossings Village Occupancy Update American Campus Communities is currently under construction on Flamingo Crossings Village, a 10-phase, $615 million residential community for participants of the Disney (News - Alert) College Program ("DCP"). In May 2021, Walt Disney World Resort announced that it was recommencing the DCP in the summer of 2021 after temporarily suspending the program in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since commencing DCP leasing activities on May 27, approximately 1,650 participants have executed lease agreements to begin occupying Flamingo Crossings Village during the month of June 2021. Five of the project's 10 phases are scheduled to be delivered by July, representing 4,996 beds. The company is actively communicating with Walt Disney World Resort management regarding the near-term timing and pace of occupancy. Based on current onboarding plans and COVID-protocols, the company anticipates occupancy of available beds to be at least 85 percent by the fall of 2021. Barring unforeseen future impacts related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company expects the project to meet its original 2022 targeted yield, with stabilization occurring in May 2023, as initially anticipated prior to the pandemic. Academic Year 2021-2022 Preleasing Update "While we are very pleased with the recent progress at Disney, we remain focused on the Fall 2021 lease-up across our 68 university markets. Consistent with our comments last quarter, preleasing across the industry continues to lag behind the traditional pre-COVID pace. With regard to our portfolio, the preleasing deficit compared to the prior year continues to narrow, as universities and students tranition back toward more normal activities in this unique environment. Since March 12, we continue to see our average weekly velocity of applications and leases run at approximately 2.5 times the same period last year, consistent with the volumes we noted on our last call," said Bill Bayless, American Campus Communities CEO. "While there remains a significant amount of leasing to do before the next academic year begins, our velocity is tracking in-line with the broader industry, as represented by the 'AxioMetrics 175,' and our preleased percentage continues to outpace averages in the majority of our markets. As previously stated, we do not expect to fully return to historical occupancy levels for Academic Year 2021-2022. Rental rates for the preleasing we have completed to date remain slightly above prior year, however we are seeing pricing pressure in certain markets as operators become more aggressive with concessions or rate reductions. On our second quarter earnings call in late July, we expect to be in a position to provide a more meaningful leasing comparison to prior year and a range of projected occupancy levels for Fall 2021."



About American Campus Communities American Campus Communities, Inc. is the largest owner, manager and developer of high-quality student housing communities in the United States. The company is a fully integrated, self-managed and self-administered equity real estate investment trust (REIT) with expertise in the design, finance, development, construction management and operational management of student housing properties. As of March 31, 2021, American Campus Communities owned 166 student housing properties containing approximately 111,900 beds. Including its owned and third-party managed properties, ACC's total managed portfolio consisted of 207 properties with approximately 142,400 beds. Visit www.americancampus.com.

Forward-Looking Statements In addition to historical information, this press release contains forward-looking statements under the applicable federal securities law. These statements are based on management's current expectations and assumptions regarding markets in which American Campus Communities, Inc. (the "company") operates, operational strategies, anticipated events and trends, the economy, and other future conditions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. These risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward looking-statements include those related to the COVID-19 pandemic, about which there are still many unknowns, including the duration of the pandemic and the extent of its impact, and those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 under the heading "Risk Factors" and under the heading "Business - Forward-looking Statements" and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, including our preleasing activity or expected full year 2021 operating results, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210607005784/en/

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Juniper Networks and NEC Build New Network for Herotel to Create South Africa's First Commercial Network Driven by Segment Routing

Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR), a leader in secure, AI-driven networks, and NEC Corporation ( NEC (News - Alert) ; TSE: 6701), a leading global integrator of IT and network technologies, today announced that they have worked with Herotel, South Africa's largest fixed wireless service provider, to enable the country's first commercial network to deploy segment routing as part of a significant network upgrade initiative. Herotel's operational drivers for this innovation and investment include scalability and reach, agility, cost-effectiveness and the ability to consistently provide a superior user experience that can be tailored to regional requirements.

Since its foundation in 2014, Herotel's overarching mission has been to drive ubiquitous, affordable internet connectivity and access to services and content across South Africa's 1.22 million Km, including communities in remote districts. In addition to rapid organic growth of its network, the acquisition of numerous local service providers over a short period of time has further broadened Herotel's reach. However, this approach has also led to a disparate, cost-inefficient infrastructure in need of simplification and alignment to meet its objectives. Over the past year, this need has been exacerbated by significantly increased demand for secure, reliable connectivity and bandwidth during work-at-home and extended lock-down periods, with thousands of workers accessing corporate resources from 'unknown' home networks. Furthermore, given the large distances between data centers and other points of presence, the ability to store and stream bandwidth-heavy content closer to as many customers as possible has become another imperative for Herotel.

Herotel chose to build its new IP network based on segment routing principles, augmenting traditional MPLS (multi-protocol label switching) techniques, to maximize operational flexibility and agility and to help deliver improved, consistent user experiences at scale and cost-effectively. Segment routing is a control-plane architecture which simplifies traffic engineering, enabling the path that data packets take across the network to be determined in advance. This means fewer network elements are involved, avoiding slow response to sudden network changes. It also supports the application QoS (Quality of Service), mapping specific applications and end users to preferential network service paths.

Additional Information

Herotel has now consolidated 19 separate networks and operating frameworks into a single architecture, in support of its simplification and cost-control program, having acquired 40 different service providers between 2018 and 2020.

During South Africa's initial national lock-down period starting in March 2020, Herotel experienced a 30 percent increase in network traffic.

For the remainder of 2021, Herotel aims to bring another 60,000 new customers online, and is currently building new fiber connections for 16 towns, with another 18 planned for towns in the Western Cape district.

Juniper Networks (News - Alert)  MX Series Universal Routing Platform underpins the solution deployed by Herotel. Specifically, Herotel has deployed the MX204 Universal Routing Platform for metro access routing and the MX10008 Universal Routing Platform in the network core.

Herotel also has the Juniper Broadband Network Gateway Solution (BNG) enabled across its distributed architecture to support local peering and as a Content Delivery Network (CDN). This capability is enabled by the MX platforms and Junos OS, the single operating system that powers Juniper's portfolio.

NEC led the architectural design and implementation of Herotel's new network as the 'Network Integrator,' backed by its extensive transport networking integration and engineering capabilities accumulated through its rich experience of delivering innovative networking to hundreds of customers globally. It has also been recognized as Juniper's Global Alliance Partner of the Year for 2020, underlining its outstanding execution capabilities and exceptional attention to customer experience.

Juniper and NEC XON, a subsidiary of NEC, worked closely together to deliver Herotel's innovative new network and will extend their collaborative effort to develop enhanced networks to drive Herotel's continued business success in the region.







"Herotel's stated mission for South Africa is 'everyone connected'. In support of this, we have three clear strategic anchors: excellent customer experience, low-cost deployment and strategic availability of our services. The network is the critical element, so we knew we had to be bold and innovative to succeed and keep this promise to our customers. The solution from Juniper, with NEC XON as the integration partner, has delivered the simplicity, operational functionality and agility that other vendors simply could not."

- Eldred Ekermans, Chief Technical Officer, Herotel

"Streamlining deployment at massive scale and across vast distances yet still focusing on the user experience was the challenge that Herotel brought to us. The segment routing solution now in place delivers optimal bandwidth utilization, reduced latency and automated traffic engineering capabilities. This enables Herotel to provide stand-out connectivity and services to its many thousands of business and residential users, despite the geographic challenges of such a dispersed population. It also has the necessary headroom and agility to keep ahead of Herotel's ambitious ongoing growth plans, again without any compromise to the end-user experience."

- Brendan Gibbs, Vice President, Automated WAN Solutions, Juniper Networks

"As a company that envisions social value creation ourselves, Herotel's mission resonates with us and we are thrilled to contribute to making 'everyone connected' a reality in South Africa, one of the key markets for our global business. NEC, providing specialized telecom services with a customer-first approach, is excited to be a strategic partner for Herotel to deliver innovative 5G-ready networking and to pave the way to a brighter, promising future together."

- Mayuko Tatewaki, General Manager, Service Provider Solutions Division, NEC Corporation

Additional Resources:

Herotel: Introducing Segment Routing to Affordably Connect South African Homes & Businesses (video)

Segment Routing: What You Need to Know (blog)

The NEC-Juniper Global Alliance

About Juniper Networks

Juniper Networks challenges the inherent complexity that comes with networking and security in the multicloud era. We do this with products, solutions and services that transform the way people connect, work and live. We simplify the process of transitioning to a secure and automated multicloud environment to enable secure, AI-driven networks that connect the world. Additional information can be found at Juniper Networks (www.juniper.net) or connect with Juniper on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Juniper Networks, the Juniper Networks logo, Juniper, Junos, and other trademarks listed here are registered trademarks of Juniper Networks, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

About NEC

NEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of "Orchestrating a brighter world." NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. For more information, visit NEC at https://www.nec.com.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nec/

YouTube (News - Alert): https://www.youtube.com/user/NECglobalOfficial

Facebook (News - Alert): https://www.facebook.com/nec.global/

Twitter (News - Alert): https://twitter.com/NEC_corp

NEC is a registered trademark of NEC Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Other product or service marks mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners. 2021 NEC Corporation.

Category-Serviceprovider

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210607005018/en/
[June 07, 2021] Nonprofits Insurance Alliance (NIA) Named Best Overall Insurance Provider for Nonprofits by Investopedia

More than 21,000 nonprofits know why Investopedia named their insurance provider, Nonprofits Insurance Alliance (NIA), Best Overall in its most current rating of insurance providers for nonprofit organizations. In its recognition Investopedia said, "The Nonprofits Insurance Alliance works exclusively with nonprofit organizations, and their team of specialists can help you secure the best policy based on your organizational and industry needs. This experience, when paired with their policy options and resources, make NIA the best overall nonprofit insurance provider." Investopedia specifically recognized NIA policy options and coverages, high customer retention, and member resources that "help businesses minimize liability risks by providing training, education, and other types of support." "As a nonprofit ourselves, our mission is to support the nonprofit sector, and we do that by providing coverages and services that protect nonprofits and allow them to focus on the communities they serve," says Pamela Davis, NIA founder, president and CEO. "I am delighted that NIA is recognized as the premier insurance provider for the nonprofit sector." NIA has a proven history of providing 501(c)(3) nonprofits with stable and affordable coverage, as evidenced by its AM Best A IX (Excellent) rating - an insurance industry benchmark. The AM Best rating is based on quantitative and qualitative evaluation of balance sheet strength, operating performance, and business profile. Last month AM Best increased NIA's Financial Size Category (FSC) from "VIII" to "IX." The FSC is based on policyholdersurplus and is designed by AM Best to provide a convenient indicator of the size of a company in terms of its surplus and related accounts. An FSC rating of IX indicates surplus between $250 and $500 million.



NIA provides property & casualty (P&C) insurance in 32 states and the District of Columbia through over 1,000 independent brokers. Investopedia Methodology

When reviewing nonprofit insurance companies for their analysis, Investopedia first looked for organizations that specialized in coverage for nonprofit groups and organizations. Investopedia then reviewed their coverage options, industries served, customer reviews, and, when available, premiums and limits. Investopedia also considered the amount of time a provider was in business as well as their AM Best rating to ensure the providers chosen had a history of providing quality service and reliable coverage. To learn more about the Investopedia methodology and to review all insurance companies included in the Best Nonprofit Insurance review visit: https://www.investopedia.com/best-nonprofit-insurance-5186193. About Nonprofits Insurance Alliance Nonprofits Insurance Alliance (NIA) is the nation's leading property and casualty insurer exclusively serving nonprofit organizations. Founded in 1989 in Santa Cruz, California, NIA is a social enterprise developing the long-term sustainability of the nonprofit sector. NIA has one of the best customer retention rates in the industry. NIA members enjoy stably-priced insurance, specialized insurance coverage, dividends, and innovate risk management and member services. The NIA group brand is comprised of Alliance Member Services ( AMS (News - Alert) ) and three AM Best A IX (Excellent) rated insurers: Nonprofits Insurance Alliance of California (NIAC), Alliance of Nonprofits for Insurance, RRG (ANI), and National Alliance of Nonprofits for Insurance (NANI). All organizations under the NIA brand are 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Learn more about Nonprofits Insurance Alliance at insurancefornonprofits.org/about. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210607005794/en/

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[June 07, 2021] Provides Delivery Service in Indonesia, Wehelpyou Introduces the Concept of Digital Orchestrator

JAKARTA, Indonesia, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PT Solusi Layanan Digital through their mobile application called Wehelpyou introduced the concept of Digital Service Orchestrator in Indonesia. Has been operating since 2019, Wehelpyou launched their new features called Wehelpyou Eat and Sell. "Through Wehelpyou Eat and Sell, we are dedicated to providing a platform for the development of small and medium businesses to be able to meet new potential customers. These have always been Wehelpyou's main focus since the surge of small and medium businesses in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic," Ryo Limijaya, Chief Commercial Officer of Wehelpyou opens. Carrying the concept of one application for all needs from product delivery, food, and other goods, Wehelpyou asserts its existence as an application-based digital service provider. "We have a dream to make all digital services that are already easy, even easier. The development of information technology allows us to create new business models, which is business to business for customers. That is what we do at Wehelpyou," said Muhamad Noor Sutrisno, Founder & CEO of Wehelpyou. Through the Digtal Orchestrator concept, Wehelpyou continues to expand its partnership to provide the best delivery services for its users. Collaboration with the delivery partners also aims to provide various features and services. GrabExpress, MrSpeedy, Westbike Messenger, TIKI, and Lalamove are collaborations done to provide delivery features such as instant and same day. Meanwhile, to expand the delivery network outside Jakarta, Wehelpyou collaborates with TIKI, JNE, Ninja Xpress, and SiCepat.



This collaboration gains a warm welcome from partners through their shared vision which to simplify daily life by providing solutions, affordability, and convenience, both for customers and partners and continuing to keep up with the latest trends and situations. Online shopping trends that keep changing require delivery service companies to remain dynamic and creating innovations. These also attract partners to collaborate with Wehelpyou as a company that continues to be open to innovation. "With online shopping trends that keep changing, we feel that having a dynamic partner is very important in developing delivery services. This is what we see in Wehelpyou, so we can continue to provide the best services that suit the needs of the community," said Andreas Sugian, Head of Business Development from LALAMOVE

Not only Lalamove, GrabExpress as one of the partners of Wehelpyou also said that this collaboration is considered very efficient. "Our ongoing collaboration with Wehelpyou allows us to create efficiency, productivity, and ease of mobility for the logistics needs of the Indonesian people. We want to be the on-demand delivery service of choice for governments, consumers, and online sellers across the archipelago. Through Wehelpyou, people will have access to GrabExpress which provides fast and reliable logistics services. At the same time, we also continue to optimize revenue opportunities for our Driver, delivery, and merchant partners," concluded Tyas Widyastuti, Director of 2-Wheels & Logistics, Grab Indonesia. Almiranti Fira (Instagram: @almirantifira), an Instagram-based online business owner who is known as Fira also stated that choosing a delivery service for her delivery need is quite important because it is one of the ways an online business meets its customers. There are other points to pay attention to when choosing a delivery service, including the affordability of the shipping costs offered. According to Fira, this point is important because it affects the number of daily deliveries that can be made. "The trend now is that people order to arrive on the same day. These are because many people want to experience the online shopping experience but do not want to wait long to be able to use the purchased items," Fira explained. "As a seller, of course, we want our customers to get the best experience when shopping, so that apart from the quality of the products we offer must be the best, but also how the products can arrive and be well received by customers," concluded Fira. About Wehelpyou Wehelpyou was founded by PT. Digital Service Solutions is a digital service orchestrator company. With a mission to combine many services into one application, and have the vision to make it easier for people to order digital services so that people don't need many applications on their smartphones. In the first year, Wehelpyou issued orchestra no. 1 is a service for shipping goods to all islands in Indonesia, which is named Wehelpyou. In the future, Wehelpyou will issue many services that can certainly help the community. #EnjoyBeingHelped.

For further information, please contact: PT. Solusi Layanan Digital

Email : partnership@wehelpyou.id

Tlp : +62 851 56197959 SOURCE PT Solusi Layanan Digital

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[June 08, 2021] UST Extends a Helping Hand Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic in India

~Relief work focuses on medical supplies and equipment to hospitals and COVID Care Centers~ ~Company commits to a minimum of INR 10 crore to support Covid-19 relief in India~ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- UST, a leading digital transformation solutions company, is extending a much-needed helping hand to COVID-19 pandemic relief in India by working closely with governments, hospitals, relief workers, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across the country. UST has already committed a minimum amount of Rs 10 crore to support COVID-19 relief work in India. The company also encourages employee contributions to meet the increased demand for medical supplies and support the communities. In addition, UST will also equally match the contribution of its associates. This year of 2021, UST's COVID-19 relief work is focused on medical supplies and equipment for FLTCs (First-level Treatment Centers), dedicated COVID-19 treatment centers, and hospitals. UST also makes available oxygen supply equipment (oxygen concentrators, cylinders, ventilators), oxygen, beds, ICU beds, N95 masks, PPE kits, face shields, and sanitizers glucometers, thermometers, defibrillators, blood pressure apparatus, thermal scanners, surgical masks, gloves, and medicines for hospitals. The company is also providing food and ration support for the vulnerable communities. UST has taken effective steps towards supplying essential medical supplies and equipment through hospitals, government departments, NGOs and medical suppliers involved in COVID-19 care and relief initiatives, reaching more than 25 government and charitable hospitals, 30 primary health centers, 4 first and second level COVID-19 care centers, 48 old age homes, 94 child care facilities, 42 special homes for differently-abled, 36 palliative units, 3 crematoriums and 5 government quarantine centers across India. UST has been lending support in India's fight against the COVID 19 pandemic across the UST locations, including rban, rural, and remote areas in the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. UST has partnered with several organizations, including Viswasanthi Foundation, Sampark Seva Trust, Nirmaan, EFI, PAN India, CII, and contributed to top hospitals like St John's hospital, Bengaluru; Govt Medical College, Trivandrum, and Kochi; Rajiv Gandhi Hospital, Chennai; and Gandhi Govt Hospital Hyderabad.



Sunil Balakrishnan, Chief Values Officer and Global Head for Development Centers, UST said, "India is fighting the pandemic in all ways it can, and we are sure to win. Amid the rise of COVID-19 cases in India, our thoughts are with the medical workers, frontline workers, UST family, and everyone fighting through this global pandemic. UST is lending support and contributing to relief efforts across India. At UST, we are committed to transforming lives, and the safety of everyone is our utmost priority. We hope that these efforts undertaken by UST would add muscle to the unprecedented war against the pandemic." UST had been fully involved in COVID 19 relief measures right from the days the pandemic made its advent and threatened lives and livelihoods. "In the year 2020, we worked intensively towards COVID 19 relief work across UST India locations and some APAC and USA regions as well. With the employee contribution and the amount committed by the company, we had supported 80,000+ lives directly through food and medical supplies. We reached hospitals, medical institutes, front-line health workers with medical supplies and aided the vulnerable sections of our community with food and medical supplies," Sunil Balakrishnan added.

UST is conducting free vaccination drives for all USsociates and their immediate family and dependents above 18 years of age across India. Associates absent due to COVID-19 illness can avail the 'COVID Special Leave' option for paid leave up to 10 working days, apart from the regular leaves. UST had set up a dedicated COVID-19 Helpdesk last year to resolve employee queries and guide them through the necessary safety protocols. COVID First-Line Treatment facilities and quarantine facilities for USsociates & immediate family members are available in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi & Trivandrum, in association with topmost healthcare providers in these regions. To provide verified and trusted information on various matters required by USsociates and families suffering from COVID-19 infections and for their emotional support, UST has set up self-help groups for each of its centers, where USsociates who are willing to help others or those who need any support can join the group. UST has also created a portal to monitor the COVID cases among its USsociates. Apart from the well-being of the employees, the purpose is also to contain the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the potential risk of exposure among our remote and office-coming associates. UST has announced that the company will continue to pay the salary of the associates who have lost their lives to Covid-19. This will be paid to the families of the late USsociates for a period of two years from the day of the associates' demise. This is in addition to other financial benefits, including the UST Group Life Insurance and other statutory benefits that the late associates would be eligible for. About UST For more than 20 years, UST has worked side by side with the world's best companies to make a real impact through transformation. Powered by technology, inspired by people and led by our purpose, we partner with our clients from design to operation. Through our nimble approach, we identify their core challenges, and craft disruptive solutions that bring their vision to life. With deep domain expertise and a future-proof philosophy, we embed innovation and agility into our clients' organizations-delivering measurable value and lasting change across industries, and around the world. Together, with over 26,000 employees in 25 countries, we build for boundless impact-touching billions of lives in the process. Visit us at ust.com Logo : https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1422658/UST_Logo.jpg Media Contacts, UST: Tinu Cherian Abraham

+1 (949) 415-9857

+91-7899045194 Neha Misri

+91-9972631264

media.relations@ust.com

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[June 08, 2021] Guinea adopts OSIA-based identity management system to drive major economic and social inclusion programs across the country

PARIS, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Secure Identity Alliance (SIA), the global identity and secure digital services advisory body, today announces that Guinea's National Agency for Economic and Social Inclusion (ANIES) will deploy an OSIA-based identity management system in support of the most vulnerable groups within the country. Currently, approximately 40% of its population are undocumented and lack any formal identity. This group is therefore unable to access government support. Beginning with a population census, ANIES plans to provide all citizens with a legal identity during 2021 through an ambitious biometric registration program. Once enrolment is completed, citizens will be provided with a legal identity and a 'beneficiary card' providing access to a range of financial services and social rights. A universal interoperability framework, OSIA provides open standard interfaces (APIs) to connect the building blocks of an identity management ecosystem. OSIA unleashes market innovation, facilitates the implementation of multi-vendor programs and enables identity as a service. Philippe Barreau, Chairman of the Board, Secure Identity Alliance (SIA), said: "SIA via OSIA deployment is proud to cntribute to ANIES's programme and to support the inclusion project of the most vulnerable persons in Guinea. The OSIA initiative represents a new era of openness and collaboration between industry and governments across the world to resolve the interoperability and data sharing challenges.



Debora Comparin, Chair of the OSIA Workgroup, added "Harnessing the power of APIs, OSIA is an efficient and cost-effective way of leveraging industry expertise while pushing continuous innovation and remaining confident that governments will be able to grow their ecosystem with new building blocks and services with limited integration efforts". The OSIA functional and technical specifications are freely available on the GitHub collaboration platform: https://github.com/SecureIdentityAlliance/osia

Note to Editors: About the Secure Identity Alliance Secure Identity Alliance is dedicated to supporting the provision of legal, trusted identity for all, and to drive the development of inclusive digital services necessary for sustainable, worldwide economic growth and prosperity. We believe legal, trusted identity is the cornerstone of rights protection, social inclusion and digital economic development - and the access point to a wide range of essential public and private services. We bring together public, private and non-government organizations to foster international collaboration on the issues of legal identity, to help shaping policy and to provide technical and implementation guidance for national and international ID systems. Its Board Members are Idemia, IN Groupe, Thales and Veridos. For more information on the Secure Identity Alliance, visit: www.secureidentityalliance.org. Follow the Secure Identity Alliance at @secureidentity1 Press Contact:

Stephanie de Labriolle

stephanie.delabriolle@secureidentityalliance.org

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/guinea-adopts-osia-based-identity-management-system-to-drive-major-economic-and-social-inclusion-programs-across-the-country-301307423.html SOURCE Secure Identity Alliance

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-09 03:45:15|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies before U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs on the Biden Administration's Priorities for U.S. Foreign Policy on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on March 10, 2021. (Ken Cedeno/Pool via Xinhua)

"I would anticipate that even in the events of a return to compliance with the JCPOA, hundreds of sanctions will remain in place, including sanctions imposed by the Trump administration," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

WASHINGTON, June 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that "hundreds of sanctions" against Iran will remain in place even if Washington and Tehran return to compliance with the nuclear deal.

"I would anticipate that even in the events of a return to compliance with the JCPOA, hundreds of sanctions will remain in place, including sanctions imposed by the Trump administration," Blinken told the Senate Appropriations Committee in a hearing.

He noted that the United States would lift sanctions inconsistent with the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), if Iran returns to compliance.

"If they are not inconsistent with the JCPOA, they will remain, unless and until Iran's behavior changes," he added.

Blinken again raised doubt about whether Tehran is willing to take steps to come back into compliance.

His similar comments on Monday were met with an immediate response from Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

"It remains unclear whether @POTUS (President Joe Biden) and @SecBlinken are ready to bury the failed 'maximum pressure' policy of Trump ... and cease using #EconomicTerrorism as bargaining 'leverage,'" he tweeted.

The United States and Iran have held five rounds of indirect negotiations in Austria's capital Vienna since April aimed at reviving the nuclear deal.

Abbas Araqchi, the head of Iran's negotiating team, said last week that the next round of talks in Vienna could be conclusive and lead to an agreement.

The United States, however, has been more cautious on the prospect. "There are some hurdles that remain that we haven't been able to overcome in those five rounds," State Department spokesperson Ned Price last week said in a briefing.

The U.S. government 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. 
[June 08, 2021] BST Global Presents "The Journey to Project Intelligence"

TAMPA, Fla., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BST Global, an enterprise ERP solution provider that serves architecture, engineering and consultancy firms around world, presented the company's vision for the ERP experience of the future during a live event titled "The Journey to Project Intelligence." During the event, BST Global leadership presented a sneak peek into BST11, the next evolution of their flagship ERP product. Chief Executive Officer Javier A. Baldor addressed some of the challenges the AEC industry faces today and how BST Global plans to help tackle those challenges, stating: "We believe that we can save you time so you can spend tha time doing more of what you love ... give you more intelligent information to help you make better decisions ... help you to collaborate with and engage your team better. The combination of these three things will deliver better project outcomes and a healthier business and consultancy overall."



Highlighting its functionality across multiple devices, Chief Product Officer Debbie Preacher gave audiences a tour of BST11 and what a day in the life of its users will look like. She discussed how the platform will interact with Microsoft Teams and demonstrated several exciting features that were designed with feedback from client focus groups in mind. "Our solution is specifically designed for project managers. We put all the information and actions that are most important to the project manager front and center, and help team members connect to deliver better project outcomes." Baldor also took the opportunity to announce that BST Global is preparing to introduce solutions that leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities. These efforts will focus on delivering project intelligence through unified, secure and smart data solutions. The company is excited to bring clients a solution that's fueled by artificial intelligence, machine learning and predictive technology within a consumer-grade experience.

The event was attended by employees, clients and prospective clients across 18 countries and is part of BST Global's celebration of 50 years in business. Earlier this year, the company also launched its new brand direction and refreshed website. Contact:

Eileen Canady

Director, Global Marketing

ECanady@BSTGlobal.com BST GLOBAL

BST Global designs, develops and deploys project-based ERP solutions specifically for the world's leading architects, engineers?and consultancies around the globe. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1478858/BST_Global_Logo.jpg

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[June 08, 2021] Bambuser Launches Social Multistreaming, Bringing Live Video Shopping Events to Facebook, YouTube & More

STOCKHOLM, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bambuser today announced the launch of social media multistreaming, a new capability that empowers retailers to broadcast Live Video Shopping events across popular social channels. The feature will amplify the impact of retailers' interactive shopping implementations, enabling them to capture large, highly-engaged audiences on third-party sites and drive them to owned e-commerce properties for engagement and conversion. With multistreaming, Bambuser is offering a best-of-both-worlds solution merging the benefits of social commerce with the stability and control of branded e-commerce experiences. At launch, retailers will have the ability to simultaneously stream live shopping events on their websites and Facebook via app integration as well as across other channels such as TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube that allow custom RTMP connections. Full integrations for these and other platforms will be added in subsequent versions to be released throughout 2021. Development of the new feature is part of Bambuser's ongoing commitment to providing brands and retailers with a robust, platform-agnostic solution that will optimize the impact of their live shopping initiatives. With the initial release of multistreaming, the feature is primarily focused on increasing awareness of and driving traffic to Live Video Shopping segments on the retailer's owned website. As the technology continues to be developed, Bambuser will augment the solution, adding support for overlays, calls to action, interactive elements and multichat. Activities such as adding to cart and check out will be completed on the merchant's platform, enabling them to retain control of the customer experience and eliminating privacy and security risks. "Social media is an essential part of any brand or retailer's marketing strategy and it remains one of the most powerful ways to create and strengthen customer relationships. On the other hand, as long as those relationships exist solely on third-party sites, their full value can't be realized," said Maryam Ghahremani, CEO of Bambuser. "By bringing the eyes of social followers to a brand's owned Live Video Shopping experience, we're bridging the gap between owned and social properties, turning passive followers into active shoppers and helping brands and retailers get the greatest benefit possible from both social media and live shopping initiatives." A demonstration of Live Video Shopping Multistreaming can be seen at http://bmb.sr/multistream. This disclosure contains information that Bambuser is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation (EU nr 596/2014). The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person, on June 8, 2021, 14:00 CEST. Contact information Sherry Smith, Corporate Communications, Bambuser AB | +46 8 400 160 00 | ir@bambuser.com Certified Adviser Erik Penser Bank AB | +46 8 463 83 00 | certifiedadviser@penser.se About Bambuser Bambuser is a software company specializing in interactive live video streaming. The Company's primary product, Live Video Shopping, is a cloud-based software solution that is used by customers such as global e-commerce and retail businesses to host live shopping experiences on websites, mobile apps and social media. Bambuser was founded in 2007 and has its headquarters in Stockholm. Erik Penser Bank AB is Bambuser's Certified Adviser. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/bambuser/r/bambuser-launches-social-multistreaming--bringing-live-video-shopping-events-to-facebook--youtube---,c3363168 The following files are available for download:







https://mb.cision.com/Main/15749/3363168/1429227.pdf Release https://news.cision.com/bambuser/i/bambuser-social-multistreaming,c2923011 Bambuser Social Multistreaming

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bambuser-launches-social-multistreaming-bringing-live-video-shopping-events-to-facebook-youtube--more-301307792.html SOURCE Bambuser

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[June 08, 2021] Disaster Recovery Journal to Host In-Person and Virtual Events This Fall

For the first time ever, Disaster Recovery Journal will host two separate conferences this fall. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005179/en/ Disaster Recovery Journal returns with an in-person conference Sept. 19-22, 2021, in Phoenix. DRJ will host another virtual conference three weeks later, Oct. 11-14, 2021. (Graphic: Business Wire) DRJ will return with its first in-person event since the COVID-19 pandemic - DRJ Fall 2021: Resiliency in a Time of Rebuilding - Sept. 19-22, 2021, at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix. Three weeks later, DRJ will host "A Virtual Experience" for those who still face restrictions or choose not to travel. Attendees of the in-person event will have a free pass to the virtual conference, Oct. 11-14, 2021. "We've seen a growing desire from speakers, attendees, and exhibitors to travel," said Bob Arnold, DRJ president, "so we are returning to our regular in-person format this fall." DRJ's 65th confrence will feature four days of keynote and workshop sessions, breakout tracks, panel discussions, exhibit hall, and networking dedicated to business continuity, disaster recovery, risk management, and crisis management. The complete agenda was recently released.



"During the pandemic, many of our attendees have missed the conference atmosphere, extensive feedback opportunities, and in-depth conversations during coffee breaks, sessions, and networking events," said Arnold. "Our in-person events drive those kinds of encounters, creating collaborations, building communities, and establishing life-long friendships. After 34 years in business, we like to think our conferences are the backbone of the business resilience industry. We're excited to see everyone again." DRJ Fall 2021 in Phoenix can be a worthy personal investment for practitioners in all business continuity-related fields. It's the perfect getaway after a year with so many distractions at work and home. Professionals can experience an invigorating mix of minds and cultures at the beautiful JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix while gaining new inspiration for a robust resiliency program.

As a bonus, all in-person attendees receive access to the virtual event with their paid in-person conference fee. The second conference - DRJ Fall 2021: A Virtual Experience - will take place three weeks after the in-person event on Oct. 11-14. The online event will include plenty of new material with live keynote and town hall sessions, live panel discussions and workshops, speed networking events, and more than 45 on-demand breakout and solution track sessions. Visit https://drj.com/fall2021/ for more information. About Disaster Recovery Journal DRJ is the industry's largest resource for business continuity, disaster recovery, crisis communication, and risk management, reaching a global network of more than 138,000 professionals. Offering weekly webinars, the latest industry news, resources, podcasts, an official mentoring program, a quarterly magazine, DRJ Academy, and two annual live conferences, DRJ is leading the way to keep professionals up-to-date and connected in an ever-changing world. Our mission is to give business continuity professionals the insight, information, and inspiration they need to make smarter decisions concerning the overall protection of their organization. Subscribe or follow us on social media today. For more information about Disaster Recovery Journal, visit www.drj.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005179/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Mastercard Foundation to Deploy $1.3 Billion in Partnership With Africa CDC to Save Lives and Livelihoods

The Mastercard Foundation has announced that it will deploy $1.3 billion over the next three years in partnership with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to save the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in Africa and hasten the economic recovery of the continent. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005676/en/ The Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative will acquire vaccines for at least 50 million people, support the delivery of vaccinations to millions more across the continent, lay the groundwork for vaccine manufacturing in Africa through a focus on human capital development, and strengthen the Africa CDC. "Ensuring equitable access and delivery of vaccines across Africa is urgent. This initiative is about valuing all lives and accelerating the economic recovery of the continent," said Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation. "In the process, this initiative will catalyze work opportunities in the health sector and beyond as part of our Young Africa Works strategy," she added. The African Union's goal as set out in the African COVID-19 Vaccine Development and Access Strategy is to vaccinate at least 60 percent of its population - approximately 750 million people or the entire adult population of the continent - by the end of 2022. To date, less than two percent of Africans have received at least one vaccine dose. The new partnership builds on the efforts of the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access facility (COVAX), the COVID-19 African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT), and the global community to expand access to vaccines across Africa. The number of vaccines available to Africa represents a small portion of the global supply and the financial costs to purchase, deliver, and administer vaccines remain significant. The Africa CDC is calling on governments, global funders, the private sector and others to help meet this goal.



"Ensuring inclusivity in vaccine access, and building Africa's capacity to manufacture its own vaccines, is not just good for the continent, it's the only sustainable path out of the pandemic and into a health-secure future," said Dr. John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa CDC. "This partnership with the Mastercard Foundation is a bold step towards establishing a New Public Health Order for Africa, and we welcome other actors to join this historic journey." In 2020, Africa faced its first economic recession in 25 years due to the pandemic. The African Development Bank has warned that COVID-19 could reverse hard-won gains in poverty reduction over the past two decades and drive 39 million people into extreme poverty in 2021. Widespread vaccination is recognized as being critical to the economic recovery of African countries.

The initiative builds on an earlier collaboration between the Mastercard Foundation and the Africa CDC to expand access to testing kits and enhance surveillance capacity in Africa. Through the Foundation's support, the Africa CDC's Partnership to Accelerate COVID-19 Testing (PACT) deployed nearly two million COVID-19 tests and more than 12,000 trained health care workers and rapid responders across Africa. In total, the PACT has enabled over 47 million COVID-19 tests across the continent. About the Mastercard Foundation The Mastercard Foundation is a Canadian foundation and one of the largest in the world with more than $39 billion in assets. The Foundation was created in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company. Since its inception, the Foundation has operated independently of the company. The Foundation's policies, operations, and program decisions are determined by its Board. For more information on the Foundation, please visit: www.mastercardfdn.org About Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Africa CDC is a specialized technical institution of the African Union that strengthens the capacity and capability of Africa's public health institutions as well as partnerships to detect and respond quickly and effectively to disease threats and outbreaks, based on data-driven interventions and programs. For more information, please visit: http://www.africacdc.org View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005676/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Scammers Access 50% of Compromised Accounts Within 12 Hours According to New Research

FOSTER CITY, Calif. and LONDON, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Agari by HelpSystems , the market share leader in phishing defense for the enterprise, unveiled today the results of an investigation into the anatomy of compromised email accounts. The threat intelligence brief, titled Anatomy of a Compromised Account , is the first research of its kind, showcasing how threat actors use credential phishing sites to gather passwords, and what they do with them post-compromise. The Agari Cyber Intelligence Division (ACID) completed a six-month investigation by seeding more than 8,000 phishing sites mimicking Microsoft Account, Microsoft Office 365, and Adobe Document Cloud login screens. After successfully submitting credentials, the team linked individual phishing attacks to specific actors and their post-compromise actions in order to better understand the lifecycle of the compromised account. Specific stats uncovered in the extensive research include: 91% of all accounts were manually accessed by threat actors within the first week

Half of compromised accounts were accessed within the first 12 hours

23% of phishing sites used automated account validation techniques

Threat actors were located in 44 countries worldwide, with 47% in Nigeria According to Agari, once attackers gained access to the compromised accounts, it became apparent that they wanted to identify high-value targets who have access to a companys financial information or payment system so that they could send vendor email compromise scams more effectively. The accounts were also used for other purposes, including sending malicious emails and using the accounts to register for additional software from which to run their scams. Business email compromise or BEC remains the most prevalent threat in email security, and when cybecriminals gain access to legitimate email accounts, the problem is magnified, states Patrick Peterson, founder of Agari and executive strategy director at HelpSystems. This research provides key insights into how cybercriminals use these accounts, and underscores the importance of securing your email environment against credential phishing attacks from the beginning.



In one instance, a threat actor used their compromised account to upload two financial documents to the associated OneDrive accounta rental balance sheet and wire instructions for their bank account. Based on the content of these documents, its likely that they were intended to be used as part of a BEC attack, presumably one impersonating the real estate investment trust and targeting the senior living community operator, trying to trick them into paying more than $200,000 in outstanding rent. In another example, cybercriminals targeted employees at real estate or title companies in the U.S. with an email that appeared to come from an U.S.-based financial services company that offers title insurance for real estate transactions. When targets opened the email, they were encouraged to view a secure message, which sent them to a webpage mimicking the companys actual homepage. From there, they were encouraged to view additional documents and enter their account informationleading to the compromise. This shows the self-fulfilling growth cycle where credential phishing attacks lead to compromised accounts, which lead to more credential phishing attacks and more compromised accounts, and so on.

Without measures in place to protect against BEC and account takeover-based attacks, the problem will only continue, said Peterson. The insight uncovered by the ACID team is a sobering reminder of the scale of the issuecompromised accounts lead to more compromised accounts, and only by preventing the first compromise can we suppress BEC at an early stage. To view a complete copy of the research findings, download the threat intelligence brief . Additional Resources Register for the Anatomy of a Compromised Account webinar with extended Q&A

with extended Q&A View all ACID research into business email compromise and related threats About Agari

Agari is the Trusted Email Identity Company, protecting brands and people from devastating phishing and socially-engineered attacks. Using applied data science and a diverse set of signals, Agari protects the workforce from inbound business email compromise, supply chain fraud, spear phishing, and account takeover-based attacks, reducing business risk and restoring trust to the inbox. Agari also prevents spoofing of outbound email from the enterprise to customers, increasing deliverability and preserving brand integrity. Agari was acquired by HelpSystems in May 2021. Learn more at agari.com . About HelpSystems

HelpSystems is a software company focused on helping exceptional organizations Build a Better IT. Our?cybersecurity?and?automation?software simplifies critical IT processes to give our customers peace of mind. We know IT transformation is a journey, not a destination. Lets move forward. Learn more at www.helpsystems.com.? Press Contacts

EMEA:

Michael Bartley, C8 Consulting

michael@c8consulting.co.uk North America:

Angela Tuzzo, MRB Public Relations

atuzzo@mrb-pr.com



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[June 08, 2021] FB Financial Corporation Announces Pricing of Public Offering of Common Stock by Selling Shareholder

FB Financial Corporation (the "Company") (NYSE:FBK) announced today the pricing of the previously announced underwritten public offering of a total of 2,500,000 shares of its common stock (the "Secondary Offering"), all of which will be sold by Mr. James W. Ayers (the "Selling Shareholder"). Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., A Stifel Company, is acting as the sole book-running manager for the Secondary Offering. The Company is not selling any stock in this transaction and will not receive any proceeds from the Secondary Offering. The Secondary Offering is expected to close on June 10, 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Mr. Ayers is currently the Vice Chairman of the Company. Upon completion of the Secondary Offering, Mr. Ayers is expected to continue to own approximately 23.5% of the Company's outstanding common stock, including shares owned by Mr. Ayers indirectly through Ayers Asset Management, Inc. The shares are being offered pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-256861) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the " SEC (News - Alert) ") and became automatically effective on June 7, 2021. The Secondary Offering is being made only by means of the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. A preliminary prospectus supplement has been filed with the SEC to which this communication relates. For more complete information about the Company, the Selling Shareholder and the Secondary Offering, potential purchasers of our common stock should consider carefully the information contained in the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and other documents that the Company has filed with the SEC. Copies of the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus related to the Secondary Offering may be obtained by contacting: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., A Stifel Company, Equity Capital Markets, 787 Seventh Avenue, NY, NY 10019, or by telephone at (800) 966-1559. Investors may also obtain coies of these documents free of charge by visiting the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.



NO OFFER OR SOLICITATION

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy shares of common stock nor shall there be any sale of the shares of common stock in the Secondary Offering in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. ABOUT FB FINANCIAL CORPORATION

FB Financial Corporation (NYSE: FBK) is a bank holding company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. FB Financial operates through its wholly owned banking subsidiary, FirstBank, the third largest Tennessee-headquartered community bank, with 81 full-service bank branches across Tennessee, North Alabama, Southern Kentucky and North Georgia, and a national mortgage business with offices across the Southeast. FirstBank serves five of the largest metropolitan markets in Tennessee and has approximately $11.9 billion in total assets.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which are intended to be covered by the safe harbor for "forward-looking statements" provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements relating to the timing and anticipated closing of the Secondary Offering. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of the words and phrases "may," "will," "should," "could," "would," "goal," "plan," "potential," "estimate," "project," "believe," "intend," "anticipate," "expect," "target," "aim," "predict," "continue," "seek," "projection" and other variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts. The inclusion of these forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by the Company or any other person that the forward-looking statements will occur. Accordingly, the Company cautions readers of this press release that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or outcomes and are subject to various risks, assumptions and uncertainties. Because of these risks and other uncertainties, the outcome of matters that are the subject of forward-looking statements may be materially different from the anticipated or estimated results discussed in the forward-looking statements in this press release. Readers of this press release should not unduly rely on any forward-looking statements, which represent the Company's beliefs, assumptions and estimates only as of the dates on which they were made, as predictions of future events. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law. New risks and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict their occurrence or how they will affect the Company. The Company qualifies all of its forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005408/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Building on Success, Industry Need, Virtual Procurement Services Restructures to Create Three Companies

WESTPORT, Conn., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Necessitated by growth and to better serve its clients, Virtual Procurement Services (VPS), an analytically-driven procurement company based out of Connecticut and serving clients globally, today announced a restructuring to create three companies. FF&E Analytics, VPS Analytics and OS&E Analytics, previously VPS divisions, now serve as distinct and separate entities recovering and reducing costs associated with the acquisition of furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E); enterprise technology; and operating supplies and equipment (OS&E), respectively. Founded in 2009, Virtual Procurement Services has helped hundreds of customers domestically and abroad recover or save more than $500 million. VPS utilizes a proprietary predictive analytics tool called Virtual Vendor Index (VVI). Originally created to handle technology purchases, VPS responded to ademand across other industries, adapting VVI to accommodate new areas of spend.



"Our process helps our customers benchmark procurement spending to retain and recover capital," explained CEO and Founder of VPS, Scott Robins. "VVI uses publicly available data sets and processes them through an AI-driven analytic engine to calculate predictive pricing. We are the only company that pairs these advanced analytics with proprietary processes to reduce the cost of new purchases and recover money already spent. That's what sets us apart." A steady trajectory of company growth and increased customer interest in recovering and reducing costs associated with FF&E, OS&E and enterprise technology purchases necessitated the refinement of VPS' business model. Robins describes the move as a natural evolution of his company and as a way to deliver more focused efforts to a larger customer base across a broader spectrum of industries.

Since its founding, VPS has helped its clients realize substantive capital and operational savings, a trend Robins and his team predicts will continue. Robins furthered, "We are poised to support new and existing customer purchases in the financial services, gaming, healthcare, senior living and hospitality industries. We pride ourselves on our ability to offer creative ways to deliver more value to our customers. This latest move proves that we will never stop disrupting, transforming and improving the sourcing process." To learn more about Virtual Procurement Services or its divisionsFF&E Analytics, VPS Analytics and OS&E Analyticsvisit virtualprocurement.com. About Virtual Procurement Services

Founded in 2009 by CEO Scott Robins, Virtual Procurement Services (VPS) was the first, and to-date, only, company to leverage its [exclusive  OR  proprietary] predictive analytics tool, Virtual Vendor Index VVI, to recover and reduce the cost of technology spends. Now, following a steady trajectory of company growth and increased customer interest in recovering and reducing costs associated with the acquisition of furniture, fixtures and equipment; enterprise technology; and operating supplies and equipment, the VPS business model has been refined. Former divisions FF&E Analytics, VPS Analytics and OS&E Analytics now serve as separate entities. The natural evolution of VPS brings more focused efforts to a larger customer base across a broader spectrum of industries and further changes the procurement landscape. For more information, visit virtualprocurement.com. Contact: Lisa Twarog or Michelle Abdow

(413) 787-1133

311649@email4pr.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/building-on-success-industry-need-virtual-procurement-services-restructures-to-create-three-companies-301307594.html SOURCE Virtual Procurement Services

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[June 08, 2021] Colony Capital Announces Rebrand as DigitalBridge

Colony Capital, Inc. (NYSE: CLNY) (the "Company" or "Colony Capital") today announced a corporate rebranding of the Company to DigitalBridge, effective June 22, 2021. Digital Colony, the Company's digital infrastructure investment platform, will also change to operate under the DigitalBridge brand. In connection with the transition, the corporate name will be changed to DigitalBridge Group, Inc. and the Company will begin trading under a new NYSE ticker symbol, DBRG, as of June 22, 2021. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005723/en/ The new name reflects the significant business transformation the Company has undergone since the leadership and board of directors made the bold decision to chart a new direction - years ago - realigning a diversified real estate investment firm to focus exclusively on the fast-growing digital infrastructure sector. The 'new' name, DigitalBridge, re-establishes and renews the original Digital Bridge, which combined with the Company in 2019, evoking its heritage as an early innovator in digital infrastructure, while looking forward to a fully digital, interconnected future. "The vision we crafted, bringing a digital infrastructure platform built on two decades of operating experience and deep industry relationships together with an institutional capital formation capability and global enterprise-grade operations, has reached its next phase. Today as one company, DigitalBridge, we're a unique digital infrastructure business, with both the operating DNA and access to institutional capital that positions us to execute globally on a converging digital infrastructure ecosystem," said Marc Ganzi, President and CEO of Colony Capital and CEO of Digital Colony. "We are poised to build, operate, and finance a new era in connectivity, leveraging a single platform focused on the full spectrum of digital infrastructure including towers, data centers, fiber, and small cells." Mr. Ganzi added, "Today marks a new chapter in our history as we emerge from this transformation as a fast-growing global digital infrastructure REIT. I am proud of and humbled by what our team has accomplished in just the past two years, executing one of the most significant asset transitions in the history of REITs. We are on track to rotate $100 billion in AUM 'from diversified to digital' and are now 80% rotated on a pro forma basis, followingour agreement, announced yesterday, to divest the bulk of our Other Equity & Debt (OED) business for over a half-billion dollars. This is the natural moment for us to reactivate DigitalBridge, advancing our strategy as we connect networks, companies, geographies, and communities on a global basis."



"Marc and the team have done an outstanding job reaching this significant milestone and we believe the new name captures who we have become through this transformation and our new vision for the future," said Nancy Curtin, Chairperson of the Board. "As the digital economy continues to grow rapidly, DigitalBridge is well-positioned to capitalize on the powerful secular tailwinds supporting the continued investment in digital infrastructure." The Company intends to share more information about its strategy and rebranding, including a new logo at its inaugural Investor Day, to be held on June 22, 2021. To register and for additional information please visit event's site: DigitalBridge Investor Day.

About Colony Capital Colony Capital, Inc. (NYSE: CLNY) is a leading global investment firm with a heritage of identifying and capitalizing on key secular trends in real estate. Colony Capital, structured as a REIT, is headquartered in Boca Raton with key offices in Los Angeles, New York, London and Singapore. About Digital Colony Digital Colony is a leading global investment firm dedicated to digital infrastructure. With a heritage of over 25 years investing in and operating businesses across the digital ecosystem including towers, data centers, fiber, and small cells, the Digital Colony team manages a $32 billion portfolio of digital infrastructure assets on behalf of its shareholders and limited partners and has over 90 investment and operating professionals. Cautionary Statement regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," or "potential" or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases which are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and which do not relate solely to historical matters. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, and may cause actual results to differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Factors that might cause such a difference include, without limitation, whether the Company will complete the sale of its OED business within the timeframe anticipated or at all, including the Company's ability to obtain any necessary third-party approvals to consummate the transactions, whether the Company will realize any of the anticipated benefits from the sale of its OED business, the timing and pace of the Company's digital transformation, including the Company's ability to rotate the balance sheet and redeploy capital into digital infrastructure, whether the Company will realize any of the anticipated benefits of such transformation, and other risks and uncertainties, including those detailed in Colony Capital's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, and its other reports filed from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements reflect the Company's good faith beliefs, assumptions and expectations, but they are not guarantees of future performance. Colony Capital cautions investors not to unduly rely on any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Colony Capital is under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this press release, nor to conform prior statements to actual results or revised expectations, and Colony Capital does not intend to do so. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005723/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Evisort and BNY Mellon to Digitize Contract Lifecycle Management

SAN MATEO, Calif., June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evisort , the intelligent contract management platform, today announced its role as a leading contract intelligence provider for BNY Mellon. BNY Mellon will use Evisort to re-engineer its contract negotiation workflow and lifecycle management process, reducing the time required to reach an executable agreement.

In collaboration with Evisort, BNY Mellon is able to develop customized initial contracts, tailored to clients and digitally coordinate with necessary internal stakeholders for approval of special terms. This workflow allows for the ability to reuse data contained within contracts by building a digital library to accelerate key business decisions. This efficient, smart workflow will support a world-class onboarding for clients with minimal disruption. At BNY Mellon, we actively look to broaden our fintech ecosystem, working with organizations that serve as industry change agents and fostering a culture of collaboration. We have selected Evisort because of its unique combination of document generation capabilities, workflows, and AI - all in one user-friendly and intuitive interface. It allows our team to manage the contract lifecycle in conjunction with the Microsoft suite. The flexibility and adaptability were unlike any of the other solutions evaluated and were first adopted by our global custody team with great success, said Oliver Round, Managing Counsel and Product Owner for Client Contract Lifecycle Management at BNY Mellon. As a platform which can be up and running in days, Evisort requires little implementation expertise. Included standard with Evisorts products are integrations and API connectors that work with popular contract and document repositories from providers like Salesforce, Microsoft 365, and other enterprise systems of record. Once customers recognize the value Evisort brings, they quickly look to roll it out enterprise-wide as part of a full digital transformation initiative, led by a cross-functional team of legal, IT, and procurement experts. Evisort has already guided several Fortune 500 companies through this process, providing best practices and blueprints for succss.



BNY Mellon is at the forefront of banking innovation and its team really knows how to leverage technology to deliver outstanding client experiences. Client agreements are the foundation of any client relationship so running an intelligent, efficient contracting process is essential. Were excited to support BNY Mellons goal to provide a world-class digital client onboarding experience, said Evisort Founder and CEO Jerry Ting. The collaboration with BNY Mellon follows a year of rapid growth for Evisort. The company has launched and expanded working partnerships with seven Fortune 500 or global clients in banking, healthcare and enterprise tech, including Microsoft, NetApp, and Molina Healthcare. In the process, the company quadrupled its revenue. Investors like General Atlantic recognized this rapid growth by leading Evisorts $35 million Series B funding announced in February 2021.

About Evisort

Founded in 2016 by Harvard Law and MIT researchers, Evisort leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to help businesses categorize, search, and act on business-driving documents of any type. Evisorts proprietary AI understands meaning and context in legal language, eliminating the need for manual data entry and parsing of contracts or business documents. The company is backed by leading strategic and institutional investors including General Atlantic, M12, Microsofts venture fund, Vertex Ventures, and Amity Ventures. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, more information on Evisort can be found at Evisort.com . Follow @Evisort on Twitter , Facebook , Medium and LinkedIn. About Bank of New York Mellon

BNY Mellon is a global investments company dedicated to helping its clients manage and service their financial assets throughout the investment lifecycle. Whether providing financial services for institutions, corporations or individual investors, BNY Mellon delivers informed investment and wealth management and investment services in 35 countries. As of March 31, 2021, BNY Mellon had $41.7 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration, and $2.2 trillion in assets under management. BNY Mellon can act as a single point of contact for clients looking to create, trade, hold, manage, service, distribute or restructure investments. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK). Additional information is available on www.bnymellon.com. Follow us on Twitter @BNYMellon or visit our newsroom at www.bnymellon.com/newsroom for the latest company news.

Evisort

Maura Yepez

415 848 9175

evisort@firebrand.marketing Bank of New York Mellon

Madelyn McHugh

Madelyn.McHugh@bnymellon.com



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[June 08, 2021] Corsha Wins Prestigious Global CyberTech100 2021 Award for Financial Services for Second Year

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Corsha (http://www.corsha.com), a cutting-edge cybersecurity company that is defining the landscape of API security, announces it has been recognized for the second consecutive year as one of the prestigious Global CyberTech100 innovative companies of 2021. The prestigious CyberTech100 list identifies the world's leading-edge providers of digital solutions that help financial services firms fight off cyber-attacks and protect their data. CyberTech is one of the fastest growing sectors within the FinTech industry, with FinTech Global data showing investment in the space has grown 14x since 2014 to reach $3.4 billion last year. That surge in activity comes as financial services firms are increasingly moving towards digital operations and expanding their security budgets. Given the huge increase in the sector, CyberTech100 was produced to identify the top one hundred innovative companies that every financial institution needs to know about when they consider and develop their information security and financial crime fighting strategies. The standout companies were chosen by a panel of industry experts and analysts who reviewed a study of over 1,000 CyberTech companies undertaken by FinTech Global , a data and research firm. The solution providers making the final list were recognized for their innovative use of technology to solve a significant industry problem, or to generate cost savings or efficiency improvements across the security value chain.



FinTech Global director Richard Sachar said, "Established financial institutions need to be aware of the latest security technology in the market to protect their organizations from data leaks and cyber-attacks. The CyberTech100 list helps senior management filter through all the vendors in the market by highlighting the leading companies in sectors such as Threat Management, Data Governance, Cloud Security, Employee Risk and Fraud Prevention," he added. "Our API security platform is uniquely designed to give financial institutions a secure, reliable way to share information across hybrid or cloud environments, whether for internal infrastructure or when connecting with customers and other third parties," said Chris Simkins, Co-Founder & CEO of Corsha. "Corsha is honored to be recognized as part of this elite group and we are committed to meet the growing cybersecurity demands of the financial services industry."

About Corsha Corsha is a leading-edge cybersecurity company that is on a mission to simplify API security for enterprises with its patented API Security Platform. Corsha's platform gives enterprises the ability to prevent attacks against machine-to-machine connections, empowering CTOs, CISOs, and other security professionals to protect their data and applications as they traverse hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Corsha has developed the first and only dynamic multi-factor authentication (MFA) for APIs. Its platform pins API access to only trusted machines, providing the same security guarantees for API clients that have been proven successful with human users  i.e. dynamic, out-of-band, one-time use credentials. The result is a dynamic identity for every deployed machine, enabling strong authentication security, full visibility and control into API activity across cloud and enterprise networks. Corsha's API Security Platform is fully automated, Kubernetes- and cloud-native, highly scalable, and platform agnostic. Customers can leverage Corsha's Platform via a cloud-based managed service offering or fully self-hosted from within their on-premise environment. Corsha's D.C. location is at 8618 Westwood Center Drive, Suite 310, Tysons Corner, Virginia, 22182. For more information, visit: www.corsha.com, (571) 748-5010 For media inquiries, contact: Bonnie Manousos, bonnie@corsha.com, (571) 213-5626 For more information, visit: https://corsha.com/ About CyberTech100 The CyberTech100 is an annual list of 100 of the world's most innovative CyberTech companies. These are the companies every financial institution needs to know about as they consider and develop their information security and financial crime fighting strategies. The list will help senior management and information security professionals evaluate which security solutions have market potential and are most likely to succeed and have a lasting impact on the industry. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/corsha-wins-prestigious-global-cybertech100-2021-award-for-financial-services-for-second-year-301307726.html SOURCE Corsha

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-09 04:13:46|Editor: huaxia

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BAGHDAD, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Tuesday signed a strategic cooperation agreement with visiting British counterpart Dominic Raab.

During a joint press conference after the signing ceremony, Hussein told reporters that he discussed with Raab "various issues related to the relations between Iraq and Britain and signed an agreement for strategic cooperation."

"This document (agreement) is based on the previous agreement between the Iraqi government and the European Union (EU), and after Britain's exit from the EU, we need a new agreement with the same content but related to the British government," Hussein said.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the agreement covers various areas "such as politics, diplomacy, military, security, economy, education, culture, law enforcement, judicial cooperation, and human rights."

For his part, Raab said that he was "happy to sign the partnership and cooperation agreement between Britain and Iraq, and we want to deepen our relations and participate in many fields to support Iraq and build its economy."

Later, Raab met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who said that the cooperation agreement "is the culmination of the development of the bilateral relationship," according to a statement issued by al-Kadhimi's media office.

Al-Kadhimi also stressed the importance of coordination with international bodies to support the upcoming elections in Iraq by assisting the Iraqi electoral commission and sending international observers.

During his one-day visit, Raab also met with Iraqi President Barham Salih and the Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi. Enditem
[June 08, 2021] Modev Announces Lineup for the Virtual VOICE Global 2021, Presented by Google Assistant, June 15-16

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Modev, the company that brings together the voice technology community, announced the initial speaker lineup for VOICE Global 2021 . The 24-hour voice tech virtual event will stream online starting June 15 at 6 p.m. ET and will end June 16 at 6 p.m. ET. "VOICE Global 2021 will bring the voice tech community from around the world together for an inside look at how brands around the world are incorporating voice into their business," said Pete Erickson, founder, and CEO of Modev and the event's organizer. "This is an opportunity to connect and hear from the major voice tech influencers and developers who are making an impact on the future of multiple industries worldwide." "The VOICE brand represents the future of conversational technology and AI, most importantly - the future of how we work, live, play, and learn. We are excited to support this 24-virtual event, particularly as it is a celebration of all things voice tech," said Leslie Garcia Amaya, Global Product Partnerships, AI at Google. There is no fee to attend the VOICE Global virtual event, and registration is now open . Prominent keynotes and interviews will include: Richard Stern , CEO, TuneIn, Inc., runs the internet radio network featuring 100,000 brodcast streams and 80 million listeners. He shares how voice technologies give broadcasters tremendous interactive capability through voice assistants for conversational audio, podcasts and authentic conversations.

runs the internet radio network featuring 100,000 brodcast streams and 80 million listeners. He shares how voice technologies give broadcasters tremendous interactive capability through voice assistants for conversational audio, podcasts and authentic conversations. Jeanine Heck , vice president, AI Product, Comcast Cable , is leading the company's efforts to bring artificial intelligence into XFINITY products. She was the founding product manager for the X1 voice remote, with over 4 billion total voice commands that allow customers to discover TV content through intuitive voice commands.

, is leading the company's efforts to bring artificial intelligence into XFINITY products. She was the founding product manager for the X1 voice remote, with over 4 billion total voice commands that allow customers to discover TV content through intuitive voice commands. Paul Williams , vice president, Experiences & Professionally Installed Lighting, GE Lighting, a Savant company, will share how his team is meeting the growing needs of consumers by reimagining smart home products ,services and professional residential lighting solutions.

will share how his team is meeting the growing needs of consumers by reimagining smart home products ,services and professional residential lighting solutions. Rebecca Nathenson , director, Product Management, Google, shares the background of Google Assistant, the vision for where it is headed along with recent enhancements, as well as new experiences built by partners and developers.

shares the background of Google Assistant, the vision for where it is headed along with recent enhancements, as well as new experiences built by partners and developers. Jason Fields , chief strategy officer, Voicify; Tanmay Patel , director of digital technology, Philadelphia Eagles; and Chris McPherson , content manager & on-air talent, Philadelphia Eagles will share how the Philadelphia Eagles are executing voice. The team makes it easy for fans to connect via Alexa and Google Assistant through a series of simple commands to receive daily news, hear players' updates, follow the draft, hear the Eagle Insider podcast, and more.

will share how the Philadelphia Eagles are executing voice. The team makes it easy for fans to connect via Alexa and Google Assistant through a series of simple commands to receive daily news, hear players' updates, follow the draft, hear the Eagle Insider podcast, and more. Patrick Flanagan , senior director, Global Product Innovation & Design, VISA leads teams of designers, developers, and product managers to design solutions for consumers utilizing emerging technologies, and design thinking. He will share how VISA is leveraging chat interfaces, natural language processing (NLP), customer preferences and the value of human interaction.



https://www.voicesummit.ai/global or follow #VOICEGlobal on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. About Modev

Modev was founded by Pete Erickson in 2008 on the simple belief that human connection is vital in the era of digital transformation. Today, Modev leverages exponential technologies and methods to build communities at scale, manage transformation strategies and produce market/leading events such as VOICE Global, presented by Google Assistant, VOICE Summit, sponsored by Amazon Alexa, and Spinnaker Summit, sponsored by Netflix, and the award-winning VOICE Talks internet talk show. Modev also curates specialty communities such as Voicehacks, Machinery.ai and Security by Design. Modev staff, better known as "Modevators," include more than 45 community building and transformation experts from around the world. To learn more about Modev, VOICE and the breadth of events offered live and virtually, please go to modev.com. Contact: Marie Knowles,

marie@mfkpublicity.co

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/modev-announces-lineup-for-the-virtual-voice-global-2021-presented-by-google-assistant-june-15-16-301307776.html SOURCE Modev

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[June 08, 2021] Highmark Innovations Inc. Completes a Brokered Private Placement Financing, Closes Acquisition of BrainFx Inc. and Announces Future Acquisitions, Solidifying Its Position as a Digital Health Leader in Brain and Mental Wellness

TORONTO, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Highmark Innovations Inc. (operating as Highmark Interactive) (Highmark) is pleased to announce the completion of its brokered private placement financing, along with the execution of a number of strategic acquisitions, including bringing BrainFx Inc. (BrainFx) into the Highmark ecosystem.

On May 11, 2021, Highmark completed a brokered private placement financing of 4,636,000 unit subscription receipts and 2,500 unsecured convertible debenture subscription receipts for aggregate gross proceeds of $6,023,360, less commissions. The financing, with the subscription receipt funds expected to be released concurrently with the closing of Highmarks anticipated qualifying transaction with Stormcrow Holdings Corp., was conducted by a syndicate of agents led by Beacon Securities Limited, as lead agent, along with PI Financial Corp. and Industrial Alliance Securities Inc. Dr. Sanjeev Sharma, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Highmark, commented: We were excited to work with some of the leading investment banks in this sector and see robust demand from the investor community to both support and participate in our companys strategic growth plans, consisting of key enterprise sales, along with strategic acquisitions to help create the new standard in the delivery of services to mental health and brain injured patients. Highmarks business strategy is best described as: the acquisition of best-in-class clinical businesses providing neurological, mental health and general rehabilitation services; the implementation of Highmarks FDA-cleared Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) technology within the clinical setting that best supports patients, clinicians and all stakeholders in obtaining positive outcomes; the provision of virtual, in person or hybrid delivery of clinical services to customers utilizing Highmarks technology solutions; the acquisition of medical device technology organizations whose products and skilled team will help Highmark execute on its product roadmap; the continued sale of Highmarks technology solutions to customers in various market segments; and the continued research and development of digital medicine technology utilizing the insights gained from the larger Highmark clinical services organizations day to day observations of the neurological, physical and psychological impacts of injury on their patients. Highmark is committed to developing new models for the delivery of care for patients struggling with brain injury, neurological disorders and/or mental health issues. Fusing technology with traditional models of health service, Highmark is an emerging leader in the specialty rehabilitation sector. Its mission is to develop innovative Software as a Medical Device technology focused on human neurological and psychological function, based on the following fundamental principles: measurement of neurological and psychological function over time in a dynamic fashion as compared to traditional standards of static assessment;

presentation of data to clinicians in an intuitive format to facilitate better clinical decision making;

utilization of mobiledevices as a primary means of software interaction;

gamification as a means of encouraging utilization; and

utilization of predictive analytics and machine learning to facilitate clinicians interpretation of data.





Highmark is also pleased to announce its acquisition of BrainFx, a leader in digital and virtual neurofunctional assessment solutions. With Highmarks patient-led EQ Brain Performance app and growing network of virtual, in-person and hybrid clinics, and BrainFxs clinician-led virtual assessment tool, the acquisition unlocks a superior approach to brain and mental wellness along every point of the care continuum. It also supports the rapid growth of BrainFxs existing Living Brain Bank, leveraging machine learning and predictive analytics to create new possibilities for precision medicine and care. By adding the technology developed by the BrainFx team, Highmark now has a complete, bookended solution for the market. BrainFx designs and develops mobile and virtual neurological performance testing software applications, as well as collects normative neurofunctional data focused on supporting a healthcare providers ability to diagnose (if within their scope of practice), treat and augment. The EQ modules enable Highmark to offer a more consumer centric option, while the BrainFx products allow Highmark to provide a solution for the clinician end user. By bringing the two companies together, Highmarks software is poised to become a dominant offering in the Canadian market, with significant opportunities in the US and global markets. In addition, through the Living Brain Bank, BrainFx has created a powerful foundation for the larger Highmark ecosystem to translate the data Highmark has collected into next generation insights and knowledge.

Together, Highmark and BrainFx will deliver an even more powerful suite of digital health tools to assist providers with early detection of neurological, neurofunctional and psychological dysfunction, as well as offer personalized and precise care planning. Dr. Sharma comments: We are pleased to announce the acquisition of BrainFx today. Now more than ever, there is a critical need for modern brain and mental health solutions. Were proud to be blazing a new path and transforming the future of this industry. The acquisition increases our footprint by adding more than 100 new health care organizations to our network, while also generating new opportunities and accelerating our expansion into the US market. In addition, continuing to execute its acquisitive growth strategy, Highmark has entered into definitive agreements to acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Highmark Health Mississauga Inc. (Highmark Health), and Complex Injury Rehab Inc. (CIR). In addition to being highly accretive, Highmark views both corporations as synergistic and complementary businesses. Highmark Health is a multidisciplinary healthcare clinic delivering integrated specialty care to patients with a variety of injuries. From inception, Highmark Healths principal focus was on patients who had suffered traumatic brain injury, and all of its associated co-morbidities, with mental health issues being a predominant one. Employing a multi-disciplinary team with physician leadership, the clinics mission is to utilize global best practices with respect to innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to patient care, with a significant emphasis on the use of medical device technology. Highmark Health has rapidly established a presence in Southern Ontario as a high quality patient care service provider. CIR was founded as a community-based multidisciplinary rehabilitation clinic focused on providing integrated specialty care to patients with a variety of injuries. It has evolved into an award-winning centre of excellence providing clinical services for patients with neurological or complex injuries, with a significant emphasis on functional cognitive and psychological performance assessment and therapy. With almost 15 years of operating history, CIR has a reputation as a high quality effective rehabilitation service provider, and is a preferred provider for complex cases from other health providers, patients and insurers, and top tier firms within the legal community. The acquisitions of Highmark Health and CIR will be completed concurrently with the completion of the closing of Highmarks upcoming qualifying transaction. About Highmark Founded in 2017, Highmark was created to change the paradigm of neurological testing and management. The companys approach to brain health is focused on providing real-time data on mental health and neurological well-being to support proactive, preventative interventions. In addition to a growing network of virtual, in-person and hybrid clinics, Highmark offers the worlds first gamified, FDA-approved software that provides virtual medical assessments of individuals mental, neurologic health and physiologic health. The technology is used in multidisciplinary rehabilitation clinics in over 30 countries globally. Highmarks unique solution is revolutionizing how individuals experience brain and mental health care, as well as unlocking insight for precision medicine and creating a modern model for delivering mental health and neuro rehab services. Learn more: https://highmark.tech/ About BrainFx BrainFx is a neuro-health technology company that delivers clinical, digital assessments of neurofunction to detect what other tests can miss. The assessments are powered by a dynamic normative database, called the Living Brain Bank, that delivers unique insights to healthcare providers that connect to real-world function to help develop highly targeted treatment plans to promote improved health outcomes. Healthcare professionals can build a comprehensive profile of a persons neurofunction which includes cognition, mood, behaviour, sleep, nutrition, activities of daily life, quality of life, and more. Learn more: https://www.brainfx.com/

Media Contacts Highmark Interactive: Don Harkness, Chief Financial Officer, don@highmark.tech (905) 902-4384

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[June 08, 2021] Davis Wright Tremaine Continues to Deepen Its Antitrust Bench, Adding Senior Litigator With FTC and International Background

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP has expanded its national antitrust practice with the addition of former Federal Trade Commission attorney Kaj Rozga as counsel in its New York office. A seasoned antitrust litigator, Rozga has extensive experience in both government and private practice. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005465/en/ Kaj Rozga (Photo: Business Wire) "Kaj's trial and investigations experience at the FTC (News - Alert) and in private practice, combined with his international tech background, make him a valuable addition to our growing antitrust practice," said Douglas Litvack, head of DWT's antitrust practice. "As antitrust litigation grows in pominence and complexity, we're excited to add Kaj to our deep bench of nationally known antitrust lawyers."



Rozga has reunited with DWT partners and former FTC attorneys Litvack and Christopher Renner, adding more depth and complementary expertise to the firm's antitrust capabilities. Rozga brings more than a decade of significant experience handling U.S. antitrust matters, international cross-border transactions, and international cartel investigations and follow-on damages suits. Rozga joins DWT from bpv Hugel in Vienna, Austria, where he represented international clients in various European competition law matters, including mergers and acquisitions, dispute resolution, and tech counseling. Previously, he practiced at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, where he managed complex civil litigation, defended companies and individuals in criminal cartel matters, and provided M&A and other antitrust counseling. He began his career at the FTC's Bureau of Competition, where he was an integral member of trial teams that successfully challenged two hospital mergers in federal courts and the FTC administrative court, and was awarded for meritorious service and excellence in litigation for his contributions to those cases.

"DWT's strategic growth and its commitment to building out a premier national antitrust litigation practice made joining the firm an obvious choice for me," Rozga said. "I look forward to leveraging my experience in tech, media and healthcare antitrust to deepen existing client relationships and establish new ones - all within an environment that is incredibly supportive to lawyers looking to grow their practices." Rozga received his undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Economics from the University of California, San Diego and his law degree from Boston University School of Law. He is the founder of Tech Law Decoded, which tracks major worldwide developments in tech laws and regulations. About Davis Wright Tremaine Davis Wright Tremaine LLP is a national law firm with more than 550 lawyers representing clients based throughout the United States and around the world. For more information, visit www.dwt.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005465/en/

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[June 08, 2021] EXACT Technology Selects Soracom's IoT Connectivity to Build Infrastructure of the Future

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced IoT connectivity, today announced it has partnered with EXACT Technology Corp., a leader in concrete monitoring technology, to help build the infrastructure of the future. Utilizing Soracom's IoT connectivity solutions, EXACT can simply and reliably ensure that the concrete used to build highways, bridges, dams, buildings and other large infrastructure projects cures properly and is built to last. EXACT monitors $20B+ in private and public construction projects for clients globally, creating data-driven solutions for precasters, infrastructure constructors, and other large users of concrete. EXACT's purpose-built cloud-based solutions help clients collect, organize, report, and leverage essential data to increase revenue, decrease costs and improve quality. The first seven days of the concrete curing process are critical. The temperature of the concrete needs to be maintained consistently throughout the weeklong period, otherwise it has the potential to crack, letting in salt and water, and compromising the longevity of the concrete. EXACT's technology monitors temperature fluctuations in real time, collecting data and alerting project managers via Soracom's connectivity solutions. Access to this real-time data allows project managers to make adjustments accordingly by heating or cooling sections of the concrete as needed. Properly managing the curing process means infrastructure projects can last up to 125 years without remediation; projects not properly cured can last half that time. Soracom's IoT connectivity solutions are used by developers, SMBs, and SME worldwide to help them simplify IoT development, minimize risk, accelerate time to market, and ensure successful, scalable IoT rollouts. EXACT selected Soracom for its "always on" reliability and ease of use out of the box. In addition, Soracom's commitment-free billing model and built-in management console simplify EXACT's overall connectivity.



"With Soracom, we know that when we send SIM cards to a project, they are going to work right out of the box," said Jordan Korenzvit, CEO of EXACT. "There is no fooling around with pricing plans-you pay for what you use. The reliability of connectivity has been an issue with past providers we have used, and Soracom has alleviated all of those concerns by seamlessly delivering connectivity where and when we need it, every time." "Customers like EXACT demonstrate just how deeply the IoT has penetrated businesses in every industry," said Kenta Yasukawa, Co-Founder and CTO of Soracom. "By providing the most reliable, robust solutions with terms and capabilities that make real business sense, Soracom is well-positioned to help companies like EXACT build their IoT business cases without worrying about connectivity."

For more information on how Soracom can help you reach your IoT goals, visit www.soracom.io. About EXACT EXACT creates game changing technology solutions for precasters, infrastructure constructors and other large users of concrete. EXACT's turnkey, cloud-based solutions help clients collect, organize, report and leverage essential data to increase revenue, decrease costs and improve quality. EXACT invests significant time with its clients to invent and refine new hardware and software solutions that are "by constructors, for constructors." EXACT is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario and services clients globally. For more information, visit exacttechnology.com. About Soracom Soracom is leading the democratization of IoT connectivity, offering robust solutions specifically designed to make it easy to build, operate, and scale IoT deployments. Founded in 2015, Soracom now serves more than 15,000 startups, SMBs and global enterprises across all industries, from agriculture, energy, construction and transportation to consumer electronics, manufacturing, real estate and healthcare. Customers trust Soracom for affordable, reliable connectivity that accelerates speed to market, makes it easy to connect to the cloud, and offers access to a worldwide partner ecosystem. More information is available at www.soracom.io. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005756/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Happy State Bank Selects FINBOA to Improve Fraud Prevention Rate and Reg E Claim Processing Time

Happy State Bank has partnered with FINBOA, a leading innovator in digital automation and regulatory compliance for financial institutions, to eliminate manual processing of claims and non-compliance, improving the overall customer experience. Due to multiple 2019 bank acquisitions, the Texas-based Happy State Bank and Trust Co. experienced an increase in electronic payment transaction volume. Seeking a solution to automate their existing manual dispute process, Happy State Bank tapped FINBOA for Regulation E Dispute Tracking to gain efficiency and avoid additional training cost, audit risk, processing time and claim losses. FINBOA's SaaS (News - Alert) -based Regulation E Dispute Tracking solution enlists the use of paperless technology and Reg E calculators to reduce errors and improve efficiency with centralized document management, customized letter generation, digital forms and e-signatures. Prior to implementing FINBOA's solution, Happy State Bank had to increase its write-off threshold from $50 up to $100, to keep up with volumes and stay within Reg E compliant timeframes. After launching FINBOA, write-offs returned to $50.



"I recommend FINBOA to everybody - it has significantly improved our bank's efficiency with dispute tracking," said Lourdes Aranda, VP, Support Manager of Happy State Bank. "We love working with Raj and his team, they are responsive and easy to work with. In the future, we hope to grow our relationship with FINBOA by applying their robotic process automation to other areas of our institution." "By improving regulatory compliance with FINBOA, Happy State Bank was able to meet their automation needs as well as increase total payment transactions for the bank by about 33%," said Raj Singal, CEO of FINBOA. "Together, Happy State Bank and FINBOA will continue to empower staff by increasing operational efficiency and saving valuable hours of their time."

About FINBOA FINBOA is a leading innovator in back-office automation for financial institutions. Leveraging more than 30 years of experience, FINBOA has created solutions to reduce compliance cost and reputational risk by bringing together digital transformation, regulatory compliance, robotic process automation and customer experience. Headquartered in Houston, FINBOA partners with financial institutions nationwide to achieve targeted business outcomes and peace of mind. To learn more about FINBOA, please visit www.finboa.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005727/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Pacific entrepreneurs are pushing forward with growth by putting uncertainty on the sideline

Finalists announced for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021 Pacific program VANCOUVER, BC, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - Each year, EY recognizes unstoppable entrepreneurs across the country that are transforming our world through unbounded innovation, growth and prosperity. Today, judges named 22 businesses as finalists in the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021 Pacific program. "Despite the ongoing shutdowns across BC  and the rest of the world  causing knock-on disruption to operations and supply chains, these companies have managed to push challenges to the sideline and respond with resilience and agility," says Lui Petrollini, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Pacific Program Director. "It's been incredible to see so many entrepreneurs not only meet the bar for growth  but rise above it while supporting their local and national communities along the way." Consistent with the findings from the EY Global Capital Confidence Barometer, new vulnerabilities and unforeseen challenges brought on by the pandemic do not appear to be slowing these entrepreneurs down. Pacific finalists are a true representation of how dynamic the market is  with some players emerging in new industries, others evolving mature industries and some diversifying current business models to withstand tough market pressures. "It's no surprise the technology industry has a good showing in this year's group of finalists, as many of these companies were in an optimal position to pivot and accommodate new demands," says Petrollini. "On the other hand, the consumer products and retail industry is also quite present, demonstrating that despite the roadblocks we've seen in the last year, BC entrepreneurs are navigating with speed and precision." View the full list of EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021 Pacific finalists



What's next? The independent panel of judges will select regional winners who will be announced in July. The winners will move forward to compete with winners from the Prairies, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic regions at the national awards celebration in November 2021, where 10 national winners will be named, including Canada's EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021 Award winner. The overall Canadian winner will go on to compete with national winners from across the globe for the title of EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year in June 2022.

More information

Follow @EYCanada, #EOYCanada and #EOYPacific on Twitter for the latest program updates. Visit www.ey.com/ca/eoy for more program details. About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business awards program for unstoppable entrepreneurs. These visionary leaders deliver innovation, growth and prosperity that transform our world. The program engages entrepreneurs with insights and experiences that foster growth. It connects them with their peers to strengthen entrepreneurship around the world. EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the first and only truly global awards program of its kind. It celebrates entrepreneurs through regional and national awards programs in more than 145 cities in over 60 countries. Winners go on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year title. ey.com/eoy The 2021 Pacific independent judging panel consists of Ali Pejman, Managing Partner of Fort Capital Partners; Kristi Miller, Managing Partner of Natural Products Canada (NPC) Ventures; Geoff Chutter, CEO of WhiteWater West Industries; Maria Pacella, Managing Partner of Penderfund Capital Management; Sacha McLean, Vice Chairman of The McLean Group; Jill Earthy, CEO of Women's Enterprise Centre BC; and Keith Spencer, Counsel at Fasken Martineau. This year's national sponsor is TSX Inc. The Pacific regional sponsors are Canadian Western Bank and Hunt Personnel. About EY EY exists to build a better working world, helping create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets. Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate. Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today. EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com. Follow us on Twitter @EYCanada. This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP. SOURCE EY Canada

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[June 08, 2021] ezeep's Zapier Integration Delivers Automatic Printing for Thousands of Apps

BERLIN and DENVER, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Print management expert ThinPrint has integrated its cloud printing solution ezeep with Zapier. The integration enables companies to equip their apps with an automatic print workflow in just a few clicks or what are known as zaps. And all without any programming knowledge required. If it hasn't already done so, ezeep can also serve in businesses as a replacement for Google Cloud Print, which is no longer available.

Printing, according to ezeep's philosophy, should be as simple as a phone call. By integrating ezeep with Zapier's platform to automate workflows, businesses can also incorporate uncomplicated printing into their business processes. In just a few clicks, Zapier can create automated workflows that include printing documents. No developer know-how is even required. ezeep works with any printer and with all apps integrated into Zapier. For example, email attachments, invoices, delivery dockets, and so much more can all be printed automatically. "It's incredibly simple," says Christoph Hammer, Senior Vice President Cloud Services at ThinPrint. "Whether it's software for creating forms, an app for orders or invoices, or cloud storage. Not just these scenarios, but also the over 3,000 apps available at Zapier, can be used for printing with ezeep in just a few clicks or Zaps. And importantly, with thisintegration, we're offering an important feature for corporate workflows."



For more information about ezeep Blue's cloud printing, visit www.ezeep.com. Apps not yet integrated with Zapier can be upgraded with print features via ezeep's API available at https://developer.ezeep.com/

About ezeep: The future of printing is ezeep. With ezeep, printing is dramatically simplified, enabling any device to print to any printer  whether with the ezeep printer driver from PC or Mac, via app for smartphones and tablets or even by web-based drag & drop for the occasional user. Consumers print unlimited and  naturally  free-of-charge to their own printers and, depending on the provider, free or at a cost to external printers. This makes printing as easy as making a phone call, eliminating the need for any user support. Companies can lower the infrastructure demands on their printer setups in branch offices worldwide, thanks to ezeep, drastically simplifying their administration. With this, the total costs for deploying printers is significantly reduced. Coworking spaces, universities, exhibition grounds, train stations, airports and kiosks can not only make their printers publicly available with just a single click, but also charge for printing with ease. The same applies to private users or cafes which want to share their printers with others. Printers are thereby transformed into sources of income, not costs. Open interfaces enable integrations with existing solutions, such as for user and resource management, cost control or compliance monitoring for maximum cost savings via automation. A constantly growing ecosystem of standard integrations by development partners makes these benefits also available to non-technical users. By reducing costs and removing all technical requirements, whilst providing the ability to use third-party printers at any time, ezeep ensures that in the future people will be able to print from almost every location quickly and easily, for whatever reason they might have. ezeep is committed to minimizing the CO2 footprint of printing and ensuring that printed paper can be a meaningful, productive and responsible alternative to screen-based information consumption. For more information, please visit: www.ezeep.com .

Media Contacts: North America: Kendra Westerkamp, VisiTech PR Phone: +1-303-752-3552, email: CT@visitechpr.com Rest of World: Silke Kluckert, Public Relations Manager Phone: +49 30 39493166, email: press@cortado.com

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[June 08, 2021] Navy Federal Credit Union Ranked As A CX Elite Brand Again For Customer Experience

Navy Federal Credit Union holds on to the top spot as the industry leader for a sixth consecutive year, ranking No. 1 among multichannel banks/credit unions for customer experience in Forrester's (News - Alert) proprietary 2021 CX Index survey. The credit union was once again named a CX Elite brand (a top 5% brand), and took the lead for customer experience among credit card issuers. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005774/en/ Navy Federal was once again named a CX Elite brand (a top 5% brand), and took the lead for customer experience among credit card issuers. (Graphic: Business Wire) "The members' experience is the focus of everything we do - whether it's visiting a branch, calling our 24/7 contact cente or using our digital channels. Our entire team is committed to continuously improving the experience in every way possible," said Mary McDuffie, president/CEO of Navy Federal. "This recognition is further evidence that our focus on our members really does make a difference."



Recognized as a CX Elite brand, Navy Federal ranked highest among multichannel banks/credit unions in the following categories: Customer/Member Service

Clear Communication

Providing transparent prices, rates and fees

Most Recommended by customers/members Navy Federal also earned the top score for Credit Card Issuers in the following categories:

Customer/Member Experience

Most Recommended by customers/members "The past year has revealed how brands who keep their customers at the center of all they do can continue to meet evolving customer needs even in a crisis," said Michelle Yaiser, VP of CX Analytics at Forrester. "The brands that adapted how they engaged with customers while continuing to make them feel good about their interactions, saw higher CX Index scores, increased customer loyalty, and a larger group of devoted customers." Conducted for the seventh year in a row, Forrester's CX Index results are benchmarked on a survey of more than 85,000 US customers across 220 brands and 13 industries. The survey scores are based on measures how well a brand delivers customer experiences that create and sustain loyalty. Navy Federal has been continually recognized for its dedication to creating a thriving work environment and delivering an exceptional experience for its members. Earlier this year, Navy Federal celebrated its 11th year on the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For list. The credit union has also received other recognition this year, including: "Best Credit Union" by GoBankingRates and "Best VA Loan Lenders" by Money Magazine. About Navy Federal Credit Union: Established in 1933 with only seven members, Navy Federal now has the distinct honor of serving over 10 million members globally and is the world's largest credit union. As a member-owned and not-for-profit organization, Navy Federal always puts the financial needs of its members first. Membership is open to all branches of the armed forces and their families. Dedicated to its mission of service, Navy Federal employs a workforce of over 23,000 and has a global network of 345 branches. For more information about Navy Federal Credit Union, visit navyfederal.org. Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Opportunity Employer. *The proprietary survey results are based on consumers' opinions of the experiences with the brands in the survey. Forrester Research (News - Alert) does not endorse any company included in any CX Index report and does not advise any person to select the products or services of any particular company based on the ratings included in such reports. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005774/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Citadel Defense Secures New San Diego Headquarters as Growth Accelerates

Citadel Defense, a premiere signal intelligence and electronic warfare technology company, is moving into a new corporate campus in San Diego as demand for their industry-pioneering Titan counter drone solutions tripled for the third straight year. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005055/en/ Citadel Defense is growing their San Diego, CA (News - Alert) presence and moving to a new Headquarters scheduled to be completed in August. The expansion will support the exponential growth achieved through contracts received from the U.S. Military and Federal Agencies. (Photo: Business Wire) "To support an increasing number of government contract awards, Citadel is moving to our high-tech Innovation Center in Mission Valley in August after the buld-out is completed," explained Christopher Williams (News - Alert) , CEO of Citadel Defense.



Citadel's footprint in the San Diego, CA region will double over the next twelve months to 60K square feet of office and production space. The new space will include a customer training center, increased production capacity, a UAS development garage, unmanned integrated solutions floor, and AI-Center of Excellence. The improved facilities and expanded manufacturing capacity will match Citadel's responsiveness to customer's needs and the rapidly evolving unmanned systems market as military and government customers entrust Citadel Defense as the Prime Contractor for new contracts. "The combination of successful contract performance, unprecedented customer satisfaction, and trust that servicemen and servicewomen place in our solutions was critical to making this infrastructure investment. Our new Innovation Center helps accelerate innovation, increases production capacity, and supports even greater collaboration with our end users - all of which positively impacts mission outcomes," said Williams.

Citadel is aggressively hiring for positions that expand the company's business partnerships, program management, software development, industrial design, hardware engineering, integration services, and AI and machine learning capabilities. Williams shared, "In addition to the state-of-the-art engineering facility, there will also be a fitness center, outdoor options for collaboration, space for UAS flight testing, and an open modern layout that also offers employees privacy. Citadel is continuing to invest in areas that prioritize our customers, employees, and their families." To learn more about Citadel's open positions, visit the company's Careers page online. ABOUT CITADEL DEFENSE: Citadel Defense is a cutting-edge counter-drone technology company that builds industry-proven and artificially intelligent drone mitigation solutions for military, homeland security, and commercial applications. Citadel's Titan technology is trusted by dozens of customers including, U.S. Special Forces, Army, Navy, Air Force, Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol, and Coast Guard. Visit www.dronecitadel.com to learn more. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005055/en/

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[June 08, 2021] FiberLight Announces New El Paso Data Center Expansion Providing High-Capacity Connectivity Into Mexico

ATLANTA, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- FiberLight , LLC, a fiber infrastructure provider with more than 20 years of experience building and operating mission-critical, high-bandwidth networks , today announced that it has completed its fiber expansion in the greater El Paso, Texas market, with a new Point of Presence (PoP) at the MDC El Paso facility. FiberLight has been broadening its fiber network across Texas for many years with the goal of serving the El Paso area as the local community has become a major hub for connecting to the Mexican market. This expansion not only brings new connections for businesses in this area but now provides a fourth border crossing to support terabits of bandwidth from Mexico to Dallas. FiberLight is now able to connect El Paso with Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville. "We see first-hand the amount of capacity required to move data from the US market across the border to Mexico to support critical communications and to reach data center locations in Dallas, San Antonio, Houston and Austin," said Chris Rabii, Chief Executive Officer at FiberLight. "This latest expansion and the connections with MDC Data Centers provide our customers with the cross border gateways required to move vast amounts of data from one data center to another with no lag time. We are excited to bring these new connections to our customers and look forward to engaging with new wireless carriers in the months ahead." "With the growing demand for high-capacity services, FiberLight has been an enthusiastic partner to collaborate on new diverse solutions for infrastructure development in Texas and reaching to Mexico," said Art Kazmierczak, Director of Business and Network Development, Telia Carrier. "By expanding the network crossing points between the United States and Mexico, we are adding resiliency to the region in order to meet growing, global, and dynamic customer demand for high quality connectivity to critical content, cloud ecosystems and millions of end-users." FiberLight's Texas network now leverages more than 16,000 route miles and 165 on-net data centers connected with newly constructed fiber. Following this recent expansion in El Paso, local data centers now connected back to the larger FiberLight network are able to reliably receive their full 10G or 100G throughput when compared to legacy networks.



"El Paso is an important growth market for MDC in the region, as it is a strategic point of interconnection for Mexico that provides diverse access to transit and content available in the US. Welcoming FiberLight's mission-critical network and express access to DASH markets in El Paso is great news for this ecosystem," said Joel Pacheco, CRO of MDC Data Centers. "Also, FiberLight's WISP strategy aligns very well with our tower and fiber capabilities of MDC El Paso, where we have seen customer demand from local wireless providers on both sides of the border." MDC El Paso complements the company's data centers in McAllen, Laredo, in Texas, and Nogales, in Arizona; MDC focuses on interconnecting the world with Mexico by providing carrier-neutral colocation and international fiber crossings in strategic hubs along the U.S. border with Mexico.

About FiberLight FiberLight designs, builds and deploys mission-critical high bandwidth networks to ignite our client's digital transformation. With 14,000 route miles of fiber networks and 78,000 pre-qualified near-net buildings, FiberLight operates in over 30 metropolitan areas in the U.S. Our service portfolio includes high-capacity Ethernet and Wave Transport Services , Cloud Connect , Dedicated Internet Access , Dark Fiber and Wireless Backhaul serving domestic and international telecom companies, wireless, wireline, cable and cloud providers as well as key players across enterprise, government, and education. For more information, visit fiberlight.com or follow us on Twitter @FiberLight_LLC . About MDC Data Centers MDC, formerly MDC Data Centers, helps network operators, content providers, and enterprises interconnect with major Network Service Providers on the US border with Mexico. The company is considered one of the fastest-growing data centers in South Texas, presenting a unique offer of reliable colocation services with a fiber crossing infrastructure to bring networks across the border. Due to its geographic proximity to Mexico, MDC serves this emerging market allowing American and International carriers to connect to the largest concentration of Mexican networks in carrier-neutral facilities. For more information visit mdcdatacenters.com , and follow MDC Data Centers on LinkedIn and Twitter at @MDCDatacenters . FiberLight Contact:

Escalate PR

FiberLight@escalatepr.com MDC Data Centers Contact:

MDC Press Room

mkt@mdcdatacenters.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fiberlight-announces-new-el-paso-data-center-expansion-providing-high-capacity-connectivity-into-mexico-301307592.html SOURCE FiberLight

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Measure targets sanctions that interfere in China's internal affairs China's top legislature is deliberating a draft law on opposing foreign sanctions to resolutely safeguard the country's sovereignty, dignity and core interests. The draft law was submitted on Monday to the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, for a second review. For some time, a few Western countries, for the reason of political manipulation and ideological bias, have made use of various excuses, including those involving the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, to spread rumors on and smear, contain and suppress China, according to the spokesperson office of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee. They in particular violated international law and basic principles of international relations, initiating sanctions in line with their own laws against Chinese State organs, organizations and staff members, thereby grossly interfering in China's internal affairs, the office said. The Chinese government has strongly condemned such hegemonistic acts, and people from all walks of life have also expressed great indignation about such behavior, it said. To resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty, dignity and core interests, as well as to oppose Western hegemony and power politics, the Chinese government has announced corresponding countermeasures against entities and individuals of relevant countries several times since the beginning of the year, giving them "a taste of their own medicine", it added. Around the time of this year's sessions of the NPC and the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, known as the two sessions, some NPC deputies and political advisers and a number of people from various industries called for a law opposing foreign sanctions. They said such legislation is essential and will provide stronger legal support and guarantees for the country in fighting discriminatory measures of foreign nations, according to the office. In addition, the annual Work Report of the NPC Standing Committee, which was delivered in March, also highlighted the importance of drafting laws regarding foreign affairs, saying the next major task is to upgrade the legal toolkit for meeting challenges and guarding against risks in order to oppose foreign sanctions, interference and long-arm jurisdiction. Based on reviews of legislative advice, conclusions of the country's anti-sanction measures, studies of similar legislation in other countries and after soliciting opinions from the Communist Party of China Central Committee and national government departments, the commission drafted the law and submitted it to the top legislature in April for the first review. The draft at that time was widely approved by members of the NPC Standing Committee, and some suggestions on revisions were submitted, the commission said. The second version, which was submitted to the legislature for further review on Monday, incorporated the advice and made some improvements. During the session this week, the NPC Standing Committee also began to review some other draft laws, including those on data security, the Hainan Free Trade Port, the stamp tax, practicing physicians, legal aid and protection of the status, rights and interests of military personnel. Draft revisions to the Law on Military Facilities Protection and the Vocational Education Law and draft amendments to the Law on Workplace Safety and the Audit Law were also submitted to the top legislature for review. Lawmakers are also deliberating several reports, including those on the central government's final accounts for 2020 and a report on the ecological protection of the Yangtze River basin.


Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-09 05:22:56|Editor: huaxia

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Visiting U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two countries in Mexico City, Mexico, June 8, 2021. (Photo by David de la Paz/Xinhua)

MEXICO CITY, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Mexico and the United States agreed Tuesday to form a special task force to combat human trafficking, during a meeting between Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and visiting U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

The task force will share information and intelligence, with the purpose of dismantling criminal rings involved in human trafficking in Mexican territory, Mexico's presidency said in a statement.

"The meeting of the two delegations served as a framework for the governments to reiterate their conviction and priority on protecting human rights," the Mexican government said.

"They also agreed to hold a high-level meeting on security cooperation, with the date yet to be defined," it added.

Harris arrived in Mexico on Monday night from Guatemala, as part of her first official trip abroad since U.S. President Joe Biden's administration took office on Jan. 20.

Harris met with Lopez Obrador and other officials at the National Palace in Mexico City, shortly after both countries signed a memorandum of understanding to promote development in Central America's Northern Triangle to curb migration north from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

According to the president's office, both countries reinforced their vision of "a bilateral relationship based on mutual respect and cooperation," to jointly tackle binational and regional challenges.

According to Mexican authorities, minors especially are "prey" for human traffickers who profit from irregular migration.

Both countries also reaffirmed their commitment to making progress in a coordinated and joint manner against COVID-19, and to promoting the region's economy through the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on free trade. Enditem
[June 08, 2021] Razorleaf Corporation Launches Strategic Partnership with Eggplant, part of Keysight Technologies

STOW, Ohio, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Razorleaf Corporation, a leading PLM consulting and systems integrator, today announced a strategic partnership with Eggplant, part of Keysight Technologies, to resell and deliver high-quality test-automation solutions. Eggplant's industry-leading software platform uses artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics to automate test creation and execution. Razorleaf will provide manufacturers with testing-automation strategy around PLM systems, installation, training, and support to address quality issues and ensure continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD). Eggplant's software can test any technology on any device, operating system, or browser at any layer, from the user interface (UI) to application programming interfaces (APIs) to the database. This automation allows for faster release without sacrificing quality. Clients can quickly perform functional and regression testing by optimizing software test creation, maintenance, and execution. Razorleaf will help product and operations teams move from predominantly manual testing to automated quality assurance to minimize impact when executing PLM upgrades, customizations, and maintenance for enterprise applications. With ever-changing systems and personnel, test automation becomes critical for continuous improvement to deliver etter quality and faster turnaround times. A testing strategy is an integral part of an organization's success to quickly test and validate the stability of its PLM system for any fixes, upgrades, or new releases.



"We are pleased that Razorleaf clients will now be able to benefit from the power of Eggplant products to enhance their testing initiatives," said Toby Marsden, VP Global Alliances, Keysight Technologies. "Our products will boost productivity, improve efficiency, and enhance software stability and effectiveness. Eggplant and Razorleaf share a vision to accelerate product innovation and help manufacturers on their digital transformation journey." "We are excited to announce the partnership with Eggplant to add testing automation to our portfolio," says Razorleaf CEO Eric Doubell. "This software will provide our clients with a significant advantage by quickly and easily automating the entire testing process for their product lifecycle management systems. Product engineering and operations teams can quickly deploy, modify and upgrade their systems, allowing them to realize the benefits of PLM sooner with less effort."

About Razorleaf Founded in 2000, Razorleaf is a consulting & systems integrator with specialized expertise in PLM. We are focused on helping manufacturing organizations connect products and processes across the digital enterprise to drive more value from the innovation process. Led by a highly skilled and seasoned team of experts across the United States and Europe, Razorleaf transforms businesses by offering comprehensive consulting and implementation services focused on managing the digital thread across the product life cycle and supply chain. For more information, visit http://www.razorleaf.com . About Keysight Technologies Keysight Technologies Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) is the world's leading electronic measurement company, transforming today's measurement experience through innovations in wireless, modular, and software solutions. With its Hewlett-Packard and Agilent legacy, Keysight delivers solutions in wireless communications, aerospace and defense and semiconductor markets with world-class platforms, software, and consistent measurement science. The company's nearly 12,600 employees serve customers in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit https://www.eggplantsoftware.com/ View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/razorleaf-corporation-launches-strategic-partnership-with-eggplant-part-of-keysight-technologies-301307996.html SOURCE Razorleaf Corporation

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[June 08, 2021] UBS Declares Coupon Payments on 5 ETRACS Exchange Traded Notes

UBS Investment Bank today announced coupon payments for 5 ETRACS Exchange Traded Notes (the "ETNs"), all traded on the NYSE Arca (News - Alert) .







NYSE Ticker ETN Name and Prospectus Supplement* Coupon

Valuation

Date Ex-Date Record

Date Payment

Date Coupon

Amount Payment

Schedule Current Yield

(annualized) HDLB** ETRACS Monthly Pay 2xLeveraged US High Dividend Low Volatility ETN Series B 6/1/2021 6/11/2021 6/14/2021 6/22/2021 $0.1148 Monthly 8.85% SMHB** ETRACS Monthly Pay 2xLeveraged US Small Cap High Dividend ETN Series B 6/1/2021 6/11/2021 6/14/2021 6/22/2021 $0.1181 Monthly 11.78% PFFL** ETRACS Monthly Pay 2x Leveraged Preferred Stock ETN 6/1/2021 6/11/2021 6/14/2021 6/22/2021 $0.2331 Monthly 9.51% CEFD** ETRACS Monthly Pay 1.5X Leveraged Closed-End Fund Index ETN 6/1/2021 6/11/2021 6/14/2021 6/22/2021 $0.2669 Monthly 10.05% MVRL** ETRACS Monthly Pay 1.5x Leveraged Mortgage REIT ETN 6/1/2021 6/11/2021 6/14/2021 6/22/2021 $0.1683 Monthly 11.70%

* The table above provides a hyperlink to the relevant prospectus and supplements thereto for each of our ETRACS ETNs, which are identified by their names. For more information on each ETRACS ETN, see "List of ETNs". ** "Current Yield (annualized)" equals the current Coupon Amount and the two immediately preceding Coupon Amounts, multiplied by four (to annualize such coupons), divided by the closing Current Indicative Value of the ETN on its current Coupon Valuation Date rounded to two decimal places for ease of analysis. The Current Yield is not indicative of future coupon payments, if any, on the ETN. You are not guaranteed any coupon or distribution amount under the ETN. Note: HDLB, SMHB and PFFL pay a variable monthly coupon linked to 2 times the cash distributions, if any, on the respective underlying index constituents, less withholding taxes, if any. CEFD and MVRL pay a variable monthly coupon linked to 1.5 times the cash distributions, if any, on the respective underlying index constituents, less withholding taxes, if any. Variations in the amount of monthly distributions will lead to large variations in the Current Yield as calculated above. As such, the Current Yield for each is not indicative of future coupon payments, if any, on these ETNs. About ETRACS ETRACS ETNs are senior unsecured notes issued by UBS AG, are traded on NYSE Arca, and can be bought and sold through a broker or financial advisor. An investment in ETRACS ETNs is subject to a number of risks, including the risk of loss of some or all of the investor's principal, and is subject to the creditworthiness of UBS AG. Investors are not guaranteed any coupon or distribution amount under the ETNs. We urge you to read the more detailed explanation of risks described under "Risk Factors" in the applicable prospectus supplement for the ETRACS ETN. UBS AG has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus and supplements thereto) with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC (News - Alert) , for the offerings of securities to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus, along with the applicable prospectus supplement to understand fully the terms of the securities and other considerations that are important in making a decision about investing in the ETRACS. The applicable offering document for each ETRACS may be obtained by clicking on the name of each ETRACS identified above. You may also get these documents without cost by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. The securities related to the offerings are not deposit liabilities and are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency of the United States, Switzerland or any other jurisdiction. About UBS UBS provides financial advice and solutions to wealthy, institutional and corporate clients worldwide, as well as private clients in Switzerland. UBS is the largest truly global wealth manager, and a leading personal and corporate bank in Switzerland, with a large-scale and diversified global asset manager and a focused investment bank. The bank focuses on businesses that have a strong competitive position in their targeted markets, are capital efficient, and have an attractive long-term structural growth or profitability outlook. UBS is present in all major financial centers worldwide. It has offices in more than 50 regions and locations, with about 30% of its employees working in the Americas, 31% in Switzerland, 19% in the rest of Europe, the Middle East and Africa and 20% in Asia Pacific. UBS Group AG employs over 68,000 people around the world. Its shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). This material is issued by UBS AG and/or any of its subsidiaries and/or any of its affiliates ("UBS"). Products and services mentioned in this material may not be available for residents of certain jurisdictions. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Please consult the restrictions relating to the product or service in question for further information. Activities with respect to US securities are conducted through UBS Securities LLC, a US broker/dealer. Member of SIPC (http://www.sipc.org/). ETRACS ETNs are sold only in conjunction with the relevant offering materials. UBS has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus, as supplemented by the applicable prospectus supplement, for the offering of the ETRACS ETNs) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read these documents and any other documents that UBS has filed with the SEC for more complete information about UBS and the offering to which this communication relates. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, you can request the prospectus and applicable prospectus supplement, by calling toll-free (+1-877-387 2275). In the US, securities underwriting, trading and brokerage activities and M&A advisor activities are provided by UBS Securities LLC, a registered broker/dealer that is a wholly owned subsidiary of UBS AG, a member of the New York Stock Exchange and other principal exchanges, and a member of SIPC. UBS Financial Services Inc. is a registered broker/dealer and affiliate of UBS Securities LLC. The financial instrument is not sponsored, promoted, sold or supported in any other manner by Solactive AG nor does Solactive AG offer any express or implicit guarantee or assurance either with regard to the results of using the Index and/or Index trade mark or the Index Price at any time or in any other respect. The S-Network Composite Closed-End Fund Index is a service mark of S-Network Global Indexes, Inc. ("S-Network") and its use is granted under a license from S-Network. S-Network does not guarantee the accuracy and/or completeness of the S-Network Composite Closed-End Fund Index or any data included therein, and S-Network shall have no liability for any errors, omissions, interruptions, or defects therein. S-Network makes no warranty, express or implied, representations or promises, as to results to be obtained by UBS AG, or any other person or entity from the use of the S-Network Composite Closed-End Fund Index or any data included therein. S-Network makes no express or implied warranties, representations or promises, regarding the originality, merchantability, suitability, non-infringement, or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the S-Network Composite Closed-End Fund Index or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall S-Network have any liability for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, punitive, consequential, or other damages (including lost profits), even if notified of the possibility of such damages. The ETRACS Monthly Pay 1.5x Leveraged Mortgage REIT ETN ("ETN") is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Market Vectors Index Solutions GmbH ("Licensor") and Licensor makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the ETN or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the ETN particularly or the ability of the Market Vectors US Mortgage REITs Index to track the performance of the US mortgage REIT market. The ETRACS Monthly Pay 1.5x Leveraged Mortgage REIT ETN ("ETN") is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Market Vectors Index Solutions GmbH ("Licensor") and Licensor makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the ETN or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the ETN particularly or the ability of the Market Vectors US Mortgage REITs Index to track the performance of the US mortgage REIT market. UBS specifically prohibits the redistribution or reproduction of this communication in whole or in part without the prior written permission of UBS and UBS accepts no liability whatsoever for the actions of third parties in this respect.  UBS 2021. The key symbol, UBS and ETRACS are among the registered and unregistered trademarks of UBS. Other marks may be trademarks of their respective owners. All rights reserved. 1 Individual investors should instruct their broker/advisor/custodian to call us or should call together with their broker/advisor/custodian. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005320/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Together We RISE, Marsh McLennan Launches a Fellowship Program for Black MBA Students

Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), the world's leading professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people, today announced the launch of RISE, a global MBA fellowship program in partnership with the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) and Fisk University. A first-of-its-kind program, RISE, which stands for racial inclusion and social equity, will provide second-year Black MBA candidates and graduates in the US, UK and Canada with an enriching curriculum of practical business knowledge and tools for advocating for social justice within a business environment. The program is being launched in celebration of Marsh McLennan's 150th anniversary. The first cohort will begin their fellowship in September 2021, completing the program in May 2022. "We're committed to the principle of responsible capitalism and doing business in ways that generate a more just and compassionate world," said Dan Glaser, President & CEO, Marsh McLennan. "RISE will help us form a more diverse, inclusive and vibrant Marsh McLennan and professional services industry." As part of RISE, Marsh McLennan's Executive Committee will participate in an intensive social justice module at Fisk University. "Our leaders are committed to cultivating a culture in which different experiences and perspectives are valued and celebrated," said Carmen Fernandez, Senior Vice President & Chief People Officer, Marsh McLennan. "The RISE executive module will immerse our leaders in a social justice agenda, helping them more fully embrace their roles as inclusive leaders." "Every successful business leader needs to understand the dynamics of risk, people and strategy issues. Increasingly they need to be fluent in the intersection of business and social justice as well," said Nzinga Shaw, Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer, Marsh McLennan. "Through RISE, we hope to foster a new generation of executives who will forge a leadership path in business and make our industries more equitable." The fellows will participate in an immersive social justice program through the John Lewis Center for Social Justice at Fisk University, one of the nation's historically Black colleges and the oldest institution of higher learning in Nashville, Tennessee, followed by an eight-month paid fellowship incorporating thought-leadership and mentorship from Marsh McLennan executives and NBMBAA leaders. Upon completion of the program, the fellows will be expected to complete an assessment of their observations and how they envision their role in continuing to promote an agenda of social justice. "Our young prospective members are among the sharpest business minds in the country, and any organization that invests in their success is sure to see an impressive return," said Joe Handy, President and CEO of NBMBAA. "We are grateful to Marsh McLennan and Fisk University for their cooperation in making this program a reality, and excited to see the benefits it produces." "Black MBA candidates have a rich set of experiences to bring to the professional services sector," said Vann Newkirk, Sr., President of Fisk University. "It will be exciting to see how these cohorts of fellows implement a social justice agenda within their careers and beyond. It is wonderful to see companies like Marsh McLennan taking a leadership role and partnering with Fisk University to address the next generation of diverse C-suite and executive leaders." Through its Leading the Change initiative, Marsh McLennan is helping its diverse talent thrive. The Company also recently committed $5 million to support select organizations that advocate for the Black community and doubled its match for colleague donations made to organizations working towards this cause. Students interested in learning more or applying to the fellowship can visit http://mmc.com/rise for more information.



About Marsh McLennan Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC) is the world's leading professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people. The Company's 76,000 colleagues advise clients in 130 countries. With annual revenue of $17 billion, Marsh McLennan helps clients navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex environment through four market-leading businesses. Marsh provides data-driven risk advisory services and insurance solutions to commercial and consumer clients. Guy Carpenter develops advanced risk, reinsurance and capital strategies that help clients grow profitably and pursue emerging opportunities. Mercer delivers advice and technology-driven solutions that help organizations redefine the world of work, reshape retirement and investment outcomes, and unlock health and wellbeing for a changing workforce. Oliver Wyman serves as a critical strategic, economic and brand advisor to private sector and governmental clients. For more information, visit mmc.com, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter or subscribe to BRINK.

ABOUT NBMBAA NBMBAA is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) member-based professional organization which leads in the creation of educational, wealth building and growth opportunities for black students, professionals and entrepreneurs. Representing more than 20,000 members, 40 professional and 33 Leaders of Tomorrow chapters, and over 500 corporate, academic and non-profit partners, the Association is dedicated to developing alliances that create intellectual and economic wealth in the Black community through its five channels of engagement: career, education, entrepreneurship, leadership and lifestyle. To learn more about NBMBAA, please go to: nbmbaa.org, follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. About Fisk University Founded in 1866, Fisk University is a private, liberal arts university located in Nashville, Tennessee. Consistently recognized for its brand of academic excellence, Fisk is ranked No. 6 on the Top 10 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report. Fisk ranked No. 1 in the nation among HBCUs for social mobility and No. 3 in the nation among small liberal arts colleges for research expenditures in the 2018 Washington Monthly rankings. Fisk University's focus has always been on student success and outcomes. Fisk excels at preparing its highly motivated student body for prosperous professional careers and elite graduate schools. From the classroom to the boardroom, a Fisk education gives students the tools to turn their passions into careers and prepare them to make a difference in their own lives, communities, and around the world. To learn more about Fisk University, please visit www.fisk.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005392/en/

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[June 08, 2021] EnableComp LLC Expands Operations in Tullahoma, Tennessee

FRANKLIN, Tenn., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- EnableComp has expanded operations in their Tullahoma office after their initial opening in August 2019. As a result of tremendous growth, the company has increased office space from their initial 3,000 square feet to a total of 12,000 square feet. This expansion cements an ongoing commitment to creating jobs in the community and supporting new client partnerships. Ranked as a Top Workplace by The Tennessean and Becker's Hospital Review, EnableComp is looking for career-oriented team players seeking a rewarding and challenging career who thrive in a growing entrepreneurial, mission and values-based organization. To celebrate the expansion, the company will host an open house at 10 a.m. and in-person hiring event at their newly renovated Tullahoma office on June 24, 2021 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Details for this event and others can be found at www.enablecomp.com/careers/careerfairs.



The company is offering a $250 sign-on bonus for candidates hired in Tullahoma through July. EnableComp's operations are located at 1400 Cedar Lane in Tullahoma where it will create 200 jobs over the next five years. This is a compelling opportunity for those in the community looking for excellent advancement opportunities and a path to a successful career with an expanding company.

For anyone unable to attend the open house and in person-hiring event, EnableComp will host open interviews at the Tullahoma location every Thursday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Candidates who stop by will have the opportunity to interview directly with a member of the hiring team.

QUOTES "Tullahoma is excited to learn of EnableComp's plans for expansion in our city. The proposed 200 new jobs over the next 5 years means more new homes and increased retail sales, all of which contribute to the economic viability of our city. You will find a well-educated workforce in Tullahoma that will ensure the success of your company. Best of luck with your expansion plans and my office will be ready to assist your expansion in any way we can."  Ray Knowis, Tullahoma Mayor "We are excited to be part of the Tullahoma community and to provide employment opportunities for those interested in a rewarding career in healthcare."  David Jones, Chief Executive Officer Contact

Heather Ullig

Chief People Officer

hullig@enablecomp.com

(615) 791-4300

About EnableComp

EnableComp is the full-service provider of complex claims revenue solutions. We manage the entire life of a claim from verifying the payer to sending the bill electronically via our proprietary e-billing platform to appealing any underpayments. We partner with over 800 healthcare providers to maximize their complex claims reimbursement by having the best people, processes, products and performance.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/enablecomp-llc-expands-operations-in-tullahoma-tennessee-301308003.html SOURCE EnableComp LLC

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[June 08, 2021] LAWPRO to digitize core system with OneShield

MARLBOROUGH, Mass., June 8, 2021 /CNW/ -- Seeking to eliminate a wide range of manual processes and completely transform a complex web of internal and third-party IT applications and systems, Toronto-based Lawyers' Professional Indemnity Company (LAWPRO) (www.lawpro.ca) has chosen OneShield Software's (www.OneShield.com) SaaS offering, OneShield Market Solutions. LAWPRO selects OneShield Market Solutions to digitize core system. OneShield will implement its full suite of automated solutions for end-to-end policy administration, billing, claims, reporting, and analytics. Considered a professional liability leader, LAWPRO provides primary errors and omissions insurance coverage for Ontario lawyers, excess insurance for lawyers and law firms, and title insurance across Canada. "This partnership allows us to replace disparate legacy systems and modernize processes with technology that will deliver significant improvements to our stakeholders," says Daniel E. Pinnington, President & Chief Executive Officer of LAWPRO. "Leveraging OneShield's SaaS, our claims and underwriting team will be able to enhance the level of service offred while we automate manual processes, digitize assets and data, and streamline various aspects of our processes and workflows."



"Key to our decision in choosing OneShield was that they displayed a clear understanding of our business. Plus, with their Program Consulting discipline, they clearly defined the overall project implementation plan with insights to timeline and costs which provided us the much-desired transparency into this important transformation project." Amongst the many benefits of digitizing their platform, LAWPRO will be able to stay ahead of market trends leveraging real-time data insights and reporting and enhance client interactions by way of a robust customer portal and a defense counsel's extranet for claims litigation management and invoice submissions.

OneShield's SaaS provides out-of-the-box functionality for policy management (quoting, binding, and servicing), billing (invoicing through to payment), and claims administration (first notice of loss through to payment), including document management, reporting, and analysis  and all completely configurable for LAWPRO-specific requirements. "OneShield is excited to partner with LAWPRO," says OneShield Chief Revenue Officer Liza Smith. "This is the latest in a series of wins in the professional liability marketplace. In this specialized field, insurers recognize the strategic advantages of a proven SaaS offering that is designed to handle complex insurance products while ensuring the technology will be responsive as their business needs change." For more information or to schedule a media interview, please contact: Janice Merkley

VP, Corporate Marketing

OneShield Software  OneShield.com

T: 774.348.1016 | E: jmerkley@oneshield.com About OneShield

OneShield provides solutions for insurers of all sizes. Deployed in the cloud, our portfolio of standalone, subscription, and As-a-Service products includes enterprise-class policy management, billing, claims, rating, product configuration, business intelligence, and smart analytics. OneShield automates and simplifies the complexities of core systems with targeted solutions, seamless upgrades, collaborative implementations, and lower total cost of ownership. With corporate headquarters in Marlborough, MA, and offices in India, OneShield has over 50 products in production across P&C and specialty insurance markets. For more information, visit www.OneShield.com About LAWPRO

Lawyers' Professional Indemnity Company (LAWPRO) is owned by The Law Society of Ontario and is licensed to provide professional liability insurance in Ontario and title insurance across Canada. Through its malpractice insurance program, LAWPRO insures almost 29,000 practicing lawyers and their paralegal partners in Ontario, as well as providing them with risk and practice management information under the practicePRO banner. LAWPRO's TitlePLUS title insurance program is available to Canadian lawyers and Quebec notaries to better meet their clients' needs for professional legal advice and superior protection for their real estate transactions. For more information, visit www.lawpro.ca View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lawpro-to-digitize-core-system-with-oneshield-301307172.html SOURCE OneShield Software

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[June 08, 2021]

Jolta Launches First EV-Only E-Commerce Platform

MIAMI, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The first EV dealership network of its kind, Jolta (www.jolta.com) will offer a curation of electric vehicles, repair and maintenance services, and charging solutions.

Just a few weeks ago, the revolutionary concept officialized a partnership with Faraday Future that included distribution rights in 15 U.S. cities, making Jolta the first U.S. distributor for the California-based global shared intelligent mobility company.

Now, prior to opening its first showroom in Miami this year, Jolta is launching its highly anticipated e-commerce platform  the first ever to exclusively showcase all categories of electric vehicles including electric cars, bikes, scooters, mopeds, self-balancing EVs, and even karting cars.







"Having a multi-brand e-commerce platform allows for the customer to compare brands, product types, features & values" says Benjamin McGill Head of North America at Niu.

Jolta's partners include world-renowned micromobility brands like Segway, Niu, Gocycle, and soon to be revealed other electric car brands.

"Jolta will help lead the way in the attractive space of EV. The target consumer is more defined now and a one-stop-shop provides a great option to their buying needs" says George Thomas

Regional Director - East Coast at Segway

Jolta plans to open its first five showrooms between 2021-2023.

About Jolta:

Jolta is the first EV dealership network offering a curation of electric vehicles, repair and maintenance services, and charging solutions. A one-stop-shop for all EV-related needs, Jolta aims to simplify the purchase and maintenance of EVs. Jolta addresses lingering challenges within the EV industry by offering an EV-centric distribution network for all types of electric vehicles.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jolta-launches-first-ev-only-e-commerce-platform-301308063.html

SOURCE Jolta LLC
[June 08, 2021] PC Matic Survey: 20% of Employers Never Require Employees to Change Passwords

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, American cybersecurity firm, PC Matic , announced the release of its third annual report analyzing users and their password habits and hygiene. The sixteen-page report presents the results of a nationally distributed survey by which 2,500 Americans were asked about their password behaviors and tendencies. The finding, fielded in May 2021, found that nearly 30% of Americans aren't sure when they last changed their passwords, or never have at all. The survey also revealed lax corporate password policies, finding that nearly a fifth of employers nationwide never require their employees to change their passwords.



More key findings from the report are as follows: Nearly 60% of those surveys responded that they have never changed their home Wi-Fi password, or that it hasn't been changed since setup. In 2020, 50% of those surveys responded in this same manner.







In 2020, 50% of those surveys responded in this same manner. 40% of respondents indicated that they are using the password lockout feature on both their work and home computers. This number is up from 25% responding that they used this feature in 2020's survey results.





This number is up from 25% responding that they used this feature in 2020's survey results. Just shy of 45% of employers don't require their employees to utilize a Virtual Private Network (VPN). 2020's survey results showed just a slightly higher number of respondent's employers requiring a VPN, with 46% affirming they were required to use the security tool.





2020's survey results showed just a slightly higher number of respondent's employers requiring a VPN, with 46% affirming they were required to use the security tool. More than 50% of respondents admit to checking personal e-mail accounts at work. This number remains virtually unchanged from 2020's survey results, and still presents an imminent threat to corporate networks. "As employees' transition from work-from-home to in-office work environments again, it is the perfect time implement password policies and procedures that can keep employees and corporate networks safe," said Rob Cheng, CEO and Founder of PC Matic. "The 2021 Password Habits and Hygiene Report aimed to understand the policies and procedures being implemented and abided by users across the nation and provides further insight into how corporate IT professionals can protect networks from cybercriminals." More findings and the complete report may be found here. More information on PC Matic may be found here . View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pc-matic-survey-20-of-employers-never-require-employees-to-change-passwords-301308108.html SOURCE PC Matic

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[June 08, 2021] Veteran EdTech, Learning Science Experts Join Penn Foster Leadership Team

SCRANTON, Pa., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Penn Foster, which partners with employers and working learners around the country to create new pathways to economic opportunity in high-growth middle-skill fields, today announced the appointment of two new members of its senior leadership team. Stacy Caldwell, whose experience includes executive roles at the College Board and The Princeton Review, will join the company as Chief Product Officer. Dr. Andrew Shean, who will lead the development of Penn Foster's academic programs as Chief Learning Officer, brings deep expertise in pedagogy and learning science to his work designing programs and curricula that meet the needs of working learners. "Middle-skill jobs make up the majority of the labor market and will be the propulsion system for an equitable economic recovery. In the coming months, it will be more important than ever to provide job-seekers with the skills and support they need to succeed in these careers," said Frank Britt, CEO of Penn Foster. "Stacy and Andrew each bring unique expertise, as well as a commitment to innovation and impact, that will accelerate our efforts to advance economic mobility in partnership with employers, community organizations, and learners around the country." As Chief Product Officer, Stacy Caldwell will lead Penn Foster's work to design and build career-aligned, student-centered products and programs focused on in-demand jobs. Prior to joining Penn Foster, Caldwell was the CEO of the Mastery Transcript Consortium (MTC), a growing group of high schools building a new kind of digital transcript that recognizes skills learned both iside and out of the classroom. Prior to joining the MTC, Caldwell held a range of senior leadership roles, including VP of the SAT Suite of Assessments for the College Board, Chief Product Officer for The Princeton Review and tutor.com, and VP of Instructional Technology for SCORE! Educational Centers and Kaplan.



"Penn Foster has long been recognized as a pioneer for its work to break down the silos between high school, college, and job trainingin ways that respond to the needs of both learners and employers," said Caldwell. "I'm excited to join the team at a moment of acceleration and opportunity, and to help Penn Foster continue to expand its application of data science and analytics to build training and reskilling programs that align with labor market demand." Dr. Andrew Shean, who joins Penn Foster as Chief Learning Officer, previously served as Senior Vice President & Chief Academic Officer at National Education Partners. Earlier in his career, Dr. Shean served in a variety of leadership roles across both K-12 and higher education, including as Chief Academic Learning Officer for Bridgepoint Education and Vice Provost at Ashford University (now University of Arizona Global Campus), where he also served as Executive Dean for the College of Education. In his new role, he will lead academic program leadership, curriculum and courseware, academic operations, and faculty development, as well as non-academic support in pursuit of improving the learning experience for Penn Foster students.

"As an institution that has prioritized the development of effective, student-centered online programs for years, Penn Foster was uniquely positioned to weather the sudden shift to remote learning over the past year," said Dr. Shean. "In the years to come, I look forward to furthering Penn Foster's position as a first mover in building innovative programs and curricula that help hundreds of thousands of people each year advance in their career journey." Penn Foster's curriculum in middle-skill fields, including veterinary, healthcare, and skilled trades, is used by more than 300,000 learners each year. Through partnerships with leading employers and workforce organizations, from Guild Education and YouthBuild to Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas, Penn Foster provides training and reskilling programs backed by sophisticated labor market analytics that help job-seekers and working learners access opportunities in high-growth industries. About Penn Foster

Penn Foster is bridging the gap between education and economic opportunity to build the workforce of tomorrow. We partner with employers to design and deliver digital and blended learning programs that attract, upskill, and retain workers in America's fastest-growing fields and professions. With more than 40,000 graduates each year, Penn Foster helps individuals discover pathways to opportunity through accredited diploma, certificate and degree programs that matter in the world of work. For more information, visit https://www.pennfoster.edu/ . View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/veteran-edtech-learning-science-experts-join-penn-foster-leadership-team-301308102.html SOURCE Penn Foster

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[June 08, 2021] It's Time to Celebrate the Students! California Virtual Academies Class of 2021 Are Ready to Move Forward

After a school year like no other, California Virtual Academies (CAVA), an online public school serving K-12 students throughout the state since 2002, will celebrate its graduates with four virtual commencement ceremonies for students and families. The virtual ceremonies will be Thursday, June 10th. "While other schools may have struggled with online learning throughout the year, CAVA never missed a day of instruction, which kept our students motivated, excited, and moving forward," said CAVA Head of School April Warren. "Their achievements deserve to be shouted from the top of Mt. Shasta, and we're so happy to have provided a range of solutions to help all our CAVA families." This year, CAVA will graduate nearly 870 student plus 151 that graduated in the fall already. Approximately 282 students will graduate with a cumulative GPA above 3.5 and over $700,000 in college scholarships have reportedly been awarded to the Class of 2021. Collectively, the graduating class reports it has been accepted to colleges and universities across California and beyond including Julliard, University of California, Berkeley, UCLA, Texas A&M, and University of California, San Diego. Annika Diemont is CAVA's 2021 valedictorian. Rebecca Rasha is the salutatorian and is speaking at our San Diego graduation. She plans on attendin Western Governors University.



"I was so happy to continue with my classes during the pandemic and couldn't have done this without the support of my teachers at CAVA," said senior and Valedictorian Diemont "The school was like a big breath of fresh air in an otherwise rough year and I'm so thankful they helped me move onto the next level of my education." Prior to the pandemic, students enrolled in virtual school for a number of reasons-some were looking to escape bullying, some may have fallen academically off track, and others were looking for an alternative to the traditional classroom setting.

CAVA students access a robust online curriculum in the core subjects and a host of electives and attend live virtual classes taught by state-certified teachers. CAVA is inviting all families and friends worldwide to join the celebration. Details of the graduation ceremonies are as follows: WHAT: Virtual California Virtual Academy 2021 Graduation Ceremony WHEN: Thursday, June 10th, 2021 Central campuses, June 10 th , 9 am

, 9 am South LA campuses, June 10 th 10:30 am

10:30 am North campuses, June 10 th , 12 pm

, 12 pm South DCA campus, June 10th, 1:30 pm CONTACT: For any questions about the celebrations, please contact Anne Kahn at akahn@caliva.org. For media inquiries, please contact Ken Schwartz at kschwartz@k12.com. About California Virtual Academies California Virtual Academies are nine independent online public charter schools that use the curriculum and tools provided by K12, a Stride Company (NYSE: LRN). The California Virtual Academies are: CAVA @ Fresno, CAVA @ Kings, CAVA @ Los Angeles, CAVA @ Maricopa, CAVA @ San Diego, CAVA @ San Joaquin, CAVA @ San Mateo, CAVA @ Sonoma and CAVA @ Sutter. Families do not pay tuition for a student to attend an online public school. Common household items and office supplies like printer ink and paper are not provided. Our enrollment consultants can help address your technological and computer questions and needs. Stride offers learners of all ages a more effective way to learn and build skills for their future. For more information about CAVA, visit https://cava.k12.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005007/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Randolph Habeck Joins SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. as Managing Director for Debt Syndicate Team; Brings Added ESG Financing Depth

SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., a member of SMBC Group, announced today that Randolph (Dolph) Habeck joined the firm as a Managing Director in the Debt Syndicate team. In his role, Dolph will foster and facilitate connections and relationships between buy-side investors and the firm's issuing clients around all ESG-related topics. His expertise will help accelerate SMBC's efforts to support clients in developing ESG financing strategies that reinforce business objectives and drive long-term performance. "Dolph's extensive ESG and sustainability experience will be a valuable asset for our fixed income franchise, globally" said Bungo Miura, President for SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. "Throughout his career, he has overseen and led the launches of innovative ESG-focused debt financings for corporates, financials, governments and projects. We're excited to have Dolph join our team to help further strengthen our ESG capabilities." Prior to joining SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., Dolph was a Managing Director, Head of ESG and Head of Distribution, Americas, at Greensill Capital in New York. From 2011 to 2020, he was with Morgan Stanley, leading the bank's sustainability-themed capital markets business in the U.S. and Latin America from New York, and managed the Emerging Markets and Investment Grade Corporate Syndicate Desk for the bank in EMEA. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Dolph heldvarious roles at leading financial institutions in the U.K. and the U.S., including Goldman Sachs in London, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein in London, and Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. in New York. He has played a key role in various positions, helping to launch several ESG debt financing products, including the first benchmark corporate green bond, the first corporate green sustainability bond, the first corporate green bond from Brazil, and the first sustainability-linked bond.



About SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. is a member of SMBC Group, one of the world's largest global financial institutions. Based in New York City, SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. provides investment securities and other financial services to corporate and institutional clients, focusing on North America and Latin America. SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. caters to institutional investors such as mutual funds, hedge funds, and other investment advisors.

About SMBC Group SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group. Headquartered in Tokyo and with a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Group has more than 140 offices and 86,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG's shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges. As of March 31, 2021, its total assets were $2.10 trillion. In the Americas, SMBC Group has a presence in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Backed by the capital strength of SMBC Group and the value of its relationships in Asia, the Group offers a range of commercial and investment banking services to its corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. It connects a diverse client base to local markets and the organization's extensive global network. The Group's operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., SMBC Rail Services LLC, Manufacturers Bank, JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005899/en/

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-09 05:32:38|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, June 8 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Tuesday asked the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) to complete its work within the projected timelines.

Under relevant Security Council resolutions, the mechanism is a small, temporary and efficient structure, the function and size of which will diminish over time, said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations. "China hopes that the mechanism will carry out its activities in accordance with the council resolutions. In particular, we hope the judicial proceedings of the cases will be carried out and completed according to the projected timelines."

In this process, the mechanism should rationalize its use of budgetary resources and prioritize to ensure judicial activities. As the relevant cases come to an end, the mechanism should duly reduce its expenditures, he told the Security Council.

Geng commended the IRMCT for its COVID-19 adaptation measures.

Under the leadership of President Carmel Agius, the mechanism has overcome difficulties to ensure the timely and efficient conclusion of judicial proceedings. The Office of the Prosecutor has also continued its efforts to track down fugitives and actively advance its work concerning trials and appeals. China appreciates those measures, he said.

Practical and effective cooperation between the mechanism and relevant countries is important for implementing its mandate and advancing its work. Judge Agius briefed the Security Council on the dispute between the mechanism and the Serbian government. China hopes that the two sides will further strengthen communication, increase mutual trust, accommodate each other's legitimate concerns, and learn from the successful practices of the international criminal tribunals, so as to find proper solutions to the issues, join hands to combat impunity, and promote national reconciliation, he said.

In addition, China expects the mechanism to continue to improve its work by implementing the recommendations of the Security Council informal working group on international tribunals and the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services, and find early solutions to such issues as the relocation of acquitted and released persons, he said.

The IRMCT was set up by the Security Council in December 2010 to take over and finish the remaining tasks of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Enditem
[June 08, 2021] Field Effect and PG Solutions partner to protect municipalities across Quebec from escalating cyber attacks targeting cities.

OTTAWA, ON, June 8, 2021 /CNW/ - Field Effect, a global cyber security company specializing in intelligence-grade protection for small and medium organizations, and PG Solutions, a leading information technology company providing state-of-the-art software solutions for smart cities across Quebec, today announced their partnership to deliver comprehensive monitoring, detection, and response services to Quebec municipalities. The shift to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with many cities' ongoing digital transformation have significantly increased vulnerabilities and attackable points for municipalities. Given the nature of the personal and confidential information they deal with, municipalities are attractive targets for ransomware actors. "Municipalities are at the forefront of innovation, but like many other organizations, cyber security can often be an after-thought in their digital transformation," says Andrew Milne, Chief Revenue Offier at Field Effect. "PG Solutions recognizes this gap, and the security challenges their clients are facing. Together we will provide advanced protection to municipalities across Quebec in the face of this ever-evolving threat landscape."



Covalence is a plug-and-play managed detection and response (MDR) solution that provides advanced monitoring and protection across an organization's entire IT infrastructure, including networks, devices, and cloud-based applications. By partnering with Field Effect, PG Solutions customers benefit from a cost-effective, easy-to-manage, intelligence-grade security solution. "Over the years, we've seen a number of our customers become victims of cyber attacks and we've seen firsthand the impact this has had on the whole ecosystem." says Daniel Rondy, Executive Vice-President at PG Solutions. "In partnering with Field Effect, we are able to offer our customers a holistic security solution that not only provides comprehensive protection, but helps alleviate the budgetary and skill challenges that many face when it comes to cyber security."

The partnership between PG Solutions and Field Effect will help to address the increasing number of Quebec municipalities who have fallen victim to cyber attacks since 2019. About Field Effect Software, Inc.

Field Effect believes organizations of all sizes deserve powerful cyber security solutions to protect them. The company's threat detection, monitoring, training and compliance products and services are the results of years of research and development by the brightest talents in the cyber security industry. For more information, visit https://www.fieldeffect.com. About PG Solutions

PG Solutions is a leading information technology company for smart cities in Quebec. We provide municipal, government agencies, and private companies state of the art software solutions. PG Solutions has more than 1,000 clients in Canada and the United States. PG Solutions is a subsidiary of Harris Computer Systems. For more information, contact David Champmartin, Director of Municipal Business Development at PG Solutions, or visit us at https://www.pgsolutions.com/. Connect with PG Solutions by email at ventes@pgsolutions.com SOURCE Field Effect

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[June 08, 2021] Razer Partners With ClearBot to Clean Oceans the Smart Way

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers (Hong Kong Stock Code: 1337), today announced a partnership with marine waste cleaning enterprise, ClearBot, in celebration of World Oceans Day. In line with Razer's 10-year #GoGreenWithRazer sustainability roadmap, the partnership complements Razer's Green Investments vertical, which aims to support environment- and sustainability-focused startups by equipping them with the right tools and capabilities to help them scale. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005950/en/ The newly designed and fully automated robot is armed with cutting-edge AI and machine learning capabilities that can detect marine plastics within two meters in rough waters. The robot can collect up to 250 kg of plastics in just one cycle, while running on solar-powered energy. (Photo: Business Wire) With approximately 11 million tons of plastics entering the oceans each year, ocean cleaning enterprises often face difficulties with dated technology, cost, and efficiency. The ClearBot team designs robots that leverage AI-vision to identify different types of marine plastic waste and collects information regarding these pollutants in the oceans to protect aquatic life. ClearBot robots are deployed to retrieve marine plastic waste, which is then responsibly disposed. "We are extremely happy to have the opportunity to work with a startup focused on saving the environment," said Patricia Liu, Chief of Staff at Razer. "ClearBot's unique AI and advanced machine learning technology will enable and empower governments and organizations around the world to broaden their sustainability efforts. We urge other innovative startups to reach out to Razer for collaboration opportunities as we strive to make the world a safer place for future generations." Cleaning Marine Waste with AI Technology Under the ClearBot partnership, Razer's leading engineers and designers have volunteered personal time and technical expertise to help turn their prototype into a scalable, mass-marketable product. Leveraging on Razer's extensive knowledge and manufacturing know-how, ClearBot was able to evolve the robot design into one that is smarter and more efficient. The newly designed and fully automated robot is armed with cutting-edge AI and machine learning capabilities that can detect marine plastics within two meters in rough waters. The robot can collect up to 250 kg of plastics in just one cycle, while running on solar-powered energy. "The Raer team's action-oriented approach to solving marine waste issues was extremely eye-opening. We are grateful to the team who volunteered their time for this project," said Sidhant Gupta, Chief Executive Officer at ClearBot. "With the new model, we're confident in extending our reach globally to protect marine waters, starting with partners which include marine harbor operators in Asia and NGOs who have already expressed interest. Together with Razer, we look forward to effecting positive change for the world."



To drive active participation from the community during this year's World Oceans Day, ClearBot has issued a call to action through its program to collect data on marine plastic waste. The community is encouraged to upload photos of marine plastic waste commonly found in open waters onto ClearBot's website. The research and design team will add this information to ClearBot's existing database to help improve the robot's waste detection AI algorithm. To learn more about ClearBot or participate in the program, please visit http://www.clearbot.org.

For more information on Razer's 10-year sustainability roadmap, please see here. For more information on Razer's Green Investments vertical, please see here. Sneki Snek returns with a new milestone achieved Back in March 2021, Razer reacted to tremendous demand from the community and renewed its commitment to the #GoGreenWithRazer movement led by its sustainability mascot, Sneki Snek. In partnership with Conservation International, the company stretched its trees protection target from the initial 100,000 trees to 1 million trees. To celebrate the success of saving 300,000 trees to date, new Sneki Snek merchandise will now be launched at every milestone of 100,000 trees saved, until the final goal of saving 1 million trees is achieved. With 300,000 trees saved, Razer has now launched two new, adorable Sneki Snek merchandise items. The Razer Sneki Snek Eye Mask features a padded design with velvety finish for dream-like comfort and undisturbed rest. The Razer Sneki Snek Floor Rug protects floors from everyday wear and tear and is crafted with noise dampeners for unobstructed chair movement. Keeping in line with the Razer mascot's sustainability objectives, both the eye mask and floor rugs are made of 100% recycled materials. To entice and motivate Sneki Snek fans to help save even more trees, Razer has also unveiled the next product that will launch when the milestone of 400,000 trees is reached - Razer Sneki Snek Slippers. The soft and plushy footwear ensures that every step taken is a step towards a more sustainable world. Available exclusively at Razer.com, proceeds from every Sneki Snek merchandise item sold will go to helping Conservation International save 10 trees. For more information, please visit https://www.razer.com/campaigns/sneki-snek. PRESS KIT Watch the Razer x ClearBot video here Download images here ABOUT RAZER Razer is the world's leading lifestyle brand for gamers. The triple-headed snake trademark of Razer is one of the most recognized logos in the global gaming and esports communities. With a fan base that spans every continent, the company has designed and built the world's largest gamer-focused ecosystem of hardware, software and services. Razer's award-winning hardware includes high-performance gaming peripherals and Blade gaming laptops. Razer's software platform, with over 125 million users, includes Razer Synapse (an Internet of Things platform), Razer Chroma RGB (a proprietary RGB lighting technology system supporting thousands of devices and hundreds of games/apps), and Razer Cortex (a game optimizer and launcher). Razer also offers payment services for gamers, youth, millennials and Gen Z. Razer Gold is one of the world's largest game payment services, and Razer Fintech provides fintech services in emerging markets. Founded in 2005 and dual-headquartered in Irvine (California) and Singapore, Razer has 17 offices worldwide and is recognized as the leading brand for gamers in the USA, Europe and China. Razer is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (Stock Code: 1337). Razer - For Gamers. By Gamers. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005950/en/

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[June 08, 2021] INROADS Joins the APEX Museum to Connect Students to a Virtual STEM Enrichment Program

ATLANTA, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- INROADS, Inc.  a global solutions provider for addressing community disparities and talent pipeline issues  partners with The APEX (African American Panoramic Experience) Museum to provide academically gifted and underrepresented students in Atlanta with access to virtual coding and leadership training. The STEM/STEAM program is a virtual platform that includes Smart Learning Solutions, a national independent education provider, volunteers and a community-based project engagement team from The APEX Museum, including a diverse recent college graduate from High Point University. The virtual program is designed utilizing EDISON Robots and access to cutting-edge coding technology to promote STEM/STEAM education for motivated, underrepresented students. The new virtual curriculum launched during a time when academically gifted students of color searched for summer development programs in a global pandemic with historic demands for virtual enrichment. "When the academic year comes to a close, and the summer begins, the hard work of connecting students to virtual enrichment opportunities begins. It is up to the civic community to stand up and provide valuable summer enrichment opportunities to families who want to further their students' abilities, and do so via a well-designed virtual latform," says Forest T. Harper, Jr., president and CEO, INROADS, Inc.



APEX Museum  a Black history museum that connects communities to international history through the lens of the Black experience  began pioneering this new virtual STEM/STEAM curriculum for high school students in 2017. Later, in 2020, the 2017 hands-on program was re-designed to a virtual classroom, a unique "Fast Start" pilot for middle school students. The project is planned for expansion with The APEX Museum and INROADS. The program is a critical virtual offering in a time when digital classrooms are needed most. "Underrepresented communities are facing unprecedented times as a result of the global pandemic. One of the most significant challenges facing communities of color is the disruption to in-person learning and the abrupt transition many families had to make to digital learning. Our partnership with INROADS helps us to meet a community need for access to high-quality and accessible virtual learning," says Dan Moore, president, APEX Museum.

With this partnership, INROADS advances its commitment to address community disparities regarding access to technology. In February of this year, INROADS was named as a partner to P&G's Take on Race initiative  a collective of industries committed to addressing digital access and technological disparities in communities of color. With INROADS, Take on Race Coalition announced a $25 million investment to provide one million connected devices to students to help close the digital divide. About The APEX Museum

The APEX (African American Panoramic Experience) Museum is Atlanta's first Black History Museum, established in 1978. It sits at the Gateway to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic District in Atlanta, Georgia. The outreach programming includes an extensive award-winning STEM/STEAM program that transforms young minds into brilliant ideas that capture the imagination and create new and innovative inventions and products. To learn more, contact Janet Hill, Director Phase II Expansion, jhill@apexmuseum.org. About INROADS

INROADS was founded more than 50 years ago. Inspired by the famed I Have a Dream speech, Frank Carr founded INROADS to remove career barriers to corporate opportunities for people of color. It is the largest nonprofit organization committed to leadership and career development for underrepresented talent in the world. INROADS has prepared more than 154,000 diverse leaders with pre-employment skills and graduated more than 30,000 alumni into full-time professional positions with more than 1,000 corporate partners. Currently, INROADS serves 800-1,300 interns and 200 corporate clients. Learn more at INROADS.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn: @INROADSInc. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/inroads-joins-the-apex-museum-to-connect-students-to-a-virtual-stem-enrichment-program-301308207.html SOURCE INROADS, Inc.

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[June 08, 2021] Airgas Announces Expansion of High School Welding Education Initiative

Airgas, an Air Liquide company and a leading U.S. supplier of industrial, medical and specialty gases, safety and welding products, announces the expansion of its High School Welding Education Initiative to 23 new schools and 6 returning schools. These programs were selected from a large number of excellent nominations based on four key factors: high unmet need at the school; a productive welding program with the potential to graduate job-ready welders; passionate teachers; and enthusiastic Airgas local champions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005937/en/ High school students participating in the Airgas High School Welding Education Initiative work on welding a car frame. Participating schools receive a customized mix of hands-on professional development training or continuing education for welding teachers, welding consumables or equipment, safety PPE - such as RADNOR welding and safety products - and other resources. (Photo: Business Wire) 2021 Participating Schools







A. Philip Randolph Technical High School Philadelphia, PA Anniston High School Anniston, AL Arlington Public Schools Arlington, NE Barbara Jordan High School Houston, TX Bay Arenac ISD Career Center Bay City, MI Beloit Memorial High Beloit, WI Dallas Veterans Affairs Center Dallas, TX Delta Junction High School Fairbanks, AK Dos Palos High School Dos Palos, CA (News - Alert) Euclid High School Euclid, OH Fairfield High School Fairfield, IA Father Judge High School Philadelphia, PA Fillmore High School Fillmore, CA Gateway (News - Alert) High School Huntington, MA George Stevens Academy Blue Hill, ME Hampton-Dumont High School Hampton, IA Indian Trail High School Academy Kenosha, WI Kelly Walsh High School Casper, WY Medford Vocational Technical High School Medford, MA Providence Career and Technical Academy Providence, RI Region Two School of Applied Technology Houlton, ME Roseville High School Roseville, MI Salina Tech High School Salina, KS Selma High School Selma, AL Soldotna High School Soldotna, AK Taconic High School Pittsfield, MA Union County Vocational School Scotch Plains, NJ Vista High School Vista, CA Westosha Central High School Paddock Lake, WI

Participating schools will receive a customized mix of hands-on professional development training or continuing education for welding teachers, welding consumables or equipment, safety PPE - such as RADNOR welding and safety products - and other resources. The program also builds long-term relationships with local education leaders and Airgas welding and safety experts. As more schools participate in this program, Airgas is fielding increased interest and support from customers, suppliers, government officials, and Air Liquide colleagues, stemming from shared interest in boosting career opportunities and cultivating the next generation of welders. The U.S. will need over 375,000 welding professionals by 2023 to fill job openings, according to recent projections accounting for economic growth, a retiring workforce, career advancement of the workforce, and technological advancements (Emsi, March 2020). With many high schools and junior colleges under-resourced throughout the United States, it is difficult to close the gap. Over the past three years, Airgas has built on the success of a pilot program in Philadelphia and expanded the Airgas High School Welding Education Initiative to add additional underserved schools to the program. In 2020, 65 Airgas associates from 10 regions provided socially distant support to more than 1,000 welding students, 152 teachers and 29 schools and donated welding machines, consumables and PPE. Andy Cichocki, Airgas Chief Operating Officer, commented: "As professionals in the metal fabrication industry, many of us know first-hand the importance of providing students with early exposure to emerging welding opportunities. We must continue to support our local communities and to find opportunities to enlist future generations of talented welders." Airgas, Inc. Airgas, an Air Liquide company, is a leading U.S. supplier of industrial, medical and specialty gases, as well as hardgoods and related products; one of the largest U.S. suppliers of safety products; and a leading U.S. supplier of ammonia products and process chemicals. Dedicated to improving the performance of its more than 1 million customers, Airgas safely and reliably provides products, services and expertise through its more than 18,000 associates, over 1,400 locations, robust e-Business platform, and Airgas Total Access telesales channel. As an Air Liquide company, a world leader in gases, technology and services for Industry and Health, Airgas offers customers an unrivaled global footprint and industry-leading technology and innovations. For more information, please visit airgas.com.





A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 78 countries with approximately 64,500 employees and serves more than 3.8 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide's scientific territory and have been at the core of the company's activities since its creation in 1902. Air Liquide's ambition is to be a leader in its industry, deliver long term performance and contribute to sustainability - with a strong commitment to climate change and energy transition at the heart of its strategy. The company's customer-centric transformation strategy aims at profitable, regular and responsible growth over the long term. It relies on operational excellence, selective investments, open innovation and a network organization implemented by the Group worldwide. Through the commitment and inventiveness of its people, Air Liquide leverages energy and environment transition, changes in healthcare and digitization, and delivers greater value to all its stakeholders. Air Liquide's revenue amounted to more than 20 billion euros in 2020. Air Liquide is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (compartment A) and belongs to the CAC 40, EURO STOXX 50 and FTSE4Good indexes. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005937/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Teleperformance Recognized by Frost & Sullivan as the 2021 North American BPO Competitive Strategy Innovation Leader

Teleperformance continues to make its mark as the global leader in customer experience management with its commitment to providing simpler, faster, and highly secure customer interactions SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 8, 2021 /CNW/ -- Frost & Sullivan continues to track the highly competitive global contact center outsourcing market against the backdrop of an ever-changing, digital transformation landscape. Customer care outsourcers are trying to adapt to this shifting digital setting to address an array of new challenges, improve the customer experience, and ensure customer loyalty. Based on its recent analysis of the North American contact center market, Frost & Sullivan has recognized Teleperfomance with the 2021 North American Competitive Strategy Innovation Leadership Award in BPO outsourcing. "This Award acknowledges Teleperformance's 40+ years of experience and leadership in the BPO market. Teleperformance Group has grown its operations to more than 380,000 employees in 83 countries, serving 170+ markets and managing client programs in more than 265 languages," said Principal Analyst Michael DeSalles. "Particularly notable during the 2020 pandemic period was Teleperformance's rapid deployment of an enhanced and expanded work-at-home agent (WAHA) workforce, from 10,000 to over 160,000 employees in less than 4 months." "Teleperformance's focus is on service, innovation, technology, tools, C-Sat/NPS, employee satisfaction (eSat), culture change, and revenue growth opportunities," noted DeSalles. "Teleperformance has made great strides in delivering on its mantra 'Every interaction matters.' The company has distinguished itself as an innovator in customer service delivery, global contact center practices, and outstanding financial performance."/p>



Consistent and regular employee education and awareness

Cutting-edge privacy and security technology processes

A global team of highly trained security professionals

Proprietary privacy and security management methodologies

Stringent global policies The Unique Teleperformance Cloud Campus

WAHA solutions continue to be in high demand in 2021. Teleperformance Cloud Campus is a clear differentiator in the market, which, according to Frost & Sullivan, may be the most efficient and effective model for hiring, training, and managing remote teams while ensuring an exceptional, consistent customer experience. Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analyses, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry. About Teleperformance For over 40 years, Teleperformance, the global leader in customer experience management, has been connecting customers with the world's most successful companies. Teleperformance's Digital Integrated Business Services combine human touch and high technology to deliver an extraordinary customer experience. While technology creates new and agile ways of working, the company's interaction experts remain committed to creating unique connections through empathy, adaptive communication skills, and, more importantly, a passion for making it happen.

Visit www.teleperformance.com for more information About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, collaborates with clients to leverage visionary innovation that address the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, Frost & Sullivan has been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector, and the investment community.

Contact us: Start the discussion . Contact: Kristen Moore

P: 1-210-247-2843

E: kristen.moore@frost.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/teleperformance-recognized-by-frost--sullivan-as-the-2021-north-american-bpo-competitive-strategy-innovation-leader-301308257.html SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

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[June 08, 2021] Picton Mahoney Asset Management Named on the 2021 List of Best Workplaces for Inclusion

Picton Mahoney Asset Management ("Picton Mahoney") is proud to announce it has been named on the 2021 List of Best Workplaces for Inclusion after a thorough and independent analysis conducted by the Great Place to Work Institute in Canada. In alignment with Picton Mahoney's commitment to living and upholding its core values, this award is granted to organizations at which 90% of employees, surveyed through the Great Place to Work Survey, agreed that they are treated fairly regardless of personal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation. "We are proud to be named on the 2021 list of Best Workplaces for Inclusion," said David Picton, President and CEO, Picton Mahoney. "Inclusiveness and collaboration are core values that drive the employee experience at Picton Mahoney. By ensuring we uphold and maintain Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) within the fabric of our business, our employees can benefit from a unique culture that contributes to everyone's success." A great workplace culture is critical to the success of Picton Mahoney. Owned entirely by its employees, Picton Mahoney is a boutique investment management company with a commited, empowered and talented team. The core values at Picton Mahoney guide the employee experience and contribute to the culture that fosters strong and transparent relationships.



"A great workplace culture is vital to our ongoing success as a firm, and we all play a part in creating it," said Celeste Warren, Head of Talent and Culture, Picton Mahoney. "We are committed to continue investing in the employee journey and enhancing the overall career experience at Picton Mahoney, while at the same time building upon our firm's reputation as one that offers equitable career development opportunities to all of our team members." The 2021 List of Best Workplaces for Inclusion is based on direct feedback from employees of the hundreds of organizations that were surveyed by Great Place to Work. The data has a 90% confidence and a plus or minus 5% margin of error.

About Great Place to Work Great Place to Work is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, Great Place to Work recognizes the world's Best Workplaces in a series of national lists including those published by The Globe & Mail (Canada) and Fortune magazine (USA). Great Place to Work provides the benchmarks, framework, and expertise needed to create, sustain, and recognize outstanding workplace cultures. Visit us at www.greatplacetowork.ca. About Picton Mahoney Picton Mahoney Asset Management specializes in differentiated investment solutions and rules-based volatility management. Picton Mahoney helps its clients fortify their portfolios based on experience honed over the years through different market cycles and investing environments. Founded in 2004 and 100% employee-owned, Picton Mahoney is a portfolio management boutique entrusted with over $9.1 billion CAD (as at May 31, 2021) in assets under management. Pioneers of Authentic Hedge investment principles and practices in Canada, the firm offers a full suite of investment solutions, including mutual and alternative funds, to institutional and retail investors across the country. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005299/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Genesis Empowers a New Era of High-Performance Actuation with LiveDrive, Enabling Simpler, Safer, and More Productive Robots and Machines

VANCOUVER, BC, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Genesis Robotics & Motion Technologies is pleased to announce the availability of its new LiveDrive LDD 1800 Series Direct Drive Actuators, with an extensive range of configurations and performance options. LiveDrive direct-drive actuators eliminate the need for gearing and are redefining the next generation of parallel robots and precision machinery, unlocking capabilities beyond the reach of conventional drivetrains, across many applications. LiveDrive LDD actuators redefine the standard of simplicity, cleanliness, and productivity for high-throughput machines. LiveDrive is a high-torque, compact, direct-drive solution designed for robots and machines in the food, packaging, pharmaceuticals, and electronics industries. LiveDrive reduces maintenance requirements while increasing uptime and reliability. And with no need for gears, belts, or lubrication, LiveDrive actuators simplify the drivetrain, delivering increased performance and lower total cost of ownership. "We are thrilled to launch this leading-edge actuation technology, making it available to manufacturers and system integrators globally," said Chris Di Lello, CEO of Genesis Robotics & Motion Technologies. "A simpler drivetrain empowers a better robot: faster to assemble and easier to maintain. This creates value for our customers and end users and represents a true breakthrough for the robotics and automation industries." The LiveDrive actuator has been integrated into the Wyzo sidebot, a brainchild of Demaurex SA  the pioneer of the Delta robot, empowering the world's first sidebot pick and place technology that can work safely alongside people.



 is the missing link for our products," said Frank Souyris, CEO of Wyzo. "This technology is a game-changer that makes a significant difference in our work and allows us to achieve a high level of performance and safety. The Genesis team is very committed and shares our values as we develop a new industry standard for delta robots  the Wyzo Sidebot" A LiveDrive LDD 1800 Series actuator is less than half the length of a typical servo-gearhead drivetrain enabling greater utilization of machine workcells and factory floor space. LiveDrive's washdown-ready IP67 enclosure  with its smooth surfaces and minimal collection points  allows for easy cleanup. Importantly, LiveDrive actuators do not require a gearbox, removing the risk of oil leakage or contamination. No gearbox means reduced downtime, inspection, and maintenance requirements.

LiveDrive's direct-drive technology also eliminates backlash and improves system stiffness. Coupled with its higher torque-to-weight ratio, LiveDrive creates opportunities for robot and machine designers to improve performance in highly dynamic applications. LiveDrive, with its low inertia and fast stopping times, supports control system safety to meet Collaborative Robot Technical Specification ISO/TS 15066 and bring human-machine collaboration to new applications. Genesis LiveDrive LDD 1800 Series Direct Drive Actuators are available with an extensive range of configurations and performance options. Standard models include four sizes, various voltage levels and support integration with third party servo drives.

To learn more about LiveDrive please visit www.genesis-robotics.com. About Genesis Robotics & Motion Technologies - Motion Redefined

Formed in 2014 and located in British Columbia, Canada, Genesis Robotics & Motion Technologies develops actuators and other mechanical innovations changing how robots and machines are built and move. In April 2018, Koch Engineered Solutions made a strategic and controlling investment in Genesis to commercialize inventive motion technologies, including the LiveDrive direct-drive actuator. With its revolutionary direct-drive actuator technology changing the way industries think about robots and machines, Genesis partners with customers creating visionary, next-generation solutions for their specific markets. Through the delivery of innovative design and engineered solutions, Genesis is creating value for its customers and transforming industries. www.genesis-robotics.com. About Wyzo

Wyzo is the brainchild of DEMAUREX SA  the pioneer of the Delta robot. The Delta is the benchmark for best practice in terms of high-speed pick-and-place technology and the company has more than 4,000 robots installed worldwide. Designed in Switzerland and assembled in Europe, Wyzo offers new opportunities to established manufacturers as well as empowering the next generation of producers to grow and transform their business. www.thewyzo.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/genesis-empowers-a-new-era-of-high-performance-actuation-with-livedrive-enabling-simpler-safer-and-more-productive-robots-and-machines-301308292.html SOURCE Genesis Robotics and Motion Technologies

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[June 08, 2021] PickNik awarded NASA SBIR Phase 2 for in-orbit robot autonomy.

BOULDER, Colo., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PickNik Robotics announced on June 8th that it has been awarded a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to develop its technology for advanced planning capabilities for robots in microgravity environments. PickNik is a robotics software technology company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. PickNik is the maintainer of the open-source MoveIt project, a widely used robotic motion planning frmework within the Robot Operating System (ROS).



"We are excited to be collaborating with NASA in pushing the frontier of manipulator robotics beyond factories and warehouses, and into the most difficult domains," commented Dr. Dave Coleman PickNik, founder and CEO. "PickNik's aim is to make robotics easier to use so that more people can operate them in complex environments. We believe integrating this automation while enabling human-in-the-loop intervention makes for the simplest teleop solution," Dr. Mark Moll, Director of Research at PickNik, added.

PickNik's technology addresses a common gap in deploying robotic arms into environments, where full autonomy is still too difficult. Instead, a human operator is able to supervise and quickly intervene when the robot gets stuck. PickNik plans to widely release the system terrestrially in Fall 2021 under the name MoveIt Studio.



MoveIt Studio gives technicians access to the advanced algorithmic capabilities provided by MoveIt within an accessible user interface. MoveIt Studio enables operators to specify complex sequences of motions for robots (such as Robonaut 2) in unstructured environments, including the International Space Station and the future Lunar Gateway. This allows the operator to think in terms of what the robot needs to do next, rather than how. PickNik is currently seeking reference customers for Summer 2021 and beyond. For more information, contact hello@picknik.ai . Accelerate Your Robotics Development | PickNik's mission is to address technical challenges while dramatically reducing development time for advanced robotic applications. PickNik supports and collaborates with the open-source robotics movement, providing companies with cutting-edge capabilities. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/picknik-awarded-nasa-sbir-phase-2-for-in-orbit-robot-autonomy-301308315.html SOURCE PickNik Robotics

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[June 08, 2021] European Adaptive Steering Markets 2020-2030 - Advancements in Steering Technology and Migration Toward Automated Vehicles to Diminish Demand for Adaptive Front Wheel Steering

DUBLIN, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Rear Wheel Steering Solution Driving the European Adaptive Steering Market" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report deep dives into each type of adaptive steering and provides a comprehensive analysis of the technologies. It analyzes the market trends in Europe and discusses their impact on the growth and performance of each type of adaptive steering solution. The report also includes OEM competitive aspects such as technology penetration forecast by OEM and vehicle segment. While the automotive sector strives toward automated driving, certain segments within the industry are expected to witness a drastic shift in demand, technological development, and deployment. One such segment is steering. While the pace of innovation in automated driving has slowed due to COVID-19, the gradual transition toward the development of a vehicle with a driver out of the loop is imminent. Adaptive steering, which has gained traction primarily among premium end vehicles, is expected to be affected by such developments. While the short term focuses on semi-automated vehicles, this offers a window of opportunity for steering technologies, especially for adaptive front steering (AFS), which will have to compete with developments in other technologies such as steer-by-wire. The basic adaptive steering mechanism comprises obtaining the vehicle speed data from the sensors and through its actuators enhance or reduce the front steering ratio or provide rear-wheel angular movement, depending on the availability of the technology in the vehicle. This not only improves the comfort and maneuverability in urban conditions but also offers directional stability while making lateral displacements at high speeds. AFS varies th steering ratio in only the front wheels, while rear-wheel steering (RWS) offers rear-wheel angular movements that either turn in the opposite or same direction of the front wheels, depending on the vehicle's speed. All-wheel steering (AWS), on the other hand, is a combination of AFS and RWS, offering the functionalities of both systems.



Key Issues Addressed How is the adaptive steering market forecast to grow and the key trends expected to impact growth?

How are the take-up rates of various adaptive steering types projected to evolve between 2019 and 2030?

Which are the vehicle segments forecast to lead the adaptive steering market growth?

Which are the OEMs currently offering adaptive steering, and what is their market share?

What are the types of adaptive steering OEMs offer and in which segments of their vehicle line-up? Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive Summary Adaptive Steering Market

Types of Adaptive Steering

Adaptive Steering Market Analysis

OEM Analysis 2. Strategic Imperatives Why Is It Increasingly Difficult to Grow?

The Strategic Imperative

The Impact of the Top Three Strategic Imperatives on the Adaptive Steering Market

Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline Engine 3. Growth Opportunity Analysis, Adaptive Steering Market Adaptive Steering Market Scope of Analysis

Key OEM Competitors for the Adaptive Steering Market

Adaptive Steering Market Segmentation

Key Market Metrics for the Adaptive Steering Market 4. Technology Overview, Adaptive Steering Market Adaptive Front Steering Schematic, Adaptive Steering Market

Adaptive Front Steering Types, Adaptive Steering Market

Adaptive Rear Wheel Steering Schematic, Adaptive Steering Market

Rear Wheel Steering Types, Adaptive Steering Market

Adaptive All Wheel Steering Schematic 5. Market Analysis, Adaptive Steering Market Growth Drivers for the Adaptive Steering Market

Growth Restraints for the Adaptive Steering Market

Forecast Assumptions, Adaptive Steering Market

Technology Penetration Scenario Analysis, Adaptive Steering Market

Technology Penetration by Type, Adaptive Steering Market

Market Share by OEM Group, Adaptive Steering Market

Market Share by Vehicle Segment, Adaptive Steering Market

Market Share by OEM Type, Adaptive Steering Market 6. OEM Analysis, Adaptive Steering Market Competitive Environment, Adaptive Steering Market

Competitive Environment - Overview

OEM Group in Focus - Volkswagen Group

OEM Group in Focus - Ford Group

OEM Group in Focus - Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance

OEM Group in Focus - BMW Group

OEM Group in Focus - Daimler Group 7. Growth Opportunity Universe, Adaptive Steering Market Growth Opportunity: Technology Innovation for Cost-Effective Deployment 8. Next Steps For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/za4sm8 Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/european-adaptive-steering-markets-2020-2030---advancements-in-steering-technology-and-migration-toward-automated-vehicles-to-diminish-demand-for-adaptive-front-wheel-steering-301308066.html SOURCE Research and Markets

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[June 08, 2021] Nova Bus continues to invest in its growth, innovation and technology with the support of the Government of Canada

MONTREAL, June 8, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Nova Bus, a division of the Volvo Group and a leading North American transit bus manufacturer, is pleased to announce further investments into its journey towards electromobility, modernization of its manufacturing facilities and processes. In support of this Transformation Project, the Government of Canada will, through the Strategic Innovation Fund, make a financial contribution of $15 million toward a total investment of $184.8 million. The investment includes the upgrade of the company's Quebec manufacturing facilities in Saint-Eustache and Saint-Francois-du-Lac and the introduction of innovative energy-efficient processes and digital technologies to increase operational efficiency. In addition, this will strengthen the company's research and development abilities towards zero emission transit buses. The Government of Canada's contribution will support Nova Bus' Transformation Project and electrification strategy, which began in 2017. The plant modernization phase began in the fall of 2020 with the expansion of the Saint-Francois-du-Lac facility and the addition of manufacturig capability in the Saint-Eustache area.



"As we continue to safely restart our economy, it is important to do so in a strategic way and with a long-term vision. One of the ways to achieve this is by helping Canada and businesses here at home become world leaders in green transportation manufacturing. Nova Bus is a vital part of this journey toward electrification and a future marked by sustainable growth, dependable jobs and global leadership. Our government will continue to support businesses to ensure they can participate in the efforts toward a clean growth economy, including by investing in sustainable public transit and zero-emission vehicles."  The Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

"We are very proud to partner with the Canadian government in order to contribute to the innovative zero-emission vehicle manufacturing sector and help Canada to achieve its sustainability and greener economy targets" said Martin Lundstedt, CEO of the Volvo Group. "We are thrilled to continue to invest in the modernization of our facilities and to integrate new technological processes to produce buses that meet the needs of our customers and transit users," said Ralph Acs, Senior Vice President, Region North America for Volvo Buses and President of Nova Bus. About Nova Bus

Nova Bus is a leading provider of sustainable transportation solutions in North America. Its portfolio includes electric buses and hybrid buses, high-capacity vehicles and integrated intelligent transport systems. As part of its Electro Mobility strategy, Nova Bus is moving forward with the electrification of key vehicle components to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Nova Bus is part of the Volvo Group. For more information regarding Nova Bus products and services, please visit www.novabus.com SOURCE Nova Bus

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 00:56:40|Editor: huaxia

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Malian transitional president Assimi Goita (R) meets with Choguel Kokalla Maiga after Goita's swearing in ceremony in Bamako, Mali, on June 7, 2021. The president of the Strategic Committee of the Movement of June 5-Rally of Patriotic Forces (M5-RFP), Choguel Kokalla Maiga, was appointed Monday Mali's transitional prime minister by Malian transitional president Assimi Goita, the Malian presidency announced in a press release read on national television. (Photo by Habib Kouyate/Xinhua)

BAMAKO, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The president of the Strategic Committee of the Movement of June 5-Rally of Patriotic Forces (M5-RFP), Choguel Kokalla Maiga, was appointed Monday Mali's transitional prime minister by Malian transitional president Assimi Goita, the Malian presidency announced in a press release read on national television.

Maiga succeeds Moctar Ouane, arrested by the military on May 24 after the publication of the list of his second government.

Maiga takes up the post of prime minister at a time the West African country is in a crisis in all sectors. What is most urgent for him will be to make lifted all sub-regional and international sanctions that risk permanently asphyxiating the country.

Malian transitional president Assimi Goita said the new government would quickly engage in dialogue with stakeholders in order to calm the social climate.

Born on April 2, 1958 in Tabango, Gao region, Choguel Kokalla Maiga is a telecommunications engineer by profession who took his first steps into politics within the National Union of Young People of Mali (UNJM), an association founded by former President Moussa Traore, overthrown on March 26, 1991, by the military.

He is expected to form an inclusive government to face the challenges of the political transition in Mali, including the organization of elections as scheduled in the Transition Charter. Enditem
[June 08, 2021] Air Lease Corporation Executive Chairman to Speak at Jefferies Airlines Summit

Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL) announced today that Steven F. Udvar-Hazy, Executive Chairman, will be speaking at the virtual Jefferies Airlines Summit on Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time. This speaking engagement will be broadcast live through a link on the Investors page of the Air Lease Corporation website at www.airleasecorp.com. Alternatively, virtual attendees may access the webcast directly via this link: Jefferies Airlines Summit. Please visit the website prior to the webcast to register, download and install any necessary audio software. Any materials utilized for this speaking engagement will be posted to the ALC website 15 minutes prior to the speaking time.



About Air Lease Corporation (NYSE: AL) ALC is a leading aircraft leasing company based in Los Angeles, California that has airline customers throughout the world. ALC and its team of dedicated and experienced professionals are principally engaged in purchasing commercial aircraft and leasing them to its airline customers worldwide through customized aircraft leasing and financing solutions. ALC routinely posts information that may be important to investors in the "Investors" section of ALC's website at www.airleasecorp.com. Investors and potential investors are encouraged to consult the ALC website regularly for important information about ALC. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, ALC's website is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this press release.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005985/en/

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[June 08, 2021] Bizfluence Reinvents the Social Business Platform for 2021

TOMS RIVER, N.J., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aiming to help small and medium size companies increase their productivity, a pair of entrepreneurs have launched a new business platform that will surpass existing social-business platforms on multiple levels. Bizfluence is the brainchild of Jacob Davis and Joel Wolh, who joined forces in an Amazon ppc-agency called Boutique Seller several years ago. Having seen the quality of business platforms deteriorating over the years, the two pooled their talents to create an all-encompassing solution that would provide small business owners with a streamlined platform providing users with a network where they could meet, build relationships, transact and conduct business. Bizfluence Reinvents the Social/Business Platform for 2021



"There are so many tools out there, like LinkedIn, Asana, Slack, Eventbrite, Indeed, Mailchimp and more, but it makes much more sense to for business owners to be able to conduct all of their business in one place," explained Davis, who is based out of Israel. Existing platforms have ben placing significant emphasis on social posting as a vehicle to boost engagement, a reality that does not resonate with many small and medium business owners who are looking for a more streamlined experience to help them maximize their day-to-day operations.

"They aren't interested in creating content all day like teens on TikTok," explained Wolh. "Business professionals are growing tired of social media and want to get back to business. Bizfluence will be like the business hub of the internet, adding real value and taking things to their conclusions - real transactions, real business with real people, in addition to including tools for email, CRM, events, hiring and more." Bizfluence is also developing advanced filtering for a smoother browsing experience, inbox spam-filtering -which is a huge pain point on other platforms- and gamification on the platform, which rewards those who take positive actions on the platform with higher visibility and ranking on Bizfluence. Ten months after its initial launch, Bizfluence has already attracted 8,000+ users who have so far created close to 30,000 professional posts. "Bizfluence is a bundling of all the tools that businesses use to manage their work daily, wrapped in a professional platform designed to maximize the time spent on social media, while eliminating the noise that exists elsewhere," said Davis. "As Bizfluence transitions out of its beta phase, we are confident that our laser-focus on business and productivity will allow for rapid scaling of our user base." Contact:

Marketing Team

Marketing@bizfluenceapp.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bizfluence-reinvents-the-social-business-platform-for-2021-301308416.html SOURCE Bizfluence

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[June 08, 2021] Artificial Intelligence: Open International's new approach to digitally transform utility and telecommunication services in the United States and Latin America

MIAMI, June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Customer experience (CX) is a critical element for companies to be truly profitable and competitive. Utilities are no strangers to this reality and, consequently, are looking for technological solutions that allow them to face challenges related to customers' ever-changing expectations. Hernando Parrott, North American President of Open International, a leading software company specialized for the utilities industry, explains: "Customer experience (CX) is undoubtedly a global business trend. In fact, the top motivator for replacing a CIS is keeping up with customer expectations by improving CX. Our customers in 19 countries confirm this, saying that the level of CX they can offer their users is essential for their success." To support utilities in these challenges, Open International is evolving its software solution, Open Smartflex, to turn it into a cognitive CIS with a holistic approach, enriched with artificial intelligence and business rule engine components. Open Smartflex is a robust solution with a billing engine that has been tested by customers who generate more than 6 million monthly bills for telecommunications and over 3 million invoices for utilities, allowing them to manage their entire business cycles, from service installation to payments. By adding artificial intelligence capabilities to its solution, Open i creating a cognitive, perfect-at-the-core, solution, ideal for elite utilities. This new version of Open Smartflex enables utilities to deliver frictionless customer journeys, while achieving an optimized, user-centric operation.



Open International's cognitive CIS provides utilities with flexibility and autonomy to develop business plans and offer new services quickly. Hernando concludes by noting that "being cognitive goes beyond simply being reactive and involves helping utilities be proactive when faced with challenging business scenarios. It also means continuously evolving, allowing companies to streamline their processes, using past results, business rule engines, and cutting-edge data science to improve operational accuracy and drive innovation." Deploying a solution with these features also allows utilities to offer multiple channels of communication seamlessly. Open Smartflex provides utilities with personalized self-service processes, reduces customer service costs, and enhances the development, orientation, and cost-effectiveness of the programs and products offered by utilities.

To learn more, view our webinar: https://app.openintl.com/webinar-cognitive-cis-customer-service-for-the-utility-of-the-future Media contact: Maria Corredor, 17869426438, maria.corredor@openintl.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/artificial-intelligence-open-internationals-new-approach-to-digitally-transform-utility-and-telecommunication-services-in-the-united-states-and-latin-america-301308442.html SOURCE Open International LLC

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NASHVILLE  Governor Bill Lee and Department of Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, D.V.M., announced today the largest number of Agricultural Enterprise Fund (AEF) recipients and the highest award of grant dollars in the programs history. Just over $951,000 will be dispersed to 28 agricultural, food, and forestry businesses.

The Ag Enterprise Fund has made recognizable improvements in Tennessees ag and forestry industries in just four years, Governor Lee said. The strategic investments from this program improve the local food supply chain, create new market opportunities for producers, and lead to strong economic impact in our communities.

AEF awards grants to starting or expanding agricultural, food, and forestry businesses in Tennessee and supports Governor Lees priorities in rural areas. Awards are made to those who demonstrate a potential for measurable impact on local farm income, access to markets, increased capacity, or agricultural innovation. Priority is given to businesses located in or adjacent to economically at-risk or distressed counties.

This record-making round of funding will effect businesses and economies in nearly every county in Tennessee, Commissioner Hatcher said. From meat processors and food manufacturers to sawmills and feed processors, growth of these businesses will have a lasting impact on Tennessees number one industry. We invite agricultural businesses and entrepreneurs to contact our Business Development Division to apply for AEF assistance.

One recipient will use the funds to purchase equipment for a new meat processing business. After recognizing the need and demand for meat processing in our area, we decided to develop a new business to fill in the gap for other nearby farmers, Susan Kinser of Kinser Processing in Grainger County said. The Ag Enterprise Fund will enable us to have processing capacity to support our city, our county, and our region.

AEF grant recipients and projects announced include:

All American Meat Processing, Giles County  Meat Processing

Century Harvest Farms, Blount County  Meat Processing

Circle S Farms, Wilson County  Meat Processing

Clear Creek Mill, Hancock County  Livestock Feed Processor

D&D Meats Inc., Clay County  Meat Processing

Friend Valley Ranch, Hancock County  Meat Processing

Gary Swafford Farm, Bledsoe County  Meat Processing

Ghyers Timber and Sawmill, Henry County  Forest Products

Hancock Custom Processing, LLC, Morgan County  Meat Processing

Hassell & Hughes Lumber Co., Wayne County  Forest Products

Honey Haven Butcher Shop, McMinn County  Meat Processing

J&L Wholesale, Clay County  Aquaculture

Kinser Processing, Grainger County  Meat Processing

Kenny Bob's Foods, Inc., Robertson County  Food Manufacturing

Laurel Hill Meat Processing, Henry County  Meat Processing

Linda's Rabbit Processing, LLC, Knox County  Meat Processing

Papa Joe Sauces, LLC, Cheatham County  Food Manufacturing

Pilaroc Farms, Lincoln County  Meat Processing

Selph Farming and Logging, Humphreys County  Forest Products

Southern Ridge Farm, LLC, Maury County  Meat Processing

Stratton Tomatoes and Greenhouses, Grainger County  Fruit Packaging

Superior Produce, Davidson County  Food Manufacturing

Tennessee Grass Fed, LLC, Montgomery County  Meat Processing

Tennessee Timber LLC, Grundy County  Forest Products

Tennessee Valley Hardwoods, Lawrence County  Forest Products

Tennessee Sheep Producers Association  Livestock Support

Tom Sawyer LLC, Carroll County  Forest Products

Uncle Nearest, Inc., Bedford County  Distillery

In total, the Agricultural Enterprise Fund has awarded nearly $5.3 million in funding to Tennessee businesses, leveraging more than $82 million in agriculture and forest-product economic development since the programs launch. You will find more information about AEF at www.tn.gov/agriculture/businesses/aef.html or by emailing Will Freeman at william.h.freeman@tn.gov.
 Spring manufacturer will invest $17 million in Robertson County

 Company will relocate operations from California

WHITE HOUSE, Tenn.  Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and Advanex Americas officials announced today that the company will relocate its headquarters and manufacturing operations from Cypress Calif. to White House, Tenn.

The spring and component parts manufacturer will build a new facility at 514 Hester Dr. in White House, where it will invest $17 million and create 102 new jobs. Advanex products are used in everything from ballpoint pens to space stations.

Advanex Americas is the U.S. division of Advanex Inc., a Japanese company founded in 1946 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan that has grown into 15 group companies around the world. The company manufactures precision springs, wire form, pins, stampings, plastics and assemblies for companies in a range of sectors including automotive, aerospace, medical and agriculture.

Over the last five years, TNECD has supported more than 10 economic development projects in Robertson County, resulting in 1,900 job commitments and $671 million in capital investment.

QUOTES

Id like to thank Advanex Americas for selecting Robertson County and creating more than 100 high quality jobs for Tennesseans. Every time a company chooses to relocate to Tennessee, it is a vote of confidence to our business climate and workforce and provides a ripple effect of opportunity for our communities.  Gov. Bill Lee

Japanese-owned companies have invested more than $2 billion in Tennessee over the last five years, making Japan our largest foreign direct investment partner. We appreciate Advanex Americas for choosing to relocate from California to Tennessee, and we are confident the company will find new growth opportunities due to our low cost of doing business and central location.  TNECD Commissioner Bob Rolfe

Advanex Japan and Advanex Americas are excited to be building a facility in White House, Tennessee after a search that spanned over two years and several states. We chose Tennessee because of the welcoming business climate and the tremendous support of TNECD and government officials who are helping us quickly and efficiently bring a facility to an undeveloped site that will suit our needs and give us great accessibility to our customers. Tennessee has built a broad education system that includes developing a skilled and professional labor force that is attractive to business. We look forward to being a part of the White House community.  Kenichi Ogaki, president, Advanex Americas

We are very pleased that Advanex Americas choose the City of White House to relocate their facility. They were on a very fast timeline but the team to help make this happen was ready to respond. It was amazing to work with the State agencies, Robertson County Economic Development Board, TVA staff, the Industrial Development Boards of both White House and Robertson County, White House Utility District, the White House Planning Commission, and Board of Mayor and Alderman to help make this relocation possible in our family-friendly small city.  Gerald O. Herman, city administrator, City of White House

We are pleased to welcome Advanex Americas to Robertson County and White House. They are a great addition to our growing advanced manufacturing sector, and we appreciate the confidence in our workforce. This project is a great start for the investment our county is making in a new business park on the I-65 corridor. Thanks to the Robertson County Economic Development Board and the City of White House for partnering with the State of Tennessee and TVA to bring this great company to our community.  William Vogle, mayor, Robertson County

TVA and Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation congratulate Advanex Americas on its decision to locate operations in White House, Tennessee. Helping to foster job opportunities and investment in the Valley is fundamental to TVAs mission of service. We are proud to partner with Robertson County Economic Development Board, City of White House, and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to help further that mission and celebrate this announcement.  John Bradley, TVA senior vice president of Economic Development

These 102 jobs will be a tremendous boost to our local economy in White House. Robertson County is a great place to live, work and raise a family, so its no surprise Advanex Americas has chosen here to relocate. I congratulate our local officials and economic development leaders, Gov. Lee and the Department of Economic and Community Development for their role in bringing this investment to Robertson County.  Sen. Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield)

Tennessee is once again proving to be one of the most business-friendly states in the nation. Advanex Americas relocation to Robertson County is an incredible investment in our community and our workforce. I applaud our state and local leaders for successfully securing this relocation and extend a warm welcome to Advanex Americas.  Rep. Sabi Kumar (R-Springfield)



About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Developments mission is to develop strategies that help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. To grow and strengthen Tennessee, the department seeks to attract new corporate investment to the state and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: tnecd.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.

TNECD Media Contact

Molly Hair, Public Information Officer

(615) 878-0063

Molly.Hair@tn.gov
Our blog community often remarks that this town resembles a war zone. Here's further proof of that thesis . . .

Deets . . .

"Officials say a man around 50 years-old was tinkering with a mortar shell when it exploded."

Read more . . .

Man injured by exploding mortar shell in Kansas City, Missouri KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City, Missouri, bomb and arson crews are investigating an explosion near 8400 Wabash Avenue. The explosion happened around 11:15 a.m. Monday. Officials say a man around 50 years-old was tinkering with a mortar shell when it exploded. He was taken to a local hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Investigation underway after explosion in Kansas City backyard injures one person KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A 5-year-old is currently in the hospital, fighting for their life, after being hit by a car in Kansas City, Kansas, over the weekend. On Saturday evening, a white Chevy Impala was driving near State Avenue and 31st Street when the child ran across the road.

Man rushed to hospital after explosion in backyard of Kansas City home KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- A man was rushed to the hospital after an explosion in the backyard of a Kansas City home. Emergency crews were called about 11:15 a.m. Monday to the 8400 block of Wabash Avenue. The man is expected to survive, police say.

Developing . . .
Fair warning forgive the implication in much the same way we forgive Lindsey for (possibly) pretending to have a lite lunch on a private jet . . .

Eating out in Kansas City is now a completely disappointing experience wherein customers think they're doing restaurants a favor with their biz but the sordid affair only garners resentment and hard feelings over high prices.



Sound familiar?!?!?



Accordingly, we share this bit of info that confirms that tragic fact of life and should inspire smarter readers to cook at home or at least go with takeout . . . Read more:


Maybe this is a touching story of forgiveness, redemption and solidarity. That would be really nice and inspiring amid tense times.



But it mostly reads like a struggling corporation exploiting a victim of crime to accomplish a political aim.



Either way, it's probably not worth venturing behind the paywall to find out. The link tease pretty much says it all and less than 3% of social media readers click beyond that anyhoo . . .



He forgave Malcolm Johnson for killing his son but is angry that cops killed Johnson Seven years ago, Nate Hogan's 22-year-old son, Monteario "Monty" Hogan, was shot and killed behind a Family Dollar in Raytown. He was shot once in the head. That loss, Hogan said, is compounded every time he hears about another young Black man killed by gun violence.

A slightly better or at least more informative report . . .
Right now we start this Tuesday morning with a peek at hottie Demi and her top notch promo game disguised as personal interaction with fans and all of THAT inspires us to check pop culture, community news and top headlines.



Check-it . . .

KANSAS CITY VAXX HYPE AMID NO DEMAND!!!

Comeback KC launches COVID-19 vaccine tracker KANSAS CITY, Mo. - As part of an ongoing campaign to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates in the Kansas City metro, Comeback KC has launched its own, embeddable vaccine tracker. As of Monday, more than 780,000 people in the area were fully vaccinated against the virus, according to the tracker.

Locals Buy The Book

Resisting Amazon: An interview with author and bookstore owner Danny Caine 'Shop Local' sign posted in front of independent business. // Photo courtesy of Near Media There is strength in numbers on Main Street. Where there's strength of vision the pervasive fog that is Amazon can be pierced, offering glimpses of an America that wants to shop differently.

Revenge Of The King

Lansing woman found guilty of DUI after banging on Burger King drive-thru window LEAVENWORTH COUNTY, KS (KCTV) -- Leavenworth County held their first jury trial in over a year, finding a woman guilty of driving under the influence after she banged on the drive-thru window of a Burger King in 2016. Angela Salazar, a 46-year-old Lansing woman, was found guilty of felony driving under the influence of alcohol.

Demi Fashion Forward

Demi Rose puts on an eye-popping display in a plunging yellow dress Demi Rose put on an eye-popping display on Monday when she shared an Instagram photo of herself in sunny Ibiza wearing a plunging yellow dress. Also featuring a dramatic side-split, the social media sensation's velvet gown vividly stood out against the tall green grass she was standing against.

CRYPTO KAPUT?!?

Bitcoin slides 7% after U.S. seizes most of Colonial Pipeline ransom Bitcoin's price slipped again Tuesday. The reason for the move was unclear, however it may be related to concerns over security of the cryptocurrency after U.S. officials managed to recover most of the ransom paid to hackers that targeted Colonial Pipeline. Court documents said investigators were able to access the password for one of the hackers' bitcoin wallets.

Prez Biden Backs MAGA?!?

Biden's Justice Department moves to defend Trump in defamation suit The Biden administration's Justice Department filed court documents Monday that seek to defend former President Donald Trump in a defamation lawsuit. President Joe Biden criticized Trump on the campaign trail last year for using the department like his own "private law firm" in multiple instances, including in the case of E.

TUESDAY GOES DOWN!!!

Social media, news websites hit by major internet outage Multiple outages hit social media, government and news websites across the globe on Tuesday morning, with some reports pointing to a glitch at U.S.-based cloud computing services provider Fastly. Reuters could not immediately confirm the issue affecting the sites. Fastly said it was investigating "the potential impact to performance with our CDN services," according to its website.

FILI-BUSTED!!!

POLITICO Playbook: Manchin comes face to face with his critics BREAKING AT 5 A.M. - "Senators reveal further Capitol riot security failures in bipartisan report," by Nicholas Wu, reporting on the chamber's bipartisan, 100-page Jan. 6 autopsy: "Capitol security officials tracking threats of violence on Jan.

Hipsters We Can Tolerate

Cheekface Embrace Disaster on "We Need a Bigger Dumpster" Los Angeles indie-rock act Cheekface are back with their first new music since the January release of their second album Emphatically No. , sharing the lyric video for their new single "We Need a Bigger Dumpster" on Monday.

Kansas City Royal Waiting Game

KC Royals: Answering Adalberto Mondesi questions Editor's Note and Update: This story was written and published before news began breaking that the KC Royals have now placed Adalberto Mondesi on the Injured List (Twitter link). Someday, maybe even this season, Adalberto Mondesi is bound to put it all together.

Local Po-Po Vs. Hose-Men

Kansas City Guns N Hoses charity fights to return in August After a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kansas City Guns N Hoses will return this summer. The Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission announced Monday the annual Guns N Hoses event has been scheduled for Aug. 7 at Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City.

Tuesday Warm Up Forecast

Your Storm Track 5 Daily Forecast Most areas stay dry through tonight with only a slight chance of rain this evening. Temperatures will return to the 60s after midnight with another mild but muggy start to the day. Tuesday looks very similar to today with temperatures topping out in the middle 80s and a few showers popping up in the afternoon.

Cheekface  Best Life is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
The Kansas Rep. isn't quite progressive enough for advocates inside her party despite conservative critics labeling her as "radical" in support of the current administration.

Luckily she won by way of pushups and personality not by addressing any real life petty policy concerns of po'folk.



Deets . . .



The group is asking the Democratic congresswoman to support U.S. House Resolution 438, a bill that would usher in changes like single-payer health care, a federal jobs guarantee, free college, student debt relief, a right to water, large-scale immigration reform and the abolishment of ICE, or Immigration and Customs Enforcement.



Davids office did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication. Davids represents Kansas third congressional district, which covers all of Wyandotte and Johnson Counties and some of Miami County. So far, no one from Kansas congressional delegation has expressed support for the resolution.



The rally was one of 30 happening throughout the U.S. on Monday, as part of a larger effort by the Poor Peoples Campaign to garner support for the resolution, which theyre referring to as a Third Reconstruction, a nod to the Reconstruction efforts that happened after the Civil War and the Civil Rights efforts in the 1960s.



Protesters carried signs that said A poverty wage is violence, Systemic poverty is amoral, and fight poverty, not the poor, and the groups speakers focused on health care but discussed issues ranging from rural mental health resources to affordable housing in the metro.



Read more . . .
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 09:24:33|Editor: huaxia

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WINDHOEK, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's mortuary capacity is under strain as COVID-19 related deaths surge, Health Minister Kalumbi Shangula said on Monday.

"It is not a crisis yet, but it is a cause for concern. The situation has not only been made worse by the rise in the number of COVID-19 related deaths but also that we have unclaimed bodies that date back to five years ago," Shangula told Xinhua.

Namibia is currently battling a third wave of COVID-19 infections. Last week, the country registered 88 deaths in a week.

Shangula said the COVID-19 situation in the country is grave, pleading with people to follow health regulations in order to curb coronavirus infections.

Namibia has so far registered 59,092 confirmed cases and 920 deaths. Enditem
Today's Kansas City murder case anti-climax hopefully offers closure for family and friends but might not make the public feel any safer knowing that it took YEARS along with help from the feds & dozens of local po-po in order to put a killer away for good.

Check links on the topic in order to remind yourself that your daughter's boyfriend is a creep . . . Read more:

Judge sentences convicted murderer Kylr Yust to 15-years for death of Kopetsky, life for Runions Convicted murderer Kylr Yust has been sentenced by a Cass County judge to 15 years in prison and life in prison for the deaths of Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions. Yust was sentenced Monday afternoon at the Cass County Courthouse for the deaths of Kopetsky and Runions - two women who disappeared about a decade apart.

Kylr Yust sentenced to 45 years in prison for Kopetsky, Runions deaths KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kylr Yust was sentenced on Monday to 45 years in prison after the judge accepted the jury's recommended maximum sentence in his murder trial. Yust was convicted in April in the deaths of Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions. He was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in Kopetsky's death, and second-degree murder in Runions' death.

Judge sentences Kylr Yust to 45 years in prison HARRISONVILLE, MO (KCTV) -- BREAKING UPDATE: On Monday, a judge sentenced Kylr Yust to life in prison plus 15 years for his role in the deaths of Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions. The judge said he'd reviewed the sentencing assessment report.

Yust Trial Live Blog: Judge sentences Kylr Yust to 15 years for death of Kopetsky and life for Runions CASS COUNTY, Mo. - Cass County Presiding Judge William Collins is set to formally sentence Kylr Yust today, June 7, for the deaths of two women. In March, Yust was convicted of killing 17-year-old Kara Kopetsky in 2007 and 21-year-old Jessica Runions in 2016.

Kylr Yust Sentenced To 45 Years In Prison For Killings Of Two Kansas City-Area Women On Monday, a Cass County judge sentenced Kylr Yust to life in prison and 15 years in prison for the killings of Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions. In April, a jury found Yust guilty of voluntary manslaughter for Kopetsky's death and second-degree murder for Runions's death.

Developing . . .
More important than Kansas City metro social media chatter is what the families have to say about this killer who targeted their loved ones.



Still, KILLER KYLR attempted to steal the spotlight . . .

Judge Collins denied Yusts attorneys motion for a new trial. His attorneys did not comment as they left the courthouse. Yust refused to answer any of the judges routine questions that are asked at the end of a sentencing hearing about his legal counsel.

Judge Collins asked, Have you been able to talk to them about your case over the past, I believe, four years? Yust replied, What do you think? At one point, Yust told the judge, I admire your attempts to foil my appeals but no thank you. Sir, Im not going to be discussing this with you.

So far this is the best story we've seen without a pay wall . . .



'Kara and Jessica won:' Family members of Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions react to sentencing of Kylr Yust CASS COUNTY, MO (KCTV) -- The wait for justice ended for two families who first fought to find their missing daughters. Then, they fought to see their killer caught. On Monday, family members of Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions watched a handcuffed Kylr Yust be walked out of the courtroom to be transferred to the department of corrections to begin serving his sentences.

And this one is kinda sad . . .

'We won': Kopetsky, Runions families describe grim triumph in Yust murder trial KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The families of Kara Kopetsky and Jessica Runions spoke with sorrowful triumph after their daughters' killer, Kylr Yust, received the maximum sentences for his crimes on Monday. It was a moment more than a decade in the making for the Kopetsky family after she went missing in 2007.

Developing . . .
Social media misinformation and the current cultural shift demands that hottie Hollywood star renounce her teenage beauty queen past because its connection to a racist past.

Posted only because the Kemper clan still runs Missouri and a great deal of Kansas City.



Check Kimmy Schmidt forced to rebuke some admittedly nasty history in order to protect her cushy career that's based mostly on fickle fan perceptions and illusions regarding her likeability.

Ellie Kemper Apologizes for Participating in St. Louis Ball With 'Unquestionably Racist' Past 'IGNORANCE IS NOT AN EXCUSE' Actress Ellie Kemper has apologized for her 1999 participation in a St. Louis, Missouri ball that has a deep-rooted history of racism, saying she "unequivocally deplores, denounces, and rejects white supremacy."

Ellie Kemper Apologizes for Participation in Controversial Pageant: 'Ignorance Is No Excuse' In a statement, the actress addressed her 1999 participation in a Missouri ball with a "racist, sexist and elitist past" Ellie Kemper has spoken out about her past participation in a controversial Missouri debutante ball. The Veiled Prophet Organization was originally co-founded in the late 1800s by former Confederate officer Charles Slayback and other prominent white St.

Ellie Kemper sorry for being queen of allegedly 'racist, sexist and elitist' ball Ellie Kemper has issued an apology after photos surfaced showing the actress being crowned the queen of a ball with ties to white supremacy when she was a teen. The "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" star, now 41, said she didn't know the history of St.

Ellie Kemper apologizes for participating in Veiled Prophet debutante ball "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" star Ellie Kemper apologized Monday for her involvement more than two decades ago in a St. Louis debutante ball with racist origins. In a post on Instagram, Kemper said she agreed to participate in the Veiled Prophet Ball in 1999, when she was 19.

Ellie Kemper Apologized For Participating In The Veiled Prophet Ball That Had An "Unquestionably Racist" Past The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt actor said she was not aware of the organization's history when she was 19, but added that "ignorance is no excuse."

Ellie Kemper's Debutante Ball Controversy Is Cancel Culture Gone Mad Actress Ellie Kemper is being accused of racism and white supremacy for the crime of being a debutante as a teenager. "The Office" actress attended The Veiled Prophet ball, a debutante event in St. Louis in 1999, when she was 19 years old.

Ellie Kemper Responds to 'Debutante Ball' Photo, Denounces White Supremacy The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star Ellie Kemper was trending on Twitter last week for all the wrong reasons. In 1999, when she was a freshman at Princeton University, Kemper was crowned the "Queen of Love and Beauty" at "The Veiled Prophet Ball," a St.

Developing . . .
featured

Court

Affidavit: Accused killer had bounty on his head before 7-Eleven slaying
L.A. Parker is a Trentonian columnist. Find him on Twitter @LAParker6 or email him at LAParker@Trentonian.com.
Johnstown, PA (15901)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 63F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 63F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 09:34:46|Editor: huaxia

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LAGOS, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama said on Monday the country's suspension of Twitter is in the interest of national security and peace.

Onyeama made the declaration in Abuja in a closed-door meeting with ambassadors and representatives of the United States, Britain, Canada, Ireland and the European Union.

He told reporters that Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is keen on ensuring the peace and security of Nigerians and Nigeria, and that the government advocates responsible use of social media platforms that would not destabilize the country's peace and unity.

"Unfortunately, the bad that social media is often used to commit have very dire consequences on human lives and in our case also threatening the unity of the country," the minister added.

The Nigerian government on Friday said it is indefinitely suspending Twitter's operations in the country, two days after the social media network removed a post from President Buhari that warned regional secessionists against attacks on government buildings.

"Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigeria civil war. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand," the president's tweet said Tuesday night, before being deleted Wednesday. Enditem
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The image from video provided by the Department of Defense labelled Gimbal, from 2015, an unexplained object is seen at center as it is tracked as it soars high along the clouds, traveling against the wind. aThere's a whole fleet of them,a one naval aviator tells another, though only one indistinct object is shown. aIt's rotating." The U.S. government has been taking a hard look at unidentified flying objects, under orders from Congress, and a report summarizing what officials know is expected to come out in June 2021. (Department of Defense via AP)
Canton, GA (30114)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 68F. Winds light and variable.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 12:31:39|Editor: huaxia

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ADDIS ABABA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government announced Monday that schools have reopened in Mekelle city, capital of Ethiopia's conflict-affected northernmost Tigray region.

A total of 32 public schools and more than 30 private ones in Mekelle city have received their students and resumed teaching activity, the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate (FBC) reported Monday.

Humanitarian assistance has been provided to some 4.5 million people across Tigray, the Ethiopian government said Sunday.

Schools had closed as fighting erupted last November in Tigray between the Tigray People's Liberation Front party (TPLF) and the Ethiopian National Defense Forces.

Preparations are ongoing to reopen schools in other parts of Tigray, said the region's interim administration assigned by the Ethiopian government following the TPLF's defeat.

The Ethiopian government in March said that preparations had been ongoing to resume school activities at the cost of over 96 million Ethiopian birr (about 2.2 million U.S. dollars) for repair work and procuring necessary teaching materials.

The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in February that about 1.4 million children had no access to education across the Tigray region, with around 50,000 teachers affected due to unpaid salaries and insecurity, and many schools were occupied by internally displaced persons as temporary shelters due to the conflict.

The TPLF ruled the Tigray regional state until last November, and was classified as a terrorist organization by the lower house of the Ethiopian parliament last month.

Prior to the fighting, the Ethiopian government had been blaming the TPLF, which was one of the four coalition fronts of Ethiopia's former ruling party, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), for masterminding various treasonous acts across different parts of the country with an overarching goal of destabilizing the country.

Three of the former four EPRDF coalition members in 2019 joined other regional parties in establishing the current ruling party, Prosperity Party, which the TPLF refused to join. Enditem
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 17:12:07|Editor: huaxia

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TRIPOLI, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Monday that 557 illegal migrants were rescued off the Libyan coast and returned to Libya in the past week.

In 2021, a total of 10,771 illegal migrants, including women and children, have been rescued, while 188 died and 487 went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, according to the IOM.

Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African country a preferred point of departure for illegal migrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores.

Rescued migrants end up inside overcrowded reception centers across Libya, despite repeated international calls to close those centers. Enditem
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  City crews returned early Tuesday to a Minneapolis intersection where a memorial to George Floyd was assembled after his death last year and worked to reopen it to traffic by removing debris and makeshift barriers, only to have activists barricade the area again.

Workers using front-end loaders and brooms arrived just before 5 a.m. and cleared the intersection where Floyd was killed, which is informally known as George Floyd Square, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.

The intersection has been closed to traffic since Floyds death on May 25, 2020, and some residents and businesses have expressed frustration that it has been closed for so long.

Last Thursday, city crews removed concrete barriers that blocked traffic at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, but community activists quickly put up makeshift barriers and resumed chanting the name of the Black man whose killing galvanized the racial justice movement.

As soon as workers left the area on Tuesday, activists moved back in, again blocking traffic with parked cars, trash cans, traffic signs and other items in a repeat of last Thursdays scene.

The tribute at the square sprang up organically in the days after Floyds death. As people gathered to express their grief and anger, community members set up makeshift barricades to block traffic, which the city eventually replaced with concrete ones.

Mayor Jacob Frey and other city leaders pledged to reopen the intersection, but activist leaders have said they won't step aside unless the city meets their 24 demands. Among them: recall the county prosecutor, fire the head of the states criminal investigative agency, and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on programs to create jobs, combat racism and support affordable housing.

City officials didnt immediately respond to an email Tuesday seeking comment on the activists closing down the intersection again.

Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted in April of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for pressing his knee against Floyds neck for about 9 1/2 minutes as he pleaded for air.

Chauvin has also been indicted on federal charges alleging he violated Floyds civil rights, as well as the civil rights of a 14-year-old he restrained in a 2017 arrest.

The three other former Minneapolis officers involved in Floyds arrest and death were also charged with federal civil rights violations. They await trial in state court on aiding and abetting counts.

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Mohamed Ibrahim 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.

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Find APs full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd
MADISON, Wis. (AP)  Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Republican legislative leaders disagreed Tuesday over what to do with $4.4 billion in revenue the state is projected to receive above expectations, an unprecedented boost in tax collections attributed to an improved economy emerging from the coronavirus pandemic.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he favored cutting taxes by up to $4 billion.

My goal would be to figure out the largest possible tax cut that we could returning this record surplus back to the people who paid it, as opposed to growing the size of government, Vos said after a closed-door meeting with Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu,

Evers would have to approve any tax cut passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature. He signed one that was part of the state budget two years ago, but last year he vetoed a $250 million Republican income tax cut and he's proposed raising $1 billion in taxes on manufacturers and the wealthy.

Evers, who is up for reelection next year, renewed his call to spending more on K-12 education and invest in other priorities he laid out in his original budget proposal.

Theres no excuse for choosing not to fully invest in our kids and our schools, broadband, venture capital and support for Main Street businesses, among other critical priorities, that will ensure were bouncing back and better than we were before this pandemic hit, Evers said in a statement.

The budget as it stands spends less than 10% of what Evers proposed on K-12 schools, a level that puts $1.5 billion in federal coronavirus relief funding for schools in jeopardy.

Republicans, however, said the improved economy was due to the conservative state budgets they enacted over the past decade, not anything Evers did.

We will take this moment to consider ways to significantly reduce the tax burden on workers and main street businesses and pay off state debt to save taxpayers long into the future, LeMahieu said.

LeMahieu, during a virtual forum hosted by Wisconsin Health News, said the new revenue projections are all the more reason for the state to reject expanding Medicaid. Democrats have urged the move now, after years of Republican opposition, because the state would get $1 billion in federal money made available under the coronavirus relief package approved by Congress.

Vos said all tax cuts are good but that his priorities were cutting income and property taxes for businesses and individuals. Republican budget committee member Sen. Dale Kooyenga called for eliminating entire income tax brackets and categories to cut taxes for the middle class. Vos did not rule out that idea.

I am open to negotiating with the Senate," Vos said. "If the governor would actually want to sit down and talk about what kind of tax cut, Im open to negotiating with him too.

Evers also announced that he was rescinding $300 million in budget cuts across state government ordered earlier in the pandemic, including $50 million to the University of Wisconsin System and the states technical colleges.

The rosier budget projection delivered Tuesday is based on the strength of current tax collections and vastly improved economic forecasts for the remainder of this year and the next two years, Legislative Fiscal Bureau Director Bob Lang wrote to the co-chairs of the Legislature's budget committee.

The primary factors in the improved forecast since January were the $1.9 trillion federal coronavirus relief package enacted in March, which included $1,400 stimulus checks, and the decline in COVID-19 cases and rise in vaccinations, Lang told lawmakers.

The increase in general fund tax collections in 2021, particularly in the months of April and May, is unprecedented," Lang wrote.

The estimate does not even include the $2.5 billion in federal coronavirus relief money coming to the state for infrastructure and other uses.

Many other states are seeing similar budget windfalls as coronavirus cases decrease and the economy ramps up.

Wisconsin's budget committee was expected to complete its work next week and send the two-year spending plan to the Republican-controlled Legislature for votes likely by the end of this month. The budget would then head to Evers, who has broad veto powers. It wasn't immediately clear whether news of the massive surplus would delay completion of the budget, which begins July 1 and runs through June 30, 2023.
Writer and performer Kyle Hernandez of Trinidad is receiving death threats, following a performance he did on local television station WESN, where he seemed to insult not only Tobagonians but the national bird of the island.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Joe Biden held a phone call on Monday, June 7, during which the U.S. leader invited his Ukrainian counterpart to visit the White House this summer.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said this at a press briefing at the White House on June 7, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"I have come into this briefing room from the Oval Office where President Biden was on the phone with President Zelensky of Ukraine," Sullivan said.

He said that this was a phone call that they had been planning to make in advance of President Biden going to Europe and meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva.

"They had the opportunity to talk at some length about all of the issues in the U.S.-Ukraine relationship. And President Biden was able to tell President Zelensky that he will stand up firmly for Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and its aspirations, as we go forward," Sullivan said.

According to him, Biden also told Zelensky that "he looks forward to welcoming him to the White House, here in Washington, this summer after he [Biden] returns from Europe."

Zelensky, in turn, thanked Biden for the phone call and said he looked forward to meeting with the U.S. president.

Zelensky and Biden had their first phone call on April 2.

Biden plans to visit Europe next week, where he will take part in the G7, NATO and US-EU summits. In addition, the U.S. and Russian presidents are due to meet in Switzerland on June 16.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accepted an invitation from U.S. President Joe Biden to visit the United States in July this year, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak has said.

According to a statement posted on the website of the Ukrainian president, Biden reaffirmed the unwavering U.S. support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also noted Zelensky's leadership in implementing fundamental reforms in the country aimed at realizing Ukrainian people's Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

"He [Biden] assured that Ukraine's position will be taken into account when discussing strategic issues in NATO, as well as during scheduled top-level events. Volodymyr Zelensky stressed the importance of providing the Ukrainian state with a NATO Membership Action Plan," Yermak said.

The leaders exchanged views on strategic cooperation between Ukraine and the United States on the eve of important summits of the G7 and NATO, as well as Biden's scheduled meetings with EU leaders and the Russian president.

Zelensky briefed Biden on the security situation in Donbas and along the Ukrainian border. He emphasized that there was still a high concentration of Russian troops and heavy weapons in the temporarily occupied territories and near the Ukrainian border.

Biden, in turn, noted the importance of discussing regional security risks with Zelensky on the eve of important events on security negotiation formats.

"Joe Biden supported Volodymyr Zelensky's initiative to create the Crimean Platform. He assured that the United States would be represented at the summit of the initiative at a high political level," the statement reads.

The presidents also exchanged views on Ukraine's progress in implementing key reforms. Zelensky spoke about the planned steps to reduce the influence of oligarchs on the life of the country. He stressed that he was interested in the development of big business in Ukraine, but without oligarchic interference in politics and the economy.

Zelensky also thanked the United States for providing Ukraine with 900,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine. "It will save the lives of many Ukrainians. The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to a strategic partnership with Ukraine," Zelensky said.

Zelensky and Biden held a phone call on Monday, June 7, during which the U.S. leader invited his Ukrainian counterpart to visit the White House this summer.

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One of the most important topics in a phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Joe Biden on June 7 was the situation with the launch of the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, according to Mykhailo Podoliak, an advisor to the head of the President's Office.

"Certainly, one of the most important topics in today's conversation between Presidents Zelensky and Biden was the construction of Nord Stream 2. President Zelensky stressed that this is not an economic project, but an obvious threat to security. President Biden, in turn, reaffirmed security guarantees for Ukraine in the broadest sense of the word," Podoliak said in a comment to Ukrinform.

In general, according to him, the conversation was very meaningful, very specific and lasted longer than planned.

"They discussed the whole range of topical issues - the war in Donbas, integration into NATO, Ukraine's reform, the policy of de-oligarchization in Ukraine. The key thing is that President Biden invited President Zelensky to visit Washington in July. Therefore, contacts between the presidents will continue in the format of a personal meeting," Podoliak said.

On June 7, Zelensky and Biden had a phone call during which the U.S. leader invited his Ukrainian counterpart to visit the White House this summer.

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The position of the Ukrainian authorities on water supplies to Russian-occupied Crimea remains unchanged - this will be possible only after the de-occupation of the peninsula, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko has told Ukrinform.

"Ukraine's position remains unchanged. Dnipro water will flow into the de-occupied Crimea," he said.

He stressed that the problem of water resources had worsened against the background of massive Russian militarization of the Crimean peninsula.

"The more the Russian Federation builds its military bases in Crimea, the less water will be left for the needs of the civilian population. Russia, as an occupying power, must be fully aware of its responsibility," the diplomat said.

Nikolenko said that Russia's failure to fulfill its international legal obligations would be discussed at the inaugural summit of the Crimean Platform.

He also stressed that the ultimate goal of Ukraine's efforts should be the complete de-occupation of Ukrainian territories - both the Crimean peninsula and certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Earlier, Oleksiy Arestovych, the spokesman for the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) for the settlement of the situation in Donbas and an advisor to the head of the President's Office, said in an interview with the Telegraf online news site that the Ukrainian authorities could change their position on the resumption of water supplies to Russian-occupied Crimea in case of "very serious concessions" by Russia.

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Ukraine condemns Russia's withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said.

The ministry noted that Russia's withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty is not unexpected for Ukraine and other state parties to the treaty.

"In this way, Russia is completing a course that it deliberately began in the mid-2000s. This course aims to destroy all regimes that have contributed to military restraint in Europe, limited the deployment of strike weapons and sudden large-scale military activities in the Euro-Atlantic area. Through the destruction of arms control regimes, Russia created the conditions for covert preparations for sudden armed aggression against Georgia and Ukraine. Russia continues this aggressive expansionist course to this day," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

Ukrainian diplomats noted that Russia stopped conscientiously fulfilling its obligations under the Open Skies Treaty and began to grossly violate it in 2008-2010, carrying out aggression against Georgia. As a result of the aggression, part of the occupied Georgian territories was de facto removed from the area of application of the Open Skies Treaty.

"In 2014, Russia occupied the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the city of Sevastopol and certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, removing them from the effect of the treaty too. In general, due to the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation, more than 57,000 square meters were removed from the area of application of the Open Skies Treaty, including more than 44,000 square meters of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. This is more than the territory of Slovakia, Denmark, Estonia, the Netherlands, or Belgium," the statement reads.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that during 2010-2020, Russia also deliberately resorted to other systematic violations in order to conceal its military activity, forcing the United States to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty, which had already been distorted by Russia and did not fully meet its main goal.

"Instead of building and improving transparency, predictability and trust between all member states, Moscow has used the Open Skies Treaty as a means to legitimize the results of its aggression and occupation of the Ukrainian Crimea. That is why it is Russia that is responsible for the ongoing destruction of the 'open skies' regime and the erosion of the international architecture of arms control, "the statement said.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stressed that Ukraine clearly recognizes the cornerstone role of conventional arms control in maintaining international peace and security. "Our state remains a bona fide and active participant in all arms control regimes, of which the Open Skies Treaty is an integral part. This treaty has so far remained the only multilateral international treaty in the field of arms control, which remains in force and covers states on both sides of the Euro-Atlantic," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry on January 15 announced the beginning of the procedure for Russia's withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty.

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To ensure compliance with the rules of the regime in controlled border areas, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine monitors the movement of foreign ships crossing Ukraines border with Belarus along the Pripyat and Dnieper rivers.

"The ships are accompanied by patrol boats of the Border Guard Service and are controlled by border patrol units, including those from places of long-term service," the press service of the State Border Guard Service reports.

The entry of ships into the territory of Ukraine occurs both for transit passage via the territory of our state and for movement to Ukrainian ports.

Having met a foreign ship, the border patrols of Zhytomyr and Chernihiv provide constant monitoring over its movement and accompany the ship.

In the event that the ship stops for the night, border guards take measures to maintain the border regime in the area of its anchorage.

To control the movement of ships, border guards also actively use unmanned aircraft.

The State Border Guard Service noted that the mooring of ships, loading and unloading operations along the transit route are banned.

As reported, Head of the State Border Guard Service Serhiy Deyneko said that Ukraine would continue to increase its border control system near Belarus.

Photo credit: State Border Guard Service of Ukraine

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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 17:29:20|Editor: huaxia

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MANDERA, Kenya, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from Monday's attack on two commuter buses in Mandera county, northeast Kenya, has risen to three after two police officers succumbed to death, the police said in a security report Tuesday.

The police said that 18 people including seven police officers are hospitalized following an ambush by al-Shabab militants in an area bordering Somalia. The two deceased police officers were escorting the two buses when they came under attack on Monday afternoon.

"The two buses were leading the convoy and when they were fired at, the nine officers in the escape vehicle at the rear quickly disembarked and engaged the al-Shabab in a shootout. The officers sensing they were running out of ammunition opted to flee into nearby bushes," the police said in the report.

The police said the militants torched a police vehicle that was carrying the police officers. The convoy was traveling from Rhamu to Banisa when they were attacked at Kormatto area, which is between Olla and Serman prompting an exchange of fire.

After the shootout, nine officers were injured before two succumbed to their injuries due to multiple injuries. The attackers escaped with some weapons issued to the officers who had been injured. No arrest has been made.

The buses usually leave as a convoy as part of efforts to address such attack fears.

The area of the attack, which is in the northeast part of Kenya, has been a safe area since 2013 but has lately been a soft target.

The terrorist group has been attacking areas along the Kenya-Somalia border while targeting mostly non-locals working in the region. Enditem
The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Ukraine has announced the start of payment of compensation to families of those killed in the downing of the UIA plane near Tehran in 2020.

The government has approved a resolution requiring USD 150,000 to be paid to each family of those killed - both foreign and Iranian citizens, in accordance with the rules of inheritance. By this time, some of the relatives of the victims had already arrived and received compensation, the embassy wrote on its Facebook page.

In addition, Iran criticized the International Coordination and Response Group for Victims of Flight PS752 for allegedly trying to politicize the issue of compensation payments.

The third round of talks between Ukraine and Iran on the UIA plane shot down near Tehran in 2020 took place in Kyiv on June 2-3.

The Iranian side during the third round of negotiations declared its readiness to pay USD 150,000 in compensation to each family of those killed in the downing of the UIA plane.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that the discussion of compensation is possible only after establishing all the circumstances of Iran's downing of the plane and bringing the perpetrators to justice. The ministry added that the specific amount of compensation should be the result of an agreement between the governments of all states whose citizens died in the plane crash, and not a unilateral decision.

As reported, on January 8, 2020, Ukraine International Airlines plane (Flight PS752) heading from Tehran to Kyiv crashed shortly after taking off from the Imam Khomeini International Airport. There were 176 people on board  nine crew members (all Ukrainians) and 167 passengers (citizens of Ukraine, Iran, Canada, Sweden, Afghanistan, Germany, and the UK). All of them died.

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Tourist associations of Kyiv and Baku have signed a three-year action plan on cooperation in the field of tourism, according to Kyiv's official portal.

Deputy Head of Kyiv City State Administration Maryna Khonda said during the presentation of Kyiv's tourism potential for representatives of the tourism business of Azerbaijan that this would contribute to the development of tourist connections between the two cities, the report said.

"Borders are now opening, and we invite Azerbaijanis to visit our country and the city of Kyiv. We want you to love our capital as much as the people of Kyiv do. The tourism business of our countries now has the opportunity to significantly increase flows from both sides. Because we are interested in the culture of Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijanis are interested in the culture of Ukraine. We have something to show, something to share and something to surprise. Representatives of tourist associations and the city are ready to work with the Azerbaijani tourism business, and I hope that our presentation and the signing of the action plan encourage the development of travel to Ukraine and Kyiv in particular," she said.

Representatives of six tourist associations and hotel business presented the tourist potential of Kyiv. B2B meetings of representatives of Ukrainian associations and the tourism business of Azerbaijan were also held as part of the presentation.

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On Tuesday, June 8, UNICEF delivered 117,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to Ukraine.

During this and early next week, Ukraine will receive 473,850 doses of Pfizer vaccine under the COVAX Facility, according to the UNICEF Office in Ukraine.

"Today, UNICEF delivered 117,000 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines from COVID-19 to Ukraine as part of a new supply in the framework of the COVAX Facility. In total, during this and early next week, Ukraine will receive 473,850 doses of Pfizer vaccine - free of charge under COVAX," the report reads.

Earlier, under COVAX, Ukraine received 590,850 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 1,072,800 doses of AstraZeneca. Ukraine receives all vaccines within COVAX free of charge.

UNICEF is grateful to partners and donors who are helping to make COVID-19 vaccination more accessible in Ukraine. Thanks to the support of colleagues from WHO, the governments of the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Bank and other donors, more and more people in Ukraine receive protection from such a dangerous infection as COVID-19. We thank the healthcare professionals of Ukraine who are relentlessly fighting to save the lives of their patients, and hope that vaccination will help ease strain on the healthcare system - will protect you and your patients from severe illness, complications, hospitalization, need for oxygen support or death. Please get vaccinated yourself and encourage patients, friends and relatives to do so as soon as they get an opportunity - this is lifesaving, said Lotta Sylwander, UNICEF Representative in Ukraine.

COVAX Facility is a result of the unprecedented solidarity of the international community to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries. Deliveries will continue and by the end of 2021, as part of the Facility, Ukraine is expected to receive enough vaccines from various manufacturers to protect up to 20% of the population from COVID.

As of June 8, Ukraine recorded 1,602 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 2,216,654.

Since the beginning of the vaccination campaign, which started on February 24, 1,284,145 people have been vaccinated, of which 152,142 people have received two doses.

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The European Congress of Ukrainians (ECU), headquartered in Prague, has sent a letter to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urging to accelerate the Membership Action Plan (MAP) submission for Ukraine during the December 2021 NAC ministerial meeting.

This was reported by the Embassy of Ukraine in the Czech Republic.

The letter says that Russia seeks to destabilize Europe through disinformation and acts of aggression in NATO member countries, such as the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.

"To counter this growing threat from Russia, the European Congress of Ukrainians joins the Bucharest Nine states in calling for enhanced NATO presence in Eastern Europe and greater security in the Black Sea region. A clear message of support for Ukraines MAP will serve to deter further Russian aggression," reads the letter, signed by ECU Chairman Bohdan Rajcinec.

The European Congress of Ukrainians is an international coordinating organization representing the interests of Ukrainians in Europe.

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Prior to the new policy, most Afghan refugees in Iran could not draw cash from ATMs or make digital payments.  UNHCR/Zahra Nazari

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomes the Government of the Islamic Republic of Irans recent move to formalize access to banking services  including debit cards, for Afghan refugees in the country.

Before the new policy was announced, banks around the country followed different practices, which meant that some refugees could access banking services but most could not. Now, all refugees will have a more secure means of managing their finances.

Without a bank account, refugees are compelled to keep large sums of money at home and travel with cash when making or receiving payments  increasing their risk of losing savings due to security incidents like fire or theft.

In Iran, as elsewhere, there has also been a growing preference for digital payments instead of cash to avoid unnecessary physical transactions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Salary payments, online purchases, university registrations, and reimbursements of healthcare fees are now also mostly made via online bank transfers. This makes the issuance of bank cards a very important and welcome step that can greatly benefit refugees in their daily lives.

Banking services will also facilitate emergency cash assistance to refugees in Iran. Since the start of COVID-19, UNHCR has helped vulnerable refugees cope with the economic impact of the pandemic by providing them with cash assistance via electronic vouchers. However, the use of such vouchers limits the way in which refugees are able to spend their assistance. Under the new policy, UNHCR hopes to channel its assistance through bank transfers, giving refugees a more dignified and flexible choice in how they use their cash.

Financial inclusion can contribute to refugees resilience, empowering them to meet their needs in a safe, sustainable and dignified manner, and helping them avoid negative coping mechanisms. It is also in line with UNHCR's financial inclusion policy, which promotes refugees access to national banks and other mainstream financial services and offers options for their personal finances which are more transparent, efficient, and financially compliant.

For over 40 years, Afghan refugees have been welcomed and generously supported by the Government of Iran. Recognising this contribution, UNHCR continues to call for more equitable international responsibility and burden sharing with Iran. As of today, the US$97.9 million needed to assist Afghan refugees in Iran during 2021, is only 8 per cent funded.

In December 2019, UNHCR joined the Islamic Republics of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan in a support platform for the Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR). The SSAR supports refugee host countries, while also seeking to invest in return areas in Afghanistan.

For more information on this topic, please contact:
A worker on the production line at the MABE factory in Saltillo, northern Mexico, where dozens of relocated refugees are employed.  UNHCR/Gabo Morales

An innovative integration program led by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has helped more than 10,000 refugees relocate within Mexico and restart their lives in their new communities.

The 10,000 mark was reached in late May, as UNHCR steps up its effort to assist the increasing number of refugees who find protection in the country.

More than 70 percent of all asylum claims in Mexico are made in the south of the country, where integration opportunities and services are limited for recognized refugees. Since its inception in 2016, the program helps them relocate to one of eight cities in the countrys center and north. There, the labour and housing markets, as well as the education and health systems have the capacity to integrate refugees, as a result of demographic transition and economic growth.

UNHCR supports program participants with temporary housing, cultural orientation, vocational training, school enrolment and job placement. After two years of permanent residence, refugees can apply for naturalization.

A recent UN review showed the programs effectiveness: while they were in southern Mexico, only 10 per cent of the refugees were employed and 17 per cent counted on sporadic informal jobs. After their relocation, 92 per cent were formally employed, with incomes that were on average 60 per cent higher than in the south. Currently, more than 170 national and multinational companies employ refugees as part of the program.

Local communities also benefit from the increased tax revenues and social security contributions. Indicatively, in the next 12 months, the 10,000 refugees relocated so far are projected to generate taxes that exceed the 2021 budget of COMAR, the Mexican Commission for Assistance to Refugees.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect livelihoods and economies worldwide, UNHCR would like to see this model replicated in more countries to support the self-reliance of refugees and benefit their hosts.

In Mexico, UNHCR increased its target for the integration program in 2021 and seeks to be able to relocate 20,000 people from southern areas per year. To achieve this, we work with financial support by private sector foundations, in collaboration with federal and local authorities. These efforts are underpinned by commitments made as part of the MIRPS, a solutions-based framework that aims to tackle the causes and consequences of forced displacement in the region.

The decision to increase the relocation targets also comes at the backdrop of an increasing number of people finding protection in Mexico.

In total, over 50,000 people have been granted refugee status in Mexico since 2013. The majority were escaping gang violence, extortion and persecution in parts of Central America.

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Tunisian lawyer Wafa Ben Khaled provides legal assistance to a refugee at her office in Sfax, Tunisia, in July 2020.  UNHCR/Peter Horton

Despite disruptions and challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 there were also opportunities. Law firms, legal clinics, community empowerment organizations, and lawyers around the world mobilized in unprecedented ways to ensure access to justice for refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced and stateless people.

Almost 165,000 hours of free legal aid were provided to forcibly displaced and stateless people over the course of last year, according to a report issued by PILnet, a global public interest law network, in collaboration with the Global Refugee Forum Legal Community Pledge partners and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.

This exceeds the generous pledge made at the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) in 2019 by more than 80 legal and community empowerment organizations, law firms, bar associations and corporations. The pledge committed to increase resources for those providing legal assistance and to support efforts to protect and find solutions for forcibly displaced and stateless people, including by providing more than 127,000 hours of free, pro bono, legal aid.

The law remains one of the most powerful tools in protecting the rights and guaranteeing the safety of refugees, and internally displaced and stateless people, who as a result of their displacement and legal status may be among those most vulnerable, said UNHCRs international protection chief, Gillian Triggs.

As a result of these efforts, refugees have benefited immensely from life-changing legal advice and representation. Some of these include support with asylum claims or in removal or deportation proceedings; access to documentation; safeguarding access to medical care, employment, housing and education; as well as access to justice and legal remedies to deal with rights violations among so many others.

The 165,000 hours of free legal aid provided in 2020 surpasses the GRF commitment by 30 per cent. This is an extraordinary feat given the widespread difficulties and constraints imposed by the pandemic globally, including to the working modalities of the organizations and legal providers in being able to serve those forcibly displaced.

Local legal aid organizations, often working together with private sector providers, worked in agile ways and used new methods of delivering essential legal services in the midst of the pandemic. The establishment or scaling-up of remote legal counselling sessions on the phone or over the internet, and mobile legal clinics overcame some of the obstacles of Covid-19 related restrictions on movement.

Access to justice is a fundamental human right. But many refugees and forcibly displaced people are precluded from accessing the services they need because of costs, language barriers and other administrative and procedural difficulties.

The accessibility and availability of legal support to displaced populations remains a core protection priority. The Legal Community Pledge commits to support these efforts. It has uniquely brought together and secured the support of a diverse range of legal stakeholders, including private and public sector partners.

The global legal community is part of the whole-of-society approach to help refugees and their host communities, which is at the heart of the Global Compact on Refugees.

More information is available here.

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Orlando Garcia pictured at auto-component maker Matro in Saltillo, Mexico, where he works in quality control.  UNHCR/Gabriela Perez Montiel

In Saltillo, a manufacturing boomtown in northern Mexico, companies are hiring again as lockdowns ease, and Salvadoran cab driver Alberto Rivas* saw an opportunity.

He bought a taxi and worked long hours to shuttle residents around the city where factories and assembly plants make everything from trucks, cars and auto parts, to home appliances and furniture.

Drawing on his savings, he then bought two more cars and now employs drivers from Mexico and Central America to work around the clock.

There are great opportunities here if you are hard-working, enterprising and want to do things the right way, says Alberto, a refugee who was driven to flee his home country where he had a trucking business.

Recently joined by his wife and three youngest children, he now plans to buy two more cars and a van and is even thinking of opening a restaurant in this city of nearly one million residents a few hours drive south of the US border.

Theres peace, work and respite that we dont have in our countries, he says. And he is not alone in pursuing what he called The Mexican Dream.

A few minutes drive across town Nicaraguan Orlando Garcia, 28, is among 15 refugees from countries including Honduras and El Salvador working at auto-part maker Matro as designers, press operators and in quality control  his job.

There are great opportunities here if you are hard-working, enterprising and want to do things the right way.

I love it here, he says of the firm, which gives him paid holidays, a year-end bonus, a savings plan and access to the social security and public health system. This is the place Im going to make my life.

Mexico has for decades been a country of transit for refugees. But Alberto and Orlando are among a growing number who are finding safety and rebuilding their lives in Latin Americas second-largest economy, supported by an innovative relocation and local integration programme started by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in 2016.

As asylum claims soared to more than 190,000 over the five-year period, the programme has helped more than 10,000 refugees to start over in Mexico as entrepreneurs and in formal jobs with full benefits in factories, in retail, and as managers. They are contributing to Mexicos economic growth which is tipped by the Central Bank to reach 4.8 per cent this year.

Its a win-win for all, said Kelly Clements, UNHCRs Deputy High Commissioner, during a recent visit to Mexico and the region. Its a win for the asylum seekers who have jobs and are living safely. And its a win for the businesses that are able to add to their community and add to the essence of the private sector.

10,000 refugees have been helped to relocate within Mexico and restart their lives in new communities (Stephanie Galeana, Tim Gaynor, producers; Arturo Almenar, camera/editor)

Most refugees arrive and seek asylum in job-poor states in the south of Mexico. After enrolling in the integration programme, they are relocated to one of nine locations in central and northern Mexico which have a higher demand for workers and better capacity to include newcomers in their education and health systems.

Ive been here two days and I love it already, said Honduran mother-of-two Rosario Johnson, 30. She is among a group of newly arrived refugees learning about their rights, options and obligations during a packed induction week in Monterrey, an industrial powerhouse of five million people an hours drive from Saltillo.

With help from UNHCR staff, she is finding out about housing and work options, while being supported to stay in a hotel. While settling in, all participants are given a one-off cash grant, covering their first month of rent and related costs. I feel positive. I feel that I can do anything I want to do here. I could have my house, have my kids in school, have a little business. I see opportunities here, she says, tearing up.

A few months ahead of her is Susana Barrera, 40, a refugee who fled Guatemala. Relocated to Monterrey last December, she started work in January at Oxxo, Latin Americas largest convenience store chain, and is now a shift leader at a store.

Here I am free, Im paying my taxes, I live a normal life ... and have the chance to develop.

I love the store, they have to tell me to go home, she says, taking a break from ringing up drinks and groceries for customers. Here I am free, Im paying my taxes, I live a normal life ... and have the chance to develop, she says, noting that Oxxo has tipped her to manage her own store in three months. In addition, the firm has helped her open a digital bank account with Santander, which she says is one more step toward integration".

Meanwhile, Jorge Gonzalez, 22, a refugee from El Salvador, has found a fresh start at GreenPaper, a Monterrey-based firm that recycles paper and cardboard to make new products for customers in five continents.

He has benefits including paid holidays, social security, and a company savings plan for employees. Since relocating to the city five months ago, he has rented a home with his wife and two young children who can go to school and access healthcare through the social security system.

I feel good with my workmates, my boss; theyre all very friendly, they respect me, they treat me well, he says. I feel motivated. I have my job. Im not living in fear any more  I feel I have a reason to live.

A Salvadoran refugee takes a break from driving a cab in Saltillo, Mexico.  UNHCR/Gabriela Perez Montiel

Rosario Johnson looks out over the city of Monterrey, Mexico. She moved to the city days earlier with the help of a UNHCR refugee integration programme.  UNHCR/Gabriela Perez Montiel

A Salvadoran refugee stacks shelves at a convenience store in Monterrey, Mexico, where she works as a shift supervisor.  UNHCR/Gabriela Perez Montiel

Salvadoran refugee Jorge Gonzalez takes a break during his shift at paper mill GreenPaper in Monterrey, Mexico.  UNHCR/Gabriela Perez Montiel

Matro director Alberto Valdes gives UNHCR staff a tour of his auto-part factory in Saltillo, Mexico, which employs 15 refugees.  UNHCR/Gabriela Perez Montiel

After a dip in the rate of arrivals in 2020 as COVID-19 spread across the region, Mexico registered 31,800 claims for asylum in the first four months of the year, up by nearly a third from the same period last year.

The refugee integration programme is supported by Mexican federal and state governments, and more than 170 companies in Mexico  including Oxxo, rail freight firm PIMSA ferreteros, appliance maker Mabe, and papermill GreenPaper. They view employing refugees as not just about being good corporate citizens but good business.

Refugees are very committed people, with a great willingness to work. With a lot of ability and flexibility  they generally have no conduct problems or absenteeism, says Daniel Del Rio, the hiring and training manager at GreenPaper, whose own grandparents were refugees fleeing Francisco Francos dictatorship in Spain. They have won their right to be here; this isnt a handout.

Refugees are very committed people, with a great willingness to work. They have won their right to be here.

Jaquelin Rodriguez, a supervisor managing 35 workers at the GreenPaper plant, says a Salvadoran refugee on her team is enthusiastic and has settled in well. Working with Roberto has been a good experience, hes been very friendly, attentive, and he really wants to work, she says. We want more workmates like him!

Also looking to hire more refugees is auto-part maker Matro, which grew 30 per cent last year, and expects to grow by a similar margin this year. With overtime on offer, director Alberto Valdes sees his refugee workforce as key partners.

They are the first to raise their hand. We rely on them for weekend work when we need it  they have a real will to work, he says.

As they settle into their new lives in Mexico, refugees have advice for others in their situation.

Mexico is really good, you can remake your life here," says Jorge, breaking into a smile.

For entrepreneur Alberto, there is the chance to find prosperity, and above all, peace.

Its like Ive woken up from a nightmare, he says.

*Some refugee names have been changed for protection reasons.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 17:52:14|Editor: huaxia

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MOGADISHU, June 8 (Xinhua) -- More than 60 Al-Shabab militants including foreign fighters were killed in an explosion at a village about 65 kilometers west of Qoryooley in southern Somalia, the army said in a brief statement on Tuesday.

The Somali National Army (SNA) said that the al-Qaida allied terrorists died in the blast which took place at their compound in Ala-Futow village in the Lower Shabelle region after the bomb which was being assembled exploded.

"The explosion took place at the Al-Shabab compound after explosive materials which were being prepared by terrorists exploded on Monday," SNA said. Al-Shabab's bomb experts and foreign terrorists were among those killed.

SNA said its forces later conducted a special operation in Ala-Futow village in Kurtunwarey district, destroying a vehicle used by terrorists to detonate explosives intended to harm the Somali people.

The government forces have vowed to intensify security operations in the central and southern regions until the insurgents who have conducted terror attacks to kill and maim innocent residents will have been wiped out from the region.

The terror group has lost many areas previously under its control, but the militant group is still capable of staging attacks in Somalia.

The latest operations come as government forces have intensified operations against Shabab in the central and southern regions. Enditem
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 20:09:36|Editor: huaxia

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KAMPALA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Uganda has suspended the operations of six Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) over alleged fraud in the east African country, a top government official said here Tuesday.

Stephen Okello, executive director of National Bureau for NGOs told reporters that some of the organizations were involved in the forgery of documents authorizing them to operate, defrauded their funders and individuals engaged in electronic fraud.

"The NGO board has noted with great concern the increasing fraudulent practices involving some NGOs and members of the general public. There are some unscrupulous individuals taking the advantage of the NGO sector to defraud their stakeholders," said Okello.

"The NGO bureau, out of its investigations, has caused some arrests and taken action against some of the affected NGOs," he said.

Okello said the bureau has revoked the permit and certificate of Comforter of the Afflicted Formation Home, Agape Sanctuary Ministries International and Christ Alive Glorious Ministries International over defrauding, extorting money and diversion of funds.

He added that the operations of Equal Opportunities for Women and Children in Uganda, Dankind Academy and Global Health Community Empowerment have been suspended over alleged forgery of documents, defrauding their stakeholders and electronic fraud.

Okello said the NGO bureau is currently carrying out investigations into a number of fraud related cases involving some NGOs in the country.

"We warn the general public and key stakeholders that in their dealing with some NGOs they should always be more vigilant and carry out due diligence as they transact," said Okello.

"We caution the NGO sector to be more transparent and accountable, to avoid fraudulent practice since it tarnishes their credibility, image and reputation of the sector as a whole," added said.

Uganda suspended operations of 208 humanitarian agencies over violations of rules governing refugees in the country in September last year. Enditem
KINGSTON  Emily McLellan is excited about starting freshman year at the University of New Hampshire in the fall, but shes been worried that her aging 1996 Toyota Corolla might not be able to handle the regular commute.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, greets employees of a company producing carpets in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Monday started an inspection tour of northwest China's Qinghai Province. In Xining, the provincial capital, Xi visited a company producing carpets and learned about how it leveraged the advantages of local resources and used new design concepts to boost its products' competitiveness, create jobs and increase the income of locals. Xi also visited a residential community in Xining to learn about its efforts to strengthen Party building, improve community-level governance and advance ethnic unity and progress. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with employees of a company producing carpets in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a company producing carpets to learn about how it leveraged the advantages of local resources and used new design concepts to boost its products' competitiveness, create jobs and increase the income of locals in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a company producing carpets to learn about how it leveraged the advantages of local resources and used new design concepts to boost its products' competitiveness, create jobs and increase the income of locals in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a company producing carpets to learn about how it leveraged the advantages of local resources and used new design concepts to boost its products' competitiveness, create jobs and increase the income of locals in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with local people while visiting a residential community in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a residential community to learn about its efforts to strengthen Party building, improve community-level governance and advance ethnic unity and progress in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a residential community to learn about its efforts to strengthen Party building, improve community-level governance and advance ethnic unity and progress in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a residential community to learn about its efforts to strengthen Party building, improve community-level governance and advance ethnic unity and progress in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a residential community to learn about its efforts to strengthen Party building, improve community-level governance and advance ethnic unity and progress in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a residential community to learn about its efforts to strengthen Party building, improve community-level governance and advance ethnic unity and progress in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 21:38:26|Editor: huaxia

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YAOUNDE, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Cameroon's House Speaker of National Assembly Cavaye Yeguie Djibril on Tuesday disclosed an urgent need to collect illicit weapons possessed by civilians in the central African nation amid rising insecurity.

Cavaye said, the circulation of illicit weapons was an "increasingly disturbing phenomenon" that poses a threat to the security of the country.

"Reports at our disposal talk of nearly seven thousand illegal weapons in circulation," Cavaye said during an opening plenary of the June session of the National Assembly.

"It is imperative that order be restored in this area, that the system of circulation and possession of weapons in Cameroon be restored," he added.

The declaration came following security reports that point to an upsurge in criminal activities in the capital Yaounde, and in the country's two Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest where a prolonged separatist conflict is in progress.

In May, Cameroon's Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji banned the sale of weapons for self-defence while stressing on the need for the identification of gun holders in the country. Enditem
This years general election ballot presents the voter with a dilemma. We have wrestled with this years choices, as we imagine many voters have. Up and down the ticket we are faced with choices in political ideologies, personalities, backgrounds and governing styles.
ON JUNE 3, 2021, the New Hampshire Senate voted to approve its version of the two-year state budget. This version of the budget would spend a total of $5.4 billion in state general and education funds for the two fiscal years that begin on July 1, 2021 and 2022. The Senate-passed budget will
Elmer Wayne Cruey, 77, passed away Sunday, May 9, 2021, at his home in Milledgeville. He was a native of Tazewell, Va. and resident in Milledgeville for the past 20 years. Wayne was preceded in death by his mother, Cordelia Pauley Cruey, and father, Charles Patterson Cruey; sisters, Mercedes
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 22:31:16|Editor: huaxia

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LAGOS, June 8 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed and several others injured on Monday in a road accident in north-central Nigeria's Niger state, local police said on Tuesday.

State police chief Adamu Usman told reporters in a press conference in Minna, the state capital, that the accident occurred when an articulated vehicle lost control and somersault on a highway near Batati village in Lavun's local government area of the state.

Usman said the vehicle carried 130 sheep and an unspecified number of people leaving the northwest state of Katsina for Lagos, Nigeria's economic hub.

"Eight people and 28 sheep died on the spot while several others who sustained various degrees of injuries were evacuated to the general hospital Kutigi for treatment," he said.

He said the police have begun an investigation into the accident.

Road accidents are common in Nigeria often caused by reckless driving, the poor state of vehicles and roads as well as overloading. Enditem
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Mexico City, June 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jun, 2021 ) :More than a million Mexican schoolchildren returned to classrooms around the country on Monday for the first time in more than a year thanks to an easing of pandemic lockdown measures.

"I'm excited and a little nervous to see my classmates again," said nine-year-old Iris Garcia, who was welcomed back to school in Mexico City by teachers with antibacterial gel and a thermometer.

She wore a mask and was accompanied by her grandfather, who had submitted a medical certificate for her ruling out any symptoms of Covid-19.

Schools in 13 of Mexico's 32 states have been authorized by the government to reopen classrooms following several months of declines in coronavirus cases and deaths.

The education ministry said that 1.6 million children at more than 24,000 schools attended face-to-face classes on Monday.

The return is voluntary and most students have yet to go back.

Those that do will only be able to attend twice a week for four hours a day, and will be offered two additional days of online classes.

Millions of Mexican children have been undergoing distance learning since August last year, posing a challenge for disadvantaged families with no tv or internet.

With more than a quarter of a million Covid-19 deaths, Mexico is one of the countries worst hit by the pandemic.

But a steady improvement in the situation since a surge in infections at the start of the year has led to a gradual return to normal life.

Nancy Guillen, an elementary school principal in the capital, said that she would initially welcome back a third of her students.

"We're excited because this school is our home," she said.

She acknowledged that some parents were worried about their children being infected with the coronavirus.

So far around a quarter of Mexican adults have had at least one coronavirus vaccine, including most teaching staff who were given priority, but children have yet to be inoculated.

"Our main challenge will be to get the little ones to wear face masks for at least four hours," Guillen said.

According to the government, any school where a coronavirus case is detected must immediately suspend face-to-face classes.

Ivoon Ponciano said it felt strange to be back in school with only a few of her classmates.

"My mother thought it was a good idea to come back. They were very difficult months, weird, with all the face masks and empty streets," the 12-year-old said.
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Bamako, June 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jun, 2021 ) :Malian strongman Colonel Assimi Goita stood by the goal of staging elections next February as he was sworn in as transitional president on Monday, also naming a civilian premier after international outrage over the country's second coup in nine months.

Goita, who had already headed a coup that toppled the West African country's democratically elected leader last August, ousted the civilian president and prime minister of a transitional government on May 24.

In doing so, he sparked diplomatic uproar and deepened fears of chaos in a country key to efforts to stem the jihadist insurgency sweeping the Sahel.

"I swear before God and the Malian people to preserve the republican regime... to preserve democratic gains," said Goita during the swearing-in ceremony in the capital Bamako.

The colonel, dressed in full military regalia, added that Mali would stick to its commitments, pledging "fair and transparent" elections by February next year.

It is unclear how Mali's partners and neighbours, who have condemned the second coup, will respond.

The latest putsch prompted the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to suspend Mali, calling for the appointment of a civilian prime minister. ECOWAS mediator Goodluck Jonathan, the former Nigerian president, is expected in Mali on Tuesday.

Former colonial power France also its suspended military cooperation with Malian forces and stopped giving military advice.

After Goita's swearing in, Choguel Maiga, a 63-year-old political veteran, was announced as prime minister in a statement read out on Mali's national broadcaster -- an appointment that had been expected for days.

As a leading figure in the opposition M5 movement, Malian observers view the three-time presidential candidate as a figure who can lend credibility to the post-coup administration.

The M5 helped build dissent that led to the ouster of former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita last August following mass protests over perceived corruption and a bloody jihadist insurgency.

But the movement was sidelined in the first post-coup government, which was dominated by military figures.

That government pledged to reform the constitution by October, and stage elections in February.

Still, M5 became a vocal critic, calling the transitional administration a "disguised military regime".

Since the second coup on May 24, however, there has a rapprochement between M5 and the army.

Soon after the putsch, Goita floated that he wanted to appoint an M5 figure as his prime minister, and the appointment of a civilian premier fulfils a key demand from the international community.

The Union for the Republic and Democracy (URD) party, the main opposition during Keita's presidency, welcomed Maiga's nomination and said it was ready to support the transition government.

Bocary Treta, leader of the Rally for Mali, the party of the deposed president, called for "transparent" elections.

Maintaining its international partnerships, not least with France, is crucial for Mali. One of the world's poorest countries, its security forces suffer from poor equipment and training.

France has 5,100 troops stationed in the Sahel to help fight jihadist violence that erupted in Mali in 2012 and now threatens the region.

By stressing that Mali would stick to its commitments, Goita appeared on Monday to be seeking to allay international concerns.

In a move that will reassure foreign partners, the colonel also promised to continue work on the 2015 Algiers accord, a shaky agreement between the central government and several armed groups.

The deal, which has never been fully implemented, is seen as crucial to ending Mali's grinding conflict.

Its future was put into question, however, when it became clear that Maiga was poised to become the prime minister. As an opposition figure he was a vocal critic of the peace accord.

Other potential rifts loom on the horizon.

Maiga is close to religious leader Mahmoud Dicko, who has repeatedly spoken in favour of negotiating with the jihadists -- a position ferociously opposed by France.

Goita himself alluded to such negotiations on Monday, stating during the ceremony that "inclusive national dialogue" will continue in a "judicious manner".
New Delhi, June 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jun, 2021 ) :Tanya Ashnigdh is four months pregnant and frightened, one of the millions of expectant mothers excluded from India's faltering vaccination drive despite being at greater risk from Covid-19.

In a country with one of the world's poorest-funded health care services, giving birth has always been fraught with risks and the devastating recent coronavirus surge has worsened the situation.

Ashnigdh, 31, lives in Muzaffarpur in India's poorest state Bihar. Like other cities, it has been ravaged by the pandemic, and the state's decrepit public hospitals have struggled to deal with the spike in cases.

She cannot get vaccinated because of government policy, with authorities citing a lack of data.

And she has been scared of going for check-ups in case she catches the virus at the packed local clinic.

"We have been kept last in the queue," Ashnigdh told AFP.

"There is so much risk in stepping out... I am scared about getting an ultrasound too, so I don't even know when my baby is due." - Shallow breathing - There is no official data but doctors say that during the recent surge, blamed in part on new virus variants, the number of pregnant women getting sick has been noticeable.

Even before the pandemic, India's maternal mortality ratio was at 113 per 100,000 live births in 2016-18, compared with seven in Britain in 2017.

A study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which analysed 400,000 women aged 15-44 with Covid-19, showed that pregnancy increases the risk of severe illness if they catch the virus.

"As the belly becomes bigger and bigger, the lungs do not expand very well and breathing becomes shallow in pregnant women," gynaecologist Ranjana Sharma at New Delhi's Apollo Hospital told AFP.

"And as we know Covid affects the lungs -- it (breathing) becomes all the more difficult for them. They are also at an increased risk of blood clotting." Another study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics found a higher risk of premature births and other complications from Covid-19.

With 27 million births every year, the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India believes the "very real benefits" of vaccinations outweigh the risks.

The government says a lack of data prevents them from doing so, but doctors point to other nations that allow vaccinations of pregnant women such as the United States and Britain.

However, mothers-to-be in those countries are advised to take the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna shots, neither of which is available in India. It is deploying the AstraZeneca and Bharat Biotech jabs.
LUSAKA, Zambia, 8 June (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jun, 2021 ) :- Zambia's Health Ministry painted a bleak picture Monday of the effects of the country's coronavirus outbreak as health officials pleaded for public compliance with prevention guidelines.

Kennedy Malama, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Health in charge of technical services, announced in the capital Lusaka that the country had now registered a total of 100,765 cases and 1,315 deaths.

"In the last 24 hours, we recorded 487 new confirmed cases out of 4,902 tests conducted, representing a 10% positivity rate. Regrettably, we also recorded seven new deaths in the last 24 hours," Malama said.

However, the senior health official also revealed that the newly built Lusaka Specialized Hospital had been opened as an isolation center for COVID-19 patients.

Another boost in the fight against the pandemic was the resumption of work by resident doctors who had downed tools for a week in protest against a delayed settling of arrears and other emoluments by the government.

In the latest update, combined discharges from COVID-19 isolation facilities and home-based care management were at 320, bringing the cumulative number of recoveries to 93,694.

However, the 24-hour period under review also presented 53 new admissions, bringing the number of active cases to 5,756.

A total of 186 among those under admission were on oxygen therapy, with 21 in critical condition.
Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani on Tuesday hosted a lunch at the Parliament House in honor of the outgoing members of the Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA) executive body

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jun, 2021 ) :Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani on Tuesday hosted a lunch at the Parliament House in honor of the outgoing members of the Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA) executive body.

Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser, Deputy Chairman Senate Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Leader of the House in the Senate Dr. Shehzad Waseem, Senator Faisal Javed and Secretary Senate Muhammad Qasim Samad Khan also participated, said a press release.

The Chairman Senate said that the integrity and national security of Pakistan is paramount and PRA is a part of Parliament which has become a dynamic organization and serve as an asset to the House.

Regarding the problems of journalists, the Chairman Senate said that they are aware of the problems faced by the journalists and appropriate steps are being taken to solve these problems.

The role of journalism, he said, is the success of any developed country which cannot be denied.

The Chairman Senate paid rich tributes to the outgoing members of the PRA Executive Body for their outstanding services.

He observed that PRA has emerged as a vibrant bridge between the parliament and the people.

Speaking on the occasion, Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser congratulated the Executive Body of the Parliamentary Reporters Association on its successful completion of its term.

The former president and his entire team deserve congratulations on the dynamic role which they have played.

He said that the National Assembly Secretariat is ready to provide assistance to PRAs through PIPS where regular courses, seminars, workshops can be conducted.

Senior journalist and columnist Hafiz Tahir Khalil, President PRA Bahzad Saleemi and Siddique Sajid also addressed on the occasion.
FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jun, 2021 ) :Pakistan Railways has established a help desk at Faisalabad Railway Station to provide information to the general public about tragic train accident at Ghotki.

A spokesman of Pakistan Railways said on Monday that a help desk has been set up at Faisalabad Railways Station and the relatives of those passengers who travelled in Millat Express and Sir Syed Express trains from Lahore to Karachi or from Karachi to Sargodha can contact the desk for latest information.

Contact numbers of the help desk are 041-9200488 and 0333-4805996, he added.
Millions of Algerian voters will cast ballot in the country's parliamentary elections on June 12 amid strict safety measures to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus pandemic

ALGIERS (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jun, 2021 ) Millions of Algerian voters will cast ballot in the country's parliamentary elections on June 12 amid strict safety measures to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

The vote will be the second since the outbreak of the virus in the North African nation after holding a referendum in November 2020 on amending the constitution.

An acute upsurge of cases, exceeding 1,200 per day, was recorded during the referendum, something Algerian authorities are keen to avoid.

In total, Algeria has recorded nearly 4,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, according to figures by the Algerian Ministry of Health.

About 24 million voters, more than half of the country's 43 million population, are eligible to vote in the June 12 polls.

Mohamed Charfi, the head of the National Independent Authority of the Elections (ANIE), told a press conference last month that special safety protocols will be in place during the polls to curb the spread of the virus.

He also noted that a specialized medical structure will be established to ensure compliance with health protocols.

Although the daily infection tally has been relatively stable in the past few weeks, authorities stress respect for preventive measures in light of mutated strains of the virus.

These measures include a month-long night curfew that started on May 20 in 19 out of 58 provinces, a measure that covers campaign and voting days.
QUITO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th June, 2021) The Ecuadorian government would like to resume bilateral relations with Russia in all possible spheres, Julio Prado Espinosa, the Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry's vaccine coordinator and former ambassador to Moscow, told Sputnik.

"The idea expressed by both the foreign minister and the minister of production, trade and investment, like President [Guillermo] Lasso himself, is that they want the resumption of bilateral relations with Russia at all levels and in all possible spheres," Prado Espinosa said.

He said the previous administration did not develop relations with Moscow, and that the current government intends to change this situation.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th June, 2021) The White House and the Ukrainian presidential office have published conflicting readouts following a telephone conversation between the two leaders, with Kiev later withdrawing words about Joe Biden's support for the country's NATO membership plan, media reported.

Zelenskyy's office initially reported that Biden had "highlighted... the importance of providing the Ukrainian state with a NATO Membership Action Plan"  a statement can be interpreted as that Ukraine is on course for membership in the alliance.

The White House, however, denied Biden made such a remark during Monday's call.

"The Ukrainians mischaracterized the statement and corrected the record," a US National Security Council spokesperson told Axios.

Ukraine's updated press release now says "Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed the importance of providing the Ukrainian state with a NATO Membership Action Plan."

The White House declined to comment on whether the US leader backs the idea of offering Kiev a NATO Membership Action Plan this year, the news portal added.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 22:32:07|Editor: huaxia

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LUSAKA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Marcopolo Tiles Company Limited, a Chinese tiles manufacturing firm based in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, has posted strong financial performance despite the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the company's phased approach for development.

Roy Mwamba, acting chief executive officer of Marcopolo Tiles, on Monday presented a cheque of 72 million Zambian Kwacha (about 3.19 million U.S. dollars) as dividend for the financial year 2020 to Zambia's state-owned Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), which owns 22.61 percent of Marcopolo Tiles stake, at a ceremony held in Lusaka.

Mwamba in his speech attributed the his company's success to the phased approach that the company has taken to assert itself as a strategic investor in Zambia.

While receiving the dividend cheque, IDC Chief Executive Officer Mateyo Kaluba commended Marcopolo Tiles Co. Ltd for delivering a strong performance in 2020 despite difficulties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said IDC was happy that Marcopolo Tiles did not allow the pandemic to prevent it from growing, noting that IDC was happy to be part of the strategic investment that has created about 700 jobs and a new value chain in the manufacturing sector.

The investment has positioned Zambia from an importer of tiles to a regional exporter, Kaluba added.

Marcopolo Tiles was incorporated in Zambia in 2016 and commenced operations in 2017. In August last year, the IDC acquired 22.61 percent of the firm's stake, while the National Pension Authority acquired 16.39 percent with the Workers' Compensation Fund Control Board getting 10 percent.

According to Mwamba, Marcopolo Tiles is currently operating at phase three of development, with phase four expected to commence in August this year. Phase-four development of Marcopolo Tiles will involve the production of sanitary ware which will be the first in Zambia and the southern African region. The company also plans to start producing high dimension tiles which are currently only manufactured in East Asia and Europe. Enditem
Maldives' Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid has been elected as the President of the 76 session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), winning a three-fourth majority against his opponent -- Afghanistan's former foreign minister Zalmai Rassoul

UNITED NATIONS, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jun, 2021 ) :Maldives' Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid has been elected as the President of the 76 session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), winning a three-fourth majority against his opponent -- Afghanistan's former foreign minister Zalmai Rassoul.

He defeated the former Afghan foreign minister in a 143-48 vote on Monday, with two of the assembly's 193 member nations not voting. The vote was by secret ballot.

Turkey's Volkan Bozkir, the current assembly president, said Shahid brings to the job "extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy," serving his Indian Ocean island nation twice as foreign minister and for 10 years before that as chief of staff to the president.

Shahid has been "a strong voice in calling attention to the impact on small island developing states" by the pandemic and by climate change, which threatens people's lives and livelihoods, Bozkir said.

In his remarks, Shahid, 59, said he was "deeply humbled" by the trust shown by the U.N. members and the honour given to his island nation of 26 atolls, population about 550,000, which lies in the Indian Ocean southwest of Sri Lanka and India.

Saying he has "an undying belief in multilateralism with an ardent desire to serve the international community," Shahid said his aim is to launch "a presidency of hope" and "to hit the ground running on day one in September as soon as I take my oath of office." "This is a crucial time for the United Nations and for the world," Shahid said. "There is very little time to spare." He pointed to the past year's "disease, despair and devastation" as a result of the pandemic, along with increasing "inequality, injustice and instability" and the "suffering" of the planet from climate change.

Shahid said his priorities during his year-long presidency of the 76th session of the General Assembly are to recover from the pandemic, both by making vaccines available to all people everywhere, and rebuilding economies stronger and greener and "and ensuring no country is left behind.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres congratulated Shahid, and also expressed his "deep appreciation" to Volkan Bozkir for his "exceptional leadership" as Assembly President during the 75th session.

"As our most representative organ, the General Assembly is the foundation of all our work at the United Nations, and essential to our effectiveness as an Organization", he said. "In 2021, the world needs that effectiveness more than ever".

On 6 May, Bozkir had convened informal interactive dialogues in the General Assembly Hall  as mandated in resolution 71/323  in which the candidates responded to the questions submitted earlier by civil society and other representatives.

"I wholeheartedly congratulate the Honourable Abdulla Shahid on his election as the next President of the UN General Assembly", said the incumbent President, reminding that the President-elect has been "a strong voice" for the small island developing States.

The outgoing President also recognized "the strong candidacy" of Zalmai Rassoul, saying that his "extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy" and "comprehensive vision" has "earned the respect of Member States".
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th June, 2021) Russia is interested in increasing trade and investment cooperation with Djibouti, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

"We consider it important to create conditions for expanding trade, economic and investment ties for the sake of implementing mutually beneficial projects in energy, transport infrastructure and agriculture," Lavrov said at a meeting with his Djibouti counterpart, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.

He noted that many Russian companies are interested in working in Djibouti and would like to establish contacts with Djibouti partners.

The recently established Russian-Djibouti business Club can facilitate such direct communication between businesses of the two countries, Lavrov stated.

For his part, Youssouf asserted that Djibouti was also willing to boost cooperation with Russia in such areas as tourism and infrastructure projects. He stressed that the country has been actively developing its ports and railroads and would like to attract foreign investors, including from Russia.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Prevention of Genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu on Tuesday welcomed the decision by the UN's International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) to uphold the conviction and life sentence against Ratko Mladic for war crimes committed during the Yugoslav Wars

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th June, 2021) UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Prevention of Genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu on Tuesday welcomed the decision by the UN's International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) to uphold the conviction and life sentence against Ratko Mladic for war crimes committed during the Yugoslav Wars.

Earlier in the day, judges of the Appeals Chamber of the IRMCT affirmed the life imprisonment sentence of the former commander of Bosnian Serbs Mladic. At the same time, Mladic was not found guilty of genocide of around 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in the town of Srebrenica in 1995.

"The Mechanism's verdict highlights the determination of the international justice system to ensure accountability no matter how long it may take - in Mladic's case, nearly three decades after he committed his appalling crimes," Bachelet said.

Nderitu added the conviction sends an important message throughout the regions that see increasing genocide denial and the glorification of invited criminals.

Bachelet and Nderitu called on officials and media organizations in the Western Balkans to avoid using revisionist narratives and incitement of hatred that can exacerbate tensions between the communities and states in the region.

The UN officials also noted that while justice alone cannot lead to reconciliation, the Mechanism's decision represents an essential step on the path to it and constitutes a critical component of prevention.

Mladic served as the commander of the army of Republika Srpska during the 1992-1995 conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was arrested by the Serbian authorities in 2011 after fleeing international justice for 16 years. In November 2017, the UN Criminal Tribunal in The Hague convicted Mladic of war crimes that date back to the 1992-1995 conflict. Mladic was sentenced to life in prison.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th June, 2021) Members of the UN Security Council condemned violations of human rights and humanitarian law in the Central African Republic (CAR) during a meeting of the council on Monday, Estonian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Gert Auvaart said in a readout.

"The members of the Security Council strongly condemned ongoing human rights violations and abuses and violations of international humanitarian law in the CAR, and stressed the need to bring to justice their perpetrators. They called on all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access," Auvaart stated.

The Security Council also reiterated that attacks against UN peacekeepers operating in the country may constitute war crimes, calling upon car authorities to enhance the safety and security of UN personnel.

Late last month, a clash between CAR and Chadian forces resulted in casualties on both sides. Members of CAR's armed forces chased armed rebels into the neighboring country, where they then attacked an outpost managed by Chadian soldiers.

Additionally, US President Joe Biden issued a national emergency declaration on the situation in the CAR, stating that it poses an unusual threat to US national security and foreign policy. A notice released by the White House characterized the country's condition as filled with intersectarian tension, widespread violence and atrocities, and the use of child soldiers, which threatens the peace, security, or stability of both the CAR and neighboring states.
The University of South Florida today broke ground on a three-story, 47,000-square-foot Student Wellness Center on the Tampa campus, a reflection of the universitys deep commitment to health and wellness as a foundation for student success. The new facility will be nearly four times larger than the current Student Health Services building and will allow USF to provide better care for students by bringing more services together under one roof.

The University of South Florida has long recognized that health and wellness are integral to the success of our students. The global pandemic of this past year has only heightened that awareness, USF President Steve Currall said. This Student Government-supported project will greatly benefit our students by providing enhanced health and wellness services on our campus and significantly increasing USFs capacity to provide such services.

Located next to the Recreation & Wellness Center on USF Genshaft Drive, the new facility will deliver general medical, urgent care and specialty services, including sexual health and gynecology, physical therapy, dermatology, immunizations, psychiatry and behavioral health, nutrition and travel medicine. Ancillary services will include phlebotomy, point-of-collection laboratory services and a pharmacy. Student Health Services business operations and case managers will also be housed in the new building.

The Agency for Healthcare Administration recommends an average of one square foot per student for a health care facility. The current Student Health Services building, occupied since 1980, is only 12,500 square feet. USF is home to more than 50,000 students.

Our student population has outgrown the existing Student Health Services building, limiting our ability to adequately serve our students, said Dr. Joseph Puccio, executive and medical director of USF Student Health Services. By moving forward with a significantly larger, modern, one-stop health care facility, our professional staff will be better equipped to serve our student population, ultimately helping them to remain focused on their academics.

The approximate cost of the project is $27.4 million and its fully funded by the Capital Improvement Trust Fund (CITF) fee, which is a student fee collected over time that state law requires to be used for constructing a facility or acquiring real property on a one-time funding basis. Projects are recommended through collaboration between student leadership and the USF CITF Advisory Committee. In addition to having the support of students, the project had to be approved by the USF president, the USF Board of Trustees and the Florida Board of Governors prior to construction. Funding was authorized by the Florida Legislature and the governor. USF Tampa campus students have been contributing their CITF fee revenues toward the construction costs of the new Student Wellness Center since 2015 when the plan was first introduced and approved by the CITF Advisory Committee and the student body.

As the voice of our students, Student Government is thrilled to support the universitys upward trajectory by focusing on student needs and well-being, said Spencer McCloskey, USF Tampa campus governor for Student Government in the 2020-21 term. Todays groundbreaking symbolizes the culmination of years of effort from many parties, as well as Student Government administrations, to make this idea a reality.

The building design has been modified to take into consideration lessons learned during COVID-19. For example, to reduce the risk of cross contamination, the air handling unit will have upgraded filters to help mitigate the airborne spread of a virus. In addition, the urgent care suite will be 100 percent exhausted so that no used or expelled air recirculates and mixes with the rest of the building. An exterior overhang was also added to provide additional space for potential outdoor clinical operations or activity.

Cannon Design and Barr&Barr/Horus were selected as the design and construction team for the project, based on qualification reviews and interviews completed with 14 interested teams. Construction is expected to be complete in fall 2022.
Will Weatherford will serve as the new chair of the University of South Florida Board of Trustees, following his unanimous selection by board members during a meeting held today. In the same meeting, Mike Griffin was unanimously chosen to serve as the boards new vice chair. Both the chair and vice chair terms are for two years and take effect July 1, 2021.

Weatherford is managing partner of Weatherford Capital and former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. He is a member of the Florida Council of 100, Florida Chamber of Commerce and Jacksonville University Board of Trustees, and recently served as co-chairman of the Super Bowl LV Host Committee. Weatherford earned his bachelors degree in international business from Jacksonville University.

Its an honor to be selected by my fellow trustees to serve in the role of board chair, Weatherford said. I firmly believe that the University of South Florida is such a valuable asset to Tampa Bay that the region will only go as far as USF will take it in the future. In the coming years we have an exciting opportunity at USF to reach even greater successes in pursuit of becoming a top 25 public university and positioning for membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities.

Griffin is the Tampa market leader for Savills, a worldwide company known for its consistent delivery of a full range of integrated real estate services across the globe. He previously served as chairman of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and was recognized as its youngest chairman in the more than 130-year history of the organization. Griffin earned his bachelors degree in business administration from USF. During his time as a student, he served two terms as student body president and was the charter student member of the USF Board of Trustees.

I am humbled and proud to serve as vice chair of the Board of Trustees for my alma mater, the University of South Florida, Griffin said. We are on a remarkable trajectory as the fastest-rising university in the country and I look forward to advancing USF to make an even greater impact in the future.

Weatherford fills the role previously held by Jordan Zimmerman, who announced he would not seek another term as chair.

Im delighted to welcome Will Weatherford and Mike Griffin to the roles of chair and vice chair, respectively, of the USF Board of Trustees, USF President Steve Currall said. I look forward to our continued work together to advance USFs plan for a bold future. I also wish to sincerely thank Jordan Zimmerman for his enthusiasm and leadership as board chair, especially throughout the challenges of 2020.

The USF Board of Trustees is comprised of 13 members, six of whom are appointed by the Florida governor and five appointed by the Florida Board of Governors for a term of five years. The elected USF Faculty Senate president and USF Student Government president also serve as trustees.
Valdosta, GA (31601)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening, with mostly cloudy skies after midnight. Low near 70F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening, with mostly cloudy skies after midnight. Low near 70F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 22:32:18|Editor: huaxia

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WINDHOEK, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's wildlife crime statistics indicate that four rhinos and one elephant have been poached to date this year, as law enforcement operations continue to close the net on wildlife crime in the country, an official said Tuesday.

The four rhinos were white rhinos, poached on private farms while the elephant was poached in a conservancy in the central Otjozondjupa region, the Ministry of Environment spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda said Tuesday in an update.

"These figures show a serious decline in poaching of rhinos and elephants. This is mainly due to the collaborative effort of stakeholders against wildlife crime," he said, adding that four suspects including one police officer and a soldier were arrested on June 6.

According to Muyunda, from the beginning of June, law enforcement agencies have made significant arrests of wildlife crime perpetrators involving products of high valued species across the country.

"However, we wish to acknowledge the continued support and involvement of the Namibian Police and the Defense Forces in fighting wildlife crime in general and in particular, for apprehending the suspects and prevention of illegal killing of our wild animals especially rhinos, elephants and pangolins," he said. Enditem
Valdosta, GA (31601)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies. Scattered thunderstorms this evening. Low near 70F. ENE winds at 10 to 15 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies. Scattered thunderstorms this evening. Low near 70F. ENE winds at 10 to 15 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
At their Plenary Meeting in May, Australia's Bishops discuss three priorities for their Conference: Formation; Becoming More Missionary; and Fostering Collegiality.

By Vatican News Service

The Catholic Church of Australia has identified three priorities the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference must pursue: Formation, Becoming More Missionary and Promoting Collegiality. The priorities emerged from the ACBC Plenary Assembly, held virtually from 6-13 May due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Formation, mission, collegiality

With regard to formation, the Bishops stressed that formation is for all the baptised and is life-long. It forms faith, shapes discipleship, deepens spirituality, enhances understanding, increases knowledge, effects conversion, builds Church community, fosters co-responsibility for the Churchs mission and equips Catholics for service. For this reason, the Bishops say, Formation needs to be specifically tailored for particular vocations and ministries within the Church community.

The priority of becoming more missionary stems from Pope Francis dream of a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, from the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelium gaudium. The Bishops acknowledge how easy it is for the Church to become inward-looking and self-referential. A missionary impulse, on the other hand, impels the Bishops to present and promote Christs teachings in ways that are life-giving and appealing. Such a missionary impulse, the note continues, also involves offering society a new vision of what it can become  a vision centred in Jesus and the way of living He has shown us: acting humbly, seeking justice, speaking truth, offering healing and leading by service.

Finally, for the promotion of collegiality, the Conference recalls that all Catholic Bishops belong to the College of Bishops. So, although much of their ministry is exercised in their own Dioceses, they nonetheless also share national responsibilities. The Bishops state that their experience of the fruits of gathering for prayer and retreat, of engaging in shared reflection and discernment of significant issues, of journeying together towards the forthcoming Plenary Council and of supporting each other has heightened their sense of collegiality and affirmed its value, both for the Bishops themselves and also for the Church in Australia. The Conference, therefore, intends to foster the collegiality of the Bishops, not as an end in itself, but as a means to more fruitful ministry and service in the Churchs life and mission.

The Plenary Assembly

At their Plenary Assembly, the Bishops sent a message to Pope Francis, which opened with a reflection on the Covid-19 pandemic in Australia and the rest of the world. The message highlighted reasons for the Church in Australia to be thankful, including progress made towards the upcoming Fifth Plenary Council, and the 200th anniversary of Catholic schooling in Australia.

They also outlined progress in safeguarding and professional standards, including the creation of a new safeguarding body and the introduction of a National Response Protocol, which offers a framework for Catholic entities to respond consistently to people raising concerns or allegations of sexual abuse.

During their meeting, the Bishops reflected on preparations for the fifth Council of the Australian Catholic Church, which has been postponed due to the pandemic; it is now scheduled for October 2021 and July 2022. The event represents the most important national meeting since the last Plenary Council, convened in 1937: the Australian Catholic community, they said, is called to discuss and reflect on the future of the Church's evangelizing mission in the country, especially in the face of the challenges of the contemporary era, including that of the protection of minors.

Other topics examined by the ACBC Plenary include the need for a new catechesis on the Sacrament of Penance, especially in view of legislative attacks on the seal of the confessional; the new ministry of catechist, instituted by Pope Francis on May 10 with the Motu proprio Antiquum ministerium; as well as vigilance, when necessary or possible, for priests removed from their ministry, as well as financial support for them. The Bishops also reflected on the work of Catholic schools, which in 2021 will celebrate 200 years of service in Australia; and on interreligious dialogue. The Bishops noted that during the pandemic, many religious leaders have been working closely during the pandemic, including in advocating for fair treatment of places of worship when restrictions are imposed on public gatherings when there is community transmission.

The Australian Bishops expressed serious concern over the desecration of Christian and cultural sites during the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, attacks which they say deserve the strongest censure of the international community.

The ACBC also announced the publication of a statement on social justice for the month of August, entitled, The cry of the earth, the cry of the poor. Regarding indigenous peoples, the Bishops asked the national government to hold a referendum as soon as possible to have an indigenous voice in Parliament to advise the government on relevant laws, policies and programs.

Finally, the Bishops welcomed the Australian Catholic Cursillo Movement's request to be recognized as a private association of Christ's faithful, while insisting they be required to commit to national standards for the protection of minors.
No casualties or injuries were reported in the June 6 attack on the church of Mary Queen of Peace. The structure has been damaged and its windows shattered.

By Robin Gomes

Yet another Catholic church has been shelled by the military in Myanmar. Ironically, the church is dedicated to Mary Queen of Peace in Daw Ngan Kha in Kayah State. It came under fire on Sunday, but no casualties or injuries were reported as the parishioners sheltering inside sensed the attack and fled to their relatives or into the jungle. However, the church walls were badly damaged and windows shattered. The attack appears to be deliberate since the church compound is fairly large and clearly visible on a busy street. Several nearby houses were also damaged by the shelling.

Third church under attack in Kayah

Mary Queen of Peace church is reportedly the third church that has come under military attack in two weeks in Kayah. Sacred Heart Church in Kayanthayar village near Loikaw was hit by artillery shelling that killed four Catholics and wounded at least eight others on May 23 night. St. Joseph Church in Demoso town, one of the key areas of fighting, was hit by military artillery on May 26 night. However, another reported military attack on Jeroblou Marian shrine in Pekhon near Loikaw in Kayah on June 6 could not be independently confirmed.

According to the Vaticans Fides news agency, 75 percent of Kayahs population belong to ethnic minority groups and is the state with the highest percentage of Christians. There are over 90,000 Catholics, almost a third of the 355,000 inhabitants of the state. Caritas, the Catholic Churchs social arm, is working with various partners and donors to help some 300,000 people displaced by indiscriminate violence.

Revival of ethnic conflicts

The impoverished south east Asian nation has been plunged into chaos since the Feb. 1 military coup that ousted the elected government and detained its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Protests and strikes against the coup have paralyzed parts of the economy.

Christians are a minority in the predominantly Buddhist country, accounting for 6.2 percent of its 54 million population. Myanmar Catholics represent about 1.5 percent of the population.

The crisis has also re-ignited Myanmars old conflicts between the military and some of the armed ethnic organizations. Areas occupied by the Kachin, Chin, Karen and Kayah ethnic groups, who have been facing oppression and persecution at the hands of the military for decades, are largely Christian. An estimated one-third of Myanmars territory  mostly the border regions  is currently controlled by 20-odd armed rebel outfits. The military has stepped up its offensive against ethnic guerrillas and anti-coup resistance groups by deploying fighter jets and heavy artillery.

Displacement of civilians

More than 175,000 people have been displaced in Kachin, Karen, Chin, Kayah and Shan states since the coup, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Many of the civilians caught in these conflicts have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, while a large number is displaced within, many of them seeking shelter in Church institutions, Buddhist monasteries and temples. But even churches, that have been deemed safe for civilians, have not been spared by the military.

Sundays attack on Mary Queen of Peace took place despite an appeal by Cardinal Charles Bo of Yangon, the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Myanmar, who urged all parties in conflict to keep clear of places of worship in keeping with international protocols and conventions.

Myanmars military have not only targeted humanitarian organizations. Some observers say the junta is trying to turn the conflict with the resistance movement into a religious war.

On Saturday, security forces killed at least 20 civilians in the Ayeyarwady region. Residents of Hlayswe village armed with catapults and crossbows clashed with security forces searching for weapons, resulting in the heaviest death toll in the last past months.

Intransigent junta

In its latest count as of Monday, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which documents and compiles the casualties of the anti-coup protests, 857 people have been confirmed killed so far by the junta.

The military junta has paid little heed to demands from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to respect a "consensus" agreed in late April to end violence and hold political talks with its opponents. Southeast Asian foreign ministers expressed disappointment at the meeting in China on Monday at the "very slow" progress made by Myanmar on its proposal for ending the turmoil.

On Sunday, Pope Francis urged believers of various faiths to set aside a minute at 1:00 pm on Tuesday to pray for peace the Holy Land and Myanmar. The peace initiative of the International Forum of Catholic Action (IFCA), received the support of local Catholic Action organizations, the World Union of Catholic Womens Organizations and other entities.
Enterprises in Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Haiphong are undergoing a critical labour shortage

A quarter of the workforce of manufacturers in industrial zones (IZs) in Bac Giang are in isolation or are undergoing treatment for COVID-19.

Currently, there are 3,000 workers working at three manufacturing facilities of Foxconn in IZs in the two provinces. All of them are living in dormitories of the group and commute to the facilities by shuttle bus. Before the pandemic outbreak in the provinces, the company had 12,000 employees at these facilities.

Meanwhile, the representative of Fuyu Precision Component Co., Ltd. said that the company is in need of a large number of employees and has proposed the province to allow its employees in isolation to return to work under strict management. The leaders of the company committed to complying with all regulations to ensure safety for their employees.

Silex Vietnam in Quang Chau IZ is also struggling to maintain operations because its employees are afraid to come back to work until they receive confirmation from the districts and communes that they are are not COVID-19 positive and that it is safe to return to work.

As of now, 11 enterprises in IZs of Bac Giang (including two Foxconn facilities and Silex) have been allowed to resume operations with a total of 5,007 employees.

In Haiphong, Crystal Sweater Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Trang Due IZ said that the company has been receiving stable orders since the beginning of this year, however, 300 of the company's workers are isolated, impacting production progress.

The shortage of workers is also a problem at Maple Co., Ltd, JASAN, Canadian Solar in VSIP, Primzen, Vinamode, and Yazaki Haiphong Vietnam in Trang Due IZ.
InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort enhances guest experiences and safety by applying IHG's Clean Promise

This global launch is expanding on the groups InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) Way of Clean programme launched in 2015 with additional practices using new science-led protocols and service measures, partnering with industry-leading experts Cleveland Clinic, Ecolab, and Diversey, and strengthening procedures to ensure that guests can have a worry-free stay.

In Vietnam, the local government and citizens have been making great efforts to combat the pandemic. At InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort, we want to do our part to make sure that it stays this way at our resort. We treat every guest staying with us like family  with love and care. With that in mind, safety is the absolute priority so that our guests can completely relax and have the peace of mind that they are safe and being looked after, said Oliver Horn, general manager of InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort.

The resort is implementing increased deep cleaning and disinfection cycles as well as reduced contact at check-in, touchless transactions, sanitiser stations, and a new approach to services including buffets, banquets, catering, and room service.

In the guest rooms, decorative items such as bed throws and physical collateral including the guest service directories and in-room dining menus have been removed to increase overall hygiene. Instead, all information about the resort will be available on guest room televisions through an interactive menu. Minibar items have also been removed for hygiene reasons but can still be ordered via in-room dining.

Meanwhile, all restaurants and bars now offer contact-less menu ordering and guests may scan a provided QR code to view the menu and order from a mobile app via their own personal digital devices. One-time menus will also be provided and discarded after use. During breakfast at Sora & Umi restaurant, the staff will serve the guests selected dishes from the sumptuous breakfast buffet straight to the table.

During their stay, guests will also find visible verification notices of sanitised items in their rooms and can maintain peace of mind knowing the resort has taken extra measures to ensure a safe and healthy environment. Leisure facilities including the four swimming pools, Planet Trekkers Childrens Club, fitness centre, and beach and water activities will still be available and playing their role in the Clean Promise.

While different touchpoints have been reduced, InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort is not reducing care for the wellbeing of its guests during these changing times.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 23:35:11|Editor: huaxia

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KAMPALA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- World Bank in its new report has urged Uganda to promote green growth to beat the economic vulnerabilities caused by the devastating impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The bank in its 17th Uganda Economic Update, published here on Tuesday, said lockdown measures pushed many businesses to close and caused job losses, leading to low household incomes especially in the urban informal sector.

This, according to the report, forced many people to return to agriculture and other natural resources-dependent activities to manage and survive the crisis.

"This further strains natural resources, which were already under pressure from rapid population growth, urbanization, a refugee influx and the country's drive for industrialization," said Tony Thompson, World Bank Country Manager for Uganda.

The report said as the country's economy continues to show a recovery trend and a shift to agriculture in response to the crisis, the government needs to urgently enhance sustainable use of natural resources.

Land degradation, deforestation and climate risks contribute to the country's economic vulnerabilities and poverty, according to the report.

The combined cost to the economy of land degradation and unsustainable soil erosion is estimated at 17 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Environmental degradation can cause a loss of 27 percent of agricultural GDP, says the report.

"As the crisis abates, fiscal consolidation and prioritization of spending towards human capital development and greener investments will be the lynchpin into a greener, resilient and inclusive recovery," said Rachel Sebudde, World Bank Senior Economist and lead author of the report.

"Farmers and producers need greater access to appropriate financial incentives and instruments to overcome the cost barrier to adoption of sustainable land management and climate-smart agriculture," said Pushina Ng'andwe, World Bank Senior Agriculture Economist and the report's co-author.

The Bank recommended that government promotes sustainable land management practices to protect, conserve and ensure better use of land, soil, water, and biodiversity resources while restoring degraded resources and their ecosystem functions.

Encouraging climate-smart agricultural practices will enhance resilience, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and boost national food security, the report said. Enditem
After spending months studying the investment climate of over 20 cities and provinces and more than 30 industrial zones in Vietnam, innovative solar module manufacturer JinkoSolar has decided to pour $500 million into a venture in the north-eastern province of Quang Ninhs Song Khoai Industrial Zone. The factory, licensed in late March, is expected to become operational this year. Nguyen Duc Tiep, deputy head of Quang Ninh Investment Promotion Agency, told VIR that JinkoSolar is speeding ahead with the project. Besides JinkoSolar, it is expected that Quang Ninh will see more foreign direct investment (FDI) in the time to come, Tiep said.

Over the next few weeks, the province will hold an online investment promotion conference to attract more Japanese funding. The event is expected to be joined by 40-50 Japanese companies, mostly operating in manufacturing and processing.

Currently, the province is instructing 10 foreign investors to complete dossiers, which are expected to be licensed this year with the total registered capital of $576 million, including some big projects involving liquefied natural gas warehousing ($200 million), refrigerator equipment ($90 million), and environmental protection ($160 million).

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), Quang Ninh is a typical example among many localities as good destinations for FDI in Vietnam, where the business and investment climate is significantly improving.

Despite causing grave consequences worldwide, COVID-19 has as yet been unable to prevent FDI inflows to Vietnam for the long term, and rising manufacturing, with both being major drivers of Vietnams economic growth this year and beyond.

For 2021 up to May 20, the total of newly-registered, added capital, and capital contributions as well as share purchases hit $14 billion, up 0.8 per cent on-year. Notably, the newly-registered capital hit $8.83 billion, up 18.6 per cent on-year, and the added capital reached $3.86 billion, up 11.7 per cent on-year.

FDI disbursement hit $7.15 billion, up 6.7 per cent on-year, thanks to production and business recovery.

The MPI said many major foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) are expanding in Vietnam, which is again restricting COVID-19 to only a handful of already locked-down areas.

For example, CEVA Logistics (Vietnam) under global logistics and supply chain company CEVA Logistics is now boosting recruitment of more employees for many positions. Under the business plan of CEVA Logistics Vietnam, the firm is expanding its network to ship goods to the US, which was Vietnams largest export market, with total turnover of $ 37.6 billion in the first five months of 2021, up 49.8 per cent on-year.

In Vietnam, the companys total revenue in the first quarter from freight shipping increased about 30 per cent on-year, Nguyen Thanh Van, head of Contract Logistics at CEVA Vietnam, told VIR. It is expected that the rate will be about 20-35 per cent for the entire year.

According to the General Statistics Office, businesses such as CEVA have contributed greatly to the countrys goods transportation which hit 739 million tonnes in the first five months of 2021, up 10.5 per cent as compared to the same period last year, when the rate declined 8 per cent on-year. Also in the first five months, Vietnams total export-import turnover is estimated to hit $262.2 billion, including $130.94 billion from exports  up 30.7 per cent on-year, and $131.3 billion from imports - up 36.4 per cent on-year.

A World Business Outlook Survey conducted released two weeks ago by the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad said that German businesses are showing optimism about Vietnams economy.

Vietnam is still one of the countries with the fastest economic growth in Southeast Asia, said the report. German business leaders in Vietnam maintain a positive view with the economic expectation as well as with their situation in Vietnam and they look forward to a recovered year of 2021 and 2022.
Leflair is rumored to get a new owner after bankruptcy filling

It is said that the investor behind Leflair is a US tech firm that has been operating in Vietnam for three years now with a track record of many successful mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals involving local small and mid-sized tech firms.

Leflair is an e-commerce platform that provides genuine branded products at a discount. The e-commerce platform official debuted in 2015 and quickly left an impression in the market with its business model of an inventory business rather than a marketplace. Specifically, Leflair keeps products from suppliers in its warehouses. To ensure the quality of the products, it developed two warehouses in Singapore and Hong Kong (China) with a strict inspection and management system.

In Vietnam, Leflair has become a reputable shopping site for luxury brands among middle-class customers. Following its inception in Vietnam in 2015, Leflair entered into partnerships with 2,500 brands and extended its reach to Singapore and the Philippines. By 2019, the e-commerce platform served over 120,000 customers a year, posting net revenues of up to dozens of million dollars per year with the highest average order value in Vietnams e-commerce market.

The startup bringing Leflair to Vietnam quickly achieved success and easily raised capital thanks to its strong business model built on flash sales. In its first few years, Leflair made a big splash in the local e-commerce market before filing for bankruptcy in May 2020. In March 2021, bankruptcy proceedings were opened, confirmed by the court's approval of bankruptcy proposal.

The Leflair e-commerce platform provides genuine branded products at a discount

While Leflair has yet to make an official announcement regarding its new owner, customers are excited about rumours of their once beloved e-commerce platform returning to the market. Meanwhile, old partners looking for partnership opportunities are also wondering what the return would bring: even as Leflair's sudden bankruptcy declaration was a source of various difficulties, its return may open up new opportunities.

The startup owning Leflair filed for bankruptcy in May 2020 and then received legal approval. So far, Leflair has transferred the ownership of its trade name and intangible assets associated with the Leflair trademark to a new investor in accordance with international law.

This M&A deal is made between the new investor from the United States and the owner of the Leflair brand, a corporation headquartered in Hong Kong. It is known that the new investor will soon launch the Leflair brand in the market with a view to make full use of the familiarity of the brand to revive the Leflair e-commerce platform. The new investor also focuses on investment and business activities by combining the new platform and operating system as well as selecting suppliers with high-quality and genuine products to offer customers professional service.

Leflair is a familiar name but it has been fully acquired and is now operated by a new owner who is not legally responsibly for any activities by the previous owner whose bankruptcy proceedings were approved by the law.

Leflair owns a strong business model built on flash sales

Highlights of Leflair under the previous owner  Leflair JSC - Early 2015: Leflair's startup successfully raised $300,000 from Apple Tree in an informal funding round. - At the end of 2015: Leflair e-commerce platform was officially launched in Vietnam - December 2016: Leflair opened a pre-seed round (Pre-series A) and successfully wrapped up an $1 million investment from Caldera Pacific, directly poured into Leflair e-commerce platform. - End of 2017: Successfully raised $3 million from Capital Management Group (Series A funding round) - 2018: Leflair announced $7 million investment from two investment funds  GS Shop and Belt Road Capital Management  in its Series B funding round, bringing the total value of the company's funding rounds to nearly $12 million. - 2019: Expanding and launching in the Philippines market. - May 2020: Leflair JSC filed for bankruptcy. - March 2021: Bankruptcy proceedings were opened, confirmed by the court's approval of bankruptcy proposal.
Almost all industries in Vietnams southern region have been suffering under supply chain disruptions

In the countrys largest metropolis and home to nine million, around 250 people have tested positive as part of a cluster that originated in a religious mission, making it one of the largest coronavirus clusters this year. Twenty out of 22 districts in the city and the six southern provinces of Long An, Binh Duong, Dong Thap, Tay Ninh, Tra Vinh, and Bac Lieu have also recorded infected cases related to the church cluster.

Ho Chi Minh City began implementing social distancing measures for at least two weeks starting last Monday. The city is making efforts to take coronavirus samples for suspected cases for the city, especially those in industrial zones to control the growing number of infections.

Sami Kteily, executive chairman of PEB Steel Buildings Co., Ltd. (Pebsteel), said that the company is importing raw materials from overseas markets. When physical activities at ports are limited, it often lengthens the custom procedures. As for materials purchased from local suppliers, social distancing also limits the transportation from their warehouses, which are mostly based in Ho Chi Minh City, then delivered to its factories in Vung Tau. Consequently, the company does not get materials on time to proceed with fabrication, which lately has seriously affected its commitment to customers.

Pebsteel experienced these challenges during the first city lockdown in April 2020 and have been planning and ordering materials to maintain sufficient inventory for consumption over several months.

We have equipped facilities for our staff to work from home and enhance online meetings to discuss across various departments and offices overseas to solve arising issues, he said. It helps us minimise negative effects on working productivity. In relation to production, the workers at factories cannot work from home. Even if one single positive case of COVID-19 occurs, all operations must be stopped. Therefore, we are strictly applying all necessary measures to protect the health of our staff.

Tran Nhu Tung is deputy general director of Thanh Cong Textile Garment Investment Trading Company, whose garment factory is located in Tan Phu district with more than 5,000 workers. Tung explained that the factory strictly follows the citys social distancing protocols by dividing its workers into two alternative working shifts. The move is slowing down operations by 5-10 per cent, causing lower output and slower delivery to clients.

We are in negotiations with our clients about the delay in deliveries as the city is scrambling with an outbreak. If we fail to reach agreement, we have to ship the order by air to meet the deadline, which in turn raises the expenses. We are willing to deal with the challenges caused by this outbreak like reduced revenue and profits. However, what we are concerned about the most is the risk of any infection cases among our workers, as the company depends on a large amount of workers to make our products, he added.

The latest IHS Markit Vietnam Manufacturing data showed that the renewed outbreak of COVID-19 in Vietnam led output growth to slow to a three-month low in May, with the same picture seen for new orders. As the outbreak has worsened since the data collection period and more restrictions introduced, it is likely the June data will show a worse picture.

Andrew Harker, economics director of IHS Markit, told VIR that businesses are facing the three key complexities of the COVID-19 outbreak, issues in supply chains, and sharp cost increases.

In terms of supply chains, the economist noted that manufacturers in Vietnam saw suppliers delivery times lengthen to the greatest extent in 13 months during May, so that signalled the worst disruption since April 2020 when much of the world was in lockdown. May also saw costs for inputs rise at the fastest pace in 40 months, with the aforementioned issues in supply chains leading to sharp price rises for materials. In turn, manufacturers raised their own selling prices at the fastest pace for over a decade, according to Harker.

Pebsteel also sees its demand for raw materials fluctuating, and it has resulted in unstable prices, especially in steel which has been increasing sharply by around 40-50 per cent in the year-to-date. To address it, the company needs to pay 100 per cent in advances to lock the price.

Some locations in Pebsteels export markets like the Philippines and Cambodia have seen lockdowns, creating a bottleneck on some projects which have completed fabrication but still cannot ship as customers ask it to hold. Meanwhile, customers in Africa require shipment, but are not able to book vessels smoothly as worldwide logistics operations are heavily damaged by the pandemic. Those matters are impacting the companys cash flow.

Shinji Hirai, chief representative of the Japan External Trade Organisations Ho Chi Minh City Office, said that Japanese companies understand the importance of preventing the spread of the pandemic, and they fully respect the measures immediately implemented by the Vietnamese government to keep it under control. It is very difficult, amid the complicated and unpredictable environment, to judge when and how to ease the strict regulations, but the government so far has been successful in keeping the balance between tightening and deregulating, Hirai said.

Since Vietnam is one of the most important hubs of supplying key parts, there is a concern that the global supply chain will be affected if the suspension of factory operations continues, Hirai explained. In addition, even if the factories get approval for resuming, some workers will not be able to commute due to travel restrictions across borders or provinces. Authorities and factory managers are expected to find the practical solutions as they did in the previous outbreaks.
Oakwood Residence Hanoi wins best hotel interior (Asia Pacific) award at the International Property Awards 2021

Following its great success at the Golden Dragon Awards in April where it was recognised as "Hanois Leading Serviced Apartment", this is the second major award won by the property in 2021.

Developed by Van Phu  Invest Investment JSC and designed by Ong & Ong, Oakwood Residence Hanoi offers a tranquil sanctuary for business and leisure travellers as well as relocating families in an upscale residential area.

Guests can seek repose in any of the 262 elegantly furnished serviced apartments or enjoy exclusive access to facilities such as a restaurant, residents lounge, fitness centre, and an all-season swimming pool. The public areas, including the Main Lobby and TrEat restaurant, have been designed to sport a blend of local motifs, reflecting a sensitivity to Vietnamese culture while the guestrooms are refined and contemporary, hinting at Hanois artistic traditions.

The International Property Awards celebrate the highest levels of achievement by companies operating in all sectors of the property and real estate industry worldwide and are judged by a highly experienced team of professionals who cover the whole range of property disciplines.

The awards are given out based on the quality of design, construction, and presentation of individual properties and property developments, interiors, architecture, and marketing. A world-renowned mark of excellence, the awards are not an endorsement from any sponsor or judge but are a recognition of achievement in a particular category or discipline by an expert judging panel.

Since our opening in October 2019, we have always known that we have a special property and to now be recognised with an award of such prestige, it simply validates our belief and I cannot be more proud of this win. This award is a testament of the commitment by our owning company to create a unique property in a competitive market which appeals to a broad range of customers and we are grateful to Ong & Ong for delivering on that vision, said Humayoon Shaikhzadeh, general manager of Oakwood Residence Hanoi.

Oakwood Residence Hanoi is situated in an upscale residential neighbourhood within the Tay Ho district, offering a sanctuary away from the citys bustle, with a prime address for both business and leisure travellers alike.

With 262 elegantly furnished serviced apartments and facilities such as a modern fusion restaurant, fitness centre as well as the capital citys first all-season infinity swimming pool at the rooftop, Oakwood Residence Hanoi is an oasis of grace and serenity.
Pegatron to pour additional $101 million into its Vietnam investment

The news was announced by the Taiwanese Ministry of Economic Affairs' Investment Commission, which is responsible for the approval of foreign investments by Taiwanese companies. Pegatrons investment in Vietnam will specialise in th emanufacturing and trade of computers and peripheral equipment, communication equipment, and electronic components.

It was reported in last September that Pegatron Corporation, one of the worlds five largest electronic parts and component manufacturers, was seeking to invest $1 billion in Vietnam, and proposing to develop a plant in the northern region.

Petragon plans to manufacture computing, communications, and consumer electronics, in addition to moving its research and development centre from China to Vietnam, according to a source from the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Pegatron is a key supplier to Apple, along with Taiwans Foxconn and Wistron Corporation. Petragon established local subsidiary Pegatron Vietnam Co., Ltd. in March last year. In October 2020, the company was awarded an investment certificate to develop a $481 million factory to produce gaming equipment, phone accessories, smart speakers, game controllers, and all kinds of computers in Haiphong.
According to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam (GSO), the country earned $26 billion from exports and spent $28 billion on imports in May, up 35.6 and 56.4 per cent on-year, respectively. This means a trade deficit of $2 billion.

In the first five months of the year, Vietnam saw a trade deficit of $370 million when its exports increased 30.7 per cent on-year to $130.94 billion, and imports climbed 36.4 per cent on-year to $131.31 billion. Meanwhile, Vietnam recorded the latest trade deficit in first two months of last year with $176 million.

According to experts, such a trade deficit in May and in the first five months still demonstrated a good signal as exports kept increasing and imports followed suit. The main reason for this is the strong recovery of domestic production, leading to large demands for input imports.

The GSO announced the structure of imports in the first five months of the year. Accordingly, value of goods imported for production was estimated at $123.15 billion or 94 per cent of the total imports of the economy, up 36.8 per cent on year. In which, the group of machinery and equipment, transport, and spare parts reached $58.8 billion, up 33 per cent, and the group of raw materials, fuel, and materials reached $64.35 billion, up 40.5 per cent. Meanwhile, consumer goods came out at $8.16 billion, up 29.5 per cent.

Le Tien Truong, chairman of state-run Vinatex, told VIR, Since December, the price of yarn has increased by about 20-25 per cent, putting textile and garment makers under pressure. So, to overcome the current difficulties, businesses like us have to increase the stock of raw materials for production, avoid shortages, and increase prices.

The trade deficit reflects Vietnams high dependence on imported input materials in the processing and manufacturing sector. China was the largest supplier to Vietnam with $43.3 billion, surging by 53 per cent, followed by South Korea, ASEAN, Japan, the European Union, and the United States in last five months.

The dependence on imported raw materials represents a burden for enterprises. For instance, in the first five months, domestic steel prices increased sharply by nearly 50 per cent on-year, which is the result of the dependence on imported raw materials.

Ho Duc Lam, chairman of the Vietnam Plastics Association, said that domestically produced materials only meet about 15-25 per cent of the demand, and the remainder depends on imports.

In the context of the pandemic, supply chains have been disrupted, directly affecting industries that must import materials and equipment. Thus, some enterprises must import more materials due to supply chain disruptions and focus on inventory management.

The most recent COVID-19 wave in Vietnam has hit several industrial zones (IZs) in the northern provinces of Bac Ninh and Bac Giang as well as the central city of Danang, all of which were previously listed in the top 10 localities that benefitted from investment flows into the country. For instance, Bac Ninh is home to global groups such as Samsung and Canon  and Vietnam accounts for roughly half of the formers global phone and tablet production.

The index of industrial production of this province decreased slightly by 2.2 per cent in May compared to the previous month.

Vietnam is now battling an outbreak that causes most factories to run below their capacities, and the resumption of production and exports are part of the states efforts to reach the dual targets of ensuring workers income, attracting more investment into IZs, and contributing to socioeconomic development.

Tran Thanh Hai, deputy director of the Ministry of Industry and Trades Agency of Foreign Trade said that exports will still face many difficulties. In addition, input costs such as logistics and materials have increased, while the shortage of empty containers will continue negatively affecting exporters.
Despite the pandemic, in 2020 Vietnam reported the highest rate of public investment disbursement in the past five years. How did the country manage this?

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong

Public investment disbursement in 2020 reached around VND470 trillion ($20.43 billion), equivalent to 97.5 per cent of the yearly plan  the highest in years. Especially, when the country was hit by COVID-19, the government urged disbursement to encourage economic growth, reflecting the key role of public investment in socioeconomic development.

Thereby, numerous conferences were held with the participation of the government and relevant authorities to accelerate public investment disbursement while the prime minister, deputy PMs, and the minister of planning and investment led delegations to visit and address bottlenecks holding up major public investment projects across the country.

Updates to the legal framework last year have improved transparency and strengthened the responsibilities of leaders to improve project performance. Specifically, following a proposal from the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), the National Assembly allowed ministries, agencies, and localities to reallocate capital under their management to pour more into meaningful projects.

Additionally, 2020 was the last year of the 5-year socioeconomic development plan and the 10-year socioeconomic development strategy, and saw heated activity to prepare for the next phases of development. This put huge pressure on authorities of all levels to accelerate projects and clinch the targets set out for them.

The disbursement was a lot slower in the first months of 2021. How would you explain this?

As a general rule of thumb, disbursement of public investment is usually slower at the start of each year and each development period. Public investment projects, especially construction works, often take a long time to be implemented and government payment follows only after the inspection of a satisfactory complete work. Disbursement is generally much bigger in the first half. Meanwhile, public procurement projects are paid out in a single one-off payment after paperwork is complete.

The PM has signed Directive No.13/CT-TTg to remove nearly 1,500 projects from the medium-term public investment plan for 2021-2025 and focus resources on essential ones. What was the goal in doing this?

Public investment plays a central role in stimulating private sector for socioeconomic development, especially infrastructure development. In past years, all documents and directions of the government related to public investment targeted overcoming inefficient investment and removing barriers, especially those related to institutions, administrative procedures, and site clearance.

Public investment has been steadily streamlined over the past 10 years, going from 22,000 receiving public investment in 2011-2015, which was halved in 2016-2020 after adoption of Law No.49/2014/QH13. This was subsequently reduced to 6,447 in 2021-2025. However, the government ordered another review of the project itinerary to reduce the number to 5,000. Along with this, the MPI will also strengthen oversight over public investment projects to improve efficiency and transparency.

This reflects the determination of the government to address scattered and inefficient investment, concentrate resources on key projects, and draw private investment into infrastructure development by opening projects utilising public capital and enhance the efficiency of public investment projects.

Also, the PM asked the MPI and the Ministry of Finance to adjust the proportion of public investment in the total state budget expenditure from 27 to 28-29 per cent. The funds are provided by reallocating some of the budget for recurrent expenses.

What solutions will the MPI and other ministries and agencies take to speed up project implementation and disbursement?

The PM has called for the mobilisation of all resources for development, especially in transport infrastructure. A proposal for 50 per cent of total capital of public-private partnership expressway projects to be sourced from the state budget during 2021-2025 is being compiled, with the rest coming from private investment. The ratio will be adjusted flexibly for every project so that more difficult ones can receive more state capital.

However, according to the General Statistics Office, in the first five months of 2021 total realised investment from state budget was estimated at VND133.4 trillion ($5.8 billion), equivalent to 28.7 per cent of the yearly plan and up 14.2 per cent on-year, including VND20.9 trillion ($908.7 million) of the central budget (equalling 27.1 per cent of the yearly plan and up 21.4 per cent on-year), and VND112.5 trillion ($4.9 billion) of the local budget (equivalent to 29 per cent, and raising by 13 per cent on-year).

So this is a good foundation to achieve the disbursement of a high proportion of public investment to drive socioeconomic development, contributing to reaching the target set forth.
Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son reviewed vaccine distribution in Bac Giang province

Under the strict and timely direction of Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh and the leaders of the provincial peoples committees, last week factories in industrial zones (IZs) of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh resumed their production lines, while employees moved back to work and live in factories.

Amishh Rajnikant Jaitha, CEO of Spica Elastic Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Bac Ninhs Que Vo IZ, said that the interruption recently has caused a lot of challenges to its 45 partners, especially some key ones that have 8,000-12,000 workers. My company is operating four factories and four offices in separate places. We have asked office staff to work from home, and office areas will be accommodation for other workers. We have bought a lot of beds, and built some more bathrooms for them to live, Jaitha said.

Dang Thi Kien Chung, head of Planning for ITM Semiconductor Vietnam in Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) said, That is the best solution to keep employees safe and resume factory operations. Safety is the goal that all of us should pay attention to, in order to confirm our responsibilities to society.

A representative of Wisol Hanoi, also in VSIP said, Instead of buying beds, we provided individual tents to make some privacy for workers. At living areas there are services such as wi-fi, air conditioners and purifier, clothes extractor, and the toilets have become bathrooms. They are also fed meals each day, she said.

Bui Hoang Mai, director of the Bac Ninh Industrial Zones Management Authority said over 500 businesses resumed last week after careful preparation. The board has established 40 delegations to check and guide factories and facilities to ensure safety. If enterprises are stuck or face some difficulties, they can report to us or the provincial government to ask for some help and resume operations as soon as possible.

As of June 3, there were 951 positive COVID-19 cases in Bac Ninh, including almost 250 cases at businesses. Over 35,700 vaccines were administered for local people, and 90,000 workers in IZs are expected to be vaccinated this week.

In a meeting last week with Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh, Chairwoman of Bac Ninh Peoples Committee Nguyen Huong Giang proposed the government to provide an additional 500,000 antigen rapid tests, and support businesses hit by the pandemic with policies such as tax exemption or extension. She also proposed the state budget to provide around $21.7 million to the province to promptly prevent the pandemic from damaging the area further.

Before resuming operations, businesses have to meet all regulations on preventing and fighting against COVID-19 like negative tests and safe distancing in the factories; as well as setting up accommodation areas for employees. Bac Ninh and Bac Giang authorities continue to closely work with the delegations of the Ministry of Health to manage the pandemic before allowing businesses back into operation.

As of the end of June 4, there were 2,819 cases in Bac Giang positive with COVID-19, including about 380 cases in Van Trung IZ and 1,700 cases in Quang Chau IZ.
Since the brutal civil war in Ethiopias Tigray region began in November, many health care centers in the area have been looted and destroyed. Parents often have to travel for weeks to get care for children injured in battles. VOAs Heather Murdock has more from Mekelle and Edaga Hamus in Ethiopia.
Two U.S. Senate committees issued a joint report Tuesday detailing a number of intelligence and security failures ahead of and during the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

January 6, 2021 marked not only an attack on the Capitol Building  it marked an attack on democracy, the report says. The entities responsible for securing and protecting the Capitol Complex and everyone onsite that day were not prepared for a large-scale attack, despite being aware of the potential for violence targeting the Capitol.

The Senate homeland security and rules committees launched their bipartisan investigation in February, hearing testimony from the heads of the U.S. Capitol Police and other law enforcement agencies, as well as current and former officials from the Defense Department and Department of Homeland Security. The committees said they also reviewed thousands of documents and received written statements from 50 U.S. Capitol Police officers.

A key contributing factor to the tragic events of January 6 was the failure of the Intelligence Community to properly analyze, assess, and disseminate information to law enforcement regarding the potential for violence and the known threats to the Capitol and the Members present that day, the report says.

The committees said those intelligence failures included both the lack of a threat assessment being issued by either the Federal Bureau of Investigation or Department of Homeland Security, despite online calls for violence at the Capitol, and U.S. Capitol Police intelligence branches not sharing information about threats of violence with officers.

The attack came as lawmakers inside the Capitol were meeting to certify President Joe Bidens election victory, as supporters of former President Donald Trump were violently breaking through security lines and storming into the Capitol building.

Members of Congress rushed to safety, returning hours later to finish their work only after law enforcement agencies and the National Guard regained control of the complex.

Rioters, attempting to disrupt the Joint Session of Congress, broke into the Capitol building, vandalized and stole property, and ransacked offices. They attacked members of law enforcement and threatened the safety and lives of our nations elected leaders. Tragically, seven individuals, including three law enforcement officers, ultimately lost their lives, the report says.

In addition to intelligence failures, the committees also faulted those in charge of Capitol security for not requesting help from the National Guard before January 6, as well as a flawed process in making such a request that resulted in National Guard troops arriving at the complex four hours after the first rioters breached barriers outside.

The report recommends streamlining those processes, along with creating an intelligence bureau within the U.S. Capitol Police and calling for intelligence agencies to review how they handle social media posts that contain threats of violence.

It also calls for making sure there are enough officers and other personnel within the Capitol Police force, and that they have the training and equipment they need.

USCP leadership did not develop a comprehensive staffing plan for the Joint Session detailing, among other things, where officers would be located, the report says. USCP leadership also failed to provide front-line officers with effective protective equipment or training.

It adds that leaders did not authorize special Civil Disturbance Unit platoons to use all available less-than-lethal munitions, which could have enhanced officers ability to push back rioters.

In a statement Tuesday, the U.S. Capitol Police said its leadership knew ahead of January 6 that the Capitol grounds would be the focus of a large demonstration, but the available intelligence did not reveal that the large-scale demonstration would become a large-scale attack on the Capitol Building as there was no specific, credible intelligence about such an attack.

Neither the USCP, nor the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Metropolitan Police or our other law enforcement partners knew thousands of rioters were planning to attack the U.S. Capitol, the agency said. The known intelligence simply didnt support that conclusion.

The committees also recommended the implementation of joint training exercises in the Washington area to improve coordination among federal, state and local governments in the event a security threat requires emergency assistance.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-09 05:35:41|Editor: huaxia

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TRIPOLI, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The suicide attack that targeted a security checkpoint in the southern Libyan city of Sabha a few days ago drew widespread local and international condemnation.

Two security officers were killed and four others wounded in a suicide bombing attack launched by the militant Islamic State (IS) against a security checkpoint in the southern Libyan city of Sabha on Sunday.

The attack took place at around 6:30 p.m. local time (1630 GMT), when a suicide bomber driving a tuk-tuk vehicle loaded with explosives attacked the checkpoint, said Sunusi Saleh Sunusi, the security chief of Sabha.

Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah condemned the attack, confirming that his government will spare no effort to fight terrorism in Libya.

President of the Presidency Council Mohamed Menfi formed a security committee headed by the interior minister, aiming to collect information about the Sabha attack, bring those responsible to justice, and create mechanisms to fight terrorism in Libya.

The House of Representatives (parliament) also condemned the attack and called on all security agencies to track terrorism hotspots, warning against allowing the terrorist organization to regroup.

The Libyan Interior Ministry immediately instructed the Sabha Security Directorate to "conduct investigations into the attack and take samples from the crime scene."

Special UN Envoy to Libya Jan Kubis also condemned the attack, while reiterating his call for starting a process to unify the military and security institutions in Libya in order to enhance the borders' security and address the threat of terrorism and criminal activities.

The embassies of France, Italy and the U.S. to Libya, as well as the governments of Egypt and Algeria, have also condemned the attack, confirming their support to Libya's security and stability.

IS militants used to be active in eastern Libya and the city of Sirte, some 450 km east of the capital Tripoli, before they were defeated by the eastern-based army in eastern Libya and by the former UN-backed government of national accord in Sirte.

Libya is expecting to hold general elections on Dec. 24, as agreed by the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, which created a unity government and a presidency council that ended years of political division in the war-torn North African country. Enditem
The Zimbabwean government has extended the COVID-19 lockdown imposed recently in the Midlands town of Kwekwe, citing an increase in Coronavirus cases, including the feared Indian variant, which has already claimed the life of a local man.

In a tweet, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said, Cabinet has approved that the Lockdown in Kwekwe be extended by a further two weeks. This comes in the wake of a surge in positive cases in the city. The Indian variant has been detected in some of the new cases.

The government two weeks ago imposed stringent measures in Kwekwe to stop the spread of the Indian variant, which killed thousands of people in India.

At the same time, the Ministry of information has reported that Zimbabwe is expecting a batch of 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine by 15 June 2021.

Zimbabwe is using mainly Chinese vaccines  Sinopahrm and Sinovac  in its inoculation program, which was launched early this year.

Some people in urban areas claim that they are facing difficulties in getting their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The government has attacked some private entities that are reportedly selling the vaccine. In another tweet, the Ministry of information said these reports have infuriated Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.

The quoted Chiwenga as saying the government takes a very dim view of actors in the private sector we hear are charging Zimbabweans for jabs. If they are not ready to participate in the vaccination programme on terms and parameters set down by Government, they are advised to look elsewhere for profitable services, not around vaccination.

It is a no-go area for fortune hunters; those morally-depraved practitioners who seek to fish in troubled times. Government policy is that of ensuring free vaccination for all citizens who are ready and willing.

Meanwhile, some staff quarters at Kwekwe General Hospital were gutted by fire on Tuesday.

In a tweet, Information Secretary Nick Mangwana said, A nurses and doctors cottage at Kwekwe general hospital has been gutted by fire. Resource mobilization already underway.

He did not provide any details on what caused the fire and staff members affected.

But some of Mangwanas Twitter followers, including John Tsvedemu, expressed dismay over the issue.

Tsvedemu said, Sad to hear this again. But my question is why didn't we learn from the Mpilo (hospital) incident. Let's do maintenance periodically on all government buildings. This shows that no one is even bothered about it then when it happens its fire fighting again... Resource mobilisation.

Mangwana shot back saying, Sometimes no structural changes can account for human behavior. More fire awareness training is needed. I remember in other countries Fire Training is a Mandatory Training need and has to be had every year, especially among healthcare workers. Without it you cant work.

Fire gutted staff houses at Mpilo General Hospital in Bulawayo two weeks ago, leaving some workers homeless.

According to the ministry, the government has also banned the use of schools for holiday lessons.

Mutsvangwa said, The use of schools for holiday lessons during the 3-week break is banned. It is envisaged that the ban will allow thorough cleaning and disinfection of the school environment, reducing the spread of Covid19. Learning will continue on alternative platforms.
Columbus Mavhunga

Zimbabwe's government is facing criticism for turning down a donation of three million doses of the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

Authorities say they are not prepared to deal with the refrigeration requirements and possible side effects. But critics also point to politics as the reason behind the governments decision.

In a letter to the African Export-Import Bank, Zimbabwes government explained it was still analyzing possible side effects of the Johnson and Johnsons COVID-19 vaccine.

Finance Ministry Secretary George Guvamatanga also said the country does not have the storage facilities required for the doses.

But in an interview, Dr. Norman Matara from the Zimbabwe Association for Doctors for Human Rights, said Johnson and Johnson vaccines are stored at the same temperatures as Chinas Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines, which Zimbabwe has been using since February.

So, we already have those cold chain mechanisms to store vaccines at 2 to 8 degrees (Celsius) which Johnson and Johnson is supposed to be stored. So, it does not make sense to say they do not have cold chain reactions. In addition, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is given as a one-dose. So, the cost of rolling out that vaccine is much less than the Sinopharm and Sinovac and also the logistics of one dose is much better than the two-dose provided by the Sinopharm (and Sinovac). So, we do not get it why they would reject those vaccines, Matara said.

The African Union set up the deal, in which the African Export-Import Bank would pay for 220 million doses of COVID vaccines. Zimbabwe was to receive three million doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine that were produced in Britain.

Harare-based political commentator Rejoice Ngwenya said that poor relations between Zimbabwe and Britain are the real reason the Zimbabwean government is rejecting the donation.

It is a tragedy that the government of Zimbabwe is rejecting the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Why is the Harare-London diplomatic tiff allowed to interfere in a situation where citizens of this country are under threat? I really think that the ZANU-PF (Zimbabwe's ruling party) government should desist from politicizing these issues and get out of its arrogance to ensure the safety and security of citizens of Zimbabwe is safeguarded. I think this is a tragedy and must be reversed with immediate effect, Ngwenya said.

Relations between London and Harare have been strained since 2002, when Britain imposed travel and financial sanctions on Zimbabwean officials for human rights abuses and alleged election rigging.

On Tuesday, Dr. John Mangwiro, Zimbabwes junior health minister, refused to comment on the alleged political motivations, and reiterated that Zimbabwe will continue to use Chinese and Russian vaccines.

"So, we will stick to what we can, are used to, such as Sinopharm and Russias Sputnik V. They are stored at temperatures between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius. Plus, once they are injected into a person, their weakened or deactivated viruses in them trigger protective immunity. Thats how we choose which vaccines to use here, Mangwiro said.

Zimbabwe says it still has stocks of the 1.7 million vaccines it has received from China, Russia and India since February. But for weeks now, most places have run dry of jabs. That triggered a protest last week at the countrys main vaccination center in the capital.
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Die gefuhlte Intensitat wird anhand der MMI (modifizierte Mercalli) Skala angegeben.

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Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) : I woke up from the bed | 12 users found this interesting.

Pasdaran, Tabriz,East Azerbaijan / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 1-2 s : It just woke me up, It was like moving up and down, not moving and shaking in around. It also had a creepy sound! Not many of people around me felt it; maybe it's because of the time. It happend at about 3:10 AM which is the time that most people are asleep. | One user found this interesting.

Tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was asleep on right side and suddenly i felt I'm shaking on my bed. I live on 5th floor and i guess the strength should be within 3 - 3.5 degree according to my previous experiments. | One user found this interesting.

Tabriz, Iran / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : It is middle of the night and we all are sleeping. Because if that we felt it when we are slept. It has awaken us. It is shaking horizontaly from a side to another. | One user found this interesting.

30.5 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : I was slept, once,time was about in 3:35a.m And i wakeup and i felt that, but not sure me felt is correct!

Tabriz (20.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Very short | One user found this interesting.

Sahand (31.7 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : It shook for a few seconds and was scary | One user found this interesting.

Tabriz (17.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : I slept in my bed, it has very loud sound | One user found this interesting.

19.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I feel | One user found this interesting.

Tabriz (23 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I was sleeping, it woke me up | One user found this interesting.

25 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : It woke up me | One user found this interesting.

17.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was in bed. | One user found this interesting.

18.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : it had horrible sound | One user found this interesting.

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I was awake and working. The primary swing was a bit scary, but then the subsequent swings faded in intensity very quickly. Chandeliers were moving in fifth floor. Some of my friends who were sleeping didn't even wake up!

Pasdaran, Tabriz,East Azerbaijan / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 1-2 s : It just woke me up, It was like moving up and down, not moving and shaking in around. It also had a creepy sound! Not many of people around me felt it; maybe it's because of the time. It happend at about 3:10 AM which is the time that most people are asleep.

Sardroud / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : Depth 8 magnitude 4.2 | One user found this interesting.

Tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s : About to get to sleep, suddenly I felt it... | One user found this interesting.

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : A huge sound coused us to wake up, quakes also felt for few seconds. | One user found this interesting.

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I felt it clearly | One user found this interesting.

tabriz / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : moderate shaking | One user found this interesting.

Tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s : I feel in bed | One user found this interesting.

Tabriz / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 10-15 s : It was terrible | One user found this interesting.

Tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was afraid | One user found this interesting.

in tabriz / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : nearly harsh one | One user found this interesting.

22.9 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

25 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Tabriz (15.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s

19.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s

tabriz (16.2 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

26.3 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s

Tabriz (15.8 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s

13.9 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Tabriz (11.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Its so crazy , i love it , earthquake is mother of earth , dont be scared this is natural

25 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : It woke up me

Valias (0 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Tabriz (18.1 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt / 1-2 s

20 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Tabriz (23 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I was sleeping, it woke me up

20.9 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

25.5 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt

18.3 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

14.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s

17.5 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s

18.3 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s

Tabriz,East Azerbaijan ,Iran (25.2 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s

tabriz, hokm abad (15 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Tabriz (18.4 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s

17.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

25.8 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s

Tabriz (14.8 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s

18.3 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

18.9 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / very short

17.7 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s

Tabriz (19.3 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s

Tabriz (21.1 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 5-10 s

21.5 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s

17.3 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

16.6 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

22.6 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s

19.2 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s

15.9 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Khosrowshah (32.7 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s

tabriz (19.3 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

19.7 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

30.7 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 s

tabriz (18.4 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

19.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s

18.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

18.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s

16.7 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Tabriz (14.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

17.4 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

tabriz (22.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Tabriz (20 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 10-15 s

18.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

25.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

tabriz (26.2 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s

17.4 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s

23.6 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s

14.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s

19.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s

17.7 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s

Tabriz (22.9 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s

14.8 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating

25.6 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

20.2 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short

21.8 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Tabriz (21.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Tabriz (19.3 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s

Home (17.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

19 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating

Tabriz (25.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Urmia (126.1 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

16.3 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

18.1 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s

18.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

23.3 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

14.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

33.5 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s

18.9 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down)

19.2 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

18.6 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Tabriz (16.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Tabriz (17.8 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

18.4 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 15-20 s : so scary

khosroshahr / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

shabestar / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

/ Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Tabriz , hojjati / Light shaking (MMI IV)

tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : I was sleeping because it was around 3 am in Iran. I woke up feeling the bed shake.

tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s

tabiz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s

tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s

Tabriz / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s

tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / very short

Tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s

Tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

tabriz-iran / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV)

tabriz / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Tabriz / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Home / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Tabriz / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 s

Tabriz / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s

Tabrize / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Tabriz / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Tabriz / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s

tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

tabriz / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

East Azerbaijan / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating

tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 15-20 s

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Sahand university of technology / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

tabriz / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s

shabestar / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Bed / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s

Iran east azerbaijan / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Tabriz / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 s

Tabriz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Tabriz / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Tabriz / not felt / 2-5 s
Light mag. 3.3 earthquake - 7.6 mi south of Elko, Nevada, USA, on Monday, 7 Jun 2021 6:44 pm (GMT -7) -

Light magnitude 3.3 earthquake at 17 km depth

8 Jun 01:51 UTC: First to report: USGS after 7 minutes.

8 Jun 02:20: Magnitude recalculated from 3.2 to 3.3. Hypocenter depth recalculated from 5.0 to 16.7 km (from 3.1 to 10.4 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 21 km (13 mi) towards NNW.

Update Tue, 8 Jun 2021, 01:57

3.2 quake 21 mi south of Elko, Nevada, USA, 7 Jun 2021 6:44 pm (GMT -7)

The United States Geological Survey reported a magnitude 3.2 quake in the United States near Elko, Elko County, Nevada, only 13 minutes ago. The earthquake hit early evening on Monday 7 June 2021 at 6:44 pm local time at a very shallow depth of 3.1 miles. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.

Our monitoring service identified a second report from the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) which listed the quake at magnitude 3.2 as well.

Towns or cities near the epicenter where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Spring Creek (pop. 12,400) located 15 miles from the epicenter, and Elko (pop. 20,300) 21 miles away. In Carlin (pop. 2,300, 24 miles away), the quake was probably not felt.

If you were or still are in this area during the quake help others with your feedback and file a quick report here . Download the Volcanoes & Earthquakes app to get one of the fastest seismic alerts online:

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Earthquake data:

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please share your experience and submit a short "I felt it" report! Other users would love to hear about it!

Also if you did NOT feel the quake although you were in the area, please report it ! Your contribution is valuable also to earthquake science and earthquake hazard analysis and mitigation efforts. You can use your device location or the map to indicate where you were during the earthquake. Thank you! If you felt this quake (or if you were near the epicenter),Other users would love to hear about it!Alsoalthough you were in the area, please! Your contribution is valuable also to earthquake science and earthquake hazard analysis and mitigation efforts. You can use your device location or the map to indicate where you were during the earthquake. Thank you!

Data for the same earthquake reported by different agencies

Info: The more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.

Mag. Depth Location Source 3.3 17 km Nevada USGS 3.3 17 km NEVADA EMSC

User reports for this quake (8) User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale Contribute:

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Send your own user report! 155 twin Bridges, Spring Creek (12.3 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : one sharp shake (vertical? lateral?) accompanied with a loud "bang" much like a high caliber rifle discharge. | One user found this interesting. Spring creek,nv / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Felt as if a dog jumped off the bed. | One user found this interesting. South Fork Reservoir (7.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Rumbled through our house, floors to ceiling. | One user found this interesting. Lakehead-Lakeshore / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : Sudden jolt. Ground movement. South Fork, Lucky Nugget 2 / Light shaking (MMI IV) 89148 / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s Spring creek nv / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating : Shook the glass doors on the bookcase. Southfork reservoir area towards jiggs, nevada / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s : Shaking and rumbling

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Split (39.2 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s : Growing loud ground noise or rattling and shaking until an abrupt and stronger crack sound and shake, then it stopped. It was short. | 3 users found this interesting.

Rogoznica (12.7 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Slept and awake as ist began to shake about 5 to 6 seconds. I was afraid about possible wave because we are near by the sea..... | 2 users found this interesting.

Ostrice, Sevid (18 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Distant rumble that got stronger, glasses clinging in the cupboard, light shaking | 3 users found this interesting.

Brodarica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Initially felt like an explosion and then after shock shaking below ground, our entire house of three floors shook and people woke up. All neighbors came out on the street. | 2 users found this interesting.

Vodice (19.1 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : The bed was moving and I heard a dark Mouse from the earthquake. Laut Darstellung der schon vorhandenen Eintrage soll es ein Beben der Starke 5 gewesen sein. | One user found this interesting.

Split (40.1 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : Just single vertical bump while I was sitting on the couch. As someone pushed me and couch from the back . | One user found this interesting.

Sibenik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Beds were Shakira for about 5 seconds | 3 users found this interesting.

Dugi rat (56.5 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Strange sound was heard for about 10 seconds and then it shaked 5-6 seconds | 2 users found this interesting.

Zaboric Croatia near Sibenik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : Noticeable shacking immediately identifiable as quake. No noticeable damage. Some light boxes fell to floor from shelf. | One user found this interesting.

Sibenik / Light shaking (MMI IV) : There was a loud thunder from the depths for a few seconds. | 2 users found this interesting.

Sibenik / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : We woke up because the church bells rang and the closet was shaking. | 2 users found this interesting.

Sibenik, Croatia (12.4 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : Felt like big truck going by. | 2 users found this interesting.

Sibenik / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Felt the entire house shake. It was very loud, quite strong. We all woke up scared, the dog hid. | 2 users found this interesting.

Sibenik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : Just woke up feeling everything shaking | 2 users found this interesting.

Murter / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : I wake up at 6:00 ! Very String Quake! 3-4 Seconds! | 2 users found this interesting.

Zablace / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Brief shaking that woke three adults and a toddler up, but an infant remained asleep. | 2 users found this interesting.

Sibenik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : 3-4 seconds , strongly shaked with a big noise | 2 users found this interesting.

Trieste (281.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt nulla | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / not felt

68.2 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Strange. | One user found this interesting.

Razanj (15.9 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Was in a boat. Felt like vibrations. | One user found this interesting.

12.4 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : it was very loud | One user found this interesting.

Trogir (0.8 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : I woke up. | One user found this interesting.

7.8 km ENE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : Very loud | One user found this interesting.

79.8 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Around 3-4 richter | One user found this interesting.

Split / not felt : No, I was sleeping | One user found this interesting.

Pirovac / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Wake up during sleep, felt shaky | One user found this interesting.

tisno / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s : woohooooo | One user found this interesting.

Sevid / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : The house was shaking | One user found this interesting.

Split / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 s : Cupboards shook and felt vibration that could only be earthquake | One user found this interesting.

Rogoznica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Vibration | One user found this interesting.

Boze Pericica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Vibration and weak Sound | One user found this interesting.

8.6 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Grebastica (4.2 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s

Kastel Gomilica (34.6 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Primosten (108.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s

36.9 km ESE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Split, Croatia (39.6 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

5 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Grebastica, Sibenik (2.5 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating

88.9 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Klappern des Kleiderschrankes, seitliches schutteln am Bett

Otok (Kod Sinja) (59.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s

SIBENIK (10.1 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s

Vodice (21.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Rumbling and shaking, woke up from it

Zadar (80 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s

Split (41.5 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Rogoznica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : Als es bebte, horte man ein lautes Brummen

Biograd na Moru / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Aus dem Schlaf erwacht , 3 malig leichtes schutten.

Sibenik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : Just woke up feeling everything shaking

Raslina (20.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Pag / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Sibenik / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s

in bed / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : loud noise, on 3rd floor of hotel in Split, and then building shook

1.2 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

Aygul. Zaboric / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I woke up with a tremor, I thought a cupboard fell over or something like that.

Matoseva 46, Split / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Skradin / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating

Pirovac (5.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Langeres schutteln

Sukosan / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Split / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

4.3 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s Shaking and rumbling. Woke Up of the quake (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s

Tirane (404.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) Is strong i filet (reported through (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Primosten Bilo (5.9 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Very loud noise , pervasively . Then shortly vibrating before instantly stopped

Kastela (30.1 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Split / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Woke up from sleep, felt like rattling from traffic but a lot of rattlong, I wondered if someone was shaking the hed

Vodice / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s : Nous avons ete reveille par un gros bruit et les murs qui se sont mis a trembler, ca fait tres peur. Nous sommes francais en vacances a Vodice.

Primosten / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Murter (37.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

Murter / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Rogoznica / Weak shaking (MMI III)

170.8 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / very short

Zagreb / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short

I was in Vidici, Sibenik, sleeping in bed and I f / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Milna (51.4 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short

Sibenik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

196.6 km NNE of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Splitska Brac Island / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : Mainly the noise , it was like loud thunder rumbling, not much vibration.

Drage (42.8 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

split dalmatia croatia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

40.1 km ESE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

prvic luka (17.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Extremely loud vibrating / rolling noise, much louder than a truck or passing vehicle.

Split / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s : 5:45am hotel room was jumping

Bilice im Bett. Leichtes vibrieren. / Weak shaking (MMI III)

6.7 km SW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : not much

Vodice (21.9 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe / 20-30 s

Zaton / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s

Split / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Woke up from sleep, felt like rattling from traffic but a lot of rattlong, I wondered if someone was shaking the hed

Vodice / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Boze Pericica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Vibration and weak Sound

20.5 km SSE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

10.4 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Amadria Park, Sibenik / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Okrug Gornji / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

SUTOMISCICA (80.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

11.1 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / very short

split / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : The whole building was shaking.

Rogoznica (13.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Karlovac / not felt

Trogir / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / very short

15.4 km ESE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s

Grebastica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Dumpfer Knall, Auto hat gewackelt

Tribunj / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 10-15 s : Very bad shaking for 10 to 15 seconds i got out of my bed because it woke me up.

10.2 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s

Knin / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Ciovo (28.2 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating

Jezera / Otok Murter / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Wolke up bebaute of light Sharing and Byte Lord rumbling

Vodice / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Zaboric / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : I woke up because of that, I think there was a weak earthquake again after 5-10 minutes (2 s).

Trogir (25.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Woke up by the bed shaking. Nothing broke.

Zaboric / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : I woke up.

Brodarica, croatia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Light shaking - woke up, bed was shaking

Sepurine (18.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short : I waked up because of that

3.3 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Split / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Okrug donji / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : Rumble and shaking

13.8 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Primosten / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

Island Ugljian , Sutomiscica / not felt : I am on island Ugljian- didnt feel anything

Vrpolje / Light shaking (MMI IV)

43.2 km ESE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Tisno / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s

Razanj (16.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Aufwachen durch lautstarkes Donnergrollen, das Bett, in dem ich lag, hat stark vibriert

Sparadici (3.8 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Brutal rattling from the hills nearby and that awful sound (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Marina (16.2 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I feel blessed I felt it, it was one of my life goal. I was lying outdoor in a tent un camping and was awake, and then it happened. It was short, few seconds, but quite strong. As I was 20 m of a road I first though that it was a big truck passing on it but no trucks was there and it was to intense vibrations anyway. Don't hesitate to ask me more details if you want ! +33644932729

Razanj (15.1 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Wir lagen noch im Bett und wurden um 6 Uhr horizontal durchgeschuttelt. Es dauerte ca. 5 Sekunden lang und man horte auch diese Bewegung.

Biograd / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

23.6 km SE of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Split (39.1 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Sparadici / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s : Noisy shaking, noise moved from grebastica bay to interior/hills

Betina / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Vodice / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Shaking in the hotel room

Sibenik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

79.2 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short

Sumartin, Brac / not felt : I was asleep, it did not wake me, however my cousin was in Trogir and did feel it

Rogoznica / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Fair

Split, Croatia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Rogoznica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : I was in bed and the whole bed was shaking. It sounded like thunder. I knew immediately it was an earthquake, it was scary.

Vodice / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s

Sibenik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Fear as knew it is earthquake!!!

Braice I Radonic lozavac / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Podorljak / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Mitlo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe : Very strong definitely one of the stronger ones

16.3 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Woked up from the vibrations. The whole bed was shaking and vibrating.

Seline (80.5 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Split / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Vodice (21.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Otok ciovo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Salerno (344.9 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

12.2 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Kastela (30.1 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Sibenik (11.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s

12.6 km S of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Tribanj / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Zaboric / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Woke up from bed

Primosten / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : Starkes schutteln des Gebaude

Sleeping / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : Concerned about damage and injury and after shocks

228.7 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Radonic (15.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Shaking of the house like a massive truck had just rumbled past. Sounded like we were in a metal building with the noise.

16.3 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Maslenica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Rovanjska (76 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Zwei kurze Beben 2-5 Sekunden. Die Vogel waren still, das Haus wackelte. Es war beangstigend. Bisher keine sichtbaren Scaden.

Zecevo Rogoznicko / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Split (39 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Vodice / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

jezera / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : single jolt while lying down in bed

Tribunj / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Seget Donji / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Tisno / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

39.6 km ESE of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

Sibenik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Split / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

22111 Srima (18 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s : Wurden dadurch wach. Waren erschreckt

Sibenik / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short

Vodice / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Jadrija / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Primosten / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

25.2 km ESE of epicenter [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Kastel Novi / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : Rumble and shaking for a few seconds

Primosten / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s

Primosten / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Brodarica (6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s : Incredible

Primosten / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Tribunj / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Vodice (20.9 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

83.9 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : Wie auf einer Waschmaschine sitzend beim Schleudergang

Vodice / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Wir wurden aufgrund des schuttelns wach.

Bilice - Sibenik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

SPLIT / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Knin / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Seget vranjica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Split / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Woke up from sleep, felt like rattling from traffic but a lot of rattlong, I wondered if someone was shaking the hed

Stubalj, Bilice / Sibenik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Vodice / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Sibenik (12.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Zaboric / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s

split / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Drage / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Ok

Sibenik / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Rogoznica / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Sparadici (3.8 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Quite strong (reported through (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Split / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Solin / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Brodarica (8.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / very short

Krusevo / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Pula / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Zadar / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short : Wir sind auf Urlaub hier in Zadar... Ich wurde gerade munter und spurte ein ganz leichtes schutteln im 3.Stock...

8.5 km NE of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : A rumble. Prvic Luka

Primosten (8.9 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Murter / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Split / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

KARLOVAC / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Rovanjska / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short

Brodarica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Sv. Filip i Jakov (57.4 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Sleeping / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Tisno (31.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Bihac (129.5 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Zaselo, Dvornice (16 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

79.4 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s

vodice / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Zadar / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Zadar / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Supljak / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s

Vodice / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Vinisce (19.8 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s

Podstrana / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Bilice / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

22203 (14.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short

79.8 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Bilice / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Primosten / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : .

Primosten / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s

Primosten / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

Seget Donji / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Sibenik / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating

Sukosan / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

karlovac / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : 7 kat, ljuljanje namjestaja

Zadar / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Pirovac / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Tribunj (23.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Split / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s

Rogoznica (13.1 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

SPLIT CROATIA / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s

Vodice / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Petrcane / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Vodice (20.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

19.5 km NNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Danilo biranj / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Zadar. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Posedarje / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Sibenik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Sibenik / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

36.7 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Zadar / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Split / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Skradin / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s

Sinj (52.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

7.9 km SSW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / very short

Rogoznica / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s

Solin / Light shaking (MMI IV)

7.5 km SW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s

Rogoznica / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

Sibenik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Murter / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short

Sibenik / not felt

Wurde vom Beben in Vodice geweckt (19.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s : Short shaking. Lying in the bed and woke up

Primosten / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : Ich bin wach geworden und habe es gespurt

Jadrija / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Kastel stari (30.7 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : A bit vibration While sleeping

Sibenik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating

Sibenik / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 2-5 s

2.7 km SW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Donje Ogorje / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Sibenik (11.9 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s

Podstrana (46.9 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Sveti Petar na Moru / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

Zadar / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

DIKLO, ZADAR, CROATIA / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Sibenik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short

Tisno / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

split / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Sibenik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Blizna Donja / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Trogir / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Split (43.2 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Benkovac / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Murter / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Split / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

28.4 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Split / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Sibenik (9.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Supetar (53.8 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Kastel Kambelovac (35.1 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Vodice (21.4 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Vodice,Tresnja par sekundi i buka. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Sibenik / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

trogir / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

240.5 km N of epicenter [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

56.5 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Home (46.3 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Shaking for about 10 seconds

SPLIT / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Rogozniza / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s : Fear

Split / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Matoseva 46, Split / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Split / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Kastela / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

91 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Vodice (19.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Okrug donji / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I

Karlovac / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

12.7 km NW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s

Split / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s
The company behind Tuesday's massive internet outage has apologized for making a costly mistake that knocked out websites, apps and online services across the world.

Fastly, which runs a content delivery network of servers and data centers, also said in a statement late Tuesday that it would work to prevent such a widespread failure in the future.

"Even though there were specific conditions that triggered this outage, we should have anticipated it," said Nick Rockwell, Fastly's senior vice president of engineering and infrastructure in the statement. "We provide mission critical services, and we treat any action that can cause service issues with the utmost sensitivity and priority. We apologize to our customers and those who rely on them for the outage."

Fastly supports news sites and apps like CNN, the Guardian, the New York Times and many others. It also provides content delivery for Twitch, Pinterest, HBO Max, Hulu, Reddit, Spotify and other services. The 49-minute outage Tuesday morning took down other major internet platforms and sites as well, including Amazon, Target, and the UK government website  Gov.uk. It affected dozens of countries across the Americas, Europe and Asia, as well as South Africa.

The culprit was a bad software update that Fastly applied May 12. The update introduced a bug that could be triggered by a customer configuring their service under specific circumstances  which happened Tuesday. Fastly said the bug caused 85% of its network to return errors.

Although Fastly was able to get around the bug within an hour, it continues to deploy a permanent fix across its network. The company also said it is reviewing its processes and practices to determine why the bug wasn't detected when it was introduced last month, and it will figure out how to get its network up faster if something like Tuesday's outage were to happen again.

"This outage was broad and severe, and we're truly sorry for the impact to our customers and everyone who relies on them," Rockwell said.

Fastly helps improve load times for websites and provides other services to internet sites, apps and platforms  including a global server network designed to smooth out traffic overloads that can crash websites, such as a denial-of-service attack. The service accomplishes that by storing content and aspects of websites and apps on servers that are physically closer to the users trying to access a particular site or platform.

But because Fastly provides a layer of support between internet companies and customers trying to access the various online platforms it services, when it goes down, access to those platforms can be blocked entirely.

Bad software updates are rare. But similar goofs have temporarily brought down parts of even larger online platforms, including Google and Amazon, in the past.
Alabama legislatures are working on a plan to fix Alabamas troubled prison system.

The Governor's original plan for a lease agreement for two new prisons didnt work out. Now some lawmakers are meeting with Governor Ivey this week about options for new prison construction.

Alabama House speaker, Mac McCutcheon, said, Its very important to us, moving forward, the lawsuit from the DOJ, theyre wanting us to shelve some movement.

The Department of Justice is suing Alabama over violent conditions inside Alabamas prisons for men.
Madison City Schools is going the extra mile to get its students vaccinated against COVID-19.

The district said theyve partnered with Huntsville Hospitals vaccine clinic to offer the vaccine for students 12-years-old and up.

Its not a requirement for students to get vaccinated, but Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols said its being provided to assist parents looking to vaccinate their children.

Olivia Abney is going to be an 11th grader at James Clemens High School. Shes hoping her classmates who arent yet vaccinated decide to get the vaccine at Bob Jones High School.

They offer the flu shot every year and its super easy to get it at the school, and if your parents are on the fence, and theyre not, maybe ask your parents, said Abney.

Abney said shes looking forward to a school year thats not disrupted by quarantines or canceled events.

I miss it a lot, said Abney. Im on the dance line at school and we could only go to home games this year.

Abney said she wont miss the on-again, off-again, quarantining.

It was hard to stay motivated and encouraged when I was quarantined, said Abney.

Muscle Shoals City Schools already partnered with Helen Keller Hospital and hosted a clinic for students. Other local school districts dont have any definite plans to vaccinate their students, as of right now.

Dr. Mike Saag, an infectious disease specialist, encourages students and their parents to get vaccinated, before the next school year.

Think of all the diseases that have been prevented in your child because of vaccines, said Dr. Saag.

Abney said her school district is making it simple for her classmates to get vaccinated and get one step closer to normal.

I have no doubt that many people will go and get the vaccine, especially now that its so convenient, said Abney.

Madison City Schools will be vaccinating students 12-years-old and up on Thursday, June 17 at Bob Jones High School. Students will then return on July 8, for their second dose.

Madison City School parents interested in getting their child vaccinated can head to Madison City Schools website.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 00:13:16|Editor: huaxia

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NEW DELHI, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in the fire incident in India's Maharashtra state rose to 18, confirmed a fire department official on Monday.

The fire occurred in the state's Pune city at a factory manufacturing hand-sanitizers and water-purifiers.

There were nearly 38 people inside the factory when the fire broke out, out of whom 20 were rescued safely, said a local fire department official while speaking to Xinhua over the phone.

The factory is situated in an industrial area.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the victims in the fire accident. "Pained by the loss of lives due to a fire at a factory in Pune, Maharashtra. Condolences to the bereaved families," tweeted Modi. Enditem
A Marshall County judge has sentenced Marc Alcine to 25 years in prison for the attempted murder of an Albertville Police Department Officer.

The state had asked that Alcine receive life in prison at Tuesday's sentencing.

Alcine was found guilty of the crime in April.

Here's the original story. Note: At the time, Alcine was identifed to WAAY 31 as "Shadrack Alcine"

The Albertville Police Department has charged a man with the attempted murder of an officer.

Police Chief Jamie Smith said about 2 a.m. Sunday an Albertville police officer stopped a vehicle that had been reported as a possible drunk driver.

Once the vehicle stopped, the driver exited and began to walk away. When the officer gave verbal commands for the subject to stop, he started running and rounded a corner of a building.

Smith identified the suspect as Shadrack Alcine. As the officer made his way around the building, Smith said Alcine pulled a gun and fired two shots at the officer.

The officer was able to dive out of the way of the gunfire and was uninjured.

Alcine fled and was caught about 6 a.m. Sunday. Smith said the department got a call of a possible burglar. Alcine climbed over a 6-foot privacy fence and broke his leg. He crawled to the back door of an apartment at Lexington Apartments trying to get in, Smith said. Residents called police.

The gun police say was used in the shooting was located nearby, Smith said.

Alcine is being charged with the attempted murder of a police officer, Smith said.

He currently is at Marshall Medical Center South receiving treatment. Smith said he expects Alcine will be released Tuesday.

"Any officer knows there is no such thing as a routine traffic stop. Anything can happen, and it can turn bad quickly," Smith said. "Be aware of your surroundings. Pay attention to what's going on around you."
Joining the Army is more than just a job and for many, its a calling, a determination to defend our country.

On Monday Army recruits got to ask questions and learn more about the Army from military leaders before they head off to basic training, but for some joining the Army just couldn't wait.

The almost 30 Army recruits had the opportunity to ask military leaders questions. The almost 30 Army recruits had the opportunity to ask military leaders questions.

"I knew that God had a plan for me to do more than just be a nurse. He has plans for me and I felt like it was the Army," said Allie Brenner, Army recruit.

Brenner still has a year left of high school and she's already joining the Army, but it took a little extra convincing for her Mom to get on board.

"You have to get your parents' consent to do that which it took a lot for my Mom to sign that paper, but she finally did it because she knew that this is something I really wanted to do," said Brenner.

Major General Royar said that having so many Army recruits and their families come out to Redstone Arsenal for a question and answer session says a lot about the Army.

"I also think it's really important that we have a lot of family members here today. But those family members, those parents you know are willing to trust the Army with their sons and daughters," said Major General Todd Royar, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command.

Many of the almost 30 Army recruits had different reasons for enlisting, but for Montgomery Hix the community aspect of the Army really drew him in.

"I didn't really have many friends growing up and then ever since I joined or planned to join it's just been a wave of family and community," said Montgomery Hix.

Brenner said she's nervous and excited about the journey ahead.

"I will go into basic training next week and I'll ship off to Fort Jackson in South Carolina," said Brenner.

Brenner will get back from basic training in early September just in time for her to finish her senior year of high school.

The military leaders met with those Army recruits as part of Army National Hiring Days, a nationwide campaign to help recruit 1,700 new soldiers.
Northwest Alabama is still included in a Marginal Risk for severe weather Tuesday. A line of storms from out of Mississippi is expected to move into the Shoals by early to mid-afternoon today. The primary threat is for damaging straight-line winds on the leading edge of thunderstorm line.

Highs should make it to the mid 80s again this afternoon which is more than enough heating for high levels of instability for thunderstorms. Regardless of the high levels of instability there is decent model agreement that the main thunderstorm line will decay as it moves east , especially near and east of I-65 late Tuesday afternoon and evening. The strongest storms may not be severe but still capable of gusty winds and locally heavy rain. Highs should make it to the mid 80s again Tuesday afternoon.

This active pattern continues through at least the workweek. While storms are more widespread in the afternoon and evening, at least isolated showers and storms are possible overnight as well. Expect lows consistently near 70 and highs in the low to mid 80s. By the weekend, we may finally get a reduction in storm coverage, but the forecast is still not totally void of all rain chances as a few storms still look possible both Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 00:21:55|Editor: huaxia

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ISLAMABAD, June 7 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and 17 others remained missing after a passenger van plunged into a river in Pakistan's Upper Kohistan district of northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday, a rescue official told Xinhua.

The body of a woman has been recovered, Muhamad Hamza, an official of emergency rescue service Rescue 1122 in Upper Kohistan said, adding that rescue teams have been searching for other missing passengers of the van.

The incident happened when the driver lost control of the vehicle carrying 18 people while giving a sharp turn. The passenger van then veered off into the Indus River in the Pani Bagh area of Upper Kohistan, and got submerged immediately, said the official.

He said professional divers of the rescue service along with local volunteers have been taking part in the rescue activities, adding that another team of trained divers has also been dispatched from the country's northwest Peshawar city to speed up the rescue operation.

The van was travelling from Pakistan's northern Chilas city of Gilgit-Baltistan region to the eastern Rawalpindi district when the accident happened. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 12:56:23|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on June 2, 2021 shows the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia. The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef in Australia's state of Queensland, is described as the "planet's most beautiful marine environment" and is the main conservation target of the Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef, a charity cooperative organization that runs a series of preserving programs. To celebrate World Oceans Day (WOD) on Tuesday, Xinhua spoke with Andy Ridley, the energetic chief executive of Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef, about the organization's diverse range of conservation work. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua)

SYDNEY, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Andy Ridley, the energetic chief executive of Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef, believes he has the best workplace of this planet.

The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef in Australia's state of Queensland, is described by Ridley as the "planet's most beautiful marine environment" and is the main conservation target of the charity cooperative organization that runs a series of preserving programs.

To celebrate World Oceans Day (WOD) on Tuesday, Xinhua spoke with Ridley about the organization's diverse range of conservation work.

The group, relying on its volunteer "citizen scientists," has an overall objective to promote international awareness about the need to stop the squandering of resources and to encourage the use of renewable energy sources in order to battle climate change.

The group's conservation efforts are crucial. In recent years the world's largest reef system, which stretches more than 2,300 km along Australia's east coast, has faced an array of climate-based challenges such as rising sea temperatures, ocean acidification and extreme weather events.

The harsher conditions have led to widespread bleaching of coral and the Great Barrier Reef has reportedly lost about half its corals since 1995.

Despite such grim statistics, Ridley remains optimistic that the Great Barrier Reef retains a chance to recover, saying "we've got this small window of opportunity left, where if we deal with climate change, we can protect enough of this reef probably for it to come back and be as glorious as it was."

"Globally, we need to have emissions plummeting, like going down really fast, not in 10 years' time, but like now," he told Xinhua.

Ridley said the reduce of tourists due to the pandemic could have some positive sides for the conservation of the coral reefs.

"Normally all the boats that are around us would be very busy with foreign guests," he said. "That hasn't been the case this year and the remarkable thing about the tourism industry here is they basically put their boats to work doing more and more conservation. So, for all the badness of the pandemic, some good has come out of it."

One of the main conservation projects during this time has been the group's Great Reef Census -- a "motley flotilla" of more than 30 vessels, including tourist boats, fishing vessels and super yachts.

It surveyed about 150 significant reefs throughout the 4,000 individual reefs in the vast ecosystem during a 10-week study.

The group then called on volunteers to don their "citizen scientist coats" to help analyze online some of the 13,000 images brought back from the reef.

"The Great Barrier Reef is so massive, large amounts of it had never been surveyed," Ridley said. "And we still need more reconnaissance information, more data to help us better manage the reef."

Towards that end, Ridley is keen to continue the census and would like to recruit volunteer recreational boating enthusiasts to reach up to 500 reefs.

Whatever the group finds, there is no risk of him ever losing his buoyant attitude towards the beloved region.

World Oceans Day is held every June 8 with the aim of fostering public interest in the protection of the ocean and the sustainable management of its resources, with the theme of 2021 being "The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods."

"I love nature in general, but I really love the Great Barrier Reef," Ridley said. "It's an extraordinary place and I'm incredibly lucky to be working here." Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 13:35:55|Editor: huaxia

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ULAN BATOR, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Sales of all types of alcoholic drinks will be forbidden across Mongolia for three days starting Tuesday due to the upcoming presidential election, local media reported, citing relevant laws.

There will be a 72-hour full ban on the sale of alcohol from Tuesday to Thursday in the capital city of Ulan Bator, home to more than half of Mongolia's population of 3.3 million, and all 21 provinces of the country.

The presidential election will be held on Wednesday with three candidates registered for the race, namely Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, chairman of the ruling Mongolian People's Party, Sodnomzundui Erdene, former chairman of the opposition Democratic Party, and Dangaasuren Enkhbat, a former legislator.

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. Enditem
South Africa: Six-month treatment effective for multi-drug-resistant TB, study finds

A study funded by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) has revealed that a novel six-month treatment regimen is effective for multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

This is according to the NExT Study, a randomised TB trial meant to determine whether treatment for multi-drug-resistant TB rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB) could be shortened to six months using oral medication  the same length currently used for drug-sensitive TB.

The research was performed across five different settings in South Africa, where participants were randomly assigned to receive the novel six-month oral regimen.

This was compared to the World Health Organisations (WHO) approved nine-month injectable-based treatment.

The key finding was that the new regimen was more than twice more likely to lead to favourable outcomes than the traditional approach despite the regimen only being taken for six months, the SAMRC said.

Meanwhile, the rate at which TB is no longer detectable in sputum samples occurred 2.6 times faster in the intervention arm compared to the participants who only received the WHOs recommended injectable-based regimen.

Treatment success was achieved in 75% of patients in the intervention arm, the statement read, adding that successful treatment outcomes of MDR-TB in endemic countries in 2019 were between 50% and 60%.

The NExT oral regimen, according to the SAMRC, was made up of five drugs taken for six months.

However, according to the research organisation, most MDR-TB patients cannot access newer drugs and the short injectable regimen remains the standard of care in many TB endemic countries.

Access to newer drugs is limited by affordability and other access barriers and only 40% of MDR-TB patients globally can access any kind of treatment.

The researchers believe that these findings suggest that a six-month oral regimen for MDR-TB is feasible.

Using a shorter oral six-month regimen will mean that painful and toxic injectable drugs will be avoided and the shorter regimen is likely to improve compliance, completion rates, and reduce the overall cost to TB programmes.

NExT Studys Principal Investigator, Professor Keertan Dheda said, this sets a new benchmark for the treatment of MDR-TB, which threatens to derail TB control in many parts of the world, including Eastern Europe and Russia.

The next step will be to test more effective six-month regimens that can improve treatment success closer to 90% or even higher.

According to Dheda, who is also a Director of the SAMRC/UCT Centre for the Study of Antimicrobial Resistance Research Unit, 60% of the worlds MDR-TB patients have no access to treatment, while the rest in many TB endemic countries have zero access to the newer drugs.

The SAMRC President and CEO, Professor Glenda Gray, has welcomed the findings and described them as a huge advance in TB control in South Africa and beyond.

Not only do the findings have the potential to change TB clinical practice but could also transform the way we treat patients with drug-resistant forms of TB here at home and in other parts of the world, said Gray.

Gray also believes that shorter drug regimens could improve adherence.

Director for Drug-Resistant TB, TB & HIV at the National Department of Health, Dr Norbert Ndjeka, said patients who do not return for continued care or evaluation and high death rates are major challenges in managing MDR-TB in South Africa.

We are very excited about the NeXT study results, as a shorter treatment regimen could go a long way in reducing loss to follow-up, and the new and repurposed drugs have helped to reduce the death rate amongst MDR-TB patients, Ndjeka added.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Photo taken on May 9, 2021 shows the books of students who were killed in a car bomb attack at the site of explosion in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan. Photo: Xinhua

Against the backdrop of the US and NATO unilaterally pushing ahead troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, risks of turmoil are growing. To responsibly respond to this, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi presided over the 4th China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers' Dialogue on Thursday.

Wang raised five propositions for advancing peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan. First, adhere to the fundamental "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned" principle. Second, maintain the momentum of intra-Afghan talks. Third, bring the Taliban back into the political mainstream. Fourth, the international community and countries in the region should provide full support. Fifth, strengthen sincere cooperation among China, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The proposals mirrored that while the US-led West is being irresponsible over Afghan peace and reconciliation, China is promoting this peace process in a more proactive manner by formally putting forward the Chinese plan.

The peace and stability of Afghanistan is related to the security of western China and the implementation of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). However, China has no intention of filling the vacuum left by the withdrawal of the US, nor will China involve in the internal conflict in Afghanistan like the US did. China does not tolerate Afghanistan being trapped in war again and turned into a hotbed of terrorist forces such as the East Turkestan terrorist organizations. This would pose a threat to China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the BRI.

Since 2017, China has started to make diplomatic preparations for the possible withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, and has set up a dialogue mechanism among foreign ministers of China, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The video conference on Thursday is the fourth meeting of the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers' Dialogue. From the five propositions Wang had put forward, it can be seen that the plan proposed by China to resolve the issue of peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan has three characteristics.

To begin with, China fully respects Afghanistan's status as an independent sovereign country. It also respects the fundamental interests of the Afghan people, their history, and reality. This clearly embodies China's consistent principle of noninterference in other countries' internal affairs.

As Afghanistan's neighboring country that also severely suffers from terrorism, extremism and separatism, China has its interests in the Afghanistan issue. Beijing doesn't want Kabul to become the hotbed of those horrible acts and beliefs.

However, since China doesn't harbor geopolitical ambitions in this region, it will not promote its political system or governance model to champion its geopolitical interests as the US has always done. Nor will it meddle in Afghanistan's internal affairs as the US does by introducing a solution where Americans lead and control Kabul's domestic affairs. Instead, China will firmly adhere to the principle of letting Afghans be the leader and owner of their country.

As for issues concerning the Taliban, China will continue to respect reality and act according to the situation. The current Afghan government plays a leading role in the country's peaceful reconciliation process. But the Taliban also represents the interests of a large percentage of Pashtun ethnic people who should not be excluded from the country's authorities. Otherwise, the Afghanistan issue will not be resolved.

Second, the Chinese solution is a multilateral and inclusive solution based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. It is a solution that reflects the political wisdom of the East.

China is a mediator in the peaceful reconciliation process of Afghanistan. Unlike the West, Beijing will not stand by one side against the other. China knows clearly that Islamic countries have their own political traditions and Afghanistan has its own national conditions. Therefore, it hopes to find an inclusive solution based on respect for Afghanistan's political and historical traditions.

On the other hand, the Chinese solution includes the interests of neighboring countries due to Afghanistan's ethnic composition and its ties with its neighbors. Kabul's neighbors are all the concerned parties in the Afghanistan issue. They should play a more important role through the United Nations (UN), as well as regional mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

China has also emphasized the important factors in the process of Afghanistan realizing peace and reconciliation: Respect the Taliban's political status and acknowledge the vital role of Pakistan in this process. This is why China proposed for a trilateral mechanism. This process is one based on consultative democracy, a model different from the Western-style democracy. The West also has an important role in this process: Western countries should assure that Afghanistan won't return to civil war due to their military withdrawal.

Last but not least, China has provided a political plan that lays a social-economic foundation for a political solution to the issues faced by ordinary Afghans. If Afghanistan fails to take social-economic developments into consideration, the country is likely to fall into turmoil again - as it has suffered from decades of wars. The US envisioned in 2011 the New Silk Road initiative to solve the problems of Afghanistan, but the plan included too many geopolitical considerations. Besides, Washington didn't come out with enough practical projects to promote this plan. In comparison, the mechanism of the China-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral Foreign Ministers' Dialogue started from economic cooperation. It eyes Afghanistan's social-economic problems while paving the way for political cooperation between Kabul and Islamabad.

In its efforts to promote peace and national reconciliation in neighboring countries, China played an important role in helping Cambodia under the UN framework. Now, China has raised propositions that meet the interests of every party involved in the Afghanistan issue. However, whether or not the issue will be settled depends mainly on the effectiveness of consultations between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

The author is secretary-general of the Research Center for China-South Asia Cooperation at Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, visiting fellow of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China and distinguished fellow of the China (Kunming) South Asia & Southeast Asia Institute.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 14:18:05|Editor: huaxia

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KABUL, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan's Kabul province, where the country's national capital city Kabul is located, and several other provinces were hit by blackout as a power pylon was destroyed by an explosion on Monday night, Breshna Sherkat, the national power company, confirmed on Tuesday.

The incident took place at 9:55 p.m. local time Monday in Salang district, Parwan province, north of Kabul, the company told reporters via a text message, adding a technical team has been sent to the area to repair the power pylon and resume power transmission to Kabul and other provinces.

In western Herat province, unknown men destroyed an electricity tower in Kohsan district early Tuesday, cutting power imported from Iran to provincial capital Herat city, the largest city in the west of the country, Zenab Mohsini from a regional office of Breshna Sherkat confirmed.

The militancy-plagued Afghanistan has been facing power shortage as the country has limited hours of power during day and night times.

To overcome power scarcity, the government has imported power from neighboring Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, but the imported energy is still too little to meet domestic need.

No group has claimed responsibly for the incident. Two dozens of power pylons has been destroyed or damaged by explosions along the power grid in recent months. Enditem
Brian Gregory Robling of Washington, 23, passed away Monday, June 7, 2021. Brian was born July 11, 1997, in Washington, to Amber (Robling) Whiteman and Michael Bernard. He graduated from Washington High School in 2016. Brian is survived by his parents; his son, Zyler Mehrer of Washington; da
The wthgis website will soon be showing road closings and other events that may require motorists to detour or avoid an area. The events will be added and available to the public in real time.
Over the course of 87 minutes, the 30-year-old comedian and actor  seen most recently on the big screen as Carey Mulligans would-be nice-guy boyfriend in Promising Young Woman  conducts a tour of duty of the mental and emotional warzone known as Lockdown. His hair and beard grow longer, his mood swings wildly, the songs range from hilarious to bleak, and that room fills with clutter.

Inside is a one-man musical-comedy special born of our very strange times. If youd have told me/a year ago/that Id be locked inside of my home, Burnham sings in the opening number, a typically 80s-synth-pop flavoured tune, I would have told you/a year ago/with respect now leave me alone.

The room into which a clean-shaven Bo Burnham steps at the beginning of Inside is neat, tidy, almost empty. It doesnt take a genius to know it wont stay that way for long.

Burnham shot and edited the show on his own, and the inventiveness of his staging in the compact confines of an attic studio is really something. The one-manness of the production is evident in the fact Netflix, normally so rich in promotional material, doesnt even have stills or a press kit for the show. Its as if it dropped from nowhere while the bigwigs were otherwise occupied.

No-frills it may be, but Inside might just be the essential document of our times. COVID as a threat to life barely figures, but the impacts on the state of mind are obvious.

Burnham isnt afraid to expose himself for the sake of a gag, or a lyric. Credit:Netflix

Roberts been a little depressed, he sings in that opening number, which swiftly establishes the dynamic and the vibe of the whole show, and so today Im going to try just/getting up, sitting down, going back to work/It might not help but it couldnt hurt.

At its funniest, the comedy is self-reflective and excoriating, tapping into the self-importance and hypocrisy of Hollywoods liberal activist set while acknowledging the need for change. The world is so f---ed up, he says in a spoken-word bit in the middle of the song Healing the World With Comedy. Systematic oppression, income inequality [pause] ... the other stuff. Theres only one thing I can do about it [pause]  while being paid and being the centre of attention. [Singing] Healing the world with comedy/making a literal difference, metaphorically.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 17:23:22|Editor: huaxia

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BANGKOK, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The China-ASEAN relations will open a new chapter of common prosperity if the two sides continue to boost cooperation in wide areas, said Yang Baoyun, a professor specializing in ASEAN studies at Thailand's Thammasat University.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of dialogue relations between China and ASEAN. Thirty years on, bilateral relations have forged ahead on the basis of mutual respect, mutual trust and mutual benefit, with bilateral cooperation continuing to deepen and the scope further expanding, Yang said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Yang spoke highly of the fruitful cooperation progress that China and ASEAN have achieved in sectors such as political security, economy and trade as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Calling the two sides' anti-pandemic cooperation "a paradigm," Yang said China and ASEAN have supported each other in time of difficulty and fought against the pandemic in concerted efforts.

ASEAN countries donated medical supplies to support China at the height of its fight against COVID-19, and China returned the favor by offering medical supplies, dispatching medical teams, sharing prevention and treatment experiences and donating or providing vaccines to assist ASEAN member countries' anti-pandemic work.

While the pandemic hammered trade around the world, China and ASEAN have managed to buck the downward trend with an annual 7-percent trade growth in 2020. ASEAN for the first time became China's largest trading partner last year and has secured the position into this year, Yang said.

The China-ASEAN relations, though weighed by some uncertainties, have remained stable.

"They will sure open a new chapter of common prosperity if the two sides continue to boost cooperation in wide areas, with cooperation in the field of political security as the foundation, economic cooperation as the impetus while people-to-people and cultural exchanges as the bridge," he said. Enditem
Investment banking giant Macquarie Group is facing further reputational damage from its financial backing of data analytics firm Nuix, as the corporate regulator begins an investigation into the $1.8 billion float of the business.

The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age can reveal that the Australian Securities and Investments Commission has sent notices to both Nuix and Macquarie warning them to retain relevant documentation stretching back to 2018. The investigation by ASIC relates to allegations that Macquarie-backed Nuix overstated its sales forecasts ahead of its listing on the ASX in the hottest float of 2020.

Tony Castagna. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

The Herald and Age have also been told that several executives involved in the preparation of the float have received a section 19 notice. Under the ASIC Act, a section 19 foreshadows examination by the regulator.

Failure to comply with the notice is an offence that can lead to a jail sentence.
Melbournes reputation as a tourist destination may have taken a hit after four lockdowns, the industry has warned after the city was demoted in global liveability rankings.

The Economist Intelligence Unit found that Auckland in New Zealand was the worlds most liveable city, pushing Melbourne to equal eighth spot after more than a year of rolling lockdowns.

An almost-deserted Melbourne on the first day of winter. Credit:Eddie Jim

The rankings were calculated in March, when Melbourne was not in lockdown, and only consider a snapshot in time. That means Melbourne recorded a perfect score in the education category, despite school closures at other times.

Melbourne came in at No. 2 in the previous most recent ranking of 140 cities, in 2019, and was crowned the worlds most liveable city for seven years straight until 2017. The citys score has dropped to 92.5, down from 98.5 in the latest list.
New York: The Biden administration will continue a Trump-era push to represent the former president in a defamation lawsuit brought by author E. Jean Carroll, according to a night appellate court filing.

The lawsuit brought by Carroll  who accused Donald Trump two years ago of sexually assaulting her in the 1990s  has been stalled in litigation over whether the US Justice Department had standing to represent him on the grounds that his curt, insulting denials in response to her claim were made in the course of performing his presidential duties.

The departments filing indicates the Biden administration has decided to keep pushing to be allowed to treat a sitting presidents comments  albeit in response to a personal issue  as an official function of the office for the purposes of litigation that may arise from those comments.

E. Jean Carroll, who alleges Donald Trump sexually assaulted her in a New York department store dressing room in the 1990s, is suing him for defamation. Credit:AP

The departments Civil Division lawyers began the appeals process while the question lingered whether the Biden administration would continue to advance the legal cause, an issue that has the potential to set a precedent for the current or future sitting presidents and, according to the filings authors, could leave vulnerable other officers and employees of the Executive Office of the President.
Wilmington, DE (19810)

Today

Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low 63F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low 63F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Governor Eric Holcomb thanked the group for their work after a hard year with the pandemic and nationwide protests.
Coroner says it may take 4-6 weeks to tell how woman died after ride on Holiday World roller coaster
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 19:12:14|Editor: huaxia

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MANILA, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The performance of manufacturing production in the Philippines rebounded in April, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Tuesday.

Based on the preliminary results of the Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries (MISSI), the PSA said the year-on-year value of production index (VaPI) and the volume of production index (VoPI) rebounded, increasing 154.3 percent and 162.1 percent in April, respectively.

The PSA said the VaPI for manufacturing rebounded as it posted an annual increase of 154.3 percent, from a -74.2 percent yearly drop in the previous month.

The year-on-year growth rate in April "was the first positive growth since April 2019 and the highest annual increase in the 2018-based data series," the PSA said in a statement.

The PSA said the increment in VaPI was brought about by the positive growth rates of 20 industry divisions, 14 of which posted three-digit annual growth rates with the manufacture of basic metals as the highest at 729.1 percent.

The VoPI also went up by 162.1 percent in April, recovering from a negative 73.3 percent annual decline in the previous month.

Of the 22 industry divisions, the PSA said 20 showed positive growths, 15 of which recorded three-digit annual increases. The fastest growth rate was registered in the manufacture of basic metals at 687.5 percent. Enditem
Reporter

I cover a range of stories for WDRB, but really enjoy tracking what's going on at our State Capitol. I grew up on military bases all over the world, but am a Kentuckian at heart. I'm an EKU alum, and have lived in Louisville for 30 years.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 20:17:18|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 pandemic was still raging in Asia-Pacific on Tuesday as India's COVID-19 death toll surpassed 350,000, reaching 351,309, confirmed the country's health ministry.

As many as 2,123 people died due to the pandemic during the past 24 hours.

Besides, as many as 86,498 new cases were registered since Monday morning, taking the total tally to 28,996,473.

This is the lowest single-day spike in more than two months.

There are still 1,303,702 active cases in the country, with a decrease of 97,907 in the past 24 hours.

The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) reported 4,777 new infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,280,773.

Tuesday's caseload is the lowest since May 25 when the DOH reported 3,972.

The death toll climbed to 22,064 after 95 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said.

Thailand accelerated vaccine rollout as it began a mass vaccination program Monday amid efforts to contain its worst outbreak so far and ensure the country's wider reopening to vaccinated foreign visitors.

The country has administered more than 4.63 million doses of vaccines in total, and aims to vaccinate about 70 percent of its nearly 70 million population by the end of this year.

On Tuesday, Thailand reported 2,662 new cases, bringing the total caseload to 182,548, jumping more than sixfold from the beginning of April when the third wave of outbreak started to spread from the capital Bangkok, according to the CCSA.

The country also reported 28 fatalities, taking the death toll to 1,297.

Cambodia's COVID-19 vaccination drive has received another boost after the country got a new batch of Chinese vaccines on Tuesday.

Cambodian health ministry's secretary of state Yok Sambath said the new arrival included Sinopharm vaccine donated by the Chinese government and those purchased from Chinese biopharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech.

So far, nearly 4.97 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the country, with 2.2 million people fully vaccinated, the health ministry said in a statement.

The country logged 678 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, pushing the national case tally to 35,511 with 278 deaths and 28,649 recoveries, the health ministry said.

Afghanistan's Public Health Ministry reported 1,724 new cases on Tuesday, taking the total infections to 84,050.

The pandemic has so far claimed 3,305 lives in Afghanistan since February last year, including 54 deaths in the past 24 hours, the ministry said in a statement.

A total of 571 patients were recovered during the cited period, according to the statement.

South Korea reported 454 more cases, raising the total number of infections to 145,091.

Of the new cases, 139 were Seoul residents and 125 were people residing in Gyeonggi province.

Nineteen cases were imported from overseas, lifting the combined figure to 9,200.

One more death was confirmed, leaving the death toll at 1,975. The total fatality rate stood at 1.36 percent.

A total of 551 more patients were discharged from quarantine after making full recovery, pulling up the combined number to 135,412. Enditem
Louisville Metro Police are asking for the public's help to identify a suspect in the fatal shooting of a liquor store employee in Louisville's Taylor Berry neighborhood on Monday, June 7, 2021. (Source: Louisville Metro Police Department)
Yes, unbelievable as it may be to small children, governments and double standards go together like peanut butter and jelly.

by Lawrence W. Reed

This article was originally published on FEE.org. Read the original article.

Imagine if oil companies got together and agreed to charge consumers no less than $3.50 per gallon for gas. Lets call it a global minimum price. How long

in minutesdo you think it would take for the news media to cry foul and for the Justice Department to file an antitrust suit?

In recent days, President Joe Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen endorsed the identical conceptso long as the perpetrators are governments.

Yes, unbelievable as it may be to small children, governments and double standards go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Biden and Yellen are leading the charge for a global minimum tax on businesses. They want to get governments all over the world to agree to charge companies no less than 15 percent for the States wisdom and beneficence. No more of this competition stuff that might encourage firms to move to, say, Ireland where the government only charges them 12.5 percent! Thats not fair! cry the anti-competition progressives like Biden and Yellen.

If private firms connived to fix a minimum price for their goods, they would be branded robber barons and their CEOs would be vilified before congressional committees. Do not expect Biden, Yellen and the government price-fixers who endorse a global minimum tax to ever face so much as a tough question at a press conference.

To date, major media has not only been silent on this glaring hypocrisy, but it has also cheered on the price-fixerswhich reminds me of something Adlai Stevenson said more than half a century ago: The job of the journalist is to separate the wheat from the chaff, and then print the chaff.

Poor old John D. Rockefeller of Standard Oil! He still catches Hell from armchair historians who claim he colluded with competitors to fix minimum prices for oil products, even though the evidence is scant at best. Unlike governments, Standard charged less and less for products that steadily improved in quality. (See my essay, Witch-Hunting for Robber Barons: The Standard Oil Story).

In a May 27 editorial, The Wall Street Journal pointed out that Ireland is a superb example of the wisdom of tax competition between countries. For decades now, the previously over-taxed Emerald Isle has kept its flat-rate business income tax rate at 12.5 percent:

Ireland has reaped the benefits. Between 1986 and 2006, the economy grew to nearly 140% of the EU average from a mere two-thirds. Employment nearly doubled to two million, and the brain drain of the 1970s and 1980s reversed. Ireland became a destination for global capital.

If Ireland were to sign on to the Biden/Yellen global minimum tax proposal, it would have to impose a 20% tax hike. Its finance minister is no idiot. Hes against it.

So the next time your teacher or professor says that getting together with your competitors to fix minimum prices and reduce competition makes you an evil robber baron, raise your hand and ask, You mean like Joe Biden and Janet Yellen?
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BERLIN (AP)  Austria's far-right Freedom Party on Monday nominated Herbert Kickl, the country's combative former interior minister, as its new leader.

The opposition party's leadership chose Kickl for the top job, the Austria Press Agency reported. The move will need endorsement by a party congress on June 19.

Kickl, 52, will be the second Freedom Party leader since the resignation in 2019 of Heinz-Christian Strache, who was then Austria's vice chancellor.

Strache led the party for 14 years until his downfall over a video showing him offering favors to a purported Russian investor, which triggered the collapse of conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurzs government. Kurz returned to power last year in a new coalition with the Greens.

Strache's successor, Norbert Hofer, announced last week that he was stepping down. That raised the possibility of Hofer making a second run for the country's largely ceremonial presidency next year, though he hasn't publicly confirmed such plans.

Kickl, a longtime campaign mastermind of the anti-immigration Freedom Party, was a divisive figure in government  drawing criticism over matters including a raid on Austrias BVT spy agency which opposition parties claimed was an attempt by the government to purge domestic political enemies.

He also has been confrontational in opposition as the head of the party's parliamentary group since 2019, most recently positioning himself as a critic of coronavirus restrictions.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-09 01:03:29|Editor: huaxia

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KATHMANDU, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Nepal's central bank on Tuesday eased the provisions related to entry of foreign direct investment (FDI) and exit of dividends earned by foreign investors in Nepal in a bid to attract more FDI to the country.

By issuing a set of bylaws on foreign investment and foreign loans management, Nepal Rastra Bank announced that its approval is no longer needed to bring foreign investment into the country if such investment gets approval by Nepali government agencies.

Earlier, the central bank's approval was mandatory for the entry of FDI.

"It will now be enough to notify the central bank before bringing in the approved foreign investment," the new rule states.

Likewise, the approval of the central bank will not be required to bring in foreign exchanges for the purpose of company registration, feasibility study and prior expenditure prior to the operation of enterprises.

"The provision of not requiring central bank's approval for bringing in FDI was made to avoid duplication in the approval process and help the entry of FDI as easily as possible," Dev Kumar Dhakal, spokesman of the Nepali central bank, told Xinhua.

The central bank also announced that it would take no more than 15 working days to decide on whether to approve the repatriation of dividends from the date an application is submitted.

Such approval will normally be approved as per the recommendation of government agencies responsible for approving foreign investments.

"In the past, the central bank had not set any deadline for taking decisions on requests for repatriation of dividends. With the bylaws, we eased the dividend repatriation process too," said Dhakal.

As to foreign loans, however, taking the Nepali central bank's prior approval is a must. Under the bylaws, the central bank will decide on whether to allow foreign loans within 15 working days once an application is received.

As per the bylaws, foreign investors are not required to submit an audit report of the latest financial year in case the FDI or foreign loans are less than 1 million U.S. dollars.

In order to facilitate the management of entry of foreign investment and foreign loans, the central bank has formed a facilitation committee headed by a deputy governor.

The Confederation of Nepalese Industries comprising large and medium-sized industries, welcomed the move in a press statement, saying it would help boost FDI in the country. Enditem
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Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-07 23:19:36|Editor: huaxia

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Aerial photo taken on June 6, 2021 shows Mucilage, also known as "sea snot" in the Marmara Sea in Istanbul, Turkey. According to local press reports, the sea snot, which has started from the country's biggest city Istanbul, spread to several other provinces along the coast of the Marmara Sea and the northern Aegean Sea. The substance, which seriously threatens the environment and underwater life, now covered a large part of the Marmara Sea, forcing the government to take urgent action that will be launched on Tuesday in Istanbul. (Photo by Osman Orsal/Xinhua)

ISTANBUL, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Mucilage, also known as "sea snot," has been seen spreading to the Black Sea coast of Turkey, Turkish local media reported on Monday.

A thick jello-like layer of slime was seen in an area at Yalikoy Harbor in the Fatsa district of the northern province of Ordu, the Hurriyet daily said.

Acting upon the notification of the fishermen, the municipality teams cleaned the pollution on the sea surface, it added.

According to press reports, the sea snot, which has started from the country's biggest city Istanbul, spread to several other provinces along the coast of the Marmara Sea and the northern Aegean Sea as well.

The substance, which seriously threatens the environment and underwater life, now covered a large part of the Marmara Sea, forcing the government to take urgent action that will be launched on Tuesday in Istanbul.

Turkey's Environment and Urban Planning Ministry sent a circular to the governorships and municipalities of seven provinces on the coast of the Marmara Sea regarding the launch of "Turkey's largest sea cleaning campaign," the state-run TRT broadcaster noted.

Scientists say that this phenomenon is not new, but it has become massive due to pollution, such as raw sewage running-offs from Istanbul and coastal cities to the sea. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 04:03:57|Editor: huaxia

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ROME, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Online retail giant Amazon announced Monday that it would hire 3,000 new workers in Italy by the end of this year, adding nearly a third to what is already one of the company's largest European operations.

In a statement, the company said the new full-time jobs are in addition to 9,500 workers it already has in the country. The company also said it would invest more than 350 million euros (427 million U.S. dollars) to develop three new centers: one in Lombardy, the region that includes Milan; one in Emilia-Romagna, the region that includes Bologna; and one in Piedmont, the region that includes Turin.

The company also said it will open two new distribution centers, a sorting center, and 11 new sorting depots in Italy. All told, the company operates more than 50 centers around the country.

"The growth in the digital sector is an opportunity to relaunch the country, and we want to make our contribution," Mariangela Marseglia, Amazon's country manager for Italy and Spain, said in a statement. "Investing in the digitalization of the country means supporting growth opportunities through the creation of new jobs, enabling training for our employees, and development opportunities for small- and medium-sized enterprises in Italy that use our services and sell their products in Italy and abroad."

Amazon, which was founded 25 years ago, is one of the world's largest online retailers. Enditem
Pitlochry Festival Theatre has announced casting for its summer production of The Wind in the Willows, which will be staged on the banks for the River Tummel.

Running from 2 July to 12 September, the production is adapted by Mark Powell and co-directed by the venue's artistic director Elizabeth Newman and associate director Ben Occhipinti.

The cast will feature Jane McCarry (Still Game) as Badger, Colin McCredie (Taggart) as Toad, Alicia McKenzie (Blonde Bombshells of 1943, Pitlochry) as Mole, Ali Watt (A Christmas Carol, Pitlochry) as Ratty, Richard Colvin (Sunshine on Leith, UK tour) as Weasel, Connor Going (Footloose, UK tour) as Otter and Kate Milner-Evans (Phantom of the Opera) as Rabbit. All other roles will be played by the cast.

Newman and Occhipinti said: "As soon as we started pondering making work outdoors, it felt like we almost had to do The Wind in the Willows. After all, our beautiful Theatre sits on a Riverbank.

"As soon as we decided to tell this story, we leapt to commission the wonderful Mark Powell to write the adaptation. Some of the finest work we have seen made for families has been led by Mark. His humour, his love of life, his love of people - little and big  shines in everything he writes."

The production features set design by Elizabeth Newman, costume design by Natalie Fern, lighting design by Jeanine Byrne, music and sound design by Ben Occhipinti and musical direction from Richard Colvin.
A North Carolina high school graduate now has his diploma after a social media uproar over the Mexican flag he wore over his gown
The global medical supply and equipment company Medline says it has agreed to be acquired by a group of private equity firms
Barry Tatum Academy teacher Katie Ingram accepts a $2,000 check as the winner of the 2021 Wilson County Teacher of the Year award presented by award sponsors W.P. Bone (left) of Wilson County Motors and Bob McDonald (right) of CedarStone Bank.
Winchester, VA (22601)

Today

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 63F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 63F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-09 04:57:27|Editor: huaxia

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ROME, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Italy's economy is preparing for the post-pandemic period in which it will seek to attract new, high-quality foreign investment from major economies including China, Italy's deputy minister for economic development Alessandra Todde said Tuesday.

Todde spoke at an online conference entitled "Italy, Land of Attractiveness for Foreign Investments," which was jointly sponsored by the Italy China Foundation and the Italy-China Chamber of Commerce.

In his opening remarks, Italy China Foundation President Mario Boselli said as many countries make progress in pushing back the most serious impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, it was "the right time for an event like this" designed to set the stage for closer commercial and economic ties going forward.

That is a point Todde picked up in her remarks, noting that every euro of investment in Italy from major foreign countries results in 3.30 euros in overall new investment and an additional 3.20 euros in added value. Every foreign job in Italy creates 4.6 new local jobs.

"We must help foreign investment grow," Todde said. "We want to attract quality investments in high-tech fields, design, industry, innovation, sustainability, and de-carbonization."

Todde closed her remarks noting that there was a lesson to be learned from the fact that the Chinese characters for "crisis" also mean "opportunity."

"We have to learn to turn the current crisis into an opportunity," she said. Enditem


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MONTREAL - Boufeldja Benabdallah, co-founder of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City, says he is filled with compassion and empathy for the family of five Muslims who were attacked by a driver in London, Ont., Sunday night.

A line of police officers look for evidence at the scene of a car crash in London, Ont., on Monday, June 7, 2021. London police in London say four people have died after several pedestrians were struck by a car Sunday night.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Geoff Robins

MONTREAL - Boufeldja Benabdallah, co-founder of the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City, says he is filled with compassion and empathy for the family of five Muslims who were attacked by a driver in London, Ont., Sunday night.

The horrific incident left four of them dead and a boy with serious injuries, police said. London Mayor Ed Holder called the attack "an act of mass murder perpetrated against Muslims."

Benabdallah said such incidents remind him that minorities must remain vigilant in Canada. "This goes to show that hate is still present and that it's disastrous," he said.

Four years have passed since a gunman stormed Benabdallah's mosque on Jan. 29, 2017, shooting dead six men and seriously injuring 19 people. The incident led the Canadian government to dedicate Jan. 29 as a day to honour victims of the deadly attack. It is formally known as the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec Mosque Attack and of Action Against Islamophobia.

"I can feel what the families are feeling," Benabdallah said in an interview Monday. "I have goosebumps because I have seen our tragedy and violent deaths."

Benabdallah said he knows the families will be going through grief while wondering why it happened to them.

He also called on those who harbour ill will toward Muslims to make an effort to get to know members of the community.

"To these people who still have bitterness toward minorities, do not go making any gestures," Benadballah said.

"Come and meet the people. You are going to be listened to and (will) find out that what you believed about us is wrong. These are people like you and us, quiet and who enjoy their lives."

London police Chief Steve Williams said relatives had asked no names be released but identified the four victims as a 74-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman and a 15-year-old girl. A nine-year-old boy was in hospital in serious condition.

A 20-year-old city man was arrested in the parking lot of a mall seven kilometres away from the horrific incident. He now faces four counts of first-degree murder and one of attempted murder, police said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 7, 2021.
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Seven-year-old Russell Bright squeezed his dads hand tightly as tests of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine started Monday in Louisiana for children ages 5 through 11.

NEW ORLEANS (AP)  Seven-year-old Russell Bright squeezed his dads hand tightly as tests of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine started Monday in Louisiana for children ages 5 through 11.

Children held stuffed animals, played under chairs and a few cried at Ochsner Medical Center, just outside New Orleans. Their temperature and blood pressure were checked, their noses swabbed and their blood drawn for tests. Finally, they got a shot of either the vaccine or a placebo.

From left, 7-year-old Russell Bright, 5-year-old Tucker Bright, and dad Adam Bright pose for a picture at Ochsner Medical Center in Jefferson, La., Monday, June 7, 2021. Tests of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine started Monday in Louisiana for children ages 5 through 11. (AP Photo/Stacey Plaisance)

Ochsner is among 98 facilities in 26 states, the District of Columbia, Finland, Poland and Spain where the tests are taking place or planned.

Families wont know for six months whether their children actually were vaccinated. At that point, children who didn't get the vaccine will have the chance to do so.

The Pfizer vaccine was approved May 10 for children aged 12-15.

Adam Bright, whose younger son Tucker, 5, also is participating, said it was worth the chance to be a part of the trial.

"I want to do my part and have my kids do their part," he said. "Both me and my wife are already vaccinated, and so the sooner I can get them vaccinated and to feel comfortable being outside, not having to wear a mask, I thought the easiest way to get it is to go through the trial."

Russell, wearing a Spiderman mask, said he longs for a summer vacation that can include the water park or a longer trip  and then school without masks and social distancing.

"Im looking forward to seeing my friends more and not wearing masks," he said. "You cant see if Im making a frown or a smile. I dont like to wear them."

Five-year-old Kalil Chaudhry-Halperin held a stuffed toy Bruni  the lizard-like fire spirit in the movie Frozen 2  as he waited at Ochsner.

He was shy and a bit nervous, but his dad, Jason Halperin, says Kalil was excited, because he knows his parents and his 12-year-old sister have all been vaccinated.

"You know how much weve all been through, our entire community, but now we have safe, effective, life-saving vaccines, and it not only helps him but the entire community and anyone vulnerable around our family," Jason Halperin said. "Thats a great lesson to impart to our children."

Adam Bright said hes confident the Pfizer vaccine is safe, especially after seeing how smoothly vaccinations seem to be going for the next age group up.

Russell said he hopes that if and when the vaccine is cleared for emergency use for kids his age, they'll take advantage of the chance.

"Be brave and do it," he said.

Associated Press reporter Janet McConnaughey contributed from New Orleans.
WASHINGTON - Canada will indeed be taking steps to ease restrictions at the border for fully vaccinated travellers, Justin Trudeau said Tuesday  he just won't say when.

The Canada-U.S. border near Lacolle, Que., is seen on Friday, March 20, 2020. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada will eventually take steps to ease border restrictions for fully vaccinated people  but he's not saying when. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

WASHINGTON - Canada will indeed be taking steps to ease restrictions at the border for fully vaccinated travellers, Justin Trudeau said Tuesday  he just won't say when.

With Canada-U.S. travel restrictions set to expire in just two weeks and pressure mounting on the federal government to avoid yet another 30-day renewal, the prime minister offered only the barest hint of hope that things could change by June 21.

"We are looking at how we can ease the rules, based on science," for would-be travellers who have had a complete course of a COVID-19 vaccine, Trudeau said in French during a news conference in Ottawa.

"We will have more announcements to make regarding measures that may be eased for those who have had both doses in the weeks to come."

Despite a slow start, Canada has been setting a blistering pace of late when it comes to vaccination: as of Monday, more than 62 per cent of Canadians had received at least one dose, and about eight per cent  more than three million people  are fully vaccinated.

That latter figure may pale in comparison to the 42 per cent of Americans who have received both doses, but it represents a marked improvement over the 4.5 per cent of just three weeks ago.

Still, there's a long way to go, Trudeau said  especially considering the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 variants of concern and their potential trajectories.

"Even though one dose has allowed us to significantly protect Canadians, to remove many of the pressures from our public health systems, it is still an incomplete protection and we need people to get the full two doses of their vaccines," he said.

"That's why easing restrictions will be focused on Canadians who are fully vaccinated."

Speculation has been rampant in recent days that the U.S. may be preparing to go it alone with plans to relax the border restrictions before June 21, regardless of whether Canada is ready to reciprocate.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki did little to suggest otherwise Tuesday.

"We would make a decision about the Canada border based on the guidance of our health and medical experts," Psaki said when asked if the U.S. would take a unilateral approach.

"I'm sure that when that decision is made, we would communicate through diplomatic channels, but I don't have anything to predict about the timeline."

President Joe Biden's administration has also faced increasing demands to reopen the border, from rank-and-file lawmakers like New York Democrat Rep. Brian Higgins and Republican counterpart Rep. Chris Jacobs, as well as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Much of that pressure has emanated from northern border states and community and business leaders located near the frontier, where small businesses and family livelihoods are utterly dependent on a regular flow of traffic between the two countries.

But last week, two Liberal MPs  Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and Wayne Easter, co-chairman of the Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group, a bilateral committee of lawmakers and MPs  joined forces with Higgins to echo his call for a new approach.

On Tuesday, Higgins expressed confidence that a breakthrough was drawing nearer.

"It is clearly the beginning of the end of the border shutdown," he said in a statement that also pointed to a newly revised State Department travel advisory, moving Canada from Level 4 "Do Not Travel" status to the less alarming "Reconsider."

"In conversations with government leaders on both sides of the border we are learning plans are moving forward to provide for expanded crossing allowances. Action is long overdue."

Canadian and U.S. business leaders also banded together Tuesday, issuing a fresh appeal to the federal government to start putting plans in place. First on their wish list: let fully vaccinated travellers in without a pre-departure COVID-19 test or quarantine requirements upon arrival.

"In our view, the vaccination campaigns in both countries have progressed to the point where it is time to revisit" the restrictions, said the group, which includes both the Canadian and U.S. chambers of commerce, the Business Council of Canada and the U.S.-based National Retail Federation.

Doing so, they said, "would sustain jobs, boost business confidence and allow more families to reunite. It would help facilitate a safe and gradual return to a more normal life."

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada was also sounding alarm bells Tuesday, warning of the risk that some of its members may be forced out of business if the restrictions eat into another summer travel season.

"There is a lack of urgency on the Canadian side for planning for the inevitable reopening of the border, which has been out of step with U.S. officials and the Biden administration," president and CEO Beth Potter said in a statement.

"President Biden formally asked for a border reopening plan immediately after taking office, and so far, Canada has been slow to make any public progress."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2021.

 With files from Mia Rabson in Ottawa
Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-08 06:12:34|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Justice Department announced Monday that federal law enforcement officials have seized 2.3 million U.S. dollars in cryptocurrency of the ransom paid to hackers who shut down Colonial Pipeline last month.

"Following the money remains one of the most basic, yet powerful tools we have," Justice Department Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said at a press briefing Monday afternoon.

"Ransom payments are the fuel that propels the digital extortion engine, and today's announcement demonstrates that the United States will use all available tools to make these attacks more costly and less profitable for criminal enterprises," Monaco said.

The deputy attorney general also highlighted the value of "early notification," thanking Colonial Pipeline for quickly notifying the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) -- the principal investigative arm of the Justice Department, when they learned that they were targeted by DarkSide, the ransomware group responsible for the attack.

In early May, Colonial Pipeline was the victim of a highly publicized ransomware attack resulting in the company taking portions of its infrastructure out of operation, according to the Justice Department.

The shutdown of Colonial Pipeline, which delivers approximately 45 percent of all fuel to the U.S. east coast, pushed up gas prices and led to days of outages at a significant percentage of gas stations in states such as Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

"There is no place beyond the reach of the FBI to conceal illicit funds that will prevent us from imposing risk and consequences upon malicious cyber actors," FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate said at the press briefing.

"We will continue to use all of our available resources and leverage our domestic and international partnerships to disrupt ransomware attacks and protect our private sector partners and the American public," he added. Enditem
LONDON (AP)  When U.S. President Joe Biden flies to Europe this week, he will find his hosts welcoming but wary. His predecessor Donald Trump may be gone, but he leaves a long shadow.

FILE - In this March 16, 2021, file photo, President Joe Biden waves from the top of the steps of Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. On Bidens first foreign trip as president, he will find many of his hosts in Europe welcoming but wary after a tense four years between Europe and the U.S. under former President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

LONDON (AP)  When U.S. President Joe Biden flies to Europe this week, he will find his hosts welcoming but wary. His predecessor Donald Trump may be gone, but he leaves a long shadow.

Bidens first foreign trip as president starts Wednesday and includes a gathering of the Group of Seven wealthy nations by the seaside in southwest England, a NATO summit, a meeting with European Union chiefs, and then a tete-a-tete in Geneva with his Russian counterpart and adversary, Vladimir Putin.

For most of Americas allies, Biden is a relief. Trump often sowed chaos, accusing the NATO military alliance of leeching off the United States, insulting the European Union and storming out of a G-7 summit in Canada in 2018. In contrast, Biden has stressed his support for international diplomacy and emphasized Americas renewed commitment to our allies and partners in a recent Washington Post article.

I think we can expect to see lots of rhetoric and lots of good-vibe messages in this first visit of Biden to Europe, said Renata Dwan, deputy director of international affairs think tank Chatham House.

But she added that five months into Bidens term, its time to be more than not Donald Trump.

Biden has already mended some fences with Americas allies. The U.S. has rejoined the Paris climate accord that Trump renounced, ended a minor trade war with the EU over aviation rivalry and is backing attempts to revive a deal meant to limit Iran's nuclear ambitions that Trump abandoned.

America is back. And we are happy you are back, European Council President Charles Michel told Biden in March, when the president joined a video summit of EU leaders.

Yet its not all smooth sailing, especially for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is hosting the first G-7 summit in two years this weekend at the Carbis Bay resort in Cornwall.

FILE - In this May 24, 2021 file photo, European Council President Charles Michel speaks with the media as he arrives for an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels. Joe Bidens first foreign trip as U.S. president takes in a Group of Seven meeting by the seaside in southwest England, a NATO summit and a meeting with European Union chiefs in Brussels and a tete-a-tete in Geneva with his Russian counterpart and adversary, Vladimir Putin. America is back. And we are happy you are back, Michel told Biden in March, when the president joined a videoconference summit of EU leaders. (Olivier Hoslet/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Johnson wants to use the U.K.s G-7 presidency to inject new purpose into the wealthy nations club  undermined by Trumps unilateralism and sideswiped by the coronavirus pandemic  and to burnish the international image of a post-Brexit Global Britain.

Hes happy with Bidens commitment to fighting climate change that should help give momentum to Novembers COP26 global climate summit in Scotland. And Bidens promise to start sharing coronavirus vaccines with poorer countries  something aid agencies say should have happened sooner  chimes with Johnsons call for G-7 leaders to ensure the whole world is vaccinated by the end of 2022.

Closer to home, the British leader hopes Biden will agree to a trans-Atlantic travel corridor to help business and tourism recover from the pandemic. And he is seeking a U.K.-U.S. trade deal, touted by the British government as a plum post-Brexit economic prize.

But he has hurdles to overcome. A trade deal is not a Biden priority, and Johnson will have to work hard to charm a president who once called the prime minister a physical and emotional clone of Trump.

Biden has criticized Brexit, and is particularly concerned about its impact on Northern Ireland. Because of its land border with EU member Ireland, Northern Ireland has been given a special economic status that is causing friction between the U.K. and the bloc and heightening political tensions within Northern Ireland.

Biden, keenly aware of the key role the U.S. played in bringing about the Good Friday peace accord that ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland, has warned there will be no trade deal with Britain if Brexit undermines the peace deal.

There are tensions and divergences among U.S. and its other the allies, too. Biden has begun to rebuild ties with NATO, left angry and bewildered by Trumps unilateralism and his ambiguous relationship with Russias Putin. Biden reassured the alliance that the U.S. backed NATOs doctrine of collective defense and would come to the rescue in the face of Russian aggression.

Britain and EU politicians generally support Biden's call for a stable and predictable relationship with Russia, but have low expectations of a breakthrough from his meeting with Putin.

But the U.S. still wants NATOs European members and Canada to spend more on defense  a constant Trump refrain, now taken up by Biden, if in a more muted way.

And while Washington informed its allies about its decision to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, the news came late in the day, said Dwan, the analyst from Chatham House.

There is also continuing U.S-European friction over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline being built to bring gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. A persistent irritant between the U.S. and Germany during the Trump years, the pipeline still faces bipartisan U.S. opposition over concerns it makes Europe more dependent on Russia, though Biden has sought to take some of the heat out of the issue.

And European nations are more cautious than the U.S. about confronting and curbing an increasingly assertive, economically surging China.

Dwan said European nations are eager not to be caught in the middle of a of a bipolar tension. Europe knows how that looks and feels.

Even Britain, which has excluded Chinese firms from its 5G network and opened its doors to thousands of people from Hong Kong as Beijing squeezes the territorys freedoms, is cautious about the tough U.S. approach. Johnson has stressed that he is not a knee-jerk Sinophobe and wants to engage with China.

Thomas Gift, director of the Center on U.S. Politics at University College London, says that for all Bidens warm words for allies, his priorities remain at home: vaccinating the U.S. out of the pandemic, reviving the COVID-battered economy and renewing the United States aging infrastructure.

"Hes largely governing as a domestic president, Gift said.

And he said the discord of the Trump years have made Americas allies look differently at the United States.

I think public opinion in Europe has soured to an extent on the United States, Gift said, including concern about whether it's a reliable partner. But I think European leaders, by and large, are eager to work with the U.S. They still understand that it is the most important global superpower  even if some of that power is getting eaten up by a rising China.

Associated Press writers Lorne Cook in Brussels, Angela Charlton in Paris and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this story.
MONTREAL - A company controlled by the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec will fully own Quebec's main natural gas distributor following a $1.14-billion purchase deal with Enbridge Inc.

The logo of Quebec's Caisse de Depot pension fund is seen on February 25, 2021 in Montreal.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

MONTREAL - A company controlled by the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec will fully own Quebec's main natural gas distributor following a $1.14-billion purchase deal with Enbridge Inc.

Trencap LP, which is majority owned by the Quebec pension fund manager, has reached agreement to buy Enbridge's 38.9 per cent stake in Noverco.

With the purchase, Trencap LP will own 100 per cent of Noverco and Energir, a Quebec-based natural gas and power distributor servicing the province and Vermont.

The Caisse owns 64.74 per cent of Trencap, along with partners, including the Quebec Federation of Labour's Solidarity Fund.

The transaction is expected to close by early 2022 and is subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

Calgary-based Enbridge says proceeds from the sale will be used to repay short-term debt and is expected to be neutral to distributable cash flow per share.

"We're pleased to opportunistically monetize this non-strategic financial investment in Noverco at an attractive valuation and surface this value for our shareholders," stated Enbridge chief financial officer Colin Gruending.

Energir has more than $8 billion of assets and 530,000 customers across Quebec and the northeastern United States. In addition to distributing natural gas, it produces electricity from wind power in Quebec and from hydro and solar sources in Vermont.

The Caisse says it first invested in Energir in 2004.

"With this transaction, CDPQ is furthering its support of Energir, an innovative business that is working to decarbonize its operations for the benefit of its customers, for example by focusing on energy efficiency and renewable gas, thus contributing to a greener North American economy," stated Emmanuel Jaclot, head of Infrastructure.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2021.

Companies in this story: (TSX:ENB)
BEIJING (AP)  China on Tuesday pledged further assistance to Southeast Asian nations in battling the coronavirus pandemic as it seeks to boost influence with the region where the United States is also looking to strengthen ties.

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Dialogue Relations co-chaired by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Teodoro Locsin, foreign secretary of the Philippines that serves as the current country coordinator for ASEAN-China relations and attended by foreign ministers from ASEAN countries held in Chongqing, southwestern China, June 7, 2021. China is hosting foreign ministers from 10 Southeast Asian nations this week in the southwestern megacity of Chongqing amid heightened competition between Beijing and Washington for influence in the region. (Wang Quanchao/Xinhua via AP)

BEIJING (AP)  China on Tuesday pledged further assistance to Southeast Asian nations in battling the coronavirus pandemic as it seeks to boost influence with the region where the United States is also looking to strengthen ties.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his counterparts from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations that China had already delivered 100 million vaccine doses to ASEAN nations along with other pandemic-fighting materials and technical help.

Wang likened the challenge to earlier economic crises, the 2003 SARS outbreak and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, saying all were faced with practical action arising from feelings of brotherly concern and the care of watchful neighbors.

In the process of jointly overcoming challenges, we have deepened friendship, mutual trust and common interests," Wang told the ministers, assembled in the southwestern Chinese megacity of Chongqing for meetings marking the 30th anniversary of formal relations between China and ASEAN.

Beijing has been building influence with ASEAN, despite frictions with some members of the bloc over competing territorial claims in the South China Sea. Chinas construction of islands and its military operations in the sea have brought complaints Beijing is militarizing the waterway.

Chinas economic and diplomatic heft has helped override such concerns, however, while the bloc has been unable to form a unified stand in the face of opposition from Chinese allies within it, primarily Cambodia.

Wang said Tuesday that the sides should explore establishing an expert panel to strengthen cooperation throughout the vaccine process, from research to use, and work to build production and distribution centers to help make vaccines affordable and accessible in the region.

He said China would urgently implement" the China-ASEAN Public Health Cooperation Initiative, continue to support the ASEAN Emergency Medical Materials Reserve and strengthen regional public health capacity-building.

China will work with ASEAN to overcome the outbreak as soon as possible," Wang said.

Though COVID-19 was first detected in China in late 2019, the nation has largely stamped out domestic transmission, although it has been accused of insufficient transparency or even seeking to conceal the origins of the pandemic.

Wang made no direct reference to Myanmar, an ASEAN member where the military seized power Feb. 1 and has cracked down on widespread opposition to the coup. On Monday, he said China supported ASEANs non-interventionist approach.

China has also been criticized for building dams upstream on the Mekong River, affecting water levels and fisheries downstream on a waterway that is crucial to the economies of several Southeast Asian nations.

Foreign Ministry Zhao Lijian defended China's policies on management of the river, known as the Lancang in China. Beijing attached great importance to the concerns of downstream countries," had released water to help countries dealing with drought and was willing to work with them on how best to promote sustainable use of water resources, Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing later Tuesday.

There are numerous hydraulic and hydropower facilities in various countries along the river. Its water volume is affected by multiple factors," Zhao said.
As Enbridge Energy prepares to finish rebuilding an oil pipeline across rural northern Minnesota, protesters are occupying part of the construction area and pledging a summer of resistance on the ground and in court.

Everlasting Wind, aka Dawn Goodwin, joins others by raising her fist in the Mississippi River near an Enbridge pipeline construction site, on Monday, June 7, 2021, in Clearwater County, Minn., to protest the construction of Enbridge Line 3. Goodwin is a co-founder of RISE Coalition. More than 2,000 Indigenous leaders and "water protectors" gathered in Clearwater County from around the country. The day started with a prayer circle and moved on to a march to the Mississippi headwaters where the oil pipeline is proposed to be built. (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP)

As Enbridge Energy prepares to finish rebuilding an oil pipeline across rural northern Minnesota, protesters are occupying part of the construction area and pledging a summer of resistance on the ground and in court.

Enbridge, which has obtained all necessary state and federal permits for the Line 3 project, says it will be finished by year's end.

The Canadian company describes it as essential for reliable oil supplies in both nations, saying the plan has undergone rigorous environmental permitting and will boost Minnesota's economy. Opponents contend it endangers waterways, violates indigenous treaty rights and abets dependence on fossil fuels that will further overheat the planet.

What's beyond dispute is that the project fits into an escalating battle over the future of energy pipelines, which federal regulators say are generally safer than hauling fuels by rail or highway but pose their own hazards, particularly spills in ecologically sensitive places.

WHAT IS THE LINE 3 PROJECT?

The 1,097-mile (1,765-kilometer) line is part of an Enbridge network that moves oil from fields in Canada's Alberta province to refineries in southern Ontario and the U.S. Midwest. It crosses the far northeastern tip of North Dakota, then cuts through northern Minnesota to a terminal at Superior, Wisconsin.

The line carries nearly 16.4 million gallons (62 million liters) of oil used in fuels and other products.

Enbridge says the original 1960s pipe is deteriorating and carrying about half its capacity. The company is replacing it with pipe made of stronger steel that it says would enable resumption of a normal flow  about 32 million gallons (121 million liters) daily.

Work is finished in Canada, North Dakota and Wisconsin and 60% complete in Minnesota, where 337 miles (542 kilometers) of new pipe is being laid. A new section veers south around reservation land of the Leech Lake tribe, which objected to the project. The detour adds about 50 miles (80 kilometers) to the length.

ASIDE FROM PROTESTS AND CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE, WHAT OPTIONS DO OPPONENTS HAVE?

They await a ruling from the Minnesota Court of Appeals on whether the state Public Utilities Commission's approval was lawful. A pending suit challenges the Army Corps of Engineers' issuance of a permit. State and federal judges have refused to halt construction while the cases proceed.

Also, groups are pushing President Joe Biden to order the Corps to withdraw the Clean Water Act permit. During a protest Monday, actress Jane Fonda carried a placard with Biden's image and the words, Which side are you on?

Although Biden pleased environmentalists by canceling the Keystone XL project, his administration has not done likewise with other disputed pipelines, including the Dakota Access line near the Standing Rock Reservation in the Dakotas.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has stayed on the sidelines while the legal process over Line 3 unfolds. His hands-off approach differs from that of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a fellow Democrat who ordered Enbridge to shut down Line 5, which moves oil from Superior, Wisconsin, through Michigan to Sarnia, Ontario.

Whitmer's demand focuses on a roughly 4-mile (6.4-kilometer) section beneath a channel that connects Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, where the state granted an easement for the pipeline in 1953 and now seeks to revoke it. That action is also tied up in court.

Line 3 opponents are focusing on blocking the rebuilding project instead of shutting down the line, although their long-term goal is making it obsolete through conversion from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

WHY ARE ENERGY PIPELINES BECOMING A CAUSE CELEBRE?

The day after Fonda joined Line 3 protesters in Minnesota, the National Wildlife Federation in Michigan announced a radio and television ad campaign against Line 5 featuring actor Jeff Daniels. While environmental and indigenous activists have fought energy pipelines for years, the involvement of celebrities is one illustration of widening resistance.

It comes after high-profile spills in the past decade, including a 2010 rupture of an Enbridge line in southern Michigan that sent oil into the Kalamazoo River. A resulting federal consent decree required Enbridge to upgrade the U.S. portion of Line 3.

Another factor: rising awareness that racial minorities suffer disproportionate harm from environmental damage.

Native Americans have been on the front lines of opposition to pipelines, some of which run through or near reservations. They say Line 3 threatens their waters and rights to gather wild rice, fish and hunt on ancestral lands. Enbridge says it consulted with tribes in rerouting the line to protect cultural resources and has employed more than 500 native people for the project.

Also fueling the battle against pipelines is climate change. Many activists consider virtually any project  whether new, an expansion or a replacement of existing pipes  a lifeline for fossil fuels that delays the transition to cleaner energy that scientists say is needed quickly to avoid catastrophic warming.

Enbridge says people will need oil for years to come and shutting down pipelines will mean more shipments by train and truck.
NEW YORK (AP)  A Pennsylvania man was charged Tuesday with creating fake online identities for ex-President Donald Trump's brother and youngest son to dupe hundreds of people nationwide into donating thousands of dollars to what prosecutors described as a phony political organization.

NEW YORK (AP)  A Pennsylvania man was charged Tuesday with creating fake online identities for ex-President Donald Trump's brother and youngest son to dupe hundreds of people nationwide into donating thousands of dollars to what prosecutors described as a phony political organization.

Joshua Hall, 22, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, was released on $25,000 bail after appearing in Harrisburg federal court to face charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he could face up to 22 years in prison.

Prosecutors said Hall spent contributions on personal expenses after soliciting donations to his non-existent political affinity organization.

A message seeking comment was sent to his lawyer.

According to court papers, Hall defrauded donors from September 2019 through last December by falsely claiming he was raising funds to support Trump's reelection.

Central to the scheme was Hall's impersonation of members of Trump's family, prosecutors said. They said he created social media accounts bearing the names and photographs of Trump's brother and son to convince over 100,000 online followers that he was close to Trump's family.

According to a criminal complaint in Manhattan federal court, Hall increased his efforts last July, soliciting contributions on a crowdfunding site for what he said would be field organizing, events, and merchandise by his political organization.

Hall created a social media account bearing the name and photograph of Trump's brother, Robert, and then made it appear that the brother was supporting his bogus organization until the brother's August death, the complaint said.

Three days after the death, Hall created an account that made it appear that Trump's then 14-year-old son, Barron, was supporting him, the complaint said.

The complaint said that in one social media post, Hall impersonated Barron Trump to make it seem that Trump's son called Hall a friend and partner and said: Josh is an amazing patriot who is doing tremendous things for our great country. He has my COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT!

In August, Hall said in a private message on social media about the funds he had raised that he hadnt seen a dime of that money personally, court papers said.

The crowdfunding site closed the account after Hall failed last December to document how he used the funds he had raised, the complaint said.
DENVER - The head of the energy company formerly called Encana is retiring this summer.

Encana president and CEO Doug Suttles addresses the company's annual meeting in Calgary, Tuesday, April 30, 2019.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

DENVER - The head of the energy company formerly called Encana is retiring this summer.

Ovintiv Inc. says chief executive Doug Suttles will retire Aug. 1 after eight years in the position.

He will be replaced by Brendan McCracken, who began his career with the company nearly 25 years ago. He served most recently as president.

Ovintiv chairman Peter Dea says that under Suttles' leadership, Ovintiv was transformed into a leading North American resource play company.

Dea adds that McCracken's appointment is the culmination of a comprehensive succession planning process and reflects his track record for delivering strong results.

Calgary-based Encana changed its name and relocated to Denver in 2020.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2021.
PARIS (AP)  France has suspended military operations with Central African Republic, accusing its government of failing to respect political opposition and failing to stop a massive anti-French disinformation campaign.

PARIS (AP)  France has suspended military operations with Central African Republic, accusing its government of failing to respect political opposition and failing to stop a massive anti-French disinformation campaign.

The French government is also suspending about 10 million euros ($12.1 million) in budgetary support for CAR, two French officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The move comes amid high tensions and diplomatic wrangling over influence in the mineral-rich former French colony. Russia has business interests in the country and also sent military instructors there last year.

Central African Republic has faced deadly inter-religious and inter-communal fighting since 2013. After a 2019 peace deal, violence erupted anew after the constitutional court rejected former President Francois Bozizes effort to run for president again last year. President Faustin Archange Touadera won reelection in December, but continues to face opposition from forces linked to Bozize.

Rebels aligned with Bozize tried to attack the capital in January, underscoring how CAR's military faces serious security threats that they had looked to the French for help with.

About 160 French troops who were providing operational support in the capital Bangui and training Central African forces have suspended their mission and stopped cooperating with the countrys military, a French government official said.

The decision didn't affect the approximately 100 French troops involved in U.N. peacekeeping forces and EU training forces in the country, or French advisers helping CAR with domestic civil security, the official said.

The official said CAR failed to respect promises toward the political opposition, and failed to fight anti-French disinformation campaigns online, notably targeting the French ambassador and defense attache.

Facebook took down hundreds of accounts and groups linked to Russia and France that were accused of using fake Facebook and Instagram accounts to wage a covert disinformation campaign in CAR before the December election.

An official in French President Emmanuel Macrons office said that CAR President Touadera ignored pressure from his countrys neighbors and France to allow open up elections to opposition figures, but this didnt happen.

Both officials weren't authorized to be publicly named.

The French decision came after France suspended joint military operations last week with Malian forces until its coup leaders comply with international demands to restore civilian rule.

Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal, and Sylvie Corbet in Paris, contributed to this report.
BERLIN (AP)  An expert panel advising the German government has suggested the country's retirement age could be raised to 68, an idea that was swiftly rejected Tuesday by two governing parties as a national election nears.

BERLIN (AP)  An expert panel advising the German government has suggested the country's retirement age could be raised to 68, an idea that was swiftly rejected Tuesday by two governing parties as a national election nears.

The panel advising the Economy Ministry released a report Monday warning of abruptly increasing financing problems for Germany's public pension insurance system from 2025 onward. It suggested a dynamic coupling of the retirement age to life expectancy, a system under which  if current forecasts of life expectancy are correct  the retirement age could be raised to 68 in 2042.

The government decided in 2007 to raise the retirement age from 65 to 67. The increase is being introduced gradually and will apply to all retirees by 2029. Since then, there have been periodic calls for people in Europes biggest economy to work even longer.

Germany will elect a new parliament in a Sept. 26 election that will determine who succeeds long-serving Chancellor Angela Merkel. With that in sight, several senior politicians were quick to bat away the idea of having people work longer.

I think raising the retirement age again is the wrong way, said Labor Minister Hubertus Heil of the center-left Social Democrats, the junior partner in Germany's governing coalition. A senior lawmaker with the party, Katja Mast, tweeted that setting the retirement age at 68 would be pure social division and the Social Democrats wouldn't go along with it.

The top lawmaker in Berlin for the Christian Social Union, part of Merkel's center-right bloc, was no more enthusiastic. We reject a later retirement age, Alexander Dobrindt said.
SAN DIEGO (AP)  When the FBI dismantled an encrypted messaging service based in Canada in 2018, agents noticed users moving to other networks. Instead of following their tracks to rivals, investigators decided on a new tactic: creating their own service.

SAN DIEGO (AP)  When the FBI dismantled an encrypted messaging service based in Canada in 2018, agents noticed users moving to other networks. Instead of following their tracks to rivals, investigators decided on a new tactic: creating their own service.

ANOM, a secure-messaging service built by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, launched in October 2019 and solidified its following after authorities took down another rival. Popularity spread by word of mouth.

In this undated photo supplied by the New Zealand police, a bag of marijuana is displayed during a police raid as part of Operation Trojan. Authorities in Australia and New Zealand said Tuesday, June 8, 2021, they've dealt a huge blow to organized crime after hundreds of criminals were tricked into using a messaging app that was being secretly run by the FBI. (New Zealand Police via AP)

When ANOM was taken down Monday, authorities had collected more than 27 million messages from about 12,000 devices in 45 languages  a vast body of evidence that fueled a global sting operation. Authorities on Tuesday revealed the operation known as Trojan Shield and announced that it had dealt an unprecedented blow to organized crime around the world.

Each and every device in this case was used to further criminal activity, said Suzanne Turner, the agent in charge of the FBI in San Diego, where the investigation began in 2016. Users were upper-echelon, command-and-control figures in more than 300 criminal organizations.

Unbeknown to criminals, authorities were copied on every message sent on the FBI devices, much like blind recipients of an email.

"The very devices that criminals use to hide their crimes were actually a beacon for law enforcement, Randy Grossman, the acting U.S. attorney in San Diego, said at a news conference.

More than 800 suspects were arrested and more than 32 tons of drugs seized, including cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines and methamphetamines. Police also seized 250 guns, 55 luxury cars and more than $148 million in cash and cryptocurrencies. An indictment unsealed Tuesday in San Diego named 17 foreign distributors charged with racketeering conspiracy.

The seeds of the sting were sown when law enforcement agencies took down a company called Phantom Secure that provided customized end-to-end encrypted devices to criminals, according to court papers.

Unlike typical cellphones, the devices do not make phone calls or browse the internet  but allow for secure messaging. As an outgrowth of the operation, the FBI recruited a collaborator who was developing a next-generation secure-messaging platform for the criminal underworld called ANOM. The collaborator engineered the system to give the agency access to any messages being sent.

Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman speaks at a news conference announcing Operation Trojan shield, Tuesday, June 8, 2021, in San Diego. The global sting operation involved an encrypted communications platform developed by the FBI and has sparked a series of raids and arrests around the world in which more than 800 suspects were arrested and more than 32 tons of drugs  cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines and methamphetamines were seized. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

ANOM didn't take off immediately. But then other secure platforms used by criminals to organize drug-trafficking hits and money laundering were taken down by police, chiefly EncroChat and Sky ECC. That put gangs in the market for a new app, and the FBI's platform was ready. Over the past 18 months, the agency provided phones via unsuspecting middlemen to gangs in more than 100 countries.

The flow of intelligence enabled us to prevent murders. It led to the seizure of drugs that led to the seizure of weapons. And it helped prevent a number of crimes, Calvin Shivers, assistant director of the FBIs criminal investigative division, told a news conference in The Hague, Netherlands.

The operation was led by the FBI with the involvement of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the European Union police agency Europol and law enforcement agencies in several countries, said Dutch National Police Chief Constable Jannine van den Berg.

Australian Federal Police Commander Jennifer Hearst called it a watershed moment in global law enforcement history.

The ANOM app became popular in criminal circles as users told one another it was a safe platform. All the time, police were looking over their shoulders as they discussed hits, drug shipments and other crimes.

This May 2021 image from an affidavit for a search warrant, provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, shows hollowed-out pineapples used to transport cocaine from Costa Rica to Spain. Law enforcement agencies learned about the shipment as part of a global sting operation unveiled June 8, 2021, that intercepted text messages criminals thought were secure. Authorities they said dealt an unprecedented blow to organized crime in countries around the world. (Department of Justice via AP)

Since October 2019, the FBI cataloged more than 20 million messages from a total of 11,800 devices  with about 9,000 currently active, according to documents, which cited Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Australia and Serbia as the most active countries.

They say the number of active ANOM users was only 3,000 until Sky, one of the platforms previously used by criminal gangs, was dismantled in March.

While primarily focused on drug trafficking and money-laundering, the investigation also resulted in high-level public corruption cases, an FBI agent quoted in the documents said. A goal of Trojan Shield was to shake the confidence in this entire industry because the FBI is willing and able to enter this space and monitor messages, the agent said.

Swedish police prevented a dozen planned killings and believe that they arrested several leading actors in criminal networks, according to a statement from Linda Staaf, the head of Swedens national criminal intelligence unit.

Finnish police said Tuesday that nearly 100 people have been detained and more than 500 kilograms (half a ton) of drugs confiscated, along with dozens of guns and cash worth hundreds of thousands of euros (dollars). In Germany, the general prosecutors office in Frankfurt said that more than 70 people were arrested Monday and drugs, cash and weapons were also seized.

This May 2021 image from an affidavit for a search warrant, provided by the U.S. Department of Justice, shows cocaine that had been transported in hollowed-out pineapples from Costa Rica to Spain. Law enforcement agencies learned about the shipment as part of a global sting operation unveiled Tuesday, June 8, 2021, that intercepted text messages criminals thought were secure. Authorities they said dealt an unprecedented blow to organized crime in countries around the world. (Department of Justice via AP)

In Australia, authorities said they arrested 224 people and seized more than four tons of drugs and $35 million. New Zealand police said they had arrested 35 people and seized drugs and assets worth millions of dollars.

As part of a global operation, the Australian government "struck a heavy blow against organized crime, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters. Not just in this country, but one that will echo around organized crime around the world.

European police last year delivered a major blow to organized crime after cracking an encrypted communications network known as EncroChat, which was used by criminal gangs across the continent.

In March, Belgian police arrested dozens of people after cracking another encrypted chat system and seizing more than 17 tons of cocaine.

The latest effort went even further before authorities decided to take down the service.

The operation will likely lead criminals to wonder whether services they use are run by a government, Turner said, and it has shown that authorities have abundant technical knowledge and international cooperation.

Nick Merrill, a cybersecurity researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, said the investigation offers a pretty good recipe" for law enforcement agencies to compromise an existing service or build one and wait for the right time to strike.

"Either way, these centralized services provide a central point of weakness, Merrill said.

____

Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands, and Perry reported from Wellington, New Zealand. Associated Press writers Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, Jari Tanner in Helsinki, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, Frank Bajak in Boston and Terry Chea in San Francisco contributed to this report.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Australias largest electricity generator on Tuesday largely lost its court case alleging that the environmental group Greenpeace had breached copyright and trademark laws by using its logo in a campaign that described the company as the nations biggest climate polluter.

Greenpeace supporters demonstrate outside the Federal Court in Sydney, Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Australia's largest electricity generator on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, largely lost its court case alleging that the environmental group Greenpeace had breached copyright and trademark laws by using its logo in a campaign that described the company as the nation's "biggest climate polluter." (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Australias largest electricity generator on Tuesday largely lost its court case alleging that the environmental group Greenpeace had breached copyright and trademark laws by using its logo in a campaign that described the company as the nations biggest climate polluter.

Justice Stephen Burley ruled that AGL Energy had failed in its trademark infringement claim and failed in its copyright infringement claim for all of the uses of the logo except for three social media posts as well as some photographs and placards.

Burley denied AGL's request for damages.

Greenpeace had argued the Federal Court case had significant implications for charities and advocacy groups. Greenpeace also described AGL as the latest fossil fuel corporation to seek to stifle dissent through litigation.

In the online advertising campaign, Greenpeace Australia Pacific accused AGL, which predominantly generates coal-fired electricity, of greenwashing by promoting itself as a leading investor in renewable energy. The campaign used the AGL logo and featured the slogan, AGL  Australias Greatest Liability.

Greenpeace lawyer Katrina Bullock said Tuesday's decision was a win for freedom of expression and set an important legal precedent in copyright law.

Todays legal victory is good news for charities, advocacy organisations, satirists and anyone else who seeks to rely on the fair dealing freedom of speech safeguard in the Copyright Act to criticise, review, satirise or parody powerful corporations, Bullock said in a statement.

Greenpeace plans to continue its campaign to pressure AGL to close its three coal-burning power stations by 2030.

AGL released a statement welcoming the parts of the case decided in its favor.

As weve always made clear, this legal action was about the integrity of how our brand is used, AGL said.

AGL understands its role as Australias largest integrated energy generator to lead the energy transition while continuing to deliver reliable and affordable energy, AGL added.

AGL unsuccessfully applied for an interim court order in early May that would have forced Greenpeace to stop using the logo.

Greenpeace argued during a one-day hearing last week that Australian trademark law allows for the logo to be used for satire, parody and criticism.

AGL lawyer Megan Evetts told the court there was a clear intention to harm the brand through the Greenpeace campaign.

Greenpeace lawyer Neil Murray told the court the campaign did not breach the law because it did not use the AGL trademark in a trade context and its motives were pure.

AGL accepted in its latest annual report that it was Australias largest greenhouse gas emitter with plans to continue generating electricity by burning coal until 2048, Murray said.

The campaign was aimed at ending Australian reliance on coal-fired power by 2030 as recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Australias Clean Energy Regulator confirms that AGL is the nations largest greenhouse gas polluter, accounting for 8% of the nations total emissions.

Greenpeace and AGL must return to court on Wednesday to offer wording for orders to give the judges verdict effect.
Xi inspects northwest China's Qinghai

EditorChen Zhuo Time2021-06-08 09:00:53

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, greets employees of a company producing carpets in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

XINING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Monday started an inspection tour of northwest China's Qinghai Province.

In Xining, the provincial capital, Xi visited a company producing carpets and learned about how it leveraged the advantages of local resources and used new design concepts to boost its products' competitiveness, create jobs and increase the income of locals.

Xi also visited a residential community in Xining to learn about its efforts to strengthen Party building, improve community-level governance and advance ethnic unity and progress.
Wang Yi and Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan Co-chair the Inaugural Meeting of the China-Indonesia High-level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism

2021/06/06

On June 5, 2021, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indonesian president's special envoy and Indonesia's coordinator for cooperation with China Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan co-chaired the inaugural meeting of the China-Indonesia high-level dialogue cooperation mechanism in Guiyang.

Wang Yi said Indonesia is a major developing country and an important emerging economy, China always views China-Indonesia relations from a strategic perspective and develops China-Indonesia cooperation from a global perspective. Since last year, President Xi Jinping and President Joko Widodo have talked on the phone four times to discuss bilateral cooperation in fighting the pandemic and development, which pushed for new progress in China-Indonesia comprehensive strategic partnership. This meeting marks the establishment of the comprehensive high-level cooperation mechanism between the two countries. It is a great event and good thing in bilateral relations and an important measure taken by the two sides to implement the consensus reached by the heads of state.

Wang Yi said over the past year and a half, China and Indonesia have worked together to tackle the challenge of the pandemic, taking the lead in carrying out vaccine cooperation and setting an example for the international community to work together to fight the pandemic. The two sides have further aligned the development strategies, jointly promoted development cooperation and contributed impetus to regional economic recovery. The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Corridor are moving smoothly. The Two Countries Twin Parks were launched on schedule. Trade and investment cooperation has been growing against the trend. China has been Indonesia's largest trading partner for 10 years in a row and remains Indonesia's second largest source of investment. The two sides should take the establishment of the China-Indonesia High-level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism as an opportunity to better plan bilateral cooperation in various fields, pool more resources, and form greater synergy to lift bilateral relations to a new height.

Wang Yi said on the occasion of the first meeting, we should set the long-term goal of jointly building a China-Indonesia community with a shared future, focus on political security, trade and investment, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, maritime cooperation and anti-epidemic and public health cooperation, so as to kick off a good start of the mechanism and open up a new situation of all-round development of China-Indonesia relations.

Luhut agreed and said that cooperation between Indonesia and China in various fields has made rapid progress and achieved remarkable results in recent years. Indonesia believes that in the face of global challenges, the two sides should step up cooperation and push for new progress in bilateral relations in the spirit of a community with a shared future, so as to help build an Indonesia-China community with a shared future.

Luhut said the establishment of the Indonesia-China High-level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism will provide a platform for closer dialogue between government departments of the two countries and provide new support for more effective cooperation between the two countries. He thanked China for its strong support to Indonesia in fighting the pandemic and looked forward to closer cooperation in vaccine research, development and production so as to jointly benefit the people of the two countries and the region. Indonesia is ready to work with China to accelerate the joint construction of the Belt and Road, deepen the construction of the "Regional Comprehensive Economic Corridor", push for the completion of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway on schedule, deepen cooperation in fishery, trade and investment, public health, aviation, space and maritime, strengthen cultural and people-to-people exchanges and consolidate the foundation of friendship.

Luhut said Indonesia adheres to the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs. Indonesia is ready to strengthen religious exchanges with China to help the Indonesian people and the international community have a better understanding of the development and progress of China's Xinjiang. He hopes that the two sides will strengthen communication and coordination in international and regional affairs and jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries.

After the meeting, Wang Yi and Luhut jointly signed the Memorandum of Understanding between China and Indonesia on Establishing a High-level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism and the Memorandum of Understanding between China and Indonesia on Strengthening Maritime Cooperation. The two sides exchanged the Memorandum of Understanding on Promoting Cooperation on the Construction of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Corridor and the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the Joint Committee for Cooperation on the Construction of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Corridor.

Chinese deputy secretary-general of the State Council Peng Shujie, member of the Leading Party Members Group of China's National Health Commission Yu Yanhong, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao, Chinese Assistant Minister of Commerce Ren Hongbin, Indonesian Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir, Indonesian Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Minister of Investment Bahlil Lahadalia and other officials attended the relevant events.
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Vice President Kamala Harris sought to assure poor and threatened populations of Latin America on Tuesday that the United States has "the capacity to give people a sense of hope in the region so they can make better lives without fleeing to the U.S. border.

Vice President Kamala Harris, center, makes a double thumbs up sign toward members of the media after exiting Air Force Two after a technical issue required the plane to return to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Sunday, June 6, 2021, after it had already started begun flying to Guatemala City. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

MEXICO CITY (AP)  Vice President Kamala Harris sought to assure poor and threatened populations of Latin America on Tuesday that the United States has "the capacity to give people a sense of hope in the region so they can make better lives without fleeing to the U.S. border.

Harris closed her first foreign trip as vice president unapologetic for her decision not to visit the U.S.-Mexico border as part of her mission to address migration to the United States.

If you want to address the needs of a people, you must meet those people, you must spend time with those people, because the only way you can actually fix the problem is to understand the problem, she told a news conference before the flight to Washington.

Earlier she brushed off questions about her decision not to go to the border as part of her work to address the spike in migration, saying that while it was legitimate to be concerned about the situation there, it wouldnt be addressed with a simple visit.

It must be priority for us to understand why people leave, she told the news conference. I cannot say it enough. Most people don't want to leave home.

Vice President Kamala Harris, left, meets with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei, Monday, June 7, 2021, at the National Palace in Guatemala City. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Harris engaged in two days of diplomacy in Guatemala and Mexico as part of the Biden administration's effort to stem the flow of people into the U.S. She met with Guatemalas and Mexicos presidents to discuss economic investments and increased enforcement against trafficking, smuggling and corruption.

The increase in migration at the border has become one of the major challenges confronting Biden in the early months of his first term, with Republicans seizing on an issue they see as politically advantageous. Polls suggest Americans are less favorable toward Bidens approach to immigration than they are toward his policies on the economy and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Theyve tried to make Harris the face of that immigration policy, charging she and Biden are ignoring the issue because both have yet to visit the southern border. Harris told reporters she was focused on tangible results as opposed to grand gestures.

Demonstrators protest in front of the National Palace in Guatemala after a meeting between Vice President Kamala Harris and Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei, in Guatemala City, Monday, June 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Oliver de Ros)

Harris and her aides have sought to make clear that her mission was narrowly focused on finding diplomatic solutions to the problem at the border.

Without being asked to judge the result, she told the news conference: Do I declare this trip a success? Yes I do. It is a success in terms of the pathway that is about progress. We have been successful in making progress."

After her meeting with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the administration announced a range of agreements brokered between the two governments, including a $130 million commitment over the next three years from the U.S. to support labor reforms in Mexico and loans to bolster southern Mexicos economy.

Vice President Kamala Harris waves goodbye prior boarding Air Force Two at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Sunday, June 6, 2021, en route to Guatemala City. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The administration said the meeting produced an agreement to have an economic dialogue in September on trade, telecommunications and supply chains. And the two countries will also partner on human trafficking and economic programs addressing why people leave El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras for the U.S.

Harris told Lopez Obrador at the start of their meeting that the two nations are embarking on a new era" and emphasized the longstanding interdependence and interconnection" of the two nations.

Harris also met female entrepreneurs and held a roundtable with labor leaders in Mexico before heading back to Washington.

Members of the cadets honor guard stand close to Air Force Two after the arrival of Vice President Kamala Harris to Guatemala City, Sunday, June 6, 2021, at Guatemala's Air Force Central Command. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Her brief foray brought her first to Guatemala on Monday. While in Guatemala, she met President Alejandro Giammattei. To coincide with their meeting, the Biden administration announced a number of new commitments to combat trafficking, smuggling, and corruption, as well as investments in economic development in the country.

But some Democrats criticized the vice president Monday when she delivered a direct message to those considering leaving their homes and making the often dangerous trek to the U.S. border: Do not come.

Her comments echoed those made by past U.S. officials as they've tried to dissuade migrants from seeking to cross the border, as the U.S. faces unprecedented numbers of attempted border crossings. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York called her comments disappointing and noted that it is legal to seek asylum.

Vice President Kamala Harris, center, walks to her motorcade, Monday, June 7, 2021, at Benito Juarez International Airport, in Mexico City, after arriving from Guatemala. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Harris declined to respond directly to the criticism when reporters asked, saying only: Im really clear: we have to deal with the root causes and that is my hope. Period.

But the criticism from both Republicans and Democrats underscored the politically fraught nature of the assignment, and the difficulty Harris faces in finding success with an intractable challenge that's only grown in recent months.

Illegal border crossings have increased steadily since April 2020, after Trump introduced pandemic-related powers to deny migrants the opportunity to seek asylum, but further accelerated under Biden. The new president quickly scrapped many of Trumps hardline border policies  most notably the program that made asylum-seekers wait in Mexico, often in dangerous conditions, for court dates in U.S. immigration court.

Vice President Kamala Harris poses for a photo with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Tuesday, June 8, 2021, at the National Palace in Mexico City. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

U.S. border authorities encountered nearly 19,000 unaccompanied children in March, the highest on record. Overall, more than 170,000 encounters were reported on the border in April, the highest level in more than 20 years.

The numbers arent directly comparable because getting stopped under pandemic-related authorities carries no legal consequences, resulting in many repeat crossings.



Associated Press writer Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed reporting.
TORONTO - After the COVID-19 pandemic turned travel demand upside down, Uber Technologies Inc. decided to hit the brakes on its six-year-old self-driving car venture, selling it to Silicon Valley startup Aurora.

Raquel Urtasun is seen in an undated handout photo. The star of Uber's Canadian autonomous vehicle efforts is striking out on her own and starting a new self-driving technology company. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Waabi, *MANDATORY CREDIT*

TORONTO - After the COVID-19 pandemic turned travel demand upside down, Uber Technologies Inc. decided to hit the brakes on its six-year-old self-driving car venture, selling it to Silicon Valley startup Aurora.

By then Uber's Advanced Technologies Group had settled a 2017 U.S. lawsuit in which it was accused of stealing trade secrets from Google's self-driving subsidiary Waymo. Uber's safety procedures underwent intense scrutiny after one of its test cars struck and killed a Tempe, Ariz. woman in 2018.

But Raquel Urtasun  the star of Uber's self-driving efforts in Canada  wasn't ready to give up on autonomous vehicles.

Urtasun, who was recruited from a University of Toronto professor job to run Uber's Toronto ATG unit in 2017 and then promoted to become its chief scientist a year later, left the tech giant and started her own self-driving company, Waabi, earlier this year.

"I had thought about doing my own company for a while now," she said, ahead of unveiling her company to the world on Tuesday. "The more that I worked in the industry, the more it became clear that the traditional way of doing things is ... I don't think the way to go.

"There is a need for new technology and I have a very clear vision of what that technology is."

So she set out to build that technology at Waabi, whose name is derived fromanOjibweword meaning she has vision and the Japanese term for simple."

Waabi has a lofty goal: Bringing the promise of self-driving closer to commercialization than ever before.

Urtasun wouldn't offer specific timelines for how soon Canadians could see self-driving vehicles on roads, but experts have predicted it could take anywhere from a few years to decades for them to become ubiquitous.

Tesla co-founder Elon Musk estimated in 2015 that they would be commonplace in the next two to three years, while Lyfts chief executive once imagined car ownership would all but end by 2025.

Urtasuns plan is to apply an artificial intelligence-first approach to self-driving vehicles. That's a departure from the norm, where the cars are built around complex software that requires time consuming manual tuning and doesnt take full advantage of AI.

Without AI, Urtasun argues that increasing the abilities of self-driving cars is more costly, technically challenging and sometimes less safe.

Waabi will focus first on the logistics and long-haul trucking industries because of their pressing needs.

Canada is expected to have a shortage of more than 25,000 truck drivers by 2023, a 25 per cent increase from the 2019 vacancies, a study from the Canadian Trucking Alliance and the Conference Board of Canada found.

Their report released last year found the shortage had already reduced revenues in the truck transportation industry by an estimated 4.7 per cent in 2018, equivalent to roughly $3.1 billion.

It cited an aging workforce, difficulties attracting women and youth, and a high turnover rate as reasons why the industry is struggling.

"There's an incredible shortage of drivers and it's just getting even worse with COVID-19," Urtasun said. "Trucking is one of the most dangerous jobs ... and so that's one need for this technology."

Canadian Tire Corp. and Waabi rival NuPort robotics are already testing autonomous technology to courier goods between the retailers distribution warehouse and rail terminals, while Loblaw Companies Ltd. and Palo Alto, Calif.s Gatik are exploring using the technology for grocery deliveries.

Urtasun and Waabi intend to take a partnership-friendly approach to the technology they are building in hopes of pushing autonomous vehicles towards commercialization even sooner.

We are going to be part of the ecosystem, Urtasun said. We don't want to disrupt the entire ecosystem.

They are building that ecosystem with US$83.5 million in Series A financing led by Khosla Ventures, a Menlo Park, Calif. firm that has also invested in DoorDash, Instacart, Impossible Foods, Square, Stripe and Wattpad.

Waabi also received funding from Uber, 8VC, Radical Ventures, Omers Ventures, Business Development Bank of Canada and artificial intelligence luminaries, including AI godfather Geoffrey Hinton and Fei-Fei Li, Pieter Abbeel and Sanja Fidler.

Waabi will do most of its work in Toronto, where it is headquartered, and in the San Francisco Bay Area, where it has a small group of staff.

Though Urtasun originally hails from Spain, she said it was important to keep her company Canadian.

My goal with Waabi is to really put Canada at the forefront of self-driving. We have an amazing opportunity here and I think we have the talent here, she said.

I love this country and I love the city of Toronto and this is the place they want to be, so its a no brainer ... People always ask why Canada? My answer is always, Why not?

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2021.

Companies in this story: (TSX:L, TSX:CTC)
Shoppers enter and leave a Sears retail store in Toronto on Thursday, October 19, 2017. A court-appointed representative for Sears Canada retirees says Canada's bankruptcy laws should be changed to avoid financial hardship for members of other underfunded pension plans. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

TORONTO - CHANGES ARE IN BOLD

A court-appointed representative for Sears Canada retirees said Tuesday that Canada's bankruptcy laws should be changed to avoid future financial hardship for members of other underfunded pension plans.

Kenneth Eady, a former Sears Canada management employee who now represents 17,000 other pensioners, told MPs that he doesn't believe it's fair that Canada's two bankruptcy laws give banks more protection than pensioners.

Parliament should pass a Bloc Quebecois bill to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, Eady told a Commons committee that's reviewing the proposed legislation.

"You're the ones who can make a difference here, folks," Eady said. "The MPs on this committee can vote in favour of this bill, and help protect seniors. I suggest you do."

Under questioning, Eady said that Sears Canada retirees would have been helped if the proposed amendments to the two laws were in place when Sears Canada filed its initial request for court protection in June 2017.

But he said Sears Canada retirees probably wouldn't have been helped much if they were ranked ahead of other creditors and still behind banks, which have "super priority" status.

"It's a different type of debt that you have with the pension plan. It's a long term outstanding debt. And so, they have to be treated as super creditors to be to make it meaningful to pensioners," Eady said.

In the Sears Canada bankruptcy process, which hasn't yet been completed, there wasn't enough money to fund pension shortfalls after debts to banks and active employees were repaid ahead of other classes of creditors.

Eady is one of several witnesses who have spoken for or against a private member's bill that proposes to give underfunded pension plans and banks similar priority in bankruptcy courts.

Representatives from the Canadian Bankers Association and the Insolvency Institute of Canada warned the same committee last week that the bill's proposed changes would create worse problems than they solve.

Charles Docherty, assistant general counsel for the Canadian Bankers Association, said on Thursday that "a very careful balance has been achieved over several decades in the order of priority and bankruptcy."

"Ultimately, changes to the order of priority in bankruptcy threatens to seriously undermine the delicate balance with ripple effects across the economy," Docherty said.

Eady said in an interview Tuesday, after his virtual presentation to the committee, that the high profile nature of the Sears Canada bankruptcy serves as an example of what's wrong with the current laws.

"MPs are people with family who shopped at Sears. Maybe they worked there as a kid. I know several that have," he said. "Hopefully the fact that Sears is familiar to so many people, helps ... bring this issue clarity."

Laura Tamblyn Watts, a lawyer and seniors advocate who also addressed the committee Tuesday, said she doesn't think the banks' position is supported by evidence in other countries.

"Compared to other jurisdictions Canada significantly lags in its protection of pensioners," said Tamblyn Watts, chief executive of CanAge, a non-partisan national advocacy group for seniors.

In an interview after her virtual appearance before the committee, she said "everyday Canadians" may not understand the technical terms in the law but they understand the Sears Canada story.

"For instance," Tamblyn Watts said, "if you tell somebody that the pensioners at Sears in the U.S. didn't lose any money or any benefits  but they lost 20 per cent (of their pension payments) in Canada and really all of their benefits  people are shocked to understand that the U.S. has better protection."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2021.
DETROIT (AP)  Startup commercial electric vehicle maker Lordstown Motors says it may not be in business a year from now as it tries to secure funding to start full production of an electric pickup truck.

FILE - In this Thursday, June 25, 2021, file photo, the electric Endurance pick-up truck is on display at Lordstown Motors Corporation, in Lordstown, Ohio. Startup commercial electric vehicle maker Lordstown Motors says it may not be in business a year from now as it tries to secure funding to start full production of an electric pickup truck. In a quarterly regulatory filing released Tuesday, June 8, 2021, Lordstown says the $587 million it had on hand as of March 31 isnt enough to start commercial production and begin selling the truck. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)

DETROIT (AP)  Startup commercial electric vehicle maker Lordstown Motors says it may not be in business a year from now as it tries to secure funding to start full production of an electric pickup truck.

In a quarterly regulatory filing Tuesday, Lordstown said the $587 million it had on hand as of March 31 isn't enough to start commercial production and begin selling the full-size pickup, called the Endurance.

These conditions raise substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least one year, the company said in the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Shares of the company, which is set up in a now-closed General Motors plant east of Cleveland, fell 16.2% to close Tuesday at $11.22. The lost another 3% in after-hours trading.

On May 24, CEO Steve Burns warned that production could be cut by over half to only 1,000 vehicles this year unless Lordstown raised an undisclosed amount of new capital.

Tuesday's SEC filing appears to be much more dire. Going concern is a term companies typically use when noting that their outside auditors are questioning their ability to remain in business.

Lordstown reported a first-quarter net loss of $125 million and said it had a deficit of $259 million as of March 31.

The filing said management is evaluating new sources of capital, including issuing more equity or borrowing from partners, government or financial institutions.

There can be no assurance that such financing would be available to us on favorable terms or at all, the filing said.

Burns said in May the company expects to lose up to $380 million this year, but he assured investors that Lordstown will end 2021 with at least $50 million in cash.

He said the company expects to start making the Endurance in September.

The $52,500 Endurance has passed two of the U.S. governments toughest crash tests, and it will beat Ford Motor Co.s electric F-150 to market, he said, adding that Lordstown has purchase agreements for about 30,000 of the trucks.

A company spokesman said he could not comment beyond Burns' guidance from May.
Protesters wave at cars that honk at them to support the protest against Houston Methodist Hospital system's rule of firing any employee who is not immunized by Monday, June 7, 2021, at Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital in Baytown, Texas. Houston Methodist staff who have refused the COVID-19 vaccine so far and their supporters participated in a gathering and march. (Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via AP)

MELBOURNE, Australia  Australias second-largest city will emerge from its fourth pandemic lockdown Friday.

But some restrictions will remain and the 5 million residents of Melbourne wont be allowed to travel to regional centers in surrounding Victoria state.

State officials say the lockdown is being ended after two weeks following only one new coronavirus case being detected in the latest 24-hour period linked to the Melbourne cluster. The new case brings the number of infections in the cluster to 68.

Children will be able to return to school Friday and travel restrictions will be changed to allow Melbourne residents to travel up to 25 kilometers (16 miles) for non-essential reasons rather than 10 kilometers (6 miles).

MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

 Preparations around Olympic venues, virus cases down for Tokyo Games

A health worker disinfects a woman's hands during a COVID-19 testing drive in Chinchaya on the outskirts of La Paz, Bolivia, Monday, June 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

 Master Card Foundation to spend $1.3B to vaccinate 50 million Africans among population of 1.3 billion

 Indias daily coronavirus infections dip below 100,000 for the first time in more than two months

 WHO official: High vaccination coverage needed to reduce risk of more transmissible variants

 Follow more of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine

HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved a declaration calling for urgent action to end AIDS by 2030. It notes with alarm that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities and pushed access to AIDS medicines, treatments and diagnosis further off track.

The declaration adopted Tuesday commits the assemblys 193 member nations to reducing annual new HIV infections to under 370,000 and annual AIDS-related deaths to under 250,000 by 2025. It also calls for progress toward eliminating all forms of HIV-related stigma and discrimination and urgent work toward an HIV vaccine and a cure for AIDS.

A man walks past a coronavirus-themed mural in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, June 8, 2021. The world's fourth-most populous country, with about 275 million people, has reported more coronavirus cases than any other Southeast Asian country. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

The assembly says the coronavirus pandemic has created setbacks in combating AIDS, widening fault lines within a deeply unequal world and exposing the dangers of under-investment in public health, health systems and other essential public services for all and pandemic preparedness.

BEIJING  The southern China metropolis of Guangzhou has ordered the closure of cinemas, theaters, nightclubs and other indoor entertainment venues as authorities seek to contain the countrys latest coronavirus outbreak.

The controls announced Wednesday are even stricter in parts of the city where the risk of infection is categorized as high or moderate. Guangzhou has isolated several neighborhoods where cases have been detected and barred people from leaving the city or the surrounding province of Guangdong unless absolutely necessary.

Guangzhou has reported more than 100 cases of local transmission since May 21, with eight more announced Wednesday.

China has largely eliminated local transmissions elsewhere, with a total of 91,316 virus cases and 4,636 COVID-19 deaths reported in the country.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Arkansas will no longer require students exposed to the coronavirus to quarantine so long as they are fully vaccinated against the virus.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Tuesday the new policy aligns with guidance from the CDC.

A Nepalese health worker notes down the information before inoculating a person against the coronavirus in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, June 8, 2021. Nepal resumed its stalled coronavirus vaccination campaign on Tuesday with 1 million doses given by China after the Himalayan nation made international pleas for help with a shortage of doses. (AP Photos/Bikram Rai)

People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or their only shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The CDC says about 40% of Arkansas population has received at least one dose of the vaccine and nearly 32% are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

WASHINGTON  The U.S. is on pace to fall short of President Joe Bidens aim to have 70% of Americans at least partially vaccinated by July 4.

The White House has launched a month-long blitz to combat vaccine hesitancy and a lack of urgency to get shots, particularly in the South and Midwest. But it is increasingly resigned to missing the presidents vaccination target.

Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday that he still hopes the goal will be met and if we dont, were going to continue to keep pushing.

So far 14 states have reached 70% coverage among adults, with about a dozen more on pace to reach the milestone by July 4. But the state-to-state variation is stark.

DEARBORN, Mich.  U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has visited a coronavirus vaccine clinic at a suburban Detroit community college to highlight the White Houses efforts to encourage similar efforts across the country.

People sunbathe on the beach in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, June 8, 2021. Spain is jumpstarting its summer tourism season by welcoming vaccinated visitors from most countries as well as European visitors who can prove they are not infected with coronavirus. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Cardona said Tuesday of the clinic at Henry Ford College in Dearborn that this is a great example of how colleges can do their part to bring people in to get them vaccinated.

Cardona also talked about the Biden administrations COVID-19 College Challenge, in which colleges and universities commit to working to get their communities vaccinated. The challenge is part of President Joe Bidens effort to get at least one vaccine dose into 70% of American adults by July 4.

JOHANNESBURGSouth Africas health minister has been placed on special leave over a corruption scandal involving an irregular government contract.

Zweli Mkhize has been spearheading the COVID-19 response in South Africa, which has the most cases and deaths in Africa.

The contract saw $11 million paid by the health department Mkhize heads to a company connected to two people who used to work for him.

The move was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in a statement from his office Tuesday. It said Mkhize was placed on special leave to attend to allegations and investigations around the irregular contract.

South Africas minister of tourism will stand in as the acting minister of health.

A woman waits for her turn to receive a shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine during a mass coronavirus vaccination held in a park in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, June 8, 2021. The world's fourth-most populous country, with about 275 million people, has reported more coronavirus cases than any other Southeast Asian country.(AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

MILWAUKEE  A former pharmacist in Wisconsin who intentionally ruined more than 500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine has been sentenced to three years in prison.

Steven Brandenburg, of Grafton, was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty in February to two felony counts of attempting to tamper with a consumer product. He had admitted to removing the doses manufactured by Moderna from a refrigerator for hours at Aurora Medical Center in Grafton, located just north of Milwaukee. Brandenburg said in a statement before receiving his sentence that he felt great shame and accepted responsibility for his actions. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports he apologized to his co-workers, family and the community.

Prosecutors asked for a sentence of three years and five months. Brandenburg faced a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment and $250,000 in fines for each felony count.

Brandenburg is an admitted conspiracy theorist who believes vaccines are a product of the devil. Brandenburg also secretly substituted saline for flu vaccine that he was mandated to receive and persuaded several co-workers to secretly swap saline for their flu vaccine as well, according to court filings.

NEW YORK  Pfizer says it is expanding testing of its COVID-19 vaccine in children younger than 12.

After a first-step study in a small number of young children to test different doses, Pfizer is ready to enroll about 4,500 young volunteers at more than 90 sites in the U.S., Finland, Poland and Spain.

The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech already is authorized for emergency use in anyone 12 and older in the U.S. and European Union.

Supporters rest as they wave flags while taking part in a rally between Los Arcos and Logrono in support of the Polisario Front and a free Sahara, in northern Spain, Tuesday, June 8, 2021. Polisario Front is an Algeria-backed pro-independence movement representing the local Sahrawi people of Africa's mineral-rich Western Sahara, and of the self-declared Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

Enrollment of 5- to 11-year-olds began this week. Those youngsters will receive two vaccine doses of 10 micrograms each -- a third of the teen and adult dose -- or dummy shots. Enrollment of children as young as 6 months will start in a few weeks using an even lower dose, 3 micrograms per shot.

COLUMBUS, Ohio  Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is trying to persuade citizens to get vaccinated as the state rushes to administer around 200,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine set to expire in two weeks.

The Republican governor, like his counterparts across the country, is facing slowing vaccination rates as health officials say the majority of individuals who wanted the vaccine have already received it and the rest are either vaccine-hesitant or unwilling to receive it.

The state is also working against the clock to push the one-shot Johnson & Johnson to vaccine providers and asking them to distribute as many doses as possible. The doses are set to expire on June 23.

DeWine said Ohio and other states dont have legal options for sending the vaccine elsewhere, either to other states or other countries.

COLUMBIA, S.C.  South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster on Tuesday announced a cash infusion for the states technical colleges, aimed at training the jobless in new skills as they re-enter the workforce.

The Republican says hes allocating $8 million in federal coronavirus relief aid to a partnership between the states 16 tech schools and the Department of Employment and Workforce.

Inside Le Jaures restaurant a day prior the nationwide reopening of the restaurants interior, in Paris, France, Tuesday, June 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

Starting this week, the agency will contact the 87,000 South Carolinians already eligible for jobless benefits to advise them of tuition-free, short-term training classes designed to quickly prepare them for jobs like welding and truck driving, according to Tim Hardee, president of the states technical college system.

The funds come from a total of more than $48 million provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, to be used at the governors discretion.

TOKYO  Roads are being closed off around Tokyo Olympic venues for the event scheduled to begin July 23.

With six weeks to go, the roadblocks are appearing around the new $1.4 billion National Stadium, which will host the opening ceremony.

This is a sign that Tokyo Olympic planners and the International Olympic Committee are moving forward despite public opposition and warnings about the risks of the games becoming a coronavirus spreader event. New infections rates are going down in Tokyo. But the city and other parts of Japan remain under a state of emergency until June 20.

The number of hospitalizations and the seriously ill have also decreased, but the levels are still higher than last fall when COVID-19 variants were not prevalent in Japan.

Japan has registered 13,500 confirmed deaths to the coronavirus.

A supporter covers her face with a mask for protection with a sticker that reads "Sahara Free" while taking part in a rally between Los Arcos and Logrono in support of the Polisario Front and a free Sahara, in northern Spain, Tuesday, June 8, 2021. Polisario Front is an Algeria-backed pro-independence movement representing the local Sahrawi people of Africa's mineral-rich Western Sahara, and of the self-declared Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)

BERLIN  Germany officials say it will exempt people accredited for soccers European Championship from quarantine when they arrive in the country.

The Interior Ministry says the Cabinet will approve the exemption this week. It says it will apply to everyone accredited by the organizing committee involved in the tournament, which opens on June 11. Munich is one of the venues for the tournament, which is taking place at venues in multiple countries this year.

The exemption is particularly relevant for people coming from Britain, the only country in Europe currently on a German list of virus variant areas. All arrivals from such areas are currently required to spend 14 days in quarantine, and airlines and others are restricted to transporting German citizens and residents.

Those restrictions will be dropped for Euro 2021 participants. But the Interior Ministry says theyll still have to abide by rules such as daily testing. The exemption will last until July 28.

TORONTO  The Mastercard Foundation says it will spend $1.3 billion over the next three years to acquire and deliver coronavirus vaccines for more than 50 million people in Africa.

The first-of-its-kind initiative from the Mastercard Foundation is aiming to bolster Africas lagging vaccination campaign amid widespread fears of a third wave of infections on the continent.

The foundation will purchase single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the discounted rate negotiated by the African Union during its 220 million-dose deal with the company. A spokeswoman says the doses will become available in August.

The announcement Tuesday from the Toronto-based Mastercard Foundation comes days after the World Health Organization said Africa is encountering an alarming spike in virus cases and a near halt of vaccine shipments.

NEW ORLEANS  Louisiana lawmakers have taken aim at coronavirus vaccines, sending Gov. John Bel Edwards two bills that would keep state and local government agencies from requiring individuals to be immunized in order to be eligible for certain services.

Edwards has championed vaccines against the coronavirus and regularly urges Louisiana residents to get shots. He hasnt taken a position on the legislation that passed Monday.

No state agency in his administration has publicly proposed mandating vaccination for services.

KATHMANDU, Nepal  Nepal has resumed its stalled coronavirus vaccination campaign with 1 million doses given by China after the Himalayan nation made international pleas for help.

Thousands of 64-year-old people lined up at vaccination centers even before they opened Tuesday. People ages 60-63 are scheduled to be eligible for shots in coming days.

Nepals vaccination campaign began in January but stalled when neighboring India suffered a coronavirus surge and banned exports of the AstraZeneca vaccine it produces. Nepal had received 1 million AstraZeneca doses donated by India and paid for 2 million more but never received half the shipment.

That left 1.4 million people over age 65 who had received an initial dose of AstraZeneca vaccine uncertain if they would receive their second shot.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich is weighing in on a long-running dispute in New Mexico over public access to rivers and streams that flow through private property.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich is weighing in on a long-running dispute in New Mexico over public access to rivers and streams that flow through private property.

The Democratic lawmaker is taking aim at a rule adopted by the state Game Commission in 2018 that gives landowners the ability to petition state wildlife officials to certify waters on private property as non-navigable and prohibit public access without written permission.

The commission is scheduled to consider a handful of landowner applications at a special meeting June 18. Heinrich is asking that those applications be denied.

In a letter sent to the commission, Heinrich said that the New Mexico Supreme Court decades ago ruled that small streams in the state are fishing streams to which the public has access as long as people do not trespass on private property along the banks of those waterways.

This rule leaves no room for the commission to give wealthy landowners control over every stream, river and watercourse in New Mexico, he wrote.

In a petition filed with the state Supreme Court last year, a coalition of outdoor groups argued that it's not up to the commission to determine whether waterways should be classified as non-navigable because water policy and law are beyond its scope.

The groups maintain that the New Mexico Constitution specifies that the unappropriated water of every stream in the state belongs to the public and whether a river or stream is navigable makes no difference.

The court has not yet ruled on the groups request to invalidate the commissions non-navigable rule.

Public access laws vary widely across the western U.S. states. In Montana, courts over the years have expanded the publics right to use steams that cross private land. But access is prohibited in Colorado without the landowners' permission.

Next week's special meeting in New Mexico was prompted by a federal court ruling that called for the commission to take action on the applications. The court noted that the commission has the discretion to accept, reject or take any other action to resolve the applications.

Heinrich said if the applications are denied, landowners or the commission would not be prohibited from trying to force a change in law to restrict access.

Several of the state's attorneys general also have issued opinions on the matter over the years.

Most recently, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas office sent a letter to the commission in 2019 that concluded any language in the rule that attempted to prohibit access to the public waters was unconstitutional and unenforceable.
OTTAWA - China's growing authoritarianism and coercive diplomacy constitute a challenge to democratic countries around the world including Canada, Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau said Monday.

Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau waits for a virtual meeting to begin with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Ottawa, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Garneau says China's growing authoritarianism and coercive diplomacy constitute a challenge to democratic countries around the world including Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA - China's growing authoritarianism and coercive diplomacy constitute a challenge to democratic countries around the world including Canada, Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau said Monday.

Garneau told a parliamentary committee that Canada and other democracies are grappling with the question of how they reconcile their business, security and human-rights objectives with China.

"China of 2021 isn't the same China of 2016, and Canada's approach needs to evolve with an evolving China," he said, noting that China is rapidly gaining global influence and expanded clout with which all countries must learn to coexist.

"Chinas economic might has emboldened its ambitions and interests beyond the Asia Pacific region, where it has enjoyed enormous clout for centuries, to span the entire globe, including here in Canada," he said.

Garneau said leaning to coexist with China means knowing when it's necessary to co-operate with that country on global issues such as climate change, and when to challenge Beijing over human-rights violations.

"It also implies challenging China when human rights are violated or Canadian citizens and interests are jeopardized," he said.

A path to any kind of long-term relationship with China requires the safe return of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor to Canada, Garneau added.

"Bringing them home is and must remain our top priority in our dealings with China," he said.

The men, who have become known as the "two Michaels," were detained in December 2018, days after Canada's arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on an extradition request from the United States.

Garneau said both men received virtual visits two weeks ago from consular officials, but China has not allowed consular access to other Canadian citizens held in that country.

He said China should allow consular officials access to Huseyin Celil so Canada can confirm his well-being.

Celil, who settled in southern Ontario after becoming a Canadian citizen, is a former Uyghur activist who has been imprisoned in China for 15 years.

Garneau said China should put an end to the systematic campaign of repression against Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities in light of mounting evidence of forced labour, political re-education, torture and forced sterilization.

Growing competition with China and the pervasive use of digital technology forces Ottawa to work with other governments, businesses and universities to protect intellectual property, digital infrastructure, protect its democratic institutions from foreign interference and election meddling, he said.

"Hostile activities by state actors pose strategic, long-term threats to Canada," Garneau said. "They can undermine our nations economic, industrial, military and technological advantages."

Garneau said Canada is working with other G7 countries to counter foreign interference.

"We must continue to work with our partners around the world to protect the rules-based international order and defend human rights and freedoms."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2021.



This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is sidestepping questions about whether he will adhere to a unanimous motion passed in the House of Commons calling on the federal government to drop its legal battles against a pair of rulings involving First Nations children.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes his way to hold a press conference in Ottawa on Tuesday, June 8, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is sidestepping questions about whether he will adhere to a unanimous motion passed in the House of Commons calling on the federal government to drop its legal battles against a pair of rulings involving First Nations children.

The non-legally binding motion, passed by all five parties in the Commons Monday, was put forward by NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.

It demands that Trudeau's minority government abandon the judicial reviews to be heard in Federal Court next week.

When asked a direct question Tuesday about whether he would drop the court cases, Trudeau avoided answering, pointing instead to previous statements he has made saying that the government agrees that First Nations children who suffered harms in the child welfare system deserve compensation.

"We absolutely recognized that from the beginning and we have worked with and will continue to work with communities to establish what is just and fair compensation for these individuals," Trudeau said.

The NDP motion came in response to the recent news that ground-penetrating radar detected what are believed to be the remains of 215 children at a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C.

The motion also asks the government for faster implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 calls to action, greater trauma resources for survivors and a sit-down with a group representing survivors from St. Anne's, a former residential school in Fort Albany, Ont., over their search for justice.

It further called for a progress report to be tabled in 10 days detailing government's work in addressing these demands.

Trudeau, Liberal cabinet members and some Liberal backbenchers abstained from the vote, which passed 271-0.

One of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal rulings being appealed by Ottawa ordered the federal government to pay $40,000 each to some 50,000 First Nations children, as well as to each of their parents or grandparents. The tribunal's September 2019 ruling found that the federal government "wilfully and recklessly" discriminated against Indigenous children living on reserves by not properly funding child and family services.

As a result, children were sent away from their homes, families and reserves because, if they lived off-reserve, they would be covered by better-funded provincial systems. Others were removed from their families because authorities couldn't provide supports to help keep them together.

The second ruling, which came in November 2020, widened the applicability of Jordan's Principle, a rule stating that when governments disagree about what level of government responsible for providing services to First Nations children, Ottawa must help a child in need first and argue over the bills later.

The tribunal's ruling allows for First Nations children living off-reserve without Indian Act status to access Jordan's Principle if they are recognized by their Nations as eligible.

Last week, Trudeau suggested that compensation should be proportional to the trauma suffered, rather than a blanket amount awarded to all Indigenous kids who suffered harm.

When the issue was raised again in the House of Commons Tuesday, Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett, like Trudeau, did not say why she abstained from the vote on the NDP motion.

But she did reference Ottawa's ongoing contention that the legal issues at hand in these cases are complicated  more so than can be solved by a motion, she said.

"(The motion) included aspects on complex legal matters involving jurisdiction and privacy rights, which require extensive collaboration with Indigenous Peoples and cannot, nor should they be, resolved unilaterally on the floor of the Parliament of Canada, in a non-binding motion," Bennett said during question period.

But Singh dismissed this argument, saying Indigenous children harmed by foster care and child welfare agency placements, many of whom are now adults, as well as residential school survivors and their families are feeling "betrayed and insulted" by the Liberal government's handling of these cases.

"By refusing to even show up and vote on the motion, Justin Trudeau is confirming that he will continue to fight the residential school survivors and Indigenous kids in courts. This is wrong," Singh said in a statement to The Canadian Press.

"Indigenous people are demanding real action to bring about genuine reconciliation, not just words and symbolic gestures  We will continue to push the Liberal government to uphold their rights."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 8, 2021.
Manitobas education minister is accusing the teachers union of providing misinformation and creating unnecessary fear about the Progressive Conservative governments plans to overhaul public schooling in the province.

Manitobas education minister is accusing the teachers union of "providing misinformation and creating unnecessary fear" about the Progressive Conservative governments plans to overhaul public schooling in the province.

On Monday, Education Minister Cliff Cullen sent the president of the Manitoba Teachers Society a letter outlining the provinces intentions behind Bill 64 (Education Modernization Act) and critiquing the unions campaign against it. He also attached a fact-checking sheet from the department of education.

"Sharing false information creates fear, politicizes the classroom, and does nothing to support our leaders, students, and families who need this support now, more than ever," wrote Cullen, in a letter dated June 7.

The minister reiterated claims the provinces K-12 education reforms, including controversial legislation that will replace elected school boards with a centralized authority of government appointees, will redirect money spent on the duplication of administrative services to classrooms.

Critics of the education overhaul, including the teachers union, continue to raise concerns about local voices being silenced without elected trustees, school leaders being removed from the union, and disproportionate representation. Only one of 15 new education regions will encompass Winnipeg, which is home to more than half of Manitobas K-12 students.

Cullen, however, defended the provinces plan Monday, saying the new governance model will ensure resources are spread more equitably to rural and northern regions, give parents a greater voice while respecting educators, and protect both teachers and principals as educators by requiring valid teaching certificates.

He added new standardized tests will only be one part of a comprehensive assessment plan, and indicated leaders at regional and school levels will respond to community and unique programming needs.

During a phone call Monday, president James Bedford said the union has been forced to interpret provincial documents, given the minister has yet to agree to a meeting with MTS since January.

"Good communication will go a long way (in) resolving differences," said Bedford, who represents approximately 16,600 public school teachers in the province.

He added the union has been focused on the wording in Bill 64 because that is what will become law, in comparison to the provinces items in its Better Education Starts Today document.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie
Wang Yi Meets With Philippine Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin

2021/06/07

On June 7, 2021, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Philippine Foreign Minister Teodoro Locsin in Chongqing.

Wang Yi welcomed Teodoro Locsin to co-chair the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting, and extended appreciation to the Philippines as the current country coordinator for ASEAN-China relations for its active efforts and important contributions made in promoting the all-round development of ASEAN-China relations.

Wang Yi said that thanks to the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Rodrigo Duterte, China-Philippines relationship maintains sound development despite of difficulties and interventions. In face of the epidemic, the two countries offered hands to each other and gave explanatory notes to the Chinese saying "close neighbors are better than distant relatives". China will continue to provide the Philippines with anti-epidemic supplies and vaccines as needed to help the latter overcome COVID-19 as soon as possible. Both countries are expecting the 46th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between them. China and the Philippines will observe the "good neighborhood", i.e. friends don't show off power to each other, neighbors give hands to each other, and work together to promote the healthy development of China-Philippines relations.

Wang Yi said that strong and pragmatic China-Philippines cooperation are helping the Philippines epidemic-hindered development. Both sides have concluded and are carrying out a large number of projects, implying two-fold growth of China's investment in the Philippines. Both countries should spare no effort to secure the favorable momentum and fully tap the economic and social benefits of cooperative projects.

Wang Yi said that China-Philippines relations are facing difficulties and challenges as well. In face of statements and actions that distort the mutually beneficial cooperation, both sides should maintain our orientation and give priorities to promoting more fruitful cooperation that brings more benefits to peoples of the two countries. China-Philippines cooperation is attached with neither political condition nor so-called "traps". We observe win-win cooperation for common development.

Teodoro Locsin congratulated on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. He said China led by the Party has reported great victory of poverty alleviation which is a miracle unseen in human history and in other countries. The world should learn China's experience. The Philippines highly values China's success in epidemic control and robust economic recovery, appreciates China's support of epidemic-control supplies, makes positive comments on China's critical role in international vaccine cooperation, and hopes to strengthen anti-epidemic cooperation with China.

Teodoro Locsin said that China stands as the largest trade partner of the Philippines. He hopes both sides will further intensify high-level exchanges and enhance cooperation in such areas as economy, trade, infrastructure, and cyber security to add new impetus to the growth of the bilateral relations. As the current country coordinator for ASEAN-China relations, the Philippines supports and will make active efforts to upgrade the bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Teodoro Locsin said that there is no so-called "traps" in Philippines-China cooperation and China is long committed to helping the development of other countries with its development. The Philippines stands against making human rights a political issue or a weapon and holds that every country is entitled to secure its national security and stability through appropriate means. Both sides are challenged by the disputes over the South China Sea which shall not undermine the flourishing friendship and the pragmatic cooperation between them in all areas. The Philippines stands ready to maintain communication with China through more friendly and effective diplomatic means.

Both sides also had in-depth exchanges of views on international and regional issues of common concern.
What if we got it all wrong?

Throughout the pandemic, Premier Brian Pallister and Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial health officer, have preached the merits of a "least restrictive means" approach, where social and economic restrictions are increased slowly and iteratively as the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak increased.

Despite clear evidence of the flaws in this approach  twice Manitoba has generated the worst outbreaks in North America  Pallister and Roussin, along with other public health experts working within the government, have clung faithfully to the idea less-restrictive measures will ultimately result in more positive results.

In testimony during a recent constitutional challenge of the restrictions, Roussin went as far as to suggest he is "bound" to use the least-restrictive means in every decision he recommends.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba's chief provincial public health officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, went as far as to suggest he is "bound" to use the least-restrictive means in every decision he recommends.

Current public health orders are slated to expire on June 12, and there are strong hints that  despite an average of 200 new cases a day and overflowing hospitals  some restrictions could be eased before the end of the week. Roussin amplified those expectations Monday when he said it appears Manitoba is "very likely on that downtrend of the third wave."

But is it really time to ease back on restrictions? When it comes time to reveal their decision, you can bet Pallister and Roussin will rely heavily on the doctrine of least-restrictive means. And that, in and of itself, is a source of concern for epidemiologists and public health experts outside government.

One of those outside sources is Dr. Ross Upshur, an internationally recognized expert in public health and, unofficially, godfather of the doctrine of least-restrictive means.

In 2002, Upshur wrote a summary ethics framework for public health interventions that has become widely circulated and discussed among public health experts in this country and beyond. Upshur's framework describes four principles  questions really  to be considered when designing any public health intervention.

KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Dr. Ross Upshur: "We have come to expect certain freedoms."

Does the action prevent or reduce harm to individuals and groups? Can the same ends be achieved in a way that is less restrictive of individual or group freedoms? Will individuals or groups most impacted by restrictions be compensated? And, was the decision to intervene dominated by one group or subject to political interference?

"The spirit of the (least-restrictive means) concept is to be respectful of the fact that we live in a liberal democracy and we have come to expect certain freedoms," Upshur said in an interview. "And anything that threatens those freedoms should only be done with good reason. We do need to strike that balance as much as possible."

That having been said, Upshur noted it is wrong to interpret "least-restrictive means" as only the slow, iterative application of more severe restrictions, which has been the approach in Manitoba. That is not the best strategy during a pandemic with rapidly mutating strains of virus, as is the case right now.

"We need to be willing to move forward with restrictive measures and then dial them back as conditions improve," Upshur said. "And in a situation where there is concern about variants, you would want to be more aggressive at the outset. By not being more aggressive, you may actually be prolonging your suffering by not being strict enough at the beginning."

"... In a situation where there is concern about variants, you would want to be more aggressive at the outset. By not being more aggressive, you may actually be prolonging your suffering by not being strict enough at the beginning."  Dr. Ross Upshur

Upshur's comments are consistent with criticism from medical and scientific experts who believe the Pallister government has been too slow in introducing restrictions prior to clearly incoming surges.

Leading up to and during the second COVID-19 wave late last year, Pallister resisted measures like mandatory indoor mask mandates and stay-at-home orders while allowing social gatherings and concessions for maskless indoor church services.

Even in the midst of the devastating third wave, Pallister balked at a full lockdown, electing to keep non-essential retail open and allowing people to largely police themselves on social gatherings between households.

University of Manitoba epidemiologist Dr. James Blanchard, a Canada Research Chair in epidemiology and global public health, said by applying a very literal interpretation of least-restrictive means, the Pallister government has consistently missed opportunities to reduce the overall cases and deaths from each wave of COVID-19.

"If you see a wave coming, by using least-restrictive means and doing it incrementally you're really only setting the stage for much-worse outcomes."  University of Manitoba epidemiologist Dr. James Blanchard

"If you see a wave coming, by using least-restrictive means and doing it incrementally you're really only setting the stage for much-worse outcomes," said Blanchard. "If you look at the outcomes, then it could be argued that the application of least-restrictive means is to have an earlier and sharper lockdown. You would not only be in lockdown for a shorter period of time, but you'd also save a lot of lives. If you wait and do less, then you have restrictive means for longer with more lives lost."

Both Blanchard and Upshur agreed it is never easy to impose restrictions, and that they should never be applied in a rash manner. However, both said all pandemic management strategies must aim to achieve the best possible outcomes, which means as little sickness and death as possible.

"If the circumstances dictate that you impose more restrictive measures," Upshur said, "and that they will be more effective in protecting people, then you have to have the courage to do that."

Manitobans have consistently been told that less restrictions would result in more positive outcomes. Instead, the Pallister government has shown us, once again, that less almost always means less.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
Philippe Casgrain, a Quebec Liberal MP, told the House of Commons in 1883 he believed it was just a matter of time before Canadas Indigenous people would become extinct.

Philippe Casgrain, a Quebec Liberal MP, told the House of Commons in 1883 he believed it was just a matter of time before Canadas Indigenous people would become extinct.

"Indians of the North-West Territory, they are a doomed race, and it is only a question of how soon they will disappear," said Casgrain, during a Commons debate on Department of Indian Affairs expenditures.

Casgrain described what he believed was an "inaptitude of the Indians to enter into civilized life." He predicted governments attempt to assimilate First Nations into white, Christian society would ultimately lead to their disappearance as a people.

"The experiment has been tried ever since the beginning of the colony, and I know of only one Indian who ever became thoroughly civilized," said Casgrain.

"I lay down as a principle, which cannot be controverted, that this race is becoming rapidly extinct, and we are wasting an enormous expenditure to attain an object which will never be attained, that is, to civilize these Indians."

THE CANADIAN PRESS Children's dresses are hung on a crosses near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, to honour the 215 children whose remains have been discovered buried near the facility, in Kamloops, B.C. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press files)

If that sounds like genocide, it is.

Sadly, Casgrains perspective wasnt uncommon. The accepted treatment of Canada's Indigenous people was to shove them onto reserves, give them small annuities and encourage them to learn "civilized" farming, or perish.

If they could not adopt the ways of the white man, they would no longer exist.

In the wake of the recent discovery of 215 children buried in unmarked graves near a former residential school in Kamloops B.C., there have been renewed calls to improve public education around residential schools.

One of the reasons is the surprise many expressed about the Kamloops discovery; Canadians dont know their history.

Its not just residential schools, its the broader story of Canadas genocidal policies that have been largely absent from the historical narrative.

CP Shoes are placed on the lawn outside the former Kamloops Indian Residential School to honour the 215 children whose remains have been discovered buried near the facility, in Kamloops, B.C (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press files)

When hundreds of Indigenous people gathered at Lower Fort Garry in July 1871 to negotiate Canadas first treaty post-Confederation, they were told by Adams Archibald (Manitobas lieutenant-governor) the reigning monarch, Queen Victoria, wanted them to be more like white people.

"She would like them to adopt the habits of the whites," he told several First Nations chiefs during his opening address. "She thinks this would be the best thing for her red children to do."

The idea of Indigenous people maintaining their culture and way of life in Canada was out of the question.

As far as the federal government was concerned, First Nations were an inferior race. If they wanted to survive, they needed to convert to white culture, right down to who they worshipped.

One of the most effective ways to do that was through residential schools, which became a central instrument of Canadas genocidal policies.

The treaties promised First Nations schools on reserves. However, federal officials soon realized local, secular schools prevented them from achieving their assimilation policies. So they forcibly removed Indigenous children from their parents and placed them in religious-based schools, far away from the influence of their home communities.

CP Former Canadian Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald called Indigenous people savages. (Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press files)

"When the school is on the reserve, the child lives with its parents, who are savages," said John A. Macdonald, Canadas prime minister, in the House of Commons in 1883.

"He is surrounded by savages, and though he may learn to read and write, his habits, and training and mode of thought are Indian. He is simply a savage who can read and write."

That did not comply with Canadas genocidal objectives.

"Secular education is a good thing among white men, but among Indians the first object is to make them better men, and, if possible, good Christian men by applying proper moral restraints," said Macdonald.

Casgrain was wrong; Indigenous people did not become extinct, in spite of Canadas efforts. But the heavy price they paid, and continue to pay, through inter-generational trauma and the structural racism that remains, is Canadian history.

Its time we started learning it.

tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca
Premier Brian Pallister's government may have told Manitobans it would never sell provincial parks  but it didn't say they wouldn't be leased.

Premier Brian Pallister's government may have told Manitobans it would never sell provincial parks  but it didn't say they wouldn't be leased.

Until Monday, Manitobans who went to St. Ambroise Beach Provincial Park were told their provincial park passes were invalid after a 21-year lease was awarded to Manitoba businessman Sterling Ducharme in January to operate the 46-hectare of Crown land.

News of the lease has sparked warnings from environmental groups and opposition leaders, who say this is the first step to the privatization of Manitoba parks.

Ducharme, who owns a general store in the nearby village of St. Ambroise, would not comment Monday.

Late Monday afternoon, Conservation and Climate Minister Sarah Guillemard said in a statement there had been "recent misinformation" and "confusion" about park passes not being accepted at St. Ambroise.

"Manitobans will have full access to this public space with their provincial park passes as has always been the intention," said Guillemard.

But Guillemard defended the province's decision to lease the park.

"The province's partnership with this service provider is enabling St. Ambroise Beach Provincial Park to be revitalized and to recover from the previous damage... the previous NDP government did nothing to help St. Ambroise Beach Provincial Park since the 2011 flood and instead sat idly until our government took action to enhance the visitor experience at the park by engaging in the partnership with the service provider.

"Our provincial parks are not for sale, but they are ready for improvements... we will continue to build partnerships to help enhance visitors' experiences."

On the weekend, Amanda Walder was one of many who were shocked to learn her provincial pass wasnt valid at the park, located about 70 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg on the southeast shore of Lake Manitoba.

"Manitobans don't care what type of weasel words the premier uses. Manitobans don't want to privatize provincial parks... this really, really stinks."  Eric Reder, Manitoba chapter of the Wilderness Committee

When she arrived with her $44 park pass, Walder said a man at a hastily erected checkpoint, with a hand-written sign, demanded she pay a $10 daily user fee to go to the beach.

She told him she had no cash, so he waved her through, but not before telling her that a local man was running the park, having invested $100,000 in the site because the government didnt want to pay anyone to maintain the washrooms at the beach, Walder said.

She said other beach-goers told her husband they had paid the $10 fee to access the beach.

Walder, who regularly uses provincial parks, said shes angry the government has turned the park over to a businessman.

"What I am most upset about is that the government has been saying they arent privatizing parks, but what else can you call this?" she said.

Walder said she and her family will now boycott St. Ambroise as a sign of protest against privatization  and shes encouraging others do the same.

Back in April, during his budget speech, Finance Minister Scott Fielding announced a new $20 million endowment fund for provincial parks saying it was "so Manitobans can enjoy them for generations to come, because Manitoba's parks are not for sale."

While Pallister's government has not technically sold the park, he has sold access to it, said Eric Reder, representing the Manitoba chapter of the Wilderness Committee.

"Manitobans don't care what type of weasel words the premier uses. Manitobans don't want to privatize provincial parks... this really, really stinks."

Ron Thiessen, executive director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, said the group is "highly concerned, as provincial parks should be available and open to all Manitobans."

Thiessen said the camping rate at St. Ambroise is now $50 per night versus the rate of $11-$23 in other provincial parks.

Ducharme has set up an RV campground on the north side of the lakeside park and renamed it Surfside Beach Campground.

The Surfside website shows seasonal rates are between $1,500-$2,500 this year, with prices expected to jump as high as $3,750 next year. Thiessen said thats costly compared to the rate of $1,061 in provincial parks.

"We're very concerned with the precedent this sets  are we going to see more and more of them privatized?"  Ron Thiessen, executive director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society

"We're very concerned with the precedent this sets  are we going to see more and more of them privatized?" Thiessen asked.

The park was heavily damaged during the 2011 flood. The campground never reopened, but the day-use areas did in 2013.

Last July, the province quietly put out a request for proposal for the development and operation of a seasonal campground in the provincial park, as well as the operation and maintenance of the public beach area.

Under the terms of the lease, which began Jan. 1, no changes or improvements are allowed at the site, other than general repair, unless it is approved by Manitoba Parks.

In a statement, NDP leader Wab Kinew said: "The PCs claimed our parks were not for sale, but it turns out they have effectively privatized the land and raised prices for families.

"They aren't for the premier to sell off; they belong to all of us. He needs to be clear with Manitobans about his plans to privatize more of our parks."

NDP MLA Lisa Naylor called the move "underhanded and dishonest.

"We want to keep parks for the use of all Manitobans and that they are affordable."

Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said parks are a public service and shouldn't be a profit centre.

"Even if you've already paid for a park pass, the PCs are letting a private company set up a toll booth so you have to pay extra to get access to a beach we all own and share," said Lamont. "That's the essence of privatization: letting private companies make extra money charging you for something that's already yours."

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
The death toll from two trains colliding in Pakistan has increased to 63.

Winnipeg Jets players will be cleaning out their lockers after their season came to an end last night.

Canadians are stunned and angered after police said a family of five was run down in a deadly anti-Muslim attack in London, Ont.
Opinion

Can we trust our government and medical establishment?

Not entirely. Some glimpses of Health Canadas approach to prescription drug safety are less than assuring. Public policy should be guided toward more drug safety, not less.

Health Canada was solely funded by taxpayers until 1994, when it began to issue user fees to companies that wanted their drugs approved. User fees make sense in many circumstances, but perhaps not here. Half of Health Canadas prescription drug program comes from user fees, and a senior official within Health Canada admitted this turns drug companies into clients.

It seems less than coincidental that drug approvals seemed to speed up after 1994. That helps drug companies, but not patient safety. Studies have shown that one in five drugs that have a 300-day review will show serious side effects only after its in the marketplace. For drugs reviewed for just 180 days, the same occurs for one in three drugs. Given that only one in 10 new drugs is significantly better than existing ones, the rush seems unjustifiable.

There are other problems. For the past 10 years, Health Canada has devoted three times the money and staff to get drugs approved as it has to ensure drugs already being sold are safe. Critics also warn that standards for approving new drugs have become weaker .

Drug companies in the U.S. have paid billions in settlements for the illegal promotion of drugs for off-label uses. Yet a Health Canada spokesperson told the Toronto Star in 2014 that the regulator "has not been made aware of any specific similar issue in Canada and has not received complaints concerning these companies promoting off-label uses of their products in Canada."

Then again, the regulator provided no evidence they had even looked.

Even worse, Health Canada knew if off-label prescriptions were related to an incident of bad side-effects, but, for some reason, never acknowledged this in records. One had to go to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S., which collates side-effect data from other countries, for full disclosure on the Canadian cases.

Health Canada sometimes issues warnings later than other countries. In mid-2013, the U.S. warned that the blood thinner Dabigatran could cause serious or fatal bleeding. Canada made no such warning until early in 2015.

The U.S. yanked Cisapride from the shelves on July 14, 2000, for being linked to deaths by causing irregular heartbeats and cardiac arrest. Canada kept the gastrointestinal drug on the market another month. Fifteen-year-old Canadian Vanessa Young died of a heart attack from Cisapride that year. Her father, Terence Young, became an MP and saw through the passage of Vanessas Law in 2014. It finally gave the minister of health the power to issue a drug recall, something Health Canada could previously only negotiate with drug companies.

But Canadas problems are far from over. In March 2020, Ulipristal, a drug used to treat uterine fibroids, was suspended f or use in Europe because of links to liver damage. Health Canada warned of the risk early in 2019, yet kept the drug on the market until its manufacturer voluntarily withdrew it on Sept. 30, 2020.

Sometimes, the regulator turns a blind eye to useless drugs. In January 2019, a trial of Lartruvo, a drug for soft tissue sarcoma, showed the drug did not work. Its maker, Eli Lilly, pulled the drug from the U.S. and Europe. Health Canada also announced the drug did not work, yet it remains on sale.

Although less oversight seems like the last thing Canada needs, some people think otherwise. In 2018, Canada proposed giving only a cursory review of drugs on an "urgent public health needs" list and rubber-stamp them if the U.S. or Europe had already done so. Thats risky, because assessments can vary greatly.

Researchers examined safety advisories issued from 2007 through 2016 by regulators in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia. The agencies issued the same warnings only 40 times, comprising seven per cent of the nations combined total of drug warnings.

When its so easy for regulators to miss problems, the last thing Canada needs to adopt is a sloppier process of its own. If it wants to lean on the wisdom of other countries, it seems far wiser to err on the side of caution instead of supply. A cure should never be worse than the disease, and when regulators dont do due diligence, thats the very thing that can happen.

Lee Harding is a research associate with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

 Troy Media
It is now apparent to most that the provincial government has badly mismanaged Manitobas response to the second and third waves of the pandemic. This failure is in large part a product of Premier Brian Pallisters approach to governance, which is to spend as little as possible, no matter the need. This has been the case not only with respect to the pandemic, but in dealing with most matters of importance to Manitobans.

Opinion

It is now apparent to most that the provincial government has badly mismanaged Manitobas response to the second and third waves of the pandemic. This failure is in large part a product of Premier Brian Pallisters approach to governance, which is to spend as little as possible, no matter the need. This has been the case not only with respect to the pandemic, but in dealing with most matters of importance to Manitobans.

Previous Progressive Conservative governments have often argued that the management of government expenditures is analogous to the management of household finances. They have said that a household has to hold down expenditures to ensure that more money is coming in than going out.

But what the current Manitoba government has been doing is analogous to stubbornly refusing to spend what is needed to fix the roof when water is pouring in, or refusing to spend to stabilize the foundation when the building is tilting and walls are cracking.

The better approach is to invest in fixing the leaky roof and crumbling foundation. These are some examples, among many:

Long-term care: the pandemic has laid bare our societys shameful warehousing of the elderly. Evidence produced during the pandemic shows for-profit corporations running care homes have experienced the worst outcomes. Despite this, executives of these for-profit institutions have been paid large financial bonuses for exceeding profit goals, even while hundreds of people resident in their facilities have died, often in the most appalling of conditions.

This has to be fixed. Reform requires ensuring that staff are paid a living wage with benefits, and that the quality of care is carefully regulated. Holding down public spending is not the solution to the long-term care problem. It is the problem.

Child care: the pandemic has made clear the need for a universal and affordable child-care program. We know from the evidence in other jurisdictions that universal and affordable child care will produce multiple benefits and more than pay for itself. We should follow the evidence, and invest accordingly. Child care, like care for the elderly, should not be about maximizing profits. Public investment is the best solution.

Essential workers: the pandemic has made glaringly evident that many workers who are essential to our collective well-being are paid meagre wages, often on a part-time basis in order to avoid paying benefits. Those who drive trucks, work in a multitude of retail establishments or in various care-giving institutions, to take just these examples, are essential participants in making our economy work. They ought to be paid sufficient wages and benefits that they do not end up among the working poor. We need the legislative and regulatory changes to make that happen.

Drug overdoses and homelessness: in Manitoba in 2020, 372 people died of drug overdoses  more than one per day, and an increase of 87 per cent over 2019. Saving money by not investing in the facilities and staff that the evidence shows are effective in addressing this problem is ethically wrong. It is also economically short-sighted.

Evidence shows that the costs incurred by drug overdoses and homelessness  hospital emergency services, paramedic services, policing  are greater than the costs of investing to address the problem. Why, then, does our government not follow the evidence? Answer: because its primary goal is to cut spending, irrespective of the need.

Austerity: the austerity approach to governance  spend as little as possible no matter the need  has failed us. The pandemic has made that clear. When Manitoba patients have to be airlifted to other provinces to receive essential medical care, while others are dying because surgeries have to be postponed, the foundations of our health-care system are cracking.

When K-12 education is at risk of being "reformed" via Bill 64, by removing elected trustees and replacing them with a centralized appointed board (will it be called the Politburo?), the roof is leaking and damage will follow. When deaths by drug overdose are a daily occurrence and homeless people occupy bus shelters, with no meaningful response from the provincial government, the "spend as little as possible no matter the need" approach to governance has gone badly wrong.

We need a more intelligent approach to demonstrate the positive role government can and should play.

Jim Silver is professor emeritus at the University of Winnipeg and a research sssociate with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives  Manitoba.
Dominic Barton, Canadas ambassador to China, made the rounds of top government offiicials in Washington in early April asking the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden to negotiate release of the Chinese telecom executive Canada is holding on their behalf. That, at least, is the account given to the Globe and Mail by three unnamed sources.

Dominic Barton, Canadas ambassador to China, made the rounds of top government offiicials in Washington in early April asking the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden to negotiate release of the Chinese telecom executive Canada is holding on their behalf. That, at least, is the account given to the Globe and Mail by three unnamed sources.

The ambassador was also asking the Biden administration to add some intensity to its pressure on the Chinese government for release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, two Canadians detained by Chinese police. China detained the two Canadians in December 2019, immediately after Canada, at the request of the U.S. government, detained Huawei Technologies chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou as she changed planes in Vancouver.

Canadian Ambassador to China Dominic Barton (Adrian Wyld / The Canadian Press files)

China is holding the two Michaels as hostages to compel Canada to release Ms. Meng. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insisted the British Columbia court that is hearing the U.S. governments extradition request should complete its process without interference by his government. This is to uphold the principle that Canada does not yield to hostage-taking, Mr. Trudeau said, and is intended to preserve the safety of other Canadians who might be detained in future on account of a dispute among governments.

If Canada is in fact urging the U.S. to let Ms. Meng off lightly to win early release of the two Michaels, that is a success already for Chinas hostage-taking tactics. By holding the two Canadians in prison for two and a half years, the Chinese authorities have seemingly compelled Canada to intercede on Chinas behalf with the U.S. administration.

With U.S. backing, Canada in February organized a joint declaration against arbitrary detention, ultimately signed by 60 governments. The declaration did not name China, but the Chinese government reacted angrily because they knew perfectly well it was aimed at them.

The joint declaration showed that China has suffered damage to its world reputation by imprisoning Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. It also showed that support for Canadas position is concentrated among the industrial democracies. Developing countries hoping to cash in from Chinas Belt and Road program of infrastructure investment were unwilling to object to arbitrary detention.

The hard-hearted defence against hostage-taking would be to show total indifference  hold a public farewell for the hostages, treat them as already sacrificed and make no gesture in aid of winning their release. This would tell the hostage-takers that they have won no leverage. Canada would never do that, because the hostages families and the Canadian public would not stand for it.

CP Michael Kovrig (left) and Michael Spavor are being held in China. (The Canadian Press files)

The other way is to offer inducements for release of the hostages while inflicting penalties for their continued detention. Canadas efforts along these lines have not yet achieved any discernible benefit for the two Michaels.

Canada and the U.S. should continue lining up new signatories for the February joint declaration against arbitrary detention. A sense of spreading world condemnation of Chinas cruelty might eventually persuade Chinas Communist Party masters that hostage-taking is more trouble than it is worth.

The search for inducements, however, is more dangerous. If Canada is lobbying the U.S. to cut a deal for the release of Meng Wanzhou in the hope of winning release of the two Michaels, China may easily conclude that imprisoning them was the correct move.

Canada may be tiptoeing toward the conclusion that hostage-taking actually works. If that is the way we are going, Canadians in China should be warned that they may be the next targets.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  Protesters took to the streets for a fourth consecutive night in Minneapolis over the shooting death of a Black man by members of a U.S. Marshals task force.

Crowds marched Sunday evening in response to Thursday's fatal shooting of 32-year-old Winston Boogie Smith Jr. in Minneapolis' Uptown neighborhood. Officers stood watch during the demonstrations.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or arrests stemming from Sunday's protests. A police spokesman said he didn't have any details Monday morning.

Authorities said Friday that Smith was wanted on a weapons violation and fired a gun before two deputies shot him while he was inside a parked vehicle. Members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force were trying to arrest him on a warrant for allegedly being a felon in possession of a gun.

Family and friends described Smith as a father of three who was often harassed by police. They are demanding transparency in the investigation and have asked that anyone who might have video footage to come forward.
MILWAUKEE  Prosecutors have accused a suburban Milwaukee woman of killing her friend by poisoning her with eyedrops.

Jessy Kurczewski, 37, was charged Friday with homicide and two counts of felony theft, according to online court records.

A criminal complaint shows the case began in 2018 when Kurczewski called police to her friend's Pewaukee home, saying her friend wasn't breathing, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Monday. The complaint doesn't name the friend.

A deputy found the woman in a recliner with crushed medication on her chest. Investigators initially thought she had overdosed. Kurczewski said there was a possibility her friend was suicidal.

Toxicology tests showed the woman had a fatal dose of tetrahydrozoline, the main ingredient in eyedrops, in her system. When investigators told Kurczewski tetrahydrozoline killed her friend and the scene was staged to look like a suicide, Kurczewski said it was what her friend wanted and she must have staged her own suicide.

Later, Kurczewski told investigators she brought her friend a water bottle loaded with six bottles' worth of Visine. She didn't think it would kill her friend because she had been drinking it for so long.
After Apple has announced M1 for iPads, people started speculating that we will see pro apps like Xcode announced for iPadOS during the upcoming WWDC. It got me thinking about the experience of building mobile apps on tablets, especially the workflow with emulators/simulators.

A couple of months ago, I came across the blog post of Joaquim Verges that showed how Projector could be used to enable remote IDE experience. Essentially, Projector allows running IntelliJ-based IDEs, such as Android Studio, on a remote machine with a lot of computing power. Since Projector draws UI in a browser, your favorite IDE becomes available anywhere, including iPads.

However, the mobile dev loop is incomplete without running the app in an emulator or a physical device. To my knowledge, there is no way of running an ADB server on iOS, killing off chances for connecting an Android phone directly to an iPad. Hosting emulators on iOS is also not possible without jailbreaking the device or sideloading applications. Instead of hosting it, we can run it alongside Android Studio on a VM and connect to it using a VNC client.

The first part of this blog post demonstrates the result, while the second one dives deeper into technical details.

An overview of the dev experience

The setup used in this demo includes an iPad Air (2020) paired with a magic keyboard and trackpad (see the picture above). This combination works pretty well, especially with the cursor support in iPadOS.

Below you can see Android Studio (AS) rendered in Safari and the Android emulator connected through VNC. Since both Android Studio and emulator run on a single VM, AS automatically discovers the emulator as a target device.

The IDE experience and performance

The performance of the Projector is surprisingly good. Even though latency is noticeable, it is not significant enough to become disturbing. The cursor support comes in very handy, especially for small UI elements of IDEs. Since AS is running on Linux, there is access to a shell and git, which is a massive advantage.

Some of the biggest downsides that I have encountered so far are:

The keyboard shortcuts do not work or clash with the ones in the browser (can be specific to Safari on iPadOS).

Trackpad gestures, such as two-finger scrolling, are not translated into scroll events in the IDE correctly.

Projector occasionally hangs and sometimes drops the connection.

And the last con is that there is not much space left for AS when running side-by-side with the emulator. If you are running a 13 iPad Pro, it will be less of a problem for you. Alternatively, you can run the emulator in a slide-over window:

The emulator experience and performance

One of the highlights for me was that the VNC client sent the touch and scroll events directly to the emulator. Using the touch screen to control the emulator felt much more natural compared to clicking and dragging the mouse. In general, performance was acceptable, but there is a lot of space for improvement in the latency and framerate. I have tried VMs with dedicated GPUs and WebRTC instead of VNC but did not get better results. Possibly that hardware acceleration does not work well with nested virtualization of CPU and GPU, so renting a bare metal machine could help, but I have not tried that yet.

Configuration steps

The second part of the blog post describes the steps necessary to configure the Projector server and emulator.

Virtual machine

You will need a VM with support for nested virtualization or KVM. Otherwise, android emulators will be unusable. I have picked Ubuntu Server 18.04 LTS, so some steps will have to be adapted to the distro of your choice. Pick a VM that is geographically closest to you, as it will likely have lower latency. My configuration had four virtual cores and 16 GBs of RAM.

Once the VM is up and running, you will need to set up your private/public SSH keys. Most cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud have tutorials on how to achieve that.

Most cloud providers close all ports by default as a security measure, but we will need to open at least three of them: 22 for SSH, 7070 for Projector, and 5050 for VNC. As with SSH authentication, see cloud vendor-specific guide on how to configure the firewall.

Projector

Projector setup steps are based on Joaquims guide with minor adjustments made to account for the latest changes in Projector.

1: You will need to SSH into your machine:

ssh username@public_ip_of_your_vm

2: Installing dependencies:

# updating local repositories sudo apt-get update # required if we want to run standalone SDK and AVD managers sudo apt-get install openjdk-8-jdk # python 3 is required by the Projector installer sudo apt-get install python3 python3-pip # we need to upgrade pip, otherwise installer fails python3 -m pip install -U pip # install Projector pip3 install projector-installer

Now restart the shell session by exiting and SSH-ing into the machine. Check if Projector was installed correctly by running the help command.

projector --help

3: Installing Android Studio:

# create a new directory mkdir androidstudio && cd androidstudio # you can find a link to AS build here: https://developer.android.com/studio/archive # projector supports only versions 4.2 and above curl -L --output android-studio.tar.gz <direct_download_link_to_as> # unzip the archive tar -xvf android-studio.tar.gz

4: Adding a new Projector configuration:

# you will be prompted to accept a license when # running Projector for the first time projector config add --expert There are no installed Projector IDEs. Would you like to specify a path to IDE manually? [ Y/n]Y Enter the path to IDE ( <tab> for complete ) : <path_to_android_studio> Enter a new configuration name or press ENTER for default [ Android_Studio]:as Would you like to specify listening address ( or host ) for Projector? [ y/N]y Enter a Projector listening address ( press ENTER for default ) [ * ] :7070 Would you like to specify hostname for Projector access?? [ y/N]n Would you like to set password for connection? [ y/N]y Please specify RW password: Repeat password: Would you like to set separate read-only password? [ y/N]n Adding new config with name as

If you want to enable encryption, you will need to edit the configuration by running projector edit <config_name> . For some reason, Projector does not prompt us to use a secure connection during the initial setup.

5: Running Android Studio:

projector run as Configuration name: as To access IDE, open in browser https://localhost:7070/?token = your_password_here https://127.0.0.1:7070/?token = your_password_here https://10.0.0.6:7070/?token = your_password_here

If you point the browser to http://your_server_ip_addres:7070?token=your_password_here , you will see Android Studio. Now you can go ahead and clone a project to the remote machine and start working on it.

Android emulators

1: Before installing emulators, make sure that to accept the SDK licenses:

~/Android/Sdk/tools/bin/sdkmanager --licenses

2: We need to put the Android SDK tools on the path:

nano ~/.bashrc # append the following lines to .bashrc export ANDROID_SDK = $HOME /Android/Sdk export PATH = $ANDROID_SDK /emulator: $ANDROID_SDK /tools: $ANDROID_SDK /tools/bin: $ANDROID_SDK /platform-tools: $PATH # source the .bashrc file to load new variables source ~/.bashrc

Once SDK tools are on the path, run avdmanager list avd to print a list of available emulators. At the time of writing, Pixel_3a_API_30_x86 was set up by Android Studio by default. Note the emulators name, as we will need it later.

3: Install KVM dependencies to enable nested virtualization:

sudo apt-get install qemu-kvm libvirt-bin ubuntu-vm-builder bridge-utils

4: Servers do not run desktop environments with GUI to save resources. However, we want to run emulators with UI accessible, so we will need to configure an in-memory display server  Xvfb (X virtual framebuffer). To expose the X display as a VNC server, we will use x11vnc.

sudo apt-get install xvfb x11vnc

To ensure that the graphics pipeline and the VNC server are set up correctly, we will use the glxgears demo application.

# glxgears is a part of this package sudo apt-get install mesa-utils

To test everything together, we need to create an X display, start the VNC server, and run the glxgears demo attached to the X display:

# create a display Xvfb :1 -screen 0 1080x2220x24 > /dev/null 2>&1 & # run the VNC server listening on 5050 x11vnc -display :1 -quiet -nopw -rfbport 5050 # run the glxgears demo DISPLAY = :1 glxgears

5: Open a VNC client of your choice and point it to your_server_ip_addres:5050 . I have used VNC Viewer for iPad. If everything works as expected, you will see the gears animation.

6: Once we have confirmed that the virtual display and the VNC server are working as expected, the only step left is to run the emulator instead of the demo. Stop glxgears and start the emulator instead:

DISPLAY = :1 emulator -avd Pixel_3a_API_30_x86 \ -no-boot-anim -nojni -netfast \ # since there is no GPU available, we have to use software acceleration -gpu swiftshader_indirect \ # enabling KVM is critical for performance -qemu -enable-kvm

If you encounter an error saying that the current user does not have permission to use KVM, run the following command: sudo gpasswd -a $USER kvm . You will need to restart the SSH session for the changes to become active. Re-run the emulator command above, and now you should see the emulator logs:

... emulator: INFO: boot completed emulator: INFO: boot time 70809 ms ...

If you try reconnecting the VNC client, you should be able to see the emulator running:

I recommend disabling the device frame in the AVD manager settings to save precious space. You can also play around with the VNC client settings to adjust the image quality and choose an interaction method (mouse, touch panel, or view only).

At this point, you should have both Android Studio and emulators running. Congratulations!

Summary

Overall, it was a lot of fun to try out mobile development on the iPad. Different input methods, such as cursor and keyboard for navigation in IDE, and the touch controls for emulators felt surprisingly good. Lets hope that Apple will bring developer tools to iPadOS one day.

Resources
Recreational paddlers will take to the water Saturday as the Great Beaver Paddle Festival returns following a year off due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Now in its fifth year, the event continues to offer free instructional classes at Waterworks Park in Beaver Dam for people using canoes, kayaks or standup paddleboards. The park features a canoe/kayak launch which allows for easy access to Beaver Dam Lake.

Festival committee member Chuck Frinak said a limited number of watercrafts will be available at the park from Beaver Dam Community Activities & Services for beginner classes. Its recommended that participants bring their own equipment and life vests.

On-site registration for classes begins at 8:30 a.m., with a canoe class starting at 10 a.m. Space is limited. Other classes will follow throughout the morning based on interest.

Maps will be available to help people navigate the 16th-largest lake in Wisconsin on their own.

There will be a three-mile paddle from Waterworks to Fish Camp (boat landing) and a six-mile paddle from Waterworks to Fish Camp and back, said Frinak. Well have a shuttle available between the two points until 3:30 p.m.
The Republican-controlled state Legislature and a former state lawmaker are suing Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul and Gov. Tony Evers administration, alleging the Department of Justice is failing to follow rules for handling settlements as required by laws Republicans passed in late 2018.

Additionally, Kaul has filed a suit of his own in Dane County Circuit Court against the Republican Legislature involving the handling of settlements. Both cases represent a continuation of litigation both parties brought directly to the Wisconsin Supreme Court but that the court declined to take up.

The Legislature and Adam Jarchow, a former state representative from Balsam Lake, filed suit in Polk County Circuit Court last week against Kaul and Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan, alleging the two had violated provisions of state law requiring DOJ to deposit all settlement funds into the states general fund as well as get approval from the states budget committee before entering into settlement agreements.
Remembering Zim Ngqawana 10 years on, a singular force in South African music

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.

Ngqawanas biography and his achievements are well known.

Recalling him on the 10th anniversary of his death is to remember how a South African jazz musicians 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.

Ngqawanas sound  indebted to Xhosa traditional musical, western art music and jazz  fills the silence that destruction leaves. Committed to creativity as healing, Ngqawanas legacy continues long after his death.

A long line of saxophonists

In the mid-1800s, Belgiums 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.

Ngqawanas 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 lifes 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 listeners 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 peoples 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 2001s Zimphonic Suites, that its 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. Thats 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 Barakas Blues People: Negro Music in White America. This generosity was an assertion of community, possibly the only impulse that has assured jazzs endurance in this country. The gift is my memento mori: Ngqawanas mortality, beyond death and vandalism, continues to inspire and to teach.

The moment of annihilation

Indeed, in 2010 Ngqawanas studio was vandalised by scrap metal thieves. To gouge the metal from the grand pianos 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 artists 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 Foundations 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 Kaganofs film Legacy he stresses Ngqawanas 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, Ngqawanas 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, Music lecturer, University of the Witwatersrand and Phillippa Yaa de Villiers, Poet and lecturer in Creative Writing, University of the Witwatersrand

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
GCRF Funding of Synchrotron Techniques for Africa lauded as great success

Results include 80+ researchers now collaborating from multiple continents, over 50 world class papers published and a new generation of scientists trained.

A virtual event, held on Monday, 7 June 2021 celebrated the many successes of the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) START grant and the end of the three-year 3.7M grant provided by the UKs Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) from the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) in support of the Synchrotron Techniques for African Research and Technology (START) programme  a unique collaboration between scientists in the UK and Africa, and the UKs national synchrotron, Diamond Light Source (Diamond). STFC supports the UKs scientific community by working in partnership with universities, research organisations and government to ensure that researchers have access to large high-quality facilities.

Achievements to date have included more than 50 papers published, with dozens still in the pipeline. Nearly 20 protein structures were deposited in the global Protein Data Bank and over 230 Diamond synchrotron shifts carried out. 30 Postdoctoral Research Assistants/Fellows (PDRAs/PDRFs) have been funded, and numerous students introduced to synchrotron science through several workshops, secondments and visits delivered in person and remotely in Africa, the UK and beyond.

The event, hosted by Diamond, chaired by eminent scientist and grant Co-Investigator (Co-I), Professor Sir Richard Catlow, Professor at Cardiff University, University College London and Foreign Secretary at The Royal Society, was attended by START members, funders, and other stakeholders. The event featured case studies, early career impacts, and the importance of Diamond's collaboration. Research topics included (amongst others), energy materials as catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation to reduce CO2 accelerated climate change; the development and optimisation of thin-film photovoltaic devices (solar cells) for sustainable energy; improving drug design for hypertension and blood pressure (ACE); the worlds first published nitrilaise structure and Africas first CryoEM results using Diamonds eBIC facility.

START has been an exciting journey catalysed by the GCRF grant which has reaped fantastic results in a remarkably short space of time, said Professor Chris Nicklin, Science Group Leader and Principal Investigator (PI) in the GCRF START grant programme. By providing the new generation of synchrotron users with access to world class equipment and investing in their skills and capacity, research in the UK and Africa has been enriched and deepened. Going forward, theres a huge appetite across the START network for a START 2, especially if the ambition of an African Light Source is to be realised. We are currently looking at ways to continue the momentum and build on STARTs promising legacy.

Dr Thandeka Moyo and Dr Carmien Tolmie are rising stars in the newly emerging Structural Biology network in South Africa. Funded as PDRFs by the GCRF START grant, their successes stand out in fulfilling the key aims of START, including promoting equality and inclusiveness in science to challenge the under-representation of women. Thandekas achievements involve notable new biology in HIV (bNAbs) vaccine development projects and Covid-19 research at South Africas National Institute for Communicable Diseases, affiliated to the University of the Witwatersrand. Highly active in mentoring young female scientists and taking part in school outreach activities, Thandeka encourages the next generation to pursue STEM careers.

Carmien has made great strides in biocatalysis, investigating enzymes as drug targets for fungal infectious diseases which claim many lives, especially amongst immune-compromised patients. Recently promoted to academic staff at South Africas University of the Free State (UFS), she attributes her successes to the mentoring and training she received through the GCRF START grant which funded a secondment to Diamond and the University of Oxford, exposing her to cutting edge scientific techniques such as XChem fragment screening.

Dr Mohamed Fadlalla started out in 2018 as a GCRF START-funded Postdoctoral Research Fellow investigating energy materials at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and has since been promoted into a leadership role as a Research Officer. His story demonstrates how scientific development and scientist career development can work symbiotically, in this case assisted by the GCRF START grant.

As well as facilitating amazing science, the GCRF START grant played a substantial role in my career progression as a scientist, Mohamed said This has not only focused my interest into energy materials catalyst development, I have also learnt new energy materials characterisation techniques and conducted experiments at Diamond which were very successful. I started teaching the Catalysis Institutes MSc. course where I now pass on my new skills to up-and-coming scientists in Africa and have recently been awarded an NRF-Thuthuka grant and UCT block grant to enable my research going forward.

If you dont have this kind of network and support, it is incredibly difficult, for those who are at the start of this field, said GCRF START Co-I, Professor Michael Claeys, from the University of Cape Towns Centre for Catalysis and South Africas DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Catalysis, c*change. It is about building confidence, so this is where the GCRF START grant has played an incredibly important role, improving output and significantly lowering potential hesitancy to use synchrotron techniques, which can seem overwhelming to those new in the field.

It has been rewarding to see the relatively modest investment of time and money can have such a major impact on the sustainability of research expertise, on the development of careers in Africa, on access to large scale facilities around the world, including improving our own systems at Diamond (such as remote access), and to the nurturing of collaborations and networks in South Africa, said Dr Gwyndaf Evans, START Life Sciences Principal Investigator and Principal beamline scientist on Diamonds VMXm beamline. In Structural Biology, there have been valuable exchanges and collaborations especially XChem laying the foundations for drug discovery work. START is the beginning of embedding the structural research culture in South Africa and other groups around the world. We look forward to what the future holds.

Funded by the UKs Official Development Assistance (ODA) Global Challenges Research Fund, the GCRF START grant aims to meet key UN Sustainable Development Goals through Energy Materials for novel devices and improvements in energy efficiency, affordability, and storage (batteries and fuel cells) including renewable energy sources; and Structural Biology to better understand diseases, develop drug targets and vaccines, and drive green biotechnology solutions.

About the GCRF START grant

The GCRF START grant is a collaborative project that seeks to foster the development of Synchrotron Techniques for African Research and Technology (START). It builds partnerships between world leading scientists in Africa and the UK working together on research using synchrotron science. Funded by the UKs Official Development Assistance (ODA) Global Challenges Research Fund, the GCRF START grant is delivered by UKRI through Diamond shareholders (the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and the Wellcome Trust). At the heart of START sits the community of co-investigators whose work in the relevant scientific disciplines is world-leading in their fields. They support a wider group of students and post-doctoral researchers whose contribution to START is vital to nurture future capacity and leadership in the African scientific research community. Working on experiments at the UKs synchrotron, Diamond, START researchers and students will bring insights to sustainable energy and improvement in health that will have long-lasting legacies across Africa.

More about the GCRF START grant: https://start-project.org/home/about/
Open letter on vaccinating mining-affected communities

Civil society sends open letter to the President, Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy and Minister of Health on the need to vaccinate mining communities

Open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister Gwede Mantashe, Minister Zweli Mkhize and Mr Mxolisi Mgojo (Minerals Council) demanding the development of a plan for vaccinating mining-affected communities and mineworkers as a matter of urgency

As members of mining-affected communities, organised labour and civil society we are alarmed that at present government and the mining industry have still yet to develop a concrete plan for the mass vaccination of mining-affected communities and mine workers, who together constitute sections of the population at particular risk from COVID-19.

On the 16 April 2020, National Command Council announced amendments on the regulations for the mining sector, which are aimed at allowing a phased economic activity which gives permission for mines to operate at 50% capacity and will gradually increase capacity. This was just over two months of the pandemic being announced and it appears that the consensus between the state and the mining industry that resulted in the rapid declaration of mining as an essential service. Many of us opposed this as irresponsible as we believed the workplace could become a centre and super-spreader sector, a driver of the virus infections into society. In addition, we feared with the movement of migrant workers to and from their home in rural areas would render communities more vulnerable. Mining is a labour intensive enterprise and in and of itself, is a danger to good health and safety as social distancing was near impossible.

We reiterate our consistent position that the government and the Minister of Mineral Resources had abdicated their responsibilities, statutory and constitutional by rushing to opening the mines. We must now take the same emergency action action and work with haste to save lives of mine-workers and the communities living in their surroundings.

Almost a year after the national lock-down, President Cyril Ramaphosa speaking at the Mining Indaba (virtually) praised the profitability of the mining sector thus:

The industry recorded quarter on quarter growth of 288% in Q3 2020. Higher production was mainly due to increased activities in PGMs, iron ore, gold and diamonds. https://www.miningreview.com/business-and-policy/mining-indaba-virtual-south-africa/ Later, the report continued thus: In conclusion, Ramaphosa said that he was immensely encouraged by the positive sentiment about a COVID-19 vaccine rollout in the sector. This follows an announcement by the Minerals Council South Africa that it aims to vaccinate between 60 000 and 80 000 people per day at a total rollout cost of R300 million. He stated that mining companies are well placed to support the unprecedented vaccine programme given their experience in working to stem the spread of TB and HIV/Aids among employees.

A quick reference on the website of the Minerals Council website reveals its position on the Covid Vaccine Roll-out and their capacities thus:

The Minerals Council and our members are strongly supportive of governments vaccine roll-out strategy. We will work closely with the DMRE and unions to achieve a smooth roll-out of vaccines at our mines and in mining communities, and to increase vaccine acceptance through education and communication.

We have offered our significant healthcare infrastructure and capacity to drive the vaccination process, and we hope to play a constructive role as designated points of care, particularly in those regions where there are clusters of mines and mining communities, and those remote regions where mining is the predominant economic activity. Our focus will not only be on ensuring that employees receive the vaccination, but also their families and communities.

Given these offers and promises we ask at the time of the attempts to massify the roll-out where is the action? Where are the bottlenecks? Who is responsible for the delays in rolling out the programme for saving lives?

This is the time for us to pull together and it is a time for mining communities, most in peri-urban and rural areas must not be left behind. They must be included in real decision-making in matters that affect their lives. The time for action is long overdue but we must act with haste, to save lives.

We therefore demand that:

As a matter of urgency the government and mining companies pool their respective expertise resources to urgently develop and roll out a specific vaccination plan targeted at mineworkers and local and labour sending communities

This process be led by the department of health working with citizens as a matter of great emergency.

Venues of roll out should be accessible to workers and communities (for example community halls) and should be determined in consultation with grassroots organisations and all trade unions in the sector

That the Minerals Council come out and join communities, civil society and organised labour in public support of the South African governments demand for the waiver of intellectual property (IP) rights related to COVID-19 to level the playing field

We await your response and look forward to engaging on the implementation of a tangible and inclusive plan for providing the vaccine to mining-affected communities and mine-workers.

Yours Sincerely
ROME, N.Y.  A woman was sent to the hospital following a three-car crash on Rome-Westmoreland Road Tuesday afternoon.

According to Oneida County Sheriffs Office, 71-year-old Thomas Chadwick, of Little Falls, was driving a white Chevy pickup truck east on Lamphear Road around 2:15 p.m., when he failed to stop at a red light at the intersection with Rome-Westmoreland Road.

Deputies say Chadwick drove through the intersection, and the trucks passenger side collided with the driver side of a black Chrysler van, driven by 36-year-old Heather Miner, of Rome.

Both the truck and the van continued into the westbound lane, hitting a grey Subaru sedan driven by John Kessler, 63, of Rome, while he was stopped in the right turn lane.

Kessler was treated at the scene for head pain and released.

Miner, who had two children in her car at the time of the crash, was taken to St. Lukes to be treated for leg and hand pain. The children, ages 8 and 4, were not injured.

Chadwick received a citation for failure to stop at a steady red traffic signal. He will appear in court at a later date.

New York State Police, Rome Fire Department ant AmCare Ambulance also assisted at the scene.
LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI)A Lafayette firefighter is being honored as a Hometown Hero. Cole Hauser was selected for his service to the community. At 16-years-old Cole was a Cadet for the Pine Village Volunteer Fire Department.

He worked his way up... getting his certification as an Emergency Medical Responder. He then went to college in Kentucky to get his degree in Fire Science.

Now at 23, Cole is a Firefighter for the City of Lafayette. He said he's devoted much of his teenage and young adult life serving his communities and it's a great feeling.

"I've always been one of those that I want to do something," said Hauser. "I want to do something whether it's emergency services or community service or whatever so I was fortunate enough that I found a way I could do it as a career."

Hometown Hero is made possible with the help of Westminster Village. If you'd like to nominate someone click here.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  Gov. Eric Holcomb has appointed an Indianapolis businessman as the new head of Indianas business recruitment efforts.

Holcomb announced Monday that he had appointed Bradley B. Chambers as Indianas new secretary of commerce. He replaces Jim Schellinger, who resigned in March after more than four years in the post.

Chambers is the president, CEO, and founder of Buckingham Companies, an Indianapolis-based real estate company founded in 1984 that invests in, develops and manages multifamily and mixed-use properties.

There is no one more qualified to lead our economic development efforts than someone whos been a leader in the business for 35 years, Holcomb said in a statement.

Holcombs office said Chambers will enter into a two-year contract with the Indiana Economic Development Corp. board of directors to lead the IEDC.

Chambers will scale back his day-to-day involvement with Buckingham Companies while he serves as secretary of commerce, the governor's office said in a news release. Buckingham Companies will not be eligible for state incentives during Chambers' tenure with the state.

Im very excited for the opportunity to strengthen statewide entrepreneurship and help drive Indianas overall business climate to the next level," Chambers said in a statement.

Chambers also serves as the chair of the Indiana State Fair Commission and will remain in that role through this years Indiana State Fair.
Show Low, AZ (85901)

Today

Mostly clear. Low around 60F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph, becoming ESE and decreasing to less than 5 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low around 60F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph, becoming ESE and decreasing to less than 5 mph.
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, June/July 2021, p. 63

Diplomatic Doings

On April 13, the Atlantic Council held a discussion with Fareed Yasseen, Iraqs ambassador to the United States, in which he discussed the current state of American-Iraqi relations as well as domestic issues within Iraq.

Noting the declining U.S. military presence in Iraq, the ambassador believes his countrys forces are becoming self-sufficient. We can contemplatea day when theyll be entirely capable of taking care of our security situation on their own and be a force for the stability of the region, Yasseen said.

However, the ambassador was mostly interested in discussing non-security issues, as he hopes the Iraq-U.S. relationship can evolve to focus on topics such as the economy. We would like to see Iraq becoming a country where American companies set up joint ventures, he remarked, especially in critical areas for Iraq. These include issues of water preservation and climate change. However, such partnerships have been constrained, Yasseen continued, by the security situation in Iraq, among other issues. The real difficulty, he said, has been in fostering the exchanges and meetings that can foster further cooperation.

Despite the difficulties of Americans and Iraqis meeting fact-to-face, Yasseen is hopeful that the sort of virtual meetings that have become common during the COVID-19 pandemic can be used to overcome the obstacles to developing business relationships.

Now that Americans are able receive a visa on arrival in Iraq, Yasseen would really like to have a direct flight from Washington, DC to Baghdad. He added that the business and diplomatic interests would make this commercially viable, in addition to the increasing number of Iraqi expatriates in the United States.

Regarding the repatriation of Iraqi archives and cultural antiquities, This is one area where cooperation is going very smoothly, the ambassador noted. He complimented U.S. authorities for their help in locating and recovering smuggled artifacts and helping get them back to Iraq.

Turning to Iraqs domestic developments, Yasseen discussed the national elections scheduled for October 2021. Iraq is one of the very few countries in the region that has had elections every constitutionally-mandated period for more than 15 years and has developed expertise in electoral issues, he observed. He lamented, however, that one of the major drawbacks of the last electionthe turnout was very low. For the government to increase participation in the next elections, Yasseen continued, it needs to convince citizens that they are credible by running them professionally and bringing in impartial observers. He hopes that changes in the electoral system and candidate selection process will result in elected officials who are more responsive to their constituents.

Yasseen also discussed recent reforms undertaken by the Iraqi government, including an updated budget, devaluing the dinar, and measures to stimulate the economy as well as empower the private sector. The state shouldnt and cant find jobs for all the young people in Iraq, he argued, suggesting more focus on the private sector to reduce unemployment. The ambassador further advocated that Iraq collect more of its income from taxes on agricultural exports and less from oil. He is optimistic that efforts to open Iraq to its Arab neighbors will unlock markets for Iraqi products as well as attract foreign investments that will be value-adding and job-creating.

Alex Shanahan
NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV)  The girlfriend of a man who died after an apparent road rage shooting is speaking about the incident.

It happened on I-65 North between the Trinity Lane exit and I-24 split last Tuesday.

Hendersonville man dies after road rage shooting; believed the shooter had only used an airsoft gun The Metro Nashville Police Department announced a man was shot during an apparent road rage incident that occurred Tuesday afternoon on I-65 north near the Trinity Lane exit.

News4 spoke with Julia Waters who was the girlfriend of Kerry Willerton.

"I lost my best friend and a future with my boyfriend. We wanted to have a family together, Waters said.

Waters said she got a call from her boyfriend after the shooting on I-65.

"Honey, I need you to get home right away. I just got rear-ended and I think that I was shot with an airsoft gun, Waters said Willerton told her.

After getting rear-ended, Waters said her boyfriend went to confront the other driver. He told her thats when he was shot and that driver took off.

Waters said her boyfriend did not want to get treated for the injury.

"I think he just wanted to wait and see if it would go down, try to home remedy his wound. It wasn't bleeding on the outside and I guess he didn't realize all the damage it had done on the inside, Waters said.

The next day, police said Willerton was taken to the hospital after being found unresponsive. Doctors told Waters her boyfriend had a lot of internal bleeding, but never found a bullet.

He later died.

"I just lost my everyday person, Waters said.

Police said theyre now searching for a white pickup truck. Not knowing who the driver is has kept Waters at a standstill.

"I wish that guy would've considered his actions because nothing will ever be the same because of him, Waters said.

Police gave more details about the white pickup truck. They said it was possibly a Chevy with a tinted windows. It also has a winch on the front bumper and a specialty license plate that might have an American flag emblem.

Anyone with information about the white pickup truck is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.
WHITE HOUSE, TN (WSMV) - Gov. Bill Lee, state and local officials announced Tuesday that Advanex Americas would be relocating its headquarters and manufacturing operations from Cypress, CA, to White House.

The spring and component parts manufacturer will build a new facility at 514 Hester Dr., where it will invest $17 million and create 102 new jobs. Advanex products are used in everything from ballpoint pens to space stations.

Id like to thank Advanex Americas for selecting Robertson County and creating more than 100 high quality jobs for Tennesseans, Lee said in a news release. Every time a company chooses to relocate to Tennessee, it is a vote of confidence to our business climate and workforce and provides a ripple effect of opportunity for our communities.

We are very pleased that Advanex Americas chose the City of White House to relocate their facility, White House City Administrator Gerald O. Herman said in a news release. They were on a very fast timeline but the team to help make this happen was ready to respond.

We are pleased to welcome Advanex Americas to Robertson County and White House, Robertson County Mayor William Vogle said in a news release. They are a great addition to our growing advanced manufacturing sector, and we appreciate the confidence in our workforce. This project is a great start for the investment our county is making in a new business park on the I-65 corridor.

Advanex Americas is the U.S. division of Advanex Inc., a Japanese company founded in 1946 and headquartered in Tokyo that has grown into 15 group companies around the world. The company manufactures precision springs, wire form, pins, stampings, plastics and assemblies for companies in a range of sectors including automotive, aerospace, medical and agriculture.

Advanex Japan and Advanex Americas are excited to be building a facility in White House after a search that spanned two years and several states, Advanex Americas President Kenichi Ogaki said in a news release. We chose Tennessee because of the welcoming business climate and the tremendous support of TNECD and government officials who are helping us quickly and efficiently bring a facility to an undeveloped site that will suit our needs and give us great accessibility to our customers. Tennessee has built a broad education system that includes developing a skilled and professional labor force that is attractive to business. We look forward to being a part of the White House community.
NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - According to federal documents, the passenger who rushed the cockpit of a Delta flight bound for Nashville last week has been named.

Passenger on flight to Nashville tried to breach cockpit; flight forced to land in Albuquerque A passenger on a Delta Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Nashville reportedly tried to breach the cockpit of the plane while in flight

According to court documents, after takeoff, 43-year-old Asiel Norton rushed the front of the aircraft and began pounding on the cockpit door yelling, "We need to land this plane!"

A flight attendant tried to get Norton back to his seat but he resisted, which resulted in the attendant trying to pin Norton to the floor of the plane. Other passengers stepped in to help the flight attendant.

Norton is charged with the federal offense of interfering with flight crew members and attendants which resulted in the plane being diverted from the intended destination of Nashville to Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Striking workers at the Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE) coffee factory in Banbury were presented with dismissal notices on June 2 for not accepting an inferior contract under its fire and rehire scheme.

The 291 workers, some of whom have worked there decades, face losing up to 12,000 a year, unsocial shift patterns, slashed overtime rates and unpaid breaks.

Management announced that all workers who didnt sign up to the new contract by May 17 will be issued with 12 weeks notice, effective from June 7. Prior to last weeks announcement, Unite the union had called just five strike days in total, two 24-hour strikes and a 72 day strike, as well as an overtime ban starting May 1.

JDE workers on the picket line on the first day of the strike (credit WSWS media)

The response of Unite to managements latest offensive was to issue a press release sanctioning just four more one-day strikes, scattered throughout the next two weeks to June 17. The first strike was held Saturday, June 5, with further stoppages due on June 10, June 13 and June 16.

Unites press release described the companys latest move as a result of a culture of corporate gangsterism. However, in the very next sentence it pledges to enter into constructive dialogue with JDE if it withdraws the dismissal notices. The union states its desire to chart a way forward that does not cause economic and social havoc to Banbury and the wider economy.

In the statement, Unite employed the services of Howard Beckettthe Corbynite running for the post of the unions general secretaryto make yet another bankrupt call for the Conservative government to pass legislation outlawing fire-and-rehire, declaring, The government has to get on the same page as voters on this and fast.

The nationalist, pro-capitalist agenda of the union bureaucracy, which is isolating the strike was laid out in a press statement released by Unite on May 26. It began, The global boss of JDE has been urged to withdraw the fire and rehire threat to the Banbury workforce and engage constructively to find a solution which wont cause social and economic havoc in the Oxfordshire town.

The employees have written an open letter to JDE Peet's chief executive officer Fabien Simon.

The letter does not represent the interests of striking workers, but of the union bureaucracy. Its intended effect is to pit Banbury workers against their tens of thousands of class brothers and sisters internationally who are employed by the same conglomerate, JDE Peets.

The letter pleads, Our colleagues in the Netherlands, for example, are not being fired and rehired. Why are you singling out British workers for this mistreatment?

Aside from a hypocritical reference to colleagues, this is a corporatist appeal to the company, presenting the interests of workers and bosses as one and the same: Weve worked hard through these frightening, tough times, helping to make your company very rich. Our reward? Youve told us to take pay cuts of up to 12,000 a year or be sacked... We ask that you meet with us. Look us in the eye and explain why your company has become so hostile after decades of positive and constructive relations.

The open letter concludes with another plea for the company to collude with the union in the tried and tested way, as the best means to enforce the necessary restructuring: Please, work with us to find a fairer way forward. Withdraw these threats, engage with us via the agreed process, and treat us and this community with the dignity we deserve.

Since the fire and rehire scheme was announced, JDE has engaged in intimidation tactics against the workers to force them to signing contracts in aggressive one-to-one interviews.

Fire and rehire is the practice of firing workers and rehiring them on a new contract, with worse terms and conditions than before. This is illegal in much of Europe, but in the UK it has become a go-to tactic for companies looking to save costs and restructure their operations during the pandemic. Since March 2020 there have been at least 23 instances of employers engaging in this practice, affecting the jobs and conditions of hundreds of thousands of workers at major companies such as British Airways, Tesco and British Gas. Others corporations and organisations that have introduced attacks through fire and rehire or are currently imposing them include Weetabix, Argos and Asda, Labour-run Tower Hamlets council in London, the privately run Mount Kelly School, St Christopher School, and Stonyhurst College.

In many instances, companies do not need to follow up on fire and rehire threats as they end up obtaining what they demandand more concessions promised down the lineby deepening their collaborating with the unions. Such was the case at British Gas, where hundreds of workers were fired with no opposition from the GMB, after other unions had already recommended their members sign a new contract. Bus workers at Go North West in Manchester, owned by the global transport conglomerate Go-Ahead, have seen their working conditions slashed as a result of a rotten agreement recommended jointly by Unite and management.

Workers at JDE and elsewhere who are fighting corporations seeking to impose similar cuts must adopt an alternative internationalist perspective, programme and leadership in opposition to the trade unions.

JDE Peets operates globally and must be opposed globally.

JDE Peets ownership is split 50/50 between JAB Holdingthe investment arm and holding company of the billionaire Reimann familyand the massive transnational food conglomerate Mondelez International. Its new CEO, Fabien Simon, became one of the highest paid executives last year, earning a signing on bonus of 10 million, which will be doubled in five years.

The attacks on the Banbury workers come despite the company increasing production by 9.1 percent and operating profits to 933 million (net profits 367 million) during the past year.

The claims of Unite that only workers at Banbury are under attack is false. As with all corporations, JDE Peets is constantly restructuring its operations, with an undermining of workers conditions in any one country setting the new benchmark for its workforce everywhere.

JDE Peets has engaged in a series of closures and cuts to its factories throughout Europe in recent years. In 2016, JDE 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.

In September 2018, JDE closed its factory in Andezeno, Italy, cutting the jobs of all 57 workers. A month later, in November 2018, JDE imposed inferior conditions on its workforce in Germany and the Netherlands after unilaterally cancelling the collective agreement in place at the time. The German unions did nothing in response but organise a series of ineffective protests.

Workers at JDE can only defend themselves by breaking from Unites corporatist straitjacket and taking the fight in their own hands by forming a rank-and-file committee. This would lay the basis not for appeals to the company, but for a class appeal directly to co-workers at JDE Peets operations in Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, the Czech Republic, Poland and across its 19,000-strong global workforce.

To unite workers in their struggles, the International Committee of the Fourth International and its affiliated Socialist Equality Parties has initiated the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RF). The Socialist Equality Party urges JDE workers to contact us today to discuss how to organise their fightback.
As more information comes to light about the Flint, Michigan water crisis settlement it is becoming clear that residents are being victimized once again and that any compensation won by residents will be less than a drop in the bucket to what is owed to those impacted by the lead contamination of the citys water which began in 2014.

Last week, Thermo Fisher Scientific, the manufacturer of the device used to test for lead in the bones of Flint residents, explicitly declared that it is unfit for use on humans in a letter sent to the primary law firm Napoli-Shkolnik. It is believed that the Napoli firm bought or rented at least two devices and has been exposing residents to radiation from the device since as early as September 2019more than a year before the settlement was given preliminary approval by US District Judge Judith Levy. Only the firms clients and those who have retained attorneys affiliated with Napoli have access to the device without charge. All other residents are charged a $500 fee.

The $641.25 million settlement is less than 1 percent of the State of Michigans $67.1 billion annual budget. The present terms of the settlement provide a feeding frenzy for the herd of lawyers involved. The compensation that will actually go to residents will be cut by more than 32 percent after the lawyers are paid, leaving the equivalent of slightly more than one-half of 1 percent of the states budget going to the victims of the water poisoning.

The situation has further angered residents and medical professionals, particularly because the terms of the settlementacknowledged by Attorney General Dana Nessel and othersclaim the bone lead test is voluntary and optional. However, subjecting adults and children to the test is the only way within the scope of the present settlement that residents can hope to get compensated for more than $1,000 per household.

Jessica

Jessica, a Flint resident whose children range from 23 years old to two-and-a-half-years-old, told the WSWS, It appears to me that a lot is going on by all the power players and that they are all in bed together. Im not sure if the Judge [Judith Levy] is a party to this or not, but they are all fighting for blood money. The judge has marginalized the great concerns of the residents.

Jessica had the bone lead test in March and explained to the WSWS, I was under the assumption, like many others, that if it wasnt safe it would not be permitted to be used in the first place. Referring to the settlement which includes the bone lead test as optional, she continued, This is another indication of the judges lack of integrity. It comes down to thisthose who are interested in the money and those who are interested in the human condition of wounded people.

Many people in Flint are well aware of the BS. Just because we are the little people doesnt mean we are stupid. Regarding the letter sent by Thermo Fisher to the Napoli-Shkolnik law firm, Jessica remarked, Again, this is BS. How is it possible that the company which sold the device to Napoli was not aware what the unit would be used for? Now that Napoli is under a microscope, you are now going to say you did not know until recently how it was being used for at least two years? This to me is highly suspect. They took the money though.

Jessicas bone test was administered at Napolis Flint law office on March 14, 2021. It was on a Sunday, the only day that slots were available for residents who were not represented by Napoli. Attorneys who did not have access to the device filed motions objecting to the lack of accessibility. As a result, Napoli opened access for Sundays only, including for those residents who were not represented by any lawyer.

Since the bone lead test, Jessica has been given the runaround trying to get her results. She has had several email exchanges. Typical is the May 19 email from Patrick Lanciotti, one of the attorneys with the Napoli law firm, which read, I understand you are looking for the results of your bone scan performed on March 14, 2021. Please send Dr. Specht a check in the amount of $500 so he can provide the report. Jessica tried paying for the scan at the time of the test, but her payment was not accepted.

Aaron Specht, PhD is the Harvard research associate who modified the device for Napoli and collects the scan data in his Boston, Massachusetts office. He is not onsite in Flint to administer the bone lead tests, nor is there any record of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for the use of the modified XRF (X-ray fluorescence) analyzer for bone scans.

I now have a gut feeling of worry about having the scan done, Jessica noted. But I had no choice. Its like playing Russian Roulette. I found out it was not safe after I pulled the trigger.

Dr. Catherine Wilkerson, a board-certified physician of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, has raised serious ethical concerns about the XRF analyzer. Between 1995 and 2000, Dr. Wilkerson worked in the emergency department at Flints Hurley Hospital and was the medical director of the urgent care division.

In their desperation to defend themselves against charges of potentially harmful and unethical misuse of the Thermo Fisher XRF device on human beings, Attorney Paul Napoli reveals what might be construed as willful ignorance of what constitutes medical research versus lawyering, Dr. Wilkerson told the WSWS.

In Thermo Fishers letter to Napoli, the company mentions there are limited occasions of support for use of the device in academic research to measure bone lead, research approved by university Institutional Review Boards. The companys letter states, as is indisputable, that the use of the device by the lawyers is neither academic research nor approved by any IRB.

Napoli apparently believes that his firm could be let off the hook for any ethical breaches by this seeming revelation. Ironically, Napoli may be so desperate that he is blind to the implications that his law firms defense might amount to claims of engaging in medical experimentation.

Bizarrely continuing in his efforts to defend the misuse of the scanning device by invoking the issue of medical experimentation, Napoli goes on in the letter to proclaim, The same IRB protocols used by these universities were utilized in Flint. Napoli should be made aware that the consents their clients were required to sign do not indicate that they are agreeing to their or their childrens bones being scanned for any medical experiment. Does Napoli fail to realize what dangerous ethical and legal territory he has embarked upon with these statements?
On May 24, Rebecca Garelli, a leading member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and educator in Arizona, accused the World Socialist Web Site of falsifying our coverage of the 2018 Arizona teachers strike. In a series of comments on a post in the Teachers Against Dying Facebook group, Garelli supported the recent banning of WSWS writer Evan Blake from the Badass Teachers Association (BATs) Facebook group, while claiming that the WSWS fabricated quotations from her and misrepresented her role in calling off the statewide strike involving over 50,000 educators and school staff.

Rebecca Garelli (Twitter photo)

In response to a growing radicalization of workers, including the formation of rank-and-file committees opposed to the Democrats and union bureaucracies, leaders of the DSA have recently initiated a campaign of physical threats and slanders against the Socialist Equality Party (SEP), to try to prevent workers from discussing WSWS articles and organizing themselves independently. Garelli sits on the Steering Committee of the DSAs Democratic Socialist Labor Commission, and her recent falsifications are connected to the DSAs broader attacks against the SEP.

Garelli is also the leading member of Arizona Educators United (AEU) and National Educators United (NEU), which were founded in 2018 as pressure groups on the unions, with the AEU playing the pivotal role of enforcing the sellout of the Arizona teachers strike by the Arizona Education Association (AEA). Three years later, Arizona educators remain woefully underpaid, were thrust into unsafe conditions during the pandemic, and now face new cuts from the state legislature, all of which have been facilitated by the AEA. Under these conditions, Garelli and the AEU seek to stifle opposition to the union bureaucracy.

Criticizing the WSWS practice of only partially identifying interviewed workers to protect them from workplace retaliation, Garelli wrote on the Teachers Against Dying thread, I know that their articles are full of lies, I dont believe these quotes are actual quotes from actual people. After several teachers came forward in the thread identifying themselves as teachers accurately interviewed by the WSWS, a group administrator told Garelli, Im willing to hear your case. What are the specific falsehoods youre referring to and can you provide evidence that they are indeed falsehoods?

Phoenix area special ed teachers interviewed by the WSWS

Garelli posted a series of now deleted screenshots where she highlighted parts of a WSWS article from the 2018 strike, circling the text and writing lie. In one of these screenshots, she alleged that the quotation of her and the AEU calling off the strike was a lie. In fact, on May 3, 2018, the day after the Arizona state legislature passed a budget that met none of the demands of striking teachers, Garelli stated, The K-12 budget was passed and signed, so that means our job is done, and we are going to return to our classes tomorrow. The video of Garelli making this comment along with other leaders of Arizona Educators United remains on the AEU Facebook page.

This was not a momentary slip of the tongue by Garelli, but a repeated political position espoused by her and other leaders of AEU, who served as the enforcers calling off the strike once the states politicians put their foot down.

Regarding another article published last December that noted the teachers union leaders support for the incoming Biden administration, Garelli objected to the statement, Other signers include Arizona Educators United (AEU) Facebook group administrator Rebecca Garelli, who along with Noah Karvelis worked with the Arizona Education Association (AEA) and the Democrats to put down the rebellion of Arizona teachers in 2018.

A review of the contrasting record of Garelli and other AEU leaders to the WSWS shows exactly what drives her attempts to slander the WSWS reporting.

Following statewide strikes in West Virginia and Oklahoma in early 2018, the Arizona strike in April-May 2018 reached new heights of popular support and worker militancy. Each of these strikes erupted at a grassroots level in states where the unions did not have a stranglehold on teachers, and in turn, each was deliberately isolated and strangled by the American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association as quickly as possible.

In the 10 years since the 2008 financial crisis, during which time Democrats and Republicans alike massively cut public education funding across the US, Arizona politicians cut $1.1 billion from education funding, creating deplorable conditions and massive teacher shortages. The legislature constantly pushed for private school vouchers and other methods of shifting money out of public education.

Arizona teachers organized outside of any union apparatus around militant demands including a 20 percent pay raise, raises for support staff, a permanent salary schedule and improvements to overall school funding. They met and coordinated through social media around the #RedforEd hashtag and on Facebook pages, including that of the AEU, whose support ballooned because they postured as being independent of the AEA.

Republican Governor Doug Ducey crafted a budget proposal with an insulting one percent raise for teachers and a mere $100 million increase in school funding. After an AEU poll of teachers across the state showed 78 percent support for a strike, they walked out against the wishes of the AEA. The initial march and rally of the six-day strike on April 26 involved upwards of 75,000 people, significantly more than the roughly 46,000 teachers in the state.

The leadership of AEU, somewhat bewildered by the mass response, coordinated with the unions to disorient and disarm the mass movement. Instead of preparing teachers for the intransigent opposition of the state legislature, which was carrying out the bipartisan state and federal policy of defunding public education, Garelli insisted that teachers could not take the initiative.

In a video post to the AEU Facebook page on April 29, Garelli stated, Every day, its going to be reactionary [sic]. Theyre going to do somethingor not do something, which means were going to do something There is no play book for this; there is no extended plan in our minds.

AEU leaders were considering calling off the strike that weekend, but a poll of site liaisons showed 93 percent supported continuing the strike. A few days later, the AEU leaders threw in the towel without even polling teachers.

On Monday, April 30, Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers and gravedigger of numerous teacher strikes, flew into Phoenix to help shut things down. In response to a question from the WSWS about teachers supporting a nationwide strike, Weingarten explicitly rejected any joint struggle, claiming that Arizona teachers were fighting for different things than teachers in New York or other parts of the country. Expressing the unions subordination to the Democratic Party, she stated, We want to make sure these walk-outs become walk-ins to the voting booth in November.

Against the AEUs policy of passivity and the unions efforts to quickly shut down the strike, the WSWS called for rank-and-file teachers to take matters into their own hands. In an article published May 1, we wrote, It is clear that both big-business parties and the unions have an extended plan, and that is to crush the resistance of teachers. This must be opposed. Teachers should take the conduct of the struggle out of the hands of the unions and the AEU and elect rank-and-file committees to reach out to every section of the working class and to teachers across the US to fight for a nationwide strike to defend public education. Such a movement must be completely independent of both big-business parties and insist that the social rights of the working class, including for high quality public education, take priority over the profit interests of the corporations and super-wealthy.

A section of the crowd at the state capitol on May 1, 2018

Later that day, in response to the legislature proposing a budget that only gave an additional $400 million in funding and meeting none of the other demands of strikers, AEU leaders issued a video statement on Facebook calling off the strike. The AEU Facebook page erupted with teachers criticizing the decision made behind their backs and AEU moderators responded by deleting critical comments.

The complete capitulation of the AEU leaders was expressed by Noah Karvelis, who said, The reality is that they have decided what they are going to do. The legislature in a partisan effort has decided they are going to pass this budget. So right now what we need to do is continue to fight, we have to fight, but the fight at the legislature right now theyve ultimately decided. We need to continue our presence there, we need to maintain voicing our concerns over this budget, but they have decided. Thats the reality of this situation right now. When the legislature put its foot down, Karvelis, Garelli and the rest of the AEU leaders meekly rolled over.

The AEU leadership quickly transitioned from striking against the governors budget to claiming they were striking to ensure the budget was passed. Facing delays on the budgets passing, on May 2 AEU leader Dylan Wegela and Garelli posted another video from the capital in which Wegela stated, We are not going to come back [to schools] until the budget is passed.

Repeated refrains from AEU leaders about continuing to fight as they shut down the strike rang hollow. They sought to divert teachers anger and desperation into the #InvestinEd project to get a proposition raising taxes to fund public schools on the November ballot. After teachers collected over 270,000 signatures for the measure, the state supreme court struck it from the 2018 ballot over frivolous wording complaints.

#InvestinEd got their proposal on the ballot two years later for the 2020 election where it narrowly passed. Before it has gone into effect, the state legislature is now proposing a budget that includes a massive $1.9 billion tax cut for the rich and would effectively overturn the ballot measure. By insisting that teachers had to call off the strike because the legislature was intransigent, Garelli and the rest of the AEU leadership told the legislature they had a free hand to attack education.

Their betrayal was further cemented during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Arizona reopened its schools with the support of the AEA and the capitulation of the AEU. In January, as head of the NEU Garelli was the lead organizer behind a stunt protest held by Demand Safe Schools, an umbrella group of pseudo-left teachers unions and organizations. Held at the peak of the winter surge of the pandemic in the US, the event sought to pressure the incoming Biden administration by issuing tweets with the slogan #BidenBeBold and imploring the Democrats to reopen schools safely.

The horrible conditions that compelled Arizona educators to strike in 2018 have only deepened amid the pandemic. The task now is to organize and unite educators, school workers and parents independently of both big business parties and the unions, as well as their pseudo-left allies like the AEU.

We call on educators across the state to organize an Arizona Educators Rank-and-File Committee, as part of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC). This global network of committees is democratically run by workers themselves and oriented towards mobilizing the entire working class in defense of workers safety and social rights, including the universal right to free, high-quality public education.
The announcement by G7 finance ministers over the weekend that they had agreed to push for a minimum 15 percent corporate tax rate as part of a bid to eliminate tax havens for major global corporations has been presented as the beginning of a new era of multilateralism and even a significant step towards social justice.

Closer examination of what was actually agreed to, and whether it can even be implemented in further negotiations going beyond the G7 group of the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada, reveals the empty character of these assertions.

Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, back centre, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, centre right, at a meeting of finance ministers from across the G7 nations at Lancaster House in London, Friday June 4, 2021. (Stefan Rousseau/Pool via AP)

The main promoter of the exaggerations was US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, anxious to advance the claims of the Biden administration that it is taking a lead role in managing the affairs of global capitalism in contrast to the America First doctrine of the Trump administration.

Yellen said the G7 finance ministers had made a significant, unprecedented commitment that provides tremendous momentum towards achieving a robust minimum global tax rate of at least 15 percent.

That global minimum tax would end the race to the bottom in corporate taxation, and ensure fairness for the middle class and working people in the US and around the world.

It would also help the global economy thrive, she added, encourage countries to educate and train their workforces and invest in research and development as well as infrastructure.

Others also waxed lyrical about the impact of a new tax regime. Frances finance minister Bruno Le Maire said the G7 countries had risen to the challenge of this historical moment. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi called the deal a historic step towards a fairer and more equitable society for our citizens.

But the figures do not support these statements. According to estimates by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which has been involved in negotiations for a uniform tax regime over the past eight years, the proposals, if implemented, could generate an additional $50-$80 billion a year in revenue, but the actual sum raised would vary significantly depending on the final agreement. And spread over a large number of countries any tax boost will not meet the claims being made for it.

Moreover, the G7 deal is only the first step in implementation. Much has still to be determined in the wider negotiations, involving 139 countries, being conducted by the OECD. The next stage will be to win the backing of the G20 group of countries, which are to meet in Venice next month.

Critics of the proposal have said the 15 percent rate is too low. The UK IPPR social justice research group told the Financial Times (FT) it would not be enough to end the race to the bottom in which countries cut their tax rates to attract global corporations.

Pointing to the wider geo-political concerns of Washington, an FT report on Monday said the tax deal was the first substantive proof of revived international co-operation since President Joe Biden brought the US back to the negotiating table.

It stated that privately some ministers had indicated the urgency for a G7 deal in order to demonstrate that rich countries still mattered, in a bid to show the world that the 21st century was not going to be dominated by rules set by China.

Notwithstanding the mutual backslapping, significant differences remain. They centre on the moves by countries to impose taxes on global corporations, in particular hi-tech firms such as Google, Facebook and Apple, on the revenues they raise in their markets.

These had been the subject of a major conflict with the US as the UK, France and Italy sought to force these companies to pay more tax on the revenue they raised even if they did not have a physical presence there.

In response to the moves for a digital tax, the Trump administration had announced a series of retaliatory tariffs against what it claimed was discrimination targeting American companies. These were suspended until the end of this year while negotiations took place.

Yellen then brought forward the proposal for the 15 percent minimum global tax and agreed that the largest global corporations with profit margins of at least 10 percent would have to allocate 20 percent of their profits to countries where they make their sales. This would overturn the previous regulation that companies were only taxed in countries where they had a physical presence.

Yellen pushed for European countries to immediately drop their new digital taxes in return for gaining tax rights under the new deal. But they have said they will abolish the taxes only when a global agreement is reached. Canadian finance minister Chrystia Freeland said after the G7 deal was announced that her government intended to go ahead with the digital tax as well.

The G7 communique did not provide a clear determination. It said: We will provide for appropriate co-ordination between the application of the international tax rules and the removal of all Digital Services Taxes, and other relevant measures, on all companies.

There are a number of barriers to cross before any final international deal is reached. Apart from securing agreement at the G20 and the international adoption of the new rules under the OECD negotiations, the definition of what constitutes the largest and most profitable global companies is still to be worked out.

There is also the question of whether countries which have tax rates below 15 percent will sign off. One of the most significant is Ireland, which has a 12.5 percent corporate tax rate and has become the headquarters for tax purposes of a number of major technology and pharmaceutical companies. The Irish government has said it wants to keep its low tax rate regime in place.

Any agreement will have to meet the needs of small and large countries, developed and developing, the Irish finance minister tweeted after the G7 deal was announced.

The biggest barrier could prove to be the US Congress. The Wall Street Journal noted that the new approach advanced by the Biden administration may run into congressional opposition where some lawmakers are wary of moving before other countries. Some proposals could require the US Senate to ratify changes to tax treaties, which would take a two-thirds vote and at least some Republican support.

And it is not even certain that the deal will result in higher levels of taxation on the most profitable companies because the proposed global tax regime of 15 percent may bring pressure for lower corporate taxes in some countries.

This was evidenced in the business reaction in Australia where the present corporate tax rate is 30 percent.

According to Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott, with a tax rate double the proposed 15 percent global minimum, Australia was severely exposed in its ability to attract global capital.

Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Wilcox said the G7 agreement was the opportunity to have a long-delayed discussion in Australia about business taxes. He claimed that a tax rate of 30 percent and other regulatory measures meant Australia had one of the very highest ratios of business income tax to GDP in the OECD.

This reaction indicates that rather than halting the race to the bottom, the deal could give it a new twist.
Opposition is growing among health workers across Australia, including mental health workers, nurses and midwives, paramedics and patient transport workers, to the continued attack by federal and state governments on jobs and wages, and dangerous levels of understaffing, worsened by the coronavirus pandemic.

The public health system has been pushed to breaking point, even before a major COVID-19 outbreak. Increased ambulance ramping and long wait times have been reported in recent months in every state and territory, with public hospital emergency departments overflowing. Reports have surfaced of wait times of over eight hours, and patients being treated in corridors due to bed shortages.

A nurse examining a patient at Royal Melbourne Hospital. Credit: Four Corners (Screenshot)

In New South Wales (NSW), sections of health workers have voted to strike in response to the Liberal-National state governments reneging on promised 2.5 percent annual pay rises, slashing them to 0.3 percent last year and 1.5 percent this year. This is effectively a pay cut, given the rising cost of living, especially surging housing and rental prices.

However, the opposition among workers is coming into conflict with the trade union apparatuses, which have shut down strikes and refused to mobilise broader support for workers, isolating struggles to different workplaces.

Late last month, the Ambulance Division Health Services Union (ADHSU) cut short a 24-hour statewide strike of at least 250 HealthShare Patient Transport Officers (PTO), without workers demands for a wage increase being met, following an order from the NSW Industrial Relations Commission (IRC). Close to 90 percent of PTOs voted to take industrial action.

PTOs, like other health workers, work long hours in difficult and dangerous conditions. During the coronavirus pandemic, PTOs have been employed to transport patients, with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases, between airports and hotel quarantine sites, and can be paid as little as $25 per hour.

This resulted in a patient transport worker contracting the virus in Sydney last year, after transporting a family of three with confirmed coronavirus from the airport to hotel quarantine.

Orders not to engage in, or threaten to engage in, any industrial action, including strikes or work bans, were served by the IRC against the ADHSU on the day of the strike. Within hours the ADHSU meekly conceded, without any consultation with the PTOs, and instructed its members to return to work. The orders remain in force until June 30.

The union has made clear that it will continue to negotiate with the government, essentially to enforce its requirements, and stated it will ensure further action across the health sector is avoided if the state treasurer agreed to come to the table with a decent and genuine pay offer.

The ADHSU said many large businesses are reporting massive growth in profits, and their executives are paying themselves eye-watering bonuses, while health workers were forced to take a pay freeze last year to repair the budget.

In reality, the trade unions enforced this real pay cut, which saved the state government an estimated $2.8 billion. Unions NSW secretary Mark Morey last year ruled out any industrial action, stating that public sector workers would continue to work because they are professional.

Over the past year, state, territory and federal governments have provided stimulus packages and low-cost central bank financed loans to big business, to the tune of over $450 billion. While the latest federal budget in May provided a further bonanza for the rich, the budget papers show public hospital spending rising by just $1 billion, or 4 percent, per year. This is far less than needed, amid the worsening global pandemic and soaring medical costs.

This transfer of wealth to the corporate elite has only been made possible by the collaboration of the trade unions in stifling workers resistance and backing the austerity demands of governments.

Expressing the mounting anger in the working class, on the same day that PTOs voted to strike, ADHSU paramedics, including on-duty paramedics, held a separate stopwork meeting, within an hour of the PTOs meeting, and also voted for industrial action.

The ADHSU has announced that on June 10, NSW paramedics will undertake a 24-hour ban on all responses except for serious emergencies. Workers are concerned that this strike will also be shut down. A paramedic told the WSWS: I was told [the ADHSU] plans to disregard IRC orders for about a day, but ultimately they will end the strike due to the fines they will receive for not following IRC orders.

The ADHSUs separation of the PTOs and paramedics meetings and industrial action is a conscious policy by the union to keep workers struggles isolated. Moreover, the ADHSU and the Australian Paramedics Association (APA) have organised different forms of industrial action for paramedics on different days.

The APA refuses to join with ADHSU paramedics, despite admitting that its members had voted almost unanimously to take action over this insulting pay offer. The APAs action will consist of refusing to report on any clinical key performance indicators (KPIs) and marking ambulance vehicles with chalk from June 7 to June 9ending one day before the ADHSU strike.

Members of both unions are outraged. Responding to the APA announcement, one paramedic said: This is pathetic. This is ridiculous that action is different for the same purpose!!

On the ADHSU Facebook page, a paramedic stated: You only have half of us with one union. Divided and conquered as usual we will be!

Other workers called for public sector workers to strike together, including teachers, health workers and transport workers. One said: IRC never has and never will support workers About time the whole of the Public Service went out. Another wrote: What needs to happen is every other public sector union to join this fight Grind the state to a halt then perhaps the issues will get noticed.

Last Thursday, over 200 nurses from Belmont Hospital and Mater Mental Health in the regional city of Newcastle went on strike for 24 hours over the pay cut as well as understaffing and unsafe conditions, while nurses at Bowral, Shoalhaven and the Blue Mountains stopped work for up to four hours.

When the IRC ordered the strike to cease, the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) posted the orders on its Facebook page but told workers to stay the course. There was confusion among workers about whether the strike was still on. One nurse from Belmont told the WSWS that some NSWNMA members had stayed home for the strike but others had not, and there was no meeting or picket held on the day.

The mounting struggles of health workers are not limited to NSW. Mental health workers across Victoria have been undertaking industrial action since last November, and in March mental health workers in Western Australia voted to strike. Health workers in South Australia, including cleaning workers and support staff, voted for industrial action in April over threats of further privatisation of health services and job cuts.

As with the federal Fair Work Act, introduced by the Rudd Labor government, state legislation bans virtually all strike action, except during bargaining periods, and governments and or industrial commissions can outlaw any action deemed not in the public interest.

Therefore, any concerted campaign to halt the assault on jobs, wages and conditions requires a turn to other sections of workers across Australia and globally. Such a turn would inevitably bring workers into direct conflict with the state and federal governments.

The unions have demonstrated their opposition to any such fight. To defend even the most basic conditions, new organisations of struggle are needed. Health workers must take matters out of the hands of the trade unions and establish independent rank-and-file committees, committed to the fight to mobilise other sections of workers everywhere.
Hundreds of Lufthansa workers protested on Wednesday, June 2, against planned worksite closures and partial shutdowns at the German airlines line maintenance operations. Lufthansa Technik GmbH, a subsidiary controlled 100 percent by Lufthansa, plans to close its worksites in Bremen, Dusseldorf, Hannover, and Leipzig, while the closure of sites in Hamburg and Frankfurt is taking place in stages. Out of a total of 1,350 jobs, 780 are at immediate risk. Around 180 workers protested in Frankfurt and about 230 in Hamburg against the airlines job-cutting plan.

Lufthansa airplane (Flickr)

The layoffs at the Lufthansa Technik sites are part of the massive restructuring plan being implemented by Lufthansa, using the coronavirus pandemic as a pretext. In reality, the planned job cuts had long been waiting in the desk drawer of airline chief executive Karsten Spohr. A Lufthansa spokesperson confirmed this with the remark, The air travel crisis of course makes it necessary to undertake changes, the necessity for which were already apparent prior to the crisis. Although Lufthansa received 9 billion last year from the German governments emergency COVID-19 bailout, the company destroyed 60,000 jobs worldwide.

The World Socialist Web Site has been warning for many months that the pandemic is not merely the product of a natural disaster. The explosive spread of the virus is the direct result of the capitalist profits before lives policy, which is aimed at sending workers into dangerous workplaces and their children back into school. At the same time, hundreds of billions of euros were pumped into the major corporations and banks in the name of coronavirus emergency bailouts.

The bill is now being paid by the working class in the form of layoffs, plant shutdowns, and attacks on workers benefits secured over decades of struggle. Lufthansa provides a prime example of this. In May 2020, its business report noted a total of 138,000 employees, while today it is officially 110,000, or 28,000 fewer. Tens of thousands of additional jobs face destruction, entire business areas will be outsourced, and collectively bargained pay rates decimated. At the companys annual shareholder meeting on May 4, the board confirmed its intention to axe a further 10,000 full-time jobs, including compulsory redundancies. The stock market backed the plan, driving up the price of Lufthansa shares.

While a job at Lufthansa guaranteed a secure, decent-paying job once upon a time, the airline now conducts blatant wage dumping. This was underscored in a recent Report Mainz segment on the closure of Lufthansa subsidiaries GermanWings and SunExpress Deutschland. Laid-off pilots and flight attendants are attempting to be rehired by the newly established company EuroWings Discover, but are either being turned away or rehired on the basis of sweeping wage cuts and part-time contracts. Almost all new hires are temporary.

Under these conditions, it is necessary for workers to take matters into their own hands. The WSWS and Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP) propose the building of rank-and-file action committees to cooperate across company and national divisions in order to lead a struggle against these attacks and for decent-paying, secure jobs for all. To this end, the International Committee of the Fourth International, to which the SGP belongs, has founded the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees. Its goal is to develop a conscious international movement of the working class.

This requires above all a break with the nationalist and essentially anti-worker orientation of the trade unions. All of the crisis contracts agreed at Lufthansa over the past year to impose layoffs, shutdowns, and wage cuts were signed by the trade unions active at the company. These include Verdi, VC (Cockpit Association), and UFO (Independent Organisation of Flight Attendants). They all agreed last year to income reductions totalling 1.3 billion, including the elimination of holiday pay and Christmas bonuses for ground crew and technical workers, and a wage freeze and cancellation of all benefits until the end of 2021.

These voluntary income reductions in the billions were described by the World Socialist Web Site as a new dimension of trade union sellouts. The trade union leaders are not workers representatives, but co-managers for the company. Verdis Christine Behele is also deputy chair of Lufthansas supervisory board. The trade unions have fully embraced the capitalist business model, placing the competitiveness of Lufthansa on the world market ahead of the interests of workers and their families.

Already on April 6, 2020, the trade unions published a declaration of loyalty to the Dear Herr Executives of German Lufthansa, in which they explicitly declared their support for all necessary measures to stabilise our company in these difficult times. The IGL (Industrial Air Traffic Union) and TGL (Technical Air Travel Union) also signed this document of utter capitulation.

The rallies held last week in Frankfurt and Hamburg are part of the trade unions strategy of stabilising the company. On the one hand, they are aimed at concealing the fact that the union leaders have long ago accepted and signed off on the job cuts and worksite shutdowns. On the other, they serve to control the mounting anger in the workforce.

Verdi, which called for the protests, claimed to be surprised by the prospect of compulsory redundancies and accused Spohr of making wrong business decisions. Verdi trade union secretary Uwe Schramm made this point in a press release from Verdi in the state of Hesse. At the same time, he stoked illusions in the German federal government, claiming that it is working at all levels during the current coronavirus crisis for the retention of Lufthansa and its jobs.

Workers must interpret this as a declaration of hostility to their interests. The reality is that the federal Grand Coalition government has nothing but contempt for the interests of workers. Its ruthless profits before lives policy has produced close to 90,000 coronavirus deaths in Germany alone. The attacks at Lufthansa are also being encouraged by the government. The government even previously urged that job cuts be imposed at an even faster pace.

The unions support this course and do everything in their power to pit workers at different plants, companies, and subcontractors against each other, and divide them. At one of the airports, Verdi is bitterly complaining about the fact that Lufthansa has outsourced the Line Maintenance division for EuroWings at its main site in Dusseldorf to an external competitor of Lufthansa Technik.

The fate of WISAG service workers at the Frankfurt airport demonstrates the consequences this will have for workers at the suppliers, service providers, and subcontractors. The service company WISAG, controlled by the Frankfurt oligarch Claus Wisser, is an expert in exploiting the pandemic for ruthless and illegitimate layoffs planned long before the crisis. At the end of last year, WISAG laid off 230 experienced workers, who had worked at the airport for 20, 30, and even 40 years, throwing them on the streets with ridiculous compensation packages of 3,000 or 4,000.

Under the slogan Today us, tomorrow you, a group of these workers took up the struggle against their layoff and organised a series of rallies and an eight-day hunger strike at Frankfurt airports Terminal 1. The WISAG workers laid a black funeral wreath in front of the Verdi headquarters because the union did nothing to protect their jobs.

Since then, it has been revealed that a second company under the WISAG Group is carrying out layoffs. At Aviation Services GmbH (ASG), 87 workers have been laid off. Those targeted are precisely the workers who have decades of experience at the airport, and they have been offered ridiculous social plans like the WISAG workers.

At ASG, the unions affiliated with the German Union Confederation (DGB) have shown that they serve the interests of the corporations and the capitalist profit system, not those of the workers. At ASG, which is responsible for cleaning the interior of aircraft, workers are part of the IG Bau union. The union authored an online letter in which it stated that it had been aware of the impending layoffs since July 2020.
Following Sundays massive repudiation of the second sellout contract negotiated by the pro-corporate United Auto Workers, 3,000 workers at the Volvo Truck North Americas New River Valley Plant in Dublin, Virginia, are back on the picket line. Inasmuch as the struggle of the Volvo truck workers has been scarcely reported on in the national media and all but ignored in the publications of the middle-class pseudo-left organizations, it is necessary to provide a concise review of the events leading up to Sundays vote.

The UAWs betrayal

Volvo workers originally went out on strike on April 17, determined to reverse the concessions that had been granted by the UAW to the Sweden-based transnational corporation over the last three contracts. Two weeks later, on April 30, the union bureaucracy announced that a settlement had been reached and ended the strike, without workers either seeing or voting on the contract.

Volvo Truck workers last month (Source: UAW 2069)

As details of the agreement, loaded with humiliating concessions, leaked out through the efforts of the Volvo Workers Rank-and-File Committee (VWRFC), a groundswell of opposition swept through the factory. On May 16, the agreement was voted down with a landslide margin of 91 percent against and only 9 percent for.

Refusing to resume the strike, the UAW entered a second round of negotiations. Within little more than a week, the union announced that it had reached a tentative agreement. Attempting to intimidate the workers, the union warned that a rejection of the contract would result in a six-month strike without any improvement in the terms of the agreement.

Despite this threat, as it became clear that the union had merely tweaked the language of the original rotten agreement, rank-and-file opposition intensified, culminating in Sundays second rejection of the unions sellout. Once again, 90 percent of workers voted against the agreement.

Unable to contain opposition, the UAW finally authorized a resumption of the strike on Monday afternoon.

The rank-and-file insurgency

The overwhelming rejection of the UAWs attempted sellout by a powerful contingent of industrial workers is the latest manifestation of an upsurge of working-class militancy, which is assuming the form of an insurgency against the UAW and other AFL-CIO affiliated unions.

In recent months, a wide range of workers have openly defied these organizations. In Alabama, over a thousand miners have been on strike against Warrior Met Coal since April 1. On April 9, they voted down a tentative five-year contract negotiated by the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) by the astonishing margin of 1,006 to 45.

Workers are seeing these organizations for what they really are: anti-labor institutions that are unions in name only, and that are run by unaccountable and affluent upper-middle class bureaucratspulling down six-figure salarieswho have nothing but contempt for the workers they represent. These unions function not as defensive organizations of the working class, but as direct and enthusiastic accomplices of the corporations in the exploitation of the working class.

The collaboration of the unions with the corporations and the state has taken its most vile form in their refusal to protect workers against the danger of infection in factories, other unsafe work locations and, especially, schools during a pandemic that has claimed 600,000 lives in the United States during the last 15 months. The teachers union, led by Randi Weingarten (whose annual salary is $500,000), has been at the forefront of the dangerous return-to-work (i.e., herd immunity) campaign.

The historical background

The significance of the rebellion of the Volvo Truck workers and growing wave of rank-and-file militancy can only be fully understood when placed in a broader historical context.

This coming August 3 will mark the fortieth anniversary of the beginning of the strike by the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO). Within just a few hours of the start of the strike, President Ronald Reagan, working with a plan of action that had been prepared by the previous administration of Democratic President Jimmy Carter, ordered an immediate return to work. He threatened the firing of controllers who did not comply with his order. The overwhelming majority of strikers defied Reagan. On August 5, the Reagan administration went ahead with the termination of 11,345 PATCO members. Leading union militants were arrested and eventually imprisoned for having gone on strike.

This historically unprecedented assault on a union and rank-and-file workers by the federal government succeeded only because the national AFL-CIO flatly refused to come to the defense of PATCO. It was widely and correctly assumed by PATCO militants that the Reagan administration had received assurances from the AFL-CIO that it would not act to prevent the destruction of PATCO.

Opposing the treachery and cowardice of the AFL-CIO, the Workers League (predecessor organization of the Socialist Equality Party) explained what was at stake in the PATCO strike. In a statement published on August 13, 1981, in the Bulletin (forerunner of the World Socialist Web Site), the Workers League stated:

The strike by 13,000 members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization is a historical turning point for the struggle of the working class in the United States and internationally.  One political conclusion above all must be drawn from the PATCO strike: far from being an aberration or exception, it reveals the real essence of class relations in the United States. The ruling class is attacking all the basic rights of workerssocial services, jobs, safety regulations, living standards, and now the right to union organizationand calling upon all the repressive powers and violence of the capitalist state to enforce these attacks. [The PATCO Strike: A Warning to the Working Class]

The Workers Leagues statement made four critical points.

First, it stressed that the violent action of the Reagan administration was aimed at implementing a fundamental restructuring of class relations in the United States, i.e., creating the best conditions for a massive increase in the exploitation of the working class and the transfer of wealth to the ruling elite. The destruction of PATCO was a signal for a general offensive by the corporations against all sections of the working class.

Second, it explained that the Reagan administrations attack on workers was aimed at reversing the global economic decline of the United States and weakening the resistance of the international working class to the geostrategic interests of American imperialism.

The attack on the PATCO membership is inseparable from Reagans policy of global counterrevolution. American capitalism can no longer keep two sets of books, politically speaking, maintaining class compromise at home while pursuing ferocious counterrevolution and establishing and supporting military and fascist dictatorships overseas.

Third, the Workers League warned that the subservience of the AFL-CIO, the UAW, the Teamsters and other labor organizations to capitalism and its two political parties drastically weakened the working class and would lead to one defeat after another.

Fourth, the defense of the working class required the building of a new revolutionary leadership, based on a socialist perspective. The Workers League warned:

The labor bureaucracy will betray, and is betraying. The struggle against these betrayals cannot be based solely on militancy, but requires a political strategy for the struggle against the government.

The analysis made by the Workers League, regarding both the national and international consequences of the betrayal and defeat of the PATCO strike, was confirmed by subsequent events. Within the United States, the destruction of PATCO was followed by a wave of strike breakingat Continental Airlines, Phelps Dodge copper mines, Hormel meat processing plants and AT Massey coal mines, to name only the most notoriousthat resulted in a devastating decline in the living standards of the American working class.

Beyond the borders of the United States, Reagans destruction of PATCO encouraged capitalist governments all over the world to escalate their attacks on the working class. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatchers brutal defeat of the miners in the 198485 strike drew its inspiration from Reagans actions.

The extreme weakening of the position of the working class in the United States provided new credibility to pro-capitalist propaganda and contributed significantly to the climate of social and political demoralization that enabled the reactionary Stalinist bureaucracies in the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and China to carry out the restoration of capitalism between 1989 and 1991.

In the decades that followed the defeats of the 1980s, strikes all but disappeared in the United States. In a country that had witnessed over the course of more than a century the most violent labor battles in the world, virtually all manifestations of class-conscious struggle disappeared.

In this process, the union bureaucracy functioned as the accomplices of the government and the corporations. It repudiated any association with class struggle, fully embraced the program of government-corporate-union collaboration, and accepted the absolute priority of profits over even the minimal defense of workers interests.

In actual practice, these organizations ceased to be unions. In 1937 Trotsky enumerated the criteria that determined the real social character of an organization that claimed to be a trade union.

The character of a workers organization such as a trade union is determined by its relation to the distribution of national income. The fact that Green [then president of the American Federation of Labor] and Company defend private property in the means of production characterizes them as bourgeois. Should these gentlemen in addition defend the income of the bourgeoisie from attacks on the part of the workers; should they conduct a struggle against strikes, against the raising of wages, against help to the unemployed; then we would have an organization of scabs, and not a trade union. [Not a Workers and Not a Bourgeois State?]

Based on the criteria enumerated by Trotskyopposing strikes, the raising of wages, and help to the unemployedthe AFL-CIO and its affiliated organizations (such as the UAW) cannot be legitimately described as trade unions.

Globalization of capitalism and the renewed upsurge of the working class

In history there is such a thing as retribution. For all the crimes committed by capitalism against the working class over the past 40 years, the ruling class, in the very process of attacking the working class and vastly enriching itself, has overseen a vast expansion and integration of the capitalist system of production. The most significant and revolutionary outcome of this processdriven by staggering advances in science and technologyis the massive growth in the global working class.

The capitalist class within the United States and internationally has been able to exploit the initial stages of this process to its advantage. The organization of production on a global scale enabled the capitalists to pit the workers of different countries against one another. Confronted with the international strategy and tactics of the employers, the existing trade unions, based on a hopelessly out-of-date nationalist perspective, were incapable of developing an effective counter-strategy. This national provincialism was an even greater factor in the impotence of the trade unions than the personal cowardice and corruption of the trade union bureaucrats.

Nevertheless, however difficult, protracted and painful the process, the American working class is coming to recognize ever more clearly that it is part of a massive global social force, consisting of billions of people. Moreover, the communications technologies that have emerged in recent decades have provided workers with access to invaluable information that enables them to see through the misinformation and outright lies of their treacherous leaders. These technologies have placed at the disposal of workers powerful new weapons in the organization and prosecution of the class struggle. They are now able to contact each other and coordinate their struggles not only beyond their local, regional and national environment. Workers can establish connections, exchange information and initiate actions on a global scale.

The Volvo workers in Dublin, Virginia, are well aware of the fact that the corporation, headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, employs almost 100,000 workers in production facilities located in 18 different countries, spanning every continent. Many of these facilities are interdependent, requiring a flow of products from one plant to another. Contrary to the claims of the bureaucracy that resistance to the corporations is hopeless, the workers realize that their potential power, if organized and deployed globally, is immense.

Therefore, the critical issue for the Volvo workers, and the working class as a whole, is that of perspective, program and leadership.

The Socialist Equality Party and the fight for rank-and-file committees

Within ever broader sections of the working class, there is a mounting disgust with, bordering on hatred of, the existing trade unions and the bureaucrats who run them. Workers know that no struggle against the corporations can succeed unless the direction of strikes and the decision-making process is taken out of the control of the self-serving bureaucratic parasites. They realize that they are compelled to wage a struggle on two fronts, against both the corporations and their bribed agents in the apparatus of the pro-corporate trade unions.

In response to the objective development of the class struggle and the growing militancy of the workers, the Socialist Equality Party has been patiently and persistently working in plants and work facilities throughout the country, among the many diverse sections of the working classfrom coal miners and autoworkers to teachers, bus drivers and clerical workersto assist workers in establishing rank-and-file committees, independent and outside of the control of the pro-corporate bureaucracy.

The Socialist Equality Party is conducting this work on the basis of an international strategy.

It is for this reason that we consider the establishment of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC), an initiative launched by the International Committee of Fourth International (ICFI), to be essential to the development of the class struggle within the United States.

The aims of the IWA-RFC were formulated precisely in a statement of the ICFI posted on the World Socialist Web Site on April 23, 2021:

The IWA-RFC will work to develop the framework for new forms of independent, democratic and militant rank-and-file organizations of workers in factories, schools and workplaces on an international scale. The working class is ready to fight. But it is shackled by reactionary bureaucratic organizations that suppress every expression of resistance. It will be a means through which workers throughout the world can share information and organize a united struggle to demand protection for workers, the shutdown of unsafe facilities and nonessential production, and other emergency measures that are necessary to stop the spread of the virus. The ICFI is initiating the formation of this alliance on a global scale, which is the only way that the pandemic can be fought. The International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees, with the political assistance of the Fourth International and the Socialist Equality Parties, will strive to unify workers in a common worldwide struggle, opposing every effort by capitalist governments and the reactionary proponents of the innumerable forms of national, ethnic and racial chauvinism and identity politics to split up the working class into warring factions. Naturally, conditions confronting workers vary from region to region and country to country, and these may affect the choice of tactics. But it is undeniably true, in all countries, that the existing bureaucratized trade unions function as an institutionalized police force, determined to protect the corporate and financial interests of the ruling elites and their governments against growing popular resistance. New pathways for mass struggle must be created. More than 80 years ago, at a point in history when the degeneration of the existing trade union organizations was far less advanced than today, Leon Trotskythe greatest strategist of world socialist revolutionwrote that the task of the Fourth International was to create in all possible instances independent militant organizations corresponding more closely to the tasks of mass struggle against bourgeois society, not flinching even in the face of a direct break with the conservative apparatus of the trade unions. The development of these committees will inevitably attract the support of broader sections of the working class, including the youth and the unemployed.

The resurgence of working-class militancy is driven not only by conditions that workers confront within their factories and workplaces. Since the beginning of 2020, the entire working class has lived through the nightmare of the COVID-19 pandemic. They have witnessed the sickness and even deaths of family members, friends, workmates and colleagues. Workers have seen the incompetence and callousness of the US government, the refusal of elected officials of both political parties to take effective measures to prevent the spread of disease and save lives, and the grotesque accumulation of obscene levels of wealth within a small and selfish elite while ordinary working people struggle to stay healthy and survive.

Moreover, the pandemic has made them aware of the international dimensions of the crisis and that the pandemic will not be definitively and securely stopped in one country unless it is eradicated in all countries.

The American working class is not frightened of revolution. Nor is it opposed to socialism. It just needs to understand what it offers as a solution and how it can be realized. Just as World War I radicalized an earlier generation of workers and turned them to socialism, the pandemic, which has intensified the crisis of contemporary society, has convinced the working class of the need to search for new answers to the evident failure and injustice of capitalist society.

This is the essential content of the new wave of social militancy, centered in the working class, that is sweeping across the United States.
For the second time in six months, a worker at the Mar-Jac poultry plant in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, has died. The accident took place on May 31, around 11:30 p.m., and police were called to the plant. Bobby Butler, 48, was rushed to Forrest General Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Local reports revealed that the fatal accident was related to heavy machinery.

According to reports from the facility, Butler was working in what is known as the evisceration department, where the internal organs of poultry are removed, at the time of the incident. There were no witnesses of the accident, but when the injury to Butler was discovered, he was immediately rushed to the hospital. An investigation is under way, but plant officials have issued no further information, updates or statements.

Poultry workers cutting and trimming chicken (GAO)

Last year in December, Joel Velasco Toto, 33, was severely injured in the battery-charging room at the same plant. He was transferred to Forrest General and died following surgery. According to the Forrest County Coroners report published in the Hattiesburg American, Toto perished as a result of trauma to the abdominal and pelvic regions via compressed air. According to an Associated Press report, police stated that the incident involved known acquaintances, who were horse-playing with machinery in the facility when Toto was injured. Mar-Jac management shared no details on the incident.

According to a report published on the US Occupational Safety and Health Administrations (OSHAs) website, 5,333 workers died on the job in 2019, the largest annual number since 2007. This amounts to more than 100 workers killed each week, 15 every day, or 1 every 99 minutes. With tens of thousands of new COVID-19 cases daily and around 500 deaths, the Biden administration, with the tacit support of the unions, is rushing to end even the most minimal measures to contain the spread of the virus. Vaccination levels in Mississippi are at some of the lowest levels nationally, with factories continuing to be major vectors of transmission.

From the early 1970s, when OSHA was established, workplace deaths in the United States saw a significant decline, from an average of 38 worker deaths a day in 1970 to 15 in 2019. Prior to the pandemic, worker injuries and illnesses had also fallen, from nearly 11 incidents per 100 workers in 1972 to around 3 per 100 in 2019.

This has been sharply reversed in 2020. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March last year, more than 50,000 workers in the US meatpacking industry have tested positive for COVID-19, and more than 250 workers have died from the disease. The state of Mississippi has seen nearly 320,000 reported cases of COVID-19 and 7,325 deaths. Hattiesburg, located in Forrest County, accounts for 7,791 and 153 of the states cases and deaths, respectively.

Mar-Jac, founded in 1954 by brothers Marvin and Jack McKibbon, employs 750 people and has an annual revenue of $300 million. The average worker, according to Zippia.com, is paid $28,285 annually, while production supervisors, foremen, human resources supervisors, and lead persons are earning an annual salary between $60,000 and $70,000. A worker with the title Poultry Husbandry Worker at Mar-Jac Poultry earns an average salary of $17,203 per year, a poverty-level amount on which it is impossible to live.

Internationally, impoverished workers are being forced to brave the pandemic, risking not only their lives, but also the lives of their family members, neighbors, and co-workers, to labor for starvation wages. In March, 1,850 low-wage workers at the Olymels Red Deer pork processing facility in Canada were forced to return to work, despite 515 workers having been infected last November when a major outbreak occurred at the plant. Last year in May, less than two months after the pandemic was officially declared, two slaughterhouses in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia saw 264 of 1,200 workers, or 22 percent, many subcontracted from eastern Europe, were infected.

According to Census.gov, population estimates published July 1, 2019, show there are 45,863 people in Hattiesburg, with veterans, who account for 12,141 of the 610,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States, making up 2,181, or 4.76 percent, of the citys population. The average household earns $34,735, far below the US median household income of $68,703 reported in 2019.
Twitter has suspended the account of COVID-19 whistleblower Rebekah Jones, an act of open censorship against the Florida data scientist who first came to prominence in May 2020 when she refused to alter coronavirus case and death counts on the states coronavirus dashboard at the behest of the administration of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.

Rebekah Jones (YouTube/Rebekah Jones)

Jones is one of the most forthright and well-known opponents of the homicidal policy of herd immunitydubbed social murder by the British Medical Journal (BMJ)promoted by DeSantis and former President Donald Trump. She has consistently spoken out against school reopenings and the immense dangers posed by doing so amid a pandemic that has killed more than 610,000 in the US alone and more than 3.7 million internationally.

DeSantis office has gloated over Twitters decision, calling Jones the Typhoid Mary of COVID-19 disinformation  with her defamatory conspiracy theories. Matt Dixon, one of the governors aides, called the decision long overdue.

DeSantis was joined by other publications such as Yahoo! News, which called Jones a Fraudulent COVID Whistleblower, as well as ostensibly left-wing figures such as Glenn Greenwald, who declared Jones had the stench of fraud and promoted a story from the right-wing National Review claiming that Jones used her Twitter account to scam money from her followers.

Twitters pretense for the suspension, according to Jones, is that she reportedly posted a recent article in the Miami Herald entitled What Rebekah Jones saw behind the scenes at the Florida Department of Health about 50 times. Whatever the immediate technical reason, the underlying cause is that DeSantis, Twitter and the entire political and media establishment are opposed to sharing information that show a fair and accurate record of DeSantis right-wing attacks against the whistleblower.

In particular, the Herald article in question has a host of new information about the ongoing legal battle involving Jones and the state of Florida regarding her whistleblower complaint she filed last July. At the time, DeSantis claimed she was fired for insubordination and not, as Jones put it in her complaint, being part of a misleading and politically driven narrative that ignored the data and science.

According to the Herald, however, [s]worn affidavits from DOH leaders acknowledge Jones often-denied claim that she was told to remove data from public access. Moreover, while Florida Department of Health public health officials, including Jones and a team of epidemiologists, were tasked to develop new data for a reopening plan, their data were never incorporated into the recommendations to DeSantis. Deputy Secretary of Health Shamarial Roberson denied the department made any recommendations on the reopening plan at all.

Moreover, noted the Herald, Secrecy was a policy. Staffers were told not to put anything about the pandemic response into writing. Crucial information was purposefully withheld, including data on deaths and infections at nursing homes, state prisons and schools, and Important information that had previously been made public was redacted from medical examiner accounts of COVID-19 fatalities.

The Herald continued that, DOH staffers interviewed by the Herald described a hyper-politicized communications department that often seemed to be trying to match the narrative coming from Washington.

In other words, DeSantis claim that his strategy to reopen Florida in a very measured, thoughtful and data-driven way was completely false. He either knew it was unsafe to reopen schools and workplaces or wasnt told the actual data by his advisers to give the governor a measure of plausible deniability. Either way, the DeSantis administration moved forward with policies that are the major reason there are now an estimated 37,000 deaths in Florida alone.

In contrast, Rebekah Jones has been one of the few voices of genuine science-based approaches to the dangers of the pandemic. She has consistently opposed the unsafe reopening of schools and workplaces, and used her training as a geographer and data science specialist to make Florida coronavirus data more accessible to the general public through her Florida COVID Action dashboard.

Jones and two colleagues also published an article in US News & World Report last December that was critical of school reopenings, noting at the time that at least than 1 million children had been infected with the coronavirus. Our data demonstrates that schools are not the safe havens or silos some believed they would be, and that they in fact contribute to the spread of COVID-19 in a number of ways, they wrote. In our opinion, the data suggests schools are NOT safe and DO contribute to the spread of the virusboth within schools and within their surrounding communities, the article concluded.

For her efforts, she faced a series of increasingly punitive actions by the state. Last December, the Florida Department of Health alleged that Jones hacked their messaging system and sent out a memo urging health officials to speak up before another 17,000 people are dead. You know this is wrong. You dont have to be a part of this. Be a hero. Speak out before its too late.

In response, Jones house was raided and all her electronics seized by the state. Jones recorded the home invasion and tweeted after the raid, This was Desantis. He sent the gestapo. In her recording, she can be heard crying, My husband and children are upstairs. What are you doing? They just pointed a gun at my children!

Jones has joined whistleblowers Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden, who are being persecuted for the crime of telling the working class the truth about the criminal actions of the ruling elite.
More than 20,000 health employees walked out for five hours across Sri Lanka on Thursday, including in the war-ravaged North and East, over a range of demands and in defiance of the Rajapakse governments essential services laws.

Nurses and other health workers protest at Kandy hospital (WSWS Media)

The strike, from 7 a.m. to 12 noon, involved doctors, paramedics, nurses, attendants and clerks from nine major hospitals. These included the national hospital and teaching hospitals in Colombo, as well as hospitals in Peradeniya, Kandy, Anuradhapura, Karapitiya, Rathnapura, Jaffna and Batticaloa. Health workers also participated in a national, half-hour lunch time protest demanding leave for pregnant nurses.

On Wednesday midnight, President Gotabhaya Rajapakse issued an extraordinary gazette, placing the countrys health service under the Essential Public Services Act and targeting the planned stoppage. The reactionary order also applies to workers at state distribution institutions and nine provincial councils.

A week earlier, on May 27, President Rajapakse applied the Essential Services Act to ban all industrial action in the port, petroleum, gas, railway and bus transport sectors, as well as all district level government administrative offices, state banks and insurance and customs-related services.

Nearly one million Sri Lankan workers now face the criminalisation of their legitimate and democratic right to strike or take any other industrial action.

Thursdays protest was called by the Health Employees Trade Union Unity (HETUU), a coalition of 35 health-sector unions, including the Medical Laboratory Technologists Association and the Government Nursing Officers Union (GNOU).

The HETUU called the five-hour walkout to dissipate the rising anger of health workers who are in the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Like their counterparts throughout the island, the health unions support the Sri Lankan governments determination to keep the economy open, prioritising profits over human lives.

Gampola hospital nurses and health workers demonstrate (WSWS Media)

The Government Medical Officers Association, Public Service Nurses Union and the All Ceylon Health Employees Union, which is controlled by the opposition Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), refused to participate in the strike. Some members of these unions, however, joined Thursdays industrial action. The All Ceylon Health Employees Union held a separate protest on May 29.

Striking health workers issued a series of demands including the provision of personal protective equipment and other COVID-19 safety measures, a risk allowance, meals on working days, transport during travel-restriction periods, special leave for pregnant employees and no limits on allowances paid for working on public holidays.

Confronting a massive surge of COVID-19 infections over the past two months, health workers have been involved in a range of protests and demonstrations advancing these basic demands. The government has refused to grant any of the long-pending claims.

Hundreds of overworked health employees in understaffed and under-resourced medical facilities have been infected with COVID-19 and at least four have died in recent months.

Strikes and demonstrations by health staff and other sections of the Sri Lankan working class are part of a rising wave of resistance by workers internationally to the attempts of governments and employers to impose the economic burden of the COVID-19 pandemic on them through attacks on jobs, wages, working conditions and social rights.

The HETUU claims it will organise further action after June 8, but has not provided any specific details. GNOU leader Saman Rathnapriya issued a toothless threat, declaring that if the government failed to address health workers demands the union would complain to the International Labour Organisation.

The health sector unions are maintaining a deathly silence over Colombos repressive anti-strike measures, failing to even inform their members of the implications of Rajapakses invocation of the essential services law. Other Sri Lankan trade unions, and the opposition parties, have said nothing about the use of the draconian legislation.

Protest outside Kandy hospital (WSWS Media)

Workers cannot advance their struggle for improved conditions and democratic rights without politically preparing to confront the dictatorial attacks of the government.

As yesterdays WSWS perspective explained, this means breaking from the unions and building new organisations of struggle, including independent rank-and-file action committees:

The development of the class struggle is demonstrating the objective unity of workers, irrespective of differences of nationality, ethnicity, race or gender. But this unity must be leavened by a conscious repudiation of all attempts to divide the working class. In Sri Lanka the fight to unite Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim workers means opposing the state-sponsored Sinhala first policy, as well as the efforts of the Tamil bourgeoisie, who have emerged as the most vociferous proponents of Sri Lankas subordination to Washingtons war drive against China, to inculcate Tamil nationalism. Toward this end, the International Committee of the Fourth International at its May Day online rally initiated the founding of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC).

Several health workers spoke with the WSWS, denouncing Rajapakses repressive anti-strike laws and explaining the dangerous conditions in their hospitals.

A Polonnaruwa hospital worker said: We have to deeply consider the now imposed essential service order banning strikes. This is the same law that was used against the strikers in 1980 [a reference to President J.R. Jayawardenes use of emergency laws and essential services to smash a public sector workers general strike in 1980].

Striking workers can even be imprisoned under this order so we have to organise our own strategy against this attack. The main thing is to base this strategy on the international working class. That means forming action committees in every workplace and uniting with our international allies, as proposed by Socialist Equality Party.

So far, there is not much awareness among health workers at the Polonnaruwa hospital and they have not started discussing this law. The trade unions carry on without any regard to these issues but it is we, the workers, who have to face the attacks.

A worker from Kandy general hospital explained that all staff at the facility joined the action across trade union divisions.

The trade unions call actions separately. For example, one protest was on May 29, another on June 3. All the other unions are the same. This shows that they are utterly hostile to united action and fear the government will face a dangerous situation.

Ancillary health workers in the hospital are now ready to come into struggle because of the unbearable pressure we face. We dont have safe or decent travelling facilities. Bus fares have also increased, and we are travelling in them without any social distancing.

Commenting on the governments anti-strike laws, a Jaffna Hospital nurse said: This is like dictatorial rule. It is an anti-democratic attack on the rights of the working class and we should oppose it.

The government used the coronavirus situation to impose the draconian laws against the people. If the spread of the coronavirus was to be prevented, then the government should have imposed a proper national lockdown and other health measures.

I supported the strike because these demands are very important. Im working in a ward treating coronavirus-infected patients. Ive been vaccinated but our family members havent been. Im very concerned about them and so Im now living separately.

We are working in very difficult conditions. Theres only one doctor on our ward and not many nurses. We are working long shifts without any relaxation and there are no proper facilities to treat workers. The males and females have to use the same bathrooms, toilets and dressing rooms. The authorities have not changed this situation, saying that they have no funds.
The Biden administration is this week taking US imperialisms offensive against China to new heights on three inter-related fronts, in Europe, the US Congress and Taiwan, one of the most explosive flashpoints of Washingtons increasingly aggressive moves against China.

U.S. Democratic Sen. Christopher Coons of Delaware, left, speaks near Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska and Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois during a meeting with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, second right, in Taipei, Taiwan on Sunday, June 6, 2021.

This weeks escalation is taking place against the backdrop of mounting anti-China slanders by the New York Times, the Washington Post and all the US broadcast networks, as well as President Biden, who has ordered an investigation by the intelligence agencies into the fabricated Wuhan lab allegations that China is responsible for the worsening global COVID-19 disaster.

By assigning this task to the CIA and its related agencies, it is clear that the Biden administration expects the intelligence outfits to poison public opinion against China and produce a propaganda case for punitive sanctions and military intervention against Beijing.

This weeks most prominent front is Bidens maiden trip abroad as president. He is travelling to Europe for G7, NATO and US-EU summits, the central focus of which is to attempt to strong-arm the European capitalist powers into fully aligning behind Washingtons increasingly aggressive sanctions and other economic measures against China.

The Financial Times yesterday noted that Biden spelt out this demand in February when he told the Munich Security Conference that the US, Europe and Asia had to push back against the Chinese governments economic abuses and coercion.

These are code words for systematically blocking rising Chinese capitalism, by every means, including economic sanctions and military action, from ever challenging the global supremacy secured by the US ruling class through victory in World War II.

According to the Financial Times, Biden had already lined up the governments of Japan, South Korea and Australia, but now faced his most delicate task yettrying to coax a wary Europe to work more closely with Washington on China.

Already, the White House has prevailed upon the European powers to halt ratification by the European parliament of the EUs investment treaty with Beijing, which was signed just before Biden took office, and to impose punitive measures on China, supposedly over the treatment of Uyghurs in Chinas north-western Xinjiang province.

Biden wants the European summits to go further, including by intervening to overturn or counteract Chinas Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure projects across Eurasia, blocking Chinese technology companies and joining the US confrontation with China in the South China Sea, where the UK, France and Germany are already sending warships for military exercises.

This weeks second front is in the US Senate, where a massive anti-China bill is about to pass. The 1,445-page United States Innovation and Competition bill, co-written by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican Senator Todd Young, provides more than $200 billion to fund economic warfare directed primarily against China, but also against other US rivals in Japan and Western Europe.

Among other things, the bill opposes international bank loans to China for Belt and Road projects, withholds grant money to US colleges and universities that partner with Chinese government-funded Confucius Institutes to teach Chinese language and culture, allocates $600 million to ramp up the US military presence in the South China Sea, and prioritise the defence of Taiwan.

Taiwan is the third front. On Sunday morning, a bipartisan contingent of three US senators traveled there, ostensibly to announce the donation of COVID-19 vaccines to the island, which has experienced a large outbreak of the virus in the past month. In reality, the visit is intended to further undermine the One China policy and continue war preparations aimed at the Chinese mainland.

The three senatorsTammy Duckworth and Christopher Coons, both Democrats, and Dan Sullivan, a Republicanarrived in Taiwan aboard a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, rather than a civilian plane. They stated that Washington was donating 750,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines but did not announce when.

The trip was not a humanitarian mission. The three senators initially travelled to South Korea for meetings on Friday and Saturday with foreign ministry and defence officials to discuss the US-South Korean military alliance. The stop in Taiwan was a carefully orchestrated part of this same trip, designed to deepen Washingtons military cooperation with allies in the region, which include plans to station US missiles within striking distance of major Chinese cities.

The three senators met with President Tsai Ing-wen and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, who used the visit to once again attack Beijing and blame it for Taiwans inability to procure enough vaccines for its population. Taipei has accused Beijing of interfering in a deal between the island and Germanys BioNTech for vaccines, a charge that the Chinese government denies.

The decision to use a military plane for the trip has not gone unnoticed in Beijing. As Washington and Taipei have no formal diplomatic relations, cooperation between the US and Taiwanese militaries and governments is a challenge to the One China policy, which states that Taiwan is a Chinese territory.

The attempts to undermine this diplomatic norm began under Donald Trump and are being accelerated by the Biden administration, which even invited a Taiwanese diplomat to Bidens inauguration in January.

Following World War II, Taiwan, a Japanese colony from 18951945, was returned to China, which was then ruled by Chiang Kai-sheks Kuomintang (KMT). After being defeated in the Chinese Revolution of 1949, the KMT subsequently fled to Taiwan, where they were protected by the United States and allowed to posture as the legitimate government of all of China, even occupying one of the five permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council.

Beginning in 1971 under President Richard Nixon, the US engaged in negotiations with Beijing as part of a tactical manoeuvre aimed at undermining the Soviet Union. This led to Washingtons recognition of Beijing as the legitimate government of all of China and the cutting off formal relations with Taiwan in 1979. The switch to Beijing also allowed Washington to exploit the Chinese mainland as a source of cheap labour power as Beijing accelerated the process of restoring capitalism in the 1980s.

However, with Chinas development into the worlds second largest economy and an economic competitor to the US, Washington is attempting to use its own economic and military might to pressure Beijing and force it to accept US hegemony in the region.

While countries like the US have hoarded vaccines this year, China has offered doses to countries in the region, leading to charges of vaccine diplomacy from Washington and Tokyo. Beijing has offered its own vaccine to Taipei, which rejected it.

The actions of US imperialism are clearly risking the outbreak of a major war with China that would ultimately engulf the entire globe. Biden is stepping up US efforts, begun under Obama and intensified under Trump, to undermine Beijing to offset its own relative economic decline.

The Biden White House is also seeking to deflect internal class tensions outward, particularly over the ruling elites catastrophic handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, with every response driven by the profit concerns of big business, at the expense of nearly 600,000 lives, even by the official statistics.
On May 24th, University of California (UC) student researchers submitted more than 10,000 signed authorization cards from all ten UC campuses and the UC-operated Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to the states Public Employee Relations Board in order to establish Student Researchers United-United Auto Workers (UAW). If approved, the union will represent more than 17,000 higher education workers across the University of California campuses and LBNL.

UC researchers submit their union cards to the California Public Employee Relations Board. (Facebook/SRU UAW)

Graduate students, like workers in other industries, face increasingly desperate conditions. Colleges and universities across the country have cut a total of 650,000 jobs since February 2020, a 13 percent reduction of all higher education workers. Graduate workers, teaching assistants and research assistants have also come under fierce attack.

Like many educators in California, UC graduate students face stagnating wages and soaring rents, struggling to make ends meet in one of the most expensive states in the country. In many cases, the average monthly pay of student workers is less than the average price of a one-bedroom rental unit in the area. A report by Center for the Transformation of Schools at UCLA revealed that 1 in 20 UC students experience homelessness.

Amid rising housing and food costs, the cost of living is increasing rapidly. At UC San Diego, housing costs for incoming graduate students are expected to increase by between 35 to 85 percent.

Like countless other universities across the nation, UC is aggressively pushing for a full reopening plan for the 2021 fall quarter despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, endangering students, staff and faculty.

There is no doubt that under such conditions, the student workers in the UC system cast their vote in favor of the unionization effort under the impression that the UAWwith all of its vast financial resources and hundreds of thousands of memberswill be an ally in their fight for better living conditions.

In reality, assuming the union drive is ratified by the state government, student researchers will find themselves conducting a fight on two fronts, against both the university administration and the UAW.

UAW is not a union in the traditional sense but a cheap labor contractor and industrial police force, whose institutional interests are inextricably hostile to the workers it claims to represent. It has collaborated for decades with the auto companies in enforcing plant closures and wage cuts, while integrating itself financially with the auto companies through its control of corporate stock, and participation in joint labor-management committees.

The UAW controls more than $1.2 billion in assets, including a nearly $800 million strike fund which it uses as a slush fund for the bureaucracy, hundreds of whom earn earn 6-figure salaries. Top union officials supplement their incomes with direct corporate bribes of the type revealed in the recent federal corruption probe which brought down more than a dozen UAW officials, including Dennis Williams and Gary Jones, the last two presidents of the union.

In recent years, the UAW has sought to offset the decline in its dues base among autoworkers by expanding into graduate students. The union now has more than 50,000 members in the UC system alone, more than its total remaining membership at General Motors, a tenth of what it was in the 1970s.

The role of the UAW among graduate students has been the same as among autoworkers. In 2019 and 2020, the UAW intervened to put an end to a four month wildcat strike of thousands of UC graduate student instructors, which including many nonunion workers including graduate researchers. The union shut down the strike by dangling the prospect of an officially sanctioned unfair labor practices strike but ultimately refused to even call a strike vote.

The UAW played a similar duplicitous role this year in strikes at Columbia University and New York University (NYU) in Manhattan. At Columbia University, 3,000 graduate student-workers went on strike early this year, for over a month fighting for decent pay, health care, job projections, and other benefits. At every turn the UAW worked in collaboration with members of the bargaining committee to sell out their struggle, trying to ram through a sellout contract which was soundly voted down. In response, the UAW unilaterally declared a pause to the strike, effectively ending it without a vote.

Meanwhile, the UAW deliberately delayed a strike vote at NYU while it tried to shut down the strike at Columbia. In the beginning of May, the UAW shut down the strike right before the final grading period, when it would have been most effective, and rammed through a contract which not only failed to provide living wages for the student workers, but also gave more power to the university administration, allowing them to offset wage increase through job cuts.

The experience of the UAW is the same in all of the official unions. Based on America First nationalism and support for capitalism, the unions long ago became transformed from defense organizations of the working class into instruments for the suppression of the working class. Over the past year, amidst mass death and social misery produced by the ruling class response to the pandemic, the UAW and the other AFL-CIO unions have done everything to keep workers on the job, making them jointly responsible for mass infections and deaths in the workplace.

Workers all around the world are looking for a way to fight back. To wage a successful struggle, however, new organizations are needed to fight against not only the company but the betrayals of the unions.

Even as the petition is being considered by the state of California, over 3,000 workers at Volvo Truck are in an open rebellion against the UAWs attempt to enforce a sellout contract at the companys New River Valley plant in Virginia, voting overwhelmingly against a sellout contract brought by the union. The UAW has been compelled to resume a strike which it had abruptly halted early last month.

The leading role in this rebellion has been played by the Volvo Workers Rank-and-File Committee, which has worked to mobilize and develop opposition to the contract and demand a resumption of the strike. But while the UAW bureaucracy intends to isolate and starve workers on the picket line into submission, the Committee is fighting to expand the struggle and unite Volvo workers with their brothers and sisters across the world in order to bring the auto giant to its knees.

UC researchers will be compelled to follow their example and form rank-and-file committees of their own. Such committees should raise demands such as a cost of living adjustment of at least $1,412 per month, as well as protections against widespread expectations of grueling working hours and the whims of research advisors.

Most importantly, such committees must connect as broadly as possible with other sections of the working class, including K-12 educators, autoworkers, and Amazon workers to fight for a socialist leadership in the working class, linking the battle for all workers social rights to a worldwide political movement.

We encourage all UC research who agree with this perspective to contact the SEP and IYSSE today.
The World Socialist Web Site invites workers and other readers to contribute to this regular feature.

Latin America

Mexican police attack student teachers protesting arrests, violence against colleagues

A June 1 protest by teacher trainees (normalistas) at the Carmen Serdan Rural Normal School in Teteles, Puebla, Mexico, was violently attacked by police with tear gas and clubs. The action was one of several mobilizations called by normalistas over the arrest and maltreatment of their colleagues at a demonstration in Chiapas on May 20. On that date, about 95 protesters were arrested.

Since then, there have been protests by normal school students and supporters in several locations around Mexico, including Mexico City and Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, one of the poorest areas in the country. The governors of both Chiapas and Puebla are members of Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors ruling Morena party.

The protesters in Teteles began a sit-in in front of the Ministry of the Interior to request a hearing to discuss their demands. Those demands include the nonreduction of the entry quota, maintenance of food rations, and improvements in infrastructure and equipment, as well as the release of all those in custody and full transparency regarding deaths, disappearances and arrests of protesters.

Instead, more than 100 officers from the Grenadier Corps attacked the protesters and arrested at least 32 of them. In Mexico City, over 20 protesters were arrested. The overwhelming majority of normalistas are women, and protesters complain of sexual assaults as part of the overall violence directed against them.

Mexican distance-learning teachers protest for completion of agreement

At the end of a press conference given by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, teachers for Telebachillerato Comunitario, a distance-learning platform that was set up in 2018, held a demonstration in Mexico City. The teachers had come to demand that the government meet with them and deliver on the agreement the federal government had signed.

Demands included the granting of official status for their profession, which is currently not recognized by the government, and the establishment of facilities for holding their classes, which serve 10,000 students.

The teachers came from Queretaro, Hidalgo, Chiapas and Sinaloa and congregated in front of the National Palace in the citys Historic Center. They set a tire and some cardboard on fire and removed some of the barriers set up around the building.

Belizean teachers union calls off strike action opposing pay cut

The Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) released an announcement May 31 that it has suspended strike actions against the 10 percent pay cut for public service workers that was approved by the House of Representatives the week before. On June 4, the Senate finalized the pay cut, to be applied from June 1 onward.

The BNTU, Public Services Union and other state-sector unions had been holding protests and strikes against the cut since mid-April, when it was proposed by the government of Prime Minister Johnny Briceno supposedly as a means of getting the countrys fiscal house in order.

The BNTU couched its protest actions as a crusade against corruption and waste and for good governance. The government retaliated against the strike actions by deducting the pay of striking teachers.

The unions statement accepted the claims that cuts were necessary and added that the BNTU is ready and willing to meet with the government. The BNTU said that it would engage in a court battle, as well as future protests.

Jamaican taxi drivers protest rising food and fuel prices

In the early morning of June 2, taxi drivers in Hope Bay, Portland Parish, Jamaica, staged a protest against rising prices at the market as well as at the pump. The cabbies called for a rollback in gas prices and price controls on basic foods like flour, rice and chicken, which have more than doubled in price recently.

The pandemic has made times harder for the drivers, with fewer passengers hailing their services. Some taxi drivers told reporters that the minimum wage should be higher, but that fare increases would make life difficult for working people, hence the call for price controls.

United States

Hospitality workers in Baltimore, Maryland, rally against cut-off of federal pandemic aid

Laid-off hospitality workers rallied June 4 in downtown Baltimore to protest the decision of Republican Governor Larry Hogan to halt federal unemployment benefits to some 250,000 workers starting July 3. The decision will axe $300 a week in additional payments to workers laid off due to the pandemic in a broad nationwide campaign to force workers to return to unsafe conditions.

Andre Eldridge, who works at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront, told the rally he was laid off in March 2020. Last month, he was called back to work for a single day. Right now, the work is just not guaranteed. He called the slander campaign that workers receiving benefits simply dont want to work very disrespectful. Hospitality commerce has hardly revived, and business travel will never recover its pre-pandemic level.

Unite Here Local 7 sponsored the demonstration and invited Democratic party officials to address the rally, seeking to channel anger against the Republicans at a time when the Biden administration is pressing ahead to reopen the economy while abandoning any worker protections against the pandemic. Democratic members of the Maryland General Assembly have done nothing more than voice verbal opposition to the cutoff of the supplement to this point.

Parents and teachers supporters march to support Kennebunk, Maine, teachers in contract negotiations

Residents of the community of Kennebunk, Maine, staged a rally June 4 to back teachers as their union and the RSU 21 school board negotiate a new three-year contract before the old agreement expires this coming August. The contract being negotiated by the Kennebunkport Education Association covers teachers as well as nurses and instructional personnel.

Alysson Homa, a parent, told News Center Maine, Theyre heroeslike they got us through that year. The way they were able to pivot the last minute as everything changed literally every day and they showed up every day and made sure that our kids had the most positive experience that they could.

The school board has warned that its contract must be tailored to a cost that is financially responsible to the taxpayers. The board has designated teachers health care as a concern, citing its $6 million annual cost.

Canada

Zinc miners strike in British Columbia

Three hundred and twelve miners at the Nyrstar Myra Falls zinc, lead and copper mine near Campbell River on Vancouver Island are in the first week of a strike to reverse concessions surrendered in two previous contracts. The workers, members of Unifor, are demanding restoration of wage concessions given to Nyrstar when the company negotiated a closure agreement in 2014 that saw operations temporarily shut down the following year.

The town of Campbell River had been decimated by the global economic collapse of 2009 and soon saw mines, logging concerns and the large pulp and paper mill shut down with ensuing closures of many small businesses in the area.

With ore prices slowly recovering, a new three-year contract negotiated in 2017 saw Nyrstar and Unifor agree to further wage cuts in order to supposedly make the mine more attractive to prospective buyers. However, after the cuts were rammed through, Nyrstar announced that now, having secured such favourable terms, they would keep the mine and ramp up production themselves.

When that contract expired in 2020, new negotiations stalemated and the Myra Falls miners continued to labour under the terms of the 2017 deal. But later that year, Trafigura Mining Groupa significant player in the ore marketacquired the Myra Falls operation. A global corporation with extensive interests in Cuba, Jamaica, Europe and South America, Trafigura management has refused to address worker demands to restore their previous wage levels after years of austerity.
During his nearly two years as US Attorney General, William Barr did unprecedented damage to the Justice Department. He misled the public (about former special counsel Robert Mueller's report, among other things), he abused the department's power to protect former President Donald Trump and his political allies (including former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and Trump confidante Roger Stone) and he eagerly parroted Trump's most dangerous political talking points (on the purported risk of massive voter fraud, for example).

But to anyone hoping that Barr's replacement, Merrick Garland, will methodically undo the deep structural harm done by his predecessor: don't hold your breath. Garland plainly hopes to restore the Justice Department to its rightful station as a unique bulwark of independence in our government. But he has been too timid in his approach so far, and he seemingly has no plans to become the anti-Barr.

During his first three months in office, Garland already has had several opportunities to reverse the specific actions and miscalculations of his predecessor. Yet, each time, Garland has declined to directly undo Barr's machinations, and has opted instead to take a conservative (lower-case "c") middle path reflecting his own institutionalist approach to managing the department.

Most recently, Garland's Justice Department declined to reverse course on one of the most egregious abuses of the department under Barr: its attempt to take on the legal defense of Trump in a defamation suit filed by magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll.

In November 2019, Carroll alleged that Trump falsely accused her of being a liar after she publicly claimed that Trump had raped her in the mid-1990s. In September 2020, after a state judge denied Trump's motion to dismiss, the White House requested that Justice Department take over Trump's legal defense in the Carroll case, and Barr agreed.

As Carroll herself succinctly tweeted, "TRUMP HURLS BILL BARR AT ME." Barr's Justice Department justified its bizarre intervention by concluding, somehow, that when Trump allegedly defamed Carroll by calling her a liar, he "was acting within the scope of his office or employment at the time of the incident out of which the claim arose."

A federal judge firmly rejected Barr's tortured rationale, holding that "while commenting on the operation of government is part of the regular business of the United States, commenting on sexual assault allegations unrelated to the operation of government is not."

Barr's Justice Department then filed an appeal. Garland now has taken up that appeal, expressly attempting to distance the department from Trump's alleged misconduct toward Carroll but adhering to the legal position previously taken under Barr (and rejected by the district court judge).

Garland's appeal is the latest in a string of decisions that make clear he does not intend to categorically reverse Barr's actions. In May, for example, Judge Amy Berman Jackson, a federal judge, pointedly ruled that Barr was "disingenuous" in his public summary of the Mueller report -- nothing new there, as Mueller himself and another federal judge (this one Republican-appointed) already had lambasted Barr for his dishonest public statements about Mueller's work.

Jackson also found that department's description of an internal legal memo that Barr purportedly consulted in concluding that Trump had not committed obstruction of justice included "incomplete explanations" intended to "obfuscate the true purpose of the memorandum."

Garland could have let Jackson's ruling stand and produced the disputed internal memo to the public.

Instead, the Justice Department under Garland -- apparently seeking to preserve the secrecy of its internal deliberations -- chose to appeal part of Jackson's ruling. In so doing, Garland bypassed an opportunity to draw a sharp line of distinction with Barr and to make clear that he will have no part in defending the prior attorney general's "disingenuous" representations intended to "obfuscate."

While we can't know everything happening behind closed doors at the Justice Department, we have seen no public indication that Garland intends to revisit other abuses that marked Barr's tenure. Barr's Justice Department turned a blind eye and declined even to open a criminal investigation into potential criminality by Trump, former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani and others relating to the Ukraine scandal that resulted in Trump's first impeachment.

There is nothing to indicate Garland has picked up the mantle. Nor is there any public indication that Garland has sought to reconsider or update the longstanding, much-maligned Justice Department policy against indicting a sitting president. Garland has also offered no public sign that he will revisit the shaky ethics determination that permitted Barr not to recuse himself from the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, even though Barr already had opined that Mueller's theory on obstruction of justice was "fatally misconceived."

One of Garland's most consequential decisions lies ahead: what to do about Mueller's findings regarding Trump's potential obstruction of justice? On Friday, former White House counsel Don McGahn testified behind closed doors to the House Judiciary Committee. According to the Mueller report, McGahn was a key witness to one of Trump's most flagrant acts of obstruction: in June 2017, Trump instructed McGahn to fire Mueller, during the pendency of Mueller's investigation (an incident which the former president denies happened).

Months later, when the media reported on Trump's effort to dispatch Mueller, Trump allegedly called McGahn into the Oval Office and told him to deny the story and to create a false document to support the denial. Trump denies telling McGahn to fire Mueller, "even though I had the legal right to do so."

The Mueller report has now largely receded in the public memory, and the chances of Trump ever facing consequences for his myriad alleged abuses of power are dwindling. It will fall to Garland to decide whether the Justice Department meaningfully considers criminal obstruction of justice charges. All of Trump's potentially obstructive conduct laid out in detail in the Mueller report -- and the McGahn incident is just one among many -- is still within the five-year statute of limitations. An obstruction charge, or any charge, against a former president undoubtedly would be enormously difficult and controversial; but then, prosecutors don't do the job to take the easiest way out.

When he took office, Garland plainly understood the daunting nature of the rehabilitation job that awaited him. In his opening statement at his February 2021 confirmation hearing, Garland pointedly (and correctly) noted that "[t]he president nominates the attorney general to be the lawyer -- not for any individual, but for the people of the United States." Garland committed to pursue "[p]olicies that protect the independence of the department from partisan influence in law enforcement investigations."

Yet, thus far, Garland has been reticent in his pursuit of those policies. He could have gone either of two routes to get the Justice Department back on its rightful footing: affirmatively undo Barr's many abuses, or take the conventional, institutionalist middle path and hope for the best. Garland has chosen the latter approach. But that may not be enough to fix the grievous damage inflicted by his predecessor.
VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - The process to fill an empty Vigo County Council seat will soon move forward.

Councilman Don Morris and his wife, Cheryl Hart, were hit and killed by a car in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Morris was elected to the council as a Democrat to an at-large seat.

LINK | The community came together to celebrate the life of Don Morris and Cheryl Hart

We talked with the Democratic Chair, Joe Etling. He told us, under law, the clerk will initiate the process by contacting him. From there, Etling would call a caucus.

For an at-large position, every precinct committee person would vote.

"A 10-day notice has to be provided at least for the caucus. The people who wish to be candidates would file a declaration of candidacy," Etling said.

He told News 10 his thoughts, and those of the Democratic party are with the Morris and Hart families.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Vaccination numbers in the Wabash Valley have slowed down, the same with the rest of the United States.

Local health expert, Doctor Jim Turner, urges residents to get vaccinated. He says that it dramatically decreases your chances of getting Covid-19, and almost eliminates the likelihood of being hospitalized.

According to Turner, of the 103 people that have been hospitalized with Covid, since the vaccine came out, only one of them was vaccinated.

He also points to the long-lasting effects of Covid as another reason to get the vaccine. Some patients experience symptoms for weeks or months after getting rid of the virus. These patients are referred to as "long-haulers." Some of these long-term effects are fatigue, loss of taste, and more severe ones like scarring of the lungs.

"I've had patients in my practice, two of them, that have had to go on disability because of the breathing issues," says Doctor Turner.
VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - The Indiana Department of Transportation is relinquishing a stretch of US 40 in Vigo County.

It's in the western portion of the county from West Terre Haute to near the state line.

Vigo County will take over the section of the road.

The change stems from an agreement in the 90s. It said when 641 was complete, the local bodies would take over US 40.

INDOT will give the county $250,000 in the exchange.

County Highway Director, Larry Robbins, told us it would allow for improved road maintenance.

"Hopefully, it'll be a good road for us, and there won't be any issues. Some of the mall drainage issues get discovered out there, and we can take care of it with our local forces. Hopefully, we'll be able to improve some of those things," Robbins said.

The City of West Terre Haute has already taken over the stretch of 40 in the city limits.
WABASH VALLEY, Ind. (WTHI) - Thousands of Hoosiers will receive relief in a settlement with a sub-prime auto financing company.

Thirty-three states took part in a lawsuit against Santander Consumer USA Inc. The lawsuit alleged the company violated consumer protection laws.

Specifically, Santander made auto loans accessible to disadvantaged borrowers who had a high probability of default.

The total amount of the settlement is $550 million. In Indiana. more than 5,000 people will receive a $261 check.

Fifteen-hundred Indiana residents also had their loans waived or forgiven.
CORINTH, Miss. (WTVA) - United Steelworkers (USW) published a statement during the weekend in which the union addressed the lockout situation at the Mississippi Polymers plant in Corinth.

USW's full statement below:

The USW today [June 5] condemned Mississippi Polymers decision to lock out more than 100 members of USW Local 759L in its Corinth, Miss., plant.

Our members are ready and willing to keep working while we continue bargaining a fair deal, said USW District 9 Director Daniel Flippo. Its appalling that the company is willing to take this drastic step and keep workers off the job instead of working in good faith to resolve our outstanding differences.

The local has been bargaining a new contract with Mississippi Polymers. On June 4, the company refused to allow workers on the job after they voted down a proposal with unreasonable changes to their health insurance and reducing their job security. At midnight the company instituted a formal lock out.

These hard-working union members and their families deserve a contract that reflects their dedication and commitment, Flippo said. We are willing to keep working until we reach that agreement, but the company must end this illegal lock out.

Mississippi Polymers issued the following statement to WTVA on Monday:

Mississippi Polymers, Inc. (Mississippi Polymers or the Company), a family owned and operated plastic film manufacturer, today issued a formal statement in response to the United Steelworkers (USW) decision to strike at the Companys Corinth, Mississippi plant on June 4th, 2021. Mississippi Polymers also wishes to address and correct certain statements made through a United Steelworkers-issued Press Release on June 5, 2021, as well as claims and information presented on the USW website regarding this matter.

Mississippi Polymers would like to clearly state that this formal response should in no way be construed as an attempt to negotiate with the United Steelworkers through the press or social media. The Company is issuing this statement to go on the record and set right the sequence of events leading up the USW strike:

Mississippi Polymers did NOT lock out the United Steelworkers. The United Steelworkers chose to strike around 12 Noon CT on Friday, June 4, 2021.

At approximately 1 pm CT on Friday, June 4, 2021, the United Steelworkers posted a message instructing members of Local 759L to check their individual voicemail and text message to receive their picket line assignment.

The agreement with the United Steelworkers expired at midnight CT on June 4, 2021. Each member of the bargaining unit will be paid by the Company through expiration in accordance with the agreement.

Mississippi Polymers appreciates the hard work and dedication of all of our employees and sincerely hopes a fair resolution may be reached soon.
DORSEY, Miss. (WTVA) - Itawamba County investigators have provided more information about the death of a man in Dorsey.

According to Itawamba County Sheriff Chris Dickinson, deputies arrived Saturday morning at a home on Martin Luther King Road.

They found 27-year old Monterio Shumpert dead inside. It appeared he had died from a gunshot to the chest.

As for what happened, investigators say someone traveled to the house and kicked on the door.

Shumpert walked outside and met the individual.

The two exchanged gunfire. A bullet struck Shumpert and he died at the scene.

Investigators say the other individual drove away.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers of Northeast Mississippi at 1-800-773-8477 or leave an anonymous tip using the P3 Tips app.

Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 for a tip that leads to an arrest.

Previous Article - Deputies investigating after Dorsey man killed inside his own home
Charleston, WV (25301)

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Thunderstorms, some strong this evening, then skies turning partly cloudy after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..

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Thunderstorms, some strong this evening, then skies turning partly cloudy after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%.
Charleston, WV (25301)

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Locally heavy thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low near 65F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

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Locally heavy thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low near 65F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
Charleston, WV (25301)

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Locally heavy thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low near 65F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

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Locally heavy thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low near 65F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Morgantown, WV (26505)

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Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

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Thunderstorms during the evening will give way to partly cloudy skies after midnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 62F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
Clarksburg, WV (26301)

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Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds light and variable..

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Officials from China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries attend the 19th Senior Officials' Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in Chongqing, southwest China, June 7, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

CHONGQING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries agreed on Monday to work together to strive for an early agreement on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).

Attending the 19th Senior Officials' Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) held here in Chongqing, the parties agreed to resume as soon as possible the second reading of the Single Draft COC Negotiating Text and strive for the early conclusion of negotiations.

Noting that the current situation in the South China Sea is generally stable, all parties stated their belief that China and the ASEAN countries, despite the impact of the epidemic, have stayed committed to the full and effective implementation of the DOC, and to sustaining the COC process in a flexible and pragmatic manner.

All parties emphasized the significance of the comprehensive and effective implementation of the DOC, and unanimously agreed to continue deepening cooperation and to enhance mutual trust to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea.
Stuffed toy animals wrapped in aluminum foil representing migrant children separated from their families are displayed in protest on June 20, 2018, in front of the United States embassy in Guatemala City. In a report released Tuesday, June 8, 2021, the Joe Biden administration says it has identified more than 3,900 children separated at the border under former President Donald Trumps "zero-tolerance" policy on illegal crossings.
A jar to collect funds for an anti-Cheney billboard sits on a registration table at the Scott Presler event in Cheyenne on April 24, 2021.
Good Morning America

In the midst of his first foreign trip since taking office, a new ABC News/Ipsos poll finds a majority of the American public has a great deal or good amount of trust in President Joe Biden to negotiate on the country's behalf with other world leaders. A slightly larger majority (57%) say they have confidence in the president to do the right thing regarding world affairs, while about 4 in 10 (42%) do not have much or any confidence in Biden to do so, according to the poll, which was conducted by Ipsos in partnership with ABC News using Ipsos' KnowledgePanel. Compared to the level of trust and confidence in his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, at roughly the same point in his administration, Biden's marks are noteworthy and even more so when factoring in the current level of partisan division in the United States.
By Edward McAllister

DAKAR (Reuters) -Senegal could begin producing COVID-19 vaccines next year under an agreement with Belgian biotech group Univercells aimed at boosting Africa's drug-manufacturing ambitions, a source involved in funding the project told Reuters.

As wealthy countries begin to reopen after securing vaccine supplies early, African nations are still struggling to acquire shots. On a continent of 1.3 billion, only about 7 million have been fully vaccinated.

The collaboration highlights the opportunities created by a global push to channel money and technology towards production on a continent that makes only 1% of the vaccines it requires.

Univercells announced the signing of a letter of intent for collaboration with the Institut Pasteur in Senegal's capital Dakar in April. The source shared details of the proposal, which were not made public.

Under the agreement, the Institut Pasteur would use vaccine production technology developed by Univercells to supply COVID-19 vaccine shots to countries across West Africa.

The institute would initially begin packaging and distributing vaccines produced by Univercells in Belgium early next year, the source involved in securing financing for the collaboration told Reuters.

Univercells would transfer its full production line to Senegal in the second half of 2022, the source said, adding that the company would train local staff so they could eventually run the operation.

Univercells chief investment officer Kate Antrobus, when asked about the timeframe for the project, confirmed that it could send vaccine doses to Senegal early next year.

She declined to comment on the exact date for a full vaccine production line in Senegal but of the timelines referenced she said: "I do not think they are unreasonable."

Timing depends on Univercells securing regulatory approval for a vaccine production site in Belgium. Antrobus said that was expected "any day now".

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Institut Pasteur director Amadou Sall declined to comment on the timeline or size of the project but said the facility was working with donors to secure financial backing.

"There is a lot of political will, I am optimistic. But it is not about momentum, it is about creating a real opportunity," he said.

It is not clear yet what vaccine will be supplied to Senegal, but Antrobus said the site in Belgium would be able to manufacture a class of so-called viral vector COVID-19 vaccine such as those developed by Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Russia's Sputnik V and China's Cansino.

"If COVID amazingly subsides over the next year....that same capacity could be used for other viruses," Antrobus said.

Univercells also has its own COVID-19 vaccine candidate, being developed with Germany's Leukocare and Italian firm ReiThera, which has completed Phase II trials. It is seeking financing to carry out Phase III, which the Italian government said it is ready to fund.

300 MILLION DOSES NEXT YEAR

Senegal's Institut Pasteur is the only facility in Africa currently producing a vaccine - a yellow fever shot - that is pre-qualified by the World Health Organization, which requires manufacturers to meet strict international standards.

Pre-qualification allows facilities to supply to major buyers like the U.N. children's agency UNICEF.

Donors including the United States and the European Union are lining up to help fund an expansion at the institute to incorporate COVID-19 vaccines, the source involved in fundraising said.

A call by the institute for an initial $10 million in funding has been oversubscribed, the source said.

A U.K. government-funded cost analysis conducted for the Institut Pasteur, seen by the same source, said that the project would cost about $200 million, based on its aim to produce 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine by the end of next year.

Financing will depend on the institute having committed buyers. According to the cost analysis, the project would be commercially viable if it produced vaccines other than COVID-19, so it can keep functioning after the pandemic.

STRATEGIC PLAN

Africa's struggles to secure vaccine supplies exposed its vulnerability to health crises and pushed governments to find ways to boost medicine and vaccine production.

Those efforts are now gaining traction with wealthy countries.

The European Union said last month that it will invest at least 1 billion euros to build manufacturing hubs in Africa, with Senegal, South Africa, Rwanda, Morocco and Egypt among the leading candidates.

South Africa's Biovac Institute told Reuters it has been in touch with the French and German governments and pharmaceutical companies with an aim to produce 30 million COVID-19 vaccines annually.

South African company, Aspen Pharmacare, is already producing shots of the J&J vaccine locally.

The EU plan, in coordination with the African Union, aims to bolster drugs regulators in Africa, train Africans in the skills needed to expand the pharmaceuticals industry, and support businesses producing materials and components.

The plan will look at countries that "can move quickly, and which have the political capital to drag that forward," John Nkengasong, director of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said.

Africa's $1.3 billion vaccine market could rise to as high as $5.4 billion by 2030 because of population growth and the availability of new vaccines, U.S.-based consultancy McKinsey and Company said in an April report.

There is still a long way to go, experts say.

Beyond the need for financing, governments and regulators need to make it easier for technology to be transferred to Africa, and to reduce risk through public-private partnerships.

"These are really mid to long-term goals, so you're looking at one to two years minimum," said Chema Triki of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. "It's not just about COVID. Africa needs to be ready for the next pandemic."

(Additional reporting by Promit Mukherjee in Johannesburg, Wendell Roelf in Cape Town, Maggie Fick in Nairobi, Francesco Guerascio in Brussels and Nellie Peyton in DakarEditing by Joe Bavier and Jane Merriman)
Pop stars like Mabel, Ed Sheeran and Stormzy can play Liechtenstein without obtaining expensive work permits

On Friday, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced that a new frontier had been opened for British musicians who want to play live in Europe.

Thanks to "ambitious" negotiations, he said, artists and their crews can now tour without visa requirements in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

The deal comes after Brexit meant performers must obtain costly permits to play in many European countries.

But touring musicians called Dowden's announcement "tragic" and "a joke".

"Iceland's population is roughly the same as Wigan. Liechtenstein has a similar number of residents as Wilmslow," said The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess. "If it wasn't tragic it would be funny."

He added: "The Charlatans have played all over the globe for 31 years and we've had three number one albums. However, Oliver Dowden, we have never played in Iceland or Liechtenstein due to sheer expense/very small populations there and few venues or promoters. But thanks for your help."

However, the UK government pointed out that the deal with Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein - which are not part of the EU, but are in the European Economic Area - was only one part of an overall effort to reopen Europe to British musicians.

It added that the arrangement was based on the same UK offer that the EU turned down during Brexit negotiations last year.

Who actually plays in Liechtenstein?

Charlatans singer Tim Burgess (left) was among those who criticised Oliver Dowden's announcement

Of the UK's top 10 touring artists, none have played in Liechtenstein in the past decade.

Only one act - Ed Sheeran - has visited Iceland since 2011, but Norway remains a regular touring stop for most bands on the European touring circuit.

Up-and-coming stars often include Iceland in their itineraries too, with the likes of Georgia and Not3s playing the Iceland Airwaves festival in recent years.

Who plays in the visa-free areas?. Number of shows played by the UK's Top 10 touring acts over the last decade. .

We could only find evidence of a handful of British artists travelling to Liechtenstein over the last decade - with Status Quo, Welsh rock act Skindred and drummer Simon Phillips among those to have played there.

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One roadie tweeted Mr Dowden to say: "In 22 years of touring I have worked 5 gigs in Norway, 2 gigs in Iceland and *checks notes* 0 gigs in Liechtenstein."

Suede bassist Mat Osman added: "Ah yes. The classic Norway/Iceland/Liechtenstein tour. Utterly pathetic."

How artists toured elsewhere. Number of shows played by the UK's Top 10 touring acts over the last decade. .

UK Music's chief executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin was among those who welcomed the deal.

While cautioning that "we have yet to see the final details", he said: "If the UK can reach agreements to allow musicians and crew to tour these countries, it can reach similar deals with EU members."

However, the Carry on Touring Campaign said Mr Dowden's announcement "is simply not ambitious enough".

"It seems crazy that, given the UK's creative industries are such a massive success and contribute around 111.7bn to the economy, the government isn't working harder to sort this mess out," said campaign director Tim Brennan.

Tours cancelled?

Pressure has been mounting on the government to cut the red tape holding back musicians who want to tour the EU post-Brexit.

Under the terms of the deal, British bands can tour Europe for up to 90 days in a 180-day period. But shows in Portugal and Spain, for instance, will now require extra visas for paid work, while those in France and The Netherlands will not.

Transporting stage equipment and instruments across borders may also incur extra fees.

Stars including Sheeran, Sir Elton John, Nicola Benedetti, Liam Gallagher, Radiohead and Judith Weir, Master of the Queen's Music, wrote to the government demanding action on the issue in January.

A month later, a House of Commons survey of musicians who had signed a petition calling for visa-free touring found that 81% of respondents said they were now likely to stop touring Europe.

The new rules could make it harder for British bands to play at European festivals like Spain's Benicassim

Non-musical performers are affected too. The National Theatre has shelved plans to tour Europe due to uncertainty over obtaining visas, and actors including Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Julie Walters have urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to intervene.

In February, Mr Dowden laid the blame with the EU, calling the restrictions on musicians "absurd and self-defeating". The EU insisted it was the UK government that was at fault, saying ministers had rejected plans to allow journalists, performers and musicians a greater degree of freedom when working in the bloc.

Speaking to MPs in May, Mr Dowden revealed he had spoken to every EU member state since January, and that the picture now seemed "much more positive" than was first thought.

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"We want musicians and others to be able to tour easily both inside and outside the EU," a UK government spokesperson told the BBC on Tuesday.

"Short-term, temporary visits for paid performances by UK musicians are possible in at least 17 EU countries, including France, Germany and the Netherlands, without needing visas or work permits.

"We have engaged with every EU member state to clarify their rules for touring and are working closely with them and the sector to see what further support we can provide."

Further information may come to light later this week when the House of Commons digital, culture, media and sport select committee questions Brexit Minister Lord Frost about the issue.

Follow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.
MSC Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line became the latest cruise companies this week to announce planned restarts in the United States this summer.

Carnival plans to sail out of Galveston, Texas beginning July 3 on the Carnival Vista, followed by sailings on the Carnival Breeze on July 15, the company said in a statement. All guests must have their final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before boarding these cruises.

"We appreciate the progress and support for our U.S. restart from the CDC and other key federal agencies; however, the current CDC requirements for cruising with a guest base that is unvaccinated will make it very difficult to deliver the experience our guests expect, especially given the large number of families with younger children who sail with us," Christine Duffy, the president of Carnival Cruise Line, said in a statement. "As a result, our alternative is to operate our ships from the U.S. during the month of July with vaccinated guests."

MSC Cruises, which sailed the Mediterranean last summer and sailed out of Venice last weekend, will head out on Aug. 2 on the MSC Meraviglia from Miami to the Bahamas, the company shared with Travel + Leisure. The trips will include a stop on MSC's new private island.

The MSC Meraviglia in Miami

Courtesy of MSC Cruises The MSC Meraviglia in Miami

On Sept. 16, the company will add sailings from Orlando to the Bahamas and the Caribbean on the MSC Divina, including a trip to the company's private island.

Unlike several other cruise lines planning to sail in the U.S. and around the world, MSC will not require passengers to be vaccinated before boarding, the company said. Unvaccinated passengers will have to undergo "requirements such as additional testing, as well as restrictions, which will be announced at a later date."

All crew will be vaccinated.

"With our vast experience cruising in Europe since August 2020 along with our industry-leading health and safety protocol, our guests can book with confidence knowing we are well prepared for a successful restart in the U.S.," Ruben Rodriguez, the president of MSC Cruises USA, said in a statement provided to T+L.

The new cruise plans come days after Royal Caribbean announced summer sailings out of Florida and Texas, and reversed course on its vaccine policy, making the jab optional for most of its sailings.

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced Monday that it plans to resume cruising from Miami in August with fully vaccinated passengers, a plan that threatens to defy orders of Gov. Ron DeSantis and creates yet more uncertainty about one of South Floridas most important tourist draws.

The cruise lines announcement offered no indication that DeSantis has agreed to exempt cruise lines from his edict banning businesses from requiring vaccines, nor did it suggest that any sort of compromise had been reached between Norwegian and the governor.

Instead, it creates confusion about plans of cruise lines that in recent days have announced diverging strategies for resuming operations  with some planning test voyages, some requiring vaccines and some welcoming people on board with masks and social distancing.

Cruise fans and local workers are left wondering when the industry will get back on track in Florida.

The fact that the public and the businesses and workers who depend on cruises restarting are being forced to read tea leaves is problematic, said Bob Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University.

Carnival Cruise Line, meanwhile, announced that fully vaccinated voyages will take place from Galveston, Texas. Details of its plans in South Florida are still being hammered out in talks with state and federal authorities, the company said.

Royal Caribbean is taking the opposite approach  strongly encouraging but not requiring vaccinations and hinting that passengers who cannot prove they are vaccinated will face testing and other protocols. Royal Caribbean also said it is continuing to work with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and multiple state and local authorities on requirements for upcoming cruises.

Norwegians announcement signaled that it would prefer an amicable resolution to its conflict with DeSantis over requiring passenger vaccinations.

Its news release listing upcoming cruises quoted Norwegian president and CEO Frank Del Rio as praising DeSantis for publicly supporting Florida-based cruise lines in March and calling upon the CDC to create clear guidelines for cruising to resume. In March, cruise line executives were frustrated that the CDC was not telling them how vaccine availability would affect a complicated set of resumption guidelines issued last fall, before vaccines became widespread.

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We want to thank Governor DeSantis and the State of Florida for fighting in support of our industry, Del Rio was quoted as saying. His leadership helped bring the CDC to the table. We are currently in communication with his staff and legal counsel to ensure that we can offer the safest cruise experience for our passengers departing from the cruise capital of the world.

Yet, by including voyages by Miami-based Norwegian Gem, Norwegian was in effect daring DeSantis to levy fines against the cruise line or use his authority to try to stop it if a compromise is not reached, Jarvis said.

Norwegians announced sailing from Miami amounts to both sides playing a very high level game of chicken that could backfire on either one, he said.

Norwegian puts DeSantis in a spot where, to save face, he has to dig in on his position that the CDC has no authority to require proof of vaccination, Jarvis said. DeSantis, on the other hand, risks having to turn thousands of passengers away when they show up at the pier. Caught in the middle is the public and, more importantly, all the businesses and workers who depend on cruises restarting.

DeSantis office did not respond to questions about Norwegians announcement.

In April, shortly after his public show of support for the cruise lines, DeSantis and the state filed a federal lawsuit challenging the CDCs authority to prevent cruise ships from sailing from U.S. ports.

Afterward  coincidentally or not  cruise lines executives revealed that they had begun working closely with the CDC and that the CDC had simplified a number of resumption conditions they had found vague and onerous.

The biggest revision was the CDCs announcement that cruise lines could skip requirements to conduct complicated test cruises aimed at verifying effectiveness of pre-vaccine safety protocols if they certified that 95% of passengers and crew for any particular voyage are vaccinated.

That option drove a wedge between DeSantis, unyielding in his position forbidding vaccine requirements, and cruise lines eager to expedite their resumption.

The problem as it remains now for DeSantis is that a vaccinated cruise will not be possible except under any of a handful of possibilities:

DeSantis relents on his position that cruise lines cannot require customers to show proof of vaccines.

DeSantis agrees to a compromise that would exempt cruise lines from his edict barring vaccine passports while still allowing the governor to claim that his ban was not defied.

Cruise lines resume operations amid the threat of DeSantis levying fines or using his authority to stop them.

The nations two largest cruise lines  Royal Caribbean and Carnival  have so far sidestepped the conflict by opting to conduct test cruises in Florida according to the pre-vaccine safety guidelines while hoping a compromise emerges.

Royal Caribbean has said it chose not to require vaccines for upcoming Florida-based cruises aboard its Royal Caribbean International brand because those cruises are popular with families who have unvaccinated children, which would make it difficult to achieve 95% vaccination rates.

An announcement on Friday about the cruise lines upcoming sailings says passengers are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated. Passengers who are unvaccinated or unable to verify vaccination will be required to undergo testing and follow other undetermined protocols. CDC guidance for voyages without vaccine requirements require mask wearing and social distancing outside of guests staterooms.

Yet Royal Caribbeans Celebrity Cruises brand, a luxury brand popular with adults who like long voyages, has announced a fully vaccinated cruise out of Port Everglades on June 26, potentially setting up the same showdown with DeSantis as Norwegian.

Carnival announced plans to require vaccinations for voyages leaving Galveston, Texas, in July, including a planned July 3 sailing of Carnival Vista and a July 15 voyage on Carnival Breeze. Other Carnival brands are also requiring vaccines, including on ships sailing from Seattle to Alaska this summer.

Carnivals announcement on Monday included an acknowledgement that CDC protocols for unvaccinated voyages, which would be legal in Florida, would nonetheless be unappealing to customers forced to wear masks and practice social distancing throughout the ship.

Current CDC requirements for unvaccinated cruises will make it very difficult to deliver the experience our guests expect, especially given the large number of families with younger children who sail with us, the cruise line said.

The Carnival release said the company continues to work with both the State of Florida and the CDC for Carnival Horizon sailings and plans to provide an update by Friday concerning protocols specific to these sailings to all booked guests.

After a mediation effort to settle the states lawsuit against the CDC failed last week, DeSantis office continued to blast the CDCs regulations, calling them crippling, ridiculous and unlawful, and asserting that the agencys requirement that unvaccinated guests wear face masks were baseless and anti-science.

Its possible that Norwegian included its upcoming Miami-based voyage in its announcement on Monday because it felt enough progress has been made with the governors office behind the scenes, Jarvis said.

The fact that all three major cruise lines have recently mentioned ongoing talks with Florida officials could be taken as a positive sign, said Chris Gray Faust, managing editor of the consumer focused website CruiseCritic.com.

While Celebrity Edges vaccinated cruise from Port Everglades is fast approaching, Grey Faust said Norwegian has plenty of time before August to revise details of its August cruise from Miami.

It will be interesting to see where conversations go between now and then  as well as what protocols might be developed  though many cruisers are certainly craving details now, as they begin to plan upcoming sailings, she said.
Yankton, SD (57078)

Today

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

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A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
Yankton, SD (57078)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
I suppose its natural to blame someone else for our own mistakes and shortcomings, or when 
SPRINGDALE, Wash. (AP)  The former mayor of Springdale in northeastern Washington was sentenced Monday to 90 days in jail and to pay more than $15,000 in restitution for stealing public funds.

Elizabeth Calderwood, 43, pleaded guilty last month to six counts of theft and five counts of identity theft, according to court records, The Spokesman-Review reported.

Calderwood used a town credit card to transfer cash to herself, make fraudulent withdrawals of cash and to pay personal cellphone bills, among other things, according to court records.

The town's finance committee prompted an investigation after noticing irregularities in late 2019, according to court records.

Calderwood was elected mayor in 2017. While Calderwood told the Spokesman-Review last June she was a horrible record-keeper, she apologized in court Monday.

I created this huge mess for everyone  I will spend the rest of my life trying to make that right, Calderwood said.

Calderwood said her husband left her, causing her to have a breakdown and fall into addiction.

When Stevens County Superior Court Judge Patrick A. Monasmith asked what her addiction had to do with committing the crimes, Calderwood said, perpetual bad choices.

Calderwood said she has since made major life changes and is more than 400 days sober.

Her attorney Stephen Graham said she has felt the sting of public shame on this.
News

Laredo, Texas - Over a 24-hour period, U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended over 160 undocumented individuals during two separate alleged human smuggling attempts.

The first incident occurred shortly after midnight on May 28, when a tractor hauling a tanker trailer approached the checkpoint on Highway 83. During primary inspection, a Service canine alerted to the conveyance and agents referred it to secondary inspection. There, a non-intrusive scan revealed over 50 individuals inside the tanker. All were in the U.S. illegally and nationals of Mexico. The driver, a U.S. citizen, and the individuals were taken into custody by U.S Border Patrol.

The second incident occurred the next morning when a commercial tractor-trailer approached the checkpoint on Interstate 35 (I-35). During the immigration inspection, a Service canine alerted agent and the driver was referred to secondary inspection. The driver disregarded the agents directions and drove north on I-35. Agents quickly stopped the vehicle near the 31 mile-marker on I-35 and discovered over 100 individuals inside the trailer. All the individuals were in the U.S. illegally and from the countries of Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic. The driver, a U.S. citizen, along with the individuals were placed under arrest pending further investigation.

Human smugglers continue to have no regard for the safety and health of the people they exploit for profit. Laredo Sector agents focus on the agencys enduring mission priorities of countering terrorism, combatting transnational crime, securing the border, facilitating lawful trade, protecting revenue, and facilitating lawful travel.
News

Edinburgh, Texas - Over the weekend, U.S. Border Patrol agents disrupted multiple human smuggling stash houses operating in the Rio Grande Valley leading to the arrest of 173 migrants.

On Friday, May 28, 2021, Rio Grande Valley Sector (RGV) agents received information regarding a residence in La Feria, Texas, operating as a stash house. Agents requested the assistance from the Cameron County Sheriffs Office and Harlingen Police Department. A search of the residence resulted in the discovery of 11 migrants from Ecuador and Mexico.

Shortly after, RGV agents received information of another possible human smuggling stash house located in Rio Grande City, Texas. Agents responded to the residence and encountered ten people, determined to be in the United States illegally. The nationals of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador were placed under arrest without incident.

The next day, McAllen Border Patrol Station (MCS) agents received information of a possible human smuggling stash house located in Alton, Texas. Agents responded to the residence and encountered nine people, determined to be in the United States illegally. The subjects are nationals of Mexico.

Saturday afternoon, RGV agents received information of a suspected stash house in Escobares, Texas. RGV agents requested the assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers. As law enforcement officials convened on the residence, they observed several subjects absconding from the location into the nearby brush. The investigation and subsequent search led to the arrest of 57 migrants. The smuggled migrants are from Central America, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru.

Yesterday afternoon, MCS agents responded to a call for assistance from the Mission Police Department (PD). Mission PD stated they received information from a migrant who escaped from a human smuggling stash house located in Mission, Texas. Agents and officers arrived on scene and discovered 62 migrants harbored in the home. No caretaker or principal was identified at the location.

This morning, RGV agents, again received information indicating a mobile home in La Grulla, Texas, was being used to harbor migrants. Upon arrival, agents encountered 24 migrants inside the residence. The smuggled migrants are from Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras.

All subjects were taken into Border Patrol custody and will be processed accordingly.

The public is encouraged to take a stand against crime in their communities and report suspicious activity at 800-863-9382.
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - Students registered for classes at Arizona Western College this fall will receive money directly and automatically  up to $1,500  through the CA$H in Your Pocket initiative.

Students that enroll full-time and complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will receive $1500, regardless of their Expected Family ContributionBottom of Form (EFC). Students enrolled less than full-time will receive dollar amounts based on their EFC. Visit azwestern.edu/cash for more information on specific award amounts.

Even students who do not fill out a FAFSA or have an incomplete FAFSA are still eligible to receive some funds. High school students enrolled in dual or concurrent credit classes can also earn money while only paying $25 per credit.



Funds will be given on top of any financial aid award or scholarships a student may obtain. The money can be used to pay a balance on a students AWC account or for anything they need.



Funds will be distributed to students either via direct deposit or through the mail by mid-October. Students should check their Self-Service account to ensure the college has the correct bank information and mailing address.



To enroll in classes next semester, visit azwestern.edu/fall. AWCs Fall 2021 session starts on August 16, with 16-week and short-term 8-week courses. Short-term 12-week classes will also be offered starting Sept. 13, as well as short-term 8-week classes beginning Oct. 11.



Funds will also be available to students during the Spring 2022 semester, but award amounts and eligibility requirements may vary.
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents apprehended a convicted felon early this morning after he illegally entered the United States near the Imperial Sand Dunes.

At approximately 1:30 a.m., agents encountered Jose Lagos-Gomez near Interstate 8 and Ogilby Road, west of Yuma. Lagos-Gomez and another individual, both Honduran nationals, entered the country in an isolated area under the cover of darkness in an effort to avoid detection.

Photo Courtesy of U.S. Customs

and Border Protection

Both migrants were arrested and transported to the Yuma station for processing. Record checks conducted on Lagos-Gomez revealed a felony conviction for sexual assault in 2018 in Beaumont, Texas, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison.

Lagos-Gomez will be prosecuted for reentry of a convicted felon following a previous removal.
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Firefighters in Arizona are fighting to gain a foothold into a massive wildfire, one of two that has forced thousands of evacuations in rural towns and closed almost every major highway out of the area
DHHS Chief Executive Officer Dannette R. Smith echoed his sentiments.

Putting these devices in law enforcement vehicles and state parks will reach more Nebraskans in need, saving lives, she said. On behalf of the state of Nebraska, I want to thank the Helmsley Charitable Trust.

Studies conducted by the American Heart Association demonstrate a significantly higher rate of survival for cardiac patients defibrillated by law enforcement, who are generally first on the scene, especially in rural areas.

We are excited to partner with the state of Nebraska to launch this initiative, said Walter Panzirer, a Helmsley trustee. Weve seen hundreds of deployments in other states, and the data show that law enforcement are great at providing CPR. There are people alive today because of the hard work of everyone involved.

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Seconds really count during a cardiac arrest, said Tim Wilson, program firector for the DHHS Office of Emergency Health System and a licensed paramedic. This is a big state, and first responders often have great distances to cover. This funding will ensure that those who get to the scene before EMS arrives give patients a better shot at survival.
The police department and sheriffs department then assisted in order to locate the vehicle. The troopers were informed of the vehicles previous owners address and when they were contacted, they said they sold the vehicle two weeks earlier to Martin. They also advised they thought Martin lived in Geneva and they provided the VIN number for the vehicle.

The trooper went to York County Corrections to speak with Martin who told him he was the only person in the vehicle and he freaked out when he saw the troopers cruiser. Martin stated he got off of parole in early March and he said his license was suspended and thats why he fled. He agreed he was driving extremely fast on residential streets. He said he drove to (that particular house) and parked the vehicle. He said he then went to a relatives house to inform her that he was going to be going to jail. He said he also was working to inform his boss that he was going to be going to jail and while walking back to where the vehicle was, he was taken into custody by the police department.
Family members were also on the scene and apparently attempting to make contact with the mans.

"We tried to negotiate with him to get him to come out and were unsuccessful," Spencer said. "At some point, the team made entry, and they shot the person inside."

At about 5:20 p.m., people on scene reported shots were fired, and police made entry into the home. Police fired shots, and an ambulance, which had been on standby, took the man to Regional West Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.

The Nebraska State Patrol will investigate. Capt. Kurt Von Minden answered questions about the investigations team, which he said will be made up of officers from throughout the state.

"The State Patrol has activated its special investigations team, which is a team comprised of trained investigators who all share specialties which complement each other in regards to (investigating) officer-involved shootings. Those officers are on scene now, and some are continuing across the state to get on scene, where they will take over the investigation, process the scene and interview everyone concerned."
New Delhi: In a significant outcome for the LGBTQIA community, the Madras High Court on Monday (June 7, 2021) issued directions for protecting them from harassment by authorities and other major stakeholders in society.

According to the Court, society was even now grappling to come to terms with same-sex orientation.

The case pertained to a Madurai-based lesbian couple whose relationship was being opposed by their parents, following which the couple fled to Chennai to seek NGO support and sustain themselves. As their respective daughters fled their homes, the parents filed girl-missing complaints with the Police, which led to the filing of FIRs. The couple approached the Court after having faced Police interrogation at the residential premises in Chennai. They also feared for their safety and security from Police harassment and that of their parents.

In a detailed order, Justice N Anand Venkatesh outlined the sensitization programs that need to be undertaken by Police, legal authorities, judiciary, education institutions, workplaces and parents in issues pertaining to the LGBTQIA community.

Some of the significant interim guidelines issued by the Madras High Court include measures to create awareness about the community by conducting sensitization programmes by respective Governments, to eliminate prejudices against the community and channelize them into the mainstream.

According to Manuraj Sundaram, who represented the petitioners (lesbian couple), this order by the Madras High Court stands out for its unprecedented width and scope.

"Such a detailed order for the LGBTQIA+ community is unheard of from any court, including the Supreme Court of India. No high court has issued such extensive Guidelines, but of course, this development builds upon the SC judgement to annul Section 377 of the IPC," Manuraj told Zee Media.

The court said that in missing complaints pertaining to the LGBTQIA+ community (in case of consenting adults), based on statements of the involved persons, the complaint must be closed without harassing the couple. Persons belonging to the community can approach the enlisted NGOs for protecting their rights. Such a list of NGOs and their contact details must be furnished by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MSJE) on their official website and updated regularly. Such NGOs are also required to maintain data of the individuals approaching them in a confidential manner and share the records with the Ministry twice a year.

In terms of addressing the issues, the court said that it will be via counselling, monetary support, legal assistance with the support of the District Legal Services Authority, or by coordinating with law enforcement agencies about offences committed against any persons belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community.

The Court said, regarding the issue of accommodation, suitable changes are to be made in existing short stay homes, Anganwadi shelters, and 'garima greh', which is a shelter home for transgender persons, that offers basic amenities like shelter, food, medical care and recreational facilities and skill development for a dignified life.

In the advice for parents, it mentioned that they must be understanding and accepting children of diverse gender expressions, sexual orientation, gender identities and gender presentation while providing peer support for parents of such children.

The Court also called for a change in curricula of schools and universities to educate students on understanding the LGBTQIA+ community. This includes conducting outreach programs involving the community and NGOs, sensitizing parents via PTA meetings to be supportive of gender-nonconforming students.

Some additional steps include adding the third gender in application forms, change of gender and name for transgender persons, and to ensure availability of gender-neutral restrooms.

For workplaces, the Court said that suitable changes must be made in hiring policies for inclusivity, provide support in case of grievances, extend benefits such as insurance, ensure policies to prevent discrimination etc.

This is to be noted that the Madras High Court's directions come in a month that is celebrated as the 'Pride Month' every year to honour the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan.
New Delhi: Amidst massive crunch in funds owing to the onslaught of COVID-19 Pandemic, Hyatt Regency Hotel Mumbai has said that it is temporarily suspending its operations.

"This is to inform all the on-roll staff of the hotel that no funds are forthcoming from Asian Hotels (West) Ltd, the owner of Hyatt Regency Mumbai, to enable payment of salaries or to support the operations of the hotel," hotel General Manager Hardeep Marwah said in a statement.

Hyatt Regency Hotel Mumbai will remain closed until further notice, said Marwah.

One of the foremost 5 star luxury hotels in Mumbai, the Hyatt Regency Mumbai is located minutes away from the Mumbai airport. The hotel has 401 rooms, according to its website.

The COVID-19 outbreak and the containment measures introduced by the government have resulted in a severe drop in foreign and domestic travel, across both business and leisure travel segments.

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New Delhi: National Best Friends Day is celebrated each year on June 8. The day is meant to show gratitude towards the pillar of strength, who have stood by us through thick and thin, that is, your best friends. On this day, best friends especially take out time for each other and pamper one another.

However, this year due to the pandemic best friends will have to observe social distancing while celebrating the day. They can opt for virtual meet-ups and online gifting to shower their love on their best buddy.

History of National Best Friends Day

The origins of this day are unknown. But it has been celebrated in the United States of America (USA) since around 1935. The day is specifically popular among young people.

Significance of National Best Friends Day

National Best Friends Day helps you to appreciate your friends who have become family to you. These people have a special place in your heart but you might not always show your love to them. This day makes sure that at least once in a year you express your love and gratitude to your closest pals.
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday wrote a fresh letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to implement the doorstep ration delivery scheme in the national capital.

"Till date, I have supported you in all the work of national interest, you should also support us for the same. The scheme should be implemented in the whole country during the COVID times. We are ready to do whatever amendments the Central government wants to make to this scheme. I request you with folded hands on behalf of 70 lakh poor people of Delhi, Sir, please do not stop this scheme," CM Kejriwal wrote in his letter to the Prime Minister.

In his letter to the PM, Kejriwal said the scheme should be implemented across the country in view of COVID-19 otherwise ration shops will act as "super-spreaders".

Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal writes to PM Narendra Modi, urges doorstep ration delivery scheme be implemented in Delhi pic.twitter.com/ju4E87KSUs  ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2021

Kejriwal had earlier alleged that the doorstep ration delivery scheme announced by his government was unnecessarily stalled by the Centre. He alleged that the Centre was fighting with everyone, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Maharashtra, Delhi and Jharkhand governments, farmers and the people of Lakshadweep.

"People are distressed that the central government is fighting everyone. If we fight like this, how will we tackle COVID-19," the chief minister said at an online briefing. "The Delhi government legally did not require the Centre's approval for the implementation of the scheme, but it sought permission five times to avoid any dispute," Kejriwal said.

The Delhi government on Saturday had claimed the doorstep delivery of ration scheme was rejected by the Lt governor saying the Centre's approval was not sought and that litigation was pending in the high court regarding it.

The central government has said that the Delhi government's claim was "baseless" that its doorstep delivery scheme was rejected. Kejriwal said he was "deeply anguished" over the Centre's rejection of the doorstep delivery of ration scheme and wanted to directly ask the Prime Minister why it was stalled?

The AAP chief pointed out that the scheme will finish the powerful ration mafia in Delhi whom he had fought while working in Delhi's slums 17 years ago and faced attacks several times.

"If you stand with the ration mafia, who will stand with the poor people," the chief minister said, adding that the scheme was intended to benefit 72 lakh people in the national capital.

This ration mafia has strong connections which are evident now as they got the doorstep delivery scheme rejected, he said and added that the Delhi government had made all preparations and was going to launch it in a few days.

He said one reason given by the Centre for rejecting the scheme was that a case has been filed by some ration shop owners in the high court. But the court did not stay the scheme and even the central government did not raise any objection there, the chief minister said.

"Even the name of the scheme was changed after the objection of the central government and yet they are saying no approval was sought. How else do you get approval?" he questioned. The chief minister claimed that it was being said by some central government officers that the Delhi government cannot take credit for the scheme by using the ration provided by the Centre.

"I am not doing this for credit. Please allow implementation of doorstep delivery of ration scheme and I will myself tell everyone that it was done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Kejriwal said.

He claimed that this ration does not belong to the BJP or the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) but to the people of the country. "It is the responsibility of both of us that it reaches the people without theft," he stated.

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New Delhi: Agriculture must keep up with growing humanitys ever-greater needs. Agriculture may need to evolve further in order to produce food for the next generation, as we have only a few plant varieties to live on.

Here are a few crucial facts related to agriculture, which may witness pathbreaking changes in the future, according to current data gathered from market sources.

Agriculture must keep up with growing humanitys ever-greater needs. Agriculture has changed the way we live, and it may need to evolve further in order to produce food for the next generation.

Weve got only a few plants to live on. About 99% of our agricultural production depends on only 24 different domesticated crop species, sources told Zee Media.

The top 10 domesticated crops in the world, in terms of production volume, are maize, wheat, rice, potato, sugar beet, soybean, cassava, barley, sweet potato, and tomato.

Feeding Asia in the next quarter of a century will require both food and land, and in large amounts. Within the next 25 years, farmers in Asia must increase their cereal yields by 50-75%, simply to meet the demands of an increasing population.

Cropland and population are not uniformly distributed, especially in China, which holds 20-25% of the worlds population - but only 7% of the worlds productive land. To feed itself over the next 40 years, mankind will have to produce a quantity of food larger than all the food produced SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME, they said.

Without pesticides, 70% of the world's food crop would be lost. At present, even with pesticide use, 42% of our planted crops are destroyed by insects and pathogenic fungi.

Fertilisers can increase yields of food crops from 1.5- to 2-fold. Without fertilisers, farmers would need an extra 400-600 million hectares (988-1,482 million acres) of cropland to make up for their losses.

Moreover, without fertiliser technology, current food production would only have been achieved by plowing up an extra 2,000 million hectares (4,942 million acres), they added.

Notably, the current data has been gathered from market sources.
The World Bank on Tuesday projected India's economy to grow at 8.3 per cent in 2021 and 7.5 per cent in 2022, even as its recovery is being hampered by an unprecedented second wave of the COVID-19, the largest outbreak in the world since the beginning of the deadly pandemic.

The Washington-based global lender, in its latest issue of Global Economic Prospects released here, noted that in India, an enormous second COVID-19 wave is undermining the sharper-than-expected rebound in activity seen during the second half of Fiscal Year 2020/21, especially in services.

"India's recovery is being hampered by the largest outbreak of any country since the beginning of the pandemic," the World Bank said.

In 2020, India's economy is estimated to have contracted by 7.3 per cent while in 2019, it registered a growth rate of four per cent, the World Bank said, adding that in 2023, India is expected to grow at 6.5 per cent.

In its report, the Bank said that the global economy is set to expand by 5.6 per cent in 2021 - its strongest post-recession pace in 80 years.

"For India, GDP in fiscal year 2021/22 starting from April 2021 is expected to expand 8.3 per cent," it said.

Activity will benefit from policy support, including higher spending on infrastructure, rural development, and health, and a stronger-than expected recovery in services and manufacturing, it said.

Although the forecast has been revised up by 2.9 percentage points, it marks significant expected economic damage from an enormous second COVID-19 wave and localised mobility restrictions since March 2021, the report said.

Activity is expected to follow the same, yet less pronounced, collapse and recovery seen during the first wave, it said.

"The pandemic will undermine consumption and investment as confidence remains depressed and balance sheets damaged. Growth in FY 2022/23 is expected to slow to 7.5 per cent, reflecting lingering impacts of COVID-19 on household, corporate and bank balance sheets; possibly low levels of consumer confidence; and heightened uncertainty on job and income prospects,? it said.

According to the World Bank, in India, the FY 2021/22 budget marked a significant policy shift.

The government announced that the health-related spending would more than double and set out a revised medium-term fiscal path intended to address the economic legacy of the pandemic.

Following deteriorating pandemic-related developments, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced further measures to support liquidity provision to micro, small and medium firms, and loosened regulatory requirements on the provisioning for non-performing loans.

"In India, fiscal policy shifted in the FY 2021/22 budget toward higher expenditure targeted at healthcare and infrastructure to boost the post-pandemic recovery. The renewed outbreak, however, may require further targeted policy support to address the health and economic costs," it added.

On March 31, the World Bank said India's economy has bounced back amazingly from the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown over the last one year, but it is not out of the woods yet.

It had predicted that the country's real GDP growth for fiscal year 21/22 could range from 7.5 to 12.5 per cent in its latest South Asia Economic Focus report released ahead of the annual Spring meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In April and May, India struggled with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new cases. Hospitals were reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds.

In mid-May, new coronavirus cases in India hit a record daily high with 4,12,262 new infections.

On Tuesday, India reported less than one lakh new coronavirus infections after a gap of 63 days, while the daily positivity rate dropped to 4.62 per cent.

A single day rise of 86,498 cases were registered, the lowest in 66 days, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 2,89,96,473.

The COVID-19 death toll climbed to 3,51,309 with 2,123 daily deaths, the lowest in 47 days

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Kanpur: At least 16 people were killed and six injured in a road accident in the Sachendi area of this Uttar Pradesh district late on Tuesday (June 8) evening, police said. Two among the injured are said to be critical, they added.

Kanpur Outer's Superintendent of Police (SP) Ashtbhuja Prasad Singh told PTI that a speeding bus hit a loader, which fell on the other side of the highway, while the bus also overturned and fell into a ditch. The collision was so strong that almost all passengers of the bus got trapped and sustained serious injuries, the SP said.

GSVM college principal RB Kamal told PTI over the phone that at least 16 people were killed, while five were admitted at the Lala Lajpat Rai (LLR) hospital with serious injuries.

PM Modi, UP CM Yogi Adityanath announce ex-gratia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief at the loss of lives in a road accident in Kanpur and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for the next of kin the deceased. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said Rs 50,000 each would be provided to those injured in the accident. Modi expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath too announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and ordered an inquiry into the accident.

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Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday (June 8) wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking intervention to incorporate the creation of basic infrastructure in greenfield colonies as part of assistance given to state governments under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Andhra CM mentioned that the Central government in past 7 years has sanctioned more than 3 crore houses to Andhra Pradesh with the release of Central assistance of almost Rs 3 lakh crores.

The letter said, "The government of Andhra Pradesh has acquired 68,381 acres of land and allotted house sites to almost 31 lakh beneficiaries spread across 17,005 greenfield colonies."

Jagan Mohan Reddy said that the state government is assisting the beneficiaries to construct 28.30 lakh pucca houses with an estimated cost of Rs 50,944 crores under PMAY rural and urban schemes, adding that it has created a post of `Joint Collector Housing` for the development of these greenfield colonies.

He further said that the state government cannot bear the huge cost of developing basic infrastructure in such colonies, requesting PM Modi to direct ministries of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Ministry of Rural Development to incorporate the creation of basic infrastructure in greenfield colonies.

In a letter to PM Modi, Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has sought his intervention to incorporate creation of basic infrastructure in greenfield colonies as part of assistance given to state governments under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) programme pic.twitter.com/nm063EUKe2  ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2021

Andhra to vaccinate mothers of children aged below 5 yrs

The Andhra Pradesh government will vaccinate all mothers having children aged below 5 years as a precautionary measure in the wake of predictions of a third wave of COVID-19, informed State Medical and Health Principal Secretary Anil Kumar Singhal on Monday.

During a Covid review meeting, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy observed that in case children get infected with coronavirus, their mothers should also stay at hospitals. The CM added, "So the state government has decided to inoculate mothers with kids under the age of 5 years. There are almost 20 lakh such mothers, they will be inoculated along with those aged 45 plus years."

Addressing the media after the CM`s Covid review meeting, Singhal said that the state government has constituted a committee to take preventive action on the third wave of COVID-19.

In case paediatric cases are registered in more number in the third wave, action should be taken based on the report of the committee so that the ICU beds, paediatric beds, ventilators, medicines for kids and children, masks and other requirements to treat children and kids should be taken care of well in advance, ordered the Chief Minister.

Reddy said that paediatric wards should be set up in all hospitals, measures should be taken for the treatment of children at primary health centres (PHCs) and local area hospitals, and paediatricians be recruited according to the need.

(With Agency Inputs)

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New Delhi: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar announced relaxations in the COVID-19 restrictions for the state on Tuesday (June 8).

The relaxations are applicable for next one week after which the CM will make his next decision whether to further implement eases or tighten the lockdown.

As the lockdown ends, the night curfew will continue from 7 pm to 5 am. Government and private offices will function till 4 pm with 50% strength.

Shops will open till 5 pm and Private vehicles permitted to travel.

Online teaching work will continue for students and teachers.

The CM also said in his thread of tweets that alsthough the cases have decreased, people should avoid overcrowding.

The Bihar CM also reviewed the preperation for posiible floods and draughts and issues necessary guidelins for the same.

Less than 800 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported in Bihar on Monday, in yet another indication that the second wave was on the wane in the state, though 43 fatalities pushed the death toll to 5424.

According to the health department, 762 people tested positive in the last 24 hours, the lowest figure for the state for the past couple of months.

(With inputs from news agencies)

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New Delhi: A 24-year-old youth, who was a state-level boxer, model and actor hailing from Rohtak in Haryana was stabbed to death as he took on a youth who used to eve-tease a 12-year-old. According to police, he was attacked with a knife after he tried stopping a youth who used to indulge in eve-teasing. The incident was captured on CCTV camera. A complaint has been registered at Old Sabzi Mandi police station in the city.

Kamesh was going to a relative's place in Tej colony when spotted the youth who used to indulge in eve-teasing and as he tried to warn him not to repeat his act, the accused pulled out a knife and stabbed him. "The accused suddenly pulled out the knife and stabbed him multiple times. Kamesh was rushed to PGIMS hospital (Rohtak) where he died," Deputy Superintendent of Police (headquarters), Rohtak, Gorakhpal said.

Some of the accused's friends were also present.

A case has been registered and further investigations were underway, the DSP said.

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New Delhi: The Centre on Monday (June 7, 2021) announced to administer COVID-19 vaccines on priority to people going abroad for educational purposes and employment opportunities.

The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare wrote to States and UTs to allow administration of a second dose of Covishield for people who have only taken the first dose and whose planned travel dates fall prior to completion of the currently mandated minimum interval of 84 days between two doses.

The Centre issued guidelines in this regard and states have been advised to widely publicize and take all necessary measures to immediately implement these SOPs.

The competent authority will check the following before according permission for the administration of the second dose before the period of 84 days after the date of the first dose:

1. Whether a period of 28 days has elapsed after the date of the first dose.

2. Genuineness of the purpose of travel based on documents related to 

i. Admission offers or associated formal communications for the education.

ii. Whether a person is already studying in a foreign educational institution and has to return to that institution for continuing their education.

iii. Interview calls for a job or offer letters for taking up employment.

3. It is advised that vaccination may be availed in cases through Passport which is one of the permissible ID documents as per the current guidelines so that the passport number is printed in the certificate. If Passport was not used at the time of administration of the first dose, the details of the photo ID card used for vaccination will be printed in the vaccination certificate and mention of the Passport in the vaccination certificate is not to be insisted upon. Wherever necessary, the competent authority may issue another certificate linking the vaccination certificate with the passport number of the beneficiary.

4. This facility shall be available to those who need to undertake international travel for these specified purposes in the period up to August 31, 2021.

5. All technical protocols as prescribed in the Guidelines of the Ministry regarding COVID Vaccination Centres and AEFI management etc shall have to be followed.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that mention of vaccine type as Covishield is sufficient and no other qualifying entries are required in the vaccination certificates.

It also stated that the CoWIN system will soon provide the facility for the administration of 2nd dose in such exceptional cases.



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New Delhi: The government on Tuesday (June 8) set the maximum price private hospitals can charge for the three COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the country -- Covishield Rs 780 per dose, Covaxin Rs 1,410 and Sputnik V Rs 1,145.

In a letter to all states and union territories, the Health Ministry suggested that appropriate strict action be taken against private vaccination centres for overcharging.

The maximum price of Covishield for private COVID-19 Vaccination Centres (CVCs) has been fixed at Rs 780 per dose, while that of Covaxin is Rs 1,410 per dose and Sputnik V Rs 1,145 per dose, it said.

The Health Ministry asked states to ensure that the prices declared by various private CVCs do not exceed the ceiling. The Serum Institute of India sells its Covishield to private hospitals at Rs 600 per dose (excluding GST). Bharat Biotech has set the cost of its Covaxin at Rs 1,200 a dose for private establishments. Both vaccines are supplied to the central government at a cost of Rs 150 a dose.

Sputnik-V is supplied to private hospitals at Rs 948 per dose.

"The private hospitals may charge up to a maximum of Rupees 150 per dose as service charges. State governments may monitor the price being so charged," the ministry said.

The ministry also requested states and union territories to regularly monitor the prices being charged by the private CVCs from the citizens.

"It is also requested that wherever instances of overcharging as compared to the price declared by the CVC come to notice, appropriate strict action is taken against any such private CVCs," it said.

In an address to the nation on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the central government will provide free COVID-19 vaccine to states for inoculation of all above the age of 18 from June 21.

The prime minister said the Centre has now decided to buy 75 per cent of jabs from vaccine makers for free supply to states, while private sector hospitals will continue to procure the remaining 25 per cent but they cannot charge more than Rs 150 per dose over the pre-fixed price.

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New Delhi: Incurable disease - this word is used for illness which cannot be cured by any mean of treatment. In this segment of DNA, we will explain to you about one such disease, which has no cure. Today's analysis is on a viral video from a private hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Agra - Paras Hospital.

In the video which went viral on social media on Monday, the owner of Shri Paras Hospital, Arinjay Jain, who is also a doctor, is also heard saying that the bodies of some patients started turning blue after the oxygen supply was cut off for five minutes. Jain is heard saying that the oxygen supply was cut only to see how many patients survive the '5-minute test'. Notably, the hospital operator decided to conduct the mock drill at a time when there were close to 100 COVID-19 patients admitted for the treatment and were on oxygen supply.

In the video, Jain says that after 5 minutes of abruption of oxygen supply, 22 patients die whereas 74 manage to survive. He says families of those who were unwilling to take their patients were handed over their bodies. The incident took place at the hospital on April 26-27. From what was said in the video, it has come to light that the supply of oxygen to patients was deliberately stopped in the hospital that day, due to which 22 people lost their lives.

This inhuman act took place at a time when the country was struggling with the second wave of coronavirus and reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds. COVID patients and their families and dear ones were struggling to get beds and proper treatment during this period.

In India, people place immense amount of trust in hospitals and doctors. When a person's health deteriorates and he requires treatment, he doesn't question doctors or put any condition while getting admitted. Upon reaching the hospital, those admitted have only one question with doctors if they will be able to recover and return to their family. However, such callous behaviour of doctors or hospital administration can shatter one's faith in doctors. Imagine, if people stop putting their belief in doctors, what will it lead to?

This latest 'mock drill incident in Agra has hurt the belief of the people. Today, when this clip went viral on social media, families of those, who lost their kin on April 26-27 in the mock-drill, assembled outside the Paras Hospital. They held the hospital administration accountable for the deaths of their relatives.

We too believe that if these allegations come out as true, then the deaths of those 22 people should be treated as murder. However, the Uttar Pradesh government has said that the claim of 22 deaths on that day at Agra's Paras Hospital is not true. As per the government, the hospital reported only 3 deaths and hence, the claim of mock-drill is not true.

We would request our readers to watch the viral video.

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New Delhi: Barbara Jarabica, whose name has cropped up the in Mehul Choksi case, has rubbished claims of her involvement in the alleged abduction of the fugitive diamantaire. She said she wasn't present in the area at the time of the alleged kidnapping of Mehul.

Choksi, who is wanted in a Rs 13,500-crore PNB bank fraud case in India, had mysteriously gone missing on May 23 from Antigua and Barbuda, where he has been staying since 2018 as a citizen. He was detained in neighbouring island country Dominica for illegal entry after a possible romantic escapade with his rumoured girlfriend. His lawyers alleged that he was kidnapped from Jolly Harbour in Antigua by policemen looking like Antiguan and Indian and brought to Dominica on a boat.

Speaking exclusively to WION, Barbara said, "On May 23, Sunday we went to have breakfast to Carlisle Bay, a hotel-resort in south Antigua and he picked me up in Jolly Harbour. We had breakfast and conversation, coffee and we came back to Jolly harbour at around 11.30 or 12 noon. This was the last time I saw him."

Recalling his conversation with her, she said, "He said that he is really disappointed, and can't believe that I am leaving Antigua and he was trying to convince me to say. However, I told him that I will go to the airport in the afternoon, going to Dominica and will go back to Europe."

62-year-old Mehul Choksi in complaint with Commissioner of police of Antigua and Barbuda and listed Barbara Jarabica along with other to have been involved in his alleged kidnapping, something that hasn't been proved yet. In the 5-page complaint dated June 2, he said, '8-10 heavily muscled men' had taken him from her house at 5.15 local time.

Barbara, in response to WION question said, "around 3 o clock I left and went to the airport. He saying he was kidnapped in afternoon. Its busy time, daytime and busy area and at time, I was going to the airport". She added, "Why would I kidnap him in middle of day, in the busiest time like 4 or 5 pm", questioning, "something does not add up."

In the 30-minute conversation, Barbara gave details of her contact with Choksi since last August 2020 and said thats he knew him as 'Raj'. During the year-long contact, Choksi had spoken to her many times and also gifted her a diamond ring, which turned out to be a fake.

Asked if she knew about his past, "Now I am finding out that he has lied a lot. He introduced himself has Raj and wherever we went, everyone called him Raj." She added that if she had known about his real background, she would have never hanged out with him.

She also clarified that she is not a national of any Caribbean and is a European.

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New Delhi: India recorded 86,498 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours which is the country's lowest single-day rise in 66 days, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday (June 8, 2021).

The daily new cases were reported less than 1 lakh after 63 days and the weekly positivity rate now stands at 5.94%, whereas, the daily positivity rate is at 4.62%.

As per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India's total COVID-19 caseload has now increased to 2,89,96,473, of which, 13,03,702 are active cases.

Between Monday and Tuesday morning, the country also recorded 2,123 coronavirus-related fatalities that took the death toll to 3,51,309.

1,82,282 patients recovered from the virus in the last 24 hours and took the total number of COVID-19 recoveries across the country to 2.73 crores. The recovery rate now stands at 94.29%.

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation and expressed condolences for the people who lost their lives in the pandemic. He termed the pandemic as the biggest calamity of the last hundred years and said that the country fought the pandemic on many fronts.

India is proud of our scientists and innovators who have made indelible contributions towards defeating COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/V9v3VPA2iD  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 7, 2021

The Prime Minister also announced that it has been decided that the 25 per cent vaccination that was with states will now be undertaken by the Government of India.

Vaccines are central to the fight against COVID-19. Remember the times India had wait for years to get vaccines for various diseases. Here is what changed after 2014. pic.twitter.com/nStfbv9sXw  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 7, 2021

He further announced that from June 21, the Centre will provide free COVID-19 vaccines to all Indian citizens above 18 years of age.

21   18                              pic.twitter.com/VKK3oddw80  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 7, 2021

So far, more than 23 crore vaccine doses have been administered in India.



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New Delhi: Lightning on Monday (June 7, 2021) killed over 26 people in several parts of West Bengal including 11 in Hooghly, nine in Murshidabad, two each in Bankura, East Midnapore and West Midnapore.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives and approved an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of those who were killed.

He expressed, "My thoughts are with all those who lost their near and dear ones due to lightning in parts of West Bengal. May the injured recover at the earliest."

My thoughts are with all those who lost their near and dear ones due to lightning in parts of West Bengal. May the injured recover at the earliest.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 7, 2021

The PMO informed that Rs 50,000 would also be given to the injured.

PM @narendramodi has approved an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from the PMNRF for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to lightning in various parts of West Bengal. Rs. 50,000 would be given to the injured.  PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 7, 2021

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday said that a Low Pressure Area is likely to form over North Bay of Bengal & neighbourhood around June 11 and under its Influence, the Southwest Monsoon is likely to advance over West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar.

It said that fairly widespread to widespread rainfall activity is very likely over most parts of East India and adjoining Central India from June 10 and Gangetic West Bengal on June 10 and June 11.

(ii) Enhanced rainfall activity likely along the West coast and adjoining Peninsular India including Maharashtra from 10th June onwards with scattered to fairly widespread rainfall activity  India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) June 7, 2021

(With inputs from agencies)

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Mumbai: Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (June 8) to discuss various issues like Maratha and OBC reservation, and Cyclone Tauktae relief measures.

The meeting is taking place over a month after the Supreme Court squashed a 2018 law providing reservation to the Maratha community in jobs and education in Maharashtra.

The state Home Minister, Dilip Walse Patil, told reporters on Monday, "A delegation of Maharashtra government led by CM Uddhav Thackeray and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar will meet Prime Minister Modi in Delhi tomorrow (June 8). They will discuss issues like Maratha reservation, Other backward classes (OBC) reservation and Cyclone Tauktae relief."

Last month, Uddhav Thackeray wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to take steps to declare the Maratha community in the state as Socially and Educationally Backward (SEBC) to enable them to claim the reservation in education and public employment at least to 12 per cent and 13 per cent respectively.

"The Judgement delivered by the Constitution Bench (comprising of five Judges) of the Supreme Court on May 5, 2021, has given me this occasion to write to you with the earnest request that appropriate steps be taken at the earliest to grant reservation to the Maratha community from my State, albeit in accordance with the law, to the minimum extent of 12 per cent in Education and 13 per cent in Public Employment," the Maharashtra Chief Minister had written.

A state government constituted committee, headed by Justice (retd) Dilip Bhosale, studied the SC judgement and recommended filing a review petition.

The law passed by the state legislature on November 30, 2018, gave 16 per cent quota in jobs and education to the community.

Upholding the law, the Bombay High Court reduced the quantum of the quota to 12 per cent in education and 13 per cent in government jobs.

The state government is of the opinion that the 10 per cent EWS quota law, enacted by the Centre, also breaches the 50 per cent ceiling set by the Supreme Court.

In its editorial on May 31, Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana had said that the battle for the Maratha reservation will be fought in Delhi, adding "The collision will prove to be decisive. To destabilize the politics of Maharashtra, the opposition will use the issue of the Maratha reservation as a weapon, then they will have to stop it in time."

Referring to the Supreme Court`s observation, the editorial said that only the Central government has the right to make such law regarding the reservation.

On May 5 this year, the Supreme Court's five-judge Constitution Bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, L Nageswara Rao, S Abdul Nazeer, Hemant Gupta and Ravindra Bhat had struck down the reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the Maratha community brought in by the Maharashtra government in 2018, saying it exceeded the 50 per cent cap imposed earlier.

The Constitution Bench said that people from the Maratha community cannot be declared as educationally and socially backward community to bring them within the reserved category.

Meanwhile, CM Thackeray will also discuss Cyclone Tauktae, which stands to be the strongest storm to impact Gujarat since 1998, battering parts of the state and left behind a trail of destruction along the coast.

The Cyclone Tauktae affected states, including Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and the UTs of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, according to the India Meteorological Department.

(With PTI/ANI Inputs)

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Agra: A video purportedly of a director of a private nursing home in Agra claiming several COVID-19 patients died as a result of a mock exercise that allegedly cut off medical oxygen supply, has gone viral.

I decided to conduct an experiment/mock drill as we were facing an acute shortage of oxygen as people were not ready to discharge their patients despite multiple requests. At 7 AM on April 26, we snapped the oxygen supply for five minutes. Soon, 22 patients bodies turned blue and they started gasping for breath so we came to know that they wont survive in case there is no oxygen. Then, we ask family members of the remaining 74 patients to arrange their own oxygen cylinders, Arinjay Jain, owner of Paras Hospital on NH 2 can be heard saying in the purported video which is not verified yet.

Both Agra District Magistrate P.N. Singh and CMO R.C. Pandey on Tuesday reacted to the development, saying an inquiry has been ordered and action would follow on the basis of its report.

"We`ll look into the video surfaced about these deaths. There were 22 critical patients admitted in the hospital but have no details of their death," DM Singh told the media.

In a statement the District Magistrate claimed there was no death due to lack of oxygen on that day the alleged video was recorded. However, he said a probe would be conducted.

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New Delhi: A spark in the heat-up is learned to have caused a fire in plastic packing material at Pune`s SVS Aqua Technologies factory, which claimed the lives of at least 17 people, including 15 women on Monday. According to reports, the fire broke out at SVS Aqua Technologies, which manufactures chlorine dioxide and is located in the Pirangut MIDC area of Mulshi tehsil on the outskirts of Pune city.

Devendra Potphode, Chief Fire Officer, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) told ANI, "The company deals with water purifying chemical, Chlorine dioxide, which is not fire-prone. It is packed in plastic, and while the packing work was in process, the heat-up sparked. The plastic then immediately caught fire".

Potphode informed that women who were packing could not understand which way to run as the fumes from both plastic and chlorine were too strong, adding that a total of 17 bodies, out of which 15 were women, have been recovered from the site.

Notably, Chlorine dioxide is a chemical compound that has a variety of antimicrobial uses, including the disinfection of drinking water.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condoled the loss of lives in the fire incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakhs each from the PMNRF for the deceased`s kin. He also announced a compensation of Rs 50,000 for the injured.

In a tweet, Prime Minister said, "Pained by the loss of lives due to a fire at a factory in Pune, Maharashtra. Condolences to the bereaved families."

"The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister National Relief Fund for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to a fire at an industrial unit in Pune, Maharashtra. Rs. 50,000 would be provided to those injured", tweeted the Prime Minister`s Office (PMO).

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu also condoled the loss of lives in the fire incident. "Pained to hear the news of the loss of lives in a fire accident in a factory in Pune," the Vice President Secretariat tweeted, quoting Naidu.

"My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured," he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed condolences to the family members of those who lost their lives in the fire incident at a chemical factory in Pune.

"I am deeply saddened by the heart-wrenching news of the fire at a chemical factory in Pune. I express my condolences to those who lost their loved ones in this accident and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured," Shah tweeted in Hindi.

(With Agency Inputs)

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New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday (June 8, 2021) lifted the 'Corona curfew' from all its districts as the number of COVID-19 cases is declining.

The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath where he reviewed the COVID-19 situation and decided to give the relaxations in the corona curfew.

The announcement comes as the active COVID-19 cases are below the 600-mark in all 75 districts of the state.

"There will be relaxation in coronavirus curfew in all the districts of the state from Wednesday onwards, from 7 am to 7 pm, for five days as the active COVID-19 cases have come below 600," an official spokesman said.

"The night curfew from 7 pm to 7 am and weekend curfew (for the entire day) will, however, continue in all the districts," he added.

All districts out of corona curfew in @UPGovt as no district left with 600 or more active cases. Total active cases 14,067 now. Only night curfew and weekend corona curfew to continue. @InfoDeptUP @KashiAlok @vishalpcbvisha1 @IAnkurParmar04  Shishir (@ShishirGoUP) June 8, 2021

Earlier on Sunday, Uttar Pradesh had lifted the corona curfew from all districts barring three.

"Uttar Pradesh lifts COVID-imposed curfew from all districts barring Meerut, Saharanpur and Gorakhpur as active cases in these three districts are above 600," ACS Information Navneet Sehgal had said.

Uttar Pradesh reported 797 new COVID-19 infections in the past 24 hours and now has 14,000 active cases. The positivity rate in the state stands at 0.2 per cent, while the recovery rate has improved to 97.9 per cent.

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Bengaluru: The examination dates for the Karnataka Common Entrance Test (CET) for various vocational courses, including engineering, have been announced, and now it will be conducted on August 28 and 29.

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru on Tuesday (June 8), Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan said, The CET exam will take place on August 28 and 29. Each subject will carry 60 marks.

The Maths and Biology exams will be held on the first day while Physics and Chemistry on the second day.

Registration will commence from June 15, he said, adding that the PUC marks will not be taken into account.

Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan further said students will be required to score a minimum mark to clear the entrance test.

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NEW DELHI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, along with Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and state Minister Ashok Chavan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday over the Maratha quota issue and financial aid for Cyclone Tauktae relief measures.

The meeting took place at PM Modis official residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg in Delhi.

"Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minister Shri @AjitPawarSpeaks and Cabinet Minister Shri @AshokChavanINC called on PM @narendramodi. @OfficeofUT @CMOMaharashtra," the PMO tweeted.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and Cabinet Minister Ashok Chavan called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Source: PMO) pic.twitter.com/eoycU4knRq  ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2021

Thackeray had reached the national capital earlier this morning for his scheduled meeting with the PM over the Maratha reservation and Cyclone relief issues.

Thackeray and his cabinet colleagues of the Mahavikas Aghadi, a coalition of mainly the three parties - the Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress, are in the national capital to discuss issues ranging from the contentious Marathi reservation and aid for the state post-Cyclone Tauktae, among others.

On Monday, Thackeray had met NCP chief and alliance partner Sharad Pawar. "CM Uddhav Thackeray met Sharad Pawar to discuss issues, including Maratha reservation, ahead of the meeting with PM Modi.

A delegation of the Maharashtra CM, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Maratha reservation sub-committee head Ashok Chavan will meet the PM on Tuesday," state minister Eknath Shinde had said.

What is the row about the Maratha reservation?

The Supreme Court had on May 5 quashed the Maratha quota law passed by the state legislature in November 2018. A state government constituted committee, headed by Justice (retd) Dilip Bhosale, studied the SC judgement and recommended filing a review petition.

The apex court had termed the state quota law as unconstitutional and held that the Maratha community is not socially and educationally backward. The SC order also said the Maratha quota breached the 50 per cent reservation rule. The SC maintained that as per the 102nd constitutional amendment, states have no right to enact reservation law.

The law passed by the state legislature on November 30, 2018, gave 16 per cent quota in jobs and education to the community. The Bombay High Court, while upholding the law, reduced the quantum of the quota to 12 per cent in education and 13 per cent in government jobs.

The state government is of the opinion that the 10 per cent EWS quota law, enacted by the Centre, also breaches the 50 per cent ceiling set by the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, NCP president Sharad Pawar called on Thackeray in the evening on Monday. This was Pawar's second meeting with the chief minister in a fortnight. The NCP is a key constituent of the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state.

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Mumbai: `Devon Ke Dev- Mahadev` fame actor Mohit Raina has recently filed a complaint against four people who allegedly started `Mohit Bachao (Save Mohit)` campaign on social media. On orders of the Borivali Court, the complaint was registered against Mohit`s self-proclaimed well-wisher Sara Sharma and her friends Parveen Sharma, Aashiv Sharma, and Mithilesh Tiwari at Goregaon Police Station in Mumbai under sections 384 IPC on June 6.

According to the police, the four people have spread rumours saying Mohit's life is in danger just like late actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The case of criminal conspiracy, giving false information to the police, threatening and demanding ransom has been filed against the four. In April, Mohit had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

"After testing positive for COVID-19 last week I have been in safe medical hands of the Doctors of the state where I am based since last month. Every day I see a gamut of human emotions. we are okay coz of them. Least we could Just stay indoors. Will see you guys on the other side. Love MR," he had written on Instagram.

Apart from `Devon Ke Dev - Mahadev`, Mohit is also known for featuring in the hit movie `Uri: The Surgical Strike`. He has also wooed audiences with his acting stint in the web show `Kaafir`.
New Delhi: India is among top three countries in Asia which experienced highest cost of DNS (domain name system) attacks in 2021 to date, as nearly 90 per cent of organisations globally experienced DNS attacks, with the average cost of each attack around $950,000, a new report showed on Monday.

Asia recorded an increase of 15 per cent in average cost of a DNS attack, incurring a cost of $908,140, up from $792,840 the previous year.

Countries which saw significant increase in damages included Malaysia which increased by 78 per cent, the sharpest increase, as well as India which saw a significant increases of 32 per cent from past year, according to the report by EfficientIP, a leading provider of network security and automation solutions.

The report, conducted in collaboration with the IDC, showed that organisations across all industries suffered an average 7.6 attacks this past year amid the pandemic.

Around a quarter of companies have suffered a DNS attack abusing cloud misconfiguration, with almost half of companies (47 per cent) suffering cloud service downtime as a result of DNS attacks.

The threat report, now in its seventh year, also found a sharp rise in data theft via DNS, with 26 per cent of organisations reporting sensitive customer information stolen compared to 16 per cent in 2020's Threat Report.

"As workers look to more permanently transition to off-premise sites, making use of cloud, IoT, edge and 5G, companies and telecom providers should look to DNS for a proactive security strategy," said Ronan David, VP of Strategy for EfficientIP.

This year, phishing also continued to grow in popularity (49 per cent of companies experienced phishing attempts), as did malware-based attacks (38 per cent), and traditional DDoS attacks (29 per cent).

"While it is positive that companies want to use DNS to protect their increasingly remote workforces, organisations are continuing to suffer the costly impacts of DNS attacks," said Romain Fouchereau, Research Manager European Security at IDC.
Facebook-owned photo sharing app Instagram has found itself in yet another controversy after several users of the social media platform lodged a protest against the app for showing Lord Shiva in a wrong light.

In a shocking incident, a GIF of Lord Shiva was seen with a wine glass in one hand and a mobile phone in the other hand on Instagram. This drew severe criticisms as many users took to Twitter to express their displeasure over the new GIF that seems to have hurt the Hindu sentiments.

Earlier, ecommerce platform Amazon and Google faced the ire for deeply hurting the sentiments of the people of Karnataka. Amazon had a bikini that had colours of the Karnataka flag and emblem and it was up for sale on its Canada website. Similarly was criticised for a search result that showed Kannada as the world's ugliest language.

A Delhi resident has filed an FIR against Instagram and its CEO over hurting Hindu sentiments and according to the complainant, these stickers were not uploaded by any social media users but by the app itself. Besides this, many other complaints have been raised for this objectionable GIF available on Instagram.

A Twitter user wrote, Its really unacceptable and very disrespectful.

This incident happened at a time when the government had asked social media platforms to comply with the new IT Rules. Twitter is one such exception which has not yet accepted the rules and has asked for more time to follow them.

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#mute
New Delhi: Twitter turned into a battleground after actress Nia Sharma took a dig at actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee who earlier slammed netizens for cursing the minor girl who complaint against actor Pearl V Puri of rape.

Nia, who has been vocal in supporting actor Pearl V Puri and had earlier tweeted, Dear privileged Girls and Women, Do not make the heinous allegations of rape and molestation so frivolous and casual that it ceases to hold any value for posterity. @pearlvpuri You have my support took a dig at Devoleenas tweet supporting the minor.

"Didi ko koi bata do dharna and candle march nahi kar sakte pandemic hai abhi bhi (Someone please tell big sister that we cannot have a strike and candle march as the pandemic is still on). Also Didi needs to practice her dance before she makes those pathetic dance reels thinking shes nailing them," read Nias tweet.

Didi ko koi bata do dharna and candle march nahi kar sakte pandemic hai abhi bhi.

Also Didi needs to practice her dance before she makes those pathetic dance reels thinking shes nailing them.  NIA SHARMA (@Theniasharma) June 7, 2021

Hitting back at Nia, Devoleena tweeted, Please Choti ko koi bato do sirf fashion skills dikhane se koi insaan nahi banta hai.Acchi soch aur acche dil ki zarurat hoti hai jiski kami dikh rahi hai (Please somebody tell the younger one that nobody becomes a good human just by showing fashion skills. Good thinking and a good heart is necessary, the lack of which is seen).And whether i nailed my reels or no let my fans decide.Yahan pe bhi judge ban gayee (Here also she has become a judge). Rather focus on your photoshoots."

Please Choti ko koi bato do sirf fashion skills dikhane se koi insaan nahi banta hai.Acchi soch aur acche dil ki zarurat hoti hai jiski kami dikh rahi hai.And whether i nailed my reels or no let my fans decide.Yahan pe bhi judge ban gayee.Rather focus on your photoshoots.  Devoleena Bhattacharjee (@Devoleena_23) June 7, 2021

In another tweet the actress continued, And waise all my tweets were for those who are abusing,trolling & cursing,naming the 7 yrs old girl a gold digger.Mirchi choti ko kyun lagi (Why is the younger one getting offended)?Or May be she is one of them who reacts reading articles without checking the truth & facts," she wrote in a follow-up tweet.

And waise all my tweets were for those who are abusing,trolling & cursing ,naming the 7 yrs old girl a gold digger.Mirchi choti ko kyun lagi?Or May be she is one of them who reacts reading articles without checking the truth & facts.  Devoleena Bhattacharjee (@Devoleena_23) June 7, 2021

On June 6, the actress had blasted at those who are 'cursing' the minor in the case.

Actor Pearl V Puri is charged for raping a minor girl in 2019 and is booked under the section of The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act is currently under custody.

The actor has received immense support from his industry friends including Ekta Kapoor, Anita Hassanandani, Surbhi Jyoti, Suyyash Rai among others.
New Delhi: Actress Shweta Tiwari has been ruling the Television screen for two decades now. The actress, who is a popular daily soap actress, has also participated in multiple reality shows as well. Her latest one being Rohit Shetty hosted Khatron Ke Khiladi.

Shweta is in Cape Town for the adventure reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi and was earlier accused by her estranged husband Abhinav Kohli for abandoning her kids during a pandemic and running after money. The actress who did not immediately respond to the hurtful comments has now shared in an interview that her two kids - Palak and Reyaansh, are her priority.

My priority is my kids. I will focus on them and keep working because only thats going to help me in the long run. I dont owe any justification or clarification to anyone because I know whats good for my children. No one knows it better than me. I know how to keep my kids physically and mentally healthy, give them a better life and take care of them. Logon ke sahi ya galat se meri zindagi nahi chal rahi hai. Meri zindagi mere sahi, galat aur jisme mere bachhon ki bhalai hai, uss se chal rahi hai. I am fully dedicated to my kids and my work, which is why I keep working and forging ahead, Mere Daad Ki Dulhan star to ETimes.

She also shared that she is constantly in touch with her kids and sleeps with a video camera on so that they can see her. At night, we sleep with our video calling app switched on so that we can see each other every time we wake up. We talk at every opportunity. I talk to my daughter before every stunt and after it to tell her how I have fared. My son wants me to get him a hippopotamus, which he calls hippomonatus from South Africa to India for him. So, if in an episode I get to meet a hippopotamus, I am going to take him home, because my son wants it (laughs!).

The talented actress is known for constantly reinventing herself with the time. Currently, the original Prerna aka Kasautii Zindagii Kay star is ruling the social media with her stylish and hot photos. Apart from doing television, the actress has also ventured into OTT and was part of Hum Tum or Them.
New Delhi: T-Series honcho Bhushan Kumar's actress-producer wife Divya Khosla Kumar took to her Instagram account and made some startling revelations in TV actor Pearl V Puri minor rape case. In her long note, Divya supported the TV actor and shared shocking details of the case, levelling allegations on the victim's father.

Divya Khosla Kumar wrote: Let me introduce them to you ... this man is Anil Donde & this woman is an actress, Ekta Sharma. Anil Donde is the man who has put the charge on Pearl V Puri that he molested his 5-year-old daughter on the sets of the serial, Bepanah Pyaar produced by Balaji Telefilms 2 years ago. Anil & Ekta have been undergoing a custody battle for their daughter ... & since the last 2 years the daughter has been with Anil coz he has put a charge on Ekta claiming that since she is an actress & she took the daughter on her sets where the lead actor molested her, the daughter is unsafe with her own mother... I feel Anil Donde should be given the Filmfare best screenplay award for this plot".

"Now the police have arrested Pearl ... I want to know why the police did not arrest him in 2019 when this case was filed ... the reason is that In the FIR filed it was mentioned that the child was molested when she was with the mother. Pearl's name was nowhere in the FIR. (Ive read the FIR myself when Pearls mother forwarded it to me yesterday when she called me for help) Ekta Sharma in her calls with Ekta Kapoor clearly says that her husband is a psychotic person, who has mentally & physically abused her, shes got several proofs for the same, she clears the case by saying that Pearl is innocent & nothing like this happened on the sets (sic).

Adding more, she wrote: The childs maid who went with her on the set has also said the same to the police. The child was happy & playing ... Ekta also took her to some friends house post the shoot there too she was happy. Please note The child is 5 Yrs old ... 10days later the father abducted the child after school & filed a case of physical abuse. Still, neither the child nor the father mentioned Pearl's name ... fast forward to 2yrs later today in 2021 when the child is now 7yrs old - She recognises the accused. For a second if we assume that such a thing happened with the poor baby ... I want to know at such a tender age will the baby remember the persons name & recognise him. Its sad for this little girl for the kind of parents shes been blessed with I only want to send love her way. Ekta Sharma in her phone call with Ekta Kapoor further says that the child has been tutored by the father. What is extremely disturbing is that a movement like Me Too is so badly being misused ... the poor child who is being mentally played with by her own father. It is a sad state of affairs for Pearl who had a bright future ahead of him. Even before starting his career properly, his reputation has got a big blow. will anyone in the industry give him work (sic)?"

"Shameful!!!!! #ShameonAnil Donde for using his own child for his gains & finishing off another person's life & career. #ShameonEktaSharma for not coming in the media & speaking the truth ... do u think there exists no Karma. Shame on the so-called media handles who only run for their own sake & laugh at other people miseries. Shame on Humanity !!!!!! I request all to come forward & support Pearl with the hashtag #istandwithpearl & not let this case die down till the father or the mother themselves dont come in media & tell the truth ... how can we let a Mans life & future get spoiled like this ???? The reason why so many of @Pearlvpuri co-stars and actresses are supporting him .... Im supporting him is because I myself have worked with him and Ive seen it at close quarters on how this young man respects women ... there were women on the sets in all departments- costumes, choreography, assistants .. even our director was a woman ... did any one ever feel this guy is a pervert.... NO ... hez a man with good moral values ... May the truth win & may #PearlvPuri not lose his precious years in proving himself (sic).

For the unversed, a Vasai Court on Saturday sent arrested television actor Pearl V. Puri to 14 days' judicial custody. Puri was arrested on alleged charges of molesting and raping a five-year-old girl two years ago.

The 31-year-old "Naagin 3" actor was booked by Mira-Bhayander Vasai-Virar Police Commissionerate, invoking charges of IPC Sec. 376 AB and POCSO Act, 4, 8, 12,19, 21 for the rape of the minor girl, said the officials.

Several celebrities showered support for the actor. Besides Karishma Tanna, producer Ekta Kapoor, actress Anita Hassanandani among others dismissed it as a false charge and showed support for Pearl.

Pearl worked with Divya Khosla Kumar in Teri Aankhon Mein song.
LUCKNOW: The blueprint of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths dream project  a world-class Film City that is proposed to be built in Uttar Pradesh  is now ready. According to reports, the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) is expected to submit the final detailed project report (DPR) to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday.

A presentation regarding the project will be made before the Chief Minister following which a global tender will be floated to select the companies for developing the ambitious project as per the approved plan.

The blueprint of the project has been prepared after evaluating the film cities build in 40 countries across the globe. This is the reason why the state government has been saying that it is going to build the best film city in the world which will have all modern amenities and the latest state-of-the-art technology.

The construction work for the proposed Film City, which is expected to come up in Sector-21 of Noida, is most like to commence in the month of December. During the meeting with the chief minister today, the financial model and various other aspects of the project will also be thoroughly discussed.

The proposed Film City will be developed on 1,000 acres in Sector 21 of the YEIDA area at the estimated cost of Rs 6,000 crore. It will be built on the public-private partnership model for which three models have been recommended by the Yamuna Authority.

The state government had earlier appointed Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis (CBRE), a global commercial real estate services company based in the United States, as a consultant for the project. The agency had prepared the final DPR and submitted it to the YEIDA.

While the Yogi government is building a huge expressway including the Bundelkhand Expressway, the Purvanchal Expressway, Ganga Expressway, also aims to create a record by making a world-class film city in UP.

It is for this reason, that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had visited Maharashtra and met all big-wigs of the Bollywood from superstar Akshay Kumar to Mahesh Bhatt, Anurag Kashyap to Karan Johar and several leading artists and technicians, seeking their feedback and suggestions regarding the upcoming film city project.

Many beautiful pictures of the film cities build in America, Europe, and Asian nations have also been included in the official booklet prepared by the state government, which will be shown to the Chief Minister for comparative analysis of the project.

The state government claims that the construction work for the film city project will begin in December this year if all goes well. The UP chief minister had announced the development of the Film City project on September 18 last year, In his announcement, he said that it will provide the platform to encompass all aspects of filmmaking - related to script, music, writing, editing and production  all under one roof.

The film city project is expected to create massive employment opportunities for the people of Uttar Pradesh since a large number of technicians from the state currently. work in the Mumbai film industry.

The soon-to-be-constructed Film City will have all modern world-class amenities including residential and commercial facilities, 5-star hotels, hi-tech studios, an amusement park, a film institute and a museum.

Key features of UP Film City

- 3D studio

- Open and indoor studio

- sound recording studio

- editing studio

- animation studio

-GFX studio

- 360-degree rotating sets

- Film Institute- Amusement Park

- Modern facility from pre-production to post-production

- 5-star hotels and modern guest houses

-a museum.

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New Delhi: Two men on the New South Wales Far South Coast were rushed to hospital after a humpback whale landed on the deck of their boat. According to reports, emergency services were alerted to the incident when a 39-year-old skipper issued a mayday call to Marine Rescue NSW.

The incident left an 18-year-old with serius injuries and a broken neck. The teen was airlifted to Canberra hospital with serious head injuries and a suspected lower spinal fracture. The skipper, on the other hand, was treated at Moruya Hospital for a suspected concussion and cuts to his face.

Authorities are concerned the whale may have been injured in the incident and are urging people to keep an eye out. Experts believe the population of humpback whales are on the rise and that could lead to more encounters with fishermen.

The boat was also severely damaged in the incident. People were left astonished and expressed shock at how the skipper managed to navigate it back to shore.

Meanwhile, a crowdfunding page has been created to assist the family pay medical bills.
Washington: With the US sending millions of its COVID-19 vaccines to several countries, including India, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that there is a need to increase production capacity on a regional basis across the globe.

US President Joe Biden had announced that the US will allocate 75 percent - nearly 1.9 crores of the first tranche of 2.5 crore doses - of unused COVID-19 vaccines from its stockpile through the UN-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing program to countries in South and Southeast Asia as well as Africa.

Testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the State Department's 2022 budgetary proposals, Blinken asserted that it is important to have three-fourths of the world vaccinated soon.

"If we stayed on the current course before we were distributing the 80 million vaccines before we're looking at increasing production around the world, not just in the United States, we're on track to have the world vaccinated, or at least to have 75 or so percent of the world vaccinated, not until 2024," he said in response to a question.

The US, he said, has 80 million vaccines that will be distributed, either working through COVAX, with COVAX, or directly by the US between now and early July.

"We want to make sure that anything we send out is safe and effective. But it's starting now and it's going to be rolled out over the coming days and weeks between now and the end of July," Blinken said, adding that the US has started with 25 million distribution, which has been allocated by region and within regions by country.

He said that about 75 percent of that first 25 million will be done in coordination with COVAX.

"The other 25 percent we'll be able to do directly, making sure that we're taking account of the science and the needs, where there are surges, where there are variants, where some countries need second shots and have a deficit. All of this is based on science, based on equity, and without political favor being demanded in return unlike some other countries," Blinken said.

By the time we complete the distribution of these 80 million there will be more to follow, as we have excess vaccines in the months beyond July, he said.

Beyond that work is on to significantly increase the international production of vaccines so that the overall supply of vaccines increases significantly, Blinken said.

"Latin America, our neighbours, our partners in the region, in the Caribbean, will be among the first beneficiaries of the vaccines that are going out," he said.

The Biden administration, he said, is working closely to make sure that they have in place the support system necessary so that the vaccines can get there, be distributed and used effectively.

Congressman Gregory Meeks, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said that he is pleased to see the administration's plans for the initial distribution of vaccines bilaterally through COVAX, including to, of course, neighbours in Latin America and the Caribbean.

"To me, that was an important first step towards supporting the region in its recovery from this pandemic and once I encourage the administration to take," he said.

Blinken said the administration wants to make sure that it has every tool at its disposal to accelerate the production of and access to vaccines.

"So, we want to make sure everything's on the table. We'll have to make a determination of what is most effective, what is most efficient, and also doesn't have unintended consequences or second or third-order effects that would be problematic, he said.

"Beyond the distribution of vaccines that we have access to, we need to increase production and that means both in the United States, but also around the world. I think we also need to increase production capacity in different parts of the world whether it's for this pandemic or for anything coming down the road in the future," said the top American diplomat.

It makes sense, certainly on a regional basis, to have countries that can be production hubs which in the future will facilitate getting vaccines out effectively and efficiently or other health products out effectively and efficiently, he said.

"So, we're looking, in short, at that and looking to see what can be done to either increase or develop as necessary production capacity in different parts of the world, including Africa," Blinken said.
New Delhi: Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said the rights of "Indian citizen" Mehul Choksi will be respected and courts will decide on the future course of action.

In a first public statement since Choksi, wanted in a Rs 13,500-crore bank fraud case in India, was held in the Caribbean island country after his disappearance from Antigua and Barbuda on May 23, Skerrit said, "The rights of Mehul Choksi will be respected."

The statement reported by local media outlet 'natureisle' quoted the Prime Minister as saying that the court will decide what happens to Choksi next.

"The matter with this Indian citizen is before the courts. The courts will decide what happens to the gentleman and we will allow the court process to go through. I do not like to get involved by making public statements in these matters," Skerrit said.

"His rights will be respected as has been done thus far and let the court decide what will happen. We have no issues in so far as the matter relates to Antigua and or India, we are part of our own community and we must recognize our duties and responsibilities in this regard," he was quoted by the website.

Choksi had mysteriously gone missing on May 23 from Antigua and Barbuda where he has been staying since 2018 as a citizen.

He was detained in neighbouring island country Dominica for illegal entry after a possible romantic escapade with his rumoured girlfriend.

His lawyers alleged that he was kidnapped from Jolly Harbour in Antigua by policemen looking like Antiguan and Indian and brought to Dominica on a boat.

He was also brought before a Roseau magistrate, on the orders of Dominica High Court, which is hearing a Habeas Corpus petition filed by his lawyers, to answer charges of illegal entry where he pleaded not guilty but was denied bail.

A team of Indian officials had gone to Dominica to try deportation of Choksi, having pending Interpol Red Corner Notice, but returned after High Court adjourned the matter.


French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped Tuesday (June 8) in the face by a man during a visit to a small town in southeast France.

Macron's office confirmed a video that is widely circulating online. The French president can be seen greeting the public waiting for him behind traffic barriers in the small town of Tain-l'Hermitage after he visited a high school that is training students to work in hotels and restaurants.

The video shows a man slapping Macron in the face and his bodyguards pushing the man away as the French leader is quickly rushed from the scene. French news broadcaster BFM TV said two people have been detained by police in the assault.

| BREAKING: Macron slapped in the face Via @ConflitsFrance pic.twitter.com/1L7eYTsvDR  Politics For All (@PoliticsForAlI) June 8, 2021

Macron has not commented yet on the incident and continued his visit. Speaking at the National Assembly, Prime Minister Jean Castex said 'through the head of state, that's democracy that has been targeted,' in comments prompting loud applauds from lawmakers from all ranks, standing up in a show of support.

"Democracy is about the debate, dialogue, confrontation of ideas, expression of legitimate disagreements, of course, but in no case, it can be violence, verbal assault and even less physical assault," Castex said.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen firmly condemned on Twitter "the intolerable physical aggression targeting the president of the Republic."

Visibly fuming, she said later that while Macron is her top political adversary, the assault was "deeply, deeply reprehensible."

Less than one year before France's next presidential election and as the country is gradually reopening its pandemic-hit economy, Macron last week started a political "tour de France," seeking to visit French regions in the coming months to "feel the pulse of the country."

Macron has said in an interview he wanted to engage with people in a mass consultation with the French public aimed at "turning the page" of the pandemic and preparing his possible campaign for a second term.

The attack follows mounting concerns in France about violence targeting elected officials, particularly after the often violent yellow vest, the economic protest movement that repeatedly clashed with riot officers in 2019.

Village mayors and lawmakers have been among those targeted by physical assaults, death threats and harassment.

But France's well-protected head of state has been spared until now, which compounded the shockwaves that rippled through French politics in the wake of the attack.

(inputs from agency)

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Kabul: As the United States declares its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, Turkey is interested in taking control of Afghanistan`s Hamid Karzai International Airport if North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies permit.

Khaama Press reported that Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said that Turkish forces have agreed to take the control of the Hamid Karzai International Airport if allies provide support."500 Turkish forces in Afghanistan will take the control and responsibility of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul if financial, logistic and political support is provided by the allies," Akar said in a meeting with its NATO allies.

This comes as the withdrawal of the foreign forces which is scheduled to be completed by September 11 have increased concerns among the international community and the diplomatic mission`s presence in Afghanistan. Pentagon officials had earlier said that Pakistan had allowed the US military to use its airspace and given ground access so that it could support its presence in Afghanistan.

However, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi refuted the claim and said that the country would not provide its military bases to the US for future counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan and also not allow drone attacks inside Pakistan.

Whereas, according to the New York Times, some American officials believe the negotiations have reached an impasse for now. The US intelligence agency CIA did use a base in Pakistan to launch drone strikes against militants but "was kicked out of the facility in 2011 when US relations with Pakistan unravelled," the report said."Some American officials (told the newspaper) that negotiations with Pakistan had reached an impasse for now.

Others have said the option remains on the table and a deal is possible," the report explains. According to NYT, William J. Burns, the CIA director, recently made an unannounced visit to Islamabad to meet the chief of the Pakistani military and the head of the directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd J. Austin also has had frequent calls with the Pakistani military chief about getting the country`s help for future US operations in Afghanistan.

(inputs from agency)

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Recently, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) released a promotional video for recruiting students to inspire the aspiring youths to join the military academies under the PLA Army and devote to the building of a strong Chinese military.
By Xiang Haoyu

Recently, Japan has been beefing up its rhetoric and actions over the Diaoyu Islands issue, as the Japanese media hyped up the patrol of China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels in waters off Diaoyu Islands, calling it a record of 112 consecutive days. Some political parties and lawmakers of Japan clamored for amending the Self-Defense Forces Act to allow SDF vessels to perform alert and surveillance tasks in waters off Diaoyu Islands and to have the right to use weapons for self-defense. Some former senior officials and scholars with the SDF sensationally analyzed the so-called armed seizure plan of China via the media. Besides, the US and Japan frequently carried out joint military exercises to capture the islands. Their high-level government officials tend to talk about China-related maritime issues in whatever diplomatic activities they attend.

There are three motives for Japans hyping up the Diaoyu Islands issue. First, this is a measure to exert pressure on China. It is hoped that by inventing pressure from international community, China will be forced to retreat from its routine patrols, so as to maintain the so-called actual control position of Japan. Second, this is a way to divert contradictions. Under the COVID-19 epidemic, its pretty difficult for Japans economy to recover, resulting in its domestic instability and escalating pressure on the Suga administration. It is, thereby, necessary to build public support through exaggerating the crisis and displaying strength to the outside world. Third, this is a tool to serve the political agenda. The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan has a long-cherished goal of revising the countrys pacifist constitution and strengthening the countrys military power. Sensationalizing the crisis of Diaoyu Islands can provide a new excuse for its military deregulation.

The Japanese side, however, has to realize that the hype of the Diaoyu Islands issue will not affect Chinas actions to safeguard its sovereignty over Diaoyu Islands in a reasonable and restrained manner on just grounds, nor will it alleviate the security anxiety faced by Japan; instead, it can only harm Japans long-term interests.

First of all, Japan's hyping up China's capture of Diaoyu Islands itself is but a false proposition. As for the issue, China has always expressed its position on defending its territorial sovereignty over Diaoyu Islands. Meanwhile, China has always advocated the principle of shelving differences and seeking joint development , Japan thereby is required to face the reality of disputes, manage and control contradictions through dialogue and consultation, and handle them properly. If Japan does not take provocative actions such as landing on the islands and arresting people thereon that violate Chinas sovereign position, China will not take further actions to defend its rights. Moreover, an important fact that Japan has not reported is that since last year, the right-wing forces of Japan have continuously provoked troubles in the waters off Diaoyu Islands with fishing boats, forcing China to increase its patrol efforts to maintain its territorial sovereignty.

Secondly, the Japanese side has shifted the blame onto China by accusing China of attempting to alter the status quo in the East China Sea. The root cause of the tension over Diaoyu Islands lies in the Japanese move to nationalize the islands proposed in 2012 , and since then, the Chinese side has taken regular patrol operations.

Thirdly, Japans manipulation of the Diaoyu Islands issue tends to be risky in terms of political consequences. This is to deliberately amplify the China-Japan contradictions, misleading the people to view territorial disputes one-sidedly, restricting the space for dealing with the issue through dialogue and cooperation, and ultimately making Japan-crafted China policies kidnapped by extreme populist claims which may counteract Japans domestic and foreign policy room for maneuver .

In recent years, Japan has promoted Indo-Pacific cooperation and values-oriented diplomacy and has been active in the international community with a high-profile posture. Behind the lively appearance, its been in a deep diplomatic dilemma with its Asian neighbors. The far-sighted personages in Japan also pointed out that the tactic of befriending a distant state while attacking a neighboring state cannot solve the development dilemma facing Japan itself. If failing to win the understanding and respect of neighboring countries, Japan can never develop into a real superpower after all.

China and Japan are in bilateral relations of extreme complexity and multi-dimension. The Diaoyu Islands issue, which is just part of their overall bilateral relationship, is supposed to be handled properly. The two sides are close neighbors and major economic and trade partners, the interest consistency of which far outweighs their antagonism. With 2022 marking the 50th anniversary of the normalization of China's diplomatic ties with Japan, whether or not the two sides can manage differences and establish a mutual understanding and policy orientation that meet the needs of the new era has a bearing on the well-being of the two peoples and the enduring peace and stability in East Asia. To this end, the Japanese side must take the initiative to correctly position and handle the Diaoyu Islands issue with great care.

(The author is a senior researcher of the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies at the China Institute of International Studies.)

Editor's note: This article is originally published on huanqiu.com.cn, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
By Liu Chang

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken successively visited Israel, Palestine, Egypt and Jordan in recent days, which marked his first trip to the Middle East after taking his new position, and also the first Middle East visit by a top US leader in the lingering aftermath of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, thus capturing extensive attention.

The way the US government handled the latest conflicts breaking out between Palestine and Israel has been much criticized, so the purpose of Blinkens trip is to consolidate the ceasefire and magnify Washingtons relentless efforts to exact the truce.

On the one hand, the US hopes to mitigate the relationship with Palestine by throwing money. During the visit, Blinken said the US would make enormous contributions to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and pledged an extra USD38.5 million in addition to resuming the 360 million aid to Palestine. US allies such as Qatar and Egypt also promised USD500 million for Gazas reconstruction. Moreover, Blinken reiterated Americas support of the two-state solution as the way to solve the Israeli-Palestinian issue, of keeping the status quo of the sacred sites in Jerusalems Old City, and its objection to evicting Palestinians from East Jerusalem.

The olive branch extended by Blinken sent a clear signal to Palestine and other countries in the region  Washington will support the Palestinian National Authority led by Abbas and resume its aid to Palestine in the attempt to further isolate Hamas. Such a move is to serve Americas strategic layout in the Middle East. Hamas gained the support of a lot of Palestinian citizens as it demonstrated great military capabilities and a strong will to resist during the latest conflict, so America needs to bring Palestinian National Authority to its side and suppress Hamas political influence to continue to control Palestine and lead the peace process in the region.

On the other hand, the US needs to reaffirm its security commitment to Israel while finding ways to rein in its actions. Although the Biden administration adopts a different stance from the previous one on the two-state solution and aid for Palestine, its emphasis on the alliance with Israel is the same. Blinken also said his country would continue to fund Israels Iron Dome Missile Defense System and hinted at continued arms sales and other military assistance to the country as well.

While giving Israel security commitment, Washington may ask it to follow its regional policies, especially staying on the same page regarding the Iranian nuclear issue and other important issues, and notifying and consulting the US before making major decisions or taking actions to restrain its unilateral actions.

In addition to mediating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Blinken had other targets to meet during his Middle East tour. America needs to settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its consequences as soon as possible in order to concentrate on handling the Iranian nuclear issue. Resuming the Iranian nuclear deal is the top priority in its Middle East policy, and now is a critical moment for the reopening of the deal, so America doesnt want the conflict to divert its limited energy and resources.

Besides, Blinken also wished to placate their Arabian allies. Considering what was discussed during Blinkens meetings with leaders of Egypt and Jordan, Washington hopes to keep open communication with the Arabian allies on its aid to Palestine, thus paving the way for reshaping its alliance system in the Middle East.

However, although the four-nation tour in the Middle East seems like a quick response from the American side, its actual effects are likely to be limited. The various financial aids committed by Blinken to Palestine, large in number as they may look, are a drop in the bucket compared with the enormous cost of the US getting involved in regional conflicts. The White House would like to spend a little money to keep its domination in the Middle East, but the little input it is willing to make wont be able to resolve Palestines problems once and for all. During the latest conflict, Israel was very aggressive, and Americas extent of interference basically depended on the pace of Israel's military actions. As Israel becomes increasingly intractable, the US will find it more costly and uncertain to keep its grip on the Middle East.

In fact, the favoritism played by the US government in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict reveals its inability and lack of will to play a responsible and leading role in the Middle East. Such partiality will only discredit the country more quickly.

(The author is from the Department for Developing Countries Studies, China Institute of International Studies.)
Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe holds talk with Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen via video link on June 8, 2021. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei)

BEIJING, June 8 -- Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe holds talk with Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen at his invitation via video link on June 8, 2021.

Gen. Wei Fenghe said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations 30 years ago China-Singapore relations have witnessed sustained and sound development. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the two sides have worked together to help each other, demonstrating a forward-looking, strategic and exemplary nature of China-Singapore relations.

"The militaries of the two countries have maintained increasingly close contacts in recent years," Wei continued, "Both sides should maintain high-level communication, promote pragmatic cooperation, strengthen multilateral coordination and make greater contributions to the development of bilateral relations."

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN-China dialogue relations. China is willing to work with Singapore and other ASEAN member countries to strengthen communication, properly handle differences, deepen cooperation and build a more close-knit China-ASEAN community with a shared future, said Wei.

Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen congratulated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, and appreciated China's achievements in epidemic prevention and control, economic recovery, poverty reduction and alleviation, as well as its exemplary role for the world.

"The Singaporean side is willing to strengthen practical cooperation with China in various fields including defense and security, and deepen the further development of relations between the two countries and two militaries," he said.

The two sides also exchanged views on the international and regional situations and issues of common concern.
By Bai Bin and Zhu Junlin

BEIJING, June 8 -- The Beijing 2021 National Defense Education and Recruiting Campaign on Campus was held at Beijing University of Chemical Technology on June 6, with more than 800 college students from various universities and colleges in Beijing coming for consultation and registration on the spot.

This event was jointly launched by the Municipal Conscription Office and the Education Commission of Beijing. It is learnt that a series of policies and regulations have been issued in succession by the Beijing municipal authorities and the Beijing Garrison, including the incorporation of recruitment work into government performance assessment system, the purchase of supplementary medical insurance for parents of the newly enlisted members, and the application of big data to screen for latent diseases among registered young people. These are sure to serve as a powerful institutional guarantee for the recruitment of high-quality soldiers for the Chinese military.

In 2020, the proportion of college applicants in Beijing had reached up to 95%. As for the recruitment in the first half of 2021, the ratio exceeded 96%, setting a new record high and ranking in the forefront across China.

As of now, the number of online applicants throughout Beijing for the second half year has exceeded 7,000, among which over 6,000 are college students. Various related data have increased compared with the same period of previous years.
A Korean court has rejected a lawsuit filed by 85 victims of wartime forced labor and their families against Japanese firms.

The Seoul Central District Court on Monday threw out their suit against 16 Japanese companies such as Nippon Steel, Nissan Chemical and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, citing a 1965 treaty between Korea and Japan that settles all reparation claims.

The decision runs counter to a 2018 Supreme Court ruling in a similar case that treaties between states cannot override individual rights to seek compensation.

"While individual Korean citizens' right to claim against the Japanese state or Japanese people has not been terminated or waived by the 1965 treaty, it does restrict the exercise of their individual rights through lawsuits," the court ruled.

Permitting the plaintiffs to enforce any claim through a Korean court would be both a "violation of the constitutional principles of national security and public order" and an "abuse of power," considering the international backlash if treaties can be challenged by individuals, it added.

The victims' lawyer, Kang Gil, condemned the ruling as "unjustifiable" because it "runs directly counter to the Supreme Court ruling in a similar case."


U.S. memory chipmaker Micron announced that it has started producing 14-nanometer DRAM chips for the first time in the world. That is even smaller than Samsung's 15-nm chips. In November of last year, Micron stole a march on Samsung by announcing commercial production of 176-layer NAND flash memory chips. Why is Samsung, for 20 years the world's top chipmaker, falling behind?

Since Samsung succeeded in manufacturing 256-megabyte DRAM chips in 1994, Korea had remained as the world leader in memory chip technology. Samsung set milestones by developing a 1-gigabyte DRAM chip in 1996, 1-gigabye flash memory chip in 2001, 64-gigabyte DRAM in 2007 and 128-layer NAND flash chip in 2019, following Moore's Law that memory capacity doubles every two years. As a result, Samsung clinched an overwhelming 70-percent share of the global DRAM market and 45 percent of the global NAND market. Together with Taiwan's TSMC, which dominates the foundry market, it became one of the top two suppliers of memory chips in the world.

But the dawning of the AI, autonomous driving and 5G era and the U.S.' semiconductor alliance strategy have begun to rattle the foundations of the global industry. From now on, demand for custom-made semiconductors is expected to outpace demand for wide-use chips. Samsung spotted this trend early enough and two years ago announced a 10-year plan to invest W133 trillion to bolster its system semiconductor and foundry businesses (US$1=W1,113). But that plan has yet to take off while TSMC's dominance continues to grow. The global foundry market increased 25 percent last year and TSMC's share of the pie surged to a record 54 percent while Samsung's remains flat at 17 percent.

Now Samsung is being threatened by Micron. Samsung's DRAM market share fell from 47 percent in 2016 to 42 percent last year even as Micron's rose from 23 percent to 26 percent. In the first quarter of this year, the operating margin of Samsung's semiconductor business stood at 18 percent but Micron's reached 20 percent. Thanks to widespread support from the U.S. government, Micron is expected to go from strength to strength.

On top of that, TSMC has announced plans to build six more chip factories in the U.S., lured by U.S. President Joe Biden's siren call. Samsung has still not realized plans to build more plants in the U.S. Even Japanese chipmakers, who were outpaced by their Korean rivals 30 years ago, are aiming for a resurgence by joining hands with TSMC. But while all this is happening, Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong remains in jail, and his absence from day-to-day leadership is delaying the formulation of growth strategies and investment plans. Holding him in prison is tantamount to harming the nation's interests.


Hong Kong: HK, Georgia tax pact to take effect

The comprehensive avoidance of double taxation agreement with Georgia signed in October last year will come into force on July 1, the Government announced today.

The agreement will have effect in respect of Hong Kong tax from April 1 next year, it said.

Georgia participates in the Belt & Road initiative. The agreement will bring a greater degree of certainty on tax liabilities for those who engage in cross-border business activities, and promote bilateral trade and investment activities.

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Praise for local company

The Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) has commended local brand, Bathu, for being named as one of the most admired African brands.

In our pursuit of intra-Africa trade, we are excited that our fellow Africans in other parts of the continent love our brands. This is in line with our Small, Medium and Micro-Enterprises (SMMEs) - focused Localisation Policy Framework and Implementation Programme, supporting local brands and buy local campaigns, the department said on Tuesday.

Bathu has been named number 10 of this years most admired African brands by the Brand Africa 100: Africas Best Brands.

Bathu, meaning shoes in Kasi slang, is a proudly South African sneaker brand that was founded in 2015 by Theo Baloyi, a qualified accountant who quit his job for a fulfilling journey as a manufacturer of a global brand in the making.

The ranking is the most authoritative survey and analysis on brands and underlying businesses in Africa. The survey was conducted between March and April 2021 and yielded over 80 000 brand mentions and over 3 500 unique brands.

The list boasts some of the biggest corporates across Africa such as MTN, DSTV, Shoprite, Vodacom and Tiger Brands, the department said.

The departments mandate is to support and promote entrepreneurship in South Africa.

Whilst it is our mandate to empower SMMEs and co-operatives, we are equally dependant on hard working entrepreneurs who are eager to start, sustain and grow their businesses. As DSBD we are thrilled to note and witness this spectacle performance by local brands, the department said. SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
11:09 | Lima, Jun. 8.

"Built by the Quechuas in the shape of a puma the totemic animal par excellence it is a condensation of constructions dating from the Viceroyalty which were settled on Inca walls, with a flourishing craft-work made of wool, fabrics, and wood," reads part of Cusco 's description in the article.
YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. On 7 June, during the Plenary of the United Nations General Assembly, the Permanent Representative of Armenia to the UN Mher Margaryan was unanimously elected as a Chair of the Administrative and Budgetary Committee, one of the six main committees of the UN General Assembly, for the 76th session of the UNGA, the Permanent Mission of Armenia to the UN reports.

In his remarks the Permanent Representative of Armenia expressed his gratitude to the representatives of the UN member states for the expression of confidence. He stressed his commitment to lead the works of the Committee in an objective and inclusive manner aimed at the enhancing the efficiency of the administration of the United Nations.

Abdullah Shahid (Maldives) was elected as a President of the 76th session of the UNGA, which will begin its works in September, 2021.

The UNGA Fifth Committee is responsible for administrative and budgetary matters and adopts the UN regular and peacekeeping budgets. The Committee's activities also include the questions related of human resources and management of the Organization.






YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. The Embassy of the United States in Armenia has made a clarification over the reports regarding Ambassador Lynne Tracys April visit to the Syunik province.

In a statement the Embassy said that the Ambassadors trip to the province was not connected to the visits of any other officials and the Ambassador did not meet with or speak to Prime Minister Pashinyan or President Sarkissian while in Syunik.

As we have previously stated, the purpose of the Ambassadors trip to Syunik was to learn first-hand from local officials and U.S. Embassy program partners how the region has been affected by the twin crises of the pandemic and armed hostilities connected with the Nagorno Karabakh conflict this past year. She also met with the recipients of several US government grant projects to discuss how the Embassy can continue to maintain these partnerships to support the regions recovery and development, the Embassy said.

Editing by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. President of the Armenian Tourism Federation Mekhak Apresyan assures that the tourism sector is showing awakening signs in the Republic.

He hopes the incoming tourism in Armenia will again start developing.

At the moment people arrive in Armenia mainly from those countries where the borders are open, such as Russia, Georgia, Iran, US, Ukraine and several European countries. This year in the first quarter there have been nearly 86,000 visits, which is quite high compared to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters of 2020  65,000 in total. I compare the visits of tourists since the outbreak of coronavirus, as everything started in the second quarter of the previous year, he told Armenpress.

Talking about the domestic tourism, Apresyan said last year it was in a relatively better condition, especially after the mitigation of coronavirus-related restrictions. According to him, the restoration of tourism should start from domestic tourism which can help to mitigate the burden existing in the field.

Apresyan stressed the need for adoption of a promoting policy for the development of domestic tourism, so that Armenians will prefer more to spend their vacations in Armenia and Artsakh.

Reporting by Lilit Demuryan

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government has spend over 26 billion drams for overcoming the coronavirus pandemic, Caretaker Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan said during the joint session of the parliamentary standing committees dedicated to the presentation of the 2020 state budget performance report.

26 billion 491 million 923 thousand drams have been spent in 2020 for ensuring COVID-19 preventive measures, treatment costs, she said.

Mrs. Avanesyan said coronavirus is a big challenge, even the healthcare systems with major funding faced collapse. She thanked the government for properly responding to all proposals and requests of the ministry aimed at strengthening the healthcare system.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. The Bright Armenia party, in case of succeeding in the upcoming snap parliamentary elections, is going to withdraw the Azerbaijani troops from Armenias territory via negotiations and will introduce a balanced approach regarding the foreign policy, party president Edmon Marukyan said during the pre-election campaign in Yerevans Malatia-Sebastia administrative district.

He stated that their theses of national solidarity, unity, acting jointly against the enemy are becoming more and more relevant. Marukyan says their partys message is alternative.

Marukyan is confident that the withdrawal of Azerbaijani troops from Armenias territory should be carried out via negotiations. According to him, their party can bring a major contribution in the diplomatic front.

The electoral campaign for the snap parliamentary elections officially launched in Armenia on June 7.

The campaign will last until June 18.

The snap parliamentary elections will take place on June 20, but the electronic voting will kick off on June 11 until June 13.

25 political forces  21 parties and 4 blocs, are participating in the elections.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian received today caretaker minister of high technological industry Hayk Chobanyan, caretaker minister of economy Vahan Kerobyan and executive director of the Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST) Armen Orujyan, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.

Issues relating to the development of science and technologies in Armenia were discussed during the meeting.

The sides discussed the directions of the presidential initiative ATOM (Advanced Tomorrow) aimed at the scientific-technical development, the agreements on cooperation with the leading international organizations on the sidelines of ATOM, as well as the cooperation prospects between these and local organizations.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. Armenia has applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) with the purpose to ensure respect of the fundamental human rights of the Armenian prisoner of war captured by Azerbaijani forces on June 8, the Office of Armenias Representative before the ECHR said in a statement.

The Ministry of Defense of Armenia informs that on 8 June 2021 a member of Armenian military - private A. Katanyan - has been captured by Azerbaijani authorities after - lost his bearings due to the fog and appeared in a territory currently under the control of Azerbaijani forces.

The submitted request aims to ensure respect of the captives rights to life and prohibition of torture envisaged by the European Convention on Human Rights, the statement says.
YEREVAN, JUNE 8, ARMENPRESS. Caretaker Prime Minister of Armenia, head of ''Civil Contract'' Party Nikol Pashinyan officially announced that he is ready to exchange his son with the Armenian war prisoners kept in Azerbaijan, ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan said in a meeting with the residents of Aparan town, responding to the announcement of 3rd President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, saying that Pashinyan should exchange his son with 20-25 war prisoners.

I officially tell Aliyev, I exchange my son with all the war prisoners, Pashinyan announced. Addressing 2nd and 3rd Presidents of Armenia Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, Pashinyan said that he authorizes them to negotiate over the deal. ''You should never think that this is an emotional announcement. I say it officially, go and negotiate'', Pashinyan said, adding that he is waiting for their response.
Most Australians would find "darkly humorous" a campaign pitting energy giant AGL's logo next to the tagline "Australia's greatest liability", a judge says.

But Greenpeace will have to stick to satire after the Federal Court on Tuesday ruled some social media posts using the logo lacked parody and therefore breached AGL's copyright.

Greenpeace launched a campaign in May that used the AGL logo alongside the tagline and a report detailing the energy giant's responsibility for eight per cent of Australia's carbon emissions.

The environmental organisation also produced a report on AGL's activities, accusing the company of falsely presenting itself as a climate leader.

AGL sought an urgent injunction in the Federal Court, saying allegations of environmental wrongdoing were "unsubstantiated" and it wanted to protect its copyright.

It didn't want to suppress public debate on climate change, it said.

But the campaign involved the "wholesale reproduction of the logo" and could not be considered satirical, John Hennessy SC told the court last week.

Greenpeace argued its use of the AGL logo should fall under "fair dealing" provisions in Australian copyright law as it is clearly satire or parody.

Justice Stephen Burley agreed with the not-for-profit on Tuesday.

Greenpeace's use of the logo was immediately juxtaposed by a play on the company's initials and words decrying its environmental practices, the judge said.

Having a corporate look and "an obviously non-corporate message (created) an incongruity that is striking to the viewer".

"The ridicule potent in the message is likely to be immediately perceived,' he said.

"Many would see these uses of the modified AGL logo as darkly humorous because the combined effect is ridiculous. AGL is exposed to ridicule by the use of its corporate imagery including by use of the modified AGL logo to convey a message that AGL would not wish to send."

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The words "Presented by Greenpeace" were also positioned closely, leaving the reader in no doubt who authored the message.

The judge also deemed a poster shaped like a black cloud and held over AGL's Loy Yang A power station as providing "a humourous juxtaposition".

However, no satire was featured in a photo of a school student holding a poster that contained only the logo, the term "Australia's Biggest Climate Polluter" and "Greenpeace".

That, and a handful of other social media posts and placards, did breach AGL's copyright, Justice Burley ruled.

AGL also ran a trademark infringement claim, which failed as the court ruled Greenpeace was not promoting any goods or services with the logo.

Greenpeace said the ruling was an affirmation that the law "is on the side of freedom of expression", promising to continue pressuring AGL to close its coal-burning power stations by 2030.

The energy giant welcomed the court's ruling that its logo had been misused on some occasions and reiterated the case was about "the integrity of how our brand is used."

"AGL understands its role as Australia's largest integrated energy generator to lead the energy transition while continuing to deliver reliable and affordable energy," a spokeswoman said.

The parties will return to court on Thursday to address questions of costs and the form of injunctive relief.
Murder plots, weapon purchases and mass drug trafficking were openly discussed on an encrypted online platform used by Australian organised crime figures but secretly overseen by the US FBI, police say.

The surveillance of the "ANoM" communication platform has resulted in the arrest of more than 220 Australian organised crime figures since 2018.

More than 100 of these individuals have now been charged.

Offenders are linked to the Australian-based Italian mafia, outlaw motorcycle gangs, Asian crime syndicates and Albanian organised crime figures.

The communications found on the platform revealed 21 murder plots, gun distribution activity and mass drug trafficking, Australian Federal Police say.

The AFP also said on Tuesday it had seized 3.7 tonnes of drugs, more than 100 weapons and almost $45 million in cash as part of the operation since 2018.

The global operation has prompted mass arrests across 18 countries and the AFP intends to extradite and charge numerous residents overseas.

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw told reporters organised crime figures openly and unashamedly discussed their activities on the ANoM platform, unaware police were monitoring their discussions.

After precursor encryption platform Phantom Secure was shut down by authorities in 2018, the Federal Bureau of Investigation commandeered and secretly managed ANoM, allowing it to organically grow in the criminal underworld.

The app - which required installation on mobile phones stripped of other capabilities - became increasingly popular among organised crime figures as it was spruiked by their colleagues, according to Mr Kershaw.

This snared the crime figures on ANoM in an ever-expanding net as the AFP took the lead on decrypting and reading their communications in real-time.

"We allege they've been trafficking illicit drugs into Australia at an industrial scale ... criminal gangs are targeting Australia because it is one of the most profitable countries in the world to sell drugs," Mr Kershaw said.

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"Australian law enforcement has been arresting and charging alleged offenders and we have prevented tonnes of drugs from coming onshore.

"We've arrested the alleged kingmakers behind these crimes, prevented mass shootings in suburbs, frustrated organised crime by seizing ill-gotten wealth.

"We have been in the back pockets of organised crime."

Mr Kershaw said the mass shooting disrupted by police included organised crime activity with a machine gun at a suburban cafe.

He also revealed an unnamed outlaw motorcycle gang in Australia was making $20 million each month from drug peddling.

Mr Kershaw said more ANoM-related arrests are forthcoming but warned the platform was relatively small compared to others used by the underworld, which remain out of the reach of law enforcement.

ANoM made up five per cent of encrypted communications domestically.

He also warned of intelligence implying some "trusted insider threat", with the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity investigating.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said reporters the Australian law enforcement operation, known as Operation Ironside, struck a "heavy blow" against gangs.

He said his government had a zero-tolerance approach to gang activity and police had taken "great risks" to see the investigation through.

"The operation puts Australia at the forefront of the fight against criminals who peddle in human misery and ultimately, it will keep our communities and Australians safe," Mr Morrison told reporters on Tuesday.

"Illicit drug use ruins lives and fuels organised crime."

New Zealand authorities have also arrested 35 people for alleged drug dealing and money laundering, seizing some $NZ3.7 million ($A3.4 million) in assets.

European Union police agency Europol and the FBI will hold their own press conferences on the matter on Tuesday and Wednesday (Australian time).
But for me, accountability is so important. Its important to the victims and survivors and the families we serve and are elected to represent in our state. Accountability is important for fairness, for justice, for keeping people safe, and as a matter of deterrence to make sure that bad things like this dont happen again.

Purdues plan should require a public repository of every document in this case. We did that in tobacco; we should do it here. I believe in that strongly. The country deserves to know how Purdue and the Sacklers caused this opioid epidemic. We cant continue to let them keep this secret.

The Sackler plan wants the government to take over the drug business, to put us in charge of selling OxyContin. Putting governments in a position of profiting off the sale of OxyContin is just perverse and totally inappropriate. We want no part of it. Instead, we want a prompt and orderly wind down of this disgraced business.

AP: Earlier this year, you filed claims against Publicis. Its a marketing consultant for Purdue. Why did you do that, and do you expect lawsuits against other companies that work for the drug industry?
Apple Inc is in early-stage talks with China's CATL and BYD about the supply of batteries for its planned electric vehicle, four people with knowledge of the matter said. The discussions are subject to change and it is not clear if agreements with either CATL or BYD will be reached, said the people who declined to be named as the discussions are private.

Apple has made building manufacturing facilities in the United States a condition for potential battery suppliers, said two of the sources. CATL, which supplies major car makers including Tesla Inc, is reluctant to build a U.S. factory due to political tensions between Washington and Beijing as well as cost concerns, the two people said.

(Also read | Five things to know about 'iCar', the Apple vehicle for the masses)

It was not immediately clear if Apple is also talking to other battery makers. Apple, which has yet to make a public announcement about its car plans, declined to comment. CATL, the world's biggest automotive battery maker, and BYD, the world's No. 4, also declined to comment.

The U.S. firm is in favor of using lithium iron phosphate batteries that are cheaper to produce because they use iron instead of nickel and cobalt which are more expensive, the four people said. Apple has been working on self-driving technology and has targeted 2024 for the production of a passenger vehicle, Reuters reported in December.

(Also read | iPhone to iSUV? Auto designer shows what Apple SUV may be like. Watch here)

People familiar with the matter have previously said Apple's planned EV could include its own breakthrough battery technology. It was not immediately clear if the discussions with CATL and BYD involved Apple's own technology or designs.

The discussions come at a time when the U.S. government is looking to attract more EV manufacturing. U.S. President Joe Biden's proposed $1.7 trillion infrastructure plan includes a $174 billion budget to boost the domestic EV market with tax credits and grants for battery manufacturers, among other incentives.

Many battery makers are ramping up production to meet soaring worldwide demand as car makers accelerate their shift to electric vehicles to comply with tougher emission rules aimed at tackling global warming. Chinese battery makers are expected to grow at a faster pace than their foreign peers thanks to further expansion of the world's biggest EV market, SNE Research said in a June report.

Reuters reported last week that CATL is planning a major new automotive battery plant in Shanghai, continuing a blistering pace of expansion that will cement its lead as the world's No.1 supplier. The factory would near Tesla's China manufacturing operations.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
LOS ANGELESE L James has joined the judging panel of a new Lovehoney competition to find the new Fifty Shades of Grey on the trilogys 10th anniversary.

The global sexual wellness brand is searching for exciting new takes on love, romance and sexual discovery.

The Fifty Shades of Grey Your Way competition celebrates a decade of erotic discovery by asking entrants to create their own Fifty Shades of Grey scenario or idea in the form of art. From poetry or a short story to video, a song or art, the competition is looking for submissions which display eroticism and sexual happiness in a unique way.

E L James said she had often been blown away by the fan art inspired by her trilogy.

She said: I want to tap into the creativity and energy of lovers who have enjoyed the Trilogy and to discover where their imaginations and desires will take them. Over the years Ive seen some extraordinary fan art and heard some amazing songs I cant wait to see what entrants come up with.

Im sure well find creators who will not just celebrate Fifty Shades, but show us their own fresh and exciting takes on love, romance and sexual discovery. The next E L James wont be like me  theyll be themselves, with their own distinctive voice.

E L James has been working with Lovehoney for nine years, launching the official pleasure products, which recreate those used by Christian Grey and his student lover Anastasia Steele in the books. They have produced several collections including a new range to celebrate the 10th birthday.

E L James said her favorites were the swish of a flogger and the crack of a riding crop. Those will always have a special place in my collection.

Winners will receive a deluxe Lovehoney bundle, including signed products from E L James, and the winning entry will be displayed at an exclusive Fifty Shades of Grey event in the Autumn. Separate competitions will also be running in the United Kingdom and Australia.

E L James will be joined on the judging panel by Lovehoneys Sex Toy Educator Ashley Cobb and Brooklyn-based columnist and sex expert, Zachary Zane and Nick Ellis, head of content at Lovehoney.

The competition runs from June 1 until International BDSM day on July 24, and the winner will be announced in the summer.

Interested in finding out about Lovehoneys B2B offering? Head over to the website for more information: lovehoneytrade.com.
Birthday wishes

Call 281-422-8302 or email david.bloom@baytownsun.com to wish someone a happy birthday. We will print your birthday wish on Page 2 of The Sun.

Happy Birthday Wishes
Becoming a police officer was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for Lamkin, who wanted to work in law enforcement since he was a child.

My hometown was right next to a two-lane highway and you would hear sirens and all the neighbors would run out to the sidewalk, he recalled. Racing down the highway would be a patrol vehicle and everybody would stand around and youd hear the adults talking. I knew those guys in the cars knew whats going on. I wanted in on that.

Bottom line is, I dont like bullies. A bully is someone who takes advantage of another person because that person is too fat, thin, young, old, rich, poor, whatever. People who take advantage of people for their own personal gain stuck in my craw. I think that was my main focus. 

Reflecting on his time in law enforcement, Lamkin said one of the biggest changes is how reports are filed, going from two manual typewriters to having onboard computers in cars. The emphasis on how officers present themselves is also something thats shifted.
In all, the report made 34 recommendations to the city and fire department, ranging from suggestions that BFD create an integrated risk management plan for structure fires in areas of the city that see a high rate of fires to asking the city to petition the state for tougher fire codes.

The study found that each year Billings firefighters respond on average 18,000 times to calls for service that don't involve fire.

"EMS calls are the predominant workload for the Billings Fire Department, accounting for nearly 74 percent of its call activity," the report found.

Speaking to the Billings City Council on Monday night, Mike Iacona, fire and EMS senior manager for the Center For Public Safety Management, said the majority of call to which fire department responds could be categorized as non-emergency.

Specifically, up to 80% of the calls to which the fire department responded with an extended response time were "non-emergent."

"That's a lot of calls you don't have to run hot on," he said.

The report then noted that the fire department responds to all calls, both emergency and non-emergency, with its fleet of fire engines.
As for liability, Kukulski said he couldn't be absolutely certain, but at this point he doesn't see a way in which the city could be held liable for damages caused by the flooding. Stott said that BBWA had contacted its insurance company to tell them what happened Sunday.

On the cost of ditch repairs, Stott did not have an estimate Monday, but said the costs will likely fall short of what the BBWA thought might be necessary. The area where water was overflowing Sunday is the same area where a ditch breakage happened in the 1930s, according to Stott.

A concrete lining, or flume as Stott called it, was installed after the 1937 ditch break and workers on Monday discovered that concrete pier supports had also been installed beneath the flume. Those appeared to be in good shape, negating the need to put concrete under the flume for support, according to Stott.

"So we are in there backfilling it with dirt, compacting the dirt all in and around it, and that process is probably going to be about complete today," Stott said.

Donnes Construction, the company working on the repairs, also pulled out the excavator that fell into an area it was trying to shore up Sunday near the overflow site. The operator was able to get out safely Sunday after the soil collapse, Billings Police Department Lt. Brandon Wooley said on Sunday.
McMahon's order noted the right to keep and bear arms is limited in scope, citing exceptions included in a previous U.S. Supreme Court decision that included schools and government buildings as "sensitive places" with longstanding prohibitions. He also noted the state has not presented any binding legal authority that the right to carry firearms on campus is an "absolute right" under either the U.S. or Montana constitutions.

"Furthermore, there is doubt who has the constitutional authority to regulate firearms on (Montana University System) campuses and other locations," McMahon wrote.

David Dewhirst, solicitor general at the Attorney General's Office, contended in the hearing earlier in the day the board's case stands not on tangible harms but carries concerns from opponents to the law. The board had been involved in negotiating certain provisions in HB 102, he said, but only filed the lawsuit after a flood of public comment urging the regents to challenge the law in court. He said the board has authority over what happens on campus, but the Legislature, too, has authority to enact laws that enforce self-defense rights and the board is still subject to state laws.
A multi-million dollar deal to sell the Rimrock-Mercedes Benz dealership in Billings has gone sour prompting a lawsuit in U.S. District Court.

The lawsuit was filed by a company associated with David MacNeil, owner and CEO of the popular floor mat company WeatherTech. The suit names Rimrock Auto Group, co-owned by Stephen Zabawa and John Soares.

Rimrock inflated an appraisal of the dealership's value, and then tried to influence an independent third-party appraiser's valuation of the property, states the lawsuit, filed by DMN Auto Holdings and DMN Real Estate Holdings.

The suit also alleges Rimrock "provided inaccurate financial statements" during the proposed sale.

Regarding the allegations, Zabawa told The Gazette Monday, "we believe them not to be true." He said his company has "worked it out with them (DMN) over the last 24 hours, so as far as were concerned that lawsuit will go away. We will be closing on June 30th and David MacNiel will be the new owner.

In early January of this year, DMN and Rimrock Auto entered into an asset purchase agreement and real estate contract, court records state. DMN was to pay $4.9 million plus the amount determined by calculating the companys assets and appraising the companys real estate value.
South Africa: Second preservation order granted in Gauteng Education R431m decontamination project

The Special Tribunal has granted a preservation order of R22.4 million to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to freeze the bank accounts of a further seven companies implicated in the Gauteng Education Departments R431 million schools decontamination project.

This order is in addition to the R40.7 million preservation order granted last month.

In a statement, the SIU said the order prohibits Chachulani Group Investment Holdings, Muta Investment Holdings, Netvision Energy Savers, Psychin Consulting, Home Ground Trading 1105 Pty Ltd, Mpale Investments Holdings Pty Ltd, and Naledzi Investment Trust from dealing with the funds held in the bank accounts.

The Unit said the companies began dissipating the funds upon receipt.

Traces of the funds show that the companies made large payments to unidentified recipients who have, in turn, disposed of them.

Some of the funds went towards travel and accommodation, and towards loan repayments. It appears that the companies have been disposing of the funds with the intention of frustrating any claim that the SIU may have to those funds, the SIU said.

Based on the information presented by the investigating team, the SIU said the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) issued intervention directions to place a hold on R22.4 million of the funds received from the department for a period of 10 days.

The SIU approached the Special Tribunal for preservation in order to freeze the accounts following an investigation into allegations of unlawful procurement of services by the department to decontaminate, disinfect and sanitise schools.

The corruption busting unit said it would launch review proceedings in the Special Tribunal by 19 June 2021, and also seek an order against the service providers to pay back all profits as consequence of their appointment.

The SIU investigation has revealed that the procurement process conducted by the department was manifestly unlawful. The department paid over R431 million to service providers, pursuant to a process that was haphazard, unfair and littered with procurement irregularities.

Gauteng Education obtained a deviation under Treasury regulations to conduct the procurement process without inviting competitive bids.

The department did so on the basis that emergency procurement was warranted, given the urgent and pressing need to appoint service providers to decontaminate schools exposed to COVID-19.

The request for the deviation expressly stated that the Department would appoint accredited service providers from the Central Supplier Database (CSD).

The SIU investigation revealed that the department failed to comply with the express requirement of the deviation. The vast majority of service providers that were appointed (173 out of 280) were not accredited and were not on the CSD.

On this basis alone, the SIU said it would argue before the Special Tribunal that the procurement process was unlawful and needs to be reviewed and set aside.

Furthermore, the SIU investigation revealed that the procurement process was not cost-effective.

The service providers were not paid per square meter of the area cleaned. Rather, a senior official in the department appears to have arbitrarily decided to offer a fee of R250 000 to R270 000 for the decontamination of primary schools; R250 000 to R290 000 for secondary schools; and R250 000 to R300 000 for district offices, the SIU said.

It said the fees bear no relation to the work done by service providers or the cost of material used.

Selection and appointment of suppliers was done in a haphazard, unfair and inequitable manner. Ordinarily, the Supply Chain Management (SCM) division of the department would select and appoint suppliers.

In this case, the SIU investigation has revealed that the SCM division was not involved in the selection and appointment of service providers. Some of the names of service providers appointed were received via WhatsApp from officials in the department.

Though there are legal outcomes, the SIU investigation into the affairs of the [Gauteng] Education Department are continuing. Evidence pointing to criminal conduct will be referred to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), as well as the Hawks in the South African Police Service (SAPS) for further action, the SIU said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-06-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The University of Wyoming is undergoing a transformation. The states sole four-year public school is being reshaped to meet broader goals and fit a smaller budget, but a key position in that transformation is about to be vacated.

Vice President for Research and Economic Development Edmund Synakowski will leave the university Aug. 30 to join the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

President Ed Seidel wished Synakowski well in a release earlier this month, but now leaders must fill a role integral to meeting the institutions new goals.

This is an incredibly important role at UW, going to the heart of a research-intensive university; helping to raise new revenue streams from federal agencies and corporate partnerships; and supporting our efforts to be an even stronger engine for innovation for the state, Seidel said in a press release.

Gov. Mark Gordon instructed the university to trim 10% of its budget this summer  or roughly $42 million. The university plans to find at least $15 million by cutting academic programs, all of which are currently under review.
The Burleigh County Commission on Monday approved an election committee ahead of the state's legislative redistricting process.

The committee will likely consist of two local legislators; a Republican and Democratic district party chair; representatives from Bismarck, Bismarck Public Schools and Bismarck Parks and Recreation District; township representation; an election worker; Election Manager Erika White; Auditor Leo Vetter and a member of the commission. The members have not yet been selected.

White said at a commission meeting Monday that the committee will review past elections and how to move forward with future elections with redistricting occurring this year.

White told commissioners in a letter that legislative boundary changes are expected in Burleigh County, which means voter precinct boundaries will change within districts.

North Dakota has 47 legislative districts, each with two representatives and one senator. Burleigh County is home to seven districts. The full Legislature will approve a new map of legislative districts later this year. It will remain for the next 10 years.
We know from the FBI investigation, from how trains operate, how trains work, how the couplers work, how the pin lifters work, that this incident was caused without a doubt by sabotage, Korey McDaniel with the unions safety team told BNSF Railway investigators, according to a hearing transcript obtained by the station.

The incident happened near where two people had been arrested a month before and accused of attempting a terrorist attack on train tracks to disrupt plans for a natural gas pipeline.

KUOW reports the cause of the derailment wont be officially declared until the FBI, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the National Transportation Safety Board finish their inquiries.

Two people were on board the 108-car train headed from North Dakota to the Ferndale Refinery, owned by Phillips 66.

The month before the derailment federal authorities in Seattle charged two people with a terrorist attack on train tracks, saying they placed shunts on Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks. Shunts consist of a wire strung across the tracks, mimicking the electrical signal of a train. The devices can cause trains to automatically brake and can disable railroad crossing guards.
Williston Basin International Airport officials announced Tuesday a new air carrier will start flying Williston to Las Vegas this fall.

Airport Director Anthony Dudas, joined by Mayor Howard Klug and Airport Commissioner Chris Brostuen, announced that Sun Country Airlines would be partnering with the airport, bringing non-stop flights to Las Vegas beginning Sept. 2, the Williston Herald reported.

"We want to continue to enhance air service for businesses and our local community so they have those opportunities to travel at an affordable fare to areas that they want to travel to," Dudas said. "We've been working for several years to get a low-cost leisure carrier to come to Williston."

Sun Country will offer twice weekly service to Las Vegas on Thursdays and Sundays. Dudas noted that flights on Sun Country are able to be booked immediately. Klug applauded the partnership, saying it will eliminate the need for residents to travel elsewhere to fly to the destinations they want.
The Chinese communist government is going to permit three children per family. How nice. Here's how The New York Times put it: "The announcement by the ruling Communist Party represents an acknowledgment that its limits on reproduction, the world's toughest, have jeopardized the country's future."

To describe China's "one child policy" as "limits on reproduction" is like calling Jim Crow laws "limits on political participation." The Times account, which at least used the word "brutal" after the jump, also featured a sidebar timeline of China's population policies that was even more anodyne. In 1978, it informs readers, the central government "approves a proposal in which family planning offices encourage couples to have one child, or at most two."

"Encourages"? Not quite. The one child policy deserves to be chronicled among the vicious human rights outrages of our time. Millions of women were strapped to hospital gurneys and had their unborn children torn from their wombs against their will. Millions more were forcibly sterilized. Were they encouraged? Sure. People got stars on little plaques showing how well they'd abided by family planning policies. They also lost their jobs, were denied education and had their houses demolished and their property confiscated if they gave birth to a non-state-authorized baby.
What Had Happened When I The Victim Needed Police for Help?

by Limin Wang

June 08, 2021, Tuesday

Moment ago of today June 08, 2021, I was calling NYC Precinct 109 at (718) 321-2250 for a police report about the April 04, 2021, Sunday incident of my landlord Mr. Maurice Shiau burning my left foot. The lady police on the phone asked for my information and the incident, but she told me there has been NO police report. I called 911 about the incident on April 05, 2021, Monday, and a lady police, a gentleman police, and a gentleman EMS came to the building front that day. The three were hearing my description of the incident and seeing my BIG blister on my left foot. The lady police said to write me a police report about it, and reminded me that the report may take a couple of days so I shall call before going to Precinct 109 for it.

On April 04, 2021, Sunday, the day before my calling of 911, my landlord Mr. Maurice Shiau came over and we talked about many issues of this rental residence, including his "another" burner keeping generating various modes of haunting noises, instead of heating, through the heating pipes. At a moment, Mr. Maurice Shiau suddenly left my apartment toward the burner room, and I unsuspectingly followed him there. Since I had never thought the old Taiwanese-American man would do such a meticulous assault on me, Mr. Maurice Shiau INTENTIONALLY BUT ACTING MISHAPINGLY burned my left foot by holding the woven metal hose from the heating burner and watering the hot, rusty water onto my left foot for seconds. He had been moving around the heating burner and me and then going body-stooped, while I was standing, talking about the no-heating but noise "service" to my rental space, without vigilance on his every move. The more detailed description had been put online by me that day and the immediate following days.

Now, Precinct 109 told me to either go there re-report the burning-by-landlord incident or call tomorrow again to see any difference on the police report system. About various OTHER matters, I had been at Precinct 109 several times before, and had been calling 911 multiple times before, I have NOT got the expected HELP from the American DOMESTIC ARMED Forces --- Police. For example, my wife's desertation or missing twice in year 2014; the banging on my this rental residence door in years 2016 and 2017 by the second-floor Taiwanese-American renters (one time such intruders claimed to be police outside of my apartment door); my reporting of the serious injuries I sustained from slavery workplace and then murderous "medical clinics" at the entrance steps of Precinct 109 on August 31, 2020...

I would go blog-style news-reporting frequently and daily, because THE SYSTEM HAS NOT DELIVERED THE JUSTICE OR COMPENSATION. Instead, I have sustained more and more pain and sufferings, including the eviction from the landlord.
The Biden administration has offered no similar details on how the U.S. plans to manage the eventual border reopening.

Ad campaign to open Canadian border goes bicoastal  and binational What started as a modest ad campaign in Buffalo in mid-May is growing into a binational, big-money effort to reopen the long-shut U.S.-Canadian border.

However, the State Department did decide to remove Canada  as well as countries such as Japan, France, Italy, Spain, Greece and Switzerland  from its "Do Not Travel" list. Those nations were added to the list when their Covid-19 infection rates were spiking in April.

The decision to lower Canada's status to "Reconsider Travel" came as encouraging news for those who want the border to reopen.

"I'm very happy," said Sandy Pearce, founder of Families Are Essential, one of several groups of people separated from their loved ones by the border closure and lobbying for the border to reopen. "There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel."

But Pearce also said that the United States and Canada should add people traveling to see loved ones to the category of "essential travelers" allowed to cross immediately. "We're personally vaccinated, so there's no reason not to," she said.

Asked on Tuesday about whether the United States might take the same sort of phased approach to the border reopening that Canada is taking, White House press secretary Jen Psaki provided no new details.
"While the Skyway's future may be on hold for now, we will continue to drive an aggressive agenda forward to secure a substantial federal investment that will fuel other big-ticket projects that are long overdue," Kennedy said.

While the Skyway and Scajaquada projects are further along with federally required environmental impact statements than the Kensington, the Biden administration has made removing highway projects that devastated neighborhoods a priority even, it appears, if they are behind in being reviewed.

Higgins and Kennedy are calling for the removal of the Hamburg tolls; more efficient stoplight patterns to ease travel for commuters through city streets on the East Side and in South Buffalo; and a new parkway, park and bike path at Tifft Street that would connect South Buffalo and Buffalo Harbor State Park.

They also want to see a new Louisiana Street bridge that would cross the Buffalo River at the I-190; an on-ramp at Lake Avenue to take Southtowns residents to the 90 to connect to the 190; and a Thruway turning lane at Milestrip Road, which they say is also necessary for commuters.

"All of this other stuff would have to be done before the Skyway came down, anyway," Higgins said.
A 27-year-old Buffalo man turned himself in to Buffalo police Monday in connection with a shooting incident Sunday outside the Allen Burger Venture restaurant at 175 Allen St., that left two wounded, according to Buffalo Police Capt. Jeff Rinaldo.

Tyshiem Evans was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon, Rinaldo said.

Evans was arraigned in Buffalo City Court and remanded to the Erie County Holding Center.

Rinaldo laid out the timeline of the incident during a news conference Monday inside Buffalo Police Department headquarters. According to Rinaldo, members of the police departments Gun Violence Unit were called to the scene in Allentown at about 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Upon their arrival, police discovered two people with gunshot wounds.

Based on the information I have, two employees that worked there were engaged in a verbal altercation in the kitchen that eventually led to a fistfight. The fistfight spilled out of the kitchen into the back alley of the restaurant, said Rinaldo.

At one point during the altercation, Evans walked into what Rinaldo described as an employee locker room area where, Rinaldo said, it is believed Evans retrieved a handgun.
Six Buffalo police officers were injured late Monday night in a series of events that began with an attempt to stop a stolen vehicle in a gas station station parking lot on Bailey Avenue and Langfield Drive, Buffalo Police Capt. Jeff Rinaldo said Tuesday.

The officers stopped the vehicle about 11:20 p.m. in the parking lot of a gas station across the street from the Northeast District police station and were trying to get the occupants to get out of the car when, police said, the driver, identified as a 16-year-old, tried to drive away in reverse.

Surveillance footage of the incident can be seen in the video below.

The driver dragged Lt. Nicole Santiago with the stolen vehicle, which left her injured. The driver exited the lot and police pursued the vehicle. Police said the chase was permitted under department policy based on the injury to the lieutenant.

During the pursuit, the driver of the stolen vehicle swerved into an oncoming car and that car struck a police vehicle, Rinaldo said. Two officers in that vehicle were injured.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a White House visit this summer.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden extended the invitation during a phone call on Monday with Zelenskyy, who has publicly raised concerns about the U.S. presidents plan to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and about a nearly completed Russia-to-Germany natural gas pipeline that would allow Russia to bypass Ukraine.

Biden made the invitation during a call that had been planned in advance of Bidens trip to Europe that culminates with a stop in Geneva next week for a face-to-face meeting with Putin as tensions in the U.S.-Russia relationship remain high.

Zelenskyy tweeted his response: Thank you @POTUS @JoeBiden for inviting me to visit the @WhiteHouse in July during our phone conversation. I look forward to this meeting to discuss ways to expand strategic cooperation between Ukraine and #USA.

Sullivan said Biden and Zelenskyy had the opportunity to talk at some length about all of the issues in the U.S.-Ukraine relationship and President Biden was able to tell President Zelenskyy that he will stand up firmly for Ukraines sovereignty, territorial integrity, and its aspirations as we go forward."
The fatal shooting in question took place in Columbus on Dec. 4 while Meade, a 17-year veteran of the sheriffs office, was finishing up an unsuccessful search for a fugitive as part of his work for a U.S. Marshals Office fugitive task force.

Goodson was not the subject of the fugitive search. While U.S. Marshal Peter Tobin initially said Meade confronted Goodson after Goodson drove by and waved a gun at the deputy, he later withdrew those comments, saying theyd been based on insufficient information.

Tobin also said Meade was "not performing a mission" for the marshals at the time of the shooting.

Relatives say Goodson was opening the door to his grandmothers house at the time he was shot. Officials said that a gun was recovered from the scene but have not provided further details.

The case remains under criminal investigation by the U.S. attorneys office with help from the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division. Meade has not been charged.

While Goodsons family is disappointed that Baldwin didnt fire Meade, the family's attorney said Friday that his resignation provides a small sense of relief."
RANA E HEDHUN, Albania (AP)  The Albanian beach site had everything in one place: pine trees, sand, sea, nearby mountains and days of nonstop music.

Its very rare that you got all of those things together at one time, said the director of the open-air Unum music festival, Grego OHalloran. As an Englishman living in Ibiza, Spain  another magical beach music scene  he knows what he is talking about.

Albania is the hidden gem of Europe," he added. "(It's) an hour, two hours, from almost all of Europe and its so beautiful and undiscovered.

Organizers sold all 10,000 tickets for the June 3-7 festival featuring 50 international and local musicians, as people jumped at the chance to hear nonstop music for five days at Thrown Sand beach, 75 kilometers (45 miles) northwest of the capital, Tirana.

Organizers claimed that everyone at the festival was free of COVID-19 but offered no proof for those claims and no virus checks were apparent.

The main stage near the beach was on top of a sailboat, while another was under the pine trees close to the beach. Tattoos were not required for fans but many sported one or more. Fans came from all across Europe, even as far away as Uruguay.
The Republican members of the Senate voted against an investigation into the insurrection of the lawless Trump supporters in a futile effort to stop the confirmation of President Biden who won the election by more than five million votes. The invasion that killed five people and injured many more has never happened before in the United States. The count was 54 in favor and 35 opposed. The investigation was cancelled because 60 votes were needed to overcome the filibuster.

Mitch McConnell, the former GOP majority leader wants to have minority rule. His purpose is to stop all projects of the Biden administration.

The Biden administration has successfully distributed more Covid-19 shots to 60% of the American citizens. It wants to pass laws that would have better cybersecurity, infrastructure healthcare, head-start, child care, jobs with living wages and programs that help the small businesses not the well to do firms. The cost of college and student debt should be reduced.

How should we pay for this help to the average person? We should tax the rich who have profited by 192% with tax cuts and special favors.

There are more deaths by gun-fire than ever before. We need more police that are newly hired young people that live in the neighborhoods that they serve.
Spanish Teachers and Students Wear Skirts to School to Support Equality

This Is How You Create Positive Change in the World

Last October, a high school student in Spain was forced to see a psychologist because he wore a skirt to school. Since then, hundreds of teachers and students are voluntarily wearing skirts to the classroom to show their support for gender equality and offer solidarity to all of the kids who were ostracized or bullied for being gender nonconforming.

RELATED: Why Genderless Clothing Works

It began when 15-year-old Mikel Gomez wore a skirt to school last fall, hoping to challenge antiquated gender norms and support women's rights. He couldn't foresee that the school would pull him out of class and force him to speak with a psychologist. He told his own story in a viral TikTok:

His story resonated with many people, not only in Spain but across the world, and it caught the attention of Jose Pinas, a gay math teacher who suffered bullying for his sexuality when he was a student. He spoke up about his experiences on Twitter:

Hace 20anos sufri persecucion e insultos xmi orientacion sexual en el instituto en el q ahora soy profesor, muchs profes, miraron para otro lado. Quiero unirme a la causa del alumno, Mikel, q ha sido expulsado y enviado al psicologo por ir a clase con falda. #LaRopaNoTieneGenero pic.twitter.com/5PEN9vityY  Jose Pinas (@joxepinas) November 9, 2020

The translation reads: "20 years ago, I suffered persecution and insults for my sexual orientation in the institute where I am now a teacher,. Many teachers, they looked the other way. I wanted to join in the cause of the student, Mikel, who has been expelled and sent to the psychologist for going to class with a skirt."

And what about that hashtag, #LaRopaNoTieneGenero? It translates to "#ClothingHasNoGender," and it's become a rallying cry for supporters of the cause. A second movement was started at Johan Carballeira Institute of Secondary Education, where male students now wear skirts to school on the fourth day of every month.

The cherry on top? In deference to these brave students and teachers, Mikel Gomez's school has established a new class specifically to address issues of gender equality.

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Avaya device-specific Capabilities Deliver Differentiated UCaaS Solution to Call, Meet, Message and More in the Cloud

Avaya (NYSE:AVYA) and RingCentral Inc. (NYSE:RNG) today announced a wide range of new capabilities for the Avaya Cloud Office by RingCentral Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) solution, including many Avaya device-specific enhancements providing easy migration, additional video and global expansion features extending the ability for customers to connect across any device and work environment.

The past year has seen significant growth in the adoption of cloud-based unified communications applications, and research shows that 55 percent1 of organizations will adopt UCaaS solutions by the end of 2021. Additionally, over 87 percent1 of these organizations will continue to support remote work in 2021 and beyond, so it is critical that their communications solutions are capable of supporting work across multiple locations and devices. Avaya Cloud Office is now available in 13 countries, enabling organizations of all kinds to digitally transform their workforce communications. Avaya Cloud Office was also recently recognized with a MeritStar Award from Metrigy, ranking 2nd among all providers in terms of positive customer sentiment, ahead of Microsoft, Zoom and others.

The new Avaya Cloud Office features announced today fall into three key customer benefit areas:

Easy Migration to Cloud Communications

Visual Voicemail  For voicemail as it was meant to be. Navigate voice messages on your desk phone screen, view transcripts or listen to messages, and perform a number of operations like delete, forward, and call back, by using the desk phone buttons.

Bridged Call Appearance  Enables a primary number to appear on multiple phones, so delegates can act on behalf of the phone number owner to: call on behalf, hold, pickup within the group, share a line, or join calls. Delegates can act as the owner of the line  not only answering calls, but initiating the calls on behalf of the owner. This is especially convenient in the manager/admin assistant scenario.

Park & Page  Initiated with the press of a button, which invokes a page to a defined group, and enables an "Answer" soft key for anyone in the group.

Group Call Pickup  Allows any member of a designated group to be notified when a group member receives an incoming call, and they can answer if the intended recipient is unavailable, by simply pressing the pickup key on their phone.

New Ways to Connect Over Video

Story continues

Avaya Cloud Office Rooms  Combined with an Avaya Collaboration Unit, Avaya Cloud Office turns any workspace into a conference room. For a wide range of rooms, from home to office, huddle spaces or large boardrooms, and using one or two displays, this feature is the perfect solution for getting everyone together, wherever they are.

Avaya Vantage TM  The Avaya Vantage portfolio of smart devices offers a new always-on high quality audio and video option for Avaya Cloud Office as well as one-touch access to favorite cloud-based apps and productivity-boosting AI tools such as Amazon Alexa.

Plug and Play USB devices  Avaya offers additional USB cameras and audio-conferencing devices, and a docking station to help users connect everything, including your display and laptop, while running Avaya Cloud Office.

Global Expansion Capabilities

EU Essentials package now available  Avaya Cloud Office is available in four license tiers including Essential, Standard, Premium, and Ultimate. The Essential tier has now been added to the following EU countries: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain.

New default data residency  To facilitate data residency requirements in certain markets, Avaya Cloud Office customer data is now stored in-country by default, without the need for Opt-In, in the following markets: U.S., Canada, Germany and the U.K.

More Global Office markets added  Customers can extend their global reach even further, with Global Office licenses now expanding to over forty countries including Greece, Slovenia, Estonia and South Africa. Global Office licenses extend the ability of organizations in the thirteen Avaya Cloud Office markets to include staff from additional countries that can be billed through the home office license.

"Instead of going back to work, employees will be going forward to work in a new way  using cloud-based communications as part of a digital workplace and hybrid work model, and we are further enhancing Avaya Cloud Office to address their needs," said Dennis Kozak, Avaya SVP, Global Channel Sales. "We are making it easier for organizations to migrate to cloud, and providing more ways to connect and communicate across home and office locations and multiple devices, providing the flexibility and agility that enables successful hybrid work environments."

"As both a master agent and value-added distributor for Avaya, we are excited about the new features added to Avaya Cloud Office," said Patrick Howard, Vice President of Vendor Management and Marketing, Jenne. "By incorporating these Avaya-specific features on Avaya devices exclusively with the Avaya Cloud Office UCaaS offering, Avaya and RingCentral are delivering a best-in-class solution that allows enterprises of all sizes to migrate to the cloud while still communicating efficiently and in the manner in which they are accustomed  all accomplished with world class collaboration tools for our agents and resellers."

Avaya Cloud Office was recognized with the 2020 Unified Communications Excellence Award and a 2020 Communications Solution of the Year Award for enabling enterprises to leverage cloud communications to digitally transform their workforce engagement. Digital.com has also named Avaya Cloud Office as one of the Best Business Phone Services of 2021 for its calling and meeting features, as well as service plans, a cost-saving equipment management model, SIP trunking, extensive support and the Best VOIP Phone Services Of 2020 based on the variety of feature-rich, cloud-based phone system packages.

"UCaaS adoption continues to rapidly grow, with more than 47 percent of companies using it now, and almost 40 percent of those still operating on-premise phone systems evaluating or planning to adopt UCaaS by the end of 2021," says Irwin Lazar, President and Principal Analyst, Metrigy. "These new Avaya Cloud Office features will make it easier for companies to obtain the benefits of cloud-based communications by enabling support for required call management capabilities, as well as by adding new capabilities to streamline voice messaging."

Click here for more information about Avaya Cloud Office.

1 Metrigy research 2021

About Avaya

Businesses are built by the experiences they provide, and every day millions of those experiences are delivered by Avaya Holdings Corp. (NYSE: AVYA). Avaya is shaping whats next for the future of work, with innovation and partnerships that deliver game-changing business benefits. Our cloud communications solutions and multi-cloud application ecosystem power personalized, intelligent, and effortless customer and employee experiences to help achieve strategic ambitions and desired outcomes. Together, we are committed to help grow your business by delivering Experiences that Matter. Learn more at http://www.avaya.com

About RingCentral

RingCentral, Inc. (NYSE: RNG) is a leading provider of business cloud communications and contact center solutions based on its powerful Message Video Phone (MVP) global platform. More flexible and cost effective than legacy on-premises PBX and video conferencing systems that it replaces, RingCentral empowers modern mobile and distributed workforces to communicate, collaborate, and connect via any mode, any device, and any location. RingCentral offers three key products in its portfolio including RingCentral MVP, a Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) platform including team messaging, video meetings, and cloud phone system; RingCentral Video, the company's video meetings solution with team messaging that enables Smart Video Meetings; and RingCentral cloud Contact Center solutions. RingCentrals open platform integrates with leading third-party business applications and enables customers to easily customize business workflows. RingCentral is headquartered in Belmont, California, and has offices around the world.

 2021 RingCentral, Inc. All rights reserved. RingCentral, Message Video Phone, MVP, RingCentral MVP, RingCentral Video, RingCentral Contact Center, Smart Video Meetings, and the RingCentral logo are trademarks of RingCentral, Inc.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains certain "forward-looking statements." All statements other than statements of historical fact are "forward-looking" statements for purposes of the U.S. federal and state securities laws. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "our vision," "plan," "potential," "preliminary," "predict," "should," "will," or "would" or the negative thereof or other variations thereof or comparable terminology. The Company has based these forward-looking statements on its current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While the Company believes these expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond its control. The factors are discussed in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") available at www.sec.gov, and may cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The Company cautions you that the list of important factors included in the Companys SEC filings may not contain all of the material factors that are important to you. In addition, in light of these risks and uncertainties, the matters referred to in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release may not in fact occur. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.

All trademarks identified by , TM, or SM are registered marks, trademarks, and service marks, respectively, of Avaya Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Source: Avaya Newsroom

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005311/en/

Contacts

For Avaya Media Inquiries:

Alex Alias

alalias@avaya.com

For RingCentral Media Inquiries:

Jyotsna Grover

jyotsna.grover@ringcentral.com
Representative Image

New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): Opening a window of possibilities of boosting groundnut exports from the eastern region, a consignment of 24 metric tonnes (MT) of groundnuts was exported to Nepal from West Bengal, informed the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday.

According to the commerce ministry, the consignment sourced from farmers of West Midnapore district of West Bengal, was exported by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) registered Laduram Promoters Pvt Ltd, Kolkata.

"India exported 6.38 lakh tonnes worth of Rs 5,381 crore of groundnuts during 2020-21. The groundnuts are exported to mostly countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Russia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and Nepal," the ministry said.

It further said through initiatives such as peanut.NET, APEDA has streamlined the exports of groundnuts through measures including buyer registration, batch processing by APEDA registered peanut units, application for a certificate of export and stuffing certificate by exporter, Aflatoxin analysis and issue of stuffing certificate by laboratories, issuance of a certificate of exports by APEDA.

According to the third advance estimates of oilseeds production by the ministry of agriculture and farmer welfare, the groundnut production in 2020-21 is estimated at 101.19 lakh tonne against 99.52 lakh tonne estimated in 2019-20.

"Traditionally, Gujarat and Rajasthan have a major share in groundnut exports. The groundnut exports from West Bengal will boost the export potential of the crop from the eastern region," it said.

Gujarat is the largest producer of groundnuts in the country, which is followed by Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Rajasthan.

"The crop is grown in both Kharif and Rabi seasons. The Kharif season has a share of more than 75 per cent of the total production," it added. (ANI)
Watch: Worldwide internet outage linked to content delivery network Fastly

Multiple major websites have been hit by a massive and simultaneous internet outage.

Amazon and the UK government were among those affected on Tuesday morning. The BBC initially reported its website had also been impacted.

Leading media websites including the Guardian, Financial Times, Independent, New York Times, Evening Standard and Reddit were among others showing error messages.

The outage meant some websites went down completely, while others experienced smaller disruption and were still able to operate.

Many of those which initially went down, including the UK government's, gradually returned to service from about noon.

Tech experts said there is no evidence the outage was caused by malicious activity.

It appeared to have been sparked by an issue with Fastly, one of the world's major content delivery networks (CDNs).

A CDN is a system used to host websites and their content on the internet and serve it to users. Fastly reported a major outage across its global network, which is believed to have caused the outage.

The company offers services such as speeding up loading times for websites, protecting them from denial-of-service cyberattacks and helping them deal with bursts of traffic in order to stay online and stable.

The US firm initially confirmed it was currently investigating potential impact to performance with our CDN services.

It later said: "The issue has been identified and a fix has been applied. Customers may experience increased origin load as global services return."

The outage is thought to have been an issue with content delivery network Fastly. (SOPA Images/Sipa USA)

Alex Hern, the Guardians technology editor, tweeted that Fastly had "been identified as the cause of the problem.

The outage, which began shortly before 11am UK time, saw visitors to a vast array of sites receive error messages including Error 503 Service Unavailable and a terse connection failure."

Boris Johnson's official spokesman, meanwhile, said the Cabinet Office was "urgently" investigating the outage.

Story continues

He said: We are aware of the issues with gov.uk which means many users are unable to access the site.

Read more:

Shocking moment man disguised as Amazon delivery driver brandishes loaded shotgun outside London home

Only three fully vaccinated people hospitalised out of 12,000 infected with Indian COVID variant

Obviously this happened recently, it appears to be a wider issue, a global issue, and as you would expect Cabinet Office are investigating it as a matter of urgency.

Asked whether there was any evidence it was a hostile act, he added: It appears to be, initially at least, this is an issue that is affecting a number of sites globally, it doesnt appear to be targeted to any one site.

Mark Rodbert, a visiting professor in computer science at the University of York and founder of cybersecurity firm Idax Software, said the incident showed the internet was too reliant on a small number of companies to stay online.

It is remarkable that within ten minutes, one outage can send the world into chaos, he said.

This demonstrates the extent to which the move to the cloud has changed the things that companies need to protect."

Prof Rodbert added: "Whether the people inside a company or a supplier have made a mistake, or malicious perpetrators outside the perimeter have created the problem, its so important that we create firebreaks in the system so that if one company, or even just one well-connected employee, is compromised, the whole system isnt brought to its knees.

This page is being updated.

Watch: The history of the internet
Woburn, MA (01801)

Today

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 59F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 59F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8)  The government has set a new target for its COVID-19 vaccination program as the country's supply is expected to get a boost beginning this month.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez said Tuesday they want all the 35.5 million frontline workers under the A4 priority group to have their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine by September or October.

"We are targeting yung (the) first dose dahil kasi ang (because the) second dose, more or less mga (it would take around) two months before it can be finished," Galvez told CNN Philippines' The Source.

The country expanded its COVID-19 inoculation drive to the A4 group on Monday. This sector includes private sector employees required to physically report to work, government personnel, workers in the informal sector, the self-employed who work outside of their homes, and private household workers.

Amid the limited stocks, A4 vaccination is being carried out first in Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao -- collectively called the NCR+8. These areas make up the majority of COVID-19 cases in the country. They are being inoculated alongside healthcare workers, senior citizens, and persons with comorbidities.

But inoculations are seen to pick up pace as around 38 million doses of COVID-19 shots are expected to arrive in the country this month until August. They include 10 million doses in June, 11 million in July, and 17 million in August, according to Galvez.

LGUs to take the lead in A4 vaccination?

He said those under the A4 group must pre-register in local governments' COVID-19 vaccination programs.

The local governments, with the guidance of the Department of Health, will then decide who will receive the shots first among the A4 sector, provided they have enough vaccine supply, the czar said.

Meanwhile, LGUs with limited supply must prioritize workers aged 40 and above as they have a high risk of requiring hospitalization or dying if they catch the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, Galvez added.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier urged local governments to give priority to workers aged 40 to 59.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8)  Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the countrys seven-day moving average for its COVID-19 vaccination declined last week due to low supply.

However, he noted during Mondays televised Cabinet briefing that this is expected to rebound this week with impending deliveries of 10 million doses this June.

According to latest government data, vaccinations during the week of May 31 to June 6 averaged around 112,000 per day.

For the month of June, a total of 11,058,000 million COVID-19 vaccine doses are expected to arrive, which already includes 1 million Sinovac coronavirus vaccines that the country received on Sunday.

Supply expected to arrive this month are from Sputnik V, Sinovac, Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca, according to Galvez. This will bring total vaccine inventory of the country to 19,387,050.

Latest data show that the government has so far received 9.33 million COVID-19 vaccines, most of which are Chinas Sinovac. Moreover, almost 6 million COVID-19 shots have been administered, with around 1.52 million individuals fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

From the initial goal of inoculating up to 70% of the Philippine population by year-end to achieve herd immunity, the government brought it down to 50% to 60% and gave more focus on Metro Manila to reach immediate protection.

To date, nationwide tally of COVID-19 cases has reached 1,276,004, of which 58,854 are currently ill patients.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8)  When is the best time to drop the face shield requirement for Filipinos?

For vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr., this would be only possible if at least half of the country's 110-million population is already inoculated against the coronavirus. As of June 6, there are only over one million fully vaccinated Filipinos, according to the Department of Health.

Galvez argued that face shields help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

"Palagay ko iyong face shield [policy], mawawala po iyan maybe in the future kapag medyo sizeable na po ang ating na-vaccinate, or maybe nakita natin na based on science na pagka once we have already vaccinated a sizeable amount or at least 50% or 70% we can already remove the protection," Galvez told CNN Philippines' The Source.

[Translation: I think the face shield policy may be lifted in the future once we have already vaccinated a sizeable amount or at least 50% or 70% (of the population) so we can already remove the protection.]

"I recommend na gamitin pa rin natin ang (that we still use) face shields until such time that our experts will say it is now time to remove some restrictions on using face shields," he added.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno earlier suggested dropping the face shield requirement, except in hospitals, to lessen the expenses of households amid the crisis.

The Department of Health and the Department of the Interior and Local Government opposed the proposal, saying the face shield adds a layer of protection against the coronavirus.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8)  Malacanang on Tuesday denied knowledge of the troll farms being organized by an undersecretary, as claimed by Senator Panfilo Lacson.

Wala po kaming alam diyan [We know nothing about that]," Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing.

"Hindi po 'yan polisiya ng gobyerno [Thats not a government policy],  he added.

If the allegations are true, Roque said, the official in question must be doing it in his personal capacity.

According to Lacson, a government undersecretary has been organizing internet troll farms across the country to target political rivals or those not aligned with President Rodrigo Dutertes administration.

He did not disclose the official's identity, but said he found out about it through a former employee who was offered to take part in the scheme.

Kasi ito yung ino-offer at nalaman ko tuloy na nag-o-organize sila sa bawat probinsya na mag-establish ng troll farm," the senator alleged. "Sabihin natin, kada probinsya, dalawang troll farms ang pinapa-organize."

[Translation: That is what was offered, and so I learned that theyre establishing troll farms for each province. Lets say for every province, they want two troll farms organized.]

Lacson, nonetheless, said he also believes the official is not authorized by the government to do such a thing.

Whether or not it is sanctioned by Malacanang well I hope not, and I dont believe so  maybe overeager lang yung official na yun na magpakitang gilas sa kanyang ginagawa [Maybe the official is just overeager to show off what hes doing], he said.

Critics have accused the Duterte administration of hiring online trolls to attack the opposition.

According to a study released by international group Reporters Without Borders, the so-called cyber-troll armies have become a big business since Duterte's 2016 election campaign and have since been amplifying government propaganda.

CNN Philippines correspondent Eimor Santos contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8)  President Rodrigo Duterte chided Senator Manny Pacquiao for criticizing his stance on the West Philippine Sea issue.

Its about foreign policy. I would not want to degrade him, but next time he should...mag-aral ka muna nang husto [study diligently], Duterte said in an interview with his friend Pastor Apollo Quiboloy on Tuesday.

Apparently, this guy has a very shallow knowledge, the President added.

Pacquiao  president of the ruling PDP-Laban party  earlier criticized Dutertes stance on the maritime dispute with China as lacking. Pacquiao said Duterte should be giving strong responses now, just as he did during the 2016 presidential campaign, when he said he would ride a jet ski and plant the Philippine flag in the West Philippine Sea to assert the country's sovereign rights.

RELATED: Senate likely to pass West PH Sea resolution with amendments

Duterte has been criticized for his friendly ties with China, which has repeatedly rejected the 2016 arbitral ruling the favored Manila over Beijings claims in the disputed waters.

Itong mga taong ito, hindi ako kilala [These people do not know me] Foreign policy is just being neutral. But ako [I am] neutral in a sense I do not favor one country for the other nor would I allow any of those countries to be in the Philippines to establish itong mga [these] military bases, he countered.

The President earlier said the country owes a debt of gratitude to China. However, he stressed he cannot compromise on some matters, especially those concerning the West Philippine Sea.
(CNN) -- The body of a toddler that washed up on Karmy Island earlier this year has been identified by Norwegian police as that of Artin Irannezhad from Iran, who was previously listed as missing after his family attempted to cross the English Channel by boat in October 2020.

"It is now positive that the boy who was found is Artin Irannezhad. He is of Iranian origin and disappeared during a shipwreck in the English Channel off the coast of France on October 27, last year," Southwestern Police lead investigator Camilla Tjelle Waage said in a statement on Monday.

Artin was 18 months old when he disappeared, police said. Both his parents died in the shipwreck, as well as his two older siblings. The family were among 19 migrants on board the UK-bound boat, which capsized in French waters.

When the small body washed up on Norway's Karmy Island, there were no reports of missing babies in the area and no family had contacted local police, a spokesperson for Southwestern Police told CNN on Monday. The blue overalls Artin was wearing were not a Norwegian brand, which suggested he was not a native, the police also said.

Artin's family was Iranian Kurdish according to HENGAW, a human rights organization focused on Iranian Kurdistan.

Forensic scientists at Oslo University last week were able to match Artin's DNA with that of a relative in Norway, said the lead investigator in a statement.

"This is a painstaking process, but we are pleased that we have now received confirmation that it is the missing boy who was found on Karmy. This story is tragic, but at least it's good to be able to give the relatives an answer," Tjelle Waage said.

"The police have had an ongoing dialogue with the French authorities. We have always respected ongoing processes across national borders, but when it turned out that the boy's relative in Norway had a kinship that was close enough, we chose to make an attempt to match that person's DNA with that of the boy," Tjelle Waage added.

French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister discussed the issue of Channel crossings on Monday ahead of the upcoming G7 summit, according to Downing Street.

"The Prime Minister and President talked about the issue of illegal migration across the English Channel," a Downing spokesperson said in a statement.

"The Prime Minister noted ongoing cooperation to tackle small boat crossings in the Channel and raised the need for redoubled efforts to deter migrants from attempting this perilous journey following the concerning rise in incidents over recent weeks," they added.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Norwegian police identify body of toddler who died crossing the English Channel"
(CNN)  US President Joe Biden has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to visit the White House later this summer, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday.

Sullivan said Biden discussed the upcoming visit during a call with Zelensky earlier Monday afternoon as part of a planned discussion ahead of Biden's upcoming trip to Europe.

Zelensky confirmed the invitation, tweeting, "Thank you @POTUS @JoeBiden for inviting me to visit the @WhiteHouse in July during our phone conversation. I look forward to this meeting to discuss ways to expand strategic cooperation between Ukraine and #USA."

Monday's call came days after Zelensky told Axios he was imploring Biden to meet with him in-person before the President meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva next week. The White House appears to have turned down Zelensky's request for an in-person meeting ahead of the summit.

Asked about whether Biden would take Zelensky up on meeting before the Putin summit, Sullivan said during the press briefing that Biden told the Ukrainian leader during Monday's call "that he looks forward to welcoming him to the White House here in Washington this summer after he returns from Europe."

"I have come into this briefing room from the Oval Office where President Biden was on the phone with President Zelensky of Ukraine. This is a call they had been planning to make in advance of President Biden going to Europe (and) meeting with President Putin," Sullivan said. "They had the opportunity to talk at some length about all of the issues in the US-Ukraine relationship. And President Biden was able to tell President Zelensky that he will stand up firmly for Ukraine sovereignty, territorial integrity and its aspirations as we go forward."

Biden reaffirmed his support for Ukraine's NATO membership aspirations as well as support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to a statement released Monday by Zelensky's office.

"Joe Biden reaffirmed the unwavering US support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and noted Volodymyr Zelenskyy's leadership in implementing fundamental reforms in the country," the statement read.

"The President of the United States also highlighted the full support for Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration and the importance of providing the Ukrainian state with a NATO Membership Action Plan. He assured that Ukraine's position will be taken into account when discussing strategic issues in NATO, as well as during scheduled top-level events."

Zelensky also thanked the US for providing the country with 900,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses.

"It will save the lives of many Ukrainians. The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to a strategic partnership with Ukraine," Zelensky said in the statement.

In a recent op-ed for The Washington Post, Biden indicated that Ukraine would be top of mind during his discussions with European allies and with Putin in Geneva.

"So, when I meet with Vladimir Putin in Geneva, it will be after high-level discussions with friends, partners and allies who see the world through the same lens as the United States, and with whom we have renewed our connections and shared purpose," Biden wrote. "We are standing united to address Russia's challenges to European security, starting with its aggression in Ukraine, and there will be no doubt about the resolve of the United States to defend our democratic values, which we cannot separate from our interests."

During the Trump administration, the White House refused to take action over Russian aggression in Ukraine. But the Biden administration has indicated that the nation will be among the topics of discussion during the Putin summit.

Zelensky played a central role in former US President Donald Trump's first impeachment. A whistleblower complaint first flagged that, during a call between Zelensky and Trump in July 2019, Trump asked Zelensky for help digging up damaging material on Biden -- his then-Democratic rival.

Zelensky told reporters on Thursday that he felt the US' lift on Nord Stream 2 sanctions would be a victory for Russia and a personal loss for Biden.

The Biden administration indicated last month that it had decided against sanctioning the company in charge of building Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline despite strongly opposing the project, signaling that it is prioritizing unity with allies over concerns about a potential geopolitical threat.

The administration instead opted to sanction some of the smaller entities involved in the project, including some Russian companies and ships that have been helping in the construction.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Biden invites Ukrainian President to White House in July."
(CNN)  Google will pay a 220 million ($270 million) fine and make changes to its huge online advertising business as part of an antitrust settlement with French regulators.

The penalty comes as the tech giant faces multiple US suits over anti-competitive behavior and could lead to similar agreements with officials elsewhere. Facebook, the other dominant player in digital advertising, is being investigated separately by EU regulators over claims that its use of data gives it an unfair advantage in the business.

In a statement on Monday, France's competition authority said it had fined Google "for abusing its dominant position" in the market for online advertising to the detriment of rival platforms and publishers.

The authority accused Google of giving "preferential treatment" to Google Ad Manager, its ad management platform for large publishers. It did this by favoring its own online ad marketplace, AdX, where publishers sell space to advertisers in real time, according to the watchdog.

"The decision sanctioning Google is particularly significant because it is the first decision in the world to examine the complex algorithmic bidding processes by which online display advertising operates," France's antitrust chief Isabelle de Silva said in the statement.

As part of the settlement agreement, Google has committed to making it easier for publishers in France to make use of its data and use its tools with other ad technologies. "We will be testing and developing these changes over the coming months before rolling them out more broadly, including some globally," the company said in a statement.

"We are committed to working proactively with regulators everywhere to make improvements to our products," it added.

De Silva said that the fine and Google's commitments "will restore a level playing field for all players, and the ability of publishers to make the most of their advertising space."

The case followed complaints by News Corp, French news publishing group Le Figaro and Belgian press group Rossel. Earlier this year, Google agreed to pay French news publishers for their content in a landmark agreement under new copyright laws. It later signed similar deals with News Corp and Seven West Media in Australia.

Google is facing several antitrust cases in the United States, including one brought by the federal government, which accuse the company of operating an illegal monopoly in the markets for online search and search advertising.

 Stephanie Halasz contributed reporting.

This story was first published on CNN.com Google fined $270 million in France for unfair advertising practices
(CNN)  China has cut its global tech champions down to size, cracking down on antitrust abuses and undue risk taking. But the heavy-handed approach could backfire on Beijing by stifling an entrepreneurial spirit that has proven vital to the country's rapid economic rise.

Several tech companies have been investigated in the past few months over alleged monopolistic behavior or other breaches of consumer rights. The ongoing probe  which President Xi Jinping has personally endorsed as necessary to maintain "social stability"  has led to record fines for some tech titans and massive overhauls for others. More than $600 billion has been wiped off the value of the biggest tech stocks in recent months.

A couple of China's most successful entrepreneurs have quit high-level positions amid the turmoil. Zhang Yiming, the founder of TikTok owner ByteDance, recently announced he would step down as CEO at just 38 years old to take a less prominent role in the company. And Colin Huang, 41, said in March that he would resign as chairman of Pinduoduo, an upstart e-commerce company that competes with the likes of Alibaba. Meanwhile, Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma  China's most famous tech entrepreneur  has largely dropped out of public view.

Zhang and Huang both said they were departing to try new things, and neither referenced the government's focus on the tech sector in their announcements. Zhang's decision to step down was not related to regulatory moves in China, a ByteDance spokesperson said. Pinduoduo referred CNN Business to Huang's public comments.

But it's hard to separate their exits from the widening government clampdown on technology.

"The atmosphere hovering over China's tech landscape has grown increasingly toxic," said Alex Capri, a research fellow at Hinrich Foundation and a visiting senior fellow at National University of Singapore. He cited Zhang's move as "proof that fear trumps ambition if the threat of public humiliation or some worse form of punishment awaits those who challenge the system."

But challenging the system is essential to the private enterprise that played a key role in China's transition from a poor country to one of the world's greatest economic and tech forces over the past few decades. Losing that dynamic would not only risk undermining some of those achievements, it could also make it much harder for China to meet its ambitious goals to lead the world in the technologies of the future.

A state-driven economy

Wary tech executives need look no further than Beijing's public humiliation of Ma. The flamboyant and outspoken entrepreneur all but disappeared after he criticized China's state-controlled banking system last fall for having a "pawn shop mentality," and accused the government of using stodgy and outdated means to regulate a modern financial system.

It's not just Ma's private reputation on the line. The businesses he built have suffered too. Beijing prevented Ant Group, Alibaba's financial affiliate, from going public, before forcing it to restructure and placing it under heavy regulation. Alibaba was slapped with a record fine in April over antitrust issues. Ma's legacy is under attack elsewhere  he has reportedly been forced to retreat from an elite business school that he founded.

"Part of the crackdown on internet tech companies is motivated by the desire to reduce financial risk, as in curtailing the lending activities of Ant," said Nicholas Lardy, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) who studies China's economy. Ant held about 2.15 trillion yuan ($333 billion) worth of consumer and small business loans this time last year.

But another reason "may be due to Xi's desire to cut down alternative sources of power that could ultimately challenge the dominance of the [ruling Chinese Communist Party]," Lardy added.

Beijing's desire to exert heavier control over private enterprise comes from the government's faith that a state-managed planned economy is more effective than one that relies on a free market approach, and more importantly, more likely to allow the Party to preserve its power.

"The leaders of the tech firms that have become too powerful for the comfort of Xi and the Communist Party are put under pressure, as the monopoly of power across the board by the Party cannot be allowed to be challenged," said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at SOAS University of London. "Hence, they individually take actions to reassure the Party and Xi that they will not do so, by handing over the corporate leadership to proteges."

An unstable balance of power

China's internet companies aren't necessarily trying to rock the boat. Alibaba has worked extensively with the government on its Rural Taobao initiative, a program aimed at reducing poverty among farmers by helping them sell goods directly to urban consumers online. The company also developed a government-sponsored app  Xuexi Qiangguo  that teaches Xi's political philosophies.

"All of the big Chinese tech giants  in spite of their private nature  have cultivated a proximity to the government that presumably created the idea of balanced power relations," said Sonja Opper, a professor at Bocconi University in Italy who studies China's economy and its institutional transition to the private sector.

Tech entrepreneurs are also widely represented in Party circles.Tencent founder and CEO Pony Ma and Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun both serve as members of the National People's Congress  China's rubber-stamp parliament. Baidu founder and CEO Robin Li and NetEase founder and CEO William Ding are members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body. Jack Ma is a Communist Party member.

"The Party groomed rock-star like celebrities, [and] they were co-opted by making them members of the National People's Congress," Opper said, adding that tech entrepreneurs "certainly began to feel safe, because of their economic power and global visibility."

"They began to raise a critical voice and began to look like people who can challenge current thinking," she said. "What we see now is how unstable this balance was, and that control remains the government's key interest."

A risky strategy

Beijing's strategy is inherently risky.

China's long economic miracle and rapid ascent as a leader in tech has its roots in Beijing's farsighted decision in the late 1970s to give up some control over the economy and adopt a free market approach in many sectors. China's tech industry, for example, was free to raise capital oversees. Early bets by Japan's SoftBank (Alibaba) and South Africa's Naspers (Tencent) about 20 years ago paid off handsomely all round.

Restoring a high degree of state control may curtail the freedom that these private companies have to innovate and keep up with major global competitors.

Investors may lose the incentive to pour money into private Chinese firms if they are worried about "unwanted government interference," Opper said, especially since some tech projects often take a long time to develop. And there's evidence that may already be happening.

Alibaba has lost more than $240 billion in market capitalization since Ant Group's IPO was pulled in November. Tencent has seen $173 billion in market value evaporate since a peak in January. E-commerce firms Pinduoduo, JD.com, and food delivery giant Meituan, meanwhile, have lost a combined $231 billion since February peaks.

China's policymakers don't want to eliminate the private sector  it contributes nearly two thirds of the country's GDP and employs 80% of the workers. But it's very clear that Xi wants the state sector to lead, with private companies playing a supportive role.

"It's a paradox," said Lardy from the PIIE. "Xi wants the state to play a greater role. That's very clear from all the things he said from the last 10 years. He wants the government to play a bigger role to get things going faster."

But for Xi to achieve his ambitions of turning China into an innovation leader by 2035 and a global tech superpower by 2050, he'll need to rely more on private firms than he expects.

The Chinese leader has increasingly stressed the need for China to shed its reliance on the West for technology over the past couple of years, especially as Washington curbs the ability for Chinese companies to access US tech. But the firms driving innovation and development in China aren't state-owned companies. Rather, private firms are leading the way: Huawei and Alibaba, for example, accounted for more spending on research and development than any other Chinese company last year, according to the China Enterprise Confederation.

"Looking back, there is a reason why China's tech giants were able to develop," Opper said. "They had a degree of freedom that allowed [them] to unleash productivity and innovation not seen in any state-owned enterprises in China."

Overly confident

That doesn't seem to be a lesson that China's policymakers want to heed right now.

The Covid-19 pandemic has convinced China that a largely planned economy with strict regulation of many aspects of life is the best approach to running the nation. The country last year implemented some of the strictest measures worldwide to contain the virus. In turn, it emerged as the only major economy to avert recession, outperforming its Western peers.

"Our greatest advantage is that the socialist system can enable us to concentrate resources to accomplish large undertakings," Xi was cited as saying in an editorial by the People's Daily, the Communist Party's mouthpiece, earlier this year. "This is an important way for us to achieve our cause."

The editorial cited China's alleged victory in its years-long campaign of "eliminating extreme poverty" in 2020  by lifting all of its people above its set poverty line of 4,000 yuan, or $626, per year  as an example, writing: "Our Party and our country are the only ones in the world who can accomplish this, which fully demonstrates our political system's and institutional advantages."

But skeptics warn Beijing might be overconfident in its top-down economic strategy.

"It is a strategy that prioritizes short-term goals of political control over medium-term growth and development objectives," Opper said. "State-owned enterprises will not be able to fill the gap given weaker profit incentives and tighter control structures."

State-owned enterprises, despite being important tools for the Party's control, are notorious for their inefficiency  both in allocating resources and competing with private firms. They contribute much less to overall employment than private firms, and they account for as much as 70% of the corporate debt in China outside of the financial sector. That poses a threat to financial stability and economic growth.

Nonetheless, it's clear that Xi favors promoting the state sector and having such enterprises take the lead.

During a previous crackdown in 2017, this time against high-flying financial tycoons, Xi talked openly about the importance of the Communist Party as the heart of everything in China, including an economic policy focused on advancing the state sector.

"Xi is taking China down a path more risky than the alternative," said Tsang from SOAS.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Can China still lead the world in tech without a new Jack Ma?"
(CNN)  Jeff Bezos will be flying to space on the first crewed flight of the New Shepard, the rocket ship made by his space company, Blue Origin. The flight is scheduled for July 20th, just 15 days after he is set to resign as CEO of Amazon.

Blue Origin said Bezos' younger brother, Mark Bezos, will also join the flight.

"Ever since I was five years old, I've dreamed of traveling to space," Bezos, 57, said in a Monday morning Instagram post. "On July 20th, I will take that journey with my brother. The greatest adventure, with my best friend."

If all goes according to plan, Bezos  the world's richest person with a net worth of $187 billion  will be the first of the billionaire space tycoons to experience a ride aboard the rocket technology that he's poured millions into developing. Not even Elon Musk, whose SpaceX builds rockets powerful enough to enter orbit around Earth, has announced plans to travel to space aboard one of his companies human-worthy crew capsules. British billionaire Richard Branson, whose own space company, Virgin Galactic, is planning on conducting flights to suborbital space for ultra-wealthy thrill seekers and competing directly with Blue Origin. Branson has long said he would be among the first passengers aboard Virgin Galactic's rocket-powered plane, but that flight is expected to take place later in 2021.

Blue Origin's flight crewed flight will see the company's six-seater capsule and 59-foot rocket tear toward the edge of space on a 11-minute flight that'll reach more than 60 miles above Earth.

After six years of extensive and often secretive testing of the rocket and capsule, called New Shepard, Blue Origin announced in May that it was preparing to put the first passengers in a New Shepard capsule.

Though the company has not announced how much it will sell regular tickets for, Blue Origin said one seat will be given to the winner of a month-long auction that's currently in progress. The bidding was at $2.8 million Monday morning but it hit $3.2 million after Blue Origin's announcement.

Blue Origin was founded by Bezos in 2000, and the company conducted more than a dozen test flights with no one on board at Blue Origin's facilities in rural Texas, about 70 miles from Marfa.

Bezos created Amazon in 1994, first as an online bookseller, with $250,000 from his parents. Over the following years it has grown to become one of the largest companies in the world, with business in everything from Amazon Web Services, a cloud computing services company that counts entities from Netflix to the CIA as customers; to owning MGM, the studio that makes James Bond; to holding a major stake in Rivian, an electric car company.

It has its own home security company, Ring, and its own grocery chain, Whole Foods. And that's before you get to the airline, Prime Air, with its own fleet of over Prime Air-branded 70 aircraft, shipping exclusively packages from Amazon around the world.

Amazon's explosive popularity helped grow Bezos' fortune to more than a billion dollars by 1999, when he was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year. He founded Blue Origin in 2000, and said at one point that he was selling upward of $1 billion worth of Amazon stock each year to help fund the company's rocket development.

Bezos will remain involved in Amazon, though he will transition to the executive chairman role.

He will be succeeded as CEO by Andy Jassy, the head of Amazon Web Services.

Bezos' brother, Mark, formerly the owner of an advertising agency and is now a senior vice president at Robin Hood, a New York City charity.

In addition to New Shepard, Blue Origin is also working to develop a towering rocket called New Glenn, which the company hopes will be used to send US government and commercial satellites to orbit, as well as potentially make trips to deep space. Blue Origin also hoped to be involved in NASA's plan to return humans to the moon by 2024, though it was bested by SpaceX for a contract to build the lunar lander that would shuttle astronauts from the moon's orbit down to the surface. Blue Origin is protesting that contract decision, though NASA has also said that Blue Origin is still eligible to bid to work on future lunar missions.

Bezos has called Blue Origin "the most important work I'm doing," though he has not previously been open about whether he personally would like to travel to space.

"I'm interested in space because I'm passionate about it," Bezos, who also made a cameo in 2016's Star Trek: Beyond," said during an interview with Mathias Dopfner, the CEO of Axel Springer. "I've been studying it and thinking about it since I was a five year old boy  but that is not why I'm pursuing this work. I'm pursuing this work because I believe if we don't, we will eventually end up with a civilization of stasis, which I find very demoralizing."

With additional reporting by Rachel Crane.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8)  Business magnate Manny V. Pangilinan has formally stepped down from his position as president and chief executive officer of PLDT Inc., with his new successor now at the helm of the telco giant.

During the companys annual stockholders meeting on Tuesday, Pangilinan formally handed over the top leadership posts to Al Panlilio, PLDT chief revenue officer and Smart president and CEO.

This decision is made less difficult by the knowledge that Al, with his long experience with PLDT and his competent qualities, would be able to take my place forthwith without interruption or detriment to the progress PLDT has made, said Pangilinan as he expressed support for Panlilios new roles.

PLDTs new top honcho said he humbly accepts his appointment, also thanking his predecessor for the trust he gave him.

I must confess, I have big shoes to fill as you have set the bar so high and I am honored to follow the most remarkable leader, said Panlilio, addressing Pangilinan. Your leadership made PLDT what it is today.

The new PLDT chief also laid out key areas the firm must excel in: efficient operations, continual innovation, and improved customer experience.

If there is one area that we should be world-class in, it should be customer experience, he emphasized.

Panlilio assured a lot of effort will be in place to improve care for PLDT subscribers, along with simplifying the way their organizations work to help the telco firm serve customers simpler as well. Digital mediums shall be pushed as a way to further cater to the public better, he added.

Theres a lot of work to be done and customer experience is a big word but its something that should be ingrained in every employee of PLDT-Smart, explained Panlilio.

Pangilinan stepped down with PLDT posting pretty good results during the first quarter of 2021. The telcos core income climbed by 9% year-on-year during the period, as strong demand for data remains with many Filipinos still staying at home amid COVID-19 worries.

The business tycoon hinted in March that he will finally be vacating his top posts at the telco giant. Pangilinan, however, remains chairman of the PLDT board.

On the Philippine Stock Exchange, PLDT finished weaker at 1,314 on Tuesday, down 0.68% from Mondays close.
(CNN)  Actor Drake Bell, best known for starring in the Nickelodeon sitcom "Drake & Josh," has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of attempted child endangerment and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles in court this week, both charges stem from alleged incidents that happened in Cleveland, Ohio in 2017, court records show.

When reached for comment, attorneys for Bell told CNN, "All facts will be revealed in the courtroom. There is no additional comment at this time."

According to a statement from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, in October 2018, a 15-year-old child in the case filed a report with her local police department in Canada about an alleged incident that took place between her and Bell the previous year at a Cleveland nightclub.

Canadian authorities contacted the Cleveland Division of Police, who conducted an investigation, the statement said. That investigation revealed that the victim, who had established a relationship with Bell several years prior, attended his concert in December 2017. While at the concert, Bell allegedly "violated his duty of care and, in doing so, created a risk of harm to the victim," prosecutors said. Bell also allegedly sent the victim inappropriate social media messages, according to investigators.

Bell posted $2500 bond and was released from Cuyahoga County Jail. His first pretrial hearing is set for June 23.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Drake Bell pleads not guilty to attempted endangering of children"
CNN Philippines Life (Metro Manila, June 7)  This week, celebrate our countrys Independence Day with the premiere of a much-anticipated Filipino mythology animated series, a bike ride around CCP grounds, a webinar about the mother churches of Intramuros, and an exhibit of the portraits of the tattooed women of Kalinga. Plus, Christopher Nolans latest mindbender and sprawling YA fantasy series.

Watch Trese

Finally! The animated adaptation of Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimos comic book series Trese is premiering this week. A world full of Philippine mythology staples  aswangs, tiyanaks, duwendes, and kapres  blended in a world of action and mystery. The lead role, Alexandra Trese, is voiced by Liza Soberano in the Philippine dub. The series is also dubbed in English and Japanese. Premieres this Friday, June 11 on Netflix.  DG

Check out The Last Tattooed Women of Kalinga

Photographer (and CNN Philippines Life contributor) Jake Verzosa documented the lives of the tattooed women of Kalinga who have continued the tradition of wearing these lace-like patterns or batok on their skin as symbols of beauty, wealth, and stature. Verzosa began his work on the project in 2009 and released a book of their portraits in 2014 and was chosen for the Steidl Book Award Asia. You can now view the exhibit of the portraits through Silverlens online viewing room until June 17. Read more about the series here.  DG



Photo courtesy of Jake Verzosa/Silverlens

Watch Tenet

Christopher Nolans latest blockbuster was once called the hope of cinema when it was released during the pandemic last year but had a difficult time adjusting to the new normal. Perhaps people werent ready for a mindbender in the middle of a crisis? Now, Filipino fans in need of a Nolan fix can finally stream the movie on HBO GO starting June 12. The heist film is a slick trip forward (and backward) in time starring John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, and Elizabeth Debicki.  DG

Learn from Matriz: Architecture and Environ of the Mother Churches in Intramuros

The latest Intramuros Learning Sessions focuses on the seven mother churches in the area ravaged by World War II. These churches were built by the first religious orders that came to the country: the Augustinians, the Franciscans and its tertiary order, the Jesuits, the Dominicans, the Recollects and in the late turn of the century by the Capuchins. After WWII, only the San Agustin Church and the Manila Cathedral were the ones left standing.

The webinar is on June 11 and can be watched for free. For registration and other details, visit the event page.  DG

Do an Independence Day Ride

Ride around the Cultural Center of the Philippines grounds on June 12 with a group of bike riders to celebrate the 123rd anniversary of the declaration of our independence. Riders are encouraged to bring an extra mask and a Philippine flag on their bikes. Starts 7 a.m. Check out the event page for more details.  DG

Photo by Ramon FVelasquez - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,

Try a natural approach to maskne

Living together with the whole family again in lockdown, my mom and I share this Litro bottle of Zero Basics Facial Wash (1800, BeautyMnl), which we transfer into our own matching atomizers. Two to three spritzes (first on the hands, then massaged on the face) is all you need for the essential oils of lavender, peppermint, tea tree and lemon to do their work: taking the red out of spots, refreshing tired eyes, and even helping us breathe better upon contact. My mom swears by it for cystic pimples that form in the area where her mask sits, and I have been amazed by the way it naturally softens whiteheads that they just roll off along with the low-suds formula. I've used this product for two years now and by the size of this refill, it looks like I'll be using it until 2022. Ready for the mask-wearing years that stretch out in front of us.  APC

Watch Shadow and Bone

The other night as I was watching an early episode of Shadow and Bone on Netflix, I asked myself if I liked the show because its good, or because its full of attractive people. Turns out, both can be true. Shadow and Bone is based on the young adult fantasy trilogy by Leigh Bardugo, and tells the story of Alina Starkov  an ordinary girl from the fictional country of Ravka who discovers a latent power within her that could end a long civil war. Bardugo makes heavy references to the cultures of Russia, China, and Scandinavia, which I was excited to see in the series. It feels like Netflix wants to set this up as a kid-friendly Game of Thrones, but while the show has a long way to go in terms of world-building, the acting by Jessie Mei Li as Alina and Narnia alum Ben Barnes as General Kirigan could be the main selling point. With just eight episodes in the first season, I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something transportive, but ultimately low stakes.  MB

Shadow and Bone is on Netflix
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 7) -- Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Monday called on local government units to prioritize the vaccination of workers from 40 to 59 years old under the A4 category, or the economic frontliners, citing the limited vaccine supply.

Hanggat sa maari at kakayanin, dahil limitado pa rin ang bakunang ating natatanggap, nanawagan po tayo sa ating mga local chief executives na bigyang prayoridad sa A4 yun pong may edad 40 years of age to 59 years of age, he said in a briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte and other Cabinet members.

[Translation: As much as possible, because of the limited supply of vaccines we have been receiving, we are calling on the local chief executives to prioritize those 40 to 59 years of age under A4.]

Hanggat sa maari, sila po ang uunahin within the economic frontliner priority group, Duque added.

[Translation: As much as possible, they should be prioritized within the economic frontliner priority group.]

The national government has already started on Monday the inoculation of the A4 category which includes: private employees who are required to physically report to work; government employees; informal sector workers; and the self-employed who may be required to work outside of their homes and those working in private households.

Due to the still limited vaccine supply, the vaccination of the A4 priority group is being carried out first in Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao, collectively known as NCR+8.

The World Health Organization has urged the prioritization of economic frontliners aged 45 and up.

"If we look at the data in the Philippines, deaths have happened in people over 45 years of age. So it is very important that we use the vaccines to reduce the deaths by prioritizing this group," WHO country representative Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe previously said.

The country has administered at least 5.96 million COVID-19 shots, with 1,520,788 individuals having received their second vaccine dose.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 8)  The country's Food and Drug Administration has approved the emergency use of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccines for minors aged 12 to 15. But the Department of Health said on Tuesday that they will not yet be vaccinated.

"While we welcome more vaccines that are approved for children and adolescents, due to limited vaccine supply, our vaccination strategy remains the same  prioritize the vulnerable," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a statement.

The amended emergency use authorization posted on the FDA website on May 28 states the vaccines made by Pfizer can be used on young people 12 years old and above. The previous EUA only allowed its use for those aged 16 and up.

The development comes after the US Food and Drug Administration also expanded its EUA for Pfizers vaccine to include those aged 12 to 15 years old.

The Philippines has received only 193,000 Pfizer doses  a donation from the global COVAX facility. An additional 2.2 million doses are slated to arrive in the country on June 11.

DOH said the prioritization framework of protecting the most vulnerable sectors will remain despite the amendment in the emergency use guidelines. Vergeire said the general consensus of vaccine experts is to revisit pediatric and adolescent vaccination once the country's vaccine supply has stabilized.

While children and adults experience similar COVID-19 symptoms, children generally have less serious illness, the World Health Organization recently said.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said 60 million doses are needed to vaccinate the pediatric population.
(CNN)  A new US Senate report reveals previously unknown details about the stunning security breakdowns ahead of the January 6 US Capitol attack, including a finding that the US Capitol Police's main intelligence unit "was aware of the potential for violence" beforehand.

The report adds an authoritative emphasis to previous evidence that there were massive intelligence failures, critical miscommunications, and unheeded warnings that ultimately led to the chaotic response that day.

Among the failures was an inability by intelligence officials to tie together a swirl of troubling internet chatter leading up to the riot and a reliance on using past, non-violent Trump rallies in security planning.

There are also several glaring omissions in the report including any examination of Donald Trump's role in the riots, raising questions about whether lawmakers, in their quest for bipartisanship, exposed the limits of a Congress divided and unable to agree on certain truths, particularly those related to the former President's actions

Sources tell CNN that in order for this report, which was compiled by the Senate Homeland Security and Rules committees, to have support from both parties, the language had to be carefully crafted, and that included excluding the word "insurrection," which notably does not appear outside of witness quotes and footnotes.

"Did we look at Trump's role in the attack? The answer is no," a Senate committee aide told reporters.

"The report did not attempt to look at the origins and development of the groups or individuals that participated in the attack on the Capitol," the aide said.

Still, it marks the most comprehensive government report on the security failures leading up to the Capitol insurrection. Congressional investigators pored through "thousands of documents," received written statements from 50 police officers who defended the Capitol, and got testimony from a wide array of current and former officials who played a role in the security preparations and response.

New details about extent of communication among rioters

Trump supporters posted plenty of violent threats and dangerous assertions on the internet in the run-up to January 6. The report said these were found on "message boards, social media, memes, or hashtags." But intelligence officials struggled with how to interpret warnings about those posts and how to differentiate between protected political speech and actual threats.

The aides said that the Senate probe did uncover new information about the extent of the communication beforehand among the rioters, including an increase in traffic to a website about Washington's tunnels.

Aides were pressed on why, despite mounting evidence there were plans to attack the Capitol, law enforcement seemed to rely on past-MAGA marches that remained largely non-violent. The aides said the law enforcement intelligence focused on clashes between groups rather than violence toward a building.

The report also concluded that the Capitol Police's main intelligence unit "was aware of the potential for violence in the days and weeks ahead of January 6." But not everyone was aware. The inquiry determined that USCP's "decentralized" intelligence operation meant some people saw these warnings while other officials were left in the dark.

In a statement, the Capitol Police said the intelligence reflected a "large demonstration attracting various groups, including some encouraging violence."

However, the agency added, "What it didn't know, as Acting Chief Pittman has noted, was the large-scale demonstration would become a large-scale attack on the Capitol Building  as there was no specific, credible intelligence about such an attack," referring to acting US Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman.

"Neither the USCP, nor the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Metropolitan Police or our other law enforcement partners knew thousands of rioters were planning to attack the U.S. Capitol," the agency added. "The known intelligence simply didn't support that conclusion."

Senate aides said the information from the report was pulled from a variety of sources -- public hearings, private communications and five transcribed interviews, including with former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller and Pittman.

But there was clear frustration among the committees that not everyone cooperated fully with their information requests. The report gleaned heavily from information derived from the Capitol Police.

"We did develop some information with respect to DHS and FBI. It's not that DHS and FBI withheld information. It's that their response so far has been very partial and frankly unsatisfactory," a Senate aide said.

Moreover, the Senate investigators ran into institutional hurdles  including from the House sergeant-at-arms, which did not provide information to the panels because "the House is sort of responsible for its own affairs, and the Senate is responsible for its own affairs," an aide said.

Pittman provided significant testimony, both in an interview setting as well as in open hearings. However, the report notes apparent variations in her answers, something aides acknowledged but declined to explain further.

"You'll see throughout the report significant quotes from acting Chief Pittman and we do point out places where there have been some perceived inconsistencies including with respect to the intelligence products," the aide said.

Limits of a bipartisan congressional probe

The report's narrow scope underscores the limits of a bipartisan, congressional investigation. While the evidence and interviews were gathered over months from bipartisan staff and members on two committees, the information pertained almost entirely to the security and intelligence shortcomings that led to that day, not focusing on why individuals would have come to the Capitol in the first place and Trump's role.

Democratic Senate investigators took careful steps not to alienate their Republican counterparts in the process of the probe, which meant not taking a closer look at Trump's role in promoting the Jan. 6 rally and months-long attempt to pressure local officials, lawmakers in Congress and then-Vice President Mike Pence to subvert the will of the electorate.

Aides also steered clear of language that could turn off some Republicans, including not referring to the attack as an "insurrection."

"The language that was chosen was purposeful  and represents the consensus of the four members and their respective staffs," a Senate committee aide said. "We did our very best to stick of the facts as we understood them and leave characterizations in quotes where there were characterizations."

In one clear example of that, the report's appendix includes Trump's full speech before the January 6 crowd  but does not go further into interpreting how that influenced the Capitol rioters. A US Senate aide said that decision was made to avoid inserting "our editorial judgment" of the speech.

While the report did nod to some of Trump's statements and tweets leading up to the events at the Capitol, the report did not fully explore the root causes of what led to an insurrection at the Capitol, nor did it lay blame on the former President directly for promoting a lie that the election was stolen that mobilized supporters to gather at the Capitol on January 6.

The conclusion of the congressional investigation comes weeks after the Senate rejected a bill from the House of Representatives that would have established a bipartisan commission to study the insurrection. That body would have been staffed by individuals outside of Congress and the administration. That investigation would have been far reaching and would have been tasked with exploring some of the events that may have been responsible for triggering the events of the insurrection. The bill, however, failed to gain traction in the Senate where just a handful of Republicans joined with Democrats to back it.

Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio and the ranking member on the Homeland Security Committee who authored the congressional report Tuesday, voted to advance legislation that would have established the commission. But, Sen. Roy Blunt, a Republican from Missouri who served as the top GOP member on Rules, did not.

Blunt argued that the congressional report went far enough and provided the framework for how to make fixes to Capitol Hill security, which could be delayed if a commission were established.

"I think a commission would slow down the things we need to do," Blunt said last month. "Frankly, I don't think there are that many gaps to be filled in what happened on January 6th as it pertains to building security."

It's unclear what the Senate's bipartisan report will mean for House Democratic leaders, who could decide in upcoming days and weeks to launch their own investigation either through a new Select Committee or through already established committees, which have been working on investigating the incidents surrounding January 6th for months.

Now that the report is out, the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer could argue it does not go far enough and could force another vote to establish a commission. However, there still wouldn't be the Republican votes to pass it. Without 60 votes or a united Democratic caucus willing to blow up the filibuster, a commission couldn't be established.

CNN's Marshall Cohen contributed to this report.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Senate report reveals new details about security failures ahead of January 6 attack but omits Trump's role"
(CNN)  The White House is defending US President Joe Biden's upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva next week, saying it's "vital" to protecting America's interests.

"At the end of the day, what we are looking to do is for the two Presidents to be able to send a clear signal ... to their teams on questions of strategic stability so we can make progress on arms control and other nuclear areas to reduce tension and instability in that aspect of their relationship," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said during Monday's White House press briefing.

However, Sullivan seemed to lower expectations for the summit, telling reporters that "if you are going to wait for really significant deliverables, you could be waiting for a long time, conceivably."

Earlier Monday, Biden held a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, extending an invitation to visit the White House in July that appeared to spike Zelensky's request to meet ahead of next week's Putin summit.

Zelensky also told reporters last week that he felt the lift on US sanctions against Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline would be a victory for Russia and a personal loss for Biden.

Sullivan said that the US focus during the Putin summit is to "give us an opportunity to communicate from our President to their President what American's intentions and capabilities are and to hear the same from their side." He also defended the timing of the summit, saying it would be difficult to find a better context for a meeting with Putin then after the G7 and NATO summits.

Sullivan underscored the importance of Biden's direct, in-person communication with Putin.

"(B)eing able to look President Putin in the eye and say, 'This is what America's expectations are. This is what America stands for. This is what America's all about.' This, we believe, is an essential aspect of US-Russian diplomacy," Sullivan said. He explained that "Putin is a singular kind of personalized leader and having the opportunity to come together at a summit will allow us to manage this relationship and stand up and defend American values most effectively."

Biden is slated to meet with about 35 world leaders during his tour through Europe, Sullivan said.

Biden has previously discussed one of his past in-person interactions with Putin as being an opportunity for blunt, direct messaging. In an interview with ABC last March, Biden was asked about a 2011 interaction with Putin, in which Biden claimed he told the Russian President he didn't think Putin had a soul. Putin's response, Biden has recalled, was to say, "We understand one another."

"Look, most important thing dealing with foreign leaders, and I've dealt with a lot of them over my career, is just know the other guy," Biden told ABC.

The President also said during the interview that he thought Putin was "a killer," sparking a back-and-forth between the the White House and the Kremlin.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "White House defends Biden-Putin summit, calling it 'vital' for defending American interests."
A dedication ceremony will start at 1:30 p.m. on June 12 by the Pawnee Reburial Memorial portion of the Valley View Cemetery in Genoa.

It's going be down in the cemetery, which is kind of the location of former Pawnee reservation village from 1859 to 1874, Carlson said. Also in the cemetery is Pawnee Reburial Memorial, which is where over 800 Pawnee and their relatives have been reburied from, their remains were gotten from museums and in places like that, and they were reburied there.

We thought that would be the appropriate place to do it. Plus the highway that's being named starts just to the west of the cemetery.

Pawnee officials are scheduled to speak at the event and include Walter EchoHawk, president of the Pawnee Business Council; Pat LeadingFox, head chief of the Pawnee; Matt Reed, historic preservation officer of the Pawnee Nation; and Herb Adson of the cultural resource division of the Pawnee Nation. Representatives from the Union Pacific Railroad and the Nebraska Department of Transportation are expected to be present.

Carlson encourages anyone interested in the subject to attend the event. She suggests that people bring lawn chairs if coming.

Kneifel said he and his wife will be attending the dedication.
Today is Monday, June 7, 2021. Let's get caught up.

These headlines are in the news this morning: Vice President Kamala Harris is in Latin America to announce new measures to tackle trafficking and corruption; Meghan and Harry announce birth of Lilibet Diana; and Simone Biles won her seventh US gymnastics title.

Read on for these stories, other top headlines, celebrity birthdays and more.

TOP STORIES

Harris targets corruption, immigration on Latin America trip

GUATEMALA CITY (AP)  With Kamala Harris visiting Guatemala and Mexico on her first foreign trip as vice president, the Biden administration is expected to announce new measures to fight smuggling and trafficking, and hopes to announce additional anti-corruption efforts as well on Monday, a senior administration official said.

The official, who briefed reporters traveling with Harris on Sunday, spoke on condition of anonymity to preview announcements before they have been made public. No further details were provided.
An extradition treaty between the two countries, ratified late last year by China and now awaiting approval by Turkey's Parliament, is exacerbating fears. Turkish officials have sought to reassure Uyghurs, as well as the Turkish public, that they will not extradite Uyghurs back to China.

"It is not right to interpret this as Turkey will hand over Uyghur Turks to China," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said last December, adding that Beijing had made requests in the past, but that Turkey had not complied.

But at least four Uyghurs, including a mother and her two children, were deported by Turkey to Tajikistan last year, according to activist Abduweli Ayup.

He says multiple testimonies suggest they eventually ended up in China.

Last September, Turkey's Directorate General of Migration Management denied that Turkey had extradited Uyghurs to China. "We have not directly, or through third countries, deported any Uyghur Turks to China and Turkey does not and will not ever have such a policy," the directorate said in a written statement.

But official statements like these do little to assuage Uyghurs' concerns.
June 8, 2021

Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar Certifies 2022-23 State Budget

(AUSTIN)  Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar today announced his certification of Senate Bill 1, the general appropriations act that was approved by both houses during the recently gaveled regular session of the 87th Texas Legislature. The bill now heads to the desk of Gov. Greg Abbott.

SB 1 appropriates $248.6 billion in total spending for the state's budget during the 2022-23 biennium. It is certified based on the most recent total revenue projection released in May, which included an upward revision of $3.1 billion in General Revenue-Related funds after a decline in COVID-19 cases contributed to a further opening of the Texas economy, and substantive federal action on relief funding.

I commend the Legislature for crafting a conservative state budget while also addressing key issues facing our state, Hegar said. Our states financial forecast improved before lawmakers completed their work, and I was pleased to have the opportunity to work with lawmakers as they wrote the budget under rapidly evolving circumstances. The Legislature took key steps to address issues like power grid reliability and employee pension reform, but equally important is the fundamental work ensuring our school districts, universities and myriad state programs can rely on a specific amount of state funding. Im proud to certify this budget and send it to Gov. Abbott for final approval.

Hegar also commended the Legislature for approving legislation to revamp the states power grid following Februarys deadly winter storm and for overhauling pension funds for future state employees by putting them into a new cash balance plan. Pension legislation will also require the state to make annual amortization payments to the Employees Retirement System (ERS) to pay down existing unfunded liabilities.

For more than six years, I have talked about our long-term liabilities in ERS, and I am thankful the Legislature took much-needed action this year, Hegar said.

Hegar said the pandemic makes it impossible for anyone to predict with complete accuracy how the economy will unfold through the next budget cycle, which ends Aug. 31, 2023.

As the extreme shifts in economic conditions weve experienced in the last 15 months show, we still do not fully understand exactly what will happen with the pandemics long-term effects on businesses, workplace practices, employee availability and consumer behavior, Hegar said. But what we can do, and will do, is carefully track whats going on and keep everyone informed as we collect and analyze information.

Media can access images and video footage of the budget certification on the Comptroller's website.
While we waited, I took the time to check out the pastry case, which was filled with eclairs, brownie bites and seven-layer cakes with flavors like strawberry, lemon, blueberry and peanut butter. I tried a peach flavor last time I visited and it was delicious, but thats to be expected. I learned that, as a young woman, Alic, who is Bosnian, spent time in Germany where she worked in a bakery. At that time, she was also able to travel to Italy and France to gain even more insight into the pastry business.

Within about 15 minutes, we were presented with our meals and marveled at the size of them, realizing that wed most certainly be taking some home. My mildly seasoned beef patty served with ajvar and onions could have fed more than one person, and, of course, you could say the same about my husbands cevapi.

As for the flavor of the pljeskavica, I can compare it to the smaller versions of European hamburgers that they offer at the annual St. Annes Slavic Fest at the Byzantine Church held on Locust Lane in Harrisburg (pre-COVID).
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Valeria Luiselli is pleased to have passed the libraries test with her first novel written directly in English, Lost Children Archive (Sound Desert), which received the Dublin Literary Award.

The 100,000-euro ($122,000) award, sponsored by Dublin City Council, is the top monetary prize for a single novel published in English. The finalists are nominated by libraries around the world.

That really seems to me to be the most beautiful thing about this award, Luiselli said in a recent interview with The Associated Press from New York, where she lives. It is a prize that is not linked, like all other prizes, to the speed of the market, but to the speed of reading.

Published in 2019, Lost Children Archive addresses the issue of migrant children traveling unaccompanied to the United States, something that the author has witnessed first-hand as a translator and interpreter for children at the immigration court of New York.

In the novel, a family made up of a couple of sound documentary creators and their children set out on a road trip from New York to the southern border, something Luiselli did in 2014. This and other trips gave rise to her story about displaced children that is intertwined with the domination and elimination of the Apache culture.
The head prosecutor in Pittsburgh has expounded on his policy regarding plea deals, days after it became public that he told his staff to no longer offer them to clients of a Black criminal defense lawyer who called the office systematically racist.

Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. made public on Monday a new memo to all prosecutors that says his office must investigate any claim by a defense lawyer or unrepresented defendant who raise concerns that a plea offer shows racial or other bias.

Zappala's three-paragraph memo, dated Sunday, states that his May 18 directive pertained only to criminal defense attorney Milton E. Raiford. It required deputy district attorneys to get a supervisor's permission to withdraw charges against any Raiford client and said that discussions with Raiford had to be memorialized.

The new memo says when a lawyer or defendant claims plea talks have treated them differently because of protected status, the prosecutor has to look into it and report what has occurred to their higher-ups.

Zappala spokesman Mike Manko said the new policy rescinds the May 18 instruction and makes Raiford's clients again eligible for plea bargain offers.
Call it a "new beginning," as the Washington State Department of Licensing revealed this week there has been a stunning turnaround in the steady decline in the number active concealed pistol licenses (CPL), as the number bumped up nearly 5,000 during May.

According to data obtained by TGM from the licensing agency, the number of active CPLs on June 1 at 624,334. One month ago, on May 1, the number was 619,398, a difference of 4,936 licenses.

That's no small turnaround for a state that is considered politically "blue," and happens to be the smallest western state. But Washington has always had a high number of CPLs in circulation, reaching its peak of 650,403 on April 1, 2020. The number began sliding for the next 13 months, primarily because law enforcement agencies "suspended" public services during the COVID-19 shutdown. That included accepting new CPL applications which require fingerprinting of each applicant.

There is no provision in the state's concealed carry law that allows a suspension of this service, especially for many months. Here's what the state law says:

"(1) The chief of police of a municipality or the sheriff of a county shall within thirty days after the filing of an application of any person, issue a license to such person to carry a pistol concealed on his or her person within this state for five years from date of issue, for the purposes of protection or while engaged in business, sport, or while traveling. However, if the applicant does not have a valid permanent Washington driver's license or Washington state identification card or has not been a resident of the state for the previous consecutive ninety days, the issuing authority shall have up to sixty days after the filing of the application to issue a license. The issuing authority shall not refuse to accept completed applications for concealed pistol licenses during regular business hours." (Emphasis added.) .....
HARRISBURG  U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan said Tuesday that she will not run for Pennsylvania's open U.S. Senate seat in 2022, after several months of the Democrat having considered it.

Houlahan's entry would have brought a considerable presence to the race for the Democratic nomination from the heavily populated southeastern corner of Pennsylvania.

However, Houlahan said in a statement that she will instead run again for her Chester County-based seat in the U.S. House.

Still, Houlahan faces the prospect that her district boundaries could change considerably as Pennsylvania must shrink its House delegation from 18 to 17 ahead of 2022's elections because of the state's slower-than-average population growth over the past decade.

Otherwise, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, while U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb from suburban Pittsburgh is considering running.

A state lawmaker, Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta of Philadelphia, and a Montgomery County commissioner, Val Arkoosh, have declared their candidacy, as have several first-time candidates.
HARRISBURG  Resuming a long fight over local gun laws, Pennsylvania's House of Representatives on Tuesday approved veto-destined legislation that is designed to help gun owners and gun-rights organizations force cities to repeal firearms restrictions.

The bill passed the Republican-controlled chamber, 124-79, but Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, has promised to veto it. Wolf also issued a veto threat in 2016 to a similar bill that passed the state Senate.

Under the bill, a gun owner or a gun-rights organization would have standing in court to sue municipalities over firearms ordinances that they contend are more restrictive than state law. A city whose gun ordinance is struck down in court could also be ordered to pay damages.

Similar provisions were once law, signed in 2014 by then-Gov. Tom Corbett, a Republican. But the law was later struck down in court on a technicality.

Pennsylvania has long prohibited its municipalities from enforcing firearms ordinances that regulate the ownership, possession, transfer or transportation of guns or ammunition. But gun-rights groups complain municipalities often ignore the decades-old prohibition by approving their own gun restrictions.
iPad multitasking and finding lost Airpods

While Apple did not make any new hardware announcements on Monday, it did introduce software updates to refresh products like the iPad and AirPods.

iPad OS 15 updates will make it easier for users to work on the go. Those who own the device will soon be able to place widgets among the apps on their home screen, such as widgets for contacts or Apple TV, including new, larger formats made for the iPad's display.

A new "multitasking" feature on iPad will let users work on two apps at the same time using a split view, and a simple swiping mechanism to switch between apps on split view.

The company also announced system-wide translation for iPad OS, as well as for iOS and Mac OS. Users can right-click on text on any app  including text selected from a photo  and translate it. An "auto translate" feature can listen when you talk to your iPad and translate that speech.

Apple also introduced a new feature on AirPods called "conversation boost" that is designed to help people who are hard of hearing. The tool focuses a user's AirPods Pro on the person talking in front of them, making it easier to hear in a face to face conversation. It can also reduce the amount of ambient noise.
Wang said Tuesday that the sides should explore establishing an expert panel to strengthen cooperation throughout the vaccine process, from research to use, and work to build production and distribution centers to help make vaccines affordable and accessible in the region.

He said China would urgently implement" the China-ASEAN Public Health Cooperation Initiative, continue to support the ASEAN Emergency Medical Materials Reserve and strengthen regional public health capacity-building.

China will work with ASEAN to overcome the outbreak as soon as possible," Wang said.

Though COVID-19 was first detected in China in late 2019, the nation has largely stamped out domestic transmission, although it has been accused of insufficient transparency or even seeking to conceal the origins of the pandemic.

Wang made no direct reference to Myanmar, an ASEAN member where the military seized power Feb. 1 and has cracked down on widespread opposition to the coup. On Monday, he said China supported ASEANs non-interventionist approach.

China has also been criticized for building dams upstream on the Mekong River, affecting water levels and fisheries downstream on a waterway that is crucial to the economies of several Southeast Asian nations.
The committee appointed by Kotek, a Democrat, will convene later this week. It is composed of three Democrats and three Republicans.

With Republicans calling for Nearman to step down, his fate appeared sealed. If he does not resign, there was little doubt that an overwhelming number of House members would vote to cast him out.

Nearman himself said Monday he believes there are enough votes to expel him, which he said would make him the first House member to be expelled by its members in Oregon history. He joked in a call to the Lars Larson Show, a conservative talk radio program, that this would eventually make him the subject of a question on TV's Jeopardy!

He did not say whether he would resign.

"Ill put myself in Gods hands and see how that works out for me, Nearman said.

The incident on Dec. 21 rattled lawmakers and staff inside the Capitol and foreshadowed the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by rioters spurred on by then President Donald Trump. Several of those who were among the crowds in Salem on Dec. 21 later were in Washington during the U.S. Capitol attack.
Dear Editor:

I attended the Remembrance and Rededication Ceremony at Memorial Park at the Lincoln Cemetery on Memorial Day. This program, sponsored by the Baines-Stackfield American Legion Post 826, the Borough of Carlisle, and the Cumberland County Historical Society, was a moving tribute to the many men and women in uniform, who have served this country, including the 50 Black men who served in the Civil War and are buried in the Lincoln Cemetery. As one speaker noted, they served this country even when this country did not "value their lives."

The program included remarks by Col. Kandace Daffin, a Class of 2021 student at the U.S. Army War College. She was accompanied by her son, a cadet at West Point, and her twin daughters who just graduated from high school and will be attending West Point. Her remarks were inspiring and acknowledged the debt we all owe to those who served and sacrificed their lives. The national American Legion also recognized area resident Danny Jones for his 60 years of membership and his service to our country.
You may have heard by now about Paxton Smith, the high-school valedictorian in Texas who switched out her expected speech to decry the recent heartbeat law passed in that state, which restricts abortions early on in pregnancy.

"I have dreams and hopes and ambitions," she said. "Every girl graduating today does. ... And without our input and without our consent, our control over that future has been stripped away from us.

"I am terrified," Smith said, "that if my contraceptives fail, I am terrified that if I am raped, then my hopes and aspirations and dreams and efforts for my future will no longer matter. I hope that you can feel how gut-wrenching that is. I hope you can feel how dehumanizing it is, to have the autonomy over your own body taken away from you."

This dear, sweet girl. The dehumanizing thing is a culture telling her that her natural ability to bring life into the world is anything but amazing. How many ways have we failed her as a society? Sex is presented as something so casual, as if akin to watching something on Netflix or TikTok. Starbucks in the morning, sex at night.
JACKSON, N.H. -- Up here in the White Mountains, things frequently aren't what they seem. The January showers in this Mount Washington Valley town often take their form as snowfalls in the high summits. The expert-rated Maple Slalom ski trail on Black Mountain just up the road from the Christmas Farm Inn isn't as forbidding as its reputation. The Mount Clinton near the Presidential Range peaks of Mount Adams, Mount Jefferson, Mount Madison, Mount Monroe and Mount Eisenhower isn't named for Bill Clinton -- and in any case often is called Mount Pierce.

So no one should be surprised that for the past two weeks, the town of Jackson (population 891) no longer is named for the seventh president.

And though the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs no longer bears the name of the university's onetime president, Woodrow Wilson, and though multiple facilities and programs at Tufts University no longer bear the name of the Sackler family (widely blamed for the opioid epidemic), you can still take out a book at the Jackson Public Library. Those who battle the town's intermittent blazes still are volunteer members of the Jackson Firefighter's Association, and the fabled red covered bridge across the Ellis River -- perhaps the most picturesque in all of New Hampshire -- still bears the carved wood sign saying it is the entryway to Jackson, New Hampshire.
Vanuatu turns the Corner LETS USE THIS AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR THE FUTURE
U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-3rd, dean of the Virginia congressional delegation, praised Senator John Warner for setting the tone of how politicians regardless of party need to work together for the betterment of Virginia.

In the Senate, John was always focused on what was best for the Commonwealth, and he could always be relied on to prioritize the people he served, not party or politics, Scott said.

Senator Warners high-profile breaks with his party underscored his independent streak, among them his opposition to Robert Bork for the U.S. Supreme Court in 1987; his refusal to endorse Iran-Contra figure Oliver North for the Senate in 1994; and his endorsement of Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 over Donald Trump. He stood up for his convictions, and once was described as a governing senator rather than a political senator.

Senator Warner defied expectations. He began his political career as an accidental candidate, becoming the GOPs nominee in 1978 after the untimely death of Richard Obenshain in a plane crash. Warner perhaps was best known then as the husband of actress Elizabeth Taylor, to whom he was married from 1976 to 1982. But he left as a titan of the Senate, considered the chambers foremost expert on defense.
Fifty-five people spoke at Mondays public hearing, most of them in favor of removal of the statues.

The majority of speakers urged the council to demolish the statues and not allow them to be placed in a museum or in another locality.

Several survivors of the neo-Nazi rally on Aug. 12, 2017, urged the council to destroy the statues because of their history as a rallying point for white supremacists.

As a survivor of violence in August 2017, I still get a fight or flight response walking near the corner by the library where I was stabbed in the stomach with a flagpole and actually thought, this is it, said Brad Slocum. These statues continue to be a rallying cry for [the far right], even as recently as the Jan. 6 insurrection  pictures of the statues were posted in far right forums online.

Slocum said he used to think it would be appropriate to place the statues in a museum, but after his experience in 2017, he said the city must demolish them because of what they represent.

I think it would be sweet to [sell] commemorative coins that say, I helped take down the statues and then use those funds to help the folks who are still suffering from those events and the history and centuries of trauma, he said.
Rain and thunderstorms could greet area voters Tuesday as they head to the polls to decide the Democratic nominees for local and statewide offices.

Charlottesville is one of the few localities in Virginia with a local primary in addition to the statewide Democratic primaries for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general.

Three names appear on the Democratic primary ballot for the City Council: Brian R. Pinkston, Juandiego Wade and Carl Brown. Voters will be allowed to choose up to two of the candidates, as there are two seats coming open. One of those seats is currently held by Mayor Nikuyah Walker, who is running for re-election as an independent, and the other is held by Heather Hill, who is not seeking another term.
Here is a look at what will be settled Tuesday:

GOVERNOR

Democratic voters will decide whether they want former Gov. Terry McAuliffe to return for another term or whether they think one of his four opponents is the best pick to take on GOP nominee Glenn Youngkin.

McAuliffe, a longtime fixture of Democratic politics and a prodigious fundraiser, has been seen as the heavy favorite in the race. Polling has generally shown him with a commanding lead, he's got a big money advantage, and he locked up endorsements from top officials around the state.

Two of his opponents, state Sen. Jennifer McClellan and former Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy, are running what could be history-making bids. If either wins the general election, they would be Virginia's first female governor and the nation's first Black female governor.

Also in the race are Del. Lee Carter, a self-described socialist who is well to the left of the pack, and Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, whose campaign momentum has been blunted by two unresolved allegations of sexual assault raised in 2019 that he strenuously denies.

Gov. Ralph Northam, like all Virginia governors, is prohibited from seeking a second consecutive term.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
The weather was excellent, a perfect day to celebrate the accomplishments of 155 graduating seniors. The class Vice President, Alyssa Ramos, and Secretary, Alexis Bunch, started off Maconaquah School Corporations graduation ceremony with thanks and prayer for all of those that were able to make it, with emphasis on how grateful they were to be there in-person.

Jamie and Crystal Ramos, the parents of seniors Alyssa and Andrew Ramos, were ecstatic to be able to be there to watch their seniors walk across the stage. The Ramos parents said there were many times throughout the course of the year that they were anxious as to whether or not their kids would have the opportunity to be on campus, especially for big events like graduation. Quarantines caused the kids to miss monumental events like senior night and conference meets. Even in the face of these challenges, the parents said that they were able to watch their kids shine. Maconaquah allowed our students to be themselves! They were still able to find what activities they enjoyed the most and participate in many at once. We were so proud of both Andrew and Alyssa for winning Homecoming King and Queen in the fall, another event we were so grateful Maconaquah was able to host. The staff have been so great to our kids. They have had awesome teachers throughout all their years at Maconaquah, but this challenging year solidified that.

This ceremony marked the 57th graduation at Maconaquah High School, but each student speaker made it a point to recognize that it was a year unlike any other.

The present is fleeting so we must not let it escape us before we can make memories, and this year has certainly been memorable, said Valedictorian Anastasia Spahr. While we missed out on many normal activities this year, I am grateful for the ones we did get to have, including this graduation ceremony. This has been a difficult year and it has tested our strength, nevertheless we have persevered. We have overcome the struggles that came with the pandemic. This is the end of one chapter in our lives, but it also marks the beginning of a new one. As we all turn the page, never forget that you are the writers of your own stories and the makers of your own destinies.

Salutatorian Gabriella Weaver followed Spahrs speech by congratulating her class for all of their accomplishments, but also recognized the accomplishments of every person watching, I dont know how many of you can see it, but I am so proud. Not only of my graduating class who made it through this difficult year, but everyone in attendance has survived a year like no other.

You could feel the emotions as each student speaker took to the microphone. There were feelings of gratitude and thankfulness, and also a sense of relief. Senior year is hard, but even more so in the wake of a nationwide pandemic.

Senior class President Stevee Judy concluded the class speeches by saying If you take anything from me out of all of the time we have known each other let it be that you do not need a speech to be worth something, you don't have to come in 1st place or be more than average or be something that you are not to have value. Your worth is not determined by the amount of scholarship dollars that you have accumulated or the number of colleges that have accepted you. Your list of accomplishments does not have to be a mile long and you do not have to be a Valedictorian, Salutatorian, or Class President to matter. As long as you are giving your all and being the best version of yourself that you can be, you are worthy. You are so important. You are enough. We are enough.

In a year as unprecedented as 2021, these students have shown first hand that every individual is capable of accomplishing whatever they set their minds to, no matter the obstacle. Allen and Jami Willson, parents of senior Matthew Willson, mentioned how challenging this year was on both them and Matthew, but that with the help of the staff and curriculum at Maconaquah the year flew by with a little stress and a lot of accomplishment. We have graduated four children from Maconaquah, "four for four" has been one of our sayings this week, said the Willson parents. Matthew had goals to take as many AP and ACP classes as he could fit in, and Maconaquah has provided the staff and coursework that allowed him to challenge himself and see success through this challenging year. Maconaquah's entire staff did an excellent job of adapting and persevering through some really chaotic days and weeks.

The year 2021 has provided many things for this graduating class. There is new appreciation, new understanding, and also a new outlook on life. Principal Carlson might have said it best. On behalf of the high school faculty and staff, I just want to say how proud we are of the Class of 2021. These young men and women have persevered through challenges that no other graduating class had to face. This was not the senior year that any of them envisioned, but they remained positive and strong. I am confident they will find success in their life after high school. Congratulations to the graduating class of 2021, you deserve it.

The weather was excellent, a perfect day to celebrate the accomplishments of 155 graduating seniors. The class Vice President, Alyssa Ramos, and Secretary, Alexis Bunch, started off Maconaquah School Corporations graduation ceremony with thanks and prayer for all of those that were able to make it, with emphasis on how grateful they were to be there in-person.

Jamie and Crystal Ramos, the parents of seniors Alyssa and Andrew Ramos, were ecstatic to be able to be there to watch their seniors walk across the stage. The Ramos parents said there were many times throughout the course of the year that they were anxious as to whether or not their kids would have the opportunity to be on campus, especially for big events like graduation. Quarantines caused the kids to miss monumental events like senior night and conference meets. Even in the face of these challenges, the parents said that they were able to watch their kids shine. Maconaquah allowed our students to be themselves! They were still able to find what activities they enjoyed the most and participate in many at once. We were so proud of both Andrew and Alyssa for winning Homecoming King and Queen in the fall, another event we were so grateful Maconaquah was able to host. The staff have been so great to our kids. They have had awesome teachers throughout all their years at Maconaquah, but this challenging year solidified that.

Support Local Journalism Now, more than ever, the world needs trustworthy reportingbut good journalism isnt free. Please support us by making a contribution. Contribute

This ceremony marked the 57th graduation at Maconaquah High School, but each student speaker made it a point to recognize that it was a year unlike any other.

The present is fleeting so we must not let it escape us before we can make memories, and this year has certainly been memorable, said Valedictorian Anastasia Spahr. While we missed out on many normal activities this year, I am grateful for the ones we did get to have, including this graduation ceremony. This has been a difficult year and it has tested our strength, nevertheless we have persevered. We have overcome the struggles that came with the pandemic. This is the end of one chapter in our lives, but it also marks the beginning of a new one. As we all turn the page, never forget that you are the writers of your own stories and the makers of your own destinies.

Salutatorian Gabriella Weaver followed Spahrs speech by congratulating her class for all of their accomplishments, but also recognized the accomplishments of every person watching, I dont know how many of you can see it, but I am so proud. Not only of my graduating class who made it through this difficult year, but everyone in attendance has survived a year like no other.

You could feel the emotions as each student speaker took to the microphone. There were feelings of gratitude and thankfulness, and also a sense of relief. Senior year is hard, but even more so in the wake of a nationwide pandemic.

Senior class President Stevee Judy concluded the class speeches by saying If you take anything from me out of all of the time we have known each other let it be that you do not need a speech to be worth something, you don't have to come in 1st place or be more than average or be something that you are not to have value. Your worth is not determined by the amount of scholarship dollars that you have accumulated or the number of colleges that have accepted you. Your list of accomplishments does not have to be a mile long and you do not have to be a Valedictorian, Salutatorian, or Class President to matter. As long as you are giving your all and being the best version of yourself that you can be, you are worthy. You are so important. You are enough. We are enough.

In a year as unprecedented as 2021, these students have shown first hand that every individual is capable of accomplishing whatever they set their minds to, no matter the obstacle. Allen and Jami Willson, parents of senior Matthew Willson, mentioned how challenging this year was on both them and Matthew, but that with the help of the staff and curriculum at Maconaquah the year flew by with a little stress and a lot of accomplishment. We have graduated four children from Maconaquah, "four for four" has been one of our sayings this week, said the Willson parents. Matthew had goals to take as many AP and ACP classes as he could fit in, and Maconaquah has provided the staff and coursework that allowed him to challenge himself and see success through this challenging year. Maconaquah's entire staff did an excellent job of adapting and persevering through some really chaotic days and weeks.

The year 2021 has provided many things for this graduating class. There is new appreciation, new understanding, and also a new outlook on life. Principal Carlson might have said it best. On behalf of the high school faculty and staff, I just want to say how proud we are of the Class of 2021. These young men and women have persevered through challenges that no other graduating class had to face. This was not the senior year that any of them envisioned, but they remained positive and strong. I am confident they will find success in their life after high school. Congratulations to the graduating class of 2021, you deserve it.
RICHMOND  Virginias murder rate climbed to its highest level since the late 1990s last year, according to crime statistics released by the Virginia State Police this week.

Police reported 537 homicides in 2020, up from 455 in 2019, bringing the rate per 100,000 residents to just over six  a number last seen in 1998 as the crime wave that peaked earlier in the decade began to taper off, according to FBI reports.

Localities large and small have felt the uptick.

Henry County, a jurisdiction of 55,000 along the North Carolina border, saw one of the biggest percentage increases. Police reported nine homicides in the county, up from two the year prior. Thats a 350% year-over-year increase and the most recorded in at least a decade. In the most high-profile case, a former sheriffs deputy is accused of conspiring with a lover to murder his wife.

Most of the states large jurisdictions also recorded more homicides. Of them, Portsmouth saw the steepest increase  a 125% rise from 16 homicides in 2019 to 36 in 2020. The victims include a 17-year-old felled by a drive-by shooting and a sailor shot and killed during a fight.
Virginia lawmakers moved last spring to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. While simple possession will be legal starting July 1, sales will remain illegal until January 2024.

Lawmakers and civil rights groups who supported the bill argued that the paradox was a necessary stopgap to curb the harm of marijuana laws while the state worked to stand up a new regulated market.

Under the structure lawmakers agreed to, it will be legal to possess up to an ounce of marijuana. People caught with more than an ounce but less than a pound will be subject to a $25 civil fine; people caught with more than a pound will face a felony.

On Monday, JLARC proposed that lawmakers create a misdemeanor charge.

Gribbin said the states approach is not gradual enough, and that all other states with legalization have a misdemeanor charge for possession starting at 1 to 2.5 ounces. Gribbin said Virginia could follow the less punitive approach and charge people with a misdemeanor for possession starting at 2.5 ounces up to a pound.

Virginia lawmakers have no plans to meet on this topic before July 1, meaning that the rules now in place will likely stay as they are at least in the beginning.
When a state report faults the Virginia Military Institute for failing to treat cadets equally despite race and gender, its not difficult to believe those allegations.

Several independent examinations of racism in the U.S. Armed Forces and their civilian support organizations find a long record of complaints  both formal and informal. And its suspected that the number of discrimination complaints filed by service members represents but a fraction of actual incidents.

And even the Pentagon admits to a persistent and corrosive problem with sexual assault and harassment across the spectrum of the services, a long-standing problem weve been following in this space for many years.

Given that background, gender- and race-based discrimination at a military training institute such as VMI is well within the realm of possibility.

And thats before adding in VMIs particular history of reverence for Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson and all that it implies.
The city council has a good plan. The narrower lanes will slow traffic.

Narrower vehicle lanes will make it too difficult for larger vehicles.

A separate pedestrian solution should be constructed away from any vehicular traffic.

Widening the sidewalk could work best if a barrier is put up between the sidewalk and vehicular traffic.

Vote

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Sri Lanka: Fishermen seek financial support to tide over crisis

June 08,2021 | Source: Sunday Observer

The fisher community which has fallen from the frying pan into the fire due to the blow from a double whammy of the global pandemic and now the ship catching fire in Lankan waters urgently call for assistance from the authorities to keep the home fires burning. The fisher-families whose only source of income has been taken away urge the government to provide a daily allowance at least till they get over the crises that has brought their life to a complete standstill. We are in a precarious state today. We just raised our heads after a tumultuous time of two years when tragedy struck us again with the vessel catching fire, said fisher-folk in Negombo who are currently in a hapless state. Fisher-families said granting Rs. 5,000 to tide over a long period is not a viable solution as one has to put food on the table daily and fulfill other daily needs. Providing a pittance when our trade has been completely bungled cannot be accepted. There has to be a favourable solution such as a daily allowance to fisher-families that would enable at least to feed the children, said All-Ceylon Fisher-Folks Trade Union President Aruna Fernando. Fishermen said, Earlier we were unable to go out to sell.



Now people are not buying because fear has been created without any scientific proof that its dangerous to consume fish due to the contamination of water with hazardous substances. The authorities must undertake a comprehensive study and make claims that are scientifically verifiable without creating panic which has adverse ramifications to the country, Fernando said adding that to panic seeing some fish or shore is not scientific as it is a common site during the monsoons to have fish washed ashore. Fishery associations have been urging the government to formulate a national policy that is implementable in consultation with fisheries associations who know the industry, Fernando said.The Government with the assistance of the forces launched a major cleanup operation last week following the container ship laden with chemicals caught fire inundating the western coast with microplastic pollution and potentially hazardous waste.



Eco-activists and environmentalists said the second vessel to catch fire in Lankan waters in recent times, would lead to the worst catastrophic ecological disaster in the country and of the potential threat to marine life and the fishing industry. MS X-Press Pearl, a Singapore-registered ship was sailing from Indias Gujarat to Colombo when a fire broke out onboard on May 20 around nine nautical miles off the Sri Lankan coast. Experts said there was a possibility for about 350 metric tons of oil to leak into the ocean resulting in widespread ecological damage to marine life. Sri Lankan authorities have launched criminal and civil probes into how the fire started.The Marine Environment and Protection Authority (MEPA) stated plastic waste had caused the worst environmental disaster we have seen in our lifetime. MEPA added the damage from the ship was still being calculated.

 1995 - 2021 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Pakistan: Meddlesome bureaucracy in FCS responsible for poor fisheries

by Jan Khaskheli

June 08,2021 | Source: The News

Majority of marine fishermen, mostly boat owners, residing in coastal areas of Thatta, Sujawal and Badin districts are yet to get representation in the Fishermen Cooperative Society (FCS), a community welfare body, formed in 1945. The FCS election for seven community directors is set to be held on June 18, 2021, in which around 1,800-2,000 members will cast their votes. Community activists said that despite contributing taxes and commission to the Karachi Fisheries Harbour, boat owners from these coastal districts had no representation in FCS and could not claim proper share in income and play a role in the development of their areas. Majeed Motani, a senior boat captain and member since 1964, said the FCS was formed in 1945 by community elders, keeping in mind that this might help people in case of an accident during fishing in the sea, retirement, for education and health facilities for their families. The FCS founders had set criteria to include boat owners as bona fide members, who could cast votes and participate in decision-making through their elected representatives. Specifically, there was a need for development of jetties (fish landing sites), roads, harbour maintenance, markets and other infrastructures using funds earned in the shape of prescribed commission through auction of seafood. At that time, the number of boats was not so high. Initially, 500 boats were registered. About the boat owners from outside Karachi, Motani said there was a small number from Keti Bunder and Kharo Chhan, Thatta district, who were members for a long time.



Previously, the community members used to elect seven directors, while the provincial government would nominate five directors directly to run the affairs of the society smoothly. But now the provincial government through amendment of the bill has become authorised to nominate eight directors directly. However, seven directors from the communitys side remain the same as per the election process. Asif Bhatti, President, Native Indigenous Fishermen Association (Nifa) based in Bhit Island, Karachi said, We follow the tradition set by our elders to elect seven members from the community to run affairs of FCS. However, bureaucratic hurdles always disrupt the system, and community people feel uneasy about getting their share for development. We, the fishermen, are natural custodians of resources. We are eyewitnesses of increasing marine pollution and suggest authorities to address these issues, Bhatti said. The commission earned through auction of seafood ranges from Rs25 million to Rs30 million per month, depending on the situation. Despite huge earnings, the community does not get its due share for developing their jetties, and maintenance of harbour. Elderly boat captains said that in the past, inexperienced community people had asked the government to run affairs of the FCS, and to nominate secretary finance or commissioner Karachi to manage the system judiciously. But later, the government intervened and manipulated the societys manifesto. Presently, the government appoints eight directors and selects its chairman to run affairs, cutting the role of community-elected directors to use the income, Bhatti said. Now, though the number of boats has increased manifold, membership remains low. The reason is that FCS has stopped giving new membership to new boats to avoid new claimants.



Saeed Baloch of FCS employees union (CBA) said the organisation was getting exploited by the government appointed people, who used the income on their own, without taking community directors onboard. Not only Thatta, Sujawal and Badin coastal areas, but Balochistans coast, despite being larger, spread over 700km, is facing a similar situation, he added. Pakistans coast is 1,050km long, including Sindhs 350km and Balochistans 700km coastline. Balochistan contributes more to the Karachi Fisheries Harbour in terms of catch and trade. Due to this kind of manipulation and deprivation, fishermen from Balochistan are thinking to part ways and form their own welfare body. Since they have their own fisheries ministry, they should have the right to run affairs on their own. Community activists demand to revive membership and remove those from the voters list who have passed away. They also urge for verification of cards for members through NADRA so the welfare body can be saved. Gulab Shah, representing fishermen from Keti Bunder, Thatta, said there were three categories of boats, including larger, midsize and low-size 20-feet boats. Of these, only two categories are eligible to get registered under the society act and the rest do not have a role. Otherwise, there are more than 45,000 boats of all sizes operating along the coastline. Activists believe that the society can be run smoothly to serve as a channel through which credit for working and investment capital can reach individual fishermen, instead of moving to pockets of certain ministers and bureaucrats.



Some elderly fishermen still recall the old harbour between the present Natives Jetty Bridge and the (beach luxury) hotel, where they used to run old boats with sales. Following the building of Natives Jetty Bridge and Keamari as a new a settlement, the old system was disrupted, as it was not possible for sailboats to pass under the bridge. According to them, even the present fisheries and harbour market were too congested to accommodate the boats, traders, auction system and entrance of community people. They blamed FCSs negligence towards harbour maintenance and cleanliness for the ban on seafood export by the European Union (EU). This ban was causing problems for people, who have been associated with fishing for generations, they said. Shaukat Hussain, manager, FCS, said they were yet to revise the accurate list of members. Presently we have an old membership record, in which 11,182 members may cast votes. But usually 1,800-2,000 voters take part in the process. Talking about the EU ban on the seafood export imposed in 2012, FCS manager said they have only two companies registered to export seafood. Officially, the EU inspection team was due earlier to inspect and allow the process, but due to delay the issue remained unsolved.
India: Shrimp farmers left devastated by Cyclone Yaas

by Gurvinder Singh

June 08,2021 | Source: The Fish Site

I have been doing business for over three decades but have never seen such scale of devastation ever before. It was simply a disaster that swallowed our shrimp business, without giving us time to save anything. It will take at least two to three years to recover from the damage caused by Cyclone Yaas, said Chintamoni Mondal, 63, secretary of West Bengal Aquaculture Federation. The cyclone brought winds of around 130-140 kilometres per hour, the equivalent of a Category 1 Atlantic hurricane, and made a landfall in Balasore district of Odisha, leaving behind a trail of destruction. The coastal areas of both Odisha and Bengal suffered severe damage under the impact of the cyclone, with houses flattened and acres of land destroyed due to breaches in embankments. Better management helped to minimise the loss of lives, but the cyclone has dealt a severe blow to the livelihoods of shrimp farmers, who were expecting a bumper crop this year.



Record harvests threatened



The average annual production in West Bengal hovers at around 70,000 tonnes, but we were expecting an all-time high of around 100,000 tonnes this year, due to better climatic conditions, no sudden rains and disease-free farming. The farmers were upbeat and were expecting higher returns. But the cyclone destroyed everything, as tonnes of shrimp got swept away in the water that entered the fields due to breaches in embankments, said Rajarshi Banerji, president of Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI), West Bengal region. Around 12,000 tonnes of shrimp have got lost in the cyclone, with a monetary loss of around 1000 crore ($130 million). Around 10,000 farmers have also been affected. Farming would be difficult for the rest of the year where embankments have been completely broken as it would take time to rebuild them, he added. According to the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), the production of shrimp in West Bengal stood at around 58,961 tonnes last year, down from 77,688 tonnes in 2018-19. Odisha produced around 48,147 tonnes of shrimp in 2019-20, up from 26,268 tonnes in the previous year. In total India exported 652,253 tonnes of frozen shrimp in 2019-20, up from 614,145 in the preceding year.



The timing of the cyclone was particularly unfortunate, as Yaas coincided with the shrimp harvesting season. We were making preparations for the harvest as the production was expected to be high this time. The buyers were already making a beeline for the produce. But everything changed within a few minutes. The high tide spurred by the cyclone broke the embankment and water entered into the ponds. I ran for my safety only to swim back after an hour and find my field turning into a sea, with no trace of shrimp ponds. It was all over in no time, said Montu Kumar Giri, a farmer at Suniya village in East Medinipur district of West Bengal. The water level rose in several rivers due to the perigean spring tide that coincided with the cyclone. I had taken a loan of around Rs 50 lakh ($74,000) at a monthly interest of 12 percent from the bank, expecting a good harvest but everything is over. The biggest headache is to repay the loan. It would be difficult for me to start business again. The 42-year-old lives on the bank of the River Rasulpur, where the mud embankment got completely washed away in the storm, affecting 75 shrimp farmers in the village.



Infrastructure damaged



As well as losing market-ready shrimp, farmers equipment has suffered damage. The losses are huge if we also take into account farm machinery. The diesel-run generators and aerators are defunct. The nylon net fencing on the pond boundaries has also been damaged. It is a herculean task to start all over again, as we depend on bank loans for farming. The banks would hesitate to lend us money on seeing our present situation, said Swapan Kumar Giri, a farmer in Suniya village who claimed to have lost 35 tonnes of vannamei shrimp in the cyclone. Some farmers also claimed the shrimp which were washed away in the storm were caught by the locals and sold at a knock-off price. The shrimp costs around Rs 350-400 (approx $6) per kilogram in the retail market. Those that got swept away in the cyclone were caught and sold for Rs 100 ($1.5) per kilo in local markets. It was like rubbing salt in our wounds, as we helplessly saw our produce being sold without being able to do anything, said Umakant Mishra, a farmer in South 24 parganas district of West Bengal. Odisha also faced a similar level of catastrophe, with thousands of farmers affected by the cyclone. The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) gives only Rs 10,000 ($137 approx) per acre as compensation to farmers whose fields have been destroyed in the natural disaster. It is very negligible amount as shrimp farmers are facing huge losses. Around 2000 hectares of land have been affected by the cyclone in Odisha alone, said Kameswara Narayana Praharaja, president of the All Odisha Fish Producers Federation. We strongly demand that tax-free diesel should be made available to trawlers and shrimp farmers because the industry is instrumental in bringing foreign exchange to the country and giving employment to millions of people. The sector is completely neglected by the respective governments.



Ways to deal with future natural disasters



Farmers assert that while natural disasters are not common in coastal regions they have never seen anything like Yaas. It is quite natural for coastal areas to face natures fury. We have witnessed Cyclone Amphan, Aila and others but nothing can be compared to Yaas, which devoured everything in a few minutes. Changing climatic conditions are making natural disasters a regular phenomenon. It is very necessary to find a solution to this issue or else fish farmers will be ruined, said Sohan Das, 37, a shrimp farmer in the Balasore district of Odisha. According to Dr Kamlesh Mishra, President, SEAI, Odisha region, the impact of the disaster can be minimised to a great extent if embankments are made strong and power outages are stopped. The embankments have to be made strong to ensure they do not get breached during natural disasters, causing sea or river waters to enter into the ponds and destroy them. The government should also lay down power wires underground so that they do not get snapped off during severe storms. A supply of power would at least help the farmers to save the remaining shrimp and get some revenue out of them. It is also necessary to make advanced preparations for storms, as weather forecast have become quite advanced these days. Diesel-run generators have to be kept ready to ensure that power supplies remain uninterrupted during storms and the shrimp do not die. It cannot be a long-term solution, but it will be helpful to save those shrimps that have not been swept away in the storm, he added.

 2021 ? Hatch Accelerator Holding Limited
Kerala: Budget gives a boost to coastal protection initiatives

by K.A. Martin

June 08,2021 | Source: The Hindu

Efforts to protect the nearly 600-km Kerala coast and people living on the coast may witness a sea change, with the revised Budget for 2021-22 promising to tap into local knowledge, leverage green solutions, and adopt the latest engineering techniques for the purpose even as the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos) is set to finalise plans to establish a major mangrove research and propagation station. Coastal area conservation measures will be formulated to integrate new technologies and green solutions like mangrove vegetation, said Minister for Finance K.N. Balagopal in the Assembly on Friday. On utilising the knowledge of the local people and addressing their concerns, the Minister said: Extensive stakeholder consultations will be conducted with local participation before finalising designs. For this, the views of community organisations working in coastal areas will be sought with the assistance of the Local Self-Government and Fisheries departments. Going by the experience of the local people, green cover along the coast can help prevent sea erosion in places like Chellanam. K.K. Rarghuraj of Kufos, an expert in mangroves, had said at a recent consultative meeting on Chellanam that the segment of the coast between Fort Kochi and Chellanam lacked substantial beach formation. Beaches are needed to grow mangroves and provide bioshield protection to the coast. Kufos Vice Chancellor Riji K. John said the proposal for establishing an international centre of excellence in mangrove research and development was being finalised.



Once operational, the Rs.100-crore station will combine the vast resources available with Kufos for propagation of mangroves by providing knowledge backup as well as seeds and tissue-cultured plants. The facility is slated to come up on 50 acres at the fisheries station of the varsity on Puthuvype island. A meeting of environmental and fisheries scientists in Kochi in May 2019 had proposed the setting up of such a facility. The task was then taken up by A. Ramachandran, then Vice Chancellor. The final proposal will be submitted soon to the Fisheries Minister, Dr. John said. He added that mangrove growth along the coast would not only help protect it but also, in places like Kochi, help lower temperature and increase oxygen availability in the atmosphere. Mangroves are also natural homes to dozens of local species of fish and crabs as well as migratory birds. Kerala has 15 mangrove plant varieties as well as 75 associated plants. Of them, 12 varieties and 66 associated plants are available at the Kufos fisheries station. The proposed research station will be a germplasm bank for the rich variety of mangrove vegetation in the State.

 2021, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD.
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. This story has been edited for length.
KOKOMO, Ind.  Six Indiana University Kokomo faculty members received 2021 IU Trustees Teaching Awards, as recognition for excellence in the classroom.

Ghadah Alshuwaiyer, Stephanie Medley-Rath, Mark Meng, Stephanie Pratt, Natalie Schelling, and Joseph Waters earned the award, which is given each spring to honor faculty who have had a positive impact on student learning, especially for undergraduates.

Mark Canada, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, commended and thanked the recipients for their outstanding contributions to the campus mission.

Teaching is our number one priority at IU Kokomo, he said. These individuals not only make it a priority in their own professional lives, but also excel at it. Our students deserve teaching that inspires them and enriches their lives. I am pleased we can recognize faculty who have served our students this way.

Department chairs and deans identify candidates, who are then recommended by a selection committee.

Honorees include:

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Ghadah Alshuwaiyer, assistant professor of health sciences, was noted for providing high-impact practices to her students and evaluating learning through practice and inclusion. She encourages discussion and activities to promote civic engagement and community involvement.

Stephanie Medley-Rath, associate professor of sociology, was recognized for her philosophy that teaching revolves around compassion and equity, and that her courses are designed so all students have a voice and are given an opportunity to learn. When transitioning her classes to virtual learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she used the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning to inform strategies for student success.

Mark Meng, assistant professor of hospitality and tourism management, was commended for bringing the Kokomo Experience and You (KEY) travel experience to life in his courses. He focuses on active learning, designing classes to allow students to learn through real-world examples and cases. During the pandemic, he worked with businesses to provide safe, onsite experiences for students.

Stephanie Pratt, clinical assistant professor of nursing, earned recognition for providing students to construct their own learning experiences, and for seeking out creative learning experiences to provide students with hands-on, minds-on learning She was a leader in bringing the disaster triage day and poverty simulation to campus. In the last year, she presented at two national conferences and was elected to the state board of directors for the Indiana League for Nursing.

Natalie Schelling, assistant professor of educational psychology, was recognized for using educational psychology to inform her teaching philosophy and ground her decisions for course design and instruction on strong empirical evidence. Her courses focus on active learning techniques and providing a safe space for student voices.

Joseph Waters, clinical assistant professor of psychology, was commended for participating in many conferences and workshops in the last year and using what he learned to enhance his courses with clearer assessment, mid-semester feedback, video analysis posts, and multicultural competency. He was intentional in creating measurable learning outcomes and making those explicit to his students. He also supervised two students on their undergraduate research project.

Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.
MANUEL TABOADA lives, works and writes in Denton. He welcomes feedback and can be reached at manueltaboada.com .
Latin American data centre specialist Odata is to expand into Chile; it plans to build a new facility in Santiago.

The Data Centre Dynamics website reports that, when fully developed, the six-hectare site will house more than 40,000 square metres of data centre buildings totalling 28MW of capacity. The completion date has not been revealed.

The company says it will invest $217 million into the development and will support around 500 jobs during the construction phase and 100 jobs when the data centre is fully operational.

A second project announcement in Santiago is expected soon from Odata to meet growing demand for high-speed internet, low-latency cloud services and for IT services.

Microsoft, Huawei, Oracle, and Google all have cloud regions in development or in operation in Chile, while AWS has an Edge location in the country.

Last month Odata detailed Brazilian expansion plans in Sao Paulo and Rio. Construction on its Queretaro, Mexico, campus began in January 2021. The first phase is due for completion by the start of 2022.

Meanwhile, Google has acquired 30 hectares of land for a data centre in Canelones, Uruguay, though it has yet to confirm when or whether it will build on the land. Google currently has a cloud region in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and another in development in Santiago.
South Africas number three operator is claiming an African first. Telkom says it has launched Africas first virtual card for transacting on WhatsApp, enabling Telkom Pay customers to make e-commerce payments.

This move, says Telkom, is expected to empower millions of South Africans  even those without a bank account  to access the digital economy and transact online.

Launched in 2020, Telkom Pay is a digital payments wallet that enables its users to make and receive payments using WhatsApp on their mobile phone. With the addition of the Mastercard virtual (non-plastic) card to the wallet, users can now make payments to local and global online merchants that accept Mastercard, including Uber and Netflix.

Telkoms move to bring virtual cards into its Telkom Pay WhatsApp service is a result of a collaboration with Mastercard, Nedbank and leading fintech enablement partner Ukheshe Technologies.

Telkom says its Mastercard virtual card for WhatsApp gives customers the flexibility to shop safely and conveniently using just their smartphone and the Telkom Pay app. Customers simply create a virtual card on their profile, link it to their digital wallet and transfer funds from their wallet to the card.

To pay for purchases, users receive a virtual prepaid card  including a 16-digit card number, security code and expiry date, which they use to complete an online purchase  much as they would with a physical card.

The virtual card solution is safely stored on the Telkom Pay app and customers can temporarily block, cancel or replace their card via the app, providing them with additional security and control.
Alibaba is clearly keeping busy in the Southeast Asian market. Recent reports indicate major new or ongoing initiatives in the Philippines and Malaysia, along with general investment in the region.

In fact the cloud unit of the Chinese tech vendor is reportedly planning to set aside $1 billion over three years to nurture digital skills in Southeast Asia, which, it says, will include supporting 100,000 developers and 100,000 start-ups. It also plans to open its first data centre in the Philippines and an innovation centre in Malaysia.

The investment is apparently part of an initiative to build the region's digital talent pool, innovation and infrastructure.

The data centre in the Philippines will open later this year. It will offer a range of services such as elastic computer service, storage, and a content delivery network supporting Alibabas aim to drive growth in key local sectors such as fintech, retail, logistics and education.

The cloud innovation centre in Malaysia will, according to website ZDNet, be the first facility of its kind for Alibaba outside China. The centre aims to provide training in technology and business skills, as well as offering a platform on which start-ups can interact with experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts. It will be sited in Kuala Lumpur.

The cloud vendor is aiming to train 30,000 professionals in Malaysia over the next year.
Indonesias Telkomsel has extended its 5G coverage to the cities of Bandung, Batam, Denpasar, Makassar and Surabaya.

Last week, the operator launched its commercial 5G offering in three cities (Balikpapan, Medan and Surakarta) with the promise that it would expand the services gradually. It already appears to be delivering on this claim.

Telkomsel stated that its 5G services will encourage the strengthening of the cross-sector digital ecosystem by presenting digital lifestyle solutions within Indonesia.

As reported by TeleGeography, the network is accessible via devices that support NSA (non-standalone) technology in the 2300MHz band, including widely available models from Huawei, Oppo and Vivo.

IndoTelko reports that Telkomsel has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Schneider Electric for greater cooperation on digital transformation in Indonesia. The firms plan to collaborate on a number of 5G trial initiatives.
Gov. Eric Holcomb has selected an Indianapolis property development executive to lead the state's commerce agency for at least the next two years.

The Republican chief executive announced Monday that Bradley B. Chambers, the president, CEO, and founder of Buckingham Companies, will serve as secretary of commerce and head of the Indiana Economic Development Corp. (IEDC) beginning July 6.

"There is no one more qualified to lead our economic development efforts than someone whos been a leader in the business for 35 years," Holcomb said.

"Not only has Brad created, grown and expanded his business from the ground up, hes been focused on how his work contributes to making Indiana the best place to invest, work and live for his entire career."

WATCH NOW: Casinos drop face mask requirement for vaccinated guests

Holcomb said that experience is especially important as the IEDC prepares to launch the $500 million Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) focused on leveraging some $2 billion in private investment to improve quality of place, quality of life and quality of opportunity in the different regions of the state.

"We will have a transformational leader at the helm of this transformational project," Holcomb said.

Chambers' Buckingham Companies develops, manages and invests in multifamily and mixed-use properties in central Indiana and nearby states.

According to the governor's office, Chambers will sign a two-year contract with the IEDC that allows him to maintain a reduced role at the Buckingham Companies while serving as Indiana commerce secretary.

Buckingham will not be eligible for state incentives while Chambers is at the IEDC.

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"I'm honored to serve the state of Indiana and give back to a home that has given so much to me over the years. Im very excited for the opportunity to strengthen statewide entrepreneurship and help drive Indianas overall business climate to the next level," Chambers said.

"I'm nothing short of impressed with Governor Holcomb's leadership and ideas for the state and look forward to being part of the team."

Chambers also serves as chairman of the Indiana State Fair Commission. He plans to remain in that role through this year's Indiana State Fair, set to run from Aug. 6 to Aug. 22 at the fairgrounds on the northeast side of Indianapolis.

He's replacing Jim Schellinger as secretary of commerce at the IEDC. Schellinger, a 2008 Democratic candidate for governor, resigned in March after six years at the economic development agency.

WATCH NOW: Riding Shotgun with NWI Cops  Patrolling Lowell with Cpl. Aaron Crawford

Jim Stanton, IEDC senior vice president and chief business development officer, served as interim commerce secretary following Schellinger's departure.

Last year, the IEDC inked deals with more than 280 companies promising to invest $5.6 billion in the Hoosier State and hire up to 31,300 workers at an average wage of $28.13 an hour.

The state agency, which is governed by a 15-person board of business leaders, offered tax incentives to help bring in new companies like Alliance Steel in Gary, Midwest Truck & Auto Parts in Merrillville, Ekos Window + Wall in Valparaiso and Corsicana Mattress Co. in LaPorte.

NWI Business Ins and Outs: The Athenian, Teriyaki Madness, Capriotti's and Indiana Beach open, Aaland closes
Vodafone Idea signed an agreement with Huawei to expand its 4G network shortly ahead of the Indian governments March announcement that operators must procure all equipment from trusted providers.

The Economic Times reported that the agreement is worth between INR4 billion ($54.7 million) and INR4.5 billion, and covers planned extensions of Vodafone Idea (Vi)s 4G network as well as upgrades to its transport network. The paper noted that Vi is Huaweis biggest customer in India; however, it is in debt to the vendor to the tune of around INR8.5 billion.

The news has come to light as India prepares to enforce the new procurement rules on 15th June, which are at least in part aimed at limiting the role of Chinese vendors in the deployment of Indias 5G networks, with the government claiming that the use of Chinese network equipment poses a national security risk.

Last month, Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE were left off the Indian governments list of approved suppliers for network equipment as Indian operators prepare for 5G trials.

The new rules are already having an impact, with Bharti Airtel last year shunning Chinese vendors in favour of Nokia for a US$1 billion RAN contract. The operator also extended an existing deal with Ericsson for the supply of 5G-capable radio and transport gear.

Market leader Reliance Jio selected Samsung to provide its 4G RAN equipment, and has stuck with the vendor as it applies to run 5G trials. However, it is also planning to develop domestically produced 4G and 5G network equipment as it seeks to reduce both its costs and its dependence on imports.
Am I the only one who has fix-it projects fail but only if I button everything up prior to testing? As an example, when I was a computer technician I would frequently open up computers to replace parts for newer parts or sometimes to replace a broken part.
June 16The Republican Women of Coffee County will meet on Wednesday, June 16 at 11 a.m. at the Enterprise Country Club. The guest speakers are 7th Judicial Court Justice Debra Jones and Greg Cook who are both candidates for election for Place 1 in the Alabama Supreme Court. Also speaking is State Board of Education member Tracie West who is running for re-election. Social time begins at 11 a.m. and an optional $12 lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. followed by the program at noon. Everyone is invited, but reservations are required. Please contact Jan at 334-494-3763 or rwccreservations@gmail.com to RSVP.

June 19Aglow International will hold its June meeting on Saturday, June 19 at 10 a.m. at PoFolks in Enterprise. The guest speakers for the event will be Barbara Alberson, Ginger Hollis, Judy Howell, Angie McCrea and Sara Kyser of the Enterprise Aglow Community Lighthouse Board. The community is invited to attend and bring a friend! For more information, call 334-406-9683.
The Wiregrass-Enterprise Chapter of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) hosted lawyer Bernard D. Nomberg as the speaker at their monthly lunch program Thursday.

Nomberg spoke at the event as part of the goal of the Alabama State Bar to send a speaker from the Bar in every county in the state during May for Law Month. He is a partner of the Nomberg Law Firm in Birmingham and primarily represents injured workers in Alabama in workers compensation cases. Nomberg has been selected as a super lawyer by Super Lawyers magazine and recognized as the top rated workers compensation attorney in Birmingham.

During the event, Nomberg went over the basics of the court system and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the Alabama court system.

Nomberg said that Alabama has been leading the way in recent years concerning online accessibility and its court system. While it has been popularized during the pandemic, he added that the use of Zoom for court dealings has been available in the state for several years.
Two decades ago, chemical giant DuPont retreated from plans to mine outside the Okefenokee after meeting fierce resistance. Twin Pines wants permits to mine a small fraction of the acreage DuPont pursued. Steve Ingle, president of Twin Pines, declined to answer questions about potential environmental impacts. Ingle has previously insisted his company can mine the site without harming the swamp.

Government scientists have been skeptical. In February 2019, the Fish and Wildlife Service wrote that the proposed mine could pose substantial risks to the swamp, including its ability to hold water. Some impacts, it said, "may not be able to be reversed, repaired, or mitigated for.

Ingle has said mining will occur on a ridge above the swamp and wont go deep enough to cause underground leaks.

Georgia environmental regulators are weighing five permit applications for the project. After an initial review, regulators in April sent Twin Pines 10 pages of questions and requested changes. Once those get answered, the agency plans a meeting for the general public.

We see the EPD being extremely careful, said Neill Herring, a lobbyist for the Sierra Club in Georgia. The agencys response is greater than it would have been prior to the Corps removal from the field.
Early in 2020, as Americans baked their way through the uncertainty, Yeh's older cake recipes became popular again, including carrot cake with hawaij (a Middle Eastern spice) and tahini caramel frosting; chocolate cake with halva filling and tahini frosting; and mini pumpkin loaf cakes with cream cheese glaze and candied bacon.

The new mom admits she struggled when she realized she's not the fun parent. Its become clear that Nick is the fun one, dancing and singing and spinning her up in the air, she says.

But food has fixed that too.

I get to see Bernie's face when she eats my chicken noodle soup, and I get to fill the house with the smell of mac and cheese when she wakes up from her nap, she says.

Yeh met her husband when they were students at Juilliard, and made her debut at Carnegie Hall as a percussionist at age 17. Her father, John Bruce Yeh, plays clarinet with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and was their first Asian-American member when he joined in 1977.

One of her favorite moments on her show was cooking chicken pot stickers, scallion pancakes with maple syrup slaw and, of course, a sprinkle cake, before performing a Bach invention with the man she calls her biggest musical inspiration.

Its that same creative, special, joyous feeling that I get making cake and making food for other people that I get from playing music for people that I love, said Yeh. If life can be a lot of those moments strung together, thats a life I want to live."

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